We live in the era of muscular fitness. Instagram models tout giant biceps while chugging milkshakes with enough protein to feed an army, yet I don’t see them making shout-outs to kale or asparagus. While protein is important for several bodily functions, it is time to show some love to our gut. After all, the gut controls more of the body than we know.

The VirtaFitnessTM training program described here is a structured, supervised training program designed for the Beginner to Intermediate strength training client. Even if you do not consider yourself a beginner, you will likely benefit from this progressive program.

It happens to all of us. You get home from a long day at work, hungry and exhausted, and the fridge is empty. It’s too late to go back out to the grocery store and prepare a meal, so you opt for a frozen pizza or Chinese take-out. While I admit that these convenience meals are delicious, they are often full of empty calories, sodium, and saturated fat that can leave you in a “food coma”.

Achieving the “proper” diet these days can seem impossible. Our social media feeds are filled with flawlessly-fit people promoting all sorts of diets, supplements, and detoxes. With a hundred different recommendations a day, it can get very overwhelming.

That’s where I come in. My goal is to make nutrition simple, realistic, and sustainable. Having a healthy relationship with food is the key to a healthy lifestyle. An easy way to ensure a balanced, nutrient-dense eating pattern is to simply take a closer look at your plate.

During the past year, companies like Peloton have done remarkably well supplying expensive, high-end equipment to a growing market, but what if you do not have $2,000 - $3,000 to plunk down on home exercise equipment? Here are six essentials that will get you started for less than $200.

New technology, better results. The Trainerize fitness training app is a new technology that allows Certified Personal Trainers to deliver personalized online training to their clients. Get the app for free when you sign up for a VirtaFitness fitness program.

Track your efforts and stay safe. To me, the most critical data point while I exercise is my heart rate. I like to use a chest strap device that feeds HR data to my bike computer and smartphone. Either way, I can tell at a glance whether I am working too hard or not hard enough.

Stabilization, strength, and power. Utilized for over 20 years with the world's top athletes, the NASM OPT™ Model, or Optimum Performance Training® Model, is a fitness training system developed by Dr. Mike Clark. Based on scientific evidence and principles, the model is highly adaptable and versatile in its application, progressing individuals through five distinct yet complementary training phases.