Author: sarahsweeney

  When people begin a weight loss journey, it makes sense that they place a heavy emphasis on the number they see on the scale. It's easy to measure, it's easy to track, and it makes it very salient whether you're making progress toward the ideal body weight you've set for yourself.   So, ...

Have you ever noticed when you learn a new exercise, it’s hard? Not just a little bit hard, but A LOTTA BIT hard. It’s awkward, it requires a lot of effort, and it generally feels like it’s never going to get easier. Until it does. Eventually, the thing that was so challenging the first time ...

Alcohol and Body Composition Are we getting drinks or DRANKS? Are we drinking ourselves out of achieving our health and fitness goals? Many people enjoy its sedating influence and it does play a vital role in many of society's traditions and practices. But, one effect alcohol has, which is not widely ...

For most of us, stress is a fact of life. Unfortunately, research reveals that it's also a fact of fat. Even if you usually eat well and exercise, chronic high stress can prevent you from losing weight—or even add pounds. Here's what happens: Your body responds to all stress in the same way. Every ...

Summer means the kids are out of school, your schedule is turned upside down and you may be away from your fancy, well-equipped gym more than you like. When resources are limited, creativity to reach your goals is a must. You can increase your muscle mass and build strength and power with bodyweight ...

In light of May being Mental Health Awareness month, and as someone who has to actively work to maintain my own mental health (I’ve personally dealt with an eating disorder and Postpartum Psychosis, among many other challenges in life).  I decided to write my own list of daily reminders to see ...

“I’ll resume healthy eating after my vacation… once the baby is born… after Dad gets out of the hospital… January 1… Monday.” While this kind of “pause-button mentality” seems reasonable, it could be ruining your health and fitness. Here’s why, and what to do about it.   After ...

A blueprint of how you can incorporate cardio to see faster results. Yes, cardio sucks; especially when you can watch binge watch just about anything on Netflix instead. Whole industries have been built around getting people fit without cardio, or at least creating a setting where they forget they’re ...

 On this podcast we have Sarah Sweeney on to share her fitness journey. We talk about how she was in an accident shortly after graduating high school and how years later that injury effected her when she was trying to get in shape. Also being that she's 5'10 we discuss problems tall people have ...

The reality is that the only thing you should be training for and setting goals for is something that will truly light your fire. Humans are visual creatures and we are motivated by what we see in the mirror. Whether it’s socially acceptable or not, we care what we look like and we like to know that ...

We're all doing it anyway. You're judging me for this article right now. And while most people won't admit this, judging others is a form of self-improvement. When we see people doing things, we judge it as positive or negative, and may then either avoid or emulate those behaviors. I would ask though, ...

Women get lied to a lot. Corporations and marketers know that women are more likely than men to take care of themselves and make purchasing decisions. It’s not that women are more susceptible than men to bogus health claims, it's just that women are literally bombarded with them in ways that men ...

The reality is, that our children (especially young children) are brilliant mimics. They learn so quickly and with the effortless fluidity that we do not experience as adults because their brains are literally imbued with more plasticity than ours. This is not something that I take lightly as the ...

Bodybuilding is a lifestyle; which is a very positively skewed way of saying that bodybuilding consumes every aspect of your life. Some would call it obsessive. Others would call it a healthy obsession. Whatever you want to call it – it’s a big force that takes up a lot of space in a person’s ...

Ask the average strength athlete to list the supplements they can’t live or lift without, and the list will probably stop at protein powder and creatine. Folks with a higher budget might add fish oil, branch chain amino acids, beta alanine, zinc, and other useful pills and powders that can improve ...

Do genetics matter? Are we going to be forever defined by what genes we got from our parents and their parents?  The reality is YES IT DOES MATTER. Genetics play a role and it affects muscle growth and success in the iron world. But it all boils down to you. Even if you’re a hardgainer, you can ...

In this series of Q & A’s, we tap into the knowledge base of some of the most respected and knowledgeable heads in the industry, this episode with Project AD Personal Trainer, Nutritionist and Mommy - Sarah Sweeney. 1) Is it best to vary rep ranges when training solely for hypertrophy/muscle ...