Exercise intensity is one of the most important variables in strength training. This section explains what intensity means, how to adjust it, and how to match it to your goals.

Exercises for Runners When I share that I am a strength coach, I meet athletes from all kinds of running backgrounds — sprinters, long‑distance runners, and everything in between. Running alone won’t create the same adaptations as heavy resistance training, which is why it’s important to identify your goals and then reverse‑engineer your training to match the adaptations you want. Long‑distance running improves your endurance and energy efficiency. Heavy weight training incre

Teaching group strength classes has shown me something important: people often want one thing from a workout, while strength training itself requires something a little different. My job is to bridge that gap—giving them what they enjoy and  teaching them what actually builds strength they can use independently at home. They Want to Keep Moving Many people come to class wanting to feel like they’re “doing something” every minute. Movement feels productive, and it’s motivating

If you’re new to strength training, you’re not alone if “How do I avoid getting hurt?” is one of your first questions. As someone who teaches group fitness and talks often about the benefits of building muscle, I hear this concern all the time. Injuries can happen for many reasons—muscle strains, sprains, tightness that shifts load to the wrong part of the body (hello, low‑back pain), or even accidents involving equipment misuse. While no training journey is completely risk‑f