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How To Build Muscle (Using Double Progression)

How To Build Muscle (Using Double Progression)

by | Mar 23, 2025 | Blog, Exercises, Workouts

Gaining muscle is a slow process.

While you’d think being a more experienced exerciser would have its advantages, gaining muscle faster isn’t one of them. It actually gets harder the longer we’ve been training.

That’s why it is key, no matter our fitness level, that we focus on the double progression technique to maximize our efficiency and see better muscle and strength gains faster.

Before I go over what double progression is and how to use it in your routine, I want to shed some light on how quickly we can actually expect to see muscle gains, especially based on how long we’ve been training.

And I will tell you, one of the BIGGEST things holding many back from truly seeing their hard work pay off in the gym IS the nutritional component which I’ll touch on a tip at the end.

But in terms of how fast you can see results…

Lyle McDonald’s research shows us that a more newbie lifter can gain up to 1lbs per month as a woman and up to 2lbs as a male.

With each year of training that goes down.

At just even 4 years of training experience, which many of us have been training for decades even, muscle gains are just even a few pounds per YEAR. Yes, not per month, per year! Women can see .1lbs per month and men .25lbs per month.

And this is often when our training is even more optimized for results. Which honestly…most of our training routines aren’t.

Not in a bad way, we just don’t push the progression as much as we could because we’re worn out from life.

We include too much cardio.

We miss days.

We get bored and want to try something new over staying consistent.

Heck we even try to do too much to try to rush results.

Or we simply don’t really fuel to promote our hard work in the gym.

But we’re human! This is going to happen!

That’s why I think it’s key we not only A. Remember to be patient but B. Also take ourselves back to basics and refocus on quality and intentionality with those basic systems over just trying to work harder and do more.

And that’s why I want to remind you of this key training technique – double progression.

So what is double progression and how can you use it?

Have you ever in your workouts had a rep range of 6-12 reps and picked a weight, gotten 12 reps and just stayed there for all the sets?

It felt “hard enough?”

You could have pushed harder.

Or have you ever just done the bare minimum in reps with weights and then tried to go up in weight the next week only to find you can’t keep going heavier week after week in your progression and are maxed out?

You’ve wasted another way to progress!

Trust me, I’ve been guilty of these both at times. Trying to push too hard with only changing loads. Or just going to the top of the rep range and stopping there.

I’ve even had times where I’m constantly changing weights and reps all at the same time.

But this all holds us back even when we FEEL like we’re working hard.

It’s also not a strategic, intentional build that allows us to truly push and optimize.

And this is where Double Progression can help.

Double progression helps you progress the same move in two different ways – by adjusting reps and by adjusting weight, but with one driving the other.

This method regulates how you increase both volume but also intensity of your training.

So…How it works….

It can be used with any rep range you have assigned (let’s say you’re doing 6-12 reps).

Once you hit the top of that range for a certain number of sets (usually 1-3), you’ll increase weight (generally not more than 5-10 pounds).

You want this increase to force you back down toward the bottom of that rep range (so more like 6-8 reps).

You’ll then keep this weight until you can again hit 12 reps for 1-3 rounds. At that time, you’ll move back to increasing weight.

With this double progression, you’re first working to increase reps, which is volume, before then progressing by increasing weight, or the intensity.

This is that double progression.

An example of this may be if you’re doing Goblet Squats for 6-12 reps and you decide if you can do one set of 12 you’ll increase. You have 3 working sets.

You do 12 reps with your weight for your first round. So you go up.

The next round, you can only do 8 reps with the heavier weight. So you stay there for the final round, performing another 8 reps.

Next week you start with that same weight but do 10 reps. You can stay there for all 3 rounds.

The following week you again are able to do 12 reps so you go up.

This push to get out more reps with a weight before increasing is what helps you optimally drive muscle growth, maintaining proper form while constantly pushing that progression.

But there may be some times we misjudge weights, going too light or too heavy.

There may be times that you find you go up in weight and can again hit the top end of that range. Don’t be afraid to go up again.

There may also be times that you miss the bottom of the rep range when increasing weights.

If this happens, you may find you drop down to a weight between what you had used and the weight you’re now using.

If you don’t have a weight between or feel like you can maintain proper form with just a quick pause between a few reps, you may pause for 15-20 seconds to complete the reps.

Just then stay at this weight for longer to progress that volume.

If you are doing 3 rounds and find you miss the rep range on the first round, you can then either use the short pause to keep the weight over the rounds or even lower weights for the final rounds, knowing the lighter weight will be harder simply because of going heavier to start.

The key is to focus on increasing the number of reps you can do first with a weight before you then add weight over always just trying to go heavier.

But part of what also pushes you with double progression is not just stopping at a rep number because it’s the top one listed. This pushes you to truly test out your limits, even working down in reps as you add weight!

Don’t be afraid to use this technique with any lift you include in your workout routine where you really want to make sure you’re maximizing your efforts, especially if you’ve felt stuck in your progression!

Now, the one very side note I wanted to mention with nutrition to optimize your muscle gains…

Eat to fuel that growth!

If you’re putting in this work to build muscle in the gym, you need to make sure your diet is working with you, not against you.

Too often I see clients, especially after a weight loss phase, not eating enough. Partly because they’ve trained their body to function in a deficit and the hunger cues even aren’t there.

Partly because they are afraid of gaining fat, which I totally get.

But building muscle requires us to have adequate fuel to not only truly be able to train hard but also to build more muscle, which requires more energy to be maintained.

This doesn’t mean go crazy with the surplus, but if you’ve been struggling to build, you need to assess whether your diet is truly in line with your goals.

Be conscious that with building muscle, especially the more advanced you are, the more precise you sometimes need to be in optimizing your diet to complement.

But if you want to build more strength and muscle, make sure you’re using this double progression technique in your training while fueling those gains!

Dial in your workouts to build muscle and strength and see that amazing definition…

–> Learn more about Dynamic Strength

I SHOULD be in better shape

I SHOULD be in better shape

by | Mar 16, 2025 | Blog, Diet, Exercises, Mindset

SHOULD.

That one word often sabotages the mindset changes we need to make and habit actions we need to take.

“I “should” be further along.”

Only makes us frustrated and feel broken and like a failure. It doesn’t help us learn or want to make more changes.

“I “should” workout 6 days a week.” “I “should” track my macros.”

Ideals are fabulous. But if you can’t do them?

We often do NOTHING.

We need to, as one of my fabulous coaches says “Stop SHOULDING all over ourselves.”

Because when we say all the things that SHOULD be happening, we don’t focus on what we actually CAN do.

SHOULD prevents us from making a change.

I’d encourage you right now to even ask, “Why SHOULD you do this? Why SHOULD you be further along?”

Because so often we never really ask this important question.

And when we do, we pause to assess what we are actually doing and what we need to move forward. The mindsets we CAN shift and the actions we CAN take.

That’s why in this video I want to share 3 steps you can take TODAY to honestly create an action plan to move forward toward your goals.

Starting with Step #1 asking yourself this important question…

“What does my CURRENT lifestyle and results actually look like?”

Where you are right now is a result of your past hustle and current habit practices.

The dieting practices you’ve done, starving yourself, cutting out whole food groups.

Overeating in self sabotage when you can’t stand the restriction any longer.

The skipped warm ups that lead to overuse and injury.

The rushed workouts where you didn’t fully push that progression or challenge yourself – you just got through them.

The haphazard programming and randomly strung together “best moves,” “best foods,” “best macros,” hoping something works….

This lack of planning and lack of focusing on owning our CURRENT lifestyle and priorities when we seek to make a change and instead just trying to work HARDER or do MORE based on a certain ideal…

This is what leads to the SHOULDING and stops us from making changes.

So step 1, before you go in search of a “perfect plan,” which doesn’t exist and I’ll get into more shortly, is to OWN YOUR LIFESTYLE AND PRIORITIES FIRST.

When you step back and truly assess what your lifestyle is and where your priorities lie, you can plan around them as you make changes and meet yourself where you are at.

What habits are truly beneficial that you’re doing?

What habits are holding you back?

What excuses do you always seem to make that lead to you falling off your plan?

When we ask these questions and assess, we can find little changes that meet us where we are at to move us forward.

We can start to build a plan that is actually sustainable.

Because if you don’t know where you’re starting from, you can’t outline a route forward.

And if we don’t own our priorities, they become our excuses every single time.

Family pressures and events? Long hours at work?

Not enough time always your excuse?

Stop then trying to force some ideal training schedule of 6 days a week and 1 hour in the gym.

Instead, especially if you’re barely making 3 sessions of 30 minutes now, why not start with that?

There is no perfect plan. But there is progress. And small changes to build lead to consistency which yields results!

Step #2, write out where you’re going.

And I don’t just mean write out your goals here. I want you to consider what the lifestyle at your goals will actually LOOK like.

Because it won’t look the same as what you’re doing now.

Change requires change.

If what you’re doing now worked to see results, you wouldn’t be looking for another program, another thing you SHOULD be doing.

You’d just keep doing the habits you’re already repeating.

But in order to make changes, we have to understand what changes are actually needed.

And while we may not have the full picture, we can often highlight a few things we know we will either need to do MORE of or LESS of to be at our goals.

As you list out the lifestyle your goals would require, don’t think right now about if it is doable. Don’t let the changes overwhelm you.

Just consider what you may need to do and even think about WHY.

The WHY part of that is key. Because often we don’t understand why we make certain changes or believe certain things are “best.”

This assessment of why we believe we need certain habits can help us already start to see things that may not fit or that may not be needed to then find other habits that are more in line.

Especially since you know where you are right NOW! You can start to see how many ideals you have that aren’t anywhere close to what you’re doing.

It may be eye opening to realize how far off you are from the habits you need, or believe you need. It can make us think…

“Well no wonder I’ve struggled to make some of these changes in the past! They’re a complete 180 from where I am!”

But don’t let this overwhelm you. Just write everything down. No judgement. No stress as to what you can or can’t do.

We will get there.

And I say write it down because writing it down makes it more real and tangible. It gives you a set destination to map out a route toward, breaking down those habit changes.

It reminds you of what you may need and even WHY you may need it when there are lows in the journey.

And it also then allows you to find one habit change to start with that may then impact other areas.

Often there is one thing that can really get the momentum going…

Which brings me to Step #3, set one small change you can make even right now!

Sometimes we make changes like we’re covering our eyes and simply pointing at a city on a map to drive to. Or like we’re just picking a place to go we’ve heard is “best.”

Then we expect ourselves to just know how to get there. And for everything to go smoothly and be amazing.

The thing is…

Without directions, we have no idea how to get there and half the time we won’t even make an attempt to travel.

How do we know that is even a place we WANT or need to go?!

We don’t always know what is required to shift in our lifestyle to replicate the habit or change we’ve selected.

We don’t know even if that change is something doable with our current routines and habits and how those will have to morph.

Instead, we want to base all changes off of where we are starting from.

We want to treat it like we’re mapping out that first turn out of our driveway to get to our destination. Not just pointing to some random turn somewhere along the route!

Because starting your journey by turning the wrong way right out of your driveway? That journey is not going to go well.

Instead, meet yourself where you are at and make sure you’re heading in the right direction with a doable step immediately.

This allows you to not only make a change that feels doable to build momentum and motivation through action, but it allows you to start the course toward a bigger habit change.

And it allows you to make changes in a way that can allow for easier course corrections.

We do have to start trying to find what may be “best” for a specific goal without fully knowing if it is best for us.

But by breaking down that habit based on where we are starting from and ultimately where we want to go, we can attempt to move forward to build up.

In the process, if we find that the habit doesn’t fully align, we can then always take another turn, knowing we’re still heading the right way.

That’s the key.

Changes that meet us where we are at to move forward but that build off each other so we can adjust as we go and find things that do or do not ultimately match our specific journey.

So based on your current lifestyle and routines you’ve just assessed, what is one small change you can make today that is a component of what you feel you need MORE of to reach your destination.

I say to focus on the MORE of instead of LESS of because often mentally these changes are easier to make. We mind adding more than we like subtracting, especially if what we think we need less of is something we enjoy.

But find that habit change that is, as weird as this expression is, the first bite to eat that elephant.

And write that change out to start today.

This isn’t sexy. Doesn’t lead to overnight results. But this momentum shift is what will carry you through and make you want to do more.

Because getting started with all the things we feel we SHOULD be doing is the hardest part.

This helps us take action and makes something we SHOULD do something we not only CAN do but even WANT and GET to do.

Write out that change and put it someplace you can see daily for the next week. Even give yourself a chance to check it off when it is done.

Then set a time a week from now to add on another change.

Stop SHOULDING all over yourself and ultimately never taking action. Start with action today and do these 3 steps and share in the comments the first small change you’re making!

If you want a completely CUSTOM PROGRAM with accountability and guidance to help you build your leanest, strongest body no matter your age (it is NEVER too late to make a change), check out my Coaching.

–> Apply and schedule a free consultation

The One Small Change That Will Transform Your Lower Ab Workout

The One Small Change That Will Transform Your Lower Ab Workout

by | Mar 9, 2025 | Blog, Core, Exercises

One small tweak to a move can be exactly what we need to create progression and take our results to the next level.

That’s why I want to show you how just this small change in your bench positioning can progress the basic lower body crunch to challenge those lower abs even more.

If you haven’t yet tried Incline Abs, you’re going to want to.

In this video I want to break down how to do this move to get the most benefit as well as why it is so amazing.

Because this exercise is deceptively challenging and must be earned, I’ll also share ways to modify it and build up!

But first, why should you use this move?

Incline Abs are a move I’ve fallen in love with because they are a great way to create progression through the same but different from hanging abs, but also take the basic lower body crunch up a notch without adding weight.

And lower body crunch movements are a great way to target that lower portion of our rectus abdominis, or our lower abs, to a great extent.

This move reduces some of the strain on the upper body that comes with doing the hanging knees to elbows, while still giving you the benefit of engaging your upper body to pull down on the bench as you curl your knees up.

So you get the upper body bonus but with less upper body strain.

That upper body hold can be helpful to engage the lats and even your serratus to better help you active your abs and protect your lower back.

And because of the bench behind your back, you won’t be able to swing or use momentum as easily as you can with hanging knees to elbows.

The bench variation can help you really practice that spinal flexion to learn to control that knee tuck, even making it a great option if you’re working to build up to hanging core moves.

But don’t think that this move is easy just because it may be a way to build up.

It isn’t. And the harder you pull down on the bench and more you focus on that controlled roll up and down being powered by your abs over just flexing at the hips, the harder this move gets!

Now, breaking down how to do this move to maximize it before I share some modifications and variations…

When you set up for this move, you’ll want your bench on about the second notch for a 45 degree angle.

Sit back against the bench and grab the top of the bench in both hands so you can really pull down hard on it and feel the sides of your back engage.

With your knees bent and toes touching the ground, push your back into the bench and slowly curl up one vertebrae at a time.

Feel yourself rolling your knees up toward your elbows pulling with your abs.

It will be tempting to just sort of bend your knees to tuck but this not only won’t get you far, it will just lead to you overusing your hip flexors.

You want that curl to be powered by your abs which means rounding through your spine.

Once you curl your knees up to your elbows, focus on that slow lower down one vertebrae at a time.

At the bottom, do not release tension on the top of the bench or bounce off pushing off with your feet.

You may feel your hips just slightly working at this initial point so can keep your knees tucked up and not fully touch down if you’re struggling with that initial ab engagement to start.

The key here is that hard pull down on the bench and curl!

This is deceptively hard when done intentionally and with control. And starting with a flat bench may be key.

However, if you feel really stuck building up to this move, even try a slow eccentric “only” variation.

To do this, you can slightly use that push off or momentum to set up at the top then control the lower down for a 5 count.

Because we are often strongest in the eccentric portion, this may help you take on your weight to work through the movement with control but while using momentum strategically.

But if you can’t control that lower down, the flat bench or even the ground with an overhead hold can be key to start.

You’ll still get that upper body engagement and you can learn to control that spinal flexion.

If you kick out straight with the moves it will take things up a notch from keeping the knees bent to touch the toes down as you lower back down from the curl.

Make sure to keep your abs engaged as you extend your legs out straight if you do, tilting your pelvis toward your ribs for that posterior pelvic tilt. That will engage your abs with your legs out straight and even engage your glutes.

You can kick your legs out a bit higher if needed as well to modify just slightly.

With this flat variation still stay focused on that curl of the spine to bring the knees in and pull down hard on the bench or pole you’re holding on to overhead.

But this flat variation is a great way to get started on that curl without the added resistance that gravity applies with the incline.

Regress to progress but focus on that curl and use that overhead hold to help you really work those abs.

And then use that change in posture on that bench to progress the lower body crunch to challenge your lower abs.

From there, don’t be afraid to change up tempo or even add loads as you use that Incline Ab variation. But don’t just jump to adding loads. Focus on that control and slow roll powered by your abs!

For more moves to challenge your entire core, check out these 7 Intense Ab Moves.

Transform Your ARMS (10 Tips For Toned Arms That Work)

Transform Your ARMS (10 Tips For Toned Arms That Work)

by | Mar 2, 2025 | Blog, Exercises

I’m flattered that I tend to get a ton of compliments on my arms and shoulders. And because people seem to like them, I want to share the10 tips I think have helped me see fabulous arm definition.

And I’ll tell you tip number one is not to include more arm isolation exercises in your routine…Although I will get to 9 of those “fun” workout tweaks after this cold hard most important fact…

Focus on your macros.

Yup. Not what you wanted to hear.

Not fun or sexy. But straight facts.

My arms were never lean and defined no matter how I trained until I adjusted my diet.

Because while our training is key to building muscle, our diet is key for losing fat too.

And muscle showing through isn’t just about having more muscle. It’s about lowering our body fat percentage.

It wasn’t that I started eating super clean either when I adjusted my diet.

Honestly I focused less on forcing clean eating standards on myself and more on balance while hitting my protein.

This allowed me to get consistent, train hard and finally lose the fat covering my hard earned muscles.

So if you’ve been training hard and feel like you have a bit of fluff that’s hiding your hard work, start tracking and focus on hitting a protein minimum.

For fat loss and better results faster, shoot for 40% of your calories coming from protein.

And then don’t fear carbs!

Carbs create that anabolic environment for muscle growth and help you truly push your workouts to create the challenge needed to force muscles to adapt and grow stronger.

Low carb may lead to fast drops on the scale, but long-term it will not help you look more defined and may even lead to you losing muscle as you keep trying to train harder and harder!

Carbs are protein sparring and protect that lean muscle as you lose fat.

The next thing I found took my arm definition to the next level was combining multiple rep ranges in a workout session.

Low rep and heavy weights or high rep and lighter weights?

The answer is both.

Although I will say no weights should ever feel light. Even when you go higher rep, you want to feel “maxed out” with hitting that rep range.

Heck you want even 5lbs to feel like 100 because you truly did a rep amount that challenged you if that’s the weight you’re using.

But by combining rep ranges for different movements for your arms, you can move more quality loads over the course of your workout and recruit more muscle fibers to drive muscle and strength gains faster.

You may even use different rep ranges based on the type of move you’re performing for your arms and upper body in general.

This is why, even though you want to transform your arms, you don’t just want to do arm isolation moves.

That’s why tip number 3 is to combine compound and isolation moves using that diversity of rep ranges.

Compound Burner Sets and 6-12-25 technique are two of my favorite workout designs to see better muscle hypertrophy and definition especially for those stubborn areas.

These two workout designs combine tips 2 and 3, using not only 2-3 rep ranges in a workout but also both compound and isolation moves combined in a series.

With compound burner sets, you’ll do a compound move like a back row for 6-12 reps with heavy loads, then work your biceps to full fatigue after with higher reps of 15-20 with a bicep curl.

With 6-12-25, you may do a bench press for 6 reps, an overhead press for 12 reps then tricep push downs for 25 reps going from more compound to more isolated as the reps go up.

These designs allow you to use heavier loads, a diversity of movements and rep ranges and even work a muscle closer to failure to see better muscle gains.

And with both tip 2 and 3, don’t be afraid to also change up the type of resistance you use and even the ranges of motions and tempos!

Weights are an easy way to create progression and great for muscle growth. BUT especially the more advanced and experienced an exerciser we are, the more we can’t just rely on weights for progression.

It’s why using different rep ranges and different types of movements, including both compound and isolation is so key.

But it’s also why we need to use different types of resistance and ranges of motion to create that challenge and progression.

Bands can be a great way to help improve our muscle gains by creating often more metabolic stress.

They also apply often more resistance in the move when the muscle is strongest and can help you be forced to control that eccentric portion of the lifting, slowing it down.

They can even be combined with dumbbells for a new challenge and progression.

Loading muscles under greater stretch can also help you see better results faster. It’s why at times increasing the range of motion of a move can be key.

Performing your tricep move overhead with a bit of extra stretch at the end can not only help you hit all 3 heads, but it can help you see better gains!

This brings me to tip number 6…Use different postures and positions to hit every aspect of a muscle group.

Varying the types of bicep curls and shoulder presses and tricep exercises, can help you not only progress moves through the same but different, but help you truly see that even development.

Different aspects of muscles are worked by different movements to different extents.

Like if you do want to hit the front of your shoulder, a front raise may be beneficial. While to hit your middle delt, a lateral raise may be better.

And instead of doing 8-12 reps of each at times, you may even combine a front to lateral raise for higher reps in one workout.

Diversity done with strategy can be key!

But mix up even unilateral versus bilateral moves, single arm vs two arm, to help you also address imbalances and make sure you’re developing things evenly.

Then don’t just get caught up in trying to do MORE each and every session. More isn’t better and doing too much becomes wasted effort and volume.

We fatigue over the course of our workouts and the work becomes less quality.

Instead of doing a ton of arm movements in a single session, spread out your volume of exercises over the week.

Instead of one arm day, and 3 bicep curls in that session, hit your arms 2-3 times a week, spreading those moves out.

While it isn’t bad to create a bit more training density on a given day, that frequency for those stubborn areas can really add up!

Increasing training frequency while reducing volume per workout can help you make sure you’re working more often at that true 100% intensity to see results!

To also help you create that quality of work, move more weight over your workouts, create that training density and work a muscle closer to fatigue, all key things for better muscle gains, consider including some rest-pause technique especially in those higher rep ranges with isolation moves.

Rest-pause technique is a great way to make sure you don’t just stop when a move feels hard enough. It forces you to do those few extra reps past failure you didn’t really want to do.

But it also allows you to keep your reps quality reps.

If you’re working in that 15-20 rep range, pick a weight you max out at 15 reps with. Pause for 15-20 seconds when you get to even 13-14 reps then finish all 20. This push is going to take your gains to the next level.

This technique though is also going to cause you to feel very sore often the first few times you use it which is why fewer moves per workout and spreading those moves out to train more frequently can be key!

But use this technique to truly make yourself push past where you’re comfortable.

Too often we think we’ve pushed hard enough and stop when discomfort just starts to happen.

To break down our muscles so they have to rebuild back stronger and grow, especially the more advanced we are though requires us to push that bit extra.

That’s where this technique can come in super handy!

Now, while I’ve focused a ton on the muscle building side of transforming your arms, which is key, definition is about body fat levels as well.

This does come back to your diet. If your nutrition is on point, fluff may hide your hard work in the gym.

However, with dialing in your macros to match the recomp you want to see, focusing on protein and not fearing carbs, you may also want to consider including a bit of cardio post arm workouts if you tend to feel like you’re storing fat there.

This doesn’t mean go run for hours or do intensive HIIT that leaves you slaughtered.

But on workouts where you’ve worked your arms, you’ve mobilized more fatty acids from the surrounding tissues. You then want to make sure these mobilized fatty acids are used.

Doing some compound moves combined like in 6-12-25 and compound burner sets is one way to help yourself do this.

But so is walking or even a more upper body focused form of cardio like battle ropes.

It can be a quick light session of 10-15 minutes even once a week after your arm workouts, but this little bit of cardio right after, especially when you have only those last few percents to shave off, can be that little boost.

And while your workouts are mainly focused on building muscle for metabolic health and to have the muscle you can reveal through your nutrition, that little bit of strategic cardio can help with the fat loss side of recomp!

Because definition is about having muscle but also about losing fat!

And last but not least, be strategic in your training and make sure your arm training isn’t an afterthought!

So often we want to transform an area and do 100 moves for it on like one day with no real strategy or purpose or progression.

This ends up in us working hard without results to show for it.

Design a clear weekly schedule, track your numbers and repeat your workouts for 3 weeks minimum.

Use these tips to include diversity over that week that you repeat to see yourself add reps or weights or even advanced movements over that time.

That progression and build off of the week before is what transforms those arms!

And then over time, adjust the moves or techniques you use to keep honing in on stubborn areas to create that balance!

But failing to plan is planning to fail! We need to track and monitor progress to adjust and adapt over time!

Dial in your diet and your workouts to build your leanest, strongest body ever with my 1:1 Coaching…

–> LEARN MORE

7 Tips to Burn Fat (WHILE BUILDING MUSCLE!)

7 Tips to Burn Fat (WHILE BUILDING MUSCLE!)

by | Feb 23, 2025 | Blog, Diet, Exercises

You want to build muscle and lose fat? Great!

Here are 7 steps to adjust your diet and workouts to focus on body recomposition…

Step 1: Determine your primary goal.

Yes, you can achieve changes in both your muscle mass and fat mass at the same time. And this ideally should be where your focus is if you want to look and feel your best.

But this is a slow process.

So stop searching for a fad diet or quick fix.

However, as much as we can do both at the same time, we need a singular primary focus.

Do you want to lose fat while retaining and building muscle? Or do you want to build muscle while not putting on fat or even losing it?

Distinguishing between the two is key to help you see the best results and strategically outline your calorie intake and macros.

To determine which is right for you…

If you are basically at your desired weight and near the leanness level you want? Then you want to focus on building muscle while losing fat.

However, if you have more weight to lose and want to look lean and defined while adding muscle to stay functionally fit as you get older, you may start with focusing on fat loss while building muscle.

The difference seems small but determining your primary focus will impact your calorie intake, the macros you use, and even how you include cardio in your routine.

But before you can make changes, you need to understand where you’re starting from to adjust off of.

Step 2: Start tracking.

If you’re already tracking, YAY!

You can jump to step 4 and 5 to adjust your protein and calories off of your current intake, although circle back to step 3 for your workouts.

If you aren’t yet tracking, you need to spend 7-14 days logging your current intake.

Not only is this eye opening as to the other changes we can make that will pay off but it also helps us get used to the habit of tracking.

Logging our food is a new habit for many of us and one we may even mentally be resistant to. It’s not exactly the most fun task ever.

But what gets measured gets managed.

We can also start to see the act of tracking not as restriction or judgement but just DATA off of which we can adjust.

The more we know our current lifestyle, the more we can evolve it vs trying to fit ourselves into a diet and exercise mold.

Because if we want recomp, we need to create habits we can be truly consistent with. And macros are going to matter.

But we need changes based off of what we are doing currently.

So just track. Get your average calories for a week or two. Look at your average protein, carbs and fats.

Understand the make up of your food and even how you feel with your current meals schedule and diet!

Step 3: Don’t go through the motions with your strength training.

Diet is key for fat loss, but your workouts are essential for building muscle.

No matter your primary focus, strength work should be your priority.

Too often we prioritize cardio or even turn our strength workouts into cardio sessions when we want to lean down.

While these can make us feel worked or burn more calories on our fitness trackers so that we feel like we’re working hard toward our goals, they can actually hinder our progress.

Stop cutting out rest between sets and instead focus on really maximizing and pushing with each rep you do.

Too little rest doesn’t allow you to truly challenge yourself with progression in moves and you’ll find your 100% intensity dips over the rounds.

Instead you want to feel ready to push the discomfort each round to the point you would have liked to stop a couple of reps before you did or used the weight right below what you used.

You need the rest you planned in not necessarily because you’re out of breath but because you’ve pushed your muscles and want to go just as heavy the next round or even heavier.

And if you’re always hitting the top of the rep range you’ve outlined, go heavier.

The more advanced you are, the longer you’ve been training, the harder it is to build muscle.

You’ve simply adapted to more.

So you need to push progression in different ways. Don’t get into a rut doing the same moves over and over and over again or only progress exercises in one way.

Use different training techniques and workout designs, vary postures and positions. Combine tools and change up tempos.

Combine compound and isolation moves in your routine.

Use isolation moves specifically for those stubborn areas to work muscles closer to failure and create more volume leading to better gains!

Step 4: Center your meals on protein.

After tracking your baseline, you now want to start by adjusting your protein.

If you want to lose fat as you gain muscle, your goal will be 40%-45% of your calories coming from protein.

Not only can this start to create that deficit because of the energy expended to digest protein, but it will also help protect your lean muscle as you do potentially create more of a deficit to lose fat as you progress.

And the more of a deficit we are in, the greater our protein demands become to protect our lean muscle mass.

Especially as we get older and are less able to utilize protein as efficiently and struggle more to build and retain lean muscle mass because our hormone levels aren’t as optimal, high protein is key!

But more protein isn’t always the answer as much as I’m a huge protein advocate.

If you want to build muscle as you lose fat, your protein will be lower than when you’re in a deficit.

It may be in that 30-40% range.

You may start toward the top of that range and drop it as you increase your calories from your current maintenance.

In that surplus 30-35% of our calories coming from protein can be more than enough.

As much as protein is key so are carbs.

Carbs provide immediate fuel for our workouts to push harder and create that progression for growth and are also protein sparring.

Carbs help us utilize protein more efficiently and create that anabolic environment for growth.

Because we aren’t depleted and are getting more than enough calories to support all bodily functions and tissue repair, our protein requirements are lower than when we are in a deficit.

But no matter your primary focus, first adjust your protein intake. Then if muscle building is your primary focus, pay attention to those carbs, keeping them above 30% of your calories.

Step 5: Set your calories.

Take a couple of weeks to settle in with your new protein intake.

If you’re maintaining your weight at this calorie intake and seeing inches either increase in areas you want to build muscle or be lost in areas you want to lose fat, don’t change your calories just yet.

The macros alone have had an impact.

But then create that small deficit or surplus.

Too often we cut our calories super low which backfires in muscle being lost or we add a huge increase and ultimately just gain more fat.

If you want to lose fat while gaining muscle, drop your calories by 100 to start. While you can go as big as 500 calories into a deficit, that 500 calorie drop is EXTREME.

If you do that, do that strategically as a mini cut for a very short time or you are going to fight against your body recomp goals.

If you want to build muscle while losing fat, add 100 calories, although if you are super active, 300-400 can be more aggressive.

The more you make small changes and allow your body to adjust, the better your results will be.

Make the 100 calorie change then maintain that for a few weeks before adjusting further.

This checkpoint or end date every 2-3 weeks can help you trust the process but also adjust as your body’s needs will shift or even you adjust workouts.

As you build muscle, you may find you need to eat more to continue progressing and what once was a small deficit has even become “too big,” but more on this in Step 7.

Step 6: Adjust your cardio.

Plain and simple, strength workouts are the priority.

Focus on building strength and muscle in your training and you’ll see results.

But that doesn’t mean cardio isn’t valuable for your health and can’t be used strategically to help expedite results.

It also doesn’t mean you can’t include it if you love your long rides or runs BUT you need to know the cost of everything to even adjust your nutrition to match.

Too often we turn to cardio to burn more calories which fights against our body composition goals. So if you don’t enjoy the cardio but think you need to do it to lose fat, you don’t.

When it comes to optimizing your cardio for body recomp, walking should be your main form of cardio.

It isn’t catabolic, allows you to recover for future sessions to lift heavy and build muscle, helps you keep your metabolic rate higher and can actually be a stress reliever to maintain better hormonal balance.

If you do it post workout, it can even help you better utilize the mobilized fatty acids from the areas around what you worked.

So if you have a stubborn area, like belly fat you really fighting, you may include your walks on workouts where you worked your core more intensively. While we can’t spot reduce an area with a bazillion crunches, we do mobilize more fatty acids from areas around the muscles we worked.

Walking just helps you then utilize them!

But focus your cardio on walking for that aerobic base and body recomp.

Very short sprint sessions can also be included to help with recovery and even promote optimal conditioning. Be conscious though that you aren’t creating too great a calorie deficit while including these or use them strategically when building muscle as your main focus.

And if you’re focused on building muscle, consider sprints that are short with 3-5 times the rest especially over more 20 on, 10 off type interval training protocols you may use when fat loss is the main focus.

Step 7: Ditch the scale.

Body recomp means often not seeing the scale change quickly or even seeing the opposite of what we think should be happening happen.

If you’ve used the scale in the past as your only measure of progress, it has probably prevented you from implementing these habits in the way that you needed.

Because the scale may not change and recomp can be happening.

The scale may increase, and you may be seeing true fat loss and muscle gains. And then you may even need to be eating more.

But if you were only judging based on the scale, when seeing “no progress” or “backward progress,” you may cut calories lower, even doing the opposite of what you actually need.

So if you’re serious about recomp, while you can still track on the scale, focus on measurements and progress photos. Those will tell you far more. And for 5 signs you’re burning fat not muscle, I’ve linked to another video in the video description!

Because how we track progress is key to us maintaining the habits we need long enough to truly see results snowball.

Remember body recomp is a slow process. Focus on your consistency in those habit change and give results time to build!

Ready to build your leanest, strongest body ever with a custom program and clear mentorship in what you need?

Shameless plug for my 1:1 Coaching!

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The Weakest Muscle in Your Upper Body (Your SERRATUS ANTERIOR)

The Weakest Muscle in Your Upper Body (Your SERRATUS ANTERIOR)

by | Feb 17, 2025 | Blog, Exercises, Foam Rolling, Functional Fitness, Pain Relief, Stretches, Warm Up

When we create upper body workouts, we map in exercises for our chest, shoulders, back, biceps, triceps…

But we too often don’t include moves for this essential muscle…

The Serratus Anterior.

And while no, this muscle isn’t going to be one we target with super heavy lifts during our sessions, it is a key muscle we strengthen and activate if we want to be able to press or pull more without shoulder injury and see the muscle gains we want from our training.

Honestly this muscle needs far more love than it gets, especially if we have had previous shoulder, neck or even upper back aches and pains.

That’s why I want to break down the important role this muscle plays in our shoulder and scapular health as well as how to make sure your serratus anterior is working so we can see better strength and muscle gains.

Then I’ll go over 3 key moves to activate and strengthen your serratus anterior as well as a few bonus prehab tips to help you get more out of your upper body training in general!

First, why is the Serratus Anterior so important?

The serratus anterior is often called the boxer’s muscle as it is key to a powerful punch and its main function is protraction of the shoulder blades or that movement of the shoulder blades forward around your rib cage.

Not only does this muscle control the movement of our shoulder blade to protract as we press horizontally like in a bench press or punch, but also to upwardly rotate as we press overhead.

This upward rotation of the shoulder blade allows us to use our back correctly to support our shoulders and power the press overhead. Limited movement can lead to us really struggling to press vertically up.

Our shoulder blades can also limit our ability to press overhead and lead to neck, shoulder and upper back aches and pains by being anteriorly tipped.

This is when our shoulder blades don’t sit correctly on our rib cage and the bottom slightly sticks out as the top of the shoulder blade is tilted forward.

This is another function of the serratus anterior – to stabilize the shoulder blade so it does sit correctly and can even posteriorly tilt slightly as we press overhead.

This proper positioning of our shoulder blades due to our serratus anterior being strong is essential for us to be able to lift more and avoid upper back, neck and shoulder injuries, even rotator cuff issues.

And too often, we ignore this muscle and even BLAME our rotator cuff for our shoulder pain instead.

This can lead to us doing a ton of work for our rotator cuff which only makes issues worse through further working an overworked or even restricted muscle because it isn’t allowed to work correctly due to limited scapular movement!

And on top of the role it plays in our shoulder blade movement, the serratus anterior also impacts our breathing mechanics and can enhance our physique when developed creating that nice definition around our rib cage!

Next I want to dive into really locating this muscle to feel it working and even address some common issues we can encounter when trying to strengthen it.

It isn’t uncommon with many basic serratus anterior exercises to feel our upper traps, levator scapulae and even pec minor start to want to work when our serratus anterior is weak.

So where is the Serratus Anterior to be exact and how can I tell when other muscles are taking over?

The serratus anterior is the muscle on the sides of your ribs just under your armpit.

Place your opposite hand on your ribs under your armpit then reach the hand on the same side out as if punching or pressing. Feel that muscle engage.

This is what you want to feel working in the 3 Serratus Anterior Activation Exercises I’ll go over next.

All too often though when this muscle is weak, we start to feel the area at the base of our neck, top of our shoulder blade toward our spine or even our chest into the front of our shoulder working instead.

These areas are us feeling our upper traps, levator scapulae, pec minor and even anterior delt starting to work more to compensate for our serratus anterior being weak.

Our upper traps and levator scapula elevate our shoulder blade or lift it up.

We see this happen with a shrugging motion.

And often we tend to shrug extra when pressing to try to lift heavier and compensate for other areas of weakness.

We can also see our chest, specifically our pec minor muscle, and the front of our shoulder feel like they are working extra to stabilize our shoulder when our shoulder blade isn’t sitting properly on our rib cage.

The pec minor works to protract our shoulder blades so will work extra if the serratus anterior isn’t pulling its weight.

The pec minor also will anteriorly tip the shoulder blades when the serratus anterior isn’t strong enough to fight against it and keep alignment. This is why we can see those neck, shoulder and upper back aches and pains popping up.

This is also why we’re often told to do extra rowing or pulling exercises to balance out our posture and strong chest muscles.

And while strengthening our back can be key, especially if we spend a ton of time seated, hunched over our devices, the extra back work may not be paying off if we keep ignoring our serratus anterior!

That’s why I wanted to share 3 activation moves to help!

3 Serratus Anterior Exercises:

The first is a move great for almost every fitness level, the Roller Serratus Anterior Shoulder Extensions.

This move can be done as a unilateral, or one sided exercise, or with both sides at the same time.

To do this move, I love using a roller against a wall, but you can also use sliders or a towel, especially for the one-sided variation.

Place the roller right below your wrists with your palms facing in. You want to be slightly angled in toward the wall to apply more pressure.

Really push into the roller to even feel your serratus anterior slightly engage from a little movement of your shoulder blades away from your spine.

Then roll up on the wall, reaching overhead. Feel your the bottom of your shoulder blades open out to the sides of your back as you feel around your rib cage work to reach up. Don’t just shrug your shoulders.

While you don’t want to force your shoulders down to limit the movement of your shoulder blades, you want to make sure your shoulders aren’t just moving and you aren’t just shrugging.

The roll up is coming from your shoulder blades moving first.

Really push hard into the wall as you extend up, then pull the roller back down to about shoulder height and repeat.

If you have shoulder pain or limited mobility on one side, performing a single arm variation is best.

Note if you start to feel that base of your neck area or even your chest and front of shoulder working too much to walk in a bit closer to the wall or not extend up as high to start.

Another option to work on this overhead serratus strengthening is a Downward Dog Scapular Press. This can help you focus on that push of the ground away to engage if that cue, pushing away helps or you don’t have something you can use to slide on a wall.

The next activation exercise is the Serratus Anterior Press.

This is a horizontal pressing option which focuses on protraction more while the Shoulder Extensions focus a lot on upward rotation of the shoulder blade as well.

The one thing to really be careful with during this press, is that your pecs or the front of your shoulders don’t take over.

It’s one reason I don’t use the push up plus often for activation for the serratus anterior but will include it in workouts for pure strength building.

But this move is a great way to isolate each side independently and even correct imbalances.

A band or cable work well for this move and you’ll want to standing in a staggered stance.

You’re going to be performing a variation of a chest press or punch with the hand of the leg that is staggered back.

As you press out, feel your shoulder blade move forward around your rib cage and focus on those muscles around your ribs really pulling it forward.

You want to even get that little extra reach out at the end, slightly rotating even.

Then bring your hand back into your chest. Be conscious that even though you may slightly press up as you press out that you don’t shrug at the end.

If you don’t have a band or cable, wall protractions are always an option.

To do the wall protractions, place your knuckles on the wall, palms facing in and make sure you aren’t shrugging.

Then push off the wall, pulling your shoulder blades forward to almost round your spine back.

Don’t just hunch forward. Feel the pull of your shoulder blades around your ribs coming from you pushing away from the wall.

The 3rd activation move I love to include is the Scapular Push Up To Dolphin.

This move strengthens the serratus anterior but also helps you learn to control scapular retraction, the movement of the shoulder blades toward the spine to engage your upper back, as well as your core stability.

That scapular retraction component can really be helpful if you do find your pecs often want to engage.

With this move you’ll set up in a forearm plank with your elbows under your shoulders as your feet close together.

You want that nice plank position. You’ll then pinch your shoulder blades toward your spine to retract before pushing the ground away to protract them back.

Once back in that plank position, you’ll pike your butt up and drive your chest back toward your feet. It’s like a downward dog from your forearms. Feel yourself stretch through your triceps down the sides of your back.

Feel around your rib cage working to press your chest back as you extend your spine.

Then come back into the plank and repeat.

Make sure you don’t shrug your shoulders as you pinch your shoulder blades together or push the ground away. And really focus on that shoulder blade movement then the extension of your spine as you push back.

Now…If you’re struggling to isolate and feel your serratus anterior working, especially with any of these moves, you will want to include these other prehab moves potentially before your activation exercises…

Because that full 3-step prehab process of foam rolling, stretching and activation is key.

Here are 2 foam rolling and 2 stretching moves you may want to include prior to your activation work for your serratus anterior in your warm up routine.

First, Chest Foam Rolling.

Rolling our your pec minor with a ball can help relax this muscle that wants to take over. A ball in a doorway is best as you put that ball right at the front of your arm pit next to your shoulder joint.

Hold in the meat of the muscle as you even reach your hand overhead then back down toward the ground.

The second foam rolling moves is Levator Scapulae Foam Rolling.

You can do this against a wall or the ground. The ground will allow you to apply more pressure.

But find that top edge of your shoulder blade closest to your spine. Put the ball right above that corner and press into the ball.

You can look down and away tilting your head to help stretch the muscle as you hold. You can then even help the muscle relax and release as you hold by moving your arm up and down or back and forth across your chest.

And after including some foam rolling, especially in your warm up, you want to do a few dynamic stretches.

One key one is the Kneeling Thoracic Extension And Lat Stretch.

This stretch works on improving our shoulder and thoracic mobility. A lack of both can also have an impact on our scapular movement.

Especially a lack of thoracic extension can lead to our shoulder blades not sitting properly on our rib cage.

And tight lats can also perpetuate the bad posture that doesn’t allow our serratus to work as it should.

To do this stretch, you can kneel on the ground with your elbows on a bench. You want to sit back on your heels as you drop your chest toward the ground and lengthen through your spine.

Don’t just arch your lower back but focus on pressing your chest down to extend through your mid and upper back, feeling down the sides of your back stretching, not just your triceps.

Then relax out and repeat.

If you can’t kneel, you can even do this as more of a wall hang variation with your hands on the wall as you hinge over and press your chest toward the ground, extending your spine.

The final prehab move that can be key is Suspension Trainer Snow Angels.

This stretch improves your shoulder mobility and works to stretch out your pecs to help improve your shoulder blade alignment.

This is super key if you feel your pecs during your activation work or even your anterior delts.

To do this move, you’ll have a hand in each suspension trainer handle and face away, walking out so there is a bit of tension with your arms down by your sides.

You’ll then slowly bring your arms out and up overhead as if you were making a snow angel in the snow.

Feel your chest stretch as you open up at the top. You don’t want the movement only coming from your shoulders. Then lower down and repeat. You can walk out further to get more of a pull back.

If you don’t have a suspension trainer, you could do one side at a time, sliding your hand up on a wall next to a doorway or do a version lying face up on a foam roller.

But if you’ve struggled to lift as heavy as you’d like especially due to neck, shoulder or even upper back aches and pains, stop ignoring this essential muscle!

This prehab work in your warm up goes a long way!

And the stronger our weakest links and those muscles that really improve our stability, the more we can lift and push our workouts to improve our muscle and strength gains!

For workouts that include prehab in every routine, check out my Dynamic Strength program:

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