Fivex3 Training

My struggle living with a food obsession

February is Eating Disorder Awareness Month. Not a very pleasant topic to talk I know but a subject that is important to many. Monika Volkmar of the Dance Training Project reached out to her readers and clients to share their stories this month. I decided to write mine and share it with her. I wasn’t […]

The Best Kept Secret: Trap Bar Deadlifts

“There is no easy way to do a deadlift – no way to cheat, which explains their lack or popularity in most gyms around the world.” – Mark Rippetoe For the past month, my husband and I have been watching replays of the World’s Strongest Man on YouTube. We watch all the heats (if they […]

A New and Better Butt? Why not a STRONGER Butt?

I don’t get women into my gym by promising them a great ass. They acquire their awesome asses as a result of doing goblet squats, split squats, kettlebell swings, step ups, reverse lunges, deadlifts…you get the picture. I don’t promise them “toned” arms. But they end up with awesome arms from push ups, rows, chin […]

To New and Stronger 2013

“With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.” Eleanor Roosevelt 2013.  By tomorrow, 2012 will be just a distant memory. But I will not forget this past year that quickly. It was the year my sister fought her battle with colon cancer. And won. Boom! It was the year that my family grew […]

Why Warm up?

I am keeping this post short and to the point. You need to warm up before you train. The end. But seriously. You need to warm up. Yeah, I know, you are all gung ho about getting right into your lifting. And I want you to get in and get out. I want you to […]

A Photo Speaks a Thousand Words

My mother always told me that if I had nothing nice to say about someone, I should keep to myself. Unfortunately, not everyone had a mother like mine. ;( Awhile back, I read an article on the NPR Facebook page about an artist named Julia Kozerski who decided that after her wedding in 2009, she […]

Turkey burgers, brussels sprouts and chocolate chip pancakes

“Ask not what you can do for your country. Ask what’s for lunch.” Orson Welles Whenever my nephew spends the weekend with us, we always go out for breakfast Sunday morning. It is our Sunday morning ritual with him. Usually, we go to Slainte, an Irish pub in Fells Point. Great brunch. However, I wanted […]

Letter to a Client or Why I don’t believe in Barre Classes

A few weeks ago, I received an email from one of my clients who inquired about a barre class that I used to teach when I worked as the school director at a dance studio. She wanted to know if I had any interest in running this class again. Here was her email: Hi Emily, […]

Let us be thankful for….strength and family. (Updated 2017)

I wrote the piece below in November of 2012, one year after my sister had been diagnosed with Stage 3 Colon Cancer. She had surgery, went through her chemo treatments and was pronounced cancer free the following year. We thought it was over. She thought it was over. 7 months later in June of 2013, […]

Eat smart. Train smart.

Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are. Anthelme Brillat-Savarin Food Diary 4/4/98 Bowl of cereal w/banana and strawberries  8:00am Sushi rolls, 1 banana, 1 grapefruit  2:00pm – 4:00pm Miso soup, sushi   5:30 pm Grapes, 1 oatmeal cookie, 1 pastry, more grapes, 1 small bran muffin  11:00pm – 12:30am 4/10/98 […]