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ParagonPower Athletics, Ewing, NJ (2026)

05/05/2023

Evidence based training

Something many gym bros scoff at as being 'too complex'

But what really is evidence based training? Is it doing exactly what is written about and studied in scientific literature? Does everything need to be 'optimal'? Do you get to not work hard and somehow make gains?

My take on evidence based training is that the scientific principles are used as the foundation of creating a program and methodology. Using these scientific principles is how we can make training HARDER by being more intelligent with our creation.

Yes this may require more 'thinking' at the start of the process, but will allow for less thinking and more 'pick heavy s**t up and put it back down' when it matters most.

In conjunction with that we use evidence which has been shown through experience. Something which has been tested over and over again and proven effective.

Often this involves the experience of understanding an athlete and knowing when to apply 'the science' and when to go a little off the trail.

Stay strong, PowerUp

05/01/2023

"Bro it's gotta be my tight hamstrings"
"Dude maybe I just need more shoulder mobility"

While there are plenty of instances where enhanced mobility and flexibility are required, I am specifically addressing a circumstance which comes up very frequently:

Someone having no issues with flexibility or mobility, but then creating a problem and deciding flexibility is the 'solution'.

First thing to ask yourself is if you can perform daily movements and movements for your sport without limitation? If you can do all that stuff, then great! More flexibility and mobility does not need to be a priority. You may claim you need to stretch because of 'stiffness' or 'tightness' but that doesn't seem to be a valid way of going about things (see my post from last week).

Usually when people think the need more flexibility and mobility it usually just means you need to manage your training exposure better. Creating excess fatigue and overworking muscles can give a sensation of stiffness and also reduce your ability to perform. Acquiring minor training injuries may reduce your mobility temporarily as your body heals.

Next week I will touch on the times when extra flexibility and mobility training may be useful; for more advanced training goals, to enhance a range of motion you can not get into, or if reaching end range of motion is very difficult.

But for a good majority of people looking to stay healthy, strong, and mobile; if you regularly exercise and train in a variety of ranges of motion, then you have all you need!

04/27/2023

Stretching, flexibility, stiffness...
What the heck is going on?

Well unfortunately there are still a great deal of unknown's when it comes to stretching and how it affects our body.

When it comes to usefulness, I think stretching is just thrown out there as a 'cure all' for aches and pains many athletes get, but there can be actual and purposeful times to use stretching.

Stretching may increase athletic performance in the long run due to favorable adaptations in the tendon as well as increased range of motion. But if you have all the range of motion you need for your sport, well stretching may not be of critical importance. BUT, if you don't have the range of motion you need for your sport, or you find your end ranges of motion to be very limiting, then heck yeah you gotta get some stretching!

The issue I have when stretching is espoused as a 'catch all' method is that often times it allows people to ignore more important things, mainly their training exposure.

If you are having a constant sensation of 'stiffness' in a muscle, your best bet will be to address your training; volume, weight, frequency etc. But also to not fall into the rabbit hole of stiff = bad... must stretch. Sometimes your body gets a little beat up in training or in life, you just need to give your body a little time to heal, stretching will not 'fix' you.

Stretching is a tool, not cure. Yes, we can use stretching and resistance training to increase performance as well as for recovering from pain and injuries, but stretching is not magical.

Stay strong, PowerUp

04/24/2023

You perform an exercise but end up feeling it in a different muscle then the desired target.

While there could be many approaches to this problem I tend to steer towards loading a movement with more weight.

Factors to consider are 1) exercise selection and setup and 2) the athlete applying appropriate levels of effort

Certain ques may be used to help set the body up to bias different muscles and limit contribution from others (think about thrashing around doing bicep curls, or being more 'strict' with your bicep curls). Consider using a machine as it will usually be the best way to place as much directed tension on a target muscle(s) by limiting the requirements for stability elsewhere and places the working joint into the correct path for 'optimal' muscle usage.

Knowing your athlete and how well they are applying themselves will also help dictate a decision on how to address the exercise.

If the athlete tends to hold back a little, believes they are fragile or doesn't really understand their limits I will decide for them to 'go heavier' as in the case of this post. When an athlete is using a new movement I tend to have them push a little bit more rather then 'go light to learn the form'.

Of course It is possible that some exercises may just feel 'off' for certain people. This is something quite possible due to the wide variety in human structures.

Bottom line is you usually need to place a high demand on your muscles to 'feel' them work. I think pushing the weight up first as opposed to immediately resorting to 'lighter weight more reps' (which isn't wrong either) will be more conducive to athletes learning their strength, testing their limits, and generally remain a bit more specific to the sport.

04/21/2023

Spine go bendy bendy...
..whether you want it to or not

So get it stronger in a variety of positions.

04/20/2023

Round your back more

Now before someone out there says that they don't like purposely training their back in a flexed or extended position fro xyz reason, fine. Do what allows you to consistently be active and adhere to your training.

The spine exhibiting different degrees of rounding during life activities as well as weight training exercises is unavoidable and in my opinion, beneficial.

Our bodies become stronger and more resilient by being exposed to stressors (resistance training for our purposes). Just as your shoulders, elbows, and wrists become stronger from doing exercises like a bench press, so does your back when exposed to exercise.

Is it true that different amounts of flexion in the spine cause increases in certain types of loading (and decreases in others) upon those structures? Yes of course!

If you train your knee at different amounts of flexion or with resistance applied in different ways, will it cause different types of stressors as opposed to other positions? Yes of course!

Does this mean you stop doing leg extensions, lunges, squats, glute bridges, and jumping? NO! You want to be resilient and strong doing these motions so you stress the body appropriately!

Why can't we extend the same logic and training principles used for every other part of the body to the back as well?

Does this mean you need to train super deep range of motion jefferson curls like I do? No. But what I am saying is to stop stressing over your spine having different positions other then 'neutral' when you lift. Perhaps if you never trained your back in any way other then 'neutral' you should incorporate a bit of variety in flexion and extension exercises.

04/17/2023

Pain in the front of the shoulder with bench press

Happens to a ton of power lifters and average gym bros.

The 'normal' approach we often see is to tuck the elbows, do more external shoulder rotation, set the shoulders down and back etc.

While this isn't necessarily wrong, jumping to that conclusion right away is a disservice to most athletes. The above approach assumes that the reverse leads to pain and 'dysfunction'. Such a reduced way of thinking leaves out the variability of humans within the realm of biomechanics.

In the example I gave with this athlete it became clear that his body created more stability and expressed force better when purposely allowing for a bit more internal rotation and a less aggressive retraction and depression of the scapula.

All in all there are some basic concepts of how to position the body for various exercises. Within these concepts are a wide range of possibilities. The job of a coach is to figure out when an athlete (such as in this case) are forcing themselves too hard into a predetermined mold for how movement should be. Then addressing how to find a more appropriate way to move for that individual while also dispelling the preconceived beliefs about 'correct' and 'dysfunction'.

Stay strong, PowerUp

03/31/2023

Finishing up some of the processes for the ‘12 week PR smash’ before launching on April 3.

If you want to be the first to get in on the gains when it’s ready, or want to learn more, comment ‘PowerUp’ below.

03/30/2023

About 6 years ago is when I ‘got into’ fitness.
I had a dream to be really good at something fitness related. Maybe swimming, powerlifting, strongman, crossfit. Not sure exactly what, but it needed to happen nonetheless.
However, I made very minimal progress for most of those years. My mindset was ‘If I just work hard and push through everything then maybe I’ll finally make progress’. I would try different training methods expecting to find the ‘magic and perfect one’.

But my life was stuck and therefore my progress in training was stuck. I lost sight of that dream.

I didn’t know how to approach my training. There was no meaning behind what I was doing. I had no goal in life. Everything I thought about was not leading towards a path of success and therefore my actions did not lead towards a path of success.

I never really asked for help when it came to programming, mindset, goal setting, nutrition, surrounding yourself with the right people, discipline, pain, or even to establish the ‘why’ behind the lifting.

My lifting was fueled by pre workout, rage, and depression (Like probably someone reading this right now). I had dropped out of college, didn’t work for a little while, got a job I hated, and just felt I was behind in so many ways.

Eventually I attempted su***de and went into intensive in-patient care.

What I came to learn finally is that your thoughts, actions and behaviors required to make progress extend beyond whether you do 3x8@rpe7 or 3x8@rpe8 or if you do high bar squat or safety bar squat. To be better in your athletic endeavors it requires a full spectrum approach, and part of that means getting your life together.

That’s why I work to help athletes in all aspects relating to their training. To achieve your best in life and to achieve your best in competition. To learn how to 1) establish a goal, 2) establish meaning, and 3)establish the discipline to attain it.

03/29/2023

What’s up everyone!?

Got a life update to share. A ton has happened in these first few months of 2023.

I had an Olympic lifting meet back in January. ParagonPower athletes have competed in four competitions: all athletes setting PRs and taking home 4 weight class wins as well as 3 ‘second’ or ‘first best lifter’ in the meet awards.

In early April I will be moving (again) to my own apartment. The roommates I have at my current place are awesome but they are also moving to the next stage in their life.

FINALLY, I’ve been updating my coaching processes for athletes who want to perform their best in lifting and in life. The process revolves around the biopsychosocial model, which and I discussed in a recent Instagram Live call (go check it out).

Gonna end the post off there for now. Of you are interested in the process or want to learn more just shoot a DM to me saying ‘PR time’

Now back to lifting heavy circles up and down.

03/27/2023

Attention strength athletes!

Today I’m giving away a super simple athlete logbook and guide

What you’ll get from this (for free because we all love free stuff)
-Simple layout to help establish an efficient daily and weekly schedule so you know you’ll have enough time to get your lifting in and all other life responsibilities
-A planner for when you want to compete
-An easy one stop sheet to keep track of all your training
-Somewhere to think about and write down your goals. Make them concrete and commit to it!

I’ve helped many athletes (competitive and non competitive) take control of their training and life, in this PDF are the methods I use to help guide an athlete’s development.

It’s a 11 PDF (most of it is space for you to write in) that will help you achieve bigger numbers, feel less stressed, and feel more confident getting ready for competitions.

If you want me to send you this (x-page) PDF for free…

Comment “PR TIME” below and I will DM it to you!

Stay strong, PowerUp

03/22/2023

BELTS MAKE YOUR CORE WEAK

Hahaha, no.

Lifting belts are a valuable tool for athletes or for someone who just wants to lift more weight. Belts increase intro-abdominal pressure which creates a more rigid trunk. This is a key component when lifting strenuous weights in competition. In doing so there is not decrease in the work being done by the trunk muscles. Yes we could say it is a slightly different skill then squatting without a belt, but wearing a belt does not inhibit carryover of trunk muscle strength to other activities and exercises.

There is variation to the types of belts and specifications which revolve around the sport you are competing in. I cover the general guidelines here, but always check your sport federations specific rules.

After those specifications are established, it's really just personal preference from there.

If you do not compete in a particular sport, you can still select a belt which will be most beneficial to your goal, even if this means you don't want to wear a belt at all!

Stay strong, PowerUP

ParagonPower Athletics

05/05/2023

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