Excel Strength and Performance

09/10/2026

FALL IS COMING. YOUR NUTRITION DOESN'T HAVE TO FALL APART.

Pumpkin spice. Football weekends. Tailgates. Holiday treats.

And suddenly, the "I'll get back on track Monday" cycle begins.

But here's the thing:

You don't have to choose between enjoying the season and making progress.

Instead of trying to eat perfectly, focus on a few simple habits:

🥩 Prioritize protein at meals to support muscle and keep you satisfied.

🍎 Take advantage of seasonal produce like apples, squash, and sweet potatoes for fiber and nutrients.

💧 Keep hydration consistent even as the weather starts to cool down.

🍽️ Enjoy your favorite foods without guilt. One meal doesn't determine your results.

📅 Keep your routine going. A busy weekend doesn't have to turn into a month off.

With Excel Essentials, we help you build nutrition habits around your lifestyle, your training, and your goals—not a list of foods you can never eat again.

Enjoy the season. Keep the habits. Make progress.

09/09/2026

Whether you’re walking into a gym for the very first time, getting back into a routine, training for your next big goal, or simply wanting to feel stronger in everyday life—there’s a place for you at Excel.

Our coaching is built around your starting point, your goals, your schedule, and your abilities. No comparing yourself to someone else. No feeling like you have to “get in shape” before you begin.

Just the right plan, the right support, and a community that wants to see you succeed.

Fitness looks different at every age and every level—but progress is always worth pursuing.

Ready to find your place at Excel Strength and Performance? Send us a message and let’s get started.

Excel Strength and Performance believes that greatness lies within everyone and with the proper guidance from our trainers/coaches we will untap that greatness. Using current training methodologies in programming will further push individual limits

09/03/2026

🇺🇸 LABOR DAY WEEKEND HOURS 🇺🇸

A quick reminder for the upcoming holiday weekend!

📅 Saturday, September 5
⏰ Open 7:00 AM – 12:00 PM

📅 Monday, September 7 – Labor Day
🚪 CLOSED

Plan ahead and get your workout in before enjoying the long weekend! 💪

We hope everyone has a safe and relaxing Labor Day weekend. Normal hours will resume on Tuesday 9/8.

09/02/2026

STRONG IS GREAT. FIT IS GREAT. BUT WHAT IF YOU COULD BUILD BOTH?

That's the idea behind hybrid training.

Hybrid training combines strength and conditioning so you're not just strong—you can actually use that strength when you're tired and your heart rate is high.

Think HYROX-style training:

🏋️ Strength work
🏃 Running
🔥 Conditioning
💪 Functional movements
⚡ Power & endurance

Why train this way?

Build strength without sacrificing endurance.

Improve your engine while continuing to build muscle.

Become more resilient and capable across different types of workouts.

Prepare for real-world demands that require both strength and cardiovascular fitness.

And you don't have to be training for a HYROX race to benefit from hybrid training.

Whether your goal is better overall fitness, improved athletic performance, completing your first competition, or simply becoming a more capable version of yourself, combining strength and conditioning can give your training a whole new purpose.

At Excel, we can build individualized programming around your goals—from strength-focused training to hybrid strength + conditioning programs.

📩 Message us to learn more about our individualized hybrid programming.

08/31/2026

You keep showing up for everyone else.

For your family.
For your job.
For your friends.
For the people who need you.

But when was the last time you showed up for yourself?

Taking an hour to train isn't selfish.

Making time for your health isn't selfish.

Prioritizing your strength, your energy, and your well-being isn't selfish.

It's an investment.

And here's the thing: you don't have to feel motivated every day.

You just have to remember why you started.

Some days you'll crush the workout.

Some days you'll just do what you can.

Both count.

Every time you keep a promise to yourself, you're building something bigger than strength.

You're building trust with yourself.

So this week, put yourself on the calendar.

But because you are worth showing up for, too. 💙

08/27/2026

One of the fastest ways to become overwhelmed with nutrition is trying to change everything at once.

Instead of asking:

"Was this meal healthy or unhealthy?"

Try asking:

"What can I add to make this meal more balanced?"

Maybe that's:

🥩 Adding a protein source
🍓 Adding a fruit or vegetable
🍚 Including carbs to fuel your training
🥑 Adding healthy fats
💧 Drinking more water

Nutrition doesn't have to mean throwing away everything you enjoy.

Sometimes progress looks like adding protein to your breakfast.

Sometimes it's packing a snack so you aren't starving at 4 PM.

Sometimes it's eating the pizza—and moving on without guilt.

At Excel Essentials, we focus on building habits that work in your real life.

Because small changes you can repeat will always beat a perfect plan you can't maintain.

Reach out to speak to one of our certified nutritionists if you are interested in extra guidance and a custom nutrition plan.

08/27/2026

🏃 Runners: running should not be the only training you do.

If you want to become a stronger, more resilient runner, strength training deserves a place in your routine.

Strength training can help runners:

💪 Build stronger glutes, hamstrings, and quads
🦵 Improve force production and running economy
🦴 Strengthen muscles and connective tissues
⚖️ Address strength imbalances
🏃 Improve power for hills, sprints, and changing pace

And no—you don't have to spend hours lifting or try to build as much muscle as possible.

The goal is to build a body that can better handle the demands of running.

At Excel, individualized programming can work alongside your running schedule so you're not guessing which days to lift, run, or recover.

Run for the miles. Strength train for everything that helps you keep earning them.

📩 Message us to learn how individualized programming can support your running goals.

08/21/2026

☕️ CAFFEINE CAN HELP YOUR WORKOUT... BUT MORE IS NOT BETTER.

Caffeine is one of the most researched performance aids—and recent research continues to support its ability to improve certain aspects of exercise performance.

A 2025 systematic review and network meta-analysis found that around 3 mg/kg of caffeine was particularly effective for improving time-trial performance, while a 2025 review of caffeine and sports performance found benefits across several types of exercise.

But here's the part that gets overlooked:

Your pre-workout isn't magic.

Caffeine may help you feel more alert, reduce perceived effort, and improve performance—but individual responses vary.

And taking more doesn't necessarily mean getting better results.

Recent 2026 research continues to highlight that caffeine can improve exercise performance, while also emphasizing individual variability and potential downsides.

⚠️ Too much caffeine can contribute to:
• Anxiety or jitters
• Increased heart rate
• GI discomfort
• Sleep disruption
• Dependence/tolerance

And here's our biggest coaching point:

Don't use caffeine to compensate for poor recovery.

If you're sleeping 5 hours a night and need 400+ mg of caffeine just to make it through your workout, the answer probably isn't more caffeine.

It's more sleep.

Use caffeine strategically—not as a replacement for the basics.

Train hard. Fuel appropriately. Recover well. Then use supplements as tools to complement the foundation.

☕️ Caffeine can help. It can't replace good habits.

08/17/2026

If you've ever heard a coach say this and thought...

"Okay... but HOW?" 😂

Your lats—or latissimus dorsi—are the large muscles that run along the sides of your back.

They're responsible for much more than making your back look strong.

We want you to learn how to engage your lats because they help you:

✔️ Stabilize your shoulders
✔️ Control pulling movements
✔️ Keep your upper body strong during deadlifts
✔️ Create tension during rows and pull-ups
✔️ Connect your upper body to your core

Think about pulling your shoulders down and back rather than simply yanking with your arms.

A good cue to try:

"Put your shoulders in your back pockets."

You'll often feel your armpits and the sides of your back tighten.

That's your lats doing their job.

At Excel, we're not just trying to get you through the workout. We're teaching you how to move, so you understand WHY we're asking you to do something—not just what to do.

08/14/2026

Give up a big congratulations for August Member of the Month (and student athlete spotlight) Elise!
Elise has been training with Coach Kenney to prep for the upcoming school year and to build the fitness foundations that she can carry through all life stages. Here's what Elise has to say about her experience at Excel:

"I like coming to the gym because it always puts a smile on my face. Even if I come in having a bad day, Mr. Kenney always finds a way to make me laugh and leave in a better mood."

If you see Elise, please tell her job well done and wish her a successful school year!