Mike Alexander Training Systems

08/30/2026

I'd begun reconnecting with my college past two years ago. And it actually felt far better (and cathartic) than I imagined it would. I went into college in 2002 thinking I wanted to be a journalist. Then Kim Crabbe, a career counselor, suggested I try something that would go in to change the trajectory of my college career and even parts of my life. I joined WSIA in April 2004 and there's so much more I can say.

I recently bumped into Marissa Joy, my former music director by chance on a boardwalk. If it was not for that chance encounter I never would've known that WSIA was holding a 45th anniversary party. I'm grateful for that chance encounter and I'm even more grateful I chose to drop by last night. The staff from my era was more than accounted for yesterday, as well as the era that started it all in a closet in 1981.

I enjoyed meeting the current crop of students, as well as seeing all of the renovations that'd been started when I first visited in October 2024. Let's do it again someday.

Mike

08/29/2026

💜 WE NEED YOU — NOW MORE THAN EVER. 💜

This is really hard to write, but we need to be honest with our Crystal Connections Curiosity Shoppe family…

We are at a critical point. We are in jeopardy of closing our doors.

For five years, we have been proud to be part of the Village of Monroe — a small, locally owned shop where you can come in, browse, discover something special, connect with others, and find a little peace and positive energy.

But right now, we need our community to shop small if you want us to stay here. Every purchase matters. Every visit matters. Every time you tell a friend about us matters. ❤️

And we have so many beautiful NEW things waiting for you!
✨ New Tibetan sound bowls
✨ New Tuning Fork sets
✨ A beautiful 432 Hz Crystal Singing Bowl
✨ Sound healing instruments to help you relax, meditate, ground and center
✨ Crystals, spiritual treasures, gifts and so much more

Whether you’re looking for something for yourself, a unique gift, or simply want to come in and experience what we have to offer, this is the time to support your local small businesses.

We don’t want to leave the Village of Monroe. We want to continue being a part of this community for many years to come. But we can’t do it without YOU.

If you want Crystal Connections Curiosity Shoppe to stay open, please come shop with us.

Bring a friend.
Share this post.
Choose local whenever you can.

Your support isn’t just a sale to us — it helps keep our doors open and our dream alive.

OPEN TODAY UNTIL 7 PM
SUNDAY 11 AM–7 PM

2 Lake Street #2
Monroe, NY

Come see what’s new, experience our sound healing instruments, and help us keep a small piece of our Village community alive.

Thank you for supporting us. Thank you for believing in us. And thank you for shopping small. 💜

08/29/2026

This past Thursday, I reconnected with Rita along with two other clients who had been away on vacation.

Rita was so ready to get back to work that she was already online before I even logged on to start the session.

After a couple of weeks away, the goal wasn’t to pretend no time had passed. It was to get moving again, rebuild some momentum, and give her enough of a challenge to remind her what she’s capable of.

And yes, I made her work.

She took it like a champ.

That’s one of the things I enjoy most about working with people over time. Vacations happen. Busy weeks happen. Life interrupts routines. What matters is being willing to come back and pick up where you left off instead of convincing yourself you have to “start over.”

Rita showed up ready, worked hard, and got that first session back under her belt.

If you’ve been away from exercise for a while and you’re ready to get moving again, you don’t need to punish yourself for the time you missed. You just need a sensible place to restart.

If you’re in Clifton, Ramsey, Mahwah, or the surrounding North Jersey area and you’ve been thinking about getting back into a routine, send me a message. Let’s figure out what getting started—or restarted—could look like for you.

Mike

08/21/2026

There's a strong chance that my tomorrow morning's gym routine will be streamed live on Tiktok. Click here to follow me now!

https://www.tiktok.com/?_r=1&_t=ZT-993bvuxpBvy

Miie

1291 Followers, 1639 Following, 10.5k Likes - Watch awesome short videos created by Mike Alexander CPT

08/19/2026

Damn. ZZ Top is COOKED. RIP Frank Beard.

08/17/2026

Ever perform a deadlift using a shrug machine?

If your gym has one, as mine does, it can be a great alternative for performing a hinge. I’ve found that the setup allows for an incredible loaded stretch and controlled eccentric through the hamstrings and glutes. But like any deadlift variation, ex*****on matters.

First and foremost, brace your core before you begin. This is still a hinge movement, and maintaining a strong brace will help keep your torso stable and your lower back from taking on more stress than it needs to. Grab the lower set of handles so you can keep your arms straight and allow them to act simply as hooks connecting you to the machine.

From there, push your hips back as far as your mobility comfortably allows while maintaining a neutral spine. Think about reaching your hips toward the wall behind you rather than simply lowering the weight. Keep the handles close to your body and control the descent instead of allowing the machine to pull you down.

Once you’ve reached the bottom of your comfortable range, drive through your feet and extend your hips to return to a tall standing position. Finish by squeezing your glutes—not by leaning backward or overextending your lower back.

And don’t rush the lowering portion. That controlled eccentric and loaded stretch are two of the biggest reasons I like this variation in the first place.

If you have a shrug machine in your gym, give this variation a try with a manageable load and focus on controlling every inch of the movement.

Not every exercise variation is going to work equally well for every person. If you need help finding the movements that best fit your body and your goals, send me a message. Legion

Mike

08/15/2026

Fitness professionals can argue all day about which exercise is technically “best.” The best angle. The best machine. The best variation for building a particular muscle.

But even many of the people obsessed with optimizing every detail of training will tell you something important: if you hate an exercise, there’s probably a better choice for you.

An exercise can look perfect on paper and still be a poor fit if you dread doing it every week. Eventually, you start mentally checking out. Your effort drops, your workouts become something you have to force yourself through, and consistency becomes harder.

That doesn’t mean every exercise has to be your favorite. It means there are usually multiple ways to train the same movement or muscle group. If you absolutely hate one variation, we can probably find another that accomplishes the same goal while giving you something you actually enjoy progressing on.

The best program isn’t just the one that looks perfect on paper. It’s the one you’ll consistently show up for, put effort into, and stick with long enough to see results.

If you’ve struggled to stay consistent because working out always feels like a chore, send me a message. We can build your training around your goals and abilities without ignoring something equally important: what you actually enjoy doing. Legion

Mike

08/10/2026

Good balance isn't about becoming really good at standing on one foot.

That's one way to challenge balance, but it's certainly not the whole picture. Balance is also your ability to control your body when you step, turn, reach, carry something, change direction, or unexpectedly lose your footing.

And that's the kind of balance I care about.

I want you to be able to step off a curb without thinking twice about it. I want you to feel comfortable walking across an uneven lawn. I want your legs strong enough to react if you stumble. And I want you to continue trusting your body instead of gradually becoming afraid of what it might not be able to do.

As we get older, maintaining that ability becomes increasingly important. The objective isn't perfect balance. It's having enough strength, control, and confidence to handle an imperfect world.

I'm currently opening my Ramsey schedule to additional clients on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. If you've noticed yourself becoming more cautious on your feet, schedule an assessment through mikealexandertraining.com. Let's find out where you're starting and begin building from there.

Mike

mikealexandertraining.com

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08/09/2026

Maybe you're not “just getting older.” Maybe you're doing less.
That's an uncomfortable distinction, but an important one. As we get older, our bodies absolutely change.

But something else often changes at the same time:

Our lives become more sedentary.

We sit more.

We take fewer physical risks.

We avoid movements that have become uncomfortable.

We stop getting on the floor.

We choose the elevator instead of the stairs.

We don't challenge our strength or balance nearly as often as we once did.

Then one day we notice:

Getting out of a chair takes more effort.

Our hips and back feel stiff after sitting.

Stairs feel harder.

Our balance isn't quite as automatic.

We tire more easily.

And it's tempting to explain all of it with three words:
“I'm getting old.”

Sometimes age is part of the equation.

But inactivity can be part of it too.

And that's important because you can do something about inactivity.

You can get stronger.

You can move more.

You can challenge your balance.

You can rebuild confidence in movements you've gradually stopped doing.

You don't have to train like you did decades ago.

You need to train for the decades ahead.

Think about that for a second.

What have you stopped doing over the last few years because it became physically harder?

Getting on the floor?

Taking the stairs?

Walking longer distances?

Carrying things?

Playing with your kids or grandkids?

Something else?

If you're in Ramsey or the surrounding Bergen County area and that question immediately brought something to mind, don't keep adapting your life around a body that's becoming less capable. Start rebuilding the body you need for the life you want to keep living.

Schedule an assessment through mikealexandertraining.com. We'll look at how you move today, determine where you've lost strength, mobility, or confidence, and build a realistic plan to start getting some of that capacity back.

Mike

mikealexandertraining.com