Mark Diaz is the head strength coach and owner of Physiqology, a personal training business based in New York City. He offers New Yorkers a sustainable system of personal fitness training that seamlessly integrates exercise, flexibility training, diet and supplementation.
A few years ago, a client of mine wanted to know what shoes I thought were best for strength training. My answer then was a sturdy leather sneaker for cross training or an Olympic lifting shoe. As technology and design has improved for barefoot shoes, so has my opinion of them. I am now of […]
A while ago, a client of mine asked about the reason for leg curls in his program. He’d been doing some of his own research, and come up with an article about deadlifting as a superior methodology for strengthening the hamstrings. From the article, authored by Eric Cressey: Strengthening the posterior chain with closed chain […]
The understanding of when – and by how much – to increase a weight in a given personal training session is one of the most basic concepts in weight training. It is an important skill to master early on, and one that is very misunderstood, even by most personal trainers. This skill is one of […]
Cardiovascular training is a single type of energy system training whose mode requires the body to produce energy using the cardiovascular, or aerobic, system. Referring to energy system work as “cardio” or “cardiovascular training” is like calling facial tissues Kleenex. It is far too general a term to describe the three distinct biochemical processes of […]
The debate over whether you can reduce the percentage of body fat in specific areas of your body is not a new discussion, but new information has led to a new conclusion. The old argument is that spot reduction is impossible through exercise, and that when a person loses body fat, they lose it uniformly […]
Please don’t get in shape for the summer. Don’t get in shape for the Hamptons. Don’t get in shape for the beach. Do not get in shape for that upcoming wedding. Even if it’s your own. And above all, do not bother to get in shape for your upcoming birthday, whether you’re turning 30, 40, […]
Nutritional Status – A Predictor of Success in Personal Fitness Training It’s a well-known fact that most people that join gyms quit attending within three months, and quit altogether within the first six months. It is equally well-known that most personal fitness training programs fail to produce results – just look at the people around […]