This is a question I get all the time. As always, I’m going to answer it in the most digestible, concrete way possible. (If you’re new here: What is Strength Training? What is Strength Training? 2.0) Regardless of age, height, weight, experience… Men: 135lb press, 225lb bench press, 315lb squat, 405lb deadlift. Women: 80lb press, 105lb bench press, 205 squat, 250lb deadlift. For some people in the world (…almost no one) these lifts won’t seem very heavy or impressive. But for 99% of people this is very, very strong. And you know what – it shouldn’t be. With proper training and consistency, these lifts are attainable for 99% of people, regardless of starting age/height/weight. The majority of people don’t reach these lifts for 4 reasons. Programming issues. Without knowing it, most “functional fitness” programs don’t actually program for strength… at least not very well. If you get on a true...Read more

In this article, I’m going to write about a few things. First, what you should do different if you are a man that is 50+ vs other ages, and how we do exactly those things at Spark Fitness in North Hollywood. You should come away with a few great nuggets of info on how to approach your training, and hopefully you’ll see we have really great strategies for helping men over the age of 50 get in shape! If you are over 50, you should do some things differently than say, someone who is 15, 25, 35, or even 65! What You Should Do First, being strong is the single most important thing you can be. Thus, strength training is the most important thing you can do. It is the only way to build muscle, strengthen your tendons/ligaments, maximizes your usefulness, helps manage blood pressure, and anyone that said strength...Read more

In this article I’m going to share how personal training at Spark Fitness in North Hollywood will help women that want to gain muscle do so safely, and quickly! First – if you want to gain muscle there is only one way to do so, and that’s strength training. Read about it here and here. Here is our approach in 6 simple steps: Excellent technique. First, we help you develop excellent technique. We are fanatics when it comes to weightlifting/strength training technique. We can explain every tiny detail (but we don’t have to). We will give you the technique you need in order to gain muscle safely and quickly. Appropriate training frequency. Then, we get you on the appropriate amount of training session per week, for you. For 95% of the population, this is 3x/week. (But sometimes 1x/week is better than 6x) Recovery. We give you all the tools you...Read more

You might be wondering, is personal training worth it? Or should I do large group classes? Well, as you make your decision here are 6 reasons why personal training is worth the additional investment! Individualization. Personal training allows for the highest degree of customization possible when you training. A great trainer writes you a program that is custom fit to you, but then also knows exactly how to change that program from day to day, or even intra-session to ensure you’re getting the best results. There might be some degree of customizing within the context of a large group class, but it’s not going to be anywhere near what it is in personal training. Accountability. The number 1 reason people aren’t in better shape, healthier, exercising – overall making good choices for their long term selves isn’t knowledge. You might not be an expert, but you know you need to...Read more

Hiring a personal trainer is a big deal… and information overload doesn’t make it any easier to hire someone. For that reason, we created a short guide to Red/Green Flags to look for when considering hiring a personal trainer. Green Flags They don’t have “personal” relationships with the clients. It’s EXTREMELY common for trainers to have romantic/sexual relationships with their clients at one point or another. This is something you want to avoid at all costs. They hold their profession in HIGH regard. A true professional would NEVER dirty a relationship with a client by mixing business with pleasure. They have a dedicated training space. Are you getting bounced around from place to place? Do they rent a space? Own their own gym? Train you at the house? There are a myriad of reasons why you want a trainer with a dedicated space! Timing, convenience, predictability, etc. A dedicated space...Read more