Chalk Up

10/23/2025

The dumbbell lateral raise can be problematic for some to 𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲 the shoulders and perform properly. Feeling the movement in your upper traps, neck or having rotator cuff pain are among some of the issues.

Try these 3 tips for a 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿, more 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝘁-𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 lateral raise.

𝟭. 𝗣𝗶𝗻𝗸𝘆’𝘀 𝘂𝗽 / 𝗣𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗷𝘂𝗴

Slightly 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 rotating your arms can help put more of the focus on the shoulders. Think about 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 the movement with your 𝗲𝗹𝗯𝗼𝘄𝘀 or 𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗸𝘆’𝘀.

𝟮. 𝗙𝗹𝗲𝘅 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁

It’s not ideal to have the wrist extended bearing weight with lateral raises. Ideally, your shoulders will be able to handle 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 than your wrist/forearm.

Try letting your wrists 𝗳𝗹𝗲𝘅 or 𝗱𝗿𝗼𝗽, taking your forearms 𝗼𝘂𝘁 of the equation and focusing the load more 𝗼𝗻 your shoulders

𝟯. 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗖𝗔𝗣𝗨𝗟𝗔𝗥 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗲, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗲

Lifting dumbbells 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 of you while perfectly 𝘂𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 could put unnecessary stress on the rotator cuff.

Lifting in the 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗽𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗲 with a slightly 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗻 allows for movement within the 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲 of the shoulder joint.

Let us know how these worked out for you! Shoulders can be tricky and need some individual tweaks to train properly.

10/20/2025

Every 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗲 you 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸 to yourself

Effects how or 𝗶𝗳 you’ll show up for others

Your 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝘂𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 with yourself is the most important

Losing it, keeps you fighting a losing battle

Keep promises to yourself to keep your 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆

10/09/2025

Bench press and other pressing movements get a 𝗯𝗮𝗱 𝗿𝗮𝗽 in the gym for being “bad for you”

Ideally, when there’s 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗻𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗽 or 𝗺𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 work beforehand, you may run into issues. Usually, there’s 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 wrong with the movement, it’s the person’s 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆.

Having a decent posture (thoracic extension) and upper back strength grants us with a solid 𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲. Shoulder 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, allows us to get 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗿 in presses ie push ups, bench presses, shoulder presses, etc.

In addition to your upper body mobility, 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 on internal rotation with these “Banded Chicken Wings” before your next upper body day to hit better range of motion

10/07/2025

You’re designed to combat 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 with forward movement.

The more you sit, progress stands 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹.

No magic pills, special exercises; just plain old 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁. No substitutions.

09/15/2025

Your individual boundaries with yourself are a 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗼𝘅. If you do 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 to nothing to improve, you’ll be stuck and 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 in regression.

Your:
self-talk
actions
reform

Are all 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 to 𝗽𝘂𝘀𝗵 forward and redefine your 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘀. Don’t 𝘄𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲 them.

09/02/2025

When the going gets 𝘁𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵, the tough get 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 - doesn’t always mean intensity is everything. Rather, 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆.

It might mean:
doing the minimum, in order to check off all your 𝗻𝗼𝗻-𝗻𝗲𝗴𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘀
waking up 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗿𝗮 early to fit in your training
staying the course for 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 to achieve your goal

Your chase of results, successes or accomplishments won’t likely be accompanied by 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀.

Instead, keeping your head down quietly and doing the work 𝗻𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗶𝗿𝗰𝘂𝗺𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲.

📸

06/04/2025

You’re invited!

05/28/2025

𝗡𝗼 𝗟𝘂𝗰𝗸 – 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸

Results don’t happen by 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁, they come by 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲.

05/26/2025

04/08/2025

“To some extent, self-esteem is a 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝘂𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 you have with yourself.”

Are you living up to your own 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗱𝗲? Or 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 promises to yourself over and over?

03/31/2025

The ultimate sign of 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁 is a healthy body and mind.

You can’t 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗲 it; it requires continuous 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁, sacrifice and willpower.

It’s 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 than physical appearance, it’s about 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗶𝗻𝗴 yourself, beliefs and your actions.

Don’t you 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲 it?

03/24/2025

A simple 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 in your 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗯𝗶𝗮𝗴𝗲 can make all the difference of your outlook and belief in yourself

Swap your “𝗜𝗳” for “𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻” and put the onus on you for urgency to change, action and something to look forward to.

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 you lose 20 pounds
𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 you squat 400lb
𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 you get that promotion
𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 you finish your 10km run

We’re here to 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸.

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