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Whether you are a newcomer to exercise or have been exercising for a long time, there are several terms commonly used in discussions about physical activity and fitness. The following is a guide to help you better understand these terms through a basic description: Exercise is planned physical activity that enhances or maintains physical fitness and overall health and wellness. It often involves repetitive bodily movements designed to improve strength, cardiovascular endurance, and flexibility. Physical activity includes all types of movements that use energy, from everyday activities such as walking and doing chores to organized workout sessions. It plays a crucial role in promoting a healthy lifestyle, leading to better fitness, health, and overall well-being. It's key to recognize that exercise is just one type of physical activity, and not all physical activity needs to be structured exercise. Reps , which is short for repetitions, represent the number of times a particular exercise is done consecutively. They play a crucial role in workout regimens as they help gauge the level of intensity and workload during training. When adhering to a training schedule, you will receive a specific number of reps to accomplish for every exercise. Typically, the number of reps for an exercise ranges from 1 to 20, although occasionally you may exceed 20 reps. Sets refer to a group of consecutive repetitions performed for a particular exercise. They help organize a workout by breaking down the total number of reps into smaller, manageable chunks, allowing for rest in between. Volume refers to the total number of reps x the number of sets x the amount of weight performed for an exercise. For example, if you squatted 135 pounds for 3 sets of 10 reps, your total volume on squat would be 4,050 pounds. Coaches will often keep track of a client's total volume of all their exercises to help plan progressions or regressions when needed. The Rating of Perceived Exertion, abbreviated as RPE , is a measure of how challenging you perceive an exercise or an entire workout to be, rated on a scale from 1 to 10. A rating of 1 signifies minimal effort, while 10 represents maximum effort. One way to understand RPE is to equate it with the concept of "Reps in Reserve." For instance, exercising at an RPE of 8 suggests you have 2 reps left in reserve (10 - 8 = 2), while an RPE of 10 indicates no remaining reps (10 - 10 = 0). For optimal results, it is recommended to perform the majority of your exercises within the RPE range of 6 to 8. The principle of Progressive Overload, also known as Progressive Loading, states that the body needs to face increasing challenges in order to achieve results. Common strategies for implementing progressive loading include increasing the weight by 5 pounds weekly, adding one repetition per week, or incorporating an extra set into the routine. However, these approaches do not consider factors such as tough work weeks, lack of sleep, poor diet, or general life stress. Therefore, it is crucial to introduce progressive overload only when the body is prepared for it. It is advisable to continue training within the RPE 6-8 intensity range and introduce changes in weight, repetitions, or sets only when the body can adequately recover. Free weights and machines are two distinct approaches to strength training. Free weights , including dumbbells and barbells, require more control and precision as they are not fixed to a specific path, allowing for a wide range of motion and the engagement of various muscle groups. This can lead to more dynamic and compound exercises. Machines , however, guide the user through a fixed range of motion and are excellent for isolating specific muscles, making them a good choice for focused strength training. Both methods can be effective for building strength and fitness, and the preference often depends on the individual’s training goals and experience level. If you need help reaching your fitness and nutrition goals, register now for online coaching to receive personalized guidance and support tailored to your specific needs!

Have you ever been having a conversation with someone, but your phone buzzes and you completely forget what the person was saying because you just have to know what your phone's notification was? That was me for probably the last 4 or 5 years. Daily my phone would buzz with hundreds of notifications from social media, messages, YouTube, never ending emails (of which 95% are annoying marketing emails that will not go away no matter how many times I unsubscribe). I honestly didn't feel like anything was wrong with this. I was staying "connected" (not really) and I needed social media for my business (I don't actually use it for my business I just watch reels). It wasn't until I started taking care of my son full time at home that I realized.... wow, I'm not paying attention to my literal child because I got sucked into a never ending, perfectly catered algorithm of reels on Instagram. Was this addiction bleeding into the rest of my life? Was my phone getting in the way of my friendships? Was my phone distracting me from my workouts and health? Was my phone getting in the way of my relationship with my wife? Was my phone use killing my faith walk? The obvious answer, after much soul searching, was "duh". So, I deleted social media off my phone. I deleted the shopping apps off my phone. I turned off notifications for most things on my phone. How has that impacted me so far? Well, I feel happier. I have been much more present with people. I don't push off my workouts or feel like I don't have enough time to prepare a meal. I've read multiple books in the time period that I would typically devote to hours of social media. It has been a long process and I'm still working on it (I still use my phone for 2-4 hours per day), but so far I have zero regrets. I've been re-reading Tolkien's work, like I try to do yearly, and Bilbo says this about the Ring: "'I am sorry,' he said. 'But I felt so queer. And yet it would be a relief in a way not to be bothered with it any more. It has been so growing on my mind lately. Sometimes I have felt it was like an eye looking at me. And I am always wanting to put it on and disappear, don't you know; or wondering if it is safe, and pulling out to make sure. I tried locking it up, but I found I couldn't rest without it in my pocket. I don't know why. And I don't seem able to make up my mind.'"(Tolkien, 1954). Tolkien didn't like allegory and would have no idea what a cell phone is or social media, but when I read this passage I could help thinking "that is literally how I feel about my phone." My phone, social media in particular, has become so addicting that I have to constantly be pulling it out and checking it to see if I have any notifications. I have to have it right by me at bed so that I can grab it first thing in the morning. I've seen myself, clients, and friends all say they don't have time for their fitness, their nutrition, and their relationships yet the average American still spend on average almost 5 hours on our phones! This whole conversation is different than what I would typically write about, but reducing my phone use has had a profound effect on my emotional, spiritual, and even physical well-being that I wanted to share this with people. So, in the heart of trying to help some other people use their phones less I wanted to give some tips: #1 Assess your current usage. Start by finding the app on your phone that shows you how many hours you use your phone. For Android users that app is "Digital Wellbeing." For Apple users... I have no idea. Why are you still using the inferior phone? (I jest). Once you find how much time you spend on your phone or on social media, set a goal for reducing that amount. Like with a fitness goal, start with something that is easily attainable. If you reach that goal, re-assess how you feel. If you think you are still using it more than you'd like, reduce it further (and/or check out the following tips). #2 Set timers for your apps. In your Digital Wellbeing app (or the equivalent app on other devices) you can set timers for your apps. Once your time is up on the app, your phone will lock you out of that app till the following day. I started with 30 minutes for each of my social media apps (Facebook, Instagram, and Reddit). This could be a good start for you. I quickly learned that for me, even 30 minutes of each app, being 90 minutes total each day, was too much still. Which led me to step #3. #3 Make your phone boring as heck. I downloaded an app called Minimalist Phone. This was a fantastic decision for me because it made my phone look super boring. Instead of bright vibrant colors for each app, all the icons are deleted and I just have black and white text telling me what each app is. Without the bright vibrant colors I have been less likely to click on the app because I think "wow, do I really care about this?" This app also inherently blocks all notifications for every app so it helped me to stop opening my phone for every little buzz. Without purchasing this app you can make your phone boring by doing these things: Remove your background photos. Turn off notifications from everyone except calls and messages from close friends and family. Download an icon pack that makes the icons black and white/grey and super boring looking. If after this you feel much better, your phone usage has decreased, and you feel like you've now taken control over your phone instead of it controlling you, then great! You can stop right here. But, if you feel like your phone still controls you, it is time for step #4. #3 Just delete your apps. Seriously. Start deleting your apps. Delete the social media apps. Delete the streaming apps. Delete your email (I'm still working on this one). You don't need these apps on your phone. You will be happier without them. Plus, you can still access these things from a computer. Leave your text messaging and phone call making apps (I don't think you can delete these anyway). Set a boundary for when you will log onto these social media sites on your computer. This could be once a day, once a week, or if you are really ambitious, once a month or less. Check your email in the morning, preferably after you've spent some time waking up, eating a homecooked breakfast and allowing yourself to actually wake up. If you use your email for work then check your email when you start work and before you end your work day. DO NOT TAKE YOUR WORK EMAIL HOME WITH YOU. Set the boundary of only working when you are scheduled to work. Give some or all of these tips a try if you feel like social media and your phone are starting to take control of your life. Let me know how they work for you. Did you find out you actually have time for exercise, relationships, faith, relaxation, etc.?

Welcome to my blog! Read on to get to know your coach! My name is Brandon Gray. I'm from Hartford, South Dakota. Growing up I was very active in sports, board gaming, and video games. My love for playing sports led me to start working out. My first real entry into working out was in middle school when I was taught by a few of the upperclassmen high schoolers how to lift. I realized that I was pretty strong at deadlift for a 7th grader, so I was immediately hooked. By the time I was an upperclassman in high school, I realized I really enjoyed helping other people learn how to lift. After high school, I went on to college at the University of Sioux Falls where I earned my Bachelors in Exercise Science. During my second and third years of college I was on the USF cheerleading team. I never saw myself being a cheerleader, but it was a great time and I've never been sorer than the days after cheer camp. In 2018 I had an interview at the gym I was interning for. They decided they liked me, and my personal training career started! Since then, I have had the pleasure of working with all kinds of clients; young, old, athletes, desk job workers, construction workers, people with disabilities, and more. I have a passion for helping teach people how to strength train for a lifetime of fitness, not just immediate results. In 2019, I married my wife, Natalie. My wife is a pharmacist who has a passion for helping people in need. Since we've been married, we have lived in three states, South Dakota, Iowa, and Wyoming. Together we have a love for hiking, camping, and backpacking, especially in the Tetons! Together we make a great team with a desire to help everyone live healthier lives. In 2023, Natalie and I welcomed a new member to the Gray family, Bridger! Bridger loves going for walks, tent camping (especially in cold weather), and looking at trees. Since Natalie works full time and I work from home, I get to hang out with Bridger all day! Besides camping and lifting I have a few hobbies I'm very passionate about. I'm an avid board gamer with a personal preference for the long games taking 8-24+ hours to play! One of my other hobbies is having LARP battles with friends at the park. It sounds extremely nerdy, because it is extremely nerdy, but it is a great cardio workout and it's fun to fight other people with foam weapons! I'm excited to get to meet and work with new clients and help them reach their health and fitness goals. Please reach out if you have any questions or would like to start online coaching!