Allie Q

5 Reasons You’re Not Getting Stronger

flexing girl

In the beginning, there was negligible muscle on my doughy, 19-year-old body. At this point, I didn’t have the information. Then I did, thanks to FigureAthlete.com (RIP). I started to lift free weights in an effort to get stronger and more muscular. I followed 5×5 for a while. I played around with set and rep […] Read more…

Strength training is the thinking person’s sport – Part I

dumbbell outdoors

I recently read this article about how strength training is seen as a lower class pursuit. To quote the article: “Upper middle class Americans avoid “excessive displays of strength,” viewing the bodybuilder look as vulgar overcompensation for wounded manhood.” The author goes on to present mostly anecdotal evidence that educated urban professionals tend to snub […] Read more…

Where do I even start? – Workout guidelines for beginners

fitness girl tricep dips

So you want to start working out and get in better shape or maybe just be healthier. You might not necessarily be interested in getting super strong or muscular, but you wouldn’t mind tightening up a few spots, feeling better, or dropping a couple of pounds. You’re ready to take the dive, but there’s just […] Read more…

How to pick the right personal trainer for you

personal trainer

How do you pick a personal trainer? Easy. Just pick the fittest person, right? Or in some case, the most pushy, hah. Well, it’s not exactly that simple. There’s actually a lot that goes into hiring the right personal trainer for you. Newbs and even more experienced gym goers might not even know what to […] Read more…

Why meal plans don’t work and what to do instead

On the surface, meal plans seem like the solution to all our fat loss woes. They tell us exactly what to eat, how much of it and when. There’s no guessing involved; it’s all spelled out in black and white. And if there’s one thing people love, it’s being given the answer. But have you […] Read more…

3 tips to learn to like exercise

Those people. You know the kind. They live in athleisure wear. Constantly post their workouts on social media. Occasionally celebrate whatever the hell a PR is (something to do with heavy weights?). They go to the gym on their lunch break. Y’know…fitness freaks. Those people. If you’re not one of them, you may be perplexed […] Read more…

Weight lifting for people who prefer cardio

I remember my first time getting laser hair removal. I didn’t know what to expect in terms of the pain level, and Google results weren’t exactly comforting. But I was determined to get the most out of my Groupon. I sat in the reclined chair and the attentive technician handed me a stress ball. “This […] Read more…

How to change your body and feel like a bad ass

When I first started working out, I was all about the treadmill and elliptical–40 minutes a day, 5 days a week. I just wanted to be skinny. My attempts to “tone” were basically doing the triceps push-down machine and the hip abductor machine. Maybe some leg extensions too. I remember noticing that the fittest people […] Read more…