Ever done all the “right” mobility work but still feel tight? Or struggled to feel certain muscles working no matter how many cues you try (like glutes or lats)? You’re not alone! After years of coaching, I’ve seen countless…
Mushrooms: The Overlooked Superfood for Muscle Growth and Longevity
Mushrooms have been high on the nutrition trends list for a while now. I remember prior to 2015 it seemed like mushrooms were some kind of empty calorie topping you might put on your pizza, but fast forward to today…
Rising Cancer Rates in Younger Generations
There have been a few disturbing headlines recently that are worth looking into. Recent research published in The Lancet Public Health has unveiled a concerning trend: a significant increase in cancer incidence among young adults. This study challenges the long-held…
Beyond Strength Training: Why Tissue Tolerance is Crucial for Lifelong Fitness
Tissue tolerance is underrated. I’ve learned many things from training and working with clients for nearly two decades, and one that most people don’t consider is tissue tolerance. I was first forced to consider this capacity in 2014 when it…
Plant-Based Longevity: How Eating Green Keeps You Young
Forget expensive creams and risky surgeries – the secret to looking and feeling younger might be hiding in your produce aisle! It’s my first post in ages, (but I haven’t stopped learning!), so I wanted to share some things I’ve…
Supersized Vegan Olive Oil Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies
Healthier than the butter-sugar-and-white flour variety, but still definitely a special treat rather than health food 😄. They are the everlasting gobstoppers of cookies, according to our 8 year old, because every bite tastes like a different delicious food: cookie,…
Happy 2021! Who’s got Goals!?
It’s next year! Wait, did I say that right? Anyway, it’s not 2020 anymore, hooray! Hopefully you got plenty of sleep last night, because it was awfully loud here and today is the day to get to work. As cliché…
The 2020 No Meat Athlete Bundle is Here!
Hey guys! It’s that time again… This year’s No Meat Athlete Plant-Based Heath & Fitness Bundle is the biggest ever with 46 meal-plans, cook books, and strength/fitness guides! It’s valued at over $2669.61, but for this weekend it’s just $95.…
3 Balance Drills you can do at home with No Equipment
Our outdoor training area at Root Force Personal Training is now operational! We are only offering limited sessions at first to ensure safety and work out any kinks, but it’s a-go! I know this only really applies to Richmond locals,…
Hand and wrist workout, June 27th
Today’s workout target: hands and wrists! We’ve covered every major joint and muscle group in the body already, giving lots of simple stretches and exercises you can do at home with no equipment, but this is the first time I’m…
Plant-based workouts in the Time of Corona, June 16th
What’s one of the top struggles I hear from my older clients in terms of their daily activity? Getting up off the floor! If you’re in the under 40 crowd (or younger still) this may never cross your mind as…
Plant-based workouts in the Time of Corona, May 30th
I got a haircut – back at the end of May, and by Marcella – I still think it counts though! Today’s quarantine exercise tidbit is all about foot and ankle health. It pays to take care of your feet,…
Plant-based workouts in the Time of Corona, May 23rd
Back again! If you’ve followed along with this post series, then hopefully you got to try the glute medius exercises I shared and are well on your way to healthier hips, knees and ankles! If not, there’s still time! Today…
Interview with Chef AJ!
I had a great time recently speaking all about my story, as well as my training and nutrition with the esteemed Chef AJ! We have crossed paths many times in the past at events but somehow never managed to collaborate,…
At-home glutes workout
Alright this is an important one! Not that the others weren’t good too, but in this video I cover some simple ways to work the Glute Medius at home without equipment. If you want strong ankles, a healthy low…
Plant-based Nutrition – BarBend Interview!
Want to know the nuts and bolts of how vegan strength athletes eat?? Nick over at BarBend was a pleasure to speak with about plant-based nutrition and did a phenomenal job with this article and video. In it he goes…
Plant-Based Workouts in the time of Corona, May 9th
Hey y’all! In this episode of ‘Things you can do to stay fit and sane at home!’ I go over some simple, and very satisfying, glenohumeral (shoulder joint) stretches. These movements pair very nicely with the upper spine mobility exercises…
Plant-based workouts in the time of Corona, April 28th
Who wants some novel core exercises they can do at home?? In this episode of ‘Derek shows you tips and tricks while the gym’s empty’ I share a couple of my favorite core moves I’ve learned over the years, and…
Plant-based workouts in the time of Corona, April 25th
Hey y’all! Another day, another workout. For this video I share three stretches you can do to mobilize your T-spine (ie stretch your upper back to improve posture). I don’t know about you guys, but we’re doing markedly more…
Plant-Based Workouts in the time of Corona, April 5th
Yes, we’re still closed for the time being, but luckily I’ve got a decent backlog of quick workout tips to share! I’ve been using movements like the ones I’ve been sharing while training clients virtually via Zoom, so you can…
