Commonly seen Lower-body exercises at the gym might include squats, lunges, and leg presses. However, one overlooked movement that is critical not only for refining lower-body strength but also for reinforcing the structural integrity of the stabilizing muscles of the hips, knees, and ankles is side-to-side movement. The lateral split squat targets lower-extremity muscles involved …
Tag: Life Time Fitness Napa
Mar 27
Posture Awareness During Squatting Exercises
“Make sure you look forward,” I cued Tina, one of our personal training clients, as she was performing a set of “zombie squats” during one of her training sessions. Her eyes darted toward me momentarily to receive the instruction and then returned to looking straight ahead. She immediately rotated her head upward, with her chin …
Mar 25
Coach Alec Goes the Distance
On Sunday, March 1st, 2026, Napa Tenacious Fitness’ own coach, Alec Cornwell, participated in the Napa Valley Half Marathon. This was his first half-marathon, and he completed it in 1 hour, 56 minutes, and 57 seconds, exceeding his expectations and finishing strong. Coach Alec’s main preparation consisted of one long run over the weekend and …
Mar 22
The Mediterranean Diet
In the fitness world, diets like Keto, Paleo, and “low-carb” aim to promise fast results. But what if there were an approach that improves performance, recovery, and long-term health without extreme restrictions? Enter the Mediterranean diet. Inspired by traditional eating patterns in Greece and southern Italy, this approach emphasizes food quality, balance, and consistency rather …
Mar 19
Drop Neck Syndrome Prevetion: Scapular Protraction and Retraction
“Drop Neck” is a condition where the neck muscles are too weak to hold the head upright. It is also known as Dropped Head Syndrome (DHS). This causes the head to tilt forward and downward. “Drop Neck” is caused by weakness in the neck extensor muscles. This can result from sedentary lifestyle habits, overuse or …
Mar 15
Exercise Tip of the Month: Incline Eccentric Push-Ups
Push-ups are one of the foundational bodyweight exercises we incorporate in nearly every training program in our personal training clients’ exercise prescriptions. One variation we would like to highlight this week is the incline eccentric push-up. To execute this movement properly, place your hands on an inclined surface and “screw” your hands into the surface …
Mar 09
Deep Intrinsic Core and Hip Muscles
“Engage your core” is a term we often hear to avoid back injury during strenuous activity. It should go without saying that bracing one’s core is beneficial when lifting a wine box off the ground, carrying it thirty meters, rotating it to place it on a shelf, and lifting it to a shelf of varying …
Feb 18
Fitness Trends: Wearable Fitness Technology
Wearable fitness technology has quietly changed how we think about health, shifting it from something we occasionally do to something we check throughout the day. With the rise of devices like Fitbits, Apple Watches, and WHOOP bands, everyday behaviors such as how many steps we take, how well we sleep, and even how stressed we …
Feb 06
Variety in Movement Helps the Body Age Better
“I’m trying not to get old,” Nero responded after I asked how he was doing at the beginning of his training session. Nero is one of our veteran personal training clients with an animated sense of humor who uses physical activity as a key tool to empower his life. As a gentleman in his early …
Jan 30
Safe and Effective Exercises on the Ground
Exercise journeys can be challenging, depending on a person’s circumstances and physical condition. The demands of time spent at our jobs, household chores, and family obligations can make it difficult to find time for exercise. Previous or current injuries and health conditions can create a daunting experience when starting or re-entering a fitness routine, as …
