Take a tour of my gym classroom! I’ve felt the call to best package my coaching and training services and feel this is the most optimal way to walk alongside someone, guiding them to their physique and wellness goals. I didn’t get here just from going to the gym or just from […]
Youth Weight Training and a Workout Idea!
I trained my 6th grader today…I love that 1:1 time with him! The key with youth training is keeping it fun and challenging all at the same time. The load is all relative to each person’s strength abilities, focusing on range of motion and proper form as the main goals. Teach and model it […]
Muscle Priming Before Training: This is the New Warm-Up!
Priming: In my early days I would walk into the gym and get under heavy load way, way too soon. My muscles were not awake and ready to train, so the likelihood of injury was high OR I would just be going thru the motions recruiting other muscles to assist the load and […]
12 Ways to Know When You Are Ready to Consider Competing
-Written September 2015, by Mindy Irish BS Education | NASM CPT | NPC Bikini Bodybuilder —– I know that I got interested in competing in 2012 because I started seeing it become more prominent on social media. That brings up a good topic: When is someone really ready to compete? It varies with each person, […]
Let’s Talk Cellulite and How to Train Hamstrings!
This is a concept I have studied for myself and problem solved with many clients. From a training and competing perspective, I look to see if the back of the legs are what I call “clean”. This is an area that many bodies tend to hold body fat and not just body fat, cellulite. Can […]
Mindy Irish Fitness Exercise Video Library
This is a video library for my clients and anyone in need of seeing weight training exercises in action. Most of these link to my Instagram page, @fitgalmindy, where I’ve collected them in the gym over time. Please use them at your own discretion. I ask two things of you if you use my […]
Chasing the Calorie Burn!
We need to quit chasing a high-cardio calorie burn and focus on being active instead. Here’s why: —– Cardio time! I truly enjoy being active and my body loves to move, but I only use cardio strategically about eight to ten weeks before a show. Otherwise I weight train consistently year round and stay really […]
Cardio: How much is enough or too much?
Good question! Here is a post I made this week on social media. It describes where I am personally with cardio as of early September 2016, why I don’t do much year round, and how to use it to work FOR you and not against you. Then read below for a few more tips about […]
Traveling? Need a Change? Try this Circuit!
Written on July 3, 2016 while at the NPC Chicago “Wings of Strength” show: —– I did a circuit before my cardio today, still at the hotel in their closet-sized gym. I designed this to be a peripheral training, alternating upper and lower body, which is super effective for getting the most from the body. […]
Summer Ideas: Can’t hit the gym or traveling? Use the park!
Parts of this post were originally written in the summer of 2013. As the warm weather is upon us, people are traveling, and more of us are outdoors, there are great opportunities to be active in your own backyard, at the sports field, or at a park. Use your bodyweight (which is resistance) to put some […]