Category Archive

A stubborn muscle group can be a frustrating thing to deal with, but there is hope. It’s not some funky new exercise or workout plan that will make your muscles grow but something a lot more fundamental called neural drive. Check out the podcast below to learn more about what neural drive is and how you can quickly use it …

The holiday season is upon us and it’s in full swing with all of its temptations and tasty treats that can create a minefield of challenges for the health-conscious. You could vow to be vigilant and stick to your plans like glue, but honestly, how practical is that? What good is trying to stick to a plan that either makes …

Most diet and exercise strategies look good on paper and even work well for a short period of time, but they don’t pan out in the long term. One of the biggest reasons is because they are far too strict and rigid. Trying to be super strict in your workout strategies and diet means you’re only going to be successful …

I used to be very skeptical when it came to isometric training, especially overcoming isometrics like pulling a chain apart. Over the past few weeks, I’ve learned just how mistaken I was about this old-school training method. Today I want to share with you three of the biggest myths I used to believe about isometric training. #1 Isometrics aren’t very …

The phrase stimulate don’t annihilate is a simple idea, but it can literally mean the difference between workouts that end in success or disaster. Simply put, focusing on creating a stimulus in your workout means you’re training to progress something in an intelligent way. You have a mission to improve the quality of your training and make it more effective. …

Tim and Jacko of School of Calisthenics.com stopped by the proverbial R.D.P office the other day to go over some of the finer points of training for both the beginner and advanced calisthenics athlete. Both Tim and Jacko are both highly regarded calisthenics strength coaches and bring a very real and practical approach to the table. Be sure to check …

Few things are more important than using your mind-muscle connection to progression your time under tension. This is especially the case if you want to build muscle and strength. In fact, your mind-muscle connection and time under tension are responsible for most of your muscle and strength progress. Simply put, improving your MMC and TUT will get you results regardless …

Can protein make you fat? Can Endurance Athletes build muscle? Is the mind-muscle connection important as you get older? I answer these key questions and unearth some knowledge gems in this week’s episode of the R.D.P Podcast.

I used to believe that getting in shape was a simple and straight forward affair. You just eat the right foods and do the right exercises and presto! You can make your health and fitness dreams come true. It’s a nice idea, but it doesn’t mix well with reality. The truth is, lots of people do “everything right” and still …

Healthy habits are supposed to make you feel great and improve your quality of life. Not just physically, but mentally and emotionally as well.  So why are so many people struggling to be “motivated” to get in shape? Why are so many diets and workout programs compromising people’s quality fo life rather than improving it?  The most basic answer comes …

They say diet is one of the most important influences toward your weight and fitness goals. So if that’s the case, then what’s one of the most important influences in your diet? Is it carbs and macronutrient ratios? Is it “eating right” or always “eating clean?” What about meal timing and Intermittent Fasting? All of that stuff is fine, but …

Stress is the ultimate obstacle to a healthy diet. The more stress your mind and body are forced to endure the less healthy your diet is. Bear in mind, there’s always some degree of stress with any disciplined approach in life. This is especially the case if you’re looking to make some drastic changes to your daily habits. However, short-term …

This weeks episode of the Red Delta Project Podcast includes some of the top questions I’ve received this week. I cover the idea of undulating intensity, making progress with counter-productive influences, and looking at the importance of volume and intensity for building muscle.

Weight loss can happen relatively fast or slow depending on how you go about it. Essentially, the more effort and discipline you bring to your diet and workout program, the faster you can expect weight loss to occur. The downside to such fast weight loss is that it can be very stressful and increase the risk of weight rebound. That’s …

These days everyone is busier than ever, and it’s easy to push the workout off to the side with claims that you don’t have time to get to the gym. It’s not an excuse, most people legitimately don’t have the time to workout. It’s not because working out takes a lot of of time; it’s because how most people approach …

Effective workouts don’t happen by accident, and they sure aren’t the result of luck. An effective workout also doesn’t come from using the best equipment or an “optimal” workout routine. Instead, an effective workout comes from a simple, and clear, progression strategy. A progression strategy is nothing more than a plan to make improvements from one workout to the next. …

Building muscle with calisthenics isn’t rocket science, but it can be difficult if the stimulus for hypertrophy keeps slipping through your fingers. It’s quite common for people to work super hard and not building muscle regardless of what exercises or equipment they use or even what program they use. They hop from one program to the next, all the while …

Today’s podcast/ post highlights my favorite weekly Grind-Style Calisthenics routines for building muscle. Granted, it’s not that actual routine that causes muscle growth, but rather the progression of the routine that does. The best routine in the world won’t do jack sh*t for you if you don’t strive to improve how well you do it from one workout to the …

Do calisthenics skills, like front levers and muscle ups help you build muscle? Does squatting or doing dips with a deep range of motion hurt your joints? When should you level up to a more advanced technique in calisthenics? I answer these questions and more, with practical answers in this week’s episode of the Red Delta Project Podcast:

Calisthenics is fantastic for building muscle; provided you understand how to do it in an effective manner. One of the biggest obstacles people face with calisthenics, is the technical challenge involved with advanced exercises. Improving your calisthenics skills is a very rewarding and worthwhile endeavor, but it may not be the best way to build muscle. It can be difficult …

Emotional eating gets a bad reputation. Almost everyone I know is trying to do less of it or stop emotional eating altogether. I find the idea of not eating from an emotional foundation kind of funny. What are we supposed to do, eat without any emotion whatsoever?! Do the experts really expect us to eat like we are some sort …

Your training should be a positive and fun experience in your life. Sure, you’ll have occasional workouts that are a bear to get through, but these should be the exception and not the rule. If your workouts are becoming a drag, it’s time to make some adjustments to breathe the life back into them. One common strategy is to do …

The latest Kavadlo book, Next level Strength, is set to release in a couple of weeks and I had a privilege to sit and chat with Al Kavadlo about it! It was very interesting to learn the origins of why he, and his bother Danny, wrote this book. You would think that with all of the books they are written …

I’ve been getting a lot of very good questions about building muscle and strength this week. Many of which are about my new Grind-Style Calisthenics program which you can learn more about here. So without further ado, let’s get right into the questions of the week. How long should you rest between sets? Generally, resting 2-3 minutes between sets in …

Grand Style Calisthenics was created to make it as easy as possible for you to build muscle and strength. This is done by removing several of the biggest obstacles that stand in your way towards that goal. Obstacle #1 High-maintenance exercise habits One of the biggest obstacles for building muscle and strength is maintaining consistent exercise habits. There’s no getting …

Calisthenics and martial arts have long been training partners. It’s even speculated that the development of martial arts and calisthenics happened right alongside one another. This is why I wrote the book, Bodyweight Training for Martial Arts. It’s time modern martial artists tap into the wealth of their athletic potential without needing to go to a gym or buy costly …

It’s natural to strive and search for solid answers when it comes to nutritional recommendations. There is a certain comfort and security that comes from hearing that you have to consume an exact number of calories or grams of protein each day. It helps you feel in control of your diet and this your health and fitness. The frustrating thing …

An effective workout depends on the alignment of several influences. It’s not as simple as having the correct weight or number of reps. In order for a work out to truly be effective it needs to work along with your preferences, resources, and even your own body. The more alignment you have, the easier it is to accomplish what you …

Nothing makes it easier to achieve, and maintain a higher level of fitness than seeking a state of alignment. On the other hand, a state of misalignment can make it almost impossible to make even meager progress no matter how hard you work. What is fitness alignment? Fitness alignment is when the habits you follow flow along with the countless …

One of the most common questions I receive is from people who have hit a plateau and they want to start making progress again. They could be struggling to build muscle, increase strength, or lose weight but the scenario is always the same. In full disclosure, it’s almost impossible for me to know what the average individual needs to do …

Working out at home has several advantages. It’s a lot more convenient, you can potentially save a lot of time and money, plus you get to choose your own music and amenities. However, for all of the advantages, there are also several significant challenges that come from working out at home. But don’t worry, because I’ve got your back with …

I get a lot of questions concerning the bulking and cutting strategy. Specifically, if someone is on the right track when they are bulking or if they should start cutting. Some people also ask if they should bulk first and then cut or cut and then bulk. It may not surprise you, but I’m not a very big fan of …

Convict Conditioning was first published a little over 10 years ago. Since then, it’s played a very influential role in making progressive calisthenics a popular and legitimate training discipline. For the years, I’ve received many questions regarding Paul Wade’s work so I wanted to take the opportunity to answer them as best I could here. #1 Is Paul Wade real? …

I know how frustrating it can be to work super hard, but nothing seems to work. Maybe you’re learning all about the latest diet and exercise research or perhaps you’re working as hard as you can every day in the gym. Yet despite doing everything possible progress is slow or nonexistent so what’s the deal? Most frustration with diet and …

Last week, I discussed the Grind-style Calisthenics mindset. This week, I want to talk about the 6 tools GSC uses to bring your training to the next level. The ultimate goal of Grind-style Calisthenics is to teach you how to work your muscles more effectively. Note that effective muscle training isn’t always about making your muscles work as hard as …

Grind-style Calisthenics brings the experience of lifting heavy weights in the gym to the efficient world of body weight training. This is accomplished not just from using unique exercises or workout routines, but a different mental perspective on physical exercise. Taking a grind-style approach means focusing on the quality and quantity of the muscle tension you’re generating rather than chasing …

Fitness motivation can be a very volatile thing. One minute you have it and the next it’s gone. Some lucky people always seem to be fired up while others around them struggle to just get their engine running. Fitness motivation, or the ability to stick to a diet or exercise program, isn’t so much about ironclad willpower or magic pixie …

Sometimes, it can feel like some moves will never get stronger or easier. Times like this it’s a good idea to employ the “grease the groove” approach How to use it Essentially, grease the groove refers to practicing a technical skill very frequently outside of your normal workouts. You might practice a few reps every day, but most grease the …

Workout plateaus are a fact of life for every athlete. There’s really not much you can do to avoid them regardless of the routine you follow or how hard you work. In a way, a workout plateau is a good thing. It means your body has adapted to the stress of the workout. Even so, I know that doesn’t take …

Low-fatigue high-volume training has been getting a lot more press recently so I thought I would address it here to clear up some confusion. The basic strategy of Low-fatigue high-volume training is you keep your reps and sets moderate to prevent yourself from accumulating too much fatigue during a given workout. With less fatigue, you don’t need as much recovery …

Jake Gay is a relatively new name on the calisthenics scene having started seriously training in the discipline a year ago. Remember his name though because he’s going to be a household name in no time. It’s easy to see why through the content he puts out on his Instagram and YouTube channel, Jake’s simple and practical advice is down-to-earth …

January is a time of promise of weight loss and building the body of your dreams……for a price. There are memberships, programs, gadgets and supplements to buy. It just seems like it’s impossible to get fit and save money at the same time. I’m here to tell you that you don’t have to buy anything to get in shape. In …

Calorie hacking is one of the few weight loss strategies that works with the law of homeostasis rather than against it. Instead of adopting long-term habits like classic diet and exercise programs, it uses short-term “calorie hacks” that last a few hours or days. Why is homeostasis the key to fat loss? Homeostasis is the governing law of the universe. …

It seems like the world is filled with conflicting fitness information. One experts says eggs are good, another claims they are bad. One best selling book claims running will add years to your life while other claim it will shorten your life. The confusion seems to be the normal state of our fitness culture, but this isn’t necessarily so. In …

Building muscle with calisthenics can be a daunting idea. There are so many technical variables  to consider like range of motion, weight shifting, leverage, speed and tempo just to name a few.  Lifting weights just seem so much simpler. You just add weight and you’re set, right? So that makes a pretty good case for weights and a strike against …

Bodyweight leg training can be a very effective way to develop the strength, mobility, and stability in your lower body. Here are several tips to help you get the most out of your calisthenics leg workouts. #1 Practice squatting every day Chronic sitting, at work and at home, is a major issue in modern life. It acts like a cast …

Fitness alignment is the number one goal of the Red Delta Project. Achieving it means you experience less stress, greater results and have a lot more fun. Unfortunately, there are a lot of malevolent forces within our fitness culture that can easily pull you out of fitness alignment. Many of these dogmatic ideals are like wolves in sheep’s clothing. They are …

Diet and exercise traps are everywhere just waiting to trap you, and your progress for years on end. Some of them are outright scams that steal your time and money. Others are pseudo-science fads that have little merit. Today I wanted to expose on the biggest and most damaging traps that almost everyone falls into. I’ve fallen victim to this fitness trap …

What is the best muscle building routine? Is it 5×5? Maybe it’s drop sets. What about volume training? According to some, it’s about going heavy or going home. Maybe you can build muscle from all of them. Maybe it’s not even about the routine at all. In this week’s podcast, I discuss the important elements of an effective muscle building routine …