Autonomy by GMB Fitness

Ask a question Despite what you hear on the infomercials trying to sell you DVDs with pictures of abs on the front, there’s no such thing as a “complete” workout. So it makes sense that lots of people eventually come to the realization that they need more than what they’re getting. Like martial artists who want to be more flexible, or runners who also want to build upper body strength. You’d proba...

Ask a question When you’re getting ready in the morning do you ask yourself, “Am I doing enough? Should I be working harder in the bathroom before I leave for work?” Probably not. In fact, you probably know the exact bare minimum you need to do to get yourself out the door looking the way you want to look.  But when it comes to training, a lot of people have trouble figuring out how much they need...

Ask a question You do this everyday, so you should be pretty good at it by now, right?  Well, not so fast. A cursory Google search shows no less than a dozen high-dollar courses and certifications you can take on breathing for better health and fitness. Apparently, this is more complex than most of us tend to assume, so let's look at why.  Ryan's spent a lot of years practicing different...

Ask a question If you've ever been inspired after seeing someone move with absolutely mastery, this is for you. A lot of people talk about "flow" in movement, but there's a lot of mysticism and confusion over what it actually is - where does it come from and what does it indicate? Is flow: a mental state an attribute of movement something that happens after you attain perfect e...

Ask a question After a month off to travel with their families, Ryan and Andy are answering questions and sharing their tips for working out on the road.  As always, there's a bit of a twist here: If you want a generic list of "killer ab shredding" exercises to "torch belly flab" in a hotel room, Men's Health probably has you covered, but... Why not take a step back a...

Ask a question There are a lot of movement gurus out there who talk about movement “flow” the same way some people talk about enlightenment. Like it’s a higher state of being you can only reach by subscribing to their YouTube. And they look really cool on Instagram so they most know what they’re talking about, right? But if you break any flow down, it’s just a person who can smoothly transition th...

Ask a question A few years ago, we did a podcast episode called "cardio is stupid, and you don't have to do it." Maybe not the most nuanced explanation, but there's an important point here: appropriateness. Since that early discussion, we wrote an article that lays out more specific recommendations on what appropriate looks like and how to figure out what that is for you. This...

Ask a question What's the difference between doing an exercise and owning it? To us, that's one of the most important questions in fitness. In sport and fitness, we loooooove numbers. We keep score. We keep stats. We count weights, times, and reps. And that's a good and useful thing, but it's not everything. One thing we haven't traditionally had good ways to track is our...

Ask a question Ryan and Andy do some good-ol'-days-ing about their early years in Japan... BUT it's actually relevant. We promise! Here's why: Moving to Japan to practice martial arts has had a huge impact on how we think about training, quality, and mastery. Our experience as teachers is one of the most fundamental components of the GMB Method. Every seen one of our videos and thou...

Ask a question There’s a thousand right ways to do almost anything. I know that’s not what you wanna hear, but it’s the truth.  For any skill you wanna learn, the right focus is gonna depend on where you’re at, what impediments you have, your natural strengths, your goals, your context, and whatever other training or activities you’re into. All that stuff impacts how your practice works, and that’...

Ask a question One of the key differences between training for fitness vs training for sport is the emphasis on developing capabilities vs abilities. This episode defines these similar terms in a new way so you can figure out which exercises you need to be focusing on and why. Fact: people train for a lot of different reasons. We know you have your own goals, and one thing we've found a massi...

Ask a question There's a lot of noise about "what successful people do" to start their days... and a thousand people trying to cash in on selling you the dream of being a better person because you drink the right kind of coffee.  We have some experience with mornings. Between Ryan and Andy, 32,493 of them so far. We've tried just about every schedule, tool, hack, and routine yo...

Ask a question OK, first thing first: 40 isn't "old." Neither is 50. And for the sweet love of all the deities, I am so sick of people younger than us commenting on our Facebook posts about they think they're too old to learn new things.  Getting a sense for the gist of this episode yet? For our first new episode in over two years, Ryan and Andy asked our clients and followers...

Ask a question Do you find it hard to make good decisions and spend your time wisely? Whether it’s a matter of perfectionism, procrastination or just a general state of indecision, spending too much time trying to decide what to do and when leads to wasted time. If you’re having a hard time being efficient at work or even finding a set time to get your workout in, today’s podcast can help you crea...

Ask a question Finding your way in fitness can seem difficult. It takes a concerted effort to test, experiment, and discover what works for you in order to accomplish your personal goals and ensure it fits in with your existing lifestyle. On this episode of the GMB Show Ryan welcomes Krista Stryker, personal trainer and founder of 12 Minute Athlete, where she develops and shares fitness routines t...

Ask a question The world of fast fitness has undeniably invaded our culture. 30-day shredding programs, 90-minute abs, 6-week total body transformations. Yes, you can conceivably transform your body in a dramatic way in as little as 6 weeks. But what happens to it after the next 6 weeks? It’s natural to want to see the end result as fast as possible, but is the rigourous routine you undergo someth...

Ask a question You know that our mission at GMB is teaching you physical confidence through mindful practice. Time marches on, we can’t change that. The future creeps up on all of us. And it might leave you wondering “can I keep the strength I’ve gained?” “Is it possible to not loose those skills I busted my ass to learn?” On this episode of the GMB Show we’re happy to welcome back our good friend...

Ask a question When was the last time you hit a plateau? Were your pull-ups stuck on a particular number of reps? Did your pushups stall out before hitting the double digits you desired? Plateaus happen in fitness. It’s a natural part of the process. However, the typical method of “pushing through” them might actually aid in keeping you stuck. Trying to progress in a linear fashion makes sense whe...

Ask a question One of the questions that we hear over and over again is, “how much is enough?” How many reps? How many sets? How many days a week? How much time and effort is enough? If you’re finding yourself asking this question, then there’s a very good chance you’re also looking at the accomplishments of others and wondering how your effort stacks up against them. On this episode of the GMB Sh...

Ask a question As you know, we’re big advocates of getting your play on. So, when someone comes along who’s doing it in an unconventional way, then we have to talk about it. On this episode of the GMB Show Ryan sits down with Mark Smith, the owner and founder of Asylum Fitness, who emphasizes the importance of play as a means of fitness. At Asylum Fitness, Mark combines the best of traditional cal...

Ask a question If you’re looking to achieve peak performance, then you’ll obviously need to address your regular habits. And that’s where a lot of us really seem to get tripped up. What if the same strategy you apply to your daily fitness practice is also the most effective strategy for building new habits for peak performance and permanent change in other areas of life? On this episode of the GMB...

Ask a question Have you ever considered fitness as a means of self expression? It’s something we certainly encourage here at GMB.  There’s great freedom in allowing yourself to move in accordance with how you decide to move - creating your own flow and routine. On this episode of the GMB Show, Jarlo dives deep with Dr. Mark Cheng, acupuncturist, FMS/SFMA practitioner, and StrongFirst instructor. ...

Ask a question Improving movement is a topic that’s been gaining in popularity lately. It makes sense as people are finally figuring out that there is a direct correlation between better movement and better health.  On this episode of the GMB Show, Jarlo welcomes Todd Hargrove, blogger, Feldenkrais practitioner, rolfer, and author of A Guide to Better Movement. Todd specializes in improving people...

Ask a question Cultivating strength is a huge emphasis here at GMB. More specifically, we advocate the cultivation of functional strength. In other words, don’t just get stronger for the sake of getting stronger. Get stronger for the purpose of applying it to the aspects and activities of life that matter the most to you.  On this episode of the GMB Show we’re happy to be able to talk again with R...

Ask a question How many jobs do you truly have? You most likely have a job that you get paid for, and you also might have a job within your family or home. Not to mention all the outside responsibilities, roles, and activities that require your attention each day. But which ones are your real jobs? Not having clarity on this can cause a lot of harm, especially in terms of personal fitness. On this...