The Monday blog

Strength, training and the occasional rant

Every Monday since 2022, Dan Trink has written to Fort members about strength training, fat loss, consistency and life in New York City. 222 posts, the newest first.

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Older essays from the previous site are in the Weekly Insights section below.

2026

You're the dog

Do you have a favorite photograph? I do. I’m holding my son when he is just a couple of days old. He’s wrapped up in that classic white with blue and pink…

September 28, 2026 · 4 min read

Waiting for you

“Hey, aren’t you the guy that’s always at Rodeo?” the stranger asked. This wasn’t the way one aspires to be recognized. Rodeo was a bar in Murray Hill a…

September 21, 2026 · 4 min read

Raymond was wrong

Have you ever been to a psychic? I mean a “real” psychic. Not some lady sitting at a folding table set up on the sidewalk or even Madame Marie in her…

September 14, 2026 · 4 min read

Blue beams of light

I couldn’t watch the TV for at least a week. My wife was camped out in front of it but I couldn’t watch. Instead I chose to just sit on our bed and strum…

September 7, 2026 · 3 min read

A tolerance for repetition

The pregnant woman walked onto the subway looking for a seat. It was during a Friday morning summertime commute. Which, in NYC, means that there were…

August 31, 2026 · 5 min read

I'm terrible at vacations

We just got back. Five days and four nights on the New England coastline. We’ve been doing some version of this trip nearly every Summer for the past 14…

August 24, 2026 · 4 min read

Reps are the best teacher

I think I finally have enough reps. We have a saying around here: reps are the best teacher. And I think I've hit the winning number. You can research…

August 10, 2026 · 6 min read

It's time that you won

I’m infatuated with storytelling. Whether it’s in-person, in a book, in a movie theater, on YouTube, I just love a great story that is well told. I have…

August 3, 2026 · 4 min read

A brief history of my inflated ego

Top 5 compliments I’ve gotten on my physique in reverse order. Number 5: Just last week as Kyle and I walked through Madison Square Park on our way back…

July 27, 2026 · 5 min read

The Dichotomy of Technique

Yngvie Malmsteen. Steve Vai. Tim Hensen. Unless you are a guitar nerd, these are names that you probably should not recognize. But all three of them are…

July 20, 2026 · 6 min read

The consequences of not going to the gym

There have been no shortage of great nicknames in the history of the NBA. There’s Kobe “Black Mamba” Bryant. George “The Iceman” Gervin. Allen “The…

July 13, 2026 · 7 min read

Eat like Steve Jobs

“You want to sell implementation, not information.” This was advice that we got from our second-ever business coach, Alex Hormozi. Alex wasn’t a big deal…

July 6, 2026 · 8 min read

When you've got nothing, you've got nothing to lose

I have written anywhere between three and seventeen blog posts about “the biggest lie in fitness”. And, no, it’s not because I love clickbait-y blog post…

June 29, 2026 · 5 min read

Knicks in five

I already had the television unplugged when Jim grabbed my arm. “You don’t want to do it,” he said aggressively. A real contrast to his usual, relaxed…

June 22, 2026 · 4 min read

Trigger Warning: Revealing Photos (and harsh truths)

“Hello young people!” This was my grandfather’s greeting whenever he walked into any room. It makes sense. When you are in your late 90s, anyone else in…

June 15, 2026 · 7 min read

The two types of training EVERYBODY should be doing

Have you ever seen the show “Everybody Hates Chris”? I gotta be honest, I haven’t. Not sure how I’ve managed to miss it. It had plenty of seasons and I’m…

June 8, 2026 · 5 min read

Raise your standard

Little known fact but our current tagline (“We Take Training Seriously. We Do What Works.”) was not written by The Bard of The Barbell, The Scribe of The…

June 1, 2026 · 5 min read

Memorial Day

I was drinking a gin and tonic on The Frying Pan when I opened the message. Wait. For non-New Yorkers, that last sentence isn’t going to make much sense…

May 25, 2026 · 5 min read

The two-headed monster

The funny thing about knowing something is that it’s hard to imagine someone else not knowing it. Like I am certain that Beethoven just figured everyone…

May 18, 2026 · 5 min read

What dancing dried fruit taught me about training

I was strongly and unduly influenced by a gang of dancing, cartoon raisins. This was the 1980’s. There were only four television channels and nothing else…

May 11, 2026 · 7 min read

I feel bad for my ChatGPT

After I’m done writing them, I put all these blogs into ChatGPT. I actually have a huge project titled, creatively enough, “Blog Posts” with maybe my last…

May 4, 2026 · 7 min read

Sunlight on your butthole (or how to actually lose weight)

Whole Lotta Love by Led Zeppelin has the greatest guitar riff of all time. Buh-bah-buh-bah-bu-b-b-bu-b-b-bu,b-b-bu-b-b-bu…… It is so remarkably simple yet…

April 27, 2026 · 6 min read

What dropping 22 pounds did to my performance

This blog is not exactly what you call “niche”. I don’t speak directly and exclusively to Dungeons and Dragons Masters who are looking to add more trap…

April 20, 2026 · 5 min read

Most training advice doesn't matter (BUT THIS DOES!)

By the early 2000s it was already trendy to make fun of Hootie and The Blowfish. Just half a decade earlier they had sold roughly 3 trillion copies of…

April 13, 2026 · 6 min read

Why you never look the way you actually want

Are you aware of this community called FI/RE? No, it’s not a group for recreational arsonists. It’s also not a club for pre-teens who claim that…

April 6, 2026 · 5 min read

Can't be satisfied

You ever known a “that guy”. Let’s call him Eduardo. You’ve known Eduardo for a while. You guys both work on the same floor. You occasionally play…

March 30, 2026 · 5 min read

You are still paying for your first workouts

Long Island only has one sports team that we can truly call our own. Sure, when I was a little, little kid, Dr J. and the New York Nets called the Nassau…

March 23, 2026 · 4 min read

A long series of small endings

For years, I would sing the same three songs to my son before bed. While we were waiting for my wife to join us, I would start with “Midnight Lullaby” by…

March 16, 2026 · 3 min read

How much is too much?

When most people feel like they are at 100% they are actually at 40%. This line was my introduction to David Goggins. Goggins, if you are unaware, is a…

March 9, 2026 · 4 min read

Steal this story

My Uncle Isaac is not dead. I feel the need to start there because, often, when I tell a story about a family member, they have passed. But even though my…

March 2, 2026 · 4 min read

Pitch Perfect

I love the movie Pitch Perfect. Is that bad to admit? Are they going to revoke my meathead status or my eligibility for the official Barbell Hall Of Fame…

February 23, 2026 · 4 min read

The Bucket List

Top 3 items on my fantasy bucket list. Number one: I travel back in time where I visit Hollywood (or wherever it is they actually shoot television shows)…

February 16, 2026 · 6 min read

The Dead Zone

I’m not great at small talk. Sure, I can start there. The lady at the bus stop talks about the weather and the barista at the Starbucks talks about the…

February 9, 2026 · 3 min read

Groundhog's Day

We buried my grandfather on Groundhog’s Day. “Jesus Christ, Dan. You are just going right for it and starting with the dead grandparent in sentence…

February 2, 2026 · 4 min read

From pull to push

My wife is not going to enjoy this. While she is very supportive of my obsession with fitness, she prefers when these Monday morning blogs start with some…

January 26, 2026 · 5 min read

Dessert doesn't come first

When I was in high school I decided, for two weeks, that I wanted to be on the wrestling team. Wrestlers seemed tough. No one fucked with them. And they…

January 19, 2026 · 4 min read

Customization is killing you

In spite of the answer actually being in its name, we had no idea where California Strength actually was. It could very well have been in the Golden State…

January 12, 2026 · 4 min read

You did it!

Top 5 last lines in a movie as decided by yours truly. Number 5: Celine: “Baby, you’re gonna miss that plane.” Jesse: “I know.” Starting this one on a…

January 5, 2026 · 6 min read

2025

The 3 Greatest Moments In The History Of The Gym

The end of the year is great for three reasons. The first is the treats. The tray of lasagna that your Italian neighbor Margie serves during her holiday…

December 29, 2025 · 7 min read

What 6,982 phone calls have taught me about you

If you are getting this email, there is a decent chance we have spoken. Sure, some people might randomly sign up to get emails from a gym they have no…

December 22, 2025 · 5 min read

The return of jelly donuts

Every year, at noon on Thanksgiving Day, thousands of radio stations throughout the US, regardless of their typical format or broadcast schedule, stop…

December 15, 2025 · 5 min read

The 10 stages of weight loss

Thanksgiving has just passed and, boy, am I grateful. Between my family, my community, my gyms, my great City, my body that continues to perform, my…

December 8, 2025 · 7 min read

The last carnival

A new gym just opened up on our block. Honestly, I could have written that sentence in 2017. Or 2019. Or 2021, 2022 or 2023. But this isn’t a flashback…

December 1, 2025 · 7 min read

Look at your feet

I loved family trips when I was a kid. Maybe all kids love this, I don’t know. These trips always happened in the summer, and they weren’t extravagant…

November 24, 2025 · 3 min read

Where the light is

We arrived at the Grand Canyon just as the sun was setting. We had driven up from Phoenix but got a late start. We always get a late start. So now we made…

November 17, 2025 · 4 min read

Fitness wonderland

Sometimes I dream that it’s 1978 and I’m the only white guy at an Earth, Wind and Fire concert. I’m on the dance floor, grooving and when they break into…

November 10, 2025 · 3 min read

Instant Karma

Picture this. You are walking through a department store (yes, they still have those!) and you shuffle past a table taking donations in order to provide…

November 3, 2025 · 4 min read

10 lessons from 10 years (part 2)

Last week I shared with you the first five lessons I’ve learned from being in business for 10 years. For those of you who didn’t read it: * How dare you!…

October 27, 2025 · 6 min read

10 lessons from 10 years (part one)

You don’t need to perform a wellness check. Do not call my emergency contact. No need to reach out to the local hospitals. I’m absolutely fine. I realize…

October 20, 2025 · 7 min read

Revenge Of The Nerds

The 80s was an incredible time to be alive. Sure, it had its problems. We were taught to hide under our desks to combat the constant fear of nuclear war…

October 13, 2025 · 7 min read

Finally, armageddon

My time finally arrived. It happened without warning on the PATH train at the Newport stop. I took my phone out of my pocket to skip songs on my Billy…

October 6, 2025 · 5 min read

Go get 'em, tiger.

Best last lines in movie history according to the only opinion that counts, my own. “Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn!” This one is from (obviously)…

September 22, 2025 · 5 min read

New York or Nowhere

The neon window sign of the pawn shop contained exactly three words, all glowing in bright orange capital letters. Guns. Guitars. Ammo. I was there for…

September 15, 2025 · 5 min read

We are our only saviors

Perry was my supervisor at what I would consider the best job of my teenage life. A relatively serious, slightly eggheaded (I don’t mean that in the…

September 8, 2025 · 4 min read

The pot of gold

It’s often purple. Occasionally it’s blue. Every once in a while it’s red or green or even yellow. But when really pressed for an answer Henry will tell…

September 1, 2025 · 4 min read

Reason to believe

“You are a good man. You are a good man. You are what America is all about.” These are the words that introduced me to Frank Caprio, a judge from…

August 25, 2025 · 3 min read

Cuts like a knife

I had a gut feeling something was wrong. I was on an evening plane home from Florida with my Dad. We had gone down for the weekend to meet up with the…

August 18, 2025 · 4 min read

Sobbing at the CVS

I saw a woman crying in her car yesterday. I was heading to the CVS for a box of children’s Motrin, some shampoo and, perhaps, a family sized bag of…

August 11, 2025 · 3 min read

Be here now

Jeff couldn’t wait to go to Spain. We had been college roommates since freshman year. First in the dorms and then in a house with two other guys. Jeff and…

August 4, 2025 · 4 min read

No one asked for this shirtless photo

I just saw a guy wearing a battle vest on the subway. For those of you who are under 45 years old and haven’t seen Van Halen in concert no less than four…

July 28, 2025 · 5 min read

Finally, a breather

Give me a break. Give me a break. Break me off a piece of that Kit-Kat bar. It’s been a lot. It’s been a lot lately. I’ve been a lot lately. Between…

July 21, 2025 · 5 min read

The Crossing Guard

When I was a kid, there was a crossing guard on my walk to school. Ms. T was her name, though I never figured out what the 'T' stood for. Probably…

July 14, 2025 · 4 min read

One step up

I just got back from a run. I mean just got back. My sneakers are still laced up, bandana is still tied around my head, sweat is dripping off my nose onto…

July 7, 2025 · 4 min read

The Grocery Store Principle

I nearly got into a fight recently. Like a legitimate fist fight. To be fair, I’m using the term “recently” loosely here. It was right around…

June 30, 2025 · 5 min read

Nothing But The Wheel

This may be hard for you young people out there to believe this, but there was a time in this country when being a truck driver was considered super cool…

June 23, 2025 · 3 min read

The lights come up

I didn’t know what to expect. It was just after the peak of COVID, and Henry was still attending classes remotely. We had finally secured his placement in…

June 16, 2025 · 3 min read

The sweat bank

“Hard.” “It was hard.” “Fucking brutal.” “That was hard.” “Worse than I thought.” I competed in HYROX last weekend — a global fitness race that’s part…

June 9, 2025 · 3 min read

The weight we keep

I kept my fat jeans for years. YEARS. They sat in a green zip up bin atop a wardrobe in our bedroom. For those of you who are new here or perhaps haven’t…

June 2, 2025 · 3 min read

A terrible sense of time

I just left the hospital five minutes ago. My wife, Mom, and son were in the lobby waiting for me. I went to get the car so I could drive us all home…

May 26, 2025 · 3 min read

Carbon fiber and cutting corners

A few weeks ago, I went with a friend to a high-end bike shop. He was buying his first real bike — not the $400 one you lock up outside your apartment…

May 19, 2025 · 3 min read

Why Nebraska still wins

Can a Greatest Hits album ever really be considered a band’s best album? Is “Unplugged In New York” better than “Nevermind”? Is that billion-selling…

May 12, 2025 · 3 min read

The one training outcome that actually predicts success

Do you know the names of the last five movies to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards? I certainly did not. Between running a business, my own training…

May 5, 2025 · 6 min read

Shortcutting Success: Mentorship, Meatheads and Marie Callendar

Have I ever told you the Don Pardo story? What? You don’t have instant recall of all my Monday blog posts (there have been over 200, BTW) the same way a…

April 28, 2025 · 5 min read

A cure for lonliness

In honor of the trailer being released for Happy Gilmore 2, here are the top 5 Adam Sandler comedies according to yours truly. 5: Billy Madison. This is…

April 21, 2025 · 5 min read

Leap of Faith

Fred was fucked. He needed $24,000 to keep his company going and he needed it fast. Problem was, he only had $5000 left in his bank account. Everyone told…

April 14, 2025 · 4 min read

Punching Down

There is a technique in comedy called “punching up”. This refers to a person or a group making fun of a person or group who is currently or historically…

April 7, 2025 · 4 min read

The network effect

As Tabby (strange name, I know) put her two young children down for an afternoon nap in her double-wide trailer in rural New England, she decided to take…

March 31, 2025 · 5 min read

Do what you say

There’s a real pressure in being named Dan. Because if you are “Dan” you are also, ultimately and unquestionably, going to be referred to as “Dan The…

March 24, 2025 · 4 min read

One bite. Everyone knows the rules.

I’ll be honest. I don’t know much about Dave Portnoy. But here’s what I do know. He’s a polarizing character because he comes across as an asshole from…

March 17, 2025 · 5 min read

Tony's Mom

My client Tony had secured a windfall. He invested in some real estate in a resort town on Long Island and, by the magic of the market, he managed to make…

March 10, 2025 · 4 min read

Heaven is whenever (we can get together)

“Dad, what are you doing here already?” It was 6:20AM when my Dad found his Dad (my grandfather) sitting in his car in the otherwise empty parking lot of…

March 3, 2025 · 4 min read

Is this holding us all back!?!?

I recently celebrated my 20th anniversary. No, it’s not my wedding anniversary. Or my 20th year of training. Or 20 years of playing guitar. I’ve actually…

February 24, 2025 · 6 min read

The experience spectrum

I was not a good basketball player. I was by no means terrible, but I wasn’t what you would categorize as good. Which was a shame because when I was a…

February 17, 2025 · 7 min read

Return of the king

I couldn’t wait for the credits of “The Lord of the Rings” to start rolling. It was either that or the fact that my computer auto-corrected “Inigo…

February 10, 2025 · 7 min read

The fitness fast lane

“What if I told you insane was working a 50-hour week for 50 years, at the end of which they tell you to piss off. Ending up in some retirement village…

February 3, 2025 · 6 min read

The truth about transformations

“There is no better marketing tool in the fitness industry than a good transformation photo.” This was the first (and potentially only?!?) thing I learned…

January 27, 2025 · 8 min read

I don't like peanut butter

I don’t like peanut butter. There, I said it. At the risk of being ridiculed by the entire training community - and barely a month after confessing that I…

January 20, 2025 · 7 min read

Business is fitness

I’m about to do something I shouldn’t do. In fact, I recommend you just cut this short and turn off your phone. Shut the laptop. Go for a walk. You can’t…

January 13, 2025 · 4 min read

Debbie Downer

Here are the Top 5 greatest Saturday Night Live skits according to yours truly. Number 5: “What’s Up With That”. Given that Keenan Thompson has been on…

January 6, 2025 · 6 min read

2024

The biggest fear

I loved going to amusement parks as a kid. We’d wait all year for those two or three Summer days when my Dad would take off work and we’d go to Great…

December 30, 2024 · 4 min read

Not all for you

Do you remember the band Sister Hazel? Nineties feel-good rockers Sister Hazel? Let me jog your memory. They have two songs: “All For You” and not All For…

December 23, 2024 · 5 min read

Jelly donuts

Hanukkah is not a major religious holiday. It mainly gets hyped as a way for us Jewish kids to have our own thing during the Christmas season. And boy did…

December 16, 2024 · 3 min read

The Wonders

My favorite Tom Hanks movie of all-time is Castaway. If you’ve met me in person or have read three of these blogs in the past, the reasons should be…

December 9, 2024 · 3 min read

A different perspective

My hand shot up immediately. Which probably shocked no one more than me. But I could see that it took my first grade teacher, Ms. McLean, by surprise as…

December 2, 2024 · 6 min read

Time to shine

Have you ever seen the movie “Twins”? It’s the one starring Arnold Schwarznegger and Danny Devito (who turned 80 last week) and marked Arnold’s first…

November 25, 2024 · 5 min read

Rite of passage

I’m not from Philadelphia. I’d certainly never put Cheez Whiz (blech!) on a steak sandwich. I’ve never truly been punched in the face. I’m not remotely…

November 18, 2024 · 4 min read

The Turkey Trot

Top 5 holiday movies of all-time according to yours truly. Number 5: A Christmas Story. I actually don’t think this movie is particularly good. But it is…

November 11, 2024 · 4 min read

Two dozen

It was late October and the weather had just turned cold. After a few weeks of warmer than usual temperatures, the Fall had caught up with us. So we…

November 4, 2024 · 6 min read

I can't be satisfied

On occasion I will wear my Howlin’ Wolf t-shirt. It’s designed in the style of the famous Obama “Hope” poster. With that very graphic blue and red…

October 28, 2024 · 6 min read

Same Auld Lang Syne

I’m honestly not sure how it started, but I have two very distinct memories. The first was a small piece of graph paper with a meticulous outline drawn in…

October 21, 2024 · 4 min read

A case for the Mondays

“She doesn’t get eaten by the eels at this time?” “What?” “The eel doesn’t get her. I’m explaining it to you cause you look nervous.” “I wasn’t…

October 14, 2024 · 6 min read

Do you even lift?

Do you need to look like you workout or even workout at all to be a good trainer? This question - or some form of it - seems to gain traction on the…

October 7, 2024 · 3 min read

The dress rehersal

We were slowly turning into robots. At least that was the complaint. It was the ninth time we had rehearsed the ninety-minute long presentation and the…

September 30, 2024 · 4 min read

Long train running

I earned the job of being a Dad later than most. Not quite Al-Pacino-having-kids-at-80 late, but my son was born two weeks before my 40th birthday. This…

September 23, 2024 · 6 min read

Stealing home

I don’t know what made me think I could steal home. There I was, standing on third base. Eleven years old. Valley Stream Little League. Representing K&K…

September 16, 2024 · 5 min read

Whoopsie Daisy

You know, every once and a while, you make a mistake. You miss a typo. You get a fact wrong. You misread a study. And, occasionally, you hit the send…

September 9, 2024 · 6 min read

The spy who loved me

Is there a cooler movie hero than James Bond? I mean, sure, Superman can fly and Rocky always overcomes the odds. But Bond has the coolest cars, the…

September 8, 2024 · 5 min read

What Joe Walsh taught me about precision

Nearly a year ago, for her birthday and at her request, I took my wife to see The Eagles. Now, I grew up on classic rock radio so I’ve heard the same…

September 2, 2024 · 5 min read

The most impressive thing about my transformation

Have you ever seen the show Ink Master? I’m not even sure if it’s on anymore but I loved it. It’s got art and tattoos and contrived reality show drama and…

August 26, 2024 · 7 min read

The shadow side of the mountain

Raise your hand if you are slightly depressed that the Olympics are over. Same here. Technically I was alive for the 1976 games in Montreal but I was too…

August 19, 2024 · 5 min read

The optimization trap

Top 5 movies that should have had a sequel (but didn’t) according to yours truly. Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story. Kate, Joyce and Peter all happily live…

August 12, 2024 · 5 min read

The more you know

Are public service announcements on television still a thing? When I was a kid, you couldn’t avoid them. On Saturday mornings they would come in the form…

August 5, 2024 · 4 min read

A heartbreaking work of staggering genius

I’ve been thinking about this all week. I wanted to write something epic. Something resonant. The “Born To Run” of blog posts. The “Pulp Fiction” of…

July 29, 2024 · 3 min read

Some Emily Dickinson bullshit

My 12 year-old self wouldn’t believe it. If I could go back in time and tell him that he’d grow up and sit, one-on-one, with the Editor In Chief of Marvel…

July 22, 2024 · 4 min read

Keep your fish tank clean

Let me give you my four earliest core memories, in no particular order: These all take place in my first home, a two-bedroom rental in Flushing, Queens…

July 15, 2024 · 6 min read

Hooray! I've changed my mind.

We watched E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial this weekend. My wife and I wanted to show it to our 12 year old son and we, ourselves, hadn’t seen the movie in…

July 8, 2024 · 7 min read

The little lies we tell ourselves

We took our son home to the tiny 500 square foot apartment that was already a bit cramped for two people plus a dog and was most certainly going to be…

July 1, 2024 · 3 min read

Unquestionably the greatest training advice of all time

Here are the Top 5 John Hughes movies of all time according to a qualified expert, me. What makes me the right person for this job? Well, I am a…

June 24, 2024 · 5 min read

I'm not running anymore

It was the third time that Jenna popped up on my calendar. The first time we had a call scheduled for early January (a famously busy time in the gym…

June 17, 2024 · 3 min read

Happy birthday to me

I just finished writing my birthday post. It was my birthday yesterday for those of you keeping track. It was all about how I think the algorithm -…

June 10, 2024 · 4 min read

How many sessions is the RIGHT number of sessions?

I am about to shatter all your hopes and dreams. And perhaps my own in the process. I’m probably just being dramatic. Like a teenager lying atop of their…

June 3, 2024 · 6 min read

The $10,000 phrase that pays

It was a beautiful Friday evening in late June. The sun reflected off a neighboring building on 2nd avenue and bathed my boss’ office in a beautiful red…

May 27, 2024 · 6 min read

Keep your sails open

KT Tunstall is a Scottish-born singer-songwriter and I’m going to say there is a better than 50% chance that you don’t recognize her name. Tunstall had a…

May 20, 2024 · 3 min read

Wonder bread, con jobs and a new hope

I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before but I come from a family of immigrants. This felt challenging when I was a kid as all I wanted to do was fit in and…

May 13, 2024 · 4 min read

You're getting this wrong, two

In the 1970’s, the “concept album” was most definitely a trend. Rather than just place a bunch of singles and fillers on an album as they did in 50’s and…

May 6, 2024 · 6 min read

You're getting this wrong

I was on Reddit recently (a shock to no one) and I came across a thread that asked “what movie have you watched over and over again”. Top of the list was…

April 29, 2024 · 5 min read

Should you listen to influencers?

The box containing the 1982 Cal Ripken Jr. rookie card was marked at $200. Quite honestly it might have been $100. I don’t remember. But, either way, it…

April 22, 2024 · 5 min read

The greatest movie training montage EVER!

Have you ever seen the movie “Jiro Dreams of Sushi”? It’s a documentary that came out, I don’t know, 10 years ago. Maybe it was 15. After that “Toomer’s…

April 15, 2024 · 4 min read

How not to be an asshole

Have I ever told you about my first job interview? I’ve been doing this for long enough (or perhaps I’ve just gotten old enough) that I can’t remember…

April 8, 2024 · 5 min read

Toomer's Corner

Toomer’s Corner marks an intersection at the northern border between the campus at Auburn University and the town of Auburn, Alabama. Named after a drug…

April 1, 2024 · 3 min read

My least favorite exercises

When I was a teenager, you couldn’t escape Boys II Men on the radio. For those of you too young for any of this, Boys II Men were a vocally-driven R&B…

March 25, 2024 · 7 min read

The 8 most important words in fitness

It won’t surprise you to hear this but I am the resident wordsmith around here. Any blog post, newsletter, email announcement, internal company document…

March 18, 2024 · 5 min read

The worst thing about CrossFit

I feel the need to say this right off the bat. Before I get to the requisite self-deprecating humor, Taylor Swift references, stories from my high school…

March 11, 2024 · 5 min read

People are always asking me this question

“Do you ever worry you won’t have something to write about?” It might surprise you - as it does me - that this is the most frequent question I get asked…

March 4, 2024 · 5 min read

The next Bette Midler

We were all convinced that Irene was going to end up on Broadway. The students knew it. The teachers knew it. The parents knew it. And sitting in the high…

February 26, 2024 · 4 min read

I'm 99% in.

“I’m 99% in.” “I’m going to do it, I just need the day to think about it.” “I’m definitely committed, I just want to check my schedule for a start date…

February 19, 2024 · 6 min read

Am I the asshole

Are you familiar with Am I The Asshole? No, this isn’t a bygone drinking game from your college days nor the title of an unreleased 2015 Justin Bieber EP…

February 12, 2024 · 8 min read

The crush list

Imagine you had access to a list of everyone who ever had a crush on you. Would you want to see the list? I think most people would get curious and say…

February 5, 2024 · 7 min read

Pawn shop fitness

Do you like the show “Pawn Stars”? That’s a dumb question. Of course you like “Pawn Stars”. It’s currently in its 4000th season and is one of the all-time…

January 29, 2024 · 6 min read

I f*%ked up.

I messed up. Perhaps you noticed. I got distracted juggling a text message, my calendar and thirteen open Reddit tabs and rather than scheduling my latest…

January 22, 2024 · 4 min read

This 15 minute video taught me a lot.

I just finished watching a 15 minute chess video on YouTube. The title of this video is “My Grandmaster Mom Played Chess Hustlers In Union Square”. How…

January 19, 2024 · 4 min read

Was this the biggest mistake of my career?

I’m guessing many of you don’t know this, but I wrote a book. Actually, I’ve written two books. The second of which is called “Bad Ass Arms” which is, as…

January 15, 2024 · 5 min read

Weirdos at the WeWork

WeWorks in NYC are strange places. There are a disproportionate amount of good looking people and none of them actually seem to be getting any work done…

January 8, 2024 · 5 min read

The power of the "Squad"

Yesterday I told you all about my experience taking on a running program led by my friend and colleague Jess Movold and how she got me past my fear, mild…

January 2, 2024 · 3 min read

I did a thing: running

Back when I was a personal trainer and came up with the remarkably creative name of “Trink Fitness” for my business, I gave all of my clients a black…

January 1, 2024 · 5 min read

2023

What Clark Griswold taught me about the training paradox

My top 5 Christmas movies in reverse order. Number 5: It’s a Wonderful Life While this choice seems like it would be pandering to movie elitists or, at…

December 25, 2023 · 5 min read

I did a thing: bloodwork

As a lifelong New Yorker, I never aspire to spend my time in midtown. But this time of year, the desire is even less. Between the extra traffic, the…

December 18, 2023 · 4 min read

The high price of sunken costs

Contrary to the takeaway from previous posts, getting older isn’t entirely bad. First off, I can remember when music was actually good. (My deepest…

December 11, 2023 · 5 min read

It must be exhausting

It’s me. Hi. I’m the problem, it’s me. I’ve broken the first rule of blogging. Actually, I’m not sure there are any rules regarding blogging. It would be…

December 4, 2023 · 4 min read

Three coins in the fountain of youth

I was sitting across the table from our latest prospect when he finally opened up and confessed. “Dan, I’m getting older. I feel like the shape I want to…

November 27, 2023 · 5 min read

I got 2 trainers to wear 40lb weight vests for 30 days

If I were truly trying to serve humanity, this post would be about the proper way to ride the subway (yes, there is a proper way!). But rather I’m going…

November 20, 2023 · 5 min read

I took that personal

I recently did a deep dive into the origins of the phrase “it’s not personal, it’s just business”. Of course, my first thought was it has something to do…

November 13, 2023 · 3 min read

Life, death, leather jackets and my favorite Friends episodes

Here are my top three favorite Friends episodes, in reverse order. Number 3. “The One Where No One’s Ready” This is the episode in which Ross is getting…

November 6, 2023 · 4 min read

Clearly I don't like Bad Bunny

At the risk of sounding uncool, I don’t understand Bad Bunny. And by “don’t understand” I don’t mean in the “I failed 8th grade Spanish” sense. I mean, I…

October 30, 2023 · 6 min read

The best advice I can give you

Everyone was truly surprised when Joni Mitchell showed up at the Newport Folk. She hadn’t performed in quite some time and there were plenty of rumors…

October 23, 2023 · 4 min read

This nearly put us out of business

When you call a major fitness equipment company on the Friday afternoon of Christmas weekend you aren’t exactly expecting the CEO to pick up the phone…

October 16, 2023 · 6 min read

You're training too much (yes, you!)

Not gonna lie (or NGL as the young people say), I was worried that last week’s post was way too long. Honestly, I’m not so sure why I’m constantly worried…

October 9, 2023 · 6 min read

This is what got me to quit advertising

Long before I could bore you to death with detailed discussions on topics such as maximal recoverable volume or sliding filament theory or other lively…

October 2, 2023 · 8 min read

Praying For Red Lights

Normally I save the scienc-y shit for Thursdays. I’m sure if you’ve gotten the emails. And if you are like my wife and my mom, you quickly delete them and…

September 25, 2023 · 4 min read

Ace Pump Co.

Considering it was only on the 8th floor in the middle of New York City, the windows at Peak Performance - the gym Kyle and I worked at prior to opening…

September 18, 2023 · 4 min read

The Thing That People "Don't Buy"

“Strange game. The only winning move is not to play.” If you are a dyed-in-the-wool Gen X’er such as myself, you are certainly familiar with the Matthew…

September 11, 2023 · 4 min read

I Found Success With This One Trait

I know two gym owners. Actually I know many gym owners but this story is about two of them. You get what I’m saying. One is named John and the other is…

September 4, 2023 · 4 min read

I Did A Thing: CrossFit/HIIT

As I mentioned last week, I recently went on vacation. And while it felt lovely to crawl out of the basement, spend time with my family and continue our…

August 28, 2023 · 8 min read

The Trump Card Redux

I just got back from vacation. I realize this sounds lovely but as someone who thrives on routine, vacations can actually be a real challenge for me. That…

August 21, 2023 · 4 min read

Go Team Go

Not everyone is rooting for you. A tough way to start a blog, I know. But I figured I’d just rip the Band-Aid off here and deliver the bad news. It’s not…

August 14, 2023 · 3 min read

Achieve Any Goal With Three Simple Words

You’ve got to hand it to me on this one. The title of this post is just straight up clickbait material. If this were a YouTube video the thumbnail would…

August 7, 2023 · 5 min read

BK

I did not receive pre-approval prior to writing this. I didn’t even ask. I didn’t want to risk not being able to share his story. And given that he - like…

July 31, 2023 · 4 min read

It Ain't No Sin To Be Glad You're Alive

“I tend to be not my own best company. I can get a little lost if I don't have my work to occasionally focus me.” I’ve talked before on the blog about how…

July 24, 2023 · 4 min read

The Central Park Climb

One could argue that the greatest Rocky movie is Rocky III. You have a world-class villain in Clubber Lang played beautifully by Mr. T. (Prediction…

July 17, 2023 · 4 min read

1000 Burpees For Time

4 hours. 18 minutes. 56 seconds. This is how long it took Diane (not her real name) to complete the Sunday workout. 1000 burpees for time. This was in the…

July 10, 2023 · 3 min read

Fear and Loathing In Big Lifts

I feel the need to apologize in advance. This blog post is going to refer to some things in the past that 99% of you under the age of 40 are going to have…

July 3, 2023 · 5 min read

What Bradley Cooper Taught Me About Helping Others

Have I told you about the two times I met Bradley Cooper? The first was at an Equinox on the 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica. This was when I still…

June 26, 2023 · 5 min read

I Did A Thing: Hyrox

Last week, I told you about my son’s birthday party and how, looking at the crowds of people, I was concerned that my contemporaries haven’t put enough…

June 19, 2023 · 4 min read

A Pirate Looks At 51

We just finished up celebrating my son’s 11th birthday and we went big this year. It was a weekend filled with fun and family at the Pocono’s largest…

June 12, 2023 · 4 min read

How To Become Unbeatable

When I was a kid there was a popular newspaper called USA Today. I’m sure some of you remember it. What made the USA Today unique was three things. The…

June 5, 2023 · 4 min read

The 85% Club

I have a theory that pretty much anybody can be 85% good at something. This may be easiest to explain in an example. Let’s accept that Slash from…

May 29, 2023 · 5 min read

Head Down. Eyes Forward.

I remember exactly two concepts from my college Rhetoric class. The first is primacy versus recency which states that some people will believe the first…

May 22, 2023 · 3 min read

Incredibly Inconvenient and Impossible To Ignore

Fun fact about me: I attended the very first WrestleMania. My Dad, brother and I were all wrestling fanatics. And our time obsessing about the squared…

May 15, 2023 · 4 min read

Thinking Out Loud

I’m not sure if you are aware but there’s a pretty big legal trial going on right now. No, not that one. This one is between red-headed acoustic hitmaker…

May 8, 2023 · 3 min read

The Under Appreciated Act Of Self Improvement

Being fat and going bald when you are 26 years old sucks. I speak from first hand experience. I had a decent job. A good relationship with my family. My…

May 1, 2023 · 3 min read

An Audience Of None

Show of hands, how many of you have heard of Yngwie Malmsteen? Ok, I see 3, maybe 4 of you in the back. I’d bet that very few of you even know the proper…

April 24, 2023 · 4 min read

What To Expect When You're Expecting

Lots of people in our community are having babies or just had a baby. It’s pretty exciting. For the record, I love babies. Probably because we have a lot…

April 17, 2023 · 5 min read

How To Get Un-Bored

When I first saw Joshua Redman he was only 26 years old but had already won the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition and was pegged as…

April 10, 2023 · 6 min read

We Miss You

I’ve been thinking about Xzybit. You remember Xzybit. He’s the rapper that hosted MTV’s “Pimp My Ride” back in the late 90s-early 2ks. I wonder what he’s…

April 3, 2023 · 3 min read

Penny's Assessment

Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway played basketball for 14 seasons in the NBA, making the All-Star team 4 times and the All-NBA first team twice. He was a…

March 27, 2023 · 3 min read

The Slap

I’d like to start by thanking DJAceBoogie404, without whom this blog would not be possible. You see, I was searching YouTube for footage of Chris Rock’s…

March 20, 2023 · 3 min read

The Long Distance Call

There I was, deadlifting 201kg (a little under 450lbs for you Americanos) for six reps with less than 4 minutes of warm-up. This is not typical. This was…

March 13, 2023 · 4 min read

Dave

You may not think, in a city of approximately 9 million people, that finding someone to teach you acoustic Delta-style blues guitar made popular in…

March 6, 2023 · 6 min read

Death Or Iced Tea

I was just a few seconds away from getting punched in the face by a homeless man. Or maybe stabbed. I wasn’t sure which, but as I approached the guy I was…

February 27, 2023 · 4 min read

All Supplements Work

The first supplement I ever took was something called Conjugated Linoleic Acid, better known as ‘CLA’. This is before I ever stepped foot into a gym. I…

February 20, 2023 · 6 min read

The Old Man Music Club

The texts usually start rolling in about 6AM. “The bass line in Thelma Houston’s ‘Don’t Leave Me This Way’.....outrageous!” “In light of Christine McVies…

February 13, 2023 · 3 min read

Assigned Tension

Yuja Wang is a 35 year old pianist from China. She started playing piano at 6 years old and by 21 she was already an internationally acclaimed musician…

February 6, 2023 · 5 min read

Writing On God

When I was in the 2nd grade I created quite the stir at Clearstream Avenue Elementary when I proposed, in an assigned essay asking us our thoughts on God…

January 30, 2023 · 6 min read

A Case Against Reason

Roughly five years ago, the fitness industry was abuzz with the prospective release of a new meal replacement product called Soylent. The new Soylent -…

January 23, 2023 · 4 min read

The Same Auld Lang Syne

It’s that time of the year again in the fitness industry. Nope, I’m not talking about New Year’s resolutioners. At least not directly. Rather, I’m talking…

January 16, 2023 · 3 min read

The Teflon Dan

I stopped sleeping. The ‘no’s’ had gotten to me. As the expenses and pressure and the amount of people relying on me grew, my ability to handle it all…

January 9, 2023 · 4 min read

The Most Magical Place On Earth

As I mentioned last week, I went on vacation. Not only did I go on vacation, I went to Disney World. During their busiest week of the year. Yowza. I’m…

January 2, 2023 · 5 min read

2022

Yam Dancers and The Power of Process

I'm about to do something I almost never do. Most people love it and the very word has become synonymous with enjoyment. But, honestly, it makes me a bit…

December 26, 2022 · 4 min read

Graduation Day

I’m about to break an unwritten rule. I’m sending out two blog posts in a row that deal with a high school memory. This is like the equivalent of putting…

December 19, 2022 · 4 min read

Mrs. Living Dead

Mrs. Living Dead That was what we called our frequent 8th grade substitute Spanish teacher. Real name: Mrs. Livingston. It was that combination of silly…

December 12, 2022 · 5 min read

The Cult

Those of you outside the hardcore, meathead bubble may or may not have heard of The Liver King. While “The Liver King” may sound like the title of a movie…

December 5, 2022 · 5 min read

The Advent Calendar

Growing up as one of the only Jewish families in a very non-Jewish neighborhood can lead one to be very protective of their culture. Particularly if said…

November 28, 2022 · 4 min read

Come At Me, Bro.

Well, I’ve done it again. I’ve managed to piss people off. This happens about twice per year when something I write, post, tweet or say rubs a person or a…

November 21, 2022 · 4 min read

The Huberman Effect

Walking out of the subway on 72nd Street and seeing Dr. Andrew Huberman’s face on the marquee of The Beacon Theater was shocking. I’m not sure why I was…

November 14, 2022 · 4 min read

Play Big

It’s amazing to me the willingness people have to diagnose themselves with serious mental health disorders. No one walks around claiming they have…

November 7, 2022 · 5 min read

Weekly Insights · 2021–2023