Beneath the Skin
Issues & Ideas in Fitness by Josh Brandt, CPT

Latest

Apr
29
Fitness Myth Busters (Volume One)

Fitness Myth Busters (Volume One)

There's a dimly lit corner of the Internet that's musky and reeks of sweat. Its denizens
6 min read
Apr
15
How Much Weight Should You Lift as You Age?

How Much Weight Should You Lift as You Age?

My longtime friend and client Phil Clevenger came to fitness later in life. Phil has always been data driven, whether
4 min read
Mar
25
Three Obvious Signs of Physical Decline — and What to Do About It.

Three Obvious Signs of Physical Decline — and What to Do About It.

There are many obvious benchmarks of fitness. The ability to run a marathon, for example. Or cranking out a set
5 min read
Mar
11
From the Vault: Exercise and the "D" Word.

From the Vault: Exercise and the "D" Word.

Winter is waning. Though hope is eternal in Spring, we live in fraught times. So, I thought this would be
4 min read
Feb
25
The Hard-Bodied Progeny of P.T. Barnum.

The Hard-Bodied Progeny of P.T. Barnum.

Love him or loathe him, legendary showman P.T. Barnum was a singular character in American history. He tapped into
4 min read
Feb
11
The Swedish Study and the Legend of Grandfather Heat.

The Swedish Study and the Legend of Grandfather Heat.

Many years ago, at the dawn of my fitness career, I was approached by an individual with an unusual request.
4 min read
Jan
27
Building the Perfect Fitness Table.

Building the Perfect Fitness Table.

How do we define "fitness?" Is it how we feel? How we look? Perhaps we can go by
6 min read
Jan
07
How to Stick to Your New Year's Resolutions.

How to Stick to Your New Year's Resolutions.

It's that time of the year again. The holiday ornaments have come down and the pounds have gone
4 min read
Dec
16
An Ode to Underappreciated Strength.

An Ode to Underappreciated Strength.

Today, I'd like to talk about strength. Not about the type of strength involved in a max bench
3 min read
Dec
10
In Praise of Unheralded Muscles: The Transverse Abdominis.

In Praise of Unheralded Muscles: The Transverse Abdominis.

In almost two decades as a personal trainer, I've come to think of the human body as a
4 min read