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(571) 520-4470 Hours 21620 RIDGETOP CIRCLE STE 150, STERLING, VA 20166
(571) 520-4470 Hours 21620 RIDGETOP CIRCLE STE 150, STERLING, VA 20166

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Screw accountability…

This past week kicked off our second annual March for Gold Spring Fitness Challenge! https://www.instagram.com/p/B8zCEBZnNim/ … and a magical thing happens for many-a-member throughout this challenge: They go from struggling to get to the gym 2-3 times per week on a consistent basis, to crushing upwards of 4-6 sessions every week for the entire month....
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Chris Merritt, founder of BSP NOVA describing to how create change that feels good

Change that feels… GOOD!

We’ve all heard it before—likely even said it before: Change is hard! But but today I want to share a different approach with you.   Change that feels… GOOD! 😃   If you’re feeling overwhelmed with accomplishing your health and fitness goals—feeling like it’s an either/or between yourself and work… We can help… We’d love...
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Why is hiring a personal fitness trainer so dang expensive?

Why Are Personal Fitness Trainers So Expensive?

A lot of people are hiring personal fitness trainers these days. Having a personal trainer is a great solution when you really aren’t sure what to do in the gym, you’ve tried different types of exercise that didn’t work for you or that you couldn’t stick with, and when you want a program that’s just...
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How will you feel in 10?

How will you feel in 10?

Be honest with yourself… Are your current, consistent actions taking you closer to or further from the person you want to become? We’ve likely all heard the saying that you should think of “future you” as you go about making decisions and directing actions.  But that’s kind of hard to do in the moment, right?...
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woman holding a plank exercise

Does A Weak Core Cause Back Pain?

Does a morning like the following sound familiar to you? It’s early when you hear the familiar buzzing of your alarm clock—and there it is again, back pain. From the moment your day starts, lower back pain is there; it hurts to play with your kids, sit at your desk, even tie your shoes, and...
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Chris Merritt, owner of Beyond Strength Performance in Sterling, Virginia talking about how to prioritize yourself

How to Prioritize Yourself

Struggling to prioritize… YOURSELF? You’re not alone! Here’s a 9 minute video with a simple tool that might just change everything…     One thing I meant to point out in the video, but forgot, is that a little bit every day adds up… both for the good and bad. 5 minutes of Instagram and...
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woman squatting with a barbell

How Often Should Your Change Your Workouts?

“ ‘Variety is the spice of life.’ But notice it does not say, ‘variety is the entrée of life.’ ” -Chip and Dan Heath   In the fitness world there is an emphasis placed on change, that is, changing up exercises; changing up sets and reps; or changing up entire workouts. Variation in fitness is...
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learn when and what to quit

Learn to Quit

Scream really loud if you’ve heard this quote: “Winners never quit, and quitters never win.” If that doesn’t get you screeching, how about this one: “Once you learn to quit, it becomes a habit.” Both are quotes by Vince Lombardi. So why do I bring up some old football coach who passed away in 1970?...
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JLo, Shakira, and Big, Big Dreams

According to last night’s Superbowl halftime show, 43 & 50 are the new… what… 30?!? Jess (my wife, for those that don’t know) and I were talking, and of course it could be easy to dismiss JLo and Shakira as having access to the best nutritionists, doctors, drugs (?), etc… and THAT’S why they look...
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One Trick To Instantly Improve Your Squat

Most people grasp the main technique points of squatting rather quickly. That is, they initiate a squat by reaching their hips back slightly, “spread the floor apart” on the way down, and “drive the ground away” to stand back up; there are other technique points of course, but those are the big ones. Sometimes though,...
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rob deadlifting at bsp nova located at 21620 ridgetop circle in sterling, va while training with a full-body routine

What’s Best: Full-Body Routine or Body-Part Routine?

A few weeks ago, I had someone ask me why their program was written as a full-body routine, instead of a body-part routine. This client had experience with strength training, but in the form of body part splits, so it was a fair question to ask.   Before we get into the nitty-gritty details of...
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The Three Levels of Sane and Sensible Dieting

When it comes to dieting, one size does not fit all, but there are some universal principles that do… And while I won’t be going into the details of ALL those principles in today’s post, I do want you to understand that there are levels to sane and sensible dieting. Level 1: Hand-based portions Level...
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how to make this year, your best year

How to Make This Year, A Great Year

“The most practical way to change who you are is to change what you do.” -James Clear The start of a new year can be a time of change and opportunity; a time to improve your life—be that your health, your career, or your relationships. For some, it’s a time to get back to the...
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deadlift

Is the Deadlift Bad For Your Back?

When someone says the word “deadlift” to you, what do you picture? Think about it for a second. Maybe this? While the above picture is indeed a deadlift, it’s not the only variation. That image is also what people think of when they hear the myth that deadlifts are bad for your back. It’s a...
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change

Have you changed?

I want you to think back to December 16th, 2009… 10 years ago today! Okay, maybe you can’t remember exactly what you did on that day, but your Facebook timeline may be able to ring a bell.   If you’re on your computer, just go to your page and start scrolling to get that selector...
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woman trying to make a mindset shift

Do You Have to Do This?

Is your morning anything like this? The sun is still down when you wake to the hum of your alarm. You get up, wash your face, go to the bathroom, maybe write down three things you’re grateful for, and eat breakfast. Floating in your head this whole time though, are all of the things you...
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Hey, can you breathe through your nose?

During a recent dinner with Dr. Nate Crain, Nate asked if I was familiar with Patrick McKeown’s work on nasal breathing—specifically his book, “The Oxygen Advantage“. Anyone that knows me knows I read… a lot! And yet, I had to say no.  Not just no to having read it, but no to having even heard...
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Squatting with a Barbell? Start here…

Regardless of whether you’ve squatted with a barbell thousands of times, or haven’t done it a single time, this blog will give you some helpful tips for squatting with a barbell. Squatting with a barbell may seem intimidating to learn if you have no experience, but it doesn’t have to be. While there are things...
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a better night's sleep

Do THIS if you want a better night’s sleep

My wife likes to talk when we get in bed… Problem is, I’m usually asleep within minutes of my head hitting the pillow. She even accuses me of “acting” like I’m asleep! “Oh stop, it’s not possible to fall asleep that fast!“, she’ll say… But I really do. [a screenshot from my Oura Ring app...
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food shame vs guilt

Shame: Ignoring It Won’t Make It Go Away

“Guilt is just as powerful, but its influence is positive, while shame’s is destructive. Shame erodes our courage and fuels disengagement.” -Brene Brown When it comes to topics like shame and guilt, we don’t like to talk about them. But why is that? We act as though avoidance will make them disappear, but it won’t....
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Are we killing ourselves to live?

Killing Ourselves to Live

“People are, ‘behaving themselves to death.”’ – Dr. Edward Deci All of us, each and every day, engage in behaviors of all kinds. Some of these behaviors are good—they enhance our lives—while some of them are bad, and they negatively influence our lives. While not all of these behaviors have serious consequences, at least not...
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we want you to enjoy your food this holiday season

Thanksgiving Nutrition Advice

If you thought we were going to provide you with “clean” recipes for Thanksgiving, or tell you to avoid “bad” foods… YOU’RE WRONG. On the contrary, we want you to enjoy whatever you’d like to eat for Thanksgiving. Here’s the deal. Thanksgiving isn’t going to make or break your goals. In fact, neither will Christmas,...
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lebveling up our goals

Are your goals driving you to act, or are they just a nice idea?

“Goals convert vision into energy.” – Dave Ramsey I was reading Dave Ramsey’s book, EntreLeadership this morning and it got me thinking about a really common mistake we’ve seen people make in the 8+ years BSP NOVA has existed: setting the wrong type of goals. Now, now, before you go and fight me for judging...
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best type of exercise to lose body fat

What is the Best Type of Exercise to Lose Body Fat?

Knowing what steps to take to drop body fat and feel amazing can be overwhelming. Should you be lifting weights? Doing cardio? How much of each?  How often?  What if time is really limited? Well, it sounds like this week’s video is about to come to the rescue!
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deadlift

3 Tips for a Heavier, Safer, Barbell Deadlift

The deadlift is sometimes claimed to be one of the simpler barbell lifts, because It’s just “picking something up off the ground.” But, in a way, this does a disservice to the complexity and skill component of the lift. One of the biggest mistakes people make when learning to deadlift with a barbell is… learning...
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Acceptance of What We Can’t Change

“Soon enough, reality kicks down your front door, and then you can’t pretend anymore. Pain is real. And we do better dealing with it when we acknowledge it.” -Eric Greitens Acceptance is tough. Really tough. Of course, this depends on what we’re trying to accept, and whether it’s something we wanted or not. It’s easy...
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sleep

11 Steps to Better Sleep

I know what you might be thinking… “Sleep is more important than exercise?  I can just lay around and drop body fat?”   Not exactly. BUT, the positive impact that sleep has on our health AND body composition may shock you. Check out this week’s video to see why that is… Here are some of...
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Building Better Habits, Part 2

“Your life builds not by dramatic acts, but by accumulation.” -Eric Greitens Why have you failed to create habits in the past? Or, if you have been successful—and I hope you have been—why haven’t those habits lasted? Maybe you picked the right habit, but it wasn’t easy enough to do, so you quit. Or, maybe...
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fat loss

How to drop body fat (without hitting the gym)

So, you’re looking to drop unwanted body fat, huh? Hmmmm, maybe all the conflicting advice out there about diet and fat loss these days is confusing you! You have to eat clean foods to get lean I’m not sure what clean food is If you under-eat, your body will go into starvation mode and hold...
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money habit

Building Better Habits

“Sow an act, reap a habit. Sow a habit, reap a character. Sow a character, reap a destiny.” -Charles Reade Does creating a good habit have to be a challenge? Is breaking a bad habit impossible? Does Coach Greg have large ankles? The answer to all of these questions is no. No, because, there are...
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