Wow! What a year! There is a lot to talk about this year, but to avoid the conversation returning to that one particular virus, let's look back at the 5 top Rockmanfitness posts to see what I have written that you, my dear Rockmanfithead, connected with. First, let's start with some stats. This year Rockmanfitness was viewed by more than 300 unique visitors. That's a whole school's worth of people reading my contemplations on fitness and health, what a humbling number of peop

So, I tried a no-sugar diet for a month and here's what I found: I actually really liked it... (Am I crazy?) Last month a friend asked if I'd go on a no-sugar diet with him because he wants to lose weight, so I said "sure". I had no reason to say no: I'm stuck in lockdown anyway, wanted to support his dieting, and I felt like if I want to talk to clients about dieting, I need to know what it is like myself. My partner thought I was mad, but unto the breach I went. To be clear

There was a recent study which talked about the 3 main factors influencing the success of a weight loss diet (here is my article on it), which aren't the factors you often hear discussed. In a similar vein, I feel that the factors of resistance training which are talked about the most, aren't the ones that have the biggest impact. To solve this cognitive dissonance, I've compiled my 3 most important factors for a successful resistance training program, which relate to the 3 i

I am super excited to announce that today will be my first sponsored post! I have a new shipment of Born Tough products coming through which I will review and post for you here once they arrive. Here's what I've ordered: Born Tough Momentum Men's 9" Shorts Black - M Born Tough Men Momentum Track Suit Hoodie Grey/Black - L You can check their website out here: https://www.borntough.com/ or here: https://www.elitesports.com/ [EDIT 6/10/21] So it turns out they only ship to Amer

In my last post, we used a recent study to look at the different types of diets and how they stack up against each other. In the end, the results were pretty underwhelming for weight loss, although all diets have unique benefits and drawbacks. BUT... In the people who did lose weight, the diet showed three consistent factors that directly altered whether the individual would succeed or fail. 3. High quality foods. This one is a no-brainer, trying to lose weight while eating M

Low fat, no-fat, full cream, low-carb, high-protein, paleolithic... I just want a diet that tastes like real diet. With so many popular diets being advocated for online, it can be hard to know what really works and what is being sold like snake oil. With something as life-changing as diet - remember that diet affects everything from your mood and energy levels to your life expectancy - you want to know the truth. Luckily for us, we have science to separate the snakes from the

I've mentioned in previous posts (1,2) that there is a lot more going on with pain than we first imagined. Not only is pain not a great indicator of tissue damage, but it also can be affected by a number of contextual factors. By measuring someone's recovery through pain alone, we may not get an accurate picture of the effects of the treatment. That is because pain is not taking in the whole picture of the situation the individual is in. That is where the biopsychosocial mode

"The man who grasps principles can successfully select his own methods. The man who tries methods, ignoring principles, is sure to have trouble." Being a skinny guy entering the world of fitness, I've heard the word 'bulking' thrown around a lot, but most people seem to think this just means following a certain program with lots of arms and lots of chest work. Recently I managed to get my hands on a copy of Mass Made Simple by Dan John (2011), a veteran coach who looks like a

In my studies so far (all 4 weeks worth) I've encountered a lot more talk about pain than I expected. This is because there is a lot more going on with pain than we think. For example, did you know that pain is the number one reason that people seek treatment? Or that people can feel pain in limbs that aren't even theirs? Or that pain can be felt without any physical stimulus whatsoever? Pain science is a fascinating field and that's why today I'm going to be talking about pa

When receiving treatment, for example, a physio examining your lower back pain, there is far more going on behind the scenes to influence the result of the treatment than just whether they choose to massage or dry needle. That is to say, what clinical method they use to treat you matters far less than you might think. In fact, up to 75% of the result can be attributed to a completely separate variable,,, Context I don't want to come off as a conspiracy theorist so let me link

There are two methods of performing continual repetitions on a deadlift: one is to bounce the bar off the floor to come straight back up, the other is to place the bar on the floor and reposition each time. You might have seen the bounce method in your local gym, as it usually creates a loud noise and is followed by a louder groan and a can of energy drink being chugged, but is this method driven by ego (and monster energy drink) or is there more behind the bounce than we kno

Today, we'll be having a look at James Krieger's The Volume Bible to find the most up to date evidence on how much volume is ideal for hypertrophy. James Krieger is a published scientist, author, and speaker in the field of exercise and nutrition. He holds a Master's degree in Nutrition and a second Master's degree in Exercise Science and has published numerous studies in the field. He also runs a research review, Weightology, in which he reviews the latest research in the fi

What a year it has been for Rockman Fitness. The idea started at the end of 2019 with a written summary on protein powder that I wanted to share with my clients, my friends and beyond that, to anyone who wanted to know more. By the end of the year, rockmanfitness.com has had hundreds of views from around the web and a healthy handful of subscribers to boot. Rockman Fitness continues to be run solely by me, Daniel Rockman, a personal trainer and aspiring exercise physiologist,

Today, we follow the story of two friends to help us learn what we should and shouldn't do upon returning to gym. Meet Danny Doo and Don...

Here are some random thoughts which crossed my mind this previous fortnight. They deserved fleshing out, but didn't qualify for an entire webpage and a notification email to all my loyal followers (love you guys!). So, I mashed them all together into one big word vomit for you to sift through. I hope you find something useful! Personal trainers are like demolition experts Personal trainers are like demolition experts for the body. While one works with explosives to break dow

If you've tried to buy a piece of home workout equipment after hearing that gyms were shutting down, you're not alone. The demand for equipment in Melbourne skyrocketed when the lockdowns were announced, and coupled with supply issues thanks to the virus, this lead to what some are calling the great kettlebell shortage of 2020. Wait times for kettlebells have jumped from shipping on the same day, to estimates of 7-14 days or being sold out for months. So, with all these peopl

Given the recent abhorrent allegations made by Australian gymnasts about the abuse they received, I thought it was a good time to shed some light on a topic that is heavily involved in our youth being so poorly mistreated. A clinical condition that can lead to infertility, stress fractures, osteopenia, decreased energy levels and serious psychological ramifications, which is only worsened by the pressures of elite sport. The Female Athlete Triad The Female Athlete Triad is th

Did you know it is common for aged care facilities to have a gym? Stories of "grandma lifting" are becoming much more common and as an exercise professional it makes me so happy to see people moving pain-free and challenging themselves, despite many others in their age bracket failing to do the same. Exercise for older adults is a major area of study in the realm of exercise science, and for good reason. As people go through the aging process, many preventable diseases become

I haven't posted in a while and I'm not sure how to express what I'm feeling right now going into week three of our six-week lockdown. Allow me to start with a written word from one of my favourite artists: "Motivation" Motivation - such an aggravation Accusations - don't know how to take them Inspiration - getting hard to fake it Concentration - never hard to break it Situation never what you want it to be Written by Sum 41 So why is this pop-punk song from the early no

It is always a great time to eat healthy. Follow these tips to target the cause, not just the symptom, of unhealthy diet choices.