Our theme as a company for this year is to kill the lies, specifically the lies that are keeping you from being healthy and fit. Most of these lies are lies we tell ourselves that are amplified by society as a whole and the fitness industry at large. So, in typical NBS Fitness fashion, we...Read More

In episode 5, Brandon Reilly talks about the journey of training for the Sylamore 25K and about persevering through injury. He also goes into detail about the different breathing techniques he used during his training and race.Read More

More Than Just Recreation Personal fitness has been a matter of life and death for the entirety of human history, minus the last century or so. It determined whether or not you were able to plow the fields or hunt in order to eat, it determined whether or not you could cut down the fire...Read More

Don’t Wait Till It’s Too Late Larry Tolbert is a financial advisor and client of NBS Fitness. He was an athlete in high school where he played tennis and raced Motocross. After college, Larry stopped being physically active and instead focused on building his career for the next 30 years. He didn’t fully understand how...Read More

At some point, high school athletes commit mistakes in their training and development.  Here are the 3 major mistakes high school athletes should avoid according to our coaches. David’s Perspective  Fractured Training – The biggest mistake he sees in high school athlete development is fractured training. Fractured training occurs when athletes play multiple sports without...Read More

The other day I asked someone why they didn’t work out and their response was “Because I have three kids.” I found that response to be interesting…and sad People often justify and explain away why they don’t exercise or eat right or any other number of activities that would at least maintain and ideally improve...Read More

The Pareto Principle, sometimes called the 80/20 rule, is an observation that there is an unequal distribution between inputs and outputs. For example, 80% of car accidents are caused by 20% of drivers or 80% of sales come from 20% of customers. The truth behind the Pareto Principle is not in the exact distributions (not...Read More

Medication non-adherence is when a patient, either intentionally or unwittingly, fails to take a prescription medication as prescribed. Seeing as how 70% of Americans take at least one prescription medication and over half take at least two, it is worrisome that between half or more of them fail to take their medication properly, if at...Read More

The other day I was at the grocery store and noticed a pretty large number of shopping carts that had been left out in the parking lot instead of put back into the return corrals. I began to consider why people don’t put them up and how this might apply to health and fitness. I...Read More

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CEBp1aOA4Gg/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_linkRead More

I have a running question that I like to ask people early on in their fitness journey:  “How long do you have to train to look like you’ve been training for 10 years?”  This can be formed into other similar questions as well: “How long does it take to develop 20 years of training knowledge?”...Read More

During my time playing college football, we would have meetings every Sunday to review the previous game. We had three big boards in the team meeting room: one for offense, one for defense, and one for special teams. Each board tracked different metrics for each group. For example, the offensive board tracked yards gained and...Read More

As of May 4th, we will be reopening and following the guidelines outlined by the Back to Business Framework for Memphis and Shelby County. Below we have listed what we will be doing as well as the expectations for our members. We are not currently offering any day, week, or month passes however we are...Read More

The recent spread of the Coronavirus is having global impacts across many spectrums of life. While the disruptions to our daily lives can be frightening and frustrating, there are many lessons we can learn from this event. The question is whether or not we as individuals, communities, or as a nation are willing to change....Read More

In light of the recent developments with the COVID-19 coronavirus, we want to let you know what measures NBS Fitness has and is taking to ensure a clean and safe facility for members and their families.  We currently partner with a cleaning service that cleans and disinfects daily. We also maintain a regular cleaning and...Read More

David discusses 4 mindset shifts that will change the way you allocate your time. https://www.instagram.com/tv/B88lP2oA_LN/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_linkRead More

https://www.instagram.com/tv/B82OlPQlECw/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_linkRead More

If you max out your IRA contributions each year starting at 20 years old, by the time you reach 65 you will have earned over $1.4 million in interest at a return rate of 7%. If you wait till 30, your interest drops to around $620,000. If you wait till 40, it drops down to...Read More

https://www.instagram.com/tv/B8OOTKrgXN-/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_linkRead More

https://www.instagram.com/tv/B74JCaUAvIM/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_linkRead More

What is a fitness hero? A CNN article titled Why Are Fewer Americans Trying to Lose Weight? shared research results showing that the number of Americans trying to lose weight is decreasing despite dramatic increases in the number of people who are overweight and obese. Researchers stated several reasons for this lack of alignment including...Read More

Next year is fast approaching and with it, a theme of clear vision. 2020 means being able to see clearly what is in front of you without blur or distortion. With that in mind, I wanted to share our vision for next year with all of you.  The Current State of Fitness The other day...Read More

At NBS Fitness, our process for getting new clients integrated into the facility is through a No Sweat Intro. It’s just a conversation to get to know you, learn about your goals and struggles, and share with you the best way we can help. During the conversation we’ll ask you what your “Why” is. We...Read More

I recently had a conversation with a friend of mine about my experience in the Boy Scouts of America growing up. I was a scout all the way through high school when I got my Eagle Scout. I love the idea of young boys and teens developing life skills under the guidance of adult leadership...Read More

This past week I saw where someone posted on a local message board on Facebook that they were looking for some help with weight loss. There were a few suggestions for trainers or local gyms, a lot of suggestions for MLM products, several medical-related suggestions (ie gastric bypass), and one guy simply said eat less...Read More

Human beings are emotionally-driven creatures. Our emotions have a major influence on our decision-making and can even overpower our logic, coercing us into making decisions we know are not the right ones. This happens in our fitness and health decision-making as well. We see it every day as fitness professionals. Clients will have a bad...Read More

Human beings are emotionally-driven creatures. Our emotions have a major influence on our decision-making and can even overpower our logic, coercing us into making decisions we know are not the right ones. This happens in our fitness and health decision-making as well. We see it every day as fitness professionals. Clients will have a bad...Read More

I recently had a consultation with a man in his 40’s who had a background as a wrestler. This background taught him a ton of mental toughness which he used for many years to develop himself physically. As he got older, the daily toll of high intensity training sessions started to catch up to him...Read More

A recent article by the NY Post showed that American’s waste around $18,000 a year on non-essential expenses. Purchases such as cable, Netflix, eating out, music streaming, subscription boxes and impulse purchases slowly add up to take a large share of the average American’s spending power. This helps to show how the average household has a credit...Read More

I had breakfast with a friend the other day. He started asking me very specific questions about how to implement intermittent fasting. My response was not what he expected. I asked him what was the longest period he had followed a healthy nutrition plan and been consistent with training. 5 years? No. 1 Year? No....Read More

Over the last decade, I’ve gotten to witness and participate in the pursuit of health, fitness, physique, and performance of a lot of people. I’ve seen success, failure, given a lot of advice, and learned a lot in the process. One thing I’ve learned is that everyone struggles. Some people struggle more or less in...Read More

In 1969, Neil Armstrong was the first man to ever walk on the moon. Since the beginning of space travel 536 humans have been into space and 12 have walked on the moon. A total of 18 people have died during launch, flight, or entry. Putting a man onto the moon is an incredibly complex...Read More

I recently joked that I wanted to give a speech at a high school graduation in which I would site a bunch of depressing statistics about their likelihood to get divorced, dislike their jobs, go on anti-depressants, get addicted to social media, and be obese. I guess it’s not really a funny joke but laughter...Read More

Who depends on you? Who depends on you to be healthy, fit, and strong? Who might depend on your physical abilities thirty years from now? Tomorrow? Today? Who depends on your mental and emotional health? Who depends on your example? Now is the time where everybody reevaluates their life over the previous year and vows...Read More

I’ve been in the fitness industry over a decade and have seen the full spectrum of people’s successes and failures. Everyone shows up motivated. Some of them take action. A few less keep up that action in the short term. A few less train smart and follow an intelligent program. And even fewer keep it...Read More

The holiday season kicks off with Thanksgiving, a holiday characterized by spending time and enjoying good meals with friends and family. It is meant to be a time of grateful reflection and thanksgiving for all that we have. Ironically the following day is Black Friday which is a time spent in consumer chaos, away from...Read More

Did you know… The drop out rate for fitness is higher than that of Navy Seals? About 80-90% of people will give up on their fitness routine within the first 5 months. Of those that do stick with it, many will eventually hit a rut, get complacent, stop making progress and quit. I’ve been there...Read More

When I first made the transition from powerlifting to CrossFit with the goal of becoming more well-rounded in my health and fitness, I struggled a lot with body weight movements like pushups, sit ups, and pull ups. This was partly due to my weight but also due to lacking the capacity to perform higher rep...Read More

Recently I have been trying to diet down and get lean again.  2 weeks ago, I got an update from my coach, that resulted in lower carbs on low and medium carb days, and 104 min HIIT cardio per week, broken up over 6 days. The HIIT sessions are done on the newly repaired air...Read More

For the most part, no supplement is going to beat out hardwork, and sometimes pre-workouts can severely hinder your ability to get an accurate RPE on activity, skews heart rate, and can lend to an enormous crash later. For those reasons, I have a tendency to stick to a strong cup of coffee unless I...Read More

I first started lifting weights in the early Fall of 2005 to get stronger for high school wrestling. Like most gym rats, I ended up having a much higher affinity for the gym and lifting weights than I did for wrestling. I started reading everything I could get my hands on: bodybuilding magazines, Arnold’s Encyclopedia...Read More

Donald Trump is President, Amazon is delivering groceries to your house using drones, and Drake is the top musician in the world. What does all this point to? Zombies. Yep, for sure the zombie apocalypse is on the horizon and if you’re not prepared for it, you’re not going to make it. Luckily for you,...Read More

Cardio timing   Insulin Let’s talk insulin for a second. Insulin is a storage hormone, and it gets released by beta cells in the pancreases in response to rising blood glucose. As the blood glucose raises, the pancreases secrete insulin. Insulin binds to an insulin receptor on a cell, which will cause GLUT4 proteins to...Read More

…is rarely (though sometimes) the genetic freak.  Before you start peppering me with your anecdotals and acquaintances that defy that statement, I will acknowledge that there are exceptions to that rule. However, the most successful athletes I have known or heard of are usually those who have a bit of genetic predisposition and a lot...Read More

Sometimes life can get a little crazy and that can make getting training in more difficult than before. This doesn’t mean that we can’t get training in, just that we have to make some adjustments to do so if it’s a priority in our lives. If training isn’t a priority then it will get dropped....Read More

I want to outline and explain a few things that dramatically improved my performance in training and ultimately in competition at the 2017 World’s Strongest Man u90kg competition. These changes were lifestyle and diet based, and for their relatively minor investments they could be considered force multipliers with how much of an impact they had....Read More

Fructose Fructose is the sweetest of all-natural sugars. It is somewhat special compared to other sugars. It has its own GLUT transporter which is cool and could potentially make fructose a better option as a carb source, by lowering the total amount of insulin secreted due to specific glucose transporters. Fruit could be a better...Read More

I had a writing prompt earlier this month that has turned into a conversation piece between me and nearly everyone I have run into and has led to some fairly interesting reading as well. “In your more dire situations, what life rules do you cling to in order to guide your behavior to the best...Read More

Is strongman training appropriate for everyone? 1. Yes, assuming they are healthy enough to do any form of physical training. What are the benefits of strongman training compared to more traditional training styles like powerlifting or bodybuilding? 1. Strongman training involves a few fundamental human movement patterns: the overhead press, the deadlift, weighted carries, and...Read More

In our pursuits of athletic and physical improvements, we must ensure that we have the proper foundation to continue to build upon. There are two physical capacities that we must enlarge before we can add more on top of them: strength and aerobic capacity. What is capacity? Capacity is used to reference ability in a...Read More

Attention: Endurance athletes. Yup, you. The runner, the cycler, the biker, the elliptigo-er, the rower…alla you. You really should lift weights. No, seriously. You need to lift weights. Trust me, I know that’s a little hard to take seriously. I have had a similar message to all my powerlifting/strongman/weightlifting friends as well. There are benefits...Read More

When CrossFit first gained public attention, there was a lot of criticism of the “WOD” training structure from sports scientists and strength coaches. While traditional training utilized a long term periodization model for programming, CrossFit utilized a daily form of programming. Periodization is simply the organization of training. At CrossFit NBS we utilize a long...Read More

I am taking a foods class at the University of Memphis, and we went over apples in one of our class periods. I thought there were a few interesting takeaways in the lecture. We went over the 3 types of apples: Cooking, eating, and combination. The main difference between the apples is the sugar/fiber content....Read More

At the very beginning of any life change, we tend to look at the end picture and all that it will entail before we decide if it will be worth it.  Once we have decided that it is, we often find ourselves with a wave of motivation to start moving all the big rocks in...Read More

When I first began studying exercise science, I was introduced to Westside Barbell and EliteFTS which led me to common strength and conditioning resources like Supertraining, Science and Practice of Strength Training, Block Periodization and so on. I started training CrossFit a year ago and since then have been taking my previous education and experience...Read More

I was in a group this past Sunday that was talking about the show “My 600 pound life”. The people I was with were getting very frustrated at the people in the show who despite having every possible resource available to lose weight were still unable to follow the plan and instead gained weight. They...Read More

Training is feeling pretty good. You are probably blowing through the build up weeks and hitting your rep ranges. Maybe your AMRAP sets are predicting you at a pretty good 1RM in the future. Sure would be a shame if something…came up…and ruined it. But hey: that would never happen to you. If you are...Read More

This article was inspired by a sermon by Jason Cook of Fellowship Memphis on February 4th. I’m writing this article for myself to remember, some of you may enjoy it as well.  Regardless of your religious beliefs, the Bible offers great lessons about how we should live our lives. Stories from the Old Testament provide...Read More

I love me some strict pressing. While typically barbell strict press, I also program is in with log, swiss bar, fat bar, dumbbell, and just about anything you can safely press overhead. I find its utility to be a bit higher than bench press, so if I am really having to consolidate training days, it’s...Read More

Here at Mid-South Spine and Sports Performance, we provide performance-based care for conditions of the musculoskeletal system. Our mission is to provide the members of our community access to the same results-based, quality health care that is typically reserved for collegiate and professional sports teams. Most competitive athletes form personal, long term relationships with their...Read More

Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of market research on health care costs and the current state of our care quality. My research was mainly focused on preventative wellness care and I was attempting to back up my claim that the most prevalent and costly diseases right now in America are widely preventable if we...Read More

With the new years comes the idea of new year’s resolutions and with resolutions we see a broad spectrum of approaches. I know I have seen social media posts that range from big goals and big changes to one small action done daily to people who say they don’t need the New Year to spark...Read More

Compensations are a familiar buzzword for most of the general population, but what does that mean? When compensation takes place, changes occur in motor control, joint stability, and movement patterns across the entire body. For example, if a person is compensating for hip extension, they may be accomplishing that movement by contracting something other than...Read More

A few weeks ago, I was privileged with the opportunity to sit down with the Three Amigos over at the Iron and Lead Podcast. We enjoyed some fantastic whiskey, jammed to the metal minute(ish), and attempted to unpack some of the the current problems facing America in the health care industry. I also presented on...Read More

After this short blog post about sitting back and doing nothing while someone killed themself with bad habits, I had a long talk with David about what we could do.  After very short deliberation, we have decided that I am going to open up my own books to take a few clients that fall in...Read More

The plot of zombie movies is pretty basic: human kind slowly gets taken over by lifeless creatures that turn each person they bite into another zombie and the small percentage of surviving humans are struggling to survive. It’s a scary concept but clearly fiction; definitely not something we have to worry about….right? Well, I’m here...Read More

Last month we discussed some of the problems that are prevalent with headaches in the current model of medical care. These three problems in headache care were: 1) A lack of quality health care professionals 2) Improper diagnosis of headaches 3) Improper treatment of headaches. In the next couple of articles we will breakdown different...Read More

I got pretty lucky.  When I was 15, I walked past a gym needing a job.  Within those walls, I found a catalyst into a profession that I am still head-over-heels in love with 15 years later.  I am using dramatic language and I mean every letter.  My job has evolved over the years: I...Read More

There has been a huge rise in people who have chosen a plant based diet over the last decade, for which there are many reasons. Most people choose to go this route for one of two reasons: morality and/or health. I can understand people’s beliefs leaning towards veganism and vegetarianism being a healthier way of...Read More

Today, I was able to catch up with one of the first coworkers I ever had in my career as a coach.  It was good catching up , and remembering the early days of our careers.  My god, how things have changed for me.  Getting older in itself comes with some maturity, but growing up...Read More

“In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing” –Teddy Roosevelt   I heard this quote some time ago, and couldn’t decide how I felt about it.  Then, an event happened that...Read More

A couple weekends ago, my wife and I and two other couples went on a camping trip up to Mountain View, Arkansas in the Ozark National Forest. Back when I was in middle school and high school, I used to do all kinds of outdoor adventures. We used to bike, camp, hike, backpack, mountain climb....Read More

“David, I…HATE…RUNNING!” I’ve heard it more than once in my time as a trainer. Running is a very polarizing activity. Some people love it, most people hate it, and neither side really understands how the other one can feel the way they do towards it. I once programmed a mile run into the training plan...Read More

We had a little fun with our members using a technique called RPR. Check out how we prove NBS Fitness is the best gym in Memphis. Be sure to share the video, especially with anyone you know who trains somewhere other than Memphis’ Best Gym.Read More

Another month in the books, and it was a busy one.  Each weekend this month took me away from home, so getting my training in throughout the week was crucial to get all my training in and face the inconsistencies that come with training on the road. A few ways to de-stress your training if...Read More

This last month has been an incredibly busy, but fun month. Between two separate offices and providing care for University of Memphis Football, I also spent a weekend teaching RPR Level 1 in Ottawa at Hostyle Strength. It was an awesome experience working with and meeting some new people who are passionate about making their...Read More

  The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery- by Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile The enneagram is 9 point personality model. In this book, the author goes through the motivations, wants, needs, fears, and actions of the 9 different personality types and how to best proceed to get enjoyment and fulfillment in...Read More

Headaches are one of the most difficult and common ailments that affect people world-wide. Although they are more common with females, headaches are a burden that almost every person is likely to experience not only in their lifetime, but every year. I understand the complexities of headaches and that many people are likely challenged by...Read More

I have been hosting or helping at iron sport events in some capacity for better part of the last decade.  While many have had memorable moments, the Clash For Cash on Beale is quickly becoming the only event that I think about making better intermittently year round.  I was recently asked by my buddy Josh...Read More

I recently got a chance to try out something I’ve been wanting to try for some time now: a deprivation tank. For those not in the know, a deprivation (or float) tank is a self contained pod that has about a foot of super concentrated salt water. The high salt concentration makes you incredibly buoyant,...Read More

Last month, we discussed the various types of ruck sacks as well as how to pack them successfully in part 1 of this serious.   Today, we will talk a bit about training for or around your ruck. Most clients that I work with are rucking because rucking is an important ability within their career path. ...Read More

This year has brought with it a lot of change for myself, particularly in the realm of the type of exercise I choose to do. Up until recently my training consisted primarily of weight training, either for strength and/or size. Earlier this year I started CrossFit at which point my training shifted to more of...Read More

This time last year I was weighing in right at 280 lbs. Fast forward to present day and I’m hovering around 220. That 60 lbs of weight loss has come from a number of different factors. I got off testosterone supplementation, started doing CrossFit, started running, and went through many dietary changes. In this article...Read More

At Mid-South Spine and Sports Performance, our goal is to support the goals of our patients and athletes and keep them at the peak of health and performance. Whether you are trying to perform at the highest levels of athletic competition or return to function so they can play with their (grand)children. Today we would like...Read More

Supplements can be confusing.  Many are absolutely worth the time and effort, while others are clever marketing ploys that don’t really make much, if any, difference on your performance.   Further, of the ones that are worth while, the truth is that *situationally* they aren’t appropriate.  So how do you know what to take and when? ...Read More

I have been working with Justin Harris for almost a year now, and having him to keep me on track this offseason has a been huge.  When we started I was 198lbs and now I am 20lbs heavier, and I’m the leanest I have ever been at this weight and easily eating the most food...Read More

Last Thursday I finally met up with Steven Murphy at NBS Fitness, and we decided to get in a typical bro arm session. We had a good workout, and it is always a good time catching up with Steven and getting a training session in. Hopefully this is something we can do more regularly in...Read More

Last week, we wrapped up our contest schedule with a sold-out RPS Powerlifting meet, The Memphis Classic.  This marks the seventh meet I have been able to help host at NBS and about the 15th I have helped promote and host over the years.  If you add in the strongman meets and push pulls, I...Read More

Last Saturday, September 16th, myself and a group of NBSers went up to Lebanon, TN to take on a Tough Mudder. For those not familiar with the Tough Mudder event series it is a 10 mile obstacle course with 20 obstacles spread throughout the course. Obstacles including crawling through mud under barbed wire, sliding down...Read More

I blame Kevin Costner. He made it seem cool to steal from people when he played Robin Hood in the Prince of Thieves movie. In that time period, if you were wealthy it was because you were born into wealth. Unfortunately that same mindset has made it’s way into modern times. While financial success does...Read More

We discussed rucking on episode 3 of the Iron and Lead Podcast very briefly, and since then I have had quite a few questions on rucking.  While I have had the benefit of working with hundreds of military/LEO/big dudes for the last few years, I do think rucking can be an enjoyable (*gasp*) activity for...Read More

Mid-South Spine and Sports Performance is happy to announce that we have successfully launched our first newsletter this month! Here at Mid-South Spine and Sports Performance, we believe that one of the most important factors in successful care of our patients is providing education. We are not interested in band-aid care or care that is...Read More

We were recently nominated for Memphis Best Health Club by the Commercial Appeal and we ended up making it into the top 3 nominees which got us the invitation to The Memphis Most Banquet last Wednesday night. It was a honor to be a part of the event and to know that we were able...Read More

This book was recommended to me months ago. It sat on my reading cue for quite a bit, until a long flight without wifi gave me nothing but time to dive right in.  As I have touched on before, I typically have a rotation in subject matter when it comes to books that I read:...Read More

What is failure? Failure is inevitable. Failure is life. Show me someone who doesn’t have a bag full of failures that they can pull from and I will show you someone who hasn’t done anything worth a damn. Failure is an opportunity to learn from your mistakes, to do it better the next time. Failing...Read More

At first I wasn’t sure if I should post about this but I figured people would find it informative and possibly a bit entertaining (I thought it was hilarious when I first found out). The funny thing about the fitness industry is that it really is the only health related field that is completely unregulated....Read More

I decided to pick up a new hobby. I wanted to choose one that didn’t consist of anything to do with weight training or me having to exert much physical energy into, but something that would challenge me and force me to learn something new. After pondering for a while, I got the mental stimulation...Read More

Last week I released a publication on EliteFTS.com, Back to Recovery Basics: Foundations of Recovery. Since the release, I have received a lot of responses from the article, a few of which I would like to address quickly. The first response was from a Division I strength coach, who affirmed with me the importance of...Read More

Aside from working at the most kick-ass gym in the Mid-South, I have been focusing on squeezing the most out of my life. This month hosted some GREAT moments for me, and here are a few highlights Reunited with my training parter: Courtney and I trained together a year or so back when we were both...Read More

Spoiler Alert: This article exposes some of your most common and favorite ab exercises Abdominal exercises are a key component of any good training program. Functionally, they are crucial in providing stability throughout the spine as well as connecting the upper and lower extremity during almost every exercise in the gym and during sport specific...Read More

I usually suggest people to eat whole foods as opposed to protein shakes, and to drink protein shakes as their last option. Whole food meals are going to be your best bet for improving body composition, and your diet should consist of mostly whole foods. I do think however, there is a time and a...Read More

Christian came to me around Christmas of last year wanting to start following a diet plan. Anyone who knows Christian knows he has a good bit of muscle on him, and he walks around pretty lean. I knew working with him was going to be a fun time. Christian came to me eating fairly low...Read More

I just recently went on vacation to the beach and one of my favorite things to do at the beach is read. It’s very relaxing to shut down electronics, lay back on a beach chair, and enjoy a good book with the waves of the ocean crashing in the background. If you enjoy reading, give...Read More

I’m going to be very honest: somedays, I rise each morning just to go to the gym in hopes of seeing David running so I might make fun of him.  And man, he doesn’t disappoint. However, through this sibling-like tough love, I found myself feeling a little bad for him as the temperatures headed into...Read More

Overcoming Injury is something that has always been a part of sports and always will be. General health and injury are also the most common reason that people have to hang the pads, weights, glove, or whatever other metaphorical sport specific equipment up. So when it comes to competing and training, having to overcome injury...Read More

In episode 2 we discuss we share some more metal, drink some more whiskey, and talk about how training for physical fitness, MMA, and shooting all go hand in hand. https://soundcloud.com/user-829849044/episode-2-training-for-physical-fitness-mma-and-shooting  Read More

I used to say that anyone who can physically squat a thousand pounds surely doesn’t have any mental weakness but much like many other definitive statements that I have made, I’m about to challenge this one. I first began lifting back in 7th grade. As I started puberty, I shot up in height very quickly...Read More

Check out the new podcast from myself and two good buddies where we talk about everything from training to shooting to combat sports, politics, and interview some really cool people. Episode 1 is below. https://soundcloud.com/user-829849044/episode-1-what-does-being-a-man-mean-to-you-1  Read More

14 years ago today, my dad died. Are you all uncomfortable yet? You shouldn’t be.  The subject of death is so taboo that after the initial acknowledgement of the event, we are expected to keep it to ourselves, lest we make others squirm. But for those close to death, the events that follow can be such a catalyst...Read More

1) Getting Out of Bed If you were hoping this means that you should hit snooze until 10am, sorry sleepy head. This is referring to HOW you get yourself out of bed. Luckily, this is an easy fix, and one you may be doing correctly already. There are a few reason that getting bed out...Read More

Here at Mid-South Spine and Sports Performance, we operate at a three season a year pace. We have Spring, Summer and FALL FOOTBALL SEASON! In preparation for the upcoming Fall Sports season, we would like to outline some basic fall reminders as well as cover a few big announcements.   1) Dr. Detweiler will be...Read More

Diet: I have bumped macros to 180 on 3 training days, 350+ cheat meal 2 training days per week, and 100 on off days. Training: Every other training session, I hit back.  Other than that, I’m following a basic chest/back/leg/shoulder split weight: up 7lbsRead More

With the rising costs of today’s healthcare, more and more people are turning to alternative medicine options for their ailments. My profession has often declared chiropractic cost effective. But is it really? Let say it is. How do you know whether or not it would actually apply to you? Back pain is in the top...Read More

July was another super cool month. Heres some shit I did! 1.) Bought a new car: The truth is, Jeep isn’t a great everyday driver and gets terrible gas mileage. Further, Kilo doesn’t fit really well in the Jeep. So…after months and month and months of just totally blowing it off and not getting a...Read More

I recognize that most people workout because they want to looker better naked. I’m the same way, of course I want to improve my physique. But I would argue that physique improvement is at the bottom of the benefits of training. Physique is so subjective. You can win the Mr Olympia and people will think...Read More

Sometimes, life has themes.   Over the past year or so, I have taken a step back from my previous perch as the super set-in-her-ways diva and have done a bit of introspection.  This quest to understand myself a bit more led me to a really great set of writing prompts by Jordan Peterson (...Read More

Check out my latest podcast I did for ACRE Podcast. ACRE stands for Arts Culture Religion and Entrepreneurship and is hosted by my good friend and pastor at my church. In it I talk about how NBS was created and what it’s like being a business owner.Read More

The vast majority of my clients are not physique competitors looking to do well onstage but are instead regular people who just want to lose some body fat, build some muscle, feel better, and be proud of their bodies. What this means is that packing all their food and taking it with them everywhere they...Read More

Sports Performance is a buzzword that holds a high amount of value in competitive athletics. When most people think about performance in sports, they think about training, lifting, agility drills, or other activities that increase the athlete’s abilities. Athletes invest a large amount of time pushing their bodies through extremely high levels of physical stress...Read More

The Dexter Jackson Memphis classic has come and gone. I was really fortunate to be able to win my figure class.  If you have been following me for a bit, you know that the past few years have been full of 2nds, so it was nice to finally win one. So now what? Now I gently...Read More

The first half of 2017 has been extremely busy at Mid-South Spine and Sports Performance. Between the addition of spring coverage of Memphis athletics, continuing education seminars, and the growing population here at Mid-South SSP, we are set up for our best year yet. We are hoping to be able to end the summer with...Read More

As I mentioned my recent article on online training, one of the best parts about having a coach to program for you is that sometimes you get to do cool shit that you’ve never done before. Sometimes, however, this concept can backfire on you. As I am currently training hypertrophy with the goal of putting...Read More

Modern day society has taken out most of the hardship of previous human existence and replaced it with comfort and ease. While I definitely appreciate having a nice warm bed, air conditioning during the summer, and not having to grow, pick, or hunt everything I want to eat, I can tell that living like this...Read More

Thank you for registering for the Second Annual Memphis Classic RPS Powerlifting Meet. The discount code for the 3 month meet programming is: classic17 Once you have chosen the trainer you would like utilize for programming, choose the 3 month paid in full option and apply the coupon code at check out. For Christian Anto’s...Read More

I have been working through a workbook lately that has me examining my actions/habits and putting a bit of consideration into why I do the things I do.  It has occurred to me that a LOT of my actions are based on advice that I have put into play. Below are a few tidbits I have...Read More

I can never emphasize enough the importance of eating a healthy diet.  I also cannot believe how often this is ignored.  You don’t have to go on a fish-and-broccoli only diet, but American’s have a terrible relationship with food as a whole.  Make sure that the food you are consuming each day SERVES A PURPOSE....Read More

Welcome to our third and final installment of the NBS Fitness Guide to Supplements. In Part 1 we discussed the importance of protein and the different types and qualities available. In Part 2 we discussed the importance of a peri workout protocol. We are going to finish this series off with talk about products that can help...Read More

When I was in college, my dorm mate and I had an alarm clock that would play a song off a CD as your wake up alarm. We thought this was the coolest thing ever so of course we picked a song we thought we would love to wake up to everyday. But after a...Read More

Chiropractic is a very unique profession. As such, there are a good amount of questions concerning the perception of chiropractic education. Unfortunately some of the reasons for these questions is the lack of a common and unified voice from my profession in educating the public. One of these lulls in public education and of the most...Read More

As I have alluded to in previous posts, I have decided to jump into the Dexter Jackson Memphis Classic.  Its been a couple years since I have been on stage.  In fact, the last time I was on stage was actually the Dexter Jackson Memphis Classic in 2015, so it was time to come back. ...Read More

Want to stay updated on the latest at Mid-South SSP? Not sure what days the office is open during the summer? Want to learn some new things about the chiropractic profession that you probably didn’t know? Then be sure to check out the office double doors for the latest information. Have you not paid attention...Read More

As the 2016-2017 Memphis Track and Field season starts to wind down, many personal bests were broken at the American Athletic Conference Championships. Both women and men’s teams showed up well and performed above expectations with the men’s taking 3rd and women’s taking 6th. For a full overview of the meet results, click here! It has been...Read More

The last time I trained weightlifting (ie olympic weightlifting) seriously was probably about 6 years ago. After leaving college I was fortunate enough to be on the strength staff at LSU where the head strength coach had a good relationship with Gayle Hatch who was the coach of the 2004 Men’s US Olympic Weightlifting Team. Over...Read More

When I was younger, I managed a commercial gym.  During this time, I became very close and familiar with the members of that gym. As a result, I became a sounding board for frustrations for many of them.  So it wasn’t surprising when Pam* asked if she could come talk to me about some concerns...Read More

Much like a preacher about to give a sermon, I feel the need to tell you all something first: I am a sinner. Yep, that’s right, I am someone who has in the past bashed CrossFit and bashed the kipping pull up. The reason why I bashed the kipping pull up was the same reason...Read More

Welcome back to the second edition of the NBS Fitness Guide to Supplements. In Part 1, we talked about he benefits of protein supplements and what differences between different kinds are. In Part 2, we will discuss the peri workout window, why it’s so important, and what we can do to maximize it. So without further...Read More

Seriously. One easy trick allowed me to have the most productive year of training I’ve ever had. I am now in the best shape of my life, the leanest I have ever been, and the least injured I have ever been. And the greatest part is you can do it too! Whats the secret? I hired a knowledgable professional...Read More

Life is funny, at least for me it has been. When CrossFit first came out I took the stance that most strength coaches took which was that CrossFit was an inferior training method consisting of random exercise done with poor technique at high intensity. In my defense, CrossFit was very rogue when they first came...Read More

Summer is upon us in the Mid-South! We at Mid-South SSP are preparing for a lot of changes coming this summer, and are excited to share a few of them with you! Summer is a typically a transitional time for us between spring and fall sports and we typically use this period to help improve and add new...Read More

“The Iron” by Henry Rollins is one of the most widely quoted passages about lifting weights and the impact it can have on someone’s life.  And for good reason: its a reminder that the absolute nature of training can be one of the most consistent, unwavering additions in someones life. Sure, strength gains are not linear...Read More

A friend and I were recently talking about the number of competitors that assign their unhealthy relationship with food and bodyfat with, at some point doing a show.  At first, I was quick to pass this off as first time competitors being unprepared for their show and the impact it can have on your caloric...Read More

So, I have a bit of a hobby of collecting completely ridiculous fitness memes and I think I have found the most ridiculous one yet. Fair warning, there is some foul language in the meme so be aware. Let’s take this thing line by line. With as many good role models throughout the history of...Read More

“Growing up, my dad would take my brother and I shooting on a regular basis. I remember getting a BB gun at around age six and taking it into the back yard to shoot Coke cans off the fence. This love for guns and shooting has continued to grow over the years. Another passion of...Read More

Last weekend NBS Fitness held their second annual King and Queen of Spring powerlifting meet. The meet went extremely well and we had some very impressive performances and multiple elite totals. Unfortunately not everything went according to plan as everyone’s beloved Jim Sadler tore his right pectoral muscle on the bench press. After a few...Read More

Its easy to get confused about nutrition.  As we have discussed in numerous articles and blogs, there are a million ways to manipulate your intake for a number of different results.  And honestly, for the most part, most ways work to a degree.  This is why its important to understand nutritional components on a base...Read More

Since the beginning, athletic endeavors and sports supplements have gone hand in hand. We’ve come a long way from ancient Greek wrestlers chewing on rhodiola leaves to the multi-billion dollar supplement industry we see today and we will continue to make progress in the future. The purpose of this series is to educate you on...Read More

At Mid-South Spine and Sports Performance, our motto is Prepare. Perform. Prevent. We truly believe that the services and content that we push for at Mid-South Spine and Sports Performance are a direct reflection of this motto. If a service does not reflect at least one aspects of this motto, then it is not one...Read More

HELLO FROM AUSTRALIA!  I am currently writing this from the lobby of my hotel in Australia, where I am speaking at a three day certification course about Hybrid Athletics.  This is such a cool opportunity for me, and happens to be at the tail of of my higher calorie phase that I have been doing...Read More

In 2007 Ronnie Coleman put out a training video in which he wraps his knees and performs a 2300 lb leg press. You can check out that video here. Ten years later and aspiring lifters are still emulating one of the best ever in their attempts to grow legs like Mr. Olympia. Thousands upon thousands...Read More

This month, NBS client and athlete Elyse Lovelace competed at the XPC Elite Powerlifting Championships at the Arnold Classic in Columbus, OH.  Though we had a few logistical hiccups, she was able to walk away with not only a class win, but also the coveted overall female lifter award. A bit over a year ago,...Read More

Join us in celebrating our Arch Madness promotion on Foot Levelers custom made orthotics at Mid-South Spine and Sports Performance! If you’ve read any of our past publications on the importance of a quality custom foot orthotic, and have been wondering if Foot Levelers are right for you, now is a great chance to find out! Now...Read More

Behind all the tan, awkward cut bikinis/speedos and carb-depleted divas lies a sport I really love.  So much, that I am frequently encouraging people to get out of their comfort zone and commit to a formal show.  While I think this is a really great goal for a lot of people, I am reminded time...Read More

As RPR continue to have more with athletes, lifters, and general population at Mid-South Spine and Sports Performance, a lot of questions seem to come up concerning whether or not an individual is a candidate to try RPR. This conversation typically starts out with, “well I’m not really hurting right now,” “I’m getting close to a competition,”...Read More

When it comes to the organization of training, many people fall back to basics they learned early on in their training career. Things that have been passed time from one lifter to the next and so on and so forth. Many times lifters are not even sure of the purpose or reasoning behind their training...Read More

The most common discussion I have to have with nutrition clients is the concept that the scale is not the ultimate judge of progress. It has been ingrained into people’s minds that losing weight is synonymous with losing fat, being healthier, and looking better. The first thing I typically do is explain everything that “weight”...Read More

Concussions are a commonly seen condition, especially in sports care. Chances are if you have played a significant amount of competitive sports, regardless of the level, you or one of your teammates has experienced a concussion. Concussion management has taken some large steps forward over the last decade in sports medicine to help provide better...Read More

As modern technology continues to evolve it seems that people are sitting more and more. With smart phones and tablets such a big part of everyday life many of the activities that used to be physical are now played out without having to move much at all. It’s not uncommon for someone to get out...Read More

  HOLY CRAP THOSE BEFORE PICTURES!! (top row is October 2016 , bottom row is February 2017) This week ends an offseason phase of dieting that has been focused on slowly achieving a better body composition year round.  This isn’t to say I was fat in the recent years, but eventually you realize you aren’t...Read More

In the financial world, there is a big difference between true wealth and the outward appearance of wealth. We can define true wealth as the financial cushion to handle predictable and some non predictable negative financial circumstances (loss of income, medical expenses, etc) as well as the financial position to comfortably live the lifestyle you desire...Read More

At Mid-South Spine and Sports Performance, we are always looking for ways to adapt and improve the experience of all our patients. Since officially opening in mid-April of last year, Mid-South SSP has grown from just a table in the middle of a gym. to a true office. We have gone from word of mouth referrals between...Read More

Despite all my efforts, I often find myself underestimating how weirded out the general public gets by acts of health.  This weeks case in point is courtesy of a client of mine, who mentioned casually that she was using a meal prep service.  Almost immediately, someone pointed out how obsessive tracking food was and how unreasonable...Read More

In the past few years, countless great strength athletes have began incorporating hypertrophy components into their programming.  While the cited reasons vary quite a bit, there’s no debating that there is clearly a case for hypertrophy work for the strength athlete.  Some of the more sophisticated reasons would be to create a frame that can...Read More

Anyone who has listed to me talk or has worked with me on nutrition knows that I am not a big fan of spending a ton of money on supplements. In order for me to justify taking a supplement myself or for recommending it to any of my clients, it not only has to have a...Read More

Don’t you just love a catchy title. Catchy, effective, and truthful. If we’re going to define “fat” as having more body fat than the ideal amount for health (ie overweight/obese) then at least 2/3 of the population falls into that category. That number is also on the rise, by the way, which means there is...Read More

What is the Abyss? The abyss is the dark, lonely, and isolated existence that a people find themselves in when they suddenly stop training. People stop training for many different reasons. Maybe they got injured, maybe they were a competitive athlete and they couldn’t perform as well as they used to, maybe they got burned out,...Read More

Are you a runner who needs help getting back up to speed? Running injuries are seen in everyone from the recreational runner to the most advanced ironman athletes. As a provider for all athletics at the University of Memphis, one of the most challenging sports to tackle is track and field. It is a well acknowledged fact that track...Read More

There is no better time to live in than right now in 2017, right now in America. I’m not saying this because of some political, personal, or random bias. I’m simply saying this because never before have we been able to do the vast amount of incredible things we are able to do today in...Read More

Don’t get me wrong: I have the most fun life there is.  Everyday I get to wake up, train, and hang out with people who are extraordinarily committed to their goals.  Along the way, I have the opportunity to make their efforts a bit easier.  That can mean a lot of things: some days I...Read More

Typically on my commute in the mornings to work, I listen to some sort of publication, podcast, or lecture on either business, sports, or politics. Specifically a few podcasts and publications are particularly applicable to either training, business, or both. I also like branching out a bit from the medical/chiropractic side of  healthcare a bit as well, as...Read More

  Its been a while since I have updated my blog. In October, I got a little sick.  This led me to take a little break from strongman/power-lifting out of necessity.  It also led to a drastic change in training schedule for the pure sake of having reasonable energy levels when I needed them most...Read More

Just because something is hard doesn’t mean that it is good There is something instinctual in humans that makes them transfixed by something new and different. If ever there was a place where this was true it would be in the world of fitness. People are constantly looking for the next “secret”. Secret supplement, secret...Read More

Are you willing to listen to the stuff you don’t want to hear but need to? My nutrition coach, Shelby Starnes, made a post a while back that I really liked. In it he said that when choosing someone to work with you need to decide whether you want a friend or whether you want...Read More

Mental Toughness: Make the right choice I’ve been recently watching a TV show called “The Selection” in which 30 civilians try to make it through a grueling mock special forces selection process put on by ex special forces operators. One of the instructors said something that really stuck with me: There is no such thing as...Read More

I have been training for 17 years, I have been in the fitness industry for 10 years, and I have owned a gym for 5 years. Along that time frame I have helped over a thousand people in training, nutrition, and life. I have watched people succeed, fail, struggle, bounce back, do awesome, do terrible,...Read More

With health care being one of the most important topics of the 2016, people are clearly concerned with where health care is going and how it affects them. Ironically, however, one of the most common trends I have notices in 2016 is that few individuals actually know what their health care coverage is. The most...Read More

The age excuse is a topic that I encounter on a regular basis in my personal and professional life. “I am to old for ‘X’ activity.” “Getting old sucks.” “Back when I was younger…” People talk about age like its an unescapable, constricting prison. It’s as if age simply deteriorates you and keeps you from being active,...Read More

Just in time for the Christmas and holidays, Mid-South Spine and Sports Performance is proud to announce our new T-Shirt line! We have kept the first run of apparel simple and will be offering a limited supply of this black version featuring the clinic logo on the front as well as our alternative logo and motto...Read More

Now that Christmas is over, I don’t feel so bad smashing a few of your previously held incorrect beliefs (don’t worry, I won’t tell you that Santa isn’t real…oops!). Well, to be honest, at one time I also believed that Santa was real and likewise I once believed that going on a hypertrophy protocol for...Read More

Go to college. Get an exercise science/ kinesiology degree. Go to grad school. Get an internship.  Suck at your trade for a while, then slowly get better. Make mistakes and learn from them. If someone asked me to summarize the path to becoming great in the fitness industry, that would be my initial suggestion.  As we...Read More

I will spare you the long intro, but in short, this is a series of word sights, sounds, and humans that keep my day at NBS Fitness alive and well. Installment one of Twilight Zone  I have started training at 5:30am.  Usually, I am in plenty of company, but last week I showed up and...Read More

I may be slightly biased in my opinion on this subject but 17 years of training and 10 years in the fitness industry has influenced my ideas on what constitutes a solid gym from a gym that sucks. I am sure there are more than just five ways to know if your gym sucks but...Read More

Let’s be honest. A large percentage of our nation is either unhealthy or out of shape due to lifestyle habits. The typical American lifestyle is not conducive to anything even remotely healthy. Crappy nutrition habits, excessive and unrelieved stress, lack of exercise and sleep, a reactive outlook on health, etc. This is why it always makes me...Read More

At Mid-South Spine and Sports Performance, we are humbled to have such an active and driven population of patients. These individuals understand the importance of investing in their own health and dedicate hours of their time pursing their fitness goals and ultimately their health and quality of life. It is great that active (and even some inactive)...Read More

In the wake of yet another report of insurance hikes set for 2017, more and more people will find themselves asking one question: Why are health care costs SO HIGH? Now I know “tis the season” to start getting all political. I know everyone wants to begin blaming the Affordable Care Act (Obama Care) or the top...Read More

Recently I had the opportunity to work with Zach Gallmann, founder and producer of the popular strongman series, Finding Strength, at EliteFTS. Zach had heard a lot about the new RPR method for improving performance and fixing compensations. He had a lot of interest in finding out if RPR could help him, so we got him in...Read More

Over the last few years, I’ve noticed a very consistent trend that I feel is plaguing our society. The trend is that everything we want or do in life is going to be accomplished via a paradox. That paradox is that we deserve to accomplish whatever you set out to do without having to hold...Read More

I’m lucky, I have perspective. In the fitness field I’ve worn or wear many hats and that has allowed me to participate and witness many things. It has allowed me to meet and know many people. I’ve had the chance to watch people both fail and succeed, to witness people give up and persevere, and to...Read More

I’ve got a new twist to the Metal Song of The Week….Training Highlights. Listen to killer tracks while watching my fat ass move some weights  Read More

**TRANSPARENCY ALERT: I have done each and every one of the actions I am about to list.  I have done entire training cycles of these extra little bits of action and they have stalled my progress, frustrated my coaches, and probably made me an annoying friend.*** Now, with that said, the reason I am sharing...Read More

I typically say this as a positive: we draw a different breed of people at NBS.  The people that are drawn to a gym that encourages emotional lifting, liberal use of chalk, and loud music are weirdos, but they are my kind of weirdos.  That said, there are still instances that leave me completely baffled....Read More

On October 23, 2015 I was weighing in for the Dexter Jackson Classic Bodybuilding Show. That Friday night I weighed in at 217, one year later I weigh around 275. Since I wasn’t going to have the opportunity to compete this year, I decided to try to put on as much size as possible. My off...Read More

I have been involved in the fitness industry all of my adult life and quite a bit of my teen years, as I started as sweeping floors at a gym when I was 15.  As I near the 15 year mark I have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly.  As I grew into...Read More

NBS Fitness member Will Sawyer recently competed in his first USA Weightlifting Collegiate Nationals competition. Check out what he had to say below:   This was the weekend of Sept 24-25 in New Orleans, and I actually competed on Sunday with having a week of midterm exams starting on Monday.  This was my second meet...Read More

History This case involves a female in her early 30s. She is active, physically fit, and exercises regularly at NBS Fitness. Her complaint is severe pain in the front of the left hip (7/10 on a 0-10 scale). This pain is most notable during active flexion of the hip during exercise or getting up from a...Read More

Look, I get it: NO ONE likes to lose.  The worst training days are usually remedied with the idea that the hard work you are putting in at the gym is going to turn out as a victory later.  I have never went into a contest thinking about second, third, fourth, or fifth place.  Part...Read More

I recently ran across a great article at EliteFTS on joint maintenance and it was spot on awesome that I decided to share it. With joint and musculoskeletal pain being one of the most prevalent conditions in today’s society, there are a lot of poor resources full of articles and experts trying to sell you on...Read More

Obviously by now, everyone has heard about the hikes in insurance premiums that are going to be occurring in Tennessee or in other states for 2017. If not, you can read about Tennessee increases here. With the amounts that premiums, copays, and deductibles are increasing, its no wonder that health care is one of the most...Read More

An Introduction to RPR: For those who are unfamiliar, over the last two or three months, I have added a new and powerful service to the line of performance and results based services at Mid-South Spine and Sports Performance. The vision of Mid-South Spine and Sports Performance from the beginning has been to provide the best...Read More

No explanation here needed. Just straight brutality from the one and only PanteraRead More

In this edition of “Ask the Chiro,” we will take a look at another common question that comes up a lot i the everyday patient, Heat vs Ice. Both are modalities used to reduce pain and increase function, yet many questions come up when discussing the two. Specifically, should I heat or should I ice an...Read More

I am going to open this blog post up a bit by bragging on NBS coach Christian Anto.  In the past few years, I have been able to see him flourish not only into a great strength coach but also a genuine person who wants to help.  He spends down time between a full coaching...Read More

Life is about so much more than the Gym.  It’s easy, as a personal trainer, to get tunnel vision and believe that you have everything figured out when in fact you’ve become complacent in several important facets of life.  I have divided my life up into 5 areas that I refer to my sacred geometry...Read More

Dio is badass and so is Killswitch Engage who does a killer cover of this song  Read More

Over the past few years, I have become a bit better about healthier habits.  Three years ago, after my first show, I did the bare minimum: I would eat breakfast, pack a lunch and come home and eat whatever.  Because I was so active (and 24-25), I really didnt see any negative consequence and stayed...Read More

I love this song. Period   I reach for calm I starve for a balance unknown This burden tortures me deep in my soul I’ve found that strife won’t make the bleeding stop Nor will it take away the pain I feel like this search is all in vain And I struggle to find my...Read More

GPP is one of those cool catch phrases that fitness folks like to throw around to sound smart (me included) but what is it? Is it metcons? Is it pushing the prowler? Is it steady state cardio on a machine? If you don’t know the correct answer, no worries, this article is designed to get...Read More

As David pointed out on his facebook this week, we hosted The Clash For Cash And Cash Car Pull this past weekend and it turned out to be a great success.  NBS Fitness itself has hosted 10 or so events in its existence, and various pieces of our staff have been helping in some capacity...Read More

Machine Head brought a whole new sound with this album and the title track lead the way.  Read More

I recently did a podcast interview with pro strongman Nick Brugal on The Last Rep Podcast. Check it out below http://hwcdn.libsyn.com/p/5/d/5/5d504c0950efd315/NBS.mp3?c_id=12846989&expiration=1474990190&hwt=597594d106f8cf19d926189c89077cccRead More

One week around the corner, the Clash for Cash on Beale Street is shaping up to be one of the biggest NBS Fitness events of the year. With the weather changing for the better, college football season getting more and more heated by the week, and all the other great attractions in Memphis during this...Read More

I was lucky to see Wayne Static perform the entire Wisconsin Death Trip album a few weeks before he died. This song is from a different album but it’s still one of my favorites.  Read More

In the last article, Why High School Athletes Should Build Recovery Habits Now, we explored some of the reasons why high school athletes should be building a foundation of proper recovery habits with the goal of promoting longevity and injury prevention. Now that the why has been identified, it’s time to address the how. Injury prevention...Read More

“I like everything but the price.” This is something I hear alllll the time about our basic gym membership.  It always amuses me, because the monthly fee is actually right at the average cost of a gym membership in America (http://www.cnbc.com/id/26663228) and considering our enrollment fee is a drop in the bucket, the annual cost of...Read More

A few friends and I were talking recently about the way our respect for great athletic performances can shade our opinion of the athlete in general.  While we all agreed that truly becoming great takes a lot of personality traits that are typically categorized as “good,” this really is only one dimension of the human condition....Read More

This fall marks my 7th year as either a competitor or provider in collegiate athletics. During these seven years, I’ve been fortunate to do my part in 4 different programs at the Division I level. These experiences have been as narrow as a football only focus to as broad as encompassing all varsity collegiate sports. Being in college athletics long enough, you...Read More

Whether you train at NBS or waste your time at a commercial gym (oops! Did I write that out loud?), there are 3 unwritten gym rules that you need to be aware of. 1. There is a place for everything and everything in its place I’ve had some of the strongest lifters in the world...Read More

Few things sound as distinct as Rob Zombie and this song is a classicRead More

The most common of all chiropractic stigmas is “Once you start, you have to keep going forever.” Just as with any stigma, there are two sides to this story. I will address some of the truths this stigma is based on, but will focus more on the misconceptions of chiropractic treatment, its goals, today’s societal outlook on health...Read More

Last weekend, we hosted the RPS Memphis Classic Powerlifting meet.  For the past year or so, social media would have you believe that powerlifting is a toxic pool of politics, favoritism, and rule bastardization.  For that very reason, I have not been terribly inclined to compete or really be involved with powerlifting outside of caring...Read More

When a meet is approaching there are three questions that you will always be asked.  The first question is are you ready for the meet?  The second question is how did your training go this cycle?  The final question is what is your goal for the meet?  I’m sure that there are more questions that...Read More

Mid-South Spine and Sports Performance is invested in the continual process of providing the best in sports performance care for our athletes and patients. One of these products have been our recent addition of Foot Levelers functional orthotics. These orthotics are providing a much needed support system for an often neglected are in many athletes,...Read More

Even when you own a gym, getting your training in can be difficult. Lately it’s been extra difficult because I have had a whole lot going on, both at the gym and at home.  To give a run down, over the last 5 weeks or so I have had something every weekend including: Taking my...Read More

Few guys can shred like Alexi, that’s why I chose the live version. These dudes put on a killer show  Read More

Looking for a quality model to work off of in the development of an athlete? Look no further. Check out this video on the athletic development pyramidRead More

In the past years, I have been able to really dive into the gut of fitness industry.  Between hosting powerlifting meets and strongman events at NBS, continuing to compete in physique shows, and doing media coverage of national/pro level physique shows, I have been privvy to the backstage antic of many competitors.  One thing that...Read More

These dudes have some jammin songs. Get some.  Read More

In today’s age of trigger warnings, social pressures, and fragile self esteem, people struggling to incorporate fitness into their lives have turned to a commonly used self preservation tactic known as playing the fitness victim. It is characterized by a complete lack of responsibility with a good dosing of helplessness to taste. If you or someone...Read More

Dumbbell side raises can be a solid exercise for shoulder development when done correctly. When done incorrectly, they can be ineffective and potentially dangerous. Check this video on some of the common mistake people make when doing dumbbell side raises.Read More

This one goes out to my morning client Yoshimi. She’s a huge kiss fan and I can’t blame her. Get up and move your feet to Detroit Rock CityRead More

Famous Beards While I have maintained the fact that beards are incredible and do so much for you, there yet remains a large contingency of people that don’t believe a beard will enable you to do more with your short time here on this earth.  In order to demonstrate just how much a beard can...Read More

A month ago, I attended the Reflexive Performance Reset™ (RPR™) seminar at The Spot Athletics Columbus, OH. If you didn’t read about my expectations and review on RPR’s benefits, feel free to do so. Since returning, we’ve hit the ground running with some of our more difficult cases at NBS Fitness. Over the last month we have seen nothing short of awesome results...Read More

1. Settling into the 148 Class: For the past year or so, my secondary personal priority has been to slowly recomp into a favorable body composition without loss of strength.  I have been giving myself nearly a year to accomplish this because I wanted to really establish long term habits that resemble a lifestyle I can...Read More

This month we celebrate the recent success of Garrett Blatnik.  Garrett set two new squat PR’s this month while training at the EliteFTS Compound.  The first personal best was a 560 pound squat in sleeves followed by a new wrapped PR of 600 pounds.  The awesome thing about this is that there is more left...Read More

When you’re a power-lifter and you spend all of your spare time at the gym and finally have to relate to people outside of your world.  When you run out of things to talk about with the squat you can always switch things up a little bit and talk about how your bench press is...Read More

Recently, I stumbled across a social media shout out to my strength coach from the University of Iowa, Chris Doyle. The post was meant to congratulate him on a story about a recent pay raise that he had received after an undefeated regular season last year. Basically showing respect to his success and hard work....Read More

Cable pressdowns and cable curls are some of the most common exercises you’ll see in the gym but how do you know you’re doing them correctly and effectively. Check out this video on some of the more common mistakes when doing cable pressdowns and cable curls.  Read More

My press credentials got confirmed this morning, so I am headed to NPC North Americans in Pittsburg this weekend.  As mentioned in previous blog entries, being a little more diligent to my nutritional programming in all circumstances has been a big priority for me this year, and traveling can cast some uncertainty.  Below are a...Read More

This month’s throwback hip-hop song of the month comes to you from Paperboy.  “Ditty” was the only song I can ever remember from paperboy.  This song was released in 1992 and I can remember listening to it about 5 years later in my brothers red Dodge Dakota.  I didn’t know this until I did a...Read More

Mid-South Spine and Sports Performance is happy to announce the first of a new line of services and products available for patients. Staying true to our vision of providing the best services and products for increasing performance and injury prevention, we will be adding Foot Levelers customized orthotics to our product line. This offers a higher end...Read More

The combo of Tommy Iomi’s riffs and Ozzy’s voice make for one of the greatest metal bands in history. Give it up for Black Sabbath performing NIB live for your ears enjoyment  Read More

Crossfit Write Up So many of you know I took my Crossfit Level 1 Certificate Course this weekend in preparation for beginning to offer Crossfit classes at NBS Fitness. I wanted to do a little write up on the weekend just to recap my own thoughts as well as give you all some information that...Read More

The foot and ankle region is one of the most common areas neglected in corrective and performance care of athletes. 26 bones make up each foot and ankle of the 206 bones in the body  This accounts for almost one quarter of the bones in the body. There are also 32 joints and over 100 soft...Read More

  How committed to your goals are you?  Do you whimsically hope for something good to happen, or do you go out and let nothing come between you and what you want to accomplish.  Our bodies naturally, like water, follow the path of least resistance.  If you allow your body to remain at rest then...Read More

Testament is pillar in the trash metal genre. 3 days in darkness is one of their later songs but still hits hard as ever. Enjoy my friendsRead More

Hamstring training can be brutal if done correctly. They get a gnarly burn in them and when they’re sore, life is tough. If you hate your hamstrings enough to actually train them the way they deserve to be trained, give this 5 sec eccentric GHR a tryRead More

As you may remember, my last blog talked about my expectations and excitement for the Reflexive Performance Reset™ (RPR™) seminar being held at The Spot Athletics in Columbus, OH. I was looking forward to this seminar for personal and professional reasons. First, I’m familiar with the challenge of getting a muscle to fire in a specific...Read More

“The Power Of Habit”  by Charles Duhigg is a book that sat in my Amazon wish list for a long time before I pulled the trigger and bought it.  While the book made a lot of great points, I wont ruin it by giving you a summary.  Instead, I got to thinking about how the...Read More

With all the toys laying around NBS these days, I’ve been trying to throw in different variations in my back workouts and this combo blew my back up big time. Was sore after each week of training. Check it out:  Read More

Beginner Background Earlier today I was joking with a member about some of the silly things I did when I was a beginner and I thought all of you would appreciate some of these stories as well. I started training the summer between 7th and 8th grade. Around this time my testosterone levels were starting to increase...Read More

Check out this podcast interview I did with Blood and Iron Podcast   http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/blood-and-iron/e/how-much-more-bs-none-none-more-bs-w-david-allen-of-nbs-fitness-44846934    Read More

Two weeks ago, my friends Anthony D’Orazio and Maria Onest came to Memphis to see the very talented Taylor Weglicki.  They allowed me to show them Memphis-style BBQ and explored Midtown.  As you can expect, I also invited to them to NBS Fitness to catch some training.  Anthony is a seasoned bodybuilding competitor and I...Read More

This will be a recurring blog that celebrates the many successes of the members at NBS Fitness.  We have the strongest community of any gym in the city and we also happen to have the strongest athletes in Memphis.  If you have trouble breaking through your barriers you need to leave your current program or...Read More

If there was ever a group of people who wold appreciate metal, it would be the vikings. If you needed a theme song to go into battle, Amon Amarth would sing it. Here’s one of their more well known tracks, Guardians of Asgard.  Read More

As I noted in my last article, the pursuit of knowledge involves constant focus on improvement, bringing up weaknesses, and meshing critical thinking with an open mind to new information. It also has a lot to do with finding the right mentors, role models, or experts in the fields you wish to better yourself in,...Read More

Every brand faces identity issues at some point.  NBS Is no different.  Every week, it feels like I am running into people who are under the assumption that NBS is just crawling with meatheads.  While I do understand from a quick glance where that idea is coming from, its actually pretty far from the truth....Read More

This is literally the only detergent allowed to touch my clothes. Can’t be squatting and have weak shorts, that’doesn’t just be terrible. This is the detergent for those individuals that don’t just want to be strong in the gym but in every aspect of life!Read More

I recently had a friend/client who was tossing the idea of competing in a figure show around.  We got to talking about the pros and cons about it, and in an attempt to oversimplify, I simply said that every aspect of it was challenging, and I wasn’t sure if that was a direction we should...Read More

In honor of real hip hop music that has since been destroyed by feuds between a 95 lb white girl and a rap mogul, I have decided to run a monthly blog about the hip hop I was raised on.   The kind of music that didn’t make any sense but also didn’t have to....Read More

A few weeks ago, me and another member were having a conversation that I have long had with myself about knowledge and learning. This conversation was particularly about nutrition and human performance, but I would argue that it can be applicable to becoming better at your craft, regardless of what it may be. The conversation at hand...Read More

Growing up, my Dad was always a “toy” guy. He always had a ton of fun things to play with: guns, corvette, motorcycles, jeeps, etc. When my Dad got into something, he really got into it. When he got into hockey, he joined a team, he coached, and he bought top of the line equipment....Read More

Avatar has a very unique sound and this music video matches that uniqueness perfectly. Check it out and put it on the playlist for shoulders.  Read More

Many men out there may be wondering if they should grow a beard or not.  The purpose of this blog today is to help you understand the positives and negatives of having a beard.  Over the past few years of being a proud beard wearer I’ve learned that there are many positives about having a...Read More

    NBS Fitness will be putting its members on display this weekend during its media day on Saturday. We will be showcasing the many iron sports offered at the facilities including powerlifting, strongman, bodybuilding, and olympic lifting. It will be an intense and fun day with individuals who are passionate about the iron sports,...Read More

One of the things that I love about powerlifting is the passion that people have for the sport.  From training to competitions there is no shortage of passionate people in powerlifting.  People love this sport, they love the way they feel when shattering a personal record or reach a goal that they’ve been working on...Read More

Check out this video about how to properly warm up to help improve your techniqueRead More

As we continue to roll through the summer, here is yet another change at Mid-South SSP: We have a new logo and a new Facebook page for you to stay connected with future activities, announcements, and write-ups with NBS Fitness. This page will allow for further connection with patients and the public to increase availability...Read More

I love Louisiana based bands because they just have a certain sound that comes with growing up in that area. Down blends the deep blues with a metal groove and the insane lyrics of  Phil Anselmo in their song Stone the CrowRead More