The DNA Blog

Training, nutrition, and real client results — written by the coaches, not a content farm.

February 15, 2020 · DNA

Training in Your 70s (Part 2)

Susan started strength training at 71 with plantar fasciitis and declining bone density. At 73: pain-free, stronger, and back from a multi-day cycling trip.

November 12, 2015 · Before And Afters

How to Exercise Toward Age 70 (Before and After, Part 1)

At 69, Janet hadn't exercised in 30 years. Six months later: 36% to 23% body fat, a 75-lb front squat, and a real push-up. Here's the exact approach.

August 21, 2015 · DNA

Tip of the Week: Lower Back Stretches

Lower back pain is usually preventable: dynamic warm-ups in the gym, static stretching as homework, stronger abs — and four stretches we love, with video.

March 2, 2015 · Tips

DNA Homework & Travel Workouts

Ten short, no-equipment travel workouts — push-ups, squats, burpees, lunges, a playground circuit — alternating training days with active recovery.

August 28, 2014 · DNA · Tips

The Best Nutrition Advice Ever!

Four rules that outlast every fad diet: eat real food, eat meat, eat plants, and ration junk food — monthly, every few weeks, or weekly, depending on your goal.

March 4, 2014 · DNA

It's Mardi Gras! Stupid Easy Jambalaya Recipe

AJ’s five-minute-prep jambalaya for people who could burn water: frozen fajita mix, andouille, shrimp, canned tomatoes, rice, one pot, 40 minutes of ignoring.

February 27, 2014 · DNA

The #1 Most Important Kitchen Tool

Good pans help, a great spatula helps more, but one tool changes every cook's life: a big, sharp knife. What to buy at $20 or $150, and how to keep it sharp.

February 12, 2014 · DNA

Goal Posts

SMART goals in the gym — specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-bound — with real examples, and why two written goals beat “get stronger”.

January 17, 2014 · DNA

Soup for You

A 45-minute Italian sausage minestrone for Tucson’s few cold days: carrot, onion, celery, garlic, stock, chicken sausage, spinach — better the second day.

October 14, 2013 · Sides P1 · Sides P4

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts have an unfair bad rap. Halved, tossed with red onion, garlic and olive oil, roasted 20 minutes at 400°F — nothing like grandma’s version.

October 13, 2013 · Lifestyle · Science

Snooze or Lose, Part 1

Part 1 of the DNA sleep series: why modern life robs us of sleep — electric light, screens, workaholic culture — and a practical first step to reclaim it.

October 11, 2013 · Lifestyle

A Note on Phases: They Aren't Grades

DNA’s nutrition phases aren’t levels: Phase 1 is food quality, 2 adds quantity, 3 adds timing. Pick the one that fits your goal and your life, guilt-free.

September 26, 2013 · Tips · Training Day Archives

All Kids Love LOG! How to Set Up Your Logbook for Success

Why every DNA client keeps a logbook, and exactly how to set one up: daily logs, benchmark pages, PR notation, and the full DNA benchmark list.

September 22, 2013 · DNA · Technique · Training Day Archives

Three Days with the Masters: AJ's RKC II Adventure

Inside the RKC Level II kettlebell instructor course: the press test, waking up the lats with one band drill, “tailbone to navel”, and what a coach brings home.

September 10, 2013 · Off day recipes · Phase 1 Recipes · Phase 2 & 3 Recipes

Fast & Easy Mojito Lime Chicken

Tina’s 15-minute chicken for every phase: cubed breast, a Mojito Lime packet, vinegar, water on training days or oil on off days, one hot pan with a lid.

August 17, 2013 · Before And Afters · DNA · Phase 4 Nutrition

Amazing Transformation

Drew and Sara's six months of Advanced Micro Training: 15-minute sessions, three days a week. Drew went 17.9% to 5% body fat; Sara 28.5% to 12.7%. The full Q&A.

August 9, 2013 · DNA · Science

Smoking a Joint

Joint pain rarely starts in the joint. Referred pain, imbalance, protein and sleep — then knees (your shoes), shoulders (chest vs. back), elbows (wrists).

July 3, 2013 · DNA · Training Day Archives

Level Testing

How DNA's four fitness levels work — Novice to Elite — why your overall level is your weakest event, and what the standards are built on.

June 17, 2013 · Lifestyle · Phase 4 Nutrition · Science

Huevos, Cholesterol

Is it really okay to eat whole eggs if you have high cholesterol? A plain-English tour of LDL, HDL, and why the toast matters more than the yolk.

May 24, 2013 · Lifestyle · Phase 4 Nutrition

Nutrition: A Word About Philosophical Differences

Two coaches, one science, different emphasis: David’s simple, feasible plan versus AJ’s food-quality deep dive — and the rule they share: enjoy eating.

May 15, 2013 · Phase 4 Nutrition · Science · Tips

Man-Made vs. Real Food

Why DNA doesn’t sell protein powders or vitamins: real food over lab-made, what’s really in a shake, the one supplement worth a look, and a label rule.

March 12, 2013 · DNA · Tips

Balancing Act, Part 2: Listen Up, Buttercup! Chillax!

Overtraining is real: five warning signs you need a day off, why rest is where strength is actually built, and how to come back without losing your gains.

March 10, 2013 · Meals · Phase 1 - Meal Examples · Phase 1 Recipes

Amazing Collie Flower

Cauliflower is the chameleon of vegetables: roast it, puree it into faux-tatoes, rice it for jambalaya and faux-ried rice, or turn it into pizza crust.

March 2, 2013 · DNA · Exercises

Balancing Act, Part 1: BUT IT'S ONE LOUDER...

When to turn your training up to eleven — and when you're cheating yourself by sandbagging. Good hurt vs. bad hurt, Rx+ benchmarks, and the Spinal Tap rule.

February 25, 2013 · Meals · Phase 1 - Meal Examples

Comfort Food for Cold Weather: Chili

AJ's clean Cinci-Mex chili: chorizo, cocoa, and cinnamon meet Southwest heat, served over spaghetti squash — with notes for early-phase nutrition plans.

February 10, 2013 · Lifestyle · Meals

Laissez les bons temps rouler! It's Mardi Gras!

Mardi Gras without the grain hangover: gumbo and jambalaya tweaks, the truth about Hurricanes, and AJ's grain-free King Cake with marshmallow icing.

February 4, 2013 · Uncategorized

Sometimes, Less is More

Why DNA programs MINIMAX — minimum training volume, maximum benefit — what the chronic-cardio debate misses, and what to do when you feel like doing more.

January 28, 2013 · Lifestyle · Tips

Superbowl Superfood

Game-day food without the Monday regret: kale chips, baba ghanouj with endive dippers, turkey legs, and the beer-water alternation trick.

January 23, 2013 · Lifestyle

Grand Scale

The number on the scale does not matter: muscle is denser than fat, so a leaner you can weigh the same. Two ways to break the obsession — or stop weighing.

January 4, 2013 · Phase 1 Recipes · Phase 4 recipes

Breakfast

A grain-free holiday sausage and egg casserole in two steps: a quick coconut-flour "corn" bread, then the classic Christmas-morning bake — cleaned up.

January 1, 2013 · DNA · Lifestyle · Tips

The Game Changers: DNA Personal Training is transforming people in less time than a school semester.

Why gym memberships and DIY plans keep failing — and what a focused semester of real training, nutrition counseling, and education can change for good.

December 19, 2012 · DNA · Lifestyle

DNA Holiday Tip #4: Little Plates

The buffet trick: load a 7-inch salad plate, not a dinner plate, skip seconds, and you eat a reasonable meal instead of a Roman feast. Works year-round at home.

December 12, 2012 · DNA · Lifestyle

DNA Holiday Tip #3: Squeeze Workouts

Four minutes is enough: Tabata rounds (20 seconds hard, 10 off, eight times) with squats, push-ups, burpees or a kettlebell — plus eight more travel workouts.

December 7, 2012 · DNA · Lifestyle · Tips

DNA Holiday Tip #2: Veg!

Holiday party tip: hit the vegetables hard before the pumpkin pecan fudge cheesecake. Artichoke dip does not count. Plus flour-free gingerbread, if you must.

December 2, 2012 · DNA · Lifestyle

DNA's Holiday Tip #1: One for One Beverages

The one-for-one rule for December: after every caloric drink, a full glass of water, at least 12 ounces. Why sugar is hard to stop, and how to enlist the waiter.

November 14, 2012 · Meals · Phase 1 - Meal Examples

Thanksgiving Menu - What to Eat?

Two trainers, two Thanksgiving philosophies: David says enjoy the family table guilt-free; AJ cooks the whole-food version. Menu and recipes included.

November 11, 2012 · DNA · Lifestyle

FIZZ OUT!!

21 days, no soda, no juice, no fake sweeteners. Why kicking liquid sugar is the highest-leverage habit change — plus the full Q&A on what you CAN drink.

November 11, 2012 · Lifestyle · Meals · Phase 1 - Meal Examples

Hey Pumpkin!

How to roast your own pumpkin puree, plus three clean recipes: curried pumpkin soup, crustless pumpkin pie custard, and a butternut squash swap tip.

October 21, 2012 · DNA · Exercises · Tips

Vacation & Travel Workouts: The Big Fat List

26 no-equipment workouts for hotel rooms and vacations — squats, burpees, sprints, and handstand push-ups. Pick one, mix and match, aim for balance.

September 24, 2012 · DNA · Lifestyle · Meals

The Sweetener Spectrum

Agave, stevia, honey, maple, palm sugar, or fruit? The pros and cons of every sweetener option, so you can bake smart and eat real food.

September 1, 2012 · DNA · Lifestyle · Meals

Coco Loco: Fabulous Coconut

A guide to every form of coconut — water, milk, cream, flour, shredded — what to watch for on labels, plus a two-ingredient-swap pizza crust recipe.

August 26, 2012 · DNA · Exercises · Technique

Deadlift: I Bet You Can Lift More Than You Think

A video breakdown of a 285-lb deadlift: eight technique points, when to add weight, and why fighting for the third rep is where strength is built.

August 23, 2012 · DNA · Lifestyle · Meals

Substitute Teaching, Part 3: Breakfast — 'Wait, I can eat that?!'

Clean-eating breakfast substitutes that actually satisfy: nutty paleo 'oatmeal,' guilt-free French toast, and three pancake and waffle batters.

August 16, 2012 · DNA · Lifestyle · Meals

Substitute Teaching, Part 2: The Wonders of Cauliflower

Four ways cauliflower stands in for starches: silky purée, mashed 'potatoes,' pizza crust, and simple roasted florets — with macros included.

August 14, 2012 · DNA · Exercises · Technique

Swing, Baby, Swing

Five kettlebell swing technique tips that protect your back and make the bell fly: eyes up, hip snap from the bottom, plug it into the wall.

August 13, 2012 · Lifestyle · Meals · Phase 1 - Meal Examples

Guilt-Free French Toast with Strawberries and Cream

A client’s treat the whole family will eat: almond-flour bread dipped in cinnamon-vanilla egg, griddled golden, with strawberries in sugar-free whipped cream.

August 12, 2012 · Lifestyle · Meals · Phase 1 - Meal Examples

Substitute Teaching, Part 1

Three delicious substitutes for pasta and bread: spaghetti squash, zucchini carbonara, and a paleo bread that works for French toast.

August 1, 2012 · Lifestyle · Meals

The Crust

A fast, simple grain-free pizza crust — three eggs, coconut flour, a sauté pan — plus the label-reading rules for sauce, toppings, and cheese.

July 29, 2012 · Lifestyle · Meals

Read the Label!

Before you eat anything from a package, read the label. How to spot corn syrup, mystery additives, and marketing tricks — and what to eat instead.

July 24, 2012 · Technique

Getting Stuck

The sticking point is where strength is built. Why you should fight for the rep instead of dropping the bar — and the two good outcomes when you do.

July 18, 2012 · Meals

What's in season? Zucchini!

Five ways to use up a garden's worth of zucchini — including zucchini carbonara and a grain-free zucchini banana bread that doubles as French toast.

June 9, 2012 · Lifestyle

Weird Science

How to read exercise-science headlines with a working baloney meter: factor spaces, generous definitions of 'healthy,' and the questions studies forget.

May 29, 2012 · Phase 1 Recipes · Phase 4 recipes · Protein P1

Chiles Rellenos de Carne en Salsa de Chipotle

A fast, clean chiles rellenos recipe from Norma Sedano: roasted peppers stuffed with ground sirloin and mushrooms in chipotle sauce. 20 minutes, 43g protein.

May 27, 2012 · Lifestyle

Just Plan It.

The number one barrier to clean eating isn't willpower — it's the missing 15 minutes of weekly planning. Two scenarios, one habit, and lunch solved too.

May 23, 2012 · Eating Out P2+3 · Quick Meals P2+3

Post-Training Meal - Sushi

David's post-training day meal: 41 pieces of nigiri, 330g of carbs — and why that works on a training day. Science-based fitness and nutrition in action.

April 14, 2011 · DNA · Exercises · Technique

How to RUN — Faster, Longer, Better!

Four steps to better running technique: run on the balls of your feet, strengthen your feet and ankles, choose better shoes, and let gravity propel you.