Updates

If you’ve ever done personal training with SSP, you may have noticed how your programming alters or follows specific patterns week to week. You may have also heard us talk about something called progressive overload.

What is progressive overload? As fitness professionals, we love to geek out about things like this, but while it might sound very technical, at its core, progressive overload is simply the concept of gradually increasing the challenge on your body during exercise over time. By doing so, you force your body to adapt to new stimulus, and as a result, you get stronger or more physically capable in your activities.

The ”overload” can look different – sometimes it’s an increase in repetitions using the same weight. For example, instead of pressing a 30# dumbbell for 8 reps, you press it for 10. It can also look like a change in tempo, using isometrics, increasing weight for the same amount of reps, and increasing range of motion in an exercise.

You might think if you’re coming into the gym five days a week that you will naturally get stronger. Maybe you will, but it depends on the choices you are making while you’re in the gym. Are you picking up the same weights every time? Are you using too light of weight to drive adaptation? Are you using the full range of your available motion in an exercise or are you stopping short? All of these factors (and more) will play a role.

We see this often with those who only come to group class environments where you are responsible for picking up your own weights. If you haven’t strength trained or exercised for awhile, when you first begin, you will see an increase in strength and ability regardless of the factors I just mentioned. Most of this comes in the form of increased proprioception (body awareness and control) because your body adapts to being able to resistance train and gain greater control of its ability to move weight through space with better form and capability. However, as you move past this initial stage, gaining strength comes down to how you are progressively overloading your body and driving new adaptation over time.

Is this to say you should always be pushing yourself every time you come into the gym? Absolutely not. If your stress level is high elsewhere in life, that will limit your ability to push new heights in the gym. On those days, maybe movement is all you need. There is still a physiological and (likely) psychological benefit to moving every day that shouldn’t be ignored.

At SSP, we do progressive overload during personal training in a way that ensures we are safely moving our members through growth and plateaus. Our coaches track progress every workout, and those notes get passed onto our Program Design team who personalize each new program to the individual’s goals and abilities.

If you’re interested in incorporating more progressive overload into your training or giving our personal training a shot for the first time, fill out this form and we’ll give you some details on our trial membership!  

If you’ve spent any time with us, you know we’re all about creating programs that fit you—your goals, your strengths, your needs. That’s because we believe smart coaching means personalized coaching, and that’s the foundation of our programming.

But why is a customized strength training program so important?

When it comes to strength training, one-size-fits-all programs can leave you vulnerable to injury or plateaus. Your body moves in a way that’s unique to you, so we begin by understanding your movement patterns, any past injuries, and your overall goals through an initial assessment. This is a deep dive into how you move, where you might have limitations, and how we can best support you. 

From there, your workouts are customized to keep you progressing safely. We monitor everything from form to mobility, adjusting your program according to your goals and progression. And if anything changes along the way—like a new pain or mobility issue—we’ll adapt your program right away.

Every workout at SSP is tracked meticulously by your coach. This means every rep, every set, and every weight is recorded—not just to keep track, but to give us concrete data on your progress. It’s not guesswork; we know when it’s time to adjust your plan because the data shows us when you’re ready. This takes the mental burden off you so you can focus on showing up and doing the work, while we handle the strategy.

We don’t just track progress for the sake of it! We recently analyzed 6 months’ worth of data from our members’ personalized programs, and the results were incredible. On average, members increased their strength by 114%. That’s more than doubling strength in half a year—no shortcuts, just consistent work backed by individualized programming. We even had one member increase strength by 282%!

This kind of improvement doesn’t happen by accident. It’s the result of thoughtful, data-driven programming that evolves with you over time.

The beauty of personalized training is that it’s tailored to your specific needs and fitness level. Beginners focus on mastering the fundamentals and building a strong foundation, while experienced lifters push towards new challenges.

Our coaches ensure you progress steadily, balancing the right amount of challenge with the recovery you need to stay healthy. It’s about more than just hitting the gym—it’s about long-term progress and building sustainable habits.

With a program designed just for you, you’re not just training for the next few months—you’re setting yourself up for lasting strength and well-being.

Best,

Chris

P.S Want to get your own customized strength training program? Fill out this form to get started.

We often say strength training is the ‘cheat code’ to staying strong, active, and resilient at any age—and research backs this up. Even training just two days a week has proven benefits for improving quality of life as we get older. In Episode 20 of Inside SSP, Coaches Natalie and Chris dive into how strength training helps us age well, enhancing everything from mobility and energy to overall resilience.

Why Strength Training is Key as We Age

As we age, we naturally experience a decline in muscle mass and strength, which can lead to a loss of physical ability. Research from the National Institute on Aging’s Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging shows that our muscle mass and power tends to peak in our early 30s and then slowly declines.

The bad news? If we don’t do anything to offset this loss of muscle mass, we will see very noticeable decreases, especially after age 65 for women and 70 for men. This change affects our overall independence — everything from our balance and mobility to how easily we can manage daily activities.

Benefits That Go Beyond Physical Strength

Strength training does more than build muscle—it protects us from injury and promotes faster recovery. By strengthening bones, ligaments, and tendons, regular strength workouts prepare us to handle the physical demands of daily life and help prevent falls, which are a common cause of injury as we age. Research also shows that strength training enhances joint stability, which can reduce pain from conditions like arthritis.

Beyond physical resilience, strength training supports cognitive health. Studies from Harvard Health have shown that strength training helps improve memory and focus, reduce anxiety, and may even lower the risk of dementia. Members often tell us they feel mentally sharper and less stressed, which positively impacts every area of their lives.

Our goal as coaches at SSP, is to help you build sustainable, functional strength. We customize each person’s program to focus on safe, progressive training that supports your overall well-being.

If you’re interested in getting started, fill out this form to set up an introductory assessment with us. Together, we’ll go over your goals, answer any questions, and build a plan that’s right for you.

References: 

National Institute on Aging. (n.d.). How can strength training build healthier bodies as we age? U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Retrieved from https://www.nia.nih.gov/news/how-can-strength-training-build-healthier-bodies-we-age

Harvard Medical School. (2021). Strength training builds more than muscles. Harvard Health Publishing. Retrieved from Harvard Health

Seattle Strength & Performance has been making headlines! These features highlight everything that makes SSP unique: Chris’s inspiring transition from corporate life to fitness entrepreneurship, our innovative approach to training, and our coaches dedication to building a welcoming space for people of all backgrounds and experience levels. It’s a testament to our belief that strength is for everyone. Here’s a look at the latest stories:

From Corporate to Community: Seattle Magazine
Seattle Magazine featured Chris and the journey to SSP, capturing his leap from Amazon product manager to fitness entrepreneur. “I didn’t want to be 80 years old and look back and be like, ‘I wish I would have tried this out,’” Chris shares. It’s this boldness, combined with a deep commitment to making strength training accessible, that has fueled SSP’s growth from a small studio to three thriving locations across Seattle. You can read his story in the most recent issue of Seattle Magazine!

Leading by Example: Business for Unicorns Podcast episode 370Chris’s passion for continuous learning extends beyond the gym floor. Many of you may not know, but Chris is also a business coach for Business for Unicorns, where he works with other gym owners across the country to help them create more impact and build their gym businesses. 
In his recent feature on the Business for Unicorns Podcast, Chris talks about the challenges and triumphs of opening three SSP locations in four years. “It’s not just about opening gyms—it’s about creating spaces where everyone feels welcome and empowered to reach their goals.” His experience mentoring other gym owners nationwide reflects his dedication to sharing knowledge and lifting the fitness community.

Strong from the Inside Out: Well+Good FeatureOur Chief of Staff and Coach, Natalie, was featured in Well+Good, where she emphasized the importance of core strength. “Your core is the control center for every movement,” she explains. “Engaging it improves performance and helps prevent injury.” Whether deadlifting or simply reaching for a high shelf, understanding how to activate your core is critical to moving well and staying strong.

Innovating Fitness: Athletech News FeatureIn a recent feature by Athletech News, Chris shared how SSP has become a staple in Seattle’s fitness community despite the odds. Leaving behind a stable career at Amazon to pursue his passion, Chris took a leap of faith, opening SSP’s first location in 2020—just as the pandemic hit. “I wanted to follow my passion, but I didn’t go in blind,” he says. “It was a calculated risk, driven by the desire to make strength training accessible to everyone.”
SSP’s success wasn’t easy but was built on Chris’s unique entrepreneurial boldness and business fundamentals. As Athletech notes, “Travis honed two important but often opposing skill sets: an entrepreneurial boldness and willingness to take chances, tempered by an adherence to sound business fundamentals.” This strategic balance helped SSP thrive, where many boutique fitness studios struggled.
Today, with over 600 members and three locations, SSP continues to grow while staying true to its core mission: creating an inclusive environment where everybody can do strength training. From strategic studio locations to offering career opportunities for coaches, SSP is redefining what it means to be a fitness brand. “We have more work to do in Seattle,” Chris says, “but I’m excited to keep expanding this community in a way that truly supports our members and coaches.”

Creating Community: Small Business Show Podcast In a recent Small Business Show Podcast interview, Chris discussed SSP’s unique approach to fitness and community. “It’s about more than just lifting weights; it’s about creating a space where every member feels they belong and can succeed.” From the 10-year-old athlete to the 80-year-old who wants to stay active, our diverse community makes SSP special.

These features are more than just a spotlight on our brand—they celebrate our community and shared commitment to learning and growth.

Check out the links if you’d like to dive deeper into these stories. As always, we’d love to hear from you! Whether it’s a question about training or a story about your fitness journey, we’re here to support you.

At SSP, we like to wrap up our sessions with an optional last section called a workout finisher. It’s a quick, targeted section tailored to your goals—whether you want to boost your conditioning or work on specific muscle groups, we want you to leave feeling good! In this email, we’ll break down how finishers work, why and when we do them.

What Are Finishers?

Finishers are a fun way to wrap up your workout with an added challenge. They’re not part of the main progressive program, so they don’t follow the same structure as the rest of your session. Instead, think of them as a little extra spice—something to push you just a bit further, depending on your goals.

Why We Add Finishers

As Coach Sam says: “First and foremost, finish your main workout! Finishers are meant to be fun and extra on top of the main portion. They’re generally not progressive (unless we’re working on something specific).”

Coach Nat adds: “I like to think of finishers as the cherry on top—a way to send you out the door on a high note. It’s a chance to add a little more of what you want or need.”

So, while finishers aren’t 100% necessary, they are a great way to challenge yourself or focus on something specific that ties into your goals. Plus, they can be a fun way to finish your training for the day!

Should You Do the Finishers?

Before jumping into the finisher, it’s crucial that you complete the main part of your workout first. The main workout is where the real progress happens—it’s structured, personalized, and programmed to help you reach your goals. So, finishers should always be an add-on, not a substitute. If you’re feeling good and have the energy to take on that final challenge, go for it! But if you’ve already given it your all, don’t feel bad about skipping the finisher—it’s entirely optional.

Remember, finishers are just the bonus round. It’s all about listening to your body and doing what feels right for you.

We talk a lot about the physical benefits of strength training, but what about the cognitive benefits? Particularly as we age, strength training actually plays a critical role in boosting our brain health as well! 

Sharper Memory, Quicker Thinking

Strength training isn’t just about building muscle—it’s about building a sharper mind, too. Research shows that regular weightlifting can significantly enhance memory and focus. For instance, older adults who lifted weights twice a week for six months experienced noticeable improvements in these areas (Liu-Ambrose et al., 2017). Plus, strength training has been linked to faster mental processing, with participants outperforming non-lifters on tasks requiring quick thinking (Nagamatsu et al., 2012).

Building a Stronger Brain

Your brain benefits from strength training in profound ways. Studies suggest that it can actually increase the volume of key brain areas like the hippocampus, which plays a critical role in memory. Even more exciting, research indicates that lifting weights may stimulate the growth of new brain cells, helping you stay mentally strong as the years go by (Northey et al., 2018). Strength training also boosts neuroplasticity—your brain’s ability to adapt and learn—by increasing the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) (Nagamatsu et al., 2012).

Guarding Against Cognitive Decline

Perhaps most compelling is the role strength training plays in protecting against cognitive decline. Engaging in regular resistance exercises may lower your risk of developing diseases like Alzheimer’s. A study published in The Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease found that those who strength train regularly enjoy better cognitive health and a reduced risk of dementia (Forbes et al., 2016). And let’s not forget the mood boost—strength training helps reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, which is essential for maintaining overall brain health.

Our WHY has always been centered around helping as many people engage in strength training as we can in an environment that is safe and inclusive for all. We know incorporating strength training is a no brainer, and we love creating personalized programs that fit all populations, experience levels, and goals. 

See you at the gym!

References:

• Liu-Ambrose, T., Nagamatsu, L. S., Voss, M. W., Khan, K. M., & Handy, T. C. (2017). Resistance training and executive functions: A 12-month randomized controlled trial. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 58(10), 1918-1925. doi:10.1111/j.1532-5415.2010.03010.x
• Nagamatsu, L. S., Handy, T. C., Hsu, C. L., Voss, M., Liu-Ambrose, T. (2012). Resistance training promotes cognitive and functional brain plasticity in seniors with probable mild cognitive impairment. Neurobiology of Aging, 33(8), 1690-1698. doi:10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2011.05.010
• Northey, J. M., Cherbuin, N., Pumpa, K. L., Smee, D. J., & Rattray, B. (2018). Exercise interventions for cognitive function in adults older than 50: A systematic review with meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 1832. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01832
• Forbes, D., Forbes, S. C., Blake, C. M., Thiessen, E. J., & Forbes, S. (2016). Exercise programs for people with dementia. The Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 53(2), 497-515. doi:10.3233/JAD-160019

A couple of the first exercises you’ll typically encounter in your first sessions at SSP are a dumbbell single arm bench press and a split squat. These are both unilateral movements that primarily focus on and load one side of your body. But why do we do this? What is the purpose? Here are a few reasons why we emphasize unilateral training at SSP:

Better Balance and Stability: Working one side of your body at a time helps improve your balance and stability. When you have a dumbbell on one side in a bench press and nothing on the other side, it creates an “offset” situation where the side with the weight is going to naturally throw you off balance and challenge your stability. You have to fight to create tension on the other side of your body to prevent this. That’s a great example of creating and training for stability.

Core Strength: To the above point regarding balance and stability, in situations where you are having to control your body, you are developing greater core strength. Think about doing things like a single leg deadlift, a half kneeling overhead press, or even a suitcase carry. All of these movements require a greater amount of core stability and body control in order to execute them effectively and with good form.

Everyday Strength: Unilateral training mimics real-life movements. Whether it’s carrying your suitcase through the airport, playing sports where you’re changing direction quickly, or going up a staircase one foot at a time, all of these movements are supported and improved through unilateral training.

Greater Overall Strength: Sometimes when we are doing bilateral exercises (think regular squats, barbell bench press, etc.), it’s easier to compensate for muscle imbalances or weakness on any given side of your body. While there’s certainly a great case for doing bilateral exercises (and we do a lot of them at SSP!), with unilateral movements, it’s really hard to compensate when you’re training a single side. This ultimately allows you to identify and work on potential areas of compensation while also building greater strength that will translate better bilaterally.

Trust me when I say, all of us coaches are also doing a TON of unilateral training in our own programs because, well, it works. 🙂

Check out our recent Instagram post where you can see examples of various unilateral movements we do here at SSP.

See you in the gym!
Coach Chris

P.S. Are you ready to feel the difference of training at SSP? Sign up for our free introductory assessment here.

When you think of “core training”, what do you think of? Generally, the fitness industry associates core training with sit-ups, crunches, and getting a six pack (BTW more sit ups and crunches don’t give you a six pack!). Here at SSP, we tend to focus on training for the core that functionally helps you do more activities better and pain-free. This involves training the core to resist movement and stabilize (vs create movement). We call this “anti-core training”, and we use a bunch of fancy terms like anti-lateral flexion, anti-extension, and anti-rotation. 

At its core (pun intended), the goal of training this way is to build strength and stiffness. We want to train your core muscles to brace and stabilize the trunk by resisting movement. We do this to help keep the spine safe and stable while your extremities are moving and to transfer energy from the lower body to the upper body. 

Research from Stuart McGrill, a renowned researcher in low back disorders, has shown that the compressive force on the spine when bent in flexion (such as in a crunch or situp) can be the equivalent of 700+ pounds! Over time, due to these high compressive forces, the likelihood of injury increases. 

Exercises like deadbugs, pallof presses, planks, side planks, farmer carry, suitcase carry, and body saw are all examples of anti-core training and are all staples in our SSP programming. 

Think about doing your day to day activities, things like carrying bags of grocery, picking up your kids from the ground, gardening, and loading your dishwasher. Anti-core training helps you do all of these activities a little bit easier. Also, if you play sports, you may have noticed that training at SSP has improved your athleticism – jumping, changing direction, and running. A big piece of this is building stiffness and stabilization through your core. 

You can see some of our favorite anti-core exercises demonstrated by Coach Natalie here! 

So while you may not be repping out crunches at SSP, rest easy and know that whenever you come in for a workout, you’ll be getting a bit of functional core training every single time. 

Happy training! 

Check out this article on Very Well Fit which featured expert advice from SSP coaches about building a strong core using standing exercises! SSP staples such as the Goblet March, Farmers Carry, Pallof Press, and Chop are all featured.

Let’s talk about deadlifting form.

Deadlift Form Mistakes & How to Correct Them

Mistake #1: Yanking the bar off the ground.
When nervous about a new weight, we often lose patience and try to yank the bar up quickly. This can cause us to lose upper body positioning and core tightness, which are crucial for preventing injury.

How to fix it: Brace hard, tighten up, and be patient. You’ve got this!

Mistake #2: The bar is too far out in front of you.

How to fix it: Set up with the bar over your shoelaces and keep it in contact with your legs on the way up. This keeps your weight centered on your midfoot for a stronger lift!

Mistake #3: Squatting your deadlift.
Starting with your hips too low means the bar has to swerve around your knees, creating an inefficient bar path.

How to fix it: The position of your hips should be slightly above your knees and below your shoulders in the set up. If your hips are parallel with your knees, you are in more of a squat pattern versus a deadlift (or hinge) pattern.

Mistake #4: Losing tension through the lats and shoulders.
Tension in your lats and shoulders helps maintain a neutral spine during the deadlift.

How to fix it: Keep your shoulders down and back, or think of squeezing your armpits to engage your lats. Another tip is to imagine reaching your lats towards your back pockets.

Keep Working at Your Deadlift Form!

Remember, if you are working up to a heavier weight, don’t skip the warm up! Your body needs time to warm up the pattern and adapt to heavier loads. Please don’t go straight to your working weight. 1 or 2 warm up sets (sometimes more) are usually appropriate depending on how heavy you are lifting on any given day. Your SSP coaches are here to help you 🙂

Like I said at the beginning, we love deadlifts and think they are fantastic. They are a true full-body exercise that engages multiple muscle groups, including your hamstrings, glutes, back, core, and also builds your grip strength. The movement itself trains an important pattern (the hinge) which mimics real-life lifting scenarios when you are picking things up off the ground, and the stronger you are in that pattern, the stronger you are in everyday life! 

Happy training!

Want to learn how to deadlift with great form (or maybe get stronger with your current deadlift)? Click here to join us!