RealStrength By Science

The biggest mistake in strength training I constantly hear is mistaking “time spent” and “amount of exercises and sets” equaling more results or a higher level of strength training. As if muscle is being made stronger and bigger DURING exercise?!? … Don’t over complicate it. Someone can either strength train with true, all out intensity and all out (high intensity, low volume), or with reduced/minimal intensity (high volume, low intensity). It is physiologically impossible to properly and truly do both. This concept is no different than the total distance one could perform all out sprint(s) for before being completely and utterly gassed out vs the distance one could run at a comfortable paced jog/run. Nobody can sprint a half marathon, like truly sprint! One has to lower the intensity to allow for endurance and volume to be sufficient enough to complete the event. However, strength training and the process of building/maintaining lean muscle tissue is NOT aerobic by nature. It is anaerobic. What does this mean in simple terms?!? … Answer: Strength training was never meant to be about endurance and long duration, the body will respond 2-3x better if you implement high intensity, safe, controlled, all out, minimal sets of exercises carried out to a point of true, total muscular failure ! I know it sounds crazy, but do a little human biology research (away from gym science and bro logic) and the answer is right there. Muscle doesn’t care how many sets you perform or how long you are at the gym, it only cares about did it encounter ONE set where the intensity stimulus at the muscular level was so high that it forces the body into motion to recover, adapt, and grow with sufficient recovery and new growth time before the next session. If it did, then move on, there is nothing more one could do that day to elicit any more positive effects. Trying to would only diminish the potential results.

Real Strength By Science Client’s first few months (no filters & no photo shopping) transformation! … Nikki - 41 years old, wife, mom of 2 home schooled children, & small business owner! 💪🏼💪🏼. ‼️Also crazy that Nikki’s first month of training also had to include her elbow fracture (surgically repaired just 4 weeks prior) rehabilitation 😨😮‍💨‼️NO extreme fad diet, NO hours upon hours of week exercising. Just a nutritional approach that optimizes lean muscle tissue while shedding body fat, coupled with just 1-2 high quality, 25-min Real Strength By Science’s 1on1 High Intensity Strength Training safe workouts per week! Real, living, walking proof that it is NOT about how many days a week, and NOT about how long you spend exercising, but rather, WHAT you do and HOW you do it! You are wasting your time and leaving results on the table if you are following all the BS content out there from people who don’t know much about the human body, biology, and physiology! Science doesn’t lie folks!! Way to go Nikki! The next few months of your just started Summer Slim Down is going to be insane!

Myth: (Women): “If I strength train hard aren’t I going to get big and bulky?!?” …

Answer: I’ve heard this so many times over the years and while I understand where it comes from here’s the simple truths: Naturally, women don’t have the hormones nor the natural genetics to have the same muscular “bulky” look as a male does. Will a woman still gain weight if they are in a caloric SURPLUS, yes. However that is the same scenario for both males and females.

I tell all my female clients the same thing: Let’s get your nutrition in line to support muscle building and body fat loss (proper balance of macronutrients)- Step 1. Next, if fat loss is the desired goal then let’s put the daily caloric intake in a slight calorie deficit - Step 2. Lastly, and most importantly, TRAIN FOR MUSCLE, not weight loss - Step 3. Why? If all the above variables are correctly in play then the body will be signaled to hold onto its lean muscle tissue (possibly even add some new muscle as well) while shedding body fat. In a calorie deficit the body has to get rid of something because it isn’t being fed in excess to maintain both fat and lean muscle. When macronutrient balance is in line for fat loss WITH a calorie deficit, the body will ditch the fat and keep the muscle. What does this mean long term? … 1) weight loss is still achieved BUT it is mainly in the form of body fat that was lost, not sacrificed muscle tissue. 2) This is where people describe the look as “being toned”. Toned is a state where body fat is relatively low in relation to lean muscle mass. 3) Training for muscle and adding lean muscle tissue is like adding performance upgrades to a car’s engine. The more muscle one has = a higher metabolic rate (burning more calories even at rest) aka: a faster metabolism. The more muscle the better one’s insulin sensitivity (the way your body burns carbohydrates for fuel instead of storing them as fat). Muscle is literally a win win all around!

This process isn’t a quick fix. It takes consistency and time but the results are REAL, MAINTAINABLE, and LASTING. It’s a complete improvement and upgrade to the entire body both inside and out! 💪🏼💯

‼️Client Spotlight/Success Story‼️:
Nikki: 40 years young, mother of 2, dealing with a debilitating recent orthopedic nightmare!! 😨

Nikki contacted me and said that she had never strength trained before, wanted to, but didn’t know where to start and being a wife, a small business owner, and a home schooling mom to 2 young children her time was valuable with none to waste! More importantly, Nikki said that just 5 weeks prior she had a haphazard fall in which she fractured her elbow pretty extensively and was just 4 weeks post-op at the time. Nikki said this was a reality check of just how important strong bones and quality muscle were and she was more than determined and ready to get to work! 💪🏼.

Nikki asked, “Are you able to help me now or do I need to wait until I’m more healed from surgery before strength training?” This is where I explained that when using a science based, precise, joint friendly strength training protocol in which a extensive knowledge of physical therapy and athletic training is involved, that I could actually start safely working with her right away. Contrary to the typical recommendations to avoid strength training for 8-12 weeks following a fracture and surgery, and where most personal trainers would be too nervous or unsure of how to go about working with someone in this condition, my experience in orthopedic cases to know that a “specific” type of guided strength training can actually speed up and improve bone healing and bone strength, while simultaneously regaining muscle strength and neuromuscular function!🤯 💯.

I will admit, at first Nikki’s injured arm was in bad shape despite the normal physical therapy she had been doing. This was a big concern and frustration for Nikki, and rightfully so! This was definitely one of the freshest and more extensive cases of all the injury cases I had seen over this past year. Where I see a challenge and some hurdles to climb, I get excited because THIS is where science based strength training truly becomes ELITE and where all my years of knowledge and application get to come out in full force! 💥… From day 1 we went to work (TWO - 25 min custom sessions per week) where I created ways and technique accommodations to allow Nikki’s injured arm to still safely engage in highly effective intense muscular contractions with full range of motion. Let’s not forget this was all also PAIN FREE and without any RE-INJURY. In just the first 5 sessions - in less than 3 weeks Nikki’s visible improvements were amazing and she was feeling stronger than ever and optimistic that this injury would soon be a distant memory! By the time we approached sessions #10-12 Nikki could nearly fully straighten her injured arm again and her whole body was losing body fat while creating new, solid lean muscle tissue! To boot, especially for never strength training before, Nikki not only trains with flawless form, but she trains HARD, following every cue and technique I show her! Woops, I almost forgot to mention that Nikki felt and saw the value in this so much that driving 30 minutes each way was more than worth it to her!

Now, with 15 sessions in about 2 months under her belt, just 12 weeks post-op, Nikki’s original injury/surgery limitations are a thing of the past!! Mind blowing especially from an orthopedic stand point!! … Just the other day Nikki told me she had her 2nd post surgery follow up with the original surgeon who was amazed at her recovery and told her, “You don’t need physical therapy, JUST stick with your trainer!” 😎

This folks, taking the extreme cases and highlighting how safe, powerful, and highly effective science based efficient strength training can be is what keeps me going! Helping people defy logic, beat the odds, and coming out healthier and better than they were before is what it’s all about. What a honor and privilege that Nikki entrusted me at her most vulnerable physical point in her life and as a result of her doing so she is well on her way to her BEST SELF! 👏🙌🏼

🔹Check out what Nikki has to say:🔹

After experiencing a very complex elbow injury that required surgery and an implant, I began working with Mark at Real Strength by Science just four weeks post-op. My mobility was extremely limited, and I had strict weight-bearing restrictions. From day one, Mark made my safety and comfort his top priority. His science-based approach allowed him to tailor every session around my medical limitations while still helping me rebuild strength in a safe and controlled way.

One of the most impressive parts of this process was learning how building muscle played a crucial role in healing my bone. Mark explained how properly targeted strength training increases blood flow, stimulates bone remodeling, and provides support to the injured area—all of which helped speed up my recovery. His ability to apply this science in a practical, injury-aware way made all the difference.

After just 15 sessions—25 minutes each, twice a week—my progress has been remarkable. My surgeon is thrilled with my recovery and said his only recommendation moving forward is to continue my strength training with Mark. My bone is healed, my mobility has returned, and I feel stronger and more capable than I did even before my injury.

I truly believe Mark’s knowledge, precision, and commitment to evidence-based training were key to my outcome. I’m beyond grateful and highly recommend him to anyone seeking safe, effective, scientifically grounded training—especially if you're recovering from an injury!

Every single point in this article is exactly what RealStrength By Science has known,been educating on, and been providing to its clients for nearly 20 years! …. It blows my mind that it took THIS long for other professionals to push this information out there as “common recommendations”! … At RealStrength By Science we are committed to always staying AHEAD on the latest cutting edge research, studies and data that allows us to reach MORE individuals than most personal trainers are comfortably and adequately knowledgeable enough to work with, even for some of the most complex cases! Additionally, everything we utilize with our clients is rooted in safe, science based, backed by the field of medicine practices! If you are someone who just values utilizing the best of the best of anything in life, someone who perhaps thinks your current conditions make you not a candidate for safe and effective strength training, or someone who is pressed for time because the rest of your life is so jam packed and busy, then in any event, RealStrength By Science is EXACTLY what you NEED! You can reap ALL the major benefits of quality strength training in just TWO, 25- minute sessions per week!

Reach out by private message RealStrength By Science or email at: [email protected] to schedule your FREE 30-minute discovery call. No matter where in the U.S. or Canada you are located there are 1 on 1 virtual personal training and 1 on 1 nutrition coaching plans available to you! You are never too far gone, it is never too late to start to make positive changes in your health and fitness!

Why Strength Training Is the Best Anti-Ager “Every time you do a squat, a pushup, or pick up a weight, you’re putting gentle stress on your skeleton."