The Strength Parlor

MOVEMENT IS A GIFT

Today we had a pretty different kind of group at The Strength Parlor.

My son Lennox’s homeschool co-op came in for a little field trip.

Carly started things off with a short lesson on health and nutrition.

Then the kids made their own “healthy plates” with some arts and crafts.

After that, we headed into the gym.

We talked about what our bodies can do.

Then we moved.

Squats.

Squat jumps.

Push-ups.

Reverse lunges.

Inverted rows.

Planks.

A little freeze game mixed in because, well, they’re little kids.

Nothing fancy.

Just a bunch of kids learning that exercise does not have to be scary, boring, or something you only do because you “have to.”

It can be fun.

It can be challenging.

It can be playful.

It can be something we are grateful for.

That was really the biggest thing I wanted them to take away.

Having a body that can move is a gift.

Getting stronger is a gift.

Learning how to use that body well is a gift.

At the end, they all got to ring the PR bell.

Then we wrapped up together and one of the kids said a very sweet prayer.

Pretty cool morning.

And honestly, not a bad reminder for the adults either.

A GOOD DEADLIFT SETUP ISN’T GUESSWORK

There are a lot of things we like about Genevieve’s setup here.

She’s balanced over the middle of her feet — not shifted onto her toes or heels.

The bar is over midfoot.

Her shins are against the bar without pushing it forward.

Her knees have moved slightly out, giving her a little more room to get into position without changing where the bar sits.

She’s squeezed her chest up and created tension through her back, hips and hamstrings before the bar ever leaves the floor.

That leaves her arms hanging long, straight and taut, with her shoulders slightly in front of the bar and her shoulder blades essentially right over it.

Everybody’s build is different, so everybody’s deadlift setup is going to look a little different too.

Longer or shorter legs, arms and torsos change where the hips end up and what the torso angle looks like.

But the main landmarks stay pretty consistent.

That’s why we don’t teach people to randomly put their hips at a certain height or try to copy exactly what somebody else’s deadlift looks like.

We teach a repeatable setup:

Get the stance right.

Put the bar over midfoot.

Take your grip.

Bring the shins to the bar without moving it.

Squeeze the chest up, get tight, and push the floor away while dragging the bar up the legs.

Get those landmarks right, and the lifter’s build will determine what the final setup looks like.

That’s how we teach the deadlift at The Strength Parlor.

Not by throwing a handful of cues at someone and hoping one sticks, but by giving them a setup they can understand, repeat and eventually execute on their own.

If you’d like to get stronger but aren’t really sure where to start, send us a message or use the link in our bio to set up a complimentary Intro Session.

START WITH A CONVERSATION

A lot of what we do at The Strength Parlor starts exactly like this:

A conversation.

If you’ve been thinking about getting stronger but aren’t really sure where to start, you don’t have to figure all of that out before walking through the door.

That’s the point of the complimentary Intro Session.

We sit down and talk through what you’d like to accomplish, what you’ve done in the past, what has or hasn’t worked, and what you’re looking for now.

Then we show you around the gym and help you figure out what makes the most sense from there.

You don’t need to already be in shape.

You don’t need to know how to use the equipment.

And you definitely don’t need to know what kind of program you need.

There’s no workout required.

No pressure to sign up for anything.

It’s really just a chance to meet, ask questions, learn how we do things, and see if The Strength Parlor feels like a good fit.

If you’ve been curious, send us a message or use the link in our bio to set up a complimentary Intro Session.

P.S. Based on my face here, I’m pretty sure I was explaining that “the program says this weight” doesn’t mean we have to force it on a day when your warm-ups are clearly telling us otherwise. 😂

PREGNANCY DOESN’T HAVE TO MEAN LOSING YOURSELF

This is my wife during her third pregnancy.

She looked incredible then, and she looks incredible now. But how she looks isn’t really the point of this post.

I’ve watched her navigate pregnancy and everything afterward three different times. Taking care of herself got harder each time. The first time, you’re pregnant. The next time, you’re pregnant while caring for another kid. By the third, your time and energy are being pulled in even more directions.

She strength trained throughout pregnancy, but the training changed as needed. Exercises, loads, range of motion, and expectations all changed with it.

She wasn’t chasing PRs. The goal was to keep moving, maintain strength, feel good, and keep the habit of training intact.

She walked often, ate well most of the time, and never expected perfection.

There were days when she didn’t love how she looked or felt. There were also times when she felt like she had eaten far more than she intended and worried about it afterward.

But she didn’t decide she had “blown it” or try to make up for it. She went back to her usual habits and carried on.

Genetics matter. Every pregnancy and postpartum experience is different, and nobody should use another woman’s body as the timeline their own is supposed to follow.

But habits matter too.

This is about much more than how someone looks afterward. Maintaining strength and fitness can help someone stay physically capable through pregnancy, recovery, and caring for a new baby.

Pregnancy changes your body, and training will probably need to change too. But pregnancy does not automatically mean giving up everything you have built.

And afterward, there doesn’t need to be a frantic race to “bounce back.”

Recover. Walk. Eat well most of the time. Enjoy life too. Gradually do more. Then build from there.

Sometimes training is about making progress. Sometimes it’s simply about continuing to be someone who trains.

I have a tremendous amount of respect for how she has approached all three pregnancies and everything after them.

I’m very proud of her. ❤️

YOU DON’T HAVE TO FIGURE IT OUT ALONE

A lot of people do not need more access to equipment.

They need a plan, coaching, and enough structure to keep showing up.

That is one of the biggest differences between The Strength Parlor and a normal gym membership.

You are not just walking in and deciding what exercises to do, how much weight to use, or whether what you have been doing is actually working.

You have your own program.

Your exercises, weights, reps, and progressions are planned for you.

And coaches are there to watch, teach, and make adjustments when needed.

But the goal is not to make you dependent on a trainer forever.

We want you to understand what you are doing and why you are doing it.

Over time, you should become more confident making decisions, more comfortable training, and more capable training on your own.

That balance matters.

Too little direction, and it is easy to wander around a gym without making much progress.

Too much hand-holding, and you never really learn.

At TSP, multiple people can train alongside one another while each follows the program that makes sense for them, with coaching available throughout the session.

For a lot of adults who have had gym memberships before but never really developed consistency, that missing structure makes a big difference.

If you know you need to get stronger, build muscle, move better, and stay capable as you get older, but you do not want to figure all of it out by yourself, this might be a good fit.

Come in for a complimentary Intro Session or gym walkthrough.

We’ll talk through where you are starting, what you want to accomplish, and how training here actually works.

SYNCHRONIZED DEADLIFTING

Four people happened to be deadlifting at the same time.

Somebody noticed.

Nobody could leave it alone.

So now synchronized deadlifting is apparently a thing.

They still had to finish their actual sets afterward. 😂

If you’ve been looking for a place where you can train seriously without everything feeling so serious, come see what TSP is like.

Complimentary Intro Sessions and gym walkthroughs are available.

BUILT FOR OPTIONS

This is one of those small gym details that probably does not look like much at first.

But if you coach different people in the same room all day, details like this start to matter.

The landmine setup fits into our Williams Strength racks so cleanly that you’d almost think they designed it this way.

The bar has a place to live.

The setup is quick.

The loading is simple.

It does not take over the room.

That matters during a coached session.

Because on paper, a press is a press.

In practice, the best version usually depends on the person.

One person may press with a barbell.

Someone else may use dumbbells.

Someone else may use a machine.

Someone else may use a landmine or Viking press variation.

Same general training goal.

Different tool.

Better fit.

That is where good equipment earns its keep.

Not because it looks cool sitting in the gym.

Because it gives us more ways to coach well.

More ways to train pressing.

More ways to row.

More ways to set up trunk work.

More ways to build warm-ups, accessories, and progressions that actually make sense.

Good equipment does not replace coaching.

It supports it.

And when the setup is clean, simple, and easy to adjust, it makes it easier to coach multiple people with different programs without making the room feel chaotic.

Sometimes the best choice is a barbell.

Sometimes it is a machine.

Sometimes it is a dumbbell.

Sometimes it is a landmine tucked perfectly into the rack.

Small detail.

Useful detail.

And if your experience with gyms has mostly been walking in and figuring it out on your own, this is one of the differences here.

YOU DON’T NEED TO BE STRONG FIRST

I get why the name might throw some people off.

The Strength Parlor.

Barbells.
Racks.
Platforms.
People deadlifting.

Some people hear the name and assume they need to already be strong before they walk through the door.

Or that we’re only for powerlifters, strongman athletes, or people who already know exactly what they’re doing.

But that’s not who you need to be to train here.

We care a lot about strength.

But strength is not something you need to have before you start.

It’s something we help you build.

And in many cases, strength training is most important for the people who don’t feel strong yet.

A lot of people who train here are not advanced lifters, experienced powerlifters, or lifelong gym people.

That doesn’t mean they aren’t strong.

Many of them have worked extremely hard and come a long way.

It just means they didn’t need to be advanced before they started.

Some had never followed a real strength program.

Some had belonged to gyms before but never knew what to do once they got there.

Some came back after years away from exercise.

Some had knees, backs, shoulders, or old injuries they stopped trusting.

They needed the right entry point, the right adjustments, and a way to build capacity back over time.

That’s why coaching matters.

Strength is the anchor here.

But the bigger goal is helping people become more capable.

More muscle.
More confidence.
Better mobility.
Better conditioning.
A body that feels more useful in real life.

On a normal day, one person might be learning a squat variation.

Someone else might be rebuilding strength in their 60s.

Someone else might be improving balance or conditioning.

Someone else might be preparing for a powerlifting meet.

Same room.
Different programs.
Different starting points.
Different goals.

You don’t need to get in shape before you come here.

You don’t need to know how to lift.

You don’t need to be confident in a gym.

You just need to be willing to start.

If you’ve been thinking about strength training but aren’t sure you belong at The Strength Parlor, come in for a complimentary Intro Session.

You might be surprised by who trains here.