Nicholas Garcia

I have more responsibilities now.

Less free time.

More stress.

But, I’m a better athlete in my 30’s than I ever was in my 20’s.

I train smarter now. I set better goals. I prioritise the right things. And I surround myself with people who do the same.

When you have a lot on your plate, you have to find the levers that are going to make the most impact.

If you don’t know what they, find someone who does so they can guide you, support you and keep you accountable.

Can’t deadlift yet? Start here.

The landmine deadlift is one of the best exercises to learn before you ever touch a barbell for a conventional deadlift.

Here’s why:
✅ Easier setup
✅ Forces you to learn the hip hinge pattern
✅ Less spinal load while you’re learning
✅ Builds the confidence to progress to heavier pulling

The number one mistake beginner lifters make is loading up a barbell before they’ve even learned to bend at the hips properly.

The landmine takes that out of the equation. The angle of the bar naturally guides you into the right position so you can feel what a proper hinge is supposed to feel like before you go anywhere near heavy weight.

Master the movement first. Load it later.

If you want to learn how to add this into your program, send me a message or drop a comment below 👇

Internal rotation is the rotation that lets your hip move cleanly under you.

Sit a lot, train only forward and back, and it quietly disappears. You don’t notice until something downstream (the knee, the lower back) starts complaining.

This one strengthens it rather than just stretching it. Light band, knees squeezing, feet off the floor so the hip has to do the work. The setup looks annoying, but every part of it is there for a reason.

Save it and add it to your next lower-body session.

Tight through the hips and groin? Holding a stretch will only get you so far.

Passive stretching, does open up range. But it’s range you can’t always control, and it tends to disappear the moment you’re under fatigue late in a session or a race.

This banded adductor drill is different. The band pulls you into end range, then you rotate and load the tissue actively so you’re not just reaching the range, you’re learning to control it. That’s the range that actually transfers to your stride.

If you’re 35+ and your hips feel locked up no matter how much you stretch, the problem usually isn’t flexibility. It’s that you’ve never trained the range under load.

Add this before your next session and see how different your hips feel.

Save this one for your next mobility day. 👇

Runners here’s how to keep your strength WITHOUT adding more volume.

In your peak running weeks or race lead-up, the last thing you want is extra muscle fatigue from heavy lifting. But you also don’t want to lose the strength you’ve built all season.

The solution? Overcoming isometrics.

Same force output. Minimal fatigue. Zero extra volume.

Here are 3 isometric exercises to swap in during high volume weeks:
1️⃣ Split Squat Isometric (replaces barbell back squat or split squat) → Bar set up under front leg with hooks blocking movement → Drive hard into the bar for 5 seconds → 3–4 reps each side
2️⃣ Seated Calf Raise Isometric (replaces seated calf raise) → Bar resting on legs at the top of a calf raise position → Drive up as hard as you can for 5 seconds → 3–4 reps, maximal effort
3️⃣ Single Leg Standing Calf Raise Isometric (replaces standing calf raise) → Bar on back with hooks set at standing height → Drive up onto one leg for 5 seconds, then switch → 3–4 reps each leg

How to program it: Run on Saturday? Do this Sunday → Tuesday → Thursday 2–3 sets per exercise, 3–4 reps each side
Stay strong. Stay fast. Don’t compromise your race prep.