Who is Andrea?

I am an athletic academic advisor at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities where I work with Wrestling and the Swim and Dive Team. I am originally from Milwaukee, WI. I was a distance swimmer in college and my background is in Psychology.

What made you want to start your fitness journey?

I have been on a fitness journey probably since about 2015 when I gained a lot of weight after college. I was still eating like a swimmer but was not practicing like one. I felt very lost in the “real world” because my identity had always been as an athlete. I have always loved working out, for me, it is a huge escape and it helps with my anxiety. I just never really had all of the pieces. I loved working out, but I wasn’t eating the right way and I did not have a community. I was motivated to start working with Okon because I was in a very low place mentally. I am very hard on myself and I just had an overwhelming feeling that “no matter what I do...

Look BACK at it.

Not only is it aesthetically pleasing (in our opinion) to have a strong back, but it is also a key muscle group used to achieve total body strength. The back is arguably one of the most difficult parts of the body to train. It is the largest muscle group in the upper body, making it a key group to train for total upper body strength and posture. By strengthening your back muscles, you're building up the main support structure for your entire body. A healthy and strong back will stabilize and brace your spine, which will make reaching your health and fitness goals even easier.

How to train to GROW your back

You may be reading this thinking that you’ve tried every back movement in the book to grow your back, but it may not be the movement itself that is hindering your progress, it could be the WAY you are training.

#1 Focus on your mind-muscle connection.

The mind-muscle connection is a conscious and deliberate muscle contraction. The...

So you took some time off from the gym... 

You may be reading this thinking: "Why would you EVER take time off from the gym?? Rest is for the WEAK. #NoDaysOff"

First off, chill.

It is true that in order to build muscle, you need to be in a caloric surplus and put in work at the gym. However, there are times when getting to the gym every day is not realistic. 

Maybe you got injured and were required to take time off for recovery.

Maybe a major life event caused you to take a break from the gym.

Or maybe you have found yourself int the middle of a pandemic and all of the gyms have been shut down for the last 3+ months.

Whatever your reason for taking time off from the gym, it is important to understand the science behind rebuilding lost muscle, and the steps needed to rebuild safely, and effectively. 

Have you truly lost muscle?

If you have taken more than 3 weeks off from the gym, it is very possible that you are beginning to experiencing...