Author: Abby Cunningham

Today we’re talking about an exercise we program frequently at SSP: the hip thrust!

If you’ve been with us for any length of time, you’ve probably done some version – bodyweight, single-leg, sandbag, barbell. We love them because they’re one of the most effective ways to build glute strength and improve hip extension.

Strong glutes don’t just make you stronger in the gym; they can make running and hiking feel easier, help reduce lower back or knee discomfort, and improve overall quality of life. Research has even shown that hip thrusts produce higher levels of glute max activation than exercises like back squats (Contreras et al., 2015).

The hip thrust is accessible and safe, but there are two common mistakes we see that are easy to clean up:

 Setting up too high on the bench

If only your traps and shoulders are on the bench, it’s hard to pivot properly and stay stable. Instead, scoot up so the edge of the bench sits just under your shoulder blades (about a third of the way down your back). This gives you a stronger position for performing the exercise.

 Pushing through your toes instead of your heels

This usually happens when your feet are too close to the bench. Aim for your knees to be about 90 degrees at the top, and drive through your heels to fully engage your glutes.

Dial in these two details and you’ll get a lot more out of every rep.

Want to see these corrections in action? Check out our quick video breakdown on Instagram here from Coach Natalie. 

We’re breaking down one of the most important movement patterns in strength training: the hip hinge.

You see it everywhere in the gym from deadlifts, kettlebell swings, and RDLs and how it translates to activities outside the gym when you pick up groceries, lift a suitcase, or grab your kid off the floor. It’s a fundamental movement… but also one that can feel confusing and challenging to grasp at first. 

So what is a hip hinge?

A hip hinge is a movement where your hips move backward while your spine stays stable and your knees bend only slightly. Instead of squatting down, you’re loading the backside of your body (think glutes and hamstrings) which are some of the strongest and most important muscles we have.

Many people instinctively turn hinges into squats (knees forward) or round their back instead of pushing their hips back. Totally normal – your body is just using the patterns it knows best. However, it’s important to begin to gain competency and mastery of this pattern to help not only get stronger in the gym but also ensure you’re staying injury free in your daily life!

Watch this video from Coach Natalie here breaking down the movement and common mistakes! 

Have any questions about your hinge movements or want to get stronger in them? Send me a note back and I’m always happy to help!

Have you ever caught yourself thinking: “Ugh… I guess that’s just part of getting older.”

Aches, stiffness, loss of strength, slower movement – some changes happen naturally with age… but losing muscle, strength, and confidence in your body doesn’t have to.

That’s where strength training comes in.

Here’s what happens as we age

As we get older, we naturally lose muscle and strength. Without regular training, that decline speeds up over time, and it can impact:

• mobility
• balance
• bone density
• energy
• confidence doing everyday tasks

The good news? Progressive strength training is one of the best tools we have to fight back.

Why resistance training is so important (especially later in life)

 1) It protects your independence

Everything we do in the gym carries over to real life.

• Farmer Carries = carrying groceries
• Squats = standing up from a chair easily
• Pressing = lifting things overhead (like luggage, boxes, dishes)

The goal isn’t just to “work out.” It’s to help you move well for life.

 2) It reduces injury + fall risk

Strength matters… but so does power (how quickly you can produce force).

That quick reaction is what helps you:

• catch yourself if you trip
• regain balance
• grab a railing on the stairs
• move confidently without hesitation

Power work doesn’t always mean jumping. At SSP it can look like:

• ladder drills
• medicine ball throws
• controlled deceleration + balance training

One of our members told us they slipped during the night, and instead of going down, they caught themselves and stayed upright. They credited their training here. 

 3) Training evolves with you

Your body changes over time and your training should too.

That’s why we tailor and scale everything to:

• your body
• your starting point
• your goals
• your stage of life

No ego. No all-or-nothing. Just smart training that meets you where you’re at and keeps you strong.

If you ever have questions about the positive effects a consistent strength training routine can have on your body as you age, we’re here for you.

We’re talking about today a special variation of split squats which we find most people love or hate, and that’s the rear foot elevated split squat. 

But, here’s the deal: doing these well means understanding how to make them work best for your body. There’s no single “right” way to do this exercise, and there are ways to progress, regress, or alter the exercise to work better for you, including: 

• Adjusting your range of motion
• Changing how you load the movement
• Using assists like mobility sticks for balance and support

Any way you slice it, however, this is a challenging lower-body movement, but the goal is to find the version that feels strong, controlled, and appropriate for where you’re at. 

 Watch Coach Natalie break the exercise down in this video. 

Have any questions about how to make this exercise work for you? Just hit reply…and happy split squatting 

This week we’re diving into one of the most empowering milestones in strength training: your first bodyweight pull-up. This is a common goal we hear from our members, and we wanted to talk about the exercises we use to progress you as you gain strength in your pulls! 

Our coaches put together a quick video walking you through the exact progressions we use inside SSP to help members build strength, confidence, and control during the exercise.

 Watch the video here 

Here’s a breakdown of what we cover:

Step 1: Cross-Leg TRX Pull-Ups

The most accessible place to start! These help you build foundational pulling strength and allows us to play with improving range of motion as a progression depending an individual’s starting place!

 Step 2: Banded Pull-Ups

Amazing for building grip strength and teaching your body how to move vertically.
Progress by choosing smaller bands over time – you’ll be surprised at how fun it is to see yourself gain strength by moving through band resistance! 

 Step 3: Eccentric-Only Pull-Ups

Once you’ve got strength and control, slowing down the lowering portion of the pull-up builds the muscular endurance needed for that first full rep.

 Pro Tip

Do fewer reps than you think. Quality > quantity, especially for pull-up training.
If you’re working in the banded variations, try sets of 3–6 reps and focus on intensity and good form.

And remember: every single variation along the way is a real pull-up. 

Let’s talk about the real struggle in the gym…

Not deadlifts. Not squats.
Unloading. The. Barbell. 

If you’ve ever finished a heavy set only to wonder why putting the plates away feels harder than the lift itself, you are VERY not alone.

We put together a quick (and hilarious) video to show you exactly how to make unloading safer, easier, and way less annoying.

 Watch here

Here are the key tips from the video:

Tip #1: Stand outside the bar, squat down, brace your core, and pull the plates toward you. And yes… watch your toes. 

Tip #2: When you’ve got a lot of plates stacked up, slide a smaller plate or deadlift wedge underneath to lift the bar slightly – everything will glide right off.

Tip #3: Once one side is unloaded, take both clips off and gently tip the bar to the side to slide it away easily.

Bonus: You’ll look like an absolute pro doing it. 

We’re all about using your energy smartly in the gym.

If you have questions about barbell setup or anything on the floor, reply back! We’re always here to help. 

Happy lifting! 

Every once in a while, we pause to remind ourselves why we do what we do here at SSP. It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day – the workouts, the business goals, the PRs – but none of those are the most important thing we do.

The most important thing we do is help people feel seen, safe, and part of a community that believes they are capable of more than they think they are.

Strength training is just the vehicle – what we’re really building is confidence, connection, and belonging.

When you walk through our doors, we see you. Not just the version that shows up to train, but the human behind it – the parent, the professional, the teammate, the friend. And every time you show up, you remind us why this place matters.

Of course, people see incredible results at SSP, and we hear those stories every day. But at the end of the day, none of that matters if you don’t feel safe, supported, and part of something bigger. Our goal has always been to create a space that feels like yours where coaches and members alike are rooting for you every single day.

Thank you for being part of this community. We’re proud to do this work with you and to build spaces that not only serve our neighborhoods, but truly feel like a second home.

It’s officially the “Big Dark” season here in Seattle, and with that comes a very normal dip in motivation and energy for many of us. First things first: this is completely normal so try not to beat yourself up about it.

Our SSP coaches experience the same thing, and we’re here to help you keep moving, feeling strong, and staying connected through it.

We just shared some of our favorite tips on how to stay motivated and in your routine during the colder, darker months:

 Do less, some days. Adjust your intensity to match your energy – something is always better than nothing.
 Use your high-motivation days wisely. Schedule workouts, prep meals, or plan ahead for the lower-energy days.
 Move with friends. Accountability + community = magic during the winter.
 Find your rituals. A great playlist, a pre-workout snack, or stacking movement with another habit can keep the spark alive.

Moving your body is one of the best ways to combat seasonal blues, boost energy, and connect with your community, and we’re here to support you every step of the way.

 Check out our full post on Instagram for all the details, coach tips, and a few ways we’re staying motivated too!

This week we’re focusing on lateral, or frontal plane, movements – the ones that help you move side-to-side with strength, balance, and control.

Frontal plane training is key for building stability in the hips, knees, and core, and it directly improves how we move in everyday life, from changing direction on the field to carrying groceries up the stairs.

Two of the most common questions we get during sessions is:
 “How wide or narrow should my stance be?”
 “How far should I be stepping?”

Coach Natalie breaks down both of these in this week’s video, explaining how to find the right stance width for your body and how to control your depth for the best strength and joint protection. 

 Watch the Video Here

We’re excited to share something pretty special with you… our very own Owner and Coach Chris went live on King 5’s New Day Northwest!

He joined the show to talk about why strength training is so important (especially as the weather cools down) and to take the host, Kelly, through a few familiar movements you might recognize from your sessions here.

It was an awesome opportunity to showcase what SSP is all about – building strength, confidence, and community – and to share some exciting news about our next chapter: our brand-new Ballard location is opening next week! 🎉

You can watch the full segment here:

👉 Watch SSP on King 5 New Day NW

Thank you for being such an important part of this community. We wouldn’t be here, or growing into new neighborhoods, without you. 💙