Blog - Scott Klasen

Is Your Check Engine Light On?

December 21, 2024

Imagine that you’re in your vehicle and halfway to your destination. You hear a “ding” followed by the “check engine light” on the dashboard. Despite the warning indicator, your vehicle appears to be driving and otherwise operating perfectly fine. At this point, would you make a note to visit your mechanic sometime in the very near future? Or would you ignore it and chance it for a week? One month? Six months? Maybe even push it out a year? Some of you might choose to ignore it for a period of time, but most people I know would make arrangements

Buffalo Chicken Breast

September 27, 2024

A couple of years ago I was training a client in his basement. At the time, he was starting to cook and make more meals at home. As we got into the session, he mentioned that he had made buffalo chicken for dinner the night before. My immediate reaction was a sense of happiness and being proud of him. In that, he took the time to prepare a meal for his family – something that I know wasn’t easy or second nature for him. My next thought was, why haven’t I made buffalo chicken yet? I love buffalo wings but

Constructing Your Ideal Pre-Bedtime Routine

August 21, 2024

Does the following sound familiar? You do strength and resistance training 2-3 times per week. You get in a session of interval training, 30 minutes of steady-state aerobic exercise, and fill in the gaps with plenty of movement such as walking. You also eat a whole foods diet consisting primarily of high-quality protein, fruits and vegetables, and healthy fats, while limiting processed foods and sugar. Yet despite this, you’re having trouble losing weight, or you’re not achieving the body composition you desire. If this sounds like you, then there’s a high possibility that the lack of high-quality sleep

The Connection Between Light Exposure and Good Sleep

July 3, 2024

If you happen to be someone who struggles in the sleep department, then this is for you. Before I get started, it might be helpful to review part 1, where I discuss the different stages of sleep and their importance; followed by part 2, where I introduce the topic of chronobiology, and specifically, how to identify your unique chronotype. I could rattle off a laundry list of tips, practices, and interventions that have all been proven to help one sleep better. But today, I’d like to focus on one of the two big rocks that I feel is the most

How to Identify Your Sleep Chronotype

May 9, 2024

Have you ever wondered when is the best time to go to bed? Or, what time you should wake up in the morning? As it turns out, there is no universally agreed-upon best time to get up in the morning or to hit the sack at night. However, there is an ideal time for you to do just about everything and it will vary from person to person. Perhaps surprisingly, this isn’t something you need to choose or guess at because it’s already going on inside of you just running in the background. Each of us has

Understanding Your Sleep Cycle

March 29, 2024

“I’ll sleep when I’m dead.” Have you ever heard someone say that, or even said those words yourself? There was a time I felt this way, and judging by the numbers, I’m not alone. According to sleep researchers, you might just get there quicker too if you’re not getting enough high-quality sleep. On average, we are getting 20% less sleep than we did just 50-60 years ago, with the average American clocking in at 6.5 hours. 25% of us get up to 6 hours a night, while another 14% get 5 hours or less per night. For most of

My Post-Workout Protein Shake

January 10, 2024

When it comes to nourishing and refueling your body after exercise, having a go-to protein shake recipe is a must in my opinion. Not only can it be extremely effective in aiding the recovery process, but it’s also one of the easiest, quickest, and most convenient means I can think of to address all of your nutritional needs in one fell swoop. Today, I thought that I’d share with you how I do this for myself. I generally use these immediately following my workouts, and specifically after strength and resistance training sessions. However, when properly constructed, they can serve

I Weigh the Same but Don’t Look the Same – What Gives?

October 21, 2023

I think I’ve mentioned it before, but I often get my ideas for articles based on conversations I have with clients, friends, family, and acquaintances. Within the span of a week, I was asked this same question by five different individuals. Talk about a sign as to what to write about next! While not asked exactly word for word in each instance, the question was essentially, “Why am I not losing weight”? And/or, “While I’m not gaining weight, why is my body changing in a way I don’t care for”? As with most things, there are multiple reasons why things

Scott’s Mediterranean Chicken

September 15, 2023

I came up with this several years ago for two reasons – to use up a bunch of garden vegetables that would have gone bad otherwise, and lack of planning. Having to make something for dinner, I remember looking through my kitchen for basically anything to make. I had lots of vegetables, and there happened to be some chicken breast in my refrigerator. With that, I gave this a go. Just a heads-up, since there’s no real method to my madness here, what I’m about to give you is just a long list of ingredients. Use whatever you want, like,

20 Years 20 Lessons

August 4, 2023

I was only going to be a personal trainer until I found something better. A couple of months until I found a teaching job, and then personal training would be a thing of the past. That was the plan. The plan never materialized. It’s crazy to think about, but this past May marked my 20th year as a full-time personal trainer. It got me thinking, 20 years is a pretty long time to be doing something. And as a result, I’ve learned a few lessons along the way that I thought I’d share with you. In no particular

Rainbow Trout with Sage Brown Butter and Pecans

June 16, 2023

For a long time, I was afraid to make fish for fear of messing it up because I didn’t know what I was doing. I remember the main issue being not knowing when it was done, and that often led me to overcook the fish. If you’re new to cooking fish, this is a great recipe to start with because you will not have that problem. If you’re unfamiliar, rainbow trout is a very thin, tender, flaky mild-tasting fish that cooks quickly. It’s 3-4 minutes total in the pan and you’re done. You can say this recipe has the best

Running From a Lion

May 12, 2023

I didn’t know it at the time, but this is what I was doing. Everyday. Let me tell you a story and I’ll explain. October 1, 2008, I quit my job at the health and tennis club I was working at to go into business for myself. I had four clients lined up that I was now going to train at their homes. In total, it amounted to 10-11 hours per week. This might not sound like much, but immediately, it enabled me to match and even exceed what I was earning at my previous job which required

Cajun Jambalaya

April 6, 2023

What I have for you this time around is also another great “company” recipe. Like the Chicken and Peanut Curry, I’ll typically prepare this before the arrival of my guests so I’m free to relax once they’re here. If you don’t already own a dutch oven, it’s worth it alone just for these situations. Ironically, this was another staple of the aforementioned Frank and Jeanne’s New Year’s Day party. However, this particular recipe for Cajun Jambalaya comes from the world-famous Emeril Lagasse. I’ve added and changed a thing or two, but Emeril deserves all the credit here. The trickiest part

Why I Don’t Like Meal Plans

March 17, 2023

I don’t like meal plans. Why? Because they don’t work. At least for most people, they don’t work. Now what I mean by a meal plan is – anything pre-put together lasting longer than one week. So yeah, those 4 – 8 week already done-for-you meal plans are exactly what I’m talking about. The reason is simple. As a coach, how would I ever know eight weeks out what is going to work for an individual that I haven’t even known for one day? It’s impossible. Sure, on paper I have a pretty good idea of what

Chicken and Peanut Curry

February 24, 2023

One of the main reasons I keep this blog is to share stuff that I like. In this case, it happens to be a recipe, and once again, it’s one of our big-time favorites. I first had this close to fifteen years ago at Frank and Jeanne’s (a couple of my all-time favorite clients) New Year’s Day party. After eating it there for several years in a row (and loving it), I finally got smart and asked for the recipe! It’s been so long now that what memory serves me is not the exact recipe originally given to me, but

Is It Time To Rethink Your Training?

February 3, 2023

A few days ago I was out for a hike in the Ozarks. It had just rained the night before, causing the footing to be more slippery than usual. While taking in the scenery and off in deep thought, I slipped on a rock. My right foot went out from under me and I thought I was going down. But I didn’t. After I regained my balance with my next step and let out a Holy S..t, I started thinking about training. Yes, one of those things I help people do for a living. Strange I know, but specifically, I

Is Coffee Good For You?

January 10, 2023

Is coffee good for you? I have been asked this question so many times, and until a few years ago, I honestly didn’t know. The primary reason I didn’t know was that I didn’t care, and I didn’t care because I didn’t drink it. I remember the day well. It was late September 2018 and Stacy and I were up visiting some old college teammates and friends in Minneapolis. We had just left some beautiful 70s back home for some chilly 30s in Minnesota. As we were sitting in their family room watching NCAA cross-country on television, my friend

I’m Trying Something New

January 10, 2023

I’m going to try something new here. The way I see it, I have two problems that I’d like to solve. First, I’m not writing on the blog as much as I would like to. Second, it’s hard for me to make the time to do so. The main problem is that it generally takes me a long time to put up a post. From writing to proofreading to hitting publish, it’s commonly upwards of 4-5 hours. Not a long time if writing and content creation was my primary occupation, but I get paid to work with people and help

Superhero Muffins

October 17, 2022

Almost two years ago I posted a recipe for Pumpkin Spice Superhero Muffins. Then I shared the Beet Blueberry Molasses and Apple Carrot versions with you. I had been promising the original incarnation for a while now, so here we go. As a reminder, I just want to make it clear that I did not come up with these muffins myself. They all came from this wonderful cookbook – Run Fast. Eat Slow. Nourishing Recipes for Athletes by Shalane Flanagan & Elyse Kopecky. If you’re looking for more recipes that feature the use of real, whole, healthy food that

Penne with Fresh Tomato Sauce and Fontina

September 12, 2022

Last year I started a vegetable garden. This year I tripled the size of it. One of the results was a lot of tomatoes. I first came across this recipe close to twenty years ago, and it is one of the best ways I know of to use up a bunch of tomatoes. And, it’s tasty too! I’ve made this four times over the last month and a half and am hoping for a fifth if my tomato crop allows for it. This is also a great dish to prepare when guests come over as you can do basically all

I’m Still Here!

August 23, 2022

Someone asked me the other day if I was still posting to my blog and I realized that it’s going on almost 3 months since you’ve last heard from me. In short, no I haven’t put anything out in a while, but yes, I am still around, and in business! Ironically, I have a lot that I would like to say at the moment but for personal, family, and time constraints with current coaching clients, I just haven’t had the bandwidth to add any more to my day. I’m looking forward to sharing with you what I’ve been up to

1132 Days

June 8, 2022

This past February, we loaded up the car and all drove down to Tennessee for a two-week stay in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. To knock the trip out in a day and not arrive too late, we woke up at 4 am so that we could be on the road by 5 am. Besides the restaurant forgetting to include the pork sausage in my bbq combo takeout meal after a very long day, the trip went about as smoothly as possible. It wasn’t until the next morning that I realized that my streak had come to end. Before

Chicken Marsala

May 13, 2022

If you happen to be in a chicken rut where you find yourself doing the same thing over and over, I just might have the recipe for you. And if you like mushrooms and sage, then I definitely have the recipe for you! I’ve been making this every month or two for probably the last 10 years, so it’s one of those recipes that has stood the test of time for me. Besides the fact that I enjoy this dish, the other major plus is with a little practice, you can whip it up pretty quick on a weekday night

Only One Body

April 18, 2022

Today I’d like to introduce you to one of my mentors – Mike Boyle. Over the length of my career, it’s quite possible I’ve learned more from Mike than anyone else in the field of strength and conditioning. Mike has that special gift of taking complex stuff and making it simple. That’s probably what drew me towards him as I was getting my start as a personal trainer. Always pushing the staus quo, he’s a lifelong learner who I continue to learn from this day. Oh yeah, the guy gets results too. Mike is the owner of Mike Boyle Strength

Tailgate Turkey Chili

April 1, 2022

I just realized that I haven’t posted a chili recipe yet this year! So before the weather warms up and we’re not thinking chili anymore, that’s what I’m going to do today. If I remember correctly, this was either the first or second recipe I ever posted on the old website years ago. To this day, I still hear clients mention things like “I made your Tailgate Turkey Chili last night. My family loves it.” Since you can put this together ahead of time and let it sit finished in the crockpot, it’s perfect for when guests come over.

Exercise and Fat Loss – What You Need to Know: Part 4

March 11, 2022

Before I go any further, I hope you’re asking yourself, “Isn’t this the guy who wrote in detail several months back about how there is no one best of anything”? Yes, that indeed was me and it’s still true. However, please keep in mind that everything that I have shared and am about to share with you over these last four articles (part 1, part 2, & part 3) is aimed at those looking for the best way to lose fat. Not everyone is. Some are focused on athletic performance, while others are seeking stress reduction, pain

Chicken, Andouille, & Kale Stew

February 18, 2022

In an effort to compile the ultimate complete one-pot meal, I present to you my Chicken, Andouille, and Kale Stew. I’ve sampled quite a few stews during my time, and what I have for you today is the resultant final product of my favorite bits and pieces of the various stews I’ve sampled. Seeing that we’re still deeply in the throws of winter (it’s cold and snowing as I write this) I can’t think of a better meal to warm you up and satisfy you on a chilly evening. Allow yourself roughly 20 minutes of prep time in the morning

Exercise and Fat Loss – What You Need to Know: Part 3

January 28, 2022

By now you should have an appreciation of how resistance training contributes to fat loss, so my objective for today is to cover the second big rock in this process – interval training. Please note, before I go any further, it would be helpful to check out part 1 and part 2 if you haven’t done so already. When you hear the words “interval training” it might be helpful to think of it as a time-saving type of exercise with a huge bang for your buck potential, at least in comparison to traditional “cardio” or steady-state aerobic exercise. To

Rosemary Sun-Dried Tomato Meatballs

January 7, 2022

I’m sure I’ve said it before, but I really love my slow cooker. Spend a little time in the morning, and then have nothing to worry about come dinnertime. It’s a beautiful thing. I also appreciate the fact that I can often double the batch. This not only means that I can enjoy it twice, but also means that it saves me time later in the week! I’ve been making this recipe for quite a while and it’s a big-time favorite of both Stacy and me. If time allows, make a salad to go along with it and you’re all

Exercise and Fat Loss – What You Need to Know: Part 2

December 17, 2021

In my last article, I made the statement that exercise alone is a poor choice if your main goal is to shed fat and lose weight and that aerobic exercise was specifically unimpressive in this department. Today I would like to discuss a better way. If aerobic exercise or “doing cardio” is not the best way to burn fat and lose weight, then what is? I bet you think I’m going to say some type of strength/resistance training. If so, there would be some truth to that statement, but there is something that is more important. DIET. There

© 2025 Scott Klasen | 847.903.3810