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In this edition of Momentum you’ll learn about me and my background, why I started writing fitness content in the first place, why you should read this publication, and the benefits of subscribing. You’ll also get links to Momentum readers’ favorite articles.
This post is mainly for new subscribers, but even if you’ve been reading for a year I think you’ll learn something new.
So, if you’re a new subscriber, welcome.
If you’re coming back to read more and live better, welcome back.
About Nick Occhipinti
The short
I’m a sports and rehab focused chiropractor, strength and conditioning specialist, assistant professor, and writer.
The long
It started in middle school. My dad got a bunch of awesome, used training equipment and outfitted our basement with a flat bench, an incline bench, a t-bar row, bars, plates, dumbbells up to 60 pounds, and a punching bag.
The t-bar row is now buried under the shed at my parents’ old house… ask my dad about that one.
I was enamored with fitness and performance. I spent my free time watching every Arnold and Sly movie, reading training articles from Jay Ferruggia, Joe DeFranco, and Adam Bornstein, and flipping through Men’s Health from cover to cover.
I ended up getting my first personal training job at age 19 and studying exercise physiology at Rutgers University and California University of Pennsylvania, now PennWest California, where I earned both a bachelors and masters degree on the subject.
I continued to train clients and teams while managing fitness centers and a personal training staff as a young fit-pro.
As I learned more and trained more I learned more about what I didn’t know. This led me to pursue a doctorate in chiropractic at the University of Bridgeport.
This was a formative time for me in my mid (to late) 20s. I continued to work in fitness and developed a remote training company, Nick Occhipinti Training Systems, LLC all while in school and forming an identity as a clinician.
I graduated valedictorian of my class and built a successful remote training company that’s home to my flagship program, BREAKING GAINZ. During this time, I also found my voice as a fitness writer.
Today, I’m a clinic director at Performance Health Clinics of NJ where I focus on sports medicine and injury rehab and continue to run my online business. I teach anatomy and exercise science as an adjunct in the Physical Therapy programs at Rutgers University and the College of Staten Island.
And finally, one of my favorite things to do professionally, is produce health and fitness content. That’s what Momentum with Nick Occhipinti is all about.
About Momentum
The short
Momentum with Nick Occhipinti is written to help you optimize and simplify your health and fitness. Bi-weekly posts are carefully curated on topics like building muscle, losing fat, and living healthier.
The long
Most fitness media sucks.
My favorite media to consume was always print. I would read online articles, blogs, print magazines, or books for my exercise science and training material.
This could also be a sign of the times… back in 2003 when I started on this journey YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok weren’t a thing and you had to buy people’s training DVDs for video content.
Nevertheless, I found myself trying to post videos and make Instagram posts that would go viral. I looked at what gets the most engagement on most social media and it wasn’t the kind of stuff I like to create or consume.
I like having a discussion, getting deep into topics, and exploring the nuance that exists in health and fitness.
That doesn’t exist on most of social media.
I don’t like using extremes, because they don’t work for most people. I don’t like making absolute claims, because they’re seldom true. And, I don’t like bullshit.
To make it big in online fitness it seems like you need to be an extreme absolutist with a PhD in bullshit.
Yes, there are some great content creators out there who are very reputable… but unfortunately they’re the exception not the rule.
That led me to get back to what I love in media and what gave rise to this Substack.
Momentum with Nick Occhipinti is published every Tuesday and Friday and designed to optimize and simplify your health and fitness.
Twice a week subscribers get an article direct to their inbox that span topics like building muscle, reducing injury risk, dieting for fat loss, improving mental health, and more.
Momentum readers get stronger, build more muscle, get fitter, and get smarter without having to worry about sales pitches, marketing gimmicks, or fitness fads.
I pride myself on giving you information that is relevant, real, actionable, and bullshit free.
Here are some of Momentum readers’ favorite articles.
Top Posts On Fitness
Free Weights vs. Machines: What’s Best?
Top Posts on Diet
How to Create Your Own Fat Loss Diet
What Supplements Are Worth It?
Top Posts on Health
The Rise and Fall of the Machines
Top Miscellaneous Posts [pain, injury, life, etc.]
A New Way to Think About Pain with Exercise
Need to Know Facts About Lower Back Pain
The Goldilocks Effect of Muscle Soreness
Why is There Always Room for Dessert?
As always, thank you for reading. I would probably still write this stuff if only my wife and my mom were the ones reading it but its nice that all of you read!
Please share my work with others who could benefit from it.