3 Ways to Get the Planet Fitness Military Discount

January 22, 2026 — Jt Spratley

Planet Fitness does offer military discounts. I say again, you can get a military discount at Planet Fitness gyms. PF gyms do not only offer discounts to first responders. There's no difference between a regular Planet Fitness veteran discount, disabled veteran discount, or active duty discount. Now for the caveats.

There are many invalid promotion codes for discounts available online. Some promo codes are outdated. Many, including the ones below, are only valid at certain gyms. Why? Planet Fitness gyms are predominantly franchise-owned. Each franchise [and gym general manager] can offer or refuse military veteran discounts. Below are three ways new and current customers can obtain a military discount at Planet Fitness.

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10+ Best Bulgarian Split Squat Progressions

January 03, 2026 — Jt Spratley

The Bulgarian split squat is a much-hated, well-respected single-leg exercise. Bulgarian split squats work the quadriceps and hamstrings (upper thighs), glutes, and core muscles to various degrees depending on how you hold the weight. Sometimes simply called the Bulgarian squat, it is one of the hardest leg exercises you can do. Below are various variations to consider based on your fitness goals.

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How to Manually Install Gym Bag Digital on Android (Sideloading)

December 24, 2025 — Jt Spratley

As of now, you can only install Gym Bag Digital on Android via side-loading. That basically means bypassing Google's Play Store to manually install an application. Below I'll explain why this is the only way to use the app and how to sideload Gym Bag Digital on Android.

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Why I Built a Privacy-First Workout Tracker (Gym Bag Digital)

December 22, 2025 — Jt Spratley

Gym Bag Digital is an offline workout tracker for Android, by me. But why? There are a couple reasons I created the Gym Bag Digital Android app.

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5 Natural Ways to Increase Energy (Without Coffee)

September 24, 2025 — Jt Spratley

Starbucks coffee, Monster Energy drinks, Red Bull cans, and various gas station energy shots are all notable options for increasing energy, alertness, and focus. Many of us know someone who drinks one one those daily for their caffeine fix. However, many of these commercial energy drinks have excessive amounts of caffeine, cost a lot, or include known harmful or weakly tested ingredients. Below are a few easier, simpler, and natural ways to increase energy.

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6 Ways to Make Eating Healthy Easy

September 14, 2025 — Jt Spratley

Eating healthy isn't easy for a lot of Americans these days. Healthy food is more expensive, expires quickly, and sometimes requires a lot of research to ensure you're getting what's being marketed. Junk food is more accessible, costs less (debatable post-COVID though), lasts longer, and tastes familiar. Instead of thinking of your diet as good or bad, embrace the gray area journey to eating healthier. Your budget, free time, food preparation skills, culture, and knowledge about nutrition all impact your diet. That sounds overwhelming, but I'm not asking you to deal with any of that directly. Below are five options for how to make eating healthy easy in your life. Inhale peace, exhale stress, and read on.

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10+ Online Stores for Norfolk State University Alumni Apparel

July 14, 2025 — Jt Spratley

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) gained a lot of attention from the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. Many HBCUs reported enrollment growth in 2020, reversing the steady decline in total HBCU enrollment throughout the 2010s. Norfolk State University (NSU) alum who were a part of that trend, like me, may have unique pride in their alma mater. Below are 10 websites for NSU alumni apparel.

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HBCU Students Should Complete the SFEPD Mind Over Money Skills Financial Literacy Certification

July 09, 2025 — Jt Spratley
SFEPD Mind Over Money Skills Credly Digital badge

The Society for Financial Education and Professional Development (SFEPD) is a nonprofit organization focused on financial literacy education. Their "four pillars" of focus: colleges, faith-based institutions, workplace financial wellness, and community workshops. In fall 2024, SFEPD created the Mind Over Money Skills Financial Literacy Certification course. This online course was created specifically for Black American students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Below is every reason most Black Americans should complete the Mind Over Money Skills Financial Literacy course.

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5 Hardest Leg Exercises for Functional Aging Training

July 05, 2025 — Jt Spratley
2LT Ben Garland doing barbell step-ups

Your legs are part of your "core" muscles and should be trained that way. You should train all core muscles - including leg muscles - for strength, and stabilization. This is why athletes focus on footwork. Its why there are so many types of shoes for various activities. For example, flat shoes with minimal padding like Chuck Taylor's are good leg workout shoes. Want to shake up your leg workout regimen? Below is a sample workout with five of the hardest leg exercises for real-world lower body strength, power, and balance.

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5+ Must-Try Black-Owned Restaurants in Saint Louis, Missouri

June 14, 2025 — Jt Spratley
STL Flag

There's a lot to do in the greater St. Louis area between the 90+ cities in St. Louis, Missouri and East St. Louis, Illinois. Of course I made time to find some Black-owned restaurants in STL. Below are some Black-owned restaurants in St. Louis, Missouri worth checking out.

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10+ Great Black-Owned Activewear Brands

June 11, 2025 — Jt Spratley
Soldier doing a hex bar deadlift

I've supported and produced content about a lot of Black-owned businesses in recent years. Many of them are Black-owned fitness apparel businesses. So that you don't need to bounce around my blog to find them, this listacle includes my top Black-owned activewear brands.

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Why St. Louisans Should Check out Planet Fitness Fenton, MO

June 08, 2025 — Jt Spratley
Planet Fitness Fenton power racks and deadlift platforms

Many Planet Fitness members in the greater Saint Louis (STL), Missouri (MO) area have decided to make the Fenton club their home gym for various reasons. Fentonians no longer need to choose between a longer drive to the Festus or South County gyms, the Planet Fitness gyms nearest Fenton, MO. Exercisers from competitor gyms have transferred for the lower price point and better access to the gym. Many just feel more comfortable at the home of the judgment free zone compared to other bodybuilder-oriented gyms and "boxes." Below are a few reasons you might want to join Planet Fitness Fenton, MO.

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Exercises to Improve Your Posture

May 19, 2025 — Jt Spratley
Girl scouts with various slouching positions

Slouching, hunching, stooping, tech neck, nerd neck - all synonyms for the shoulders forward, chest sunken in, and forward neck posture. We're most likely to do this while using a smartphone or personal computer. Recent studies show that Americans spend an average of 4 hours on phones daily. Many females slouch to make their breast less prominent. Remembering to stand upright with your chest out and neck erect is important. Strengthening the muscles responsible for holding that position with exercises that require good posture at the same time sets you up best for success. Try the exercises below to correct standing posture.

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How to Install XCOM: Chimera Squad on Linux

May 18, 2025 — Jt Spratley
XCOM: Chimera Squad Steam overlay image

I found Firaxis Games' XCOM from listacles of popular Steam games natively available on Linux. I finished the first story, XCOM: Enemy Unknown, and immediately played the XCOM: Enemy Within expansion pack. I did the same with XCOM 2 and XCOM 2: War of the Chosen downloadable content (DLC). I then learned that its sequel, XCOM: Chimera Squad, isn't natively available on Linux operating systems.

After years of hoping for a Linux port, I got curious about how the Steam Proton compatibility software for Linux might support Chimera Squad. To my surprise, the results were great with minor bugs throughout game-play. Below I'll explain how I installed XCOM: Chimera Squad on Linux operating systems (OSes).

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Hate Squats? Try these 10 Squat Substitutions

April 12, 2025 — Jt Spratley
Army soldier doing a barbell squat

Barbell back squats are known for building overall leg muscle strength, endurance, and mass. That doesn't mean they're essential or necessary for everyone. Below are some back squat alternatives for various goals and medical conditions.

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15+ Great Exercises to Reduce Chronic Back Pain

April 12, 2025 — Jt Spratley
White businesswoman nursing lower back pain

People of all lifestyles can suffer from chronic back pain. People with desk jobs may have neck pain from poor sitting posture, neck forward and shoulders rounded. Someone with prior injuries but no exercise history may need to gain core strength. Weight lifters who deadlift regularly can have muscle imbalances due to lower back muscles being far stronger than surrounding core muscles. Paratroopers can end up with relative stiffness from disproportionately landing on one side. Regardless of your walk of life, the core exercises may improve your core stability and reduce pain.

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5 Reasons to Use an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Inspection Checklist

March 10, 2025 — Jt Spratley
Automated External Defibrillator (AED) on a wall

Every gym needs an automated external defibrillator (AED) for staff members to respond best to Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA). All gym staff should hold AED and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certifications from American Red Cross, American Heart Association (AHA), or something similar. No, it doesn't mean they will know or retain all of the information, but it does imply familiarity and putting in the effort. Just like CPR certifications must be renewed, hardware should be audited regularly. Such audits should be standardized to ensure essential functions, in this case being able to defibrillate someone, are tested accurately in an uniform manner. What is the benefit of using an inspection checklist? I'll give you five.

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6 Best Outdoor Exercise Equipment for Green Exercise

March 09, 2025 — Jt Spratley
People doing yoga outdoors

Green exercise, not to be confused with the green box exercise for family emergencies - refers to physical activity done performed in the great outdoors - parks, beaches, forests, deserts, the back yard. Its not a popular term, but there are years old studies boasting green exercise benefits over working out indoors. The most notable advantages: increased mindfulness and connection with nature, both of which can aid performance by distracting you from fatigue. Green exercise may entice people uninterested in going to an indoors facility to workout, training at home, or training alone. Below are a few ideas to enhance your green exercise sessions.

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Gym Accessories to Immediately Improve Your Workouts

March 09, 2025 — Jt Spratley
Weight room

Many gym members prefer to store stuff in lockers versus looking for somewhere to stash it at every exercise machine. It prevents anxiety from hoping to remember everything before moving to the next station, allowing you to focus more on your workout. Jewelry can fall into unreachable areas inside exercise equipment. Phones and other everyday carry can fall out of the pocket during leg-raised positions or be forgotten in cardio machine cup holders. These are all common to the consistent gym goer. However, there are a few items which could optimize focus and time spent during your gym session.

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5 Free Linux Live Streaming Software

October 22, 2024 — Jt Spratley
Logos for Linux streaming software

Linux users are able to stream on Twitch, YouTube, Kick, Owncast, etc. This isn't obvious with the many "How to Stream on Kick" and "How to Stream on Twitch" guides excluding Linux ... like I'm going to do with BSD. Below are the only free open source software you'll need to to live stream and edit videos on demand (VODs).

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