Search results for: exercise

Exercise: What to do when your schedule gets crazy!

14 Wednesday Jan 2015

Posted by in Fitness

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I have been thinking a lot about exercise lately, in my own attempt to be consistent. This week my schedule has gotten crazy with work and I do not know if I will make it to the gym the three days that I need and want to.

In attempt to get movement and something in when and where I can:

  1. Get up and walk the long way around the office to the bathroom once every hour
  2. When in the bathroom, go into the big stall and do as many air squats as you can
  3. If you have access to stairs use them! Walk up and down them a couple of times
  4. If you cannot walk around, stand up at your desk once every hour for a little bit, stretch your body if you can

How many squats do you think you will do in a day if you do them once an hour or even just when you take potty breaks?

Let’s Talk Exercise

08 Thursday Jan 2015

Posted by in Fitness

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I am a firm believer that everything in life is about perspective (and definition). This thought also applies to exercise. A person’s perspective on exercise will determine how they approach, mange, execute, and recover from it; ultimately their “success” or “failure” as well (that is where definition comes in – success and failure is relative and subjective).

As with most things exercise is a mental issue. You have to deal with the mental issues before you can deal with the physical part.

My perspective on exercise:

Exercise is not a tool to get you or make you thin (skinny, lean, etc). Exercise can help your body to be insulin sensitive, so your body can put nutrients in to your cells for fuel. Exercise can help your body build muscle so you can move through your days, even as you age. Exercise can help your body to maintain bone density so you do not break a bone under load or force, even as you age. The right types of exercise can help your body maintain good cardiovascular and metabolic health. Exercise is a tool to help you be healthy; a healthy body will result in a non-fat body (I will not say “lean” because again my definition of lean may not be yours.)

Exercise will not create an environment to which you can eat whatever or however much you want to (aka: I will eat this and exercise it away later). You cannot exercise away a poor diet. The biochemical responses within the body from a poor food choice occur and the consequences are done to the body regardless of if you choose subsequently exercise.

More exercise is not better for you, it is just more. It is important to find how much of the right types (see below) of exercise will make you and keep you healthy. Who really wants to exercise hours per day?! If someone tells you that….they are delusional! They think that because that is what they think they have to do to look they way they do so they will be happy. Most people will tell you, if they could be not fat and feel good by not exercising then they would not exercise. Also, sometimes in certain cases less exercise is the right thing for a person to do to be healthier and fit.

Right types of exercise for optimal health and longevity:

It is my researched opinion, that lots of walking per day, lifting heavy weights 2 – 4 times per week, and opposite days of 1 -2 days of HIIT training or sprints for approximately 10 – 15 minutes is all it takes to have optimal health and longevity from exercise (not talking food here, but food is an uber-important component too).

When I say walk a lot – I mean walk as much as you can each day. This will change from day to day and from person to person. The more you can get in the better.

When I say lift heavy weights – I mean as heavy as you can lift with proper form (http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/) or (http://jassafit.com/). I will likely elaborate on this subject more in a separate post. I like an every other day regime for lifting, so it will give the body time to rebuild and recover from the lifting sessions (example: Mon., Wed., Fri. or Tues., Thurs., Sat.)

When I say HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) or sprints – I mean your “all out effort” at the activity. You can do this by running/sprinting that is….jump rope, row machine, bike, stairs, etc. Fast bursts of all out effort followed by slow recovery time till you can do it again. The slow down time in between all out efforts will get shorter and shorter over time as you gain conditioning. I like to start with once per week, every 7 days; if you are feeling good and energetic after your walking and lifting and can easily do another day, do it. If you are too tired and can only do once, that is ok. If you do this consistently over time you will see great fat burning results. Please note: in this case – MORE IS NOT BETTER.

If you do not walk out of the gym feeling better than you did when you walked in; with energy, you might want to rethink your workout program and or assess your food choices.

My general exercise perspectives:

Everyone has to start somewhere. Start where you are, 10 or 15 minutes is better than none. Be consistent; you will not get lasting results being inconsistent. If you miss a step – no worries – start right back up like nothing ever happened; each day is a new opportunity. Do not worry about the other people in they gym – they are not worried about you. They are too concerned about themselves to notice if you have a jiggle or whatever you are worried about them noticing. Fat, unhealthy people belong in the gym! There are trainers in there to help you figure out what each machine does in there….ask for help.  Do not compare yourself with others; you have no idea what their story really is. Everyone’s journey is different. Do not put yourself in a box, there are too many limitations in there. Cut yourself some slack no one is perfect, but do not give yourself excuses or justifications. Make your exercise “you time”, the healthier you are the better you will be for your life and for those in it. Take the “you time” to meditate, think, workout stress, workout worries, and take out your frustrations physically. All of your life will still be out there in 30 – 60 minutes…it can wait.

I could go on and on…but I’m going to make myself stop before everything turns into a bumper sticker…..

If your perspective is outta whack – message me or leave a comment on this post – I am happy to talk you.

3 Steps to Full Body Healing

12 Tuesday Jun 2018

Posted by in Lifestyle

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The body is an incredible creation. Its ability to grow and regenerate is remarkable. I believe that given the correct inputs the body will heal itself. The body is designed to live, it wants to live, and there are feedback loops / built-in mechanisms for the body to use to increase longevity.

A few feedback loops that exist in the body that we consider body dysfunction is actually the body’s way of keep itself alive, for example: insulin resistance, diabetes, reverse T3, hypothyroidism.

I have randomly and repeatedly heard people taking about various examples of changes they made to their diet and lifestyle that allowed their body to heal itself of some pretty serious diseases and dysfunctions.

If you suffer from a dysfunction or disease in your body, my very first suggestion is a food and lifestyle overhaul. 1) Remove the things that are offensive to the body 2) Replace the removed things with new things that promote healing in the body 3) Give your body time, consistency, and grace.

1. Remove

Remove Toxins

We live in a very toxic world. Think about what you put on your skin. What you breathe in your lungs. What you put into your mouth.

Swap out conventional for the least processed forms you can find and afford.

2. Replace

Replace

Super filtered clean water for the inside and the outside of your body.

Few Ingredient Safe Skin Care

Air Filters & Plants

Clean High-Quality Real Whole Food

  • There are lots of resources on my page. Here is a general one.
  • Here is also a post I did talking about growing your own Fresh Produce.

Clean High-Quality Supplements

I’m an affiliate for the three brands listed below, because I believe in them.

  1. Nutreince
  2. Doc Parsley’s Sleep Remedy
  3. Vital Proteins

Other Brands I like: Designs for Health, Biotics, Equip Foods, Paleo Valley, Pure Encapsulations, Thorne

3. Time, Consistency & Grace

Each organ in your body has cell turnover and regeneration; given the correct nutrients and enough time you can build a new healthy body! Not all cells turn over at the same rate so parts of your body will be younger than others….soooo not a completely new body all at once.

Check out these interesting articles:

If you find yourself with a body dysfunction or disease take away the toxins, give your body the things it needs to heal, and give yourself some time (and lot of sleep).  Your body can and will heal.

Consistancy

This day in age we’ve gotten accustomed to instant gratification; this is not how healing works. There is no quick way to do this. It take time and consistency. If you want to be healthy and live a long time you have to change your thinking around what it takes….it takes time and consistency…..day-in-day-out for the length of your life. There is no end point. There is no “when I get there” to arrive at.

Give yourself grace every day on your life journey and health journey, because beating yourself up for something as insignificant as eating a cookie doesn’t do you any good.

do not resist change

I think the most difficult thing that took me forever to accept is that my body has changed and will continue to change as I age. The needs my body has over the span of my life has and will change. This is why no one way of eating or exercising will be the end-all-be-all for the entirety of your life, it will change just as your body changes and the needs of your body changes.

Embrace the change! It occurs weather you embrace it or not.

 

 

 

 

What’s the Point?

07 Thursday Jun 2018

Posted by in General

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I purposefully decided to not post pictures in this post.

In the 1600 to 1700’s the more voluptuous women were the better. The ideal look of femininity and sex was also that of status of wealth and health. Lovely lady lumps and bumps were sought after.

In the early 1900’s the ideal body for women was a dramatic hourglass shape; busty with large hips and a small waist.

By the 1920’s the ideal body for women was shapeless, straight up-and-down with no curves showing. No noticeable bust or waistline.

Curves were back in style by the 1930’s for women. To help in this endeavor the padded bra was inflicted upon us.

This changed yet again in the 1940’s to a more every-day-woman look; slender but no extreme curvature.

Yet again in the 1950’s the hourglass figure was back in style! The Pin-Up Girls were in town.

By the 1960’s American women were throwing back to the 1920’s to an almost pre-pubescent small, slender, no curve having stick-like figure….thanks Twiggy….

Thank goodness for the 1970’s when a more muscular look became the ideal, in my opinion is more attainable for most women in general. Women wanted a tan, and wore natural make-up and hair styles. This is my preference now, minus the consistent desire to be thin.

Somewhere in between these two decades, I’m pretty certain all the cocaine was helping these women out. Don’t do that!!!

In the 1980’s, Jane Fonda took this ideal to a whole new level with her crazy bendy exercise videos. Super tall, thin yet toned (aka: muscular) bodies was all the rage. Again….too bad short girls! I don’t think short girls have ever been socially popular.

In the 1990’s women were once again plagued with an unattainable super thin, hanger-like look. I can’t believe that women wanted to look like they were on heroin! They must have been on heroin to think that heroin-chic was chic.

The 2000’s brought us back to an hourglass look, combine with lean and toned.

Here is article one and two that I pulled information from for the above descriptions.

On a Personal Note

It is interesting observing women…..I just spent three days on an all ladies weekend that I do every year. Every year it is the same thing…..women talking about their weight, their exercise or lack thereof, their diet, their diet pills, how they were on a diet until this weekend and how they are going back on a diet after this weekend.

The continual sizing-up of each other and comparison of one another followed by over compensation driven by underlying insecurities. It makes me sad.

What’s the Point?

Society is fickle…..

Why do women continually jump through hoops in attempts to live-up to a body ideal that is unattainable for most of us? We can’t change our genetics. We can create a healthy body. We can create the best version of ourselves. We can do the best we can with what we were given. Why beat ourselves up? Why starve ourselves? Why workout so much that we don’t have a life?

Because fashion designers create clothes most can’t afford and even less can actually fit into? Because 2% of Hollywood’s rich and famous have managed to do both? Keep in mind that a large number of those folks also have ended up dead from drug overdoses.

As you can see from the above, history repeats itself…..you can also see that society changes its mind A LOT! Dragging us women along with it.

But guess what!? We don’t have to continually play into this cycle. We can choose to say no more of this insanity!

I encourage you to NOT follow society’s lead…..

Be authentic. Be what you are. Do the best you can with what you have. Treat your body like the temple it is. Be healthy. Be happy. Enjoy the diversity among us.

Girls Gone Strong is a fantastic resource for more on this topic.

I also recommend Jason Seib, if you need help changing your mindset.

 

 

What Do I Eat?

24 Thursday May 2018

Posted by in General, Lifestyle

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If you have read much of what I post, you will see I believe the following things:

Diet Mentality

No-Diet-Mentality

Having said that, I also think you do not have to “diet”; you do not have to be “on” or “off” a plan or diet to be healthy or to lose body fat. You do need to be conscience, aware, mindful, and deliberate about what you are putting in your body; thus the list above.

I used to be a dieter. I used to use different ways of eating as a diet. When I found Paleo I was super sick, this way of eating rebounded my health to about as good as it has ever been. When I deviated, my health when down. Over the years, I still struggled with the mental concept of being “on” or “off” a certain way of eating, Paleo, Low Carb etc. As I moved through my most recent health struggles, over the past 4 years (with this last year being pretty good), I was forced to rethink my perspective around food and diets. I found a balance I didn’t know existed. Check out my post: Diet the Short Version.

Pursue Health

mental_vs_physical_copy.png

Something that I knew for a long time, but didn’t put into full practice (until now) is that a healthy body will automatically balance out its own body-fat to a healthy ratio. If you pursue optimal health, you’ll receive the wonderful and lovely side effect of a healthy body-fat percentage.

Side Note: I define “pursue health” as: 7-9 hours of quality sleep every night; lots of vegetables, meats, fruit as the first and most foods taken in; movement (walking, resistance training, sprinting occasionally); drinking adequate amounts of clean water; managing and eliminating stress; spending time with friends and family regularly; getting outside in nature and in the sun; and addressing skin care and other toxins coming in. For more information on this topic check out my posts: here and here.

While I had gotten to a point of carrying approximately 25 – 30 lbs of additional body fat, I also had gotten to a point that I was fed-up with “dieting” and I chose at that point that regardless of my body fat percentage, I was not going to torcher myself with diets anymore. I had to find a different driving factor. For me the #1 is to feel good (health) and #2 is to increase and maintain strong bones and muscles. #2 is particularly important as we age.

Finding a Healthy Balance

balance

I started making small and consistent changes with the items listed above; they add up over time, creating a health pursuing lifestyle.

The balance I found with food is this…..the majority of the time I eat lots of vegetables, meats, fruits, and starchy whole food carbohydrates because it makes me feel good and they are tasty. The starchy carbs I like the most are potatoes, sweet potatoes, and rice. Occasionally…..I intake alcohol, pizza, chocolate, Chick-fil-A, chips etc.

You know what???? I don’t feel bad about it!

It is my choice to do, I enjoy them and move on. I don’t exercise more because I ate something (it doesn’t work that way). Mind you, I’m not “ripped”.…but I enjoy my life and food. I’m not stressing out about any of it.

I’ve lost about 12 lbs of body fat since finding an enjoyable balance. I’ve also increased muscle mass. I know these numbers because my chiropractic office has an InBody. I will get an evaluation done once or twice a year. I could probably get one done every 3 months, but I forget to do it; I do not recommend doing them more frequently than that. I have a little ways to go still for losing fat, but I’d much rather go slowly, enjoying the process than crash-diet, be miserable, and gain it all back later. I’m mentally pursuing health, not fat loss. Health also meaning mental and emotional health, not just physical health.

Suggestion

If you are reading this thinking that you can never get to this point, you can. There is help too; you do not have to do it by yourself. It does take work and consistency on your part. You have to want to change, you have to want it more than you want anything else.

I would like to suggest to you to look into Jason Seib. He is working tirelessly to help women change their perspectives about weight loss. He has a “diet” protocol that is effective. His podcast is awesome too. The first book he wrote The Paleo Coach is what turned me on to his work.

take-care-of-your-body-quote

Soooooo……..My Food & Recipes

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If you have any questions, please leave a comment on this post.

Lifting Weights / Resistance Training (Part 3)

22 Tuesday May 2018

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Please check-out Part 1 of Lifting Weights / Resistance Training post where I covered:

  1. Why lifting weights is important to me
  2. Misconceptions women make about lifting weights
  3. Things to-do
  4. Lifting program weeks 1 – 5

Then check-out Part 2 of Lifting Weights / Resistance Training

  • My workouts for weeks 6 – 10
  • Articles that discuss general guidelines about training and the menstrual cycle

I completed the 10 weeks of the two workout programs linked above with modifications each week on number of sets, reps, and or weight so that each workout continued to challenge my body to adapt (aka: change).

My next 4 weeks of workouts and 1 rest week (weeks 11 – 15) are now complete and it feels so good!

Side Note: The next 5 weeks will not be as many super-sets as the last 10 weeks, but larger circuits. This means more volume and a little lighter weight (or not). Circuit training is a higher intensity training regime that builds strength and requires more muscular endurance than a super-set does.

The first workout of the week will still be a super-set style training. The next two workouts are circuit style training. As each week progresses, I will still modify the weight to continue to challenge by body to adapt.

Lift Weights Faster

Week 11

Tuesday – Full Body Workout (4 Sets of 8-12 Reps)

Thursday – Full Body Circuit Training

You can use one set of dumbbells for the whole circuit or you can set-up various weights around you to grab as you change exercises to fit where your current strength is, which is what I like to do.

Circuit 1 – (Repeat 3x) – (You need a flat bench for this circuit)

Circuit 2 – (Repeat 2x)

Circuit 3 – Bodyweight (Complete 1x)

Saturday

  • 20 min Walk with Dad
  • 30 min Kayak with Sister

Week 12

I wasn’t feeling very well in the gym this day. I managed to get in 4 sets of the following, but it was really difficult. I still needed steps by the time I got to the gym, so I also warmed up and cooled down with 10 minute treadmill walks.

Tuesday – Full Body Workout (4 Sets of 8-12 Reps)

  • Reverse Lunge – 20lbs front loaded barbell (added reps)
  • Half Kneeling Single-Arm Overhead Press – 15 lb dumbbell
  • Smith Machine Pull-up or Inverted Row – Bodyweight
  • Smith Machine Back Squat – 25 lb bar + 2x 25 lb plates

Thursday – Full Body Circuit Training

Circuit 1 – (Repeat 4x) – (You need a flat bench for this circuit)

  • Seated Overhead Press – 20 lb dumbbell (increased weight)
  • Chest Press – 20 lbs dumbbells
  • Reverse Lunge – Bodyweight (increased reps)
  • Bent-over Row – 20 lb dumbbells
  • Goblet Squat – 35 lb dumbbells (increased weight)
  • Seated Leg Press – 130 – 140 lbs

Circuit 2 – (Repeat 3x)

  • Straight Leg Deadlift – 50 lb barbell (increased reps)
  • Bent Over Row – 50 lb barbell (increased reps)
  • Bulgarian Split Squat – Bodyweight
  • Upright Row – 30 lb barbell

Circuit 3 – Bodyweight (Complete 2x)

  • Push-ups – Incline
  • Plank

Week 13 – Rest & Recover

Week 14

Tuesday – Full Body Workout (4 Sets of 8-12 Reps)

  • Reverse Lunge – 20lbs front loaded barbell
  • Standing Single-Arm Overhead Press – 15 lb dumbbell 
  • Wide-Stance Squats – 45 lb dumbbell 
  • Standing Cable Rows – 65 lbs (alternating underhand and overhand grip)
  • Alternating Hammer Curls – 15 lb dumbbells 
  • Seated Leg Press – 130 – 140 lbs

I only managed to get one lifting session in this week, which is unfortunate, but ok. I spent the last part of this week preparing for a large and fun Mother’s Day lunch on Saturday.

Week 15

Tuesday – Full Body Workout (4 Sets of 8-12 Reps)

Front Squat (1 Set of 20) – 20 lb barbell

Circuit 1 – (4 Sets of 8-12 Reps)

Circuit 2 – (4 Sets of 8-12 Reps)

  • Seated Row – 50 lbs 
  • Push-ups – Bodyweight 
  • Plank

Goblet Squat (1 Set of 25) – 25 lb dumbbell

Thursday – Full Body Circuit Training

Circuit 1 – (Repeat 3x) – (You need a flat bench for this circuit)

  • Seated Overhead Press – 20 lb dumbbell
  • Step-ups – bodyweight
  • Chest Press – 20 lbs dumbbells 
  • Reverse Lunge – bodyweight
  • Bent-over Row – 40 lb barbell
  • Goblet Squat – 30 lb dumbbells 

Circuit 2 – (Repeat 3x)

  • Straight Leg Deadlift – 40 lb barbell 
  • Upright Row – 30 lb barbell
  • Bulgarian Split Squat – Bodyweight
  • Biceps Curl – 30 lb barbell

Saturday – Full Body Circuit Training

  • Reverse Lunge – 30 lb front loaded barbell
  • Half Kneeling Single-Arm Overhead Press – 15 lb dumbbell
  • Smith Machine Back Squat – 25 lb bar + 2x 25 lb plates
  • Smith Machine Pull-up or Inverted Row – Bodyweight
  • Wide-Stance Squat – 45 lb dumbbell
  • 15 min treadmill walk

Learn How-To Iron

Here are some of my other blog posts that discuss exercise.

If you have any questions please feel free to comment on this post and I’ll get back with you as soon as I can.

Lifting Weights / Resistance Training (Part 2)

17 Tuesday Apr 2018

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Please check-out Part 1 of Lifting Weights / Resistance Training post where I covered:

  1. Why lifting weights is important to me
  2. Misconceptions women make about lifting weights
  3. Things to-do
  4. Lifting program weeks 1 – 5

I completed 5 weeks of the workouts in my Part 1 post with modifications each week on number of sets, reps, or weight so that each workout continued to challenge my body to adapt (aka: change).

Then I was stupid while kayaking and got a really bad sunburn down the front of both of my legs and left arm, which prevented me from working out for a full week. You can check out my pictures on my Instagram page. My knees were swollen for 3 days and my ankle was swollen for 5 days, which made it very painful and difficult to walk…..much less exercise. Soooo, had a rest and recover week.

Below you will find my next 5 weeks of workouts (weeks 6 – 10).

Side Note: I like to super-set my workouts so that I can get them done faster and it keeps my heart rate up throughout the whole workout to obtain the cardio benefits. A super-set is when you move from exercise to another exercise without a break in between. When starting out I usually can only do one set of each before taking a break. Once my ability increases, I’ll be able to multiple sets of each before taking a break. I’ve colored the text below to show you my groupings for super-sets.

Lift Weights Faster

Week 6

Tuesday – Lower Body (3 Sets of 8-10 Reps)

Thursday – Upper Body (3 Sets of 8-10 Reps)

Sunday – Full Body (3 Sets of 8-10 Reps)

Week 7

Tuesday – Active Recovery Day  (I was still sore from Sunday’s workout)

  • 15 minute revolving stairs
  • 15 minute treadmill walk
  • Plank
  • Mobility Work & Stretching

Saturday – Lower Body (3 Sets of 8-10 Reps)

  • Warm-up: 10 minutes revolving stairs
  • Wide-Stance Squats – 50 lb dumbbell
  • Goblet Squat – 25 lb dumbbell
  • Hip Thrusts – 40 lb barbell
  • Hamstring Curl Machine – 50 lbs
  • Traditional Leg Press – 90 lbs
  • 10 minute walking cool down

Week 8

Tuesday – Upper Body (3 Sets of 8-10 Reps)

  • Warm-up: Assisted Pull-ups and Chin-ups
  • Incline Press – 20 lb dumbbells
  • Wide Grip Cable Row – 50 lbs on cables
  • Dips/Press-Down – 50 lb
  • Under-hand Grip Lat Pull Downs – 40 lbs
  • Arnold Press – 15 lb dumbbells
  • Wide-grip Drag Bicep Curl – 30 lb barbell
  • Lateral Raise – 5 lb dumbbells
  • Paloff Press w/ Oblique Twist – 10 lbs on the cables

Thursday – Lower Body (3 Sets of 6-10 Reps)

  • Warm-up: 10 minutes treadmill walk
  • Wide-Stance Squats – 50 lb dumbbell
  • Goblet Squat – 30 lb dumbbell
  • Seated Leg Press – 115, 125, 135 (pounds)
  • Hamstring Curls – 50 lbs
  • Glute Bridge – Bodyweight (1 set)
  • Garhammer Raise (1 set)

Week 9

Tuesday – Upper Body (3 Sets of 8-10 Reps)

  • Warm-up: 10 minutes revolving stairs
  • Incline Press – 20 lb dumbbells
  • Bent-Over Row – 45 lb barbell
  • Dips/Press-Down – 50 lb
  • Under-hand Grip Lat Pull Downs – 50 lbs
  • Arnold Press – 20 lb dumbbells 2 sets, 15 lb dumbbells 3rd set
  • Wide-grip Drag Bicep Curl – 30 lb barbell
  • Lateral Raise – 5 lb dumbbells
  • Paloff Press w/ Oblique Twist – 10 lbs on the cables

Thursday – Lower Body (3 Sets of 6-10 Reps)

  • Warm-up: 10 minutes revolving stairs
  • Wide-Stance Squats – 50 lb dumbbell
  • Goblet Squat – 30 lb dumbbell
  • Hip Thrusts – 50 lb barbell
  • Hamstring Curl Machine – 50 lbs
  • Seated Leg Press – 120, 130, 140 (pounds)
  • Stretch

Side Note: My menstrual cycle threw me for a loop so my 3rd workout this week did not happen…..and that’s ok.

Below are some article that discuss general guidelines about training and the menstrual cycle:

  1. How to Train with Your Menstrual Cycle
  2. The Underground Guide to Planning Your Exercise Around Your Menstruation Cycle
  3. Training & Recovery During Your Menstrual Cycle

Week 10

Wednesday – Lower Body (3 Sets of 8-10 Reps)

Friday – Upper Body (3 Sets of 8-10 Reps)

  • Warm-up: 10 minutes revolving stairs
  • Incline Press – 20 lb dumbbells
  • Bent-Over Row – 50 lb barbell
  • Dips/Press-Down – 50 lb
  • Under-hand Grip Lat Pull Downs – 60 lbs
  • Arnold Press – 15 lb dumbbells 2 sets, 15 lb dumbbells 3rd set
  • Wide-grip Drag Bicep Curl – 30 lb barbell
  • Lateral Raise – 5 lb dumbbells
  • Paloff Press w/ Oblique Twist – 10 lbs on the cables

Discipline

Here are some of my other blog posts that discuss exercise.

If you have any questions please feel free to comment on this post and I’ll get back with you as soon as I can.

Lifting Weights / Resistance Training

16 Friday Feb 2018

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I made a commitment to myself that I would re-start lifting weights regularly, with consistency. See “Questioner/Upholder” from The Four Tendencies by Gretchen Rubin. It has been a hot minute since I’ve done this (for many reasons). My husband agreed to cook dinner on the evenings that I go to the gym, so we still have a home-cooked healthy meal and I don’t have to worry about it.

Consistancy

Lifting Weights is Important to Me.

It makes me feel good, strong, accomplished, and capable. The health benefits of resistance training are many, but here are some of the important ones to me.

  • Maintain and Gain Muscle Mass: eats more calories at rest = higher metabolism (less body fat), sucks up glucose improving blood sugar regulation, decreases insulin resistance, you can eat more carbohydrates, (in my opinion) muscle physically looks better on the body (even if covered with fat)
  • Increased Bone Density
  • Reduced Risk of Injury
  • Help to maintain hormonal balance as we age. (HGH, testosterone, fight against estrogen dominance)

Ability to move through life without regular assistance; carry groceries, lifting bags of soil, put heavy things on shelves and get them back down again, pick things up off the floor, open jars, move on to the floor and back up to my feet again, get up and down off the toilet and the list goes on and on. There are daily life activities that many younger people take for granted that as we age and lose muscle mass become difficult. The way out of becoming frail and incapable is lifting weights/resistance training.

Let’s Get a Few Things Straight!

  • Women do not have enough testosterone to “get bulky” or “look like a body builder”. The women who carry “big” muscles are those whose job it is to look like that. They have to work really really hard to gain that much muscle and they take supplements to help with that.
  • Lifting tiny weights are not going to have the same positive effects (listed above) on your body as lifting a weight that is challenging (aka: heavy – which is relative to each person and changes along the journey).
  • YOU CANNOT OUT TRAIN A POOR DIET! (No, I’m not yelling; I’m emphasizing)
  • No one in the gym is looking at you. They are looking at themselves.

Cardio isn’t going to achieve what you want or think it will. Cardio will make you look like a smaller flappy version of what you look like right now. If you “lift weights faster” (super-sets and circuits) you don’t need to do traditional cardio.

Lift Weights Faster

Things To-Do

  • Make sure you get plenty of recovery time between workouts. I think 1 to 2 days in between depending on how sore you are. On recovery days, get blood flow through those muscles. I like to walk, stretch, take hot Epsom Salt baths, and use ARES Sports Rub.
  • Make sure you are prioritizing sleep. Sleep is the #1 thing your body needs to heal and recover. If you didn’t get a good night sleep, do not go to the gym, go home and sleep.
  • Make sure you are eating nourishing foods and supplementing well. Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides is awesome recovery food (I’m an affiliate). (You cannot out supplement a pour diet.)
  • Make sure you are walking every day for at least 30 minutes

NOW TO THE LIFTING

The whole purpose of my post was to tell you what I’m doing! Soooo here goes.

I finally got around to making a commitment to myself that I was going to get back to lifting regularly at the end of January this year. Since it had been a while and I’m notorious for jumping back in full force and being so sore I can’t sit on the toilet or get up from it for that matter, I made a responsible plan to work my way back into lifting without over doing it.

The current plan is 2 days a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Tuesday is lower body and Thursday is upper body. I’m doing this for 4 to 6 weeks before adding a third workout day.

Side Note: I like to super-set my workouts so that I can get them done faster and it keeps my heart rate up throughout the whole workout to obtain the cardio benefits. A super-set is when you move from exercise to another exercise without a break in between. When starting out I usually can only do one set of each before taking a break. Once my ability increases, I’ll be able to multiple sets of each before taking a break. I’ve colored the text below to show you my groupings for super-sets.

Week 1

Tuesday – Lower Body (2 Sets of 8-10 Reps)

Thursday – Upper Body (2 Sets of 8-10 Reps)

Week 2

Tuesday – Lower Body (3 Sets of 8-10 Reps)

  • Warm-up: Revolving Stairs – 10 mins.
  • Reverse Lunge – bodyweight
  • Wide-Stance Squat – 40 lb dumbbell
  • Leg Press – 90, 100, 110 (pounds)
  • Step-ups – bodyweight
  • Glute Bridge – bodyweight
  • Plank – 15 secs.
  • Stretch

Thursday – Upper Body (3 Sets of 8-10 Reps)

  • Warm-up: Assisted Pull-up Machine
  • Arnold Press – 15 lb dumbbells (dropped to 10 lbs on third set)
  • Y-Press – 10 lb dumbbells (dropped to 5 lbs on third set)
  • Rear Delt Fly – 5 lb dumbbells
  • High Incline Dumbbell Bench Press – 15 lb dumbbells
  • Seated Cable Rows – 40 lbs
  • Stretch

Week 3

Tuesday – Lower Body (3 Sets of 8-10 Reps – Increase Weight)

  • Warm-up: Revolving Stairs – 10 mins.
  • Reverse Lunge – bodyweight
  • Wide-Stance Squat – 45 lb dumbbell
  • Leg Press – 100, 110, 120 (pounds)
  • Step-ups – bodyweight
  • Hip Thrust – 30 lb barbell
  • Plank – 15 secs.
  • Stretch

Friday – Upper Body (3 Sets of 8-10 Reps – Add Movements)

I slept poorly on Wednesday night and moved my lifting day to Friday. Which is today!

  • Warm-up: Assisted Pull-up Machine
  • Arnold Press – 15 lb dumbbells
  • Y-Press – 10 lb dumbbells (drop to 5 lbs when needed)
  • Front Raise – 10 lb dumbbells (drop to 5 lbs when needed) – (Video @ 1:00 min)
  • Rear Delt Fly – 5 lb dumbbells
  • High Incline Dumbbell Bench Press – 15 lb dumbbells
  • Bent Over Row – 30 lb barbell
  • Wide Grip Lat Pull-Down – 40 lbs
  • Stretch

I feel better now

Week 4 (to maybe 6)

It isn’t here yet, but it will look very similar to the above with increased weight, reps or sets to keep it challenging and progressing as well as preventing my body from adapting (plateauing).

After this 4th week or maybe after 6 weeks, I’ll continue include different movements into my routine for another 4 to 6 weeks, while still progressing in weight. I’m going to attempt to add in a third day that will focus on 10 – 15 minutes of HIIT training (I prefer sprints) followed by stretching. So, it will be a super short workout, but that is all that is needed (more is not better), because HIIT is super effective for fat loss while maintain muscle mass.

Here are some of my other blog posts that discuss exercise.

If you have any questions please feel free to comment on this post and I’ll get back with you as soon as I can.

 

 

Tips for Enjoying the Holidays

07 Tuesday Nov 2017

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As I’m writing this post, today is November 1st. Wow how this year has flown by! It is that time of year again; we are quickly approaching the holidays. There are mixed feelings about the holidays out there….some love them, some feel overwhelmed and stressed out by them, some flat out dislike them. I personally have a blend of the three feelings about them at various times. But mostly I tend to really enjoy them. I’m going to give you my tips for enjoying the holidays.

The first two tips are pretty equal in importance for enjoying the holidays.

No. 1 – Let go of expectations

No. 2 – Let go of guilt

Let me break it down for ya…..

Expectations 

Expectations will make or break you (not just in this scenario). Let go of preconceived, probably unrealistic, expectations you have of other people. Not putting your expectations of people and situations on to other people will allow the situation to unfold naturally and allow people to be themselves (despite whether you like them as themselves or not, they still are who they are). Set your mind to the fact that people are going to be who they are and know going into it that is what is going to happen and you are going to roll with it and laugh about it. You cannot control people and things outside of you. The only thing you are in control of is you, how you react to situations and people, your attitude, and your perspective. This advice is coming from a recovering control freak, so I know it is possible. If you do not think you are capable of doing this, I’d suggest avoiding the people you find difficult to be around.

No guilt!

Here’s the thing….you cannot be everything all the time to everyone. Anyone who expects that of you is unrealistic and unreasonable. You have the right to say “no”. Particularly during the holidays folks find it difficult to say no. My suggestion is to get really comfortable with say no to people, requests, and activities. You do not have to do them all and you do not have to feel guilty about it. It’s your time and you should spend it however it serves your mental health best.

Now….saying that….this is not a license to be a selfish butt-head. Let’s not do that. But it is a license to protect your time, energy, and sanity against completely unpleasant situations and people. Spend your time with the family and friends you want to spend time with.

Those are the two biggest things that will make the biggest difference for enjoying the holidays.

No. 3 – Plan, Plan, Plan / Be Prepared, Be Prepared, Be Prepared

A well-laid plan and ample preparation will alleviate stress. Even if everything doesn’t go perfectly according to plan….you are prepared!

Now….this one can be difficult for the Type B personality. BUT for us Type As over-planning can create as much stress as not planning at all! Catch-22, I know. Here is what I suggest….

  • Write your obligations on a calendar (paper or electronic) so you can see what you have already committed to. I prefer electronic because I can set reminders and share it with people.
  • As new invitations arise look at the calendar and determine if you have the time and energy to add it; if you do….then do….if you need to switch out one commitment for another…do that. If you need or want to say “No” do that.
  • Figure out what each commitment on the calendar will require of you (travel time and distance, do you need to make or take food with you, etc.) and plan ahead.
    • Buying something to take with you, takes less time than making something yourself. That is what restaurants were designed for!
    • Buy gifts and anything else you can online and have it delivered to your house to save you time and energy.

I highly suggest NOT over booking.

Allow yourself and family time to rest and recover. Rule of thumb, only say yes to one event per weekend. If that isn’t possible for you, then only say yes to one event per day per weekend. If you work full-time (home or office), I usually try and stick to the only one event during the week rule, if any at all.

Selfcare

Take Care of Yourself

I think that people, mostly parents, primarily women fall into doing for others before or instead of taking care of their needs. Stop that! Don’t spread yourself too thin. Taking care of yourself and your mental and physical health is so important. Not only for you, but for those around you. Saying “no” is a good step in this direction.

Take time to have a quite shower or bath. Take time to sit down….rest….watch a show, read a book, listen to music on the patio, or take a nap. If you need to be outside the house to take care of yourself, leave! Turn off your phone….go get a beverage and walk around Hobby Lobby or Target, go walk at a park and listen to a good podcast, read a book in a coffee shop or in a park, get a mani/pedi, go see a movie by yourself or with a girlfriend. Slow down and take some time give to yourself. Check out my self-care post here: What is Self-Care to you?

I think it is more than this….it is also keeping with your movement routine (walks, gym time, workouts) and eating healthy nutritious foods. You don’t have to be perfect! Below are some of my other posts you may find helpful.

Keep yourself physically well during this time. Prioritize sleep.

Here are some of my favorite products that I use daily to keep my immune system healthy and some that I use only if or when I’m feeling like I’m getting sick.

I hope and pray that you stay healthy, happy, and well during a time of year that a lot of folks breakdown emotionally and physically. I hope you find my tips helpful for you to enjoy your holiday season more.

Bring on the holidays!

Next up…..Thanksgiving!

 

Body Types

01 Saturday Jul 2017

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Your body is your body. My body is my body.

No two bodies are exactly the same.

There are three primary body types and then blends between the three.

  1. Ectomorph – “lack of much fat or muscle tissue”
  2. Mesomorph – “ well-developed musculature”
  3. Endomorph – “preponderance of body fat”

Somatotypes 1

I typically do not suggest people use Bodybuilding.com as an authority or resource for nutrition, but for some things their resources work great. I’m using their page on the three body types as my resource for this information. They also provide a quick and easy test for you to take to determine where you fit into this spectrum and they provide some suggestions for food and exercise. I personally fall as an Endo (38%) Meso (63%) [Ecto 0%].

Gauge Girl Training (Christine is a mesomorph) has a YouTube channel with very helpful videos on this subject. I’ve linked to my favorites below.

She also has individual videos for each body type you can check out if you like.

I also am a big fan of Jen Heward (who I think is also is a mesomorph). Below are a couple of her YouTube videos.

Rant

One of my biggest peeves as of late is ectomorph fitness/nutrition gurus. For example, Heidi Powell (who I actually think is great and she is so sweet and funny) posts “before and after” pictures on Instagram and talks about her perspective and journey, which she has the right and space to do. If you have seen the Powell’s work and client transformations, they have worked with a lot of people and helped them regain their health and fitness.

While I do realize that thin people (aka: ectomorphs) can have body dysmorphia and struggle to keep weight on (oh poor babies), I personally find it quite difficult to take fitness and nutrition advice from someone who has no idea what it is like to live in a body that holds on to body fat.

She talks about how she is 20lbs heavier (all muscle) than she has every been in her life and how great and strong she feels; and goes on to say that we shouldn’t allow the scale to determine our self worth. I agree with that, we shouldn’t allow our weight to determine our self worth and value in the world. I say good for her! Truly! I think that she does look a lot better now than before. I tend to really like muscular looks on women.

But…I wonder if she would still feel the same way and still say all the same things, if her weight gain were 20lbs of body fat and not muscle? For me…it is a hard pill to swallow for an ectomorph to tell me “You are perfect….just the WEIGH you are”.

My Thoughts – Be the Best Body YOUR Body Can Be

  • Body comparison is the death of self-esteem. Stop comparing your body to someone else’s body. Yours is yours and theirs is theirs.
  • You cannot change your body type. It is what it is. Stop trying to change your body type to look like something it will never be able to look like.

Here is a fantastic article by Coconuts and Kettlebells called “Why I Don’t Want Six-Pack Abs“.

Jordan Syatt has videos I like too – here are a few:

I hope you enjoy the resources and videos I’ve linked to and they help you to realize that your body is your body and there is nothing wrong with your body because it doesn’t look like what you see on Instagram, Facebook, movies, or TV.

You should look like you, not like someone else. Love and Hugs