Author: Megan

Complete Core Training

 

For results in both aesthetics as well as athletic performance, it’s important to train the core in three separate categories of movement: anti-extension, anti-rotation and anti-lateral flexion.

Anti-extension Exercises: teach us how to maintain a neutral spine position. Maintaining a neutral spine and properly bracing your core during exercise will help prevent spinal injuries due to over-arching.

Dead Bug

1)Lie on your back and bring your hips and knees to 90 degrees. 

2)Raise your arms straight up toward the ceiling, keeping your wrist in line with your shoulders. Before you start, focus on keeping your lower back pressed into the floor. 

3) Inhale and lower one arm and the opposite leg out, leaving the other arm and leg in the starting position. 

4)Lower them as far as you can without your low back coming off the floor. Exhale at the bottom. 

5)Return to the start position and repeat with the other arm and leg. Try 5 reps per side and work towards 10 per side.

Anti-Rotational Exercises: are exercises that build stability and strength to prevent spinal rotation between the pelvis and ribs.

Plank shoulder taps

1)Set up in a high plank position from your hands and toes. You want your hands to be under your shoulders. Your feet can be further apart to provide a more stable base. 

2)Brace your abs and engage your glutes so that your body is in a straight line.

3)As you lift one hand up off the ground to touch the opposite shoulder, press into the heel of your opposite hand for stability. 

4)Once you’ve tapped your opposite shoulder, bring the hand down and alternate sides.

4)Keep your hips square to the ground and do not rotate. Avoid letting your butt go up in the air or your hips sag toward the ground.

5) Try 5 shoulder taps per side to begin with and try building to 10 taps per side.

Anti-lateral Flexion Exercises: require you to resist bending sideways.

Side plank

1)Lie on your right side, legs extended feet either stacked or staggered, one in front of the other. Whichever is most comfortable for you.

2)The elbow of your right arm is directly under your shoulder. Ensure your head is directly in line with your spine. Your left arm can be aligned along the left side of your body.

3)Engage your abdominal muscles as if you’re bracing for a punch.

4)Lift your hips and knees from the mat while exhaling. Your torso is straight in line with no sagging or bending. Hold the position.

5)After several breaths, inhale and return to the starting position. 

6)Try 20 seconds per side for a starting point with a goal of building up to 60 seconds.

How to Get Your First Push-Up

Push-ups are a deceptively difficult, yet empowering exercise. They strengthen the chest, shoulders, triceps, and abdominals. Nailing the form details can make the difference in you getting your first push-up sooner rather than later.

Creating stability from head to toe throughout your push-up is not only crucial for efficiently pressing your body away from the floor from head to toe. It also makes this task feel much easier than performing with improper form. 

The  best exercises to get your first push-up are the wall push-up, incline push-up variations, eccentric push-up, and concentric push-up. Once you’re able to complete 3 sets of around 8-10 reps of an exercise, feel free to move on to the next progression. You’re getting stronger!

Progressing from zero push-ups to your first push-up will look like this:

  1. Wall push-up
  • Place your hands on a wall about chest high. 
  • Body is in a straight line and the chin tucked (neutral position).
  • Your hands are shoulder-width apart, fingers spread, thumbs will be at your nipples at the bottom position.
  • Your shoulders are over your elbows. Elbows over your wrists. → Stack your joints.
  • Take a deep breath in, brace your core, tuck your ribs towards your hips, and squeeze your glutes.
  • Lower yourself with control. Keep elbows pointing back and forearms vertical. Think about your body looking more like an arrow than the letter “T” in the bottom position.
  • As you return to the top position, exhale.
  1. Waist-level Incline Push-Up

The closer we move towards both hands and feet on the floor, the more challenging the exercise and the closer we get to our first full push-up.

  • Place your hands on a surface (bench, couch, sturdy chair, etc) around the same level as your waist.
  • Body is in a straight line and the chin tucked (neutral position).
  • Your hands are shoulder-width apart, fingers spread, thumbs will be at your nipples at the bottom position.
  • Your shoulders are over your elbows. Elbows over your wrists. → Stack your joints.
  • Find your preferred foot width. Your feet can be either together, shoulder width apart, or somewhere in between.
  • Take a deep breath in, brace your core, tuck your ribs towards your hips, and squeeze your glutes.
  • Lower yourself with control. Keep elbows pointing back and forearms vertical. Think about your body looking more like an arrow than the letter “T” in the bottom position.
  • As you return to the top position, exhale.
  1. Knee-level Incline Push-Up

We’re moving even closer to the floor.

  • Place your hands on a surface (bench, couch, sturdy chair, etc) around the same level as your knees.
  • Body is in a straight line and the chin tucked (neutral position).
  • Your hands are shoulder-width apart, fingers spread, thumbs will be at your nipples at the bottom position.
  • Your shoulders are over your elbows. Elbows over your wrists. → Stack your joints.
  • Find your preferred foot width. Your feet can be either together, shoulder width apart, or somewhere in between.
  • Take a deep breath in, brace your core, tuck your ribs towards your hips, and squeeze your glutes.
  • Lower yourself with control. Keep elbows pointing back and forearms vertical. Think about your body looking more like an arrow than the letter “T” in the bottom position.
  • As you return to the top position, exhale.
  1. Eccentric Only Push-Up

We’re now on the floor focusing on just the lowering portion of the push-up and making massive strength gains getting us even closer to that first push-up.

  • Get into a tall plank position. Body is in a straight line and the chin is tucked (neutral position).
  • Your hands are shoulder-width apart, fingers spread, thumbs will be at your nipples at the bottom position.
  • Your shoulders are over your elbows. Elbows over your wrists. → Stack your joints.
  • Take a deep breath in, brace your core, tuck your ribs towards your hips, and squeeze your glutes.
  • Take about 4 full seconds to lower yourself with control to the floor.
  • Keep elbows pointing back and forearms vertical. Think about your body looking more like an arrow than the letter “T” in the bottom position.
  • Once you’ve fully lowered yourself to the ground. Come up on your knees to return to the starting position and exhale.
  1. Concentric Only Push-Up

Here we’ll focus on just the upward portion of the push-up and building up our power from the floor.

  • Get into the bottom position of a push-up with your forehead, torso and lower body are in full contact with the floor
  • Take a deep breath in, brace your core, tuck your ribs towards your hips, and squeeze your glutes.
  • Gaze directly down to a spot on the floor/surface. Your eyes should remain fixed on this spot throughout the repetitions. 
  • Keep elbows pointing back and forearms vertical. Think about your body looking more like an arrow than the letter “T” in the bottom position.
  • Once you’ve fully lowered yourself to the ground. Come up on your knees to return to the starting position and exhale
  1. Full Push-Up

You made it! And by now you’ve got the form nailed down, but reminders never hurt.

  • Get into a tall plank position. Body in a straight line and chin tucked (neutral position).
  • Your hands are shoulder-width apart, fingers spread, thumbs will be at your nipples at the bottom position.
  • Your shoulders are over your elbows. Elbows over your wrists. → Stack your joints.
  • Your hands are shoulder-width apart, fingers spread, thumbs will be at your nipples at the bottom position.
  • Find a spot on the floor and stare at this spot throughout the exercise. 
  • Take a deep breath in, brace your core, tuck your ribs towards your hips, and squeeze your glutes.
  • Lower yourself with control. Keep elbows pointing back and forearms vertical. Think about your body looking more like an arrow 
  • Focus on your body looking more like an arrow than the letter “T” in the bottom position.
  • As you return to the top position, exhale.

*This post was adapted from an article I wrote for PreWorkout.org which you can read by clicking on this link.

Signs You Aren’t Eating Enough

“Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.”- Jim Rohn

Spring has arrived, which means summer will be here before we know it. Many folks begin to focus on weight loss goals in May. So I just wanted to put out a gentle reminder…

If you have weight loss goals…

🐢slow and steady 🐌 

…is the healthiest and most sustainable way to go. 

How slow and steady? To preserve most of your muscle mass (not just for looks **)around 0.5-1.5 lbs per week is a general recommendation. But YOUR body will let you know if you’re losing weight too fast for YOU.

Here are some signs:

  • feeling cold
  • trouble sleeping
  • constipation
  • low libido
  • frequent or constant hunger
  • irritability 
  • hair loss
  • weak immune system/ frequently sick /can’t get well 
  • anxiety and/or depression
  • brain fog

**Why is muscle mass important?

  • Quality of life and independence (especially as we age)
  • Preventing osteoporosis 
  • Lowering your heart rate
  • Managing blood sugar
  • Protection from injury
  • Stronger immune system
  • Improved energy levels
  • Overall healthy aging 

Full Body Workout for Women

Full Body Workout

If you have bands and dumbells/kettlebells, you can do this one at home!

Making home training a little more challenging usually means: increasing reps, doing more unilateral (single-leg or single-arm) work, and shortening your rest periods. Enjoy!

A1. DB Deficit Reverse Lunge 3X 10-12 each
A2. Bird Dog Row 3X 10-12 each
B1. Paused Sumo DB Deadlift 3X 15-20 (Pause for 2 seconds before you touch the floor)
B2. Single-Leg Hip Thrust 3X 12-15 each
C1. Z-Press 3X 8-10 each
C2. Lateral Raises 3 X 10-15
D1. Band Gluteator 3X 10-12 (band above the knees. Drive knees apart.)
D2. Standing Pallof Press 3X 30 seconds

The band I use here for the Gluteator is from BC Strength. I use the S/M Level 1 band which is the easiest of the three offered right now.

Getting Started

Beginning a new task can be difficult.

When we are looking at the task as a whole, it can feel like a huge, overwhelming weight hanging over our heads. This leads us to put it off, when in fact, the best action we could take is to get started now.

Diving in without a plan could leave us feeling frustrated and even more overwhelmed than before.

Planning out our project means we can both start and finish it. Our plan places us in control and breaks down the big project into smaller, more manageable steps.

Accomplishing one step at a time keeps your momentum going so that you can finish your project once and for all.

How does this relate to fitness?

Deciding you want to become stronger without a plan will lead to disappointing and likely random results. Choosing to become stronger and beginning a structured, individualized workout plan suited to your goals and abilities and executed consistently will lead to results.

If you’re a beginner with the goals of performing 10 full chest-to-floor bodyweight push-ups and squatting your bodyweight, those are absolutely attainable goals that can be worked toward with a plan. Having shorter term goals along the way (2 push-ups, then 5 push-ups, etc) will keep you motivated and excited to keep going.

What’s the big project or goal you haven’t tackled yet? Cleaning the house counts as a big project, imo.

Leg Workout at Home for Women



This circuit is perfect if you’re short on time and want to get in some strength training + cardio.

Also, if the seasonal change is killing your motivation, incorporating circuits into your workout program might help. Circuits = no rest periods between the exercises. So you won’t be tempted to drag out those rest periods scrolling your phone, chit chatting, etc.

Doing the workout with no interruptions and getting it over and done with will feel GOOD.

If you want to make any of the first 6 exercises more difficult, just add more weight. You can also add weight to the clamshells by holding a dumbbell in place on the top hip.

The workout (repeat for 3-4 rounds):


20 chair squats
15 romanian deadlifts
15 lateral squats (hello inner thighs!)
10 reverse lunges each side
30 knee banded glute bridges
15 single leg glute bridges each side
30 knee-banded seated hip abduction (10 sitting straight up, 10 lean forward, 10 lean back)
30 knee-banded clamshells each side (lose the band if it’s too challenging)

What are macros?

🍽️Here’s a quick run down about macros

🍴MACRONUTRIENTS (macros) are the nutrients your body needs in large amounts. There are three major macros: Protein, Carbohydrates, and Fat. Technically alcohol is the fourth.


🔥A CALORIE is the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1 degree Celsius. When the word “calorie” is used when talking about food, we are usually using a casual definition of calorie. But we’re actually referring to kilocalories, which is what you see on nutrition labels. A kilocalorie is the equivalent of 1,000 calories.

🥩PROTEIN is vital to muscle building as well as many other processes. Animal sources of protein include: meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy. These deliver all the amino acids your body needs. Plant sources of protein include: tofu, lentils, chickpeas, quinoa, nuts, and more. While plant based sources often lack one or more of the essential amino acids, a well-planned vegetarian or vegan diet can provide you with all the nutrients you need.

🍚CARBOHYDRATES are your body’s primary energy source. Sources of carbs: Fruits, vegetables, grains, and potatoes.

🥑FATS are essential for hormone function. Sources of fat: butter, oil, nuts, seeds, avocado, and other foods.

🍷ALCOHOL is not needed in our body. If you’re counting calories for any reason, you can’t forget these! 1 gram of alcohol has 7 calories.

🧮HOW do these calories add up?

Total Calories =
(Number of grams of protein x 4) +
(Number of grams of carbs X 4) +
(Number of grams of fat X 9) +
(Number of grams of alcohol X 7)

Pumpkin Bread Pudding

🎃 Pumpkin Bread Pudding

I made sourdough pumpkin earlier in the week and knew we wouldn’t be able to finish it before the bread became dry. I hate wasting food. I love having dessert daily. So, I made this bread pudding from the sourdough pumpkin bread.

Super easy. Sounds like a fancy dessert, but it’s definitely more like down home comfort food. My 7 and 9 year olds devoured it and said the caramel sauce was their favorite part. I used monk fruit sweetener and milk to lower the calories and it was delicious.

The salted caramel sauce is simple to make as well. I just googled salted caramel sauce and picked a recipe with great ratings. If you have an extra set of hands in your house, your forearms will thank you as they will get tired from the constant stirring. We put the leftover caramel sauce in a glass jar to keep in the fridge and have with leftovers, ice cream, apples, and anything else that comes to mind.

Let me know how you like it if you make this! We’ll definitely be making it again soon! Probably several more times if I’m honest.

I think my next Fall themed dessert will be Pumpkin Tres Leches 😋

SMART Goals

🧠 Become an effective goal setter with SMART goals

When we first start thinking about our goals, what we usually come up with are broad terms or vague ideas. “I want to look good.” That’s a start, but if we really want to succeed we have to get more detailed and make a plan.

🏝 Let’s say we have a client named Kevin and he wants to feel more confident on an upcoming beach vacation. We ask Kevin more questions and discover that what he actually wants is to lose 10 pounds of extra weight for his vacation in three months. He’s 37 years old, 5’11”, weighs 200 pounds, and has no medical conditions. Here’s how we can make Kevin’s goal SMART:

👉🏻Specific- Kevin would like to lose 10 pounds in 3 months.
⚖️Measurable- A scale can be used to measure overall weight loss. If there are other body composition goals, these changes can be measured and tracked as well.
🧗Attainable- A 10 pound loss in 3 months is an attainable goal.
👍🏼Realistic- At his height and weight, 10 pounds in 3 months is attainable for Kevin.
⏱Timely- 10 pounds can be lost in 3 months at a steady and sustainable rate.

💪🏼If you have a goal of your own in mind, get started with your plan by asking yourself these action-oriented questions:

❓What is my goal?
📆 When would I like to have this goal accomplished?
💰 What do I need to accomplish this goal? (Support from friends/family, money, time, gym equipment)
🤒 What are some possible challenges I could face on my journey to reach my goal? (missing workouts, holiday goodies, out of town trips, etc)
👟What steps can I take each day to keep moving in the right direction?

😁Answering these questions will serve many benefits. Not only will you be developing a plan of action, but you’ll also feel empowered, focused, and motivated.


💪🏼🔥Happy goal crushing!

How much protein do you need?

If your goals are to either build muscle or lose fat, it is a good idea to increase your protein intake. Protein is one of the three macronutrients (others being fats and carbohydrates). Our bodies use protein to build and repair tissues, make enzymes, hormones, and other chemicals in the body. It is also an important part of building bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood.

Protein for Muscle Building

If your goal is to get the most out of your resistance training in building muscle and strength, you should make protein intake a top nutritional priority. In a review by Brad Shoenfield and Alan Aragon, they conclude that a daily protein intake of 1.6-2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight is a range to aim for to maximize muscle building. That’s 0.72-1 gram per pound of bodyweight. 

If you typically eat four meals each day, you would aim for each of those meals to contain 0.4g/kg/meal to reach the minimum of 1.6 g/kg/day. Using the upper daily intake of 2.2g/kg/day would mean that each of your four meals should contain 0.55 g/kg. 

Sometimes hitting your protein target with just your meals can be difficult. You might find yourself needing to supplement with whey protein and that is normal and okay.

Protein for Fat Loss

Protein intake can help with fat loss, but you do not need to consume as much protein for fat loss as you would for muscle building. If your goal is to lose weight, your first priority is to make sure you are creating a consistent calorie deficit. This means you are eating fewer calories than you are expending. There is no one-size-fits-all diet that will ensure this happens for you. The best weight loss diet for you will be one that you can stick to over time in that calorie deficit. 

Weight loss typically happens quickly at the beginning, but then most people will notice this process start to slow down. Your body will try to defend against the weight loss, because from an evolutionary standpoint losing weight is a threat. This is called adaptive thermogenesis. To break through this weight loss plateau, or metabolic slowdown, you will want to increase your metabolism. A higher protein diet can help accomplish this for a couple of reasons:

  1. In addition to resistance training, eating a higher protein diet will help increase muscle mass, which in turn will increase your basal metabolic rate. The higher your basal metabolic rate, the more calories you will burn over the course of 24 hours because muscle burns more calories than fat.
  2. Protein has a higher thermic effect than other macronutrients and the process of digesting protein requires more energy. 
  3. Protein helps us feel full more so than carbohydrates and fats for fewer calories. So, if your diet is high-protein you will consume fewer calories while feeling fuller and chances are you won’t be thinking about food all day. 

For fat loss purposes, you can aim for 0.7-1 gram of protein per pound of your goal weight.

References

Schoenfeld BJ, Aragon AA. How much protein can the body use in a single meal for muscle-building? Implications for daily protein distribution. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. (2018) 15:10. 10.1186/s12970-018-0215-1
[PubMed]