It can be a real challenge living in the present moment because it’s all too easy to get sidetracked thinking about the past, worrying about the future, or distracted by technology!
We all start somewhere... I remember the first time I stepped into a gym. It was one of those big, commercial gyms. As I pretended to know what everything was and how to use it, I felt like everyone was watching me. All I can remember was the feelings of discomfort and intimidation as I tried to get in shape. I kept reminding myself that most of the members weren't in shape when they started their membership. The feeling of fear was so overwhelming that I quit the gym and try to continue to get fit at home. It wasn't until my mom decided to join the gym with me, that I felt comfortable enough to go back to the gym. Even when I went to college, the gym their was full of athletes and people who started to work towards their goals before I even decided to get fit. All I could see, was their bodies and gym confidence now. That "at-a-glance" look at anyone or thing is what holds most of us back from taking the leap into success. We only see everyone's "over-night" success stories, there is never any thought of the blood, sweat and tears that had gone into the success. Since I can remember, I was always the "fat girl". When I started my journey, I was 5'4" and 170 pounds and had never worked out a day in my life. I was also 18 years old. The goals I had set out for myself and the place from which I had to start seemed out of reach. Something kept pushing me to keep going, to fight for the physique I have today. During my sophomore year of college, I decided to switch majors from Psychology to Exercise Science because I was committed to helping others reach their goals. If you’re on a mission to slim down and tone up then it’s really important to hone your fat loss rather than simply weight loss. Losing pounds feels good, but if those pounds are precious muscle, then you’re actually hurting your overall ability for fat loss. In order to ensure that the weight you’re losing is FAT and not MUSCLE take the following 15 Essential Fat Loss Tips to heart… Short on time but still want to get fit? Go through this 10 minute workout to burn fat quick! The circuit can even be done mutiple times throughout the day.
Perform as Circuit Style: You've tried it all; different shoes, stretches, lumbar supports, oils, massage, cortisone shots etc. The one commonality amongst those methods is all are missing the plank exercise. Once the core is allowed to be lazy, there is no magically device to bring the core back to work. Waking up the core is now in your hands, your lower back and knees will thank you in no time! In 2 hours time, you've completely sabotaged muscular recovery AKA you wasted 45 minutes of your time to workout. The "window of gains" the guys from barbell shrugged term it, has now closed. You may think relaxing on the couch is part of the recovering process, but how you ever wondered why you are sore and stiff the day(s) after workouts? Or why your major lifts (bench, squat, deadlift, etc.) are still within the same 10 pounds for the last 7 months? 5 reasons you aren't skinny strong Below are a few ways to recover better after workouts: 1. Missing the #windowofgainz.
If you don't already listen to the barbell shrugged podcast, then you should probably subscribe. The window of gainz is the time after a workout when the body is primed for food. The muscles are starving for carbohydrates (CARBS) and protein.
To put this into perspective, imagine you are on a sandy beach. Kids around you are digging a hole in dry sand; as more sand is put in a pile, the sand from the top and sides starts spilling back into the hole. Still, the kids keep digging away without the hole getting any deeper. At some point, one of the kids realizes getting the sand wet keeps the sand from falling back into the hole. Well the dry sand, wet sand is exactly what happens inside of the body. The sand is carbohydrates (CARBS) and wet/dry is the body's ability to store the CARBS in the right places. When the body is "dry", all the "ideal" locations for CARBS are filled...so the CARBs have to spill over into Adipose tissue (fat cells, not to be confused with actual FAT we eat). When the body is "wet", the muscles are STARVING for replenishment and the CARBs are stored in all the right places. The types of CARBs in the above situation are your; oats, banana, berries, rice, quinoa, etc.
Why CARBS? CARBS get a bad rep from the media, one article after another. The truth is CARBS are the quickest and "cheapest" fuel source during most workouts, so the muscles store as many CARBS as possible to ensure a readily available fuel source.
PROtein makes up a huge majority of our body weight. It's an essential building block to a lot of organs (muscle) and processes (movement). You are doing your body an injustice by limiting protein supply throughout the day, especially after a workout.
WOG meals should be 50/50 - PRO/CARBS. The WOG meal is your opportunity to eat that oatmeal, rice, quinoa, banana, berries, dried fruit, etc. Ever CARB that is not part of your daily low-carb meal plan. LOOK AT AMOUNTS IF YOU LOOK SOFT.
2. Restore body's pH levels.After a workout, the body is usually moved towards a more acidic pH level. Have you ever smelled yourself after a workout and realized you smell like ammonia? That's because your body has become acidic as a result of a lack of base type foods to maintain an alkaline pH level. (Oh Chemistry)...For the sake of simplicity, eat a banana, sweet potato, red potato or raisins after a workout to restore the balance. Your body will thank you. Don't get too caught up in the testing kits or anything like that, however, if you do think you have a huge pH imbalance, then a good visit to your physician could clear the air. If you're interested in learning more about this topic, a good book is the Paleo Diet for Athletes. 3. Foam roll after workouts.Muscle soreness has always been attributed to lactic acid build up in the muscles, but actually the soreness is caused by micro-tears within the muscle fibers (1). Lactic acid is actually a hero when hitting that last rep or sprint, the acid is recycled into the energy cycle used to power movement. The muscle tears cause a rebuild process, anabolism, which fuse the tears and add a little extra to patch the gaps. (Which is where hypertrophy, muscle growth, comes from). Where the body falls short in the repair process, is forming straight, smooth patches to these tears. Overtime these patches build and build, until what we know as "knots" form. The best way to help the body build more efficiently, is by hitting the foam roller or lax ball. Post workout is usually best, since the muscles are warm and have been worked. Use the lax ball before a workout, only if you have a current or recent injury or an area is extra stiff.
mobilityWOD is also a good resource here.
4. Stretch AFTER the foam roller AND more often.
Now that you've worked out the tension-causing knots with the foam roller and LAX ball, the muscles are primed for stretching. Foam rolling and stretch, together, improve the body's ability to move. The better you are able to move, the more you will get out of your workouts.
We've all been there; working hard in the gym, crushing the diet and still looking at the same numbers on the scale. Even after reading through all the fitness magazines, blogsites, websites, etc., so no resolve. No one has provided you with the magic solution. You're frustrated and desperate to try anything. I've been there. Struggling to eat enough while still trying to get "toned". I've read enough nutrition articles to qualify for the board of dietician exam, and still I struggled with my physique, numbers on the scale and performance in the gym. So how did I turn that around? I stopped lying to myself. I admitted I was not eating healthy or clean. I was not pushing myself as hard as I could during workouts, nor was I focusing my energy on the right workouts. Most of all, I was not sleeping enough. So what does that mean for you? Take an honest look at your logs, if you don't log your food and exercise, then start. Do the logs match what you know to be correct? Probably not, right? Did you log the alcohol you've drank during the week/weekend? The food those drinks caused you to eat, after lowering your willpower? The truth is - most of us already know what we need to do to get results. You've read enough articles by now to know enough, I'm not going to provide you with any information you didn't already read or hear. The hard part is to be honest with yourself. End the vicious cycle of lying to yourself and making poor choices. 1. You aren't logging your food and exercise. Logs are essential to personal growth. How do you know which variable (food, exercise, sleep, supplement, etc) actually caused change, if you don't log? How do you know what pre-workout meal was best for reaching that personal record? I recommend logging in myfitnesspal.com. This site and app, logs; food, supplements and exercise. The site lacks a sleep log, but you can track in your daily notes. Try logging for one week, then make changes. 2. Your macro-nutrients are off. Macro-nutrients?!? Proteins, carbs and fats are the macro-nutrients found in the foods you eat. Most of the body and it's major organs are made up of protein, so you can see this macro-nutrient is of top importance when you exercise. Protein is found is animal products, nuts, seeds, dairy and some plant products. Carbohydrates (or carbs) are in everything. Some say carbs are the devil and others say carbs are the most important macro. The truth is - carbs aren't a one size fits all macro. Some of us are more sensitive to carbs than others. Carbs also come in many different packagaes; fruit, vegetables, beer, bread, pasta, pastries, sugar, dressings, etc. Try this experiment - go two weeks without bread, pasta, pastries, donuts, protein bars, added sugar, anything processed in a factory. See how you feel. I bet you'll feel 100% more vibrant. Your workouts will be and feel so much better. Fats, oh fats. There is a distinct difference in the macro-nutrient and the extra layer you've been grabbing at for months. FAT, the macro-nutrient, is GOOD for you. Fat lines our organs and joints, fat also fuels the brain and helps send electrical signals all over our body. There are three different types of fats, or fatty acids; monounsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats and saturated fats. Mono and poly unsaturated fats are the good kinds of fat. They contain what you know as OMEGA 3, which is essential to bodily functions. In fact, research has shown that OMEGA 3 has been associated with decrease in LDL and an increase in HDL, along with a lower risk for heart disease (1). Sources of these OMEGA 3 are; fish, flaxseed, canola oil, soybean oil, and walnuts. So how should you arrange your macronutrients? Well that really depends on you. If you're sensitive to carbs, then you should limit starchy and dense carbs (potatoes, oats, quinoa, etc) to a post-workout meal. The carbs on which you should focus are vegetables and fruit. Keep munching all day. Low carb macro profile: PROTEIN = 40% daily calories (1 g of protein = 4 calories) FATS = 35% daily calories (1 g of fat = 9 calories) CARBS = 25% daily calories (1 g of carb = 4 calories) Try to play around with the breakdown according to how you feel. If you feel great and you've only consumed 20% carbs, then maybe that breakdown is ideal for YOUR body. 3. You aren't sleeping enough. Lack of sleep wrecks havoc on the mind and body. Several studies suggest inadequate sleep leads to physiological stress and inflammation. Along with stress, the body starts to become unable to recover from daily workouts. The body starts to slump into a state of over-training, which halts progress by the release of cortisol into the blood stream. While cortisol is good in moderation ( like most things), when in overabundance, the body begins to store fat everywhere. Another way lack of sleep will seek revenge, is by means of hunger. The body will tell your mind that you are STARVING, the stomach will start to hurt and you'll think that you need to eat more to feed that energy cycle. Start getting 7-8 hours of sleep each night. Turn off and unplug 30 minutes before bedtime. Starting a nightly routine will help. 4. Your workouts are inefficient. Take a look around the gym, how many people take time to Instagram every set they do? Probably 60%, if not more. Too much rest between sets, depending on the type of lift, leads to inefficiency. The metabolism never gets a jolt. 1. Put down those color-wrapped dumbbells, they aren't doing you any favors. 2. Add 5-10 lbs to each main lift every week or two. 3. Try barbell/dumbbell/kettlebell circuits. Add super-sets to your workout, pair a squat with a lunge, chest fly with a bench press. *Are you intrigued by the 3 statements above? Follow this 8 week program I wrote, with help from a licensed dietitian, to help people like you achieve their fitness goals. Click here to download your copy. 5. Your doing too much cardio. Which came first, the cardio or the weights? Have you ever seen that fire conditions alert? You ever notice the alerts only come around on dry, windy days? Well, think of that wind as cardio. The fire burns because of the amount of wood available to burn, the wind only ever helps that wood burn faster. In terms of the body, the wood is muscle you build from lifting weights. Wouldn't it make sense to provide your fire with enough wood to create a bonfire? Well pick up those weights and lift. Too much cardio is also linked to the release of cortisol, which stated above is not good for the belly fat and muffin top. Sorry to break the news to you. The body also gets used to the amount of cardio you do, so eventually that hour of elliptical translates to maybe 10 minutes of calories (not that much). So that's just a big waste of your time, taking you back to reason # 4. Focus, instead, on short bout of intense cardio. Maybe 1 minute of all out intensity followed by 2 minutes of recovery, repeat for a couple rounds. Do cardio AFTER a workout. Cardio BEFORE a workout will deplete the muscles of energy stores, ultimately (for the sake of the metaphor above) reducing that wood to twigs, decreasing that bonfire to a mere candle (2). 1. http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/types-of-fat/ 2. http://journals.lww.com/acsmhealthfitness/Fulltext/2014/01000/Which_Comes_Fi rst__Resistance_Before_Aerobic.5.aspx
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