3 Goals Every Training Program Should Have (and if yours doesn't you need a new training program!)
1. Don’t get injured. This seems simple, but it's incredibly important. If you get injured, you can't train, and this will halt the entire process. You should be in a training program that prioritizes safe exercises within your movement capacity. "No pain, no gain" is NOT a thing. Which leads us to:
2. Improve movement patterns and movement capacity AS NEEDED. This is context and goal dependent! Fitness is personal, and not everybody needs access to the same movements and workouts. You don't need to be doing crazy complicated moves to get amazing results.
3. Get strong and efficient so you can be the healthy, athletic, badass you are meant to be! Working on movement patterns and doing movement prep/ warm up has it's place but it's important to remember that's not the whole show. The goal of ALL that stuff is to need LESS of it as you become more athletic and strong.
Everything else is just ICING ON THE CAKE! What’s my point? If you try to go ALL IN at step 3, you’ll likely end up at step 1. The real magic is learning how to accomplish all 3 steps at once, because that is REAL training for the real world for a real person!
PS: Think you’re not athletic? You’re a human: you were born to be athletic!!! It just takes practice, which means training programs that provide an opportunity to build that quality, and keep you moving safely in the best way for you!
Tell me: Have you ever tried a training program that didn't work for you? What challenges have you had with your training?
I constantly think how grateful I am that working out is a habit for me, rather than a desire.
This is what fuels me on days when I just don't want to show up for myself. Don't get me wrong, breaks are good! But overall, when the primary driving force behind a workout is that it is a habit, not "want", everything changes.
It makes the low motivation days null and void. I don't work out because I WANT to. I do it because it's just a thing I do. Simple as that.
I love priority pyramids! They're super helpful for us to figure out what to work on first when having specific fitness goals (this one is focused on getting you lean).
Remember: you need nutrition as a base! Without a pyramid's foundation, it will be much tougher to continue to work your way up.
The Priorities for Getting Lean:
1. Nutrition: Eat an appropriate amount for your activity levels. Focus on nutrient-dense foods. Carb cycle.
2. Recovery: Get 7+ hours of sleep each night. Stay well hydrated. Manage stress.
3. Strength: Use resistance training to build muscle and increase your metabolism. Try to do this 2- 4 days per week.
4. Speed: Use sprints, intervals and other high intensity work 2 - 3 days per week.
5. Cardio: Add this last, 1-3 days per week. (Yep, you read that right. This is not the place to focus for fat loss!)
Of course, this is overly simplified, and it's not always easy to implement. If you'd like 1:1 support to implement a priority pyramid in your life, DM me and we'll see if we're a good fit!
The BIGGEST mistake you can make in your journey...
One of the most important parts of my job is helping my clients set their expectations appropriately. In my experience the most common reason people quit training or trying to improve their eating habits is because they think all their effort is going to waste.
BIG MISTAKE!
Things usually are happening - just not at the rate we want them to be. So we throw in the towel and decide to give up, for a little while.
Then what? We think “oh that thing last time didn’t work so I must need to (insert diet here) HARDER!”
Only, harder wasn’t the answer. Patience was. Realistic expectations - that is the answer. If you know what to expect you don’t get discouraged when you’re not Gisele in 3 weeks time. You keep on going and you develop better habits and you create routine and then eventually you accomplish that physique goal too.
The difference in 2% body fat is pretty major, shown in the picture. The effort required to go from one column to the next is considerable.
And guess what - you can’t skip it. You have to BUILD the skills you need to get where you want to be. You have to start where you are and move forward from there. We’ve got to work out way backward. And if you’re going to do that successfully you better know what it’s going to take ahead of time. Set your expectations appropriately and you’ll be amazed how far you go!
What looks like the hardest switch from 25% BF to 23% BF?? I think it’s going from 3-5 workouts per week to moving DAILY!
Training Sessions That Get Results
- aren’t that complicated
- don’t look particularly “killer” on paper
- don’t require you to feel like you’ve gotten your ass kicked every single time
- don’t require a ton of fancy equipment
What DO training programs that get results require?
- building movement capacity FIRST (endurance before pure strength)
- repetitions of the same movement or movement patterns consistently
- a little more effort week over week
- tolerance of a little boredom (sometimes) and not looking for “entertrainment”
- sticking with a program long enough to see the results, which probably means at least 8-12 weeks
Here’s a fun little peak into one of my fave lower body workouts:
Main lifts:
A1) Bulgarian split squat
A2) Suitcase deadlift Strength Circuit
B1) Goblet squat
B2) Tall Kneel “Serratus reach” pulldown
B3) Single Leg Romanian Deadlift
B4) Lateral Lunge
The movements are fairly basic but it’s taken years of practice to master this stuff and feel confident adding load!
Other than what I listed above, What other qualities do you look for in an effective training program?
TWELVE years ago I was back squatting 100lbs for 3 × 5 for the first time ever. I was still working on pull ups negatives.
Yesterday someone I was talking with said she was alwas so impressed to see me doing pull-ups.
I told her it was just lots of practice and working on it. "Years of it!" I said.
Two takeaways I would encourage you to consider here:
1) The basics never stop working. They work for months, years. LIFE.
2) If you are going to get stronger and fitter, you had better get comfortable with the idea of being fairly repetitive with the "meat and potatoes" of your workouts for a long time to come.
You'll get there, friend. Just keep going!
Hot take: If your fitness plan consists of long bouts of incline walks and a series of glute kickbacks followed by "some abs" you're missing a huge piece of the puzzle.
That doesn't mean that any of these things are "bad" (and I do all of them and program them for my clients as appropriate).
But let's remember:
The absence of "bad" doesn't make something "good"
- and it certainly doesn't make something optimal.
TLDR: Ladies, lift heavy sh*t. Especially if you're over 30.
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#leaner #myfatlossjourney #fatlossvsweightloss #fatlosslifestyle #foodandfitness #weightmaintenance #letsgetlean #betterbody #getslim #momwithmuscles #fithappyhealthy #fitmommotivation #womenarestrong #femaleinspiration #raisingstrongwomen #strongwomenraisestrongwomen #juststrongwomen #strongwomenlift #womenwholiftheavy #womenwholifts #strengthtrainingday #muscletone #growmusclesgrow #metabolictraining #weightliftingmotivation #weightliftingjourney #liftheavythings #strongaf #swoleisthegoal #goheavyorgohome
LOW CARB OR LOW FAT??? What’s better for fat loss?
While there can be differences based on our bodies ability to be metabolically flexible - the VAST MAJORITY of science says you can lose fat and gain health while eating higher fat OR higher carb, as long as calories are controlled.
What does that mean???
If your calorie intake is in check you can lose fat on a higher carb or higher fat diet!!! We know this is true because we all know people who have lost fat on keto and people who have lost fat in a vegan diet!
What does that mean for you???
You don’t have to give up the foods you love in order to make changes to your body. You can eat carbs and fats and still lose weight as long as you can SUSTAIN A CALORIE DEFICIT.
Which means you probably *should* include some of the foods you love so you don’t give up!
PS: most of the time cutting out fats or carbs leads to a calorie deficit and that creates the fat loss anyway.
Tell me - What do you love more - CARBS 🥔or FATS 🥑??? I’m a carb girl ❤️
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#womenarestrong #femaleinspiration #raisingstrongwomen #strongwomenraisestrongwomen #juststrongwomen #strongwomenlift #womenwholiftheavy #womenwholifts #strengthtrainingday #muscletone #growmusclesgrow #metabolictraining #weightliftingmotivation #weightliftingjourney #liftheavythings #strongaf #swoleisthegoal #goheavyorgohome #leaner #myfatlossjourney #fatlossvsweightloss #fatlosslifestyle #foodandfitness #weightmaintenance #letsgetlean #betterbody #getslim #momwithmuscles #fithappyhealthy #fitmommotivation
Don’t put yourself in a box!
There was a time period of my life I would’ve seen this and thought “I’d never be able to do that.”
Then there was another time period I wouldn’t have wanted to try because all I wanted to do was kip (heeey CrossFit years 👋)
Now, I’m doing this new variation of hanging knee raises and I realize I might look back on this video and go “what was I thinking?”
Nothing in life is constant. I keep reminding myself these days that the only thing permanent is death.
I spent a lot of years not doing stuff because I either
A) judged too quickly
Or
B) was too afraid of being judged myself
Now I
C) don’t give AF
Whatever your goals are, the path to get there is probably a lot different than you think. I know mine has been and continues to be.
As a coach I’ve learned how important it is to let your mind consider the possibility that you aren’t actually who you think you are. That you might be someone totally different!
I labeled exercises as good/bad, possible/impossible, etc and every time I did that I put myself in a box. I am a completely different person than who I thought I was as I packed up all those boxes around myself.
The next time you put yourself in a box, think carefully about whether or not those labels you’re using are true, and if they’re really you… because maybe they aren’t. Maybe they’re just something you’re trying on for now. Maybe you need a bigger box. Maybe you don’t need a box at all.
If you’ve read this far, thank you for being here. Love you. 😘
Guess what. You can shred meat with a hand mixer. And it’s waaaaay easier than using two forks.
Just use a larger container than I did so it doesn’t start spilling all over your counter 🤦♀️
To make the chicken:
Add the steamer basket to your instant pot.
Pour in 1 cup of water.
Add 3-4 lbs of chicken breast into the basket and season with whatever dry seasonings/rub you prefer.
Cook on high pressure for 25 minutes if fully thawed (add 10-15 minutes if your chicken is frozen)
Afterwards take the chicken out and add to a large container for shredding.
I like to cook down the remaining liquid using the sauté function for about 15 minutes and then pour it back over the shredded chicken.
Why 3-4 lbs of chicken breast? Because you’re going to use this on tops of salads, in wraps or sandwiches, as chicken salad, or just on its own with barbecue sauce (or whatever you like) all week long and have easy prepped protein ready at a moments notice!
I found this video on my phone which I never shared and my first thought was "I guess I should delete that since it's old" and then I was like... wait a second, this is still an awesome exercise!
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So please enjoy my time traveling self from 2019 showing you this band resisted version of the "single leg stretch" from the Pilates method.
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The band gives some great feedback to help you keep your ribcage pulled down and your mid-back flat on the floor so you get better work in your abs. (Cause ribcage and pelvis relationship is errythang y'all.)
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8 - 10 reps is a good place to start and you can throw this gem into your regular workout for a few sets OR just toss it into your movement prep.
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Get those abs!
🔥🍑 Spicy leg and glute combo 🍑🔥
Damn, I love a lunge variation.
There are a ton of benefits! single leg work with some gait carry over, ability to load it without access to super heavy weights, heart rate elevation for added aerobic work, and just smoking your legs in short order being a few!
This superset of a lateral step down straight into a step down curtsy lunge is fantastic is you’re just looking for a little spin on your average lunges.
With the step down try your best not to shift weight into the leg tapping the floor - it’s harder than it sounds and I’m honestly not doing a great job of that in this video.
With the curtsy focus on feeling some stretch in your working leg glutes in the bottom. This will lead to a better contraction as you come back up.
You won’t need a ton of reps here to feel it! I there this in my workout after working on heavier front squats and only needed 2 sets of 8 each to feel like I was sufficiently challenged.
Over/ under will you add this into your program?! Let me know!
🔥🍑 Spicy leg and glute combo 🍑🔥
Damn, I love a lunge variation.
There are a ton of benefits! single leg work with some gait carry over, ability to load it without access to super heavy weights, heart rate elevation for added aerobic work, and just smoking your legs in short order being a few!
This superset of a lateral step down straight into a step down curtsy lunge is fantastic is you’re just looking for a little spin on your average lunges.
With the step down try your best not to shift weight into the leg tapping the floor - it’s harder than it sounds and I’m honestly not doing a great job of that in this video.
With the curtsy focus on feeling some stretch in your working leg glutes in the bottom. This will lead to a better contraction as you come back up.
You won’t need a ton of reps here to feel it! I there this in my workout after working on heavier front squats and only needed 2 sets of 8 each to feel like I was sufficiently challenged.
Over/ under will you add this into your program?! Let me know!
🔥🍑 Spicy leg and glute combo 🍑🔥
Damn, I love a lunge variation.
There are a ton of benefits! single leg work with some gait carry over, ability to load it without access to super heavy weights, heart rate elevation for added aerobic work, and just smoking your legs in short order being a few!
This superset of a lateral step down straight into a step down curtsy lunge is fantastic is you’re just looking for a little spin on your average lunges.
With the step down try your best not to shift weight into the leg tapping the floor - it’s harder than it sounds and I’m honestly not doing a great job of that in this video.
With the curtsy focus on feeling some stretch in your working leg glutes in the bottom. This will lead to a better contraction as you come back up.
You won’t need a ton of reps here to feel it! I there this in my workout after working on heavier front squats and only needed 2 sets of 8 each to feel like I was sufficiently challenged.
Over/ under will you add this into your program?! Let me know!
Did you know grip strength has been correlated with aging so strongly that it’s been proposed as a bio marker for health?
One study states that “grip strength is largely consistent as an explanator of concurrent overall strength, upper limb function, bone mineral density, fractures, falls, malnutrition, cognitive impairment, depression, sleep problems, diabetes, multimorbidity, and quality of life.” (R. Bohannon)
Tomorrow I turn 35 and you better believe I have every intention of busting out pull-ups like this when I’m 70!
Practicing pull-ups consistently is one way to keep that grip strength from getting weak and keep you young! But you better work it while you got it… if you aren’t practicing now it’s not going to get any easier with time.
The good news is, it doesn’t take much! A few times a week incorporating some pull-up work with bands, TRX, or hollow hangs will keep your pull-ups getting stronger for now AND later!
My favorite way to practice is with bands… tell me below: what’s yours?
One of my favorite warms up lately is this single leg down dog to a lunge. You get so much movement out of the hips through flexion and extension, a good overhead reach and some abs… what’s not to love.
I’m a firm believer in warmups being a part of your workout. The goal is to prepare you for what’s coming in the rest of the session. And this is VALUABLE TIME that should be spent actually moving - not just foam rolling and doing some random stretches before hoping for the best.
So that’s my rant on warm ups - and here is how to add this exercise to your next one!
1) start in a plank position, push your hands down into the ground and find your abs.
2) push your hips back and keep your abs active (don’t arch your back!) as you lift one leg up.
Tip: if you don’t keep your core on here you’ll just roll your low back down in order to fake hip extension on the lifted leg.
3) hold that lift for a second abs feel your standing leg - keep it soft, don’t lock the knee. This will allow for better movement at the hips and a better hamstring stretch.
4) as you come forward to your plank again pull the lifted leg forward to a lunge position. Try to step your foot forward as far as you can, it will take effort to get it all the way up by your hand.
5) pause in your lunge and breathe. Try to square your hips and sit weight into your forward leg for maximal stretch in that front hip (great for warming up if your workout includes squats later!)
Try 8 reps on each side and enjoy feeling ready for what’s to come!
HOW TO DO A SPLIT STANCE ROMANIAN DEADLIFT 🔥🥷
Ahhh the Romanian deadlift, aka straight leg deadlift (worst name ever) is such a sneaky exercise.
The key to nailing it is actually NOT locking your knee and simply letting your pelvis and hips move backwards in space so your low back and spine don’t take on all of the work! Using a split stance can go a long way in helping this as well - plus it’s single leg work which is good for so many reasons. Trust.
SOUND ON for the exercise… but I’m going to give you a bonus here as well.
Do you usually feel hinge movements in your back? You’re probably not tilting your pelvis enough. Let’s fix that, shall we?!
It’s a crude cue but it works every time so I’m going to share it with you.
1) start with your knees soft, standing straight up.
2) push your butt back and POINT YOUR VAGINA at the wall behind you.
3) pause to make sure you feel tension in your hamstrings (you should) and push the floor away to stand back up.
4) thank me later when your low back actually feels SO MUCH BETTER and your legs and butt look amazing.
In other news, my phone has started autocorrecting “and” to “abs” so… I’m equal parts embarrassed and proud 😂 if you see that typo popping up in my captions now you know why
HOW TO DO A BAND ASSISTED PULL-UP 💪
Sound on for cues but here are the cliffs notes:
1) be safe getting into the band! That is possibly the hardest part.
2) maintain tension in your core! Think of a pull-up as a moving plank
3) pull the bar to you rather than thinking of pulling yourself to the bar
4) if it’s not happening, get a bigger band OR pair two smaller bands together.
5) if you’re just starting out in this movement I recommend doing higher reps with a bigger band (you should be able to do 6-8 reps) so you can “grease the groove” and help your nervous system learn how to pull.
6) if you are trying to get stronger in your pull-ups and want to do an unassisted one use a lighter band for lower reps sets (1-3 reps) and just do more sets to practice!
Programming pull-ups for my ladies is one of my favorite things because it builds awesome strength but also makes you feel like a total badass!
Are you practicing pull-ups in your program? What questions do you have for me on pull-ups?
Yes!!! We CAN do hard things!!! … but most of the time we really don’t want to 🤷🏼♀️
So here’s the thing - I have good news and bad news for you!
The good news is rocking a body you love and creating resilient health does NOT require as much hard work as you think!
The bad news is… it’s still hard work 😂
There is no avoiding the effort required to make changes to your habits and the resultant changes to your physique that comes with that!
You DON’T have to workout everyday… but I do need you to strength train with progressive overload 3x per week.
You DON’T have to give up all the foods you love… but I do need you to have control over your total calorie intake to create fat loss.
You DON’T have to be perfect with every workout or meal for weeks on end… but I do need you to meet me at 85-90% consistency with your habits.
The reality is the REAL work is in just sticking with the plan and trusting the process long enough for it to actually work. For most of my clients that is the hardest part (at least initially) which is exactly why they hire a professional to help guide them through the process so they can stop trying to make all the decisions for themselves only to second guess them and choose a new “plan” two weeks later.
If the expiration date on your training plan is shorter than the oat milk in your fridge, I’ve got news for you - you are doing this the HARDEST way.
What could be harder than constantly trying and never getting anywhere?
I’m here to make it easier. Send me a DM or apply for coaching with the link in my bio if you’re ready to surprise yourself a few weeks from now when your fall clothes fit better than they do today.
