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5 Things Nobody Tells You About Push Ups

by Cori Lefkowith | Jan 22, 2023 | Blog, Bodyweight, Core, Exercises, Push Ups

Want to improve your push ups, but feeling like all of the push up training you’re doing isn’t adding up?

Do you feel like no matter what you try your push ups end up looking like you’re doing the worm?

Or like you’re just getting better at modified push ups?

If you’re struggling to achieve that first full push up and then build up to double digit reps, this video is for you!

In this video, I’ll go over 5 things no one tells you about improving your push ups so you can start busting out those picture perfect reps from your toes!

Hey guys it’s Cori from Redefining Strength where we help you build functional strength at any and every age!

Push ups are an amazing bodyweight exercise, but one that often doesn’t get the credit for being the challenging move that it truly is.

Just because you can “do” a push up, doesn’t mean you’re using the correct muscles or actually replicating the move with picture perfect form.

Sometimes you have to regress to progress.

And that’s why in this video I want to go over 5 things no one tells you about improving your push ups so you can adjust your training routines to help you actually move forward.

And in the final tip, I’m going to go over why you may find all of your modified push up work feels like it is NEVER actually helping you progress but just only helping you get stronger at doing more modified push ups!

#1: It all starts with your hands.

Do you have annoying wrist pain or elbow pain during push ups?

Feel like you’re ok on the lower down but for the life of you just can’t seem to maintain proper form during the press back up?

Focus more on your hands and then tension into the ground!

Creating tension from the ground up in your push ups will lead to better muscle activation and engagement, creating a stronger press.

When you set up for a push up, don’t just put your hands outside your chest.

Think about spreading your fingers and pushing your hands down into the ground.

Create that pressure and tension through ALL of your fingers. You may notice when you do this, you even want to rock out on your hands.

This rock out could be leading to the overload that causes wrist and elbow issues.

So focus even on pressing that thumb down into the ground.

Then as you press down, pretend to pull the ground apart slightly like you’re ripping a piece of paper.

This pull apart will help you even feel your chest muscles engage.

Then keep this tension through the entire push up, even focusing most on pushing the ground away as you transition from the bottom of the push up to pushing back up!

#2: Stick with incline push ups.

The next tip is to stick with incline push ups

There will definitely be times we simply don’t have an appropriate incline to use so turn to knee push ups; however, the more we can use the incline, the better.

The incline is so key because it allows us to learn to engage everything in the exact way we will need to as we move to that full push up off the ground.

It allows us to train creating tension through our lower leg and quads by driving back through our heels.

Because the push up is basically a moving plank.

If you only ever train that knee push up position, you never learn this full engagement which could be holding you back.

It is part of why you can feel like you’re getting stronger, BUT you’re never actually able to achieve that full push up from your toes.

Simply put – that knee push up may be holding you back!

And using an incline allows you to create a clear progression you can track. Over time you can slowly lower the incline you use inch by inch.

A smith machine or rack is a great way to create an incline you can incrementally lower.

And if the incline is too low, you can even start with just slowing down the eccentric only to reset at the top.

#3: You’re stronger in the eccentric phase of the push up.

To learn to do a more challenging variation of a move, we need to actually DO the harder movement.

The question is – how can you do the more advanced movement pattern though if you haven’t yet earned it?

Using an incline is one answer.

But so is focusing on the eccentric portion of the push up.

We are stronger in the eccentric phase of the push up or the lowering down portion.

By slowing down the eccentric, we can help ourselves build strength and muscle, spending more time under tension.

And by even doing an eccentric ONLY movement, we can help ourselves start to train a more challenging variation than we are fully yet able to do.

So if you’re feeling stuck at the incline you’re at currently, try a lower incline, performing only the eccentric or lowering down portion of the push up.

Really slow down and control that full lower down.

When your chest touches the incline, you can drop to your knees and push back up or even simply step a foot up and reset at the top.

But that time under tension just lowering down in the push up, using a harder version of the movement, can help you break through that stick point and advance to the next level!

#4: Strengthening your back is key.

Another often neglected area when we’re trying to improve our push ups is our back.

Yes, the push up is a press and targets our chest, shoulders and triceps while working our entire core.

But for a more powerful press, whether it is a push up or bench press, we need to have proper scapular control and be able to effectively engage our backs to support our shoulders.

A lack of scapular mobility and stability and back strength can lead to neck, shoulder and even elbow aches and pains as we compensate during the movement.

The more pressing you include in your routine, the more you will want to balance out your workouts with pulling exercises to also increase your back strength.

And not only that, you’ll also want to make sure that your warm up routine on days you do work on push ups includes scapular mobility and back activation work as well.

This helps you make sure you’re able to properly retract your shoulder blades (draw them together toward your spine) as you lower down in the push up and then protract them (pull them apart away from your spine) as you press back up.

It’s key we establish that mind-body connection to prep muscles to work correctly as we go into challenging compound movements.

For two amazing moves to help you strengthen your back and improve your scapular control, check out the link at the bottom of this post.

#5: Stop doing more reps of a modified variation.

Last but not least stop doing more reps of a modified variation.

Adding reps shows we’re progressing and building strength.

However, adding reps to each round of a more modified variation of the push up may be holding you back from progressing.

It may only be making you stronger at that more modified variation.

Instead of adding another rep or trying to do more reps each set, consider designing your push up work to have even 1-2 reps per round while creating volume through performing more rounds.

So if you want to do 10 reps of push ups and have been doing 2 rounds of 5 reps off a higher incline, instead do 10 rounds of even a single push up off a far lower incline, even using the eccentric only variation if needed.

We need to push the progression of the movement if we want to advance. We can’t just do more reps of the easier variation.

So think fewer reps of a hader movement, even if you have to modify over the rounds over doing an easier variation you can do more reps of!

Bonus Tip: Include your focused push up work first

One bonus tip is to include your focused push up work at the start of your workout.

When focusing on improving any lift or movement you want to improve, it is always best to include targeted work for it when you’re FRESHEST.

This makes it easier to focus on what you feel working and on maintaining proper form.

You can include the push up work at the start of your workout on more than one day. Push ups

Include more rounds of lower rep push up work, testing out the most advanced variation you can do.

You can even mix in slow eccentric push ups to help you advance.

And for some amazing accessory moves to improve your push ups and specifically work on your scapular control, check out my Can’t Do Push ups? Try These 2 Tips video next!

Can’t Do Push ups? Try These 2 Tips: https://youtu.be/rsf4xmIG4FI

Other push up resources:

FIX Wrist Pain During PUSH UPS | 4 Easy Ways To Increase Your Wrist Strength & Flexibility: https://youtu.be/t1d-KIwWgDw

Push-Ups For Beginners – 5 Simple Tips To Perfect Your Push Up: https://youtu.be/hosxWuzlGDg

FHP 502 – Are Fad Diets Addicting? | Are BCAAs Worth it?

by Cori Lefkowith | Jan 17, 2023 | podcast

In this week’s episode…

I’ll discuss breaking those annoying patterns of sabotage
I’ll chat with Michelle about how fad diets can be addicting
I’ll give you the low down on BCAAs and why, when and how to use them
I’ll share a delicious, plant-based, granola recipe everyone will love
I’ll help you improve your prehab with this simple shift in focus
And I’ll help you maximize this oh so important movement pattern!

Lemon Tahini Granola

Makes 8 Servings

4 tbsp. water
1⁄4 cup (40g) pitted dates
4 tbsp. tahini
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tbsp. lemon juice
zest from 1 lemon
2 cups (160g) rolled oats
1⁄4 cup (30g) pumpkin seeds 1⁄4 cup (40g) almonds
1⁄4 cup (30g) pecans
1 tbsp. chia seeds
1 tbsp. poppy seeds
1 tbsp. shredded coconut
1 tsp. ground cinnamon

I love to eat this with even greek yogurt to boost protein. And sometimes to pack an extra protein punch, I’ll even mix my yogurt with protein powder before topping with the granola

You can do this even with a coconut or other non-dairy yogurt and vegan protein powder as well!

Preheat the oven to 320°F (160°C). Line a baking sheet with baking paper.

Blend 1 tablespoon of water with the pitted dates. The amount of water you need will depend on how dry your dates are, so start with 1 tablespoon and add more as required.

Add the date paste, tahini, vanilla extract, lemon juice and lemon zest to a large bowl, and mix until well combined. If your paste is very thick add 1 tablespoon of water to thin it. It should be easy to mix but thicker than cake batter.

Add the rolled oats, nuts, seeds, coconut and cinnamon. Mix well to combine and transfer the granola to the baking sheet. Spread it out into an even layer and press down with a spatula.

Bake in the hot oven for 15 minutes, then carefully flip over and continue to bake for a further 10-15 minutes until golden brown, being careful not to burn the granola.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and set it aside on a wire rack to cool. The granola will firm up into crunchy pieces as it cools.

15 minutes to prep. 30 minutes to cook

Macros:

238 calories

13 g Fat

25 g Carbs

8 g Protein

I Quit

by Cori Lefkowith | Jan 15, 2023 | Blog, Diet, Exercises, Workouts

I freaking quit.

Do you know the #1 reason why we don’t see the fat loss or muscle gains we want.

We simply, STOP doing the habits we need to.

Honestly we’ve all been guilty of giving up right before results truly have time to snowball.

Because it’s hard to trust the process when we feel like we’re working super hard, giving our plan our all, and results aren’t building as quick as we’d like.

But here’s the cold hard truth you’ve got to accept if you want to succeed…

Results NEVER happen as fast as you’d like.

There will always be ups and downs. There will always be setbacks.

Struggles are a part of success.

But that’s why I wanted to share some tips to help you get BETTER results FASTER.

While we can’t out exercise or out diet time, and there is no magic pill, that doesn’t mean we can’t do things to help ourselves see those wins to avoid wanting to give up.

And one of the first secrets to success is actually to slow down.

So let me share the tale of the two woodcutters to highlight the importance of slowing down….

Two woodcutters were in a competition to see who could cut down more trees by the end of the day. The first was an experienced woodcutter older in years and the second was a younger, stronger man eager to prove his ability.

Both men set out to chopping. After about an hour or so the more experienced man paused, sat down to take a break and invited the other to join him.

The younger, stronger woodcutter replied, “No way! I’m going to keep chopping and I’m going to beat you.”

“Suit yourself,” said the experienced man.

This pattern repeated itself several times throughout the day.

Every so often the experienced man would pause his chopping to rest,

while the younger stronger woodcutter kept chopping away.

At the end of the day when the two woodcutters compared to see who had chopped more wood, the younger & stronger woodcutter was astonished to find that the older woodcutter who kept taking breaks had chopped a significantly greater amount of wood.

He said, “How is that even possible?

You spent far less time chopping than I did. I’m stronger and never once stopped cutting down trees. What is your secret?”

The experienced man said, “every time I sat down, I was sharpening my axe.”

Hard work is key to results.

But hard work without direction, without focus, without intention, is often energy wasted.

Too often we just seek to do more in the gym.

Restrict foods while searching for magic fat burning option…

When really it’s about learning and dialing in those basics.

It’s even about doing the MINIMUM at times.

It’s not about effort it’s about efficiency.

Trust me if it was about EFFORT, I’d have lots of people in far better shape than me…people that train twice a day for hours a day and eat only “clean foods.”

While I sometimes do progressions that are 3 days a week and 30-40 minutes while enjoying my cocktails and desserts.

But sometimes we need to scale back on how frequently we train, the length of our sessions or even how much we do in terms of adjusting our nutrition simply so we can stay consistent.

Because that consistency often adds up more quickly than trying to do more in less time while burning ourselves out.

So don’t be afraid to PAUSE, assess and learn. Don’t be afraid to take time to plan.

Often by even THINKING about what we can do to consider the outcomes can save us a ton of time going in the wrong direction.

And then this even comes down to EMBRACING THE HARD.

I see it when it comes to our desire to avoid tracking.

And trust me…I get it…

I legit tried so much to avoid tracking because it seemed hard and overwhelming and tedious and boring. I even tried the potato diet.

I didn’t understand it so it felt complicated and like it wasn’t worth the effort.

But ultimately in my attempt to avoid the hard, I wasted a ton of time and effort.

I held myself back for so long avoiding the challenge of learning…and even struggling through it.

But there truly is no way around the hard.

All we can do is start by breaking things down.

What’s one small change you can make today?

Can you simply list out what you ate?

Can you start to measure out portions to see how much you’re actually consuming?

The more we can break things down, the more we are able to make changes that don’t feel as hard, but that let us build up to fully embracing the new habits.

But just realize there is no way around that learning process if we actually want to create new habits.

And then remember, you didn’t create your current habits, lifestyles, physical conditioning overnight and you won’t get changes overnight either.

Our body and brain doesn’t like change.

It wants to maintain what it feels is normal – what it’s been TRAINED to see as instinctual and natural.

And yes I do mean TRAINED.

We get good at what we consistently do!

Our body wants to maintain your current weight and will fight the weight loss process.

Your brain likes your current habits because they are easy.

So as much as 3 or 4 months is a long time if you have been working to see results, consider how long you’ve actually not been at your goal.

How long you’ve been implementing other habits…

Because often when we take this step back, we realize we’re expecting basically overnight changes in comparison to how long it took us to get away from our goal.

So as tempting as it is to say “I QUIT” when results aren’t adding up as fast as we’d like, recognizing how long you’ve actually been making changes for in comparison.

And realize that this cycle, quitting right at this point is what you’ve ALWAYS done.

Results take time to snowball

Maybe you’ve only lost 1 lbs. But 1 pound will become 2, will become 4, will become, 15 will become 50…

And the more you lose and the longer you keep it off the leaner you look.

But every time you quit, you doom yourself to keep losing and gaining the same few pounds.

Sure you’ll fluctuate as life ebbs and flows over the year and years, BUT I see my results when I focus in get better and better, not only because I’ve LEARNED as I’ve gone and focused on efficiency not effort…I’ve embraced the HARD, but also because I’ve simply stayed consistent and let time do it’s thing.

That’s why you haven’t seen the results you want.

If you’re about to say I QUIT, double down and keep going.
make changes.

Don’t do more, just keep at those habits, learning and tweaking.

But don’t give up!

And to help you avoid making 8 of the most common weight loss mistakes I see clients making, I’m sharing those tips HERE!

FHP 501 – Better Results Faster

by Cori Lefkowith | Jan 10, 2023 | podcast

Hey Guys it’s Cori from Redefining Strength!

In this new season of The Fitness Hacks Podcast I’m going to be bringing you all new segments.

In this episode we’ll cover…

1) 3 tips for kickstarting the new year,

2) Get some amazing goal setting advice from my lead dietitian Michelle,

3) Discuss 3 Key Macro Hacks

4) Go over a delicious one pan chicken recipe

5) Talk about an amazing training technique and then talk about dealing with hate as you work toward your goals.

One Pot Spanish Chicken and Rice Recipe

1 tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. (450g) skinless boneless chicken thighs cut into pieces 1⁄2 tsp. salt
1⁄2 tsp. black pepper
1⁄2 medium onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup (160g) long grain white rice, rinsed
1⁄2 tbsp. smoked paprika
11⁄2 cups (360ml) chicken broth
1 cup (240ml) tomato sauce pinch of saffron
1⁄2 cup (70g) green olives
1⁄2 cup (8g) cilantro, chopped 1 lemon, cut into wedges

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over a medium heat. Add the chicken and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 5-6 minutes until slightly brown.

Add in the onion, red bell pepper and garlic and cook for a few minutes until they slightly soften. Now add the rice, stir to combine and cook for a further 1-2 minutes.

Next add in the paprika, chicken broth and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to low. Add the saffron, cover the pan with a lid and cook gently for 25 minutes until the rice is ready.
Season with a little more salt and pepper to taste, and stir through the olives and cilantro.

Serve with lemon wedges.

4 servings (macros listed PER serving)

370 Calories | 11g Fat | 43g Carb | 27g Protein

How to Force Muscle Growth (4 Tips)

by Cori Lefkowith | Jan 8, 2023 | Blog, Exercises, muscle-featured

Are you ready to improve your workouts and dial in your muscle gains?

Then you’ll love these 4 tips to help you design your workouts to build muscle faster.

In this video I’m going to share 4 training tips to help you design more efficient workouts for better muscle gains. Be open to the opportunity in these options over writing off what doesn’t fit what you’ve always done.

Change requires change.

And because many of us realize that the best results happen when our diet and workouts work together, I’m going to share a bonus nutritional tip that will make some of you very mad…

Hey guys it’s Cori from Redefining Strength where we help you feel, look and move your best at any and every age.

Gaining muscle can be a slow process. And the more advanced a trainee you are, the slower the process will be.

That’s why it is key we dial in our training, progressing it with these 4 key training tips. And not only do we need to adjust our diet, but making sure to fuel to create that anabolic environment is key.

Tip #1: Use Two Types Of Resistances.

Which are better….bands, dumbbells, cables, barbells or kettlebells?

The answer is all of them. And it depends.

But so often we get caught up in finding a single BEST tool over realizing that we can create progression by even combining them.

Each of these types of resistances have different benefits. And when we combine them, we can utilize their unique benefits to our advantage.

Especially because we need to really push that progression each workout to build muscle and get better results faster. BUT it can be mentally taxing to constantly be pushing.

And ego can start to get in the way, pushing us to do more weight than maybe we can truly control optimal just to do “more” this week and progress.

That’s why varying up how you apply resistance can help from not only a physical standpoint, but also a mental one.

Consider combining tools like the barbell and bands.

When you combine these two tools, you can not only more easily add loads with the barbell, but you can also benefit from the different resistance arc of the bands.

Bands can help apply more tension where the muscle is strongest and can help you apply more resistance not just dependent on the pull of gravity like free weights.

And the two tools combined can allow you to use lighter barbell loads while making the move more challenging in a new way.

A great example of a way to combine two types of resistances is the Landmine Band Deadlift.

You can not only get the benefit of the loaded barbell in the landmine, but the band will also apply more resistance as you lift and really make you fight to control the eccentric or lower down.

This is a great way to focus even more on that eccentric portion of the lift, or when those hamstrings are stretched, to create better muscle hypertrophy. Studies have shown that by emphasizing the eccentric portion of a move, you may be able to get more efficient muscle gains.

Tip #2: Use Training Density To Move More Weight.

What leads to more strength and muscle growth? Lifting heavier weight more times.

But the heavier the weight, the fewer the reps you can do in a row.

The lighter the weight, the more reps in a row you can complete.

You need to find that sweet spot to move more weight over the course of your individual sessions but also over time.

That is why advanced training techniques like density sets can be so key to include, especially if you are a hard gainer, have been training for longer or even just want to build muscle while being really conscious to avoid gaining unwanted fat.

A great density training design is 3 10 minute supersets, using heavy compound lifts, especially in the first two series.

To use this design, you’ll pick two moves working different areas and repeat them for 10 minutes, pausing only briefly to rest as needed.

You will use one move as a chance to rest the muscles worked in the other exercise.

You will also pick a load you can do about 8-10 reps with at max and then perform about 5-6 reps per set on it.

This allows you to actually use heavier loads and build up volume over the time through completing multiple rounds.

It also often allows for higher quality reps with heavier weights.

You’ll be amazed at how much more weight you can actually move over the course of each workout with this design!

It is killer though so be prepared to cycle out of this design every 3-4 weeks.

Tip #3: Use Partial Reps.

Now before you get mad about this tip, let me break down the opportunity in changing up the range of motion at times, specifically for movements meant to isolate those stubborn areas.

I’m all for strengthening through the fullest range of motion possible as often as possible. This helps us maintain amazing mobility and stability even as we get older and see great muscle growth.

BUT more time under tension for a muscle has also been shown to truly lead to better results faster.

This is why including some partial reps for those stubborn areas, reducing the range of motion can be helpful.

And it can help in 2 ways….

1. It can allow more time under tension to emphasize the eccentric, like on Pulse RDLs where you are spending more time under tension when the muscle is stretched.

2. It can allow you to create more metabolic stress to also drive muscle growth by keeping the muscle in a consistently shortened state and apply more resistance at the end range of motion when the muscle is contracted. With this you’ll often feel that pump or burn building up, like top range of motion bicep curls.

Another benefit is that it can help you overcome stick points in lifts, which can ultimately help you lift more weight, leading to better muscle gains as well.

Tip #4: Putting it all together. Create your progression.

I’ve heard people say they get “bored” by repeating workouts.

But your desire to be “entertained” and constantly do something new may be holding you back from seeing the results you want.

If you want to build muscle, you need clear progression and the ability to recover between sessions.

Randomly stringing workouts and new moves together all of the time may make you super sore, feel hard and ultimately get you nowhere.

Create that clear progression based on those “boring” fundamentals.

And realize that by creating this clear progression, implementing the 3 prior training techniques here, you’re going to see better muscle gains faster.

This allows you to move, feel and look your best…which isn’t boring at all.

Sometimes we have to remember that we are training to do more of what we love even outside the gym.

Plus, find ways to enjoy the challenge of small weekly progressions and include a diversity of movements over the weeks to keep things interesting.

Then every 3-4 weeks assess where you’re at to then make some swaps and keep things from getting too stale!

Now…DUN DUN DUN…the tip some of you will hate….

Don’t Fear Carbs!

What you did to lose weight is NOT what you’ll need to do to build muscle.

If you loved low carb to trim down, you need to let go of any “carbphobia” if you want the best muscle building results.

Carbs create that anabolic environment optimal for muscle growth, not only helping create the hormonal environment for growth but also by being that readily available energy to help muscles rebuild and grow.

If you don’t have enough fuel to allow your muscles to grow, you’re going to spend a lot of hard work and time lifting to not see the results you want.

The more advanced and experienced an exerciser you are, the more you can’t ignore your diet and the importance of not only protein but CARBS.

Muscles need extra energy to grow!

If you are just starting out with your muscle gaining journey, consider even just bumping up your carb intake right post workout to refuel and replenish those depleted glycogen stores.

And if you’re looking for even more nutrition and workout tips to help you build muscle faster, check out my 9 Tips For Faster Muscle Growth video to help you continue making those gains…

–> Watch The Video

And if you’re looking for someone to put together the full system you need to see results, adjusting your diet and your workouts to work together, click HERE to learn more about my fabulous 1:1 Online Coaching!