In this episode of the Fitness Hacks Podcast we’ll cover…
00:00 – Welcome to the Fitness Hacks Podcast
00:42 – Being wrong is right. Embrace being wrong!
03:16 – The Protein Pyramid of Priorities
19:42 – This macro hack to enjoy a sweet treat
22:36 – A fast fix for lunges and Knee Pain
24:15 – And what’s the difference – Compound sets vs supersets
Struggling to see the weight loss results you want and feel like your only option is to overhaul your entire lifestyle?
Well you don’t have to!
In this video I’m going to share the 7 common lifestyle habits we think we need to implement to lose weight that actually hold us back and then explain the secret to increasing your metabolic rate to becoming a fat burning machine!
Hey guys it’s Cori from Redefining Strength where we help you create the healthiest version of your PERSONAL lifestyle to see results. Because one size doesn’t fit all!
Losing weight means making a change to our daily habits.
But sometimes we make changes that actually hold us back.
That’s why, in this video, I want to highlight the 7 habit changes to AVOID and what to do instead to see results while improving your metabolic health!
Mistake #1: Cutting out the foods you love.
What’s the first thing we think we need to do to lose weight?
RESTRICT.
For many of us, dieting means cutting things out.
Often the first foods we eliminate are the ones we love most, but also know aren’t the healthiest for us.
Our dessert. Or salty snack.
But by cutting these things out, we create a feeling of restriction that is also what derails us.
At some point we feel like our willpower runs out.
Because we aren’t meeting ourselves where we are at to make sustainable changes based on our personal lifestyle balance.
So instead of cutting out your favorite food first, make an ingredient swap or portion adjustment first so you can work AROUND the foods you love.
Even focus on what you can add in over cutting out.
Shrink your portion of rice at dinner from 1 cup to ¾.
Do half a sandwich with a side salad to adjust your portion, lower your carbs and add in vegetables.
Sprinkle nutritional yeast on your popcorn to bump your protein and add a cheesy flavor!
Help yourself create lasting changes by avoiding the restriction mindset!
Mistake #2 : Making yourself eat specific things.
Do NOT force yourself to consume foods you dislike just because someone mentioned a potential health or fat burning benefit.
That is a surefire recipe for disaster because you’ll run out of self control eventually and default back to old habits sabotaging any results you’ve built.
We can’t do one thing to achieve results then go back to old habits and expect to maintain those results.
The changes have to stick.
So, if for instance, you don’t like coffee, don’t force yourself to drink it just because someone else says it can help you lose fat faster!
Any fat burning benefits of coffee are small and you adjust to the caffeine intake over time which means that the benefits become less with time unless you keep consuming more.
Caffeine can have a negative impact on mood and sleep.
This is a 1% change that will make no difference if your overall nutrition and workout routine aren’t dialed in BUT may have a huge impact on whether or not you stick with your plan long term!
Just like forcing yourself to eat a ton of vegetables or bland boring dishes because you feel guilty and want to meet someone else’s arbitrary standard of “clean eating,” will ultimately prevent you from making lasting changes.
We get good at what we consistently do and we do more of the habits we ENJOY.
So if you don’t like broccoli, don’t force it. Try other vegetables to find something you enjoy!
Mistake #3: Design hour long workouts or 2 a day sessions.
How many times have you thought… I just don’t have time to workout?
You aren’t alone.
It’s because we see all these people losing weight training for hours a day or doing 2 a day sessions.
But this focus on doing more often leads to a lot of wasted time and effort but holds us back from building a consistent routine and habit.
Quality not quantity.
The best results come from designing for the time you have because then you can be consistent with them.
If you have 3 days a week and 30 minutes, design full body workouts to get in everything you need with those sessions.
That will be far better than ending up missing body part split workouts because you just don’t have the time to stay consistent!
And as you get consistent with that routine, you may find you can work in more workouts later OR that you can maintain these habits even when life does its best to sabotage you and throw you out of your groove!
Mistake #4: Try to burn as many calories or get as many MEPs as possible in your training sessions.
When many of us start training harder to lose weight, we get a calorie tracker or start focusing on those heart rate monitors that measure things like MEPs.
We feel this need to hit a certain calorie intake, get a certain number of meps or have our heart rate hit a certain level for our workout to be “good enough.”
But your workouts shouldn’t be about calories burned.
Workouts can help us create that calorie deficit, especially to start, but over time our body adapts.
And there also is no magic fat burning zone where we need to keep our heart rate only at this level to magically burn a ton more fat.
If our diet isn’t dialed in, we won’t be able to out exercise our nutrition for long.
Trying to out exercise your diet, may be why your metabolism has slowed and you’re now blaming your age for your weight gain.
Stop focusing on burning more calories in your workouts.
Instead turn your focus to building muscle, whether you challenge yourself with bodyweight moves or weights.
This will improve your metabolic rate to burn more calories at rest, but more on this after habit number 7.
Here’s a LINK with training tips to design workouts to help you lose fat faster!
Mistake #5: Forcing a meal frequency.
Eat 6 small meals a day! No!
Do Intermittent Fasting, it’s the secret!
No!
There are so many different meal timings and frequencies out there that people tout as the best.
But one size doesn’t fit all.
How you schedule your meals may depend on your schedule, when you train, and even whether you prefer big meals or more snacking throughout the day.
Many different schedules can work!
While you can for sure adjust meal timing strategically based on your progress toward your goals, and tweaks may pay off the longer you’ve had everything dialed in
don’t stress meal timing or freak out if you didn’t have your post workout protein shake within 30 minutes of training.
Your muscles won’t just melt off.
The key is dialing in our daily portions and routines.
And then we can experiment with meal timings to see what makes us feel most energized while helping us make dietary changes sustainable.
You may find you enjoy less frequent and bigger meals to feel fuller after eating and have to prep fewer dishes.
Or you may enjoy more frequent snacks as you are a grazer and on the go it is easier than stopping for a meal.
The key is designing for YOUR lifestyle!
Mistake #6: Focus on being “good all week.”
Consistency is key.
And while it can feel like you’re being consistent by being “good” all week, that weekend eating or drinking can add up more than we realize.
While it may seem like you’re being consistent for 5 or 6 days and only off on 1 or 2, we can really throw off our weekly averages just because of those couple of days.
Especially eating out, those foods can be more calorically dense, not to mention fancy lattes and cocktails can really add up!
We can often end up even drinking more calories than we realize!
If you’re just starting to make changes, be conscious of how much more you’re eating on weekends as those calories could be throwing you out of the small deficit you’ve created during the week.
Even tracking what you’re currently doing when eating out or over the weekly can really show you how even just one meal can impact your weekly averages.
While focusing on consistent during each day is key, we need that consistency over weeks and even months to add up!
If you do find that being “good all week,” leads to overeating on the weekend, consider whether you’re trying to restrict too much during the week and creating unsustainable habits.
Also take a look at what leads to the change in habits over the weekends to start making some small adjustments or plan ahead.
Maybe you try some new restaurants with healthier options for a Friday night date night or adjust your earlier meals that day to account for a dinner out and strike a balance!
Mistake #7: We do all the habits we “should” be doing.
Honestly, often we try to do MORE. We go 0-60 and search out all of the things we “should” be doing.
Then we implement them all at once because we want results yesterday.
But we never consider if they are realistic for us or if they truly match our lifestyle, needs and goals.
In this effort to get results as fast as possible we do all of these new things, we overwhelm ourselves with change, and then we wonder why we don’t have the willpower or self control to keep going when things come up in our life.
We need to realize that each of us will have a different lifestyle balance. And trying to force someone else’s version of healthy will sabotage us.
So focus on small changes meeting yourself where you are at.
Before even making changes, consider tracking what you’re currently doing, from your diet to your sleep to your workouts, to make small changes that will add up!
Now what’s the secret to increasing your metabolic rate to burn more calories even at rest?
Focus less on losing weight and more on building muscle.
Muscle is the secret to losing fat faster. And no, I’m not telling you that you have to bulk up.
But by emphasizing gaining and retaining lean muscle in your workouts, you will actually slim down faster and get the lean, toned look you want.
Because muscles is key to a healthy metabolism and gaining muscle can even increase your metabolic rate if you’ve dieted in the past causing metabolic adaptations.
Muscle means you burn more calories.
And you can build muscle at ANY age.
So don’t slash your calories super low or turn all your workouts into cardio sessions.
Focus on building muscle and you’ll see that fat loss start to happen!
For more tips to help you boost your metabolism if you’re struggling to lose weight, check out my Can’t Lose Fat? 4 Tips To Boost Your METABOLISM video next.
–> WATCH NOW
In this episode of the Fitness Hacks Podcast…
00:00 – Introduction
00:35 – Quality Over Quantity
04:00 – Dietitian Corner – Behavioral Changes
16:44 – Macro Hacks – Healthy Swaps
21:45 – Fast Fix – Wrist Pain and Push Ups
23:31 – Maximizing Movements- Squat form
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
In this week’s episode…
Lemon Tahini Granola
Makes 8 Servings
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
