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FHP 350 – Why I HATE Goal Setting

FHP 350 – Why I HATE Goal Setting

by | Dec 21, 2021 | podcast

I HATE Goal Setting

I’ve honestly never been a huge fan of traditional goal setting as I feel like it can make us very rigid in our thinking.

And the second we feel like we won’t hit a goal, we stop trying.

Or we realize halfway through our goals aren’t…well, aren’t what we really need or want to accomplish so we give up on doing anything.

Or we then don’t hold ourselves accountable toward the goals we should actually be working toward.

I remember one year Ryan and I said we would make a new course each month because we thought this would add value.

I quickly realized this just led to me rushing through things and didn’t actually help my clients, nor my business, more than slowing down.

More than not doing as much.

I realized I’d, yes, set a “SMART” (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-Based) goal but it wasn’t very well thought out.  

The WHY wasn’t there.

It’s why I think it’s key we know the end goal we want to reach, but also find ways to be flexible in how we get there.

We need to remember the true WHY even if we sometimes aren’t even sure how we will ultimately reach that end.

We need to find ways to accept that certain experiments won’t pan out as we give ourselves some flexibility in our goals.

So while I’m all for setting goals, I think the key more than specifics is really understanding the WHY behind things.

Because so often we fail in reaching our goal because we don’t make it a priority.

We have to remember though, we prioritize what matters most to us.

If we want to reach our goals, we have to make them matter. And then, we’ll prioritize doing the things we need even when times get busy or we’re stressed out and tired.

So instead of focusing on how you’re going to even measure your goal, the timeline to complete it or even how “specific” you make it, instead focus on really diving in to why you want to accomplish this goal enough to be uncomfortable and sacrifice…and even what those obstacles will be.

If you’re looking to set some goals this year, here’s some things to consider….

#1: Why Is This Goal Important?

What is the pain in NOT having this accomplished?

Why is this goal so important you want to prioritize these habits even during tough times?

What does this goal truly mean to you beyond the obvious?

How could this goal improve OTHER areas of your life?

Basically why are the sacrifices work it (even recognizing the sacrifices you may have to make along the way)!

#2: What habits will help you move toward this goal and why do you believe these habits will get you there?

So often we pick a fad diet or quick fix and it doesn’t pan out.

It’s because we just choose the habits because they are “supposed” to work. We don’t dive into why they would work for US though.

One size doesn’t fit all and we have to be open to experimentation BUT the best way to really then figure out what works is to understand why a habit COULD work so we can then, if it doesn’t, adjust accordingly and accurately.

#3: What obstacles will stand in your way?

Face this. Acknowledge them.

By doing this you’ll be more prepared for anything that does pop up because you don’t expect the change to be easy.

Cause guess what?

It never will be!

The more we want something, often the more it feels like life tries to stop us from getting there!

#4: How will you keep yourself consistent and what end dates/check ins will you do?

Results take time and too often we simply don’t see results because we get caught up in one bad measurement, one off day, and we give up.

We also don’t stay consistent because we don’t step back to look at the overall picture and whether we are day in and day out doing the things we should.

How will you review these things and give yourself perspective?

We also don’t set other things to measure that would allow progress to build while we may not fully see the end result accumulating even though it is?

Because often we stop because we don’t “feel” like results are happening even though we are.

OR we keep going not even realizing something is off yet expect a different result.

How will you provide a guide to actually implement a program and give it time while not just allowing yourself to repeat the same mistakes expecting a different result?

SUMMARY:

If you want to set goals you’ll ultimately reach, you’ve got to be flexible in how you reach them and even when. Because nothing goes as planned.

BUT you have to have a clear vision for what you want to accomplish and why you want it.

And you need to give yourself guidelines along the way to see how you’re progressing.

This year set goals you’ll actually reach by focusing on these 4 things!

The Best Oblique Exercise (You’re Not Doing)

The Best Oblique Exercise (You’re Not Doing)

by | Dec 21, 2021 | Blog, Core, Exercises, Functional Fitness, Runner's

A few of the most common moves I see done for oblique work are the Pallof Press, side planks and teapots (love them or hate them…which is a topic for another day).

But my favorite is actually a unilateral balance challenge and bodyweight exercise.

This move requires no equipment and is deceptively hard.

But if you regress to progress, and take the time to master it, it will take not only your core strength, but also your scapular, shoulder, hip, knee and ankle stability to the next level.

It’s seriously one of the most amazing compound oblique exercises out there and one of the most awkward feeling as you get your balance – The Single Arm Rotational Plank with Knee Drive.

This rotational core exercise is an amazing way to really target your obliques and abs while also working your adductors, quads, Serratus Anterior, shoulders, back…and so much more.

However it is more challenging a unilateral move than we give it credit for.

If you can’t control the advanced variation and perform it slowly, please make sure to use the modifications I mention. You don’t get better results by rushing a movement or by doing a harder variation you haven’t earned.

The best results happen when we are intentional with our exercises so we can get more out of every movement. And you want to make sure you get all of the benefits you can from this move!

So…What are the benefits of this amazing move?

With this unilateral move, if you take the time to learn to control it, you will…

  • Improve your hip and knee stability, especially strengthening those adductors and quads.
  • Work your obliques and abs with both the rotational movement and the crunch. Your abs have to work hard to actually prevent unwanted extension of your spine as you even rotate to face the ground.
  • Improve your shoulder and scapular stability strengthening both the muscles of your shoulder but also of your upper back as well as your Serratus Anterior. You’ll feel that muscle really having to work as the shoulder blade protracts during your torso rotation toward the ground.
  • Correct imbalances because of the unilateral focus so you can make sure both sides are strong and working efficiently.

You’ll also find this movement really helps you improve your mind-body connection to recruit many different muscles at once to stabilize everything. I know it can be a frustrating coordination and balance challenge to start, but that is so key for actually improving our strength gains ultimately.

The more efficient and able we are to recruit the correct muscles to stabilize, the stronger ultimately we will be so we can run faster and lift more.

And bonus, if you are a runner, this is for sure a must-do core move if you’ve ever had knee, hip or lower back aches and pains!

Now…how do you do the Single Arm Rotational Plank With Knee Drive?

To do the Single Arm Plank Rotation With Knee, set up in a side plank position from your hand with your bottom leg staggered on the ground behind your top leg. You won’t be on the inside of that front foot like a regular side plank but will actually want to place the sole of your foot on the ground.

Make sure your hand is under your shoulder as you set up and you’re engaging your back to support your shoulder so you aren’t shrugging or straining it. This is key to supporting you as you rotate.

Then lift that back leg as if kicking it back and up toward the wall behind you as you rotate your chest toward the ground to counterbalance yourself. You will reach that top hand out as if almost trying to create a line across your body from your heel to your finger tips.

You should almost feel like you’ve rotated into a front plank position as you lift and reach out.

Then pivot back into the side plank position and, as you do, tuck the knee of your extended leg and elbow of your extended arm together, slightly crunching. You’re performing a little cross body crunch as you twist. Make sure your hand is still under your shoulder so that you’re shoulder isn’t straining as you twist.

After slowly tucking the knee to the elbow and feeling yourself pivot around that shoulder, extend back out.

You will feel all the muscles around your rib cage as well as your obliques, abs, adductor and quads especially as you crunch together.

Move slowly so you can stabilize. Do not rush if you feel off balance.

How can you modify this move?

How can you adjust this move if you feel your shoulder straining or adductor or groin becoming overworked?

A first little tweak you can make to the move is touching your foot down behind you instead of lifting it up. This little touch to pause and balance in the movement may be all the modification you need to start.

If you struggle with hyper mobility, especially in your elbows, you may also choose to modify this off your forearm.

However, if you don’t feel in control of any aspect of this movement, your next modification should be off an incline. The higher the incline, the more you can reduce the resistance of the movement.

As you feel stable, you can slowly lower the incline to progress the move.

You may even find you combine the incline with the foot tap to start.

The key is making sure you’re able to properly stabilize that shoulder to really focus on those obliques working to rotate and help you stay balanced!

FHP 349 – The Definition Of Insanity

FHP 349 – The Definition Of Insanity

by | Dec 14, 2021 | podcast, Uncategorized

“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.”

We all nod in agreement when we hear this.

We all know change requires change.

Yet for some reason, all too often we keep doing more of the same.

And not only repeating the same habits, but often literally trying to do MORE of them!!!

So we are doing the thing that isn’t working and doing more of it, and expecting a different result…should we question our own sanity?!

How does it seem so obvious looking in from the outside, yet we all truly do this.

I know I’m guilty of it.

And I think it is because there are certain habits that just feel safe. They’ve wormed their way into our comfort zone.

And they are based on a piece of the puzzle that, yes, is correct.

However, they aren’t working.

Whether it’s the fully system that is missing, improper implementation…whatever…we are doing something, and keep doing something that isn’t getting us results, especially long term results.

And so often, it isn’t only not working now, BUT it’s setting us up to fail long term.

But it’s hard to take that step back and see this.

It’s hard to even stop the immediate gratification of FEELING like we’re doing something now or seeing instant results that often backfire, for long-term thinking.

It’s hard to accept even two steps back NOW for 10 steps forward in a future…at a date we can’t fully predict.

But again…Change requires change.

So a few things I’ve used to help myself, and my clients embrace the discomfort of something new and stop the insanity it is so easy to trap ourselves in.

#1: You can always go back.

If you’re going to try something new, try it. Give it your all. And realize, you can always go back. But the only way to see if there is something better, is to test.

What have you got to lose? You’re not happy right now. You’ve been looking for something new and better…

Why not give yourself the change?

Set an end date to assess, but commit to the time to truly see if it works. We can’t half do something and then say it doesn’t work. We’ve got to truly embrace the changes.

#2: Remind yourself of why you wanted the change.

Remind yourself that you aren’t happy with where you are current. Remind yourself that change requires change.

Too often we forget that what we have done in the past, what we want to continue to do is why we are where we are. Why we’re trapped in a horrible yo-yo dieting cycle.

Honestly, even write a list of the habits you’ve done and the cycle they created. Post that somewhere to remind yourself when you want to fall back into them.

#3: Step back to step forward.

I get it. We all want instant gratification.

But if your foundation is flawed, and you just try to build a house on it because you want the house to be done? Well it will end up a disaster.

If you notice a crack, an issue, a flaw, the sooner you go back to fix it the better, EVEN if it sets you back to start.

Sometimes, we have to realize that progress may not mean moving forward instantly.

It’s why setting even an end date and having something specifically we are tracking is key in terms of habit changes.

Because it may feel like you go backward before you go forward so seeing those habit changes as wins can help you see the positives building!

#4: Life doesn’t pause. You can’t start over.

Life doesn’t pause. You can’t erase what you’ve done prior. All you can do is build for the future.

Remember it’s a constant learning experience and that in life we should always be seeking to improve.

But that means letting go of old things and realizing that we may have to be uncomfortable.

And the more you do, the more you do.

The more you jump into the discomfort, the more comfortable you get with it because it’s now oddly familiar to be uncomfortable!

SUMMARY:

Just remember, change requires change and often those changes aren’t easy.

And in the moment when you want to revert back to old habits just think….

If a friend came to you and was repeating the habits that they’d always done and expecting a different result, what would you say to them?

If you’re ready to make a change and break through those old habits holding you back, learn more about the 3-Part RS Formula…

The Most Underrated HAMSTRING Exercise

The Most Underrated HAMSTRING Exercise

by | Dec 14, 2021 | Blog, Bodyweight, Butt, Core, Exercises, Functional Fitness, Pain Relief, Runner's, Workouts

If you want to strengthen and build your hamstrings, you want to include both hip extension and knee flexion movements.

For hip extension, think Romanian Deadlift or Good Morning for example and for knee flexion think about those hamstring curl machines.

But how can you work and even isolate those hamstrings if you don’t have any equipment at home?

So many of those go to moves require gym access or at least more equipment…

That’s why I wanted to share one of my go-to knee flexion hamstring moves, whether you have no tools while training at home or access to a full gym – The Glute Bridge And Curl.

I love this move because it can help you really target those hamstrings through knee flexion or bending your knees to curl your heels toward your butt while also activating and working your glutes.

It is also easy to progress and regress in a variety of ways without adding loads to match your needs and goals. And if you do have a gym, you can even progress through the same but different by using a variety of tools to change the instability and even range of motion.

But before I go into some of the different variations, I want to chat about the basic form of the glute bridge and curl and how you can do this amazing move at home…

How To Do The Basic Glute Bridge And Curl:

To do the Glute Bridge And Curl without any fancy equipment, you can use towels on a hardwood or tiled floor or paper plates on carpet. If you even have a simple set of sliders or furniture movers those can work as well.

Place a towel under each foot, making sure your heel is on the towel, as you lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Bend your elbows to drive your arms down into the ground. Perform a posterior pelvic tilt, slightly tilting your pelvis up toward your ribs. This will make sure you don’t arch your back as you perform the move.

Bridge up, squeezing your glutes.

Holding this bridge, slide your feet out to straighten your legs. You will lower your butt toward the ground as you lengthen but don’t lose that posterior pelvic tilt.

After fully extending your legs, curl your heels back in toward your butt to lift back up into the bridge. Almost think about trying to drag up the flooring as you curl back in so that you are creating tension to really work those hamstrings.

Return to the bridge and repeat the move.

Make sure you do not arch to lift up higher. You want to really use your glutes and abs to brace and support during this move so you can focus on those hamstrings powering the knee flexion.

Also, move slowly as you extend out to work your hamstrings through the eccentric portion of this move as well!

Modifications Of The Glute Bridge And Curl:

Now as simple as this move may seem, it is more challenging for our hamstrings than we actually give it credit for.

The great part is, this move is easy to modify to meet our needs. And, by modifying, we can even focus on each side independently to correct any strength imbalances we may have.

To modify this move, you can start by extending one leg at a time to focus on each side working. You can alternate curls or simply stay on one side.

Once you feel ready to progress from here, you can start with just using the two-leg bridge and curl for the eccentric portion.

You will extend both legs out slowly together, then curl one in at a time. Alternate which you curl in first and stay focused on that drag back in to really make your hamstring work.

If you do want to advance the move and get a unilateral focus, try a single leg bridge and curl with your other leg lifted up off the ground so it can’t assist.

Do not progress the move though if you feel your lower back compensating. You want to make sure to use those glutes in the bridge up and keep your abs engaged through that posterior pelvic tilt!

Equipment Variations Of The Glute Bridge And Curl:

If you do have access to different tool, you can even progress this move through doing the same but different.

You can create more instability from the version off of towels or sliders by using the suspension trainer. Or you can even increase the challenge by using a bigger stability ball which increases the height you have to bridge up!

If you have a rower you can even have some fun using that instead.

So many ways to vary a move and make it work for us.

What is your favorite way to perform the glute bridge and curl?

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FHP 348 – How Do You Stay Lean Year Round?

FHP 348 – How Do You Stay Lean Year Round?

by | Dec 7, 2021 | podcast, Uncategorized

There will ALWAYS be ups and downs.

That includes cycles in our leanness.

I do NOT stay one weight, one exact leanness all year around.

Have the ups and downs gotten smaller over the years?

YUP!

But that is due to constantly learning, creating that new set point and finding a BALANCE aka focusing more on consistency.

It’s from the YEARS adding up.

The longer we are at the weight we want to be at, the easier it becomes to maintain.

It’s why when you first lose it can feel like you gain just looking at a cookie.

It takes time to create that new set point, that new normal.

But it’s key we even then still realize we will always fluctuate as our motivation and goals shift.

I say this because of the lean physiques we see year around.

I think instagram and social media can lead us to feeling weird we can’t achieve this ridiculously lean look and not maintain it long term.

It’s part of why I try to share photos and videos when I’ve just rolled out of bed, post workout, traveling in random mirrors with not ideal light….

Because we don’t always look perfectly primped with the perfect lighting.

We have to remember that social media IS a highlight reel.

And that often let’s face it, we all share our favorite photos and angles.

Also, there is a big difference from looking lean and being essential body fat like the fitness competitors.

I don’t say all this to make you feel like it is hopeless, but to make you realize we all have ups and downs.

Times we are more or less dedicated.

Times we hone in on specific goals.

And then to show you how much can be accomplished with consistency over time.

Yup CONSISTENCY!

That comes from focusing on these key tips.…

1: Accept motivation fades and sometimes you just need to do the minimum to maintain your results.

This can actually help results continue to build. AND it can help you create that new set point so you don’t regain the weight and can actually stay leaner once you’re motivated to move forward again.

2: Put less pressure on yourself to be perfect.

We derail ourselves by expecting perfection. This desire to be perfect makes us often give up instead of continuing to move forward however we can.

3: Take everything as a learning opportunity.

There will be times you don’t do what you should. That you do things that don’t workout and make you gain weight. But the key is learning from each experience to be a little bit better next time.

Progress not perfection!

4: Results snowball – your current situation is the result of your previous action.

What we did last year, the year before and the year before that are part of why we are where we are. The more we seek out quick fixes in the moment, the more we often pay for them years later!

And as you focus on these tips and getting in it for the long haul….and see far too many perfect images constantly on social media…

Remember….social media IS a highlight reel.

That even when we are lean, there may be angles or lighting we don’t like.

EVERYONE takes a bad photo.

There will always be times we deviate.

Times we have inflammation or bloating and don’t feel perfect.

Perfect doesn’t exist.

But there is beauty in our flaws.

So embrace who and what you are.

Shoot to constantly learn and grow.

Shoot to make your highs higher and your lows less low.

But realize there will ALWAYS be ups and downs.