Blog Archives Page 2 of 84 | Redefining Strength

7 Things I Wish I Knew About Eating More Protein

by Cori Lefkowith | Jun 22, 2025 | Blog, Diet

Changing your portions is hard. You can’t just eat meals the way you’ve always eaten. That does require some planning ahead to start.

And protein isn’t often the thing we just have lying around or want to snack on.

That’s why these 7 tips can help you start to adjust your macros, increase your protein and all while meeting yourself where you are at to still include meals and foods you enjoy!

Because the more foreign a change feels to start, the more resistant to repeating it we’ll be.

That’s why tip number 1 and where I like to start with increasing protein is simply to add an ounce of the current protein I’m eating.

If I want BBQ chicken and fries for dinner? Instead of feeling like I can’t have a meal I love, I add an extra ounce of chicken.

Small changes made this way lower our resistance to the change in general. And they add up.

Too often we do these massive overhauls over seeing the tweaks we can make.

So at your next meal, take your current protein and add an ounce.

Doing this to multiple meals in a day may surprise you by how much it adds up.

From there, you may find it easier to make bigger changes and even find new recipes that increase your protein intake!

But increasing protein doesn’t mean having to cut out dishes you enjoy!

Small changes to other ingredients in your meals can also help you boost protein.

That’s why tip #2 is to Protein-ify those carbs!

Swap your normal pasta for edamame or lentil pasta. Swap quinoa for rice. Try even buckwheat noodles.

You’ll be amazed by how many options there are to sneak in protein to other components of your dish to boost your amino acid intake, while even getting in other micronutrients.

And you can find swaps that allow you to still enjoy recipes you love, and that your family won’t mind even, while hitting your macros.

Even swapping your normal bread for something like an Ezekiel Bread made from sprouted whole grains and legumes can boost your protein as well as your fiber (win win in my opinion).

And again, you can still enjoy the meal you love to create lasting changes.

You can also sneak in those extra grams while boosting your micros and the flavor of your meals with tip #3…

Use protein sprinkles and seasonings.

No I’m not talking about some fake processed protein powder seasoning…I’m talking about things like nutritional yeast, parmesan cheese and even hemp, flax and chia seeds.

These things are easy to throw in so many dishes and use in different ways. And while small protein increases, they add up.

And they often pack in more micronutrients while adding flavor and diversity to our diet. All of which only help us create lasting changes while improving our health and results.

Nutritional yeast can be great to season your main protein source and add a cheesy flavor while being plant-based.

Parmesan cheese adds that cheesy flavor while adding that bit of salt as well.

And chia, flax and hemp seeds are great to add to smoothies or even salads for a nutty flavor and amazing fiber and healthy fat boost too.

Don’t ignore the value that those grams can have.

And then don’t write off dairy either.

If you’re lactose intolerant, this tip may not be your go-to, but you may also be surprised by how many lactose-free options there now are for you too!

So yes, tip #4 is to boost your protein by using dairy!

Things like too good cottage cheese not only come in lactose-free options, but they pack a protein punch while also helping us keep our gut healthy with probiotics.

Cottage cheese and even things like greek yogurt can be used in both savor dips or dishes but also sweet treats.
The options to use these dairy products, and even have individual serving packs to grab and go, make them a great way to easily bump your protein, especially for snacks.

I know personally I love making dips with them for veggies to snack on or even a sweet cheesecake type dip for fruit.

But use dairy to your advantage as it can often be easily combined with other protein sources as well to increase your intake without boredom!

Which brings me to tip #5: Double up that protein at meals.

By doubling up, I’m not saying to double your current source of protein at a meal and eat 8 ounces instead of 4.

That’s what creates protein fatigue and us hating having to increase our protein.

What I mean by doubling up is focusing on two different protein sources at a meal.

Like take adding in dairy to a dish. Combine that cottage cheese with hardboiled eggs and mustard for a high protein egg salad you can eat with pita chips or as a sandwich.

Or if you’re making an omelet? Add shrimp AND steak.

That even helps you get more protein with 3 different types so you don’t feel like you’re just chowing down on the same boring thing!

Think about ways you can split the amount you need between multiple protein sources to avoid that protein fatigue and allow you to add ounces more easily.

You may be surprised by how hard it felt to eat 4 ounces of the same protein but how easy it is to get 6 ounces at a time when you only have to eat 3 of each!

And then embrace the different forms of protein and cuts of meat you have available to you.

Have you ever felt like every time you try to increase your protein your fat goes up to?

This is where looking at the opportunity in different cuts of meat can help!

Chicken breast vs chicken thigh has very different macros. Even the type of ground chicken you can get can vary.

Ground beef can be everything from 80% lean to 96% lean.

This is opportunity! You can still include proteins you like whether you vary the cut fully or even combine two different options.

Knowing that different proteins have different ratios of fat to protein, you could combine a fattier cut of steak or chicken with shrimp to overall balance out fat.

Or you may swap your usual ground beef for a lower fat option at times.

The key is you can find different cuts that work for you. Even with seafood.

Want more fat and love fish? Try salmon. But want to lower your fat? Try cod.

See the options in different types of similar proteins by learning more about the different cuts to use that to your advantage.

And that last but not least, tip #7: Eat it early!

I don’t know about you, but I love my dessert. And I’m sorry, ounces of chicken doesn’t count.

I make sure I’ve planned in my favorite carb and fat heavy treat to the end of my day and gotten my protein in early.

What really helps with this too is getting a bigger portion at breakfast or lunch.

Whether it’s starting my day with a greek yogurt parfait and even a coffee protein shake or omelet, I’m getting 30-40 grams in that first meal.

The more you plan to get in more protein earlier, the less behind you feel and the more flexibility you give yourself later.

This allows you to easily include meals you truly want and enjoy, especially if they’re meals with the family that may be out at restaurants or more carb and fat heavy.

This allows you more wiggle room and less stress when you aren’t fully in control of what you’re eating later in the day!

Planning ahead gives us the power to create that lifestyle balance while also reaching our goals.

So don’t leave yourself a chunk of plain protein to have to eat at the end of the day.

Plan it in first!

And use all 7 of these tips to meet yourself where you are at and make sustainable changes that allow you to increase your protein, adjust your portions and reach your goals!

Dial in your diet to match your workouts and build your leanest, strongest body ever with my Metabolic Shred…

–> LEARN MORE

Unlock More Pushups With 3 Tips

by Cori Lefkowith | Jun 15, 2025 | Blog, Bodyweight, Exercises, Push Ups

Push-ups aren’t just hard. They’re deceptively hard.

Because what looks like a simple bodyweight upper body move…Is actually a moving plank.

It’s why mastering the full push up isn’t just about upper body strength – it’s about creating full body tension.

It’s a mind-body connection challenge!

So if push-ups have felt frustrating, painful, or even impossible —

I want to walk you through exactly how to build up to that strong, picture perfect push up from your toes with not only the best modification to use but 3 key form cues.

These tips will help you build up to multiple reps in a row without dropping to your knees, compromising form or guessing at what’s actually working.

So what’s the best way to modify the push up to regress to progress?

Stop dropping to your knees…Use an incline!

That’s right. The best modification isn’t off your knees.

It isn’t partial reps. It isn’t powering through fugly reps hoping they get better as you get stronger…

It’s using an incline that meets you where you are at – whether that’s off a wall, counter, bench or barbell in a rig.

An incline works best because you’re not changing the movement – it’s still that full plank off your toes.

You’re just adjusting the resistance.

An incline allows you to scale the difficulty without changing the form.

This allows you to learn to set up in that full plank position and create tension through your core in the right way as you build up strength.

You learn to drive back through your heels.

You learn to flex your quads and use that posterior pelvic tilt, or tuck of your pelvis toward your ribs, to brace your core.

You learn to maintain this core engagement as you have to power the press using your chest shoulders and triceps with proper scapular control.

You learn the form you’ll need even as you lower the incline closer to the floor.

And this is what makes this modification better than the knee push up, where you only learn to engage down to your knees.

Everything moving together is what makes the push up hard and a mind-body connection challenge over just a strength one.

The incline allows you to slowly master that control.

And as you get stronger, you lower that incline.

The wall becomes a countertop. The countertop becomes a bench or the edge of a couch. The bench becomes the floor.

You’re building strength with real push-ups and you can make sure your form is solid before you lower down further.

But with using the incline you have to be conscious to not just add more reps at the incline you’re doing.

Instead lower it if you can do more than 5.

Because too often when we do modified moves, we just make ourselves better at the modification by adding more reps.

While this builds strength endurance, it can also keep us stuck just getting stronger at the modification.

So if you can do 5 reps, lower the incline just a bit!

Better to even do 1 rep at a harder variation and have to rest to do more than 5 in a row at an easier one if you want to master that first full one off the ground!

And as you progress that incline, you need to focus not just on making your push ups look pretty, mimicking proper from – you’ve got to actually make sure you feel the correct muscles working.

That’s why I wanted to share 3 key push up cues to help you focus on having the most powerful and efficient movement possible.

Too often we forget that strength isn’t just brute force but about efficiency. Can we use the correct muscles to the correct extents at the correct times…

Here are 3 cues to make sure you do exactly that…

Cue #1: Drive through your heels.

Even though the push up is an upper body move – your lower body can’t be disengaged.

Driving back through your heels to flex your feet creates that tension all the way up your legs and through your core.

It actually reduces the pressure on your upper body to press, making your body move efficiently move as one unit.

Remember, you’re not just pressing. You’re planking.

This cue is so powerful to focus on as the tension it creates fixes a ton of common form problems.

Struggle with your hips sagging? Worming up from the floor? Butt too high in the air?

All of that starts to clean up when you drive back through your heels.

Cue #2: Grip the ground.

Have you ever really noticed what you’re hands are doing during a push up?

Too often we don’t pay attention to the pressure we’re applying down into the ground.

But your hands aren’t just passive in this movement – they’re your foundation.

You want to push that ground away to properly press and that starts with spreading your fingers wide to grip the ground with your entire hand.

This simple change and focus does two major things:

It protects your shoulders and elbows by allowing you to better engage your back and helps you avoid that elbow flare that can lead to more strain.
It activates your chest for a more efficient press and less overuse of smaller muscle groups.

A little bonus cue to create a more powerful press and better engage your pecs is to imagine trying to drag your hands together on the floor as you push up.

This focus on adducting without moving also helps you avoid rocking out on your hands which further protects your wrists and elbows while working your chest more.

So if you’ve ever struggled with elbow, neck or shoulder pain as you do more push up work, this cue is a game-changer.

And Cue #3: Engage your back.

Yes — your back.

Proper back engagement leads to proper shoulder blade movement, which in turn supports and protects your shoulders.

So your backs…It matters more than you think.

Here’s what proper scapular movement looks like in a push up so you can better use your chest, shoulders and triceps without overloading your neck shoulders or elbows…

As you lower down, engage your upper back to pull your shoulder blades toward your spine, retracting them.

As you press back up, push the ground away, pulling your shoulder blades apart or protracting them.

You’re not trying to lock them in place. You’re guiding them through the movement.

No pinching, no shrugging, no leading jutting your head forward.

Just your back engaged to stabilize your shoulders as your shoulder blades move.

This cue alone can make you feel like your upper body instantly got stronger!

And combining all three cues and the incline modification? Well that’s magic.

Here’s your cue checklist next time you do a push up.

Set up off an incline you can control and drive back through your heels to feel tension through your entire core. Grip the ground or bench or bar as you unshrug your shoulders engaging your back.

As you lower feel your shoulder blades come together.

As you push the ground away (yup that tension through your hands) and drive back through your heels, feel your shoulder blades come back apart.

And then repeat.

Test out a lower incline.

If you can only control the lower down, stop at the bottom and reset and know that’s where you max out for now.

Remember sometimes even a single rep done well at a lower incline can be better than more reps done with a higher one.

It’s not just about doing more. It’s about making our practice more perfect.

Quality reps lead to improvements. We don’t want to ingrain bad habits.

Regress to progress and use that incline as a way to build up.

So stop grinding through sloppy reps. Start training with intention.

And guess what? That picture-perfect push-up may be closer than you think!

Ready to conquer those push ups?

–> Take my 30-Day Push Up Challenge

Tracking Macros for Fat Loss (10 Tips That Make it EASY)

by Cori Lefkowith | Jun 8, 2025 | Blog, Diet

Tracking macros is tedious. It’s boring and can definitely feel overwhelming to start.

But it is also the most effective way to understand your diet and be able to adjust based on your needs and goals.

What gets measured gets managed.

That’s why I wanted to share 10 macro hacks that have helped me track more easily to see the results I wanted over the last decade.

These tips have saved my butt over the years when I’ve wanted to give up.

They’re how I’ve gotten consistent and stayed consistent with my nutrition to get leaner and stronger and feel my most fabulous!

So Tip #1: Plan in what you want FIRST!

Usually when we think about making a change to our diet, we think about what we need to cut out.

Often that’s the thing we love most.

This is why we keep going ON a diet to only FALL OFF our diet.

We restrict over finding balance.

When I changed my approach to include the thing I wanted, especially to start, I found changes were easier to embrace.

I then realized if I did cut something out, it was fully my CHOICE.

I didn’t feel deprived and I could strike a balance.

So plan in something you love then work backward to plan in other meals around it.

You’ll be amazed at the balance you can strike and how changes don’t have to feel like choosing between results and enjoying life.

Tip #2: Track without changes.

This tip also helps you find a true lifestyle balance and evolve your diet over time to match your needs and goals even as they change.

Because there is no one single ideal ratio or calorie intake.
Too often we also try to force dietary changes that don’t even seem to be in the same galaxy as what we are used to, which makes them feel even more impossible to hit.

So instead of trying to shoot for some goal ideal, focus on tracking what you’re currently doing to then adjust.

But even just tracking alone creates some accountability and often makes us realize some easy changes we even WANT to make.

It shifts our mindset about tracking to make it feel more doable as well.

It makes tracking not about restriction but just about understanding.

And once we know where we are starting from, we can then adjust!

Tip #3: Buy frozen and canned ingredients.

Frozen and canned goods can be clean ingredients that don’t spoil. Just look for quality brands.

Frozen fruits and veggies are even often picked at the peak of ripeness so super nutrient dense.

And they don’t go bad so we can slightly over buy to never run out.

Knowing you always have staples you can quickly even heat in the microwave makes it easy to have pre-planned options that you can go to in a pinch or when short on time.

They even make for quick meal prep on the busiest of busy days.

So buy things that are always there for you and have go-to recipes for them to bust your own excuses of you don’t have healthy foods on hand or something to quickly grab!

Tip #4: Bulk prep single ingredients.

Bulk meal prep also helps you always have something on hand.

But too often we see meal prep as only fully prepped boring meals we repeat daily for an entire week…

And too often we end up not wanting to eat what we made and sabotaging ourselves going off plan.

Instead of prepping full meals, bulk prep basic ingredients.

Bake a ton of chicken breast or another protein to have on hand.

Make it simply seasoned so you can add sauces and other things to it based on what you want that day.

Then set a grocery list to have other staples to add diversity.

Maybe you put it one day with frozen sweet potatoes you have and broccoli.

Or you prep it into tacos with the corn tortillas you have.

Or you put it in a burrito bowl or stir fry.

But you can easily have some sides and sauces on hand to add diversity while simplifying meal prep to have something quick always on hand!

Tip #5: Plan in protein first.

I mentioned bulk prepping protein on it’s own specifically too because protein truly is key. And increasing protein is often the hardest part.

But the more you have it prepped and even planned into your day first, knowing what portions you would need at each meal to rock your macros, the more quickly you will feel successful with macros and the easier you will find balance.

Around those portions you can then tweak your carbs and fats to build out different recipes.

And you may even find that at times you only focus on a protein goal and calorie cap.

This minimalist approach can lead to you ultimately tracking more consistently even through busy or stressful times when you usually wouldn’t track at all…and often turn to some self sabotage with your diet!

Tip #6: Tweak before you freak!

There will be days you don’t plan well.

Days you forget your meal prep.

End up going out to lunch with friends.

Have that random event or party pop up.

And all of a sudden, your macros are a bit out of whack.

Don’t freak…tweak!

Adjust later meals to see how you can still get close over feeling like you’ve ruined the day.

That’s where even that bulk protein prep can come in handy to tweak your carbs and fat around it with different dish ideas.

Maybe even adjust your expectations and only focus on your protein and calories if your carbs and fats will be off to still hit a minimum.

Heck even just log it and stay within calories for the accountability and later go back and adjust the day to see how you could work something like that in in the future to have a game plan for next time.

But no matter what, don’t feel guilty.

Learn from it and use it as an opportunity to tweak and adjust and see what you can do.

Even if you don’t end up exactly hitting your macros, the feeling of you adjusted to do what you could often is enough to keep you on track, consistent and in the frame of mind to move forward over sabotaging yourself with guilt!

Tip #7: Get creative!

When we think “eat healthy,” “count macros,” often we think BORING FOOD.

But that doesn’t have to be the case at all.

We don’t have to be chowing down on chicken and broccoli as our family enjoys a delicious meal.

Instead have some fun being creative thinking about meals and events you enjoy.

Want to make a taco dinner for your family? Why not make it a build your own taco bar? That way you can measure out exactly what you need while all enjoying a fun dinner together?

Or always have pizza on Friday night?

Instead of avoiding it, why not try a make your own? Or why not adjust your meals earlier to be lower in calorie and higher in protein so you can have a slice or two even with a side salad?

Instead of just restricting, get creative in how you can also enjoy things even if the exact way you do things evolves.

Even find fun new ways to involve in cooking new recipes that work for all of you.

Or even enjoy dinners out by planning them in first like I recommended with tip #1!

But see opportunity in something new over focusing on how what you used to do doesn’t work in exactly the same way!

Tip #8: Find restaurants to pre-log.

Like going out to dinner? Don’t always want to cook? Have some friends you just seem to always be eating out with?

Instead of feeling like the person always on a diet or like you can’t go out to eat and always have to cook, instead find some staple places you can plan around with dishes you enjoy.

Many restaurants have nutritional information now on their websites. And for those that don’t, look up a common recipe with macros for the dish you want and enter that so you can work backward around it to plan your day.

But the more you have some things already mapped in and even dishes at restaurants you know you can make work, the more you’ll see the freedom tracking can provide while also holding you accountable and moving forward toward your goals.

No it may not be exact, but the more you do consistently, the more you can adjust and tweak.

So if you love Mexican food but go to different restaurants, find a staple dish you enjoy, like chicken fajitas, and a recipe with macros to use to log.

That way you can have a game plan and even have restaurants to suggest when friends want to go out for dinner!

While it may not be as precise as eating at home, the consistency of it will add up but also allow you to find a balance long term.

Too often we don’t find what we can do for long enough for results to snowball.

We just try to out restrict ourselves which is why we always end up regaining the weight and more!

You can’t sprint to start a marathon or you’ll potentially sabotage yourself from ever finishing!

Tip #9: Make leftovers.

Leftovers can not only simplify tracking as that dish can be saved for quick logging next time, but leftovers are also a great way to have meal prep always on hand.

Now if you don’t like eating the same thing multiple days in a row, you can still use leftovers to your advantage – just find ones that freeze well.

I love freezing meals to save for when I know I’ll be super busy even a week later and potentially want the dish again.

You can even prep your meals so your leftovers aren’t saved as just one meal but individual ingredients to repurpose in different ways.

Making that stir fry for dinner, prep ingredients, with leftover portions separately, to throw together all at the end. That way you can even freeze the cooked chicken or sliced vegetables in separate containers to use in different ways next time.

But if you’re cooking, make extra! It can make hitting your macros easier and keep you on track even during busy times!

Tip #10: Give yourself fun challenges.

Hitting your macros can get boring after awhile…which is funny since it can be so overwhelming to start.

We also don’t really do well with the idea of doing the same thing forever.

We get the itch for new or better.

So as you track, give yourself other little areas to focus on.

Maybe you try to include more fruit and vegetable diversity.

Or you focus on fiber more.

Or you focus on different micros.

Or maybe you focus on better food quality one week or working in more foods you love the next even if they aren’t as healthy.

All of this creates balance and enjoyment.

Maybe one week you challenge yourself to make all new recipes while the next you see how lazy you can be with meal prep.

The key is finding ways to make things fun, mix things up and even address what you mentally need at that time.

Our lifestyle is always shifting, evolving our diet to match can be key.

Don’t push a ton of effort to meal prep if you’re worn out because work is busy. See the opportunity here in challenging yourself to find more restaurant dishes you enjoy that can work!

Or if you’re really into holiday baking, how can you work that in?

But create challenges that make you even enjoy tracking more or give you another focus to have fun with!

Tracking macros gives us the power to adjust and fuel to feel our best, but we have to see opportunity in it over just focusing on the obstacles.

Use these 10 tips to help you embrace counting macros and see those results snowball!

Dial in your diet to match your workouts and build your leanest, strongest body ever with my Metabolic Shred…

–> LEARN MORE

Do You Stay This Lean Year Round?

by Cori Lefkowith | Jun 1, 2025 | Blog, Diet

“Do you stay this lean year around?”

I’ve gotten asked this question and I want to set the record straight…

Yes and no.

Like any person, my motivation, my goals, my schedule and life all evolve. So there is an ebb and flow.

You can see in my videos shifts leaner and less lean at different times of year and even as I experiment with different techniques and macros.

BUT over the years, I’ve gotten leaner and stayed leaner.

It’s not from more discipline. Or better perfection.

It’s actually from trying to work less hard and instead constantly seek to evolve and meet myself where I’m at for balance.

I’ve focused on consistency with that long-term viewpoint.

And the longer you maintain, the easier it gets.

So what I’m doing now, isn’t what I did to start maintaining. And it’s not even what I did to get to this point.

What you do to reach your goal is not what you do to maintain it, but you also can’t go back to old habits.

I mention this because too often we copy just what someone who’s been maintaining their goal is doing over starting back at the beginning of the journey.

We miss all the steps that built to this point and don’t recognize how long it takes to make habit changes and have those changes stick.

That’s why I want to share the 3 fundamental facts I’ve learned that will help you stop repeating the yo-yo dieting cycle and maintain your results consistently forever.

And the first fact is that true and lasting changes DON’T always feel sustainable to start.

Because guess what?

They aren’t what you do forever!

It takes 3–4 months to build a habit. You’re practicing till you get it right.

Then it takes 16–18 months to build a lifestyle. You’re practicing till you can’t get it wrong.

Finally, it takes 3–4 years to transform your identity. You’re practicing till it’s part of who you are!

Do you remember learning to brush your teeth daily?

Potentially not at this point, BUT at some time, you had to be reminded to do it. It didn’t feel sustainable.

Thankfully we are parented into that habit and have no choice in most cases.

And at sometime it just becomes so routine and a part of our environment, we just keep doing it.

It is a boring basic we don’t even notice.

Over time, other lifestyle changes become that way too.

You may not always when you’re tired WANT to brush your teeth, but you do.

Over time, those other healthy eating and training practices will become the same way but we have to recognize they won’t feel that way to start.

Because what we do to lose fat or gain muscle may be more intensive than what we have to do to maintain it, especially the longer we’ve been at that point.

I have way more food flexibility and workout freedom now than I did when I first got leaner because my body now wants to STAY at this set point.

Just like your body doesn’t want to lose right now because it wants to stay at its current set point!

This evolution is also really fundamental fact number 2 is…

Maintaining and building a lifestyle isn’t a set it and forget it thing.

You aren’t doing one thing forever.

Have you ever started a new program and thought some version of, “This is amazing! It can be a lifestyle!”

Only to then become frustrated with yourself and feel like you just don’t have the willpower to see results when you can’t ultimately maintain it?

This is because one thing doesn’t work forever. And we should be evolving our habits over not only the years but the course of the seasons.

Your lifestyle probably looks different right at the start of the New Year than it does during the Summer or even the Holidays.

Family obligations, work and travel may impact different seasons in different ways.

Your 6 day a week training schedule that is perfect from January till even June may not fit with your Summer vacation plans or all of the Holiday fun.

Yet so often we try to enforce the same standards on ourselves all year around and this is ultimately what sabotages us.

Instead, seek to meet yourself where you are at.

Embrace evolution in those habits to keep doing something.

Because what may feel like doing less is often the consistency we need to keep moving forward.

It’s also often a lot MORE than we would have done otherwise.

Too often when we can’t do everything perfectly, we do nothing.

And that nothing is what creates the starting over again in the New Year cycle.

With making changes don’t think that the thing you start has to be THE THING. Honestly, that probably means you’re falling for another fad you’ll fall off of.

Instead approach making changes like getting to design your dream home.

Create a solid foundation and structure learning about the fundamentals and boring basics.

Then see those fun adjustments in moves or foods you include or even exact training schedule and macros as the decorations you get to put in your house.

Those may evolve BUT the house structure, focusing on tracking your food and a workout progression, will be that outline you can adjust within to always be moving forward!

And third and final fact…and probably hardest of them all to embrace is that…

Mindset matters most.

There is no perfect macro ratio. No magic workout plan.

And over the course of your life, you’re going to use a variety of both as you not only have fun, experiment but also work toward different specific goals and focuses while working to build your leanest, strongest body at every age.

What matters is your mindset behind everything.

Because so often it isn’t that we don’t have the tools or tactics…

It’s that we sabotage ourselves with unrealistic expectations – wanting results too fast, making ourselves feel guilty for not being perfect or trying to force somebody else’s ideals on ourselves.

Own who you are. Own what you want.

Be true to your goals and also realize that mistakes will ALWAYS happen.

The call of our old identities, that emotional eating pattern you’d thought you’d broken…Will always pop back up and at times we least expect it.

The more we have the mindset we will always have ebbs and flows, the more we will keep moving forward through it all.

And that consistency is what keeps us rocking those results.

So even as you start your journey toward your goals, realize your goal isn’t to avoid breakdowns or failures or setbacks.

It’s to speed up the time it takes you to get back on track.

The quicker we notice we took a wrong turn and turn back, the faster we ultimately get to our destination.

So as you work to adjust your diet to fuel your goals and push hard in your workouts, make sure you’re working on your mindset and belief in yourself as well.

Make sure you’re not giving up each time you hit the hard.

Even seek to reframe those times you want to quit as even more reason to keep going.

Because often the simple fact that we have given up at that same point in the past is why we’ve been stuck.

Now I know you were hoping for some magic move or macro ratio in this video, but these are 3 simple fundamental facts that yield results.

There isn’t one magic thing.

It’s meeting ourselves where we are at and assess what we need at different points in our journey to keep moving forward.

It’s our ability to pause and reflect on how things are going and then find a way to move forward no matter what that is truly key!

Stop trying to out exercise or out diet time.

Instead realize this is a forever process!

And if you are just starting out and need where to start to adjust your diet, check out my video – The Most Annoying Nutrition Tips ( 7 Things That Actually Work) next.

The TFL Muscle (Tensor Fasciae Latae) – The Hidden Cause Of Low Back, Hip, Knee and Ankle Pain

by Cori Lefkowith | May 25, 2025 | Blog, Core, Exercises, Foam Rolling, Pain Relief

There’s just this nagging pain you can’t seem to get rid of.

Maybe it’s your lower back. Your hip. Or even your knee or your ankle that feels off.

You’ve stretched. You’ve strengthened. You’ve rested even.

But the issue never really goes away. It keeps coming back.

The culprit may be one muscle that you don’t realize is perpetually getting overworked…

The TFL.

And this muscle can have a far reaching impact leading to aches and pains from your back down to your feet.

In this video I want to break down…

…where the TFL is and what it does,

…how doing even the “right” moves can backfire and

…then how to adjust your movements to help you better activate your glutes

…while also doing the mobility work to relax this tight and overworked muscle.

So first, where is the TFL, what does it do and why should you even care?

The TFL or tensor fasciae latae is a small muscle on the outside of your hip.

To feel where your TFL is so you can notice when it is working, put your hand on the front top of your pelvis down your leg as you’re lying on your side.

Rotate your toe down toward the ground, turning your leg all the way up toward your hip. This internal rotation of your hip should make your TFL tense.

Ever notice that area really burning or working during moves like band walks where you’re trying to make your glutes work?

That’s your TFL compensating for your glute medius and becoming overworked and probably tight. And this is what can throw your ENTIRE lower body out of alignment and even perpetuate back pain.

Your TFL helps flex your hip, internally rotates your thigh, and abducts your leg.

Because it connects into your IT Band, tension in your TFL doesn’t just stay local.

It impacts your knee and even reaches your ankle. It even changes the way your feet strike the ground.

Over time, these changes in your movements, these compensation can lead to:

IT Band Syndrome
Patellofemoral pain (or runner’s knee)
Hip impingement or hip pain
Shin splints
Even chronic ankle issues

And here’s the kicker and why you need to care about this muscle…

You might be seeing some of these other aches and pains and so focused on the point of pain you didn’t realize the culprit is this nasty little sucker of a muscle.

So all of your work to correct those other issues doesn’t pay off and you just constantly struggle with aches and pains sidelining you.

Now if you’re like, but I am doing glute medius strengthening because I have heard it’s my TFL is the issue…

That’s great…BUT…

What do you feel working?

Because “good” moves, the “right” moves, done with the wrong muscles working?

That’s only going to make the issues worse and lead to a lot of frustration that your hard work isn’t paying off.

Going back to when I mentioned band walks…

Ever do those and end up rubbing right where you now know your TFL is?

Or maybe it’s clams. Or a lateral raise…

If you don’t feel the side of your butt really being the main muscle working and instead feel the burn in your TFL…

Your TFL is still running the show.

You may even be trying to roll out other areas that feel tight…

Foam rolling your back when it gets sore or your lower leg because your ankles are having issues or even around your knees because they’re feeling twingy…

But none of this is addressing the original overcompensation pattern.

You can’t just fix the tight spots downstream.

You have to go straight to the source.

So how do you change those recruitment patterns and get your glute medius working as it should instead of your TFL taking over?

I want to share 3 form tweaks that may help based on the move you’re doing that emphasis using that glute medius over the TFL and then even share other prehab exercises, both foam rolling and stretching, that you can use to relax that TFL further.

That relaxation of the muscle even prior to the glute activation moves can only help you change those recruitment patterns and make it easier to have that mind-body connection work correctly.

Basically, it helps you mentally find your butt to make sure it’s working when it should be!

Form Tip #1: Turn your toe in and down.

Your TFL internally rotates your hip or turns it in and abducts your leg, lifting it laterally.

But while you’ll often see your thigh and knee cap turn in with a tight TFL, you’ll also see your lower leg externally rotate and your feet turn out.

If you find your knees really cave in with movement, give your TFL some love!

But turning that toe down toward the ground or back in can help prevent the movement pattern seen with a tight TFL to help avoid it taking over.

While this may lead to you internally rotating all the way up your leg, this movement puts the emphasis on the glute medius to raise the leg laterally.

I joking say it “distracts” the TFL, making that muscle even contribute to working to internally rotate so it can’t take over for the glute medius during abduction. It’s too distracted with the other movement!

So think of slightly leading with your heel as you raise your leg up or out to the side.

Form Tip #2: Use hip extension.

Your TFL is also a hip flexor, meaning it works to bend your hips.

You can therefore prevent it from working by extending your hip.

This has the added bonus of also engaging your glute max which can help your glute medius fire better.

Just make sure that you aren’t faking that hip extension by arching your back or leaning over as a torso hinge is hip flexion.

Focus on using your glute to extend truly at the hip, even pushing back into something like a wall as you laterally lift your leg.

You should feel not only the side of your butt but also the back of your butt working.

Pair this with turning your toe down for even better activation!

Form Tip #3: Play With Your Setup.

Ever notice when doing different moves some are way easier to feel your glutes working in? While with others you can’t get that TFL to shut off no matter how modified you make them?

If this is the case, play around with postures and positions.

With our glute medius, different fibers contribute slightly to different joint actions.

So don’t hesitate to lean forward or back instead of sitting straight up during seated abductions. This can help you target more anterior or even posterior fibers of the gluted medius.

Try even bridge abductions to use that hip extension to engage your glute max.

But don’t be afraid to play around with postures and variations, using both one sided and two sided moves.

And to help you master moves you can’t get your TFL to be quiet during, try including them AFTER a move where you’ve already gotten a little pump in your glute medius with.

Often that little pump can make it easier to then feel the correct muscles working in the moves

Remember if you’re not feeling it in the right place? You’re not fixing the right problem.

And if you’re really struggling with your TFL taking over…here’s a huge piece most people skip:

The foam rolling and stretching.

Prehab is a 3 part process –

Foam roll tight and overactive muscles…

Stretch those muscles as you mobilize joints…

THEN activate to strengthen weak and underactive muscles and improve stability.

So if you’re using the tweaks I mentioned above with activation moves for your glute medius and struggling with still feeling your TFL try these two moves prior…

TFL Foam Rolling and the Lunge and Reach.

Both are great to include as part of your warm up.

To roll out your TFL…

Place the ball on the front side of your hip, lying over it. You can roll it back toward your glute or slightly down the side of your leg in front of your hip bone.

But focus on that spot that tenses as you turn your leg in.

Hold on any tight spots and breathe as you relax into the ball.

Lift and lower your leg to tense and relax 5-10 times.

You can also bend your knee toward your chest and extend your leg back out to hit this hip flexor as well.

You can use this foam rolling move during rest between activation or even strength exercises when you feel the TFL taking over, but for sure include it in your warm up or prehab before a stretch like the Lunge and Reach.

To do the Lunge and Reach…

Step forward on one side, keeping your back leg straighter as you lunge forward. Lunge deeper to intensify the movement and stretch.

Reach with your opposite hand overhead even leaning to reach further. You will feel a stretch down your side but into the front side of that back hip.

Really engage that back glute to drive your hip into extension.

If you are really struggling with TFL tightness or even using this in your cooldown, you can do a static stretch variation half kneeling on the ground near a way.

But focus on that hip extension engaging your glute as you reach toward the opposite side to stretch.

Remember, the point of pain is not always where the problem started.

If your knees hurt…If your hips feel stiff…If your ankles feel locked up…

If you’re doing a lot of the “right” things but nothing’s adding up, look at other areas that can have an impact, like your TFL

Because if you don’t address the TFL? You’ll just keep fighting the same battle over and over.

Try those form tweaks after the foam rolling and stretching moves today.

Focus on what you truly feel working to finally change those recruitment patterns and address that overload to alleviate those aches and pains!

Move and feel your best with Dynamic Strength workouts. Every workout includes the prehab work you need!

–> Learn More

5 Golden Rules To Lose Fat (Without Losing Muscle)

by Cori Lefkowith | May 18, 2025 | Blog, Diet, Exercises, Mindset

Most of us don’t just want to lose weight – we want to lose fat.

We want to look leaner, more toned, more defined.

We want to fit back into our skinny jeans or that dress in the back of the closet we can’t bring ourselves to give away because we desperately want to wear it again…

We want body recomp. We want to lose fat without losing muscle.

In this video I’ll share the 5 Golden Rules to help you do just that so you can shed those inches and see fabulous muscle definition.

Golden Rule #1: Commit To The Change You Hate The Most.

Ever jump into a new program and change everything you’re doing dramatically at once?

Which thing are you then most likely to blame if results aren’t happening fast enough and the effort starts to feel “not worth it?”

The change you least want to make…and probably need to make the most because it is the most outside your comfort zone.

We don’t want to adjust the hard workouts we’re “enjoying.”

Or the extra fats or carbs we justify as healthy and quality food that also taste good.

No….

Instead we research why high protein is bad or not needed to resist the protein increase we’ve made.

Or we resist the reduction in cardio because we love our long runs even though we’ve heard the work against building muscle.

Or we resist the push to eat more and create a smaller calorie deficit because we fear gaining weight and slashing our calories lower is what we’ve always done…

We resist trusting the full SYSTEM. And that makes it break.

We can’t only make the changes we are comfortable with.

Honestly only being willing to make those changes we are comfortable with is what has kept us stuck.

We repeat the same changes that “work” to get to the same point where we end up falling off again to start back over.

So while you may see some initial progress staying with something familiar or seemingly easy…It’s not really working if you’re constantly looking for a new fix.

This time, embrace the hard. It means that is the change you truly need!

And one hard change most of us want to resist is Golden Rule #2: Track EVERYTHING.

Tracking is restrictive. It’s hard. It’s boring. It’s tedious. It’s annoying.

It’s obsessive.

You can FEEL this way about tracking, but we have to recognize that these are FEELINGS. And feelings and attitudes we’ve created toward a tool because of how we’ve even used it in the past.

But tracking isn’t restrictive or obsessive. It may be hard or boring or tedious or annoying to start as you’re learning, but so many things are.

And you can make it worse by repeating those feelings to yourself. Or you can choose to see the opportunity in it.

You can also recognize WHY you feel this way about it.

Have you usually turned to tracking in the past when you hated how your clothes fit or the weight you saw on the scale?

When you slashed your calories super low and cut out all the foods you love?

No wonder you don’t like tracking if that has been your experience with it!

But tracking is just you recording what you’ve done. It doesn’t have to mean cutting calories lower. It doesn’t have to mean eliminating a food group.

It can even be about adding in MORE. It can be about making sure you’re fueling well. It can help you assess even food intolerances and meal timings that help you perform better to build muscle and feel more energized.

Tracking gives us data to make accurate adjustments and SMALL ONES that truly address where we are right now. It gives you the power to strike YOUR balance…if you give it the chance.

And recognize that tracking doesn’t have to be done in one form. You can use hand portions as a guide, take pictures, log just protein and calories or do full ratios.

But if you’re sick of not feeling like anything is sustainable or you aren’t sure what is working, tracking can fix all of that.

Nothing is off limits. And you know what you’re doing to adjust.

What gets measured gets managed.

You want to stay within your budget? You track it.

Well, tracking your food helps you stay within your food budget.

Golden Rule #3: Diet for fat loss. Train for muscle.

Adjust both together and that’s where the magic happens.

Because, while most of us have heard the saying, “Abs are made in the kitchen”…

Fabulous ab definition is really REVEALED by the kitchen.

The muscle we want to show is built through progressive overload and pushing ourselves in the gym.

But too often to burn more calories in our training and create that deficit to lose faster, we turn to cardio.

This only backfires, causing us to lose not only fat but also muscle.

It’s why we can see metabolic adaptations occur more quickly.

And it’s why we can feel like we’re working so hard, adjusting our diet yet not looking any leaner!

We can’t just turn our workouts into killer cardio sessions. We need to stop thinking, “I should do more cardio!”

And instead we need to think about our training as a chance to build muscle.

If you want to lose fat without losing muscle, focus on strength training and progressing moves week over week. Don’t cut out rest to feel more out of breath. Don’t just add in more to feel more worked.

Focus on truly lifting more with quality reps, even needing MORE rest between rounds to keep using harder variations and heavier loads.

That way when you dial in your macros and your diet with what I’m about to go over in Rule #4 while training to build muscle, you’ll see the best body recomp results happen even faster!

Golden Rule #4: Create DAILY Consistency.

Have you ever wondered…Should I eat less on a day off? Lower my carbs?

Stop adding more complication. Stop trying to do more. Focus on those basics.

KISS…Keep it simple, stupid.

Simple is sustainable.

Focus on that daily consistency in those habits!

The less we add complication or more variation, the easier we make it on ourselves to create a new environment and shift mindsets and habits.

The fewer changes we make at once, the more we can know the impact they have and how they are working to then adjust habits as we go.

The less we overwhelm ourselves with more to do, the more the effort feels worth the outcome!

What we do consistently we get good at. What we do consistently builds results.

You can’t know if a macro ratio or workout or meal timing works if you’re not doing the same thing weekly. You can’t build habits and routines if things are constantly shifting.

And at the most basic level, your body can’t repair and rebuild on days off if it doesn’t have the fuel. You aren’t just eating more to train hard, but to recover.

Inconsistent energy sources are what can lead to us feeling extra frustrated, confused and hangry! It also adds more precision in numbers we have to have as we cycle.

Instead, keep things simple. Allow yourself to build those daily routines and get confident in them. Then adjust.

But focus on a set macro and calorie goal you maintain for a few weeks. Plan ahead to hit those numbers. Dial in your precision with them. It will pay off.

And Golden Rule #5: What You Put First Gets Priority.

If you’re struggling to prioritize a habit change, put it first in your day.

Add protein to that first meal

Drink water when you first get up.

Do your workout before the day gets busy.

When a new habit can fall by the wayside when life gets busy or we get worn out, the best way to make sure we complete it is to do it first in the day.

That way we leave things we know we will do no matter what till later because we’ll do them anyway.

But this rule also applies to cardio vs. strength work and eve the order of exercises in your routine.

What you put first in your training gets you when you’re freshest. You’re giving a more true 100% intensity and effort.

Want to lift heavier for your glutes? Prioritize a lift for them first in your lower body workout day.

Or if you’re wanting to include some cardio because you love it while still focusing on losing fat without losing muscle?

Put your strength work first in your session and ideally first in your day if you are doing a second walk or cardio session for any reason.

That way you are freshest and can truly push hard to create that challenge to build muscle. And you can still get in movement with cardio you may put after.

Even consider timing a walk or sprint interval session at the end of workout where you work muscles near stubborn fat to help utilize mobilized fatty acids.

And don’t include steady state endurance cardio after a workout where you’re working a muscle group that you struggle to build as this can hinder those muscle gains.

But consider the order to things you include and what you need to prioritize.

While we don’t want to stress over details first, we want to note that how systems are designed together has an impact.

We need to embrace those hard changes, track how things are going and our consistency in implementation and then review all aspects of our lifestyle to make sure things complement!

Because we can lose fat without losing muscle, but it isn’t as simple as eating less or doing more cardio. It’s a strategic process and we need a clear plan to push through the hard!

Break free of the change loop keeping you stuck losing the weight only to regain it, and MORE, later…

–> Busting The Change Loop