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10 DUMBBELL CORE Exercises You’re Not Doing

10 DUMBBELL CORE Exercises You’re Not Doing

by | Jul 31, 2022 | Blog, Core, Exercises

Looking to spice up your core training routine? Then these dumbbell core moves will help! Whether you want to target your abs, obliques or glutes, there is a move here to help. And these exercises will help you improve both your rotational and anti-rotational core strength. Plus they can be done from a variety of different postures, whether you want to do something standing or get down on the ground.

Pick a few of these moves to start implementing into your programming based on your needs and goals!

1: Turkish Hinge:

This core move is based off of one step in the full Turkish Get Up and is a great way to improve your hip and shoulder stability. It is an amazing way to target those obliques and especially that glute medius.

When you do this exercise, you want to focus on that lateral hinge, really pushing your butt to the side. This allows you to load and use that glute to hinge and come back up to half kneeling. It also helps you keep your weight centered so you could technically hinge over without having to put any weight on that hand on the ground until you’re ready.

If you simply just lean over, you’ll lose your balance and really struggle with stabilizing that raised shoulder. So focus on loading that glute as you hinge over then using that glute and your oblique to pull you back up!

Make sure as you set your hand down to the side as well that you aren’t reaching out wide but setting it closer to your body.

If you can’t kneel on the ground, you can do a similar move called the Windmill standing. Just make sure to start with a light weight for both to focus on stabilizing that raised weight!

2: Plank Pull Throughs:

This anti-rotational core move is a must-do plank variation. It is a great way to really work everything from your shoulders to your knees down not only your frontside but also your backside!

As you do this move, you want to focus on keeping your core still and your hips level. You want to pull the weight fully across without rotating. Don’t rotate just to pull it further. And make sure to brace those abs and glutes to fight that rotation! It’s key you also make sure your hands are under your shoulders as you set up. This will help you avoid overloading your neck and shoulders to better engage your back to support your shoulders and fight that rotation as well.

Move slowly. While it is tempting to rush if you feel unbalanced, DON’T!

To modify this move, you can start with a reach over pulling a weight. You can also place your hands on an incline and pull the weight on the bench or stair.

–> VIDEO OF ALL 10 MOVES BELOW <–

3: Glute Bridge with Cross Body Chops:

Our lats and glutes must work together efficiently if we want a proper transfer of force and power through our core. This keeps not only our shoulders and hips healthy but also promotes better pelvic stability.

That’s why this move is an amazing one to include in your routine!

Holding the dumbbell in both hands you want to reach overhead to one side then chop the dumbbell across your body down outside your other hip. And you want to maintain that solid bridge hold as you perform the chop. Make sure as you hold the bridge, your glutes are powering the hold. Use that posterior pelvic tilt to avoid overloading your lower back. And focus on driving your knees toward your toes so you aren’t just pushing yourself backward as you hold, which can lead to your hamstrings taking over for your glutes.

As you do the chop, across to your hip, really feel your lat pulling the weight down from overhead. Move slowly with this move!

To progress this exercise, you could even do an 80/20 or single leg variation!

4: Rotational Lunge:

Don’t want to get down on the ground to work your core? Want an amazing rotational move you can do to target those abs, obliques and glutes? Then try the Rotational Lunge

This move is a great way to work on that rotational core strength and learn to not only accelerate and power rotation, but decelerate and control that rotation.

When you do this move, you want to treat the lunge as more of a hip hinge than focusing on sinking that back knee toward the ground. You really want to load that front glute so you can drive off that foot to power the rotation and come back up to standing before lunging back on the other side.

Even focus on that exhale as you drive out of the lunge to help you brace those abs and protect your back. Make sure to focus on loading that glute so you don’t twist too far and load your lower back. Make sure too that you’re not caving or rounding over to try to reach back further, but really only hinging at the hips.

To modify, you can adjust the amount of knee flexion you include, especially if you have knee issues. Do not step or lunge back as far to start!

Speed up the movement too as you feel ready over moving at a slower pace to start.

5: Seated Ab Presses:

This move is deceptively hard and a great way to work your abs and shoulders. You will also feel your hips working as well as you hinge but do not solely rely on your hip flexors. Focus on that c-sit curve as you lean back, rounding through your spine.

This rounding helps you brace and use those abs over just making this a hinge at the hips, which can lead to you only feeling your hip flexors.

Press the weight out as you hinge back to work your shoulders and even counterbalance the movement.

To modify this move, or if you can’t get down on the ground, you can do this move off a bench.

You can also vary this movement by performing a unilateral press over holding the weight in both hands!

6: Two-Way Raises:

This is another great anti-rotational plank variation to really improve your shoulder health and core stability. Because this is really targeting that shoulder, start with light weights.

While holding the plank position, you will raise one weight straight out overhead. Lower down, then fly the arm out to the side. Keep your elbow soft but your arm straight. And really fight the urge to rotate as you perform the two raises on one side.

You can then make the move harder by alternating sides where you have to fight rotation as you stabilize to raise the other arm out both ways. Or you can modify slightly to start by sticking with all reps on one side.

You can modify the plank position further if you find your hips sagging or butt going up in the air by performing this move off a bench or incline. You can also start with a raise without the weight.

Just make sure you don’t rush or shrug your shoulders as you do this move. Make sure to really engage your back to support the shoulder of the hand that is down to keep that shoulder unshrugged.

And if you feel unstable or uncomfortable on the weights while holding the plank, place your hand down on the ground instead while performing all reps on one side.

7: Pull Over Crunches:

This is a killer crunch variation that will work your abs, quads, lats, triceps, chest and serratus anterior. But it is also deceptively hard because of the weighted extension overhead. Make sure your lower back down not arch and ultimately become overloaded. Focus on that posterior pelvic tilt to brace your abs as you do this move.

When you perform the reach overhead, your elbows will be slightly bent but do not turn this into just flexion and extension at your elbows. You want the movement to come from your shoulders, reaching overhead to then pull the weight down over your body and in front of your knees.

Focus on feeling your lats and the muscles around your ribs really working over the course of the reach overhead and pull down.

As you extend your legs out, you can kick out higher to modify. Just make sure you engage your abs and even your glutes as you fully kick out.

To modify this move further, you can perform a bent knee tuck instead of a straight leg kick out. Or you can even keep your feet on the ground to start.

8: Extended ROM Lying Lateral Raise:

Changing the range of motion on an exercise is a great way to progress a movement.

In this case, the extended range of motion allows you to put the glute medius under more stretch during the exercise while also adding load with the dumbbell to advance it.

With this move, you want to make sure you’re really focusing on that glute medius and not letting the TFL compensate. If you struggle with feeling that TFL, which is also a hip flexor, taking over for your glutes, turn your toe down toward the ground as you perform the lateral raise. You can also slightly kick back as well. And then don’t rotate open to try to increase the range of motion and lift up higher.

Also, make sure to fully lower your leg down to get that extra stretch on the muscle at the bottom.

If you don’t have a bench, you can do this movement from the side plank position as well to still get that bigger range of motion and even the oblique work bonus.

9: Standing Dumbbell Chop:

This standing unilateral, or one sided, exercise is a great way to work on your rotational core strength and glute power. If you’re a tennis player, baseball player, golfer or any athlete wanting a powerful rotational swing, you want to include this move in your strength work!

It’s key with this move, you work on that powerful drive from your glute to power the swing up and across. And you want to make sure to brace your abs to prevent rotating too far as you swing the weight up and over your shoulder.

To load your glutes to power the rotation, you will sit back slightly and to the side the weight is on. It’s a very small hip hinge. As you drive forward to propel the weight up and across, pivot that foot. Don’t simply just come up on your toes, really rotate as if squashing a bug under the ball of your foot to better power the swing and use your glute.

Focus on that exhale as you rotate to brace your abs and avoid twisting too far!

Your elbows will bend more as you twist the weight over your shoulder.

10: Side Plank Row:

Target your obliques, abs, glutes, back and biceps with this great side plank variation.

By adding in the row, you not only work your back and bicep but also really force your core to work hard to stabilize as you hold that plank position.

Make sure that as you lower the weight toward the ground in front of you that you keep your back engaged to support the standing hand. You will rotate slightly toward the ground to protract that shoulder blade, bringing it away from your spine, before you row the weight up and retract your shoulder blade, or bring it back toward your spine.

You want to focus on the row not just coming from your arm, but instead focus on that scapular movement to really use your back.

Do not let your hips drop toward the ground as you row in that side plank position.

To modify, you can do this move with your hand up on a bench to start, even off of your forearm if you do have wrist issues!

SUMMARY:

Use these moves based on your needs and goals. You can combine a few into a quick finisher to a workout or even just select one to include in your circuits or trisets based on what you’re trying to target!

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–> Redefining Strength On YouTube

Want A Strong Back? (Do This Back Exercise!)

Want A Strong Back? (Do This Back Exercise!)

by | Jul 24, 2022 | Blog, Exercises, Functional Fitness, Pain Relief

Too often we waste exercises by not actually working the muscles intended.

And then we wonder why we aren’t seeing the results we want.

But we have to remember that if we don’t feel the correct muscles working, those muscles aren’t reaping the benefits.

For example, if you feel your lower back during ab work, your lower back is what is being worked, not your abs. So all of that ab work isn’t going to pay off the way you’d like.

And it may even result in injury as your lower back becomes overworked and overloaded. This can even lead to your lower back engaging when it shouldn’t in other compound moves and lifts.

So not only is the muscle group we want benefiting NOT benefiting, but we may be creating recruitment patterns that can lead to other issues and injury.

The same thing goes for those back exercises you’re including in your workouts.

Tend to feel your neck or shoulders or even your biceps working instead of your upper back during rows or pull ups?

Struggling to feel like all of that back strengthening work is leading to the results you want, like improving your pull ups so you can do that first full one?

Then you need to make sure your back is actually what is powering your pulling moves.

And if it isn’t, you need to potentially modify so your arms can’t compensate.

You need to start by addressing your scapular mobility and stability to actually get your back powering the pull!

That’s why I love this amazing move – The Back Shrug.

While we need to include mobility work and that full prehab process of foam rolling, stretching and activation in our warm up routine, we can’t out mobility work improper movement and recruitment patterns when we lift.

It’s why we need to be intentional with moves and see every exercise as a a chance to assess.

And it’s why, when the correct muscles aren’t working, we sometimes need to modify moves and even try other variations to improve that mind-body connection.

It’s why if you struggle with with using your back during rowing, you may want to switch to the Back Shrug to start focusing on that scapular retraction to engage your back and power the pull.

How Do You Do The Back Shrug:

This move boils the row down to just that initial scapular movement to learn to control that back engagement.

When you row, the movement should start because you’re you’re drawing your shoulder blade toward your spine to use your back to pull.

This movement isolates just this component of the row, removing any elbow flexion that may lead to us compensating and using our bicep instead.

Too often with rows, we end up performing a bicep curl, curling our wrist in toward our chest over driving the elbow down and back as our shoulder blade moves toward our spine.

That’s why focusing on just that scapular movement to start can be key.

To do the Back Shrug, hold a dumbbell in each hand and hinge over standing with your feet about hip-width apart.

Let your arms hang down and unshrug your shoulders while keeping a neutral spine. Make sure you’ve hinged over to load your glutes while keeping your knees soft.

From this bent over position, you are going to try to pinch your shoulder blades together while letting your arms hang down.

Draw your shoulder blades toward your spine. Don’t just shrug your shoulders. Focus on that scapular movement.

Do not bend your elbows or start to row.

Just pinch the shoulder blades together, pausing, then relaxing the weights back toward the ground. Do not shrug your shoulders up toward your ears as you retract!

You will be able to add weight as you can fully control and feel the movement on both sides.

This is a small movement. Don’t try to make it bigger by standing up or bending your arms. Make sure to keep your neck long. Your only focus is on drawing the shoulder blades toward your spine then relaxing them away. Even pause as you do the pinch over rushing.

Variations:

There are so many ways you can then vary this move based on the types of rows you general include in your training and even the other muscles you want to target and tools you have available.

You could do this with a band instead of dumbbells. Or even off a suspension trainer. All of these are great to include to prep your body to row using these different tools and postures.

Because we can struggle with that scapular retraction in different positions, it can be key to include a diversity to make sure we’re initiating those rows with our back.

And if you find you struggle even with proper mobility and strength on one side, you can even make this movement a unilateral exercise, working only one side at a time or even doing rounds or reps on only one side.

If you don’t have any equipment, you can even do a unilateral variation called the Single Arm Scapular Push Up. This is great as an activation move in your warm up before any strength work even.

But as you really work to translate that activation to the full row with weight, consider the these variations to prep the body to initial that pull with that proper scapular movement.

SUMMARY:

Moves are only as good as their implementation. And if we want to get the full benefit of an exercise, we need to make sure we’re actually engaging the correct muscles to power the movement.

If you’ve struggled with feeling your back during rowing exercises, try this scapular retraction focused back exercise to really isolate and work on that initial back engagement.

It can easily be included as part of your accessory work for a few rounds of 10-15 reps! Focus on that scapular movement over just going heavy, but don’t be afraid to progress the movement by adding loads as you can truly control that retraction!

For more amazing videos and tips, subscribe to my YouTube:

–> Redefining Strength On YouTube

INTERMITTENT FASTING – Yay or Nay?

INTERMITTENT FASTING – Yay or Nay?

by | Jul 17, 2022 | Blog, Diet

I actually personally don’t consider Intermittent Fasting to be a “diet.”

It’s a meal timing. One that can be used with a variety of dietary preferences and macro breakdowns.

You can be Keto and use it. Or high carb and use it.

And it’s actually personally a meal timing strategy I’ve found not only useful but freeing over the years.

But as much as I personally enjoy it and find it to be a useful learning experience for many of my clients even if they don’t stick with it long-term, I don’t believe that Intermittent Fasting is right for everyone.

That’s why I want to discuss what Intermittent Fasting is and when and who may benefit from it so you can decide if it is right for you.

Because from our meal timing to our calorie intakes to our macro breakdown, the systems all have to work together to get us results.

And we have to be willing to adjust and change as our needs and goals change over time.

You may even find that things like Intermittent Fasting work for you to reach certain goals but fight against you when your goals or lifestyle change.

And we can’t be so married to something we aren’t open to shifting!

So before I dive into whether IF is right for you, I want to give a bit of background on what it is…

What Is Intermittent Fasting?

There are a few different types of Intermittent Fasting:
– Time Restricted Eating – A daily set eating window
– The 5:2 Method – Two days of a 500 calorie cap
– 24 Hour Fasts – Once to twice a week of a full 24 hour fast.

Basically Intermittent Fasting is restricting when you eat.

While there are different length fasts you can include, a very common form of IF is the 16/8 time restricted fast.

You will fast for 16 hours and then have an 8 hour eating window.

For many, this is really just skipping breakfast.

While technically you can skip any meal, the key is that you’re keeping all your meals into a specific shortened window each and every day.

If you do one of the other set ups, you may have a calorie allotment or full day you aren’t eating over just skipping a meal.

So Why Is Intermittent Fasting So Popular? What Are The Benefits?

Intermittent Fasting has gained mainstream attention over the years as not only a great thing to do for your health but also for fat loss.

And part of the reason why it became so popular is because people claimed you didn’t have to change what you were eating at all to see results.

You just had to ONLY eat within this set window and POOF magically the weight would melt off.

And having a set eating window does to some extent often help people get started losing weight – it creates a calorie deficit for many without them having to track just like cutting out a food group can often do with other forms of dieting.

It can help cut out mindless snacking and when you are restricted to only a set amount of time, it is easier to fill up when eating your daily calorie intake in a condensed period.

Plus for many it can feel more satisfying when in a calorie deficit to have this bigger meals over more frequent snacking. You can slightly get that “eat till you’re full” feeling.

Not to mention there simply isn’t as much meal planning to do which can make it easier to stick with the healthy habits.

So many find the simple lifestyle change sustainable while leading to the habits they need to lose weight.

From a more “scientific” perspective of why some believe IF to be so helpful for weight loss….

It is argued that it can promote stronger insulin sensitivity and increased growth hormone secretion – both of which also can help with gaining muscle, which in turn leads to better fat loss results.

The more we are able to focus on muscle mass retention, the less metabolic adaptations we suffer from as we lose weight. Muscle mass is metabolically costly, meaning it needs a lot of energy to be maintained.

In a deficit, we can often end up using muscle mass for fuel, especially if the deficit is too great.

So by promoting an anabolic environment we can prevent metabolic adaptations and burn more calorie at rest by promoting better muscle mass mention and growth!

It can also lead to better fat burning results, especially when at the end of a longer fast, part of why that 12-18 hours is recommended for IF. Some even argue it is especially helpful when you have that last little bit you want to lose off of stubborn areas.

The argument for this is that the low insulin levels reached during a fast, and the more time spent in this low insulin state, equates to a great time spent where fat can be mobilized from stubborn areas. And this state is different than the one seen with a low carb diet because triglycerides inhibit HSL or hormone sensitive lipase in a similar manner to insulin. HSL is basically activated to shuttle the fat out of the cell to be burned off.

But because of this fatty acid mobilization and the fact that some studies have shown fasting to increase specifically abdominal subcutaneous blood flow, the argument has been made that IF can promote better stubborn belly fat loss as well. Which may be a reason for women especially during menopause to consider trying IF while dialing in their macros as estrogen levels decreasing during menopause can lead to more stubborn belly fat accumulating.

And while many turn to fasting for the weight loss benefits, other benefits people tout with fasting include….

* Reduces your risk for cancer.
* Decreases triglycerides and LDL as well as cholesterol and inflammation markers.
* Reduces blood pressure.
* Improves cardiovascular function.
* Improves your brain functioning and can even help prevent conditions such as Parkinson’s, Dementia and Alzheimer’s.

But as we know, nothing is a magic pill.

And part of the benefits often associated with fasting studies have shown may be achieved by simply creating a deficit and then maintaining a healthy weight overall regardless of your meal timing.

We have to remember that one size doesn’t fit all….

So….What Are The Downsides?

Now a downside is NOT that your muscle will melt off if you miss a meal.

And you do NOT need to eat every two hours and 6 small meals a day to keep your metabolism humming.

And no, breakfast is not the most important meal of the day and you’re doomed if you skip it.

So in terms of huge negative consequences from fasting, I just don’t really see that there are any, especially when it comes to weight loss.

But that still does NOT mean it is a magic pill or right for you.

You can’t just eat whatever you want in whatever quantity you want just because you are only eating in a set window.

Macros and calories still matter.

If you dial those in, any meal timing that fits your lifestyle is going to work.

Forcing a meal timing that doesn’t fit your schedule or lifestyle will backfire no matter how magical it is even touted to be.

And that’s all too often the main reason why Intermittent Fasting doesn’t work for people.

They’re forcing a meal timing that isn’t realistic or sustainable for them and then they don’t know how to truly dial in their nutrition to match their needs and goals when they take out the restriction of an eating window.

If you train first thing in the morning, trying to fast until the afternoon probably won’t work out. And while you can make your eating window earlier, many don’t find that lifestyle sustainable as it means you’re eating dinner earlier than you’d like to maintain.

For others fasting ultimately results in overeating. They become so hungry they end up overeating even though it’s during a set window. And they find that their cravings increase.

So if you aren’t finding that fasting makes your life EASIER, there is no point in doing it. Especially because you can simply achieve the same benefits through a calorie deficit and by dialing in your macros.

And if fat loss isn’t your goal, fasting may NOT be the ideal meal schedule, especially if you aren’t training late enough in the day to break your fast before your workout.

While fasted training can potentially help our fat loss efforts, it may backfire when we are trying to gain muscle.

Having full glycogen stores to create that anabolic environment and help your body repair and rebuild can be key, especially if you’re a hard gainer or advanced lifter who won’t see those newbie gains. Gaining muscle is a slow process and for many of us it requires really creating the right environment and having fuel readily available.

Not to mention fasting may mean your energy levels are lower than ideal so you can’t push your training in the gym as hard as you’d like to create that progressive overload.

Now that being said, many will still love IF even while trying to build muscle.

So now the question is….

Should You Do Intermittent Fasting?

There are two main reasons I most often use it with clients:

1. To help them better understand their true hunger cues because so often we just get USED to eating at set times over really understanding what our body is telling us.
2. To work around their schedule to make hitting their macros and feeling full and satisfied easier.

If this meal timing feels right for you, great. Use it.

Everything we include in our lifestyle should be focused on our needs and goals.

And for many of us, fasting allows us to eat when we are hungry and maintain the macros and calories we need to feel fueled while seeing results.

It gives us a freedom to adjust our meals around whatever works even that day.

But whatever your fitness goal, no meal schedule is going to get you results if your calories and macros aren’t in line with your needs and goals.

You still need to focus on overall macros and calories for the day. If those aren’t in line, you’re not going to see results PERIOD.

You can still overeat eating within a small window.

So it isn’t some magic fat loss fix.

Not to mention, if your goal is gaining muscle, and you’ve found you’re really struggling, sticking with IF no matter how much you loved it for fat loss, may work against you.

Change requires change and you may find you need to adjust your meal timing to help make sure you’re creating that anabolic environment.

While this could just mean a pre-workout meal to break your fast instead of eating first thing after, you may find you do need to swap to a longer eating window and more meals.

The key is finding what works for your current needs and goals!

And ladies, you may find you respond differently to IF than you men do.

Studies have shown potentially fewer benefits from IF for women, and even more adverse effects in terms of adrenal stress and even muscle mass loss in pre-menopausal women.

So it may be good, if you aren’t naturally a meal skipper, to start with a shorter fast and only build up to a longer length if it feels right.

However, for females, because of the changes we go through in menopause, Intermittent Fasting may become a more useful tool as we get older. Because we can develop insulin resistance during menopause and lower estrogen levels can lead to more belly fat being gained, IF may be a nice complement to changes in our macros to help us avoid that dreaded menopausal weight gain.

SUMMARY:

The key with IF is to realize that our meal timing needs to match our needs and goals. Experiment to find what feels best for you. But realize results come from all systems being dialed in focused on what you need. And that meals your meal timing, calories and macros all need to work together and you need to be willing to adjust over time!

Ready to create the perfect lifestyle for YOUR needs and goals?

–> Follow These 3 Steps…

8 Odd Weight Loss Tips I Wish I Knew Sooner 

8 Odd Weight Loss Tips I Wish I Knew Sooner 

by | Jul 10, 2022 | Blog, Diet, Exercises

The secret to results is to be goldilocks and look for the thing that is “just right.”

And the best way to get that “just right” plan for ourselves, is to create it. We need to find that combination of what is RIGHT and what we can do CONSISTENTLY.

That sweet spot is where the magic happens.

Because what is “right” won’t pay off if we can’t repeat those habits consistently. Just like doing the wrong things consistently will only lead to trouble.

But to find what is right for us, we need to step away from seeking some perfect plan or getting caught up in some ideals of perfection when it comes to our training and nutrition.

It’s why I wanted to share 8 tips I’ve discovered really make the difference in creating that just right plan for you…tips that many people won’t like because they don’t promote clean eating ideals or even the no pain no gain mentality that is so popular!

Tip 1: Sometimes it’s better to just give into the cravings over fighting them.

We often waste a ton of effort fighting what we want. And while achieving results DOES mean some sacrifice, too often we just deplete our self control by constantly restricting.

Sometimes it is better to just give in, satisfy a craving and move forward. Often we feel better with our overall plan and less restricted and more willing to stick with things when we also get to include foods we really love and crave.

Sometimes indulging is what we need to be able to stay consistent, strike a lifestyle balance and stay on track.

Too often in our attempt to avoid the thing we want we end up eating more in the end or we end up eating things that honestly are just as bad. And on top of that we ultimately only eventually give in, which because we’ve felt so restricted, can lead to overeating the thing we initially wanted anyway.

Sometimes just preemptively having that thing can help us find a better balance and avoid that binge cycle!

Tip 2: Drink your diet drink.

Fake sweeteners have become super demonized. And while the data really doesn’t support that demonization, I’m not going to tell you that diet drinks are healthy.

However, I do feel like they can also be key to us creating something sustainable that we ENJOY.

Honestly, sometimes when you want something sweet or you want something to satisfy a craving, swapping in that diet drink can help us strike a balance. Having that diet soda may actually help you stay more consistent and be healthier overall. Too often we get caught up in the “one bad thing” instead of seeing the overall healthier balance it can help us create.

It may help you avoid other unhealthy foods and “cost” you less overall.

It may be the way you start to even transition yourself off of sugar filled drinks.

It’s all about small improvements and finding our balance.

So don’t fear sometimes swapping one not so ideal thing for something that makes an improvement in your life even if it isn’t yet “perfect.”

Also we have to find our balance. If a diet soda keeps you overall consistent, that vice may be what you need to actually hit that 80/20 balance not just for a few days or months but for YEARS…

Tip 3: Plan in meals out.

Often when we start a new diet we avoid going out because it isn’t as easy to stay on track.

But this can also backfire and make us always feel like that person on a diet. It’s what can lead to us becoming even burnt out with the changes.

If you enjoy meals out, plan them in. If you need the break with cooking, plan in your favorite restaurant meals.

Find ways to work in things you love, even planning in those meals out first to adjust the rest of your day around.

And then just log the best you can. Sure it may not be perfect, but logging as consistently as you can is key. And then watch how that meal impacts you. If you’re not seeing results, you can always adjust. You can always make swaps to dishes to more easily hit your macros.

Or you can even find new restaurants that list out nutritional info to make grabbing lunch on the go easier.

But don’t avoid habits and routines you love. Find ways to work them in.

Because completely cutting out habits and routines we enjoy ultimately derails us just to try to be perfect short term. But we need to be careful with that all or nothing attitude.

We need to remember that long-term consistency is key!

Tip 4: Want fast results? Be ready to sacrifice.

We all want to hear it will be easy to see results. And while we can definitely see results by making fewer changes to start, the faster we want to see results, the more we have to embrace some sacrifice and focus more on perfection in those new habits.

Basically the faster we want results, the more dedicated to the changes and the harder we have to be willing to push, especially to start.

And too often I think we gloss over this fact. We try to make things sound as easy for ourselves as possible, but I think this sets us up for failure because we then aren’t prepared for the challenges that pop up.

It does take more perfection short term and more sacrifice short term, the quicker we want to see dramatic changes and the further we are from our goal. Also the longer we’ve been in our current situation and the more we have working against us, the more we have to OVERCORRECT to start.

But we have to remember we have to base these changes on a solid foundation of those basics so that we can steer back to sustainable as we reach our goals.

It’s why macros and designing clear workout progressions are key. These fundamentals allow us to create sustainable habits even if we do more of a cut to start or shift into more of a muscle gaining phase. These fundamentals don’t change even as we transition into maintenance even if their exact implementation adjusts with time.

We have to remember that what it takes to reach a goal will NOT be the same thing we have to do to maintain it!

Tip 5: The longer you’ve struggled, the longer you’ll struggle….sorry this is just a reality.

If you just gained the weight recently and haven’t had it on for long, if you’ve done a diet or workout plan before and see results, you’re going to see faster results this time through. You know the pain, your body also isn’t content where it is, and so your body will respond quicker.

It’s why it isn’t really fair to compare your results to someone who just gained a few pounds over the holidays if you’ve been up in weight for years. It’s why you can’t base your results on that of a trainer or bodybuilder who gains and loses weight all of the time.

The longer you’ve had the weight on, the less you’re familiar with what you need to do, the HARDER it will be to really get the ball rolling.

So if you’re struggling with taking on a new challenge, if you’ve struggled with hormonal changes and with weight that has been on a very long time, get ready to really grind it out without seeing the progress you so desperately crave to start.

Realize it WILL be harder for you.

So set habit goals to give yourself daily things to focus on. It’s key to really create those changes that build toward the long-term results we want. And track those habits as you implement to celebrate those as wins because you have to find a way to embrace the process.

Tip 6: Stop feeling guilty.

I mean this in so many ways, but we’ve got to stop the guilt if we want to truly change our lifestyle. We are human. We’re never going to be perfect.

Don’t feel guilty if you want to fit something into your macros that isn’t healthy. Don’t feel guilty for a skipped workout. Don’t feel guilty for a day not going as planned or eating out of stress.

Often these things don’t derail us, it’s the guilt that changes our habits and mindsets for days after that adds up.

So focus on what you can always do to move forward. Focus on meeting yourself where you are at. Focus on 1% improvements and seeing everything as a learning process!

But stop sabotaging yourself by making yourself feel guilty for being HUMAN.

Tip 7: Stop trying to just exercise for longer.

Focusing on making your workouts longer is a waste of time. Period.

The only reason your workout should get longer is because you’re training for a specific competition or your rest times have to be ridiculously long for max attempt lifts.

Honestly, too often we make our workouts longer and just waste a lot of time and effort. It often also leads to us being extra tired and burnt out and hungry which ultimately leads to hormonal issues, metabolic adaptations and cravings that backfire and sabotage us.

So often us trying to train more as we eat less is what sabotages our weight loss efforts and makes us feel like we just don’t have self control.

It’s also what leads to more metabolic adaptations so we can feel like we aren’t losing while starving ourselves. Our body fights against what it sees as starvation.

So stop just trying to do MORE.

Use your training to build muscle and move well. Focus on using the time you realistically have to train wisely!

Tip 8: Don’t turn strength workouts just into cardio.

Too often we seek just to feel worked from our workouts. To be tired and burn a ton of calories.

But this is why we can feel our programs are unsustainable and we get skinny without looking leaner. It’s what can hold us back from actually seeing the body recomp we want, and getting the lean arms or toned abs we desire.

Because cardio doesn’t build muscle and can even be catabolic to it. It can ultimately make us look softer especially if we are in that calorie deficit to lose weight.

So when you do strength work, don’t fear rest. Don’t feel like you have to be destroyed and out of breath every single workout. Track your numbers and focus on progressive overload! Focus on lifting more and really challenging those muscles so they are forced to repair and rebuild stronger!

SUMMARY:

As tempting as it is to do more, to strive for perfection in our diet and workouts, results really come from 1% improvements and meeting ourselves where we are at!

You need to find the “right things” that you can truly be consistent with long term!

Set yourself up for success. Get the coaching and support you need to learn how to rock those results no matter your age…

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Lose An Extra Pound Per Week Without Changing Your Current Diet Or Workout Routine

Lose An Extra Pound Per Week Without Changing Your Current Diet Or Workout Routine

by | Jul 3, 2022 | Blog, Exercises

Want to lose weight but not sure where to start? Feeling intimidated by tracking macros? Feel like you’re already training hard but not seeing results?

Because making changes, and getting started, is the hardest part, I wanted to share how you can build that momentum to see results with a very small tweak to your current lifestyle.

We have to remember that the more we do, the more we do. And this can mean that a positive habit change can lead to more positive habit changes…or inaction can lead to more in action.

So what easy thing can you start doing today to get better weight loss results?

Think about why weight loss occurs…

Because we create that calorie deficit.

You can create, or increase that deficit in two ways…

1: You can cut your calories lower.

This works to a certain extent, but too great a deficit created this way can cause metabolic adaptations and hormonal imbalances.

Not to mention, dietary changes are the hardest for most of us to start.

And if we’re already in a deficit, the thought of eating less may be a struggle and backfire.

So instead you can try way number 2 to create a deficit and do more exercise or activity.

2: Exercise more.

The problem with this is your body adapts. And you can’t just keep adding on more and more and harder and harder training. You’ll end up burnt out and injured.

You can’t out exercise your diet.

Also training MORE can often lead to us doing more and more cardio, which is catabolic to muscle tissue and can then result in muscle mass being lost so we burn fewer calories at rest and ultimately hinder our weight loss and fat loss results.

Not to mention often trying to add in more intense training sessions can spark our appetite further, making it harder to maintain our dietary calorie deficit.

BUT there is a way you can get a bump in your calorie burn through increasing activity WITHOUT stressing your body, or increasing your appetite, further.

In a way that basically keeps your non exercise thermogenesis or the calories you burn outside of your “workouts” higher while not putting you at risk for overtraining, burnout and muscle mass loss.

This activity even has you working in that “fat burning zone” where more of the calories you burn come from fat.

This so unsexy, simple activity is WALKING.

Yup. By adding in just a little extra walking into each and every day you can easily help yourself lose more weight each week and overcome that plateau.

Even just starting with an extra 15 minute walk per day, or increasing your current step count by 2,000 steps, can really start to add up!

Walking will not add to your fatigue but it will help you increase the number of calories you burn in a day.

It won’t detract from future workouts because it won’t create fatigue.

It even mentally can help you stay on track with your nutrition because you’re not just sitting around wanting to eat or repeating the habits you’ve always done. Getting moving can help you want to do MORE of the positive lifestyle changes you are making.

It can also be easy to include in your day as you can use it as a social activity or way to wind down.

You can even break up your walks over the course of the day to fit your schedule.

But this extra movement increases your energy expenditure in a sustainable way that can help you get started losing weight or break a plateau.

It’s perfect if you’re just starting out and need that easy transition in and beneficial even if you’ve been dieting for longer.

And if you’ve been dieting for longer, not only can the addition of walking keep you moving when you tend to want to conserve energy by moving less due to lower body fat levels and an extended deficit, but it can also be used to help lose that last little bit of stubborn fat.

If you have an especially stubborn area to lose from, and are down to that last little bit, you may find that timing your walks right after a burner or session focused on these areas really makes the difference in your result!

Of course this isn’t a magic pill but it may be that final thing you need when you’re just almost at your goal!

SUMMARY:

To get the best results possible, we want to know all the tools out there we can use to create a healthy sustainable lifestyle.

And walking is an amazing way to lose an extra pound each week without making more changes to our diet or even having to change our training sessions!

So to start making a change today, think about increasing your step count by even just 2000 steps with a brisk 15 minute walk!

Ready to get the accountability and support you need to see amazing results?

Learn more about my coaching:

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The Best Chest Exercise (You’re Not Doing)

The Best Chest Exercise (You’re Not Doing)

by | Jun 27, 2022 | Blog, Exercises

If it challenges you, it will change you.

Progression can be created in so many different ways, from increasing loads to changing tempos, postures of movements, ranges of motion and even by changing the types of tools we use.

For example the basic dumbbell chest fly is a staple of many chest or pec building hypertrophy workout routines.

But I find often people, in an attempt to keep progressing the move, start to compensate in terms of their form.

They end up turning the move into a straight press over a true fly as they try to increase weights past a point they can truly control.

Or if they realize they can’t control the heavier weight they start to add reps instead to progress the movement. This isn’t a bad way to create progression when you’re stuck not able to truly move to the next weight.

But what if you’re finding your ego is getting in the way and you’ve hit a point there isn’t really a clear progression?

What can you do?

This is where you can implement different techniques, including simply adding in another training tool to the equation.

You could simply swap to a banded chest fly to progress through the same but different because bands apply tension in a different way to the same movement pattern OR you could actually combine both tools.

And combining both tools is a great way to progress that standard dumbbell chest fly and even create resistance throughout the movement in a new way.

It’s why I love the Banded Dumbbell Chest Fly!

The band makes it deceptively hard, forcing you to really slow down the movement and control it.

It creates resistance in a new way while still allowing you to get the benefits of the basic dumbbell fly.

It may be that little tweak you need when you can’t just keep adding reps and aren’t truly able to move up yet with dumbbells.

It may even simply be a great way to challenge your body in a new way and bust through that strength plateau and even mix up your training just to keep things interesting!

So How Do You Do The Banded Dumbbell Chest Fly?

To do the Banded Dumbbell Chest Fly, you will need a larger loop band to hold with your dumbbells. Start light as this move is deceptively challenging.

You will want to go lighter with the dumbbells than what you use for just the dumbbell chest fly especially to start!

Hold the band in one hand and pull it across your back as you grab it in the other hand. I recommend having your weights propped up on the bench in front of you or on a rack where you can easily grab them.

Grab a weight then in each hand and lie back on the bench with the band across your upper back and weights in at your chest.

Then press the band and weights straight up from your chest toward the ceiling with the weights together.

Moving slowly fly your arms out and open at about chest height, keeping your elbows soft. However, do not turn this into a bench press. You aren’t bending and extending at the elbows but allowing yourself to move from your shoulder as you lower your arms to about parallel to the ground.

Make sure you do not shrug as you fly your arms open.

Open up your chest so your upper arms are about parallel to the ground. Move slowly to really control the band, then feel your chest muscles work to pull your hands back up and overhead toward the ceiling.

Focus on contract the pecs to really pull the weights back over the center of your chest.

Feel the band working against you as you fly your arms back together.

Then repeat the move. You want to feel a slight pec stretch as you open up your arms, while not locking out the elbows. And then you want to feel your chest really working to bring your hands back together.

Really start light to focus on a slow tempo and that control. You’ll be surprised by how much the band makes this more challenging.

Make sure as you do this move as well that you’re even aware of engaging your back to support your shoulders.

To modify you can always use just one tool instead of both combined or even do a standing chest band fly to really work on that scapular control if you struggle with engaging your back to support your shoulders!

SUMMARY:

Just remember weights and going heavier with loads is not the only way to progress a move! And sometimes small changes like using two types of resistance can be the variation we need to keep seeing results from our programming!

Want more amazing moves, workouts and tips?

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