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The Side Plank – How To Do It The Right Way

The Side Plank – How To Do It The Right Way

by | Oct 24, 2021 | Blog, Core, Exercises, Pain Relief

Isometrics are key exercises to include in your routine to improve your stability and mind-body connection. They are a great way for you to target underactive muscles and really get them firing correctly.

They are a great way to make sure that you’re using muscles efficiently and effectively to work together to perform a movement.

Because we have to remember that part of getting stronger is learning how to quickly and efficiently recruit muscles to work together in the right order, each carrying the load they were meant to carry!

But so often these seemingly simple moves are taken for granted.

We simply try to get through the hold, or hold longer, instead of really focusing in on engaging muscles correctly as hard as possible.

That’s why I wanted to discuss one amazing core isometric, the Side Plank, and not only why this move is so key but also how we can get more out of it to not only strengthen our entire core but also avoid knee and shoulder aches and pains.

What The Side Plank Works:

The side plank is an amazing unilateral core move that can help you improve your shoulder, spinal, pelvis, hip, knee and even ankle stability when done correctly.

Because it’s a unilateral move and works each side independently, it an help you even correct imbalances. If you do have an imbalance, you may find you do an extra round or even only rounds of side planks on one side.

It is a great anti-lateral flexion, or anti-side bending, exercise to include to help you learn to brace to protect your spine.

While the primary focus of the side plank is to strengthen your obliques, it will also work your glute medius, glute max, lats, shoulders, and QL (quadratus lumborum) to name a few of muscles involved.

It really is a full core move and can help you build stability from your shoulders to your feet.

But to get all of these benefits, you need to focus on what you actually feel working as you perform the hold and, at times, even concentrate on engaging each of the muscles involved a bit harder.

3 Form Cues To Improve Your Side Planks:

That’s why I wanted to share these 3 Key Form Cues to help you really proper engage the correct muscles as you hold.

#1: Flex your foot to create tension through your lower leg.

If you want to get the full benefit of the side plank and even help protect your knees and ankles, you can’t ignore the importance of creating tension through your lower leg as you hold.

This will not only improve your efficiency with the movement, but it will help engage the muscles from your ankles to your hips, including your glutes.

To flex or dorsiflex your foot, pull your toe up toward your shin to engage your lower leg before you even lift up into the side plank. Then really focus on pushing the side of your foot down into the ground as you hold to keep that tension.

You don’t just want to lift. You want to create that tension.

You can then either stack, or stagger your feet. Neither is technically bad and both can have their benefits.

Some argue that stacked is harder as there is a smaller base of support while others will argue the staggered is better to create tension and be able to better transition from front to side plank variations.

The key is truly creating the tension through your lower leg to improve your knee and ankle stability and even better engage those glutes!

#2: Squeeze your glutes.

Often we get so focused on this move as an oblique exercise we only lift through our torso, letting our hips ultimately sag and we miss out on the amazing benefit the side plank can have for improving our hip stability!

As you lift up into that side plank, squeeze your glutes to extend your hips and lock yourself into that nice straight line. Think about almost slightly squeezing your butt to push your hips forward.

This will help you avoid rotating toward the ground and even overloading your TFL and QL which can perpetuate SI Joint, IT Band issues and even lower back, hip and knee pain.

We want muscles to learn to engage to support each other, which often means focusing on that engagement in muscles that tend to be underactive.

By also engaging your glutes, you avoid rotating toward the ground and overloading your shoulder as you hold. Activating our glutes can actually help better engage our lats.

And not only do you want to focus on that glute max engagement, but you also want to think about the side of your butt lifting your hip up to maintain that hold. Focusing on the glute medius working will help you really use this move to improve your hip stability!

#3: Engage the side of your back to support your shoulder.

If you’ve ever found that side planks irritate your shoulder, you need to make sure you aren’t just relying on those smaller muscles to hold. You want to also engage your back and lats to support your shoulder properly and help stabilize it.

As you set up for the side plank, make sure that your elbow is underneath your shoulder and that you aren’t shrugging.

Even think about slightly pulling your shoulders down as you set up to hold.

Then as you hold at the top, to keep your back engaged, think about pushing your elbow down into the ground as you pulling your elbow slightly toward your feet. Your elbow will not move, but this focus as if you would adduct the shoulder if you could, engages your lat to help prevent shoulder issues.

Learning this engagement can not only help us avoid neck and shoulder aches and pains but also improve our scapular and shoulder stability, which in turn can improve our other pressing exercises, like our bench or push ups!

SUMMARY:

Using these 3 cues you can help yourself properly engage all of the muscles involved in the side plank to get more out of this amazing move and really improve your mind-body connection.

Focus on holding harder and run through what you feel working as you hold over just trying to hold longer or “get through” the time.

Try adding in some side plank holds for even 20-30 seconds to your activation series before your workout to activate everything from your shoulders to your knees!

How To Build Muscle And LOSE FAT at the same time

How To Build Muscle And LOSE FAT at the same time

by | Oct 17, 2021 | Blog, Diet, muscle-featured, Workouts

When you think about gaining muscle you think about a “bulking” phase.

And all too often for people this calls to mind images of people stuffing their faces with all sorts of foods.

You need to eat big to get big right?!

While, yes, a calorie surplus is key to gaining muscle, too often a “bulk” often becomes the perfect excuse to pig out and way overeat.

And this often leads to a lot of unwanted fat gain as you put on muscle.

This unwanted fat gain means you will then at some point have to go into a CUT to get rid of the fat and lean back down.

And when you cut, if you don’t do it super slowly, you’re most likely going to lose some of the muscle you worked hard to gain anyway.

So the question is…can you gain muscle WITHOUT gaining fat?

Is it possible to bulk in a way you don’t really need to then do an extreme cut to lean back down after?

The answer is YES.

By being precise in how we go about gaining muscle and taking the time to do it right, we can ultimately gain muscle without packing on the fat.

That’s why I wanted to share 3 tips to help you gain muscle without gaining fat.

But before I dive into the tips, I do just want to discuss calorie intake and whether you ACTUALLY even need to be in a surplus first to gain muscle…

Do You Really Need A Calorie Surplus To Gain Muscle?

The answer to this is…It depends.

And part of what it depends upon is your current level of leanness and even training experience.

If you’re just beginning your weight loss journey and have a good deal of fat to lose while also wanting to put on muscle, you’ll actually find that a small calorie DEFICIT works to your advantage. Especially if you focus on a higher protein ratio.

By putting yourself in a small calorie deficit, while focusing on protein, you can lose the unwanted fat while not only retaining but even gaining muscle.

If you instead put yourself in a calorie surplus, you’d potentially, yes, build muscle, but not see the body recomposition or fat loss results you want.

By creating a small deficit, you can lose fat AND gain muscle.

So even think just a small deficit of 100-300 calories off of maintenance.

However, if you’re already lean, a calorie surplus will work to your advantage.

BUT this doesn’t mean adding 1000s of calories to your daily intake.

Often a more moderate surplus is best while still maintaining that focus on protein.

When you’re leaner you want that surplus to ensure you have readily available energy to fuel your training sessions so you can create progressive overload and help your muscles repair and grow.

If you don’t have that positive energy balance, you risk catabolizing lean muscle, which will hinder your gains.

A newbie lifter though does have more growth potential than someone who’s been training for awhile so may go on the higher end of a “moderate surplus” if they’re lean to start.

But you still want to be mindful of your surplus as more calories doesn’t mean faster muscle growth. Any excess energy, aka extra calories, you consume your body doesn’t need will simply be stored as fat.

So while you will want to set your calorie intake to start a few hundred calories over maintenance, you don’t need to create any crazy surplus to see results.

Generally speaking in the range of 100-400 may be more than enough above maintenance to see amazing results.

Once you have figured out your calorie intake, you then want to consider these 3 tips to help you dial in both your training plan and your diet to assist in gaining muscle without gaining fat.

 

3 Tips To Help You Gain Muscle WITHOUT Gaining Fat:

#1: Don’t Fear Carbs. Dial In Your Macros.

If you want to add muscle without gaining fat, you can’t ignore the importance of the macro breakdown you use. And you may even find you cycle ratios as your training routine changes.

By focusing on macros over just the calories in vs calories out, you can help yourself avoid gaining unwanted fat.

And while focusing on protein should be the first thing you do, going slightly higher in protein if you’re in a deficit than you would when you’re in a surplus, you also can’t ignore the importance of CARBS.

Low carb is all the rage right now, especially for weight loss. But carbs play an important role in promoting the most efficient muscle gains.

You want the immediate energy to fuel your workouts so you can train hard without fatiguing as easily. This allows you to really fully benefit from your training routines.

Carbs have a protein sparing effect.

They create an anabolic environment that protects your lean muscle while giving you the fuel you need to rebuild after your training sessions.

If we don’t have sufficient readily available energy, protein will be used instead. And, especially if you’re already lean, this means your body will even start to break down muscle tissue to use as immediate fuel.

So consuming enough carbs is key to helping you protect your lean muscle, support muscle growth and recover faster from your training sessions.

And the more active you are, often the more carbs are even necessary to help with body recomposition and fat loss.

So while you may fear carbs because you saw a quick change on the scale due to glycogen and water weight being stored, you need this fuel if you’re serious about those muscle gains.

This scale change due to full glycogen stores is NOT fat being gained. So be prepared for that weight change if you are increasing carbs to go into more of a muscle building focused phase!

#2: Use A Variety Of Rep Ranges.

If you want to lose weight, you can actually do so by simply adjusting your diet.

While training makes it easier, and has been shown to be key for long-term success, you can truly lose weight without changing your activity.

BUT if you want to gain muscle, you’ve got to create a clear plan of action for the gym.

Now the question that often comes up is, “How many reps and sets?”

Do I do lighter weights and more reps or heavier weights and fewer reps?

The simple fact of the matter is – If it challenges you, it will change you.

So while yes, lifting weights makes it so much easier to gain muscle, you can achieve gains even using bodyweight moves by creating progression through tempos, range of motion, instability not to mention simply advancing moves in different ways.

The key is creating that new challenge strategically.

Now in terms of the reps and sets you use…

Well that really depends on so many factors, but the simple answer is USE A VARIETY or rep ranges to get the best results.

This can actually help you even increase training frequency over the week if every workout isn’t leaving you completely destroyed and help you utilize all three drivers of muscle growth.

Program in heavy compound lifts to start a few workouts in that 1-5 rep range. This can help you build maximal strength to lift more even in other moves. And it can help you really apply loads to those big muscle groups to challenge them. The more weight you can move overall, aka the stronger you are, the better the gains you’ll see. So doing some lifts focusing on building strength can improve your muscle gains.

Then program in some other compound accessory exercises to address those muscles further, working in that 6-15 rep range or the traditional hypertrophy rep range. This can help you really continue to challenge those stronger muscles.

To finish you may want to add in some more isolated moves working in that 15-20 or strength endurance rep range even. These moves may create more metabolic stress or they may be moves that isolate smaller muscles where you can only create so much challenge through loads alone.

By working in these different rep ranges, using different types of moves and even tools, you can even better utilize the different drivers of muscle growth as well – from muscle tissue damage to mechanical tension and metabolic stress.

But just remember, whether you’re working in the 1-5 rep range or the 15-20, no loads should feel light. You should always feel like you can’t do more weight in the given rep range, even focusing on working down in the assigned rep range over the week while increasing loads!

#3: Play With Meal Timing.

Meal timing is one of those things I think should oddly be the LAST of your worries BUT I also think it can be a really powerful tool to use to your advantage when working to get the most efficient muscle gains without gaining fat.

I just want to note that you should not stress over your meal timing, especially to start. If you hit your macros and calories overall for the day, you’re going to see results.

So do not stress if one day you can’t adhere to your ideal meal timing.

However, because making sure our muscles have the fuel they need to recover, repair and rebuild is so key, tweaking our meal timing can be super helpful.

Taking in some carbs pre workout can help really prevent any extra muscle tissue breakdown and allow our muscles to efficiently utilize the protein to build.

You have that immediate fuel to power through a tough workout and you immediately replenish those depleted glycogen stores after for the protein sparing effect.

By also consuming protein pre and post workout, you ensure your body has what it needs to rebuild when it is primed to do so.

A big main reason to eat post workout is actually to create an insulin response.

Insulin is an anabolic hormone, meaning it helps promote muscle growth and spiking it halts protein breakdown while encouraging protein synthesis.

Preventing protein breakdown can also aid in recovery.

Basically, post workout your body is primed to use the calories you give it to rebuild so some sort of post workout fuel can be good to help you build muscle and recover.

A simple carb source is key to replenish depleted glycogen stores and help you create that insulin response to build muscle, reduce soreness and help your body recover more quickly.

Fast digesting proteins and simple carbs are ideal.

Especially the older we get, because we don’t utilize protein as efficiently, the more we can benefit from taking in more protein, closer to 40 grams of protein, post workout.

Now what about Intermittent Fasting and fasted training?

You can 100% do IF and gain muscle. However, fasted training may not be ideal if your focus is truly on gaining muscle.

Studies have shown that even moderate glycogen depletion may impact performance.

So if you are training fasted, you may not be able to push as hard as you would had you had full glycogen stores. And being able to create that progression is key.

Not to mention you do risk your body seeking out energy from other sources, breaking down protein and muscle tissue for energy depending on the length of your fast and the fat stores available.

Especially if you are in a deficit, but really want to focus still on building lean muscle, be careful of fasted training.

So if you do choose to do IF consider breaking your fast prior to your training with even a small snack if muscle hypertrophy is your primary focus!

SUMMARY:

While it is possible to gain muscle and lose fat or achieve body recomposition, don’t expect results overnight. Especially the longer you’ve been training the longer it will take often to create those changes.

And as strange as it sounds, when it comes to body recomposition, slow results are often the REAL results.

So while you may want to do what you can to rush the process focus on staying consistent even when it feels like things aren’t building!

Achieve your ideal body composition and lasting results with a workout and diet routine that actually fits YOUR lifestyle.

Learn more about my 3-Part RS System…

–> The RS Formula

 

The Best Deadlift Exercise You Aren’t Doing

The Best Deadlift Exercise You Aren’t Doing

by | Oct 12, 2021 | Blog, Butt, Exercises

It’s awkward. Uncomfortable. You can’t lift as heavy. And it takes coordination and balance…

I’m talking about one of the most underutilized but oh so important deadlift variations out there…

The Single Leg Deadlift.

All too often we avoid moves that challenge our balance because they make us feel uncomfortable in a way we don’t like and uncoordinated.

We may even dislike them because we feel we have to regress the movement instead of being able to beast mode out heavy loads like we can with other bilateral deadlift variations.

But for the exact reasons we often don’t like unilateral balance moves, like the single leg deadlift, we need to include them MORE.

They are super key to helping us stay strong as we get older!

Unilateral balance moves are a great way to correct any imbalances between both sides. They help us strengthen our weaker side without our stronger side compensating.

They help us avoid perpetuating the imbalance, which we can often do when lifting heavy with a bilateral move because, to move the weight, we simply rely on that stronger side.

So if you do want to beast mode out heavier deadlifts, the single leg deadlift is a great accessory move to help you build up.

It will still target your glutes and hamstrings to train that hip hinge movement pattern but in a way that will help you correct underlying recruitment issues!

And it will also help you become more focused and intentional about your foots connection to the ground. So much of powering that deadlift really does come from us pushing the ground away. And this focus on our foundation will pay off in terms of improving our stability and balance even in other moves.

The Single Leg Deadlift is a key exercise to help us focus on improving our stability from the ground up while improving that mind-body connection.

We have to remember a big part of lifting heavier is the strength of our mind-body connection. Our ability to recruit muscles efficiently and effectively allows us to lift more.

It’s why we want to include moves like this to really allow us to focus in on what we feel working and strengthen those weak links!

So how can you improve your Single Leg Deadlift form to embrace and master this amazing movement?

Here’s how I cue the move to help clients dial in their form…

To do the Single Leg Deadlift, start standing tall and shift your weight to one leg with the toe of your opposite foot touching down. As you shift your weight, think about the foot of your standing leg as a tripod, two points in the ball of your foot and one in your heel all pushing down into the ground as hard as you can.

Then instead of focusing on lifting that other leg toward the wall behind you, think about pushing the glute of your standing leg back.

As you sit back, your other leg will raise toward that wall to balance out your chest hinging over.

Do not reach toward the ground.

Soften your knee as you hinge to allow you to really load that glute and hamstring. You will even feel a stretch down your hamstring.

As you hinge, you want your hands to reach back toward the instep of your foot instead of reaching out. If you use weights, you want to lower the weights back toward your instep. This helps you load that standing leg and avoid overloading your lower back.

Keep your hips square to the ground as you hinge and don’t just try to reach lower and end up bending at the waist.

After hinging over to about parallel, think about pushing the ground away to stand back up. Too often we lose this focus on our foot’s connection to the ground which leads to us losing balance and even shifting our weight forward.

This shift or rock forward is also what can lead to lower back pain with deadlifts.

Drive that ground away to stand up tall and squeeze your standing glute at the top. Don’t be afraid to touch the other foot down when fully standing, but don’t use it to push back up.

While you can definitely modify this move by holding on to something if that helps you focus in more on what you feel working and your foot’s connection to the ground, I actually prefer to first try the single leg slider deadlift variation.

This is a great way to add stability to this unilateral move while allowing you to focus on the hip hinge movement.

It also teaches you to really sit back in that standing glute while worrying less about how high you lift that back leg.

With this modification, you will slide the foot back on the slider only as far as needed to counterbalance the hinge. Do not turn this into a lunge.

You can also use the variation as a progression for the single leg deadlift because sometimes the same but different can be the variety we need to move forward.

You can add loads to this single leg slider deadlift to make it just as challenging in a different way!

If you want to even create more of a challenge for yourself using the single leg deadlift, instead of adding loads, try different loading placements. Try a unilaterally loaded deadlift or even a front loaded one.

These may not create progression through heavier weights but they do by changing the activation of the muscles of your core and the instability created.

SUMMARY:

As uncomfortable and awkward as unilateral balance moves can be, they are key to helping us build functional strength.

Moves like the single leg deadlift will help keep you young while being a great accessory lift to improve your deadlifts not to mention your running!

 

The Most UNDERRATED Ab Exercise

The Most UNDERRATED Ab Exercise

by | Oct 5, 2021 | Blog, Core, Exercises

One of the most underrated ab moves out there is also one of the simplest. It’s also one of the most hated.

Now don’t get me wrong, I love hanging ab moves and extended plank variations and ab roll out type moves.

I think they are amazing core moves everyone needs to include and I work them in as frequently as possible to client’s programming.

But one oh so basic move I think we often just gloss over that SHOULD be utilized more is the basic bodyweight crunch.

Yup that’s right I’m not demonizing the crunch but actually telling you it may be an essential ab exercise to include.

While crunches are often blamed for back pain because they require spinal flexion, we have to remember that our abs actually flex the spine. And spinal flexion is even required in many sports.

So while planks are great, they work the abs to stabilize and prevent flexion or extension, and to target our abs we also want to include spinal flexion exercises.

We also have to remember that to get the best muscle hypertrophy results for especially stubborn areas, we want to include a combination of both compound and isolation moves.

And the crunch is a perfect way to isolate your abs.

Hypertrophy research has shown dynamic exercises, like the crunch, to be superior for muscle growth over isometric moves, like the plank.

This is due to not only increased muscular damage but also the increased metabolic stress of those dynamic movements

So if you want to have stronger abs and even optimize the appearance of your six pack, spinal flexion moves are key.

And before you start to comment that “Abs are made in the kitchen,” I will remind everyone you can’t spot reduce an area by simply doing a 1000 reps of a move to target that muscle.

You will not get a six pack by just doing 1000 crunches. You won’t get a defined six pack through exercise alone…period.

But moves like this are a great way to build the lean look you want as you dial in your diet.

And on top of the fact they add benefit to your hypertrophy programming to improve those muscle gains, crunches can also really help you establish that mind body connection to know how to better engage your abs.

Taking time to isolate muscles and really understand how it feels when they work can help you better engage them during compound moves, especially as you speed up the tempo of those exercises.

This ability to recruit muscles correctly can be essential to helping us avoid overload and injury.

And it is easier to focus on what you feel working to start with more isolated moves as other muscles can’t as easily compensate.

That’s why I wanted to share 3 key form tips to help you get more out of this very basic ab exercise and focus on that mind-body connection.

Tip #1: Use That Posterior Pelvic Tilt

The posterior pelvic tilt has been shown to help with activating the lower portion of the rectus abdominis.

By using it here you can better activate your abs and get more out of this basic crunch.

As you set up for the crunch, tilt your hips up toward your ribs and feel your abs engage to do that very small tuck.

Focusing on this engagement before you even crunch is key.

And then don’t lose this positioning. Often after crunching, when we relax back down, we lose that engagement.

We start to almost use momentum to crunch, and allow our lower backs to even slightly arch up.

By keeping that posterior pelvic tilt, you’ll help yourself isolate your abs.

Tip #2: Focus on rolling up one vertebra at a time.

You want to focus on your abs really powering the crunch. A great way to do this is to slow the move down and think about lifting one vertebrae at a time.

This also helps prevent you simply tucking your chin or yanking on your neck.

Remember your abs power spinal flexion so focus on using those abs to power ever inch of movement by thinking you’re rolling up one vertebrae at a time.

This also helps you slow down and control the movement to get more out of it.

And by slowly lowering back down one vertebrae at a time, you’ll also get more out of the eccentric portion of this small move.

Tip #3: Don’t just go through the motions, focus on engaging those abs to power the move.

Too often we are focused on the movement pattern, not on what we feel working.

We are just trying to do the exercise and get through the workout.

We think “Just crunch up.”

But instead focus on engaging those abs using the first two tips and stay intentional with the move.

If you fatigue or lose that mind body connection, don’t just keep forcing out the reps. Don’t do wasted volume.

Make every rep count!

SUMMARY:

We need to stop the binary thinking when it comes to moves and instead see the opportunity in implementing exercises to fit our specific needs and goals.

While no crunches aren’t right for everyone, I think too often they get written off when this very basic move can be a great way to improve your mind-body connection to actually AVOID injuries not to mention improve your muscle hypertrophy to reach the aesthetic goals you’ve set.

IT Band Pain?! Don’t Ignore THIS Muscle

IT Band Pain?! Don’t Ignore THIS Muscle

by | Sep 27, 2021 | Blog, Exercises, Foam Rolling, injury-featured, Pain Relief, Stretches

IT Band issues that just won’t fully seem to go away?

Frustrated that every time you seem to build up the mileage or start lifting heavy that old pain comes back and even starts to aggravate your hips and knees….maybe even your ANKLES?!

If you’ve been struggling with annoying IT Band issues, it’s time you paid attention to this hip flexor muscle…

The TFL or tensor fasciae latae.

Before I go over 3 moves you can include in your prehab routine to prevent the pain and overload, I want to discuss how the TFL can lead to IT Band problems.

So let’s break down what the TFL does…

The TFL contributes to hip abduction (lifting your leg out to the side), hip flexion (bringing your knee up toward your chest) and hip internal rotation (rotating your hip to turn your leg in toward your other leg).

At your pelvis it assists in anteriorly tilting you pelvis, which, if the muscle is tight, can lead to excessive arching of your lower back.

And at the knee it also contributes to tibial external rotation, which is what causes your foot to turn out.

This hip flexor muscle has the power to impact your lower leg because of the tension it creates through your IT Band.

And this is why it’s key we look beyond just the exact point of pain.

When our TFL becomes tight and overactive it can have a far reaching impact.

But most notably it often starts to compensate for an underactive and weak glute medius.

The glute medius is supposed to be our primary hip abductor.

HOWEVER, if the TFL becomes shortened and overactive, it may restrict our glute medius from firing effectively and efficiently and even try to carry more of the load than it should.

This is then what can create tension through the IT Band and accumulate leading to overload and injury.

So how can you tell if your TFL is taking over for your glute medius?

Have you ever done Mini Band Monster Walks or Lateral Raises and really felt your hips burning?

Like you end up rubbing the front outside of your upper thighs instead of the sides of your butt?

That may be because the TFL is trying to take over for your glute medius instead of allowing it to work as it should!

That’s why I wanted to share 3 mobility and stability exercises, and some key form cues to help you relax your TFL if it has become overactive and tight while better activating your glute medius so you can avoid IT Band aches and pains.

 

3 Moves To Help Prevent IT Band Issues:

Exercise #1: TFL Foam Rolling

It is key we first start with relaxing the overactive and tight muscle. Often otherwise we tend to keep performing improper recruitment patterns during the moves meant to make us better.

For instance during any glute medius abduction activation move, we still tend to let our TFL take over when it is overactive as that muscle does assist in abduction.

So doing all of the “right moves” ultimately doesn’t pay off the way we had hoped.

That’s why before you do activation, you want to foam and relax the TFL.

To roll out your TFL, a ball works best but you can use a roller if a ball applies too much pressure.

To find your TFL, lie on your back with your legs out straight and hands just in front of your hip bones under your pelvis, internally rotate your hip and feel that muscle contract.

You will want to lie on your side with the ball positioned there. Hold and breathe, lifting and lowering your leg as you hold to help the muscle relax and release itself.

Exercise #2: Wall Side Bend

This is a great way to stretch your TFL without even going down on the ground.

It is key when you do this move you engage your glute max to drive your hips into extension, even using a slight posterior pelvic tilt as you do.

Because the TFL can contribute to anterior pelvic tilt, by performing posterior pelvic tilt you are actually stretching the short and tight muscle.

To do the Wall Side Bend, stand with your side to the wall and place your forearm and elbow on the wall at about shoulder height or just below. You will then want to step your leg closet to the wall a foot or two from the wall.

Cross your outside foot in front of you toward the wall to help you balance as you then drop your hip toward the wall.

Do not rotate as you drop your inside hip toward the wall. Squeeze your glute and maintain that posterior pelvic tilt even to make sure you don’t lean forward or flex your hips.

Feel a stretch through your TFL and even IT band. Then relax out of the bend before driving your hip again toward the wall.

Exercise #3: Extended ROM Side Lateral Raise

The Clam is such a common move to use for glute medius activation but one that is so often done incorrectly ultimately perpetuating the issue instead of correcting it.

It is also not the move I like to start with because it is so easy for people to allow the TFL to take over, partly because of the hip flexion.

That’s why I love to use the Extended Side Lying Lateral Raise.

Not only does this move put your TFL under a slight stretch while working the glute medius through an extended range of motion, but it also allows you to work from a hip extended posture.

This can help you make sure you engage your glutes.

To do the Extended ROM Side Lateral Raise, lie on your side on a bench so that your bottom knee is bent and your bottom leg is close to the end.

Prop yourself up on your elbow and position yourself so that your top leg can hang down over the edge and your foot is just a few inches off the ground.

Keep that foot parallel to the ground or even turn your toe to slightly face the ground. This internal rotation of your lower leg can help if you tend to feel your TFL engage with lateral raises. Do not rotate open as you lift.

Then lift that top leg up and kick slightly back, feeling your glute medius, or the side of your butt, working to lift your leg.

By kicking slightly back and extending your hip, you’ll engage that glute max to further inhibit your TFL.

Lower that leg back down and repeat the move. You want to fully lower the leg to work through that extended range of motion

To advance the move when you’re ready, you can hold a plate weight on the outside of your top thigh, or wear ankle weights. But don’t make the move harder or progress if you feel your TFL taking over!

If you don’t have a bench, you can try a variation of this from a modified side plank position. Make sure if you do the side plank position to give you that extended range of motion, that you engage your glutes to keep your hips fully extended.

SUMMARY:

We have to remember that it’s all connected. And tension in one muscle can alter the way we engage and use other muscles resulting in overload and injury.

If you’ve been suffering with IT Band issues, try including these 3 moves as part of your warm up before your runs, rides or lower body lifting sessions.

Complete even just one round through, working for 45 seconds per move per side. Follow the order of foam rolling, stretching then activating for the best results!

If you need even more quick mobility routines?

Improve your mobility and stability with my Injury Prevention Pack!

 

#1 Fat Loss Tip That Changed My Life

#1 Fat Loss Tip That Changed My Life

by | Sep 20, 2021 | Blog, Diet

The simplest solution is often the right one.

Now note, simple doesn’t mean easy because change requires change.

And anything we haven’t currently been doing is going to feel weird and awkward and uncomfortable.

It’s going to be “hard” to some extent.

Often there is also a learning curve to get everything dialed in even when the solution is those boring basics.

So while something may be simple it may not come naturally to you and you may need to work at it and embrace some new habits to truly create the sustainable change.

I mention this because my number one tip, my body recomposition secret is one of those oh so boring basics that no one wants to do…

If you want to lose fat while retaining and even building lean muscle, you need to TRACK MACROS.

And I honestly rebelled against this solution for YEARS.

I HATED the idea of tracking.

That’s why I want to share the 4 tips that helped me embrace the simple solution that made all the difference in my results.

But before I dive into 4 tips to help you get started tracking macros for body recomposition I want to discuss the LIE I often hear spread around….

The lie that you don’t need to track macros to lose fat and gain muscle.

Yes it would be amazing if we could all just know the correct portions and only eat to fuel our body.

But that’s not the relationship most of us have with food.

Food is so much more than just fuel and that isn’t a bad thing.

It does however often mean we need to re-learn what proper portions are.

I know some of you may now be thinking, “But tracking is soooo restrictive and I could never do that forever.”

But tracking isn’t restrictive. The only thing judging your nutrition is YOU.

Tracking is a learning tool to better understand how to fuel your body.

It isn’t telling you to cut anything out.

And it may even help eat MORE instead of slashing your calories super low in an attempt to get results faster.

It’s also a way you can find a balance where you DON’T have to restrict any specific foods and CAN eat the things you love.

Tracking is a way to educate yourself about how different foods impact YOU and YOUR results.

So anyone telling you that you don’t have to track?

They just honestly don’t want to have to deal with teaching you because they know it’s not a fun thing to do.

It’s tedious. And boring. And confusing to start.

It’s HARD and we all want that quick fix.

However it’s also the SIMPLE answer as to what to do if you want the best body recomposition results as efficiently as possible.

It’s the best way to retain and even build lean muscle as you lose fat.

It’s the best way to know what is and isn’t working so you can make small tweaks as you go.

Also…so often those people claiming you don’t have to track?

Well they often ultimately just tell you to track in some hyped up way.

The simple fact is…Tracking is the tool to a better understanding of your nutrition.

Not only does one size not fit all but our needs and goals change over time.

While we’re ultimately looking to adjust our nutrition and make those changes a lifestyle, we have to recognize that our lifestyle is constantly evolving so why wouldn’t our diet change as well?

Only when you truly understand the foundation of nutrition can you adjust your intake to meet your ever changing needs and goals.

So if you want to achieve amazing body recomposition results and sustain those results long-term?

It’s time to suck it up and learn how to track your macros.

Here are 4 Tips To Help You Start Tracking Macros:

These tips are ones that help me finally accept the fact that I had to track and have helped my clients embrace counting macros even when they’ve been overwhelmed by the process in the past.

Because we have to remember that the simple solution isn’t always the EASIEST one.

Tip #1: Just Start By Tracking Your Current Diet

There is a big push in the dieting industry to “eat clean” and cut out all processed foods from your diet.

And while this is great in theory, it’s unrealistic long-term for most of us in practice.

I give you a huge round of applause if you never want ice cream or cookies or pizza or anything not 100% meant to better your health.

But as a person who WANTS and ENJOYS those things, I know long-term I’ll never cut them out.

And trying to only backfires.

I ultimately feel deprived and revert back to old habits.

It’s why I personally would rather find a true balance so I can eat healthier overall.

It’s why when I work with my clients the first step in learning to track is simply to log what they are currently doing.

No cutting anything out.

No restricting specific foods.

Just an honest picture of our current lifestyle so we can then make small changes based on what is natural to us.

Too often when we first start to make changes, we cut out the foods we love the most because they are often also the ones we know are the “worst” for us.

And this is often why the changes are short lived.

Instead take a different approach this time if you want to achieve the body recomposition results you’ve always dreamed up.

First just learn how to track.

Get that true picture of what you’re currently doing.

Even learn how to enter recipes and save meals so tracking becomes quicker and easier as you DO start to tweak things.

Then focus on small changes you can easily maintain once the motivation and initial willpower wears off.

Pick one thing to adjust. Pick even the EASIEST thing to cut out or add in.

Small changes add up to sustainable habits.

Tip #2: Learn Your Triggers And Plan Around Foods You Love

So many people want to push their personal version of a healthy lifestyle on us.

But we each enjoy different foods and different eating habits and schedules.

We need to create a healthier version or our personal lifestyle and that doesn’t happen by restricting all of the foods we love.

It comes from striking a balance – a balance where we include some of the not so healthy treats we enjoy but also healthier variations of foods that hit our macros.

It’s all about finding the balance between eating according to our aesthetic goals while fueling to feel our best while enjoying life!

For me, that means including dessert every single day.

And even planning in that thing I want FIRST to strike a balance with other meals.

But it also means knowing the desserts I can eat in moderation and the things I know I won’t have just one of.

Like ice cream. If you think a pint is a single serving, it may be best to not have that in your fridge until you plan to enjoy the whole thing.

It may be better to find a swap like yogurt and granola with chocolate chips, or even a lower calorie ice cream like Halo Top, that satisfies your sweet tooth but allows you to still eat according to your goals.

We each have to know our “triggers.” Are there foods you can’t eat in moderation? That once you start you won’t stop?

Once you know those foods you can either choose to plan them in when you want or even find find healthier alternatives that satisfy your cravings BUT that may be easier to work your macros around.

All about finding that balance so we don’t feel restricted, but embracing that we don’t need to cut out the foods we love and probably SHOULDN’T if we want to be able to stay consistent with our nutrition long term.

Tip #3: Increase Protein First

Strictly talking about body recomposition…protein is what matters MOST.

I’ve heard people say you can’t lose fat and gain muscle at the same time.

But this isn’t entirely true.

It’s just why we can’t avoid tracking macros and need to focus first on increasing protein in our diet.

A higher protein diet is especially key when in a deficit to help us preserve and build lean muscle as we lose fat.

Maintaining muscle mass not only helps you look leaner as you lose fat but it also keeps your metabolic rate higher to make the whole body recomposition process easier.

Not to mention it helps all of your hard work in the gym truly pay off.

Even if you DO eat in a surplus, a higher protein diet has been shown to actually help prevent unwanted fat gain, which can give us a bit more “wiggle room” on our exact calorie intake.

And, as we get older, it’s even more key we emphasize increasing our protein intake because we become less able to utilize protein as efficiently and effectively.

Now I also realize this is the part many of us struggle with most and find the most overwhelming to change.

But focus again on those small adjustments to your current lifestyle.

Add one more ounce of shrimp or chicken or tofu or tempeh to your salad or tacos or casserole

Swap in greek yogurt for your regular yogurt.

Add in edamame or quinoa to your usual stir fry.

Try hardboiled eggs as a quick grab and go snack.

And while supplements should be supplemental, we can find things that also help us create sustainable habits when we are busy or on the go.

Try even whey protein in your overnight oats or even collagen in your coffee.

But think about how you can even make one small change to a meal to create a small increase and build off of that over time!

Tip #4: Weigh And Measure EVERYTHING. Yup…It’s Annoying

Weighing and measuring everything is tedious, boring, annoying…insert really any adjective to give yourself an excuse not to do it.

Let’s face it…it’s not fun.

But if you don’t weigh and measure everything, you don’t have an accurate picture of your portions.

And trust me, portions become easily distorted.

One tablespoon of peanut butter gets waaaay bigger when you simply want it!

Little bites can add up more quickly not only over the day, but also over the week.

They can dramatically impact the macros we are actually hitting each day not to mention our overall calorie intake for the week.

So often I see people claiming “tracking doesn’t work” when really they aren’t logging a good portion of what they’re consuming.

They aren’t giving themselves a clear picture of their fueling to then make accurate adjustments.

What we measure, we can manage!

So while it may be annoying, it’s truly the simplest way to really understand the portions you are consuming.

Remember simple isn’t always easy!

But the more you do it to start, the more you’ll learn what you need to be able to carry on the habits long term!

SUMMARY:

Tracking macros is a change many of us want to rebel against to start, but if you want the best body recomposition results as fast as possible, it is the simple answer.

Stop trying to search for a way to avoid doing something hard and instead embrace the learning process so you can create a sustainable healthier version of your personal lifestyle while feeling and looking your best.

Ready to FINALLY see the results you’ve always wanted and learn how to maintain those results LONG-TERM?

Check out my RS Formula!

–> The 3-Part RS Formula To Achieve LASTING Results