by Cori Lefkowith | Jan 9, 2018 | Blog, Diet
I get asked all the time about meal timing, and supplements, and micronutrients and this and that latest antioxidant (or whatever craze there is currently) when people are struggling to lose weight or that last little bit of stubborn belly fat.
They STRESS over those little details…little details that honestly don’t matter for 90% of us!
And it made me think about creating my own pyramid for success when it comes to dialing in your nutrition.
So here it is…my nutrition pyramid…And yes…yes it does include exercise.
Because let’s face it…While nutrition is about the foods we eat so we can be healthy…most of the time we are looking to dial in our nutrition for weight loss or body composition changes, which are also dependent on dialing in our workouts.
And I also wanted to emphasis that all that worrying we do about pre-workout nutrition or supplements or antioxidant pills or whatever else, really is the LAST thing we should be worrying about.
The first thing you need to do is focus on your macros. Yup…even over the quality of your calories or your caloric intake.
A little shocking huh?
Want to hear why?
Because if you dial in your macros, guess what follows…EVERYTHING ELSE!
If you focus on the breakdown of the foods you eat, and use my macro ratios, you can’t fit in a ton of crap AKA you basically are forced to dial in the quality of the foods you eat.
AND even if you technically eat over your caloric needs, the high protein can help prevents you from gaining fat. The thermogenic effect means you’ll burn more calories to process protein into energy, making it harder to gain weight on a high protein diet.
Plus, protein keeps you feeling full so you are less likely to overeat.
But these aren’t the only reasons why macronutrients are the first thing to focus on…
It’s because cutting your calories and eating whole, natural foods often isn’t enough to fully get the body composition changes we want.
All too many people have come to me after slashing their calories super low, FRUSTRATED they are still stuck at a plateau….and now super hungry and low energy.
Because we are told that weight loss is about eating less than you expend, right?
Well YES…a caloric deficit is key, BUT m&m calories and chicken and rice and broccoli calories are very different.
So then you may be thinking…”Well that is all about the QUALITY of the calories.”
Well…yes and no.
Have you ever gotten frustrated by your lack of results EVEN while eating only whole, natural foods?
Yea? Well you aren’t alone!
Some of the people that have come to me have too.
Because it is more than the fact that M&M’s are processed crap (the peanut butter ones may be delicious but they are still processed crap)…they are also basically carbs and fat.
Because MACROS MATTER people!
That is why a calorie deficit alone may cause you to plateau and that’s why you may not get the results you want even while eating only whole, natural foods.
So Macronutrients are the first thing to dial in.
As you dial in your macros, you can then adjust your calorie intake.
Two things will happen if you focus on macros first THEN adjust your daily calorie amount…
A. You realize you can consume WAY MORE than you are actually eating and by bumping your calories you get better results.
B. You may think you need way more calories than you actually do to feel full BECAUSE focusing on protein keeps you feeling fuller for so much freaking longer! And it doesn’t have the energy spikes and lows of fueling yourself based on just carbs!
So after macros, you need to focus on your caloric intake.
THEN after that, focus on the QUALITY of your calories.
Blah blah blah we all know whole natural foods are better for us.
But I’ve been around the block a few times…And I’ve worked with tens of thousands of clients around the world, and I know the yo-yo dieting cycle all too well.
We like…nah we LOVE…some of that processed crap.
Let’s face it. There is a reason they make it that way.
Cause it tastes F****** DELICIOUS.
So if you’re one of those weirdos who doesn’t like anything processed, I salute you. Huge fist bump.
But to those of us who aren’t that way, trying to only eat whole, natural foods and never get to indulge in the foods we love is just a recipe for disaster. (feel like that’s a pun…recipe…hmm maybe?)
But anyway…When you dial in your macros, you help yourself eliminate enough crap to be healthy AND get results while still leaving in enough crap to make it SUSTAINABLE.
And by focusing first on the ratios, you don’t so much think about the fact that you are “cutting things out.”
NOPE! It almost makes you feel more like you are simply ADDING new things in.
That shift in how you view your diet is key.
And think about it…If you focus on whole, natural foods 80% of the time and 20% of the time you eat crap, you’re still consistently going to get results because you are consistently doing the RIGHT things.
And you are going to ENJOY what you are doing which is going to help you build a lifestyle.
If instead you tried to do 100% clean and then were constantly “falling off your diet,” which let’s face it means basically eating 100% crap, you probably won’t over time even come close to that 80/20 rule.
So that is why after focusing on macros and your caloric intake, I say start to dial in the quality of your calories, remembering you can still keep in some “crap” and ENJOY what you are eating!
Then after that comes exercise.
And I think it is important to keep exercise on the pyramid, even though I’m talking about nutrition, because it matters more than timing or supplements. Far more.
It is also important to keep exercise on this pyramid because all too often we let our “diets” hinder our progress in the gym.
If you can’t push hard during your workouts because you aren’t fueled correctly, you aren’t going to continue to make gains or hit your fitness goals.
If you have specific fitness goals, like setting a new race PR or deadlifting more or achieving that first full pull up, you need to focus on fueling your work toward those!
So you need to remember that part of eating well, part of changing up your nutrition plan, should be about fueling your workouts.
Being able to push hard in the gym will not only help you reach those fitness goals, but it will also be key to you getting better and faster weight loss and fat loss results.
You need to be able to CHALLENGE yourself if you want to build muscle. And you NEED to build muscle (and I don’t mean “bulking up” here ok?) to burn more calories at rest so you can lose weight faster.
Plus, you NEED lean muscle mass IF you want to actually look leaner as you lose weight!
So EXERCISE is an essential piece to consider when dialing in your diet. It not only speeds up your results, but the quality of your workouts is highly influenced by HOW you eat.
AND exercise is also on the pyramid because it play a part in figuring out how many calories you need daily! So do not ignore this important piece!
And then at the top of the pyramid we have meal timing and supplements.
Honestly all I’ll say about supplements is I use them to make things either A. taste good or B. make sure my macros stay in line.
I don’t believe in fat burners or any of that other random fad jazz. Not saying it can’t work or that you should avoid it if you want to experiment with it, BUT the other parts of the pyramid matter WAY MORE and if those aren’t dialed in, no supplement or perfectly timed crap meal will fix it.
Supplements should be just that…supplements to the well laid out plan we’re already sticking to. Those final tweaks we do that get us just those last few percents of improvement that we need.
And meal timing…
If you hit your macro ratios for the day, you’re going to get great results regardless of when you eat. Intermittent fasting can work. Eating 5 small meals a day can work.
As long as you hit your macro ratios and caloric needs for the day, you WILL get results.
HOWEVER, meal timing can be something to consider to make sure you are constantly energized and fueled.
For instance, using intermittent fasting to starve yourself, which will end up with you binging later, is NOT a good idea.
So meal timing is important to consider in terms of YOUR specific needs.
Do YOU feel better when you eat more often? Or do you prefer a 16 hour fast and skipping breakfast?
BUT freaking out over eating every two hours, or exactly what your pre-workout and post-workout snack need to be, should be the last of your thoughts when starting a diet.
It’s that stuff you micromanage and tweak when you’ve already laid a solid foundation.
It’s not the stuff you worry about at the beginning and let stress you out so you don’t even get started. Don’t overcomplicate things!
If you hit your macro ratios for the day and time your meals so they fit your schedule and keep you satisfied…You’re going to get kickass results.
Stop sweating the small stuff.
Start with your macros. Track what you’re doing. Dial those in.
As you make those big changes, you can then slowly, over time, play around with stuff at the top of the pyramid.
But don’t stress at the beginning over things that make very little difference, especially if the foundation of your diet isn’t already 100% dialed in!
Ready to learn how to adjust your macros to see results with the form of tracking right for you?
Check out my Metabolic Shred with 3 different macros methods to help you learn to adjust according to YOUR needs and goals!
–> Learn More About The Metabolic Shred
by Cori Lefkowith | Dec 21, 2017 | Blog, Bodyweight, Core, Exercises
Focused core work is important if we want to build a strong, lean core that not only looks amazing but also helps us run faster, lift more and prevent aches, pains and injuries!
We need moves that really activate and work our abs and glutes while strengthening everything between our shoulders and our knees, down our frontsides AND our backsides.
The more muscles we can work at once, and the more planes of motions we can move in, the stronger our core will be and the faster we will achieve results.
That is why I love these 10 Bodyweight Core Moves. They work your core from every angle and even get your blood pumping so you can burn fat as you strengthen your core.
10 Bodyweight Moves To Redefine Your Core
I use these 10 Bodyweight Moves in my 28-Day Core Burner to help clients get faster results. These core intensive exercises work both your anterior and posterior chain. They include rotational and anti-rotational moves and really work your core from every direction.
They work your balance and not only work your abs, but also your oh so important glutes. These moves will give you more bang for your buck in less time!
1. Single Arm Plank Jacks:
This is a great cardio-core move that will also build shoulder stability and work on anti-rotational core strength. You’ll feel this working everything between your shoulders and your knees as you start to sweat!
This is an advanced move though. Beginners may need to start with the Basic Plank Jack or even a Plank Step Jack. It can even be done with your hands up on an incline to modify!
To do Single Arm Plank Jacks, set up in a high plank position with your hands a bit closer together under your shoulders and your feet together. Brace your abs and make sure your body is in a nice straight line.
Then jump your feet out wide, and as you do, lift one hand to touch your opposite shoulder. Resist the urge to really rotate as you lift the hand or let your butt go up in the air. Try to keep your hips down and your core as square to the ground as possible.
Jump your feet back together and place the hand back down. When you quickly jump your feet out again, this time lift the other hand to touch your opposite shoulder. Jump quickly back in and lower the hand back down. Keep repeating the jack with your feet, alternating which hand you lift to tap your shoulder.
Beginners can do a basic Plank Jack without the shoulder tap. For the Basic Plank Jack, click here.
2. Mountain Climber Turkish Bridge:
This rotational exercise will work…well…basically everything! It works your abs, the muscles around your rib cage, your glutes, you shoulders and your quads. Heck even your back!
To do the Mountain Climber Turkish Bridge, set up in a high plank position with your feet about shoulder-width apart and your hands under your shoulders. Then drive one knee in and across your body to the opposite elbow, like a cross-body mountain climber. Move to straighten that leg back out and, as you do, kick it back over your body to rotate open into the Turkish Bridge.
So if you tucked your right knee in, you will then rotate your right leg back over your body to the left as you lift your right hand up off the ground so you can fully rotate open.
You’ll lift your hand up toward the ceiling as you place the foot of the leg you kicked over flat on the ground. That knee will be bent as your other leg stays straight. Keep your hand on the ground under your shoulder and bridge your hips up by squeezing your glute. Make sure the foot of the leg you kicked over is flat on the ground to help you engage and load that glute. Pause here briefly and really focus on bridging up as your hand stays under your shoulder.
Then bring the leg back over and in for the cross body mountain climber. Feel around your rib cage work as you rotate as well as your abs in the mountain climber and glutes in the bridge portion. Move at a controlled pace so you can feel everything working.
Beginners may need to do the move with their hands up on an incline or even break it down and do a set of Cross Body Mountain Climbers followed by a set of the Turkish Bridge.
3. Warrior III Abs:
Balance moves, such as the Warrior III Abs, not only strengthen your feet and legs, but also help you build core stability. On top of that, the Warrior III Abs will also work your glutes and improve your hip mobility!
To do Warrior III Abs, set up in the Warrior III position, balanced on one leg with your raised leg driving back toward the wall behind you and your hips square to the ground. Reach your hands out overhead, reaching toward the wall in front of you.
Staying hinged over, crunch the knee of your raised leg in toward your chest as you pull your elbows in toward your knee. Really use your abs to crunch your elbows toward your knee. Do not stand up though as you crunch.
Then extend back out. Stay balanced on your standing leg and try to stay hinged over as you tuck and extend. Do not touch your toe down unless needed to stay balanced. Beginners may tap it down between reps to rebalance or even reach their hands out in front to lightly touch the wall.
4. Side Plank Adductor Raise:
Your inner thighs, or adductors, are important core muscles that contribute to hip and knee stability. One great way to work them to build stability, as you strengthen your glutes and obliques, is with the Side Plank Adductor Raise.
To do the Side Plank Adductor Raise, set up in a side plank from your forearm and feet. You will want you elbow to be under your shoulder and your feet unstacked with your bottom foot in front and even slightly angled forward. Lift up into the side plank position with your top hand on your hip and your chest not rotated toward the ground. Drive through the sides of your feet and flex your feet to engage even your lower leg.
Holding this position, lift and lower that bottom leg, raising it up a few inches then putting it back down at a controlled pace. Stay up in the side plank the entire time and don’t let your hips sag. Do not place your top hand down to assisted.
If you need to modify, bend that top leg and place the foot flat on the ground behind you OR even regress fully to a side lying adductor lift. Both are shown below.
5. Dolphin Planks:
This plank almost makes you look like you’re doing everything wrong. You are going to sag your hips AND round your back at the top. But talk about a way to kill your abs!
The plange plank position, or rounded position at the top where you draw your belly button in, is going to get your abs shaking. And then when you dip your hips, you are just lowering down and stopping just before your abs disengage. AKA you are making your abs work to brace and stabilize as you move up and down in the plank position and getting your core intrinsic stabilizers to really work!
To do Dolphin Planks, set up in a plank from your forearms and toes (advanced) or knees (beginner). Make sure your shoulders are stacked over your elbows. Brace your core and engage your back as you hold your body in a nice straight line from your head to your heels or knees.
Then sag your hips toward the ground without completing relaxing onto the ground before rounding your back up toward the ceiling. You want to sag your hips only as low as you can without your low back taking over. You should feel your abs still engaging.
When you round up at the top, you aren’t simply sticking your butt up in the air. You want to round your entire back and perform the pelvic tilt. It is almost like you are doing the “cat” in the cat/cow stretch. Do not push backward too much as you do it. Keep your shoulders stacked over your elbows.
Then lower back down and sag your hips before rounding back up. Pause in each position to really feel your core working. Beginners can do this from their knees, off an incline or even modify and do the Vomiting Cat on their hands and knees.
6. Posterior Plank Mountain Climbers:
Often when we think about working our core, we think about working our abs and the front of our body. But our posterior chain is also important to work because one of the most important muscle groups of our core is the GLUTES!
Posterior Plank Mountain Climbers not only work your abs but also your posterior chain, including your glutes, back and hamstrings. The move also works on hip extension and will open up your chest. It is a great move to reverse all of the forward flexion we do sitting hunched over our computers and phones!
To do the Posterior Plank Mountain Climbers, sit on the ground with your legs out straight in front of you and your hands down behind your butt on the ground.
Then, driving up through your heels and your hands, press your hips up toward the ceiling and press your chest out. As you bridge up, squeeze your butt and lift your hips up as high as you can while keeping your legs straight and your chest pressed out. Do not shrug your shoulders at the top as you press your chest out.
Hold at the top with your body in a nice straight line. Do not hyperextend your back. Then slowly tuck one knee in toward your chest. Tuck it in as far as you can.
Then straighten the leg back out. Place the foot back down then tuck your other knee in. Feel your glutes and hamstrings working to hold you up as your abs work to tuck your knee in. Beginners can start with a tabletop variation as they tuck instead of the full Posterior Plank.
7. Cross Body Knee with Lateral Raise:
This standing core move is great if you can’t get down on the ground. Plus it is a unilateral move that will work your abs and glutes, especially your glute medius. Unilateral moves are great to help correct imbalances and make sure that each side of your body pulls its own weight!
To do Cross Body Knee with Lateral Raise, you’ll want a chair or wall right in front of you that you can lean forward and place your hands or forearms on.
Leaning forward bring one knee up and across under your body toward your opposite elbow, drawing your abs in as you tuck. Then kick the leg up and out to the side as high as you can but do not rotate as you kick laterally. Feel your glute working to lift. Do not really lean away but instead keep yourself balanced by leaning onto something.
After kicking out, lower your leg down and tuck your knee back in toward your opposite elbow, feeling your abs and not just your leg work to draw the knee in and across your body. Move at a controlled pace. Tucking and then performing a lateral raise or lateral kick.
8. Side Lunge with Knee:
Working your legs and abs at the same times is the perfect way to build a strong core AND burn more calories in less time. Anytime you can get more muscles working at once, especially BIG muscle groups, you up your calorie burn as you build strength.
The Side Lunge with Knee will get your blood pumping as you strengthen your legs, glutes and abs, especially your obliques.
To do the Side Lunge with Knee, start standing tall then lunge out to the side, sitting your butt back as you hinge forward slightly and load your glute. Push your butt back and sink down, bending your outside knee as your other leg stays straight. You can reach to the ground or keep your hands at your chest. It can even be helpful to reach the opposite arm toward the heel you lunged out with to help you sit back.
Then quickly drive back to standing and, without touching your foot down if possible, drive that knee up and in across your body. You can rotate your upper body toward that knee almost as if pulling someone’s head down and across your body into your knee. Touch the toe down if needed then repeat the lunge back out followed by the quick knee drive.
Feel your legs working with the lunge and your abs working with the knee drive and rotation.
Beginners may not sink as low in the lunge or step out as far. They may also touch their toe down to balance between the lunge and knee drive.
9. Curtsy Lunge to Leg Lift:
Moving in every plane of motion is key to building a strong core that prevents injury. And this Curtsy Lunge to Leg Lift not only gets you moving in different directions, but it also combines a compound leg move with a more glute-focused movement to really make sure your glutes are working. It really targets the glute medius with the Leg Lift, which is an important muscles to strengthen for hip stability!
To do the Curtsy Lunge to Leg Lift, start standing tall with your feet together. Then lunge back, stepping your foot across and behind your front leg so you sit back into your front glute. You aren’t lunging straight back, but are instead crossing behind as you keep your chest facing forward. Keep your front foot pointing straight ahead too. If you rotate open as you cross behind, you won’t get the benefit of the curtsy lunge.
Sink down into the lunge, sitting back in your front heel as you feel your front glute load. Then drive through your front heel to come back up to standing. Lightly tap the toe down to balance if needed and then raise your leg out to the side for a lateral raise.
Feel your glute on the side lifting your leg laterally then touch the toe down and repeat the lunge. You will shift your weight toward your standing leg, but don’t lean way to the side just to lift your leg up higher. Beginners may not sink as deep in the lunge.
10 .Spiderman Mountain Climbers:
I love cardio-core moves that also work on your mobility. That is why Spiderman Mountain Climbers are a must-do move. They will work on your hip mobility as they strengthen your legs, shoulders and abs (plus they’ll really get your blood pumping!).
To do Spiderman Mountain Climbers, start in the high plank position from your hands and feet. Then, keeping your core engaged, step one foot up and outside your hand into a nice low spiderman or runner’s lunge. Try not to let your butt go way up in the air as you step your foot outside.
Beginners will then quickly step back into plank and then step the other foot forward into a lunge on the other side. They will move as quickly as possible, stepping their foot all the way outside their hand.
More advanced exercisers will jump from lunge to lunge. The faster you jump between lunges and the less you pause on each side, the harder the move will be. Still try to keep your butt down and make sure to land in a lunge with your foot outside your hand each time.
Want quick 10-Minute Bodyweight Core Burners using these moves?
by Cori Lefkowith | Dec 9, 2017 | Blog, Exercises
“I don’t want to do that. I feel unbalanced and awkward and I can’t lift as heavy.”
I had a new client tell me this when I explained that he’d be doing Single Leg Deadlifts.
My response?
“That’s exactly why you SHOULD be doing them.”
His statement though shed some light though on why so many peopled DON’T use unilateral exercises in their training.
Yea…Many of them are awkward to start. They challenge our balance. They challenge our mind-body connection and coordination. And we CAN’T often lift as heavy with them to start.
But these moves we try and avoid, are some of the best ones if we want to truly get functionally stronger and prevent injury.
And I think part of what helps us start including moves we aren’t comfortable with is the understanding of WHY they are important.
So…here’s why unilateral moves are important to do! (And at the bottom of the post I share some of my favorite unilateral moves!)
Why You Should Include Unilateral Exercises In Your Training
To quickly summarize and list the benefits before I explain them in more detail…
- Correct/reduce imbalances that could lead to injury.
- Build core stability.
- Improve your balance.
- Build functional strength.
- Improve your proprioception and mind-body connection.
Ever only feel one side really get sore from your workouts?
Maybe you always feel your dominant side taking over during bilateral moves (aka moves like the squat and such where both sides are working together)?
Or maybe you’ve had injuries on one side that just keep flaring up? And you can’t seem to get that side to feel like it is working the right way.
Whether you’ve experienced one, or even all of these, you need to use Unilateral Moves in your training.
Unilateral moves force each side to work independently, which is why it can help correct imbalances. When you work each side independently, your stronger, dominant side can’t compensate and take over.
With bilateral moves, we can compensate. We can rely on our dominant side. We can recruit muscles that really aren’t meant to handle the load. This creates imbalances and compensations which can lead to injury.
Injuries can cause muscles on one side of your body to shut off, which can lead to further compensations, imbalances and injuries. And not properly strengthening your weaker side, or underactive muscles, can lead to aches and pains on both the same side of your body or even the OPPOSITE side.
With unilateral moves, you prevent your dominant side from taking over and you can correct those imbalances that can lead to overuse and injury.
You force each side to work equally and you can really focus on even doing EXTRA on that weaker side to help correct the deficit! You can “close the gap” between both sides by focusing on your weak areas and forcing that weaker side to do what your stronger side can.
I often tell clients to do the reps on their weaker side first so they know what they can do and they do the same on that stronger side. You may fear this will “hold your stronger side back,” but instead it makes sure you don’t perpetuate the imbalance. Heck, in this case, if you’re going to do more reps on one side, you should do more on your weaker side.
You can also correct the imbalance by using the same weight and reps you can on that dominant side on that weaker side even if you have to “pause” at a point in the reps. (Keep that pause short and your body won’t necessarily process it as rest!)
So you can use these unilateral moves to strengthen that weak side and stop perpetuating the imbalances.
But on top of that you can improve your balance, core stability and mind-body connection throughout your body by using these moves.
Standing on one foot, or loading down one side or rowing with one arm adds in an element of instability, which challenges your core. And when you stand on one foot, you definitely work all of those stabilizers muscles that will improve your balance.
Unilateral moves can build functional strength for those times we are off balance or reaching and not necessarily centered or lifting with both sides. You can work on your rotational strength, so your ability to rotate and control the rotation (aka not hurt your back) as well as your ANTI-rotational strength aka your ability to RESIST forces acting on you that could otherwise cause you to turn or twist in a weird way!
So whether you want to prevent injury, look better or get stronger so you can lift more or run faster, you need to include unilateral moves.
Yes, RUNNERS unilateral strength training is key for you especially if you want to strengthen your gait to run faster and more efficiently AND prevent injuries!
If you’re now sold on unilateral training, try these moves!
10 Of My Favorite Unilateral Moves
Single Leg Deadlift – A must-do move whether you want to correct imbalances, strengthen your core, improve your balance or just simple get a strong backside is the Single Leg Deadlift.
To do the Bodyweight Single Leg Deadlift, stand up nice and tall, balancing on your right leg with your knee slightly bent and your left toe lightly touching the ground. Your arms should be hanging down by your sides.
Then lift your left leg back toward the wall behind you as you hinge over, keeping your back flat. As you hinge over, extend your arms down toward the ground. Make sure to sit your butt back as you hinge over and not simply lean forward.
Do not reach your arms toward the ground and let your back round. It doesn’t matter if you touch the ground, just extend your arms down toward it as far as you can without rounding or “squatting.” Your standing knee should be soft but isn’t going to bend extra as you hinge over.
Hinge over as far as you can with good form and then drive through that standing heel to come back up to standing. Feel your glutes work to bring you up nice and tall. Squeeze your glutes at the top and repeat, hinging back over on the same leg.
Single Arm Anti-Rotational Row – Improve your posture, pull ups and anti-rotational core strength as you strengthen your back without your stronger side taking over!
To do the Anti-Rotational Single-Arm Inverted Row, grab one handle of a suspension trainer in one hand and place the other hand across your chest. You can also reach the free arm up as if holding a strap if that will help remind you to keep your shoulders square. Set up with your body in a nice straight line, squeezing your quads, glutes and core and pressing your chest out. Make sure to relax your shoulder down and back and not shrug up.
Walk your feet forward to an appropriate incline. The closer to parallel you are to the ground, the harder the move will be. Make sure that you choose an incline that allows you to row with proper form and feel your back working. You do not want your shoulder to shrug.
Square up your body and then row up. Do not let the side not holding the strap rotate toward the strap as you row up or the shoulder of the arm not holding a strap to drop open. You want to row up as if you are pulling with both arms. That means your body shouldn’t close toward the strap or your shoulder shouldn’t open toward the ground.
Drive your elbow down and back as you row up and row your chest all the way up to the handle. Do not shrug your shoulder as you row. Then lower back down. Do not let your back round or your body open up toward the ground as you lower. Repeat rowing back up, making sure that you don’t bounce off the bottom or rotate as you repeat.
Single Arm Plank Rotation With Knee – Talk about a move to build functional core strength and shoulder stability! This unilateral move will challenge your core stability for sure!
To do the Single Arm Plank Rotation With Knee, set up in a side plank position from your hand with your bottom leg in back of your top leg.
Then lift that back leg as if kicking it back and up toward the ceiling slightly. Reach your top hand out in front of you and overhead. Your chest will rotate toward the ground as you lift up into this side plank position with your opposite arm and leg raised.
Rotate your chest back open as you tuck your raised leg under and forward, driving your knee forward as you tuck your raised arm down to meet it. Try to touch your knee to your elbow as you rotate your chest back open and away from the ground.
After slowly tucking the knee to the elbow and feeling yourself pivot around that shoulder then kick the leg back out and reach back out and overhead with your hand. The muscles around your rib cage should really be working.
Move slowly to stay balanced and try to keep your hand on the ground under your shoulder. Beginners can tap the toe down behind them or even just do the knee tuck without the kick out.
Cossacks Squat – Not all unilateral moves have to mean you are COMPLETELY balanced on one side. Lunges and moves like the Cossacks Squat reduce the balance and instability while still getting each side to work on it’s own. And while they may “reduce” the balance element, they are still more unstable than equal bilateral moves. AKA they are a great way to work up even to full unilateral moves!
And the Cossacks specifically will really help you improve your mobility!
To do the Cossack Squat, stand with your feet nice and wide apart as if you are going to do a Side Lunge (feet will be wider than shoulder-width). Shift your weight to one side, bending that knee and sinking down into a side lunge as you rotate the toe of your straight leg up toward the ceiling.
Sink as low to the side as you can, dropping your butt down to the ground while keeping your heel on the ground. You will feel like you are sinking into a deep squat on one side as your other legs stays out straight with the toe up.
Then push back up out of the squat and come to standing tall with your legs straight and feet still wide apart. Then shift to a squat on the other side, sitting down as low as you can while keeping your heels down.
Beginners may not be able to sink as low in the squat. Do not try to sink lower by squatting down and letting your heel come up. Sink only as low as you can while keeping your heels down.
Advanced exercisers can hold a weight goblet style.
Step Down – The Step Down is a great way to strengthen each glute and leg individually and improve your balance. And unlike the Step Up, you can’t cheat and allow your other leg to assist in the movement. Plus, you can improve your mobility as you strengthen through a full range of motion.
To do the Step Down, start standing on a bench or box. Stand close to the edge so that you can step off of it to the side with one foot. The higher the box you use, the bigger the range of motion you can do. You can also decrease the range of motion if you aren’t yet strong enough by using a lower box or by not sinking all the way down. You do not want to go too low and end up setting your foot down on the ground so that you can push off.
Standing near the edge of the bench with your other foot right on the side or hanging off, slowly hinge forward sitting your butt back as you drop the foot on the side down toward the ground. Keeping your back flat, push your butt back as you bend your standing knee to drop your foot toward the ground.
If you can, lightly touch the toe of the foot to the ground, but make sure you do not drop it all the way down so that you can push off of it. Sink as low as you can then drive right back up to standing. Make sure you are only driving through your standing heel and not using your left foot on the ground.
Do not rock forward as you come back up to standing. Really use your glute and drive through your heel. Stand back up nice and tall and squeeze your glute at the top.
Then repeat, sinking back down.
Go as low as you can and complete all reps on one side before switching.
Split Squat – When we think lunges, we think about stepping forward or backward…or maybe even sideways. And these are all great unilateral variations. But if you want to train the most basic lunge movement, you need to start with the Split Squat.
This is a great move to strengthen your legs and core to help you run faster and squat more. It is also a great way to build toward the Balance Lunge without as much instability. Plus, you can improve your strength through a full range of motion as you get up from a half kneeling position on the ground!
To do the Split Squat, step one foot forward into a wide lunge stance. Keeping your chest up nice and tall, stand with your front foot flat on the ground and the heel of your back foot up so that you are on the ball of your back foot.
Then drop your back knee down toward the ground. Do not go forward as you drop your back knee down. Really sit back in your front heel, while keeping your foot flat on the ground, as you bend your front knee and drop your back knee down. You can touch your knee to the ground if you have the strength and mobility. Your weight should be centered as you lower down to the bottom of the Split Squat. To make the move more challenging, touch your knee down and pause so that you have to drive up from a dead stop.
Then drive back up to standing, keeping your weight centered. Drive through your front foot and the ball of your back foot. Feel your quads and your front glute really working to bring you back up to standing. Do not lean or round forward as you lift back up. Come back up and then repeat the move on the same side. Really focus on keeping your weight centered as you lift and lower.
Plank Shoulder Taps – This is one of my favorite plank variations because it is a great anti-rotational core move that also builds shoulder stability. Having to fight your body wanting to rotate as you slowly move from hand to hand will make your core work!
To do the Plank Shoulder Taps, set up in a high plank position from your hands and toes (advanced) or hands and knees (beginner). Place your hands under your shoulders and closer together while your feet or knees should be wider apart to provide a more stable base. Bring your feet or knees together as the move becomes easier to make it harder on your core to stabilize. By having your hands closer together and more centered under your chest, you will also provide yourself with a more stable base. It is very important that you remain stable with this move or you can stress your shoulder.
Then, bracing your abs and engaging your glutes so that your body is in a nice straight line, lift one hand up off the ground, moving it slowly to touch the opposite shoulder. Keep your hips square to the ground and do not rotate as you lift your hand to touch your shoulder.
Do not let your butt go up in the air or your hips sag toward the ground. Touch your opposite shoulder then slowly place your hand back down on the ground. You want to move at a very controlled pace. Lift the other hand and tap your other shoulder. Do not rotate as you lift. Try to keep your body still and simply lift the hand to touch the opposite shoulder.
Fire Hydrant – Especially if you’ve had any injuries, you need to include unilateral isolation/activation moves to help correct those imbalances and get the underactive muscles working. That is why Fire Hydrants are key. They will help activate the glutes to build hip stability so you can run faster and lift more. This move is key to get the glute medius working so that you can also prevent hip, low back and even knee pain.
To do Fire Hydrants, start on your hands and knees with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Flex your feet. Keeping your arms straight and your feet flexed, raise your right leg out to the side with the knee bent to 90 degrees.
As you raise your leg out to the side, you want to keep your ankle in line with your knee and not let your foot get above your knee or your knee go up above your foot. You want to try to raise your lower leg parallel to the ground when you lift your leg out to the side.
You should feel the outside of your hip and glute working to lift the leg to the side. Don’t simply lean away to get your leg up higher. Keep your core tight and lift from the hip using your glute. Hold at the top then lower back down.
Make sure to hold for 1-2 seconds. Do not rush through the lift or simply swing the leg up. Make sure you do not bend your arms to get your leg up higher. Squeeze your butt and make sure you feel it activate.
Range of motion isn’t important as long as you feel your glute working. You may even feel this in the leg you are kneeling on because your glute is working to stabilize. Complete all reps on one side before switching.
Glute Bridge with Rocks – Unilateral moves are a great way to correct imbalances, but they can also be a great way to progress exercises instead of adding weight. HOWEVER, sometimes those unilateral moves are TOO challenging so we can’t do them correctly and end up compensating still.
That is why having moves that isolate each side WITHOUT putting the full strain on one side at a time can be key…just like with lunges and such. The Glute Bridge with Rocks is another great move that, while still bilateral, allows you to get in some unilateral activation. It is the perfect way to regress the Single Leg Glute Bridge, but also just a great variation on its own!
To do the Glute Bridge With Rock, set up like you are going to do the Basic Glute Bridge. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Your feet should be about hip-width apart and your knees should be in line with your feet and hips.
Bend your arms to 90 degrees and then drive through your arms, upper back and heels to bridge up. Squeeze your glutes and brace your abs to bridge up.
Then slightly release the contraction in one glute and rock to bridge one hip up slightly higher. Really focus on contracting that glute.
Release that side and rock your other hip slightly up to contract that glute harder. Keep your abs braced as you rock slightly and alternate contracting each glute a little bit extra at the top of the bridge.
Do not let your low back take over as you hold at the top and work to contract each glute a little bit extra. Also, do not let your hips sag down toward the ground.
Stability Press – The Stability Press is a great anti-rotational core move that really works your obliques and glutes. It is a great move to help prevent low back and hip pain, especially if you find you have pain only on one side!
To do the Stability Press, you can use a resistance band or cable. Hold a handle in both hands and turn to the side so you are sideways to the anchor point and step away from the anchor point so that there is tension in the band. You want to make sure there is tension or the move won’t be challenging. Stand with your feet no more than shoulder-width apart. The closer your feet are together, the harder the move will be. Choose a stance though that challenges you while allowing you to maintain good form and not lean away.
Bring your hands into the center of your chest and squeeze your glutes while you brace your abs. Standing up nice and tall with your chest pressed out, slowly push the band straight out from the center of your chest until your arms are straight out.
It should be a struggle to press the arms straight out because the band is trying to rotate you back toward the anchor point. Your core should have to work to stabilize and press straight out from your chest. Do not let your arms rotate open and go back toward the anchor. Maintain a nice tall posture with your shoulder blades drawn down and back and your core engaged. Make sure you also don’t lean away.
Then slowly bring your arms back in and repeat. Move slowly to really have to fight the band. If you move too quickly, you won’t get as much out of the move and you’ll probably get sloppy and let yourself rotate toward the anchor point or even shift open and push away. If you allow your stance to rotate open or if you lean away, it will make the movement easier and won’t force that inside side (the side closest to the anchor point) to really work to stabilize.
Start training unilaterally with the moves above or even some more fun variations in the video below!
by Cori Lefkowith | Nov 25, 2017 | Blog, Bodyweight, Travel Workouts, Workouts
It isn’t about how long you spend working out…It’s about the QUALITY of the time you spend.
Sometimes we get so focused on needing to spend a certain amount of time working out that, when we then don’t have “enough time,” we end up doing NOTHING.
Or we just put ourselves into a “run out the clock” situation and don’t actually maximize the time we do spend at the gym.
Stop focusing though on the length of your workout and instead pick moves and workout designs to maximize the time you do have. And give yourself options for those busy days when 5 minutes may be all you have!
Something is better than nothing ESPECIALLY if it is quality.
That is why I do a Friday Five Workout each and every week. And now I even have a Library of all my Friday Fives in my App Redefining Strength On Demand!
Check out this awesome 5-Minute Full-Body Burner from my Friday Five series below. And get even more of my follow alongs with RS On Demand!
Join Redefining Strength On Demand for access to all of my Friday Fives, Bodyweight Burners, Travel Series and MORE wonderful follow along video workouts!
by Cori Lefkowith | Nov 20, 2017 | Blog, Exercises, Workouts
Often I get asked, “Is it better to do strength or cardio training? How many days of each should I do?”
But workouts aren’t necessarily only one or the other. Strength workouts can have cardio elements and cardio workouts can have strength elements.
Yes, you can focus purely on one or the other, but there is a huge gray area in the middle where your workouts can be a little of both.
Where you can build strength as you improve your conditioning!
That is why I love workouts that use weights BUT also get your blood pumping with full-body movements and very limited, if any, rest intervals.
That is why I love the 7s workout below!
The lower reps in this workout allow you to use heavier weights, which, combined with limited rest and full-body exercises, really gets you breathing hard and your blood pumping!
So if you’re ready for a workout that is both strength and cardio, try the 7s Blast below!
The 7s Strength-Cardio Blast
You will complete 7 rounds of 7 reps of each of the 7 move below. Choose weights that challenge you and barely allow you to complete the 7 reps. Better to have to rest or put down the weight briefly toward the end than to be able to easily complete the 7 reps in a row just to get done faster. Time how long the workout takes you and try to beat that time next time. It is a combination of trying to rest as little as possible while also choosing weights that really challenge you!
CIRCUIT:
7 reps Goblet Squats
7 reps Pull Ups
7 reps Kettlebell Swings
7 reps Burpees (with push up)
7 reps Knees to Elbows
7 reps Wall Ball
7 reps Sit Ups
Record your weights and times to try to beat next time! It is great to include this workout in your routine for 3 weeks straight so you can see improvement before switching things up!
For more about each move and modifications, check out the exercise descriptions below!
TRAINERS: Love my workouts? Ready to learn how to design great workouts that really WORK?!
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EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS:
Goblet Squats – To do the Goblet Squat with a kettlebell, take one kettlebell and turn it upside down, holding it on the bell. Set your feet between hip-width and shoulder-width apart. Keeping the kettlebell in at your chest, draw your belly button in toward your spine and sit your butt back. Squat down and keep your chest up and don’t let your back round forward. Sink your butt down as low as you can, keeping your heels on the ground. Try to touch your elbows to your knees, but not at the expense of really leaning forward or rounding over. Then, driving through your heels, come back to standing. Do not lean or rock forward as you stand up. Come all the way up and squeeze your glutes at the top then sink back down. If you don’t have a kettlebell, you can sub in a dumbbell. You can also do a Barbell Front Squat if preferred.
Pull Ups – To do a Basic Pull Up, stand with a pull up bar overhead and in front of you. Grab the bar with your palms facing away and about shoulder-width apart. Hang from the bar with your body hanging straight down. Press your chest out and even lean back ever so slightly. Then pull your chin up above the bar, leading with your chest. Drive your elbows down as you lead with your chest. Once you get your chin above the bar, lower back down, fully extending your arms. Try not to swing a ton or kick. Repeat, pulling yourself back up to the bar, leading with your chest. Beginners can do foot-assisted pull ups, jumping pull ups or, if needed, Inverted Rows. Do not sub in lat pull down because it won’t get your core working the same as the others will.
Kettlebell Swings – To do the Kettlebell Swing, set the kettlebell (or bell) down on the ground and slightly in front of you in between your feet. Hinge over, bending your knees slightly and pushing your butt back as you lean forward. Keep your back flat and then reach your arms out and place both hands on the handle, tilting the bell back toward you. Hike the kettlebell back between your legs like you would a football. Pull it back and up between your legs toward your butt. To power the bell out, forward and up, squeeze your glutes and drive your hips forward as you stand up nice and tall. Pop your hips forward and propel the kettlebell up off your hips. Do not worry about how high the bell goes. Squeeze your glutes as you stand tall. Then wait to hinge back over as the bell comes back down. Your forearms need to connect with your hips before you hinge back over and bring the bell back down and through your legs. Do not lean forward and hinge over before the kettlebell comes back down. You want to hinge in response to the kettlebell not before. And you do not want to turn it into a squat. You want to hinge at the hips and push your butt back and soften your knees. Then squeeze your glutes again and thrust the kettlebell back up as you come back up to standing. You can also use a dumbbell or even sub in a band hinge instead.
Burpees – To do the Basic Burpee, start standing with your feet together. Then bend over and place your hands on the ground as you jump your feet back into a high plank or top of a push up position. From that high plank position, perform a push up, dropping your chest down to the ground. Then push back up to the plank position and jump your feet into your hands. Come back to standing and jump up off the ground before repeating the movement. If you can’t perform a full push up, you may drop to your knees for the push up or stick with the Beginner variation. If you want to get more of a cardio workout, you will want to keep the movement quick so skip the push up if you can’t do a full one. If you want more of an upper body workout while still getting your blood pumping, put in the push up even if you have to do it from your knees and it slows you down. Beginners can put their hands to a bench instead of going all the way down to the ground. They can also take out the push up or do the push up from their knees.
Knees to Elbows – To do the Hanging Knees To Elbows, hang from the bar with your palms facing away. Then pull down on the bar and draw your shoulder blades down and back as you tuck your knees up toward your elbows. You should really feel your lats engage as you bring your knees up toward your elbows. Then slowly lower your legs back down. Beginners may not be able to raise their knees all the way up to their elbows and that is ok to start. Just focus on engaging the lats!
Wall Ball – To do Wall Ball, hold a med ball in both hands at your chest and stand with your feet about hip-width to shoulder-width apart. You can stand facing a way to throw up at or you can simply throw up toward the ceiling.
Then squat down with the ball at your chest. As you explode up out of the squat, press the ball from your chest throwing it as high up as you can. It is ok to explode out of the squat and jump as you throw the ball from your chest up as high as possible. Make sure that as you throw you extend your body and your arms up toward the ball. Then catch the ball either straight off the throw or after a bounce on the ground and sink right back into the squat and repeat. Do not round forward as you sink into the squat while holding the ball at your chest. This also doesn’t have to be a squat where you sink your butt all the way to the ground, but you do want to make sure to sit your butt back and down. Throw the ball as high as you can. Add weight if you can easily throw it super high or as high as your space allows!
Sit Ups –To do the Full Sit Up, you can do a variation where you reach up overhead as you sit up or you can reach toward your toes. Reaching toward your toes can help if you struggle to roll up and keep your abs engaged and working. To do the Full Sit Up (with a reach toward the toes), lie back on the ground with your legs out straight and your arms overhead. You can also reach your arms up toward the ceiling if you want to limit the assistance you get from “swinging” your arms. Then roll to sit up, first lifting your shoulder blades then the rest of your spine and finally your low back. As you “roll” up, reach your hands forward and toward your feet. Then lie back down, reaching your arms back overhead. Repeat, sitting back up. If you struggle to sit up, you can hold light weights in your hands. The weights actually can make it easier.
by Cori Lefkowith | Nov 12, 2017 | Blog, Butt, Core, Functional Fitness, Pain Relief
“My low back hurts…How do I strengthen it?”
But what if strengthening it isn’t really the issue?
What if working it more won’t fix your problem and may actually make it WORSE!?
Low back aches and pains are one of the most common issues out there. About 80% of the population will at some time or another complain that their low back is “bugging” them.
I mean who hasn’t gotten low back soreness from sitting too long? Or we’ve known someone who’s “thrown their back out” picking up something as freaking light as a pencil. Heck, it’s may have even happened to us!
So what do we often do when this happens?
We go “rest up” on the couch or sit and don’t workout. We avoid moves we think may have caused it.
But rest and avoidance don’t really solve the problem.
Because we then go back to repeating the same poor movement patterns and compensations that caused it in the first place.
So maybe in an attempt to prevent yourself from getting injured again you think, “I’ll add in more moves to strengthen my low back.”
I mean it got injured cause it was weak, right?
WRONG!
Yes, sometimes weakness does lead to injury.
But guess what!?!
It may not be low back weakness that is the issue…
Actually working your low back more may only PERPETUATE the pain!
Often with low back injuries, we are ticking time bombs.
We spend way too much time seated with our hips in flexion hunched over a computer, driving in a car, watching TV…
This hip tightness and constant flexion can make our glutes, and even abs, under active and cause our low back to want to work during exercises and movements when other muscles should actually be doing the work.
It leads to compensations, imbalances and overuse injuries.
It causes our low back to become OVERWORKED!
Which is why simply working your low back more, thinking it is weak, isn’t the answer.
Too often when we get injured, we only focus on the point of pain. When the actual problem causing the imbalances and compensations that lead to our pain, aren’t exactly where we hurt.
That’s why you may want to give your low back a break and start addressing these other issues:
If you can get your glutes and abs working as they should, they will help prevent your low back from becoming overworked. They will PROTECT YOUR LOW BACK.
But often to get your glutes and abs working correctly, you also need to address hip flexor tightness and any imbalances you have between, not only your right and left sides, but even between different muscle groups.
Ever feel one side more than the other during exercises?
Or maybe you only feel your hamstrings or low back during glute bridges?
Or maybe you only ever feel your quads (the fronts of your legs) during leg exercises and never your butt?
These are all imbalances that need to be corrected! And often we ignore these things when we workout and continue to push through because these things seem like they have nothing to do with our low back pain.
I know I know…It’s not where it hurts.
BUT THEY ARE THE REAL PROBLEM!
And they all relate back to getting the RIGHT MUSCLES working. AKA your abs and glutes!
Using isolation exercises that require little to no resistance for higher repetitions, you can activate your abs and glutes and improve your hip mobility to prevent further low back aches and pains.
The key is to use these moves to rebuild that mind-body connection and get the right muscles working BEFORE you do other compound moves.
That way when you run and lift, your abs and glutes will work as they should!
If you’re ready to stop suffering from low back aches and pains and wasting time overworking your low back, it’s time to start my 28-Day Booty Burner Challenge.
These quick workouts will help unlock your hips, correct imbalances and get your abs and glutes working correctly!
Join my 28-Day Booty Burner Challenge to activate those glutes —> https://goo.gl/FWYnzd
Because let’s face it…While nutrition is about the foods we eat so we can be healthy…most of the time we are looking to dial in our nutrition for weight loss or body composition changes, which are also dependent on dialing in our workouts.
A little shocking huh?
Two things will happen if you focus on macros first THEN adjust your daily calorie amount…
And I think it is important to keep exercise on the pyramid, even though I’m talking about nutrition, because it matters more than timing or supplements. Far more.
If you hit your macro ratios for the day, you’re going to get great results regardless of when you eat. Intermittent fasting can work. Eating 5 small meals a day can work.
