TAKE ACTION
a
M
TAKE ACTION
The 3 Best LOWER AB Focused Planks

The 3 Best LOWER AB Focused Planks

by | Apr 3, 2022 | Blog, Bodyweight, Core, Exercises, Pain Relief, Travel Workouts, Workouts

Looking to mix up your core training and find something you really feel working those abs, especially the lower abs, while also helping you avoid an achy lower back?

Then you’re going to love these 3 amazing plank variations.

Planks can be both great isometric exercises, but also more dynamic movements to target and strength our abs.

And with some specific variations, we can target that lower portion of the rectus abdominis even more!

That’s why I want to show you 3 ways to use planks to target those lower abs…including one move that is a great untraditional and challenging plank option even if you can’t do traditional planks due to shoulder issues!

And at the end I’ll share a great quick burner layout so you can use these 3 moves at the end of your workout!

 

3 Lower Ab Focused Planks

1: Dolphin Planks

If you really want to target your lower abs, you need to include exercises that utilize the posterior pelvic tilt.

This tilting of the pelvis, tucking the hips toward the ribs, really engages that lower portion of the rectus abdominis while also working your glutes. And it is a great way to learn how to brace to protect your lower back from aches and pains as well.

While you can use the posterior pelvic tilt in a plank as an isometric hold, doing a plange plank, you can also include this tilting as a dynamic movement during the plank.

This dynamic plank variation using the posterior pelvic tilt is the Dolphin Plank and a great way to challenge your abs.

You will use that tuck up to engage those lower abs, but also challenge your abs to protect your spine as you test out your spinal extension, slightly dropping your hips toward the ground.

This forces your abs to brace as you extend, but be mindful you don’t end up simply engaging your lower back!

To do this move, set up in a plank from your forearms and toes with your feet together. Make sure your shoulders are stacked over your elbows and your upper back is engaged so your shoulders aren’t shrugged.

Drive back through your heels as you flex your quads to hold in a nice straight line. To improve your base, you can widen your feet out to shoulder width.

Then tuck your pelvis under toward your ribs, rounding through your entire spine even to tuck. Do not push your butt up in the air and end up shifting your shoulders back behind your elbows.

You really just want to round through your spine as you tuck your hips toward your ribs, engaging your abs and glutes.

Even think about drawing your belly button in as you exhale to pull your abs in hard.

Then begin to lower back down into that plank position. As you lower though, try to go a little past that straight line as if extending to slightly drop your hips.

You want to feel your abs almost FIGHTING against you lowering to prevent your back from really arching.

You’re testing out your ab brace as you extend.

Then tuck right back up, tilting your pelvis again.

Do not push backward as you do this movement. Keep your shoulders stacked over your elbows.

Pause in each position to really feel your core working. Really move slowly through the movement to focus on feeling your abs.

If you feel your lower back, either modify to the static plange plank hold or use an incline.

To modify this move an incline works best. The higher the incline the less pressure or strain there will be on your shoulders and even core so you can really focus in on those abs working.

You can also do this starting on your hands and knees but be conscious that, while it may look like the cat cow stretch, you are truly engaging your abs to round up. I like to call this variation the vomiting cat because I want my clients drawing in their abs as if trying to really hollow out their belly!

2: Lower Ab Plank

This move is not a traditional hands and feet or forearms and feet plank. But it is an amazing core isometric hold and a move that is great to target those lower abs.

I personally call it a Lower Ab Plank so wanted to include it as an option because often when people have shoulder injuries and can’t do planks they feel a bit lost about what options are out there.

So if you need to take your upper body and shoulders out of the equation, this is a great option to target those lower abs…although don’t forget about using the incline as well to regress moves and build up!

This exercise is advanced though and you need to have mastered that basic pelvic tilt hold to brace so you don’t feel your lower back or hip flexors only working.

To do the move, you will lie on your back with your arms down by your sides or hands behind your head.

To start you can raise your legs straight up toward the ceiling and tilt your hips towards your ribs to press your lower back into the ground. Or you can start with your knees bent to really set up the posterior pelvic tilt before extending your legs.

Maintaining that pelvic tilt, lower your legs down so they are only an inch or two off the ground and hold. Better to even hold up a few inches higher to keep that ab brace and even squeeze your glutes.

Focus on really bracing those abs as you hold.

If you feel your lower back taking over, raise your legs up higher or even bend your knees. You can even start with just one leg extended.

Lifting your head to perform an upper body crunch can both make the move harder, but also help by flexing your spine.

Make sure to breathe and focus on engaging those abs, keeping that tilt. You do not want your lower back taking over. If it does, your lower back and not your lower abs are getting worked by this move.

Better to modify and focus on those abs than do a harder variation where you compensate!

3: Body Saw

Extended planks or long lever planks have actually been shown to increase ab activation over the traditional plank, especially of the lower portion of the rectus abdominis.

That’s why it’s key to include some extended plank positions in your routine.

You just want to be very conscious you don’t overload your neck and shoulder OR let your butt start to hike up in the air as you do these moves.

One great dynamic way to include the extended plank position in your routine over simply holding is with the Body Saw.

The great part about this plank variation, like with all plank variations, is you can also modify this move off an incline.

And if you have wrist issues you can do it from your forearms or you can also give yourself more space and change things up by doing this movement from your hands to work your arms more!

To do the basic Body Saw plank from your forearms, set up in a plank position from your forearms and toes with your feet close together and elbows under your shoulders.

You want a nice straight line from your head to your heels. Make sure to engage your back to support your shoulders and make sure they aren’t shrugged.

Then begin to walk your feet backward, taking small steps. Keep your body in a nice straight line and don’t let your hips sag toward the ground.

Lengthen through your triceps and shoulders as you walk back.

Walk back as far as you can while keeping your core engaged.

Then walk your feet back forward until you are back in the standard plank position. You do not need to walk more forward than simply back so your shoulders are over your elbows.

Make sure you feel your abs bracing as you extend back. Do not push your butt up in the air or let your hips sag toward the ground.

Repeat walking back out.

Remember you can modify the move off an incline to reduce the strain on your upper body and core.

To advance this move as well, you can also add in sliders, sliding back instead of walking. That reduces traction and even makes that pull back in so much harder! Just make sure you can control the move before progressing!

SUMMARY:

Using these 3 plank variations you can really work your abs while targeting that lower portion of your rectus abdominis even more!

To use these as a workout….

Lower Ab Burner:

Set a timer for 20 seconds per move starting with the Body Saw then the Dolphin Plank and ending with the Lower Ab Plank.

Rest 20 seconds between rounds to make sure you can really focus on bracing hard each round and complete 2-3 rounds through.

You want to focus on short intervals so you can engage everything hard over just focusing on holding for longer and letting your lower back or hips become overworked!

The BEST results happen when our diet and our workouts WORK TOGETHER!

Check out my RS Formula for FABULOUS results:

–> 3-Step RS Formula

 

Target Your LOWER ABS – The Best Lower Ab Exercise You Aren’t Doing

Target Your LOWER ABS – The Best Lower Ab Exercise You Aren’t Doing

by | Mar 13, 2022 | Blog, Bodyweight, Core, Exercises, Functional Fitness, Workouts

Now my favorite comment I get any time I post anything to work the lower abs is…

“You don’t have lower ab muscles.”

And that’s true. There is no specific lower ab muscle.

But you CAN target that lower portion of your rectus abdominis to a greater extent with specific moves, especially bottom up exercises.

Just like you can target the upper portion more as well with more top down focused moves.

So if you’re looking to target that lower portion of your rectus abdominis while even strengthening your pelvic floor and TVA more, I want to share a movement variation I think is often under utilized.

But before I do I do just want to mention a few bonus tips to help you really achieve that lean, flat stomach.

That lower abdominal region is an especially stubborn one to lose fat from.

And 100% diet is key. And consistency in dialing in our macros past the point we often want to quit as losing that last little bit of stubborn belly fat is hard.

But if you truly are struggling with losing that last little bit, this tip may be the missing piece from your training routine.

And it does involve something we’ve been told is impossible….

Spot lipolysis aka SPOT REDUCTION! GASP!

Yup. You can spot reduce an area…not in the way we’ve always tried to, but it may be that key little tweak when you’ve got everything dialed in.

How do you do this?

Try including this underrated ab exercise, or an exercise for the stubborn area you want to target in your strength workout. Include it even as part of a finisher.

When we work a muscle, we mobilize more fatty acids from the surrounding tissues.

So if we do this focused ab work to mobilize the fatty acids in the surrounding tissues and then include low intensity steady state cardio after, we can utilize the mobilize fatty acids.

Aka we can help ourselves lose more fat from our lower abdominal region!

(For more on Spot Lipolysis, clic HERE!)

If you’ve been struggling with that last little bit of stubborn fat and want to strengthen your lower abs, try this Hanging Posterior Pelvic Tilt with Squeeze as part of your workout finisher even adding in a nice walk after to cool down!

How do you do the Hanging Posterior Pelvic Tilt with Squeeze?

Hanging leg raises and knees to elbows are both great lower ab exercises. Yet too often we use them in a way that only ends up overworking our hip flexors.

It’s because we ignore the essential component that makes any leg raise movement really target our lower abs – the posterior pelvic tilt.

That’s why I love this hanging ab exercise – because it focuses on that essential pelvic tilt component.

And by adding in the leg squeeze, which in turn engages your adductors, you can even help yourself better activate your pelvic floor and lower portion of the rectus abdominis.

To do this move, start hanging from the bar from a ball or block between your upper thighs right above your knees. Grip the bar hard with all of your fingers evenly and engage your back to help you stabilize, slightly depressing your shoulder blades.

Then, squeezing the ball or block, tuck your pelvis toward your ribs. You’re basically rounding your lower back.

Your legs will come forward but you do not want to really bend at the hips.

You’re using your abs, and even your glute max to perform that slight spinal flexion to tuck your pelvis under.

Squeeze the ball hard as you tuck.

Think about pulling your core in as you tuck. You’re not just drawing your belly button toward your spine but even thinking about pulling your pelvis in toward each other as you tuck toward your ribs.

To help you really brace, focus on that exhale as you tuck.

As you do this move, focus on that exhale to expel all the air you have and contract that core as you perform the pelvic tilt to feel your TVA even engaging as a corset around your middle to brace.

Really pause with each tilt to focus on engaging your abs as hard as you can before slowly relaxing.

To help you really avoid too much swing, grip the bar hard and engage your lats.

This is a very challenging move as simple as it may seem.

To modify the fully hanging variation, keep your toes down as you hang, even losing the block or ball squeeze to be able to better focus first on the tilt.

If you have any upper body issues or simply can’t yet fully hang and control the exercise, you can also modify by doing this off the ground, holding onto a pole overhead or on a bench holding onto the end.

To progress the move when you’re fully in control of the posterior pelvic tilt, you can keep the squeeze and start to do even the full knees to elbows. But only progress as you can fully control the move and feel that mind-body connection being used to create that ab shakeage!

SUMMARY:

Remember you need to focus on feeling your lower abs working to get the full benefit of this move. If you instead only feel your lower back or hips, you need to modify.

Sometimes we need to regress to progress!

The 3-Step Fat Loss Formula if you’re ready to reveal those abs…

–> 3-Step RS Formula

3 Cardio Mistakes For Fat Loss (And What To Do Instead)

3 Cardio Mistakes For Fat Loss (And What To Do Instead)

by | Jan 30, 2022 | Blog, Exercises, Workouts

Honestly for fat loss, cardio is overrated.

If you enjoy it, do it.

But…

A. You can’t out exercise your diet if you want optimal body recomposition results

…and…

B. Cardio can make it harder to build and retain lean muscle, which can already be a slight challenge when in a deficit to achieve fat loss.

However, if you are going to include cardio in your training routine for overall optimal health and because you enjoy it, I want to share some key mistakes most people make when it comes to cardio and fat loss and how to avoid them!

But before I dive into those common mistakes, I do just want to point out a common problem I see when it comes to our view of our training in general and fat loss…

Too often we view our workouts simply as a way to burn more calories!

It’s why we think doing more cardio is better.

We see those calories adding up faster during our training sessions.

And while yes, training can help us burn more calories to create that deficit to lose fat, focusing solely on our training as a way to create that deficit is short term thinking that often backfires.

It’s why we actually often STRUGGLE to get the results we want.

Because if you are constantly trying to only create the deficit through your training, you’re ultimately going to burn out because you’ll have to keep trying to do more.

Our body adjusts and adapts and becomes more efficient. So unless you’re constantly finding ways to train longer or do more in your cardio, you’ll end up burning fewer calories over time.

Not to mention, you’re most likely not going to see optimal body recomposition results between metabolic adaptations and a lack of attention to building muscle in your training.

You’ll especially struggle to see results if you’re focused on doing more in your training sessions while eating less.

While we may be burning a ton of calories in our training, if we’re undereating, our body will try to “protect” itself by actually finding ways to use less energy during the rest of our day.

So you’ll actually create metabolic adaptations that will backfire long term and be why you quickly regain any weight lost if you don’t keep up your insane training schedule or continually lower your calorie intake.

This is why our workouts need to have a focus beyond purely being a way to burn more calories!

Now what are 3 Cardio Mistakes And How Can You Avoid Them?

Mistake #1: Putting cardio BEFORE strength.

If we want to see the best body recomposition results, we need to stop valuing cardio over strength work.

The best way to not only achieve our desired lean aesthetic, but actually maintain it long term, is to do all we can to build and retain our lean muscle.

More lean muscle helps us burn more calories at rest and, well, look leaner and more toned as we lose the fat.

It helps keep our metabolism humming so we can more easily maintain our results long term as well.

That’s why we need to stop prioritizing cardio or doing it first in our day before our strength work.

While I’m not a huge fan of two-a-day sessions, we have to remember that what we do first, we are freshest for.

So the best way to truly lift weights and perform exercise variations that truly challenge us in our strength sessions is to do those FIRST.

If we instead do cardio first, our strength sessions will suffer. Sure we may “feel” like we’re giving them our all, but our 100% intensity won’t be a true 100%.

So if you are doing both strength and cardio sessions together in a day, put that strength work first.

And if you can, instead of even doing a harder cardio on strength days, try just going for a walk after.

Especially the closer you are to the lean look you want, the more this may actually IMPROVE your fat loss efforts, utilizing the mobilized fatty acids from the tissues surrounding the areas you worked!

If you do plan in harder cardio sessions, try to save your cardio for a separate day, even a day you have a rest day after before your next lift!

Mistake #2: Focusing on the LENGTH of our sessions over the purpose.

Interval training and “HIIT” sessions are all the rage.

And they can be a great way to get in a killer training session when you’re short on time.

But too often now we take what should be a quick INTENSE workout and drag it out for an hour.

More is better, right?

NOPE!

Generally the longer your training session, the more your intensity dips. Unless your training sessions is long due to proper rest periods.

But usually our interval workouts aren’t longer due to changes in our work to rest intervals. Usually they’re longer because we took what should be just 20 minutes of work and doubled it.

We take that 5 round 30 seconds on, 10 seconds off circuit, and instead do 2 of those in a session.

But all that does is take us past the point of diminishing returns. Our intensity drops dramatically and we don’t get the same benefit. If you were trying to work on speed even, you can ultimately end up training slowness.

By doing more, we may, sure, burn more calories, but it is often not quality volume or work. It is often where we ultimately end up compensating out of fatigue which can lead to injury and hold us back from consistently training to see those aesthetic changes we want.

Not to mention the wasted volume can be why we are so tired for subsequent training sessions and then don’t get the full benefit.

And often these sessions lead to increased levels of hunger that can derail our diet and leave us feeling depleted energy-wise.

So stop focusing on simply doing longer sessions. Design workouts based on your goals. Even if you have an hour, not every workout needs to fill it!

Mistake #3: Thinking more is better.

Our training should be fun, but our workouts need to have a clear focus and be designed with a specific goal in mind if we want the best results.

We need to stop focusing on just doing more to burn more calories.

We have to recognize that the QUALITY of our work really matters.

So while you may increase the length of your runs or rides to train for a race, simply doing more for the sake of doing more may make you “feel” more in control, but it won’t lead to better results faster.

And often it can backfire. That steady state cardio can be catabolic to muscle tissue and fight against your fat loss goals.

It can especially hold you back if you’re pushing that deficit while also trying to do more in your training.

Not only can this negatively impact energy levels but it can create metabolic adaptations that actually hinder us from continuing to lose fat.

This overtraining while under fueling can also lead to hormonal imbalances that ultimately lead to us regaining the fat and more.

SUMMARY:

Everything we include in our training needs to have a purpose and be focused on our ultimate goal.

More is not better, as much as doing more can make us “feel” more in control.

As hard as it can be, ultimately results come from trusting the process.

Dial in your workouts AND your nutrition to see the best results as fast as possible…

–> The RS Formula To Fabulous Results

The Most Underrated HAMSTRING Exercise

The Most Underrated HAMSTRING Exercise

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How To Do The Basic Glute Bridge And Curl:

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

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

Bridge up, squeezing your glutes.

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

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

Return to the bridge and repeat the move.

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

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

Modifications Of The Glute Bridge And Curl:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Equipment Variations Of The Glute Bridge And Curl:

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

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

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

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

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

Want to stay up to date with all of the latest and greatest from Redefining Strength?

Join my FREE daily newsletter:

–> Join RS!

 

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

 

What Is The Best kind Of CARDIO For Fat Loss?

What Is The Best kind Of CARDIO For Fat Loss?

by | Aug 12, 2021 | Blog, Exercises, Workouts

Cardio is often the most misused fat loss tool. And your exact level of leanness may impact how you implement cardio in your training routine.

For instance, if you’re super lean with your macros and strength training routine all dialed in, but struggling to break through a plateau and get rid of that last little stubborn bit of fat, you may benefit from some low-intensity steady state cardio AFTER your strength workouts.

This can be done in the form of walking or riding…

SPONSORSHIP:
To keep my indoor low intensity rides interesting, I love the RENPHO AI Bike.

Unlike simpler spin bikes, RENPHO AI Bike has a freewheel design that lets you coast along smoothly as if you are riding your traditional outdoor bicycle.

Each of your family member can even connect their AI Gym app to the RENPHO AI-Powered Bike and create individual profiles to track their own progress privately.

You can join classes with professional riders with the FREE AI Gym membership and take scenic rides alongside other users for those times you can’t hit the road.

And if you’re a data nerd like me, you can sync the bike with Apple Health and Google Fit to track your results. It’s also compatible with Apple Watch & ANT+ heart rate monitors.             

It’s a great way to get in a cardio workout any time you need from the comfort of your own home whether you need to do interval work, intense steady state cardio, tempo training or even include that low intensity post workout cardio to help you bust through a plateau and reach that new level of leanness.

END SPONSORSHIP:

But before I dive more into using that steady state cardio at the end of your training, and other upsides and downsides to different types of cardio for fat loss, I want to discuss the “myth” of the Fat Burning Zone.

The Myth Of The Fat Burning Zone

First off, what is this supposed fat burning zone?

When you do cardio in that lower-intensity, steady state range or that 55-70% max heart rate zone, you’re supposedly in the Fat Burning Zone.

But this name is kind of misleading.

There is not some magical heart rate zone where you ONLY burn fat as fuel.

But this became the name of that lower intensity heart rate zone because, 50% of the calories burned during a session can come from fat whereas at higher intensities that number may only be about 35% of total calories burned.

So yes, “technically” you do burn more calories from fat at that lower intensity…

However, you’re also burning fewer calories during that same length of time.

That’s why a higher intensity session may ultimately lead to more fat burned during the same workout duration.

A higher intensity session means more calories burned. And while only 35% of the total calories burned may come from fat, that could still overall more fat burned in the same length session.

So while using lower intensity cardio sessions may be a great way to achieve body recomposition it isn’t because you’re staying in some magical fat burning zone.

Now let’s talk about how you can use this steady state cardio to achieve some fabulous body recomposition results.

Really quick before I do though, I feel the need to mention that, honestly, too often we turn to cardio to try to rush those results.

However, there is no out exercising or out dieting time.

Strength training may be even more key for fat loss because it aids in muscle growth and retention which helps us avoid the metabolic adaptions often associated with losing weight. By retaining lean muscle mass, we burn more calories at rest and will ultimately look leaner as we lose fat.

Not to mention we can design our strength routines to still work a diversity of energy systems to maintain our overall cardiovascular health.

That being said, it’s never bad to know how to use every tool in your toolbox to create a routine that you ENJOY that matches your specific needs and goals.

So…What is the best type of cardio for fat loss?

Low intensity steady state cardio!

When I’m talking about lower intensity steady state cardio here, I’m talking about cardio that allows you to talk as you perform it.

You aren’t trying to crush yourself with this form of cardio training.

Actually the exact opposite.

You are riding, walking or rowing at an intensity you feel like you can do for extended periods of time with no real strain.

So how can this “easy” form of cardio be better than running or even HIIT?

While running or riding hard for a longer period of time may burn more calorie and therefore more fat during each session, it can also be catabolic to muscle tissue and fight against your body recomposition goals.

Not to mention over time your body adapts and becomes more efficient, which is great for performance but not so great in terms of trying to burn more calories during your training session. So you actually burn fewer calories over time during these same training sessions.

You also have to be careful with these intense sessions and schedule them correctly around your strength workouts so they don’t hinder your results.

Same actually goes for high intensity interval training sessions.

While there are a ton of different interval designs you can use to work different energy systems, these quick and efficient workouts will drain you.

They are often touted for their effectiveness for weight loss because you can create a calorie burn equal to those longer steady state sessions BUT in less time.

And they can be fun for those that get bored with steady state cardio since you can use a diversity of moves.

They’ve even been recommended for fat loss because of the “after burn” they create.

The After Burn is technically called EPOC or excess post-exercise oxygen consumption.

Basically…The harder you workout the more your body has to work to recover or return to homeostasis after and the more energy we have to expend during the recovery process to return to our resting state.

This means we continue to burn calories even AFTER the workout is over. Hence the name AFTER BURN.

But far too often we really overestimate the calories burned from the after burn. And we would see far more benefit from building muscle with strength training.

This is all why, if you’re looking to tweak your routine and expedite those results, the best cardio to include specifically for fat loss is low intensity cardio session.

Casual cardio that’s almost relaxing in a way.

These sessions are easy to add in without hurting your strength training sessions. And they allow you to ADD in this extra movement during the day to help avoid metabolic adaptations and increase your daily energy expenditure.

They won’t fight against your muscle gains either.

AND they may even help you “spot reduce” those stubborn areas.

Now note, this is NOT a magic pill nor a quick fix. So if you’ve every heard you can’t spot reduce, that is basically true.

But there have been some interesting studies showing that low intensity steady state cardio AFTER a training session working those stubborn areas with that last little bit of stubborn fat CAN help you with fat loss or spot lipolysis.

It’s key to note that this will benefit you most when your diet and exercise routine are fully dialed in and you’re trying to break through that plateau to lose that last little bit from those stubborn areas.

So why or how does it work?

You mobilize more fatty acids from tissues surrounding the muscles worked. So if say you have that last little bit of stubborn belly fat, you may choose to work your abs at the end of your strength session to mobilize those fatty acids.

Then by including that low intensity cardio after you’ll utilize those mobilized fatty acids.

Basically, the studies showed you burned the fat from those surrounding tissues!

And because this cardio isn’t super intense, you won’t drain your energy stores further to hinder you from training hard in your next strength session, which is key to allowing you to build lean muscle to only improve your body recomposition results.

Not to mention this lower intensity cardio won’t put you at risk for as much muscle loss as that higher intensity steady state training would.

So if you’re looking to keep your metabolic rate higher, utilize spot reduction or spot lipolysis as much as possible and allow yourself to work hard during your strength session to lose fat as fast as possible, include these low intensity steady state cardio sessions in your routine a few times a week AFTER your strength workouts.

Ready to dial in your diet AND your workouts to get the best results as fast as possible?

Check out my 3-Part RS Formula…

–> The RS Formula