Easy Ways to Increase Shoulder Mobility

Recently did a video for an old friend who is having some issues with limited shoulder mobility.  He is an avid CrossFitter and he has finally realized that his shoulders are holding him back.

For anyone who knows me you KNOW my worst fear is speaking in front of the camera.  I coach and cue and speak all day long but not in front of a camera :0

So here's to my first attempt :P

Using Strength Training to Support your Yoga Practice and Vice Versa Part 1

People usually stick to what they are comfortable and good at.  I mean if you have a few hours a week to workout you are going to do what you enjoy...right?

Yes of course it is FAR better than doing nothing at all, but what you like isn’t always what you need.

OR what is good best for your body J

Take for example an already super bendy girl doing yoga 4 times a week… shits gonna hit the fan!

Remember at the beginning of this year the NY TIMES article about how Yoga can wreck your body?

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/08/magazine/how-yoga-can-wreck-your-body.html?pagewanted=all

Just as we as humans has evolved over the years so too must yoga. Those instructors stuck in the strict constraints of the past may in fact be damaging their students.

Here at South Boston Yoga the instructors come from a wide variety of backgrounds.  Our influences include bodywork, personal training, dance, and martial arts.  These styles collide to create something wonderful. I assure you it is some of the best “yoga” you will get in the Boston area.

Since the majority of my clients practice yoga I don’t have to spend much time on mobility or flexibility in general.  My focus for them is teaching SELF MYOFASCIAL RELEASE, STABILITY and STRENGTH through a safe and solid range of motion.

After all most Yogi’s have a PHENOMENAL amount of body awareness without EVER having lifted a weight!

Here are just a few things to think about:

Teach students that it is ok to have anterior tilt sometimes such as in the deadlift, as opposed to continually cueing a “tucking of the tail”

       

In addition, teaching rack and overhead carry variations develops strength and stability in the upper back and shoulders as well as the core

-Allow your downward dog to achieve thoracic extension as well as hamstring stretch, cueing chest back to thighs with bent knees as opposed to cueing heels down.

(Notice how this causes a rounding in the low back)

Teach that lunging with both knees bent creates more strength and stability, such as in the banded knee lunge below. 

    

Versus constantly sitting into the stretch with the following Exulted Warrior Lunge.

Create single leg and hip stability along with glute strength by bending at the knee in single leg deadlifts.

As opposed to simply hinging at the hip with a straight base leg in Warrior III.

There is not a whole lot of supported lateral movement in yoga. Sure we forward fold to the left and right but the core is not involved there.  In order to teach the upper back and core to the support the torso I teach with the assistance of a suspension trainer.

Lateral Lunges with an exaggerated vertical torso for erector and core involvement.

The Best Damn Cardio Article - Period

LADIES LADIES LADIES!!!!
You are the ones I see filling the countless elliptical machines each time I am at the gym!
GUYS you are getting to be a close second!

WHAT IS THE WORLD COMING TO?!

;)

Can we make sure we throw in some ABS today?!?!

On a daily basis I hear this question. OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

Clients that I have trained for years know better, but newbies are still hanging on to this idea.

After having had this request for years I started to pay attention to when the clients were asking for ABS. 

Low and behold it was frequently after a vacation or a long weekend.

...The vacation and long weekend where they didn't eat as clean as usual and maybe indulged a lot more than they should have.

Please tell me how feeling fat coincides with wanting to do this.

Clean up your diet first. This is the hard part. It takes time and effort and planning ahead but I assure you you can do it.

I got tons of questions on how I got "ripped abs" for my show.
Well I'll tell you one thing.
I didn't do a single crunch.
I did a whole lot of big lifts and used my core in all planes of motion.
Here is a MUST READ article courtesy of Mike Robertson.
Do me a favor and try some of these INSTEAD of those crunches I see you all doing ;)

Working out versus Training

Courtesy of Coach Nick:

There's working out and there's training. 

Training is when you have a progressive plan with measurable goals and continual challenges. 

Working out is anything that makes you sweaty and tired but not necessarily bigger or stronger because it lacks consistency, direction and specificity.

Long time no see guys :)

I have been struggling a little lately with time and feelings and have not blogged as much as I would like to.  I will have a new computer soon so you will see more of me :)


YES, I have prepared for a Figure Competition before.
NO, each time a girl prepares it is NOT THE SAME.  


Each time you go through the process, you have new experiences and encounter different obstacles. 

For instance I have been through the diet before so now I know the challenges that lie ahead, but that doesn't mean it will be easier ;)


Seeing as I ended up accepting my PRO CARD with the WNBF I will now be competing at the PRO level.  This is a completely different ballgame than Novice or Open Division. I will find myself amongst the elite, women who have worked for years to develop their physiques.


I have no expectations for my first PRO show I am just going to take it all in.


What I do have are goals.  
GOALS to go in HARDER and BIGGER overall, with specific focus on my legs and shoulders.


I have to admit its been tough to put on weight for this process. Even when you are doing it on purpose, its hard to stay positive when you see your body changing.
THERE I SAID IT.


I am definitely getting BIGGER and STRONGER. 
Therefore my TRAINING is working.


I have learned OH SO MANY VALUABLE lessons throughout this process.  When I first made the decision to compete I gave several reasons and one of them was to relate to my clients when they were on a strict nutrition plan. 
Now I can add to my resume the ability to empathize with them when their weight fluctuates and the emotions that go along with that.  This ability is VERY POWERFUL and something new to me.  And I believe it gives me another advantage when communicating with clientele.


I will continue to be positive and grateful and have faith in the process, REMINDERS are always welcome in case I forget ;)

WWW.BODYBUILDING.COM

:))))))))

Please check it out!

http://www.bodybuilders.com/stacy-schaedler.htm

FOOD FOR THOUGHT...courtesy of Aaron Brooks

is Your Mirror Trying to Tell You Something?

How many of you have looked at yourself in the mirror and thought my goodness is this what I have become. Many of our clients will say something along the lines that they do not want to end up looking like their 80-year-old mother. Or have to worry about all the health concerns that their parents are going through. My coworker read this article and thought I was being too harsh. Maybe but it is the truth and it is what we hear on a weekly basis so I thought why not tell it the way it is.

Dynamic Lat Lunge

AHHHH Nutrition

I studied Exercise Science in college, I have completed personal training certifications, kettlebell certifications, yoga certifications...yet notta one nutrition seminar :0

I have a lot of experience when it comes to food,
                                                                          such as eating it.
                                                                          and suddenly
                                                                          being allergic to it.

Going through my food allergy ISSUE was a life changing experience.  I was the type of person who loved to workout like CRAZY and then eat whatever I wanted.  I never looked horrible (well maybe senior year of college) but I never looked great either.

I recently read and stole an interview on Precision Nutrition (which I love by the way)
 I'd love to meet this girl!

7 Questions For… Georgie Fear

by Ryan Andrews, March 25th, 2010.

Georgie Fear is a trainer and dietitian, and currently studying nutritional science as a graduate student at Rutgers. She’s the Sports Dietitian for Rutgers University Athletics, and teaches a wide variety of fitness and nutrition classes for Rutgers Fitness and other facilities in central NJ.
She just came out with a recipe book called Dig In, available through her website AskGeorgie, which also offers a huge free recipe archive.
I’m impressed.
I caught up with Georgie and asked her 7 questions.

1. What are the top 3 things you see people do to mess up their nutrition?

#1: People consume too much processed food, in particular processed carbohydrates like granola bars, bagels, frozen diet meals, and 100-calorie fake foods.
In some ways I can’t blame people for not knowing better; with all the advertising making Special K bars and “fruit drinks” look healthy, we’re up against a lot. Most PN eaters understand that fresh, whole foods are the way to build your diet.
A protein bar here and there, a canned something once in a while won’t “hurt” you, but the core foods you eat daily should be unprocessed.
#2: Consuming too little protein and vegetables.
I spend a lot of time educating people about how a higher protein, lower glycemic diet can help them lose weight, decrease cardiovascular disease risk factors, and is unlikely to cause any kidney damage.
For veggies, I do my best to point out the wide variety and dishes you can make with them. Most people just need practice to become a little more “veggie-centric.” With a few new recipes they like and a bit more time spent preparing them, people find out that eating more produce feels good, tastes good, and gets them results.
#3: Inconsistency.
People think in terms of black and white, going head-over-heels committed to their nutrition plan for a week, then throwing all caution to the wind.
This goes along with impatience. Often people don’t give a strategy enough time to see if it’s really working for them, so if they don’t have a six pack in a week, they give up and jump on another bandwagon.
Changing habits takes time, changing your body takes time. I believe strongly in the power of nutrition, but it’s not a quick and easy fix.

2. How has your perspective on nutrition and exercise changed over the years?

When I started nutrition and fitness counseling, I thought I would be educating people. I figured people must be eating the wrong things, or too much, because they don’t know better.
But it’s a very rudimentary dietitian who thinks telling someone which foods they should or shouldn’t eat will help their client change. It takes much more than that and I’ve learned my job is just as much psychology, motivation, and self-efficacy building as knowing nutrition and biochemistry.
I’ve learned that it’s not just okay to ask the hard questions, but that I have to probe people for their motivation, their fears, and their obstacles to really help them.
I’ve learned to not just give information, but to teach people why.
I try to be a cheerleader while they’re in my office, and also to teach them how to cheer themselves on, because I’m not always there! And the real motivation must come from within.
I’ve also realized that there is no one true path: different exercise regimes and nutrition plans work for different people.
Some people find optimal health through a vegetarian lifestyle, some people find it eating meat. Some people avoid soy, some people avoid milk, some people avoid artificial sweeteners or wheat or fish or beans… but you can build a healthy diet in many ways.
And with exercise you can build a fit body by lifting, swimming, running, rowing, or any mix of activities. I don’t feel the need any more to do exactly what someone else is doing, just because it’s working for them. I’m okay doing what’s working for me.

3. What is your favorite quote?

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” ~ Aristotle
I love this quote because it encourages consistency and doesn’t let me rest on my laurels from what I once did.
It also forces me to put failures and mistakes in perspective. My habits are good and I am consistently working to do my best, therefore one slip-up matters very little in the scheme of things.

4. What are the top 3 things you see people do to mess up their exercise?

#1: Lack of consistency.
People have trouble keeping up with things year after year.
#2: Over-thinking a program.
This can become a source of stress and kill the enjoyment. I know people who have spreadsheets of periodized training, reps and set schemes that look like calculus to me… and if it works for them, great.
But for me, I keep my options open and don’t set out a concrete plan that, to me, feels restrictive. I make sure I do some strength work, some speed work, some endurance work, but I don’t micromanage my workout routine.
I think keeping it fun and low-stress is why I have grown to love it.
#3: Paying bad trainers!
I see so much bad training going on. If you wonder how good your trainer is… they probably aren’t very good.

Now Georgie, finish the following sentences.

5. Fast food is…

…child abuse.

6. The key to my fitness and health success is…

…absolute passion and a love for what I do. This erases the border between work and play.
I shop the produce section like some women browse jewelry. I don’t eat my dinner like a prisoner eats a cold bowl of gruel, wishing I had a bacon cheeseburger.
I dine, I relish, and I revel. That’s why I called my cookbook Dig In, because I think nutritious eating is juicy and flavourful and shouldn’t be thought of as second-class living.
Same with being active., I love the feeling of running, of swinging a kettlebell, of pushing myself. And when you love it, it’s not work, and it’s not something you’d ever stop doing.
Once you know you’re in this for the long haul, you worry less about little setbacks and enjoy the ride.

Bonus: Georgie, what is your favorite supplement?

I don’t take any supplements other than whey protein (Optimum Whey) and vitamin D. Never have.
I’d have to say the whey protein is my favorite, because you can’t make chocolate cookies out of vitamin D softgels.

Check out her website!
http://askgeorgie.com/

The deadlift

Make that the single leg dead lift.



Single leg exercises increase balance as well as coordination. The single leg dead lift is used to promote functional hip strength AND stability.

I use the single leg dead lift throughout the year AND in my Figure Competition Prep to get BIG TIME glute and hamstring recruitment. Incorporating this exercise into your routine is critical!

We all know how much I stress on form and proper alignment :) If you don't have these 2 things NO EXERCISE will suffice, but if you possess both THE BASICS WILL DO WONDERS!

If you don't believe me, take it from..

my man Gray Cook! He published this AWESOME ARTICLE entitled Deadlifting (Balanced Body Series) 3 years ago and its ALL about THE SINGLE LEG DEAD LIFT.

WHY ROW?

A body row is essentially a push up turned upside down.
It can be done by virtually ANYONE, as it achieves a strong rowing action without any stress to the lower back.
You can set the handles high, and position the feet so you are more upright, so the row is easy. Or you could set up so your arms hang straight down from the handles, and elevate your feet on a plyo box, and the row is much more difficult.
Some crazy folks can even keep their feet in the air, so that their entire body weight is in their hands....I consider that to be one of the hardest pulling exercises!

Whether you have access to a Smith Machine, a Squat Rack, some Bandit Loops, a TRX or a VERSUS, you can easily incorporate this into your routine.

Don't worry about "out growing" this exercise, as you can imagine are PLENTY of ways to make it more difficult ;)

Seeing as your strength training workouts HOPEFULLY consist of a push, a pull, a squat or a lunge and a core exercise.... the body row can add variety to your pull choices!

Another important reason to incorporate the row is the fact that you probably sit at a desk or in a car for SEVERAL hours a day, 5 days a week, so strengthening the awareness in your upper back
while improving your posture might just be what you need :)

There are also different ways to grip the bar or the handles while you are performing your body row. Whether its underhand, overhand, mixed grip, internal or external rotational as you pull in...I promise new muscles will be worked.

You Walk Wrong

http://nymag.com/health/features/46213/

FMS for Dummies

As trainers and physical therapists in the fitness industry we have all heard of and maybe even been certified in Gray Cook's Functional Movement Screen. Kevin and I have been through the program and find it extremely useful. Clients must be screened so there are no surprises down the line. Gray Cook has teamed up with PAVEL and created the CK-FMS (Certified Kettlebell Functional Movement Specialist) I, myself have not been through the CK-FMS but know several instructors who have and LOVE the new dimension it has added to their training.

I think the industry is really taking a turn for the better :) People are realizing how important nutrition, exercise and overal wellness is for longevity! People are living longer and wanting to enjoy their time here comfortably.

This month in OUTSIDE Magazine there is a very exciting article...read through it!

http://outside.away.com/outside/bodywork/200907/fitness-test-challenge-intro.html

Take the quiz! I know you will recognize ALL the exercises ;) if you come to our studio that is :0

Bodyweight Cardio Routine REVISED

Here in Massachusetts it's finally starting to feel like SUMMER! Lot's of clients are going away and need some guidance while they are away from the studio. Some are in Europe, others in South America, others camping right here in MA. Regardless of where you are going, your fitness routine doesn't have to disappear completely :)


ALWAYS perform a dynamic warmup:
could be as easy as...

Walking calf raise pulling knee into chest- 6/side
Walking butt kicks- 6/side
Reverse lunges- 6/side
Lateral lunges-6/side
Transverse lunges- 6/side
Inchworms- 6 total
Spidermans with twist and hamstring stretch-3/side
10 pushups


Body Weight Intervals

Bear Crawls ;) :30
Jumping Jacks :30
Mt. Climbers/T- Stand open up :30
Body weight speed squats/alt. reverse lunges :20
Rest :60
Repeat 3-5 times

Jumping Rope, lateral hops, plank holds, and bird dogs also work for those who do not feel comfortable with any of the above exercises.

Stay Tuned for more!

Back to Basics

The basic plank hold and its variations are simply the best core stabilization and strength exercises you can start with!
Upper push up position starts with the shoulders and wrists aligned, abs braced, ass squeezed and neither too high nor too low.
I like to think of the floor pushing against me and me pushing back against the floor with my fingers spread. I also reach through my heels ;)

The mountain climber is also a great core exercise! It is so versatile that it can be used as a metabolic exercise as well :0 In the photos I am performing mt. climbers on a slide board.
A slide board is a great tool to have on hand. If you have wooden floors you can put hand towels underneath your feet, or use a valside, if you have a carpeted area.
Instead of bumping up and down with your bum in the air, the slide board mt. climber forces you to really stabilize and engage your lower abs as you bring your knees into your chest one at a time.
Once you perfect this move you can bring your knee to opposite elbow or bring both knees into a pike position :)

CORN

I have told you that my clients take care of me, right?

Today one of my client's, Angus sent me this link and I wanted to share it with you.

http://www.cornallergens.com/list/corn-allergen-list.php

I'll say it again, Nutrition is where it's at folks.

BUT FIRST YOU NEED TO KNOW WHAT IS IN THE FOOD YOU EAT!

It wasn't until I started getting sick pretty much EVERY TIME I ate, that I started reading the ingredients on everything I put in my mouth. That was a crazy realization. A handy rule to follow, is that if the food has any more than 5 ingredients DON'T eat it on a regular basis (oh and if you can't pronounce the ingredients that's a red flag).

HIPS DON'T LIE (and no I don't mean the Shakira song ;)

http://robertsontrainingsystems.com/articles/Hips+Don%27t+Lie/

I have found that people either find the push up too challenging and give up on it all together or they think that they are too good for an exercise as "easy" as the push up.

Don't be so quick to dismiss this staple exercise.

Doing a proper push up is amazing for the shoulder stabilizers. Granted it works SO MANY other muscles but with this particular version I want to emphasize the stabilization required through the shoulders.

There are so many variations, progressions and regressions on the push up that you cannot go wrong by adding it into your routine.

To start place your hands directly beneath your shoulders, possibly a littler wider so you can initiate the movement with your back. Make sure you spread widely through all the fingers. Press firmly into the surface beneath you. Create the sensation that the floor is pushing against you and you are pushing yourself right through the floor.

This total body tension is necessary through all body weight exercises and continues to be vital as load is added.

Brace through the core making sure the butt is tight and neither too high or too low.

As with all exercise, breathing is MOST important. Inhale on the way down and exhale on the way up.

As you begin your decent towards the ground retract and engage the shoulder blades while keeping the core braced and stable.

For those of on your way to conquering the push up do them at an incline on a bench or wall but follow the same instructions.

For those of you who have a good push up, slow it down. Count down 4,3,2,1 hold at the bottom for a 3 count and explode upwards.

In the photos from the lovely Jess, you see I have added blocks, this helps me to really engage through my back as I descend toward the floor and lets me get closer to the floor at the bottom of the exercise.

WHY ROW?

A body row is essentially a push up turned upside down.
It can be done by virtually ANYONE, as it achieves a strong rowing action without any stress to the lower back.
You can set the handles high, and position the feet so you are more upright, so the row is easy. Or you could set up so your arms hang straight down from the handles, and elevate your feet on a plyo box, and the row is much more difficult.
Some crazy folks can even keep their feet in the air, so that their entire body weight is in their hands....I consider that to be one of the hardest pulling exercises!

Whether you have access to a Smith Machine, a Squat Rack, some Bandit Loops, a TRX or a VERSUS, you can easily incorporate this into your routine.

Don't worry about "out growing" this exercise, as you can imagine are PLENTY of ways to make it more difficult ;)

Seeing as your strength training workouts HOPEFULLY consist of a push, a pull, a squat or a lunge and a core exercise.... the body row can add variety to your pull choices!

Another important reason to incorporate the row is the fact that you probably sit at a desk or in a car for SEVERAL hours a day, 5 days a week, so strengthening the awareness in your upper back
while improving your posture might just be what you need :)

There are also different ways to grip the bar or the handles while you are performing your body row. Whether its underhand, overhand, mixed grip, internal or external rotational as you pull in...I promise new muscles will be worked.

How to create the "Perfect Pushup"