It's not WHAT you do, it's HOW you do it

I love the basics... because they work!

With the use of effective cues and techniques the basics can give you more results than you ever thought possible.

Mountain climbers are used in every bootcamp and DVD you have ever seen. This is because they are a great bodyweight conditioning drill that hit the core and upper body with little to no equipment. 

The problem with mountain climbers is the fact that most peoples' asses are bouncing up in the air, hips are swaying and the exercise becomes a shoulder blaster more than anything else.

Here are 2 easy ways Stacey Schaedler Strength has changed up the mountain climber to give you more bang for your buck.  Progression 2 promises to make your core nice and sore tomorrow ;)

Progression 1- All you really need are rags on a smooth surface/ plastic plates on a rug; valsides or a slideboard.  

                                                       (Note: perform one side at a time i.e. 15 left side followed by 15 right side.)

Progression 2- A variety of different bands work well here and can be attached beneath a bench, door frame or squat rack.

                                                    (Note: wrists and shoulders in a line. Contract straight leg glute to extend the hip as you                                                      flex opposite knee into chest. Perform one side for 15 reps and then 15 on the other side.)

Give these a shot and let me know how it goes! 

Squat Prep

I like squats because they work my entire body. However, sometimes when I do them, they just don't feel as good as I know they can.

Here are 4 exercises that I've sequenced (in a specific order) to make my squats feel better. They help me engage the right muscles, ultimately making me stronger and allowing me to get into the proper position!

(This can work for body weight squats, goblet squats, or barbell back squats.)

1. Release the glutes with this.

2. Release the calves and increase ankle mobility with this.

for those of you who love Tater and want to laugh watch THIS blooper video.

3. Increase thoracic mobility and warm-up the legs with these.

4. Tie it all together with your core and upper back with these!

HAPPY SQUATTING!
As always let me know if you have any questions :)

Can I benefit from hiring a personal trainer?

Truth is I think that anyone and EVERYONE can benefit from having some sort of exercise guidance in their life no matter how large or small. 

  

In case you have been living under a rock these past few years 

ONLINE and SMALL GROUP TRAINING have taken center stage for two major reasons. 

They are affordable and personalized.  

 Major win-wins!

Yoga and Strength Training: the ultimate complement!

Long time no see! Wanted to let you know that I have not been slacking off and that LIFE IS GOOD!

Business is great, love is in the air and I could not be happier than I am right now :D  I am turning 30 in just one week so look for some exciting stuff to be coming your way! Website and newsletter updates, Progress not perfection baseball tees and more! I have been A LOT more active on social media these days so come follow me here if you want to know what I have been up to!

Wanted to share with you a few articles I have written over the past few months for Girls Gone Strong and Juggernaut Training Systems if you have not yet hopped on to the YOGA and STRENGTH TRAINING band wagon!

Here's an excerpt from my 3 Types of Yoga for the GIRL GONE STRONG

One of my favorite things to say is, “everything you do, you must undo.”

I like to think of my strength training as doing and my yoga as undoing.  I seek balance when comes to strength and flexibility.  When our strength overpowers our flexibility, tension is the result, and when our flexibility surpasses our strength, instability remains. Both tension and instability are weak links, which limit your ultimate potential.

When I was first introduced to yoga almost 10 years ago, it was a Power Vinyasa flow, full of intensity.  I loved every second of it.  As a kettlebell girl, I instantly saw the way the two schools of thought could complement one another; moving through my full range of motion, developing flexibility, mobility and isometric strength.

I saw how my yoga practice could actually cut down on my warm up time at the gym. This newly found ankle and thoracic mobility, shoulder stability, as well as hip flexibility was definitely a win-win.  I dove into practicing this vigorous yoga 3 days a week and strength trained 3-4 days a week.  Unfortunately this combination wreaked havoc on my adrenals.  Not exactly what you want when your goal is to get stronger!

What I really needed was something to BALANCE me out, a practice that would complement my lifting and make me stronger than ever, something to further connect my breath and body and allow me to relax instead of always going, going, going!

Remember, yoga should complement, not compete with, your existing training.

Read the rest here!

Yoga for Athletes Part 1 was another  attempt to get more MEN and strong ladies to give yoga a try!  
Again here's a little piece of the article

Repeat after me:  “EVERYTHING YOU DO, YOU MUST UNDO.”

Yoga is a tool used by the self to identify deficiencies. The more you are aware of your asymmetries from left to right within your body, the more aware you will be underneath the bar. Next time you go to squat you’ll be spreading your feet beneath you, using your breath to back your lifts and hitting PR’s you never thought possible!

Oh and there are FEW things that feels better the day after an intense training session than active recovery with YOGA. It just feels so DAMN good.

 2.     MOBILITY + FLEXIBILITY + STABILITY

Mobility and flexibility are often lumped together but in reality are two very different things.  And then stability comes in and really complicates things.

Mobility pertains to the motion we are able to CONTROL around a joint.

Flexibility is the movement that is POSSIBLE around a joint.

Stability is established with both active and passive influences.

As an athlete you need something to balance out your strength and explosive power. Yoga does just that.

It boosts flexibility while challenging stability at the same time. Take your hamstrings for example.  They may feel tight, simply because your body is attempting to create stability where it’s missing. Doing just a static stretch will not engage the core and will actually cause more instability and possibly injure you.

Are you seeing a common trend here?

TRUST ME GIVE this combo a try!

Smarter Training for Longevity

When will this be the "IN" thing?

With Crossfit, Spartan Races and Tough Mudders all the rage;
what total body crushing, leave you breathless phenomenon will come next?

I have nothing against any of these I just need those of you partaking in them to understand the importance of RECOVERY.

I GUARANTEE that RECOVERY is the MOST UNDERUSED TOOL in YOUR fitness toolbox.
We all have ONE body in this life and we don't want to damage it to the point of no return!
Here are TWO easy ways to train smarter starting NOW.

1. Whether it be yoga, foam rolling and self myofascial release, regular massage, or meditation.

These tools all enable your body restore. 

This is not being lazy. It’s called being SMART.

If you don't already have one get yourself a FOAM ROLLER, and get started with this

Position yourself with front of thighs on the roller. Make sure you keep your  core and glutes tight, as to protect the lower back. You may be on hands or forearms. Roll down and up the entirety of the thigh, stopping along points that seem especially tight.

Roll from pelvic bone to knee, emphasizing the lateral aspect of the thigh. When you find a point that is especially tight ( could be the whole thing) hang out there and breathe.

2. In order to stay progressive with your strength be sure to program a de-load week into your routine. 

Again this is not being lazy it's called being SMART. 

Use this to get stronger each block, not plateau or get injured!

Take PLANNED time off and get stronger OR train hard all the time, get sick and be FORCED to take time off and steps backwards. 

Hmm sounds like a no brainer to me.

Whether or not you choose to think of it this way 

EXERCISE IS INTENTIONAL STRESS ON THE BODY. 

When you have work stress, financial stress, kid stress…. 

Ever think you might need some restoration to balance out your body?!?!

This goes for both males and females but I want to strongly emphasize this for my LADIES.

FORGET GETTING LEAN in a constant state of stress.

Those daily killer workouts with no end in sight will eventually cause adrenal fatigue. 

YOUR BODY WILL ACTUALLY HOLD ON TO EXCESS BODY FAT.

Which means no matter how "clean you eat" or how"hard you train"  you will not see the results you are working so hard/suffering for.

YOU NEED MORE RECOVERY!

For almost a decade I have deemed kettlebells and yoga the ultimate compliment to each other.  Any sort of intense strength training needs to be balanced out.

Something as simple as 2-4 days of strength and 1-2 days of yoga. 

Throughout the years my style of training has evolved but ONE thing has remained the same.

The body needs BALANCE in order to THRIVE on this LONG HAUL called life.

Not sure how to get started with yoga? Still not thoroughly convinced?

MORE ON THAT NEXT!

HOW TO TGU LIKE A BOSS

-guest post written for Chad Smith and Juggernaut Training Systems!

The Turkish Get Up is by far the most intricate of all the kettlebell lifts. Many will argue that it is the most complex lift around, seeing as it requires the entire body to work together in order to complete. It also happens to be my favorite. 

Whether you are a newbie or a seasoned athlete the get up is comprised of many steps and the mastery of the TGU does not happen overnight.  I have been “get uping” for years and I am still a work in progress.

Benefits of learning and practicing the Turkish Get Up:

-improved shoulder and hip mobility

-improved shoulder and hip stability

- development of true core strength and stability

- increased shoulder range of motion (shoulder rehab)

- increased grip strength

- strong and solid shoulders

- improved ability to overhead press

- increased coordination

-improved posture

Whether you are a power lifter, yogi, fighter, bodybuilder, strongman, or runner, the TGU can help YOU!

*How you incorporate this lift to your program will depend on your goals and current training regimen.

There are a few different ways to perform the Turkish Get Up out there.  My preference is the “hardstyle” get up with 3 point bridge and it is what I will be demoing.

TGU with a kettlebell

As a beginner I suggest that you perfect the “naked get up” first before moving on to using a weight. This ensures proper shoulder packing as well as postioning for when the kettlebell is introduced.

Naked TGU

Maintaining proper shoulder position throughout the 7 steps of the get up can prove difficult for clients with limited shoulder MOBILITY as well as those with shoulder STABILITY issues. For these folks the kettlebell arm bar is an awesome set up exercise for the Turkish Get Up. 

Kettlebell Arm bar

The top 5 mistakes I see with beginners and the TGU are…

1) Broken Wrist

Remember to grip the handle HARD.

2) Lack of shoulder packing

Try to feel your shoulder blade lie flat on the floor keeping shoulder away from ear.

3) Splaying of ribcage in the half kneeling position and driving off back leg to stand.

Instead, utilize the core to maintain a tall spine and drive through the front heel.

4) Arching into the low back on the way back down.

Your hand placement should allow the leg to move freely underneath your hips.

5) Loss of shoulder pack/straining the neck to look up at the bell in the standing position.

Remember to keep tight through the core and keep your eyes on the bell at all times EXCEPT from ½ kneeling to standing position.

Almost every one of my clients will utilize SOME part of the TGU within their program. If they aren’t performing the entire Turkish Get Up because of some limitation you bet they are:

-overhead pressing in the half kneeling position

-performing the first three steps of the get up to the high bridge for reps

-completing overhead waiters walks for time

After all, gaining shoulder, hip and core stability as well as t-spine and hip extension are all highly coveted advantages of learning this lift. It’s also fun to show off your strength with some heavy get ups every now and then!

Enough of me, here’s one of my clients performing the Turkish Get Up

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXSn2JqFWH4&list=UULmB9DA7WZGCtUGHccIGwVA

Favorite Glute Activation Exercise

Dynamic Lat Lunge

The WARM UP ISSUE

I say this time and time again....your warm-up is the most important part of your workout. Without it, YOU GOT NOTHIN'. A proper warm up decreases the incidence of injury as well as improves performance. This is the case for several reasons, some being more apparent than others.
When you first start to move, your heart rate increases. This in turn increases blood flow to muscles and oxygen and nutrient delivery to cells goes up. Your body's systems are now aware that there is an increase in demand impending :)
This being said, you always want to make your warm up specific to your workout. Remember your warm up shouldn't make you tired, it should get you ready for what's to come!
Whether you are strength training, doing yoga, or running... you must warm up. And since these activities are all so different, your warm ups will be specific for each activity. I generally spend 8-12 minutes warming up.
I always like to say that the yogi's had the right idea thousands of years ago, they begin to warm the body with Sun Salutations, before initiating any rigorous practice.
Completing a dynamic warm up is going to automatically increase your flexibility and range of motion when done properly. Focusing in on joint mobility (ankles, knees, hips and shoulders) is also a great idea :)
Now I like to take things a step further. I include a third component. Posture plays a crucial role in body alignment. Body alignment is necessary for proper activation. And last but not least proper activation allows your body to handle loads safely and efficiently!
No body's perfect at least my body ain't! So in order to make the most of my workouts I have to have a great warmup!!!!

Check out this one that I use on my Upper Body Lifting Days...