Steer clear of the bullshit to get a better booty

These days there are all sorts of "squat challenges" and high repetition bodyweight programming promising to "tone and sculpt" DAT ASS.  Don't believe everything you hear! Many of these ads and challenges aren't based on FACTS. Not only are a great set of glutes easy on the eyes, did you know it can also increase performance and prevent low back pain?!

photo courtesy of Jay Sullivan

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!

Hello 2014

Here we are several days into January of 2014. Did you accomplish everything you set out to do in 2013?
Congrats if so!
Personally I think goals are great, however I find that many of us are going about them all wrong!
So you have a goal.
What is it?
Be specific. Don't overwhelm yourself. You have the ENTIRE YEAR and who says you can't add more goals once your original ones have been met.

Goals... Who needs em anyway?!?!

Apparently, I do.

If in not getting ready for a certification, training for a competition, or prepping for a photo shoot, I've got limited motivation.

Sure I get in and train but I feel my drive lacking.

 Do I need a lifting partner? Do I need camaraderie?

What is going to keeping me pushing, hold me accountable and most of all get me FIRED UP?!?!

Since I am no longer working with my trainer in person, I send him videos of my progress.  This in itself keeps me accountable :) This week I decided to record most of my workouts...here is a sample day!

Training Day

Each day I start by foam rolling for at least 10 minutes. If it's an upper body day I have specific areas that I focus on, same goes with lower body. I then go into my mobility and stability warmup. On deadlift day this block I would perform overhead heavy medball slams and box jumps.
The session went a little bit like this.
Deadlift from Blocks: Singles at 135, 155, 175, 225 and 245. In between each single I would perform wall marches to keep my hip flexors open.

Split squat from deficit-3x10 @ 65lbs
T-pushups- 3x 10 with 15lb DB

Single leg slide board leg curls- 3x 10 with 20lbs
3-point DB Row- 3x10 @ 55lbs

Reverse Crunch- 4 sets of 10 with 12kg
Half kneeling face pull-3 sets of 12 @ 65lbs

Since this was week 4 in my block my sets were lower and my reps higher on accessory work. I also didn't perform my usual 7-10 minutes of interval work at the end.

Thanks for keeping me focused :D

One of my main goals for 2011 is to get healthy again.

-to get back to the point where I have the energy to do all the things I love.

-return to a place where I am comfortable in my body and can move freely without restriction.

- have the time to try new things and step outside of my comfort zone.

- spend more time with family and friends.

The first step for me was to get my nutrition on track.  

In order to achieve this I sought out help from Aubrey Thompson.

In order to share with you all that I have learned throughout my process with Aubrey blogging would become my full time gig.  

For now I will share with you an article fellow RKC Andrea U-Shi Chang shared with me which touches upon quite a few of Aubrey's teachings.

http://www.mercola.com/nutritionplan/beginner_fats.htm

Warning---this is a somewhat long article, don't just skim through it!

Happy New Year....Resolve to move BETTER in 2011

Taken straight from the MYOFORCE team :)

This weeks blog is not going to be on your typical New Year's Resolution.

AHH sure everyone resolves to eat better and nearly everyone resolves to exercise more in 2011 than they did in 2010.

I am here to tell you that your first resolution should be to move well first before moving often.

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

How it all went down

As you can see, nothing happens overnight.  
People have asked me time and time again why I chose to do a Figure Competition...

• I LOVE LIFTING HEAVY and being challenged.
• I wanted a concrete goal with a specific date.
• I have a lot of food allergies (thus a restricted diet) so I felt I might as well dabble in restricting it further and see some results.
• I put clients on nutrition plans all the time, never having actually been on a hardcore one myself...how can I  pretend to know what they are going through?
• Confidence has never been my strong suit, being able to get up in front of strangers half naked...well I think you have to be somewhat confident to do that ;)
• I love dressing up on occasion, so why not dress up in a suit that costs as much as a wedding dress and pretend to be Barbie for the day!

In November of last year I was strong and in good shape. I could do sets of 6 body weight pull ups, clean and press a 24 KG kettlebell and Turkish Get Up a 36 KG (yes I mean KG) bell.  I weighed in at 131 lbs.  The first 3 1/2 months of training I did not diet.  I was trying to put on mass so that when I leaned out there would actually be muscle there :)  For females, this in itself can be challenging.  I admit, I didn't love putting on weight but I had to have faith in the process.
As a personal trainer myself I loved reading Coach Nick Tumminello's work and decided to give him a call to see if he would take me on as a long distance client.  I loved how he kept his Figure Girls functional and trained them like the athletes they are.  For the first time in my life I was establishing a REAL STRENGTH TRAINING FOUNDATION :) I trained 5-6 days a week Upper Body Lower Body Splits and NO CARDIO.  My weight went up by about 5 lbs due to Nick's program design alone! Next time around I will definitely start my nutrition earlier to aid in putting on good mass.


It was not the smoothest of sailing when I started my nutrition. To make a long story short, it turned out that meat was not going to work for me.  BONNIE LEFRAK worked tirelessly to create a plan that would work for me! We played around with legumes and beans and fish until finally we found a solution.  Bonnie is a PRO, she f*cking knows what she is doing and once you have gone through her program there's no denying it :))))


I have never met Coach Nick Tumminello and I have met Bonnie once before my training started...pretty crazy eh!  Anything is possible!




I kept the fact that I was doing a second show this past weekend a little on the DL.   But I wanted to let you all know that thanks to my team of supporters I placed first in OPEN FIGURE MEDIUM and went on to be the INBF OVERALL FIGURE WINNER at Fulton's Fitness Pro Qualifier.


I WON MY PRO CARD :)

IF YOU WANT SOMETHING...GET AFTER IT

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.

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 :)