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!

Less is MORE: Part 2

Sleep, stress and food are all under control?
Okay now its time to move on to EXERCISE.  
WHY are you exercising?

To FEEL GOOD and LOOK GOOD.

A sequenced strength training session can set you up for an amazing day.  You feel tall and light, yet grounded and strong.  It’s not the same feeling as getting your ASS handed to you. (There’s nothing wrong with that 1-2 times a week in short duration)

I find that focusing on symmetry and posture makes your strength training more efficient and turns more heads! Seriously though there are few people out there with decent posture these days!!!

When it comes to the majority of my clientele and the way I have come to run my business LONGEVITY is the common thread that gets new clients in the door.  Training with me allows avid lifters to keep lifting, runners to keep running and people who sit at a desk for 8 hrs to go home and play with their kids without pain.

First off,  GET ASSESSED.  Every body is different. Having a trainer who knows the FMS to a decent degree will help you if you are experiencing difficulty with certain exercises.  Most of us have a good relationship with physical and manual therapists on the same wavelength as us. This allows YOU (the client) to have a team backing you; we can work together to get you moving in the right direction.

Secondly, learn what a FOAMROLLER is and consider buying a few LACROSSEBALLS.

Meet your new besties.

MOBILITY 

If your hip flexors are tight and your shoulders are hunched from sitting you won't be able to engage your back body properly if you move right into strength work! You also don't want your tight muscles acting as stabilizers and compensating for other areas of your body
It only makes sense to open certain areas up first before moving along to stability and strength.

STABILITY

Once the necessary muscles are open it is time to get the glutes and core going.  The glutes and core connect the upper body and the lower body and enable you to complete single leg and arm exercises successfully.
You know the feeling you get when you say "Oh yeah my BALANCE is horrible."
Its not your BALANCE. It's most likely your stability.
The majority of low back, knee and shoulder pain I see is a result of lack of mobility and or stability. 

 *Foam roll and self myofascial first, then necessary mobility and stability work, then on to strength.  Remember you do not want to strengthen movements that are not functioning efficiently! 

STRENGTH TRAIN

To me strength training is like art. Your body is the canvas and with the proper instruction you can create what you want.  Obviously genetics are HUGE.  

I am telling you strength training can actually CHANGE YOUR BODY.... for the better!

Gaining strength allows you to be more in control of your body two major ways.

• The more lean muscle you have the easier it is to maintain the physique you have worked so hard for if you happen to “fall off” for a bit.
• Strength and a keen sense of body awareness enables you to keep your body feeling its best. If carrying kids and groceries, or toting around camera’s while shooting a wedding is a part of your day to day; you NEED strength in order to make it through your days with ease.

That was probably a lot more info than you had bargained for. If you follow these simple steps I guarantee you will see results! 

Don't forget:

LESS IS MORE.

All  you really need is 3 days of total body strength training.

Once this baseline is established for a few months MAYBE you end up building from here.

Perhaps you don’t.

Either way it will work…TRUST ME!

You want something that’s livable. After all you are in this for the long haul right?!

***Stay tuned for some examples of total body strength training days!

Less is MORE : Part 1

Memorial Day has passed and we are on our way to another summer!

Today I had clients come in and say how much they indulged this weekend and how bloated and shitty they felt.  This happens every year during the holiday season and the start of the summer months.  

I'm not here to judge. I'm here to encourage and motivate. I'm going to ask how much fun they had with friends and family and simply advise them to drink their water and get back on track with their food. TODAY.

Why? Because there was a time in my not so distant past that I allowed EXERCISE and FOOD to rule my life. Whether it was exercising to make up for my poor food choices, or being so strict with my nutrition that it bordered CRAZYTOWN.

Guess what? It's not fun. And its not the way it has to be.

You don't need to workout every single day of the week to see the results you want.  In fact doing so might just get you no where but tired and fat.

Before we even broach the subject of exercise I am going to tell you something shocking.

I am a "trainer" and I DO NOT believe that exercise or more exercise is the solution. In some cases its part of the problem. I will discuss this later.

LAYING DOWN THE FOUNDATION FOR SUCCESS:

1.

As women we have a complex balance of hormones. It is important that stress (whether it be physical or mental) is balanced. This is of the UTMOST importance. 

-Some sort of meditation or a regular yoga practice can assist you with this.

-Perhaps its even a long walk to clear your head and be with nature.

2.

SLEEP

Make sure that you are getting ADEQUATE, QUALITY sleep.

For some this could mean 6 hours, for others 8. Find out what works for you and get in ya bed!

TRUST ME. It makes all the difference in the world.

3.

JUST EAT REAL FOOD that TASTES GOOD

I'm not saying to go VEGETARIAN or PALEO. 

I'm saying that the less packaged foods you eat, the better! 

You are going to fill up SO MUCH more on 300 calories of eggs veggies and some sweet potato 

versus a freaking Special K 100 calorie bar.

Not to mention that it breaks down to sugar faster than you can shove it down your gullet and causes you to eat 2 more.

BAHAHAHHAHAH can you tell how much I HATE Special K?!?!?!?!!?

Just eat the real food ...it's not gonna make you fat.

BUT THE STRESSING ABOUT what diet to follow and all the chemicals in the processed foods just might! 

THERE I SAID IT! 

There are 3 things that you should have a grasp on BEFORE you start exercising if your goal is weight loss.

Because guess what

Good or Bad...exercise is a stress on your body.

If you are sleeping poorly, stressing about everything and eating shit.... 

Exercise is only fuel for the fire of hormones that are causing your lack of progress!

Don't get me wrong its not EASY or else everyone would be in great shape...but it is EASIER than you are made to believe.

Progress not Perfection my friends!

Stay tuned for my take on LESS IS MORE when it comes to exercise in Part 2.

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

RESILIENCY AND THE MINIMAL EFFECTIVE DOSAGE

Here you will discover that we are a product of our experiences. 

Each of our journeys is unique and complex. 

The inspiration for this post is my own journey. The past few months I have been sidelined from strength training.  Fortunately I have my gentle yoga practice to fall back on. Tittibasana was a pose I could never complete because of my strength background.  Due to my health setback I was able to finally fly in my version of Tittibasana. 

See there is always a silver lining ;))

Minimum effective dosage.

Hmm, now that's what I'm talking about.

In regards to this post, it is the minimum time spent training to get the body I want.

Resilience as defined by Psychology Today is the ineffable quality that allows some people to be knocked down by life and come back stronger than ever.

My motto is progress not perfection.
My mantra... less is more.

I TRULY believe that once you get your body in proper alignment, your core is able to fire optimally, and your posture is better ... you can train LESS to get the SAME results.

I also acknowledge the fact that I have been strength training for years and I have dedicated a serious amount of time to creating the body I desire. 

That being said... I have had major success using this method with clients as well. ( Clients WITHOUT a HUGE strength training base).

This is not an infomercial folks, you can achieve and maintain an amazingly sexy, healthy, happy body with just three quality sessions per week!

First off you NEED to understand that this all starts with FOOD.
EAT REAL FOOD:

I eat healthy, organic, REAL food.  I am an EATER and I have first hand experience with what heavy dieting can do to your hormones as a female....and quite frankly NEVER want to go down that road again ...despite those occasion fleeting desires for a 6 pack

DON'T RELY ON THE CATCH UP GAME:

"If I eat this pint of Ben and Jerry's I'll just put in more time at the gym."

Playing catch up doesn't work. 

In fact all it does it catch up to you, in the form of a time suck or an overuse injury.

HAVE A LITTLE FAITH:

When you are used to strength training 4 days a week, backing down to 3 can seem daunting.
Perhaps you run 6 days a week and you are so scared to let go of 1-2 of those running sessions for fear of your body turning against you.
ANSWER ME THIS...WHY ARE YOU TRAINING OR RUNNING IN THE FIRST PLACE?

  

What if one of the following happens to you because lets face it...LIFE DOES HAPPEN.

1.  Maybe you get sidelined with an injury or sickness.

2.  Maybe you start your own business and you realize that being fresh for your clients is more important to you and your livelihood than feeling tired and run down for your evening sessions.

3.  Maybe you have a baby and life is turned upside down, and it's not just about YOU anymore.

4.  Maybe you move and your commute just increased by an hour and your time is even more valuable than you ever thought possible.

The fact of matter is these 4 reasons are REAL and they are the most common issues I see clients struggle with daily.
The fact is that you can still look great and feel great :D
AS LONG AS YOU ARE WILLING TO BELIEVE IN THE MINIMUM EFFECTIVE DOSAGE!

I'll say it again...you can maintain an amazingly sexy, healthy, happy body with just three quality sessions per week!


Follow the above BOLD instructions and TAKE THE POSITIVES FROM EACH AND EVERY DIFFICULT EXPERIENCE AND RUN WITH THEM!

HOW DO YOU HANDLE SET BACK AND DISAPPOINTMENTS?

In preparation for the year ahead

I share this every year around this time, because I think its great! 

Take the time to read it through, you'll be glad you did.

Health:

1. Drink plenty of water.

2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.

3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.

4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy

5. Make time to be thankful.

6. Play more games.

7. Read more books than you did in 2012.

8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.

9. Sleep for 7 hours.

10. Take a 10-30 minutes walk daily. And while you walk, smile.

Personality:

11. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

12. Don't have negative thoughts on things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.

13. Don't over do. Keep your limits.

14. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

15. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.

16. Dream more while you are awake.

17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

18. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with His/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.

19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.

20. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.

21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra

class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.

23. Smile and laugh more.

24. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree...

Society:

25. Call your family often.

26. Each day give something good to others. Change Lives

27. Forgive everyone for everything.

28. Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.

29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.

30. What other people think of you is none of your business.

31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

Life:

32. Do the right thing!

33. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

34. GOD heals too.

35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

37. The best is yet to come.

38. When you awake alive in the morning, give thanks for it.

39. Your Inner most is always happy. So, be happy.

Last but not the least:

40. Please feel free to share this with the people you care about, I just did.

Best Chili Recipe Ever

This recipe is great because it can be made vegetarian or with meat; with beans or without.  It's basically just a base of a recipe that I alter each time I make it depending on what I feel like having.  Additionally, you can make this recipe on the stove and let it simmer for 1/2 or you can get super-delicious and turn it into a slow cooked meal. Slow-cooking meat makes it so incredibly tender you can cut it with a spoon.

The main components of this dish are chipotles and brussel sprouts. Yup, you heard that correctly... brussel sprouts. They give a nice contrast to the meaty, smoky flavor of the chili and help temper a bit of the heat from the chipotle peppers. They are a huge part of why this chili is sooooo amazing.

I cook my chili in a dutch oven -this way I can cook it stovetop then move it into the oven if desired.  Yes, a dutch oven can be expensive but it is a lifetime purchase that will pay off over and over again for slow-cooking stews, short ribs, pot roast, chili, bread, etc.

BEST CHILI RECIPE EVER

1 package of stew beef
olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
1 red or yellow bell pepper
4 cloves garlic, chopped
salt & pepper
chili seasonings (chili powder, cumin, paprika, etc.)
3-4 dried chipotles, DO NOT CHOP
brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in 1/2
1 28-32 oz can diced tomatoes (I like fire-roasted)
1 can of rinsed and drained beans (optional)
water as needed

Add 3 dried chipotles to a mug of very hot water to soak.  [Do not cut the chilis or you will have extremely hot chili!] Let the chilis soak while you start making the chili.

Heat up the dutch oven and add 1T of olive oil to it.  Once the oil is nice and hot add the steak to the pan and brown it off.  Do not crowd the pan or the steak will steam, not brown.  If you need to do it in two batches then do so.  Get the meat all browned off and let the pan get brown (but if you smell burning then turn down the heat and add a bit more oil or water to keep it from scorching).  After all the meat is browned move it to a bowl for later.  Add a bit more oil if needed and toss in the chopped up onion and brown.  At this point you  may want to add a bit of water to the pan and scrape up all the (tasty) brown bits at the bottom of the pan from the meat (you are basically de-glazing the pan).  Add the red/yellow peppers and stir for a minute or two then add the meat back into the pan.  At this point you'll want to season everything with your spices (salt, pepper, adobe chili powder are my constant go-to's with chili).  

Once everything seems incorporated then add the brussel sprouts, can of tomatoes, chipotle chilis WITH the soaking water and stir.  If you need to add more water to the pot then do so.  [Important, if you are planning on slow-cooking this chili then you should def. add more water]. 

Bring the whole mixture to a boil on the stove.

If you are not doing the slow-cook method then once it comes to a boil add a can of rinsed and drained beans (optional) and then turn the heat down and simmer for 30 mins until all the flavors have come together.  

For the slow-cooker method once the mixture has come to a boil cover and put the pot in a 300 degree oven for 3 hours.  Be sure to check it every hour to give it a stir and see if you need to add more liquid. If you want beans in your chili then add a can of rinsed and drained beans to the pot 1/2 hour before it's done.  All the flavors should have melded and the meat should break apart without a knife.  At this point you may want to remove the chipotle chili's from the dish so that you don't accidentally bite into one and burn the heck out of your taste buds.

Scoop the brussel sprout chipotle chili deliciousness into a bowl and top your chili with your fav chili toppings... because there is so much flavor in this chili I tend to keep it simple and top it with guacamole.  Also delicious is squeezing some fresh lime juice over the top (helps cut the heat a bit too!).

If you need a more structured recipe then here is the original recipe that I've based mine on.  Just adapt it to your own liking!