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Wading Through the Mud of Fitness Advice on Social Media

November 6, 2020 by Leave a Comment

This blog was a long time coming, and is the result of things I’ve witnessed over the years – but especially during the pandemic. My guess is during the pandemic fitness enthusiasts are bored and perhaps looking to break into the training/coaching world, or simply want to connect with others through their passions. Their intentions are good, and some do offer solid advice. But for every enthusiast who may share something that’s overall harmless and potentially helpful, they’ve muddied the water with who is actually qualified to post as an expert.

While it’s harmless for runners/fitness enthusiasts to share things they love – a new running bra, a spin bike they love, a new tracking app. – it’s definitely not okay for enthusiasts to post workout plans, tips on form, etc. It’s super easy to cross that line without realizing. [Read more…]

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Training through quarantine

May 19, 2020 by Leave a Comment

After months of life as we know it changing in much of the country (and world), we’ve all in our own ways been adjusting to our new normal. Many aspects of our lives have been forced to change. It’s safe to say we all view this as temporary, but how temporary this will be is the million dollar question. Are we looking at weeks, months or years?  Perhaps the worst thing right now is not knowing the end date. Today on my own run, I had a “come to Jesus moment” – if this “new normal” were to last for years versus months, how do I navigate my own life and assist in the lives of my clients? What habits and routines have I established since mid-March? Are they positive or negative? Are they sustainable for the long haul?

On my run today, I thought about hypothetically what role my relationship with running would take if it didn’t involve races, group runs with my team, or treadmill classes. What would I do? What purpose would running fill? What goals would I set? What structure, accountability, and support would I need or want? That’s a pretty personal answer, and one that no doubt can and will change. The GOOD news is that running outside is literally one of the safest forms of exercise during this pandemic.

[Read more…]

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How to Maximize a Small or Limited Gym

March 15, 2018 by 1 Comment

Rocking out a workout at the Mirage Hotel gym in Las Vegas in February. Day after my Half Marathon win and PR.

While away for my sister’s bridal shower weekend last week, I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express. I posted a couple stories on my Instagram at the time, showing the incredibly tiny gym and the minimal options I was presented with for weight lifting. I decided this is a great topic for a blog, as many people travel for work or leisure, and don’t want their routines interrupted. This may also be helpful if you have extra space at home and are looking to create your own personal gym.

When weight training, you really don’t need much. This is assuming you know how to utilize free weights in a meaningful and safe way. The benefit to weight machines is that form is somewhat guided, so creativity doesn’t need to be high, and most moves are supported. Weight machines take up a ton of space, so many older hotels or ones with tiny gyms won’t have them.

If you have room and access to a bench, a mat, and a stability ball, along with a healthy assortment of free weights (dumb bells and/or bar bells), you can get in a fantastic weight training session.

Utilize the mat for pushups, planks, core work in general, and stretching.

Utilize the floor for squats, lunges, upward row, deadlifts (if there’s room!), overhead shoulder presses and bicep curls.

Utilize the bench for bench press, skull crushers, dips, step-ups, bent-over row, and incline press.

Utilize the stability ball for hamstring curls, knee tucks, and stability chest press.

Utilize the weights whenever possible over simple bodyweight work for a more intense workout and greater payoff. If you have a nice weight range, you should be able to challenge and exhaust pretty much everything head to toe.

If creativity is low, or you have questions on form, there are tons of Youtube channels out there with decent demonstrations and tips. Training while traveling can be a challenge, but it can also be a new adventure! Unlike my hotel experience last weekend, my recent hotel experience in Las Vegas at the Mirage was a pleasant surprise – it was really awesome. Everything you could imagine and more! Make opportunities instead of excuses, and your training will rarely get off track.

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The Twelve Myths of Fitness – Day 10: Lifting heavy will make women bulk

December 22, 2016 by Leave a Comment

While some people are super passionate about cleanses or the newest fitness trend, today’s myth is near and dear to my heart. But I won’t lead with my opinions. I’ll do my best to lead purely with research, science and facts – and to perhaps toss in my own experience as a woman, a personal trainer and an athlete.

For whatever reason, many women believe lifting heavy will make them bulk up. In my Mile High Run Club Dash28 class, I always stress that you should be lifting the heaviest weight possible, as long as you can manage it with good form. And guess what – there’s always a decent percent of women who reach for the 2lb. kettle bell – and then use it for squats! Honestly, if you are going to take the baby weight for those large power muscles, just do a bodyweight squat. To make gains in fitness, you need to stress your body. Lifting a 2lb. weight for a thousand reps will never make you look any different. And while you may be a little stronger, you make big gains in strength and appearance when you lift heavy.

And as Medical Daily explains, lifting heavy increases metabolic rate (you’ll burn more calories), and so fat loss is pretty much inevitable as long as you aren’t consuming additional calories. You’ll be stronger and leaner, and other benefits include increased mobility, preventing muscle loss, fixing posture, and alleviating back pain. And if are still worried about bulking up, relax. It’s incredibly difficult for most women to do. For one thing, our testosterone level isn’t high enough to increase mass. And unless you are consuming excess calories, you have nothing to worry about.

And aside from the sleek muscles you can be sporting, there are lots of health reasons to lift heavy – especially as you age. Bone and joints will have a better shot of staying happy and healthy, your agility, balance, and energy will thank you. You’ll also probably carry less body fat, which as an aging female can be tough to manage. Establishing a weight training routine now, no matter your age or fitness level, is the right step. Here are some good points and tips for getting started.

Personally, I have found lifting heavy to transform my body in a bunch of ways. I am more defined and have lost fat. I am stronger. I am a far more efficient and faster runner – especially on hills or late in a race. And honestly, I feel better in my skin. Muscles and strength makes me feel more confident and sexy. A thousand years ago when I was lifting light (and weight a good 10lbs less than now), I was skinny but I wasn’t nearly the confident woman or athlete I am now. And most importantly to me, I was more injury-prone back then. My injury risk has gone way down with my improvements in strength and power.

It’s important to focus on quality in the gym. Don’t rush your workout and give rest/recovery between sets. Focus on full range of motion. Be sure you are using good form and make adjustments to the machine for your body. Hydrate throughout the day, and get in some protein after your gym session. A shake, greek yogurt, lean meat, a banana with peanut butter – whatever is appealing to you. As a rule of thumb, you will usually feel the progress before you see it. Focus on consistency. Your body will change. Sadly most of us get frustrating and give up before our bodies begin to really show the progress. Keep at it.

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The Twelve Myths of Fitness – Day 7: Runners shouldn’t lift

December 19, 2016 by 1 Comment

It’s a common belief that weight training, especially with heavy weights, will make us bulk up. If you’re a runner, that probably sounds like bad news. After all, runners want to be as light and lean as possible, and additional weight makes running more challenging. This belief is completely false. In fact, runners should embrace the weight room in their gym. You may find your form and stride to improve, and injury risk to go down. But even if you’re on board with the concept, it can be hard to figure out how and when to include weight training to your running schedule, especially if you are diving into something intense and time consuming like marathon training. Today I’ll debunk the weight training/runner myth, and also give some tips as to how to include weight training into your running schedule.

Training specificity is important for improving. So if you are training to improve as a runner, you need to be running! However, it can be very helpful to incorporate yoga, cross training and weight training into your routine to support your running goals. So while much of your time should be spent running, most of us would benefit from not just running. For one thing, injury risk can go up as mileage or intensity increases. And while running can certainly make us strong, it’s not enough to strengthen our upper body, core, and even lower body in a way that will make use our best. We need more. The good news is that a little time in the gym lifting heavy can go a long way. For runners, strength training is a key component in boosting performance – both for speedsters and endurance junkies. Adding the strength and power you get from weight lifting will help you run faster. It will also help maintain good running form, even when fatigued. If you run longer distances, it is important to have good form when fatigued because this will help prevent injuries, and help with efficiency in those late miles. Short distance and long distance runners alike can benefit from strength training.

If time and energy are limited, aim for 2-3 gym sessions per week. Stack them on days you are already working hard – track, tempo, long run days – for example. If you can get in a 30-60 minute routine, working head-to-toe, focusing on lifting heavy and good form, you will see and feel improvements in your running. If you don’t have access to gym equipment, or are short on time, this article may be very helpful. There are some basic things you can do at home and with your own body weight. Something is far better than nothing! When at the gym, try aiming for moves that incorporate multiple muscle groups can be really helpful. You’ll get more out of your training, won’t need as many exercises, and when you run, you are using tons of muscles at a time, so isolating one muscle per exercise isn’t as helpful for a runner. Use the heaviest weight you can for 3 sets of 8-12, with good form. If you can handle more than that, you need to increase the weight. Be sure to have a protein-dense snack or meal after your weight training session.

Breaking down 5 Myths About Strength Training and Running, Coach Jeff offers some good advice and insight. Hopefully you are now on board and eager to add some serious weight training to your training calendar. You can anticipate some big payoff – few injuries, better and more efficient form, and faster times!

 

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