Supplements

Supplements are all the rage in the health and fitness industry. Most people think they the only way to lose weight or build muscle is to simply take a supplement and BAM it will happen. While there is a place and time for supplements its not the end all and be all of how to achieve your goals. What does the word supplement mean- Something that is added to something in order to make it complete. It doesn't say the only thing you need, it says its added to make it complete. Supplementation is there to aid you in yours goals if you are lacking something in your diet. Yes most foods today are not nearly as pure as they were hundreds of years ago so taking a multi vitamin may be important to your over all health and wellness. What I want to talk about here is all the "other" supplements. Please remember this is my own opinion from the research as well as from studying to become a personal trainer. Do your own research or ask your healthcare professional if you have questions, you can always e-mail me for information as well. Here are some of the most popular supplements that people think are the only thing needed to get you to your goals. 

Lets talk protein. As important as protein is, drinking just a protein shake and thinking you will get big or lose weight is simply not how it works. With protein shakes being all the rage sooooooo many companies promoting wether it be a MLM company or a "nutrition" company, do your research. Things to think about before you even consider a protein power is…well do you NEED it, what exactly are you trying to achieve, are you eating enough REAL food along with it. Once you have answered those questions then you will know if its NEEDED. If joe smo tells you at the local nutrition store to get X brand of protein because you tell him your goals don't just buy it. Go home research it and ask a trusted professional. First and for most you should be getting it from real foods. There is a a time and place for a protein supplement. If your on the go and need a quick meal or if your in the gym and exhausting your muscles and are eating right then you should think about it. Remember REAL FOOD FIRST. Don't look to a protein supplement to quick fix, because IF you get to where you are and don't change your bad habits 1st, it WILL come back! Here are the two that I have used or use at the moment. Visalus nutritional shake mix and Dymatized Iso 100 whey. I use them post workout only OR in place of one meal IF I'm on the go. 

Fat burners are something a lot of people take because they want to get rid of that fat quick. Again if your not fueling your body with REAL food you will have a hard time shedding any body fat regardless of what you take for a fat burner. This is a great article on how NOT to use fat burners. While they have a time and a place, they should be used only for a short amount of time and only if your diet is on point. 

Pre-workouts, again here is something people think they NEED because everyone is taking them or they think if i take some magic drink or pill ill lose faster and get skinny sooner. People, people, people, if you have not seen a patter here yet I hope u see now. All of these are NOT needed to get you to where u want to be, they may aid but you should be only taking them to aid if your nutrition is right not to cut corners. Any-who, here is my take on them. Why are pre workout drinks so popular? This posted link is a good link with a little bit of information on how to safely choose a pre workout if u NEED it. I however don't recommend it if you are not truly a hard trainer. There really is no need for a pre workout IMO if your diet is in check & you are resting as much as u should. For those of you who are truly training hard in the gym, lifting and building your body and feel the need to use one, do your research before you go out and buy one.

My two cents on all the "quick fix" diets out there. With so many quick diets and cleanse out there its hard to weed thru the BS on what to do. My thought, DONT do it. CHANGE your lifestyle and stop trying to get a quick fix! YES you may lose weight and inches, YES you may feel great and have more energy but is that really sustainable for the rest of your life. Think about it once u get to where you want to be most of you will quit, you will start doing what you did before and you will gain all of that and maybe some more back and then around and around you go to another diet and another cleanse. So if you make the choice to change you lifestyle one small step and a time you won't need to worry about that bounce back weight and continue that vicious cycle of yo-yo weight loss and gain because you will always  be in check with your food and your exercise and your body will respond in kind:)
Trust me, I went from an almost 200lb women to a lean muscular 135 to a pregnant 17o and back down to competing in a bikini competition, weighing in at about 128-130 solid muscle, not skinny. This has all happened in a 3 yr span and there has been no yo-yo diets, not super quick fixes. What there has been is tons of research, Lots of blood, sweat, tears, tons of meal prep and discipline. I would not be writing this blog now would I be where I am in m life without actually changing my life. Now I know lots of you don't want to have the same body nor do you have the same goals as me but yo-yo dieting will only keep you unhappy in the long run, Make small changes for the better and you will be much happier!

Lifting, We all have to start somewhere!

So, lifting heavy makes women look like men huh, Funny I don't see it!!!

      

      First off I want to say how excited I am to have a few moments to write this! Life has been SOOOOO busy! Any who, Lifting….Why do women always think they will look like men when they throw around weights?! Here is my take on lifting and where I started and where I am now.

      The internet is an amazing tool. If you don't know how to do something there is a wonderful little thing called a search engine, use it! YouTube is a great way to look at videos on how to do pretty much anything you can think of. You can also refer to an earlier post in this section on the top important basic exercise IMO, I have put together links to show proper form.

      You don't become good at something unless you actually do it sooooooo, Yes, you may look foolish in the beginning. Yes, you may have bad form. Yes, you may feel like you have no clue. Thats ok! Ok, so your new to lifting. Well we all have to start somewhere Below I will go over how to get over looking foolish in the gym, form, and where to start.

      How to deal with the feeling of looking like your a noob. Well if you are a noob then you will look like one! Come prepared, do your research, have a plan and walk in like you own that place! Go in and get a tour so you know where the weights, cardio and machines are. The first few times may be intimidating for some and that is ok, go in get your workout done and don't bother with the other people there. If your worried about what they are doing or why they are looking at you, your in there for the wrong reasons. You are in there to work and build a healthy strong body, not to worry about what others are thinking of you. You are trying and that is the important thing. As you go there more often you will get comfortable with the atmosphere and the people will just become part of the norm. If someone happens to come up and talk to you, tell they that your there to do your work not socialize. If someone comes up that isn't a gym worker and asks to "help with form" tell them no thanks and go find an associate that can help you if you are unsure (unless you feel comfortable with someone helping you). Have a workout log with you plan for that day in it and follow it. Write you reps, sets and weights you used down in it for future refrence. Even after you have watched a video of how to do something and your still not sure, ASK. Asking will only help you in your goals and from hurting yourself. That brings me to my next topic, FORM.


      What is form and why is it so important?
Prevents injuries
One of the most important reasons for maintaining proper form is to prevent injuries. If you are lifting a lot of weight, your body is likely to become slightly misaligned, which can place your muscles, joints and tendons in awkward positions that could potentially cause strains or tears. It is best to ease up on the weight if it means you are better able to maintain proper form. I CAN NOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH. Don't try and throw weights around if you have bad form. Start off low and work your way up. Later on you will see my progress so you can see what I mean.
Ensures correct muscle targeting
Since many weightlifting exercises are targeted toward specific muscle groups, a lack of good form can cause you to work out a completely different muscle or to strain the muscle you were targeting. Proper form, on the other hand, ensures optimal results in the correct muscle group. 
Helps maintain proper breathing 
Proper breathing is essential in resistance training exercises because it helps you generate more force and reduces the chance of heart problems or severe increases in blood pressure. When you use correct form, you will find it easier to move the air in and out of your lungs, which will also help you focus your attention on the task at hand.
Enables you to lift more weight
In order for you to lift the maximum possible weight, your muscles need to be in the ideal position to generate force. When you begin to move out of alignment, you place your muscles at unnatural angles, decreasing their functional capability. By maintain proper form, you will be able to lift a larger amount of weight, which will translate into more visible results in a shorter period of time.  
Reduces unnecessary stabilizing actions
When you use bad form, a number of muscles — predominately those in your core — must work overtime to stabilize your body and try to prevent an injury from occurring. All these actions eat up available energy and significantly reduce the effectiveness of your exercises. That means more work with less results — not and ideal situation.

For god sakes don't think your a strong man either. Practice and warm up with lighter weights and if you don't understand….ASK!



      Where can you go from here. Well once you get the basics down and proper form the possibilities are endless!!! You can train for specific sports, competitions or for general health purposes. Not everyone wants to be an athlete or be in comp prep mode, some just want to life a healthy active life. Weight training will not only improve your physique (which most of us want or could use) but it will also strengthen our body, mind and confidence. Women especially for some reason think that they will look like men if they life heavy. Below I'm going to put together a typical workout for me. From where I started to where I am now so you can see what I mean. Im no baby in the gym and I'm not manly am I? Please understand that NUTRITION plays a huge roll in this. You can not just lift and expect to be super lean and have an ascetically pleasing body, you need to fuel your body for the training you are doing.

      My beginning to now

Im not going to go way way back to when I started in 2011 because I can't remember back that far. I am going to start post pregnancy because after I had Tesla I literally felt like I had to start over with everything i had just accomplished and lost.

Arms- In the beginning I was lucky if I could curl 10lbs for 12 reps. It has taken me a year to build up slowly to what I do now. A typical biceps workout for me now looks something like this.
DB Curls- 15lbs for 15-20 reps, 20lbs for 10-12 reps, 25lbs for 6-8 reps
Back- I talk about my favorite back exercise, DEAD LIFTS! Dead lifting is an amazing exercise for your back, you want to be carful to use proper form and weights because this is an exercise that can do some damage if you don't. That being said, in the beginning I was lucky to be able to DL 50-60lbs for maybe 15 reps. Today a typical DL workout for me looks like this. 135lbs for 15-20 reps, 155lbs for 10-12 reps, 175-195lbs for 8-12 reps.
Legs- I HATE LEGS, that being said I work them out 2 times a week now LOL. In the beginning tho when I started squatting again I could barley squat the bar ( ~45lbs ) for around 12 reps. Now my warm up is about 115lbs for 20 reps, 135lbs for 15-20 reps, 155lbs for 10-15 reps, 175-195lbs for 8-12 reps.
Shoulders- My favorite day at the gym! Ill use the DB military press for an example here as that is the most well known to many of you. In the beginning again 10lbs for 10-12 reps was tricky. Today my range goes something like this. 15lbs for 15-20 reps, 20lbs for 10-12 reps, 25lbs for 6-8 reps.

      This is not what I recommend for anyone to do so please don't take this as absolute and try it for yourselves. I am just trying to show you the time it takes and the progress you can make when you stick to it and how it can help you. It took me 3 yrs to build up to this with a pregnancy in the middle of it. Throwing weights around just because you want to lift heavy is not the way to go. Learn the gym, learn form, learn how to use each muscle, practice in the mirror, ask questions, don't be afraid, enjoy learning, who cares if you look like a wimp! Start off with what you can handle with PROPER FORM and then work your way up.