Lift heavy, lose weight! Is this for you??

Lift heavy, cut out cardio completely, lose weight and get lean.  "The heavier you lift, the quicker you will see results."  "Cut cardio, lift heavy." This has been popping up all over fitness forums the last couple years.  I don't disagree with the premise that lifting heavy can get you some bad A** results.  It can! However, it bothers me how this comes across as a reckless recommendation without proper instruction to the reader on how to get there. Not to mention that cutting cardio isn't necessarily a sound idea but that is for a different post.

You can't just dive right in and starting lifting the most that you can and build from there. Do some do it? Yes, but not without some compromise to form and longevity and sustainability of results. Not to mention the mental and emotional garbage that comes from sustaining injuries  that throw you out of the game when you have yet to reach your goals!

Almost every beginner and some intermediate fitness enthusiasts have poor posture with subsequent muscle imbalances and a considerable lack of core stability. (Yes, even I have areas of core stability to work on and I have been in this world of fitness for over 10 years. )  Whether lifting or doing cardio, your body has to learn proper form, this is especially important before lifting HEAVY! Without proper form, your body will rely on the wrong muscles to perform an exercise and will resulting in joint and muscles injuries. It's only a matter of time before the effects begin to affect more than just your workout but also the functionality of life. Equally important is the need for your connective tissues and joints to be prepared for higher demands and more intense exercises. Again, without proper progression you end up in the same boat that improper form produces; muscle and joint injuries.  Any way you look at it, jumping head first into lifting heavy without proper preparation, ends in a bad situation.  Your body must be conditioned. Even athletes have to go through I strict conditioning process to reach their goals. Having looked back on my own fitness journey these some 14 years, I see where proper guidance could have alleviated injuries that took me out of the game and helped set the stage for long term joint issues.

Lifting heavy is a reward that comes from diligence and hard work.

diligence

- constant and earnest effort to accomplish what is undertaken; persistent exertion of body

or mind.

It's a journey. It won't happen overnight and for some people they will have more muscle imbalances and flexibility to work on than others. For them, heavy lifting will take even longer. So folks, this is your post of caution. Don't jump the gun. Be patient, be diligent, educate yourselves and/or get proper help on your fitness journey. No dream physique is worth the cost of your well-being.

 

Enjoy Your Progress!

Lately, I have been reviewing my goals and my current progress. I've made good progress over the last couple months but there is still a ways to go. I could take this as an opportunity to feel frustrated, make irrational decisions to tighten up my eating, workout harder and more often but I am NOT going to do that to myself! I don't even have an inclination to do that these days. Why? What happened??

I made a change a few months back that health and well being is most important. If you haven't read my post, "Never Give Up", head on over there for a more detailed story of some big challenges I was facing.  Once I made the mental shift that I had to take care of myself and not hurt myself through extreme dieting and exercise, I found peace. Now, there are still those days where I find myself feeling badly over having a second banana in one day because it might be too much sugar. At that point, I have to remind myself that my relationship with food must be a healthy one, a balanced one. I am not seeking to be a bikini competitor, my diet doesn't have to succumb to that level of scrutiny.  And I don't want to either!! The " food rules" of getting fit don't have to apply to everyone. There are other ways to achieve the goal. It's called patience and balance. In the last 4 weeks I have lost 4 inches from my waist and hips and I've enjoyed a variety of food and drink.

Yes, I have goal I want to reach but I don't want to sacrifice the enjoyment of life through eating and rest to get there. I want to FREAKING enjoy a beer on occasion or a fatty cheeseburger! :D  I make the best decisions I can 90% of the time and take that other 10% to have some freedom with my eating choices.

My abs might not be rock solid yet but there's been a definite progress, like the missing of at least one roll when I sit! YAY!!!!!! lol I've worked hard and I am proud of that! I feel good. I am on my way to reaching my goal. It may take another 2 months or another 4 months. I am okay with that. I am choosing to celebrate the accomplishments thus far! After all, life is short. Why waste one second of it with the wrong mindset!

Be proud of yourself. Reflect on what you've done to date, the changes, the progress and enjoy it. Really enjoy it!

"Pregnant Pause" - Tips for staying fit

Pregnant and not sure how to stay fit?? Wanting to know how much to exercise and what exercises are safe?
Jamie Eason has your answers!

Never Give Up!

There's a story here. Some of you know that I suffered RSI (repetitive stress injuries) to both my arms nearly a year ago. It's suspected that the snowball effect of whiplash from a few years ago combined with bad ergonomics in the workplace setting over time disabled my arms to the point I could barely lift a 1 lb weight, couldn't sleep much from the pain and became reliant on my husband to do most the cleaning of our home and the frequent drying of my hair, just to name a few.

Without insurance, we sought relentlessly for the answer. Physical therapy, myofasical specialist, massage therapy, etc. I was using my arms less and less, scared to hurt myself more. Eventually, after 7 months of all the therapies we could, I went with my gut and quit my job. The computer setup there was reeling me into a more severe condition. It was a difficult decision to make, not sure if we could make it on one income in CA. If you live in CA, you know what I am talking about. I gained weight, I couldn't take it off easily because even light to moderate cardio hurt. I couldn't life weights, which was a huge downer for me. Cooking, a passion of mine, was more a displeasure. On and on the list went. The situation looked despondent. Would I work again? Could I use computers again in a work capacity? Could I hold my own child when that time came??? I didn't know the answer and as terrible as I felt I wasn't going to sit there and let life conquer me. So with husband at my side, I continued with building up my strength endurance little by little, enrolled myself in a personal trainer course and decided my future didn't end there. I am now a certified personal trainer and I have personal experience with injuries to aid my service to others, knowledge to safely assist my clients to achieve their goals and my own physical, mental and emotional strength in the making. There are still really hard days but there are really good days too. In this picture, I am sitting on my barbell. I've been hitting squats with it. I may not have all the upper body strength back yet, and it will take time, but I'm finding other ways to challenge my body.  I am happy. The road to recovery may be long but that's okay, I am making a future and one worth living!

Never give up!

Booty Burn Challenge

[caption id="attachment_67" align="alignnone" width="200"] Booty Burn Challenge[/caption]

Do 2-3 rounds. Stretch and 5 minute walk before routine. Use weight volume that matches your fitness level. Keep proper form. Quality over quantity.

Fit & Clean Grocery List

Produce Aisle:

• strawberry


• tangerine


• cherry


• tomato


• cantaloupe


• grapefruit


• honeydew


• papaya


• wintermelon


• passionfruit


• apple


• pear


• blackberry


• blueberry


• raspberry


• mango


• persimmon


• banana


• date


• fig


• orange


• onions


• shallots


• garlic


• tomatoes


• cucumbers


• squash


• asparagus


• bamboo shoots


• kale


• collard greens


• spinach


• arugula


• beet greens


• chard


• turnip greens


• endive


• lettuce


• mustard greens


• watercress


• garlic chives


• Cabbage


• zucchini


• pumpkins


• peppers


• eggplant


• tomatillos


• okra


• avocado


• broccoli


• cauliflower


• artichoke


• ginger


• celery


• spinach


• sweet potatoes


• red potatoes


• brown rice

Superfoods:

• Chia seeds


• Flax seeds/meal


• Spirulina


• Goji


• Cacao

Sweeteners, flours & Oils:

• applesauce (no sugar added)


• xylitol


• coconut sugar


• Stevia in the Raw or Truvia


• wheat flour


• spelt flour


• almond flour


• oat flour


• rice flour


• coconut flour


• olive oil


• coconut oil


• sunflower oil


• brown rice flour

Dairy and the like:

• Unsweetened almond milk


• Unsweetened rice milk


• unsweetened coconut milk


• Greek Yogurt


• Cottage Cheese

Lean seafood:

• tilapia


• mahi mahi


• flounder


• cod


• halibut


• red snapper


• orange ruffy (high in mercury)


• ahi tuna (high in mercury)


• swordfish (high in mercury)


• scallops


• grouper


• shellfish


• corvina


• cobia


• egg whites


• chicken breast


• extra lean ground turkey


• london broil


• top round


• turkey


• vinison


• bison


• tofu

Fatty foods (use in small portions):

• Sunflower butter


• all natural peanut butter


• avocado


• walnut


• cashews


• almonds


• nut meal/flour


• coconut


• seeds


• salmon


• mussels


• bluefin tuna


• bluefish


• sea bass


• trout

Today I feel....

Today, I am feeling a bit discouraged with my fitness journey. It's probably mostly my hormones talking here and in a few days things will look differently. I am reassuring myself that's all it is because it seems to be a monthly occurrence.  If you are a woman, you know what I'm talking about! :) lol In addition to that, I have some heavy, sensitive life things to deal with and that compounds these feelings. This is LIFE, though, and it's not just happening to me.

I tend to want to throw in the towel if I don't see the progress at which I am working hard. To be honest this last year has been the toughest for me on all levels. Newly married, merging family dynamics and expectations of others, dealing with the overwhelming life changes from repetitive stress injuries to both my arms - the subsequent weight gain from minimal use of my arms - the constant search for an answer for recovery over the last 12 months and the decision to quit my job as a last ditch effort to focus on healing and health.  I can only do so much as my strength regains slowly and my joints recover. There are days I just want to push myself SO hard but I know I can't. I must take it slowly or jeopardize what progress I have managed to come by. This all before me, I found myself reminding me  to stay focused and encouraged. I wanted to share this experience with others because I know I am not alone.  This is a journey and sometimes it can be a long one, it can be a trying one and we need all the encouragement we can get!

Here is what I told myself.

"It's a process. It takes time. Each decision, workout, and step-forward is important. It is NOT wasted. It counts! Be proud of yourself. Be proud of the progress and the mindset change so far. This may take 6 months and it may take 12 months. Stay faithful. Stay consistent. Results will come. Don't rush it. Enjoy this journey. Your health and well-being is more important than the time this will take. Breath. Keep on keeping on. You are not alone. "

 

If you are in need of encouragement today, remind yourself of the above. Be proud of yourself. Be proud that you withstood even the naysayers and the disappointment of the ones you hoped would enthusiastically support you but didn't.  You have come so far and you will go farther! :) You can do this!

If this is just the beginning for you, know that your decision alone to commit to health and fitness is commendable. You have a whole slew of people working toward the same goal. Find them, connect and encourage one another!

 

Rachel