351/365 Pantless Yoga

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

Okay that was a trick, welcome to today's post! My point is just that you can be a yogi without the yoga pants (though, let's be real, yoga pants are just the best). Yoga means union; it's a union of the mind, body, spirit, and breath. There are a 196 yogi-isms known as Yoga Sutras (threads). I've been practicing yoga for about 3 years but I never learned about these until about 3 months ago. The meaning of my practice has definitely changed since I have a better understanding of the fundamentals. I'm going to try to do the same for you.

The main principals of yoga are the practice of maintaining a state of tranquility and non-attachment to fears, insecurities, etc. So what does that have to do with the up dogs, down dogs, and holding Warrior 2 for what feels like eternity? We do those yoga poses to bring awareness to our bodies and how our breath moves us through each pose. By focusing on our bodies, we can let go of all the chatter in our minds and anything weighing on our hearts. The goal is for your mind to be clear and to focus only on your breathing by the time you get to shavasana. This is a difficult task especially after just one session; that's why it's called a practice. You are constantly trying to get yourself to that state of ease and peace. With diligence, it's possible!

Back to the title, you don't need to wear yoga pants or be in a yoga studio to achieve a yogi state of mind. Breathing is at the very heart of yoga and you can (and should) do it everywhere. Here's a breathing exercise you can do to clear your mind and burn some calories (breathing deeply burns calories!):

1. Put one hand on your belly and one hand at the base of your ribs.
2. When you inhale, fill your belly first with air, then your ribs, then your chest.
3. When you exhale, release from your chest, ribs, and belly.
4. Repeat until you feel zen-ed out

Move your hand from your belly to your chest then back to your belly so you can feel your breath move within you as you inhale and exhale. It may help to close your eyes to focus. You can literally do this anywhere and practice your yoga. I was in the shower and felt really stressed out. I did my three-part breath, taking in the scent of my soap and letting the hot water wash away my troubles. After a few rounds I felt better and ready to step out into the real world again.

I understand that yoga classes aren't for everyone but I do think that everyone can benefit from taking time for yourself to breathe deeply. There are so many beautiful aspects to yoga. As I grow deeper in my practice, I'll be sure to share them with you. Please share any questions or comments you have!

In health,
Lauren

342/365 Back in the Saddle Again (plus a plug for TRX)

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

Remember that one time when I totally stopped writing in my blog back in June? I almost forgot too! Well, our lives are cyclical and I do believe I got slightly burnt out from my (nearly) daily blogging routine. Alas I have returned! As with our healthy lifestyles, sometimes we have to take a break and get back in the saddle again. I'm going to finish out these last 33 posts and perhaps beyond at my leisure. This way I don't get burnt out and your Facebook feed won't blow up with my postings.

On to the plug for the TRX Suspension Trainer...

This is a great system that I've only gotten to play around with recently. It's a super simple training tool that, with creativity (and the help of youtube videos) allows you to work nearly every muscle group in less than 15 minutes. The TRX Suspension Trainer is a rope with handles, foot holds, and clasps to adjust the length of the rope. You can clip it around a sturdy bar and off you go!

Some fun stuff you can do are:
Assisted pull ups
Push ups
Bicep curls
Rows
Tricep extensions
Shoulder (posterior and frontal) raises
Pikes, planks, and mountain climbers

Do that three times around and you will be drenched in sweat. I can say that because I've done it and was spent by the end.

In health,

Lauren

PS: I hope you didn't miss me too much  :)

326/365 Naughty Abs

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

This effective abs exercise is brought to you by Shaun T's Insanity. Work your shoulders, core, and more to get great abs. I suppose you could also consider this a functional exercise.

1. Start in your high plank position, hands under the shoulders, legs straight back behind you.
2. With your body planted in position, think about your pelvis. Using your abdominals, tilt your pelvis up towards your belly button.
3. Return to your starting position and repeat.

This is a very small movement but I guarantee that after 5 or 6, you'll start to feel it. Keep pressing your palms into the floor to keep your shoulders nice and strong and not hunched and sloppy.

In health,

Lauren

311/365 Pilates: a Core Exercise

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

Once upon a day in November I wrote about Pilates. Here is a core exercise from Pilates you can mix into your abdominals routine.

1. Start by laying down on your back. Press your lower back into the floor by tucking your tailbone under you. Extend your legs and arms straight up. Lift your shoulders off the floor.
2. Lower your legs down to about 45 degrees while making a circle with your arms. Start with arms straight out, over your head, and around to your sides.
3. Finish the move by tucking your knees in and touching your hands to your ankles.

In health,

Lauren

309/365 Strengthen Your Core with Good Form

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

Lots of people have asked me about exercises for your core. While there are tons of exercises out there, the most important thing that I've found is that good form usually means that you will also be working your abs.

Our trunk keeps us balanced. Raise your arms up by your sides so that they are parallel to the floor. Now, keep your arms straight and quickly clap your hands together. Bring them back out. Did your core move? Did you lean back a little when you clapped and lean forward when you brought your arms out? Do it again but this time focus on not moving your trunk at all.

Ta da! You just did an ab exercise! Though this doesn't target your abs directly like a crunch would, it is a functional way to work your body. Take this focus on keeping your trunk steady into any exercise you do. Whether it's curls, rows, shoulder presses, lunges, whatever, make sure that your trunk is locked in place. It'll allow you to better target the muscle you are working on and strengthen your abs.

When you think about the muscle you are using to contract, you work harder. You will feel greater intensity in that muscle even if it's the same amount of weight you've been picking up and putting down.

In health,

Lauren

305/365 Cardio Bout: XC to Lunge Pulse

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

You know that I like inserting bouts of cardio moves during my strength training to boost my heart rate and burn a few more calories. Here's another one for you:

Part 1 - Cross Country in Place
- Start out with your right foot about a 1.5 feet in front of your left
- Keep your legs straight while hopping from right foot in front to left foot in front; pump the arms!
- It should look like the running man dance move with straight legs

Part 2 - Lunge Pulses
- Do 4 reps of part one on each side starting with your right foot in front
- With your right foot in front, perform 2 lunges by bending the left knee
- Repeat on the other side

Repeat Parts 1 and 2 one right after the other for a minute

In health,

Lauren

300/365 300 Workout in Honor of 300th Post

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

Wow! This is the 300th post! Can you believe we've come this far? Just 65 more beloved posts. This is quite possibly as exciting as Oprah's last episode. I jest!

In honor of the 300th post, here is the work out that the guys from the movie 300 used to get ripped and ready:
Pullups - 25 reps

Deadlifts with 135 lbs - 50 reps
Pushups - 50 reps
24-inch box jumps - 50 reps
Floor wipers - 50 reps
Single-arm Clean-and-Press with 36 lbs Kettlebell - 50 reps
Pullups - 25 reps

The following video shows the order and a brief demonstration of the 300 work out.

Certainly this is a bit ambitious. Feel free to turn it down a notch. You could cut all the reps in half or modify the exercises to ones you are more comfortable with. The article in Men's Health Magazine that I got this from offer solutions. Have fun!

In health,

Lauren

285/365 Shoulder Work: Y-Press-Down

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

Here is that move I mentioned last post: Y-Press-Down. This is just a combination of different shoulder exercises all rolled into one. You can work all three heads of your deltoid in one fell swoop!

1. Start with knees softly bent. Raise arms up in front of you into the shape of a Y.
2. Bend and lower elbows down to a 90 degree angle. Press the arms up straight overhead.
3. Making a semi-circle, slowly bring the arms down to your sides.

To switch it up, you can repeat the exercise in reverse. Bring your arms up in a semi-circle, bend the elbows down to 90 degrees, press up in the shape of a Y, lower down in front of you.

In health,

Lauren

283/365 Spring Workout: Push Muscles

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

As promised, here are the exercises I used to work my pushing muscles; these are the pectoralis and triceps.

Tuesdays
Push ups on BOSU
Dumbbell fly on incline bench
Overhead cable extension
Dumbbell kickback on bench

Fridays
Bench press
Push ups on bench
Dips on bench
Tricep cable press down
Dumbbell fly on ball
Diamond push ups

As with the pull exercises, I started out with 2 sets of 10-12 reps and moved up to 3 sets the next week. After feeling comfortable with 12 reps, I moved up my weight.

I can definitely see a change in my muscle definition from these strength exercises and my weight loss. I know that I've lost 2.5lbs so far, looking to round it up to 3 by Monday. Next, legs, shoulders, and abs exercises...

In health,

Lauren

PS: If you have any questions about any of the exercises I've listed, just let me know so I can make a handy dandy Paint illustration.

282/365 Spring Workout: Pull Muscles

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

I'm very excited for next Wednesday when I get to measure my girth, body fat %, and weight! Until then, here are the two pulling muscle workouts that I used on Mondays and Thursdays. Remember, pull muscles include your trapezius, rhomboids, latissimus dorsi, posterior deltoid, biceps, pronators, and supinators.

Mondays
Seated rows
Single arm dumbbell rows on bench
One legged posterior deltoid flys
Bow pulls with cable (pretend like you are pulling a bowstring back)
Hammer curl (thumbs point up)

Thursdays
Lat pull downs
Squatting rows (use a cable)
Pronated Curls (thumbs point inwards)
Posterior deltoid flys on ball

When I first started out, I was only doing 2 sets of 8-15. The next week I progressed to 3 sets of 10-12. Once I felt comfortable doing 12 and felt like I could do more after, I moved my weight up. Next, the push muscle exercises...

In health,

Lauren

254/365 Rows on a Ball

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

As you may have caught on, I like doing rows of every kind. This one is particularly cool because you're not standing or sitting, you're balancing on a ball!

Here's how to do it:
1. Select a balance ball that is a little bit taller than your knee. You don't want a ball too big or else it'll be more of a lower back exercise than an upper back exercise simply because of the way you'll have to position the ball.
2. Put your dumbbells of choice in front of the ball to keep the ball from rolling.
3. Roll onto the ball so that your tummy is supported and your toes are touching the floor.
4. Grab onto your weights, keep your back engaged, and row! Pretend there's a ball on your spine and you've got to squeeze it with your shoulder blades.

In health,

Lauren

253/365 Hold it Right There

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

This was suggested to me by a friend. In order to pick up the intensity of your weight lifting and really test your anaerobic system (the one for creating a lot of power quickly) is to hold your contractions. For example, if you're doing 12 reps of an overhead press, hold your arms up straight in the air for an additional 10-30s. You could also try holding your arms when they are shoulder level.

I did this in my workout today and really enjoyed that extra burn and challenge. To start out, I would recommend only holding the position on the last set of your exercise so that you don't get too burnt out. Remember to drink that protein after you finish!

In health,

Lauren

252/365 Hardcore Parkour

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

The following video is not parkour.


According to American Parkour, "parkour is the physical discipline of training to overcome any obstacle within one's path by adapting one's movements to the environment." Safety is one of the most important things about training for parkour. It's not meant to be a way for people to show off or try something stupid. It's about practice, discipline, and knowing your limits.

I'm writing this blog because a friend Brian has been doing parkour for about a year and loves it. It's a great work out that requires you to have immense control over your body for jumping, running, hanging, etc. If you've seen Casino Royale, remember the guy at the beginning that James Bond is chasing; I believe you could call that parkour.

The American Parkour website should be able to direct you to a parkour facility near you. If there was one near me, I would definitely give it a shot. When I get the chance, I'm going to visit my friend's gym where he started parkour training and now works.

In health,

Lauren

193/365 Circuit Training

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

Circuit training is a way of exercising your whole body in a fast-paced routine.

Most gyms have a section with weight machines that are numbered or are arranged close together in a circular or linear manner; this would be your circuit. To start, you would begin with the larger muscle machines, like the cable row or chest press. You would perform say 10 reps then move down the line, working your way to the smaller muscle machines, like the bicep curl or overhead press. This is just one kind of circuit.

Boot Camp classes sometimes run in circuits. You have several stations with different activities; you then work at each station for about a minute or so, then you move on to the next one. I've done a circuit with 4 stations (1 minute per station) where you run on the treadmill, do an ab exercise, do a leg exercise, then a balancing exercise. We repeated this 4 times then did another circuit with running plus 3 exercises for a total of 60 minutes. Phew! That was tough but very fun.

I encourage you to get with some friends, a personal trainer, or a group exercise class and try circuit training. It's exhausting but fun.

In health,

Lauren

186/365 Shoulders for Moving Stuff

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

As you may know, I have recently moved! I can feel it in my shoulders and trapezius muscles that I have.

The point of our muscles is to move our skeleton right? Well, when you lift things up, you should start off by using your legs to give you power. If you need to get the object above waist level, your legs aren't really going to cut it; you've got to use your shoulder and trapezius muscles! The trapezius is that giant kite shaped muscle you see in pictures at the gym. One of its major functions is to elevate the shoulder girdle, something you definitely do if you carry something up the stairs and you're on the bottom half.

An exercise to strengthen your trapezius is this:

1. Stand with feet shoulder width apart. Hold weights, palms facing you wherever your arms normally hang.
2. With your pelvis tucked in, pull the weights up along the front of your body until elbows are parallel to the ground.
3. Slowly return arms back down. Repeat.

Your shoulders will naturally come up when you do this but you don't need to go any farther than parallel to the ground.

Now, you can move from your house/apartment without fear that your shoulders will get sore!

In health,

Lauren

110/365 Total Body or Split Routine

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

There are a couple basic rules for strength and conditioning. Throughout the week I will post the other rules. Your first task is decide how many days/week you can go to the gym to lift weights.

The average person only needs to lift 2-4 days/week. If you are an athlete, you'll probably be working out 4-6 days/week. If you can do 2 or 3, you should probably approach weight lifting with your total body in mind. These exercise days could fall on a Monday and Thursday, a Tuesday and Friday, or MWF. When you do your total body, work your upper body, then lower body, upper, lower, etc. For example:
Total Body
- Lat Pull Downs
- Lunges
- Bench Press
- Leg Press, and so on

If you can do 3-4 days/week, you should do a split routine where you break up your muscle groups into agonists and antagonists. For example, an agonist muscle could be your biceps; your triceps would thus be your antagonists. As I've said, it's necessary to keep the strength of these muscles equal so that you are balanced. A work out like this could be:

 Split Routine Day 1 and 3
-  Lat Pull Downs
- Lunges
- Bicep Curls
- Leg Extensions

Split Routine Day 2 and 4
- Bench Press
- Squats
- Tricep Extension
- Leg Press

In this example, your muscles for pulling are in days 1/3 and your pushing muscles are in days 2/4. If you were to do a 3 days/week routine you could do pull muscles on day 1, push muscles on day 2, and legs on day 3. Don't forget about your shoulders and core!

In health,

Lauren