Season's Greetings

The holiday season is as much a time to celebrate as it is to reflect back on the year that was. For those people who are going in the right direction and are happy keep doing what you're doing. But for any individuals out there who may be feeling a bit down or underwhelmed by what you're currently doing I say take heed, perhaps I can help give you some perspective. 

I too would always get down on what I'd currently be doing. Saying I'm not doing enough or not trying hard enough. When I would step back and look at the year as a whole I would feel very differently. 

"We overestimate what we can accomplish in a day and underestimate what we can accomplish in a year"

So cut yourself some slack if you can honestly say you've moved forward this year. If you've checked something off your lifetime to-do list or started on the path to something bigger and better; you're set up to succeed in 2017. We all want to rush to the end, to the diploma or the lofty retirement when we should enjoy the process of getting there as much if not more than actually getting there. 

I am constantly grateful for all the down times because without that I would never full appreciate where I am and never forget where I was. This holiday season I fill myself with gratitude and appreciation for everything I have.

I don't need anything

Exercise Breakdown: Band Pullapart

This is one of my go-to movements for teaching good upper body posture and is a great  exercise to improve cuff strength. 

It however is often done incorrectly and for high volumes at that! 

The two biggest mistakes are:

Viewed from the front the person looks okay, but stand to the side and you see them in a ton of extension. 

Viewed from behind at the shoulder blades, you shouldn't see excessive scapular retraction. The movement doesn't have the person moving much past neutral and should mostly be the ball moving on the socket in the shoulder. 

Here you want to get them into a neutral spine throughout the movement.

An easy way to fix this is to perform them supine over a foam roller or half foam roller if available. The roller helps keep your back neutral and as an added bonus gives you feedback about the second issue of being overly aggressive with retracting the scapula.

When you see the shoulder blades pinching aggressively together it doesn't sync the shoulder blade and the humerus which can lead to dysfunctional movement patterns and muscle recruitment. 

You ideally want to separate the motion at the humerus before the scapula moves at the end. If you don't feel it burning (mostly) behind the shoulders, you're not doing it right. 

Day in the Life

Question: "I'm an aspiring trainer getting my certification and have been following you for some time now on social media. I was wondering what's a day like for you?"

My day often beings anywhere from 5am to 6:30am where I roll out of bed and make the same breakfast I've had for years.

3 eggs, 2 pieces of toast and 14oz black coffee pour over. While eating I'll answer any e-mails or I'll study for 25 minutes.

After I get cleaned up and changed I head out to the gym for my morning sessions. While in the car I no longer listen to music instead I'll have on a podcast or a book from audible. This is the plan so long as I don't carry a passenger where I'll play music and not subject them to my books and podcasts.

My morning's fluctuate from one client to as many as four depending on the day. Most mornings I'm free after 10am where I get to workout about 90 minutes. If I don't have any clients immediately after I will head home to eat lunch and get some work done on my computer.

This work ranges from:

• Creating content
• Outlining posts for all social media platforms for the week and what needs to be documented for them
• More Reading/watching a video on whatever it is I'm currently studying
• Programming
• Recipe testing
• Research for future business development

If I have any time before I have to get cleaned up and head back out to work I'll try to bask in my cats love or lack thereof. 

They love me...I think

I'll usually start working with clients about 3:30-5pm until about 8:30-9:30pm again depending on the day. I'll slumber home and warm up my dinner which I've usually prepped ahead of time. I'll put it in the microwave for 3-4 minutes while I shower. Again bask in my cats love before doing little more work again on the computer or study for 30-40 minutes. In bed by 10-10:30pm.

Lather, rinse, repeat the next day.

Food is Not Fuel

"Gotta get you calories in! Food is fuel, gotta keep it up. Your body is like a car, keep it filled with gas and you're good to go!" - Overheard at the gym

When you treat food as simply fuel, calories, or energy you will miss out on a much larger picture about what food really is.

*Food Provides Micronutrients

For example Calcium helps:

• build bones,
• clot blood,
• regulate blood pressure,
• keep our muscles and heart pumping, and
• maintain cell communication.

Magnesium plays a role in more than 300 enzyme systems and helps with:

• protein synthesis,
• muscle and nerve function,
• blood sugar control,
• blood pressure regulation,
• energy production, and
• transport of other minerals.

Folate (vitamin B9) helps:

• convert food into energy,
• the nervous system (including the brain) function,
• tissues grow
• red blood cell production.

None of these aforementioned nutrients provide fuel for the body because if you're missing key nutrients or vitamins in your diet your body won't work the way it's supposed to. 

Food Provides Phytochemicals

These are chemicals found in plants such as flavonoids, phenolic acid and stilbenes/lignans.   Some of the most well known phytochemicals are found in soy, teas, and berries. These nutrients have been known to:

• offer DNA protection against free radicals,
• protect against cancer,
• decrease risk of heart disease, and
• reduce overall mortality.

All these chemicals do a lot but one thing that it doesn't do is provide the body with only fuel for energy. 

Our bodies have priorities and will extract nutrients by any means necessary to keep you alive, even at the expense of your muscles! I'm sorry does your car catabolize it's own headlights to keep you driving when you're low on gasoline? The human body unlike a machine is a constantly evolving living organism. And as such is infinitely more complicated than a car will ever be. Cars are jealous of humans. 

Food as a Chef

As someone who has cooked professionally and stood for hours to provide customers with quality food I take the idea that food is only fuel with some offense. To some food means so much more than calories, carbs, fats and proteins. Food tells the world a story offering insight about you as a person. A parent cooks because they love being a provider for their children and spouse. For many food can be an outlet for creativity and without it they would wither away in a cubicle. To many on social media food is a status symbol of being "cool" because they had an opportunity to dine at the newest hipster foodie restaurant. Food is an adventure, because you get to try something once when you're traveling. Food is a social magnet for friends and families where you gather together and break bread with people you love. Where you get your food tells the world you care about supporting local small family run farms. 

So tell me again how food is ONLY fuel for your body?

*From Precision Nutrition

Exercise Breakdown: One Arm KB Racked Carry

The one arm kettle bell racked carry is a favorite of mine for a few reasons. As is with all loaded carries, they're a core endurance exercise you can't cheat on. This version also helps to lock in the proper core position: THINK: Neutral, Brace, and Breathe. 

HOW TO:

1. Choose a kb and lift it up to the rack position at a shoulder. 

2. Positioning should be:

• Elbow packed down by the body
• Kettle bell resting into your body
• Wrist neutral
• Thumb into your collarbone

3. Walk down in a controlled manner focusing on not swaying or leaning. Don't forget to switch sides. 

NOTES

• The unilateral loading like in a suitcase carry will force you to stabilize the body and not allow it to lean away. 
• Don't stick your arm straight out to your side, it defeats the purpose of the exercise by helping to "balance" yourself out. 
• Instead make a fist and simply keep your arm down by your side. 
• This is a great go-to move for anyone with rotator cuff issues as it is a huge isometric loaded move. You feel all the muscles in the shoulder working without having to move your arm anywhere.
• Work up alternating between simple one way trips and lightening up the load and performing one side for multiple trips or even for timed sets building up endurance in the shoulder.