Training Tuesday - Wall Sit

It's time to build up our leg muscles, specifically - the quadriceps.

The wall sit (sometimes referred to as the Roman chair) is a great exercise to strengthen the quadriceps and build endurance in the lower body. All done, while not moving!



This is a static exercise (non-moving) with a focus on a isometric contraction (muscle fibers are contracted but not moving). This is important because this is how we increase our strength but mostly, how we begin to build endurance.

For individuals with knee problems, this is a great alternative to a full range squat or lunge. For first timers working out, this is great to get your alignment down properly before doing a squat on your own.

How to do a proper wall sit:


Stand with your feet hip width apart, a few inches in front of you and your back against the wall.
Keep the shoulder blades and hips pressed against the wall as you begin to slide the body down into a squat position.
As you squat down, your feet will move out far enough that the ankles stay just below your knee joint. If your knee is above your toes, you have come too far.
Ideally, you want to come down enough so your hips and your knees form a 90 degree angle. (beginners may want to decrease that a little bit, 45-80 degrees)


Some people prefer to have their hands on the side of their hips. Others press palms against the wall behind them. You can also have them raised in front of you or even above your head. All these variations will increase or decrease the intensity level of the squat by adding more muscle work to other parts of your body which in turn make the whole body work more. Get creative with your wall sit!



How long do you want to hold the position?
If it's your first time EVER doing any exercise, try for 10 - 15 seconds.
If you're not new to exercise but this is your first time doing this, try for 30+ seconds.
As you get stronger, add 5-10 seconds to the hold to keep up with your increasing endurance levels!

Modification

For those coming from an injury, especially in the low back, may want to modify this movement. Place an exercise ball between your back and the wall. Use the ball as your wall support instead. This will help position the back in a way so that it is more supported and you should be able to do the wall sit normally.



If you have painful knees, don't sit down as low as 90 degrees. Keep it just under that to keep pressure off the knee joint. If pain persists, stop doing this exercise and consult your physician immediately.

Until next time Team, keep working on those killer legs--shorts season is upon us!
Health respect & happiness,
Beki

Mommy Monday: A "Weighty" Issue

As you finish your first plate of food, has this occurred to you: "I'm eating for two, I should go for seconds, or even thirds!"?
I'm sure it has, if not - there will be a friend or family member who will make this claim for you. This statement needs to be carefully looked at.
First, it's true, you are eating for two in that all your food choices with directly affect your growing baby. But, it's false, in that you are eating for two grown adults, so no, you shouldn't be packing it in like it's your last meal. Remember, your baby is barely a quarter of your size.

"How Much Weight Should I Gain?"

You must understand that everybody is different. The rate and speed will vary from person to person so just because you're two best friends gained all their weight at the very end, doesn't necessarily mean you will too. Here is what's recommended for most healthy women:

Underweight (Below 90% of desirable weight)
Suggested Gain: 28-40 lbs
Weekly Gain in 2nd & 3rd trimesters: > 1 lb

Normal weight
Suggested Gain: 25 - 35 lbs
Weekly Gain in 2nd & 3rd trimesters: .8 - 1 lb

Moderately overweight (More than 120-135% of desirable weight)
Suggested Gain: 15 - 25 lbs
Weekly Gain in 2nd & 3rd trimesters: .7 lb

Very overweight (More than 135% of desirable weight)
Suggested Gain: 15 - 20 lbs
Weekly Gain in 2nd & 3rd trimesters: .5 lb

Keep in mind, these are just guidelines. There will be special cases where women will need to gain more, or less for some others. For example, a women carrying twins will need to gain about 35-45 lbs. Your doctor should be able to give you advice on your own weighty issue.



So, Where Does The Extra Weight Go?

Here is a little breakdown:
Baby: 7-8 lbs
Placenta: 1-2 lbs
Amniotic fluid: 1 1/2-2 lbs
Uterine tissue: 2 lbs
Breast tissue: 1-2 lbs
Fluid volume: 6-10 lbs
Fat: 6+ lbs
Total: 25-35 lbs

Next time, we'll look at some nutritional requirements needed to help you stay on top of your game during this journey!

Health respect & happiness,

beki

Training Tuesday - Happy Planking!

Want to know one of my most favorite exercises that I use on clients that combine functionality and full body strength?

I will call it The Plank. But it has also been referred to as the hover.

Most commonly used as a core exercise, The Plank goes beyond just your stomach muscles.
Hovering on such small platforms (your limbs), balance comes into play, forcing the stabilizing muscles to hold the body in place.
Upper body strength is key while you focus on placing a majority of the weight above the waistline and keeping the proper alignment of shoulder to elbow joint.
Lower body doesn’t rest either as the thigh muscles are contracted to keep the legs straight behind you and the hips neutral.

There is A LOT going on with just one exercise!

Just a few variations out there:

Elbow Plank/Hover



High Push-up Plank/Hover


(Modified version with knees down)


Side Plank




Key things to remember:
Proper alignment of shoulder to elbow (to wrist) joint.
Keep shoulders relaxed, and away from the ears.
Pull core muscles (bellybutton) in towards the spine to keep muscles contracted and away from pooching.
Neutral hips (parallel to the floor).
Contract leg muscles.
BREATHE!!!!

Challenge:
Once you can hold and maintain The Plank for a minimum of 60 seconds, you can start to crank your program up a notch with some different variations like The Plank with Alternate Leg Extensions, Side Plank with Side Crunch, Elbow to Hand Walking Plank…etc. The possibilities are endless!

Until next time Team,
Crank up that Core with Some Plank Exercises!

Beki

Warning Wednesday: Not all organics are made the same

Read on and figure out to decipher the organic label code.

When can you use the “USDA Organic” seal?
You must meet the USDA’s minimum requirements. All USDA Organic formulas must consist of at least 95% organically certified ingredients (excluding water and salt). Any remaining ingredients must be approved as organic compliant as defined by the USDA. Terms used on labels include “Organic” or “100 percent organic” if 100% of ingredients are organically certified. The USDA Organic seal may appear on product packages and in advertisements.

Any product labeled as organic must identify each organic ingredient in the ingredient list on the label. In addition, the name of the certifying agent must be displayed.

Are there other organic ingredient options?
Yes, products may be labeled “made with organic ingredients”. To qualify, products must contain at least 70% organic ingredients. The percentage of organic content and the certifying agent seal may be used on the “face panel” of the label only. In this situation, the USDA seal cannot be used anywhere on the package.

If a product contains less than 70 % organic ingredients, the specific organic ingredients can be listed as such in the ingredients statement on the information panel only.

Are the requirements for organic certification uniform around the globe?
Requirements for certification vary from country to country, and generally include production standards that encompass growing, storage, processing, packaging and shipping. Any business in the food production chain can be certified. These businesses include seed suppliers, farmers, food processors, retailers, and restaurants. In the United States the governing organization is the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Until next time Team, just because it says it is 'organic', doesn't necessarily mean that it entirely is.
Health Respect & Happiness,
Beki

Training Tuesday - Increase your G-flux

I just read a great article on something called "G-flux". I am re-posting most of the content for you to read. Following these simple concepts will really help with your training and the prize for all your efforts? Increase in metabolic rate which means more calories burnt, win win!

Read on Team!

If you've never heard of G-flux, here's a simple formula for increasing it: Eat more; exercise more. Sounds pretty simple, but let's take a deeper look.

Exercise increases metabolism. Eating increases metabolism. The trick is learning to balance the two so that you still create a negative calorie balance.

Let's back up real quick.

Sendentary people (folks who just sit around and don't exercise) have painfully slow metabolisms. This is due to many hormonal factors resulting from a lack of exercise along with the fact that these individuals never really "teach" their body to burn additional calories.

Likewise, chronic dieters share the same plight. When you chronically under-eat, metabolism shuts down as a starvation protection mechanism and the oh-so-slow metabolism blues start a-playin'.

On the contrary, exercise and eating are metabolism boosters. That being said, it's not very likely that eating more by itself will ever do wonders for your fat loss goals.

But when you combine eating more with a high caloric burn via exercise you get the best of both worlds.

For example, let's say your basal metabolic rate allows you to burn 2000 calories a day. Knowing this, you go on a diet and begin eating 1500 calories a day, putting you 500 calories in the hole. Now, on the surface a 500 calorie deficit would appear to be a good thing, but unfortunately you've done your metaoblism NO favors here. In fact, under-eating only decreases metabolism with each passing day.

So, "dieting" is not the method of choice for creating a calorie deficit.

Now let's take a similar scenario. You burn 2000 calories a day, but instead of "dieting" you start eating 300 calories MORE each day and you also burn 800 extra calories through exercise. The result? The SAME 500 calorie deficit (2800 calories burned, 2300 calories consumed) but you do so while increasing your metabolism through eating and exercising more.

That's the power of G-flux. Apply the concept and watch your metabolism skyrocket.

Until next time Team, keep revving up that metabolism!
Health respect & happiness,
Beki