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Tuesday, January 17, 2012

5 Tips to Grasp a Better Body!


Sorry for the lack of updates - although it is not uncommon to find someone in the health industry busy around this time. I cannot complain though - I am working on quite a few things coming up this year that I am excited to roll out with clients! Without further adieu - a new post!

Have you ever tried to hold on to a barbell with 1 finger? Were you successful? Chances are slim… but the more fingers you can wrap around a barbell the more successful you will be. The same goes for you achieving a better, more healthful body. The more comprehensive your approach is, the easier it is to obtain and maintain.

Sleep like you need it.
Eat like it’s your job.
Lift like no one is watching.
Recover like you’re 85 years old.
Rest like you want to.

Sleep – “Without enough sleep, we all become tall two-year-olds” –JoJo Jensen.  If you didn’t know already, getting adequate sleep has numerous benefits besides feeling absolutely amazing! Not getting enough sleep can lead to diabetes, altering hunger hormones (making you feel more hungry than you really are – hello unwanted fat gain) and probably the most shocking fact, not sleeping will kill you quicker than not eating! So get at least 7 hours of sleep, if not 8 – your body AND mind will thank me.

Eat – I think that food quality is tremendously more important than food quantity. Our bodies are designed very intricately – on a cellular level – to process things like nutrients, vitamins and minerals to help recover, repair and rebuild tissues and the likes. Many people are plagued with food sensitivities/allergies (dairy, soy, gluten, etc) that can stall fat-loss, hinder muscle-gain and make you feel like absolute dog doo-doo. So eat like you’re being paid to do so – focus on proteins (meats), complex carbs (vegetables, not “whole grains”) and super fats (coconut oil, avocados, animal fats)! Oh, and visit the farmers market to support local farms and reap the great benefits (future article)!

Lift – “Muscular definition is the absence of fat around a well-developed muscle.” Fixing your nutritional habits and eating patterns will surely take care of a majority of fat-loss. Unfortunately, your muscles need a little more stimulus than just cooking and creating stellar meals in the kitchen (Oh, how I wish that wasn’t true!). So lift some heavy weights (properly please!!) and challenge the muscles to grow! Some sprints or metabolic work should complement this but not take up a majority of your time. Sprinter vs. Marathon Runner in terms of physique – Sprinter wins!

Recover – Foam roller. Tennis Balls. Lacrosse Balls. Tiger Tail/The Stick. PVC pipe. There are endless apparatus’ to use in order to separate the muscle from the fascia (which runs the entire length of your body), so please take some time out of your week to give your body some love. Warm-up properly before you lift, static stretch after your work-out and at the very least when you watch T.V. do some foam rolling/soft tissue work to keep your body feeling GREAT. We aren’t getting biologically younger so build your temple and give it some love so you can workout at the same intensity as when you are 85!

Rest – For the most part we could all use a day of rest – Agreed? If you wake up feeling like a hundred bucks, or even a thousand instead of a million, do yourself a favor and rest. Focus on your eating and then get at it the next day. The squat rack will still be there, most treadmills will be working ;-), and everyone will be stoked to see you! Don’t be a hero – leave the ego at the door and give your body adequate rest so that your muscles can recover and feel great – think of overwatering a plant.. too much is a bad thing right? I’m no green thumb but you need more than just some water to get a plant to grow. Bad example but you get my point.

If you have any questions or need more information, please feel free to contact me anytime. I’m here to help!


In optimal health,


SMS