Let's talk about Muscle Irradiation.
This is why we create that...
A peek inside the KB Collabs program.
The current 4 month block that my group folks are working through is focused on both POWER and BALANCE.
We're in the first month- and we starting off strong as we always do.
Because even though this is a non diet training program, that doesn't means we don't train hard.
It's just our focus is different.
We honor not just our food needs and desires, but our energy and mental health needs.
All without focusing on aesthetics or changing the magic that is our unique selves.
And we always have a purpose and a goal.
It just doesn't have anything to do with how we look, and everything to do with how we feel.
DOORS OPEN AGAIN IN MAY 2023. QUESTIONS? Email me at: [email protected]
Sharing a swing variation- 2 of 3 that we worked on this month- that builds power, strength, and works on balance.
The second variation that you see adds some glute and quad strength, while opening up that hip and increasing range of motion in your ankles.
Want...
Working Out and Training aren't the same thing.
EXERCISING is done for the sake of exercising.
It's often done with the purpose of sweating, burning calories, or getting sore.
Exercises are usually random and mixed up without a plan.
TRAINING is a plan created with a specific goal in mind.
It has structure- exercises are selected with purpose and with specific progressions in mind...
There's no randomness in training.
You may or may not actually break a sweat- you may or may not get sore.
There's a bigger picture and a longer plan in place.
Here’s the thing- all movement is good! If you like doing an app workout here or drop-in class there, if walking is your thing or dance class is where you’re happiest- you do you.
Finding what you enjoy and what fits your life is the whole point.
And.
If you workout and find yourself getting injured frequently, if you aren't noticing improvements in certain movements…
If you’re dealing with pain in your shoulder or back and...
The Mental Health Benefits of Training
I rely HEAVILY on routines to manage my anxiety- and that includes following a predictable strength program that allows me to see progress with consistency.
We don’t talk enough about the ways in which training benefits those of us who deal with anxiety and depression.
Following a routine of movement alone promotes everything from better sleep to improved feelings of well being (and we all know what sleep deprivation does for our mental state ).
Following a training program?
Besides all the things I listed above, it’s lovely to have one less thing to think through, to have to decide what’s next.
Because every decision you have to make will add some amount of stress to your life (and all those tiny decisions ADD UP to people who deal with anxiety).
And that familiarity that comes with knowing your routine? It’s pretty damn soothing if you ask me.
The longer you stick with a program, the more dialed in you become to what’s being asked of your body, the easier it...
When you don't diet, your cravings look different.
There’s so much noise when it comes to what we should eat, how to move, what it means to be ‘healthy’.
Most of it just blocks your body’s internal signals, its’ innate awareness of what makes you feel good and what doesn’t.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…
No one feels good eating pizza all the damn time.
But the diet industry makes you think that if you allow yourself to eat how you want, you’ll do is eat pizza all the damn time.
Nope.
Yes, there’s a process to undoing what diet culture has taught us for our entire lives.
And it might take a long curvy road to get there.
But getting to the other side means a healthier and more enjoyable life than letting the scale determine your next meal.
(This post does not reflect the needs of those humans who follow a diet for diagnosed medical conditions)
The Kettlebell Eccentric Swing- benefits and details.
All swing variations are ballistic moves- meaning they use multiple muscles and joints to both generate power and absorb it.
In a traditional Russian KB Swing, power is generated from the back body to get the bell up to a weightless position, and then the power is absorbed in the downswing.
With the eccentric swing, it becomes both a ballistic and plyometric move, in part because we don't allow the bell to reach weightlessness.
We build even more power by sending the bell down with force at the top of the swing. This movement mimics the effects of a plyometric jump, where we absorb power when we land on our feet. In this type of swing, we're absorbing the shock of the bell when it's at the top. The more power we use to push the bell down, the greater the plyometric effect.
This is a fun variation with lots of gains- but comfort and confidence with a traditional KB swing is required before trying this variation.
Here's the details of how to...
Weight loss isn't a behavior, it's an outcome.
An outcome that can happen for a million different reasons.
Some of the most common ones?
-Death
-Divorce
-Cancer
-Stress
-Autoimmune Disorders
-Undernourishment (purposeful or not)
-Depression
Less common reasons for weight loss:
-Seeing a therapist
-Increasing your vegetable intake
-Exercising more
-Getting more sleep
Healing your disordered eating
Research has continually proven there is no safe, sustainable way to lose weight. And those that DO lose weight intentionally, 80% plus will regain that weight and more within 2 years.
And that lose/gain cycle is more harmful to a person’s health- everything from an increase in heart disease to a higher mortality rate overall- than just staying the same weight.
If you're privileged enough to do so, you can change your habits to improve your health- like the ones listed above.
But weight loss?
Not a healthy habit you can create.
And more often than not, it's an outcome you have no control over.
Take the picture.
I recently came across this pic from December 11 years ago, and it made me sad.
Sad because it’s probably 1 of maybe 3 pictures of me pregnant- and I don’t think I have a single one from my first pregnancy with my daughter.
Sad because I focused so much more on what I DIDN’T like about my body back then, instead of what it was amazingly and incredibly creating.
Sad because although I didn’t enjoy being pregnant (like AT ALL), it was a really special time for my husband and I. Especially that first pregnancy that was a struggle to create, when it was just us and we had no idea how our lives would change.
Sad because the woman behind the camera is gone now, and although I have so many pics of her and her grandbabies, I have so few of her and I during these times. Of the memories of how much she loved both me and these kids, from the very moment they were created.
All that to say...
Take the pic.
Body image messes with you, makes you believe...
There's a better question to ask than...
It's this:
How many days can you commit to?
Then adjust your expectations accordingly.
Something you’ll always hear me talk about is reps on reps.
You get good at doing the thing by doing the thing. Repetition and consistency is the key to building strength, to being able to move with less restrictions and achiness, and to see measurable change.
And.
Real life will tell you that there will be times when you can give lots of time to your training… and then times when you’re lucky if you lift one day a week.
That’s how life goes (and thankfully, you’ve got all of it to do this fitness thing).
You won’t always be living ‘best case scenario’, where you can train 2-3 times a week. And get the results that consistency like that will bring you.
When you can get in a session a week (or less)? Accept that you won’t be progressing the same- and really, truly know that that’s fine.
And just part of the...
What makes my group program different.
Of course I’m coaching to make sure everything feels safe and right for each of my people during these sessions…
But I also love when a kid joins us to (Hiiii O!), or when a pet walks right in front of the camera and then plops down in the middle of their owners mat.
Being a coach is a human experience, one that involves supporting clients in their lives outside of their weekly workouts.
Because fitness doesn’t happen inside a vacuum. And life can be one big barrier to fitness if you don’t have the tools and support to make it work for you.
I’m opening up applications early this time around- December 19th. They’ll stay open until the 30th. New members will have an easy intro week- you’ll be assigned a FOUNDATIONAL MOVEMENT PATTERN workout, and you’ll have time to read through all the things and get familiar with program. First live workout of 2023 will be on January 9th at 9am PT.
Author
Gretchen
Coach
Growing up I was a half-hearted athlete who struggled with my relationship with both food and exercise. I smoked for over a decade and spent much of my youth either binging or not eating at all. But after breaking my leg in a car accident, months of physical rehab and years of psychological counseling lead me to a renewed appreciation for my health and my ability to just move-something I'll never take for granted again. I overcame a lot and have spent much of my life sharing what I've learned. I became a NASM personal trainer over 16 years ago. The type of clients I've trained and my own personal interests lead me to attain many other certifications. These include Sports Specific and Orthopedic exercise specializations, Pre and Post Natal exercise, MMA conditioning, and ACE Mind Body Specializations. I've taken 2 TRX qualifying courses in general and functional fitness. I am Kettlebell certified through both NETA and Kettlebell Kings, also completing an independent study facilitated by Steve Cotter, founder of the International Kettlebell and Fitness Federation. I am also a certified Animal Flow Instructor. In the fall of 2021, I became a Certified Intuitive Eating Facilitator, as IE was integral to my own ability to divest from diet culture. I think this was the missing piece to be able to put together a holistic, meaningful training program for all my clients.
