TRX: Part II

You know what I love about TRX? It's something different. Even if you love working out and do so often, we all need some variety to keep things interesting. I know I'm beating a dead-horse with this whole "variety" thing, but that should just go to show you how important it is to change up your exercise program. If you don't like TRX, no big deal, but at least you have given your brain and body something new to adapt to, even if it's just for one workout.

Even for the physically fit, there are some TRX exercises that can and will really challenge you. As an exercise veteran, this has been a breath of fresh air for me. We all need a little kick in the ass some times (in exercise and in life). TRX allows your body to move in ranges of motion that would be impossible otherwise. Working in these new ranges and planes of motion, allows your body to stay mobile and strong. Nothing exists in a straight line, so why should exercise?

Even "standard" exercises, like push-ups, are made different and more challenging when performed on the TRX straps. If you're at the point where you can do push-ups easily, then give it a whack on the TRX straps. Trust me: it won't be so easy anymore.
In case you were wondering, exercise is never supposed to be easy. That's kind of the point, y'all.

Anyway, I made another silly video to illustrate some of these points. I apologize for the small size of the video, my choices of video equipment are pretty limited.

TRX: Part 1

So what is this “TRX” thing? Not to be confused with a T-rex, this piece of workout equipment is far from extinct. The TRX is a set of straps with a single anchor point that can be used for hundred (yes, HUNDREDS) of exercises. Although the TRX trainer only weighs about 2 pounds, it out-weighs all other pieces of workout equipment in the gym. The TRX Suspension Trainer is the new stability ball…. But better.

Like the stability ball, TRX offers an element of instability that engages the core like nothing else can. As someone who has done a lot of working out over the years, I have to say that TRX has been the first thing in a good while that has really, truly challenged my core. Even exercises that are intended for upper body or lower body engage the core more effectively when performed on the TRX Suspension Trainer.

Okay, so I know I sound like an advertisement right now (believe it or not, TRX is not paying me for this post), but I just really believe in this method of training. First of all, TRX training is all bodyweight oriented, which is great news for your joints and muscles. After years of weight lifting, many people find themselves suffering from overuse injuries. Even at my young age, I have some knee issues that concern me. TRX challenges your strength without compromising your bodily health.

TRX also lends itself to super setting and circuit training. More and more research is coming out that supports what I’ve been saying for years: to see results (especially in losing belly fat) you MUST perform high-intensity intervals. Milling around the gym and chatting with your buddies is NOT going to give you the results you want. There is no substitute for hard work. Let me say that again: THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR HARD WORK. And TRX will challenge you, regardless of your fitness level.

If you’re still confused, check out this silly little video I made to get beginners started on TRX.

If you live in the Fredericksburg, VA area and are interested in training on the TRX Suspension Trainer, please contact me directly: abcrerie@gmail.com

No Equipment Workout

Here is a circuit-style workout you can do while you’re on vacation—no equipment required! It should take you less than an hour. Each circuit is three exercises, your objective is not to rest (or rest as little as possible) between the exercises. Once you have completed the circuit, take a 2 minute break before moving on to the next circuit. Then go back to the beginning and do the whole thing again!

1a.) Push-ups: 2 reps short of failure-- stop before you’re fully fatigued, but you should still “feel the burn.”
1b.) Prisoner Squats: As many as you can do in 1 minute.
1c.) Plank: Hold with abs braced for 1 minute.
 2 minute break.

2a.) Jump Squats: 12 (if you have knee problems, replace with chair squats)
2b.) Close-Grip Push-ups: 2 reps short of failure.
2c.) Jumping Jacks: 30 seconds.
 2 minute break.

3a.) Cross-Body Mt. Climbers: 12 on each side
3b.) Reverse Lunges: 12 on each side
3c.) Side Plank: 30 second hold on each side.
 2 minute break.

4a.) Burpees: 30 seconds
4b.) 1-Leg Hip Bridge: 30 second hold on each side
4c.) V-Outs: 30 seconds
 2 minute break, and return to beginning of workout. Complete one more time for a total of 2 sets of each circuit.

Bikini Panic

‘Tis the season, ladies (however, arguably men also experience “bikini panic”). What amuses me most about this phrase is the perfect word choice of “panic.” Suddenly, we are hyper-aware of our paleness, our jiggly bits, our six-pack-less-ness; and we are struck by a paradoxical desire to both go to the beach and enjoy the beautiful weather, and also to never wear a bathing suit in public. So what is there left to do but panic and stop eating?

Please do not stop eating. Please do not panic. At this point you are probably expecting me to launch into an exhaustive account of how to adjust your workout and nutrition program to lose ten pounds in a month… Well, I’m not going to do that. I’m a maverick. Can you lose 10 pounds in a month? Sure. Can you just as easily gain it all back in two weeks? Absolutely. I’m not trying to be a Debbie Downer here, perhaps more of a Realistic Regina. Unless you make consistent healthy choices all year round, the bikini panic is useless and an unnecessary stressor; your jiggly bits will return to jiggly, your pale bits will burn, and your seasonal-six-pack will once again retreat under a layer of belly fat. Instead, make a choice to look and feel good all year round.

There is no need to panic if you stay regular with your workouts and nutrition choices. I really cannot say this enough: consistency is key! Consistency will help you maintain your mental and physical well-being throughout the entire year. If you are consistent with your exercise and nutrition program and you’re still experiencing bathing suit panic, here is my advice: calm down. We all feel self-conscious in a bathing suit; even those people who you perceive to have a “better body” than you are checking themselves out in the mirror, wondering if their suit gives them a “muffin top.” It’s human nature to be self-critical. Get over it and enjoy yourself.

Let go of the panic, and choose consistency and confidence instead. Allow yourself to have fun this summer, jiggly bits and all.

Blame it on the Calves

I love calves. I find myself drawn to them. Calves are amazing little things; even though they’re a rather small muscle group, they’re built to move your entire body weight explosively. When performing any sort of jump (especially when jumping rope), it’s your calves that actually propel you off the ground. Aside from being petite-powerhouse-muscles, calves are also crucial in our day-to-day, functional movements. Walking and stepping up stairs, two very common daily activities, engages the calves; and when getting up on your tip-toes to reach something, the calves work in isolation to lift your entire body weight. They also work as stabilizing agents in other compound lower body movements, such as squats and lunges. Despite their importance, calves tend to be overlooked in one very important arena: flexibility.

Hamstrings are, in this trainer’s opinion, the most over-stretched muscle. Granted, it is very important to stretch the hamstrings, but it’s also equally as important to stretch every other muscle group. Often times I see people doing three or four different hamstring stretches, then maybe one quad stretch, and that’s it! There are other muscles in your legs besides hamstrings and quadriceps… like wonderful calves! Recently, I stumbled across some information that diagnoses perceived hamstring inflexibility as actual calf inflexibly; or, in English, it might not be your hamstrings that are tight, it could be your calves.

You see, the posterior muscles of the leg are connected by one cohesive band of fascia, i.e. connective tissue. When you stretch a muscle, you are also stretching this connective tissue. Since the fascia is connected, tightness in one area prohibits flexibility in the other. Therefore, you can only achieve successful posterior flexibility, i.e. touching your toes, when both the calves and the hamstrings are flexible.

Now you might ask, “Oh Great Calf-Queen, how can I figure out if it is indeed my calves, and not my hamstrings, that are causing my tightness?” The Great Calf-Queen replies that it’s simple, really. Perform this self-test: before doing any kind of stretching, perform a sit and reach test and mark how far you can reach. Then, stretch your calves for 5-10 minutes (you might even want to try using a foam roller to massage the calf muscles). After stretching your calves, do the sit and reach test again and see if you can reach farther than before. If so, then it’s your calves causing your inflexibility and you need to stretch them more regularly. Don’t forget about those little guys down there, they’re important and they look phenomenal in heels.

Plyometrics are a great way to work calves (and the rest of your legs and glutes). Here's a silly workout video I made:

February: A Cold Reality

It’s February and the honeymoon is over. Those of you who set weight loss and/or fitness goals for the New Year are assuredly now realizing it might be more difficult and time consuming than you initially anticipated. Plain and simple: don’t give up.

First and foremost, ditch the notion of the “New Year Resolution.” Who can really keep up with those things, anyway? However, New Years’ Resolutions are a valuable introspection tool, showing us what goals we want to accomplish or ways we want to improve. Unfortunately, the ephemeral connotations of the “New Years’ Resolution” make them limited and generally pretty lame. So, forget it. Instead adjust your New Years’ Resolution into smaller, more digestible goals. Want to lose 60 pounds? Try losing five pounds in a month first. And then lose another five… and another… and another. Make your goals realistic and attainable, and you will avoid frustration.

Secondly, keep a level-headed perspective; just repeat this mantra, “it’s not that bad.” Exercise only requires 4-5 hours per week to be effective. For the record, that’s only 2.6% of your time. While we’re on percentages, also keep in mind that you do not need to eat squeaky-clean-healthy 100% of the time. Treat yourself once a week. Use your weekly treat to reward yourself for your hard work. These weekly treats will keep you sane and help you adhere to your program. You might have to cut back on a few cheeseburgers and blended coffee drinks, but you know what: it’s really not that bad.

Go forth and achieve your goals with good ol’ fashioned stick-to-it-ness. Just remember to set achievable goals (and then achieve them), it’s not that bad, and (one more) it’s good for you.

New Year, New Workout

Whether you're already committed to a fitness program or just starting out, we all get a little bored sometimes. Know this: if your mind is bored, your body is bored. You should change your workout program every 4 weeks should being the keyword here, because very few of us actually do. We get stuck in a rut, a routine, which is great, but you can't expect different results from doing the same thing. Logically, that just doesn't make sense.

So what exactly do I mean by changing your program. Well, this change actually entails multiple changes. First and foremost, do not be afraid to increase your weights. Often times, people become complacent in the weights they pick up, not realizing that their strength has increased. To continue to improve, you have to continue challenging yourself. With an increase in weight, you may need to adjust your rep range, i.e. go from 12 reps down to 10 reps.

Secondly, this change requires you find new exercises to do. Make certain to work every muscle group, but substitute exercises. For instance, if you are currently bench pressing to work chest and triceps, switch to dumbbell presses instead; instead of lunges, try split squats; instead of pull-downs, do inverted rows. The list goes on. You are still working the same muscles, just targeting them differently.

Lastly and possibly most importantly, is to up the intensity of your workouts. Granted, increasing weight is part of it, but this also means decreasing break time and using your workout time most effectively. The best way to do this, I've found, is by super-setting exercises. A super-set is two exercises done back-to-back with no rest, usually working opposing muscle groups. This increases the intensity of your workout and (even better!) burns twice as many calories.

So if you have found yourself hitting a plateau, it's time to change it up-- a new year, a new workout.