Gotta Respect the Muscles

Muscles: have 'em, understand 'em, respect 'em.
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It’s time to get something straight: our bodies are extremely complex pieces of machinery. Even today, with all our technological advancements, scientific knowledge, and thousands of years’ worth of human experience, there’s still a lot we don’t know about how our bodies work. That’s why finding the “best diet” or “best workout” is always a hotly contested topic. The truth is, we don’t really know. We’ve got very educated guesses (AKA hypotheses), but there are still too many variables for speaking in absolutes.

Luckily, though, there’s also a lot that we do know about our bodies. Since we live in them, I think we often tend to forget just how amazing our bodies really are—I know I do. So, today’s post is dedicated to muscles—so that next time you flex, you can do so with a greater appreciation!

Muscles…

…help us burn more calories. Muscles take energy for our bodies to maintain. That means the more muscle you have, the more calories you’ll burn just from existing.

…can be targeted during exercise. While you can’t target areas for fat loss, you can tone specific areas of the body—like the core, arms, and legs. Just remember this: good form is more effective for building muscles quickly than lifting heavier weights. So, be sure to recognize your limits and make sure you are doing exercises accurately to avoid injury and get stronger faster.

…remember movements. Muscle memory is a real thing, and that’s why when you are first getting back into exercising or change workouts you often feel sore. Once our muscles learn those movement patterns, soreness will lessen. But remember, if you take breaks from exercising, you’ll need to ease your way back into it.

… are mostly water. Up to 70 percent water, in fact. That puts “staying hydrated” in a new light—because if you don’t, your muscles suffer!

…make up 30-40% of our body weight on average. So, a person weighing 150 lbs could attribute as much as 60 lbs to muscle. Plus, bones weigh on average 14-20 percent of body weight—which in this example would be up to 30 lbs. Together, that equals out to 70 percent of our weight!

CrossFit Risks and Rewards

If you’ve been into the workout scene at all for the last decade, you have probably at least heard the word “CrossFit.” Maybe you’ve seen the increasingly popular CrossFit gyms that have been popping up like daisies in the past few years. If you’re brave, maybe you’ve even tried it.

CrossFit has been around for a while now, but in the past few years it’s become one of the most popular workout programs. There can be no question that CrossFit will, in fact, get you fit—but like any workout routine, there are some things you should know about CrossFit before you jump on the bandwagon.

Know the facts before deciding if CrossFit is right for you.
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First off, CrossFit is intense. Like, really intense. The CrossFit method works to improve muscle strength, cardio endurance, and flexibility through a mix of aerobics, body weight exercises, and Olympic weight lifting. Classes are usually an hour long and include a warm-up, a skill-development segment, a workout of the day (WOD), and group stretching at the end.

There are some really great benefits of CrossFit. First, it provides a full focus on safe and effective movements, fitness, and eating right. Second, one of its goals is to prepare trainees for “any physical contingency—not only for the unknown, but for the unknowable.” Third, CrossFit classes provide trainees with a community. It connects people to each other as they push themselves toward a new level of fitness, and that’s a powerful thing.

But due to the sheer intensity of CrossFit, there are also a few things to consider before diving in. WODs are timed, and your job is to complete a list or circuit of exercises within an allotted amount of time. Rest is minimal, so you’ll get tired. As you attend more classes, the goal is to improve upon your previous times and scores, so it’s a constant race against time. Like any workout, your body will begin to fatigue, especially the muscles you’re using the most. And that means your form will deteriorate as well.

Good form is essential for avoiding injury, especially when dealing with intense workouts. Bad form is the reason so many people end up injured practicing Zumba—they’re not doing the movements correctly, and so they end up hurting themselves by straining muscles and twisting in odd ways. The same concept applies to CrossFit, so focusing on good form is a must.

Another downside of CrossFit is that because it is such an intense workout, it is more difficult for beginners to get involved in. If you’ve never weight trained before, you may not even be able to do many of the movements at the beginning. Once you build some muscle, though, that will change. Whether you want to use CrossFit to gain those beginning muscles, though, is up to you.

CrossFit is a powerful program that can take your fitness to a new level—just be sure you understand the risks and are willing to take them before you commit.

Travel Tips: 10-Minute Workout

"All my bags are packed. I'm ready to go..."

It’s that time of year again—the 4^th of July is nearly here, and if you’re like me, you’re planning a few days to get out of town. While the prospect of travel, seeing friends and family, and getting away from work for a few days is appealing, there’s one part of the whole shebang that I’m not overly excited about: missing out on my regular workouts.

Stretching can help loosen tense muscles.
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I am the type of person who thrives on routine. If I have a set workout schedule, I’ll stick to it—no ifs, ands, or buts about it. But if I have to, for some reason, break that schedule…. Well, let’s just say it all sort of goes out the window. Sometimes it’s the weather and other times I might get sick. This time, it’s travel. I’ll be out of town for more than a week, and I don’t want to get out of the habit of exercising. It’s so much harder to start up a routine than it is to maintain one.

So here’s the plan: a short daily routine to keep my body active while I’m away. I’m sure I’m not wrong in assuming some of you are also planning a trip around the holiday weekend—so you could probably benefit from this as well.

I know you might be stuck in the car all day, in the airport, and visiting friends and family—but it’s so important to stay active. The last thing on your mind during those out-of-town days might be exercise. But really, what is ten minutes? Nothing. Nothing at all.

Start your mini-workout by stretching. We’ve all had to sit in a car, bus, train, or airplane all day—and it has a surprising affinity for making you sore. Doa few stretches to lengthen those tight muscles, especially those in your back. Stretch out your calves, hamstrings, quadriceps, hip flexors, iliotibial band (ITB), lower back, shoulders, and neck. A gentle forward fold (legs together or shoulder-width apart) can also do wonders.

Get your heart going. If you have one, pack a jump rope and spend five or six minutes getting that heart rate up. A resistance band is also great for strength training. If you have one, do a few quick exercises with it, like rowing, wrist extensions, and lower leg extensions. If you don’t have any equipment, don’t worry! Take a short, brisk walk or run, do jumping jacks in place, or see how many burpees you can do in three minutes.

Not in the mood for a run? Try a brisk walk instead.
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I think it’s easy to get the idea in our heads that to qualify as a “workout,” we have to spend a lot of time doing it. And while getting at least 30 minutes in several days a week is best practice, that doesn’t mean it’s all or nothing. I tend to be of the mindset that every little thing counts. If all you can fit in is ten minutes, that’s okay! Instead of feeling bad about not working out for long enough, feel good about having got a workout in!

Give 100% every day, respectively. Some days, 100% might be more or less than the day before. That’s not important—what is important is that we are always striving to do the best we can. And there’s no reason to ever have to feel bad about that.

Working (out) For the Weekend

I have a confession to make: I’m a weekend workout wimp. Generally, one of two things will happen over the weekend. One, I get “too busy” to work out, having made lots of plans. Or two, I am so ready for a break by the time the weekend hits that I decide to be as lazy as possible.

I have been better about finding a nice balance between the two lately, but I’m still working on it. It’s like I use up all my productivity during the week and have nothing left by the time Friday hits. Does that ever happen to you? I am not trying to make excuses for skipping out on exercise during the weekends, but rather I’m trying to be honest about what’s really going on. And I’m hoping that by writing about it, I will be able to hold myself more accountable.

So today, in an effort to both motivate myself and others to keep on exercising during the weekend, I’m posting a few quick and (almost) painless workouts. Each one takes just a few minutes to complete and doesn’t require any special equipment. My plan is to try at least one of them out over the weekend, and I’m hoping some of you will, too. Who’s up for a challenge? If you are, then keep on reading!

Workout #1: “No Excuses” (found at Daily Spark)

1. :60 Chop Squats
2. :30 Charlie’s Angel Lunges (each side)
3. :30 Kneeling Crunches
4. :60 Push-Up Planks
5. :60 Rise ‘n Raises
6. :60 Triceps Presses

Workout #2: “Easy Abs” (found at Back On Pointe)

1. 20 Crunches
2. :15 Plank
3. 10 Mountain Climbers
4. :15 Plank
5. :10 Side Plank (ugh, I hate these!)
6. 10 Vertical Leg Crunches
7. 20 Bicycles (try subbing flutter kicks if these bother your hips)
8. 30 Scissor Kicks
9. :15 plank