High Definition Training

From: Dr Spencer Nadolsky: I like talking about how our environments and our bodies fight us when trying to lose weight, but we also need to put forth our best efforts. It certainly won’t happen automatically. Often times we are our own worst enemy when it comes to success for anything eg procrastination. Remember that you do have the power to make change despite our overall surrounding environments and our bodies. Ensuring you’re buying fewer high calorie tasty foods and bu...ying more vegetables and lean protein and having it in the house. Making extra food the night before work instead of getting takeout for lunch. Having a low calorie snack available for after work so you don’t feel the need to stop at a fast food joint. Etc etc. Anyway, I preach that it is indeed difficult to make changes and we do have many drivers going against us. But it’s not impossible!

Your Worth Is Never in Question!!! (Louder for the people at the back!) It’s also not tied to: Your weight or your body size Your title, your income, or your credit score... How much you squat or how fast you run Your relationship status or whether or not you have kids The size of your house or the make of your car Your number of followers or how many likes you get Even when we objectively know this, we can sometimes forget it’s useful to get a nudge in the right direction! Know anyone else who does? Why not lift them up by tagging them below! H/T to GGS Woman-in-charge Molly Galbraith for this important reminder. #GirlsGoneStrong See more

What's holding you back from your goals? Use today as a first step in breaking down that wall. You got this.... --- Tag and share with someone who needs some motivation today.

These days, there’s a lot of emphasis on setting goals (e.g. lose 20 pounds) and then following a program (e.g. a diet plan) to achieve those goals. When it comes to goals, we’re taught to think about what we want to accomplish. Then we’re supposed to make the goal specific, measurable, attainable, etc. What happens once we’ve done all that? When we’ve set the ultimate goal?... For most people, not much. That’s because goals aren’t achieved through the mere act of setting them. And goals aren’t achieved through sheer force of will. Based on our experience (with over 100,000 clients), success actually follows a different process. The formula pretty much looks like this: 1. Practice daily to build skills. 2. Build skills to achieve goals. Some people call this approach habit-based, others call it practice-based. This approach is progressive and helps clients build transferable skills while stair-stepping their way to real, *sustainable* change. What habit(s) are YOU working on this week? See more

Strength has a greater purpose, and that purpose goes far beyond the ability to lift weight or move loads. Being physically strong is great. Especially when you consider the alternative. ... Being weak is less appealing. But the importance of strength shows itself when it transcends what you do in the gym. The strength you earn through your training is something that should enrich all other areas of your life and the lives of the people who are important to you.-SFG

Should Women Take Creatine? 7 Must-Know Facts Creatine is a compound naturally produced from amino acids in our body (primarily in the liver) not a steroid! However, there are a lot of misconceptions out there about creatine and it’s time to set the record straight. Here are 7 must-know facts about women and creatine:... 1 Creatine is not harmful for your kidneys 2 Creatine is found in small quantities in foods like beef, lamb, pork, and fish 3 Creatine allows your muscles to sustain energy by helping to replenish ATP 4 Some evidence suggest women benefit from creatine supplementation 5 Creatine seems to positively affect strength level in women who take it for a longer period of time (at least 2 months) 6 Some women seem to be non-responders who don’t benefit from creatine, but... 7 You can increase your chances of being a responder Here are 3 tips for boosting your chances of being a creatine responder : 1 Take it for at least 2 months before deciding if it’s working for you 2 Pair it with a quick-digesting form of simple carbohydrate 3 Make sure you’re taking enough at least 0.1g/kg of bodyweight per day You can also eat more foods that naturally contain creatine, like beef, salmon, and pork. Be aware, though, you’ll have to eat a lot of meat to get to the supplement levels! Remember: What you choose to do with your body is your choice! This is meant to be educational in nature and to provide more context for women considering the supplement. See more

"Habits are easy once formed, but none are good as your body has already adapted; repeating them brings no greater benefit. The discipline to change a habit causes your body to adapt again. Discipline is therefore superior to habit, though unpopular" - Scott B. Sonnon

How to Set Attainable Health and Fitness Goals Ever feel like every time you set a goal for yourself, you: Feel super motivated Overhaul everything in your life Do it perfectly for, oh, about four days... Then life gets in the way You can’t keep up with your new healthy behaviors So you throw your hands in the air and give up completely Rinse and repeat...forever If so we feel you! And it’s not your fault! Most of us have never learned how to take outcome-based goals like: gain 5 pounds of muscle add 20 pounds to my deadlift achieve my first pull-up lower my blood pressure by 10% And turn them into practical, actionable, sustainable behaviors that will help us reach our goals. Here are 5 steps to take to actually reach the goals you set for yourself: 1 Determine your specific, measurable goal 2 Choose 3 skills you’d need to master to help you reach that goal 3 Determine 2 practices that would help you develop those skills 4 Choose 1 practice to incorporate into your life with at least 80% consistency 5 Once you’ve mastered that, choose another practice and repeat Step 4 See more

7 Glute Bridge Progressions for Bigger, Stronger Glutes Want bigger, stronger, more powerful glutes? Then you’ll want to ensure you’re including plenty of hip bridging/thrusting exercises into your exercise regimen. Here are 7 of our favorite Glute Bridge Progressions: 1 Bodyweight Glute Bridge... 2 Dumbbell Glute Bridge 3 1.5 Rep Glute Bridge 4 Barbell Glute Bridge 5 Single-Leg Glute Bridge with Dumbbell 6 Feet-Elevated Glute Bridge 7 Single-Leg Foot Elevated Glute Bridge The further you go down the list, the more challenging the variation (depending on how much weight you use). Give these a go and make sure to tap the save icon so you have these videos next time you’re working your glutes at the gym. #girlsgonestrong See more

5 Kettlebell Conditioning Exercises with Coach Jen Kettlebells are a FANTASTIC tool to improve your conditioning for the following reasons: They are highly versatile They use several large muscle groups at once Here are 5 kettlebell conditioning exercises, demonstrated by Head of GGS Coaching Jen Comas, that you can use to achieve massive strength, burn calories, build stellar endurance, and MORE!... 1 Kettlebell Swing 2 Kettlebell Clean 3 Kettlebell Goblet Squat Clean 4 Kettlebell Power Swings 5 Kettlebell Alternating One-arm Swing Here’s how you use these moves for a great workout: Make sure to tap the save icon so you have this workout when you need it later. Set a timer for 15 minutes Work your way down the list, performing 10 reps of each exercise. Repeat as many times as possible till your time is up. Rest as much as you need to but as little as you can Concentrate on maintaining excellent form Technique Tips: Grip the floor with your feet and stay stable throughout the move Practice the bodyweight hinge till you’re absolutely sure about being able to do it right. Use kettlebells to load the hinge only if you’ve mastered the movement. Inhale and relax your pelvic floor as you lower the weight. Exhale, brace, and squeeze your pelvic floor as you power the weight up. Drive the weight up using your hips, NOT your lower back If the exercise is aggravating your low back, switch to a different exercise or seek out the help of a knowledgeable pro. Never power through lower back pain. Tag and share with your gym buddy to challenge yourselves during your next sweat sesh. See more

Being deeply aware of your body and able to understand things like your hunger cues, how your emotions drive your movement and eating decisions, and how stress manifests in your body is highly valuable. In fact, it’s one of the differences between people who struggle with diet and exercise their whole life, and people who develop a healthy relationship with their bodies, food and fitness. The successful folks have built the skills, through practice, that al...low them to be mindful, pay attention to their emotions, and tune into their body’s signals. Fortunately, the skill of accumulating self-knowledgewhat we might call listening to your body and learning what works for youis just that, a skill. And, like other skills, it can be developed with a series of strategies and practices ^^^ See more

Eating better usually starts with adding things, not taking them away. Eat more fruit. Eat more whole grains and legumes. Eat more lean protein*. *Men tend to consume fattier sources of protein, which provide more calories, and women often struggle with getting enough protein overall. This add first strategy can be highly effective at crowding out ultra-processed, hyper-palatable foods*. *No, this doesn’t mean you have to live life without any junk food. Besides ge...tting more nutritious foods into your diet, something else often happens when you add first: You automatically eat less. An example: A recent study conducted at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (an institute of the NIH). Twenty adults were admitted to a metabolic ward and randomized to a diet of ultra-processed foods or minimally-processed foods. They were allowed to consume as much or as little as desired. After two weeks, they switched and did the alternative diet for two weeks. The result: As you can see in this chart, participants ate 508 more Calories per day and gained weight on the ultra-processed diet. They lost weight on the minimally-processed diet. See more

"Grant me the Strength to Resist What I Should not Move, The Discipline to Move What I Should, and the Awareness to Know the Difference... Knowing what to move and what to resist moving is not simple, because your brain wants to achieve the goals you give it. Command: "Move there," and your body takes whatever route it can, despite its restrictions. Genius that it is, your body "cheats" to accommodate your deficiencies and limitations it's adopted over time. A great immediate... survival tool, but less than optimal longevity strategy. To compensate, you must follow a "Move in this way," approach; with a process, rather than an outcome, orientation. Direct what should and shouldn't move. Go slower to become smoother, and speed becomes a natural byproduct of better quality movement. Practice what you should, and resist what you shouldn't. Make that your "workout" and you'll continue to grow and strengthen as you age." - Scott B. Sonnon

Ever wondered if women should take creatine? Creatine is a compound naturally produced from amino acids in our body (primarily in the liver) not a steroid! However, there are a lot of misconceptions out there about creatine and it’s time to set the record straight.... While recommending or prescribing supplements is outside of many coach's scope of practice, directing your clients to evidence-based information about beneficial supplements is within many coach's scope. Here are 7 must-know facts about women and creatine: 1 Creatine is not harmful for your kidneys 2 Creatine is found in small quantities in foods like beef, lamb, pork, and fish 3 Creatine allows your muscles to sustain energy by helping to replenish ATP 4 Some evidence suggest women benefit from creatine supplementation 5 Creatine seems to positively affect strength level in women who take it for a longer period of time (at least 2 months) 6 Some women seem to be non-responders who don’t benefit from creatine, but... 7 You (or your clients) can increase your chances of being a responder Here are 3 tips for boosting your chances of being a creatine responder: 1 Take it for at least 2 months before deciding if it’s working for you 2 Pair it with a quick-digesting form of simple carbohydrate 3 Make sure you’re taking enough at least 0.1g/kg of bodyweight per day You can also eat more foods that naturally contain creatine, like beef, salmon, and pork. Be aware, though, you’ll have to eat a lot of meat to get to the supplement levels!

8 Things Women Don’t Need to Be Ashamed Of Body size. We all have bodies, how big or small they are is irrelevant to our worth. Relationship status. You do you. With whoever you want, but only if you want.... Bank account. If you want to change the number, go for it. But it doesn’t define you or your success. You do. Weight on the scale. It might go up or down, and that’s OK. The number isn’t YOU, and if it throws you into a tailspin we say ditch it. There are much better markers of health. Age. There’s a reason they say it’s just a number. No matter your age you’re rockin it. Our periods (or lack thereof). They are normal, and life is too short to feel ashamed every month because of stigma or assumptions. Jean size. Because this measurement changes dramatically depending on the brand and regardless of the size it is not a measure of YOU, in any way. Body hair. Like it silky smooth? Do it. Prefer the au naturel look? Toss those razors and put on your short shorts. Constantly somewhere around stubbly? Meh. Hair grows. It just does. Have you felt the pressure or stigma surrounding any of these things? Or have you noticed something else totally normal that women often feel ashamed of? Let us know in the comments, and let’s dismantle unnecessary shame together. See more

Which lunge is right for you? Lunge variations are awesome single-leg exercises that develop stability, control, and strength in the lower body and trunk. However, many people feel like they’re off-limits due to knee pain, a limited range of motion, or other issues. Luckily, we’ve got 7 (!!!) Lunge options that could work for you, even if you’ve got some limitations. The following variations go from:... 1least challenging and most appropriate for someone new to exercise or who struggles with lunges to 7 most challenging and more appropriate for an intermediate or advanced lifters Here you go: 1 Band-Assisted Lunge 2 Supported Lunge 3 Limited Range of Motion Lunge 4 Static Lunge 5 Lunge Isometric Hold 6 Reverse Lunge 7 Walking Lunge The first Lunge variations (#1 and #2) will let you take advantage of some band assistance or a support. You’ll also see an option where you can limit your range of motion if you need to (#3). These are great options if you’re new to this movement or are working with an injury or limitation. If you’re looking for a challenge and are comfortable with Lunges, you can work your way up the ladder until you’re using dynamic movement to push your Lunge to the next level! Tips for performing Lunges: Keep your feet parallel and hip-width apart. Gently soften your rib cage down toward your hips. Root one foot into the ground and take a step forward or back with the opposite foot, guiding it directly behind or in front of the hip on the same side. Keep your hips square Only drop as low as your mobility and stability allow! Don’t let your front knee collapse in or fall out. It should stay in line with your front foot. Give these a try and let us know which Lunge variation feels right for you!

25 Minute Lower Body Dumbbell Workout . Ready for some lower body action in your workout? We got you! For this workout, all you’ll need is a pair of dumbbells.... Ready to give it a try? Here’s how it works First, set a timer for 25 minutes. Then, perform 8 to 10 reps of each exercise below, resting 60 seconds between each. 1 Dumbbell front squats 2 Dumbbell Romanian deadlifts 3 Dumbbell walking lunges (complete all reps on each side, alternating) 4 Dumbbell glute bridges 5 Jump squats Aim to complete 4 to 6 rounds of this circuit in 25 minutes. Make sure to save this workout so you have it on hand when you need it. See more

Sunday Funnies.

5 Minute Pre-Workout Warm-up Circuit The general goals of a dynamic warm-up include: Increased core temperature/muscle temperature... Increase blood flow to active muscles Increased muscle temperature for improved ability to stretch through appropriate ranges of motion Improve mobility in areas that feel stiff Decreased risk of injury Increased mental preparedness Improved central nervous system activation Improved performance And keeping it quick and easy is a great way to make sure you don’t skip it! (Anyone else guilty of skipping their warm-up? ) Here’s what you do: Jumping Jacks x 30 seconds High Knees x 30 seconds Squat to Stand x 30 seconds Bird Dog x 30 seconds Spiderman Lunge Stretch x 15 seconds/side That’s 1 round. Complete 2 rounds of the circuit with minimal rest between exercises. See more