Category: training

Rest you say?

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You may follow an online workout, and it says to “rest” between sets.  You think “Cool I can rest!” Or “I don’t need no stinking rest!”

Did you know your rest intervals are based on your goals and your fitness level?  There is more to the rest interval than to just chill out.  In fact, it is kind of an art to fitness programming.

In endurance or aerobic training the rest intervals will be shorter, however strength and power goals have longer rest periods.

If you finish a set and don’t feel like you need a rest, consider lifting heavier or pushing harder.  The rule of thumb is to be able to push through the assigned reps, with the last two being a little difficult to complete.  A rest is needed in order to let the muscle recover.

Believe it or not, there is a lot of science that goes into determining those rest periods, and how much recovery your muscle needs for the goals you are working toward.  So the next time you see a rest period programmed into the workout you are doing, follow it.  Don’t yack with a friend for 3 minutes when your rest interval is 60 seconds, conversely don’t skimp on waiting the full 60 seconds – push harder the next set, if you don’t feel like you need a rest. You should need your rest interval.

If you would like to work with a personal trainer, to program for your individual fitness goals, please fill out the contact form I’d love to discuss your personalized goals.

How sore is too sore?

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Have you ever done a workout where you couldn’t walk up the stairs for two days?  Oh I’ve been there, the body’s reaction to unfamiliar movements can be extreme.  This type of sore is not the ultimate goal and if you have experienced it you should give the muscle ample recovery time.  It will help to do some light movement in the days following this type of workout, but you don’t want to “hit it hard” again until the soreness is fading.

This reaction is known as Delayed Onset Muscles Soreness or DOMS. While feeling some soreness after a new workout is normal, you should still be able to move without pain.  In fact, after working out regularly you may no longer get sore.  It does not mean you aren’t getting a good workout, it means your body is getting more efficient at the tasks it is asked to complete. When reaching this level you may want to consider a change in routine, but don’t think unless you can’t move the next day your workout failed.

I love that slightly sore feeling telling me I had a good workout, just as much as the next guy, but if you can’t stand up, or lift your arms over your head to put a shirt on, this is your body telling you to back off.  Recover by doing “active” rest days, perform light workouts on the affected body parts.   Light or no weight is a good way to help with recovery, take an easy walk or go through some low reps of an upper body workout with no weight, even foam rolling can help.  We want to lessen inflammation and keep blood flow to the area for repair without taxing those muscles too much.

It is also important to keep your protein intake optimal, because protein is what repairs and builds muscle. The best time to take in a fast digesting carb and protein is after a workout because the muscle is primed to accept protein for muscle repair.  I use Ignition and Phormula-1 after every workout for this reason.  It’s quick, easy and honestly is the only time a supplement is better than a whole food, because it’s quick digesting formula gets to work immediately, which, bonus points, can lessen the effect of muscle soreness. If you don’t want to use a supplement you should eat a fast digesting carb and protein within 45 minutes of a workout.(example: Omelet and slice of avocado toast).

Bottom line  if you have experienced this pain after a workout, realize you may need to slow down, or lighten up, but don’t quit!  This is normal and it will get better with consistency.  If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to reach out. 

Garage workout it’s a little messy

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Bodyweight Circuit – this will get you heart rate pumping in quick fashion

AMRAP (as many reps as possible) – 15 minute workout

Repeat 3 times

45 seconds squat – as quickly as possible with good form

20 second rest

45 seconds PushUp – can drop to knees

20 second rest

45 seconds back lunge switch legs

20 second rest

45 seconds mountain climbers

20 second rest

Training your Brain

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Stress is one thing everyone has in their daily lives. This can range from catastrophic events or just routine things like deadlines at work, kids schoolwork, your refrigerator broke, a friend or relative is going through something and you can’t help. There are many different types of stress, where our bodies and our minds need help.


Studies have proven many times physical activity is beneficial in all of these areas, by helping to boost and stabilize your mood, and provide a healthy heart. You already knew that right? Still not enough to get you moving? You’re tired, I get that. But, did you know it actually has protective elements in your brain? Exercise has actually been shown to make changes to your brains cognitive abilities providing protective benefits throughout your lifespan. That’s a very long time, it’s like an insurance policy for your future self?

Say you’re too busy to leave your desk, or you’re just too tired to exercise. Stress in fact clouds your judgement, studies show even a brief run/walk will enhance your ability to find solutions to complex problems as well as allow you to manage your time more wisely.


In MORE EXCITING news exercise actually increases neuron activity, or neurogenesis, in the recall and movement portions of the brain. This is exciting because it is shown to have a reduction on the development of Alzheimer’s Disease by 45% (Hamer and Chida 2009), and will help you maintain balance, stability, or do those highly coordinated tasks like performing burpees or participating in that Zumba Class!


Now what’s your excuse not to get that heart rate up? There are none, only more wins here than we ever thought! Your future self says THANK YOU!

Vitamin D

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Shedding some light

As I move my home office outside to absorb some of that sunlight and feel good hormones I realize looking at my light jacket, once again that my vitamin D intake from this source is low especially in this climate.  In order to absorb Vitamin D from the sun you need to expose your skin, which doesn’t happen around here for me until June.  So while the sunshine on my face feels great, it is not really helping my Vitamin D levels.

I check my Vitamin D levels on a yearly basis due to my MS, which has been shown to have some correlation with this disease.  Statistics show 70% of people are low in Vitamin D, which can lead to seasonal depression, fatigue and muscle weakness.  Vitamin D is such an important pre-hormone and so important to gene health, I would suggest everyone ask for their Vitamin D levels to be checked during their next physical.

I take 10,000 iu everyday due to my low levels of Vitamin D which was shown in my bloodwork.  Jeremy Mullins, RD, indicates a good daily recommendation for Vitamin D is 5000 iu per day in the summer months and 10,000 iu during the winter.  My neurologist advised he personally takes 10,000 iu a day for his health.  

Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin which means it needs fat to be absorbed and should be taken with a meal containing fat.  I personally take liposomal Vitamin D by 1stphorm, because it is encased in fat which increases its absorption and I want to ensure I am maintaining optimal levels in my system to fight off symptoms of this disease.

When supplementing vitamin D look for gel caps and remember to take with a meal that contains fat; or if you are interested in the Liposomal Vitamin D which is fat encapsulated you can find the link at the top right of this page showing 1st Phorm Legionairre which provides free shipping on your order. If you have any questions regarding this product please send me a message, would love to discuss it with you. Now go outside and let the sunshine hit your face!

Resistance Training

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What is resistance training, and why is it important?

First let’s define resistance training:  Resistance training is any exercise that causes the muscles to contract against an external resistance with the expectation of increases in strength, power, hypertrophy, and/or endurance. The external resistance can be dumbbells, exercise tubing, your own body weight, or any other object that causes the muscles to contract.

For example when you slowly lower a weight, you are resisting the force of dropping it to the ground, or when using a band/tubing you are resisting so it doesn’t snap back.  Make sense?  How about lowering yourself to a chair? I’m sure everyone at one time or another has misjudged where a chair was and without resistance you drop too fast or fall, body weight resistance, right?

Now for the why:  This is taken from Internal Journal of Exercise Science (2016) – Strength training exercise offers many benefits for individuals of all ages and is perhaps critically important for the elderly.

The benefits associated with strength training are: 

1) Increase in lean body mass  – gives you strength to tackle everyday tasks, carrying bark to the garden, groceries, picking up children; 

2) Increase in metabolic rate –  muscle burns more calories than fat, so you will burn more calories at rest. 

3) Increase in bone density – Less broken bones or the crooked walk 

4) Decrease of injury – strength and stability is enhanced 

5) Building back lost muscle tissue that occurs with aging.

I’m gonna say that again for the ones in the back,  BUILDING BACK lost muscle tissue.  

You actually lose muscle as we age occurring at a rate of  5% per decade after the age of 30.  Do you think this might be why you have a harder time losing weight?  Because your engine is getting smaller, needing less gas.  Did you hear what I said back there?  You can build back muscle tissue!!!  If you haven’t started resistance training, what are you waiting for? Need help starting – I’m here for you.

“Frequency makes starting easier”

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This is something I read recently and it struck me hard because I worked out 7 days a week forever, and December this year I let myself get derailed by other things, and honestly it was tough to get started again. Something that was routine for me became a chore…. And one I ignored!

I created a challenge for myself recently and it has been a game changer, I am doing something everyday, but it was brutal getting started again. My muscles fatigued more quickly, I couldn’t lift the same weight and it was all discouraging. Why is it that things become so hard, so fast? Not fair.

Know it is not easy for anyone. You don’t have to be perfect, take small steps everyday as long as there are steps. If you don’t feel like doing a full workout, or doing homework, or redoing the room you’ve been talking about for ages? Just do something, if you have to, set an alarm for 10-15 minutes so you do it.

It must be everyday, and I promise it will get easier, this is building discipline and has nothing to do with motivation. If we make motivation the factor to get shit done, it oftentimes does not happen. It’s the stuff you make yourself do, that provides the most reward.

Here’s some ideas to get you going:

1) Give yourself a challenge – SPECIFIC you need a time frame for it to end, also REALISTIC.. Not just redo this room, it must be, Redo this room in a month – by cleaning the first week, pulling carpet week two, painting week three, furnishing week four. Write it down. By setting small goals each week you make them ATTAINABLE so you don’t get discouraged with the progress.

2) Move more, get off that couch between episodes on Netflix and walk around your kitchen table for 5 minutes. Do it everyday, when that feels good, try taking the walk outdoors or on a treadmill for 30 minutes, and keep progressing by setting new goals.

3) Focus on adequate rest, you should aim for no less than 7 hours of sleep, minimum. If this is a problem for you, set a routine everyday. Start by putting away your screens earlier, maybe read, listen to music. I am guilty of pushing this limit too, but it is so important, sleep is critical memories are consolidated during sleep, sleep serves a key role in emotional regulation and the ability to think clearly. The connections between sleep disruption, and both disease and mortality have become more firmly established, including hypertension, weight-related issues, and metabolic syndrome.

Are you a Do’er or an Achiever?

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I had my resume reviewed by a professional this week and it came back with, in my opinion, with a pretty harsh critique.  I haven’t had to write a resume in 30 years so I really did appreciate the feedback. Doesn’t mean it didn’t sting a little bit.

The thing that stung the most was, I sound more like a Do’er than an Achiever.  My mind had a hard time with this one. Damn right I’m a do’er! I jump in and get shit done.  Why is that bad? After the sting faded I realized it implies I do a lot, I’m a good worker, but do I ever achieve what I set out to do? The answer….You bet I DO! (does anyone else see the irony there LOL)

It was clear to me I didn’t explain myself well, nor do I think I really understood, I AM A DO’ER…..With A Plan, therefore I ACHIEVE MY GOALS.  It dawned on me, since I missed explaining this important step in my resume I may not be passing it on to you correctly either. I am trying to help you achieve what you are looking for and maybe I have been telling you to just DO it!

We are remedying that now so you become an ACHIEVER, let’s start with a plan:

  1. Write down what you want 
  2. Describe Why you want it
  3. How will you measure your progress to keep moving in the right direction
  4. What SPECIFIC steps will you take to get there? (don’t use exercise more, state specifics like exercise 3 hours a week)
  5. How much effort are you going to put into this, how bad do you want it?
  6. Now define a realistic time frame you will accomplish this, write it down, add it to your calendar.

Go get to work!  I know you can achieve Great Things!!!

Building your foundation

Posted on by Brenda Steward

Foundation to your health starts with the basics both physically and nutritionally.  

Personal Training for strength and endurance, starts with a solid foundation.  We start with flexibility and stability movements. These movements may seem almost pointless if you’ve been working out, or consider yourself an active individual.  However, from what I have learned, not having a solid foundation, is when people end up with lower back pain, poor posture and bad knees. Bottom line increased flexibility and stabilization reduces injuries.

How many times do you skip stretching?  I know I have been guilty of this in the past.  By skipping this very important step, it creates an environment for muscles to tighten and cause an imbalance in the muscle joint relationships.   Stretching your over active muscles on a regular basis, for a duration of 30 seconds can work toward improving these imbalances, reducing the chance of injury.  It is important each stretch should be held for 20 – 30 seconds, in order to allow the body to recognize the need to release the muscle spindles and giving you the full benefit of the stretch.  

The next step in your physical training is stabilization.  You may not believe this but, these movements can be as challenging even to the most active athletes as they are to someone beginning their fitness journey.   This training will focus on improving your core and balance. We may begin training by simply standing while performing weighted exercises. Standing in a neutral position and maintaining stability while lifting weights is a simple way to strengthen your core and balance, for more advanced clients we can move to standing on one leg while lifting weights, or even moving to a balance board.  Try standing on one leg in a safe area- are you stable? Then try closing your eyes, I bet you feel the difference in your stability. Just by adjusting a few variables this training can be challenging and beneficial to even the most advanced athlete and should be part of your regular training program.

The same concept is applied to nutrition, without a strong foundation your body does not  process normal every day function to the best of its abilities.

Motivation vs Discipline

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When you say it that way, it’s pretty easy to tell the difference isn’t it?  However, when you start out on a new fitness journey you use “Motivation” as your go to statement.  I’m so motivated to work out this year, or I’m really motivated to fit into this dress for the wedding.

The fact of the matter is motivation is short lived.  Discipline is what actually sees you through. How many of you are “motivated” to brush your teeth, wash your vehicles, or clean the house? We do these things because we know we have to, so after years of just doing what we have to we become disciplined.

Motivation is a great start, it generates excitement at the possibility of what can be achieved!  It may get you out of bed for a week or two, but it made fade when we aren’t seeing immediate results or something becomes a little hard.  You may get the “I don’t want to, today”’s. This is where motivation’s big brother, Discipline, steps in and says we do it anyway. You will get up because it will move you closer to your goal, it will make you feel better, it will make you feel empowered and yes it will get you in that dress you want to be in for the wedding in six months.

Discipline is created through routine.  We just simply do it, there’s no choice it must be done.  If we approach exercise as routine and just do it on those days motivation fails us we keep moving forward.

Do you know how many times I sit in front of the gym after a long day of work and think man I just wanna go home? However, the discipline I’ve built gets me to the gym, out of the car and working out before I really think about it, just like brushing my teeth.  I always feel better when I’m leaving the gym, mood is better and with a sense of accomplishment in my step. I’ve never regretted working out, but I have regretted letting them slip by for lazy excuses.

Let’s work on finding something that motivates you and start building discipline to get us there!