Posts Tagged "rehab"


Attention Fitness Challengers!

Do you struggle with maintaining your ideal body weight?
If you feel like you are fighting a losing battle with the scale you may want to start building some lean muscle!

Why more lean muscle?
Because it boosts your metabolic rate!

How to build lean muscle?
Resistance Training

Resistance training builds long lean sexy muscles which helps you to maintain your perfect weight effortlessly. If you feel like you are constantly struggling to get down to your ideal weight, but fighting the scale feels like a losing battle,  then you may want to consider building some lean muscle with resistance training.

Did you know that the more lean muscle you have the higher your metabolic rate?
For every 1 lb. of muscle your body burns 35-75 calories a day. Therefore, if I gained 8 lbs. of muscle, I would be burning 280-600 more calories a day.

How does lean body mass do that?
Your metabolic rate increased and therefore burning more calories a day and while you sleep making it easier to maintain your healthy shape! It also allows us to obtain more nutrient into my body since we can eat more calories without the weight gain. More nutrient means more health, more beauty, more energy!

How long does it take to gain a pound of muscle?
On average, it takes men 2 weeks to gain a pound of muscle and for women it takes about 4 weeks. This is because women have higher estrogen and lower testosterone levels than men. So, yes ladies, this means it takes women longer to gain a pound of muscle than it does for men. Perhaps this is another reason why men can drop weight so much faster than us! I personally want to increase my lean muscle by 8 lbs. which means that will take me about 8 months! Ahh…. patience is a virtue! 😉

How to build lean muscle
I personally enjoy the long lean muscles I receive from pilates, power yoga, pole fitness, and body balancing. I do have some light free weights, but personally I prefer the following resistance training equipment:

  • My own body weight
  • Resistance bands
  • Swiss Ball
  • Medicine Ball
  • Pole

Won’t I get bulky and masculine muscles?
A common concern with resistance training and women is the fear of bulking up. I have noticed that plyometrics and heavy resistance has affected the appearance of my physique. I did years of bike riding and did have some dense leg muscles, then as a gymnast I was one dense firecracker. I find that when I really make sure I am balancing my workouts with cardio and flexibility training that bulking up is not a concern!

Side note:
It can be easy to get caught up in aesthetics and how our bodies look. However, I want to encourage you to put more emphasis on how it FEELS rather than looks. I’d far rather have full range of motion of my joints and body, muscular control, balance, energy, endurance, and a daily flow of endorphins pumping through my veins than a body that just looks good, but doesn’t feel free and fantastic or has aches and pains. True health radiates from the inside out and your body will look as gorgeous as it feels in no time!

Enjoy your body!

Lori

P.S. Still working out with me? Here’s what I did today

Today’s Workout
60 min yoga

 

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Today’s Workout
60 min Zumba
60 min Yoga

Attention Fitness Challengers!

Do your workouts properly train imbalanced muscles to keep your body fit and free? Are your workouts putting you at risk for an injury? Are you aware that due to our lifestyle that we have chronically tight and weak muscles? Do you know how to self correct those imbalances? If not, read on…..

Not many people really think about balancing every muscle of the body UNTIL something goes wrong and they injure themselves or they start to experience pain and discomfort in their bodies. Even still many people feel the pain but really doen’t know what to do about it! This article is designed to educate you on the typical muscular imbalances so that you can incorporate exercises and stretches that help you to…..

  • Reduce the risk of injury
  • Perform daily functional tasks with ease
  • Improve athletic performance
  • Improve your posture
  • Reduce or eliminate pain or discomfort
  • Improve body awareness
  • Look and feel more confident
  • Look and feel younger
  • Look and feel more fit, long, and lean
  • Feel free in your own body
  • FEEL strong, supple, free, able and ALIVE!

Here’s the scoop. Take time to stretch the following chronically tight muscles to restore elasticity, prevent injury and improve range of motion.

Tight

  • Pectorals
  • Upper Trapezius
  • Levator Scapulae
  • Sternocleidomastoid
  • Anterior Scalenes
  • Suboccipitals
  • Subscapularis
  • Latissimus
  • Dorsi
  • Iliopsoas
  • Rectus Femoris
  • Hamstrings
  • Lumbar Erectors
  • Tensor Fascia Latae
  • Thigh Adductors
  • Piriformis
  • Quadratus Lumborum

Take time to strengthen the following weak muscles to bring integrity and balance into your body!

Weak

  • Capitis & Colli
  • Hyoids
  • Serratus Anterior
  • Rhomboids
  • Lower & Middle Trapezius
  • Posterior Rotator Cuff
  • Rectus Abdominis
  • Gluteals
  • Vastus Medialis
  • Vastus Lateralis
  • Transversus Abdominis

Incorporate this body awareness into your weekly workout routines and within a short time of consistent effort you are really going to FEEL fantastic!

Are not sure how to really put together a workout that addresses these issues?
Just shoot me an email titled “Body Balancing” and I will put you on an Interest List for a Body Balancing Workout on video.

Until then…keep moving injury free!

Lori

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