Improve Posture and Build Strength With One Simple Addition

In today’s world we deal with a lot of pain. From knees to hips to shoulders, people are suffering from aches and pains. Some of these may be caused by direct injuries but for many of you out there pain is a result of poor posture.

We sit all day, we slouch for comfort, and we move without thought. All of these actions are a detriment to our posture and our overall health. Learning to move correctly and becoming more cognizant of how we position ourselves is a must when improving our bodies and that takes time. To speed the process we can start training in the gym in a way that will help improve posture and strengthen the muscles needed.

Anterior pelvic tilt (sway back, duck butt, etc.) is a common posture I see in many of my clients and people in the public. Sway back is a result of a weak set of abs and weak buttocks with overactive hip flexors and lower back. A result of sitting for extended periods of time, this posture causes back pain, hip pain, and creates a poor setup for getting stronger.

To start to improve this misalignment we should look at lengthening the hip flexors (muscles at the front of the hip) and strengthening the butt and abs. Along with this, being aware of how we stand and sit can help, standing or sitting tall with the hips in a neutral setting.

The Hip Bridge

An exercise I love for not only correcting this posture but also creating great strength and a good-looking buttocks is the glute bridge. This exercise helps to activate the butt as well as the hamstrings and get the pelvis back to a neutral position. It is also quite versatile as it can be done on the floor, progressed to a bench, and then altered to be single leg or both. Weight can also be added to create more strength and more challenge.

To get started, place your back across a bench at shoulder blade height. With both feet flat on the ground at hip to shoulder width, extend the hips by squeezing the butt. The movement should finish where a straight line is formed between the shoulders and knees. Drop the hips back down and repeat. I personally like higher volume sets on this exercise; sets of 12-20 with a challenging load. Start adding this exercise in with both feet and eventually progress to single leg variations.

Glute Bridge

Posture Creates Strength

Start focusing on correcting your posture and everything else will start to improve. Strength gains will be made, joints will feel better, and better posture leads to a better look. Add this exercise in to your routine while also paying more attention to your daily positions and I promise you will start to notice a change. Improve the base to build the body you have dreamed of.

5 Minute Abs

In the 90’s there was a workout created called “8 Minute Abs”. It was a big craze being that people wanted abs and they wanted them fast. Nothing was better than a “6-pack” at the beach, and I’m not talking beer. Since then there have been jokes, products, and other claiming 7 minutes and 6 minutes to a better stomach. Well I am here today to explain the newest idea…5 MINUTE ABS! You read that right! 5 minutes to better abs. Here is the catch though: I am asking for 5 minutes of your time every day and I am going to help you learn how to use your abs so when you are partaking in activities every day, working out at the gym, or just sitting at work, you are working on developing a better set of abs. So are you ready for the big secret? 5 minutes each and every day I want you to….BREATH.

Yes, breathing is the foundation of getting a strong midsection and a great set of abs. The muscles that make up our trunk, including our abs and obliques, are all responsible for proper respiration. When we exhale we activate our abs to help press air out. When we inhale we are using our diaphragm which is also intertwined with muscles of our deep core. Think of the midsection as a can. The top is the diaphragm, the bottom being the pelvic floor muscles, and the sides being the abs, obliques, low back, and the deeper core muscles. Proper respiration will activate all of these and get them working together in everything we do. The problem is most people don’t know how to properly breathe. Many don’t exhale forcefully enough to get carbon dioxide out and get the abs working. Some use their neck, traps, and chest to breath. Some breathe to fast. All of these problems can cause many issues around the body, including a weak and inactive core. I won’t get into all the problems that can be caused by poor breathing mechanics but I will explain how to get on the right track.

 

Take a Breath

 

Let’s start correcting your breathing and get those abs turned on. Lay down on the floor with your back flat and your feet up against the wall or resting on a chair. There should be a right angle at the hips and knees. Try to stretch yourself out so that your spine feels long all the way up to your head. The chin should stay tucked, not pointing to the ceiling or down at the chest. With the arms at the side, exhale hard, pushing out all the air you have inside of you. Doing this you should feel everything in your stomach, including those abs, tighten up. Hold for a 2 count then breath in through the nose, keeping some tension on the abs. Try to breath in through the stomach, with the air pushing out all the way around the stomach, sides, and low back. Direct the air up into your lungs so that your chest rises. All the work and tension should be felt in the midsection and the lungs. Repeat this cycle for 5 minutes, exhaling forcefully, getting all the air out and inhaling as much air as you can through the nose. Your breathing may feel restricted when you first start doing this but with consistency you will create some strength through the core and get better expansion in the lungs.

 

Bonus Tip:

 

To get even more out of breathing, try to keep the good breathing mechanics throughout your daily tasks. The exhale won’t be as forceful, but focus on using the abs to help exhale and breathe in through the stomach, not raising the shoulders or extending at the lower back. Ingrain the habits and notice better strength, better feeling, less pain, and better abs (with good nutrition of course)!

Building A New Box

I had a revelation this weekend. It hit me hard, even though I have known it for some time. It isn't something that is simple to change or adjust but it is something that can be handled as long as consciousness is in play. What was this great revelation you ask? It is time to step outside of my comfort zone and stop hiding from the world. For too long now I have continued to stay comfortable within my personal life. I did the same things, ate the same things, and kept the same company. Not that anything is wrong with the people I choose to be around or the things I need to do, but there is something wrong with turning down everything that came my way that wasn't of that norm.

Over the weekend I was talked into going out to the lake (and for those who don't know me, water is a big no no in my world). I went with some friends and while out there, I actually enjoyed myself. I even jumped in without having to be pushed, tricked, or bribed. Yes, I may have been wearing my floaties but hey, I still got in. I also ended up tubing and getting thrown from said tube. All-in-all I had a really fun day and was able to step outside of my boring box for the day. I became a better, stronger person.

Along the same lines, I was out to dinner and again made a step outside. I have always been a picky eater and sea food of all types has been far out of my realm (besides tuna of course...I'm a meathead so I gotta get that PROTEIN brah). However, I was persuaded into trying some shrimp and I must say, it wasn't too bad. I would definitely eat it again. (Thank you Alissa!) Another big stride in the evolution of Chance.

What it boils down to is this...stay out of your own damn way and experience what the world throws at you. You won't enjoy everything but at the same time, you can't enjoy life if you don't give it a try. I have stayed down for too long and I am making the move today to start living out here ::extends arms and wiggles fingers::

Back to My Pen and Pad

It has been a little over a year since I have posted to this blog. Back then I was posting rarely with fitness tips, ideas, and rants. Since that time my business partner and I have had our time filled up with building a training business. We went from a 600 square foot gym with 3 trainers to a 3000 square foot gym with 6 trainers in a years time. We have expanded from strictly personal training to personal as well as small group training, conditioning classes, and yoga. We are not where we want to be but we are definitely on our way. Needless to say, during this time my priorities changed and my writing took a hit.

I have now reached a point where a wake up call has been given. I need to get back to the extracurricular things I once enjoyed such as writing. During the past year I have went through a lot both physically as well as mentally. I lost, I learned, and I definitely grew. Just as we all do I hit some low points and let darkness take me down but I can honestly say I am pulling myself away from that.

This leads to the reasons behind bringing back my writing. I have never enjoyed writing nor have I been that talented. However, I have always used it as a way to get my thoughts and feelings out to the world. When I stop writing, I start bottling and that never ends well. So I have decided to bring back my writing, only this time I am going to use my blog as my outlet for everything, not just fitness. Yes, I will still spread my knowledge of training and health, but I will also incorporate myself and my life into this site in hopes to keep my mind clear and allow my thoughts out.

Will anyone actually read this or care? I don't know. Maybe not. But maybe I will be able to help someone going through the same things as I. Maybe I will learn through my own keyboard. Maybe I will be able to link my passion for lifting heavy objects to life lessons. Hell, maybe after a while I will have enough thoughts on paper to put together a book! Who knows. But what I do know is it is time for me to get back to writing and expression...for me.

Take a Look Around

Too many times we as people like to look at the negative in our lives and wish for our stories to be different and full of excitement. We complain about the bad things that may happen and look for everyone around us to feel sorry for us in hopes that that will make us feel better. The reality of all of this is the fact that focusing on the negatives only leaves us to misery and creates a state of constant fear. Fear that every turn will have an unhappy ending.

Truth be told, I believe that our lives are determined by our outlooks. I doubt there has ever been a successful person who looked for the down side of every idea or the sadness out of every event. Success comes from positivity and positivity comes from success. The law of attraction states that energy creates energy meaning positive thoughts and feelings bring positive results and vice verse. To me, this is how religion works. Hope and positive beliefs are created throughout a community and through this good things come to those who keep faith. You don't have to be religious however to bask in this effect. Looking for the good in every situation and every event can bring more success your way than just being good ever could.

One simple activity to help create this lifestyle and better your overall mood is to take a look around. Sit down and look around you and your life. Look at the people you have, the things you have succeeded at, the joys you have had. Look at the possibilities that surround you and the abilities you have. As I write this I am sitting alone in the middle of my gym. I look around at the chalk on the platform, the chains that hang from the rack, and the plates of all sizes. I see areas where people have lifted new personal records. I envision the fun that has been had within these walls. It reminds me of the success I have had to make it to this point. I think of all of the people who have been behind me to get to this point from my business partner to my closest friends to my clients. I think back to the time this was just a dream and now I realize that it was this positivity that had gotten me here. Embracing the good around me and ignoring the negative. I have failed and I have went through rough spots, but I was never able to stop seeing the good around me. I used that and I will continue to use that.

Don't get me wrong, I have my times of sulking, but when it comes down to it, I remind myself of the abilities I have, the people supporting me, and the opportunity in front of me and I suck it up and enjoy the ride, knowing I am on the path to great success.

Derby Season

Well, it is Derby season here in Louisville and that means the Mini Marathon. I understand the thrill to run continuously for that long as much as I understand Calculus two (I got a D in calculus two and it was the end to my "math major" days). I can appreciate the challenge and I commend those who take it on but for those who make this their life, I question you...Anyway, I want to say congrats to two of my clients for completing the mini marathon this morning and doing it in a time that surpassed their goals. Nick and Mary Beckmann have been training with me for close to a year now and decided to take on the challenge of the mini. They did an amazing job with all of their training and it showed today. Mary has a sprint triathlon in June and then it is time to get them both back into the strength game. Lifting heavy and doing intervals...that's what I understand. But again, congrats to them and I am proud of them for taking on the challenge and crushing it!

On another note, Derby season also means my birthday...I accept presents of all kinds.

Deal of the Day!

I was browsing my Facebook news feed the other day and I noticed a post and conversation about bootcamps. Being a fitness professional and business owner I continued to read the conversation and realized there is a thought process that is misled throughout much of the public. I will preface all of this with this statement: I am extremely proud to say that the public image of fitness is shifting in the right direction and the thought of "all cardio all the time" is starting to lessen. With that being said, people are still not exactly sure on the correct route to good health and strength and many mistakes are being made. This was the case with this Facebook conversation I witnessed. The post read something about being excited for bootcamp; From there friends began to ask where the bootcamp was being held. It was a business that ran a "deal of the day" ad and was for a month trial. More people began to discuss the "deal of the day" fitness ads they had purchased and how they were going to try other "deal of the day" ads as they came. None of these people planned on staying with the same trainer/business/program for more than 6 weeks. Don't get me wrong, I am cheap as can be and love to save money when I can and I love these ads as a consumer and business owner. However, as a fitness professional, I hate to see people jumping from one program to the other month after month because of the next deal. There are a number of things wrong with this.

The biggest problem with people jumping from one deal to the other is the lack of program design. I am not saying that these companies posting the deals are not good at what they do, they are; people are just not giving them enough time to see it. Strength and conditioning programs (good ones) are just that: programs. It's not about single workouts but the program as a whole. Each day builds upon the last and each month is a progression from the start. If you look at athletic training programs, they are built into months and even years. The coach looks at the year as a whole and develops it into specific periods and focuses. If an athlete was to do 6 weeks and then start something completely different they would not see the benefit they get from a consistent set-up. Fitness programs need to be given time so that they can progress to where they need to be and continue the challenge. The worst thing one can do for their body is bring inconsistency with workouts and do all zumba one month, bootcamp the next, and Pilate's the following. That will get you no where in terms of a strong healthy body. Each can play a role but they must be coordinated specifically, not by whats cheapest.

Another problem with deal jumping is a lack of connection. Getting a trainer or coach is like having a new relationship. Similar to a doctor, it is important that one's trainer knows specific details about that person from causes of stress to injuries to motivational techniques to even personal problems. All of these factors lead to better programming and better coaching. I don't think there is anyone out there that would switch doctors every month and start fresh. That would be crazy, and so is switching trainers. If there is a lack of connection with a trainer or a lack of performance, then a switch may be needed. But once you find a good trainer, why switch just because of a cheaper price? Get to know a trainer or coach and give that relationship time to develop. A good relationship will lead to better results, I promise that.

The third problem I see comes more from a business aspect. If someone is switching programs month to month, it seems to me that none of those programs are delivering an experience worth staying. Just as I talked about above, the training experience is just that, an experience. A solid program is extremely important but also the ability to give knowledge to the clientele about why, how, what, and when is just as important. If people don't know why they are doing what they are doing then they have no reason to stay. It needs to be explained why it takes more than a few weeks to get the full benefit or why there can't be switching of programs every month. Trainers and coaches need to make sure they are building a relationship based on care and knowledge. I believe if this is given early on and its sincere and correct, people will have no reason or desire to leave.

I want to make this clear: I have no problems with "deal of the day" ads or people who buy those. I have used these sites before both as a consumer and a seller and I plan to use them again in the future. These sites are a great place t find new local businesses and get great deals. I just want to urge people to avoid jumping from fitness program to fitness program each and every month or each time a new deal comes a long. There are a ton of businesses promoting on these sites so its hard to choose, but do some research and learn about the programs. If it fits, try it out. Like it, then stay with it. Let these professionals develop you and the program where it needs to be. I know with us and Everyday Athlete it is a constantly progressing program where each month builds upon the last. It is all about creating longevity and strength. Give it at least 3 months and see why its called a "program" and not just workouts.