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  • The 6 Basic Strength Movements

    The 6 Basic Strength Movements

    If you’re new to strength training or new to following a progressive strength routine, here are the 6 basic strength movements you need to do each week:

    Strength Movement 1) Hip Hinge

    A Romanian Deadlift or RDL is the perfect example of a hip hinge exercise. This can be done with dumbbells, kettlebells, a barbell, or bands. The primary muscles worked are the glutes, hamstrings are assisting, and core muscles are stabilizing.

     

    Strength Movement 2) Horizontal Push

    Imagine standing and pressing your arms parallel with the horizon. Now flip that so you’re facing the ground and you’ve got a push-up! Place your hands wider than your shoulders (or outside of your mat) to focus more on the chest. Again, core muscles are stabilizing. If your goal is to do a full push up on your toes, instead of dropping to knees to modify, elevate your hands on a bench, on a sturdy piece of furniture, or on a counter.

     

    Strength Movement 3) Vertical Pull

    Now visualize your arms moving up and down and this time you’re pulling toward your body. If you can’t do a full chin up or pull up, you can do a lat pull down on a machine, with a band, or with the TRX. This exercises focuses on the latissimus dorsi muscles under the armpits.

     

    Strength Movement 4) Squat

    This is the most functional movement your body knows. Your ability to squat is crucial if you want to be able to get in and out of chairs (and on and off the toilet) without assistance. If that’s not a goal of yours, it needs to be! This exercises focuses more on the quadricep muscles in the front of the thigh. Remember– strong quads keep knees happy!

     

    Strength Movement 5) Vertical Push

    We’re back to moving the arms up and down, but this time you’re pushing away from your body. Grab your weights or bands for and overhead press. Not only is this a functional movement that you need everyday in life, it’s also great for the shoulder muscles.

    Strength Movement 6) Horizontal Pulling

    To cover all the basis for upper body, we have one movement left. Again moving the arms parallel to the horizon, but this time pulling toward you. This is your classic row. This is the counterbalance you need for all the work the front of your upper body gets all day long just in daily living. Here’s something else to consider; If you’re doing a lot of bodyweight exercises (including yoga and Pilates), your chest and front shoulder muscles are overworked in comparison to your back muscles. Because you can not work your back muscles without equipment. You must have something to on pull on, such as weights, bands, or TRX. And one more thing, your back muscle are the second strongest muscles you have (legs are number 1). Don’t be afraid to add weight! 5lb dumbbells won’t do anything for you.

    There are the 6 basic strength movements: 2 lower body movements (hip hinge and squat) and 4 upper body movements (horizontal and vertical pushing and pulling). Aim for completing these exercises at least 2 days per week. And if you’re serious about seeing a change in your body, complete this routine 3 days per week.

    I have the full 40-minute workout you can follow along with here in the on-demand library.

     

    Related Posts:

    Strength Training is More Effective Than Cardio for Fat-Loss

    Why Women Need to Strength Train

    https://aliciacrosstraining.com/huge-win-slot-machine/

     

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  • magic diamond helena casino review

    vegas casino online slotsFeeling fatigued, burnt-out, or unmotivated?

    Here are 7 things you can do to feel better now:

    1. Hydrate.

    Most people are chronically under-hydrated. It’s amazing how much better you feel when you drink enough water. Your body will feel better, you’ll have more energy, your digestive system will work better, and you’ll be more focused. Aim for 100oz of water daily. 

    Are You Drinking Enough Water? 

    2. Cut back on caffeine.

    If you can’t sleep at night, feel exhausted during the day, and/or have thoughts or feelings of anxiety, coffee and caffeinated drinks are only make it worse. Gradually wean yourself down by mixing more and more decaf into the drinks you’re already having. You don’t have to eliminate caffeine completely. But you’ll find there’s an amount that’s right for you without having negative side effects. 

    Check out Purity Swiss Water Processed Decaf Coffee.

    3. Get outside.

    Go for a walk first thing in the morning, after a meal, or after work to break up the day (especially if you’re working from home). Take your laptop, a book, or your lunch outside for some fresh air and change of scenery.

    4. Fix your nighttime routine.

    Getting better sleep is crucial to feeling good. If you’re having trouble sleeping, remove screens from the bedroom. If you’ve chosen to use your phone for an alarm, put it across the room. Wear blue light blocking glasses in the evening. Stop eating about 3 hours before bed. Stop working at least 2 hours before bed. No news, crime dramas, or anything too stimulating before bed. Shut down devices at least one hour before bed and start winding down: stretch or foam roll, take a hot shower or bath, read a book, etc. 

    Get a Zen alarm clock and leave your phone outside the bedroom. 

    Wear blue light blocking glasses. 

    5. Cut back on ultra-processed foods.

    Eat more vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, and quality protein. You can’t eat like crap and expect to feel good. Whole foods provide fiber, vitamins, and minerals to help your body and your brain.

    Let’s Talk About Ultra-Processed Foods

    6. Cut back on alcohol.

    Cutting back on alcohol will only make you feel better. 

    7. Decompress daily.

    This can be part of your nighttime routine: stretch, foam roll, meditate, take a bath, or do anything else you find physically and mentally relaxing. As little as 10 minutes of stretching before bed can make a big difference.

    75-Min Full Body Foam Rolling Workshop

    12-Min SMR for Neck & Back

    12-Min Static Stretch

     

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  • The Truth About Protein Bars

    protein barsIf you have fat-loss goals, you know you need more protein. But should you add protein bars to your daily nutrition routine? ⁠⁠⁠⁠

    It’s best to get your protein from whole foods such as meat, eggs, greek yogurt, and plant-based sources. But that’s not always realistic. Which is why adding a daily protein supplement can help you reach your goals. ⁠⁠⁠⁠A protein supplement means extra protein. ONLY protein. Not extra fat, carbs, and sugar.

    If you’re eating a bar, you’re getting more than just protein. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Check the labels: Bars that are “natural” will probably be high in fat (from nuts, nut butters, and seeds) and possibly sugar. If they’re low in sugar, they could contain sugar alcohols and those are rough on the digestive system. ⁠⁠⁠⁠

    The truth is, if your bar has more fat or carbs than protein, it’s not a protein supplement and it could be hurting your progress rather than helping. ⁠⁠⁠

    ⁠I’m not saying don’t eat protein bars. Here’s where they could be helpful: ⁠⁠⁠

    • ⁠Having a bar is better than skipping meals. If you’re on the run or find yourself so busy you miss meals, grab a bar. ⁠⁠⁠⁠
    • A bar can be a better alternative to something that doesn’t support your goals. If you’re used to a sweet treat with your coffee or at night, replace it with a high-protein bar. ⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Bottom line, check the label. Look for a full serving of protein (20-35g). And make sure you’re not eating a candy bar posing as a protein supplement.

    I’m currently loving No Cow Bars. They’re low in sugar and have 20+grams of plant-based protein. These bars hit the spot when I want something sweet. And they’re easy to throw in my gym bag, lunch bag, beach bag, or purse when I know I’ll to be out and about or on the go for a few hours.

     

    Related Posts:

    8 Ways to Get More Plant-Based Protein

    4 Reasons You Need a Post-Workout Meal for Fat-Loss

    6 High-Protein, Low-Sugar Breakfast Ideas

     

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  • Strength Training is More Effective than Cardio for Fat-Loss

    cardio for fat-lossThink you have to burn more calories in order to lose fat? You’re kind of right. ⁠ ⁠While cardio might burn more calories than strength training, here’s why strength training has a greater ROI than cardio for fat-loss:⁠ ⁠

    • Cardio only works while you’re doing it. Once you hop off the treadmill or the stair climber, you get no helpful change in your metabolism. Strength training and building muscle, on the other hand, increases your metabolism so you burn more calories all day long. Lean tissue burns 10x’s more calories than the same amount of fat!⁠ ⁠
    • Muscle is where the body stores glycogen for energy. Once your body runs out of storage space in muscle, excess unused energy is stored in fat cells. The more muscle you have, the more storage space you have. That means less calories going into fat storage on your body. Strength training increases your storage space while cardio could actually decrease it. ⁠ ⁠
    • Excess cardio without strength training can lead to a situation you know as “skinny-fat.” Not only is this unattractive, it’s also unhealthy. The body has less resilient lean muscle on the arms, legs, and glutes and more high-risk belly fat.⁠ 
    • A new study discovered the effects of strength training on fat cells. After strength training, vesicles of microRNA are released from muscle cells into fat cells. These vesicles prevent growth, so as the muscle releases them, muscles are able to grow. When these vesicles find their way into fat cells, they activate genes that promote the breakdown of fat for energy. 

    You do need to burn more calories to lose fat. And strength training is the better strategy than cardio for fat-loss because it will get your muscles working for you to burn those calories all day long. There’s only one way to make this happen! Grab your weights, bands, or TRX and stop worrying about the calorie count on your activity tracker!

    Related Posts: 

    Why Women Need to Strength Train

    What Should I do First? Strength or Cardio?

    What is Fitness? Part 3: Strength

     

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  • Are you Coachable?

    Thinking about hiring a trainer/coach to help you reach your goals? Whether you’re in the market for a personal trainer to help with exercise or a coach to help with nutrition and lifestyle habits, first make sure you are coachable. ⁠ ⁠

    Being coachable means: ⁠ ⁠

    • You’re able to take feedback and suggestions without becoming defensive. If you get a cue during an exercise, it’s because your coach either saw something needing improvement or has a tip that will help you. If we said it, it’s because we saw it. ⁠If your coach shares an insight, even it’s difficult to hear about yourself, remember that that’s why you hired us.
    • You’re open to experiment and learn. No matter how much experience your coach has or how many clients they’ve worked with, you are unique. You and your coach will be working together as a team to learn which methods and strategies work best for you at this time in your life. The best coaching has a framework AND is personalized. Be an active participant and know that not every strategy will be a good fit and might require course correction. That doesn’t mean it’s not working. ⁠
    • You’re ready and prepared for your appointments. You’ve invested time, money, and energy (your most valuable resources) into this relationship, you definitely want to get the most out of every session. As best as you can, arrive or log on for your training sessions properly fed, rested, and hydrated. As a trainer, there’s not much I can do for a client who starts our session by telling me they haven’t ate in hours or they haven’t drank any water today. For coaching calls, find a quiet spot (with good reception/connection) where you can sit down with your notebook undisturbed. This is not the type of call you can take while driving or multitasking.
    • Keeping your coach informed. Your coach/trainer needs to know if something is affecting your physical or emotional well-being. Your health issue is not TMI. You can keep the details private while giving your trainer enough information to support you or avoid anything contraindicated. Your health history helps your coach put together a plan for you. It also helps your coach to know if what you need is beyond their scope and you can be better helped by another professional.
    • You’re driven. Listen, take notes, ask questions, and most importantly, take action. There’s one thing trainers/coaches can’t do for you: implement. You will need to do the work outside of your sessions. Because the magic doesn’t happen in the 30 or 60 minutes you spend with your trainer/coach. It happens the other 23 hours of the day when you’re not with them. Did you follow through on your commitments? Did you recover properly? Did you take their suggestions or advice that you asked for? The growth you experience throughout the process is what allows you to make the transformations you hired your coach to help you with. ⁠ ⁠

    You are coachable when you live up to your roles and responsibility in this relationship. Remember, you and your coach are on the same team and you’re both working toward the same goal: your success! ⁠

     

     

  • 4 Reasons You Need a Post-Workout Meal for Fat-Loss

    If you have fat-loss goals, do not skip your post-workout meal!⁠ ⁠Here are 4 reasons why: ⁠ ⁠

    1. If you have weight-loss goals, you have muscle-gaining goals. Which means you need to maximize muscle protein synthesis. Do that by eating a full serving of protein 3-5 times per day. If you’re used it eating 3 meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner), adding a post-workout meal will give you a 4th opportunity to maximize muscle protein synthesis. How much is a full serving? 20-30g. Unless you’re an older adult. Then you need 40g to get the same result. ⁠ ⁠

    2. In order to lose fat while preserving lean muscle, you need more protein. Having protein post-workout is one more full serving to add to your daily total. How much protein? Aim for .7 to 1g of protein per lb of bodyweight. Remember, if you’re older and/or need to lose fat, aim for the higher end of the range. ⁠If you’re eating only plant protein, you need ever more. 

    3. In the 30-60 minutes following a workout, your muscles are primed and ready to absorb glycogen to replace the energy used. You’re going to eat carbs anyway and this is the best time to do it. This isn’t a free pass to go off the rails. But ideally your most carb-heavy meals are pre- and post-workout. ⁠ 

    4. Even a quick protein shake will help you avoid over-eating later. If you skip your post-workout meal because lunch/dinner is a few hours away, you could be setting yourself up to overeat (and not on protein) later. You might find yourself snaking on chips or something easy to grab before lunch or grazing while preparing dinner. Or you’ll be so ravenous when you finally sit down to your next meal that you’ll overeat or eat too fast and end up consuming even more calories (not solely from protein) than you would have if you’d downed a quick protein shake to hold you over. ⁠ ⁠

    Ok, you’re convinced you need to prioritize a high-protein post-workout meal is for fat-loss. Check out these posts for some meal ideas:

    8 Ways to Get More Plant-Based Protein

    6 High-Protein, Low-Sugar Breakfast Ideas

    Not sure how much protein you need? Need help staying accountable so you can reach your weight-loss goals? Email me! 

    Related Posts:

    How to Recover from Your Workouts

    Protein 101

  • Top 5 Exercise to Fix and Prevent Knock-Knees

    Do you have knock-knees or knees that turn inward? You might notice it during exercises (like squats, step ups, or lunges) or it might be present all the time when you’re standing and walking. The technical name is knee valgus. Women are especially prone to knee valgus because of the shape of the pelvis. Since our hips are wider, we have a wider Q-angle (the angle of the femur bones down to the knees).

    Knee valgus can be caused by knee arthritis and/or weak muscles in the outer hip and foot (inner arch). It could be harmless or it could make you more likely to suffer from knee pain, injury, or falls. Since you tend to see it more in older adults, it may be one of those things you want to prevent or correct so that you look and feel younger!

    Here are the top 5 exercises you can do to fix and prevent knee valgus a.k.a. knock-knees:

    1. Banded Clams

    2. Lateral Band Walks

    3. Arch Lifts a.k.a. Short Foot

    4. Banded Box Squats

    5. Banded Hip Thrusts or Bridges

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  • Equipment You Need

    equipment you needWhether you’re joining live online workouts and yoga or working out and practicing when it fits your schedule with the On-Demand Library, here’s the list of equipment I use and recommend.

     

     

     

    For Pilates:

    8 Reasons Why You Should Do Pilates


    For Yoga:

    Yoga is NOT a Workout

     

    For Workouts/Strength:

    Strength Training is More Effective than Cardio for Fat-Loss

     

    Functional Mobility:

    What is Mobility?

     

    Additional for Recovery:

    10 Tips for Recovering from Your Workouts

     

    For HIIT:

    Know Your Zones: Heart Rate Training Zones

     

    Misc:

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  • Why You Need An Activity Tracker

    Do you remember the days before smart watches? All of us at the gym before class wetting the chest strap’s transmitter so it would pick up our heart rate for the workout. 

    It’s amazing how far the technology has come in less than 10 years. Now instead of strapping on the Polar for the workout, we wear our smart watches all day long. They track our heart rate 24/7, record our daily steps and distance, and even know when we started a workout and finished one. And those are just the basic functions. 

    I’ve been using an Apple Watch for years. My clients also like FitBit and Garmin. Here’s what I most use my Apple watch for and why I recommend getting an activity tracker:
     

    • Step count. Even though your phone has a pedometer function, it’s not accurate because it’s not on you 24/7. Here’s why it matters: First, studies have shown that 7500 daily steps positively affects symptoms of depression. And second, if weight loss is your goal, remember you burn 3 times more calories during NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) than during workouts.That means having an active lifestyle (measured by daily steps) is crucial for fat loss and weight maintenance.⁠ ⁠For all my Accountability Coaching clients, we work on creating the foundation of consistently meeting daily step goals.  
    • Resting heart rate.  One of the best ways to prevent overtraining and burnout is by monitoring your resting heart rate. If you’re overdoing it at work, life, or in your workouts, your resting heart rate will be elevated. And that’s a good indicator to make it a light day in the living room gym (Pilates or Yoga) and to make other lifestyle changes. It’s much easier to look at the app or your watch for your resting heart rate than to check your pulse first thing every morning. It’s also encouraging to track your progress as you see your resting heart rate decreasing. #nonscalevictory⁠ ⁠
    • Heart rate training. During workouts, your watch gives you immediate feedback if you’re in the right training zone and if you’re recovering properly. While you can use perceived exertion to measure your efforts, there are a lot of mental, emotional, and environmental factors that can make a workout “feel” easier or harder than it actually is. An exception here is if you’re on a beta blocker. This drug prevents your heart rate from elevating so you have to rely on RPE (rate of perceived exertion). 
    • Sleep tracking. No matter the goal, sleep (7-9 hours consistently every night) is key. The sleep tracking function records this for you. ⁠Not only can you monitor you progress, but it also helps keep you honest and accountable to a habit no one else can really “see.” ⁠The watch doesn’t lie! 

    Activity trackers give you the objective feedback you need to make changes while tracking your progress so you can celebrate your wins.

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    Related Posts:

    Sleep: The Foundation of Recovery

    Know Your Zones: Heart Rate Training Zones

    You Can Lie About Your Age, But Your Heart Rate Can’t

  • Rest vs. Recovery

    A trending phrase that’s got me fired up right now is rest day.

    Recovery day? Yes! 

    Active Recovery? Even better! 

    But rest and recovery get used interchangeably. And they’re not the same. 

    To rest is to stop working. As a training variable, rest is the time between sets or intervals. Globally, it means no work is being done, like resting between sprints. Specifically, it means no work is being done on a particular body part or energy system. You implement this variable every time you super-set upper and lower body exercises (your upper body gets to rest while your legs work and vice-verse). 

    Another way you incorporate specific rest is by training different muscles or different energy systems on different days. If you trained upper body yesterday, you can rest those muscles today as you work legs or do cardio. Or if you did HIIT or sprints yesterday, training your glycoletic system, today you would opt for steady state cardio to train your aerobic system. All work doesn’t have to stop in order for you to get rest where you need it. This is why it’s important to program a variety of workouts throughout the week. 

    Recovery, on the other hand, is an active, participatory process. The definition I like is a return to normal.

    Recovery should absolutely be part of your routine. Here’s what effective recovery looks like: 

    • Sleep! 7-9 hours every night
    • Getting a massage or doing self-myofascial release
    • Rejuvenating activities with friends and family
    • Anything else that fills your cup
    • Active recovery (walking, Pilates, yoga, mobility, corrective exercises, physical therapy exercises)

    The reason I’m so fired up is that rest days are used to justify workouts that are too long and too intense (especially for women over 40 who want to lose weight). Or they’re a substitute for a healthy lifestyle (including sleep). 

    If your workouts are destroying you or you’re exhausted, the solution is not lying on the couch watching Neflix all day and then going back to the same soul-crushing routine. You need to dial down the intensity and the duration of your workouts. Keep the workouts under an hour and take a break from intense bootcamp workouts and running. And you probably have some ideas about what else you need to do. Like prioritizing sleep, upholding your boundaries (professional and personal), eating healthy, drinking more water, etc. Another one you may not have considered is changing your mindset around stress. Read The Upside of Stress if you have life stressors beyond your control.

    Remember! Your physical health, emotional well-being, and cognitive function rely on daily movement. That doesn’t mean you need to go for a run or do an intense workout every day. But it does means that you need to keep moving. You can create a life (including an effective fitness routine) and a mindset that supports you and energizes you every day. 

    Alicia Cross is a Certified Personal Trainer, Accountability Coach, and Yoga Teacher with more than 20 years’ experience working with clients just like you. If you have questions, email Alicia@AliciaCrossTraining.com.

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    Related Posts:

    You Don’t Need a Rest Day. You Need Recovery.

    How to Recover from Your Workouts

    Sleep: The Foundation of Recovery