STORY TIME
We All Have a Day 1
We ALL have a day one. That day one needs to be respected.
The only way you’ll see growth is if you explore your edges.
True story: I teach a beginner level class twice a week and have for YEARS.
I am regularly told:
✔️ there’s no way this is beginner, it’s way too hard.
OR
✔️ I was super scared to take your class but now that I have, I won’t go to anyone else.
Here’s my retort:
⭐️ Beginner does NOT mean easy. Beginner is the PERFECT place to learn the things you don’t know so you can learn how to be successful with them.
We ALL have a day one. That day one needs to be respected.
⭐️ Why are you doubting yourself? Beyond how you DESERVE to be challenged because you’re making the time sacrifice to show up for yourself, don’t doubt your capabilities. You were made to do hard things.
Keep showing up. Keep proving to yourself that you are POWERFUL and CAPABLE and just as bada$$ on the outside as you see yourself on the inside.
The Best Version of You
The version of me who’s stronger 💪 than I was 30 minutes ago, and who KNOWS her own strength.
Who lives beyond the discomfort?
When I first got hurt and was stuck on bedrest, I would think about what my life would look like POST injury. After all the surgeries and the PT were said and done, I thought about what I wanted for myself once I could workout 🏋️♂️ again.
I could see myself lifting weights and just moving…
I saw myself happy 😊 that I had my independence back and was out of bed.
In truth, I saw myself doing literally ANYTHING except recovering from my injury. I imagined my life. The life I could have and not the one I was currently living.
I workout 🏋️♂️ for HER. For the version of me that I’ll be in 30 minutes when my workout 🏋️♂️ is done. For the version of me I wanted more than anything when I was stuck in bed.
The version of me who’s stronger 💪 than I was 30 minutes ago, and who KNOWS her own strength.
What about you?
How Do You Respond to Stress?
It is a chance to become the strongest version of yourself.
Working out 🏋️♀️ is not arbitrary discomfort.
It is an open door 🚪BECAUSE of discomfort. A conscious decision to put yourself in a stressful situation so you can see how you respond.
AMRAP
7 minutes
10 reps each exercise
Swings
Squats
Lateral lunges
Single leg deadlifts
It is a chance to become the strongest version of yourself.
The one you know lives deep down inside. The one you lost along the way but the one that will come back if you just give it a chance.
It’s a chance to reclaim your power and strength so you can transfer it into other areas of your life.
Don't Let Your Thoughts Take Over
Our brains can convince us we’re capable of accomplishing the impossible.
Your heart rate increases, your muscles feel warm, now you have to convince your brain to do the work.
⬆️ that’s a whole lot trickier than it seems.
Our brains can convince us we’re capable of accomplishing the impossible.
It’s also the only muscle that will convince us we can’t do anything regardless of how many times we have in the past.
Talk about a tremendous amount of power.
Left to its own devices, that kind of power could be tremendously detrimental too. Think about it: no human wants to be in a circumstance of stress. So if you leave those negative thoughts unchecked, they’ll take over.
The goal is NOT to stop those negative thoughts. You won’t be able to. The goal is to recognize those thoughts and move on from them.
***********************************
When you workout 🏋️♂️ today:
Embrace where you’re at right now. The workout 🏋️♂️ isn’t going to be perfect, but you’ve come a long way and that deserves celebration and acknowledgment.
Listen to your body. If you slept funny, you’re extra sore, or maybe you’re tired 🥱, take it back a notch. The hard work will be there tomorrow.
Let go of expectations. The most important thing is that you showed up. You’ve already done more than most people will do all week, and you’ll leave feeling stronger 💪.
Show Up for YOU
Why would you want to willingly put yourself in a place of discomfort if there’s no pay off?
What you’re working towards has to be worth more than the discomfort you feel.
You have to want it more than you fear it, more than you hate the hard work, more than you dislike the discomfort.
Otherwise there’s no point in showing up.
Why would you want to willingly put yourself in a place of discomfort if there’s no pay off?
Remind yourself why you’re showing up.
When the work makes you want to quit or you start to get distracted, remind yourself why you’re choosing to spend your time like this and focus on that reason until the workout ends.
AMRAP
10 minutes
8 single leg deadlifts
8 gorilla rows
8 toe touches
No Pain, No Gain is BS
Your body gives you feedback constantly for how it’s absorbing its environment.
I don’t subscribe to the adage of no pain no gain.
What freaking nonsense.
Your body gives you feedback constantly for how it’s absorbing its environment.
After training all kinds of different people for over 10 years, I can tell you with 100% certainty, if you’re in pain, your body is trying to tell you something is wrong.
How do you push yourself then?
🌟 check your ego at the door. Every day and every workout 🏋️♂️ is going to be drastically different. Assess where you’re at each day when you get into your workout 🏋️♂️ and see if you can go faster, lift heavier without feeling pain.
What do I change if I feel acute pain?
🌟 Usually pain in an exercise is an issue with form. Take it back to foundational exercises to build a stronger foundation for more complex movements. You have to break down the exercise you’re doing to see what changes need to be made.
How do I see gains?
🌟 just because you’re not working in the pain cave, doesn’t mean you’re not challenging yourself. Respect your body and push your limits in a respectful way. You’ll see gains faster because your body will intuitively know it won’t get hurt.
Focus on Pre-Hab
I focus on it because a lot of people neglect it. They think stretching for like 10 seconds on each major muscle group is enough when it’s far from it.
What’s pre-hab?
I talk a TON about recovery. What to do after your workout 🏋️♂️, so you can make sure your workout 🏋️♂️ is giving you the best results AND so your body can stay fresh.
I focus on it because a lot of people neglect it. They think stretching for like 10 seconds on each major muscle group is enough when it’s far from it.
Reality is, your body needs recovery and warm ups just as much as it needs the hard work in order for you to see results.
What do you do BEFORE you workout?
✔️ Hydrate. Not just the day of, but the day before. There’s nothing worse than trying to push through some HIIT torture when you’re dehydrated.
✔️ incorporate mobility work into every session. I do mine during my warm up. It’ll keep your joints mobile and get them ready for the harder work.
✔️ Break down complex exercises. When you can break the exercise into pieces, it’ll help your muscle memory kick in so when you get to the hard stuff, your body knows exactly what to do.
My Fave Exercise
Don’t forget: breaking down an exercise into its smaller components will make complex exercises more attainable over time.
TGUs are my favorite exercise.
I know, my crazy just went up a notch for you.
But here’s why:
It’s a shit load of core stability, shoulder strength and stability, a ton of coordination and an amazing full body exercise.
It also teaches a practical aspect of life we will ALWAYS need: how to get tf up off the ground. Since I’m all about the practical purposes of working out, I’m for SURE about that.
But I know it’s intimidating because it looks cool and it’s complex af.
I love complex exercises. They suck for sure but they’re super efficient, and when you don’t have a lot of time to workout, efficiency is really key.
Don’t forget: breaking down an exercise into its smaller components will make complex exercises more attainable over time.
Pro Tips:
✔️ make sure your shoulders are warm before you get into any version of a TGU
✔️ use weighted roll ups and bridges to jump start your muscle memory
✔️ incorporate lunges and single leg deadlifts into your activation to turn your balance on
Discipline Creates Habit
You need that little mental pick me up of feeling sexy again because people are telling you that you ARE sexy again.
Discipline Before Motivation: Creating Lasting Change in Your Fitness Journey
When it comes to achieving your fitness goals, discipline plays a crucial role. Before motivation can even occur, you must cultivate discipline as the foundation for success. Discipline allows you to form healthy habits, and it is these habits that ultimately drive lasting change in your life.
Change is the key to your motivation. Witnessing the transformations, both physical and mental, that result from your efforts fuels your drive to keep showing up. It is through consistent action and dedication to your habits that you experience the change you desire.
As a trainer, I discourage the reliance on short-term programs like 30 or 60-day challenges. While they may offer enticing instant results and the praise that accompanies them, they often fail to provide a sustainable solution. What happens after the program ends? How do you maintain the hard-earned results?
The truth is, most people don't have a clear answer. This is precisely why these programs are highly profitable. They capitalize on the cycle of returning customers who seek that temporary confidence boost and validation once or twice a year.
If these programs truly served your long-term well-being, they would provide a seamless transition into a maintenance phase. They would teach you how to sustain the results you achieved in the initial 30 days, eliminating the need to repeat the same program over and over again.
You would gain the knowledge of how to adjust your approach when you hit a plateau or face boredom. You would learn how to level up your workouts and keep yourself engaged in your fitness journey.
Above all, you would understand that your health is not something you can turn on and off. It should always remain a priority because it is an essential aspect of your well-being that you will always need.
So, let discipline be your guiding force. Embrace it as the catalyst for lasting change in your fitness journey. Build sustainable habits that empower you to maintain your progress, make necessary adjustments, and stay engaged for the long haul.
Remember, your health is not a temporary project—it is a lifelong commitment. Prioritize it, invest in it, and let discipline be the driving force that propels you forward on your path to a healthier, happier you.
Showing Up
Sometimes your workout 🏋️♀️ needs to show up for you more than you show up for it.
Sometimes your workout 🏋️♀️ needs to show up for you more than you show up for it.
This ⬆️ was the biggest lesson I learned when I first got hurt and the biggest lesson I’ve applied to my clients.
When I was initially recovering from my injury, I pushed my limits to prove to myself that I was still strong. I was still the same person after a year of bed rest, multiple surgical repairs, and not being able to walk.
Some workouts went great 🥇.
Others…not so much 🗑 🔥.
But every workout 🏋️♀️ taught me at the end of the day, moving my body in whatever way served me best in that moment is what mattered the most.
