Category Archives: Man Biceps
Drowning out the noise
Sometimes I think the hardest thing is focusing on yourself.
And I mean this in two different ways.
I mean that sometimes it is hard to say “no” to other people and instead put yourself first and focus on your own wants and needs.
And two, that sometimes it is hard to drown out all of the criticism and doubts that come from other people.
But whether or not it is hard to drown out all the noise, there are times when it is absolutely necessary that you do.
Sometimes you just need to focus on you and say screw the world!
And it isn’t easy to do that.
I still haven’t mastered how to say “no” to people when I really don’t want to do something. I get myself into situations where I’m overstressed and finally just crash because I can’t handle it all. Usually that crash involves lots of tears and maybe a chick flick or two.
But I really can’t let it keep getting to that point. And logically I know this.
So what am I going to do about it?
I’m going to remind myself that if I never say “no” I’m doing anyone a favor. Most of the time when you do something for someone when you don’t want to, you will end up not giving it your all.
So I just have to remind myself that saying “no,” even just every once in a while when I feel myself about to crash, will keep everything from totally falling apart. I will be able to give everything my all since I won’t ever crash since I will have occasionally looked out for myself.
This is a VERY important point for MOTHERS to consider. I know a ton of women who put everyone in their life ahead of themselves. Many of these women NEVER take time for themselves and they end up crashing because of it.
And crashing can mean a ton of different things for different people. It can be emotional breakdowns. Stress eating. Weight gain. Weight loss. Illness even.
None of these things are good.
And all of them could have been avoided if the person just said “NO” every once in a while.
So think about taking some time for yourself. It could help not only yourself but also everyone else in your life.
I mean think about it….which is worse, saying no to one thing or finally crashing and potentially being out of commission for a while? I know it always takes me a couple of days when I’ve become totally mentally drained to get back on track…..
Now…the second part of the drowning out the noise equation – Ignoring the criticism and negativity that comes from other people.
This isn’t easy. It isn’t easy to brush off the negative comments that other people make about you.
My question to you is, “Why should you listen to them?”
You shouldn’t. People that need to criticize and never compliment you aren’t worth listening to you.
Why aren’t they worth listening to? Because they are obviously jealous or insecure themselves and are just TRYING to hurt you.
And here I’m not saying you shouldn’t listen to the advice of others. I’m just saying you need to block out the comments that are obviously just meant to put you down.
I’ve gotten criticized by other trainers for my diet and even my workouts. But I don’t let them make me insecure about what I’m doing.
I’ve gotten great results and so have all of my clients. No I’m not saying my program will work for everyone, but it DOES work.
I won’t let the fact that another trainer doesn’t like it or that they are insecure about their own training program deter me.
I won’t let their negativity hurt me because I BELIEVE in myself. I have CONFIDENCE.
Of course developing this confidence is a whole other post, but it starts with occasionally taking a step back and DROWNING OUT ALL THE NOISE.
That is what it all comes down to – Focusing on yourself if even just for a minute and ignoring everyone else around you.
To help myself drown out the noise, I do something FOR myself.
I plug in my headphones and bust out an intense workout that just totally drains me. Or I watch a mindless movie and ignore all of the chores that need to be done.
Or I even just simply sit somewhere quiet and write a post for Man Bicep.
It’s not self-centered to take some time for yourself! It is honestly absolutely necessary!
How do you take time for yourself? How do you drown out all the noise?
Man Biceps Unite!
Ok I’m in a weird, but HAPPY!, mood today if you can’t tell from the title.
Anyway, I told you a few days ago that I joined the Under Armour What’s Beautiful competition.
And I also told you that I usually don’t like these challenges.
But I have to say, I’m really enjoying it. Actually I’m a bit obsessed and I’m sure Ryan has heard more than he wants about it over the last two days. (Of course, he is always supportive, but I do feel bad about the constant chatter!)
One of the challenges in the competition is to get other people to join.
I don’t endorse things I don’t believe in. While there are ads on my site, none of them are things I posted.
While I love p90x, when Beachbody contacted me about promoting products (but I wouldn’t get to try them first), I turned down the offer.
I don’t endorse things I can’t vouch for – things that I haven’t TRIED.
But I like this competition.
Under Armour has created a social network full of wonderful people who are all there to achieve their fitness goals. The competition provides a great support network AND provides ACCOUNTABILITY!
It is a great opportunity for anyone looking for a little extra push to achieve their goals.
I would love if you all joined the competition with me and sent me your picture, with the Man Bicep showing of course! Show me yours and show the world “What’s Beautiful!” 🙂
Does anyone else catch flack because of their AMBITION, COMPETITIVENESS, TENACITY or DRIVE?
Recently I’ve caught some flack from people around me because of my ambition, competitiveness, tenacity and drive.
For some reason it seems to be much more acceptable for MEN to be super driven and competitive than WOMEN.
Hehe…yes I have a weird sense of humor. We’ve established that! 😉
Usually women who are competitive and driven are called “pushy,” “bossy,” and even “bitchy.” (Sorry for the crude language!)
But it’s true. Drive and ambition aren’t necessarily seen as positive things in women.
My question is, “WHY!?!”
Why shouldn’t I want to take advantage of any opportunity I can to better myself?
Why shouldn’t I want to succeed?
Why is it that when I go after what I want with all my heart that I get condemned and told to not be so pushy?
I’m sorry but I REFUSE to apologize for my AMBITION, COMPETITIVENESS, TENACITY OR DRIVE!
If I want something, I’m going to go after it. I’m going to work hard and EARN IT.
Call me pushy, bossy or a bitch. It would deter me. And I hope all of you out there are the same way.
Has anyone else ever been condemned because of their ambition, competitiveness, tenacity or drive?
Oh and if you ever need to work out any frustration because someone puts you down because of your ambition, try this workout! 🙂
Strength:
Bench 3×10
Auxiliary Lifts:
Pull up/Burpee Pyramid
Pull ups 1-10-1 paired with Burpees 2-20-2
P.S. Man Bicep Mom – Happy Mother’s Day! I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again…YOU ARE AMAZING AND MY ROLE MODEL! Love you!
Leading by example
I’ve always been a firm believer in leading by example. I won’t ask anyone to do something that I don’t or won’t do myself.
And I constantly ask people to push their limits – to take on challenges that may be outside of their comfort zone.
So here’s me stepping outside my comfort zone.
I don’t like entering competitions like the Under Armour “What’s Beautiful” challenge.
I don’t know why I don’t like doing things like this. I just don’t ever feel comfortable doing them. They make me super nervous.
This sounds silly, right? I mean I’m the person that has freaking photos of herself up all over the blog and post about herself every day.
But it’s true. These competitions aren’t comfortable for me to do.
But I think Under Armour has created something great here, which is why I’m challenging myself to participate. This a chance to show what it means to be a true female athlete.
Each participant must state a goal. And most of the goals people set have an end date – a clear conclusion. Compete in a triathlon. Run a 5k. Do an Ironman.
But what if your goal is just to be able to do everything – to be a renaissance fitness woman? What if your goal has no end date?
What if what you really want to prove is that a TRUE female athlete is a woman who has the drive and determination to take on any physical challenge that comes her way?
Then you come to this conclusion….My goal is:
I will be S.T.R.O.N.G.E.R. I will SUCCEED. I will be TENACIOUS. I will be a ROLE MODEL. I will OVERCOME OPPOSITION. I will NEVER LOSE HEART. I will GROW. I will be EMPOWERED. I will be a REAL WOMAN.
I hope you all will support me on my journey to show just how STRONG all of us REAL female athletes are!
P.S. If you search for me, I’m listed as Cori L.
The Difference Between Diet and Lifestyle Part II – No end date
When most people go on a “diet,” they usually want to lose weight or look good at a specific time in their life. Most of the time there is an end date in which they must accomplish this goal. And after this end date, usually people plan on returning to their previous eating habits.
A lifestyle has no end date. Yes, you may have short-term goals – events that you want to look good for. Yes, you may start a lifestyle because you want to lose weight.
But unlike a diet, you aren’t going to go back to your old eating habits once you’ve reached your goal.
Yes, you are going to cheat. Heck cheating will probably even be a part of your lifestyle. BUT you will cheat on your terms and always return back to your healthy lifestyle.
Making a “diet” into a “lifestyle” means that you don’t just give up your healthy eating habits at the first sign of adversity.
It means sometimes not cheating while everyone else is indulging.
A prime example of this is Ryan’s dad who started a version of the Man Bicep diet a little over two months ago.
Ryan’s dad started the diet so he would be healthy and active when his first grandchild is born in August (Congrats Jamie!!!). He has lost over 20lbs and has increased his energy level.
While he would still like to lose more, Ryan’s dad has basically accomplished what he set out to do – he feels better than he has felt in YEARS.
And because this is more than a DIET, because this is a LIFESTYLE, Ryan’s dad has stayed committed even though he could be tempted to eat badly every day!
His co-workers invite him to eat out almost every day. And when he goes out, he could cheat. It would be easier. But he doesn’t. He sticks to his healthy eating habits.
He could cheat every time he has to make food for parties for his children and their friends. He could have cheated the entire time Ryan and I were out in California.
But he didn’t.
He doesn’t cheat at every opportunity because his healthy eating is about MORE than losing weight – it is about being HEALTHIER and FEELING BETTER.
And I’m so proud of Ryan’s dad. Not because he didn’t cheat, but because he truly has created a new, healthy lifestyle for himself.
So now take another look at your eating. Are you eating well with an end date in mind or will you forever stay committed to your healthy lifestyle because it has improved your quality of life?
If your eating hasn’t improved your quality of life, is it really worth continuing or should you start experimenting with other diets?
Is your eating program merely a diet or is it a lifestyle?
P.S. If you’ve emailed me and I haven’t responded, I’M SORRY! I will get to emails this weekend!
The Difference between Diet and Lifestyle – Part I
You’ll run into people who have adopted a new eating/exercise plan who will claim they’ve made a “lifestyle change.”
But have they really?
Because I change my diet and exercise program doesn’t mean I’ve changed my lifestyle. I’ve changed my diet numerous times throughout my life and I’ve even changed my opinions about what is HEALTHY, but I’ve NEVER changed my lifestyle.
My lifestyle has always been one focused on health and activity.
Even on vacations the things I want to do the most revolve around this.
Farmers market – FRESH, LOCAL, ORGANIC
Hiking along the beach looking at the tide pools.
Barefoot is better.
So next time you think about saying you’ve changed your “lifestyle” because you’ve adopted a new diet, take a really good look at whether or not things have truly changed. Have you truly changed your “lifestyle?”
And if you haven’t changed your lifestyle, do you really think you’ll be able to stick to this new healthy diet if the rest of your life doesn’t reflect the same beliefs?
Building Confidence One Squat at a Time
We all know that a good exercise program can help you lose weight and be healthy.
But most people don’t know about the biggest benefit you reap from working out – CONFIDENCE!
I love seeing clients lose weight and get stronger. But honestly the best thing is to see clients happy and more confident!
I love seeing them become more confident in how they look. I love seeing them become more confident in their fitness. I even love seeing them become more confident because they know their health is improving.
I love seeing people’s confidence grow!
And the craziest part is no true results have to be achieved for people’s confidence to improve. Maybe it’s the endorphins. Maybe it’s the fact that we know we are doing something good for us. Maybe it’s simply that we are pushing ourselves to our limits.
Maybe its all of the above.
Whatever it is though, the best part is that the confidence we develop is what truly spurs on great results.
How can you not feel better about yourself if you lift 5 more pounds than you did the week before? How can you not be more confident when you manage to push yourself through three rounds of a circuit when only the week before you had to take a break after the first round? How can you not feel better knowing that you managed to run .1 mph faster than you did even just a couple of days before?
And the craziest part is…that person probably could have lifted that much or made it through the three rounds without a break the week before. They just didn’t BELIEVE they could the week before.
So because they are working out, they become more confident. Because they become more confident, they believe in themselves. Because they believe in themselves, they get great results.
Which guess what?
LEADS TO MORE CONFIDENCE!
Simply put…Exercise is empowering!
Empower yourself today…try this workout or one of the other weekly workouts!
Weekly Workout #10
Strength:
Bench 3-2-2-1-1
Auxiliary lift circuit:
50-40-30-20-10 (Complete the previous rep range for all exercises before moving on to the next rep range. Ex: 50 reps all exercises then 40, 30 and so on.)
Barbell OH Press
Knees to Elbow
Burpees (Chest hits the ground each and every time)
Back Extensions
Can I say ouchie? My arms were toasted between the heavy bench, overhead press and burpees with push ups.
P.S. This is my favorite quote about exercise and endorphins.
It’s my workout and I’ll cry if I want to
I’ll be the first to admit I’m an emotional person. When I decided to do something, I commit fully. Because I invest myself so fully into things, I can get super upset at the littlest set back.
In college, I would get super upset if I couldn’t lift a weight. When trainers would tell me “you almost have it,” I would almost get more frustrated than if I wasn’t even close.
To this day, I still get frustrated when I can’t hit a PR or at least match what I did the time before.
Most of the male trainers at my gym, don’t understand the emotional investment I make. Most don’t get why a failure can cause me to cry.
He's not crying now, but he will be when that weight doesn't budge from the floor!
I’m not ashamed to admit that I cry. I have been known to cry if I can’t hit a new PR after training hard for months. I don’t half ass things. It doesn’t matter what it is – I want to do my best at it. Shoot even pool, which I suck at, I still want to win and will get mad if Ryan beats me!
I’m not saying this is the best way to behave…trust me, there are definitely some times when I wish I wouldn’t get so upset about a bad lift…BUT the point is, I’ve also accepted that this is who I am.
That’s not to say that I’m not working on things. It is much more rare now that I cry after a bad lift. I, most of the time, don’t sweat the small stuff. I remind myself that there are going to be bad days. I remind myself that while Ryan may beat me in pool, I can kick his butt in everything else. (Just kidding Ryan….sort of…)
But even though I remind myself of these things, I’m still an emotional and competitive person who WILL get upset when she doesn’t “succeed.”
Anyway, my point is, don’t be ashamed if you are an emotional person. Don’t let people make you feel bad for showing emotion when you don’t succeed.
And the truth is, if you invest yourself fully into something, there is good reason to be upset when you don’t succeed! Obviously, you don’t want to let your emotions run out of control, but the occasional cry after missing a PR is good for you!
Is it just me or does anyone else out there ever cry after not achieving one of their fitness/diet/exercise goals?
P.S. No I didn’t cry today, but trust me I can name some really great examples of times when I did. Shoot I probably even have some pictures from tennis when I would slap my thigh if I missed a shot. Not the best way to express my emotions….
“The Tube Diet”
Have people gone insane!?!
Seriously, using a FEEDING TUBE to lose weight for your wedding?!
Why do people spend years planning their wedding, but only give themselves 10 days to get in great shape? If you want your wedding to be perfect, you spend time planning and working on it. If you want to look perfect for your wedding, why wouldn’t you spend the same amount of time planning and working on that!?!
And on top of that…why would you ever go to such drastic measures that you stick a FEEDING TUBE up your nose!
It uses a nasogastric tube (a tube that goes through the nose and down the esophagus into the stomach) to provide all nourishment, with nocarbohydrates, for 10 days. Dr. Di Pietro said body weight is lost quickly through ketosis, the state in which the body burns fat rather than sugar. Patients at his office are monitored during the 10-day period for things like constipation, bad breath and dizziness.
And there are other potential side effects of this extreme diet besides constipation, bad breath, dizziness and the fact that you look ill because you are walking around with a feeding tube up your nose!:
“Any extreme low-calorie diet is associated with side effects,kidney stones, dehydration, headaches,” Dr. Aronne said, “and if you lose muscle mass and water, what’s the point of that?”
There are a lot fewer side effects to healthy diets AND you will probably be able to MAINTAIN the weight you lost.
Even the doctors that do it admit that patients could get the same results with a healthy diet. Heck, I’d even argue people would get better results if they didn’t do something as stupid as stick a feeding tube up their nose:
“I don’t want to tell a bride she shouldn’t look good for the wedding,” Dr. Aronne said. “But we tell them, ‘You can get to the same place if you started earlier, instead of waiting until the last-minute and doing something drastic.’ ”
Seriously, why would anyone do this!?!
The Boston Marathon
I would say “To run a marathon” is on most people’s fitness bucket lists.
Can I just say, “I don’t get it?”
I just don’t have the running gene.
I love sprinting. I even enjoy jogging a couple of miles with Ryan when it is super warm outside.
But run more than five miles?!?
I think I would die of boredom before I hit 10….or stop and get ice cream.
Me.
But I’m definitely the minority.
So many people raise money just so they can run the Boston Marathon. While they are raising money for a great cause, most of them do it because they want to RUN. To them, running a marathon is a major feat of fitness.
But is it a major feat of fitness or just a major feat of stupidity when the average person runs one?
Don’t get me wrong, I can’t believe how freaking fast the top marathoners are. I honestly think they run faster than I even sprint. But they aren’t just recreational runners crossing something off their bucket lists.
Seriously, while it is “impressive,” is it stupid for the average person to run a marathon? I mean marathons are really stressful for your heart not to mention your body in general! Check out this post called ” Run for your lives.” (I think the title is super funny by the way!)
So can someone just explain to me why this would ever be on your bucket list? Why do so many people think that running a marathon is “badass” and a huge feat of fitness?
I just don’t get it.
Man Bicep 