Blog Archives
Birthdays
Some people hate birthdays. Other people love them.
I find myself sort of indifferent to them. Well mine that is. I love planning parties for other people. But for mine….I’m not not excited…I’m just also not overly enthused.
Of course today at work there was a little bit of hazing and I had no choice but to celebrate.
Thank you Dave, Candy and Brian. You are all buttheads.
But this year I’ve decided I need to do a little bit more…I’m going back to my youth when my mom planned super active parties for me – tennis, Olympics events and roller skating!
But unlike the parties of my youth none of the events this week involve eating cake…ok Saturday there may be a bit of cake… 🙂
But tonight there will be no cake. Some delicious chocolate though. I’ve become addicted to these Taza chocolates. Very few ingredients and 70% dark which isn’t bad!! Plus they have some really interesting flavors!
AND tonight I will also go rock climbing FOR THE FIRST TIME! SO PUMPED! So excited to test out my strength in a different way.
(Actually testing out my “strength” seems to be the theme of the week. Monday and Tuesday I worked on one-handed handstands as well as crow to headstand. Not too disappointed in the results!)
And after all the rock climbing and handstands, I will be going roller skating tomorrow night. Yes roller skating! Candy doesn’t have derby practice so she is taking me skating. I think the last time I went roller skating was fourth grade….Hopefully the fact that I’ve ice skated more recently will save me! (Also, hopefully my legs won’t be too tired after 2 1/2 hours of spin during the day!)
And then Friday, BOWLING!
Overall a very competitive and active week! YES!
Great friends, fun activities…Couldn’t ask for anything more!
Just because an athlete sponsors it…
DOESN’T MEAN IT’S HEALTHY!
So yesterday when I was talking about not endorse things I haven’t tried or that I don’t believe in, I began thinking about athletes endorsing “healthy” products.
Because someone famous told them it was healthy, they all just believed it! But in fact it was worse than a candy bar for them!Anyone else a fan of Parks and Recreation?
People see an athlete endorsing a product and illogically think that they need that product to be like the athlete. They connect that product with the athlete’s success.
Which 90% of the time is totally incorrect. I bet 90% of the time the athlete hasn’t even ever used the product he or she is endorsing.
Just because someone famous is associated with it doesn’t mean it’s good.
Same goes for movie star diets. Just because so-and-so lost 20lbs on a diet doesn’t mean that it is healthy OR that it will work for you.
I mean logically we all understand this right? But if we do why are people constantly buying diet pills or trying the latest celebrity diet? Why are people focused on getting the right “supplements” when all they eat is junk food?
How could someone believe that an energy bar with Lance Armstrong’s face on it is healthier than REAL, whole food?
Why do we always try to make things overly complicated?
Who cares if a product has a celebrity’s face on it!?! Those bananas in the next aisle are way better for you!
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!” 🙂
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!
You starve yourself!?!
This is the common reaction I get when people find out that I occasionally fast.
Sometimes I fast for 16 hours. Sometimes I fast for 24.
But either way…I’M NOT STARVING MYSELF!
Actually there are lots of good things associated with fasting, including looking super sexy!
I mean have you SEEN Leangains!?! Or the author of Eat Stop Eat, Brad Pilon?!?
Leangains – Before fasting…and after fasting. I’ll give you one guess which is which!
Eat Stop Eat’s Brad Pilon…He looks pretty darn good too!
I mean shoot! Do you really need any more reasons to try fasting than those pictures!?!
I DON’T!
But if looking good isn’t enough, can I also say that I got stronger and WON a powerlifting competition while doing intermittent fasting?!?
Yep that’s right! I did intermittent fasting the couple of months before the competition and increased my maxes enough to win not only my weight class but also Overall Best Female Raw Lifter.
Not too shabby if I do say so myself!
Still not enough to convince you to try “starving yourself?”
How about all of these benefits of fasting, which include:
- Weight loss! Yes this is kind of the same thing as those guys looking good, but it is also the reason most people first go on a diet! For most people, fasting is actually easier to stick to than calorie restriction. Plus you preserve more lean muscle mass by fasting than through calorie restriction!
- Fight cancer!?! Yep fasting may actually help our bodies not only resist but also fight off cancer. More rats who fasted remained alive when injected with cancer – 16 of the rats who fasted survived while only 5 who didn’t survived. In a human study, patients also felt better when undergoing chemo if they fasted before and after. They suffered fewer side-effects when fasting than when they didn’t prior to chemo.
- Live longer. We’ve all heard that calorie restriction can help us live longer. Well if that is the case than fasting will make us live longer too! Of course, fasting doesn’t have the same “side-effects” that calorie restriction does. With fasting you will prevent the loss of lean muscle mass and bone mineral density. Sounds like two great benefits of fasting besides just a longevity!
- Brain health. Mark Mattson, Chief of the Laboratory of Neurosciences at the National Institute on Aging Intramural Research Program National Institute on Aging and a professor of Neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University, has released a number of papers that suggest fasting can induce neurogenesis and protect against brain injury and disease. There are also studies showing that fasting may reduce the trauma to the brain caused by stroke and may also help improve the symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease.
- Improved workouts. Ok I sort of already said this when I mentioned that I fasted to improve my performance for competition, but here are some studies to back it up! (Improved recovery and Leangains take on fasted training to just site a few!)
Here are some other great studies about the benefits of fasting that you should check out!
Fasting good for your health and your heart!
Fasting improved the long-term survival of patients who suffered chronic heart failure.
Dieting – The Perfection of Imperfection
Lots of people pressure themselves to never cheat and to stick 100% to a diet.
These people also never manage to stick to a diet for very long.
The belief that you can maintain a PERFECT diet is completely and utterly unrealistic especially if you plan to do the diet for any extended period of time.
This is what happens when you expect perfection out of your diet.
Instead I don’t plan on perfection. I plan on cheating.
I live by the 80/20 rule – I eat well 80% of the time and badly 20% of the time. Always have. Always will.
And I think you achieve the greatest success when you don’t expect yourself to be perfect. That frankly is just too much pressure and leads to failure.
You simply run out of self-control when you are working to maintain perfect. However, if you plan in a cheat day, you allow your self-control to recharge.
And if you PLAN in cheat days, not only do you recharge but you do DAMAGE CONTROL.
WHAT!?! By doing damage you are controlling the damage?
YEP!
When you plan in cheats and allow yourself to recharge, you prevent yourself from completely losing control and doing more damage than that one single cheat day would do.
I mean think about it…
When you feel super deprived, what do you do? You eat everything in sight and eat way too much because you’ve run out of self-control. And sometimes it takes you weeks or even months to get back on track.
On the other hand, if you plan in a cheat once a week, even if it is just a Primal cheat, such as dark chocolate and cheese, you quench your cravings enough that you don’t feel the need to stuff your face until you have a food baby! AND you also can go back to eating well the next day because you know you will get all that wonderful tasting food again in only a few days!
So what seems better?
I personally would rather plan to be good 80% of the time than plan to be good 100% of the time. Because I know that 80% is attainable while 100% simply isn’t.
Why set a goal that isn’t realistic when you can set yourself up to succeed and get great results while indulging 20% of the time!?!
Take a look at your diet? Do you always feel like you are falling off the bandwagon because you are expecting too much?
The Man Bicep Mom Visits Boston
My mom came to visit this weekend!
One of the few people I look tall next to!!! 😉
We ate lots of deliciously non Primal food. Walked around a ton (and went shopping!). Did an hour of cycling and lifted heavy weights.
The Man Bicep Mom took her first spin class and did 3 pull ups even though she never does them! AWESOME!
It was all in all – WONDERFUL.
A couple of “observations” from this weekend:
- We are killing our kids by letting them eat crap and be lazy bums on the couch.
- It is SUPER easy to eat Primally at almost any “nicer” restaurant. I mean honestly, you really have no excuse not to stick to your diet.
- Circuit training really does prepare you for any physical activity.
- Getting older shouldn’t mean just accepting physical decline.
Ok…so let’s start off with the first observation.
My mom and I went to Mike’s Pastry in the North End. It is sort of a tradition for us when she comes to visit. We get chocolate covered cannoli and cappuccinos and we sit and gossip at a table in the bakery for hours.
This last time when we were there, a hoard of 13-14 year olds came swarming in. They were probably on a field trip in the North End – seeing the Old North Church and some of the other landmarks in the area.
What surprised me was the fact that all of the kids were allowed to get HUGE pastries.
And the other thing that surprised me was that about 80% of the children were overweight.
I’m sorry if this sounds mean, but what popped into my head was “Why are these kids being allowed to eat this when they should be outside on this wonderful day running around?”
Why was eating crap at Mike’s Pastry part of this classes field trip? Was this really necessary? Why at least didn’t they take the snacks outside somewhere where they could also run around?
Am I the only one sort of sickened by the fact that the adults and parents didn’t seem to care that their kids were out of shape and really shouldn’t be eating all of the crap? Am I over-thinking this whole incident?
Ok observation number two…It is super easy to eat well at any nice restaurant.
I’ve found it to be very interesting that at nice restaurants they cook mostly Primal foods. Usually they don’t even cook things in vegetable oils, but instead use lard and butter and olive oil.
Also, unless you go to an Italian restaurant, there really aren’t even that many carbs on the menu. At steak houses, they generally serve potatoes. At seafood places, it is usually potatoes or maybe even rice.
And at this restaurant Clio that we went to, there were only even a handful of non-vegetable/fruit carbs served throughout the entire 7 course meal! There were only a few potatoes and parsnips served in a couple of dishes. No rice. No bread. No pasta.
No excuse to really cheat on your diet.
So if culinary tradition says we should cook with animal fats and barely serve any carbs besides fruits and vegetables, why do we load down every meal with carbs and vegetable oils? When did cooking with processed crap and carbs become the norm while only restaurants run by Iron Chefs cook with whole foods?
Don’t you think there is a reason that our culinary tradition avoids using a ton of wheat and vegetable oils? To me this is just more proof of how right the whole idea of eating more “Primally” is.
So my third observation has to do with the Man Bicep Mom. My mom does weight training and plyometric circuits. She never does pull ups and she has never taken a spin class. She also has never done any powerlifting. Yet today she did all three…pretty easily actually.
She survived an hour of spin that would be difficult for even an advanced cyclist (trust me I know…I had people who spin all of the time in my class today who looked like they were dying).
She then also did some powerlifting and busted out three pull ups even though she literally never does them.
Why could she do all of this so easily?
Her weight training and cardio circuits!
She does fast paced circuits that pretty much incorporate everything. She uses dvds from The Firm, which I might add are great for a home exerciser who doesn’t necessarily want to only do powerlifting moves.
The circuits include weights and plyometrics, kettlebells, yoga and even Pilates. They really strengthen the entire body.
And because she is doing all of these different things to build her strength and cardiovascular endurance, she had no problem doing the spinning or the weight training.
I have people who attempt their first spin class after only doing hours of cardio who struggle. And you wouldn’t think they would, would you?
But they do. They aren’t prepared for the short bursts of high intensity sprints. They aren’t prepared for adding a ton of resistance as they climb a hill. They legs aren’t prepared for jumps or even isolation.
They aren’t prepared because they are only used to one thing – long, chronic cardio.
But the Man Bicep Mom? She was prepared. The plyometric drills included in her circuits prepared her for sprint intervals. Her weight training strengthened her legs and core so she could climb hills and easily stabilize her body in and out of the saddle.
Her body was used to variety and used to being pushed.
So if you want to be a renaissance fitness woman, you’ve got to do circuits and mix it up! Even if you love running, throw in some weight training circuits every once in a while! They will even help your running!!!!
This all leads to my fourth and finally observation for this weekend – Age isn’t an excuse for being out of shape PERIOD. End of story. That’s it.
I have clients that say to me, “Well I’m ____age. I’m not going to be able to do the same things I did when I was young.
Can I just say that the statement above is absolute HORSE SHIT!?! (Sorry but it honestly is.)
Yes your body is going to age. Yes some things may become more difficult and you may decide you don’t like doing certain exercises any more because they do bother your body more.
But you can still be fit and as physically able as when you were young.
Don’t believe me? Just go look at the Man Bicep Mom posts! Just read what I wrote above!
I mean even just today my mom said that she honestly didn’t feel any different from when she was younger except that sometimes she feels like she gets out of shape a bit faster when she takes time off.
So next time you think you can’t do a physical activity because of your age, think about hitting the gym a couple of times a week. A little hard work in the gym can go a long way toward better quality of life and renewed physical strength. You may even find that some great circuit training will make you stronger and help you move better than you even did when you were younger!
So age is no excuse! Workout and stay young!
Anyway, I hope all of you Man Bicepers out there had just as wonderful a weekend with someone close to you as I did. 🙂
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.
Man Bicep 