Unfortunately, the wedding business is based a LOT on appearances. One of the first appointments you booked was for dress shopping, you've spent hours picking out flowers, you made a seating chart that lets everyone have a good time, you schedule a trial run for your hair and makeup because a day like this just can't be left to chance, and on top of all that, you hired a great (but probably expensive) photographer to document every single moment of the day despite being totally ready for it or not... So after all of that, where do YOUR emotions fit in to all of this? try to change your mindset.Normally, your emotions are sent way down to the bottom of the list, somewhere under stuffing invitation envelopes... I urge you to remember something during all this planning: when it comes down to it, you and your spouse are the only ones that matter. I know you have heard this advice before, but I am going to say it again to help it sink in: YOU AND YOUR SPOUSE TO BE ARE THE ONLY ONES THAT MATTER. No one else will remember the day like you two do. No one else will feel the way that you two will. No one else matters. I mean really, does your "spouse to be" really care if you weigh a couple pounds more than you wanted to? I sure hope not. Hopefully, what really matters to them is that you feel confident on that big day, and that you are ready to start your life with them. how do you achieve that?By working out. Wait, what? I know, it seems like this goes against my previous advice of not caring how you look, but I did say that I want you to FEEL good, right? Working out releases happy hormones (and "happy people just DON'T kill their husbands" - thank you Elle Woods). Happy people GLOW on their wedding day. Happy people float down that aisle knowing that they look awesome, they feel awesome, and that they have an awesome person waiting for them at the end of that aisle. So yes, all that is how a good workout plan can make or break your wedding prep. I lifted weights even before I got engaged, so this wasn't totally new to me, but I did step up my game once I got that engagement ring. I knew lifting weights made me feel good, I knew it would help me fill out the curves of my dress and I knew it would make me feel confident on that big day. So now is when I share the skills I learned with you. I am a big believer in workouts that should fit your schedule (and the rest of your wedding planning), so what you need to think about is: How many days a week can you devote to lifting weights amidst all the wedding planning: 2 days, or 3 days? Once you think that through, click the buttons below to purchase either the 2 or 3 day plan. BOTH plans last three months which is plenty of time to make a difference in both your appearance and confidence level for that big day! Your workout plan will change each week and you will cycle through 2 different "phases" of exercises, each phase lasting 6 weeks for a total of 12 weeks (3 months). These phases come straight from my tried and true workout cycles but are offered to you at a discounted rate ($10 - $15 off) because we are preparing for your wedding, think of it as my wedding gift to you! Upon purchase, you will receive an instant download (mobile friendly so you can take it with you to the gym) with all your workouts complete with detailed descriptions of every exercise you will perform. It doesn't stop there, purchasing this special wedding prep package comes with access to me and my advice! Send me an email whenever you need it if you're stuck, confused, or just need a pep talk, I'm here for you during this major step in your life! Want even more info about the plans? Click here. Pin now, save for later!
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why not every day?
Yes, I know, hearing anything that talks about "muscle confusion" seems like a great idea and the best way to get your body to respond. But is there such a thing as too much muscle confusion? YES. Think about it this way: if you performed all new exercises EVERY SINGLE DAY, wouldn't you get frustrated when each exercise felt like a new skill to master? Wouldn't you like to go to the gym knowing that you have good form on at least some of the exercises in your routine? I know I do... AND, let's take a second to talk about soreness. You know how sore you get after doing a new exercise for the first time? Do you REALLY want to be that immobile every day of your life? NOPE.
So if we aren't going to change things up every day, how do we know when to change things? It's a fine line here, because you want to change things the least amount of times you can WHILE STILL challenging your body. So: why not every 3 months?
Every 3 months seems like it would be a good idea, because you would give your body plenty of time to master a movement, but honestly, your body is WAY smarter than that. 3 months is a long time to do the same thing over and over and I promise that your body will get bored and plateau! No one wants a plateau.
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why not every month?
Yes, your body IS amazingly capable of adapting, but one month doesn't give it that much time to master something. Think about it, if you perform a two day split routine for 4 weeks, you are only performing each exercise 4 times before you move on to new exercises. It sure takes me longer than 4 tries to learn something new!
the "perfect" number:
This leaves us with the middle ground... somewhere between 4 weeks and 12 weeks. Let's continue with our example from above: if you perform that two day split for 6-8 weeks, you get 6-8 days to master each exercise! That's plenty of time to progress.
What about getting bored? The longer you perform a workout, the more likely you will get bored. One way to eliminate that is by performing the same exercises in different ways throughout your routine. This is the exact reason I designed my workout cycles to progress like this. Each of your 6 weeks contains the same exercises, but each week has a slightly different goal. If that kind of layout sounds appealing to you, take a second to look more in depth look at how my plans are organized here! Alright, you are now READY to tackle your workout routine with CONFIDENCE. Go forth and LIFT YOUR LIFE! Pin now, reference later!
Some terminology to note before reading:
PULLING - any movement that pulls a weight towards your body (deadlift, row, etc) PUSHING - any movement that pushes a weight away from your body (bench, squat, etc) 1. "micro" gloves
2. straps
3. extra pulling grip
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how to use these in YOUR workout routine
My general guidelines are:
Even though I give these guidelines, EVERYONE is different. What might feel good to one person might feel bad for the next. I happen to have a client who has tried a mixed grip and Versa Gripps on her heavy deadlifts and doesn't like either! Do whatever feels best for you, these are just tips to help you find that! What types of gloves/straps do you like? Let me know by leaving a comment! Pin now and save for later!
Seriously, deadlifts are my absolute favorite thing to teach women how to do. I love seeing the “lightbulb” moment when they learn how to shift their hips back in space and pick up whatever weight (or object) is sitting on the ground in front of them.
how I coach deadlifts
something to note:
The video below demonstrates ONE type of deadlift VARIATION. There are many types and those specific videos/posts are on my list to discuss! For today though, we will work on a "Romanian" or "straight leg" deadlift, the kind that is most easily performed (due to flexibility restrictions).
Once you've done your "hip hinge" experiment from above, it's time to play with flexibility. As you see in the video, my back stays straight and my butt stays out the ENTIRE time the bar is traveling up and down. This means that I let the bar go down only as far as I can while maintaining that good form. This means that when you perform a deadlift, as SOON AS you reach a point that causes your back to curl or your shoulders to round forward, it's time to stop! The point that you just reached is how far down you should go. Let me reiterate: I would much rather you do a "shallower" deadlift and build up flexibility over time rather than compensate your form just to get closer to the ground. finally:
Once you've mastered the hip hinge and keeping your back straight, it's time to add some weight! Start off with dumbbells and slowly progress up. The key with a Romanian deadlift is to test your flexibility with each rep... Each stretch you feel is the stuff that will give you "leg day soreness" the day after!
I tried making my own cleaners at home. You've probably seen all the recipes on Pinterest for natural cleaning products you can make with just a few ingredients (lemon juice, castile soap, essential oils, white vinegar, etc). I got all excited, bought my supplies and... it was kind of exhausting! Yes, I knew what was going into my cleaners, but I felt like I had so many "supplies" around the house that I was left with the same mess of bottles and potions that I had before I started. It was too much measuring too, and being an anti cooking book kind of home cook, measuring is just NOT my thing. Anyway, I tried to stick with it, but one day I happened to listen to a life changing podcast from an awesome girl.
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she recommended... Branch Basics.
I promise you, the day I listened to the podcast I checked out their site. A couple days later... SOLD. At the time, we were renovating our dream home and I felt like it was the perfect chance to get a fresh start in creating a healthy (and clean) home environment. Once my shipment arrived, I was HOOKED. I filled all my bottles, started cleaning and HOLY CRAP does this stuff clean well. Their "streak free" bottle really does live up to its name! Our granite counters? Sparkling. Here is the REAL test though. This might be a bit TMI, but I'll tell you anyway. I have a workout top that I have had for a while now, and let's just say that the pit stains on the inside of it are pretty nasty. These pit stains have been there forever (you can't see them from the outside of the shirt), but one day I decided to spray a bit of the "all purpose" bottle onto the stains. I let it sit for about two days before I put it in the wash. Once it came out... the stains were gone.
On top of Branch Basics working so well, I think what I like the most is that I have full control over how I mix the formulas. I love the color coded system, and I like how all I need is ONE bottle of concentrate, so I only have to worry about running out of ONE thing! I also love that it's fragrance free because I have super sensitive skin and avoid strong fragrances. I can use this stuff without dish gloves! I will say though, I do make my potions a bit more customized than just altering the level of concentration (per bottle instructions). Even though I am sensitive to synthetic fragrances, essential oils are something I love. So what do I do? I just add some drops of oils (lemon, lemongrass, lavender, eucalyptus, etc) to the bottle. The smell fills the room as I clean, I know it's safe and it adds some extra cleaning power! What's not to love, especially when you get get $10 off your first order with the link below!
Click here for $10 off your first order of Branch Basics!
Alright, here's the summary. Typical cleaners aren't safe. Most "green" cleaners aren't actually healthy either. Making your own cleaners (while effective) can be a pain in the butt. Branch Basics comes in and saves the day with an easy system, awesome product, pretty packaging, and great customer service! Are you sold yet? If you are, awesome! If you aren't, try their starter kit, it's only $5!
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AuthorMy name is Laura and I help overly tired 20something women overhaul their lives, energy and confidence without overwhelm. Categories
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DISCLAIMER:
Although I am a Certified Personal Trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine and write to the best of my knowledge on fitness, nutrition and lifestyle practices, I cannot be made liable to know all information on a particular subject. Knowledge gained through this blog is to be used at your own risk and all lifestyle changes should be discussed with a doctor before starting. I am also a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. I do receive a small reimbursement for sales made through the links provided on my blog. |