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!
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enter: collagen
Like most of the world, I love coffee (or some sort of hot beverage) and that is something that is part of my morning, NO MATTER WHAT. I am going to make it, I am going to drink it, it's definitely happening. More often than not, I also drink my coffee black. If you've ever tried adding whey (or pea, egg white, brown rice, etc) protein to black coffee, you know how gross it is. It doesn't dissolve well, it clumps, the taste is overpowering, it's just nasty. All those things made me give up on protein powders for a long time and try to eat it only from real food sources only. This can be VERY hard if you are trying to get almost 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. That's a lot of food to eat! During that time, I am pretty sure I noticed a loss in muscle mass because it was just so hard to eat that much protein from real sources without constantly cooking or sitting down for a real meal. We all know that sitting down and eating is hard to do 3+ times a day!
This brings us to the amazing supplement that is collagen peptides. You might end up liking it so much that you buy it in bulk at Costco like I do! Instead of having to make a special shake as you would with a typical protein powder, all you have to do is add the collagen peptides to your daily cups of coffee. The collagen dissolves so smoothly and gives you (almost) NO weird taste. I say almost because there I feel there is a slight taste when I add two scoops (a full serving) to ONE cup of coffee, but if I only add one scoop to that ONE cup of coffee I don't notice a taste at all. This means that your first cup of coffee has one scoop, your second cup has the second scoop. From those two cups of coffee (that you were going to drink anyway) you get 20 grams of important muscle building protein in your diet with no extra time required. Try it out, there's even single serve packets! You will love how filling it is and your growing muscles will thank you!
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a windmill is a "functional movement"
All the exercises I explain in my exercise library are what trainers like to call "functional movements". This means that they require a whole muscle GROUP to be activated, rather than just isolating one muscle. These exercises tend to get your heart rate up more, and they help to burn more fat and build more muscle!
I use these functional movements as the primary exercises in my workout plans. If you want a workout plan that is quick, effective and works well at building your curves and confidence, then make sure to check my workout plans out! There's routines for every schedule, and you will never get bored from doing the same thing each week! If you want the workouts PLUS in depth coaching for other areas of your life like confidence, healthy habit creation, goal setting and mindset, make sure to check our my confidence coaching that includes the workout plans along with everything else!
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If you're a bit lost on how to incorporate this and any other exercises into your workout routine, make sure to check out my workout cycles and travel workouts, they take the guess work out of it!
you need a mix from online training/coaching if...
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conclusion:
The goal of this post was not to sell you on a plan of mine or to convince you that I am the most knowledgable trainer out there. My main goal was to give some advice when it comes to embarking on a health and fitness journey. Do not sell yourself short and try doing things the “free” way because it will only take more time in the long run. You deserve better. I also ask you not to pay for something that will burn you out and cause you to feel farther behind than you were before just because someone has a fancy tagline or software. I urge you to do your research and find your perfect middle ground with someone who aligns with your goals, aligns with your budget and gives you the freedom to make mistakes, grow, and build lasting healthy habits.
-always lifting your LIFE, Laura
Yes, 2 - 10 lbs is a pretty wide range...
That's because weighted exercises can vary SO MUCH. Think about it: increasing by 2 lbs on a dumbbell curl is way harder than increasing by 2 lbs on a barbell squat. In general, you can increase:
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Signup here: Thank you!You have successfully joined our subscriber list. What about non-weighted and timed exercises?
You got it, we need to increase difficulty on non weighted exercises too! Whether you are holding side plank, doing pushups or performing TRX rows, you need to increase the difficulty of your modification once things get too easy. The same rules apply here as stated above. If you can hold side plank with bent knees for over 90 seconds, it's too easy and it's time to pick a harder modification. If you can perform 20 beautiful pushups from the wall, they're too easy and it is time to decrease your angle. If you can perform 20 awesome TRX rows, they're too easy and it's time to walk your feet closer to the anchor point.
STILL WANT MORE HELP? TRY OUT A PRE-PLANNED WORKOUT ROUTINE:
Conclusion:
Hopefully this post has given you some extra confidence to kill it in the gym! Here are some final words of wisdom before you go off on your own though:
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intro:
Today we are talking about one of my absolute favorite movements, the single leg deadlift! I have heard this move referred to as the "instant butt lift" and that is NO lie.
This movement helps you gain balance, flexibility, glute strength and coordination, all at once! So how do we do it? If you are brand new to the exercise, or need a refresher, start with NO weight. This is a hard move, so master it without weight before moving on. a single leg deadlift is a "functional movement"
All the exercises I explain in my exercise library are what trainers like to call "functional movements". This means that they require a whole muscle GROUP to be activated, rather than just isolating one muscle. These exercises tend to get your heart rate up more, and they help to burn more fat and build more muscle!
I use these functional movements as the primary exercises in my workout plans. If you want a workout plan that is quick, effective and works well at building your curves and confidence, then make sure to check my workout plans out! There's routines for every schedule, and you will never get bored from doing the same thing each week! If you want the workouts PLUS in depth coaching for other areas of your life like confidence, healthy habit creation, goal setting and mindset, make sure to check our my confidence coaching that includes the workout plans along with everything else! step by step:
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Signup here: Thank you!You have successfully joined our subscriber list. variations:
conclusion and how to learn more:
Single leg deadlifts are one of the best ways to challenge yourself and build amazing glute activation, strength and size. Sign up below to get even more FREE tips like this delivered straight to your inbox so you don't miss out.
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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. |