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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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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how to use visualization to turbo-charge your morningconclusion
Use your evening to set up for an awesome morning. How? Visualize it. No, I'm not saying that everything we visualize will come true, but most of the things will. What about what doesn't come true? Well, all we did by visualizing is just leave some extra space in our minds to deal with the stress and overwhelm!
-always lifting your LIFE, Laura pin me!
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
say what?
Yes, you already honor yourself in some way. I know you do. Do you have anything that’s even remotely “fancy” in your life that you do? Maybe you have a hair masque you love, a special breakfast you make after a workout, an extensive skincare routine, or a special candle you burn in the evenings. Or, maybe you’re like me (and most of the world) and have a special way you make coffee or tea in the morning. All these things are specific to you. You chose them for a reason. You chose the process, the products, and the timing all because they make you happy and they offer you some benefit. You already do the legwork, now it’s time to make it work for your emotional health too and turn it into self-care.
here comes the lesson in mindfulness
Just like my coffee, my tea has a special "art" too. Tea tends to be more relaxing for me, and is thus saved for the weekends or days off with my hubby. I have a gorgeous gold press for my loose leaf tea and the same mental notes happen here too. I admire the color of the press, the shapes of the tea leaves, the sound the water makes as it fills the carafe, the steam hitting my face, and the color changes of the steeping tea. Again, all those steps would happen no matter what, but being mindful of what is happening and what you are doing makes the difference.
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have I lost you yet?
I sure hope not. I know this tip sounds silly at first, but think about it... All I am asking you to try is change the way you think about your face wash, your candles, your conditioner, even your scrambled eggs. All you need to do is be more mindful. Although these daily acts are simple, they are repeated for a reason: they give us comfort, love, satisfaction, etc. Let those feelings bubble up even more and enjoy not only the final product but the PROCESS you took to get there. Those 5 - 10 NOT extra minutes will definitely change your day.
This is where CSAs (short for Community Supported Agriculture) comes in. When you participate in a CSA, you are essentially paying a farmer in advance for their product whether it be produce, meat, honey, eggs, etc. By paying them in advance, you are giving them a BIG BENEFIT by offsetting some of their upfront costs from running a farm. Think about it, by the time you get to their farm stand or their produce gets to Whole Foods, they already have had A LOT OF WORK TO DO. Farmers don't get paid all year...
So... let's move on to the math... I participate in two different CSAs (one is for produce and one is for meat). produce CSA breakdown
I was able to sign up for 2019's growing season early (which got me a discount) and paid the cost up front (another discount). That payment gives us 12 deliveries, one every other week. Each delivery lasts us 2 weeks (just two of us at home) for a total of 24 weeks. My purchase price (with discounts) was $285. So:
$285 / 24 weeks = $11.88 per week for certified ORGANIC and FRESH as can be produce. UM HELLO. Major win. Could you spend $12 at Whole Foods or even Walmart for all your weekly organic produce? I think not. meat CSA breakdown
My meat CSA works a bit differently. Instead of signing up for a "growing season" you pay for meat in 10 lb increments to get a "bulk price". 10 lbs of meat is $85. On top of that, you get a free dozen of eggs from pasture raised chickens ($6 value at the Whole Foods near me). If we subtract the $6 from $85, that leaves us with $79 towards the 10 lbs of meat.
$79 / 10 lbs = $7.90 per pound for free-range, pastured, grass fed/finished meat! I know that price might seem high for ground meat, but that's not all you get... I get filet mignon, bacon and whole chickens in my mix too!
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final notes
Again, I am not telling you that you need to go broke to get the best food you can. What I am telling you to do is think outside retail grocery stores. I want you to do your research and find a local farmer/CSA who needs your support. CSAs are great opportunities to feed your family the best food you can get and to learn about so many new ingredients. I had no idea what a kohlrabi was before our CSA, and now it's one of my favorite foods! These CSAs have been huge time savers for me too. Imagine stopping somewhere only every other week to get all your produce for the week? Imagine going to the freezer and pulling out anything you'd like? For the variety, the price and the value of their food, CSAs are always a win and you are ALWAYS deserving of that value.
-always lifting your life, Laura
I know. You're overworked, spread thin, stressed, tired and have too big of a to-do list. You see all these posts about self care, about giving yourself time and space and on top of that you NEED to get a workout in AND meal prep...
You think "how the heck am I supposed to do that PLUS all the other crap I have to do PLUS be the best for the people in my life that rely on me???" Well, I have some news for you: If you do not focus on yourself and push through your exhaustion to help and serve others with no break, you WILL get burnt out. You might not be burnt out now, but you WILL get to that breaking point some day. And when that day comes, all hell will break loose. Why? Because you will be so fed up, tired and drained to do all the things that you do for others (which we all know is pretty much EVERYTHING). I know self-care gets pushed to the bottom of the list. It feels like it something we do only when given permission... Permission? Really? You're the one taking care of everyone and doing everything, you DESERVE that time to build yourself up, to learn more, to grow more. Give yourself your own permission. Self care should never be viewed as just a treat. It should be viewed as the thing that keeps us vibrant, renewed and ready to serve the world in the best way we can. Please, take this thought with you today: "You can only give others what you give yourself." Give yourself the gift of time to breathe, the gift of reflection, and the gift of time to honor yourself. -always lifting your LIFE, Laura
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I urge you to go on social media with a purpose. Instead of falling prey to mindless scrolling, go on and DELETE. If someone always posts things that make you feel bad about yourself, get rid of them! They will have NO idea. Just do it. Go on social media with the purpose of creating the most motivational and nurturing environment you can. Un-follow the half naked gym selfies, the "better than thou" posts, the posts that only show highlights. They don't deserve to be in your life. This is YOUR YEAR and they shouldn't share in any part of it.
-Always lifting you life, Laura PS: I you're looking for someone to add to your nurturing social media environment, add me on Instagram and Facebook (links at right). If you want even more motivational support, make sure to check out my confidence coaching program! |
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. |