I am not at all the girl today that I was in high school. Nope. I am SO FAR from that girl. In high school I was never the “popular girl”, “no guys liked me” and I was too scared to try anything outside my comfort zone. I was too scared to make new friends or even think for myself really. I had no confidence to trust in my own wants. All that time feeling “less than” led me to view college as finally getting a clean slate, a blank canvas to work with, much like how many of us view a new year. Although I was ready to leave my sheltered life, I was still so scared.
With this clean slate of college in sight, I was determined to change the way people viewed me. I was determined to no longer be the “fat girl”, the “shy girl”, the “sheltered girl”. Now I’m not going to lie to you all, my journey to confidence didn’t start with lifting weights but it was definitely the turning point in my success. Things started slowly, because for me, I actually LOST the freshman 15 rather than gained it. I was so sedentary in high school and had absolutely no healthy muscle mass, so the simple act of walking through a hilly campus made a big change for me. With the loss of weight, I started noticing some things... like GLANCES. FROM GUYS. Yes, guys started noticing me. I know, I know, I should NOT be saying that the way men look at us is the only reason we should feel worth, but I would be lying if I said it didn’t help me when I was at my lowest and most scared point. It did. Those glances gave me the hope that my work was not futile. If you’ve read any of the other pages on my site, you already know that appearance is not the primary reason I advise women to workout, but back then, for me, it was. I wanted to finally be the fit girl, the thin girl, the healthy girl. So, those first glances from guys led me to incessant hours of cardio at the gym, the same way most of us start out our fitness journeys. I woke up super early, went to the school gym when the average college kid was still asleep or hungover and I used the elliptical for a brain numbing hour. I would then go to the dining hall and eat the healthiest meal I could, again alone because I didn’t have the confidence to talk to anyone new. I continued this cardio cycle for a few months until one of my friends took notice and said “hey why don’t you workout with me and my boyfriend at the gym!” My immediate reaction was “UH NO, I am still too fat to touch dumbbells”. She assured me that one day would not hurt, so I begrudgingly joined her fit self and her boyfriend's fit self... Well, that workout changed my life. I mean, yes, the insane soreness changed my life, but that day was when I realized that weight training was a skill. It took thought, it could be intellectual, it was therapeutic, and most importantly, it was EMPOWERING. I was hooked. Every waking moment from then on was spent thinking of my next workout, how to pair exercises together, how to get the best bang for my buck in the gym. I was single at the time, so I went four days a week to lift, gathered as much information as I could and spent the rest of my time with the mantra "lift, eat, sleep, repeat." By lifting weights, I was forced to venture out into the “men’s section” of the gym, and although I was received by the bros with even more looks, something had changed inside me. Instead of these looks inciting happiness, they incited a desire to move past their approval, to only focus on the approval of myself. When you’re a girl in the weights section, you’re only able to compete with yourself really... all you can do is just be better than you were the day before. That became my mantra eventually. Simply remembering the fact that each day I was closer to my goal than the day before was what kept me going, despite not having anyone to share it with. All I wanted to do was go to the gym, get stronger, hone my skills and keep learning. I remember vividly the day when I was at the grocery and got up from picking something from the bottom shelf. I was able to squat back up with ease. I was finally making change that cardio alone was not doing. For the first time ever in my life, I was able to walk through a crowded place and hold my head high. I was able to laugh and not care if my face looked weird. I was able to be alone and not feel judged. I was able to love myself for who I was at that exact moment. I was able to focus on the journey to my goal. I didn’t care if others liked me or approved of what I was doing. What mattered was continuing the amazing energy that was growing inside of me. If my story inspired you, please reach out to me, I would love to hear your story! If you need help achieving the same thing I did, please take a look at my workout cycles or confidence coaching, they will definitely get you on your way towards confidence. -Always lifting your life, Laura
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set up:
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modifications:
If a front plank is too hard, you can perform the movement from your knees as well. You would set up the same way, but instead of sending your toes back, you simply move your knees back one at a time.
If front plank is too easy, you can try removing one extremity from the ground at a time, say alternating hands, or alternating toes. You can also elevate your feet for an even bigger challenge. What about forearm plank? You set up the same way! Instead of starting out on hands and knees, start out with your elbows and knees on the ground. Take the time to verify that your shoulders are above your elbows, then send your feet back one at a time. Not sure how to incorporate plank into your workout routine? My workout cycles make that easy!
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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Now you're probably thinking, "Uh, just one? Why? Isn't this when you should be telling me to go tackle all my goals and start the year off strong?" Well, yes, that is all true... The beginning of a new year is a great time to harness motivation after we have drank/ate/sat around too much over the holidays, but there is another truth there that no one really wants to think about. The reality is...The reality is, most people jump in to the new year with WAY too many changes/additions/removals on their list. We have all done it, myself included! Think about it this way, isn't that how it goes at the gym at the beginning of the year? Those first few weeks, EVERYONE is there, crushing as many goals as they can. But... life catches up with them and all the new habits start getting harder to manage. Where do all those gym goers go after that? They stay home because they quit, frustrated with themselves and farther behind than they were when they started. Creating a healthy lifestyle takes timeCreating a healthy lifestyle takes time and it is very easy to get burnt out if you take on too many things at once. So, I ask you to NOT be one of those New Year gym goers. I ask you to be the person who chooses your resolutions wisely. That means, you pick ONE thing to start on. Just one and START there. Resolutions don't have to happen only at the beginning of the year, they can start any day you want them to. Pick your ONE resolution for the start of the year. Once that has become a habit, make another resolution. Who cares if it's April, all that matters is you mastered what you wanted to and still have the stamina and willpower to achieve another goal.
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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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.
Once you have nice sharp knives, it is important to hold a knife correctly. As shown in the images below, you want to grip not only the handle of the knife, but also the blade.
Now go forth and chop those veggies with CONFIDENCE!
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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. |