Self-Care is Common Sense When you think of self-care, do visions of manicures and mimosas pop into your head? If so, you have a wildly skewed misconception of what it means to care for yourself. Self-care is comprised of the actions you take each day and it plays a significant role in your overall well-being, including your mental health. If you’re already struggling with depression, addiction or low self-esteem, your self-care strategies can help pick you up where life let you down. UK-based mental health nonprofit Mind explains that actions, such as keeping a diary, nourishing your social life and squeezing therapeutic activities into your day, can help prevent recurrences of mental health problems while improving your overall well-being. Self-care is… Self-care is simply the practice of doing things that make you feel good both mentally and physically. For some, it may mean establishing a healthy balance between work and personal life. Others may find that a midday nap lifts their spirits and keeps their mind sharp. The point is that self-care is something that can be tailored to your unique needs. However, there are actions that everyone can take to boost their physical and mental health. These include:
![]() Remember, self-care isn’t selfish and it’s certainly not just for fun. Caring for your mind and body can be as simple as applying these common sense actions to your lifestyle. Image via Pixabay ![]()
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Vacation Time can be a great opportunity to start an exercise routine or maintain a routine.
Often folks have preconceived notions of what fitness should be. If you think fitness/exercise should be what you have seen in a magazine or on Television or what your friend (that lives in the gym) does everyday - it doesn't have to be. Vacation time is often filled with: family time, food, camps, road-trips, sports, barbecues, cutting the grass, etc... Regardless what your activities are, it can take a toll on your available "time". I hope yours is filled with more "Fun" than "Obligations"; but that could just be perspective and would make quick write up a long winded philosophizing write up. Because you "have less time", because you have so much fun stuff to do - set yourself up to be able to get your fitness/workouts done and get back to having fun. Simplifying can be challenging, some suggestions:
There are many possibilities for your simplified workout routine. In this article you are going to get some highlights of the body-weight suspension trainer. Quick list of things about Suspension Trainers:
Portable - throw it in your backpack/suitcase. It takes up the space size of about 1 shoe (perhaps this statement depends on your shoe size). Easy to use - although a qualified personable coach is always going to get you up to speed and help critique and challenge you at a faster rate than you could youtube coach yourself - you can easily experiment and build off the basic movements. Highly Scale-able - Very capable strong athletes & folks that have difficulty sitting and getting up from a chair, both use the exact same Suspension Trainer. If you cannot quite do a push-up yet, it can help you build the strength and posture to be able to do a push-up. If push-ups are rather easy and you'd like to take a run at the hand-standing push-up, it can help you build the strength and stability to get there. I could go on, but I think you get the idea. Targets multiple muscle groups - the common response received a day or so after using is something stating how much someone felt their: abs, obliques, glutes, shoulders, inner thighs... typically something they didn't expect; depending on the movement often something they'd refer to as their core. Probably the best "branded" Suspension Trainer is the TRX. It is around $200. If you subscribe to their newsletter they run many discounts &/or package deals. That may seem expensive - but it can do quite a bit. I have abused mine for years & have no complaints yet. If that still seems steep for you, you could get another brand. Look for reviews of the "quality" not all are created equal but there are decent ones out there. If you consider yourself a fitness Macgyver you could attempt to make one yourself out of ratchet straps - just make sure you stay safe Mac! As hinted to in the bulleted list above, your perfect workout is going to depend on you and your schedule. You could do super-sets, tri-sets, circuits. You could practice total body sessions with an Easy Day, a Medium Day, a Difficult Day. You could break up Upper Body one day, Lower Body the next day. You could count reps or you could time 30-40 seconds of good reps. The idea is there is no one way. The mediocre workout that you practice consistently will give you far superior results to "the perfect plan" someone pontificates at you - that gets lackluster haphazard practice. Here is a TRX Video Library. More videos will be added in the future (so check back; or better yet subscribe!) If you don't fancy the idea of a suspension trainer - you can still practice simple fitness for your vacation with a body-weight program. Read more here.
The Farmer's walk can be fun and the carry over to strength and athleticism can be huge. If you want an easy to make, ready to use, cheap Farmers walk device --I've got the solution for you! D.I.Y. Concrete Farmer's walk implements. It's not perfect. But it is cheap, durable, and simple (the trifecta!!). All you need is:
1. Concrete. Just buy the cheap stuff at your local hardware store. When I was purchasing. I did a scan for what was the cheapest. I must have had a lost look of my face because the Depot guy came over and had a 10 minute dialogue with me about concrete. Then we agreed I just wanted the cheapest. 2. Something to pour the concrete into. You could get fancy and build a wooden form (especially if you have extra lumber lying around). Thin cardboard will fall apart and/or lose shape (not what you want). You can buy concrete forms from your local hardware supply store (see below). However, diaper boxes have worked great for me. ![]()
You can purchase a concrete form from your local hardware store.
Sometimes there are different form shapes/sizes. This will work great, but it'll cost you an extra $8.50, maybe more if you are needing more length for your design. ![]()
For those of us with toddlers and younger - diaper boxes are lying all around the house for free!
*Just duct tape the small slit on the bottom side. ![]()
*Now that you have what you are going to fill with concrete, how much are you going to fill?
Calculator.net is a very helpful tool. The concrete calculator function can be found under the category of "other". Just input your measurements and it will give you an estimated weight & how many bags of concrete required (see "Result" picture below). From here you can tinker with the size. If filling it up is too heavy, calculate what half way would weigh. You could also cut or reshape - but be careful that it still keeps it's integrity. It'd be a waste and frustrating if while you are pouring your concrete your box/form busted open. ![]()
This is the measurements of the diaper boxes we have around the house.
It gives estimated weight in lbs & kgs. It also lists how many bags of concrete you need in either 60lb or 80lb bags.
3. Rebar. Rebar may seem a bit overkill. And depending on the size you are pouring - perhaps it is. For my first concrete pour - I didn't want to add it because I figured I wasn't going to drop it. I'd be gentle.. ![]()
But even if you don't drop them.. eventually.
*Insert* "That's why we can't have NICE things!"
The lesson is rebar isn't that expensive. You can pick it up at your local hardware store for a couple dollars a piece. It's better to spend the few extra dollars than have broken chucks of concrete all over your yard. Depending on the size you are making you could use 1, 2, or 3. The bottom &/or the middle is where I'd focus on putting them. You can lay them in as pouring or affix it pre-pour where you want it.
4. The handle. You could spend a lot of money on a handle (one that you make or a premade one). But my guess is, if you are making a concrete weight - you don't want to use an expensive handle.
The first handle we made spun and was slick. So for version 2 we upgraded to a shovel handle. I bought a replacement shovel handle from a local hardware store it was around $10 - but it was worth it. You can customize your handle by cutting it to the length you prefer. I cut mine a few inches below knee height. *If you are so inclined, you could drill a hole an inch or so (measured from the bottom -up) and stick one of your rebar thru the wood of the handle. Then it is time for some fun!
Thanks for Reading/Watching!
Please help us grow by: ![]() I like to keep my home gym and my workouts simple. I don't always do Mid (or) Low Rows. But when they make sense for my program - I want to do them. Instead of investing in a bulky expensive piece of equipment a good band (or set of bands) will do the trick. For more details, watch the video below. Video demo ![]() Always Get Better Always Get Stronger *Please share & like* #followus on instagram @alwaysgetbetterstronger #likeus on facebook Always Get Better Stronger
This list isn't meant to turn into your training session. I wouldn't want you to do all or even many of these on a regular basis.
My ultimate goal would be for you to experiment with a few different mobility movements &/or styles. Have a short list and perform a couple as needed. There are many options. Find what works for you. Static Stretching - Passively taking a muscle to the point of tension and holding the stretch (1) (sample video). I am not a fan of static stretching pre-workout. The exception would be if it was a small part of a injury rehab type program (click here for short video example). There has also been a lot written about static stretching pre-workout slightly decreasing strength and not helping reduce pulls/strains. You could do a few static stretches as a cool down post-workout; or prior to bedtime. The nice thing about saving for bedtime is can be relaxing and down shift your nervous system. To get the most out of the relaxing nature of the stretch breathe deeply and relax your face muscles. Dynamic Stretching - stretching that incorporates movement along with muscle tension development (2). Think runner marching in place pre-run; boxer dancing/punching pre-fight. Movement would start out slow and increase in tempo. This can be great for a boot camp or athletic event. Many of my textbooks will refer to using momentum or springing through the movements when referring to dynamic stretching. Many other folks will refer to any movement prep as "dynamic". Because most of my textbooks refer to the "force production" of the dynamic stretch I have a hard time calling a pre-workout body-weight squat a "dynamic" movement. Because of this I will call many body weight pre-workout mobility moves, "Movement Patterning". Semantics. SMR (self-myofascial release) - all the definitions in my books sound fancy, so I'll put it in my own words: you are using some sort of "device" to give yourself a massage. Devices could be: foam roller, pvc pipe, tennis ball, lacrosse ball, soft ball, golf ball, hard medicine ball, barbell, kettlebell, plus one of the many objects marketed as a specialty SMR objects. Standard procedure would be to lie on object or pin it between you and a wall (depending on target area) move around until you find a spot that feels like a bruise. Hold that spot pushing into it as tolerated for 20 to 30 seconds. Breathe deeply try to "relax". You can find multiple spots if needed (example video). Another strategy is to add movement to "the spot" of tension (example with movement). SMR can help you out of a tight spot (get it?). Some say it helps loosen them up prior workout. Some say it helps speed up recovery. It can feel great, but it can be a time vampire if you try to "roll-out" every muscle in your body. Movement Patterning - prepping the body for the movement patterns and skills you will be practicing for the day. Example before overhead presses, you may practice a few forearm slides (click for short example) or wall slides (if you have the range of motion available to you) to prep the pattern. Your squats would benefit from "mobilizing your ankle, knee, and hip joints. You could get on the floor, hands and knees and rock to mimic your squat pattern; depending on your ankle mobility, tucking your toes under can be more difficult. If you have a kettlebell goblet squats can be a great movement to pattern your squats (the below video clip shows both movements). ![]()
Muscle flossing - compressing a muscle or joint by wrapping with a band (voodoo floss bands is a name brand, generics available also). Typically you leave the band on for certain number of minutes (remove immediately if you feeling tingling); some will go through ranges of motion. Example would be wrap ankle and then move ankle or wrap knee then perform a few body-weight squats. Powerlifter Donnie Thompson talks a lot about ankles and recommended wrapping the ankles and then have someone pull on your ankles and your toes a bit. It felt great.. but my wife wasn't a fan of wrapping and pulling my toes. Seems like a bit much to set up pre-workout 7+ minutes.. but was nice in the evening while watching t.v. If you are interested in this I'd suggest you check out some of Donnie Thompson or Kelly Starrett.
Banded traction or distraction - using a band to pull against joint to relieve some compression and create more space in the joint. Many of my Crossfit friends are really into this form of mobility. I liked the idea, tried it but never got into it. If you are interested in this form of mobility you can check out many Crossfit websites especially Kelly Starrett's content. Joe Defranco also had some of this in one of his books, but not nearly as much as Starrett. Body tempering - think about a metal foam roller that someone rolls over you! Powerlifters Donnie Thompson used a 130lb hunk of metal, he called "the X-wife" to roll over his buddy - and he said it felt great! Then more tried it; and that's how it was born. Watching the videos looks like a super rolling pin. I'd love to try it, but I don't want to buy one. I train at home by myself and don't think I could talk my wife into rolling it over me. Powerlifters seem to love them. Chris Duffin sell's them on his website: Kabuki Strength. Again the goal is not to do them all - it's to give you options. Remember less is more. Brandon K. Cole reminds, "For mobility work to have the greatest impact it should be personalized as much as possible. Just like exercise. Deadlifts are a great exercise, but not for everybody all the time."(3) *If I missed something you enjoy comment them below. (1) NASM Essentials of Personal Training (3th ed., glossary 6.32, pp. 505) (2) ACSM's Resources for the Personal Trainer (2nd ed., pp. 437) (3) Brandon K. Cole, Level 3 Fascial Stretch Specialist, LifeStretch Instructor, Z-Health Neuro-mobility Coach. Website: https://www.athleticstretching.com/ ![]() Next Blog topic... ![]()
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Always Get Stronger *Please share & like* #followus on instagram @alwaysgetbetterstronger #likeus on facebook Always Get Better Stronger ![]() 55, 56, 57.. Are you tired of counting endless reps of push-ups? Get more out of your push-ups by developing your skill of creating tension during the push-up. Why is tension important? Because the skill of developing body tension will take you far in your pursuit of strength, well beyond just push-ups. Without me switching into my fitness nerd and boring you - I'll just say this: the best lifters (the ones that get the most out of their potential strength ability) know how to get tight. That goes for body-weight, barbell, kettlebell, etc. Tension specific to the push-up Visualize that you are getting ready to do 50 push-ups. You don't really think about what it requires, you just use your minimal strength/energy requirement needed to go through a push-up motion 50 times (by the time you get to 50, it probably looks a bit different than the first rep). Contrast that with creating tension in all your muscles and squeezing all the energy possible out of each rep. Imagine summoning the all the energy of your body creating a super rigid tight body while touching your nose to the floor. Then rise back up as one unit. When you are good at it, you can turn your push-up into a total body exercise. The cool thing is you are in control of your volume of intensity. So in theory after you develop the skill you could crank up your intensity and get 1 or 2 super tight crisp push-ups and then have to take a break because you squeezed all the energy out of your nervous & muscular systems. Beyond just making your push-ups more challenging, you are formulating a strong core unit built for pressing. This skill will transfer over to your overhead presses , your bench presses, and if you dare, single arm push-ups. The set-up Hands just outside the chest, feet are shoulder width or slightly wider if needed. Hands push hard into the ground (often this will help you find your triceps), create torque by twisting right hand counter clockwise while left hand twists clockwise (often this will help you find your lats/back). Brace mid-section, as if a kick to the guts is on it's way (these are your "core muscles"). Dig your feet hard into the ground (often this will help you find your leg muscles). Now squeeze your butt muscles as tight as you can. Now "keep" that tension and do a push-up (don't forget to breathe, to stay tight & still breathe takes practice). If you need more help to find tension, have a partner poke you in your mid-section, lats, legs, glutes - that can help bring "awareness" to where you are lacking tension & help to create it. It often helps in the beginning to practice dialing in each of these cues one at a time. But the goal is not to focus on a specific muscle. It is to practice generating and collecting all this tension. Keep the tension while performing the movement, & still breathe while you keep tight. Demo video below: Yes, there is a lot going on. But think of the implications. You could turn the push-up into a total body workout, get a tough current session, and help to improve the tension generation of your pressing movements (bench &/or overhead press).
Play with it - have fun. It is a skill and takes practicing to make better. The beauty of it, is YOU have control of the intensity dial. You can make it harder or easier with your ability to generate tension. And the more you practice the better you will get at it. Scale-able If push-ups are NOT easy for you yet.. No Problem! You can still practice tension and scale the difficulty level. If you need to scale down the difficulty level raise the hands to a higher elevation. Closing Tips: 1. Practice 1 cue at a time, and when that makes sense add another. 2. Always bring your elbows in towards your ribs on the down of the push-up. 3. Do not allow your butt to fly up in the air. 4. Upper body & lower body should move up & down as a unit (no one should think you are trying to do the worm). 5. If you catch your self not breathing, take a break. 6. If you feel like you are successfully generating a lot of tension shake it off or rock to loosen your systems back to a resting state. If you are interested in starting a minimalist home body-weight program check out previous blog (here). ![]() Valentine's Day is next week. Why not practice flexing your love muscle this weekend!? Of course, I am speaking of your heart muscle. Why is it important to flex your hear muscle? The CDC reports the #1 leading cause of death is heart disease (#5 is stroke). We all know being active is a way to reduce our risk of many diseases. ![]() To lower your risk for cardiovascular disease and stroke, The American Heart Association has the recommendation of 30 minutes of activity per day for 5 days per week. You don't have a lot of discretionary time? No problem! If intensity is the same your body doesn't differentiate between 3 brisk walks of 10 minutes or a 30 minute brisk walk. So break it up however you need to. Take into consideration where you are starting. You don't have to start by running or jogging. You can start by walking or just consciously increasing your daily steps. And you can track your steps with a pedometer (most smart phones have one built in). Now I am not saying you need to go to a gym and hop on the hamster wheel. That sounds boring to me. And I'm not preaching that you need to go run a marathon either. That's sounds more work than fun (to me). But if at all possible, go do something fun this weekend. Depending on your location you could bike, hike, ski, snow sled, play a pick up game. The closer that activity is to what you deem is fun.. the more likely you are to do it. ![]() Don't forget about the kiddos! If you can spend 60 minutes playing with (a/some) kid(s) great things happen. My 2 favorite are: 1) If you let them, they'll teach you how to play again.. how to have fun again. 2) If you wear them out, they will sleep/nap amazingly! Provided it doesn't rain, I am going to play with some kettlebells on the beach Saturday & walk a 1K with my son on Sunday. What will you do? ![]() Always Get Better Always Get Stronger *Please share & like* #followus on instagram @alwaysgetbetterstronger #likeus on facebook Always Get Better Stronger ![]() "Ok campers rise and shine!" "Don't forget your booties because it's cold out there today." Happy Groundhog's Day to you! What's the big question on my chapped lips? What are you going to do for the fitness of your 2017 self? ![]() Are you going to hibernate for another 6 weeks? ![]() Or are you ready to spring forward with your fitness goals? If you are ready to awaken from the winter dormancy, great! Don't worry about doing anything drastic. Keep it simple and consistent. Consider where you are staring (no need to burn yourself out in the beginning, before you really start). Find something that you can make a habit that will align with your end goals. Make sure it fits into your lifestyle (your available time). If you are interested in starting, but have no equipment, check out my previous blog on an at home body-weight routine (here). It is free If you have recently joined a gym, but not really sure to do in the gym, check out the Exercise Tutorial Kindle book series (here). It is free on kindle unlimited. Otherwise under $10 each. If you already have a routine, how long have you been doing it? When's the last time you modified it? Are you still experiencing results? What are you missing? If you want to take your training to the next level check out our Online Personal Training PDF option (here). This is the advanced version and is $250 for 4 weeks. Ever since I got married and had a son, I have become very fond of simple, minimal, effective programs. If you have a busy life (kids, work, school, all of the above, etc) and your schedule feels full, check out our online pc/smart phone personalized training programs (here). Together we can forge a program that will fit your schedule. 4 weeks for $199 If you already have a program that you enjoy - terrific! Keep it up & pass this information along to a friend or family member that may benefit. ![]() Always Get Better Always Get Stronger *Please share & like* #followus on instagram @alwaysgetbetterstronger #likeus on facebook Always Get Better Stronger ![]()
I like to keep my home gym simple.
I don't always do Lat pull-downs. But when they make sense for my program - I'm going to want to do them. Instead of investing in a bulky expensive piece of equipment a good band (or set of bands) will do the trick. For more details, watch the video below. Video demo
DIY Lat Pull-downs in action
Anchor used: ring anchor points PVC Pipe used to go across attic crawl space is 6" circumference & this one is 7' long (length is probably overkill, but one I had at the house and easy to toss boxes on the ends far away from opening). Link to the handles in the video: Handles Doll rod handled used is: 1.25" Link to the bands I have: Elite FTS Bands ![]()
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Always Get Stronger *Please share & like* #followus on instagram @alwaysgetbetterstronger #likeus on facebook Always Get Better Stronger You don't need a gym to be active. You don't need a fancy workout. You just need to want to get started/moving. Everyone has access to their own body. Some people look at body-weight exercises and think, "That's too easy." Some people look at body-weight exercises and think, "I couldn't do 'that' (anymore (or) ever). I want you to begin to look at body-weight exercises as skills that have different levels. All skills can be improved. You don't always have to jump up to the next progression of a skill to make it more difficult. You can fine tune and dial up the intensity of the skill. Example, perhaps you could do many push-ups with a saggy middle, or partial range of motion. Or you could brace your mid-section, squeeze your butt, focus on pulling yourself down, touch your nose to the floor, brief pause, then power back up to the starting position. You'd probably do less reps, but the quality would be much more impressive. Of course if you aren't at that level yet, you take a couple steps back and find a point that you can practice (well & often). Pick your starting point: Beginner: High Planks & Wall Sits Novice: Push-ups with hands elevated & controlled sit downs (the negative movement of the squat) Intermediate: Push-ups & Squats Advanced: Push-ups with feet raised & single leg sit downs to bench Elite: Is beyond this article (but an could be one arm push-ups (hands elevated if needed) & pistol squats), Beginner's Program Level 1: 1a. Start with the high plank hold for your best time, with a max of 10 seconds. Between exercises, take 5 deep breaths (prefer deep belly breaths vs short chest). 1b. Proceed with wall sits and hold for your best time, with a max of 10 seconds. Take as long as you need to recuperate so you are fresh for the next round. Tuesday practice for 5 rounds Thursday practice for 3 rounds Saturday practice for 4 rounds. Level 2: 1a. High plank for 20 to 30 seconds* Between exercises, take 3 deep breaths (prefer deep belly breaths vs short chest). 1b. Wall sit for 20 to 30 seconds* *would rather 20 seconds that looks solid vs 30 seconds with poor form. Take 1 to 3 minutes between rounds. Tuesday practice for 5 rounds Thursday practice for 3 rounds Saturday practice for 4 rounds. Level 3: 1a. High plank for 45 to 60 seconds* Between exercises, take 3 deep breaths (prefer deep belly breaths vs short chest). 1b. Wall sit for 45 to 60 seconds* *form is more important than forcing time. Take 1 to 2 minutes between rounds (less is better, provided form does not suffer). Tuesday practice for 5 rounds Thursday practice for 3 rounds Saturday practice for 4 rounds. **DO NOT hold your breath practice breathing in through your nose with your belly.** Novice, intermediate, & advanced Program You are going to use rep ladders. I learned this format following some of Pavel Tsatsouline's routines. The idea is to keep you fresh and allow you to not only practice your skill of movement but to also dial in the intensity level. Break down of repetition ladder: The numbers are the reps you are to perform. The commas represent your short breaks. 1 round equals all written reps for that day. For instance if the goal of the day is 3 rounds of 1,2,3. You would perform 1 rep push-up, 1 rep squat, take a short break. Perform 2 reps of each, take a short break. Perform 3 reps of each, now you are done with 1 round. After completing a round you can take a 2-3 minute break if needed to be ready for the next round. Your intensity dial As you get better at movements practice:
Novice's Program Intermediate's Program Advanced Program Novice, intermediate, & advanced Program Details: Level 1: Push up then squat: 1,2,3,4* *Only go as high as you can for good reps. For instance you get 3 good reps, try 4 and 4 doesn't happen or form is ugly. Then for the rest of the week your practice: 1,2,3 Reps are earned at the start of the week & then practiced the rest of the week. The number of sets will change, but reps are constant for the week. Take 1 to 3 minutes between rounds. Tuesday practice for 3 rounds Thursday practice for 1 rounds Saturday practice for 2 rounds Level 2: Push up then squat: 2,3,5* *Only go as high as you can for good reps. For instance you get 3 good reps, try 5 and 5 doesn't happen or form is ugly. Then for the rest of the week your practice: 2,3 Reps are earned at the start of the week & then practiced the rest of the week. The number of sets will change, but reps are constant for the week. Take 1 to 3 minutes between rounds. Tuesday practice for 4 rounds Thursday practice for 2 rounds Saturday practice for 3 rounds Level 3: Push up then squat: 3,5,8* *Only go as high as you can for good reps. For instance you get 5 good reps, try 8 and 8 doesn't happen or form is ugly. Then for the rest of the week your practice: 3,5 Reps are earned at the start of the week & then practiced the rest of the week. The number of sets will change, but reps are constant for the week. Take 1 to 3 minutes between rounds. Tuesday practice for 3 rounds Thursday practice for 1 rounds Saturday practice for 2 rounds After you max out the level 3 program for 2 weeks in a row (and it does not feel like a killer). Try to advance to the next level up skill set. Take your time don't rush it. ![]() Always Get Better Always Get Stronger *Please share & like* #followus on instagram @alwaysgetbetterstronger #likeus on facebook Always Get Better Stronger |
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