How Strong Do You Need to Be?

How do you know if you are strong enough? That’s a tough question to answer on your own, but a good place to start is with your activities of daily living. Can you work, pick up your kids, and move about your day without hesitation? If you are afraid of throwing out your back, or maybe there are limitations that force you to change your activities or rely on others to help, increasing your strength may need to become a priority.

If you check all the boxes when it comes to your daily requirements with work and chores around the house, you can then look toward your recreational activities: golf, surfing, marathons etc. All of these recreational activities have strength requirements necessary to at minimum be proficient and prevent injury and on the further end of the spectrum performance.

Pictured above is Amanda. Amanda is a personal training client who began training with me after she realized she wasn’t getting the results she wanted on her own. She says, “I wanted to get stronger. I have been an athlete all my life and after having my second child, I knew I needed some personalized attention and accountability.” Since starting socially distanced at home personal training (outdoors) Amanda has increased her strength and endurance. She has also found activities outside of traditional training as well! She regularly plays tennis and even tried surfing for the first time. Life after having children can be better than you ever imagined with the right mindset and training program. One that includes strength training.

If one wishes to maintain independence for the rest of their days while enjoying the activities that bring them happiness, strength work should be a component of their exercise on a regular basis.

To learn more about assessing your own strength, you can listen to Scott Hagnas and I’s most recent podcast.

If you’d like to start a strength program that is personalized for you, click the link below to book a free assessment today!

Do You Eat Too Fast?

Pop quiz: Where does digestion start?

….

Answer: Your mouth!

I know some of you may not have gotten the right answer here, but it’s true. The physical act of digesting food starts in your mouth, not in the stomach. This is perhaps one of the most critical reasons why you need to chew your food an appropriate amount of times. In a study published in the journal Physiology and Human Behavior, effective chewing supported:

• Reduced self-reported hunger.

• Increased gut hormone release.

• Promotion of satiety by influencing appetite, intake and hormone release.

If you’d like to experience these benefits, here are 5 tips for better food hygiene:

1. Chew Your Food – Don’t just chew enough to swallow. Your saliva plays a huge role in breaking down food. Take your time when eating. Start by chewing at least 30 times before swallowing.

2. No Liquids – Avoid drinking liquids 15 minutes before or after any meal. Allow your stomach the space and time needed to absorb the nutrients digested from your meal. Don’t use liquids as a replacement for your salivary glands.

3. Sit Down – Sitting down can help relax you and aid good digestion.

4. Take Ten Deep Breaths – Taking a moment before eating will help put your body in the right state for good digestion.

5. Smell Your Food – The simple act of smelling your food will switch your salivary glands on and get your stomach ready for the meal you are about to enjoy.

Need some extra motivation and accountability when it comes to changing your diet? I’m here to help! Click the link below to set up a free assessment today!

Glute Workout That Actually Works Your Glutes!

Are you tired of "booty blast" workout claiming to grow your rump, only to be left with your lower back sore and your backside flatter than a Denny's flapjack? In the Floch Fitness Glute Workout That Actually Works Your Glutes, you will find out why you aren't able to feel you butt during exercises, how we fix it, and then a workout to work that rear end! If you like this workout, make sure you hit subscribe so you can stay up to date on all of our latest uploads!

Looking for a personalized workout routine, nutrition coaching, or personal training? Click the link below to book a free assessment today!

5 Things You Can Learn From the Fittest Man on Earth...

Today was a pretty special day for the fitness world. Mat Fraser (5x Crossfit Games World Champion) was a guest on the Joe Rogan Experience, comedian Joe Rogan’s world renowned podcast. As I listened to the interview, I really enjoyed how authentic, genuine, and knowledgeable Mat was. As a coach of aging athletes, I perked up when he mentioned some concepts that I too ascribe to. Here are 5 takeaways from the the podcast that you can use with your fitness, wellness, and nutrition:

1. Mat rarely maxes out-In his interview with Joe, Mat saw what most Crossfitters were doing to get strong, and went the other way. Mat trains with loads between 70-80% of his max to get stronger. This allows him to engrain proper form while allowing his muscles to grow and adapt.

2. Mat eats for performance-Many individuals look at magazine and articles and copy their favorite athletes or celebrities only to realize they don’t have the same goals. During training season, Mat would eat 2,000 calories in liquids alone during the day. That didn’t include of the solid food he was eating. Mat eats to fuel his goal, you should do the same.

3. Mat prioritizes recovery-A big turning point for Mat’s career was when he started working with “Body Coach” and soft tissue therapist Guerro (also works with Tom Brady). Mat knows that as much as he pushes in training, you need to recover in order for the body to come back stronger. Investing some time and resources in to recovery is just as important as the training itself.

4. Mat focuses on technique-Mat mentioned in the podcast that whenever he would hit a road block in training, he would seek expert advice to overcome those obstacles. If he had trouble with his deadlift, he would ask the best powerlifters in the world what to do. When he needed running advice, he reached out to a world class Ironman. Instead of training harder, Mat trainers smarter.

5. Matt learns from his mistakes-During Mat’s time at the Olympic Training Center, he broke his back and had to have surgery. He came back from the surgery to show everyone that he could do it and prove the naysayers wrong. It left him with a bad taste in his mouth and he lost close friends in the process. In stepping away from the sport of Crossfit at age 31 with his body intact and his love for the sport and those in the community still vibrant, he preserves something that has brought him such joy.

I would suggest giving the podcast a listen, it’s definitely worth it!

Are you looking to change your health and wellness but need a guide? I’m here to help! Click the link to book a free assessment today!

5 Awesome Sandbag Exercises...

Recently, I have been adding more sandbag work in with my clients. Not only is the sandbag very versatile, it is inexpensive and easy to transport. Here is the 40lb. sandbag I recently purchased. I grabbed the sand from home depot for $5 (50lbs.).

Here are my favorite exercises that I like to use with the sandbag for myself and my clients:

Reverse Lunge with Rotation: For this exercise you are working both the legs (lunge) and the core (rotation). As you step back turn toward the leg that you are balancing on. You will feel you core working hard not to fall over. As you stand back up, rotate back to your starting position.

Sandbag Hip Thrusts: Hip thrusts are one of my favorite exercises all you need is a bench/box/step and you are good to go. Unfortunately, it is sometime awkward to load the hip thrust. Enter the sandbag. The sandbag is small and dense yet has some give which allow it to sit nicely on the hips. Plus, you can hold the handles on the bag for added stability.

Zercher Squat- Similar to front squats, zercher squats are about pushing the weight load over your anterior chain so that you can target your quads and hip flexors.

Grab the sandbag with both hands and flip it over so it sits on the inside of your elbows. Squat down keeping your spine straight and breaking at the hips as you go. Repeat.

Sandbag Bent Over Row-These target your lats and rear delts and are ideal for strengthening, as well as for recovery during bootcamp and HIIT sessions. Keeping your back straight, bend forward slightly.

Push your hips out and keep your chest raised so you don't flex your back. Keeping your elbows tucked in, raise the bag up and towards your chest and back down.

Sandbag Shoulder to Shoulder Thruster-Even with a lighter sandbag, this exercise will leave your shoulders smoked!

Looking for more variety in your at home training? I’m here to help! Click the link below to book a free assessment today!

Is your movement holding you back?

When working with new clients, I find it essential to perform an assessment in order to determine areas they need to improve on relative to their goals. Part of the assessment is a movement screen. Even if the client is working toward body composition changes, it is still important to see how the client moves. Why? When working toward changing your body composition, exercise and fitness is a going to be a large component. In order to determine the best exercises to choose from, we need to know what you are capable of. The last thing I want is to put the client at risk of injury.

If you are looking to improve your strength, body composition, or performance, and your progress has stalled, it may be time to assess your movement and see what may be holding you back. Listen to Scott Hagnas and I’s most recent podcast to learn some simple self-assessments that you can perform at home by clicking the link below.

If you are ready to start your fitness journey, click the link below!

Clearing the Runway...

Last week, in my post about a common sleep mistake (going to bed without being sleepy), I mentioned the term “clearing the runway” in regards to going to bed with too much going on in your mind. Coach Matt Wignall elaborates on this term, “Your mind before bed is like a jet before landing: The bigger, more powerful the jet the longer a runway it needs to land and come to a complete stop. In other words, the more mentally active and stimulated you are during the day, the more time you need to gradually slow your mind down in the evening before it’s ready to fall asleep.”

If you are dealing with sleep issues and are mentally charged when trying to fall asleep, it is important to transition from the stress of the day, to a more sympathetic state where your body can restore. Matt offers some suggestions:

• TV Shows. A lot of people report success with nature documentaries like Planet Earth or old favorite sitcoms like Cheers or Seinfeld. And don’t worry about “blue light” impacting your sleep. The science of this is shaky at best, and even when some studies have shown a negative effect of blue light on sleep, the effects are typically quite small—much less influential than, say, worrying and getting anxious about not sleeping because you got into bed without being sleepy.

• Stretching or yoga

• Meditation or formal relaxation practices like Progressive Muscle Relaxation or Diaphragmatic Breathing

• Puzzles or other non-competitive games

• Certain hobbies may have aspects that are non-stimulating and would therefore be appropriate sleep runway activities. For example, sketching ideas for a new watercolor painting or simply listening to music without doing anything else.

Personally, I meditate before going to bed each night. I sit down and set a timer for one hour. Once my head starts bobbing, I know it’s time to get to bed. I usually last 30 minutes, but on some nights it’s longer. I know from experience that if I force myself to go to bed for I am tired (and I’m anxious about tomorrow), I will have poor sleep quality. To me, 5-6 hours of quality deep sleep is always better than 8-9 hours of disturbed sleep.

Need help identifying your own sleep triggers?

Beach Workout to Lose Weight

What do you get when you combine a 24kg kettlebell, TRX Trainer, and sand? An epic workout! I have always found the sand along the canal has been a nuisance. But now I realize it is an excellent training tool! With minimal equipment you can get an amazing strength endurance workout like the one you see here:

In this workout, I chose four different exercises:

1. Backward Drag-In a squatted position, keep your butt tucked and torso vertical. Reach your arms and drive back through your heels. You should feel your core, quads, and butt working.

2. Forward Drag-In an upright position with the handles by your shoulders, extend your hip as you drive your leg back. Keep your ribs down so you don’t overuse your lower back.

3. Kettlebell Row-Start in a squatted position with the arms extended, explosively extend the hips while pulling with your upper back and arms. Step back until your arms are extended and repeat.

4. Explosive Press-Start with the arms by the shoulders and a staggered stance with one foot in front of the other. Drive the handles away from the body. Step forward resetting the arms and repeat.

Each of these exercises were done for 25m in succession for 20 minutes. Keep the pace consistent and have some fun!

If you need help designing fun fat burning workouts, I’d love to help! Click the link below to book a free assessment today!