Ahhh, the deadlift. My favourite lift.
Nothing beats a good deadlift session to get out any anger, frustration, madness, or simply excess energy. I know anytime I am in one of the aforementioned moods, I turn to my friend, the deadlift, as therapy. And I ALWAYS feel better.
Back in March (on my birthday, to be precise), I took a video of my new deadlift PR of 260 lbs. It felt great to lift that much weight off the floor. However, I have taken a new approach, and reduced the weight for the time being, as I would like to start training RAW. Raw, as in, sans belt and straps (and gloves technically, but seeing as I'm a massage therapist, I doubt very much my guests would enjoy a callused massage...I digress.). Thus, I am aiming for new PR's done raw. So far, I can only lift 205 lbs raw as my grip simply can't sustain higher than that. It is, as anything in fitness, a work in progress though.
The deaflift is an excellent compound exercise that, when done properly and with correct form, targets the legs, glutes, core and back, and even the upper back and arms. You use so many different muscle groups when performing this lift that it's honestly one of the best movements you can incorporate into your routine.
There is a science to it however, and one that I'm still in the midst of perfecting. And I have the shin bruises to prove it.
I came across a rather detailed and informative video on youtube that illustrates the perfect execution of the deadlift rather excellently!
So, without further adieu, here is the link. Let me know what you think!
Happy deadlifting!
IR
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dit4w7T7PoY&feature=share
Saturday 21 April 2012
Tuesday 17 April 2012
Real, Whole Food
It has been said that part of any fitness program, diet is 80% of the game. That's a massive percentage. I have found, in my day-to-day minglings with gym-minded folk, that many people do not put such a high emphasis on diet as they do exercise. But I see it time and again...ladies grinding away at glorified hamster wheels (aka elliptical/treadmill/whatever), yet still with a high body fat percentage. Why?
Diet. (I could throw in lack of weight training too, but that's for another post on another day). And when I use the term "diet", I don't mean "I'm on a diet", I mean eating as a lifestyle.
As I mentioned in one of my first posts, I have experimented with all sorts of eating plans. I have been exposed to many of them, and I have researched many of them. What I am about to delve into here is based solely on my experience and my opinion. You may disagree, but that's ok.
Over the past several months, I have been bombarded with options for supplements, powders, replacements, enhancers, blah blah blah. Bottles and jars filled with various powders of various consistencies and pills upon pills upon pills for this, that and the other thing. On a simple level, I have whey protein isolate. On an advanced level, I have creatine monohydrate, glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, msm, waxy maize and the list goes on and on and on. Anyone exposed to the fitness and especially body building industry knows exactly what I'm talking about.
And this got me thinking.
What happened to REAL food. You know, fresh picked or caught or laid or plucked. I'm talking about fresh spinach and greens, fresh berries, a real hunk of meat, whole eggs. Why so many synthetically-produced, isolated, refined, fractionated things on the "must-eat" list?
What really sparked this delving into whole-food territory, was when it was recommended to me to eat egg whites. Lots of them. So many, that I couldn't justify throwing away all the yolks, so I purchased egg whites in a carton. Yes, EGG WHITES IN A CARTON. Does anyone else see anything wrong and mildly disturbing about that?!?! These egg whites, which by the way don't taste or look anything like real, fresh ones, have been processed, refined and pasturized to the point that I doubt there's anything even remotely nutritious about them. It made me really question what i was eating.
What is wrong with WHOLE eggs?
"oh, they're full of fat and cholesterol" is the typical rebuttal. But, is that a BAD thing?!
Which leads me to the next segwey of the emerging "paleo/primal" eating lifestyle. It's all about whole, real food and all that goes with it (and yes, that means the fatty, cholesterol-laden yolks, the saturated animal fat, etc. etc.). Is there truly anything wrong with this?
I'm a firm believer that nature provided us with absolutely everything we need (from food to medicine), in the most perfect package with which we need it...so perhaps there's a reason that eggs have yolks and meat has fat. Perhaps it's because we're SUPPOSED to eat it that way.
At least, I believe so.
So, concluding, I have this to say: enough with your whey isolate and waxy maize and green powder and egg whites in a carton. I want my food real, I want it whole, and I want it untouched. So bring on the fatty slabs of grass-fed beef, the cholesterol-laden whole eggs and the chicken pieces WITH the skin on. I like my food whole and real.
Wouldn't you agree???
Diet. (I could throw in lack of weight training too, but that's for another post on another day). And when I use the term "diet", I don't mean "I'm on a diet", I mean eating as a lifestyle.
As I mentioned in one of my first posts, I have experimented with all sorts of eating plans. I have been exposed to many of them, and I have researched many of them. What I am about to delve into here is based solely on my experience and my opinion. You may disagree, but that's ok.
Over the past several months, I have been bombarded with options for supplements, powders, replacements, enhancers, blah blah blah. Bottles and jars filled with various powders of various consistencies and pills upon pills upon pills for this, that and the other thing. On a simple level, I have whey protein isolate. On an advanced level, I have creatine monohydrate, glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, msm, waxy maize and the list goes on and on and on. Anyone exposed to the fitness and especially body building industry knows exactly what I'm talking about.
And this got me thinking.
What happened to REAL food. You know, fresh picked or caught or laid or plucked. I'm talking about fresh spinach and greens, fresh berries, a real hunk of meat, whole eggs. Why so many synthetically-produced, isolated, refined, fractionated things on the "must-eat" list?
What really sparked this delving into whole-food territory, was when it was recommended to me to eat egg whites. Lots of them. So many, that I couldn't justify throwing away all the yolks, so I purchased egg whites in a carton. Yes, EGG WHITES IN A CARTON. Does anyone else see anything wrong and mildly disturbing about that?!?! These egg whites, which by the way don't taste or look anything like real, fresh ones, have been processed, refined and pasturized to the point that I doubt there's anything even remotely nutritious about them. It made me really question what i was eating.
What is wrong with WHOLE eggs?
"oh, they're full of fat and cholesterol" is the typical rebuttal. But, is that a BAD thing?!
Which leads me to the next segwey of the emerging "paleo/primal" eating lifestyle. It's all about whole, real food and all that goes with it (and yes, that means the fatty, cholesterol-laden yolks, the saturated animal fat, etc. etc.). Is there truly anything wrong with this?
I'm a firm believer that nature provided us with absolutely everything we need (from food to medicine), in the most perfect package with which we need it...so perhaps there's a reason that eggs have yolks and meat has fat. Perhaps it's because we're SUPPOSED to eat it that way.
At least, I believe so.
So, concluding, I have this to say: enough with your whey isolate and waxy maize and green powder and egg whites in a carton. I want my food real, I want it whole, and I want it untouched. So bring on the fatty slabs of grass-fed beef, the cholesterol-laden whole eggs and the chicken pieces WITH the skin on. I like my food whole and real.
Wouldn't you agree???
Wednesday 11 April 2012
Getting Back in the Game
As many of you know (I think?!), I recently had a pretty major, last minute life change where I changed jobs, and cities, within a mere 5 days. It was hectic, insane, crazy, busy, tiresome and stressful, but I can happily say that I'm more or less settled now.
This is a great move for many reasons...career, opportunities, social life, but the sudden change definitely set my gym and nutrition routine a little "off".
I am happy to say that I've found a new gym to call "home", where the likes of Lyzabeth Lopez and Dorian Yates have either trained or taught, with a great "raw" vibe and absolutely stellar old-school iron weight plates. So far, I'm the only chick I've noticed that lifts more than a 5lb dumbbell and stays away from anything bouncy or stretchy.
It's amazing however, that training and eating can be so easily disrupted during a time of change. I admit, my eating was terrible, and I'm still trying to get back to my regular routine, and exercise fell by the wayside. I've learned though not to stress, that your body craves breaks such as these, and it's an opportunity to refocus your training goals.
I'm still currently following the Leangains protocol to great success, and think I finally found a program that I can stick with and enjoy.
I promise not to take such a long hiatus from my next post. Until then, lift heavy, eat meat and enjoy the odd cheesecake!
Peace,
IR
This is a great move for many reasons...career, opportunities, social life, but the sudden change definitely set my gym and nutrition routine a little "off".
I am happy to say that I've found a new gym to call "home", where the likes of Lyzabeth Lopez and Dorian Yates have either trained or taught, with a great "raw" vibe and absolutely stellar old-school iron weight plates. So far, I'm the only chick I've noticed that lifts more than a 5lb dumbbell and stays away from anything bouncy or stretchy.
It's amazing however, that training and eating can be so easily disrupted during a time of change. I admit, my eating was terrible, and I'm still trying to get back to my regular routine, and exercise fell by the wayside. I've learned though not to stress, that your body craves breaks such as these, and it's an opportunity to refocus your training goals.
I'm still currently following the Leangains protocol to great success, and think I finally found a program that I can stick with and enjoy.
I promise not to take such a long hiatus from my next post. Until then, lift heavy, eat meat and enjoy the odd cheesecake!
Peace,
IR
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