Sunday, April 12, 2015

The Latest From Zuzka, the Latest From BR and the Latest From Bret!

Sorry I have not posted in a few days! I have been sick. I'm STILL sick, but hanging in there.

Zuzka still has lots of new stuff going on on her site. She has her latest 5 minute workout - which was a goodie, her latest Kettlebell workout, a new Power Yoga and an article on fat shaming:
https://zuzkalight.com/health-fitness/is-talking-about-fat-shaming-ok/

What did you guys think about her article on fat shaming? I think she had a great point - it is never OK to call someone fat to make them feel bad, and at the same timed we shouldn't ignore obesity as a problem for someone to avoid hurting their feelings.

BR has lots of stuff going on on their FB page - but how are you guys doing with their workout? Are you doing the ones they post on FB? Are you doing your own? Do you go back and find your favorites? I wonder if they lose any viewers because of the lack of new workouts.

Here is one of my latest posts - a healthy chocolate chip recipe!
http://hiit-blog.dailyhiit.com/hiit-diet/healthy-recipes/perfect-healthy-chocolate-chip-cookie/

I really like this article from BR on some new leg moves:
http://hiit-blog.dailyhiit.com/hiit-workout/4-moves-will-make-body-ache-best-way-possible/
Some of you guys will definitely want to try them out.

I also LOVE this pic of Lisa:



If you are no following Bret Contreras on FB - I HIGHLY recommend it. He is a wealth of fitness information.
Here is a great article by him:
http://bretcontreras.com/yeah-she-thrusts/

I hip thrusted over 200 lbs the other day and was super excited! I also did 13 pull-ups! YIPPEE. The body (and the mind) is always a work in progress. :)


And here is a GREAT story that Bret shared about a client of his:

Please allow me to share a story with you about my friend Sara. I met her right when I moved back from New Zealand and discovered that she ran on her treadmill for 60 minutes per day, 5 days per week. I asked her why she ran so much and stated, "When I run, my stomach stays flat, and when I don't run, my stomach gets pudgy." I asked her if she liked running and she said, "God no, I loathe and despise it, but it keeps me looking good." I asked her if she'd be open to trying something different that might take up less time and help her body look even better, to which she replied, "of course."
Sara was 30 years old at the time, she was slender with zero glute development, she had never lifted weights before, she didn't have a gym membership, she could only train from home, and all she had in her possession was two 15-lb dumbbells and one 50-lb dumbbell that she borrowed from her father. I devised the following program for her to perform each week, and I taught her how to log her training sessions in a journal and utilize progressive overload:
Monday: 2 sets of dumbbell hip thrusts, 2 sets of Bulgarian split squats, 2 sets of knee push-ups (elbows tucked), 2 sets of inverted rows (using her table), 2 sets of side lying hip abductions
Wednesday: 2 sets of single leg hip thrusts, 2 sets of dumbbell front squats, 2 sets of dumbbell military presses, 2 sets of hammer curls, 2 sets of side lying clams
Friday: 2 sets of dumbbell glute bridges, 2 sets of reverse lunges, 2 sets of knee push-ups (elbows tucked), 2 sets of inverted rows, 2 sets of fire hydrants
She was very weak at first, but she mastered great technical form faster than just about anyone I'd ever trained. During her first training session, she could glute bridge the 50-lb dumbbell for only 8 reps and hip thrust the 50-lb dumbbell for only 5 reps.
Within 3 months, her physique radically transformed. She went from exercising for 6 hours per week to just over 1 hour per week (the strength training sessions took her 25 minutes each), and yet her abs somehow got even flatter, her legs looked incredible, she gained some definition in her arms and shoulders, and for the first time in her entire life she grew a booty and filled out her jeans like a boss. In 12 weeks of training she could now hip thrust her 50-lb dumbbell for 2 sets of 50 reps and glute bridge her 50-lb dumbbell for 2 sets of 70 reps. I believe that running set her up to see rapid results from strength training, but to this day, which is several years later, she has never run on her treadmill again (she still walks her dog twice per day though).
Morals of the story: 1) strength training creates shape, running doesn't, 2) great physique results can be achieved with minimal equipment and low time commitments as long as you push yourself to set records each week, and 3) if you don't like running, you don't have to run.
I'm definitely not a hater when it comes to running (I'm a fan of all exercise), and many people run because they care about their cardiovascular health and enjoy the way running makes them feel, which is perfectly fine. Also, cardio is good for overall health, however high intensity strength training provides numerous cardiovascular benefits as well. But many other people run because they mistakenly believe that it's vital for their physiques. I can't help but wonder if many of these runners you see every day pounding the pavement would make the switch to strength training if they knew that it led to better physique adaptations



2 comments:

  1. I'm sorry your not feeling good. On the obese thing my opionoin is a bit rude but the size of someone else is there business and I usually enjoy zuzkas articles but I really did not like this one or how she cane across. Its great that your fit and healthy and even if you are just trying to help the size of another persons body is there business. Congrats on your heavy lifting Missy. Did u do this while you were sick I'm even more imprised. I've been just doing the hiit max over and over I honestly think this is my 3 or 4 time doing them. I wish they would make new videos. Trainer Edith is suppose to film for them in June or something I think

    ReplyDelete