on attitude

right up front, i'm gonna be honest. this may very well turn into a word vomit. i would apologize, but it's my blog so i can do what i want, and sometimes that means i get to just throw up a bunch words onto a screen and the very few of you who read it just have to deal with it. 

i recognize that i am a kind of special case when i come to fitness. i love it. i genuinely enjoy working out and pushing my limits and breaking PRs and just all of it. 

most of the time. 

but the issue i see pretty regularly with people is that they say that they don't like ANY exercise EVER. all of it is terrible and boring and hard and they just don't want to do any of it. 

and let me tell you, that's the problem RIGHT THERE. 

if you go into every workout with that attitude then OF COURSE it's going to suck. you can't expect to go into a workout with thoughts of "this sucks, this sucks, i hate this so much" on repeat in your head and expect any sort of movement is going to feel good. 

there are SO MANY different ways to move and to add exercise into your life and you're telling me that LITERALLY every single one is the worst thing you've ever encountered in your life? sorry, i'm calling bullshit. 

did you actually TRY to enjoy the workout? or did you show up and complain about it the whole time? 

and what have you tried? did you just try running one day and say well that was hard, i'm not doing that shit again? or go into a gym and go down the row of weight machines and were bored AF and never went back? did one class at that studio and it was really challenging so you just stopped going after a couple classes? 

there are SO MANY ways to move and to add exercise into your life. you don't have to just do the regular gym thing lots of people picture when they think of "fitness." 

but the thing is, you cannot go into every single workout session with an attitude of "omg this is gonna suck" because that will make literally everything you try suck. 

self-talk is a huge part of fitness and if you are being negative the entire time, you are gonna feel terrible & not want to come back and do it again because ALL of the feeling you have with it are all these unhappy and gross feelings. 

you're setting yourself up for failure if you are constantly going into with a negative attitude. 

even on days that you don't want to do it, just go have a good attitude for like 15 mins and do a warmup and if you feel terrible after that... stop. but 90% of the time if you go into it with a decent attitude after the first 10 mins you'll want to keep going! and if you don't... you gave it a solid try and that's okay cause some days you do need the break. 

the main thing to take away from this all is to have a good attitude about your workouts. if you're gonna look at exercise like a punishment it will always feel like a punishment. 

&i cannot tell you how much adjusting my attitude has changed my training. 

even on days where i have sets that are going to be objectively hard and in the past I have just been D R E A D I N G it and guess what... THEY SUCKED. they were hard and it felt terrible and i didn't hit goals that i had set for myself. and a few weeks ago i had a break through. i was NOT looking forward to a set, but before it i was like, "WELL, i have to do this anyway, so I may as well have fun with it all" so i had a goofy ass warmup and danced around a lot and listened to bangin' music and when it came time for my set i was pretty pumped! and then i crushed it! and that's been the theme since that set. like, if i go in with a good attitude the workout feels SO MUCH better and I DO so much better. 

just think ~ you're working out for YOU. exercise is an experience for yourself. you're doing it feel good for you. not anyone else. and if the type of exercise you're doing doesn't feel good - don't do that anymore! like i said before, there are so many ways to move... you just gotta go in with an open mind & you'll find what you love to do too! 

if you need help or some guidance in finding the way you want to exercise drop me a line on Instagram or Facebook or send me an email at tiffnessfitness@gmail.com . And if you want to work together check out my Programs page or just shoot me a message and we can make something that works for you! Movement is good for you & you deserve to find the way you like to move! 

WHAT ARE: isometrics

all of last month I posted about plyometric exercises and why they are important. this month we are changing it up and doing the opposite. Isometrics!!

so what are isometric exercises?

they are a contraction of a particular muscle or muscle group. during isometric exercises you won't be noticeably moving the muscles and the joints are not moving at all. you are holding in a static position while contracting your muscles.  this is a change from typical exercises where you are going through eccentric and concentric muscle contractions.

you are essentially, making your muscles work against an immovable object (a wall, your own body, the ground, etc).

holding positions sounds easy enough, but you are not just holding still, you're contracting your muscles to full tension. which gets real tough, real fast!

why should I do isometrics?

through isometrics you can increase strength and can rebuild strength in injured muscle groups with less of a chance of further injuring a muscle. 

isometric exercises are also great for beginners and elderly people. isometric exercises are low impact so just about anyone can do them.

and not to mention, they are so convenient. zero equipment (usually) and minimal space. no excuse workouts!

isometrics are also a great compliment to HIIT workouts, because you're moving (or holding, rather) your muscles in a different way.

so what are some of these isometric exercises?

think of some yoga moves, where you're holding a position. or planks!
 

even better, you can follow me on Instagram and facebook cause I will be posting new isometric exercises all throughout the month of May! personally, I don't incorporate a wide variety of isometrics in my workout routine so I am looking forward to adding some diversity in my routine! join me this month and tag me in your attempts of the moves this month. or if you need some more guidance, you can shoot me an email at tiffnessfitness@gmail.com and we can discuss getting you set up on a personalized program!

Kettlebell Training to Prevent Shoulder & Back Injury

By Kettlebell Kings

Kettlebell Training to Prevent Shoulder and Back Injury

Working out with kettlebells, whether it’s for sport or fitness can help increase strength and endurance, as well as decrease your chances of serious injury. Many kettlebell workout routines are full-body focused, and your entire body is being forced to move and stabilize muscle groups throughout the exercise. This strengthens the body and prevents future damage. The shoulders and back are especially vulnerable to injury when performing high-impact, weight-heavy workouts. Several kettlebell exercises can be done regularly during warm up to prevent back and shoulder injuries by building up and increasing the mobility of these areas.

Kettlebell Exercises to Prevent Shoulder Injury

When it comes to the shoulder, your rotator cuff is mostly to blame for muscle weakness and imbalance during exercise. The rotator cuff consists of four muscles tied together with the vital job of holding the ball and socket joint in place, allowing for mobility of your arm. Many exercises fire up the shoulder muscle and help increase stability and range of motion without irritating the rotator cuff.

The Kettlebell Swing – This exercise isn’t an apparent shoulder-specific movement since it is a full-body movement. However, it is an essential exercise for stabilization of your shoulder muscles. To execute, stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, back arched somewhat and bend at the hips, forcing the kettlebell back and behind your legs. As you swing upward, thrust your hips forward and squeeze your glutes to propel the kettlebell up and away from your body. As you swing the kettlebell upward and as it falls downward, the rotator cuff muscles must contract to hold your shoulder in place, building strength and preventing future injury. Warm up with this exercise using a lighter weight, performing three sets of 10 to 12 repetitions to activate the shoulder muscles before a strenuous workout.

The Halo – Unlike the full-body motion of the kettlebell swing, this exercise focuses primarily on the muscles within your shoulders and is less cardio intensive. To perform this move, hold the kettlebell by the outer edges of the handle, pointing it toward the ceiling as you rotate the kettlebell in a circular motion around your head. This not only works the rotator cuff but the pectorals of the chest, deltoids of the shoulders and triceps located in the back of the arm. It is also an excellent way to warm-up the core muscles that are integral to any exercise routine. Warming up with three sets of 10-15 halo movements before a workout can keep your entire shoulder complex safe from injury.

Kettlebell Exercises to Prevent Back Injury

According to Physical Therapy Web, an estimated 80% of Americans will experience some type of back pain during their lifetime. This number could be substantially decreased if the general population would adopt a regular training program that includes kettlebell movements focusing on strengthening the back and spine. If the muscles surrounding your back are weak, it will compensate for the inadequate muscle strength, potentially causing injury such as a muscle pull or worse, a herniated disc. For example, if your glutes aren’t activated during a goblet squat, you will be more likely to use your lower back to lift the weight, increasing the potential for permanent damage. To ensure your glutes are firing it is also important to stretch your hip flexor muscles. Many exercises focus on these areas, improving their strength and allowing for less strain on the lower back.

The Kettlebell Snatch – This exercise is an excellent example of a movement that strengthens your glute muscles and opens up your hip flexors to protect your lower back. Unlike other exercises, it is a complex, full-body movement that should be mastered before executed. As you would in a kettlebell swing, stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, back slightly arched and knees bent. Unlike the swing, you will only place one hand in an overhand grip position on the kettlebell. Using your hips and glutes, swing the kettlebell upward, keeping your elbow pointing outward as you pull the kettlebell slightly closer to your body and let the momentum drive it upwards. Unwind your hand and let the kettlebell fall downward, hinging at the hips and bending the knees as it approaches the bottom of the movement. Again, this is an advanced movement that works the shoulders, as well as the mid and upper back. After you have conquered the kettlebell swing, feel free to tackle this exercise using correct posture. By strengthening the muscles surrounding the back, you will be preventing injury and enhancing full-body strength. Warm up with this activity by doing three sets of 10-12 reps with low weight on each arm.

The Renegade Row – This not only builds strength in the upper back and shoulder complex, but it also requires stability of the core. This exercise will require two kettlebells of equal weight. Gripping the handles of the kettlebells, get in a pushup position, pushing off of the kettlebells to straighten both arms. Stabilizing your core, drive into the ground with your left foot and pull the kettlebell toward you with your right hand, lower the kettlebell and repeat on the other side. Maintaining core strength throughout this entire exercise will require squeezing and therefore strengthening of your upper back muscles. Using light weight, warm up with this exercise doing three sets of 10-12 repetitions on each arm.

It is important to note that you should never perform a kettlebell exercise if you feel pain or discomfort, especially when you are recovering from an injury. These exercises are only intended for advice concerning prevention, and a licensed physical therapist is always the best option for rehabilitation of particular muscle groups within the shoulder and back.

For more information regarding kettlebell workouts for injury prevention, as well as routines that you can perform in the gym or at home, check out our website at http://www.kettlebellkings.com/or call 855-7KETTLE for more information. We sell the most reasonably priced, high-quality products and come highly recommended by kettlebell sport athletes and regular gym goers and owners. We care about getting you the right product to increase your strength, stamina, and cardiovascular health to prevent unwanted muscular and joint injuries. We publish more helpful information about how to train with kettlebells on our blog as well!