DYYNAMICS PRESENTATION by the mvmt co.
Sometimes we can misuse fitness as an escape from our emotions or mental state - use workouts as a way of putting off feeling what you need to feel in order to move on.
As we approach our 4th week in quarantine, I want to share a resource that I use that helps me get into a place mentally, energetically + vibrationally that allows me to manage dealing with myself and my emotions.
what are frequencies?
Frequencies are measured in Hz which just means cycles per second. It’s a vibration, a tone
where did they come from?
The Solfeggio Scale was developed during medieval times - it’s the music scale we now know as Do-Re-Mi. What was discovered through his creation was that certain frequencies match up with certain healing properties in the body.
What do frequencies do?
When the body is exposed to a certain frequency or vibration, it will bring itself to that frequency which is called resonance. You acclimate in harmony with your environment.
To better understand how this works, remember back to elementary school music class when the teacher would strike a piano key and the entire class would match the pitch? You were all able to match the tone effortlessly, without too much thought. The vocal cords simply produced the sound that it was experiencing from the environment - frequencies work in the same way.
how do I use them?
Each of the 9 frequencies on the Solfeggio Scale corresponds to specific physical and emotional states - I’ve chosen my 5 favorite scales and have outlined their benefits below.
Examples of each of the frequencies can be found in this Spotify playlist - choose your favorite and put it on loop.
417 Hz
enhances creativity
removes emotional, mental + physical blocks
stress relief
energizes + promotes joint mobility
432 Hz
facilitates grounding
enhances relaxation
deepens sleep
promotes harmony
528 Hz
frequency of love
creates environments for transformation
brings pain relief
anxiety reduction
639 Hz
enables the creation of harmony
enhances relaxation
enhances sleep
promotes vulnerability
741 Hz
idea generation
self-confidence
promotes clear communication
empowerment
*I personally use 432 Hz on repeat all night long to sleep and play 741 Hz while I’m working.
View the original IG post with a video detailing this explanation.
Experience the frequencies for yourself on this Spotify playlist.
business + career development:
Atomic Habits
ABOUT: This book equally helps you understand why we do the things we do and gives you the tools to make changes. It’s filled with endless resources, you’ll walk away from this book motivated to create positive change in your life.
BEST FOR: All of us right now! It’s such a perfect time to move away from your bad habits and create new systems that will bring you toward accomplishing the things you’ve dreamt of.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Willpower isn’t a fallback plan - instead, create systems for yourself so it’s easier to do the things you want to do than it is not to.
“You don’t rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems”
Real-world examples of how the most successful people in their respective fields have overcome and accomplished amazing things.
WHY I LOVE: I couldn’t put this book down. It just flat out makes sense and I love that there are exercises along the way that allow you to walk away from this book with a new structure for your life.
Designing your life
ABOUT: Written by 2 professors from Stanford University that taught a class of the same name. They discuss how design principals can apply to the way you approach building a meaningful life.
BEST FOR: Anyone looking to infuse their life with meaning and understand what makes them happy.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Accept what you can’t change, but get curious about what you can
Pull yourself away from the standard life plan that seemingly everyone falls into, and get clear about what makes you happy and what doesn’t really matter to you.
Discover which tasks bring you energy and which take it away; then set up a system or structure that allows you to do more of what you like and less of what you don’t
WHY I LOVE: I think it’s a great time to take inventory of our lives and our careers as so many of us have been pulled out of them for the time being. You often have more control over certain factors in your life than your limiting beliefs will allow you to acknowledge and this book acts as a blueprint to help you discover where and how to make adjustments.
Maximize your potential
ABOUT: Curated by Behance’s educational program 99U - each chapter is written by a different creative and the chapters are organized to take you through a journey of creating opportunities, building expertise, cultivating relationships, taking risks, and finally reflecting on your work.
BEST FOR: Those that need to pivot or infuse their existing career with a little inspiration.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
“When you’re working, give it everything you’ve got, for relatively short periods of time. When you’re recovering, let go and try to refuel.” - Tony Schwartz pg 85
“Ask yourself: ‘What problem am I solving? What do I want to create? What do I want to change?’” - Jocelyn K. Glei pg 54
“Building a network is like cultivating a botanical garden: You don’t want everyone in your network to be one color or one species. You want a variety of ages and stages and professions and passions, and to tend them carefully.” - Sunny Bates pg 153
WHY I LOVE: I love books like this - you can read a chapter a day, pick it up when you need to feel inspired or read the whole thing in one sitting. I find myself recommending this book to the most successful people in my life as I’ve found these ideas and concepts to be so innovative. I’m also a big fan of “Manage Your Day-to-Day” for strategies that foster creativity.
Think and grow rich
ABOUT: Oldie, but a goodie. This book was written back in 1937, but so many of the principals are applicable in today’s world. The principals and ideas are a little esoteric but are backed by examples of concrete successful businessmen like Ford, Carnegie, and Edison.
BEST FOR: Motivated individuals that want to contextualize success and the accumulation of wealth within a fulfilling life.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
How thoughts and subconscious beliefs bring us success or failure.
Education is a life-long process and shouldn’t stop when school is finished.
When two or more people get together, their minds form a separate entity called a mastermind. The mastermind allows us to draw freely from the experience, training, skills, and knowledge of others who align with our definite major purpose.
WHY I LOVE: This book introduced me to the idea of a mastermind group - which has become such an important part of my business development as someone who works with and for herself.
personal development:
nonviolent communication
ABOUT: Written with exercises and many detailed examples, this book will help you understand how we communicate and connect with others - as you’re reading, you can’t help but go back through arguments and conflicts you’ve had in your life and wonder how they would be different had you read this book earlier.
BEST FOR: Anyone that’s felt frustrated by conflict and at a loss for how to communicate in a way that allows you to express your needs as well as understand and meet the needs of others.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
When people react with criticism, name-calling, anger, judgment, etc. - they are unable to express their needs (oftentimes, they aren’t even aware of what they’re needing).
A conflict or disagreement on the surface might look impossible to solve, but once you get deeper and honest about what is really being asked for/what needs aren’t being met, both parties can arrive at a solution without a compromise needing to be made on either end.
WHY I LOVE: I was so hesitant to read this book, taking the suggestion from a friend as an accusation that I communicated violently, but what I came to find was that I indeed did. The skills and awareness I’ve been able to develop as a result of reading this book are priceless. Humble yourself and learn how to effectively communicate for the sake of everyone you care about in your life.
womancode
ABOUT: Finally understand your hormones: what’s normal and what’s not, and even how to reset through diet.
BEST FOR: Women (but also anyone) that seek to understand the endocrine (hormonal) system and want an understanding of why certain fitness and wellness approaches or tactics just don’t work.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Menstrual health acts as a gauge of vitality and overall health.
An understanding of how to soothe external stress.
How to balance masculine and feminine energy and how this balance (or imbalance) has an impact on the hormones we produce.
WHY I LOVE: Looking at my body through my hormones and their cycles has been so enlightening. It’s important to understand that intense workouts aren’t ideal during certain phases of your cycle.
going to pieces without falling apart
ABOUT: The author is both a Western Psychologist and a Buddhist scholar, giving him a very unique perspective on how Buddhism can be applied to our lives in the western world.
BEST FOR: The person that needs a WHOLE reframe on things.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
“A mind that is full cannot take in anything new.”
“To become oneself, one must lose oneself.”
Happiness doesn’t come from possessing things - physical nor psychological - it instead comes from letting go.
WHY I LOVE: I’ve been interested in Buddhism since high school, but found it difficult to relate to the ideology. This book was recommended to me by my therapist and I found it to reframe the way I look at myself.
fitness + movement sciences:
the body keeps the score
ABOUT: This book takes you through a journey of understanding how the things that have happened in our lives can shape the way our bodies respond to our world. It gives a perfect and thorough explanation of trauma which equates more to “a shock to the system” - proving that each of us has experienced countless instances of this. *Note: This isn’t a light read and there are many emotionally heavy examples in here.
BEST FOR: Anyone involved in the fitness or movement field - this information is so important to know.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
How to understand, prevent and heal after traumatic experiences.
How trauma impacts the brain, body, and mind.
How our nervous system is conditioned to respond through the experience of traumatic events.
WHY I LOVE: I think we all know I love the Nervous System, but this book was the catalyst for my obsession.
starting strength: basic barbell training
ABOUT: You dive right into the essential barbell movements from the beginning of this book. You’ll walk away with a thorough understanding of how each barbell lift is meant to be performed and the mechanics behind why that is.
BEST FOR: Trainers, Fitness Professionals, and advanced lifters that want to optimize their form when training with barbells.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Extremely detailed step-by-step instructions on how to perform the essential barbell exercises.
Variations and modifications of the essential movements.
The mechanics behind why each movement is done the way it is.
WHY I LOVE: I read this at the beginning of my training career and it gave me the confidence to coach these major lifts to ex-collegiate athletes who’ve been doing them for years.
starting strength: basic barbell training
ABOUT: If you want a textbook that will not only help you understand exactly how the most common strength movements are performed, but also how to make adjustments and program supplementary mobility that will make a real-time difference, all written through the lens of athletic movement - this is your bible.
BEST FOR: Trainers, Fitness Professionals, and advanced lifters who want to know how and where mobility fits into their strength programming.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Spinal mechanics must be your priority when it comes to movement.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach: You must systematically consider an individual’s positional and movement-related issues, soft tissue stiffness and joint restriction.
End-range static stretching does not work (but find out what to do instead).
WHY I LOVE: A lot of times when people venture into improving their mobility and flexibility, they completely stop doing strength-based movements in fear that they’ll “make things worse” or reverse their progress. This book proves that you can continue to complete the athletic movements you love with tweaks to greatly increase your capacity to perform.
When you feel tight, you stretch — right?
well, Not necessarily.
Let’s break down some misconceptions here and set the record straight on what’s really going on when you’re experiencing tightness.
First off, we need to come to the understanding that feeling tight doesn’t necessarily mean there is excess tension, shortness, nor stiffness. Tightness is a feeling, an experience. And it is not always an accurate reflection of the state of the tension or hardness of the muscle, nor the existence of “knots.”
what causes a muscle to feel tight then?
The body experiences tightness, similarly to the way it experiences pain. As a warning sign or alarm to indicate that the muscle has the potential to experience “threatening conditions”. What kind of conditions are threatening to a muscle? Certainly increased tension is not threatening, considering the function of a muscle is to create tension.
Factors such as inadequate rest or blood flow are seen as threats to the muscle tissues — these circumstances have the potential to cause metabolic stress and activate chemical nociceptors.
Nociceptors are sensory nerve cells that respond to damaging or potentially damaging stimuli and communicate this information to the CNS (central nervous system) which then determines if the threat is credible, and if so, creates the sensation of pain to direct attention to that body part
So the real issue, that we are being warned about through the experience of tightness, is not the existence of tension, but rather the frequency of tension or lack of blood flow.
What’s the solution?
It depends, of course.
Let’s dive deeper into some of the commonly practiced solutions to healing tightness and decode what works for which issues.
stretching:
When to try: If you’re feeling tight from being stuck in a position for a long period of time, a simple stretch should do the trick. Situations like riding in a car, flying or working at your desk should be remedied by a simple stretch.
If this doesn’t work: Don’t assume the underlying issue. Many people run into trouble here because after trying, and failing to find relief through stretching, the assumption is made that the tissues must be shortened or adhered and soft tissue work is prescribed. In reality, there is still a chance that the reason the stretching wasn’t effective was because of increased sensitivity — in which case stretching and soft tissue would would make the problem worse.
Findings conclude: If it feels good and you get relief, keep going with stretching. If you try this and it doesn’t work for you, move on.
Soft tissue Work:
When to try: You’re in need of some short-term relief through a release technique. Options and variations include deep tissue massage, SMR (self-myofascial release) like foam rolling, and ART (active release therapy).
If this doesn’t work: Consider these techniques an option for a temporary, feel-good fix. Keep in mind that these solutions have been known to cause both increased and decreased sensitivity of tissue, depending on many variables, unique to each situation — so remain mindful and observant when working with these modalities.
Findings conclude: Again, if these techniques work for you, continue with them as you see fit. If not, move on.
exercise + Resistance Training:
When to try: When you’re not actively training the muscle or muscle group you’re experiencing a sensation of tightness. It’s a common misconception to associate strength training with the creation of tighter muscles; actually full range of motion strength training can increase flexibility.
Why it should work: Resistance training calls for adaptations in the muscle tissue that result in improved endurance, decreasing the likelihood of suffering from metabolic distress. Exercise also has the ability to receive stress and lower levels of inflammation that cause nervous system sensitivity.
If this doesn’t work: Consider your training schedule and allotted rest time between workouts. Of course, if you’re overtraining, injuring yourself, or preventing full recovery; you will create sensitive, stiff, and sore muscles.
Findings conclude: Based on these recent findings, a protective perceptual construct is responsible for feelings of stiffness, rather than the stiffness being a reflection of the biomechanics of the area affected. Simply put, functional strength and capacity have the ability to decrease the perception of threat related to lengthening said tissue; which should reduce, if not eliminate, the sensation of tightness.
Based on my experience with clients, I would recommend taking the time to consider the potential lifestyle and circumstantial causes of the tightness you’re experiencing, before attempting any form of correction. Then, proceed with isolated strength training exercises targeting the affected muscle or muscle group; always minding form and minimizing potential risk for injury. Use stretching and soft-tissue methods as you see fit, and consult with a physical therapist if you’re experiencing pain or are unsure how to proceed.
Information sourced from Todd Hardgrove of Better Movement via this web article.
Through inexperience we have the opportunity to make choices with little to no knowledge of the outcome — these choices can result in mistakes, but they also leave room for sparks of genius. As we continue to practice a skill or craft, we refine our approach. We miscalculate less often. We continue to do what works and we discard what doesn’t.
Overtime, we develop rules that dictate our behavior and actions. If A, then B. These rules allow us to feel confident, knowing what to do even when the situation we’re encountering is new.
Even more significant than learning what someone knows, is to learn how and why they came to that conclusion. Here within “the work” we’ll discover the rules that experts in the fitness and wellness space have developed as they share how they arrived.
Creating A Movement Practice
Have A Movement Menu:
Use your intuition to discern what kind of movement your body needs each and every day. Discipline and commitment have their place, but so does adventure and curiosity.
The same way you would approach what you feel like eating for a meal, those same “cravings” you know how to tap into to satiate your appetite should be used for your movement practice.
- What way would my body like to move today?
- Give it some choice. Does it want the freedom of dance?
- The sweat of cardio? The structure of lifting weights?
- Does it want to move alone or with the collective?
Tune in.
Take Inventory (or) Do Your Research:
Any time you move, it’s important to listen to how you’re doing on many different levels.
- Is there pain or tightness?
- Is it physical pain or energetic pain, like anxiety?
- How is it shifting or changing as I move through the workout, and deeper into my body?
Tap into the internal dialogue that’s occurring in your mind as you work out. No need to stop it, or redirect it, but to have an awareness of the chatter that’s happening.
Your workout is a place and time for “research” to occur. A lot of dots can start to connect when we move and enter a state of flow. Use your movement as an opportunity to see what wants to be revealed to you about yourself, your body, or your life.
Seek Out Pleasure:
Effort is pleasure. Not punishment.
When we begin to find joy in our body’s capacity, it doesn’t matter if it’s those last exasperating seconds of throttle on the assault bike, the moment your leg begins to tremble in a pulse on the megaformer, or if it’s a slow and sensual cat-cow in yoga class — there are satisfaction and joy.
These varying levels of effort - the spectrum of contraction and expansion - begin to be what feels good. It might take a couple tries to reframe and tap into how this is true for you, but it’s important to connect to the pleasure that exists in rigor as much as important to recognize where it exists within ease. Use how good you can feel as the barometer for how successful your next session is.
listen to episode 010 | Developing Your Intuition with Claudia Germuga
Listen to Ep. 010 on iTunes // Google Play // Spotify
listen to episode 011 | Transforming at Your Edge with Claudia Germuga
Listen to Ep. 011 on iTunes // Google Play // Spotify
Through inexperience we have the opportunity to make choices with little to no knowledge of the outcome — these choices can result in mistakes, but they also leave room for sparks of genius. As we continue to practice a skill or craft, we refine our approach. We miscalculate less often. We continue to do what works and we discard what doesn’t.
Overtime, we develop rules that dictate our behavior and actions. If A, then B. These rules allow us to feel confident, knowing what to do even when the situation we’re encountering is new.
Even more significant than learning what someone knows, is to learn how and why they came to that conclusion. Here within “the work” we’ll discover the rules that experts in the fitness and wellness space have developed as they share how they arrived.
Shooting With A Photographer
The likelihood of you having to work with a photographer for personal or professional reasons is greater than ever. Professionalism has become synonymous with professional imagery — even when it comes to social media profiles. Working with a photographer for the first time can be an intimidating experience, but Matt has stepped in to provide guidance.
1. Collaborate on a Mood Board
You’ll have a better end-product if you communicate with your photographer effectively on the kind of imagery you’re after. The best way to do this is visually, through using mood boards. If you explain your idea to the photographer you can then both set out to create your own mood board separately then meet to bring your ideas together. Once you have done this you can then create a final mood board that you can use for reference leading into the shoot.
2. Working with the right models
Having a mood board sets the tone, but choosing to work with the right model(s) ensures proper execution of your concept.
Whenever I work with a model, I’ll sit with them and explain what I’m going for — showing them as much relevant imagery as possible, referencing the collaborative mood board. Once they see the imagery that we’re going for, they can take on the appropriate emotions and replicate poses or movements for your shoot.
Unsure on where to find the right model(s) for your shoot? Often photographers have connections with modeling agencies and can help you through this process.
3. Make yourself as clear as possible
When working with a photographer make sure you lay out clearly, everything you’re trying to achieve from the shoot.
This also includes discussing deliverables — how many final images you want to receive from the photographer and an agreement on the payment for the shoot. Potentially a contract if needed for your situation.
Have a list of shots you’re wanting to get so you can tick them off on the day. There's nothing worse than working with a client that gives no direction on the day and is then unhappy because they didn’t get the images they really wanted. Make sure you make yourself clear to the photographer on what you’re after — you and the photographer you’re working with will have a MUCH better experience.
I hope you all found these tips useful! Don’t hesitate to contact me on instagram if you have any questions!
Matt Pearson
listen to episode 009 | On Purpose Conversations with matt pearson
Listen on iTunes // Google Play // Spotify
THE WAY YOU LISTEN
Transformational coach Tania Harley Badiyi explains how to create a life you love by the way you listen
How do you and I listen?
Well if someone asked me that before I learned about consciousness and the automatic ego, I’d ask if it was a trick question. My best guess would be I listen with my attention, with my ears? But what is that attention?
When you and I listen to a person or attend an event, we think that our experience of the person or event is the way they are. But what if they are, in part, a function of our perception? Can you try that on for a minute? I’m not asking you to believe anything I say as the truth. The intention of everything I share with you is to provide you with clarity freedom and a deeper sense of confidence, joy, and love. So for a minute, we are going to look at listening not a verb but as a distinction.
We can agree that we are on this planet for connection. If we need affirmation Psychologist Brenee Brown can back it up in her ten-year study on vulnerability. We yearn for connection, we thrive on it. We suffer without it. Connection is food for our soul.
It is one of my why’s for being a coach. So how does how we listen impact the quality of connection?
I’m sure you’ve heard the saying that “how we listen is more important than what we say.“
Whether we are at a seminar, in a meeting at work, talking with a roommate or life partner about daily business or out on a date, you and I are listening from a particular place but we are not aware that it is a particular way.
We think how we hear things is how they are. This way of listening is automatic. We don’t choose it. It’s a default way that we listen and it gives us our experience of what we call reality. It’s a filter that we created through which we listen. So just like things occur differently with different colored lenses and prescriptions, so do different ways of listening give us different experiences. That’s how two people can witness the same event and have two different experiences. Gaining the awareness that we actually listen from a filter gives us so much freedom, possibility, and power!
An awareness practice:
This week when you are speaking with the people important in your life — your boss, parent, friend; I invite you to inquire into what filter you have for each of them. There is a general filter we listen from and then there is a filter for each person.
For example, some people listen for how they can save the day. They can’t wait to fix your life. Their automatic ego is tied up around needing to be acknowledged and needed for solving your problems. Some crack jokes about e everything and others are know-it-alls. Some listen for how can I sound relevant so that I get accepted.
Ask yourself:
What am I listening for?
Am I listening for them to need something that I can provide? To prove I’m worthy?
Am I looking for an opportunity to sound like I know?
The purpose of this is to recognize it so you have a choice. When you notice your automatic way of listening you are no longer being used by it and you can let it go and be present and fully there with the person. Your charisma increases tenfold. You are there 100% with the person with no “ in order to”. You are not listening in a certain way in order to be liked or accepted. You aren’t thinking of anything else or where you need to be after. You can get the full experience of what life is like for that person. You can choose to listen from love or from nothing. Just be with the person to discover everything about them and get the full experience.
You know how when you first fall in love, you are so curious about everything about the person and then time sets in and it’s like you already know everything they are going to say before they begin to speak? . When we “already know someone, we kill off what they could be.”
You will be amazed at how your experience of them might transform. Although don’t expect it to because then you’ll be back in an “in order to“filter. Just be and be open to get who they are. Give up what you already know. Give up your judgments, opinions and evaluations. Just be for the sake of being and no other reason. Listen with a filter of listening for their greatness.
How we listen impacts how we experience our life and the experience we leave people with. The intention is to be of service and make a difference even with the way we listen . By becoming aware of your automatic way of listening, you have the freedom to choose a way of listening that fully frees you up to connect deeply and experience fully.
listen to episode 006 | On Purpose Conversations with Tania Harley Badiyi Part 2
Listen to Ep. 006 on iTunes // Google Play // Spotify
Through inexperience we have the opportunity to make choices with little to no knowledge of the outcome — these choices can result in mistakes, but they also leave room for sparks of genius. As we continue to practice a skill or craft, we refine our approach. We miscalculate less often. We continue to do what works and we discard what doesn’t.
Overtime, we develop rules that dictate our behavior and actions. If A, then B. These rules allow us to feel confident, knowing what to do even when the situation we’re encountering is new.
Even more significant than learning what someone knows, is to learn how and why they came to that conclusion. Here within “the work” we’ll discover the rules that experts in the fitness and wellness space have developed as they share how they arrived.
Preparing For A Coach
Tania takes us through her process when onboarding a new client:
I begin each curious prospective client with a conversation of inquiry.
The mechanisms we have unconsciously created in order to survive do not want to be seen. What lies on the other side is a world of possibilities. The process of identifying those mechanisms and seeing beyond it is euphoric, exhilarating and completely freeing.
Advice on how to prepare before a conversation with a coach ask yourself:
1. What do I want to get out of this?
A great place to start when beginning a journey with a coach is; what areas of my life feel constrained? What feels like it’s not moving or growing? Where do I feel stuck? Those answers will bring light to the areas you’d like to give energy to with your coach.
2. What am I willing to bring of myself?
In this work, it's most important that we are present. When we are not present, someone else is running the show. Dr. Daniel Amen brilliantly coined the term, ANTs: Automatic Negative Thoughts. When we take the back seat to these thoughts we have no say in how we view what is coming at us, whether that be a stranger at a party, a speaker at a conference or say, a coach. Choosing to be present in each moment is like taking the wheel. Inside of that space lives being vulnerable, being coachable, and being compassionate - to yourself!
3. What am I committed to?
“At the moment of commitment the entire universe conspires to assist you.”
― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
An exercise to prepare you for the transformation of the coaching process:
Over the next couple of mornings, right when you wake up and are still lying in bed, notice your internal conversation. Listen to the words, almost as an observer, what comes up. You’ll notice it may be repetitive day-to-day, it may get quieter or louder.
Write it all down.
Once you’ve written it all down, close the book, and choose one thing you’re grateful for. This is the first step in ‘Creating your day’.
listen to episode 005 | On Purpose Conversations with Tania Harley Badiyi Part 1
Listen on iTunes // Google Play // Spotify
Through inexperience we have the opportunity to make choices with little to no knowledge of the outcome — these choices can result in mistakes, but they also leave room for sparks of genius. As we continue to practice a skill or craft, we refine our approach. We miscalculate less often. We continue to do what works and we discard what doesn’t.
Overtime, we develop rules that dictate our behavior and actions. If A, then B. These rules allow us to feel confident, knowing what to do even when the situation we’re encountering is new.
Even more significant than learning what someone knows, is to learn how and why they came to that conclusion. Here within “the work” we’ll discover the rules that experts in the fitness and wellness space have developed as they share how they arrived.
RULES FOR CREATING CHANGE
1. SETTING CLEAR GOALS
You can’t get anywhere if you don’t know where you’re headed. The first and most important step of creating lasting change for yourself is to get clear on what it is you’re looking for.
One of my favorite ways to go about doing this is to imagine my ideal life in the near future, down to every detail. What would my space look like, my week, what work would I be doing, who would I be surrounded with? Get as detailed as you can — What time would you wake up each morning? What would your commute to work look like?
Being as specific as possible in this activity will help you discover what is really important to you and your experience, then you will more easily know what goals you have to set to get yourself there.
*An exercise I like to lean on if I’m feeling overwhelmed by the things I have to do or the goals I’m looking to achieve (which often happens when my mind is racing right before bed) is a Magic-Wand List — I think I came up with this, but I wouldn’t be surprised if this concept is out there.
Magic-Wand List:
I take out a notebook, flip to a blank page and I write down every single thing I want to have, to accomplish, to be completed, to do; if I had a magic wand — meaning, there are no barriers, blocks, or reasons why what I want can’t happen.
Each time I do this exercise, I’m surprised at the length of the list. I’ve never filled up an entire page — I usually run out of entries around 10 or 12. Recognizing this allows me to observe that there isn’t actually THAT much that has to be done when I’m feeling overwhelmed.
2. FINDING YOUR DEEPEST WHY
Now that you’ve set your goals, it’s time to get honest with yourself about WHY you want the things on your list. This can often be a challenge because it can be difficult to discern and accept the things we really want.
Say one of your goals is to get a higher paying job. Great, next what you’re going to do is ask yourself why you want that and what you’ll get once you have that (higher paying job). Maybe you want a bigger apartment or more money to spend going out with friends, or once you get a promotion you’ll be seen as successful in your parents’ eyes. Keep going until you get to the deepest, most emotionally charged reason behind each of your goals.
3. CONNECTING (AND RECONNECTING) TO PURPOSE
Here you’ll assess whether or not your original goal is aligned with the deepest reasoning of why you’re looking to achieve it.
Using the same example as above, let’s say what you’re really seeking through getting a higher paying job is the approval of your parents. Since there are variables (your parents’ reaction) in your purpose, you’re not setting yourself up for success by going after this goal.
Instead, you could consider choosing a new goal all together in order to find a way to connect with and gain the approval of your parents — sometimes just a vulnerable conversation will do. This will save you the time, effort, and energy of getting the higher paying job, while you’re still getting what you really wanted.
Alternatively, you can reframe your deeper purpose, conditioning yourself for what is realistic to be had once your goal is achieved. It would make sense that you could afford a bigger apartment once you increase your income, but this method allows you to determine whether or not this is worth it for you in the time, effort, and energy you’re about to exchange in order to get a higher paying job.
listen to episode 004 | The Origins of My Career + The Podcast with Lauren Schramm
Listen on iTunes // Google Play // Spotify
Through inexperience we have the opportunity to make choices with little to no knowledge of the outcome — these choices can result in mistakes, but they also leave room for sparks of genius. As we continue to practice a skill or craft, we refine our approach. We miscalculate less often. We continue to do what works and we discard what doesn’t.
Overtime, we develop rules that dictate our behavior and actions. If A, then B. These rules allow us to feel confident, knowing what to do even when the situation we’re encountering is new.
Even more significant than learning what someone knows, is to learn how and why they came to that conclusion. Here within “the work” we’ll discover the rules that experts in the fitness and wellness space have developed as they share how they arrived.
RULES TO ACE YOUR TRAINING
1. ADHERENCE
It doesn't matter how good the training plan is if you don't stick to it. Find a form of training that you enjoy and suits your style, nothing kills progress like dreading your workout. Go out there and try different classes, training programs, & outdoor activities. It will be more fun and motivating to find an activity that you can do in addition to your training, it's how you are going to see your training in the gym pay off. For example, if you go hiking on the weekends and notice after training a few weeks that you are able to recover better and climb more aggressive trails, you will FEEL the benefits of your training and be motivated to train!
2. CONSISTENCY
Physiologically we need constant physical stressors in order to signal a need for change in our body. Life happens and you don't need to have the perfect training schedule as long as you are consistent. Once you have your training plan set stick to it for AT LEAST 4 weeks. Most people don't get much out of their training because they switch things up too frequently. I'm going to break down what usually happens in the first 4 weeks of training:
Week 1 (Foundation) is where you will set the foundation for future progress, you are getting familiar with the movements and understanding how to do them correctly, this is called motor learning.
During week 2 (Accumulation) you now know what is going on and have likely increased your work capacity, I would usually keep the weights the same and try to do an extra set on most movements, it will allow you to further increase work capacity along with help build muscle that will be needed in the future to get stronger.
Week 3 (Intensification) is where you can make a push, you understand what needs to be done, have built some tolerance, this is where you challenge yourself. Slightly increase weights across exercises to challenge yourself while maintaining movement quality.
Week 4 (Deload & Transition) is meant to allow you to recover and prepare for the next training block. I would typically back off of the weights being used (Intensity) OR the amount of total reps (Volume) done by no more than 10-20%, which variation you choose depends on how you feel. If you are feeling run down and tired all the time I would adjust the load, If you feel extremely sore and beat up adjust the volume.
As you can see it takes some time for all of this to happen, this is why "going hard" for one week then taking the next week off doesn't work. You don't have to train every day but you need to train frequently! As a general rule try not to have more than 3 days off of training unless you need it.
3. EFFORT
Effort is a tricky one. You need to challenge yourself if you want to make a change. Everyone has a different scale of effort This is why having a coach is recommended at least until you understand how hard you need to be working. Hard effort will look different depending on what you are doing so trainers tend to use what's called and RPE (Rating of Perceived Exertion) scale which typically goes from 1-10. A 10 on the scale is a maximal effort and you would not be able to perform another rep of the exercise. For most strength-based movements I would like to see you at a 7 or 8, this should feel like you left no more than 2 more reps in the tank.
Another thing to note is proper rest time. There needs to be enough rest between sets to sustain that level of intensity otherwise it will just feel hard but won't register enough stress for the adaptation you want. As a general rule the more intense the exercise it the longer you will need to recover. I recommend 60 seconds for normal exercises (6-8 RPE), 90-120 seconds for very heavy (9 RPE), anything at a 10 RPE probably shouldn't be repeated but rest up to 4 minutes before moving on.
If you follow these 3 rules I'm confident you will see results no matter what your choice of training is, it's going to be hard if any one of these is missing from your training. Good luck!
listen to episode 003 | Carving Your Own Path with Luis Benitez
on iTunes // Google Play // Spotify
Through inexperience we have the opportunity to make choices with little to no knowledge of the outcome — these choices can result in mistakes, but they also leave room for sparks of genius. As we continue to practice a skill or craft, we refine our approach. We miscalculate less often. We continue to do what works and we discard what doesn’t.
Overtime, we develop rules that dictate our behavior and actions. If A, then B. These rules allow us to feel confident, knowing what to do even when the situation we’re encountering is new.
Even more significant than learning what someone knows, is to learn how and why they came to that conclusion. Here within “the work” we’ll discover the rules that experts in the fitness and wellness space have developed as they share how they arrived.
RULES FOR CHANGING CAREERS
1. FIND WHERE YOUR PASSION LIES
You need to treat your work as a professional business and take yourself seriously. This means you must show up prepared and on time. It means continually learning and growing in the field. It means engaging in good communication, learning from others, failing and moving forward, taking some risks and delivering your best customer service.
2. SELF-CARE IS A PRIORITY
One of the best ways you can care for yourself is by getting adequate sleep. Sleep and stress occur in a cyclical manner, such that reduced sleep can increase the perception and effects of stress, and high-stress levels disrupt sleep. Poor sleep quality can, in turn, affect a variety of other factors including mood, appetite, energy and exercise recovery.
3. ADOPT A LONG-TERM MINDSET
Education and certification are must-haves to get started in the fitness industry. Add to that savvy business practices, and you'll have plenty of clients. But for true longevity and success in this field, passion and empathy and a true desire to help people must make up the heart of your work. This is what turns a job into a calling.
EDDISON BROWN
listen to episode 002 | Pursuing Your Passion with Eddison Brown
on iTunes // Google Play // Spotify
Through inexperience we have the opportunity to make choices with little to no knowledge of the outcome — these choices can result in mistakes, but they also leave room for sparks of genius. As we continue to practice a skill or craft, we refine our approach. We miscalculate less often. We continue to do what works and we discard what doesn’t.
Overtime, we develop rules that dictate our behavior and actions. If A, then B. These rules allow us to feel confident, knowing what to do even when the situation we’re encountering is new.
Even more significant than learning what someone knows, is to learn how and why they came to that conclusion. Here within “the work” we’ll discover the rules that experts in the fitness and wellness space have developed as they share how they arrived.
RULES FOR PILATES
1. EVERY MOVEMENT INITIATES FROM THE CORE
This comes from one of the basic principles of pilates, "centering", but I've found through continuous study that every movement is more effective and more bang for your buck when you correctly co-contract from the abdominals.
It's a major time-saver, elevates the intensity of every exercise, and keeps your back safe. I bring it into my cross-training workouts too!
2. HEALTHY, 3-D BREATHING IS THE KEY TO A FUNCTIONAL CORE + PELVIC FLOOR
This is especially true for my pre/post-natal clients, but learning how to breathe correctly even helped me release a hypertonic pelvic floor from years of gripping in ballet. Belly breathing is coached really often and it's not wrong, but just part of the equation. Integrating post-lateral breath uses the diaphragm more functionally and allows for the full contraction AS WELL AS the often ignored full release of the pelvic floor.
We all know a tight muscle is a weak muscle. Since most of the attention given to the pelvic floor is about Kegels - which are important, but it's only half the solution to pelvic floor dysfunction or recovery from giving birth.
3. YOU KNOW YOUR BODY BETTER THAN ANYONE (TRAINERS INCLUDED)
This is a concept I borrowed from my training as a health coach through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition - "bio-individuality". No two bodies are the same, so no diet, exercise program or wellness routine is going to work exactly the same for everyone. Trainers are experts on bodies in general, but YOU are an expert on your own body. Starting to trust your instincts and modify, scale-up, or take breaks when necessary is a truly valuable skill in feeling empowered about your health.
I don't mean ignore what the trainer says - but acknowledge that they can't necessarily feel how you experience the movement and are often teaching from their own experience. It's a trainer's responsibility to use intuition so they can push you while keeping you safe.
HELEN PHELAN
listen to episode 001 | Cultivating Body Neutrality with Helen Phelan
on iTunes // Spotify // GooglePlay
First of all
Let’s try and move away from adopting a fitness routine for purely aesthetic reasons. This is an entirely different topic and conversation, and we won’t go there, but I want to plant this seed for you. There is nothing wrong with the desire to create physical change in the body, but I’d like to challenge you to include performance and health-based goals as well. Setting these will allow you to measure your progress objectively, in the short-term. More on that later.
What is “Toning” Anyway?
When I hear that someone is looking to “just tone,” this phrase is often directly followed by a clarification that they would not like to get “too big” or “bulky.” Since this is still so common, there is clearly a misunderstanding in the way that muscle tissue reacts to training stimulus. When someone expresses the desire to look “toned,” what they’re really saying is they want to put on muscle and lose body fat.
Toned — implies leanness in the body (low levels of body fat), noticeable muscle definition and shape, without significant muscle size (bulk)
Every person is different, and there will be slightly different outcomes even when training within the guidelines, but generally speaking if you’re looking to “tone up” my recommendation would be to approach your programming with the overarching goal of fat loss and cycle through the strength building categories that I’ve outlined below (in the order that they’re listed).
Define Your Goals
You can’t design a program without knowing what you’re trying to achieve. Most programs are periodized, which allows for progress toward multiple goals, with a focus on achieving just one at a time.
Periodization — an organization of training that involves progressive cycling of various aspects of a training program during a specific period of time; typically dividing one year into macrocycles, mesocycles and microcycles
The general goals (for programming purposes) that we will be focusing on are endurance (specifically focused on stabilization and muscular — often used as a preparatory or introductory phase), hypertrophy (growth of muscle size), strength (maximal strength), and performance (speed and power).
Here are some terms you may need in order to decode the specifics:
Reps — one complete movement of a single exercise
Sets — group of consecutive repetitions
1RM — 1 repetition maximum; a calculator used to estimate your percentages of RM can be found here
Goal: Stabilization + Muscular Endurance
Focus — create optimal levels of stabilization strength and postural control
Programming Strategy — begin with and cycle back through this phase between periods of higher intensity training
Set Range — 1 to 3
Rep Range — 12 to 20
Intensity — 50% to 70% of 1RM
Tempo — slow; for example 4/2/1 (4 sec eccentric, 2 sec isometric, 1 sec concentric)
Rest Interval — 0 to 90 sec
Goal: Hypertrophy
Focus — maximal muscle growth through high levels of volume with minimal rest periods
Technical Strategy — to force cellular changes that result in overall increase in muscle size
Set Range — 3 to 5
Rep Range — 6 to 12
Intensity — 75% to 85% of 1RM
Tempo — moderate; for example 2/0/2 (2 sec eccentric, 0 sec isometric, 2 sec concentric)
Rest Interval — 0 to 60 sec
Goal: maximal Strength
Focus — increasing the load placed on tissues of the body
Technical Strategy — recruit more motor units, rate of force production and motor unit synchronization
Set Range — 4 to 6
Rep Range — 1 to 5
Intensity — 85% to 100% of 1RM
Tempo — fast or explosive
Rest Interval — 3 to 5 min
Goal: Speed + Power
Focus — both high force and velocity to increase power
Programming Strategy — combining a strength exercise with a power exercise for each body part
Set Range — 3 to 6
Rep Range — 1 to 10
Intensity — 30% to 45% of 1RM
Tempo — fast or explosive that can be safely controlled
Rest Interval — 3 to 5 min
A Quick Note about 1RM
Calculating your 1RM for each exercise you do, is a time consuming process. I would recommend using a calculator instead of pushing yourself to follow a testing protocol — this will allow you to input any number of reps and weight and can determine your percentages of RM.
I wouldn’t suggest attempting to calculate your RM for lifts you perform less than 2x per week. Also, keep in mind that for the data you input, the lower the reps, the more accurate your RM results will be — try to work with 2, 3, or 5 reps when possible.
Where to begin
Drop the fear of heavy weights, of getting bulky, of getting strong. Avoid zeroing in on aesthetic measurements. Shift your programming to a balanced, periodized formatting. Challenge yourself to set performance and health-based goals. Push yourself, but only do what makes you feel good. Remember that the point is to enjoy the experience.
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*Specific numerical information sourced from NASM
Q: If I take time off from my program, I'm going to lose all my progress and results… RIGHT?
A: It depends, but not necessarily. Planned rest or conscious deloading as I like to refer to it, can actually
deloading — a short, planned period of recovery; typically lasting one week and created with the intentions of aiding recovery, avoiding overuse injuries and realizing a higher level of performance
What you’re afraid of
The fear most people have when it comes to interrupting their fitness routine, is of experiencing the effects of the detraining principle.
detraining principle — the partial or complete loss of training-induced adaptations, in response to an insufficient training stimulus
It’s important to note that while “insufficient training stimulus” can certainly be referring to rest time in general, other components of the workout regimen can lead to detraining effects as well — factors like intensity, frequency of workouts and types of exercises selected.
You make gains while you rest
There are countless instances in which maintaining your workout routine is just not possible; vacation, work travel, sickness, injury or time consuming life circumstances, to name a few. Whether planned (which is ideal) or not, periods of rest, in all forms are essential: “No matter how hard you work, you don’t make gains during workouts. Gains are achieved during periods of recovery. Recovery is one of the most important and most ignored principles of training” (Coleman 2002).
Periodization shows us that supercompensation occurs after program volume is decreased (i.e. during rest). This is attributed to CNS (central nervous system) recovery and leads to enhanced performance.
supercompensation — the bodies’ adaptation to exceed the level of preparedness by rebounding from a fatigued state to a new, higher level of performance
When you get Too much rest
There is obviously a line between productive recovery and a detrimental amount of time off. The decline of performance has been studied separately for resistance training and cardiovascular training effects.
Resistance + Strength Training
When it comes to resistance training, strength gains can be maintained in a general population/beginner athlete for a little more than 3 weeks. An athlete, someone who has been training consistently for over 3 years, can expect to take up to 2 weeks off without a negative outcome.
Even before your 2-3 week timeline is up, your muscles can begin to appear smaller, but this is likely due to the glycogen and water stores shrinking inside of the muscle tissue. The good news here, is that once you resume training, these will refill and return to normal size and appear larger once again.
Cardiovascular training
An accurate measure of general cardiovascular fitness, takes into account VO2max, heart-rate variability and time to exhaustion. This collective measurement seems to decrease anywhere from 4-25% after 3-4 weeks in trained athletes.
generalized Recommendation
Taking up to 2 weeks off will allow for ample recovery and keep you from significant losses.
Varying Deloading strategies
The Traditional Deload — One full pre-planned week consisting of little-to-no training stress followed by 3 weeks of training with relatively high volumes and intensities. Not exceeding 40-60% of 1RM with an emphasis on mobility, soft-tissue work and non-strenuous body-weight exercises.
This has been found to work best for professional athletes (in order to minimize injury risk — as the main training objective), older/experienced lifters (to allow for extended periods of planned recovery), and for those with reoccurring injuries (providing relief from risk of pain and injury).
Minimum Dose Maintenance of Strength — Once per week dose of exercise was found to prevent the loss of neuromuscular adaptations. Volumes should be kept at around 1/3 of previously utilized training volume.
volume — the consideration and combination of both intensity and time
Minimum Dose Maintenance of Endurance — One strategy here is to attempt alternative training methods, which can provide maintenance activity if injured. Another option is to reduce training volume, up to 60-90% from the program’s volume. Lastly, you could opt for a strength-based training program which has shown to improve endurance and VO2max.
There are other options including, The Auto-regulatory Deload, The Max Effort Deload and The Reverse Deload — all outlined in this article written by Strength Consultant Jordan Syatt.
Still Within Your control
No matter your circumstances and choices, there are always a few variables within your control.
Staying active in general — Unless a serious injury is preventing you from any type of activity, try your best to keep moving with some bodyweight exercises, swimming, stretching or even taking a walk.
Keep tabs on your diet — Exercise helps control cravings and gives you a bit of leeway on consuming excess calories, but if you’re not working out, try your best to eat intuitively. My advice when clients are looking to change their eating behaviors is always to first begin to notice when you’re hungry and when you’re not. This simple practice has the ability to reconnect the mind and body and often results in avoiding emotional and mindless eating all together.
Ramp back up patiently — When you are ready to get back into your routine, avoid returning at the same frequency and intensity you had before your break. Allow yourself to acclimate and don’t expect yourself to regain performance immediately.
In the largely unregulated fitness industry, the best way to set yourself apart is through expanding your basis of knowledge and staying up to date on the latest information — and continuing your education through certifications + workshops is a great way to do this!
I’m a big believer that diversifying my information sources creates a well-rounded perspective. I avoid prescribing myself to any one “school of thought” as so many ideas and concepts are constantly evolving. I aim simply to increase the potential benefit I can provide to the individuals that I have the opportunity to work with.
Most of the certifications and workshops I’ve taken have been formatted and scheduled as 12-16 hour long weekend workshops. I love this set up because it provides the opportunity for lecturing, hands-on and practical experience, and I find this kind of environment facilitates long-term connections and partnerships to be formed with other trainers, health professionals, and fitness enthusiasts that are attending.
Below I’ve outlined all of the certifications I currently have and the workshops I’ve taken, in addition to the ones on my radar at the moment.
Current Credentials:
Completed Workshops + Seminars:
Future Plans:
Anatomy for Corrective Yoga + Functional Movement: 3 Part Series
Kundalini Yoga Training Levels I + II
Pre + Postnatal Yoga Teacher Training
Breathwork Training
Let me know if you’ve taken any courses that I haven’t mentioned above! I’m always on the lookout.
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This time of year is extra exciting for me. As a fitness professional, I get to witness firsthand the renewed commitment and sense of dedication that my clients and other gym-goers seem to posses.
It’s almost as if you can feel the elevated pulse of the collective, it’s potent — especially here in NYC.
Almost everyone I’ve spoken to recently has resolved to get in better shape. Maybe that has something to do with my profession, but it’s definitely one of the more common resolutions to make. Some people set general goals for themselves like losing weight, eating less, working out more. Some formulate specific and measurable plans, like increasing their squat to 225 for 10 or losing 7.5 lbs by March 25th.
And there’s nothing wrong with any of this.
If you’re striving for improvement, I’m behind you, FULLY.
However, since this is my 5th time around for New Years Resolutions as a trainer, I’m no longer as optimistic as I once was. I’ve been through this too many times to believe that willpower is enough to sustain momentum.
You can safely expect to experience one or more of these in the coming weeks:
You will be inconvenienced by your goals
You will make excuses for yourself
You will experience road blocks you didn’t anticipate
You may even reach your finish line, but it might not feel the way you’d imagined it would.
I’m sure you’ve been here before too..
but it’s 2019 and this time will be different. Right?
Well, maybe. I think it can be, if you give yourself the opportunity to change perspectives for a second, before it’s too little, too late.
Behavior is driven, NOT by your conscious mind (think will and determination) but by your subconscious (think auto-pilot actions). Your subconscious beliefs are not readily available on the surface, but can be accessed — and I see this as necessary practice if you’re looking to follow through on the goals you’ve set for yourself.
We can get into the subconscious and your ability to alter it and your experience of the world (casual, I know); but for now — here are some action steps I use when I’m looking to dive deeper and ensure I’m setting myself up before I begin:
get specific
make a list of everything you want; having multiple goals and resolutions is great!
add all the details that you can think of
don’t judge anything you come up with
bring in the feelings
Define how you would feel if you were to accomplish each goal
(I like to sit quietly with my eyes closed to get a better feel for the answer to this)
Find your why
Why does doing this matter to you?
Is this goal a stepping stone to something bigger?
Who are you doing this for?
Are you trying to prove something? What is holding you back from feeling complete as you are?
reconsider your path
Will your goals actually illicit the feelings you’ve just uncovered and defined?
Will they help you achieve your deeper objectives?
Is your outcome guaranteed if you stick to the plan?
Are your goals dependent on external circumstances that are out of your control?
define the experience
Uncover the full spectrum of sacrifices you will need to make to get what you want. Are you willing to endure these?
Evaluate your resources — like time, energy, finances, etc. Do you have what you need to be comfortable and enjoy the experience of going after what you want? Is it a good time in your life for this right now?
Revise + adapt + update
Set new goals, start over, or get started on your endeavor
Change your mind. There’s no shame in deciding that what you thought you wanted isn’t the perfect fit right now.
Remind yourself that you are in control of your timeline. You can start, restart, hit pause, do whatever you want!
Revisit and reevaluate often