Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss

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Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss

“We have a field of sort-of-science in which hypotheses are treated as facts because they’re too hard too expensive to test, and there are so many hypotheses that what journalist like to call ‘leading authorities’ disagree with one another daily.” -Gary Taubes

It is that time of year for food promises, 30 day challenges, resolution challenges, and transformation challenges. I’m sure I have forgotten a challenge or twelve but you know what I mean. 

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For today’s edition of Dear Mark, I’m answering five questions from readers. First up, do my recommendations regarding violence and martial arts in last week’s “wildness post” also apply to women? Second, what else can you do with leftover wine? Next, how do I approach my rest and work cycles? Fourth, is phosphatidylserine good for mental stress or just physical stress? And last, does changing how we interpret or react to stress change its effects?

Let’s go:

This post seemed mostly centered on men given they need more outlets for their violent/wild side. Do you think this pertains to women as well?

The post was definitely geared toward everyone—men and women, boys and girls, grandpas and grandmas. Everyone can benefit from climbing trees, creating a little more and consuming a little less, eliminating disorder in their home environment, and finding a tribe. I’d also argue that everyone can benefit from trying a martial art.

However, in general, men appear to have a higher appetite or “need” for violence.

It’s definitely true that most violent criminals are men, most homicides are committed by men (and most victims are men, too), and the average man has a higher predilection for violence than the average woman. There’s no getting around the hundreds of thousands of years of evolutionary pressure selecting for violence and aggression. It’s why in general men carry more muscle mass and physical strength than women—so they can throw harder punches and heavier spears.

But evolution didn’t select for murderous aggression. It selected for controlled aggression. For potential aggression. The ideal hunter or warrior is one who can mete out damage to others when required but avoids conflict when not. Someone who can protect their family and play with the baby.

Women may be less likely to have that predilection. Sure, the average woman is less interested in learning how to fight than the average man, but there are millions of outliers (in both sexes). Millions of women are interested in martial arts, and they should pursue that interest. I’d even argue that women who don’t think they’re into martial arts should give it a shot. They might be pleasantly surprised. Keep in mind, too, that it’s a physical art as well as a defense method.

The same goes for men, of course. If martial arts doesn’t interest you, it doesn’t interest you. But give it a shot before giving up.

Freezing wine. That is an amazing suggestion!

Another cool thing to do with leftover (or newly-opened—your choice) wine is to reduce it down to a few ounces and then freeze or store for later use. All the alcohol boils off and you can inundate a dish with intense wine flavors without needing to reduce the liquid so much.

Erin asked:

Should we concentrate on shoe-horning in anti-stress time every day, or can we get similar benefits from taking a “real” day off?

To me, there’s something to be said for treating your on and off days like you do your training.

On some projects, I dip in and out of work mode. I’ll work a few hours a day, get a hike in, maybe some paddling, and hop back on for a few more hours. This is how I do most blog posts and shorter-form writing.

Other projects require intense dedication, protracted focus. Deep work with long, infrequent breaks. I go hard and long. I’ll work for several days straight, then take a full day off—and I mean “off.” This is how I handle book and product launches.

It really depends on my intuition. I listen to my body. If I feel guilty about resting, I probably didn’t work hard enough. If I can flop down on the couch and watch Netflix without feeling an ounce of guilt, I probably need the time off. This assumes you’re in tune with your body and mind. I am—finally, after all these years!

Greg Harrington asked:

Does Phosphatidylserine help with mental-related stress? (i.e. stress about work, finances, relationships, etc.)

Yes. Several studies in humans show that PS helps in this area.

• A 2004 study found that low-moderate dose PS reduced the cortisol and adrenal response to induced stress. Higher doses did not have this affect, nor did the placebo.
• Among men exposed to mental stress, those taking a PS supplement had higher cognitive function and a lower psychological stress response.
• Among men with chronic stress, PS supplementation normalized their stress response.

The stuff is legit.

I’d like to know more about how the effects of stress are modified by how we think about or perceive stress.

Great insight. Our perception of stress is almost everything.

Try this:

Instead of worrying about your sweaty palms, pounding heart, anxiety, and nervous flutter in the stomach…

Embrace the fact that your body is increasing heart rate to boost blood flow and deliver more nutrients to your organs and tissues in preparation for the event. It’s prepping you physiologically and psychologically. It’s pumping you up. That flutter in the stomach? It’s so you don’t eat anything and divert energy toward digestion and away from focusing on your performance. That tunnel vision? It’s honing your attention to the matter at hand. Rapid breathing? That’s more oxygen for your brain. Your anxiety? You’re just being careful, paying attention to details, leaving nothing to chance.

I’m not making this up, either. There are empirical studies that show rethinking stress can change how it affects you psychologically and physiologically.

We sweat to alert others (via smell) to the stressful situation. Strength in numbers.

If you can rethink your approach to stress, you will benefit. People who think of the stress response as beneficial do not experience increased mortality due to stress.

When people learn to think of the stress response as psychological and physiological “preparedness,” many of the negative effects normally associated with stress vanish or are modified to be helpful. Their pulse rate quickens (normal), but their blood vessels expand rather than constrict. They have increased attentional bias (normal), but instead of focusing on the stress, they focus on the task at hand.

It’s not a simple matter to truly believe that the stress response is beneficial. You can’t snap your fingers and switch to a new mode of interpretation. But know that it’s not BS. That it increases preparedness for difficult tasks is the evolutionary reason why the stress response that arose arose. The stress response is adaptive. Know that, keep reminding yourself of that, and one day it’ll stick. Good luck.

Thanks for reading, everyone. Take care, leave your comments and input  and questions down below, and have a great week!

The post Dear Mark: Women and Violence, Reducing Extra Wine, High Intensity Interval Resting, Phosphatidylserine and Mental Stress, Rethinking Stress appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.

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Having turned the calendar to February, it’s a good time to take stock. How did January go—and what do you want February to look like? What successful changes are you bringing away from the first month of 2018? More energy? A renewed optimism about your health? A new waist measurement? A more impressive mile time or VO2 max? A heftier deadlift max? Better sleep? Better confidence?

I hope you’ll share your successes (and your stumbling blocks) along the way. What worked for you? What didn’t? Did you follow the Action Items? What was most instrumental in the successes you experienced? And how will you carry it all over into this month? What will you do differently? What new supports will help you move through this next phase? No matter how dramatic or mixed the results, there’s so much to be gained from revisiting the overall venture. Reflection is an essential part of the process.

The post Primal Reflection: Make a Transition Plan appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.

Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss

Day 295 Of 360

Climb to a new 2RM using warm-up sets of no more than 5 reps (starting at no more than 60%) before adjusting the weight. Rest as needed, and keep the total number of post-warm-up lifts under 20 (Ex. 5, 3, 3, 2, 2, 2… ).

Note: Achieving a 2RM is not done at all cost of mechanics, form, range of motion, or composure. Unless there’s money on the line, position, execution, and range of motion always govern weight.

Then:

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This month marks my 14th year of being deeply involved in the health and fitness industry.

From the very beginning, I was committed to seeking out the absolute best training and nutrition information available. Not only did I read everything I could get my hands on, but I constantly spent time learning from super smart health and fitness professionals including powerlifters, bodybuilders, corrective exercise experts, physical therapists, chiropractors, massage therapists, sports performance coaches, psychologists, registered dietitians — anyone I believed could help me hone my craft.

By 2010 I was co-owner of a gym in Lexington, Kentucky and by 2011, we had a couple hundred members, 80 percent of them women. Our clients got great results and really enjoyed working with us.

But I didn’t realize I had been making one huge mistake, a mistake that had been preventing my clients from getting the coaching they deserved.

What was it? I wasn’t well-educated on working with pre- and postnatal women.

I knew the basics about keeping them hydrated, not letting them overheat, their ligaments becoming more lax, and their shifting center of gravity, but I literally knew nothing about pelvic floor dysfunction, diastasis recti, or pelvic organ prolapse. I thought incontinence was just “something that happens” to women who have children, and they just have to deal with it.

And worse? I never considered the fact that once a woman has a baby, she is always postnatal. Approximately 80 percent of my clients were women, and more than 75 percent of them had children — which means I was doing over 60 percent of my clients a great disservice by not understanding how to work with postnatal women. And I’m not alone in this.

Two important stats:

• 67 to 75 percent of folks who hire a coach or trainer are women.
• 85 percent of women in the U.S. will have a baby at some point in their lives (and once they do, they’re technically postnatal forever). Not to mention that number is higher in other countries.

That means if you train both men and women, one-half to two-thirds of your clients are likely pre- or postnatal women. And if you train only women, the number jumps to four out of five.

This means understanding how to working with pre- and postnatal women is a critical part of helping women get the coaching and care they deserve. And I refuse to let other coaches and trainers make the same mistake.

That’s why last year I assembled a team of 16+ world-class women’s health professionals to create the world’s first evidence-based, body-positive, interdisciplinary Pre- and Postnatal Coaching Certification for health and fitness professionals. These professionals include:

• 6 physiotherapists
• 4 pre- and postnatal fitness experts
• 3 PhDs in psychology, exercise science, and molecular biology
• 1 OB/GYN
• 1 doula
• 1 nurse practitioner and midwife

To get all of the details about our Pre- & Postnatal Coaching Certification you can click here.

In the meantime, here are four ways becoming a Certified Pre- & Postnatal Coach through Girls Gone Strong will change your career.

1. Up-to-Date, Evidence-Based, Comprehensive Knowledge of Working With Pre- and Postnatal Women

At Girls Gone Strong, we pride ourselves on providing the most up-to-date, evidence-based, body-positive information possible. We combine the latest research with decades of professional experience to provide best practice recommendations that are not only rooted in science, but are actually effective in the real world.

Every single chapter of our Pre- and Postnatal Coaching Certification was written and reviewed by no fewer than six women’s health experts ranging from pelvic health physios to OB/GYNs, pre- and postnatal experts, psychologists, and midwives, and we are certain you won’t find a more comprehensive certification on these topics anywhere else.

Additionally, we dive into the psychology and coaching aspect of working with pre- and postnatal women, so you not only understand their unique anatomical and physiological needs, but you get a better understanding of how to best support and coach them through this important life transition.

2. The Confidence to Believe You’re Giving Your Pre- and Postnatal Clients the Coaching and Care They Deserve

As a health and fitness professional who deeply cares about your work, you probably agree there’s nothing worse than feeling like you aren’t qualified to help your clients and patients. And working with pre- and postnatal women requires a specialized knowledge, and not just a couple of pages worth.

Our Pre- & Postnatal Coaching Certification textbook is nearly 500 pages of high-quality, evidence-based, information about pre- and postnatal nutrition, exercise, rest and recovery, psychology, and coaching. It also comes with 100+ page workbook and mobile-friendly online portal that houses educational videos, downloadable forms and PDFs, workout templates, and other bonus materials.

We even include dozens of case studies to help you understand how to put this information into action with your clients and patients. When you’re done with our Pre- & Postnatal Coaching Certification, you’ll have the confidence to believe you’re giving your pre- and postnatal clients the coaching and care they deserve.

3. The Resources You Need to Empower Your Clients to Choose What’s Right for Them and Their Bodies

So much of the information geared towards women and fitness is about what women “should” and “shouldn’t” do with their bodies.

Women should lift heavy weights.
You shouldn’t lift more than 3 pounds.
If you want to lose weight, you should only do distance cardio.
You should do Pilates, Yoga, and Barre classes to get long, lean muscles.
Women should avoid running, and just lift and do HIIT if they want to change their body.

At Girls Gone Strong, we aren’t interested in giving women more rules to follow. It’s our goal to help women see all the possibilities for their lives and their bodies, and to give them the space to choose what they want for themselves, without shame or judgment. Furthermore, we want to provide evidence-based, body-positive information to help them reach their goals in a fun and sustainable way.

The information provided in our Pre- & Postnatal Coaching Certification empowers you with the knowledge to empower your clients to choose what’s right for them and their bodies. This leads to stable of happy, healthy, empowered long-term clients who love you, and refer everyone they know to you.

4. The Opportunity to Make a Greater Impact in Your Community and Enjoy Greater Financial Success

Having the knowledge and confidence you need to help empower your pre- and postnatal clients to have a strong, safe, happy, and healthy pregnancy and postpartum experience is incredibly fulfilling for any health and fitness professional. It can also be incredibly rewarding from a financial success perspective as well.

Coaches, trainers, and other health professionals don’t usually get into this field of work for the financial rewards. We do what we do because we are passionate about it, and we like helping people. But hear me out: you deserve to be successful and well compensated for what you do. And being financially successful often goes hand-in-hand with the number of lives you can impact.

Learning how to coach pre- and postnatal women can be a huge part of this success and impact. Listen to this story from my good friend Jon Goodman, of The Personal Trainer Development Center and OnlineTrainer.com:

The scene is burned into my memory. My client Jessica was pregnant with her second. I had done a tremendous amount of research and knew how to take care of her. After our session one day another member came up to me, a client of another trainer, to tell me that she was pregnant, told her trainer about it, didn’t feel like her trainer had the education necessary to look after her, and requested to change to me. This client was worth over $9,000 to me that year. — Jon Goodman

Most coaches and trainers don’t understand the unique needs of working with pre- and postnatal women. If you become a Certified Pre- & Postnatal Coach, you can become the go-to coach in your area for working with women, and help ensure that the women in your community get the coaching and care they deserve.

What You Need To Know About Our Pre- & Postnatal Coaching Certification

We only open enrollment for our Pre- & Postnatal Coaching Certification a couple of times a year and the next enrollment starts February 6th, but only if you’re on the pre-sale list. Joining the pre-sale list not only gives you the chance to enroll 24-48 hours before the public, but you can save $200 too. Click here to join the pre-sale list.

What Do You Get When You Enroll?

Our certification includes:

• A 500-page hardcover textbook divided into five units, with dozens of case studies and resources you can reference for years to come.

• An accompanying workbook with practice questions and case studies to help you deepen your understanding of the materials, practice what you’ve learned, and study for the exams.

• Custom-built, mobile-friendly online portal filled with:
  • High-definition coaching and demonstration videos for every unit.
  • Bonus workout templates for every trimester and phase of postpartum recovery and return to exercise
  • Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaires to use with pregnant and postpartum clients.
  • Multiple assessment tools to use with pregnant and postpartum clients, including a daily assessment tool to help you adjust a client’s programming day to day as needed.
  • Additional reading and resource recommendations for further exploration.
  • Comprehensive unit exams.

• Access to a closed Facebook group where you can engage with the authors of the certification as well as other students, participate in group discussions, and get help when you need it.

• An interdisciplinary approach to all of this information. Of the 16 women’s health experts from five countries who created this curriculum, here are their areas of expertise:
  • 6 Physiotherapists
  • 4 Pre- & Postnatal fitness experts
  • 1 OB-GYN
  • 1 Doula
  • 1 Nurse Practitioner who is also a Midwife

When Does the Course Start?

If you’re on the pre-sale list, you can register on February 6th, with a limited number of spaces available (you’ll also save $200!) If there are any spaces left, we will open registration to the general public later on. You will have 24/7 access to the online course materials right away, and you can get started immediately. Your textbook will be shipped within five to 10 business days of your payment being processed.

The Pre- & Postnatal Coaching Certification will be available for enrollment for a limited time only and then won’t be available until we open the course again later this year!

How Much Time Do I Need to Complete the Course?

Our Pre- & Postnatal Coaching Certification is a self-paced course. That means you can work through the materials at your own pace and make sure it fits your individual schedule.

The pace that seems to work well for many people is one chapter per week, including: reading the chapter in the textbook, watching any accompanying videos, answering the worksheet questions and case studies, digging into any relevant resources or reading materials, and possibly taking the unit exam if you’re at the end of a unit. Following that structure, you can expect to spend three to five hours per week on the materials. Since there are 22 chapters, you’ll finish your certification in four to five months.

What Is the Investment in the Course?

The full investment in the course is $1,200. However, you can save $200 by getting on the pre-sale list here, (and purchasing during the Early Bird pre-sale enrollment period that ends February 7th at 11:59 pm) and you can save an additional $200 if you pay in full for a total investment of $800.

I’m Not a Certified Trainer Yet (but I’m Working on It), Can I Still Purchase This?

Yes, you are still able to purchase our Pre- & Postnatal Coaching Certification, however, we do strongly recommend that you hold at least one other basic personal training or fitness certification from a major certifying body like NSCA, NASM, ACSM, etc. before working with any clients. Since it’s a self-paced course you can always purchase it on February 6th, and then wait to take it until you’ve completed another baseline cert, or you could wait until our registration opens again later this year.

You won’t find a more well-researched, practical guide to working with pre- and postnatal women anywhere. You can feel confident that you are helping your future clients get the best results possible while keeping them safe and healthy — both physically and psychologically — all while adding more tools to your toolbox. Experience is a big part of what makes a trainer great, and using this program allows you to gain the experience you need to become an incredible trainer while having the confidence that you’re not “guessing” with your clients.

The post 4 Ways Becoming a Certified Pre- & Postnatal Coach Will Change Your Career appeared first on Girls Gone Strong.

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Fermented foods are rapidly taking the U.S. by storm. Not only do they unlock a wide range of vitamins and nutrients, they also provide an excellent source of probiotics and they taste amazing! Sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha and kvass have all had their time in the alternative health limelight, but now it’s time for coconut milk […]

Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss

Think back to “why” you joined a gym, began training, or committed to your fitness journey. What did you want from it? What changes did you want to see in yourself? What did you want to learn and accomplish?

These “what’s” are your “why.”

Most of us have answers that range from:

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Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss

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Research of the Week

Archaeologists uncover evidence of extensive civilizational infrastructure in the Guatemalan jungle.

Subclinical magnesium deficiency is a likely driver of heart disease.

The modern human brain may be younger than previously thought.

High blood sugar linked to cognitive decline, even in the absence of type 2 diabetes.

New Primal Blueprint Podcasts

Episode 215: Ginny Cane: Host Elle Russ chats with Ginny Cane, who teaches people how to use Law of Attraction skills to get the life they want.

Keto Episode 216: Dr. Cate Shanahan #1: Brad Kearns and Dr. Lindsay Taylor chat with Dr. Cate about common keto misconceptions and myths.

Each week, select Mark’s Daily Apple blog posts are prepared as Primal Blueprint Podcasts. Need to catch up on reading, but don’t have the time? Prefer to listen to articles while on the go? Check out the new blog post podcasts below, and subscribe to the Primal Blueprint Podcast here so you never miss an episode.

Interesting Blog Posts

Is “Out of Africa” a theory in crisis?

Media, Schmedia

A 70% discount on Nutella has caused riots to erupt across France.

A Stanford researcher is working on a reset button for aging cells.

Everything Else

There’s no real evidence that the ancient Greeks reached America before any other Europeans, but it’s sure fun to consider.

Sounds like a pretty good f*cking read.

Maybe I should get these for my employees.

A meat tax is coming.

A familiar story, this time in Papua New Guinea: industrial diet replaces traditional diet with disastrous health consequences.

Things I’m Up to and Interested In

Hakas I enjoyed: This one and (especially) this one.

Another reason to check your apostrophe’s: It’ll affect your chance of getting into med school.

Good to see: Women surfers get a heat at Mavericks.

Concept I’m pondering: Does consciousness permeate everything?

I’m still not ready to retire: Depending on how you spend your free time, retirement could extend your life.

Recipe Corner

• Make these honey sriracha shrimp bowls without the honey and you can probably stay keto.
• A nice go-to vinaigrette.

Time Capsule

One year ago (Feb 4– Feb 10)

• The Problem with Self-Improvement Culture (and What to Do About It) – Are you improving or do you just like reading about it?
• 20 Easy Bodyweight Exercises to Build Functional Arm Strength – 20 things you can do today to start getting stronger.

Comment of the Week

“The way HIV, zika and ebola hide, really takes balls!”

– Well said, Nocona.

The post Weekend Link Love — Edition 489 appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.