http://www.thekitchn.com/feedburnermain
These make-ahead egg muffins are a breakfast win for anyone following a keto diet, but speaking from experience as someone who isn’t on a keto plan, they are so much more than that. These loaded, protein-packed egg muffins are for anyone who loves the satisfying combination of cheesy eggs, sweet potatoes, and bacon. Consider it a bonus that they can be made ahead of time and practically fall out of the pan.
http://www.thekitchn.com/feedburnermain
Kitchn’s Delicious Links column highlights recipes we’re excited about from the bloggers we love. Follow along every weekday as we post our favorites.
Whether you’re serving a honey-glazed ham, pulled pork sandwiches, or just dipping bacon in the leftover puddle of maple syrup on your breakfast plate, pork and any kind of sweetness are best friends. That’s why pork chops and applesauce are such a classic, and why pork chops work so beautifully in a fast and easy sauce like this quick honey-soy glaze made with golden honey and just a few other ingredients that could be in your pantry already.
https://www.girlsgonestrong.com/
It’s been amazing to watch more and more women gain an interest in strength training in recent years, evidenced by all of the “strong is the new skinny” memes. But the truth is, strong isn’t really the new anything; strong has always been strong. It’s just finally gaining more of a female audience!
Once frequently viewed as outliers, physically strong women — of all different shapes and sizes — have become part of the mainstream.
Women of all ages are discovering the true benefits of strength, and it’s beautiful! Strength looks different on everyone, and can even mean something different for different bodies and different goals.
No matter the goal, strength is gained through moving against resistance in some way (your own body weight counts). And, the resistance must be “heavy” enough to sufficiently challenge the body to elicit any change in strength, performance, body composition or aesthetics.
But how do you determine what constitutes “heavy”? That answer can be very different, depending on who you ask — and it really depends on what you’re using as a comparison.
Ask an experienced competitive lifter for their definition of heavy and they might talk about their maximum lifts, or maybe what the qualifying totals are for nationals or what top level athletes are lifting in their weight class.
Someone brand new to lifting weights would have a very different definition. The 10-pound dumbbells might be enough to feel heavy and intimidating. They might compare what they can lift with their friends or to what they see others lifting at their gym.
The reality is that the definition of “heavy” is subjective, and it often depends on your experience and your environment. It’s important to determine what your personal reference points are to know if you’re lifting heavy enough for your goals. The biggest thing to establish is what heavy looks like for you.
Determining what “heavy” means relies more on discovering your own personal strength level and deciding on your personal goals than on anything else. Let me say that again. Heavy is only what heavy is for you, right now.
All too often, we evaluate our abilities by comparing ourselves to others or to some standard — or even to some former version of ourselves. We want to know how we measure up. However, the only time this is at all helpful is in the competition arena. And even then, it’s only helpful to use when determining how much you need to lift to win a competition or qualify for a specific event.
When it comes to training, even if you’re a competitive athlete, it’s only helpful to know your own numbers in order to decide what you need to lift to make forward progress. For many — especially those new to lifting — “heavy enough” often just means simply lifting more than you did last week!
“Heavy” must be heavy enough to trigger change. The truth is that most women (and men!) aren’t lifting heavy enough to see the results they desire. They put in the time at the gym, but too often underestimate their true capabilities.
Most are much stronger than they believe, and as such, they don’t lift enough to make those changes. Or, they stop when it gets uncomfortable. Essentially, they aren’t creating enough of a challenge, and don’t push themselves out of their comfort zone. But that’s where change (and progress) happens!
If you finish a set and stop just because you reach a predetermined number of repetitions, chances are you aren’t lifting heavy enough.
Of course, it’s important to always ensure that your repetitions maintain a high level of quality — don’t count sloppy repetitions! And, know that it’s OK to stop knowing you could have done one or two more repetitions. But, if you feel as if you could have done more than two additional quality repetitions in your set, it’s probably time to increase your weights and get out of your comfort zone.
Your “heavy” might surprise you! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve suggested to people that they increase the amount of weight they are lifting — even though the weight they were lifting “felt heavy” — and they ended up easily lifting far more than they ever thought they could. It’s best to take small jumps to stay safe and gain your confidence as you increase the weight, but don’t be afraid to try!
If you aren’t challenging your capabilities, you won’t make progress.
As you get stronger, the challenge must be increased regularly to keep making progress. I see far too many people use the same weights, week after week, month after month, for the same repetitions in the same workout. If you’re interested in staying exactly where you are, this is a great plan. Just know that what worked to make progress in the beginning is not enough to make further progress. So stop holding yourself back!
If you’d like to make continued progress and make any change — in strength, performance, body composition or aesthetics — then it’s necessary to regularly increase the challenge placed on the body. This is known as progressive overload. As we adapt to the challenges placed on our bodies, it then takes a greater challenge (more load) to induce further change.
If nothing else, aim to increase your weights every week or every other week. Or, simply perform more repetitions with the same load. Just aim to do more than before. It won’t always be possible, and over time, you’ll learn more about how to know when you’re ready for an increase. Just make sure you’re moving forward regularly to make progress.
Once you embrace pushing your comfort zone, other things often start happening. Your confidence increases, and all of a sudden you realize you are capable of more than you ever thought possible. What else can you do? Other challenges are often suddenly less intimidating.
You also start to get stronger for everything in your daily life and begin to see the changes you are aiming to achieve. It’s also pretty empowering (and awesome!) to be able to do something (lift more, etc.) that you weren’t able to do just a few weeks ago, or something you didn’t believe you could do!
A common way to determine how much to lift is based on what’s called your “one-repetition maximum” (1RM), which is simply the amount of weight you are capable of lifting one time in a specific lift. This can be determined through an actual 1RM test — lifting as much as you can once (which should be reserved for more experienced lifters). This can also be done using submaximal testing — lifting as much as you can for multiple repetitions and then using a chart to estimate your 1RM based on your result.
Once a 1RM has been determined, you can then use percentages of the 1RM for training purposes. The percentage of the 1RM (%1RM) you use will depend on your goal. For example, if you’re interested in training for max strength, you’ll typically use relatively heavier weights (higher percentages of your 1RM) for training — often between 85 and 100 percent of your 1RM for 6 or fewer repetitions per set. If instead, you’re interested in hypertrophy (gaining muscle mass), you might spend more time training between 60 and 85 percent of your 1RM in each lift.
Note from GGS: See this article for more information on sets and reps, and how they should be manipulated according to your goal.
If you have enough lifting experience, you should know if and when you’re ready for max testing, and should feel safe and confident in doing so.
However, don’t let this technical information about testing and using a 1RM confuse, intimidate or deter you! Know that testing the 1RM is best reserved for more experienced lifters, and that this is not the only method for determining an appropriate or “heavy” weight for training. In fact, it can be just as beneficial to determine your loads simply based on the recommended repetition range for your goal. Just remember that you’re probably stronger than you think you are!
Using the above table, you can determine the repetition range that you should use for the majority of your training based on your personal goal. It might take some experimentation in the beginning to determine how much to lift as you begin to push your comfort zone and challenge yourself, and that’s absolutely OK!
Take the time to use trial and error to determine what heavy really is for you within the rep range recommended for your goal.
Remember that it’s OK to finish a set knowing you could have done one or two more reps. If you could have been able to complete three or more extra reps, you might try adding some weight for the next set or the next workout.
If you don’t already, start logging your weights in your workouts. It makes a big difference to be able to track your progress, and use that information to select appropriate — and challenging! — training weights.
Even if your goal is not to build max strength, know that you’ll still benefit from spending some time lifting some even heavier weights using the set and rep recommendations in the table for max strength.
As much as I want to see you start to challenge yourself in the “heavy” zone, also be sure to take your time getting there. Although you’re probably stronger than you think, you also want to be sure that you are ready to handle those heavier weights — physically and mentally — and that you can maintain good form as you increase your loads. Increasing slowly and incrementally over time will help ensure that you’re ready.
Just keep moving yourself forward, little by little, and you’ll get there. Remember that you’re capable of far more than you ever thought possible. Lift on, ladies!
Tired of not getting the health and fitness results you’re looking for?
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The post What Does “Lifting Heavy” Actually Mean? appeared first on Girls Gone Strong.
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Whatever your objective, kudos for planning to improve your health and well-being. But do you know how to set yourself up for success? When it comes to making changes, should you think big or start small?
The answer may surprise you in our aim-high culture, yet decades of research have made it clear: you’re more likely to achieve your goals when they’re small and attainable. It’s humble, incremental shifts that truly help you alter long-held habits. Read on to learn how to “shrink the change” you hope to make in the coming months.
Want to keep your New Year’s resolutions? Try shrinking the change! Find out how to shrink big changes into manageable steps and get a free activity handout to help. #healthylifestyle #changeagent #chriskresser
When asked, many people regularly cite lack of self-control as the number-one reason they don’t follow through on lifestyle changes like eating right and exercising. (1) And yet the science shows that when it comes to changing your behavior, willpower isn’t as important as you might think—and it can even sabotage your efforts.
For example, past studies have found that people who say they have excellent self-discipline hardly use the skill: they simply don’t put themselves in positions in which they need to call on self-control in the first place. For example, they don’t white-knuckle their way into resisting candy bars or bags of chips. They just don’t keep this stuff around to tempt them. (2, 3)
Piggybacking on these findings, recent research adds that those who do actually exert willpower aren’t necessarily more likely to accomplish their goals compared to those who don’t use willpower. Once again, it’s people who experience fewer temptations overall (who strive not to be tempted, versus not to act on temptation) who are more successful. (4, 5, 6) And here’s another strike against willpower: in this particular study, participants who exercised more self-control reported feeling exhausted from doing so.
This latter finding hits on a growing body of research into “willpower depletion,” the idea that willpower is a limited resource, one that becomes weaker and less reliable the more you tap into it. Think of self-control like a cell phone battery that charges while you rest; it’s full when you wake up, but runs down over the day. Willpower appears to literally drain your brain, negatively impacting cognition and functioning and thus your chances of meeting your goals. (And unlike a battery, you can’t just “recharge” your willpower overnight.) (7)
As I see it, then, the best way to address the challenge of any big behavior change is to shrink the change down into small goals. That way, when it comes time to take action, willpower doesn’t even enter the equation.
Take this example. Say your overall aim is to reduce stress through a meditation practice. Instead of thinking, “Starting now I’m going to devote one hour a day to meditation practice,” start much (much) smaller. Your small steps for getting there might look something like this:
Keep going until you’ve worked your way up to regular, longer meditation sessions. Eventually, you’ll no longer need any guided help, and you’ll have built a new habit.
Here are some other ideas.
Big change: Be less sedentary and more physically active. (Hint: “Go to the gym five days a week” is likely too big)
Small goals:
Big change: Get more sleep. (Hint: “Get to bed an hour earlier every night” is perhaps too big)
Small goals:
Big change: Eat better. (Hint: “Cut out all fried foods and sweets” may be too big for you)
Small goals:
Notice something about these examples? They’re distinct and measurable. (Note the specific amounts, distances, time frames, and so on.) That’s because this strategy for behavior-change success isn’t only about making small goals—it’s also about tracking those goals and celebrating every incremental win.
As humans, we tend to focus on what’s wrong rather than what’s right. Making your progress visible and recognizing your victories fuels hope that you will accomplish what you’ve set out to.
Before you read any further, I want you to try this out for yourself. Get out a pen and piece of paper and take a moment to practice shrinking the change while it’s fresh in your mind.
First, select one behavior change you’d like to make for yourself within the next 30 days. List the small, concrete, and doable steps you can take to achieve this change. Try to limit yourself to just a few steps; don’t get bogged down listing everything at once.
Finally, for the steps you’ve outlined, list how you will track and celebrate each goal you accomplish.
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When you set small goals, track them, and honor your achievements, you build the momentum and confidence needed to fulfill your larger mission. And checking off accomplishments just feels good, doesn’t it? Ever wondered why?
When you deliver on a promise to yourself, your brain essentially rewards you by releasing the “feel good” neurotransmitter dopamine, which is responsible for pleasure, learning, and motivation. You experience greater concentration and the desire to re-experience the activity that triggered the dopamine release. (8, 9)
Science bears this out. In an MIT study involving monkeys who were trained to view and then choose certain images from a computer screen and get a reward when they picked the “correct” answer, when the animals—whose brain activity was being monitored—were right, they received a positive brain signal that was the equivalent of a “great job!” high five, along with the reward.
Furthermore, the neural stimulation from choosing the correct image spurred the monkeys on, and with their focus sharpened, they were likely to get the next answer right. After an error, however, there was little change in their brain activity. The monkeys—like us—learned from their successes, and not their failures. (10)
As I’ve written before, we now know that our genes are not our destiny and that environment—including the lifestyle choices we make—is the primary driver of health and longevity. The five most important behaviors for preventing chronic illness are:
Shockingly, according to the CDC, only 6.5 percent of Americans practice all five habits, which could explain the meteoric rise in chronic disease. (11)
A recent Harvard study looked at these habits’ impact on longevity (with healthy diet substituted for enough sleep). Researchers found that men who followed all five habits could add an average of 12 years to their life; for women who did the same, that number jumped to 14. Participants experienced a decrease in mortality from cancer and cardiovascular disease, in particular. (12)
Even when you set small, manageable goals, meeting them—and sticking with the resulting changes for the long haul—won’t always be easy. I encourage you to seek the support of a health coach as part of your Functional Medicine care team. A health coach will walk with you through the process of behavior change and encourage you every step of the way.
Health coaches are uniquely qualified for this supportive role. They are highly trained in human behavior, motivation, and health, and they embrace a variety of strategies—like shrinking the change—to help guide you while you’re changing your habits. They don’t follow the typical “expert” model that’s so common in healthcare. Instead, they partner with you to understand your current condition, flesh out your goals, create doable objectives, and hold you accountable.
And because of their approach, you get results. In one of many studies on the impressive success rates attributable to health coaching, coached obese individuals were more likely to have lost at least 5 percent of their body weight up to 24 months after completing a coaching program than those who did not have intervention. (13)
Working with a health coach can help you achieve lasting change here. (And if you’re interested in becoming a health coach yourself, check out my ADAPT Health Coach Training Program.)
Now, I’d like to hear what you think. What habits are you trying to change, and what small steps can you take to help you reach your goals? Comment below and share your story!
The post Changing Habits? You Need to Shrink the Change appeared first on Chris Kresser.
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