Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
Power: Often considered the holy grail of athletic prowess.
Yet, most of us casual gym goers (and even high level athletes) don’t spend all that much time training to be more explosive and powerful. Instead, we devote much of our time in the to training gain strength, and we assume gaining strength will translate into being more explosive.
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It’s Monday, everyone! And that means another Primal Blueprint Real Life Story from a Mark’s Daily Apple reader. If you have your own success story and would like to share it with me and the Mark’s Daily Apple community please contact me here. I’ll continue to publish these each Monday as long as they keep coming in. Thank you for reading!
Yup, success stories are back! And I’m looking for more. Follow-ups, mid-progress reflections—every story at every stage has the potential to inspire folks out there who are getting started or contemplating a new beginning. Contact me here to share your story—long or not so long. You never know who you’ll impact by doing it. Enjoy, everyone!
My success story isn’t one of weight loss amazement, but it’s still about an overall remake. Tyler version 2.0, I guess. My Primal path started about four years ago because I simply got fed up with feeling gross and tired. I had some friends and social media acquaintances who often touted the benefits of Paleo living and how eating real food made such a difference for them. I was skeptical. At the time, I remember being on a kick of eating more rice because I thought, “healthy carbs in large quantities are surely a good thing.” But on a Saturday morning in March of 2015 I told my wife I had had enough of feeling like garbage.
The next day I went to the grocery store on a Primal shopping mission. I loaded up on meats, fruits, and veggies with the determination to eat from those three categories for two weeks. If I didn’t like it or didn’t find it helpful, then I’d find a plan B. Well I’m still on Plan A, thank heavens. I went through the carb flu and came out on the other side intact. Yes, I had a couple of cheat moments those two first weeks, but I kept the 80/20 rule in mind and didn’t beat myself up over it. Heck, I still don’t!
Like others, I reveled in the fact that I could indulge in eating almost endless amounts of glorious meat (and fatty goodness), yet not gain weight or feel lethargically disgusting like I did when eating mounds of pasta, pizza, or other SAD foods. It was so wonderful to not count calories or watch my portions while on this new “diet” I was trying. The diet became a passion, and it became pretty darn easy. I went through the phase of telling everyone else they were eating wrong and that Primal was the only way. They didn’t all listen. Bizarre, I know. So I adapted to quietly telling the benefits of my lifestyle when asked, but I stopped shouting it from the mountaintop.
Fast forward to 2017 when I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. Without yet knowing my preferred diet, my doctor gave a short sermon on how I’d have to radically shift my lifestyle away from a normal Western diet and avoid processed foods. When I told him of my Primal ways, he gave me a nod of approval knowing I was already on the right track. Having Crohn’s is a little scary (and many other people have ailments way worse, I know), but knowing my diet and lifestyle were already strong helped me feel a little more at ease. I still take the prescribed medication, but I’m confident my lifestyle will pay dividends in the long term helping me avoid heavier-duty prescriptions, surgeries, etc. And I now look back at my early days with even more gratitude for you and other Primal/Paleo advocates. You gave me something healthy, sustainable, and satisfying that I can use for the rest of my life.
In March of 2015 I weighed a little over 180 pounds and now weigh in around 165. I feel good, like this is what was meant for my body. Now in my early thirties, I am confident I won’t get that “dad bod” I was worried I’d someday have to face. I still eat mostly meats, fruits, veggies, and nuts and seeds. I don’t worry about missing meals or having all the food groups in that pyramid thingy. I lift heavy things and run up the hill in my yard just for a short sprint now and then. Because why not. I am not perfect – I don’t have a workout routine, I should probably eat even more veggies, and I still partake in non-Primal indulgences like beer or a half pan of brownies in a moment of weakness. Yeah, I could try harder, but I’m happy and I like this version of me. And I’m excited for the growth that might just yet come.
Thanks, Tyler
The post I’m Confident My Lifestyle Will Pay Dividends appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.
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According to the Global Burden of Disease study, lower back pain is the leading cause of disability in the world. The most interesting thing is that most complaints about back pain are not the result of some traumatic injury or a severe disease like cancer or even arthritis. Most lower back pain results from poor […]
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The best appetizers should be a surprising, satisfying confluence of flavor and texture—in a single mouthful. Yes, it’s a bit of a tall order, isn’t it? Nevertheless, we think the salty, crisp bite of these bacon-wrapped water chestnuts deliver exactly that. Did we mention the sweet-savory tang of teriyaki is there, too?
But maybe we had you at the word bacon….
Servings: 20
Prep Time: 10 minutes (plus 60 minutes marinate time)
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
Instructions:
Soak water chestnuts in tamari sauce or coconut aminos. Marinate for an hour.
wrap
Dip each water chestnut in Primal Kitchen No Soy Teriyaki Sauce and wrap in a half strip of bacon.
Drizzle with additional teriyaki sauce and bake for 20 minutes at 400ºF.
Add toothpicks through each finished piece and serve warm.
The post Bacon-Wrapped Water Chestnuts appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.
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Whether you’re hosting guests or you’re just looking to serve a little something special for after dinner, we love this lower carb version of a classic favorite this time of year: cranberry orange olive oil cake. Tart and sweet flavors blend beautifully in this soft pound cake that you’ll love to present. It’s a feast for the eyes—and a treat for any taste.
The cake itself is versatile and lends itself to a variety of flavors. Swap out the orange and cranberry to make other types of cake, like lemon and raspberry. You can also add your favorite chopped nuts for added texture.
Tip: If you’re unsure about the sweetness of the cake, leave the eggs out of the wet ingredients. Once you mix the dry and wet ingredients together, adjust the sweetener to taste. After that, whisk the eggs into the batter and pour the batter into the baking dish.
We made this cake as a pound cake in a loaf pan, but it can also be made in a round or square pan.
Servings: 12
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, sweetener, flaxseed, tapioca starch, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, combine the olive oil, coconut milk, eggs and vanilla extract. Combine the ingredients and whisk until well mixed. Add in the orange juice, orange zest and cranberries.
Pour the batter into a parchment-lined loaf pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until the top is golden and a toothpick comes out clean or the internal temperature on a food thermometer reads about 190 degrees Fahrenheit. Allow the bread to cool.
If you are making a glaze, combine coconut butter with a small amount of coconut milk or milk of choice until it reaches your desired thickness. You can also add a squeeze of orange juice.
Drizzle the glaze on top before slicing and serving.
Nutrition Information with Swerve (1/12 of recipe):
Nutrition Information with Coconut Sugar (1/12 of recipe):
The post Cranberry Orange Olive Oil Cake appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.
Originally posted at: http://www.nerdfitness.com/
It’s time to learn how to touch your toes!
What makes me so confident you’ll be able to reach your little piggy wiggies?
Because we teach even the most “inflexible” of folks how to touch their toes in our 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program, and we’ll share with you all our secrets below.
Here’s what we’ll cover in our guide, How to Touch Your Toes:
It’s time to become bendy like Gumby!
Let’s get started.
If you want to increase your flexibility, you’re gonna need to stretch.[1] It’s how you make your muscles elastic and strong.
Why bother though? What’s the big deal about being able to touch your toes?
Here are some of the benefits provided by stretching:
Stretching, and the flexibility that comes with it, should not be overlooked when building a workout routine.
While there are many indicators of good flexibility, one of the most popular is undoubtedly being able to touch your toes.
Afterall, it was so important the President had all American school children perform the “Sit and Reach” test to see if they could grab their feet.[5]
Touching your toes might have been a struggle for you then. It might still be a struggle for you now.
If you are unable to touch your toes, it’s most likely because of one of these four major reasons:
1) Shortened/tight posterior chain muscles. Although most people think not being able to touch our toes just means your hamstring muscles are inflexible, in reality our whole system (including the lower back) can play a huge role as well! As Mark Rippetoe explains in this video about the Romanian deadlift, what you may think is a lower back issue is also a hamstring issue (and vice versa):
You see, the posterior chain is an interconnected series of muscles that includes our back muscles, erector spinae (muscles along our spine), lower back muscles, butts, and hamstrings:
Weak mobility points in one place in the system can become debilitating (and often easy to spot) when we do compound movements like the deadlift.
If you’re somebody who sits at a desk all day and struggles to touch your toes, you probably aren’t strengthening or lengthening these muscles because the chair is doing all of the work for you.
2) You have relatively long legs compared to your torso and arms. People with long legs and short torsos will have a greater challenge than people who have short legs and long torsos and arms.
But fear not, you too can level up and get those toes touched.
3) You have too much body fat. If you are overweight and happen to have a big stomach, it can certainly make touching one’s toes more challenging. Because you already know that diet is 90% of the battle when it comes to weight loss, focus on nutrition to begin losing weight (here are the 5 rules of weight loss to help you begin). This may be a factor in making it easier to touch your toes.
4) You’re not warmed up yet. If you JUST woke up or spent all day in a car, you’re familiar with the rigidity that makes you feel like a steel girder. Your muscles act like rubber bands; the more they are used, the more they are warmed-up, and the further they can stretch. This is why we encourage people to go through a mobility warm-up before exercise!
Let’s put a plan in place to finally touch our toes!
Before we can implement a strategy to develop more flexibility that allows you to touch your toes, we need to know your starting point.
As Peter Drucker said, “That which gets measured gets managed.” Or in this case, that which gets measured gets more flexible!
The following comes from our free 5-Day Flexibility Series, which you can sign up for today!
THE “CAN YOU TOUCH YOUR TOES?” TEST
When you are ready, reach towards the ground and hold it for a few seconds. Measure the distance in one of the following ways:
Record your measurement in a document or on a piece of paper (if you’re part of the flexibility challenge, we have a document you can print out), and/or save the photo/video to show how far down you are reaching.
There are two key factors that will determine whether or not you are successful in gaining the ability to touch your toes as you practice over the next few weeks:
That’s right. Studies confirmed that actively focusing on touching your toes for 30 seconds, 3 times per week was enough to lengthen hamstring muscles in 4 weeks. [6]
I‘m sure there’s an inappropriate joke to be made here about 30 seconds of effort, but I’m better than that (I think).
In less time than it takes to update your Facebook status, you could be touching your toes and make Gumby proud.
And I know you have time.
HOW TO TOUCH YOUR TOES (CONSISTENT FLEXIBILITY PRACTICE):
All I’m asking for is 2 minutes. 2 minutes! You can even spread these movements out throughout your day – I like to do them after I work out. After a long day at a desk, after driving, or upon waking up are all good times to work on flexibility!
Through each of the movements below, make sure you are breathing slowly and steadily.
You can follow along with all of the movements below that come from our really fun online course, Nerd Fitness Yoga. It’s essentially Yoga for people that don’t do yoga.
THE 4 BEST STRETCHES TO TOUCH YOUR TOES:
1) Standing toe touch stretch: Flex/activate the front of your legs, keep them straight, and bend over at the waist juuuust past the point of discomfort; hold that position for 30 seconds. Repeat this process every other day and hold it for 30 seconds.
2) We can loosen up a tight lower back by doing 30 seconds of moving back and forth every few seconds by doing a “cat” and then a “cow”:
3) You can also do what we call a star stretch to help stretch those legs out! Stand with your legs spread wide, and arms extended (hence the term Star!), and then reach down with one hand to your opposite leg; hold for five seconds, back to start, and repeat with the other leg.
4) Here’s another favorite movement of mine that helps improve my flexibility and mobility: the “Moon the Sky” stretch!
This is a great stretch to mix into your pre-workout warmup to get your legs, butt, and back prepared for work:
For any of the above moves, a good way to check your form would be to record a video of yourself and match it against the videos and gifs here. If they look close, you’re doing great!
If you want to have an expert review your stretches, our coaches can do just that in our snazzy app!
It’s now time to train to touch your toes!
Test your toe-touching abilities before and after doing the 2-minutes of exercise above, and I bet you’ll notice a difference right away – just wait to see what you can accomplish in a few weeks!
The cool thing about flexibility is that any combination of the stretches above will help you improve your flexibility as long as you consistently work on it a tiny bit every day.
I do mobility work:
All added up, it’s less than 5 minutes of time, but it’s enough to show me some results!
If you follow our guide above, you’ll be well on your way to increasing your flexibility and touching your toesie wosies.
You just need to start!
Want some help getting going? A little extra push out the door?
We built three perfect next steps for increasing your flexibility!
#1) Work with a professional Yoda! If you want confidence that you’re following a program that is tailor-made for your busy life, situation, and goals, check out our popular 1-on-1 Coaching Program.
Many of our clients have “increased flexibility” as one of their fitness goals, and they take comfort knowing a certified NF instructor is guiding them there.
#2) Check out Nerd Fitness Yoga! A yoga program for people who don’t do yoga! Become more flexible in our series that will take you from complete noob to yogi master.
#3) Join our amazing free community, the Nerd Fitness Rebellion! Not only is it free to join, but we’ll provide you with loads of free goodies when you sign-up:
Get your Nerd Fitness Starter Kit
That should just about do it for our guide on How to Touch Your Toes.
Now, your turn:
Can you touch your toes?
Does attempting to “sit and reach” bring back horrors from grade school?
Any other tips or tricks for mobility training?
Let us know in the comments!
-Steve
PS: Make sure you check out the rest of our Mobility Training series:
###
GIF credit: banana, Danny Devito, gumby, patrick.
Photo credit: toe touch, posterior chain, roar, yoga sunset, the adventures of Gumby and R2D2, Storm troopers and Gumby
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Believe it or not, age doesn’t have to mean bifocals and eye disease. In fact, a well-balanced diet can protect your entire body, including your eyes, and keep your peepers strong and healthy for years to come. Never underestimate the power of food and incorporate these important veggies, fruits, and proteins into your diet today. […]
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Time-restricted eating improves body composition, weight loss, blood lipids, blood pressure, and sleep quality in patients on statins.
Social media abstinence fails to produce improvements in psychological well-being.
Using springy bamboo poles makes it easier to carry more than your bodyweight.
The more you run each week, the lower your omega-3 index. Runners, eat your fatty fish.
Episode 392: Elle Russ: Elle Russ switches seats.
Primal Health Coach Radio, Episode 37: Laura and Erin chat with Ashley Suave about the importance of sunk cost.
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.
Developed countries with access to supplements and medicine and a backdrop of lifelong animal consumption might get away with plant-based diets for a little while, but what about the kids growing up in developing nations?
Losing weight with croissants.
A proposition.
Fattitude, a keto restaurant, opens in Boise, Idaho.
How do parents of young children manage different risk tolerance setpoints?
Event I’d love to attend if I had the time: Craig and Maria Emmerich’s keto spa retreat.
Line I found interesting: “Heart failure is rapidly increasing in incidence and is often present in patients receiving long-term statin therapy.”
I’m not surprised: First genetic evidence of human self-domestication.
Ancestral American food almost no one is eating anymore: Raccoon.
And in this corner: The case for more sleep.
Last week, I posted a critique of “Why We Sleep.” This week, I posted a link arguing for the importance of sleep. What is your experience with getting more or less sleep?
One year ago (Nov 30– Dec 6)
“I really enjoyed reading about the 82-year-old woman who beat up an intruder. Threw a table at him and broke the table, poured a bottle of shampoo on his head, hit him with a broom. I love this woman.”
– Me too, TGJ.
The post Weekly Link Love — Edition 58 appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.
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Eating a high fiber diet has many advantages, including keeping your gut healthy and happy, boosting heart health, gut health, and improving weight loss efforts. The majority of Americans fail to meet the recommended daily amounts of fiber and turn to supplements to fill in the gap. However, most consumers are unaware that there are […]
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