Originally posted at: http://www.nerdfitness.com/

So you want to do a pull-up but don’t have a bar?

Or maybe you just don’t quite have the strength yet to hoist yourself up?

Either way, no problem!

We’ve been teaching people how to do pull-up alternatives in our Online Coaching Program, with “no-bar pull-ups”. Today, we’ll show you all these tried and trusted workarounds.

We help people get their first pull-up, and we’re really good at it. Learn more:

Here’s what we’ll cover:

• How to do pull-ups without a bar (5 pull-up alternatives)
• The 6 best pull-up alternative exercises (How to get your first pull-up)
• What is the easiest type of pull-up? (Start with chin-ups)
• When should I do my pull-up alternatives? (Next steps)

Let’s get started!

How to Do Pull-ups Without a Bar (5 Pull-up Alternatives)

The video above comes from Nerd Fitness Prime, as part of the Chin-up Challenge we are currently hosting.

Coach Jim walks you through 5 different levels of pull-up alternatives, depending on your experience level and what items you may have lying around the house.

Pull-up Alternative #1: Doorway Rows

Our first alternative is to simply use your doorway for bodyweight rows. 

To perform a doorway row:

• Stand in front of your doorway and grab both sides.
• Place your feet a little closer to the doorway, so you’re leaning back.
• Sit back so you put weight on your arms.
• Pull yourself forward.

That’s it. The more you lean back, the tougher this will be.

To start, you can also just hang back to start building some “pull” strength.

Pull-up Alternative #2: Towel Doorway Rows

Our next alternative is to do doorway rows, but this time using a towel.

The towel might help you lean back even further, creating a more challenging exercise.

Take a towel, and fold it twice lengthwise. Then take your long, folded over towel, and tie it around the door on the handle opposite side of you.

Make sure the door opens AWAY from you. You don’t want the door accidentally opening, which could cause an unexpected tumble.

Once you have your towel secured around the doorknob, perform rows by using each side of the towel.

Pull-up Alternative #3: Inverted Rows with Chairs

For this pull-up alternative, you’re gonna need two sturdy chairs and a broomstick (or dowel).

We’ll be combining them together, Voltron style, to form our own row station:

The important thing here is the setup. Give your newly created station a few gentle pushes to check the integrity of the structure. Only when you feel confident should you start performing inverted bodyweight rows. 

Pull-up Alternative #4: Towel Pull-ups

Now, we’re gonna start doing some actual pull-ups…with towels.

You can either use a couple of sturdy handtowels or washcloths. 

Tie an overhand knot in the corner of both towels, which will be used as your anchor.

Then place these knots over a door and close it. Make sure the knots are secure before you start doing your pull-ups.

Again, you’ll also want to make sure the door opens AWAY from you.

Doing towel pull-ups is going to be a great way to improve your grip strength, although if you find them a little too tough, you can use a stool to support your feet as you lift. This will help as you build strength.

Pull-up Alternative #5: Strap Pull-ups

You may or may not have some Forearm Forklifts hanging around, but if you do, you’ll have the perfect equipment for a pull-up alternative.

Forearm Forklifts are made to help you and a friend lift heavy furniture or equipment, but Coach Jim has discovered they’re also pretty useful for doing pull-ups.

They have loops designed to hold your arms, which makes them easier to grip than a towel.

Tie a knot in them just like you would with a hand towel and use it to anchor against your door. 

For more ideas on how to train with items you may have around the house, check out How to Build a Home Gym (When All Equipment is Sold Out).

The 6 Best Pull-up Alternatives (How to Get Your First Pull-Up)

This section is taken from our guide “Get Your First Pull-up.”

If you can’t quite hoist yourself up yet, don’t fret!

We’re going to work on increasing your “pull” muscles through a series of pull-up alternatives.

First up…

Level 1 Pull-up Alternative: Bent-Over Dumbbell Rows

Bent-over dumbbell rows: 

• 8 reps each arm (or as many as you can do)
• Rest for a 2-minute break
• Do another set
• Repeat until you hit 3 sets

What weight should you start out with initially?

Whatever allows you to get to at least 5 reps a set.

Once you can do 3 sets of 8 reps (each arm), it’s time to pick up a heavier dumbbell.

This will allow you to get stronger and stronger. 

When you can lift a 25-pound (10kg) dumbbell or heavier, consider moving up to the next level.

Level 2 Pull-up Alternative: Inverted Bodyweight Rows

Bodyweight rows are the PERFECT precursor to pull-ups – they work the same muscles, and have you lifting your own bodyweight, just at a different angle.

Our goal here will be to work towards a lower and lower angle, increasing the difficulty of the movement.  

So at first, we’ll do rows with the bar higher up:

Then we’ll progress to getting the bar lower:

As soon as you’re doing bodyweight rows where your body is at a 45-degree angle or lower, you can progress to the next level. 

Level 3 Pull-up Alternative: Assisted Pull-ups

At this point, you are going to start actually doing pull-ups…with a little bit of assistance.

We’ve got a few options for you.

#1) Assisted Pull-ups with Chair

Either one foot or two on the chair, depending on your needs. Your feet are ONLY there for support, use your upper body as much as possible.

#2) Assisted Pull-ups with an Exercise Band

You can get different types of exercise bands with different levels of strength, or a variety pack for easy progression.

Put your foot in the exercise band and pull yourself up.

#3) Assisted Pull-ups with a Partner

Have a friend hold your feet behind you and help you complete each rep. Have them use the least amount of help possible to get you through your workouts.

Once you’re comfortable doing a form of assisted pull-ups, and can do about 10 repetitions, it’s time to advance to the next level.

This is probably the TOUGHEST level before getting your pull-ups. If you get stuck on “assisted pull-ups” and “assisted chin-ups”, you’re not alone. This is where most people get stuck.

We work hand-in-hand with people like you to get them their first pull-up in our Online Coaching Program. If you don’t know how to fit these movements into your workouts, or you just want somebody to give you the exact workout to follow every day, we got you!

No guesswork. No confusion. Just a workout program that’s customized for you.

Level 4 Pull-Up Workout: Negative Pull-Ups

Our next level on our path for a pull-up is what we call “negative pull-ups.”

1. Grab onto the bar with an overhand grip
2. Jump so your chest is touching
3. Slowly lower yourself under control until you’re at the bottom of the movement.

As you continue to lower yourself down, you’ll build strength, eventually creating enough muscle so you can pull yourself up.

If you want more specific instructions on any of these levels or movements, check out our guide “Get Your First Pull-up” for more. 

What Is the Easiest Type of Pull-Up? (Start With Chin-Ups)

The easiest pull-up variation for you to attempt will likely be the chin-up.

That’s why we’re hosting a Chin-up Challenge, because we feel Rebels will have an easier time lifting themselves up with this variation, compared to a traditional pull-up.

For reference:

A CHIN-UP is when your hands are facing towards you:

A PULL-UP is when your hands are facing away from you:

Chin-ups are generally easier to perform than pull-ups, because the wider grip of a pull-up isolates your lats, which means you get less assistance from your biceps.  

Start with chin-ups. Once you get comfortable doing them, you can then work on more advanced variations. For ideas here, check out our guide How to Do a Pull-up.

When Should I Do My Pull-Up Alternatives? (Next Steps)

Generally, you want a 48 to 72 hour resting period before returning to train the same muscle group.

So take at least a day off before working on your “pull” muscles again.

This allows the area to heal properly so you can grow stronger.

When we designed a training routine for Nerd Fitness Prime members for part of the Chin-up Challenge, we aimed for three workouts a week.

If you’re trying to get your first pull-up or chin-up, this would be a good goal. 

So for example, you could do:

• Monday: Bodyweight Rows
• Wednesday: Chin-up Negatives
• Friday: Dumbbell Rows

You could also do Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.

Even just working out Monday and Thursday – twice a week pull-up training – would allow you to see some great progress.

Feel free to do whatever works best for you.

If you want any more help with designing your workout, we got you.

Check out the option that best fits your goals:

Option #1) If you want a professional coach in your pocket, who can do video form checks, provide feedback, and adjust your workouts based on the equipment you have available, check out our 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program! 

For example, let’s say you find yourself stuck indoors during a pandemic, and you want somebody to custom-build you a workout program based on the equipment and furniture you have. That’s where an online coach is a game-changer! 

Personally, I’ve been working with the same online coach since 2015 and it’s changed my life. You can learn more by clicking on the image below: 

Option #2) Exercising at home and need a plan to follow? Have questions you need answered? Join Nerd Fitness Prime!

Nerd Fitness Prime is our premium membership program that contains at-home exercise routines, live-streamed workouts with NF Coaches, a supportive online community, group challenges, and much more! 

Learn more about Nerd Fitness Prime!

Option #3) Become part of the Rebellion! We need good people like you in our community, the Nerd Fitness Rebellion.

Enlist below and we’ll send you our free Strength Training 101: Everything You Need to Know:

Download our comprehensive guide STRENGTH TRAINING 101!

• Everything you need to know about getting strong.
• Workout routines for bodyweight AND weight training.
• How to find the right gym and train properly in one.

Alright, now I want to hear from you!

Can you currently do a chin-up or pull-up?

What’s your favorite pull-up alternative?

Am I missing any tips or tricks for pull-ups without a bar?

Let me know in the comments!

-Steve

PS: If you want more pull-up goodness, make sure you check out:

• Get Your First Pull-Up (30 Day Progression Plan)
• How to Do a Proper Pull-up
• 5 Common Mistakes When Doing Pull-ups

###

Photo source: Kermit and Pink Panther, Mouse Hanging, Scarlet Spider-man

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The Middle Ages was an unfortunate time to be unwell. The average life expectancy was about 30-35, and 1 in 5 children died before their first birthday. People died from simple injuries and infections that could be easily treated today, as well as diseases we don’t hear about much anymore, like leprosy and smallpox. Treatments […]

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Hey folks. This week, Primal Health Coach Erin is answering your questions about breaking through plateaus with tips and strategies you can start putting into practice right away. If you’re stuck in a weight loss rut, stalled out on your fitness routine, or need a push getting out of your comfort zone, today’s Ask a Health Coach post is for you. Got more questions? Keep them coming in the comments or over in our Mark’s Daily Apple Facebook Group.

Kimberley asked:

“I’ve lost a total of 70 pounds and have maintained my weight loss for over a year now, but I’m struggling to lose those last 10 pounds. Any tips on getting the scale to move again?”

First of all, congratulations. The fact that you’ve lost that amount of weight and kept if off is proof you’re committed to your goal. Even better, I love that you’re not using words like “diet” or “falling off the wagon,” both of which imply that you’ve embarked on a temporary lifestyle change. Weight loss is a long-term process that includes ups and downs. And plateaus like the one you’re experiencing right now are a natural part of that process.

Anytime you’re going through a plateau, you can take it as a sign that something needs to change. It doesn’t need to be a drastic change, but it is an opportunity to take a closer look at what you’re doing — or not doing.

I find that the biggest culprit of weight loss plateaus with my own health coaching clients is that they’ve loosened the reins a bit. In the beginning of your journey, you might have been meticulous about avoiding grains and refined sugars. If you’re following the Primal Blueprint, you might have kept your split at a solid 80/20. But as the months and years go on it’s absolutely normal to let some things slide without realizing it.

Eating more than you think is extremely common. Extra handfuls of nuts. Wine every night. A carb-fest on Sunday that turns into sandwiches and ice cream all week. You get the picture. Occasional indulgences should be enjoyed guilt-free, however it’s important to be aware of them instead of mindlessly refilling your glass. Small changes can be sneaky, and they add up fast.

Tip: Keep a Food Journal for 3-5 Days

I’m not a big fan of tracking calories and macros in general. But taking a few days to get back in touch with what you’re really doing can be a game changer for breaking through a plateau. After keeping a food journal, one of my clients found that the good stuff she was loading her morning yogurt with (chia seeds, flax seeds, unsweetened coconut, and nuts) was packing on about 400 calories more than she thought. Tasting bites of food while cooking or cleaning up are two other common places those extras tend to slide in.

Need more convincing? Researchers at Kaiser Permanente found that participants who kept a food diary lost twice the amount of weight compared to participants who didn’t.¹ Writing down your choices forces you to be accountable for your actions.

It could also be that you’re restricting too much during the day, then binging at night. A food journal is a great way to monitor eating patterns and course correct right away. This free online tracker features a huge database of foods (including restaurant options), but if you’re looking for a less fussy way to keep track, just grab a notebook and start writing.

Keep this in mind too. Although the scale isn’t budging, you might actually be losing fat. Notice if your tops are easier to button, if your pants are looser, or your face is looking slimmer. People often look to the scale for validation on weight loss efforts, but what you really want is fat loss, which won’t necessarily be reflected on the scale.

Brad asked:

“I’m training for a virtual half-marathon this summer with a sub-2-hour finish goal, which would be about a 10-minute PR for me. Even though I’m running every day, I can’t seem to run faster without stopping to catch my breath. What gives?”

Just like weight loss, plateaus are an inevitable part of the training process. And while your speed may indicate what you’re capable of right now, it doesn’t dictate what you’re capable of in the future. Well, once you get to the root of what’s holding you back.

You’re putting in the work, however there could be outside forces compromising your efforts. For instance, if work or family life is really stressful or you’re not fueling yourself properly, your body will feel drained and won’t respond appropriately.

There could also be physiological factors at play. And being overly focused on your goal might be one of them. I can tell that you’re highly motivated because you’re out there training daily. But sometimes being too results-oriented can backfire.

If every time you lace up you worry that you won’t run fast enough to reach your PR, guess what will happen? You won’t run fast enough to reach your PR. Seems simple, but your mind has a powerful way of getting you closer to your goals — or further away.

The second self-doubt starts to creep in, you’re already sabotaging yourself.

In this case, training your mind is as important as training your body. Some athletes look ahead to their workouts with fear and anxiety, worrying about their performance and all the what ifsthat come with it. Others don’t let past experiences (or fears about past experiences) influence their workouts.

Stanford University psychologist, Carol Dweck  studies the impact of people’s underlying beliefs about their abilities and found that those who believe their traits are fixed, meaning you’re either born with a certain trait or not (what she calls a Fixed Mindset), often resist and dread challenges, while those who believe deep down that they can improve (called a Growth Mindset) tend to reach their goals more easily.

Dweck conducted several studies and found that individuals who had a growth mindset achieved higher levels of success in different areas of their lives, regardless of their initial abilities.

Tip: Reframe your challenges as opportunities

Instead of focusing on securing your 10-minute PR, forcing faster speeds, and panicking that they won’t be fast enough, take each run as a chance to grow, without worrying about where you’ve been or where you’re going. Start by writing down your challenges. They might be, “I’m out of breath by mile 3” or “How am I going to keep this pace for 13 miles?” Then, write down the potential opportunity, like “I bet I can make it to 4 miles tomorrow” or asking yourself what you can learn about yourself from maintaining a faster-than-normal pace.

By flipping the script on your perceived obstacles, you’re actually allowing yourself to overcome them. Remember, a plateau is never permanent. And it certainly doesn’t define you as a runner. You just have to get your mind in the right space.

Jeff asked:

“I’m the official definition of a couch potato. I follow the Primal Blueprint and I’m onboard with eating meat, fish, and nuts, but when it comes to movement, it’s a no-go. I find I’m spending a lot of time sitting around, trudging through my day. How do I move the needle on starting an exercise routine?”

Our comfort zones are such a comfortable place to be, aren’t they? But here’s the deal. Comfort zones aren’t really about comfort. They’re about fear. In your case Jeff, it could be the fear of looking foolish, the fear of getting injured, or the fear of being judged. After all, if you’ve been a couch potato your whole life, what are people going to think when you start working out?

No one says you have to go all-in on a crazy exercise regimen. You don’t have to train for a marathon or even join a gym. It’s not a competition either, so what you see other people doing — even Primal Blueprint people is their business, not yours.

Tip: Start with Baby Steps

Assuming your efforts are stalling out due to the need to stay inside your comfort zone, you’ll want to brainstorm things you could do that aren’t so intense and scary. Some people thrive by jumping into the unknown, where others become quickly overwhelmed. I’m guessing you’re in the second camp.

My advice to you is to take small steps toward your goal. What would you say about walking to the end of your street and back every morning? Or following one of the quick free workouts on the Mark’s Daily Apple YouTube channel? Or adding a few microworkouts to your day that you can literally do in 60 seconds or less. You can even use your couch as a squat bench if you like.

The point is, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by activities you’ve deemed are outside of your comfort zone, but by taking baby steps, you’ll notice your comfort zone gradually getting bigger and bigger.

What’s worked for you? Tell me about your experience getting through a plateau in the comments!

The post Ask a Health Coach: Real Tips on Breaking Through a Plateau appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.

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The way it’s reported, you’d think that susceptibility to COVID-19 severity is equally distributed across the world’s population. But when you compare case and mortality rates between countries, differences emerge. There are even differences within countries and states and cities. It’s clear that other variables besides simple exposure to the virus and infection are at play. Research continues to emerge regarding risk factors for severe COVID-19.

What are they?

And, more importantly, can you modify any of the variables?

Does Blood Type Predict COVID-19 Severity?

Early on, researchers noticed an apparent association between blood type and coronavirus infection. Those with A or B-type blood were more likely to be positive; those with type O were less likely to carry the virus.¹

Although the connection between blood type and infection risk has persisted, subsequent studies have failed to find any association between infection severity and blood type.

Verdict: Doesn’t appear to apply given current evidence. However, resistance to infection does confer a kind of protection against COVID-19 severity. If you’re not infected, you can’t develop any at all, let alone severe symptoms.

Instantly download your Guide to Gut Health

Does Sex Determine Coronavirus Survival?

A meta-analysis of 12 studies performed in June 2020 found that males had a 31% higher risk of progressing to severe infection than females.² All 12 studies analyzed had similar results; there was very little heterogeneity.

Is this caused by sex, though? After all, from what I could tell, the meta-analysis failed to control for other variables that might have differed between the groups, like metabolic syndrome or obesity. And yet sex does play a role, even when a risk factor like obesity is accounted for. Other research confirms that overweight men are at greater risk for coronavirus severity than overweight women, for example, and we know from previous research that men and women have different types of immune responses to viruses and vaccines.³

There may be a hormonal component to it, too. Estrogen therapy, for men and women, shows promise as a way to quiet inflammation (the source of coronavirus-related lung trouble) and improve survival rates.⁴

Verdict: Sex matters. Men are at greater risk.

Selenium Status and COVID-19

Early on, I noticed that selenium status plays a big role in susceptibility to a number of different viruses, including the flu, the original SARS, and many others. The viruses sequester selenium and utilize it to replicate and to weaken the host. Many of the original places where COVID-19 took hold had abysmal levels of soil selenium; this translates to lower levels of selenium in the food grown in the soil and a higher risk of population-wide selenium deficiency.⁵

Indeed, selenium status has now been implicated in COVID-19 severity. A recent study of COVID-19 patients measured the selenium statuses of those who survived and those who died. The surviving patients had much higher selenium levels.⁶

Verdict: Likely. This hasn’t been proven to be causal, but it’s certainly trending in that direction. It can’t hurt to eat a couple Brazil nuts every day.

Can Adequate Vitamin D Improve Coronavirus Outcomes?

The earliest coronavirus hot spots were actually colder, cloudier spots with low UV-indexes. Wuhan, China, had a ton of cloud cover in January and always has a lot of air pollution which further blocks the UV light. Lombardy, Italy, also had pollution problems and UV index too low to produce much vitamin D. And now, studies are finally coming out lending credence to the idea that vitamin D protects against severe infection.

In Iran, COVID-19 patients with vitamin D levels above 30 ng/ml had a lower risk of severe infection and death.⁷

In England, COVID-19 patients with higher vitamin D levels had a lower risk of hospitalization.⁸

It’s not just vitamin D, of course. Vitamin D is more likely a marker of sun exposure, which confers a multitude of other immune and health benefits. One such benefit with known links to COVID-19 is nitric oxide. Another is normalization of the circadian rhythm. So don’t assume mega-dosing vitamin D supplements will protect you from COVID-19 as much as getting natural sunlight will. Most of these people probably weren’t supplementing (or even thinking about) vitamin D at all. They went into the infection with the levels they had.

Verdict: Aim for 30 ng/mL and above. Get plenty of sunlight.

Does Obesity Make You More Susceptible?

Obesity is an enormous complicating variable. It’s not just because obese people are more likely to be unhealthy in other ways, although that’s probably part of it. It’s because obesity itself is unhealthy. Body fat secretes more inflammatory compounds and promotes an elevated baseline of inflammation. The coronavirus damages your body in part by up-regulating those inflammatory compounds. If you’re starting with elevated inflammation, you’re making the virus’ job that much easier.

Sure enough, obesity is linked to COVID-19 severity.⁹ More importantly, obesity is an independent predictor of COVID-19 severity. You can control for other variables like hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease, and the relationship persists.¹⁰ Extreme obesity (BMI of 45+) is even worse, with some research suggesting it quadruples the risk of severe COVID-19.¹¹

Verdict: Obesity increases COVID-19 severity.

COVID-19, Diabetes, and High Blood Sugar

One recent study of 1200 Americans with COVID-19 found that those with diabetes or elevated blood sugar had a 29% mortality risk; those without diabetes or high blood sugar had just a 6% mortality risk.¹² Among Chinese patients in another study, the mortality risk was 7.8% in those with diabetes and 2.7% in those without diabetes.¹³

Not only that, but diabetes and elevated blood sugar increases the risk of infection as well, so it’s a two-for.

Verdict: Diabetes and high blood sugar increase the risk of severe COVID-19.

Hypertension as a Risk Factor

Hypertension often rides along with obesity and diabetes, so you’d think it might be hard to disentangle it. But they’ve looked into this, and pre-existing hypertension may increase the risk of severe COVID-19 or death by 2.5-fold.¹⁴

However, those hypertension patients taking ACE inhibitors had a lower risk of severity or death than those hypertension patients who were not being treated.¹⁵ All is not lost.

Verdict: Hypertension increases the risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes, but ACE inhibitors mitigate this effect.

Previous Coronavirus Exposure

There are dozens of coronaviruses out there. The common cold stems from a type of coronavirus. The original SARS was a coronavirus, as was MERS. Animals carry coronaviruses (even our pets). And our immune systems are constantly reacting to them — even if we don’t get infected by a random coronavirus, our immune system is taking notes on and learning from it.

Perhaps that’s why T-cell immunity against other coronaviruses, like SARS, various animal coronaviruses, and perhaps even the common cold may work on COVID-19. This cross-immunity is long-lasting, too; even though SARS hit 17 years ago, many of the subjects in the study still had T-cell immunity against it.¹⁶ In another study, between 20-50% of unexposed people showed t-cell activity against COVID-19.¹⁷

Verdict: Although the details are being worked out (which coronaviruses confer some degree of immunity?) and I wouldn’t rely on this, previous coronavirus exposure seems to reduce severity.

Possible Connection to Omega-3 and Omega-6 Intake

This is speculative, but I’m confident that it will be borne out by the evidence.

Eicosanoids are inflammatory precursors—they mediate how we respond to immune insults, including inflammatory cytokines and pain responses. Eicosanoids come from the omega-3:omega=6 balance of our tissues. If we have a more omega-6-heavy tissue makeup, we will have more inflammatory eicosanoids. If we have more omega-3-heavy tissue, we will have more anti-inflammatory eicosanoids. It’s conceivable and probable that eicosanoid composition will determine COVID-19 response—and severity.¹⁸

Both dietary omega-3s and omega-6s have been shown to strongly influence tissue levels of omega-3 and omega-6 and thus inflammatory/anti-inflammatory eicosanoid balance. My guess is that seed oil-eating people with elevated tissue omega-6s are at a greater risk for severe COVID-19 than people with more balanced omega-6:omega-3 tissue levels.

Verdict: We’ll see.

Primal Blueprint Primal Omegas: a high-quality source of the two key omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA

Fermented Cabbage Intake

Most of the countries with low COVID-19 mortality rates have a long tradition of eating fermented cabbage. There’s South Korea with kimchi and the Balkans and Central Europe with sauerkraut. And in a recent study, researchers found that fermented cabbage intake predicted low COVID-19 mortality.¹⁹

This is very preliminary and far from conclusive, but it makes sense. Fermented cabbage contains compounds that inhibit a vital receptor site through which the virus does much of its damage.

Verdict: Possible. Can’t hurt. Here’s an easy sauerkraut recipe if you want to cover your bases.

There are undoubtedly other factors that matter. Basic nutrient intake, the whole range of important vitamins and minerals we always discuss, yet-undiscovered genetic variants, macronutrient ratios, metabolic flexibility, gut health—all the things we know to affect other aspects of our health will probably play a role here, too.

But accounting for the factors I discussed today certainly won’t hurt and they may just help.

Thanks for reading, everyone. Take care!

The post Risk Factors for Severe COVID-19: What Makes It Harder for Some and Easier for Others? appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.

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Did you know that crying is something only we humans do? And that our eyes can produce more than half a cup of tears in just a few minutes? We cry when we’re sad, but we also cry when we’re happy. Tears even flow when our eyes become irritated. Science hasn’t figured out why we […]

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Therapist and professor Pauline Boss coined the term “ambiguous loss” to describe unique types of losses for which there is no closure. Prototypical examples are when a loved one goes missing and is never heard from again, or a parent or partner develops Alzheimer’s disease and slowly ceases to be the person you once knew despite being physically present.

Because these fall outside the realm of “typical loss,” the folks left behind experience more enduring and more complicated grief. Most of us are prepared to deal with losses that are concrete and finite. We have rituals—burials, commemorative tattoos—that help us mark the end of a chapter. When loss is ambiguous, there are no such rituals and no finality. People around us are often ill-equipped to help. They may be confused or put off by the intensity of our grief. They might even regard it as inappropriate or unfounded. It can be tremendously isolating.

It’s no wonder that Dr. Boss asserts that ambiguous loss is the most traumatic and hardest type of loss to face. Ambiguous losses violate our sense of control, certainty, and justice. They shake our identities and disrupt our relationships with other people.

Still, in almost five decades of working with people who have suffered ambiguous losses, she and others have identified concrete steps to help people cope with, and live well after, experiencing ambiguous loss.

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What Types of Situations Create Ambiguous Loss?

As a family therapist, Dr. Boss’s work has mainly focused on two types of situations having to do with the loss of loved ones. In the first, the person is physically gone, but without a (confirmed) death. They are not here but not gone either. Examples include:

• Missing persons, kidnapped children
• Incarceration
• Deployed military personnel
• Divorce
• Adoption
• Immigration

In the second, your loved one is still physically present, yet they have left you in some meaningful way. These people are here but not here. This can occur due to:

• Dementia, Alzheimer’s
• Traumatic brain injury
• Addiction
• Certain mental illnesses

What these have in common is relationship. The relationship you once had has been severed, and there is no guarantee (or no realistic chance) it will ever return to normal.

Researchers and practitioners use the ambiguous loss framework to understand other types of situations as well. The experience of loss is entirely subjective. Any time a loss feels complicated or unresolvable, or you believe others won’t acknowledge the depth of your loss, you might experience it as ambiguous. Homesickness might manifest as mild sadness or deep grief. Divorce devastates some and comes as a welcome relief for others. One parent of a transgender child may feel ambiguous loss over the little boy or girl they had known, while the other parent does not.¹

Even deaths can trigger ambiguous loss if you feel you can’t grieve freely because:

• You weren’t close to the person by societal standards (e.g., employee, social media friend)
• Your relationship was illicit or taboo (e.g., former lover)
• The nature of the death might elicit shaming or judgment from others (e.g., driving drunk)

Unique Challenges of Grieving an Ambiguous Loss

Psychologically, humans are wired for certainty. We want to control and master our environments. To that end, we need to see the world as fair and just. Ambiguous losses topple those illusions. Not only do people have to deal with the losses themselves, but also the shattering of their worldview.

Not surprisingly, then, ambiguous losses cause profound grief. Grief is nothing like the tidy five-step process you might expect. Even “normal grief” (yes, that really is the technical term) is messy. Beyond that, there are many different types of grief.² Ambiguous losses may lead to grief that is complicated, chronic, or disenfranchised (when you feel that others won’t validate your grief).³

Then there’s the self-doubt that arises when you aren’t sure whether your grief is appropriate. If your loved one is missing, and you start to grieve, does that mean you’ve given up hope? After a miscarriage, some parents wonder if they are “allowed” to grieve for a child they didn’t get the chance to know. Is their loss “big enough?” Is their pain too much?

These are rhetorical questions, of course, meant to highlight the complexities of ambiguous losses. Too often, we lack the roadmap to deal with these types of situations. When people around us experience ambiguous loss, the discomfort of not knowing the right thing to say means we often don’t say anything. The griever understands that they are not supposed to speak about their loss so as not to make others uncomfortable. We may even get frustrated with others’ grief, wishing they would get over it and move on. Of course, this leads to isolation and further pain.

Coping with Ambiguous Loss

Boss suggests that ambiguous loss, and the complicated grief that it causes, are the hardest losses to cope with. She describes the grief process as “frozen” because the usual advice—find closure—doesn’t apply to these situations.⁴ People feel like failures because they can’t “get over” their feelings, when really the problem isn’t the persistent grief. It’s the lack of understanding and social support for the grieving person.

Rather than finding closure and moving on, the goal with ambiguous loss is to find a way to live with the ambiguity, develop resilience in lieu of closure, and continue to live a meaningful life despite the sadness.

Concrete Steps You Can Take

When Boss works with someone who is experiencing ambiguous loss, her first step is to name and validate the person’s experience: “What you are experiencing is an ambiguous loss, the most difficult kind of loss because there is no closure.”⁵ Simply naming the experience often provides relief, as the person sees that their feelings are real and understandable. You can offer yourself this validation. Give yourself permission to feel your feelings without worrying about whether they are okay, too much, or too prolonged.

Find Support

Ideally, you’d be able to rely on friends and family for emotional support, but that may not be the case. Either way, there are other people out there who have had experiences similar to yours. They will be there for you if you seek them out.

You may choose to find a therapist as well. However, Boss stresses that it’s important not to pathologize your grief. In other words, don’t assume something is wrong with you because you’re grieving. Your feelings are legitimate reactions to painful, sometimes horrific, events. If you want someone to talk to, a therapist can be a great option. If you are unable to function or are thinking about self-harm, definitely seek help.

However, friends, family, even therapists shouldn’t push you to “get better,” nor expect your grief be what they consider normal. (This is itself unfair, as no two experiences of grief are identical.) Look for a therapist who has experience with ambiguous loss.

Work on Both/And Thinking

This is also known as dialectical thinking—allowing the mind to hold two contradictory, even seemingly incompatible, beliefs simultaneously. Some cultures are more comfortable with this than others. Americans tend not to be great at it.

Consciously work on accepting this new way of thinking. For example, you might practice telling yourself:

• “My partner no longer remembers me, and he is still the person I married.”
• “I no longer live there, and that country is still my home.”
• “I’ve never met my biological parents, and I still miss them.”

Find Meaning

This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to find meaning in the situation that causes you pain, although it’s great if you can. Rather, you look for ways to continue to live a life that includes purpose and even joy despite the pain. There’s a reason so many people who have lived through trauma go on to help other victims—it provides a sense of purpose. You might find meaning in your work, exercise, a spiritual practice, or a hobby.

These types of activities can also help you reassert your sense of mastery. As you devote your time and energy to a pursuit, you shape the outcome and control a piece of your world once more.

Create Your Own Ritual

If you couldn’t have, or weren’t able to attend, a memorial for someone lost or deceased, do something on your own. It need not be big as long as it feels meaningful to you.

In cases of not-here-but-not-gone losses, people grieve the loss of traditions like family holidays, trips to the summer cabin, or even having nightly dinners together. Ask yourself what types of new rituals you can create that fit your new circumstances. This is another way to find meaning in your present reality, too.

Grief in the Time of COVID

At the beginning of COVID — approximately 7,239 months ago — I wrote that we were individually and collectively experiencing ambiguous loss. That remains as true as ever. Children and parents lost the end of one school year and the beginning of another. You might be grieving for milestones you couldn’t celebrate, lost jobs, loved ones, travel, or simply the world as we knew it in the distant past of January.

It seems to me that many people are either downplaying or unaware of how much the stress and angst of living in 2020 is affecting them. If you’re reading this and coming to see your experience through the lens of ambiguous loss, the same coping tools apply here. Start by acknowledging and validating your experiencing of ambiguous loss. Your feelings are understandable reactions to unfathomable circumstances. Work on finding support where you can and finding new ways to find meaning and control. Practice both/and thinking: “I want to eat out in restaurants, and I understand why they are closed right now.” “I want my kids to have a normal school year, and I know that’s not possible.”

I can’t stress enough that there is no playbook for grief. As I said, the experiences of loss and grief are intensely personal. The goal is to practice self-awareness and self-acceptance so that whatever your situation, you can address it.

Additional resources from Dr. Pauline Boss

Ambiguous Loss

Loss, Trauma, and Resilience

Loving Someone Who Has Dementia

Family Stress Management, 3rd ed.

ambiguousloss.com

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Today we welcome guest author Arriane Alexander, Business Coach and Video Expert, and creator of the Lights, Camera, CASH Coaching Program.

How do you stand out from the crowd online?

Whether you are a health coach or an entrepreneur, you are probably trying to figure out how to grow your business and make an impact with your audience. You’re probably aware that creating videos is part of that strategy. The whole world just went virtual, so now is the time to play a bigger game in your business by using video marketing.

Did you know that 80% of people would prefer to learn about a business or product by video versus reading from a blog? And by 2021, video traffic will be 80% of all internet traffic.

Are you ready? 

Using videos to grow your audience on Facebook, Instagram and other platforms is essential if you want to: ?

• Draw in new clients
• Grow your business
• Build your brand
• Create strong relationships
• Launch a new product or program

But, you’re scrolling through Instagram and see all these other people rocking it on videos and a little voice creeps in that says you’re not good enough.

Ugh. I get it.

“My first video was perfect and amazing!” SAID NO ONE EVER

When I first started doing videos many years ago, I had zero confidence. And admittedly, I wasn’t that great on video. The camera was shaky, I was stumbling over my words, and I had no idea how to start or finish my videos. I was so nervous and my videos were all over the place with no structure and no calls to action. One time, I was in the middle of a Facebook Live, and my tripod completely fell over. I was a jumbled hot mess. My thoughts were telling me, you’ll never get this, you’re not good enough, you can’t do it…

But I kept going. I was determined to understand how to create powerful videos, so I tried different things, made many mistakes and finally created a structure for myself. I watched my videos (even though it was painful sometimes) to see what I could do better. And the consistency worked! I got more confident on video and clients started coming to me easily because they had seen my videos and felt like they could trust me.

You need to be willing to get out of your stuffy-adult-I-should-know-how-to-do-this mindset, and get into a beginners mindset, take risks and make mistakes in order to grow your business.

5 Expert Tips to Be Confident on Camera

To get you started, I’m sharing the same pro tips I use with my VIP Lights, Camera, Cash clients every day. I know you are probably working from home and these pro tips will help you feel more confident creating videos in that environment.

You’ll want to address:

1. Lighting
2. Camera angle
3. Who you’re speaking to
4. Background
5. Structure

Let’s dig deeper into each of these.

1. Lighting

We must be able to see your eyes, because that’s how we connect with you. How do you create good lighting?

DON’T: Never set your light source behind you, because it will create a shadow on your face and viewers won’t be able to see you. Also, avoid shooting videos in direct sunlight, as it overexposes your face and creates harsh shadows.

DO: Make sure your light source is in FRONT of you, so it reflects on your face. If possible, sit in front of a window or place a light source in front of you. If you need to, order a ring light that will work wonders for your face.

2. Camera Angle

Looking down into the camera can create a double chin that isn’t even there in real life. You can create a sleeker look for your face just by adjusting the camera angle.

DON’T: Set your laptop or phone on your desk or table and look DOWN into the video camera. When your head is tilted down, it brings the energy of the video down, instead of up. It makes you look like you are talking down to the person who is watching you. Plus, you’ll highlight your chin, when you want to focal point to be your eyes.

DO: Raise your laptop or phone to eye level or a little above to create a natural eye line and smooth angle for your jawline. This makes your face and jawline look more streamlined on camera.

How do you do this? Use a box, storage bin, or stack of books to put your laptop on, or use a small tripod for your phone. Be sure your platform is secure so that your equipment doesn’t fall. Creating this good camera angle makes a HUGE difference in how you come across on camera.

3. Speak To One Person At A Time

There are some basic rules of marketing, and one of them is to always speak to one person at a time. Think of TV ads – they are geared towards YOU, not a group of people.

DON’T: A common mistake I see 99% of people making on video is to say “Hi you guys, I’m here to talk about xxx…” But think about it…who is actually watching you? Is it a crowd of people around one phone watching your video? NOPE. It’s ONE PERSON.

DO: Speak to one person only. Imagine your Ideal Client that you are speaking to, and speak to him or her directly. Use words like “you” and “your” so that you are creating a relationship with the person who is watching your video. You want each person watching to feel like you are speaking directly to him or her.

4. Background

We all know most people are doing business at home right now, and space might be tight to create videos, but it is important to be aware of what the camera sees in the background.

DON’T: Have a background that includes your dirty dishes, an un-made bed, or a bathroom door open. Anything that is in the background can be distracting for the viewer, and you want to keep all the focus on yourself.

DO: Make sure the area behind you is tidy and has the least amount of clutter in the view. You can bring your computer or phone closer to your face so there is less background to see. Try to find a space in your home that doesn’t have too much busy-ness going on. Also, you could use a cloth or paper backdrop for videos.

Extra tip: I get a lot of questions about using a virtual background. These can look unnatural and alter the outline of your head and body. The only way this works well and looks really good is if you have a green screen behind you.

5. Structure

It’s easy to get lost in what you are saying while you are creating your videos, so it’s important to have a structure to follow.

DON’T: Turn on your video without an intention and structure of what to say. You might end up rambling on and on in your videos and turn off your viewers.

DO: Be clear about your bullet points before you turn on the camera. Jot them down on a sticky note and put them next to your camera if you need a reminder. Then if you get off track, you can come back to your notes.

Remember, creating videos is a skill, and it doesn’t happen overnight. It’s just like learning a new language or playing the piano. It takes consistency, patience and practice. Be nice to yourself in the learning process and try to have fun even when you make mistakes. We all make mistakes. As you get more confident creating videos, you will reach your audience quicker and easier so they can know you, trust you, and like you.

If you want more support in how to be confident and rock your videos, grab my FREE 7-Day Video Breakthrough Series and Bonus Action Guide: 3 Steps To On-Camera Confidence. This will help you gain the confidence you need to use videos to create the 6 (or even 7!) figure business of your dreams!

About the author: Arriane Alexander, Business Coach and Video Expert

As the creator of the Lights, Camera, CASH Coaching Program, Arriane has helped coaches, consultants, health and fitness experts and other online entrepreneurs take courageous action to create consistent, powerful videos that people actually want to watch. Working with Arriane has been known to increase your business by $750,000 in 6 months, help you actually look forward to turning on a live video, and fill your Mastermind program in just two weeks. Arriane’s video expertise has been featured on Good Morning LaLa Land, The Primal Blueprint Podcast, and The Health Coach Radio Podcast.

When she’s not teaching YOU how to be fabulous in front of the camera, you can also see her on TV working as an actress in some of your favorite shows like S.W.A.T., People vs OJ Simpson, Grey’s Anatomy and Young Sheldon. This cowgirl originally from Oklahoma is also generally working up a sweat on the Santa Monica beach path, making sure the sunshine still feels good.

FREE 7-day Video Breakthrough Series

Follow Arianne on Instagram

Follow Arianne on Facebook

The post Confidence On Camera for Health Coaches, Entrepreneurs and Public Figures appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.

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If you suffer from daily joint pain, your go-to solution could be the pharmacy you carry in your purse. But what if relief was as simple as having a drink? While pain-killers may help in the short term, these joint-healing drinks could help you have healthier, happier joints in the long term.  Afterall, what you […]

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

When I have asked this question of others, the typical response that I receive is always a resounding yes with little thought to a bigger picture. Their passion for the sport drives their response. They would never look at anything else to feed their need to train and compete. 

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Raw fish, when done right, is one of the most delicious ways to get your protein. You may be more than willing to visit a sushi or poke restaurant, but the idea of making poke bowls at home can be intimidating. Once you try it once, you’ll realize it’s incredibly fast and easy. If you can get your hands on some high-quality tuna, you can make all of your salty, sweet, and tangy poke dreams come true.

What Is Poke?

Poke is a traditional Hawaiian dish that’s made with fresh raw fish, usually tuna, marinated in a salty and sweet soy-based sauce. A typical poke bowl starts with a bed of rice, layered with artfully arranged marinated fish and your choice of toppings like avocado, radish, cucumber, sesame seeds, seaweed, scallions, cilantro … the possibilities are endless.

If you’re following a Primal lifestyle, you might hesitate to get behind the ingredients you find in most poke, like sugar-sweetened soy sauce marinades and the high-carb bed of rice. But you probably know by now that living Primally doesn’t mean you have to miss out.  With a few simple swaps, we created a poke bowl that won’t derail your progress.

If you can cut a sushi-grade tuna portion into cubes, you can make this tuna poke bowl recipe. Soon, you’ll get creative with toppings and make it your own.

Let’s get started.

Tuna Poke Bowl Recipe

Time in the kitchen: 2o minutes

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 10 oz. cubed yellowfin tuna
• 1/4 cup Primal Kitchen® Sesame Ginger Dressing
• 2 Tbsp. coconut aminos
• 1/2 Tbsp. sesame oil
• 1 tsp. rice wine vinegar or coconut vinegar
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 2 Tbsp. scallions
• 2 tsp. sesame seeds
• 1/2 thinly sliced or chopped cucumber
• 1 bunch thinly sliced radishes (about 1 cup)
• 1 large carrot sliced into ribbons
• 3 cups roasted cauliflower rice
• 2 Tbsp. Primal Kitchen® Mayo (classic or vegan)
• 1 Tbsp. Primal Kitchen® Buffalo Sauce (or sriracha to taste)
• Additional sliced scallions and sesame seeds to garnish
• Additional garnishes: avocado, seaweed wraps, chopped mango or pineapple

Directions

In a bowl, combine the Primal Kitchen Sesame Ginger Dressing, coconut aminos, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar and salt.

Fold in the tuna along with the scallions and sesame seeds. Allow the tuna to marinate while you prepare the rest of the dish.

Roast the cauliflower rice in a 375 F degree oven until browned. Slice the cucumbers and radishes and use a vegetable peeler to peel the carrot into ribbons.

Mix together the Primal Kitchen Mayo with either the Primal Kitchen Buffalo Sauce or a squeeze of Sriracha sauce until it reaches your desired spiciness.

Arrange a bowl with the tuna, raw veggies and cauliflower rice. Top with scallions and sesame seeds as well as a drizzle of the spicy mayo.

Tips

• Always use sushi-grade fish if you are consuming fish raw. Sushi-grade tuna is handled appropriately to ensure raw quality.
• If you aren’t a fan of tuna, you can use salmon. If raw fish isn’t your thing, these poke bowls are delicious with cooked shrimp or cooked fish.
• Experiment with different toppings for your poke bowl. Add ingredients like sliced avocado, chopped fruit, pickled veggies.. Whatever sounds appealing probably is!
• For a fun twist, layer the tuna and veggies in a nori seaweed wrap and eat it that way instead of in a bowl.

Nutrition Information (1/2 of recipe):

Calories: 500
Fat: 30g
Total Carbohydrates: 19g
Net Carbohydrates: 14g
Protein: 39g

The post Tuna Poke Bowl Recipe appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.