Hello friends, Sadie Radinsky here. I’m a writer, paleo recipe creator, freshman in college, and author of the new book Whole Girl: Live Vibrantly, Love Your Entire Self, and Make Friends with Food.The book is filled with empowerment insights and advice, wellbeing practices, and 45 delicious gluten-free, paleo treat recipes—all with the goal of helping young women embrace and celebrate our every part of ourselves. I’ve been a part of the paleo community for over six years now, and Mark’s Daily Apple has always been such a huge aspect of that. So, I am over the moon to be connecting with you all today and sharing a special recipe from the book.
I would like to introduce you to Lavender-Rose Truffles. These are silky smooth, rich chocolate truffles flavored with pure lavender oil and rolled in crushed rose petals. They are exactly as luscious as they sound. This is a wonderful treat to make ourselves for Valentine’s Day (or any day!) as an act of self-love. I hope you enjoy these truffles as much as I do.
Rich dark chocolate truffles with a delightful hint of lavender and rose
Ingredients
1/2 cup coconut cream, scooped from the top of a chilled can full-fat coconut milk
1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips*
2 drops food-grade pure lavender oil (optional)
1/4 cup cocao/cacao powder
2 Tbsp dried rose petals, crushed (optional)
Instructions
Scoop the coconut cream into a heatproof class bowl, and rest the bowl on a saucepan containing 1 inch of water. Heat this on the stove on medium heat until the coconut cream hot to the touch, then pour in the chocolate. Turn the heat down to low. Stir until the chocolate is fully melted and forms a shiny ganache. Remove immediately from heat.
Stir in the lavender oil, if desired. Chill in the fridge for 2 hours, or until completely solid.
Pour the cacao powder and crushed rose petals into 2 separate bowls. Roll the refrigerated chocolate into 16 balls, then toss each in either of the toppings. Enjoy! Store leftovers in the fridge.
*To make this recipe sugar-free, use a stevia-sweetened dark chocolate such as Lily’s.
Also, if you’re in a hurry, we’ve compiled all our strength and weight training content into one handy guide called (appropriately): Strength Training 101: Everything You Need to Know.
Grab it for free when you join the Rebellion (that’s us!) below:
Download our comprehensive guideSTRENGTH 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, cue the music. Let’s do this thang.
What are Compound Exercises?
Let’s compare “compound exercises” to “isolation exercises”:
Compound exercises require more than one muscle group working together to complete the movement. This replicates the way your body naturally moves.
Isolation exercises more or less train one specific muscle group. For example, the leg extension machine focuses on your quads, so it “isolates” training that muscle.
Front squats would be an example of a compound exercise, because it engages your entire lower body and core, and quite a bit of your upper body too, as you perform the movement:
As opposed to biceps curls, which more or less just trains your biceps:
As we explain in our Guide to Functional Fitness, whenever possible you want to focus on compound exercises.
Why?
Because in everyday life, you don’t use your muscles in isolation!
When you’re placing luggage in the overhead bin, hoisting a bag of dog food from the floor, or hauling your kid to bed, you’re using your muscle groups together.
Just like you would with a compound exercise.
Plus, since you’re using multiple muscle groups at once, you’re taxing your body more when training. This can provide more efficient use of your time in the gym.
In other words, why do three different exercises when you can just do one?
Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s get to working out.
The 5 Best Compound Exercises (Bodyweight)
1) The Push-up: The best exercise you could ever do for yourself when it comes to using your bodyweight for “push muscles.”
Muscles trained with the push-up:
Pectoral
Triceps
Deltoids
Abs
Here’s our video on how to do a proper push-up:
Easier Variation: Knee Push-up
Tougher Variation: Decline Push-up
2) The Bodyweight Squat: This exercise serves a dual purpose – it is the foundation for building strength AND helps build proper mobility. If you are going to ever do barbell squats, you need to work on hitting proper depth with a bodyweight squat first!
3) The Inverted Bodyweight Row: Until you can get your first pull-up or chin-up, these exercises are GREAT to start building your pull-muscle strength.
Muscles trained with the inverted row:
All of your back muscles (Latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, trapezius)
It’s certainly the most primal: “pick the weight up off the ground. Done.”
Here’s how to perform the deadlift:
Muscles trained with the barbell deadlift:
Glutes
Erectors (Spinal muscle)
Hamstrings
Pretty much every muscle in your body
9) The Barbell Romanian Deadlift: Think of this as the top half of a conventional deadlift (imagine you’re a “drinking bird” bending over at the waist):
Here are step-by-step instructions on how to perform the Romanian deadlift:
All the muscles in your chest, shoulders, and arms are engaged in order for you to lift the weight over your head. As a bonus, you need to really flex and brace your core, which gets those muscles working too.
Here are step-by-step instructions on how to perform the overhead press:
11) The Barbell Bench Press: Lie on a bench, and lower a barbell until it almost touches your chest. Pause, and then press it back up towards the sky.
Repeat! And get strong.
Here are step-by-step instructions on how to perform the bench press:
All of your back muscles (Latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, trapezius)
Biceps
Forearm muscles (dorsal, ventral)
Your grip
Here are step-by-step instructions on how to perform the bent-over row:
Note: The above might be tough if gyms are closed around you. If that’s so, here’s how to build a gym at home (using household equipment).
Start Performing the Best Compound Exercises (Next Steps)
Your mission, should you choose to accept it: commit to trying ONE of these compound movements in the next week. Use 20 seconds of courage, recruit a friend who has lifted or trained before, and try your best.
We all start somewhere!
Speaking of starting out…
Have you yet to do ANY of these compound exercises?
Always start out with bodyweight moves and make sure your form is correct!
If it’s a barbell movement, use a broomstick (or PVC Pipe).
When it comes to movements like squats, deadlifts, pull-ups, bench press, etc. – your form is crucial. Develop good habits with lighter weight and you will save yourself months of frustration later and will protect you from injury.
If you’re struggling with certain elements of a movement, don’t get frustrated! Just understand that you’ll have areas in which you can improve.
When I started, I really liked practicing all of the movements at home because I could watch a video online at the same time as I was watching myself do it in a mirror.
Still uncomfortable with the movements after that? Look around at some local strength and conditioning gyms and see if you could hire a coach (here’s how to find a good trainer) for one or two sessions just to go over the basic movements (or consider working with an online coach).
No matter what path you take, the most important thing you can do: START NOW!
Don’t overthink it. Just pick a compound exercise and learn how to do it. We can add more exercises to your routine down the road.
Want a little help getting going? The perfect next step to start your strength training journey!
You got it.
Option #1) If you want a coach in your pocket, who can do video form checks, provide feedback, and adjust your workouts based on your progress, check out our 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program!
I’ve had an online coach since 2015 and it’s changed my life. You can learn more by clicking on the box below:
Option #2) If you want a daily prompt for doing compound exercises at home, check out NF Journey. Our fun habit-building app helps you exercise more frequently, eat healthier, and level up your life (literally).
Plus, you get to build an awesome superhero in the process!
Try your free trial right here:
Option #3) Join the Rebellion! We need good people like you in our community, the Nerd Fitness Rebellion.
Sign-up below and receive our free guide Strength Training 101: Everything You Need to Know. It includes step-by-step instructions for the Best Compound Exercises covered in today’s guide.
Download our comprehensive guideSTRENGTH 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, enough from me. Your turn:
Do you agree with my list of best compound exercises?
Am I missing any?
Any tips or tricks for a newbie just getting started?
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
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If you are vegan, or just looking for healthy, nutritious snacks, you might want to try GimMe Organics’ Premium Roasted Seaweed.The first thing that stood out to me was the variety of flavors. The sesame and olive oil-flavored seaweed snacks are mild, but the wasabi seaweed will give you a good kick and clear your sinuses.
That is after you finish a 0.35 oz pack all by yourself. But it isn’t just the slight saltiness or spiciness that makes the experience; it’s also the texture.
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
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Hello friends, Sadie Radinsky here. I’m a writer, paleo recipe creator, freshman in college, and author of the new book Whole Girl: Live Vibrantly, Love Your Entire Self, and Make Friends with Food. The book is filled with empowerment insights and advice, wellbeing practices, and 45 delicious gluten-free, paleo treat recipes—all with the goal of helping young women embrace and celebrate our every part of ourselves. I’ve been a part of the paleo community for over six years now, and Mark’s Daily Apple has always been such a huge aspect of that. So, I am over the moon to be connecting with you all today and sharing a special recipe from the book.
Prep Time: 5 min 
Yield: 16 truffles 
Print Recipe
Category: Dessert
For now classes are 6pm and 640pm at 2840 Wildwood st in the Boise Cloggers studio.
Book your class NOW!
click this ==>
