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You probably already know this, but motivation is fleeting.
So how do you keep working towards your goals? Discipline. "Discipline bridges the gap between motivation and action" - Brad Stulberg's from his new book on Excellence How do you become more disciplined?
So yea... a great habit makes discipline pretty straightforward. And now an exercise form tip. If you have any suggestions, please let me know! More is not always better. Faster is not always better. Having great to perfect form is best 99% of the time. Moving with controlled effort, esp so that you can feel the right muscles, is best most of the time. Bouncing in and out of movement (esp relying on your joints to do the work)... is usually bad bad bad. Resting appropriately can allow you to squeeze more juice out of your exercises. Make sure you understand the game plan.
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If you're like me, you want to squeeze out as much of your potential as possible.
I schedule workouts, set alarms, find workout buddies, clock splits, do my PT, track my protein etc. I have systems. I optimize. So when I read from Brad Stulberg's new book on Excellence (bc duh, isn't reaching your potential all about excellence??)... I was shocked he said Excellence is not optimization. Wait... WHAT?! "Optimization lends itself to predictability and efficiency, working like a machine..." Yes, systems... got it. Love it. "...Excellence requires curiosity and exploration..." Oh crap, something about that feels right. "Excellence is the opposite of mechanical. It is distinctly human, alive, and full of feeling" What does that mean for us as runners?
Just don't tell my calendar that. And now an exercise form tip. If you have any suggestions, please let me know! Struggle with foot placement when you do Rear Foot Elevated Split Squats aka Bulgarian Split Squats, try this tip from another Coach Meg. Sit on the box, step, chair, or bench. Stretch out both legs. Leave one leg forward. This will be the front foot. Slowly balance to stand up and put your other leg up. Ta-da! ***My intern told me it's time to put out some new programs...
So coming soon:
Onward! The internet can be a tough place. There's a LOT of information and not a lot of fact checking or adjusting for nuance. Every once in a while I'll see someone site a study like this. Because when you're trying to grab attention (and who online isn't?)... It's easy to say something against the grain. Even if the sample sizes, testing period, and unknown weights would completely alter (and likely negate) the results. So if you ever read a headline that feels off, feel free to email me and tease out the truth and/or significance of the study. Oh and strength train. For more than a few weeks. With heavy (80%+ of your max) weights. And now an exercise form tip. If you have any suggestions, please let me know! Don't feel the hammie stretch when you do Deadlifts? If you don't feel the stretch, it's hard to feel the squeeze and easy to compensate in weird ways. So... trying putting a book or small circular weight underneath your toes as you Deadlift. Not enough to throw you off balance, just give an extra little stretch. ***My intern told me it's time to put out some new programs...
so coming soon:
Onward! What's your biggest rock? The one you can throw that would cause the biggest splash and create the most ripples?
But it can be draining and confusing. If you could crush one thing, like an epic playlist... will that inspire more easy miles? Or motivation to do strides? Or make mobility work bearable? What is your biggest rock? And now an exercise form tip. If you have any suggestions, please let me know! Want to make your plank more challenging/improve form? Don't just hang out in it, create a ton of tension. When in position, drag your elbows towards your toes. And your toes towards your elbows. Enjoy. If you're in Denver, the final "Race Ready Strength" is on March 26 (focusing on hips & low back).
Onward! I was talking to a client about the challenge of building a routine. Knowing when to be dedicated & stick through the process. ... Because we know consistency is the key to progress. And know when to be flexible and adjust when a plan or exercise is not longer serving us. ... Because we don't want to keep digger ourselves deeper into a hole. If you read my mindset email (comment if you want to get it), you'll know I don't have a full-proof answer for that. But my suggestion? If something isn't feeling right and you're unsure about whether to commit or bail on a plan/exercise/race... Sit with your "WHY?" Ask yourself (up to 5 times) why you want to go ahead with this plan/exercise/race. For me? I've been training to break my mile PR before I turn 40 because I want to be fast and strong, without the time consuming training of some longer races. I picked the time and countdown because I thought it was fun and needed some fire to actually get my tempo runs in. But really, I just needed a goal I was excited about. I'm still excited about the mile, but now... I feel ok to bail on the timeline. And now an exercise form tip. If you have any suggestions, please let me know! Still struggling with push ups? Grab a foam roller and try this... If you're in Denver, the final "Race Ready Strength" is on March 26 (focusing on hips & low back). Onward! Hills are like a cheat code for running. What do I give my clients specifically?
ALSO I recommend hard runs on rolling hills and hard downhills to also improve turnover and quad resilience. And now an exercise form tip. If you have any suggestions, please let me know! Push Up Form Think making your body into an arrow vs a T or a I. It's better for your shoulders. Also, spreading your fingers can help. Spent the week in aggressive recovery mode.
Just a reminder to recover as hard as you train. I saw a massage therapist (told me I had tight hammies & hip flexors), body worker (working on my breathing patterns and low back fascia), did a sauna and cold plunge evening, and then I'll see my PT on Tuesday. If you're in Denver, the next "Race Ready Strength" is on March 12 (focusing on knees) & March 26 (focusing on hips & low back). Onward! Hills are like a cheat code for running. How? They built more strength than running on flat ground...
They improve your heart fitness...
They are (usually) easier on the body...
And almost most importantly, improves mental toughness... And next week I'll cover some specific hill workouts I give my clients... And now an exercise form tip. If you have any suggestions, please let me know! Calf Raise Tip... There are two major muscles in the calves. If you do raises with straight legs, you focus on one of them. If you do raises with more than slightly bent knees, you focus on the other one. So... do both. I was chatting with a client yesterday about fitting in exercise.
She's in Boston and overwhelmed by all the storms and the kids not being in school since... basically December. We've been swapping some of the workouts for shoveling (bc let's be honest, that's a heck of a workout), but she still wants to do more core. "I just don't know where I'd find the time" And fair, with two kids at home and historical snowfall... I'm not about to wag my finger at her and talk about priorities or say there's 24 hours in a day. But... I do like to offer solutions (if it's something she wants) Like, forget about a 45 min workout (or even 30 min, or 15 min)... even the 8 min ab burns. And do a 1 min Plank. I asked on a scale of 1-10, how achievable did a 1 min Plank feel? "I mean, probably a 9... that feels so silly". And it is, that's the whole point. Big goals are glorious, I'm so into the inspiration and dedication. But sometimes we need something silly and small, something impossible to fail, to help turn better habits into autopilot decisions. _________________________ And now an exercise form tip. If you have any suggestions, please let me know! Want to improve your Rows? The Cable or Bent Over Row, not like rowing on the water or erg... but probably wouldn't hurt those. The goal is to squeeze your shoulder blades, but often people can also squeeze their upper traps aka neck. Think about pulling your elbows to your hips as you squeeze your shoulder blades. This should keep the motion lower so that you're less likely to use the upper traps and be in a pain in the neck. I read a quote the other day...
"Let go or be dragged" And it felt like a gut punch. Why? In many situations, I do think it's best to invest, keep trying (maybe with a different direction or effort), and commit. But sometimes... It's best to cut ties. And honestly, it can be really hard to tell when to dig your heels in or pack up shop. So, it wasn't the "Let go" that stuck... it was the second half. "Or be dragged" It's a lot easier to know when you're being dragged.
It can be hard let go in the moment and cancel/slow the pace/have the awkward conversation/rest/switch plans... but in the long run, you know it will be better. And after you rip the Band-Aid off, after the initial sting... I bet you'll feel a ton better. Because you're not being dragged along anymore. Finally, I want to end these posts with an exercise form tip. If you have any suggestions, please let me know! Want better posture? Lift your chest and pull your shoulders back is a great cue. Accurate. But I prefer, "Pretend like someone just dropped an ice cube down your back" Visualization is a great tactic for processing stress, especially around exercise performance. But how to do it? Well... In true substitute teacher* form, I'm going to kick up my heels and pop in the video. Right... here. ***I'm completely kidding, just about any teacher is doing miracle work. I can't imagine trying to feel those shoes. Finally, I want to begin ending these posts with an exercise form tip. If you have any suggestions, please let me know! How are Squats and Deadlifts different? I gave this cue last night and I could see the gears spinning in the participants' heads (in a good way) Squats= Up & Down motion aka vertical Deadlifts= Back & Forth motion aka horizontal |
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