Fitknitchick

How to get arms like Michelle Obama without resorting to plastic surgery

May 20, 2013 by Tamara 16 Comments

Last week, one of my clients mentioned to me a story that she’d seen on a popular evening entertainment show. A story about women flocking by the thousands to their plastic surgeon’s offices because they wanted arms like Michelle Obama.

I don’t have photo rights to any pics of Michelle Obama’s arms, so you’ll have to look at mine instead

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, last year more than 15 000 people (98% of them women) elected to undergo ‘brachioplasty’ to remove excess skin and fat from the back of their upper arms. Compare that to the year 2000, when only about 300 surgeries were performed nation wide. That’s an increase of nearly 4 400% in just over 10 years!

While I’m not surprised to learn that women want to improve the look and tone of their triceps, I AM surprised to see that so many have chosen a surgical route to reach their goals. Surgery is expensive (nearly $4 000 for this procedure), leaves visible scars and can result in unexpected complications and infection during the recovery period.

Want arms like Michelle Obama without going under the knife?

eat clean and pay attention to portion sizes. Fat accumulates all over the body, including the back of the upper arms, when we consume sugar, alcohol, fatty and processed foods. Educate yourself about portion sizes and eat within your caloric requirements.
move more. The more your move, the more calories you burn. Daily calorie deficit leads to fat loss. Movement doesn’t need to be fast to be effective; start by adding a 15 minute walk to your day.
strengthen your largest muscles. Whole body strength training builds metabolically active muscle; muscle that will continue to consume calories long after your workout. Don’t limit your weight lifting to upper body exercise; your legs and butt are large, powerful muscles and will contribute more to your daily energy budget than the smaller muscles of your arms.
follow an upper body strength training plan. Michelle Obama clearly works out. I’m guessing that she spends 30 minutes a day, perhaps 3 days a week, training her upper body. No doubt she works in the 6 to 12 repetition range (the ‘hypertrophy’ range) and lifts weights heavy enough to fatigue her muscles by the end of each set.

If a client came to me wanting arms like Michelle Obama, here’s a program I would suggest they start with, 3 days per week, every other day.

Have a favourite arm exercise that I’ve missed? Feel free to share and link up below in the comments!

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Do you avoid the ‘f’ word? | Talking to kids about obesity

May 15, 2013 by Tamara 32 Comments

Lately, my nearly 9-year old son has become obsessed with body weight. Not his own, mind you. Everybody else’s.

talking to kids about obesity

It all started with a trip to the vet’s. Our ginger cat was due for his annual well-pet visit and the children wanted to tag along. Having never weighed him at home, we were surprised (well, sort of surprised, okay, not really surprised) when the vet told us that at 19.4 lbs, he was overweight and needed to be put on a diet.

Since then, my son constantly refers to the cat as ‘chubby’, ‘obese’, ‘fatty catty’ and ‘big butt’. While that cat doesn’t seem to mind (he’s wary of A. at the best of times), it bothers me to hear him use those words so comfortably when describing another living being (even if it is just the cat).

Recently, he’s taken to pointing out overweight people when we’re out in public. Most of this time, thankfully, it’s from behind the sound-proof glass of our car. Every now and then, he uses his ‘inside voice’ when we’re out in public.

I’ve had many quiet chats with him about why we don’t call people names and draw attention to their physical appearance (‘if you don’t have anything nice to say about somebody, don’t say anything at all’). He doesn’t believe there’s anything wrong with it, as he’s just stating the truth (‘just the facts ma’am’), as we’ve always taught him to.

I worry about this behaviour for several reasons:

there is one very obese child at his school who’s been a victim of both school yard and cyber bullying about his weight (his mother is a friend of mine and is working hard with him to modify his diet and help him to lose weight in a healthy manner) and I want my son to understand what can happen when people stigmatize others based on appearances
I have a pre-teen daughter who already has food issues (although she currently has no issues with her body, the teenage years are tough on girls and I know very few women who managed to escape them without developing negative thoughts about their weight)
‘fattism’ is all around us. By now you’ve all heard about the Abercrombie and Fitch debacle. While many people were outraged upon hearing this story, I believe that negative images of and attitudes about overweight people are much more prevalent than we’d like to let on (just the other day I ‘unfollowed’ a fellow fitness peep who posted a pair of photos on Instagram, one depicting an overweight women stuffing cupcakes in her mouth, the other showing a lean, curvaceous woman posing provocatively in a bikini; the caption below read ‘you can either eat delicious or look delicious’)

We don’t use either the ‘f’ word or the ‘d’ word at home.

While we do talk about the health benefits of maintaining an appropriate weight for your height and regularly discuss the merits of eating whole, unprocessed foods (usually when one child or another is trying to convince me to buy something I don’t consider a healthy option while grocery shopping), we try hard not to vilify certain foods or make judgements about people who eat them (who doesn’t enjoy a cupcake, now and then?).

Am I being overly sensitive to language? How do you talk to your children about body weight, obesity, and body image? Do you discourage them from using the words ‘fat’ and ‘diet’? Have you ever noticed them adopting ‘fattist’ attitudes? How does one avoid it?

I’d love to hear your thoughts about talking to kids about obesity.

Please add to the conversation by leaving a comment below!

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#FatblasterFriday | a Mother’s Day workout just for you

May 10, 2013 by Tamara 12 Comments

I know that it’s only Friday, but I’m guessing that many of you will be celebrating Mother’s Day with a calorie-laden brunch, barbecue or dinner out. (Alas, my hubby is away and my mom lives across the country, so unless my children have secret plans, I’ll be cooking dinner myself and sticking to my usual meal plan)

Regardless, this week’s #FatblasterFriday is a MOTHER of a workout. My Mother’s Day workout is designed to work all of your major muscle groups in as little time as possible. Do it alone, or convince your mom (if you’re a kid) or kids (if you’re a mom) to do it with you. They’ll thank you when it’s over

Only 12 repetitions of each of 6 exercises, done in circuit-style, twice through and you’re free to enjoy the rest of your day.

All you need is a set of dumbbells (go heavy, or go home!), a yoga mat and a stool or bench (heck, even a staircase will do).

Are you in?

Fitknitchick’s Mother’s Day Workout

And for those of you who like to ‘pin’ things for later…

I makes my heart SING when you

WATCH and DO the workouts with me
SUBSCRIBE to fitknitchick on YouTube
CHECK OUT the #FatblasterFriday Playlist for more, real time workouts
PIN the above WORKOUT PHOTO
GIVE me your FEEDBACK on YouTube or in the COMMENTS section below
LIKE and SHARE my videos with your friends via email, Facebook and Twitter

Wishing all my ‘mom’ readers a wonderful Mother’s Day!

Does your family have any special Mother’s Day traditions?

Would you punish your husband for leaving you alone with three children over the Mother’s Day weekend?

Disclaimer: Although I am a registered Personal Trainer, I am not YOUR Personal Trainer. Always adapt workouts to suit your body and fitness level. Always consult your doctor before beginning a new exercise program.

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Hit a strength training plateau? Try pre-exhaust supersets

May 8, 2013 by Tamara 28 Comments

The other day I wrote about the pitfalls of high repetition strength training.

One of my commenters pointed out that done on an occasional basis, a day or two of high repetition workouts can sometimes help you push past a stubborn strength training plateau. (You know, that exercise that you just can’t increase your weights on no matter how hard you try).

While I agree that this is a reasonable use for high rep training, my go-to ‘strength training plateau buster’ workout is a pre-exhaust superset.

Let me explain. Compound exercises (which we should all be doing….) require the use of more than one group of muscles. However, not all muscles are created equal. Some are larger, and hence, potentially stronger than others. Often times, it’s the smaller, weaker muscle required for a particular exercise that ‘exhausts’ before the larger, stronger muscle, preventing us from progressing on the lift.

strength training plateau

Take chest presses as an example. Although chest presses target the pectoral muscles, the triceps are needed to extend the arms fully and complete the lift. The smaller, weaker triceps are fatigued at a much lighter load (or volume of repetitions) than required to fatigue the pecs. Unless you work to increase the strength of your triceps, you’ll hit a strength training plateau on this exercise.

Pre-exhaust training offers a solution. Perform two exercises for the target muscle group, super-set style, in the 8 to 12 rep range. (Hint: choose a weight heavy enough to exhaust the target muscle by the end of the set, otherwise you’ll never get over your plateau).

The first exercise of the pair will be an isolation exercise; one that doesn’t require the assistance of the smaller, weaker muscle that’s inhibiting progress. Work to failure and then immediately follow with a compound exercise targeting the same muscle group. The larger muscle, although temporarily fatigued, will be assisted by the smaller muscle, allowing you to continue stressing it and ultimately, increasing its strength.

I use pre-exhaust training in my own workouts every few months, for a week or two at a time (caution, if you overuse the technique, like any other form of training, your body will adapt to it and it won’t have the same benefits). I’ve found it a particularly useful technique for overcoming strength training plateaus of the chest, back and biceps.

Try the following exercise combinations and see if the pre-exhaust method doesn’t make a difference in your training.

Chest: Incline dumbbell flys (isolation) followed by chest (or incline) chest presses (compound)

Back: Seated row (isolation) followed by barbell bent over row (compound)

Biceps: Preacher curl (isolation) followed by under hand grip chin ups (compound)

strength training plateau

Have you ever tried pre-exhaust training?

What’s your go-to strength training plateau busting technique?

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High rep workouts | Why you don’t need to do 500 squats or hold a 7-minute plank

May 6, 2013 by Tamara 46 Comments

I work in a gym.

I’ve seen a lot of people perform exercises and follow programs that aren’t terribly beneficial. Programs that don’t stimulate much in the way of muscle growth, calorie burn or improved function (the three main reasons people participate in an exercise program). But unless they’re my clients (or I think they’re about to hurt themselves) I don’t bother correcting or suggesting an alternative.

Lately, however, I’ve been seeing an awful lot of extremely high rep workouts and fitness challenges popping up online. And because my clients have been asking me what I think about programs like ’200 squats’, ’100 pushups’ and ‘plank-a-day’, I’m assuming that you might be curious too.

Let’s start by talking a bit about the science behind repetition ranges.

Almost every program you’ll see that’s written by a fitness professional will suggest that you perform between 1 and 20 repetitions of a particular exercise. That’s because exercise scientists have discovered that certain repetition ranges are best for certain goals.

Looking to improve your maximum strength? Choose a heavy enough weight (or a challenging enough version of the exercise) so that you’re able to perform ONLY 1-8 good form repetitions before hitting complete muscular fatigue (or ‘failure’). Rest for 2-4 minutes and repeat for 3 to 5 sets.
If muscular hypertrophy (size and definition) is your goal, the appropriate repetition range is a bit higher; 8 to 12 reps with 60 s or so rest between sets for 2 to 4 sets. Note that the weight required to fatigue your muscles in this rep range will be a bit lighter than that used when training for pure strength.
Training for muscular endurance typically calls for higher reps at an even lighter weight and with relatively little rest between sets; 12-20 repetitions and 1-3 sets with about 30 s rest between. (Note that many trainers feel that even 20 repetitions is too many and muscular endurance is better trained in the 12-15 rep range).

Note that none of these three fitness goals prescribes anywhere near the number of reps suggested by the extremely high rep workout ‘programs’ and challenges described above.

Not only will high rep workouts NOT help most people reach their fitness goals, they may actually hinder your progress via;

overuse injuries. Several summer ago I started the 100 pushups program (just for fun…). I was about half way through the program (128 pushups over 5 sets with 90 s break between sets) when I aggravated an old shoulder injury. I wisely decided that being able to use my shoulder for other things was more important than being able to complete 100 pushups in a row.
muscular imbalances. While holding a good form plank for a minute or two is a great way to improve your anterior core strength, good posture and function require that you work your muscles in a balanced fashion. Spend half your time planking and the remainder perfecting your bridging technique. And even better yet? Progress that static plank by adding movement to engage even more muscles.
missed program elements. The ‘specificity of training’ principle recognizes that a body only gets stronger at movements it regularly trains. Regularly perform 500 body weight squats and get good at performing body weight squats (not barbell squats or lunges or pushups or pull ups or dead lifts). Unless you have a lot of time for exercise, those 500 squats are going to eat into the 45 minutes you scheduled for your workout and keep you from fitting in any of the other elements required of a balanced fitness program.

While it’s great to aim for personal bests and sometimes it’s fun to challenge ourselves, there are better ways to improve your fitness and reduce your risk of injury. Try training in a rep range that’s conducive to reaching your goals. Need some advice or a program that’s tailored to YOUR specific fitness goals? Hire a certified personal trainer; I’d love to help!

What’s your favourite repetition range to work in?

Does it mesh with your fitness goals?

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April’s Free Workouts-of-the-Day

May 1, 2013 by Tamara 13 Comments

For the last few months, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I’ve been sharing free Workouts-of-the-Day (WOD) with my Facebook group. Short workouts that can be done either at home or at the gym, with minimal equipment.

Some days we target our core. Other days we do body part splits. Once in awhile, there’s even cardio…

I thought that I’d start collecting these free workouts here, once a month so that (a) my blog readers could enjoy them too, (b) they’d all be in one easy to find spot and (3) those of you who are into ‘pinning’ can add them to your favourite workout boards (hint, hint).

Watch for a ‘WOD recap’ post at the end of each and every month. And if you just can’t wait that long, make sure you ‘like’ Fitknitchick on Facebook!

Questions about any of the exercises? I’ve created a Facebook ‘Note’ that describes many of the movements. Look for them, in alphabetical order, by the name I’ve given them in the workout.

Have a suggestion for a workout that you’d like to see?

Drop me a line and I just might use your suggestion for one of May’s free workouts of the day!

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Hate to exercise? Like it or not, it’s all the same to your health

April 29, 2013 by Tamara 51 Comments

There are an alarming number of people out there who hate to exercise.

They know they ought to exercise to lose weight, reduce cardiovascular risk factors, prevent osteoporosis, regulate blood sugars, maintain healthy range of motion in their joints, sleep better and generally, live a healthier life. Yet they choose not to because they hate to exercise.

If you follow me on social media (click on the links in the right side bar >>>), you’ll know that even though I teach group fitness classes and work as a personal trainer, I don’t always want to exercise either.

Cardio days are the worst (try as I might to make cardio more fun, it just isn’t )

Some days I’d be just as content to skip the gym and head to the mall.

Sit on my couch and knit while getting caught up on missed episodes of True Blood.

Head out for lunch and coffee with ‘the girls’.

Spend the morning hanging out on Facebook.

Go back to bed with a second cup of coffee.

But I don’t. I force myself to do something. Just a little bit and 9 times out of 10 it works.

On the days it doesn’t, I remind myself that whether I enjoyed my workout or not, it’s all the same to my health.

My biceps and glutes don’t care that my heart wasn’t into curls and squats.
My blood sugar levels aren’t the least bit concerned by the scowl on my face.
My ‘happy hormones’ are triggered irrespective of my initial inertia.
My sleep is more restful even if I was too tired to give it my all.

The thing is, regardless of whether you love or hate to exercise, it’s all the same to your health.

Does exercise come easy to you?

How do you motivate yourself to exercise on days that you just don’t want to?

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#FatblasterFriday | A Bosu Circuit Workout that won’t embarrass you at the gym

April 26, 2013 by Tamara 22 Comments

Last week I asked my Facebook group (not a member yet? Click on the link and ‘like’ the page) for some suggestions for my next #FatblasterFriday real time workout video (subscribe to my YouTube channel so as never to miss a workout).

My favourite response?

“bosu stuff that I could use in the gym (nothing I’d be embarrassed having people see me do if you know what I mean lol)”

Yes, my friend, I know EXACTLY what you mean

We’ve talked before about why I love the Bosu. All of the wonderful things it can add to your workout. How it can be used for strength and cardio as well as core. How it challenges muscles that you didn’t even know you had…

Today’s #FatblasterFriday workout is a whole body, 5-move Bosu circuit workout that will strengthen your muscles, elevate your heart rate and challenge your core, all without EMBARRASSING you in the gym

Set your timer for 10 rounds of 45 s work and 15 s rest. All you need is a Bosu (and perhaps a mat, if you need to come to your knees for pushups).

CLICK on the video below and DO the workout WITH ME!

Did you like this workout? Then PLEASE

WATCH and DO the workouts with me
SUBSCRIBE to fitknitchick on YouTube
CHECK OUT the #FatblasterFriday Playlist for more, real time workouts
PIN the above WORKOUT PHOTO
GIVE me your FEEDBACK on YouTube or in the COMMENTS section below
LIKE and SHARE my videos with your friends via email, Facebook and Twitter

More VIEWS, LIKES, COMMENTS and SHARES –>> More VIDEOS!

{22 Comments }

10 Earth Day activities that are good for your health

April 22, 2013 by Tamara 24 Comments

Every year, in honour of Earth Day, my youngest two children and I participate in their school’s annual ‘Spring Spruce Up’. Tasks include digging rocks, weeding gardens, planting shrubs and seedlings and sometimes, contributing to outdoor artwork to make their hidden-in-the-forest school even more beautiful.

Earth Day Activities

Last week, as we talked about the tasks each of their classes had been assigned, we realized that many of the Earth Day activities that they would be doing were not only healthy for the planet, but healthy for them as well.

When asked to list other Earth Day activities that might benefit both planet and people, here’s what they came up with:

10 Earth Day activities to improve your health

Leave your car at home and walk to work, school or public transit. (Cliche, I know, but adding a little more movement to your day is never a bad thing; it helped our ancestors to live healthier lives)
Wash and dry the day’s dishes by hand. (A great arms and core workout while simultaneously saving electricity. Also a great skill to teach your kids…)
Hang your laundry on the line. (Squat, press, repeat with no lint trap to be cleaned afterwards)
Weed, hoe and water the garden. (Not only will you be getting in a whole body workout, you’ll also be reducing the future ecological footprint of your food consumption by growing your own greens)
Prepare a raw meal. (Turn off the oven and microwave for the evening; fresh, raw foods are full of vitamins and nutrients and simple to prepare)
‘Free-cycle’ no-longer-used household items. (Just carrying those couches and televisions down to the curb is a strength workout in and of itself and it’s fun to watch and see who picks them up!)
Enjoy an out-of-doors walk, run or stair workout rather than hopping on the treadmill. (Power your own movement; no electricity required)
Trade computer games and social media for ‘kick the can’ or ‘patio hockey’. (Interval training at it’s best AND you’ll be modelling active behaviour to your kids)
Pass on that trip to the mall and knit yourself something instead. (Great for stress reduction and local yarns like the one below have tiny ecological footprints)
Go to bed when the sun sets. (Save electricity, reduce stress and perhaps spend a little ‘quality time’ with a loved one)

Earth Day activities

Okay, I admit it. My children didn’t think of the last two of my 10 Earth Day activities. And they certainly won’t be thrilled when I tell them that it’s bedtime when the sun goes down. But we all have to do our part, right

Do you have any healthy-earth-healthy-you activities planned for Earth Day?

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Are you an urban gardener? 8 reasons to grow your own greens

April 17, 2013 by Tamara 17 Comments

Of all the delights that spring brings with it (goodbye snow shovels, winter boots, hats and mitts; hello tank tops, sunglasses and flip flops!), my favourite is being able to return to urban gardening.

Although coastal British Columbia’s growing season is not long or hot enough for tomatoes (or cucumbers or peppers or melons) , there’s plenty of time to grow your own greens.

Every spring, once the danger of frost has passed, my family and I make the trip to our favourite garden centre in the valley to purchase the seedlings that will keep us in salads until mid-October. Kale, swiss chard, spinach, arugula, romaine. Multiple varieties of each along with parsley, cilantro, oregano, thyme and basil; herbs for dressing our greens and marinading the fish fillets and steaks we’ll soon be grilling on the barbecue. Yum!

(Of course, I don’t need to remind you that salad greens are chock full of vitamins, nutrients, antioxidants and fibre and they’ll help you meet your daily quote of 7-8 servings of fruits and veggies…)

Don’t think you have enough space to grow your own greens? Think again! We grow our vegetables in 4 x 8 wooden boxes and large ceramic pots, filled with organic soil and set upon cement blocks to allow for proper drainage. A sunny, sheltered spot works best.

Not convinced yet? Here are 8 reasons to grow your own greens

They’re fresher (5 minutes from garden to table) and tastier than store bought greens.
Because you’ve grown them yourself (either from seeds or pesticide-free seedlings) you can be confident that they won’t be covered with pesticide residue
You can easily source non-GMO seeds and seedling varieties
They are far cheaper than store bought greens (last week I paid $7 for a large package of organic spinach; a packet of seeds can be purchased for $1 and will last you all season)
Home grown greens don’t need to be driven to market and easily fall within the guidelines of the ’100-mile diet’
There’s no packaging to throw out or recycle
Tending to plants is a relaxing, almost meditative activity
Your children can help. Think of it as ‘cultivating’ the next generation of urban gardeners! (I’ve also found that my children are much more willing to eat vegetables that they’ve helped to grow)