This week, Kat and I hid the four-pound kettlebells. They’re more useful anyway as paperweights. You have to use ‘real’ weights to change your body and get the look you want. Anthony always says, “You have to use the right tool for the right job.”

 

You can go to a regular gym and work with dumbbells and barbells and get some benefit, but you won’t get far. With a lot of discipline and a lot of effort, some of it unnecessary, you can at least change the way you look a bit, but you won’t build up real strength. Some people are satisfied with what they’re doing and achieving even though there are more efficient ways of doing it. It’s a matter of what your goals are. If you’re willing to seriously evaluate and reconsider your fitness regimen, you might move on to more effective weight-training. It’s complacency versus growth.

 

You should always be asking yourself, What’s next, What more can I do, and What else is possible? You’ll then likely replace the goals and methods of the standard gym with a quest for genuine strength, health, and a functional body, as well as good looks. You have to challenge yourself, intellectually and physically. That’s why we took away the light weights, which some clients had been using. We reevaluated. That’s why, after being a trainer for eight years, I started working with kettlebells. That’s why I started doing strongman. I didn’t do it merely because mostly guys do it.  Like my nail color this week, I’m a Tom Boy No More.  I did it strictly as a woman and like a woman.  It appealed to me, because I seemed to be already strong, it’s challenging, and it’s different from what I was used to doing.  

 

When, in training, the deadlift stopped me cold, I had to learn about motivation and acceptance, and I had to reevaluate how to approach it again. At the competition, I discovered how nerves and emotions can affect my performance, how  different game-day is than training day.  That made me take a long look at how I’m going to approach the next competition.

 

Reevaluation is necessary at all levels of fitness. For example, women often tell trainers they want to lose weight and tone up, but, in particular, to avoid “bulking up.” The often-stated fear of bulking up is likely just an excuse for not working hard and reflects a deeper prejudice about what women should be like. The problem is that they need to reevaluate what they’re looking for in their bodies. Instead of looking for softness, they need to see that a woman can have a hard, strong body and still be a beautiful woman. Even if they’re driven by a concern for their looks, they are best served by getting an athlete’s body.

 

In truth, training for strength and health will produce the look most women want –  lean with muscle tone. Nothing else will have quite the desired effect. You’re not going to get sculpted arms by doing five-pound dumbbell curls for 25 reps. Aerobics, although good for your heart, will not bring strength or a toned body. You need to work for all-around health. That will give you a body to make you proud.

 

The bodies of the five women at the competition performed very well and were healthy and likely to stay healthy as they age.  No hunchbacks in their futures. And by the way, the first-place winner of the competition, Sarah Jackson, is pretty, feminine, and would never be taken by most for a strongman athlete.

 

Of course, you don’t need to compete as a strongwoman to be healthy. You don’t need superhuman strength or muscles. You just need to work with appropriate weights and functional movements. 

 

Whether for extreme or moderate fitness, you need to be thoughtful about what you’re doing. You’re not an automaton, and prejudices about expectations will only hold you back. Think about what you want and the best way to get it – push it to the limit. 

 

 

Lori Harris 

 

“How can you get enough protein on a vegan diet?”  “You don’t eat eggs or drink milk? Wow, I could never do that” 

 

Since I began eating RAW and vegan back in January, I have been asked these questions over and over again. I’ve attempted to reassure friends, family, and everyone in between, that YES, I’m getting plenty of Protein! Usually, they shake their heads in utter amazement that I’m surviving, thriving, in fact, on a RAW vegan diet.   

 

The bottom line is that we are obsessed with eating our meat! We here in the good ole’ USA are a meat and potatoes crowd. One look at the typical American dinner table is proof that the beef, pork, chicken or fish take center stage on the plate and the rest of the meal- the veggies, salad, and rice, are mere compliments to the headliner! In other countries, meat is treated like a condiment!  

 

The meat and dairy industries spend billions of dollars to convince us that proper nutrition includes meat, eggs, and milk. How can we ignore messages like “Pork- the other white meat”, and “Milk does a body good”? The protein message comes at us from all directions, no wonder people are shocked to learn that athletes can function, thrive actually, while abstaining from these foods. YES, Even athletes who strength train and want to put on muscle!  

 

Now, I fully recognize that protein is a necessary for a healthy body, and that it is important to replenish our store of protein every day. I’m aware that the body needs protein to build and repair new cells, hormones, antibodies, enzymes and muscle tissue. So, how do vegans get their protein? It’s simple. A plant-based diet includes a wide variety of whole foods consisting of sprouted beans, sprouted whole-grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. You think plant protein is inferior to animal protein? Surprise! Plant proteins contain the same 22 amino acids as animal proteins. Plant-based foods like legumes, some sprouted whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds all contain protein but do not contain complete protein by themselves. However, when a vegan consumes a variety of foods eaten throughout the day. the body can use these amino acids to make up complete protein.

 

Nutritionists advise that if a person is eating a broad selection of plant-based foods and consuming adequate calories, it is unlikely he or she will be protein deficient. Foods like Spinach, kale, swiss chard, sugar snap peas, and hemp seeds are all excellent sources of protein!   

 

 

Need to rejuvenate some of your usual kettlebell routines?  Or maybe you’re just looking to burn off some of those extra weekend summer cookout calories.  Try adding this round to anyone of your workouts - not only will the change keep your body guessing but this round will most definitely work off your weekend of shameless eating!

 

 

This week’s style pick is due in no small part to the torrential amounts of rain we’ve been subjected to over here on the east coast.  Staci, having gotten fed up with arriving to class with wet sneakers, has stocked up on the latest Hunter boots and clogs.  Affordable? Check.  Comfortable? Check.  Stylish? Check.  Head over to zappos.com to check out the colors and available styles. 

 

And a special note from Staci…” Ladies, wear them with shorts so very cute!” 

 

DO THIS 

 

 

It’s summer time and although we’ve seen record breaking days of rain over here on the east coast we thought the rest of you would appreciate a healthy alternative to some summer time fair.  Here’s something that most of you will appreciate as it’s so often overlooked as a way to introduce healthier choices to the usual bar-b-q spread.  Try this homemade recipe, courtesy of the girls over at Punch Norwalk, for Ketchup. 

 

 

 

Here is one of my all time favorite salads. And, it’s loaded with Protein! 

 

 

 

Remove the hard stem from the kale leaves and tear the leaves into small pieces. In a large mixing bowl, juice the lemon and massage the lemon juice into the kale leaves. The leaves will soften. Simply toss the rest of the ingredients onto the bowl, snap the lid on and shake.

 

Feel free to email me with any questions on eating RAW and training hard!