Meet Marci

This is Marci!!

Marci has over 10 years experience in the fitness industry.  She is a Certified Personal Trainer and group fitness instructor. She also is a full-time marketing director and mom of two boys 4 years old and 18 months. Oh by the way, if you can't tell, she rocks!! She is here to set the record straight on........

GIRLS WHO LIFT AND WHY YOU SHOULD JOIN THEM.

I know you’ve all seen the hashtag #girlswholift and the pictures of the super ripped women and have thought, that will never be me. I don’t want big bulky muscles that make me look manly, I’m too weak to pick up heavy weights or cardio is the only way that I’m going to lose weight.  I’m here to tell you that you’re wrong!

Weight training is one of the absolute best things that you can do for your body! It not only strengthens the muscles, it increases speed and bone density, improves posture, promotes weight loss and so much more.

Let’s start with the things it won’t do…

Make you big and bulky
If you’re adding moderate weight training 2-3 times a week you’re not going to look like the body builder you have pictured in your mind. It takes years of dedicating heavy lifting and strict meal plans to develop that type of physique. The type of training that I’m describing focuses on building long lean muscle through low weights and high repetitions. Yes, there are also heavy days where you work to overload the muscle but when you combine the two; you will not get bulky.

The number on the scale will go up
The saying muscle weighs more than fat is false! A pound is a pound no matter the form. The only difference is in the amount of space that muscle takes up, it’s far less than that of fat so that’s why we work so hard to burn the fat and build the muscle.  Don’t freak out but you will likely gain weight when first starting out with your weight training. This is due to two factors, the first is the body becomes inflamed with the new training stimulus and may retain water, the second is that we are building muscle while we still have the fat. Once the fats starts to burn and convert to muscle the number on the scale will go down.  Remember that eating healthy during this time is important to not only promote the muscle gain but the fat loss. Honestly, the scale is the devil, so just get rid of it….go by how your clothes fit and you won’t have this issue.

Now, here are all the Great things that will happen....

Increased endurance and speed during your cardio training
We’re using the same muscles as before but now they are stronger allowing us to run faster and they’ve been conditioned through time under tension increasing endurance. Ask any sprinter or long-distance runner and they will tell you that weight training is imperative to their success.

Improved posture
Spending countless hours in front of the computer or looking at a phone all day will naturally pull the neck forward and round the shoulders. Building strong muscles through our core and back through weight training can help offset this. It can also lead to fewer neck and back related injuries in the future.

Bone Density
As we age our bone density declines which can sometimes lead to Osteoporosis. Adding weight training at any age can help offset it. I’ll use my mom as an example, after her first cancer diagnosis the chemotherapy had taken such a toll on her bones that the doctor gave her a prescription. My mom was never one to take unnecessary pills so she decided she would start exercising regularly and add weighted exercises 2-3 times a week. When she returned for 6 month follow up bone density scan the doctor said, “It looks like the prescription worked, your results show a great improvement” to which my mom responded, “I never filled it, I did it on my own by working out with weights.” That was enough for me to make lifting a key component to my routine!

Weight loss
Lifting weights burns calories for up to 48 hours while cardio burns calories up to a few hours max…Enough said!

Looking good
Let’s be honest, while we all want to be healthy we also want to look good, it’s human nature. Weight training is going to give you the long lean muscles in your arms, tightened stomach muscles, smooth legs and let’s not forget about our best assets, the glutes! All of these are going to tighten and lift so you can rock those skinny jeans this year.

Now that I’ve got you Pumped up to lift, how do you start?

If you belong to a gym, check out their group fitness schedule. Most clubs have classes that incorporate weight lifting into them. My favorite is LesMills BodyPump™, 60 minutes of barbell exercises set to amazing music. And don’t hesitate to ask a personal trainer to show you proper form and sample exercises, they are more than happy to do it.

Not a gym person? Check out YouTube there are countless videos that provide instruction on form, exercise types and even full lifting programs. Also, check out in-home programs that use weights.

So get out there and be proud that post that girls who lift hashtag with pride! #girlswholift

In good health,

Marci

What if your body is trying to tell you something? Are you listening?

After recently completing 2 half marathons in 2 weeks, I am reflecting on some things that I have learned or thought about on my journey to the finish line. 

My body had been trying for awhile to tell me something, but I wasn't listening.

Amy and I post about carbs, hydration, & vitamin D and you probably read the blogs, but think to yourself "Yeah, I do that already,"  "I don't feel dehydrated," or " I think I do get enough Vitamin D."

Yeah, I read the same blogs and think the same things, but not until I started to train for 13.1 miles, did I realize I had no idea how wrong I was.  I never realized all the things my body was missing and what I was doing wrong.  I work out regularly, but it wasn't until I stepped out of my comfort zone that I realized I was further away from what my body really needs than I thought.

How many of us want to feel less tired, lose weight, or even just feel stronger to carry out our daily activities?  The best way, I have learned from this half marathon training, is to push yourself to do something out of your comfort zone and you will find out. Your body will push back and let you know.  

I am not suggesting everyone has to run 13.1 miles to figure this out, but here I was, a healthcare provider, thinking I have the background knowledge to live a pretty healthy lifestyle. Stay hydrated, eat your fruits and vegetables, watch your sugar intake, get plenty of exercise.  I know all the tag lines, yet I was just not there.

Six months ago, I felt like I was depressed.  I just felt in a rut and anxiety was starting to really take hold.  I was close to calling my primary care doctor.  That's when I got the phone call.  My very strong and beautiful friend called me and said she was running in a half marathon and instead of watching her, I decided to challenge myself and RUN.  It was one of the best decisions I ever made.  I didn't run for time.  I didn't run for bragging rights.  I ran for me.

I went back and read some of our blogs again.  I realized how much more I got out of them this time around.  I need to fuel my body better.  I needed to hydrate much, much more.  I don't feel so guilty about those extra carbs these days.

Get to know your body better.  It will tell you what it needs.  You may be surprised at the answers.  What if the solutions to a lot of our problems are answers we can find within ourselves?

On that note, Wait until next blog when you Meet Marci! She kicks ass and inspires so many women, and by the way, she is a mom of two boys! Stay tuned for her upcoming blog on muscle & strength training to hear her thoughts how it may be just what you need and how you can balance it all.

In good health,

Kris