FitMarker Journal: awesome

5 basic tips for your training

Sun, 31 Jul 2011 10:54:55 -0500

Passive muscle building Aka rest. It does not matter if you say it once too often (actually I said it last week). It is during the rest you build up the body and without rest, the greater risk of damage and degradation. You don’t want your body to eat itself right?! Always make sure your body gets the recovery that is required before the next workout. This is especially important if you do full body workouts, but even if you work different muscle groups every day rest is still important. Abs are made in the kitchen Whether your goal is to lose weight or add muscle mass your diet has a huge role in your final results. Think about what you put in you and what you need, you need to think about when and how much you consume in relation to what you want to achieve. Some people say calorie intake is the only thing that’s relevant, but there’s a huge difference in eating 500g of carbs each day, and 500g protein. Sure, they may give the same amount of energy, but you can’t build muscles with chocolate and candy. Muscle makes muscle. Structuring your training A training program is a great tool in your training and to help you achieve your results. Most people think going to the gym is boring just because they don’t know what to do when they get there. So they do a few leg extensions, leg press and other weird machine exercises (which I really don’t care for…). If you’ve got a structured plan it is much more fun to work out, and you suddenly have a purpose to go to the gym. You can try to write your own programs, but if you are a beginner you should probably just hire a professional. Otherwise you’re stuck with curls/bench/lat pull/stupid Smith machine work (sorry, I mean coat rack) and an insane amount of upper body exercises. I don’t know about you, but I know I look at peoples glutes/quads/hammies first, and sometimes their face. Just get help. Listen to your body In the case of damage, it is always best to listen to your body. If your shoulder hurts, then perhaps you shouldn’t do any pressing exercises, like bench or military press. For someone who has been working out for a long time it is easier to feel the difference between pain and discomfort. Training is not supposed to be easy or comfortable, so discomfort is normal. Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is also normal, and should not keep you from working out. Pain on the other hand, is something different and should never be ignored. Find motivation Motivation plays a huge role in whether you will succeed or not. Only you can set the limits, and with the right thinking you can go far. Leave the past behind and try again. Believe in yourself and do not give up. When I last tried to set a PR in log press I didn’t make it until the sixth try. I was way more tired by then, but not succeeding gave me that extra push I needed to get it up. It’s when you’re in the right state of mind that you go from average to Awesome. By: Isa Olsson Content originally written for Fitmarker.com -- © 2011 All Rights Reserved.

Overtraining - A Setback In Your Development

Sat, 23 Jul 2011 08:17:00 -0500

It's fun to work out, but sometimes too much exercise cause overtraining, or "chronic fatigue". This means that the training exceeds the body's ability to recover after exercise. Then you get the opposite effect (catabolic) of what you want and break down the body constantly. This takes you one step back instead of forward in your training and development. Overtraining may be due to several reasons, but the most common reason is that a person starts to train too intensively and increase workouts too quickly. It may also depend on a limited rest in the form of sleep, that it is stressful at work or that you’re working out even though you are not feeling well. Recovery is key. The main cause of overtraining is because you get too little rest and your body does not have time to recover before going on the next workout. Despite the relatively light term "overtraining", it can lead to greater risk of infections and even depression. Signs of overtraining Overtraining often differs the more experienced athletes with good training background and people who are just starting to exercise but have very high goals. If you are a professional athlete you probably know exactly what you are doing as opposed to the beginner, who often assumes that “more is more”. It takes a lot of training before you are ready for the same training load that a professional athlete can handle. Common signs of overtraining include: - Poorer performance - Increased risk of infection - Increased fatigue - Depression - Increased heart rate - Headache - Weight loss - Insomnia - To not wake up refreshed For someone who trains, it can be difficult to detect overtraining. If you can’t lift as much as usual or easily get tired we usually want to exercise more and think that not working out enough is the main cause of poor performance. It is important that we learn the difference between quantity and quality, and that quality is always better. It is important not to ignore signs of overtraining. Prevent overtraining To prevent that you are not overtraining, it is important to find a balance between exercise and rest. One must ensure that you get the sleep your body requires for recovery. Exercising excessively can easily lead to overtraining; it is thanks to your rest that you can build muscle. Not only is enough sleep important for your training, but you must also have off days. A regular nutritious diet that is tailored to your needs can also help you prevent overtraining. Do not be stingy on the carbohydrates, because they are important for your overall energy intake during the day and make sure that you're getting enough fluids. Adjust your protein intake so that you get enough to build muscle. Recovery from overtraining It requires both mental and physical recovery when you are experiencing overtraining. Rest is a given. If you have really gone too far in your training it is important that you “start over” again and take things slowly. Some studies have shown that low intensity aerobic exercise 5-10 minutes a day can help you in recovery from overtraining. Then slowly increase the intensity until you are back on track again. By: Isa Olsson Content originally written for Fitmarker.com -- © 2011 All Rights Reserved. Images copyright of their respective owners.

How To Get Your Confidence Back When It Matters

Sat, 16 Jul 2011 11:04:12 -0500

Self-confidence is every lifter’s best friend and just as with friendship, you have to maintain your confidence all the time. You are of course aware that one moment you can be full of confidence and optimism, and a minute later, your self-confidence is blown away. What you're easily able to pull during training suddenly don’t work at all in a competition. A mistake often leads to another mistake and you find yourself performing at a level where you were several years ago. Confidence is the key to performing well. But if confidence fails me during the competition - what do I do? Unfortunately there is no magic spell to take in such situations, but there are some things you can do to increase your confidence in an emergency situation. Try them next time, it could be the difference between winning and losing.

Here are five tips to quickly get back your confidence during competition. 1st) Go back to basics. Most of the times when we perform worse than we are accustomed to, we have forsaken the basic technique, the one we have used for years and really mastered. In a situation with high pressure we have instead begun to complicate the technique and let go of what we usually do to try to “fix things”. You should probably never try anything for the first time in a competition. Visualize a successful performance and take some extra time to gather yourself before it's time for the contest. 2nd) Don’t think too much about the result. Sometimes when we are performing well, we start thinking about the results of our performance. We are too obsessed by performing as good or better in every lift, and compare ourselves to other peoples results rather than our own. When we’re going to do the same thing again it may not be as good, and that is when the negative thoughts start coming. Then we must remind ourselves that failure is a natural part of our sport and it is a motivation to try harder next time. Forget the result, concentrate on the actual execution. Just do it! 3rd) Forget the past – Start fresh Put your energy into what you can influence. You can’t do anything about a bad start. Whatever it is, you have let the past setbacks affect your performance and your confidence. What has happened has happened and no matter how much you want to change it, you can’t rewind the tape and do it again. It’s easy to start dwelling on failures, you lose focus and energy, and your day is ruined. Try again and make it better. 4th) Stay in the present This is also a "classic" mistake. Everything is going great, you are focused and relaxed, but in your mind you are already doing your next pull. You already beginning to think about what is going to happen next and how well you are going to perform in the event AFTER this. Suddenly you have lost your, and it’s easy to be doing unnecessary mistakes. 5th) Be careful with your expectations. It is important to have high expectations, but being too confident and cocky can make you lose your focus and (subconsciously) abandon the winning game, the simple and basic stuff that brought you to where you are today. You start thinking too much and make things much harder for yourself than they need to be. Do not expect perfect every time, it is not realistic. However, you should have very high expectations of your own attitude - every time By: Isa Olsson Content originally written for Fitmarker.com -- © 2011 All Rights Reserved. Images copyright of their respective owners.

Failing and Winning – At The Same Time?

Fri, 08 Jul 2011 18:42:19 -0500

As I wrote weeks ago, I signed up for a competition only a month or so before it was to happen... It actually happened last Saturday and I am both happy and surprised. Actually I am super proud of having accomplished this oh so scary goal! If someone said to me three months ago that I was going to do this I would never believe it. I only started training in the beginning of May when I found out that there were actually people training this stuff in my backyard. Well, almost.

Hard work.

So, after a lot of hard work and very fast results I finally completed Ockelbo Showlifting, my first competition in strongman!! Or strongwoman. Whatever you like. It was a day in the true spirit of Awesomeness. I set 4 out of 5 new PRs! I finished 6th/last (by far) but I really can't compare myself to the super strong ladies who entered. It was great to meet so many awesome people with the same interest as me! It started with a deadlift. Well, it was higher (knee height), but I’m not sure if it actually has another name. Either way, as I’ve only ever pulled 90kg/200lbs before it was really hard for me to rep out like crazy on 120kg/265lbs. I didn’t actually manage a single rep. But since I didn’t even get it off the ground I didn’t get any points. I was so pissed off after, so when it was time for the next event I had a little more fire in me. Yoke certainly isn’t my favourite event. I had only walked 20m with 100kg/220lbs before, and now the weight was up to 180kg/397lbs. A week earlier I couldn’t even get 120kg/265lbs UP, so it was a PR with 80kg/176lbs. I was happy just to get it over the starting line to get my first point, but I managed as far as 1,9m!

Next event was log press. One Apollon’s Axle of 40kg/88lbs, then three logs of 41kg/90lbs, 50kg/110lbs and 60kg/132lbs. I’ve practiced this like crazy and managed to press 40kg/88lbs four days before the competition. On my sixth try that is. I had never tried Apollon’s Axle before. I was slightly worried that I’d fail it, but it felt easy, so I could go on to the 41kg/90lbs log. I thought it would feel heavier, so I used a little too much force… It came up so quick that I got the balance way too far back (as you can see in the picture). I let it go behind my back (poor shoulders) and then gave the 50kg/110lbs log a good try, but it didn’t really go anywhere. I was surprised to see that two of the other girls only managed the two first ones as well. I was slowest though, so I just got one point. Two points to me, YAS. I need to practice some more log cardio. Heh.

After a long break it was time for Conan’s Circle, 190kg/419lbs. I managed to walk 8,5m before letting go. I got a little sway so it hit the ground and I couldn’t keep it up any longer, but it was a new PR with 70kg/155lbs. This was actually my second time with Conan’s, so I’m super happy I managed to get it up and walk with it!

Lastly, there was a medley. Three tire flips, 20m Farmer’s Walk and finish with two natural stones that were to be lifted from the ground to a 1m platform. The tires were no issue (175kg/386lbs), but apparently the Farmer's wasn't 60kg/132lbs as announced, but 80kg/176lbs (!!), and I walked almost 10m. PR with 25kg/55lbs. After dropping the weights I couldn’t get them up again, so unfortunately I didn’t get the pleasure of lifting those stones.

It was an awesome experience and I think I’ve found my calling! The world will definitely see more of me, but not in the bottom… I’m aiming for the top! Next competition is in October and then I'll be SUPER AWESOME. Promise xx /Wonder Woman

Stop Thinking Like A Loser

Sat, 25 Jun 2011 20:17:01 -0500

It’s not what’s happening to you that matter, but how you react to it. This is important when you come across unexpected issues or problems you are not mentally prepared for. There are a few ways to strengthen yourself mentally, and become the winner that you deserve to be. Focus on the future Whatever challenges you are facing, focus on the future instead of the past. Instead of worrying for who did what and who to blame, keep full focus on your future goals and what you have to do to achieve them. Create a clear vision of your goals and decide how to take the necessary steps on the way. To reach any long-term goals it is also useful to set up some short-term goals. Find the solution Whenever you are faced with difficulties or setbacks, find the answers in the solutions instead of getting caught up in the problems. Think and talk about how to overcome your difficulties rather than dwell on the issues over and over again. Solutions are positive and problems are negative. The moment you decide to start thinking in terms of solution you become a different person, who thinks constructive thoughts and is more positive. See the positive side Assume that there is something good in everything that happens – in every problem there is also a possibility! “Life is a series of experiences, each of which makes us bigger, even though it is hard to realize this. For the world was built to develop character, and we must learn that the setbacks and grieves which we endure help us in our marching onward.” – Henry Ford Sometimes it may not be all that easy to understand what is going on and why things are happening, but if you have an optimistic outlook to begin with, you will find it easier to see the positive side even if it is hard to see from the start. In some cases you need to actively seek it. What have you learned from it? Look for the lesson to learn. Think that what happened didn’t happen by coincidence, but by a special reason. Don’t dig yourself a hole, failing is a part of progress and to be able to get better you need to allow for mistakes to happen. Learn from them and move on to bigger things. The world would never have known about Michael Jordan if he stopped playing basket ball after not being selected to join his high school team. But he wanted more, and it is a master’s signature to constantly work on improving their weaknesses. But the great talent was there all along. At age 21 he became a professional player and from that day on his career went straight up. Jordan led his Chicago Bulls to six NBA titles, won countless titles and holds a gazillion records. Surely you’ll remember the Dream Team and the Olympic gold medals.

On a question of success and failure Jordan replied; "I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed." One of the greatest athletes in history has spoken and what can you learn from this? Keep in mind that this guy has probably failed a million times more than you and still you think he’s better than you. So failure does not make us losers, failure creates winners. It’s easy to forget that the road to success is often filled with failure, but you need to learn how to handle them and move on. You can’t gain anything in life without loosing a little. A positive mental attitude is a must if you want to succeed in your sport. Observe elite athletes and learn from their good and bad sides. Then apply what you've learned from them to you own life, and stop thinking like a loser. By: Isa Olsson Content originally written for Fitmarker.com -- © 2011 All Rights Reserved. Images copyright of their respective owners.

Competing For The First Time

Fri, 10 Jun 2011 14:23:37 -0500

It’s one thing to work out to get in shape. But it’s a completely different thing to prepare for a meet. So, as I revealed last week, I am soon to compete. About a week ago I decided to sign up for my first competition in strongman! Or call it strongwoman if you like (not sure why it needs a separate name, I think we’re equally awesome no matter what’s hanging). This big event is to happen on July 2nd, which is in just THREE weeks. Omghalp!! I am so not ready for this – Oh yes I am! That’s what’s going on in my brain right now. I’m scared, excited, in doubt, certain, etc, etc. I know that I’m not really all the way there yet, but since there are not many competitions like this one for women, I thought I might as well give it a shot! Then maybe next year I’ll not be so nervous when I compete, and all experience is good experience. Since I’m so new in this strongman business I think that whatever the result may be, I’m happy just to have gone there to try and give it my best. It is not very like me to say such things, but the path to Awesome is long, and I shall stay humble and not expect too much. At least I will try.

I will not die. I will not die. I will die.

I told my strength coach about this crazy idea just as I was getting a new program, and I swear, my new program is like the recipe for Awesome! I knew he was great, but not quite that great. I now only have fun, heavy exercises and not a single half kneeling or step up exercise. He gives me two days for a month, and each week has a different set/rep scheme. Day I starts with Front Squats, followed by Push Press, Romanian Deadlifts (omgyes), Inverted Rows and then I finish with Suitcase Carries. Day II consists of Good Mornings, Incline Bench, Zercher Squats, Barbell Curls (never thought I’d see that in my program) and Ball Rollouts. So far I’ve tried each day once, and they are really good. Unfortunately I cheated a little bit (for once) with my warm up before Front Squat Day, and I think that Lance possibly may have put some sort of never-EVAR-skip-warmup-spell on it. I am in agony, but it is oh so sweet. I think that may have been my hardest workout in months. Today (Day II) was not as bad, although the workout was pretty awesome. If I was less sore then perhaps I could have done better with the squats, but being my first time with Zercher’s I think it went pretty well. Of course you will all wonder how bad things will be at this competition. Perhaps it won’t be that bad, but bad enough. There will be a yoke walk of 170kg/375lbs, Conan’s Circle 180kg/397lbs, Log Press Medley 40-60kg/88-132lbs and Box Pulls (is that the right word?) 130kg/286lbs. After dying not only once, but probably several times I shall also have to suffer through the medley with three tire flips, Farmer’s Walks 60kg/132lbs 20m, and a 55kg/121lbs stone (1m). I feel so weak right now. I have a long way to go. Just wish me luck. By: Isa Olsson Content originally written for Fitmarker.com -- © 2011 All Rights Reserved. Images copyright of their respective owners.

Strongman Training Is For Girls Part II

Fri, 03 Jun 2011 21:33:38 -0500

As a follow up from last weeks article I thought I’d get more into depth about my own experiences when it comes to strongman training. I’m still pretty new at this, but I think that other beginners (hopefully a big chunk of them women) can get some inspiration and motivation from me! I think that almost everyone associates strongman with super-hulk-like-caveman, the people you see on TV and in magazines (same with bodybuilding) are often the extreme. It’s not necessarily like that, and it would be great if the world understood that strongman training is F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S training for everyone, depending on what kind of weight you put on of course. It’s a little bit difficult being smaller than everyone else, at least now in the beginning. Most of the equipment we use is pretty heavy for me, which makes my warm-up suffer a little bit, and I often need to put in max effort very early on during the sessions. But it feels good when it’s easy and I get to put on MORE. On my first try I tried tire flips and yoke. The small tire weighs about 175kg/385lbs, so it’s pretty good to start out with. I’m glad it’s light enough for me to work on technique, rather than killing myself for every flip. I think it takes a little while to work out what technique is right for you, no matter how strong you are. With good technique you can always perform better (at least not snap your spine). I really feel that all those squats and deadlifts are paying off here, since you initiate the flip quite low. But it s also important to remember that a tire flip is NOT a deadlift, it is to be pushed, not lifted. I struggled a little bit with technique at first, but I managed to get a good 5x5 out of it feeling very proud. The yoke is slightly more difficult I think, when I first tried I almost stood in the position where you are before squatting. So I lifted it with a neutral spine, but a little bit bent over, at least enough to feel it in my lower back. Suddenly it felt like I was about to do a super heavy good morning instead of taking the yoke for a walk. It was easy to feel when my technique improved. Suddenly I got my hips under and walked taller. I found that putting the yoke pretty low on my back feels better, and it is easier for me to keep my posture through the walk. Last time I went up to 100kg/220lbs, and hopefully I will be able to take even more next time. I have been doing a lot of Farmer’s Walks, Suitcase Carries and Waiter Walks the last couple of months, so when I was introduced to their Farmer’s it wasn’t THAT bad. It was just bad enough to break my hands and chafe the skin off my calves. Concrete is a biatch! But the handles are good and it is a huge difference when the weight is close to the ground, rather than a kettlebell for example, which is what I’m used to. The lightest ones weigh 55kg/120lbs each, which is about 15kg/33lbs heavier than I’ve been walking with at the gym. First time I could walk 3m-2m-2m, and last Tuesday I walked 6m-4m-5m-5m, which is a huge improvement!

Struggling to keep tall

When I started doing strongman training I knew that I would, at some point, have learn how to log press. I started preparing myself with equipment I could find at the gym, because I wanted to get everything right and controlled before moving on to the “real” thing. I did two different exercises to complement each other since you really need a log to actually get the right grip and feel for it. I used an Olympic bar for pressing with a wide grip. This also allowed me to really practise my hang cleans. Oh I love hang cleans. I also hate them. A lot. My relationship to them is rather complicated, but let’s just say that it took me almost two months to get them to look even remotely good, and to get rid of that horrible knee valgus I was suffering from. That is behind me now. Anyway, to get a feel for the kind of grip I would use on the log, I used a triceps bar. This really felt completely different, but better the more I did it. It felt like it somehow engaged my core more, and core is GREAT. Last Tuesday was the first time I was actually going to try it for real, I had only just felt the weight of it before. I worked my ass off. The log weighs 35kg/77lbs empty, which is about ten kilo more than I had been pressing before at the gym. I pretty much had the log right where I wanted it on my first try. Picked it up, sat down, rolled it up on my chest (I swear hang cleans are awesome, and because I know how to do them I save energy that I can use while pressing instead). I also got great advice from the big guys, and I think that the whole atmosphere that comes with working out with awesome people makes all the difference! The pressing part was more difficult, I had a little bit of help up (just enough), and then I balanced it for a few seconds and lowered it myself. I did a few sets of three, I was surprised and really proud that I managed to do that much. Had pretty bad DOMS over the next few days though! So my advice to any newbie; be careful and don’t over-do it… These are the exercises I’m doing at the moment, but hopefully I will be able to do more soon. I just need to man up a little. I still haven’t managed to conquer the stones, the heaviest one is 80kg, and I think my deadlift would be heavier than 90kg if I could pull that one off! I’m going to make a smaller one though, weighing about 50kg so I can start working from there. From Monday on, I’m switching up a level or two. I have signed up for a competition and I can’t wait to get there! I do have some work to finish, it will be very heavy, but I think I can do it. July 2nd is when the party starts. I shall keep you posted. And start a fan club on facebook. By: Isa Olsson Content originally written for Fitmarker.com -- © 2011 All Rights Reserved. Images copyright of their respective owners.

Strongman Training Is For Girls Part I

Sun, 29 May 2011 10:29:22 -0500

All girls. But it is not for pussies. A couple of months ago my mum told me about Sjöbo’s Strongest Man, a strongman competition hosted in my town (of all the places!). I made it my mission to find out more about it and meet the guys behind it. I was lucky enough to meet one of them just a few days later, who told me a little bit about it all and invited me to come along when their summer training started. It started about a month ago, and it is so much fun! I still haven’t really found my role, it’s “Conquering the Weight Room” all over again, but they make me feel really welcome and my confidence is peaking! They have almost everything when it comes to equipment, and a great place to train outside. It’s so amazing to get out of the weight room and train for real. This must be the height of functional training (and not “balancing-spinning-medicine-balls-on-index-fingers-and-nose-while-quarter-squatting-on-giant-ball”). It’s so easy to get obsessed by how many plates you are pulling or how much you are curling that you forget the point of strength itself. The only place where you will need to lift dumbbells is at the gym. They don’t exist in nature. And how often is something heavy you need to lift from the ground shaped like a barbell? And what you are lifting isn’t usually evenly balanced either, so no matter how strong you are in the gym, you may be fooling yourself.

Ain’t nuthin but a ~~penis~~ peanut

Because you are so huge and massive, making sure that your joints are keeping up with your huuoooouge muscles is really important. And while mobility is great, stability may even be more important when you are placing really heavy loads on your body. I would advise everyone to do their mobility drills, but also to combine that with compound exercises that stabilize your joints, rather than isolation exercises where you build muscles and kill joints. Think of a good quality squat for example; hips, knees and ankles need to be mobile enough to allow for a proper range of motion, but stabile enough to keep you from loosing control during the motion. Unstable ankles are great if you are looking for that extra touch of knee valgus, but it may also be your amazing ankle stability that make your squats awesome. Deadlifts and squats are the base of pretty much all strongman exercises. If you are strong in these basic exercises then you are more likely to be able to use your strength to the fullest when you are starting out. If you have a weak posterior chain and an overworked anterior chain you will probably have to reprogram your body and start over from the beginning. You can’t curl up a tire and those stones ain’t gonna lift themselves… If you are not as lucky as me to have strongman people working it at your gym, you can improvise and make your own equipment in the beginning. Tires are usually quite easy to get, considering that they often are a little bit of a hassle to get rid of, and they can’t really be put to much use if they are already worn out. This goes for kegs too. Instead of Atlas stones, you can find natural stones, or fill a bag with gravel to make it as heavy or light as you need it to be. If you want to go all out you can actually make them yourself with concrete. Use pallets for platforms. For yokes, Farmer’s and logs it helps if you know how to weld, but if you are creative enough and not trying to break a world record you can actually come up with really cheap, non-welded solutions. Some links for the ambitious; Strongman equipment on Youtube Ten strongman websites and a few tips for making your own stuff Strongman DIY Stone Making If you turn out to be too awesome for your own equipment you should definitely find other strongmen in your area and work out for real! By: Isa Olsson Content originally written for Fitmarker.com -- © 2011 All Rights Reserved. Images copyright of their respective owners.

What “Core” Is And Why It’s Important

Sat, 21 May 2011 07:17:13 -0500

When most people hear the word core they think of magazine covers of super hot men sporting a six pack. The trouble with this is that people will do every version of a sit up they can think of, the old fashioned ones, with weights, with balls, to the side, crunching etc etc. Apparently core equals trunk flexion in most gyms. I see most of the personal trainers in my gym teaching their clients to do all kinds of spine breaking exercises. I also absolutely love the fact that people think that by working your abs you will (only) burn fat from your tummy. Ah. Just like we all know that tricep exercises will burn off all your flabby arm fat. Posture doesn’t get better by over-working Rectus Abdominus and neglecting the whole posterior chain. The typical computer guy/girl and couch potato already has a posture similar to this horse;

People are missing the whole point of working their core. Guys are always making fun of how I never ever work my core, when in fact, I work it better and more often than they do. Abs are not everything. Most of the exercises I do involve the core muscles in one way or another. The core muscles are there to control rotational movements and keeping the body upright when we lift and move, in every day situations or when we squat and deadlift. Without core muscles you wouldn’t be able to squat anything at all, because you would lose your position in the hole and die. Assuming that you know how to squat that is (like for real). Think about where all your force comes from. Isn’t it true that in pretty must all sports (and certain leisurely activities too) your force is coming from the hips? Shouldn’t we then focus more on working the hips and the muscles around it? People have leg day, chest day, shoulder day, ab day, back day, curl day etc. But they don’t have a specific ass or hip day. Missing the whole point of strength training. The hamstrings, glutes and lower back have a lot more to do with good posture and a steady core than people think.

Everyone loves sports in one way or another.

Heavy Farmer’s Walks, Suitcase Carries, Yoke, Waiter Walks, are great core exercises that work your whole core and help keeping your body stabile. It’s important to keep a good posture, or you’ll make your spine snap. I am also fond of plank variations, push-ups and half kneeling exercises, there are plenty of them. Half kneeling is so much worse than I used to think (ah, finally some relaxing), keeping a correct posture is difficult when your compensating like ~~hell~~ never before. Yeah, Little Miss Perfect does it too. Srsly, your bum, hips and legs will all want to go in different directions. Work that butt. To improve your general bum quality (and therefore you posture) you should definitely do about 300 (well….) squats every week. I know that most people think that you have to squat super heavy every time to get anything good out of it, but I believe that lighter weights, more squatting and perfect technique will improve your posture more than anything else. Technique is everything and omgiloveskwatz. Romanian Deadlifts are awesome as well. And whenever you work your core (and everything else actually) keep off the machines or you’ll be sent to hell where you will lift PINK plastic covered Tracy Anderson weights for the rest of eternity. Good luck with that. By: Isa Olsson Content originally written for Fitmarker.com -- © 2011 All Rights Reserved. Images copyright of their respective owners.

I Don’t Want To Get Bulky

Fri, 13 May 2011 18:20:37 -0500

Actually, that’s a lie, but ladies tell me this every time I tell them to lifts free weights. Mot women think that if you are doing heavy strength training you will develop muscles like Arnold, as if that was easy. It’s an insult to all the people working hard to get their body in great shape. There is no chance in hell that you will turn into a man unless you are doing some heavy juicing, having a super strict diet and copious amount of supplementing. Not many people have the self-discipline or motivation to go that far. Certainly not if you are afraid of “bulking up”. I can guarantee that you will know well in advance if you are on your way to steroid heaven, it doesn’t happen overnight. Toning, firming, shaping… There is muscle mass and fat. Stop being a lazy ass biaaatch and do work! Get the fat off, and there won’t be anything left. Isn’t better to have some nicely shaped muscles under that thick layer of fat you are carrying around? And stop running around like a madwoman, get under the bar and feel the burn. Work intervals. Ditch that hour of steady pace cardio you do everyday and learn to be efficient in your training. Research training methods and get to know your body. Appreciate hard work, because that is the only work that will pay off in the end. And if you dare to go into the weight room, don’t be afraid to try your limits. Leave the 5lbs weights and go all out.

Your man would hit that. Twice.

No one will force you to do bicep curls and fifty sets of bench press. The best thing about being a woman in the weight room is that just by being there you have exceeded their expectations. If it turns out you can actually lift something that is just an added bonus. And you can probably lift a whole lot more than you think, if you can just erase the mental barrier that says “I can’t lift weights”, and just do it instead of feeding your already weak confidence with negative nonsense. I always recommend other women (and everyone else too) to get the ~~f*¢#~~ off the machines and go for the free weights. Personally I have really shitty experiences with machines, I think they are just an evil complement for people who actually have a reason to isolate muscles when they train. Like bodybuilders. I think that everyone else should start with basic compound exercises like deadlifts and squats. Squats gave me a superfine ass. I would advice everyone to get in touch with a well-educated strength coach to get a proper assessment, and get him or her to write you a program. You will have to think about WHY you want to work out. Do you want to get stronger? Leaner? Bigger? Please don’t say “I just don’t want to get bulky”. Source a picture of someone you want to look like. If it’s Adriana Lima, then perhaps you should do nothing and starve. But if you want a sexy body with the curves in the right places (=not on your tummy), then strength training is the way to go. With a little help from Mr Protein. Good luck ladies!

You get the point eh?

First time fat loss wtf

Fri, 06 May 2011 21:19:03 -0500

Alright, so now it is May and I will officially be cutting for the first time. It is truly a jungle out there of inspiration, advice, advice, and more advice. Don’t run, walk instead, no carbs, lots of carbs, etc. I am so confused already and I’ve only just started. I can understand the frustration a lot of people will feel when they for some reason need to lose weight. I’m pretty lucky in the sense that I don’t have much to get rid of. I obviously want to keep those sexy muscles that I’ve worked so hard for, just get a little bit leaner. It would be ideal if I could lose the fat on my tummy since that is the only place where it is bothering me, but I hear that you only lose overall bodyfat, which is completely sane and logic. There are some places I would love to keep the fat... I don’t really have a well-worked plan of action, but I’ve started to do more boring cardio and HIIT training.

So not fat

I’m actually cycling to and from the gym (no more laziness!), which is about seven kilometres. Then I try to do some walking or cycling on my off days as well, but not with the same intensity as when I’m really working it. I cycled 20km in 45 minutes a couple of days ago before breakfast, and I didn’t die. Maybe cardio isn’t so evil after all. Cycling is probably better than running for someone like me. While running you don’t get to rest a single second, even downhill is a pain in the ass. On the bike I get small breaks so I can enjoy the beautiful nature and appreciate the unevilness in cardio. And also catch my breath. My big frustration is what food to eat. I wish I lived alone, and not with people who lives off sweets. I do like sweets, and I also happen to be world champion in mudcake baking. It is one of my well-hidden talents. I’m thinking that someone (me) really needs to make a Delicious Protein Desserts cookbook. The most difficult meal of the day by far is breakfast. I’m a really fussy eater, so it’s difficult to find something that makes me full AND tastes nice. At the moment there’s a lot of avocado, cottage cheese and protein shakes going on. I always try to have my dinner before my workout, as I’m having trouble eating when finished. Post workout shakes are definitely the best option. A favourite on the lunch and dinner menu is bacon, bacon and more bacon (quality, mind). I love RED meat, especially super lean, like fillets and escalope. Chicken and other birds are welcome too. I don’t eat any bread, rice or pasta. I could eat potatoes and fruit 24/7 (I think I was meant to be Irish), although not at the same time. I also make sure to get my vegetables and a lot of milk and cheese. I could never ever cut out dairy.

I love bacon. I have a thing for making bacon artwork, and I’ve actually made a fully functioning bacon mug. I will happily accept any bacon challenges.

The general food intake is pretty good; I just need the self-discipline to not eat sweets/cakes etc. I know I’m not the only one with that problem. Most people seem to cut out all their carbs and walk and/or run. Sensible. But I am not sure whether I should take an eat-twenty-times-a-day-approach, or an intermittent fasting approach. And also, how do I know how much I want to lose?! How much is one kilo fat?? omg numberz so hard. It is crucial for me to set goals to be able to follow any kind of changes to my daily life. It is difficult to know what would be a realistic goal for me to lose, as I have no idea how much difference one kilo of body fat would do. Some people tell me I should go for 0.5kg fat loss per week; other people lose as much as two kilos a week. I have no idea how that could be even remotely healthy, but I can imagine that there is a difference for huge men and small women. Are there any other good ways of measuring fat loss than measuring your actual body fat percentage? Do people use measuring tape? Or should I go for pictures? I have to set a realistic goal for myself so I can keep up my motivation. In my search for different diets and strategies I have come across the ketogenic diet. Apparently this diet, consumed in an “intermittent fasting sort of way” (omg vague), has proven to reduce seizures in people with epilepsy, which I have. And after reviewing my food diary it seems like I eat better on the days where I eat bigger meals less often, and I find it easy to accidentally eat too much if I eat many meals. I think I just need to try different things and see how well (or unwell) my body responds to it. As a confused soul in the fat loss jungle I would love some advice! By: Isa Olsson Content originally written for Fitmarker.com -- © 2011 All Rights Reserved. Images copyright of their respective owners.

Cardio for People Who Hate Cardio

Sat, 30 Apr 2011 05:11:03 -0500

I’m one of those people who always got picked last in the soccer team and used to HATE anything that had anything to do with running/sprinting/moving from one point to another in the fastest time possible (I still do a little bit.) Just because PE always equaled all of that, let’s say it wasn’t really my favorite subject. I couldn't, and still can’t understand the fascination for cardio in schools, because everyone is not the same and there are actually people who prefer strength training and gymnastics. And the teachers never appreciated the fact that you have to be pretty fit to ride a horse on elite level for an hour. They claimed that my condition was so bad that I would be at risk of getting a heart disease (wtf was that all about?!?). Obviously I knew better than to believe them and I am very glad today that I never put any value into the whole running thing. But it does hurt when you’re fourteen and your teachers tell you that you suck.

When I started going to the gym and work out for real, I did my research and learned that there are aerobic and anaerobic cardio. Huge difference. Turns out that cardio actually doesn’t have to be a pain in the ass, but it can actually be fun and challenging! I also happen to be really good at the latter. Excellent as my trainer is, he has actually given me a few exercises that I really like, and that are more anaerobic than aerobic. They get the blood pumping like nothing else and are making me sweat like crazy! I know that you can’t measure an effective workout in sweat, but it does feel good, no one can deny that. There are probably a lot of people who would agree that no matter how much you try to run or cycle you will never get the same feeling of accomplishment as when you are doing anaerobic cardio, like Farmer’s Walks or ladders. I’m no scientist, but I think it takes some time before you can actually gain something from any cardio. It took me quite long (months) before I could actually get “to work” in my strength training. Perhaps it is because it took time for my muscles to properly activate and fire when I needed them to. I bet the same thing would happen if I really tried to embrace running, but that initial barrier is just a little bit too big right now. If my gazongas weren’t slapping my face while running I would perhaps enjoy it more.

So why would I want to do any cardio? Well, beach 2011 is coming up and I’ve heard that apparently cardio can make you lose fat. With the 10kg I’ve gained, there is bound to be a little bit that I can get rid of. Fat loss is completely new to me and I have no idea how to do it, but I’ve started to write a food diary to see what I actually eat. Turns out it is very much up and down, some day I eat way too little, and some days it’s just a little bit to much. Seems like I have a thing for carbs. And also, the time has come to get myself a man. Turns out my gym may not be so worthless after all! I’m trying to clean up my diet, but there are so many different methods of loosing fat on the interwebz that I really don’t know what to do. Right now I’m trying the common sense method. My favorite thing in the world (almost) is the barbell ladder I’ve been given by my trainer. It’s not actually in my program right now, but it used to be, and it was a cardio eye opener to say the least. I do it from time to time to see if I’ve improved, and yesterday was the first time in a while that I tried it. It consists of four exercises, going from eight reps of each to one rep of each, all in all 36 reps of each exercise in every set. First I start with RDLs, second is Bent Over Row, moving on to Hang Cleans and finish with front squats. Yesterday I did three sets with approximately five minutes rest in between. In the first set I took a 20kg bar, but it took me almost ten minutes and I had to have breaks in between because it was too heavy. Then I changed to a 15kg bar for my last two sets, and finished both in about 7 mins each without any breaks. It felt so good and I was completely drenched after. When they were in my program I could only do it without breaks if I used the 10kg bar. My biggest problem with this ladder has been the hang cleans, I used to have a serious case of knee valgus on my right side, but I can happily inform the world that it is now gone, and I’m one step closer to Awesome. I also learned something new yesterday; this is by far the most ass eye-catching exercise in the history of the world. By Isa Olsson Content originally written for Fitmarker.com -- © 2011 All Rights Reserved. Images copyright of their respective owners.

The Journey is the Goal

Sat, 23 Apr 2011 02:31:16 -0500

So it happened AGAIN. I got stapled after an awesome session; I just knew it was going to go up. Until it didn’t that is. I know that I should probably back off from my deadlift singles for a bit, and give it a new try when I’m ready for 100kg. And here comes a great question; how do I know I’m ready? My lack of experience doesn’t exactly help here, and there is no manual. First of all I need to figure out how to warm up properly before my lifts, I can’t do too few and I can’t do too many.

This is what I did yesterday; 4xbar 4x40kg 3x60kg 1x70kg 1x80kg 1x90kg Stapled twice at 100 kg Stapled at 90kg 3x60 So not only did I fail my 100kg, I didn’t have the energy to do 90 again. Then I though that I may as well do a few lighter singles, just to get a feel for the technique. I think the issue was that I, once again, started moving at my hips before ”sitting back” and taking the slack out of the bar. It would be so awesome having an inspiring gym buddy to yell at me when I need it the most. I’m going to start putting the workout videos on my training blog, so if anyone is interested in reading that, then they can also see how awesome I look while pulling (!). And any feedback is of course highly appreciated (as well as shirtless pictures). Preparation is very individual, so even though I’ve asked a few people, I think this is something I need to find out for myself. Some people seem to be able to channel their aggression when they are pulling, which wouldn’t work for me at all. Not sure if it’s just me being a big pussy, but I like harmony and flow, that makes my weights go up. When I’m angry I curl. I curl the fuck out of those dumbbells. Probably because that’s pretty much the only aggression friendly exercise out there. And perhaps bench, but I wouldn’t really know since I haven’t really given it a fair chance. I can only say that I don’t really need to get bigger pecs, and that I’m pretty happy with my “separation”.

It's just not right.

Obviously this harmony/rainbow/girlie approach doesn’t cut it either. I’ve been riding all my life, and I was competing in both show jumping and dressage for ten years. There I had a focus that I have yet to experience during my strength training. It’s not even remotely close to anger, it’s like finding a flow but going beyond that. Not hearing or seeing, just doing. But it needs to come naturally, like an instinct rather than something you do. So I will probably just have to be humble and get more experience under the bar before I find it. The whole journey towards 100kg has been really interesting. I started out with little, and I’ve gained so much. Not only physical strength, but mental. I just really want to get it up before the end of April, since I’ve worked so hard, for a long time, just and only to lift this 100kg piece of junk. I know it’s all in the head. I know I can do it, but why is it so hard to get it UP? By: Isa Olsson Check out my training diary, I write down everything :D …Which makes it a really boring read, but all feedback is appreciated. Content originally written for Fitmarker.com -- © 2011 All Rights Reserved. Images copyright of their respective owners.

From having it all to not getting any

Sat, 16 Apr 2011 02:26:56 -0500

I recently moved back to Sweden after a few years in Scotland. Moving away from a big gym with all kinds of interesting eye candy, to this small little hellhole. To be fair, they have an awesome dumbbell range, but I am not sure when I will be able to do those 100lbs bicep curls. They don’t have a proper cable cross and NO FOAM ROLLERS, but they do offer free fruit and they have plenty of bars. That no one ever uses. I have only seen one guy using the squat rack, but it wasn’t pretty. Nobody deadlifts. There are a few interesting characters that I rarely encountered in my old gym… But the bro’s ain’t pretty.

PVC pipes are hardcore

I'm not sure if it was because I was perving on bro’s in my old gym that I didn't notice any old people or if in fact there were none, but every other person I meet in this new place is way above my acceptable age limit for potential friends with benefits, and not even one is Sean Connery-kind-of-good-looking. I do think it is great that they go, and I am actually taking my own mum there (SRSLY she watched me squat and after that her legs were sore for three days…). I bet these people are pretty pain free and can handle stuff themselves. Go grannies!! There was an age limit in my old gym. Thank god for that. Now I have to watch skinny sixteen year old wieners do all variations of curls known to mankind, without warm up and with poor technique. My favorite thing to watch is when they’ve done 300 curls and move on to bench. Like Bambi on ice. And the female teens are going crazy on the treadmill/elliptical (steady pace of course), all dressed up in matching e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g, preferably a ton of makeup and that bottle of water that only people who actually do work needs. You can feel the tension, it’s like teen foreplay. Foreplay is good, but to unwillingly take part in it with tiny teens is wrong. The gym is open without a key for three hours a day, every single day (yes, it’s that bad. And I don’t have a key), these two fat creepy guys come in and watch. They pretend to be working it (Tracy Anderson weights), but just watch. The place is filled with mirrors as well, so whatever you do, they can see it. It’s so bad my mum even commented on it after last time, saying she was really uncomfortable having them there. I could perhaps handle awesome looking creepy guys, but these two are just really weird. They have a really nasty attitude towards women. I really just want to go punch them in the face and chop their balls off (pretty sure my membership would get cancelled). Oh wise people of the interwebz, guide me. What can I do in a situation like this?

I want to meet John and his friends

I wonder where all the hot people have gone, surely there’s bound to be one or two despite the size of this place? Do I really have to come to the US to get to the goodness? For now I’ll have to perv on myself. By: Isa Olsson Content originally written for Fitmarker.com -- © 2011 All Rights Reserved. Images copyright of their respective owners.

Finding the path to Awesome

Sat, 09 Apr 2011 02:14:07 -0500

Just over a year ago I started my gym career. I found a super cheap gym with hot guys and that was pretty much all the motivation I needed. In the beginning I considered myself pretty weak, but I hate cardio with a passion so that was just never an option. I hopped on the machines and did some Barbie DB stuff, and generally doing everything pretty light. I didn’t know what my goals were or what I was training for, I just enjoyed perving on other people, and get some mental peace. After a few months I was really bored, you can only do so much lightweight bro work before you die of boredom. So, I consulted a personal trainer. I said; make me strong! He said; stand on this bosu and squat with a 2lbs ball. I didn’t know then what I know now, and I had two sessions with him before I realized that this too was boring. Exercises like that didn’t allow me to get stronger, but I could stand on a medicine ball for 12 minutes after all… Balance and flexibility comes pretty naturally to me, so all these girl exercises was a piece of cake.

I realized soon after that I needed to work hard if I was ever going to get stronger and I longed for the testosterone corner. In June last year I took the leap. It was so scary, I was completely alone because no one, guy or girl, wanted to go in there with me. But I made new rules for myself with one of the rules being “don’t be a pussy just because you have one”. On June 30th I did my first sets of deadlifts and that was just 25lbs or so. Looking back I can’t believe how weak my whole posterior chain was, and I can’t wait to see where I’ll be in a year! I tried two other personal trainers after the summer, but anyone, even I, can come up with a program that makes the world spin afterwards. The key is to get a program that targets what I need to work on to achieve my goals. One day in November I was reading Tony Gentilcore’s blog about women and weightlifting and I said to myself “I’m gonna pull 220 in April”. I was on a quest and I needed something more than a bro. After ditching the PT’s at my gym I decided to cross over the pond (Internet is so awesome). I had some friends in Indianapolis and it turns out that one of my friend’s friends were interning at Indianapolis Fitness and Sports Training with Mike Robertson. I had done a lot of reading and researching about everything weightlifting and had read a lot of Mike Robertson’s material even before I actually contacted my trainer to be (his intern that is). I started working with my current trainer in December last year, and in the ten first weeks I gained 15lbs from 128lbs to 143lbs, not really any of it was fat, in fact I was at 16.4% body fat at the end of January after eight weeks of training. I also put another 90lbs on my deadlight from the start until now, 200lbs. My ultimate goal is 220, which I WILL pull this month.

I am so thrilled with the way my body has changed and eternally grateful that I’ve found very wise people to work with. I could be stuck with a bro still if it weren’t for a bit of luck and the urge to question EVERYTHING. I would advice everyone to do so, and also to read a lot, even the bad stuff. It makes you realize how bad it is, and also why the good stuff makes sense. I will also add that I’ve never ever been this happy with my body – I’ve got an ass now. By: Isa Olsson Content originally written for Fitmarker.com -- © 2011 All Rights Reserved. Images copyright of their respective owners.