Make it Last Fitness Coaching

I say it all the time. It is NEVER too late. You CAN accomplish SO very MUCH! It just takes a decision, a plan, a willingness to learn and adapt, intentional effort, consistency, diligence and an unwavering commitment to YOURSELF. :-)

A 100-Year-Old Woman Is Officially the World’s Oldest Powerlifter Guinness World Records recently certified her remarkable achievement.

Too well-stated not to share! While rest is certainly required for many injuries, it tends to be sadly over-prescribed and over-practiced in our cultural vernacular. Movement often = healing! :-)

Training injuries happen. But perhaps the worst thing we can do when something is tweaked is complete stop training.⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ ✅ Exercise has great pain inhibition effects. ⁠⁠ ✅ Pumping blood into an area helps with inflammation. ⁠⁠ ✅ Loading tissues appropriately helps the healing process. ⁠⁠ ✅ Exercise has wonderful health benefits that shouldn't be stopped.⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ 🚨🚨🚨 Rest is rarely the answer. 🚨🚨🚨⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ Use these six strategies to keep your training up while letting injured tissues recover.⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ 1. Adjust the range of motion⁠⁠ 2. Adjust loading⁠⁠ 3. Use exercise variations⁠⁠ 4. Train the uninjured side⁠⁠ 5. Unload irritated tissues⁠⁠ 6. Use Blood flow restriction training. See thebarbellphysio.com for more in-depth articles on this, shown in the image using @sagafitness.official⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠

Yep. :-)

Do you agree?

Happy 4th, all!

In the spirit of the holiday, we're gonna keep it nice and relaxed today. No research info or study summaries. Instead, just a super-decadent way to meet those macro goals. Enjoy!

Chocolate Oat Microwave Mug Cake

PREP TIME: 5 mins
COOK TIME: 1 min
COURSE: Breakfast, Pre-workout, Post-workout, Dessert, Bedtime snack
SERVINGS: 1

INGREDIENTS:
2 tbsp oat flour (easy; just whirl some oatmeal around in a blender or food processor)
2 scoops soy protein powder, plain (or other single-ingredient plant-based protein)
1 tbsp cocoa powder, unsweetened
1/8 tsp baking powder
3 tbsp water

Optional: 1 tsp chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Add the oat flour, baking powder and protein powder too a microwave-safe mug. Mix to combine.
Add in the water and mix again.
Top with chocolate chips (if desired)
Microwave your mug cake for 60 seconds or until firm.
Let cool, then dig in and enjoy!

CALORIES: 197.7 kcal
Protein: 26.2g
Carbohydrate: 16.4g
Fat: 4.4g
Fiber: 3.7g
Sodium: 385.2mg

(Note: The photo isn't mine* but this is essentially what it'll look like: Chocolatey, cakey, gooey yum. :-) (*because I'm a dreadfully horrible photographer. Just message me for the photo credits.)

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY WEEKEND!

Traveling for the holiday? If so, here’s a super easy food hack to help you stick with your fat loss and recomp goals while away from home. YUM!

THE MAKE IT LAST TRAVEL BREAKFAST FOR THE WIN!
- Perfect for packing -- lightweight, compact and no need to refrigerate
- Fits in three small Ziplocs
- Filling, nutrient-dense and macro-balanced -- will fuel you clear to lunchtime, if not beyond
- Can be prepared to your liking – pound cake-dense, granola-y dry, smoothie style, whatever
- Only utensils required are a spoon (plastic will do) and bowl (hotel coffee cups can serve in a pinch)
- Only extra ingredient needed is water -- hot or cold, your choice
- Can be cooked in a hotel microwave, AirBnb stovetop, toaster oven – or just by adding hot water

What to pack:
Ziploc #1
- Chia Seeds, 1 tbsp
- Salt, 1 dash
- Rolled oats or other dry oatmeal, 1 cup
Ziploc #2
- Pea Protein Powder, Unsweetened, 3 Scoops (1 1/2 servings)
- Cocoa Powder, Unsweetened, 1 tbsp
Ziploc #3
- Powdered Peanut Butter, No Sugar Added, 1 × 2.50 tbsp
- Stevia, 1 packet

How to prepare:
1. Empty contents of Ziploc #1 into a bowl, add water and heat/cook to desired consistency
2. Empty contents of Ziploc #2 into another bowl or cup (or even in the Ziploc), add water slowly and stir to desired consistency. Smear over oatmeal/chia base like frosting.
3. Empty contents of Ziploc #3 into another bowl or cup (or Ziploc), add water slowly and stir to desired consistency. Smear, pour or drizzle on top of protein powder/cocoa “frosting.”
4. Plunge spoon into your wonderful bowl of chocolatey, peanut buttery, cakey goodness, insert into mouth, relish in delight and repeat as desired.

Oh, and maybe start off with a piece of fruit or two. Oranges, grapefruits and apples all travel well.

Macros
Energy (kcal) 580.93
Protein (g) 50.36
Carbs (g) 69.49
Fiber (g) 15.61
Fat (g) 14.09

ENJOY!

www.makeitlastfitness.co

makeitlastfitness.com – The focus is on you. The fitness is for keeps.™ Make It Last Fitness Coaching is a small, effective online and hybrid fitness coaching business based in Athens, Georgia.

Okay, friends. Here’s a quick-but-essential bit of FAT LOSS LEARNING for ya!

POP QUIZ: Which of the following has research shown to be true?

A. After 10 days spent in a 20% calorie deficit* WITHOUT EXERCISE, we will lose body fat while maintaining all of our lean muscle tissue.
B. After 10 days in a calorie deficit WITH AEROBIC EXERCISE, we will lose body fat while maintaining all of our lean muscle tissue.
C. After 10 days in a calorie deficit WITH RESISTANCE TRAINING, we will lose body fat while maintaining all of our lean muscle tissue.

(*i.e. consuming 20% fewer calories than burned in a day)

ANSWER: C.

Yep, that’s right. Several studies have shown that when we go into deep diet mode (yes, 20% is a deep cut – and NOT generally advisable without professional guidance), we will LOSE muscle tissue – but NOT necessarily fat tissue – UNLESS WE ADD RESISTANCE TRAINING Neither dieting alone nor dieting plus cardio was capable of sparing muscle tissue in lieu of adipose tissue.

Of course, these studies assume adequate protein intake to elicit muscle protein synthesis and a strength training regimen rigorous enough to stimulate sufficient muscle activity.

I’VE SAID IT BEFORE AND I’LL SAY IT AGAIN, MERELY SLASHING CALORIES AND HOPPING ON THE TREADMILL WILL NOT CULTIVATE THE COMPOSITIONAL CHANGES NEEDED TO ELICIT ACTUAL *FAT* LOSS AND ACHIEVE FITNESS GAINS FOR THE LONG TERM. While the scale may show a nice drop in the short term, the long term effects on muscle loss and metabolic slowdown make it a losing bet.

The good news is that YOU ABSLUTELY CAN DO IT THE RIGHT WAY -- AND MAKE IT LAST. 

In fact it's what we're here for.
:-) www.makeitlastfitness.com

(As always, links to articles, studies or other references are available on request via Messenger.)

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY, EVERYONE!

AND YES, I DO MEAN EVERYONE! Whether you are a dad, have a dad, are remembering a dad, or have borrowed or adopted someone else’s dad from time to time, this post is for you. 

READY FOR A DAD-WORTHY FITNESS CHALLENGE?

The pics above are of my own dad, circa 1969-70? Not sure who the kids are. ;-)) See what he’s doing in both pics?

YEP, THAT’S RIGHT. HE’S SQUATTING! SO . . . IN HONOR OF MY DAD – AND DADS EVERYWHERE – HERE’S YOUR CHALLENGE:

1) TAKE MY DAD’S AGE – HE’S 79.
2) FOLLOWING THE FORM TIPS BELOW, DO AS MANY SETS AS YOU NEED TO COMPLETE SEVENTY-NINE (79!) DAD-WORTHY BODYWEIGHT SQUATS.
3) DO NO MORE THAN 25 PER SET AND REST AS LONG AS YOU NEED TO BETWEEN SETS.

AND HAVE FUN!! 

------
BODYWEIGHT SQUAT FORM TIPS:
1. Stance: Feet about shoulder-width apart. There’s no set rule for exact positioning of your feet (depends on your mobility and comfort level), but a good guideline is for them to turn out anywhere between 5 and 30 degrees.
2. Grounding: “Screwing” your feet into the ground helps engage your muscles, improve alignment, and create stability and keep your knees from caving in.
3. Posture: Keep a proud chest to prevent your shoulders and upper back from rounding.
4. Think as you move: Start the movement by pushing your hips back while you bend your knees. Think about trying to reach the back wall with your glutes. Engage your entire core and stay controlled during the move. Your knees should track in line with your toes.
5. Pause and pulse: Try to hit parallel depth (i.e. top of thighs parallel with the floor) or to your current comfort level. Squeeze those glutes and hamstrings for a count of one or two at the bottom.
6. Stay planted: Drive through your heels and use the glutes and hamstrings to bring yourself back up. Keep the tension in your core and lower body. Maintain control.
7. Finish with a squeeze: At the top of the squat, squeeze those glutes to align your pelvis into a neutral position.

If you do give it a try, lemme know in the comments! :-)

(As always, links to articles, studies or other references are available on request via Messenger.)

www.makeitlastfitness.com.

Always always true. ❤

Hey, friends! If you have a loved one in your life who still smokes ci******es, or even perhaps still smoke yourself, the world of STRENGTH TRAINING may have some promising news for you!

First, just a reminder that a LOT of people still smoke – in fact, over 14% of all US adults still light up at least daily (17% in the 25-64 year-old age group). Ni****ne is an unforgiving addiction. In fact, it’s listed as one of the top 5 most difficult to quit – alongside he**in, co***ne, alcohol and methamphetamine. So, please understand, the struggle is REAL.

But get this: You may actually find REAL HELP by starting to lift weights!

A NEW STUDY HAS CONFIRMED THAT STARTING A REGULAR RESISTANCE TRAINING PROGRAM (WITH ZERO CARDIO) ACTUALLY HELPED SMOKERS TO GAIN SELF-EFFICACY, CONFIDENCE AND CONTROL OVER ABSTAINING FROM SMOKING, WHETHER IN PART (I.E. BY REDUCING THE NUMBER OF CI******ES SMOKED) OR IN QUITTING ENTIRELY.

EVEN MORE, FOR THOSE WHO QUIT SMOKING ENTIRELY, REGULAR STRENGTH TRAIING HELPED THEM TO WEATHER THE SYMPTOMS OF WITHDRAWAL.

OH, AND THEY GAINED MUSCLE AND IMPROVED THEIR OVERALL FITNESS. WIN. WIN. WIN.

So, if you aren’t strength training yet, now may be a good time to start (with your doctor's clearance, of course). And as always, if we can help, just let us know. It’s what we’re here for.

www.makeitlastfitness.com.

(Links to articles, studies or other references are always available on request via Messenger.)

What the heck do barbells have to do with heart health? As it turns out a lot.

Like a whole lot.

Even in this era of Covid-19, cardiovascular disease (CVD) is STILL the #1 cause of death here in the US. In 2020, in fact, heart disease was responsible for 25% of all deaths. Even more, most heart-related deaths occur during the winter and SUMMER months.

But, thanks to a bunch of recent research covering the past few decades, we now know those barbells are actually SUPER-WEAPONS against heart disease. And they're EVEN MORE POWERFUL than aerobic exercise, in fact!

We now know that STRENGTH TRAINING SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVES HEART HEALTH.

Like, by a whole lot.

- It reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease by 40-70%– even in the absence of aerobic exercise!
- It decreases both epicardial and pericardial adipose tissue (the two types of fat surrounding the heart); whereas aerobic exercise alone only decreases the former.
- It reduces the chance of being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes by ~30%!

So if you aren’t strength training yet, now may be a good time start Just think: You’ll not only get to learn how to build that buff bod, you’ll make great gains for your heart in the process. 

As always, if we can help, just let us know. It’s what we’re here for.  www.makeitlastfitness.com.

(And links to articles, studies or other references are always available on request via Messenger.)

makeitlastfitness.com – The focus is on you. The fitness is for keeps.™ Make It Last Fitness Coaching is a small, effective online and hybrid fitness coaching business based in Athens, Georgia.

YAAAAAAY!! IT’S A THREE-DAY WEEKEND!!!!!

Whatcha gonna do with that whole extra day tomorrow? Barbeque and beer? Time at the pool? Hammock and a good book?

All solid options for sure.

Know what else is a SUPER SOLID option? Lifting heavy things! That’s right. Resistance training. On a holiday! One CAN actually barbeque, swim, read AND do a few pushups all in the same day, after all.

And just look what you get in return.

NINE (9) SOLID BENEFITS OF RESISTANCE TRAINING:
1) Increase in metabolic rate
2) Decrease in body fat
3) Reversal of and protection against age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia)
4) Improved body mechanics (balance, flexibility, mobility and posture)
5) Increase in bone density
6) Improved cardiovascular health (in fact, studies show strength training to be significantly MORE effective than cardio at battling visceral fat stores!)
7) Improved blood sugar levels
8) Improved mental well-being
9) Improved quality of life (thanks toall of the above)

Wishing you all a WONDERFUL holiday! Complete with three sets of ten. ;-)