Ciana Revak, Nsca-Cpt

Understanding Energy Balance⚖️

The classic case of weight loss and weight gain are just a game of energy balance. Although in theory it is simple, the amount of factors both in and out are changing daily. That’s why having a basic understanding is crucial for looking at these factors as simple DATA to evaluate.

To lose weight: energy in < energy out
To gain weight: energy in > energy out

There are several equations and calculators out there to find your TDEE. Based on this value, we can then make decisions about how much to eat for specific goals.

In order to make changes, our body has to feel safe. For example, based on my height, weight and physical activity level, my TDEE is around 2,300 cal. If I wanted to lose weight but was chronically eating around 1,500 calories, my body would not function well immediately reducing calories.

Also understanding that energy expended during exercise is a small portion of your total daily expenditure, allows us to make more informed decisions about what type of activities we do, while also increasing our NEAT.

If this sounds daunting to you but want to start feeling and performing better, I’d recommend hiring a coach🙋🏽‍♀️

Any questions? DM me, I’d love to talk💬

It’s the first full week of 2021✨

I know that nothing changes until something changes but I am so excited for what’s to come! I think this is the year that people truly become their best selves and push past their fears and comfort zones.

I heard this mantra last year in .spt yoga class at the rwc and it will forever stick with me! It goes, “everything I am seeking is seeking me”. Ooooh just gives me chills, it’s so powerful!

Believe that things are happening for you and put in the hard work.

2021 has come out of no where and it’s a panic to get out sh*t together. Making new goals, setting intentions, and buckling down to prepare for the unknown.

My wish for you is that you achieve every goal you set, but unfortunately studies show that most resolutions are quit within the first few weeks of the year.

So here are some tips to help you practically make a plan for achieving those goals!

1️⃣Take inventory of yourself, gather info objectively and without judgement. Gaining self awareness about your likes, dislikes, needs, wants, and tried methods will give you a lot of direction when determining how to tackle these new goals.

2️⃣Set realistic expectations. We want to avoid disappointment and burnout as much as we can by understanding our capacity to change. Do you maybe have preconceived ideas about how this goal is typically met?

3️⃣Create an environment that supports your goals. We want to minimize the temptation to act out of line from our intentions. This can mean both physical environment or social environment. This might mean turning off the phone, distancing yourself from certain people, or getting support from an impartial source.

4️⃣List the characteristics of those who are where you want to be. It’s important to understand the skills and action required to make this goal happen, because simply saying it out loud or writing it down will not work. Often times these skills are ones that we struggle with and need to spend time working on.

5️⃣Focus on the process with a growth mindset. The work to achieve your goals will be anything but easy. It’s exciting to picture the end result but we have to focus on how we will get there. It’s likely you might have off days and setbacks but it’s important to take these days as information. Give yourself grace and then figure out what happened, why, and what needs to change.

These tips should be continuously evaluated through your journey of reaching your goals. The more information you can gather about yourself, the better off you are when making a plan for those goals.

Wishing you a safe, healthy, and successful 2021. Happy New Year + happy goal setting!

I want to go to the gym but I don’t know what to do..

Does this sound familiar to you?

After mustering up the energy to get into your workout clothes, get in the car and drive to the gym - it can be super discouraging when you get there to realize that you have no idea where to start.

The good news is that you are NOT alone.

The issue is that we all have a general understanding of the benefits of exercise, or at the least, know that it will probably improve our physique but arrive lost and unsure of what to do.

Here are some tips to help you put together an effective workout

☑️Choose a split
🗓Do you want to work on a movement pattern or a body part?
Upper/Lower/Full Body
Squat/Hinge/Push/Pull
Maximum Effort/Dynamic Effort

☑️Choose 1 Compound Lifts
These would be your multi-joint, bilateral movements. A barbell would be ideal but shoot for quality not quantity.
E.g., Back/Front Squat, Strict Press, Deadlift, Bench, Pull Ups, etc.

☑️Choose 2-3 Accessory Lifts
💪🏽These would include single joint movements and unilateral movements. If you know your weaknesses, hit them here. The list is endless.
E.g., RDL, Back Ext, Tricep Ext, Bicep curls, Back Extensions, etc.

Need help? Have questions? DM or comment💬

Too bad hashtags don’t work anymore because this guy is hands down my man crush🤤🥰

▫️Could knowing the difference between these terms help you reach your goals?

🚶🏽‍♀️Have you ever gone on a long walk and said “well that was my workout for today”?

💪🏽The words exercise, physical fitness, and physical activity have been used interchangeably - but there actually is a significant difference.

🚶🏽‍♀️Physical activity is any movement associated with our daily habits and behavior. Some examples are going to get your mail, grocery shopping, any movement done while working(walking, sitting, etc).

🏃🏽‍♀️Physical fitness is a range of measurable physiological parameters. For example, strength, endurance, or power. A person might be “fit” by means of one of the physiological parameters.

🗓Exercise is planned activity that has something to accomplish within the allotted time. So this would be a specific planned activity. For example you are planning to run twice a week and lift twice a week.

Knowing these terms is important is beginning to understand the recommendations for physical activity by organizations such as ASCM and the CDC. Having these two pieces of information will help you better create a plan to reach your fitness goals.

If you want to take it a step further, following an individualized progressive overload program will produce the best results.

Any questions? Interested in working with a coach? Want a program for the gym? Lmk💬

Movement Pattern Breakdown: Push

We come to horizontal push movements. This simply is describing how your body is in space in relation to the floor.

The push movements I go over in this post are core movements, meaning they involve multiple joints and muscles. In some cases can also be considered functional movements.

We have to first remember the bracing sequence in order to maintain a strong, stable core. This means having a neutral pelvis, tucked ribs and an activated core.

📌Push Up

☑️Set up in a plank position and with hands directly under shoulders and ankles directly on top of the toes.
☑️Body should be in a straight line with the glutes tight to have a neutral pelvis and abs tight to have tucked ribs.
☑️Elbow pits should be forward facing forward (not in towards each other) and elbows facing back (not sideways).
☑️Actively pushing away from ground, we want to protract our shoulder blades and pull them down, not shrugged to our ears.
☑️As you descend, gently glide forward, creating an arrow or triangle, where your head is the point and the elbows are the corners.
☑️As you push back to that start position, keep everything in place (straight body, elbows close to body).

📌Bench Press

☑️Set up by lying on the bench, w head, shoulder blades, and glutes in contact with the bench and feet flat on the floor.
*Something to note here: Having an arch is safe but the core is still braced & you want to make sure you aren’t just sticking your belly in the air at one single point- we want to have a global arch throughout the spine.
☑️Hands should be slightly outside of shoulder width, with wrists straight and the bar/weight is stacked in line with shoulders. *Think of breaking the bar in half, trying to have elbow pits facing forward (not inward) and elbows tracking back.
☑️Shoulders blades are packed (retracted and depressed) the entire lift.
☑️As bar/weight descends, elbows stay close to the body, imagining that arrow or triangle, as the bar moves to bra/nipple line.
☑️Keep braced core & contact w bench driving through feet and glutes to push the weight up.

Movement Pattern Breakdown: Push

Continuing the series of foundational movement patterns, we come to push movements. There are two main directions for push movements: vertical pushing and horizontal pushing. This simply is describing how your body is in space in relation to the floor. For this post we are covering vertical pushing technique.

The push movement I go over in this post are core movements, meaning they involve multiple joints and muscles. They can also be considered functional movements, because the mimic everyday tasks, such as putting something up to a high shelf or cabinet or placing a kayak on top of your car.

We have to first remember the bracing sequence in order to maintain a strong, stable core and to reduce the risk of injury. This means having a neutral pelvis, tucked ribs and an activated core. The braced core and technique is relatively the same regardless of the variation you use.

Vertical Push: Strict Press/ DB Strict Press

☑️Set up standing, with a braced core, feet about shoulder width apart, with glutes squeezed.
☑️Hands will be slightly wider than shoulder width, with elbows slightly forward (but not quite a front rack position).
☑️Shoulder blades are packed (retracted and depressed/down and back)
☑️Rotate the shoulders outward, thinking of turning your armpit forward to face the wall in front of you (not down towards the floor)
☑️Press weight straight up, keeping the bicep close to the ear and a tucked chin (yes, you’ll probably get a double chin)
☑️Descend slowly to start position

Common Issues:
➡️Flared ribs and arched back
➡️Weight in front of the body (usually due to lack of ROM)

Other Variations:
➡️DB Strict Press
➡️Landmine Strict Press
➡️Handstand Push Ups / Piked Push Ups

Feel free to DM me for any questions & comment 🌟 if you like doing vertical pushing movements!