Have you been running a consistent distance for some time but not seeing the fitness results you want? Do you find yourself skipping workouts because you just can’t fit them into your schedule?
It’s time you tryHigh-Intensity Interval Training, or HIIT for short!
What is High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)?
HIIT is an interval training practicethat combines short, high-intensity bursts of speed with slow recovery periods of mild activity or rest and helps to improve your performance incredibly. A HIIT workout lasts around ten to 30 minutes and is known as a very time-efficient way to train.(1,2)
By varying the intensity of your workout, you’ll reap the benefits of both aerobic and anaerobic training. Over time, HIIT can help improve your speed, strength, and endurance.
What Are the 6 Best High-Intensity Interval Training Benefits?
1. Extra Free Time
Interval training is the most efficient form of cardio and can deliver benefits much more quickly than typical cardio workouts. Research shows that 27 minutes of HIIT performed three times per week delivers the same aerobic and anaerobic results as 60 minutes.
2. Burn Calories (More and Quickly!)
Regarding weight loss, intervals are more effective than long, slow endurance exercises.(3)The intense effort you put in means your body must work harder to recover, so you’ll burn more calories in the 24 hours after an interval workout than you would after a slow, steady run. During those 24 hours after high-intensity interval training (HIIT), your body can also produce up to 450 percent more human growth hormone, which increases caloric burn.(4)
3. A Big Smile
Interval training creates a surge of endorphins, the natural opiates your brain produces due tochallenging exercise.(5)Because of its short bursts of strenuous activity, interval training drastically boosts endorphin production, so you’ll experience a true “runner’s high” and feel happy and energized after your workout.
4. Increased Explosive Power, Speed, and Agility
Interval training stimulates several physiological changes that can increase explosive power, speed, and agility.(6)
For example, HIIT helps your body learn to burn lactic acid more efficiently – allowing you to exercise for a longer period of time before fatigue sets in. Interval training makes it easier to go farther and faster with more energy and will also help with your other cardio activities, including hiking, biking, swimming, and skiing.
5. A Healthier Heart
Although high-intensity intervals accelerate your heart rate, they candecreasethe strain on your heart. Over time, cardiovascular exercise can increase your heart stroke volume or the amount of blood your heart pumps per beat. Interval training maximizes cardiovascular benefits, so it can quickly increase stroke volume, making your heart stronger and more efficient. HIIT also maximizes the other benefits of cardiovascular exercise, including decreasing your risk of heart disease and high blood pressure.(7,8,9)
6. Fewer Sick Days
Interval training also amplifies cardio’s other health benefits, including reducing cholesterol(10)and lowering the risk of arthritis and other inflammatory problems. In general, exercise has positive effects on your health and immune system and also can diversify the gut microbiota. But make sure not to overdo it if you’re a beginner: muscle damage and increased illness risk can occur from overtraining as your body is put under oxidative stress.(11) It is always recommended that you find a good middle ground between sports motivation and recovery.
Whether you’ve been spending more time at the gym lately or browsing fresh routines on fitness blogs, you’ve probably heard rumblings about the Push-Pull training method.
If the rumors are true, it’s a holistic approach to exercise that lets you build muscle, increase strength, and improve your endurance—all while giving your body a healthy dose of rest between sessions.
But what’s the difference between a Pull day and a Push day, and what do those routines look like in practice?
If you’re interested in this exercise method, it’s crucial to know how this three-part regimen (which also includes a Leg and Core Day) works on the gym room floor. For a play-by-play on how to replicate this workout style—plus four tips for getting the most bang for your next workout push with Chuze Fitness—read on.
The Push-Pull Fitness Method: What You Need To Know
When people talk about hitting the gym for Push day or Pull day, they’re referring to an exercise method known as push-pull.
The push-pull method is designed to support a well-rounded workout routine that evenly distributes your efforts across all zones of your body. In its distilled essence, it involves alternating between workouts that focus on different muscle groups.1
Typically, push-pull routines are divided between three categories of targeted exercise:
Push day, where you’ll focus on your arms and shoulders
Pull day, where you’ll focus primarily on your back muscles
Leg and Core day, where you’ll skip your upper body and work out your core and trunk muscles
It’s worth noting that many people choose to include a rest day between the second and third days of training. Push-pull routines can be strenuous to power through day after day, especially if you’re new to working out.
Push vs Pull Exercises: What to Do On Your Next Push or Pull Day
You might not realize it, but you probably do a lot of pushing and pulling in your day-to-day life already. Even the simplest things, from hoisting yourself out of bed in the morning (which uses a pushing motion) to opening the door open for a stranger (which uses pulling), can engage your pulling and pushing muscles.
That said, performing these actions on the gym floor looks a lot different. Let’s take a look at some push day vs pull day workouts to see how they differ.
Push Day Exercises
On Push day, you’ll focus on exercises that use pushing motions to strengthen the muscles in your upper body. These exercises work to target your triceps and the muscles in your chest and shoulders.1
Some of the most well-known and popular Push day exercises include:
Push-ups
Pullover exercise
Shoulder press
Dumbbell bench press
Dumbbell chest fly
Dumbbell overhead triceps extension
Dumbbell lateral raise
Pull Day Exercises
So how would a pull exercise look? In contrast to Push day, a Pull day workout routine tends to incorporate strength-training exercises that force you to pull weights towards your body (rather than press them away).
Some cornerstone Pull day exercises include:
Pull-ups
Bent over rows
Renegade rows
Bicep curls
Upright dumbbell rows
Zottman curls
While Push day focuses on muscles in your chest, shoulders, and arms, Pull day works to target your biceps, forearms, and, most importantly, the complex network of muscles in your back.1
Though the arms, legs, and core often absorb much of fitness enthusiasts’ attention, strengthening your back is a vital component of your overall physical fitness. Your back muscles have tremendous influence over your mobility, and conditioning them can promote better posture to protect your spine and can help prevent pain in your lumbar.
Leg and Core Day Exercises
The first two days of Push-Pull workout routines are devoted to your upper body, but the pushing and pulling don’t come to a halt on day 3.
On Leg and Core day, your workouts will be focused on strengthening the muscles in your legs using the same technique you did on days 1 and 2: pushing and pulling. Primarily, Leg and Core day works to strengthen your:
Hamstrings
Achilles tendon
Femoris
Gluteus maximus
Abdominals
Obliques
Pelvic floor muscles
While Push day and Pull day workout routines revolve around the type of exercise you perform, Leg and Core day is designed to encourage different zones of your body to work cooperatively to build strength. This technique can help you improve your balance, stability, and even your awareness of how different muscle groups work in tandem to help you move.
When Leg and Core day rolls around, some popular exercises to try include:
Deadlifts
Barbell back squats
Quadriceps leg extensions
Seated hamstring leg curls
Dumbbell standing calf raises
Hanging leg raises
Should You Try Push-Pull Training?
Push-Pull training is just one approach fitness enthusiasts take to tending to their overall physique at the gym. This type of exercise regimen might be for you if:
You want to gain muscle mass – According to one study, resistance training like those involved in Push-Pull regimens may be more effective at building muscle than other methods of working out. Furthermore, it’s also excellent for building muscle endurance and overall strength.2
You want evenly distributed results – For many gym-goers, the alternating schedule of push-pull routines means they don’t have to worry about overworking or neglecting any one zone of their bodies.
Your body craves time to recover – While other workout methods force you to work the same muscles many days in a row, push-pull training gives your body time to rest, repair, and build back even stronger between sessions.
You can access the best gym equipment – Because Push-Pull training is a uniquely intensive approach to working out, you’ll see optimal results if you have a range of gym equipment at your disposal for your workouts. Having full access to a range of exercise machines and weights will enable you to tailor your equipment to each individual exercise, as well as level up your weights as you go.
4 Tips For Maximizing Your Push-Pull Routine
The Push-Pull exercise routine can seem relatively straightforward, but getting the most out of this technique may require you to make some changes to your approach to exercise and overall lifestyle.
With that, let’s review four tactics for optimizing your Push-Pull workouts, no matter which day is coming up next:
Mix it up – There is no shortage of exercise options for a Push-Pull workout regimen—which is good news for people who tend to get bored by sticking to the same workout. However, it is possible to run up against muscle fatigue if you put your body through the same exercises day after day.3
To avoid getting bogged down by repetitive workouts, try alternating between different exercises as you rotate through Push, Pull, and Leg and Core day. For example, you could spend a week or two devoting your Pull days to Pull-ups, bicep curls, and renegade rows, then swap one or two out for an alternative.
Weigh your options – It’s difficult to overstate the importance of choosing the right weights for your push-pull workouts, and size can vary between the exercises you’re performing. The right weights for you should spike your heart rate in your first few reps, but they shouldn’t prevent you from feeling so fatigued you can’t proceed with your next exercises after finishing your set.4
Add in “Rest Days” – As we’ve mentioned, many fitness enthusiasts swear by rotating a “Rest Day” into their three-day Push-Pull regimens. This gives your body a day to recover, thereby promoting tissue repair, muscle growth, and avoiding injuries in the long run.5 Plus, even if you take a day off, push-pull will still enable you to exercise all of your major muscle groups twice a week.
Ramp up your sleep hygiene – Getting the proper amount of sleep (at least 7 hours per night) is crucial for staying on top of your physical fitness.6 At the gym, you’re breaking down your muscles—and they’re only able to build back stronger while you’re asleep, when your body packs on new fibers and proteins to your muscles.7 In other words, your workout can only come full circle if you get in your nightly Z’s.
Finally, Push-Pull training is recommended for people who can commit to working out between three to six days each week.8
Like many other styles of working out, Push-Pull takes time and determination to yield results—so if you do choose to make it the cornerstone of your fitness regimen, make that commitment in a community that can motivate and encourage you along your journey. The push pull workout routine also helps encourage muscle growth and target almost every muscle group with a simple routine.
Push Your Workout to the Limit with Chuze Fitness
Every so often, the motivation hits to find a new workout routine, take a fresh approach to your fitness goals, and find a gym buddy who’s as motivated to meet them as you are.
Chuze Fitness is that gym buddy—we just haven’t met yet.
At Chuze Fitness, we believe that achieving fitness individual goals depends on the power of the community behind them. With fitness classes, content from our iChuze wellness app, and dedicated fitness experts on stand-by to answer all your exercise questions, our fitness centers aren’t just gyms. They’re vibrant hubs of activity where everyone is encouraged to push (and pull) towards their own fitness standard. Whether you’re looking to incorporate turf workouts into your routine or try out new exercises, we’re here for you.
To join our community and jump-start your personal wellness goals, use our gyms near me feature to find a location and introduce yourself today.
Reviewed By:
Ani is the Vice President of Fitness at Chuze Fitness and oversees the group fitness and team training departments. She’s had a 25+ year career in club management, personal training, group exercise and instructor training. Ani lives with her husband and son in San Diego, CA and loves hot yoga, snowboarding and all things wellness.
Some people go to the gym just to look good, and that’s a fine goal to have. They spend time and effort working various muscle groups to improve their aesthetics and reach their dream physique. Yet, some body parts aren’t always given the same attention as others.
Credit: Ruslan Shugushev / Shutterstock
Let’s be real. The calves are commonly ignored. That’s a shame, because not only do muscular calves contribute to a well-balanced, eye-pleasing physique, but they also support optimal knee and ankle health and performance. And what more simple exercise than the standing calf raise to develop this muscle group? Let’s take a look at this effective exercise, and learn how and why it should no longer be overlooked.
How to Do the Standing Calf Raise
The standing calf raise is a pretty straightforward movement, but it’s certainly possible to have problems with performance. Let’s cover proper use of this machine to deliver complete calf development.
Step 1 — Get Into the Starting Position
Credit: Ascendancy Fitness / YouTube
Set your feet roughly shoulder-width apart on the block or step. Only the front halves of your feet should be on the step. Your heels should be hanging in the air. Keep your balance by holding the shoulder pads or support handles. Make sure your hands stay away from the weights and any moving parts.
Keep your knees bent and your back straight as you place your shoulders under the pads. Stand tall by pushing into the balls of your feet and straightening your knees. Keep your core tight to maintain a straight back.
Form tip: Adjust the shoulder pad height so you can stand upright with additional room to perform a full range of motion calf raise. When standing tall, you should be able to rise onto your toes while keeping a straight line from your shoulders to your feet. If you have to hunch over or bend your knees, the exercise won’t be as efficient.
Step 2 — Push Through the Balls of Your Feet
Credit: Jasminko Ibrakovic / Shutterstock
Push through the balls of your feet to raise your heels as high as possible. Keep your legs straight to prevent larger leg muscles from helping. Pause for one second at the top and flex your calves as much as possible. Keep your upper body stable. Resist any urge to shrug your shoulders while your feet move.
Form tip: Completely extend your ankles, pushing all the way to the top. The range of motion is relatively limited on this exercise because the ankle is a relatively small joint. Don’t reduce the range of motion further by stopping before your calves are fully contracted.
Step 3 — Lower Your Heels Slowly
Credit: Ascendancy Fitness / YouTube
Let your heels sink slowly towards the ground, dorsiflexing your foot (letting your heels drop below your toes). Your calves should be in a fully stretched position.
Stay in the stretched position for a second to prevent rebounding or momentum before repeating for additional repetitions.
Form tip: The stretch is an important component of calf growth, so don’t be afraid of feeling a stretch in the bottom position. However, some people lack ankle mobility and have limited range of motion. To minimize the risk of injury, use a slow, controlled speed and avoid dropping quickly into the bottom position.
Standing Calf Raise Mistakes to Avoid
When it comes to building muscular calves, mistakes will stop muscle growth in its tracks. If you want gains, performing each repetition perfectly is of the utmost importance. Here are the most common errors to avoid.
Fast, Rebounded Repetitions
This is the ultimate calf training sin. You might be tempted to use the stretch reflex (rebound) and rush through fast-paced reps in order to lift more weight or make the set easier, but this will just result in eternally puny calves.
Credit: Jasminko Ibrakovic / Shutterstock
The exercise’s range of motion is relatively limited, so if you rush through each rep, the time under tension will be minuscule, resulting in poor growth. This is reinforced by the fact that the calves typically have a lot of type I muscle fibers which respond better to longer sets and more volume. (1)
Avoid it: For optimal muscle growth, slow down the repetitions and don’t shy away from using pauses at the top contraction or in the bottom stretched position.
Cutting the Range of Motion Short
Performing a full range of motion has been proven optimal for muscle growth, especially in the lower body. (2) As such, you have to make sure you go as low as your ankles will allow and flex as high as you can during each repetition.
Credit: Jasminko Ibrakovic / Shutterstock
Short-changing the range of motion can be as bad for muscle growth as blasting through repetitions at warp speed. Calves can be a notoriously hard to grow muscle group. (3) If you want to progress, you will have to accept some muscle-building, muscle-burning discomfort, and ensure you squeeze the muscle through every possible fraction of an inch.
Avoid it: On every single repetition, sink as low as you can in the stretched position. Tension around your ankles will tell you when it’s far enough. Also, push through your toes and imagine your heels reaching the ceiling during the peak contraction.
Using Leg Drive to Move the Weight
Sometimes you can cheat the standing calf raise without even noticing, especially when going heavy. Leg muscles like the glutes and quadriceps are very strong and your body will instinctively “want” to use them to help move the weight, but that reduces the work done by the calves and reduces the muscle-building stimulus.
Credit: Jasminko Ibrakovic / Shutterstock
If your knees begin bending and straightening during the exercise, or if your body bends forward at the hips, you’ll be shifting focus away from the calves and onto other muscle groups.
Avoid it: Focus on a mind-muscle connection with your calves. Instead of just thinking about “lifting the weight up,” think about specifically pushing through your toes. Keep your body straight throughout the set and pay particular attention to your knees and hips.
Benefits of the Standing Calf Raise
Even though calf training is often overlooked, this exercise can find its place in most training regimens. Here are the most important reasons why.
Muscle Growth
The standing calf raise is one of the best lower leg exercises for hypertrophy. The standing position is an efficient way to target the gastrocnemius — one of the two heads of the calf muscle.
Because of the muscle recruitment and potential time under tension, standing calf raise can bring a significant visual change to your calf development. If there’s only one calf exercise you could do, this would be top of the list.
Explosive Power
If you care about athleticism or sports performance, this standing calf raise actually help. Calf training helps you jump higher and more frequently by allowing your body to produce more force, absorb more force eccentrically (during landing), and reinforce tendon strength and total-body stability so you are more resilient.
The lower leg muscles have an active part in the ankles and knees functions. Every movement that mobilizes these joints — such as running, kicking, tackling, and jumping — will benefit from calf training. Strengthening your calves will help you be a more complete and efficient athlete.
Healthier, Stronger Ankles and Knees
Standing calf raises can eventually improve your ankle mobility by gradually stretching your calves. The calves will also increase in size and strength, resulting in more control and resilience over the ankle and knee joints. (4)
This carries over to everyday life, since many people are on their feet all day long. It’s especially relevant if you walk, run, or play sports that heavily involve your legs.
Muscles Worked By the Standing Calf Raise
The standing calf raise is considered a single-joint isolation exercise, because the only movement should be at the ankle joint. The movement focuses training stress on a single muscle group — the triceps surae, more commonly known as the calves, which are the main muscles in the lower leg.
Gastrocnemius
The gastrocnemius is one of two heads of the calf muscle. Sometimes shortened to “the gastroc,” it runs from the back of your knees to your ankles. The gastroc is the larger of the two calf heads and it’s the one you see the most.
Credit: vladee / Shutterstock
Its function is plantar flexion of the foot (extending the ankle and pointing the toes down). It also plays a role to assist your hamstrings when bending your knees. This is a muscle heavily involved in running, jumping, and walking.
Soleus
The soleus is the other head of the calf muscle. This deeper section is located between the gastrocnemius and the lower leg bones. This muscle is significantly involved in plantar flexion (lowering your toes below your heels). The soleus isn’t as big, but it is relatively powerful and it’s crucial for running, walking, and standing tall.
Who Should Do the Standing Calf Raise
Those who completely avoid calf training are sorely mistaken, especially if they want complete physical development. Many lifters should introduce this exercise into their training because it has more to offer than just hypertrophy.
Bodybuilders and Physique Athletes
If you’re interested in an aesthetic, symmetrical physique, you should never skip calves. In fact, in the early days of classic bodybuilding, lifters would aim to have their calves as big as their arms. The legendary Arnold Schwarzenegger supposedly “calf-shamed” himself by frequently wearing shorts, so the constant sight of his relatively small calves would be motivation to train them intensely.
Many people still overlook calf training but, along with your forearms, they are the most visible parts of your body most of the time. In any case, if you’re chasing aesthetics, you cannot avoid working any body part.
Strength Athletes
Calf training won’t directly carry to your big lifts, but it can actually be very valuable to strength athletes. Indeed, the calves help knee and ankle stability, and this is especially true of the soleus because it is more active when your knees are bent — like in the squat.
Moreover, calf training can also improve ankle mobility, which is critical for proper squat mechanics and overall lower body health. If you’re a strength athlete who’s experiencing knee pain, has trouble reaching squat depth, or is experiencing instability when lifting, you should give calf training a go.
Sports Athletes
In athletics, injury prevention is key. Directly training the calves can result in calf muscles that can withstand more shock while improving ankle mobility and resiliency — especially with respect to the Achilles tendon, a vulnerable part of any athlete’s body.
Athletes experience constant stress on the ankle and knee joints when changing direction, sprinting, and performing plyometric movements on or off the field. These activities can be some of the most potentially dangerous movements one can perform if their body’s support structures aren’t durable. As such, if you’re an athlete that cares about knee or ankle injury prevention, you should train your calves.
How to Program the Standing Calf Raise
Being an isolation exercise that targets a single muscle group, it makes no sense trying to go super-heavy with this exercise because it’s less efficient and other muscles will be recruited.
Moreover, calves typically react better to a longer time under tension and higher volume, because they have a high proportion of slow muscle fibers. They are best trained with moderate-to-high rep schemes.
Moderate Weight, Moderate Repetitions
This is a classic, proven hypertrophy scheme. Three to five sets of eight to 12 repetitions will work just fine. The weight should be as heavy as you can handle to the rep range, but not at the expense of form. You should be able to control the weight at all times, achieve a full stretch, and be able to contract maximally without compromising the range of motion.
Light Weight, High Repetitions
Going lighter for higher repetitions is a surefire way to scorch your calves if you have trouble feeling them, and can serve as a great finisher. Two to three sets of 15 to 25 repetitions, reaching muscular failure at the last repetition, is a great way to accumulate volume and grow your calves.
Tempo Work
If you’re a more seasoned lifter, spicing up your calf training can spark new gains and motivation. Calves are particularly responsive to tempo training — manipulating the speed of the lifting and lower phases of each repetition.
For unprecedented soreness and muscle stimulus, try a two-part approach with several sets emphasizing the stretched position followed by several sets emphasizing the contracted position. Two to three sets of 10 to 15 repetitionswith a two-second pause at the bottom, followed by two to three sets of 10 to 15 repetitions with a two-second pause at the top of the contraction.
Going Beyond Failure
If you’re an advanced lifter, you might still need to crank up your calf training to the next level in order to progress. Warning: The muscle burn will be uncomfortable, but tremendously efficient. This approach strategically uses partial range of motion repetitions after exhausting the muscle with a full range of motion, to increase the total time under tension.
Perform one to two sets of 10 repetitions to failure, followed immediately by 10 partial repetitions (doing only the lower half of the range of motion), and then hold the deepest stretch position possible for 10 more seconds.
Standing Calf Raise Variations
Whether you don’t have access to the standing calf raise machine or just want to spice things up, you’re covered. Here are variations that will share the same benefits.
Smith Machine Standing Calf Raise
The Smith machine is a great tool because it takes balance out of the equation and, as such, will be the closest variation to the basic standing calf raise machine. Grab a step or short block and place it directly under the bar, so you increase the range of motion and enjoy a nice stretch.
Set up like you would be doing a standard calf raise, with the front half of your toes on the step, and place the barbell across your traps or upper back, similar to a back squat position.
Leg Press Calf Raise
This is an awesome variation that allows you to focus on your calves with even more total-body stability. Not only is there no stabilization required, but you’re seated in a fixed position and only have to think about using your calves without any upper body involvement.
Sit in the machine and push the platform away. Position the balls of your feet on the bottom of the platform, so that the lower half of your feet are hanging. Keep your legs straight and simply push the weight away through the balls of your feet.
Single-Leg Standing Calf Raise
By working one leg at a time, we’re making the exercise more challenging and more focused on the working muscle. This variation can also help to improve balance, core bracing, and can address muscular imbalances. (5) (6)
Grab a dumbbell and hold it the same side as the leg you will be working. Step onto a platform with only the ball of your foot and let your other leg hang in the air. Use your free hand to hold an stable, stationary object (like a rack) for balance, then brace your core and perform the calf raise.
Standing Calf Raise Alternatives
If the standing calf raise bores you to tears, or if you want to stimulate your calves differently for a complete lower-leg workout, try these alternatives.
Seated Calf Raise
This machine is one of the most popular calf exercises and it complements the standing version. Because your legs are bent, you will focus more on the soleus due to the particular attachment points of the muscle around the knee joint.
An added benefit is that it’s nearly impossible to use your upper body, quads, or hips to cheat the movement. You can strictly focus on your calves. This machine works the exact same way as the standing calf raise, but you’re simply seated with the pad on top of your knees instead of your traps.
Squatting Calf Raise
This movement is ideal if you don’t have access to specialized training equipment. Hold a stationary object with both hands and squat down to parallel, or a bit lower if comfortable. Slowly raise your heels as high as possible before lowering them down to the ground.
Not only will this exercise train your calves, and especially your soleus, it will also challenge your balance, proprioception, and knee and ankle stability in a unique way. As you progress, you can try the exercise while holding a dumbbell or kettlebell like a goblet squat (keeping the weight against your chest).
Tiptoe Farmer’s Walk
If you’re the kind of person that loves functional training, give this exercise a try. Simply grab a pair of dumbbells and start walking on your toes. Keep your core braced, your shoulders pulled back, and chest up.
Rather than total repetitions, go for distance, for time, or until your calves give up on you. This is a fantastic way to end a workout and sneak in some extra work for your core, traps, and forearms at the same time. Bonus: you’ll also burn some calories.
FAQs
Do I need to work my calves specifically?
Yes and no. Calves are stimulated indirectly by many other exercises like running, lunges, and squats. So they’re somewhat activated as assistance muscles. But if you want to focus on increasing the size of your calves, you will have to target them directly.
Calves are a notoriously hard to grow muscle group, and indirect stimulus isn’t often enough to build impressive calves. Skipping direct calf training also means you’re missing out on the ankle and knee health benefits that come from stronger calves.
When should I train calves?
Most people do calf raises at the end of a workout, typically after other leg exercises or other larger body parts. It makes sense because calves are trained with single-joint isolation exercises, and you want to be as fresh as possible when you’re hitting your big compound exercises for other muscle groups.
If you consider your calves to be a high priority, you can hit them first in a session. This way, you’ll have the most energy to devote to these stubborn beasts, and you won’t risk “running out of time” to train them in a workout. It shouldn’t impact other lower body exercises too much. If it does, it’s a short-term issue until your body adapts.
How frequently should I train calves?
Calves are a very resilient muscle group and they can withstand a lot of punishment while also recovering relatively fast. Start with one weekly session. After a few weeks, if you don’t see any progress and feel that your calves can withstand it, increase to two sessions.
Repeat this process as much as needed. Do not be afraid of training them frequently. You can bump this number up to three or four sessions per week if needed, because calf training is relatively low stress on the rest of your body, unlike trying to deadlift four days per week, for example.
Stop. Skipping. Calves.
The standing calf raise machine is found in the corner of most gyms but it’s, sadly, underutilized. It’s a time-tested exercise that packs size onto a body part most lifters would conveniently ignore. Make room for this efficient exercise in your training, or just walk around in shorts until you’ve convinced yourself to fix the problem.
References
Edgerton VR, Smith JL, Simpson DR. Muscle fibre type populations of human leg muscles. Histochem J. 1975 May;7(3):259-66. doi: 10.1007/BF01003594. PMID: 123895.
Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J. Effects of range of motion on muscle development during resistance training interventions: A systematic review. SAGE Open Med. 2020 Jan 21;8:2050312120901559. doi: 10.1177/2050312120901559. PMID: 32030125; PMCID: PMC6977096.
Lawrence W. Weiss, Frank C. Clark, David G. Howard, Effects of Heavy-Resistance Triceps Surae Muscle Training on Strength and Muscularity of Men and Women, Physical Therapy, Volume 68, Issue 2, 1 February 1988, Pages 208–213,
Elias, John & Faust, Alfred & Chu, Yung-Hua & Chao, Edmund & Cosgarea, Andrew. (2003). The Soleus Muscle Acts as an Agonist for the Anterior Cruciate Ligament: An in Vitro Experimental Study. The American journal of sports medicine. 31. 241-6. 10.1177/03635465030310021401.
Cirer-Sastre R, Beltrán-Garrido JV, Corbi F. Contralateral Effects After Unilateral Strength Training: A Meta-Analysis Comparing Training Loads. J Sports Sci Med. 2017 Jun 1;16(2):180-186. PMID: 28630570; PMCID: PMC5465979.
Bradić, Josipa & Kovačević, Erol & Babajić, Fuad. (2011). Effects of unilateral strength training on balance performance.
Feel like you’re just going through the motions lately? Wish your days had a little more wonder … a little more magic and meaning in them? Hey, it’s been a CRAZY few years — I think we all feel that way. And, to help, we have a guest post from Minneapolis-based artistLiv Lane to help us all find a little wonder in the every day.
By Liv Lane
The return to work and workout routines still leaves something missing in the equation. Awe is essential to overall wellness, and after a couple years of testing our patience and endurance, it’s a great time to work the muscles responsible for appreciating the magic and meaning in our lives. A recent study by Lifeway Research shows 57 percent of Americans wonder at least once a month how they can find more meaning and purpose in their lives; a full fifth say they grapple with this question every single day.
The good news is there are ways to instantly start experiencing more joy, connection and purpose – and they’re easier than you might expect! Of course, if you’re experiencing frequent anxiety or depression, professional support is critical. The three tactics below can do wonders for one’s outlook, but they can’t replace professional assessments and tools.
Ready to get started?
1. Start choosing beauty.
After a traumatic birth with my firstborn son 19 years ago, I was blindsided by postnatal PTSD and postpartum depression. Instead of being excited about motherhood, I felt joyless, terrified, and alone. It took lots of therapy and medicine, and a daily practice I call “choosing beauty,” to feel like me again.
One of the unsettling things for me during that time was that I could no longer easily access the angels that I’d heard and seen my whole life. Self-doubt and despair blocked my connection to the Other Side. Then, one day after a therapy session, as things were beginning to feel brighter and better for me, I was sitting at a traffic light and a huge rainbow appeared right over the intersection. I adore rainbows, and it felt like such a sweet sign that I was going to be okay.
That evening, I excitedly told my husband about the rainbow and how magical it felt. I’ll never forget what happened next. Standing in our family room, I suddenly heard the angels’ voices again – just long enough to hear them instruct me to start taking a photo of something beautiful every day for a year and write about it. That’s all I got – but I knew I had to follow that guidance!
I started a blog in 2006 to keep me accountable and carried a camera with me everywhere. I began noticing so much beauty that I’d totally missed before – from a ladybug keeping me company at the gas pump to my son’s toy cars lined up neatly to welcome me home from a business trip. Choosing to find and describe the beauty I found in each day – even on days when I didn’t feel like it – opened my eyes and truly healed my heart. And all these years later, I still lean into that practice frequently.
2. Activate your intuition.
We all have intuition that shows up uniquely for each of us – from suddenly getting a strong feeling about a situation to thinking of an old acquaintance who suddenly calls out of the blue. It is an incredibly powerful tool — an inner compass that can help guide our choices and enhance our faith – when we know how to use it and trust it.
In my new collection of WingTips angelic art & guidance, there’s a set devoted to Finding Magic & Meaning. I transcribed the angels’ guidance for each art print, including one on intuition. For that piece, the angels said, “Your intuition is like a flower. It flourishes when you pay attention to it and ensure it gets enough light.”
I love the reminder that our intuition isn’t just an automatic superpower we can take for granted, but something we must lovingly tend to. For instance, if spotting an interesting object or natural wonder immediately feels like a sign from above – like that rainbow I saw after my therapy session – we get to trust that first inkling and not second-guess ourselves. If we feel inexplicably inspired to reach out to someone or take a different route home, we get to follow those nudges and trust there’s a reason for it.
On the back of the intuition art print, the angels further describe how to enhance this inner wisdom, including this: “Your ‘gut’ is the meeting place of grace, guidance and innate knowing. To access its wisdom, you must climb out of the shadows of your fears, opinions and assumptions, and trust the flashes of information that seem to come out of the blue and instantly feel true.”
The more you do this, the easier it becomes to trust this superpower and let it enrich your life.
3. Tell people about it.
That’s right. As you start choosing beauty each day and trusting your intuition more, tell people about it! We need to normalize talking freely about magic and meaning because it’s totally normal!
According to Pew Research, most Americans mix traditional faith with beliefs in things like psychics, reincarnation and a spiritual energy found in nature (from trees to crystals). In fact, 72 percent of Americans believe in angels – and yet I spent years hiding my relationship with them, worried people would think I was nuts.
The braver I got about sharing the magic and meaning in my life, from blogging about choosing beauty to sharing spiritual experiences with colleagues, I was shocked how many people were hungry to talk about it all. So many people are also hiding their own experiences, gifts and practices; they just needed to know they were not alone in order to start opening up.
Your life holds so much magic and meaning, just waiting to be uncovered. I hope you’ll start inviting it in by choosing beauty, honoring your intuition and shouting it from the rooftops. –Liv Lane
Liv Lane has seen and heard angels all her life. But she hid this gift from most as she built a successful communications career, nervous she’d be ostracized for revealing her unique abilities. But by her early 30s, a series of life-changing events convinced her she was meant to share the angels’ light and love to help and inspire others. Today, Liv paints artwork with their guidance and transcribes their wisdom from her studio near Minneapolis. You can find her work at LivLane.com and follow her and the angels on Instagram (@LivLane).
All the women in this community pushed themselves mentally, physically and emotionally during our 8 week transformation.
I am constantly impressed and inspired by the amazing transformation photos and stories you share in your Summer Shape Up Challenge.
Can you believe together you lost over 200 pounds during this challenge! And that’s just from the women who submitted to win! Follow Team LSF on IG to see more!
You all finished this 8 Week Challenge stronger than before and I am so proud of each and every one of you!
These inspiring women, not only have incredible transformation photos but the most heart warming stories!
8 Week Transformation | GRAND PRIZE WINNER
Nicole, @nicole77_lsf
Nicole ABSOLUTELY crushed this challenge. She works full time and is a full-time student, pursuing a master’s degree. Despite her busy schedule she found time to commit to yourself and LOST 28lbs!! She found out a couple years ago, that she has hypothyroidism. She tried to lose weight and become healthier many times but it wasn’t until she found Katie’s Youtube channel that she became invested in herself. “This plan (and the SSU challenge) has taught me how to eat, actually eat, so that I can fuel myself and feel good about what I am putting into my body. SSU taught me how to appreciate a workout, even a quick 10-minute workout, to help my day go better. My favorite part of SSU was the Monday morning live workout sessions and the support that I got (and gave) to so many other women who are striving for their best lives as well. But I have all of these women (whom I have never met) who are so supportive that it helps me to keep going, even when I want to quit on myself.”
Runner Ups
Natasha, @tatatashie
Natasha was ready to stay committed to this challenge and she did just that! She stay consistent with eating healthy and working out and she lost 11lbs!!
“This challenge put the life back in me. I truly had to dig deep and remember my why. The week before the challenge I went and filled my fridge with all healthy foods. I was 170.6 lbs. I couldn’t believe it. Although that is just a number on a scale, I could feel it in my health. I just wanted to start feeling better and to find my happy self again. Junk food is my biggest battles and the lsf protein has been a game changer. I thought you could never eat any type of dessert but you can have healthy desserts and you can have bad ones in moderation. But with the new LSF flavors of the protein powders I don’t even want the bad sweets anymore.”
Megan, @maeve_moves
This was Megan’s first challenge with us and first challenge EVER that she stayed fully consistent with! She lost 7lbs and credits a lot of this weight loss to making adjustments to her diet with the help of the Hot Body Meal Plan. Using the guidelines and swaps makes it so easy to make it work for you, “I feel so empowered to make the best decisions for myself now.”
One of Megan’s favorite parts of the challenge was how engaged the LSF community was. She loved how the whole LSF community continued to encourage each other and engage on social media even when the challenge ended. Megan said this was the best 8 week periods of her life because she felt good every day.
Our Pink Heart Award goes to…
Sara-Lynn, @lsf_saralynn
This is a serious 8 week transformation!
Sara-Lynn was so encouraging and kind to everyone during this challenge even when her busy schedule came into play.
Her commitment to the Hot Body Meal Plan, 14 Day Shape Up, and her workouts was so inspiring to others throughout the challenge!
These women crushed the Summer Shape Up Challenge and went above and beyond for themselves and for this whole community. I am so proud you all!
During the recent 2022 North American Powerlifting Federation (NAPF) North American Regional Powerlifting Championships, powerlifter John LaFlamme (93KG) squatted 198 kilograms (436.5 pounds) raw. The strength feat demonstrating LaFlamme’s leg power is a new Masters 4 (ages 70-plus) International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) World Record. The contest took place on August 14-20, 2022, in Panama.
The 71-year-old LaFlamme’s new record surpasses the previous mark by 5.5 kilograms (12.1 pounds). Christian Buchs, 74, held the past record with a squat of 192.5 kilograms (424.4 pounds) at the 2019 European Powerlifting Federation (EPF) European Masters Classic Championships.
LaFlamme donned a lifting belt and had knee sleeves on to help him capture this record squat.
LaFlamme’s fresh squat record in the Masters 4 division might be even more noteworthy, considering he moved up a weight class. The American athlete has competed as an 83-kilogram competitor in 11 of 12 contests dating back to October 2018. On this occasion, per LaFlamme’s social media, he weighed in at 198 pounds or 89.8 kilograms — enough to compete in the 93-kilogram category.
By capturing the Masters 4 IPF World Record in the 93-kilogram division, LaFlamme now owns the record mark in both the 83 and 93-kilogram weight classes. LaFlamme squatted 193 kilograms (425.5 pounds) at the 2021 IPF World Classic Powerlifting Championships for the 83-kilogram record; he also won the contest.
“In 2020, the year I became a Masters 4 [powerlifter], my goal was to compete twice internationally to break both the Masters 4 83-kilogram and 93-kilogram weight class raw squat World Records,” LaFlamme said on Instagram. “A huge thanks to the NAPF community for your kindness and friendship at the 2022 NAPF Championships.”
LaFlamme has been competitive powerlifting in some capacity since April 1978. After an absence from the mid-1980s through the 2000s, he returned as a Masters 60-64 competitor in November 2013. Here’s a rundown of LaFlamme’s all-time competition bests:
Should LaFlamme add just two kilograms (4.4 pounds) to his squat in a future competition, he would become the first Masters 4 powerlifter to squat at least 200 kilograms(440.9 pounds). Notably, LaFlamme once squatted 210 kilograms (462.9 pounds) at the 2018 USA Powerlifting Virginia State Championships. However, LaFlamme was 67 years old then, and that was as an Open competitor.
Between several Open and Masters divisions since 1978, the next time LaFlamme competes will also be his official 50th competitive appearance as a powerlifter. It’ll be but another achievement for a long-time powerlifting icon.
You might not often think about the muscles in your shoulders and upper back—or how important they are. But it’s worth taking a moment to consider the wide range of movements and functions you perform every day that rely on those muscles.
From the work you do at your computer to the many tasks you perform at home, your shoulders and back are an integral part of how you move through life. Fortunately, there’s a simple way to keep your shoulder and upper back muscles well-conditioned so that they’re up to every challenge you throw at them: dumbbell reverse flys.
What Are Reverse Flys?
Reverse flys are a simple but effective exercise you can do at home or at the gym. They don’t require any fancy equipment or expensive personal trainers. In fact, all you need is a pair of dumbbells, a few spare minutes, and a tiny bit of determination.
If you’re wondering how to do a reverse fly with dumbbells, see these three easy steps:
Step #1 – Begin by grasping the dumbbells at your sides and standing with your feet shoulder-width apart. Then, bend over so that your chest is parallel with the floor while keeping your legs and hips upright. Your arms should hang comfortably toward the floor.
Step #2 – Take a deep breath while holding that position. As you exhale, slowly raise your arms out and away from your body, as if you’re about to take flight. Remember to keep your elbows at a slight angle and focus on bringing your shoulder blades together where they meet at your spine.
Step #3 – On the inhale, slowly lower your arms to the starting position. As you do so, remember to keep your chin tucked toward your neck to ensure that your spine remains properly aligned throughout the exercise. Repeat the movement as many times as you feel fit or you can. For best results, take care not to hunch your shoulders during this step.
6 Benefits of Reverse Flys
For such a simple and relatively low-intensity exercise, you might be surprised by how many varied benefits you can gain from performing reverse flys with dumbbells. But the dumbbell reverse fly exercise focuses on important muscles in your shoulders and upper back that you use all day long.
This means that keeping those muscles strong, nimble, and well-conditioned can drastically improve your physical health in several ways.
Here are six reasons incorporating reverse flys into your exercise routine is an excellent idea:
They can strengthen rear shoulder muscles – Reverse flys work your posterior deltoids, the muscles at the rear of your shoulders. Keeping your shoulder muscles strong helps promote proper shoulder joint function and protects the joints from injury.1
They can help you build upper back muscles – Besides building upper arm strength, Reverse flys can also strengthen the rhomboid and trapezius muscles in your upper back, similar to a pullover exercise. These muscles are crucial for your posture and your mobility, so keeping them in prime condition is important.2
They can improve posture – Another function of the muscles in your rear shoulder and upper back is keeping you upright. When those muscles are strong, they’re better able to support the rest of your body, keeping your posture on point.3
They can help you with balance – Some studies link an array of shoulder and upper back issues with imbalance while standing, walking, or running, suggesting that taking care of those muscles can also keep you well-balanced.4
They may reduce pain and mobility issues – For people who work in offices or at computers, stress, strain, and pain in the shoulders and upper back can result from spending too much time hunched over their workstations. Reverse flys can help reduce pain associated with that kind of stress and help reduce the mobility issues that can occur.3
They can help with functional fitness – Performing reverse flys can be a boon to your overall functional fitness. Functional fitness refers to your ability to perform regular, everyday tasks and actions like picking things up, rising from a sitting position, or putting something away on a high shelf.5
From targeting different shoulder muscle groups to reducing pain, the simple dumbbell reverse fly exercise is worth adding to your upper body routine.
Build Your Body Better with Chuze Fitness
Knowing the exercises and workouts that can help you build a stronger, healthier body is one thing. But knowing how to incorporate them into your fitness routine is quite another. That’s where Chuze Fitness comes in.
At Chuze Fitness, our friendly team of fitness experts can help you discover the best exercises for your fitness goals and show you how to perform them safely and effectively. Whether you’ve got your eyes on incorporating turf workouts or trying out a barre workout, create your routine with Chuze Fitness.
With several facilities located in different states, you can easily find “gyms near me.” When you do, you’ll be introduced to a fitness community that’s there to support and encourage you in your fitness journey.
With fitness classes, our iChuze app for fitness anytime, and even a customized Spotify playlist to keep you pumped, Chuze fitness is the obvious choice. Keep your fitness journey on track with Chuze Fitness.
Reviewed By:
Ani is the Vice President of Fitness at Chuze Fitness and oversees the group fitness and team training departments. She’s had a 25+ year career in club management, personal training, group exercise and instructor training. Ani lives with her husband and son in San Diego, CA and loves hot yoga, snowboarding and all things wellness.
We’ve helped hundreds of thousands of people like you transform into actual superheroes, and we focus on proper nutrition to do so.
These are the exact strategies we teach our Online Coaching clients, and we’ve used these tips to help them lose weight and get in great shape without being miserable.
Plus, we use fun LEGO photos and gifs to keep you entertained.
In this Ultimate Guide, we’ll cover everything you need to start eating healthy today:
Let’s jump in!
The Truth About Healthy Eating
It’s really easy to tell people the following advice:
“To lose weight, just eat more REAL food.”
“Just eat less fast food and junk food.”
“Try to eat more organic vegetables watered by unicorn tears, farm-to-table meals served by centaurs, and kale omletes made with eggs from chickens that you raised since birth.”
Okay so maybe people don’t say the last one.
But it’s not far from what healthy people say to people who can’t seem to get healthy.
In my opinion, these positions are completely out of touch with reality and it makes me plum dog mad.
For starters, fast food is crazy delicious and dirt cheap, and often the only way that many busy parents can feed themselves and their kids.[1]
Next, applying morality and guilt to food consumption (“I’m being ‘so bad’ by eating this cookie”) creates an emotional rollercoaster – my least favorite kind of roller coaster.
I mean come on, we don’t need to be told that freshly grown fruits and veggies are better for us than junk food.
We don’t need to be told that organic grilled chicken and kale salad is healthier than a Double Whopper with Cheese.
We all know this!
So rather than “trying harder” to eat healthier we’re going to use things like “science” and “human psychology” and “excessive quotation marks.”
Cool?
Here’s what you need to know: If you’re just trying to be healthier and maybe lose some weight, there’s no need to start funneling kale smoothies, mainlining chicken and broccoli, and abandoning your loyalty to the Burger King.
You can lose weight and be healthy while still eating these foods occasionally.
Heck, people have lost weight by eating Twinkies[2] and drinking soda and eating at McDonald’s 3 times per day.[3]
I share this info not to promote those foods, but rather to make a big point:
If you are terrified of giving up all “junk food”…
You do not need to give up fast food if it brings you joy.
You do not need to feel shame for eating ice cream.
You do not need to use terms like “cheat meal” or “guilty pleasure” when talking about a chocolate chip cookie.
Food isn’t good or evil, my dear friend!
It’s just food!
Let’s bring it all together:
If we have certain health goals, we can give ourselves the best chance of success by getting strategic about what foods we say “YES” to, and what foods we say “SOMETIMES” to.
These YES foods give us more energy and have fewer calories on average than “junk food,” which means we’re likely to eat fewer total calories without realizing it.
We humans are terrible at estimating how many calories we eat.
Like, really really bad at it. I bet the proportions of the above foods surprised you.
We consistently eat much more than we realize, by as much as 47%+.[10]
To make matters worse, we also OVERestimate how many calories we burn through exercise.
One study showed that Fitness trackers like AppleWatch or Fitbit do not estimate energy burned through exercise accurately, some by as much as 90%![11].
That’s why we made this fun infographic:
So when we “can’t lose weight,” it’s not because we have a broken metabolism.
It’s because we consistently eat too much food without realizing it.
Because we always have a ready supply of new energy from recently eaten food, more than we need, our body NEVER has to dip into our stored fat to burn for fuel.
And when we think we’ve out-exercised our bad diet, we really haven’t.
So it’s time to stop “trying harder” and instead “try differently”:
In order for us to get healthy, we need to find ways to include more foods that fill us up AND taste good.
Luckily, I have that list riiiiight here!
How to Start Eating Healthy (Healthy Food List)
There are three big macronutrients that we’re going to focus on as we build our plate like the image above:
Protein: building blocks for our muscles.
Carbohydrates: our bodies will burn as fuel.
Fats: can be burned as fuel, and also helps with nutrition absorption!
#1) PROTEIN: Priority Numero Uno.
Protein is amazing.
Your body uses protein to rebuild your muscles and keep you strong, especially if you are exercising or strength training regularly.
Protein is both good for you AND highly satiating.[13]
Protein can come from any number of sources, including:
A serving of protein is about the size and thickness of your palm.
*The 4 oz serving is for an uncooked piece of meat. Cooking reduces about 25% of the weight, bringing it down to about 3 oz.
When building a plate, aim for the following amount of protein:
Dudes: 1-2 servings (6-8 oz or about 170-228 g): two palms
Dudettes: 1 serving (3-4 oz or about 85-114 g): 1 palm.
If you’re curious, here’s how much protein is in a serving of food:
4 oz (113 g) serving of chicken has around 30 g of protein.
4 oz (113 g) serving of salmon has 23 g of protein
4 oz (113 g) of steak has 28 g of protein.
As we cover in our “how much protein should I eat per day?” you can target anywhere from 80% to 100% of your bodyweight in pounds per gram of protein, with an upper limit of 250g[15]:
If you weigh 150 pounds (68 kg), target 120-150g of protein.
If you weigh 200 pounds (90 kg), target 160-200g of protein.
If you weigh 250 pounds (113 kg), target 200-250g of protein.
If you weigh more than 250 pounds (113 kg), target 250g of protein.
#2: VEGETABLES: The difference-maker when it comes to healthy eating and weight management.
They are nutrient-dense: full of all the good nutrients that your body can use to function at optimal performance.
Next, they are voluminous but calorie-light, which means you can eat lots of them, you’ll feel full, but you’re unlikely to over-consume calories.
A serving of veggies is about the size of your fist.
Remember this is what just 200 calories of broccoli looks like (holy crap). This is at least 5 full servings:
Here’s a quick, non-complete list of veggies that can fill your plate:
These are the foods that can be an important part of a diet, provided you eat them in the right quantities for your goals.
These foods are also great to consume right after a strenuous strength training workout to help your muscles and liver refill their glycogen stores (their energy tanks[17], essentially).
Back to healthy carbs: when consumed in appropriate amounts, these are great foods that can help you feel full and give you energy and all that jazz.
Just make sure you know what an actual portion of these foods are!
A LOT of people accidentally overeats carbohydrate-heavy foods, even healthy ones, and then wonders why they aren’t losing weight.
To help you get better at eyeballing serving sizes:
1 serving of a starchy carbohydrate is 1 cupped hand (uncooked), or your two hands forming a cup (cooked).
Here are some images to help you learn proper portion sizes (thanks to SafeFood):
#4) HEALTHY FATS: No longer the enemy!
Fat had a bad rep in the 70s, 80s, and 90s, but now things are swinging wayyyyy back in the other direction.
In some circles, dietary fat is considered a superfood – the healthiest thing on the planet that also does your taxes for you.
Let’s get to the truth:
Fat is neither a superfood nor evil.
It’s just a macronutrient that you can eat that can help you reach your goals in the right quantity, or keep you from your goals if it’s overconsumed.
When your doctor tells you to eat more healthy fats, she’s referring to polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats[19].
Healthy fat can be found in foods like:
Avocado
Almonds
Walnuts
Macadamia nuts
Olive oil
Almond butter
Peanut butter
Now, science has recently come around on saturated fat too[20]– once completely vilified, but now cautiously considered okay for moderate consumption.
Saturated fats can come from things like:
Whole milk
Full fat dairy
Coconut oil
Grass-fed butter
Lard
Fatty cuts of meat
Fat can be good for you provided you’re eating the right quantity for your goals.
However, like carbs, fats can be overconsumed accidentally too.
To help you gauge: a serving size of fat is roughly the size of your thumb!
THIS is a single serving of almonds (162 calories):
THIS is a serving of olive oil (119 calories, taken from Runtastic):
As you can see, if you’re not careful – you can accidentally eat an extra 500 calories of “healthy fats” by absentmindedly eating too many “heart-healthy” fats.
Many folks in our Coaching Program had us analyze why they weren’t losing weight, even though they “only ate grilled chicken and veggies.”
When we dug into it, they had been preparing all of their food in an extra 500-600 calories worth of olive oil they weren’t accounting for.
To recap carbs and fats: feel free to include a starchy carb on your plate in the form of rice, potatoes, pasta, or legumes. Healthy fats can spice up a meal, provided you’re using an appropriate portion size
I realize that was a CRAZY amount of info, so let’s put it all on the same Healthy Plate:
1-2 servings of protein (¼ of plate)
2 servings of vegetables (½ of plate)
1 serving potatoes, rice, or pasta. (1/4th of plate)
1 serving of fat (size of your thumb)
1 zero-calorie or low-calorie beverage (water, diet soda, tea)
I know that not all of your meals are going to be perfectly segmented like a bento box. For example:
A fatty cut of meat like chicken thighs means your fat and protein are commingling. Cool.
Lentils and legumes mean your protein and your carbs are attached at the hip. Swell.
A burrito bowl with chicken, rice, guacamole, and cheese means all of your macros are cohabitating. Neato!
Salmon cooked in olive oil and coated in almond flakes means your fat and protein have fused. Stupendous!
This plate and serving size stuff above is just to help you get started thinking about healthy food differently and in proper portion sizes:
Trying to lose weight? Reduce your portions of carbs and fats.
Trying to gain weight? Increase your portions of carbs and fats!
Remember, all calories count.
I can already predict your next series of questions:
“What about beverages?” Simple. Liquid calories count too. So stick to low or zero-calorie drinks like water, tea, coffee, and diet soda.
“How about condiments?” Grilled chicken slathered in 1000 calories of buffalo sauce means you’re still eating a calorie bomb!
“But what about things like Paleo or Keto? I thought low carb = healthy?”I address that in the “which diet is right for me?” section. Keep reading.
What’s the Deal with Fruit? Is Fruit Healthy?
As we lay out in our “Is Fruit Healthy?” Guide, fruit is absolutely healthy and can help you reach your goals – in the right quantities.
Fruits are full of nutrients, packed with fiber, and can make for a great snack or part of a protein-focused breakfast!
#2) Dried fruit: notoriously easy to overeat because they are so small. Since the water has been taken out, all that’s left is the sugar and fiber.
Here’s 1 serving of raisins, which is 108 calories and 21 g of sugar:
If you are saying “oh man, I eat 5x that many raisins when I eat them…” then multiply those calorie and sugar numbers by 5!
3) Fruit Smoothies: Just because it’s a fruit smoothie doesn’t mean it won’t make you fat! Have you seen the calorie count and sugar content of smoothies and ‘green drinks’? Yikes.
Green Machine Naked Juice (15.2 oz or 450 ml bottle): 270 calories, 53 g of sugar.
Smoothie King Banana Boat (20 oz or 591 ml smoothie): 450 calories, 70 g of sugar.
**If you prepare your smoothie at home with a blender, it can actually be healthy since the fiber is intact. Here’s my personal recipe.**
To recap: fruit is healthy, provided you stick to fresh or frozen and not fruit-like food, dried fruit, or canned fruit packed in syrup.
If you enjoy a small glass of orange juice occasionally, or you pack a serving of raisins in your lunch and it makes life worth living, by all means!
Just don’t chug OJ by the gallon, drink a 64 oz “real fruit smoothie,” and eat raisins by the handful and then wonder why you’re not losing weight.
Are Cheese and Dairy healthy?
We get questions about these two types of food frequently.
Let me start by saying I’m assuming you’re not doing Paleo (which says “NO dairy and NO cheese”), or plant-based (which says NO to all animal products).
I’ll also assume you’re not doing Keto, which almost requires you to load up on dairy and cheese to eat enough fat every day!
Let’s pretend you’re just curious if cheese and/or dairy can be consumed on a “healthy diet:”:
YES, you can still eat cheese and be healthy.
YES, you can still eat dairy and be healthy.
And there was much rejoicing:
Like the healthy carbs and fats listed above, it all comes down to your calories consumed in a day, and if these foods fit into your daily calorie goals:
Want to put cheese on top of your salad of chicken and vegetables? Great!
Want to eat greek yogurt, a scoop of protein powder, and frozen berries for your breakfast? Amazing!
Want to eat a bowl of cereal with skim milk (or whole milk) in the morning with your kid before school? No problem.
This is true for higher-fat cheeses or full-fat dairy too – the food just needs to fit into your goals!
Luckily, all dairy comes labeled, and most cheese will come with a nutrition label on it too.
Just ensure that you’re choosing appropriate portion sizes. For reference, here are four different servings of cheddar cheese (about 113 calories a serving):
And here’s a serving of greek yogurt (120 calories in 142 grams):[25]
And although nobody in the history of the world has ever eaten just one serving…here is a serving of ice cream:
(A scoop of ice cream the size of a tennis ball is about 127 calories, cleverly shown above.)
So, dairy and cheese are both perfectly acceptable healthy food options! Just make sure they fit into your goals.
If you are NOT losing weight, and you consume a lot of dairy and/or cheese, consider measuring your intake and see if it’s in line with your expectations!
What’s the Best Diet for Me? Keto vs Paleo vs Plant-based.
“Low fat diets? Low carb diets? No carb diets? I don’t know which one is the BEST diet!”
“Help me, Steve Kamb, you’re my only hope.”
Okay, you’re probably not saying that, but it’s an excuse to pay homage to Star Wars so I can use the great photo above.
You probably do have questions though about what’s healthier, a low fat diet or a low carb diet.
Low carb diets are all the rage right now, but are they healthy and will they help you lose weight?
Maybe.
It may depend on how your body regulates glucose (blood sugar):[26]
Some who don’t regulate glucose well may do better on a lower-carb diet.
Others who do regulate glucose well might do better on a lower-fat diet.
Studies show that people who follow EITHER a low fat OR a low carb diet will still lose weight, as long as they are in caloric restriction and can adhere to the diet for at least a year.[27]
So, it comes down to: “which diet are you more likely to stick with for a year or longer?”
Let’s look at each of these diets and explain why they will help you lose weight, at least temporarily:
Truth #1: Every diet works in the short term.
Truth #2: Nearly every diet fails in the long term.
Let’s address these two truths individually:
Why does every diet work in the short term?
All the diets above have a clever way of restricting calories without you needing to count calories, which leads to weight loss:
Paleo Diet: eliminate everything but veggies, meat, fruit, and nuts.
Intermittent Fasting: skip an entire meal!
Keto Diet: remove an entire macronutrient from your diet (carbs).
Military Diet: Only eat specific foods in certain quantities.
Plant-based Diet: Only eat foods from plants.
Carnivore Diet: Only eat meat! Eliminate everything else.
Of course, there are plenty of benefits from following certain diets for certain groups of people. For example, Larry went Keto and it helped him reduce inflammation from rheumatoid arthritis.
However, 99% of the reason why these diets result in short-term weight loss is that they get us to eat fewer calories!
The problems arise when we get to Truth 2:
“Nearly every diet fails in the long term.”
Put another way:
Temporary changes create temporary results.
If somebody “goes Keto” for 60 days, they’ll most likely lose weight, and might even feel better! This is cool.
BUT!
(There’s always a but…)
If they spend those 60 days in misery, dreaming of carbs, counting down the meals until they can “go back to eating like normal,” they will put all of the weight back.
In order for restrictive diets to create permanent results for somebody, they need to be adopted PERMANENTLY!
For most of us mere mortals, we can’t stick with a restrictive diet for 30 days, let alone a year or a decade.
For these reasons, I strongly advise you to change how you think about dieting.
You need to determine how likely you are to stick with a restrictive diet permanently:
How averse are you to change?
How likely are you to stick with your changes?
Have you tried a restrictive diet in the past and failed?
Do you have a healthy relationship with food?
Do you have an “all or nothing?” mindset?
Like playing a video game, you need to determine what level of difficulty you are willing to attempt.
Playing on “Ultra Hard Difficulty” (like Keto) gives you less room for error, but it can also produce impressive results quickly – if you don’t rage quit.
And 99% of people rage quit restrictive diets like Keto.
It’s not a diet. It’s a lifestyle change. Permanently.
And that’s what I would recommend for you:
Small, non-scary, permanent changes over a long time period!
You need to start thinking in terms of “days and years,” not “weeks and months:”
How to Grocery Shop, Cook and Meal Prep!
Okay! Now that you’ve determined your healthy eating strategy, it’s time to take action.
There are three big steps you’ll want to master if this is your path:
Step #1: Grocery Shopping!
You can read our full guide on “How to grocery shop”, and we even have a video that keeps things fun too:
Here’s how to grocery shop like a pro:
Stick mostly to the outer rim. This means you’re mostly buying meat, fruit, and veggies[28].
Read the nutrition label! Just because it says it’s healthy on the front doesn’t mean it is. Read the nutrition label and learn portion sizes. This can help keep you below your daily calorie goal.
Don’t shop hungry! It may seem silly, but you end up buying way more junk food accidentally if you shop while hangry (a mix of hungry-angry, never a great emotion).
Make a list. Before you go grocery shopping, write down everything you should get. You can even put “non-healthy” food items on the list. But then you can only buy what’s on your list! This means no candy in the check-out aisle, or buying Oreos just because they’re on sale! Plan ahead. Stick to the script, sister.
Step #2: Learn to cook!
In the next section, we share recipes for basic healthy meals that you can cook at home.
Here’s why cooking at home is amazing:
You know all of the ingredients. When you eat at restaurants or pick up fast food, there are often hidden calories in the cooking oils and sauces that are sabotaging your healthy efforts. Because of this, it’s really hard to have an idea of how many calories you’re consuming. When you prepare food at home, you know what you’re getting.
You can recreate healthier versions of your favorite foods. Making homemade tacos or pizza with homemade dough can be a great date-night experience, makes your stomach happy, AND can help you reach your goals!
You save money. If your budget is tight, grocery shopping and cooking your own meals is a great way to balance your budget and free up some cash! Our most successful coaching clients work with their coaches on building the habit of cooking at home.
Now, if you’re somebody who only ever uses your kitchen to heat up microwave meals, that’s no problem.
Here are the guides you should check out:
Step #3 (BONUS): Meal Prep and Batch Cooking!
This step isn’t necessary, but if your goal is to make healthy eating a habit for you and your family, batch cooking can be the difference maker!
By “batch cooking,” I simply mean setting aside time to prepare larger quantities of food at the start of the week, so that throughout the week you already have meals to eat!
And every single success story we’ve featured on Nerd Fitness (like this one) involved some sort of batch cooking (planning your meals for the week ahead).
Follow these rules, and you will crush it in the Healthy Eating Department[29]!
19 Healthy Eating Meals You Can Cook Today
“Okay Steve, you have me convinced I should be eating more healthy foods. But I am a nerd and I need specific instructions to follow!”
I got you.
As a kid raised on LEGO and K’nex, I am the exact same way!
Here are options to get the ball rolling on healthy breakfasts, lunches, snacks, and dinners. Use these as inspiration or starting points for your meal planning!
In the video above, Coach Staci walks you through her step-by-step plan for simplifying nutrition.
Yeah, I’ve thrown a lot at you today.
But as Staci mentions above, you can start off small, with some simple steps. Once you get these down, we can work on adding some more simple habits.
To start eating healthy:
Have a glass of water with every meal.
Have a vegetable with every meal.
Have a source of lean protein with every meal.
That’s it!
When someone joins our coaching program, these are often the steps we have them take.
Yeah, sometimes they’ll bulk, thinking this is not enough…
…but consistency is where people start to see real progress.
Don’t overlook the power of simple and consistent habits.
Will You Commit to Healthy Eating?
As we start to wrap up this guide, I have one BIG final question for you:
“Why the hell are you reading this?”
Sorry to be so blunt, but your answer matters!
If you are trying to eat better because somebody told you to, or because you think you should, you’re setting yourself up to fail.
You might be excited and motivated to eat healthy today, and that’s great!
But next week, Oscar in Accounting will put cake in front of you at work, and ask you to “live a little” and eat some cake “just this once.”
And then you’ll discover apps are half-priced at Chatchki’s during happy hour, and you figure “well I already had cake, might as well split some shrimp poppers and extreme fajitas with Meredith.”
It’s our Big Why that stops us from living emotionally and chasing instant gratification from a donut or six slices of pizza when we’re sad or stressed.
It’s our Big Why that allows us to say “Yes, I can have a slice of pizza, because I planned for it in my ‘calorie budget’ today. I’m not gonna feel bad about it either, because my breakfast tomorrow is gonna be great.”
It’s our Big Why that allows us to get back on track after a vacation or after just one day of poor eating, instead of letting things slide for a week or a month.
Have your Big Why, and remind yourself of it constantly!
Write it down, put it on a post-it note on your bathroom mirror, staple it to your forehead.
But have a REASON you’re committing to change.
It will be crucial when life starts to get busy next week and you want to give up. So let’s talk about next week (and beyond!)
Healthy Eating: Next Steps!
This guide has provided you with all of the tools you need to start making healthier choices, but if you are looking to go a bit further…
#1) Our 1-on-1 Online Coaching program: a coaching program for busy people to help them make better food choices, stay accountable, and get healthier, permanently.
You can schedule a free call with our team so we can get to know you and see if our coaching program is right for you. Just click on the image below for more details:
#2) If you want an exact blueprint for leveling up your nutrition, check out Nerd Fitness Journey! Our fun habit-building app helps you exercise more frequently, eat healthier, and level up your life (literally).
If you follow our Nutrition missions, you’ll learn to eat healthier while earning XP! Sah-weeeet.
Try your free trial right here:
#3) Join The Rebellion! We have a free email newsletter that we send out twice per week, full of tips and tricks to help you get healthy, get strong, and have fun doing so.
I’ll also send you tons of free guides that you can use to start leveling up your life too:
Download our free weight loss guide
THE NERD FITNESS DIET: 10 Levels to Change Your Life
Follow our 10-level nutrition system at your own pace
What you need to know about weight loss and healthy eating
3 Simple rules we follow every day to stay on target
Healthy eating will change your life.
But it needs to fit INTO your life too.
Small changes, not dramatic shifts!
You don’t have to give up the foods you love, you just need to PLAN for them.
Prioritize protein, and always put a fruit or vegetable on your plate before filling the rest of it up!
This will get you 90% of the way towards a great healthy eating strategy.
And when in doubt, whenever you’re not sure if you should eat a particular food, ask yourself “What would Batman do?”
Seriously, this has been studied with children, and it helped them make healthier food choices by giving the decision-making over to somebody they looked up to [22]. It’s called “self-distancing,” and there’s no reason it can’t work for you too.
Oh, and when you eat a bad meal – who cares?! “Never two in a row,” right? Make the next meal healthy.
YOUR MISSION, SHOULD YOU CHOOSE TO ACCEPT IT:
Start eating healthy today with literally one change:
Try a new vegetable.
Cut one soda out of your day.
Prioritize protein in your next meal.
Swap out one high-calorie drink for a zero-calorie drink.
I don’t care what the change is, just as long as you make one!
Okay enough about me, let’s talk about you:
What’s the ONE change you’re going to make today?
For the Rebellion!
-Steve
PS: Make sure you read the rest of the articles in our “How to Lose Weight 101” Series!
Whether you prefer weighted or bodyweight exercises, you can’t deny the benefits of the back extension machine.
The back extension machine can be one of the most divisive and controversial machines at the gym. Because it requires some skill to use, many gym-goers can be intimidated when approaching this strength training machine. But if you can learn to use it correctly, it will target and tone the muscles in your lower back, abdominals, and surrounding muscle groups like no other.
Fitness fans, circle up—it’s time to meet your next best gym buddy. Below, we’ll teach you how to use the back extension machine to reap four killer benefits of this gym floor staple.
Back Extension Machine Basics
Even if you’ve only hit the gym once in your life, there’s a good chance you’ve seen a back extension machine.
Upright back extension machines are built with padded foot rests where you’ll anchor your ankles before using. Further up, a large pad supports your lower torso, allowing you to bend your waist over the machine.1
Standard upright back extension machine exercises require three basic steps to use:
Lie on the machine with your front facing the ground, anchoring your feet at the ankle rests
Bend your upper body over the machine until your torso forms a 90° angle with your trunk
Lift your upper body towards the ceiling, pause, and slowly return to your starting position
Back extension machines let you work against the force of gravity, thereby strengthening your lower back and abdominals. While this exercise requires no equipment besides the machine and your bodyweight, you can always add a weight plate for more resistance.
Now, let’s touch on four benefits of using this seemingly simple exercise to optimize your workout.
#1 Helps Build Lower Back Strength
The biggest benefit that a back extension machine offers is the one it was primarily designed for: strengthening your lower back. The machine engages the important mass of muscles just above your waist, strengthening and building them up.
Why is that important?
Because in many ways, lower back strength is foundational to the musculature of your entire body. From walking to running to picking up the little ones, these muscle groups are pivotal (literally) for your mobility.
Using a lower back extension machine to build your lower back muscles may help with:2
Stability – Your spinal column is braced by the muscles in your back. They keep your spine supported, promote back mobility, and alleviate some of the stress your spine takes from holding you upright.
Posture – A strong lower back is essential for maintaining proper posture. When your lower back muscles are in good shape, they’re able to prop up the rest of you to ensure proper alignment.
#2 Can Help Prevent Lower Back Pain
Another benefit of the back extension exercise is that it helps prevent lower back pain. As we mentioned above, the strength of your lower back is directly linked to the quality of your posture. And that improved posture comes with some very desirable benefits of its own—namely, helping to prevent pain in your lower back.2
When we routinely sit, stand, or walk around with slouched shoulders and hunched upper backs, it’s not uncommon to experience sporadic or ongoing pain around your lumbar spine. Whether you notice discomfort in your daily life or when you’re working out, the back extension machine can help to offset the pinch and make your fitness goals even more attainable.
#3 Helps Build Related Muscles
Although your lower back will reap the most rewards from using a back extension machine, your other important core muscles will benefit, too. When you use a back extension machine, you use your own body as weight resistance by bending your supported upper body over the machine. This inverted sit-up also engages muscles in your:1
These muscles worked out in this simple exercise help you combine workouts and target more than one muscle group at a time.
#4 Fast-Tracks Your Other Fitness Goals
If you’ve been hitting the gym hard on ab day and need a session or two off, using an extension back machine can help keep your abs engaged between workouts.1
True, the muscles in your lower back are doing most of the work while you’re on a back extension machine—but if you’re doing the exercise correctly by bending and rising slowly, you should be exerting your abdominals as well. By doing so, you’ll be working towards two of many fitness enthusiasts’ biggest overarching goals:
Strengthening their core
Building overall muscle and definition
From preventing low back pain and working out more than one muscle group to being an overall simple exercise, it’s worth adding the workout to your routine.
Put Your Back Into It with Chuze Fitness
Keen to try out a back extension machine but unsure of where to start? Our fitness experts at Chuze Fitness are ready to teach you how to use it like a pro.
When you make Chuze Fitness a part of your workout routine, you don’t just join a gym—you join a fitness community with the support you need to achieve and surpass your physical fitness goals. From weighted training turf workouts to barre and pilates, there’s something for everyone.
Take advantage of our premium machines or sweat it out in fitness classes with instructors who push you to perform your best, or tune into one of our curated exercise playlists to motivate your next sweat session. However you move, we’re here to hold you up. Use our gyms near me feature to find a Chuze location near you today.
Got a busy schedule or can’t make it to a location? Use our iChuze fitness and wellness app anytime, anywhere.
Reviewed By:
Ani is the Vice President of Fitness at Chuze Fitness and oversees the group fitness and team training departments. She’s had a 25+ year career in club management, personal training, group exercise and instructor training. Ani lives with her husband and son in San Diego, CA and loves hot yoga, snowboarding and all things wellness.
It’s important to stretch, warm up, and cool down if you want to avoid or relieve sore muscles the day after your workout. But don’t forget that proper nutrition also plays a major role. Which foods and drinks relieve sore muscles?
7 Foods and Drinks for Sore Muscles
1. Beetroot
Drinking 250 ml of beet juice right after an intense workout can reduce muscle soreness.(1) Beets are rich in antioxidants and phytonutrients. How about a red beet smoothie after your workout? It promotes muscle regeneration.
Ingredients for one serving:
75 g red beets (pre-cooked)
1 apple
thumb-sized piece of ginger
150 ml carrot juice
Directions:
Chop the beet and apple into chunks.
Peel the ginger.
Add all ingredients to a blender and purée until smooth.
2. Caffeine
An espresso before your workout can improve performance. But is caffeine good for sore muscles, too? Studies show that athletes are less prone to suffer from muscle soreness and aches post-workout when drinking caffeine before their training.(2)
3. Sour cherries
Relieve sore muscles by drinking 1.5 oz of cherry juice both before and after your workout. Thanks to the juice’s anti-inflammatory effects and antioxidants, your muscles will recover more quickly.(3)
4. Ginger
Ginger has anti-inflammatory properties. The effects of gingerol, the active component responsible for the sting, are similar to those of the active agent contained in aspirin. If you eat ginger regularly, especially on days you work out, you can reduce muscle soreness.(4)
5. Tomato juice
The carotenoids in tomato juice can prevent muscle soreness.(5) Drink this before your workout.
6. Fish
The omega-3 fatty acids contained in fish promote muscle recovery and healing.(6)
Good to know:
Do you follow a vegan diet? order to prevent a deficiency in omega 3 fatty acids, you should add supplements to your diet. These days you can find plant-based dietary supplements derived from algae. Check with your doctor or nutritionist.
7. green tea
The phytochemicals in green tea (polyphenols) stimulate blood circulation,which has a positive influence on muscle regeneration. This is a great drink for sore muscles(7)
In Summary
After a tough HIIT workout or a long run, it’s not unusual to experience muscle aches. Include these foods and drinks in your meals and snacks to relieve sore muscles. Don’t forget to take a day off if you’re in a lot of pain. Or, focus on a different muscle group. Your muscles need time to recover.
Other posts you might like:
***
if(!isRussia){
//check Cookie Opt out and User consent
if(!run_getCookie(“tp-opt-out”)){
!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s){if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?
n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;
n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version=’2.0′;n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;
t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window,
document,’script’,’https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js’);
fbq(‘init’, ‘1594940627485550’); // Insert your pixel ID here.
fbq(‘track’, ‘ViewContent’);
}
}
