Infalible Fit

Let’s talk about mobility! Specifically, limited ankle dorsiflexion. What on earth is that first one, you ask? It means having a limited ability to push your knees out over your toes. It’s also one of the most common mistakes people make doing their squats. While the old your knees should *never* go past your toes rule isn’t quite true, if your knees are leaning *far* in front of your toes, that’s an indication of improper form. Having poor ankle dorsiflexion can also affect... walking and running. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to improve this flexibility: 1 Self-myofascial release for the calf and plantar fascia 2 Stretching of the calf 3 Ankle mobility drills Here in this video I’m doing the ankle dorsiflexion pails and rails.

Have you considered that resolutions are precisely the reason you don’t succeed? If you struggle to commit to a workout or nutrition program, you’re not alone. Instead of doing giant, sweeping resolutions, try reflecting on your successes in 2020. If you get out a piece of paper and write down every single success (no matter how small!) you’ll be impressed at your own accomplishments. Then you can take that energy into setting your goals for 2021. Instead of starting the Ne...w Year sad about how many times you failed in the old one, start it with momentum. Oh, and if you need help, that’s why I’m here! Find me at infaliblefit.com and let me help you stick to your goals and keep the momentum going.

Tomorrow is New Year’s Eve, and you know what that means: a lot of folks are looking at the year they’ve had and the one to come. I have a question for you: do you believe in New Year’s resolutions? To be honest, I’m not a fan. In my experience, resolutions actually work against you. I dig deep into exactly why that is on my blog, check it out below.... http://ow.ly/hhOg50CXgI2

Check out one of my clients totally killing it on the pull-through machine! Pull-throughs are an excellent addition to your workout routine. They work your backside lower body muscles, including your glutes and hamstrings. But what about deadlifts, you ask? How are pull-throughs different?... They work the same muscles, true. However, pull-throughs are excellent if you lack foundational strength or are working to perfect your deadlift form. This is because pull-throughs place little to no load on the spine. So if you’re working up to a deadlift or have back troubles, this fantastic exercise is here for you.

In your fitness journey, many things are about balance. Balance your nutrition to be mostly wholesome, nutrient-dense foods, but keep those comfort favorites close. Balance your rest days with your workout days. One other part that’s about balance? Discipline vs. being gentle with yourself. Let me explain. Self-motivation is an excellent tool to stay on track. However, motivation will only get you so far. It’s discipline that keeps you on track on the days you don’t feel moti...vated. Discipline is key to consistency. However, you have to balance all that go-getter energy with being gentle with yourself. For example, if there’s a day where you slept poorly so you lack the energy to workout or go to the gym, don’t spend hours beating yourself up over it or engaging in negative self-talk. Give yourself the grace to miss a day and bounce back tomorrow. Then you have to balance that with not letting yourself completely off the hook. If that grace day turns into two or three or four, you may need to take a look at whether or not you really need that time off. If you’re honest with yourself and you do, great! If you don’t need it, find your discipline again. Make sense? How do you stay disciplined? How do you stay gentle with yourself? Tell me in the comments!

Are you tired of setting fitness or nutritional goals for yourself, only to find that, in a few weeks, you’ve slipped back into your normal routines? The good news: if so, you’re not alone. The even better news: you’re not a failure and there’s nothing wrong with you for having this pattern in your life.... In the health and fitness industry, there are neverending promises of getting a bikini body or adding X pounds of muscle in two weeks or here’s how to get shredded now. You’ve likely consumed these messages without even realizing it, and they’re shaping the way you view your health and fitness journey. If you’re ready to ditch the diet cycle for good, I can help. In our work together, we’ll break the habits that are getting in the way of you making permanent, lasting changes. I can’t promise you it will be easy, but I can promise you I’ll be there with you every step of the way. Ready to change your life for the better? Go to infaliblefit.com and schedule your free consultation with me today.

Happy holidays and Merry Christmas from Infalible Fit!

This month, we’ve been talking inner health. Today, it’s all about supplements. First I want to say that you should never start or stop a supplement without discussing it with your doctor first, especially if you’re on other medications. What do I mean by supplements? That can cover anything from multivitamins to creatine to protein powder.... Now, personal trainers get asked all the time about what kinds of supplements they recommend to their clients. And the answer is, it depends on a lot of different factors: Your age Your general health and daily nutrition Your fitness goals Any ongoing health conditions Your specific concerns In general, a multivitamin is a good choice, especially if you struggle to eat a balanced diet. Otherwise, if you want to know what supplements you should be taking in your fitness journey, you’re going to have to ask a professional. (The internet doesn't count!)

If I use the phrase the mind-body connection, what does that mean to you? Basically, it’s the link between your mental state and your physical state. It’s a wide area of study, so let’s narrow it down to fitness. When you’re exercising, it’s important to maintain a solid mind-body connection. That means staying present with whatever move you’re doing at the time. (This doesn’t necessarily apply to people like runners who favor getting in the zone and relaxing that way.)... If you’re doing squats, for example, try not to be distracted. Keeping your mind focused on your form is key to preventing injury. Even more than that, science has shown the more you engage your mind during a workout, the more brain cells get activated. This boots essential hormones like serotonin, which also helps relax you. Take my client doing lat pull-downs. He's totally focused and dialed into the move. A solid mind-body connection isn’t just for activities like yoga or tai chi (though it’s especially important for those workouts). It’s for every workout, every time. How do you get better at this connection? Here are just a few tips: Don’t watch television or chat with a friend during the move itself. Keep your attention focused on your body, how it’s moving, and how it feels. Shake up your workout routine with something new if it’s gotten stale. You can focus better if you're not bored. Plan your workout in advance so you don’t get distracted by trying to figure out the next activity. Visualize your workout before you start. Imagine yourself doing the squat, push-up, or deadlift. Imagine how it feels and how many sets/reps you’ll do. Happy lifting!

What does the voice in your head say to you? (Hey, we all have one.) Hopefully, the voice in your head is gentle with you. For a lot of us, though, it can be a little rough around the edges. And for others, it’s downright mean. Here’s a super simple hack from cognitive behavioral therapy to help you quiet that voice down.... 1 When you hear a negative thought start up, gently but firmly interrupt it. You can even say no or stop out loud if you want. 2 The key is to do so gently. It’s counterproductive to interrupt a negative thought with something like, Shut up, you idiot. Not helpful. 3 With the thought stopped in its tracks, consciously replace it with a positive one. 4 Repeat. It’s going to take consistent practice, but with time, this easy trick will help you think more positively toward yourself. Here’s an example: Ugh, I can’t believe I missed ANOTHER workout. I’m such a failure, I’ll never No. Stop. I am a human being who is trying their hardest. And that’s more than enough. Give it a try throughout your day and see if it helps! Eventually, it’ll become second nature to you to think more positively.

Have you ever heard the phrase exercise is medicine? Essentially, it means that exercise is so beneficial to your life, it’s become as important as medicine. The best part is how flexible exercise can be for you. Don’t have a lot of money for equipment or gym memberships? Bodyweight routines or affordable resistance bands work just fine.... Don’t have a lot of space? Get outside! Use a local park or go for a run around your neighborhood. Hate cardio? There’s dozens of other options. Try HIIT yoga (yep, that’s a thing), swimming, or even jumping rope. Not sure where to start? The internet is a great resource, but a personal trainer is even better. If you have a regular exercise routine, fantastic! If you haven’t started a regular exercise routine, why not? Either way, I want to know, so tell me in the comments!

In the fast-paced time that is the holiday season, it can be easy to lose track of things. Your car keys, your stuffing recipe... your sanity. I’m kidding, a little. For reals, though, practicing mindfulness is vital, especially this time of year. Check out this three-minute mindful breathing meditation you can use any time of day to bring you back to your center. 1 Sit comfortably. You can close your eyes or not, as you choose, but most folks find it easier to focus with e...yes closed. 2 Place a hand on your chest and one on your belly. 3 Breathe in deeply, feeling your chest and belly expand. 4 Breathe out fully, feeling your chest and stomach collapse. 5 Notice the brief gap between your inhale and your exhale. 6 Try to keep your focus on your breath. If you have thoughts that pop into your head (and you will) gently acknowledge their presence, put them aside, and refocus on your breath. Do this as many times as you need to. 7 Continue for three minutes. You’d be surprised how grounding even a brief, three-minute meditation can be. Sneak away for a quick calm down, use it to end your bedtime routine, or start your day with it. As always, let me know how it goes!

Even though we’re still social distancing, some folks are having small get-togethers to celebrate milestones like weddings. If parties are usually a source of dread for you because of the availability of food, don’t panic. Here are a few ways to help avoid overeating at parties: Use a small appetizer plate, even for entrees. The literal smaller diameter means you can fit less food on it. Then throw it away when you’re done, as opposed to back over to the food table for sec...onds. Drink a lot of water right before you go so you feel less hungry. Pair this with a light meal at home of healthful foods of your choice and you won’t have enough room in your stomach to overeat. Keep your hands full. Always have a drink in one hand (preferably water, because alcohol has calories, too!) and hold your purse or some other item in your other hand. (Hey, we’re not supposed to be shaking hands right now anyway!) With both hands full, you can’t be snacking. Hang out away from the food table. Standing and chatting right next to it means you’re more likely to mindlessly reach for snacks, especially if the person you’re talking to is doing the same. Find a spot on the opposite side of the room and linger there. Keep these tricks up your sleeve as we head into the holiday season, and you’ll get into the habit of not overeating at a party again. What do you think? Got any other tips or tricks in your arsenal that I missed? Share ‘em below!

Part of living an active lifestyle is exercise, and part of being able to exercise is taking care of your joints. After all, almost every single exercise involves at least one joint or another. So, how do you tend to these vital intersections of bones and muscle? Check it out: Maintain a healthy weight. Carrying around more weight than is recommended by your doctor means your joints are experiencing more stress throughout the day than they need to.... Strength train. Strong muscles provide support for your bones and joints. Pay particular attention to your core (including your back and chest!) to help improve balance and prevent injury. Watch your posture, especially when doing repetitive tasks or when lifting heavy objects. If you sit at a computer all day, make sure you’re ergonomically set up. If you stand at the sink washing dishes for half an hour, keep your shoulders back and your weight evenly distributed between your legs. Eat the right foods. Eat a diet high in calcium and vitamin D to help strengthen bones. Omega-3s reduce inflammation. Keeping your joints as healthy and mobile as you can means living an active and independent lifestyle for longer. Get started today with the above tips!

For some folks, like those with a history of disordered eating, tracking their health can be tricky. The fitness industry seems obsessed with the number on the scale and BMIs. But if those things are triggering for you, how can you make sure you’re staying healthy? Fortunately, there are many ways to monitor your health that have nothing to do with your weight. Things like:... How many fruits and vegetables you eat per day How many ounces of water you drink per day Your blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and blood sugar Your waist measurement (this can still be tricky for some but it’s a good predictor of certain diseases) Your energy level. This includes how much exercise you’re getting, how you feel during your workouts, how you’re sleeping, etc. While weight can be an indicator of health, more and more people are realizing there are so many other metrics to use. Anyone relate? Give me a or a if you do!

I got to learn and gain more knowledge in the @getppsc course a couple of weekends ago. We learned valuable information and did practical application on how to individualize and optimize the human movement system without pain. Thanks @kevinmullinsfitness for giving us the tools to sharpen our skills and further help our clients! I highly recommend this course!

Do you hear the term meal prep and immediately think of Pinterest-worthy, neat little boxes of chicken, rice, and broccoli? Does the thought of meal prepping sound like too much work, or does it excite you? Either way, meal prepping is an excellent way to help manage your nutrition. It can help control portion size and keep you from ordering takeout. It also doesn’t have to be complicated or repetitive. There are even different types of meal prepping, depending on what you ...need: Do you need help streamlining your mornings? A make-ahead meal method where you cook a complete meal in advance so you can grab-and-go may be a good option. Want to cut down on eating lunch out? Making a large batch of one type of meal then portioning it into smaller containers can help. Like cooking dinner but hate how long it takes? Cook the individual ingredients ahead of time and then put them together in the final steps in the evenings. Once you’ve figured out your meal prep style, here are some tips to streamline the process: 1 Stick to a schedule. Pick one day each week to cook and store your meals. 2 Choose a variety of recipes with different ingredients to ensure balanced nutrition. 3 Plan for one oven meal, two stove top meals, and a few cold meals. For example, you could prep a lasagna, a soup, and a stir fry. Then plan for salads and sandwiches. 4 When you’re cooking, start with the longest meals first (usually the oven and stove). Then, as those dishes are cooking, you can put together the cold options. 5 Double-check your ingredients for all your dishes before you start cooking. That way, if two dishes require onion, for example, you can chop all of it at once instead of having to go back. 6 Portion out your meals, then freeze ‘em or refrigerate ‘em as needed. Once people start meal prepping, they often can’t get enough. Try it for a few weeks and see what you think!

Most folks, especially in Silicon Valley, sit at a desk all day in a rather sedentary lifestyle. This results in bad posture, with shoulders rolling over or hunching forward. When your shoulders roll forward for hours at a time, your chest muscles are actually shortening. Then it becomes a cycle of shorter and shorter muscles which result in more and more hunched shoulders. Check out my YouTube video for two simple stretches to lengthen and stretch out your chest muscles to h...elp improve your posture. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhSiA3YCizM

Check out these thoughts on age and exercise from @getppsc! https://www.instagram.com/p/CE1aUioHoQ9/

Remember last week when I posted about high cholesterol? Let’s continue the theme of taking care of our inner health. Today’s topic: your lungs. You take, on average, between 17,000 and 23,000 breaths per day. That’s a lot of breathing, but I bet you don’t give your lungs much thought! Here are some tips to keep your lungs healthy and strong for as long as possible:... Quit smoking. Everything. Any type of smoke you put in your body is damaging your lungs. Cigarette smoke is the worst culprit, but even trendier options like vaping cause damage. Exercise frequently. All exercise, from a brisk walk to high-intensity interval training, helps improve breathing capacity, meaning you take in more oxygen per breath. Eat antioxidant-rich foods. (Okay, this one benefits more than only your lungs and is just a good idea in general.) Watch air quality. If your air outside is bad, either from pollution or local fires (hello from California!), try to keep your windows closed as much as possible and invest in a quality air filter for at least your bedroom. Add yoga and meditation to your day. Most yoga and meditation involve a focus on deep, purposeful breathing, which will expand lung capacity. It will also help relax your rib muscles, which can affect everything from your core up to your tight shoulders. Give some of these tips a try, and if you like what you read, give it a like or a share!

Throughout this month, we’ve been digging into paradigms, habits, and your self-image. I hope you’ve been as inspired as I am to come on this journey of self-improvement with me! If you’re ready to tackle your paradigms and habits head-on, to finally improve your self-image for good, I’m here for you. My training focus is on getting you past your fitness excuses, one habit at a time. I provide free consultations, so if you’re still not sure, there’s no pressure. We can have a... low-key Zoom or socially distanced chat to make sure we’re a good fit for each other. Find me at infaliblefit.com. I can’t wait to get started working with you!

We all overeat sometimes. Whether it’s your favorite dinner you can’t get enough of or a holiday celebration with family and friends, every so often it’s inevitable we’re going to eat too much. However, if you find yourself constantly overeatingor if you’d just like to remain in control over the winterhere are a few tips to help. Note: These tips are intended to help those who overeat, but not those who compulsively do so. If you have an irresistible compulsion to eat too m...uch, you need to address it with your healthcare professional. Drink a large glass of water before your meal. The water will help make your stomach feel full so you won’t have as much space for food. Put your utensils down in between bites. Don’t load up your next bite until you’ve fully chewed and swallowed your current one. This helps you eat more slowly, which means your body has more time to tell you when you’re full. Use a smaller plate. Larger plates not only tempt you to fill them completely, but using a smaller plate, even full, tricks your brain into thinking you have more food than you do. Thus, you feel fuller faster. Stop eating somewhere around the middle of your meal and wait at least 10 minutes. If you’re at a social affair, this might be a little awkward, but it takes 10 minutes for your body to send the signal to your brain that you’re full. If 10 minutes goes by and you’re still hungry, continue eating. As we get closer to the holiday seasons, I’ll be sharing more tips and tricks to help you stay on track with your health and fitness goals. Stay tuned!