“Hi Chichi! My brother recently started Crossfit and keeps talking about Pood’s, but I don’t think he knows what a pood is (I asked him and he refused to tell me, haha). What’s a pood?”
Hey there!
A pood is a unit of measurement; one pood is equal to about 16.38 kilograms, though it’s typically rounded to 16kg (about 36lbs).
In Crossfit, pood’s are just another way to describe weight used or prescribed: 2 poods is 72lbs, 1 1/2 poods is 54lbs etc, 1/2 a pood is 18lbs, 1/4 pood is 9lbs etc. Pood’s first started being used in Russia, Ukraine & Belarus and aren’t a common use of measurement for everyday things anymore. Chances are, if you’re talking about poods these days, you’re referring to kettlebells and Crossfit. :)
If you’re using dumbbells instead of kettlebells
Fun fact: The kettlebell is the Russian “girya”. In 1704, strongmen-types were known as “gireveks”. because anyone who used them became pretty strong.
Hope this helps! (You should probably tell him what they are so he doesn’t embarrass himself at Crossfit, lol).
xo
I love the design of these dumbbells… but I wish they made them heavier. 2, 3 & 5lbs only. :(
Whoomp wahhh for me. Still, aren’t they kinda cute?
My TRX
Haven’t been this excited about new equipment in a LONG time. Woot!
I know it’s pricier than other equipment, so I’ve waited a LONG time to invest. I got a chance to try it a few months back and it blew my mind. Its versatility more than makes up for the price: I can use it at home, at the gym or outside AND it offers thousands of exercise options, for every level. It’ll be easy to bring with me when I’m training clients at home and it’s just the extra motivation boost I needed for spring/summer. I can’t wait to whip this baby out at the park!
Some girls get giddy over shoes. I get giddy over workout equipment. Smiles for miles. :) TRX Pro Pack + Door Anchor
Do you have one? How do you like it?
Using that amount of weight for your workouts won’t do much to get the body you want.
You’d be surprised what an increase in weight can do for your results, and how much you’re able to handle (you’re stronger than you think). Many women are brainwashed in thinking that higher reps is the way to go: we tend to think that 50 plus reps with a light weight is somehow better than 12 with a heavier weight. Let this sink in: if you fatigue your muscle in 10-12 reps, you’ll see better results than if it takes 50+ to get there.
As a rule of thumb, you should boost the load (weight) you are using by about 10% every few weeks to keep yourself from plateauing (or try harder modifications, like pulses, one leg reps, or added instability).
Next time you’re at the gym: find the weight you’ve been using, and add a few pounds. Try a set of your favorite exercise, and see when you fatigue (when proper form isn’t possible). If you complete more than 12 reps, rest, and go up by another few pounds for your next set. Continue until you’ve found the right weight for you, and start with that weight next time. It’ll be tough at first, but a few weeks later, feel free to grab that old weight and be amazed at how EASY and LIGHT it seems. You won’t go back, I promise you.
Train smart!
xo
To those of you with 5-15lbs to “lose”: it’s not all about the weight or the number on the scale. In most circumstances, it’s actually body composition that needs to change - losing fat and losing weight can be two different things.
Many of you contact me asking how to lose 5lbs, or tell me that you don’t necessarily want to lose weight, but just “tone” up. “Toning” is a buzz word for building strength and muscle: because some women tend to balk at the idea of gaining muscle, a new word was required to get them to on board
The answer is, and will always be, resistance training and a cleaner diet. If you’re at a normal and healthy weight, it’s not about cutting calories or restricting: it’s about putting the right nutrients in your body, cutting processed & chemical foods OUT and filling up on loads of veggies & lean protein. You don’t have to eat less per se: you need to eat smarter and fuel your body. Your body LOVES it, trust me!
For your workouts, your priority should shift away from steady state cardio, which can burn away the “toning” if you over-do it (see how I swapped toning for muscle?). Strength, resistance and challenging intervals are your ticket, and should be the focus. Steady state cardio isn’t bad, but it’s not something you should be doing every workout. H.I.I.T training, and cardio intervals during your workouts are short quick ways to burn fat while preserving muscle.
Focus on workouts that challenge your body: strength training, resistance training, weight lifting, balance work, yoga, etc. Don’t stick to the same old thing, and work a bit smarter: use more than one muscle group at a time, take minimal breaks when doing circuits, and push yourself: the harder you push, the shorter your workout can be. To get the body you want, AND KEEP IT, you need to lift & lift heavier than you’re used to. And once you get used to that amount of weight, you need to increase the challenge.
Train smarter and towards your goals!
xo
(via skinnyforskinnys)
Hey there,
You can build muscle at a calorie deficit, but not when you’re in starvation mode. Being at a deficit is fine if you’re in weight loss mode, as long as your body is getting adequate nutrition to sustain your activity level (and plenty of protein to rebuild your muscle). Creating too large of a deficit can be troublesome - it signals your body to store fat for energy instead of using it. This happens when we over-restrict or under-consume. All the body knows is that it’s not getting enough, and doesn’t know if and when it’ll get adequate amounts of energy. It slows down other body processes to compensate, and signals hormones to hold on to fat. Muscle, however, is expendable. If it needs to choose between using life sustaining fat, and muscle for energy, muscle wins.
If you notice a drop in performance (suddenly you can’t keep up, can’t lift heavy, or should be improving but are not), a decrease in overall energy, an ammonia smell after a tough workout or are staying sore longer than usual, it may be a sign you’re not eating enough to support your muscle growth. As we get closer to our weight goals, the calorie deficit should be smaller (meaning you can boost your calories a bit to keep your metabolism up, but keep them clean) and more emphasis should be put on food quality, and strength training. Too much cardio when we’re already eating at a deficit can burn away muscle you’re trying to build: muscle that’s the difference for overall fat loss. Eat clean, drink loads of water, but pay attention to signs that you may need to boost your calories.
xo
Hey there,
Too much cardio without proper nutrition can burn away muscle. If your focus is building muscle and changing your body composition, your focus should be strength training and intervals - not cardio. It’s not all about exercise. For muscle growth you need to eat enough in general, and focus heavily on the protein.
Nothing keeps me motivated during the holidays like holiday themed workouts!
I get bored with the standard fare pretty early on in the season, but I solve my holiday music woes by finding worthy, new remixes. I’ve been in a dubstep haze lately, so a lot of these songs are dubstep mixes of holiday classics.
The BPM is a little slower than I normally post, but it works REALLY well with strength training exercises and yoga/pilates training. Taught bootcamp using a lot of these songs and it was a raging holiday success!
Enjoy!
Great visual on how to strength train to reach your goals!
Important note: You need to lift the right amount of weight for this to work! The # of reps you are doing should correspond the amount of reps you can do to fatigue with good form, and the weight you are using should be heavy enough to do this. If you can do 3 reps easily for strength, the weight you are using is too light! You should feel like you can’t do another rep by the end. Adjust your weights accordingly!
Example:
Bicep Curls. For me, if I’m lifting for strength, I’d be doing 1-3 reps of 50lbs, 4-6 reps of 40lbs etc. For muscle mass, I’d be lifting 7-10 reps of 25-30lbs and for endurance I’d be doing 21+ reps of 10-15lbs. This is just me though, your numbers WILL be different! Increase your load as the exercise gets easier for results!
Use this chart to properly train toward your goals.
(via fitofpassion)
Anonymous Asks:
fitvillains Said:
While it’s more complicated than just one or the other (you should be doing both), strength training clearly has an advantage in the following areas.
1. Total Calorie Burn
Cardio is a calorie killer for sure, but nothing beats strength training for overall burn.
Muscle is harder for the body to maintain than fat. As a result, your body will use more calories to support its muscle base, which is why the recovery period after strength training gives you a metabolic boost. You’ll continue to burn calories galore even AFTER your workout. The more muscle you have in your body, the more calories you burn while you’re just hanging out. The heavier you lift, with less rest between exercises, the more you’ll burn during AND after a workout.
2. Toning
Getting rid of the fat is not enough to have a six pack or reduce cellulite. You need to build muscle under the fat to have a toned appearance. Not only will muscle help burn the fat faster, but you’ll lose more inches as the muscles develop. To stop the jiggles, you need to be lifting.
In women, studies have also shown a stronger correlation with weight training & body image than with cardio & body-image. People like what they see more when they’re lifting weights.
Hmmmm… Says a lot doesn’t it?
3. Injury Prevention
Strength training increases bone density, of particular importance to women (osteoporosis). This can help prevent broken bones over time. By far, strength training prevents injury more than cardio. That is, of course, if you’re using proper form. Cardio often requires the same movements over & over, which can be taxing on your joints. You can rectify this by changing up your cardio routine often.
This doesn’t mean that cardio doesn’t have its benefits. For one, you can burn more calories during a cardio session, it improves mood (serotonin and other lovely body drugs) and can’t be beat when it comes to strengthening lung power & your heart muscle. Plus, many people find cardio more fun to engage in, which may make it easier to actually DO.
My advice? Do both.
Studies show the more muscle you have, the more calories you can burn during cardio. Combining the two gives you the best of both worlds, and a tighter, leaner, stronger you.
If all you’ve been doing is cardio, you need to add 2-3 days of strength training to your routine. Hit all the major muscle groups at least twice a week & you’ll notice a boost in your results & a tighter body.
If you’ve been strength training only, add in 2-3 30 minute cardio sessions to your routine. You can combine the cardio days with strength training. Some studies even show that you get more benefit out of your cardio routine AFTER you lift weights.
- xoxo Thanks for the question! Feel free to follow up.
