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Michelle Spindler

How To Know If You’re Suffering From Workout Burnout + What To Do About It

Posted on by Michelle Spindler

Workout burnout is a common problem for the avid exerciser. Effects can be as simple as lethargy or not seeing results and as serious as severe injury and organ failure.

In other words, we should not take burnout lightly—and we should take the warning signs seriously. So, let’s chat.

What is workout burnout?

All physical activity can lead to burnout. Burnouts can appear in different forms: physical or emotional, routine/fitness plateau, and adrenal gland fatigue.

Some of the more high-intensity methods that are popular in the fitness arena today—such as HIIT, SoulCycle, and CrossFit—tend to lead to burnout because of the intensity level and because many consumers make it their only outlet.

These styles do have many wonderful benefits, but when done daily—or most days of the week—burnout can occur with risk of injury, adrenal fatigue, or a more serious condition called rhabdomyolysis.

How do I know whether I’m suffering from workout burnout?

 

To read more,click here!

7 Ways To Make A Basic Squat More Challenging And Really Work Your Butt

Posted on by Michelle Spindler

Booty, booty, booty, booty, squattin’ everywhere.

Squats are one of the best lower-body burners out there. Once you’ve mastered the basic bodyweight version, there are endless ways to amp it up. Good news, since—let’s be honest—you can only do so many squats before they start to feel a little dull.

There are lots of ways to make the move more challenging—beyond just loading up with weight. You can add jumps, pulses, and even a little fancy footwork. Prepare to up your squat game with these seven variations on the effective lower-body exercise.

 

To read more, click here!

I worked out and now I’m SO SORE. Help?

Posted on by Michelle Spindler

“Dear Steve, I think my legs are dying and I can’t walk. HALP!”

Yesterday, or two days ago, you did a strenuous workout for the first time in your life (or for the first time in a while). You dutifully did your squats, push-ups, and rows (if you followed the Beginner Bodyweight workout), or you did some barbell squats or deadlifts or pull-ups. Or maybe you decided to run a 5k just for kicks.

And during the workout, you may have felt pretty good!

That was two days ago, though. When you woke up yesterday, every muscle in your body felt like it was hit by a mac-truck. “Welp, this sucks, but at least tomorrow things should be better,” you tell your brain.

And holy crap, it’s like your body forgot how to function. Maybe your arms are stuck in the permanent t-rex position. Perhaps your groin is tight in places you didn’t even realize you could be sore. Walking down stairs or doing anything active may feel like trying to play the QWOP game (please take 2 seconds to play this – it will be the hardest you’ve ever laughed).

So, what are you supposed to do?…

 

To read more, click here!

3 Simple Ways To Meditate While You’re Running

Posted on by Michelle Spindler

The research is in, and there’s no doubt about it: Running and meditation are really, really good for you.

I’m not just talking about physical benefits, although those are definitely there. Running torches calories and may help you live longer, and meditation can get rid of headaches, and its stress-busting benefits are great for heart health.

As for mental and emotional benefits, both practices fight depression, boost happiness, and improve confidence.

Despite what we may know about running and meditation, actually lacing up your sneakers or sitting on your cushion is a lot easier said than done. Life gets busy, and sometimes the prospect of adding both of these activities to a never-ending to-do list just piles on more stress.

But did you know you can kill two birds with one stone by meditating while you run?

To read more, click here!

The Right Way to Add Rowing to Your Training Regime

Posted on by Michelle Spindler

Everyone should row. And everyone can row. This is a fact my boat club’s champions beautifully demonstrate. The members of Molesey Boat Club stretch from 14 to 84, and their fastest rowers stand top of Olympic podiums. Not everyone is tall and, I assure you, not all can row a sub-6 minute 2k. But we all share a passion for the sport and the movement.

Rowing uses almost every muscle in the body, burns more calories a minute than any other gym-based movement and, when you train it correctly, can develop strength, power, and endurance all at once. In my opinion, no training regime for any sport is complete without it.

But finding great speed and mastering the movement requires correct and deliberate practice. Better practice leads to greater improvements, which lead to a deeper obsession with the movement, and so the cycle continues. One of the biggest challenges is knowing how to use rowing to make your training most effective.

Here are a few steps to successfully introduce rowing into your training regime.

To read more, click here!

The Most Common Indoor Cycling Mistakes

Posted on by Michelle Spindler

You already know how to set up your bike like a pro. Now it’s time to ride like one.

We asked Wil Ashley, cycling instructor and Equinox trainer, to reenact the mistakes he frequently spots in class. Bad form doesn’t just feel weird; it can lead to a sore lower back or extra-tense shoulders. Basically, you’re not doing your body any favors.

Below Ashley demonstrates those mistakes, plus the proper way to ride in the most common positions.

How to Ride Properly in Every Position

There are 3 main positions that most instructors will rotate through. The outline below should be used as a general guide, since variations do exist. Master each one to ace your next class.

 

To read more, click here!

I’LL MEET YOU AT THE BARRE: PURE BARRE

Posted on by Michelle Spindler

It’s time for me to share with you my personal experience with Pure Barre!

First, have you heard of Pure Barre in your area? You probably have. There are numerous Barre type workouts popping up all over but specifically, Pure Barre is fastest and most effective way to change your body. And it is above all, safe. One thing I will not stand for is folks who want to find a “fast and easy”‘ fix to losing weight or getting in shape. There is absolutely ZERO way to achieve all that and do zero work. Sorry to kill all your imaginary dreams, but there is no magic pill to losing weight. Like with anything, you have to work hard to get to your goal.

To read more about how awesome Pure Barre is, click here!

Everything You Need to Know About Body Fat Percentage

Posted on by Michelle Spindler

What the #$%@ is body fat percentage? What’s a good amount of body fat to aim for? How the heck do I figure it out how much I have?

Body fat is an incredibly tricky subject – it’s tough to calculate, tough to track, and most people are way off in their estimates of what they think their body fat percentage is.

As Kanye West once famously declared, “that right there could drive a sane man berserk.”

Luckily, you’re reading Nerd Fitness, which means you’re smart, funny, good looking AND modest. You also understand that this is one of those things that you should probably know something about.

And since we’re talking about kind of a dry, scientific subject here, you’ll be rewarded with cute animal videos at the end of each section so you don’t fall asleep on me.  

What is body fat percentage?

To read more, click here!

23 High-Protein Breakfasts to Keep You Full All Morning

Posted on by Michelle Spindler

Most of us have no problem getting in our daily dose of protein—in fact, we might be consuming even more of it than we need. But it turns out it’s not just about how much protein we eat. Studies show that the way we distribute our intake through the day can have significant effects on how it’s synthesized by our muscles. Solution? Divide protein evenly among all three meals—and especially after a workout—rather than cramming it into one. Registered dietitian Elizabeth Jarrard recommends starting at breakfast, with 10 to 30 grams. Bonus: More protein in the a.m. will keep you full and help you avoid mindless midmorning snacking.

Check out these 23 recipes that fall within Jarrard’s parameters—no protein powders necessary.

 

To read more about some delicious high protein breakfasts, click here!

Social Media and the Climate of Fitness

Posted on by Michelle Spindler

It’s become fashionable, almost expected, to poke fun at the #fitspiration crowd. The messages are counterproductive, the status updates reek of insecurity, the list goes on. Even magazines with no business in fitness are getting into the act with headlines like these: “People who post their fitness routine to Facebook have psychological problems, study claims.”

There is some truth to these claims, but before jumping on the hater’s high horse, consider this: fitness has always been a social endeavor. Even before the first Olympic games more than 2500 years ago, health, fitness, and nutrition have been closely tied to status, competition, and even divinity. As the times have changed, our victory shout has become our status update and olive wreaths have become Facebook ‘likes,’ but human nature is the same.

The internet allows for new ways to share information and create relationships, and it is up to us to leverage these relationships in a productive way, just like the physical culture clubs of the early 2000s, the Persian zurkhaneh, and the Greek gymnasia have done in times past.

 

To read more, click here!

 

7 Amazing Benefits of Meditation

Posted on by Michelle Spindler

As a practice of mind and body, meditation focuses on the interaction among the body, brain, soul, and behavior. Meditation’s amazing benefits are numerous and here are just seven to show you where this practice can take you.

To read more, click here!

Do Cheat Days Work? The Cheat Day Cheat Sheet

Posted on by Michelle Spindler

I’ve been getting a lot of questions about cheat days. Mainly, I’ve been getting asked if they actually work.

The short answer is YES, they do. I’ll explain why later in the article. But for now, the important thing to know is that, if done correctly–for example, the Feast/Fast model–taking a planned day off from your diet can help you lose fat much, much faster. In fact, I believe it so much that I have the cheatiest cheat days around.

I’ve become known for my love of such days. And so today, instead of talking to you about my favorite foods, I thought I’d just give you a break down that can serve a few purposes.

Firstly, if you’re still on the fence about whether or not to cheat, this post will help you decide if it’s for you; please note that his particular point is made in a different manner in my article defending cheat days, so you should check that out, as well.

Secondly, if you do decide to use cheat days, you may find yourself in the position of being asked why you use them and how this works.

 

To read more, click here!