How to Overcome Your Anxiety at Work

The Challenge for my Personal Training Client:

“I experience anxiety in many professional scenarios including interactions with clients, managers and/or colleagues.”

The reactive assumption, without breaking down the problem: “I’m not educated or equipped to handle the professional demands of my position.”

The Personal Trainer Breakdown: The following cyclical process that can steer you through most anxious situations: Awareness->Acceptance->Adaptation

Awareness

I wish I had a simple solution to overcoming any form of anxiety. It often begins as situational but most commonly becomes generalizable. You probably experience a spectrum of anxiety in different areas of your professional AND personal lives and sometimes need a specific plan of action for each.

Before you choose a path, though, step one will always start with a focus on YOU. How do you think, behave, and interact with the world? Your success will depend on this awareness. Your observations will help you understand how you approach challenges and the underlying influences on your decisions and feelings. Eventually, you might be able to understand the “why” to your approach to life.

Study yourself for 2 days by recording every anxious feeling you experience in a pocket notebook (no matter the strength). Attempt to answer these questions: What are your thoughts in the moment? What were you thinking prior to the moment? Did you feel in control? Do you feel in control now? What external factors contribute to this feeling (e.g., last-minute demand, unrealistic demands, a colleague critically assessed your results and/or productivity, etc.)? What internal factors contribute to this feeling (e.g., you don’t feel that you can’t adequately meet the demands of your work, you feel insecure about your role in the company, you fear that your colleagues will unfairly scrutinize everything you do, you fear making a mistake in front of others, you don’t trust your reactive ability to effectively respond to a problem, you perceive your peers’ efforts as superior to yours, etc.). These questions not only steer the reflection process but also help identify the root of your feeling.

Acceptance

Once you become aware of the root of your anxiety or at least the feeling of it, can you accept it? Can you accept the current status of “being”? Can you accept the anxious feeling and what led to it without judging yourself? Before you move forward to the next step, you need to decide whether you can accept your current findings. You’re a human scientist, after all. If not, your emotional connection could steer you down the wrong path or at least blind you from the correct one.

By accepting the moment, your findings, your tendency, and YOU, you are deciding to take an objective path to minimize your anxiety. You’re choosing to adapt your approach in a logistical, strategic way. If you have truly honored the process up to this point, then you are ready to adapt your approach.

Adaptation

Here are specific strategies to overcome your anxiety at work. You’ll notice that many of the solutions involving examining your approach, reframing your mindset, and being assertive. With the use of self-talk consistently over time, you can develop the right mindset to handle any challenge with minimal anxiety. It will require reflection as well as confidence in the professional environment. With the proper examination of yourself and your approach, some solutions will definitely come easier than others. Your diligence and respect for yourself will help overcome the more difficult challenges.

What makes you anxious:
Your manager has unrealistic demands and expectations of you
Solution:
Be assertive and communicate your feelings
What to keep in mind:
Being assertive doesn’t equate to failure. If you sense unrealistic (or unfair) demands and expectations of you, it’s acceptable (and encouraged) to communicate this feeling with your manager. While you may fear looking weak or incapable of meeting demands, you’re only setting yourself up for greater success with this action. In fairness to your manager, she may not be aware of your workload and might be willing to subtract a task or two, or she may see strengths in you that you haven’t quite identified yet. Instead of stressing yourself to produce what could be less than your best effort, seek more understanding of the assignment and why you are chosen to complete it. Use that time to communicate your strengths and current status on projects, too. If needed, seek the manager’s advice on how to more efficiently handles a large task load. If the intention is to do your best, always know that your wisdom and productivity will only grow with the guidance of others.

What makes you anxious:
Your manager has last-minute demands daily
Solution:
Reflect on your processes and stay ahead of your day-to-day responsibilities or build-in a buffer zone
What to keep in mind:
Nothing is more frustrating than being swamped with projects….and then your management adds a last-minute task on your list. To make it worse, your manager probably needed today’s request completed yesterday. While it’s always tough to drop everything that you’re doing to complete a task you didn’t expect, you should ask yourself if it’s really a surprise. Professionals gripe daily about the fire alarm demands from their bosses but rarely realize that (1.) this is consistent and a buffer zone most likely needs to be carved into their daily schedules and (2.) their professional approach is just a set of inefficient systems and time is wasted daily. At what point, will you accept that last minute demands are part of your position and that you need to create a 30 or 60-minute period each day to handle it? Schedule it as a free period. If nothing pops up by the day's end, then use the time to complete another project. At least you’ll approach the day with the healthy mindset that something may randomly appear on your desk and you won’t be stressed by the expectation to complete it in a short frame of time.

If your schedule doesn't allow this free time, then you’ll want to examine your day-to-day approach. Ask yourself these questions: How much time do you waste reading entertainment articles, perusing social media accounts, or indulging in mindless activities? Do you have a specific strategy to handle urgent and non-urgent emails? Do you strategically plan your day and week with looming projects in mind? Do you effectively and efficiently communicate with colleagues and participate in group meetings? Do you inefficiently waste time on tasks that can be automated or left to a colleague with greater expertise? Do you spend more time than necessary on a decision? Looking at your approach with a fine-tooth comb could identify some areas that are essentially stealing time away from you. The time to complete this last-minute demand from your boss could be sitting in front of you.

What makes you anxious:
You’ve built efficient systems and a buffer zone, but your manager’s last-minute demands are still overwhelming
Solution:
Be assertive and communicate a realistic turn-around time or help your manager reassign the task
What to keep in mind:
While the world may demand the most out of you, it doesn’t mean you need to accept the responsibility. Unfortunately, many professionals will continue to ask for more of YOU until you draw the line. If you truly understand what you can effectively and efficiently manage within a timeframe, then you will know when 1 additional task is 1 task too many. Everybody has a cutoff line (a boundary line), and you should absolutely communicate this to your colleagues and managers (and you shouldn’t lose your job as a result). You don’t need to say, no, though (in case you’re worried). Instead, tell them your real timeline (4 days instead of 1 day) and/or help them reassign the task to someone else. Ultimately, if you have a hardworking and productive reputation, they should respect your response. If there’s a negative response, you may want to recognize their frustration and put them at ease that you’ll do your best to accommodate, but it must be within a realistic time frame (your time frame).

What makes you anxious:
You feel that your experience and/or age makes you inferior
Solution:
Recognize the skillsets and experience that make you unique and learn from your colleagues
What to keep in mind:
No matter your age everyone brings a unique set of skills and experience that integrally contribute to the culture and success of a company. What a young colleague lacks in experience might be made up in his or her fresh creative ideas (especially when relating to another generation). What an old colleague lacks in fresh perspective might be made up in her or his experience handling conflict in the workplace. You wouldn’t want 100 people with the same skill set and experience within a company you own, and your employer most likely doesn’t either. Honor the differences between you and your colleagues. You don’t need to be a product of every generation or have decades of experience to productively participate. Feel enlightened when YOU recognize your weaknesses, shortfalls, or failures. You now have the opportunity to gain wisdom from other trained professionals in the same room. Take advantage of this paid education and accept where you stand at a given point. Make a list of 3-5 ways you can contribute to each project while also identifying 3-5 ways you can learn from your counterparts.

What makes you anxious:
A colleague (or manager) critically assessed your results and/or productivity
Solution:
Understand the reasons for your emotional response and seek understanding
What to keep in mind:
Any criticism can be difficult to accept if you have an emotional investment in what you’re doing or believe. Any insecurities about your value and experience will certainly add fuel to this fire. Your reaction may be anxiousness, anger, or disbelief. No matter your response, though, you should always seek understanding. Perhaps, the message wasn’t communicated properly or effectively or you misheard it. Give the person the opportunity to explain him or herself….seek understanding. If there’s an absolute truth in the criticism, think about your insecurities. Do you have unfair expectations of yourself? Is your self-assessment skewed? Do you accept that you’re not perfect? Are you willing to work on improving these areas? Are you willing to ask for help? If you wholeheartedly disagree with the criticism, seek understanding and explain in related terms the reasons why. Communicate the goal: To be your best and to contribute effectively. Even in disagreement both of you might find a way to at least be on the same productive page.

Photo Credit:
The Content Wolf .com–Do you have anxiety at work? You may need to rethink your approach….literally.

The "No Messing Around" Guide to Eating Healthy on the Road as a Professional

The Big Challenge:

It's very difficult to eat healthy and/or lose weight while traveling professionally each week.

The reactive assumption, without breaking down the problem: It's IMPOSSIBLE to eat healthily and lose weight on the road. Between limited options and the demands of work, friends, and family, I'm left with very few options and control! Insert dramatic sigh here. :)

The breakdown: It's amazing how often I jumped to wrongful, emotionally-driven assumptions when I first noticed a problem-especially when it came to my health at an earlier age. What a state of stress trying to take care of my health....which is ironic, of course! I easily blamed a lack of resources, work, and everyone else. While at times for fair reasons, I lose sympathy when I allow it to happen consistently.

Last year my wife, son, and mother-in-law drove 13 hours over 2 days from Chicago to Washington D.C. last summer. The food options were sparse and, regarding health, absolutely awful. Meat, cheese, bun, cola....meat, cheese, bun, cola....a consistent offering down highway 94 throughout Indiana, Ohio, and more. I feel you!!!! I can't imagine traveling to rural and small towns across America with the limited offerings of McDonald's, Pizza Hut, Applebees, and Chilis.

Maybe you are guilty of these same tendencies or dealt with similar challenges. Ultimately, if you recognize this, it's probably time to change it. If you feel a lack of control, then it's time to take control of the situation. Instead of saying, "There are no options in the middle-of-nowhere Ohio, Michael," try to say "I will find viable options in a 5-10 radius of my hotel and workplace. Instead of saying, "Work is so demanding on the road that I don't have the time to travel somewhere for healthy food options," try to say "I will travel to the nearest grocery store and stockpile my refrigerator-equipped room with healthy lunch options." The theme: Changing the defeatist self-talk to "I will" statements. What I suggest moving forward will be fruitful unless you are willing to find a solution...wanting to make a change. I've made a list of the usual excuses/reasons why eating healthy is tough on the road and the solutions with their respective implications. Use each of the strategies when deemed most appropriate for your current situation and carefully consider the drawbacks of each as well. Ultimately, you can make at least one of the options work daily with a change of mindset, a reflection on priorities, and a willingness to dedicate an additional 0-30 minutes towards your diet. No matter what you choose, though, don't forget that PLANNING MATTERS.

Solutions/Implications

Problem:
I don't know what to eat
Solution:
Determine the best nutrition combination for you
Implication:
We should always eat and move with intent. If you don't know what to eat, you need establish to establish your nutrition guidelines and principles beforehand (with a personal trainer, your Google machine, or other trusted professionals). This foundation will be your starting point for any eating decision and the measure of how far you pushed beyond the perfect combination. Use the article "Read How to Lose Weight Without Exercise" and use "The Plate" as your reference to eating on the road. On the other hand, this process takes the time, and you simply don't have it. Unfortunately, this is a non-negotiable solution. You must do complete this action before attempting anything else (especially it guides all approaches). You don't have to do this alone. Be patient and learn what you need to do while sitting on a plane.

Problem:
I find myself constantly snacking on unhealthy options when I fly
Solution:
Pack non-perishables for the trip
Implication:
You can easily packed dried, unsweetened and unsulfered fruit, nuts, and more for your travels. Although they will not meet all of your nutritional needs, they will hinder some indulgences. On the other hand, space could be a factor with your checked and/or carryon luggage and may limit your available space.

Problem:
There aren't any healthy options at the airport
Solution:
Review your guidelines on nutrition and determine if you’re overlooking something or have something delivered before you depart to the airport
Implication:
Now airports are offering more and more options that fall in the range of the dietary suggestions you’ll find in the article "Read How to Lose Weight Without Exercise". You will also find specific healthy fast food menu items in the article "37 Snack Ideas for Weight Loss (And You Won’t Be Bored)”…..which really gives small meal ideas for at home and on the road. On the hand, smaller airports truly may have limited options. In that case, though, you could pick something up on the way to the airport or have it delivered wherever you are before your departure.

Problem:
When I arrive, I rarely have time to fit anything else into my schedule
Solution:
Schedule your flight to arrive an hour earlier than normal
Implication:
Since lack of time typically impedes the healthy eating process, you can give yourself more time to prepare and research healthy food options by scheduling your flight an hour earlier than normal. On the other hand, the hour must be taken from somewhere (hopefully not sleep), and you may not have any time to spare.

Problem:
I don't know where to eat healthy food
Solution:
Find viable options in a 5-10 radius of my hotel and workplace
Implication:
With technology and the endless phone apps, you can easily find restaurants, diners, and more along the route from your hotel to the workplace. Go to Google Maps and type in "Restaurants (Town or City)" and find the options on your path. Visit the website and review their menus. Although diners or family restaurants typically offer many unhealthy options, you might be surprised by 3-4 alternatives on a usual expansive menu (think stir fry or skillet). You will also find specific healthy fast food menu items in the article "37 Snack Ideas for Weight Loss (And You Won’t Be Bored)”…..which really gives small meal ideas for at home and on the road. On the other hand, do you have time to wait for a restaurant to prepare your food? You may need to order ahead and quickly pick it up at the door.

Problem:
There aren't any healthy options or restaurants near my hotel or workplace
Solution:
Cook your meals
Implication:
I think we've taken many conveniences in society for granted, including the access to meals. Although people say "I don't cook," it truly translates to "I refuse to cook." You don't need to be a chef to create quick and simple meals daily. In fact, I create 3 meals each morning within 13 minutes. It is possible....as long as you're willing to do the initial experimentation phase to determine what you like best (and it's quick to prepare). On the other hand, cooking (and grocery shopping) still requires time and could be tough during a tight schedule. You may need to creatively carve out little chunks of time from different areas (e.g., cutting a meeting short by 5 minutes, having groceries delivered to your room or apartment, etc.).

Problem:
I'm surrounded by unhealthy options at the hotel and workplace
Solution:
I will travel to the nearest grocery store and stockpile my refrigerator-equipped room with healthy lunch options
Implication:
Book hotel or an apartment with a fridge. If the hotel doesn't have a fridge, book an Airbnb. If you can't book an Airbnb, stockpile your room with non-perishables and fruits/vegetables that won't perish within a few days. On the other hand, time could be a huge factor, and you won't have the wiggle room to sneak away to a grocery store. You may need to go to a small convenience store nearby (Google "convenience store" or ask your hotel).

Problem:
I don't have access to a kitchen
Solution:
Expense an Airbnb apartment instead of a hotel room
Implication:
While a hotel room may give you the luxury and ease....actually I'm not sure what it gives you that's better than an Airbnb apartment. The Airbnb options have grown so much that you can secure a space 3x the size of a hotel with the same level of luxury of comfort. The check-in process is comparable, and you have the option to cook your meals. On the hand, the closest Airbnb option to your workplace could be an additional 10-30 minutes away...not ideal for a tight schedule.

Problem:
There aren’t healthy options off the highway on my road trip
Solution:
Identify small towns and cities on your route and type “(the town or city) restaurants” in Google Maps.
Implication:
To eliminate the roadside desperation, you’ll need to prepare ahead once again. Take 5 minutes to review your route on Google Maps and then type in “(the town or city) restaurants”. You might be surprised by the number of options that will pop up roadside or within a 5 minute drive of the highway. On the other hand, you are requiring an additional 3-30 minutes during this process….time you don’t have.

Problem:
The workplace only offers unhealthy options during my meetings
Solution:
Bring your own prepared meals for lunch or have a meal delivered during the same timeslot.
Implication:
Preparation is the key here. Anything you can prep or schedule in advance will give you the alternative that you're looking for. On the other hand, you may have not had the time to prepare the meal or schedule a food delivery in advance. Let's be honest, though, if you know what to order from a place you selected in advance it won't take more than 2 minutes to order delivery.

Problem:
My meetings run into each other, and I have no time to eat
Solution:
Be more assertive
Implication:
This is rarely a reasonable excuse. You definitely need to be more assertive. It is fair to expect that you need a 30-minute break at some point in the day. You need to make it a priority and remove some of the irrational time urgency you constantly place on your life. On the other hand, it is possible that meetings run late and any free time becomes obsolete. In these cases, though, you can easily have food delivered.

Problem:
I don’t want to be judged by my colleagues while special ordering
Solution:
Be assertive and order what you want….but find ways to still participate in the experience.
Implication:
There is an underlying and, often, overt theme here: Be assertive. While you need your job, your job needs you. It should be fair to carve time for healthy eating in an already demanding 13-hour workday (which you can argue is a generous offering to your company….no matter what they pay you). Putting aside the time challenge, though, many people still feel awkward ordering what they want when eating with colleagues. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter what your colleagues think. Nevertheless, you understand that they just want you to share the experience with them….especially if you’re the one who invited them to dinner. Then, still indulge in the experience with them! Under your control though. Order 1 drink (instead of 3) and discuss its unique taste profile. Order a plant-based dish (instead of the cheeseburger) and discuss your favorite restaurants and dishes. Essentially, contribute to the conversation of the experience but control what you eat. If anything, order 1-2 appetizers for the table and steal a small bite of each to exhibit your tasting participation. On the other hand, this strategy requires to be more assertive and confident (both of which take time to foster).

Photo Credit:
beyondwords .life–Are there more healthy option on the road than you realize?

"Is vegetarian fast food actually good for you?" Review

While I strongly encourage a plant-based diet for anyone interested in weight loss or optimal health, I will admit that not all are created equal in vegetarian options. In fairness to my endless green banter, CNN author Lisa Drayer shares the other side of the spectrum.

Plant-based diets have been associated with many health benefits, including a reduced risk of obesity, heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. So it might naturally follow that vegetarian fast food, which is inherently plant-based, would be more nutritionally appealing than its traditional relatives.

The truth is that, although the notion works in many cases, it's not a guiding food principle you can count on.

"Just because a restaurant or fast food menu item says it's vegetarian or vegan, it doesn't mean that it's automatically 'healthy.' It can have just as much, if not more, calories, saturated fat and sodium as non-vegetarian options," said Sharon Palmer, a registered dietitian and author of "Plant-Powered for Life."

It makes sense. After all, ingredients contribute calories, whether plant-based or not. And while fiber and protein can be higher in vegetarian meals, thanks to plentiful amounts of beans, vegetables and whole grains, so can things such as saturated fat and sodium, depending on how the food is prepared (fried vs. grilled, for example) and the amount of cheese and condiments a meal contains.

"Vegetarian and vegan food options that are deep-fried, covered in cheese or creamy sauces and piled over huge portions of fries, rice, wraps or breads may not be the healthiest option on the menu," Palmer said.

Personal Trainer Wisdom: The final paragraph of this program is typically the way many of my vegetarian and vegan personal training clients get into trouble. Just because you’ve cut out the meat, it doesn’t you should load up on cheese, oil, and simple grains.

For example, Veggie Grill's Fala-Full sandwich -- two pitas filled with falafel, hummus, pepperoncini and schug and tzatziki sauces, with a side of tabbouleh -- has 1,100 calories, 10 grams of saturated fat and more than a day's worth of sodium (2,380 milligrams). That's more than double the calories, 2½ times the sodium and the same amount of saturated fat as a McDonald's Big Mac. (A Big Mac has 540 calories, 950 milligrams of sodium and 10 grams of saturated fat).

On the other hand, the Veggie Grill's grilled "chickin' " sandwich made with soybean, wheat and pea-based protein has only 530 calories, 900 milligrams of sodium and 3 grams of saturated fat.

The takeaway: Menu items can vary widely, depending on the type and amount of ingredients used, and sauces and deep-frying will contribute extra calories, fat and sodium.

Speaking of burgers, the Amy Burger at Amy's Drive Thru -- a meat-free fast food restaurant with ambition to expand to other markets, owned by the company that makes Amy's vegetarian supermarket foods nationwide -- includes two veggie patties with cheese and sauce. The burger has 770 calories, 10 grams of saturated fat, 33 grams of protein, 9 grams of fiber and 1,420 milligrams of sodium. Veggie Grill's Beyond Burger with a single patty has more saturated fat (13 grams) and the same amount of sodium as Amy's.

Surprisingly, the McDonald's Big Mac has fewer calories and less sodium than both veggie burgers, and it has less saturated fat than Veggie Grill's single-patty veggie burger (10 grams).

Still, both veggie burgers have more fiber, and Amy's has more protein than Mickey D's Big Mac, which can keep you feeling full. Plus, Amy's ingredients -- aside from being meat-free -- are locally sourced and organic, all of which may be more important than nutrition numbers, especially for those who don't need to be counting them.

Veggie Grill's Mondo Nachos, for another example, made with "chickin' " and "queso chorizo" sauce, have more than 900 calories, 7 grams of saturated fat and almost 1,600 milligrams of sodium. By comparison, Taco Bell's BellGrande nachos with beef have fewer calories (760), slightly less saturated fat (6 grams) and less sodium (1,290 milligrams). Once again, however, the Grill's has more protein and fiber.

It's important to remember that not all beef tacos are created equal. Del Taco's queso loaded nachos with beef top the list, with more than 1,000 calories, a day's worth of saturated fat and over 2,000 milligrams of sodium.

When it comes to mac and cheese, both Amy's Drive Thru and Veggie Grill's vegan versions have less sodium, more fiber and a lot less saturated fat than Panera's small traditional version, though Panera's packs much more protein.

As with other menu items, the nutritional contributions of salads are a direct reflection of the ingredients used, so it's difficult to make broad generalizations. For example, Veggie Grill's All Hail Kale salad and Amy's Super Salad with tofu, hummus, quinoa and roasted pumpkin seeds are nutritional winners, but a falafel-containing salad at Veggie Grill is going to have a lot more calories, sodium and fat.

Then again, that's really the takeaway message for all menu items, whether they are vegetarian, vegan or neither. That is, a meal is only as healthy as its ingredients.

So just because a food is "vegetarian" or "vegan" doesn't guarantee that it's a nutritionally superior option. French fries may be vegetarian, but that doesn't mean they should fill your plate on a regular basis.

Palmer recommends looking for options that include plenty of vegetables, such as salads, bowls or wraps; whole grains, such as quinoa or whole-grain bread; and simple protein options, like beans or a veggie burger patty. She also advises "going easy on sauces, creams and cheeses," which makes good health sense, whether you choose to eat vegetarian or not.

Personal Trainer Wisdom: The moral of the story is that you still need to dissect the menu anywhere you eat. Often, you may need to ask the right questions: How is the dish prepared? Do you use butter or oil? Is the dish prepared with dairy? Do you sautee the vegetables with butter? Most people fear asking anything when dining with others…afraid of their perception. What perception would you rather have (not that it really matters what they think in this matter)? That you don’t care about your health/body or that your health is a priority? If your “friends” judge you for the latter, you may want to help them begin reflecting on their health as well.

Photo Credit:
serious eats . com – Are vegan nachos as healthy as you think?

You’ll Want to Try this At-Home Bridal Boot Camp Workout over the Weekend!

Are you looking for a great wedding workout for this weekend at home? Try this 30-minute circuit in your living room (minimal equipment required) and then binge on your favorite Netflix show while it’s raining!

Time: 30-35 minutes
Frequency: 1-2x week
Focus: Lower Body/Core
Reps: 15-20 reps
Format: You may choose whatever exercise you want from each category but perform the categories in order (Squats, Planks, Lunges, Planks, Random Legs). You may exchange any of the following based on availability: a dumbbell (DB), medicine ball (MB), a suitcase, or book. You must complete every exercise (25 total).

1. Squats

-Explosive air squats (quick stationary squats while thrusting your arms upward)
-Squat with weight raise (raise the weight from your chest to the overhead position while squatting)
-Squat weight slam motion (start with the weight overhead and swing it downward as you squat) or weight swing squat (like a kettlebell swing)
-Explosive squat with weights at your side (explode upward without leaving your feet, squeeze your glutess at the top of the movement)
-Explosive squat with weight on the chest (explode upward without leaving your feet, squeeze your glutess at the top of the movement)

Personal Trainer Wisdom: Please keep in mind that you need to keep your lower back in a neutral position and straight feet hip width (no wider). Basically, maintain the natural curve with your heels under hips. If you notice a posterior tilt (rounding of lower back) in your hips as you squat, stop just before and squeeze your glutes as you return to the standing position.

2. Planks (30-60 Seconds)

-Different variations using the floor, couch, or chair

Personal Trainer Wisdom: You will maintain the neutral spine no matter the exercise….especially on a plank. Too much flexion (rounding of your lower back) or extension (arching of the lower back) will wreak havoc on your sweet little disks (the impact buffers between the vertebrae of your spine). With this being said, maintain the neutral spine with your elbows planted below your shoulders and your hands placed in the “I’m holding a square box” position (not trademarked yet). Think: Your thumbs up and hands spaced shoulder width. If your hands are any closer, you are transferring the energy from your core to your shoulders (and you don’t want to do this).

3. Lunges

-Walking lunge with light dumbbell twist (slightly rotate the weight two inches past your bent knee, keep your shoulders and hips squared up, and don’t lean while rotating to each side)
-Walking lunge with overhead weight press (press weight overhead as you lunge downward….like a shoulder press)
-Walking lunge with weight on chest (keep the weight in the same position)
-Walking lunge with weight swing (swing weight up as you lunge downward from your hips….like a kettlebell swing)
-Forward and back lunge (only drop knee halfway and return to the starting position as if you’re performing a single leg squat….which means limit the weight on the back foot or your knee will be barking at you)

Personal Trainer Wisdom: Unfortunately, lunges shouldn’t be named lunges. An “alternating stepping kneel” may be more appropriate (less sexy though). Think about it: A lunge insinuates that you’re allowing forward momentum (energy) to push forward at a downward angle while sacrificing your knees and overusing your quads (similar to lunging at a person with a sword in a movie). We’re cutting out other important muscles of the leg and reinforcing a dysfunctional dependence of the quads. Instead, you should step forward into a kneel and then return to a standing position like a single leg squat (isolating your hamstrings and glutes on the leg in front of you). Use the big muscles in the posterior chain and explode from the kneeling position! While the quads are part of the equation, they shouldn’t be the main focus here!

4. Planks (30-60 Seconds)

-Different variations using the floor, couch, or chair

5. Random Legs (30-60 Seconds)

-Mountain climbers, 2x (hold onto a chair with your straight arms and drive your knees toward your chest (alternate) without compromising your neutral spine)
-Stairsteppers or chairsteppers while holding a weight at your chest, 2x (start by standing on a chair against the wall and step down with each foot, return each foot to the top before dropping the other)
-Mountain climbers with a twist (hold onto a chair with your straight arms and slightly drive your knee towards the opposite shoulder to engage the obliques (alternate) without compromising your neutral spine)

Photo Credit:
fitnessmagazine .com–How will you lunge into this weekend?

5 Easy Ways to Amp Up Your Workouts

Have you hit a plateau of interest and results in your workouts? You may just need to amp them up with these 5 easy changes.

Choose a set number of reps and be certain you perform each set until failure.

Personal Trainer Wisdom: Whether a work project or living in a relationship, you never want to “just go through the motions”. It is a status quo approach that rarely enhances your life or helps you achieve your goals. This especially applies to your fitness program. I often see people incorporate the quantity of time in the gym (e.g., 5 days per week, 60 minutes per day) but rarely the quality (e.g., low intensity instead of moderate to high….and sweating isn’t the indicator of this effort). Are you “just going through the motions” for each exercise you perform? Can you barely complete the remaining 2 reps of a given set? If you’re shooting for 12 reps and can perform 15-20 reps, you may be robbing your muscles of the appropriate challenge to rebuild stronger and toner. Instead, do a check-in on the 3rd rep of the set and ask yourself “Can I perform 12 more reps (or whatever number you chose) at this point (for a total of 15 instead of 12)?” If so, you may want to increase the weight and push that muscle to exhaustion.

Perform your fitness routine within a circuit while focusing on more than 2 muscle groups.

Personal Trainer Wisdom: Many eager gym rats grew up performing the traditional workout program: Choose a muscle group (e.g., chest) and 3-5 different isolated exercises (e.g., presses, flyes, pushups, etc.) and then perform each for 3-4 sets with a 1-2 minute break in between. While you will certainly build strength and size in this format, you are missing muscular and aerobic endurance development….elements of a workout program necessary for optimal health. To avoid this shortfall, perform consecutive exercises while focusing on more than one muscle group. Performing exercises within a circuit (e.g., 5-10 exercises without a break) will increase your heart rate and improve your aerobic capacity while also increasing your muscular endurance with the constant demand on your muscles. By focusing on several muscle groups, you can give 1 muscle active recovery while you work on the next (e.g., band chest press followed by a step-up with a dumbbell hammer curl). Since there is a aerobic element to this format, you may not achieve a 100% max strength output (e.g., bench press for 1-2 reps) due to this type of fatigue, you can still build your strength with lesser a weight (e.g., bench press for 12 reps at 70% output). Definitely an approach that can achieve many facets of physical health!

Add balance to your program.

Personal Trainer Wisdom: Even with an effective routine you might easily lose interest in any particular exercise and consequently approach each exercise with less intensity. Occasionally, you may need to adapt the exercise to bring a new level of stimulation. If you dread your next set, throw it off balance….literally. If you plan to squat, perform a cable row as you stand from the squat. If you plan to perform a dumbbell chest press on the bench, lunge forward as you perform a standing press with a resistance band instead. By adding instability to your exercise, you not only increase your heart rate by firing other muscles, but you also recruit new stabilizers and increase your laser focus to complete the movement. With this being said….

Swap out the piece of equipment for each exercise.

Personal Trainer Wisdom: Although you perform relatively the same movement to fire a particular muscle (e.g., Presses and flyes for chest, rows and pulldowns for back, etc.), the type of equipment you choose can completely change how and which muscles are recruited. For example, you swapped your stable, isolated dumbbell chest press on the bench for the standing resistance band press above. Even without an added lunge, you are changing the dynamic of this movement. Both chest exercises involve the press movement but substituting the dumbbells for the resistance bands will force you to fight a counterforce that didn’t exist while lying on the bench. As you press forward with the bands, their rubberband effect throughout the movement will force you to now recruit more back and shoulders muscles to counter the force. Using cables, medicine balls, kettlebells, and other attachments can also add a little spice to your normal routine.

Change your workouts from 60 to 30 minutes.

Personal Trainer Wisdom: How do you effectively and efficiently use the time you allot for fitness? Most people schedule 60 minutes for a fitness session. What are you really doing during that time? I’ve seen people take different lengths of breaks aimlessly walking from one exercise to the next. Why not move with intent and cut out the fluff? If you really intend to only exercise for 30 minutes, why don’t you complete it within 30 minutes? This could be the answer to maintaining a higher level of intensity and interest, too.

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Fortlelock .com–Could new equipment be the answer to amping up your workout?