This is the most frustrating thing - doing ALL the THINGS but not seeing results. 

You feel like you're doing things that should be getting you results and doesn't, which is when you go into desperate mode for quick fixes.

When we just pick and choose healthy foods or random workouts, the problem with that is it isn't a structured program. Being more active is always great for your health first and foremost BUT if you have specific goals such as weight loss or muscle tone, you need to make sure you are doing workouts that are in a progressive tone to get you those results.

Pairing that with proper nutrition that again, matches your set goals is what will get you to the place you are striving for. Part of figuring that out is getting real with yourself and realizing that there may have to be a method to what you are eating. 

Everything can be figured out but sometimes in order to do that, you need to bring in help - Hey, that's what I did!!

When I started getting into...

Nutrition is the topic of the day! This category has been a hot topic with clients.

Tools to put you in a calorie deficit:

No. 1 Intermittent fasting

No. 2 High/Low Carb or High/Low Fat diets

No. 3 Meal timing tricks 

KEEPING YOU IN A CALORIE DEFICIT

Eliminate all the above rules mentioned and just focus on what matters the most and that is "Are your calories in the right range to put you in a calorie deficit?"

Keeping in mind that you don't want to create a deficit that is so low, you are going to downgrade your metabolism, you're going to have low energy, it's going to effect your hormones or you're going to hungry all the time.

A tool to accomplish this includes tracking your food. The point of this is to learn what amount of food will equal your specific target calorie intake and to eventually be able to intuitively know when you have reached your limit.

Once you learn how your calories play out in a day, you can start playing around with your foods and having all...

Today I wanted to do a tutorial on LOWER ABDOMINALS. 

This is a question that has popped up with my 1:1 clients about how to engage that lower part of your core.

Lower Abdominals are the ones we would label as our "pooch", between your belly button and your pelvis. 

They are challenging to engage because we have more dominating muscles that can take over a movement and engage faster. So I am going to show you some exercises to better engage your lower abs.

When we crunch or do a v-sit up our upper abdominals and our hip flexers will both take effect before our lower abs. So the key is to start mentally being aware of your lower abdominals. What I mean by this, is you need to concentrate on pulling those muscles inward toward your spine. 

To get started I will demonstrate some exercises to get you connected with your lower abdominals. 

No. 1 - A simple breathing exercise to engage and connect with your lower core

No. 2 - A 90 degree crunch

No. 3 - Reverse...

Inspiration for this videos topic has come from TikTok!!

I'm a huge fan of the App, it's fun go check me out at @rachel.stewart.fitness

BUT I want to talk about how when it comes to Health & Fitness, there are promises being made to people that are just not realistic or even true. 

An example is the "Muffin Top Workout", this workout includes exercises to engage your core, where the "muffin top" is BUT that area is all about Fat Loss. You can do all those exercises and become stronger and toned, so when the fat comes off it reveals the shape that you're looking for. Doing only oblique muscle crunches though, is not going to help you shed a "muffin top" - in fact it can even make you look bigger!

These type of workouts found on apps like TikTok never talk about what really helps you to lose fat and that is NUTRITION - which is 80% of Fat Loss.

So when you see something advertised as get leaned and toned, keep in mind that the LEAN part has to do with your...

It is time to break up with dieting FOREVER!!

Anyone who diets, has probably gone on and off either the same diet or has tried every fad diet under the sun. This of course leads to either never seeing results or not being able to sustain them.

When I was 15 or 16 years old I started trying all sorts of diets that never got me to my goals and instead left me feeling defeated and with a feeling of being weak minded. That maybe this was something I just couldn't do.

Generally when we go on a diet, it is always about exclusion and eliminating the "bad foods", which means the first thing you are going to think about when you start this new diet, are ALL the foods you are NOT supposed to have! That is just how our brain works. So when our will power breaks and we finally have one of those "naughty" food items, we feel completely off track and then throw the whole plan and diet out the window.

You want a flexible meal plan that includes all those things that we crave. If we go to a...

We start by breaking this into two categories: Eating for Health & Eating for Fat Loss

To begin we will look at Healthy Eating which highlights getting in lots of micronutrients. They are the things in food that bring us better health, making us feel good, make us feel healthy and make us more energized. We need a balance of micronutrients in our diet to have long-term health. 

This includes a lot of whole foods and lean proteins. You want to stay away from high processed foods that can be inflammatory and damaging to your health.

The downside is that it can feel restrictive, making every day life feel a bit more stressful around your diet. As well it doesn't guarantee fat loss.

Looking at the other side of the chart, focuses on a calorie deficit - so calories in and calories out. We want to make sure we have proper ratios with your macro nutrients. 

It doesn't matter as much what is on your plate, as long as you are staying within your calorie deficit and...

Time to break up with the treadmill a.k.a too much CARDIO!

Just about every new client I take, is doing too much cardio and not seeing the results they want. This is what my coaching helps with and that is showing you the errors in your current process and your roadblocks so to speak, that are preventing you from reaching your goals.

If your entire workout structure is based around cardio, you are doing too much! If your goal is sustainable weight loss - which for most people it is. We all want to feel good, then too much cardio is holding you back. 

Here are 3 reasons why:

No. 1 - Most cardio is high impact and when you are consistently beating your body into the ground, this is hard on your joints and will create inflammation. This will cause you to puff up from swelling and slow your recovery down, which will set you back in your goals. 

No. 2 - Tons of cardio depletes your energy source and therefore sparks your hunger hormones. Your body needs more...

I am a firm believer in timing your workouts! We tend to underestimate the time we are doing actual work and over estimate out rest time. So having a timer click down will keep us accountable, avoid distractions and make sure you are getting the proper amount of work done

Do you use an interval timer? I am going to share a couple of apps that I use and recommend. 

App No. 1 - Interval Timer (demo available in video) and is FREE

App No. 2 - Trainerize, a more detailed app that allows you to track information about your workout and this is the tool I use in my coaching programs, so the interval timer is only one element. This is a PAID app. 

All the workouts and tracking in your coaching program with me is done on the trainerize app and as your coach I get to see when you are accessing your workouts. It helps me personalize your program and I cannot speak enough about how amazing this app is. Of course this app is only one element of the full...

*Pre-recorded video, live training series has already aired and giveaway mentioned is no longer valid.

It's time to BREAK-UP WITH YOUR SCALE!

We are always so hell bent on seeing the scale number going down and that is a mindset we create for ourselves.

Anyone who has been following me, knows that I HATE the scale and think that it is a terrible piece of equipment - why is this even a thing to have in your bathroom?

We are so attached to the number on the scale and it effects our self worth and can set the tone for our entire day and that is NOT how we should be living our lives. 

We need to understand why we are so attached to it and then we can start to let go of that attachment. 

No. 1 There is no magic number that is going to fix everything. Chasing that number is going to take away from the things we should actually be doing in a weight loss and fitness journey. Chase a feeling not a number! If you are hoping to watch that number go down every day, you are either...

These are some personal trainer foundations to help get the most out of your workouts and each rep.

We will break down how each exercise you have ever done, can be broken down into 3 parts and used to your advantage.

Part No. 1 - Concentric part of the movement - where you are actually doing the lift of the weight and movement. 

Part No. 2 - Less talked about and glorified- Isometric! The moment and split second pause when you change direction.

Part No. 3 - Eccentric part of the movement. Control against gravity and keeping the tension to manage the load, which will give you a greater benefit vs just running through reps. 

When you feel you are getting too strong for the weights you have at home, you need to slow your movements down. That is what is going to challenge you and give you a better workout with each rep. This applies to any movement. 

Take your time to really feel each part of every movement! You may be surprised how heavy 10 lbs can actually feel. 

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