Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Move Well, Feel Stronger, Live Pain Free


The last thing we want to do is chase pain and symptoms. But, what do you do when you are sore, achey, tight, or even injured?

How do you rehab or prehab your movement before starting a program and how do you maintain it during a program?

If your knee hurts, do you focus on the knee? If your back hurts do you ice it and lay around waiting for it to subside only for it to return suddenly?

The beauty of the body, is that it is all connected. Throughout our body and system, we are made up of interchanges of mobility and stability. Through the chain that goes from our toes up to our head, we have groups of muscles one connected to another. Each plays a role, and each acts on the other.

We often look at a pronated foot as an issue with the ankle or foot. But remember, the chain continues up through the body. An issue further up the chain could result in a symptom elsewhere.

Sometimes we call this referred pain. For example, when youre having a heart attack, majority of us know you experience arm pain. Same is true for movement, but not only with referred pain, but referred compensations if you will.

Compensations are our bodies way of taking the path of least resistance. Compensations could be from bad habits, injury, weakness, or dysfunction. Someone who sits at a desk 40 hours per week will adapt and compensate to have tight hip flexors, etc. This will cause issues in other places like weak glutes. The body then has to compensate around those weak glutes, recruiting other muscles. These compensations can be visual and referred from a weakness elsewhere in the chain.


Dont always look at knee pain as an issue or dysfunction in the knee. A headache is not always stemming in the neck or shoulders.  Shin splints are not issues in the "shin".

Make quality movement a priority over quantity. Avoid chasing symptoms and look at the body as an entire system that relies on itself for optimal function. You may be surprised what you find when your intentions shift from calories and reps, to movement and strength.

Move Better, Feel Stronger, Live Pain Free.

Yours in Strength,
Kris


If you have questions or comments post, message, tweet, or poke: 

Twitter @MoultonKB

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

10 x 10 x 10: The 10-Day Challenge

Hey Guys,

Are you ready to take the 10-Day Challenge? This is 100 reps per day for 10 days in a row. Sounds simple right? This is what you make it. Swing Heavy and make each rep count.


For beginners, focus on form and breathing. For advanced students, swing heavy and keep each rep powerful. 


Your nutrition counts. So that means ZERO sugar for the entire 10 days. Sounds hard? Maybe you need to stop and evaluate your sugar content anyways. Trust me, this is not easy for anyone. Sugar is every where and is making our country a more and more unhealthy place to live. 


Hydrate, Quality H20, Aqua Purificada. Whatever you have to do, just get a gallon of water in each day for 10 days. 
The beauty is in the simplicity. Take the Challenge and see a BIG change in 10 Days! 







Here is the plan:
                                                                1. 10 sets of 10 swings per day for 10 days 
                                                                2. Zero sugar for 10 days 
                                                                3. One gal of water per day for 10 days 



Stay Strong,
Kris


If you have questions or comments post, message, tweet, or poke: 

Twitter @MoultonKB

Monday, September 15, 2014

Your 3-Day REWIRE Plan



Hey Guys,

Lets face it. Mondays are rough. Whether its physical exhaustion, or mental fatigue, Mondays can take it out of you. We see a slew of monday motivation pictures and hashtags on the internet in an attempt to inspire us all. Sometimes it works sometimes it doesnt. What I have found is the reason people usually feel this way on Mondays is because of three areas they give up on during the weekend. 
  1. Hydration
  2. Sleep
  3. Nutrition
We get so busy we forget to do the very thing that keeps us alive. Drink water. We get so caught up in the festivities that come with every weekend that we stay up late, lose sleep, and struggle to function without caffeine. Then, both of these lead to behaviors and choices that leave us regretting our food options. We need to reset the system, REWIRE the brain, and bounce back. 

If you are ready to make big changes and finally own your actions, take control, and win with your nutrition. Take the first but hardest step, and forgive yourself. It is ok to not be happy with where you are at. But it is not permanent and it is not forever. Look in the mirror, and for the first time, say something you love about yourself, rather than pick apart your appearance. Look yourself in the eyes, say I am making changes today, and DO IT. 




Your 3-Day REWIRE Plan:

Day 1
Nutritional Plan: This is the hardest day of the week and the strictest day of the plan as well. Work hard and make it happen. 
  • Drink 128 oz (1 gal) of water. Water only. 
  • 100% fruits and vegetables for the day. Make your plate colorful and stack it high.
  • Healthy Fats with each meal: Avocados, nuts, seeds, almond butter, coconut oil, olive oil, olives.
  • Limit starchy vegetables to 2 cups maximum. 
  • Zero grains, no gluten. 
  • 1500 calories or more total for the day. 

Workout Plan: The weekend doesn't always involve the best movement or reinforcement of positive movement. So let's reset. 
  • Take 30 minute walk with no ipod, music, etc. Just you and nature. 
  • Slow mobility and breathing work. Lay on your belly and relax your shoulders. Take deep breaths not into your collarbone/chest, but into your belt buckle/hips rather. Hold stretches for 2 minutes and keep your self calm. You may find this makes you quite sweaty still. 

Thinking Plan: If we never change our thinking, we can never make changes to our behaviors and choices. 
  • Sit alone and write. Write for 10 mins about love. What you love, who you love, why you love them. Then spend another 10 mins writing about respect. Who you respect, why you respect them, and what you respect. See if they overlap at all. 
  • Make a list of 3 things you can do to envelope your life in positivity, and make you better every day. 
  • Get to sleep 30 minutes earlier than usual. 

Day 2
Nutritional Plan: We are going to build on our strong foundation of fruits and veggies and incorporate clean sources of protein and healthy meats. 
  • Drink another 128 oz of water. No coffee or tea. 
  • 6-cups of non starchy, fibrous vegetables. The greens are your best friend. 
  • 2-fist size servings of protein. Animal fat is healthy fat. Dont fear a fatty fish, chicken, turkey, or beef. 
  • 1-thumb size serving of fat with each meal. 
  • Zero grains, no gluten. 
  • Zero sugar. This includes fruit. 
  • 1600 Calorie minimum for the day.

Workout Plan: Increase the intensity. Time to sweat. 
  • Take a 30 minute brisk walk. Heart rate should increase and you should sweat. This is not a jog. 
  • Welcome to the Walkout. Perform 5 sets of 5-10 reps, increase to 5 sets of 10 reps if able to. Quality over quantity. Only add lateral movement if strong enough. You may also add a push up in before walking back up. 
Thinking Plan: The Power of 5. 

Sometimes our goals look like mountains. Its ok to not know how to finish a goal and see changes immediately. As they say, the best way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time. Similar to that, if I take my axe out and take only 5 chops at the giant tree, eventually that tree will fall. Not day 1, not day 2, maybe not even in month 1. But, if I continue to make those 5 chops count each day, eventually that tree will fall. 

  • Sit down and write out 5 areas of your life that you can focus on every day. (Example: Organization, Physical Health, Nutrition, Serving Others, and Personal Growth). If we just focus each day on doing one thing in each area, we will reach our goals. Our thinking will change, and our goals will be met. Changing our habits starts by changing our thinking. We can do this only by actively practicing that each day through education, application, and serving/teaching others. 
  • Turn off all electronics 1 hour prior to your usual bed time. 
Day 3
Nutritional Plan: The Final Day. 

  • 128 oz of water. No coffee, tea, or anything else. Water only. 
  • 6-cups of non starchy, fibrous vegetables.
  • 3-fist size servings of protein. Animal fat is healthy fat. Dont fear a fatty fish, chicken, turkey, or beef. 
  • 1-thumb size serving of fat with each meal. 
  • Zero grains, no gluten. 
  • Add in low glycemic fruits such as berries. Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, grapefruit, oranges, etc. 
  • Should easily reach 1800 calories today.

Workout Plan: Correct the pelvic posture, activate the abs and glutes to become your foundation. 

  • Cut walk down to 20 minutes, but keep it brisk.
  • Go through the Ab Routine HERE
  • Finish with 10 minutes of mobility and stretching, slow breathing, and relaxing the body. 

Thinking Plan: Assess for Success. 

  • Wake up earlier than usual. Make sure it is time you have to yourself while everyone is asleep. Sit down and grab your pad and pen. Spend 10 minutes writing a letter to yourself that contains your top 5 favorite traits of anyone successful. This could be hard working, dedication, etc. Spend another 5 minutes comparing this to your 5 areas you wrote about in Day 2. Each day the rest of the week should be centered around these 5 traits and how they contribute to your 5 areas of growth. 
  • Shut down electronics 1 hour prior to bed and hand write either a letter, card, or postcard to someone you are grateful for having in your life.

If you stick to this plan and use this to REWIRE yourself to begin thinking differently, then you will see growth, you will see success, you will reach your goals. Realize that the food was real, we just eliminated cardboard starches and high sugar foods. We rehydrated your body, gave it rest, fed it good food, and made the point that exercise is about movement. Keeping it simple is where you grow in your foundations. When you build a strong foundation, your life will reflect just that. Strength. 

If you understand that in order to make change we must change our thinking, and truly commit to making your life more successful, you will win with your health. 

Send me your questions, results, and thoughts to MoultonKettlebell@gmail.com Subject 3-Day REWIRE Plan


Yours In Strength,
Kris 



If you have questions or comments post, message, tweet, or poke: 

Twitter @MoultonKB


Monday, September 8, 2014

Staying Healthy During the Holiday Season


Hey Guys,

It's that time of year and we know that the holidays are right around the corner, but have you started thinking about your New Year's resolution? I was never a big resolution person, but now that I am a mother I realize why they exist. Those of us that are moms (and dads) tend to put ourselves on the back burner for our children. So all of those things that "I'll just do tomorrow" are still not started. Rather than waiting for it to become a resolution, call it what it is, and make it your goal today. 

One of the most common goals out there is weight loss. If you are a client of ours you know we try to teach you weight loss is a by product of moving correctly and generally living and eating wholesome. We have slowly been teaching our clients how to workout themselves so as not to depend on us quite as much. As my hubby likes to say, "K.I.S.S....keep it simple stupid". A little straight forward, but true.

Here are a few of our secrets:

1. Portable equipment:  Kettlebells, jump rope, lacrosse ball, and an exercise band. Four pieces of equipment that will take care of most of your corrective exercises and the rest of your workout.

2. Get a workout buddy! There's nothing like a good challenge between Kris and I to motivate me to workout rather than watch one more show on the DVR.

3. Here's a tricky one...The Internet! Do research, look up heathy alternative recipes, follow fitness/nutrition professionals on Facebook or other social media methods to find the latest ideas for fitness or food choices. Here are some of the websites we follow for our wellness research:


Whatever game plan you and your family come up with to keep yourselves healthy, make it routine. Keep things that work well and toss out others that don't or find a way to improve. There are resources all around you to help you succeed, you just need to look. As always, we will only just be an email away if you ever need us. We love you and care about you all. You have influenced who we are today and who we will become in the future.

You are great and the best example you can be is to share your passion and knowledge with others!

Yours in Strength,
Kael




If you have questions or comments post, message, tweet, or poke: 

Twitter @MoultonKB

Becoming As Strong As Sparta Herself



Currently working on the programming and nutrition behind a plan I have been wanting to experiment with. I truly believe the strength that Spartans obtained came from a multi-discipline form of training. This is also something that StrongFirst preaches quite often. Its more than just cardio and sugar free diets. Its more than just having a lean body. Its more than just strength. 


We want to look the part, we want to feel strong, we want to inspire and motivate others with our progress.

Is this achieved ONLY with good nutrition? Is it ONLY a good strength program? No. I believe its a good combination of strength such as body weight, kettlebell, barbell, combat, and mental conditioning.

We have to push first to make mental changes that make the physical challenges feel simple. This can be seen in any Navy Seal training camp. They are pushed to a brink, worked so hard, then asked to work even harder.

Some of my students have felt this point, and the mental gains that can be made here are INCREDIBLE. It is literally a battle within. Its that moment when time slows down, you can hear your breath, you feel your heart throbbing, but you decide if you can continue.

I think with some more refinement, the SpartanStrength program will be just what some folks need to harness their true potential and really excel. 





Stay Strong, 
Kris



If you have questions or comments post, message, tweet, or poke: 


Twitter @MoultonKB