Fitness Equipment Minimalism

 

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STRENGTH TRAINING WORKOUTS NEED NOT BE LONG OR REQUIRE MUCH EQUIPMENT. Whether you exercise at home, at work or on-the-go, short workouts with minimal equipment are your best friend. No more excuses. In the next few weeks i plan to demonstrate a few simple routines. It’s important to note that equipment is not actually necessary for resistance training. It is 💯 % possible to work the entire body using only your body weight, for FREE. With that said, equipment can be very useful and help make things more interesting. My top 3 equipment recommendations are: 1) Resistance Bands 2) a single Kettlebell 3) a single Dumbbell. Resistance Bands are typically inexpensive and kettlebells or dumbbells can often be found used (and you really only need ONE of either). Last week I talked about the essential exercises for a short total body workout. Next week I will demonstrate an example. #austinpersonaltrainer #austinpersonaltraining #resistancetraining #strengthtrainingathome #dumbbellworkout #kettlebellworkout #blueskystrongbox

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Oct 15, 2019 at 7:28am PDT

October at the BSSB

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#blueskystrongbox

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Oct 10, 2019 at 9:02am PDT

Strength Training requires at least 3 Exercises

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EVERY ADULT NEEDS TO DO STRENGTH TRAINING AT LEAST 1 DAY A WEEK. It doesn’t need to be complicated. Workouts don’t need to be longer than 30-45minutes max. 5-10minutes of a really good exercise done really well could do the trick (think Deadlift, Heavy carries, Kettlebell Swings, Heavy Squats, Turkish Getup, Squat to Row). For health, 1 workout a week can work. For health and to look better, 2-3 days a week is better. Oh yeah, don’t forget Diet, which is THE most important factor in approving appearance. You can never out-exercise a bad diet and too many liquid calories. How many exercises, and which ones? Regardless of how often you Strength Train, each workout must include a Lower Body Leg/Hip Exercise, an Upper Body Push and an Upper Body Pull. There are a ton of choices. Keep it simple. You can do more but I would limit it to a total of 6 exercises. Try to find exercises that involve the entire body while targeting the specific areas I just mentioned. How many sets and reps? I personally like 2-3 sets per exercise. For reps, l like 15 reps some days, 10 reps on other days and a heavy 5 reps on days I feel rested. Any rep range will work so long as you challenge yourself without beating yourself up or allowing form to degrade. Variety is nice. The secret to getting results is NOT missing workouts, walking a lot each day, proper rest and above average diet/nutrition. Never forget that. Get to it! #blueskystrongbox #strengthtrainingathome #strengthtraining #resistancetraining #austinpersonaltrainer #austinpersonaltraining #blueskystrongbox #johntylerhighschool #cujonation

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Oct 7, 2019 at 10:39am PDT

Dr. Andrew Weil’s 4/7/8 Breathing Method

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Dr Andrew Weil’ 4/7/8 breathing method. Read this. Zoom in. In fact, do a screen grab THEN zoom in on your phone. This page gives the details straight from the source. Use it. I hope it helps. I use it regularly. #bssbbooks #drandrewweil #478breathing #austinpersonaltrainer #austinpersonaltraining #stressmanagement #relaxationtechniques #blueskystrongbox

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Sep 30, 2019 at 11:52am PDT

Use the 4/7/8 to win the war against Stress.

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LEARN TO BALANCE OUT STRESS WITH THE 4/7/8 BREATHING METHOD. This is borrowed from Dr. Andrew Weil MD. He recommended this as a way to relax both the mind and the body. If practiced regularly it may do much more. Modern living can be very stressful and busy. Add to that something like regular intense exercise (also a form of stress even though it’s considered good), the body may need focused relaxation to balance out everything. This is where breathing/relaxation techniques can be helpful. The 4/7/8 method is easy. Get into a relaxed position. Place the tip of your tongue against the roof of your mouth, just behind the top front teeth. Keep it there the entire time. Next, inhale 4 seconds through the nose. It’s ok if this is challenged. Do what you can. After the inhale try to hold that breath for 7 seconds. Again, do what you can. Finally, exhale very slowly through pursed lips for 8 seconds. Repeat 4 times total. The main idea is exhale longer than you inhale and to relax while doing it. This is great to do upon waking or to help you relax before sleep. It could be done anytime. I prefer to do it after a workout or if I wake up restless during the night. For you science-minded individuals, this is said to help stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system and quiet down the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight response). It takes less than 90 seconds. I I think it’s worth trying. I will also post a photo in my very next post from the book I first found this in. #bssbbooks #austinpersonaltrainer #austinpersonaltraining #stressmanagement #drandrewweil #478breathing #blueskystrongbox

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Sep 30, 2019 at 11:44am PDT

Fundamentals First!

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Weekly I get asked about things like the Keto Diet (for the record, I’m not a fan. In fact, I’m not a fan of any non-personalized diet or exercise routine). I also get asked a lot about things like High Intensity Interval Training, Spin Classes, Burpees and other flavor-of-the-month exercises and diet fads that promise nice arms, a firm backside and 6 pack abs. Rarely, does any of this stuff truly matter if the fundamentals aren’t being satisfied. The fact is, the majority of people don’t exercise at all and never will. Those that do, tend to exercise too little, too easy or too much and too hard. Very few of either category will likely exercise consistently for a lifetime or to an age where it actually matters most. Most people eat way too many calories of poor quality food every single day. A lot of people drink excessive amounts of liquid calories, especially alcohol calories. Too many people get too little sleep and stress about too many things. NONE of these things do anyone any favors. The basics need more attention. They always need top priority. A house crumbles on a weak foundation if it ever stands at all. #bssbbooks #austinpersonaltrainer #austinpersonaltraining #faddiets #fadexercises #unhealthylifestyle #fundamentalsofhealthyliving #propersleep #drgregorsdailydozen #blueskystrongbox

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Sep 26, 2019 at 11:26am PDT

Time Management & The Waking-Up Routine

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TIME MANAGEMENT & THE WAKING-UP ROUTINE: (Sounds almost like a band name. Lol.) It is essential that we are active participants in our waking-up routine. Every day has an awakening. Don’t let it be by accident. I can’t stress this enough: how we wake up sets the pace for our entire life. Wanna get more sh*t done? Wanna be happier? Healthier? Train yourself to wake up better. Try much harder to not push snooze. Instead, go to bed 8-24 min earlier (I’m hoping you’ll see the ridiculousness of such as both pushing snooze for 8-24 min is just as silly as thinking going to bed 8-24 min earlier the night before will do the trick…it’s more likely that at least an hour more of sleep is needed. I recommend going to bed earlier. No one sleeps better by pushing snooze, it’s only delaying the inevitable). Try not to look at things like social media, the news, etc until you’ve at least stood up out of bed and drank some water. I recommend a full glass of water, even before coffee. I also highly recommend stretching for 2-5 minutes. I promise you’ll feel better if done regularly. The point is to prioritize your health. Don’t waste precious time upon waking. You don’t get any of this time back. Once it’s gone, it is gone forever. If you have kids, pets or other responsibilities, get up a few minutes earlier. Otherwise, you will just be reacting to everything that comes at you, which is almost impossible for any human to effectively manage day-in and day-out. Instead, be proactive. Prioritize YOU. Much can be accomplished within that first hour upon waking. It’s a habit, a routine, that can be improved just like anything else. Optimize! Maximize! #bssbbooks #austinpersonaltrainer #austinpersonaltraining #morningroutine #morningritual #morningroutines #timemanagement #morningflow #blueskystrongbox

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Sep 23, 2019 at 7:39am PDT