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Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss

If you prioritize your training to focus on generality and volume of work, you will set a better foundation to push the bench press harder and longer and keep it from stagnating.


My Bench Press Has Stalled

It must be one of the most frequently asked questions on internet fitness forums. It’s also the most common conversation I have with every member at my gym who practices powerlifting.

The conversation starts something like this – My squat and deadlift are consistently progressing but my bench press has stalled, or it hasn’t improved all that much from the start.

 

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It’s Monday, everyone! And that means another Primal Blueprint Real Life Story from a Mark’s Daily Apple reader. If you have your own success story and would like to share it with me and the Mark’s Daily Apple community please contact me here. I’ll continue to publish these each Monday as long as they keep coming in. Thank you for reading!

My visual transformation isn’t all that impressive. In fact, despite having a completely different body composition, I weigh more or less the same that I did six years ago.

My real transformation has occurred on the inside and in the way that I try to embody the Primal Blueprint principles in the way I live my life.

Before Primal Living:

  • Out of shape
  • Abysmal self-esteem
  • Without a clear life path

6 Years Since Discovering Mark’s Daily Apple:

  • Owns a Health & Fitness blog and coaching business
  • Inspires others to find their self-esteem through leading by example
  • Recreational athlete in Powerlifting, Strongman and Highland Games
  • Loving life every day

I first heard of Mark and his message about primal health back in 2013. At the time, my husband and I were living in a modest cabin in the woods of Northern Maine and the extent of my fitness routine was the obligatory jog now and then or some exercise videos that mostly involved bodyweight training. Our cabin had no electricity or running water which meant that we were gathering, cutting and stacking firewood by hand so that we could stay warm during the long winters. Turning manure, bending over in the garden, hauling hay for our goats and clearing woods for future pasture were serious back killing chores and we knew we needed to find a way to get stronger in order to support our active lifestyle. Coupled with this was my husband’s chronic GI distress and autoimmune condition, Reactive Arthritis, which led us down the road of research into how a grain-free, sugar free diet could improve those ailments.

As is often the case, primal nutrition and heavy lifting principles were deeply entwined from the very beginning of our journey towards optimal health. And as we cut out wheat and sugar, we also began learning the functional movements of the squat, deadlift and pull-up. With a manual treadmill we found in the barn, we regularly blasted ourselves with intervals after reading from you the importance of sprinting. Your fitness principles of walk far, run fast, lift heavy came so naturally to us and in the setting of the lush, Maine woods, it felt that much more primal to get in tune with our ancestral physiques.

You might imagine that the stronger and more fit we became, the more we wanted to eat better to support that. Before long, our backs felt bulletproof chopping and stacking piles of firewood. My husband’s arthritis improved. I was seeing the extra weight I had carried my whole life slip away. We had gone to the woods to seek a lifestyle where we could call the shots and pursue our healthiest existence. But in the process, we had the rude awakening that our bodies were the weakest link in the chain of health. Our minds were strong and our homestead was strong, but our bodies were not. And so when we saw the benefits of the Primal Blueprint massively improve our existence, it was like coming out of a bad dream and I woke up one morning thinking “hey, this is really something to live for.”

While I graduated college with a degree in writing, I never really had found my purpose or a career I was passionate about giving my 9 to 5 energy to. I always believed that I had a lot to share with the world, but couldn’t conceive of what avenue to take, but with this new primal lifestyle, I discovered a completely unexpected passion. Always the chubby book nerd my whole life, taking on sports in school out of social pressure and obligation but never out of true interest, here I was, suddenly wanting to pursue fitness and wellness as a career.

We ended up leaving our little homestead for my husband to travel down the long (and still not complete) road of becoming a Dentist. He studied for biochemistry and tests and I studied strength and conditioning in between my long hours at Starbucks. (Side note: I managed to make it 2 years working there without consuming sugar and my coworkers would always marvel at my dedication of turning down a free Frappuccino. I explained to them that eating primal, my energy was consistent throughout the day and better than ever and seeing the positive effects of my nutrition in my day to day life was all the motivation I needed to persist.) The years we spent studying for our individual pursuits, we also spend wrecking ourselves on the barbell and on the field doing sprints and without following any strict program, we simply tried to remember to walk far, run fast, lift heavy. Slowly and surely, our body composition improved and I took on my first personal training clients.

Now living in Salt Lake City, I think of myself more as a Strength Coach than a personal trainer and before walking that road I didn’t even realize there was a difference. I see my colleagues often get wrapped up in ideal programming principles and I try to remember the basics: pick up heavy stuff and put it overhead using good technique, train for explosive speed and go on long hikes outdoors.

I use my personal experience to help guide my athletes on the emotional journey of becoming strong and realizing their physical potential. I have so many people, primarily women, come to me saying they want to lose weight. But as we begin working together, they quickly see that in fact their goal is much more complex that a number on the scale. They learn that it feels good to get strong and learn how to move in ways they never thought possible. I see the look of fear in their eyes at approaching a back squat for the first time and I recognize that look of fear because it’s the same one I felt when I started my journey. I see timid women who hate their bodies do a pull-up for the first time after working hard for a year and then it’s like poof… now they love their bodies because they unlocked this talent for strength they never knew they had. When that happens, the number on the scale matters so much less to them because now they have a performance goal. Now they are pursuing health rather than weight loss.

Although I am not strictly a Primal Blueprint coach, I still hold onto those principles while I teach other people how to lift and what strategies they can use to build balanced nutrition. I encourage them to seek nutrient-dense foods rather than counting macros or calories and to eat when hunger ensues naturally rather than adhering to six small meals a day. I feel confident coaching strategies like Keto and Intermittent Fasting because I have done the research on the health benefits and have the anecdotal evidence to back it up from my own experience. I am always trying to do what your blog did for me, which is to teach them ways they can figure out what health uniquely means to them. I still try to embody the idea that you instilled in me: study how our ancestors thrived to learn how to seek our healthy existence in a world that can often be toxic.

My transformation doesn’t come through in a before and after photo, but I believe I have gained a million times more than if I had lost 100 lbs and cured 10 autoimmune conditions. I discovered my life’s path and spend every day trying to guide others to do the same.

Thank you,
Hill

primalpillarsstrength.com
Instagram @primalpillars

The readers featured in our success stories share their experiences in their own words. The Primal Blueprint and Keto Reset diets are not intended as medical intervention or diagnosis. Nor are they replacements for working with a qualified healthcare practitioner. It’s important to speak with your doctor before beginning any new dietary or lifestyle program, and please consult your physician before making any changes to medication or treatment protocols. Each individual’s results may vary.

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The post I Saw the Extra Weight I’d Carried My Whole Life Slip Away appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.

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http://chriskresser.com/

If you’ve decided to become a health coach, you’ve got a chance to make a difference in your clients’ lives. Here’s an infographic on what should you look for in a health coach training program.

The post Becoming a Health Coach? Here’s What to Look for in a Training Program appeared first on Chris Kresser.

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I’ve got another awesome success story coming up later this morning, but first…coffee.

As I said on Friday, I take my coffee very seriously. So, no April Fool’s here. Just a great giveaway for any coffee lover out there…

I’m not a breakfast eater as many of you know. As a result, my morning coffee is important to me. It’s a sensory experience I enjoy as well as a ritual that kicks off my day. Sure, the caffeine offers a little pick-me-up, but I make it count nutritionally with a collagen boost, too.

I love Caveman Coffee, and it’s my favorite brand of beans to start with. After grinding those fresh (one of the great sensory pleasures of human existence), I pour them into my French press—the only way I make coffee. Once I add the hot water, I’ll let that sit for a couple minutes. In the meantime, I put one scoop of Vanilla Collagen Fuel in my cup and add just a bit of my prepared coffee—not quite a 1/4 cup. I’ll stir it up (the best way to blend everything in my experience), then pour in the rest of my coffee and enjoy!

Here’s what it all looks like, plus a little commentary on coffee and collagen for a morning fasting routine.

Now For the Giveaway…

The Prize:

Everything you need to make a great cup of Collagen Coffee and then some…

  • Variety Pack of Caveman Coffee (Blacklisted, Mammoth, Mammoth Plus, and Sabretooth)
  • $100 of Primal Kitchen products, including 2 Canisters of Primal Kitchen Collagen Fuel
  • Le Creuset Stoneware 27 oz. French Press
  • Primal Kitchen Yeti Tumbler

How To Enter:

Simply enter your email below. Your information won’t go anywhere other than to our newsletter list, which you can opt out of at any time. (If you’re already a subscriber, still enter your email address to enter.)

But, wait! Get a *bonus entry* while you’re at it by following us @marksdailyapple and @cavemanco on Instagram. Follow both and comment on the Mark’s Daily Apple giveaway post to tell us you’ve entered.

Deadline:

Closes April 8th, 2019, midnight PDT.

Eligibility:

Open to those in the U.S. only on this one. Must be 18-years-old+ to enter.

How the Winner Will Be Chosen:

I’ll choose one random winner from those who enter before the deadline. The winner will be contacted on 4/9/19 and will also be announced on social media.

Good luck, everybody. And in the meantime, let me know how YOU take your coffee. (I’m always up for new ideas.) Have a great week.

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The post How I Take My Coffee (+ Ultimate Coffee Giveaway) appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.

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If you haven’t been giving your gut the attention it deserves…you need to. And fast. Pay attention to how your body feels after a meal that is high in processed fat and sugar. Usually, you feel sluggish, bloated, and not exactly full of energy. There is a reason that your body responds this way. High-fat […]

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Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss

The nutrition world is shrouded in bad advice and distracted by irrelevant arguments. We need to stop looking for quick fixes and start using common sense in our pursuit of better nutrition.

Every year I watch the masses embrace their new diets and workout plans in January only to frustratingly witness their failure long before summer. If asked, I do my best to interject experience and point people to the only sustainable approach I’ve ever seen work over any significant period of time.

 

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Thanks to the good folks at Paleohacks for today’s recipe.

There’s nothing quite like cozying up on the couch with a warm bowl of rich and hearty soup. Unfortunately, hearty soup recipes often rely on high-carb ingredients like potatoes, rice, and noodles to achieve comfort food status.

Luckily, we know tons of Paleo-friendly soup recipes that fuel your body and nourish your belly – all while keeping you in ketosis. Think fat bomb hamburger soup loaded with veggies and beef, or a velvety, dairy-free celeriac soup with chorizo, sage crisps and walnuts. If you’re craving takeout, there’s keto-friendly hot and sour soup, or if you need something that takes hardly any effort, we have a go-to chipotle chicken soup you can make right in a slow cooker. Whatever you crave, there’s a healthy soup to enjoy this fall. Check out these 23 keto-friendly snacks to keep you going between meals.

Healthful Pursuit | Fat Bomb Hamburger Soup

This low-carb hamburger soup is loaded with healthy fats to keep your body in ketosis, thanks to the addition of buttery organic red palm oil.

Modern Food Stories | Celeriac Soup with Chorizo, Sage Crisps, and Walnuts

Celeriac, also known as celery root, is a hearty root vegetable ideal for a smooth, creamy soup. In fact, it’s the perfect replacement for high-carb potatoes!

KetoDiet | Keto Beef Stroganoff Soup

Craving creamy beef stroganoff without the carbs? Try this soup! It’s chock-full of umami steak and mushrooms, made velvety smooth with silky coconut cream.

I Heart Umami | Paleo Hot and Sour Soup

Skip the takeout and make this Chinese mainstay soup at home. This healthy version is made with thin slices of pork tenderloin and gets its characteristic tang from gut-healthy apple cider vinegar.

Wholesome Yum | Butternut Squash Soup with Coconut Milk

This simple and satisfying butternut squash soup is spiced with fall flavors like cinnamon, nutmeg and thyme. Try blending in some cauliflower to make it even thicker.

PaleoHacks | Slow Cooker Chipotle Chicken Soup Recipe

Who doesn’t love those super simple recipes where all you have to do is dump everything in the slow cooker? Let your crockpot do all the work in this flavorful chipotle chicken soup recipe.

 

Meatified | Creamy Leek and Salmon Soup

You might not typically think of salmon as soup-worthy, but this recipe will convert you. Use seafood broth to boost that savory, comforting factor.

Cook Eat Paleo | Spicy Shrimp and Chorizo Soup

Garnish this smoky, Spanish-inspired soup with diced avocado, and get ready to warm up quick.

Savory Lotus | 30-Minute Turmeric Chicken Soup

This gorgeously-colored soup is loaded with anti-inflammatory turmeric, juicy chicken thighs, and tons of veggies. It’s good for you all-around.

PaleoHacks | Roasted Asparagus Soup with Tahini Drizzle

A drizzle of nutty tahini and a scattering of crispy bacon on this asparagus soup makes for a work of art.

Cook Eat Paleo | Crock Pot Chicken Soup

Feeling under the weather? Get the classic fix with this herb-filled chicken soup, made right in the crockpot.

The Castaway Kitchen | Feel Good Soup

What is it about this spinach and mushroom soup that makes it feel like “a hug in a bowl”? It’s loaded with health-boosting ingredients, like bone broth, collagen peptides, coconut vinegar, nutritional yeast and ghee.

Tasteaholics | Paleo Seafood Soup

Do you have a freezer full of frozen seafood like fish and shrimp? This is the soup you need to cook up tonight. Enjoy succulent seafood in a rich, creamy tomato broth.

Cassidy’s Craveable Creations | Meatball Soup

Spinach-packed beef meatballs are surrounded by veggies like zucchini, tomatoes and carrots in a rich broth of tomatoes, stock and balsamic vinegar.

Unbound Wellness | Paleo Greek Lemon Chicken Soup

Go Greek with this tangy lemon chicken soup with hearty kale and cauliflower rice.

Peace, Love and Low Carb | Paleo Keto Cabbage Roll Soup

Why slave over finicky cabbage rolls when you can get the same flavor and texture in soup form?

Grass Fed Girl | Savory Pumpkin Soup

This autumnal pumpkin soup is loaded with warming spices like cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.

Empowered Sustenance | Paleo Bacon Cauliflower Soup

Bacon and cauliflower are the perfect couple in this creamy, chowder-like soup.

Real Simple Good | Paleo Tomato Basil Soup with Sausage

Boost your go-to tomato basil soup with thick slices of Italian sausage for a meal you can enjoy on its own. If you’re feeling particularly indulgent, serve with this cauliflower grilled cheese for dunking!

Thanks again to Paleohacks for today’s recipe. Have a great Sunday, everyone.

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Though it sounds cliche to say that the eyes are the windows to the soul. Recent research suggests that this may be even more true that we previously thought. In fact, your eye color and pattern may not only be the windows into your soul but your personality as well. We all love taking those […]

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Originally posted at: http://www.nerdfitness.com/

Do you know how to run?

It’s a simple question, and probably something you might not even think about. After all, what’s so tough about running, right? You put one foot in front of the other, repeat the process as quickly as possible, and BAM you’re running!

However, did you realize that running improperly, especially for long distances, can do some serious damage to your body while not even giving you the benefits you’d expect from putting in all of that effort? Not cool, I know.

Luckily, Nerd Fitness is here to help!

Today, you’re actually going to learn how to run the right way, keeping you healthy, happy, and injury-free.

Before we jump in, it’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of strength training. If you were going to start just one single exercise program, instead of running, I would recommend lifting heavy.

If you’re interested in learning why, and how to get started, check out our guide Strength Training 101: Everything You Need to Know. You can grab it for free when you join the Rebellion below:

Do you want to run?

First and foremost, when people tell me they’re going to start running, I always ask: “do you enjoy running?”

If the answer is “no,” then I yell at them (nicely), “THEN DON’T DO IT!”

If you are starting to run because you want to lose weight, but don’t actually enjoy running, I HAVE GREAT NEWS! You don’t have to run; in fact, there are more efficient ways to burn the right kind of calories. Your diet will be 80% of your battle anyways, so if you can find a way to start eating healthy, your exercise can come from activities you DO enjoy – hiking, strength training, martial arts, Ultimate Frisbee, whatever.

Now, if you answer with something like:

  • “Yes! I love running,”
  • “I like interval training and sprints”
  • “I don’t love it, but I need to complete it for a fitness test”
  • “I’m running a 5k for charity/work and want to do well”
  • “Not yet, but I think I could…”

…then we can continue the conversation! Let’s take a look at the first few important steps (get it!) when it comes to running.

What to do first

Before you even THINK about strapping on a new pair of Nike shoes and going for a run around your neighborhood, we need to get a few things straight:

Your body needs to have a base-level of fitness before running becomes a viable option. Every time you run, every time you take a step, you put the pressure of your entire body weight on the muscles, tendons, and joints in your legs, knees, ankles, feet, and toes. If you are overweight and have improper running technique, that means your joints and tendons are taking an absolute POUNDING for however many steps you take during your run: around 6,200 steps in a 5k, 12,200 steps in a 10k, or 50,000+ steps in a marathon.

You’d have to be crazy to want to do something that hurts your body 50,000 times in a row!

So, clean up that diet, strength train every other day with something like our Beginner Bodyweight Workout, and then do some form of low-impact activity on your off-days. Things like:

  • Hiking – my personal favorite: get out and see the world!
  • Biking – easy on your joints, gets you moving.
  • Swimming – very low impact as the water holds you up.
  • Walking – go for a nice long walk around your town, and keep your head up. Enjoy the scenery.
  • Elliptical – although I’m not a fan of spending all afternoon in a gym on a treadmill, this is the better option as it removes the opportunity for joint impact.

Strength training, clean eating, and low impact activity – build up at your foundation to prep your body for running. The less weight your body has to carry around, the less work your legs and joints have to do, the less likely you’ll be to damage your joints and/or injure yourself.

Now that you have a solid foundation and you’re ready to start running, you can move on to the next step.

Does any of this stress you out? We get tons of emails from Rebels, panicked that they don’t know where to start their fitness journey.

Should they start walking first? What about focusing all their effort on nutrition? Keto seems popular, is it something they should try?

These types of inquiries are exactly why we created our 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program. We sought to take all the guesswork out of getting in shape, by creating a program designed to tell you exactly what to do.

Here’s how it works: we get to learn your goals, lifestyle, challenges, and situation: Kids? An old injury? A job that requires travel? All the above? We got you covered.

We’ll then pair you with a coach from Team Nerd Fitness that fits your personality and situation. They’ll work with you to build custom workouts and nutrition guidance to meet any goal you might have. Unless that goal is ruthless world domination. Use your powers for good, okay?

Want to see if we are a good fit for each other? Click on the button below to schedule a free call. We’d love to talk to you, no matter what!

How to warm up properly

Before you take your first stride as a runner, you need to be properly warmed up.

When most people think of warming up, they probably think of standing there and doing some static stretching for 10 minutes…you know, to make sure you don’t get injured!

Wrong! Fail! Stretching BEFORE running can actually increase your risk of injury.[1] Instead, try a dynamic warm-up – get your body properly warmed up and prepared for the rigors of running.

Here’s Staci, our head female coach, providing you with a quick sequence to try out:

You can also check out our post “How to Warm Up Properly” for more moves and tips.

Just like with strength training, if you don’t have time to warm up, you don’t have time to run. Cut the run short if you need to, but not the warm up!

How to run properly

If you don’t learn how to run correctly, you’re doomed to develop an overuse injury and that’s going to negate the whole reason you started running in the first place!

This is why your running form is so damn crucial: when you run, you’re putting hundreds of pounds of pressure on your joints and ligaments with each bounding step down the road. This is then repeated thousands of times over the course of training and a race.

No wonder nearly every runner has tons of stories of injuries they’ve had to deal with. It can be a brutal activity that can wreak havoc even with good running mechanics.

With poor running mechanics, the results are compounded.

And not the GOOD kind of “compounded” like compound interest like you learned in 2nd grade with the story about starting with 1 penny a day and doubling it for 30 days.

The BAD kind of “compounded” like plantar fasciitis and stress fractures and sore IT bands and torn ligaments and crazy soreness all the time.

We don’t want that.

Make sure you follow the below five steps:

1) Lean from your ankles. Lean from your ankles, and keep a straight line from your ankle, through your butt, and up to your head. If you’re standing still with this slight forward lean, you should feel like you’re about to fall forward.

Just don’t actually fall forward.

When you start running, gravity will help keep you progressing forward. A proper lean from the ankles keeps your body in alignment and loads your muscles properly and efficiently.

2) Increase your cadence. Cadence is your stride rate, or the number of steps you take per minute. It will probably seem weird at first, but you’re putting less stress on your legs with shorter foot strikes.

Your cadence should be at least 170-190 steps per minute when you’re running at an easy, conversational pace. It will probably increase once you start running faster—that’s normal.

“Steve, what the hell do I do with “170-190 steps per minute?”

Great question. Go to Spotify and look for 170-190BPM playlists, like these which I found here:

Not on Spotify? Cool. (But like, why?) To get a cadence, try running to Outkast’s “Hey Ya” and time your strides to match the beat. That’s the cadence you’re looking for:

Research has shown[2] that increasing your cadence and taking more steps (around 180 per minute) provides many of the same benefits of barefoot running: less impact shock that goes up your legs, improved running economy (or your efficiency, which means you’ll run faster with less effort!), and a reduced chance of injury.

You’ll feel like you’re taking way more steps than normal – that means you probably had poor form before and now you’re fixing it!

If your legs get to the point where they’re going this fast, let me know:

3) Foot strike at the right time. When your foot comes down and makes contact with the ground, it should be underneath your body, not in front of it. Combined with a quick cadence and a slight forward lean from your ankles, you’ll be distributing impact shock evenly—and efficiently.

This aspect of running form is often skipped over by beginning runners. Instead of focusing on where the foot is landing in relation to the rest of the body, they focus too much on running on their forefoot. If you don’t first land in the right place, a midfoot or forefoot strike will only do more damage.

As you’re running, a good mental cue is to think that you’re just “putting your foot down” in a straight line underneath your body. There’s no reaching or stretching your leg out in front of you. Practicing this mental cue will have your leg touching down almost exactly underneath your center of mass, distributing your weight evenly and safely.

4) Land on your mid-foot. While not as important as landing underneath your center of mass, becoming a mid-foot striker has a host of benefits. It can help you avoid a lot of injuries by absorbing impact shock and preventing a severe heel striking running stride.

Heel-striking can’t be entirely blamed for injuries and labeled “bad.”

Even elite athletes heel strike when they run races! It’s not entirely bad— especially if you’re putting weight down on your foot just after you heel strike, instead of directly on the heel.[3]

What you should focus on is having a higher cadence, landing underneath your body, and not aggressively heel striking. Try to land with your foot flat on the ground, instead of with your toes angled upwards.[4]

5) Symmetrical arm swing. Nobody wants to look at you running if you’re flailing your arms wildly all over the place like Elaine dancing from Seinfeld. An ideal arm swing has your arm bent at about 90 degrees and a front to back swing (not side-to-side).

Imagine a pretend line that goes down your mid-line or center of your body. When you run, your hands should not cross over this imaginary line. Cup your hands loosely together (no clenched fists!) and if you want to use your arms for momentum, pump your elbows, not your hands.

Once you incorporate these changes into your running form, you’ll feel a lot more comfortable and your injury risk is going to plummet.

For extra credit, learn to run softly and quietly. Foot stomping isn’t allowed and gets increasingly more difficult as you approach 180 steps per minute.

A few other things you want to keep in mind:

  • Keep a tall back, chest up. No slouching.
  • Look 30-50 meters in front of you – not head down looking at your toes.

Both are easy cues to keep an athletic posture and good running form.

Go back through and read this section a few more times. We know it’s a LOT to think about while running, but it is incredibly important. If you get a chance, have somebody film you running, and then watch your tape back to see how you’re doing.

WALK BEFORE YOU RUN

Starting a running practice can be daunting. 

That’s why I actually recommend walking first. I mentioned earlier that walking can help build the foundation of a great running practice.

Once you’re comfortable moving a little bit, an ideal way to actually start running is to alternate between a brisk walk and a jog. This can help you build up some strength so you can run at a more constant pace.

Try this:

  1. Get comfortable walking for 20 minutes. That’s it. Stroll around your neighborhood a few times a week, until this is a cake walk.[5]
  2. Bump it up to 30 minutes. After 20 minutes is no problem, take it to the next level for a 30-minute walk. Once you can handle this fine, we can start picking up the pace.
  3. It’s time to start run/walking. Walk as you have been for 10 minutes. Then, pick up the pace for a light jog for a minute (or 30 seconds if this is too tough). Give yourself a couple more minutes of walking (or longer) before you start jogging again. Do this for about 10 minutes, then walk normally for the last 10 minutes. You’ll still come in at 30 minutes for your exercise.
  4. Now, run for longer. Once your comfortable holding a one minute jog, let’s take it up a notch. We’ll still have you warm up for 10 minutes of walking, but when you jog, try going for a minute and a half. If this seems easy, go for 2 minutes! Alternate to a slower walk whenever you need to catch your breath.
  5. Before you know it, you will be a runner. As you expand your jogging time, lower the amount of time you walk. At this point, you’re basically running with some short walking breaks. Which is fine! This is how people start to run and many continue to alternate between walking and jogging forever. Even if you get to the point of running marathons, there’s nothing wrong with taking some walking breaks. You do you.

Alright, we’ve talked about technique, plus some tips for getting up and running.[6]

However, I know you’re gonna ask, so let’s talk about what kicks you should rock.

What are some good running shoes?

stormtrooper shoe

There are four components to look for in any shoe.

If the shoe doesn’t meet these four criteria, then your foot is going to be compromised.

A good shoe has:

  • No heel lift of any kind.
  • A wide toe box that allows your foot to spread as it lands on the ground with each step.
  • A pliable bottom that allows your toes to bend to a full ninety degrees of flexion as you step.
  • Something to attach it to your ankle area.

Let’s look at each in a bit more detail:

1. No heel lift of any kind. When your shoe raises your heel higher than your forefoot (aka heel lift), your ankle and lower leg are being positioned in a slightly shortened position for the duration that you’re wearing the shoes.

When your leg muscles are thrown into a slightly unnatural position, it means the mobility of your ankle will suffer… and this will limit all sorts of things including your running gait.

This doesn’t just mean high-heels either, although running in heels is ridiculous.

This includes most regular shoes which have a bulky heel and lower toe. In many shoes, you’ll see this difference between heel and forefoot referred to as a “drop,” so “zero-drop” shoes are shoes where heel and forefoot are at the same height.

2. A wide toe box that allows your foot to spread as it lands on the ground with each step. With each step you take, your foot actually spreads wider upon landing. This is impossible for your foot to do when it’s in a shoe that is too narrow.

If the toe box is not at least as wide as your foot when you’re standing on your foot, while it’s bearing your weight, that’s a problem for your foot. Know that as your foot becomes more ‘natural’ it’s possible it will widen further, as the muscles and bones reposition themselves.

Feet crammed into a shoe is like putting a leash on Sonic the Hedgehog: they want to be free!

3. A pliable bottom that allows your toes to bend fully as you step. Your great toe is meant to flex to ninety degrees as you move through the gait cycle. See below:

Toe Stretch

If your shoe does not allow this due to a hard sole, your feet won’t be able to move as well, and the soft tissues of your foot will get weaker from not being used fully. PLUS, when you aren’t flexing your big toe regularly, your body will start to lose the ability to use that joint fully. This can lead to all sorts of problems. Doh!

4. It’s strapped to your foot. If the shoe isn’t strapped around your ankle, your toes are going to grab at the shoe to keep it on with every step you take. This makes some of your foot bones push down and some of your foot bones lift up. That shift means you change the amount of forces on each bone. Over time, this can lead to stress fractures and tissue injuries.

Check out the below video from movement specialist Kelly Starret:

Please don’t run in sandals.

For each point above, this isn’t an “all or nothing” scenario. Similar to your nutrition, do the best you can when you can, and work your way into running with a minimalist shoe.

If you want to learn more on proper footwear, make sure you check out “A Nerd’s Guide to Healthy Feet,” written by Kate Galliett of FitForRealLife.com.

Lastly, if you want to learn more about the benefits of ditching your shoes altogether, you can check out our article “Is Barefoot Running Really Better for You?

LIFE ON THE RUN

Once you get comfortable running around your neighborhood or park, you can start thinking about taking it to the next level.

Have you ever thought about running a marathon? They can be a lot of fun!

If you want to learn how to get started, make sure you check out our article “Couch to 5K.” We cover the popular program and give our take on running your first race.

Also, if you want even more guidance on running, I’ll point you to my buddy Jason Fitzgerald’s wonderful site Strength Running. I reach out to Jason whenever I need advice on proper running (including the tips found in this post). You can also check out this interview I did with Jason, where we discuss running, proper diet, and Star Wars.

There’s some overlap…

Alright, I think that about does it for this article.

Now, your turn!

Are you an avid runner?

Do you have any tips for Rebels just lacing up?

Or are you like me, and only run when something is chasing you?

Let us know in the comments!

-Steve

PS: I’ll leave you with a final reminder of our 1-on-1 Coaching Program. If you’re blown away by the fact that you don’t have to run to get in shape, but don’t know where else to begin, we got you. We’ll work with you to develop a training program you actually like (could be running, could be strength training, could be yoga), so you can level up your life! Click right here to learn more.

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All photo sources can be found right here.[7]

Footnotes    ( returns to text)

  1. Scope out this study for more.
  2. You can read the review if you want to science out about running strides
  3. This is called a “proprioceptive heel strike” and is done just to get a sense of where the ground is
  4. When your toes are angled up, this is called “dorsiflexion” – nerd alert!)
  5. Giggle.
  6. I really do crack myself up while doing this.
  7. Flash, Delivery, Decathlon, Fireman, Sonic, My Slowest FriendKristina Alexanderson: Lego in ShoeRunner.
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The post RHR: The Root Cause of Thyroid Disorders, with Izabella Wentz appeared first on Chris Kresser.

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