http://www.thekitchn.com/feedburnermain

Okay, so you got an air fryer and, surprise! You actually love it! But, um, is that a dried-up sweet potato fry at the bottom of the fryer basket? Or maybe it’s chicken skin? Yeah, you’re going to want to clean your air fryer to make sure that your next batch of onion rings doesn’t come with a side of something else. Or worse, that food residue doesn’t end up somewhere it shouldn’t and cause problems for your fancy (and spendy) appliance.

So what’s the easiest way to get your air fryer clean?

READ MORE »

http://www.thekitchn.com/feedburnermain

Chili is one of the most satisfying winter meals I know how to make. Tender beans, meat, and tomatoes are cooked with a variety of spices for a simple yet satisfying stew that is incredibly flavorful. This chili features ground turkey, which is a great alternative to ground beef (especially if you’re cooking on a budget) and makes for a more mild, kid-friendly stew.

You’ll find this chili is similar to our classic chili, but boasts a few smart tricks to temper the heat of classic chili and keep the lean turkey from tasting dry. Here’s a simple turkey chili that you can make any night of the week.

READ MORE »

http://www.thekitchn.com/feedburnermain

Kitchn’s Delicious Links column highlights recipes we’re excited about from the bloggers we love. Follow along every weekday as we post our favorites.

The last few weeks of the year were just a blur of beef, bone marrow, and a bȗche de Noël the size of an actual tree. It was all great fun, but now I’m ready to spend the next few weeks focusing on some good, vegetable-focused dishes, like this great-looking casserole full of broccoli and wild rice, which cooks in one pan and would make fantastic lunch leftovers.

READ MORE »

http://www.thealternativedaily.com/

The arrival of a new year often brings resolutions, intentions, and dreams of letting go of bad habits and adopting new and healthy habits. What’s on your list? If letting go of artificial sweeteners isn’t, I suggest you make it a priority. People seeking a divorce from sugar often switch to low-calorie artificial sweeteners with […]

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

In the fitness community there are always things that come and go. The key to success is learning the difference between those things that are trends or fads. Trends are usually longer lasting and usually have some validity within the research community. Fads are those things that lose popularity just as fast as they gain popularity. One of the things that I believe is here to stay is high-intensity interval training (HIIT).

read more

http://www.thekitchn.com/feedburnermain

If you’ve been in the market for an air fryer, or already have one in your possession (thanks, Santa!), you may have heard a few conflicting opinions about the small appliance.

Some say it’s too good to be true, that you can’t effectively “fry” something with a few tablespoons of oil and hot circulating air. Some say yeah, it works but it takes up too much countertop space for what it’s worth. Some swear by it for a few things like frozen french fries and nuggets. Some are total converts who say it’s the best thing to happen to their kitchen since sliced bread.

So with all of these mixed messages, who are we supposed to believe? The vehement haters? The space-savers? The casual I-tried-it-once-ers? The die-hard devotees? Let’s take a deeper dive, shall we?

READ MORE »

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

I need to share something very important with you:

I’m 95% certain you’re doing your push-ups incorrectly.

I’ll explain why shortly.

Let’s start here: push-ups are one of the best exercises ever invented (thanks random fit caveperson, whoever you were).

They require zero equipment, build strength in all of the right places, have hundreds of variations to keep things fresh, and are easily quantifiable so keeping track of progression is a breeze.

Push-ups and push-up variations are a HUGE part of Nerd Fitness and things that we encourage you to have in your routine. That’s why I’m so damn glad you’re reading this article – because push-ups are AMAZING.

I’m going to answer every question you have about push-ups and give you the confidence to do them correctly.

To answer that first question: want to know how I know you’re probably doing push-ups incorrectly?

Because pretty much EVERYBODY does push-ups incorrectly! 

I see it every day in the gym.

Don’t worry though, I ALSO used to do push-ups incorrectly, and did so for YEARS without knowing any better.

They say ignorance is bliss, but that does not apply to getting stronger and healthier – I spent years doing push-ups and training in a gym and saw no results – it’s because I was following the wrong workout and eating strategy.

I seriously wasted 6 years doing this! Doh.

There’s nothing worse than training hard, dutifully doing your exercises and strength training – or even doing exercise you HATE – and seeing NO results after months (or in my case, years) of hard of work.

We want to avoid that scenario like the plague! We also want to avoid the plague.

If you’re somebody that doesn’t have time to waste and just wants to start getting results, or if you’ve struggled to get in shape for years, consider checking out our 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program. 

You’ll get form checks, nutritional guidance, and a custom workout program from a coach that gets to know you and how to fit all of this into your busy life! You can learn more about schedule a free call with our coaches by clicking on the image below:

Okay, let’s dig into the ins and outs – or ups and downs, I should say – of how to do a proper push-up!

How to set up for a proper push up

When it comes to push ups, your form is crucial. Each push up needs to be done perfectly so that your total reps measured from workout to workout are on equal footing.

If you did thirty perfect push ups two days ago, and then today you did sixty push ups by only going down halfway, sticking your ass up in the air, etc., it’s absolutely impossible to tell if you got any stronger.

Here’s how to get set up to do a push up:

• When down on the ground, set your hands at a distance that is slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Another good cue: draw a straight line down from your chest/nipple – it should be directly over your thumbnail. Depending on your strength and experience, your hands should be angled in a way that feels comfortable to you. For me, my hands are set up so that my middle finger points straight up and away from me.
• To alleviate wrist pain (if you have poor wrist flexibility) do your push ups holding onto push-up handles (so your wrists aren’t as compromised), or a bar (see Staci’s video below doing elevated push-ups for example). If you’re hardcore, you can do them on your knuckles (as long as you’re on a semi-soft surface like grass or carpet).
• Your feet should be set up in a way that feels right and comfortable to you. For some, that might be shoulder width apart. For others, it might be with your feet touching. Generally speaking, the wider apart your feet, the more stable you’ll be for your push ups.
• Think of your body as one giant straight line – from the top of your head down through your heels. Your butt shouldn’t be sticking way up in the air or sagging.
• If you have a problem getting the proper form with your body, try this: clench your butt, and then tighten your abs as if you’re bracing to get punched. Your core will be engaged, and your body should be in that straight line. If you’ve been doing push ups incorrectly, this might be a big change for you. Record a video of yourself to make sure you’re doing it correctly.
• Your head should be looking slightly ahead of you, not straight down (yeah I know I’m looking straight down in my top picture, I hadn’t started yet!). I read somewhere that said “if you’re doing them right, your chin should be the first part of your head to touch the floor, not your nose.” Looking up helps you keep your body in line, but feel free to look down if that helps you concentrate more.
• At the top of your push up, your arms should be straight and supporting your weight. You’re now ready to do a push up.

How to complete a push up

Alright, now that you’re actually all set up and eager to begin, let’s get you through one repetition. Remember that good form is crucial, so keep your focus through each movement and start to set good habits.

Watch this quick 5 minute video to take you through EACH of the steps of a push-up, including some variations!

Here’s how to complete one repetition of a push up:

• With your arms straight, butt clenched, and abs braced, steadily lower yourself until your elbows are at a 90 degree angle or smaller. Depending on your level of experience, age, and flexibility, 90 degrees might be the lowest you’re able to go. Personally, I like to go down until my chest (not my face), hits the floor.  That way, I know I’m going the same distance each and every time.
• Try not to let your elbows go flying way out with each repetition. Keep them relatively close to your body, and keep note of when they start to fly out when you get tired.
• Once your chest touches the floor (or your arms go down to a 90 degree angle), pause slightly and then explode back up until you’re back in the same position.
• Congratulations, you just did a proper push up. Do as many as you can until you start to feel your form slip (even slightly); you are done for that set. Ten good push ups and 5 crappy ones are tough to quantify against eleven good push ups. If you can only do ten of something, write down your results and aim for 11 next time. Perfect form allows you to keep track of your improvements week over week.

“But I can’t do a push up!”

That’s okay, here’s a plan that will help you get there.

You need to start with an easier push movement, and work up to progressively more difficult types of moves that will eventually result in you doing true push ups.

Start with Wall Push Ups:

Just like with a regular push up, clench your butt, brace your abs, and set your hands on a wall at a width that’s wider than shoulder-width apart. Walk backwards with your feet until your arms are fully extended and supporting your weight (generally one decent sized step back with both feet will suffice). Keeping the rest of your body in a straight line, steadily lower yourself towards the wall until your nose almost touches the wall, and then explode back up to the starting position.

Do 4 sets of wall push ups with a 2-minute rest between sets, every other day. Keep track of how many repetitions you can do WITH PROPER FORM for each set in a notebook for easy comparison to previous workouts.  Once you can do 4 sets of 20 repetitions of wall push ups, you can progress to elevated (or incline) push ups.

Here’s an example of Elevated Push Ups (in this video from our flagship online course, The Nerd Fitness Academy):

Elevated push ups are just what they sound like – your hands are on an elevated surface, whether it’s something as tall as a kitchen table or as low as a few blocks that are inches off the ground. This will depend on your level of strength and experience.

If you’ve just progressed from wall push ups, pick something that is at a level that’s right for you – I generally find the back of a park bench or the side of a picnic table to be a perfect height for doing incline push ups.

Do 4 sets of elevated push ups with a 2-minute rest between sets, every other day. Again, keep track of all of your stats for how many proper form repetitions you can do in each set.  Once you can do 4 sets of 20 repetitions, it’s time to either move to regular push ups, knee push ups, or a lower height for your hands to be supported.

To work on progression, try to doing your elevated push ups on the stairs in your house. As you get stronger, you can move your hands to lower and lower steps until your hands are on the ground.

Now, once you’re cranking out four sets of proper form elevated push ups  you need to progress to either regular push ups, a lower incline push up, or push ups with your knees on the ground. In my opinion, if you can do 4 sets of 20 repetitions of incline push ups, it might be time to switch to regular push ups.

Speaking of ramping up your push-ups to get better…

How to get better at push ups

So you’ve learned how to do a push up, you can do a few of them, but you want to get better! 

Here are some tips to help you along the way:

• Get healthy! As you lose weight (which is 80% nutrition!), you will have to move less weight around than before, which will make your push ups easier to manage.
• Don’t cheat on the last few – when you’re tired, it’s easy to skip out on good form for your last few reps. As soon as you do one bad form push up, you’re done. Finish up your four sets, write down your numbers, and try to beat those numbers next time.
• When starting out don’t do push ups two days in a row. You need to give your muscles time to rebuild and recover – take off at least 48 hours in between your push up adventure. When push-ups became a warm-up exercise for you – consider a PLP program.
• Get protein into your system after finishing up your workout – protein helps rebuild the muscles you just broke down doing push ups, and it helps them rebuild those same muscles stronger than before.
• If you can do 4 sets of 20-25 perfect form push ups no sweat, then it’s time to start looking into push up variations to keep things interesting.
• Build up your core with planks – this will help keep your core strong so that it’s not the weakest link in your proper form push ups.

Push Up Variations

Basic push ups can get boring…

Fortunately there are dozens upon dozens of variations to make things more difficult for you.

Once you’re cranking out perfect form push ups like it’s your job, try some of these variations on for size.

Click on each for a video demonstration (these are some of the push-up variations pulled from The NF Academy):

One-legged Push-ups: introducing some variety and balance by removing one of your legs for less stabilization:

Decline push ups – these work your shoulders and triceps more so than normal push ups.

Diamond push ups – keep your arms tight at your side, rotate your hands outward, and keep your elbows tight as you lower your body. Works your triceps like crazy.

Dive-bomber push ups – funky, difficult, but oh so fun.  I’d explain it, but just watch the video

Plyometric Push ups – these are brutal and will wear you out just after a few repetitions.  Just don’t hurt yourself!

What’s Your strength building plan?

It makes me sad when we get emails from people who struggle and try and work hard to get healthier, and to better at push-ups, and just can’t seem to make any progress.

If that’s you, you’re not alone!

It’s why we built our 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program: to help busy people cut through the noise and just get results.

You’ll have your own coach that checks your form (via video) on exercises to make sure you’re doing them correctly, they’ll help you with your nutrition, and also build a workout program for you based on your specific body type, goals, and experience.

You can schedule a free call with Team NF over on our coaching page by clicking on the link below, maybe we’re a good fit for each other!

That’s all for today: go home, set up a camera or grab a friend and have them film you, and check your form on your push ups.

I hope you’ll find that your form is as good as you expected, but it’s okay if it’s not, it’ll give you something to work on.

Go do some push-ups, and work on getting better with them every day.

-Steve

PS: If you’re looking for a workout to help you do more push-ups, you can follow our free Beginner Bodyweight Routine and download our free Beginner Bodyweight Worksheet when you sign up in the box below!

###

https://www.girlsgonestrong.com/

Name: Heather Spears
Age: 41
Location: Seattle, WA

How did you find out about Girls Gone Strong?
A longtime friend of mine appeared in a GGS Spotlight that I saw on Facebook, and I was inspired by her experience with GGS coaching. I then started reading the material on the GGS website about training, nutrition and women’s health, and the content just resonated as smart, sound, and relevant. I knew I wanted to be part of the GGS community.

What does being a part of the Girls Gone Strong community mean to you?
For me, Girls Gone Strong means being part of a community of women who share similar stories, who are emotionally strong, physically strong and self-assured.

Being part of Girls Gone Strong means respecting that a woman’s body is entirely hers, and is her business alone.

Being a Girl Gone Strong means supporting and learning from smart and accomplished women. Being a Girl Gone Strong means finding greater self-confidence and body acceptance. Being a Girl Gone Strong means showing up in the gym and honoring one’s body for what it can do!

What do you do?
I’m a Human Resources Manager and am also currently in graduate school studying Public Administration.

What else do you do?
I enjoy travel, road trips, camping, hiking, and going out to hear live music.

How were you introduced to strength training, and how long have you been training?
I’ve participated in sports and outdoor activities since childhood, but only dabbled in sporadic weight training during high school and college. I first started working out with a personal trainer and being a gym regular about 12 years ago. I cycled through personal training, bootcamp classes and training alone in the gym over the years.

I joined CrossFit at Experience Momentum about three years ago to challenge myself, and in that environment I started to embrace training for the sake of strength, mobility and endurance to live a better life. CrossFit launched my love affair with barbell lifts. Around this time, I was also becoming enlightened by the positive messaging about women’s strength training on Girls Gone Strong. I have been cycling through GGS programming (Modern Woman’s Guide to Strength Training, Strongest You, Get Results) while supplementing now and then with CrossFit classes for a little over two years.

Favorite lift:
Deadlift. When I first learned the deadlift, I was afraid to deadlift more than twenty pounds, because I was certain that I would hurt my back. Now that I understand the mechanics and what’s required to deadlift safely, it’s my favorite lift because, for me, it’s an accessible lift that makes me feel strong and capable of progress.

I’m a fan of barbell lifts, and practicing Olympic lifts (within the range of my mobility and often with an unloaded bar or a dowel), makes me happy too, but I get particularly excited about deadlift day.

Top 3 things you must have with you at the gym or in your gym bag:
A water bottle, my phone so that I can refer to my training program and demo videos, and a hoodie for while I’m warming up and post-workout!

Do you prefer to train alone or with others? Why?
I like a mixture of both. I like working out alone through a program for some and mixing my program with Crossfit classes for encouragement, camaraderie and variety.

Favorite way to treat yourself:
Massage. I am a fan of massage for its health benefits, and especially to help with pain and soreness, but also because massage is great for relaxation and stress relief!

Favorite quote:

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” — Margaret Mead

Three words that best describe you:
Thoughtful. Loyal. Kind.

Favorite book:
It’s hard to pick one, but I love the classics. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is one I can read again and again.

Describe a typical day in your life, from waking up to bedtime:
First order of business upon waking is coffee! I head to the gym before work if it’s a strength day, or sometimes put the finishing touches on a paper that is due later that day for school. Work is never the same day twice, but is usually a combination of meetings and putting out surprise metaphorical fires.

A few days in the week I leave work around 4 p.m. and head to school, and drive for over an hour through evening rush hour traffic. I’m in class until about 9 p.m., at which point I go home, have a light dinner, decompress with a bit of TV, catch up with my husband, pet the cat, and then go to bed.

When did you join Get Results Coaching? Why did you decide to join and what helped you make the decision to join?
I joined the Get Results program in July. I was just wrapping up a round of another GGS coaching program with Jen Comas. I felt that I had made a lot of progress in certain areas with both the strength programming and the mindset work, but I wanted to continue the work I was doing and make more progress with the nutrition aspect and put everything together.

I had purchased the Get Results programs, and liked the idea of cycling through Get Lean, and switching to Get Strong later. My schedule between work and school was compressing my gym time, so I ended up doing Get Started workouts with less rest time in between sets for the sake of getting in some strength training. Dedicating just 25 minutes to a strength session during which I’m moving quickly will have a big impact on how I feel and helping to maintain fitness.

What has been your biggest challenge in the Get Results Coaching program?
Consistency in all three key elements of the program, (mindset, training and nutrition) but also realizing that putting all of these things together takes dedication and practice and doesn’t happen overnight.

There have been times when I’ve been strong and consistent with training, and others when I am steady with meeting nutrition habits, but not training as hard. Learning that there are seasons and cycles to training; and trying to match my exercise and nutrition habits and goals to a busy lifestyle is where I have needed the most work and guidance.

What has been your biggest success in the Get Results Coaching program?
This is hard to describe, but my biggest success in GGS programs has actually been learning to let go…

• Letting go of the idea that I need to be certain size to be my best self.
• Letting go of the idea that to be a good athlete I have to train hard all the time.
• Letting go of the idea that food and exercise are transactional (i.e. eating a piece of pie does not require me to do 50 minutes on a cardio machine!)
• Letting go of weighing myself every day and letting a number influence how I feel.
• Letting go of comparisons to not just other women, but to my former self.

Letting go of these things has made room for me to be more happy and confident in myself, and helps me define goals and success in a way that starts with building up, instead of tearing down.

What do you like best about the Get Results Coaching community?

I love the support from the other women and the coaches. I feel like it’s a safe space to be honest with my struggles and receive sound advice with whatever I need help navigating.

That ranges anywhere from what’s a good exercise to sub for a particular prescribed movement, to strategies for nailing a difficult nutrition habit, or just getting support after a tough week!

What is the habit you’re currently working on most?
Both my work and school and schedules both mean I sit a lot and mealtimes are irregular. The habits I am currently working on the most are to increase movement and planning my meals and nutrition strategies in advance.

Planning is crucial for building in time for strength and to find ways to create more movement throughout the day, as well as have adequate fuel from veggies and lean protein.

How has Get Results Coaching changed your life?

Since working with GGS coaches, I’ve learned to make a commitment to training and nutrition for the sake of being strong and living a better life.

Working on training, mindset and nutrition all at once takes work! I’ve learned that it’s a lifelong practice, but putting those three things together is what is key to actually realizing goals and finding results.

The confidence and strength I’ve gained through GGS training has helped me embrace new challenges. For example, while participating in GGS coaching, I participated in my first CrossFit Open competition and took my first ski lessons ever, because even though I was terrified of both, I wanted to challenge my physical and mental toughness.

I also had to learn to be OK with knowing that I would fall down attempting multiple overhead squat reps and learning turns on the bunny hill. I took on that which intimidated me and learned that I was stronger than I thought! That confidence has many rewards that carries over into other areas in life.

What would you tell women who are nervous about joining Get Results Coaching?
In Get Results Coaching there are an infinite number of ways to measure success, and unlike other programs, the definition of success is set by you and your individual goals. The environment is positive and supportive and allows for exploration and discovery. Having the extra encouragement and guidance to go along with the training programs goes a long way towards both defining and achieving your individual goals.

You can connect with Heather on Instagram.

Tired of not getting the health and fitness results you’re looking for?

We can help!

Our small group Get Results Coaching program gives you everything you need to accomplish your goals – with GGS co-founder and head coach Jen Comas right by your side.

Enrollment opens twice a year – get on our free, no-obligation pre-sale list now to learn more and get an opportunity to enroll early.

Learn More!

The post GGS Spotlight: Heather Spears appeared first on Girls Gone Strong.

http://www.thekitchn.com/feedburnermain

Whole30 isn’t a diet or a judgmental labeling of foods as “good and bad.” It’s actually a simple reset that has helped many of our readers cook more and figure out the foods that make them feel their best. Read more about our coverage here.

I will admit: Once you’ve got a handle on the guidelines of the Whole30 — yes to fruits, vegetables, meat, seafood, eggs, and nuts; no to grains, legumes, dairy, sugar, preservatives, alcohol, and foods impersonating other foods (no cauliflower pizza crust, no egg-and-banana pancakes) — there are not a whole lot of Whole30-approved surprises. It’s exciting to me that scallops are okay (seafood), and I find it sad that chickpeas are out (legumes), but neither is a shock.

And yet there are foods — even, sometimes, conveniently packaged, easily accessible grocery store foods — that do in fact make the Whole30 cut, despite all odds to the contrary. These 10 grocery finds will make a month of Whole30 a little simpler.

READ MORE »

http://www.thekitchn.com/feedburnermain

This year, instead of starting out with a bunch of resolutions tantamount to a complete overhaul of your life, why not find a few little ways to actually, sustainably set yourself up for some small victories? Because some of easiest-yet-most-impactful changes tend to start in the kitchen, we looked through Sur La Table’s clearance sale to find some ideas.

What we came up with: three brilliant, inexpensive gadgets that will help you make better habits in the new year. Here are our top picks guaranteed to help you have a successful January and an even better 2019.

READ MORE »