start in October
Wanna know how to get a new year’s resolution to stick?? Start in October.
Like - now :)
It's all too common for people to put off healthy habits until the new year, thinking "I'll get it together in January. I’ll wait to start working out regularly. I’ll allow myself to indulge around the holidays. Then I’ll change everything about myself and my lifestyle in the new year. I’ve never been able to do it before, but 2025 feels like my year!” 😂
Sorry my dear, but the likelihood of that panning out is low to quite low.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for enjoying yourself at parties and living your life . . . . that’s not what this is about. This is about not letting the last few months of the year take you down. If you’ve been reading along for a while, you know I’m not suggesting perfection. At all. I’m suggesting you get a head start on your fitness journey now. Don’t wait for January to start feeling better!
There are 12 weeks left in 2024. If you work out 3 days/week for the rest of the year, you’ll get 36 workouts in before January. Imagine how different the beginning of 2025 would feel for you! Taking action today, rather than waiting for a new year's resolution, is the best way to make real, lasting change.
Need some help getting started? Grab our New Member Special - 2 weeks of unlimited classes for $25!
let’s start 2025 feeling GOOD!
anti aging secret - MUSCLE!
Our society is obsessed with anti aging. We spend a lot of time, energy, and money trying to retain our youth. And no shame from me, I have a very regimented skincare routine myself!
But did you know that in addition to regular facials and $$$$ skincare products, muscle mass can also help you look and feel younger?! Here’s how:
Better Skin
Building muscle improves skin elasticity, structure, and dermal thickness (1), reducing the appearance of those fine lines and wrinkles we spend so much time worrying about. Building muscle mass reduces oxidative stress in the body, which causes physical signs of aging (2). More muscle = younger looking skin.
Body Composition (aka: look better naked)
Muscle mass gives us the strong, defined, “toned” look that many of us are after. Increased skeletal muscle mass improves insulin sensitivity and glucose uptake (3) as well, reducing risk of diabetes, inflammation, pain, and many other health issues that can cause people to look and feel older.
Mood and Energy Booster
There are many ways lifting weights will improve your mood, but I’ll leave you with two today:
Better sleep! Resistance training has been proven to improve sleep quality and reduce anxiety and depression (4).
This is a fun one: increased brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) (5).
WTF is BDNF and why does it matter? When BDF levels are high, learning new information is easier, memories are easily accessed, pain sensitivity is decreased, and anxiety and depression are massively reduced. The higher the better my friend!
There are so many benefits to strength training, many of which you’ve heard me talk about here before. And now we get to add anti aging to the list? If you haven’t gotten in the weight room yet, maybe this will be just the kick in the butt you need :)
Ready to start lifting? Join us! Grab our New Member Special - 2 Weeks of Classes for just $25!
I’ll workout when I have more free time.
I’ll get to the gym when:
things slow down at work
all my travel is done
I have more free time
These are things I hear quite often. And I get it. Sometimes life is so crazy it’s really tough to squeeze in workouts. Exercising can feel like a luxury you just don’t have time for. One that you genuinely plan to tackle when life slows down.
But there’s two big reasons why this mindset won’t serve you well in the long run.
#1. You’re always going to be busy.
I don’t know a single human being that isn’t busy. Are some of us more busy than others? Do kids play a big role in time management and flexibility? Yes of course! But you my dear reader - you’re smart, successful, and always trying to get better. So I hate to break it to you, but you’re probably not going to get less busy 🤷♀️
#2. If you wait until you have free time to workout, you’ll stop as soon as life gets busy again.
It seems perfectly logical to wait until you have free time to start. But when do you consistently have free time? I’m guessing your answer is -rarely-
Learning to get your workouts in even when it’s hard will ensure you stick with it long term, not just when it’s convenient for your schedule.
Once you’re working out consistently for a few months, it will become part of your normal routine, your normal (BUSY) life. So as loco as it may sound, the ideal time to start is when you’re busy. Master the most challenging version first, then the rest will feel like cake.
Need some help getting started? Grab our New Member Special - 2 Weeks of Classes for $25! We’d love to workout with you.
4 WAYS TO MEASURE YOUR PROGRESS OTHER THAN THE SCALE
It's super common for people to use weight loss as the only measure of success when it comes to their workouts.
This way of thinking can be harmful for many reasons! Exercise has so many amazing benefits besides some arbitrary number on a scale.
If any of these apply to you, then your workouts are working, whether the scale changes or not.
You're getting stronger. You can lift more weight, do more reps, or do exercises you weren't able to do before.
You're feeling more energized and productive throughout the day. Your brain is firing at work and you're not hitting that 2pm wall like you used to.
Your clothes fit differently. This is a great sign you're losing fat and/or gaining muscle!
You feel more confident. Whether it's carrying heavy groceries/dog food/children/etc. or playing pickleball with your friends, you can handle it!
Let's learn to celebrate these victories and keep showing up even if the number on the scale isn't dropping.
IF I FOLLOW THE 80/20 RULE, I’LL BE GOOD RIGHT?
You've likely heard about the 80/20 rule when it comes to health and fitness. According to this rule, as long as you stay consistent 80% of the time, you can still make progress towards your goals.
While staying consistent can mean different things for different people, let's focus on the basics. The things most people need to be nailing to reach their goals:
Working out 3-5 days/week
Getting 7,000-10,000 steps per day
Eating about 1g of protein per pound of body weight per day
Sleeping 7-9 hours a night (sometimes this is not possible with little ones in the house)
Drinking enough water
If we're following the 80/20 rule, we're achieving these basics 80% of the time.
If there are 30 days in a month, 80% consistent means you'd be on point at least 24 of those 30 days. That's . . . . a lot of days.
My point here isn't to make you feel bad if you're not being 80% consistent. My point is that 80% might be more than you think. So if you feel like you're consistent 80% of the time and not seeing the results you desire, you might need to take a closer look at your consistency rate.
You can still make progress at lower consistencies, it will just take longer. And for some, that might be totally fine! Just make sure you're honest with yourself about where you are and where you want to be.
WHO IS HEAT FOR ANYWAY?
Have you been following along for a while but haven't made your way into the gym yet? Or maybe you have been, but it's been some time.
First of all, thank you for reading whether you come to the gym or not!
Have you wondered who exactly Heat is for? Our program is designed in a very thoughtful, intentional way. One that will certainly appeal to some more than others.
Heat classes are well suited for those that:
- want to get stronger, leaner, and feel their best without beating up their bodies in the process
- enjoy socializing and having fun while they workout
- appreciate and welcome hands-on coaching
Heat classes probably aren't for you if:
- you don't think your workout was worth it unless you feel like death after
- you think you should be in constant motion for every minute of your workout because "rest is for the weak"
- you're against lifting heavy for fear of getting "bulky"
If you're looking for a well rounded program that will help you get stronger, leaner, more athletic, and stay injury-free along the way - I think you should give Heat a shot. If you prefer a gym where no one will speak to you, coaches couldn't care less if you're doing exercises correctly, and you leave feeling like you've been hit by a truck. . . . Heat is probably not for you.
What can I say? We're built different! And we're pretty proud of that :)
WHY FOLLOW A TRAINING PROGRAM?
In a world full of fitness opportunities, promises, and (mis)information, it's easy to see how people get confused and overwhelmed.
Do this exercise and you'll look like me! Follow this diet and you'll lose 30 pounds in 30 days! Purchase my online workout program and your problems and belly fat will melt away! Sound familiar? With so many claims and options to try, it's really tough to know which route to go.
Even though trying something new, flashy, and different every day sounds entertaining. . . . it's not the best route to results. In fact, it may never lead to results at all for some people.
The best way to see results in the gym is to stick to a training program that focuses on the basics. Have you ever read a more BORING sentence? I nodded off while typing it. But that my friend, is what works.
Think pull-ups, push-ups, deadlifts, squats, lunges. Focusing on good form and progressive overload - meaning that you're strategically increasing the intensity of the exercises through weight, reps, and tempo over the course of a program.
Getting to the gym consistently and following a program that makes sense is what gets results. And that's what you're here for, right?!
BIG NEW YEAR ENERGY
Happy New Year! I hope you're coming off some happy times with friends, family, good food, and a break from the daily grind. For those of you that may not love the holidays, might feel completely stressed out by them, I hope you are now recovering!
January is a buzzy time. . . . people are inspired to get to the gym, dial in their nutrition, read all the books, and solve the world's problems. If you're feeling that burst of motivation - then hell yea! capitalize on it and get to work. You can accomplish a lot when fueled by new year resolution energy!
Heads up: buzz kill incoming . . . .
Motivation alone is not enough. Sorry to say it, but according to the research, it's true. You actually already know this because it's happened to you a million times. You're super motivated to start a new workout routine, nutrition plan, job, relationship - anything! You put your best foot forward for a while and then inevitably, that motivation eventually wears off. It's only natural. You can't stay up that high forever.
This is where consistency comes into play. When our motivation wears off we have to fall back on consistency. We need an established routine that's there for us when we don't feel like showing up.
So. . . . let's use this new year energy as fuel to form healthy habits. Go ahead and get your workout schedule planned out and stick to it! Create the routine while you're feeling motivated. When the motivation leaves you, your routine will be there to catch you.
If you can stay consistent all year long, 2024 may just be your best one yet :)
WHY SPRINTS ARE AMAZING FOR YOUR HEALTH!
Sprints are amazing for your health! Is sprinting part of your training program? Find out why they’re so great.
Is sprinting part of your training program? If you want to improve your health and build a lean, functional body, sprints are integral! Check out 5 reasons why we love sprints:
1. Sprints help build and maintain muscle
Sprinting is an anaerobic exercise, so it helps build muscle in a similar way that weight training does. Research shows that sprinting can enhance protein synthesis pathways, so when paired with proper nutrition and recovery, sprinting can promote muscle building.
2. Sprints keep you fast and athletic
Most people begrudgingly accept that you have to slow down with age but you don't! Sprinting helps keep us young. If you don't use it you lose it though, so get to it.
3. Sprints improve cardiovascular health
Studies show that regular sprints lower your risk of heart disease, improve blood cholesterol levels, and help control/prevent high blood pressure. Steady state cardio is beneficial and has a place in any solid training program too, but sprints HIIT different! ?
4. Sprints are convenient
You can do them anytime, anywhere, and in just a few minutes. No equipment necessary!
5. Sprints are fun!
Ok maybe not during. . . . especially in the beginning. But once they’re done you feel great! Feeling yourself improve on them over time also feels amazing. And feeling amazing is pretty darn fun if you ask me.
“THERE’S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN KNOWING THE PATH AND WALKING IT” – MORPHEUS
"There’s a Difference between Knowing the Path and Walking It" – Morpheus (The Matrix)
The fact that this quote comes from a fictional character doesn’t make it any less profound. In fact, it directly applies to why many people struggle in achieving their health and fitness goals.
For example, if I asked you, “What do you need to do to get into great shape?” You would probably list some common advice, such as: exercise 3-4 times a week, eat 3-4 well-balanced meals per day, get ample sleep and stay hydrated. These are all correct answers and great ways to maintain your health. In fact, you could probably even lay out a solid plan for how to do these things, which brings us to the big question: if we are armed with the right information, why aren’t we all in peak health? For most of us, we know the path, but walking it is another story altogether. Fortunately, this is where coaching comes into play.
Coaching isn’t just about introducing new exercises or pushing you outside your comfort zone. Working with the right coach creates a culture of accountability, which is crucial to achieving success. Without accountability, the path to our goals can become lost in life’s day-to-day challenges and before we know it, our health has been pushed to the bottom of our list of priorities. Accountability can mean the difference between just knowing the path and walking it so that you are always taking steps towards reaching your goals.
Show me someone who is thriving in any area of life and 99% of the time, you will find a mentor, coach, family member, or friend who has helped that person stay the course on their road to success. Instead of trying to go it alone, why not enlist the right help and create a support system? Sometimes stepping back and saying “I could use some help” is all it takes to get on the right path and stay on it for good.