How many licks? How many weeks?

We all know the saying...How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop?? Well this is my version...

HOW MANY WEEKS DOES IT TAKE FOR MY MUSCLE TO ATROPHY AND DROP?

Some of us spend so much time trying to build muscle...it takes weeks, more like months to see results. We eat good food for a while, we get extra protein for that 'lean muscle' to build but then what happens. We slack off, we relax, we go on vacation, we convince ourselves we're too busy to work out...and we get weak! It happens to the best of us. 

And now for the answer you've been waiting for...it only takes 3, yes I said THREE weeks for our muscles to atrophy (or shrink, go away, give up on us)!!! That could be a super vacation, a hospital stay, three very long work weeks but that's it, that's all it takes. So all the hard work we put in, gone. 

So what is an alternative to this happening? I hear this all the time..."I stay active, that should be enough." Well I'm sorry to say it's not enough if you want your best life. This is your health we're talking about so not saying this to be harsh, just truthful. Yes, an active person stays "in shape" generally more than others of a more sedentary life but over time of not actively building our muscles, it will catch up to us.

Now for some good news! We can maintain our muscle, it's fairly simple. Think big muscle groups. Back, shoulders, legs and core (yes I will include the bum in core). Flashing back to my first blog, Our wonderfully made bodies were meant to move and lift and work! So let's not over-complicate what a "workout" should be. Let's just move our bodies. C'mon...I know you want to try it...even if it's been awhile. You have nothing to lose but more MUSCLE! haha. I just kiddin. No seriously.

Try this:

Walk for 10 minutes.

Each exercise do 2 sets of 10 repetitions.

****Pick either Back and Shoulders to work and do this:

Grab any light weights 2-8# (or water bottles, cans of soup, bag o rice...)
1. Bent Over Row

2. Reverse Fly

 
*** Or choose Legs and Core and do this:
1. Walking Lunges 10 on each side

2. Squat with Superman Press (alternative to overhead press which you NEVER want to do)Not the best pic, as you come up out of the squat push the weight straight up in front of your forehead.

3. Plank to Each Side (core...the obliques are a beautiful thing to work...I will tell you more in my next post) Hold 10-30 seconds...repeat 2 times.
Beginner:

Advanced:

                           Sorry for the scantily clad pic but this I do most days in the gym, love it!

Stretch after.

That's it! You can do it. Really, I believe in you. This should take about 20 minutes so MAKE TIME.

Salud.

Day one. Get your body moving!

My mission is simple. I want you to see your best possible life: la vida possible. 

First, I am a certified athletic trainer who now has 9 years of experiencing the ups and downs with both patients and athletes. My passion is working with elite athletes and helping them from the time an injury happens back to return to play. I have worked from the high school level up to more recently professional athletes. From a state championship high school team all the way up to the NBA.

Now, the mind of an Athlete is different than the average person. It is multi-faceted, focused and strives to endure anything in order to return to the sport they love. This is who I love to work with, passionate individuals who see a finish line. 

Now as much fun as it is working with a fine tuned athlete I have to say there are more out there who NEED HELP.  I am very accustomed to working with post-injury to post- operative patients as well. One can learn a lot in 9 years of clinical physical therapy. I want to inspire those who need it to push themselves a little more, even if that means just getting motivated to do those exercises your therapist prescribed to you. But most of all, what I see in an office setting is complaints about back and neck pain. Or shoulder or knee pain...

Sound like you? Just a little...??

The human body is amazing! The way it protects itself from injury, the way it heals, in my mind, was all perfectly designed. So what makes for a healthy person or body you might ask...

OUR BODY WAS DESIGNED TO MOVE! It's that simple. We were made to walk and bend, run and lift...but look at the majority of Americans job positions. They sit! Obviously you need to do your job but because a lot of us sit so much throughout the day WE HAVE TO COMBAT THIS. 

We have to work to reverse years of sitting at a computer. Or years of doing the same repetitive motions. There is a perfect balance you can find between sitting and standing...or bending and lifting. 

So START HERE...

DAY 1

Walk 10 minutes. 

Do 15 half lunges each leg. (half= don't go down all the way) 

Do 2 sets of 10 standing squats. (bend at the hips first, then the knees)

Stretch basic muscle groups... Hamstrings, Quads and Hips. (pictures to come)

That's it! Just try this for today...

Salud. 
(health in Spanish)