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We here at TruFit were thrilled to learn that August 17th is National I Love My Feet Day! Putting aside the weirdness that this holiday even exists, we are excited because it means we get to share with you some easy-to-do drills to help our feet feel better! Why should we care about our feet in the first place? Well, we trainers like to say that everything in the body is connected. Because it is. If you have cranky feet and ankles that don’t move well, your body will find another place to get that movement instead. This can lead to aches, pains and even injuries to your knees, hips, spine or even your shoulders or neck. I’m sure you’ve heard the word “fascia” before. Think “plantar fasciitis”, a condition where the fascia — a thin layer of tissue that wraps around the muscle — gets tight and pulls everything together in the foot, causing pain in the heel or arch of the foot (most commonly). The thing is, if we look at our anatomy trains (below) we can actually see that the posterior fascial line (fancy, I know) starts at the bottom of the feet, runs up the calves, up the back of the thighs, up either side of your spine, into your neck and up your head and finally finishes at your EYE SOCKET. I had a client who always got headaches half an hour into her run. When she rolled her feet out with a lacrosse ball before runs guess what happened? She stopped getting headaches.  Posterior fascial line from Anatomy Trains It is all connected. So, yeah, you could say we like feet. One trainer at TruFit trainer who really loves feet is Kathryn Lehner! I couldn’t think of a better person to take us through some warmups for our tootsies to help them (and the rest of our bodies) feel better. Ready to watch? Check it out below! Please leave us a comment below to let us know how you feel!
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August 9 is National Book Lovers' Day! To tip our reading glasses to the art of literature, we thought we would compile a list featuring the TruFit trainers' favorite books concerning fitness-related topics like exercise, nutrition and mindset. Have some of your own favorite books! Share them in the comments below For Exercise! The Whartons' Stretch Book: Featuring the Breakthrough Method of Active-Isolated Stretching by Jim Wharton and Phil Wharton We're always hearing clients bemoan their lack of mobility so this is for anyone looking to feel more flexible and pain free!  Pressing Reset: Original Strength Reloaded by Tim Anderson and Geoff Neupert For anyone who feels like their body "doesn't move like it used to" and could use some help learning gentle and effective ways to feel better. TruFit is lucky enough to have three trainers certified by Original Strength and this book is a wonderful way to get introduced to the movements and philosophy.  The New Rules of Lifting Supercharged: Ten All-New Muscle-Building Programs for Men and Women Lou Schuler and Alwyn Cosgrove This is for the fitness enthusiast who would like to follow a program on their own either at their own gym, at a hotel gym while traveling or outside of seeing their trainer ;)  Kelltlebell Simple and Sinister by Pavel Tsatsouline This is for anyone interested in kettlebells, likes to see and feel progress and wants to have a STRONG training option that doesn't take all day. For Nutrition! Lean Habits For Lifelong Weight Loss: Mastering 4 Core Eating Behaviors to Stay Slim Forever by Georgie Fear For people who more or less know *what* to eat but could use help creating better habits surrounding their food. Written by Izzy's nutrition coaching mentor Georgie Fear, this is a fast, digestible read! (See what I did there?)  Food Rules: An Eater's Manual by Michael Pollan With such great rules as, "If you are not hungry enough to eat an apple, you are not hungry," and, "Don’t eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food," this book is for anyone looking to simplify their outlook on nutrition (and maybe question some of the rules Pollan has to share).  Why Me Want Eat: Fixing Your Food F*ckedupitude by Krista Scott-Dixon Part nutrition lesson, part journal and part comedy, this is great for those who love to take their pen to paper. You can literally draw throughout this book while learning to figure out how to have a better relationship with food. For Mindset! Never Let Go: A Philosophy of Lifting, Living and Learning by Dan John Izzy thinks of Dan John as the Pope of personal training. This is a great read for anyone about the philosophy of exercising, no matter what your fitness level is.  Unfu*k Yourself: Get Out of Your Head and into Your Life by Gary John Bishop Not exercise-specific but asks lots of great questions to think about if you're the one getting in the way of achieving your health and exercise goals. (See Izzy's piece on goal-setting here.)  Habitual Strength by Tim Anderson
Yep, another Tim Anderson book! *This* book is for anyone who is curious about the power of forming habits, just like strength is a habit, no matter how old you are! It helps people achieve their big goal of moving the needle in people's lives from good to better to best.  It’s Father’s Day Weekend and what better way to celebrate than to share some delicious (AND nutritious!) grilled veggie side dishes that will compliment any protein you choose to have, from ribs to salmon, brats to pizza (which my dad loves to grill on a pizza stone)! The good news is you can grill pretty much anything so our only limiting factor (when it comes to grilling veggies in particular) is creativity. We chose our personal favorite veggies (and even threw in a bonus fruit for dessert) for this post and hope you enjoy the heck out of them as you celebrate Dad’s big day! For each of these, you can lightly oil the the grill and preheat to medium so that the temp hits about 425 degrees. Preheat for about 5 minutes. All recipes serve 4.  ASPARAGUS Ingredients 1 bunch of asparagus, ends trimmed off. 2 tsp olive oil, divided 2 tsp balsamic vinegar, divided Dash of salt and pepper to taste Directions
ZUCCHINI (same as the asparagus with different timing) Ingredients 3-4 small- to medium-sized zucchini, ends sliced off, cut length-wise into quarters 2 tsp olive oil, divided 2 tsp balsamic vinegar, divided Dash of salt and pepper to taste Directions
 CARROTS Ingredients 6-8 rainbow carrots, ends trimmed and cut in half length-wise 1 Tbsp olive oil 1 tsp herbs de Provence Salt and pepper to taste Directions
 NECTARINES Ingredients 4 nectarines (or peaches if you prefer), cut in half and pitted 1-2 tsp olive oil Directions
 And there you have them! Easy-peasy side dishes you can grill up and enjoy, upping your dinner game (and nutritional intake!).
So, Dads (and non-dads): What are some of YOUR favorite healthy veggie grilling recipes? Share in the comments below! May 25th is National Wine Day AND it's the start of Memorial Day weekend so we thought we'd have some fun creating a quick circuit you can do anywhere with just a few bottles of wine! (Talk about not having any excuses to skip a workout this weekend!) Now, most wine bottles aren't terribly heavy. The rosé bottles Megan and I used weigh just under 3lbs each but that doesn't mean they won't be effective! We're focusing on moves you can do for high amounts of repetitions or that you can do for time! We also understand that not everyone drinks alcohol and the great news is you can use almost any other items you have around the house, from detergent bottles to carry-on suitcases! It just takes a little imagination! Let's grab our vino and go! DIRECTIONS: Perform each exercise back to back with little to no rest in between exercises. Aim for 3-4 rounds! 1A Forward Lunge With Wine Curl -- 12-15x on each side 1B Wine Bottle Dead Bugs -- 8x on each side, alternating legs 1C Single Leg Deadlift With Wine Press -- 15x on each side 1D Wine Drag In a Plank -- 8-10x on each side 1E Wine Swings -- 20x Take a 1-minute rest between sets! Ready? LET'S DO IT! 1A Forward Lunge With Wine Curl 1B Wine Bottle Dead Bugs 1C Single Leg Deadlift with Wine Press 1D Wine Drags In a Plank 1E Wine Swings We'd like to send out a super special shoutout to Sandeep and Vinic Wine in Downtown Evanston! We LOVE our fellow small businesses around town and they were SO kind to let us use their space (isn't it so cool??). Can't wait to come in for a tasting and sit out on your patio this summer, friends!
In the meantime, have a great weekend and enjoy it responsibly ;) Happy National Superhero Day! We all like to feel strong, capable, invincible even...a superhero in our daily work and personal lives. When we think of heroic acts, daring rescues from burning buildings and tales of battlefield bravery often spring to mind. But heroism on a smaller, individual scale is also worthy of acknowledgement and celebration. When do you feel the most heroic and empowered? Maybe it’s after teaching your son or daughter an important life lesson, or nailing your new self-care routine, or successfully completing that major work project. Maybe it’s after hitting a new mile mark on your run, or adding weight to those deadlift reps! At TruFit, we’re all about that superhero attitude and feeling (and t-shirts, as you might already know from our Instagram!). So before you see Avengers: Infinity War this weekend, or clean out your garage, or sit down to finalize that white paper, etc., get fully pumped and in that superhero zone with these 3 Superhero-Worthy Workout Moves! 1) The Superman While Superman flies through the air, you'd better believe he's using his core in that fully-extended plank! As Marco demonstrates the Superman above, here are some things to keep in mind:
2) The Wonderlift Amazonian Wonder Woman is known to be one of the strongest people in the DC Universe! While that strength and power might have been handed down from the gods, it's also no secret that the stronger the glutes, the more powerful you can be! Here, Mary demonstrates a mover we're calling the "Wonderlift": The one-legged deadlift (also known as the non-surgical butt lift, if you'd like to know). Here are a few things to keep in mind:
3) The Spiderman
Climbing around like Spiderman is a total-body exercise that not only works your arms and your legs but also works your core and connects the opposite sides of your body together and allows both sides of your brain to fire! So when we say it's total-body we include your mind! Here's what to look for when performing Spiderman crawls:
Looking to build superhero strength? Start with these three exercises! Pepper them into your existing program or make a quick circuit for yourself by doing each of these exercises back to back for 3-5 rounds! Want more assistance with your training? Feel free to reach out to us! Email us here or call 312-497-8999!  Photo by Natalia Figueredo on Unsplash (Guest post)--Hey TruFit readers! April is National Stress Awareness Month, which means it’s a wonderful time to talk self-care. To help us, we’ve handed today’s post over to Amanda Tarver, LMT. She is the owner and practitioner of Women’s Massage Therapy in downtown Evanston, where she offers a variety of women’s therapeutic bodywork, and pregnancy and postpartum services. We are thrilled to be sharing her self-care wisdom and tips here on the TruFit Blog! What Is Self-Care?
Self-care can involve any regular activity (or activities) that we do specifically to take care of our physical, mental, and emotional needs. Self-care can mean different things to different people, and your own self-care needs may change many times throughout your life. Examples of self-care can include:
Self-care is not the same thing as pampering. Although treating ourselves to something special can be good for our emotional, physical, or mental well-being, pampering is generally something that we engage in rarely or inconsistently (Example: Enjoying a glass of Champagne on a Tuesday; spending an entire morning in bed with some aromatherapy and a good book; splurging on a piece of art or a pair of shoes that you love). Good self-care, on the other hand, requires regular practice, even though that practice may change. Why Should I Practice Self-Care? When we take the time to regularly care for ourselves and recharge, we are able to be our best selves. Think about it… do your best interactions with others occur when you are feeling well or when you’re feeling poorly? People who engage in regular self-care tend to be more productive, happier, healthier, and may even live longer. Their interactions with others tend to be more positive because they feel good, which leads to improved relationships, and fewer instances of anger, frustration, irritation, etc. Good stuff, right? So how do you get started?  Nope, sugar is NOT better for you than high-fructose corn syrup. Bad health and fitness advice is, and always has been, plentiful and pervasive. Wanting to look and feel our best is a universal desire, so it’s no surprise we’re constantly being inundated with recommendations for pills, products, exercises, and regimens purported to help us achieve that goal. But how many of us can separate fitness myths from the facts? Some fitness myths and falsehoods are harmless, even well-intentioned (Aunt Wendy swears drinking raw vinegar and lemon juice will boost your energy...except no, and yuck). Many false claims and trendy products will cost you time and money (Fat-burning belts? Weight-loss sunglasses? Umm, no) and leave you with poor results. In the worst-case scenario, trusting a false health or fitness hack can be downright dangerous (Tiffany Haddish recommends turpentine. P.S. DON’T DRINK TURPENTINE!). At TruFit Personal Training Studios Evanston, we are blessed to have a diverse group of personal trainers (with an equally diverse knowledge base) sweating it out and sharing their wisdom under one roof! So we asked them: What are the most common fitness myths you hear or get asked about? Check out their answers below! 10 Common Fitness Myths (Debunked by TruFit)  Photo by Alora Griffiths on Unsplash Fitness Myth #1: Lifting weights makes women “bulky” The Truth: While lifting weights gives muscles more of a "shape" (which some people call "tone" or “definition”), women do not have the hormonal makeup to get "bulky" like male lifters do. And just like lifting heavy weights won't "bulk up” women like a bodybuilder, doing exercises like Barre Method will not create "long dancer muscles" either. TruFit trainer Izzy Libmann points out, “Your body's reaction to your training loads is largely based on genetics! So if you’re looking for a certain type of body shape, you may be out of luck depending on your genetic makeup.” But with all of this being said, if getting bulky is a concern, we won’t turn a deaf ear. Always discuss this with your trainer! The best you can do is perform your exercises and monitor your progress.  Photo by rawpixel.com on Unsplash Fitness Myth #2: Eating throughout the day quickens your metabolism The Truth: While digesting a meal does temporarily spike your metabolism, there is no evidence that eating more frequently will increase your metabolic rate. The REAL difference-maker is the total number of daily calories consumed. Also, individuals who eat several small meals per day tend to consume MORE total calories (and feel less satiated after eating) than those who eat 3-4 square meals per day. So unless you’re a rockstar calorie counter, you’re probably better off just eating three healthy meals per day!  Photo by Victor Freitas on Unsplash Fitness Myth #3: High intensity is the only way to get results The Truth: While high intensity exercise has its time and place (we're talking sprints, Tabata training, CrossFit, high-intensity interval training), overdoing it can lead to overtraining and injury. We recommend mixing in "light" and "medium" days during the week to complement the "heavy" day(s). And remember, the harder you train, the harder you have to recover (eating well, sleeping enough, meditation, getting massages, etc). If high intensity is your jam, do watch for signs of overtraining. Some of these are: Feeling more tired/wiped out than usual; feeling dread before a workout; chronic soreness, like you can’t get over your last workout; a sudden drop in your training performance; getting sick more often. If you’re experiencing these, it might be a good idea to back off of the intensity to ward off an injury that will sideline you for weeks or months.  Photo by bruce mars on Unsplash Fitness Myth #4: Lots of crunches or sit-ups will give you a six-pack The Truth: “In order to see a six-pack, you need to lower your body fat percentage with proper nutrition and workouts, not with 1000 crunches or sit-ups,” says TruFit trainer Marco Gonzalez. We’re talking a combination of a variety of exercises (not just exercises targeting your six-pack itself) and a HUGE dose of nutritional support (eating mostly whole foods, watching your carb/fat/protein ratio, consuming little to no sugar or alcohol). We highly recommend checking out this Precision Nutrition infographic to give you an idea of how much six-packs cost. In fact, crunches and sit-ups are likely doing you more bad than good when it comes to your lower back! If you want to train your “core,” perform more anti-rotation exercises like this or this or do total-body exercises like deadlifts, push-ups, squats, etc (yes, those ARE also core exercises).  Photo by AquaChara on Unsplash Fitness Myth #5: Running is the best way to lose weight The Truth: Losing weight will happen when there is a calorie deficit (meaning more total calories are burned than consumed). While running does burn some calories and helps people lose weight, the bigger bang for the calorie-burning buck is actually in lifting weights! The more muscle you have, the higher your metabolism will be. That does not mean you shouldn't run if you like it and it makes you feel good! "It's always best to cross-train," adds Izzy. "When we do too much of one thing, like only running without strength training for example, we may be asking for trouble." So do try to get a good mix of movement in throughout the week for overall health.  Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash Fitness Myth #6: Regular sugar is less fattening than high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) The Truth: The amount of fructose found in regular table sugar and HFCS is almost the same. The difference between the amount is negligible; the body processes them the same way, meaning that if we have too much of it, it gets converted to fat and can lead to type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome. A very important note: While, yes, fresh fruit does contain some fructose, that fruit also has plenty of fiber and other nutrients to offset the absorption of fructose into your bloodstream! Also, one serving of fruit has a LOT less fructose in it than, let's say, juice or a candy bar. In other words, added sugars--all added sugars--aren’t doing you any favors, so try to consume them as little as possible and stick to whole, unprocessed foods.  Photo by Geert Pieters on Unsplash Fitness Myth #7: You can spot reduce problem areas The Truth: “When a client says, ‘I want to get rid of the fat on my thighs,’ they are expecting to target this area with exercise and think the body fat will go away from that area only,” explains TruFit trainer Megan Davies. “When you lose body fat, your overall body will reduce fat, not only in specific areas. We all tend to gain and lose weight in certain areas and that can be dictated by our body type. The cool thing is, while we can’t target fat loss in one specific area, we CAN strengthen every single body part!” Getting lean and burning fat requires a diet of mostly whole foods (with little sugar and alcohol), getting your heart rate up multiple days per week, and a combo of total-body exercises (think push-ups vs just doing tricep kickbacks, or squats vs only the leg extension machine)!  Photo by Rex Pickar on Unsplash Fitness Myth #8: Training to “failure” is good for you The Truth: You know the saying "keep a quarter in the tank" so your car doesn't run out of gas? Same goes for training. “The biggest negative effect of training to failure is how it affects your central nervous system,” explains TruFit trainer Kathryn Lehner. “It has the potential to overload your CNS, making it hard to train frequently, causing lots of fatigue, and making recovery time last longer. As a result, it can affect the rest of that workout as well as workouts later in the week. Also, form has the potential to break down when fatigue gets too high. Might as well end on a good rep!” Aim to feel like you can do 1-2 more reps in your set at the stopping point. If you want to keep a good relationship with exercise and stay free of injury, keep a quarter in the tank.  Photo by Sam Sabourin on Unsplash Fitness Myth #9: Squats and lunges are bad for your knees The Truth: To quote Dan John, “It's not the squats that are bad for your knees; it could be the way you're doing the squats that's bad for your knees.” TruFit trainer Brian Kirshenbaum says, “When properly executed, the squat and lunge (in its various forms) are terrific for strengthening your quads and glutes. It’s these very muscles that when strong, help prevent problems with our knees in the first place!” If squats and lunges have hurt you in the past, it could be good to get a trusted pro to help you out!  Fitness Myth #10: There's no point in strength training until you lose that extra 5, 10, or 15 pounds The Truth: “First off, strength training does burn calories,” says TruFit trainer Sarah Laspas. “It does NOT have to be slow-paced, and depending on how you structure your workouts, it's possible to sweat A LOT. Second, unlike cardio, you'll continue to burn calories for 1-2 days after a solid strength training session--basically, you're shedding fat and building muscle at the same time. Hooray for efficiency!” We hope this information was helpful, or at the least, gave you some tidbits to ponder on your health and fitness journey! Regarding other health and fitness claims, we strongly suggest you exercise (pun intended!) caution. Seek out reviews or conclusions from credentialed medical experts, fitness professionals, and peer-reviewed research studies to help you make smart choices.
Got a fitness question that you need help with? Want to bust some more fitness myths? We’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment below or email us at info@trufitpersonaltraining.com. TruFit Personal Training Studios is hosting an Original Strength Press RESET workshop and I keep talking about how excited I am. But what the heck is Original Strength, anyway? Why is the workshop called “Press RESET” and are we supposed to yell “RESET” because it’s in all caps? Why should you care and why should you go? I’ll address all of this in bulletpoints.
So let’s say your body (or a client’s body) isn’t cooperating, isn’t moving the way it should, is in daily discomfort or pain. You want to reboot that body, press the reset button. Here is how a Press RESET workshop works:
 Photo by Rene Asmussen from Pexels What Sets OS Apart From Other Systems?
As a fitness professional, I’ve gone through a bunch of certifications that are aimed at teaching people how to get stronger, how to move better, how to get other people stronger and moving better. But, and without badmouthing any of those other systems, here is what I appreciate about OS:
OS believes that by helping one person move better, you help communities of people around them. If you’ve ever been in chronic pain, think about how that has affected you and the way you treat the world around you. If you can help ONE person (or yourself) move through their world more easily, how might that affect their partner? Their children? Their friends? Their parents? So come to the workshop, see how you feel and decide whether or not you want to yell RESET because it’s in all caps ;) You can sign up here! Ah, the kettlebell swing: Such a POWERFUL exercise that's often misunderstood... and butchered. There are a few different styles of kettlebell swings (Russian, American, CrossFit to name a few) and, we think it's safe to say, some are safer and more effective than others. We've seen our fair share of butchered swings in our time which give swings a bad name! When done *properly*, though, kettlebell swings can do wonders for your strength gains and health! This is why today, Kathryn Lehner, Strong First kettlebell instructor and one of the awesome trainers who works out of TruFit Personal Training in Evanston, is going to give us some quick dos and don'ts when doing this booty-firming, heart-pounding, hard-style version of one of our favorite exercises: The kettlebell swing. Here is Kathryn's own story about why the swing is so freaking awesome:
1. Want to get your butt strong and look good doing it? Swing a kettlebell! Why you ask? Because it is a great way to get your butt strong! But getting a stronger rear is only one of many benefits to the kettlebell swing. In addition to your behind, the swing helps to strengthen your entire posterior chain and core. When done properly, the swing is a high-power, full-body explosive movement with weight. It involves activation of most back muscles, explosive strength, rhythm, and provides a high level of conditioning. Total. Body. Exercise. 2. The swing is a dynamic hip hinge. The body movement in deadlifts and swings -- when done properly -- is the best way to pick something up! It also happens to be the most efficient way to jump. The hip hinge is technically the strongest movement we can make as it encourages and ensures the center of the body is strong and stable. 3. Since we recognize that the kettlebell swing is a hinge movement, this means it is NOT a squat. There is a big difference between the hinge and the squat. In a squat the knees and hips move at the same speed and the same rate. At the bottom of the movement, one's hips and knees are about the same height. In a hip hinge, the butt goes back first, allowing the knees to bend naturally. At the bottom of the swing (and deadlift), the hips are above one's knees and below the shoulders. 4. While performing a swing, the kettlebell makes a pendulum type motion in a steady rhythm. If it doesn't, there is most likely energy leakage happening somewhere throughout the body. Check in with the video to make sure you're doing the dos and not doing the don'ts. :) This awesome movement strengthens your posterior chain, helps with fat loss, and aids in back health -- all good things! Want to know more? Come swing with us! To get in touch with Kathryn, email her here or give TruFit a call!  TruFit Personal Training Studios is happy to announce it will be hosting a women’s self defense workshop on Saturday, March 3, from 10AM-12PM at 610 Davis Street to benefit the Evanston/North Shore YWCA.
Everyone deserves to feel safe and empowered. In this workshop with American Women’s Self Defense Association-certified instructors Michelle Courvais and Aaron Christensen, participants will learn valuable non-violent de-escalation and avoidance skills, as well as fundamental defense tactics against physical and sexual assault. More specifically, attendees will learn skills like environmental awareness and situational control, boundary setting, wrist grab and choke releases, striking techniques and targets, as well as your legal rights following an assault. All skill levels are welcome. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Evanston/North Shore YWCA whose mission includes to empower women. Participants can sign up by donating to the event’s GoFundMe page: https://www.gofundme.com/selfdefense-workshop-trufit. Signing up ahead of time is encouraged! The suggested donation to participate is $25. TruFit’s own mission is to be a fun, safe and inclusive space for Evanston’s diverse community to work on their health and fitness goals. “Fear of judgement is a major reason people don’t seek help to get in shape,” explains owner Isabelle Libmann. “We work hard to cultivate a culture of fun and empowerment while still offering the best personal training services.” TruFit has committed to raising $4000 as well as volunteer hours to give back to the Evanston community for 2018. In 2017, TruFit ran charity events for local organizations including the Center for The Independent Futures, The Ted Fund, The Evanston/North Shore YWCA, ESCCA and the Evanston Food Pantry. |
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