Read this post A Little Life Update | Winter 2022 on keep it simpElle.
Well, hello February. I’m honestly so happy to see the back of January – it was a pretty intense month. And now I’ve had a moment to catch my breath, it’s time for a ‘lil life update… since my last…
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No matter what your body looks like, what you’re going through, or what you’ve been conditioned to feel, we can learn to love our bodies in every stage of life.
Learning to love yourself doesn’t have to mean that you like how you look ALL the time or you’re the most confident person in the room, but it DOES mean constantly making choices that benefit your health and wellness. The first step is learning to put yourself first. Join Robin in this insightful episode to learn how she’s learned to love her body and how you can too.
Show highlights: what you can look forward to in this episode!
Links in this episode:
Share this podcast episode!
The post What does it mean to love your body? appeared first on The Balanced Life.
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Today we’re going to tell you exactly how to restart your fitness journey.
Whether this is the first time you’ve had to “respawn” or the 50th, you’re in the right place.
We help folks restart their exercise or nutrition routines as part of our 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program…and we’re really freaking good at it! Today, we’ll share with you the same strategies we deploy with them.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
Let’s do this.
So you fell off the wagon already.
First, we must…
As Coach Matt explains in the video below, “self compassion” is really important when attempting to fulfill New Year’s resolutions:
“I should exercise more this year” – For how long? How often? What kind of exercise?
So instead of turning your Fitness Switch “Off” from this unrealistic pace, maybe you just turn it down to a “5” so you can keep going:
Did you actually enjoy the exercise you attempted? If you discovered that you hate running, great! Never do that again. “Exercise sucks,” so I would pick something you actually enjoy.
ADDING a brand new exercise routine into a busy schedule can be really challenging. Fortunately, you can focus on substituting or adding in a way that doesn’t take up more time: nutrition! How you eat is 80-90% of the weight-loss equation, and you’re already eating every day. So focus on substituting a vegetable for fries once a week, or swapping sparkling water for soda. You can also keep a food journal and change up your breakfast twice a week.
I get it. You were able to train in your home gym for the first few weeks of this year, going for at least an hour.
But THEN…work got busy. And you only had 30 minutes, which wasn’t enough time to get through your workout. So why not set the win scenario at “30 minutes,” or “15 minutes,” or just “1 exercise”? Lower the bar!
Remember, we just don’t want your Fitness Dial hitting “0.”
Coach Staci provides some additional tips in the video How a Journal Can Help Us Make Our Goals:
For more strategies here, check out our guide Tracking Your Fitness Progress.
As Coach Matt explains below, sometimes “outsourcing” help can be a real game-changer when trying to get in shape (or back in shape):
Oh, and for #5 (“Supercharge your results”), I have two perfect ways to help you respawn today:
A) If you want step-by-step guidance on how to lose weight, eat better, and get stronger, check out our killer 1-on-1 coaching program.
Many of our clients kept respawning for years, and it was only when working with a trained professional that they finally learned how to maintain progress.
B) If you want an exact blueprint for getting in shape, check out NF Journey. Our fun habit-building app helps you exercise more frequently, eat healthier, and level up your life (literally).
Plus, there’s a nice shiny button you can press so you can respawn in our app whenever you want! No judgement, restart whenever.
Try your free trial right here:
Alright, that does it for me today.
For the Rebellion!
PS: If you want more tips and tricks on how to stick to your goals this year, check out 5 Hacks to Effortlessly Build Healthy Habits in 2022.
###
Photo Citation: Oh My Goodness! Shut Me Down, The Iron Giant, “Hello, old friend. Is he ready for me?”, Happy Halloween!!, At the blacksmith’s (Part 2), Medieval Blacksmith
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Today I’m going to help you achieve your first push-up!
Yep, I know that sounds super confident.
But it’s because I have a push-up progression plan that’s helped loads of clients in our Online Coaching Program crush their first push-up.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
Follow our guide and you’ll be doing “Earth Downs” in no time:
Let’s get started.
As I discuss in the video above, the most important part of your push-up progression plan: consistency.
Yeah, I know, there’s nothing too earth-shattering there.
But no matter what your current strength level is, the best way to work towards a push-up is to train your push muscles consistently. No matter where you’re starting today.
This is how our friend Mason went from wall push-ups to regular push-ups, then all the way to diamond push-ups.
Oh, and he lost like 70 pounds along the way too!
I’ll discuss push-up variations you should start with in the next section. Plus, we’ll wrap up today’s guide by discussing just how often you should train your push muscles.
Just remember, if you want your first push-up (and you should, cause push-ups are awesome), then you’ll need to be consistent with our push-up progression plan.
Cool?
Cool.
Our first stop on the Push-up Progression Plan: finding a push-up variation for you to become comfortable with. Something you can do about 8-10 reps with, for about 3-4 sets.
To start, you’ll probably train with an elevated push-up variation:
These will be easier than a regular push-up, since the higher the elevation, the less of your body’s weight you’ll be lifting during the movement.
Conversely, if you were to elevate your feet, you’d actually be lifting more than a regular push-up:
Let’s provide a rough breakdown of the percentage of your body’s weight lifted for different elevations of push-ups.[1]
The Percentage of Body Weight Supported by Our Hands During Push-Ups:
The strategy behind our push-up progression plan is to slowly move you down to the ground, lifting more and more of your own weight as you go.
Think of it like gaining XP in a video game, so one day you’ll be able to tackle the final boss: the floor.
It might help to pretend there’s a witch below it.
Alright, let’s show you exactly how to do some of these push-up variations.
The push-up variations below can be thought of as benchmarks.
If you can’t complete 8-10 reps, nbd.
We’ll have you train at the level below and you’ll move up before you know it.
Here are 4 variations for our Push-up Progression Plan:
Place your hands on a wall about chest weight (roughly 4′, 48″, or 122 cm). Bend your arms and get as close to the wall before pushing back up.
Place your hands on a surface about waist high (roughly 3′, 36″, or 92 cm). Bend your arms and touch your chest to the surface before pushing back up.
Place your hands on a surface about knee high (roughly 1.5′, 18″, or 46 cm). Bend your arms and touch your chest to the surface before pushing back up.
Hold yourself up on your hands and knees, with the body in a straight line from shoulders to knees. Lower down to the ground before pushing back up.
You made it to a push-up!
Are you doing them correctly?
Our next section will dive into the correct form, since this is a guide on getting your first proper push-up (I wouldn’t hold out on you).
But first, you may be asking yourself a question: when do I progress up to the next level?
For that, I’d recommend downloading our new app (it’s free to try out).
Nerd Fitness Journey will guide you through a workout routine specifically designed to help you get your first push-up, with benchmarks and signals on when to move up.
Plus, you get to earn actual XP so you level up your very own superhero!
You can give it a free test drive right here:
The video above walks you through the correct way to do a proper push-up, and also includes a few well-placed jokes from yours truly.
Here’s how to complete one perfect push-up:
#1) Make sure you keep your elbows in. Often, beginners will flare out their elbows when doing a push-up.
A good way to think of this, is you want your body to appear more like an ARROW from the top, not a T.
This infographic on the proper push-up form shows you want I mean:
#2) Keep your head in line with your body. We don’t want your head shifting forward, which could put unnecessary stress on your neck and prevent a full range of motion.
#3) Keep your hips in line with your body (no sagging). We want you in one straight line as you push your body up and down:
#4) Attempt to do a full range of motion with your push-up (as long as it’s pain-free). Shoot to come all the way down, so your chest is touching the ground or the object you’re doing push-ups against.
If you want more help here, we have a full guide on how to do proper push-ups, (including advanced variations to try).
There are two exercises that will go a long way towards achieving your first push-up:
First, let’s talk about push-up negatives.
“Negative” in exercise terminology generally means only doing half of a traditional rep, normally lowering the movement.
To do a Push-up Negative:
Next, let’s talk about Front Planks or Holding at the Top of a Push-up.
This is important for a few reasons:
Holding a plank might be tough for you, so let’s talk about a few variations you can experiment with.
Hold yourself up on your forearms and knees, with the body in a straight line from shoulders to knees.
Lie on the floor with your forearms flat, making sure that your elbows are aligned directly under your shoulders.
Engage your core and raise your body off the floor in a straight line from head to feet, keeping your forearms planted. Try not to let your hips rise or drop.
Hold yourself up at the top of a push-up position, with the body in a straight line from shoulders to feet.
If you follow the Push-up Challenge in NF Journey, you’ll notice that pretty much every workout ends with a type of one of these holds, since core strength is so critical for push-ups.
Oh, and if you want to just try Nerd Fitness Journey to see what I mean, you can do so right here:
Remember earlier when I said the name of the game with push-up progression is consistency?
To show you what I mean, it’s time to build a workout for conquering push-ups.
I’d recommend three workouts a week for a Push-up Progression Plan, with a rest day between.
Could be Monday-Wednesday-Friday or Tuesday-Thursday-Sunday.
As long as there’s a day off between workouts, it’s fine.
Oh, and if you can only do two workouts a week, that’s okay too. Just do the best you can (even once a week).
The “Get Your First Push-up” Workout is:
Let’s dive into each of these a bit more.
Arm circles for push-ups will look like this:
Wrist stretches for push-ups will look like so:
You can always do a more formal warm-up routine, but just make sure you include some variation of these two moves.
Earlier, we went through 4 variations that will help you get your first push-up.
After your warm-up, you should train with one of them.
For our Push-up Progression Plan, I want you to alternate between two variations:
For example:
After you train with your push-up variation, I want you to attempt 2-3 reps of a negative push-up.
If these are too tough, simply do an easier variation, like knee push-up negatives:
Any of the 4 variations we discussed earlier can be done as a “negative.”
These negatives will be important, as they’ll go a long way towards building strength for a regular push-up.
We’re going to end our “Get Your First Push-up” Workout with a hold:
Choose whichever variation you like, but attempt to hold the position for a full minute, with as few sets as possible.
If you need to break up the 60-second hold, you could:
Just aim to go longer and longer as you go. If you can’t make it to a full minute, don’t stress. Just work on holding a knee or elevated plank.
These holds will help strengthen your core, which will be critical for doing push-ups with proper form.
Oh, and if you want someone to modify this workout for you (let’s say you also want to do some HIIT for fat loss) our 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program can do just that.
Plus, your coach can review your movements through our app so you’ll know your training correctly and safely.
That should give you everything you need to get started with the push-up progression plan.
Remember…
Do this three times a week, with a day of rest between workouts, and you’ll be good to go.
As you continue on the Push-up Progression Plan, remember to keep pushing harder. We want you slowly but surely increasing the challenge of the workout (known in the biz as “progressive overload.”)
This could be:
Oh, and if you need any help along the way, I gotcha boo.
#1) Our Online Coaching Program: perfect for someone who wants an expert (like me!) to design the right path for conquering push-ups. We’re all different, so why not have a coach guide you through a program that’s custom-made for you?
You can schedule a free call with our team so we can get to know you and see if our coaching program would be a good fit. Just click on the image below for more details:
#2) If you want an exact blueprint for crushing push-ups, check out NF Journey. Our fun habit-building app helps you exercise more frequently, eat healthier, and level up your life (literally).
Plus, our 6-week Push-up Challenge has helped quite a few Rebels achieve their first push-up!
Try your free trial right here:
#3) Join the Rebellion! We need good people like you in our community, the Nerd Fitness Rebellion. You’ll meet individuals from all different walks of life, all of whom are trying to level up their lives.
Sign up in the box below to enlist and get our “Strength Training 101: Everything You Need to Know” guide, which will teach you exactly how to grow strong enough to rock push-ups:
Alright, I want to hear from you now:
Can you do a proper push-up?
If not, what level are you on?
Are we missing any helpful suggestions for a beginner?
Let me know in the comments!
-Jim
PS: Check out the rest of our guides on doing push-ups:
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Photo source: Gecko push-up; Figure push-up; 102, 103, 104…; doll push-up, push-up sunset;
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So you want to learn about the best core exercises?
Well my friend, you’ve arrived at the right place!
We help men, women, and intergalactic bounty hunters grow strong as part of our 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program, and we always put an emphasis on core muscles when we build client workouts.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
Alright buckeroo, let’s do this thang!
You use your core muscles for just about everything:
You get the gist.
So what exactly do we mean when we say “core”?
Contrary to popular belief, your core isn’t just your abs.
You might also hear your core referred to as your “trunk.” Same thing.
The core muscles really are the foundation of the human body. And much like building a house, when it comes to fitness, you need to start with a strong foundation.
This is why we focus on building a strong core with each of our coaching clients.
If you’re just starting your fitness journey, we won’t make you jump into the deep end quite yet.
Here are the Best Core Exercises for Beginners:
Your entire core is engaged in a plank, as you stabilize yourself in a straight line (don’t sink)!
If you can’t quite support yourself into a full plank, have no fear, you can start with…
Just like a regular plank, but you have your knees for support. Start with these until you can do the real thing.
The hip bridge will activate the glutes and the rest of your core as you bring your body up.
The hollow body is one of the best ways to engage the midsection and stabilize the body. We utilize the hollow body exercise as part of our strategy for getting your first handstand.
Once you get comfortable holding the position, try…
These 5 exercises will go a long way towards developing serious core strength.
“Steve, these moves are easy peezy. What are some advanced core exercises?”
Now the real fun starts.
Here are The 5 Best Core Exercises:
Squats? Yes, squats.
Squats train just about every muscle in your core (and lower body). Your core is engaged as you stabilize yourself up and down. If you don’t currently train with squats, start with a simple assisted bodyweight squat:
You can also read our full guide on how to perform squats to level up your game.
We’re big fans of the deadlift around these parts. Not only is it a core exercise, but it’s really an EVERYTHING exercise (lower body, core, and upper body).
Senior Coach Staci credits performing deadlifts to her visible abs:
If you want a strong core, start performing deadlifts.
Just like how a plank forces you to stabilize your core, a push-up will do all that and more as you push yourself up and down.
How’s your push-up form? Most people do them incorrectly.
Read our full guide on how to do a proper push-up to hone your technique.
Yes, pull-ups are an upper-body exercise. But you’ll engage your core as you hoist yourself up. The more you keep your body in control (don’t flail about as you go up and down), the more you’ll train your core.
Can’t do a pull-up yet? No problem, read “How to Get Your First Pull-Up in 30 Days.”
This will challenge your core like you wouldn’t believe. The slower you go, the more intense it will be.
This is an advanced move, but a great core exercise that only requires a pull-up bar!
Are you doing these moves correctly?
A good way to check would be to record a video of yourself and match it against the gifs and videos here. If they look close, you’re doing great!
The other option would be to have a trained professional review your form, which we can do in our 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program!
Our spiffy mobile app lets you send a video of your training directly to your coach, who will provide feedback so you can perfect your technique.
They’ll also build a workout program that’s custom to your situation, which can improve your core strength!
You may have noticed that we haven’t covered sit-ups in our guide on the best core exercises.
This is 100% intentional. You don’t need to do sit-ups.
In fact, there’s an argument you SHOULDN’T do sit-ups at all.
Sit-ups can be hard on your back.[1] They’re also an incomplete exercise, as they don’t work out your entire core (stomach AND lower back).
So skip the sit-ups.
Instead, I’d recommend you go with a Reverse Crunch:
There’s a common belief that if you simply do enough crunches or sit-ups, you’ll get a flat stomach.
I hate to break it to you, but this isn’t true.
It’s something I bring up in the article: “Can You Actually Banish Belly Fat?”
You cannot spot reduce fat on your body:
This is why the Thighmaster is a joke:
Depending on your age, weight, sex, and genetic makeup, your body will lose fat in a certain order, from certain parts of your body, that you can’t control.
Here are some things to consider:
So if you want a flat stomach or six-pack abs, we need to create a plan for sustainable weight loss.
I know, WAY EASIER SAID THAN DONE.
Have no fear, I have a couple of resources for you:
Now that we know how to perform the best core exercises, you know what time it is?
It’s my favorite time.
It’s time to build a workout routine!
Woot.
As Coach Staci advises in the video below, we recommend beginners strength train two to three times a week with a full-body workout:
That full-body workout will hit:
We just went over what you should do for that last segment, “core”.
What should you do for the others? For ideas, read our guide: “How To Build Your Own Workout Routine.”
That will help you build a practice to grow strong.
Don’t get startled by my comment that you should train “two to three times a week.” If you can only do a full-body workout once a week, that’s WAY BETTER than none a week.
Once you get the practice going, we can always work to increase the frequency later.
The most important thing you can do today: start!
Want a little help getting going? The perfect next step on what you should do now?
No problemo!
Option #1) If you want step-by-step guidance on how to lose weight, eat better, and get stronger, check out our killer 1-on-1 coaching program:
Option #2) If you want an exact roadmap for getting fit, check out NF Journey. Our fun habit-building app helps you exercise more frequently, eat healthier, and level up your life (literally).
Plus, we have Missions specifically designed to help you achieve a strong core.
Try your free trial right here:
Option #3) Join the Rebellion! We need good people like you in our community, the Nerd Fitness Rebellion.
Sign-up below and receive our free guide Strength Training 101: Everything You Need to Know. It includes step-by-step instructions for the Best Core Exercises covered in today’s guide.
Alright, enough from me. Your turn:
Do you agree with my list of the best core exercises?
Do you think I’m missing any?
Am I completely off base on my position on sit-ups?
Let me know in the comments!
-Steve
PS: Many of the exercises covered today came from our post “The 42 Best Bodyweight Exercises.” Give it a read if you’d like to start training without a gym!
###
GIF Source: kung fu challenge
Photo Source: Morning run with the Fitbit, Core muscles, LEGO Ninjas, Sit-Ups, Mario gang, Handstand in Desert, Laughing Buddha,
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So, you want to know how much protein you need?
Well my friend, you’ve arrived at the right place.
We built a protein calculator to help our Online Coaching clients and I’m excited to share it with you today too!
Here’s what we’ll cover:
You look like you’re in a hurry, so let’s jump right in!
On the Metric System? Click here.
Boom!
You now have a range for the amount of protein you need in a day!
I know…we just threw a lot at you.
Let’s explain some of these numbers and equations in case you want to nerd out on the details.
As we cover in our guide How Much Protein Do I Need to Eat, you’re going to find all sorts of different recommendations for how much protein you should be consuming.
For example, the current international Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein is 0.4g per pound of bodyweight (0.8 g per kg of body weight).[1]
Case closed?
Nope.
In our opinion, and as described in this review article[2] the RDA for protein is too low and should be higher regardless of your body composition.
Our calculator actually starts you off at 0.54–0.82g per pound of bodyweight (1.2–1.8 g/kg), which tops out at over twice the level of the RDA.[3]
Also, the amount of protein you eat will depend on your individual goals. That’s why we have so many variables in our protein calculator.
The RDA’s blanket recommendation for protein intake is oversimplified.
We’ll dive into this further in the subsequent sections.
One final point: we gave you a wide recommended range of protein, because people vary quite a bit in their protein needs.
So don’t take our protein recommendation as gospel!
Consider your results here as a starting point. Try one range, see how you feel, and take it up or down from there.
If you respond well to a protein intake that’s not within our recommended range, don’t sweat it!
The protein recommendations here come from studies, and studies are based on averages. You may be an outlier.
Use our calculator as a starting point, and assess your results over time. We give this same advice to our coaching clients when they ask us about protein.
If you’re trying to build muscle, you’re going to want to eat enough protein to induce muscle repair and growth.
Proteins are the building blocks of muscle, so you’ll need plenty if you’re looking to build a muscular physique!
How much?
If you’re of healthy weight, active, and wish to build muscle, aim for 0.64–1.09 g/lb (1.4–2.4 g/kg).[4]
There is some evidence that a higher range might be beneficial. Not so much in gaining more muscle, but to minimize fat gain during a bulking phase.[5]
As we mention in our guide, 12 Tips to Gain Weight Quickly, you might put on a little fat when eating in a caloric surplus to grow muscle.
More protein may counteract this a little.[6]
If you’re an experienced lifter on a bulk, intakes up to 1.50 g/lb (3.3 g/kg) may help you minimize fat gain.
Now of course, if you want to grow muscle, you can’t just eat protein…you also need to strength train!
Luckily, we’re experts on that.
Another option is to check out our Online Coaching Program, where a trained expert can build you a customized workout, then adjust it each month based on your progress:
If you’re looking to lose weight, eating plenty of protein will be an important part of the equation.
Why is protein important for weight loss?
Think of it this way: protein is the only macronutrient you don’t store.[7]
Your body can use either as a fuel source while it’s in a calorie deficit.
Not so for protein.
Meaning most of the protein in your body is currently doing a job: building muscle tissue, making enzymes, strengthening bones, etc.
If you don’t eat enough protein, your body will turn towards your muscles for its needs.
So if you’re not careful when you’re losing weight, you could lose muscle AND fat.
Obviously, from a health and physique standpoint, this is not good.
That’s why you need to eat plenty of protein and strength train when you’re in a calorie deficit – so you lose fat while retaining your hard-earned muscle mass.
This is something Coach Matt covers extensively in the video How to Gain Muscle While Losing Fat:
For more, check out The Guide to Body Recomposition.
The other important point about protein and fat loss: protein will help you stay full.[8]
If you’re trying to lose weight, keeping your hunger at bay will be critical. Luckily, studies have found that those on a high-protein diet tend to eat fewer calories overall.[9]
If you can’t seem to lose weight, start eating plenty of protein!
Are you currently on a weight-loss mission?
We can help!
You can also download a Free 10 Level Diet Guide too when you join the Rebellion and sign up in the box below:
Now that I’ve drilled it into your head that you should be eating plenty of protein, a natural question will arise:
How much protein is too much protein?
We’ve got good news for you: as long as you’ve got a healthy liver and kidneys, you can eat lots of protein with no ill effects.
As Examine points out in its research on protein:[10]
“Higher protein intakes seem to have no negative effects in healthy people,”**
**Of course, if you have specific kidney or medical issues with regards to protein intake, PLEASE go with your doctor’s recommendation for required protein consumption!
Go ahead and aim for the high end from our protein calculator.
One final note: if our current recommendation for protein is a lot higher than what you normally do, ease into it.
Don’t go from minimal protein intake to woofing down steak and eggs while chugging a protein shake.[11]
Studies have found that immediately doubling protein intake can have negative effects.[12]
Increase your intake gradually, a little more each day, and you’ll be fine!
Now that you have an estimate of the amount of protein you need, the last question to answer is: how do I eat all this protein?
Our #1 recommendation is to get protein from whole foods whenever possible. This will ensure you get plenty of vitamins and minerals.
A serving of protein is about the size and thickness of your palm:
Protein can come from any number of sources, including:
Not a meat-eater? Read our massive plant-based guide!
However, if you’re aiming for the higher ranges of protein intake (or you’re on a serious bulk,) you might need to supplement.
Personally, I drink a protein shake daily to help me reach my goals.
Some protein supplements to consider:
Check out The Ultimate Protein Shake Guide for more protein powder recommendations and recipes on how to make delicious smoothies.
Whether through whole foods or supplements, protein should be a main part of every meal you eat. It’s one of our top recommendations for being a healthy nerd.
Calculate your protein needs, determine the proper portion sizes to reach your target, and see how you feel!
You can always adjust up or down based on your results.
If you need any help along the way, we got you.
#1) Our Online Coaching program: a coaching program for busy people to help them make better food choices, stay accountable, and get healthier, permanently.
As I said before, we teach portion control to our clients who struggle with overeating, so we’ll provide a non-judgmental expert to help you reach your goals.
You can schedule a free call with our team so we can get to know you and see if our coaching program is right for you:
#2) If you want an exact blueprint leveling up your nutrition, check out Nerd Fitness Journey! Our fun habit-building app helps you exercise more frequently, eat healthier, and level up your life (literally).
If you follow our Nutrition missions, you’ll learn to eat more protein while earning XP! Sah-weeeet.
Try your free trial right here:
#3) Join the Rebellion! We need good people like you in our community, the Nerd Fitness Rebellion.
Sign up in the box below to enlist and get our Rebel Starter Kit, which includes all of our “work out at home” guides, the Nerd Fitness Diet Cheat Sheet, and much more!
Alright, I want to hear from you:
Did you calculate your protein requirements?
Do you generally consume around this target?
Have any tips or tricks for getting enough protein?
Let us know in the comments!
-Steve
PS: Check out the rest of our protein series:
###
Photo source: When Dinosaurs ruled the Earth, Bruce “green” Banner, Who wants a hot dog?, Morning run with the Fitbit, Sneaky Raptor, This one’s for you, Robert E. Lee!,
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It’s time to learn about The CICO (“calories in, calories out”) Diet!
You probably have questions like:
Steve, does CICO work?
Will counting calories help me lose weight?
Okay, what the hell IS a calorie?
Well my friend, you’ve arrived at the right place!
I’ve been writing about this stuff for 13 years, and our team of nerdy experts help our Online Coaching clients with all types of diets (including CICO). We are really flippin’ good at it!
Here’s what we’ll cover to answer the question: “What is CICO?”
“CICO” stands for “Calories In, Calories Out.”
The CICO Diet is a weight-loss strategy where the participant tries to tip the balance of what they eat (calories in) against what they burn (calories out).
That’s pretty much it.
It doesn’t really matter what food you eat, because there are no restrictions on any specific food groups with CICO.
It also doesn’t matter what exercise you do (if any).
As long as you get the equation right, and the calories you eat are lower than the calories you burn on a daily basis, you’re good to go.
The CICO Diet is really simple and has helped quite a few people lose weight.
This is likely why the CICO Diet has grown in popularity in the subreddit r/loseit.
Yes. Losing weight actually does come down to burning more calories than you consume.
It’s about as close to fact as we can get in nutrition science.[1]
As we address in our guide How to Lose Weight (The 5 Rules of Weight Loss), our bodies obey the Laws of Conservation of Energy and Thermodynamics:
To lose weight, we need to burn more calories than we consume regularly.
With this knowledge, it makes sense to design a diet specifically around this principle: match the calories you eat (in), with the calories you expend (out).
No other food rules need to apply:
As long as you meet your calorie goal, you can forget about the rules of any specific diet.
This appeals to me personally, because I’ve created my own guidelines for how to eat, and I don’t pledge allegiance to any particular dieting strategy.
Because I’m a mind-reader, I know your next question is likely…
In principle, CICO works.
In practice, it becomes a little more complicated.
Okay, fine, A LOT more complicated.
That’s because a lot of things influence “calories in.”
Ditto for “calories out.”
Let’s break some of this down.
Here are some of the things that impact “Calories In:”
Oh, and all of the above assumes we’re actually tracking calories accurately. Which pretty much nobody does. Ever. But I’ll get to that shortly.
And remember, this is only half of the equation.
Here are some of the things that impact “Calories Out:”
This is only scratching the surface on what determines “calories in, calories out.”[7]
The important thing to consider here is that none of the above invalidate the basic premise of an energy deficit being necessary for weight loss.
These factors will just influence one end of the equation or the other.
For example, let’s chat about protein and CICO:
Read our guide “How much protein should I eat?” for more on this subject.
To recap this section: from a biological perspective, eating fewer calories than you burn is 100% necessary for weight loss.
But all sorts of things impact the number of calories we eat and the number of calories we expend.
The majority of the problems people have with CICO is that it allows nutrient-deficient food to enter the diet, only limiting “how much.”
They’ll argue that people should be eating fruits and vegetables, lean protein, avoiding processed foods, and blah blah blah…
We all know this.
You don’t need someone else telling you to eat your veggies.
This isn’t the problem with CICO.
The problem with CICO is it’s really hard to estimate “calories in” and “calories out.”
Like, REALLY hard. We humans are TERRIBLE at it.
Take “calories in” or how much we eat: people generally UNDERestimate how many calories they consume by about 30-40%.[11] Even dieticians, who are specifically trained in nutrition science, underestimated how much they eat.[12]
“That may be true Steve, but don’t worry about me. I read the label on everything I buy so I know exactly how many calories I’m eating.”
Well, are you aware that the FDA allows a 20% leeway on total calories identified on packages?[13] Meaning that 100 calorie drink of Orange Juice might actually be 120?
If you’re a food manufacturer, which way are you going to lean towards? Especially when you know people might scrutinize the calories of your nutrition label in an effort to lose weight.
This isn’t just paranoia: this study found that packaged snack food generally contains MORE calories in it than advertised.[14]
Yeah…and remember, this is only half of the equation.
It’s about to get even worse.
People are also really bad at estimating “calories out.”
When folks self-assess how many calories they burned by exercising, they’re generally WAY OFF, by as much as 50%![15]
Oh, and those fitness trackers we wear?
They’ve been shown to be inaccurate, some by up to 90%![16]
That’s why we made this infographic on tracking “calories out”:
This is the main problem with CICO: we’re stuck with educated guesses for “calories in” and “calories out.”
So we underestimate the calories we eat by 40%. And then we overestimate how many calories we burn by 50%.
No WONDER we think our metabolism is broken if we can’t lose weight!
The truth is we’re unknowingly eating too much, and/or moving too little.
Ugh.
Heck, even how many calories you need a day (your baseline or Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is an estimate, something we acknowledge in our calorie calculator, which you can play with right here:
In summary: balancing “calories in against calories out” is really all quite messy when you get right down to it.
Does that make all this hopeless?
Not even remotely.
But it does give us some context if you can’t seem to lose weight.
This post is not made to dissuade you from trying The CICO Diet.
I actually encourage everyone to track their food and calories for one week, because it’s often an eye-opening experience on how much they’re truly eating.
If possible, take a few days and use a cheap food scale instead of just eyeballing it. You’ll be shocked about the actual portion sizes of some foods!
When it comes to sustainable weight loss, here at Nerd Fitness, we encourage two paths:
Both of these strategies can dramatically – and positively – influence “calories in” and “calories out” respectively.
In our Guide to Healthy Eating, we explain why every website tells you to eat vegetables (which we also tell you): vegetables are full of nutrients, contain lots of fiber to keep you full, and are generally low in calories.
Eating lots of vegetables, or “real food,” will help you naturally lower “calories in.”
How about another example to think about? Here are 200 calories of a blueberry muffin:
Compare it to 200 calories of broccoli (Thanks to wiseGEEK):
Which one do you think you’re likely to accidentally overeat for your calorie allotment?
Right.
For our other strategy, the Strength Training 101 series explains why growing strong is important for fat loss:
Building muscle takes a lot of calories (and so does maintaining it).
In other words, a stronger version of yourself will require more calories.
And will be able to escape from jail easier.
This will naturally raise your “calories out.”
The trick with it all is the “make small tiny changes” bit.
We’ve seen over and over that small steps (eating one new vegetable a week, a simple bodyweight workout) create momentum. Over time, these small changes are the keys to permanently getting healthy.
The entire Nerd Fitness Coaching program is based on this premise.
So what should you do now? Pick a small change and get going!
The most important thing you can do now: start!
The exact “small tiny change” doesn’t matter so much, just pick one you feel comfortable with and get going! Once that habit becomes sustainable, pick a new one! And so on and so on…
We’ve seen it time and time again here that this is the true path towards success.
Boom!
Still here? Want some more guidance? An exact plan to follow on where to go next?
Alright, you got it, but only because you’ve been nice this whole time.
#1) Our 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program: a coaching program for busy people to help them make better food choices, stay accountable, and get healthier, permanently.
You can schedule a free call with our team so we can get to know you and see if our coaching program is right for you. Just click on the image below for more details:
#2) If you want a roadmap for getting in shape, check out NF Journey. Our fun habit-building app will help you exercise and eat better, all while you build your very own superhero.
Interested?
Try your free trial right here:
#3) Join The Rebellion! We have a free email newsletter that we send out twice per week, full of tips and tricks to help you get healthy, get strong, and have fun doing so.
I’ll also send you tons of free guides that you can use to start leveling up your life too:
Alright, I think that about does it for this article.
Now, your turn:
What are your thoughts on The CICO Diet?
Do you have a strategy for balancing “calories in” and “calories out”?
Think I’ve got it all totally wrong?
Let me know in the comments!
-Steve
PS: Make sure you read the rest of our content on sustainable weight loss:
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Read this post How To Run A Successful Fitness Business in 2022 on keep it simpElle.
Having been running the Zoom and Online Fitness Instructors community on Facebook for nearly two years, I’ve noticed that every now and again, someone (we) need a bit more than just technical support. Because we’re navigating how to run a…
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You’re here because you want to learn how to improve your flexibility.
Well, you’ve arrived at the right place!
We work one-on-one with our clients to help improve general mobility. Today, we’ll share with you the 3 best exercises to do so.
If you’ve always considered yourself “inflexible,” you need this guide!
Here’s what we’ll cover today:
I promise you, if you follow the videos in our guide, you will be more flexible in 30 days.
The above video comes from Nerd Fitness Prime, kicking off our 30-day challenge “Flexibility for the Inflexible.”
In it, Nerd Fitness Coach Matt discusses the tools he uses for improving mobility with his clients.
Let’s go over each of these moves now.
To perform a standing toe touch:
The goal here, ultimately, will be to touch your toes.
We also have a complete guide on How to Finally Touch Your Toes for more.
To perform a back scratch:
Over time, we are going to work to bring your hands closer together.
To perform a butterfly stretch:
The goal here will be to bring your knees lower and feet closer to your groin, but don’t fret if this is challenging. Even Coach Matt has trouble with butterfly stretches.
Why these three exercises?
Coach Matt refers to the toe touch, back scratch, and butterfly stretch as “benchmarks.”
If you have decent mobility in these three exercises, you’re probably pretty flexible.
Improving these will be our mission for the next 30 days!
Each week, Coach Matt will provide three different video routines with exercises designed to target these specific benchmarks.
So in Week 1, you’ll find a video for:
You can do these videos all at once if you want, or break them up throughout your week.
Maybe you do a routine Monday, Wednesday, and then on Friday.
We’ll end this guide with some tips on starting a recurring practice.
At the end of our 4-week series, we’ll check in, to see how everything is coming along.
Here’s what we need you to do right now: record where you are with these moves.
Coach Matt recommends a few ways to measure these benchmarks in the introductory video above, but even some subjective tracking would be useful:
“On a scale of 1 to 10, this move was tough, so I’d give it an 8.”
Don’t forget about this initial tracking, even if you don’t have a measuring tape. Just go through the initial benchmark tests the best you can.
Before we jump into the series itself, let’s discuss some general tips and tricks for improving flexibility.
First and foremost, all bodies are different.
You might have a great range of motion in your back scratch, but can’t get much range on your toe touch. Or maybe you’re like Coach Matt, where butterfly stretches are challenging.
Our goal here is to improve YOUR flexibility. We’ll all have different mobility ranges on Day 1.
All of us have to start somewhere, so don’t stress if you feel inflexible…
…that’s why you’re reading this guide.
No matter what, by going through this process, you’ll learn more about your body and develop tools for increasing your range of motion.
Next up…
Coach Matt highlights two general ways to increase your flexibility:
You’re probably not going to increase the structural flexibility of your body after one stretching session. These things take time
However, you very well may increase your flexibility by improving your function or technique. As you go through the videos, Coach Matt will offer instructions on how to position your body for proper stretching.
This alone may very well increase your range of motion.
We’ll also be using three specific movement tools for improving flexibility:
This would be doing the complete movement of an exercise, fluidly.
So a normal bodyweight squat would be an active range of motion if you did the entire movement:
By going all the way down and back up with your squat, your muscles are engaged evenly throughout.
This movement has you stopping at a particular point of an exercise, like the bottom of a squat, and slowly and in control, pulsing slightly up and down:
You’re really only moving about an inch here for your pulses.
This will help you gain control of that particular area.
As the name would suggest, here you’ll hold the position at a specific point of the exercise.
For example, for your squats, you may pause at the bottom of the movement:
This can help you grow stability during a particular stretch.
During the course of the next four weeks, we’ll be utilizing a combination of active range of motion, pulses, and holds, to increase your flexibility.
For our first week, Coach Matt is going to start us off slow.
Here, it’s all about learning the foundations of the movement.
To increase flexibility, it often comes down to properly setting up the stretch.
We’ll begin by teaching you the basics.
This week, we’re going to identify the edge of your flexibility.
We won’t push or strain ourselves too much, but we’ll use our breath as a sign of difficulty.
The goal here is to understand how flexible you may actually be (you might be able to reach farther than you think).
However, as Coach Matt will continuously reminds, if it feels unsafe, DON’T DO IT!
In Week 3, it’s all about exploring and expanding your flexibility exercises.
We’ll be testing your movements and begin thinking about ways to “go off the rails” a little here and there.
In our third round of exercises, you’ll begin changing, adapting, and remixing the moves to increase your range of motion.
With flexibility, some creativity can be a good thing, which will be your focus for this stage.
In the last week of “Flexibility for the Inflexible,” it’s all about building strength.
Muscle will help you hold and expand mobility positions, so this week Coach Matt covers exercises designed to couple strength with your flexibility.
We’ll even mix in some weights into your routine here.
The video above is a “re-cap party” with Coach Matt, ending the 30-day Flexibility for the Inflexible challenge we ran for Nerd Fitness Prime members.
Let’s go over some highlights.
#1) Continue to test and retest your flexibility benchmarks.
That which gets measured gets improved, so continue to track your toe touch, back scratch, and butterfly stretch.
Remember, these tests don’t need to be some precise measurement rounded to the nearest millimeter (although if you want to do that, have at it).
Instead, they can be subjective:
“This is really tough, I can’t bring down my knees at all.”
to…
“I could probably sit like this for 15 minutes.”
Don’t stress out over how precise your measurements are, but do keep a record of how these stretches feel. It’ll help us know if you’re improving.
#2) Use your breath as a guide.
Breathing can often be a signal of excretion levels:
As Coach Matt highlights, during your flexibility exercises, don’t push too far past your comfort zone.
Yes, we should find your edge, but we also want you to feel in control during your stretches so you can really “own” the movement.
If you find yourself having to catch your breath, it could be a sign you’ve gone too far.
Be mindful of your breathing during our flexibility exercises.
#3) You don’t have to stretch every day.
You probably noticed that we provided three 20 minute videos per week to help improve your flexibility.
This was intentional, because you don’t have to stretch every day to increase your range of motion.
Truth be told, you don’t even need to do 20-minute sequences three times a week to improve flexibility. Even just 10 minutes of flexibility exercises a couple of times per week could improve your mobility.
Just make it habitual.
To do so, you can continue to follow the videos in this guide, or I have some other resources for you to check out.
Here are three more guides for improving your flexibility:
The most important thing you can do now?
Get to it!
You’re not going to get any more flexible by reading articles online, so pick a sequence from today and get going!
Start with the Flexibility for the Inflexible Week 1 videos if you’re unsure where to begin.
If you like our style here at Nerd Fitness, I have three great options on how you can continue your journey with us:
Option #1) If you want a professional coach in your pocket, who can do video form checks, provide feedback, and adjust your workouts based on your experience level, check out our 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program!
For example, let’s say you have an old injury and couldn’t perform one of our flexibility exercises. A Nerd Fitness Coach can work with you to create a customized routine for your exact situation.
Personally, I’ve been working with the same online coach since 2015 and it’s changed my life. You can learn more by clicking on the box below:
Option #2) Exercising at home and need a plan to follow? Check out Nerd Fitness Journey!
Our fun habit-building app helps you exercise more frequently, eat healthier, and level up your life (literally).
Plus, you can take part in flexibility challenges alongside a group of nerds who are all trying to better themselves!
Try your free trial right here:
Option #3) Become part of the Rebellion! We need good people like you in our community, the Nerd Fitness Rebellion.
Sign up in the box below to enlist and get our Rebel Starter Kit, which includes all of our “work out from home” guides.
Alright, now I want to hear from you!
Did you try our “Flexibility for the Inflexible” series?
Did you find any of the exercises easier or harder than the others?
Any tips or tricks to help the “inflexible”?
Let me know in the comments!
-Steve
P.S. Personally, I’ve found a yoga practice to be incredibly helpful in improving my mobility.
You can read A Nerd’s Guide to Yoga to get started.
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So you’re traveling for work (or fun), and you are still trying to get a good workout in.
Unfortunately, most hotel gyms aren’t great: old equipment crammed into a room the size of a closet.
Fortunately, you’re reading Nerd Fitness which means if you have 20 minutes, and a cozy hotel room, you can still get a great workout in!
In today’s guide we’ll cover two big topics:
These are the exact type of workouts we build for our 1-on-1 Coaching clients, busy business travelers like you that are trying to get fit even while living out of hotel rooms and airports!
Let’s get into it.
Here is the famous 20-Minute Hotel Room Workout:
#1) Always start with a warm-up (to get your core temperature up and muscles loose):
Do one exercise right after another – this should take you probably 3-4 minutes.
Next set your watch/laptop for 15 minutes and do as many full circuits as possible in that time frame, using PERFECT FORM for each repetition. Try to move from each exercise to the next without stopping.
I’ve also split the workout into three levels – beginners should start at level 1 until they feel comfortable enough to advance to levels 2 and 3.
(For instructions on how to do any of these exercises, jump to the next section).
After your workout (you should be sweating like crazy if you did it right), ALWAYS remember to stretch.
So, if you can do this workout along with making some healthier nutritious choices on the road, you’re bound to stay fit!
Make sure you check out our “How to Stay in Shape While Travelling” guide for tips on how to stay fit outside of your hotel room too.
Oh, what’s that? You want to do some exercises in your hotel room but you’re not sure what to do?
No problem!
Whenever I do a workout, I always aim for a complete full-body routine that will build muscle, burn fat, and also exercise my heart.
I hit four types of exercises for my routines:
It’s a concept Coach Staci explains in this video on How to Build Your Own Workout:
So here are the exercises you can do in the comfort of your hotel room while watching guilty pleasure reality shows you’re too embarrassed to watch at home.
Here’s a list of quick exercises you can do in your Hotel Room:
#1) Push-ups (any variation)
#3) Lunges
#4) 1-Arm Rows (with suitcase or backpack)
#5) Inverted Bodyweight Row (using the desk in the room)
#6) Plank
#7) Reverse Crunch
#8) Hip Raises
#9) Burpees (ADVANCED)
#10) Wall Walks (ADVANCED)
For more ideas, check out 42 Bodyweight Exercises (That You Can Do ANYWHERE).
You can always do a little yoga in your hotel room!
Nope, you don’t need a mat. You can just use a towel if you’d like to pad your knees a little.
For instructions on how to do any move in the routine above, check out A Nerd’s Guide Yoga.
Even when I’m living out of hotel rooms, I prioritize working out.
I find that on days when I exercise, I eat better. Something activates in my brain when exercising that says “I’m trying to be healthy, so I’m going to eat healthy.” On days when I don’t exercise at all, I tend to say things like “meh, I’ll do it tomorrow” or ‘it’s only one meal” or “it’s only a few beers.”
That’s why a workout, even if it’s for only 20 minutes, can be very critical while traveling. It really does have a way of stopping you from gorging yourself silly on pizza later. It’ll also help you build momentum.
Speaking of momentum…have you met Jeff?
Jeff is a doctor and start-up founder who travels 2+ weeks out of every month and lives out of hotel rooms too! We helped him lose 30+ pounds and get in the best shape of his life despite the fact he was living out of hotel rooms for the past two years.
Jeff is a proud member of our snazzy 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program, and loves the “global accountability” his coach provides.
If you are somebody that can’t seem to stay healthy while traveling, we’d love to help – we’ll build you a program that works at home, and then adjust your workouts to fit into your travel schedule too. We help our clients with expert guidance, support, and accountability.
Interested?
Click below to learn more:
If that’s too much for you right now, I’ve got two other great options for you:
#1) If you want a roadmap for getting in shape on the road, check out NF Journey. Our fun habit-building app will help you exercise and eat better, all while you build your very own superhero…no matter where on Earth you are!
Interested?
Try your free trial right here:
#2) Join The Rebellion! We have a free email newsletter that we send out twice per week, full of tips and tricks to help you get healthy, get strong, and have fun doing so.
I’ll also send you tons of free guides that you can use to start leveling up your life too:
Okay, that about does it.
The next time you’re in a hotel room, or any room, try our 20-Minute Hotel Room Workout. If you find even Level 3 too easy, try this one instead. I’ll warn you though, I don’t hold back on this more advanced circuit.
Alright, now I want to hear from you:
Do you spend a lot of time in hotels?
Travel a lot for work?
What are your tips and tricks for staying healthy while living in hotels?
Let us know in the comments!
-Steve
PS: If you want more, make sure you check out The Small Space Workout!
Coach Jim shows you how to train in a hotel room, a hallway, or even an escape pod.
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