“If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. figure out how to climb it, go through it or work around it.” - Michael jordan
CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK
Here is the challenge of the week - PUSH-UPS! Push-ups hit just about every muscle in your body, making them an awesome quick workout for each day. If you are a beginner, start with 5 push-ups, add 5 to each day. If you are advanced, start with 10 push-ups then add an additional 10 to each day. Keep us updated on the progress!
Beginner: Day 1 - 5 push-ups Day 2 - 10 push-ups Day 3 - 15 push-ups Day 4 - 20 push-ups Day 5 - 25 push-ups Day 6 - 30 push-ups Day 7 - 35 push-ups
Advanced: Day 1 - 10 push-ups Day 2 - 20 push-ups Day 3 - 30 push-ups Day 4 - 40 push-ups Day 5 - 50 push-ups Day 6 - 60 push-ups Day 7 - 70 push-ups
#LETSGO Siwicki Fit Fam!
TIP OF THE WEEK
Stretching is so important. Foam rolling takes it to the next level. The idea behind foam-rolling exercises is that by applying direct and sweeping high mechanical loads to muscles and tissues, you stretch and massage the underlying tissues. This is believed to reduce thickening, adhesion, and tension of the fascia [connective tissue] and muscle, and can potentially reduce fatigue, improve recovery, and enhance range of motion.
The tip of the week is to dedicate 10-20 minutes to foam rolling. If you have any questions - reach out! We got you Fam!
MEAL & SNACK IDEAS THIS WEEK
AVOCADO CHICKEN SALAD
This chicken salad is nice because, instead of using a ton of mayo, avocado helps to act as a binding agent so you get the healthy fat benefits. Use a rotisserie chicken to save time, making this quick and simple to prepare.
Ingredients:
2 cloves of garlic
1 lemon
1 teaspoon of peppercorns
1/2 red onion, roughly chopped
1/2 cup chopped dill + stems
2 bone in chicken breasts
1/2 cup of mayonnaise
1 avocado mashed
1/2 cup of chopped celery
Pink Himalayan salt
Ground black pepper
Head of iceberg lettuce
In a large saucepan, bring 5 cups of water to a boil. Add the garlic, lemon, peppercorns, onion, a couple of dill stems and chicken breasts. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes, or until chicken is completely cooked through. Remove the meat off the bone using two forks
In a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise, avocado, celery, chopped dill and shredded chicken. Season with salt and pepper until well combined.
It’s best to chill this for 30 minutes, but it can be eaten right away. Serve as is or in lettuce cups.
EXTRA SMOOTH HUMMUS
Ingredients:
2 (14 ounce) cans of chickpeas
2 cloves of garlic, smashed
1/4 tsp of ground cumin
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup tahini
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil (plus more for serving)
Flakey sea salt
Toasted pine nuts for serving (optional)
Veggies of choice (for dipping)
In a large pot, combine chickpeas, the liquid from the cans and the garlic. Cover and cook over medium high heat until the chickpeas are falling apart (20 to 30 minutes).
Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid and drain the rest. Transfer the chickpeas and garlic to a food processor (or blender) and pulse until mostly smooth, about 3 minutes. Add the cumin, lemon juice, tahini, and olive oil and pulse to combine, about 1 minute. While pureeing, slowly add the reserved cooking liquid, 1 tablespoon at a time, until your desired consistency is reached. Taste and add salt as needed.
Serve in a bowl, surrounded by your fav veggies! Add extra virgin olive oil and/or pine nuts! ENJOY!
FUN FACTS ABOUT CHICKPEAS:
Help regulate blood sugar. Chickpeas are particularly high in fiber. People with type 1 diabetes who consume high fiber diets have lower blood glucose levels.
Heart Health. The high fiber in chickpeas helps lower the amount of cholesterol in the blood, thereby decreasing the risk of heart disease.
Digestion. Chickpeas help prevent constipation and promote regularity.
Bone Health. Calcium, zinc & vitamin K in chickpeas all help contribute to bone structure and strength.
Inflammation. The choline in chickpeas help with sleep, muscle movement, learning and memory.
INDUSTRY NEWS
Gunnar Knows Best: Gunnar Peterson's 6 Must-Read Fitness Tips!
By: Obi Obadike, M.S.
Carving a movie-worthy body is about more than working hard. It's about working smart. Here's how top trainer Gunnar Peterson comes down on six fitness topics that have us all talking!
Gunnar Peterson is known for one thing: results. He's worked with "anybody and everybody" during his long career as a trainer, from all manners of pro and collegiate athletes to elite actors who need to make jaws drop despite their age. Think Sly Stallone in "Rocky Balboa," Matthew McConaughey in "Magic Mike," the cast of "The Expendables," and more.
But if you've come here looking for the latest celebrity workout, keep walking. This is more important than movements and rep schemes. As Peterson and every other trainer worth their clipboard will tell you, every person who sets foot in a gym is only as fit as the choices they make. Here's how Tinsel Town's top transformation specialist comes down on some of the hottest health issues that pop up on the road between "before" and "after."
Wondering what the latest research and Hollywood fitness fables have to offer? Take it from the mouth of the man in charge!
RECENTLY THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION (AMA) LABELED OBESITY A DISEASE. THERE IS A RANGE OF RESPONSES FROM MANY FITNESS AND MEDICAL EXPERTS AROUND COUNTRY. WHERE DO YOU COME DOWN ON IT?
Do you really want to get me started? Merriam-Webster defines disease as: "a condition of the living animal or plant body or one of its parts that impairs normal functioning and is typically manifested by distinguishing signs and symptoms." With that as the jumping off point, what isn't a disease?
I am a big believer in taking responsibility for your actions. I tell my kids every day to "own it"—"it" being whatever they've said or done. At some point in your life, you are in charge. You call the shots. You decide to eat or not eat. Is lack of will power a disease? Is lack of self-discipline a disease? I would love to eat my body weight in chocolate chip cookies, french fries, and peanut butter, but I don't. I choose not to. That's on me, just like it's on me if I choose to do it.
I think the AMA got this one wrong, and I think the repercussions are going to be ugly. America wasn't made on blame; it was made on responsibility. Take off the training wheels in life and decide to take responsibility for your actions.
IS THERE SUCH THING AS OVERTRAINING IN THE GYM? SOME PEOPLE TALK ABOUT IT LIKE IT'S AN UNDISPUTED FACT, BUT PLENTY OF PEOPLE SAY IT'S A MYTH.
Have you been reading my training journals? I've gone on record saying that I think that the only two groups that might possibly overtrain are Olympic hopefuls and galley slaves. I think, rather, that others under-recover and under-nourish. Your body can take an awful lot. And it can take it on a regular basis if you are recovering properly and adequately—meaning quality and quantity. Give it the nutrients it needs in the right amounts and at the right times.
On a personal note, I recently trained 49 days in a row. Eight of those days were two-a-days with steady-state cardio for 40-60 minutes in the morning and 45-60 minutes of weights in the evening, with 4-5 hours of snow skiing in between. And I'm not 28 years old. Point being, you can probably do more than you think you can do.
Now, is that more than you need to do? Who's to say? How much is too much money? How big are too-big biceps? All of that is personal, and my live-and-let-live life approach dictates that people should do what they want to do, what makes them happy (assuming it's legal) as long as it doesn't infringe on other people's happiness.
Yes, that's paraphrased from [The United States] Constitution, and I'm cool with that. So, fact: I'm sure some people could overtrain. But I doubt you are.
THERE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT THEORIES ON MEAL FREQUENCY AND WHETHER IT ACTUALLY SPEEDS UP YOUR METABOLISM. IS THE IMPORTANCE OF MEAL FREQUENCY A FACT, OR JUST ANOTHER FITNESS MYTH?
I believe that it's more about how long you are eating during the day. Your digestive system needs a reprieve. You can't make it work from sun-up to hours after sundown. Read "The 8-Hour Diet" by David Zinczenko, as well as "Engineering The Alpha" by John Romaniello and Adam Bornstein. They make great points, as well as show terrific research, as to why eating for only a certain amount of your day is effective. The efficacy of intermittent fasting for maintaining leanness is hard to argue with when you read up on it.
So, fact: meal frequency is important to helping to control metabolism. But, myth: spreading your meals out across all of your waking hours is the panacea for all your blubber woes.
WHICH IS BETTER FOR FAT LOSS: HIIT CARDIO OR STEADY-STATE?
You could find studies that back both approaches. My personal approach, as well the approach that I use for clients, is a mixture. I am a huge proponent of short-burst, high-intensity intervals. I've used that method successfully on everything from a Thorotread treadmill, to a Concept 2 rower, to the Jacob's Ladder.
I usually suggest that people do their steady-state cardio on the days that they're not with me; they really don't need a cardio babysitter. When working with athletes, I try to pair the interval with the exertion patterns of their respective sport. As Fitt's Law shows, it's hard to hit a moving target, so if you don't want the fat to hit you and stick, just keep it moving!
TOO MANY PEOPLE LOOK AT THE RESULTS OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH STUDIES AND THINK THEY'RE THE BIBLE. HOW SHOULD WE APPROACH RESEARCH SO WE DON'T GET MISLED OR DRAW INAPPROPRIATE CONCLUSIONS?
I think you have to look at each study on a case-by-case basis. I would take the persons conducting the study at their word. That said, if they are working with a focus group of three people, and the demographic is ages 20-22, male, top-tier athletic ability, I would factor that into my decision as to how or if I can apply the information in my workplace. So, it's a fact—unless you are dealing with sociopathic liars—that the research is factual, but a myth that it can be applied across the board.
WE HEAR CELEBRITIES SAYING ALL THE TIME THAT THEY PUT ON, SAY, 30-40 POUNDS OF MUSCLE FOR A FILM. HOW SHOULD WE INTERPRET OR MAKE USE OF STORIES LIKE THOSE?
I think that 30 pounds of muscle in 1-2 months is a reach for anything on two legs. Orcas can do it, but humans ... hmm.
Remember that sensationalism sells. Remember that hype breeds hope. Remember that if it sounds too good to be true, then, well, it may not be true. Use those celeb quotes and PR releases to fuel your workouts, your dreams and your imagination, and, in the inimitable words of DJ Khaled, "Go hard."
HEALTH & WELLNESS
TOP 10 MOTIVATIONAL BELIEFS MICHAEL JORDAN LIVES BY
Be Passionate. “Even when I’m old and grey, I won’t be able to play it, but I’ll still love the game.”
Make It Happen. “Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.”
Put In Work. “I’m not out there sweating for three hours every day just to find out what it feels like to sweat.”
You Must Try. “I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.”
Mind Over Matter. “My body could stand the crutches but my mind couldn’t stand the sideline.”
Believe. “You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them.”
Find A Way. “If you’re trying to achieve, there will be roadblocks. I’ve had them; everybody has had them. But obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.”
Attitude Is Everything. “Always turn a negative situation into a positive situation.”
Stay Committed. “The game is my wife. It demands loyalty and responsibility, and it gives me back fulfillment and peace.”
Prepare To Fail. “I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”
