Volume 3

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Welcome, this is Overtime from Siwicki Fitness, where we talk everything fitness.

Weekly Fitness Tip

Deadlifts!

Deadlifts are an important exercise that strengthens the hamstrings (back of the legs), the gluteus maximus (the butt cheeks), and the back. How do you perform deadlifts?

Lengthen the spine and puff out your chest! This is the most important tip. To protect that back, a necessity is to keep that spine in a neutral position. DO NOT round the back. You will get injured and will lose progress on your fitness journey.
Push your butt back. To practice this, stand one foot in front of a wall and do a deadlift, pushing your butt back until it touches that wall.
Bring your weights right below your knee. I do not go any further. This is not a flexibility competition. Focus on pushing that butt back instead of reaching for your toes. Reaching for your toe's during deadlift does not do anything extra and there are no benefits to it.
On your way up, squeeze your cheeks together like your life depended on it. Squeeze, squeeze, squeeze. This activates those cheeks and buildings muscle where you want to build it.

Reminder: if you lengthen your spine and you feel your lower back get worked, that is okay. This is a lower back exercise as well. You know your body so be careful of pushing yourself too far on deadlifts. Do not hurt yourself. If your back is tired or weak or feeling any sort of way that you do not like, then STOP. It is not worth it.

Keep crushing it and let's tighten up those booty's!

Weekly Thought

It takes at least 12 weeks of regular exercise to get into shape. While you’ll likely see some results like fat loss and muscle gain in as little as 6-8 weeks, most people won’t experience measurable changes in their fitness level until the 3 to 4 month mark. If you don’t see results right away, don’t get discouraged! You must stay consistent - it's then you will see the change. While we are talking about getting in shape, remember that...a pound of muscle burns three times as many calories as a pound of fat. The more muscle you have, the more calories you will burn even when you’re not exercising. Strength training is one of the most important things you can do to keep your body healthy and strong. - President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition, 2022

Furthermore, "skeletal muscle contains the fat-burning machinery of the body. Inside the muscle cell are the mitochondria... and the electron transport chain. These two pathways are responsible for... the complete breakdown of [fats and carbohydrates] and the subsequent formation of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Having more skeletal muscles means having more mitochondria available for these pathways to run. This is especially important for burning fat because only mitochondria can metabolize fat... Resting metabolic rates represent the majority of daily energy expenditure, and the amount of [lean body mass] has a direct role in this expenditure." - NASM Women's Fitness Specialist

Recipe of the Week

Ingredients:

Pasta made with Cauliflower - Penne
No Dairy Vodka Sauce
No Dairy Cheese
1 Pound of Ground Turkey
1/2 Sweet Onion (chopped)

Directions:

In a large pot, bring 4-6 quarts of water to a rolling boil. Add 1 tbsp of salt to boiling water (optional).
Add pasta, cook uncovered for 7-8 minutes (cook to desired tenderness, but do not overcook), and stir occasionally. (Water will foam - it's okay!)
Strain pasta, rinse and place in casserole dish.
Brown ground turkey meat with 1/2 cup of sweet onion.
Combine cooked ground turkey and pasta sauce. Use 1/2 cup - 1 cup of nondairy cheese and cover casserole.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Serve & Enjoy!

Siwicki Fitness Recommendations

Click HERE to check out what Siwicki Fitness recommends and what you will see the instructors using in class