The Pull Up Maiden...

Hey everyone. I thought I would do a little training follow up. If you have been following me on Facebook as well as here on my wordpress, you will know I have been doing a hypertrophy program for 14 solid weeks. Although I absolutely love the results I have gotten,  I wasn’t very consistent with my beloved pull-ups.

I used to be able to do 10 unbroken strict pull-ups easy. However, as of last week I discovered I could only do 5. Gahhh! I gassed out!

Your body adapts to the demand you place on it. Pull-ups are hard as fuck. You have to keep doing them repeatedly to keep them. This is the principle of adaptation.

"The principle of adaptation refers to the process of the body getting accustomed to a particular exercise or training program through repeated exposure. As the body adapts to the stress of the new exercise or training program, the program becomes easier to perform and explains why beginning exercisers are often sore after starting a new routine, but, after doing the same exercise for weeks and months at the same intensity, the exerciser experiences little, if any, muscle soreness. This reinforces the need to constantly vary the exercise and training routine if you want to maximize your results."

So, I need to get my body back under some new stress again.

The most annoying thing a client can say to me is “I want to do a pull up” and then proceed not to do them!!

Sorry, just like learning a new instrument, or to speak a new language, you have to put your time (reps) in, consistently.

So in order for me to get back to 10 plus unbroken pull-ups, I am following a 5 RM Pull-up ladder program by Strong First.

https://www.strongfirst.com/the-fighter-pullup-program-revisited/

My favourite thing about strength training is I get to go into the gym and decide how I want to look, feel and perform. I have total autonomy over my goals. You can literally pick a goal and get a program to allow you to smash them.

However, To see a great change in your strength you have to apply a great stress.

The body adapts only when you force it to do something intense.

Don’t be afraid to get uncomfortable.

So, pick a goal. Make it a priority and do the actions to get there. Make sure it’s a goal you realllllllly want...or you won’t show up. Don’t pick a goal that makes you miserable!

Have you ever started a fitness routine, only to fall off a few weeks - or hell a few days later? And don't you just want to find someone who can help you stay motivated and accountable to your personal fitness goals? Enter me, the "Pull-up Maiden". I will  I wbe the one you can rely on for accountability. I won’t let you quit! Hiring a coach is a game changer.

Let’s smash those goals.

10 pull ups....I am coming for you.

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Hit reply and tell me what goals you are working on today? I am here for you.

Fat loss is hard.

Oh hi. Real quick before you become all consumed with the holiday hustle, I wanted to have you stop and take a minute to breathe and check in with yourself and your goals. Fat loss is hard any time of the year, but even more difficult at Christmas. You need to be aware of what is ahead. It is a mindset. Wrap your head around the fact that if you want sustainable fat loss you are going to have to dig your heals in and you have to be resilient and be consistent. What if you just had to focus on two things everyday? I have my fat loss clients only focus on 2 things..getting their protein in and keeping their calories to set number. YES, they need to own their food intake. They need to be accountable. You can't think yourself lean..you have to act as if you are lean and act and live in a way a lean person would. A lean person is aware of their calorie intake and make sure they are satisfied with high protein and satiating foods to keep their hunger, energy and cravings in check.

I can give someone a meal plan all day long, but to me that is not a skill as a coach, a skill as a coach is to keep someone accountable to their goals. I struggle too, which is why I even hired a coach to assist me with my goals. Our thoughts become our actions. If you constantly say, " I don't have time" then yah you wont have time. You need to believe you are worth it, you do have time. What we constantly tell ourselves determines our approach to life. PRIORITIES.

I can help you find work arounds...with food and workouts. Message me or hit reply and leave a comment. I will answer every single one of you!

I love taking action to GSD. #actionoveranxiety #actasif  #focus #onething #chooseyourwhy #habitchange #coachlove #dosomething

Giddy UP. Fitbabe xx

The one thing.

Hey everyone. I am still having so much fun blogging over here and have no intentions to stop. I feel like I am a late bloomer with this whole blogging thing, yet I have been talking about fitness and nutrition to people in person for 2 decades. I have mentioned in a previous blog that I signed up for a 6 week online fitness business course called Action Academy. I was taught to take action and use my powerful voice and expertise in the fitness industry to share with people who need help. I did some research by sending out an email to 50 current clients, previous clients and future potential clients asking them this question:

"What is the one thing you struggle the most with when it comes to achieving your fitness and health goals?"

I was overwhelmed with the responses! In today's blog I want to share with you some of the responses. I want to see if you can relate. I also will be using these responses to generate content to begin to help you all with your struggles. I am here to create constant, content, consistently for you. I ask you to read this over and please comment below with your struggles so I can also help you over here on Deanna Harder Fitness. How can I help you begin to change your mindset and start taking action for success?

“What is the 1 thing that you struggle with or that you find confusing about nutrition or exercise or both?"

Angie says: "Exercise:  If I didn't have a personal trainer to help me with a comprehensive workout program, I don't think that I would be able to provide the same level of training on my own. Also,Nutrition: Journaling!  I hate it! "

Rona says: "the number one thing for me is ME! Lol my brain! So much info out there its hard to know what is good/healthy info and what to leave....(eat this not that....do this exercise not this blah blah blah.)"

Vanessa G says: "My 1 struggle is time at the moment. Anything that I do in the realm of health and fitness needs to be efficient and fast. What I find confusing about nutrition and exercise is the dosage of each (and luckily I had your help in straightening me out here…..); how many calories do I need to eat? How much and what type of exercise should I be doing? As you well know, there’s so much (mis)information out there it is difficult to sort through it and find the path that is the most sensible, sustainable and doable!"

Fitbabe here....** I feel you Vanessa..this is a blog I am working on NOW! x

Meagan says: " My #1. Finding the time to prioritize exercise and meal prep "

Vanessa V says: "Staying disciplined and consistant with my eating."

Kissy says: "For me, it’s finding balance and consistency: between doing enough exercise, and overdoing it."

Wendy says: "I would say how many calories you burn during exercise and what to count when you count steps etc. Can I eat more to maintain or lose weight?."

Kaley says: "Hitting my calories and protein when tired!

WOW! I am seeing so many struggles that I am sure many of you can relate to here. I am eager and ready to tackle these issues in my future blogs.

What is your one thing?

HELP ME, HELP YOU!

And, yes, I have put myself on the hook to write my blog on how I got lean for a photo shoot with wine in my diet, and it is NOT what you think! ** no starving and no deprivation here! Coming this week...I am ON THE HOOK!

Oh and side note, I have began working with a Web Designer to help  me make Deanna Harder Fitness amazing. Her name is Alecia Vogel and she is awesome! https://www.facebook.com/aleciavogel So, I am excited for that...yay!

Love ya!

Fitbabe

My Fat Loss Tips

Hey everyone. Let me begin this blog by saying how awesome you are for coming over and checking me out. I have been in the industry for 20 years and am only now realizing how big of an impact the online world has become. Online training is now going to be a massive part of the next phase of my career and this blog is how I am launching it all. I am scared AF! Currently I am enrolled in a 6 week online business course and one of our assignments is to put ourselves on the hook to produce content. We must first "decide" on what sort of information our readers are intetrested in. Next, we must "declare" what content we deem important to our readers, and then finally we must "deliver" said content.

Well, HERE I AM!  I decided based on market research done last week that the number one topic my readers wanted more information on was how to lose fat! I declared on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter I was about to give away my content in a blog, and now here we are...so without further adieu, HERE, ladies and gents, are my TOP FAT LOSS TIPS coming at you now!

1. For fat loss to occur one needs to be eating in a calorie deficit. NO IFS, ANDS, OR BUTS. "But Deanna, I hardly eat and I can't lose fat!" Really? Well, you are not eating in a calorie deficit then, sorry. However much you are eating is obviously too much for your body to be forced to lose fat. So my first tip is to track every single bite of food that goes into your mouth for at least 7 days! Yes, a whole week. Be honest, every lick, bite and taste must be tracked. I keep it super simple and use a plain old pen and paper, and then I would enter it into an app like MyFitnessPal. https://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/logout. It it totally free and is super convenient. Do it for seven days and then evaluate the amount of calories you are eating that is keeping you at the weight you are currently weighing. Then we can start talking about setting calories for fat loss. Once the calories are set, I would coach you on macronutrients. But, let's keep it simple. Calories are the biggest factor.

2. My second tip is to start strength training. Strength training is the king of all exercise when fat loss is your goal.( well it is the king of exercise for any goal, but that is just because it is my FAV) Building muscle can assist with fat loss as more muscle means more calories burned at rest, thus contributing to your calorie deficit. I would urge you to consult a personal trainer OR hire ME to assist you with designing a strength training program that is unique to your goals and lifestyle demands. It is a NON-NEGOTIABLE in my opinion. Muscle looks so good baby!

3. Stress and SLEEP! So if you are stressed out and are not sleeping, it is going to make eating properly and getting your training in a lot more difficult. How in the heck are you going to have the energy and focus to adhere to any workout plan and eating in accordance to your goals, if you are stressed out and can't even function? Stress can inhibit fat loss in so many ways, even if you are in a calorie deficit. It increases your hunger, it effects your energy and it causes you to crave foods you normally wouldn't. When one is mindful of stress and getting themselves to bed earlier, things just work out a lot better. Fat loss is difficult enough so for sure start to take a look at stress before you even decide to tackle this goal. Is it a stressful time in your life? Are you starting a new job? Did you just have a baby? Then now is most likely not a great time to jump into a calorie deficit and start a brand new workout plan. Maybe yoga, meditation and leisure walking could be a better fit for you now. Just sayin!

4. My next tip is PLANNING. THINK "as if". You need to plan ahead of time what you are going to eat and when you are going to train. You need to think "as if "you are already a lean person and ask yourself what do I need to do in order for me to achieve and maintain a lean physique. Have food prepped or make sure you have researched restaurant meals that you know fit into your goals. If you have to eat out or on the run you can still eat for fat loss ok! Find a gym that has flexible hours, or book a training session with your trainer that you know you will not miss! ( hey, cancellation fee's make one adhere to their sessions! ) Also having someone to be accountable to is a game changer. If training is not in your budget now, purchase a few sets of dumbbells (one heavy and one lighter) to have at home so you can do a dumbbell density circuit as soon as you wake up, or after you get home. EVERYONE has 15 min somewhere to train!

5. The final fat loss tip is CONSISTENCY! Be consistent as fuck with your training and meals. Day in, day out, week in, week out, month after month. Hey now, we all know that life happens, and must happen. Life is meant to be enjoyable and rewarding. However, if you have goals of losing body fat, being consistent over time will be one of the biggest keys to your success. Come up with a routine that works for you. This will take time and practice. Hey and if you fuck up...don't worry. You can't fuck this up, as you can always win by tracking your very next meal, or getting in that extra workout next week. You will never have to start over, you just keep going. Do not be that person who just throws in the towel because they had one bad day. Even the pros have bad days, but the difference is they have a plan of attack to get right back on track. Consistency, dedication and a great attitude is the ticket to fat loss success. Remember, once you have gotten your body fat to a desired level, then the magic of maintenance comes in! Maintenance is a whole other subject, and hmmmm maybe that could be a topic in the near future for me to write about.

So there you have it! Deanna's top 5 fat loss tips. Hit reply and let me know your thoughts. Did this help at all?  Talk to me people...I will answer every single ONE of you back!

Love ya, Deanna... aka Fitbabe.