Cardio

Disordered Eating No Longer Controls Me, But That Doesn’t Mean I Never Struggle

I’m no longer captive to disordered eating. But that doesn’t mean I never struggle or feel the tug of old, destructive habits. Like a scar from a sutured wound leaves a permanent reminder of the event, so too did my stint with obsessive eating habits create a lasting mark on me. It fades with time, but it’ll never completely vanish.

Individuals battling their own disordered eating habits may think, as I did years ago, that they can “get over it” eventually and be completely free from its grip, never to fight mental battles about food again. Breaking away from disordered eating (and the ugly side of health and fitness all together) and adopting nutrition habits that are flexible, sane, and mentally healthy is possible. However, it’s naïve to think returning to or becoming “normal” is a likely outcome.

That may sound grim, but it shouldn’t. It’s simply a reality that a lengthy experience with disordered eating habits will leave its mark, just like an operation or serious puncture wound leaves a scar.

I’ve been free from the jaws of the monster that is disordered, obsessive eating and binge eating for almost a decade, but I still have occasional struggles, and many who have a similar history report experiencing these too. It’s time to bring them to light, and what has helped me stay free from previous obsessive eating habits.

No More Disordered Eating. But There are Occasional Struggles.

I no longer binge, but that doesn’t mean I never overeat. Binge eating means consuming a massive quantity of food in a short period of time and, for me, well beyond the point of feeling full. I no longer experience massive binges that easily accrued over a thousand calories and left my stomach throbbing in pain. However, I do overeat on occasion.

I’ve devoured four slices of pizza when I was satisfied after eating two. I’ve eaten too much candy because I gobbled it down too quickly and grabbed more before I’d even finished chewing what was in my mouth. I eat dessert even when I’m full from a delicious dinner. I’ve gone back for a second helping when I was no longer hungry but wanted to keep eating because it was so dang delicious.

And I will do all those things again.

A major difference now is that I accept these occasional events as a normal part of life and don’t get upset about them — or if I do start feeling bad, I quickly remind myself that it wasn’t a big deal. I make myself move forward and refuse to feel guilt or shame.

Recommended Article: The Huge Problem With Guilty-Pleasure Foods

Years ago, when I was breaking free from disordered eating, I accepted that striving for perfection with food — never overeating or making successive less-than-ideal food choices or eating too much candy — wasn’t going to happen. I don’t demand perfection, nor do I berate myself when I overeat or make a string of not-so-great food choices.

I don’t obsess about food multiple times a day, every day, but I do overthink on occasion. When will I eat again? What will I eat? What should I eat? When can I eat after that? Should I try a new diet? How can I avoid the next binge? Those thoughts plagued my mind when disordered eating habits consumed me. Thankfully, that’s no longer the case.

Overthinking still happens, however: I really want the French toast, but the veggie omelet is a better choice. Maybe I should get that because it has more protein and I should eat more veggies. But, man, the French toast sounds amazing. That, and similar conversations, run through my mind occasionally. They’re shorter than they used to be and occur less frequently; I catch myself overthinking a situation, like the French toast versus omelet example, that doesn’t require that much brain power and cut off the mental conversation immediately. Then I choose the food option I really want and enjoy every bite, then move on with the well-established nutrition habits I’ve created.

Just like getting sick or dealing with unexpected real-life events, the occasional overthinking episode happens. I face it immediately, cut it short, and move on. It doesn’t define me, it doesn’t control me, and I choose not to respond emotionally. The better I get at handling those events, immediately, the less frequently they occur.

I’m no longer on a never-ending fat loss journey because I dislike my body, but I don’t love my body unconditionally at every moment. Over a decade ago, all I wanted to do was lose the fat that accumulated from binge eating. Every action in the gym and choice in the kitchen was done in the name of fat loss, and that mindset had me in its grip for years. Now, I don’t fear having fat on my body and set goals that have absolutely nothing to do with fat loss, and I’m not relentlessly pursuing a better-looking body.

Recommended Article: Screw Fat Loss

I love my body and the amazing things it can do — but that doesn’t mean I love how it looks every day. When I see my bloated PMS belly in the mirror I don’t respond with joy exclaiming, “Hot damn I have never looked sexier than I do right now. Thanks, water retention!” I don’t always feel my best; I don’t always think I look my best. But that’s part of life. I refuse to feel bad for not thinking I look amazing all the time. Loving my body without fail every moment is pressure I don’t put on myself.

How exactly do I face those occasional struggles and successfully defeat them?

Not Going Back to Disordered Eating

Though some struggles are inevitable, I won’t return to obsessive, disordered eating habits. Below are some of the main things I do, and don’t do, and important lessons to quickly recall when old habits try to pry into my mind.

Avoidance is Useful

Restrictive diets, venomous snakes, someone spraying their surrounding area like a sprinkler because they don’t cover their mouth when coughing, any dish that includes beets — my response to these things is the same and immediate: I make haste in the opposite direction.

I do the same with anything that led to, or exacerbated, disordered eating habits.

Avoiding what got me there in the first place is helpful: obsessing over making the “best” choices with every meal; being too restrictive; dichotomous thinking (only eating “clean” foods and, by default, labeling everything else as “dirty” and “bad”); putting too much emphasis on my physical appearance and not on how I feel; berating myself for less-than-ideal food choices; feeling guilty for eating my favorite foods; thinking my way to failure. Those have no place in my life.

There is an exception to this rule. The past few months I’ve been running a muscle-building program and weigh myself occasionally. I knew tracking my weight could easily cause negative thoughts to bubble up like they did in the past when I stepped on the scale, but I remind myself that it’s just a number; a data point. I can choose to remove any emotional element related to that innocent number. Just because something used to disturb you doesn’t mean it must always have that power — you can defeat it.

Lesson: Know what works best for you and avoid what doesn’t. Old habits can be defeated with patience and persistence.

Talk About the Struggles

A few weeks ago, I found myself stumbling and felt the old familiar tug of bad mental conversations, and I told my wife about it. Immediately once I aired the frustrations verbally I felt better, lighter. Just getting it out of my head put everything into perspective so I could focus on what was important and let go of what wasn’t.

Lesson: Have someone to confide in when your brain is giving you a hard time.

Don’t Dig the Hole Deeper and Deeper … and Deeper

When my life was ruled by obsessive eating habits, my brain would rationalize I screwed up by eating this “bad food,” so I’ll just keep eating it until it’s all gone, if I ate a small piece of dessert. That small piece would turn into two more larger pieces, and then a string of less-than-ideal choices because, hey, I already screwed up so what difference did it make if I kept going?

That irrational response was akin to falling in a hole, deciding not just to spend time in it but to grab a shovel and make it deeper … and deeper.

If that old mental habit creeps up I catch it and quickly change direction: That cake was incredible. I enjoyed it, there’s nothing “bad” about it, and there’s no need to eat more. I also remind myself that if I eat more even though I’m satisfied I’ll end up uncomfortably full, and that never feels good.

Recommended Article: The One Simple Hack to Stop Screwing Yourself Over

I still stumble into a hole on occasion (by eating a few too many tasty Halloween or Easter candies) but once I realize I’m there, I choose not to keep digging (I don’t keep eating more) and proceed to climb out of the hole and walk forward.

Lesson: Just stop digging.

Get Out of the All-or-Nothing Cycle of Destruction

Eating “good” for every meal, all the time, or giving up completely at the slightest set back or less-than-ideal decision. Sound familiar? I’ve seen too many people swing aggressively from obsessively “watching what they eat” to not caring about what they put in their mouth, because the former mentally exhausted them.

Nutrition is not an all-or-nothing lifestyle. Moderation and flexibility are the solutions, and not demanding the impossible — relentless perfection — from yourself.

Recommended Article: Eating in Moderation: How to Do It Right

Lesson: Screw perfection. Do the most important things most of the time.

Make Success as Easy as Possible

I keep myself set up for success by not needlessly testing my willpower. I know what foods are easy for me to overeat and don’t keep them in the house. They’re not forbidden by any means, but if I really want that food, I go buy a serving and enjoy it. Our home is stocked with nutrient-dense foods we love so cooking great meals and having healthy snacks isn’t a chore; they’re always right there within reach.

Furthermore, I identified situations that were likely to trigger old habits and created a simple, specific plan to handle them. For instance, eating food directly from a bag or container easily turns into me eating half of it. My plan for packaged foods: put a serving in a bowl or on a plate, and put away the rest.

Recommended Article: The Simple Guide That Shows You How to Eat Healthy

Lesson: Make the things you want to do the easy things to do. Don’t “wing it” with situations that previously led to disordered eating habits (i.e., don’t rely on willpower). Identify situations that create problems and have a plan for how to face them.

The goal, for me, isn’t to attain some elusive state of “normal” when it comes to food, whatever that means. Knowing I may always have to be vigilant to keep old habits at bay is fine with me. I aim to build upon productive habits, to replace those that don’t serve me with ones that do, to continue getting better at identifying struggles and handling them promptly and remembering that the main purpose of nutrition and fitness is to help me live my best possible life. Obsessive, disordered eating habits or anything resembling them clashes with that objective.

(Note: If you’re battling disordered eating, find a qualified professional who specializes in your specific issue and get on the fast track to recovery.)

The Chocolate Protein Shake That Actually Tastes Like a Milkshake

By GrlPwr

How many times have you tried a “healthy” recipe that boasted it tastes just like the real thing! only to be immensely disappointed…again?

My list of never-make-this-food-abomination-again recipes is a lengthy one; I don’t care if it’s healthier than the original recipe it impersonates because if it tastes terrible, it’s not worth eating. Plus, that perpetuates the idea that healthy food can’t taste good, and that just isn’t true.

Recently I tested this recipe out on my picky spouse. The immediate wide-eyed response: “A protein shake shouldn’t taste this good. It tastes like you put ice cream in it.” Now that I’ve boldly hyped up this chocolate protein shake that actually tastes like a milkshake recipe, let’s get to it so you can make it right away and enjoy its smooth, tasty, protein-rich deliciousness.

The Protein Shake Ingredients

1 cup almond, cashew, or soy milk*
1 scoop chocolate protein powder**
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup frozen blueberries (cherries or strawberries are excellent options too)
1 tablespoon peanut butter (optional)

Put all the ingredients, except the peanut butter if you plan to use it, in a blender (I’ve been using my Ninja for over four years; it gets a ton of use and still works perfectly and was much cheaper than other popular blenders).

Blend on high speed for 30 seconds. You may want to scrape down the sides and blend for another 20-30 seconds if you’re not using peanut butter.

If you do use peanut butter, drop it in. Blend on high speed for another 30 seconds.

Pour, drink, enjoy, and sing praises to my name that you finally discovered a simple protein shake recipe that actually tastes like a milkshake.

*Unsweetened almond or cashew milk works well and only contains 25 calories. Vanilla soy milk is my personal favorite (makes the shake extremely creamy and more milkshake-like in flavor and texture) but has 100 calories per cup. Note: If you want the protein shake to have the closest taste and texture to a milkshake, use vanilla soy milk.

Use your favorite milk source; be mindful of how many calories it adds, especially if you want a lower-calorie shake option.

**The choice of protein powder makes a huge difference in flavor and texture. A whey/casein blend works best for this shake, but whey is okay too. A protein blend tastes better, in my opinion, and makes the shake creamier. I use the chocolate fudge brownie Team Skip blend from True Nutrition (you can get 5% off with the coupon code liftlikeagirl). Use your chocolate protein powder of choice, as long as you think it tastes good, otherwise the shake will be disappointing; no recipe can save a protein powder that tests your gag reflex. (Another tasty chocolate protein powder is PEScience select protein, chocolate frosted cupcake flavor.)

Pea protein is notoriously thick and creamy, so if you like pea protein powder or need a vegan or dairy-free option, then a chocolate one could work.

Again, to make sure you get the tastiest shake possible, I recommend a chocolate whey/casein blend you think tastes good on its own, but use whatever you think tastes good.

The Nutrition Details

I’ve seen many a protein shake contain way more calories than people realized. It’s easy to keep adding stuff to them and it can get to the point where you might as well have a real milkshake from the ballooning calorie count. (There’s not a thing wrong with enjoying the real thing. For more information check out the popular article Eating in Moderation: How to Do It Right.)

The exact calorie and protein content of your shake will vary, depending on what milk source and protein powder you use (the unsweetened almond and cashew milks contain 25 calories per cup). My shake contains about 235 calories without peanut butter (and packs 26 grams of protein), and 330 calories with one tablespoon of peanut butter (about 30 grams of protein).

Depending on your calorie needs, keep an eye on which ingredients you use and add to the shake.

What About a Lower-Calorie Peanut Butter Option?

Some people like powdered peanut butter because it delivers a peanut butter taste with fewer calories (about 45 per serving). If you prefer a lower-calorie option but still want a peanut butter flavor in your shake, then use powdered peanut butter in place of the real thing.

How to Make This Shake a Meal

This chocolate protein shake is a great fast-and-easy breakfast. My favorite way to make this shake a hearty breakfast: use 1 cup vanilla soy milk (100 calories), 1 scoop chocolate protein powder (120 calories), 1 cup frozen berries (80 calories), 1 tablespoon cocoa powder (10 calories), and 2 tablespoons peanut butter (190 calories). That brings this shake to 490 calories and it has 39 grams of protein and 10 grams of fiber. You can decrease the calories by using less peanut butter, using a powdered peanut butter explained above, or omitting it entirely.

That’s a shake that will keep you satiated for hours.

How to Make This Shake a Low-Calorie Meal Replacement

If you’re trying to lose fat, this shake is a tasty meal replacement. In that case, stick to using unsweetened almond or cashew milk and omit the peanut butter. The shake will contain 235 calories (1 cup milk, 1 cup frozen blueberries, 1 scoop chocolate protein powder, 1 tablespoon cocoa powder). It won’t be as thick and creamy as you get with the vanilla soy milk, but it’s still tasty.

Another option to bring the calories down more: use one to two cups of ice stead of frozen fruit. That would make this shake only 155 calories.

This chocolate protein shake recipe is versatile and can be tweaked depending on your preferences and needs. It’s also a great way to fuel a Beautiful Badass workout, or a refreshing easy-to-prepare post-workout shake.

Lift Like a Girl Dumbell Workout

By GrlPwr

“What exercises should I do for the Lift Like a Girl programs if all I have access to are dumbbells?” That has been asked so frequently that it’s time to provide the answer.

Or if you have dumbbells at home, your gym has limited equipment, or you simply prefer dumbbell exercises, use this program for great results. There are exercise-demonstration photos, a four-week dumbbell workout program, and printable workout logs.

Before we get to the workout program, it’s important to understand the advantages, and limitations, of dumbbell exercises.

Dumbbell-Exercise Limitations

To build maximum strength, the barbell is the best tool. You can get stronger, build muscle, and build a better-looking body with dumbbells, but if you want to deadlift twice your bodyweight or barbell squat 1.5 times your bodyweight, you must train those lifts frequently with a barbell.

Increasing the weight can be challenging. This is a tremendous perk to barbell training — exercises are infinitely scalable, especially when using fractional plates, and weight increases are more manageable. For example, a five-pound increase on a barbell exercise, say, going from a 100-pound bench press to a 105-pound bench press, is much more manageable than going from a 20-pound dumbbell bench press to a 25-pound dumbbell bench press. The former was a 5% increase distributed over both limbs, the latter a whopping 25% increase for each limb. There are ways to work around this limitation, covered below.

Can’t productively train in a very-low rep range. Once out of the beginner stage of strength training, you can safely perform a challenging 3-rep set for the barbell bench press. You can’t perform a challenging 3-rep set for a dumbbell bench press productively (i.e., performing a 3-rep max, where only 3 reps are possible — you can obviously perform “just” 3 reps, but it would be with a 6-rep max, or greater). Getting very heavy ‘bells into position can be awkward, and the risk:reward ratio for attempting such a heavy load is minimal and therefore not advised.

There exists a superfluous amount of stupid exercises. Due to their versatility, there’s no shortage of made up exercises that claim to be “functional” or “incredible for your core” or some other hyped up description. Kind of like this one I made up:

A super functional lateral raise/biceps curl/balance combo of 2-pound dumbbell fury, complete with the obligatory cheesy smile. (Yes, this is very much a joke. Don’t do this “exercise.”)

With those disadvantages in mind, does that mean dumbbells are useless? Of course not. Some people only have dumbbells to work with. Some people only want to use dumbbells, and they do have advantages.

Dumbbell-Exercise Advantages

Greater confidence with dumbbell exercises. Someone may be more comfortable, and confident, performing a dumbbell goblet squat compared to a squat with a barbell on their back. This individual can use dumbbell exercises to build strength and confidence, then transition to barbell training to build greater strength. In this instance, dumbbell training can be a stepping stone to barbell training.

Then again, some people prefer to use dumbbell exercises exclusively. That’s great too.

No need for a spotter or power rack. You don’t need a training partner or the security of a power rack with dumbbell exercises since there’s no risk of a dumbbell getting pinned to your throat, or stapling you to the ground, as with their barbell equivalents. If, for example, you fail on a dumbbell bench press, you just drop the weights to the side.

Home-gym and travel-friendly workouts. Increasingly more people have a set of adjustable dumbbells and a weight bench at home. They’re economical, take up very little space, and don’t require a lifting platform or concrete floor as needed for barbell deadlifts. Many hotel facilities also have a rack of dumbbells, so that makes dumbbell workouts travel friendly.

Modern-day gym-friendly workouts. There’s an increasing amount of gym chains that only have dumbbells and machines. If dumbbells are all you have available, you can still achieve incredible results with them … if you train correctly. That’s where the Lift Like a Girl Dumbbell Workouts come in.

The Lift Like a Girl Dumbbell Workouts

If you’re going to use dumbbells exclusively, your workouts must use mostly compound exercises, like those used here. There are two workouts. We’ll first introduce the workouts and their demonstration photos, then we’ll go over the workout details.

WORKOUT A

1) Goblet squat

Primarily works the legs and glutes. I’m using a kettlebell here but you can use a dumbbell by putting the heels of your palms under one end of a dumbbell (the handle will be vertical).

2) Dumbbell bench press

Works the chest, front of the shoulders, and triceps.

Don’t have a weight bench? You can do a dumbbell floor press instead.

This alternative uses a shorter range of motion, but it’s a good alternative.

3) Bent-over double-dumbbell row

This exercise works the back and biceps.

WORKOUT B

1) Romanian deadlift

This exercise works the hamstrings, glutes, upper back, and grip.

2) Standing press

This exercise works the shoulders, triceps, and core from having to stabilize your body.

3) One-arm dumbbell row

This exercise works the back and biceps.

The Weekly Training Schedule

Perform three workouts per week, alternating the two workouts. Do this for four weeks, completing both workouts a total of six times each. The following layout assumes a Monday, Wednesday, Friday workout schedule, but do what works best for you. Nonconsecutive days are recommended.

The workouts begin with 2×8-12 (2 sets, 8-12 reps) for all exercises; once both workouts are completed twice it increases to 3×8-12 (3 sets, 8-12 reps each set). Here’s a four-week training schedule that shows how to alternate the two workouts, and when the number of sets increases from two to three.

Week 1:

Mon: Workout A (2×8-12)
Wed: Workout B (2×8-12)
Fri: Workout A (2×8-12)

Week 2:

Mon: Workout B (2×8-12)
Wed: Workout A (3×8-12)
Fri: Workout B (3×8-12)

Week 3:

Mon: Workout A (3×8-12)
Wed: Workout B (3×8-12)
Fri: Workout A (3×8-12)

Week 4:

Mon: Workout B (3×8-12)
Wed: Workout A (3×8-12)
Fri: Workout B (3×8-12)

Do that for four weeks and enjoy your newly-forged strength and awesomeness.

Sets, Reps, and How to Progress

The Lift Like a Girl dumbbell workouts begin with two sets for each exercise so you can focus on learning proper technique and you won’t get so sore you struggle to walk up stairs … and get off the toilet. After completing both workouts two times, the number of sets increases to three.

All exercises are to be performed for 8-12 reps. Use a challenging weight for eight reps and stick with that weight until you complete 12 reps for all sets. Once you do that, increase the weight the following workout and start back at eight reps. (This is called the double-progression method.)

If you’re unable to increase the weight because it feels too difficult, stick with the previous weight and try to add more reps when you repeat the workout. Then, after another workout or two, attempt the heavier ‘bells again.

Lift Like a Girl Dumbbell Workout Log

Would you like to easily track your workout performance? Use the provided printable workouts log below.

Click to download the Lift Like a Girl dumbbell workout logs.

What Should You Do After Four Weeks?

You can increase the number of sets from 3×8-12 to 4×8-12, or switch to different variations for each exercise and repeat using the training schedule above. Or perhaps you’ll want to transition to barbell training. Start your journey with Phase 2 in Lift Like a Girl or create your own program using these how-to videos: squat, deadlift, chin-up, row, bench press, press.

Want a Done-For-You Dumbbell Guide?

If you prefer to work out with dumbbells, then check out the Dumbbell Strength Training Guide. It’s complete with done-for-you workouts, exercise-demonstration videos, and workout logs.

You can get all the details and a sneak peek here.

Squats Don’t Work Your Glutes (Because You’re Squatting Wrong)

By GrlPwr

“I like getting stronger with squats, but they don’t work my glutes,” she said.

She went on to perform a set of barbell squats and my initial assumption was correct: she wasn’t squatting correctly. That is why she thinks “squats don’t build glutes.” It wasn’t the exercise that was the problem; it was her execution of the movement that was at fault.

Saying squats performed correctly don’t work the glutes is like saying chin-ups performed correctly don’t work the biceps. If an exercise is performed properly through an appropriate range of motion, the muscle groups that perform the movement will “work.” And if performance is improved (e.g., perform more reps, add weight) consistently for weeks and months, muscle will be built.

How do you know if you’re performing squats correctly so they work your glutes? You need to (a) have a proper stance and (b) perform the exercise through a sufficient range of motion. Individuals who think squats don’t work the glutes typically fail to meet these criteria and have too narrow of a stance and don’t squat low enough.

The glutes are directly involved in the squatting movement, be it barbell squats or goblet squats; the main functions of the gluteus maximus (the largest part of the buttock) are hip extension and external rotation.

It stands to reason if we want to maximize the involvement of the glutes in an exercise we need to use them for their designed purposes. That means the stance and squat depth must be appropriate.

Squat Stance

Some people squat with their feet close together and toes pointed straight ahead. This doesn’t mean the glutes won’t be involved in the movement, but it’s not putting them in an ideal position for maximum involvement since the glutes are responsible for hip external rotation.

This would be a great stance for a deadlift or Romanian deadlift, but it’s not ideal for squatting. The feet should be wider, about shoulder width apart, and toes pointed out to the sides, anywhere from 5-30 degrees. Everyone is different; play around with the stance and foot position to find what’s most comfortable for your knees, hips, and back.

What is the purpose of the wider stance and pointing the toes out? To make the glutes perform one of their main functions: to externally rotate the hip. This will be accomplished by keeping the knees out when squatting and making sure they track in-line with the feet at all times (i.e., don’t let them “cave in,” which is a common squat mistake).

The wider toes-out stance also engages the adductors (i.e., inner thighs) to a greater extent too, compared to the narrow stance with feet pointed straight ahead. When you use a shoulder-width stance and point your toes out a bit, don’t be surprised when your glutes and adductors are sore the next day.

Squat Depth

The proper depth for a squat is lowering down to the point where the crease in the hips is a bit lower than the tops of the knees. Put another way, the tops of the thighs should be parallel to the ground, or a little lower.

Stopping short of this depth as many commonly and mistakenly do on every rep or as a set progresses and fatigue accumulates and each rep is increasingly shallow, means most of the work is being done with the quadriceps, since the glutes aren’t moving through an appropriate range of motion.

To use your glutes effectively when squatting, they need to be worked through an appropriate range of motion, which is achieved when reaching the depth mentioned above (this way the glutes do one of their main jobs — extending the hips).

If you want to work your glutes, you need to attain the proper range of motion. Aim for the point where the crease in the hips is a bit lower than the tops of the knees. (You can squat lower as long as you can maintain a neutral, rigid spine, but it isn’t necessary.)

Notice the squat depth — the crease in the hips is a bit lower than the tops of the knees in both the goblet squat (left) and back squat (right).

Are Squats All You Need for Maximum Glute-Building Results?

If squats are the main lower-body exercise in your training program — and you perform them properly and consistently improve your performance — they will build muscle on your glutes. If you’re a beginner strength trainee, a squat variation should be the main lower-body exercise in your program so you can (a) learn how to correctly perform this basic movement pattern, (b) build a solid foundation of strength, and (c) practice it frequently thus reinforcing the correct movement pattern and building strength and muscle quickly. This is why the goblet squat is the main lower-body exercise in Phase 1 of Lift Like a Girl and back squats in Phase 2; both are performed with a high frequency of two to three times per week.

This isn’t to say other exercises don’t work the glutes just as well or more directly, or other exercises can’t be used to maximize hypertrophy of the glutes. Using the chin-up example again: you can build a great pair of biceps if bodyweight and weighted chin-ups are the main upper-body pulling movement. But other exercises — palms-up grip rows, dumbbell curls, barbell curls — can be useful for maximizing hypertrophy.

The answer to the Are squats all you need? question is: it depends on your goals and training experience. Let’s look at two trainees.

Trainee A: She’s been squatting correctly and progressively (steadily adding more weight to the bar or performing more reps with the same weight) for over a year. She’s built her glutes using squats as the primary lower-body exercise, but she wants to make them grow more. She can achieve this goal by (a) squatting more frequently, (b) adding additional exercises like reverse lunges from a deficit, single-leg hip thrusts, and single-leg Romanian deadlifts to her training, or (c) modifying her training program and increasing training volume or changing the set and rep schemes (more on this one in a moment).

Trainee B: She’s been squatting correctly and progressively for over a year. She’s built her glutes using squats as the primary lower-body exercise (starting first with goblet squats to learn the movement and then progressing to barbell squats), and she has no desire to increase their size and shape further.

We’re in the midst of the build-a-bigger-butt era and tons of women want maximum glute hypertrophy. If that’s your goal too, that’s awesome. If you don’t care about attaining maximum glute size and shape, that’s awesome too. It’s your body and you should do whatever the heck you want to do with it.

Guidelines for Glute Building

What is your strength training experience? is the first question and What is your main goal? is the second, briefly address above, that need to be answered.

Strength training beginners, trainees more concerned with building strength and training efficiency (they don’t want to spend more time in the gym than necessary to achieve most of the results they’re after, or they’re very busy), and trainees not interested in maximum glute hypertrophy can focus mostly on squats, deadlifts, and Romanian deadlifts for most of their lower-body work. Tons of women have built strong, amazing bodies on a steady diet of squats, deadlifts, rows and chin-ups, bench presses and standing presses.

Intermediate strength trainees or those interested in maximizing their glute-building potential can focus mostly on squats, deadlifts, Romanian deadlifts and include exercises like rear foot elevated split squats, reverse lunges, single-leg hip thrusts, and additional glute-specific exercises.

And let’s not forget that every body is different. Some people may reach maximum glute hypertrophy with just squats and deadlifts. Some people may need a hefty volume of squats, lunges, and hip-thrust variations to maximize theirs.

Different Rep Ranges for Best Glute-Building Results

The benefit to using a wide range of reps? It allows you to work the fast-twitch muscle fibers with the heavy, low-rep sets and the slow-twitch fibers with the somewhat lighter, higher-rep sets.

If squats are your primary lower-body exercise, use a wide rep range for best glute- and leg-building results. First, get strong in a 5-8 rep range. Once you’d built a solid strength foundation (when you have trouble adding more weight in the 5-8 rep range) you can start including sets of 10-15 reps. There’s muscle-building value in 20-rep sets too, but don’t venture into that range until you’ve been strength training for many months. Twenty-rep squats aren’t as beneficial if the heaviest weight you can use is an empty 45-pound barbell. Get strong first and then include higher-rep sets when you can use a more challenging weight.

What You Should Do Next

Analyze your current squat stance and depth. How does it compare to the information above? You can test the new stance and depth, right now, with bodyweight squats: perform a set of 20 reps and you should immediately feel the difference. Or next time you’re at the gym, perform squats or goblet squats with the stance and depth guidelines above and experience the difference for yourself.

When you have your new stance identified (you may want to play around a bit with stance width and the angle you point your toes to find what feels best), get stronger in the 5-8 rep range. After several weeks of progressive training, you can then include sets of 10-15 reps. You’ll no doubt be stronger and have more muscle within a few months of consistent training.

Squats work your glutes. Squats will build your glutes. You just have to squat correctly.

The Nocebo Effect: Are You (Unknowingly) Thinking Your Way to Failure?

By GrlPwr

A patient taking part in an experiment is told her new medication may have symptoms such as nausea, stomach pains, and loss of appetite. Four weeks later when she revisits her doctor for a checkup she complains of nausea, stomach pains, and loss of appetite. “The side effects from this medication are terrible,” she groaned.

When the doctor reports that the “medication” she’s been taking are just sugar pills, she’s silent in disbelief.

How can someone experience side effects from a medication when they weren’t actually taking a medication?

This is the nocebo effect. It’s what occurs when negative expectations of a medication lead to a more negative effect than it would have otherwise. As you’ll see, the nocebo effect is not limited to medical treatments and drugs. Most of us, at one time or another, have likely had our own nocebo experiences with health and fitness. I know I have.

3 Common Ways People Nocebo Their Way to Failure

I’ll bet you can recognize yourself in at least one of these examples.

Lack of Sleep

Did you know getting at least seven hours of sleep every night has been demonstrated to boost fat loss, build muscle, and provide a host of other health benefits? Of course you do. Coaches and health professionals love touting the benefits of sufficient sleep, and I’m no exception. Sleep should be a priority. (And you better have a great mattress.)

It’s one element of your health and fitness regimen that requires you to literally do nothingbut can positively affect the results from your nutrition and workout efforts.

What does your day look like that was preceded by five hours of sleep or less? There’s no way I’m going to have a good workout today, you may have thought. And, chances are, you probably did have a terrible workout.

It may not have been due to lack of sufficient sleep, however. Your negative expectations of having a bad workout because of getting less-than-ideal sleep could be responsible for the bad workout. You noceboed your way straight to a crappy workout because of the negative expectations going into it.

What would happen if you just shrugged off the situation and didn’t give any merit to the night of less than ideal sleep? What if you approached your workout the same way you would have if you’d gotten a solid eight hours of sleep?

Circumstances can affect us (and in this example, our workout performance), but oftentimes it’s our perception of those circumstances, and the attitude we choose to embrace in response, that’s even more powerful.

Pre-Workout Supplements

I quite like the placebo effect. It occurs when someone experiences an improvement or beneficial outcome due to their positive expectations, despite receiving an inactive substance or no actual treatment.

Using the example from earlier, a patient taking part in an experiment is told the medication may give her greater energy and lead to deeper, more restful sleep. Four weeks later when she gets a checkup she reports having higher energy levels and getting more quality sleep. “It’s working!” she boasts. When told she’s been taking sugar pills, she’s perplexed as to how she’s been experiencing those positive side effects.

If your belief in something makes it have a positive effect (or even greater effect), what’s not to love? The power of placebo has been demonstrated repeatedly in research. One such study showed trained individuals increased their strength by over 300% simply because they thought they were taking steroids.

When it comes to pre-workout supplements, many include ingredients proven to boost performance (e.g., caffeine), but no doubt someone’s expectations of its affects make it more effective. The ensuing holy-crap-I-could-flip-a-tractor feeling they get after ingesting the caffeine-fueled mixture boosts their positive expectations of the product, so they may be more likely to have a great workout.

On the flip-side is the nocebo effect that can happen when someone can’t have their usual pre-workout supplement or caffeinated beverage of choice. “This workout isn’t going to be great — I ran out of my pre-workout mix,” I’ve heard people say. And when they have a lackluster training session, their previous belief about not being able to have a good workout without their pre-workout aid is solidified by the experience.

If you like to drink a cup of coffee or take a pre-workout supplement before your training sessions (especially one including squats and deadlifts), that’s great. I’m not saying not to use those things; nor am I saying they’re not effective apart from a placebo effect. But don’t be so reliant on them that if you run out or can’t have your usual pre-workout beverage/supplement that you allow negative expectations of a less-than-stellar workout cause you to actually have one.

Schedule Conflicts

If you’re the type of person who enjoys her routine, this one no doubt has affected you. Let’s say your routine got interrupted and you had to work out much earlier, or later, in the day than usual, or you had to work out on a different day of the week. Did you go into that workout thinking This is gonna be terrible because you weren’t able to work out at your preferred day or time?

Hopefully you’re starting to see how your mindset can greatly affect your performance, and results. This isn’t to suggest you can simply positively think your way out of extreme exhaustion or circumstances. If you’ve been operating on very little sleep for an extended period, for instance, it will eventually affect you. Or if you just got over the flu you can’t have an I’m-going-to-set-a-personal-record! expectation the first time you get back in the gym and simply will it to happen. But hopefully you see the importance of mindset when facing common, every-day situations.

There are countless other scenarios when you could be succumbing to the power of the nocebo effect. Regardless of the situation or circumstances, the takeaway is the same: Don’t make situations worse than they really are by piling negative expectations on top of them.

What you think has a powerful effect on your actions and outcomes. Your mindset can be a potent force of construction, or destruction. It’s your choice how it will be used.

Eating in Moderation: How to Do It Right

By GrlPwr

Eating in moderation is a noble goal. Too bad most people suck at it.

What does it mean to “eat in moderation”? We must define it if we’re to practice it properly. The definition varies widely depending on what beliefs someone has about nutrition, but here’s a simplified answer that’s void of stupid nonsense (calling any food group “evil” or “forbidden” or claiming one macronutrient is solely responsible for fat gain) and harmful dichotomous thinking (labeling foods good/bad):

Primarily eat a variety of whole foods most of the time — fruits and veggies, lean meats, fish, beans and legumes, nuts and seeds, herbs and spices, dairy, eggs, whole grains; don’t have “forbidden” or “off-limit” foods; enjoy your other favorite foods (alcohol, doughnuts, cookies, fried foods) occasionally, in reasonable quantities.

Eating in moderation is a logical approach and can eliminate a lot of unnecessary stress and frustration that often accompanies nutrition. However, many people either (a) understand what eat in moderation means, but falter in the execution or (b) have a distorted understanding of what eat in moderation means.

Thanks to our diet-obsessed culture, here is what many people have unfortunately come to believe it means to eat in moderation.

Being “good” during the week and eating the “bad” things over the weekend they successfully abstained from during the week is what some people consider eating in moderation. When you look at the quantity of not-super-healthy foods consumed on the weekend, it’s clear that they constitute a large amount of the weekly average food choices; not so moderate after all.

Here’s a proper example of what eating in moderation could look like.

This is one possible example of how to work in reasonable quantities of treats/refined foods into daily eating choices to successfully practice eating in moderation. This isn’t the only option, however, as some people may prefer to have a larger meal less frequently.

The above images are mere examples. I’m not suggesting you must eat the same foods every day or those foods specifically — the images are examples of whole-food meals that include a good source of protein. The number of daily meals and food choices should be tailored to your eating preferences.

Eating in Moderation Gone Wrong

Eating mostly whole foods and including your other favorite foods in reasonable amounts is not only effective for improving health while allowing you to reach your physique and performance goals, but it’s great for your sanity; you needn’t avoid your favorite foods to reach your goals.

Perception is critical when discussing how to eat in moderation; you need to objectively see what’s happening. Here are three common categories people can fall into when having problems eating in moderation, and the solution for each one.

Example 1: Too Much, Doesn’t Realize It

“I eat sweets and other not-so-healthy foods in moderation, but I still can’t lose weight. Help!”

This category is the most common and the problem isn’t moderation; it’s the execution and perception of what eating in moderation looks like. Many people claim to eat not-super-healthy foods moderately, saying:

“Yesterday I had coffee and oatmeal with a piece of fruit for breakfast, a chicken salad for lunch, a protein shake in the afternoon, and I eat lean meat and vegetables for dinner.”

They say that’s what they’re eating, but the reality, oftentimes, is different. This can be proven by keeping a food journal. Yesterday’s food choices actually looks like this: A large latte made with whole milk and sugar, an instant oatmeal packet that was loaded with sugar, and a banana for breakfast; chicken salad topped with a pile of cheese and bacon and full-fat ranch dressing with a couple breadsticks on the side, and a sugary soft drink for lunch; a meal-replacement shake in the afternoon; a late afternoon doughnut in the breakroom at work; grilled fish with steamed vegetables for dinner, followed by half a dozen cookies and a large glass of milk.

This person claims they’re eating not-super-healthy foods moderately, when they actually make up a large portion of their eating choices. The reason they can’t lose weight is simple math; they’re eating too many calories. Many of their eating choices are calorie dense: full-fat dressing, lattes made with whole milk and sugar, soda, doughnuts, cookies. Those foods aren’t satiating, so they’re easy to overeat.

Solution: Keep a food journal for a week and record everything you eat and drink. This way you see what you are, and are not, eating. Afterward, aim to eat whole foods at least 80% of the time and track again for a week or two.

Example 2: Not Much, Doesn’t Realize It

“I eat sweets and other not-so-healthy foods too often and then feel extremely guilty. Help!”

Thanks to diets with obsessive, non-negotiable rules that come complete with a list of forbidden foods and food groups, this category is growing rapidly. The diet mentality has made people think they have to follow an eating plan perfectly, without deviation, or they screwed up and sacrificed all their hard-fought results.

This individual eats plenty of protein and whole foods at least 90% of the time, but if she enjoys a food in moderation, like a bowl of her favorite ice cream or a couple pieces of pizza, she thinks she over indulged and failed to eat moderately, even though those foods were 10% or less of her weekly average food choices.

This person is struck with guilt, shame, and concern that she screwed up her diet and instantly erased the previous week of work and effort. The problem here isn’t eating in moderation; it’s her mindset and the language she uses about food, and herself. (If I eat this I’m “good”; if I eat this I’m “bad.”)

Recommended Article: The Huge Problem with Guilty-Pleasure Foods

Solution: Vigilant, patient mental training and an abundance of self-compassion. Begin by erasing good/bad food labels. Tracking what you eat and drink for a week may help, so you can see what you’re actually eating, and what you’re not. For instance, someone who eats a scoop of ice cream and two pieces of pizza spread throughout the week will be able to see those foods are a very small portion of her eating choices and not some drastic over indulgence.

Example 3: The Domino Effect

Someone eats something “sweet” or “bad” and continues digging the hole deeper. They rationalize I screwed up so I might as well eat whatever I want then I’ll get back on track tomorrow. Certain foods trigger them into a downward spiral of less-than-ideal food choices for an entire day or two. This individual struggles to enjoy treats and certain foods in moderation; like a row of dominos, eating a treat builds inertia that leads to her making a string of less-than-ideal food choices.

Recommended Article: One Simple Hack to Stop Screwing Yourself Over

Solution: This isn’t one size fits all, but it can be helpful to first become aware of the situation and identify the trigger foods, then decide how to handle them. If eating peanut butter causes you to keep eating the peanut butter, how can you handle it? One solution for trigger foods is to portion them into individual-sized servings. This way when you want that food, you grab the container with the appropriate serving size without being tempted to keep digging in for more.

For other foods, it could be best to keep them out of the house and buy a serving when you want it. If you can’t keep a carton of ice cream in the freezer without dipping into it every day, and dividing it into individual servings just doesn’t work, don’t keep it in the house. When you want ice cream, go to your favorite place and buy a couple scoops. (Speaking of ice cream, you need to try this recipe: The Chocolate Protein Shake That Actually Tastes Like a Milkshake.)

How to Make Eating in Moderation Work for You

Eating in moderation won’t look identical for everyone. The challenge is finding the balance that allows you to reach your physique, health, and performance goals while allowing you to enjoy the lifestyle you’re building and to socialize with ease.

Take emotion out of it. Guilt, shame, pride and other emotions have no place when it comes to responding to what we put in our mouths. Responding emotionally is not the answer to overindulging; it helps absolutely nothing. If you tend to value yourself, positively or negatively, by what you eat, become aware of it and work on changing it.

Recommended Article: Don’t Respond Emotionally to Health and Fitness Slip-Ups

Avoid good/bad food labels. There is just food. Some foods are wholesome and nutritious: eat these most of the time. Some foods are heavily processed and not so nutritious: eat these less often, without a smidge of guilt.

Actively choose what you will enjoy. Plan ahead. If you’d typically have a couple drinks, a few fried appetizers, and an entree that wasn’t exactly healthy when going out on Friday night, have a plan for what you will do so you can enjoy yourself while staying on track. Have a drink; skip the apps; get your favorite entree with a side order of veggies instead of fries. This isn’t deprivation, nor is it overindulgence. It’s balance. It’s moderation.

Don’t have a scarcity mindset. The diet mentality has fueled the perception that we’ll miss out on something if we don’t eat what’s offered to us. This can occur if you work in a setting where food is readily available and people routinely bringing doughnuts, cookies, and desserts. This can cause us to think I have to eat this now because I don’t know when I’ll get something else. We need to realize we don’t have to partake in every eating opportunity, and we’re not missing out by not eating.

Keep a food journal for one week. This simple exercise already mentioned will give you concrete data to analyze. Look at the journal objectively (i.e., free from emotion and judgement) and see where progress can be made. Perhaps you’ll realize that your perception of eating in moderation is skewed. Maybe you’ll see where you can swap out common foods for whole-food options. Or maybe you’ll see you do eat in moderation and need to stop stressing unnecessarily.

Know your personality, and work with it. Some people do better enjoying a treat or favorite not-super-healthy food daily, like a couple pieces of a favorite chocolate or one piece of pizza as shown in the eating in moderation graphic above. Others do better having one larger meal/treat less frequently, like an ice cream sundae or a burger and fries with a favorite beer.

Recommended Article: Why That Diet Didn’t Work for You

Do what works best for you. Eat larger meals of your favorite not-super-healthy foods less frequently (burger, fries, and a beer) or have something smaller most days so you can enjoy your favorite foods more frequently (a cookie each day, one glass of wine in the evening).

Eating in moderation can work for you. Take the time to learn how to practice it properly, in a way that best fits your lifestyle and preferences.