strength training

  • Body

    Video: 10 Minute Post-Pregnancy Abs/Core Workout

    Post Pregnancy Abs Core Workout

    Calling all new moms—here’s a safe and effective core workout to help you start to rebuild your abdominal strength!

    I have so many friends who have gotten pregnant recently. I think it’ll be cool to look back and see the numbers for the COVID baby boom one day, because there definitely was one in my social circle. I’ve also worked with a lot of clients who have become pregnant and given birth over my years as a fitness trainer. So I know it can be challenging to know where to start with you core, since you can’t jump back into working your abs the same way you did before.

    Ideally, everyone would have a physical therapist to work with after having a baby, but since that’s not often possible, I’m bringing the PT to you. All of these exercises are ones I did with my own physical therapist this past year and are approved for postpartum strengthening!

    Nope—I’ve never been pregnant, but I know what it is to lose your core strength from a traumatic injury.

    Which childbirth is, in a sense. It’s a LOT for your body to go through. So first please remember to be super kind to yourself during your recovery period. Healing is slow, but you will get there. You may not notice the changes in your body day to day, but over time you’ll feel more comfortable and strong in your body again.

    What happened to me is I had chest surgery, basically sewing my sternum back down after I had a breast augmentation go wrong. Because of this, I couldn’t use my arms at all for months. My entire upper body became weak. I was literally sewn inward, and couldn’t even stand up straight. I lost all my core strength. And had to rebuild one step at a time.

    It’s important to love your body through it all. It’s amazing what your body can do!

    I mean—you just grew a human. Your body is INCREDIBLE. Love it through every stage—even when you feel your most weak. Our bodies are a sacred vessel that we so easily abuse and take for granted, especially as women who are trained to pick apart our appearance.

    Try to focus instead on gratitude for all that your body can do, rather than what it looks like in any particular moment.

    This simple 10 minute Post-Pregnancy Abs/Core Workout will help you rebuild your abdominal strength from your innermost core out.

    You have to ease back into core workouts really gently, and this video is the perfect way to start exercises once your doctor approves. I offer ways to modify the exercises, but please always listen to your body and consult with your doctor with any questions or concerns. Start slow—a little bit of progress evert day creates big changes. (Remember it took 9 months to grow the baby!)

    When you’re pregnant, your core shifts and stretches (your organs actually move around) to make room for your baby. So, the thing to focus on first is a feeling of cinching in your waistline (all the way around your body) in towards your center, towards your spine. Imagine an umbrella folding in, everything pulling to center. This is what is going to work your very innermost core muscles, called your transverse abdominal muscles. Breathe deeply and focus on the pull in sensation as you exhale

    We target your transverse abdominal muscles bigtime in the below 10 minute Post-Pregnancy Abs / Core Workout video, along with your obliques, back, and chest, which all connect together to make up your core. This will help improve your posture, strengthen your back for holding you baby, and help prevent injury while keeping you healthy all around!

    This workout is also safe and effective for those who have had C-sections; in fact, I made it specifically for a friend who recently had one!

    You’ll do:

    • Plank
      • In this video you’ll begin doing a plank at the wall. You’ll gradually increase the incline by walking away from the wall, then finding a counter or chair, then on your knees on the ground, until finally a full plank—it took me a year to do this, for context. Go slow.
    • Walk the dogs
      • Lift your right arm and left leg, then switch.
      • Try to avoid rocking your hips or chest.
    • Foot march lifts, lying on back
      • Keep a neutral flat back on the ground the whole time (low back is slightly off the ground).
      • Can advance this move by switching feet midair, then trying both feet up and hovering.
    • Oblique leg triangle lowers, lying on back
      • Lower knees down towards the ground/out to the side, then up.
    • Side planks
      • Forearm down, lift up out of your shoulder, hips lift.
      • Can modify by keeping your hips down.

    Click below to play the video and do the workout:

    Let me know how you feel after this core workout — drop me a note in the Disqus Comments section below!

    xo,
    Amy

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  • Body

    What’s The Most Effective Workout?

    What Type Of Workout Should You Do » From the Infinite Embers blog

    What Type Of Workout Should You Do » From the Infinite Embers blog

    Lean in closer, guys — I’m about to reveal the secret of the most effective workout. Because there really is a trick to exercise that most people don’t know.

    I get asked about this all the time, by both experienced fitness junkies and beginners. And I know that right now is when a lot of us are diving into our New Year’s Resolutions. If you’re just starting to develop a workout routine, the amount of options can easily become overwhelming. There are so many different ways to exercise – from Zumba to spin to running to barre. These workouts all promise to get you into shape, melt fat, strengthen + tone muscle, improve mobility, and help you feel great. So how do you know where to invest your time and energy to ensure you get the most effective workout possible every time you exercise?

    Let’s get one quick thing out of the way:

    Any form of movement is going to be beneficial.

    Well, okay, obviously certain movements can and do hurt your body — like, don’t throw yourself against a wall. I’m using common sense here and expect that you are, too — along with a certain level of mindfulness. If you’re just beginning to work out, I highly encourage you to get help from a personal trainer for a few sessions, or invest in some form of private lessons. Or attend group classes with knowledgable instructors, so that you can learn proper alignment and how to work out correctly. In the very least, watch some tutorial videos on YouTube (like on my channel).

    Exercises can hurt you if not performed correctly, so if you’re ever not sure about something, ask! (You can always comment or reach out to me on social media for help.)

    (Quick side note: Honestly, I’m not the biggest fan of Crossfit because the potential for injury is pretty high — but that’s a rant for another time. If you happen to love Crossfit and do the exercises correctly, you can definitely gain a lot of strength… just be cautious.)

    But first and foremost, know that if you’re doing some kind of physical activity, you’re doing your body good. We’re born to move. We aren’t meant to sit stationary at our desks and chairs and couches all day, as most of us do. The human body is designed to perform all sorts of movements, and it functions best when it gets the chance to show off all the cool things it can do.

    What Type Of Workout Should You Do » From the Infinite Embers blog

    You should be moving every single day.

    This is step one. Get some form of movement in. Every. Goddamn. Day. Make sure at least one day a week is very light movement (like yoga) to give your body a break, but the first goal here is just to make movement a more natural part of your routine overall. The most effective workout is one that actually happens, after all.

    Don’t give me any excuses about not having enough time – 5 minutes of jumping jacks is enough to get your heart rate up and can be done during the commercial breaks when you’re watching Hulu. Obviously, I think your body is worth a little more time than that, so I recommend at least 15 minutes of sustained activity every day, even if it’s a simple walk during your lunch break. That’s a great place to start. Enter a workout schedule for the week into your calendar every Sunday and commit to those times like you would any other appointment.

    Okay, so the first step to finding your most effective workout routine is committing to it. But if you’re still not sure what to do, here’s the short answer:

    Do whatever workout you actually enjoy.

    What Type Of Workout Should You Do » From the Infinite Embers blog

    Seriously. If you find some sort of activity that feels fun, you’ll be way more likely to stick to it.

    So think about what motivates you: If you like making friends and meeting people outside of work, join a soccer league. If you love to shake it at the club, enroll in a dance class. If you’re super competitive, head to Orange Theory. You get the idea.

    Just find something that doesn’t feel like suffering. If there are moments where you aren’t thinking about the workout at all, and you’re just having a good time, then you’ve found your very own ideal fitness match.

    Granted, there will still be moments of suffering. Working out is about pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone, which can be, well — uncomfortable. You just need to not hate it, you know? And extra bonus points if you find you really like it. Remember that working out gets better and more enjoyable the more you do it, so stick with it.

    But what if you’re working out regularly and still not seeing results?

    Like I said above, I frequently get asked about this by many people who already have a steady exercise routine but feel like they’re hitting a plateau in their fitness. I was this person, once. In college my main form of exercise was to run for 30 min, do ab work, and stretch. I did this every day. And yet, I was, well… really weak.

    Working out more is not the solution, by the way. Taking double spin classes or running from barre to yoga to Pilates class every single day is a recipe for burnout and possibly a disordered addiction to exercise. As a fitness instructor, I have to work out a lot. I’m totally a crazy person and love it and my ideal day involves me being very active… but I’ve found that in those stretches of times where I worked out the most, I was actually my physically weakest. At a certain point your body starts to compensates for all that extra wear and tear and it just leads to injury and illness.

    Work smarter, my friends, not harder.

    What Type Of Workout Should You Do » From the Infinite Embers blog

    So here’s what you’ve really been waiting to hear. If you want to get even more out of your workouts, let me tell you the secret to ideal fitness:

    If you’re really serious about getting results, the most effective workout routine includes 3 things: cardio + strength training + some form of active recovery.

    Yes, you need all them. Consider it the Holy Trinity of Fitness.

    In all likelihood, you’re not getting the right balance of these three workouts. For most people, the real problem is cardio (which, FYI, is exercise that increases your heart rate for an extended period of time). It makes you sweaty and uncomfortable in ways strength training just doesn’t. But I promise you can do it — it just comes down to finding a type of cardiovascular movement that works for you.

    It’s also super common for people to only do cardio and neglect strength training — and most people don’t even think about recovery. But you need to stretch, do some yoga, foam roll, etc ideally every day to let your body get the most benefits from the cardio and/or strength training you do.

    You can do cardio and strength training all in one day, but I generally prefer to alternate them and double up once in a while to shake my body into high gear. I also make sure to do some kind of yoga every day.

    Cardio + Strength Training are both important components of the most effective workout regimen because they challenge your body differently.

    The Low-Down on Cardio

    » Helps you live longer

     » More effective at burning fat

    » Can help raise good cholesterol + lower your bad cholesterol

    » Improves your immune system

    » Can help reducing stress

    The Low-Down on Strength Training

    » Helps prevent injuries

    » Improves functional strength and mobility

    » Evens out imbalances in the body

    » Makes you better at your cardio of choice

    » This is pure vanity, but we tend to like the look of toned muscles

    I mean, I don’t know about you, but I say why do only one when you can get all the benefits listed above?!

    Do them on different days or combine them for a killer workout (do your strength training first and you’ll burn more calories during your cardio) — whatever keeps you committed to your workout routine.

    What Type Of Workout Should You Do » From the Infinite Embers blog

    Also – keep things spicy and mix up your workouts as often as you can.

    You guys know that for cardio I personally love spin (I mean it really is the most fun thing I do), and before that I was a longtime dancer and runner, as I mentioned above. But the cardio I dread? Swimming. I suck at it, and I gulp water while gasping for air, and the pool chlorine makes my skin itch. But I still do it from time to time, just to test my upper back strength and to shake my body out of its comfort zone.

    Every time you push yourself out of that comfort zone, you grow. The most effective workout routine is one that involves variety, commitment, and focus. With time, you’ll find that you grow stronger not just physically, but mentally and emotionally, too, as you prove to yourself just how strong you really are

    Aim to move and push yourself whenever you can, and you’ll get your body into the best shape possible.

    What’s your favorite type of workout? Any workouts you hate (seriously I’m just the worst at swimming)? Share with me in the comments!

    xo,

    Amy

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  • Body

    How To Squat With Correct Form

    How To Do A Squat With Correct Form » From the Infinite Embers blog

    The squat is just always going to be one of my favorite workout moves.

    It’s so simple, yet majorly effective. Squat is also a word that if you think about too much starts to sound really weird. (You’re welcome)

    I make sure to throw in a round of squats at least 3 times a week when I train!

    Why squat?

    Squats are amazing because they’re a functional movement — that is, it’s a movement you do in real life. It’s rare that we’re lunging around our houses, but you know you gotta squat to lift up a heavy box.

    A squat is also a compound movement, meaning it involves two or more joints (hips and knees). It also recruits the majority of your muscles. We tend to think of squats just as a booty-building move (and it will help you build up that #peachbutt), but it involves not just your glutes but also all of your legs, core, hips, and back. Hold a weight in your hands while you do it and it might just work almost every muscle group in your body. Stronger muscles means improved physical health and decreased risk of injury — starting to get why I love squats yet?

    There are of course different variations of squats. For example, if I need to drop down to the ground for some reason (like to play with my dogs), I tend to prefer to hang out in malasana (which is a yoga squat that’s fairly deep), instead of sitting (it’s definitely strange). If you can rest in that position comfortably, it’s way better on your back than slumping cross-legged, even if it does look a little odd. In many countries around the world, especially in Asia, that’s just how they hang out. Walk around Bali and you’ll see lots of vendors chilling a couple feet off the ground. They know what’s up.

    (BTW — you should also be squatting to go the bathroom. But that’s for another post.)

    Today I want to talk about the basic bodyweight squat, since that’s the squat most of us know and love/hate.

    It’s a fitness move you’d think everyone would basically do correctly, but you’d be wrong, my friend.

    I have seen some jacked-up squats when I’ve taught them in my classes.

    So let’s go over correct squat form.

    Here’s the right way to do a standard bodyweight squat:

    How To Do A Squat With Correct Form » From the Infinite Embers blog

    • Stand with your feel slightly wider than hips’ distance and slightly turned outwards
    • Push down through your heels so your weight pulls backwards
    • Bend your knees as you pull your hips back and down
    • Keep your back long and in neutral (low back maintains natural curve)
    • Your pelvis should also stay in a neutral position (no tucking!)
    • Keep your chest broad
    • Engage your core
    • As you sink you hips down, only go as far as you can while maintaining your long neutral spine
    • Watch your knees and make sure they do not bend past your toes
    • Also focus on keeping your knees tracking over your 2nd and 3rd toes so they don’t cave in or bow out
    • Grip the floor evenly through all ten toes
    • The goal is to get your hip joint below your knee joint (this position is called “parallel”) — but work up this and only lower as far as you can while maintaining proper form
    • Squeeze your seat when you come back up to standing
    • Do at least 3 rounds of 15 sets
    • You can also up the intensity of your workout by holding your squat down as low as you can for as long as you can, then adding little pulses, moving your hips up and down 1″. Get ready for that booty burn!

    Now here’s what NOT to do:

    Avoid These Common Squat Form Mistakes » From the Infinite Embers blog

    I can’t even stand to look at this one. Like just looking at my back makes me want to scream.

    What’s funny is that I was posing in this horrible Gollum position for this photo when a couple walked by… they must have been so confused watching my husband taking photos of me like this. I like to think they assumed that I was attempting to do this squat as I tried to look super cool on Instagram with this beautiful Hawaiian view and that no one had the heart to tell me that I really sucked.

    This was actually the second round of photos we took showing the bad form, because in the first one I didn’t jut out my knees far enough for it to look wrong. It hurts to do! Guys! Why do you do it?!

    This picture is obviously overly exaggerated, but sadly I actually do see these mistakes quite often when I teach. Thankfully not often all at once though – it’s actually fairly difficult to try to squat this horribly!

    To recap, here’s what’s going wrong in this photo:

    • My spine is rounded forward – and my chest is caved in
    • I’m also hanging my head down so my neck is rounded forward, too
    • My hips are tucked under like a dog with a tail between its legs instead of in neutral
    • I’m not using my core at all
    • My knees are going way too far forward – past my toes!
    • They’re also caving in towards each other instead of staying in line with my feet
    • My weight is forward in the balls of my feet, not my heels
    • I also have my feet too close together and slightly turned in

    And now a video to bring it all together:

     

    Here I talk through and demonstrate how to do a squat correctly — it’s nice and quick for whenever you need an easy refresher!

    One final note:

    I usually do squats barefoot, but this coral happened to be a bit too sharp for my feet, so flip-flops it was! (They’re Oofos, which are incredibly comfortable and super supportive — here’s a link if you want to buy some! That’s an affiliate link and will help support the blog. I wear these flip-flops every single day and LOVE them.)

    When you do squats barefoot instead of in shoes, it helps you get better grip with your toes and strengthens the muscles in your feet. If you want a way to give them a little TLC after your barefoot workout, I recommend stretching your feet out.

    Do you love doing squats, too? Or is more of a love/hate thing? What do you struggle with the most when doing them? Share your thoughts with me in the Comments!

    xo,

    Amy

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  • Yoga

    Full 60 Minute NamaSLAY Vinyasa Yoga Sculpt Class Video

    I’m so excited to share this yoga sculpt workout with you guys!

    You know those days when you want to do yoga but you’re also craving a serious workout? My NamaSLAY yoga sculpt class is exactly what you need.

    Sometimes a regular yoga class just won’t give you that serious sweat and muscle burn your body craves – it can be hard to predict the intensity when you go take a class at a studio. You’re kind of at the mercy of the instructor. So I created this class for those days when you want to get serious and work your body.

    This is a traditional vinyasa yoga class kicked up a notch. The class incorporates classic fitness strength training and cardio bursts into your flow to make sure you get a killer total-body burn. I was SO SORE the day after filming this video, so I have to say – it works.

    The best part about this yoga sculpt class is that you don’t need any weights! You’ll be doing total-body toning moves using just your body weight. Prepare to be challenged and pushed to harness your inner strength. This class will push you, but anyone can do it. It’s accessible to all levels of yoga experience as long as you listen to your body and go at your own pace. You’ll end this 60 minute class feeling unstoppable.

    No props needed, but blocks are always suggested if needed. Remember to go at your own pace and listen to your body!

    NamaSLAY Yoga Workout by Amy Baack » Full FREE 60 Minute Class Video » From the Infinite Embers blog

    This workout is perfect as we enter into the fall season.

    First off, it’s very weird to be experiencing a year on Hawaii for the first time… I truly have no sense of time. It’s unnerving. I know everyone always says, “Can you believe it’s already ____?” like this is the first time they’ve noticed the passage of time, but it’s for real out here. It’s literally the exact same weather as June. The amount of light in a day also doesn’t change much throughout the year, so we had shorter summers, with it dark by 7 pm, and that’s just the way it’s stayed. I’m in a time warp, people.

    And for the first time in my life, I’m kind of missing cold weather?

    But anyway, for the rest of you – when it starts to get a little colder out, and the days get a little slower, it can be hard to find those bursts of energy that come so effortlessly when it’s those sunny summer days. We start to get a little sleepy, a little lazy… you feel kind of blah. So working out is the last thing you want to do.

    But it’s actually exactly what you need to do.

    High intensity movement like my NamaSLAY yoga sculpt workout can reenergize you and improve your mood and focus.

    You’ll seriously feel amazing afterwards, because you’ll tap into your internal strength. And once you see just how much you are actually capable of, you’ll be ready to take over the world.

    Let me know what you think of this workout! Write me a note in the Comments below and let me know your favorite part of the class!

    xo,

    Amy

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