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Muscle Fibers 101 & Goal-specific Training
Our bodies are composed of three types of skeletal muscle fibers: (1) Type I: slow-twitch, high endurance capacity; (2) Type IIa: fast-twitch, large, powerful, medium endurance capacity; and (3) Type IIb: fast-twitch, large, powerful, and easy-to-fatigue (sometimes called fight-or-flight muscle fibers). Your muscle fiber composition ratio is dependent on a muscle’s function, your age, your genetics, and – something you…
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Exercise, Training, or Ritual
Are you exercising, training, or performing rituals? You might consider the first two to be synonymous and the third, esoteric and totally foreign. However, I would argue that the first two are similar but distinct, and a lot of people might unintentionally be engaged in the third. Either way, I would argue that each are valuable and can play a…
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Understanding and Manipulating Macronutrients
Our bodies require three types of macronutrients: carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. These nutritional categories are further subdivided based on variations in composition and nutritional content. Through understanding these variations, you can adjust your choices to better fuel and recover from workouts and improve your overall health. Calories per gram/macronutrient: Carbohydrates: 4 calories per gram Proteins: 4 calories per gram Fats:…
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Why You Need an Exercise Log
An exercise log has three primary functions: it should contain a pre-written daily workout or workout of the day (WOD, as CrossFitters say); it can be used to track training output per training session; and it’s a way to compare weekly and monthly training progress. Although a written exercise log (digital or physical) might seem too simple a tool to…
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Do You Need a Gym for an Effective Workout? – A Fit Mom’s Experience
As a young, broke mom, I worked out at home for five years before ever joining a gym. I developed a six-pack for the first time a month after giving birth to my son, and a few months later, my legs were toned for the first time. I had my first taste of muscle growth and progress with exercise. I…
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2020 Self-help Message
I’ve been part of a superficial industry for a long time now: the fitness world. After seventeen years of people criticizing my body shape or exercise goals, I came to realize what I wrote below, which is intended for anyone struggling with rejection, minimization, or insults regarding their health and fitness goals. The message: don’t seek validation outside yourself I’ve…
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How I Raised My Credit Score as a Broke Single Mom
Financial literacy wasn’t a topic in my family home while I was growing up. By my early twenties, my mind was pretty much programmed to believe the financial odds were stacked against me. I never looked into building my credit because I didn’t understand the value of doing so, and after gross mismanagement of my first credit card, I was…
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Testimony from a Female Ex-Steroid User
This post correlates with my earlier posts: “Undesirable Side Effects of Steroid Use” and “7 Reasons Why I Don’t Compete.” The video below is of strength athlete Gracie Davis. She is a voice of caution for women who use or are considering using steroids. Her deepened voice and the other masculine changes she has experienced are permanent — her gains in…
