Tuesday, April 11, 2017

What A Season I Love Skiing


As the season ends, I look back on the winter with a huge smile. We had an enormous amount of snow and I was able to share my love and passion for skiing with so many people.

The Social Ski Group for members was a huge success. Our Monday expert group enjoyed exploring the deep powder stashes, tree skiing, and increasingly smaller airs... Andy Chambers, ex World Cup Racer, joined us on many Mondays and blessed us with stories, great company, and tips. What a true joy to watch someone ski so beautifully. His expertise and fluidity are amazing to watch.

The Wednesday intermediate group, which was consistently much bigger than the Monday group, was an incredible amount of fun. We challenged our skills in glades and powder. I watched skiers progress and gain confidence. Many of these skiers are ready for the expert group next year.

As always, the end of ski season is bittersweet for me. I look ahead to my mountain bike and my trail shoes, but skiing is my true love. With the warmer weather comes the influx of members and my busy season at 3 Creek. Longer days, twilight golf rounds and evening runs on the path await.

Until next year JHMR...

Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Back Pain? Read this...

60 to 80% of adults are struggling with back pain on a regular basis. While many conditions can lead to lower back pain (LBP), inadequate core strength is a common causal factor.
Increased sedentary jobs and sitting time can lead to muscle imbalances and weak core musculature, putting the low back at increased risk of injury. Here are a few common reasons increased sitting time leads to LBP:
  • The deep core muscles are meant to endure prolonged contractions to support and stabilize the spine. When we slouch in a chair all day, the core remains relatively inactive. This results in a decreased signal from the brain to the core telling it to “turn on” and protect the spine when necessary.
  • The psoas major, one of the strongest hip flexors, originates at the lumbar spine. Sitting can shorten this muscle, putting chronic stress on the low back.
  • The gluteal muscles, which are the powerful hip extensors, become lengthened and weak, known as “glute amnesia.” These muscles are then unable to do their job in regular activities of daily living, forcing other muscles, such as those in the low back, to compensate.
While avoiding sitting altogether is unrealistic, specific exercises can help to minimize your chance of developing LBP. Here are five effective body-weight exercises you can do anywhere to ward off LBP.

Plank

plank
Tried and true, nothing enhances core stability like a plank. Start with your elbows positioned directly below your shoulders and walk the feet back one at a time until the body is in a straight line. Engage the quads, glutes and core, while pushing the floor away through the toes and forearms. Perform one to three sets for 30-60 seconds, or as long as you can maintain proper form.
Ramp it Up: To increase the challenge, find an unstable surface. This can be done by placing the forearms or feet on a soft pad or exercise ball, or by raising one arm or leg. Your hips and shoulders should remain in line with one another throughout.
Pare it Down: Decrease the challenge by elevating the surface. Position the hands or forearms on a bench, table or railing at a height that is challenging but allows for maintenance of proper form.

Side Plank

side-plank
While the standard plank is helpful for reducing the risk of LBP, the side plank may be even more beneficial because it requires activation of the internal and external obliques. It’s imperative to strengthen these muscles, as they help control rotational movements of the spine. Start with your elbow positioned directly below your shoulder. With the feet stacked or staggered, drive up through the lower obliques until the body is in a straight line. Keep the shoulders and hips stacked. Perform one to three sets for 30-60 seconds, or as long as you can maintain proper form.
Pare it Down: Drop a knee to the floor for additional support or find an elevated surface to place the hand or forearm, reducing the challenge on the core.

Back Extension

back-extension
Think of the core as a box. To prevent LBP, all sides of the box need to be strong and stable. Back extensions help strengthen the often-overlooked posterior side. With your lower body supported on a table or tall bench, let the upper body hang toward the floor (you will need a partner or strap to anchor your legs to the table). Engage your entire core and extend your upper body until it’s in line with your legs. Be sure to avoid extending past 180 degrees (where the upper body is higher than the legs) to limit compressive forces on the lumbar spine. Lower slowly and repeat for one to three sets of 10-15 repetitions.
Ramp it Up: Increase the challenge by making this an isometric exercise. Hold the top position for 30-60 seconds, or as long as you can maintain proper form.

Supine Gluteal Bridge

supine-gluteal-bridge
Weak gluteal muscles contribute to LBP by passing their work to the low back. The powerful gluteal muscles support activities like walking, running, squatting and deadlifting, but when they lack sufficient strength, the back bares the brunt of the load. Start in a sit-up position with your arms down by your sides. Press firmly through your feet and engage your glutes to lift up the hips, creating a straight line from the heels to the shoulders. Hold for two seconds and lower slowly. Perform one to three sets of 10-15 repetitions.
Ramp it Up: Increase the challenge by performing this exercise with a single leg, while maintaining level hips.

Bird Dog

bird-dog
You’ve likely seen this exercise performed at the gym. And it’s probably been done incorrectly. To perform properly, the trunk should remain stable, while the arms and legs move.
Begin in a quadruped position with your core engaged. Slowly raise one arm and the opposite leg to torso height. Your hips and shoulders should continue facing the floor. Slowly lower and repeat for 10-15 repetitions or hold the top position for 15-30 seconds. Repeat one to three times on each side.
Ramp it Up: Instead of the typical flexion and extension seen with this move, try a lateral bird dog. Once you reach the top position with the arm and leg extended, move both appendages a few inches laterally. This will dramatically increase the core challenge. Slowly return to the extended position and repeat for one to three sets of 10-15 repetitions.
Low-back pain is a common and debilitating condition. With a proper routine, you can strengthen your core and gluteal muscles and reduce your injury risk. This workout can be performed with nothing but your body weight—at home, in the gym or at the office. To further protect your low back, maintain an upright, engaged posture while on the job and avoid staying in any one position for too long.

Friday, March 10, 2017

A Message To Everyone

The following is a message from Lululemon. This is why I am proud to be a brand ambassador representing this inspiring company:

For you,
If you feel strong, or fragile, or strong and fragile. If you sometimes laugh at your mistakes and sometimes cry at them. Whether you are loud, or quiet, or are sometimes loud and sometimes quiet. If you are a mother, not yet a mother, a stepmother, will never be a mother, or never want to be a mother. If some days you battle the feelings of being infinitely worthless, and some days you recognize your infinite worth. If you take a stand for what you believe in, or don’t know what to believe in. Whether you are full of love, or fear, or sometimes love and sometimes fear. If you feel most beautiful in high heels and dark lips surrounded by bright lights, or most beautiful with a naked face gazing up at bright stars. If some days you refuse to give up, and other days you have nothing left to give. Whether you feel lost, are searching, or have found yourself. If you take a step forward, or a step back, but no matter what, you keep stepping. 


Wherever you are, in all that you are, we honour you.


Namaste

Friday, February 24, 2017

Relentless Winter

Relentless Winter

What a season it has been and we still have a lot of winter left at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort!  Insane snow totals, a DEEP snow base and all time skiing conditions are the many reasons why we’ll remember the winter of 2016-17. Just when we thought we were out of the storm cycle, another massive storm arrived and dropped over three feet of snow in four days, and there’s more snow in the forecast.

126″ HAS FALLEN THIS FEBRUARY ALONE – THE MOST SNOW TO HAVE EVER FALLEN IN ANY FEBRUARY AT JHMR, TO DATE.

TOTAL SNOWFALL AT RENDEZVOUS BOWL

YEARAPRIL 8
TOTAL
APRIL 8
DEPTH
FEBRUARY 22
TOTAL
FEBRUARY 22
DEPTH
1982532″153″392″110″
1989469″126″319″94″
1997584156486138
2008571″136″394″96″
2009495″105″343″78″
2011565″154″356″105″
2014468″138″316″112″
2017N/AN/A472155

Saturday, February 11, 2017

Snowpocolipse and deadlifts

Insanity in Jackson Hole this week.

On Tuesday night a wind storm blew down 17 power lines that supply power to northern Jackson, the airport, and Teton Village. Following that disaster there were two days of rain on top of 40 inches of snow. This creates very dangerous avalanche conditions which caused slides. These slides closed both the road over the pass to Victor and the road through the Hoback Canyon. Therefore, all roads in and out of Jackson were impassable.

Many roofs were caving in throughout the region.  The sheriffs office, sears complex and numerous personal residences are suffering from the weight and water content of the snow.

Crews from the surrounding states have been working 24 hours per day to restore power and normalcy to Jackson. 

I cannot help but think of all the money lost from tourism, all the food rotting in freezers across Jackson, and all the employees who will make no money during this time.  People are displaced, roads are a mess, grocery stores are emptying.

The community has shown its strength. Extra fitness classes have been added at many local studios, people have opened their homes, freezers and showers to those without power. I am proud to be a member of this amazing (and sometimes isolated) community.

Non-related item: today I had a PR (personal record) in deadlift.



Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Be Stronger Than Your Excuses

I have heard in my life that golf is a gentleman's game. To me, this means that a golfer has integrity. A golfer is honest about the score and the rules because normally a golfer is his or her own judge.

Currently, I believe that working out is a gentlewoman's sport. "How so?" Let me explain...

At times, I am in the gym alone. I have an app on my phone with a workout from my coach. It tells me what to do. It has a video in case I don't know the move.  It tells me how many sets and reps, and it tells me how much weight I did the last few times I did that particular exercise.  From there it is up to me.

If I cheat on my form, or record the incorrect weight, I am a cheater. When I am on rep number 12 and I feel like I can't do another rep, do I give up? Or do I push through and try to do all 15 reps? Am I stronger than my excuses?

I strive to be stronger than my excuses every day. Does that mean I never lower the weights? Does that mean that I never get sick or hurt? Does that mean I never adjust a workout? Absolutely not. I listen to my body, I desire to push myself and be the strongest I can be on that particular day. I rely on my brain and my body to work together to make good decisions.

Last week I missed two days of workouts (the first workouts I have missed since beginning this program.) I was fasting on Monday for a medical procedure that took place on Tuesday. Per doctors orders, I missed two days, which was four workouts. Today I did back and biceps, the workout I missed last week. As I was setting my weight for the lat pull and the narrow grip low row, the excuse side of my brain told me to set the weights lower or the same. The strong part of my brain said to go ahead and increase the weight and just do my best. I ended up having three personal bests today.

Today, I was stronger than my excuses!



Friday, January 20, 2017

Don't get "Hangry!" What is our eating plan?

I am always eating.  It is important to eat every 3 hours during this program in order to keep your body from feeling hungry. The body needs to have something to burn so it does not burn the muscle that I am trying so hard to build. 

A good visual that I like to think of is that my metabolism is a bonfire. I have to feed the fire every few hours to keep it from getting too small and going out. If you feed the fire too much at one time it will flare out of control.

Here is a sample of a given day of eating. This is taken from my food log on January 6th:

6am- 6 egg whites, 1/2 cup (pre cooked) oats, 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk, 1/2 cup blueberries

8:30am (Post-workout 1)- 1 scoop Isopure protein powder, 2 rice cakes

10:30am- 4 oz grilled chicken, 4 oz cilantro lime quinoa, 4 oz asparagus

1:30pm- 4 oz ground turkey (seasoned w/ chili powder, cumin and salt), 5 oz sweet potato, 4 oz spinach

4:30pm (Post workout 2)- 4 oz ground turkey and 4 oz mixed salad greens with 1/4 avocado and vinegar

7:30pm- 4 oz sirloin, 4 oz brussel sprouts

9:30pm- 1 scoop of Isopure protein powder

As you can see, it is lots of food. The combinations of protein, carbs and veggies can vary. We are not eating any carbs after 4pm.  I have found it to be fairly easy as long as I have the food prepared and with me wherever I go. (And as long as I don't thing about doughnuts too often.)

Happy eating friends!