Julia Derek

Trainer by Day, Writer by Night

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Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

March 17, 2023by Julia Derek 2 Comments

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Who said you have to sit down when you do the lat pulldown exercise I'm doing in this reel? Do it standing and engage your core to not only become more functionally fit but also to develop leaner yet super strong muscle. While you can't control the actual SHAPE of your genetic muscle type, you can control the size you BUILD.

Did you know that, sometimes, the last thing you want to do to a muscle is stretch it? For example, when a muscle is already very flexible, there's no need to stretch that body part. Only stretch muscles that are very tight and skip the rest of your body. Often, simply strengthening a muscle group will improve pain/stiffness around a joint as opposed to stretching it. Definitely skip stretching muscles that are pulled or very sore after a workout. Stretch them when the muscle has healed instead. Don't be stupid like me and overstretch your hamstrings when it's really your back and calves that are tight!

Ladies, if you want a toned, tight body--you know, the dancer long and lean look everyone talks about---and you're no longer in your 20s, you need to add muscle to your bones. Unless you're a professional athlete or have spent your life strength-training, chances are you've lost significant muscle mass by the time you hit 40. Start lifting weights ASAP! Forget about Barre classes and cardio-intense activities. Of course, eating a low-calorie, high-protein diet is just as important as strength-training your entire body at least twice a week.

Want great, tight arms? Do the two exercises I'm doing in this reel. You can do them anywhere. Multi-joint exercises such as the one-arm dumbell row and tricep pushups will get you sexy, tight arm quicker than bicep curls and tricep extension exercises (though, do them too for best results!). Reason multi-joint exercises are better is because they not only build muscle on your arms, but they also BURN MORE CALORIES, which helps getting rid of fat covering your muscles. Also, you become more functionally strong if you use more joints.

You don't necessarily have to go up into a full bridge (or wheel like yogis call it) like I do here, but training to perform one has lots of benefits for your body, especially as we age. Benefits include:

Always listen to your body to avoid injuries. If an exercise doesn't feel right, stop immediately and do something else. I'm not referring to an exercise that's challenging or generally uncomfortable b/c you're currently out of shape. But never push through pain in a joint or if it feels like a muscle is about to get pulled.

#happystpatricksday #saintpatricksday #fitover40 #nevertoolatetogetfit #tgif #stpattysday #bikinibod #bikinigirl

Be sure to include lateral band walks into your strength workouts to activate your glutes, especially glute medius. This muscle is often forgotten. Strengthening it will not only give your butt a nice round shape, but it will also help support your knees and hips, making you more stable. Runners especially will benefit from band workouts. As you can see in the reel, I mix up the directions I'm moving in. You want to keep your glutes guessing! Plus, mixing it up will strengthen lots of other hip and knee supporting muscles. Key is to keep your knees over the second and third toes at all times! Think pigeon toed...

It's middle of March already, people! Two more months and its bikini season. Did you start on your beach body yet? It's high time!

#sundayfunday #loveofmylife #catskills #catsofig #fitnesslife #crazycatlady #catsagram #fitnessaddict #exercise #catvideosofinstagram #catvibes

#tbt Me striking a pose on a Santa Monica beach at age 26. Real hair color and all:) A few pounds heavier, which I'm trying to hide by really stretching myself out...

Thankfully, my beloved furbaby survived. After I made him throw up... Just kidding, didn't do that😁 I did spend an hour googling all the ingredients in my foot cream, though, to make sure none was toxic for cats...

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