![Small [but] MIGHTY](http://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/534af3cbe4b0abec1443f1ea/1428717495243-LMFNQWMAWR317YA5XXEI/small+but1.jpg?format=1500w)
Have you ever heard the term 'Neutral Spine'? Have you ever wondered what the heck it means? Therapists and trainers often throw this term around, but I think we sometimes forget to explain the concept! Last week we discussed the differences between the appendicular and axial skeleton as it applied to core-to-extremity recruitment. This week we'll break down neutral spine positioning as it applies to the squat! Check it out below!
Small But Mighty Movement Minutes Are Here!
I started this website and blog with one major goal in mind: Empowerment through movement, fitness and training. It occurred to me recently that what I have shared with you thus far has been lacking one critical element to reach this goal. Why? Because when it comes to empowering someone through movement, simply prescribing exercises or training routines is NOT enough. Rather, a deeper level of understanding is required, such that one can make educated, evidenced based decisions, regarding exercise choice, optimal positioning and progressions. Having access to all of this information truly enables someone to take their health and fitness into their own hands, and to design an individualized training routine to meet their OWN needs and goals.
Enter Movement Minutes
A weekly video blog post (I think the techy kids call it a vlog lol) where I provide you with key concepts and recent research in the fields of Strength and Conditioning as well as Exercise Physiology. Through thousands of hours of post-secondary education, certifications, self-directed learning, and my own training, I have learned a tonne of information and critical concepts that have changed the way I train myself, my clients, and the way I teach classes. I cannot wait share this information with you in the form of weekly tips and small tidbits of information that you can apply to your own training in order to make it as safe, efficient, and productive as possible. After all...
"Knowledge is power... and with great power, comes great responsibility."
It's time to train your brain, and cultivate your mind-body connection. Building solid movement patterns, establishing good movement habits, and selecting the right exercises will enable you to optimize your training and performance to keep you healthy, happy and strong.
With all this said, check out the first Movement Minutes Post:
Bone Up on Skeletal Anatomy and Core to Extremity Recruitment
The (F)Empower Project Presents: The Champ is Here
Meet Theodora Pistiolis, mother of two, hairdresser by day, Professional Muay Thai fighter by night. One of the nicest and funniest ladies you'll ever encounter, she shares her (F)empower Story and motivation for training in today's post!
I’m a mom of two girls ages 8 and 3 and run two full time businesses. Owner and professional fighter at Hook Up Muay Thai and hairstylist in my personal hair studio. It’s an odd combination but I love both.
"When I first started training, it was all about weight and size..."
When I first started training it was all about weight and size but after all these years and now raising two girls it’s so much more to me than that, and to be honest “size” seems to be the furthest in my mind. Feeling healthy and strong is what drives me. Setting an example for my kids so they stay active is most important to me, and...
hearing my 8 year old tell her friends"My mom is athletic" is priceless.
I started Muay Thai 18 years ago. I was out of shape, bored and needed motivation. I took a class for fun with a girlfriend and was hooked instantly. I began training for my first fight a few years later and the addiction was apparent. I haven’t looked back since.
I train 5 days a week which consists of bag and pad work along with specific sports related strength training. A professional Muay Thai/K1 bout consists of 5x 3min rounds. My goal and focus during training is to deliver power and speed for more than the required time without “gassing out”.
"Long term, keeping my body fit and strong through basic strength training, cardiovascular workouts along with healthy eating habits will allow me to keep punching and kicking for at least the next 20 years."
Being as busy as I am, it’s a priority to get my training done as early as possible during the day. I keep it consistent throughout the year and increase the intensity leading up to a competition. The strength training is usually heavier weights when I’m not in a competition stage and once we get closer to an event it becomes sports specific with an intense anaerobic component.
When I have a fight scheduled motivation is never a factor. Bottom line…stepping into the ring to fight is just that. I stay fit and work hard to be safe and win. The rest of the time has become a routine. I exercise because it’s a necessity, like food, and I love to eat. If there’s a day I’m not motivated I will head into the gym anyways and once I start I’m usually ok. If I have an off day and I still can’t get going I shut it down and move on.
I’m convinced that exercise helps me mentally and emotionally especially in my sport. There’s nothing better that hitting a bag to let off steam or clearing my mind.
Being a female fighter has never been an issue for me. I do have to prove myself every now and again but I understand that fighting isn’t a typical sport for women. Finding women to spar with has always been difficult so I spar with men.
One of the issues I encounter sparring with guys is that at first, they are hesitant to hit me; once I explain that they’re not doing me any favours it usually changes or I’d hit them hard enough to show them that I’m serious.
My daughter has been kickboxing since she was 4 and she has never backed down. She wears pink boxing gloves and pink head gear when she spars and she regularly trains with boys. She is equal that that's the empowering message I want her to hear
"She is equal and that’s the empowering message I want her to hear."
" I feel that exercise and strength gives women/girls independence. Life is full of things you have no control over but you absolutely do have control over your body, what you do with it and what you chose to put in it."
BE THE BEST VERSION OF YOU.
Theodora Pistiolis
Today's Special - 28/11/15
I've seen a lot of posts regarding people's daily workouts on social media recently, and while these posts can be truly inspiring, we shouldn't necessarily be doing a certain workout just because our #wcw or #mcm does it!
I'm posting today's training to highlight a training principle called SPECIFICITY! What does this mean? Simply put, if you want to get faster, stronger or more efficient in a given sport or movement, you have to work that movement, or parts of it in your training!
Todays session was based on Accessory Work - movements/exercises that will help strengthen my main lifts, decrease bilateral differences in strength and recruitment, and improve my skating! I finished with a little burner to help with conditioning, with low reps of power-based movements (just like the energy system I use in hockey) to avoid overtaxing my system! The big picture here: #alwaysaskwhy! Train in a way that is safe, efficient, and conducive to your goals, not your friends's goals or those of your social medial idol. If you want specific results, use the principles of exercise science to achieve them!
Today's Special - 28/11/15
Warm-Up
- Joint Mobility & Dynamic Movement
Accessory Work
A1. Goblet Squats
A2. Bent-over Single KB Rows
B1. Single rack KB Lunges
B2. Floor Press
C1. Single leg Glute bridges
C2. Prone Hollow Body Hold
C3. Hollow back rocks
Finisher
5 Rounds of:
- 5 pistols to box/side
- 5 KB Swings
- 5 toes to Dumbbells
The (F)Empower Project: Meet Mel!
I’m a television host and producer for a Canadian music television show I co-created called BRBR. I’m also the founder, content creator & creative director for MELSAYS.COM, a website I started a few years ago. My goal was to share my passions for travel, wellness, food, fashion and surf with everyone. This website has taught me so much about myself, it’s been such a wonderful journey thus far.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve always been playing sports and been active. Growing up, I was the kid that belonged to every sports team and had an activity every night after school. I grew up doing every sport imaginable and as I got older I started focusing my energies more particularly on dancing.
When I moved to Toronto six years ago, I decided to stop dancing. After more than 22 years of dancing, teaching and performing, I felt like I had had enough. That said, being in a new city, I wanted to remain active and with my crazy schedule, the thing that I was drawn to the most was running.
Last summer, I also started doing NTC and working with Nike and it completely reignited my passion for being outdoors and living an active lifestyle. Working in the music industry and having an irregular schedule had thrown off my training game a bit so I was so excited to see that I still had that fire inside of me.
Through training, I also met some amazing new people that really opened my eyes to how amazing living an active life can be.
Being fit and leading a healthy and active lifestyle can mean so many different things to so many people. To me, it’s taking time for myself several times a week to get out and be active. I’ve realized that the more I’m active, the better I can sleep and the less stressed and anxious I feel. It has also made me feel a lot more confident about myself and a lot stronger mentally.
"Being active...has also made me Feel a lot more confident about myself, and a lot stronger mentally."
Photo credit: Mymediaphoto
Though my training regimen tends to change quite often due to the amount of time I spend traveling, I always make it a point to train at least 3x a week, no matter where I am and what I’m doing. Ideally, when I’m home, I run 3x a week and also do 1-2 NTC classes. I also ride my bike every day and on weekends will spend time outdoors. I love surfing, wakeboarding, snowboarding, hiking, swimming, yoga, etc.
I’ve realized there are many things that keep me motivated to keep training and exercising. The first, is being the daughter of a cancer survivor, I want to put all the chances on my side and lead the healthiest life possible to avoid as many health issues as I can. Second, working out makes me feel good, it makes me feel happy and more relaxed. Even if I sometimes don’t feel like going out or working out initially, the feeling I get afterwards is always worth it. Third, the amazing group of people I’ve met through training, running and partaking in races is a huge motivation. I used to run and train mostly on my own but meeting these incredible people have kept me on my toes and kept me wanting to keep up with all of them.
It makes me so happy to see and be able to work out with so many incredible women. I feel privileged to live somewhere where women come together to work out and stay fit. Through doing so, we also develop incredible friendships and are able to share so many important moments together.
I find that people’s attitudes towards women and fitness are changing. I see the standard of beauty in society also changing. It wasn’t too long ago that really skinny and unhealthy looking women were gracing the covers of magazines. Today, we are finding more and more healthy and fit women on these same covers, on runways and in press in general. It’s nice to see people slowly waking up and realizing that healthy is better than skinny. I hope that attitudes will keep changing and people will embrace a healthier lifestyle above and beyond everything else.
"I think being fit and being a woman is the best thing."
I feel I’m the best version of myself when I’m leading an active lifestyle and being fit. I love being able to workout, getting down and dirty, getting a good sweat but then also being feminine and enjoying this healthy body.
This past year was definitely an important year because it’s the year I felt the strongest and the healthiest. It was the first year I really set some fitness goals and attained them. I ran my first 10k race, then ran a 15k race, a Spartan Race, etc. The more I did, the more I wanted to do. My next fitness goal is to run my first ever half marathon in 2016 and sign up for more races like the Spartan Race. I love the combination of running and also having an obstacle course. I want to keep being active and in turn be happy!
Want to read more from Mel? Check out her website at: http://melsays.com