Blog

Austin’s Strongest Savage

February 27, 2017 by Kathryn Alexander

Rogue American Apparel and Big Tex Gym teamed up this past weekend to host Austin’s Strongest Savage, a US Strongman sanctioned competition. The event benefited 22 Kill, which works to support veterans’ mental health and prevent suicide.

Good coffee, good beer, an amazing venue, and great athletes made for a memorable day!

Iron Savage Barbell. This place is real. — Iron Savage Barbell. This place is *real*.

Get this man a medal! When the audio wasn't loud enough around the coffee stand, Joel Huston Hendershott held speakers up for all to hear. Joel coordinated this event and did a fantastic job! — Get this man a medal! When the audio wasn’t loud enough around the coffee stand, Joel Huston Hendershott held speakers up for all to hear. Joel coordinated this event and did a fantastic job!

Ed Cosner and I. Ed drove in from Houston to watch and coach.

Ed Cosner coaches Sarah Herald before her car deadlifts.

Esther Chou of Big Tex Gym hands Dom Liontas, men's super heavy weight champ, his prizes. Dom drove from Canada to compete! — Esther Chou of Big Tex Gym hands Dom Liontas, men’s super heavy weight champ, his prizes. Dom drove from Canada to compete!

Robert Impastato of Big Tex Gym and Willie Wessels of US Strongman pose with the men's heavyweight open winners. — Robert Impastato of Big Tex Gym and Willie Wessels of US Strongman pose with the men’s heavyweight open winners.

The men's masters winners show off their prize hatches. Winners from L-R are Lee Huddle, Christopher Loop Sr., and Mickey Tomlin. — The men’s masters winners show off their prize hatches. Winners from L-R are Lee Huddle, Christopher Loop Sr., and Mickey Tomlin.

Super Bowl Snacks with Light and Hearty Versions

February 3, 2017 by Kathryn Alexander

It’s almost Super Bowl Sunday!! Are you ready for some football??? And some Super Bowl snacks?

I am! I love the big game, and I take great pleasure in the whole shebang: the athletes, the plays, commercials, the party, the food.

Food is complicated these days! People tend to fall in two camps: those who are watching what they eat, and those who aren’t. Many people are dieting or trying to lose weight, but let’s be real: people come to a Super Bowl party to eat!

Here are some great party snacks that can be easily modified into a lighter version that’s just as delicious. Psstt…. this is great not only for the Super Bowl, but for any party where you anticipate needing both lighter and heartier options.

The Menu

Grilled Shrimp Kebabs

Loaded Nachos

Guacamole & Veggies

Grilled Shrimp Kebabs

4 pounds shrimp, precooked gulf coast shrimp are my favorite
1 ounce olive oil
Cajun seasoning
a few sprigs of cilantro, chopped

super bowl snacks ingredients — Before you begin assembling ingredients, soak the wooden kebab skewers.

Shrimp kebabs — I prefer wooden skewers because they won’t burn you like the metal ones when you pick them up. Because you will. Ouch!

Peel the shrimp, leaving the tails on.

Start the grill.

Pat the shrimp dry and put in mixing bowl. Add 1 ounce of olive oil, Cajun seasoning, one minced garlic clove, and chopped cilantro to the shrimp. Mix ingredients until all shrimp are covered.

Skewer the shrimp in a horseshoe pattern. Place on the grill for about 2 minutes per side.

Squeeze lemon juice onto the shrimp before eating.

For a lighter option, enjoy them right off the grill. For a heartier option, dip in melted butter.

Loaded Nachos

Chips
Shredded chicken breasts
1 can refried beans
1 can black beans
sour cream
shredded cheese
salsa

Nachos are not going to be the most diet friendly food no matter what, but a la carte style nachos can be acceptable. Add on shredded chicken and beans for protein, and cheese and sour cream for extra flavor. For the lighter option, choose black beans and go easy or skip the cheese and sour cream.

Please note that these aren’t healthy/unhealthy options, just lower calorie. Refried beans have about 60 calories per serving fewer black beans, but neither is inherently unhealthy.

Guacamole

3 avocados
2 Roma tomatoes
2-3 teaspoons of cilantro, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 lemon
Tony Chachere’s Cajun seasoning
sea salt

For dipping in the guac:

baby carrots
2-3 pretty bell peppers
broccoli and cauliflower cut into bite size pieces

Add sliced avocados, chopped cilantro, garlic clove, salt and Tony’s in a bowl. Squeeze a lemon on top of the contents of bowl. Keep tomatoes separate for now.

I use a knife to chop the avocados finely, then finish by smooshing them further with a whisk. I prefer this over a potato masher because it leaves avocado chunks rather than a puree feel.

When you are satisfied with the consistency of the guacamole, add the tomatoes in.

Find a great bowl to display all the pretty vegetables and chips in. Bonus points if its a themed football bowl.

Enjoy!

Try these Super Bowl snacks and let me know how they turn out for you! Let me know if you have other great recipes that can be modified for healthy options too.

Shopping list for approximately 10 people:

5 chicken breasts
4 pounds shrimp, I love the pre cooked gulf coast shrimp
optional chicken broth
1 can refried beans
1 can black beans
2 bags chips
16 oz sour cream
1 stick butter
2 or 3 pretty bell peppers
1 package baby carrots
2 roma tomatoes
3 avocados
2 garlic cloves
1 lemon
1 lime
small bunch cilantro
wooden kebab skewers
sea salt
shredded cheese
Tony Chachere’s Cajun seasoning
1 ounce olive oil
salsa

More Recipes

If you are looking for some great recipes for non-party situations, try these regular but healthy and protein packed meals:

Grilled venison fajitas

One pan chicken and veggies

Texas trout

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

UT Athletic Performance Clinic 2017

January 31, 2017 by Kathryn Alexander

The University of Texas hosted their annual Athletic Performance Clinic January 14. Top strength coaches and leaders in athletics speak at this clinic every year, and I love the opportunity to learn from them.

DKR Stadium from the UT Athletic Performance Clinic

The speakers included coaches of Olympians, collegiate, high school, and professional athletes.

Snippets of what I learned:

Tim Pelot

Tim Pelot, Senior Strength & Conditioning Coach of the United States Olympic Committee

You must have systems when training groups, but remember they are individuals.
Give your athletes energy and support them! They are expending physical energy, cognitive energy, attending sports medicine needs, etc. They need your support.
Take the temperature of the room and be adaptable.

It was really great to hear someone who has spend thousands of hours coaching, and who is so adept at thinking on his feet.

Tanna Burge

Tanna Burge, Assistant Athletic Director, Sports Performance, Texas A&M University

Like Tim, Tanna reminds us we don’t coach just teams and groups, but rather individuals.

Be intentional, and be there. Ask how they are, mean it, and listen.
If we skip these things, we miss opportunity to positively impact athletes.
Beyond the big business of athletics is life. Especially for young college athletes, this is their life!

Tanna gave us a great reminder that athletes aren’t obsessed with the process of lifting and training like some of us coaches are. They do what they have to but don’t think about it all day. Meet them where they are.

Ron McKeefery

Ron McKeefery, Vice President of Performance and Education for Plae Sports Performance Flooring

Coach McKeefery has served as a strength and conditioning coach for many organizations including The University of Tennessee, Cincinnati Bengals, and Kansas City Royals.

I’ve heard Coach McKeefery speak, I keep up with his social media updates, and always look forward to hearing what’s in his head. He has so much accumulated knowledge and experience, I could hardly take notes fast enough.

Regarding players running late who must work extra because of their tardiness: “There is a consequence. You have to be ok with that. That’s life.”
“Be the person in the room who can get the athlete to his goals.”
“When Donnie [Maib, Head Athletic Performance coach for Olympic Sports at University of Texas] and I talk, it’s more about what we’re reading than anything else.” I LOVE this!

Ron also wrote a book, CEO Strength Coach, which I read in about a day after hearing him speak this last time. You can get it here. (not an affiliate link).

Loren Landow

Loren Landow, owner/director of Landow Performance

Coach Landow’s presentation was packed full of technical insight and coaching cues. He also has accumulated thousands of hours of coaching skills from his work with high school, collegiate, professional, and Olympic athletes. Most of what I learned from his presentation was really how to refine how I program and cue training. One of my favorite things he explained was of an athletes tool box, or how well they move. “The more coordinated they are, the better. The more skills in the toolbox,” for example.

Al Vermeil

Al Vermeil, President of Vermeil Sports and Fitness

Al Vermeil is a legend in the strength and conditioning world. He has worked in the NFL, NBA, and MLB. He has done work with powerhouse teams such as The Denver Broncos, Philadelphia Eagles, Chicago White Sox, US Army Rangers, University of Alabama, Stanford University Sports Medicine, and too many more to name.

I could listen to Coach Vermeil speak for days and still be beginning to learn from him. Coach Vermeil thoroughly discussed the foundation of power in sports, jump technique, speed development and much more. I will be reviewing his notes for a while. The most humorous part of his speech, when he asked, “How long do I have left? Three minutes? …oooh…”

Al Vermeil at the UT Athletic Performance Clinic

Donnie Maib

Donnie Maib, Head Athletic Performance coach for Olympic Sports at University of Texas

Donnie took participants to the UT weight room, outfitted by Sorinex Exercise Equipment, for a mobility and recovery session. Like many of the other coaches stressed, Coach Maib reminded us we are dealing with individual athletes. We need to evaluate each athlete’s movement, identify issues, and address them. This demo of mobility exercises and tools was very useful.

The Stark Center

The clinic finished with a reception in the beautiful Stark Center, a museum of physical culture and sport. If you are even remotely interested in sports, competition, bodybuilding, or athletics, you need to check this place out. Drs. Jan and Terry Todd have done an amazing job creating the Stark Center from the ground up. It is in the north end zone of the UT Stadium.

As a bonus, I ran into Coach Ed Cosner, who runs PowerSport Strength and Conditioning. I visit his facility when I am in Houston. (You can read about my last visit to his place here). It is always great to run into friends, especially ones I learn so much from!

I am already looking forward to next year’s clinic!

The Sorinex Barbell in the Stark Center for Physical Culture and Sports

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

Tony’s 15 pound weight loss in 1 month

December 13, 2016 by Kathryn Alexander

Tony’s 1 Month Body Transformation: How he kick started his weight loss and healthy habits for great success in the first month.

Every once in a while I am so blown away by someone’s change that I have to share it. If you are at Hyde Park Gym, you know Tony. He’s the funny one, the sometimes quiet one, who knows everyone. He’s a giver by nature and in both his personal and professional life has taken it upon himself to help others.

A few years ago, he made it his goal to take care of himself and lose weight. He went from over 400 pounds down to 280. At this point, he was having great progress building up his strength to impressive levels.

Tony, client of Kathryn Alexander (Alexander Training) earned a transformation that yielded big weight loss and big strength gains. — Tony shows his transformation, L-R, Nov. 2, 2016, Dec. 6, 2016. 15 pounds weight loss.

He decided to rededicate his efforts toward weight loss, so we started him on remote training. We made him a food and workout plan, which he implemented entirely on his own. His strength training helped build muscle mass and muscle growth, and his meal plan helped him lose body fat and drive body composition changes.

Tony's transformation yielded big weight loss and a big deadlift! — Tony’s transformation yielded big weight loss and a big deadlift!

Following these guidelines, he lost over 15 pounds in the first month! I should note that Tony is exceptional at giving feedback and has great intuition about his body and workouts.

Tony Shares His Success Strategies

I asked him more questions:

KA: You’re already very accomplished in the gym, with a deadlift of 515. What made you want to switch toward the goal of fat loss?

TS: That’s a tricky one to answer because there are a couple of reasons… training is a spiritual practice for me. I set my goals based on what I feel my spirit needs. If I need strength I get strong, if I need endurance then I do more conditioning, etc… I reached a point in my life where I felt as though I needed a complete transformation. I had developed and strengthened a lot of life and interpersonal skills but was struggling to grow beyond that. So I figured the best way to step out of my comfort zone for personal growth was to do it in the gym first.

But if you’re looking for a more surface level answer it’s because I was going through a breakup and needed a self esteem boost. (Note from Kathryn: I love the honesty here. Rededicating yourself to a workout plan or goal is a great way to get through tough times.)

KA: You clearly had a productive 1-2 months, with a 15 pound weight loss. What has been the most challenging part?

Sticking to the diet and training program has actually been really easy and lots of fun.

The most challenging part has been allowing my ego to detach from the image of “powerlifter”. It’s been very humbling to work with lighter weights and higher reps… and the cardio. I thought I was in decent shape until you had me do cardio!

KA: What has been the most helpful part? What gave you the most tactical, useful advantage to getting your workouts and better food decisions?

TS: The accountability. Since you’ve gone above and beyond to help me achieve my goals I feel waaaay more guilty about letting you down than letting myself down. Seriously though, knowing that I’m going to weigh in, take measurements, and report my diet and workouts back to you makes me second guess that second (sometimes third) piece of pie.

KA: What are you looking forward to from here?

TS: I’m really looking forward to the feeling of knowing I accomplished my goals in a healthy manner. I’ve set weight loss goals before that I was unable to reach on my own or that I met only because I was starving myself and overtraining.

I’m also looking forward to buying new clothes! Everything I own is getting pretty baggy and I no longer have to shop in the big & tall section. So many more options!!

Apply This To Your 1 Month Body Transformation

What are some ways you can apply Tony’s principles of success to your body transformation? Remember, making big changes in a month is a big goal! Remember also that I’d like your 1 month body transformation to be just the beginning of your health and fitness journey.

Here are some things to remember so you can see noticeable results in your 1 month, and continue on for many more.

Set Clear Goals: Define what you want to achieve in one month. Whether it’s weight loss, muscle gain, or overall fitness improvement, having specific, measurable goals will keep you focused. From there, plan ways to continue these habit changes in your daily life regularly.
Nutrition Planning:
- Calculate your daily caloric needs based on your goals and activity level.
- Focus on whole, nutrient-dense foods like fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, and healthy fats.
- Get enough protein! How much protein do you need? Read this.
- Eat smaller, frequent meals to keep your metabolism active.
- Limit processed foods, sugary snacks, and high-calorie beverages. Remember, alcohol might be fun but it does no good for you.
- Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water throughout the day.
Exercise Routine:
- Incorporate a combination of cardiovascular exercises, strength training, and flexibility exercises.
- Whether you use bodyweight exercises, free weights or machines, use compound exercises in a variety of rep ranges.
- Work with a trainer to learn the most effective way to lift, to learn good form, and to decrease risk of injury.
- Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous aerobic activity most days of the week.
- Include strength training exercises targeting major muscle groups at least 2-3 times per week. Maybe more if you like lifting. 🙂
- Learn a variety of lifts for lower body, upper body and full body, and get good at them.
- Incorporate HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) workouts. Hiit workouts are fantastic for calorie burning and improved cardiovascular fitness.
- Don’t forget to include rest days to allow your body to recover and prevent overtraining.
Consistency is Key:
- Stick to your nutrition and exercise plan consistently throughout the month.
- Track your progress using a journal or fitness app to monitor your food intake, exercise routine, and measurements.
- Stay accountable by setting up regular check-ins with a friend, family member, or personal trainer.
Prioritize Sleep and Recovery:
- Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night to support muscle recovery and overall well-being.
- Incorporate relaxation techniques like meditation or deep breathing to manage stress levels and promote recovery.
Stay Motivated:
- Set short-term milestones and reward yourself for achieving them.
- Surround yourself with supportive people who encourage your efforts.
- Visualize your success and remind yourself of the reasons why you embarked on this transformation journey.
Adjust and Adapt:
- Be flexible and willing to adjust your plan based on your progress and feedback from your body.
- Celebrate your achievements and learn from any setbacks to continuously improve.

Remember, one month is a relatively short time frame for significant body transformation, but with dedication and the right approach, you can make noticeable progress towards your goals. Focus on building sustainable habits that you can maintain beyond the initial month to ensure long-term success.

What schedule and budget options are there for personal training with me? Read all about it at this link!

What Happens During Your 30 Days of Hard Work

A one month body transformation is no joke! Whether you are doing strength workouts, intense workouts, high-rep workouts, low-rep workouts, etc., if you put in honest hard work, you’ll see changes!

Get started on your 1 month body transformation and give it your honest best shot. You’ll see benefits in every way: internal benefits to your cardiovascular system like decreased resting heart rate, decreased/healtheir blood pressure, health benefits all the way down to the cellular level. Your blood vessels will be more pliable (which is a good thing) and your energy levels will increase. All of your muscle fibers will benefit from the movement and increased in blood flow.

More tips for how to get in shape fast!

You’ll see external benefits like changes in your physical appearance, increase in your fitness level and muscle definition. Your metabolic rate will increase and you’ll begin to enjoy both the better physical fitness and physical changes. Bottom line, you’ll be in a good place, and you’ll see even better results the longer you keep it up.

Your Turn for Success

Kathryn here again: stay tuned for further updates about Tony’s progress. You know I can’t help but brag about my clients.

If you are ready to make a change, please message me here or email me at kathryn@kathrynalexander.com. I wish you the best of luck in your training!

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

How Do You Handle Stress?

November 29, 2016 by Kathryn Alexander

How do you handle stress? Busy-ness is the new affliction. Everybody’s got it. Some people thrive in it, some people drown in it.

Regardless of how well you handle stress, you are probably busy and need to manage stress in your life.

What do you do to manage stress? Please let me know. I always ask this, and my clients probably think I am endlessly nosy. However, the better I know what works for people, the better I can help people.

This is why I would like your input. What do you do to manage stress? Below is a list of input I have received thus far. I’d like to hear yours! Do you do any of these? Do they work for you? Email me or leave me a comment! I will keep your identity in confidence, of course, if you’d rather email.

Workout
Yoga
Write in a journal
Talk with a friend
Shoot clays at the range
Take the dog for a walk

How I Handle Stress

My favorite things to relieve stress? Working myself silly at the track or on bleachers, grilling, watching live music, and watching my two favorite football teams! Geaux Tigers and Hook ’em!

track work exercise as stress management

how do you handle stress grilling steaks

Ready, go! Let me know. Thank you!

kathryn@kathrynalexander.com

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

Holiday Diet and Nutrition Tips

November 22, 2016 by Kathryn Alexander

It’s that time of year y’all: party time!! Between now and New Year will be dinners, holiday parties, family get togethers (and birthdays for those unlucky people who get combo gifts every year).

This party season is especially tough for people who are on a diet or people who find success by regularly planning their meals.

So how do you get through the holidays without completely going off the rails on your diet? I have a simple formula I follow. Let me share.

caloric balance = {[(kcal intake/24 hr time period)]# of days*3} – (kcal expended)*limx→f(x)

Kidding! Kidding!

There are three basic types of diet challenges during the holidays

the snacks people constantly bring to the office
the holiday party you go to the takes a couple hours
the big family parties that you host, or otherwise attend, that go on for days.

All of these present unique challenges but have simple solutions. Let’s break them down.

Holiday diet and nutrition tips and Thanksgiving pumpkins

Situation 1: The treats that people bring to the office during holidays.

Some people enjoy sharing goodies with coworkers, and others are just trying to get it out of their house so they themselves don’t overindulge. Either way this will go on for six weeks. Brace yourselves.

But don’t give in. A random plate of cookies is not a reason to splurge. It is not a special or unique time. You know this is going to go on for six weeks. The best way to avoid this trap? Just don’t do it. Under any circumstance. Bring your lunch, plan your meals and don’t give an inch.

Situation #2: The holiday parties.

These are some of the most fun holiday functions, and you can’t avoid these even if you want to. Friends parties, work parties, spouse’s work parties, they’re all over December’s calendar. Quick and easy, and fun to get done up for, but not worth blowing your diet on.

Here’s how you enjoy yourself and don’t blow it: eat a healthy meal beforehand. (Same rule applies as grocery shopping. Don’t arrive hungry!) Make sure you have protein, fats, fibrous vegetables, and lots of water. Then, at the party, pick your two favorite indulgences and try those. If they’re not that good, you don’t have to finish them. Just don’t look at these parties of blowouts. Remember, you’ll go home in a couple hours.

About drinks: alcohol isn’t evil. It’s not inherently good or bad. It just doesn’t bring you toward any fitness or health goals so be aware of that. If you really are nailing down every calorie you eat, you’ll want to choose a liquor with a non caloric mixer. For example, gin + tonic has fewer calories than wine or beer. No matter what though, don’t drink and drive. Ain’t nobody got time for a DWI.

Situation #3: The big family parties!

These are most challenging situations to diets and exercise routines, simply because extended family get togethers usually involve travel for a few days.

What’s the key to diet success? Planning! What’s the hardest thing to do when you’re in a different city staying at someone’s house eating meals you didn’t plan? Planning!

It’s also when you have all your favorite family specialties. I come from a family of great cooks and bakers. When we get together, it’s food for days. The one-of-a-kind pralines, cheese ball, gumbo, taco salad, and other indulgences that you really don’t get all year round. And you’re surrounded by it!

What do you do?

First, you be proactive and bring the healthy stuff. Bring the good source of protein. Bring that awesome baked chicken you’ve perfected. Bring those bacon brussels sprouts that you make taste wonderful and hearty.

Second, try to retain some semblance of eating meals, not grazing all day.

Finally, make a game plan. Mine is the same as before an evening party: get enough protein, fill up on vegetables, make sure I’m hydrated with water or tea, before I add indulgences. When you’re getting enough of the healthy stuff, you won’t binge.

After the turkey is put away and the last touchdown is scored, be the ringleader of taking a walk around the neighborhood later. Do the waddle if you have to. Just do something to keep your feet moving.

Last and certainly not least, be thankful that we are able to make all these decisions for ourselves. Having an abundance of healthy choices while surrounded by family and friends is truly a blessing.

Happy Thanksgiving, y’all!

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

Four Simple but Effective Strategies to Improve Your Diet

October 27, 2016 by Kathryn Alexander

Diet change is always hard and has implications beyond just what you eat. It affects how you feed your family, and how you socialize. But remember: eating healthier makes you feel better, and that stays with you every minute of the day. It is worth it! Do your best and keep making good decisions to improve your diet!

Are you ready to make a healthy change but don’t know where to start? Here are four options.

1: Get Enough of What You Need. The “Good Enough” Diet.

The “Good Enough” diet is my favorite. It means you don’t focus on what you are cutting out; you focus on what you are eating. Your goal is to eat everything you need to make a healthy day. It means that your priority isn’t restricting things, it’s getting enough of the things you need. For this plan, you first identify how much protein, fat, carbs, water, and fiber you need. You make sure that you reach these targets every day. After that, you can eat and drink other things.

The beauty of this is that when you were getting enough healthy things, you don’t have as much room for splurges. You also won’t give in to hunger cravings and make bad decisions due to being ravenous (because you won’t be ravenous!). If you want to splurge, you can! You just won’t want or need to as often.

Another benefit of this approach is that you aren’t going to be deficient in vitamins or nutrients. You’ll be well hydrated, well functioning, and you won’t feel restricted. You’ll be taking in enough protein to build muscle (because you are working out, right?!).

This is the program I usually follow. I get enough of everything I need to nourish my body and grow from my workouts, and I don’t feel guilty if I throw Blue Bell in there.

This is good for it: holidays. A more relaxed time in life. Maintenance or strength phases, since it might be a caloric surplus.

2: Nail Down One Healthy Meal that becomes Easy and Habitual

With this approach, you pick one meal each day that you can commit to eating healthy. This will be the same meal every day. It gives you a foundation upon which to build healthy habits.

Breakfast is a great meal to make your healthy foundation. First, decide your goal for the meal. Let’s say it is 30 g of protein, 40 g of carbs, and 11 g of fat. Build a meal that satisfies those needs. This might be scrambled eggs, sautéed vegetables which you prepared the night before, a piece of toast and half an apple.

Make it simple, doable, and commit to having it every day. This meal serves as the basis for a healthy rest of the day. From there, try to make good choices at lunch and dinner, but if the wheels fall off later in the day, you know you got a healthy breakfast. Regardless of how you eat the rest of the day, when you get home, plan to make your healthy breakfast. That one staple meal is non-negotiable. Do not get lazy with this one.

Some people might want to make their staple meal dinner. If you prefer a light breakfast, and don’t have a problem eating a healthy lunch, dinner might be the better option.

If your office mates often go out to lunch, establishing lunch as your healthy staple meal might be the most beneficial option for you. In this case, you scope out the restaurants that you frequent, identify the healthiest meal on the menu, and pick that. That way you know you all your healthy options, and you choose them consistently.

This is good for: People who are busy. It takes a little bit of work on the front end, but from there is easy to maintain.

3: Don’t Eat The Things You Know You Shouldn’t: The Common Sense Diet.

Don’t eat the things you know you shouldn’t. This is called the common sense diet because it is common sense. You don’t have to be a nutritionist to know that some foods don’t bring you closer to your goals.

This is a very hands off eating plan for people who generally have self control. It means you just don’t eat the things you know you shouldn’t eat. If your goal is weight loss, you know you shouldn’t eat donuts. It won’t bring you closer to your goal. So, choose not to. This requires some willpower, but is the simplest plan. If you have 100 pounds to lose, this plan is pretty simple, does not require counting calories or grams, and can help you progress. Be honest with yourself and make good decisions.

This is good for: people who are looking for simplicity, and people who don’t want to count numbers, but can commit to make themselves better.

4: Focus on Fixing Your One Worst Habit

Focus on fixing your one worst habit. This can be a game changer for people who have a really bad habit. The best example is drinking full sugar sodas or sweet teas. I’m a southern girl and I love my sweet tea, but I can’t have multiple glasses every day. (I could, easily. It’s delicious! But I choose not to).

Perhaps your worst habit is that pint of ice cream every night, or a whole pizza every night for dinner.

This is actually an ok problem to have, because this adds up so quickly, and eliminating or reducing it will add up quickly in your favor. This isn’t for everyone. If you are already eating pretty balanced and don’t have any excessive vices, this might not bring you a lot of results.

This is good for: people who have a bad habit that adds up quickly and are willing to eliminate or reduce it.

Will These Diets Work For You?

All of these approaches stop short of counting every calorie and every gram. They won’t be thorough enough for people who are looking to compete in bodybuilding or physique. Also, if you have so much weight to lose that your health needs to be your first priority, you will benefit from being stricter than any of these approaches. However, these are great places to start.

Need Ideas For Your Staple Meals?

Here are some of my favorites:

Italian Seasoned Baked Chicken and Brussels Sprouts that actually taste good

Salmon, Broccoli and Rice

Scrambled Eggs, Grits, and Bacon

Try It!

Do any of these resonate with you? Have you tried any of these? Let me know if you implement any of these and how they work for you!

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

Training with Ed Cosner at PowerSport Strength & Conditioning

October 10, 2016 by Kathryn Alexander

On Monday I had the honor of training with Ed Cosner at PowerSport Strength and Conditioning in Houston, Texas. I love visiting new facilities and seeing the different layouts, equipment, and methodologies that drive the gym.

Whats even more fun than visiting a new facility is getting to know the individual behind it. In this case, that’s Ed Cosner, owner of PowerSport Strength and Conditioning.

Ed was a member of the US Army’s Elite Forces and was on the Elite Athlete Program. He played professional rugby, is an accomplished powerlifter, and Highland Games national and world champion.

His education is top notch, too. He earned his bachelors of science in kinesiology, and his Masters of science in human performance. That, in combination with his tactical strength and conditioning background, athletic career, and decades of experience working with athletes, make Ed the real deal.

What a great facility! Weightlifting and powerlifting platforms, strongman implements, and a hard working training environment.

And a bucket of rugby balls.

He has continued to coach professional level rugby players, including several members of the New Zealand All Blacks team. He has also been on the strength and conditioning teams at University of Texas San Antonio, Baylor University, and the San Antonio Spurs.

Ed now works with high schoolers, professional athletes, and people training to get stronger and better.

He is not just good at a lot of things, he’s great at a lot of things. If you are in Houston, stop by his facility. Visit http://www.playhardtrainharder.com/ to get in contact with Ed about training with him

<br />

Confession: I rarely use kilo plates so I don’t know exactly how much I was lifting. I could have done the math but I just went by feel. It’s not that much different. However, I keep training notes on my phone, and there were lots of question marks beside numbers from this workout. 🙂

I worked up to some moderately heavy deadlift triples and back down for a few backoff sets. Not my hardest workout because I didn’t want to jump into the car to drive back to Austin a sweaty, exhausted mess.

However, it was a great training session with Ed and one of his lifters, Darren, working out as well. The week’s program was written on a white board on the wall, jerseys from accomplished athletes hang in the office, and the general feel of the place says “Work hard!”

Ed, thank you again so much for your hospitality, and to Darren for sharing his session. I will be back soon!

PowerSport office kittens need adopting, as of 10/10/16 still. Any takers? Let me know!

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

Why Gym Memberships Are an Amazing Value

August 30, 2016 by Kathryn Alexander

Many people ask themself is a gym membership worth it? If you are able to commit time to the gym it is a great investment for your health and lifestyle!

A word problem:

Sally joins a gym for $60 a month. She goes 3 times a week faithfully and loses fat, gets stronger, and feels amazing. She even sleeps better and feels more confident at work!

All this for $4.28 a pop. ($60 divided by 14 visits in a month like August.)

Let’s assume she actually enjoys being at the gym and goes 4 times a week. That would be $3.33 a visit! Where else can you go for $3.33 an hour, while simultaneous improving yourself, your health, and your future?

Hint: It’s not actually a math problem.

It’s kind of rhetorical, but it has an answer. The answer is, nowhere!

Is a Gym Membership Worth It?

Nowhere else is as economically rewarding as a gym!

"CAN YALL PUT IN A PUNCHING BAG PLEASE". He was very polite. — “CAN YALL PUT IN A PUNCHING BAG PLEASE”. He was very polite.

I understand the phrase “different strokes for different folks” and I get that not everyone enjoys the gym, but I have never understood why people balk at the price of a gym membership.

It’s $30-$60 a month for an activity many people enjoy. This can take 2-6 hours of your week and put it to good use, while you are surrounded by like-minded people.

For $30-$60. (Don’t pay more; the mega gyms are crap. Oh, and don’t pay less. Planet Fitness is worse crap.)

“Please put in a punching bag if possible.”

What else are you going to do with that amount of time that will be as productive, enjoyable, and beneficial to your health? Nothing!

I can’t think of a cheaper hobby! I grew up a horse lover, and can I tell you how much more money I have now that my hobby is at the gym and not the barn? Lots!

What else are you gonna do with that time? Happy hour? $10 drinks? Or worse, shop, like my idle hands do? The safest place my wallet can be is at the gym.

Life is short. Spend it somewhere you enjoy!

More importantly than the economics of it, we have one short life. Spend it somewhere good!

“Punching Bag – Thanks”. Still polite.

Have you heard theory of the third place? Ray Oldenberg suggested our third place is where we go after work (our second place) and before home (our first place). It is a place we choose to go, where we enjoy the social interaction. More info here.

Gyms are our third place. They are where we want to go, and hang with people who want to be there. They understand our drive, our sticking points, and see us through them. They become our friends and sometimes chosen family.

Join the boxing gym!

I found something interesting today. Interesting in a trippy, time-warpy kind of way. It was a peek into human psychology, and it equally frustrated and amused me, as my mom and sister can attest.

“punching bag in here would be a great addition Thanks”

My sister came across these notes tucked in an old brief case of mine. They were from one of two gyms I worked at concurrently many years ago. I can’t be sure of which gym, and I’m definitely not violating any confidentiality issues here.

I wasn’t the manager or owner of this gym, and I can assure you good gym owners love feedback. I’m certainly not complaining about this guy’s wanting a punching bag.

But, here’s this guy’s problem: he is looking for a niche activity in the wrong place. He is looking for a boxing gym in a health club. Yes yes, I know some clubs have heavy bags and speed bags, but if he really wants to box, he should go to a boxing gym.

If he’s a good boxer, he will need better equipment than a multi-use gym facility will provide. He would outgrow the basic heavy bag and still not be happy with this gym set up. Also if he is or aspires to be an accomplished boxer, it will be worth it to him to be around other boxers, people he can sweat with and learn from.

“Punching Bag Please”

I encourage everybody to join a gym or a group. Whether it’s a regular neighborhood gym or a specialized gym, it will be worth it!

So here’s my advice for this dude with the bee in his…boxers. Join a boxing gym. Just do it! Join a boxing gym!!

“It would be wonderful to have a punching bag to get my perfect body on.” I never met the guy but I like him; I bet he’s got a great sense of humor!

It’s worth the money if it’s that important to you.

It’s worth the money if you’ll get that much enjoyment from it.

What’s the takeaway? Join a gym! Find your niche. It could be a regular fitness gym, a specialized gym, but join somewhere you want to go. Be grateful that you have somewhere to multitask so hard: get healthy, improve yourself, save money and bad calories you’d be wasting elsewhere, and be in good company!

I’m not sure if they ever got a punching bag. I hope he found his place!

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

What Real People Do to Be Successful

August 9, 2016 by Kathryn Alexander

Do you ever wonder what other people do to be successful? How do others set themselves up to get their workouts and make smart meal choices?

I wonder too, for a second… then I usually just go ask. I’m nosy, I mean, curious like that.

In the past two posts, I discussed how you can take control of your life and how to do that even in crazy situations. (Parts 1 and 2 here, in case you missed it.) More recently, I went straight to my sources and asked people who get it done how they do it.

When I’m in a time crunch, my go-to solution is to do a full-body circuit: squats, pushups, kettlebell swings, pull ups, military presses, and deadlifts are my best bets when I can only do 15 minutes!

Genevieve Malone, construction management engineer and founder of The Inertia Project

All I think is, “just put my tennis shoes on” and nothing else. Once you take the first step, the rest just follows. I think about how much better I’ll feel after even just 10 minutes of doing something. Exercise is the best investment you can make in your future self. No one ever regretted a workout.

John Edmiston, firefighter

Meal planning is key. And rotisserie chickens are life.

Becca Ewing, business owner, videographer/photographer

I make an appointment with my trainer that I know I will keep. I try to keep things simple… I won’t drive further than 5 minutes (from home or work) to get to the gym and I actually prefer to jog or bike there too. Every minute counts.

Tammy Young, Owner/Broker, Realtor®, GRI, Seed Property Group

I prioritize meal prepping, and simplify it. I try to find half an hour to make a batch of chicken and buy a ton of steam fresh veggies. 1 piece of chicken + 1 bag of veggies = a healthier alternative to fast food (if I’m really strapped for time, precooked chicken sausage and a bag of steamfresh veg = yum, plus they come frozen so easy to keep cold if you’re on the go)

Go for lots of walks throughout the day. 5 minutes here, 10 minutes there. Sometimes a walk is also exactly what you need stress wise to just get away. I set a timer to go off every hour for me to get up and walk around for 10 minutes and force myself to do it. So I may not have time to go and “get a workout in” – but I’ve at least been moving and keeping my stress low throughout the day.

Staci Ardison, Rebel Operations, Master of Deadlifts at Nerd Fitness

Prepare! Take advantage of your “safe spots” around town, where you can count on a healthy meal.

David Archer, contest prep specialist, owner Precision Fitness

I do workouts even if I can’t make it to the gym. My wife and I do home workout videos and we mapped out our neighborhood for walks.

Claude McCan, musician, producer

That's 405 pounds ONE MONTH after he got his prosthesis... that's why I listen to what this guy says... — That’s 405 pounds ONE MONTH after he got his prosthesis… that’s why I listen to what this guy says…

The battle is in your mind. It all starts with your attitude. That’s the number one thing. The physical stuff comes easier once you put your mind to whatever you want.

Stephen Moore, powerlifting coach, personal trainer

I prefer training as opposed to working out. Pick an event, commit to it, and train for it. I love this because there is skin in the game and it motivates me even when I’m busy.

Missy Calkins, Founder of lift[HER] and VP of Business Development at 401k Marketing

I go on Instagram and look at people who motivate me to go workout.

Alex Hooper, Army Special Forces, Green Beret

Kathryn: Sarah sums this up perfectly, in words I have searched for for years.

That realization that no one can do it for you, no matter what the “it” may be (fitness or another life goal), is both incredibly frightening and, if we allow it to be, completely liberating.

Sarah Buttrill, wife, mother, professional educator, Zumba instructor, musician

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

What to do When Life Gets Crazy: (Taking Ownership, Part 2)

July 26, 2016 by Kathryn Alexander

Last week I covered the importance of taking ownership of your life to get what you want. The process of creating new habits takes effort at the beginning, but it becomes easy once you are in the routine. Your workouts will make you feel good all day and sleep better at night. Healthy meals will help you lose fat and avoid the random energy slumps during the day.

Once this becomes second nature and you are in your groove, you will wonder how you lived before feeling so good. It seems easy. You’ll see.

Then, BAM. Life will hit you.

You’ll get a reminder that you aren’t actually completely in charge. More often than not, it will be a small but significant change that throws off your schedule, such as:

a minor injury that doesn’t require extensive treatment but necessitates change in your workouts
a change in work schedule
a vacation that throws your train off the tracks just long enough to shift your momentum
new responsibilities that take more of your time

Not all of these are even bad events. The work change can be because of a promotion, and vacations are sometimes the sweetest parts of life.

How to Handle a Small Disturbance

Plan for one week

These small but significant changes are often temporary. Sometimes you know the time frame, other times they go on indefinitely. In both cases, plan for the upcoming week. Just one week. Pack workout clothes to exercise at a different time of the day and scope out healthy fast food near you. You might even plan for fewer workouts this week, and that is OK! See how you manage this one test week and adjust accordingly.

If do fewer workouts, that’s ok; acknowledge that you are choosing how to spend your time, like you do a fiscal budget. Don’t say “I can’t, I don’t have time.” Acknowledge that your time was better served knocking down your to do list, and that you’re going to get back on it tomorrow or next week.

About Injuries

If you have a small, non serious injury, continue to workout around it. If your wrist is bothering you, don’t skip the gym! Go, and work the things you can. Lunges, step ups, possibly other cardio. Or go for a walk or run! Likewise, if your knee or hip hurts, continue to get your upper body and core stability work in. If getting to the gym takes an almost unreal amount of motivation for you, then it’s even more important that you don’t quit going! Go, and stretch. Go, and work the 3 exercises you can safely. Don’t lose your momentum!

Look to Learn from Others

Look around at other people who are in your position and successfully managing to do what you want to do. Ask the guy in your office who seems really fit how he handles the work hours, home life, and fits in exercise. He might know a killer cafe just off your regular path, or a great little gym you weren’t aware of.

Ask the busiest people you know how they manage their time. (Protip: be respectful of people’s time. Ask a succinct and specific question: “I have noticed that even when you’re super busy, you’re very successful. How do you manage all your work responsibilities, and find time to eat healthy with your family?)

Cut Down On Your Workout Frequency

This might not be what you expected me to say, but it’s absolutely ok. Sometimes you are just in a phase of life where you cannot workout as much. It’s OK to be on a maintenance plan. Re-evaluate your schedule, adjust accordingly, and find the best option. Workout twice a week if that’s all you can do. Take a half mile walk around the block twice a week if that’s all you can manage.

How to Handle a Large Disturbance

Unlike a minor setback, large changes in your life can be tremendously challenging and stressful for long durations. These are the worst of bad situations that only happen a few times in life.

This is when life dumps bad things on you, when everything is wrong, all at once; when you are stretched to your limit emotionally. This is usually serious and painful, like an illness threatening yourself or a loved one, or an extremely challenging work program.

Reframe

Step back and identify your main goal. What do you need to do? Get through residency. Graduate from the fire academy. See your chemotherapy through. Care for your mother, who is caring for your father, who has ALS. Support your wife while she’s exhausted, up with the new baby every 3 hours, all day.

Don’t work toward your exercise goals as aggressively during this time. Remember, these are the times you train for. You train for exactly this, to be healthy when you need to be, to be mentally sound when others need you to be. To have great habits to fall back upon, so that even your “unhealthy” isn’t disastrous.

Be Kind to Yourself

Be honest about what you can do. If you are extremely taxed emotionally or physically, you won’t recover as well, so your workouts cannot be as strenuous. Same scenario if you aren’t sleeping as well.

What do you like to do? Put on your favorite music and stretch? Do that for 10 minutes a day. Get a spontaneous walk around the office when you finished a project early.

In short, remember that moving and eating well will make you feel better, which can make the tougher times easier to handle. However, you must be kind to yourself and give yourself a break if you aren’t your usual superman or woman.

Remember: this too, shall pass.

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

Why is it Important to Take Ownership: Get What You Want

July 18, 2016 by Kathryn Alexander

Taking ownership of your life, your body, your habits, and your results is the most important thing you can do in life.

This will be the most important blog post I write.

More important than any technical info, any recipe, or any magic secret. Taking ownership gives you freedom, control, and means you can get what you want.

Note: the concept of taking control of your life is one I have preached for a long time. (If you don’t control your life, how can you change it?) The word “ownership” and the concept of owning your decisions is one that Jocko Willink espouses. Thank you to Jocko for stating this more eloquently than I have ever even dreamed of.

Did You Workout Yesterday?

Did you workout yesterday? If not, why not? Did you get your workouts last week? If not, do your reasons sound like this:

I was so busy.
I had an unexpected meeting thrown at me.
I was so tired. I got to the end of the day and just couldn’t do it.
I forgot my gym bag. Or sports bra, or shoes, etc.
My kid got sick and it threw off my whole day.
I got roped into a lunch with coworkers.
I had a going away meeting with a friend who’s moving. She’s moving, I couldn’t miss that.
Oooh, I had a last minute date. Surprise happy hour!

Some of those are legitimate issues. If your kids get sick, you have to take care of them. Getting your job done means attending a meeting you didn’t know you had and working late to meet a deadline you can’t control.

Assess Your Life

You probably don’t have control of every aspect of your life or schedule, but you have control of enough things to be successful. Your responsibility is to identify your weaknesses, your challenges, and how you can overcome those things.

You also need to let go of your excuses. You need to know you can get workouts, plan your food, lose weight and increase strength even with your work and family responsibilities.

Don’t believe me? Look around. Many people in your situation are working full time, volunteering, driving kids around, and still making their health a priority. Somewhere among the 7 billion plus people sharing this planet are many people who have the exact, or almost exact, same scenario as you and overcame it.

They aren’t super moms and dads, uber successful people who get an extra 2 hours a day. They are people who encountered a problem, studied it until found a solution, and planned for it next time. This is all trial and error. They might have missed a workout or two until finding a workable solution, but you can get someone in your situation found that workable solution.

Consider again the reasons you had trouble getting in your workouts last week. Look at those reasons/excuses/roadblocks and be very honest with yourself about them. Are you actually too tired to exercise, or do you just hate your chosen exercise? Honestly identifying these reasons is key. From here, look for patterns. Are you raring to go Monday morning, weekend indulgences fresh on your mind, but tapering off by Wednesday?

Give this real thought. There aren’t right or wrong answers. Don’t feel shame about them. It’s not whining about excuses if you’re actually identifying roadblocks with the goal to eliminate or manage them.

Make a Plan

Take the “I’m too tired” reason for not working out. Perhaps you are so tired and this keeps you from working out 4 days a week. It might not even be an excuse because you are legitimately really tired!

Instead of telling yourself you must just barge through the fatigue, look at other areas in your life. Can you improve your sleep habits so you are more well rested? Perhaps your company treats you to a giant food fest at lunch that makes you crash in the afternoon. Work on feeling rested and it won’t take so much willpower to do your workout.

Knock Down Barriers

Let’s look at another. You forgot your gym bag. Guilty! I used to do it all the time. I’ve started carrying extra clothes in a bag in my trunk, and an outfit that’s nice enough for happy hour or dinner. I can get a workout and go straight from the gym. I don’t have to go home, skip my workout, get ready and then go.

That is preemptively planning for success. I don’t have to refuse last minute invites unless I want to! (Let’s be real; I’m a planner. I am SOOO down for dinner 2 Thursdays from now, 7:15pm).

In a more difficult scenario, you might find yourself at work, facing a deadline when you get a call about a sick kid. It’s hard to leave because you have bosses to whom you are accountable and you’re accountable to your team.

What do you do? You get your kid.

You miss your workout. Thats fine! It’s one day!

If having to leave work to pick up your child was a rare situation because he isn’t often sick and your spouse was out of town, then you don’t have to handle it differently. Take care of your family, eat a good dinner and get your next scheduled workout.

If it is a common occurrence that this makes you miss your workout, make a plan around it. You can do early morning workouts before any interruption, or tougher weekend workouts with quick low intensity exercise mid workday. Many people do this, especially busy people who are accountable most of the business hours. That doesn’t mean it’ll be easy, or fun.

But it will be worth it!

Plan Your Food Too

Food is a huge part of your success whether you’re trying to lose fat, gain muscle, or improve performance. Like you examined your workouts, look back on your diet. What did you eat for breakfast today? Did it push you in the right direction? Did the food and drink choices you made this week help you?

If not, what is the reason? Often it is just lack of preparation. You run out the door in the morning, and grab what happens to be in the fridge. Nothing in the fridge? There’s always that taco truck every day by work. (Or does that only happen in Austin? It feels like they will chase you down with food!) You have to prepare or you’ll end up making do with what aren’t the best options.

Parents often tell me it’s tough making healthy food choices with children. The kid’s tastes are fickle or they have kid birthday parties with sweets and junk food. Many parents have found success modeling healthy eating at home and including the children in the same meals as age appropriate.

As I grew up, my mom explained to me that sweets, such as those at birthday parties, are for special occasions. It made me understand that we can indulge guilt-free, but it doesn’t happen every day.

Include Family in Your Healthy Habits

As you change your habits, expect that you might get some pushback from your spouse, family and friends.

A 2014 study of data from over 2000 adults found that we are genetically more similar to people who choose as our friends than we are to strangers. Perhaps this can explain why people are sometimes threatened by the choices their friends make.

Have you ever noticed that if you decline a drink, or a dessert, people encourage you to “go ahead, have just one!”? Our friends and their habits are so familiar to us, that when we start to change, it affects them too.

However, wouldn’t you want a friend who is abstaining for health reasons to make that healthy choice? Absolutely! Is it Topo Chico in her glass? Vodka soda? As long as she is safe, it shouldn’t matter to us. Remember that this works the other way as well. You get to decide to have a salad, skip dessert, partake in dessert, drink or abstain.

Stand Your Ground

Here is where you have to stand by your decisions. Decide what your goals are and how aggressively you will pursue them. Then consider how it will affect your life and those around you (even if it shouldn’t affect them.)

If you decide to quit drinking for a month but you have a standing happy hour with your party crowd, prepare to (briefly) explain your decision if it comes up and stick with it.

Don’t Fall Into the Busy Trap

Who isn’t busy? Everybody is busy! The only people who aren’t busy are the people who planned well and worked hard to structure a life that allows flexibility. Until we achieve this, we are busy too!

Paradoxically, when you are super busy, life gets easier if you take the harder road. This means planning your workout and putting it on your calendar, packing your bag, and following through. Yes, it is harder to plan tomorrow’s dinner right now, but when dinner rolls around, it is a mental break to eat the healthy meal that is already prepared.

This also means planning your meals, and keeping in mind where you can eat healthy if you have to run out to a restaurant near your work.

To blame being busy, or blame other people’s decisions or circumstances gives those things power. It is a false power, however; they don’t truly have power of you.

Do This Now

Make a plan for tomorrow. Pick 1 thing: exercise, or food. Then, decide how you’ll succeed at that one thing tomorrow. If you pick exercise, decide today what you will do tomorrow, then plan for it! Pack that gym bag, or put your tennis shoes by the front door.

If you picked food, then decide right now what you can eat that will be healthy. Remember, lean protein + veggies + a side of carbs, and lots of water. This means you should stop by the store if you need. Make time for that. Need ideas? Some of my favorite recipes: citrus salmon & broccoli, oven baked Italian chicken & veggies, or my favorite easy breakfast.

Next week, I am going to cover what to do when life gets crazy. I mean crazy: when work owns your life, kids are at camp and every week is different, or a family member has terminal illness. Stay tuned for tips on how to manage being healthy through those times.

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

Emily does pull ups before the wedding!!

June 6, 2016 by Kathryn Alexander

Emily is a smart, funny woman. A dream client, really. She showed up on time, worked hard on short and long term goals, and her sense of humor made me laugh every session.

Emily began training with me in July 2015. She was already beautiful and fit, but wanted to start being more active, both for her upcoming wedding, and to be healthy in general. The pull up goal, though… that might have been my favorite.

Emily wanted to learn how to lift, but didn’t consider herself a gym person. (Yet.) She wanted to learn the right way, and that served her well.

What she didn’t realize was that this was a huge benefit to her since her form was perfect; she moved naturally, completely devoid of bad habits.

Can I tell y’all that this girl is a trooper? She had no idea how hard she worked, simply because she didn’t have a gauge. I have worked with clients for over 11 years, so I have a huge perspective of people in the gym and can tell you honestly she worked harder than most people. She set her mind to it, and got the job done. Another set of heavy squats? Ok. Three more heavy deadlifts? Done.

I asked her a few questions about her gym experience. See below.

Why did you decide to go to a gym and lift instead of zumba, group classes, etc.?

Before last summer I hated gyms. I always felt intimidated when I would go because I did not know how to use the machines or weight lifting equipment. Of course I could ask someone, but who wants to do that? I’ve tried the group classes and I’d find myself in the far back corner not really trying that hard and wishing the class would just hurry up and be over. I would also find excuses to not make it to a certain class because the class time would not fit with my schedule that day. For someone like me, just getting to a gym with flexible hours is important. Knowing how to actually use the equipment was the next step.

Why did you decide to see a trainer?

I needed someone to push me, hold me accountable AND I wanted to learn how to properly use gym equipment. I’ve known people to hurt themselves lifting weights, whether from bad form or too heavy of weight and I didn’t want that to be me. I had a friend training with Kathryn and I used my upcoming wedding as the motivating kick I needed to get myself in a gym.

What was your main goal?

I wanted to be stronger and healthier. I wanted to not be scared to go to the gym by myself. Oh, and I wanted to be able to do a pull up.

What was your favorite part of working out?

I am really surprised that I liked squats so much. (Kathryn: she’s good at them! See proof below.) I mean I actually enjoyed working out! I didn’t enjoy pull-ups much, but it felt so great when I was able to do several of them in a row. The results I saw in the mirror were also quite nice. Having friends and family notice my muscles was very flattering.

Anything surprising you learned from the gym?

Gyms aren’t scary (though I always knew that). I feel totally comfortable being the only female in the free weight section of the gym now.

Anything else you want to add about your experience?

If you’re considering making some healthy changes to your life, a personal trainer is a great way to start. I think learning proper technique and form is vital and something you can take with you when your training ends. Kathryn makes the whole experience fun. I was sad when my training with her ended, but I’m going to the gym by myself now 2-3 times a week and I’m very thankful for all that she has taught me. It’s definitely worth it!

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

11 Unhealthy Habits Everyone Should Quit to Make Your Workouts & Life Better

May 28, 2016 by Kathryn Alexander

We are so often told what to do: eat at this restaurant, add this new exercise into your routine, buy this, wear that! What if, instead of doing more and adding more, you would benefit by letting some things go? Bad habits can weigh you down and make your life harder.

My challenge to you is to identify which of these habits you can change for your benefit, and start applying them today. Please feel free to reach out to me if I can help in this process. I’d be honored to help you start living a happier life!

1. Stop Attaching Your Ego to Your Body

Your self worth and your body are two unrelated things. Yes, I want you to feel great about your body! It is a fantastic thing to have an outward symbol of your hard work and be proud of what you have achieved with your physique. Committing to a workout routine also helps develop discipline and faith in a process.

But these things do not make your self worth.

They do not make you kind or intelligent or worthy. Even if you skip a workout, break a leg, or gain fat, you are still all the good things you were before. Keep working toward your fitness and physique goals, but remember who you are, what you are good at, and the people you help. Then hold that in your head regardless of your physical status.

2. Stop Going After Other People’s Goals.

For some odd reason, strangers and non strangers alike feel compelled to offer their unsolicited opinions and judgements regarding others’ workouts. “Don’t get too big!”, “Don’t do this exercise or you’ll get bulky.” “I don’t want to be onstage in a speedo!” (It’s not a speedo, by the way; nobody’s swimming here.) Why this is acceptable is beyond my comprehension!

You own your body, your time, and your effort, so you get to pick what you work for.

If you want to be a powerlifter, train hard for strength! If you want to compete in a physique contest, it’s ok if your social circle doesn’t understand. You’ll be infinitely more motivated when you are honest with yourself about your goals. Then go at them!

3. Stop Comparing Yourself to Others

I encourage you to find a training environment where people work hard, have structured goals, smart programs, and compete. I cannot overstate how important it is to be surrounded by people who are smarter, more experienced, and stronger than you are. Training in this type of environment will improve your motivation and results tremendously. You will learn and it will drive you to be better.

However, this does not mean you should look at someone who is the same age, the same weight, or has some other factor in common, and think you should be able to do exactly what that person is doing. Absolutely not! Why? Because you have a different body. You have a different training history.

Work as hard as you can to reach your goals, and your training potential. This might include having mentors and workout partners, and even competitive rivals. That is great! Chase them! But do not put yourself down because you don’t have the exact abilities as someone else.

4. Stop Procrastinating

You aren’t going to be in shape, disciplined, and experienced when you start. Just start! You’ll get stronger and work smarter as you go. Just start!

5. Stop Pushing Through Injuries

Many competitors, or people with competitive personalities, are the exact opposite of lazy. This trait is what drives them toward excellence and success, but like Achilles, can also be a downfall. If an injury doesn’t respond to a short period of rest, frequently recurs, or causes debilitating pain, it is not worth pushing through. Know when to go see a doctor to save you damage and time in the long run.

6. Stop Making Excuses

There is a psychological benefit to making an excuse. It removes control from you and places it onto another factor, which makes you feel better your actions or inaction. Blaming your busy work schedule for skipping workouts is easy to do, and easy to justify. You have to make ends meet, right? The problem is, it doesn’t help you. It doesn’t help your family you are working so hard to provide for.

Ever heard the expression, “There is nothing new under the sun”? Literally every problem you can think of, someone else has overcome. Someone out there has had that problem, a worse work schedule, more children to take care of, and still figured out a way to practice healthy habits. If it’s important enough to you, be honest about what you can do, and do it!

7. Stop Doing Things That Take You Farther Away From Your Goals

We all know the things we should do. Do your workouts, eat your protein and vegetables, go to the dentist, etc. We check those off a list when we do them. (And you list makers, I know you write them in to your list when you’ve done them, just so you can check them off. Hey, I do it too.)

Consider all the small things that take you farther away from your goals. Skipping a meal, not eating enough protein, not drinking enough water, and staying up too late. These things seem small but they add up. If you are serious about changing your life, your body, and your habits, identify these issues and address them.

8. Stop Drifting

Write down goals and work toward them. If you don’t have specific goals you are working toward, you roll into the gym when you feel like it, work what you feel like working, and go home when you feel like it. This is okay sometimes. It happens on reload weeks, or on vacation when you are improvising in a different gym, but it really won’t serve you best in the long term. For what to do about this, see below.

9. Stop Program Hopping

One of the biggest keys to success is following a well designed program. Sure you can make progress without a program, but you’ll get there faster with a program, and who doesn’t want to get there faster? An effective program has a plan, structure, and a big picture. It will stay consistent, or change only slightly, for a period of weeks. Stay with it!

Do not change simply because you’re bored. Do not attempt to “shock your body” by adding a bunch of random crap to your workouts, or by sticking your finger in an electrical socket. Squeeze all the effectiveness you can out of a program by improving upon the workout each time you do it. That’s hard to do when it changes more than you wash your coffee mug.

The best way to find a good program is to seek out a qualified trainer who has experience programming. Talk to the people in your gym to find out who they have worked with, who they liked, and what brought results.

10. Stop Being in a Rut

This sounds like a contradiction to the previous point, but it is not. Hear me out. A rut does not progress, never changes, and does not deliver results. It may be comfortable, and it may have even delivered results at one time. It doesn’t anymore, but hey, it’s better than nothing, right? Maybe. But why settle for better than nothing? Go for better than that!

11. Stop Obsessing- Live Life!

Do a little bit of research to find a workout plan that you can stick to. Have faith, give it time, and do it with gusto! Balance out your hard work a positive attitude, good food, and enough sleep. Then go out and have fun! Enjoy your newfound energy, vigor, and live your life!

I’m excited to share these tips with you and cannot wait for you to apply these strategies and experience the benefits in your life. I’m ready to see you succeed!

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

How to Get What You Want: A Foolproof Guide to Setting and Achieving Big Goals, In and Out of the Gym

May 1, 2016 by Kathryn Alexander

Les Brown says, “Shoot for the moon and even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.”

Selena Gomez sings, “The heart wants what it wants.”

I don’t want the moon. Ever since I watched Apollo 13, space flight has seriously freaked me out. I’m grateful for NASA and people with steelier nerves than me, but I am not Elon Musk. This girl enjoy warm showers and abundant oxygen.

What if your heart really doesn’t know what it wants? There was a time when knew I didn’t like my job, and I had aspirations of improving myself, being happier, living for the moment and other regurgitated platitudes, but I didn’t know how to get there. Those are emotions, not actionable goals. They are vague. How do you get there, that ambiguous place where you are happy and present? Where is there?

Further, how do I know what my heart wants? This is also a vague question. Not every person knows from a young age exactly what career path or life goal he or she wants. Often, people are in painful situations precisely because they don’t know what they want. As for me, I’m a literal person. My masters degree is clinical exercise physiology. Between the AV node, QRS complex and cardiac output, I think my heart is just telling me to go run more stairs.

Goal Setting Takes Work

Goal setting can be hard, both in life and in the gym. It takes deep thought, consideration, and time to decide what you want out of life. What you are really deciding on is where to spend your time and that is a hugely difficult decision! Time is the most valuable resource, one that no brilliant researcher or billionaire has found a way to create more of.

What is most worthy of spending your time working toward?

You Start Where You Start

Begin by acknowledging this: you start where you start. You can try to deny it and jump ahead, but it will only hurt you. You are in a factual situation; if you are 15 credits and a thesis away from a degree, you have 15 credits and a thesis to go. If you can squat 150 pounds, you can squat 150 pounds. In the gym, trying to skip steps and start at a place too advanced can hurt you. There is no shame in starting where you are.

How to Decide What You Want

Get out your calendar right now. Schedule two separate half hour chunks of time where you sit down and think.

At this first session, sit by yourself, put your phone on airplane mode in the next room over, and let your mind wander. This is a brainstorming session in which you don’t cut down anything. You can decide later if it’s a bigger goal than you are willing to work toward. For now, just think about possibilities.

Ask yourself these questions:

What do I want my ideal workday to look like one year from now?

I want to  teach my clients to flip tires all day! Halfway kidding. We do other things too. — I want to teach my clients to flip tires all day! Halfway kidding. We do other things too.

Where do I want to retire?
Who am I good at helping?
What am I good at doing?
What do I enjoy doing?
What do I need to be happy?
What do I want to be happy?

These are malleable goals. Do not stress yourself into thinking there is one perfect vision of life you are chasing. You can adjust goals as you go. People naturally do this all the time. College students begin by declaring a major, take some classes, and either confirm their decision or change it. People in the workforce have mid-life career changes and restructure their whole lives to change jobs.

In the gym, people begin working toward one goal and shift toward another. Bikini competitors begin train for a show and realize they like powerlifting. Crossfitters will begin prescribed workouts and decide to focus on Olympic lifting. These things are allowed to happen! They are all part of finding what you naturally enjoy and do well.

How to Decide What You Want, Session 2

At your next half hour goal session, rewrite these thoughts into more accomplishable goals. Take these point by point and break them down into less abstract feelings and more concrete action steps.

For example, my brainstorming session 1 looked similar to this:

I want to be happy! I want to be flexible and live on my own terms. I’m not happy in an office 40 hours a week, and I always gravitate back toward the gym, even though the last “office job” I had was in fitness and only a few hours a day at a desk. One of my favorite things in the gym is teaching the deadlift for the first time, and watching people realize they are stronger than they thought.

I want to help people. I hate hate hate ALS and want to help people with it, but I keep getting my tender heart broken every time I get to know another patient who is living with ALS. How can I help and not be sad all the time? We need to find a cure.

I want to go to Paris again, and travel more! I want to learn French, but I could spend all that time reading more exercise research. Hmm.

To accomplish: drive my big lifts up (bench press, deadlift, squat). Get big shoulders. Also I want to want to do yoga, but haven’t decided if I want to.

Longer term goal: I will have a condo by Tiger Stadium to stay in when I go to football games.

True story: one of my goals was to visit France to see my friend Marion, who was an exchange student at my high school. It took me 15 years, but we spent my 31st birthday walking miles around Paris and catching up. In English, because I don't speak … — True story: one of my goals was to visit France to see my friend Marion, who was an exchange student at my high school. It took me 15 years, but we spent my 31st birthday walking miles around Paris and catching up. In English, because I don’t speak French.

These are a good start. They are inherently pretty vague and selfish. Take the first one, for example. “Be happy, and live on my own terms.” Yes, we all want to be happy. That’s froo froo talk. What does it take for me to be happy? For starters, enjoying what I do for work. I can’t just clock in and clock out. Happiness also means seeing live music often, since that is my favorite pastime outside the gym. Spending time with my family is a priority.

Regarding my rambling goals about helping people: this is a great start too. James 2:26 says, “Faith without works is dead.” Similarly, it is a kind intention to want to help people, but I need to act on it. Instead of just sending well wishes into the atmosphere, I am going to volunteer with Max’s Ride (a non-profit motorcycle ride and concert which benefits ALS patients), and the ALS Association.

From looking at these first two points with the goal to act on them, I can say that to be happy, and fulfilled, I need to teach lifting as a career. I love reading science journals, so the ethical continuing education is enjoyable for me. I will make it a point to get my friends together to watch live music, visit out of town family members, and volunteer with local organizations against ALS.

Pull out your brainstorming list and think strategically about how to make those softer goals more tangible. Nothing is wrong with the softer goals, but if you can’t think of a plan to reach them, you probably won’t reach them.

Make 1, 5, and 10 Year Goals

Now that you have made a big, general brainstorm about what you want out of life, and you’ve restructured those wants into processes to reach them, think about that career question again. What do you wish your ideal workday looked like today?

Perhaps you would wake up, take your children to school, and head to the office. It’s not a cake walk, but you get some concentrated, hard work done on a satisfying challenge. At a good break point, you head to the gym, blow off some steam and sweat a bit, and head home for a cell-phone free dinner with the family.

I'm a happy girl if I can watch live music every week. — I’m a happy girl if I can watch live music every week.

Perhaps you ideal day begins with a workout. You sweat it up while thinking about that vacation you are planning, and the business you are building to get there. You invest your work and time heavily into yourself, have lunch with a mentor, then put your head back in the game a few more hours before heading off to happy hour to watch a band with friends.

Your ideal life routine might be different from either of those scenarios. Consider your ideal routine, and ask yourself if it is do-able. Can you imagine it being a realistic scenario? Given 10 years, do you think you can organize your life in a way that you reach that ideal day? It might be more realistic than you think.

Think about what you wish you had done 10 years ago. What do you wish you had started 10 years ago that you could be working with today? You probably have not just 10 years, but decades ahead of you. You have time to achieve gigantic goals. You just have to identify those goals and work toward them.

5 Year Goals

It’s pretty safe to say that by now, you’ve thought of some 10 year goals. Hopefully you were honest about what you want to have/work toward, and didn’t chalk any up to just being a pipe dream. To help get you there, think about your halfway point. These are your 5 year goals. Let’s take my last brainstorm point, which is to own a condo by Tiger Stadium. It’s doesn’t need to (and won’t) happen by this football season, but I’d really like it to happen. Like many goals, the way to achieve this one is simple: I can begin by saving money, which will allow me to have a large down payment by the time I am ready to act on this.

1 Year Goals

Think of these like your to do list. You can start on these now. Right now. Make a plan to go by the bank tomorrow and open a new savings account. Deposit a certain amount of money in it each month. Research non-profits to be involved in, with the goal to commit a certain number of hours to it each month. Find a gym you will go to twice a week, a trainer or accountability partner, and do it.

Do you remember the ice bucket challenge? I was lucky enough to be able to jump right in since I was volunteering with the ALS Association. It did great things for advocacy and awareness for ALS!

Body Goals

Relating specifically to body goals I want you to really think about what you want. Without inhibition, without guilt, without shame. You own your body. You get to choose your goals. Nobody else. I’ve had several clients females who were very hesitant to share their goals with me. I knew there were things left unspoken so after some gentle but persistent prodding they shared with me that they felt it was unfeminist to have vain body goals.

I think it’s the opposite. A very liberated individual is entitled to feel great in her own skin. You are the only person in your own skin. You have to live in your body all day. If you don’t like how your clothes fit, YOU wear the discomfort all day. Don’t you deserve better? You have to be uncomfortable walking upstairs if you’re out of shape. You have to look in the mirror and feel good or bad about yourself. You own your body and you have every right to decide how you look how you feel and what you want. Feminist or not, you’ll have the right to set your own goals without consulting others.

Photo by Matthew DeFeo, during a period of time where I took great care of myself. http://www.matthewdefeophotography.com/ — Photo by Matthew DeFeo, during a period of time where I took great care of myself.

http://www.matthewdefeophotography.com/

And you deserve to feel good in your skin. You own your body.

If you are on a restrictive diet, you’re the one who feels hungry all day, and if you have an eating disorder you’re the one who bears the burden all the time. You owe it to yourself to take care of your health. Your body is an outward manifestation of your health. Who cares what other people want you to look like? You decide for yourself what you want.

Tell Me Your Goals

I am fascinated by the decisions people make. What do you want? What are you working toward? How can I help you get there? Let me know! Email me now. kathryn@kathrynalexander.com

Gabrielle d'Estrées et une de ses soeurs, which hangs in the Louvre.  Gabrielle pinches her sister's nipple, meaning her sister is pregnant. This is both funny and heartwarming at once, and I would never have seen it if I had not traveled. — *Gabrielle d’Estrées et une de ses soeurs,* which hangs in the Louvre. Gabrielle pinches her sister’s nipple, meaning her sister is pregnant. This is both funny and heartwarming at once, and I would never have seen it if I had not traveled.

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

What’s So Special About the New Year?

January 2, 2016 by Kathryn Alexander

It’s a Friday. Fridays are pretty fun even when they aren’t January 1, but there are 52 Fridays in a year. What’s different about this one?

Why is it filled with hope and unbridled optimism and the promise of #bigthingstocome?

It’s a Friday.

It’s different though. It’s not like any other Friday. It’s the first day of a new year! It’s different and it’s special just for that.

It’s the first day called 2016, it’s a clean slate, a blanket of fresh snow. And sometimes that in itself is the last little bit of motivation we need to start a new habit.

New article: what I think of fitness New Year resolutions in 2024.

What are your New Year’s Resolutions?

Take a minute and think of them right now.

I’m going to guess:

lose weight
exercise more
be a better husband or wife
spend more quality time with your kids
enjoy life more fully
save more money and pay down debt
get organized

Are those new thoughts? Did those goals just come to you this morning? No! Absolutely not! They are things you’ve wanted many times before. How many times have you looked at that piece of cake at the office party and thought, “I shouldn’t eat this.”

How many times have you tucked your kids in bed only to realize that the day was another exhausting blur of carpools, practices, and homework. You’ve wished you had put away your phone, your kids’ homework, and spent more quality time with them.

You’ve wished you actually committed to that workout. You wish you actually used your gym key tag.

Why didn’t you do that already? Well, many reasons, and they are all okay. You are human. You are busy, you are obligated to people and tasks, but you have the best of intentions.

Forgiveness

Consider the act of forgiveness. It is an immensely kind act to do for yourself, when you can acknowledge and release others’ transgressions. It doesn’t require any specific formality or documentation. No attorneys, witnesses or notaries. It is simply an shift in your mindset.

The new year presents us a similar opportunity. It gives us an occasion to put away the old guilt and failures, the missed workouts, the regrets for time lost. It gives us an occasion to start anew, making healthier, kinder choices that will truly fulfill us.

So take this opportunity to make resolutions. Everybody else is! Gyms are bustling. Vegetables are flying off the grocery shelves. You are practically globally supported! Make your resolutions fun, do-able, and specifically beneficial to you. Sounds silly, but doesn’t “lose 11 pounds of fat” sounds better than “lose weight”? “Go to the gym 3 times a week” will guide you better than “exercise more”.

The key to resolutions is to harness the energy of the new year, but remember that these goals are set up to become new lifelong habits which aren’t attached to any particular calendar date.

Here are some suggestions for resolutions in case you haven’t come up with any. Don’t pick all of these, but choose and adapt 1 or 2 if they will help you.

Drink 64 ounce of water every day.
Prepare a healthy breakfast every day.
Go for an exercise walk or jog 3 times a week.
Write in a gratitude journal 3 times a week.
Set your alarm, then put your phone on Do Not Disturb by 7:00 pm every night. (This is my favorite! Love you all, but I need my beauty sleep!)

Here’s to a Brilliant 2016!

One more thing: email me and tell me your resolutions! Let me know how they progress. I want to know if you have success with them, if you modify them, if you can positively influence your family and friends through them.

kathryn@kathrynalexander.com

Let me know!

Bring it, 2016.

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

Veronica’s Testimonial

October 11, 2015 by Kathryn Alexander

My client Veronica sent me the best testimonial and I have to share. She has done a great job of sticking to her exercise plan, both with me in the gym, and at home doing online personal training.

She has seen health improvements, and boy is she getting strong! I am all around happy for her.

Testimonial from client Veronica who got strong and healthy with online personal training from Alexander Training.

Veronica’s Testimonial

First let me say that Kathryn is an awesome personal trainer. It is September 2015 and I have been remotely training with Kathryn for about 3 months now. I was in two really bad car accidents years ago and ever since I was not able to exercise without injuring myself again. I would always give up due to the pain. I have many other health conditions that make it very difficult for me to lose weight. I have been the exact same weight for the past 4 years. I have not gone over or under a pound, but somehow managed to maintain that weight. After my doctor told me that I would have to get on diabetic medication if I did not do something to move my weight down, I decided to look for a well educated personal trainer. I looked and did some research for about 2 months until I found Kathryn. I wanted to make sure I had someone that really knew their stuff. Well, I really hit the jackpot with Kathryn. She is amazing at what she does. I did not think I would be able to do much, but Kathryn created a tailored exercise and food program for me to follow. I have been following her recommendations and have lost 13 pounds. Thirteen pounds is a lot of weight to lose in 3 months especially for someone who has hypothyroidism and other health conditions that make it really hard for me to lose weight. My doctor cannot believe that the weight is coming off the way it is due to my health conditions.

My doctor is super excited for me. I owe a lot of that to Kathryn. her remote program is so easy to follow as she literally writes everything you need in a nicely structured sheet and emails it to you. She also includes videos that demonstrate exercises that you may not be familiar with. Her workouts are challenging but I have not injured myself once with her plan because she has taken all my health/injuries into account and made me my own program. I love her program so much that I have decided to start training with her once a week in person since I live in Austin. The cool thing about Kathryn’s remote program is that you do not have to live in Austin. She will email you everything you need and she always makes sure to check up on you weekly to see how you are doing and how the program is going for you. Again, I highly recommend giving Kathryn’s specifically tailored for you remote program a try. You will be very glad you did.

Veronica Cantu

Write Your Story

Kathryn again here. I encourage you to write a new chapter in your story, beginning with a new training program. It can make you so much healthier that your doctor notices, like Veronica’s. The best part is it can make you feel so much better. I’d love to help you on your journey. Email me, or send me a message here for a free consult about making a plan for you.

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

Citrus Salmon & Broccoli on Rice

September 22, 2015 by Kathryn Alexander

Serves 2-3

This salmon and broccoli recipe requires a little bit of time – about half an hour- but it is high in protein, healthy, and deeelicious! Absolutely worth it! By being strategic about the food prep, you can time the salmon, broccoli, and rice to be hot and ready to eat about the same time.

Ingredients

fresh salmon, 16 ounces
1 head of broccoli
Zatarains rice
1 orange
1 lime
1 lemon
olive oil
salt
thyme
rosemary
salt and pepper
aluminum foil or high temperature parchment paper
Parmesan cheese optional

First, obviously, wash your hands. Repeat this a million times throughout the cooking process.

Then, preheat oven to 350. Gather all your ingredients on the counter so they are ready and easy to grab.

Line 2 pans with parchment paper for easy clean up, then layer with a thin spread of olive oil.

Broccoli

Wash head of broccoli, then shake and blot dry with a clean dish towel. The drier the better so the olive oil can coat the broccoli. On a clean cutting board, chop into bite size little broccoli trees, and evenly coat about an ounce of olive oil on all the pieces. Line out the little trees on one of the pans, with as much surface area as possible. A bunched up pile of broccoli won’t brown as well or taste as good.

Sprinkle with sea salt and Parmesan cheese if you’d like. Go ahead and put the broccoli in the oven, and set a timer for 15 minutes.

Related: want more veggie recipes?

Rice

Now measure out your rice and water in separate measuring cups. The package will have instructions, but you generally boil twice the volume of water as rice. Begin the water boiling in a covered pot. If you are needing to have fewer carbs for some reason, have less rice. I usually make more so I can have leftovers.

Citrus

Slice half of the orange into thin slices, and save the other half. Repeat with the lemon and lime, keeping the uncut halves on a little plate.

Salmon

Place the salmon skin side down on the other pan. Drizzle about half an ounce of olive oil on the salmon, then sprinkle with rosemary, thyme, and salt and pepper. Finally, place the citrus slices in a pretty pattern on the salmon.

Put the salmon in the oven and check on the broccoli. The broccoli should need more time, so you can reset the timer for about 10 minutes, at which point both the broccoli and salmon should be near ready.

Your water should also be boiling at this point, so you can add the dry rice to the water. It’ll quit boiling with the addition of the rice, but will heat up again.

This leaves you with a couple minutes until the food is ready, if you have timed it all right. Don’t go too far from the oven because you’ll want to keep your eye on the rice. If you are kid- or otherwise responsibility-free during this break, it’s a good time to put the spices and leftover ingredients back up.

Salmon should be ready when it flakes easily and is a bit opaque in color. This ended up taking 12 minutes in my oven, so be ready to check it, poke it, and add a couple of minutes.

When the rice, broccoli, and salmon are done, arrange them in a pretty set up on your best dishes. No sense in holding back on the good stuff. Lay the salmon down first, and arrange the rice and broccoli on the side.

Squeeze the fresh lemon and lime halves on the salmon before serving.

Nutrition Facts

Half of this meal is approximately:

Protein: 51 g
Fat: 10 g
Carbs: 53 g
Calories: 506

Leftovers? Pack it up over ice and have it for lunch tomorrow!

Make this and let me know how it turns out! Do you have other salmon and broccoli recipes? I love to hear how people make recipes their own. Let me know!

If you are still looking for new recipes, check out more of my favorites here!

Need a New Training Program?

All of this food writing is making me hungry, and ready to train! Do you need a new training program? Jump into one of my most popular classes or programs. See them all here at Train Heroic!

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

Tara’s Lifts and Does Triathlons

August 11, 2015 by Kathryn Alexander

Tara was a wonderful client of mine, who worked so hard, both at her home and at the gym. She was busy, like many of us are. However, what she did so well was continue to prioritize her health and fitness with both strength and conditioning training. I am grateful to have worked with her! Read about our training together in her words, below.

Tara’s Story

I have been working with Kathryn for about 18 months. In that time, she has educated me on the importance of building muscle strength in relation to my overall health and also direct improvement in other parts of my exercise routines. I have always been a “cardio first” type of person and now that I have the knowledge from Kathryn, I realize that putting weights first on certain days will do nothing but help me in the long run! She keeps it fun and I always look forward to our sessions.

Tara Kalsu, mother, recreational triathlete

Can I Help With Your Success Story?

I’d be honored! Message me on the page, and let’s talk about your goals!

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

Get Out of the Summer Slump

July 15, 2015 by Kathryn Alexander

We are deep into summer as I’m writing this. You should be standing in your “after” picture right now. Are you? Remember in January when you looked forward to summer, with ideas of the smokin’ hot body you’d be bringing to boat parties and beach getaways? OH yes, you were gonna kill it in the gym this year.

Or maybe you’re on that vacation you wanted to get in shape for. The big trip you bought comfortable shoes for, in anticipation of covering miles of meandering European countryside, or walking blocks in the big city. Perhaps your active vacation was carrying golf clubs on your dream course. I hope some of you got to do that.

Ahh, summer. A season of long, lazy days that allow us to enjoy a slower pace of life and refill our soul.

Bahahaha. Don’t worry, you’re in good company if that doesn’t sound like your summer either.

We Are All Busy

One of the biggest perks of my job helping people in the gym is that I interact with a large number of the same people on a very regular basis, and I get to see real trends as they happen.

It is fascinating. We are more alike and in tune with each other than we think. When the seasons change and the weather is beautiful, nearly everyone bounds in the gym with energy and optimism.

Likewise, I see moments when the collective sentiment is a very unenthusiastic “blah.” This was the case recently in Austin, and could have been caused by low grade, often undetectable mold allergies, according to my acupuncturist.

This is why I can say with certainly that if you feel like your summer has gotten away from you, you are not alone.

Summer = Work + Vacation + Kids (even if they are not yours)

Summer is still my favorite time of year (except football season), but it is hard work planning summers. No kidding. If you’re going on vacation, you’ve got to plan with your work and family schedules, book hotels and rental cars and fun things to do. This gets harder, people tell me, when you are packing for kids too.

This isn’t even the regular summer change of plans if you have kids. You’ve also got to find childcare and summer camps.

Even if you don’t have kids and aren’t taking a vacation, your schedule will likely be changed by others who do. If your profession involves regular appointments with people, you already know it’s crazy with reschedules and cancellations. If you are part of a team at work, you might be taking on extra work for the people out of office.

And, if you’re among the lucky ones on a long vacation, you’ve surely got your work cut out for you when you come back in the form of emails and calls to return. It’s sometimes more work to just get back into work.

And so, it is easy to see why our fitness routines fall by the wayside in summer. We are half a year removed from New Year’s Resolutions, where the abundant optimism of others propels you along too. We are past that last pre-summer push, which happens in late March and early April.

There are a couple variations of this one:

“Ahh, Spring Break is coming! I have GOT to get my booty in gear!”
“Ahh, Spring Break is coming! Hahaha, nevermind. Just kidding. I’m too old for Spring Break. I’ve got a few more weeks before I’ve got to get in shape for summer.”

And then summer comes. And now, summer is here and we’ve got tan lines to show it.

But you still have goals for your body even when life is busy. You still want your abs to be a little tighter, and to feel more energetic. So what is a busy person to do?

Simple. Do something now. Anything, but do it now. Do not wait for “the right time” or til life gets a little less busy. It’ll never happen, because as soon as it does, something else gets thrown in your lap.

Healthy, successful people do not wait for the right time.

Your Homework

Pick one thing and commit to doing that one thing. What is that one thing? I don’t know. I’ll give you a list of ideas, but I recommend you take a mental inventory of your strengths. You know yourself and your habits better than anyone else.

Exercise is an extremely nuanced topic we could study forever. There are many-years-long graduate programs of study in exercise, and hundreds of thousands of research studies on exercise. The big things, however, are well understood, and you know which of those you are good at, such as cooking a great healthy chicken salad, or committing to morning yoga classes.

Guidelines

Your activity must be something:

You can do everyday, or with some regularity
You are 95% sure you can maintain

See what we are doing here? We are setting you up to be successful. We are setting you up to win.

The Rules

Commit to doing this thing for one month. You can continue on if you like, but it’s perfectly fine to quit at one month.
No guilt! No guilt if you miss a day. Just prepare better so you can do it tomorrow.

Give this some thought, then if you choose to commit, give it a real, honest go. It doesn’t matter how small or insignificant the action is. You are making a commitment, making positive change, and establishing a habit.

Why Just One Thing?

People do better at change where there is only one change to focus on. After your month, you can pick a different one or add another. Remember, the smallest healthy change you make is better for you the the best comprehensive health overhaul that you abandon. Reason #2 for just one thing, I always wanted to make a cheesy title like that. “Do this one weird trick!!” Haha!

Examples:

Stretch for 15 minutes every evening
Attend yoga or Pilates class 3 times a week
Floss your teeth every day
Drink 64 ounces of water every day
Weight train 3 times per week
Get 8 hours of sleep every day
Cook a healthy breakfast every morning
Have 2 boiled eggs every morning for the 12 extra grams of protein
Meditate for 15 minutes every day
Do a challenging sudoku or crossword puzzle every day
Express gratitude every day
Give a genuine compliment every day
Walk around your block every morning
Consume approximately 25/38 grams of fiber per day (female/male, respectively)

One final note. Email me if you need accountability! Email me to tell me your habit! I would love to update this list with healthy habits I haven’t mentioned, and I’m fantastic at nagging, I mean, checking in to see how you are sticking to your plan.

I’m off to meditate, my goal for the next month!

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

Blog

The Menu

Grilled Shrimp Kebabs

Loaded Nachos

Guacamole

Enjoy!

Shopping list for approximately 10 people:

More Recipes

Tim Pelot

Tanna Burge

Ron McKeefery

Loren Landow

Al Vermeil

Donnie Maib

The Stark Center

Tony Shares His Success Strategies

Apply This To Your 1 Month Body Transformation

What Happens During Your 30 Days of Hard Work

Your Turn for Success

How I Handle Stress

Situation 1: The treats that people bring to the office during holidays.

Situation #2: The holiday parties.

Situation #3: The big family parties!

1: Get Enough of What You Need. The “Good Enough” Diet.

2: Nail Down One Healthy Meal that becomes Easy and Habitual

3: Don’t Eat The Things You Know You Shouldn’t: The Common Sense Diet.

4: Focus on Fixing Your One Worst Habit

Will These Diets Work For You?

Need Ideas For Your Staple Meals?

Try It!

Is a Gym Membership Worth It?

Nowhere else is as economically rewarding as a gym!

Life is short. Spend it somewhere you enjoy!

Join the boxing gym!

How to Handle a Small Disturbance

Plan for one week

About Injuries

Look to Learn from Others

Cut Down On Your Workout Frequency

How to Handle a Large Disturbance

Reframe

Be Kind to Yourself

Did You Workout Yesterday?

Assess Your Life

Make a Plan

Knock Down Barriers

Plan Your Food Too

Include Family in Your Healthy Habits

Stand Your Ground

Don’t Fall Into the Busy Trap

Do This Now

Goal Setting Takes Work

You Start Where You Start

How to Decide What You Want

How to Decide What You Want, Session 2

Make 1, 5, and 10 Year Goals

5 Year Goals

Body Goals

Tell Me Your Goals

What are your New Year’s Resolutions?

Forgiveness

Here’s to a Brilliant 2016!

Veronica’s Testimonial

Write Your Story

Ingredients

Broccoli

Rice

Citrus

Salmon

Nutrition Facts

Tara’s Story

Can I Help With Your Success Story?

We Are All Busy

Summer = Work + Vacation + Kids (even if they are not yours)

Your Homework

Guidelines

The Rules

Why Just One Thing?

Examples:

Footer