Blog

Curling in the Squat Rack

August 2, 2023 by Kathryn Alexander

If you’ve hung around gyms enough, you’ve heard, “No curling in the squat rack!” Is this really true? Will you immediately be kicked out, membership revoked, and publicly shamed, if you curl in the squat rack?

The short answer is, haha maybe! Yes, curling in the squat rack is frowned upon. Here’s why.

If you’re reading this in January, happy new year! Check out this guide on how to make and keep new year fitness resolutions.

Why Squat Racks Are In Demand

Ah, the squat rack! The most fun, or the most intimidating piece of equipment in any gym. It’ll separate the men from the boys, put hair on your chest… or whatever silly phrase you want to use. It is often misunderstood, feared, or blamed for all kinds of aches and pains.

The truth is, the squat is one of the most useful and important lifts for everyone, male or female, young or old.

curling in the squat rack — This is an old screen grab, hence the quality. Anyhow, I have a spotter here, so I’ll be safe, but you can see how this is a risky lift to do outside of the squat rack. I had a planned max squat that day, and that should come before curls.

Because of this, you’ll often see squat racks fully booked in gyms whose culture supports lifting. Lifters often spend more time on the squat rack than at other gym locations, because the squat requires a smart and deliberate warm up. It takes longer than other exercises, both to warm up, and to rest between sets.

Additionally, the squat rack is the only safe place to actually squat heavy. Because of this, squat racks are often in use.

Squat Rack Etiquette

It becomes problematic when people take an entire squat rack to curl, which is an exercise that can be performed in pretty much any other location in the gym. There are usually dedicated straight bars already fixed with weights. There are dumbbells for hammer curls, concentration curls, preacher curl machines, and cables for more curls.

There are seated racks for shoulder pressing, and dumbbells for overhead pressing. There are shoulder press machines. Sure, these exercises can be a bit easier in the squat rack, and yeah, it’s fun to use the big barbell!

Squat in the Squat Rack

BUT- hold your horses, there! As mentioned previously, there’s nowhere else in the gym to safely squat, but a squat rack. Because of this, squatters should have priority in the squat racks.

The caveat is if the gym is slow and there are many racks available. In that case, it may be ok to use it for a few sets of presses or curls. Sometimes, the squat rack is a great place to modify an exercise for a client, such as for doing pushups from an elevated bar. In this case, the squat rack is extremely convenient.

However, squatters should again be given priority for this specific lift. It’s just a courteous thing to do.

More about dumbbell curls: muscles worked, what exercises to do, and more to get bigger and stronger arms.

How to Share a Squat Rack

If pressing or curling in the squat rack is important to you, consider going to the gym at off times when it is less busy. You might find you have time to get your training in without dirty looks from busy exercisers.

Consider the rest of the gym, and all the other dedicated areas to work specific movements. Be creative! Watch home gym exercisers. With a small home gym or garage gym, they figure out workarounds for everything!

Finally, if you do use the squat rack for something other than it’s intended purpose, just be courteous. If you’re a regular, you’ll know when people need the racks and when they are waiting. If someone is waiting, you can let begin working in while you finish your sets. Here’s a great goblet squat tutorial. Goblet squats can be used as a warm up while you are waiting to squat, or an accessory to get more volume after.

You can also use this time to work some of the best rear delt exercises, which are often overlooked but always valuable.

Start Here

If you’re brand new to the gym and want to learn more of the etiquette as you do your exercise, try my program Square 1. This is meant to teach the brand new exerciser how to get a workout, and how to navigate a new gym. Also read How to Overcome Gym Intimidation. You really do belong in the gym!

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or would like to do a free consult. Happy 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 Much Does a Personal Trainer Cost?

August 1, 2023 by Kathryn Alexander

Working with a good personal trainer can be on of the greatest investments you ever make. If you find a highly educated and experienced personal trainer, your trainer can help you find the best path for your health that will maximize your time spent exercising and minimize your change of injury. So how much does a personal trainer cost? Read on to find out what to pay and how to work with a trainer.

Average Personal Trainer Cost

The short answer to this is, it depends where you live and what your market is like, how involved you want your trainer to be, and what kind of facility you are working together at.

The Personal Trainer Development Center estimates the average cost at $60-70 per hour long training session.

This will very wildly depending on where you are paying for training services.

When you are considering whether this is worth it, think about the price you’d pay for a massage. It’s probably similar. Unlike your massage therapist, your trainer will usually make you a whole workout program, follow up with you, and continue to be invested in your progress. It’s not a one-time situation.

How Much Does a Personal Trainer in Austin Cost?

The average cost of a personal trainer in Austin seems to be about $100. You can find less and you can find a much more expensive but expect to pay somewhere around $100. You might also have to pay a gym membership but hopefully you will be going to the gym enough to justify that.

This number will also vary based on where you go. Again, big box gyms will have newer trainers who are taught how to sell, and you can usually find trainers on the lower end of the price range there. Self-employed trainers tend to run a bit higher.

Why Does it Cost So Much to Work With a Personal Trainer?

You might not know that there is no legal requirement in the US to be a personal trainer. Anybody can just say that here she is a trainer and start charging for it. It’s up to you to do your due diligence and make sure your trainer is educated. Of course everybody starts somewhere, but I do recommend getting a trainer with a few years experience. I would also find a trainer who has worked with people like you, who have goals like yours.

Hopefully your trainer has a degree in kinesiology or exercise science. You at least want them to have taken anatomy and physiology. If they have put years into their career, the coursework and continuing education units are very expensive. They’ve also experimented on their own bodies, and done their own workouts, and put in their own effort and sweat.

I also highly suggest finding a self-employed trainer. Find a trainer who contracts out of a gym and is not employed at a large box gym. The exception is if a local gym hires great trainers. Most often, big gyms, like Lifetime Fitness, and Gold’s, just hire anybody and teach them how to sell.

Bonus points if your trainer is a total equipment nut and loves everything about the inner workings of barbells, dumbbells, and the best machines available to you.

You don’t want that. Find someone who is proven that he or she can make it as a trainer on their own merits. In this case, the trainer is probably paying at least $500+ per month to the gym they work at.

Many trainers will buy their own equipment as well, especially those who travel to clients.

Finally, many trainers like myself who take this profession seriously also pay monthly for training software to deliver you the best workouts. We put hours in behind the scenes doing follow up planning for you. I pay for scheduling and billing software as well, to make it easier for you to make your appointments fit your schedule.

All of this plus self-employment fees goes into your trainers fee.

Other Ways to Work With a Personal Trainer

If this all seems cost prohibitive, contact the trainer you’d like to work with. Often, trainers have pairs prices, small group classes, or training programs that are at a lesser cost. In my case, I match make clients who would like to work together to reduce cost. I don’t put new people with someone immediately, because I’d like to make sure to get to know a person and his or her goals first.

I also have training programs which are about $15 – 35 a month. These are my plans that I make and maintain, and you can contact me at any point.

Trainers also make sure there aren’t gaps in your programs, and they help you add in exercises you might never even think to do, such as rear delts. They ensure you are doing a well rounded program that will get you to your results in the best way possible.

About half my clients who work with me have worked with me for years. The other half of my clients work with me for 1-3 months and then continue on their own. Most keep up with me and we are still making sure they are comfortable with their plan and progress!

This is an option as well, to budget for a trainer to teach you how to do it on their own. Most trainers are absolutely ok with this, and would love to help you learn how to do your own program.

Don’t be scared to reach out! The worst a trainer can say is that your plan doesn’t fit their business model. If so, that’s ok. They might have referrals. If not, go back to google.

Good Luck With Your Training!

I wish you the best of luck in finding your personal trainer! Here is a more in depth look at how to find a personal trainer and all of your personal training options. Let me know if I can help you at 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.

How to do the Back Extension Machine

July 31, 2023 by Kathryn Alexander

The back extension movement is a very important piece of your posterior development. Learn how to do the back extension machine to make your back, glutes and hamstrings strong and effective.

back extension machine demonstrated by Kathryn Alexander, personal trainer in Austin, Texas. — This is the back extension machine at Big Tex Gym in Austin, Texas. Demonstrated by Austin personal trainer Kathryn Alexander.

What is Back Extension?

Extension of the hip (also called back extension) works back, glutes and hamstrings. The back extension machine targets this, unlike other back exercises, which work mid or upper back. Examples of these are pull ups and rows.

The back extension machine is a fantastic complement to any powerlifting style program. In fact, I think it’s valuable for everybody. You do not have to do this heavy to get benefits, but you can load it if you’d like. To do this, hold a weight plate, barbell, or use bands.

Overall, the back extension is just a great exercise that can help strengthen the lower back and prevent low back pain.

This is a 45 degree back extension machine, which is fairly common in many gyms.

How to Set Up For the Back Extension

The most important part of the set up for the back extension is to be sure that you can hinge at the hips, not bend over at the waist. To get this right, you’ll have to set the machine low enough that your hips are not impeded from that hinge. If you set it too high, you’ll have to bend over it, and it will be just a back extensor move. That is fine, but it’s not what we are trying to target.

So to set up, make sure the back extension machine is set where you can get that hinge. Ensure that your feet are secure, and give it a test rep. This rep ensures that you are able to keep your back flat and really make a lot of the movement come from glutes and hamstrings.

From here, hold your hands crossed in front of your chest and your back straight. Hinge forward by allowing your glutes and hamstrings to stretch and let you complete a full range of motion. From here, holding your back straight, squeeze your hamstrings and glutes to return to your start position. Repeat for as many reps as you plan.

This is a less common back extension machine. I love this one though!

Rounded Back Extension for Glute Development

At some point, you will see someone in the gym doing this a little differently. You’ll notice that some people really round their whole back as if they are doing a crunch. This style of back extension puts the focus on glutes more so than the erector spinae, the muscles that run up and down along your spine. This is fine to do as well. If you set up your reps this way, the machine is set up the same.

You might hear people call these rounded back extensions. This makes sense when you watch the movement, as it is done with a rounded back moreso than straight.

You have the same options as far as keeping your hands in front of you or hugging a weight to your chest. Now, as you come up, you’ll think about squeezing your glutes hard and rounding your low, mid and then upper back as you come up. The result will be that the rep does not look as big; your range of motion looks smaller. Your shoulders and head will not move as far away from the floor.

Which Variation Should You Use?

Should you use the straighter back extension, or the back rounded (glute focused) extension? Do both! Think of these as two different exercises.

You can do both: one focuses on the back, and the other focuses on glutes. In either case, I would suggest doing them after your main barbell work, or if you do it before, do it lightly as a warm-up. It is not advisable to fatigue your back and torso before you load your spine.

How to Progress the Back Extension

You can progress in weight and resistance on this exercise, but this is not one of your main lifts that you will drive up. Progress as is appropriate. If it’s super light and baby weight, you can increase the challenge. But know that this isn’t one that you’re ever going try to max out on. This is one that I would rather you do well and really learn the mind muscle connection.

Check out the back extension machine at Big Tex Gym in Austin – the best gym in Austin!

Need Ideas for Your Training?

Jump into one of my programs here: training programs by Kathryn Alexander. Message me anytime if you have questions about my programs, or your workouts! I’m happy to hear from 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.

How to Get in Shape Fast

July 28, 2023 by Kathryn Alexander

Sometimes you just want to know how to get in shape fast! We know that the best way to be healthy and feel great is to have good habits day in and day out.

You’ve probably also heard the old adage, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” Applied to our physical body, we know that if it took us 10 years to get out of shape, we won’t be cover model ready tomorrow. BUT- who doesn’t want to look good fast? Sometimes you just want to see results quickly! Read on to learn how to get in shape fast, safely.

Exercise, Eat Well, and Rest

You’ll make the most progress, and quickest, if you are firing on all cylinders: eating the right amount of calories and macro nutrients, doing both resistance training and cardio, sleeping enough, and taking good care of your health in general.

Some people prefer more balance: foodies might exercise more so they have leeway in their diet for indulgences. People who can easily maintain strictly planned meals might exercise a little less since they aren’t taking in as many calories.

Neither of these approaches is right or wrong, but you’ll see changes fastest if all of your habits are are moving you toward your goals; if you are firing on all cylinders.

Nutrition

The best way to see results fast and make the quickest progress toward fat loss is by adjusting diet, which is the sum of all consumption.

Every individual needs adequate amounts of protein, fats, carbs, and water. Individuals who are exercise and especially resistance training need more protein than the average individual.

Illnesses or special conditions aside, most people would do well to eat a few times a day, and plan a diet that is heavy in protein, vegetables, and fruits. From there, starchy carbs can be added in small amounts.

Alcohol will do nothing to help toward the goal of losing fat or building muscle, so if your goal is to make progress fast, skip the drinks. If you are wondering, “how fast can I see results?” skipping alcohol and sugary beverages will absolutely help you answer that question faster. Here’s a more thorough explanation on alcohol’s effect on your weight loss progress.

The challenge with diet is that there is a right amount; not too much, not too little. Consult a registered dietician to find the best plan for you.

Exercise: Resistance Training and Cardio

Though diet can drive progress quickly, exercise is absolutely essential to optimal health. Cardiovascular exercise promotes heart and vascular health, in addition to helping burn excess calories. Resistance training is essential to building muscle and increasing metabolism.

Resistance training, which can be lifting weights, using resistance bands, or bodyweight, raises an individual’s basal metabolic rate (BMR). This is the rate at which one burns calories at all times. Even a slight increase in BMR can add up to significant change; this is how to get in shape fast. Resistance training also shapes the body, which many people desire. Shapelier glutes, more massive chest and shoulders, and even improved posture all come from resistance training.

Cardiovascular activity, which is movement that increases your heart rate such as walking, jogging, running, or swimming, is a great complement to resistance training. You can potentially burn more calories in a cardiovascular session, but cardio will not change your BMR.

Sleep

Everyone needs quality sleep, but the more demanding your life is, the more you need it! If you have elected to eat well, do resistance training and cardio, you’ll absolutely need to make sure you are recovering enough. A large part of this is sleep.

Prioritizing sleep is hard but not complicated. Plan well and utilize your day time so you can sleep 7-9 hours. Create a sanctuary in your bedroom so you can have a cool, quiet, dark atmosphere.

This is tough for parents and people in busy phases of life. Try your best, though, because you’ll be better overall for having better quality rest.

Mental Health

Remember you must also take care of your mental health, too! This means considering your new changes a blessing to you, not a chore. Be aware of your thought process and motivation so that you are healthy and not creating obsessive habits.

This means understanding that you can love your body while trying to change it. You can be thankful your legs work, and simultaneously trying to lose fat for your health or confidence level.

You can also choose to eat healthy because you take care of your body, not because you are punishing yourself for your condition. Understand that you can be happy, successful and worthy of love in every condition.

How to Get in Shape Fast

Be honest with yourself about how much of this you are willing to do. Changing eating habits is extremely hard, because eating and drinking are cultural. We meet up over meals, break bread with loved ones, toast our friends achievements, and generally bond over eating and drinking habits.

The above recommendations are about who to get there fastest, but fastest might not be the best way for you. You might see acceptable progress when you make 1 adjustment to your diet and walk 3 times a week.

There is no right or wrong. What’s right for you might not even be right for you in a different phase of your life. Try out some healthy new habits and see if it pushes you in the direction you like.

Persistence

Remember that you’ll get healthier, and you’ll feel better each step of the way. There is no “there”. If your goal is to lose 50 pounds, you’ll feel better after you’ve lost 10. Then you’ll feel better after you’ve lost 10 more.

Give it your best shot! Adjust if necessary, never quit, and appreciate all the progress you make! This is one of the most important parts for how to get in shape fast.

What’s Next For You?

What will you do to push your progress? If you are ready to jump into a workout program, check out these that I write each month. One is for someone completely beginning a gym journey, one is for those who exercise at home, and one is a more intermediate gym program. Let me know if you have any questions about which would be best for you! kathryn@kathrynalexander.com or message me here!

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.

5 Minute Health Tip

July 26, 2023 by Kathryn Alexander

Sometimes getting fit, strong or healthy feels so overwhelming! If you don’t know what to do or where to start, focus on getting a quick win.

Try this 5 minute health tip today!

Breathe Into a Parasympathetic State

When you feel like you are stressing, snowballing, or losing control of a situation, take 5 minutes to be still and breathe. Place your hands on your abdomen, with your hand stretching between the bottom of your ribs and bellybutton. You can do this sitting up, but lay down if possible.

Breathe through your nose, feeling your hands expand up and out. This breathing pattern will redirect you into a parasympathetic state, which allows you to think and perform calmly. This is the opposite of sympathetic, which is the fight-flight-freeze situation you have heard of before.

This is great both for health and performance reasons, so you can do this before a big meeting, before a physical competition, or even to wind down before bed.

Do You Need to Follow a Plan?

Many of my clients are so busy, they just want a plan to follow. They’ll do the work but don’t want to come up with it on their own. I get it! Try online training, which is custom written for you and your schedule. Message me here to inquire about online 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.

Quad Exercises at Home

July 25, 2023 by Kathryn Alexander

Quads are easier to work at the gym, since more equipment means more options, but if you have a little creativity, you can easily do quad exercises at home.

First let’s discuss how you would work quads at the gym. Quad exercises at the gym include seated leg extensions, leg presses, hack squats and barbell squats, among others.

Many people have barbells for home gyms or garage gyms now, but even the most well equipped home gyms rarely have leg machines like the ones named above.

Quad Exercises at Home

Don’t give up on quad exercises at home, though. There are plenty of quad exercises you can do at home without extensive equipment or large machines. With a dumbbell or two, and some creativity and hard work, you can grow your quads at home. Try the following exercises for a quad-focused leg session.

How to do This Quad Workout

You can start with a warm up like a walk but you don’t have to. Your first exercises will be unweighted and will start the process of warming your legs up.

Below, you’ll see exercise “A”, basic squat. Do all 3 sets of those first. After that, do the exercises below in order. Where you see “B1” and “B2”, that is a superset. This means you do exercise “B1” for one set, then exercise “B2” for a set.

Then you rest if you need, and return to exercise “B1” again, then “B2”. If it says “3×10” that means you do it for 3 sets of 10 reps.

So on with “C1” and “C2”.

Best Quad Exercises for Home

A. basic squat to warm up, 3×10

B1. reverse lunge with short step (large knee bend), 4×10

B2. heels elevated goblet squat, stand with your heels on a sturdy 1-2 inches elevation, 4×15

C1. sissy squats, 3x 5-8. These are tough! Work up to them.

C2. lateral walk, 3×10 each direction

As you do this session more, you can add weight to the exercises, and more sets to make it more challenging. You can also be creative on modifications. For example, here’s a whole tutorial on lunge variations and home calf work.

If you’re working quads, you’ll want to work hamstrings as well. Read up on how to work hamstring strength here. And, here’s a whole home leg and glute workout.

Training at Your Home Gym

Quad work takes time and hard work, so keep at it! If you’d like to jump into a program that’s already written, try out The Home Gym. I write The Home Gym for those who work out at home with a few dumbbells and a band. It’s a 3 time weekly workout that works your whole body. Try the first week free here: The Home Team training program!

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 Do Pushups

July 20, 2023 by Kathryn Alexander

Learn how to do pushups, and do pushups well, with these exercises and tips.

Pushups are one of the toughest exercises to do. The good news is that they are very trainable and if you work at them, you’ll improve and be able to do them. And, once you can do one string pushups, the others come fast!

Often, people practice pushups without paying attention to the nuances. This leads to a less than ideal setup, which actually makes them harder.

how to do pushups — Kathryn Alexander, personal trainer in Austin, Texas, demonstrates pushups at Big Tex Gym.

What is the Ideal Form for Pushups?

A pushup is a horizontal press. Think about if you were to try to push against a wall with the goal to move it. You’d want to exert as much force as you could straight into the wall. You wouldn’t push up toward the ceiling or press downward. You’d push straight forward.

Apply this to pushups. You want your hands right under your chest (pushing away from you), not under your face, which would be like pushing up. Not pushing down, because then you’d fall on your face.

How to do a Pushup

Start with your hands a little wider than shoulder width, and spread your fingers out. Get a good grip on the ground.

In this position, your elbows will be slightly tucked; not right by your side, and not out wide at shoulder width.

From the start position at the top, whether you are pushing from knees or feet, think about squeezing your shoulders down away from your ears. Keep this lats-tight position the whole time.

Extend your head straight so your neck is a natural extension of your spine. You’ll be looking at the floor from this position.

Now with all that positioning clamped on, squeeze your abs, legs and glutes so you maintain this straight line all the way from head to knees, or feet.

From here, bend the elbows and control the descent. Reach with your chest, not your chin! Don’t stick your face close to the floor!

Keeping this straight line, push back to your start position.

Whew! That’s a lot! A brief recap:

hands under your chest and slightly wider than your shoulders
elbows should be slightly tucked
squeeze your whole body tight
head is an extension of your spine
bend your elbows to bring your chest to the floor and then push the floor away from you
reach with your chest

Modifications for an Easier Pushup

If a push-up is not doable for you right now, add in a modified push-up from a bar or countertop. Keep all the same points in mind: hands chest level, not face level. Body stays in a straight line with your position clamped on. And do not reach with your face. Neck stays in line and reach with your chest!

Next, add in some push-up negatives.

How to do Pushup Negatives

position your hands under your chest and slightly wider than your shoulders
elbows should be slightly tucked, not directly out from your shoulders
squeeze your armpits (lats) so your shoulders stay out of your ears and your back doesn’t sag
squeeze your glutes and legs
bend your elbows to bring your chest to the floor and then push the floor away from you
keep your head a natural extension of your spine and don’t reach your nose toward the floor
control your descent, going as slow as you’d like
try to touch the ground in a straight line, not like a worm
you can push up from your knees

These will be HARD! That’s ok! Remember that is where the progress is made! Fight fight fight to hit the ground in a straight line instead of your hips falling to the floor.

Building up your triceps strength will help too. Try skull crushers, triceps pressdowns, overhead triceps extensions, and triceps kickbacks. Videos below.

How to Incorporate These Exercises

Add these in to your chest day or upper body pressing day. If you do full body sessions, which are great if you are training 3 days a week or fewer, then you’ll add the push-up work near the beginning of your session, and add triceps work in as assistance work (after your big lifts).

If you are doing a push pull squat style training plan, you can incorporate pushups as the push. Read about how to plan that kind of training program here: push pull squat training.

Advice For Women Learning Pushups

Practice at pushups with the belief that you can do it! You can! I often hear women say that their upper body is weaker, and pushups are hard. They are hard! But you can develop the strength and ability to do them.

Practice these different pushup styles in this article, and also work on your triceps, which help tremendously with upper body pressing. Here’s a great article on tricep exercises for women. Practice these exercises and you’ll see your strength increase.

You can also make progress on your pushups by practicing other horizontal pressing exercises. Machine presses, barbell and dumbbell presses will increase your pushup strength.

What Rep Ranges Should I Use?

Consider the push-up and push-up negatives work as heavy strength work. This means you’ll get warmed up, and then work in sets of around 5 reps, where 5 reps are challenging.

For your triceps work, do progressively heavier sets of 8-12 reps. Challenge yourself to increase your weight, which will usually mean decreasing reps.

This will look like:

Chest exercises:

Pushups from a bar or countertop: 4×5-8
Push-up negatives: 4×5

Triceps exercises (pick at least 2):

Overhead triceps extensions: 4×8-12
Skullcrushers: 4×8-12
Triceps pressdowns: 4×8-12
Triceps kickbacks: 4×8-12; here is an in-depth how-to on the triceps kickbacks

Strengthening your whole core will help with your pushups. Here are some of my favorite exercises to help strengthen your core.

You’ll be adding these in to your additional chest work, so remember to make time for it. It’ll be worth it! Need some inspiration for leg work? Try these quad exercises from home.

Let me know how your pushups practice goes! Work work work at it and keep going! If you get stumped and need more help, please reach out to me! 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.

Does Alcohol Make You Gain Weight?

July 19, 2023 by Kathryn Alexander

We have all heard the term beer belly and made jokes about getting a little belly from drinking habits, but in reality, does alcohol make you gain weight?

The quick answer is, it can. Drinking alcohol does quickly add calories into your diet, and it is easy to consume a lot of them! There are many factors for whether or not you gain weight if you drink, because the human body is pretty complicated, so read along and see how alcohol consumption affects your weight gain or loss.

does alcohol make you gain weight? — Does drinking make you gain weight? Maybe so! Here’s a little Texas tequila cheers.

How Many Calories Are in Alcohol?

Alcohol is fairly calorically dense. There are 7 calories in each gram of alcohol. For reference, there are 4 calories in each gram of protein and carbs, and 9 calories in each gram of fat. (These are kilocalories, which is what you think of when you see nutrition labels).

Calories per gram of macronutrient:

Carbs: 4 calories per gram
Protein: 4 calories per gram
Fat: 9 calories per gram
Alcohol: 7 calories per gram

This 7 calories per gram only refers to the alcohol content. This doesn’t even count the calories in the rest of the drink. A sweet margarita will have all the sugar calories as well, for example.

I had a nutrition professor in my undergrad classes who said, “Drinking alcohol is like drinking cooking oil.” BLEH. What a visual!

Alcohol calories aren’t good for you in any way. Calories from the other macronutrients (protein, fats and carbs) are building blocks in your body. When you consume the macronutrients, you are also taking in micronutrients, such as vitamins and minerals. Alcohol unfortunately doesn’t have any redeeming nutritional value.

Happy New Year! Read this how to for bulletproof ideas for New Year fitness resolutions.

Why Does Alcohol Make You Gain Weight?

We know that on a large level, alcohol consumption disrupts other processes happening in the body. The body prioritizes breakdown alcohol rather than the other metabolic tasks it was working on, such as burning fat. Steiner, et. al do a great job explaining how alcohol affects fat metabolism, increases inflammation, and can results in gain fat, especially at the midsection.

The takeaway is that alcohol adds to the stresses on the body and increase inflammation.

How The Body Gains Weight

Remember earlier I said that there are many many factors behind weight loss or gain? Let’s discuss that now. The human body does work on a Calories In, Calories Out (CICO) model. The rate at which you burn calories is your metabolism. Metabolism is affected by many factors, including type, duration, and intensity of exercise, amount of muscle maintained, sleep, stress, health of the body in general.

The amount of calories in, of course, is how many foods and drinks you consume. Whether you are counting or not, your body is. I don’t always advise counting, and you don’t have to count calories or macros to see progress. But know that your body is of course registering the calories you take in.

Calories out is affected by the speed of your metabolism and how much you exert yourself. You’ll be burning calories at rest, and then burning more as you move and exercise.

does drinking cause beer belly? — I tried my hand at brewing beer. Turns out, it wasn’t very tasty.

Is the Beer Belly a Real Thing?

Yes and no. Drinking beer in excess can absolutely lead to belly fat gain. Beer is 150-300 calories per 12 ounce serving, and beers are fairly easy to drink quickly. Is this weight gain exclusive to beer drinking though? No. Drinking any kind of alcoholic drink in excess can can a beer belly type fat gain.

How to Drink and Not Gain Weight

As you can see, whether you gain or lose weight is complicated, and it depends on the sum of all those things: metabolic rate, calories in, and calories out. This is why “does drinking make me fat” is a hard question to answer. You have to factor in the rest of your life, and how much you are eating, drinking and exercising.

If you’d still like to drink and not gain weight, then make sure you are also eating well, and in the right proportions.

A shot of liquor on the rocks will have fewer calories than a mixed drink, a glass of wine or a beer. But beware, it doesn’t have less alcohol. It just has fewer calories because it has fewer things mixed in.

How Do I Track Alcohol Calories?

If you are tracking your macros, how do you track your alcohol calories? I suggest that you consider alcohol calories carb calories. Let’s take, for example, my favorite beer: Pinthouse PIzza’s Electric Jellyfish IPA. The average IPA has about 200 calories per 12 ounces. Let’s say I have two of those. (And pizza, because that’s what you do at Pinthouse).

Since I had 400 calories total, we’ll call that 100 grams of carbs. That’s how I would track it.

The math is: 200 calories x 2 beers = 400 calories.

400 calories of carbs = 100 grams, because we know that 1g carbs = 4 calories.

Whew! 100 grams of carbs is a lot! I could have had 3 bananas, or a serving of pasta and bread. Again, if I was eating pizza, I’d probably have that in addition to the alcohol, and now you can see how it adds up so quickly.

Other Factors That Make You Gain Weight While Drinking

Like the previous example of just having a couple beers with a meal, you can see how eating and drinking add up. Drinking can also lower your inhibit and alter decision making. You might be great at stopping eating when you have had enough in real, sober life. But with a little buzz? Yahhh, you can absolutely finish that pizza!

Lowering inhibitions and increasing hunger definitely lead to increased caloric consumption, not just from alcohol. This all adds to the Calories In side of the CICO equation.

How Do I Drink Alcohol and Not Gain Weight?

The answer here is to look at the sum of your habits. If you can drink in moderation, and are eating the right amount of food, and exercising in an amount that pushes your weight maintenance/loss in the right direction, then yes. In that case, you can drink and not gain weight.

You can have straight drinks instead of fruity, sugar-added cocktails to keep down the calorie count too.

All in all, if you are of drinking age and do not have a problem with excessive drinking, then yes, you can drink. You just have to know that it does not serve your health in any way. If, knowing that, having a drink is worth it to you, then by all means enjoy your drinks. It is like anything else: you have to know what the effects are and decide if this is worth it to you.

Of course, this sounds awfully judgy, but I do not mean it to be. I enjoy drinking on occasion too. It does affect sleep my negatively, and I find I’m not as creative after I drink, so I don’t often drink on work nights anymore.

Looking for sober fun? Here are some active things to do in North Austin.

So You Like to Drink

In this case, prioritize staying hydrated with good water, eating enough protein and healthy carbs and fats, and exercising. Focus on keeping your exercise program up: keep up that motivation and training. Need help finding a good one? I can help 🙂 Check out the programs you can jump into today, here!

References:

Alcohol, Adipose Tissue and Lipid Dysregulation

Steiner JL, Lang CH. Alcohol, Adipose Tissue and Lipid Dysregulation. Biomolecules. 2017; 7(1):16. https://doi.org/10.3390/biom7010016

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 Make Exercise FUN

July 18, 2023 by Kathryn Alexander

When you learn how to make exercise fun, you will stick to it and see results! I have been a certified personal trainer for 18 years, and I love hearing from my clients what they enjoy doing and what they absolutely dread. It is fascinating to me that some people love lifting and hate running, while others are the polar opposite. Even more interesting is when the runner discovers lifting, or the lifters discovers she likes running.

It makes sense that people gravitate toward new activities and maybe back to old ones, over the course of years. Interests naturally change as you grow, and this process can help you find what you really enjoy.

Why Should You Make Exercise Fun?

Why is it so important to enjoy your training? Simply, because you want to keep it up forever! It is important in every way: physically, mentally, emotionally. We know exercise helps in many ways beyond physical. It improves self confidence and brain cognition. There’s a reason many of the most successful people in the world list physical activity as a habit that keeps them productive!

This is fun, I promise! Kathryn Alexander, personal trainer Austin Texas, deadlifts in her garage gym

Identify What You Want and Why

This is the number one tip I can give people. If you identify what your goal is and why you want that, you will have endless drive. This might not come to you on a whim, and identifying this isn’t a passive process. Sit down and think about what your ideal outcome is. Look around and see who motivates you. Is it a certain physique that motivates you? A celebrity? The lady you see jogging around your block rain or shine?

Be honest with yourself about what you want, and why it matters to you. This is your goal, not your mama’s, not your spouse’s; yours only! Write this down and revisit it often, and it will make the process and outcome even more enjoyable!

Find What Motivates You

Pounds and inches can be useful for tracking change, but this goes far beyond that. Have you ever gotten a PR (personal record)? This is when you set a new personal best, such as the heaviest you ever deadlifted or the most pushups you’ve ever done. It is an amazing feeling to see the improvement you’ve earned!

You can also find motivation in realizing that you have a streak of going to the gym 3 times a week for 2 solid months. Or, you might realize you enjoy all your cute clothes again because you feel good in your own skin! And those stairs you do every day at work? They don’t wind you at all anymore. That’s the stuff that keeps you enjoying your training!

Sometimes it’s fun a refreshing to just work on the things you like. I’m NOT saying skip legs…but if an affinity for a particular exercises drives you, then let it. Here are my favorite exercises; the ones that will get me into the gym.

Try New Things Your Gym Offers

Have you been doing the same old workout for a while now? Change it up. Many gyms have classes or programs you can get involved with. Spin, Pilates, yoga, conditioning classes, and swimming are great ways to diversity your training and find new activities to enjoy.

Try New Ways to Lift

Even if your gym doesn’t offer classes, there are always new things to try in the gym. You can learn specific lifts, such the power lifts, or Olympic lifts. This is guaranteed to make you learn and progress.

If you’re in Austin, check out the Austin Fit Fest coming up August 19, 2023, for some inspiration and new activities. Armored combat, anyone?

Or, you can change specific goals about the lifts you currently do, such as aiming for strength (heavier weights and longer rest) or conditioning (higher reps and less rest between sets).

These things sound like little adjustments on paper, but they will absolutely change the pace and style of your training, and you might find you love it!

Find an Expert

My clients will often ask me for tips to try something new, whether it’s a small adjustment on a specific exercise, or an overhaul to their whole program. They are sometimes surprised when I pop out a suggestion for a new move that targets the exact area they want, or a new schedule that really suits their lifestyle. But, as many hours as others spend on their job at their desk, I am in the gym learning from my clients. I usually have a hunch about a new training style someone will enjoy, because I’ve learned from so many people along the way.

This is why I always seek experts when I’m learning something in a new field, whether I’m learning a new skill or looking to invest money smarter. Having an outside eye from someone who has had many clients like you will save you time and trouble, and introduce you to new opportunities.

If you’re ready to jump into an expertly written program, here are the three programs I currently have available. One is written for those who go to the gym and love the barbells and equipment, one is for those who exclusively work from home with just a few pieces of equipment, and one is for the brand new beginner who will use a gym.

Workout with a Friend

At a very busy time of my life, a friend and I realized we weren’t seeing each other much, and the “free” time we had was our gym time. I got a new gym membership that day. We met twice a week and had double the fun, catching up the whole time. Make no mistake, this wasn’t about accountability or reaching goals, this was solely about spending time together.

I have friends that I could do anything with and have fun. If you have one of those too, give ‘em a call and meet them for a lift. It’ll be time well spent.

The Low Hanging Fruit

I’m not ashamed to say a new outfit will make me enjoy my gym time a little more. Killer playlist? Yes please! These things aren’t deep motivational habit building strategies, but they can get you through a slump. Get yourself a new pair of shoes, fitness gadget, or update your playlist.

Sometimes it’s the small things, yall. Whether it’s deep thinking about what you’re working toward, or those new pants with the pockets, grab that motivation and get yourself to the gym. Whatever you have to do to make exercise fun!

How Do You Make Exercise Fun?

I’d love to hear your ideas for how you make exercise fun! If you’ve been around the gym for a while, you’ve probably had some highs and lows. Let me know how you pulled out of it to make exercise fun again for you!

Need Help With Your Program?

Sometimes, just having a plan written for you can make you stick to it. Then you see results. Then it is fun. 🙂 If that’s the case for you, message me here and we’ll set up a free consult to see if we’d be a good match to work on your program.

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.

Gym Mistakes to Avoid (and What to Do Instead)

July 17, 2023 by Kathryn Alexander

Gym mistakes to avoid and what to do instead, for continued progress. Working out can seem really complicated: lots of rules, lots of things to do, lots of mistakes that can be made. It’s actually not as scary or technical as it sounds.

Generally, you can do a few things well, and avoid a few major mistakes, to see the results you want. Here are a few of the more common mistakes and easy ways to avoid them.

Doing Too Much Exercise, Too Fast

Deciding to go to the gym and committing to a goal is exciting! It’s fun! You want to go all in, right now. This makes it fun to get started, see some quick progress, and keep going. Unfortunately, it also makes its easy to do too much too fast.

This includes working out too many days of the week and not resting enough, lifting too heavy, or doing too much volume (sets x reps) at the beginning.

You don’t have to go to the gym everyday. You can do a program where you go 3 or so days a week. You can do cardio or walking on other days if you’d like.

Remember, you will reach your goals faster when you are able to work steady, and increase your work capacity in a safe way. Setbacks don’t help your progress!

Find a good program, work hard, and stick with it. It will pay dividends!

Related: Read here about how to find the right program for you.

gym mistakes to avoid — Gym mistake to avoid: not thinking through outfits before photo shoots haha

Lifting With Bad Form

Don’t be scared of lifting, but do put in some work on the front end to be sure you are lifting safely. Bad form can slow progress or injure you. Remember there are many right ways to do exercises (depending on your goals), a few less-than-optimal ways, and a few dead-wrong.

Lifting with less than optimal form can be fairly innocuous. It can leave some progress unmet, which is frustrating but fairly harmless. Worse, it can cause or reinforce bad posture, which you carry with you at all hours. This pre-dispose you to injury in the future.

Finally, truly bad form can be dangerous, since it can injure you. By lifting heavy with good form (safely), you will learn how to fail without injury. This helps you continue getting stronger in a safe manner. But lifting heavy with questionable form is more likely to cause a setback. It is worth learning how to lift well from a good trainer or reliable source.

Being Too Dogmatic/Limiting Yourself

Approaching exercise with the attitude that you know everything, and everything you know is right, is the quickest way to stagnation.

Don’t be too stubborn to learn from others. You don’t have to chase down every new idea you see (in fact, I would recommend against that) but don’t shut out the idea that new information can help you now or in the future.

What to Do Instead

Don’t let these things scare you off from the gym. See to it that you learn the right way to lift and take proper precautions. Learn good form, and how to modify it for your individual goals and needs.

The benefits far outweigh the potential risks! Lifting can help you gain muscle, lose fat, reshape your body, sleep better, and find new energy! It can truly give you a new outlook on life. Try it and see for yourself!

If you are brand new, try Square 1, which is my lifting program that starts from the beginning. It includes tips about gym etiquette and walks you through every set and rep of each exercise. It is a 6 week long program for $21, and you can message me anytime you have a question.

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.

Austin Fit Fest

July 14, 2023 by Kathryn Alexander

The Austin Fit Fest is coming up on August 19 here in the capital city! Austin Fit Fest is a mashup of sports, competitions, vendors and exhibitions. There will be strongman, powerlifting, jiu jitsu, MMA, weightlifting, CrossFit, armored combat, wrestling, and more.

United States Strongest

The United States Strongest, hosted by Big Tex Gym, Factory Gym, Iron Gym, and Lift ATX, will feature national qualifying strongman and powerlifting events. There will be over $5k in prizes from these competitions so you know competitors are ready to bring their A game and put on a show.

These two events will be worth the admission, alone!

Check out this Austin Gift Guide (2024) to make your holiday shopping easy!

The strongman competition is a qualifier for US Strongman and powerlifting through WRPF.

MMA

Mixed martial arts, jiu jitsu, and arm wrestling will be happening as well. These are fan favorites, and tickets are separate for the MMA, so be sure you are purchasing entry to the events you’d like.

Armored Combat

Armored combat is a sport in which participants are clad in helmets and armor. They fight with swords and clubs. This will be a first for me!

Austin Fit Fest Tickets

Tickets are $30 for general entry, $45 for MMA, and $75 for both. Kids 10 and younger are free. You can check out more info here at their website.

I’ll be there between the powerlifting and strongman so I hope to see you then!

Other Austin Info

Things to Do Outside in Austin

February is for Friends! (Big Sale!)

New Coach! Introducing Chris Rios

If You’re New To The Gym, Read This

More Semi-Private Personal Training Options!

Cheap, Fun Things to Do in Austin, Texas (2025)

Outdoor Recreation in Austin

If you are inspired by these out of the box sports and looking to get outside for some movement, check out this post about the 5 best parks in Austin for outdoor recreation.

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.

Home Gym Essentials

July 11, 2023 by Kathryn Alexander

What are your home gym essentials? My bare minimum recommendation is two pairs of dumbbells, a heavy dumbbell or kettlebell, and a couple bands. I’ll give you specifics below.

Equipment for Your Home Gym

Home gyms have been growing in popularity, and for great reason! Even if you continue to go to fully equipped gyms, it’s a fantastic idea to have some of your own equipment at home. Might be raining so hard, traffic might be crazy. Whatever the reason, keeping some equipment at home gives you options.

People have been building home gyms from basic, bare minimum style to fully equipped, built out garages for some time now. Most people fall somewhere in between having absolutely no equipment and having pallets delivered to their driveway.

With just a little bit of equipment, you can get good training. Read here how to get a full body push pull squat training session.

How Much Equipment Do You Need?

Take into consideration your budget, your space, and your needs. I highly recommend having a dedicated space where you can focus solely on your training regardless of how minimalist your set up is.

The Bare Minimum

At a minimum, I’d like to see you have:

a light pair of dumbbells
a medium pair of dumbbells
one heavy-ish weight (dumbbell or kettlebell will do)
a band, maybe two

With these, you can do many exercises to keep you conditioned. You’ll miss out on the benefits of heavy lifting without having a heavy weight, but this basic combination can keep you building muscle and building your health for a long time.

The designations of light, medium and heavy will be different for everybody. I recommend your light bells to be 2-5 pounds and your medium bells to be 8-15 pounds. Email me if you’d like specific recommendations. kathryn@kathrynalexander.com

The above links are affiliate links to products & brands I actually use, which may make me a small commission at no extra cost to you.

The Next Level

If you’re ready to invest a little more, buy one heavy dumbbell or kettlebell, and a hip circle. These should not be prohibitively expensive and give you more options to build strength. Your heavy implement can be 30+ pounds in most cases. A kettlebell is easier to hold on to, but is usually more expensive than a dumbbell. Your choice.

Where to Buy Your Equipment

Remember that weight equipment just needs to allow you to work. It doesn’t have to match and it doesn’t have to be fancy. If you have a resale shop like Play It Again Sports in your town, make that your first stop. Amazon has tons of options too. Some of my clients have had luck at Target and Wal-Mart online. Now is a good time to be checking Craigslist too.

My favorite hip circle, the blue band is typically used on the lower body. My favorite one is Mark Bell’s which you can find here. This is an affiliate link to the exact hip circle I have bought many of.

Finally, I order my resistance bands on Amazon. (This is an affiliate link to the band I use. If you purchase through this link, I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you.) You can find these in stores too if you’d like to put hands on them before buying.

Here are my favorite home gym organization ideas, and here is a definitive guide on how to select your gym flooring.

What Do I Do With These Weights?

If you are comfortable designing your own training, then you are now off to the races! If you would like guidance, you can do a week free of The Home Team, my training program for people who are exercising at home. This will give you a good taste of how to structure a week of training and get you started. If it works for you, you can continue from there. If you’d like to continue on your own, you’re off to a great start!

If you’re looking for a one off session and not a whole program, try this full body band workout at home.

If you’re in the market for a barbell and are looking for guidance on which to buy, check out this post on bushing vs bearing barbells.

Enjoy! Tag me in pictures of your home set up (@alexanderkma on Instagram), or let me know how you’ve set up your home gym!

Happy training!

Check out this list of best fitness places in North Austin.

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.

My Favorite Fitness Things in North Austin

July 10, 2023 by Kathryn Alexander

My favorite fitness things in North Austin: why you can find what you need for your fitness journey all the way up here.

I lived in Houston for sometime and I found that you pretty quickly develop your little pocket of town and rarely venture out. When I moved to Austin (15 years ago) I was so amazed that downtown was accessible. You can go everywhere or you can park anywhere. Want to go to the lake? Then go. Need to visit a business downtown? Easy.

Fitness in North Austin

It’s becoming a little busier though and I am staying in my north Austin pocket more and more. Much of Austin lends itself to an active lifestyle, but I submit to you my reasons for why I think North Austin is where the fitness scene is.

Kathryn Alexander, personal trainer at Big Tex Gym — PS I’m exhausted here, on the turf at Big Tex Gym.

The Dirdie Birdie

The Dirdie Birdie is the newest indoor scene for mini-golf. This might not be your idea of fitness, but I don’t make the rules. J/k, I do make the rules here. 😉 Located in the Domain, The Dirdie Birdie is the newest putt putt venue in Austin, and with food and A/C, it’s a hit right now. The Austin themed holes will thrill you, so channel John Daly and get your golf on. (Not sponsored, lol).

Check out this Austin Gift Guide (2024) to make your holiday shopping easy!

Balcones District Park

Located at 12017 Amherst Dr, Austin, TX 78759, Balcones Park offers something for the whole family. A new playground, pool, volleyball net, basketball court and walking trails can entertain you for hours. Before you go to swim, check here to make sure it’s open.

Walnut Creek Metro Park

Walnut Creek Park covers 293 acres and features hiking and biking trails, a pool, dog park, and plenty of nature. There are also picnic tables and creek side views, so pack a snack and hydration and stay a while. Check here for details before you go.

Lululemon & Athleta

Both located in the Domain, Lululemon and Athleta speak to my inner gym babe. I resisted for years, but once I tried them it’s been hard to change. I am tough on gym clothes and these hold up. Also not sponsored, sadly.

Archery Country

Archery Country is my favorite home away from home. It’s a fun athletic hobby that combines physical and mental aptitude. The indoor range, the staff, and the people I meet continue to delight me, 5 years in. Stop by, rent a bow, and hit a target. You’ll love it!

If you’re looking for some great eats in North Austin, check out these restaurants near the Domain in Austin.

Big Tex Gym

No list of gyms in Austin, Texas, would be complete without Big Tex Gym. You know I’m biased because I work out of Big Tex, but the owners, staff, and members are fantastic. I am incredibly thankful to have such a fun and well equipped gym to bring my clients to. Big Tex has a $5 drop in fee, the best in Austin, so come try it out yourself.

Iron Forge Gym

Iron Forge Gym is Big Tex’s sister gym. Located in Round Rock, it has an impressive strongman area, a large training floor, and a huge mma/fighting team. The drop in fee is $10, and it has the same great owners and staff as Big Tex. Worth it! Check out more details about and pictures of Iron Forge Gym here.

Me

And finally, me. Because, again, I make the rules here, I put myself on this list. I believe I can help you feel better and get stronger and healthier. I’d love to meet you and talk about helping with your fitness goals! If a free consult interests you, please message me here or click the link below to see all my training programs.

All training options here

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.

My Current Favorite Ab Exercise

July 7, 2023 by Kathryn Alexander

This is one of my favorite ab exercises! I call it my current favorite because I’ve been practicing it myself and with clients. You can’t do everything all the time, so I’ve been rotating this back in again. It is much more challenging than it looks and it is safe and effective.

The Banded Leg Lift

The banded leg lift is a variation on the leg lift where you are also working your upper body. Leg lifts are usually classified as “lower abs” but the addition of the band tension on your upper body works your entire core. You’ll be working your deep abdominal muscles, the transversus, your lats, serratus, and rectus abdominis (the 6 pack muscles).

How to do the Banded Leg Lift

First secure the band to something sturdy. Be sure it won’t slip off and pop you in the face. Please please. 🙏

From here, grab the band while you lay on your back. Don’t worry about the perfect set up distance. You can adjust in a second.

If you have a partner, have them hold the band while you lay on your back.

Extend your arms straight, but stop short of locking your elbows out.

Bring both your legs straight up toward the ceiling. It is ok if your knees are bent due to flexibility, but try to keep them fairly straight.

With your arms and legs straight up, exhale and press your low back into the ground. At the same time, use your lats ( squeeze your armpits) and think about pressing your ribs into the floor.

This is your start position. From here, shift your legs until your knees are over the bottom of your behind, not up toward your waistband.

Now hold your left leg in place and slowly extend your right leg toward the floor. Only extend as far as you can without your low back popping off the floor. Once your right leg is back next to your left, then do a rep with your left leg.

The hard part here is focusing on keeping your upper body tight and your low back on the floor during the whole movement of your legs.

You can see in the above video I lose my focus around rep 3 and start moving both legs out of pattern. Ha! Try to focus on pressing your whole back into the ground, and focus a bit better than I did. 🙂

Here are my other favorite non-ab exercises, and killer hamstring strength exercises.

How to Make This Ab Exercise Tougher

You can do this alternating legs, which is where I suggest you start. Once you get the hang of that, you can do both legs together. This movement is harder, and you might have to shorten your range of motion to achieve the goal of not letting your back pop off the ground.

I suggest doing both variations, though. Even if you practice enough that this one is easy, continue to do both. Moving one leg at a time is a very natural movement pattern that is worth continuing to practice, and doing both is a good challenge.

Need more ab work? Here are exercises that will strengthen your whole core that you can incorporate into your next ab workout.

What Is Your Favorite Ab Exercise?

I’d love to know what your favorite ab exercise is! There are so many to choose from! There are a lot of ab exercises you can do at home, such as 5 of my favorites which I outline here. The others will allow you to load your abs a bit more with gym equipment. If you are in Austin and need a gym, check out my favorite Austin gyms right here.

Do you need a simple core workout you can do at home? Try these exercises, which don’t require any equipment.

Need some more core work in your life? Try this back extension machine, which is a fantastic complement to all the ab work from above!

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.

The Benefits of Working Out Alone

July 6, 2023 by Kathryn Alexander

The benefits of working out alone: training alone can be really fun, and I highly encourage you to exercise alone occasionally. Many people grow up training for team sports and are accustomed to that group training environment. This has so many positives, and can be a surprisingly good time! It can also bond you through shared misery of tough sessions!

Others find that in adult life past youth sports, having a training partner brings a lot of benefits. This is true, too!

Sometimes, though, the most peaceful and beneficial way to workout is alone. Here are some reasons to try exercising solo if you never have.

Benefits of training alone — You gotta take selfies if you’re training alone

Peace and Quiet

Or not! You get to pick. Working out alone affords you the time to take a break form the world; away from the coworkers, the kids, and your overflowing inbox. You get to pick your music, or choose no music. You get to recharge and spend time without having to be “on” at work or serving others. This is about you!

Working Out Alone is Meditative

Training done properly is not rocket science, but it is not simple! You should be paying attention to the nuances of form; your grip, hand and foot placement, angles of the body. Correct set up is a procedure in itself. From there, during and after the movement, you should be collecting feedback about the tempo, control, and speed of the rep. This feedback guides the decisions about the next set.

It is truly a misnomer to call meatheads “meatheads”. Again, not rocket science, but if you are paying attention to your training, it does not leave much room for consciously ruminating about your problems. The end result is a peaceful mind and a happily exhausted body.

Awareness of the Body

Since you are more attuned to your body without the distraction of working out with others, you become more aware of how you feel. You can feel illness before it truly sets in, potentially giving you the chance to head it off. I have often seen clients have an “off” day, only to discover that later they come down with a milder illness or realize allergies are about to flare up.

This isn’t to say you can’t have this benefit while training with others, but training alone heightens your ability to focus on yourself.

You Get to Pick

You get to pick the exercises, the tempo, the intensity. I love this part of it. You can really just scratch the itch for how you want to train that day. I still encourage you to have a program you are following, but training alone allows you to drive the session how you choose.

What is the Best Way to Train: Alone or On a Team?

The bottom line is, the best way to train is the way you’ll get it done. There are benefits to training with a group or a partner, and there are benefits to training alone. Try them both and see which you prefer.

A third option is to train with a trainer. Many of my clients train with me once or twice a week and once or twice on their own. It’s a nice little hybrid that allows for solo session and regular accountability. If you are looking for an Austin personal trainer or a remote training if you are not in Austin, message me here. I am happy to talk with you and set up a free consult to see if we are a good match to work on 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.

Full Body Workout You Can Do Inside

July 5, 2023 by Kathryn Alexander

Y’all, it’s 107 degrees in Austin again, so you might want to move your session indoors. This is a full body workout you can do inside to escape the heat.

This full body workout focuses on calorie burn and conditioning. You’ll use medium weights but it won’t be heavy work.

Get Your Burn on Inside

Think of this workout like a steady flow session and rest as you need. There will be 2 parts, or circuits. Do all of the exercises in the first circuit, one time. Rest, and repeat. After you have done that circuit, you’ll begin the second circuit.

For example, you’ll do one set of reverse lunge, one set of bear crawl, one set of breaststroke, then one set of alternating toe touch. That is Circuit 1. Rest. Then repeat that circuit as many times as you’d like before beginning Circuit 2.

Each of the exercises below is a link to a how-to video.

The Exercises, Circuit 1

The Exercises, Circuit 2

Modify, Don’t Miss

I wrote earlier this week about how you can modify but not miss a workout. This is a great example! It’s really not advisable to go train in the heat, so try the above session and let me know how it goes! If you need to move a little more weight than this session allows, check out the best gyms in Austin, and pop in one for a good session.

Would you rather a custom program? If so, I take into account where you will train and what equipment you have. I will not make you do burpees or exercise outside 🙂 Let me know if you’d like to do a free consult to see if we are a good fit!

Related: Check out the best ab exercises here and easy gym mistakes to avoid.

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.

Modify Don’t Miss; How to Train Around Light Injury

July 4, 2023 by Kathryn Alexander

“Modify, don’t miss.”

–Matt Wenning, record holding powerlifter and coach

I have a client who is training for fighting. She works hard. Her goal in working with me is strength. She’s generally doing two a days, which includes training in boxing, Muay Thai, jiu jitsu and other supplemental lifting.

She’s got a packed schedule!

She texted me this morning before our session that she had rolled her ankle and would need adjustments. I trust her to judge if she needs to cancel, so I told her I’d meet her at the gym.

On the way, I was planning contingencies and work arounds. How could I stimulate the muscle groups we wanted and train the movements we were training?

I was unsure how bad her injury was because she’s the type to work through things. No need to pry on the phone, but I couldn’t wait to see in person how she felt and how she was moving.

She’s got a couple of smokers coming up in the next few weeks, so there’s no time to waste getting her back to 100%. (I’m learning the lingo: smokers are casual exhibition matches. They are non-sanctioned, but fighters want to always show up with their A game.)

Don’t Skip

Just don’t skip. If you can do anything – anything – at all, go to the gym. Maintain your rhythm. You’ll feel better for it, and you’ll likely do better in your recovery too. Maintaining the attitude of training and having a positive outlook will be easier when you are in your regular game environment too.

The caveat is if you need to seek medical attention. I’m not a doctor, but if you have a bone sticking out and/or are bleeding profusely, having chest pain, etc., you should seek medical help.

Focus on What You Can Do

There’s always something you can do. If you need to mobilize your upper body, you can do some seated work. If your lower body is giving you problems, you can also likely do some seated upper body work. If all of this is logistically prohibitive, you can do stretching and some mobility.

You can even meditate and visualize. Athletes go through the motions of their peak performance long before their actual competition.

Examples of What You Can Do

If you are having low back issues, you can most likely do:

Stretching (moderately – excessive stretching isn’t the answer)
Lunges
Step ups
Step downs
Belt squats
Seated leg extension
Seated hamstrings curls
Glute work like abduction and adduction, with a machine or band

If you are having upper body issues:

Most all of the above low-back issue list
Safety bar squat
Ab and core work that is not in plank position (crunches, leg lifts)
Sled work with a harness

If you are having asymmetrical pain (right shoulder/elbow hurts), you can do:

Stretching and mobility on the unaffected side
Muscular work on the unaffected side (this can actually build strength on the affected side

If you are having an ankle or foot issue, see the next session for her exact session.

This is just a quick list. Don’t forget all the specialty machines, bands and gadgets out there. You can find work to be done anywhere, but it is notably easier with a full gym.

The Modifications

In the case of my fighter, she was proactive about taking care of it so the swelling was already going down. She was set for a heavy squat day, so we modified, obviously. No squats, no sled work, and no sandbag throws.

Her work ended up being:

Ab work: ab mat crunches and banded leg lifts
Lat pulldowns, focusing on heavy pulls
Seated adduction
Reverse hyperextension with manual resistance, so the band didn’t hang from her ankle
Seated good mornings. She nailed these!
Pullovers
Hammer strength iso-row
Gluteator

In the end, she was able to get a good bit of posterior work with the good mornings, Gluteator and reverse hyper. We had several wins: she got to train adductors in a focused way (we rarely do), we were able to do a new exercise (the seated good mornings), and we spent extra time on the lat pulldowns. All in all, a win.

What’s Next

She will continue to take care of her ankle with her own heat and cold protocols, and I suggested she look into flossing/wrapping the joint. If this is something you are interested in, google “Donnie Thompson flossing”.

Show Up!

Remember, modify, don’t miss! Showing up in your training environment is the best thing you can do! Whether it’s your garage, the YMCA, or a hardcore training facility, your training environment will be more conducive to training around injury and bouncing back than anywhere else.

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.

Love Notes, Volume 1

July 3, 2023 by Kathryn Alexander

Love Notes, Volume 1.

I was on a podcast recently (will link to soon) and I was explaining to the host that I screenshot feedback I get from my clients.

I call them Love Notes because they make me so happy. They range from silly to deep to downright inspiring.

He asked which are my favorites. I have tons, but here are a few of my favorites.

Abs are crying!

This one made my day! This guy has the most conditioned and strong abs of anyone I’ve ever trained, so a text like this is a win-win.

Dramatic Improvement in Mental Health

This one meant so much to me! This is why I do what I do. I screenshot this one 6 years ago, and I look at it often. It means so much to me. If only everybody knew how much exercise can help!

A Much Lighter One 😂

Hahahaha! Exercise makes you feel invincible. 🙂

All good. Love you. ❤️ ❤️❤️❤️

This one’s my favorite. Love you too, Mom.

More Love Notes

Here’s Volume 2. And here’s more success stories. I love reading people’s stories!

Want to Write Your Own Success Story?

Let me help you! Let’s do a free consult and see if I can get you to where your abs are crying happy tears too! Start here!

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.

When Will I See Results?

June 30, 2023 by Kathryn Alexander

“When will I see results?” This is a common question I hear, and fair! This client case study illustrates what to do when you are wondering the same.

A client recently asked me if we could change anything in her program to see progress faster. We were about eight weeks in to working with each other. She is athletic and regularly teaches and participates in Pilates classes. She also does a conditioning type class and actively dances salsa and bachata here in Austin.

As you can see, she already has a healthy lifestyle, so her main goals were to increase definition, get a little leaner, and see progress in her abs and glutes. Great goals!

Where Do I Start?

She had never worked on driving up her barbell lifts when we met, so with that in mind, we began by learning how to do the basic movements with ideal form: squat, hinge, push, pull.

The first big lift that she learned, practiced and increased weight on was the trap bar deadlift. For about a month, we prioritized deadlifting with great form, and continued the other movements as well. Then we added in the barbell squat, and began increasing her weight on the squat as her coordination and strength improved.

So here we are eight weeks in and she is squatting 95 for sets of 5 with amazing form and deadlifting 165 for sets of 3-5. She is a technically sound lifter and her form improves each week.

She trains consistently, and her strength is increasing.

Seeing Progress!

At this point, she was beginning to see strength improvements in her daily life. Pilates became easier, the bags of dog food seemed lighter. In fact, she was progressing much faster than most people do in the beginning.

She was doing fantastic!

Still, she’s an overachiever. Type A personality. She wanted results faster.

The answer wasn’t one she wanted the hear. The answer is, she was doing it. She was on the path. Sometimes it’s just takes longer than we think. Most times it takes longer than we think, and the answer is to keep going.

Laying the Foundation for Increased Work Capacity

Think about it this way: when you first start working out, you’re not as strong as you will be, and not as conditioned as you will be. In other words, your work capacity is low, or at least, has room to improve. The amount of weight you can move is limited, and the amount of time you can work hard is limited.

A smart lifting program won’t throw you in the deep in from the beginning, so hopefully you aren’t going all out, you aren’t hitting max weight lifts. What you are doing is learning the exercises, learning to move well with good form, and laying a foundation for more work.

Sure, you could do more. If your goal in life was to lose 30 pounds THIS MONTH and your life depended on it, you could push harder. In her case, that wasn’t the answer. We wanted her to work hard in a way that contributed to her already active lifestyle, and stay in a favorable position on the risk:reward ratio.

Thus, our choice was to steadily increase her strength and fitness in a safe and effective way. She has had some days where she worked really hard, and had some soreness carry over into her Pilates practice and dance classes, but she has never been hurt. She’s too active to risk getting hurt. If we take a month or two longer to get where she wants to be, and do so more safely, that’s a better path.

Build Your Strength!

As mentioned above, as you get stronger and fitter and increase your work capacity, you can expend more effort and energy with each training session. You’ll burn more calories and move more weight, and this is how you’ll start to see results.

This is easy to see if you use Train Heroic, the training app my clients and I use. As you lift and track your session, Train Heroic stores your data. It gives you an end-of-session summary that shows you how many pounds of weight you moved. That number is not the end all be all, but it clearly demonstrates how much work capacity can improve.

Note in the above screenshots:

Look how much her volume increased: from 6,850 pounds to 17,740!!
This is the same session, from warm up through the exercises and cool down
They are about 6 weeks apart
She rated them about a 3 on a scale of 1-10 intensity

See how much more work she was able to put in an hour? It’s just densely packed with work!

This is why you will not always see fast progress in the first few weeks. Once you have learned how to work hard safely though, it is GO time!

Focus on this process so that each workout you do will be stronger and more productive than the last. This will add up exponentially, and you’ll get more out of each workout session you do.

Keep Going!

Resist the urge to jump ship, change your whole plan, or program hop. If you are on a good program, keep giving it your all and do your best day by day. Just keep doing today what you can do today. Set yourself up today to have a productive tomorrow.

Other ways you can optimize your progress:

Get enough protein
Add in HIIT
Make sure your diet is on point (work on eliminating those things you know don’t help you, like extra desserts or Cokes)
Sleep well

Where is She Now?

In my clients case, her progress is fantastic. She doesn’t have the training perspective that I have from training hundreds – thousands? – of clients over 18 years to know how well she is doing. I have seen so many people at many stages of their exercise journey – and 8 weeks is a relatively small amount of time to get to where she is.

We are still working together and she is still doing great! We are building her foundation and growing her lifts. Each workout she is able to do more work and lift heavier, yet she feels energized after.

Her hunger for more and drive to work harder are excellent qualities that are serving her well!

When Will You See Results?

If you are looking to make more progress, but aren’t on a plan, I’d suggest starting there. Only then can you really assess if you are going the direction you want to go.

If you want to explore 1:1 to see results like my client here, and are able to do in person personal training in Austin, then let’s discuss.

Do you have questions about where to start or what kind of program to be on? Email me. I am happy to help 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.

How to do Triceps Kickbacks

June 29, 2023 by Kathryn Alexander

Learn how to do triceps kickbacks and build your triceps with this simple exercise you can do nearly anywhere. This exercise demo uses dumbbells, but you could use kettlebells or a band. If you do these well, which you will after reading this, you can use pretty light weights and still make it effective.

What Does the Triceps Kickback Work?

This answer is pretty simple. 🙂 The triceps kickback works the triceps. The triceps are a group of 3 muscles in your upper arm. They function to extend the elbow, and make up the majority of the muscle mass in your upper arm.

If your upper arm jiggles, it’s probably unflexed triceps or fat on top. Working triceps can firm up your upper arm.

Can’t get enough arm work? Try these biceps curls for more!

How to Do the Triceps Kickbacks

Start with a very light weight, like 3-5 pounds. You can always go much heavier; for now, I want you to learn to excel at doing this movement with lighter weight.

Stand with a weight in each hand, and hinge over. The hinge allows your back to stay straight, and you bend at the hips. Imagine you had a rigid cast on your whole torso so you couldn’t bend your spine forward or backward, and then push your hips behind you.

From here, press your elbows behind you, which will be up toward the ceiling.

Your elbows will stay in this position. Think about your upper arm being parallel to the ground here.

Now, straighten your elbows and squeeze hard at the top. Control the weights down, and repeat.

Note that as you bring the dumbbells back down, you can bring them to just below your elbow. You don’t have to curl them all the way into a biceps curl with a big bend in your elbow.

If you notice that the weights feel easier as you go, check your upper arm angle. If your arms are falling back toward the floor, the exercise will become less challenging and feel really easy. Simple remedy: just pull your elbows back up toward the ceiling.

Add These In Your Program!

Where do you add these in your training program? Try triceps kickbacks on your arm day, or upper body day. I suggest doing them after you’ve done pushups, bench press, or overhead press. Start with 3-4 sets or 8-12 reps. Like I mentioned above, start very very light and get good at them. From there, increase the weight a small amount. Let me know how they go!

Triceps also help with pushups. Add these in your program to help strengthen your triceps, and get your first pushups with this plan.

Need Motivation?

Join my team programs, which my clients do at home or at their own gyms. Follow along and get fit together! Keep at it – you can do this!

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.