EM POWER Personal Training

09/05/2022

06/05/2022

https://movementhq.com.au/2022/04/28/training-nutrition-during-perimenopause-menopause-beyond/?fbclid=IwAR14kvvhNQr-QVzXYZ6PrcEPjnwiYsCHun_rdMSv-fyeAXaDHKVW1RKN_JU

By Emily Bennet, Womens’ Health and Fitness Coach, EM POWER PT, Movement HQ.   Are you in your 40s and […]

17/03/2022

Pregnancy is not the time to stop moving, in fact it’s more important to move (safely) than ever.

Pelvic health physio Jenni Davies and pre/post natal specialist share five things to know about pregnancy and exercise here.

🌸 Have a birth plan covering all scenarios. As much as we’d love everything to go perfectly when we give birth, the honest reality is it often doesn’t.

🌸 You can reduce the discomfort of common pregnancy aches and pains. Things like trying to bear weight symmetrically, keeping active and stretching regularly and seeing a pelvic health physio can help

🌸 Work that pelvic floor. Being able to relax those muscles is really important for birthing.

🌸 Keep an open mind about delivery. Become informed. Don’t have any expectations and make sure your birthing partner knows what your wishes are so they can advocate for you if needed

🌸 Make sure you exercise - safely - during pregnancy. Strength and cardio training are both safe and extremely beneficial - so long as you get the right guidance.

Check out the details here in our blog - link in bio.

https://movementhq.com.au/2022/03/10/five-things-you-should-know-about-pregnancy-and-exercise/

14/02/2022

I have been having conversations with my clients about their postpartum experiences. It has been eye opening to hear the difference between the care they receive during pregnancy compared to when they are postpartum.

Pregnancy check ups: 🤰🏼🤰🏼🤰🏼🤰🏼🤰🏼🤰🏼🤰🏼🤰🏼🤰🏼
Postpartum check-ups: 👩🏻‍🍼

Most women attend their 6 week check up with their doctor & after a few questions they get the “green light” for getting back into exercise. Mums are sent on their way without any plan or guidance on how to return to exercise… safely.

Women can end up doing too much too soon which can introduce a greater risk of becoming injured or worsening symptoms.

This is why after your 6 week check up with a doctor, it is strongly encouraged to schedule an appointment with a Women’s Health Physio. They have the ability to do an internal & external exam to provide mums with a clearer insight of how her pelvic floor is functioning & test her diastasis recti. This is so important for her recovery back to doing all the activities she loves in her day to day life including getting back into her training.

We are so lucky to work closely with our Women’s Health Physio Jenni at .health & being able to provide our mums with a safe way to return to exercise by building her foundation from the inside out.

To the mum’s: your health matters!

If you are a mum, did you work with a Women’s Health Physio? How supported did you feel postpartum?

✨NEW MUM’S & BUB’S SCHEDULE✨
Tuesday’s & Friday’s 10am

Hit the link in my bio to book in for a class with me! 🔗

19/01/2022

Super excited to have kicked off our Mum's & Bub's classes at Movement HQ! 🙌🏼👶🏽👩🏻‍🍼

As 85% of women will have a baby at some point of their life, I am ready to help keep our pregnant and postpartum mum's safe, healthy, and strong as they continue exercising or return to exercise.

Join me at Movement HQ on Tuesdays' & Friday's at 9:30am.

https://movementhq.com.au/class/mums-and-bubs/

14/12/2021

I am proud to have completed my Safe Return to Exercise Accreditation!🤰🏻🏋🏻‍♀️🤸🏼‍♀️

Majority of my clients are women & since a number of them will choose to have a baby at some point, I now have the tools to properly serve mums of all ages… from pregnancy to postnatal & beyond.

A woman’s 6-week check-up is not enough before returning to exercise safely & I am armed with the knowledge to help her to re-build from the inside out.

I work hand-in-hand with our Women's Health Physiotherapist Jen at .health to ensure every woman is looked after to the best of our ability!

I am part of a mission to ensure all women are looked after safely & effectively within the fitness industry before & after they become a mother.

Look out for our Pre & Postnatal classes in the new year! 👩🏽‍🍼🙌🏼☺️ I’m looking forward to keeping our women safe, strong & healthy.

If you are a mum or soon to be mum & I can support you send me a DM!

21/09/2021

Fitness trackers - the good & the bad 😇😈

I am currently wearing both the Whoop & Garmin. I was previously wearing only the Whoop, but two things the Whoop lacks is a watch face & step counter - which are handy to use when in lockdown.

Answers from the poll I posted:
Most people choose to wear a fitness tracker (80% for those who answered).

The most popular trackers include:
1. Apple Watch (42%)
2. Garmin (32%)
3. Whoop (16%)
4. Fitbit (10%)

The reason we use them is varied. The most popular answers were to track steps, logging activities & for calories burned. I personally enjoy using the sleep data, however this is something that has a huge discrepancy between my trackers. I personally feel as if the Whoop is more intuitive for my sleep.

Eg. Total sleep:
Whoop - 8:39
Garmin - 8:55
Deep sleep:
Whoop - 2:35
Garmin - 3:58
Light sleep:
Whoop - 1:46
Garmin - 4:57

There is not enough evidence/studies that have been done on fitness trackers & their accuracy. Wearing a wireless HR monitor on your wrist will not be as accurate as wearing one strapped to your chest. Some studies have found that fitness devices slightly underestimate heart rate, and that their accuracy diminishes during exercise.

I tracked my strength workout today to see how different the Whoop & Garmin are. The "calories burned" had the biggest discrepancy.
Calories burned:
Whoop - 319
Garmin - 447
Average HR:
Whoop - 113
Garmin - 118
Max HR:
Whoop - 146
Garmin - 143

On a given day one tracker could show 3084 and the other 2232 calories. Fitness/exercise has SO much more to offer than the calories burned. And I'll say it again - it's probably wrong anyways.

Conversations I have had with members of the gym & clients: "I just trained really hard & I only got a (insert strain #). I couldn't possibly have pushed any harder!"

Remember these are "fitness" trackers. For the Whoop it takes at least 10-15 minutes of an elevated heart rate for the device to even track a workout. I train mostly strength these days & my Whoop doesn't pick those sessions up. The tracker doesn't reflect how you actually feel & the intensity you have trained at!

Just the other day on a casual Sunday beach walk I had a workout recorded with a "15.0 Strain" & apparently spent 16 minutes at 90-100% of my max HR. Not entirely sure how that happened!

If you enjoy seeing data, tracking your runs/swims, helps you track progress & it motivates you - then a fitness tracker may be a good option to use. But If you are someone who becomes obsessed with the numbers & data, chooses to train because your watch tells you to & is only focused on how many calories you burn each session - these trackers may not be a good option for you.

My recommendation: take the data with a grain of salt. You know your body better than any fitness tracker ever will. I choose when to train based on how I feel, not because my watch tells me to. You can't count on the data being accurate - as shown from my personal experience & studies that it can vary widely!

What fitness tracker do you use & what do you love about it?

14/09/2021

My 8 year journey 🛤

Slide 1️⃣: this is one of the very first very first CrossFit classes I ever took. I loved everything about it. Coming from a competitive swimming background, CrossFit was exactly what I was looking for.

I did CrossFit pretty solidly for a good 4 years. My goals changed over the years & I transitioned into Functional Body Building & more recently a Functional Body Composition program.

I have grown & learned a LOT over the past 8 years of consistent training. I’ve competed, I’ve been injured, I’ve learned new skills, I’ve pushed my limits, lifted the heaviest weights I ever have, been the fittest I’ve ever been, become resilient AF, met, coached & learned from a lot of incredible people. I’ve had a lot of wins & I’ve had a lot of challenges, but I never gave up.

Slide 2️⃣: Still working hard & loving what I do. If you want to get really good at what you’re doing give yourself TIME. Give yourself *at least 8 consistent years* to get f**ken strong, build your fitness, learn to listen to your body, make what you do consistent & find a way to move that you enjoy.

Stop looking for those quick fixes, 12 week programs that promise huge results, or 30 day challenges that claim they will get you to where you want to go. They may get results in the short-term, but are they sustainable? Hell no.

Start playing the long game with your health, because your health is not a short-term thing. Take those small consistent efforts every single day, that move you closer to where you want to go or who you want to be.

Because it’s those daily 1% wins that add up to BIG results down the road. This is the consistency we need! Focus on your journey & fall in love with the process. ❤️‍🔥

09/09/2021

What is your biggest roadblock when it comes to being consistent with your training?

06/09/2021

What if... 🤔

What if you loved & accepted your body now, as opposed to minus 5kg from now?

What if instead of chasing fat loss goals, we chased getting stronger, fitter, moving better, gaining flexibility, learning new skills & moving pain free?

What if instead of finding a fitness routine that burns the most calories, we took the time to find a fitness routine we actually enjoyed?

What if instead of worrying about what foods we have been told are "good" or "bad", we learn to have a good relationship with food, eat in a way that supports our performance in the gym & in life & makes us feel good?

What if rather than logging our steps or weight on the scale, we tracked all the incredible things our bodies do for us everyday?

What if we did the latter so that the whole process actually became… enjoyable?

Many of us spend our lives thinking we aren’t good enough & won’t ever be good enough until we have the "perfect" body, weigh a certain number, or fit into a particular size.

Society will try to tell you otherwise, but you won’t find happiness in a diet, in a number on the scale, or in a leaner physique.

Life is too short to believe the narrative of "when I (lose 5kg), I will (be more confident/happy/love myself)"

Everything you need is inside of you. Loving & accepting yourself takes a lot of work, and a big shift in mindset. But know right here, right now, that you are enough.

If you need to hear this today - you are unique, incredible & extraordinary... and there is no one else like you. 💖

24/08/2021

On cold rainy days it can be bloody hard to get yourself psyched to want go train in the garage or your living room. 🏋🏼‍♀️🌧

It’s been a tough mental adjustment to say the least during this lockdown.

Some things that make it a bit easier to help me get my training done:
✨Following a structured program
✨Giving myself a timeframe to to get my session done
✨Listen to my body for when to push or pull back
✨Training in the morning! The longer I wait the harder it is to be motivated to train
✨Having some epic tunes & playlists to listen to
✨Mixing it up every once in a while - training with a friend, training outdoors (when the sun is out), or jumping on a zoom class
✨Choosing movement that makes you feel energised after!
✨Setting expectations for what training in lockdown looks like

I’m thankful to be running zoom sessions for the team at in the comfort of our homes. I’m always appreciative of those who get up early & join me for a morning sweat that leaves them feeling even better afterwards! 💦😅🙌🏼

If you’re needing some guidance with your training, feel free to message me! 💌

11/07/2021

One thing that keeps a bit of normality in my current day-to-day is keeping to my weekly training routine.

My goal is to schedule my regular days of training plus a daily walk (when it’s not raining ☔️). This gives me a focus for the week and something to look forwards to!

I think it’s important if you’re training at home to create a space where you enjoy spending time to train & that gives you a break from work/life/admin/the couch.

Set aside the time you would regularly train, & try to keep that routine going throughout your week. That way it’s more of a habit than trying to rely on motivation to get you to train.

I think a lot of people worry out about not having all the gear to train with at home. Do you need a whole lot of equipment to keep you progressing? Absolutely not. Yes it’s nice to have but it’s not essential.

There are simple ways to make things hard enough with bodyweight or even using items that you can find around your home for added resistance.

If you are looking for some guidance for training at home, I have my 8 Week EMPWR AT HOME Program available for purchase through the link in my bio.

Looking for something more personalised to your goals, equipment availability & fitness level? Slide in my DMs & let’s chat!

08/07/2021

Grab a friend and take your workout outside! 💪🏼

3 round circuit not for time:
10 single leg hip thrusts/leg
10 Romanian deadlifts
10 body rows
10 single arm Arnold press/arm
5 pull ups
20 walking lunges
50 double Unders

Who is training today?

01/07/2021

“How do you stay motivated all the time?”

“You never seem to have any issues with staying motivated!”

While it may seem this way, the truth is I am not motivated all the time.

I have my days that I am on fire (& I’m sure you know this feeling too) nothing can get in your way or stop you crushing goals! 🔥Then there are the days where all you want to do is stay on the couch… 🛋

Like we aren’t happy or sad all the time, none of us are motivated all the time.

But when we lack motivation, our goals don’t have to suffer. Motivation is unpredictable & we can’t just rely on it to show up when we need it (or wait till we find it).

Two things that help me stay on track with my training & goals (where I don’t have to rely on motivation showing up) is:
1️⃣ having the right habits in place
2️⃣ being clear on what drives me internally.

I have created good habits over the years which have made my daily decisions & training routine as effortless & automatic as possible… & I don’t need to find any extra motivation anywhere. Once you understand your habits, you can adapt them so that they consistently work in your favour. Don’t think you have the right habits? Have a read of Charles Duhigg’s book “The Power of Habit” to work your current habits in your favour. The more you do them the easier they become!

Mixed with my intrinsic motivation (which is very personal, takes some trial and error, & is different for everyone) makes it easier for me to keep on track. Finding what it most rewarding (internally) about training or exercise makes it much easier to get up & get it done whether the motivation is there or not. That’s why it’s so important to find a way of moving that you enjoy, so that you want to do it rather than it feeling like another chore to tick off.

What helps you stay on track? Do you struggle with motivation?

26/06/2021

For all my Sydney siders!

If you are already in or about to head into lockdown - if you would like a FREE no equipment, 3 day at-home program to keep you moving during this time, drop your email below and I will send it to you!

Stay safe!

Emily

14/05/2021

Hey guys,

If you haven't yet got your Double Unders, this is the workshop for you!

Over 3 weeks I will provide a breakdown of how to do Double Unders, show you how to progress this skill, & make this movement more efficient.

We will cover off many skills such as: understanding how to bound, rope rotation & timing of your jump, correct technique, proper body & arm positioning, rope placement, & rope contact point.

If you would like to join me, click the link below to register today!

https://empowerpt.redpodium.com/double-under-workshop

Emily

11/05/2021

Message me for more info!