Shape Up Fitness & Wellness Consulting

11/10/2023

Your professional life and social interactions can be profoundly affected by inadequate sleep! 😴👔 Lack of sleep can blur your social understanding and hinder your work productivity.

I had this experience just a couple of days ago.

While I prioritize sleep, the last week, I was short of 7 hours three times, and while the other nights I had 7.5 to 8 hours of sleep, I tanked badly Monday night.

How did it show?

I had a disagreement with my son, and instead of being the adult and handling it maturely, I acted irrationally, irritated, and stormed out of the house like a child.

Not the way to resolve conflict, and while we had a conversation and resolved our issues the same evening, the same kind of reaction could have severe consequences in other circumstances.

That is not my M.O. I don’t act like that, but I was exhausted and had nothing left. 😩

What was one of the situations you have found yourself in that happened because you were sleep-deprived? 🤗

11/09/2023

Have you ever tried to balance exercise, diet, and sleep? 🤔

Lack of sleep can play a huge role in your physical health, impacting your immune system and even putting you at risk for serious conditions. 🛌💤

Your endurance, strength, and coordination can all be significantly impacted! 🌿💪

You get tired faster; your recovery is impaired.

Sleep-deprived athletes are tremendously reducing their chance for high performance and increasing their risk for injury.

Hormones are affected as well.

If you are a natural athlete, you want to do everything you can do to optimize your hormone household.

How has sleep deprivation affected you in a competition or event?

11/08/2023

Find out how insufficient sleep can magnify anxiety and mood swings! 😴🧘

This is a huge side effect as well. If you are lacking sleep you are more likely to be moody.

Psychological disorders like anxiety and depression increase and can significantly impact your well-being.

If you are suffering from anxiety, make sure to allow extra time to go to bed.

Nothing is worse than going to bed and anxiety setting in about having to go to sleep.

Instead, have a calming bed routine like meditation, reading a book, and taking a hot shower before slipping under the covers.

What is your favorite bedtime routine?

I personally take a hot shower, meditate for about 15-20 min and then snooze off 🙂

11/07/2023

Uncover how lack of sleep can hinder your learning and decision-making abilities

Our cognitive performance suffers tremendously when we don’t sleep!

Sleep-deprived cramming for an exam or learning new things at work?

Good luck with that, it is most likely not going to work 😣

Think you have ADHD? Maybe you do, but chances are that if you lack sleep, you are already being distracted is magnified by a big amount 😭

Our reasoning skills and problem-solving abilities go right into the toilet 💩 while our risk-taking behaviors go up (for example: flooring the gas pedal when approaching a yellow light)

How has sleep deprivation affected your decision-making process?

11/06/2023

Discover the unthought-of key to optimal health and performance: Adequate Sleep! 🌙✨

I used to think that I could function well with little sleep!
Little did I know!
Are you someone who professes to function well on minimal sleep? Research might surprise you.
Matthew Walker, a renowned sleep researcher and author of “Why We Sleep,” asserts that nearly everyone needs adequate sleep, contradicting claims of optimal functionality on minimal rest.
Most people require between 7 and 9.5 hours of sleep, with the average American getting approximately 6.8 hours, inadvertently accumulating sleep debt.
Furthermore, being in bed from 11 PM to 6 AM does not equate to seven hours of quality sleep, leaving many hovering around the national average.
Comment below on how many hours you sleep and how it works for you 🙂

12/01/2022

10/26/2022

Cancer…The diagnosis is often followed by disbelief, anger, frustration, fear, and more.

My own family is riddled with cancer, I lost my mother to it, and my dad survived four different kinds.

Today is about how exercise can benefit you through your ordeal of battling cancer.

It depends on your situation, and I strongly recommend following your oncologist's recommendations.

General benefits of exercise during cancer:

👉overall more wellbeing
👉 potentially higher long-term survival rate in patients up to 50-60%
👉 better body composition (more muscle mass) and more strength
👉 better endurance
👉 evidence supports resistance training potentially counteracting some side effects of disease
and treatment
👉preventative against cancer up to 40% reduced incidence
👉 Limit and reverse some of Androgen deprivation therapy
👉 reducing risk for cardiovascular disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, and sarcopenia caused by cancer therapy

Those are some massive gains with very little negative feedback.

Here are three examples of why:

One of my female clients going through stage 3 breast cancer treatment continues to keep moving to retain some energy, strength and perseverance.

Another of my clients, this one with skin cancer, who does not like exercise, told me:

“Michael, I feel so much better even though I just do something twice a week for 30 min.”

The third one of my clients with prostate cancer and kidney cancer is feeling better and stronger and has excellent bloodwork. His physician is excited.

Do what you can, when you can. Don’t feel bad when you struggle or need a break!

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⚠️Disclaimer: The Content provided and shared by is to improve your knowledge base only; no medical advice is given; if you have pain or functional limitations, see a medical professional

10/21/2022

Dynamic or static stretching…

This is an old question.

I think it does not have to be either or, both have value.

I do some dynamic stretching before my training while doing some static stretching here and there during the week when I am just chilling. 😎

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⚠️Disclaimer: The Content provided and shared by is to improve your knowledge base only; no medical advice is given; if you have pain or functional limitations, see a medical professional

10/19/2022

A lot of runners don’t do agility and power training, or a combination of those.

Aside from missing out on performance improvement for your running, that kind of training will also fortify you and help prevent injuries.

I get that runners 🏃(5k and up) are not power & strength athletes. 🏋

That does not mean we cannot benefit from training those areas.

An avoided injury results in a better performance simply by you being able to continue your training 🤗

If you are interested in power check out .athletics. He has some great content.

Not everything will be relevant for you, but you will find some great stuff.

If you like content like this, feel free to share it with your friends, and don't forget to hit the like and follow button :)

⚠️Disclaimer: The Content provided and shared by is to improve your knowledge base only; no medical advice is given; if you have pain or functional limitations, see a medical professional

10/19/2022

Many people get the same or similar injuries again and again.

Or, they accumulate new ones caused by the old injury that they don’t feel anymore. 🤯

Why is that?

The reason is that many people stop doing the work after being done with rehabilitation, or they never progress to strength training.

Another coach, has made several good posts about it as well. Check him out.

The reality is that we need to keep moving, literally.

Once you have an injury, you have acquired a weak spot.

The goal is to get you not just to regain mobility and stability but you need on top of that strength and movement quality. 🧡

All these go together and they often overlap during your training cycle👍

If you like content like this, hit the follow button, comment, and share with friends. Don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions :)

⚠️Disclaimer: The Content provided and shared by is to improve your knowledge base only; no medical advice is given; if you have pain or functional limitations, see a medical professional

07/28/2022

I find it fascinating how people came to do what they do and what kept them doing it over the years!

Personally, I run, I lift, I do JKD

Running - I meddled with running over the years but got serious in 2009 t training for my first marathon. At first, I kept doing it because I loved the improvements I saw. Later on, still loving PRs, it changed to being a form of meditation and a way to challenge myself, pushing myself to my limits.

Lifting: I am a personal trainer, started lifting because it was part of studying sports science at my University and then due to an injury doing Karate. I kept doing it for aesthetic reasons but also because there is something cool in trying to pick up heavy s**t 😂

JKD or Jeet Kune Do, I missed doing Shotokan Karate here in Charlotte and found Michael Marcellos Brown , a second-generation student of the art.
I enjoy the strategic aspects and the mental challenge of combat arts. Sure I would lie if there was not a coolness factor today (I am a dude, after all) but that does not keep you doing martial arts for 34 years. I love the self-defense aspect and the ability to learn new movement skills. BTW, check him out, he is an amazing teacher and friend.

07/15/2022

Yes, he is flipping me off 😂😂

Sometimes I am asked if I can work hard when I have back pain or other injuries.

Often people assume that just because they have an injury they cannot work hard.

If you have an injury, training will often be a mix of rehab exercises provided to you by your PT as well as training exercises adapted to your needs by a knowledgeable personal trainer.

In the case of this awesome dude, we are addressing longstanding back pain issues as well as a “fixed labrum tear”

His tolerance level for carrying heavy loads is not where we want it to be yet, that however does not mean we cannot load him up with a vest, do multiplanar exercises and push him to stabilize the core as well as improve his carry capacity.

His progress is amazing but we had to go very slowly and carefully in the beginning.

Luckily, he has learned a lot of patience and trusts the process.

Formerly very competitive it was difficult to have to relearn pushups, pullups, deadlifts, etc. but the work has paid off.

Patience is the name of the game.

Trust your trainer and PT and make sure they coordinate with each other. They both provide vital roles in your performance.

Soon you will be back to doing what you love most.

Just remember, an injury does not mean you cannot train, you might just have to pull back in one area while pushing in others.

⚠️Disclaimer: The Content provided and shared by is to improve your knowledge base only; no medical advice is given; if you have pain or functional limitations, see a medical professional

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07/13/2022

Your trainer told you to do anti-rotational exercises and you wonder why?

I love the pallof press that you see in this short video a lot.

You can see the cable pulling perpendicular to my body, attempting to move me laterally or rotate my body.

Another great one is doing a side plank and using a light dumbbell or kettlebell and bring your arm straight up towards the ceiling just to let it descend back in front of your body with an outstretched arm

Why are those exercises so valuable?

If you are an athlete you often have to do an anti-rotational stabilization or even counter-rotate.

A runner for example pulling his left knee forward and up during his stride has a slight rotation to the right with the hip and to the left with the upper body leading to a cork-screw movement.

Before you can put dynamic exercises in you should have a base level skill in stabilizing your torso which in return will lead to less wasted energy during your movements.

Does this apply to me when I lift weights only and don’t run,cycle, or do another sport?

Yes, aside from being beneficial in your daily life, having a core that is strong in stabilizing is beneficial during squats, deadlifts, pullups, bench press, push-ups, basically most complex movements.

You will “leak” less energy and have a better energy transfer to move the weight.

Get strong, stay strong!

⚠️Disclaimer: The Content provided and shared by is to improve your knowledge base only; no medical advice is given; if you have pain or functional limitations, see a medical professional

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07/11/2022

What does progressive overload mean?

Progressive overload means you are increasingly challenging yourself in your training, prehab, and rehab process.

Yes, I have included rehab here as well.

Here is why it is important in all aspects of your training.

In order to force an adaptation, you have to challenge the body to adapt to an increasing challenge.

You can do this through various forms of altering your training:

👉Intensity - Run faster, hills, lift heavier weights
👉 Volume - Increase mileage, repetitions, sets,
👉 Frequency - add a training session/day
👉 Decrease Rest Periods - shorter rests during intervals, between sets, etc.

Why does it come to play in rehab as well?

Simple, rehab is designed to increase your tolerance for the load without or with minimal discomfort.

What does that tell us?

Training, prehab & and rehab are all part of the same process.

👉 How does this apply to your training right now❓❓❓

Increase one of the factors above, not all three.

If you in intensity, decrease or keep the volume
If you increase volume, you might have to decrease the intensity
If you increase frequency, keep the others the same then slowly progress.

⚠️Disclaimer: The Content provided and shared by is to improve your knowledge base only; no medical advice is given; if you have pain or functional limitations, see a medical professional

07/08/2022

You have hurt yourself either due to overtraining or traumatic injuries and you are getting back to it.

This is actually quite common and over the course of an athlete’s history, very few are lucky enough, never to get hurt.

I definitely had my share of injuries due to ignoring my own advice or a traumatic injury that was unavoidable due to circumstances.

Regardless, you are getting back on your feet and you are going to make it happen.

This is what your training could look like!

👉 Increase sleep to 8:00-8.5 hours for recovery
👉 Slowly work their nutrition towards a well-balanced diet containing 35-40% carbohydrates, 20-30% fats, and 30% protein with plenty of veggies, quality protein, and carbs that don’t look like chips and fries but are more like tubers, brown rice, etc.
👉 Address potential malnutrition issues (blood testing, food analysis, working with a dietitian)
👉 Address structural issues by having your training coordinated by your doc, coach, trainers, and other healthcare providers.

Training Recommendations:

👉 Cardiovascular Training: 2-5 days a week for X amount of time, based on your goals. If you are an endurance athlete increase the time in your sport (based on recovery) while crosstraining in other modalities like running, swimming, cycling, elliptical, etc.
👉 Strength Training: 3-4 days/week 30-75 min of training per day, again, dependent on your training goals, increased initially for endurance athletes and later tapered.
Strength athletes might have to decrease their work initially and increase it later.
👉 mobility/flexibility/stability daily, can be integrated as part of the warm-up for other training sessions but can also replace strength training depending on where you are in the recovery process.

Time Invested: highly variable

⚠️Disclaimer: The Content provided and shared by is to improve your knowledge base only; no medical advice is given; if you have pain or functional limitations, see a medical professional

07/07/2022

You have found your passion in lifting. The gym is your church and your solace.

Lifting heavy, picking up weight, and seeing the gains are your passion but you also don’t want to be just a meat head and pay attention to some cardiovascular fitness.

Running is not ideal as the choice cardiovascular activity.

The stress on muscles and passive structures during running can make it difficult to gain mass and even offset it to some degree.

Research has shown that the combination of the two will reduce the effects of strength training with nonimpact cardiovascular activities having a smaller negative effect.

Our “Lifting Chris”’ training plan could look something like this:

👉 Increase sleep to 8:00-8.5 hours for recovery
👉 Slowly work their nutrition towards a well-balanced diet containing 35-40% carbohydrates, 20-30% fats, and 30% protein with plenty of veggies, quality protein, and carbs that don’t look like chips and fries but are more like tubers, brown rice, etc.
👉 Structured bulking and cutting phases with 1-2 weeks off per year of training, as well as 1-2 off days per week.

Training Recommendations:

👉 Cardiovascular Training: 2-3 days a week for 30-40 min low intensity (easily able to speak), no more than 2 days a week of easy running, preferably cycling, rucking, elliptical, etc.
👉 Strength Training: 4-6 days/week 45-75 min of training per day.
👉 10 min mobility/flexibility/stability work 2-3 days a week to work on some kinks (can be included in warm-up)

Time Invested: 4-11 hours/week

⚠️Disclaimer: The Content provided and shared by is to improve your knowledge base only; no medical advice is given; if you have pain or functional limitations, see a medical professional

07/06/2022

You have found your passion in running (insert other sport) and you want to get faster, and/or avoid getting hurt.

Oddly many runners still object to lifting weights, either being afraid to gain weight or it slowing them down.

Interestingly, every research indicates that lifting weights is really beneficial for runners running economy as well as longevity through injury prevention.

Runner Chris’ recommendation could be like this:

Base Recommendations:

👉 Increase sleep to 8:00-8.5 hours for recovery
👉 Slowly work their nutrition towards a well-balanced diet containing 35-50% carbohydrates, 20-30% fats, and 20-30% protein with plenty of veggies, quality protein, and carbs that don’t look like chips and fries but are more like tubers, brown rice, etc.
👉 Structured recovery: off-days, massages, tapers, etc., programmed training reductions

Training Recommendations:

👉 Running: highly variable up to 15 hours for competitive amateurs and content dependent on race goals and point in training/season
👉 Strength Training: 2x30-45 min Whole Body Workouts
👉 10 min mobility/flexibility/stability work 3 days a week to work on some kinks (can be included in warm-up)

Time Invested: 5-17.5 hours/week

⚠️Disclaimer: The Content provided and shared by is to improve your knowledge base only; no medical advice is given; if you have pain or functional limitations, see a medical professional

07/05/2022

I want to lose weight and get fit!

Probably the most common goal that is being mentioned when people come in aside from recovering from past injuries, that is why I chose it first.

In a society that struggles with being overweight, losing weight is a big factor and usually refers to shedding those pesky pounds accumulated throughout the years of taking care of family, work, or just simply being a little too overindulgent.

What does getting fit mean?

While there are differences between people, men, women, etc. there are some popular commonalities.

I want to be able to keep up with my kids
I want to find myself sexy and attractive, which usually translates to leaning out and gaining some muscle
I want to stay healthy
I usually interpret this as someone who wants to have the benefits of strength training, a well-balanced diet, as well as some cardiovascular benefits to be ready to tackle the life to life happenings without breathing too hard after a flight of stairs, or hiding from the kids, lol.

Most of the time that is fairly accurate.

The person doing this does not see fitness as a passion per se, but rather as a vehicle to reach other goals.

Time allotment is usually 30-45 min a day for 3-5 days/week.

Base Recommendations:

👉 Increase sleep to 7-8.5 hours for recovery
👉 Slowly work their nutrition towards a well-balanced diet containing 30-40% carbohydrates, 30% fats, and 30% protein with plenty of veggies, quality protein, and carbs that don’t look like chips and fries but more like tubers, brown rice, etc.
👉 Gradually decrease your caloric intake until you lose between 1-2 lbs a week
👉 10 min mobility/flexibility work 2-3 days a week to work on some kinks.

Training Recommendations:

👉 3 days a week of lifting for 30 min/day
👉 2-3 days a week of cardiovascular training 30-45 min, including one high-intensity day (improve your ability to run from your kids/boss/wife/husband) 😂, as well as 2 low-intensity days.

The total amount of time invested 3-4.5 hours/week

⚠️Disclaimer: The Content provided and shared by is to improve your knowledge base only; no medical advice is given; if you have pain or functional limitations, see a medical professional