Today I have an awesome posterior chain pyramid workout that will get your muscles fired up and your heart pounding in just 20 minutes!

You may be wondering what exactly is your “Posterior Chain” and why is it important to train?

“Posterior” is an anatomical term that refers to the backside of the body, so your “posterior chain” is simply the chain of muscles along the back of your body.

So many movements in our daily life use the muscles on the front side of the body because so much of our activity is forward facing (makes sense, our eyes aren’t in the back of our heads). Our front body muscles can get a little overworked without us even realizing, causing symptoms like rounded shoulders, neck pain and lower back pain.

BTW –  you’re looking for more ways to incorporate balanced training for your workouts and everyday movement, check out the Free 14-day Foundations of Functional Fitness Workshop right here!

Posterior chain workouts are great to consistently add to your workout rotation so you can have strong, upright posture, create a solid base for functional movement and enjoy all the benefits of a balanced physique – not to mention sculpt strong legs, a lifted butt and strong back.

So let’s get right to it!

Did you enjoy that workout? Now let’s get you a plan! Check out the 30-Day Abs and Booty Challenge for a home workout program that will strengthen your posterior chain and sculpt and define your abs, legs and glutes. Plus this program works your entire body using minimal equipment and will get you on track to feeling and looking your best!

Amazing job Rockstar! I am so proud of you for showing up today! Check in with me and let me know how you liked the workout and anything else you want to share – I love hearing from you.

The perfect follow up to this workout is the 30-Day Booty and Abs Challenge!

This program targets and strengthens your abs and glutes from multiple angles so you not only get a beautiful sculpted shape, but improve your body’s function as well.

Define your abs and sculpt your booty and legs with this time-saving 30-day workout plan that can be done at home or in the gym!

You can check out the entire program right here!

The post Posterior Chain Pyramid Workout appeared first on The Betty Rocker.

This article was originally published by thebettyrocker.com. Read the original article here.

The Superfood pyramid promotes balance, rather than restriction. It is all about getting the right balance of different foods in your diet and increasing the amount of plant-based foods you consume, in order to benefit your health. Though there are different versions of the Superfood pyramid, we provide an overview here.

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The term Superfood, claimed to have been coined by Michael Van Straten in his 1990 Cookbook titled ‘Superfoods’, has been a word used to describe a variety of different foods said to be loaded with health benefits. So, what exactly is a ‘balanced’ diet and how much do Superfoods contribute to it? As explored in our article that delves into different kinds of Superfoods, the word Superfood can often be used as a general term to describe an array of foods. The Superfood pyramid shows how Superfoods can be incorporated into a healthy diet – though it looks different depending on the health practitioner describing it, we have broken it down into general sections.

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The Superfood Pyramid, Luxiders Magazine, Plant Based Food

NECESSITIES

The top of the Superfood pyramid contains foods that are necessary for a balanced diet, but that shouldn’t make up the majority of what we eat. They are products such as chocolate, sweets, and other functional foods like herbs and spices. These things are just as important in maintaining a healthy diet as fruit and vegetables. For some, alcohol and other treats might fall into this category too! Holistic physician Dr. Todd Pesek names these foods ‘functional foods’, and he also includes herbal teas to his entirely plant-based Superfood pyramid. Essentially, the top of the pyramid is dedicated to the foods and drinks we consume in the smallest quantities.

OMEGA 3 

Notorious for coming from fish, omega 3 has some great health benefits. You have probably already heard of its benefits for your brain and heart, but it is also great at supporting overall immune function. Besides coming from fish, did you know you can also find omega 3 in plant-based foods? Some key plant-based sources of omega 3 are chia, flax, nuts, seeds, and even seaweed. In the second space down on the pyramid, omega 3 fats shouldn’t need to take up too much space in your diet – but the Superfood pyramid reminds us not to neglect them.

FRUIT

An important source of fibre and minerals, fruit comes into the middle of the Superfood pyramid. Though we often get conflicting reports on how many pieces of fruit we should be eating a day, the Superfood pyramid isn’t about numbering each piece but rather being aware of where fruit should come in the balance of your day. Bananas, blueberries, and raspberries are all examples of nutritious fruits, but there are so many fruits you could include in your diet!

PROTEIN

Infamous for being hard to get in a plant-based diet, protein is largely important in the Superfood pyramid.  The Reference Nutrient Intake (RNI) for an adult is 0.75g of protein per 1kg of body weight each day. It helps to give you energy and encourages cell repair, and there are actually many sources of protein (even in a plant-based diet). To name a few, quinoa, pulses (lentils, chickpeas, beans), tofu, oats, and even vegetables contain protein in various quantities!

VEGETABLES

A key part of the Superfood pyramid are the vegetables. Sitting just above the largest component in the pyramid, vegetables are filled with potassium, fibre, and vitamins. Though being told to ‘eat your vegetables’ as a child may have felt like punishment, sweet potatoes, onions, garlic, and tomatoes all fall into this category and can make up some delicious meals.

LEAFY GREENS

One thing most health practitioners can agree on is that at the bottom of the Superfood pyramid are the leafy greens – kale, spinach, cabbage, watercress, lettuce – as the label would suggest, anything leafy and green! Leafy greens contain many essential nutrients like Vitamins A, C, and K, calcium, and folic acid. Increasing the amount of leafy greens you consume is one of the key objectives of the Superfood pyramid, as they have so many amazing health benefits such as better immune function and bone health.

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The Superfood Pyramid, Luxiders Magazine, Plant Based Food

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SO, WHY THIS FOOD PYRAMID?

Why not just follow the guidelines of the traditional food pyramid, which encourages a larger intake of foods like bread, pasta, and cereal? What is the difference between the food pyramids? The difference is that Superfoods are mostly plant based foods, and the Superfood pyramid reflects the value of greatly increasing our intake of leafy greens such as spinach, cabbage, and kale. It is still important to maintain a balanced diet, however there is an increased focus on plant-based foods. Treats like alcohol and chocolate are still a part of the Superfood pyramid, though in a smaller quantity than vegetables and balanced proteins.

WHAT IS THE POINT OF THE SUPERFOOD PYRAMID?

Essentially, it promotes a more plant-based diet, which is better not only for our health but also for our environment! The balance the Superfood pyramid encourages is intended to increase wellness, support the immune system, and decrease fatigue – but, of course, this won’t be the case for everyone who tries it, and you should always seek advice from a medical professional before making any changes to your diet.

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+  Words:

Emma Dahl

Luxiders Magazine

Der Beitrag The Superfood Pyramid | Plant-based Living erschien zuerst auf Sustainable Fashion – Eco Design – Healthy Lifestyle – Luxiders Magazine.

This article was originally published by luxiders.com. Read the original article here.

Let’s strengthen our entire body in 20 minutes! Today I’ve got a fun, fast and efficient pyramid workout for you.

This is one of the training styles I always get requests for in Rock Your Life (my online home workout studio that you can totally join anytime) – so I know you’re going to love it!

Pyramids are a special kind of timing sequence where we focus on one move at a time, and repeat it at timed intervals that go up and then down in length.

They are a great way to build endurance and master the form for each move. I also threw in an optional power move during the rest periods so you can get even more out of this fast, effective workout!

Grab some weighted objects like dumbbells or water bottles for extra resistance, and let’s get strong together!

Love having workouts you can do ANYWHERE, ANYTIME – and a well-designed plan to follow so you get the BEST RESULTS?  Take a 30-day Challenge in Rock Your Life and have workouts like this formatted into a plan to follow!

Full Body Strength Pyramids

Click to expand and see all workout move descriptions

Equipment: Weighted Objects (water bottles, dumbbells, household objects).
Format: Round 1: 15 seconds | Round 2: 30 seconds | Round 3: 45 seconds | Round 4: 30 seconds | Round 5: 15 seconds. Resting 15 seconds between each movement.

Pyramid 1

Sumo Squat to High Pull Row

• Begin standing with your feet wider than hip distance. Allow your feet to turn out naturally.
• Hold your weighted objects in your hands, arms hanging straight down in front of you with your shoulders back and down to counter balance the weights pulling you forward.
• Send your hips back behind you, pulling your belly button in and up to engage your core, keeping your chest up tall (don’t bend forward), weight back in your heels and knees tracking in line with your toes.
• Drive through your heels and squeeze your glutes as you power back to standing, drawing your weighted objects up and back evenly for a high pull row. Notice the muscles working between your shoulder blades.
• MOD: Use no weighted objects as you begin.

Bonus Move: Lateral Leg Lifts

• Begin standing, holding onto the back of a chair or tall object for support and engage your core.
• Brace yourself on your right foot and raise your left leg laterally, initiating this movement through your glute. (Be sure to keep your hips square and your core engaged rather than opening your hips or arching your back.)
• Optional: Hold a weight in your hand and rest it on your outer thigh, or use a mini band to increase the resistance.

Pyramid 2

2-Way Bicep Curl

• Holding your weighted objects in hand, turn your palms out to face in front of you and pull your shoulder blades back and down with your core engaged.
• Keeping the upper arms stationary, perform a bicep curl with both arms by curling the weights up to your shoulder while contracting your bicep (ending palms facing you).
• Reverse the movement to return to the starting position, externally rotate your arms, keeping your elbows by your sides to perform a wide bicep curl.
• Return to center and repeat a regular and wide curl back to back.

Bonus Move: Weighted Calf Raises

• Begin standing with feet hip distance apart, holding a weighted object in each hand.
• Lift up onto your toes and then slowly come back down (be sure you’re not rocking back and forth).
• MOD: Perform these with no weight.

Pyramid 3

Skater Lunges

• Begin in a standing position with your core engaged and chest upright.
• Perform a curtsy lunge by stepping your right foot back behind you and over to the left as your left knee bends behind you and reach your right hand down to touch the ground.
• As you stand up, power through your front heel and hop or step laterally (sideways) to switch legs.
• Alternate back and forth for the prescribed time.
• MOD: Take the hop out or do alternating reverse lunges.
• Optional: Hold a weighted object in each hand for added resistance.

Bonus Move: Standing Triceps Kickbacks

• Stand with your core engaged, chest up and weights in hand.
• Hinge forward at the hips into a chair pose, pull your shoulder blades down and back so they’re not rounding forward, allow your dumbbells to hang beneath your chest and keep your gaze neutral.
• Pull the weights to your sides, keeping your elbows close to the body and squeezing your back muscles like you’re pinching the base of your shoulder blades together.
• While in this row position perform a tricep kickback by kicking your arms straight back and contracting your triceps.
• Return to your row position with control, and repeat.

Pyramid 4

Bent Over Box Row

• Stand with your core engaged, chest up and weights in hand.
• Hinge forward at the hips into a chair pose, pull your shoulder blades down and back so they’re not rounding forward, allow your dumbbells to hang beneath your chest and keep your gaze neutral.
• Pull the weights to your sides, keeping your elbows close to the body and squeezing your back muscles like you’re pinching the base of your shoulder blades together.
• While in this row position, externally rotate to end in a wide row position with your palms facing behind you.
• Slowly lower your weights back down to hang below your chest.
• Pull the weights back up to your wide row position and while in the row position, pull the weights back to your sides, keeping your elbows close to the body and squeezing your back muscles.
• Bring your weights back down to your hanging position and repeat the sequence of narrow row to wide row, wide row to narrow row.

Bonus Move: Plie Calf Raises

• Begin standing with feet hip distance apart and toes pointed out, holding a weighted object in each hand.
• Lift up onto your toes and then slowly come back down (be sure you’re not rocking back and forth).
• MOD: Perform these with no weight.

FINISHER

Heismans (90 Seconds)

• Begin standing with your core engaged and drive your right knee out to your side as you bring your right elbow to meet it, performing a side crunch.
• Return to standing and repeat on the other side.
• Try to keep the knees driving up high at a fast pace, alternating back and forth.
• MOD: Take the run out of it to lower the impact and alternate driving your knees to your elbows focusing on the crunch portion of this move.

Awesome work! Looking forward to hearing how you liked that workout – be sure to comment below with any questions and to check in.

I’d love to see YOU inside Rock Your Life…

…so I can support you in ROCKING your body AND your life! Get stronger and healthier with a community of rockstars to support you, home workout challenges for a fit body, and fresh new workout classes each week to keep you motivated!

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What could you do in 30 days? How about in the next 6 months? What about in the next year if you finally had the support, the programs and all of the resources you need to reach your goals?

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The post Full Body Strength Pyramid Workout appeared first on The Betty Rocker.

This article was originally published by thebettyrocker.com. Read the original article here.

Ready for a fun and fast-paced workout that will really spice up your routine?

Today we’re adding pyramids to our repertoire, which are a special kind of ladder workout where we focus on one move at a time going up in duration of intervals, then down.

It’s super fun and challenging, and I’ve added some bonuses to this workout to really get your heart rate up and boost your results with all the positive benefits of exercise.

For this workout, I suggest you have something elevated nearby like a chair, box or stair as well as something to use for resistance.

As always listen to your body and pace yourself with me in this workout. I’ll be offering lots of options so you can make it your own!

So join me and let’s get to it!

Full Body Pyramid Sculpt

Equipment: Weighted Objects (water bottles, dumbbells, etc), Elevated Surface

Format: Round 1: 15 seconds | Round 2: 30 seconds | Round 3: 45 seconds | Round 4: 30 seconds | Round 5: 15 seconds. Resting 15 seconds between each movement.

Pyramid 1

Side Shuffle Kicks

• Begin in a high squat position on the outside of your mat with your core engaged.
• Low shuffle to the other side, plant your feet and kick straight out to the side with the outside leg.
• Return to your high squat position, shuffle to the other side and repeat. 
• Repeat back and forth. 

Bonus Move: Lateral Raises

• Stand with your core engaged, chest up, shoulders rolled back, and weights in hand.
• Keeping your ribcage down and core engaged, lift both arms out to the side, maintaining a slight bend in the elbows and leading with your shoulders and elbows rather than your wrists. 
• Slowly bring the weights back down to your sides with control and repeat. 

Pyramid 2

Hip Thrusters

• Position your back on an elevated surface (couch or chair). The edge of the surface should be at the base of your shoulder blades. Bend your knees and have them at 90 degrees.
• Drive through your heels to lift your hips to the ceiling, squeezing your glutes and keeping a tight core.
• Drop your hips back down toward the floor with control and repeat for 12 reps.
• Next, lift one foot off the ground and drive through the heel of the foot on the ground to perform a single leg thruster. Perform all 12 reps on one side before switching to the other.
• MOD: Perform this on the ground rather than an elevated surface.

Bonus Move: Triceps Kickbacks

• Begin kneeling with your core engaged, chest up and weights in hand.
• Hinge forward at the hips and pull your shoulder blades down and back so they’re not rounding forward.
• Pull the weights to your sides, keeping your elbows close to the body and squeezing your back muscles like you’re pinching the base of your shoulder blades together.
• While in this row position perform a tricep kickback by kicking your arms straight back.
• Bring your weights back down to the row position and repeat. 

Pyramid 3

Boxing Burpees

• Start standing with your feet wider than hip distance apart.
• Bend your knees and plant your hands on the floor or mat in front of you (hands stacked directly below shoulders) and jump or step your feet back into a tall plank position, holding your belly button in to keep your core engaged.
• Bring your right knee toward your left shoulder, then your left knee to your right shoulder in a cross-body mountain climber motion.
• Jump or step your feet back in to meet your hands, loading the weight in your heels and stand.
• Once standing, powerfully kick straight forward with your right leg and then repeat on your left and then repeat the burpee from the beginning.
• MOD: Perform this from an elevated surface or step your feet in rather than jumping.

Bonus Move: Calf Raises

• Begin standing with feet hip distance apart.
• Lift up onto your toes and then slowly come back down (be sure you’re not rocking back and forth).
• Optional: Hold weighted objects in each hand.

Pyramid 4

Elevated Elbow Plank Jacks

• Begin in an elbow plank position on an elevated surface with your core engaged, shoulders stacked over your hands and your lower back slightly up toward the ceiling.
• Brace your core, and jump your feet out wide for a jack and then back together.
• MOD: Perform jumping jacks as an alternative.
• Optional: Perform this from the ground rather than an elevated surface.

Bonus Move: In and Outs

• Start in a seated position with your knees bent, hands placed behind you, chest up tall, core engaged.
• While leaning back, fully extend your legs out in front of you until you reach a complete hollow body hold.
• Crunch your knees and chest together to come back to your starting position and repeat.
• MOD: Tap your heels to the ground slightly in front of you rather than extending your legs all the way out. 

Pyramid 5

Box Jumps

• Stand facing the box (or any elevated surface) you are jumping onto.
• Slightly bend your knees and power through your heels to explode off the balls of your feet onto the box (use your arms to propel you and land softly on the balls of your feet). 
• Jump or step back down and repeat.
• MOD: Remove the jump and simply do step up with alternating legs.

Bonus Move: Lateral Leg Lift to Crunch

• Begin standing holding onto an object at your side to help support you. 
• Lift your outside like and drive your right knee up to meet your right elbow as you crunch your torso.
• Slowly bring your leg back down and repeat (switch sides each rest period).

Way to go Rockstar! Comment below if you have any questions or to check in when you finish today’s workout.

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The post Full Body Pyramid Sculpt appeared first on The Betty Rocker.

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