The Edge of Tomorrow – Emily Blunt Workout

Another movie starring Tom Cruise fighting aliens?

You might be eye-rolling, and to be honest, I did too. However, after just finishing the movie I have to say it far exceeded my expectations. Let me explain why.

First off, Tom Cruise is not the main badass role.

Emily Blunt is.

She plays Rita Vrataski, or who everyone in their world calls both “The Angel of Verdun” and “Full Metal Bitch”.

This is her:

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Yeah, that’s her suit.

Instead of just a tank top and short-shorts like 99% of female-lead action movies, she actually has serious armor.

I won’t go into too many spoilers, but we learn that she is quite the tough ass.

For once, it was nice to see the woman be the badass who had a no-apologies approach to everything. She sacrifices at every turn and takes constant risks.

What really got my attention was that Emily Blunt actually looks believable as a warrior.

Most movies with a female-lead are always running around with not a single ounce of muscle to their frames.

They climb walls with ease and supposedly are strong enough to take down really buff dudes? Please. They rarely have any muscle, so it’s hard to believe they just overhead pressed 150 lbs. and threw that guy across the room.

Emily Blunt clearly worked insanely hard to add some size to her frame. I actually believe she is the badass character, Rita Vrataski. She has the physical frame to lift heavy weights, run through alien-infested fields, and throw around the huge sword she carries.

She looked pretty ripped, but there’s one scene where we really see her impressive size:

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Shout out to Emily Blunt for putting in that much hard work. I rarely ever see women with actual built traps or shoulders in movies. Ever.

The suits they wore could weigh anywhere between 85 to 125 lbs. That’s a serious amount of weight to be carrying around.

According to Emily Blunt, she trained 6 days a week for 2 and a half hours every day doing everything from yoga, Krav Maga, gymnastics, weight training, to sprinting. She was able to accomplish her transformation in 3 months. Even Tom Cruise said he never had worked with anyone else who came to set that prepared and in shape.

“I wanted her to look lethal,” she said about her character Rita.

She mentioned that she also wore a weight vest to prepare for the giant suit she was going to wear in her action scenes.

The best part about Rita is that she doesn’t need anyone to “save” her like we all see in most movies. She can hold her own. She doesn’t spend any time feeling sorry for herself or whining over her circumstances. I have to applaud Emily for bringing such a real soldier spirit to Rita and making her a warrior to her core. We don’t see her have any emotional breakdowns or need approval from anyone. She does her job and fights like hell to the end, and is willing to make the ultimate sacrifice at any moment.

There’s no time for romance and there’s none of that “Oh let me assist you because you might not be strong” element. She is the strong one and she is using her gun more than anyone else in the movie. (Emily also said she laughed every time she shot Tom Cruise, which is funny to imagine.)

Of course, I don’t know her actual workout, but here would be my closest guess to her weight training routine. (Keep in mind, she worked out for over 2 hours every single day. This would not be a easy workout by any stretch of the imagination.) The workout I’m creating will not be that intense since most of us do not have that kind of time.

Also, I couldn’t find the actual workout online, just what people assume it is.. The trainer is hush hush so he can keep his business going. 100% understandable. I’ve heard that it’s a three-part circuit workout, but I’ve heard a few conflicting articles out there about the specifics, but we do know she trained for two and a half months. She also did all of her own stunts.

We do know her cardiovascular endurance was impressive, but so are her muscles, so we’ll look at a combination of both.

FYI: “sets” mean do the exercise three times. “reps” means how many you do.
So, 3 sets 12 reps mean do the exercise 12 times, then rest, then do it 12 times, then rest, then do it 12 times.

Also, if you want to burn fat, keep the rest times between workouts short. If you want to build muscle, keep the rest times a little longer. It’s been said that Emily’s trainer kept her at around 60 seconds of rest, so you can use that if you want.

The workout:

Monday: Chest, Lats, and Back

Dumbbell Bench press – 3 sets 12 reps

Reverse-grip bent-over row – 3 sets 12 reps

Dumbbell flyes – 3 sets 10 reps

Wide-grip lat pulldown – 3 sets 12 reps

Push-up variations particularly the dive bomber/Hindu push-up – 3 sets of however many you can do. If you’re not strong, do them on your knees until you build up the strength.

Seated Cable Row – 3 sets 12 reps

Planks – hold them as long as you can or up to a minute. Keep your back straight and clench your butt (that’ll help keep your back straight). If you feel any part of your head, back, or hips start to get out of alignment, stop.

Prone cobra – Hold for 10 seconds, relax for five seconds, and repeat four more times.

End the workout with HIIT – high intensity interval training. This means you work out really hard for a length of time, then go slow, then push yourself, then go slow. It’s up to your current endurance on what you can handle. Ideally, you do between 15 and 30 seconds of intensity and between 30 to 60 seconds of rest, then rinse and repeat. Push yourself, but don’t hurt yourself. Do it for just a few minutes and leave the gym like a champion.

(You can read why HIIT is better than long-form cardio: click here.)

Tuesday: Shoulders, Trapezius, Abs, Booty

Dumbbell arnold press – 4 sets of 10 reps

Dumbbell bent-over lateral raise – 3 sets 10 reps

Dumbbell shrug (Do not skip these, these are the magic behind Emily’s shoulders looking so good in her famous push-up scene) – 4 sets 10 reps

Hanging leg raise – 3 sets to failure. (Meaning, for every set do it until you can’t any longer.)

Incline sit-up – 3 sets 15 reps

Single-leg glute bridge (or do regular bridge if it’s too hard) – 3 sets of 10 reps

Glute kickbacks (you can do these with or without cables. It’s up to you and what’s available) – 3 sets 10 reps

P.S. if you’re not a fan of either of the above two exercises, here is a list of more glute exercises and the rating for how well they work.

End the workout with HIIT

Wednesday: Quads and Calves

Squats (I prefer front squats, but do what you like) – 4 sets of 12

Walking lunges (you can do regular standing lunges if you don’t have space) – 3 sets 8 reps

Standing calf raise – 3 sets of 10

Bonus calf exercise (I have chicken legs so I add on extras for the people out there in the same position): Donkey calf raise – 3 sets of 12

Leg Extensions (if you don’t have this machine, switch it for a rear foot elevated split squat or a natural standing leg extension) – 3 sets of 10

I don’t end leg days with any HIIT because normally my legs are jello and they’re like “pls stop”. However, I absolutely make sure to foam roll and stretch after leg day. Actually, you should do that every day, but especially on leg day. Get to know the foam rollers at your gym, they will be your best friend to combat any soreness.

Thursday: Biceps, Triceps, Forearms

Wide grip dumbbell curls – 3 sets of 10

Tricep rope pulldown – 3 sets of 12

Hammer curls – 3 sets of 10

Dumbbell tricep extension (you can do lying, seated, or standing) – 3 sets of 10

Bonus tricep exercise (Emily’s are great and you can see that in her famous yoga pose) Reverse-grip cable pressdown – 3 sets of 10

Wrist curls – 2 sets of 10

Reverse wrist curls – 2 sets of 10

End the workout with HIIT

Friday: Hamstrings, Abs, Obliques

Step ups (be sure to do it like: this so it targets your hamstrings and butt better) – 3 sets for each leg, 10 reps

Romanian deadlifts – 4 sets 12 reps

Oblique cable crunch – 3 sets 15 reps

Dumbbell hamstring curl (or, lying leg curl on a machine) – 3 sets of 10

Sumo deadlift – 3 sets of 8

Weighted cable crunch (or planks) – 3 sets of 15

End the workout with HIIT

 

Saturday: Optional

Anything you want. If you like yoga, do that. If you want to sign up for Krav Maga (we’ll cover it below), do that. This is her famous pose, which is a result of strength training and flexibility:

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Alternatively, you can work on your speed and agility. Running up hills, ladder work, anything that works your speed, basically.

Bonus: wear a weighted vest while you do so (like this one: click here).

The Ultimate Move:

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If you want a video how to do this, this will help: click here. Every time I’ve tried to do it my face smooshes into the mat, so I can’t provide a lot of help there. And yes, Emily said for the longer shots she needed foot wires to hold it, but she can absolutely do the pose.

The Diet:

You can read details on her diet: click here.

That might work for you, that might not. Just off ballpark without looking it up that sample meal plan would come out to 1,400-ish calories, which simply isn’t enough.

Knowing that Emily Blunt is around 5’7″ and around 120(ish) lbs, it appears she did a mini bulk for this program. That might have made her a little closer to 130 lbs with that lean muscle.

(I know because I’m 5’8″.)

Giving that she’s active and that she was adding a little size to her frame, she was maybe roughly around 1,800-2,100 calories. Maybe. Only because I hover around 2,200 when I’m bulking and she stayed pretty lean.

Plus, she’s incredibly active with her work/interviews/filming so I can imagine she needs more calories than someone who works a desk job (like I do) just to maintain her weight.

You can use my post: here to find your macros and why that’s a good approach.

Basically, find your maintenance calories/macros, then if you want to lose weight, subtract about 200-400 calories. If you want to build muscle, add about 200-400 calories.

Good job, Emily. You are definitely setting the bar high for action movies here on out.

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LOOK AT THOSE TRAPS. (For those who aren’t aware, traps refer to the muscle – trapezius – that connects your neck to your shoulders.)

For my own nerdy mind, I also love to dive into the lifestyle and daily life of the characters I imagine workouts for. Not that you’re going to become Rita, but if you wanted to, this will get you closer.

So, let’s dive in.

Lifestyle

Mentality:

In the Edge of Tomorrow, Rita is a war hero. She single-handedly won the previously huge battle before we meet Tom Cruise, giving her the nickname of “Full Metal Bitch”. She’s been hardened by the years of war before her and the years of war ahead. She’s lost loved ones and you can see that in her overall attitude because she doesn’t get too close to people.

At the same time, her reputation is much tougher than we find out she is as a person. Although she’s tough, she’s not completely heartless. She just wants to win the war.

Like a true warrior, she also is mentally prepared to sacrifice her life at any given moment. She trains hard, but knows if it comes down to it, she’ll do what she has to do.

Every day, she focuses solely on how she can improve herself. She focuses on the tasks at hand and what she can do to survive.

Anyone can apply this to their own life: focusing on what needs to be done today and getting on with it. There’s no need to overanalyze or plan everything out perfectly. Focus on dominating the day and finishing what you need to do.

As Emily said about preparing for her role, “Put your head down and do your work.”

Gear:

Weighted vest. In most of the scenes, we see Rita walking around with a weighted vest, probably to prepare for all the gear she wears in every battle. If you’re looking for one: this one is a great option that’s not as heavy and bulky as others.

Helicopter blade for a sword. Apparently, real helicopter blades run in the $4,000.00 ballpark, but you could possibly find some in a junkyard or government sale (if you’re lucky). Keep in mind, they might be hard to swing around, but if you do it I need to see a video of this.

Badass suit. I, unfortunately, can’t find much about the suit she was wearing but give technology a few more years and I might have to come back and update this post.

Tactical outfits. This is a pretty thorough breakdown of her pants, gear, clothing, guns, and other accessories.

Skills:

Hand-to-hand combat. Although there are a lot of guns at her disposal, she also uses her quick combat skills to overpower a lot of enemies. Any local Krav Maga classes could get you started on this path. Here’s a good post to get you started.

Sword fighting. What she does is a little different than regular fencing, because her sword is insanely huge and heavy. She also swings it around while spinning and running through the field.

General war-time and tactical skills. To say Rita is extremely versatile is an understatement. She can fly planes, drive speeding cars, take down enemies with ease… These are not easily attainable skills, but I love all the articles the Art of Manliness has on tactical skills.

Endurance. She rarely gets tired or worn out and can handle hours and hours of combat. This requires years and years of training, but if you want to train like an athlete and keep your body in top shape, it’s important to build your endurance to the point where hours of strenuous activity won’t exhaust you for days.

Of course, this is a much deeper look than just a workout behind a movie role, but like I mentioned earlier, ever since I was a kid I have been fascinated by fictional characters and how they operate. There will be a lot more posts to come like this, so if you’re interested, feel free to bookmark this site or sign up to receive e-mail updates when new posts are released.

(Generic disclaimer: *As always with any fitness program, talk to your doctor first / see a trainer / it’s not my fault if you hurt yourself / please don’t sue me / you assume all risk / etc etc. Also, if any exercise ever hurts in a bad way, stop doing it immediately.)

What superhero workout do you want to see next? Leave a comment and I’ll add it to the list!

How to Make Time For Exercise

I have a confession to make: I’ve been a little sissy face throughout the past two months.

I’ve left working out up to when I “felt” like it, which is pretty much poison for anyone trying to get in shape.

As I mentioned in my last post, my 26th birthday passed, and I realized it is just simply time to quit being a little sissy.

There’s no doubt that I’m healthy. My blood tests always come back phenomenal, my body fat percentage is way below average, and I moderately exercise.

That’s great and all, however, I can do better. Nothing feels worse than living below my potential. When you know you could do better and it is right within your reach, but you choose to pick the easier route, that is hell.

I can do better, so I’m going to.

Let’s break it down:

1. Write what your “best” looks like.

If you know you are living below your potential, you have to accurately describe what living above it looks like.

What time do you wake up?
What do you do with your day?
What do you do at work?
How do you feel?
When do you workout?
How do you treat the person around you?
What does your body look like?

2. Decide what is in your way and how you will beat it.

Although I prefer evening workouts, they are far too easy to skip, so I moved them to the mid-morning.

The problem with the mid-morning for me is not feeling that energized, so I ordered a pre-workout (Pre Jym. I’ll do a review soon!).

I also have the problem of going to the gym and saying, “Ugh, IDK what to do, so I’ll just do these 3 easy things and leave.” So, I went through Jim Stoppani’s Shortcut to Shred program I’ve been meaning to start for, like, ever, and plugged it into my planner so I know exactly what I’m going to do when I get there.

I also put money on it so I have to donate it to a group I really can’t stand if I don’t follow through.

3. Start saying “no” to non-priority items.

Do whatever it takes to get rid of things that are not a priority. If fitness is truly a priority, you have to make room for it. That means sacrificing time at the bar/playing videos/surfing the internet.

This doesn’t have to be forever, just stick with these priorities for a few weeks until you hit your goal. Everyone and everything else can wait, but you don’t have to cut out fun things for the rest of your life.

Trying to make excuses is one of the common pitfalls for starting new habits. “Oh you mean I can’t ever drink again?!” No, it just means you have to stop having seven beers every night after work.

It’s much easier to keep something in motion once it’s started than to start. Just focus on building the habit and the rest will come.

Lessons From The Gym – Why I Train

Today marks the five year anniversary since I started to turn my health around.

Five years ago, just before my 21st birthday, I discovered I had an ulcer that was basically trying to kill me. My habits were a mess, and that was the result of that. I hadn’t discovered any of my food allergies yet, I thought coffee was a complete meal, I had fast food every single day, I was running on about 4 hours of sleep for a year, my stress levels were through the roof, I was a full-time student with a full-time job, and I had the occasional cigarette to deal with the stress. My health was waiting to implode and I was doing all this way too young.

Blacking out from stomach pain in the middle of a park in Denver was my wake-up call.

I immediately went to the doctor and she said I had to reduce all my stress ASAP. I went home, e-mailed my boss, and quit. I also decided to not take summer classes that year.

Of course, I still had to make an income, I just couldn’t do it as an editor at a paper any longer.

I marched into my local gym, and due to a really nice girl at the front desk (who ended up being a really good friend all these years later), I was able to get a meeting with the head boss of the gym. He didn’t really have any other positions available, but I told him I really needed this job and I’d even clean the whole gym from top to bottom every single night. This got his attention, and I went right to work starting the next day.

Most people would think that going from hot-shot editor to cleaning a gym at night would be some kind of low-point, but it was one of the best jobs I’ve ever had. I had never really been in a full-blown gym yet with all kinds of squat racks, machines, and all kinds of new equipment I had never seen before. I could blast the music, close the doors, and get to work. Some nights I wouldn’t even play music, I would just think. It was incredibly relaxing to have some silence with no phones, no one bothering me, and just time to go through each machine and clean it while also learning what it did.

I quickly worked my way up to being a personal trainer during the day while cleaning the gym at night. I’d walk home around 10 PM through the streets of downtown Denver, but instead of being completely stressed, I always felt better.

This was the first time I drew a connection between working out, spending time in silence, and overall life happiness.

These habits have stuck with me through the years until now. Fitness has always pulled me through no matter what was going on in my life. I didn’t start training seriously until about a year and a half ago, but I spent so much time studying and taking baby steps that I have spent very little time on any injuries or setbacks.

Now that my 26th birthday is tomorrow (the 24th), I thought I’d reflect on all the ways fitness has changed my life and the reasons I will continue to train until I die.

1. Being strong bleeds into all areas of life.

I have never worked out just to look good. I work out so I can handle everything else going on in my life. When I’m strong, I feel confident in asking new clients to hire me, making new friends, and sticking to the decisions I make. When I feel weak, I can feel myself shrink away from life and wallow in self-pity.

2. It brought supportive people my way.

Most of the people I meet through fitness are extremely positive and encouraging. I know it’s overrated to use the word “fitfam”, but there truly is an element of a fitness family when you start lifting. Sure, there’s a lot of rude people who think they know everything because they lifted a weight once, but thankfully they rarely cross my path.

3. I know how to fix my health problems.

When I wake up feeling groggy, have sore muscles, am tired throughout the day, or anything else that comes my way, it all has a solution. I diligently track everything I do, so I can go back to the past few days and see where the mistakes happened. Most people wander through life completely exhausted, aching all over, and then go to the doctors and get medication and surgery. Preventative care > everything.

4. Self-reliance.

I’ve noticed a surge in my thoughts on self-reliance ever since starting to lift. It started with being able to move things around all by myself. I’ve moved plenty of times and most of those times I wasn’t in a position to hire movers, so it wound up being me trekking up and down flights of stairs for a few days to get everything moved myself. It was never a fun experience, but I could do it on my own. I have no doubts this evolved into me starting my own business.

There is also something to be said for having relationships out of mutual respect instead of neediness. In the past, I had friendships and relationships because I felt like I needed the other person. This, of course, always ended horribly. When you’re needy, people can walk all over you, lie to you, cheat on you, and you take it. Two self-reliant people who come together out of mutual respect, friendship, and love always end up in a healthier place.

5. Studying the deeper parts of life.

Health is not everything, but without it, life is miserable. It’s a building block to build the rest of your life upon. When I felt better, I was able to think better. When I was able to think better, I realized an internal shift from less selfish thoughts to thinking about other subjects that interest me. Now, I spend a lot of time reading philosophy, trying to understand this life.

There is so much wisdom to be learned from our ancestors. Emerson, Seneca, Thoreau, Aristotle… You don’t need a mentor if you have the timeless wisdom from the greats. Understand your own mortality; embrace it. There is so much more to life than I originally knew. This also leads to the next point.

6. The desire for less.

Feeling content with life is the ultimate happiness. Knowing you have everything you need to life a fulfilling life, ridding yourself of the desire for “more”, brings peace. There are still huge goals I am pursuing, but I have stripped myself of my materialistic cravings and feel so much peace within caring for the things I currently have.

This also applies to my fitness. While every company out there tries to sell you on all kinds of supplements, equipment, workout plans, or whatever else, 99% of it is simply frivolous.

I say this as a recovering consumer addict. I wound up with more bullshit than I ever needed in an entire lifetime. Debt is slavery, and it’s something I’m currently at war with. I WILL win, but I would definitely go back in time to change that habit if I could. The only things I have purchased all year are protein powders, books, pens, and notebooks. No clothes, no household stuff, nothing. It’s all bullshit.

7. All of life has a greater meaning.

We’re here to help each other. We are not here to have the most toys or the most money. When I worked as a personal trainer, the best gift I ever gave my clients was the gift of reclaiming their health. By reclaiming their health, they also received the gift of life. Even as a professional writer now, I help people claim their voice. I only find joy in work by helping other people make their lives better.

8. “The more you bleed here, the less you bleed in battle.”

This is what King Leonidas says to his son in the movie 300. There are many variations of this quote, but the point is if you put in the hard work NOW, when you are truly tested in life you will win.

I meet a ton of people who completely crumble with any amount of stress because they never push their own limits. They hide behind their problems with drinking, partying, weed, vacations, buying things, or whatever else their weak souls need. Sure, there is a time and a place for celebration, but not as a crutch to deal with the things life throws at you. I love a good drink, but one of my rules is that I only drink for celebrations. I don’t ever drink because I’m stressed out. Sometimes it is an annoying rule, but when life punches me in the face, I handle it better and better with each passing year.

The same applies to everything I pursue. The harder I work, the more I practice, the more I train, the better I handle everything that comes my way.

9. Pursue the best version of myself.

This is a direct influence from Elliott Hulse (you can watch the actual video, HERE), but it’s basically the idea of growing as a person and becoming the best YOU that you could possibly be.

Another way to think of this: “Someone once told me the definition of hell: The last day you have on earth, the person you became, meets the person you could have become.”

Younger me was always full of excuses. There were a few things I was excellent at, but those excuses ate me alive. There were so many times I held myself back from my potential because I had all these bullshit reasons as to why I couldn’t achieve them.

The real problem is that I was personally identified with certain character traits, and that was really what held me back. For example, I never defined myself as being “smart” throughout most of my schooling, so I avoided harder classes (except for Physics, which I took as a Sophomore because that sounded fun when everyone else in my class was a Senior), because I didn’t put in the work. I didn’t put in the work, because I didn’t think I was too bright. I’m definitely not a genius, but with a little extra effort and care I could have ended high school with a much better GPA.

10. Realizing I can reach for higher goals.

Once you break personal records you didn’t think were possible before, a whole world of possibilities opens up. You realize that you are absolutely capable of more. Life truly is what you make it. I moved to Denver with absolutely nothing, I put myself through college, I built a business, I added muscle, I changed my diet, I broke a ton of habits I thought were “just part of me”, I released people from my past… I never would have thought any of those would have been possible just a few years ago before I began this journey.

I’m realizing the boundaries of what I consider possible in my own life and I’m finding ways to challenge them. This is the top thing I hope to pursue throughout the age of 26: I want to challenge everything and see what is really possible.

I’d love to hear what YOU have learned on your journey of strength. Leave a comment below!

What to Ignore on Your Fitness Journey

Everyone will have an opinion about your life and your journey.

While it’s great to get feedback, many people start to think everyone else is “right” and ultimately get off track.

The fastest way to success is picking one path and sticking to it for a while before you decide to possibly change what you’re doing.

This problem plagued me for years. I would chase the new study, research, blog post, or expert’s opinion and get off track. I’d start with a goal, like gaining size, and start lifting, but then I’d see some new research about optimal eating time after a workout and think all of my work was going to waste because of this new information.

I’d get off track, and actually stop what I was doing because it wasn’t “perfect” yet.

It was ludicrous and got more off track than if I had just stayed with what I was already doing. There is no such thing as perfect and any progress is better than NO progress. There will always be new research, but if Arnold Schwarzenegger could be in shape all those years ago without 80% of the research we have today, there is no excuse.

So, that leads me to all the things you should ignore on your fitness journey:

1. New research

While you’re starting out, stay far away from all new information until you have formed the habit. Don’t we all know that out of shape friend who is a walking encyclopedia of information? Yeah, except they don’t actually apply what they know, and if they are it clearly isn’t working. This flows into #2.

2. Only take advice from people who have what you want

I want this quote on my tombstone I love it so much. Everyone I meet has an opinion on fitness. I post a status about going to the gym and I get a boatload of comments about what I should be doing from people who clearly are struggling with their own health. This is why I don’t have a relationship blog or a “how to work in corporate America” blog: because I am horrible at both those things.

3. Any opinions about your journey

Everyone will have an opinion about your diet, body, or routine. They’ll say you’re gaining too much muscle/losing too much weight/not eating enough/eating too much/having too much sodium, blah blah blah.

Get your information from someone credible and follow their advice for a few months, then look at your results and see what you want to change. As you know, I love Jim Stoppani’s work, programs, and supplements. He allows quite a bit of caffeine in the daily diet, yet half the people I know have a panic attack about drinking more than a cup. Let me do me, and you do you.

4. Anyone who says you have to buy something to reach your goals

No, you don’t need:

  • New shoes
  • A food scale
  • A new outfit
  • A program
  • Any fitness equipment
  • Any kitchen materials
  • Pretty much anything else outside your own determination

Sure, those things can help, but are they essential? No.

You already have everything you need to start living the life you want. It might not marketable, but it’s the truth.

 

Why Stress Is Ruining Your Body and What to Do About it

Diet, workout plans, and sleep are all building blocks to an impressive body. However, there’s a sneaky little thing called stress that can ruin all your gains.

It’s not nearly as “sexy” to talk about as things like getting abs and cooking impressive meals, but your hormones and metabolism are extremely important to the overall function of your body.

Things like major stress, depriving your body of the needed calories, and constant binge drinking can damage your body for years. Thankfully, for the most part, with careful planning you can undo a lot of the damage. (One recommended resource for this is Jillian Michael’s book: Master Your Metabolism. P.S. that’s not an affiliate link. I just dig the book.)

From the book:

“According to Dr. Scott Isaacs, author of The Leptin Boost Diet and guru of all things hormonal, stress can cause

  • Leptin resistance
  • Insulin resistance
  • Lower estrogen (estradiol) in women
  • Lower testosterone in men
  • Lower levels of growth hormone
  • Higher cortisol levels
  • Impaired conversion of thyroid hormone”

Basically, it can ruin everything.

All of those can cause serious health complications along with unexplained weight gain.

This is why I disagree fully with anyone who claims weight loss is as simple as calories in and calories out. It kind of is, but not always. Plus, I refuse to ride the weight-shaming bandwagon, but that’s another story.

When a study was done at the University of Chicago and they deprived sleep in young men for two nights, the hormone that regulates hunger levels increased.

Not to mention, stress and sleep are usually correlated. If you’re stressed, you don’t sleep well. If you don’t sleep well, it’s hard to deal with stress. It’s a constant yo-yo that can cause mental and physical hell. It’s also harder to eat well and maintain energy to exercise when you have too much stress in your body.

Dealing With Stress

Now, the problem that I understand far too well is that most advice about dealing with stress has to do with spending large amounts of money. Some of these horrible tips include: get a weekly massage! Go on vacation! Hire some help! All of them are great ideas, but I choose to also learn how to manage my stress without spending money (so I can kick my student loans in the face).

So, here are my tips to manage stress on the cheap:

1. The 10/10/10 Rule. I cannot remember where I heard this rule, but the basics are simple: you ask yourself if the thing stressing you out at the moment will matter in 10 days, 10 months, and 10 years. While something might matter in 10 days, it won’t matter in 10 years.

2. Focus on the things you do have. I’m not big into being “woo-woo”, but gratitude is serious business. There are always things to be grateful for, even if it’s the fact that you’re alive. List them all out.

3. Get your mind off stress with physical work. When my mind is completely bogged down with stress, it’s hard to have any perspective outside the moment I’m in. This is when I know it’s time to go exercise, clean the house, or do something else like garden. Physically exhaust yourself so you stop thinking for a bit.

4. Go do something for free in your city. Thankfully, I live in downtown Denver, so I have a long list of free things to do around here. When I lived in my smaller town in Michigan, there were still PLENTY of things to do that got me out of the house and my mind off what I was stressed about.

5. Do something that always gets your mind right. For me, it’s watching one of my favorite movies between Gladiator, 300, or something really heavy like Schindler’s List. All of those remind me what’s important and to not worry about the (usually) petty thing I can’t get off my mind.

Learn your body

Overall, it’s important to know what’s going on with your body. Fitness and nutrition are fun, but if your body is not functioning well at the most basic level, it will all come crashing down eventually.

Stay healthy, inside and out.

What are YOUR tips to staying healthy and managing stress?