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SFL Client of the Month
Monica
Congratulations to Monica Di Bernardino, our Strength for Life Client of the month for March.
I was going to a gym for about a year, doing 30 minute circuit training workouts twice a week and enjoyed it, but due to scheduling conflicts I had to quit. I knew I wanted you continue working out, but had no idea
where?!?
My journey for a new gym began, I googled “gyms near me “ and found SFL.
I emailed Jim to set up a consultation. I also liked the SFL Facebook page. I began seeing pictures and small video clips about this gym I
was considering joining.
Well let me tell you, when I saw a young guy lifting very large weights, I began to question myself.
Is this really for me? Do I wanna lift weights? The only weight I ever lifted was my kids.
I thought, just go check it out, it can’t hurt.
When I walked up those steps for the first time and saw the young guy from the videos, I thought, Ooo heck no!!
I CAN’T DO this!!
That was 9 months ago and SFL is nothing like my old gym. I do lift weights and I love it. The classes are challenging but I am motivated to push myself harder then ever before... and guess what???
I CAN DO This!!!
I meet with my trainer, Jon, weekly and also get a conditioning class in once or twice a week.
Jon has taught me so much. I now have a confidence and strength I never knew I had in me. He is there to help me achieve my fitness goals but also there to listen like a good friend. He really is the best!!
I want to thank everyone at SFL for the ability to show my girls, if mommy can do it, so can you!! Women are beautiful and strong!
We are very happy and proud to have Monica as part of our SFL community!
Shout Out to SFL Client Will Reno
We are always amazed at the fantastic ways our clients make their mark in the world. Will Reno is a teacher at the Plymouth Meeting Friends School and a marathon runner, but what really struck a cord with us is the time he spends working with kids teaching them circus skills.
Each year Will works from the beginning of the school year until March with Fourth Graders teaching them how to juggle, ride a unicycle, walk a tightrope and other circus skills. The real lesson, however, is in grit and persistence, mastering a complex skill, building on small successes and failures over several months. The hours of practice culminate in an annual Circus Week at the school.
Here is a video showing the preparation for the Circus.
You would think that after the circus, Will would take some time to relax. Instead, he is running the Boston Marathon on April 15th.
Great work and Good luck in Boston!
Everything that we want to achieve requires some effort. But how important is effort in achieving our goals?
What you do today – the effort you put in – determines your success tomorrow. Rory Vaden, the author of “Take the Stairs: 7 Steps for Achieving True Success”, says, “Success is never owned; it is only rented – and the rent is due every day.”
Effort, like sunscreen in the summer, needs to be applied consistently. To achieve our goals, we need to put in the effort each and every day. On days that we feel good and on days when we don’t feel like doing the work. Many people will put in effort for a short time and when their effort does not immediately pay off or they become distracted by life, they stop putting in the daily effort needed to finish and succeed.
Monthly Fitness Tip
The Lunge
We are dedicating the month of April to learning the lunge. Over the next 30 days, we will be publishing posts on how to do the lunge correctly to learning advanced forms of the lunge that will take your training to a new
level.
Check out our blog, Facebook and Instagram pages for daily tips, and exercises to lunge better. You can also send us videos of your lunge to
post on Social Media. Make sure you tag Strength for Life.
BENEFITS
The lunge pattern has many benefits. These include:
- Stronger Muscles - Lunges strengthen the abs, glutes and muscles of the leg.
- Better Balance and Coordination - Lunges are single leg exercises that train one side of your body independently from the other. Training one side of the body independently from the other helps to even out any imbalances in strength and muscle development. Due to the less stable support when training
one side at a time, lunges help to improve balance and coordination. Lunges require muscles to work together to complete the movement smoothly. Lunges improve coordination in addition to developing strength. Lunges also directly improve performance of natural, everyday movements.
- Improved Symmetry - Imbalances in muscular strength are improved by bringing the weaker side of your body up to par with the stronger side. Eliminated weak links in the body reduce the chance of injury and improves strength in exercises like the squat and deadlift.
- Increased Hip Flexor Flexibility - Lunges are important in improving the flexibility of the muscles that are used to bend the legs at the hips. In our sedentary culture, many individuals have chronically tight hip flexors. Tight hip flexor muscles are stretched using the lunge movement. Lunges
helps to loosen tight hip flexors.
- Improved Glute Activation and Tone - Lunges target the glutes, eliciting a high level of activity in the muscles of the buttocks. Reducing fat in the body and strengthening the glutes results in better shape and tone of the buttocks.
- Better Core Stability - Keeping the torso upright during lunges requires proper pelvic and spinal position. Engaging the core during lunges improves core stability. Lunges engage the abdominal, back, chest, pelvis, and buttock muscles. Strengthening these muscles improves core strength and stability.
Strong core muscles are essential in improving balance, posture, stability, sports performance as well as relieving back pain.
- Spinal De-loading - The lunge, takes the load off or de-loads the spine. Barbell squats load the spine. De-loading the spine provides rest and recovery.
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Monthly Nutrition Tip
Complex Carbs
Carbs, or carbohydates, have gotten a pretty bad rep recently. Low carb and no carb diets have become the new go-to for anyone looking to lose weight. But have we gone too far in our quest to eliminate carbs from our diet?
Carbohydrates provide energy that fuels Your body. Carbohydrates are just glucose, (sugar), molecules that are strung together. These molecules break down in the body to provide energy.
Carbohydrates can be simple or complex. Simple carbohydrates have fewer molecules of sugar and break down quickly in the body. Think of simple carbohydrates as a match that burns bright and quick. When we consume simple carbs, our energy levels spike quickly and then drop fast.
Complex carbohydrates break down more slowly and provide a more even energy. Like the light of a candle, complex carbs provide energy at a steady rate for a longer period-of-time than simple carbohydrates.
Should simple carbohydrates be totally eliminated from our daily nutrition?
Strength for Life Programs
Moxie Strong
Moxie Strong is Strength for Life's newest program. Moxie Strong embraces strong, independent, fierce determined women. Moxie Strong is a program for a women's whole person. Moxie Strong is for women who are not intimidated by lifting weights and fro women who strive to be their best in all areas of their life.
Contact Natalie Bean at NNbean@comcast.net
Teen Training
Is your son or daughter ready to start lifting weights?
Lifting Weights can help improve strength, fitness, and performance but only if done correctly. Proper technique and form should be taught before adding any weight to an exercise.
In Teen Training, your child will learn the proper way to lifts weights safely. They will also learn why each exercise is important, what muscle groups are targeted and be instructed by a professional in the field of strength training.
Contact Jim@Strengthforlife.us
Online Training
SFL is now offering online training to clients who travel frequently or want to train while on vacation. If you are interested in more details or would like to participate in the online training program, see one of our SFL trainers. Active SFL clients will receive a discounted price for online training.
Contact Jim@Strengthforlife.us
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Here is a list of some great articles:
Nutrition
We recently saw a local studio promoting Apple Cider as a great way to burn fat. Here are the real facts.
Seems like everyone is foam rolling these days. Make sure you are not making these mistakes. Spoiler alert! - Foam rolling too hard is not beneficial.
Exercise
Self-Improvement
The great football coach, Vince Lombardi devoted much of his coaching to working on the fundamentals. See how this practice helped the Green Bay Packers win Championships and how it can help you be better too.
What I am Reading
Non-Fiction
The 5 Elements of Effective Thinking by Edward B. Burger and Michael Starbird
The authors focus on five habits that can help us learn better, make better decisions, and become more successful. The habits - understand deeply, make mistakes, follow the flow of ideas, raise questions and accept that change is constant - will help develop skills that
can lead to a more fulfilling life.
Fiction
Only the Stones Survive by Morgan LLywelyn
If you are Irish or just want to be, "Only the Stones Survive'" will take you on an edge of your seat mythical journey through the pre-history of Ireland when the Tuatha De Danann and Milesians battled for the Emerald Isle.
Strength for Life
1440 Wallingford Road
Springfield, Pa 19064 www.Strengthforlife.us
484-441-6126
Call for a Free Consultation
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