Monthly Archives: March 2016

Add Glute Burnouts to Your Routine

I first heard about the actual term glute burnouts from the glute master himself Bret Contreras but I have been adding these into my routine for quite some time.

Glute burnouts are a series or combo of a glute exercises preferably done at the end of a workout in high reps to add a  extra metabolic stress to the designated area.

This fits perfectly with what I have been adding into my clients, and my own, workouts recently. Some type of 5 minute finisher of some combo of exercises depending on the client, goals, preferences, or program.

If I am feeling the need to get some cardiovascular work in, I will do 5 minutes of sprints. If it is leg day I might add these glute burnouts. If I am feeling like getting a little arm pump I will superset bicep and tricep exercises just because.

I feel a well designed program is important but I also see the value in a little bit of freedom, fun and spontaneity in training.

So here are some glute burnouts for you to add in at the end of a workout, an off day or whenever you feel like it. The band makes it that much better but you can definitely do most without it.

Eleveted Glute Bridge


Monster Walks

SIde to Side – Forward and Back

Clam and Fire Hydrant



Two glute burnouts routines for you.

Routine A.

20 Monster Walks Forward and Back

20 Monster Walks Side to Side

20 Elevated Glute Bridges

Repeat 2x total

Routine B.

20 Side Lying Clam (each side)

20 Fire Hydrant (each side)

20 Elevated SINGLE LEG Glute Bridges ( not pictured, no band).

Repeat 2x total

Does how you eat and exercise really have an impact on your health?


Well, yes, yes it does. Eat too much of the wrong foods in the wrong amounts at the wrong times and you will gain weight. Moderate your food with healthy choices and you should be golden.  Move more and exercise a few times a week. You know this right? The thing is, it is just not that easy.

I get questions all the time about what to eat at what times and when to workout for how  long. But I rarely get questions and messages like the following.

I am concerned that the lack of sleep I am getting is affecting my food choices throughout the day. Please help.

I noticed I have a bad habit at night and eat when I am bored. What strategies do you have that could potentially break this bad habit and implement a new one?

 I seem to be caught in this cycle of restricting my food and exercising simply to burn more and more calories. Can you help me address the emotional aspect of this cycle?

It’s funny because we never think to address what gets in the way. We just want to know the quick and easy what to do’s. Food and exercise itself is not the solution it is about what gets in the way of actually doing it.

It has to do with the ability to say no when you need to say no (don’t eat that extra cookie) and yes when you need to say yes (go workout instead of watching the Bachelor).

The problem is there are so many limiting factors competing against you making a simple concept extremely challenging and complex. 

We know what to do, we just don’t do it.

And the idea that restricting foods or working out more and more just to burn calories and put in the time is absurd. It brings us right back to where we started in this cycle of on again, off again.

It’s not really about eating the perfect combo of foods, detoxes, diets, cleanses or food lists, it is about everything behind that from self control, emotions, habits, and behavioral patterns we have developed.

We never think to work on that stuff because that is never what we have been taught. We go back to what foods to eat time and time again and focus on the wrong things.

Rely less on willpower and more on your changing your habits.

When willpower fails (which it will) our habits will take over, good or bad.

We think that willpower is the answer to our success but the more we use willpower (all our decision making through the day) the weaker it gets. Whether you are resisting candy at work or debating whether you should workout at 5 p.m., these decisions drain willpower.

No wonder we start off our days at our strongest and it slowly dwindles by the end of the day so we are snacking on jars of peanut butter  at night. Oh wait, thats me. 😉 Basically using more and more self control lead to losing more self control.

Us humans love habits so it is no surprise that our eating and exercise habits are on auto drive and therefore determining the outcomes with our body. While these habits can be very difficult to change, but they can be changed.

Super simple solution:

Find one thing that you can improve on. It does not even have to be a complete makeover of the habit. If you drink 2 sodas a day, cut back to one. Add veggies at one more meal a day. Do 10 push ups and 10 squats for every new episode you watch on Netflix. Don’t think I don’t know about those marathons?! 😉 The point is not a drastic overall but one simple improvement at a time. Work on it until it becomes so easy you don’t even think about it.

Practice consistency & patience.

Boring alert!  I know it is not nearly as exciting as doing a juice cleanse and seeing those first few pounds drop off the first day because you are putting your body in a state of restriction but consistency and patience is crucial to your physical and emotional well-being. The thing is when you do it right most people get frustrated because they do not see results right away and give up.

To do the work and keep going even when the it feels the results are invisible in the beginning.  It feels unfair. It feels like all your hard work is not paying off. You have been doing everything right and are still not seeing results.

Consider this. All your previous choices have gotten you to where you are today. You did not gain or lose weight, get stronger or more flexible by what you did last week, it is by the choices you have made and the habits you have developed over the past weeks, months and years.

If you can learn to exhibit patience as you consistently make good choices over time, not only will your body thank you but so will your brain.

Be Persistence.

I love consistency but I like persistency more, and you might learn to as well. Consistency is doing the work time and time again.

Persistency is doing the work even when it is difficult. It is sticking with it even when things are not going your way. It is continuing to endure the hard stuff and build positive habits over a long period of time. It is learning to get comfy with the process of doing the work on good days and bad days.

Could you learn to embrace challenges and difficult and learn how to overwork not having enough time in the day and be presented with your greatest temptation and overcome them?  Expect the challenges. Expect that things will not go right. Expect that this path will be tough and embrace it and learn from it when it is.

What you do today and tomorrow and the next day will determine where you will be months and years down the road. Just like anything else though, you have to actually do the work to create change. If you do the same old thing that doesn’t work, you will get the same old results that you are not happy with. To change something you have to change the way you are doing things.

“Please don’t ignore me.” – Thoracic Spine

Exercise is good for the heart and body but so is learning how to move well. If your typical routine includes skipping a warm-up or cool-down reconsider by adding a few simple exercises into your routine to potentially improve spinal mobility and reduce pain and stiffness throughout the body.

Today we are going to focus on thoracic mobility which is something that is often overlooked in our daily activities of sitting, slouching forwards, while we are driving, texting and/or at a computer.

The Thoracic spine is essentially the part of your spine from your neck to the lower back that consists of 12 vertebrae and plays an important role in posture and how well the upper body moves. The next time you feel like your shoulders or neck are tight reconsider simply stretching them and these exercises into your routine.

I can say that I perform each of these moves at least 4-7 times a week for one set of 30 seconds. Because I also own a car, text daily, and type away at my computer for blog posts like these I need someway to intentionally fight the forward movement of my spine to prevent conditions like kyphosis, less low back pain and promote healthier shoulders and reduce stiffness.

Here are three must have exercises to stay mobile and move well.



This exercise is great for thoracic mobility and spinal extension. Start by leaning against a foam roller at about your shoulder blades and place the hands behind the head. Extend back over the roller keeping the bottom touching the mat. DO NOT place the roller under the low back.

Pause and hold for an inhale and then come back to your starting position. You can adjust the roller an inch or two so it targets different areas that may be tight and stiff. Repeat 10x total.


The Bretzal.

Start by lying on your right side placing something underneath your head for support. Pull your top knee up to about a 90 degree angle ( belly button height). Take the bottom arm and place it on that top knee. Bend your underneath leg back behind you and attempt to grab the ankle if your body allows. If not, you can always use a yoga strap or towel.

Take a deep breath in and on your exhale rotate your left shoulder toward the ground while pressing your right knee down. Hold for 30 seconds.

Repeat on the other side.


Hip flexor stretch with rotation.

Start in a half kneeling position with your right leg forward. Shift the weight forward slightly and squeeze your glutes. Take your left hand down to the ground and reach your right arm vertical toward the ceiling. Think of pressing into the left hand to gently increase the rotation, hold for an inhale and then take that right hand underneath the left arm like shown in the picture and repeat. Repeat 5 times on each side.