Armpits

One of the least sexy parts of your body? Not so if you think about the wonderful crossroads that are under there! There is a lot of cueing in my sessions and classes that my not be ‘anatomically correct’ but clients know exactly how to connect if we use these, not-quite-scientifically-correct cues like ’squeeze your armpit’.
The goal of my workouts is to balance the body regardless of the format or medium (it might be a yoga pose, it might be dumb bells) to bring efficiency AND visible results to your body. The ‘armpit’ cue is one of my favorites to get clients connected to their lats, serratus anterior and rotator cuff. It assists in opening up the chest and shoulders, strengthening the back and generating more results in the delts, biceps and triceps.

Try it in standing or seated posture, slide your shoulders away from your ears, and SQUEEZE your armpits as if you were holding a clutch purse or a newspaper. If you are familiar with pilates, it’s a variation of Chest Expansion.
Squeeze and hold for 3-5 secs, 4-10 times

You can do this ANYWHERE: at your desk to help open up your chest and relieve pressure from your pecs and shoulders. You could try it in your car to avoid the road rage hunched over effects most cars ween us into. You can even try it at the kitchen sink in between washing dishes.
Body awareness happens every where not just during your workout. All of the things we do outside of our workout make up more hours in the day, so what is really leading your body? (The outside of workout time) So If you can start to think more like your lesson outside of your lesson, you’re body will change faster and functionally be happier and healthier.

how does pilates actually help your posture?

We know it helps, but HOW does it actually help?

Pilates can help realign your muscles and over time your bones so that they ‘sit’ in the most efficient place based on anatomical positioning. Day to day tasks (*ahem* sitting at a computer) literally pull you down and do real damage to your spine. Pilates creates SPACE between your joints) and then strengthens the muscle in that lengthened position to hold the bones in place. Pilates strengthens your core to create a natural corset, a support system to keep your posture in line.

The Beauty of a Push-Up

The push up is a beautiful thing, as noted in Mark Sisson’s blog today Marks Daily Apple It’s functional and empowering. But the truth of the matter is, most people do not execute it properly, or don’t start with the approachable and appropriate variations and end up doing more harm then good. Even clients of mine who are extremely fit and strong may use a variation depending on what they’ve got going on in their body that week. And the women in my life will never hear me utter the term ‘girl push-up’ (and YES, I’ve heard it from some generally talented and smart instructors).
Maybe even for the fun of it, take it back a notch in your workout and try an incline or knee push up and challenge your core to find proper alignment. Most knee push-ups go sadly wrong as well and end up NOT progressing the body because the form is so poor there as well.
Bone over bone alignment is the way the body functions. if you have a mirror near you, that is best. Check that your shoulder head (the top round part) is aiming for your ear and the the elbow is in line just below that. the rest is truly about your core, tailbone slightly tucked so as not to sway or dump into the low back, belly pulled in gorgeously tight and ribs knitted in.
Whatever variation works for your body; wall, kneeling, incline, full plank, honor it, work on increasing repetitions (up to 20reps and up to 3 sets) THEN move to the next variation….then go show off your gorgeous, strong push-up in a chaturanga on your mat;) THAT would rock!

Desk Fitness

How much assistance or damage is your workspace doing to you and your body? With all of the effort and thought we put in to nutrition and fitness, we may be derailing a decent amount if it by how much time we spend at our desk and/or computers.
As a pilates instructor, our first step with a client is to asses their alignment. This tells us ‘where’ to go in their training. They want killer triceps, but if their pecs are so tight we can’t get them into proper form, all the triceps work in the world may not give them the results they want. We proceed with chest expansion and then move them into triceps to give them form, function AND the result they want. If a client continues to spend HOURS hunched over a desk that is too low and too far away, they will hunch and continue to stretch their upper back, put pressure on their vertebra (bad) and tighten across the pecs. Making the goal of their training farther from them.

Take a peak at this link that asks key questions about your work space and if it’s assisting or hindering your body progress Desk Ergonomics

Amazing Oblique Exercise

Criss Cross with a Weighted Ball (2-8lbs depending on your fitness level. 2lbs beginner, 3-6lbs intermediate 6-8lbs advanced), This is a better, more formal variation of a ‘bicycle crunch’. Definition in the oblique’s will pop out or show up, when they never have before. It whittles the waist and creates amazing definition. Sit on a mat, balanced between your sits bones and sacrum, knees bent and feet hovering the ground. Hold the ball between your hands with arms slightly bent then rotate to one side then the other. Inhale to center, exhale to rotate. Again, pushing air out of your body to create the leanest, tightest waistline you can, like wringing out a wet towel. You get strong and tight as you rotate. Do 1 set of 6 -10 (on each side…2 rotations equal 1 set)

Help a Sister Out, for Real.

The state of our nation’s health really is at risk. Our obesity and sedentary rates are the highest ever. Start by helping your house, then maybe someone else’s.

CNN’s article is Here

New Facebook Fan Page

I created a PimpYourMat fan page because I can’t train everyone in person (though I’d like to). I get daily inquiries about fitness and general wellness needs, the fan page is my answer to those questions, I’ll be your curator of fitness resources such as; articles, sites and suggested exercises that will help you in your fitness journey.

The Pimpyourmat fan page gives you access to me, as a trainer, in a more personalized version, separate from my personal Face Book page, at your convenience.
If it can’t be personal training, let’s make it personalized. Ask me for what you want and need, I’ll answer and post based on YOU.

The fan page is a resource for you to use when I can’t be with you in person.

Please go to the link and click on the “Like” button.

Sit Down, Stand up, fight. Fight. FIGHT!

The fight between our seated and standing lives continues to grow. Like a creeping moss, ever expanding. Society has distinctly made the change from standing, moving, hunting, plowing to driving, seated at call centers and in front of a computer for HOURS in the day.
It is no secret how detrimental to the spine this posture is and can be. Hip flexors and hamstrings get shorter and tighter, gravity compresses your vertebrae, you reach your head forward to look at the computer screen, not to mention the tightness in your forearm and shoulders from typing and using a mouse. None of it’s good.
As if you needed another reason to get out of your chair and workout, you have a CLEAR one in sitting.
STAND UP and fight the detrimental effects of the chair and crack-berry culture. Take a pilates lesson. the absolute focus of pilates, no matter what school you take form is balance and lengthening muscles. The essence of pilates addresses; chest expansion, core stability and strength, lengthening the hips and hamstrings. Do it. Take a class, take a private session, download mini-series form youtube. Do what you can and need to to get the length back in your life…..or at least stand up more. Can you convert your desk to a standing space? Huge improvements can happen in small things.
Here are some articles to check out on the topic
Science Daily
Yahoo
Women’s Health Mag

Virtual Coaching

I’m going to give it a try it! There have been requests for me to guide and train ‘off site’ from my home in Austin. I’m willing to play and create in order to take care of the people who want and need my care and guidance. I’m willing to take on 4 clients in this structure.
The layout is as follows:

-1 hour a week will be blocked out for you via phone or skype. 30 minutes will be the actual check in call or skype and the remaining 30 minutes will be for me to work on things (if it takes longer it takes longer)
-You will receive a personalized workout/wellness MAP (scheduled workouts, maybe some mat classes in your area, your OWN mat workout to address your personal needs, I might even video them if necessary, cardio recommendations, heart rate ranges for rest and training.)
-Food restructuring, food journals with weekly adjustments and recommendations
-General recommendations for supplements, chiropractors, body work etc. if necessary
-Reading materials and things to look at as possible helpers in your wellness journey
-30 minute ‘check-in’ consultation when i’m in town

The cost is $200 month, how long you do this is up to you. When we get in to your specific goals, I’ll make recommendations on how long I think it will take, but your journey is always up to you. Minimum 1 month, maximum…you decide.

The offering is listed under the ‘Train with Tandy’ page in the drop down menu. If you think it might be a good fit for you and we have not already talked about it, shoot me an email. For some it’s a perfect fit, for others it’s not time for this yet.

New PAYPAL Button

We have also added a PayPal button under ‘Train with Tandy’ to make things easier for everyone. Not a wise choice for me to be carrying cash and checks around LA lol. So from this point, we’ll schedule out sessions like we normally do, then I will consider them confirmed once payment has been received through PayPal. That way, those of you who inquired, are capable of writing off the sessions as you need.
I’m always looking to make things more efficient and streamlined;)
Take a peak at the button here There are options in the drop down screen, most of you will only need to choose Private Training Session for those of you with other needs, they are listed there as well.

If you have questions about it, shoot me a comment or email!