The Flipping 50 Show

The list of things they don’t teach trainers – whether in a four-year degree or a certification is long. Consider that there are such a broad wealth of foundational skills a trainer or fitness instructor needs to know and there’s generally a specific promise about the time and energy investment required to earn the degree or certification.    We’ve already got limits on what can be taught. A four-year degree isn’t a trade school, it’s not a specialty or an intensive training. Many of us know, it’s an experience in learning how to learn and realizing there are many moving parts in learning about one topic.    With certifications, we’re preparing the fitness instructor, trainer or coach with the minimum viable information to enter the field. That’s the instruction provided to us as exam item writers and reviewers. So, with that, the weight you might place on, “Are you certified?” should be taken into consideration.    That said, there are a wide variety of trainings available. Some are a significant investment in time, money, and energy to study and to pass. Others are weekend investments and passing grades come easily. Those that are more rigorous are fewer and further between.    I recall someone once saying, who because a director for university fitness programming, “It’s just exercise. It’s not that serious.” And yet, to address a special need or specific health issue, it does become more than that. There’s a reason chiropractors, functional doctors, and physical therapists now often have physical fitness training programs within their businesses. There’s a need for closer supervision, a match for the dose response that often doesn’t happen with random drop-ins to a gym or studio.    What We Don’t Teach Trainers   1.  Exercise is Stress  a. Cortisol is the energy and the stress hormone. For a body in situational stress or a life phase where the negative effects of stress are going to change, understanding this relationship is key.  b. Adrenal stress can exist even before physical exercise is attempted and the quota and typical exercise recommendations based on minutes, steps, nor intensity should not override the individual’s status.  c. The trainer or health coach will be the one to identify this when the client doesn’t.  2. What Happens to the Body When Sleep Deprived  a. Reaction skills are similar to that of a mildly drunk individual after a night with 2-hour sleep deprivation. b. Reaction skills are similar to that of what would get you locked up for DUI with 4-hour sleep deprivation. 3. Menopause  Most 4-year degrees in physiology or kinesiology are void of any discussion about menopause. Don’t get me wrong, there’s a discussion about the side effects of menopause and of PMS for that matter. But when you consider that weight gain, bloat, and belly fat can all be signs for each, and a trainer without understanding why these things happened may go too quickly to a “fat burning exercise or protocol.” This can backfire. We have to know more than what is a sign of something not going right, and know why it is happening before we can determine an exercise protocol that will solve the problem.    Certifications for Trainers Aren’t Better  Certifications are very similar. There’s nothing – absolutely nothing – about working with women in perimenopause or training her around her cycle, or when it becomes erratic, or she is experiencing:  a.     Hot Flashes & Night Sweats  b.     Belly Fat  c.     Insomnia  d.     Weight gain she can’t remove  e.     Pre-diabetes or insulin resistance  f.      libido g.     Or any of the other 34 symptoms directly associated with menopause that can begin to influence how she will most benefit and how she’ll be most likely to sabotage herself with exercise.   4.  How to determine the exercise based on the collective of joints, muscles, bones, and hormones.   When you consider the components of fitness, the physiology, the anatomy and joint actions of the human body, and physical fitness it is far easier to understand why a basic degree or a single certification doesn’t truly prepare a health & fitness coach to make all the decisions for every individual.    Can they begin to describe basic safety concerns and precautions with exercises, usually yes. That too can depend on the individual. You want to realize within exercises, a range of motion, a placement of elbows, and a stopping or starting point … can change the safety and effectiveness of movements.    Caution with Generic Trainer-Created Exercise Programs   We can’t say, a deadlift is a deadlift and it’s safe for everyone if it’s done like “this.”  We can’t say, here’s how to do this machine row and be sure that an individual is taught to retract their scapula. Even machine weight use, though often thought of as “safer,” is not necessarily a guarantee one is doing a balanced working based on their body.    For instance, in recent months working with a long-time client we’ve removed chest press from her workouts. Why? An imbalance between pushing and pulling strength and a season of activity that is going to make that even more true means we’d be moving toward greater injury risk than toward greater strength.    Advanced Specialist: https://www.flippingfifty.com/specialist  If you’re a fitness or health professional or want to be, you don’t want to miss this open-enrollment period for the Flipping 50 Menopause Fitness Specialist. We’re doing something incredibly special right now with two huge bonuses. If you’re coming during a time we’re closed, add your name to the notifications list for our next cohort for a special discount rate for fast-action takers when we do open.    Other Episodes You Might Like:  10 Questions to Ask a Trainer or Fitness Instructor in 2023 https://www.flippingfifty.com/ask-a-trainer/ Do You Need a Coach, Trainer, or Consultant? How to Choose a Fitness Pro: https://www.flippingfifty.com/need-a-coach/ If You Were My Coaching Client, Here’s What I’d Ask… | Ask the Health Coach: https://www.flippingfifty.com/my-coaching-client/ Resource:  Advanced Specialist: https://www.flippingfifty.com/specialist  Hot Not Bothered Challenge: https://www.flippingfifty.com/hnb-challenge

Signs and symptoms are abundant but menopause hair loss is right up there with that ever-changing and frustrating journey that is menopause. Whether for you it’s a thinning of hair or receding hair, hair loss is not a common topic here but definitely one we’re going to cover today.  You will hear 4 different categories of causes of hair loss, some simple solutions related to exercise, and something you can do today to boost your hair!  My Guest: Julie Olson, CFMP, BCHN, CN, CGP, is a triple-board certified Functional Medicine Nutritionist whose mission is to help women worldwide restore their health, hope, and hair loss naturally, so they look and feel their very best!  With more than 10 years of experience and success stories, Julie is known to skillfully investigate, discover and communicate root cause resolutions to revitalize health and naturally regrow hair.  Julie has used these same strategies to personally overcome her own health struggles of hair loss, digestive issues, fatigue, and autoimmunity.   Questions We Answer in This Episode:  Why and how did you ever get into focus on hair loss specifically? That’s certainly niche!  The saying “pulling my hair out” comes to mind here. What's the connection between hair loss and stress?  What are some common hair loss myths, especially as they relate to Women? How much a factor is micronutrient sufficiency? That’s one thing we always hear about and then it’s thyroid, where to those fall in the reality of hair loss?   What's your novel solution to hair loss that's also featured in the summit? Is there a best candidate for regrowing hair - who is that? Can a woman who’s experienced years of hair loss see improvements?    Deal with Hair Loss in Midlife   Connect with Julie and Join the FREE summit:  https://www.flippingfifty.com/healthy-hair   Julie on Social: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/julieolsonfn/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/julieolsonfn/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcU-iJ5YWvGpxSC_EqEJsLA  Other Episodes You Might Like:  Midlife Weight Loss: Burn Body Fat, Balance Your Hormones:  https://www.flippingfifty.com/midlife-weight-loss/ A Conversation with the Thyroid Fixer | #517 https://www.flippingfifty.com/thyroid-fixer/ Resource:  Hot Not Bothered Challenge: https://www.flippingfifty.com/hnb-challenge

We’d all love to have been born with a higher metabolism. If you haven’t the question is can you get a higher metabolism with thermogenesis?    The term thermogenesis refers to heat generation in direct response to the food you eat.    There are a lot of myths suggesting that 5 or 6 small meals a day are better for this. Let’s cut to the chase. In case you’re busy. No.   Don’t confuse this with energy expenditure.  The elevation of your temperature or this thermogenic effect is not a goal worth pursuing so that you burn more calories all day.    For example, eating 5 small meals a day, you might think will increase your thermogenesis, that post-meal increase in temperature that results in greater caloric expenditure as your body processes food. The increase overall during a day is responsible for about 15% of your basal metabolic rate – or what you burn to stay alive.    That’s diet-induced thermogenesis.    You’d be eating more calories overall in an attempt to do that. Not a good plan. AND.. you’d likely be missing critical components of Muscle Protein Synthesis. That means you have to reach a certain threshold of high-quality protein intake in order to benefit from muscle protein synthesis. It’s not like you benefit a little or you do more. You either reach the threshold or you don’t. If you do get a far bigger bump beyond 30 grams, say you have a 50gm breakfast then MPS will stay elevated longer and a few hours later you may need a smaller meal to simply give it a lift.    If instead you eat the bare minimum of 30 grams of protein at breakfast, by lunch you’ll need another 30 grams to support your muscle during the day.  The other added benefits of high protein are:  Blood sugar stabilization – if you eat a high carb vs a high protein meal your blood sugar elevation post meal will be higher (following high carb). Higher blood sugar means high insulin to reduce it and higher insulin means you’re in fat storage.  Satiety - you’ll be satisfied longer with high-protein meals especially if you combine them with high fiber.  Food takes energy to digest. Protein has the highest energy demand on digestion.  Metabolism:  Your basal metabolic rate – the energy required to just sustain you if you did nothing at all And this includes your Thermogenic effect of food – energy required to digest macronutrients.  Your cost of physical activity, either exercise or NEAT.    For a little boost of thermogenesis:    Nutritional “Supplements”: Ginger root – try it in salads, salad dressings, smoothies  Green tea extract – I like to start with matcha and sip on iced green tea in summer or hot green tea in cooler seasons.  Turmeric – seasoning Indian dishes, and available in supplement form   Physical Activity: Listen to this… it’s not the more calories you burn during exercise.  It’s this:  The more muscle mass you have, the more calories you burn at rest, or doing incidental things like taking out the garbage. The more muscle mass you have, the more blood sugar control you have.  The better blood sugar control, the less insulin. The less insulin, the less fat storage.    Food:  Protein has a far greater thermogenic effect. That is, about 30% of the total caloric intake is what it takes to digest it. Compare that to fat which has practically zero thermogenesis. Carbohydrates are somewhere in the middle, but significantly lower than protein. You also want to be aware of the blood sugar elevation potential of carbs, even healthy ones, if they’re eaten alone, or under stress, the blood sugar impact will be different.    That said, if you simply look at blood sugar alone you don’t have all the facts.   High-intensity interval training elevates blood sugar. It’s using that blood sugar as fuel. And it’s adding stress, but ideally in a controlled way.    Some proteins can elevate blood sugar – whey protein – not well tolerated by most women in midlife (therefore discontinued as a product for Flipping 50 years ago) is rapidly absorbed and that can spike blood sugars because it’s quickly digested. If you use it at times other than exercise, it’s not actually going to be used or used to replenish muscle glycogen.    if you have too little muscle your body is storing that glucose in the liver, then muscle and if the tank is full, fat is the next target.    So, say yes to higher protein meals and you’ll keep your natural fat-burning thermogenesis higher, improve muscle protein synthesis and be far more satisfied. When weight loss is a goal, increased protein preserves muscle mass.    Here’s a quick day in the life of a higher metabolism:  Start with matcha. (Mine is: https://www.flippingfifty.com/piquetea Lift weights or other exercises  Consume a high-protein meal within 90 minutes. (Add ginger and turmeric to a smoothie)  Sip green tea through the morning.  Get up halfway through the morning and move for 5 minutes.  Have a high-protein lunch.  Go for a 10-minute post-lunch walk  Break up sedentary time in the afternoon with 2-5 minutes of movement.  Have a high-protein dinner (make it early!) At these meals, eat protein and non-starchy veggies first and starchy vegetables last. Ditch your processed foods for whole foods. Walk for 10 minutes after dinner. If you enjoy a sauna, it’s another boost. (Mine is: https://www.flippingfifty.com/sauna) These combined little things make a big difference. Much better in fact than thinking you’ll go for a walk then lift weights then do yoga tomorrow and do nothing today! Your higher metabolism is an around-the-clock process and when it is, it’s easier.  References:  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279077/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34856088/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8074531/ https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-022-01649-4 Other episodes You Might Like:  Midlife Weight Loss: Burn Body Fat, Balance Your Hormones: https://www.flippingfifty.com/midlife-weight-loss/ Faster Weight Loss for Women Over 40| Break the Rules:  https://www.flippingfifty.com/thermogenic/ Resources:  Hot Not Bothered Challenge: https://www.flippingfifty.com/hnb-challenge Sunlighten Sauna https://www.flippingfifty.com/sauna Pique Tea Matcha  https://www.flippingfifty.com/piquetea

If you want to raise your energy this is for you. Beyond the superficial ask for energy for exercise, or to get through the day without caffeine, this is about the deeper vibrational energy.    You know when your vibrational energy is up because you walk into a room and people look. They seem to be drawn to you. You can usually sense it. Certain scents (as long as they’re not synthetic fragrances) elevate vibration. You probably tend to look up instead of down.    Music, foods and breathing practices all influence vibrational energy. Of course, exercise will raise your energy, (if you’re not in a state of fatigue and you choose your exercise wisely), but if you’re here because you want more energy so that you can exercise, I’ll save that for last. These other tricks will support you on an exercise day or a recovery day when you need to be fully alert and focused but not with over-the-top anxiety or jitters.    It's not woo-woo, it’s science. You have high or low energy and though yes, it’s related to how motivated you may feel to workout, it’s more. It’s your ability to do elevated work and care about small dramas or have a disinterest in them. The higher your vibrational energy the healthier the individual.    Foods that are alkaline, generally all plant-based foods are higher vibrational. Ideas, thoughts, and emotions all have energy. Emotions like joy, love, and gratitude are the highest vibration. Emotions like hate, fear, and grief are low vibrational energy. Guilt and shame are the lowest.  Energy Vibrations: Musical Hertz Music can also uses hertz. The late Michael Tyrrell, the creator of Wholetones, was a guest on the Flipping 50 podcast seven years ago discussing this. Listening to certain music can change your mood and it has to do with the vibrational energy. However, with music, as with food and environments, everything is also influenced by your unique history and memory. The 936hz frequency is associated with love, used for pineal activation, and connection with a greater source. For me, listening makes my heart expand in a very physical way.    Check Your Emotional Energy  Are you experiencing love, joy, appreciation, and seeking knowledge? Do you have great enthusiasm and passion for what you’re doing?  Are you optimistic and hopeful?  Are you bored, frustrated, or disappointed?  Do you feel worried, discouraged, or jealous?   Do you feel fear, grief, or helplessness? 6 Sustainable Vibrational Energy-Raising Strategies   1 High Vibe Music   For most people listening to loud, heavy, aggressive music will feel more anxious or stressed. Other lighter, ethereal sounds tend to make people feel more expansive and elevated. This isn’t by accident. There are chords and frequencies throughout music that can be used subliminally say in commercials, restaurants or stores. You can choose high-vibrational music to change your mood in the same way.  5 Songs to Raise Your Energy Beautiful Day (Thank You for Sunshine)        Jermain Edwards Your Love Keeps Lifting Me                            Jackie Wilson Crazy Love                                                       Van Morrison    If the World Just Danced                                Diana Ross This Little Light of Mine                                  Addison Road I used to listen to Bruce Springsteen’s rendition of This Little Light of Mine on repeat before triathlons to keep me calm yet ready to start.  Your experience and memories with certain music will also change how it influences you. I know exercisers who swear by heavy metal to get them going. I can’t stand it. It drags me down. In theory, the vibrational component of the music with heavy driving base is lower. However, what you feel based on all the things that are unique to you and your history with it could change that.    I can still hear the two songs we played at my mom’s funeral as we entered and as we exited the church and though they’re sad, they are high vibrational sounds, and the deep feelings are of love not of sorrow or sadness. When acute memories fade, often all that’s left is the love.    Notice that though each of these songs has lyrics, a song doesn’t have to in order to raise your vibration. But the words are about love, gratitude and hope. It isn’t however necessarily a love song between individuals as much as for life and all individuals.    2 Choose Higher Energy Foods Greens – sauté them if you don’t digest them well (some greens like kale or spinach are high in oxalates, so rotate and don’t eat these daily) Sprouts – I add them to wraps or as a topping for any salad Beets – I love to roast them and then add them to an arugula & crumbled goat cheese salad  Mint – add to smoothies (I love a mint and chocolate smoothie for a Girl Scout Thin Mint-tasting treat) Lemon – I love fresh lemon in water all day and squeezed on salads    3 Get Out in Nature to Boost Energy   Studies prove that time in nature, forest bathing, significantly decreases stress levels. On the other side of the continuum, vibrational frequencies are elevated in those who spent time outdoors.    If you can’t, try bringing the outdoors in. Fresh flowers on the table or plants inside also make a higher vibe healthier environment. The ability to look outdoors at nature and even at artwork featuring nature can be helpful.  4 Exercise for Higher Vibes   Struggling to find and regenerate energy:  Yoga  Tai Chi Walking   Ready for More and Need to Move Emotion through you: High-intensity intervals  Brisk walking or hiking  Power weightlifting    As much as movement helps you, so too might stillness.    5 Meditation as a Way to Raise Your Vibrational Energy   Meditation or simple breath work if you can’t quite get to meditation yet. It took me a while to get to the point of getting curious enough about meditation to really dive into it. It’s not what I thought. And it is what I thought. There’s not a right or wrong. But I’ve found it one of the most powerful experiences not doing anything to benefit the rest of my life when I’m doing everything.  I have time. I have more time. The same two hours moves differently for me. I feel into things more consciously. I at some point got up from meditation different than I sat down.    I sometimes wake up early, and I’m a morning person, so I don’t wish to go back to sleep. But if 4 am comes and I am awake, I’ll put in a meditation. It’s the perfect time. The other night for some rare reason, I woke around 2 for some reason and couldn’t get back to sleep. Instead of tossing and turning I realized it was an opportunity, so I just meditated for an hour. Later I did go back to sleep for about an hour and a half, a full sleep cycle. And woke feeling fine.    I won’t pretend to be a meditation teacher. I’m an international health and fitness educator though. One of the first ways I was able to just start though was to practice progressive relaxation. I find it is easier for many of our Flipping 50 members new to meditation too. It provides a physical component to focus on and initiates you into the breathwork.    If you respond to me anywhere (social media and share this episode first) I will create a special episode that is a progressive relaxation for you. Are you interested? I’m at flipping50tv everywhere (Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube).    I’ve used this strategy for myself and clients who struggle with insomnia too.  6 Your Environment and Your Energy Levels Additionally, your environment can impact your vibrational energy. When you love a room and the décor in it, chances are there are certain colors, patterns, or a sense of organization raising your energy. On the other hand, if you’re surrounded by clutter, it could be pulling your energy down. A few minutes at the end of every day picking up and putting things away can make a big difference in the energy you start your day with.    I have been amid a few big projects recently. I had no less than a dozen pieces of yellow legal paper spread out on my long dining room table (side note: I have a dedicated office, however, have piles of organization on the floor there too). I hosted my niece and a friend over the weekend and finally cleared that. Today, they’ve gone home but I’m still enjoying the clutter-free dining area! There are other ways to remind yourself of things you intend to do than to have them at your fingertips!  Last Note Tap into any of these strategies to raise your energy when you’re looking for the mojo to get going. Also, though, honor your need. You know when you’re sad or grieving or angry, you may need to be sad. Processing emotions is a part of adulting. As children, we may not have had the skills to handle strong emotions that as adults we do. However, we have to allow ourselves the time and space to experience them.    Follow Flipping 50® and Send a Message: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Flipping50TV Instagram:https://www.Instagram.com/Flipping50TV YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/flipping50tv Other Episodes You Might Like:   Find Your Power, React Less and Raise Up More: https://www.flippingfifty.com/in-your-power/ Truths About Traveling, Triathlon Training, Hormones and Energy: https://www.flippingfifty.com/truth-traveling-triathlon-training-hormones-energy/ Reference:  https://www.researchgate.net/publication/354326235_The_Vibrational_Frequencies_of_the_Human_Body Resources:  Hot Not Bothered Challenge: https://www.flippingfifty.com/hnb-challenge Michael Tyrrell Wholetones:  https://www.flippingfifty.com/wholetones

Muscle losses begin at age 30 - if we’re not doing anything to prevent them. The average (and no you’re not!) individual will lose 3-8% of muscle per decade and a significant amount by age 60. After that, it accelerates. Again.. This is based on historical data. How about we change history?  Loss of muscle is a choice. Now that we have the science. You’re either choosing to lose it or choosing not to. Today on the Flipping 50 show, a tool how not to. Even if… you are in bed rest, you’re injured, you’re traveling, you’re caregiving or in front of a computer 8 hours a day.  We’ve discussed blood flow restriction bands here on Flipping 50 before. This goes a bit deeper. It’s the upgrade. If gaining muscle over 50 is right where you are and exactly what you want, this is your episode. However, it’s also for your older aging parents, for preparedness if you are injured, for your younger sons and daughters maybe more sedentary and less motivated.  A couple of terms:  KAATSU Blood Flow Restriction  Muna ton es  Kot su My Guest: The CEO and Co-founder of KAATSU, Steven Muñatones had the goal of launching KAATSU globally. In 2014, his dream came true when he introduced KAATSU to the Department of Defense, NASA, CIA, FBI, dozens of NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL and MLS teams, and over 80 universities. Today, Steven has taught KAATSU applications and benefits to thousands including Navy SEALs and Olympic gold medalists as well as women in their second half. Steven’s passion for health and fitness stems from his own background. He was an NCAA Division I water polo player and swimmer, and is a Guinness World Record holder, inductee in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame and the Ice Swimming Hall of Fame, and the recipient of the Poseidon Award from the International Swimming Hall of Fame. He coached the USA Swimming national team at 9 international competitions, including 4 world championships, served as an NBC commentator at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and founded WOWSA, the World Open Water Swimming Association. Improve Menopause Transition Fitness with this Reset: 5-Day Flip: https://www.flippingfifty.com/5dayflip Questions We Answer in This Episode:  What is KAATSU What is double-stacking with KAATSU? How is KAATSU different than other BFR devices? Is KAATSU safe? Why does KAATSU make sense for women over 50? How else can KAATSU be used beyond muscle building? Any contraindications?  Address the needs for the small women here.  Connect with Steve:  www.KAATSU.com Steve on Social: Website www.KAATSU.com  Code: Flipping50 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/KAATSUglobal/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KAATSU/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/munatones/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/KAATSUGlobal Other Episodes You Might Like: Questions About Gaining Muscle and Strength for Women Over 50: https://www.flippingfifty.com/gaining-muscle-and-strength/ After 40 Muscle Is a Girl's Best Friend:  https://www.flippingfifty.com/after-40-muscle/ Resources: Coaching: 90-Minute Ultimate Consultation: https://www.flippingfifty.com/store/coaching-programs/private-coaching-90-min/ Essential Amino Acids: https://www.flippingfifty.com/staylean  

What don’t they teach women about strength training? Plenty. For starters, how she’s unique from males, how she uniquely burns fat during exercise, and how her pre-menopause exercise and post-menopause exercise results will change. Most of all, how to be the absolute happiest and most successful with exercise at any point in her life.    So, let’s unravel some things, okay?    Facts on Women’s Exercise Science (Including Strength Training) Only 39% of all exercise and sports medicine research features you. Of the average of 7 hormonal phases a woman goes through from puberty to post-menopause, each demands a unique exercise prescription. She’s not getting it.    Unless you’ve known to ask, even if you’re working with a trainer one-on-one, is that program made based on research featuring women just like me, chances are you’re just gambling. Yes, you’ve got arms, legs, and a torso similar to men, however, your structure is unique with a wider pelvis, larger Q-angle from hip to knee, and your endocrine system (hormones) are very different than a male. The effect of exercises during phases of your period and during phases of your life will be very different than the effects of the same exercise programs on a male.  Women and Fat Burning from Strength Training Fat burning – lipolysis – only happens when insulin falls to a low level. Fasting is one way to get there. Strength training for postmenopausal women is another. Only strength training supports lipolysis optimally and keeps the body there for longer periods of time.    Fat oxidation occurs during cardo but it’s important to understand that this isn’t a good measure of longer-term fat burning. Burning a higher percent of fat at a lower level of exercise often means you’re burning it very slowly. You won’t burn much fat for fuel and higher intensity rates. However, a small fraction of a big number is potentially bigger. I pointed this term out in You Still Got It, Girl!  There are those that swear a “zone 2” training is working for them. No arguments. It likely isn’t because of additional fat burning, however. It’s due to a reduction of cortisol from the particular type of exercise.      Strength Training Facts: How to Increase Your Longevity by 40%  Do all the cardio you want. It will take you so far, like maybe to 65 to quote Dr. Stuart Phillips, a speaker at the recent Flipping 50 event, the What, When & Why to Exercise for Women 40+. Cardiovascular exercise might get you to 65, but strength training is what’s going to take you beyond 65.  Three times weekly vigorous cardio exercise got a nice 27% lower mortality risk than those that don’t exercise at all. Respectable.    But those who did one or two strength training sessions a week had a 40% lower mortality rate than those who didn’t exercise at all.    Let’s be clear, though, HOW you strength train matters. You will live longer and healthier if the strength training you do results in greater strength and greater lean muscle mass. That in turn is what reduces blood sugar, and inflammation, improves cognition, decreases anxiety, and improves bone density and function. Women’s Strength Training and Hypertension  For menopausal and postmenopausal women with hypertension risks, the most effective exercise program for lowering blood pressure seems to be a combination of aerobic and strength training. In a review study of randomized controlled trials, combined training generated larger clinically significant reductions in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, as well as mean arterial pressure, for women with prehypertension or hypertension when compared with aerobic training or no exercise training. Interestingly, when assessing the best exercises for menopause, researchers found that aerobic training alone did not result in clinically relevant improvements in overall blood pressure for women with existing hypertension risks. What Else Don’t They Teach You About Strength Training?  What they also don’t teach women about strength training is how to pull it all together. When women think about all the needs for cardio, flexibility, strength, power, agility, bone density… they aren’t sure which exercises and how, and how to juggle this with a busy life, working or not.  I’ve got answers and we’d love you to join us. Check out flippingfifty.com we’ve got an upcoming masterclass addressing how to pull it all together, without ditching your family or work!  References:  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24766579/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8471631/ https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/56/21/1218 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34108092/   Other Episodes You Might Like: How Does Strength Traning Increase Your Metabolism: https://www.flippingfifty.com/increase-your-metabolism/  Importance of Strength Training for the Midlife Woman | #516:https://www.flippingfifty.com/strength-training-for-the-midlife-woman/  Resources: Women’s Exercise 40+ Event: https://www.flippingfifty.com/womensexercise Annmarie Skin Care: https://www.flippingfifty.com/SummerSkin

It’s resistance training for women over 40 Q and A time! An attendee at the What, When & Why to Exercise for Women 40+ asked this question and other trainers and you may also have this question.  Q: Can you explain how 'progressive overload' builds strength/gains muscle (hypertrophy)?  Is it possible for someone who is working out at home and doesn't have the ability to increase the weight amount itself (eg only has one pair of dumbbells).  Hypothetical individual has a pair of 10lb dumbbells, various resistance mini-bands, 1x 15lb kettlebell, and their bodyweight ;-) This is a two-part resistance training Q and A. Let's answer progressive training first.  How progressive overload builds strength/gains muscle  When the body is subjected to loads beyond daily activities, whether in exercise with a purpose to gain muscle and strength or in some extra effort required for a short time, like the lifting of boxes during a move, or playing the first round of golf after a winter off or playing 36 holes when you’re used to playing 18. Some additional stress is experienced by the muscle. The body’s response is much like a body’s response to an illness or to a vaccine. Subject to the pathogen the body gains resilience to fight that particular pathogen.  Muscle subject to additional load beyond normal, also responds with greater resilience. Muscle is damaged under stress. Microtears in muscle from exercise or exertion are normal. Provided there is a period of rest after additional load, the muscle doesn’t just repair. Like immunity, the muscle super-compensates so if it’s exposed to that load again, it can easily handle it next time.  That means you’ll easily pick up the same load next time. But to make gains in strength you’ll need to increase the load again to achieve the same super-compensation.   What's Not Progressive Resistance Training Repeatedly picking up the same load will cause adaptations only to the point there is muscle fatigue. Meaning you could do more repetitions to muscular fatigue. And you’ll gain more muscle endurance. However, it’s not going to increase your strength necessarily. Strength increases usually increase endurance at lighter loads though.  Progressive overload has to be a part of a successful exercise program to continue to experience benefits. At some point you may reach a maintenance phase, but that isn’t an indication you’ll do the same workouts and continue to hold the same level of fitness. You’ll need to organize and structure workouts that vary the stress placed on muscle or the human body will lose fitness doing the same thing over time. Your adaptation to stress is going to require you continue to challenge it. Progressive Overload can be achieved by either doing workouts where the repetitions to completion may be 12. As you pick up weights that will help you reach fatigue in 12 repetitions, your body will respond if adequate rest and recovery is provided. (That’s time between exercise as well as rest and nutrition)...(listen to podcast for more) What is Tempo Training? One of those techniques that we play with in Flipping 50 programs is Tempo training. It manipulates time-under-tension. It’s the simple idea that holding something that for a short time isn’t heavy, will become heavy the longer you hold it. Take a baby. Holding a baby is awesome… but if you’re doing it in the same position for too long, pretty soon your arm cramps or when you hand them back to mom and dad you are a little sore, right?  Tempo training makes it easy to get a little more life out of limited weights you may have available when you find you no longer can reach fatigue.  It’s also helpful when you are at a point that you feel vulnerable, potentially because of injuries, or just have reached a point where you can’t train one muscle group without straining another. Increasing the weight load isn’t an answer so this temp can be.  With Tempo training you implement pauses at the beginning and or end point of range of motion and manipulate the speed of the concentric and eccentric contractions. For instance, in a recommended speed of resistance training a repetition takes 1-2 seconds to life and 3-4 seconds to lower or up to about 6 seconds per repetition... (listen to podcast for details) In a Resistance Training Bicep Curl for Instance:  As you lift a weight you go from a long arm to a flexed elbow the muscle has to shorten to bring the weight toward your shoulder.  As you put the weight down, the biceps are still under contraction, but they slowly lengthen again – much like when you take your foot slowly off the brake. The muscle is still controlling the movement.  There are really four points we can manipulate in a repetition: ·      The initial concentric movement or lift – which is that shortening phase  ·      The end of range of motion opposite of the start ·      The eccentric movement or lengthening of the muscle.  ·      The starting point/which will also be the endpoint. TEMPO TRAINING RESISTANCE TRAINING TECHNIQUE (Heads up that the order of these concentric and eccentric contractions changes when you’re talking about standing squats or lunges).  When I designate a tempo workout I would say I want you to do this with:  2-2-4-2  The first number indicates the time to (bicep curl) raise the weight toward your shoulder.  The second number indicates a “hold” at my shoulder while the bicep is fully contracted.  The third number or “4” is the eccentric movement down with the weight. The last number is the “hold at the end of the repetition before beginning a new one.  I could manipulate that by eliminating the hold at the end making it 2-2-4-0. I can increase the time of lifting and holding to match the eccentric contraction 4-4-4-0.  I can extend the eccentric contraction 2-2-6-2.  ... details in the audio episode.  That said… I suggest, a woman is limiting her health by having one pair of dumbbells. If investing in at least 3 sets isn’t possible, look around for backpacks or carry on luggage and ways you can find additional weight.  Other Episodes You May Like:  Strength Training Enough for Bones Not Adrenal Fatigue: https://www.flippingfifty.com/strength-training-enough/ Total Body or Spilt Routine: https://www.flippingfifty.com/total-body-or-split-routine-453/    

“Why am I bloated?” It’s a conversation starter for many of the clients and students I’ve worked with. First, this. Midlife gut issues are common, not normal. Ironically, some of the healthy habits you have may be getting in the way of your optimal absorption of nutrients, digestion and or elimination.  In a recent previous episode, Protein Supplements: What, When & Why to Exercise for Women 40+ (make this a live link) Why Whey Protein Doesn’t Work for Many at Midlife  What’s important to keep in mind is that whey is notoriously the go-to. However, of the many whey protein powders on the market a very high percent were found to have toxins, sugars, or significant heavy metals (mercury and lead) and weren’t third party tested before reaching the shelf. The advantage of whey and reason it’s been so widely used by body builders is the rapid absorption – making it easy to digest pre and or post workout. It supports muscle repair and recovery and glycogen replacement very well.  It is dairy, however. A known inflammatory (especially if you have an autoimmune issue like arthritis, lupus or Hashimoto’s) dairy is one of the first things that removed will improve health and decrease aches and pains and reduce inflammatory markers. Many women in midlife find with hormone changes – related to the hormone influence on the gut – dairy causes bloating, constipation, diarrhea, skin or joint pain, when it hadn’t before.  Soy Protein for Women in Menopause Soy is another ingredient or protein option whether in powder or as milk, tofu, or other source. It however has a history as an obesogenic, goitrogenic, and estrogenic. That is, respectively it causes fat storage, disrupts thyroid function, and confuses the body to think it’s estrogen.  Egg Protein Powder or Scrambled for Muscle Building? Less popular, but also on the shelves are egg protein powders. Eggs, though categorized differently than dairy, can also be highly likely to be food sensitivities. Occasionally, eggs may work. Daily though this is where the gut is subject over and over to a type of assault that will make it hard to heal from any existing gut issue. Even little bits of the right medicine make you well. By the same token, little bits regularly of the wrong food can make you sick or interfere with your optimal health.  You will find brown rice protein powder as well. This isn’t a complete protein, will have more carbohydrate. But is cheaper, for a reason. I think of this as “filler.” If it’s a part of protein powders, you want to check on the amount. Where is it listed in the ingredients.   What Are Non-Allergenic Protein Powder Options for Women Over 40? So, that leaves a hydrolyzed beef option for animal protein (complete essential amino acids but fewer than even a plant protein and a little bit more like collagen) and a plant-based option like Pea, pumpkin, or hemp. Pea, pumpkin and hemp are all complete proteins, meaning they have all the essential amino acids in them.  My choice for muscle is a Pea-based protein powder with added collagen and hemp hearts. Your best bet is of course animal protein and with it you’ll reach a high amount of 3 particularly important EAA, called Branch Chain AAs. Those are leucine, isoleusine, and valine. The greatest of these is leucine. Ideally, you want 2.3-2.5 minimum of leucine per meal of 30 or more gm of protein. With animal protein that’s easy. With plant it’s not as easy. For older adults as well as for body builders and endurance athletes – three populations with greatest demand for protein for muscle preservation or building – high or at least adequate leucine levels are scientifically tied to better results.  Should you supplement with BCAAs.. For women not eating adequate calories or protein, the first step would be to take EAA. You need them all.  If you’re eating all the protein you need in a day, the next step if you’re struggling to gain muscle would be BCAA. If you skip from a low protein diet, or completely from plants to BCAAs the other building blocks of muscle aren’t there. That’s a shaky foundation.  Plan your meals around high quality protein. Plant or animal sources can all count. Consider what’s missing. Is there a way to add this with food? Do you want or need to consider supplementation either in a powder – adding a shake to your meal, or in tablets – based on the feedback your body is giving you?  Track the Results of Supplements on Your Body Track your muscle. Track your body composition. Pay attention to digestive and elimination issues you may be passing off as “normal.” Keep in mind too that at 70 adults have about 10% of the stomach acid they did at 20. That is the very thing that helps you digest food. Eating stressed, rushed or doing 3 other things while eating? Even if you’re not 70, there’s a high chance you’re not going to digest well.  A few things CAN help.  First, take a few deep breaths before you eat.  Turn other stimuli off.  Try bitters sprayed on the tongue or apple cider vinegar in water just before a meal to stimulate your own stomach acid.  If those don’t help you, consider taking Betaine HCL before meals. The caps go in, then help stimulate gastric juices so you breakdown the proteins in foods and digest better. Many notice within days they experience less bloating after meals. That’s betaine HCL, it's not a brand name, it’s the only ingredient.  Resources:  Smart Scale: https://www.amazon.com/shop/flipping50/list/GFTU3QXMJ07G?ingressOrigin=shop&ref_=aip_sf_list_spv_ofs_mixed_d Betaine HCL Women’s Exercise 40+ Event: https://www.flippingfifty.com/womensexercise Other Posts You Might Like:  Protein Supplements for Muscle Building: https://www.flippingfifty.com/protein-supplements-for-muscle-building/ What to Know About Creatine Supplementation: https://www.flippingfifty.com/creatine

In spite of so many sources citing the devastating journey through midlife, it’s possible to improve menopause transition fitness. But many of these are learned the hard way by women who have gone through or are currently going through menopause.  You’re seeing more and more influencers… those who sell makeup, who sing, who blog, bake or cook… talk about how they found the weight room. They’ve quit their jobs, never had them, or retired in order to promote their fitness influencer channels.  And… why not?  They can. So can you. It’s 2023. Reinvent. Be who you always wanted to be, how you always wanted to do it.  And these things will support your trip.  This list of shifts will improve your menopause fitness, too.  Adequate Protein. The number is closer to one gram per pound of body weight than to some arbitrary percent of your total calories. The RDA was never very user-friendly. And didn’t account for a woman who may cut her calories so much that she’s eating 1000-1200 calories a day and barely eating protein  Stable Blood Glucose Levels.  If you don’t know what this is or why I’ll give you the crash course. And I’ll suggest if you have it to invest on your health, get a continuous blood glucose monitor and track yourself for at least a month, 3 would be better. Go to flippingfifty.com/glucose and use Flipping50 for $25 off  Lift Weights as Heavy as you safely can.  Yes, lighter weights more reps fatigues muscle, but as you age and begin lifting less and less in life, do you think you need heavy or lighter weights to avoid decline? Your bone responds best to heavy load and so does energy expenditure. Unlike cardio that burns calories during (and then burns you out), weight training works hardest in the 24 or 48 hours afterwards while your body is in recovery and repair. You burn more calories then and build your body up for having more energy and stamina later.  Caution: don’t look up the very limited interpretation of a lb of muscle burns X amount of calories a day. That’s a very shortsighted mistake about the benefit of muscle.  Recover more than you’ve ever done before. Muscle that’s 60 is less resilient than muscle that’s 20. Even if you’re in great shape at 60, younger you had younger muscle that bounced back faster. You can be just as fit, maybe more fit at 60… as long as you don’t try to exercise the same way. Fitness happens during recovery between exercise provided the stimulus was adequate.  Reduce your stress and find some joy. Stress hormones are catabolic, that is cause muscle loss and fat storage so these are an obstacle you can’t skip over.  Improve Menopause Transition Fitness with this Reset: 5 Day Flip Sleep like a boss. If it’s not happening that doesn’t mean it’s not possible. It just means that you haven’t potentially given it the step-by-step dedication to specific changes like:  Epsom salt baths Same wake time daily Sunshine as soon as you can once awake Exercise at least 10 minutes a day Magnesium with dinner Establishing a waking and bedtime routine  Ditch the artificial energy and chill pills.  A cup of coffee or matcha in the morning, maybe even two, okay. Having to drink coffee all morning and pretending it’s fasting ? I don’t think so. Need it in the afternoon to wake up? A real issue. But if you also need or rely on alcohol to help you relax and pretend it’s helping you sleep… I want you to listen to two episodes  Drink more water.  Most of us are dehydrated. You store water in muscle. You want lean muscle and less fat? You’re going to need to drink more water. Through out the day and between meals not at them.  Sip on Green Tea It’s a super way to sneak in more liquid for hydration. It’s got a ORAC rating that’s super high- meaning it’s a huge boost to your antioxidants and supports radiant skin among other things. Bottom line, it does have a little caffeine but it’s not going to give you a jolt that will keep you up at night.  Stop snacking.  This is a major issue for many women. Eating a bar here and a handful of nuts there, nibbling on food while you cook.. It’s keeping you from ever getting into a fat burning state which is about 3-4 hours from your last meal. Now, if you’re a truly active athlete you probably do need a dose of protein in a snack. But if your activity level isn’t all that high, try limiting snacks and focus on more protein and fiber at meals so you don’t need to. Often that desire to snack shows up because your meals simply are too skimpy and not real meals at all.  Other Episodes You May Like:  Shae Leonard Health Band-Aid: https://www.flippingfifty.com/crutches/ Sober Sis Happier Hour: https://www.flippingfifty.com/wine-time/ Kelly McGonigal: https://www.flippingfifty.com/joy-of-movement/ Resources:  Continuous Blood Glucose Monitor: https://www.flippingfifty.com/glucose  Code: Flipping50 Essential Amino Acids: https://www.flippingfifty.com/staylean

I received this question about Protein Supplements for muscle building and want to share the question and the response with you. Lucy’s Question: I am learning so much. I have a question about protein supplements. I have heard collagen, protein powders and creatine mentioned. I take a glutamine supplement for my gut. Any comments on how that might be related to muscle building if at all? GREAT QUESTION! Protein Supplements for Muscle Building  If you listened to Dr Vincent Pedre... Day 1... if your gut is not absorbing micronutrients and able to break down protein in foods.. you're unable to build muscle NO MATTER WHAT YOU CONSUME. L-Glutamine for Gut Health  The L-glutamine helps with healing the gut (IF you've identified and REMOVED the foods that may have contributed to a leaky gut situation).  So first, the removal, the testing, the L-glutamine then supports the sealing of the gut (that can't happen if the culprits are still present).  THEN... dietary protein or supplemented with protein powder with high quality EAAs or a EAA supplement support muscle building and repair.  Collagen for Muscle Collagen supports hair, gut, skin and bone resilience (but is not alone adequate enough for muscle).  So, if you count collagen that you’ve added to coffee as your daily protein for instance, and your highest priority is muscle building, that’s a little deceptive. It hasn’t actually helped. Though it may help you with blood sugar stabilization, it isn’t muscle-specific.  You heard Erin Carson credit her collagen habit for rapid repair and recovery of a fluke ankle break. No stranger to supplements in 40 years of strength & conditioning, it was collagen that she mentioned.  Creatine for Muscle Building Then creatine - you didn't mention, but I'm adding here because it's a bit like "the next layer" for those that aren't making adequate progress, may be something you want to consider to help. Related Speaker Talks in the What, When & Why to Exercise for Women 40+ event: Dr. Vincent Pedre Dr. Gabrielle Lyon  Dr. Stuart Phillips  Erin Carson  Cynthia Thurlow  A quick addition to this is one of the controversial protein powder options: Whey protein. And another protein source, soy.  I’m going to address this in another soundbite. Stay tuned to hear this one.  Other Posts You Might Like: What to Know About Creatine Supplementation Over 50: https://www.flippingfifty.com/creatine-supplementation/ It's Not Just About How Much Protein: https://www.flippingfifty.com/how-much-protein/ The Influence of Protein On Aging Skeletal Muscle: https://www.flippingfifty.com/muscle-on-aging/ Resources:  What, When & Why to Exercise for Women 40+: https://www.flippingfifty.com/womensexercise