Is Marathon Training Hurting Your Relationship?

When Lisa’s husband became interested in marathon running a couple decades ago, she wanted to support his healthy new hobby. She’d take care of their young son so he could fit in his long runs on weekends and travel with him to several races a year. “If you’re there for the pre-race pasta dinner and the post-race limp, you’re at least spending time together. My son and I wanted to share it with him,” says Lisa, a research specialist from Western Massachusetts.

“The spouse is almost as big of a contributor to the success of the athlete as the training.”

But over time, she says her husband’s constant training put a strain on their marriage. Several nights a week, when she wanted to connect with him and recount the details of her day, he was off for a run. The long Sunday workouts ate up half the day. “That’s time we weren’t spending as a family,” says Lisa who often referred to herself as a “marathon widow.” As for the rest of the evenings, her husband’s training often left him so exhausted he’d fall asleep within 20 minutes of watching a movie together.

RELATED: 10 Lessons Learned While Running 100 Marathons 

Lisa, an avid swimmer, tried to take up running but quickly gave it up when she hurt her knee. “He would talk about running all the time, but I couldn’t relate and felt left out,” she says. Last summer, after 21 years of marriage, the couple divorced. “I don’t think marathon training was the catalyst,” she says. “There were other issues, obviously. But did I resent the time he spent training and not being with me? Absolutely.”

As the popularity of marathon and triathlon racing soars in the U.S., athletes often think of training as a personal challenge — a solitary pursuit to boost one’s self esteem or feeling of accomplishment. What’s often not recognized is the toll it takes on families and significant others.

“Everyone has to sacrifice,” explains Pete Simon, an Arizona sports psychologist and USA Triathlon certified coach who blogs about the phenomenon called ‘Divorce by Triathlon.’ “The spouse is almost as big of a contributor to the success of the athlete as the training. If they don’t go along with it — or pick up slack — then you’ve got problems.”

Not only do families have to adjust to an athlete’s absence during peak training, which often requires 15 to 20 hours a week for extreme races, his or her training affects them in other ways. Extended family visits, social engagements and shared bottles of wine go by the wayside. Then there’s the cost: $255 to run the New York City Marathon, $700 for an Ironman spot, upwards of $1,000 for travel and hotel accommodations, and another $1,000 or more for bikes, shoes, training and racing clothes and accessories. Never mind the price of coaching, gym and pool membership fees and nutrition, which can tack on thousands more. 

“Extreme sports commitments become an issue when they become an obsession.”

For Steve and Kristine Kester of Duluth, Georgia, their challenge isn’t placating a neglected spouse. It’s juggling two packed racing and training schedules. “In the beginning when our kids were young, we made all the mistakes of over-committing between competitions, work, church, volunteering and our kids’ school activities and sports schedules,” says Kristine, a certified nurse practitioner and tri coach.

They became skillful jugglers: He’d fit in his weekday workouts at 4 a.m., and then she’d go at 7 a.m. when he got back. They’d each take a weekend day for longer workouts. Or he’d spend Sunday with the kids while she drove four hours for a one-hour race. But they missed out on time with each other. When Steve trained for two Ironman competitions two years in a row, date night became a rarity. “We were in over our heads and pledged to each other not to commit to anything unless we asked each other first,” says Kristine.

RELATED: 12 Keys to Achieving Work-Life Balance 

Now they make a list of all the races they want to do each year and agree that only one person can train for a big race at a time. Last month, Steve competed in Ironman Chattanooga (and qualified for the world championships in Kona, Hawaii in 2015), and Kristine volunteered in the medical tent and kept track of his gear.

“They call spouses ‘Iron Mates,’” says Steve, a private equity investor. “They help schlep your equipment, keep things in order at home, and listen to you whine for nine months.” 

With two kids in college and one in junior high, the couple now finds more time to work out together, including swimming in a master’s group. “I do wonder if she was doing all these races and I was working all the time if we would have had more conflict,” says Steve. “The fact that we both got into this in a big way at the same time probably helped us understand each other and everything we had to learn to do to make it all work.” 

Relationship experts say that the key to preventing extreme training schedules from creating resentment is recognizing and appreciating a partner’s sacrifices. And, of course, supporting his or her hobbies in return. Here are some tips for getting through those tough training months. 

1. Compensate with quality time together. 
“You have to make sure you’re present with your partner,” explains Steven Stosny, a counselor in Washington D.C. and author of Living and Loving after Betrayal: How to Heal from Emotional Abuse, Deceit, Infidelity, and Chronic Resentment. “Extreme sports commitments become an issue when they become an obsession. It’s not so much the time athletes spend training. It’s also the time they’re thinking about it at home and not connecting with their families.”

2. Include them in everything.
Ask your partner to help you plan your schedule so he or she feels you’re being considerate of other family obligations, says Simon. If possible, invite a spouse to train with you. “Even if you’re at different levels, you can do a recovery ride with them or take the entire family on an open water swim,” he says. If your family isn’t athletically inclined, you can choose races at destinations they’d like to visit and make the trip into a mini-vacation. Bonus: Your favorite people cheering you on at the finish line.

3. Be flexible with training.
Simon suggests getting workouts out of the way first thing in the morning, or training smarter by doing higher intensity exercises that take less time. Athletes can also choose shorter races, such as half-marathons or sprint or Olympic-distance tris,  which are challenging but still allow you to have a personal life. “You don’t want to get to the point where your family is tired of you training and tired of you being gone,” he says. “Sometimes you have to aim for balance.”

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Live to Fail: A New Strength Training Program from DailyBurn

What do you think of when you hear strength training? Huge guys and bulky girls doing bicep curls, with six-packs you could never get? Meatheads hoisting heavy weights, clanking barbells and plates you don’t know how — or want — to use? If you’ve always pictured having a fit, strong physique but don’t know which program will get you there, DailyBurn’s new Live to Fail (LTF) may be the answer. All you need are two sets of dumbbells and a box — no gym membership or pricey personal training sessions necessary. Skeptical you won’t see results? DailyBurn trainer, Ben Booker, may just convince you otherwise.

Ben Booker wasn’t born with a six-pack. Fitness was always a part of his life, having been a basketball, football and track athlete in high school, but so was alcohol. It was an endless cycle for him — four months of training, followed by three months of drinking. And in his senior year of high school, everything changed. After a night out drinking, Ben got into a near-deadly car accident, leaving his back broken in two places. He was charged with a DUI and had his license suspended, at which point he turned to weight training.

“When I started rehab, I lifted weights to try to get back in shape,” says Ben. “I used a hypertrophy program, targeting specific muscles with a designated rep range and minimal rest, which breaks down the muscle tissue so that it grows as it repairs itself.” Ben stuck with this program long enough that his body began changing. “People started coming up to me saying ‘Hey, what are you doing because it’s working.’” Ben freely shared what knowledge he had and realized how much he enjoyed helping others with fitness.

Though it took a little more time, Ben also took control of his drinking. For years, he wasn’t able to step out of the comfort zone of the life he knew. But when he finally asked for help in 2006, the small-town Illinois-native was able to rebuild himself and find his true potential.

Photo: DailyBurn

“If you think you have it all figured out, you don’t,” says Ben. “You have to be humble, which by definition means being able to remain teachable. My biggest gains in life have come from my most humble moments, when I’ve been on my knees, asking for help, not knowing where I was headed. It’s not until we cross that line that we can experience who we really are.” Hitting that point of failure and being able to grow from it became the seed for Live to Fail, the workout program he went on to develop with DailyBurn.

So what does failure mean in the context of fitness? Think of it as failure to maintain pace or to be able to stay with a specific weight for a  prescribed rep range. We aren’t talking about a one-rep max failure. It is about safely overloading the targeted muscle, within that rep range, for a designated result, also known as hypertrophy and definition through maximum calorie burn by keeping your heart rate high. After all, the concept of building muscle is the process of breaking it down (failure of muscle strength), to rebuild it stronger to handle the load.

With those fundamentals at its core, LTF is a strength training program for men and women who truly want to change their bodies. If you dread spending hours at the gym on the treadmill or elliptical to get in shape, these workouts will change your mind about fitness. Each 35- to 55-minute session requires only two sets of dumbbells and a plyo box. Not sure how to even begin choosing your dumbbell weight? Ben talks you through a test to determine the correct weight for you.

Photo: DailyBurn

During the first six weeks, you’ll do a video a day with exercises that target a specific muscle group, with four sets of 10 to 12 reps, and minimal rest. The second six weeks ups the intensity with higher reps and some supersets. Ben and the LTF team will be there to help you maintain proper form and guide you to failure on moves you might not be familiar with. “Failure comes in many forms and is different for everyone,” says Ben. “That’s what I love about this program. It’s for people who have never stepped foot in a weight room before — as well as gym rats who lift on the regular. As long as you show up every day, we’ll help you get the results you want.”

As with all fitness programs, nutrition plays an important role. LTF provides users with a full nutrition plan, complete with a formula to calculate the amount of protein, fat and carbs you’re allotted daily to hit your macronutrient goals. Nervous you’re not cut out for “dieting?” This is no starvation diet — the plan is designed to deliver the quality nutrients your body needs during periods of high-intensity training. LTF lays out meal plans and lists of foods that complement the workout program, helping to keep you full, energized and in the best position possible to make strength gains.

“It can be a lot to start a new fitness and nutrition plan at the same time,” says Ben. But you can’t out train a bad diet. Just ask Josh Christensen, who lost 30 pounds, while gaining significant muscle definition after completing the LTF program. “You have to be all in or it won’t work,” he says. “I know because I’ve tried other programs without the nutrition and nothing happened. Once I educated myself and learned what to eat, the changes started coming.” Within a few weeks of starting LTF, Josh noticed strength gains and that he was losing fat. The nutrition and fitness components of LTF are designed to work together in order to get optimal results.

Nutrition also includes supplements — but don’t let that word scare you. These products get their name from being able to “supplement” for the calories, protein, vitamins and nutrients that you should be getting but aren’t able to through food. “I believe in these supplements and use them every day,” says Ben. In order to get optimal results from LTF, here’s what the program suggests:

Pre: Taken 30-45 minutes before workout; gets you focused and energized to maximize workoutPost: Taken immediately after workout; includes many beneficial nutrients like BCAAs, glutamine and vitamin C to keep you from getting sore and help start the recovery process (for more info on pre and post-workout supplements, click here)Creatine: Taken before workout; a highly recommended product if you want to gain muscle and size (women can take, but in smaller doses — Pre already has the recommended amount for women in it)Fuel-6: Vegan, dairy-free, soy-free and gluten-free protein powder taken post-workout or anytime during the day in the form of protein shakes; helps get you more protein if you’re not able to get enough through whole foodsMultivitamin: Taken in the morning with a meal; helps you get the vitamins and nutrients your body needs daily, such as Omega-3 fish oil

There’s no shortage of programs promising to get you ripped — fast. You may know firsthand that many, if not most, fall flat. That’s why LTF sticks with you for 12 tough but transformative weeks — providing you with workouts, nutritional advice, and the motivation you need to keep you on track. If you show up and put in the work, the results will follow — muscular arms, washboard abs and well-defined legs, chest and back. And for ladies, this program will build strength and definition all over — without adding bulk. But the physical transformation is just the beginning: Commitment to your fitness will help you think clearer, sleep better, focus more at work, and have more confidence.

“I believe there are four big aspects in life: mental, emotional, physical and spiritual,” says Ben. “When you push yourself physically, it can help you mentally and emotionally. Finding that clarity and balance that can come through physical fitness, by pushing your body to failure and then moving past it, that’s how we become stronger. And that’s what LTF is all about.”

If you’re looking for a strength training program that will change you, try DailyBurn’s Live to Fail program here, free for 30 days.

Note to reader: The content in this article relates to the core service offered by DailyBurn. In the interest of editorial disclosure and integrity, the reader should know that this site is owned and operated by DailyBurn. Neither these products, nor the statements herein, have been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or condition.

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Meb Keflezighi Tells All: How Much He’s Willing to Hurt for a Win

Photo courtesy of TCS Marathon

“You know it’s going to hurt. So you have to ask yourself: Are you willing to hurt more than someone else?” That’s what elite long distance runner Meb Keflezighi has been telling himself leading up to the 2014 TCS New York City Marathon. Why is this year different for the 39-year-old competitor? The added pressure of being the first American man to win the Boston Marathon since 1983 has him hungry for another W. We caught up with Meb to hear his takes on age, weight training, and mental preparation in the days before the big race. 

Are you still feeling a lot of pressure to win the TCS NYC Marathon after your victory in Boston, or is it subsiding a bit as the race gets closer?

No, the pressure never goes away. I still like to compete so I’m happy to be here for the TCS New York Marathon and feel fortunate enough to have experienced TCS’s passion for running and community support first-hand through my partnership with them this year. Expectations are higher after Boston though, so I put a lot of pressure on myself. But what I wanted to accomplish in my career has been accomplished — winning at the Olympics, New York City and Boston — so I’m happy. There’s a pressure, but a different kind.

At 39 years old, you’re continuing to break records and set new PRs. Is age helping you?

“I’d say I never run without music unless my battery dies. But on race day you get enough energy from the crowds.”

It’s wisdom versus youth. For me, I was always a front-runner. I would go out hard and try to win. Now I have to be more intuitive — use tactics and strategies to my advantage. Wisdom makes up for age. And at the end of the day, it’s hard work. At Boston in 2010 I went out at world record pace, hit a wall and couldn’t recover. When I did my first debut in New York in 2002 I went for it, and was in leading position with four other guys. It was cold and I put water over my head and that 38-degree water shut my engine off. At the end of the day, you have to be healthy, strong, fit — and may the best man and woman win.

Has getting older affected recovery for you? Is it harder to bounce back than it used to be?

I get deep tissue massages two or three times a weeks for back recovery. I used to do ice baths but I stopped last September. I got tired of shivering for four to five hours after. I use Norma Tec compression boots and do some self-therapy.

When I get injured though, it does take longer to bounce back. Back in the day, I’d take one to three days off and bounce back, but not anymore.

Photo by Tim Kilduff

What specific changes did you make to your training regimen to win the Boston Marathon? 

I’ve been doing a lot of self-listening and body analyzing. I switched to a 9-day [training] cycle instead of a typical Monday to Sunday one. Sundays are long runs, then I eliminated the long run on Wednesday and do intervals instead. On Fridays, I do tempo and then wait two days to do a long run again. I need more recovery days to feel as strong as possible and not get injured. If I feel my stamina is not there, I’ll do long runs maybe twice a week. If I feel my tempo isn’t there, which has been the case, I’ll work on tempo.

I also do a lot of extra stretching, planks, plyometrics and core exercises. They’re small things but they kept me upright and mechanically sound when I needed it for Boston, which was a tough race, I had to break away early. I was supposed to draft until mile 24 and then make my move but that changed. I saw what the other guys were doing, and evaluated what I needed to do. You’ve got to listen to your intuition and make a decision.

“Training is 90 percent physical and 10 percent mental. Then race day it switches — it’s 90 percent mental and 10 percent physical.”

I also had the victims from the bombing the year before in my mind and the motivation of the crowd. Training, motivation and emotion came together to help me be victorious.

You changed over from a Nike athlete to Skechers in 2011. Has that affected your training at all?

I was always a heel striker and Skechers shoes have allowed me to mid-foot strike. I feel like it’s a partnership more than a sponsorship, too. What people don’t realize is that we work hard every day — not just for one race. We train year-round and [that gives] me the experience I need to run races like Boston. I hope to peak two to three to four times a year. But I run every week.

Have you increased your cross-training in the past year? How important has it been to your running success?

As you get older, you have to stay healthy, and how do you do that? I changed what I did before Boston. Instead of a three-mile cool down after my first run and then going back for a long run that same day, I’ll do a four- or five-mile cool down, and then go for a ride on the ElliptiGO. I’ll go for an hour or two hour ride [on that] because there’s no impact on the body. It’s more endurance training with no risk of injury. The hardest part is getting on it! I did that leading up to the marathon, but then at the very end I’ve done more runs.

What about weight training? Will a stronger, heavier build mean a potentially slower time?

I do very minimalist weight training. I’ll do hamstring curls or work on my quads or hip flexion. I do core exercises at the gym or my house using the big medicine ball, too. I’ll do adductor work, crunches, hamstring curls, simple stuff. You can’t get too big though; you’ve got to carry it for a half-marathon or 26.2 miles. 

Biggest race day blooper?

When I became a Skechers athlete, I remember before one of my races the warm-up [outfit] I was wearing had no pockets. I always wear Breathe Right strips when I run, so the night before I put the strip in my shoe with my Vaseline and socks. I ended up getting rushed into the race… I was putting on Vaseline, thinking about food, but I wasn’t thinking about the Breathe Right. A few miles in, I felt something in my shoe. I touched my nose and realized the Breathe Right strip never came out of my shoe. It ended up cutting into my foot and becoming the biggest cut I’ve ever had. Then it got infected! The NYCM trial was 69 days away and it was infected for three weeks. I ended up only having 38 days of training because of it.

Photo by Tim Kilduff

Do you truly enjoy running without music? How easy is it to drop the beats and work off the high of the run, course and crowd?

When I race with people, I never wear music out of respect. But I love wearing my Walkman. I get a high from music and cadence and rhythm. I’d say I never run without music unless my battery dies. But on race day you get enough energy from the crowds. And you just know the music is just not available.

Regurgitation along the racecourse — has it happened to you? How did you react? 

At mile 24 in Boston I felt like I had to. Imagine if you puke, what that looks like to the people behind you. If I had puked, it would have made the other runners think I’d been defeated. So I held it in. In the NYC Marathon in 2011 I went out hard at a 2:06 pace and had to make a full stop on the side of the course. After that, [other runners] get away from you. 

What percent of a race is mental and what percent is physical for you? How do you mentally prepare?

Training is 90 percent physical and 10 percent mental. Then race day it switches — it’s 90 percent mental and 10 percent physical. You have to visualize what you want to accomplish. I pray a lot and think about my family as a sense of motivation. I tell myself I can do it.

Track Meb this Sunday, November 2, as he runs the New York City Marathon starting at 9:00 a.m., EST, on ESPN2 and WatchESPN.

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Run Like a Pro With Meb Keflezighi’s Workout Playlist

Photo: Run for Skechers

If you want to run harder, better, faster, stronger, your answer may just be a pumped up playlist away. It’s not news that music has been shown to help athletes run farther and bike longer. The tempo, beat and lyrics to a jam can alter an athlete’s psychological state, giving them an edge to crush the competition or a previous PR. And for training runs, a great playlist can provide just the motivation you need to hit the pavement after a long day at the office. 

While music has been banned for pro athletes competing for top titles and prize money at major races like the upcoming New York City marathon, that doesn’t mean these elites don’t listen to tunes while they prep.

Want to know what the playlist of a running champ looks like? We asked Meb Keflezighi, American long-distance runner, winner of the 2014 Boston Marathon and Skechers Performance sponsored athlete, what songs he’s been logging miles to in anticipation of this weekend’s Empire State race. From Michael Jackson to Run DMC, you might be surprised what pops up on Meb’s training playlist! Download the mix to your iPod and use it to motivate you through your race, whether it’s a 5K, 10K, half or full marathon (maybe even New York on Sunday!).

Track Meb this Sunday, November 2, as he runs the New York City Marathon starting at 9:00am, EST, on ESPN2 and WatchESPN.

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6 Squat Variations for Total-Body Strength

Love them or love to hate them, squats are one of the best exercises for increasing strength and size, while simultaneously burning fat. It’s no wonder they’re often referred to as the king of all strength training exercises. Still, some gym-goers opt out of squats in favor of more glamorous moves like the bench press and bicep curl. No more! Friends don’t let friends skip leg day. And since we’re all friends here, we’ve done our part by compiling a list of six squat variations for every fitness level. All you have to do is keep calm, and squat on.

Want to run faster, jump higher and pack on some muscle? Well then it’s time to get low. Because squats engage almost every muscle from head to toe, there’s a huge hormonal response and massive impact on the central nervous system. This creates an anabolic environment, making the muscles all over the body poised for growth, says Dr. Jeff Volek, strength coach and associate professor of Kinesiology at the University of Connecticut.

As for how low you should go, it’s been said that squats can be dangerous, especially deep squats. But when it comes to performing the complex movement — assuming you’re injury-free and using proper form (see below) — rock bottom is the way to go. Research shows that the depth of a squat does not actually increase stress on the knees. In fact, a separate study actually suggests that the deep squat might help to improve knee stability. It’s also true that going lower with a lighter weight boosts strength better than loading up on weight to perform a partial squat. Keep in mind, all this “how low can you go” talk assumes you’re able to nail the basics.

Sloppy squats don’t belong in any exercise routine. So rookie squatters should begin with the bodyweight variation.

The Bodyweight Squat
How to: Begin with feet at hip or shoulder width (the exact position will depend on flexibility). Now, roll the shoulders back and down while squeezing the shoulder blades together. Keeping the core engaged and the chest high, add a slight bend in the knees. Hand placement is a personal preference, they can go behind the head, on the hips, crossed in front of the chest, or extended in front of the body (a). Next, sit back into your heels sending your hips and butt back and down, keeping the knees from extending over the toes (b). While the butt sinks your chest and shoulders remain tall. At the bottom of the squat, press through your heels, exhale, and return to the standing position (c).

Remember, practice makes perfect. Be sure to master the bodyweight squat before adding weight or performing more challenging exercise variations. If getting low is difficult, it’s likely there are some mobility issues standing between you and the squat. Implementing a dynamic warm-up and mobility techniques like foam rolling will improve these deficiencies. After the bodyweight movement becomes second nature, it’s time to up the ante by adding weights and taking on more challenging variations.

RELATED: Are You Foam Rolling All Wrong? 

When it’s time to step up your squat game, there are lots of ways to make that happen. Start by using this exercise list as a guide to getting lower and moving more weight. Keep in mind, these variations aren’t meant to be completed in one workout. Think of it as a checklist. Start at the top of the list and master each move, over time, before progressing to the next.

1. Isolated Squat Hold
It’s time to get nice and comfortable in the squatted position. The reason: Lowering into a squat and staying there helps improve stability and strength while preventing injury.
How to: The set-up and lowering part of this move is just like the bodyweight squat, but things start to change once we reach the bottom. Instead of standing back up, sink into that squat and hold it (a). Keep all of the weight in your heels, while driving the knees and hips open (b). Be sure to maintain and upright body position with your chest up, shoulders back and down, and core engaged. Sets: 4, Reps: 5 pausing 30 seconds at the bottom of each rep. 

Photo: Alex Orlov

2. Jump Squat
Ready to get explosive? A training program that includes plyometric exercises like the jump squat has been shown to be more effective at increasing strength than programs that rely on weight training alone.
How to: Kick things off in the basic bodyweight squat position (notice a trend here?) and execute the first part of the squat, until we bottom out (a). With your hips back and butt down, notice your hamstrings and glutes will tighten and activate. Release that tension by driving your hips forward and your arms up towards the sky, while jumping off of the ground (b). Return to the ground softly and sink right back into the squat before heading into the next repetition (c). Sets: 4, Reps: 12.

RELATED: 15-Minute Plyometrics Workout for Cardio and Strength 

3. Goblet Squat
Now we’ll add weight to the squat position. The goblet squat is a surefire way to make strength go up and the depth of the squat go down. That’s because it targets all of the muscles in the lower body, while improving squat mechanics, without the added burden of a barbell.
How to: Grab a dumbbell, kettlebell, medicine ball or sandbell before preparing to squat. Grasp the weight and hold it at chest height (a). Next, set your feet shoulder-width apart and engage the upper body. Keep that weight close to your chest while squatting down. At the bottom of the squat the position should resemble the isolate squat hold (b). Return to standing by driving through the heels, before squeezing the hamstrings, glutes and core (c). Avoid thrusting your hips forward by slamming your knees to straighten your legs to stand up. Sets: 4, Reps: 12.

4. Back Squat
This is where things can get interesting. The squatting movement remains the same, but now you have to contend with a barbell resting on your back. You’ll also need a squat rack or power rack for this move. It allows for easy access getting under and out from under the bar. Plus, it has safety bars that will catch you if get stuck while squatting.
How to: To start, adjust the height of the bar so it’s just below shoulder height. Grip the bar wider than shoulder-width and step under the bar so the weight is resting on your upper back (a). Set up in the same squat position you’ve been using to complete each move so far, making sure to sit back and down while keep the chest upright (b). Once you’ve hit rock bottom exhale, press through your heels, squeeze your elbows towards your body and return to standing (c). Sets: 4, Reps: 10.

5. Front Squat
Instead of placing the bar on the upper back, the front squat has you place the bar across your collarbone in front of your body. Like the back squat, getting comfortable with the placement of the bar might take some time, but will become second nature if you stick with it.
How to: Setting up in the squat rack, grip the bar with hands at shoulder width and pull your chest to the bar. Drive your elbows up while pulling the bar onto your collarbone. Note: Instead of trying to hold the bar with against your body, let it rest on you to support the weight (a). Once you’re set up, lower into a squat keeping your core and upper body engaged, while driving your elbows high (b). Press through the heels, exhale, and drive the elbows up to complete the move (c). Sets: 4, Reps: 10.

6. Overhead Squat
Before you go overhead with the squat, promise us you’ve invested time in learning and practicing the other variations that have led you here. Unless you’re hitting the other moves with mastery, the overhead squat could do more harm than good. But, if you’ve worked your way up to this movement, you’re in for one heck of a total-body exercise.
How to: Grip the bar with hands wider than shoulder width and press the bar overhead. The width of your grip will have the bar six to eight inches overhead with arms extended. For this move your feet can be slightly wider than the hip-width distance used for the other squat movements. However, the execution of the squat remains intact (a). While pressing through the bar, begin sitting back and down into the squat (b). Continue driving your arms up while stabilizing your body at the bottom of the squat (c). In the squatted position, drive the hips forward and knees open keeping the upper body tall and core engage while returning to standing (d). Sets: 4, Reps: 10.

Tell us: Which was the toughest squat variation for you master? What do you look forward to — or dread most — on leg day?

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Strength Training May Help Keep You Young, Study Shows

Spending time pumping weights in the gym and sipping on protein shakes may pay off in a big way as you age.

A new review of studies in the journal Age and Ageing pinpoints building muscle and eating lots of protein as the best ways to fend off sarcopenia — a syndrome that causes people to lose muscle mass and strength in their later years. The review compiled 13-years worth of published research on sarcopenia interventions in adults 50 and older, to help scientists get a better grasp on how to prevent and treat the disease.

On average, adults begin losing eight percent of their muscle per decade starting at age 40.

Think sarcopenia couldn’t happen to you? It isn’t a rare condition: One in three people over age 50 suffers from it. And on average, adults begin losing eight percent of their muscle per decade starting at age 40, according to researchers.

“The sneaky part of this syndrome is that you really don’t notice it until it comes to a point where you’re so functionally impaired that it’s hard for you to get out of your chair, or you slip and fall,” says study author Jeffrey Stout, PhD, a professor in the department of educational and human sciences at the University of Central Florida. “…It’s like with adult-onset obesity. We often don’t think we’re getting overweight until we look in the mirror and go, ‘Oh my god, what happened.’” 

The good news is that researchers found two simple things — getting stronger and increasing your protein intake — can improve your quality of life for decades to come.

RELATED: 5 Beginner-Friendly CrossFit Workouts

“Resistance exercise is the single best stimulator for maintaining muscle function, strength and size, whether you’re a young athlete, a pro athlete or an 80-year-old woman,” Stout says. By contracting your muscles, weight lifting signals to your body that the muscles need to recover and then rebuild to be bigger and stronger, to be prepared for future stressors.

Another key factor for a long, healthy life: Keeping up your protein consumption. As people age, they often develop digestive issues that make it difficult to consume enough protein from sources rich in it like meat. But turning to protein powders, or other supplements, can help, according to Stout.

RELATED: 13 Dessert-Inspired Protein Shake Recipes

“There are studies looking at protein intake [in relation to] rate of muscle loss, and if you’re getting adequate protein in your diet, the rate at which you lose muscle is much smaller,” Stout says.

Stout acknowledges that it’s difficult to get people into the gym to lift weights, especially if they’ve never done it before. But he recommends working with a trainer or program, and starting with simple body weight exercises before moving on to dumbbells or performing multi-joint moves, such as deadlifts. Multi-joint moves will not only improve muscle mass, but can help strengthen the skeleton, which also gets less dense with age, according to Stout.

By adopting a weight lifting routine and protein-filled diet early in life, Stout says a person’s decline in muscle and strength will be much less pronounced as they age.  

“A recent study shows muscle mass is the single best predictor of mortality — the more muscle mass you have, the better your life is going to be [as you age],” Stout says.

Intrigued? Start building muscle and strength today with DailyBurn’s new Live to Fail strength training program. 

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The 30-Second Trick That Might Stop Your Food Cravings

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

If you find it impossible to resist the 3 p.m. chocolate craving that hits you every day, you’ll be happy to know that you might be able to quash it — in just 30 seconds.

Two new studies presented this week at The Obesity Society Annual Meeting in Boston delved into ways to trick the brain into dismissing those junk food pangs.

Because as much as you may try to rely on willpower or mindfulness to fight the munchies, sometimes there’s nothing like a quick fix to hold you over until dinnertime (or dessert). 

Walking around the block, popping a piece of gum into your mouth, chugging a glass of H20. You’ve heard about these fixes, and now we’ve got another to add to your arsenal. In one recent study, researchers asked a group of obese patients to try three 30-second intervention tactics to reduce cravings: Tapping their forehead, tapping their toe on the floor, or staring at a blank wall.

The office snack stash can be brutally tempting — and you have to stare it down five days a week.

Researchers cued cravings by asking participants to imagine eating, smelling and tasting certain foods (try it: you can practically taste the cupcake you’re envisioning, right?). Before and after the intervention, the study participants were asked to rate the intensity of their cravings on a scale of zero (low) to 100 (high). While each trick successfully reduced participants’ longings, the most effective was forehead tapping (foot tapping ranked second). 

“[These interventions] were dynamic, that is, they included movement, which engages more regions of the brain than staring at a blank wall,” says study author Richard Weil, director of the New York Obesity Research Center Weight Loss Program at St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York City. “Engaging the motor cortex to create movement makes the task more complicated and so it requires more work in the brain, and thus, more distraction.”

Not down for 30 seconds worth of banging out a beat on your forehead? Weil says previous research has indicated that tapping for just 10 seconds might help to some degree, too. 

Thumping your foot: Pretty easy. Drumming your forehead: A little weird. But what if we told you there was a way to subdue hankerings in one minute — just by thinking?

Another study this week found that sometimes the best way to beat cravings is by tweaking your mindset. Researchers from Brown University used MRI scans to examine the brain activity of obese or overweight study participants as they looked at pictures of drool-worthy foods like pizza, French fries and ice cream. The researchers then tested a few different strategies, encouraging participants to focus on them for about a minute at a time. In a series of tests, they told them to:

Get distracted by thinking about something other than food.Accept and allow their thoughts as something they didn’t need to act on.Focus on the negative long-term consequences of eating those goodies.Think about the immediate rewards of indulging.

Unsurprisingly, thinking about how amazing a sundae would taste did not deter subjects from wanting to dig in. But the other cognitive strategies did diminish participants’ desire for disco fries and other unhealthy foods — particularly when they considered how they’d pay for it later if they gave in.

“This strategy evoked increased responses in regions of the brain involved in inhibitory control, which may suggest a mechanism through which thinking about long-term negative outcomes could serve to reduce cravings,” says study author Kathryn Demos, PhD, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at the Miriam Hospital at Brown University.

While each of these tactics got good reviews in a lab setting, the jury’s still out as to whether they work in real life. Because let’s be real: The office snack stash can be brutally tempting — and you have to stare it down five days a week.

“From this study we don’t know if the effects can be sustained over longer periods of time, but our future studies will test this, and try to get a sense of how this strategy could be used in conjunction with weight loss efforts in everyday life,” Demos says.

Plus, it’s worth noting that each of these studies was conducted on overweight or obese participants. If you’re at a healthy weight, giving into cravings now and then is totally OK. 

“It is a good idea to have some flexibility when it comes to cravings for certain foods,” says Chris Ochner, PhD, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. ”Always denying food cravings usually leads to feeling as if the person is in dietary jail and, eventually, everyone wants out.”

Thinking about the caloric price you’ll pay for eating an ice cream cone, or committing to tapping away your taste for pizza probably isn’t necessary unless you’re looking to make a serious change. 

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The 20 Worst People at the Gym, According to Trainers

You’ve made the honorable effort of getting your butt to the gym. Little do you know, the battle has only just begun. Claiming your space for high-intensity intervals, handstands and heavy lifts isn’t easy — and during peak hours, there’s a real art to getting fit in close quarters. But on the road to slimming down, leaning out, or getting swole, are you leaving behind a trail of destruction (alongside a pool of sweat on the bench)? 

“One out of every three gym-goers doesn’t wear deodorant.” 

According to a survey conducted by Nuffield Health, a U.K.-based health firm, the answer may be yes. Of the 2,000 people polled, 74 percent said fellow gym goers were guilty of bad gym etiquette, and many implicated themselves as well: 49 percent admitted to having used water bottles and towels that weren’t actually theirs; 33 percent revealed they exercise without deodorant; 18 percent fessed up to working out despite coughing, sneezing and being sick; and 16 percent flat-out said they don’t wash their clothes between workouts. Skeeved out? Us too.

But don’t throw in the towel just yet. In an effort to make your box, studio or sports club a friendlier, safer and all-around-more-awesome place to be, we called in some of the top trainers in the country to weigh in on proper workout decorum. While this list is by no means exhaustive, it hits on some of the deadliest sins in sweatsville. So who are the worst offenders? Find out here.

Need one of everything, in every size, shape and color? Health club hoarders aren’t unlike the ones you see on reality TV. “They stand in the same spot in front of the mirror with a collection of dumbbells in every weight around them and swear they’re using them all — while doing 10 different exercises,” says Max Tapper, personal trainer at The Sports Center at Chelsea Piers. How to avoid stockpiling? “Make circuits small and only take the weights you will need immediately,” Tapper says. 

RELATED: The Busy Person’s Guide to Becoming a Workout Minimalist

“The gym should be welcoming and inclusive — not a place where the few super jacked people can show off their six-packs.”

Supersetting (i.e. alternating between two or more exercises at a time) is a fantastic way to maximize your time, and your burn. It’s also a fantastic way to make some gy-nemies during peak lifting hours. Claiming “dibs” on multiple areas of the gym not only ties up two pieces of real estate at once, it forces others to wait and ask around if someone’s still there. “If you’re using more than one piece of equipment, make sure you’re close to them at all times,” says fitness coach JC Deen of JCD Fitness. Walk away for more than 15 to 30 seconds, and most people will assume you’re done, Deen says. “Supersetting is a luxury, not a necessity,” adds strength coach and author Bret Contreras. Bottom line: “If the gym is busy, don’t superset!”

Blame growing up with nannies, butlers and maids. For some, cleaning up after themselves isn’t second nature, which means stray kettlebells, plates and other gym essentials not in their proper place.  “It’s pretty self-explanatory, but it sucks when you’re rushing to get in a workout and you spend half the time looking for the dumbbell or medicine ball you need,” says Dan Trink, C.S.C.S., strength coach and owner of Trink Fitness. Avoid timeout by returning your equipment back where it belongs. 

When you’re pushing through that last round of v-ups or sled sprints, distractions can be a very good thing. But people-watch at your own risk. According to Jordan Syatt, five-time world record powerlifter, strength coach and owner of SyattFitness.com, overexposure (including “working out sans underwear”) is more common than you’d think. “I’m all for giving yourself some extra breathing room, but for your sake — and everyone around you — make sure you strap on a decent pair of undies.”

The same goes for shirts at certain boxes and gyms. “We have a shirts-on policy for men and women,” says Kelly Starrett, coach and founder of San Francisco CrossFit. “As a practical matter, it keeps people’s sweat from dripping all over our gym. More importantly, the gym should be a place that feels welcoming and inclusive, and not a place the few super jacked people can show off their six-packs.”

We’re just minding our own business at the pull-up bar, and in comes the wrecking ball — music blaring from their over-ear headphones, singing full-voice for all to hear. Is it Miley, just being Miley? Unlikely. “Singing in the gym it is not only distracting to gym members, it’s flat-out annoying!” says Michelle Lovitt, celebrity trainer and fitness expert. “Sing in your head or in the shower so the only person you’re distracting is yourself.”

Want to gawk? Swipe right. For all other inquiries, keep it respectable. Leering men aren’t just creepy, they’re “one of the biggest reasons women tell me they’re intimidated by the weight room,” says Adam Rosante, fitness and wellness coach, and author of The 30-Second Body. “If you see someone who really catches your attention, try to make eye contact at an appropriate time — not mid back squat — and smile. If she smiles back, wait until she’s done crushing it to say hello. If she blows you off, move on. You can go run 10 minutes of intervals to alleviate the sting.”

“A typical gym-goer wastes up to 35 percent of each sweat session on non-fitness activities.”

Up to 32 percent of gym rats admit to regularly interrupting their session to chat it up with friends. Sure, that’s OK for a recovery day, but most workouts should involve some amount of work. “If you’re able to carry on a full conversation while on the treadmill, you aren’t doing it right!” says Anja Garcia, DailyBurn and Equinox trainer. Gossip can wait — and for the 24/7 gabbers, cell phone calls should never take place on a moving conveyor belt (trust us). “It’s important to dedicate time to yourself, your fitness and your health.” Garcia says. Leaving distractions behind can be the difference between a phenomenal workout, and a face plant. 

Emojis can’t type themselves — at least not yet. And mid-workout, those minutes scouring your smart phone can really add up, taking a toll on focus, productivity and intensity (read: calorie burn). According to a survey conducted by Harpers Fitness, a typical gym-goer wastes up to 35 percent of each sweat session on non-fitness activities including texting, checking email, and scrolling through apps. To avoid shortchanging yourself, put your mobile into airplane mode and plug back in once you have that post-workout shake in hand. 

Drop it like it’s hot? That depends. If Olympic weightlifting (on an Olympic platform) is your thing, by all means, go for it. But at most commercial gyms that aren’t properly equipped, dropping your weights can be deemed dangerous, disruptive and downright unnecessary. “At the end of a very heavy set [it’s] sometimes unavoidable,” says Sean Hyson, C.S.C.S., Training Director for Men’s Fitness magazine and author of The Truth About Strength Training. “But if you see a guy doing it repeatedly, he’s either desperate for attention or very careless. Dropping dumbbells can damage them, as well as the floor beneath, and abruptly dropping a barbell can warp the bar, causing it to bend. Bent bars make loads unstable to lift and can cause injuries.” We’re all for lifting heavy, but be aware of your gym’s policy (Planet Fitness, we know where you stand), and avoid unleashing the beast with every. single. rep.

Dole out unsolicited advice and you’re bound to push buttons. “I see it happen a lot at various gyms I train at, and have yet to witness anyone who appreciates a total stranger giving them advice that they didn’t even ask for,” says Tony Gentilcore, CSCS, co-founder of Cressey Sports Performance in Hudson, MA. 

“There are a million reasons why a trainer — or non-trainer — might be doing something, and presuming that you know why they’re doing it is condescending,” says Jessi Kneeland, strength coach and creator of Remodel Fitness. “If you must get involved, simply ask them why they’re doing it that way. They may be clueless and actually ask for help — in which case go for it! But they may also have a special-case reason for doing something unusual, that you might never have thought of,” she says.

Imitation can be the sincerest form of flattery, unless of course that involves attempting a 375-pound deadlift having never learned proper form. A “monkey see, monkey do” deadlift (or any other exercise you may find poorly executed on YouTube) won’t be deadly, but it can result in a strained muscle, herniated disc, or worse. “It’s a recipe for disaster,” says Jason D’Amelio, certified athletic trainer and owner of Total Athletic PT, and one that can land you on YouTube yourself, but as a #gymfail. “Read up on new exercises before attempting to execute them, and make sure you have good form and technique before you start adding weight,” he says. 

There’s beast mode, and then there’s beast mode. If you’re performing a near-max set, grunting is an acceptable practice that’s often impossible to control, Hyson says. “It’s a byproduct of the pressure that builds up in the abdomen from holding your breath during a lift.” Research suggests it may also be the result of proper breathing, which can reinforce stability in the core to help generate more power. It’s when those grunts begin to resemble wounded animal noises that there may be a problem. D’Amelio adds, “If you’re using 10-pound dumbbells for bicep curls and it’s a struggle to lift them properly without making a prehistoric sound, consider dropping to a lighter weight where you can perform the exercise with full range of motion and full control.”

Take a note from Bret Contreras’s list of 50 Commandments of Commercial Gym Etiquette, and repeat after us: “Thou shalt respect other individuals’ space and maintain adequate distance from other lifters while they’re lifting.” Getting too close for comfort is not only irritating; it can result in a dropped weight, a black eye, or worse. In terms of safety, “there’s also the issue of keeping your immediate lifting area clear of any stray plates, water bottles, and so on,” says Jen Sinkler, fitness writer and Minneapolis-based personal trainer. “Should you miss a lift, the weight you’re hefting could fall, bounce off of those items, and take you out.”

RELATED: CrossFit’s Jason Khalipa: The Hardest Workout I’ve Ever Done

One of the biggest annoyances cited by gym-goers: Others encroaching on your own personal space. “Politely mentione that you need a little more space to safely and confidently do your weight training — for their sake as much as yours,” says Sarah Marsh, head of fitness and wellbeing at Nuffield Health.” If the problem persists, speak to a staff member. It’s possible the same person has been causing trouble for other clients as well, and it may be time to intervene. 

Sweat can be the mark of hard work, but don’t let it stain your reputation. Not wiping down equipment exponentially ups the “yuck” factor for all parties involved. “You accept a level of grossness in most gyms, but have a little respect,” Trink says. What’s worse: Skin infections, such as jock itch, ringworm and even MRSA can spread like wildfire in athletic settings, so personal hygiene isn’t just, well, personal. When it comes to smelling fresh and clean? “Have a rotation of at least two to three gym outfits and a stick of deodorant on call,” suggests Tapper. 

On the treadmill, going nowhere fast? You may be a prime target for pushy trainers trying to score new business. According to a recent poll conducted by Nuffield Health, 45 percent of trainers said they don’t think people seek out enough professional help. Whether or not they’re right, that’s up to you to decide. While each gym will have different policies on hard sell tactics, you always have the right to kindly say no thanks. Headphones back on, resume interval sprints.

For the au natural crowd, feeling the earth (or rather, the linoleum) under your toes can be freeing, we get it. Problem is, hygiene (see number 15). “I’m all for barefoot training,” says Syatt, “but if your feet smell like Big Foot’s diaper, you either need to keep your shoes on or give ‘em a good scrub before coming to the gym.”

Unfortunately traps aren’t made in the kitchen…or at the squat rack. If it’s not leg day, steer clear of such hallowed ground. “Everyone says curls, but taking up a rack for shrugs is worse,” says Trink. Take them to the Smith machine instead, he suggests. And for bicep curls, all you need is a preacher bar or a set of dumbbells and a clear spot on the gym floor, says JC Deen.

Needy significant others often get the boot. And yet, it’s hard to say no to the dude who always needs a spot. (Safety first, right?) Keep in mind that not every lift should be a one-rep max attempt, and other lifters do have their own programs to attend to. ”The only exercises that really need to be spotted are chest press and fly variations and squats,” says Hyson. “Only in rare situations is a spotter really necessary to help you increase the intensity on a set — by helping you force out more repetitions, or changing weights for you during a drop set. Most of the time a spotter’s only function is safety — to help you get into position for a lift or prevent you from dropping weights on your skull.” 

How else will the world possibly know you crushed your workout? At DailyBurn we fully support the sweaty selfie (in reasonable doses, of course). It’s your moment to flex those guns, squeeze those lats, and do whatever gets you amped to keep up your progress. That said, there’s a time and a place to snap ‘em (#belfies included, Jen Selter), so don’t take up prime real estate in order to capture the perfect light and angle. Whether you have five followers — or five million — don’t take your Insta-self too seriously.

Did we miss any of your biggest pet peeves? State your case in the comments below!

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