🚨 Is your body fighting against you?!👇🏼🚨

Even when you’re doing everything right?!

Are you sick of gaining weight for no reason?! 🤮

There’s a lot to say here but this has been the theme of our conversations lately with many people as we’re all in that phase of life. 💪🏼

A very common culprit = Hormones.

Men, we’re fortunate. Ladies, you have way more to combat than us. 🥵

Mainly I just want to speak today to HIGH STRESS & CORTISOL levels and encourage you on some things to think about when working out. 🤯

✅ CALM IS BETTER THAN SPASTIC
I know it’s hard to wrap our minds around but especially if you sense you are gaining unnecessary weight (and you aren’t doing anything differently in the kitchen), it’s better to slow down then to go fast. Some of you feel like you need to add more running or run harder and I would suggest, you probably need to WALK! If your cortisol levels are high and you’re already in a high stress state (which so many people are nowadays) you don’t want to stress your body out more with workouts. You can get physical, and gain a lot, and keep your body calm, and reverse negative effects, by WALKING.

✅ STRENGTH TRAINING IS WHERE ITS AT
Of course, walk on your off days because when you’re in the gym you need to lift them weights! 😁

This re-iterates the point above that jumping on cardio machines (although they have their place) isn’t the MAIN in this stage of life.

As we get older our hormones change.

Men, our testosterone tends to drop.

Ladies, commonly produce less estrogen.

Both can lead to fat storage & weight gain.

Strength training has been shown to stimulate production of these hormones and help rebalance them for both men and women.

Strength training stimulates the release of HGH (human growth hormone), which aids in building muscle and burning fat and…

…healthily, naturally, balancing out our cortisol levels. For example, when cortisol is elevated, these other anabolic hormones are depressed, and vice versa. So we need the hormone stimulation produced by building lean muscle.

*note cortisol is supposed to be highest in the morning and lowest at night.

✅ CORTISOL ISN’T ALL BAD

Cortisol is a primary anti-stress hormone. Without cortisol, you would go into shock and die if exposed to trauma.

Cortisol also plays an important role post-exercise, by helping to supply fat in order to power muscle-protein-synthesis reactions.

Made in the adrenal glands, cortisol is released to control the body’s blood sugar levels, regulate metabolism and act as an anti-inflammatory, among other functions.

✅ IS EXERCISE RELATED CORTISOL DIFFERENT?

Acccording to a January 2017 study published in ‌Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology‌. Exercise-related cortisol causes a release in dopamine, a chemical that makes you feel good (thus reducing stress), which solely stress-induced cortisol does not.

And exercise also causes your brain to produce endorphins, which are chemicals that act as natural painkillers, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. Endorphins improve your overall brain function and help reduce stress, too.

This is why training is GOOD. But as humans, what do we do? We struggle to find balance.

🔥Summarizing thoughts:🔥

✔️ This affirms why our model is 3-days per week and we actively REST on off days.
✔️ This is why we stress, pun intended, to simplify your lives and SLEEP!
✔️ This is why we say challenge yourself with heavier weights and don’t stress about jumping around all the time like bouncing energizer bunnies.
✔️ This is why we suggest less talking and phone checking during workouts so you don’t jack up more stress hormones and you can FOCUS on the movements and muscle tension.
✔️ Of course there is so much else to consider. These are just some nuggets to chew on.

As always I don’t know diddly squat.

Never take my word for it.

It’s a constant trial and learning process as we always learn that fitness isn’t always what the marketing industry makes it out to be.

Could it be that the FMU FORMULA worx cuz it’s on the verge of doing something that no other franchise gym does?

I believe so.

But it’s just my opinion. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Try it for yourself today…

And it may just be an absolute game-changer for you and everyone in your life.

God Bless

Coach Theo