Back At It....Comparing ME....to the OLD "ME?"

Yes, I know it has been a while since my last blog, but I can summarize why in three simple words.

BUSINESS
MOVING
BABY

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

Back in June, Meg and I decided we needed to move before she started back in school. 1000 Square feet wasn't cutting it with a large breed dog, a new baby, and a husband who collects more fitness supplies than Rogue themselves🤣.

So, on-top of the financial stresses of finding a home in the range we wanted, working out issues on ALL those fronts, finding the location we wanted, we ended up getting it done and I can finally take a deep breathe.

Did I mention we also run our annual Hot Mom Challenge the SAME month we moved, so the preparation and backend work nearly put me in a coma....but it was all worth it! We are helping so many moms and Meggy is loving the new home...along with Noah and of course Brea!

To be honest...

I even went a little overboard with excitement and spent any little bit of "no" free time I have, haha, building a mini OAF....(for where some SERIOUS transformations are going to happen with some up close, 1-1 training with me coming soon!)

It's not finished yet....

But it's getting there, and I can't wait to start using it and getting some killer workouts and helping more people who may live closer to me and want to work with me when I review applications(If you want added, please send me a message and I'll send you over the application!)

Anyways, that is not my topic for today....so let's get right to it.

I know many of you can relate, but I am struggling. Struggling with this whole new life I am thrown into now being a father and someone Noah counts on and is looked up to!

It may seem silly....but it's true!

I even had a great friend remind me yesterday about how I need to just embrace the change and accept the fact that things will never be the same.  I lived the last 6 years of my life focusing on MEG and myself and OAF. Adding Noah put so many things out of line for my Type A personality.

I am super regimented, very "to the book" and I try to work to perfection sometimes so having Noah has thrown me for a giant loop.

A lot of the "I's" have turned into "HE'S" and all our attention and primarily MEG'S attention goes directly to him.

I get it, and know why it is that way...but as I told my buddy yesterday....I almost feel like I am "dad jealous."

For all these years I had Meg to turn to for help. She was my saving grace that slowed my brain down and MADE me relax because I never took time for myself unless she forced me to or I got sick, haha.

But the reality of it now is that she is so consumed with Noah that I quickly had to learn back to my roots of being more independent so she can do the best she can raising our child.

Sure, I am right there by her side, but we all know the female in the relationship has more to deal the the baby stages.

So, today I had a realization that things will NEVER be the same....and for the past few weeks...I was upset.....I would fight it....I would take out anger with it and keep asking myself WHY....

* "Why can't I get up at 4:15am everyday anymore and get right to work and have a large chunk of my day done by 9am?"

* "Why can't I feel rested and always energetic and ready to rock like I used to?"

* "Why can't I get time to relax and unwind without worrying about a baby, dog, or house that needs taken care of?"

* "Why do I suddenly feel like 30 is the new 60 when it comes to how my body feels?"

* "Why can't I get all the hugs, cuddles, and smiles Noah gets everyday?"

* "What is WRONG with me?" Why can't I be the person I used to be?

It was until this conversation I had with my buddy that I realized he was RIGHT.

I can't live in the past. I can't live off what "used to be." The mere fact of the matter is that it will NEVER be the same. I will NEVER be what I once was....

But what I also needed to tell myself, is that it WILL BE BETTER.

I have to embrace the change and make it my NEW LIFE, a BETTER life, and my FAMILY.  The important thing he said in our conversation that stuck out to me was that Noah is going to be my LEGACY.

He is a piece of me that I will leave on this earth, and it's up to me to control how and where that goes.

Maybe I was selfish, maybe I was just sticker shocked with the change....which is why I am so driven to succeed with work and life.....but the reality of this whole thing is that my NEW life is a BETTER life.....it's just a matter of my perspective and how I deal with each new challenge.

What would I rather be known for? Building a business and never veering outside those reigns....or doing it all while growing a family and embracing the challenges and AMAZING things that come with that...

It relates so well to ALL areas of life, and what I am finally getting at for my topic today. The mind is a powerful tool and how you balance it controls your thoughts and feelings in any given situation.

You can either let your mind tell you working out will hurt, be awful, a waste of time OR you can tell yourself about how it will make you feel BETTER, release endorphins, help you get stronger, and lose weight you want.

You can go to work dreading your 9-5 or embrace the fact you HAVE a job that pays you well enough to support a family!

There are millions of people in our country that would give anything to be able to provide for themselves let a lone a family!

So I need to be more grateful, and so do you!

I know transitioning to having a newborn would be difficult, and they try to prepare you for what's to come....but it's never helpful until you see it happen yourself....

And I had a bit of a shock. I tried everything I could to help our family be OKAY while Meg did what she needed in the baby stages.  But now it's time for me to adopt a new role and be thankful for the opportunity I have to be a dad and father to such a beautiful, blessed boy!

This new change I took hard. I tried to be perfect in every-way I could, while stressing myself out over why I couldn't be the "Mike" of old. I wanted to so badly that I would force myself to do it all and it nearly had me collapse.

So right now I am focusing on the "new me." I am embracing this beautiful boy we brought into the world.

I am letting go of what "used to be" and empowering myself to become a "better me" with all new beginnings and regimens.

The best way to describe it.....

Forget the past....Live in the present. Make use of all your time, and don't wish moments away the precious moments you get with your beloved family.

Sure, I will alway remember and enjoy the times I spent building my business, my life, and the amazing times with just Meg and I....but right now, I am focusing on the amazing days with my FAMILY and whats to come with trips, parties, and bonding time....while still taking all the sleepless nights, longs days, and times spent on things other than me....and giving grace to God that I am able to have a family and grow one....

Especially when to this day my mother was unsure how I could do such a thing!😂

⚠️Why you're low back is sore....😳(and what to do about it)

Quadratus Lumborum Tightness(QL)

⚠️What is it?⚠️

One of the deepest abdominal muscles, used to sit, stand, extend and serve as a synergist for the GLUTES. Yes, you heard that right! Many people develop LOW back pain and immediately start stretching their backs when it could very well be the culprit of tight hamstrings. 

The QL has attachments at the pelvis, lumbar spine, and ribs…making it essential to not be over-worked or stressed to keep a healthy body!

Most often, when the QL is tightened it shortens which causes the spine to go into lateral flexion(not a good thing) and the lumbar spine into extension(again, not a good thing). 

This tightness can give you a “false sense” or hip extension where you are doing certain exercises like deadlifts, RDLs, Band Walks, Bridges, etc with using more the low back and less of the glutes. 

✅A perfect example? 

Think of the last time you did back squats….maybe some residual low back stiffness but nothing out of the normal….

Now….load up and go heavy on some BOX SQUATS. Let me know how that booty feels! It’s pretty incredible the roll of the glutes when it comes to not only extending the hips but ALSO stabilizing! 

🔑Another key point to think about is that the glutes work in all three planes of motion! Not JUST ONE….which is why runners tend to develop overuse injuries if they dont spend time working in those other planes! 

The glutes are key is eccentric control, and since we don’t have much muscle below the knee….the glutes become prime examples of the muscle that has to eccentrically stabilize, reduce internal rotation and flexion. 

So, case in point today for my knowledge bomb….DO NOT forget about you glutes. They are the largest muscle in your body, and 9 times out of 10….when you are hurting somewhere along the posterior chain, it’s related to them.

Watch my videos below for a couple exercises to cue glute activation, while SMR and deep tissue can be a life savor for the QL tightness if you notice the area in red(pic above)very tight on you!

Hope this helps!

Bowler Squats

Great exercise to incorporate a strong glute contraction at the top of the exercise in a transverse plane of motion. Great for queuing the QL and glutes to contract and support.

Prone Hip Extension

Activate the glutes by having a slight bend in the knee and tighten your abdominal muscles. 

Quadrupled Prone Hip Extension

*Note: These are not donkey kicks. I am not a fan of them simply because they tend to go past end range of motion, causing you to lose tension in glutes and arch the spine. This serves no purpose for glute activation.

Single Leg Glute Bridge

This is a great exercise that I see most commonly butchered. WHY? MIND/MUSCLE connection. It simply is NOT good enough to go through the motion mindlessly without squeezing and activating the glutes! Drive your heel into the box and have a STRONG contraction and you will quickly see what I am talking about!