Chest, back, legs, shoulders, biceps, triceps. (Oh and calves. Stupid calves. Always skipped those.) For years whenever I lifted weights my exercises were done in this order. The actual exercises would vary – dumbbell flys one day and flying dumbbells the next (Kidding! Sorta!) – but the workout stayed the same. Why? Well because I …
Read more “Does Exercise Order Matter? [P90X Phase III and Final Review]”
“Hey, Charlotte! Are you okay?” My kickboxing instructor yanked me out of a my cardio stupor in the middle of class last Friday. “Wha…? Yeah. I mean, of course,” I stammered as everyone else turned to stare at me (through the mirror so it was like getting doubly stared at). “You just look so sad! …
Read more “Turning a Frown Upside Down Takes More Than Being Able to do a Headstand*”
She’s actually modelling swimsuits in this photo spread but check out Jean Harlow working the cable machine!! (Although I’m not sure what move she’s doing – triceps kickbacks? Lat pull-throughs? Shoulder somethings??) Did you know that Marilyn Monroe was one of the first women to publicly embrace weight lifting? Or that Katharine Hepburn could still …
Read more “Health and Fitness Tips From Old Hollywood Glamour Girls!”
Ranked right up there with the Loch Ness Monster and Shangri-La, the “runner’s high” is one of the most elusive yet sought-after myths in modern lore. But is it a real biochemical response or just marathoners trying to justify spending their whole Saturday running? The anecdotal evidence is mixed: for people who get a runner’s …
Read more “Do You Get a Runner’s High? And Is It a Real Thing? [New Research Answers All Your Q’s!]”
“Pumpkin!” That was the final word that I needed to win Mrs. Julkunen’s second-grade Fall Festival bingo game. The stakes were high: winning meant not only bragging rights on the playground but also a beautiful package of scented pencils that I lusted over and begged my mom endlessly for quarters so I could buy some …
Read more “My (Only Slightly Exaggerated) Near Death Experience With Health Food”
Totally unrelated but Gym Buddy Allison and I were noticing the other day how ridiculous song lyrics look when you have to read them close-captioned on the TVs at the gym. I still love Adele. End tangent. (Does it count as a tangent if I haven’t even started on the subject yet?) What is the …
Read more “The #1 Thing I Wish I Knew When I First Got Into Fitness: I am not ornamental”
Click to enlarge It’s a known fact that I don’t like to drink my calories – so known actually that at a recent dinner date my friend’s husband announced loudly “Every time I drink, I think about Charlotte! And feel guilty!” (Downsides to having a very public blog: At another dinner party a different …
Read more “Drink to Your Health! Tart Cherries and Tangy Grapefruit [Giveaways!]”
Huge thanks to Meanliving for tweeting me this pic!! If she were wearing a tutu, it would totally be me. As you probably already know (I think I’ve mentioned it on here elventy times now) I’ve been going through some rough stuff emotionally. There was all the PTSD drama around Christmastime – it was really …
Read more “Apologies and a Quick Update: I have emerged from the dark tunnel!”
Bloody rampages can really get the blood pumping – in more ways than one. The hottest new fitness trend coming out of Japan (where else do all slightly demented yet meteoric trends come from these days?) is Samurai Training. The aerobics class, which is open to both genders but is almost exclusively dominated by women …
Read more “From Zombie Attacks to Samurai Maidens: What’s Your Fitness Fantasy?”
Trigger warning for mild mention of eating disordered behavior. This post talks about part of my recovery process. I love love love Natalie Dee. Ever had a “fat and ugly attack”? It’s like being on one of those makeover TV shows where everyone who you thought loved you shows up to tell you that you …
Read more “How to Combat a Fat and Ugly Attack [Reader Intuitive Eating Question]”
