PRs, Celebrations , and More during the week of September 7th
PRs
Let’s talk about PRs!
Last week we had 15 ladies PR for their 1 rep strict press. We also had 15 ladies PR on their 3 rep bench press. On Friday/Saturday we had 19 ladies PR for 1 rep deadlift! Keep working hard girls!
For 1 rep strict press we want to congratulate staff member Kylee G, she got a new PR and lifted 72.5 lbs. Kylee helps keep the plants green and the floors clean! For 3 rep bench press Michelle R got a PR and lifted 78 lbs. Lastly, for deadlift Laura B and Alisa G both got PRs, Laura lifted 200 lbs and Alisa lifted 100 lbs! Great job!
Celebrations
So much to celebrate last week! Colleen K, Taylor O, and Rachel B all had a birthday last week. We hope you all had an amazing day! We also had one anniversary last week, Anna C has been lifting with LightHouse for 2 years! Thanks for staying with us! Lastly, Courtney got engaged while on vacation in Bali! Congratulations to you and your new fiancé!
Ask A Question
What is the grip I see for deadlifts on social media?
That is called a mixed grip. As shown in the picture above one hand is overhand and one hand is underhand. It’s great for being able to hold on to the bar better, which makes it very useful for competitions that allow mixed grip.
However, there are many downsides to the mixed grip. Using that grip will likely lead to muscle imbalance. Mixed grip will cause the bar to rotate/swing around you throughout the lift. Using only the mixed grip will not improve your grip strength. Lastly, there is a chance of tearing your bicep on the underhand arm. This would typically happen at a heavy weight but the risk is there at any weight, especially for newer lifters, or people that have returned to lifting after taking time off.
Eventually grip will be a limiting factor in your deadlift, and that’s when we will start using straps. Straps have all the benefits of the mixed grip and virtually no downside. We even continue to see grip strength increase when using straps. We only use straps near max lifts, not for every single set. We have some straps to try at the gym and here is a list of a suggested weightlifting gear: https://www.l-h-s-c.com/weightlifting-gear.
What is a good food tracker app and how do I figure out my macros?
Trackers
My Fitness Pal is most people’s go to tracking app, there is a free and a paid version. With any tracking app you need to take extra time in the beginning and find the correct entries to use. You should weigh and measure everything for at least a week and make sure what you are inputting matches what you ate.
I have not used it recently but I found My Fitness Pal to be a bit messy. I use Macro Factor. I do not think there is a free version, but everything is simple and clean and there are no ads.
There is also Cal AI, which is highly rated in the app store. The snap a picture function is only available in the paid version. Taking a picture and letting the AI figure it out is probably the easiest way to start tracking food. I will use Cal AI next week and see how accurate the picture capture method is. Check back in a week or two for a Cal AI review.
Macros
Macros should be second to tracking. Start by tracking everything first. Next, make sure your total daily calories are at LEAST 1,500. This will vary by height and weight, and closer to 2,000+ calories a day will benefit most of you. If you are currently under eating you’ll feel great by eating more. You will also build muscle and likely lose fat faster. You can even lose weight by eating more!
Once you are hitting your total daily calories start focusing on protein. Use last week’s protein calculation to figure out your daily protein. Once you are hitting your total calories and protein, then you can start to focus on the whole macro picture. You can use AI for that information to get a starting point. If you want more detailed or in-person assistance you can schedule an appointment with Lauren. https://www.l-h-s-c.com/nutrition
Quick protein on the go follow up from last week.
Naked Protein: Probably the most clean protein on the market, even their flavored ones only have 3 ingredients. Stay tuned for a review of their Bone Broth Protein.
1st Phorm: Not as few ingredients as Naked, but great customer service and a proud American company. If you want bold flavor options check them out. They have a full line of protein and supplements. I really like the meat sticks - Jalapeno Cheddar and Breakfast Sausage. The ingredients are better than typical gas station jerky.
Lineage Provisions: Another company with no junk ingredients. I have the AB Complete protein. It has a simple earthy, almost chocolatey taste. I mix it with water or milk, and I also have made an “ice cream” with it. I’ll post instructions for that soon. Stay tuned for a review of the Lineage protein bars.
To ask a question for next week click here: https://www.l-h-s-c.com/question-form