Feature Friday: Tyler Martin

August 8, 2014 by corestrengthalec in Feature Friday and tagged abercrombie, aesthetic, austin, body, calisthenics, cheer, cheerleading, coach, college, dallas, exercise, feature, Feature Friday, fit, fitness, friday, gym, health, Inspiration, male, martin, model, Motivation, muscle, muscles, navarro, spirit of texas, texas, tips, tyler | Leave a comment

First name: Tyler
Last name: Martin
City: Austin
State: Texas (Originally from Dallas, Texas)
Age: 24
Height: 5’9″
Weight: 185 -190 on a good day 😉
Profession: Cheer Coach

Follow Him:
Twitter: @Topmodelmartin
Instagram: @Tyler_Martini

Are you signed to any agencies?
As of right now, I’m not signed with any agencies, but I am open to the idea.

When did you start working out?:
Around 2-3 years ago.

How many days a week do you work out?:
6 days a week.

How long is your average workout?:
Between a hour and a hour and a half.

Favorite muscles to exercise:
Legs and glutes.

Least favorite muscles to exercise:
Biceps.

Favorite cheat meal:
Pizza and Wings and cinnamon rolls (any thing unhealthy).

What sports have you done?:
I’ve done gymnastics for 16 years and cheerleading for 6 years.

When did you start Gymnastics?:
When I about 4 years old.

Favorite tumbling pass:
Any double flipping passes like double backs, double lays, full in back outs.

When did you start Cheerleading?:
My freshman year of college by complete accident. Growing up I was never interested in cheer and I never thought I would do it. At one of my gymnastics meets I got scouted and they offered me a scholarship, so I had to take the it.

What teams have you cheered on?:
Spirit of Texas and Navarro College.

What is one of your biggest accomplishments you have achieved with cheerleading?:
Grand National Collegiate Champion, 3 time National Champion, 2nd at Worlds… multiple times.. unfortunately.

Do you have any fitness goals? If so, what are they?:
I would like to start competing in men’s physique and at some point go pro.

Do you have any fitness inspirations or people you look up to?:
My old trainer who basically taught me everything when it comes to weight lifting and eating right, Charles Chester who is a pro competitor. My other inspiration would be my dad because he’s annoyingly talented at everything.

What supplements do you take or recommend?:
I take factor 9 human growth stimulator which and P6 testosterone booster which I see huge effects by the end of my cycles.

Can you give a brief overview of your diet?:
I just started eating 2lbs of clean meats throughout the day with a serving of healthy carbs and greens with each serving of meat. When I wake up, I also take 6 shots of egg whites straight from the eggs which is actually not bad tasting at all.

Do you have any tips for people who are trying to reach their fitness goals?:
Get on the right eating plan and be consistent! As hard as it may be, meeting your goals is hugely affected by what your putting in to your body.

Did you like this week’s Feature Friday, Tyler Martin? Would you or someone you know like to be featured? Contact me at corestrengthalec@gmail.com for questions, comments, or ideas for other topics.

Reverse Hyperextensions with a Stability Ball

August 7, 2014 by corestrengthalec in Exercises and tagged aesthetic, ball, bosu, butt, core, diet, fit, fitness, glutes, gym, ideas, innovation, instructions, lower back, Motivation, muscle, muscles, stability, stability ball, strength, tone, waist, weight loss, workout | 1 Comment

Reverse Hyperextensions are a great exercise to help tone and strengthen your lower back while also working your glutes. Although this exercise is pretty easy to do, and it may even look fun, when done correctly, you will feel a burn in your lower back region. All you need for this exercise is an exercise ball.

To do Reverse Ball Hyperextensions:
1. Lie down, facing forward, with your hips on top of the exercise ball. Place your forearms on the floor, and your feet should be just off the floor. Keep your legs straight.
2. While keeping your legs extended, raise your legs up as high as you can.
3. Slowly lower your legs back down to about an inch above the floor.
4. Repeat steps 2-3 for the allotted amount of reps. (I like to do 5 sets of 10 reps.)

TIPS:
1. These should be slow controlled motions. You really want to feel a nice tightening in your lower back when you raise your legs.
2. When your legs are at the highest point, try to hold the position for about a second before you lower your legs back down. This will increase you muscle activation and make the exercise more affective.
3. This exercise can be done with your feet together or apart. I like to keep mine together, but if you do separate them, keep your feet shoulder width apart.
4. Do not use the ball to bounce your legs up in the air. Doing so could cause muscle strain or injury due to the fast motion from the bounce.

Do you like this exercise? Do you have any other exercises you like to do to strengthen your lower back? Contact me at corestrengthalec@gmail.com with questions, comments, or ideas for other posts.

Feature Friday: Ash Crawford

August 1, 2014 by corestrengthalec in Feature Friday and tagged abercrombie, actor, aesthetic, ash, ash crawford, Australia, body, calisthenics, crawford, exercise, feature, Feature Friday, fit, fitness, friday, gym, health, Inspiration, LA, male, model, Motivation, muscle, muscles, tips | 1 Comment

Ash1

First name: Ash
Last name: Crawford
City: Boston
Country: (Originally from Byron Bay, Australia)
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 185lbs
Profession: Actor/Model/Entrepreneur

Follow Him:

TikToK: @AshRCrawford https://tiktok.com/@ashrcrawford
Instagram: @AshRCrawford
Facebook: www.facebook.com/theashcrawford

Are you signed to any agencies? If so what agencies?
Print & Commercial: Daniel Hoff Agency
Manager: Me2Management

Ash3

When did you start working out?:
Growing up in Byron Bay, Australia I was active in all sports; soccer, cricket, surfing. I excelled at golf most. After high school in Australia I was recruited to go University in Texas on a D1 Golf scholarship. It was there that I began a strength and conditioning regime with the athletic department– much more rigorous than I had ever imagined. After I stopped playing golf competitively, I started working out with friends who were in the fitness industry. Since then I’ve been experimenting with all kinds of fitness and diets. I’ve found that keto works best for me and I’ve been doing that for the past few years.

How many days a week do you work out?:
5 days a week.

How long is your average workout?:
About 90 minutes

Ash2

Favorite muscles to exercise:
I like holistic, dynamic exercises like muscle-ups

Least favorite muscles to exercise:
Cardio, is that a muscle?

Do you have any fitness goals? If so, what are they?:
To be proportionate and healthy.

Do you have any fitness inspirations? If so, who are they?:
Steve Cook. He’s an absolute legend. Not only is he shredded, he is a great human. Check him out.

What supplements do you take or recommend?:
Coffee. That’s a supplement right?

Can you give a brief overview of your diet?:
Heaps of vegetables and lean meats. I try to have very minimal gluten and dairy in my diet. Keep sugars to around 50g per day also. Sodium you have to watch doesn’t creep above 2000mg per day either. Drink heaps of water. If you’re eating “clean” that’s great. But you get the biggest changes and results from consistently hitting your macros each day within 5-10g grams. Without that, you’ll plateau.

Do you have any workouts that you specifically like, that you believe are very affective?:
I really like all kinds of different training. Functional fitness is key for me. Can I be a better human? I do weightlifting, CrossFit and also a lot of Tabata Songs workouts like this one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nF0uWCiKs30

Ash4

Do you have any tips for people who are trying to reach their fitness goals?:
Decide what you want to do and what you want to change specifically. Be clear why you even want to change what you’re already doing. Once you decide if your goals are to lose body fat, to gain muscle, or to be able to compete in your given interest, you will approach your diet and training differently.

Do you have a website for people to visit to check out more information on you and your career?:
I’ve recently started a nitro coffee/tea and lifestyle company called Quivr. We make true cold nitro with no added anything. It’s the best out there and seeing the reaction from people has been really cool. I think everyone is sick of food and drinks that are full of bullshit. www.drinkquivr.com

You can find us on Instagram @drinkquivr instagram.com/drinkquivr

Do you have any other things you would like to say?(Comments, suggestions, etc)?:
The biggest tool that’s helped me over the years is tracking my strain and recover using WHOOP. If you know about them, then you know. If not, join me here – https://glnk.io/ovrz/ash-crawford

Please reach out to me on IG if you’d like to collaborate in anyway. I’m happy to help anyway I can. See you out there!

Did you like this week’s Feature Friday, Ash Crawford? Would you or someone you know liked to be featured? Contact me at corestrengthalec@gmail.com for questions, comments, or ideas for other topics.

Full Circle Fire Hydrants

July 28, 2014 by corestrengthalec in Exercises and tagged at home, body, bubble, butt, control, core, exercise, exercises, fit, fitness, glutes, gym, legs, muscle, muscles, nutrition, physique, skinny, strength, strong, tone, train, workout | Leave a comment

To be honest, I don’t know what to call this exercise because I made it up about a year ago and I have been doing it ever since. I took an exercise called ‘The Fire Hydrant’ and basically made it more complicated so I could target all areas of my glutes. I decided to use the name ‘Full Circle Fire Hydrants’ because you follow a circle pattern with your leg during the exercise. It may look easy, but if done correctly, your glutes will be on fire.

To Perform FULL CIRCLE FIRE HYDRANTS:
1. Start with your hands and knees both on the floor. Create a table top with your back and keep your hands and knees both shoulder width apart. (Picture 1)
2. With your left knee and both hands on the ground, lift your right knee and pull it into your chest. Crunch your torso toward the knee and contract your core. (Picture 2)
3. Now rotate your hip to raise the knee to your right side. Your knee should still be bend and your leg should be parallel to the ground. (Picture 3)
4. Extend and straighten your right leg keeping it parallel to the floor. (Picture 4)
5. Slowly move your leg toward the back. Your leg should be behind you now. (Picture 5)
6. Bend the right leg and return your right knee to your chest. Crunch your body toward your knee and contract your core. (Picture 2)
7. Repeat steps 3-7 for the allotted amount of reps (I usually do 10), and then repeat on the other side.

TIPS:
1. This exercise is all about form. Do not compromise form!
2. Hold each position of the leg for one second before moving onto the next step. Each movement should be nice and controlled.
3. Keep your shoulders square. It is ok to bend your elbows during this exercise if you need more stabilization, but do not twist your shoulders.
4. When I bring my knee to my chest (Step 2), I like to crunch toward my knee. Tighten your core and breathe out while your knee is in this position to give you abs a nice squeeze.
5. When extending your knee to the side (Step 4), keep your leg turned in. Some people may want to twist their leg so their knee faces the ceiling, but your knee should be facing forward.
6. After bringing your leg behind you (Step 5), it is good if you can raise your leg past parallel. Raise your leg as high as you can without bending your knee. You should feel a nice squeeze in your glutes.

Do you think you may try this exercise next time you are at the gym? If you do, let me know what you think of it. Do you have any questions, comments, or any ideas for other topics? Contact me at corestrengthalec@gmail.com

One Arm Medicine Ball Pushups

July 19, 2014 by corestrengthalec in Exercises and tagged body, build, chest, core, diet, exercise, fit, fitness, gym, medicine ball, Motivation, muscle, nutrition, pecs, strength, stretch, train, training, workout | Leave a comment

Do you want a new chest exercise that will really stretch and activate your pecs? This exercise activates all areas of your chest, works on your stabilization skills, and also gives your pecs a nice pull allowing your muscles to lengthen and grow.

To perform a One Arm Medicine Ball Pushups:
1. Start in a Pushup Plank Position with one hand on the floor and one hand on top of a medicine ball.
2. Lower into a pushup keeping one hand on the medicine ball.
3. Return to the Pushup Plank Position.
4. Roll the ball to the opposite hand and repeat the exercise.
5. Continue rolling the ball from one hand to the other with a pushup in between. I like to do 10 reps (20 pushups, 10 on the right, 10 on the left).

TIPS:
1. Activate your core in order to stabilize your body. When lowering into the push position, you should not tip to one side or droop your body to the floor.
2. Your chest should be parallel to the floor. If you tilt your shoulders, your chest will no longer be parallel and you will not be using the correct muscles during the exercise. (In the second picture, my shoulders are a little lopsided. Try to avoid this positioning and aim for a more parallel look like the positioning I achieved in the third picture. Form is important for this and every exercise).
3. Your feet can be wide, shoulder width apart, or together. The closer your feet are, the more your core will need to activate to stabilize your body.
4. I like to alternate sides during the exercise, rolling the ball to the opposing hand between each pushup. Other people may recommend doing all 10 pushups on one side, and then switching to the other hand to do the other 10. Either way works well, I just find continuously alternating makes the exercise more challenging because you are constantly shifting your weight and positioning.

Do you enjoy this workout? Do you have any other chest workouts that may be helpful? Contact me at corestrengthalec@gmail.com with any questions, comments, or ideas for other blog topics.

Coconut Turkey Bacon

July 10, 2014 by corestrengthalec in Recipes and tagged bacon, coconut, coconut oil, delicious, diet, fancy, fat, fats, fit, fitness, flakes, food, foodie, fry, health, healthy, macros, muscle, nutrition, oil, recipe, savory, shredded, snack, sweet, turkey, turkey bacon | Leave a comment

It may sound weird to some of you, but I promise that it is delicious. If you like Coconut and you like Turkey Bacon, then you will LOVE this recipe. I will admit right now, it is not the healthiest snack you can have, but can make for a nice treat once when you are really craving something both sweet and savory.

Ingredients:
8 Turkey Bacon Strips
3 oz. of Shredded Coconut
2 tbsp. of Coconut Oil
1 egg

Directions:
1. Crack 1 egg in a bowl and stir with a whisk or fork.
2. Place the shredded coconut on a large plate and spread it out evenly.
3. Oil a frying pan using 2 tbsp. of coconut oil and put the frying pan on the stove top at low-medium heat.
4. Coat one strip of turkey bacon at a time with the egg that was mixed in the bowl. This can easily be done by dipping the entire turkey bacon strip in the bowl.
5. Place the coated turkey bacon strip on the plate with the shredded coconut. Coat the strip on both sides with shredded coconut.
6. Place the turkey bacon strip on the frying pan and let it sit for about 1 minute. After one minute, flip the turkey bacon strip and cook for an additional minute. The reason we do not fry the bacon for too long is because the coconut will easily blacken if cooked too long. We want the coconut to be golden brown.
7. Remove the strip from the frying pan and place it on a plate that is covered by a paper towel.
8. Continue the process from step 4-7 for the other 7 pieces of turkey bacon. Once you have finished cooking all of the pieces, you should have 8 coconut coated, turkey bacon strips on one plate.
9. Place a paper towel over the turkey bacon and put the plate in the microwave. Cook on high for 2-3 minutes or until the turkey bacon has a consistency you like.
10. Let the plate cool and ENJOY!

Do you like this recipe? Do you have any recipes you would like to share? Email me at corestrengthalec@gmail.com with any questions, comments, or ideas for new topics.

Rolling Pistol Squats

June 19, 2014 by corestrengthalec in Exercises and tagged abs, amrap, build, butt, cardio, core, crossfit, diet, exercise, glutes, gym, hamstrings, health, heart, leg, legs, muscle, muscles, new, nutrition, pistol, quads, six pack, squat, squats, strength, sweat, tone, variation, workout | Leave a comment

One of the benchmark exercises to do in any CrossFit gym is a Pistol Squat. Pistol Squats involve only using one leg to squat down and push back up to the standing position. This exercise is very difficult and requires a lot of practice and strength to complete. Rolling Pistol Squats are an easier variation of the standard Pistol Squat because they allow you to use momentum to your advantage. Rolling Pistol Squats are also a great cardio and full body workout.

To Perform a Rolling Pistol Squat:
1. Start in the standing position with both feet on the floor.
2. Squat down with your glutes as close to the floor as possible and create a comfortable curve in your back to prepare to roll backward.
3. Roll backward onto your back and raise your legs in the air.
4. Using the momentum of throwing your legs forward, place one foot on the ground as close to your glutes as possible with the other leg straight out in front of you and stand up.
5. Once standing, put the leg that is straight out in front of you back down to return to the standing position.
6. Repeat the exercise from Step 2 and alternate legs with each rep.

TIPS:
1. When I roll backward, I like to keep my legs straight and bring my legs as close to my chest as I can. I give them a light pull with my hands and this allows me to give my hamstrings a stretch.
2. The closer you can place your foot to you glutes when you role forward, the easier it will be to stand up.
3. Momentum is key! Quickly bring your legs forward to make the push up from the floor easier.
4. For anyone with a knee or hip injury, any variation of a pistol squat is not recommended. Never do a workout that causes you pain. Listen to your body!
5. Rolling Pistol Squats are great to help tone your legs, but they also wok your core and provide a good cardio workout as well. I like to use Rolling Pistol Squats in between other exercises to keep my heart rate up. I usually do about 16 reps per set (8 on each leg), and about 3-5 sets during my workout.

Have you ever tried Rolling Pistol Squats? Do you plan on adding these to your workout routine? I really appreciate any feedback. Contact me at corestrengthalec@gmail.com.

Jump Squats

June 4, 2014 by corestrengthalec in Exercises and tagged body, butt, cardio, exercise, fitness, form, glutes, health, high, HIIT, intensity, interval, jump, legs, muscles, nutrition, quads, squats, training, workout | 1 Comment

Time to get our butts in shape for summer, LITERALLY. I personally can get bored with traditional cardio, so I try to integrate some High Intensity Interval workouts that not only provide a great cardio exercise, but also help tone your muscles. Jump squats are a great high intensity workout that target your entire lower body, especially your booty.

To perform a Jump Squat:
1. Start in a standing position with your feet about shoulder width apart.
2. Squat down.
3. From the squat position, jump up in the air and extend your legs. (Your feet should be a few inches above the ground)
4. Once you complete the jump, repeat the workout from step 2.

Tips:
1. When squatting down, get your glutes low to the floor. This will stretch and activate your muscles more effectively.
2. While jumping, straighten your leg and tighten your quads. Work your leg muscles even in the jump of the exercise.
3. When you return back to the ground, land through your toes and bend your knees. This promotes good form and prevents injury and joint discomfort.
4. I either like to do 5 sets of 15 reps for this workout with 45 second breaks in between, or I use this workout to superset with another leg exercise (usually lunges).

Are you getting your body in shape for the summer? Do you use Jump Squats in your routine? Contact me at corestrengthalec@gmail.com with questions, comments, or ideas for new topics.

BOSU Burpees

May 21, 2014 by corestrengthalec in Exercises and tagged abs, advanced, amrap, arms, beginner, body, bodyweight, bosu, bosu ball, burpee, burpees, cardio, core, crossfit, exercise, fitness, full body, health, healthy, HIIT, instructional, legs, muscle, muscles, pushup, strength, sweat, tone, weight, workout | Leave a comment

Back to BURPEES! I promised that I would show you other versions of Burpees and the one I am about to show you is one of my favorites. For this variation, you will need to use a BOSU ball. These BOSU Burpees intensify your workout by adding stability and resistance components to your burpee.

To do a BOSU Burpee:
1. Start in a standing position holding the BOSU Ball handles with the ball facing away from your body.
2. Squat down and place the BOSU ball on the ground. (The flat side should be facing up and the ball side should be on the floor)
3. Jump your feet back to put yourself in a plank position while still holding the BOSU ball handles.
3a. Optional Pushup
4. Jump your feet forward to return to the squat position.
5. Raise the BOSU ball above your head.
6. Jump up. While jumping, press the BOSU ball up toward the ceiling.
7. Repeat from Step #1.

Tips:
1. If you are not familiar with Burpees, or forget some of the tips I have given to get the most out of these exercises, check out my ‘How to do a Burpee’ Post before trying this more difficult variation of the exercise. It is important to understand the body mechanics of the basic exercise before trying more difficult variations in order to prevent injury.
2. Remember, when squatting down, try and get your glutes low to the floor.
3. Activate your core while in the plank position. The BOSU Ball will add an additional stability aspect to the exercise which will require more core strength and activation than the Basic Burpee.
4. When jumping during this exercise, you also press the BOSU Ball up toward the ceiling. Adding the BOSU ball will not only add weight to your jump making the jump more difficult, but it will also help tone your shoulders while pressing the BOSU Ball up.

Bosu Burpee: Step 1

Bosu Burpee: Step 2

Bosu Burpee: Step 3

Bosu Burpee: Step 3a

Bosu Burpee: Step 4

Bosu Burpee: Step 5

Bosu Burpee: Step 6

Do you any variations of Burpees that you like to include in your workout routine? Contact me at corestrengthalec@gmail.com for any questions, comments, or ideas for new topics.

Cranberry Turkey Meatballs

May 15, 2014 by corestrengthalec in Recipes and tagged calories, carbs, coconut oil, cranberry, delicious, diet, eggs, fitness, food, health, healthy, idea, meal, mealprep, meatballs, nutrition, oats, protein, recipe, turkey, weight | Leave a comment

Let me be the first to say that I am not a great cook. I have a really bad habit of over cooking food, I don’t usually know what spices go well in what recipes, and I tend to ‘eyeball’ measurements incorrectly. With this said, my turkey meatball recipe is really easy and it makes a pretty tasty and healthy meal. This recipe makes 12-15 meatballs.

Cranberry Meatballs:
Prep: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
1 lb of extra lean ground turkey
1/2 cup of rolled oats
1 egg
1 egg white
1/3 cup Dried Cranberries
Pinch of Salt

(Optional Ingredients)
4 TBSP of Parmesan Cheese
Shaved Carrots
Dash of Rosemary

Directions:
1.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a large pan with olive oil or cooking spray, and place it in the oven while preheating.
2. Quickly dice the dried cranberries on a cutting board.
3. In a large bowl, mix together the ground turkey, oats, egg, egg white, cranberries, and any other optional ingredients.
4. Using your hands, or an ice cream scoop if possible, form the meat into golf ball sized meatballs (about 1-1.5 inches in diameter). Place the meatballs about 1 inch apart on the pan.
5. Bake for 12-15 minutes in the preheated oven, then turn them over, and continue baking for 5-8 more minutes. The meatballs should look light brown on the outside. Cut into one meatball to make sure they have been cooked entirely through.
6. Let the meatballs cool and serve with vegetables, pasta, or any way you would like it.

Tip:
– I like to double the batch and save the meatballs for my meals for the week. The cranberries make the meatballs a little sweet, so when I reheat them, I like to rub a tiny bit of coconut oil on the outsides of the meatballs and heat them up in the microwave or oven. I usually have about 5-6 meatballs with a side of vegetables (asparagus or green beans with a little coconut oil are my favorites to have with these meatballs).

Let me know if you like this recipe. Do you have any healthy recipes you would like to share? Contact me at corestrengthalec@gmail.com with questions, comments, and ideas for future topics.

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