💪 Training Valor Newsletter🦵

🔶 Sample Workout

Description: This is a beginner-friendly workout that introduces bodyweight and dumbbell exercises. The wall sit, toe and heel walks and reverse lunge start this workout off with the legs burning. But the wall sit and foot and ankle exercises should make the more challenging reverse lunge feel a bit better on your joints. The bench press and skullcrushers can be done on the ground if you don’t have a bench. The rest of the exercises are simple and can be found easily on youtube if you’re unsure on how to do them. Some of them you’ll see my exercise description videos as well!

🔶 Featured Stretch

Half Kneeling Elbow Reach

This is more of an advanced stretch. With a bar set at around shoulder height, grab a wide grip and drop yourself forward. I suggest to start, drop to the knees as you extend into this stretch as you’ll have less of your body weight in your hands (similarly to a push up from the knees). To progress the difficulty, push your head through your arms as your arms get pulled back behind you. This stretch is perfect for improving flexibility of the chest and lat muscles.

🔶 Strength & Conditioning Science

How Muscle Growth Works

Jorgenson, K. W., Phillips, S. M., & Hornberger, T. A. (2020). Identifying the Structural Adaptations that Drive the Mechanical Load-Induced Growth of Skeletal Muscle: A Scoping Review. Cells, 9(7), 1658. https://doi.org/10.3390/cells9071658

🔶 Featured Recipe – Air Fried Chicken

This is not a specific recipe, but more so just a reminder that you DON’T have to eat bland chicken breast to hit your protein goals and get/stay in shape.
Bone-in skin on cuts like whole chicken legs, thighs, and drumsticks have more fat and typically more calories than a lean cut like chicken breast. But with the higher fat content comes more fat soluble vitamins, MUCH better taste and more satiety. Whether it’s baked in the oven or in the air frier, these cuts are cheaper and arguably better for you than the boring chicken breast.