I love calves. I find myself drawn to them. Calves are amazing little things; even though they’re a rather small muscle group, they’re built to move your entire body weight explosively. When performing any sort of jump (especially when jumping rope), it’s your calves that actually propel you off the ground. Aside from being petite-powerhouse-muscles, calves are also crucial in our day-to-day, functional movements. Walking and stepping up stairs, two very common daily activities, engages the calves; and when getting up on your tip-toes to reach something, the calves work in isolation to lift your entire body weight. They also work as stabilizing agents in other compound lower body movements, such as squats and lunges. Despite their importance, calves tend to be overlooked in one very important arena: flexibility.
Hamstrings are, in this trainer’s opinion, the most over-stretched muscle. Granted, it is very important to stretch the hamstrings, but it’s also equally as important to stretch every other muscle group. Often times I see people doing three or four different hamstring stretches, then maybe one quad stretch, and that’s it! There are other muscles in your legs besides hamstrings and quadriceps… like wonderful calves! Recently, I stumbled across some information that diagnoses perceived hamstring inflexibility as actual calf inflexibly; or, in English, it might not be your hamstrings that are tight, it could be your calves.
You see, the posterior muscles of the leg are connected by one cohesive band of fascia, i.e. connective tissue. When you stretch a muscle, you are also stretching this connective tissue. Since the fascia is connected, tightness in one area prohibits flexibility in the other. Therefore, you can only achieve successful posterior flexibility, i.e. touching your toes, when both the calves and the hamstrings are flexible.
Now you might ask, “Oh Great Calf-Queen, how can I figure out if it is indeed my calves, and not my hamstrings, that are causing my tightness?” The Great Calf-Queen replies that it’s simple, really. Perform this self-test: before doing any kind of stretching, perform a sit and reach test and mark how far you can reach. Then, stretch your calves for 5-10 minutes (you might even want to try using a foam roller to massage the calf muscles). After stretching your calves, do the sit and reach test again and see if you can reach farther than before. If so, then it’s your calves causing your inflexibility and you need to stretch them more regularly. Don’t forget about those little guys down there, they’re important and they look phenomenal in heels.
DID YOU KNOW?
Working out in several short intervals, i.e. 3 sessions of 10 or 15 minutes, has the same effect on the body as the typical 45 min-1 hour workout session. Giving you even less of an excuse to miss your daily workout!
Jennifer's Gems
What we’re eating:
Oranges: Satisfies our sugar cravings, but provides a natural source of vitamin C.
Chobani Greek Yogurt: We love the thicker texture of Greek yogurt, and even though it’s slightly higher in calories, it has more protein than regular yogurt.
Almonds: Great as a quick and easy snack. High in protein, low in saturated fat, and just plain tasty!
Fitness Q & A
Q:
What should I eat before and after my workout?
A:
Before: You want to eat 1.5-2 hours before your workout, and just a snack will suffice. After all, you don’t want to see that food come back up. Before your workout, your body needs some sort of carbohydrate for fuel, a little bit of sugar to prevent your blood sugar from dropping, and lots of water for hydration. Just a handful of cereal and a banana would do the trick, or one piece of peanut butter toast. Again, nothing major, just a snack.
After: The most important thing you need after a workout is protein: chicken, fish, nuts, beans, seeds… Anything with protein. Of course, you will also want to drink water to replenish the liquid you lost during your workout. Fruits and vegetables are also advisable, as always, but not as immediately important following your workout.
Member of the Month
Congratulations to Tracy Gish!
Tracy never complains! She has the best food journal! She has not missed a day of homework! She trains 7 days a week! She does everything she’s supposed to do! She even asks to be worked out hard! Overall, she’s phenomenal.
Recipe of the Month
Cherry Almond Cinnamon Granola
4 cups old fashioned rolled oats
2 cups shredded sweetened coconut
2 cups sliced almonds
1.5 cups dried cherries
½ cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup honey
2 tsp. cinnamon
COOKING DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Put oats in large bowl and add almonds, coconut, cherries, and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, combine oil and honey. Add oil/honey mixture into the oats and stir until coated. Spread combined mixture onto 2 cake pans, and bake for 30 minutes, stirring the mixture occasionally. Let cool, and put in air tight container.
Upcoming Events
B101.5 Family Fun Fest this Saturday at Spotsylvania Mall!
Bring the kids to Spotsylvania Mall for fun and games from great vendors such as yours truly, Fredericksburg Fitness! The event lasts all day (10am-6pm), so come any time… And don’t forget to bring the kids!
4 cups old fashioned rolled oats