my fitness and nutrition habits

Warning: So I'm not a certified personal trainer. I am YMCA certified in Group Fitness Leadership - Group Resistance, although I missed my continuing education hours last year, so I need to re-test. To be honest, I've been nervous about making this post, because I don't want it to come across as though I'm recommending anything. I've just been asked quite a bit about my lifestyle and habits, so I eventually decided to go for it. Read this, read some other things and then make up your own mind.

I've been told by my teachers over the years to consider cross-training in swimming, biking, Viniyoga, Ashtanga yoga, pilates, ballet, running, elliptical training, resistance training, thera-band training (a la Eric Franklin), and pretty much everything else under the sun. I don't currently do all/most of those things, but I've dabbled in each. They all offer their own benefits and advantages.

So for the record, this is not me telling you to do or try anything, just talking about what works for me.

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Cross-training for dance, fitness, nutrition and overall conditioning are major passions for me. It's not right or wrong, but what I do is very efficient for my lifestyle while still producing the results that I need to feel good and perform well, in class, onstage, at work, in the gym and anywhere else I find myself.

THE GYM

Truth time: I didn't bother for a long time. I ran outdoors (I learned to run using the C25K protocol), I danced in class and at workshops, and looked to diet to manage my weight. During the winter I popped in to the gym to scoot around on the elliptical for awhile, but that was the extent of it.

I did lose and maintain a healthy body weight, but I also got kind of skinny fat. I lacked power and explosive strength, not to mention stability.

I started barbell training to develop in those areas. The aesthetic outcome has been remarkable too. I used a modified version Starting Strength protocol to get started. It is a time and energy efficient program that focuses on core movements are not only important for everyday life, but transform dance movement and posture, and overall body control.

• Squats have helped me improve my leg and lower body strength; my levels are better (getting down real low without wobbling), and I have been able to learn to stick some crazy turns a little better. This is hands down the best full-body movement for stability and strength.
• Deadlifts have enhanced my lower body and particularly lower back awareness. We all know the back is a tough subject for us as belly dancers, and stronger is definitely healthier.
• Overhead press has helped me nail my delts. I've noticed that my ability to separate them seamlessly from my traps, creating smooth, snaky arm work has been seriously enhanced.
• Bent over rows have given my upper back a boost in power to be able to drill in and maintain awesome "tribal" arm posture.
• Bench press has helped me develop my chest and complement my upper back strength.

I like to lift heavy, but that's just me. I do few sets/reps with high weight 3-4 times per week. There's a myth that for women this leads to a "bulky" or "over-muscly" look, but that's seriously untrue. For me it helps me create power and strength efficiently. I also prefer to train with real barbells and weights instead of on machines, but again that's just been a personal choice that really comes down to comfort level and interest.

I also work on accessory activities like pull ups, dips and ab work. I like to get my cardio outside or in the studio.

I like the way my body looks, and I've discovered along the way that in dance, beautiful flowing lines and effortless movement come from power in the body. Strength breeds grace.

FOOD

I eat weird, no argument there.

Over this past winter I flirted with the notion of intermittent fasting. What is that? (From Get This Ripped)

It is a way of fasting to lose fat that involves cycles of feeding and fasting.

1. Intermittent fasting will not slow down your metabolism, instead it will speed up your metabolism for the duration of the fast. In order for your metabolism to slow down, you will have to fast for 3 days straight (this is not recommended). To read about this study, click here.

2. Intermittent fasting will not cause muscle loss. Instead, you will have more strength during a workout when you are in a fasted state. You will also experience more muscle grains as a result. This is very counter-intuitive.

3. When you’re go on an intermittent fast, workout, and then eat after, your body will integrate protein and carbs more efficiently. This allows your muscles to recover and grow faster. Check out the study here.

I discovered that it really agreed with my body and my lifestyle and in July of this year I committed to the idea on a more permanent basis. I've been happier, healthier and less hassled about having to track down snacks every two hours. I don't outright recommend it to anyone, because it's a huge break from what is "normal" and although it works incredibly well for me, I am once again vastly under-qualified to recommend any diet to anyone. But that's what I do.

Basically I eat the same amount of food as anyone else, but I fast for about 18-19 hours a day. Usually I eat between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. I've lost a good amount of fat this way, and once I psychologically adjusted to the idea, I felt like I had a lot more time on my hands throughout the day. It also allows me to eat the bulk of my food right after I work out, preserving and promoting muscle growth while still helping me get leaner. I have not experienced dips in energy or mood, even towards the end of my fasting period.

I eat a lot of protein. Like a lot. On weight lifting days, I eat less fat and more carbohydrates. On non weight-lifting days I eat more fat and fewer carbohydrates. My eating and training habits are along the same lines recommended by Martin Berkhan and the Leangains protocol. I have seen dramatic results following this in terms of aesthetics, endurance, strength and overall quality of life.

I eat lots of chicken, eggs, almond milk, greek yogurt, sweet potatoes, asparagus, mixed greens, mozzarella, salsa, tilapia, turkey, quinoa, and other stuff. On the other hand I don't worry that sometimes my diet has "junky" or "processed" foods in it if they fit my macros and calorie goals. So I still eat rice cakes, protein bars and all that good stuff too as needed. Low stress eating.

SUPPLEMENTS

You probably don't need to take all of these things, and everyone has an opinion about supplements, so do your homework and form yours!

• Multivitamin - Everyone could probably benefit from one, and anyone who is eating a strict or calorie restrictive diet should definitely take one
• Calcium/Magnesium - I take extra calcium for my bones! My multivitamin has a little less than I need
• Vitamin D - Again, my usual multivitamin has a little less than the daily recommended dose, and there is evidence that it supports neurological health (there is some MS and ALS in my family, so this is important to me)
• Fish oil - It's just overall great for you, and could probably benefit anyone. It's good for your heart, your skin, your hair, your teeth, your joints, your vision, your brain, and overall prevention of a huge number of diseases
• Whey protein - Although I eat lots of meat and eggs, it can still be a challenge for me to get enough protein in my diet every day. I use whey protein to make sure I get enough to help me make and maintain muscle
• Creatine - I use creatine to feed water into my muscles. This helps me lift better in the gym, and good gym performance leads to better muscle growth!

So that's what I've been up to. Again, I felt mega-weird about making this post, because I realize that people's attitudes towards fitness and nutrition vary wildly, especially in this community where we strive to be body positive while still feeling that pressure as women and dancers to look a certain way. But to me, it's about a lot more than looks. I want to be strong and able to execute anything my crazy brain can come up with. And I want to be happily dancing along when I'm 100.

Essentially: my view is this: as a dancer, I consider myself an athlete. If I want to present myself as a professional dancer, I believe that makes me a professional athlete, so I feel that learning to treat my body like the incredibly precious, valuable tool it is is absolutely necessary. I am constantly reading, researching and tweaking my own routine and my views, just as I'm constantly looking for new inspiration, movement, music and ideas.

I'd really like to hear what your thoughts and habits are!