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If you’re not up for learning the kettlebell swing (or simply don’t want to).

But before I list other options, here’s why I like the swing so much.

With swings, you can generate a lot of force with a relatively light weight. Not only to drive power out of the lower body but also to strengthen the upper body and the core. And when done right, it’s super safe.

Ok, with that out of the way, other power training options:

• Box jumps (two-legged, single-legged, lateral…). Land hips high and like a ninja.
• Med ball slams if you’re lucky to own a ball and a surface that can take a beating. One of my clients once cracked a paver in her backyard and ruined a good patch of grass. Her husband suggested that she’d move on to concrete after that. When you slam the ball, channel all your accumulated frustration and stress into that damn ball.
• Squat jumps. Jump high, land soft.
• Gym options: ski erg, battle ropes…

3×4-6 reps for the jumps. 3×8-10 for the rest.

Keep the reps crisp. Slow “reload” between each rep.

-J

As you age, power decreases at the rate of 1.5 that of strength. Maintaining and improving power in your 40s and beyond is crucial for aging and thriving like an absolute badass.

But what is power really?

Power is the speed at which you can exert maximum muscular strength. It’s about how quickly you can exert force, involving more explosive, quick movements.

Mmmmmkay, but what does that mean?

– Tripping on a tree root, catching your footing and avoiding losing the front teeth.
– Quick turns on the slopes.
– Getting on the board fast enough to catch a wave.
– And, when older, power can be the difference between slipping in the shower and breaking your hip and not breaking it.

Convinced? Here’s how to train power at home.

You need a kettlebell with a challenging weight. 12kg is good for most women when first practising the form.

But you want to jump 16kg sooner rather than later. And eventually to 20kg.

3 sets of 8-10 reps. Three times a week.

Keep the reps crisp.

-J

Here are some questions I’ve been thinking about:

Can we use virtual reality to show people how their future will be if they don’t change their habits?

Can we make them feel amazing by showing what’s possible if they adopt healthier habits?

I don’t have access to VR goggles. But I’ve got a relatively good imagination and a pair of Raybans. You can play along at home:

Put on your Raybans, and for the next few minutes, imagine they’re virtual reality goggles.

Take yourself to 2050.

Based on your current lifestyle and exercise habits, how do you see yourself 17 years from now?

Are you content with what you see?

If not, what would need to change to make 2050 more pleasant?

-J

Plans for the day:

1. Get a bunch of work done.
2. Get in a solid afternoon workout.

Reality:

1. Up most of the night with a sick kid.
2. A day of sitting on the couch watching Frozen and Gabby’s Dollhouse.

When our plans get derailed, we can feel as frustrated and shitty as we want to (and I definitely wanted to). But isn’t this what life’s all about?

Making important plans and then diverting to something that matters more than the plans we had.

-J

We now know from research that a plant-based diet is “associated with a significantly reduced risk of negative health outcomes“. That list includes heart disease, diabetes, obesity and cancer*.

We also know that “Phasing out animal agriculture represents ‘our best and most immediate chance to reverse the trajectory of climate change.”

But let’s be realistic here: we’re not going to phase out animal agriculture anytime soon.

I am not trying to convince you to take an oath with one hand on a block of tofu.

Yet any movement towards a more plant-based is a win for you, the environment and the animals on the factory farms. This shift can come in any form that feels the most reasonable for you:

1. Vegan diet: Excludes all animal products, including meat, dairy, and eggs, focusing entirely on plant-based foods.
2. Vegetarian diet: Omits meat but often includes dairy products and eggs.
3. Lacto-vegetarian diet: Includes dairy products but excludes meat, fish, eggs, and poultry.
4. Ovo-vegetarian diet: Includes eggs but excludes meat, fish, dairy products, and poultry.
5. Lacto-ovo vegetarian diet: Includes dairy products and eggs but excludes meat, fish, and poultry.
6. Pescatarian diet: Excludes meat and poultry but includes fish and seafood alongside plant-based foods.
7. Flexitarian diet: Primarily plant-based but occasionally includes meat, fish, or poultry, offering more flexibility than other vegetarian diets.

*Fine print about the reduced risk of cancer:

“Although many studies have been inconclusive as to whether or not vegetarian diets reduce risk of various specific cancers, some studies have suggested that eating processed meats such as ham, bacon, and salami pose an increased risk of developing cancer.”

“A cohort study in 2006 of French women concluded that women whose diets were rich in meats had a greater likelihood of developing colorectal cancer than those who did not consume large amounts of red meat.”

Here’s the study.

-J

Notice the “automatic” behaviours that have crept into your life over the months, years or even decades.

Having a glass of Pinot while watching Shameless.

Snacking potato chips just before dinner.

A gingerbread with coffee.

Scrolling Instagram when sitting on the toilet.

None of these are “bad” behaviours.

But noticing them as they’re about to happen puts you back in control.

And each time you can decide then and there whether you’ll follow through.

-J

Stress from exercise and your work/life might not seem to have much in common. But the body will treat them both as the same by activating the sympathetic nervous system.

This “fight or flight” response leads to a bunch of changes, including increased heart rate, elevated blood pressure, and release of glucose from energy stores, all of which prepare the body to respond to an acute challenge. Cortisol goes up. And so does the inflammation.

All of these reactions are important when navigating challenges in the short term. But when the stress response gets chronic: shit show.

Any sustainable fitness program promising results needs to balance the two.

When the work/life stress is low, exercise stress can be higher. You’re more likely to respond better to higher volume and higher intensity training, within reason. And you can actually recover from it.

When the work/life stress is high, your tolerance for exercise stress decreases.

In most cases, the body can still tolerate higher intensity. But the overall volume needs to come down.

This is especially true when you’re in your menopausal years when the body struggles to handle high-volume training regardless of the other stress sources.

-J

Besides staying in the breakdown state (vs rebuilding) after exercise, delaying the post-workout meal for just four days in a row will signal the body to downregulate thyroid function.

Even if you’re otherwise eating enough calories throughout the day.

This holds true for both strength training and any cardio work you do.

-J

Men’s metabolism can take anywhere between 3-18 hours to return to normal after exercise.

Women’s metabolism returns to normal in 90 minutes or less.

Men can get away with delaying the post-exercise meal for hours without it substantially impacting our progress. Women can’t.

As a woman, you need food before and after exercise to make the most out of your workout. Otherwise, your body will stay in a stressed, sympathetic state, focusing on survival instead of adapting to the training stimulus.

Plus, if you’re trying to lose fat, that post-workout meal will signal the body, “Hey, the bar’s open. You don’t have to hang on the stored energy for survival”.

What to eat?

Aim for a small snack with protein and carbohydrates 30-60 minutes before your workout.

After the workout, eat around 25-30 grams of protein and some carbs to kick your body off the stressed state.

-J

“For me home strength program was a game changer. I am very social, but this is an activity I like to do solo and I can fit it in whenever it fits in my week. Joonas also made it so I just pick the next one in the program, no matter how many days since the last one.

And even if I haven’t managed a set number of days per week, I can feel that I am stronger, and that is super cool. Plus handy when you get a new washing machine delivered “

– Current client

For context, all her training programs are full-body workouts with a flexible schedule that suits her. So she doesn’t have to worry about missing a “leg day” and then trying to figure out when to fit it in when the next plan says “arm day”.

Since all workouts are full-body, there’s no set weekly structure. All she has to focus on is the next workout on the list.

That, and unless you’re a professional bodybuilder, splitting the workouts by body parts is absolute nonsense.

-J