This week's movement of the week is a Club Lateral Swing to Bicep Curl

Here's your checklist:

1.  Start with your very best posture
2.  Punch the club laterally (to the side)
3.  Allow the club to become a pendulum, swing all the way to the other side and back.
4.  Once the club as come back, curl and perform a side bend
5.  Work towards continuous movement towards the end of the week.  

​Some success is too sweet not to share.  This is Pete Warner's experience in the KickStart Program.

"​Since joining the training program at Wilcox Wellness & Fitness, I have found myself with more energy and even noticed a dramatic improvement in my mood and self-confidence. Having begun to eat great food, I also became enthusiastic about the group training. The folks at WILCOX make it easy, providing all the tools I needed to make a significant life change. The trainers inspire confidence with their fitness knowledge and they consistently exhibit a high level of enthusiasm and intensity that helps clients focus and work hard. And the support continues outside the gym. The team sends out frequent Facebook messages and emails that help clients learn more and remain motivated in all facets of the program. The result is a well-rounded framework that gives you all the tools you need to eat well, work out wisely and achieve long-term health and fitness goals. It is so gratifying to attend workouts with other like-minded people who are committed to better health and trainers who want to help us achieve it. I’m sharing my story in the hope that anyone who feels sluggish, fat, and out of shape can turn their lives around. I am indebted to the Wilcox staff for helping me do just that. Within a couple of weeks, my blood pressure readings returned to the normal range. God willing, I’ll be able to stay healthy and fit for many years to come." - Pete Warner as told in his article for the Bangor Daily News.

We want you to become our next success story!  KickStart is kicking off in both locations in early May!  Let us know what questions you have about the program in the comments.

​Only 1 out of every 10 people eat enough fruit & veggies!

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🥓 Simple Mushroom “Bacon”
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This week's movement of the week is a KB Pendulum - Full Body Rotation

The technique you will be working on this week is proper rotation while keeping those abdominals engaged to create stability as you move!

You will want to let the momentum of the pendulum guide you, this is exactly why was are using it.  Allow the pendulum to 'whip' through to the other side so you do not need to 'raise' it up.  Once the kettlebell (or dumbbell) is overhead, engage your mid back (thoracic extension) to stabilize the weight overhead.  

Choosing the appropriate weight is essential to having success with this movement.  With too little weight you will not get the benefit of feeling those abdominals kick in.  With too much weight you will be unstable and be forced to 'raise' the weight up creating a ton of stress on your shoulder, neck, and low back.  

Play around a little bit with different weights this week to see which one challenges you to be strong while maintaining a smooth movement overall.  Once you've found the 'correct' weight, you should notice most of the work will be felt in the abdominals with support from engaging the legs with great footwork.

Rotating the feet is an essential skill for many movements that help us build mobility in our joints.  Practice the Stick Full Body Rotation from our Pre-Training Series to practice the footwork before each session.

This is an amazing movement to learn how to stay engaged while moving athletically.  


Here's your checklist:

1. Start in a strong unilateral (staggered) stance with the weight directly overhead
2.  Simultaneously allow the pendulum to swing down while beginning to rotate your feet.
3.  As the pendulum comes down, be prepared to brace (a lot) as you swing it to the other side.  This is when you will need to fight for stability by engaging your core as much as you can.
4. As the pendulum raises back up overhead, push and pull the floor with your feet
5.  Extend your mid back to stabilize your shoulder.  YOU DID IT!

This week's movement of the week is a Step Hop w/ Band Rotation

You will really be honing in on what the proper amount of rotation in as you practice this movement.  It will require serious discipline with footwork and utilizing the obliques to rotate without over-using the arms.

We will be working in some really nice progressions this week to get the techniques down that will help you be successful at the end of the week.  As always,  new movements are tough, but fighting through the challenge is how we learn and grow best (that's why we do them)!!  

Be sure to check in on the techniques the coaches are teaching by pausing, moving a bit slower to 'feel' things better, and asking questions!!  

You will be surprised with the amount of leg & core strength this movement will require each time you land.  Do your very best to maintain tension on your abdominals as you step or hop and you will have success.

Good luck & have fun experimenting with movement!

Here's your checklist:

1.  Start by pulling or corkscrewing the floor apart
2. Elevate your ribs away from your hips to create tension in your core
3. Lock your arms in place prior to hopping onto the step
4. Stay engaged as you minimally rotate your ribs in mid-air
5. Pull or corkscrew your feet apart as soon as possible when landing

Ever felt like this?

If so, you’re not alone.  I hear this all the time. 

The good news is: you don’t have to be so hardcore with your commitment to health and fitness - you just need to be consistent. . 🙌 

​If you hate veggies - here are 4 tips to make them more delicious.  I know you are going to love #4.  Let me know in the comments what idea you are going to try so I can cheer you on!

​Meal planning and meal prepping is THE THING that is going to set you up for success when it comes to achieving and sustaining your health and fitness goals.  

But there are a lot of obstacles that get in the way of getting this done.  From the time-consuming recipe research, then compiling the grocery list, then figuring out if the meals are actually good for you, and making sure that you are getting enough protein. 

I've done all of this work for you - so all you have to do is shop the grocery list that we made, and follow the prep plan that we've put together for you.  

I am so very excited for you to have your refrigerator stocked full of healthy plant-based meals that will have you falling in love with cooking again.

The 4-week PLANT BASED meal plan is 20% off for a limited time!  You can buy it here: 

https://podia.wilcoxwellnessfitness.com/98f38600-d06c-4556-ae49-4a59a22a194b?coupon=PLANTPOWER  

I know you are going to LOVE this!

​This week's movement of the week is a Lateral Run w/ a Slow Torso Rotation

The technique we are working to bring awareness to is allowing the obliques to do their job, which is a technique called 'elastic recoil'.  This happens when we properly time up the movement.  You will reach the end range of motion in one direction creating length on certain muscles allowing the contraction of those muscles to move us in the other direction.  

Essentially, this means that you will anticipate what your body's next movement is (ex: stepping to the right as you row a dumbbell) and time it up perfectly (when the muscles being used are lengthened and ready to contract) to create an efficient and "effortless" movement.  

For this particular movement, you will be fairly quick with the feet & the torso will have to lag behind a little bit.  Your ultimate goal will be to time up the contraction of your obliques (the ones we use to rotate the torso or ribcage) with the landing of the back foot.

Another challenge you will have is managing your footwork as you change direction.  You will want to be pushing off the front foot opposite of the direction you are headed (ex: If you are about to move to the left, your right foot would be your forward foot.  You would push the floor to the right to gain better ability to move to the left).    This technique in combination with pulling with your opposite oblique and lat and you'll be **BUILDING CORE STRENGTH FOR DAYS!**. 

​
Here's your checklist:

1. Perform this movement with EPIC posture.  Don't skimp on this if you want to gain strength!
2.  KEEP THE DUMBBELL IN LINE WITH THE HEIGHT OF YOUR SHOULDERS
3.  Slow with the torso, fast with the feet.
4.  DO NOT USE YOUR ARMS TO ROTATE YOUR BODY - it leads to over-rotation which is NOT GOOD for your LOWER BACK.
5.  You will be winded quickly when done correctly....so if you are not a bit winded within 10-15 seconds, require yourself to stop, readjust and improve your posture & prioritize ENGAGEMENT and TIMING of your muscles.

YOU CAN DO THIS & IMPROVE YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF HOW TO BUILD STRENGTH THROUGH MOVEMENT AT THE SAME TIME!  

GO GET IT.

This week's movement of the week is a DB Kneeling Swing to Stepping Row.  The goal is to utilize momentum to help us move better.  As you punch the dumbbell out, you will elevate your back knee off the ground.  From there, you have a lateral pendulum swing where the dumbbell goes to the outside of the front leg.  As the dumbbell comes forward, wait until it is shoulder height & perform a stepping row.  This means you will step forward as you row the dumbbell in.  

Now, it's time to reverse the order back to the beginning.  Punch the dumbbell back out as you step back, swing the dumbbell over the front foot, allow the dumbbell to come to shoulder height, and sink into a lunge position.  WOOHOO!!! You did it!!

One of the surprising aspects of this movement is the mobility it requires or may help you build in your ankles, knees, hips, low back, and torso!!  There are a ton of little elements to practice and should eventually feel natural!


Here's your checklist:

1.  Start in a strong, kneeling position (elevated and braced)
2.  Be patient and allow the dumbbell to dictate your movements.
3.  Remember your fundamentals. Footwork, Elevation, Posture
4.  Have confidence!  You have performed many variations of this movement, own it!!
5.  Have fun, be humble, and be okay with fighting through the challenge!