[MELISSA]: The Bomb Mom podcast is part of the Practice of the Practice Podcast Network, a family of podcasts, that are making the world better. You’ll also probably like the Imperfect Thriving podcast, Beta Male Revolution, and Empowered and Unapologetic podcast. Check them out at www.practiceofthepractice.com/network. Hey, what’s up everyone? If you’re looking to be inspired, motivated, educated, and entertained, you have come to the right place. Welcome to the Bomb Mom podcast, the podcast where we explore your fitness, life mindsets, and actions that help you become unstoppable. You’re worth it and it’s time to finally make changes in your life that will last you the rest of your life. Hello, everyone. Welcome back to the Bomb Mom podcast. We have a very special edition episode today. Today we have one of my clients, named Leah, on the show with us. She is actually a member of my Busy to Bomb Fit Mom online personal training program. So not only do you get to hear from her and her experience about being in the group and how much she’s transformed in just a month, we’re going to work through some of her top questions. How can she reach her max heart rate when she’s lifting? Does that fourth set really matter what I’m pushing through? Leah is a very big rule follower, as am I, so it’s hard for her to take a little bit more control of her lifting experience, but we work through it today. She’s got this under control. So, sit back, relax, enjoy the show, and learn a little bit more about how you can take your lifting and your exercise to the next level. Alright everyone. Today we have Leah on here. Say hello, Leah. [LEAH]: Hello, everybody. [MELISSA]: And I was just telling her, I’m like, no pressure. It’s just you and I doing a little coaching call here, and fifty thousand people listening in on our conversation… I’m kidding. It’s not fifty thousand but this coaching call is just for you. We’re gonna work through all of your top questions. And anything else, you know, if you find anything else like, yeah, what about that, bring it up. This is your time with me to shine and work through whatever we need to work through. Sound good? [LEAH]: Okay. Yes. [MELISSA]: Alright. Leah is with us in my group Busy to Bomb Fit Mom, in my online, private… I guess it’s a private… my online, private, coaching group. Tell us a little bit about yourself, Leah, if you don’t mind. A little bit of background, where you came from, and where you’re at right now. [LEAH]: Sure. I discovered Melissa on Facebook and I clicked her link. I was ready to move farther into my weight loss journey. [MELISSA]: Smart woman. Smart woman. [LEAH]: It was probably the smartest move I’ve made in a really long time. After having kids, as usual, moms usually, you know, have weight loss issues. I topped out last year at like 192 pounds and I was like, oh my god, this is… I’m so done. My husband and I lost weight for a little while, then I plateaued and I’m like, alright, I need something new. I need something else. I need… I can’t, I haven’t been able to do it by myself. And I clicked Melissa’s Facebook ad and the rest is history. Been with the program a little over a month and I love it. [MELISSA]: Yes, yes, actually. Well, I love having you in the group. You add so much, and you’ve come so far in such a short amount of time. I have to share your pictures. Can I talk about your pictures? [LEAH]: Yeah, absolutely. [MELISSA]: When you come into the group we have, everyone gets my app and they take photos because we have to know where we’re coming from. And she took hers, followed directions, it was awesome because everyone likes to screw up before photos. And then she took her first after photos side by side and it was literally so shocking and like just stood out to me. Because you went from like, Leah, fine and like, great picture, great start to like, Oh my god, like, I kept saying in the live video that I did on it that you almost look like someone that should be on like this mom CrossFit poster, you know? Like, your body is shaping and toning so well, like, it’s just responding amazing. Has that happened to you before? Do you think you have good muscle? [LEAH]: I think so. I was skinny fat which a lot of us have experienced. [MELISSA]: Yeah. But that shocks me. That shocks me that you felt you were in the category skinny fat because you just look so strong and so fit now. [LEAH]: My body really changed after I had kids. It was so weird. And I think a lot of it comes… we live on a one acre… our house is on a little one acre, but it’s a farm. And I literally constantly am either slinging bags of bark, shoveling dirt, shoveling chicken poop, or goat poop, or… this one acre, I had no idea it would take so much to maintain. So, I think that’s how a lot of do. I’m lifting 50-pound bags of feed, and I’m doing it all on my own because my husband’s at work still. And so, I think that really has a lot to do with it. I’m different now. My body is very different from when I was younger. I was a beanpole, like my dad. I do look a lot like my dad. So now I am, I’m a lot stronger looking, like you said, it is interesting. [MELISSA]: Yeah. And you just need a little push to bring that ripped chick out [LEAH]: Yeah, apparently I needed this motivation and all the moms in our group are so amazing. And I just can’t get enough. I’m always on Facebook, like, what is she doing? What are we doing? What’s going on? What’s happening? [MELISSA]: And it’s like that drive but it’s that constant feed of just like, push, motivation, change. And when you get that every day, just dripping and changing like, okay, that transforms your mind. [LEAH]: It does. [MELISSA]: That changes how you think and where you come from and your motivation and your inspiration and like, but people don’t get that; they don’t realize the power of being around something in your environment, even if it’s virtual, every day. [LEAH]: Yeah. Because I’ve had four or five personal trainers throughout my life, which I love because I loved going to the gym. And when I thought about this whole virtual thing, I was – I was like, is this really gonna work? And I cannot… still, I’m in shock about how amazing it is. [MELISSA]: Well, your body shows it. Your body shows it because it’s just, like, your shoulders and you got abs, girl, like… [LEAH]: I know. [MELISSA]: Your booty’s changed like, oh, I just, I can’t get enough of it. It’s just amazing. I love your results and what’s really cool is you’re only a month in and this is just the beginning. [LEAH]: Right? And I’m ready to… I was gonna message you ‘Yes’ the other day. I was like, I’m ready to sign up for my next 90 days. I’m already prepared for that. I’m like, it can’t stop now. [MELISSA]: No, oh god, no, no, no. So today, let’s talk about how we can take you even further, next level, like, let’s make your next month, and going into May and June, even better. So where do you feel like, you know what, let’s cover this. I want to know more about this, like, help me hit this. What can we do for you today, and coach you through? [LEAH]: Okay, so we’ve been talking about our maximum heart rate. [MELISSA]: Yes. [LEAH]: And how… to calculate that you gave us a formula. I did it because that was like, next on my agenda, because I’m like, I share your Apple Watch, me and you are connected, and I see your work out come through. And I’m like, Oh my god, I want to be her when I grow up because I see all the calories you burn. And I’m like, I want that, that is where I want to be. So, I assume the next thing is on how to reach my maximum heart rate. So that was my question. [MELISSA]: Okay, let’s dive into that. And for those of you that are listening, and you don’t know what we’re talking about, so, you can calculate your target heart rate zones based on your resting heart rate, your age, and figure out like, okay, I’m lifting or I’m doing cardio. What is my 90%? You know, like, I’m almost at 100%, and I’m gonna die. What’s my 90%? And I tell the group, and I was telling Leah like, you know, this is important to know, because we could be chugging along on our elliptical or running or walking and we’re like, yeah, I’m working hard. I’m sweating. I feel good. But then, if you have a Fitbit or an Apple Watch, and you look down, and you’re like, oh, I’m at 132. Okay, well, if you did the math, you would know that like your 70% – I think, Leah, you said yours was 142. [LEAH]: Uh huh. [MELISSA]: And your 90% is 164. [LEAH]: Right. [MELISSA]: So, she’s chugging along and thinking she’s getting some great cardio in and she’s really only 130 like, she’s not even pushing her 70% capabilities, or 70% of what she’s capable of. So, it’s important to know these zones and where you’re at and stuff. So, her 70 percent’s 142. On average, I think you said you’re around 118-120 when you’re lifting. [LEAH]: Uh huh. [MELISSA]: Okay. So, know that your target heart rate zone is mostly for cardio. People typically use it more for cardio, okay? You have the ability to crank that heart rate up, make things harder like that when you’re jumping around a room or punching or kicking. And we do live workouts every Saturday and you were saying the cardio ones, you find it easier to get your heart rate up, right? [LEAH]: Yeah. [MELISSA]: Yeah, yeah. Makes sense. But when you’re lifting, it is a little bit more of a struggle. So, a couple key pointers for when you’re doing this. Watch your rest time. Okay, that’s your biggest thing. Watch your rest time. And one of the pit falls I always fall into is checking my phone in between my sets, and I’ve realized that like, you can’t do that. Because my 30 second rest, I mean, you guys, it goes by like that, like, boom it’s gone. And when I pick up my phone what feels like 30 seconds, yeah, it’s been two minutes. And if I’m trying to keep my heart rate up and maximize this burn in this session, two minutes is too long. So what? Watch your rest. Okay, how long are you resting right now? Let’s say like, on legs day, on average, how long is your rest period? [LEAH]: I go by what you have in the Trainerize app for us. So, I don’t go past that. And I love how the timer is built in. Like, I love that. That is like amazing. [MELISSA]: Good. [LEAH]: So, I don’t remember what you have built in on our legs day. A minute? [MELISSA]: They’re all different. So, on our app, you guys, when you open it up and you have the calendar, and you click ‘start’, you do like, let’s just say squats, calves and then rest, that timer will start going off. So it all depends if you’re doing squats and then you’re doing like booty tap squats on a chair or something, those booty taps are going to burn you out and your rest that I give you is going to be a little bit longer. Versus if you’re doing walking lunges and then calf raises, you don’t need as much of a break because you just did two totally different muscle groups. [LEAH]: Right. [MELISSA]: Okay. So, keep watching your timer. Also, it’s going to depend on how heavy you’re lifting as well, because if you’re going for more heavier weight, and a little bit less reps, but you know, it’s heavy weight for you. I don’t want to get stuck into the terms of like, oh, only if you’re squatting over 135, that’s heavy. Heavy is relative, like, what’s heavy for you isn’t gonna be heavy for me and what’s heavy for me isn’t gonna be heavy for you. You will require a little bit more of a break. So, give yourself that grace and be aware of that. [MELISSA]: Hey, this is a good time to take a quick break and to remind you that if you like this episode, please rate and review. It is just so helpful to me. I can’t tell you enough how much I appreciate it when you guys leave a review and rate. Also, if you want to connect a little bit more with me and learn a little bit more about how to be a Bomb Mom, make sure you sign up for my free – yes, free – email course. You can find it in the show notes, and you can also go to www.melissavogelfitness.com/course. And it’s not an insane long email course or anything like that, you guys, you’re going to get little golden nuggets from me just dripped on you in your email that’s going to help you open your eyes to what’s going on around you with your health, your wellness, your fitness, what you’re being exposed to in grocery store lines and the magazines and everything. You’re going to want to receive this free course. And then also in the course you’re going to get a free, 30 day, at home workout program that you can follow. This was a program that I had kind of created to hit every muscle group and it was something that was progressively going to get harder for me after I had that third baby, and getting back into shape, and you guys get it for free. So, you can start on day one, work your way to day 30 and it’s going to help you start taking the right steps to become that Bomb Mom. Alright, let’s get back to the show. [MELISSA]: Last week, I was squatting for the first time my bodyweight and then some. [LEAH]: Oh, yeah, that’s right. You mentioned that. That’s huge. [MELISSA]: Oh my God, that’s huge for me. Who knew I would do that during the quarantine? But I had to really pay attention to my rest because I’m ripping and tearing and exerting those muscles in a different way. And they need that recovery time to be able to go back and do heavier again. So, you’re increasing your weight. Great. That alone too, I guess that would be my second point, is increasing your rate – that’s going to make you have a greater exertion, make your blood and your heart pump even faster, and that’s going to make your heart rate increase. [LEAH]: Okay. [MELISSA]: So yeah, number two is definitely increase your weight, and if you feel like, by the time you get to, I don’t know, it depends on how many reps you’re doing, let’s say 10. We’re just gonna use 10. By the time you get to your 10th rep, if you’re not saying like, oh my god, or like feel like you’re giving birth to a baby slightly, you can probably do more reps. [LEAH]: Okay. All right. Yeah, cuz I mentioned how I feel like if I don’t complete all of the sets and reps that you prescribe us in our app, I feel like I’m being a bad girl and not finishing my homework. And my brain can’t get past that, and so my brain is like, okay, you can’t lift too heavy because you won’t be able to finish and if you don’t finish, you’re gonna get in trouble. And I’m like, okay, I have to figure out how to get past this now, because I’ve got to increase my weight and in order to increase my weight, I’m gonna have to probably skip a couple of sets and reps. [MELISSA]: Definitely reps for sure. Yeah, you’re upping your reps because I just give you guidelines. [LEAH]: Yeah, I forget that. [MELISSA]: Yeah, many people do because you’re a rule follower, you know, [unclear] like, okay, she said, 10 and I gotta do 10. I can’t do 8. If you’re squatting more weight, and you’re lunging more weight or whatever, you’re probably going to do less reps and that’s okay. But it does take time to make it your own. Because everyone is so used to like, give me the workout, give me the meal plan, I’m going to follow it. And that’s just what I’m going to do. But fitness in your journey is so individualized. And you have to learn to trust your body and you’re in a position, Leah, to do that. Like, you’ve proven to yourself over the last month like, you’re fully capable. What you’re doing is working and you can do this. [LEAH]: Yeah. I’m pretty excited. And so today, I’m like, really excited about my workout to just see what I can go out there and do because it’s always about a competition with myself. What can I do next? That’s just how I’ve always been. What’s next? What’s next? So, this is my ‘what is next?’ on seeing how I can collect data. I love that little saying of yours – collecting data on myself – so I can go and see what I can do now. [MELISSA]: Yep, and counting calories, right? That’s collecting data. I want everyone to always know that it’s not about being obsessive about your food and like, oh my god, I got to count that calorie. Oh, I put a drop of syrup on my pancake, like, gotta count that. It’s big picture, collecting data, but that also goes with your weightlifting too. So just look at it as like, what am I learning? What are my legs capable of? How can I push a little bit harder, but still have good form? Do you have a little journal that you use for your weights in addition to your app? [LEAH]: Yes, I have a journal that I do all of your things that we were taught to do, like, you know, our weekly temple and my… I write down all my calories and my nutrients at the end of the night, and at the end of the night, I usually [unclear] my day, and how it went, what I did. [MELISSA]: Data, collecting it, right? [LEAH]: Yeah, yeah. [MELISSA]: Now I want you to get a little book, spiral bound, anything, and I want you to keep it in your gym, where you’re going to be working out, and I want you to make notes to yourself with each workout. I want you to date it. Legs day, you know, whatever you’re on, write down the name of the exercise, and I want you to write notes to yourself. Okay? [LEAH]: Okay, because that’s what I did in our Focused and Fit book, like, as I went through, I left the backs of my pages blank on purpose so that I can write little notes. [MELISSA]: Yep, I want you to do that with your app now. Because these workouts are a little harder. These workouts are a little different. What’s in your app is a little bit more customized. You know, my body went through the wringer with this workout before you got it. So, I know what you’re in for. But yeah, I want you to just really get into a little bit more detail about, number eight, you know, rep eight, just about killed me, or you know, I did eight but I probably should have done 10. And it’s okay that if one set looks different than the next. So, when you’re lifting – and all this is going to help with your heart rate to, all this is going to help – so when you’re lifting, your first set will probably be higher reps. You’ll probably be able to get 10-12 out of whatever you’re doing, let’s just say squats because squats is easy. Then you’re paying attention to your rest, you’re getting a drink of water, you’re coming back, you’re on top of it, you’re going, and you might be like, oh my god, I was kind of dying by nine. Okay, I need to rack that before I drop this. And you’re like, wait, but I didn’t hit 12 like my last set. That’s okay. Now you’re in the flow. Blood is pumping, muscles are ripping and tearing, and more energy is being exerted. That’s okay that your reps are going down. And then by the third set, you might be like, wow, 8 really did it. And you’re gonna notice this, especially if you’re on top of your resting time, like, really on top of it. [LEAH]: Okay. [MELISSA]: Now, if you get distracted, let’s say you get a little distracted between set three and four. Kid comes out, you check your phone, you have to tie your shoe, that rest period is now a little bit longer. Right? And you go back to your set, you’re going to notice that you can probably push 12 to 13, 14 reps again. [LEAH]: Hmm, interesting. [MELISSA]: Because of that recovery time. This happens to me a lot. When that happens, though, I’m going to encourage you to do one more set. So now you [unclear] at five, and that’s okay. It’s gonna give your body that chance to be like, okay, playtime is over, we had that long break, we pushed out our 14 reps, get a drink, come back, boom, go at it and I bet you’ll be back down to like 8 or 9 reps. [LEAH]: Okay. All right. [MELISSA]: So, yeah, any distraction, anything that got you in the way of your next set and last set… and it’s okay if it’s a little bit longer resting time. Oh, you can use this time also to be like, okay, had a little bit longer time, let’s throw some fives on there. It’s a good time to increase your weight. [LEAH]: Oh, okay. [MELISSA]: We talked about the greater rest, the more weight and exertion you’re going to have, you’re going to be able to push a little bit longer because you gave yourself that break time. [LEAH]: Yeah, even if it happens not on purpose? [MELISSA]: Add some weight on there. [LEAH]: Cool, alright. [MELISSA]: And you had talked about too like, do I really need that 4th set? Do I really… or fifth or sixth? Like, you’re such a powerhouse, you might be in the fifth and sixth set zone. Okay? [LEAH]: All right. [MELISSA]: Now, I know you don’t want to spend hours upon hours in the gym, right? [LEAH]: It’s just not reality. [MELISSA]: It’s not reality. No. So know that if you’re doing that many sets, your reps are going to go down. Okay? I don’t want you doing six sets of 14 reps. [LEAH]: Thank you. [MELISSA]: If you’re capable of that many sets and that many reps, girl, you need to up your weight. [LEAH]: Yeah, apparently it’s too light. [MELISSA]: You need to up your weight, yeah. So, know that your time will still be the same or shorter because those reps are going to be like 8 reps, not 14. And it takes quite a bit of time to get from 8 reps to 14 reps, so you’re going to be cutting a big chunk off. So, don’t be afraid of weight. I know a lot of women are, I don’t want to get big. I don’t want to get bulky. Female body doesn’t work like that. [LEAH]: Yeah, no, I agree with that. And I’m not really scared of the weight. I was scared of not finishing because I’m a rule follower. That was my biggest hang up. [MELISSA]: That’s why you’re attracted to me. That’s why you’re here, cuz I am too. I love it. I love it. [LEAH]: Yeah. I don’t want to get in trouble. I got to finish all of my stuff. I don’t want Melissa to see that I didn’t mark that set off. [MELISSA]: And I see it. I’m like Santa Claus. I might not say anything, like, I’m like Santa in July, like, God, is Santa still there? He’s still there watching. He didn’t say anything, but he was watching. That’s me. I know you had mentioned too, like, making that mind body connection so you can reach that heart rate. When you’re lifting – this is the biggest piece of advice – when you’re lifting, I want you to pretend that I’m like standing behind you or standing next to you and I’m right there in your coaching session with you. Always ask yourself like, what would Melissa be yelling at me about right now? And I swear, 90% of the time, it’s speed. I would typically be telling people, slow down. And when you slow down, you have that opportunity to make that mind body connection. So, let’s say, bicep curls. Let’s say you’re standing there, I’m next to you and you’re curling your dumbbells up, you know, and down. Most people would be like one, okay, two, and I’d be like, slow down. I want you to go to a pace almost to where you think you’d be like, I feel like I’m going a little too slow. I feel like this is a little ridiculous. Then you know you’re at the right pace. [LEAH]: Okay, alright. [MELISSA]: That in itself is going to create you to have a greater exertion again – that’s the word of this podcast, exertion. It’s gonna get your heart rate pumping. It’s also going to cut back on your sets because you’re not flowing and pumping through them. Now, you’re deliberately ripping every single muscle fiber in that bicep, and then bringing it back together in contraction. So, think about that. Stay in there, let that arm out, let the bicep stretch and then slowly bring it up, even though you could bring it up faster, bring it up slow, and then really squeeze at the top. And the same thing with like your squat. Let’s use squat again. You’re standing there, your abs are in tight, shoulders or back. You’re lowering down, just slow and painful, hitting the bottom, coming up, standing at the top, squeezing. That’s one. Most people get in a squat and they’re like, okay, standing, down, one, up, two, up. I love how I’m trying to paint a picture on a podcast with like, my noises and my sounding. [LEAH]: It works. Because I can envision somebody at the gym doing that. [MELISSA]: Mm hmm. And the two words that I use a lot is ‘Hold it, hold it’. I’m constantly saying ‘hold it’ when I train people. Well, you probably got a taste of that in the live work outs that you do with me too. [LEAH]: Yes. [MELISSA]: So, when you’re down in the squat, hold it. In a time and a spot where you typically wouldn’t have held it, and you’re like, now she’s making me hold it? Even if it’s just that blink of an eye. That blink of an eye, hold it. Okay, now come out. I always say, find what muscle you’re using, what are we really pushing out of right now? And with the bicep curl, just as an example, with a different limb and different exercise, your ‘hold it’ would be at the top. So, you’ve let the dumbbell out, you’re curling it up, you’re now at the top, and now you’re going, hold it, squeeze, control, and I want you firing that bicep. Whereas most people, at the top of that bicep curl, they’re like, oh, thank God, I got it up to the top, and they relax. When in actuality that should be the hardest part of your move. So, really hard bringing the dumbbell up, you get to the top, squeeze it, contract it, and bring it down. That is going to make your mind think, what is my body doing? And the two are going to become best friends. And when you slow down and start ripping like that, your heart rates gonna climb. So, I want a report back on this. [LEAH]: Okay. Yes ma’am. [MELISSA]: Is there anything else that came to your mind that you want to cover really quickly, or you have a question about that I could help you with? [LEAH]: I don’t. We actually covered everything because that was what was mostly on my mind. [MELISSA]: Yay. Good. Oh, this is so perfect, Leah, because not only is it helping you, like, it gave other people good tips and pointers and how to work through their next session. [LEAH]: Yep. [MELISSA]: Yay. Well, you go get your workout in. Thank you so much for coming on today and being brave enough to do this. [LEAH]: Thanks for having me. [MELISSA]: Oh, absolutely. All right, you guys. If you want to know more about the Busy to Bomb Fit Mom program that Leah is a part of, couple options, go to MelissaVogelFitness.com/course and Leah, if you’re not signed up for this course yet, make sure you get signed up as well. [LEAH]: I know. Yeah. [MELISSA]: This is my free email course. You’re only going to get a few emails but in there, we’re going to help push you taking the next steps – small, realistic next steps. And then you’re also going to get a free calendar, a free workout calendar, of something you can do every day for the next 30 days to improve your Bomb Mom status. [LEAH]: Cool. I’m in. [MELISSA]: So, either that or go to the show notes. You guys can find the links to sign up for the course in the show notes, but don’t miss it. Make sure you rate and review this episode as well. And until next time, everyone, stay healthy, stay safe. Bye. [LEAH]: Bye, bye. [MELISSA]: If you’re ready to become a bomb mom, join my free course over at www.melissavogelfitness.com/course. This podcast is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. This is given with the understanding that neither the host, Practice of the Practice, or the guests are providing legal, mental health, nutritional, or other professional information. If you need a professional, you should find one.