“You couldn’t leave well enough alone, could you?” Mike jokingly asked me the other morning when he saw me pouring chia seeds and cinnamon into our boy’s pancake batter. If you’re familiar with Kodiak Cakes, this pancake mix comes with protein already added to it, making it already leveled-up. But who I am to pass at […]
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Want to gain muscle AND sleep better? Eat this before bed!
It’s after dinner and your stomach starts to growl. Before reaching for the comfort carbs, try to snacking on protein. It’s been shown that consuming protein an hour or so before bed not only is prime for muscle building and recovery but also can trigger better sleep. What type of protein is best? Casein protein is the […]
LEVEL UP YOUR PLANK (but don’t do this!)
Planks are a great exercise to train the core to do its main job: provide a strong support for the spine. By bracing your abs (and basically every other muscle in your body while in the plank position) you’re able to create a stable trunk that safely functions. Strengthening your core through this bracing effect not only […]
There are two ways to elevate your fitness…(SAVE THIS QUOTE!)
“There are two ways to elevate your fitness: 1. Lift consistently and intelligently, get lots of quality sleep, eat a killer diet that thrills you and surround yourself with a fitness family. 2. Do all of the above, and also beat yourself up every day for not being “where you want to be.” Either way, you’ll probably […]
Be the jerk who brings the veggie tray…and other advice from Coach Mike. :)
Hello Readers; Mike here! Not two weeks ago, one of our beloved members, having a big group of family in town, messaged me to tell me how concerned he was to be off the nutritional bandwagon. Dinners out, cookouts and trips for ice cream were all on the agenda. We get it! And it got […]
Bodyweight Squats Too Easy? Try These Next.
Have you ever watched a baby squat? Perfect form! 🙂 As adults, we’ve grown into our dysfunctions, physically speaking. Tight chests, rounded shoulders, immoblible thoracic spines, tight hip flexors, weak glutes…combined, these contribute to difficulty maintaining correct movement pattern in the sit-down-stand-up position. At Valeo, we’re well aware of the vital importance of knowing how to and […]
How To Create a (really delicious) Power Smoothie.
A smoothie can be just blended fruit, but we like to call it a POWER SMOOTHIE when it’s packed with whole foods that contain high-quality protein, fiber, healthy fats, antioxidants and more! A Power Smoothie truly can be one of the best meals or snacks of your day. In fact, you’ll find it’s often“what’s for dinner” at our house when we’re on-the-go! […]
Fun Facts about FROZEN PRODUCE + our Favorite RECIPES
Filling half your plate each meal with plants like fruits and vegetables is a great goal to aim for when it comes to tweaking your nutrition. Now that our local Holland Farmer’s Market is open again, this is even easier to do! Another great resource for making half your plate produce-filled is FROZEN FRUITS AND VEGETABLES! Here are some Fun Facts […]
The Rules of the Deadlift Exercise
Avoid low back pain, stay safe, lift more than you ever have! A “deadlift” is simply the motion of picking a weight off the ground. Safe variations of it are integrated into most of our member’s workouts. It’s one of the best exercises for making the body STRONG! While technically a lower-body exercise (hip hinge, to be exact), […]
Top Tips For An Awesome Recovery
Did you know that how well you RECOVER from an exercise session has a huge impact on the results of that session? In fact, all hard work and no thoughtful recovery or rest WILL halt your results and can even diminish performance. Here are our Top Tips for Thoughtful Recovery so you can look, move and feel (even more) awesome! BE INTENTIONAL […]
