It might seem like kettlebells appeared in gyms out of nowhere five years ago, but did you know they’ve actually been around since the 1700s? Daphnie tells us how kettlebells jumped from sexy Russian farmers to modern day gyms and walks us through her favorite kettlebell exercises.
Links in this episode: Kettlebells USA, Form videos: Kettlebell swing, clean, hip hinge, deadlift, swing, Turkish getup, and goblet squat. jerk, snatch
Pull-ups are one of those exercises that it feels like only Super Fit people can do. But there’s got to be a way for normal people to learn if they want, right? Daphnie reveals her deep dark pull-up secret and gives us her three step plan to building up to doing a pull-up of our very own. Plus, we reveal the “healthy” foods we won’t eat in “Real Talk”.
Links in this episode: Difference between pull-up and chin-up grips, Good images of the back muscles, How to use a pull-up assist machine
Lots of us are paying for gym memberships where we show up, walk past all of the weight machines we don’t know how to use, and hang out awkwardly in a corner using hand weights. That’s fine! But if you want to up your level of gym mastery, Daphnie explains how to correctly use some of the most common machines at your gym, which ones she loves, and which are, in her words, “completely useless”. Plus: we get angry in “Rage Box”!
Links in this episode: Photos of most of the machines we mention, Ad we discuss in “Rage Box”
The more times you say it, the less it sounds like a word. Calves. Callllllvvvves. Caffs? The point is, we’re talking about the muscles of your lower leg. Daphnie explains the anatomy of the calves, why they’re important, how to strengthen them, and whether or not we can really change how they look. Plus: injury prevention tips!
Links in this episode: The anatomy of the calf, Video instruction on how to do calf raises, How to foam roll your calves and how to foam roll for shin splints
Like pushing doors open? Picking up groceries? Getting up from the ground? Then you LOVE your chest muscles! Daphnie explains how our pecs work, how we can strengthen them, and how to know if you may have hurt them opening a sticky window. Plus, we talk pancakes in “Best Choice”!
Links in this episode: Punky Brewster bust clip, Our episodes on Backs and Building Functional Strength, Video on foam rolling your pecs, Form videos: Push Up, Dumbbell Chest Press, Tricep Dip, Chest Fly
Hamstrings aren’t just sitting there waiting for dads to pull them while playing touch football at Thanksgiving. They’re one of our biggest muscle groups! Learn how they work, when we use them, why we injure them so often, and what to do to prevent it. Plus, Daphnie gives us her current favorite smoothie recipe in “What Your Trainer Eats”!
Links in this episode: More about hamstrings including some good images, Our episode on headaches with Jan Mundo, Daphnie's current favorite protein/collagen powder.
Form videos: deadlifts, bridges, hamstring curl, foam rolling your hamstrings.
Quads are one of the biggest muscle groups in the body, but do you actually know what they do? Daphnie says most of us are quad-dominant, and “not in a good way”. This week, she explains the role our quads play in everyday mobility and suggests some of her favorite exercises to keep our muscles balanced. Plus we give poor Daphnie a heart attack in “This is Crazy, Right?”
Links in this episode: Graphics of the quads, Our past episodes on How to Build Functional Strength, Injuries and Prevention, and Recovering from Injuries. Form videos: leg extension, standing quad stretch, foam rolling quads
Triceps are the muscle that make Joanna the angriest. What do they do, anyway? Why are they so hard to tone? Can’t we just ignore them and they’ll go away? Turns out the answer is no, and Daphnie explains why with tips for building strength in the most annoying of muscles. Plus, we get some cheddar bay biscuits in “Best Choice”.
Links in this episode: Support us on Patreon, Some good images of tricep anatomy. Form videos: push ups, tricep pushups, tricep dip, tricep kickbacks, tricep extension, tricep pushdown, tricep stretch
As a society, we are obsessed with butts. Kids like talking about them because they have to do with the bathroom. Adults are always panicking about whether their butts are too big or too small. We dance to songs about them and even get butt implants. But at the end of the day, your butt is just a muscle. Or, group of muscles? What is your butt, really? Daphnie explains why your butt is so important. Plus, we discover chickpea pasta in “What Your Trainer Eats”!
Links in this episode: Glute muscle graphic, How to foam roll your butt, Banza chickpea pasta, Banza on Amazon. Form videos for squats, lunges, deadlifts, donkey kick, bird dog, and bridges
Show us your muscles! Fitness media is really gendered: women are told to only focus on losing weight, and men are encouraged to bulk up in crazy ways. So, let’s take it down a notch and talk about how and why normal people should build muscle in a healthy, sustainable way. Plus, we spark joy with a Listener Question.
Links in this episode: Our episode on Bones and Calcium, Marie Kondo’s book on organizing, Donate your prom dresses through WGIRLS
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