Melissa Monkhouse Fitness

Hip thrusts I LOVE that big glutes are in (remember the 90’s when having a big butt was a bad thing?!). Big strong glutes aren’t simply aesthetic (for both men and women I might add ), but they are some of the biggest and strongest muscles we’ve got! ... Building glute strength can: - help reduce lumbar/low back pain - can improve posture - can significantly improve your strength in most compound lifts! When starting to focus on building glute strength, you want to make sure to really focus on properly activating and engaging your glutes. Many people have learned to compensate lifting/moving with their low backs rather than properly engaging the glutes through many movements including deadlifts, hip thrusts, kettlebell swings (frankly most hip hinge movements). If you always feel especially sore or even hurt in your low back when performing any of the above exercises, you may need to focus on your proper glute activation and proper form and/or proper engagement of your core throughout those same movements. If you have trouble with form, it can be so so helpful to invest in a coach. Proper movement patterns precede progress in the gym. Build your foundation to be unbreakable, and you’ll become so. DM me if you’re in Calgary looking for a Personal trainer to help you build your foundation

I promise you... Lifting weights will not make you bulky. LIFTING HEAVY WEIGHTS WILL NOT MAKE YOU BULKY ... However... ... It just may empower you. It may just give you more purpose to your training. It may keep you strong for life. It may increase confidence, body image, badassery (it’s a thing), and much much more but I promise you it will not be the reason you ever get bulky. Trust me, it takes more food and more training (and maybe more PEDs) than you could ever imagine or fathom to get you bulky. And seriously, if you actually knew how much work it takes to get that way, you might actually learn to appreciate girls with loads of muscle because I promise you they work DAMN hard to look that way. Anyways to make a long rant short: lifting heavy weights will not make you bulky .

The simplest ways to get back on track (before gyms open back up to the public): In my last post, I mentioned having fallen off track with fitness/nutrition/routine. This is pretty common, this is a lifelong journey and at times you’ll fall off a bit, but that just means that when the time is right, you get back on track (if on track means doing the things that make you feel your best). Here are some of my simplest habits to start to incorporate while slowly getting back o...n track (and not just deep diving back in and feeling overwhelmed). 1. Walking There’s seriously nothing better than getting some daily movement in. Now don’t get me wrong, there could be better weather for such an occasion here in Calgary, but even a small walk around the block or if you have a treadmill, then getting some steps in every single day and making that commitment will start to give you such incredible benefits. 2. Water Water = life. Literally. You are over 60% water. The benefits of drinking more water are seriously astounding. More energy, better recovery, better digestions, and that’s just scratching the surface! Try drinking 2-3 litres of water/day and even more on days where you’re sweating! 3. At-Home Workouts 2020 was the year the Instagram live workouts and ZOOM workouts really came to life. There’s still many live classes that you can attend (check out my girls @livingroomyogis and @empoweredbyplantsofficial ) as well as many videos on youtube that you can follow along to as well! * I’ll also be opening HOMEBODY back up for more clients in a few weeks If you liked these tips, share with your friends and save the post for later. Let me know in the comments if you’d like the getting back on track: Kitchen/Food edition! Remember to get to the top of the mountain, you need to start with small simple steps. One foot in front of the other. You’ve got this!

How I feel about being back at @kings.fitness training 1:1 clients next week If you’ve never trained with me 1:1 before, I have a discounted intro offer for your first 10 sessions! DM if you’re interested in getting back into the gym!!

Some of the reasons you might not be seeing progress: 1) you’re consistently eating too many calories in relation to your average daily energy output 2) you’re consistently eating too LITTLE calories in relation to your average daily energy output. ... *key being consistently* I know you’re probably aware of the first reason for plateaus in progress, but have you been aware of the second? Your body is a crazy amazing vehicle that is extremely adaptable and efficient at working with the energy it’s given to keep you working at the best possible level that it can. HOWEVER, An extreme and chronic caloric deficit will yield weight loss results in the beginning, however the longevity of said results and/or the efficiency of the body at said deficit usually doesn’t yield for a healthy body that looks or functions the way you intent or would like it to. If you’re the 1st person in the above example, start with a slight/moderate calorie deficit and exercise patience . If you’re the 2nd person, it might be time to do the opposite. A slight/moderate increase in calories over time (a reverse-diet). I know a reverse diet tends to go against everything you’ve ever been taught about weight loss and health and fitness, but if you genuinely care about the health part of that equation, take your time with it but start to step outside that comfort zone . You might just be surprised at how good and strong you can start to feel, and feeling strong is the most empowering feeling in the world .

I’m not sure that I’ve fully wrapped my head around this past weekend yet, but phew what a whirlwind . Saturday was show day, it ended up being a very long day of waiting. Bikini open didn’t go on until just before midnight. We got rushed on and through and didn’t get to do any individual routines or posing. The building was going to kick us out/turn the lights off at midnight so I understand the rush. ... I could dwell on the fact that I didn’t get as much stage time as I would have liked HOWEVER with the new covid regulations and the size of the show, I’m just incredibly grateful to have had the experience of being on stage at all. Thank you to @bombshell and @albertaopen for keeping your athletes safe and providing this incredible experience all while handling new and tighter covid rules and regulations. Regardless of how the day went, there are SO many reasons for me to feel incredibly proud: - I coached myself to the stage. I’ve been studying nutrition, body building nutrition, and processes of the body for YEARS and felt ready to put that knowledge to the test (and also learn more as I went) - I set out to do this in July and I accomplished it. I DID the damn thing - I was SO outside of my comfort zone. The whole process was new, nerve-wrecking, and uncomfortable, but I held my composure and welcomed the feelings and emotions as they came and went (only broke down once ) I just want to thank everyone for the lovely messages and support you showed me this past weekend. It was so nice to feel the love I’m so proud of myself. I’ve also lit a new found appreciation and passion for this sport and you better watch out for next season. I’ll be getting that overall. #comfortablewiththeuncomfortable See more

Getting comfortable with the uncomfortable If you know me, you know that this is one of my go-to sayings. It’s a motto for me. And I’d like to think that it’s a motto that I try to teach my clients. Nothing breathtakingly thrilling or amazing happens inside that comfort zone of yours. ... I’ve pushed myself all the time in the gym and I’ve been an athlete at the collegiate level, so I felt that I’d been pushing myself outside my comfort zone my whole life... ...but NOTHING like this. In two days I’ll be doing something SO outside my comfort zone that it was scary to even tell people about (which I didn’t for the longest time). I’m about to step on stage for the first time ever as a bikini competitor. It’s starting to sink in. I’m feeling every mix of emotion possible: excited, nervous, terrified, confident, unsure, and most of all, i’m uncomfortable! I haven’t been a newbie/rookie at anything in a REALLY long time. But I’m ready. I’m ready to take on this challenge. I’ve been challenging myself SO much more than I ever have or thought that I could in the last few months leading up to this point. I’ve done all the work. Now it’s time to embrace the challenge and get comfortable with the uncomfortable. #2daysout See more

When you get the chance to, slow down and you’ll find pockets of beauty and peace in all the little things #gratitude

#SMALLBIZSUNDAY As a small biz myself, and with the troubles that small businesses have been facing through this pandemic, I wanted to start showcasing some of my favourite small (often local) businesses and products I figured that there was no better way to start than to showcase my fav gal @amita and her @foodglow Vital Refuel Whey Protein! ... You may already know Foodglow because of the delicious protein donuts you see at every local grocer in Calgary but did you know that their now offering a vanilla whey protein powder that is grass fed and sweetened with monk fruit!! No artificial fillers or sweeteners and it supports an amazing small and #yyc local company. If you’re interested in getting your hands on some, you can order them from the website and if you use code: MEL20 you also get 20% off your order! Get that protein in! Happy Sunday! See more

And now more than ever, she knows she will be okay. And not because things are perfect but because she knows Who is leading the way... - Morgan Harper Nichols See more

Do small things every day that bring you joy and energy. Whatever that may be for you. Having moments for yourself every day is important. Big or small. ... Here are some suggestions of things that bring me comfort and energy when my mood is off or when I feel I need to protect my energy: - going for a walk - grabbing coffee from my favourite local shops - reading a chapter of a book (not work or study-related) - listening to self-development or nutrition podcasts - baking treats and sharing them with people I love - lifting weights/working out - journaling - spending time with friends and family (Or depending on the situation, spending time alone) I call these my reset activities. They’re just some of the things that I know make me feel so full and grounded. I sometimes need to remind myself to do more of these things and less of the time-filling activities that drain me of my energy (I.e. scrolling SM) What are some of your reset activities? Comment below to share and inspire Happy Wednesday! See more