There is so much information out there, specifically about weight training and protein intake. It can be really confusing to know where to start, how it all works, and ensure you’re doing things properly so as to not waste time working hard with no results.
Cassidy Kmetz, personal trainer and nutritionist, is here to talk to us about where to start. In this post Cassidy shares her own health and wellness journey, what she learned the hard way, where she tells her clients to start and explains progressive overload so you can get the best results possible.
Let’s welcome Cassidy to the blog.
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Before beginning my fitness journey, I was an “elite” soccer player who dedicated my life to the sport and was nominated to try out for the Junior US Women’s National Team at age 14. This was until I suffered a skateboard accident that resulted in a traumatic brain injury which left me in a coma and almost took my life. Although I had to adjust to my “new norm” with permanent deafness in my right ear and cognitive fatigue, it was truly a miracle that I even made it out alive. The doctors told me that my strong veins that came from being an athlete are what saved me.
During recovery, I got really into health/fitness, fell in love with the idea of reinventing myself, & wanted to use my story to inspire others to live a healthy lifestyle & find the beauty in “starting over.” I went from spending hours in hospital PT learning how to walk again, to becoming a leading fitness coach. Fitness is what kept me healthy and gave me not only physical, but the mental strength and toughness to move forward.
We all start somewhere. But the secret to starting is taking the first step forward. I decided to rewrite the script, use my story to inspire others, and the strength to push me forward. My disability is what “enabled” me to live out my dream.
So, allow me to reintroduce myself.
Hi TSC readers! My name is Cassidy, and I am a social media fitness coach, certified personal trainer and holistic health nut! I have been in the industry for 6 years now and am loving every second of it. I know how much BS there is in the media promoting fad diets, excessive exercise and restrictive eating. As a product of that culture myself, I put a concerted effort into enlightening people on how they can meet their fitness goals while achieving a balanced lifestyle and enjoying their favorite sweets while doing it! My goal as a creator is to use my platform to enlighten people on how to achieve an overall well-being, considering ALL aspects: physical, mental and spiritual.
My clientele consists of women-only, as I truly value the strength and support found within the women community, and recognize that our genetic/hormonal makeup requires a different approach to weight training than the ever so pushed men-dominant culture and beliefs that surround it. I strive to bridge the gap between fitness/nutrition, making achieving a healthy lifestyle more easily “digestible” for everyone, no matter where they are on their journey. The ultimate reason why I do what I do is so I can leave a positive impact on as many peoples’ lives. And as long as I’m doing that, I’m living my life’s purpose.
So you’re just starting at the gym?
So you’re just starting your fitness journey, intimidated af, surrounded by a bunch of meatheads at the gym… trust me we’ve ALL been there. First, it’s important to know that EVERYONE in that gym has been in the same place as you and has felt the same exact way. No one is paying attention to what you’re doing… and if we’re being honest, they are most likely too preoccupied checking themselves out in the mirror (ngl, we love a juicy post glute pump selfie)!! Ok so now that we’re over the gym anxiety, let’s get to the basics.
Have a plan (progressive overload)
I was the girl who would show up to the gym every week in my skin tight Lulu Lemon leggings and Nike Free Runs with a new Youtube series loaded up on my phone, usually something along the lines of a “Victoria Secret Slim Thigh Workout” as this was in the THICC of the “thigh gap” era we all had to suffer through. I was switching up my workouts every week and wondering why I still wasn’t seeing ANY results??
When you first start working out, any kind of tension you place on your muscles will lead to the breakdown of the muscular tissue, allowing the muscles to rebuild stronger. But as time goes on, your muscles will adapt and eventually reach a plateau. If you’re trying out new exercises every week and not following a set structure, you aren’t giving your muscles a solid foundation to work from.
In order to see real results at the gym, you MUST be following some sort of program that 1. you can stick to and 2. you can progress from. This is where progressive overload comes into play. To continually see results from your workouts, the principle of progressive overload demands gradually increasing the “load” on your muscles while making your workouts more challenging.
There are several progressive overload tactics that can be used such as increasing weight, frequency, volume, etc.
I’ll use my glute growth program as an example. The training plan spans 12 weeks and is divided into four 4-week phases. During each phase, you’re given a specific set of exercises to do, gradually increasing the weight each week. After completing week 4, you’ll start a new set of exercises for weeks 5-8, gradually increasing the weight from there. You’ll repeat this process again for weeks 9-12. This is a tried-and-true way to see real results from your workouts.
Use classes as an accessory.
Classes are great.
They have a social element, are inspiring, and a great entry level to get familiar with the movements with the instructor’s guidance to help. But what you don’t want to do is rely on them to supplement your workouts completely. Many of the classes out there are notorious for switching up exercises every week, without giving you any structure to progress from. Not to mention, if your instructor is screaming in your ears while the music is blaring and colored lights are flickering, RIP to your cortisol levels.
Make food deliver gains (choose wisely!)
Fitness and nutrition go hand in hand… one simply cannot exist without the other (I learned that the hard way). That’s why I tell the girls training with me in the app, before they start the training to go through our member’s portal in the group chat and read the pages on nutrition, go through the sample meal plan, etc.
Instead of wasting hours on end at the gym just to continue to not see any results, put some of that time into re-evaluating your diet. And it’s not anything you need to overcomplicate. Start small. just choose one thing to start. For me, I started with protein. I increased my protein intake, aiming for 1g per lb of bodyweight. I started “meal prepping” my meals, basically just making a bunch of food in bulk at the beginning of the week so I could have it ready to go when I’m running out of the house (which, at the time, was also in an effort to actually make it to one of the college courses I was always infamously late for).
When I’m deciding what to prep for the week, I get VERY specific…I call it the 1×4 rule. Choose 1 protein you can keep on deck, and 4 different recipes to make with it (this makes things 10x more interesting). To get into the specifics, because we know Lauryn loves a good micro detail, here’s a theoretical meal prep plan using organic chicken breast as the main protein source.
Prioritize rest
We, as women, naturally require more rest than men. Taking that into account, we better make sure we’re not skimping out on our rest days, or even resting in between sets. There was a point where I was working in overdrive, so much so that I completely hit a plateau. This was partly due to my addiction to going to the gym. I’m sure many of us can relate to this.
Once you get into the routine of working out regularly, you almost feel guilty for taking a day off and have no idea what to do with yourself. At some point in time, I realized the issue was deeper and I had to look inward and heal my relationship with exercise. Listen to your body and find a common ground.
Rest days could more fittingly be considered “growth days.” Your muscles grow during their resting periods. If you are not giving them a sufficient amount of time to rest, rebuild and recover, you can actually reverse the progress.
During rest days, sometimes I will just hit the sauna and zen out, other days I will take a more “active recovery” and do some moderate cardio, try a restorative yoga/stretch class or go on a walk to help drain my lymphatic system and keep the blood flowing.
Be INTENTIONAL with everything you do.
This isn’t about just going through the motions. A lot of us (including me) sometimes forget that high cortisol levels are a major contributor to weight gain, looking fluffy and puffy and feeling sluggish. Our bodies know when we’re not putting the time into feeling good, and it communicates it to us through our physical state.
If you want to achieve your full potential, you MUST be investing in your mind, body, and soul…make wellness a lifestyle. Not just at the gym. Find small, intentional ways to improve your well-being. Whether that’s parking farther away in the parking lot to get more steps in or setting 5 minutes aside to meditate (or yoga nidra) before starting your day. These micro habits are what end up making ALL the difference. The benefits are beyond just physical… you will FEEL the change happening! You can even implement it into your busy schedule.
Hydration reminders.
I love keeping my glass water bottle next to me at all times to remind me to hydrate. Sex up your water the Lauryn way. Add some lemon, mint, celtic salt… To take it even a step further, I literally invested in this water ionizer machine because it hydrates 50x faster than regular water so I can drink more, and for less because I couldn’t get myself to drink 1 gallon each day if I tried.
Intentional cardio.
Sounds crazy, but I use Lauryn’s mouth tape during Zone 2 cardio to train myself into the habit of being a nose breather and improve the quality of oxygen to my lungs. Do I get some stares at the gym with tape over my mouth? ALL the time. But the pros outweigh the cons and people talk regardless, so may as well give them something to talk about LOL.
Walking on a whim.
Whenever you find a couple minutes to get up and move your body, DO IT! During lunch breaks, unpacking groceries, answering calls. I have this weird thing where I can ONLY take meetings on a walk. It allows me to organize my thoughts, grounds me, helps me to find my flow… It’s all about finding what works best for YOU!
Follow my fitness page, and check out my app if you’re looking for support in starting a wellness journey. I also offer 1:1 virtual coaching consultations for $150/hr.
For coaching inquiries, email the word “consult,” or if you’re looking to learn more about the water ionizer machine, you can email me the word “water.” [email protected].
Sending all love and light!
Cassidy
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We hope you loved this post and it inspired you to start lifting weights, without the intimidation. Be sure to reach out to Cassidy if you need some help and support in your fitness journey.
x, The Skinny Confidential team.
+ Read about Lauryn’s weight loss journey here.
++ For more tips on weights and protein, read this one from Dr. Lyon.
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