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- Edition #10 | The Surprising Benefits of Ice Baths
Edition #10 | The Surprising Benefits of Ice Baths
Plus: 3 ways to relieve low back pain, moves to warm-up with, and more.
Good morning and welcome to The Weekly Rep, the official newsletter of fitness.
In today’s edition:
Is cold plunging just another fad? Find out for yourself
Advice from a corrective exercise specialist on relieving low back pain
Jeremy Ethier provides a science-based push workout for muscle growth
Alani Nu drops 3 new protein bar flavors…and we can’t wait to try them
Announced — the winners of our partner giveaway + $1,200 in prizes!
Let’s dive in 💥
FLEX YOUR BRAIN
High intensity workouts that involve aerobic and resistance exercises are sometimes called High Intensity ______ Training, or HICT.
a. Cardio
b. Core
c. Circuit
d. Calisthenics
Every week, we’ll pick people at random who reply to this email with the correct answer to receive a 1-month Lift Box subscription!
Last week’s answer — 40% (we emailed the winners 😎)
IN THE NEWS
BPN’s ‘Go One More’ sale (a rare sight) ends tonight — don’t miss out!
Peloton releases Lanebreak gaming experience for Tread
GHOST announces their newest protein flavor — Coconut Ice Cream
Pickleball isn’t all sunshine and rainbows for insurance companies
Alani Nu drops 3 new protein bar flavors we’re rushing to try!
WEEKLY WORKOUTS
Warm-Up With These Moves
Including a quick warm-up in your workout like an active prep circuit helps prepare your body for the work ahead. Jay and Steph Rose, the founders of Phase SiX, are extremely knowledgeable and lay out one of the best warm-up routines you can do in this short video.
Follow along for 8-10 reps of each movement with minimal rest in between and reap the benefits before jumping into your next workout!
Jeremy Ethier’s Science-Based Push Workout
One of the most effective workout splits for building muscle, the push-pull-leg routine is the go-to for our team! It’s one we highly recommend if you’re able to hit the gym 6 days a week. If not, then a full-body routine may be the better option.
With all the studies that have been done on exercise the last few decades, Jeremy Ethier dove into the research to develop what we deem as one of the most effective push workouts you can do. Check out the exercises you’ll be performing below:
Incline bench press
Standing dumbbell shoulder press
Flat dumbbell press
Lateral raises
Decline cable fly
Incline dumbbell overhead extensions
3 Move Deep Core Circuit
Struggling to develop a stronger core? Try these hanging bar movements from hybrid athlete Charlotte Alice to strengthen your lower core. Look to perform the circuit 3 times with a 2-minute rest period between sets. The 3 movements you’ll be performing are:
Half leg raises
Knee raises to pike
Oblique twists
LIFESTYLE
The Power of Ice Baths: The Surprising Benefits for the Mind & Body
The world of wellness is full of trends. From keto diets to the ‘12-3-30’ workout popularized by TikTok, it’s hard to know what really works and what’s just another crazy fad. Over the past few years, ice baths have become one of those things. You’ve probably seen dozens of celebrities and athletes hyping up the benefits of cold plunges, and if you’re like us, you might’ve found yourself wondering: is this really healthy, or is this just one of those short-lived internet things?
To get to the bottom of the cold plunge craze, and to find out if submerging yourself in freezing cold water really does anything, we asked Cam LaBar, aka Cold Plunge Cam. While not a doctor, LaBar has been using cold exposure to improve both his mental and physical health over the past few years after dealing with “a bout of serious depression,” he says.
“It caught me off guard,” LaBar continues, sharing how he originally took an interest in cold plunges. “I had dealt with some difficult circumstances growing up – I was diagnosed with anxiety, OCD, and Tourette Syndrome when I was nine – but never had I experienced symptoms so scary. This pushed me to explore any possible outlet I could find that might help me to feel happy again.”
From there, he began experimenting with ice baths and soon discovered that they provided a “perfect, controlled-stress environment” to help him get comfortable with being uncomfortable. “The most powerful part of cold exposure is learning that I can reframe the way I view stress or discomfort,” LaBar says. “Nobody ‘likes’ the cold at first. And it took some time to appreciate the cold as a useful tool and not just a difficult moment,” he says of the beginnings of his cold exposure journey.
THINGS TO…
…DO 🙌
Relieve Low Back Pain
Low back pain is incredibly common, with 4 out of every 5 people experiencing it sometime in their lives. Feelings of stiffness, tightness, and pain can occur for many different reasons, whether it be from sitting at your desk for too long or picking up those dumbbells incorrectly before a lift. Even something as simple as bending over to tie your shoes or picking up your kids can cause your back muscles to tighten up, resulting in pain.
…TRY ☀️
This Elite Wellness Product
Our Editor-in-Chief is incredibly frugal. She budgets everything down to the cent and hardly ever allows for a splurge. It’s safe to say there are definitely no daily iced coffees and avocado toast in her household. But frugal as she is, her budget goes out the window every time it comes to her health.
A new supplement? Gotta have it. A massage or chiropractor appointment after a strenuous workout? Sign her up. A $699 infrared sauna blanket? Currently sitting on her living room floor.
…MAKE 🧑🍳
Low-Calorie Cookies
With only 63 calories and 2g of fat, these chocolate chip cookies make every day a cheat day. Calvin Kang, a former private chef, serves up amazing recipes on his page and we couldn’t help but take notice. Seriously, we’ve been trying them out all week and you should too!
…FIX 💪
Your Front Squat
So you back squat and are wondering why you would consider adding front squats to your routine, right? Or maybe you’ve just begun front squatting and your form is all over the place. We’ve been there. In either case, this video from Jeff Nippard breaks down the benefits and walks you through the lift so you can nail it.
…DRINK 💦
The Right Amount of Water
Water is essential for our overall health and well-being. It plays a vital role in various bodily functions and is necessary for maintaining optimal physical and mental performance. However, determining the exact amount of water you should consume can be a bit confusing. But, staying hydrated is super important, so we broke down how to figure out your water needs so your body can feel and perform its best.
LAUGHS FOR LIFTERS
Dad Joke of the Week
Q — Why do impatient people hate the gym?
A — Because of the weights
We’ve never agreed to take a rest day with our partner, but we’re pretty positive this is exactly how it goes
Leaving the gym after your weight session…forget to do something?
REVIEW OF THE WEEK
On the hunt for a new electrolyte-packed sports drink? Check out our review of one featured in a recent Lift Box, PWR LIFT!
Packed with 10g of protein, 5 powerful electrolytes, and 2,000mgs of BCAAs, this drink is a great option for fueling your workouts. Oh, and did we mention there’s 0 sugar? With 4 amazing flavors, there are plenty of options to find your favorite — just check out their variety pack.
After trying each flavor (our personal favorite being Berry Strawberry), we came to a consensus rating of 8/10. We aren’t sure we’ve tried a better protein-infused hydration drink, but would probably still grab a classic Gatorade over PWR LIFT’s if we’re just going after the best tasting recovery drink.
Looking for a great tasting, protein packed drink to fuel your recovery? PWR LIFT’s hydration drinks are a fantastic choice!
What do you think of today's newsletter? |
JUNE GIVEAWAY WINNER!
Congratulations to Chris and Haleigh, the winners of our June giveaway and over $1,200 in prizes! Make sure you check your emails for details.
If you didn’t win, don’t sweat. We’ll be announcing another awesome partner giveaway later this month you won’t want to miss! 🔥