Edition #13 | You Might Be Breathing Wrong

Plus: Ronaldo's famous ab workout, 5 daily activities to help you lose fat, and more.

Good morning and welcome to The Weekly Rep, the official newsletter of fitness.

In today’s edition:

  • Cristiano Ronaldo’s ab workout — are you up for the challenge?

  • The details behind GHOST’s hydration sale launching tomorrow!

  • 5 daily activities to help you lose fat & balance your hormones

  • Apple Airpods will have all-new health features — learn more

  • 12 exercises you’ll never perform wrong again after today

Let’s dive in 💥 

FLEX YOUR BRAIN

Which I-term describes an exercise where you tighten up a muscle without moving any of the joints around it? (A “wall sit” is one example)

a. Intermittent

b. Intense

c. Isotonic

d. Isometric

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 — Quadriceps 😎

IN THE NEWS
  • GHOST’s BOGO50 sale on hydration products kicks off tomorrow — don’t miss out on some sweet deals!

  • Apple has big plans for AirPods and the product’s health features

  • Legion launches their newest product — protein cookies

  • Health & fitness apps face uncertainty amid new user decline

  • Accelerator spends big to partner with gymnastics phenom Olivia Dunne

WEEKLY WORKOUTS

Try Cristiano Ronaldo’s Ab Workout

The core routine we're about to share with you is not for the faint of heart. It's a challenge that even we, despite our best efforts, failed miserably at. But we’ll be the first to tell you, the burn in our abs lasted for days. Now, if you're truly up for the challenge, we dare you to give it a shot and see if you have what it takes to complete 4 rounds. Here are the exercises you’ll be performing:

  • Leg lifts

  • Heel touches

  • Suitcases

  • Elbow-to-knee crunches

  • Toe touches

20-Minute Full Body Beginner Routine

Join Chris Heria as he guides you through an invigorating beginner strength session that requires nothing more than a pair of dumbbells and 20 minutes of your time. He’ll personally ensure that you execute each exercise with correct form, offering invaluable tips along the way. Plus: he’ll motivate you along the way. Say goodbye to missed workouts due to uncertainty about which exercises to incorporate. Join Chris and give this routine a shot today!

12 Exercises You’ll Never Do Wrong Again

Mastering new exercises can be challenging, but even the ones you've been practicing for years can benefit from some fine-tuning. In any case, Jeff Cavaliere is here to break down the common mistakes you might be making and equip you with the knowledge to avoid them. Invest just 10 minutes in watching this video, and you'll save yourself from unnecessary soreness or, worse yet, potential injury.

LIFESTYLE

You Might Be Breathing Wrong

The average person breathes in and out about 22,000 times per day. Inhales and exhales happen so naturally that we rarely ever think about them. But there’s actually so much more to this unconscious bodily function than you might realize.

“There are so many things that the breath can influence,” says David “Jacko” Jackson, a breathwork expert and Master Instructor with Oxygen Advantage. Jacko, a former professional rugby player, has spent countless hours studying, researching, and practicing breathwork, or as he likes to call it, “breathing training.”

Now you might find yourself thinking, “do I really need to train myself how to breathe? No way, it’s just breathing – it’s so easy!” And that’s where you’d be wrong.

Breathing correctly is actually something most people don’t know how to do, which is why we caught up with Jacko to find out what you can do to breathe, live and feel better.

THINGS TO…
…DO 🙌

5 Daily Activities To Help You Lose Fat

Raise your hand if you’ve ever been personally victimized by diet culture. We don’t know about you, but our hands are in the air.

Our Editor-in-Chief has tried every diet under the sun on her quest for the “magic” diet – that one perfect way of eating to make her body lean, toned, and full of energy. From keto to paleo to carb-cycling to vegan, she’s literally tried everything, and is here to tell you: the perfect diet doesn’t exist. After years of experimenting, all she ended up with was a horrible relationship with food and a body that looked exactly the same.

If you’re on a similar journey, know that you’re not alone in struggling to find something that works. But also know that there’s a much better way to lose fat (and balance your hormones) – and macro and fat-loss coach Hannah Hutson is here to share exactly how to do that.

…TRY 💯 

The Best Summer Workout Gear

Summer is in full swing, and that means vacations, beach days, barbecues — and the struggle to keep up with your fitness goals. Between the heat, the activities, and the travel, getting your workouts in can be a challenge, so we rounded up 10 products that have been helping us stay strong all summer long. From travel-friendly resistance band packs to a new pair of shorts, check out our picks.

…MAKE 🍯

Honey BBQ Chicken Mac & Cheese

This incredible high-protein recipe by Jalal (jalalsamfit) is a game-changer that will revolutionize your meal prep routine. With a whopping 50g of protein in each serving, you can effortlessly whip up multiple portions in less than 30 minutes. Don't deprive yourself of this mouthwatering cheesy delight any longer — try making this extraordinary meal today!

…FIX 🏃

Your Running Form

From childhood, almost all of us have been running. It seems to come naturally. However, it is important to acknowledge that we often commit form errors that can result in heightened soreness, premature fatigue, and even potential injuries. Check out the video below to learn some tips to improve your form.

…LEARN 💭

The Good + Bad Of Sucralose

If you’ve ever read the ingredients on your protein powder, pre-workout, or most powdered drink mixes, you’ve probably come across sucralose.

Sucralose, more commonly known as Splenda, is a zero-calorie sweetener that is about 600 times sweeter than raw sugar, which is chemically known as sucrose. The biggest difference between table sugar and sucralose is their molecular structure: sucralose is sucrose with three hydrogen-oxygen groups removed and replaced with chlorine atoms. This altered atomic structure is responsible for its sweetness-without-guilt combo.

Thanks to those chlorine groups, the enzymes in your digestive system aren’t able to break the sugar down, meaning sucralose travels through the body without being absorbed or providing energy (or calories). Now that all sounds well and good, but is something like this too good to be true?

LAUGHS FOR LIFTERS
  • Dad Joke of the Week

    • Q — Why do teddy bears avoid the gym?

    • A — They don’t want to get ripped

  • What happens when you take the names of exercises literally? 

  • When you try a new gym while you’re traveling, is this how it goes?

BAND OF THE MONTH

Upgrade your workout playlist with July’s band of the month, Stop Light Observations.

Inspired by artists like Frank Ocean, Ray Charles, The Rolling Stones, and even Billie Eilish, S.L.O. will be your jam if you typically enjoy something with a little bit on an alternative vibe.

REVIEW OF THE WEEK

Looking for an irresistible protein-packed snack to try? Feast your taste buds on Beast Energy Cookies, an on-the-go snack we always make sure to keep around.

With a generous 10 grams of protein and 180g of caffeine, these cookies are the ultimate guilt-free indulgence for all of you with a sweet tooth striving to hit your macro goals. Clocking in at 380 calories, they are the perfect pre-workout fuel to power you through your intense training sessions, from start to finish.

After much deliberation, our team came to a consensus rating of 8/10. If having an entire cookie isn’t your thing, they’ll be releasing cookie bites soon!

Whether you already have your go-to protein snacks or are looking for a new one, we highly recommend these cookies. Try them for yourself!

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JULY GIVEAWAY

We’re ecstatic to be dropping our July giveaway for you all! Now that we’ve finalized the list of brands partnering up to give away 2 amazing prizes packages valued at over $1,000, we’re preparing to launch it this week.

Interested in knowing the brands participating? Well, here you go:

  • The Lift Box (of course)

  • DirtyBird Energy

  • Wicked Cutz

  • Bearded Brothers

  • Chasin’ Dreams Farm

To enter early, give us a follow on Instagram to know when it opens! We’ll drop the link in our next newsletter too so no one misses out 🔥