Hey, hey, STRONG friend! Happy Tuesday and Happy September!

Can we officially call it fall yet? Pumpkin season is upon us, right? Are you a PS fan? The funny thing is I love all the fall flavors equally: apple cinnamon, salted caramel, maple, chai, etc.

Anywho, how did August treat you? It was a pretty good month for me; I can’t complain. I got some fun activities in, enrolled four new clients, and PR’d Barbell Deficit Reverse Lunges!! I was able to hit 10 reps per side with 95 lbs. Whoop! SO excited about it. I have a goal of hitting 135 lbs next for 10 reps ea side!

How was your month ? I would love to hear! Smash that reply button and share away.

Alrighty, let’s get into this recap of the top MVPs (Most Valuable Posts) of the month.

But first, if you are new around here, welcome. I am so happy you are here. This top-of-the-month email is a review of sorts that the community has let me know resonated with them or was helpful.
 

Let’s dive in...

1 - Hard Pills to Swallow: Muscle Edition!

If you are constantly dieting or under-eating, you will have difficulty building any muscle.⁣
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You really have to be intentional about it.⁣

Muscle tissue doesn’t grow out of thin air. If it’s muscle you want… give the body a reason to grow it! STRONG friend, you’ll have to create the environment to do so!
 

2- Carbs are not the enemy!

I had to find a way to use Sha’carri Richardson’s relay iconic lookover as she was sealing the deal for Olympic gold in the women’s 4x100. I nailed it! 😝 One of my favorite moments during the Olympics!

Anywho, here is a love note about carbs not being the enemy...

They never were, and they never will be!

A calorie surplus makes you gain weight, not carbs themselves.⁣
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No food is inherently fattening. ⁣
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Now, you may be eating an abundance of highly palatable carbs in combination with fat, which are very easy to overeat because they are not filling! ⁣
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So, instead of banning ALL carb sources, add more wholesome, nutritionally dense ones. You can include the fun ones, but cut back on em.⁣
 

3- Carbs aren’t essential? 🤔

Let’s unpack this!

I beg to differ. It’s our body’s primary fuel source. ⁣
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Optimal > Essential⁣
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Secondly, carbs spare your body from using protein as an energy source. ⁣
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Sure, you don’t need them, but your muscle-building efforts will benefit tremendously from consuming them! Your performance in the gym is dependent on them!⁣

Be sure to swipe through the post for facts, truth, and joy! 
 

4 - How to build the muscle, the tone!

If you don’t give the body a reason to build muscle or get STRONG, it won’t.⁣ 

Eating like an itty bitty bird or constantly trying to lose body fat will hurt your muscle-building efforts!
 

5- Supplement that will transform your physique!
 

🏋🏾‍♀️ Weights⁣ - lift the heavy things!! The tone will be toning. Tone is muscle.
💪🏾 Progressive Overload⁣
🚶🏾‍♀️ Walking⁣
🥩 Protein⁣
🥦Fiber⁣
🍒🍎 Fruit - #eatthedamnfruit⁣
🥔 Carbs - they’re not the enemy!⁣
✔️ Eating mostly nutrition foods 80% of the time⁣
🛌 Sleep⁣
💦 Hydration⁣
☀️ Vitamin D
🧘🏾‍♀️Stress Management⁣
🩷 And incorporating the foods that I love!⁣
🫀Sprinkle in the cardio⁣

Supplements should never replace food, sleep, movement, etc.⁣

Do all of these things consistently, at least 80% of the time, before worrying about what supplement you should take!

If you do these things, you’ll be solid and see all the results you’re looking for!⁣
 

Well, that’s a wrap for August MVP’s!

And in case you missed it. Check out this amazing combo that I had with some of my colleagues on the Here’s the Deal: Fitness, Nutrition, and Mindset for People Who Don’t Want Life to Suck with Iris, Meri, and Amy.

We dove into all things STRONG, of course: the benefits of performance goals, the importance of carbs in one’s diet, “boring” workouts, and much, much more! Listen here on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and for my Android users, listen here or here!
 

Lastly, Let me know if you have any content suggestions or questions. I’m always one click away!

Thank you for reading! Have a wonderful week and an amazing month! Hopefully, it’s cooling down where you are and looking like fall! 🍁🍂🎃
 
In Strength & to Your Success,

Much Love
Coach Candace