Ashleigh Kast Personal Trainer @ashleighkast

ashleighkast ⚡️STOP SITTING BACK WHEN YOU SQUAT⁣ ⁣ I know they taught you this in your group class but they were wrong! ⁣ ⁣ When you move from the hip too early, you unknowingly turned what you intended to be a squat, into a hinge—a deadlift. And that doesn’t really make sense from a biomechanics standpoint with the way you’re racking that weight. ⁣ ⁣ Instead, get under that weight. Push your knees forward and slide your back down the wall. Break from the hip when you can’t get any further with the knees. Keep trying to pull your butt forward as you descend.⁣ ⁣ This will help you build resilient knees and protect your spine so you don’t walk around like “Yeah, I’m just getting old.” Don’t be that guy.⁣ ⁣ Just be careful walking down the steps tomorrow.⁣ ⁣ 💁🏼‍♀️Hit the Save button and tag a friend who needs to be saved from what we call “the group x squat” or “the wannabe-power-lifter squat”⁣ ⁣

ashleighkast Listen, I don’t care if we don’t even make it to week 3 before the league has to shut down due to COVID or whatever piece of this apocalyptic year has yet to show itself. I’m just so excited for the return of football on this Thursday morning in 2020. Don’t @ me activists. #joy

ashleighkast It’s been so much fun to get back on the track and lace up my spikes. Fun fact: I was a mid-distance runner in high school. It seemed to be a good fit. I weighed about 96lbs soaking wet and I had run cross country in middle school. I had the drive and the endurance. But once during my senior year, I subbed in for the 200m and smoked the field. And I finished my career with a blazing 400m split in the relay. So I always wondered what could have been. ⁣ ⁣ Now that I’ve got an empty track I can walk to from my apartment, and a fully developed posterior chain, I’m having a blast building new skills and running workouts I prescribed to my team back when I coached track. Plus, I’ve been expanding my knowledge as a running coach with @altis Foundations off the track. Feels good to immerse myself in this world and chase down a specific goal. It’s the anchor my brain needs in these strange times. ⁣ ⁣ ⚡️Got your own running goals for the Fall? Here to help⁣!

ashleighkast I hear ya. Masks are annoying. Many of the studies cited in these articles aren’t particularly great, as they are studying infection rates and correlating them to masking up when in fact, many other behavior changes were occurring at once.⁣ ⁣ But don’t get caught up in your discomfort and whatever confirmation bias you feel in the above acknowledgement.⁣ ⁣ Infection rates decreased by 3% a day in NYC after we all started taking things seriously. I’m real proud of my city and my state(NJ is home). We did a really great job coming together to make this happen in the epicenter of it all, and masks are undoubtedly a huge part of that success, and that is reflected in the science. ⁣ ⁣ I’m not saying I wear them outside all the time. We’ve got a lot more space out here in the burbs than on the city sidewalks. But if you’re spitting distance from others or you’re inside, just put it on. Slowing the spread is key to our institutional success in handling the outbreak.⁣ ⁣ And as gyms re-open in the tri-state, I wanna share with you my fave mask for getting sweaty and strenuous breathing. That @carbon38 mask is my pick. It’s lighter and more breathable than cotton. It’s moisture wicking, so it’s way better with mascne. And it’s got a special filter layer. Highly recommend. I just bought another pack in anticipation of coaching a class.⁣ ⁣ ⚡️Plus, that Labor Day sale is going on. It’s notoriously good. And you’ll get an extra 15% off your first two purchases with code ASHLEIGHKAS🙌🏻 This entire fit is mostly Carbon38.⁣

ashleighkast Groggy in the morning? Trouble falling asleep? Wired at night when you know you should be winding down? ⁣ ⁣ Working from home, you might be waking up and going right from your bedroom to your office, ahem the living room. ⁣That means you’re missing out on some early sun exposure that you probably got during your morning commute.⁣ ⁣ And that’s an important change. Light exposure helps ours bodies understand what time it is and how to behave accordingly.⁣ ⁣ So in the morning, getting sun on your face does two things. It helps to optimize that early cortisol spike and get you ready for action. But it also starts a 16-hr timer. When time runs out, melatonin is released and we’re signaled to rest. ⁣ ⁣ ⚡️So you want to make sure that before you sit down on your office(dining) chair and caught up in work, you get outside for at least 2-10 minutes without sunglasses. Sunglasses will block important UV rays to your eyeballs, just like your window panes. And it’s really all about the eyes here.⁣ ⁣ 💁🏼‍♀️This isn’t necessarily the answer to your insomnia. There’s lots of other contributing factors there. For instance, if you’re reading this on your phone past sundown👀, but this is a practice we can definitely all benefit from. Try it out and let me know if it helps! And check out @hubermanlab page for more sleep science!

ashleighkast Stop killing black people ✊🏻 @dietstartsmonday__

ashleighkast The track is really where it all started for me. I didn’t realize how lucky we were to have a personal trainer as our coach until my senior year when a new guy came in and ran us into the ground. It was a frustrating experience as a 16-yr old. It wasn’t so much that we were running worse times. That was demoralizing in itself; no one likes to lose week after week. ⁣ ⁣ But the really exasperating part of the situation is that because Mark had taken care to try to teach us about what we were doing, we kind of knew what a good program looked like. And we quickly started to realize that the person placed in front of us, did not. To make matters worse, he could see it in our eyes. It was the first time I would experience that sort of ego-driven aggression from an authority figure. ⁣ ⁣ We didn’t really have options for rectifying the situation. I smile to myself when I think how idealistic we were to try to engage in productive debate. He was not havin’ it. And the school board wasn’t gonna either. Budget concerns, bureaucracy blah blah. By the beginning of spring season, we were starting to get injured anyway. I stepped off the track without finishing my last individ race—my shins burning and my heart racing in panic. He came over to yell at me, but I didn’t say a word back. ⁣ Instead, I took the anger seething beneath my silence and I went back to Mark to learn how I could be the antithesis of this person. And I’ve carried this chip on my shoulder since. ⁣ ⁣ Call it madness, but this unwillingness to be a shitty professional is what keeps me driven. Call it bitterness, but the intolerance I hold for influencers, media outlets, even doctors, who peddle bad information is what keeps me curious. And I’m happy to wear the title of skeptic. I’m here to ask questions—to challenge norms and keep pushing for better. ⁣ ⁣ And I hope you are as well.⁣ ⁣ Frustration, outrage… these emotions compel us to action. And it’s my belief that anger lives just next door to hope, and only a few houses down from optimism. Don’t shy away from those fiery feelings. Particularly now as maybe you too are feeling bamboozled. Instead, seek truth. Feel anger. Then relax... and get to work.

ashleighkast Haters will say it’s just angles😆

ashleighkast Last week in #metabolismmisfitschool we talked about how different foods can affect hunger. #hilolifepartner @hilolifesnacks ⁣ ⁣ Foods that are high in fat and protein are really good at creating satiety—they keep you feeling less hungry between meals. ⁣ ⁣ That’s important because finding foods that will help you control hunger is a major consideration if you’re trying to cut back calories to put less stress on your metabolism, maintain weight or lose weight—whatever your goal is.⁣ ⁣ On workout days, I know my energy demands are higher so my pre and post post workout snacks are carb’d up. But on lower activity days, I try to eat a little bit less and look for snacks that are primarily protein and fat to keep that satiety up. ⁣ ⁣ This @hilolifesnacks cheese and nut combo was perfect yesterday on the beach. Didn’t melt after sitting out on the beach all day in this heat wave. Kept me satisfied til I drive home and made a salad for dinner. And bonus: the ranch cheese puffs reminded me of the cheezit party mix my mom would buy when I was a kid; it felt like a splurge. ⁣ ⁣ ⚡️That’s what works for me. What are some foods that help you reach your goals? PLEASE write ‘em here cause we love a new snack idea!⁣ ⁣ #thehilolife #metabolismscience #belesshungry #snacks

ashleighkast Sympathetic joy is the practice of delighting in the well-being of others. When we celebrate the accomplishments and successes of each other, we increase our own individual happiness. In this way, we move forward together. #challengeaccepted Thank you especially @mytrainercarmen @annieschmidt26 @mira_beezz . It’s an absolute delight to watch y’all and @samkast @alexa_domymakeup @drlanawellness @moveolution @missybunch @misstraficante @cheflaurenowens @alexandrahamptonmusic @laurenhbehr crush it ❤️✊🏻 #mudita #womensupportingwomen #era2021

ashleighkast ⚡️YOU MIGHT BE LETTING YOUR EGO RUN THE SHOW⁣ ⁣ I don’t like sleeves. And I wear my job on my shoulders. So, upon meeting new people, it always comes up. Something I’ve gleaned from all these casual dinner conversations is that y’all think that you’re supposed to inherently know everything about health and fitness.⁣ ⁣ Delusion 3: YOUR EGO IS THE ENEMY AND YOU’RE BELIEVING ITS FALSE STORIES ⁣ ⁣ This is odd 1) Because you would probably never assume that you understand something like astrophysics. And certainly not, while seated across from an astrophysicist😜 Unless you are one, then props to you. ⁣ ⁣ And 2) Because you were never taught this stuff. It’s a travesty, believe me. That’s a whole other conversation. But it’s crazy that armed with a food pyramid and a sit-and-reach-test, you put all this pressure on yourself to execute perfectly.⁣ ⁣ Consider this. I’m currently battling with @Volkswagen . They are implying to me that I should have known that their timing chain was defunct, and that it’s my fault that the engine blew up. That’s insane! I’m not a mechanic. And if you were my friend, you would never let me accept that responsibility. Or the guilt. So, why do you put it on yourself?⁣ ⁣ Your ego is constantly telling you stories that threaten your sense of self and it only gets more complicated when body image is involved. Cue the subsequent shame when you inevitably fail.⁣ ⁣ You need to:⁣ ⁣ 1️⃣ See these stories for the fantasy they are and...⁣ ⁣ 2️⃣ Go learn. Practice what you learn. And make space for messing up without judgement.⁣ ⁣ Cause while your body is your responsibility, it’s not your job—it’s mine. And professionals like me are here to coach you through the process of learning to manage it, change it, optimize it, whatever you want to do! ⁣ ⁣ ⚡️METABOLISM SCHOOL starts Wednesday. Sign up now with the link in my bio!

ashleighkast #Repost @ashleighkast with @get_repost ・・・ 🔥You don’t want to rev up your metabolism!⁣ ⁣ I mean, maybe you do? But comparing your metabolism to an engine is not the best metaphor anyway. ⁣ And I mean, if you’re trying to lose weight, what’s your plan for managing the increased hunger you feel from stepping on the gas and going to Barry’s Bootcamp 5x a week? Yeah, girl it’s not just you. We all experience that desire for a cheeseburger after a tough week of working out. ⁣ ⁣ Your metabolism is really more like a thermostat. It’s going to adapt and respond to what you expose it to in effort to find balance and like, keep you alive NBD. ⁣ ⁣ So if you’re like my NYC gals and you try to work out super hard and restrict calories and carbs in an extreme fashion—basically creating an intense deficit between the energy you use and that you take in, you can imagine you’re gonna run into resistance in a pretty short amount of time. ⁣ ⁣ Many of the overtrained clients who come to me for help are already experiencing decreased motivation, digestive issues, sleep interruption, or simply just don’t see results. And the longer they try to fight against their bodies, the more unhealthy are their relationships with food and exercise. ⁣ ⁣ And shit, are those hard to undo.⁣ ⁣ The solution is to create metabolic flexibility — to vary the demands and energy you provide to your body to avoid adverse adaptation.⁣ ⁣ This could be on a weekly, monthly, or even seasonal basis.⁣ ⁣ For example, most of my clients work off the following cycle. They eat more and exercise more during the hard phases of training EMEM. Immediately after a hard cycle of training, they’re EMEL, eating more and exercising less for a few days. As the program ramps up again in density and volume, they naturally toggle from ELEM back to EMEM. ⁣ ⁣ This keeps them less stressed and looking more like athletes anyway💁🏼⁣ ⁣ That’s most clients, but certainly not all. Remember, everyone is different and the right cycling of strategies for you is the one you can stick to. ⁣ ⁣ ⚡️METABOLISM SCHOOL is enrolling now. Click the link in my bio or dm me to sign up!