HIP DIPS

As we get into our barre work next week, I’d love to clear the air about hip dips, as I’ve been getting so many hip dip workout requests and questions about reducing them (I’m against it!).

What are hip dips? The human pelvis is shaped like a violin and hip dips are the trochanteric depressions or inward curve just below the hip and above the thigh that is entirely caused by the shape of your pelvis and genetics. 

And they are totally normal. When someone has hip dips (you can see that I do, above), this means that their hip bone is located higher than their femur, which causes their muscles and fat to curve inwards. No matter how lean or muscular my body gets, I will always have the indentation due to my bone structure and dominant quads. Many women who have hip dips also tend to have "saddlebags," which are fat pockets just below the hip dip, toward the backside of our legs. I personally love them, and feel that the extra curves are beautiful, strong and powerful. 

If you work with me you can rest assured that you’re going to see results. We work the full and lower body as a whole unit by integrating compound sequencing that works multiple lower body muscle groups (like squats, curtseys and lunges) and add in isolation work (like fold-over) where necessary. Certain exercises, like bridges and lunges, can reduce the appearance of hip dips, so you can technically minimize the appearance of a "hip dip" by avoiding exercises that work the quads and hip flexors but only working the glutes and ignoring the quads and can shorten the lumbar spine musculature and lead to muscle imbalances. I don’t recommend it.

If you are insecure about the layer of fat that is covering the indentation (I understand and totally get it), you can decrease that layer by dialing in your nutrition by consuming fewer calories than you expend each day which will reduce the fat that’s on top of the muscle. Keep in mind though: No matter how lean that layer gets, the indentation will still be there, because it’s your bone structure and it’s beautiful. It’s YOU.

Breaking Negative Thought Cycles

SLB Nov. fireside chat preview > > Being an athlete has really shaped who I am and has taught me how to break out of the negative and focus in on and prioritize my physical/mental well-being, with zero guilt attached. I hope that (through SLB) I give you the courage to put yourself first and express yourself freely, while celebrating your lifeforce and your body, everyday.

I’ve worked in this space (and w/ women) for almost 20 years 😳 now and during this time I’ve overheard many women say some pretty gnarly things to themselves. Like, if you heard someone say these things to someone else you’d be furious, right?

3 Steps to Break Negative Thought Cycles About Yourself:

1. Get to know your triggers. Pinpoint the situations, people or contexts that trigger negativity and then limit your exposure to them.

2. Focus on and reframe your thought patterns. Reframing is a type of self-talk where you force those negative thoughts to flip 180 degrees and attack them. Distorted thinking happens when our minds try to convince us of something that isn’t true. Often, it serves to reinforce critical ideas we have about ourselves or our worth. You may have an intrusive thought like, “My skin is so bad, no one will ever want to hire me.” This is an example of black and white thinking (rather than seeing life as more grey, uncertain and constantly changing).

3. Be kind to yourself and your body. Set aside time every day to do at least one thing that makes you feel really good. That might be a bath, making your favorite smoothie, stretching or doing SLB. Giving yourself what you need in the moment can reduce anxiety and can help disrupt negative thought cycles.

Looking forward to diving deeper with SLB members next month.

Lauren's 7 TIPS TO LOOKING & FEELING CONFIDENT IN YOUR SWIMSUIT

Happy Spring Break! It’s time to shed the layers. Whether you’ve been homeschooling and haven’t moved much in the past year or you’re in the best shape of your life, SLB is here to help you move, eat with think with intention.

I’ve been in the fitness industry and have worked with (mostly) women for almost two decades. Each year as winter turns to spring women call on me when they want to feel their best and level up. As I learn about what they want to change about their physical bodies, I also help them do the mental work and identify what they love about themselves. More than the results they achieve with SLB, I love to help women build confidence and realize that their body is the most uniquely beautiful and the most amazing thing that they will ever own.

I’m a pro at making myself look larger and longer both on and off camera. If you’ve only seen me on camera and have never met me in person, I’m shockingly petite (5’0 tall and under 110 lbs.) but I’ve always been incredibly curvy. I’ve gone through stages where I didn’t love my curves and wished I was like, AT LEAST 5’2”, but over the years I’ve learned to really appreciate and truly love my body. I’m here to tell you that loving your body takes time but it’s not difficult to do.

Here are my seven tips to looking and feeling comfortable and confident in your swimsuit in 2021.

Identify and Own your Strengths

Instead of picking yourself apart or comparing yourself to someone else, focus on your what makes you uniquely beautiful. I promise that you can identify one thing you love about yourself and that will turn into ten.

Drop into the Physical

I like to use movement to break negative patterns and shift my mindset. The quickest and easiest way to upgrade your mood is to move. You can literally move the negative out of your mind and body, because movement can chemically change how you feel. Emotion is enhanced by motion, and movement can make you feel good, sexy, strong, beautiful and empowered. I’m biased but there is nothing out there that will tone and shape your body as quickly as Studio LB. Combining cardio and resistance training is key and even if you’re just doing our Quick Burn workouts, you are guaranteed results in as little as ten workouts. It’s as instant gratification as it gets.

Self-Care

Take a bath, apply a mask or a spray tan, and just flirt with life a little bit more. Love and the libido is a vital sign in your well-being and your body’s eco-system. I’m not just talking about sex. Everything in life is connected to the heart, desire and feeling alive. I’ve learned that love really starts at home – within ourselves. Feeling sexy (for myself) allows me to tap into my creativity, confidence, all that is feminine and ultimately - loving my body.

Wear what feels good

Forget about what’s trendy and stick to what you feel the most confident and comfortable in…and smile. Nobody will notice your insecurities if you feel good and look authentically happy.

Eat with LB

A few days before you’re planning on being in a bikini, drink plenty of water and decrease sodium and foods that cause bloating. It's not a case of healthy vs. unhealthy – choose still over sparkling water and stay away from raw veggies like cabbage or broccoli and beans which can cause bloating. I always choose anti-bloat options like sauteed greens and grilled chicken before I show major skin.

Posture Perfect

Stand up straight with your shoulders pulled back and down and with as much confidence as you can gather. Lengthening your spine out through the crown of your head is literally the quickest and most effective change you can make.

High Pony

Volume or “big hair” draws attention to the upper half of your body, balancing your silhouette and providing a distraction from any parts you're not in love with at the current moment. A high pony adds two inches in height and stretches you out. Even a sun hat will do the trick!

WORKING ON OUR EMOTIONAL HEALTH

It’s time to work on our core and I’m not talking about our abs. Many of us spend so much money and time working on our bodies through via fitness and organic, whole foods because we know how important it is to stay physically healthy, but when it comes to what we put into our non-physical, inner core (our mind and soul), we have a tough time keeping the toxic crap out (hello, social media). One of my most favorite Ted Talks is by psychologist Guy Winch called “Why We All Need to Practice Emotional First Aid”. In it, he talks about how we value physical health over our mental health.

Most of us have no idea how to deal and treat day-to-day emotional injuries while also being kind to ourselves and not letting that negative inner voice get the better of us. When we're feeling negative or down, certain tasks seem impossible, right? We tend to put things off (unloading the dishwasher, a 50-min. workout), but if we just get started by taking that first step, it will have a snowball effect.

I like to use movement to break negative patterns and shift my mindset. The quickest and easiest way to upgrade your mood is to move. You can literally move the negative out of your mind and body, because movement can chemically change how you feel. Emotion is enhanced by motion, and movement can make you feel good, sexy, strong, beautiful and empowered.

For example, how many times have you gotten up in the morning, sat up in bed and decided right then and there that you were in a bad mood, were totally unmotivated to do anything, or go anywhere, let alone workout. It happens to all of us. Last month I had the worst PMS and I was procrastinating and angry at the world. I don't think that I moved much for two days straight and then I went for a short walk, and momentum took over. Later that same day we filmed a full length SLB workout and I felt 100% better. 

Beyond movement, creating a daily mantra to remind yourself that you’re a badass and deserving of love is really powerful. Look at yourself in the mirror before going to bed and repeat your mantra out loud ten times. Eventually, you’ll start believing the words. I have a hard time with this one and sometimes can’t think of a solid mantra, so lately I’ve found myself using Lizzo lyrics. Some good ones are “Put me on a pedestal, bet on me, bet I will.” “No I’m not a snack at all. Look, I’m the whole damn meal.” “I’ve been lifting heavy metal. See this ass? Ain’t no rental.” If nothing else, saying the lyrics as kind of spoken word poetry makes me laugh and feel happier afterward.

So work on the core and also your soul. I think if we spent as much time caring for the mental as we do the physical, we’d be more positive, have less anxiety and be happier and healthier overall.

6 TIPS TO LOOKING & FEELING CONFIDENT IN YOUR SWIMSUIT

Having a beach bod is easy, you just take your body to the beach, right? It feels a bit different this year. At 5’ nothing I’m a pro at making myself look larger and longer both on and off camera. And guess what? I’m not always super confident (my first pic from any shoot looks very stiff ). Here are my six tips to looking and feeling great in your swimsuit.

Wear What You Feel Best In

Forget about what’s trendy and wear what you feel the most confident and comfortable in…and smile. Nobody will notice your insecurities if you feel good and look authentically happy.

Eat With LB

A few days before you’re planning on being in a bikini, drink plenty of water and decrease sodium and foods that cause bloating. It's not a case of healthy vs. unhealthy – choose still over sparkling water and stay away from veggies like cabbage or broccoli and beans which can cause bloating. I always choose anti-bloat options like sauteed greens and grilled chicken before I show major skin.

STUDIO LB

I know that I’m biased but seriously there is nothing out there that will tone and shape your body fast like Cardio-Cheer-Sculpting. Combining cardio and resistance training is key and even if you’re just doing our Quick Burn workouts, you are guaranteed results in as little as seven days. It’s as instant gratification as it gets.

Spray Tan

A spray tan can make you appear more toned and improve the appearance of cellulite in less than 30 minutes. It’s the ultimate confidence booster. I love St. Tropez.

Posture Perfect

Stand up straight with your shoulders pulled back and down and with as much confidence as you can gather. Lengthening your spine out through the crown of your head is literally the quickest and most effective change you can make.

High Pony

Volume or “big hair” draws attention to the upper half of your body, balancing your silhouette and providing a distraction from any parts you're not in love with at the current moment. A high pony adds two inches in height and stretches you out. Even a sun hat will do the trick!

Wear A Wedge

I’m talking about a flip flop with a heel (Haviana’s makes a great one) or a wedge - It will make your entire body appear longer and leaner.

TALKING BODY LOVE

Loving yourself should never be seen as a radical act, but a conscious and common choice you make. But of the women I work with and know, very few can honestly say they love their body unconditionally. Sadly, positive body image and positive self talk is both uncommon practice and pretty radical among women. If you only read one part of this post, read this and try to commit it to memory: you only have one body in this lifetime, so what is the point in spending your time hating on it and picking yourself apart?

I’m not saying that you can never address aspects about your body that make you insecure or unhappy, but working with yourself rather than against is surely a happier route to take in order to make a change. You’ve heard me say it before that exercise should be an enjoyable part of your lifestyle that you feel grateful you get to do, instead of a punishment you have to do to fit a certain ideal body type. While Studio LB is super effective for challenging your muscles and building cardio stamina, I try to always keep it dynamic and fresh so you’re still having fun while working.

There are a few easy ways to begin giving yourself some grace when it comes to your body image and self talk, some of them a little less conventional than others.

• Thank your body for its strengths, and forgive its weaknesses. Appreciating the tiny movements you often take for granted is a simple first step toward a better relationship with your body. I’m so thankful I’m strong enough to lift up my kid and give him a big bear hug after he hurts himself. But there may be a day (soon?!) he outgrows me and I know I’ll have to accept my physical inability to lift him up that way anymore. Hopefully on that day I won’t register it as a failure, just a shift.

• Think of the way you talk to yourself in your head, and now think of how angry you’d be if someone said those things out loud to your best friend, daughter, sister, etc. “Your back fat rolls are disgusting and you definitely didn’t need a second greasy slice of pizza last night. Gross.” You’d be outraged to hear it, so stop saying it to yourself.

• If you use social media, find people with a range of body types to follow for inspiration on fashion and lifestyle. This may sound minor, but we’re constantly inundated with images of women that may not reflect what we see in the mirror and it can be super helpful to see more models with diverse bodies. When I was younger, it was they heyday of Kate Moss and my figure definitely wasn’t heroin chic. Today, it can feel like unless your measurements match a Kardashian or Em Rata you’re screwed. Filling your feed with diverse, personally relatable looks can help reframe your beauty standards.

• Finally, a daily mantra to remind yourself that you’re a badass and deserving of love is really powerful. Look at yourself in the mirror before going to bed and repeat your mantra out loud ten times. Eventually, you’ll start believing the words. I have a hard time with this one and sometimes can’t think of a solid mantra, so lately I’ve found myself using Lizzo lyrics. Some good ones are “Put me on a pedestal, bet on me, bet I will.” “No I’m not a snack at all. Look, I’m the whole damn meal.” “I’ve been lifting heavy metal. See this ass? Ain’t no rental.” If nothing else, saying the lyrics as kind of spoken word poetry makes me laugh and feel happier afterward.

Working toward cutting out negative self talk can be a long process, and something that ebbs and flows with time and circumstances. I’m certainly not perfect at being kind to myself all the time. We can be so great at building up our friends and so ruthless cutting ourselves down. Try to give yourself a little grace and become friends with your body, and I promise you’ll end up feeling better both mentally and physically.