Tag: mike dolce

4 Ways to Rid Your Life of Negativity

by Samantha Coogan, MS, RDN, LD

No Gossip

You won’t agree with everyone on every issue. They’re called opinions for a reason. Now, just because someone doesn’t see things the same way as you doesn’t give you a right to gossip about them. And definitely don’t start spreading false rumors about them. Your demeanor and what you portray to the rest of the world will determine your own happiness. If you give out negativity, you will be surrounded by it. People thrive on negativity, don’t give them any fuel to do so. So brush it off and move on.
Stop Complaining

If a situation is already undesirable, what good does further complaining about it do? Most likely, everyone notices on their own that the appetizers are a little dry and under-seasoned. No one needs you to vocalize it, nor announce it to every party goer. A host has enough pressure as it is making sure all ends are tied down before the event starts, but life happens and not everything will go perfectly. So give them a break.
Don’t Be Co-Dependent

This is probably most relevant for romantic relationships, but it can extend to every relationship you encounter. Have your own mind and set of thoughts. Don’t depend on someone else to make you happy. If someone is venting, let them vent. Don’t add to their disdain, it really won’t help any and will only make them even more angry with the situation at hand. Instead, be positive and use phrases like “You have every right to feel that way. How can you fix it?” or “Some people are just that way, but let them stay at that level while you rise above.” Yes, you may agree with every disdainful thing they’ve vented about, and let them know you support them, but further beating the horse won’t help too much. And if you are the one doing the venting, don’t allow for additional dialogue by prefacing it with “I just need to vent really quick. Can you just listen and give me unbiased advice?” This may form a greater solution.
Don’t Portray the “Holier Than Thou” Attitude

First of all, get over yourself. And you’ll need this attitude towards those who are exhibiting this behavior. Give them a reality check. Don’t criticize someone for something that you do yourself. Don’t be a hypocrite. Don’t belittle people and don’t act as if your opinion is the only one that matters. Narrow-minded people rarely get very far in life.

How to Increase Your Deadlift

by Samantha Coogan, MS, RDN, LD

Focus on Form!

There’s no way you’ll ever improve your deadlift without proper technique, like any movement out there. Set up with your feet just about shoulder-width apart. The bar should be touching your shin. Hands should be a thumb’s length away from the body on the bar (here is where you can choose a traditional grip similar to a clean or a mixed grip with one over and one under hand) and keep a neutral head looking forward.
As you approach the bar, you should be approaching with a strong back with shoulders over the bar. Picture a gorilla’s back. When standing up, engage the lats, and keep the bar on the body as you lift your hips upwards first, and pushing your knees back (do not move the bar around your knees, you should be pushing your knees out of the way). DO NOT push your hips or butt back and perform, what I like to call, a “Stripper deadlift”. This should be one, fluid movement. The move is finished with hips fully extended and shoulders back. To lower, perform everything in the opposite fashion OR to really reduce your risk for injury, drop it after standing up fully. Lowering will get you stronger, but dropping reduces your risk for herniating a disk.

Improve Your Grip Strength

Do Farmer’s carries, hangs from the pull-up bar, barbell complexes (not putting the bar down between movements), and kettlebell swings to help strengthen your grip. It will not only make it easier to hold the bar during the deadlift, but will allow for the movement to feel a touch easier, and one less technique item to worry about.

Mentally Prep Yourself

If you want to lift big, you need to think big! It’s that simple. Approach every deadlift as if it’s 1000 pounds. Don’t allow any distractions in your lifting element either as it could significantly lower your lift for that session. If you’re having a bad day, channel that energy into your lift. Don’t let it mess with your intensity in a negative way. However, if there is something really big on your mind, it’s probably best to avoid a heavy lift altogether to avoid an injury from not paying full attention.

The Mike Dolce Show – A Fitness Podcast

World’s strongest bodybuilder Stan Efferding & world record setting powerlifter Chris Duffin join Mike in studio to talk training and more!
Mike Dolce is a 3X World MMA Awards Trainer of the Year, NJ Martial Arts Hall of Fame Inductee and was named a Men’s Fitness Top 30 Fitness Game Changer. As the founder of The Dolce Diet & creator of UFC FIT, Mike Dolce is known the world over for his work managing the incredible weight cuts of top UFC athletes.
His #1 international best-selling books include The Dolce Diet: 3 Weeks to Shredded, The Dolce Diet: Living Lean and The Dolce Diet: Living Lean Cookbook. For more information on Mike’s books, MMA weight cuts, weight management, gaining muscle, weight loss, overall healthy living, UFC FIT and so much more, visit TheDolceDiet.com and TheMikeDolceShow.com
Listen to the latest Mike Dolce Show fitness and lifestyle podcast and get motivated and inspired!

DOWNLOAD OUR FREE PODCAST APP & SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

DOLCE DIET LIFESTYLE:
Bodyweight Butt Blasters

by Samantha Coogan, MS, RDN, LD

There are lots of exercises that target the glutes, but many of them often involve equipment. So what if you’re traveling, trying to squeeze in a workout while the baby’s asleep, can’t squat due to a nagging knee injury, or simply don’t have access to the gym? Here are some bodyweight exercises that are just as effective, and if anything, something small to add into your normal routine!

Glute Bridge

• Start by lying on your back, arms straight at your sides, feet flat on the floor with a bent knee.
• Raise your hips towards the ceiling, keeping your shoulders on the floor.
• Lower to just above the ground (you should be hovering), and raise back up.
• Repeat for 3 sets of 20.

Single Leg Glute Bridge

• Start in same position as above, but raise one leg up so it is perpendicular to the floor.
• Perform the same movement with your leg in the air.
• Repeat for 3 sets of 10 each side.

Donkey Kick

• Start on all fours.
• Kick one leg up in the air with a bent knee (bottom of foot should be parallel with the ceiling.)
• Return to starting position and kick with the opposite knee..
• Repeat for 3 sets of 10 each side.

DOLCE DIET LIFESTYLE:
3 (Droolworthy) Slow Cooker Dog Food Recipes

by Samantha Coogan, MS, RDN, LD

We love our furballs as if they were our own children, and take care of them as such (just ask Zoey Dolce!). Below are some homemade dog food recipes your dogs will drool over! These recipes avoid all the unnecessary additives and preservatives that tend to be found in a lot of manufactured, dried dog foods.

K-9 Kidney Bean & Carrot Bits

Ingredients
• 2 ½ pounds ground beef
• 1 ½ cups brown rice
• 1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 ½ cups butternut squash, chopped
• 1 ½ cups carrots, chopped
• ½ cup peas
Directions
1. Stir in ground beef, brown rice, kidney beans, butternut squash, carrots, peas and 4 cups water into a 6 quart slow cooker.
2. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or high for 2-3 hours, stirring as needed.
3. Let cool completely.

Meatier Mix

Ingredients
• 3 lbs. ground chicken
• 2 cups brown rice
• 8 oz. green beans
• 8 oz. carrots, chopped
• 8 oz. peas
• 2/3 cups water
Directions
1. Add all ingredients to slow cooker and set on low for 5-6 hours.
2. Mash with potato masher

Man’s Best Friend

Ingredients
• 4 chicken breasts
• ½ cup of green beans, chopped
• ½ cup of carrots, chopped
• ½ cup of broccoli, chopped
• ½ cup rolled oats
• ½ apple, peeled and chopped (optional)
• 4 cups of water
Directions
1. Place all ingredients in a slow cooker and set on low for 6-8 hours.
2. Mash with potato masher

DOLCE DIET LIFESTYLE:
How To Prepare Meals For The Week

by Samantha Coogan, MS, RDN, LD

Sticking to a meal plan is much, much easier when everything is prepared ahead of time. When you’ve come home from a long day of work and training, the last thing you want to do is spend the rest of the night in the kitchen. Allotting some time at the beginning of the week to prep a majority of your meals will not only make adherence to the plan easier, but life in general as well. Here are some tips to help get you started.

Plan out your week

What recipes are you going to be choosing this week? It’s typically easiest to repeat the same meals 2-3 times a week so that you can batch cook.

Make a list

Once you’ve figured out which recipes you’ll be utilizing, figure out how much of each ingredient you’ll need. Keep in mind, there will be some things that don’t require purchase every week, like spices. But it’s important to have estimated amounts so you don’t over or under buy anything, which will prevent wasting time, money and resources. Now, make sure you stick to the list! Don’t go rogue in the baking aisle!

Buy in bulk

With your list in hand, be sure to buy your dry ingredients first, again in bulk. It’s usually cheaper to buy foods in bulk anyway. Then gather all of your produce and meats. It’ll be a fairly large trip, but you’ll pretty much be done for the rest of the week (most cooked meat will last up to 7 days in the fridge). You will likely need to go out again later in the week for some more fresh produce.

Invest in food containers and a cooler

This is absolutely the easiest way to prep and store everything. Most food containers (like Gladware or Ziploc) have the amount it holds imprinted on the bottom. You could even get the kind that has divided sections.

Set aside some time to cook

Here’s where you’ll batch cook (just double or triple a single-serve recipe). Portion out the amounts AFTER cooking. Some people try to cook three separate portions, this will make you want to tear your hair out. As long as you use the appropriate amounts and portion it into as equal parts as you can (eyeball it), you’ll be fine each day. Just follow the recipe as you would for an individual portion. Or you could grill all of your meat at once, then divide it up and add it to your cooked vegetables/grains. When you’re all done, portion everything out into your food containers and label it with the prep date so you know how long it’ll be good for. Be sure to tightly seal everything.

For hot items, use a Thermos

If you can’t cook your Breakfast Bowl at work, make time in the morning to cook it, then throw it in a Thermos, and it’ll remain hot for the duration of the ride. You might want to save the addition of the fruit until just before you eat it so it doesn’t get too soggy.

Don’t forget your lunch at home

This has happened to me more times that I’d like to admit, but try to set alarms or reminders to grab your lunch out of the fridge on your way out the door. If you forget, that’s money wasted and now you’re lost scrambling for a viable option come lunch time.

Prep the recipes in different ways using the same ingredients

It’s not always a viable option to cook at work, and let’s be honest, reheating scrambled eggs isn’t the most appetizing. Instead, hard boil the eggs, and use the same ingredients you’d use in the Egg Scramble and prepare it as a cold salad. It’s a lot easier to store-and-go with this type of preparation.

The Mike Dolce Show – A Fitness Podcast

Professional Gamer Dan Kelly (@WootyStyle) joins Mike in studio.
Mike Dolce is a 3X World MMA Awards Trainer of the Year, NJ Martial Arts Hall of Fame Inductee and was named a Men’s Fitness Top 30 Fitness Game Changer. As the founder of The Dolce Diet & creator of UFC FIT, Mike Dolce is known the world over for his work managing the incredible weight cuts of top UFC athletes.
His #1 international best-selling books include The Dolce Diet: 3 Weeks to Shredded, The Dolce Diet: Living Lean and The Dolce Diet: Living Lean Cookbook. For more information on Mike’s books, MMA weight cuts, weight management, gaining muscle, weight loss, overall healthy living, UFC FIT and so much more, visit TheDolceDiet.com and TheMikeDolceShow.com
Listen to the latest Mike Dolce Show fitness and lifestyle podcast and get motivated and inspired!

DOWNLOAD OUR FREE PODCAST APP & SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

DOLCE DIET LIFESTYLE:
3 Powerful Moves to Train Your Hamstrings

by Samantha Coogan, MS, RDN, LD

Developing your hamstrings will help improve your squat numbers, increase flexibility, and allow for a reduced risk of injury, especially when running or deadlifting. Try out these hamstring building exercises to really strengthen those hammies.

Good Mornings

• Start with a barbell (you can always increase weight later) across your shoulders (back squat racking).
• In a hip-width stance, bend at the hips and keep your legs as straight as possible. Then bend forward keeping your shoulders back and your back as straight as possible.
• Return to standing.
• Repeat for 3 sets of 20 reps (you will really feel these in those last 5 reps of each set).

Stiff-Legged Deadlift

• Start with your feet hip-width apart with an unloaded barbell in hand (grip should be about a thumb’s length away from the thighs). Then bend at the hips, keeping the arms straight.
• Return to standing (you’ll also feel this in your lower back).
• Repeat for 3 sets of 10 reps.
• Bend as far as your hamstrings will let you, keeping a straight back, shoulders back.

Glute Bridge

• Start by sitting on the ground holding a barbell across your hips, lean against a bench or box (you won’t need a lot of weight to feel these).
• Prop your shoulders up onto the bench so that your body becomes parallel with the floor, knees bent at a 90-degree angle.
• Lower hips so that your butt is just above the ground (don’t touch the ground).
• Return to start position.
• Repeat for 3 sets of 15 reps.

DOLCE DIET LIFESTYLE:
Savory Slow Cooker Side Dish Recipes

by Samantha Coogan, MS, RDN, LD

Balsamic Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients
• ½ cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp. coconut sugar, packed
• 2 lbs. Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
• 2 tbsp. grapeseed oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp. unsalted, grass-fed butter, cut into cubes
• ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
• To make the balsamic reduction, add balsamic vinegar and coconut sugar to a small saucepan over medium heat.
• Bring to a slight boil and reduce by half, about 6-8 minutes; set aside and let cool.
• Place Brussels sprouts into a slow cooker.
• Stir in grapeseed oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Top with butter.
• Cover and cook on low heat for 3-4 hours or high for 1-2 hours.
• Serve immediately, drizzled with balsamic reduction and topped with Parmesan.

Refried Black Beans

Ingredients
• 4 cups water
• 2 cups dry black beans
• 1 cup minced bell pepper
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. cumin powder
• ½ tsp. chili powder
• ¼ tsp. onion powder
• salt, to taste
Directions
• Add all the ingredients except for the salt and cook on low for 7 to 9 hours (or about 4 hours on high).
• Before serving add salt to taste and mash some of the beans with the back of a wooden spoon to create that refried bean texture.

Rustic Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients
• 3 pounds baking potatoes (such as russet or Yukon gold), peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 6 cloves garlic, halved
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 14 ounce can seasoned chicken broth with roasted garlic
• 1 cup almond milk (or milk of your choice)
• 1/4 cup grass-fed butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
• In a 3-1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker, combine potatoes, garlic, and bay leaf. Pour broth over potato mixture.
• Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 6 to 8 hours or on high-heat setting for 3 to 4 hours.
• Drain potatoes in a colander over a bowl to catch the cooking liquid.
• Remove and discard bay leaf. Return potatoes to slow cooker.
• Mash potatoes with a potato masher.
• In a small saucepan, heat milk and butter until steaming and butter almost melts.
• Add milk mixture, salt, and enough of the reserved cooking liquid to potatoes to reach desired consistency.
• To serve, transfer potatoes to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper.

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DOLCE DIET LIFESTYLE:
Ab Exercises to Avoid During Pregnancy

by Samantha Coogan, MS, RDN, LD

Two out of three pregnant women tend to experience a condition known as Diastasis Recti, which is when the abdominal muscles separate (often seen as that post-baby pooch), but can also be corrected through exercise. It can happen to anyone, but is most commonly seen in pregnant women due to their growing bellies.
Not all pregnant women will experience it, but you’re at a greater risk for developing it if you’ve had multiple pregnancies (twins, triplets, etc.), have back-to-back pregnancies, are over the age of 35, if you lift too heavy for your fitness level at the time of pregnancy or perform exercises that will exacerbate your chances of separating the muscles. Below are some abdominal exercises that can increase your chance of developing this condition during pregnancy:
• Any type of plank – Causes too much pressure on the abs
• Russian twists – Especially during the first trimester
• Push-ups/Burpees – For the same reasons as planks
• Any crunch variation – These can really aggravate this condition if you already have it
• Quadruped Positions (on all 4s) – Movements like glute kickbacks and Downward Facing Dog put too much weight on the abs (just think about all the weight of your organs lying on the back of your muscles, along with the weight of a baby, and how much pressure that’s creating)

Join our online training program today!
Guaranteed results or your money back!
Lose up to 21 pounds in 21 days!