Headwaters Strength and Conditioning

260831 - 260905
Headwaters Strength & Conditioning Workouts

260831
Ski
Echo Bike

260901
Hang Power Clean
Sit-up & Reach

260902
Wall Ball
Kettlebell Swing
Box Jump
Push Press
Rowing

260903
Deadlift
Front Squat

260904
Lunge
Push-up
Pull-up

260905
Echo Bike
Push Jerk

“Willpower is the ability to resist short-term gratification in pursuit of long-term goals or objectives.”

We think of willpower as this unlimited source of strength that we can somehow muster up in times of need to avoid temptations.

In actuality, willpower is unreliable and in finite amounts as we can only fight for so long before we ‘break down’ and give in.

One of the best ways to strengthen your willpower is to actually mount an offensive against the three biggest enemies of willpower: temptation, self-criticism, and stress.

Temptation is when you unfortunately do not build enough barriers between yourself and these short-term gratifications. An example of this would be buying cookies and keeping them in your house every week. If they are already in your house it will be much harder to resist that temptation day-in and day-out. Instead, you should only purchase those cookies every once in a while as a treat.

Self-criticism is when you negatively beat yourself up over supposed pitfalls or shortcomings. “I am fat.” “I ate too much.” “I should workout more.” These are all examples of beating ourselves up, which actually limit and reduce our willpower. Instead, try and focus on positive things such as “I exercised 10 times this month!” “I only had dessert once last week.”

Stress is obviously a big one, and although we can’t avoid all stress in our lives as some (or a lot) of it is unavoidable, we can certainly try and limit our stress or eliminate stress we can control by having a more positive mindset and using things like light exercise and meditation to control our thoughts and feelings.

Willpower is an extremely powerful tool to aim your sights on a goal, but you must train it by controlling other factors in your life to boost and strengthen your willpower as much as possible.

5 Persistent Health & Fitness Mistruths

#1 - Strength Training Makes You Bulky

One of the biggest misconceptions in fitness is that lifting weights automatically makes you "big" or "bulky."

The reality? Building significant muscle takes years of consistent training, progressive overload, proper nutrition, and often a calorie surplus. It doesn't happen by accident.

For most people, strength training actually leads to:

A leaner, more toned appearance

Increased metabolism through greater muscle mass

Improved bone density

Better posture and joint health

Greater strength for everyday life

Increased confidence

Not only that, but strength training is the literal Fountain of Youth!

If your goal is fat loss, strength training is one of the most effective tools available. Muscle helps you maintain your metabolism while dieting and gives your body the shape that cardio alone can't provide.

Don't avoid the weight room because you're afraid of getting bulky. Instead, embrace strength training as a way to build a healthier, stronger, and more capable version of yourself.

Strength doesn't make you bulky—it makes you resilient.

260824 - 260828
Headwaters Strength & Conditioning Workouts

260824
Deadlift
Barbell Row
Bench Press

260825
Squat
Clean & Jerk

260826
Brent G’s Birthday WOD

260827
Dumbbell Sn**ch
Wall Ball

260828
Push Press
Ski

260829
Kettlebell Swing
Box Jump
Front Squat

You know that old cliche “every little bit helps”? It’s really true, only most people have a hard time seeing it that way.

But have a look at this list:

Vacuuming the house

Weeding the yard (a.k.a. “gardening” for people who like it)

Taking the dog for an extra walk

Shooting hoops in the driveway

Marco Polo with the kids (instead of watching them play in the pool)

To many people, these might be viewed as hassles or time drains. But what if they were seen as opportunities to move a little more while accomplishing other stuff? This slight reframing might inspire you to get more done, have more fun, and increase your daily energy expenditure—all without requiring more time in the gym. (Essentially, it becomes a two-for-one activity—which is what many of us need to justify making time for self-care.)

This also works for activities you might hate.

Take household chores. The idea, from University of Pennsylvania scientists, is to pair an activity you feel inclined to do but don’t enjoy (a “should”) with an activity you look forward to doing (a “want”).

Example: If you save your favorite podcast (want) for when you vacuum (should) but also reframe it as exercise (another should), you accomplish two “shoulds” at once—and get your want, too.

Win-win-win.

Prioritize your time in the gym for strength training so that if you are short on time to exercise, you can use these other tricks to get in some general activity and low-level cardio.

5 Persistent Health & Fitness Mistruths

#2 - Cardio is the best way to lose fat

It's one of the most common beliefs in fitness—and one of the most misunderstood.

Yes, cardio burns calories while you're doing it. But fat loss isn't about finding the exercise that burns the most calories in an hour—it's about creating a sustainable calorie deficit while preserving your metabolism and muscle mass.

Strength training helps you maintain (or build) lean muscle, which is essential during weight loss. The more muscle you keep, the higher your daily energy expenditure tends to remain, and the better your body composition will be.

Nutrition is the biggest driver of fat loss. You can't out-run or out-cycle a consistently excessive calorie intake.

Cardio still has tremendous value. It improves cardiovascular health, endurance, work capacity, and can absolutely contribute to increasing your daily calorie expenditure.

The most effective fat-loss strategy isn't endless hours on the treadmill—it's combining:

An effective and well-rounded nutrition plan you can stick to

Progressive strength training

Regular physical activity (including cardio)

Quality sleep and recovery

Consistency over time

Don't choose between weights and cardio. Use each for what it does best.

Train for health. Eat for optimal health. Stay consistent for results.

260817 - 260822
Headwaters Strength & Conditioning Workouts

260817
Dumbbell Sn**ch
Overhead Squat
Pull-up

260818
Hayley E’s Birthday WOD

260819
Rowing
Echo Bike

260820
Deadlift
Bench Press

260821
Hang Power Clean
Pull-ups

260822
Overhead Lunge
Sit-up

Lots of people wonder: ‘Should I get a fitness tracker?”

The answer: It depends.

For some people, it can be a really helpful tool. This is especially true if you…

Are numbers-oriented. For instance, maybe you have an engineering, actuarial, or accounting mindset.

Have more advanced goals. Think elite athletes, bodybuilders, models, and other people who get paid based on how they look or perform.

See data as information—nothing more. The numbers don’t define you. They aren’t part of your identity. In this case, fitness tracker data can be helpful—because you can view it as just that.

But for others?

Fitness trackers can leave them feeling like they never do enough. These folks tend to see weight, heart rate variability, or sleep quality as a statement of who they are.

You’re more likely to fall into this category if you…

See the behavior you’ll track as a chore, making comments like, “I have to do this to lose weight.” “I need to get my steps for today.”

Don’t feel you have a choice. You might say, “I don’t want to exercise, but my doctor told me I have to.”

Do the behavior to avoid feeling guilty. In other words, you exercise because you don’t want to feel bad about not exercising.

The Bottom Line

There’s nothing wrong with experimenting with a fitness tracker to find out if it’s right for you. (Well, besides the expense—if you don’t like it.) But they’re also not necessary for success. (People were “optimizing” their health way before Fitbit, Oura, and Apple Watches came along.) You could find a fitness tracker to be awesome. Or it could be awesome for a while, and then completely unnecessary or even frustrating later. Or it could be a poor fit from the get-go. If you’re using one, every now and then ask yourself:

“How’s this working for me?”

Is it helping your motivation—or hurting it? Do you appreciate the data—or ruminate over it? Does it keep you engaged in a healthy way—or leave you feeling guilty and frustrated? Your answers will give you all the data you need to know what to do next.

STRENGTH & CONDITIONING FIT FOR FALL CHALLENGE

Are you ready to transform your life, boost your confidence, and achieve your health and fitness goals? Join Headwaters Strength & Conditioning FIT FOR FALL CHALLENGE.

Fall is such a tremendous time of year to get back into routine - now you can get the perfect start with our challenge with unlimited classes!

Whether your goal is to lose weight, gain strength, improve your health, or all of the above, we’ve got you covered!

What's in it for you?

✅ 13 weeks of UNLIMITED Fitness: Unlimited Strength & Conditioning as well as unlimited Group Fitness (Yoga, Spin, Pilates, etc.) classes for 13 weeks!

🥗 Nutrition Challenges: Say goodbye to fad diets! We'll provide you with tools to help you improve your diet and nutrition to promote lasting results.

✅ InBody Composition Assessment: Optional chance to get your body composition measured (fat %, muscle mass, etc.)

💪 Expert Coaching: Our certified coaches will be by your side, offering motivation, support, and top-notch coaching every step of the way.

📅 Monthly Challenges: Simple in concept, yet challenging to achieve - your goal is to attend at least 36 classes/workouts over the 13-week challenge.

🏆 Prizes and Recognition: Achieve your milestones and get a chance to win amazing prizes and discounts for future memberships!

💫 Accountability and Community: Connect with like-minded individuals in our exclusive community and keep each other on track.

Ready to say goodbye to those excuses and hello to a healthier, stronger, and happier you this fall? Join the FIT FOR FALL Challenge now!

🔥 How to join: All current AND new members can sign up at the HRC Front Desk starting today.

📆 Challenge starts on Monday September 14th. Don't miss out on this life-changing opportunity. Let's make 2026 the year you become your best self!

Last day to register is Saturday September 19th

#3 - Your metabolism slows down because you're getting older

This is one of the biggest myths keeping people from reaching their health goals.

The truth? Your metabolism doesn't suddenly fall off a cliff in your 30s, 40s, or even your 50s.

What does change is how we live.

As we age, many of us become less active, lose muscle mass from not doing resistance training, sit more, take on more stress, and often eat the same—or even more—than we did when we were younger. Those lifestyle changes are what drive much of the gradual decline in calorie expenditure, not simply the number of candles on your birthday cake.

The good news? You have far more control than you might think.

Strength train consistently to build and preserve muscle.
Prioritize adequate protein.
Stay physically active throughout the day. This is generalized activity, by the way. “Killer” workouts every day are not needed…
Get quality sleep and manage stress.

Your age isn't your metabolism's biggest enemy—your habits are.

Don't let the calendar convince you that weight gain is inevitable. Small, consistent lifestyle choices will always outperform excuses.