Full Body Blast!

For those of you who don't know me, we recently got a puppy!

Now getting a puppy isn't all fluff and rainbows, it is exhausting. Our darling Kendal, sleeps through the night but other than that, she takes all of our energy.

She wants to play constantly and she needs lots of walkies as she is a labrador. Where the walking is a fantastic way for us to keep active and enjoy being outside (unless its snowing and 7am!) we are finding that it is more difficult than ever to get to the gym.

As we both work full time, evenings are her time with us and we would be guilt ridden if we left her for another hour to go and work out, especially as we can do it at home. That's for another blog at a later date. But the rare opportunity came yesterday and I was able to enjoy a strong hour and therefore, I wanted to share with you my workout.

This is for anyone who struggles to find time to go to the gym. This full body work out is a great one for hitting all the tough spots and to continue the burn throughout the next day. It is broken down into three parts.

Do this a couple of times a week and you're golden.

15 minute cardio Hiit
I did it on the cross trainer by following this format but you can do it using the treadmill / bike / rower, or whatever cardio machine you want really. Just get sweaty, get your heart rate up and feel the heat.

Lots of weighted exercises (I do between 12 and 15 reps depending on the weight. If I want to move up a weight I reduce it to 8-10 so I get comfortable and keep good form and slowly work up to 15 reps over the course of the next few weeks)

Rest for about 30 seconds between each action

15 clean and jerk x 3 (beginners use a very light weight for this, it's brutal) I used 15kg

15 deadlift x 3

15 chest press x 3

12 shoulder press x 3

15 seated row x 3

15 squats x 3

20 bicep curl x 3

15 tricep dip x 3

Abs!
25 crunches straight into 25 leg raises
rest
repeat.

Feel the burn!

Bye bye excessive exercising!

We have all done it, spent one or two hours switching from cardio machine to cardio machine in the gym in an attempt to erase last night's pack of biscuits.

This past year has taught me a lot in terms of exercise, by no means am I an expert but after two years of religious one hour 30 minute gym sessions, five times a week with no change to my body, I began to feel a little fed up.

A combination of three things turned my plateau around. Weight training with my other half, extensive research and reading on my part, and a friend of mine gaining more and more qualifications as a personal trainer and using me as a guinea pig ahead of new classes such as GRIT.

One way to sum up what I learned this year is - longer doesn't always mean better. I got really fed up of not getting home until 8.30pm and not being able to sit down until I had washed, eaten, washed up and prepped the next day's lunch.

And so the shorter more intense bursts of exercise were born. I realised I didn't need to do cardio every day, in fact, I now only do cardio two to three times a week (two more often than three). And in this last year I have seen a bigger change in my body then I did in three years of mindless rowing and running.

Swimming, running or sprint intervals on the treadmill are my new go to cardio workouts. Swimming, as I have more than likely mentioned before, is very relaxing for me, even at a fast intense pace and running shorter distances has really helped my limbs recover from the damage I was doing constantly pounding the pavements - a marathon runner I am not. 20 minutes of intervals on the treadmill of 30 seconds sprint, 30 seconds jog, really makes me work hard and it has a better after burn affect than jogging for an hour.

I also do weight training a minimum of three times a week, targeting a different area of the body each time e.g. back and shoulders / legs and biceps (routine courtesy of the boyfriend). Sometimes I do a GRIT weight class which targets the whole body and incorporates body weight training too which is probably the most effective of them all.

Strength training is the key to building muscle which in turn burns more calories. But you must make sure your form is right and that you engage your core during every exercise to really feel the benefit and prevent damage. If that means a lighter weight, then that means a lighter weight! Don't let your self-confidence get the better of you, more reps with a lower weight done well will end in much better results than a strained rep with a heavy weight.

I now find myself at the gym for one hour three times a week and fit in two to three 30 minute cardio sessions. I get more time at home to relax, my clothes fit better and I don't have the constant fatigue five mile runs used to bring.

Deadlift or dreadlift!

Dreadlift! Or that's what it used to be. As someone who only really picked up a weight properly this time last year, I found there were certain exercises which I took to quite well and others that I erm.. let's say didn't like so much.

Often, I can be found having a little strop when my darling boyfriend makes me do certain weight exercises which I do not enjoy (flies) and once upon a time, deadlifts were my nemesis.

I think the problem is that the technique is important and that took me a while to master (meaning my impatience got the better of me). But once you have it, you realise how easy it really is.

The key is to keep you chest and bum sticking out. At first I thought I looked silly and then I realised, I looked like a pro who knew what she was doing. (That is the mentality you need in weightlifting - try it!).

Stand with your feet slightly further than shoulder width apart. Bend your knees whilst keeping your chest and bum stuck out and make sure your knees don't go over your toes.

Then use your back muscles to pull yourself and the barbel back up, keeping arms straight at all time.

It might be worth practicing the movement without weights to begin with. These photographs of myself and my lovely boyfriend Matthew, doing deadlifts might help.

Back straight

bum and chest pushed out at all times

still keeping back straight, bum and chest out, pull the barbel up using your back muscles.
Repeat

Stay in control of the barbel at all times. If you feel like it is pulling you down, lower your weight, try using hand weights instead.

The running bug is back

Just over a year ago I wrote a post  proudly telling you all how pleased I was to have finally run five miles.

I will never forget the sense of achievement I felt as a relatively new runner to have reached that milestone. And that feeling continued for the next few five milers until it just became the norm.

Suddenly I was easily running 10k three times per week. Running makes me so happy, it gives me a sense of freedom and accomplishment.

So you can imagine how miserable and disappointed I have felt with myself these past few months when I let my cardio fall by the wayside.

My strength is at an all time high and I got carried away weight training. I barely looked at any cardio machines in the gym let alone the treadmill. And when I did think "I should go for a run" I was easily swayed against it when I looked out the window and it was dreary and dark. A poor excuse I know - and not the Kirsty I know.

A lot has changed in my life recently though, so I had to do a lot of adapting to do.

I have attempted to go on a few runs recently and not found it too pleasant. To be fair the last four miles I did, I did on a very full stomach after eating out so the stitch which plagued me was nothing but my own greedy fault.

And then a friend of mine who is a gym instructor, asked me to go for a run, and being with her really kept me moving forward. We did 4.5 miles and I felt great. I know I can do more I just let myself believe I couldn't and I got a bit lazy if i'm honest. The warm and comfort of the gym and the free weights had a stronger pull than I realised.

However, it was after this run that I realised, I am still capable of my five and six miles I just have to push myself.

So today, my gym plans were delayed so I didn't think about it I just went. And got to my five miles again. Yes I struggled and there were times I wanted to stop which is the case during most runs but I didn't and I survived.

Yes, I know to a lot of people five and six miles is not a long run but to me it is and I am happy to keep it at that. Extra long runs are saved for special occasions.

So, I learned something from this. It is all about confidence and belief in yourself. I had let myself think I couldn't do it anymore, so I didn't. But as soon as I strapped on my stubborn head (which I am renowned for) I proved to myself I can still do it. And now I have the running bug back I want to keep doing it.

And so I will...

12 Minute Work Out

There have been a few occasions lately where like many of you - I have been too busy to get a full work out in. I usually have a routine and that has gone to pot over the past few months.

So I put together a quick work out with a range of all the exercises that I know are the most effective and target the whole body.

It takes approximately 12 minutes so if you have a little more spare time try doing it twice or even three times. I have to warn you though! If you do it properly it is hard and you will sweat!

Let me know how you get on!

Falling off the bandwagon..... again!

It was a spectacular fall.
Let me give you an example. Yesterday I had two slices of cake, didn't eat tea and went to bed scoffing lots of chocolate.
Woke up this morning, knowing I was going out for dinner and cocktails, had a healthy cereal and scoffed lots more chocolate.

Coming back to monster mums I discovered I still had a tin of Roses left from Christmas - sorry waistline!

 I weighed myself and I am three pounds heavier than I want to be.
To be honest, I just haven't been focusing on food lately. I guess it has been a nice break but it is my birthday next week and I want to look my best for a good night out.
I need to gather all my will power and have a strong week which I know I can if there is no temptation in my way... which I strongly believe there may be, in the form of cake! - Birthday cake!
MODERATION - that is key which needs ingraining in my mind!

What is cake without a brew - what is a brew without cake?

But seriously, if I wanted cake I had it, if I wanted to eat a pack of biscuits I did and so on and so forth. The problem is, I always want this stuff so, as one might imagine, I have been a little greedy porker recently!
On the plus side, I have also been nailing the gym and weights! Not so much cardio, I am working on that! So I truly believe that one of those pounds may be muscle. That's what I am going to continue to tell myself anyway.
I'm terrified I'm falling too far off the bandwagon though so I need to focus. 

Get my head in the game! Happy, healthy eating all!

Protein princess

So yesterday I blogged about my bad habits and not doing so well on the healthy eating front.
I also think it is equally important to blog about the successes I have.
I know it has only been one day but it is the first of many good ones. I had convinced myself I had fallen off the bandwagon and would struggle to get back on again. Alas, today I did it. I had three healthy meals: protein shake made with milk, soup and sourdough bread and chicken stir fry. Snacks have been healthy and nutritious: kiwi, boiled eggs and peanut butter on sourdough bread. I know I have had bread twice but I did a big weight training session today so I needed the extra carbs and anyway sourdough bread is a healthy alternative.

Today's nutrition chart

I always feel a sense of achievement when protein is my main source of energy because it seems so hard to do, especially as most go to foods are carb heavy or fatty. But today I got the balance right.
I have eaten approximately 1,418 calories and burnt 357 calories during a cardio workout. I would not know how to work out how many I burnt weight training but I'd say enough to warrant the peanut butter on bread as more of a post workout snack than a naughty snack.
Tomorrow should be another day great of healthy, nutritious food. The feeling you have at the end of the day for eating well definitely outweighs the five minutes of pleasure from eating crap food. I just wish that was something I could remember more often when the chocolate bar or sausage roll calls my name.

Great work outs

In the last couple of months I have really upped my game when it comes to working out.
Don't get me wrong, before I was exercising five/six times a week but I guess I wasn't pushing myself properly.
Ever since I got my backside into gear I have really started to feel good. I would almost say I am fit now.
One work out I try to incorporate every week is the Fat-Blasting Treadmill Workout. I tell you what, when I first started this I thought I was going to die while doing it. At first glance it looks easy but I promise you it isn't. It uses muscles I didn't use before. On the treadmill I would either just run flat or do a bit of a steep hill climb.
I would call this interval training but I don't know completely what I am talking about so correct me if I am wrong. But here is what I follow.

This 30 minute workout really works!

Whether I am adding it into my workout or only have time for 30 minutes this always makes me feel like I have worked hard. I can always feel it the next day too which I always see as a good sign. I cannot recommend it enough, and I promise, it does get easier, I can manage it now without feeling like I am about to shoot off the treadmill. It is just a great way to break my workouts up so it isn't the same monotonous routine. The rise and decline in incline and speed really keeps your body guessing, so give it a go.

Weights

I have also started doing a lot more weight training. I used to do a little bit after an hour of cardio. When I started putting in a decent effort with cardio I noticed a difference and felt great but after a while I became a little bored and stopped noticing any more change in my body.

After a lot of research I learned that building muscle burns even more calories as the more muscle you have the more calories your body continues to burn. So I got on the internet and spoke to the instructors at the gym and now I try to do a good 40 minute weight session three times a week. Weight wise I haven't seen a drop but when I look at myself in a mirror I cannot believe the difference. I have always had big hips and a tiny waist and hated how uneven I looked. Now the proportions look great, I can see a positive change in my shape and have noticed more tone and definition everywhere, especially my shoulders. Now I am addicted and love building up the weights. Don't be fooled, women don't get muscly like men because they are not designed to, so your body will treat you right and start to look the way you want if you treat it right. 

Get on the weights, I am glad I did.