Workout Wednesday - Swimming

I love swimming, I have swam pretty much since I was born, well been in the water since I was born I wasn't that advanced as a child! But I swam competitively for my school, every Tuesday I would swim after school for an hour earning badges in lengths, lifesaving etc and then when I left school I swam for fun, I swam on a Sunday after work to relax and keep myself healthy - I will be honest it was the only form of exercise I was doing because well I got lazy from  the age of 13 and gained weight, but always loved swimming, I am a water baby, I exercise on holiday anyway but also end up swimming some lengths in the pool.

So why swim?
It is low impact on your joints, so if you have injuries, or cannot do weight baring exercises for a long amount of time then swimming is the exercise for you. Water leaves you weightless so there is no stress on your joints when you exercise, hydrotherapy is often recommended to patients recovering from surgery as a way to exercise and build up their muscles but with no stress on the joints.

Full body- it is rare to find exercises that work the entire body, but this is one of them, whatever stroke you choose to do you will be working both upper and lower body muscles, it will help improve muscle tone because water is 12 times as dense as air and also provides a resistance you are constantly working against.

Mental health - like all exercise swimming releases that feel good hormone, making you feel less stressed, happier and all round pretty damm good about yourself. I also find the water to be peaceful, granted sometimes the swimming pool is hectic, but pick the right time to swim and it can be as relaxing as meditation. Outdoor swimming on holiday in the sunshine is one of the most relaxing things because of the sunshine and the peace and quite, I always feel better about myself after exercise but I feel peaceful and centred when I leave the pool.

I understand that if you feel self concious in the gym then maybe you think swimming isn't for you but lets talk about it for a second - I was swimming when I was a size 20 and 16 stone... the only part where people are going to see you is the short walk from the changing room to the pool, then you are in the water, but that is not the point, you are there for you and doing something that will benefit you, so for that short walk I want you to hold your head high, smile and not worry about a thing!

Happy swimming guys!

How to get the best results from your training

You train everyday, eat healthy, do everything you are supposed to do and yet you are not seeing results... does this sound familiar? You are not alone, we have all been there where we are doing everything we have been told to do and yet nothing! Frustrating isn't it! 

So lets have a look at what factors could be effecting your training and what you can do to make sure you can achieve your maximum potential. 

Eating 
If your goal is to lose weight then a calorie deficit needs to be made, but make the calories to low and your body will begin to hold on to the little food that your are putting into it. 
Your body needs energy and the energy comes from the food you are putting in, you can't expect a car to run on empty so why would your body?
I have recently upped my training routine, starting Crossfit and Olympic lifting, and for the first 2 weeks I was feeling so run down by the end of the week, so using My Fitness Pal I changed my stats to reflect the training I was doing now and the hours I am putting in and it turns out I was eating under than what I needed by about 1000 calories... no wonder I was feeling run down! So now I am enjoying eating more, feeling energetic and training harder!
Carbs are also key! They help with the healing process after exercise and also with your energy levels, don't fear carbs, embrace them! 

Training 
How long have you been doing your routine, is it the same old same old, used to it routine, doesn't really excite you? 
Then change it! I change my routine every 8-10 weeks to keep it fresh and make sure I don't hit an exercise slump. 
Even if you have the same routine change the days you do it to make sure that your body is kept active, it doesn't get used to what your doing and basically surprise it! 
If you are a cardio lover who doesn't enter the weight section then change this up and add in some resistant training to the routine, it won't make you bulky and will help tone and tighten your body and also continue to burn calories after your routine. 
The heavier you go the more effective the training is, but start and exercise safely to avoid injury! 
Equally if you spend all your time in the weights section and never do any cardio you might want to change this! We all need exercises to get our heart rate going and the blood pumping, 20 mins of HIIT 3 times a week will keep your heart in shape and also your body in shape! 

Sleeping 
Sleep is vital to getting the best out you, you cannot perform to your full potential when your run down and exhausted, trust me! 
I always make sure I go to bed about 9 on a week day as I get up at 5 so I try to make sure I get at least 8 hours sleep a night to make sure I am well rested for the day ahead,I am rubbish without sleep so early nights are a must! 
Weekend bedtimes are obviously a bit later... sometimes, but always making sure I get in 8-9 hours sleep. 
Rest days are also important to make sure your body recovers from the training you are doing. 
I am not a fan of rest days... but I am getting used to them, I use them to write my blog and study for my PT exam. 
I also use rest day as my cheat day - 1 cheat meal a week to reset my metabolism and also to make sure I dont deny myself of anything completely.  
You are more likely to stay on track with clean eating and training if you allow yourself a treat every now and again! 

So have a look at your programme and see the tweaks you can make to ensure your training to your best potential!

Currently

Currently I am sat on my couch aching all over!!! It has been an intense 2 weeks of exercise and it is only going to continue.
My trial crossfit sessions have been awesome, I have loved every minute of it and it has really opened my eyes to technique form and learning a whole new range of exercise.
It has been great to feel like I am succeeding in something and doing it well, I have also realised I a lot stronger than I give myself credit for but also that I have a long journey ahead before competing!
But hey I am a newbie at this and always willing to learn!

In other news I am without a laptop until next week! My lovely Mac decided to die on me so I am waiting on my new laptop to be delivered and then I can get back to working on my blog! I am currently on the iPad right now, it is slightly harder to type on and also inserting pictures is a slight nightmare so bare with me!

I am well on my way to training to become a PT yay! I have taken on a diploma course so I will have a lot more qualifications to go with the PT and also a lot more knowledge which is obviously key!!

Have a lovely Sunday people and I promise I will update as soon as I get my new laptop set up!

This week is a busy one with gym workouts in the am, 2 crossfit classes and 1 Olympic weightlifting class... Phew!

Have a good one people!

Know your body type

There are 3 types of body types Ectomorph, Mesomorph and Endomorph. Knowing your body type is key to helping you develop your workouts and making sure you are working to your best potential for your body. 

Type 1: Ectomorph 

• Typically skinny
• Small frame
• Lean muscle mass
• Doesn't gain weight easily
• Fast metabolism 
• Flat chest
• Small shoulders 

Workout types - short and intense and focus on big muscle groups.

Type 2: Mesomorph 

• Athletic and rectangle shape 
• Hard body with defined muscle 
• Naturally strong 
• Gains muscle easily 
• Gains fat easier than ectomorph
• Broad shoulders 

 Workout types - cardio and weight training, respond best to weight training, watch your calorie intake

Type 3: Endomorph

• Soft and round body 
• Typically short and stocky 
• Gains muscle easily 
• Gains fat easily 
• Finds it hard to lose fat
• Slow metabolism 
• Large shoulders 

Workout types - cardio and weight training and watch your calorie intake. 

You may read these at first and think that you don't fit into one specific type, but if you read into detail on which one you will workout exactly which category you fit into and it will help you with your training plan. 

For example I am an endomorph, I gain fat easily but I also gain muscle easily - my quads are an example of this!

Watching my calorie intake and tweaking my training really helps with keeping my body fat down and keeping my muscle gain up. 

Always work to your best potential in your workouts, challenge yourself everyday to see the changes and to make sure you don't hit a slump. 

Workout Wednesday - Stretching

Stretching is just as an important part of your workout as any other part. 

I tend to stretch post workout when my muscles are warm and have been worked, I focus on the muscles that I have worked that day e.g. back and shoulder day will get a good focus and then any other muscle that is tight, usually my hips! 

Stretching is a great way to allow the muscles to recover from your workout and will reduce the tightness the next day, especially after a particularly hard workout!

Tight muscles can effect your posture and also how fluid your movements are, so spending 10-15 minutes a day stretching out will not only benefit your workouts they will also benefit your everyday movements.

Stretching can also be good for the mind, stress can build tension in the muscles causing them to tighten up. Again taking the time out to stretch out is relaxing and will de-clutter your mind, giving you a mental break and helping prepare you for the tasks ahead or to de-stress after a long day.

Here are some stretches to get you started, put on some calm, slow paced music to help you really relax. 

Monday Mantra

Workout Wednesday - Burpees

Burpees have a bad reputation, it is very rare I come across someone who likes doing burpees, but like all exercise they are really good for you and should be in your workout!

They are a good HIIT exercise and can be done in sets of 30 secs on and 30 secs rest. Do this for 5 sets and you have got a good cardio workout happening straight away!
They work your entire body and burn alot of calories, so why wouldn't you like them? They boost your endurance and strength, so overall they are a very effective exercise and like any exercise the more you do it the better you will get at it!

Once you have mastered the art of the burpee, step it up and in some weights for the jumps with dumbells or a kettlebell swing instead, you could also add in a wall ball exercise as well just incase the burpee isn't hard enough!

Travel Essentials

 

Flying can take its toll on your skin and so can the sun when you arrive at your destination.

I am always over cautious when it comes to skin care and always carry around the essentials at home so why change when you are away? 

Here are my essential items I always travel with to make sure I keep my skin glowing and that I am taking good care of it! 

• Water - my number one item, I always have water with me no matter what! Usually it is in the form of a large bottle, unless I am carrying it around on a day to day basis I opt for a smaller bottle. Constantly drinking water means I am always hydrated but it also hydrates you skin. The air conditioning on airplanes always dries out my skin, so I like having a large bottle of water with me on the flight to make sure I am constantly drinking like I would be on any other day! 
• Mini moisturizer - if you are like me and always have dry skin then mini moisturizer will be your life saver! I always use it on my hands because certain soaps dry them out, but I find that again the air conditioning really effects my skin so having a little bottle of moisturizer helps to keep my skin feeling soft and smooth and not tight! 
• Makeup wipes - I don't really wear makeup when I travel because I don't like having makeup on my skin for to long as it makes my skin breakout or dry, so I usually opt for mascara and a little bit of concealer underneath the eyes! Having makeup wipes in your bag are perfect on long haul flights especially if you want to freshen up before you land or re-do your make up before arrivals your skin will feel fresh and you will feel alot more human! 
• Lip balm - Vaseline is my life saver, I swear by Vaseline and I hate when I leave the house without it! Same goes for traveling, it also means you have a back up moisturiser if you feel any dry patches and having nothing on you, I get dry elbows some times so I use it on my elbows to help with the dry skin
• Sun tan lotion - seems self explanatory, but you would be surprised how many people neglect wearing sun tan lotion! I take a range of factors but always start on factor 30 for the first few days to make sure I am fully protected and don't burn! Who wants to burn on your first day of holiday? Just because you are wearing sun tan lotion does not mean that you won't tan, it simply means you won't burn! Simple science and also protects your skin from sunspots, keeps it moisturized and in the long run will keep your skin looking young and fresh, no one wants to age before their time! 
• After Sun - Again something alot of people don't bother taking! After sun is perfect to prolong the tan and replenish any moisture that was lost throughout the day. I use lotion with Aloe Vera in for extra moisture and a nicer smell! Top tip - keep it in the fridge for a nice cool effect after spending the day in the sun, it is really refreshing and feels so good! 

What are your travel essentials? I would love to hear from you