Being SMART about your goals

Can you believe 2016 is nearly over? Just 20 short days are left of this year, and now begins the time to make the goals for 2017.

But when making the goals we want to achieve do we look at what it takes to achieve them? I mean really look and plan them out, writing down I want to get fit and go to the gym is a start but what does this mean. When will you achieve this by, what level of fit do you want to be, when does this end? 

SMART is a great way to plan out your goals and layout exactly how your will be achieving them.

Lets look at an example to explain a little more -

S - specific - be specific about your goal what exactly is it going to be 
M - measurable - how are you going to measure this - if you want to lose weight you will measure by scales and a tape measure, if you want to get fit you measure by fitness tests or for example being able to walk upstairs without being out of breath
A - achievable - how are you going to achieve this - what changes are you going to make? join a gym, make better food choices, hire a personal trainer to help you 
R- realistic - 2 stone in a month is not realistic and running a 10k in a month when you have never run before is also not realistic. Loosing weight 1lb per week or training for a 10k over a series of months will be mean you are more likely to achieve these goals and not feel disheartened if you don't achieve them quickly. 
T- time, set a deadline. With a clear cut line of what you want to achieve this you will know what you are working towards and are more likely to stay on track. 


My goals for 2017 are to work on all the little skills I am missing - strict strength, gymnastics, building my aerobic capacity ready for 2018 and to go back to competing.
I also want to work more on my personal training and coaching, continually educating myself in the field of strength and conditioning and making sure that I can be the best there is! 

Workout Wednesday - Burpee box jump over

Take one burpee add in a box jump over and you get one of the most brutal exercises I have done in a while! 

Burpees and jumping over anything are tough, I don't mind burpees when they are simple standard burpees... kind of but adding in a jump and that heart rate is going to shoot up unless you control that breathing! So why am I suggesting this move for you - because it is a fantastic exercise for the whole body, get that blood pumping, heart working and an all round good fat burning exercise! 

So the equipment you need is a box to jump on to, if there are no boxes at your gym then set up a barbell with 20kg plate on - enough to create a good height for you to jump over, and mats on the floor if you need them. 

You can start this exercise off in two ways, either facing the bar or box or to the side. It really makes no difference unless the exercise specifies facing the bar. 
The burpees will happen first - this is to be a hand release chest to the floor burpee! None of this half burpee I see where people going into a plank and springing back up! Get that chest to the floor!

Next is the jump over the bar or onto the box. Position yourself so you are close enough to jump on or over to make sure you don't trip or fall! Once on top of the box jump down and perform another burpee, and repeat!

Look at doing 30 seconds of these with 30 seconds rest for 12 minutes and you will really feel a goo burn! 

If you want to add it into a routine I did a great one on Saturday of the following - 
15x box jumps 
10x pull ups 
15x burpees 
10x wall balls 

for 20 minutes as many reps as possible

Combine the box jumps and burpees together for 15 reps and add in 15x kettlebell swings to replace the 4th exercise. 

Let me know how you get on and enjoy!! 

Achieving your goals

Happy March everyone! Can you believe it is March already? I feel like this year is zooming by already! 

So 3 months in, lets check on those new years resolutions... who is sticking to them and whose have ended up brushed under the carpet? 

If you are in the latter you are probably not alone! It isn't because your a failure or never going to achieve anything, it is simply because you set unrealistic goal or unrealistic time scales for you to achieve these. For example losing 1 stone in 1 month... if you want to keep it off and do it in a healthy way then no this is not a good time scale.

So lets reset it is only March there are 9 months left in the year for you to achieve your 2016 goals we just need to re-evaluate time scales and those goals you have set! 

Here are some tips for your to take into account:

• Look at the time scale you have set yourself - are these possible? If you set yourself a goal of 7lbs to loose in one week you will fail, I can tell you this because it just isn't possible and if you do loose it in one week then it will not long lasting and will be dangerous for your health. Aim for 1lb per week and if you achieve more great, but 1lb is alot and you should be proud of this loss! 
• Is your goal going to make you happy - you are working to this goal but what is it doing for you? Goals are selfish they are what you want to achieve so they should bring satisfaction - lifting a heavy weight, hitting that long awaited PB or wearing that swimsuit on holiday. If it is going to make you happy when you achieve it go for it, you will probably find that when you achieve it you will be hungry for more! That's how I feel when  I hit a PB once that goal is achieved I look for the next number to hit
• Work towards it every day - don't go in half assed, go for it and work your butt off to achieve it! Make a plan and stick to it! A fail to plan is a plan to fail 
• Set mini goals - if your ultimate goal is a big one set mini goals as check in points - every 6 weeks check in your mini goal and see if you have achieved it, over succeeded it or if there is still more work to be done, the beauty of a mini goal is that you can keep yourself on track and if you need to tweak some things you can make the changes and see the difference
• Don't get frustrated - if you don't achieve something right a way look at why you are failing - going back to the beauty of mini goals - look at what your doing wrong and fix it. for example I am working on toes to bar - I cant get the kick high enough so I worked on loosening my back and my lat strength as this is key is lasting is a continuous loop of toes to bar. Its frustrating that I am not there yet but I am working at all the small parts to make the bigger picture!

If you are looking to get back on track and want a personalised plan, please send me across an email with details and we can put something together for you! 

Beat the Sunday night blues...

You've had a great weekend, eaten good food, got some good workouts in, seen friends and family, spent it with your loved one... then there is this feeling, it sets in around 4pm, the Sunday blues, the oh man the weekend is over and I have to go back to work blues. 

This is normally reserved for people in jobs who don't like them that much, know they have a hard week ahead, or if your like my dad who works away from home, leaving your loved one at home whilst you stay away for the week! 

I personally don't get the sunday blues that much any more, I don't mind my job so much, I get it more on an early shift because who likes a 4am wake up call but in general I don't mind it. 

But here are some ways to beat the sunday blues and make sure you make the most of your weekend without worrying about the week ahead! 

• Get the boring stuff done first - But I have so much to do I hear you cry - especially if you have kids, it takes a lot more time to get things done! So prioritize the chores that need to be done when they are occupied or napping, or if they are old enough get them to join in! Get the boring stuff out the way first then spend the rest of the weekend enjoying your time. Once they have gone to bed that is you "me" time, spend it with your partner, watch some tv and enjoy the peace and quiet! If you are without children its still applies it just means you have less distractions! 
• Take a bath - a hot bath with candles is a perfect way to end a weekend. Turn off the lights, light some candles, shut the door and breath. It's amazing how much better you can feel when you just shut everything out and just relax. 
• Clean bedsheets - argue with me that there is nothing better than climbing into a clean bed and I will argue with you right back! I LOVE clean sheets, the feel, the smell - yes I never want to leave the bed again but it makes me feel so good, especially after my relaxing bath I feel ready to settle down.
• Read - don't watch tv an hour before bed, especially in your bed! Put the laptop down, the phone away and any other technology and open that book. The read doesn't have to be relaxing, I love crime thrillers - not exactly bedtime reading but it works for me! 
• Make your bedroom your sanctuary - I make sure my bedroom is for sleeping or bed activities.... nothing else, no eating, no working, no stress. My boyfriend does everything from bed... We have a small house and when I am downstairs he claims upstairs... I don't agree with this, by him working in bed, eating in bed and basically doing everything in that room I think he associates it more with stress without realising, he won't listen to me of course but I know that since I have stopped doing all those things in bed I have slept a lot better
• Think positive - if you are feeling stressed write it down. By the time you are finished you normally feel ten times better, you have vented to the person who understands - you - and you have let your feelings go. When I was really stressed about things in my life I used to write a list of everything that bugged me and then I would burn it as a way to let go. It helps it really does, it may sound strange or stupid but I would give it a try! We have all seen the valentines ritual on friends right? Where they burn the picture of ex boyfriends to break the curse? Well this is the same thing just be careful with fire we don't want the fire brigade out! 

Try these any night of the week your feeling stressed, but try to introduce them on a Sunday for a nice end to the weekend, and don't get to bogged down in the little details of the week ahead - a positive mind set is key to a healthy positive lifestyle! 

Mindful eat whilst abroad

In the summer I wrote about the build up to a holiday and remaining on track whilst your away - that was for a beach holiday, so what happens when your going on a city break that doesn't really involve the beach, wearing a bikini but does include layers of clothes, walking and covering up?

Well I would still keep on track is the simple answer. Weekend breaks or short holidays can sometimes be worse than longer holidays because you think ah its only a weekend it's ok, oh its only 5 days, but what happens after that, your off track, crap food has happened and your back to square one!

Ok maybe not square one but still it is a step back and even though rest days and cheat days are perfectly acceptable, if you want to achieve your goal mindful eating is key!

So how do we make this happen? You are going to be eating out most if not all nights if your staying in a hotel so just be careful what you chose when you eat, instead of having a 3 course meal just have a main, skip the bread starters, change the chips to potatoes or salad. All simple things that really add up!

Don't make the mistake of skipping meals and then eating a large dinner, keep your 3 meals a day with some snacks, especially if your out all day site seeing take healthy snacks with you to keep your energy levels high and the temptation for cake and chocolate at bay!

I always try to opt for a hotel with a gym or some kind of fitness suite so I can get at least an hour of activity in a day! Get up a bit earlier and get yourself moving you will thank yourself later in the day!


It is all about be sensible with your diet and not going to extremes! Treat yourself but make sure your don't go crazy!

The search for the perfect skin care

I have dry, sensitive skin that loves to break out at really awkward moments - night out, first day of a new job, meeting new people for example.

It is also is a long, expensive, tiresome search that takes a toll on your skin and your bank account! 
I have tried brands that specialise in dry skin, sensitive skin, normal skin and these always seems to be an issue - allergic reaction, dry, tight skin or breakouts galore! 

So when I was approached by a friend from my crossfit box to try a brand called Tropic I thought why not! She handed me some free samples and off I went to try out the new products. 

I tested the moisturiser on my skin first just in case - may sound paranoid but who wants to be walking round with red patches on their face? 

After the all clear I started using the cleanser daily in the morning and evening - at first I had a breakout but after 2 days its cleared up and my skin felt so smooth and soft I couldn't stop stroking my face! 
I also used the pore cleanser after taking my makeup off - this is like a spray mist which you spray directly onto your face, it is really nice and refreshing perfect after a long day! 

After about a week and a half of using the products I found my skin had completely cleared, felt so much smoother and even better no reaction! 
I used it within my normal skin routine - I did not use the moisturiser in the end as I preferred the one I already used, however mixing it in with my other products made no difference to my skin as in there was no reaction or imbalance on my skin! 

So a little bit about the Tropic product - their tag line is Pure, Honest, Effective. 

They don't test on animals - huge bonus, and all their ingredients 100% naturally derived or nature identical.
They develop their products in the UK and even include a best before date on the bottles! How great is that? We are concious of the food we put into our body so why not on our skin as well. 

When your so concious about the food your eating and the exercise you are doing it makes sense to be including the largest organ of your body in that factor! 

If this product sounds like something you would be interested in then speak to the experts! 
Here is a link to the lovely Emma's page she is an ambassador for the company, so helpful and be happy to help anyone interested in purchasing the product! 

I wish I had taken a before and after shot, but seriously if you want a skin product that is going to make your skin feel amazing this is the one for you! 

Click here to view the website 

Workout Wednesday - The Leg Circuit

Do you always hear about leg day but not sure how to get involved?

Here is a great leg circuit to get those legs working and is adaptable to all levels of exercise from beginners to the experienced!

Equipment:

1x Bosu ball
1x Sandbag - 10kg or lighter if needed - if you dont have sand bags at the gym use dumbells
Alternative 2x dumbells - pick a heavy weight, one that is going to challenge you!
1x kettlebell - again a heavy weight that will challenge you, if your gym doesn't have kettlebells select one dumbell.

The exercises!

Station 1 - Front lunges - 12 reps (6 on each leg) with a dumbell in each hand or the sandbag on your shoulders behind your head positioned like a back squat.
Station 2 - Squats - 12 reps with kettlebell or 1 dumbell held in front of you close to your chest.
Station 3 - position this near a wall for balance - on the bosu ball hold the squat position for 30 seconds keeping very stready - engage your core for extra stability!
Station 4 - Thrusters - this is a squat combined with an over head press. 12 reps with 2 dumbells - squat down and when coming up press the dumbells over your head then repeat.
Station 5 - Back lunges - 12 reps (6 on each leg) with a dumbell in each hand, or the sandbag.
Station 6 - Kettlebell swing - these can be straight in front of you or overhead if you can do this. Make sure you engage the core and hips to get a good swing!

Repeat the circuit 4 rounds, when the exercises become easy make sure you increase the weights to really challenge yourself!
When the balance on the bosu ball becomes easy make sure you add weight to this as well!

Epsom Salts

I have been reading alot about epsom salts lately, so when I passed a bag for sale in a shop I thought why not give it a go!

So why have an epsom salt bath? Epsom salts have alot of health benefits from soothing aching muscles to drawing toxins from the body, so what better time to start than after a hard few training weeks and Christmas period?
Stress is prone to draining the body of magnesium - taking a bath is always relaxing anyway but the epsom salts contains magnesium so by bathing in epsom salts your body with absorb the salts and replenish the magnesium levels - magnesium helps produce a mood enhancing chemical called serotonin making you feel calm and relaxed.

Aching muscles after a workout? Take a bath! The combination of hot water and salts will help you and your muscles relax. Again the magnesium absorbed through the body helps regulate muscle and nerve function as well as helping flush the body of lactic acid which is built up during strenuous workouts.

Aching feet after a long? Soaking your feet for ten minutes in hot water and salts can really help improve circulation, relieve aches and pains and reduce inflammation. Perfect after a long day on your feet, after wearing heels or even after a long run!

There are also articles saying that it works as a clenser from being ingested - this is a different salt to the kind you put in your bath and also due to side effects it is recommended you check with the doctor first to make sure it is ok! I haven't tried this and wont - I tried a detox once and it had the worst effect on my body so never again!


I have only had two baths with epsom salts so far so really I don't have anything wise to offer yet as two baths is not enough to tell anything but time will tell!

Refresh and reflect...

Happy belated new year! I know this probably should have been written before the new year, but with revision, holiday season and training time was limited but also there are no rules! 


Last year was good personal life wise but professionally not so much! From August onwards I changed all the things that were making me miserable - I started my online course (exam next week ah!) I started crossfit and I looked for new jobs and eventually got a new job with better pay, no stress and actually something that is perfectly suited to me! 

I want to make 2016 and selfish year, I spent the last two years trying to please other people be it relationships, friendships or work, now I want to focus on me and what I want to do! 
Obviously not by becoming a recluse and shutting everyone out but me, that really would be selfish! But focus on what I am doing and not worry about other peoples opinions or what they think! 

So 2016 looks like this - good holidays with family and my boyfriend, exams, crossfit qualifiers and competitions! It's all very exciting and I have a good feeling about this year! 

I am still not back at work yet, which is great for the studying because I have alot of free time! You would think having a month off would be awesome but in reality it kinda sucks because everyone else is at work!! 

Apart from working on myself, I haven't really made any new years resolutions this year - more like promises to myself, have fun, enjoy yourself, less stress, work hard to achieve your goals and look after yourself! 

I think these should be goals for everyone this year! We can always improve areas of our life but sometimes things fall into place without even thinking about it! 

To end on a high here are my 5 peaks from last year!

My new job - I love my new job and I am so happy I took a chance and went for it

Moving in with the boyfriend - the whole things falling into place without you realising really applied to this one! Us moving in together happened naturally in that I was cat and house sitting for 1 week whilst he was away and then I never left! 

Our first holiday together - We had to change our holiday due to the tragic events in Tunisia last year, and it looked like we were not going to be able to go! Thankfully we managed to reorganise for 2016 and still went away to stay at his parents place in Tenerife for 10 days it was glorious! 

My brother getting into the army - this had been his dream since he was 16 and he finally achieved it! it has been a long process but as of March 2016 he will begin his training - I could not be prouder of him and I am so excited for him to be living his dream!!

Starting crossfit - Crossfit has changed my life. Honestly it made me fall in love with my body and what I am capable of. The gym changed my body but crossfit made me love it - I am constantly amazed that when I really push myself the things I can do or lift. How can you not be proud? 
I am excited to compete this year, and would love to be saying this time next year that I will be registering for the open.... goals!

So here is to 2016! 7 days in and your doing ok!