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  

The post holiday body - what happens now?

 

So you have been working hard for months getting your body 'bikini ready' you have the holiday and now is the time to relax, eat what you like, workout if you feel like it and all round relax and enjoy yourself, then you arrive home, look at the killer tan you have from holiday, but then notice the body you worked so hard for, well it is no longer there. 

First of all welcome to the holiday club, I had almost abs at the beginning of my holiday, now not so much, I am softer than I was 10 days, I haven't gained any weight but I am feeling out of shape, but you know what I had an awesome time away, add good food, worked out and relaxed, and now I am back I know I will clean up my eating, get back to my full workouts and get back to where I was in no time! 

I make an effort to workout on holiday not because I force myself but because I enjoy my workouts, I went lighter on the routine for the past 10 days, spending about 40 mins doing different weight exercises and 20 mins of cardio and abs each day to keep me active, I also swam alot during the day and we walked every where which is always an added bonus! 

As we were staying in an apartment we had the advantage of being able to cook our own meals and then eating out at different restaurants and picking exactly what we wanted to eat.

I love all inclusive but having this change meant I drank less, ate healthier and basically got to make my own choices - no chips! 

I ate pizza, bread and crisps and had ice cream of course, I think the gym helped balance it and some days I got bogged down with weight worries but then I took a step back, knowing it is only 10 days and that I am away to enjoy myself! 

So now it is back to the grind, I got straight back into my routine yesterday when I returned and cleaned up my eating, today was my first day back properly weight training - chest and back - but it felt so good! Yesterday was cardio and HIIT session, both felt awesome and I don't actually feel too bad, which was good! 

So if you are heading on holiday and unsure of eating and drinking my advice would be everything in moderation but also relax and enjoy yourself. You know you can sort it out the minute you get home, if you have the chance to workout then go for it 3 times a week just to get the body moving and trust me it will make you feel so much better! 

Happy summer holidays!