Currently

It is bank holiday here in England today so I am using this day to catch up on some well needed rest, "trashy tv" (Total Divas - I don't fine it trashy!) my blog and just little things in general, after the gym of course!

I love 3 day weekends, I feel I have been so busy every weekend lately that it is nice to just take some time and relax! 

I am also planning my next 8 weeks of training and eating - the prep in on! Unfortunately it is not for competing (next year I hope!) but it is for something equally exciting - HOLIDAY! Ten days in the sun!

So the next couple of weeks will be updates and training tips - I am trying fasted cardio so expect a review on that soon- we will also be looking at staying healthy on holiday and tips for healthy eating out! 

For daily updates check out my Instagram and Twitter and hit the follow button!

I use social media to inspire and motivate myself and I hope this is what mine does for others! 

I hope you have a lovely rest of your Monday, I am off for some lunch and to read the rest of my book! 

Workout Wednesday - Front Squats

Legs are my favourite part of body to train, controversial I know, but I love it, I feel I achieve alot when training legs! 

So I am always looking to try new leg exercises, and this one is a gooden! 

Front squats! Now I can back squat 95kg (new personal recent gym record) so I was like ok sure I will try this, how hard can this be... very that's how hard! 

So far I have front squatted 30kg which I am pretty pleased with because the first time I tried this I almost toppled over! 

The guy who showed me the exercise suggested I put two small weight plates under my heels to help with my balance and this really worked.

The technique is quite simple - there are two different ways to hold the bar - pictured below:

I opted for the first hold as I wasn't sure about holding the bar the second way - in terms of keeping it steady, but we warned the first hold is quite hard on the wrists!

I find with this squat you can go down further, but slow and controlled movements to ensure you keep your balance and don't fall over! 

It is a great exercise and focuses on the quads more than the hamstrings, it also works upper body muscles as well as your core. 

It is hard work, but a good exercise if your looking to work different muscles and challenge yourself - going for 40kg front tomorrow and 100kg back squat... wish me luck!!

Workout Wednesday - Lateral Raise - front and side

I always do these exercises together - one because they work the same group of muscles, two because they are not my favourite exercise and like to get them out of the way!!

They are of course a fantastic exercise for anterior and medial delts, which sit on the front and sides of the shoulder (front raise) and the lateral deltoids, located on the side of the shoulder (side raise)

This exercise is usually performed with dumbells, the front raises can be performed with a bar if you wish.

Front raise:

Start with your weights by your thighs, engage your core to make sure you do not swing when you bring the weights up.

Bring the weights up in front of you to shoulder level, then lower in the same controlled movement.

Repeat for 12 reps and 4 sets - rest 30-45 seconds in between each set.

Side raise:

Start with the weights by your side, again engage your core to make sure your movement is stable.

Bring the weight up, lifting your arms out to the side, with a slight bend in the elbow to shoulder level, then lower.

Repeat for 12 reps and 4 sets - rest for 30-45 seconds in between each set.

If you want to mix up the exercise, alternate between front and side raises.

To really feel the burn, increase the weight each time and then finish on a drop set, decreasing the weight each set but have no rest inbetween!!

Looking for exercise tips, advice or have your questions answered? 

Email us at sweatstretchlift@gmail.com 

Workout Wednesday - Shake it up!

The Taylor Swift song is in my head and inspired this post - shake up that workout!! 

Routine is fun, but sometimes it becomes just that - routine. It is recommended that you change your workout every 8 weeks or so to keep your body from getting used to it and also so you don't get bored.

But what if you like your routine and don't want to change it? Then change up the days you do the routine! 

My routine since January was going like this:

Sunday - Legs

Monday - Upper body

Tuesday - Spin class

Wednesday - Upper body 

Thursday - HIIT 

Friday - Cardio 

Saturday - Cardio 

All with a stretch and abs included. It was ok but I'm not going to lie it was getting a bit boring and I wasnt really seeing results.

Now I have switched up the routine to more weights and less cardio and am seeing results but some days I still get a bit 'over' the routine feel.

So I have kept the exercises I like and just changed the days, and it makes it far more interesting and also I am not a slave to my routine, and enjoy my workouts far more! 

Though training legs on a weekday proves tricking to walk at work by the end of the day, but sacrifices must be made!

Now due to joining a new gym that opens earlier I do have a bit more time to add in more weight training, and add in some HIIT cardio at the end. 

As I am training for a 10 miles run I have my long distance cardio, so sprint are always on the menu, which to be honest I far prefer to endurance again far more interesting!! 

Sometimes you have to go by feeling - how much energy you have, if you prefer to train something else that isn't planned for that day, so then you are doing something you enjoy, rather than feeling like you have to! 

So if you feeling a bit bored of the gym then shake up what your doing on the daily routine and see how that works for you! 

Workout Wednesday - Shoulder press and bicep curl

I saw this on Instagram from the brilliant Sarah Bowmar and decided to give it ago - I mean have you seen her shoulders? She is my shoulder idol!

Start with a bicep curl, then in a smooth movement move into a shoulder press and repeat for 12 reps.
I usually do this exercise for 3-4 sets starting with a lower weight, then move to two sets on a higher weight, then finishing on a lower weight.
This exercise work both your shoulders and your biceps, keep your back and core strong so you maintain good posture throughout the sets.
If you feel yourself start to fatigue switch to alternating arms to avoid back posture and poor performance!

Half full or half empty - you decide

Lately I have been in a strange mindset - I set out 2015 positive and ready, but a few weeks in I hit this negative wall of not feeling good enough, small enough, strong enough etc so I decided enough was enough and I needed to change the way I was thinking.

I feel a lot of people, myself included, will sometimes focus on the fails in life rather than what they have achieved.

For example - I am doing a 10 mile run in October so I am training for this working on my speed and endurance so I can hit my target time of 90 minutes. In order to this I have to be able to run a 9 minute mile, which I can now do.
But I had to work at it and was hitting 10 mins, 9.45, 9.30 and then the magic 9, great I had hit my target, but the next day when I ran again I was slower - instead of looking at the logical side of things - I was tired, it was my 5th day of training etc, I felt like I had failed, when actually it was only 30 seconds slower than the day before! 

My point is, sometimes there is SO much pressure in life - work, gym, personal life, you forget to celebrate the little achievements you make every day.

So this has been my mind set this week - look for the achievement not the failure, and really it hasn't been that hard - from lifting a heavier weight to running an extra sprint, it really changes your mind set and the way you looks at things in life. 

I still have my big goals of course, 90 minute race, unassisted pull up etc, but the more I work at it bit by bit the closer I am to being where I want to be! 

Sounds obvious and slightly cheesy I know but hey Rome wasn't built in a day!! 

So just for extra cheese on this Friday I will leave you with a great story I was sent the other day! 

"A psychologist walked around a room while teaching stress management to an audience. As she raised a glass of water, everyone expected they'd be asked the "half empty or half full" question. Instead, with a smile on her face, she enquired: "How heavy is this glass of water?"

Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz.

She replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, it's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my arm. If I hold it for a day, my arm will feel numb and paralyzed. In each case, the weight of the glass doesn't change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."

She continued, "The stresses and worries in life are like that glass of water. Think about them for a while and nothing happens. Think about them a bit longer and they begin to hurt. And if you think about them all day long, you will feel paralyzed – incapable of doing anything."

Remember to put the glass down."

Looking for exercise tips, advice or have your questions answered? 

Email us at sweatstretchlift@gmail.com

Today on Instagram...

‘It takes motivation to start and habit to carry on’

I don’t know who wrote this, but it sure seems relevant right now!! As winter is approaching my not so sunny 5am starts are becoming slightly harder! I hear the wind howling or the raining and my bed seems far more appealing that a cross trainer. But then I pull myself together and up I get to start the day! Why? Because it’s a habit I have been building for a year now!

December 2012 saw the start of my morning workouts. My evening workouts were not happening, I had gained weight, was fed up and miserable. So I decided one morning I would get up and go to the gym with my mum, best idea ever! The morning workout starts your day guilt free and full of endorphins, and by starting this routine before January it was just a routine change not a news years resolution, much easier to stick too!

Im not going to lie to you and say this habit is easy, its not! Some mornings I want to throw my alarm clock against the wall, others I wake before my alarm and am ready to go!

I keep my weekend works out early as well. Not 5am early by any means but this regulates my body clock, gets the job done, and leaves me with a free day, and possibly an afternoon nap!!

So this brings me to my next point, sure I have the habit but what motivated me to start? I always have a goal in mind, always my general health and well being, skip a workout, and I have the potential to be a demon, but sometimes I have other goals in mind, January it was a 3 week beach holiday, right now it is a Christmas party and a blue dress that motivates me. But what happens when no short-term goals are in mind and I’m having a ‘feeling fit’ day? This is where my little motivational tricks come into mind!

·      Music – Good music in the gym is vital to me! My ipod is constantly being updated with good cardio songs that really motivate me to keep going, my current personal favourite? Britney Spears – Work Bitch, she is like my own personal trainer!

·      Change it up – changing your routine is a great way to make your workout exciting again! I change mine every 8 weeks, even if it is only one aspect I will still change it! My current routine is cardio and stretching always, then training arms and legs on alternating days. I use a foam roller 3 times a week to rid me of aches and pains, and also use a band to stretch out my legs.

·      Rest days – these are key in your training. Everyone is different some people train different areas of their body each day, some alternate between cardio and strength training and some don’t rest at all! Everyone is different, I have been known to do 3 weeks without a rest day, but instead train different areas, and sometimes I train 6 days a week, alternating my strength training and then having a Sunday as a rest day.  Do what works for you, but having a rest day breaks the routine, gives your muscles time to repair and can improve motivation!

·      Results – track your progress! Even small changes can mean more motivation to carry on! I track inches and weight once a week at the same time to get my accurate results!

·      Social media – Pinterest and fit blogs are the ones to watch! Posting inspiring quotes or images, recipes and workouts that just make you want to live in the gym and a health food store! I have a few I turn to if I need an extra reason why I need to go to the gym, and my own Pinterest board of health and happiness, filled with inspiring images and quotes!

• An Icon – a gymspiration as my friend calls it, this can be anyone, my changes from a daily basis – it has be Snooki for a while, I think she has done an amazing job on transforming herself into a lean beauty machine and also she has a baby! I look up to people who inspire healthy ways, and a fit life, again blogs and social media come into play here but also my friends inspire me as well!

     

• Yourself! You should be your ultimate inspiration! Make a list of why you are awesome and when your feeling down read this list!! Say 3 nice things to yourself every day and every negative thought you have, a positive one must follow. My rule is speak to yourself as you would speak to your best friend. 

This post can be found also at www.fittamamma.com. I occasionally guest blog on there for Workout Wednesday's under a different name! Check them out!