Dont Stop - Never Give Up!

So its Week 3 of 4! Nearly there! This week was an interesting one...it started off great but I was away in Canada for the latter half of the week. I most certainly undid all of the good workouts whilst over there! But lessons have been learned for sure - its hard to be "good" on holidays - cough cough* - brunch with the McGinley Clan yesterday!

As the title suggests (Ive literally been singing the S Club 7 track in my head all day after thinking of this title)..Dont Stop and Never Give Up. Although the last few days have been not ideal from an exercise and diet perspective - I won't lose the run of myself completely and am going to get straight back into it tonight! So when your feeling tired/run down/jet lagged etc - try keep going. It will be worth it!

Some of my blog readers have provided me with invaluable insights from an exercise perspective as well as diet tips. I really am only learning as I go - and do take advice very seriously! So this blog will go over the excercise I did (and in some cases didnt do!) as well as some tips for how to change your diet to fuel your body which will make you both feel better and look better.

Workout 1 - Kettlebell Challenge (Anaerobic)
Not sure how many of you have tried Kettlebells. Its fun. Its quite daunting - carrying a 16kg kettlebell for an hour - but I actually really liked the class. Its an anaerobic workout - the instructor went through the different types of "swings" as it is really important not to do yourself an injury. Once everyone had the basics the instructor set out a number of circuits for us to complete with the Kettlebell.

Most exercises involved using the Kettlebell - lunges, goblet squats, dead lifts. We had to complete the circuit in as many times as possible in 4 minutes. I quite like being able to work out to my own pace - but you have be psychogically ready - or you will take shortcuts! I gave myself a target of complete 4 circuits and felt very satisfied when I did this within the 4 minutes.
Each circuit ended in burpees. This has to be my most hated move. Although trainers rave about it - here are some of the benefits. Burpees are "an awesome, calorie-torching, strength-building, full body exercise." So get burpee-ing!  Benefits to Burpees

I think it is really important to have a goal in mind. For me - its a particular weight. Then I know what I am aiming towards. To do this - I need to do a mixture of aerobic and anaerobic workouts in the week. KB was my anaerobic - and the workout below is the aerobic one! If you are in gym - ask and instructor to pick out classes for you to go to, or help design a workout to help you achieve your goal. I've started weighing myself in the gym after I workout (I now wear AS LITTLE clothes as possible to make myself as light as possible!). I joke... but do remember, muscle is heavier than fat, so if you find you plateau at a certain weight, dont fret, again get your gym staff to help calculate your body fat which may explain why the scales are not moving!

Workout 2 - Gym Machines - Aerobic/Core - 45 min workout
My next workout last week was in the gym rather than a class - Treadmill, Rower and Core Work This workout required serious tunes to keep you going. Its tough - but I felt really really good after it.

1. Treadmill - go as fast as you can running for 1 minute. Hop off the machine for 30 seconds. Repeat this 10 times. Warning - it can be particularly mortifying falling off a treadmill - so be careful!

2. Rower - Row as fast as you can for one minute, again taking 30 seconds break, Repeat 10 times. In all cases - you can moderate these exercises depending on fitness. Maybe start by repeating 3-4 times if you are only getting back into the gym.

3. Core Work - for final 10 minutes I moved to the floor for some core work, I did the plank - 45 seconds x 5, full pressups x 30, sit ups x 30 and leg extensions x 30.

From a "non gym" perspective- I have been told that what I eat is hugely important in getting the shape I want to be. Nutrition is everything. I have been given tips and tricks to date which I will share now. First and foremost - you need to want to change your diet - and be really strict. If you are not in the right mindset it just wont work.

It requires being prepared - doing a weekly shop, and completing meal plans. Eating the right food - and the right portions to avoid snacking etc. I have found in the last 2 weeks - doing a healthy food shop is quite soul destroying - but I am learning to avoid the contraband aisles now - namely "carbicide aisle" and "crap aisle".

So for 21 days - I am doing "no carbs and no crap" diet. Again - this means changing what I eat at every meal, so for brekkie- where I had porridge before- I will have eggs. Where I had a wrap before - I will just have salad. For dinner - where I had pasta/potatoes - I will just add more veg and cut the carbs.

Sounds ok - no carbs might be ok. The no crap will kill me. I love sweets and treats! I can have one caffeine hit a day (choose wisely). No sweet treat EXCEPT - Green tea (acquired taste I know - I will have to get used to it), and one square of 85% Dark Cocoa Chocolate. The initial cardboardy taste wears off - and its actually quite yummy ( I got the Lindt one).

Also - FoodFlicker is great for nutrition tips -check them out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Foodflicker or on Twitter https://twitter.com/FoodFlicker

Finally - Aimed for the girl readers! Whilst in Canada, I decided I was going to invest in new gym gear. I visited Lulu Lemon and spent a small fortune. But seeing as I am going to be spending most of my non-working life in the gym - I may aswell look the part eh! They do not have a store in Ireland - but you can shop online. Their gym gear is pretty awesome and I really look forward to trying it out! It is expensive - but Ive been told that the Lulu Lemon clothes last a lifetime!

Link to order from Ireland - http://www.eu.lululemon.com/?sl=IE

Thats it from me - I promise Week 4 (the last one!) will be a lot more action packed! As always- questions welcome - and feedback welcome too!

SJ x

Week 2 - Getting Jiggy with It....

                                           

Week 2 of my gymming blog...well it sure has been interesting! Over 600 hits (from about 15 countries) on the 1st post - which I am pretty chuffed about :).
Disclaimer - not promising this will be half as insightful or humourous but I will carry on!

I have received lots of lovely feedback on my first post - some of which included -
1. "I'd like to try a class with you" - which happened in week 2!
2. "Now I know what classes Im NEVER going to  try- thanks for the heads up" - possibly not the aim of the blog, but hey at least she was honest.
And finally
3. "Which gym do you go to - classes sound familiar?" - Well I did refrain from telling you in the 1st post- I live directly above a gym and swimming pool (Swan Leisure in Rathmines). I have absolutely no excuse to literally go downstairs after work and hit the gym.

I cannot say enough good things about the gym. The classes are very reasonable - only 6.50eur and the instructors are just lovely ;) Classes are free if you are member. Now - enough of the plugging of the gym!

Also - I lost SO much weight in week 1. When I was getting my coffee one day last week - the automatic doors to the shop didn't open when I tried to get in*.
*The doors may have been faulty.

This week I tried 2 new classes in the gym and started teaching an Adult Irish Dancing class to shake things up!

Monday: - I signed up for POWOW (Power Workout of the Week) in my gym. 45 minute class straight after work described on the website as "Special technique class with a challenging workout to keep you motivated". It did exactly that. It was certainly different - strenous warm up (they arent getting any easier!) - followed by getting into pairs. Again - pick someone that looks like they may be at your fitness level (I understand this can be hard by just looking at a stranger up and down!). It will help in your workout later. The class basically involved completing an exercise 30 times e.g. kettlebell swings or sit-ups/v-ups, while your partner counts to 30. The exercise part was obviously worthwhile. However the repeated exercise of counting to 30 got old pretty fast. I felt like I was putting the weight back on everytime my partner was exercising!

Overall I really enjoyed the class - it is a different class each week. I was told by the instructor that this particular class was a relatively low intensity one. Not sure why I was disapppointed - it was a nice way to easy myself back into the gym after a weekend off! However I didnt feel completely wrecked after it - so I decided to hit the gym after (dare I say it - I may ACTUALLY be getting my fitness back!).

This brings me to my next point - machines in the gym. I am a bit sceptical how valuable running on a treadmill for 40 mins at a time is. It can be quite hard on your legs to run on a surface that doesnt have much give. One of my favourite machines is the Rowing Machine - I didnt really know how to use it at first - but do not be afraid to ask the instructors in your gym how to use machines. It is really important to get the technique right - that way you will get the most out of the exercise and you will not be damaging and muscles/joints. Thanks to google - Ive rooted out the main benefits of this machine - apparently - its good for weight loss, toning, cardiovascular health and stress reduction. All round great machine. It burns calories rapidly (I do enjoy seeing the calories burned numbers go up!)- about 350 calories for a strong 30 min workout. It is a low impact machine - that works the arms and legs. I will stop harping on - but trust me, its great!

Tip #1 - I usually give myself a target e.g. Row 2,000 metres or row for 10 minutes, and whichever happens first I just stop! It works for me anyway!

Tuesday: Myself and my friend have started teaching an Adult Irish Dancing Class for an hour on Tuesdays. I hadn't danced properly in about two years - so I had a feeling it was going to be a shock to the system. To all my dancing friends out there - there is no fitness like Irish Dancing Fitness! It is serious bursts of energy for about a minute, followed by dying on the side of the dancefloor for the next 5! It was a really fun class - and a great workout indeed! If anyone in Dublin is interested in trying it out just let me know - we can take from beginners to people who danced competitively - we don't discriminate!! My muscles hurt an obscene amount the following day. Which leads me nicely into tip number 2!

Tip #2- I did mention the importance of eating well when you are working out. One thing I have realised (again you will know who you are when your reading this!) - Protein helps muscle recovery. So I try and overload on protein after a workout and in the following means. E.g. Tuna salad or for the non-tuna lovers - Eggs are great too. So maybe have eggs for breakfast the next day.

Here is a good link on Muscle Recovery in General - Muscle Recovery

I have been trying by best to Eat Well - by bringing my lunch into work (Tuna and wholewhat crackers) or salad, eating and snacking healthy. It is in no way as fun and chocolate but - my new favourite snack, carrot sticks and low fat hummous. I can buy the carrot sticks pre-cut in the supermarket - so I have no excuse at all!


Wednesday: Total Body Tone. Now - I have thought long and hard about actually putting pen to paper on this one. I do not want to scare anyone but... It was the worst class I have ever been to in my life. Sounds like I am being a drama queen...but it really was! I had been given a warning by a friend before the class "it is not for the faint hearted". She was right.
                                                      

                                                 

Described on their website as - "This class will focus on toning up every aspect of your body with a combination of using your own body resistance and weights." - seems pretty harmless -sure why not give it a go!

When I say the "worst class" - I mean in a good way. I have never felt so good after a workout. I did think half way through - Im gonna be stretchered out of here..but alas that did not happen thanks be to God. Unfortunately - this was the class that my friend came to with me. She hadn't been gymming in a while, so this was an absolute Baptism of Fire!

The class was all on a yoga mat, 3 exercises e.g Plank, Plank Pull Ups and Press Ups. 30 seconds each, 30 second break. This lovely routine occured over and over for 45 minutes. Obviously the instructor varied the exercises each time. This meant we were continously exercising for about 35 minutes of the 45 minute class. I'm actually feeling sick just thinking back on how tough it was.

However - we did it. It felt great at the time. The next day, joints I didnt realise I had hurt. It was sore to stand up and sore to sit down. It was sore to sneeze, my abs were in shock -they had never been under so much strain! If I was a horse I would have been put down. But I did it - and strangely enough - I will actually go again!

Workout Choon of the Week - There is nothing like working out in the gym to a great tune. This week I would recommend Pitbull and Keshas - Timber. Great little workout tune! - Workout Choon of the Week!

To be perfectly honest with you lot - the rest of the week consisted of dining out Thurs and Fri (undoing all the workouts - but I have to live too!) and NO GYM!. I also indulged in a few drinks - I am drying to enjoy alcohol by thinking about what I drink e.g. Bubbly instead of a glass of wine. Sparkling Wine contains less calories about 80cals a class vs 120 in a glass of Red/White. So no better reason to enjoy a glass of bubbly after a good week working out/rough week at work! I will however try to have more self control in future with regards the weekends indulging!

Next week I am going to take on 2 more classes - and look forward to sharing my experiences!

Feel free to get in touch with any hints or tips you have on gymming :)

SJ x

Get Fit or Die Tryin' - Week 1

 

 

 

Hello one and all!

So typical - January....everyone being super healthy. What better way to motivate myself if nothing else to go to the gym- than write a blog! I cant promise it will be as eventful as the SJ the traveller blog posts...but will hopefully be more insightful!

The aim is that it is a 4 week blog to start - 4 posts, outlining the different classes and activities I get up to in my gym. I confess -I was brutal for gymming before Christmas - so getting back was a nightmare. I am feeling unfit- so if I can survive any of these classes - you can too!

I will also aim to provide a tip or two that I get from the gym instructors or from the latest diet fads for you to read! Warning! - I am by no means a pro - just sharing my experiences of classes.

Also - I have added some links to various exercises if you dont understand the terminology or want to try them at home.

Happy reading!

Sooooo.... 1st week back in the Gym. I joined the other 550 people (in the queue to get into a class alone!) on Monday 6th January to sign up for "Pump n Tone". I typically go to classes after work...its great because I would never push myself that hard in the gym. Having someone roar at me is far better for me (I think this hails from years as an Irish Dancer and having teachers roaring at me - u know who you are!).

Tip #1 - do not sit down on that sofa when you get in from work. It makes it 10 times harder to get off it and go to the gym.

1st Class - Pump n Tone
Pump N Tone - this is a 45 minute class with about 20 other people where you have a weights bar for the whole class and you work on different areas of the body. E.g. - in the warm up you do lunges, squats, dead lifts and upright rows etc - and then later in the class, you will complete a track for each of those areas. If it is your first weights class - go light...maybe just even use the bar. Its highly mortifying having a rather attractive instructor staring at you because you cannot even lift the bar - let alone exercice using it!

Start with about 2.5kgs on each side of the bar - and work your way up to about 5kgs on each side. Before you know it you will be carrying 20-30kgs and working out (this is like carrying a big suitcase one would normally wheel!)

The instructor will explain how to do all of the exercices - so dont be afraid to try this class. Its REALLY enjoyable. My first class back wasnt to bad at all! It started with a warm up track/song (didnt really get heart rate roing), legs track, back/shoulders track, arms track and then legs again. The class finished with 5 mins core work which was a nice change from the bar. This involved Sit Ups, Crunches and the plank. The Plank for 20 seconds was a struggle. This illustrated to me just how unfit I was!

I felt fine after the class..some of the pro's and cons are below
Pro's - Good for toning, Music to Motivate you, you can choose what weight to use to suit you
Cons - does not really get the heart rate up

The next day however - I felt like I needed 2 hip replacements from all the squats with 30kgs on my shoulders! Not a good feeling at 28! It was sore to sit down at work, it was sore to stand up. Lesson number 1 - stretch out LOTS. I just walked it out for about 30 minutes to loosen my joints. I would not recommend going to the gym 2 nights in a row if your muscles are sore - you could do yourself a serious injury!

Class 2 - Circuits
Circuits is also  45 minute class with about 15-20 other people in a big hall. This class involves being broken into groups of 2-3 and working your way through different stations e.g. Kettlebells, sprints etc.

The warm up in this class was hellish. But I felt great after it - a puff of my ventolin inhaler to open me airways and I was good to go! After this - the instructor broke us into groups of 2-3 people to complete each station together. I would suggest trying to get into a group of people that look like they have similar fitness as you - this will help later when you are trying to encourage each other on!

There were 7 different circuits - kettlebell swings, sprints, farmers carry (carrying that bloody 20kg "suitcase" of kettlebells), plank, jumping jack, stepper and walking lunges with weights. Each circuit lasts a minute and then you move on. So even if its awful - its only for a minute!

This class was tough - but I really did fantastic after it. Would highly recommend people give circuits a go if they are on offer in your gym.

Very Very Important Point to note - Sports Bra's. An ABSOLUTE must in the gym (for girls duh). There was a girl there (not me may I add!) - who didnt get this advice and nearly ended up with two black eyes. Invest in gym gear - its worth it!

Thats it from gymming in week 1 - looking forward to week 2 now!

2 other points of interest:
Full Fat Milk!
I have started drinking full fat milk again - after years of skimmed milk. This article gives some insights as to why in fact full fat is better and has far more nutrients!

http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/healthy-eating/skim-milk-vs-milk-which-is-the-healthier-choice.html

Eating Brekkie
Never a fan of eating brekkie since I was a child - I am never hungry in the morning. However - apparently Im not the most tolerable when I dont eat (again you know who you are reading this!). So one of my new years resolution is to eat a solid breakfast each morning. I have started with porridge. Its handy - I have it in work and it really does fill me up until lunch time so I avoid snacking! So for all you non-brekkie people - try it. It will be worth it!

Thats all for week 1!
SJ Goes Gym Cray x