Wednesday’s Workout| 30 Day Abs Challenge

Image from Carly Rowena Instagram

How did last weeks workout go girls? It was a tough one! This weeks workout is again all about the abs… it’s only 6 weeks until June, so it’s definitely time to work at those abs to make sure you look and feel great on holiday! This weeks Wednesday workout is again a challenge, it is the 30 day Abs Challenge from the gorgeous Carly Rowena. Carly is an amazing fitness and beauty blogger who is stunning, has a great attitude to health and fitness and posts regular videos, so if you need some motivation go and check her out! She is definitely one of my favourites and I find her so inspiring and refreshing.

Her 30 day Abs Challenge asks you to workout for only 5 minutes each day for 30 days continually. She gives you 2 moves to carry out for 30 seconds at a time and then repeat then 5 times over. So it is super simple, but will be super effective. As you can see from the picture above, the moves vary each week, and they are all tough! I do a few of these at my Bootcamp Class and can promise you they are tough! However if you want to improve your abs in 30 days with only 5 minutes of work, the work has got to be hard work! You have to put in the effort!

As Carly states in the video, abs are made in the kitchen. To achieve definition and a nice toned middle you need to have a great diet. Abs are 80% diet and 20% exercise, so remember to put in the effort in the kitchen aswell! Carly explains the whole challenge very well in her video, so check it out for info, tips and the demonstration of each of the moves mentioned in the picture above.

I am going to start the challenge today! Are you going to join me? Just think of how good you will look in 30 days! If it looks too tough, just try to complete 1 minute worth of moves and build it up from there! It’s completely adaptable to your fitness level, and a little exercise is better than none!

Be sure to check out my blogger of the week and fellow Cumbria Blogger Anna from On The Dressing Table. She has the most amazing beauty blog, full of insightful and honest reviews, plus she is the sweetest girl!

Wednesday’s Workout| 6 Week Six-Pack Abs

 

It’s that time of the week again, it’s workout time! Firstly, thankyou to you all for the amazing feedback you have given me about this feature. There really are so many of you who say it helps them and inspires them to try something new, and I’m always over the moon to hear that I can help others. I hope that you all workout more that once a week, but even if you only manage the workouts I post on Wednesday, it is a lot better than doing nothing!

As last weeks workout was for the booty this weeks will focus on the majority of people’s problem area the abs. I am currently on a massive mission to gain a flat stomach in time for my birthday in exactly 4 weeks time! I currently have a little flabby bit on my lower abs and would love for it to be gone by then. Obviously abs are gained in the gym but shown in the kitchen so I am upping the strength moves for my abs but also trying my best to eat clean and lean so I can reduce my body fat and start to show off some of my abs.

The below workout is from one of my favourite trainers Jillian Michaels. Jillian is to credit for the 30 Day Shred that I’m sure many of you have heard of, but in America she is most know for being the tough trainer on The Biggest Loser. She takes crap from no one and makes them work hard, but after watching her on many programs it is easy to see that she truly cares about her “victims” and only wants them to be the best they can be.

This workout is similar to the 30 Day Shred but more concentrated on the abs and a little tougher. It really works all the muscles in your middle and makes you sweat. It is only 30 minute long, which is a short workout so there is no excuse not to try it. I have tried it only a handle full of times and found that I have had to adapt a few of the moves until I build up my strength but I am enjoying it.

I hope you give it a go. Let me know if you do and how you get on with it. Do you have any Ab workouts that you recommend for me? Or are there any workouts that you would like to see featured on Wednesday’s Workout?

Don’t forget to check out my blogger of the week Natalia from Natalia’s Beauty Blog. If you enjoyed this post Natalia often posts about fitness too, so be sure to give her blog a read. She also has the most gorgeous OOTD posts.

Fitness Friday| 10 Weeks until June!

 

Wednesday was the first day of spring, although here in England you would think we were still in the depths of winter! Now I’m not one for wishing my life away at all, but I am one for preparing so with spring arriving that only means bikini season is up and coming! In fact June is only 10 weeks away! So if you, like me, are aiming to look fit and toned in your bikini this year then if you haven’t already started your body transformation you had better start now!Because if the above imagery is anything to go by, you are already two weeks behind everyone else being able to notice your body changing!

Thankfully many people have clocked onto the fact that we will be wanting to up our health and fitness efforts in the coming weeks and the Tone It Up girls are no exception. If you have not heard of Tone It Up before, you need to go and visit their site as they are really motivational! They offer workouts, recipes, regular motivating emails and workout schedules… all for free! This year they have partnered with Self Magazine and have started the Drop 10 Challenge. 

For the Self Challenge Drop 10 Challenge all you have to do it sign up and you have access to 10 weeks of fun workouts! So this means you will become bikini ready in 10 weeks thanks to fitness videos, HIIT workouts, exercise schedules, online tools, daily motivation and tips and recipes and menus! Basically everything you could possibly need.

I have signed up for the challenge as I am moving out of home next week so I need to ensure that I keep my diet on track when I’m back picking my own meals and cooking for myself. Plus I really need to increase my toning exercises. I have lost alot of fat thanks to cardio exercise over the past three months, but need to get some definition in on my arms, stomach and bum! So hope by this challenge will help me achieve that.

So far this week I have completed a couple of strength exercises and know I am out of practice! I did the workout below with a medium sized weight which I used to lift with ease, and couldn’t move my arms properly the next day! Its a great short strength workout, that says it works all areas that you need to target, however I felt it most in my arms and bum! Give it a go!

Have you started your fitness and health regime in preparation for your bikini body? If not, are you going to start now? Do you fancy the Drop 10 Challenge, if so let me know!

Fitness Friday| Freeze Your Fat| 15 Minute Isometric Workout

 

I don’t know about you but when I workout I am guilty of hammering the cardio and sometimes forgetting about strength…. which is not good! Strength exercises obviously build up your muscles and it is a fact that the more muscle you have the more fat your body will burn during the day! Now you don’t have to hammer the weights to get your strength workout in, in fact you can stay completely still and still work your body hard.

Above is a range of isometric exercises that slim you down and tone you up without moving a muscle! Isometric exercises require you to remain static and use your body's own resistance and weight to challenge your muscles. So all you have to do is hold each of the positions for 60 seconds, three to four times, will a 30 seconds rest between each.

1- Plank- Lie face down on the floor and prop yourself up on your forearms and toes. Keep your bum down and your body in a straight line. Concentrate on your abs and glutes and squeeze them as tightly as you can and hold still.

2- T-Stabilisation- Firstly get into a push-up position. Next shift your weight onto you left hand and rotate your chest to the right as the raise your right arm towards the ceiling. Keep your feet stacked. Hold for a few seconds, then try it on the other side. That’s one rep!

3- Wall Squat- Stand with your feet should width apart and back against a wall. Lower your body, slowly down the wall, until you knees are at a 90 degree angle. Push into your heels and hold still.

4- Lateral Raise- Start in a standing position with your feet shoulder width apart with your arms at your sides and a 1kg to 2.5kg dumbbell (if you have no dumbbells, use a tin of beans). Slowly raise your arms until they are in line with your shoulders and hold them there!

5- Static Squat- Start in a standing position with your feet shoulder width apart  or slightly wider. Extend your hands out in front of you to keep your balance. Sit back and down like you are sitting on an imaginary chair. Keep your head facing forward as your upper body bends forward a bit. Lower down so that your form a 90 degree angle with your knees and hips, ensuring that your knees never go over your toes. Press back into your heels and hold still.

Have you tried isometric exercises before? Or do you prefer to use weights? Which one of this moves is your favourite?

Fitness Friday| Row row row your boat

Carrying on with my fitness phase, this week my mother decided to mix it up a bit and go canoeing. I have done pretty well this week with my workouts and even managed to run up the hill I shared with you in last weeks Fitness Friday- Here. I was all ready to go for another run on Thursday evening, however as it was so warm here, my mother had decided that it was too hot to go for a run with the dogs, so a canoeing session would be more ideal.

I was excited to try this sport, and a little anxious, as I have only ever done it once before and I was 11 years old, so I was definitely out of practice. Thankfully while I was in Finland in June I had gone White Water Rafting twice, so had some practice with staying on a boat and controlling an oar. However I did not realise how sensitive your actions would be when in a smaller boat, to say mum and I had some difficulties when first starting was a bit of an understatement. We actually spent a good 10 minute rowing round in circles, shouting at each other and gaining some funny looks from passers-by. We mostly struggled with matching the strength of our rows, as I would always pull harder than my mum, but my mum would row quicker. At times we managed to get a rhythm going but we spent a good hour and a half on Lake Windermere zig-zagging across the lake. We did make the whole exercise a lot harder seems we had the boat back to front, so instead of draining water we collected it. It was a great evening, as it was so peaceful on the lake and a great way to see a sunset, we also caught sight of an otter than decided to follow us and play around behind us, which was rather cute.

I enjoyed my canoeing workout and would definitely do it again, and recommend it to others, especially with a friend. It was hard work at times, but mostly a great laugh and loads of fun. Its actually a great workout for the areas I need to target for my bridesmaid dress; arms, chest and back, and also hits your oblique (your waist muscles). For the 1 hour and 15 minutes I actually canoed for, it is estimated that I burnt around 150 calories. So it’s not as a big calorie cruncher as running, but it is perfect for toning. I now aim to do this once a week as a toning exercise, as I it worked my arms hard and was a great laugh. I always think its so much easier to work out if you are having fun, and if you have a variety of workouts. It also helps with your weight loss as your body is kept on its toes and doesn’t get used to just one single workout.

Have any of you ever tried canoeing, or other water sports? Or have you tried any new sports recently?

Fitness Fridays| Workout at home

I know many of you can't get to the gym, or don't enjoy it, or don't have the money to go. Don't let that stop you from working out, you can squeeze in workouts anywhere. If I can workout in a tiny dorm room at uni then you can workout anywhere. Here are some little tips to help you;

• Every little helps- Even if it is just 10 minutes, 10 minutes of sit-ups or squats is better than nothing. Get into the habit of doing them before you go to bed, or when you get up in the morning. I always try to do 100 squats while I brush my teeth... its better than just standing there. 
• Mix it up- If you're easily bored, build up your own selection of DVDs, you can buy exercise DVDs relatively cheaply on Amazon and Ebay.
• Weights- You don't need to won dumbbells. I used to use tins of beans or soup, or fill water bottles with sand or stones. Use these for your weights, they are effective and a cheaper option.
• Hey Six Pack!- The plank can be done anywhere, you don't need equipment, it only takes a minute, and its one of the most effective movements for toning. It targets your core muscles, lower back, hips and bum. 
• Hula Hips- Hula-hooping is great for your abs, Beyonce apparently swears by it. A hula Hoop is a cheap buy and you don't need much room. 
• No Equipment- Create your own mini boot-camp. Do circuits of skipping, high knees, squats, star jumps, lunges. Set a timers on your mobile and do 1 minute of each exercise then go straight onto another. See how many reps you can do, you will soon tire out. 
• Up your game- You don't need fancy gym equipment to get arms like Jennifer Aniston. Make your workout harder by doing one arm press ups or decline press ups. Do as many as you can even if its 5. If you do it regularly you will soon see a difference. 

Fitness Fridays| Little changes equal big changes

Image taken from We Heart It

So a few of the past Fitness Friday articles may have been a little daunting or a too big of a challenge for some of my lovely readers and followers. Therefore today I am offering some advice on the little changes that everyone can make that will make a big change to your life and health, so here we go;

1. Eat before you exercise- research shows that your body burns the same amount of fat whether you eat before exercise or not. However exercising on an empty stomach means you exhaust your supply of glycogen (this is glucose you store for energy). If you do this you will end up burning more your muscle instead of building it... not good girls!
2. Combine your strength exercises- do not just lift your arms weights while standing still. If you are doing arms lifts with your free weights, combine these movements with squats, as the more muscles you use at the same time the more calories you will burn. Don't over do it though! 
3. Beware of mini-sized snacks- you may think eating snack size treats is being good, however studies have shown that it is easy to overeat these. This is because it makes it harder to stick to one portion, your silly little mind believes that because the calorie count is so low on these snacks, you convince yourself that its OK to have seconds. Its OK if you have the iron will and will power, but just be careful girls! 
4. Reduce your rest time- The fewer rests you do mean you do the same amount of work, but in less time, therefore reducing your workout time, or meaning you can do twice as much work in the same amount of time. In a study, it was found that people who waited 35 seconds between exercise sets lost 27% more body fat than those who rested for three minutes.
5. Eat protein at every meal- Please please so this girls! This will dramatically change your diet for the better, so if you make one change do this! You will fell fuller for longer, which prevents you from snacking. The best sources are eggs, lean meat and fish, and nuts.  

Fitness Friday| Looking hot while becoming hot!

This week, I'm being less lecturer like, and I am going to ask you all to look hot while you work out... a bit more fun, as we all love shopping!

It will be much easier for you to be motivated to work out if you have cute new workout clothes to wear, so chuck out those tatty leggings and over-sized T-shirts and get yourself something hot. 

Depending on which exercises you do, you will need different clothes for the activity.

Running

Properly designed footwear is essential.
Nike Air Max Excellerate Plus
 Ladies  Running Shoe-  £75
Sports Direct

Jacket- £65
Sweaty Betty

Yoga

Yoga Pants £60
Sweaty Betty

Yoga Top £38
Sweaty Betty

Dance/Aerobics

A sports bra, is essential for
every workout you do!
Look after your boobs!
£22
Sports direct

Capri Pant £17.95
Nike.com

I hope you all invest in some sexy workout clothes!

Fitness Friday- Benefits to strength training

I hope some of you have done some jumping jacks this past week! I did! I thought they were going to be alright, but they soon get tiring, great all over body workout! I'm definitely keeping it up, as feeling my legs are a bit more toned.

This week my concentration is on strength training. I know far too may girls that are scared of strength workouts and think they are going to end up big and bulky, when in fact this is wrong. All that will happen if you incorporate strength training into your workouts is you will lose inches and weight quicker and you will look better naked... more toned! Now who doesn't want that! 

Studies show that women don't build bulk, and gain size from strength training like a man does. You instead develop muscle tone and definition.

Even if you don't have weights, use tins of beans or soup, or use your own body weight by doing lunges, push-ups and crunches. 

All images from Tumblr

I'm not going to preach to you , I will only list the benefits; 

1. You will obviously become stronger- With this your confidence will grow!
2. You will lose body fat- For every 3 pounds of muscle you gain, you will burn an extra 120 calories a day, thus causing your body to burn fat without even trying!
3. You burn calories for longer- After lifting weights you body continues to burn calories for an hours after the workout!
4. You will more likely have a flat stomach- Studies found that lifting weights just twice a week can prevent you from gains abdominal fat!
5. You will reduce your risk or osteoporosis, heart diseases, diabetes, and depression!
6. You will reduce your risk of injury- This means you can work out harder for longer when you are at the gym without risking damage to yourself. 

The best thing you can do is both... do strength and cardio. 

Think of it this way- Cardio sculpts the body from the outside in (Because you are burning away your fat), and strength training sculpts your body from the inside out (Because you are building your muscles underneath your fat).

I hope this article helps a few people, and opens a few peoples eyes to what they are missing.

Fitness Fridays- Jumping Jack Challenge

I am going to start a new feature on my blog, so it is a bit more organised and less random. So I present to you all 'Fitness Fridays!' Each Friday I aim to post a article on a fitness tip, review, or anything fitness related. This will hopefully inspire you to try it the next week, and we can all get fitter together :D

Right girlies, I know a lot of you may have made resolutions to get fit/ loose a few pounds/ tone up/ drop a dress size... Whatever! We would all like to find an easier way to do this. Nobody wants to spend hours in the gym, and eating salad all the time.

Through tumblr I have found a challenge in which burns plenty of calories and takes little time out of your day.

Its the Jumping Jack Challenge! the science is that for every jumping jack a person does they burn 5 calories. So if you do 100 everyday for a week you would loose a pound. (As to loose a pound a person needs to burn 3500 calories, or eat 3500 calories less, a week.)

This is just a guide, so you can tick off days that you reach your target!

100 jumping jacks is really not that much, and won't take more than a few minutes! So come on girls, what are you waiting for?!

A Week in pictures

* My last Festive feast :D Yummy Krispy Kreme doughnut*

* My adopted cat, tuna*

* Christmas mug, its has its own cosy :D*

* University work, multiple assignment and dissertation writing and mass highlighting*

* Mini haul from Primark*

So I have unfortunately been super busy with university work this past week, so I feel like my posts aren't really interesting, and my lovely followers deserve more than that, so please accept my apologies.

The story behind the photos;

I am meant to be starting my health kick this week, so this doughnut was one of my last treats. I am back onto a diet of smoothies for breakfast, chicken wraps or soup for lunch, and a healthy low carb dinner. I also need to up my exercise again, as I am feeling really unfit. 

Tuna meet the world, everyone meet Tuna! This is a cat that occasionally pops into our flat, he is extremely friendly and loves tuna (hence the name). I assume he has a home, as he has a collar and is well fed and groomed, but he just likes to pop by and say hello and give me some cuddles. He's a very welcome visitor. 

This is my new favourite mug that I received for Christmas, it has it's own cosy! Wow! I am a massive tea lover!

As I said previously I am extremely snowed under with university assignments at the moment. In my final year, and still manage to leave it till last minute... argh! So as of Friday I will be more free, although still having  the dreaded dissertation. 

This is my little treat that I bought after work. Total sum of £26.. bargain! Love Primark for some little gems every now and again. 

I hope you all had a great previous week, and have a good week.

Girls with muscles| Weight Training for Girls

Oh good grief  I get sick of the media having a go at Jodie Marsh for her "new look". I don't particularly like the girl, but then again I've never met her, she might be lovely. But I do admire what she has done. She has radically changed her lifestyle, diet and exercise to make herself the fittest she can be. Yes the world of bodybuilding can not be the healthiest thing you can do to your body, due to extreme dieting shortly before the show and dehydration to draw out your muscles. But it sure is a hell of a lot more healthier than sitting on the couch eating chocolate and crisps.

Now because Katie Price has been photographed with a muscly man, the media are now scared she is going to end up looking like Jodie Marsh as well. I my honest opinion I agree when she is in competition and tensing then no its not a sexy look in my eyes, but when she is dressed up nicely in a dress, not tensing, she looks great, lovely and toned.

I hate that most girls are scared to do strength training because they are scared of getting muscles, but getting muscles will not mean you grow big, it means you become tight, not jiggling, not covered in cellulite. Girls should train more often, its a great rush to know you are just as strong as the next guy (literally). That you can lift a good weight, that you can do "man" pushups. Try it, you may surprise yourself.

What girls look like who weight train

Remember strong is sexy! Try adding some toning moves to your next workout! Don't be scared of those dumbbells!

18 Days To look Fabulous| Tone Up Quickly

It is 18 days till the big night, New Years Eve! This means we all have 18 days to look and feel amazing for the big event (whatever your plans are.) Most people spend the occasion catching up with those we have not seen for a while, so what better occasion to turn up and make jaws drop. It is obviously very hard to maintain our weight throughout the holidays, never mind lose weight. However it is doable, especially during the week between Christmas and New Year, as the majority of parties and get togethers happen before Christmas day. 

So what I'm suggesting is that we do not punish ourselves with relentless calorie counting, but instead make healthier choices. Here are my top tips;

• Do you need an extra glass of wine after the 3 you've already had? Try swapping a large glass of wine (185cal)  for a vodka lime and Soda (76 cal), this will save you around 110 calories.

• Always have a healthy breakfast. You can at least start the day right. Have a healthy filling and nutritional breakfast, for example a smoothie, for your vitamins, then scrambled or poached egg on wholemeal toast. The protein will ensure you stay full untill lunchtime, and if you are hungover the eggs enzymes are good for your hangover (if you can stomach it.)

• Have a health lunch as well! If two out of 3 meals are healthy, it will make a difference. Plus if you have eaten well for most of the day, you will less likely want to ruin your good work, by indulging too much for dinner. Have some soup, hummus with carrot/ celery/ pitta bread, or warm Chicken and pasta salad (in a tomato sauce, not creamy!!)

• Have a 30 minute brisk walk 5 days out of 7. Try going for a walk after your dinner, this will help your digestion also, so you will feel less bloated. Wrap up nice and warm and take the family or dog with you. If you don't fancy walking at night, then try walking to work, or get off your bus or tram a stop early and walking the rest. It may only be 10 minutes extra, but it will help boost your metabolism meaning you will burn more calories when you are sat at your desk all day.

• Do some strength exercises, even if you are new to it. Did you know that for every pound of extra muscle you gain, you burn an extra 150 calories a day! Plus it will help your posture, and the dreaded cellulite! So if you plan on wearing a short dress you need to be doing some lunges! 
• All I am asking you to do is 50  bicycle crunches in the morning when you wake up, and 50 before you go to bed. Bicycle crunches work the whole abs area, so will help trim your waist quicker. 
• Plus 50 squats while you brush your teeth in the morning and again in the evening. It is better than just standing there, plus squats are a great calorie burner, but make a great difference to the toning of your legs and ass... We'll all be looking like Beyonce in no time.

Now I am absolutely certain that everyone of you reading this will be able to do these small but significant things every day over the next 18 days. It really will make a difference your body, your skin, your hair, and it will ensure you look fabulous on the biggest night of the year.

Lets go for it! Let me know what your plans are for the New Year?

The importance of Health! Which life are you designing?

This image popped up on my Dashboard on Tumblr, and it really struck a cord with me. I may not be the healthiest person in the world, but I have a great respect for it, and thankfully a knowledge of it.

I get really annoyed by people who assume that because they are slim or skinny, whatever, they believe that they are healthy. Because I can tell you many of them are not. Your weight is not a representation of your health, you can be slim yet still have unhealthy fat around your organs that can damage them. You can be skinny, yet be unfit, and not have strong bones and muscles to support you, that will quickly deteriorate with age. There are plenty of people out they who may be classed as overweight, due to their high BMI's yet, they are healthier than people who are deemed healthy because of a lower weight.

I am not consistent with my health and fitness, but I do try, and I know that although "overweight" I am a lot fitter and healthier than some of my friends. Nutrition has a lot to do with it, and since drinking smoothies everyday for breakfast, which include on average half a mango, quarter of a cucumber, handful of berries, one banana, and a handful of spinach, I can't believe the crap I used to start my day with. Even just walking for 30 minutes a day is better than nothing. I believe that everyone should be active at least once a day. There is no excuse for not working out these days, especially with the computer games and DVD's that mean you don't have to trek to a gym, they make working out work round your schedule (although exercise should always BE part of your schedule). Even if injured with a bad back, or leg etc, do some gentle exercise such as yoga (which is amazing!)

Overall you may be young now, but how you live your life now will effect how you live it when you are older. Your body has a very good knowledge of how you treat it, and it will treat you the same as you age. Treat your body well and it will look after you for years. Abuse your body and it will soon shy and retire from yourself, and will refuse to work properly.

Just take the picture for example, or look to Jane Fonda for inspiration. At 73 she has just release a new exercise DVD. She admits she can;t do everything she used to, but she tries. (And she still looks fabulous doing it.)

Please just think about how you treat your body. Even just aim for 4 days healthy, 3 days not, and try and build it up and up. Aim for healthy breakfast and lunches, every little bit will help, and the more you do it, the more it become a habit.

Abs Are Made In The Kitchen

I don't know about you, but I never seem to get the right balance with nutrition and exercise. I either find myself religiously working out, 5/6 days a week, feeling great, but not eating right as I am in the mentality that "oh I worked out already, so I can eat this chocolate." Or I eat great, really healthily, but don't exercise, as I think "I'm eating great and loosing weight, so I don't need to exercise."

At the moment I am eating great, but not exercising, I keep telling myself "Oh well, weight loss is 70 percent diet, and 30 per cent exercise." However if I don't work out I won't be toned, I need to kick myself up the bum. Think of it this way, you eat 3-5 times a day, everyday, however you only workout 1-2 times a day 5-6 times a week. The activity that you partake in the most, if obviously going to have a greater impact on your body. 

So starting this week, as in tomorrow! I am going to workout 4 days a week, and keep my soup/smoothie diet up.

I am also upping my soup/smoothie diet, to kick start my weight loss for December. So I will be having 3 smoothies a day, and 3 soups a day, it will almost be like a cleanse. Everything I eat will be green and I will be making sure the soups and smoothies are rammed full of protein so I do not loose muscle mass like you can do in some cleanses. 

Have you ever been on a cleanse, or liquid diet? Do you get the balance right between exercise and diet?