Maintaining a bit of self control over the Holidays

Well haven’t I been slack lately! Kinda hoping everyone else has been as busy as me at this crazy time of year and haven’t noticed my lack in posting- if not I do apologise for my absence.

Hard to actually believe it is almost Christmas again! It’s that time of year with plenty of xmas functions and parties, drinking and food and the time our waistlines begin to expand OR NOT.

The problem with the festive season is that many people let it get a bit out of hand when it comes to indulging and this is why those waistlines do expand and typically sales of gym memberships increase in the new year with all the “I’m going to lose weight this year” resolutions.

Don’t get me wrong I’m all for letting loose a bit at Christmas and trust me I eat as much as my body lets me on Christmas Day just like the next person lol. BUT there is a definite difference between indulging on Christmas day and maybe at a few social functions before/after then just simply ruling out the whole month to eat and drink what you please. If you have already done this over the past 20 days STOP.

Try to remember the hard work you have put into eating clean and training in the previous 11 months and how far you have come. Do you really want to go backwards and have to start again in 2013?

You don’t have to miss out you just have to think sensibly as we always do when it comes to eating and exercise. PLAN and prepare yourself for situations in which you may be faced with causing you to overindulge. If you are going to have a few drinks stick to low cal beer or wine or choose something like vodka mixed with soda, sugar free cruisers etc. There are plenty of better options when it comes to drinking these days. If you don’t want to be tempted to gorge on party food when at a function have something to eat before you go so you won’t be starving and eat whatever is in sight. That way you can first suss out what is available and make a sensible choice if you do find yourself hungry again (steer clear of the fried stuff is an obvious one guys.)

Now I always make Christmas a FREE day. Eating whatever I want with no guilt. But let me be clear that is only one day. Come boxing day I will be back in the gym training and giving my stomach a rest from the probable gorging I did the day before by eating clean foods again. There is no need to turn Christmas into a week long gorging fest. You don’t need to be the one clearing up the leftovers- send them home with someone else or if you have just take some of the meat and salads rather than the pavlova, cheesecake or trifle.

Don’t let your exercise plan fall off track either. Use Christmas Day as your rest day for the week and then get back into it the following day even if it is just going for a walk or something light. If your gym is closed over the xmas period then consider some casual visits at one that is open or simply do some bodyweight exercises like squats, push-ups, dips,crunches etc at home or at a park. Remember to STAY FOCUSED on your goals and how far you have come already.

Come 2013 you won’t need that new resolution of “losingweight” “building muscle tone” “Bulking or shredding” because you will still be on track and working towards the person you want to be- a BETTER YOU!

I won’t be putting a fit FREAK out this week but insteadwant to give credit to my Bootcamp Girls who all had great results in our re-testing this week and are definitely on their way to fitter and healthier versions of themselves! Well done girls :)

I hope to check back in next week with a post xmas blog but until then remember your goals of eating CLEAN, training MEAN and living LEAN(with the exception of Christmas Day indulgence) and have a wonderful and MerryChristmas  :)    

 

Using your emotions as FUEL

No matter how hard I try to lead a positive life and not let the little things get me down I am no stranger to a bad day here and there. Yes I know, i am in fact human! Lol.

 We have all been in the situation where certain things are not going right for us at work or home and no matter how hard we try and we let our emotions get the better of us. This can result in emotional eating (for some gorging) or skipping gym sessions in order to curl up on the lounge and feel sorry for ourselves instead. We start to lose any mental strength built in the gym and start making excuses for our poor habits e.g. “Its’ been a bad day I think I will skip the gym tonight and go home and open up that tub of ice-cream”. “Ok so you may feel better for all of about 5-10 mins (or however long it takes to hoe into the tub) but then comes the aftermath and this is where a fine line is drawn.

People either feel guilty about ruining all their hard work and dieting over one bad day and vow tomorrow they will get right back where they left off. This is fine-a minor slip up (again we are all only human). HOWEVER there is the other side of the line that can lead to disaster. This is where people justify their actions, have another bad day, skip the gym again and find themselves back on the lounge with that same tub of ice-cream. Eventually they start continually justifying their behaviour by saying well I’ve ruined all my hard work now so might as well give up. WRONG WRONG WRONG!!

I’m going to tell you a little secret that I have learned along the way in my “relationship” with the gym. The gym doesn’t care for your excuses and it doesn’t care if you have had a bad day, the weights don’t care and the treadmill doesn’t care and guess what? Emotion can be just as great a fuel in the gym as any pre-workout meal/supplement.

Take your anger, take your stress, take your sadness and let it FUEL you instead of defeating you. Emotions are the biggest drivers because while we can’t choose how we feel we CAN choose how we re-act and the actions we take after feeling those feelings.

Some of my best workouts have come after the days where I have had absolutely nothing go right and would much rather stay tucked up in bed at 5am then get up and hit the gym. But instead of giving up and letting my emotions take hold and defeat me, I get up anyway. I always say to myself “Just go and if you don’t feel better then you can come home and curl up back in bed later.” Guess how many times I have ended up back in bed? NONE- Why? Because once I get to the gym (who as I mentioned doesn’t care about my problems) I have two options and that is either use those feelings as FUEL, train hard and feel better or let the feelings defeat me and FAIL, and as we know FAILURE is just not an option for me and nor should it be for you.

So next time you are having a bad day or bad week or even what may seem sometimes like a bad life STOP and give yourself the option of controlling your reaction to your feelings or letting your feelings control you and leading you straight to that tub of ice-cream.

As always I can guarantee if you choose not to let your feelings defeat you and hit the gym anyway then you WON’T regret that workout. In fact I can guarantee you will not only feel better but you will have just increased your mental strength by taking control of your actions J

So TAKE CONTROL, think POSITIVE and as always eat CLEAN, train MEAN and live LEAN!

 

 

Fit FREAK of the week

Have you ever heard the phrase “washboard abs” and wondered what these looked like? Well a picture of this week’s Fit FREAK Lazar Angelov pretty much sums it up..

 

This 27 year old Bulgarian fitness model/ bodybuilder who is also a personal trainer started training at a young age, first picking up a set of dumbbells at home at the age of 10. He then went on to play basketball competitively and when he wasn’t playing or training for that he was lifting weights. Once he finished with his basketball career he joined the army and with further experience with weights he went on to become a personal trainer and in turn entered the world of bodybuilding.

 As many of us can admit when starting out with weight training, Lazar lacked the knowledge of nutrition to assist his training which he claims was his biggest mistake and believes he wasted a lot of his time training without proper nutrition. His own website that he now has www.lazarangelov.comoffers training and nutrition programs to help other people meet their own goals.

Lazar describes his training routine as being consistent and heavy claiming that this helps him to maintain decent size as a natural athlete. As with most bodybuilders he works on a 5 day split program focusing on 1-2 body parts per session. He rarely does cardio as he claims it causes him to lose a lot of muscle mass but if he does include it in his program he switches between HIIT (high intensity interval training) and steady state cardio.

His diet consists of a lot of protein including egg whites,chicken, fish, whey powder as well as wholegrain carbohydrates in oats and brown rice.

Lazar is a big believer in creating an aesthetic physique and therefore he likes to stay cut majority of the year and as you can see with many of his photos he achieves this without question. 

His advice to anyone looking to get in the best shape of their life is to keep consistent with both training and diet and to only take advice from people who have achieved more than you and know what they are talking about.

See more photos and a few training vids of this amazing aesthetic physique below!

 

 

 

 

 

Failing to plan is planning to FAIL

Well as another week draws to an end here I am sitting back at my computer and thinking about what to share with you all this week about eating CLEAN, training MEAN and living LEAN. It didn’t take me too long to find my inspiration as I thought back to a conversation I had earlier in the week about not getting results. I feel that this conversation is one of those“dejavu” type conversations because I feel like I have had it several times and sometimes frustratingly with the same people!

People often come to me with questions about what they should be eating to help them reach their goals and I am more than happy to provide them with information based upon my own knowledge with nutrition as well as my own experiences. From my experience with people it seems that committing to a clean diet is one of the parts most people struggle with and they trick themselves into thinking “oh well my diet hasn’t been great but I still went to the gym 4 times this week.” Unfortunately diet and exercise go hand in hand and one without the other is never going to get people the serious results they are so often looking for.

One thing I always say to my clients when they say they“didn’t have time” to eat before a session or to have lunch or breakfast that day is that failing to plan is most definitely planning to FAIL. If you do not prepare or plan what you are going to eat then most likely you will either not eat or fall into the easy and often unhealthy option- they are not called convenience foods for nothing you know!

Some days if I am going to be in training clients all afternoon it takes me anywhere from half an hour to 45 mins to get all of my food ready for the rest of the day but when it rolls around to being time for me to eat I don’t have to give it a second thought. The clean food I have prepared and planned to eat is there waiting for me and therefore I have the fuel I need to continue on with my day. It’s not hard to take 45 mins max out of a day to prepare even if it is at night time preparing for the next day.Just like planning a gym session you will not regret spending that time doing so as it will all count in the long run in the journey towards your goal.

Another big excuse I find people have is “oh I didn’t have any(insert healthy item) I have to do the groceries”. Again these people have failed to plan ahead when doing their previous grocery shop and therefore they have planned to fail. Before going to do my groceries I first have to think about what I will be eating for that week ahead and then I make sure that I have enough cover each meal. Sometimes I will shop for fresh fruit and veg more than once a week because this isn’t something you can always buy for a whole fortnight if that is how you shop. I don’t think I have ever reached a point where I have gone to get a piece of fruit and there is none there or gone to cook dinner and found no vegetables. Why? Because I PLAN, PLAN, PLAN.

Some people will read this and go “but that sounds like so much work” or “I don’t have time to plan and prepare” and my question would then be “Well how badly do you really want to reach your goals?”

Sure it takes a bit of extra time and work but to be completely committed to your goals means consistency with both exercise AND diet not just one or the other. It all fails back to one of my favourite quotes“If you really want something then you will find a way and if not you will find an excuse.”

So STOP makingexcuses and start PLANNING so you can succeed rather than FAIL. Eating clean doesn’t have to be hard or boring either. I have included below the recipe to one of my favourite clean recipes that I often have on the weekends for breakfast Vanilla Protein Pancakes, better than regular pancakes and better for you not to mention they take no time at all to make. Give them a try :)

Fit FREAK is on its way in the next hour or so, have a great weekend and as always eat CLEAN, train MEAN and live LEAN :)

VANILLA PROTEIN PANCAKES (makes anywhere up to 10 small pancakes)

·        Half cup of oats

·        1 scoop of whey protein (I use vanilla flavoured obviously)

·        2 egg whites

·        1 whole egg

·        1 tbsp of low fat cottage cheese

·        Half a banana

Mix all ingredients in a blender or food processor until they are blended together in a smooth batter like consistency. Heat a non-stick frying pan on low heat and pour in batter. When bubbles start to rise on one side of the pancake flip and cook the other side. I often serve with the other half of the banana cut up on top as well as strawberries and some low fat, low sugar vanilla yoghurt :)

 

 

 

Kettlebells- The all-in-one fitness tool

A year or maybe more ago I read an interesting article in Oxygen magazine (if you are interested in fitness and have not seen this I highly recommend you check it out) about Kettlebells.

It had me intrigued as I read how with this one funny looking piece of equipment you could burn up to 1200 calories per hour and that it was more effective than running, cycling or rowing for fat loss.

For those of you who are sitting there wondering, this is what a kettlebell looks like

You are intrigued now too huh?

After doing some more research I learnt that Kettlebells are an ancient Russian training tool which were originally used as counterweights for weighing grain. Peasants soon discovered they could be used as a hand weight and this lead to the Russian military picking up on the benefits and using the kettlebell as a training tool for their soldiers. Kettlebells have the following benefits:

-         Kettlebells enable you train cardiovascular fitness as well as strength, power, endurance, flexibility, mobility and speed all with this one single tool!

-         Kettlebell training uses the body as a single functioning unit rather than isolating muscle groups therefore has the potential to use more energy than other training methods.

After all this research I was hooked! I learnt that you could get trained in Kettlebell instruction and at the start of this year I went off and did a full day of training in Sydney with a woman from Ironedge who are the home of Australian Kettlebells. Apart from the instructor, I was the only female in a group full of big muscled up men (not that I complained lol) but by the end of the day everyone was equally stuffed. The guys who started at 16kg or more were then trying to steal my lighter weights!

Just recently we got some kettlebells into work so I can finally start instructing and sharing the benefits of this marvellous little tool with others. Practising with them the other day reminded me not only how intensely they can work you but how fun they can be! I can’t wait to incorporate them regularly into my weekly training.

I highly recommend this method of training to everyone no matter what your goals because as you can see it provides pretty much everything you could look for in training whether it be strength, cardio,power, speed or flexibility.

You can buy kettlebells in most sporting stores these days or if you are interested in training, instruction or qualifications I would recommend looking into courses through either www.ironedge.com.au or www.dragondooraustralia.com.

Any questions regarding further info please feel free to comment below :)
Below are some pics of me training with the kettlebells this week

 

Fit FREAK of the week!

They say age is just a number and it is no barrier nor doesit define you. Well this weeks’ fit FREAK is certainly proof of that.

Meet Lesley Maxwell, 56 years young, ageless and rocking abody better than most people half her age.

Lesley is a mother of 3, a personal trainer, has over 20body sculpting titles, is a regular columnist for one of my favourite fitnessmagazines Oxygen and has just released her own book “Get the body you want”.WOW talk about a mouthful of achievements!

Lesley believes the key to looking good and feeling amazingis regular exercise, good nutrition and a positive attitude and she certainlyreflects all three. She believes the most effective way to change your bodyshape is strength training and that consistency is the key (so true!). Shetrains 6 days a week with 4 days of weight training and follows a clean dietconsisting of 6 meals a day including organic produce, veggies, salad, eggs,chicken and fish.  Lesley also believes(as do i) that when it comes to getting the body you want, 70-80% of yourresults come down to what you put in your mouth.

This woman puts a lot of the younger generation to shame.She inspires me to look half as good at my age now let alone at hers! You canread many of her articles at www.oxygenmag.com.auor check out her book at her own website www.ouifitness.com.au.

Another year older, a little bit wiser and definitely stronger ;)

Hi Everyone :)

Sorry about the neglect on here in the past few weeks everything has been very busy- plenty of training just not enough time to write about the training!

Turning another year older this week caused to me to reflect on the past year in my life (where the bloody hell did it go?!), the things I have achieved and the things I want for the next year ahead. One thing I love about the gym is it has become my “place of sanctuary” especially in this past year when I have had a lot to deal with.

 No matter what is happening in the outside world, when I get inside the gym the headphones are in, the music is full ball, the mind is switched off and for the time I am there nothing else matters. I have discovered that what I have gained through the gym is mirrored in my life. The gym has helped me build not only physical strength but in turn mental strength as well. It has helped me to be more confident, determined and have a positive frame of mind (mostly). It has taught me to have faith in myself and what I can do through achieving things I may have once thought I couldn’t. It has also taught me to have faith in other people through my job in terms of helping others achieve their goals and overcome the barriers that once restricted them.

It has taught me that sometimes in life we can’t control what happens and have to accept what we cannot change but sometimes we are in control, and for me the gym has helped me by always being that one place that I CAN control the outcome of what happens. I can CHOOSE to either succeed or fail when I enter a session and as I now always say “Failure is not an option”.  

The strength I have gained both mentally and physically over the past year alone has changed me and I definitely believe it is only for the better and I can only move forward from here.

 Some people don't understand and will never understand what I am talking about until they have entered this “realm” themselves and have seen or experienced the changes the gym can bring about in a persons’ life. People will always judge and criticize the unknown or things they don’t understand.  Don’t let the people who criticise you or try to bring you down get in your way because at the end of the day it is your life, your goal and nobody else is going to do it for you. Work hard, commit to what you want and above all believe in yourself.

 It’s not a diet and it's not a phase it’s a permanent lifestyle change and one I can guarantee you will never look back upon or regret.

So as always Eat CLEAN, Train MEAN and you will live LEAN… and HAPPY :)

Stay tuned as Fit FREAK of the week will be posted throughout the day

 

 

Fit FREAK of the week!

Well even though there are sooo many motivating and inspirational females out there in the fitness world I figured this week it was time to share the title with the guys :)

This weeks' winner was someone I came across on one of my three favourite "go to" sites for anything fitness, nutrition, bodybuilding etc www.cutandjacked.com. His name is Tavi Castro and he is a Spanish born fitness model/bodybuilder.

Like many who get into the fitness industry he grew up playing sport. Soccer in fact and he initially wanted to become a professional soccer player. He represented both Canada and England before at 19 deciding to return to University where he now studies Aerospace Engineering (wow). Tavi first came across bodybuilding due to missing training towards a goal. He came across Musclemania (a natural bodybuilding circuit) and he committed himself to not only training but doing this alongside his already packed schedule of studying 10 hours a day and working weekends.

After only a year and a half of committing to his goal and training hard Tavi has achieved the title of first place in the Junior Bodybuilding and second place in the fitness modelling at this years' Musclemania Britain.

The reason he stood out among many of the different interviews I read was because I really liked his  committment to and also principles in his training. Tavi admits that he had to learn to check his ego and really do his research to start making serious progress. This is something that I have seen so many people struggle with "checking their ego at the door" and realising that knowledge = power in the gym just as it does in everyday life.

It was also Tavi's advice at the end of the interview which really stood out. The three pieces of advice that he gives are:
1. Humility grows curiosity, curiosity grows intellect, intellect grows MUSCLES Keep that ego in check!
2. How often have you passed an exam without studying? Do your research, learn how your body works, if you leave nothing to chance, success is inevitable.
3. Keep your head in the sky, your feet on the ground, your heart on your sleeve, and some whey in your hand!

Could not agree more! This guy is in the right head space and his body and success in a small period of time shows it. Definitely a deserving winner of the fit FREAK title for this week.

You can check out the full interview by following this link
http://www.cutandjacked.com/CutAndJacked-Interview-Tavi-Castro

Or you can check some more images of him out below :)

Stepping out of your comfort zone

Hey Everyone :) another busy and interesting week training with some new clients and beginning a new 8 week session of bootcamp. It's always a little bit exciting for me to take some new people in and help them to either begin or continue their journey to being fit and healthy.

I have said before and I will say it again I LOVE my job and I believe to be truly successful within the health and fitness industry you have to love it and be passionate about it. Some people think that the job of a personal trainer is easy, you walk in and put a client through a series of different exercises for an hour and you go home. But over the past year and a half of doing this job I've learnt that as a PT you take on many different roles. You have to learn to read people in a way because if something is bothering them in their personal life they aren't going to be focused on their goals in the gym. You have to take the time to talk to and listen to them, know when to be hard and when to be empathetic and essentially you don't just help a person on their journey but you JOIN them on that journey. For me I want my clients to reach their goals as much as they do themselves.

Today's post has come about by one of my clients who has hit a crossroads in her training. She has achieved so much more than I think she ever thought she could yet she still holds on to self doubt and therefore is rarely willing to step out of her comfort zone unless I really push her.

All of us should be able to relate to this whether it be in the gym or just in our lives. Stepping out of a comfort zone is scary because lets face it we all like to feel comfortable and the unknown is well.. unknown.

 In the gym it is easy to get stuck in comfort zones or comfortable routines because we are scared to push our bodies to new limits in case we fail. Nobody likes the feeling of failure or disappointment yet people rarely think about the fact that failure is not definite, just because you fail once doesn't mean you can't try again. When we get stuck in a comfort zone or routine then our bodies also get comfortable and we more than often plateau. The results we were once seeing are not there anymore and this is the perfect indication that it's time to step out of that comfort zone and shock your body by trying something new.

This week I can safely say I have stepped out of my own comfort zone. I had an interesting experience going on my first push bike ride since I was maybe in primary school. One of my clients asked me to go for a bike ride with him and I agreed although for the first 10 minutes or so I wondered why. Bike riding has never been somthing I have done much of and therefore I was not in my comfort zone. Some people think that working in the fitness industry means you are naturally good at all things fitness related but this is not true. I managed to fall off before even leaving his street lol lucky he missed it otherwise I would be hearing about it forever. Once I got over the initial factor of being out of my comfort zone though the next 60 minutes were fun. We went again today and I managed not to fall (I did have a near miss at a busy intersection) but I felt more comfortable.

That's the thing about stepping out of comfort zones we challenge ourselves and then when that zone which was once uncomfortable and unknown becomes comfortable, you know it's time to step outside again and challenge yourself to something new. Basically you will never know if you can do something unless you try and it's always better to try and fail than not to try at all and always wonder if you could do it.

So why not step outside that comfort zone in this coming week. It might be lifting heavier weights, running for longer or faster than you have before on the treadmill or trying something completely new or different that you might have always thought about but never given a go. Don't be disappointed if you fail because like I said failure is not definite, there is no limit on how many times you attempt somthing and if you commit yourself, work hard and perservere you will reach your goals :)

Keep an eye out tommorrow for this weeks fit FREAK and as always remember to eat CLEAN, train MEAN and you will live LEAN :) 

 

 

Burning the FAT

Hey Everyone :) what a busy week, hard to believe it's already Thursday and we are almost back at the weekend!

Today I want to talk about something I get commonly asked as a trainer "What's the best way to burn fat"? because lets face it, NO-ONE likes their excess body fat.

Look at any supplement store online and you will find a series of several different fat burners and appetite supressants, pick one and order it and then when it arrives start taking it and the weight will fall away...ha ha KIDDING! DO NOT, i repeat DO NOT by any means think that any kind of fat burner on the market is the key to losing and more to the point KEEPING OFF that unwanted body fat.

Now don't get me wrong I'm not saying that products such as Body Science Hydroxy Burn, D-Fine8 and of course, the name I'm hearing EVERYWHERE at the moment, Albuturex don't work. Of course they work, otherwise they wouldn't be selling like crazy out of supplement stores across the country. But let me tell you WHY they work and WHY you should consider the factors below before deciding they are the answer.

First of all, most fat burners contain things known as fat blockers which keeps fat in foods from being absorbed into the body. Great you say? well not exactly. They can also then prevent your body from absorbing other vital nutrients not to mention the fat is still in your system and needs to leave the body which it often does in not the most pleasant way..I'll leave that one to your imagination!

Secondly fat burners tend to supress your appetite. Now for all of you who have read my post about fuelling your body you will know that we don't want our body working out on empty and that diet is important in helping us work to our full potential in the gym. Of course if you are taking these simply as an alternative to exercise then the other downfall is that these chemicals that are working to supress your appetite are still messing with your body's natural hormones and have been known to lead to anxiety. Not to mention after awhile your body adapts, as it does to exercise and the same effects will not occur unless you change it up.

Thirdly many fat burners contain caffeine as a method to artificially increase a person's metabolism.  When the body is stimulated by caffeine, it releases hormones into the bloodstream to cue a quickening of metabolism. These hormones are not in infinite supply, and constant stimulation can change the body’s ability to regulate itself and its weight. Overuse of metabolism stimulants can also have the opposite of the desired effect, causing the metabolism to slow down in self-preservation.  Basically the effects of caffeine based fat burners will not last the distance.

Now while I don't judge people who want to use fat burners- each to their own I always say, they aren't something I would recommend to any of my clients or anyone who asked me the best ways to burn fat because in my opinion they aren't sustainable. So for anyone who asks here is what I like to do..

1. Light to moderate cardio before breakfast: Keeping my heart rate around 60-70% of my maximum heart rate (MHR= 220-age) my body will be burning fat as it is the most readily available source of energy having depleted carbohydrate stores overnight.

2. Weight Training: As I have said before the more muscle you have the more fat you burn even at rest.

3. High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT): This method is quick and effective. Get on the treadmill, turn the speed up to a sprint, sprint 30 seconds, rest 30 seconds and repeat for about 20 minutes. Not only does it elevate your heart rate to burn more calories (and fat) at that present time it also increases your resting heart rate (RHR) for up to 24 hours after you finish meaning you are still burning calories long after you go home.

So before you go looking for the next greatest supplement to hit the market or the "easy option" when it comes to burning that unwanted fat, how about trying some good old fashioned HARD WORK, exercise consistently and stick to a clean diet and see where that gets you. Any questions regarding this post or any of my others I am happy to answer so please feel free to comment :)

Until next time remember eat CLEAN, train MEAN and you will live LEAN :)

Fit FREAK of the week!

Hi Guys, sorry about the delay on the Fit FREAK from last week- Kate took extra care with her choosing!

Kate has chosen a favourite model of hers to be crowned this weeks' Fit FREAK. She was lucky enough to meet her at the 2011 Fitness Expo...the smoking hot IFBB Bikini Model Cristina Vujnich!

 

 

Cristina has been competing since 2009 but made the change to Bikini competitions in 2010. She is sponsored by Optimum Nutrition. Cristina struggled with panic and anxiety disorder for 10 years and now uses the gym as her "sanctuary" where she can focus on her training and forget about everything else.

 

She trains hard and heavy with a 5 day split weights program. She trains like a bodybuilder and like me, she agrees she has seen the best results from lifting heavy with her weights. Being hypoglycemic (susceptible to low blood sugar) Cristina includes both carbs and sugars in her diet but mostly sticks to high protein and eats 5-6 meals a day.

 

The photos below outline just how hard this chick works in the gym and sticking to a good not to mention CLEAN diet. Her body is awesome!

 

 

 

 

Definitely a deserving winner of this weeks Fit FREAK! Thanks to Kate for sharing :)





Fit FREAK of the week!

Well this week's fit FREAK winner may be a little biased because she is one of my best friends but she is also well deserving of the title!

In one of my previous posts I talked about my friend Kate who I met whilst doing my PT course at the Australian Institute of Fitness. Kate and I were dubbed "twins" by one of our coaches there because of our many similarities and one of those similarities is our passion for fitness, health and training. I will never forget one of the first sessions we did together and I was doing push-ups on my toes but struggling when Kate yells in my ear "drop to your knees if you want but push-ups on your knees are for the week!" lol needless to say I didn't drop to my knees and to this day won't succumb to push-ups on my knees no matter how many I have to do!

Last weekend the "twins" were able to train together for the first time in months and we made the most of it, tackling not only a heavy leg circuit but then completing a replica of DLB's (last weeks fit FREAK) 5x5 for 25 circuit training. It was great to be able to train with someone who shares the passion I have and is able to push me just that little bit harder than I would be willing to push myself.

Not only is she great at pushing others she pushes herself just as hard. She may only look small but trust me you wouldn't wanna mess with her! Lol. She has an amazing positive attitude and above all she is a great friend too :)

So twinny you are this week's fit FREAK of the week! Next week it's going to be you to pick the winner for me to share with everyone else :)

The battle of mind and body: Building not just physical but mental strength

Hey Guys :) hope you have all had a great week of training and eating well. I have had such a hectic week I can't believe its Friday already, definitely looking forward to a long weekend!

Today's post was inspired by one of my regular clients who has been coming to me for almost a year now. We train about 2-3 times a week and I have seen some amazing changes in this girl in her fitness and strength however she struggles a lot with something that many of you and even myself at times can relate to- the battle between mind and body.

This week during one of our sessions I had her finish an already tough weights session with a burpee and push-up drop/increase set which basically went from 15 push-ups and one burpee to one push-up and 15 burpees. This is a tough set to get through, extremely repetitive not to mention it really tests your body's power to silence the mind which is screaming at you the entire time to STOP. During the set she kept saying over and over "It hurts so much" and I could tell she would have been quite happy to stop right then and there but she pushed through right till the end and then understandably collapsed exhausted on the floor.

Now whether she realised it at the time or not in that session her body not only grew stronger but so did her mind because she forced herself to push through the pain she was feeling and to silence the weak voice in her mind urging her to stop.

Mental strength is not something that is easy to develop and it takes battle after battle between the body and mind to gradually build it. Each time you push through some pain to complete a difficult workout you not only strengthen your body but your mind strengthens a little bit more as well.

Once your mind finally accepts that the pain will eventually stop it no longer tries to encourage your body to stop when it feels pain but to push harder and that right there is when you know you have hit a point of being not only physically but mentally strong.

It comes back to the good old saying of "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger". What some people fail to realise is that just as strength takes time to build physically, it also takes time to build mentally.

Persist with the pain, push and challenge yourself and if you need help get a workout partner or a personal trainer who can help push you further because in the end you can't attain full physical strength hitting your absolute best without first building the strength mentally to push through the pain and struggle!

Fit FREAK of the week is on it's way but in the meantime keep eating CLEAN, training MEAN and living LEAN :)

Fit FREAK of the week!

Hey Everyone, so I have decided to start a weekly "segment"called Fit FREAK of the week. This post will basically be dedicated to anyone who I have come across to be outstanding in their achievements in the health and fitness industry whether it be an athlete, bodybuilder, fitness model or even just a regular person who loves to train hard!

This week though, to kick start I needed someone who definitely falls under the category of a FREAK- in a good way of course lol. She is my latest female motivator, Women's Physique IFFB Pro Dana Linn Bailey aka DLB.

I first came across her when a friend posted a video of her doing some intense training on my facebook page. This week another video appeared from someone else in my newsfeed and so I followed onto youtube to see more of how she trains. I think I wasted a good few hours after that watching countless videos of her training sessions and thinking WOW this chick makes my training feel lazy! I'm going to share a few videos that got me hooked. The first video below is just one of her different cross training sessions and she goes HARD!

 

This next video is one of my favourites- training legs with bodybuilder Jose Raymond. The highlight would have to be when drop setting on the leg extension machine Dana is in that much pain she keeps trying to get off and Jose keeps pushing her back down to finish the set. Its insane!

 

 

This chick is definitely a FREAK and well deserving of the title this week. As you can see she trains hard every session and she has definitely made me want to train harder in my own sessions this week. You can find many more videos of her killing it on youtube or on her website www.danalinn.com.

 

Love your work DLB :)

 



The benefits and importance of a spotter

Hi guys :) hope everyone is getting through their week and have been eating clean and training mean! Today I wanted to share an experience I had this week which highlighted for me the benefits of having a spotter when lifting weights.

I have always been a bit of a loner when it comes to training because I find I am more focused and mostly work hardest on my own. The only person I have ever found to push me harder is my "twin" Kate who unfortunately lives an hour away.

Recently in order to challenge my body I upped my weights however last week it occurred to me that maybe I still wasn't lifting as heavy as I possibly could because of the fact that noone else is around when I train and therefore the obvious fear I might end up under a barbell lol.
So this week I thought why not try a session with a spotter and see where my "fail" point actually was. One of my male clients was good enough to come in yesterday morning and do the job for me while I trained upper body.

I ended up with 30 pounds extra in bench, 10 pounds in bent over row and 5 pounds in shoulders and needless to say the results by the end of the session were I was f**ked! I had that "pump" in my arms almost immediately and I LOVED that feeling because I knew it meant my body had finally been pushed as hard as it could.

Unfortunately due to my schedule of training I may still not always be able to have a spotter there but I am definitely now going to try and get at least one spotted session in a week where I can really push that fail point.

For people who haven't weight trained before or for very long I would definitely recommend not trying to lift without a spotter until you get comfortable in the weights environment.

For those who like me often train alone but feel they aren't pushing as hard then I definitely recommend getting someone to spot you and see just how far you can go. Because at the end of the day if it doesn't challenge you it doesn't change you!
Eat CLEAN, train MEAN, live LEAN :)

Skinny for summer or FIT for life?

Wow hasn't this week just flown by! Hard to believe that it was already a week ago that I created this blog. I must say I have definitely been enjoying the warmer weather we have had for the past few days and it is here that I begin my rant for the week..

As the weather slowly changes from miserable and cold to sunshine and warmth it appears those people who have been hibernating over winter and eating one too many of their favourite comfort foods all of a sudden start to panic. They know that it won't be long before summer hits and they can no longer hide under big jumpers and trackies. So it begins, the desperate race to lose 5kg or more or building those muscles up so that the idea of revealing some skin doesn't seem so daunting.

"I wanna get skinny/toned for summer" the girls say, while the boys come out with things like "I wanna get ripped" or "I'm gunna get shredded for summer brah".

Most of these people would have more than likely started off the year with a resolution to either get fit, get healthy, lose weight, build muscle etc. They go to the gym for a little while and then as soon as the weather deteriorates it becomes easier to go home after work and sit on the lounge or stay in bed in the morning rather than getting up and starting the day with a workout.

Now I'm no rocket scientist but I think to myself, wow wouldn't it be so much easier if they had of just kept going over winter? By this stage they could certainly be "skinny" "toned", "ripped" or "shredded" and they wouldn't have to spend endless hours working out or eating healthy in the race for summer, they could simply maintain what they have already achieved- a fitter and healthier lifestyle.

I know that some mornings during winter I could have happily stayed in bed, especially when outside it was minus 5 degrees. But for me it's not about being "skinny for summer" it's about being fit and healthy for life.

People who continue to follow an endless cycle of panic in summer and crazy dieting and exercising and then do nothing in winter aren't doing themselves or their bodies any favours. So instead of starting now to get "skinny" or "ripped" for just one season of the year, how about everyone starts working on a new goal of being fit and healthy for the rest of their lives. The benefits will reap far greater trust me.

Eat CLEAN, train MEAN and you will live LEAN :)

"Eating CLEAN" and Fuelling your body

Ok well first of all today I would just like to say TFIF! For me there's nothing like my end of week weights session at the gym- you're tired and a little bit sore but knowing that this is the last session till Monday you give it everything you've got left in the tank and by the end you have definitely earned your one-two days rest! I like to just take the one full day on Sunday so Saturday is always an easy (fat burn) cardio day for me.

As a personal trainer I'm pretty much on the go a lot of the time whether I am training clients, running bootcamps or training myself. Some days I can be training anywhere up to 3 hours which is why nutrition and what I put in my body to "fuel" it is so important.

I follow a 80-20 or sometimes even 90-10 clean eating diet. Which basically means that 80-90% of the time I will be eating clean and training which allows me the lenience of at least 10-20% to indulge a little.

Some of you may be wondering what exactly a "clean" diet is. Basically by clean I mean avoiding processed foods and instead eating foods as close to their natural state as possible. My diet includes plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, wholegrains such as oats, protein such as eggs, turkey, tuna, cottage cheese and of course good sources of fats found in foods such as salmon and avocado.

To be honest I'm what some would call a boring eater. I eat a lot of the same thing every day of the week but thats what I like and that's what works best for me being on the go. I can eat anywhere up to 7-8 small meals a day as this keeps my energy up and my metabolism is constantly working therefore burning calories. Because of this I don't really have "breakfast" or "lunch" because sometimes I can be eating oats at 4pm in the afternoon!

Everyone is different and has a different training schedule but regardless of when you are working out is important that your body has the right food in it to fuel it and give you the energy to get through your workout! I can always tell when my clients haven't eaten before a training session because their effort is not at the maximum it should be.

So what to eat? Your body needs protein and carbs before and after a workout. Carbs provide majority of the energy and protein helps build/repair the muscle. Before a workout I like to eat half a banana and half a tub of low fat low sugar yoghurt. Because I train so early I don't like to have too much but the banana contains the fast acting "simple" carbs to provide the energy burst I need and the yoghurt gives me a good protein source. If weight training (which I hope we all are after my last post) then it is important to consume a source of protein within no more than 30 minutes after your session. I find a protein shake especially an isolated whey is best as it quickly absorbs into your system. It is also important to replace the carbs you have just depleted and so for me I will then have the other half of my banana.

While pre/post workout are both important, what you eat for the rest of your day counts too! These will all eventually be used either as sources of energy or (what we don't want ) stored as unnecessary fat.

My recommendations? Eat small meals every 2-3 (no more than 4) hours. This provides constant energy and keeps your metabolism firing throughout the day helping burn more calories. Eat protein at EVERY meal. Protein is what makes you feel FULL and therefore you won't be feeling like you need to eat again before the next 3 hour hit. Eat fibrous carbs wholegrains such as brown rice, oats, sweet potato or corn thins throughout the day (but try to avoid at night) as these take longer to digest. Eat at least 2 pieces of fruit a day but try to keep them either in the morning or around training times so that you will burn the fast acting carbohydrates (sugars) they contain rather than store them. EAT CLEAN like I mentioned and try to eat food as close to its natural source without processing and additives etc. and of course very importantly DRINK PLENTY OF WATER!! I try to consume no less than 3-4 litres a day which sounds a lot but the rule is to drink 1L per 25kg of bodyweight and 1L per every hour of exercise.

I enjoy my little indulgences every weekend because they help me to stay focused. I know that once I have had whatever it may be that I'll be back and on track the next day training hard and eating clean again. It's important to not let the word indulge lead to OVERindulging because trust me it always ends in regret for all the hard work you have put in over the week! What's the point in busting your ass in the gym to go ruin it with a bad diet?

Long post this one I know, but eating to train is VERY important. We need to make sure that we are eating to train and not training to eat and also remember that no matter how hard you try you can't out train a bad diet!

Eat CLEAN, train MEAN and live lean :)

Weight training for women "training MEAN"

So now that you have heard a bit about me I thought I would expand a bit more on how I train and why I believe ALL women looking to get in shape need to stop pounding out endless hours on the treadmill, or doing endless repetitions on the weight machines.

 I'm not saying give up your cardio but don't ignore the benefits of lifting. FACT: lifting weights builds muscle and the more muscle your body has the more fat you burn even at rest- yep at rest!

When I first started using weights I was a victim of the "light weights endless reps" which yes at first will build a little muscle but truth be told the best results were seen when I started lifting heavier and focusing on a smaller rep range somewhere between 8-12. The idea being that the weight should challenge you enough that you can lift it no less than 8 times but no more than 12. I focus mainly on a split body program where I train my upper and lower body separately and both twice a week- with a rest/cardio day in between. This works best for me as I can really get the most out of each session and push my body. I still do cardio every day combining low impact cardio with high intensity intervals but some days it's a task whereas I love to train weights because it's such a great challenge and I never get bored!

Many women don't weight train because they fear getting bulky and too muscular and basically looking like a bloke! If you have already been told that isn't possible then it's time to believe it. You would need to be taking some form of testosterone supplement to ever grow muscle the way guys do trust me.

 Others avoid weight training because they are unsure of what to do. My advice would be to get a trainer or do some research. Bodybuilding.com and simplyshredded.com have some excellent articles on how to get started. If you're not already weight training as a part of your routine then it's time to pick up those weights and start lifting! Stay tuned for my next blog on nutrition and fuelling your body to train. Until then remember- eat clean, train mean and stay lean :)