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 :)

How it all began..My Personal Journey

Hi Guys and welcome to my first ever blog posting! I must admit I was a little bit nervous to start up my own blog but after some encouragement from my good friend and fellow blogger Tiarni :) who u can follow @ http://allthingsbeautybytiarni.blogspot.com.au/ i thought why not!

I thought today I would share with you all a little bit more about me and how I came to be in the Fitness industry because I certainly haven't always lived and breathed the healthy lifestyle i follow today.

Like most of you (even those of you who choose not to admit it) i have always loved to eat. I still do lol although these days my diet is certainly very different! Growing up I struggled with my weight A LOT. I was always the bigger one and I always felt different to all of my friends because they were all "skinny" and I wasn't. Most of the time I didn't let it get to me too much but there was always the odd comment or occasional taunt and as any kid who has ever been bullied in any way will tell you, these things build up and they end up (excuse the pun) weighing you down.

When I got to highschool I decided I wanted to change the way I looked and felt about myself and so every morning before school I would get up and run and every afternoon i would come home and get on the multi weights machine my brothers often used. It wasn't long before the kilos started dropping off me and I was so happy to be able to fit into clothes I liked not to mention the compliments I received.

I managed to maintain my weight througout the next few years although I still wasn't "skinny". During the last couple of years of highschool i went through a lot of changes with relationships with friends and family and although I didn't see it at the time I think I ate away (literally) at some of my emotions. I still felt that difference and not being confident in myself or the way I looked didn't help. This carried on into my first year out of school and my first year at Uni. Poor eating habits and little exercise let my weight get to an uncomfortable stage again yet as so many of us do I chose to ignore or make excuses even though deep down I knew I wasn't happy with it.

In my second year of Uni I got a job at one of the local gyms working casually in the reception. It wasn't long before I took advantage of the free acess to a gym and remembered how much I actually enjoyed exercising. With the help of a trainer I started to mix a bit of weight training with my cardio and started to see some positive results which encouraged me to continue and slowly my eating habits followed a better path to compliment the work I was doing in the gym.

After about a year I started to plateau and was no longer seeing the changes I desired as many of you may have experienced. A plateau in my mind can either make you or break you. Plenty of people plateau and just give up, coming to the conclusion that "it's never going to work". I was determined though and decided it wasn't going to "break me". So I researched and researched and then did a little more research and once again changed up my training with different weights and interval cardio training. The results followed once more.

When I finished Uni I continued to work in the reception at the gym. Fitness was now developing to be a passion of mine and I had thought for a while about studying to be a personal trainer although I didnt want to give up on chasing a job in journalism. After all, I had just spent 3 long years slogging it out at Uni to get the degree. I also had my old friend "self doubt" in my ear saying "You can't be a personal trainer Mandy" and trying to tell me I was still the bigger person I used to be. After no job prospects appeared and didn't look to be coming my way any time soon I figured there was no harm in going and doing my course in the mean time. So, as nervous as I was I took the plunge and enrolled at the Australian Institute of Fitness.

I can most definitely say that from that day I first walked into the classroom there I have NEVER looked back. The course taught me so much more about training than I knew before and it made me want to know everything I possibly could to better my own training and myself personally not to mention help others do the same. I also met some amazing people along the way. There were so many positive attitudes and lets face it, a positive attitude and mindset is way better than a negative one- especially if you ever want to get anywhere in life.

In the past year since graduating the course and starting to work as a trainer I have come forward in leaps and bounds through trial, error and experience not only with my clients but with myself.

Sure I still have days of self doubt, i think anyone who says they don't would be lying but I am in a place now where though i still feel different, its in a good way because I am an individual and no longer compare myself to others nor do I want to be "skinny". Being able to change my body through eating healthy and exercising has taught me the value of looking after my body and my health and I know now skinny does not = healthy. It has also given me a confidence in myself that I certainly didn't have before.

My training has changed again after accumulating more knowledge and I now am big into strength training and HEAVY weights. Trust me girls there is no better way to get in shape than incorporating strength training into your workouts and once you start you will be hooked! I will look into this in another post :)

Anyway I think this is definitely long enough (almost a mini novel lol) but I believe sometimes it helps others who are on a journey of their own to know that yes i've been there too and I'm still on my own journey every single day but each day is a new day and a new opportunity to be a better you! Think positive, believe in yourself and most importantly - eat clean, train mean and you will live lean :)