So I was going to head into the deep dark waters of supplements, gym exercises and toning. But first I thought I'd take a quick look at the most important thing when getting into any sort of fitness/training routine in the gym.
Motivation is everything.
So before you start making those meal plans and exercise routines make sure you have it. It doesn't matter what it is; it could be a goal to work towards or even a person that inspires you. Motivation equals drive. As long as you have it and as long as it's strong you will not fail. If you don't have it however, or if it's not consistent enough, no amount of planning will stop you from inevitably giving up a couple of months down the line.
At a guess most of you go to the gym because you are in some way unhappy with what you see in the mirror. Use those negative feelings and turn them into something positive. You don't like what you see? Get up and change it. No one else is going to do it for you. Every time you find yourself making excuses not to go and train take a look in that mirror and ask yourself: do I want to look like this forever? Do I want feel like this forever? Because you will if you don't drag yourself out of the house to train.
NO excuses.
When you start repeatedly making excuses not to exercise or to follow your meal plan you're only cheating yourself. The only person who will suffer is you. No amount of moaning and complaining about 'not having time' will change the fact that you have not trained. If you don't train you won't see any results; it's just that simple. So stop with the damn excuses.
And just think a few months down the line all that hard work will pay off. You're confidence will sky rocket and you will feel much healthier. You'll be able look in that mirror and feel on top of the world. How do I know this? Because that is what I can do every single day. When I look in the mirror I like what I see and I honestly can't describe how good that feels.
My inspirations: http://vanessatib.com/category/news/
http://jenyne.com/
Sunday 27 January 2013
Saturday 26 January 2013
'Abs are made in the kitchen'
I'm one of those lucky people with a fast metabolism. I struggle to gain weight no matter what I eat. But I've found that if I want nicely defined abs have to control my diet. I can do all the sit ups in the world but without a healthy diet no one will see all the hard work.
Abs are made in the kitchen.
As a student I struggle to eat well even at the best of times. My budget is tight and I rarely have time to make any sort of meal plans. If I'm not out with friends I'm studying, training or sleeping. Over the summer holidays however, I had time to look at my diet and eat well. In combination with regular training sessions at the gym the results of this healthy eating were amazing. Now that a hectic term and exams are over I'm getting back into eating healthy. It's proving to be the hardest part of my overall fitness plan. So I'm going to start simple.
I have decided to start by eating breakfast. I have about three different types of cereal sat in the cupboard because I tend to get bored of eating the same thing each morning. I either go for something simple like some fruit (bananas are a life saver if you're running late), or some toast (wholegrain is best), or just a good old fashioned bowl of cereal. I've also taken to making huge batches of pasta (or some other meal prepared from scratch) at the beginning of the week and storing it in the fridge. This means I can just pop some in a box for lunch or for a pre/post work out snack.
I think the biggest mistake people can make is drastically changing their diet. A diet is for life. If it's going to work it needs to be reasonable. The more extreme you make it the more likely you are to give into temptation...and it's just a slippery slope from there. So start simple. Never ever cut something out completely. I personally love chocolate. But instead of cutting it out completely I have decided to buy dark chocolate. This means that a) I don't want as much and b) there is much less sugar in every piece I eat. I've sort of made a compromise with myself.
It's the simple things...
I was once in the gym when a girl almost collapsed because she hadn't eaten. She thought that not eating then exercising would make her lose weight faster but that is far from the case. Not eating is by far the worst thing you can do (for obvious reasons).
So make sure you eat when you are hungry. But do not mistake boredom for hunger. Keep portion sizes reasonable. You don't have to eat the whole damn bowl of food just because it's wasteful if you don't; pop it in the fridge and save it for later. Switch out cream for Greek yogurt, go for whole grain bread and pasta. If you're exercising regularly it is key to alter your diet so that you get enough protein and carbs (yes carbs are essential as well) to fuel your workouts and repair your muscle. Tuna is a brilliant source of protein. Be wary of food labeled 'low fat', the reason it is labeled low fat is because it is filled with sugar instead which can be just as bad. Try to eat fresh food if possible (that means eating your veggies as well!) but failing that read what is in your food. So many of us just don't bother to turn over the packet and read the nutritional information or find out just how much/what meat is actually in that pack of sausages (or indeed burgers...). There are 'ready meals' out there that are quite healthy. Although I would not recommend them all the time they are handy if you are just too busy to prepare a meal from scratch and if you're going to resort to them at least pick the healthier ones.
To keep this post sorter than a book I'll go more in depth on this subject in later posts. Altering your diet to suit your lifestyle, goals and body type is key (I will also cover the basics on finding out what body type you are). If you are serious about gaining some muscle definition and hit the gym regularly supplements such as whey protein and creatine are also worth looking into. I will also try to cover 'fast' and 'slow' burning carbs. Please bare in mind I am not a nutritionist so the information I give is just a helpful guide at most. I am however, good at doing my research. The internet is a wonderful tool if you know how to use it properly. It has all the information you could ever want if you just have the patience and aptitude to sift through the crap.
'First we form habits, then they form us. Conquer your bad habits or they will conquer you' --Rob Gilbert
Useful link: https://www.facebook.com/FitnessRecipes Click on 'Photos' then 'Albums' for some good, healthy recipes.
Abs are made in the kitchen.
As a student I struggle to eat well even at the best of times. My budget is tight and I rarely have time to make any sort of meal plans. If I'm not out with friends I'm studying, training or sleeping. Over the summer holidays however, I had time to look at my diet and eat well. In combination with regular training sessions at the gym the results of this healthy eating were amazing. Now that a hectic term and exams are over I'm getting back into eating healthy. It's proving to be the hardest part of my overall fitness plan. So I'm going to start simple.
I have decided to start by eating breakfast. I have about three different types of cereal sat in the cupboard because I tend to get bored of eating the same thing each morning. I either go for something simple like some fruit (bananas are a life saver if you're running late), or some toast (wholegrain is best), or just a good old fashioned bowl of cereal. I've also taken to making huge batches of pasta (or some other meal prepared from scratch) at the beginning of the week and storing it in the fridge. This means I can just pop some in a box for lunch or for a pre/post work out snack.
I think the biggest mistake people can make is drastically changing their diet. A diet is for life. If it's going to work it needs to be reasonable. The more extreme you make it the more likely you are to give into temptation...and it's just a slippery slope from there. So start simple. Never ever cut something out completely. I personally love chocolate. But instead of cutting it out completely I have decided to buy dark chocolate. This means that a) I don't want as much and b) there is much less sugar in every piece I eat. I've sort of made a compromise with myself.
It's the simple things...
I was once in the gym when a girl almost collapsed because she hadn't eaten. She thought that not eating then exercising would make her lose weight faster but that is far from the case. Not eating is by far the worst thing you can do (for obvious reasons).
So make sure you eat when you are hungry. But do not mistake boredom for hunger. Keep portion sizes reasonable. You don't have to eat the whole damn bowl of food just because it's wasteful if you don't; pop it in the fridge and save it for later. Switch out cream for Greek yogurt, go for whole grain bread and pasta. If you're exercising regularly it is key to alter your diet so that you get enough protein and carbs (yes carbs are essential as well) to fuel your workouts and repair your muscle. Tuna is a brilliant source of protein. Be wary of food labeled 'low fat', the reason it is labeled low fat is because it is filled with sugar instead which can be just as bad. Try to eat fresh food if possible (that means eating your veggies as well!) but failing that read what is in your food. So many of us just don't bother to turn over the packet and read the nutritional information or find out just how much/what meat is actually in that pack of sausages (or indeed burgers...). There are 'ready meals' out there that are quite healthy. Although I would not recommend them all the time they are handy if you are just too busy to prepare a meal from scratch and if you're going to resort to them at least pick the healthier ones.
To keep this post sorter than a book I'll go more in depth on this subject in later posts. Altering your diet to suit your lifestyle, goals and body type is key (I will also cover the basics on finding out what body type you are). If you are serious about gaining some muscle definition and hit the gym regularly supplements such as whey protein and creatine are also worth looking into. I will also try to cover 'fast' and 'slow' burning carbs. Please bare in mind I am not a nutritionist so the information I give is just a helpful guide at most. I am however, good at doing my research. The internet is a wonderful tool if you know how to use it properly. It has all the information you could ever want if you just have the patience and aptitude to sift through the crap.
'First we form habits, then they form us. Conquer your bad habits or they will conquer you' --Rob Gilbert
Useful link: https://www.facebook.com/FitnessRecipes Click on 'Photos' then 'Albums' for some good, healthy recipes.
Friday 25 January 2013
'Pain is temporary. If I quit however, it will last forever'
I've taken to living by this motto. I've been told that there is a 96% chance of my shoulder dislocating again just by doing every day things. It is incredibly painful when it falls out; it is also soul crushing. Because each and every time it does that percentage climbs higher. Each and every time the damage done to my joint gets inevitably closer to 'beyond repair'...and my goal of getting back on the pole slips further away.
However, I cannot give up. If I stop exercising my joint weakens as the muscles are the only thing stabilising it, if I exercise too much the strain will cause it to dislocate. It is a fine line to walk but one I will walk none the less.
This line is taken out of a 'motivational' video (which I will post a link to below) that I came across a short while ago on the internet. Another quote from this video is: 'If you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, then you will be successful'. Now that is food for thought. I have met a lot of people who appear to have everything. On the surface they appear to be successful. You meet a lot of these at a 'red brick' university. I often find that these people, whilst on the surface are nice, underneath there is very little to them...there's just no 'substance'. There's no passion. No drive. They will never make any significant impact on this world until they change their outlook. They are destined to just be 'content', to be the noise in the background not the person making the speech.
I've never been one to just sit back as life passes me by. My biggest fear is hitting 40 and looking back on my life thinking 'I wish I'd done more'. I've had more than one person say to me 'how do you not find the gym boring?'. It's hard to explain the reasoning behind why I don't. One of the main reasons is simply: I have something to work towards. But when I'm having a particularly dark day, when all motivation has left me and I feel that my goal is impossible I think of what my 40 year old self will say of the present 'me' if I just give up. I imagine the regret I'd feel. The longing of wishing I'd done more, wishing I'd been more. That is what motivates me to drag myself out of the house and into the gym to train. I refuse to just be the noise in the background. I want to be more.
'Pain is temporary. It may last for a minute, or a hour, or a day, or even a year. But eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit however, it will last forever'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_T1KyRtOWOc&list=LLqQjQ-ZssP7WZn31CfrWd7Q
However, I cannot give up. If I stop exercising my joint weakens as the muscles are the only thing stabilising it, if I exercise too much the strain will cause it to dislocate. It is a fine line to walk but one I will walk none the less.
This line is taken out of a 'motivational' video (which I will post a link to below) that I came across a short while ago on the internet. Another quote from this video is: 'If you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, then you will be successful'. Now that is food for thought. I have met a lot of people who appear to have everything. On the surface they appear to be successful. You meet a lot of these at a 'red brick' university. I often find that these people, whilst on the surface are nice, underneath there is very little to them...there's just no 'substance'. There's no passion. No drive. They will never make any significant impact on this world until they change their outlook. They are destined to just be 'content', to be the noise in the background not the person making the speech.
I've never been one to just sit back as life passes me by. My biggest fear is hitting 40 and looking back on my life thinking 'I wish I'd done more'. I've had more than one person say to me 'how do you not find the gym boring?'. It's hard to explain the reasoning behind why I don't. One of the main reasons is simply: I have something to work towards. But when I'm having a particularly dark day, when all motivation has left me and I feel that my goal is impossible I think of what my 40 year old self will say of the present 'me' if I just give up. I imagine the regret I'd feel. The longing of wishing I'd done more, wishing I'd been more. That is what motivates me to drag myself out of the house and into the gym to train. I refuse to just be the noise in the background. I want to be more.
'Pain is temporary. It may last for a minute, or a hour, or a day, or even a year. But eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit however, it will last forever'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_T1KyRtOWOc&list=LLqQjQ-ZssP7WZn31CfrWd7Q
So, here we go...
Ok I'm going to start off simple and introduce myself...
I'm a 21 year old university student in my final year of a four year Masters degree in Chemistry. Although my degree is what I spend a lot of my time on it's not who I am and, unlike most people in my subject, it is not what defines me. That isn't to say that making science your whole life isn't a noble goal, I love science, but letting it swallow my every waking moment just isn't for me. My passion lies in fitness and in particular pole dancing.
I only starting dancing two years ago. Prior to my first class I had no experience in dancing, gymnastics or anything even remotely related. I was about as graceful as a rock and after my first class my arms felt like they were about to fall off. But I just had to go back. I wanted to be the one defying gravity, the one to make the whole room stop and stare just like my instructors did. Through sheer determination I worked past the initial pains and aches of the sport and became very good at it very quickly. It became my life. I lived, breathed and slept pole dancing. It became the thing at the forefront of my mind. Nothing else mattered. Unfortunately I pushed my training too far and after a total of 3 shoulder dislocations in the space of a year I am now all but banned from the pole until I have surgery to repair the damage caused to my ligaments. To fill the inevitable void that this created in my life I turned to fitness; in particular weight lifting and toning.
Who I am now and who I was before I started dancing are two completely different people. It has been a long journey from then until now...one that has not been easy but has taught me a lot. Despite the many ups and downs I would not trade the experience for the world. I will dance again no matter how long and hard the journey may be.
But that isn't all I do. I also own a motor bike and intend to gain my full licence at some point this year (money and time allowing). I've been riding various forms of motor bikes since I was little so I can't wait to upgrade my Honda to something with a little more kick.
So, that's me in a nutshell. There is of course more but this isn't CV. I've done lots of things in my time on this 'pale blue dot' which I may or may not share in due time.
This blog will be dedicated to all things fitness and science related. I don't claim to be an expert in either field (although I am more qualified in one than the other). But I'm certain that not all of what I'll say will be complete and total rubbish. And if I inspire just one person to get off their ass and do something better with their lives then it's a job well done in my book. I'll also throw in the random things I come across during my travels across the vast void that is the internet as long as they're interesting and/or disturbing enough.
I'm a 21 year old university student in my final year of a four year Masters degree in Chemistry. Although my degree is what I spend a lot of my time on it's not who I am and, unlike most people in my subject, it is not what defines me. That isn't to say that making science your whole life isn't a noble goal, I love science, but letting it swallow my every waking moment just isn't for me. My passion lies in fitness and in particular pole dancing.
I only starting dancing two years ago. Prior to my first class I had no experience in dancing, gymnastics or anything even remotely related. I was about as graceful as a rock and after my first class my arms felt like they were about to fall off. But I just had to go back. I wanted to be the one defying gravity, the one to make the whole room stop and stare just like my instructors did. Through sheer determination I worked past the initial pains and aches of the sport and became very good at it very quickly. It became my life. I lived, breathed and slept pole dancing. It became the thing at the forefront of my mind. Nothing else mattered. Unfortunately I pushed my training too far and after a total of 3 shoulder dislocations in the space of a year I am now all but banned from the pole until I have surgery to repair the damage caused to my ligaments. To fill the inevitable void that this created in my life I turned to fitness; in particular weight lifting and toning.
Who I am now and who I was before I started dancing are two completely different people. It has been a long journey from then until now...one that has not been easy but has taught me a lot. Despite the many ups and downs I would not trade the experience for the world. I will dance again no matter how long and hard the journey may be.
But that isn't all I do. I also own a motor bike and intend to gain my full licence at some point this year (money and time allowing). I've been riding various forms of motor bikes since I was little so I can't wait to upgrade my Honda to something with a little more kick.
So, that's me in a nutshell. There is of course more but this isn't CV. I've done lots of things in my time on this 'pale blue dot' which I may or may not share in due time.
This blog will be dedicated to all things fitness and science related. I don't claim to be an expert in either field (although I am more qualified in one than the other). But I'm certain that not all of what I'll say will be complete and total rubbish. And if I inspire just one person to get off their ass and do something better with their lives then it's a job well done in my book. I'll also throw in the random things I come across during my travels across the vast void that is the internet as long as they're interesting and/or disturbing enough.
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