Client Story :: Laura

Meet Laura, a very good friend of mine and also a client. Laura and I have been working together for the last 18 months and to describe her transformation as AMAZING would be an understatement. When we began training together, Laura ate very little, drank a lot, pounded the pavement and overall wasn't in the best place. I pretty much bullied her in to coming and training with me, I am so glad I wouldn't take no for an answer.

Fast forward 18 months and Laura packed on 7kg of lean muscle, competed in her first bikini competition, trains with heavy weights five to six days a week, does very little cardio, eats more than most men and looks incredible. As a trainer, this is an amazing transformation to be a part of...

Laura also had some great things to say about training with me which makes me very happy...

"My name is Laura and I have been training with Erin Eleini for just over eighteen months now. Erin has been a good friend of mine for many years and I had always admired Erin's commitment to her training. When Erin was returning back to the fitness industry after having baby Frankie she asked me if I would be interested in signing up for a session per week, after a moment’s hesitation I agreed, after all I figured, What did I have to lose?

When I started training I was not in a good headspace, in fact I was treading water at rock bottom. I was 30 years old and trying to navigate my way through the devastation of my marriage ending to a man I adored. At 175cm tall I would have been lucky to weigh 55KG and my diet consisted of sugary snacks and take away foods if I even bothered to eat, on top of that I worked in a high stress job and would hit the party scene every weekend and drink most nights.  

From my first sessions with Erin I found myself learning so much about my body. Erin's approach to introducing me to fitness was to ease into a training program and continually show me new things. Erin would explain to me each exercise and what muscle it was training. Erin was nurturing every step of the way and would always ask me what I did and did not enjoy to ensure I was getting something out of each session.  It seemed like not long before I was hooked, and equipped with my personal training program put together by Erin I was hitting the gym each morning and seeing my body change in ways I could have never imagined. 

I have made this statement many times to Erin and I will stand by it that her personal training sessions saved my life! Eighteen months on and training is a daily habit that I look forward to. I see Erin twice per week and I am in preparation for my first  bikini completion. Erin also provided me with ongoing food education and I learnt that eating well not only supports a healthy body but also a healthy mind.

One if the unique qualities I found in Erin as my trainer is that she never tried to make me feel guilty about anything and constantly reminded me to be kind to myself. Her approach was one of nurture and guidance, not to make me feel bad that I ate that Chocolate bar or had a set back reaching my goal. 

While the training has been such a positive change in my life I would also recommend Erin to any person who is seeking total change in their life or who are striving for professional or emotional change. Training with the support of Erin changed my mindset and assisted me with battling my emotional sadness. Training has also given me the gift of being strong both mentally and physically and I know this contributed to my recent career successes. 

There have been highs and some lows during my fitness journey and I have been fortunate enough to have Erin by my side every step of the way and for that I will be always grateful."

If you are interested in learning more about how we achieved Laura's results please don't hesitate to get in contact. I would love to be able to help you with your transformation.

strong for Frankie...

I haven't come here and spoken about my post baby fitness journey.

To be honest I haven't come here a lot since Frankie was born.

There is always something else to do and with a very small window whilst Frankie sleeps there are a million other things that need to be done around my home or admin work for my business.

I have sat her for half an hour trying to work out what to write so I thought I would write about how I have gotten myself strong after having baby Frankie.

At this point in time, I am strong...

I am the strongest I have ever been. I see a lot of girls on Instagram and Facebook who are super strong. I am not strong like them, but for me I am strong. Strong is currently in fashion. It is a good trend to be a part of. There is a hashtag on social media #femaleliftingarmy I like this hashtag, it makes me smile and think of deadlifting.

For the first twelve months after having Frankie I worked on re-building my body. I was left with a five centimetre separation in abdominals. I also had lots of work to do on my pelvic floor following Frankie's birth. I was weak and had done nothing but swim for the last six weeks of my pregnancy so I really did feel like I was starting from the beginning.

It took me a good nine months to start to feel any resemblance of my former fit self. I made a decision to not rush getting back to where I had once been. My prioritise shifted from wanting to be lean to just wanting to be stronger. When you are used to being strong you take it for granted. When your strength is gone you miss it, all I wanted was to be strong.

Training around a baby is hard, finding the time, finding the child care when your husband works, training through lack of sleep is horrible.

But I did it. I trained consistently four times a week; sometimes three, sometimes five.

I walked everyday that I did not train. Walked for an hour pushing Frankie whilst she slept.

I ate nutritious food and I ate a lot of it as I was breastfeeding. And the days I trained I ate more food. I stopped constantly obsessing about what I was eating and just ate good, wholesome food that served me, my training and most importantly my breastfed baby.

And then I was back. My body was back. I had worked hard but it was the consistency in my training and nutrition that got it back.

I was lifting weight that I was lifting before I was pregnant.

And then I lifted heavier.

And I realised that I really liked getting stronger. And as I got stronger I realised I was not caring so much about how I looked. I wasn't caring about how lean I was or how ripped my stomach was.

And the less I cared about how I looked the more I started to really like what I saw in the mirror. I actually like my strong body now more than I liked my ripped, lean body from before I was pregnant.

I have focussed for the last eight months on the three main strength lifts; Deadlift, Squat and Bench press.

I have written my own programs for these lifts along with the accessory exercises needed to continually improve my strength on these lifts.

My deadlift has gone from a shaky post-pregnancy 20kg to a 1Rep Maximum of 95kg

My squat has gone from non-existent due to a hip impingement to a 1RM of 72.5kg

My bench press from a 5RM of 25kg to a 5RM of 40kg

**

And these increases in these lifts have transferred across to every other exercise I do. I am literally picking up weights that used to be super heavy and finding them easier. Very, very empowering and I am filled with self-pride at how I have focussed on something and every week I am getting better and better.

This has also carried over in to how I am training my clients. I have a number of girls that have also been bitten by the strength training bug and I am getting them strong as well. Having clients that now train for strength instead of purely focusing on training to lose weight/fat is truly wonderful to see. And they, like me, are changing their body composition whilst doing training that they love.

Training becomes less of a chore and hitting numbers you've never hit before is f*cking awesome.

So where to from here? Would I love to powerlift....yes! Will I get there....one day!

x

** please excuse the terrible music on the video, the very funny camera man added it, yep I love myself <3

The Breakfast Diaries Pt. 2

Over the last couple of years I have become a lot more educated and a lot more choosy about the foods I bring in to my household. I have a greater awareness of preservatives that are placed in food and I search for better, healthier options whenever I can.

Have you ever read the label on your muesli? The muesli you eat because you think it is the healthier option to other cereals? Have a read next time you are at the supermarket, check the sugar content, check the ingredients list, see what you find.

Today I made homemade muesli...

I mixed together in a bowl one and a half bags of rolled oats, almonds, walnuts, brazil nuts, chia seeds, sesame seeds, pepitas, raisins but you can use any nuts, seeds, you like. A cup full of this for breakfast teamed with some eggs {hardboiled are always a good grab and run accompaniment} or a protein smoothie and you have the perfect breakfast.

This is one of the quickest and easiest breakfast you can make and it will last you for a few weeks. And you know exactly what is in it!

Client Story :: Louie

Completely dispelling the myth that lifting heavy will make you bulky...here is Louie...

The picture on the left taken towards the end of her backpacking trip around Europe at the end of 2013. And the photo on the right taken during here Christmas holidays just gone. Louie and I have been working together since the beginning of 2014, I stopped training her whilst I was on maternity leave but she continued training without me until I returned to work.

She lifts heavy weights, she trains regularly, she is strong, she does high intensity interval training, she eats well with no restrictions and truly embraces a life of balance. She is open to trying new things, she follows my guidance and she is testament to the fact that if you look after yourself you will be rewarded with a body you can be proud of!

And on top of all this awesomeness, she had some pretty lovely things to say about training with me....

I am not sure whether I can put into words how happy I have been since training with Erin over the past two years. When we first met the only goal I wanted to achieve was to lose weight and tone up. 

When I first signed up to the gym I had the incentive to lose weight and tone up and got a nasty surprise when I realised walking on the treadmill for 40 minutes wasn’t going to achieve that. I didn’t have the confidence to do anything else and felt like everyone was watching and judging me when I did anything. 

I remember within my first month of training with Erin my whole attitude towards the gym changed, and I couldn’t get enough of it. She gives me constant support and motivation so I look forward to my work out with her and trying something different every week. Not to mention I gained all the confidence that I had lost and have never felt better.

It’s a really nice feeling knowing she genuinely cares about me and my success. My results with her have been nothing short of amazing, physically and mentally and I can’t thank her enough. I can confidently say I know that I couldn’t have reached and then surpassed my goals without her. 

I signed up to personal training to lose weight and tone up but ended up meeting someone I can now call a good friend and an inspiration. Erin gave me the most special gift I could have asked for from a trainer - being comfortable in my own skin.

I have some pretty big goals for Louie for 2015. I want to get her stronger than she ever thought possible!

Getting Festive...

So the man in the big red suit is nearly here and what a week it has been over here! I am working through, taking only the public holidays off, helping my clients stay on track over the Christmas and New Year season. I find training them helps me stay motivated; if they are smoking their work-outs then there is no reason that I shouldn't be smoking mine, right?

The last three days have seen me smash a massive pull session on Sunday, a monster quad session yesterday and tonight a sweaty conditioning work-out at my new gym The Cube. Tomorrow is shoulder day, my favourite, with my friend and client Michelle. Last week I pulled a 70kg deadlift for six reps for two sets and on Sunday I did three pull ups with the smallest resistance band {my clients love/hate these}. I am finishing off the year strong and am excited for what the new year will bring for me training wise.

Have you given any thought to what you would like to achieve next year? Have you set some new goals? Maybe 2015 is the year that you try something you have been wanting to try...give it some thought over the Christmas holidays. Make a list, create a vision board, recruit a training buddy...the motivational tools are there in abundance. I am also here to help!

Most of the gyms are closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day so I thought I would suggest a few work-outs you can do at home with no equipment. Commit to 30 minutes on these days and then go and enjoy the rest of you day!

Work-out 1

Warm up 200 metres jog {100 metre along the road, 100 metres back}

AMRAP 30 minutes

A1. 25 x body weight squats
A2. 25 x push ups
A3. 24 x body weight static lunges {12 each leg}
A4. 24 x mountain climbers {12 each leg}
A5. 25 x abdominal crunches
A6. 200 metre sprint

Cool down 200 metre walk and stretch

Work-out 2

Warm up 200 metres jog {100 metre along the road, 100 metres back}

Time each set, completing three sets trying to beat your previous time
A1. 10 x jump squats
A2. 10 x burpees
A3. 20 x step ups {10 each leg}
A4. Plank
A5. 100 metre sprint
B1. 20 x jump lunges {10 each leg}
B2. 10 x narrow grip push ups
B3. 10 x box jumps
B4. 10 x death planks {go from hands to forearms then alternate}
B5. 100 metre sprint

Cool down 200 metre walk and stretch

Work-out 3

Warm up 200 metres jog {100 metre along the road, 100 metres back}

Find a set of stairs, sprint up them, walk back down. Repeat for 15 to 20 minutes.

Cool down 200 metre walk and stretch

All three will kick your arse and keep you on track even if you do reach for the mince pies and Christmas Pudding come Christmas Day! Enjoy every mouthful, it's what this time of year is about!

I would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and the Happiest of New Years. For me 2014 has been an amazing year for obvious reasons but I am excited for what 2015 will bring and welcome it with open arms!

And finally a massive thank you to my wonderful clients! Thank you for your commitment to me and my business and for bringing your A-Game to every session. You certainly make getting up at 5.00am worthwhile!

See you in the gym.

Erin

x

Fibre...

Lets talk gut health, exciting stuff! Did you know that you have more bacteria in your gut than you do cells in your entire body? That's why, if your gut isn't in good shape, I can guarantee that your overall health is being compromised. Micro-flora in your gut play a vital role in your overall health and wellbeing whilst also affecting the immune system, weight and the increased risk of numerous chronic and acute diseases, from diabetes to cancers.

Symptoms of poor gut health include bloating, burping, farting, diarrhoea, constipation, fullness, nausea, rectal itching, weak and cracked finger nails, acne, iron deficiency, parasites, candida, food allergies, eczema, dermatitis, hives, psoriasis, rosacea, B12 deficiency and arthritis.

So there is the odd fart in our house and I do feel bloated from time to time so Simon and I are taking part in the Metamucil Challenge that is currently being run at all Fitness First Gyms. Available from reception is a 14 day starter kit of Psyllium Husks for $1. Yep, just $1 to set you on the road to better gut health.

Psyllium is the husk of the seed of the Plantago and is a top herb used for general intestinal health. It contains a spongy fiber that can reduce appetite, improve digestion and cleanse the system, making it an excellent addition to a healthy diet.

Simon and I are half way in, we both feel better, he is farting less and I feel great!

In addition to taking Psyllium Husks, here are some other ways that you can improve your gut health...

1. Probiotics
Naturally occurring “good” bacteria allow for the normal functioning of our gastrointestinal system – however this simply cannot happen when there’s too much “bad” bacteria (such as parasite, yeast and fungi) present in the gut. The easiest way to rectify this imbalance is to keep up probiotic intake {fermented foods, yogurts} or take a pro-biotic supplement

2. Diet
Eating a healthy, balanced, fibre filled diet rich nutritious food. Think lots of fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, good fats and low GI carbohydrates {legumes, whole-grains}. Remove all the processed food from your diet especially refined sugars {lollies, chocolate, chips}

3. Water
Drinking plenty of water is also essential for the correct functioning of the digestive system. If there is too little water in the system, it slows down the body’s ability to pass stools through the digestive tract. The more build-up of waste in our system, the more likely our gut will become a hot bed of bad bacteria

4. Stress
An unexpected cause of bad bacteria in the gut is stress!! Check out one of my previous blogs here on my top way to manage stress

If there is one thing you do for your health this week...add some fibre!!

The Breakfast Diaries Pt.1...

Breakfast, it's the most important meal of the day, yet I speak to so many people that are completely at a loss as to what constitutes a good breakfast. Some, even skip breakfast all together which is a massive no-no!

Breakfast provides the body and brain with fuel after an overnight fast - that's where breakfast gets it's name, breaking the fast!  Without breakfast you are effectively running on empty, like trying to start the car with no petrol!

Apart from providing us with energy, breakfast foods are good sources of important nutrients such as calcium, iron and B vitamins as well as protein and fibre.  The body needs these essential nutrients and research shows that if these are missed at breakfast, they are less likely to be compensated for later in the day.  Fruit and vegetables are good sources of vitamins and minerals so it is important that these are included in your breakfast no differently from your lunch and dinner.

Breakfast also restores glucose levels, an essential carbohydrate that is needed for the brain to function.  Many studies have shown how eating breakfast can improve memory and concentration levels and it can also make us happier as it can improve mood and lower stress levels.  In studies amongst children, breakfast can improve attainment, behaviour and has been linked to improved grades.  Just like any other organ in the body, the brain needs energy to work at it's best!

If you skip breakfast, you're more likely to reach for high sugar and fatty snacks mid-morning. Not good if your goal is fat loss and not good for your health!

So I have decided to post some awesome breakfast ideas over the coming weeks. Breakfast ideas that are quick and easy to prep in advance for those that are time poor in the mornings.

So The Breakfast Diary Part 1.... Salmon & Potato Fritters with Poached Eggs

Fritter Ingredients
1 egg
1 tbsp. coconut oil
1 tin of red salmon {approx. 200grams} skinned and de-boned
3 small chat potatoes peeled and grated
Half a brown onion grated or finely chopped
2 tbsp. of wholemeal flour

Fritter Instructions
1. Combine the grated potato and onion in a bowl
2. Heat 1/2 tbsp. of coconut oil in a frying pan, cook the potato and onion until soft. Set aside to cool
3. Combine the salmon, egg and flour and when cooled stir through the potato and onion
4. Shape mixture in to desired size. I made nine small fritters and three was a good amount for one breakfast
5. Heat the remaining 1/2 tbsp. of coconut oil and place the fritters in the frying pan and cook until golden brown on the outside
6. Place cooked fritters on a plate

Poached Eggs Instructions
1. Bring a pot of water and one tsp of white wine vinegar to the boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat and allow water to simmer
2. Crack two eggs slowly in to the water. Cook for three minutes then remove with a slotted spoon and place onto kitchen paper. Allow to drain
3. Place on top of cooked fritters on a plate

Next time I make these I am going to wilt some baby spinach making it even more healthy and even more delicious!