12 Week Spring in to Summer Program - PERSONAL TRAINING SALE!!!

Hi everyone,

We have been pretty fortunate this winter to see a lot of blue skies and mild temperatures, which makes you think that this Summer is going to be an absolute scorcher!

Spring is so close you can almost smell it in the air!! And with that change, I hear a lot of people talking about getting back in to shape ready for the beach weather that's just around the corner.

Are you one of those people?

Have you thought that you wouldn't mind losing those few KGs you put on over Winter?

Maybe you did a really good job of maintaining your physique over the cooler months but now that it's getting warmer you would like to take things to the next level?

Perhaps you've spent the winter exercising consistently and are now bored and looking for a new challenge?

And lets not forget about the Mums out there...Have you just had a baby and don't know where to begin to regain your strength the safe and effective way? Or Mums that never give themselves any time and are wanting to change that and get back to feeling their best?

This 12 week Spring in to Summer Program could be exactly what you are looking for!!!!
  
** THREE 30 minute personal training sessions per week for the PRICE OF TWO - valued at $165 per week, now available for $110 per week

  

OR

  
** TWO 45 minute personal training sessions for 30% off the usual price - valued at $160, now available for $105 per week

  
All clients participating in the 12 week program receive the following for FREE...
 

* Initial goal setting session
* Complimentary movement assessment
* Complimentary 30 minute foam rolling and stretch tutorial
* Two six week, individualized training programs tailored to suit your goals AND your schedule
* Nutritional Guidance using macro-nutrient portions - no counting calories or weighing your food. I will teach you how to correctly nourish your body without you feeling any type of deprivation
* Supplementation Guidance
* Unlimited support by phone and email
* Bi-weekly progress check in to keep you on track towards your goals

There is no better time than to join Erin Eleini Fitness and enjoy results that other clients have achieved whilst working with me!

I am ready when you are!!

The Trapbar Deadlift

If you are looking for an exercise that's going to make you feel like a badass in the gym then look no further than The Deadlift!!

The Deadlift is a strength training exercise where a loaded barbell, or just the bar, is lifted off of the ground up to hip level and lowered back down to the ground. It works a multitude of muscles; quads, hamstring, glutes, abdominals, lower back, traps and the forearms and is therefore awesome for building total-body strength, size and athleticism.

The Deadlift can be a daunting exercise. There are many cues to ensure you correctly execute a Deadlift and many people are fearful of injuring their lower back. But the truth is, if done correctly, there is no better exercise than the Deadlift to keep your back in great health.

A great regression of a Barbell Deadlift is the Trapbar Deadlift. Here is a Trapbar, also known as a Hexbar given it's six sides.

About 20 years ago a Powerlifter from North Carolina named Al Gerald found that deadlifting was constantly niggling in his lower back. He found when he deadlifted with a straight bar that it put a lot of stress on his lumbar spine {lower back}. This is due to the weight being far away from the axis of rotation {the hip} where the work is being undertaken. The lower back acts like a crowbar to move the weight from the floor and it is for this reason that people can hurt their back if they do not perform the Deadlift with accuracy.

Since the Trapbar configuration allows you to step inside it rather than behind it, the long lever is shortened along a horizontal axis, therefore significantly decreasing the amount of sheer force on the spine.

As a general rule, I ensure all my clients can perfectly perform a Trapbar Deadlift before progressing them to a Barbell Deadlift. In saying that, the Trapbar Deadlift shouldn't only be seen as a regression to the more tradition Barbell Deadlift. A recent study undertaken by Swinton et al, found that not only was the Trapbar Deadlift a safer exercise it was also a more effective exercise for building maximum power.

Here is my step-by-step guide to correctly perform a Trapbar Deadlift....

1. Step inside the Trapbar making sure your feet are evenly positioned between the front and the back bars. I aim for a stance approximately hip width but this will differ slightly person to person

2. Grip the handles tightly so that your middle finger is horizontally aligned with the front of your shin

3. Squat your hips down, maintaining a neutral spin {think arch in your lower back}, keeping arms nice and long with no flexing at the elbows. I also like to think about drawing my triceps towards my latissimus dorsi, this will aid in keeping your back muscles engaged whilst protecting your shoulders at their capsules.

4. Inhale, a big belly breath, not just filling your lungs with air but aiming to fill your diaphragm. I like to think about bracing my abdominals like someone is about to punch me in the tummy.

5. Holding that big breath in to ensure a great amount of intra-abdominal pressure, stand up by driving your feet in to the ground and straightening your legs. At the top of the movement drive your hips forward into extension and squeeze your glutes.

6. Continue to maintain neutral spine and lower the bar back to the ground. Exhale at the bottom, reset your position and inhale another big breath, moving on to your next repetition

Client Story - Bunny

Client Story- Bunny

One of the many highlights of my job as a Personal Trainer is seeing not just the physical changes in my clients but the mental changes that you see as well.

Take my client Bunny for example. She came to me at the beginning of 2016 wanting to tone up and lose her baby tummy that she just couldn't seem to shift! She'd never stepped foot in a weights room, never undertaken any strength training and her visits to the gym saw her doing Body Pump classes and Yoga which, put simply, weren't getting her the results she wanted!

Fast forward six months to the middle of 2016 and she had achieved what she set out to achieve. Then I went on maternity leave and she trained with my stand in trainer and continued to get fitter and stronger. Bunny has now moved over to my new gym and is back training with me each week. She turns up, puts in the work and is rewarded a fit and healthy body and mind.

She is lifting weights she never thought were possible and completely understands how her body is designed to move and how good it is designed to feel.

Bunny wrote me a lovely testimonial which I would like to share with you below...

I first started strength training with Erin in February 2016 to improve my fitness and to get in shape. It was difficult for me to return to my normal pre-baby weight by going to the gym on my own. At the beginning Erin asked what my goals were and she then gave me a program and also nutrition advice to follow. Each week Erin provided me a record of exercises and weights that we used.

After six months of weekly strength training sessions I saw amazing results and I was back at my pre - children weight and my clothes fit me so much better.

Erin is a wonderful, engaging and professional Personal Trainer. During our sessions together she would explain what muscle groups we were working on and she really motivated me to exercise well.

I would highly recommend Erin as a Personal Trainer.

If you have been thinking that whatever you are doing exercise wise just isn't cutting it then maybe now is the time to try something different!

I know what works to get people looking and feeling their best, maybe now is the time to get in contact with me and give personal training a try!

Serious results are guaranteed if you are willing to put in the work!!

Erin

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

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

Tough Mudder...

I'm pretty tough, well I like to think I am. I love a challenge! And when my client Chelsea mentioned to me that she had "enlisted" to go in Tough Mudder next month I couldn't help but jump at the chance to have a go! I am not a runner so the thought of running 20 kilometres fills me with dread but like I said I like a challenge and I know I am capable of doing anything when I put my mind to it.

Chelsea definitely knows how to sell Tough Mudder...here is the email she sent around looking for recruits...

Hello,

Do you: (tick all that apply)

1. Feel slowand lethargic after winter

2. Want to do something challenging/crazy

3. Need to prove a point to yourself (or someone else) 

Then this is for you! 

I have just enrolled myself in Tough Mudder, which is on in the Southern Highlands on Saturday 15 November.  It's a 20km obstacle course.  You run 1km, then there is an obstacle!   I am looking for a bunch of crazies to do this with (plus a bigger team will be an advantage in the log carrying, tyre flipping and climbing challenges). 

 

If I wasn't convinced before, reading this email made me a dead certainty for taking on this challenge.

 

Are you up for the challenge? Do you tick one or all of Chelsea's points? Then join us at Tough Mudder!!

 

I will be offering a free six week running program to everyone in our team and for existing clients your sessions and programming for the next six weeks will be designed to get you in tip top shape for next month's Tough Mudder!

 

If you are interested in getting super fit and super muddy, come along for the ride! To register to be apart of our team please email me and I will send you all of the registration details!

 

 

GBC...

German Body Composition {GBC}...the program I follow when I need to shake things up a bit and really walk out of the gym feeling like I truly smashed myself!

GBC is a training method devised by well regarded international trainer Charles Poliquin. He has based this training method on research done by the Romanian exercise scientist Hala Rambie. The goal of the GBC program is to produce as much lactic acid as possible. This is achieved by using multi-joint exercises with short rest intervals and super-setting a lower body exercise with an upper body one.

Rambie discovered that the lactic acid pathway* is far better for fat loss than the commonly accepted aerobic pathway and that high blood lactic levels decrease blood pH levels, which in turn sends a message to the brain to accelerate its production of growth hormone. Higher growth hormone levels increase fat loss!**

Here is my work-out from this morning for you to have a go at...

* Lactic acid plays a critical role in generating energy during your work-out. It is a by-product of the muscles using carbohydrates to create energy for exercise. Lactic acid then breaks down into hydrogen ions and lactate, and it's the hydrogen ions that cause the pain you feel in your muscles during a working set. During this process your cells make ATP {adenosine triphosphate} which provides energy for most of the chemical reactions in the body.

** The increase of lactate acid and hydrogen ions results in improved growth hormone secretion; the hormone needed to stimulate growth, cell reproduction and re-generation which results in our body using a greater deal of energy {calories} post work-out.

erineleini.com is live...

I am so excited to announce that my new website www.erineleinifitness.com is now live!!!

Building a website around a little baby has been quite a juggling act with most of the creation, writing and editing done during day sleeps and in to the evenings after Frankie has gone to sleep. But I am thrilled with the finished website and would love to hear what you think!

I am also really proud of myself with the extra work I have been putting in behind the scenes to get my independent Personal Training business up and running in time for my return to work in just five sleeps!

I am truly humbled that the people I worked with prior to my maternity leave have chosen to return to work with me and I can't wait to get started with them again and see them continue to smash their training and their goals!

I do have a few sessions available for any new clients that would be interested in working with me. If you are looking for a Personal Trainer that can offer you a 360* approach to your health and fitness then I am the girl for you so please do get in contact! I would love to have the opportunity to get you in awesome shape in time for summer!!

Leg press...

Some love it, some hate it! Me, I have a bit of a love hate relationship with it! But there is no denying that the leg press is a pretty awesome machine for building up strength and lean mass in your legs.

And what is so good about the leg press is that you can hit some many different parts of your legs with the leg press simply by changing the position of you feet on the platform.

So here is a picture of the muscles in your legs, a front view...

and a back view...

The standard position with your feet in the middle of the platform, feet about hip width will work predominantly the quadriceps muscles, which are at the front of your thigh, and also your gluteus maximus, your bum.

Move your feet vertically up the platform to a high, standard position and you will take the emphasis off your quads, leaving the glutes to work alongside your hamstrings, so the back of your legs.

Move your feet vertically down the platform to a low, standard position and this makes the exercise even more challenging on the quads than the standard position.

A wide stance, so wider than your shoulders, will target the inner quads and the adductor magnus and a narrow stance, feet together, will ensure you are targeting the outer quads and the muscles on the outside of your hips known as the abductor muscles.

 

Move the balls of your feet to the bottom of the platform and you have yourself an exercise for your gastrocnemius; a big muscle in your calves.

The leg press is a great machine but because you are in a seated position you recruit less of the stabilising muscles and your core. Please make sure when using the leg press in your lower body work-outs that you still incorporate the big compound movements like squats, deadlifts and lunges.

Have fun!

HIIT...

We all know I am not really a fan of cardio although I am doing a lot of walking at the moment. I am not able to get to the gym as often as I now have a little person to look after so I put Frankie in the stroller; we are really clocking up the km's.

When I do make it to the gym and I have time I try to finish off my weights session with a bit of HIIT {High Intensity Interval Training}. I wrote a whole blog on this type of cardio training which you can read here.

I have been asked on numerous occasions whether it is better to do your HIIT before or after your weights session. The answer to this, in my experience, is after your weights session. And here is for why...

Our bodies use glycogen as fuel in everything we do. Glycogen is carbohydrates stored in our bodies and is used for energy. Although we use a huge amount of glycogen when we weight train, a gruelling HIIT session will leave your glycogen stores completely depleted.

There is no way, after a HIIT session, you will be able to really push yourself 100% in your weights session. Doing HIIT before will result in a pretty ineffective weights session. You simply won't have the energy {glycogen} needed to smash out those last few reps. And it is during these reps that we stimulate the most muscle growth.

Hit the weights first and follow this up with your HIIT session. Your glycogen stores will be slightly depleted from the weights, the HIIT will completely empty the tank. Your body will then need to recover, your muscles will overcompensate with their ability to take up nutrients. This will leave you with fuller muscles that are able to store a greater amount of glycogen ready for you to lift bigger during your next work-out.

We all know the best way to build and strong lean body is to weight train. Even if your goal is fat loss, weight training is the most beneficial way to reach those goals, not hours and hours of cardio. The more you can deplete your muscles the better. Your muscles will then recover and take in more glycogen making them bigger and stronger. The bigger and stronger your muscles, the higher your metabolic rate. Your metabolic rate is the amount of energy your body uses to run. The higher your metabolic rate the more calories you burn at rest.

We all want to burn calories if our goal is fat loss!!

Baby bump...

I am sorry for the silence. I have been busy. Busy being heavily pregnant, busy giving birth and now busy looking after a newborn baby. It is a good busy, a busy I am really enjoying. Before I write about what I have been up to since my baby girl Frankie was born two months ago I think it is best to write first about my pregnancy.

I have been asked a few times over the last six months about why I didn't blog throughout my pregnancy about being pregnant. My blog is about health, fitness and wellbeing and being pregnant really did incorporate all three of those things so why did I decid not to share my experience.

I shared some photos on social media and I posted some work-outs that I did whilst pregnant. I also referred to my pregnancy in my blog and on my facebook page but I really didn't discuss what kind of pregnancy I had, how I felt, what training I was able to do.

When I sit back and think about the reasons why I chose not to share my pregnancy in greater detail it is not because I believe pregnancy to be a private, personal experience. Nor was I ashamed or unhappy with the obvious changes that I saw happen to my body. I really believe that everyone is entitled to their own pregnancy experience and the need to see what someone else is doing, or eating, or growing or how much they are exercising wasn't necessary.

When you fall pregnant and you start to tell the world your exciting news you very quickly realise that there are a lot of well intentioned opinions. You get very good and smiling and thanking people for their advice and you take or leave what you choose.

Many people will tell you you shouldn't be weight training when pregnant. If I heard one more person tell me I was going to "strain" something I thought I would scream. Even my very well meaning physiotherapist told me, at 14 weeks pregnant, to stop weight training and start gentle walking and swimming. I didn't listen and when the physio checked me over at 30 weeks he said my hips and pelvis were in great shape! Little did he know I had kept on training which had obviously caused no issues or injuries.

I trained as much as I could and really did listen to my body. I lowered my sets, adjusted the weight and each week worked out what felt good and what I knew I no longer could do. My aim was to try to exercise every day and an ideal week was three or four days training with walking on the other days. There were weeks when this was spot on and there were weeks when I only managed a few days.

At 31 weeks I started to experience terrible Public Symphysis which felt like I had been kicked in between the legs and it made standing painful let alone moving around. My tummy was strapped which did nothing to help and I soon realised the only cure for this was to give birth. I managed for five weeks to continue training sitting down and did mainly upper body work with very little lower. At 35 weeks I said goodbye to the weights and swam four times a week from then until 40 weeks.

I suffered morning sickness from week six to 11 and lost my appetite completely until I was about 25 weeks pregnant. This was challenging and really frustrating; going from loving food, eating five to six meals a day to not knowing what you feel like to eat for weeks and weeks on end. It was stressful. I wanted to give my baby all the nutrient rich food I was used to eating and all I could eat was sausage rolls and toast. I couldn't stomach chicken, couldn't eat meat until the evening and the thought of cooked veggies made me gag. I drank a lot of green smoothies and veggie juices as that was all I could stomach in the way of veggies.

Looking back now I feel like I should have eaten better throughout my pregnancy but at the time you do all you can to eat whatever your body will allow. I try not to think about the sausage rolls and lack of veggies and focus on the fact that Frankie came out big, healthy and strong. I did a good job growing her.

I want to say I didn't weigh myself but I did. I was 61kg when I fell pregnant and I was 74kg when I gave birth to Frankie. This was more than I expected to put on, I thought I would be one of those women that put on 8 kilos, but I believe my body put on what it needed to put on to safely make my baby.

And this is Frankie. Born at 2.10am on Monday 14th April 2014. My 30th birthday.

She is the most amazing thing ever!

Bodies...

Do you know your body type? And I don't mean apple shaped, pear shaped, lean, round....I mean your real body shape?  When you ask someone about their body type most people will answer with one of the above, or something similar, that are descriptions of how they look physically. There are actually three body types that can provide an insight into how our bodies respond to our food intake, training styles and our Sympathetic Nerve System (SNS).

Have a look at the photos below...

 

Which body type category do you fall in to? Do you fall in to one or are you a mixture of one or two?

Ok, so there are three body types; Ectomorph, Mesomorph and Endomorph...

Ectomorph

Megan Fox and Alexsander Skarsgard would be your classic ectomorphs; they are skinny with small frames and lean muscle mass. Ectomorphs don't gain weight {fat or muscle} easily, they generally small shoulders and the females have flat chests. If you asked someone to describe an Ectomorph they would use the words skinny, lean, small, slight.

 

 

Ectomorph Nutrition Guidance

Ectomorphs have a fast metabolism and a high tolerance for carbohydrates. They need a high carb intake to aid in muscle growth with a moderate protein and lower fat intake. An Ectomorph's ideal diet may be 55% carbohydrates, 30% protein and 15% fat.

 

Ectomorph Training Tips

If your goal as an Ectomorph is to gain muscle then you need to train each muscle group at least once a week using heavy weights! Heavy weights with a low repetition range of 8-10 for 4 sets is perfect Use lots of big compound exercises; squats, lunges, deadlifts, push ups, pull ups. Try to keep cardio to a minimum as you want to use as much of your energy as possible to grow more muscle mass.

 

Mesomorph

 

Michelle Bridges and Hugh Jackman would be good examples of the Mesomorph body type. They have an athletic, rectangular shape. If a Mesomorph is physically active they will have a hard body and defined muscles. Mesomorphs have broad shoulders, are naturally strong and gain muscle easily and gain fat easier than Ectomorphs. Some descriptions for Mesomorphs would be athletic, muscly, ripped, toned.

 

 

Mesomorph Nutrition Guidance

Mesomorphs tend to respond well to a mixed diet consisting of a good balance of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. A good guide to a Mesomorph's macro-nutrient split would be 40% carbs, 30% protein and 30% fats.

 

Mesomorph Training Tips

If you are a Mesomorph and don't want to build too much muscle then circuit style training is best for you. Moving quickly from one exercise to another with minimal rest will result in an increase in strength and stamina without gaining too much lean mass. Moderate sized weights are best with around 15 reps for each exercise and four sets of each. Try not to do too many different exercises on the same muscle group, ideally three is enough so as not to stimulate too much muscle growth on one particular muscle group. Aim for three strength sessions plus three HIIT {High Intensity Interval Training} sessions per week to keep fat loss in check.

 

Endomorph

 

Kelly Clarkson and Jack Black are your Endomorph examples. They have soft, round bodies with large shoulders and are typically short and stocky. They can gain muscle easily if physically active but also gain fat very easily which they find harder to lose. Endomorphs have what is best described as a slower metabolism so they have a tendency to store both muscle and fat. An Endomorph may be referred to as big boned, chubby, round, stocky.

 

 

 

Endomorph Nutrition Guidance

Because Endomorphs are a lot less tolerant of carbohydrates they do best on a higher fat and protein intake with the correct timing of their carbs {ie. after exercise}. A good guide to an Endomorphs Macro split may look like this; 25% carbs, 35% protein and 40% fat. They should drink lots of water and load up on fibre to transport the nutrients from their food and flush out waste. Aiming to eat five to six small meals a day to ensure their metabolism is constantly working.

 

Endomorph Training Tips

Endomorphs should lift moderate to heavy weights as this will build muscle and in turn boost your metabolism. All over body training is best, working lots of different muscle groups in the same session. Think giant sets moving from one muscle group to the next as part of the same set or circuit style training. Aim to do this three to four times per week with two days of HIIT for 20-30 minutes each session.

 

If you find after reading the descriptions that you fall into two categories pick the category that greater describes your body type. Give the nutrition and training tips a try and see how your body responds. If you see little or no changes after eight weeks, try the other body type tips.

 

Please bare in mind that the guidance above is just that; guidance. They are tips for the wider population and haven't been put together with any particular person or individual's goals in mind.

 

And for more info on HIIT have a quick read of my previous Sprints blog post here.

Loving carbs...

Luke and I recently held another Vivid Fitness Seminar where the topic was Sugars & Carbs. It amazed me that when we asked the question to the people in attendance who ate carbs before bed no one raised their hand. What was more amazing was, when asked, no-one seemed to know the reason behind why they were so worried about eating carbs at night. I am sure most of the people in the room were worried about eating carbs at all.

My favourite pre-bed meal

I see it time and time again with clients and friends; they want to lose weight so the first thing they do is cut back the carbs. I am sure if I asked them why they cut out a whole macro-nutrient group they would be unable to give me an answer.

Don't get me wrong, why wouldn't people think that carbs are the enemy with so many low carb, zero carb and carb cutting diets out in the market place. Marketing makes us all believe that to drop weight you need to drop the carbs. I was also one of the believers for a long time and it was the carb cutting/reducing that saw my weight yo-yo until I saw the light....now I am a carb fiend! Even more so now I am pregnant; I need those delicious, energy giving, yummy tasting carbs to grow a healthy baby. So if my baby needs these carbs and it is what I need to grow said baby why would I have ever allowed myself to be sucked in to believing that they are bad for me?

I am going to let you in on what I have learnt, over the years, about carbs. I am not going to talk about losing "weight" but I am going to explain why you need carbs to build a strong, lean, fat-burning furnace!!

Fact number one... Glucose {sugar} and carbohydrates are the same thing!! Our body's digestive system breaks down carbs in to glucose and it is glucose that is our body's preferred source of fuel. When we consume carbs our pancreas secretes Insulin. It is the Insulin's job to transport the glucose from our bloodstream in to every cell in our body to be used for energy. Our brain, muscles and central nervous system all rely on glucose as their main source of fuel which is why it is so important that we consume the right quantities of good quality, starchy carbohydrates s to ensure our bodies run efficiently.

When we eat excess glucose, and by excess I mean more glucose than our body needs to run at that point in time, our body converts this excess into glycogen. Glycogen is the stored form of glucose within our muscle tissue and our liver. When our blood sugar level drops between meals or when we exercise the glycogen is then used. If our blood sugar level doesn't drop, say from continuing to eat in excess of our glucose needs, the converted glycogen will just remain in our muscle tissue and be stored as fat. This is what makes us overweight.

This now brings me to two terms I read and hear a lot.... "Insulin Sensitivity" and "Insulin Resistant". We want to be sensitive and not resistant. Being sensitive means our body needs smaller amounts of insulin to lower blood glucose levels in the blood. The lower our blood glucose levels, the less glucose is converted to glycogen and therefore less likely to be unused and stored as fat. Being sensitive, in a nutshell, means our body is really effective at using glucose and stored glycogen for energy leaving very little or none to be stored as fat.

Being resistant means our muscles and liver resist the action of insulin, our pancreas then produces more insulin to try to deal with the glucose in our blood. Our body is not effective at using glucose and stored glycogen and this is then stored in our muscle tissue as fat. Another down side to being resistant is high levels of insulin in the blood can result in damage to blood vessels, high blood pressure, heart disease and heart failure.

So I am betting that everyone, at one point, has tried a low or no carb diet. I will admit that cutting back or cutting out carbs will have you lose kilos on the scales. What I can guarantee is after you have experienced the headaches, dizzy spells and bad breath that comes with cutting carbs and you simply can't take any more, you devour some delicious carbs and notice the numbers of the scales start to creep back up. Am I right?

The science behind low/no carb diets is true. Your body's preferred source of fuel is glucose as we have already discussed. When you are depleted of glucose your body will seek other sources of energy. Your body will use all the water and stored glycogen from your body and that is why you see a rapid weight loss at the start of these diets. You body will then get started on using your fat stores for energy.

This is when you enter Ketosis. Ketones are acid that form in your blood when you are depleted of glucose {less than 20grams per day} and it is the ketones that give you the light headed, tired, un-well feeling. You feel so un-well, you can't take is anymore and you eat ALL THE CARBS!! Your muscles act like a sponge and fill back up on that yummy glucose and the numbers of the scales start to go up.

During the time you have stopped eating carbs your pancreas has not had to produce any insulin. When you give your body ALL THE CARBS your pancreas then releases the insulin that your body is now not quite as good at utilising and has trouble moving the glucose from your blood stream to your cells for energy. The un-used glucose is converted to glycogen which is then converted to stored fat. Your body then produces more insulin which it in itself is bad! You are on your journey to insulin resistance. You then feel ok from all the carbs you have eaten so you start again on your low/no carb diet. The cycle starts again, your weight yo-yo's and your pancreas becomes a little less effective and you become a little bit more insulin resistant. Other side effects of this yo-yo dieting include metabolic damage, thyroid damage, muscle mass deterioration, low energy and deteriorated brain function....scary stuff!

And most low/no carb diets restrict fruit and vegetables so you are missing out on dietary fibre and all the essential vitamins and minerals our bodies need such as B-vitamins, magnesium and potassium.

And now to bust the no carbs before bed myth! People believe that when you sleep your metabolism slows down and any carbs eaten before bedtime have a greater chance of being stored as fat purely because they will not be used as energy whilst we sleep.

Yes, it is true our metabolic rate decreases during the early stage of sleep. This stage is known as REM {Rapid Eye Movement}. There are then four stages to NREM {Non-Rapid Eye Movement}. These stages are when we are in a deep sleep and our body repairs and regenerates tissue, builds bone and muscle and strengthens our immune system. It is throughout these stages of sleep that our body's metabolic rate is actually higher than our resting metabolic rate. Those carbs you consume before bed will not be stored as fat, they will be used to re-build our bodies. More importantly, they will re-build the muscle you have used in that awesome weight training session you did during the day.

I will break it down and bust the myth...The more fuel {glucose} you give your body before bed, the more your muscle will repair, the more muscle you have the higher your metabolic rate, the more calories you burn at rest. Eating carbs before bed will not make you fat!!!! They will make you a lean, mean, fat burning machine.

Carbs before bed will also result in a greater release of the hormones serotonin and melatonin which help you have a more restful, deeper sleep and reduce your cortisol response to next to nothing. Cortisol is the hormone that stops your body burning fat but that is a topic for another blog post.

The leanest I have ever been was when I consumed a portion of starchy carbohydrates with every meal! Yes, every meal, even my dinner! The carbs helped me build more lean muscle which resulted in me being heavier on the scales but carrying less fat. I was the healthiest I ever felt physically and mentally. Eating carbs and seeing how they affected my body in a positive way was one of the best experiences I have ever had. I will never cut carbs again! This is me, full of carbs...

As a general guide, I will have a fist size amount of the following starchy carbohydrates with each meal:

Brown rice
Sweet potato
Potato
Cannellini beans
Chick Peas
Lentils
Red kidney beans
Quinoa
Gluten free oats

The amount of carbs and timing of your meals will vary from person to person but what I want people to be educated on is that carbs are not the enemy and they will not make you fat! We need them for our bodies to run effectively and on the plus side they are delicious!

A kilo of brown rice & steak....yum! Love carbs and they will love you right back!!!

x

Build me muscle...

I know I sound like a broken record when I say this but....

WEIGHTS TRAINING WILL MAKE YOU LEAN!

 

It is as simple as that! Why? The more muscle you have, the higher your metabolic rate, the more calories you burn at rest. Simply put it takes more energy for your body to run when there is more muscle to maintain. Make sense?

 

Are you now asking yourself one of the following questions....

 

1. Why am I doing weights but not getting leaner?

2. Why am I doing weights but not getting stronger?

3. Why am I doing weights but my body isn't changing?

4. Why if I'm eating all the "right things" aren't I getting the results I want?

 

The answer could be that what you are eating isn't allowing you to get where you want to be. You may be training correctly, frequently and with enough intensity but if you aren't fuelling your body correctly, or are under-fuelling it, you will never get the results you want.

 

Here are my top five guidance tips for building muscle outside of the gym...

 

1. Are you eating enough?

 

Not eating enough is probably the number one mistake you can make when trying to gain muscle. The bottom line is, many women overtrain and under-eat in an effort to lose weight but what they don't realise is this can actually have a negative impact on fat loss. Keep track of the amount of exercise you are performing and how hungry you feel. If you are hungry all the time and can't think of anything else but food then chances are you are not eating nearly enough to function let alone build that beautiful, calorie burning muscle you are after. You don't want to pack on the weight too quickly as this won't be the quality lean muscle you are after but stored body fat. Try slowly adding slightly bigger portion sizes or one extra small meal a day and watch your lean muscle increase whilst you body fat decreases.

 

2. Are you eating enough protein?

If you aren't eating enough then its pretty safe to say you aren't eating enough protein. So increasing your total calorie intake is the first step but making sure you are eating the right amount of each macro-nutrient {protein, carbohydrates and fats} is the next. Failing to eat adequate amounts of protein will result in protein imbalance which will make it not only difficult to build muscle but your body will find it hard to maintain the muscle you have.

3. Carbohydrates ARE NOT the enemy
Complex carbohydrates are an essential part of any muscle building diet. Our body's preferred source of energy is cards. In a nutshell the body stores carbohydrates as glycogen in your liver and in your muscle tissues. Post-workout, when the body needs energy, the stored supply is utilised via conversion of carbohydrates and sugar into ATP or energy through the process of glycolysis.
If you have a high metabolism and have problems putting on weight, chances are your body is burning through its supply of carbohydrates quickly and efficiently. When carbohydrate levels are low, the body will switch from glycolysis to the process known as gluconeogenisis, which is the conversion of protein into carbohydrates as an energy source. This means it may begin utilising your hard-earned muscle for fuel. However, if you are providing your body a sufficient amount of complex carbohydrates {30-40% of your caloric intake depending on the speed of your metabolism as a guide} you will be able to maintain muscle and fuel recovery, repair and muscle building.
Choose complex carbohydrates, which are digested slowly and provide {low GI} sustained energy between meals. Good selections include oats, brown rice sweet potato and legumes.

4. Eat fat = lose fat
Being deficient of fat in the diet, particularly Essential Fatty Acids {EFAs}, can impede muscle building. EFAs help to preserve muscle tissue and even decrease body fat. They can also assist in amino acid uptake, increase insulin sensitivity, provide building blocks for growth factors, boost testosterone production and assist with transport of important nutrients in and out of the cells.

Try adding a portion of fat to each meal; avocado, olive oil, butter, nuts. The right kind of fats will have you feeling fuller for longer which will stop you snacking in between meals and/or over eating at the next meal!

 

5. Post Work Out growth

Do you leave the gym feeling hungry and tired? Then hear is the tip you have been waiting for! For about an hour after we finish our work-out we have an "anabolic window" and it is imperative we feed our body the nutrients it needs to recover and build muscle. Aim to consume a 2::1 ratio of carbs and protein post work out to kick start muscle protein synthesis and increase testosterone production. A good amount would be 60grams of carbs and 30grams of protein; pack a protein shake, a banana and a few rice cakes in your gym bag and away you go!

As women we are already at a slight disadvantage when it comes to muscle growth. We need the hormone testosterone to be able to build muscle and women only produce approximately 0.5mg per day whilst men produce 6 to 8mg per day. That's why it is so important to tick all the other important muscle building boxes so your all hard work in the gym doesn't go to waste!

If you have any questions about my top tips or would be interested in receiving further guidance on nutrition please don't hesitate to get in contact with me here.

7 minutes ...

We all have those days where we don't have enough time for a full on gym session. Sometimes the thought of going all the way to the gym is too much to bare. Other days, we are completely at a loss as to what to do work-out wise.

You may have seen the seven minute work-out a few weeks back on the television or in health and fitness magazines. If you didn't see it, don't panic, I have all the information you need for a short, sharp work-out that will get your heart rate up, get you sweaty, without you needing to travel to the gym and which can be done in your living room!

So I am the number one fan of HIIT {High Intensity Interval Training} and this work-out kind of follows the same guidelines. Although the work-out is called seven minutes I would suggest completely each set at least three times; that's still only 21 minutes out of your day! If you are feeling game, try for four or five rounds!

So the idea is your perform each of the following exercises for 30 seconds with a 10 second rest in between each. Below are the exercises for you to do...

A1. Jumping Jacks
A2. Wall sit
A3. Push up
A4. Abdominal crunch
A5. Step up on to chair
A6. Squat
A7. Tri-cep dip off of chair
A8. Plank
A9. High knee run on the spot
A10. Alternating lunges
A11. Push up and rotation
A12. Side plank

So the science behind the Seven Minute Work-out is that your lower body recovers whilst you are doing the upper body exercises meaning by the time you have finished that exercise your legs are ready to rock and roll and vice versa.

The intensity between the exercises changes; some are a bit more intense than others. The idea is that this allows your heart rate to come down slightly meaning you are able to perform each exercise in quick succession without compromising form or intensity.

Using your own body weight is deemed resistance training so you will be burning fat for up to 72 hours after you have completed the work-out. The best work-outs are those that work multiple muscle groups with minimal rest periods between exercises and sets so this is definitely one worth trying!

When you are done, you can relax like my little mate...

Have fun!

x