Personal Training Time…. May 28, 2010

After moving gyms I was offered a free massage certificate when I joined, despite it taking ages (3months or so) to be given to me I thought this was pretty cool!  However I quickly managed to lose it and my kind gym manager replaced it with a free personal training session instead- far more useful.  So i had thought about just using this one month before my summer holiday to get a final fitness/toning boost but instead I’m going for it now so I can get the benefits of a tweaked work out for longer!

Have also started watching my fat intake a bit more carefully, I don’t really like much junk food or fast food but the odd sneaky snack does add up as does content in foods like yoghurt so I have become a bit more observant and hopefully will see a little benefit from it.  If I catch any shocking fat content offenders I will post them up here, so if you have any tips for avoiding the fat content let me know and leave a comment for everyone to see!

I’m also really enjoying the masses of fresh fruit available now it is summer, is much nicer waking up to a bowl of mango, melon, apple, blueberries, banana etc (or some combo of a couple) topped with (low fat!) yoghurt than my winter bowl of porridge.  Much easier to get my 5 a day!

So watch this space for a personal training update of any hints and tips I pick up!

Gym Bunny Blog

Fit Flopping into the Summer. May 24, 2010

It has definitely taken me a while to jump on the Fit Flop band wagon, I just wasn’t sure if the flip flops were cool enough for me to wear in the summer, would they look too chunky?  hmm, so I withheld from buying them but I think this summer may be the summer of the Fit Flop for me, although I wont be totally abandoning my much loved Havaianas.  What has convinced me of the Fit Flop craze?  Well I was wearing my awesome little Fit Flop boots well into summer, thanks to their major comfort they were practically welded to my feet well into May!  I can walk for ages in them and my feet don’t ache plus if I miss a gym session I at least feel I am doing something….well almost!

Now I just need to decide which ones I want!  Gym Bunny Blog xx

Power Plate – does it get your vote?

New Season, New Workout

I have definitely been a bit remiss with the blog posting, due to soaking up some beautiful weather over the last week or so.  The weather does however remind me of the impending beach/poolside/bikini marathon that hopefully will be this summer.  On that note below is my new season workout aimed at burning fat/calories and getting toned up.

Cardio: After school (when I ran cross country for the school) I had seriously gone off running BUT having become very accustomed to the EFX routine I had and not really noticing much difference in heart rate even in intervals, I have re-adopted running!  I now do interval training uphill (4 incline…its a start) at walk, jog and sprint paces.  I started at 15 mins and was shocked how difficult I found it but by the next week I was doing 20 and then 25 so this week is 30 mins of sprints, jogs etc at an incline.

Arms: To power plate or not to power plate, that has been a question I have asked for a while and had pretty much dismissed it as hearsay but having seen an old (guy) friend in the pub recently and noticing some very toned arms that he put down to the power plate I changed my mind!  So I have bee doing 30-45 seconds press ups and tricep dips and it definitely hurts so hopefully its doing something.

Those are the two main changes I have made to my routine, anything else is just a focus on arms and abs, if I find any great exercise for targeting each area I will post them!So let me know what you guys out there think of the power plate?  Is it just a gimmick or have you had real results?

Mixing It Up May 17, 2010

According to most personal trainers and gym experts it’s a good idea to change up your gym routing every 6-8 weeks.  I have probably been a bit lax with this recently having been using roughly the same routine since January BUT being boosted on by the thought of better results and stopping boredom in its tracks I set out to make myself a new routine based on my goals and areas to target!

As a side note here I am a big fan of having a personal trainer, even if not for regular sessions then to help you mix up that old routine and also push you not to cheat but having recently moved cities and not having a personal trainer willing to travel 6hours for a 1 hour session I am on my own!  So  in this case I made up my routine myself.

My last routine was based on fat burning and some stamina building for the ski season, these are a few excerpts:

45 mins at moderate pace on EFX/Cross Trainer OR 30 mins interval training on the EFX/Cross trainer.  The former may sound easy but the pace you are working out at is perfect for fat burning and you do build up a sweat…con- it gets pretty boring, especially when there is nothing decent on the built in TV!

Dynamic squats with weight: This is actually a great exercise and was really good at targeting inner thighs.  Holding a 4kg medicine ball (or whatever weight you are happy with ) above your head, and standing with feet ready for a wide squat position, bend your knees and bring the ball down between your knees, then explode upwards aiming to jump off the floor whilst simultaneously bringing the ball back above your head.  Repeat 10-15 times, 2 sets.

Ab Crunches with 4kg medicine ball: lying down with knees bent, hold the ball above your head (on the floor), then crunch up bringing the ball towards your knees, crunching your knees up at the same time, then pass the ball around your knees, then straighten your arms and legs straight on the floor.  NB bending your knees if your lower back is weak (like mine!).  repeat ten times, do three sets.

But now summer looms with its sleeveless dresses and bikinis so its time to change up the routine and target upper arms, cardio and still abs!  I will post my new routine next time!

Gym Bunny Blog

Welcome to the Gym Bunny Blog

This is a blog designed for all the gym bunnies out there who love to work out either just for fitness and to look good in that bikini or in order to be great at their sport whether it is skiing, running, rowing, swimming…

I will be updating this blog with information on my workout routines, what I find works, what doesn’t, whats worth trying and what’s worth avoiding!  My aim is that is supply new ideas and motivation for anyone who is a well worn gym user or someone just setting out on getting fit, and with bikini season looming that could be quite a few of you!  I will also update on other issue linked to health and fitness like good low fat, tasty recipes, new gym gear/ fitness gear that’s out there, new beauty products/ existing routines and fitness classes etc to try out.

I will also be taking the blog out of the gym and into the fresh air so for those of you who would rather work out outside than in I will be posting on various sports and how to prepare for them.  In the winter months I will be posting a lot on the ski season and how to prepare those thighs for a day on and off piste.  This should include guides to my favourite resorts, reviews of new equipment and of course how to target and prepare the major ski muscle groups.  There will also be posts on marathons, rowing, tri-athlons and other outside events where I will ask guest bloggers who love their sports to let you in on their tips for success.  And from the fresh air to different in door activities, I will also be blogging about other parts of my fitness regime from at home workouts to pilates and yoga.

Right now as we are fast approaching the bikini season I will be blogging on my moves for killer abs, toned thighs and the search for the ultimate flattering bikini…does it even exist?!

Ultimately while I write the blog I want it to be a forum for women to discuss what they find works for their fitness, so please add to the blog by posting your comments to help out other gym bunnies out there!!

See you in the gym

Gym Bunny Blog