Personal Training for the Beach Body July 13, 2010

So a few weeks ago I had a personal training session to get some new tips for toning to be beach body ready and I said I would share if I got any handy new tips!  As well as a new abs exercise and a new CV routine I was also able to get some advice on targeting my bikini problem area (hips and butt- more on this in a second), so what did I learn?

CV- Rowing! I haven’t been on a rowing machine in a long time but I hopped on and did some interval training which was really good and made a change from the EFX/treadmill combo I have been doing of late.  The most important thing is to make sure you are using your arms and legs properly and not jarring your back.  I did (do) ten minutes of intervals on this, 30-60seconds as fast as I can go to the same time rest period.  I will also do another 10-20 mins on the EFX and/or treadmill as well just to keep the cardio work up there.

Abs- On the half ball, make sure you have your butt right at the edge and don’t cheat by bringing your elbows forward of your head (doing this stops using your abs and uses your back and arms muscles instead…!).  Do as many crunches as you can, repeat 3 times.

Weights to target hips/outer thighs and but – Whilst I don’t have a particular hang up about this area I do think it’s the area that lets down my bikini body a bit!  So I have been using the hip abductor and abduction machine.  These are the machines where you wither squeeze the pads together or push them apart with your leg strength.  I can really feel them targeting the muscle groups so I hope to see some real results.  At the moment I am using starting weights of 50-60kgs and doing 3 reps of 12, sometime varying the weights up or down depending on leg strength.  As well as these two exercises I have also been using the Smith machine for squats and lunges- I could hardly walk the day after training so evidently this is working to.  I have been using 12.5-15kg per side of the bar for squats and about 10-12.5 for lunges, again 3 sets of 12 for each exercise.  For the squats make sure you are sitting back as though you are trying to sit on a chair, also in lunges make sure your knee doesn’t go past your toes and if you want to target your inner thighs in lunges take a wider/diagonal stance.

It was definitely a good idea to have this session and I may try for another one before the holiday at the end of August!  During the session I was also reminded of how easy it is to cheat in some exercises and how to avoid this- so see the next posting on cheating to make sure you are not!

See you in the gym

Gym Bunny Blog

Bikram Yoga July 4, 2010

When we moved to the big smoke my boyfriend discovered Bikram Yoga (yoga performed in a hot – 30-40 degrees – studio) and I soon decided to tag along and have been hooked ever since.  The yoga focuses on your core stability and flexibility (aided by the heat) and due to the strenuous nature of the poses often raises your heart rate and breathing, and therefore has great CV benefits too.  Each Bikram class you follow the same 26 poses for 90 mins, which the instructor talks you through.

Apart from the great stretching and core work out which has, like pilates, helped my back I have also noticed that my thighs have benefited too and are definitely more toned and lean.  You also use your arms quite a lot during the poses which is great for combating any bingo wings.

Beginners often find the heat pretty intense and can get dizzy but sitting down and sipping water usually helps and you do get used to the heat after a few classes.  There are some simple rules to follow, however, so that you don’t feel too ill during class: never eat a big meal before hand (the blood will still be at your stomach and you will get light headed) likewise try not to fill your stomach with water before hand either, drink plenty of water up to one hour before class then sip water for the last hour, if you are hypoglycaemic have a small snack before like an apple or coconut water to keep you going, don’t drink water in the first 25mins of class if you can, once past 25mins don’t glug water just sip otherwise it will sit in your stomach making you feel sick and finally unless you are a masochist never ever go with a hangover!

Bikram isn’t very widespread in the UK, apart from London, but there are likely to be more studios opening up all the time as demand increases so keep an eye out for one coming to a town/city near you.  Classes cost about £13 for a drop in session with many offers  for longer class options and trial periods, so give it a go!

See you in the studio!

Gym Bunny Blog xx