Excuses

When you stop finding excuses you find your answers. The motto of weight trainers.

We fin so many excuses everyday for why we can't do something, but most of them are made up and stand in our way. Fighting through the excuses is a measure of strength unlike any other. 

Today I woke up not quite able to breathe properly and the air tasted stale (I have a cold) and I was tempted to tell myself I can't go but then I reasoned with myself. I can't breathe so I'll avoid the cardio that'll labour my breath, but I can still lift to my hearts desire. 

I'm planning to spend my whole time in the weights room. Do my squats, bicep curl on exercise ball, over head tricep on balance ball,   Shoulder/chest/leg presses, front row leg extensions and curls and my rope machine. 

I'll be able to get a good work out and everything even though I was thinking of not going, plus I can try light activity on cardio see how I do and still get a cardio workout too!!! 

What excuses have you got to drop?

Todays Gym Plan

Tonight after dinner I'm going to the gym and here's what I will be doing.
This feels like a nice balance of cardio and weights and can be altered while there to get even more out of my workout.

Warm up:

Treadmill - Increase speed up to 6 over 4 minutes hold for 2 mins, increase speed to 8 for 1.5 mins, decrease to 6.5 for 2 mins, increase to 9.5 for 1.5 mins, decrease 6.5 for 1 minute cool down 1 minute = Total 13 minutes

Main exercise:

Bike - 7 minutes resistance 5 with two 30 second sprints in the middle
Shoulder Press - 2 sets, 10 reps 5kg (I'm a little weak when it comes to this exercise) then try 10 reps, 7.5kg
Squats with Ball - 4 sets of 10
Front Row (seated cable machine) - 3 sets, 15 reps, 25kg; 1 set, 15 reps, 30 kg
Chest Press - 3 sets, 15 reps, 25kg
Reclining Bike - 10 minutes, interval training
Row Machine - 1000 meters
Leg Extension - 3 sets, 10 reps, 30 kg
Cable Tricep Extension and Bicep Curl - 3 sets, 10 reps, 15kg
Leg Press - 3 sets, 20 reps, 50kg

Cool Down:

Cross Trainer - 12 minutes, resistance 4
Stretches - Arms, back, legs hold each for 20-30 seconds

Go home feeling happy that you got off your backside XD
How would you improve tonights workout? Whats you favourite workout plan?

Paying for your sins

I was doing so well then yesterday happened.

At work they have no consideration for healthy eating or vegetarianism. There was nothing to eat. I was happy when she said chicken (possibly my favourite food) but they'd wrapped bacon round it so that was out. The other choices were lamb (don't eat any meat other than chicken) or chilli. My Lovely balanced lunch consisted of a 250ml Cola, a 330ml Lilt, smarties tube and a bowl of cooked, frozen, then recooked fries!!!
And break was a toffee crisp

I might work in a supermarket but there is no where to prepare your own food. The cook stands on the tables without wiping them afterwards. We're not even sure if she washes her hands, its that bad!! So buying basic food and preparing lunch is out unless you have the time at home, which I wish I had this time.

Dinner

My mum had cooked me a chicken Kiev for when I got in but had let and there was no side. Being so starving hungry from my 'nutritious' lunch I did something quick so grilled some baguette (loaded on starch yesterday)

The real downfall

Then my friend wanted MaccyD's. I told her not to let me have any but when she went back round for seconds I couldn't not get a yummy choc muffin. one choc muffin every now and then is fine but on top of all the other waste food earlier in the day?! 

Consequence

My devastating consequence was at 4am sitting there not knowing what was gonna happen. I felt so ill I couldn't move for 1/2hr I don't know how I wasn't sick! My body was trying so hard. Can't be certain if it was the cook or the muffin but either way it reinforced that rubbish food makes you ill!!!

For half an hour I thought I was going to throw up. When I finally got back into bed I had to make a pillow mountain so that I wasn't and it still was a close call. Going to make my own Lunch for work today and hope I can go a nine hour shift as still feeling dodgy =S but at least my meal won't make me ill!

How You Know Your Making Progress

How you know your making progress

With so many things to watch out for and so many ways of measuring improvement you might feel like your making no improvement at all, but sometimes the biggest improvement comes from how you feel. There isn't a scale or measurement for that one!!!

Scales are good for weighing mass but not a great deal else. If your doing a full body workout, strengthening or just starting It can feel like your making no progress or even going the wrong way but its could just be your body holding on to more water so you don't dehydrate while exercising.

Important to remember: Muscle is denser than fat!!!!

So just because the scale doesn't move doesn't mean there isn't a difference

Calipers give you a good idea of how much of your body weight is fat and gives a better indication of how much difference you can achieve. even if that scale is making you feel down body calipers can show you how much you've toned up!

Before and after images are the best visual way to see your progress. This picture explains so I need say nothing more

My Favourite method Personal Milestones. So today at the gym I was using the treadmill. instead of my normal time of 10 minutes I pushed my self just that little bit further and went for 12. Recently the fastest I could jog was 7.5kmh but yesterday I managed to hold a jog at 10kmh. Not the whole jog at that speed but intervals at that speed which is much faster than I ever managed before. I have lost or the core strength I used to have so the plank, being able to hold it for just five seconds longer each time shows I'm improving. And being able to lift either at a higher weight or the same weight but at higher reps shows that your body is getting better. But don't just stop there - every exercise should never be easy or your not doing it right. Push yourself to your limits or you wouldn't make a difference!!

Achieving your personal milestones makes you feel good, proud or your accomplishment and that's how I prefer to measure my progress how many of those moments am I feeling?!

How you know your not making progress
When you do a great workout and your friend drives you to McDonald's =( never mind back to the gym tonight!

How do you like to measure you progress??

Disclaimer: These images are not mine and I do not own any rights to them - They just illustrate my points precisely

We All Start Somewhere

Beginnings

This is the start of my blog for measuring my progress in becoming fit, sharing great recipes and tips and hopefully inspiring myself and others to carry on.

I'll be sharing tips from my favourite Intsagram accounts as well as great health tips from publications such as women's health, recipes I have concocted, workouts I have done and progress pictures!

Day One: 

5'3", 95 KG, Size 16/18 UK

Sorry about dodgy picture quality

Will post again soon; not sure yet if it'll be progress or nosh first though