Category: FITNESS

EAT FAT TO GET LEAN ?!?!

In this post I’ve attempted my very first YouTube video recipe! It’s on a healthy avocado snack-ette, the perfect dip for entertaining!

Avocado is packed with healthy fats and a good amount of dietary fiber too (27g per 100g). I often overhear someone at the gym discussing a wacky diet they’re trying out, whether it’s juicing for weeks, not eating for two days, or a trusty online purchase which ‘guarantees’ you’ll ‘lose over a stone in less than 4 weeks’… Often these ‘diets’ involve cutting out an entire food group, and any plan that claims this is a good idea sets alarm bells ringing for me! Often the food group they’ll cut is the much-demonised ‘fat’. Good fats work wonders for your skin, hair, training results and general well being. You don’t need to skip fat to lose weight – the body needs them for a range of functions;

1) Benefits of Fat:
– Growth, repair, and development of tissue, including muscle cells.
– Allows the body to absorb fat-soluble vitamins, and without fats in the diet, you can become deficient in these (vits A,D,E,K)
– Provides energy, (1 gram of fat will provide 9 calories of energy)
– Cushions organs and insulates nerve cells
– Facilitates your body’s thermoregulation (temperature control)

2) Which types are good / bad?
– ‘Trans fatty acids’ (aka ‘trans fats’) are ones to avoid. They are not natural, but rather, are artificially produced through a process called ‘hydrogenation’, of converting liquid fat to solid fat. They’re often found in margarines, cakes, biscuits and junk food in general, and are proven to increase your risk of coronary heart disease.
– ‘Saturated fats’ can be found in animal produce – butter, cream, eggs, meat etc. They’re a good fat, however too much saturated fat can affect the body’s blood cholesterol levels, which over time can fur the arteries, leading to coronary heart disease. Once that happens, there’s little that can be done to reverse the effects, so it’s best to moderate saturated fat intake where possible.
– ‘Monounsaturated fat’ is a “good fat.” It can be found in olive oil, nuts, avocado and some seeds. It can lower your blood cholesterol and decrease your risk of heart disease.
– ‘Polyunsaturated fat’ is another good fat, and mainly derives from plants, vegetable oil, nuts and oily fish.
– ‘Essential Fatty Acids’, are ‘awesome fats’, being comprised of such health buzz-words as ‘Omega 3’ (found in foods like wild salmon, edamame, walnuts and flax seed), and ‘Omega 6’ (found in vegetable oil, black beans and wild rice).

With that in mind, watch this video to make my recipe Guacamole, with metabolism-boosting chilli, healthy avocado monounsaturated fats (+ omega 3 & 6), and vitamin C / antioxidant properties of Celery!

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SKIPPING – NOT JUST FOR GIRLS !!!

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WHY TO SKIP? Skipping (or ‘jump rope’ in America) is a fantastic way to get fit! 20 minutes of intense skipping can burn 4-500 calories, not to mention the thermogenic after-effects that keep you burning calories all day! Walk into a boxing gym and it’s almost certain that all the boxers there skip – it’s not just for girls! It improves footwork, speed, coordination, stamina, agility, and it strengthens the muscles in your legs as well as your abdominal, back, chest, arms and shoulders muscles. Also it’s relatively low impact on the joints, yet high intensity, which gives a fabulous cardio workout that’s less dangerous and surely less strenuous than running.

HOW TO SKIP?  Beginners, have patience. Skipping is not something you learn the first time so don’t give up in frustration after 5 minutes – stick with it!  If you’re new to skipping, view it as a skill to learn before using it as a tool for conditioning. Once you have learned the skill you can start using it as a full-on workout! I suggest kicking off with frequent ’20-second-then-10-second-break’ skip sessions and extend the duration from there. It helps to practice in front of a mirror, viewed front and side-on. Start with the rope behind you, arms relaxed at your sides and rope on the ground. Use your wrist to turn the rope, keeping the rest of your arms as motionless as possible. As the rope approaches your feet jump lightly (from your toes) over the rope. Stay on the balls of your feet when you jump. Keep your knees slightly bent all along. It’ll feel unnatural at the start, but with a little practise, the technique will come!

WHERE TO SKIP? I recommend a shock absorbing surface – a sprung wooden floor, a gym mat, an outdoor track, or a tennis court. Theses surfaces are kinder to your ankles and feet.

WHAT ROPE TO GET? You’re spoilt for choice! Popular ropes include the speed rope, the digital rope and weighted rope. (Whatever you get make sure the length is correct. The way to measure it is to stand in the middle of the rope, & the handles should come up to your waist, lower ribs – if it reaches your shoulders it’s too long.)

a) The Speed rope: As the name suggests it’s lightweight and great for speed, great for warm ups, it’s cheap, light to carry around, but can make it harder for advanced foot work as it’s unweighted.
b) The digital rope: Through the magic of technology, it enables you to estimate the distance, revolutions of the rope and the amount of calories burnt. It’s similar to the speed rope in the way it’s so light, & therefore harder to do advanced foot work.
c) The weighted Rope:  Weighted handles are great for wrist, forearm and triceps strength.
d) Personal Favourite? I recommend the Nike weighted jump rope – it’s a bit heavier than most speed ropes & it’s great for more complicated foot work. It’s slightly more expensive, but worth the investment I think!

Good luck!

HIIT ME AGAIN !!!

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What a stunning day it was in sunny London – to celebrate it, I did a high intensity interval training (HIIT) session this morning in lovely Primrose Hill, which almost killed me! This workout is not for the faint-of-heart (literally). It involves alternating between intense bursts of activity and relatively relaxed action – the constant motion keeps your heart rate elevated. You set the level, but the main point is that you push into the anaerobic zone. Listen to your body; if you haven’t trained for a while you may find that your interval training may be alternating between power walking and jogging. Others will sprint and run. Finding your level and then slightly exceeding it is the whole point of HIIT for me.

Why HIIT?
If you’re bored of endlessly running on a treadmill HIIT is for you! 15 minutes is all you need – it’s time efficient, burns more calories in a shorter amount of time, maintains muscle whilst toasting fat, and it stimulates the production of human growth hormone (HGH) which increases calorie burn even further! You don’t even need a gym membership because it can literally be done anywhere and doesn’t require any equipment. Finally if you’re looking for a challenge this heart-healthy session will push you into the dreaded anaerobic zone leaving you huffing and puffing (probably not for more!).

My Workout:
I did a sprint up the (steep) hill followed by a super light jog back down the hill. I did 8 rounds which took c 15min. That was c. 30 sec up the hill, and then 60sec down the hill. The last bit of the hill getting up is definitely the worst!! I would love to hear what you guys think about in those seconds when all you want to do is give up. For me, it’s cupcakes!

Motivation?
One thing that really gets me going is listening to awesome music. I’m really loving Disclosure at the moment especially the songs “What’s in your head“, “Running” and “Latch“.

Wearing?
Check out this extremely fluorescent H&M pink top I’m wearing. I think it’s quite fun, great value and plus when else can you get away with wearing Barbie pink ?! Also, H&M running tights looks fitted, feel comfortable and breathable, and won’t break the bank too!

THE (KETTLE) BELLS ARE RINGING !!!

Just me, my 6kg kettle bell, and the park… combined, they give a versatile and explosive full-body workout, which builds power and burns fat! Why do kettle bells work you say? The position and thickness of the handles (hanging directly under the wrists) unevenly distributes the weight which requires more strength in the grip, & more core engagement as the weight is far more difficult to control. Dumbbells by comparison are centred and therefore balanced – kettle bells are inherently unstable; their handles protrude from one side of the sphere & act like an additional pivot point control.The ‘kettle bell swings’ keep the muscles working through the entire motion, so they work all together which avoids imbalances, and is softer on the joints / bones. So they’re great overall muscle-conditioners, & a basic 20min workout can burn up to 270 calories. They were also Gerard Butler’s secret weapon for strength and tone in the movie 300 ?

Here’s my circuit: Do 3 sets for…

CIRCUIT: Do 3 sets for each exercise listed below (10-12 reps per set), without breaks between exercises. The focus of this is on Legs, shoulders & abs.

1) One/both hands – ketlle bell swing: feet shoulder width apart, hold kettle bell with both/one hand. Swing the kettlebell up with one arm, squat down swinging the kettle bell between your legs, pause, then explosively swing it back up to eye level again. (10-12 reps each arm). Targets: shoulders, back, hip, glutes, legs

One/both hands – ketlle bell swing

2) Lunge + oblique twist: Lunge forward with your right leg (though alternate once complete), hands held out in front of you holding the kettle bell, twist from your torso in a 90 degree arc of motion, bringing kettle bell in the direction of your front-extended leg . Targets: legs, glutes, core.

Lunge + oblique twist

3) Russian Twist: Sitting on the ground, bend your legs, hold the kettlebell with both hands, lean back at a 45degree angle, rotate your torse from left to right (twisting at the waist) Almost let the kettlebell touch the ground. Targets: Abs, obliques

Russian Twist

4) Scissors: Lying down, without letting your head or legs touch the floor. Hold the weight in front of you, sit up folding your legs up simultaneously. Targets: abs

Scissors

5) Push up + one arm row: Perform a full push up, one hand holding the kettle bell, ascending keeping elbows tucked in do a one arm row. (Make sure not to lock out the elbow holding you upright) Targets: chest, arms, back and core

Push up + one arm row

6) ‘Lying getup’: Lying down, hold the kettlebell in front of you, get up, keeping feet firmly and aligned on the ground. Once up finish of with a one arm shoulder press. Targets: Situp, deep squat, shoulders.

‘Lying getup’

7) Tricep dips: Added the classic tricep dip for fun. Straight legs, shoulders back and let’s go 20 in total! Targets: triceps

Tricep dips

8) ‘Runners’: It’s cold outside, to keep warm alternate bend one leg in under you and change!

Runners!

BARRY ON TOAST ?!?

Hot on the heels of being invited to the ‘Skinny Bitch Collective’ class, I also got the call to check out the newest London workout, straight from the United States – Barry’s Bootcamp. It’s a regime that’s tried and tested by the famous & glamorous, such as Jessica Alba, Jennifer Lopez, Kim Kardashian, Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Katie Holmes, not to mention personal trainer Jillian Michaels who’s been bringing all her ‘Biggest Loser’ contestants to Barry’s for years. What could all the fuss be about?

Based in north-west London on the Euston Road, the entrance to this bootcamp-themed space (think dog-tags, camouflage wallpaper, metal military details etc.) is guarded by a friendly receptionist, and flanked by a FUEL BAR that serves up some very tasty protein shakes indeed! The studio itself, which caters for c.40 people is seductively lit in red and blue, and is equipped with 20 Woodway treadmills, who’s treads are more like the caterpillar tracks on a Howitzer tank than the belt on your average gym treadmill! They’re made from rubber T-slats, which give extra cushioning whilst maintaining the natural bio-mechanics of your stride, and are a pleasure to run on (relatively speaking!).

Though there are about 10 ‘drill sergeants’ in Barry’s London ‘platoon’, my class is lead by the beautiful Icelandic personal trainer Heidi (pictured above) – a former IFBB figure-fitness champion! I expected this class to be tough; Heidi did not disappoint. The Barry’s workout combines strength and interval cardiovascular training, leaving minimum recovery time and maximum exertion. I’d say half the time, the class was on a treadmill (c.10 minutes at a time) and the rest of the time was spent on the floor, tackling strength training. It is remarkably demanding, and you take it to your own level, but the atmosphere (lighting, group, equipment, motivating trainer, military theme) spurs you on to the next level up.

1) WHY INTERVAL TRAINING?
As discussed in my previous post HIIT ME AGAIN interval training is the optimal cardiovascular training to achieve fat burn goals. By not sticking to the same pace for the entire cardio session (whereby the body  would otherwise go into a steady state and tries to conserve energy) HIIT shocks the body by introducing different intensities, maximising time and transforming it into a fat toasting 10minutes!!

2) WHY STRENGTH TRAINING?
I’m told that Barry’s always include strength training in the class. Today was a full body workout class, taking each exercise to failure with good form. There’s very little rest after each exercise, it is either followed by another exercise or some element of additional cardio, e.g. step ups. This keeps the heart rate elevated, gives the body hardly any time to think/get bored, or indeed to object. The additional bonus of not having much rest is that you burn even more calories – perfect for unwanted fat! And muscles burn c. 15 times as many calories as fat (even at rest) which increases your metabolism yet further!

3) THOUGHTS?
Ultimately, the class is exceptionally high-energy, utterly exhausting, satisfyingly endorphine-releasing, and doesn’t allow you time to think, moan or get bored. The equipment is incredibly well-invested (really superb treadmills) and the grouped format brings out a competitive nature, encouraging you to push through those sickeningly tough sprints! Try it out!

Click here for some photos & explanations of what my Barry’s Bootcamp session involved.

Here’s the session:

A) INTERVAL CARDIO (as below)
The class began with a quick five minute warm up on the Woodway treadmills. After that the actual workout began, and was a game of constant speed / incline changes, followed by lower-intensity ‘recovery’ exertion. The treadmill workout took c. 10 minutes and during the entire 60 minutes we jumped on the treadmills three times. A typical treadmill routine looked as follows:
– 2 minutes on a high incline of – a steep uphill walk, this was then followed by
– 2 minutes on the same incline – uphill jog, followed by
– 1 minute ‘recovery’ -brisk walk. (no incline)
– 1 minute maximum effort – fast sprint (no incline)
– 1 minute recovery
– 1 minutes high incline jog
– 1 minutes walk on an incline
– 1 minute recovery

B) PUSH UPS & ONE-ARM ROW (as below)
This exercise almost trains the entire upper-body and core waist muscles, engaging them all to stabilise your position. The exertion is similar to that experienced during ‘plank’ exercises, but with added complexity for the muscles.

C) CHEST PRESS WITH ALTERNATING ARMS (as below)
The dumbbell chest press is a great chest exercise, by using various angles it will develop every part of the chest muscle.

D) ALTERNATE-STEPPING SQUATS (as below)

With the addition of a dumbbell for additional exertion, this highly dynamic, energetic exercise engages the core, the glutes, and most of the legs, to ensure a very significant calorie burn!

E) TRICEP DIPS (FEET ON A BENCH) – as below

This is an effective exercise to target the triceps brachii and pectorals. It can be done on any surface, kick your legs up to add further resistance!

F) TRICEP ONE ARM EXTENSION (as below)

This exercise works the triceps brachii. Keep your core engaged – avoid slouching or arching. It’s a wonderful way to define you upper arms more.

G) SIT UP – LEG RAISES (as below)
This was just one of a host of ab-engaging exercises in the session.

H) STEPPING SHOULDER PRESS (as below)

To get well-defined shoulders (deltoids), this twisting dumbbell press works all the shoulder muscles simultaneously, whilst engaging the core as well, through the leg-twist and balance. Great exercise for legs (quadriceps & hamstrings) and gluteus maximus. Go as fast as you can for added cardio!


I) STRETCHING & COOL-DOWN (as below)