Flattering Gym Gear :)

Morning Girls,

Good gym gear is SO important! It makes such a difference to your workout! If you are comfortable, training is so much easier! No one needs the stress of worrying about your leggings going see-through when you squat!

So here are some of my favourite, FLATTERING pieces that are on the market at the moment :) Some of the gym gear out there is deadly looking but those designs are ok for some, but they don't really suit me!  I like classy, steady and flattering gym clothes :)

ps. These are all my favourite gym labels!

Nike.com

Lululemon (their tops + bottoms are amazing!)

Stella (her runners are fantastic)

H&M

My favourite's are the stella and lululemon because the quality is fantastic. They wash well and they will last you years!!! I have some gear that I got 6 years ago that still look new. However, if you're on a budget,  the h&m + Nike stuff are pretty cool too!

I was out at the Nike Outlet in Blanchardstown, Dublin. It is fantastic! The stuff is such good value and their range of runners is overwhelming!

Have a lovely BH weekend,
Erica xx

Hot Yoga?

Good morning :)

Right, so over the last number of years, I have developed a love for Hot Yoga. I have always loved Yoga and Pilates (which is what I first trained in, when I entered the fitness world), but doing them in heat is even better!

One of my goals (I write them down, it's always a good idea to put your goals on paper) was to actually own a hot yoga studio and this week, it opened! So they have started in our gym "The Gym Howth". www.facebook.com/hotyogahowth 

Why Hot Classes?

Well, firstly because they are just plain AMAZING!! They are amazing for your mind, your body and of course for fat loss! One of the main reasons I was attracted to hot classes in the first place was... because it was something different! It doesn't interfere with strength training, actually it'll enhance your weight training because hot classes are fantastic for increasing flexibility and mobility. Flexibility and suppleness helps ALL types of fitness and sport training.

If you love the heat, then you'll love hot yoga. It is challenging - but who doesn't love a challenge! These classes are hard, but you feel such a sense of accomplishment when it's over and as the weeks go on, you'll be impressed with how much you've improved.

Ps. Jen loves Yoga...We love Jen...

I mentioned fat loss... yes, it is superb for burning fat and losing weight. Why? Because your body temperature rises, increasing your metabolism which in turn helps you burn more fat. And eh, not to mention, you sweat like crazy (but everyone else in the room does too, so it's nothing to be ashamed of).



What is the difference between our studio and other one's?

The heaters. When I started researching hot studios I discovered something very important. The heaters. A lot (not all) of hot yoga/pilates studios in Ireland have blow heaters. The problem with blow heaters is that, it leaves the room patchy. This means that you could be somewhere in the room and you could be cooking with the heat and you could be somewhere else and you would be lukewarm.

We invested in inferred heaters (from Denmark). These are panels that are on the ceiling. They heat up and project the heat onto the floor which means that everywhere in the room is a certain temperature. No patchy-ness.

What I noticed was, that you are roasting, but you are just hot, you can't feel where the heat is coming from in comparasin to blow heaters where you can actually feel the hot air coming towards you!


Other things to know about Hot Yoga
Bring water. This is key. You need to stay hydrated. Also bring a big towel that you can lie out on your mat and bring a sweat towel (no explanation needed for this). You get all the mental and physical benefits from regular Yoga in Hot Yoga. So prepare for 60minutes of pure calmness.

www.facebook.com/hotyogahowth 


Namaste 

Cheat Clean - Pizza Time!!!

As promised... A cheat clean Pizza. This recipe was donated to me by Terri Mulqueen :)

It is AMAZING!!! It actually tastes like pizza!!!! Here is a pictured, step by step recipe!

Enjoy xxx

69 Day Challenge

Hi Girls,

Today, I wanted to share with you four things:
1. Forever Fit Program
2. Nobo
3. Clean Chicken Pizza
4. Skinnymini Club


1. Forever Fit Program
So, I wanted to share with you, what i'm doing at the moment! I always try and eat healthy, I rarely drink any alcohol (maybe 5-6 times a year), I take high quality supplements (foreverliving - they are the rolls royce of supplements) and I train. However, I still wanted to try this 69 day program, just so I could update all of you on how it works :)

So, here's a little video I have made on it:

Forever Fit Program

I am finished the C9 and am now on the Fit 1. I'll be posting up more info on that soon :) I am delighted with my results so far + I will give you a break down of them during the week (I'm still a bit busy, moving gym is a busy time...) For more on this, check www.facebook.com/foreverfitprogram

2. NOBO:

Girls, you HAVE to try this, it is delicious!!!

It's made with:
- Coconut Milk
- Honey
- Avocado
- Cocoa Powder
- Water
- Toasted Almonds
- Irish Sea Salt
(and of COURSE i'm going to attempt to make it...)

3. Clean Chicken Pizza

I'm going to post this up later - brace yourself! You can now have pizza and not feel guilty :)

4. Skinnymini Club
Basically, I have set up a private group on facebook, where people post up recipies and general fitness and health ideas and plans. It's fantastic for motivation and listening to like minded people. If you would like to hop into it, please add me on facebook + I'll add you to the group. Please feel free to invite any of your pals into it :) The more the merrier! www.facebook.com/ericabrennan.pt

I'll be back later with the Pizza :) :)

2-5% Body Fat... Byeeeee

If you've been following my blogs for the past 4 weeks and sticking to each weeks tip... You're probably down about 2-5% bodyfat by now, so well done :) If you haven't... Read todays and click through tip one to four (I promise they're not long).... 

So last Beach Body Tip for summer 2015!

Focus on Food Quality & Up Your Protein

There is no special or secret formula to having a good body composition: A high-quality, high-protein intake, a lot of vegetables, beneficial/good fats, and other nutrient dense REAL foods.

Why is this way of eating so effective for reducing body fat?

First, whole foods require more energy for the body to digest and utilize than processed foods... hence why processed foods are a no go! They are also more filling and haven’t been scientifically engineered to stimulate food intake, so you eat fewer calories without even trying.

Second, eating a high-protein diet and lower-glycemic carbs leads people to eat fewer calories, and it maintains lean muscle mass for a higher metabolic rate. Proteins make you feel fuller faster... You wouldn't sit down and have four steaks in one sitting, but you could easily have four slices of cake... This makes a huge difference when you are trying to lose bodyfat!

If you make the mistake of cutting your calories without upping protein, you will lose muscle along with the fat, so the amount of calories your body burns at rest plummets. This will cause you to gain the fat back very rapidly once your diet is over and you increase your calories. This is why yoyo starvation diets DO NOT WORK!

How To Do It: 

Eat high-quality protein and fat at every meal, focusing on getting 10 grams of essential aminos acids. This is most easily done by eating meat, fish, or eggs because animal products are more amino acid dense than plant proteins.

De-emphasize carbohydrates, getting the vast majority of carbs from veggies and fruit.  If you go very low in carbs (below 50 grams a day, for example) consider cycling whole food carbs, such as starchy veggies (potatoes, sweet potatoes) or boiled grains every 5-7 days. NOTE: THIS IS NOT RECOMMENDED LONG TERM! This will only work in short term, and I am in no way telling you to go this low carb all year round, but in short term goals, it works. I would recommend majority of your carbs post workout, when you are more insulin sensitive!

So that's it!!

Erica xx

*** STEP 4 *** Get your summer body ready to rock

Hi Girls,

I hope you're all enjoying the bank holiday weekend! Things have been very busy for me lately. I'm in the process of opening a new gym (that is really busy) and I'm just back from an amazing event in the o2 in London. I work part time for myself with a company called Forever Living and they just paid for myself and my partner to fly to London and enjoy the amazing event that they hosted. I am going to write a blog up on how I work my Forever business as you know how important it is not to be stressed.

Stress will completely inhibit your ability to drop body fat. Forever really stopped me from getting stressed about money. I pump everything I've got into the gym so it'll grow and become an amazing fitness destination. Forever has given me the opportunity to work my gym full time and work my Forever business part time (5-10 hours a week) yet earn a full time salary. It's amazing. Needless to say, email me if you would like to see the business presentation online :) However, I'll be back on more of that...

Today...

*** STEP 4 ***

#2: To Put on Muscle, Focus on “Stressing Out” Your Muscles

This is really important = The more muscle you have, the less fat you have.

There is a misconception out there that " muscle turns into fat ". This is untrue. Muscle and fat are two completely different substances. Steaks don't turn into chicken breasts if uneaten!

Therefore the goal is to gain muscle (we don't need to look like Arnie, but muscles are good....)

If you want to build muscle, you need to apply a lot of “stress” to the muscle... we do that by weight training. This will cause the muscle to adapt and grow stronger. In general, training is putting stress onto your body making your body work harder and in turn your body will react by growing stronger muscles and the more muscle you have, the less fat you have.

How To Do It: 

Most people don’t do things... like tempo, volume, and intensity when training. You need to start!!

Count the tempo of every exercise and focus on longer time under tension to build muscle—(a great one is 4 seconds eccentric (down) and 4 seconds concentric (up).

Also, alternate between high-volume training (at least 4 sets of 8-10 reps) and high-intensity training (4-8 sets, 4-6 reps) every 2 to 3 weeks.

You are going to be in great shape in no time if you follow these simple steps!!

When I was in the UK, Forever announced their latest fitness program. It's a decision, not a diet. It works all around healthy fats and proteins, taking high quality supplements and keeping your gut clean. They introduced their latest product called "Therm" (this is going to be AMAZING!)" Therm, raises your body heat which in turn produces more GH (growth hormone), which in turn burns more fat. If you have every done one of my weight training classes, you'll notice that I keep the windows closed, this is again the same idea. The warmer you are and more GH you produce. Anyway my point is, that this program isn't on sale yet in Ireland, BUT I got to buy a pack of it, so guess what I'm starting it tomorrow. It is a 69 day plan to train you how to eat clean, exercise and supplement correctly. It'll be amazing! I'm hoping that Forever F.I.T program will get my down to 12% body fat!

So i'll keep you posted in that!

Happy Sunday, don't eat junk!
Erica xx (ericabrennan.pt@gmail.com)

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