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Sunday, 12 January 2014

Protein Shakes

Hi Girls,

Hope all your fitness regimes are going well and you're sticking as best as you can to your plan! Now, protein shakes have become unbelievably popular among women as part of our diet for weight loss and recovery from training.



Why drink protein? 
Here are a few reasons why women drink protein shakes...

1. If you are watching your diet and struggle with a certain meal time you can have a protein shake instead of that meal. It's calorie controlled and you know exactly what is in it.

2. You do not get enough protein in your diet (main proteins: meat, chicken, eggs, fish) and protein is VITAL in your diet for many reasons but you will not be able to shed body fat unless you have enough protein in your diet.

3. You train a lot and you need to give your body a helping hand and recovery. So women would drink their protein shake for this reason POST workout

4. Shakes are handy and you look cool drinking them!!


Are all protein drinks the same?
NO! Like hell no!! It's like any product on the market, there are millions of versions of the same thing, so you cannot just jump onto a website, pick the protein that has pink writing and weight loss written on it and buy it and hope it's going to do the job right.

MOST protein shakes have so much sugar in them you may as well be flying through a pack of jellies every day.  You also need to look out for the carbohydrate contents, there is no point drinking a drink that is high in carbs, low in protein, full of sugar, but tastes delicious... Yeah, that's really not the point of supplementing protein.

 My favourite protein supplement:


I have researched a lot of protein brands and shakes and to be honest, it's very disappointing as I discovered the facts that a lot of proteins look great, but really they're going to do nothing for you. Now, you need to remember I'm talking about women and fat loss. Protein for men is a whole different story.








I drink: Forever Ultra Lite Aminotein Protein Shake

Why? 
1. It is considered the "Gold Standard" of protein for serious athletes of all types. 

2. It is high quality plant based protein (it is equivalent quality to dairy & eggs).

3. Low in saturated fat, and contains no lactose. Lactose is the sugar in milk. So this is DAIRY FREE!

4. It is soy isolate which is NOT the same as soya. Soy Isolate is much more bio available (your body can recognise it) than whey (whats the point in taking a supplement your body won't recognise and will just excrete?).

5. Soy protein helps to stabilise blood sugar levels, this in turn reduces hunger by lowering insulin levels making it easier for the body to burn fat.

6. Ultra's nutrients provide good support for the immune system & help maintain strong muscle strength.

7. The Ultra Lite contains Aminoteins (a unique blend of enzymes specially designed to break down protein and to ensure proper digestion and optimal absorption of amino acids). Forever Ultra is THE ONLY protein shake on the market that contains aminotein. Aminotein is bio available and is absorbed into your bloodstream within 30 minutes.

8. Optimum time to take your protein shake is roughly 30mins after your workout according to Dr.Eric Serrano. That guy is a genius so I am going to listen to his advice!



How?
I take one scoop as a meal replacement i.e. for breakfast mainly if i'm rushing or if i've ran out of eggs. I blend it in a kenwood smoothie maker with almond milk and a dash of water

Result?
It tastes amazing and I'm nice and full.

(The reason I don't take it immediately post workout is because I drink amino's (Argi+) which refuel your body post training. Aminos are amazing, but that is for another day)


"Keeping your blood sugar even is just about the most critical balancing act of your body. It not only determines your weight, it's also key for energy, stable mood, concentration and longevity" - Patrick Holford, Founder of the Institute of Optimum Nutrition 




Sunday, 5 January 2014

NO EXCUSES!

Hi girlies,

OK if getting fit is your plan for 2014, you NEED to try the Anti-Gravity Treadmill!!! You can burn over 1000 calories in 60 minutes and this is no joke! It is a great machine and if you haven't tried it, you need to!


Also, I really do reccommend gym programs and I am going to start designing fat loss gym programs for all you gym bunnies! But for extra home workouts and anyone who doesn't have access to a gym I will be uploading daily short workouts!! So stick to them!!


Lastly, make sure that you have you're 2014 progress report printed off and filled out!! I've mine done!



Download your progress report now!

Happy Sunday,
Erica xx











Saturday, 28 December 2013

New Year, New You!

Good Morning Girls!!


OK, so you can decide right this second if you want 2014 to be as good as 2013, or even better!! I know that I want to make progress this year in terms of my fitness, so if you do, I've designed a little progress report that you can download and print off. 

Now the key to making dreams a reality is to actually physically see it! So use this progress report and stick it up somewhere that you can see it every day. 


So, fill out the correct information and watch your results happen over the next 12 months! I'm looking forward to starting mine on Wednesday!! To download this PDF, please click here (dropbox)

But you see, I think this is key!


I'm also going to offer food plans and workouts for any of you girls who want kick ass this year and get where you want to be!! Please just private mail me on facebook

Have a fantastic new year and just remember...



Healthy Regards, 
Erica xx


Sunday, 22 December 2013

Tis the season to be jolly...

Fa La La La La, La La La La....

Christmas time really is the most wonderful time of the year, so... ENJOY IT!! You are allowed to indulge (a little) :)

My advice for the festive season of celebrating:




1. Nibbles! 
Nibbles are lethal, you're sipping your bubbly and before you know it you've eaten have a bag of tortillas, handfuls of salted nuts and copious amounts of Roses. Either ditch the nibbles or limit them to 1-2 swallows per drink...

2. Drink
Now, just because you're limiting your nibbles to your number of drinks does not mean you have to drink faster! Watch the booze, it'll lead to more food and an uncontrollable amount of junk the following day. I'm not saying no drinking this season, I'm just saying no binging!

3. Exercise
You know that you really don't want to wake up on January 2nd and realise that all your hard work in 2013 has been undone in two weeks! That won't be fun! Get some sessions in! Most gyms will be open and I'll put up the daily workouts for the Xmas holidays so at least thats 10-20mins a day. Trust me - you'll feel SO much better if you do it :)

4. Drink LOTS of water
Water does so many wonderful things to our bodies, but it really is vital for us when we consume alcohol! Alcohol completely dehydrates us, so it is essential that you're drinking your 2-3 litres of water per day!

5. Have fun & be jolly.


Happy Christmas
Erica xx

Sunday, 8 December 2013

Weight Training While Pregnant

Morning girls, ok one thing I need to get straight before I start, this blog is about women who are ALREADY FIT and who have ALREADY been weight training BEFORE they got pregnant :)

So, you're pregnant, you are a gym bunny and your worried about continuing your training regime in the gym? Well the first this to do is;

- Talk to your doctor (if it's a-ok to continue what you've been doing) then
- Talk to your personal trainer



There are two things that are going to have to hit home (they sound obvious, but most women need gentle reminders about it throughout their pregnancy)

1. You body IS going to change
2. Your training goals CANNOT BE about achieving your fastest time or heaviest lifts aka you training goals HAVE to be about maintaining your existing fitness level, keep strength and having fun!

"combining regular exercise and pregnancy appears to benefit both mother and baby in many ways" American College of Sports Medicine
Training throughout the 9-months


Within the first twelve weeks, I seem to find that most mothers are too nauseous to train, if thats the case then that's ok! If it's not the case then you can continue to train. You need to make sure that you listen to your body when you're training and that you're taking much longer rests (where you used to take 45 seconds change to 90 or 120 seconds).

You do need to be careful that you're not doing a serious about of impact as you are now heavier and this is going to have an impact on your joints.

In general I would just recommend basic programs which allows you to release all your endorphins, keep you happy, keep you strong and keep you lean so that you're weight gain is baby weight gain which is awesome!


An example of a pre-natal program;  

a1. Stiff Leg Deadlift x 10 reps
a2. Incline Chest Press x 12reps
120sec rest, 4 sets

b1. Step Ups x 12reps/leg
b2. Lat Raises x 15 reps
120sec rest, 4 sets


Please remember that you should be sticking to very healthy diet, just because you're pregnant doesn't mean that you're eating for two!! You should be adding about 300kcal onto your diet and more if you're training hard. Make sure that all your food is rich in vitamins and minerals, avoid processed food and continue drinking lots and lots of water!


"A physically active expectant mother would therefore have a higher caloric need, in order to compensate for calories burned off during strenuous exercise...  
well hydrated, fit pregnant women regulate their core body temperatures more efficiently than sedentary people, and undergo less temperature variation during exercise. " American College of Sports Medicine



Classes & Pre-Natal Classes


To be honest, I don't really recommend a pregnant lady attending a general class unless your trainer know's exactly how to adapt the class to tailor your. You should really be doing one-to-one training.

However, in terms of pre-natal classes - go for them!! Pre-natal Yoga and Pilates are amazing for helping mums to be become aware of their body, their breathing and their pelvic floor!! Plus they're generally relaxing and when you're pregnant YOU DO need to do relax and chill!!






TIP for your PF:


Pull your PF up as high as you can at every red light!!

" participation in regular weight-bearing exercise has been shown to improve maternal fitness, restrict weight gain without compromising fetal growth, and hasten postpartum recovery. In addition, the psychological benefits of exercise are undeniable, and should be nurtured by all who care for pregnant women. " American College of Sports Medicine

Ps. Thank you to our model above (isn't she awesome training hard!) who is 7 months pregnant and looking, training and eating great! 



Monday, 2 December 2013

Fitness Advent Calendar!



Day One!!!

Monday Evening 2/12/2013 - if you haven't trained today do this NOW (or if you have, you could be really good and do it also)

- 15 Burpies
- 20 Push Ups
- 60 Mountain Climbers
- 20 Leg Raises
- 1x30s Plan

Go on... it'll take about 4 minutes! DO IT!

If you're feeling really good.... you could do it 3 times!!!


ps. Don't dilly dally.... just do it, fast burpies and keep good technique on all!


Sunday, 1 December 2013

Fat Free for Christmas


OK, feeling festive?? Here's some fun tips to help you get through this festive season!! 

Workout for today - are you going to the gym??


Fit Festive Program 1

a1. Barbell Squat (10Reps) (elevate your heels if needed, so you're squatting ass to grass)
a2. DB Lunge & Reach (20Reps) (touch back knee down, db's in line with front foot, make sure you hit both ends of the dumbbells off the floor)
a3. Dumbbell Row (15Reps) (make sure your back is flat, tip the db's off your shoulder & pause)
45 second rest, 4 sets

b1. Back Extension w/ Reach (15Reps) (light enough plate, stretch out at the top)
b2. Decline DB Triceps Extensions (20Reps) (lock your arms out at the top)
b3. Leg Raises - Abs (20Reps) (legs straight)
b4. Upper Ab Crunches (20Reps) (pause and squeeze you're tummy at the top)
45 second rest, 4 sets

c1. Burpies (10Reps)
c2. Push Ups (15Reps)
c3. Mountain Climbers (30sec)
c4. Squat Jumps (10Reps)
c5. Lunge Hold (20sec)
c6. Plank (30sec)
NO rest! 3 sets 


Girls, enjoy!! 

Erica xx

ps, I did it yesterday, it was hard, but a good session! Make sure that you're lifting heavy enough!