Cross Fit... Yay or Nay?

Hellooooo,

Ok so CrossFit has gotten HUGE lately, and I felt it fitting to write my blog this week on CrossFit as we have just purchased an AWESOME 4 bay double sided crossfit rig for The Gym Howth!

CrossFit has some really brilliant ideas. It is a really social and team based form of training, and CrossFit athletes seem to have a great team mentality. They push each other hard…. Maybe sometimes a bit too hard. A major strength of CrossFit is that it helps people in the gym who might not like training alone.

Things I like about CrossFit:

1. They work their asses off!

2. They use the big lifts. Squats, Deads, Chins, Olympic lifts.

3. They eat well.

4. They don’t make excuses.

5. They have a huge focus on mobility work, stretching and foam rolling.

Some things that might be a problem for people doing CrossFit:

1. Technique can be quite bad. (This is not exclusive to CrossFit, there are bad coaches in every sport)

2. Exercises can be too advanced for the “athlete”.

3. Program design can be pretty bad also. I’ve seen videos online of people testing their 1RM Deadlift before moving onto 1RM Snatches. That’s just bad. Again, this is not exclusive to CrossFit.

Overall I think it is great. It has gotten a massive number of people up off their asses and taking an interest in their health. As with any sport, there is a likelihood of injury. But I do think that it suits the more advanced trainee.

I feel most people would find it far more beneficial to get Personal Training and proper coaching focusing on structural balance, good technique and workouts that are unique for what each individual is looking for. A good Personal Trainer will design a program that are tailored for YOU – this is the difference between people who train and get results and people who train and don’t get results.

Happy Training,
Erica xx

Granola Bars... and crumbs

Looking for something quick and handy to keep in the press and have with a cup of tea?

Here is my recipe for healthy granola bars :) Here are all the ingredients that you'll need!

Now, I know that all these ingredients make it look like it's a lot of effort, but it's really not. If you go out and buy all these seeds then they'll keep for whenever you need them (and they're not that pricey)

These are the one's that I buy in Aldi:

Use the protein shake scooper...

One scoop for these four:

Two scoops for these three:

Three scoops of these two:

So put all of the ingredients in a bowl and then add the wet ingredients!
- Almond butter (1 tbsp)
- Almond milk (40ml)
- Coconut Oil (2 tbsp)

Blend them all together, put in a tin and in the oven (gas 6) for 40 minutes :)

They are delicious and you can enjoy them with a cup of herbal tea .... healthy and filling and full of fibre to help your digestive system work properly!

Happy Sunday

Good morning everyone,

OK, so yesterday I attended a Success Day; this is a special day that the company I work with organises for everyone to enjoy and learn, leaving feeling inspired and positive - it's awesome, BUT what I found super-amazing was a speaker that I had the honour of listening to - Molly Harvey. A Waterford woman who is truly inspiring, so I wanted to share some of the tips she suggested and I highly recommend you finding her and attend some of her seminars or read some of her books :)


Three things that I took on board :)

1. No Excuses

Who is guilty of saying "I'll start eating healthy tomorrow" or "I promise I'll go to the gym on Monday.."??

Now, we all know that excuses get us NOWHERE! We have to ditch the excuses! So I thought that this was a fantastic idea - an excuse box!

Catch yourself making an excuse and jot it down. Do this for 21 days. After 21 days, open the box and you'll see very quickly where you make the most excuses in your life! Now is that not a fantastic idea?

2. STOMP STOMP

Although everyone goes through challenges throughout their lives, everyone one of us have many things to be grateful for :)

So, first thing in the morning, when you awake, swing your legs out of the bed and stomp one foot onto the floor at a time and say "Thank You".

Say two to three things every morning that you are grateful for.

3. Get a grateful buddy!

Pick a person to be your grateful buddy - every morning when you wake up text your grateful buddy the two to three things that you are truly grateful for, then your buddy texts you theirs back.

Do this for 66 days.

Your outlook on life will change and I truly believe that.

The power of positivity is unbelievable. I used to be a negative person, always putting myself down. I actually used to assume the worst would happen in situations and if it didn't that would be a great bonus - how negative!

I am not like that anymore. When you re-train your thinking to become positive, your life will change.

You need to look up - Molly Harvey (she is truly awesome)
Please bare in mind there were LOADS of other fantastic tips and life lessons but these were the top three that I think everyone should know!)

Think positive. Be positive. Let your life change. 

Erica xx

PS. If you want to be a part of these positive success days, please email me on facebook/skinnymini and I can show you how to build your own business with no overheads, generate more income, develop personally and attend these fantastic trainings and seminars and work with me - yipee :)