Spotify for training

Good morninggggggg...!

Okay, so as we all know, music makes such a massive difference to our workouts, so my question is;

Do you use Spotify?

If you don't... you NEED to! Spotify has awesome playlists, so many, no matter what mood you're in, spotify will have a playlist to suit what type of workout you're going for! Whether it's feel good, fast for cardio or motivation for weights, Spotify will really help keep you going!

I know this sounds pretty obvious, but also having good powerful earphones are a must too! There's nothing worse than low quality music in your ears!

I feel that sometimes if I'm not in the form to train (which is normal), if I force myself into The Gym and just put in my earphones with a great playlist, I find that after 2 minutes, my heart rate is going, I'm warming up and boom - off we go!

Here are three cool Spotify playlists that I have on the go at the moment :) One is Dancey, one is a general pop mix and the last one is a punk rock throwback with some classics!!

http://open.spotify.com/user/blancoynegromusic/playlist/089GyNArqFs9lvrSkp7XVm

http://open.spotify.com/user/12123631385/playlist/1C1yZ3aDDBG5YLRNQrrzwT

http://open.spotify.com/user/11121811457/playlist/6k0Iz4Ge2SNzWHnKvcHhGy

Enjoy!

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 

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 :) :)

Have you gone up or down since January??

Well girls.... HOW are your progress reports coming along????

If you have a look at mine, you'll see only a very little change BUT in February I actually went UP!! Damn you February!! So to be down.... even if it's only slightly down... it's still down!! Plus, it shows I'm not lying to you and just saying I got results the whole time, because I AM HONEST!!

Small achievements over time, lead to a big achievement over the year!!

So, print off your one and have it so by next January you can see a big physical change!!!!

Also, I came across this really cool goal workout download on pinterest!!

So, I downloaded it so you guys can download it and pin it on your fridge to remind you to train!!!

USE IT!

Have another great training week! June is the next deadline for being below 15% for me... Whats your goal for June 2014?!

Erica xx

ps: I have been getting loads of emails from girls looking for some food/training advice, so if anyone else wants to send on some things, feel free to do so and I shall and get back to you as fast as possible!

pps: I ATTEMPTED to make healthy gluten free cookies.... with coconut flour, stevia and dark chocolate:

They were rotten!!! However, I will try again... and when I get tasty healthy cookies - you'll be the first to know about them :)

#healthieselfie

Hi,

So I spotted this idea on Instagram from Sweaty Betty (a fantastic company with a brilliant gym gear collection) and I thought it was pretty awesome!

#healthieselfie
So as you know "selfies" are everywhere (if you don't know, a "selfie" is a picture of you taking a photo of yourself) BUT I think that #healthieselfie is a much better idea!!

Here are some of mine (obviously if you're doing something revolved with fitness, you may need to get someone else to take your picture):

Why not Instagram me your #healthieselfie @ericabrennanblog

Chat soon,
Erica xx

Pretty Pilates

What is Pilates?

Pilates is a pretty much full on abs session. Pilates is a mat based class that focuses on your core muscles - your abdominals.

3 Factors for Pilates Success

There are three REALLY important factors to Pilates;
1. Breathing
2. Core Contraction
3. Neutral Spine

1. Breathing is vital... thats a general statement. But it is vital for training Pilates properly. You need to slow your breathing down and visualise your breathing cycle.

Breath in (through your mouth) - 4 counts in
Breath out (through your mouth) - 4 counts out

Try this:
Slow your breathing down and start breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth. Four counts in, four counts out. Now imagine when you breath in that all the oxygen goes in through your nose, travels right down into the base of your lungs and your inhalation allows your rib cage to expand. When you exhale, slowly, allow all of the carbon dioxide to leave your body through your mouth, allowing your rib cage to knit back together. The technical term for this is:  breathing lateral thoracic.

2. To an onlooker, pilates can look really really easy, but if you're practicing it properly, then it can be quite challenging. There are two steps to engaging your core fully.
          Step One:
          Pull your belly button into your spine.
       
          Step Two:
          Pull your pelvic floor up an inch, so that you can hold onto it.

The result should be a tight feeling in your abs. If you're breathing properly you should be perfectly able to engage you core, perform the movements and breath all at once.

3. Finding you Neutral Spine is the final piece of the pie for Pilates. Neutral Spine is where you have a tiny gap under your lower back (where you could fit your finger tips under your lower back). It is vital to be performing exercises with proper posture, so being aware of your N Spine is very important.

Try this:
Lie on your back, bend your knees and place your feet on the floor, shoulder width apart. Check your head is on the floor, chin is into your chest, shoulders are shrugged back and flat on the floor, your abs are engaged and you're breathing properly.

     Breath in = prepare
     Breath out = push your lower back flat on the floor
     Breath in = release, arching your lower back  
     Breath out = push your lower back flat on the floor
     Repeat

N Spine is half way in between those points, where you could fit your finger tips under, it's as if you're standing tall with good posture.

These three factors are a great way to train yourself to exercise properly. I think that everyone should do Pilates, it teaches you the basics of how to create posture, breathing and core contraction to improve whatever training regime you like.


Whats the difference between yoga & pilates?

We love Yoga too :)

Ps: Home Workouts Coming Soon...

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

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!