THE LBD WORKOUT
We all want to fit into our LBD’s over the festive season with plenty of parties to attend. Make sure that this year you aren’t squeezing into a dress that’s slightly too tight or playing it safe by wearing a size too big, look good and feel great in your body.
Be comfortable with revealing your legs and arms in a shorter, sleeveless number. For those perfectly sculpted legs try narrow leg squats with a calf raise at the top. 5 sets of 20 repetitions three times a week will do the trick. Our commonly known ‘bingo’ wings are most women’s problem areas in the upper body. These are your triceps. Tricep dips off a chair, step, edge of your sofa or bed can help to tone this area. Again, 5 sets of 20 repetitions at least three times a week will help to tighten this problem area.
GOOD DIETS Vs FAD DIETS
A previous article I published broke down in detail good diets and fad diets. It educated about good fats, bad fats and good carbs and bad carbs. In a nutshell, fad diets cannot be maintained as they usually leave you feeling lethargic, hungry, grumpy and demotivated. This is due to the fact that they do not include all the nutrients your body needs or not enough of them to function properly. A detox style diet is great for the short-term to flush all the toxins out of the body but for the long-term, eating well and healthily should become a way of life, a total lifestyle change. You’ll discover that eating well, including all the correct foods into your diet, means your body won’t crave sugar and junk foods. Believe it or not you’ll find yourself craving for green vegetables and proteins.
THE WEIGHT TRAINING MYTH
There is a myth amongst women that weight training will automatically make you bulk up. This is 100% not the case unless you are lifting seriously heavy weights on a regular basis, eat way more calories than you burn and take supplements. Weight training is a fantastic calorie burner and great for toning up. If you pick up heavy things, and eat a caloric deficit (and eat the right kinds of food – actual healthy foods), your muscles will get stronger and denser; you will burn the fat on top of your muscle, and you will get that “toned” look that you’re after. You can focus your workouts on the different muscle groups for example one day you can focus on training your legs and on another day focus on the upper body. A fairly low weight that still challenges you, with high repetitions forms the foundation of great weight training for women.
You can burn as many calories when you weight train, even more, than when you do a high-impact cardio session. So if you have been afraid, due to this myth, give it a go. I assure you, you will love the results.
NEW YEAR, NEW YOU
The New Year means a fresh start, a new beginning, a great time for a new you! So what can this exciting time mean for you? Make more time for yourself to do the things you love? Reach your personal goals of living a healthier and a more active lifestyle?
The best thing to do is set yourself goals and a timeframe for achieving these, once they’ve been achieved, set new goals! This will help you to stay motivated, focussed and on track.
Try new forms of exercise such as Tabata training. It is important to keep your exercise regime varied. This is to allow the mind and body to continually be challenged.
Why not try and change your career this New Year? Our Personal Training Courses are a fantastic way to shake things up; what are you waiting for?