January always seem to generate a kick start in health
regimes and fitness programmes. As I’ve changed jobs recently I
have more time in the evenings so really no excuses not to get to the gym frequently. I’ve joined the local Virgin Active (which I have to walk
past to get to the station anyway), and am making sure I can see my PT once a
week.
Squats
At the moment we’re working on my squat form (I won't bore you with the details but I have a long torso and short legs so my form suffers the heavier I squat). We’ve tried different variations (back squat with a lighter load, front squats, goblet squats) but the
overhead squat seems to be the one which has yielded the best results in a
relatively short amount of time.
As well as having direction from my PT, I’ve also been
reading around the subject myself and would recommend
Starting Strength by Mark Riptoe (also available on the Kindle) as a good all rounder
for reference. He goes into a lot of detail on the ideal squat position
and I have to admit, I did have a light bulb moment when he explained that you
should lead with your shoulders. It seems so simple but I always associated squatting with being
a lower body movement but actually leading with your shoulders means you’ll
drive up more fluidly – for me anyway.
I’ve also been paying more attention to my mobility
work and am gradually holding my third world squat for a longer period of time.
Circuit Training
As well as leg day (squats and deadlifts) and an upper body session every
week, my gym also offers “fast classes”. I
usually do 2/3 20 minute sessions back to back. This could be
Kettlebells, Core and
ViPR, or ViPR and
TRX. The classes are like circuit
training which definitely keeps my interest. There can be 2-12 people in a class so the instruction varies but it’s
also been a good way to meet some new people which is always fun.
One of my favourite circuits to do is this
30 minute Kettlebell workout which I found on Pinterest – a great resource for finding
workouts, circuits and most importantly...
Motivation
As if paying for a gym membership in this economic climate
isn’t motivation enough! I’m lucky that my gym is kitted out
with great equipment, varied classes, a pool, jacuzzi, sauna, steam room and
supplies your toiletries. It is seriously a joy to go to, however we all
have those days when we just can’t be bothered. Here are some other
motivation techniques I use to head those off!
Fitocracy – a fantastic app for tracking your
routines and PBs. You can also interact with other “fitocrats”.
More on Fitocracy later...
Instagram – I follow a lot of fit Instagrammers. That way if I'm ever unsure about going to the gym I can check my account and get instant motivation!
Training Calendar – I started this a few weeks
ago. It’s a really basic visual way of seeing how often I’m
making it to the gym or am doing some form of exercise. January is
looking ok, but I want to be averaging 3 times a week in February.
Diet
I don’t
know about anyone else, but I find it hard to lose inches/weight (whatever you
are tracking) without exercising and watching what I eat in tandem. The best
way for me to do this is by tracking my calories on
My Fitness Pal.
During the week I tend to follow a low carb/clean diet. No sugar, processed
foods, white bread etc – but at the weekend I have a day off and eat what
I like. I find it comforting to know that I can have that Bounty I’ve
been craving all week at some point, rather than never! I’m also
realistic about my calorie counting. Some days I’ll go over if I’m
out for dinner or it’s a special occasion, but I know I can get on track
again.
I recently watched this short YouTube video created by the
founders of Fitocracy which talks through nutrition and dieting. I found
this really helpful and it got me back to thinking about weight loss/inch loss
being simply calories in less than calories out – something I seem to
forget every now and then.
For those who don’t have time to watch the
video (although I would urge you to) these were the highlights for me:
Maintenance calories are as follows:
15 x body weight in lbs for men
14 x body weight in lbs for women
i.e. if a woman weighs 140 lbs then her daily calories
for maintenance would be 1960.
If 1lb of fat is 3500 calories then in order to lose this
amount per week you need to shave 3500 off of your weekly intake, so 500
calories per day. This means the woman who weighs 140 lbs and wants to
lose 1 lb a week should be eating 1460 calories per day in order to do this.
Simples.
This is not the only information covered in the video, it
also goes into details on the types of diets (paleo, low fat, high fat, carb
loading) so definitely worth a watch.
So over to you? Have you recently started at the gym,
or are you continuing with an existing programme? How do you get
motivated?
You can read more about strength training in
my previous post.
