MMA boot Camp

Well some of you have heard me talk about Toby before... he is the Personal Trainer i started with and who changed my life so dramatically that i became a PT myself. Well i still see toby... wether its for a booster PT session (we all loose motivation some times) a sports massage for one on my mainy niggles, or just for a chat on how i can progress myself.
Well a few weeks ago Toby started talking about doing a MMA (mixed martial arts) boot camp, 4 weeks 3 group sessions a week (at 6.30am i may add)..... so i thought what the hey, ill sign up... i love training with toby anyway, and the car accident i had last autumn has played havoc with my training so it will be a good boost to get me back on form... not to mention i can pinch a few ideas for my clients :-)

well we started last week.. ive gotta tell you im not a fan of 5.30am wake ups and i will be glad of getting back to a normal sleeping routine but i dragged myself up, got ready, walked the dog and headed to tobogym.

i walked in to see matting, punch bags, ladders and much much more and the huge grin on tobys face told me we were in for a tough session!

Now here i will introduce you to the Sprawl! this is somewhat like a burpee (and we all know how much we love those!!!) but you get your hips low to the ground they are used in MMA to avoid a punch, grab whatever and allow a quick gettup. These were to become my nemesis! now one is no problem ... even 3 or 4 in a row... if only things were that easy! every time Toby shouted and i heard the word SPRAWL my heart sank a little..... but i kept fighting through.. this and shadow boxing, boxing, kicks and whatever else toby had to throw at us.

by the end of the session i was pouring with sweat and laughing hysterically (always a theme in tobys sessions) and looking forwards to the next beasting... or so i thought.

Tuesday morning came... and along with it the dreaded DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness).... my body had not felt this way in a long time my glutes were screaming, my deltoids burning, and my ABs... well you get the picture.

However after the next two sessions of the first week i was no longer having to roll myself out of bed and dispite the early mornings i was feeling pretty sprightly.

now half way through week 2 and dispite still being tough and having the fun of sprawls and turkish getups to deal with my muscles have adapted... and by the end of the four weeks of i hope to have regaioned much of the tone and fitness i had lost due to the accident.

so if you have an opportunity to get involved in MMA, you dont have to be a fighter... its a great all round work out and brilliant fun.... roll on the next session with tobogym.

Shake away baby!

Well a few weeks ago i disscussed protein shakes, their pros their cons and the fact that i would not normally endorse their use certainly not as a means to loose weight! i will always say that the best way to stay trim and healthy is to ensure that you get plenty of fresh fruit veg and grains and try to steer away from anything too processed or white (unless its coconut).
However a few weeks ago i found myself wth a couple of extra pounds on from the christmas festivities... not only this but dispite the regular excercise i was doing ... these particular couple of pounds were of the stubbourn sort and refused to move.....why you ask? well as i said before 5 out of 7 days a week i do not get home before 8.30pm (earliest), im often on the run from one job to the next which means i miss the normal tea time and get home at 9/10pm feeling ravinous.... this led to the inner Fat me craving carbs/pasta/bread/cheese etc etc.... all the bulk foods to try to fill me up.. and this really is not good eating for that time of night.
So dispite my concerns i decided that pure protein shakes may be able to give me that early evening fuel and stave off the hungry mairi in the evening .........

so how is it going you may ask...... well actually it is helping, ive shed those stubourn pounds, i feel i have more energy teaching my classes in the evening, and im not ravenous when i get home so all in all things are going quite well. The only problem i have found is if i have a shake (just with water) too close to a very heavy cardio session it can make me feel a little unwell but other than that its ok.

Im still on the NRG shake my friend gave me, and trying to have a look at other shakes more specific to women and when i move on to my next batch i will let you know what i choose.

Again Protein shakes are not a meal replacement and should not be used as such, but they are handy for giving you easy fuel whilst on the hop....... Plus add some fruit and youve got a great replenishing smoothie.

wheelie wheelie fun....

just a short one today.... but again following along the lines that you dont have to go to the gym to get some excercise.

Last year for xmas i bought my best mate shaun a segway rally day for two.... i thought it was a good idea at the time :-)

so off we headed to staffordshire, where we met Dan and DanO.... who begain to run us through segway.... and got us to sign our lives away so that if we damage the machines or ourselves we are liable!

Next we were kitted out in an exoskeleton...... at least we were well protected, and handed helmets... everyone else gets handed a nice black normal helmet... what do i get???? a bright pink on which was slightly too small so sat right on the top of my head... DanO said it was fine though as long as it took away the impact ..Great i thought... i look like an idiot but im protected from brain damage.

once kitted head to toe we were then taken through the basics of how to get on and off a segway by Dan and DanO.... simple you would think but actually far more challenging then first thought.... essentially segways work by feeling where you put your weight... in your toes and you go forward, in your heels and you head backwards, i slight pressure on the handle bars to go left right and pirouet!

so on we get and after a slightly wobbly start we very quickly (and suprisingly for me as lack balance or coordination skills) got used to the movement and soon we headed off to the woods to have a ralley round...this is where shaun decided he was going to massacre a few cones despite Dan and DanO's warnings that we were to avoid them as they signelled hazards....  shauns killing spree held no bounds.... through fits of giggles me and shaun are soon razzing up and down and thoroughly enjoying ourselfs.... it was all over far too quickly we were out for an hour and you could feel it a little in your legs but it was great fun.

so far so good 2011.... keeping active and fit is not all about pounding the treadmill or the tarmac but just as much about getting out off the sofa and having fun xxx

Shake it up baby!

So im sure many of you out there are now well into your post christmas detox, maybe its your first attempt taking on the war against the flab (if so go you :-) !!!), or maybe your a regular excerciser just trying to shed the christmas excess (weve all done it). which ever you are we all know the january blitz comes with its own challenges, from that inability to convince your body to get up on the dark dismal mornings, to getting back into a gym routine when all you want to do is snuggle up inside with a coffee and whats left of the christmas chocolates.

Many of us are now back at work and for some that will bring its own challenges, long hours, relentless sales, battling with budgets etc etc.
Some of the best advice i can give is to have a routine set in your head, know what you will be doing each day of the week and make sure you do it. Believe me the endorphins released from excersise will more than make up for those winter blues.

My main problem is finding time to eat, now i always have a healthy breakfast, this is a must and i never miss it, however lunch and dinner can be very late due to long hours. I pack all sorts of healthy things for my lunch and snacks at work. but when i get home either after working late or a late gym session (basically every day its one of those) i get home and im starving, the cold weather makes me reach for the carbs, and all beit there are only good carbs in my cuboards large amounts of them at 9/10pm are not good.

so as much as i hate to say it, im experimenting wth the world of protein and recovery shakes. My general rule of thumb is to get all the nutrients you need from fresh food, not packages or prossesed gunk, however as a previously seriously obese woman, my health comes first. if a couple of well placed protein shakes can stave off hunger and prevent fat mairi rearing her head and leading me into having a late night carb binge then im up for giving it a go.

My first challenge is finding a shake that works for me, the information out there is overwhelming, sites filled with "BUILD MUSCLE FAST/ LOSE WEIGHT/ TONE UP/ LEAN AND TONED/LOW CARB/ISOLUTE/GLUTAMINE/WHEY,SOY OR EGG/MICROFILTERED/CROSSINFUSED" blah blah blah

 but as a simple guide im looking for pure cold pressed natural protein, low in sugar fats and carbs that can be mixed just with water and tastes ok. As a women i also don't want the proteinper serving to be too high (im not looking to be arnie, or one of those women built like a brick .... well you get the idea).
currently im using NRG pure whey protein powder (purely as a friend gave me it for free to try) but i will be looking for a more tailored one for me later.
all i will say is dont focus on brand names as that is all you will be paying for, have a look around, check out the labels for the ingrediants and well give it a whirl.... or a shake as the case may be.

I have been using the shakes for a week now, just 1 or two a day either as a post excercise fuel, a early evening snack (when working late) or a late night meal replacer. and so far its working :-). im craving less, shedding a couple of those winter pounds and generally feeling a bit better about getting the fuel i need without compromising my health.

but hey protein shakes arent for everyone, and i wouldnt suggest them as a total meal replacer, or for those who do not excercise regularily. Good fresh food will always be better than a powder but i guess sometimes they do have their place.

Take a hike into 2011

Ok so i know its been a little while since i have been on here, but it is one of my new years resolutions to ensure i post at least once a week...... dont say i didnt warn you :-)

As with many of us i have decided that this year there are a few things i want to improve....

1. post every week to my blog - why? well i hope it will inspire and help others

2. Eat better.... you can always eat better :-) (and lets face it even the most angelic of us need a little detox after xmas)

3. work less..... lets face it having a full time job of 50+ hrs a week and a part time job of 10-15 hrs a week can take its toll.... even though i dont intend to drop either job i do intend to find more time for me

4. socialize more.....never let the fact your tired stop you getting out there

5. do something for me every sunday (this is my one quarenteed day off)
6. Train more.... yes i know im a PT but fitting training in when you work a 60-70 hr wk can be a little hit and miss

so with these i started this week to really make some of these happen.... i have been out every day, trained 5 times, met friends, and generaly enjoyed myself.

One of the best outcomes of this was a day hiking in the peaks with a good friend of my lightning (dont ask why). we headed out early in the morning to kinderlowemin the peaks, a fair hill, with a massive plateau on the top and some great views or so i was told.
bags packed, jackets on, and compus at the ready we began our climb. At first it was farly sedate and i was lulled into thinking we were going to have a nice gentle hill walk..... when round the corner the path began to be less of a path and more of a bolderous, craggy, muddy and icy scramble and i began to wonder what id let myself in for.

However not far up i was rewarded with the spectacular view of some massive icycles. after taking a few shots we continued the scramble, a few times i thought about the fact that not so long ago i would never have been able to climb this crag let alone the little hill walk at the start, yet here i was doing it with relative ease..... well when i wasnt trying to figure out how not to fall in the river over a particularily icy boulder.

soon we reached the top and i was met with an alien landscape.... we were up in the clouds, and believe me without a map and compas there was no way you would find your way along the peat plateau with its crazy boulders scattered everywhere like some giant had spilt his box of nerds :-)

i must admit i was glad to have Lightning as my map reading isnt up to scratch, but we had great fun clambering our way across the top, slipping over frozen rivers, attempting to get pictures of black grouse, and climbing boulders...

all too soon we were heading back down, however the route down was just as treacherous as the one up, and we had many giggles as either myself or lightnings arms were suddenly flung into the air, our mouths gasping random eeks as we desperatly tried to regain balance after the latest slip.

we managed to get down of the hill just before dark having spent about 5 hours climbing, walking, and generaly trekking.... it was an awesome day, and i tell you what i missed training that day but my legs didnt realise that i had :-)

so heres to a new year full of spontaneous days, treking adventures and generally living life to the max ...

The hobbie i love turn job i love!

Some times i think im the luckiest person alive, despite the long hours i work there are those few hours a week i spend teaching or traning others that are just moments of true joy.

wether its spin, box fit, circuit, inductions or personal training... i am in my element. I now have my first few clients and god i love training them.

I am finally on the way to making a difference in other peoples lifes! and when you see that smile on someones face (generally a very sweaty one) you know you are doing the right thing.

here are a few of things which make me smile:

- Putting on my Personal Trainer T
- setting up a circuit
- Putting on my Boxing mits
- that first punch a client throws into my boxing mit, with no hesitation.
- the first time a client conquers a difficult excercise
- seeing smiley sweaty faces
- seeing someone achieve something they thought they couldnt do
- seeing a full spin class put every last ounce they have into the last 30 seconds of the class...

- making a client laugh in their work out

- when the little boy im training scores his first goal

- the appreciative thank you you get at the end of every class, especially when i feel like i should be thanking them because i enjoyed it just as much!

I've gotta admit although its not full time yet... i have one of the best..... actually no THE BEST job in the world.

One little knock or three wont keep me down!

Well what a couple of months its has been, i have either been the unluckiest person in the world or jst horrificly accident prone!

Having run the half marathon at the beginning of september, i decided to run the sprint triathlon that i missed out on last year due to ITB issues.... i was feeling good i had a few muscle aches after the marathon but nothing too bad, so i thought what the hey lets do it :-) last of the season and i couldnt resist, however as it got closer to race day i noticed a nagging pain in my right shin..... a little research told me it was shin splints but i wasnt too worried and determined to race... as always.

Race day came and before i knew it i was in the pool, i had a good swim (even though i accidently swam an extra few lengths! wally) headed out onto the bike... very hilly, very wet, but none the less i got a good time. heading in on the last leg of the bike i was on for 1 hr 20 finish which was brill....... then i steped of the bike.... oh lordy the pain that shot through my right shin was incredible! but gritting my teeth i was determined to finish and i headed out convincing myself that the short 5 k run was do able.... i couldnt have been more, after much hobbling and many tears i finally pulled out less than 1.5 k from home i was devastated but for once in my life i knew i had to stop. some times you cant just bully on through! take heed as this little hiccup saw me on crutches with a severly inflammed anterior tibialus for 2 weeks!
but i wasnt too hindered, it was the end of the season and due t the fact i was now ridiculously busy with work i wouldnt have trained much anyway... it was about time i had a rest even if it was mildly enforced.....

soon however i was off the crutches and beginning to feel better, and mostly looking forwards to training again..... but low and behold strike 2 was just around the corner.... driviing to work in very heavy rain a driver infront of me had to slam their brakes on due to an idiot infront, unfortunatly when i slammed mine on i skidded into the car infront wrote of my car, tore ligaments in my finger and gained my first and boy i hope my last case of whip lash................training was going to have to wait, after a week of barely being able to roll out of bed i was back at work but struggling with severe back and shoulder pain.

my friends mocked me... and stated i deserve the title of A&E to whihc they have me registered in their phone :-)

well im now 5 weeeks post accident, the shoulder is getting there, work is calming down, i have my first real PT client (more bout that in my next post) and im back to training...... and here in lies strike 3...

sunday i finally headed out to join the boys from the gym for a bike ride, some new to triathlon, some iron man pros... now i just hoped i could keep up, and that my shoulder would not play up too much.
We headed out early sunday morning and the early signs were good, i was enjoying the ride and holding my own........ that is until i hit the first half decent hill... gained a puncture and had to be rescued by the boys (and yes they did moch me\) soon we were back on the rd, but not for long and i mean 3 pedals later my chain slipped..got caught and again i had to be rescued by the boys. however the chain was freed, but then came the clunk every 4th pedal, my chain was warped and slipping off the gears which meant i soon had to split from the boys and head home.

so now along with the mahusive amount of moching the boys have done since the ride, my poorly bike is in the shop to be fixed.

but you know what despite the rubbish and somewhat troublesome few weeks i wont let this get me down, im back training, gradually building strength, and loosing the couple of pounds i gained while not training (yes i know not great but 5 weeks off training with such injuries a gain of a few pounds is to be expected... and do you know what who cares they will soon be banished) and ready to rock out a winter season of strength and endurance training along with some techinque practise (all the more important whilst recovering from injury)

so i guess the lesson oday is, no matter what life throws at you, or in what frequency or severity.... im still here, im alive and im getting back on that bike this weekend to whip the boys A**** :-)