My brain may well be about to explode

Learning Releases

I’m going to be honest with you, if you don’t teach Les Mills programmes this will mean nothing to you.

In a nutshell, Les Mills programmes are pre choreographed. Once a quarter we get a kit- a set of music, notes detailing the choreography and a DVD of that class being taught. We get, give or take, two weeks to learn it. I teach five programmes so have around 5 hours of choreography to learn.

The recommended launch date for teaching this new stuff is this Saturday so currently my brain can currently think of nothing else to write about here. So this is what I’m going to write about today.

If you don’t teach and want to get a rough idea of the process read on. If you do teach this might be familiar.

1 week before releases come out:

Heather’s brain “This quarter I’m going to be super organised, download my music straight away and learn one track a day”

The Day new releases come out:

Heather’s brain “I’ve got ages yet I’ll download it tomorrow”

Tomorrow:

Heather’s brain “Nope still ages yet. Perhaps I’ll watch this documentary about paint drying and reorganise my kitchen cupboards instead”

One Week Later:

Heather’s brain “Hmmm everyone seems to know the new stuff perhaps I should start trying to commit this stuff to memory”

One hour after this:

Heather’s brain “Or I could have a nap instead”

The weekend before launches:

Heather’s brain “OK now I really need to start to learn this stuff” *degree of panic sets in- this is good – I learn better under pressure*

Starts trying to remember chorey:

Heather’s brain “I will NEVER EVER IN A MILLION YEARS BE ABLE TO DO THAT LUNGE TRACK”

Heather’s brain “I will NEVER EVER IN A MILLION YEARS BE ABLE TO REMEMBER ALL THIS”

Heather’s brain “Why can’t I hear any of the changes in biceps”

Heather’s brain “I hate this, why do I even put myself through this”

Heather’s brain “Perhaps I should have a nap”

Heather’s brain “What will really help me learn all this is eating my body weight in chocolate”

Heather’s brain “Why didn’t I start learning this sooner?”

Heather’s brain “Is that a 2/2 there or a 3/1?”

Heather’s brain “I AM SO STRESSED I THINK I’M HAVING A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN”

A couple of days before launch date:

Heather’s brain “OK I think it’s in there- I can do this”

Heather’s brain “Aaaaand now I can’t remember my current mix to teach tonight. FML”

Upon waking on Launch Day:

Heather’s brain “What’s a squat again?”

One hour before class:

Heather’s brain “I have no idea what any of the choreography is for this class”

Ten minutes before:

Heather’s brain “I have no idea what any of the choreography is for this class”

Music Starts:

Heather’s brain “Oh there you go I do remember”

After class:

Heather’s brain “Phew”

Heather’s brain “Next quarter I would be less stressed if I started learning stuff earlier”

1 week before releases come out:

Heather’s brain “This quarter I’m going to be super organised, download my music straight away and learn one track a day”

P.s. I will totally know all my stuff for this Saturday!

Body Combat for Beginners

One of the classes I teach is Les Mills Body Combat. This was the class that made me want to become an instructor so I really enjoy teaching it and always encourage gym members to give it a go.

I do get that it can be a bit intimidating for new people the first time they come to class. The moves are fast and the terminology can be confusing! But it’s also great fun and punching a kicking the days frustrations away can be incredibly satisfying!

If you are thinking about trying a class for the first time but are nervous and unsure of what to expect here’s a few things that I hope will help ease those uncertainties and allow you to have a great first experience:

It might sound obvious but tell the instructor you are new at the start- it will help you feel relaxed and they will be able to make sure you’re ok throughout the class and will make sure you have a good first experience.
There are three formats of the class- an hour class (10 tracks so sometimes it will be shorter as the length of a track can vary depending on intensity), a 45 minute class and a 30 minute class. The tracks in the shorter (express) versions are selected to still ensure you get maximum benefits from the class despite the shorter time frame.
Body Combat is mixed martial arts inspired. You will experience tracks based on a variety of martial arts throughout the class as well as incorporating some MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) training.
Don’t worry it’s non – contact. You will be punching and kicking an imaginary opponent or bag (so the air really!)
You don’t need any equipment – just you, your gym kit and trainers (and some water!)
The moves are choreographed to the music but don’t worry if you aren’t great at following a beat at first- you will still be getting your heart rate up even if you don’t get every combination of moves straight away. Following the music and combinations will get easier and when you do nail that combo to the beat you feel amazing!
You are mirroring the instructor’s movements. If they say right foot forward, they will put their left foot forward so if you imagine they are your reflection in a mirror and mirror their moves you will find you are soon putting your right foot forward without even having to think about it! Don’t worry if you new to group exercise we know this takes time to get used to!
Once they press play the instructor will generally not pause the music unless you need time to grab a mat. This is to keep the heart rate and intensity of the workout high. That doesn’t mean you can’t take a break if you need one- listen to your own body – the instructor won’t mind, just come back in when you are ready.
It is a tough cardio workout. You are going to burn calories. You will get out of breath- that’s ok it’s why you are there. If you need to take a break take one, grab some water and come back in when you are ready.
There are always opportunities to work within your own personal limits. The instructor will give different options throughout the workout to either dial the intensity up or down. So if you don’t want to jump there will always be a move you can do instead that doesn’t involve jumping but still provides lots of benefit. Equally the instructor will be able to guide you in how to improve a move to increase the intensity if you are ready to challenge yourself a bit more.
If you are new there is something called Smart Start. Effectively it means you are allowed to stay for a few tracks. When you feel like you have done enough you can leave (make sure you stretch before you leave the gym!) then each time you try the class, see if you can stay for one extra track until you can do the whole class. New exercise classes can be tough, we know that, but you don’t need to be put off from trying them because you aren’t sure you are ready for a full class yet.
There is a lot of terminology that may be unfamiliar – jab cross, uppercut, hook, roundhouse kick etc. It might take a while to remember what each move is but don’t worry you can watch the instructor throughout and over time you will start to take on board what each strike is so you can react quickly to cues.
When you strike imagine your opponent is your height! The instructor will tell you which body part to aim for with each strike – if you imagine the opponent is your height you will get the most effective workout. Possible.
It doesn’t matter if you can’t get your leg to head height when you kick (I certainly can’t!)! You will probably find as you attend more often your kicks will get higher, but the range of your kick will have a lot to do with your flexibility so don’t worry if you can’t kick as high as the person next to you – work within your own range of movement and just challenge yourself to kick a bit higher as time goes on.
If you have done martial arts training some of the moves may feel ‘wrong’. Some of the moves in Body Combat are modified to ensure they are safe and effective for a group exercise environment. It’s a martial arts inspired class – not a martial arts class.
Combat is an amazing core class. All the moves involve massive work through your core and your instructor will coach you how to effectively work the core throughout the class. So as well as burning lots of calories and increasing your CV fitness you will also find the workout does great things for your waist.
If you have a question about a move, go and chat to the instructor at the end of the class. We generally love talking to people and want you to get the most out of the class. If you aren’t sure if you are feeling a move ‘in the right place’ ask and we can spend a few minutes on your technique to ensure the following week you are confident you are getting the most out of that move / track / strike / kick.
Instructors get a new track list every three months- at which point they will teach this in it’s entirety for around 6 weeks. After that they will ‘mix’ older tracks into a playlist to keep it interesting for you and keep challenging your fitness levels until they get their next playlist. In other words – you won’t ever get bored.
Finally- it’s an exercise class and it’s meant to be fun. Don’t worry if you struggle with a move or aren’t great at certain kick- ultimately it’s all about moving and having fun whilst doing it so try not to take yourself too seriously.

Stretching – The Truth

Stretching helps with mobility – you should stretch daily.

I’ll be honest.

I don’t.

I’m bad at stretching.

I don’t do it daily.

I mean to.

But I don’t.

I’m bad at stretching daily because it’s hard because I’m really inflexible.

I’m really inflexible because I’m bad at stretching daily.

It’s a catch 22.

Stretching helps keeps your muscles long, lean, and flexible. We need flexibility to maintain a range of motion in our joints. You want to squat well – you need a good range of motion. When the muscles shorten and become tight you’ll find your range of movement becomes limited. Tight muscles can also increase risk of injury – regular stretching helps you avoid this.

What should you stretch? Your calves, hamstrings, hip flexors and quads will probably be most beneficial for those who train often, along with the shoulders and lower back. If there is a particular muscle you know is tight and restricts your ROM- stretch that.

It doesn’t need to take long – ten to fifteen minutes a day. Nothing complicated or fancy needed. Ideally, you want the body to already be warm before you stretch. Hold each stretch for 30 seconds. You want to feel tension during a stretch but not pain.

The key as with anything here is consistency. Stretching sporadically will not do anything. You will need to do it regularly over a period of time to start to see benefits.

I doubt I’ve said anything here you didn’t already know.

I know what I need to do and how to do it.

I still don’t.

I’m going to make a commitment to my health now though- From now on I’m going to spend at least 5-10 minutes a day stretching!

My Guide to Body Pump

If you have ever looked into taking a class at your local gym chances are you will have seen Les Mills Body Pump on the timetable.

It is probably the most successful group exercise programme in existence. I love teaching it and still take it as a participant once a week.

Done regularly with challenging weights it will give you results.

Most people who want to lose weight / tone up do lots and lots of cardio. Cardio is good for you BUT you also need to do some resistance work to shape your body. Body Pump is great because it works the whole body in 30-60 minutes using a low to medium weight and a LOT OF REPS – all whilst moving in time with some good music. If you have never used a barbell before it is also a safe introduction into some basic lifts / moves.

However if you have never used weights before it can also feel a bit intimidating. I remember my first class and the confusion at everyone collecting lots of different sized plates and changing them quickly in between tracks and my bemusement at how everyone seemed to know what move was coming next!

So this is my ‘what you need to know’ guide to taking your first Body Pump class:

Arrive at least 10 minutes early and introduce yourself to the instructor so they can help you set up and so they know that you are new. This can help them tailor their teaching, ensuring you have a good first class.
Stick with light weights for your first couple of classes and concentrate on getting the hang of the tempos and the moves. Body Pump works because you are doing large numbers of reps, so whilst you want to use a challenging weight eventually, it’s ok to start off light – 3.75kg each side might be a good starting point for most.
The instructor will give you a guide of what to put on the bar at the start of each track (e.g. double the weight, take 1/3 off etc.). Listen carefully to this – they will normally give two options – one for regulars, one for new people but do not be afraid to stick with the same weight all the way through on your first class.
The structure of every class will always be the same:

60 minutes

Warm up
Squats
Chest
Back
Triceps
Biceps
Lunges
Shoulders
Core
Cool down

45 minutes

Warm up
Squats
Chest
Back
Lunges
Shoulders
Core
Cool down

30 minutes

Warm up
Squats
Chest
Back
Core

So when the whole class looks like they know what is coming they do for a reason- and after a couple of classes you will too!

Talking of continuity – we get a ‘new release’ every 3 months. So at that point, every instructor will teach this new set of tracks for 4-6 weeks. That is why when you do your first class some people will look like they know what is coming – they have probably done the track lots of times before! After about 6 weeks, the instructor will probably start to ‘mix’. This means they will bring back some older tracks to keep things interesting and keep your body reacting well to the class.
As a new member, you can take advantage of something called Smart Start. This means that if you want to try a few tracks (we suggest up to the back track) and then leave you can do. Leave your stuff out and the instructor will put it away at the end of class. Then next week you can stay for a couple of extra tracks, and a few more the week after until you can do a whole class. This is optional and you can stay for the whole class if you want, but it does provide an option to try the class out and build up week by week if you are new to exercise.
With Body Pump technique is more important than weight so don’t worry too much at first about what you are lifting – instead work on getting the moves. Doing them well will bring better results than just picking up a heavier bar!
The tempo is also really important in Body Pump. You will hear the instructor ask you to move at different tempos (3/1, 2/2, bottom half pulses). These aren’t just to make it more interesting. The different tempos help to work different muscle fibres and maximise your results so try to work with the instructors pace.
You aren’t moving or jumping (well occasionally you might be jumping but rarely!) but you will sweat and you will get out of breathe. Body Pump will burn calories as well as shaping your body.
Don’t be worried if you wake up the next day and climbing the stairs or tying your hair back hurts! This is your body reacting to new training and will pass in a few days. After a few classes your body will take less time to recover!
If you have done weights in the gym before you may be confused by a couple of the moves we do in Body Pump! Be aware that some moves (Deadlifts for instance) are modified for the studio environment. This is for safety reasons as a) we move at a fast tempo and b) the instructor needs to make sure a large group of people are all moving safely.

I hope that the above tips have made the idea of trying a class less daunting! If you do decide to give the class a go, I would love to hear your thoughts!

Starting Successfully

For me exercise is a part of life, even a part of my job, so fitting in workouts every day is something I find myself doing almost naturally. This wasn’t always the case and we all have to start somewhere. How you approach an exercise regime however will be the making or breaking of how successful and long lasting it is, so here’s my (not very scientific) take on how to become a fitness loving convert:

Start with something you think you will enjoy – I started with one Zumba class a week because I thought it looked like fun – it could be any type of class or getting a gym programme drawn up for you by a fitness instructor at your local gym or joining a sports team or running club.
Aim to attend once a week to start- do this for 2-3 weeks. You may have aims of becoming a dedicated gym bunny but too much too soon will almost guarantee this won’t happen.
After a few weeks, when that one session is cemented into you routine look to add another – by this time you will have seen what else is available in your gym (if that’s where you’ve picked to train) and will have some idea on what else you’d like to try. Keep this up for another 2-3 weeks.
Add a third session, as above, and keep this up for another few weeks until those 3 sessions are a habit, an appointment you don’t even think about. You know you are at this stage when somebody mentions going for dinner on Wednesday after work and you say you can’t because Wednesday is Body Combat!
Once you reach this stage your body will be used to working out, you will have noticed your fitness increase, you will feel more comfortable in the gym environment and trying new things. If you want to add more sessions you will probably find you can with ease. Now you can start playing with when, where and how you exercise.

Tips:

Try different types of exercise and different classes. I never thought Body Combat or HIIT would be for me when I first tried them and now I teach both. Give everything you try 2 or 3 chances before you decide it’s not for you – the first time doing anything is normally a bit rubbish!
Try and do a variety of training – some cardio, some resistance (weights, body weight), something for flexibility. This will keep things fresh and be more effective.
If you need to miss a planned session because life gets in the way do not stress about it. You will rarely have the perfectly planned week of training EVER so loose the all or nothing mind-set and do what you can when you can.
Smile and say hi to people whilst you are at the gym and especially in Group Exercise classes. If you make friends you will find motivating yourself to go and exercise will be easier. I frequently spend longer in the café having a coffee and a natter than I do actually working out and have made some great friends. It also makes new things less scary when there are a few friendly faces.
Buy some nice gym kit. It doesn’t need to be expensive – Primark, Sports Direct and even Asda all normally stock good kit which doesn’t require selling a kidney to afford. When you feel good you tend to feel better about working out.

So to sum it up- start small and build up your exercise sessions slowly. Nobody becomes an athlete overnight and going from 0- 7 sessions a week is the most sure fire way to ensure you end up giving up around about day 3! If you are smart with your approach there is no reason why you can’t learn to love exercise as much as I do.

What to Expect from a Spin Class

Group Cycle, often known as spin. There are other variations such as Les Millls RPM too.

One of the most inclusive classes in a gym.

Also the one that in my experience people are most scared to try.

I can see why- it looks tough (for good reason – it is) and everyone looks like they know what they’re doing (they don’t, honest) and it looks technical (you have to set up a bike – this was my biggest fear at first).

So if you’ve ever wondered about trying a class but aren’t sure if it’s for you here’s the low down (from my perspective) for first timers on how to get the most out of the class.

Everyone is welcome- all fitness levels. Yes it will be hard but you really can go at your own pace
Every instructor’s class is different. So if you don’t like mine try someone elses – there will be a style you like / format you enjoy / class with music you love out there- shop around! I sometimes teach rides where we work along to the music other times I teach HIIT style tabatta, some people do races and competitions. I won’t be offended if you try my class then I see you at someone elses next week!
One thing to note, trade marked classes such as Les Mills RPM will be similar in every gym / with every instructor. They are pre- choreographed and so you will always get the same format – even if you go to a class in a different country. This really suits some people, especially if you like routine.
Get there 10 minutes early and say hi to the instructor. Tell them you are new, tell them you are nervous. They will be nice, they will look out for you and they will show you how to set up your bike.
There will normally be modifications or different levels you can work at and the instructor will always offer these different options throughout the class- take the ones that suit you. Never tell yourself you are doing the easy option. They are just different and people take different options for all sorts of different reasons.
Put some resistance on the bike – going too light sounds like a good idea (especially when you feel like you are going to die half way through!) but it will mean you bounce – this will hurt your bottom, believe me. After my first class I walked like a cowboy for a week.
Always make sure your feet are strapped in – loose straps are dangerous. Dangerous is bad.
There is normally a brake on the resistance button. Normally by pressing down on it you can stop the feet dead. It’s useful to remember just in case! The instructor will tell you about the bike if you introduce yourself at the start.
Don’t be afraid to add resistance when asked to. If you add too much you can always take it off. You’re there to get fitter – challenging yourself is the way to do this. Noone will laugh if you get stuck!
Take water – you will sweat, you will get thirsty.
Maybe take a towel- I refer you back to the sweat!
Taking recoveries is fine. You are meant to work hard- if you push so hard you need to take a moment then well done. The instructor won’t shout at you – just sit on the bike, keep the legs spinning and come back in when you are ready.
When you are new it can seem like everyone else is faster and fitter than you. Remember they may have been doing this a long time and have conditioned themselves to last the full class. They will not have been like that in their first class so don’t beat yourself up. Try your best, try and enjoy it and just focus on giving your best effort. Nobody is there to compete with anyone else so just work at a level right for you. Nobody is going to judge you.
Cycle classes are meant to be hard- the great thing is as you get fitter you can go faster and heavier so it stays effective and never gets to the point it feels ‘easy’
Above all Group exercise is meant to be fun so relax and smile – the music and other people make it more interesting than just sitting on a bike in the gym!

International Women’s Day

International Women’s Day.

I have mixed feelings.

On the plus side it’s a day to celebrate the women who have campaigned and fought for women like me to have opportunities and rights my mother and grandmother didn’t. This is great.

On the other hand- the fact that a group of people that make up around 50% of the population still need a ‘day’ to recognise and promote them is, in my view, a little sad. If we have International Women’s Day does that mean the other 364 days are Men’s days?

But I digress, this blog isn’t about politics or social awareness, it’s about fitness. So today in the spirit of International Women’s Day I want to write about women in the gym. Or more specifically my experience in the gym.

Five years ago, when I first started going to the gym, it was to attend Group Exercise classes. These felt ‘safe’ in comparison to the main gym space. There was someone there to tell me what to do, the moves were modified, everyone does the same thing and the space felt like a cocoon. I went into the gym areas too of course – PT sessions, occasionally training alone but always felt like a bit of a fraud. This is stupid really- my technique is OK but I lacked the confidence that I was doing the ‘right’ things.

In the last year I’ve started taking my own training, away from classes and teaching, more seriously. I’m focused. I have a plan of action. I know what I want to do and the reasons I am doing it. I’ve learnt new things. This change in training has meant getting comfortable in the gym itself and the area I struggled to enter the most was the weights room.

I always felt like the weights room was a male domain – the feeling as you appraoch a squat rack that you are encroaching on a space which is not for you. I really only felt comfortable if I was with someone else (and by that I really mean a male). From talking to other females I suspect many others have these thoughts. Some of the men who use these spaces do appear to actively discourage newcomers (it’s like the opposite of the group ex studio). However, I wanted to lift weights and so needed to get over this feeling.

Several months in and I now feel confident in the weights area of any gyms. Now I see that whilst I may be lifting less than (some of) the men in there my technique is ok – perhaps better than some and I have have just as much right to use a squat rack (even when the room is busy) as anyone else. Sometimes people will even smile at you, the other day someone asked me to spot them.

What changed to allow this to happen? Essentially nothing except my mindset. My confidence increased. Now when women ask me about training as we chat after classes, I encourage them not to be intimidated by the weights in the gym and to get in there and just have a go. Classes are a great tool for training and conditioning (and a brilliant starting point- Body Pump for instance will give you a grounding in various moves you can replicate in the gym) but I strongly believe that lifting heavy things should be an important part of all training programmes too.

How does this link to International Women’s Day? Well I guess it shows that for many women there are still barriers in all sorts of aspects of life. We don’t have equality. It’s a sad fact. BUT… It also shows that SOME of those barriers can sometimes be self imposed – my fear of the weights area was mainly in my head – so as much as there are still lots of inequalities that we need to fight against, we also need to realise that we hold the power to move forward and grow.

That applies to men as much as women to be honest. So I’ll finish as I started.

International Women’s Day.

I have mixed feelings.

Climbing Over That Wall

This time last week I wrote about how I’d hit a wall. When that happens you have two choices: wallow or get over it. I chose to try and climb over it and decided to keep a diary of the ups and downs of how I went on.

Monday

My alarm went off at 5am and I immediatey started to calculate how soon I could get back into bed this evening- 8 classes over the weekend (and 18 across the week) had definitely taken it’s toll on my body. But I dragged myself into the kitchen and had a pint of ice cold water (Tip- put a glass of tap water in the fridge before you go to bed each night – it will wake you up!) and took my supplements (Omega 3- when I don’t take this I really feel a difference in my mood and a multi vitamin). Having woken up I quickly got ready and headed for the gym. The great thing about morning classes is whatever mood I’m in when I arrive I leave feeling great. My classes are filled with hard working regulars and everyone always pushes so hard it makes the early morning start worth it so I got to work determined to have a better week. I had breakfast at 10 am (pancakes, bacon and banana) and treated myself to a slice of my favourite Cosco Carrot cake mid morning (one plus of working in a big office is there is always free cake!). My plan for the week is eat well 80% of the time but not to be too hard on myself, allow treats and above all eat with purpose. The cake made my busy Monday brighter so the value it bought me outweighs any negatives (and it fit my macros anyway so win win!). My day didn’t go to plan and 3 unplanned meetings meant I didn’t get to train at lunch time, so I made sure I fitted in an intense 20 minute workout (courtesy of online coach Biceps and Burrittos – you need to follow their Instagram page: biceps_and_burritos) before my Body Combat class. Result – I finished the day feeling like I was starting to get back on track!

Monday Training:

21 Kettlebell swings (16kg)

15 Push ups

9 Burpee tuck jumps

3 Rounds for time

5×5 Kettlebell Squats (64kg)

Tuesday

Snow day! Despite the snow my morning spin class was full and this made up for the fact I managed to leave my food for the day on the train AND loose my favourite gloves on the way to the office (cue red raw hands!). Got my new training plan through so made sure I got down to the gym at lunch time to ty a session out. For the first time in a few weeks it has started to feel good to train. Happy Heather and an evening off because planned rest is also important!

Tuesday’s Training

Bent over Rows 10×10 (30kg)

Chest Press 10×10 (25 kg)

50 Squats 40 Push ups, 30 Lunges, 20 tricep press, 10 burpees – For Time

Wednesday

Morning Spin done and a day off my own training because I teach Body Combat in the evening so find adding training to a Wednesday a bit draining. Feeling like I’m eating well- staying within an 8 hour feeding window and sticking to a 5-15% calorie deficit with lots of protien. Today was World Scouse Day, and as I work with a Scousser he made us all Scouse with Tiger Breadfor lunch- very welcome given the snow! Severe train delays meant 2 hours waiting at the station for a train before giving up and getting a taxi – really wanted to eat rubbish when I got in to warm up but resisted, had a hot shower and lots of water instead- felt angelic!

Thursday

England cannot deal with weather!!! The journey from hell to get to work (I had to get my morning classes covered) and an ice cold office (to the person who decided it was a good idea to remove the windows in the middle of the coldest spell in the UK for years – well done!) meant my motivation was severely lacking. But I got a lunchtime workout in and made it to the gym to teach Zumba to the 2 brave souls who made it to the gym! Then on the way home I fell over on the ice (doh!) Despite a challenging day (and a sore bum) I ate pretty well but realised my stretching and water consumption has been poor over the last two days.

Thursday’s Training

Sumo Deadlifts 10×10 50kg

Alternate clean front lunge 5×10 20kg

3 Front Squats, 3 Push Press, 3 Front squat, 3 Push Press x 7 30kg

Friday

I am over the weather now – the snow needs to leave!. Every journey has taken longer than normal and is mentally and physically draining and training and meal prepping time has been limited because of it so I have struggled to eat as planned. I have tried to make reasonable choices however and have definitely managed to eat better than last week and have got in plenty of good quality training sessions, including a lunch time session today and teaching a one hour class this evening. This perhaps made up for the pic n mix i scoffed at my desk this afternoon and the Krispy Kreme donught someone ave me! I was supposed to be heading to Glasgow this weekend for a Les Mills event but the weather has put a stop to that so I will spend my unexpected weekend off training, meal prepping and setting myself up for an even better week next week.

Friday’s Training

Bulgarian Split Squat 10×10 Body weight

Upright Row superset with tricep press 10×10 30kg

15 min AMRAP: 20 thruster, 20 burpee, 20 sit ups

After a rotten week last week where my mindset was all wrong I’m proud at how I’ve turned it around this week. Training has been strong, diet has been better (not perfect but that’s OK). I still have things I know I’ve neglected (water, stretching) but this week is proof that with a slight change in attitude you can feel so much better about everything.

Have a great weekend!

Hitting a Wall

This week I hit a wall!

After 9 months of focused training and good results I suddenly and inexplicably ground to a halt. The idea of training or eating a vegetable seemed impossible. My diet became 99% McDonalds with the occasional glass of water. Teaching my classes (I have 16 this week) has been mentally and physically challenging.

Perhaps this is a sign of over training? Or maybe it’s a Platau…

So I took the week off from any exercise I wasn’t being paid to do. I took the week off from meal prep and ate what I fancied. The exercise thing made me nervous. The food thing excited me.

The results? Well I do feel more rested five days in, I’ve slept better and had a bit more downtime which has no doubt helped my CNS. But … I also feel bloated and rubbish from the excessive amount of junk I’ve consumed and I can almost feel my body crying out for water! Despite this I didn’t seem to be able to stop myself buying more and more fatty, greasy, sugary food.

I feel like I’ve lost my mojo and confidence a bit. Like I’m back where I started 9 months ago. I just spoke to my coach about it. As soon as I said it I felt stupid. It doesn’t make any sense when you think about it logically, which goes to show how much your nutrition and physical activity can affect your mindset and mood. Sometimes you need to say the crazy things in your head outloud to realise the ridiculous things that are holding you back.

So tonight, I’m going to try and get my diet back on track. I’m still not going to train again until Monday but some proper meals feel like a necessity now. So on my way home I’m going to buy some nice (and microwavable because it will be 10 pm by the time I get home) meat and veg. Tomorrow I will shop, Sunday I will meal prep and I will try not to overload on chocolate or cake.

Next week I need to put my big girl pants on and get back into the gym, eat well 80% of the time and not dwell on a bad few days. I was going to weigh myself to see where I am currently at (that’s a whole other topic for a future post) but instead I’m just going to see how I feel this time next week in comparison to now.

This week I hit a wall. Now it’s time to climb over it.

Food Fitness: A Story of my Progress

My name’s Heather and this is the ongoing story of my life in food and fitness.

I work in an office by day but by night (and morning) I’m a Group Exercise Instructor and gym fanatic.

This site will detail my experiences with training and nutrition and I hope at least one person will find it interesting or useful.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on my posts and your own experiences with fitness too!

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