Beachy Head Run

Yesterday Jason and I went running over the hills at Beachy Head. It.was.so.hard! A 46 minute run which had me aching so so much at the end! (I was aching before we did it too if I'm honest)

Boy was Eastbourne foggy yesterday! Whilst running over Beachy Head we couldn't even see the cliff edge!

Here I am fighting my way up this horrid hill

Jason egging me on, I really did need it as that hill sure was defeating me!

You can also see Jason clutching my Powerade Zero drink in his pouch 

Running again

Went for a belated run down on Eastbourne seafront yesterday morning, my first fun in a few weeks so I wasn't expecting much from it, but I really need to get training for this marathon or I have absolutely no chance of crossing the finish line alive! 5.36 miles (8.62km) in 1hour 2 min not good! Better luck next time!

The afternoon brought me a personal training session with Jason Day, running intervals on the treadmill, followed straight away by 20 reps of 25kg deadlifts, dynamic lunges across the gym (its a big gym) with an 8 kg kettlebell in each hand, phoar they were deadly! Back on the treadmill for more intervals, followed by vipr curl and presses for one minute, straight into tricep dips with vipr bar on my lap for one minute, followed by pushups. Back to the treadmill one last time, where I had to cut the session short as I forgot some books that I had to give to someone by 4! oops! After all of this I had a practice of Body Balance and a stretch afterwards then called it a night.

My flexibility is already improving, when I went on the balance course I could only sit in straddle with my hands on the floor, now...I can get my elbows on the floor in front!!
Soon this will be me :)

Body Balance™

The latest course I have been on is the Body Balance™ module.

'BODYBALANCE™ is the Yoga, Tai Chi, Pilates workout that builds flexibility and strength and leaves you feeling centered and calm. Controlled breathing, concentration and a carefully structured series of stretches, moves and poses to music create a holistic workout that brings the body into a state of harmony and balance. Like all the LES MILLS™ programs, a new BODYBALANCE™ class is released every three months with new music and choreography' (lesmills.com)

It was probably my favourite (out of the five I have done) Les Mills module! I really did have a fab weekend, I'm really looking forward to teaching Body Balance™ and finally being flexible again. The module leader Lee Hopkins gave us an insight to Tai Chi, Yoga and Pilates and taught us 'proper' breathing. I learnt so much and came away from the module truly inspired to be an inspirational role model for all my participants. There are many benefits of taking part in a Body Balance™ class such as:

• Improve your joint flexibility and range of movement
• Increase your core strength
• Improve your cardio-vascular function
• Burn calories
• Reduce your stress levels
• Provide a lasting sense of well-being and calm
• Focus your mind and raise your level of consciousness (lesmills.com)

If you do alot of training be it strength and conditioning, or cardio (or both hopefully) then Body Balance™ will be of massive benefit to you and your training. Stretching you out, strengthening your core and teaching you to correctly breath when exercising so as to ensure you execute all moves effectively. If you lead a hectic lifestyle then Body Balance™

 will help you to unwind and re-centre your thoughts and feelings, and with a class that ends with 10 minutes of relaxation, how can you complain?

Merry Christmas

Wishing you all a fantastic Christmas!

My snow affected week in Exercise

Monday
Spin, abs, Swim 500m
Spin 1 hour, spin 1/2 hour

Tuesday
No run due to a ridiculous amount of snow! Taught Dancercise

Wednesday
On my way to work this morning I slipped and fell on the ice, in doing so I hurt my ankle, no exercise for me today :(

Thursday
Still got a sore ankle, yet another training free day

Friday
I was unable to make it back to Eastbourne to teach my classes this weekend so I had to stay in Loughborough. I did Body Combat in the evening

Saturday
Body Pump, Body Attack, Swim 520m, Body Balance

Sunday
Body Combat

This week was in my eyes, a rubbish week in exercise!

WaterWorks Diary of an Instructor

My mixed gender WaterWorks class is still going strong, with the numbers continually growing! Only had one space left today! I'm really happy to be teaching this group, I get on great with them, their always smiling, always engaging with myself and one another, and always coming back for more! They really like knowing the routines, (and trying to pre-cue me, which seems to be an ongoing joke with them now, really need to launch WaterWorks2!) I'm just waiting to get the funds so that I can get the annual membership for WaterWorks in order to get the new release. 


The WaterWorks community is definitely growing and is now growing from a 'wave of change' to a tidal wave!

Alesha's Dance Fusion

1

Unique to LA Fitness clubs across the country, Alesha's Dance Fusion is a new exercise class featuring different styles of dance from Hip Hop to Latin, designed to bring the fun back into exercise, Dance Fusion was created to be enjoyed by everybody!

2

(Alesha and Dance Fusion choreographer Shey Shehovich)
 It was launched in May of this year and was a success in LA Fitness Clubs. The beginning of November saw the launch of Dance Fusion 2. Unfortunately, I haven't had the opportunity to try Dance Fusion 1 (check out a video of it here), but have been taking part in number 2! Admittedly, after the first time I tried it I wasn't sure if it was for me, but the second time I did it I enjoyed it more, I was already familiar with the moves and so wasn't irritating myself by not getting them right. The choreography in Dance Fusion 2 isn't complex and is easy to pick up so the class really is for everyone. I have participated five times now and can't wait until Wednesday to do it again! I'm already looking forward to the launch of Dance Fusion 3! Hopefully soon I will get to try the first one!

3

My week in exercise

Monday
I started the week with a bang;
Early morning Spin, abs circuit, 440m Swim.
5pm Body Pump, Spin, Legs Bums and Tums, Dancercise. Lots of cardio....lots of money ;)

Tuesday
I ran today for 45mins and did 6.14 miles 9.88km. I felt I could have done a bit more so next week, I will!!

I wasn't feeling great in the evening so after teaching Spin I was about to leave for a night in bed with chocolate...only to be reminded that I had a WaterWorks class to teach! How could I forget!

Wednesday
Doing the early shift in the gym untill three ruled out any training in the morning. In the evening I helped launch Body Combat to the Radmoor Centre, followed by Body Pump.

Thursday
A blessing in disguise, LA Fitness was closed for the day due to having new gym equipment brought in, so I took the day off of exercise.

Friday
Early morning spin, and evening Body Combat was all I had today. Another nice restful day :)


Saturday
Back in Eastbourne teaching Body Pump and Body Combat, the rest of my days training was hindered by...SNOW! In November?!?


Sunday
Again, no training due to snow grrr, but still managed to make it to Brighton to teach Body Combat!


Roll on a new week!

Quote of the Week

'If your dog is fat, you're not getting enough exercise.'

WaterWorks Diary of an Instructor

I taught my first WaterWorks class at LA Fitness today, it was fab, I managed to get the chore spot on and was really pleased. This is the class where I have got the most out of the participants since I have started teaching the programme. They were talking back, singing along and giggeling. It was great!

The only problem was, when I got in the pool, it was absolutely freeeeeeezing!


I'm really looking forward to continuing teaching this group, I think we are going to bond well, ensuring they keep coming back which will get them well on their way to reach their goals.
With regards to my teaching, I feel that I am beginning to really find my 'WaterWorks Personality'. The 'tough' personality I have teaching Body Combat, or the 'hardcore' one for Spin, dont really fit an Aqua class, so its nice to bring back the 'fun, light-hearted' personality I was commended for when I originally did my ETM course.

Still loving WaterWorks!

Powerade Zero

This week I tried Powerade Zero. I have never used Powerade before but have seen the inspirational video featuring Jessica Ennis. 
 It seems to be marketed as the same type of product as Lucozade light, which is marketed as 'only 50 calories' with Powerade Zero marketing as 'the zero calorie sports drink'

'Powerade is the isotonic drink created by sports people for sports people. Kit for your insides, the specially designed formula helps you stay at the top of your game before, during and after you exercise.

The latest addition to the range is Powerade Zero for calorie free fitness hydration. Designed by sports scientists for sessions lasting less than 60 minutes, its advanced mineral system includes sodium to help to restore your fluid balance and prevent dehydration, resulting in optimum hydration.

Powerade Zero helps your body absorb and retain fluid, delivering a more complete rehydration solution, without adding back the calories.' (powerade.com)

It comes in five flavours, Grape, Mixed Berry, Strawberry, Lime, and Orange.

I tried the mixed berry flavour, its really yummy, I was shocked by the taste, it tastes like a blue ice pop, very yummy! I would definitely recommend it! In my opinion it actually tastes nicer than the Summer Berries Lucozade Lite! (My previous favourite sports drink) 

My week in running...ahem, exercise?

Monday
I missed my Monday run this week as I had my sister visiting and didn't want to leave her on her own! She left in the afternoon, and in the evening I did Body Pump express, Body Attack, Body Balance (47, ouch hip flexors!) got settled to teach spin and 5 mins in there was a power cut!


Tuesday
I'm easing myself back into running now, I was aiming to do a 30minute run, got ever so slightly lost :s so it ended up 38 mins, so not too much difference! I ran 3.79 miles (6.09km) not too bad for just getting started! I also taught a spin class followed by WaterWorks and Body Balance.

Wednesday
Working at 7am really takes it out of me, but after work today I was really up for a run, unfortunately I had to go and view houses for 3 hours so no run for me! This evening I did Alesha's Dance Fusion and taught WaterWorks.

Thursday
Today consisted of uni, Body Balance, Body Pump and WaterWorks. Lovely Jubbly!

Friday
Back home to lovely Eastbourne today, not too much going on for me in the world of exercise, just Body Combat.

Saturday
Body Pump and Body Combat followed by my first taste of Vipr! It was awesome! Vipr Instructor Jason Day gave me a hardcore Vipr circuit and boooy did he work me hard! Check back soon for a post dedicated to Vipr.

Sunday
After eating my body weight in food yesterday I had to face the four hour train journey back to Loughborough, but not before teaching the quietest Body Combat class of my life!

So to sum it all up, one run doesn't constitute a post named 'my week in running'. Better luck next week!

New Look

Check back on Monday 22nd November for the new look Barrett's Fitness!

Back to running

I now finally have something to train for!

I will be running the Brighton Marathon in aid of Born Free on April 11th 2011. Please help me raise as much money as possible for this great cause!

To help me train I have finally purchased the Nike+ gizmo that I have been after forever!

I plan to run four times a week doing one hour long run, one speed interval run, one long run, and a mediumish run!

I can't wait to get back into running as I have really missed it! I'll be keeping you up to date with my progress

Power Balance®,

The guys at Power Balance®, have sent me a Power Balance band to review.

"Power Balance® is a performance technology that uses holograms embedded with frequencies that react positively with your body's natural energy field."

The Power Balance® website has loads of testimonials on how Power Balance worked for those people, improving their strength, flexibility and balance. The hologram doesn't need to be touching your body to work, its just has to be within a few inches of your body. They are long lasting, said to last 'indefinitly'. I have never worn or used a product before that I have been asked so many questions about! Everyone seems interested in wether or not it is a fad or does it really work? 


I genuinely do feel different whilst wearing my Power Balance® band and if it did turn out to be a placebo...its is working well as one. Unrelated to strength, power and flexibility, I first wore the band when I was experiencing terrible period pains, within ten minutes of putting the band on...no more period pains! I would pay a large amount of money for that!

The Power Balance band is my new favourite accessory that I will not leave the house without!

The bands retail at £29.99 you can purchase one by clicking HERE

Please note, the website http://www.powerbalancebandsuk.com is a counterfeit site selling products that do not work, please do not visit this site!

WaterWorks-Diary of an Instructor

It looks like I didn't have to take too much time out of teaching WaterWorks due to the move...I'm now back in the game! Yay!
Todays class was to a completely new bunch of aqua ladies, and yes, wait for it...gents too! Ok, gent, singular, but still thats a first for me!
It was nice having a fresh start and teaching to people who don't know me or WaterWorks. I knew something was going right when I looked around and the pool was full of smiles....when I looked to the swimming lane of the pool there were actually three men copying me also, Im telling my self that this was because they were so desperate to join in and not because they were taking the mick!

So, what did they like about the class? 
-The choreography! One lady told me at the end that it was nice to so an aqua class with no knee repeaters, glad I could be of service!
-A slightly different response to the music than what I have had previously to quote one of the ladies 'I hate that Justin Timberlake', but at least it wasn't a negative response.
-The final bit of feedback was that they liked...me :) I think I shocked them into liking me due to being completely over-enthusiastic! Such lovely comments for the participants who laughed at my completely unfunny jokes the whole way through!

A quick bit about my growth as a WaterWorks instructor: 
Having watched my assessment video back I realised I had ALOT to work on, I've been practising the chore in front of the mirror and think it has really paid off, I felt that I performed all my moves with much more control and strength as opposed to how I performed in my video, I also worked on talking less and using more useful cues which actually made teaching a bit easier as teaching on poolside is infact very physically challenging. I know there is still room for improvement and I look forward to continue improving and 'Riding the wave of change!'

Maxitone Sculptress bars

I have recently recieved some Maxitone Sculptress Bars,
"These high protein bars will take hold of your appetite, providing a tasty snack that will not only fill you up and reduce cravings but support your metabolism too. With good fat CLA, green tea and guarana to increase fat loss these bars are in a super convenient format to keep you on track towards your goals."

I was really excited to get them and try them as I think they would really benefit me, especially as they are chocolate flavoured and i LOVE chocolate. Unfortunately, I don't like all chocolate, these ones are dark chocolate flavoured. I must say, these are the first Maxitone product that I actually don't like! I can eat them, but ut has to be in stages. Peoples tastes vary so don't be afraid to try them out, there is currently an offer on them on the Maxitone website. Check it out HERE. They are also available in chocolate orange flavour, which I will try next!

Fitness Frocks 5

Finally I have something to match my yellow Body Combat wraps, and not only is it just a yellow sports bra...it is also a reversible one! Two tops in one! The other side is white with a yellow NIKE tick on it. 

                                                               

WaterWorks 3

At Fitness Fiesta i got to take part in WaterWorks 3! I havn't even seen two yet!
 It was a really enjoyable class, we did it all with woggles, noodles if your being picky...or 'toys' if you Damon :)
Its a brilliant release, so when it is launched make sure you get to your nearest class!
The music is awesome, I sang along the whole way through, there are new moves and a really hard core track. Thats as in a track that is hard on your core. Watch out for the directional changes, and an extremely wavy track 5!


Happy Splashing!

Fitness Fiesta!

I have just come back from an absolutely wicked weekend at Fitness Fiesta in Camber Sands. Fitness Fanatics and fitness novices alike flocked to Pontins at Camber Sands for a weekend of blood, sweat and tears (minus the blood.) We stayed in the most basic of basic rooms, think bunk beds, no shower head, pre paid electricity which just switches off when you run out, furniture that MUST be from the 70s, single glazed windows and walls pretty much made of cardboard! Noice! (there are luxury rooms available!)

Day 1
We arrived to take part in BODYCOMBAT™ with Justin Riley, followed by Zumba. Combat was awesome, its great to see the presenters and to go over some of the old Combat tracks.

I wish I could say the same about Zumba. It was absolute shambles! I was right at the front, didn't have a clue what I was doing as there was no ques, visual or verbal no teaching points and by the time you have got any where near close to performing the move that she was doing, it changed. Not a good Zumba experience at all...coming from someone who really enjoys Zumba normally. 

We chilled out the rest of that night, with Pizza in our shack to prepare us for the following day.

Day 2
8am BODYPUMP™ with Justin Riley. Awesome. End of.

10.30 am Body Combat with Justin and Lee.
We then thought we were doing our booked Blast fx class...realised we weren't and left as we were not meant to be in there! Jo Parry's Bootylicious party was fantastic! Its such a shame her mic kept cutting out on her because she really was brilliant!

WaterWorks 3 followed for me where I finally got to meet Damon Phipps-Newman, the joint programme director with Jenny. He taught a brilliant Water Works class which I really enjoyed, it seemed to last about 10 minutes! Time flies when your having fun eh!I also met Jennys gooorgeous little girl.
Finishing off with BODYATTACK™ presented by Vanessa labort and Nimah McGuirk, two gals you can always count on for an amazing class...how I made it through I will never know!

I didn't get myself a mat for this part and was slipping too much on my sweat...soooooo I took piccys instead.

 That finished it for that day, back to our room we went to get dolled up for a yummy dinner in Simply Italian.

Day 3
Another 8am start, this time kicking it off with Body Step, again with Vanessa, and again, a brilliant class. By the end of this my legs were beginning to give up, but of course i wasn't about to take my weights down in Body Pump! To finish off our weekend we went to BODYBALANCE™ presented by Niamh. The perfect end to a fab weekend. Arriving back at home I was so so drained both physically and mentally, but I have got plenty of time to recover befor the next one in March! BRING IT ON!!

Taking a week off

Check back for new posts on Tuesday 28th of September.

"Why Army style fitness workouts are all pain and no gain"-Daily Mail

I was reading FitPro News when I came across this article. I read through it a few times and absolutely cannot believe it! This article has 'don't exercise you will hurt yourself' written all over it. I thought that in the current climate of an obese riddled country we should be encouraging people to exercise and be healthy but this article is suggesting; you should not run, you should not do sit ups, you should not go to a military style bootcamp because you might get shouted at. Running and sit ups are two of the simplest exercises you could possibly do, and getting shouted at at a MILITARY STYLE BOOTCAMP...well, honestly, if you weren't expecting to be shouted at and pushed to your physical limits...why would you go?


                       "surely no self-respecting adult really enjoys performing a wheelbarrow                              (crawling along the floor on your hands while another holds your legs behind you)? 

There are more dignified ways of honing your core strength"

There may very well be more dignified ways, but I would put money on it that they would be boring. The wheelbarrow puts a bit of variety into their core workout, makes it a bit more fun. In the comment section one lady states that 

"All of the negative comments are based upon opinion with no evidence to back up their claims on either injury, posture or the conduct of the instructors in the British Military Fitness."

I completely 110% agree with her. She the goes on to say quite comically

"or the women who will never go back because her instructor shouted at her and asked her to do squats", "If you hurt your knee skiing then surely it is skiing that is bad for you.

I feel that classes like this are not only about helping people to achieve their goals, but also to help them realise their full potential.
"making someone do lots of press-ups when they can't even do a single one"  To me, this statement says that this person in actual fact is doing press ups that they didn't realise that could do.


I have so much more I would like to rant about regarding this article, but I would be here all day! Have a read of the article yourself HERE and let me know what you think too.


I personally couldn't think of anything better to do that got to one of these classes!

Zumba

I have tried out Zumba a few times now, I wasn't expecting to like it but I am an absolute convert! It is awesome!

"The Zumba® program fuses hypnotic Latin rhythms and easy-to-follow moves to create a one-of-a-kind fitness program that will blow you away. Our goal is simple: We want you to want to work out, to love working out, to get hooked. Zumba® Fanatics achieve long-term benefits while experiencing an absolute blast in one exciting hour of calorie-burning, body-energizing, awe-inspiring movements meant to engage and captivate for life!" (Zumba.com) 


I am very tempted to do the training to teach Zumba, but I still want to do more Les Mills courses (Attack and Balance), but its ok, I have plenty of time left in my career to do so! If you haven't tried it yet I would recommend finding a class near you, the steps are easy to pick up, and its a fun class to participate in.

Cho-Yung weight loss tea

Following a post I did back in april on Cho-Yung weight loss tea I would like you all to read this comment that was left by Martina

" I read a review on what appeared to be a reputable Irish Medical Paper on Cho Yung Tea and Procleanse Gold - they appear to be the same company. I signed up for the Trial of 14 at 8.99€ for both. It was only afterwards I read the details re the Fraudulent manner in which they operate, and sent an email with 48 hours to advise that I did not want any further product nor did I authorise any further withdrawal of money from my Visa car. I also phoned my Visa company who told me to wait and see if they would take more money In the event they die, both of them taking money again after 15 days, despite my having emailed them, Proclense Gold took over 30 € and Cho Yung Tea over 50€. Well I am loosing weight o.k but not from the tea, which I have never used, but from trying to get them to leave my money alone. I have had to cancel my Visa card and have None as this comes up as a type of standing order every month and the way Visa works it will pay it our. However the good news is that Visa will also follow both companies for me, as I have and email record of all correspondence and they advise that they will request that my money be returned and that both companies be subjected to a fine of up to 3000€ for breach of trading regulations. Be careful out there." 


If you want to drink tea to support your weight loss or detoxing goals I would suggest just drinking regular green tea, and not wasting money on scams such as this one.


If you come across any weight loss supplememnts that you are interested in but you think may be a bit dodgy, please don't hesitate to let me know, and I would love to check them out for you. 


Unfortunately I couldn't get in touch with Martina as her profile is set to private, but Martina, if you read this, I really hope everything had worked out for you! It really is terrible what companies like this do. 

WaterWorks Diary of an Instructor 4

Due to my holiday and going to V-festival, I have had a bit of time out of teaching WaterWorks. I was glad to get back into it when the time came. I was a bit worried that I would have forgotten the chore and teach a complete bodge job of a class, but it actually went quite well, the chore came straight back to me after looking over the notes (which I thought I had lost! Que panic attack)

I am still loving the programme and am eager to get my hands on the new release! The time has come when I need to get filming! My plan is to film not this Wednesday, not the next, but the next. It gives me enough time to WaterWorks chore bootcamp myself, and to get all the Les Mills Launches out of the way so I can concentrate with out going into chore overload! If Wednesday evening goes wrong I will re-film on Thursday morning, fingers crossed it won't come to that!

K-Swiss Tubes

So as I said in the previous post, at Colossus I got my hands on a few freebies. And not just a few bits of lucozade bars here and there. I got a pair of trainers!!! With two sweatbands. I have never had a pair of K-Swiss shoes before, their not really a make that I would think "I need some new trainers, oh I think I'll get some K-Swiss'", I have now changed my mind. The trainers both look and feel great!
To get your hands on some click HERE. There are many different colours that you can get. Also with every purchase you get a free K-Swiss gym bag, water bottle and towel...I want them too! Am I being greedy? After all they did give me free trainers! haha

These bad boys are seriously worth a try, they feel like your walking on bouncy marshmallows!  They have enough what I can only describe as 'squish' in them to absorb any impact headed towards your knees and shins. I've been teaching classes in them ever since I got them and haven't had a single twinge in my knees! These trainers really are great!

Check out their facebook page...'like' it, and then 'like' my wall post please :) Click here to do so, and then scroll down to my comment, (Sophie Barrett), and get 'liking'!!

Colossus

Last weekend took me to Sheffield for the Les Mills Super quartely workshop. 7 programmes, 7 hours of exercise. For me, 7 hours of bliss! The day started at 8.30 am with Body Attack

I am now absolutely desperate to begin teaching Body Attack as it is such an amazing workout! This was a really good release which had me dripping after about 15 minutes! 

9.45am and we did Body Pump 75. 

The music for this release is so good! I cannot wait to learn it, I managed to get my self right at the front for this. The presenters were awesome too, I couldn't help but stare, so guys, the wooping brunette in the front staring at you gormlessly...was me :) Watch out for the chest track, its a corker! And the new moves in the shoulder track! Click here to see a video of the warm up taught by the fabulous Niamh....see if you can spot me...front row baby! The highlight of the presentation for Pump was defo Niamh and Shaun, both fantastic at what they do, and an inspiration to us all.

11am: Its Body Jam time!! This hour went so quickly! Again, a really strong release, myself and participants found the last release a bit tricky, and the fast heel toe incredibly amusing, but this one is a bit more simplified, again with wicked tracks. It was amazing to have the Rachel Cohen herslef there teaching, I was in absolute awe by her, she is my idol!

12.15 Body Step, without sounding like a broken record, yet another really good release!

Can you see me?...blue top! My injury of the day came from this class, yep, I stubbed my toe, right on the corner of the bigun (yes my toes have corners) Presented by a great group including Vanessa Labort who did my module training, such a fun group who all seem to bounce off of each other. Plus I swear Vanessa has springs in her shoes!

RPM was up next, by now my legs feel like lead so what do I do? PUT MY GEARS UP! YEAAAAA haha it was great, fantastic instructors too, this is the first time I have done RPM at a quartely and I must say, I thoroughly enjoyed it!

 Finally lunch time came! A chance to scoff loads of food and rest up ready for the afternoon. At 4 o'clock, we took part in the new body balance, this is a nice release, quite easy, not to much going on, just what we needed.  The front lady is Ann-See Yeoh, she taught some of the class on Saturday, she has a great teaching style, so good infact that she is on the DVD of Body Balances 50th release!

Last but definitely not least we did Body Combat 45. 

 I can't even describe this release. It was A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. End of. Rachel Cohen (joint programme driector for Les Mills Body Combat) team taught in this. She was phenominal! As was Tanya Walker, a tiny bundle of energy, they were both in a previous post of mine about my inspiration, check it out here, not leaving out Phil Harrison! 'If you got the balls to fight then come on bring it'  The moves, the music, everything about this release is fab, I have already started to learn it, so I can get it into my classes as soon as I can! Track 8 actually gives me goosebumps when it kicks in.

The whole day was brilliant, I had such a good time, and got some freebies too which you will see in the next post.  I can't wait for the launches of these releases! Get to your nearest launch, it will be well worth it!

I would like to take this opportunity to thank those at Fitpro who put so much effort into the day and organised the event, also all of the Presenters for being so blooming inspiring and giving us a reason to go on. I am proud to be a Les Mills Instructor! 

Kia Kaha!

Day one of the Detox!

The detox has begun.....
I need to rid my body of all the horrible toxins which are now residing within!

So my diet still needs a bit of work, but as I'm at home and not doing my own food shopping I'll look at that when I get back to Loughborough!

Tomorrow I will post what exercise I have done, what food I have eaten, how much water I have drank, etc

Here is the challenge...I'm going to the cinema at one with my sister! uhoooooh that normally for me means  fanta and either a bag of maltesars (to myself) or popcorn.

Is the end of my detox in sight already? Fingers crossed no!

Rules so far
-Lots and Lots of water
-A cup of green tea a day
-No sweets, chocolate, crisps, alcohol
-No sugary drinks
-Heap loads of fruit

Can you think of any other rules I need to add to my detox?

Friday Fever!

My 3 weeks of minimal training and lots of food are over as of Sunday, I can't wait to get back on track and fill you in on all my training!

I'm off to teach Body Combat now, then three classes in the morning, and a birthday party on Sat night...which means a whole day in bed on Sunday :D

This week I have tried Zumba which was brilliant! and tomorrow I will be trying a blast class. My last few days of eating all the food I can fit in and drinking alcohol ends Sunday at midnight!

Have a great weekend!

Mythbuster

I must set everyone straight on this. It is probably the most common exercise myths I hear.

                                      "Doing crunches will get you a six pack"

Whilst in the gym I spotted a girl I knew. She had been doing crunches for about half an hour (with short breaks) I went and sat next to her and asked what she was doing,

                                     "Oh I really want a 4 or a six pack for my holiday next week"

 

She is not the slimmest of people I know and does have a fair amount of excess body fat around her middle

So i began to explain... If you have a layer of fat over your abdominal muscles then you will not be able to see your muscles and therefore will not be able to see any six pack. You need to reduce your body fat in order to achieve your six pack.
If you want one, see previous post on goal setting, as getting a six pack for next week with out surgery is impossible!

She accepted this and decided on going for a run the following morning. This delighted me, the only thing that delighted me more was that before she left I went to the bar to get a drink and she was buying a chocolate muffin :)...we will tackle that one next time!

Time for a detox

After an amazing week away in Greece, followed straight away by a weekend festival my body, skin and brain are in serious need of a detox! After nearly two weeks of naughty food, too much alcohol and sitting around, it is time to expel the toxins I have allowed into my body.

My plan is to trial some, and show the results on here so that when you guys need a detox too...you will know which one to choose.

Are there any detox plans that you are particularly interested in and want to know more about? If so, let me know!!

Fitness Frocks 4

Pictured below is my beloved Combat outfit. Shorts from Blitz Sport and top from Sports Direct

Holiday Time!!!

I'm off for two weeks now, see you mid August with brand new posts :D


Bye Bye Eastbourne...Hello Rhodes !

WaterWorks - Diary of an Instructor 3

This class was the best WaterWorks class I have taught so far. Both my class participants and myself were on absolute highs afterwards! There must have been something in the chlorine!
They were all clearly enjoying themselves, and I really felt that we all connected well today. They don't normally communicate together in the pool much, but today they were having a good old sing along and giggeling away with each other.
Their getting used to the choreography now which is allowing them to work harder, and feel the results more than when they started.
I even got some pouts in the sexy core training track!
And, I got my first pregnant lady too! She said she found the intensity spot on, especially with the easier options as she only has a few days to go, she wasn't 100% sure about doing the core training so apart from when performing the mermaid she kept her feet on the floor for the rest of the exercises.

WaterWorks is the way forward!

Witness the Fitness- Tricep Extention

This week you get to Witness the Fitness of the Tricep Extension.

A

There are many different variations of the Tricep Extension. 

Today we are looking at the lying Tricep Extension

 (aka skull crushers, can you guess why?)

Now, WITNESS THE FITNESS 

Set Position: Lay back on a bench

Push your lower back into the bench

Dig your heels into the ground feet hip width apart

Hold barbell no wider than shoulder width apart

Tuck in your chin

Shoulders down away from the ears

Soft elbows

Imagine you are holding a beach ball between your elbows...don't drop it!

B)

Execution:

Bend from the elbows

Lower bar to a fist distance for the head for a count of three

Hold for a count of two

Return to start for a count of one

B)

Ensure that:

Your lower back remains pushed into the bench at all times
You keep both feet flat on the floor

Do not allow your elbows to sway out, KEEP HOLD OF THE BEACH BALL!