New Blog - http://xoxajvxox.tumblr.com/

Hi everyone,

I've decided to shift my blog to Tumblr. Please feel free to follow me at http://xoxajvxox.tumblr.com/

Thank you so much for all your support

xox AJ xox

Fitting gym time into study time

Time management is something every student tries to master, and when you're trying to keep fit on top of that it can definitely be a challenge! 

I'm not saying I'm a master by any stretch of the imagination, I have a lot of things I can work on. I do have a few of my favourite tips for how to fit your workouts into your day.

Training consistently 

Training consistently is something we make a mistake with quite often. When we start a new fitness regime, we often make the mistake of launching into it hard and furiously going every day... Then after three days you're sore, exhausted and don't want to go back! Just like anything, you aren't going to be able to keep this up without burning out if you haven't eased into it. Start small, set yourself a goal of going three times the first week, say Monday, Wednesday and Friday for 30 minutes ( or however long your program takes you). After you've done that for two weeks, maybe add a weekend session as well, and stick to your routine. For most people, this amount of gym time is going to make a significant difference to your health and fitness. Once you make your gym time a habit, you're going to find it much easier to get off the couch and fit the gym into your schedule.

Fitness classes

I don't personally go to that many fitness classes, I usually prefer to work out in the gym, but I have tried a few of the classes my gym Les Mills offers and know if you don't want a trainer or prefer to train in a group, these fitness classes will suit you. Try a few out, pick a class you like and make a habit of going at the same time every week. You'll find after a few weeks you'll definitely miss it if you can't make it and you'll be looking forward to it even more next time. Les Mills does lunchtime express classes, so if you're fitting your workouts into your break or between classes these are a good option.

Mornings are good ( for some people)

Now I'm not an extremely big fan of training in the morning. I can understand the concept, and the times I do get up and train earlier I don't regret it. But I find that most of the time my brain and body prefers a reasonable wake up time.

If you are inclined toward early mornings, use this time to fit in a gym session, walk or jog and make the most of it. Whether you do this fasted or not is up to you, I hate running on a full stomach but can't lift as well on an empty one so it really depends on how you feel and whose advice you take 

Lunchtimes

I like training in my lunch break. I know that makes me odd, but I find the gym really relaxing and makes me feel good, so I almost always train at lunchtime. A lot of others feel the same so if I can take my break a little earlier or little later then midday, I try do that to avoid the rush. I also remember to bring protein with me if I'm lifting at lunchtime and eat straight afterwards.

Evening/night

A lot of people to to the gym straight after work. I find this a little tiring and prefer to go home and relax first before hitting the gym. My gym is quite crowded in the early evening and I don't like spending my gym time waiting for machines or racks. I usually do my evening session after 7.30, sometimes as late as 9.30, because I'm lucky and my gym closes at 10.30 pm. I find I lift better after I've eaten and I've had time to relax at home.

Weekends

Weekends are tricky. I find if I leave my cardio session too late in the morning I've only just got home and it's time to go back again. Early morning on the weekend you are going to run into fewer people, but also you miss out on the much awaited sleep in! However I love training in the late afternoon/ early evening on the weekend. I like the luxury of having time when I train, especially training heavy! It's pretty quiet and while you might be a little late for your friend's party, you'll have been able to dodge the crowds. 

Splitting up weight training and cardio

I find if I try and do cardio before or after a weight training I'll feel like I've been at the gym for hours and hours. This why I usually split my weight sessions and cardio sessions. It means I'm in the gym more often, but I get better quality sessions and if don't feel like going to the gym is a huge event I have to meticulously plan. Now most trainers advise against reading or doing something while you're doing your cardio. It can be distracting and mean you're not getting the full benefit of your workout. But, if you're pushed for time, take your textbook and read while you cycle or on the stepper.

Studying and cardio go quite well together for me!

Only 12 days till my first exam, so I'm going to push myself hard in the next two weeks :) Good luck to everyone who is sitting exams, I hope you all do really well!

xox AJ xox

Fat test results, training and study time eating tips

Good results this week! 

While I seem to be getting stronger, and heavier, it seems I'm also getting leaner. I'm 58.5 kg at the moment, up from 56kg at my last body fat test in March. 

However, my body fat is down, if just slightly! I've got from 13.5% at 56kg to 13.25% at 58.5 kg. looks like a good sign for some muscle growth.

Admittedly I didn't think it would be that low, I've been feeling a little bit more solid than usual so was thinking it would be higher. A pleasant surprise!

Training has been good, I'm lifting heavy with a lot more confidence. I trained chest yesterday, while I wasn't able to go heavy on incline bench, my flat bench was much more confident. 

I'll be changing up my diet and training again soon, these next few months are really important. When I've got more details about my new diet and training I'll fill you in!

I'm in my last week of class for university, and will be studying for exams. My old exam diet was a bag of m&m's, a block of chocolate and multiple energy drinks. It's going to be a little different this time!

Just like with training, exam study takes patience, hard work and it helps to be prepared. 

As with everyday life when you're training, your exam time is going to be much easier if you've at least planned what and when you are going to eat. When you're under stress and you're thinking hard, your brain is a) going to be using a lot of energy so going to make you hungrier and b) quite happy to grab the first food it sees and put it in your mouth.

a) Battling the hunger

To battle this, you need to have a lot of healthy, filling foods  to satisfy those hunger pangs. 

Your brain is a big engine that needs a lot of fuel, especially when you're studying, so you are going to want to eat more, it's not just in your head.

Eat a lot of veges, proteins, good sources of carbohydrates and good fats. 

Veges

• If you're on a student budget, check out your local farmers market for lots of seasonal produce at really low prices.
•  Frozen veges aren't expensive and a bag will last you a week or so.
• For kiwis going into winter soups are great, chop up a whole bunch of veges and you can have a pot on the stove most the day ready for whenever you get hungry

Proteins

• Chicken breast, lean beef and turkey are really good sources of lean protein
• Quinoa and chick peas are a great protein rich addition to your diet
• Add cottage cheese on rice wafers for a low fat protein snack

Carbohydrates

• Your brain largely uses carbs to function, so limiting these while you're studying is a bad idea 
• Stick with low GI carbs like kumara (sweet potato for my non - kiwi friends), brown or basmati rice and whole grains like oats, they burn slower and fuel you for longer

Good fats 

• Coconut oil is inexpensive and can add to your good fats and oils
• Oily fish like salmon and sardines provide a good source of brain friendly nutrients
• Small servings of nuts are not only tasty but are a good source of fats

b) food you can grab

In this case, you are studying hard and all of a sudden you're like "this is hard, I'm hungry."

To fight this, you need to have prepared in advance to make sure that walking to the shop and buying the huge bag of candy or ordering a pizza isn't the easiest way to get food in your belly.

• Prepare your meals in advance, so all you have to do is heat and eat or put the meal together if it's a salad or wrap you'd rather eat
• Have the meal ready in microwaveable containers
• Have ingredients chopped in containers ready to go
• Make healthy foods you actually like to eat. If it's food you wouldn't normally eat or something you won't enjoy, your brain will still tell you no. Easy meals like whole wheat wraps, with chicken and salad will always be appreciated
• make tasty snacks ready to eat like fruit salad, low fat/low sugar yoghurt, and smoothies to curb any sugar cravings
• Like I said above, soup is a really handy quick meal, made with lots of good veges and proteins it will be a comforting, filling snack
• Make black coffee instead of energy drinks or drink hot water with lemon
• Protein shakes a are handy (and sometimes tasty) snack to up your protein and keep you full. Ask your local protein store for some samples to find something you really like.

Remember to keep hydrated! I always have two 1.5 litre bottles of water, one at work and one at home, to make sure I've always got water with me. Your brain and body need a lot of water, it will help you stay awake and refreshed. Flavour your water with lemon or mint for a low calorie sweet and tasty drink.

I hope these tips are handy and if you have any questions please feel free to ask!

Good luck with Exams!

xox AJ xox

Current training and niggly injuries

Training this week has been really good. I'm feeling much stronger, looking leaner and pushing harder. I'm able to lift a little more, complete more reps and train for longer. It seems my body is adjusting to fewer calories, just in time to reduce it a little more ;) On 31 May I'm tightening up my diet even more, heading into the 16 week countdown.

I'm keeping up with my cardio and still hitting my 3 times a week goal. I hope to increase this a little more after 31 May, so we'll see how this fits in with my schedule. 

I've done a couple of posing sessions, and one more today and I should meet my goal of three times this week too. I'm feeling a lot more confident with this, flaring my lats is becoming easier and easier. I know I need to work on them more to get a really nice V-shape. My shoulders are really coming in now, and now that I'm leaner I feel like I'm heading toward the shape I want. 

My wrist is still bothering me a little bit, only on gripping and pulling motions rather than pushing. I'm at the point where I'm going to go and get a physio to look at it. It's really frustrating when you think it's ok, then you train it and it goes back to hurting again. Don't think I'm leaving it quite long enough to heal, and the fact I type all through my work day probably doesn't help! I'm trying to focus on stretching and rolling out my forearms, as that seems to help.

I'm officially all set to go to the USA on 1 July! I'm heading to Boston for the American Mensa Annual Gathering and looking forward to presenting there. I'll be blogging about my trip, my training and how I'm going to keep being strict while travelling, so this should be an interesting experience. I'm going to be going through and reading some stuff from the pros about how they do it before I go, so I'll be posting a lot more about this in the coming weeks. There's been quite a few international fitness expos recently and I know people have been travelling quite a lot, so hopefully there is a lot of quality information out there.

Before I head away I have to finish the semester and sit exams. I work full time as well as study, so it's going to be interesting balancing work, training and exam study heading into this. I am going to have to be much more focused (haha well more so than normal), and try and perform well while knowing I'm going to be on fewer calories. My exams are 18 and 24 June, so I'll be a few weeks into the next stage of my diet and training when they happen.

Hope everyone's training is going well! I've answered quite a few people's questions already, if you have any questions please feel free to head over to my facebook page http://facebook.com/xoxajvxox and send me a message!

xox AJ xox

What to wear to the gym?

This seems like the oddest topic for me to write about, since you will know that at the gym, I rock a combination of workout clothes that make me look like I’m homeless. My friend Georgia and I call this look “Hobo-chic.”

Pretty classic pre-gym hobo look from me

But, I have had a few messages from people who are just starting out at the gym asking what kinds of clothing they should buy, especially for ladies who want to get into lifting weights. I’ve been asked what brands I like, what I like to train in for different days and about the most comfy stuff for the gym. So I thought I’d write a post on what I like to wear and my tips for anyone starting out.

3) Wear appropriate footwear

I know it seems like a no brainer, but wearing the appropriate shoes for what you're doing is important. Hard sole shoes like chucks are good for squatting and deadlifting in (I wear chucks when I do these. N.B additionally also the only time when bare feet may be ok because I understand it can be better to do it in bare feet than in sneakers). For general gym going and lifting any kind of sneakers are fine, they don’t have to be expensive, but if you are planning on running get good sneakers. You don't want to hurt your knees by running in bad shoes.

2) Invest in sports bras

Ladies, get yourself a range of good sports bras. I say a range because you'll be washing them a lot and there's nothing worse than having a wet sports bra to put on. Also make sure they fit properly and keep you in the right place, nothing worse than a fear of the girls escaping while you’re lifting. It’s also much better for your back to have them firmly strapped in; sports bras give you the support that normal bras just can’t do while you’re exercising.

3) Dress to fit your body and your comfort level

My main advice for choosing clothes for the gym is to pick clothes that fit you properly and fit your comfort level at the gym. There are no hard and fast rules for what you should wear, as long as you're comfortable wearing it and you’re not indecently exposing yourself to other gym goers. There’s nothing worse than wearing something that doesn’t fit properly and getting distracting pulling it down or adjusting it the whole time you’re training. Worrying about what your butt looks like in your tights will only distract you from what you’re trying to do.

If you don’t feel comfortable wearing tights and a tight singlet then don’t. I much prefer working out in a looser fitting top and shorts in the summer and trackpants in the winter. I start off cold and warm up pretty quickly so I wear several layers of clothes. It’s a lot more to cart around near the end, but I feel much better starting off cosy warm than fighting the chill.

I have a few favourite pieces of gym wear, my red Not Big Enough tank top is definitely a favourite, and Cotton On Body does good and relatively inexpensive gym gear. Their tank tops are cute, and nice and long if you want to wear tights without worrying about bootay. I have a whole lot of inexpensive tops because they go through to wash so much I always need more.

If you don’t mind spending a little more on staples like shoes you can’t really go wrong with anything from Nike, Puma or Adidas. I love my Under Armour hoodie and wear it pretty much every day, only parting with it when it needs a wash!

I don’t have much Lulu Lemon gear, but I’ve heard that while you pay a little more, it’s high quality and if it’s not on high rotation like my gym clothes, then it should last you a while.

I have two gym bags, a large one for when I need to cart my shoes, straps and my belt around, and a smaller one for general every day gym going.

I hope this answers a few questions and if you want any more info just ask!

xox AJ xox 

Training updates and being prepared for eating clean

So training and eating are coming along pretty well. It's been 18 days since I switched back to my strict eating plan and I seem to be dropping some body fat already. I've made some good progress while holding onto my gains. I trained shoulders with D on Wednesday and Ash on Saturday, and my shoulders blew up so well. I'm really starting to get the V shape I'm after, and I don't think my shoulders have looked bigger. My stomach seems to be flattening out and my morning abs are back! Woohoo!

18 May 2014

The clean eating thing has reminded me that one of the hardest things about living a fitness conscious lifestyle is that it is really hard to stick with. Staying on course takes an inordinate amount of planning and perseverance. Here are some of my tips for helping me stay prepared for clean eating.

1) Prep your meals in advance 

Whether you do it the night before or once a week, I can't stress how much easier it is to stick to your meal plan when you're prepared. It's so much easier to avoid temptation to, because even if you feel like something else, your lazy brain will be like "urgh but I already made food I am not going outside to get takeaways." I always make sure I know exactly what I'm eating for the week and do my supermarket shopping to a strict list, I know how much I need of everything. 

2) Have the right tools for the job

"Hi my names AJ and I'm a plastic container hoarder" ..seriously though, have the right tools for making sure you're prepared.  My life is full of little plastic containers for dividing up all my food, making it easier just to throw it in the fridge and in my bag in the morning. I also have two different sized cooler bags, 2 giant water bottles (one at home and one at work) and a variety of plastic cutlery I can throw in my bag and not worry about losing them. This is all super important for making sure I can eat my meals on the go

3) Know your portion sizes - weigh and measure everything

How I manage what I eat is by watching my portion sizes and weighing and measuring everything.  My teeny kitchen scales are the most used item in my kitchen and are so handy. You can pick up scales for as cheap as $4 at Briscoes, so there's no excuse for not having a set on your bench at home. If you have them there you're more likely to use them and stick to what size portions you should be eating.

So these are a couple of things I use to keep my eating on track, take my meals with me and stick to my goals.

Speaking of goals, I set a few smaller ones this week to help me keep motivated and add new things into my routine. Last week I aimed to do three cardio sessions which I achieved. This week I'm aiming for 3 cardio sessions, three posing sessions and 3 foam rolling sessions. I have done 3/3 cardio sessions, 2/3 posing sessions but 0/3 foam rolling sessions (oops!). My training week ends on Tuesday so I think I'll achieve what I want to do by then. I'm going to keep adding more of these as I keep going.

xox AJ xox

19 weeks to go

Well it's 19 weeks out now and I'm really trying to push myself to hit my training hard at the moment. It's long enough out and close enough to the date that I'm both happy with my progress and nervous at the same time.

I had a really good leg session tonight, I'm enjoying the barbell lunge/step up superset so added more of them into my workout this week. Today's workout was:

             Barbell Squat

o    20 kg x 10 reps

o    40 kg x 10 reps x 10

Group C (did this twice)

o  Barbell Lunges

-  20 kg x 10 reps

-  20 kg x 10 reps

o  Barbell Step Ups

-  10 kg x 10 reps | 63 cm

Group D  (did this three times)

o  Barbell Lunges

-  20 kg x 10 reps

-  20 kg x 10 reps

o  Bodyweight Step Up

-  10 reps – 63cm

Lying Leg Curls

o    39 kg x 8 reps

o    39 kg x 6 reps

o    39 kg x 2 reps

o    39 kg x 10 reps

o    39 kg x 10 reps

I seem to be leaning up faster this time than the last time I dieted and I'm starting to see a little more definition in my muscles already. Feeling a little bit better about training and hoping I'll retain the muscle I've gained over the last few months.

I did some lat work during the week and this has made it a lot easier to practice flaring my lats in posing practice. I spent last night watching videos and going over technique stuff for posing which felt really good.

The videos and walkthroughs I looked at are these ones:

Figure posing with Julie Lohre: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TMgTsrGjnI

GoFigure video with Jamie Onekawa: http://tinyurl.com/l9euzkz

I'm looking forward to more solid trainings this week!

Abs 8/5/2014

xox AJV xox