Shockfit Banter

So, if you're visiting this here blog via some banter at tonight's Shockfit class, welcome. Hello RYAN! Don't go back and read my deepest darkest thoughts, and if you do then don't ever mention them to me. Okay? Good.

Right. I thought i'd do a little update on my fitness routine since it's been a few months and some things have changed. There's no more Grit classes. Boo. But there's a strength training programme of weights in the gym. Yay. I don't know why I say yay because i've only ever ran through it once. It's really good too but I'm not really comfortable being in the gym lifting weights on my own when there's a few bods around. What I need is a gym buddy 1) for moral support and 2) for when the weights fall on me and I need someone to lift them off! I'd hate to be awkwardly stuck horizontal on a weight bench unable to get up whilst the life drains from me under a 40kg weight bar. Dramatic!

Anyway, if you're free one day a week, come be my gym buddy?

Here's how my week is supposed to look, training wise...

Monday - was Metafit, now Insanity (cardio)
Tuesday - Shockfit circuit (strength)
Wednesday - Spin class (cardio)
Thursday - free day or could be weight session in the gym
Friday - Spin class (cardio)
Saturday - Insanity and weight session in the gym (if not done on a Thursday). (cardio/strength)
Sunday - NO TRAINING ON A SUNDAY! my rule.

Ideally I'd do this every week and perhaps mix it up a bit but i definitely need to get these weights sessions going. It's only a few months until summer and it would be good to feel like I've finally reached a target. HELP!

What's your weekly fitness routine like? Is cardio your favourite or do weights fit you better?

I'm off for some chocolate, ha.

Angela x

Healthy and Fit, a little old update

It's been a few months since I wrote about my fitness routine. To be totally honest, in December it kind of fell by the wayside. I was down to one or two classes per week. This was due to a combination of external factors. Work being busy, rubbish dark weather nights, not 'feeling' it, and generally just feeling out of sorts really. All pretty lame excuses I know but I feel it was an inner voice telling me I needed a little break. And so I did just that. And then I got the worst cold i've had for a while. Typical.

Over Christmas there's a limited timetable of classes taking place at The Peak (my local gym). But I did manage to drag myself along to about three of them and I tell you something for nothing, it really made me feel better. I didn't feel as guilty that I'd been overindulging in all things chocolate related. It really was good to get back into the swing of things too. Last Friday night's spin class was amazingly hard but brilliant feelings afterwards. Exercise where you almost del sick will do that to you.

Yesterday the timetabled classes started afresh for the new year and I'm planning on hitting up my regular classes and perhaps add more actual gym work in a few days too. As the truth is I haven't actually been in the gym part of the building in over a year. I do classes and then go to the smaller gym over at the Forthbank football stadium to do shock fit (HIIT (high intensity interval training) weights class).

So the routine will go something like this:

Monday - Velocity blast (high intensity 30 minute spin bike class) and then Faster, higher, stronger class (30 minute HIIT with agility, strength and plyometric exercises).
Tuesday - Shockfit (50 minute weight and body weight routine class)
Wednesday - Les Mills RPM (50 minute spin bike class)
Thursday - no gym day, but may become a gym session day, we'll see.
Friday - Velocity (1 hour high intensity spin bike class)
Saturday - Faster, Higher, Stronger.

EDIT: Monday's Faster, Higher, Stronger class was cardio heavy so I may swap the Velocity Blast class for a body pump class - with weights.

At the moment I'm giving Sunday a miss.
I might slowly introduce the double Faster, higher, Stronger class back into my early morning Saturday routine. You're done by 10.45am, feel great and you're free to fill the rest of your day as you please.

Anyway, this is my motivation. This below and those rock hard abs above, which are mine by the way! ;)

This was about 2 years ago when I was at my slimmest I'd been for years. Granted it's only about 7lbs less than I weigh just now but still, I know I'll feel better about myself when I get back there.

A funny thing happened last week too. I weighed myself. I know, I know you shouldn't really do that during Christmas but much to my utter surprise I've only gone and managed to lose 2 pounds. I know! I don't know how I did that either. It's a Christmas miracle.

In all seriousness, I think it might be due to the fact I didn't eat as much carbs. I opted for a slice of grilled bacon and an egg for breakfast most days of the holiday. I mean it can't be all down to that but it played a part I think. I'm not a believer in diets but i do think I could eat healthier and that's what I tried to do. In saying that i totally ate loads of chocolate (my great big downfall). I've scoffed one Terry's chocolate orange; two bags of Thornton's strawberry creams; most of a tub of Jacob's cheese lets; ice cream; a bag of chips from the chippy; fudge; a large Galaxy Caramel bar; some Quality Street sweets (all over the two week period)... need i go on. So you'll see, there be no diets going on around these parts. But looking at that list right there I know that i need to cut some of that very bad but oh so tasty stuff down (I'll never cut it right out) and start introducing more vegetables and fruits. So that's one to stick on a list, say, of resolutions, maybe...

Angela

Fitness routine, an update

I thought I'd give a little update on my fitness routine lately. This weekend has I've been out the game so to speak. I got my first cold of this year and i think it was my body's way of telling me to slow as since about February i have been exercising at least 5 days per week. Phew. I couldn't have imagined doing that a few years back. So with me having a cold for a few days I haven't been to the gym since Wednesday nights spin class.

Other than that I had a blip the weekend i went to Alton Towers. Well, the week after to be exact. I just didn't feel like exercising so i cut it down and got back into my stride. And you know what, that's ok. If your heart's not in it then you won't enjoy it.

After I posted a few months ago about my routine which was every day of the week, i have made a few adjustments that have really just happened organically. I've cut out the Thursday night shock-fit (weights class) and only go to the sunday morning spin class every other week. I needed a little lie in every now and then. The Thursday night class is one I want to get back to because I love the weights and the changes that you see in your body from doing them. But here's what happened...

I'd been going to Tuesday and Thursday night shock fit classes since about Feb/March time. That's months! They used to be at 7pm and there was usually me, my cousin and a few other regulars on a Thursday, and me and maybe one other woman on a Tuesday. Those classes were cancelled in July due to low attendance, so I switched to the busier 6pm classes. Now, those are fine but the first week 12 people turned up and it was a very tight squeeze to say the least (since they're held in the smaller gym inside Forthbank stadium).

Anyway, about a month ago i turn up to the Thursday class. There's 4 of us there, including a few regulars to other classes. We were doing a new circuit so the instructor showed us each of the moves and we were soon on our way.

I was paired with a woman. (I'd rather have worked my way around on my own). Every now and again she would comment like this "you're not doing that right"... "i think you need to move forward a bit"... and so on. It really really put me off. I ignored her as best I could, not responding at all. What I really wanted to say was "please, you're doing it al wrong but i won't comment on your technique. And anyway if I were doing it wrong I'm sure the instructor would have told me since there's only 4 of us in the class". That's what I was saying in my head. I never said it out loud of course. Typical me, but i;m sure my lack of facial expressions told her what I might be thinking.

It's such a shame because when it was my usual group at those classes, we had a good rapport. But most importantly we encouraged each other and had a laugh. This other group really seem to be too serious and actually truth be told, their techniques are way off. I mean we're not talking athletes here who are training for anything but still. I'm surprised one of them hasn't put their back out.

So, I'll try to get over that and hope she stops going to that class because it really did put me off.

Other than that, I am still going to spin bike classes as well as GRIT strength and GRIT cardio classes. I do love the feeling you get afterwards having completed the high intensive training. Although my pink sweaty face may tell a different story!

What are you doing to keep fit?

Angela x

Get Fit and Healthy: Motivation and Perseverance

Despite the weather, summer should be here. For some it may already be here. And with the imminent arrival of summer, comes that ever more important need to sort your body out for the beach (if you're lucky enough to be going away for a beach holiday, that is).

The magazines are filled with the way they think we should be. All tall, bronzed and with the perfect beach hair. The reality is more often than not the total opposite to that. Women start to panic themselves into eating less. Filling themselves up with artificially sweet smelling gloopy liquids that promises them one step closer to that beach body. Again, the reality being that you will only lose weight (the healthy way) by exercising and eating healthier. I say healthier because I myself do not get enough fruit or vegetables in my diet. I am no expert when it comes to weight loss. But what I do know is that I'm only seeing results through hard work and cutting back on the crap in my diet. Incidentally, this weekend a newspaper here had pull-out booklets on a diet called "The bikini panic diet" - how utterly ridiculous and irresponsible to call it that.

It is tough. I'm now exercising for 7 days a week and I'm into week 4 of that. It's starting to become a habit. An amazing habit. Progress! I try to separate out different forms of exercise into different days of the week. It goes something like this...

• Monday - Spin class (cardio), GRIT Strength class (cardio and weights).
• Tuesday - ShockFit TRX suspension class (weights, strength).
• Wednesday - RPM biking class (spin, cardio)
• Thursday - ShockFit bells class (weights).
• Friday - Spin class (cardio)
• Saturday - GRIT cardio class
• Sunday - Spin class (cardio).

Gym for ShockFit - "there is no strength where there is no struggle"

It is tough. It requires focus and perseverance but I do like it, a lot. It wasn't always like that. I'd need no excuse some days just to give up on the Monday classes and then that knocks your week all to pot. Then you'd feel bad and it would all start again. But thankfully I've managed to get right out of that habit and into another more healthier one. My fitness is improving, although I can tell you that since introducing the GRIT classes, i feel like they could move me up a notch. Don't get me wrong, i am by no means an athlete. I'm just a girl who wants to get fitter and leaner and healthier.

I've never been into faddy diets. I was never allowed to when I was younger and I thank my mum for that. She was never into diets either. I tend to hold all my weight on my bum and thighs. I'm blessed with a fairly flat stomach and small chest so i do kinda look out of proportion.

Before January, my routine only consisted of Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday spin bike classes. All cardio and no weights at all. I'm not really a fan of the gym - well, not a fan of the body builder types that hang around the weights, so it always put me off. Then I started the ShockFit classes twice per week and the difference in tone of my arms, quads and stomach is great. My bum could really do with a really big tone up though. It's my hardest part to shift any weight or tone up. But I'm determined. Of course the chocolate i eat doesn't help, nor does the juice. But they're my only vice and I have to try to wean myself off them. Well, that's really only an excuse now isn't it.

pic from a few months ago

At the start of June the gym introduced the Les Mills GRIT classes and I've added them into my weekly routine. I really hope they can help shift those last few pounds.

I've never really been a weight watcher, except in my mid 20's when I reached 10 and a half stone. At 5ft 2in, that could almost be considered obese. Probably is, I haven't checked any charts. I lost a bit of weight about 2 years ago through eating less crap and doing exercise. Then by February of 2011 I let it go a bit and put some more back on. For months I hovered around 9st 6lb. Which was better than 10st but still not ideal. Currently I'm sitting at 8st 6lb. Ideally I'd like to get to the lower end of 8stone. So that's my summer challenge to myself. To do just that. 6 pounds to go.

It'll take some real discipline on my behalf. You don't understand how panic starts to set in if i don't have a chocolate Freddo or something in the house to quash my cravings. Argh! But, the motivation is being able to wear the clothes I want to wear. The perseverance will come from my own inner and outer strength and the will to succeed at something that I control. Only I will know whether or not I succeed or fail but I think, this time, I'm going to succeed. I've written it down here after all and that means I HAVE to stick to it. Eek!

Join me. Let's motivate each other. I'll check in on you, if you check in on me.

Remember "there is no strength where there is no struggle", virtual gym buddies!

Angela x
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Fitness Friday #1 - Strength and Grit

For the past 2-3 months I've been incorporating ShockFit into my weekly fitness routine, along with my usual 4 spin bike classes. If you missed the previous post on the explanation of what ShockFit is, it's basically a set of different classes that are of the short, sharp, intense nature. There are different classes focusing on different parts, so for example, there are kettle bells classes, TRX suspension classes, core classes and a general ShockFit class incorporating all of the above. My favourite is the kettle bells.

Since starting these classes in February I've really noticed a difference in my body from the few months that I've been attending. My weight hasn't really dropped a huge amount but i can get into smaller clothes - result! My arms are more toned and sculpted. My quads are fierce and I'm getting that nice muscle definition on the front of my thighs. My bum could be a little tighter admittedly and my tummy has always been relatively flat so it doesn't take much to keep that in check. I'm pleased with these results so far.

In a few weeks time the ShockFit classes will be added to the main timetable at The Peak meaning that you can have them as an add on to your main membership. Nice one. Although edging towards £60 per month!!

As well as the ShockFit, there'll be Les Mills Grit series classes too. Cardio and Strength. I've signed up for a Grit strength taster class to find out what it's all about. But in general i think they're almost the same format as the ShockFit classes. I'm excited to try them out and then get into it proper good. Upper body strength has always been my weakness. Not any more!

Angela x

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Shock Fit to get fit

Shock fit suspension. Sounds like a service Kwik-Fit would offer or some kind of weird torture. It could be the latter but it's neither. Shock Fit is a new set of fitness classes that have started at my gym, The Peak in Stirling. I suppose every gym has a set of classes that they name and each one may be different but Shock-Fit is just the name they've given them at The Peak. In this set there are Core, Bells and Suspension classes. I've started the Bells and Suspension classes and so far I've been well impressed.

First bells class was last Thursday. I was a bit apprehensive about what it would be but all of that went out the window when we got there and there were only 8 of us. Actually an ideal amount for a class. You feel like you're getting one to one sessions with the trainer but there's others there for a bit of banter too.

It turns out the class was really tough but really good. There were 4 stations with various kettle bell and dumb bell weights set up and the trainer (Colin) went through each one showing us what to do. We then had a warm up and a practice at each station so we knew what weight of weights to use and how to do it. Cool. One - squatting pull ups with as high a weight as you can handle. Two - dumbbell lunges, again with as high a weight as you can handle. Lunges are not that easy once you're passed ten. Three - shoulder presses, heavy dumbbells again. Four - wall squat lean with a medicine ball weight.

The class started and we had 4 rounds of doing the whole circuit. As we went on it got tougher since you're getting more tired. But I was glad to say I was keeping up with the supposedly 'stronger' folk. High five me! By the end we were sweating and proud we'd lasted the distance. I think I knew I would be fine. I'm pretty tough and determined when i want to be.

The second bells class was Thursday just past. I'm thrilled to say i was even better this week and the instructor made me do the harder versions of each exercise station.

The first suspension class was last Tuesday. In my head I pictured us being hung from ropes and doing all sorts. What it actually is is straps on the weight machines. Again the format is four stations set up and then out to another area to do two minute step ups and a one minute rest. One station has a set of rings, two had normal grip handles and the last station has larger rings (all on straps) which are for your feet. This is a killer. Again we had a try out of each one before being set off on our four rounds.

I'd say suspension was more of an upper body workout and bells has more lower body exercise (lunges!). I really did start to enjoy the suspension class by the second round.

On the first station (rings on the end of straps). This is a standing press up. Feet as far back as you can. You leaning on the rings, then do a press up action, standing up. Not as easy as it sounds. Station two is standing rows. Stand facing the machine/wall. Grab the straps by the handles, lean as far back as you can, feet as close to the wall as you can handle then pull yourself up like a row. Again, a killer. Station three is a squat jump. Get into a low squat position, holding the strap handles keeping the strap tight. Jump up as high as you can then squat down again. Last station. Face away from the wall, put your feet into the loops on the straps. Place your hands at shoulder width on the floor, keeping your back straight. Hands still, pull your feet in and out from the wall to your chest. This is kind of like a plank where your feet are suspended and you move them in and out. It's an ab killer. A great way.

All of these are done for a minute. You then get to rest for a minute and onto a two minute step up session. And rest for a minute afterwards. That is one circuit. You do it all again for another three rounds. Four in total. My abs and legs were really sore the day after but the spin class was a good way to loosen them off.

Need to get into these Zara shorts again for summer!

All of this means I'm now exercising five times a week, and you know what? I've had a great week. I've felt more positive and I'm sure I can almost see a difference already. My problem areas are my bum and tops of legs and I've always had a smaller trunk. My abs are forming nicely and I'm excited to hopefully have a nice set of sculpted arms (not like Madonna!). That's the plan anyway.

After Thursday's bells class Colin gave us a wee chat about not weight watching and always eating breakfast. Something I've been skipping recently. Now I'll be sure to get my Weetabix or Corn Flakes on to kick start that metabolism. I've never been into diets. In fact i downright disagree with them. Everyone I've ever known to diet has lost weight, then put it straight back on when they've returned to eating 'normally'.

Basically, don't diet, eat less of these and EXERCISE

What I'd say is eat healthy. Cut out the rubbish. (Chocolate is my weakness). But that's all lost if you don't exercise. You have to work at it, and put those stupid diet books/weight watchers rubbishy meals away. There's no easy quick fix.

Angela x

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