Training myths and legends... REVEALED!

With January 2015 just around the corner you'll be hearing a lot more of these tell tale lies and fables of the gym world, lets get a few things straight here. 

There's aways those few myths and legends that are fabled in the training books. Here's a few that I've found DO NOT work or are just simply lies...

#1 

That old chestnut of just being a "Cardio Bunny", as we all know cardio is good for you but just sitting on a bike for 20-30mins a day isn't going to help you at all. You sit in a plateau for the whole time, you haven't got to change pace or use a different stride targeting different muscles. Top Tip: Change up the resistance go from really light to heavy resistance and do different amounts of time. You could even try adding in some sprint work so going for short bursts of energy and or high resistance levels for short periods of time with maximum effort, plus you won't get bored. Also mix in some weights and resistance you will burn more fat compared to just sitting on a bike or running on a treadmill. MIX IT UP!

#2 

Lifting weights makes you bulky... 

As a female who will lift in excess of her body weight I am living proof that lifting weights does not make you bulky. I have also found that it's a better way to enhance your curves and tone up. Girls you won't end up looking like a man, you will end up looking better an feeling better with a better backside than those cardio bunnies. Yes if you want to look bulky then lift heavy and do less reps to enhance the muscles and push them to the point of pain (good pain). 

#3 

Taking protein supplements enhance your physique. HA! This is one I really enjoy talking about, I don't take any supplements other than my Multivitamins and some extra slow release Vitamin B and Zinc. Protein shakes or supplements should only be used if you are straining your muscles to the point of tearing as these tears reform and increase muscle density, to repair these tears you need protein as it aids muscle growth and repair. (Scientific term Hypertrophy, Google it) If you are getting the right amount of protein in your diet you shouldn't need to take supplements it is only if you are at a deficit that you need to supplement with extra. But if you are a allergy sufferer like me then be careful and check your ingredients.  All protein products vary so you need to pick the right one for you and your goals. 

#4

Eating fruit is healthy. Well errrrmmmm yes it is healthy but hang on shouldn't you do that everyday not just when you want to diet?! Of course that what everyone thinks but think about this - some fruit can be higher in sugar than a chocolate bar, OMG! So don't go all tropical and buy the whole fruit counter, get a few fruits and instead have more vegetables instead, they are higher in those special vitamins and minerals needed for your body to function. 

#5

The heavier you are the fatter you are! Okay so I'm happy to say I weigh around 11stone 9lbs (74kgs) and I am a size 8/10, I have a hell of a lot of muscle compared to fat. Proves muscle is heavier than fat, so don't judge the state of your health on your weight. You need to look at the percentages of fat and muscle, to look more toned you need to lose fat but gain slight muscle tone and definition. 

#6

Train everyday and you increase the chance of noticing a difference... Well yes and no, you need to train hard 100% effort at least 3 times a week to see a difference after a few weeks, it's definitely not going to be a quick fix. 

#7

Crash diets DON'T work at all. (Handy tip) These types of diets although can be successful after a short period of time are not very sustainable in comparison to healthy eating and maintaining a diverse diet. 

#8

Exercise alone will not make you lose weight, you have to also focus on your diet. What's the point in putting in awful food after a amazing workout, no point at all. Exercise makes you fit and healthy but another great big part of that is the eating side of fat loss as it has a huge impact on the process of fats and metabolism. 

#9

Sit ups... You what?! Who? The most common exercise done for the wrong reason. Sit ups focus on the upper abdomen which is the most commonly used part of your core. You need to focus on using all areas of you core as well, there are exercises for each part of your core that will help you get those super abs you deserve after all your hard work and effort. 

#10

Honestly you can't target fat burn in certain areas, no seriously. Those targeted exercises won't help no matter what people tell you. Fat storage varies in different people. Your energy system does not pick where it burns the fat from around the body to fuel your workouts. That Squat could be powered by fat on your arms, think about that one. 

Don't start 2015 a complete tool in the gym, if you just stick to the rules and don't talk lies and myths to your gym buddies. These 10 myths have now been busted and you now know the truth behind all of them. 

Any questions or queries don't hesitate to comment below as always. 

Cheers then, see ya. 

Beth xoxo

Merry Christmas and all that...

I would just like to say...

Merry Christmas my little fitness freaks, 

May you have a fun packed day and night spending time with the ones you love and cherish the moments you share. 

Wishing you all the best for your future plans and wishes. I will always be here to help you achieve those goals and even come up with some new ones. Together we can make the world a happier and healthier place altogether. 

Thank you for having some time to read and taking a moment to think about what I am posting about. 

Cheers then, see ya.

Beth xoxo

Christmas blues...

So after eating way too much you're feeling blue and chubby, it's now the best time to get yourself ready for activities or to start those New Year's Resolutions to change your fitness or lose those pounds that have crept on over the last few years. What I'm going to do is give you several tips on how to get yourself set up for the new year so as to not fail in keeping those New Year's Resolutions. 

#1

Start early, you're more likely to succeed in keeping them if you buck the trend and start today compared to those that start on New Years Day as more than 65% of people that start those resolutions on New Years Day have given up by the 20th of January. You have two more days to eat those last bits of choc that are sat in the cupboard left over from the big day, then the hard work starts.  

#2

Once all the cupboards are bare of choc and all those naughty things we pick at during the season, head to your nearest supermrket and stock up on all those Antioxidant rich fruits and nuts and some good old juices. When ever you are craving those naughty little things grab an apple or some nuts and munch away. You'll thank me later. 

#3

Start by going for a walk and build up your pace and make it into a quick walk (power walk) 20-30 mins is good enough. Build that up over the next few days, you can then start by adding in a few 30 second jogs with a bit of rest in-between. Do this at least every day, increasing the duration of the jogs, and decrease the time of your rest periods. You will find that your stamina becomes a lot better, you'll soon be able to jog for longer and rest for less time. 

#4

You'll get to day 5 (New Years Day) and find that you have already got a quarter of the way through your challenge, after 20 days you are more likely to keep a resolution if you haven't faltered throughout. If you can keep it going you've definitely made a great start to 2015. 

#5

Make a list of what you need to do for next year, rip each one from the list and fold up, put them in a nice jar or box or something you'll remember. Come the end of January open up said box and see if you have completed any of that list and do the same every month. This will help you remember your goals and help motivate you each month. 

Good luck guys, may 2015 be healthy and happy! 

Cheers then, see ya. 

Beth xoxo

Tis the season, to eat lots and drink a hell of a lot more...

My 5 tips on avoiding putting on those extra christmas pounds...

#1

Avoid being lazy on christmas day, go for a walk with family in the cold, bright sunshine and get moving. Don't forget to wrap up warm and protect yourself from the bitter cold winds. This walk would be best as a morning activity to get your metabolism going and to bring the family a little closer by sharing in some magic moments. Parents you can also turn it into a Bear Hunt (yearly tradition in my household), take one of the kids favourite toys and take it for a walk and plant it in a nearby tree or bush so it's visible to the children and it also injects some excitement into what could be a boring country walk. How did teddy end up in there, he must of wanted to come along too.

#2

Moderation is key, whether it's Grandma putting extra helpings on your plate or Mum forcing food down your throat so there's no leftovers you are allowed to say NO. It's not mandatory that you have to eat everything on your plate. But make sure you eat plenty of those green things on your plate, for all those good vitamins and minerals you need to stay healthy and reduce weight gain.

#3

After dinner have a rest for about 30 mins or so then crack out the charades or something energetic and fun to help digest that Turkey. Jumping around doing silly things and having fun always helps kickstart that digestion and fight that post food sleep (BIG NO NO). Even if you are dancing around to christmas songs on the radio or having a silly sing along to the Frozen soundtrack complete with failed air grabs and spins.

#4

Drink lots of water, all that alcohol is going to dehydrate you and you'll have an awful headache on Boxing Day and those sales won't help either. Imagine all those people and you being hungover at 5am... NAH! For every glass of wine drink a glass of water, same goes for beer lads. Or be like me and have a non-alcoholic christmas (or not).

#5

The gym is always there, they are normally closed on the big day itself but it will be open boxing day and the days thereafter. Why not head on down, get a sweat on and get away from the family (not that family time is important) but have some time to yourself with your best running tracks or heavy beat to get those legs moving, whether you're a heavy lifter, a cardio bunny or an allrounder. GET MOVING!!!!

Do something different this year, don't let yourself wait till the new year to get sorted and regret putting those extra pounds on. The new year will only come round soon enough and you're not going to feel any better by letting yourself forget about keeping fit and healthy. Those pounds creep up very quickly and you won't notice it until it's too late. All in all enjoy your christmas and spend it with the ones you love and be merry.

Cheers then, see ya.

Beth xoxo

Coeliac/ Celiac Disease and how I cope.

As you all will now know I am indeed a Coeliac/Celiac sufferer. I have to avoid that horrible Gluten and I also have to avoid Wheat and Lactose (Milk) due to other allergies. I was first diagnosed with this late last year and now make a huge conscious effort to maintain a gluten free diet which isn't easy. But with restaurants and food chain making note of this diet change has made my life so much easier and I am able to go out with friends and family for meals and just drinks. 

Firstly... 

What is Coeliac/Celiac Disease??

Coeliac disease (pronounced see-liac and spelled celiac in other countries) is a lifelong autoimmune disease. It is caused by the immune system reacting to gluten. CD is common and affects 1 in 100 people. However only 24% who have the condition have been diagnosed which means there are currently nearly half a million people who have coeliac disease but don’t yet know. If a first degree family member (such as mother, father, sister or brother) has the condition then the chances of having it increase to 1 in 10. CD is caused by a reaction of the immune system to gluten – a protein found in wheat, barley and rye. When someone with coeliac disease eats gluten, their immune system reacts by damaging the lining of the small intestine. 

(https://www.coeliac.org.uk/coeliac-disease/about-coeliac-disease-and-dermatitis-herpetiformis/)

 I did the normal thing and panicked about what I could eat and drink in the first instance, purely for the fact that I also had allergies against lactose and wheat which meant I can't have milk and cheeses etc and bread etc. WHAT COULD I EAT!!! Truth is plenty of things. I can still have oats and coconut milk for breakfast with nuts and berries and a teaspoon of Nutella with a tablespoon of Chia Seeds. I will have then a gluten free wrap with whatever I fancy in it (some sort of meat with salad) for lunch along with a smoothie made with #Alpro Soya Yogurt and LucyBee Coconut Oil. 

 Dinner is a tricky one with my job, sometimes I can have it really early or really late depending on what clients I have during the day. Normally it is fish (salmon is my favourite) with steamed vegetables and grilled polenta. See I ca still eat normal things.

But what with the lovely holiday season upon us, "What do you eat??" I hear you say... Well I can still have the normal roast dinner but all of my food is prepared by myself during the day so it can't be contaminated with everyone else's food or mixed up. I don't normally like Turkey so I will eat the other 2 birds in our traditional 3 bird roast, I make my own Gluten free stuffing with my own herbs and GF sausage meat from my local butchers (which I used to work at). I will then make the BEST GF Yorkshire Puddings for everyone as it's easier that way otherwise I would end up with a huge one. I eat all of the veg including the sprouts and I cook sweet potato and parsnips my favourite LucyBee oil. I don't like gravy so I avoid that like the plague (years of working as a waitress and cook staff, ewwwww). Then tats me done, I also make a GF Christmas pudding for the whole family as I love it, and I also love the fact that we set fire to it and sing We Wish You A Merry Christmas and i will have Soya Cream or Lactose free cream to cover it (my one treat). I avoid chocolates and biscuits unless i know exactly what is in them, if not then it's the nuts and fruit for me to nibble on all day. See it's not that hard. 

When I was first diagnosed with Coeliac I found this website so helpful (https://www.coeliac.org.uk/) and also found that it helped me shift that last little bit of weight I was holding onto for safe keeping. Yes it can be a choice to follow a GF diet but it's a fact of life for me now. 

So as always I would love to hear your thoughts on this matter and also and questions you have about dealing with this disease. If you have anything Fitness or Diet related you would like me to cover on here then let me know. 

Cheers then, see ya. 

Beth xoxo

First and foremost...

Welcome to my new blog, in partnership with my new website www.bcfitness.co.uk for all your Personal Training needs and fitness related questions. I will be posting tips and tricks for your training and food facts and recipes.
I have never had a blog before and I am unsure how this all works so bare with me. I will try to post at least once a week or twice a month we shall see. I currently have a lot of things in the pipeline for 2015 so bare with me.

Let's start with a few basic facts about me....
I'm a 21 year old self employed Personal Trainer and have been for the last 3 years. I am currently working for Fitness First and I would also like to take this time to say that none of the views stated here are of Fitness First's and are all my own!
I love all things sports and fitness orientated, I run, snowboard, ride, cycle, climb, lift, throw, swing and anything I find fun. If it means something different I've tried it.
I love my animals and you may see a few posts about them, sorry.
Other than that I will reveal more soon.

I would love all your feedback and any questions or queries you have just ask.
Cheers then, see ya soon!
Beth xoxo