New Year

Such a shame that only after 18 days I was able to write something on the blog first time this year. Crazy times! Moving in and lots of work resulted in my absence. And lack of internet! We have been waiting for weeks to have one in the house and we still have to be patient. Till that I am using only my phone, which makes things difficult. 

hi world, I am still alive ;)

I feel like I've started a brand new chapter of my live in England. With my own place to live, with my own kitchen where I can cook and my own space where I can write and work... Things are going to be much easier right now. I hope so and strongly believe in it!

new green tea to my collection in lemon honey flavour, perfect for a sick girl

Unfortunately, my body didn't take all that stress good. Recent weeks were crazy busy at home and club and I totally over-trained and overworked myself which resulted in 2 weeks cold. After doctors appointment I decided to take some time off to recover. Only 2 additional days, but it is still something and I hope it will work.

luxurious home made food - mash potatoes, sourekaut and pork lion in mushrooms with cooked beetroot

Good food, lots of hot drinks, blanket and newest season of How I Met Your Mother is my best remedy. Together with love. Lots of love. It always helps :)

Seriuos gym workout!

Travelling and Easters gave me little time for exercising this week. I manage to do some cardio, but my gym trainings from my Lean Body scheldue were neglected. 

not the best pic of me, just a quicky

I decided to combine 3 small split workouts in one full body training to keep on track with my schedule. This results in pretty hard gym workout and my muscles will definitely feel it tomorrow ;)

overhead dumbbell extensions

Today's full body workout contained of:
* (chest) bench press
* (chest) incline flyes
* (shoulders) bent over side laterals
* (shoulders) seated dumbbell press
* (triceps) dips
* (triceps) overhead dumbbell extensions
* (back) dumbbell row
* (back) underhand pulldown
* (back, harmstrings) barbell deadlift
* (biceps) alternate dumbell curl
* (legs) leg press
* (legs) leg extensions
* (harmstrings) seated leg curls
* (calfs) seated calf raise
* (calfs) standing calf raise
* (abs) ab crunch machine
* (abs) hanging leg raises



Yes, maaaany exercises BUT with little breaks between sets and each exercises, I managed to do it n 60 minutes! Not bad, isn't it? :)

vitamin bomb after workout - oranges, natural low fat quark, chia seeds and coconut chips on top

Have a nice Thursday!

Quicky

Body is little overwhelmed by previous trainings, work and lack of sleep... 
It seems that 2 days ago was weekend, but I had such a hard day yesterday that I already felt exhausted, heh.Pain in back came again :( (luckily, I have an appointment with massage therapist on Thursday!)

That is why today I did only the minimum - I have only trained aerobic choreography for my Friday's class and quick intervals session. 8 sessions of high and low intervals, each of them for 45 seconds. In 15 minutes I was done with intervals on treadmill! 

and little core/chest work with bosu ball while I was training my aerobic moves

I am s000o glad that tomorrow I will have a day off from work and training - time to recharge batteries a little!

At home intervals

Nora is watching over me ;)

Such a luxury to have own crosstrainter at home! Today I made some intervals sessions right straight from bed :)

my good old crosstrainer in use again :)

I made 10 minutes warm up, 8 sessions of intervals (60s high, 60s low) and 5 minutes of cool down. 
30 minutes and I was done! :) "Classic" cardio become very boring once you experience intervals ;)

"can I train too?" :)

Beside the comfort of at-home training, I had also two companions - very curious about what am I doing and why we can't cuddle together while exercising ;)

And now it is a time for some christmas shopping :)

Stay focus and train - circuit 2

stay focus and TRAIN!

Today was the day of my second round of circuit. I did first circuit on Wednesday, took a day off after that and today - with energy recharged, I did another whole body workout.

My today's routine:

* legs lunges with barbell 10x17kg each leg, 10x17kg, 10x17kg

Dumbbel swing exercise

* legs, butt, chest, shoulders dumbbell swing 10x10kg, 10x10kg, 10x10kg
* glutes leg cul on machine 12x15kg, 12x15kg, 12x15,kg
* back, biceps pull up (on easy power station) 12x30kg, 12x30kg, 12x30kg
* back, chest, triceps chin up (on easy power statnion) 12x30kg, 12x30kg, 12x30kg
* shoulders upright barbell row 12x14,5kg, 12x9,5kg, 12x9,5kg
* obliques russian twist 12x6kg, 12x6kg, 12x6kg
* lower back hyperextensions 12x5kg, 12x5kg, 12x5kg

and I am.. done! :)

I really enjoy this type of training when I used all body muscles! :) Can't wait circuit 3!

New training routine!

squat! :)

Today I started my new training routine. From now on I will do 3 circuit trainings and 1 interval training in a week. 

I changed previous split workout to circuit training because:
* my goal is to burn fat and toned muscles
* I don't want to build more muscles, I am satisfied with the one I already have
* I like to challenge my body
* due to mu instructor work I do not always have a day for my own training and I ended with doing only legs and back in the week - now, with the same amount of time I will train all body at the same workout
* I got some great workout buddy who is doing quite the same routine and we will motivate each other (cheers Ania! :) )

an example of circuit training

Circuit training is the one you engage all your main body muscles. You do each exercise for one muscle group, go to another exercise, train other muscle, then train another and ho back to the first exercise. You are doing stations, changing exercises quickly, doing plenty of repetitions (from 10 to 20). Everything in a high tempo to sweat and burn more calories. 

My today's training, circuit 1:

warm up (5 min.): 2 minutes on cross trainer, minutes of running in place, 20 jumping jacks, 10 burpees, 20 low squats

1) legs/butt squat with barbell 12x17kg 12x17kg 12x17kg

hip trust exercise with barbell

2) glutes/butt hip trust with barbell 12x17kg 12x17kg 12x17kg
3) chest push ups (classic) 1x20 1x20 1x20
4) triceps dips 1x12 1x12 1x12
5) shoulders shoulder press with barbell (smith machine) 5x12kg 10x7kg 12x7kg
6) back seated row machine for upper back 12x10kg 12x10kg 12x10kg

crunch up exercise - both blades and hip goes up

7) abs crunch up 1x20kg 1x20kg 1x20kg
8) core/abs plank 1x60s 1x60s 1x60s

All training took me 45 minutes, together with stretch session in the end :)

Back&chest

Today I did some back&chest routine. It will be probably the last split program this week, because soon I starting out new circuit routine! Can't wait!

But, until this some, I made my best today with some serious back work:

Warm up:

4 minutes power walk on treadmill 6,0 km/h
2 minutes light jog on treadmill 7,0km/h
3 minutes jog on treadmill 8,0km/h

Back:

* pull ups
* dips

bend over row exercise with barbell

* bend over row
* seated row
* hyperextensions
* side hyperextensions

Chest:

* chin ups
* bench press

pullover exercise and muscles engaged

* pullover with dumbbell
* flies

Stretch: 

Instagram profile

Instagram has launched new profiles for Instagram users.
Now you can follow me easier also there:

http://instagram.com/majanordic

Guest culinary post in Energy Magazine

On the occasion of giving interview for Energy Magazine, we also made a deal that I will have some culinary guest post in their magazine. So, there it is :) I made something special, which will bring some norwegian cousine into readers kitchen.

http://magazynenergy.pl/burgery-z-lososia-prosto-z-norweskiego-oslo/

Post is in Polish, but can also be found in English version above.

 *English translation

Salmon burgers

Salmon is the number one of the Norwegian export products’ list. You don’t need to do much to move yourself to the Land of  Fjords. Straight from Oslo I am sending a recipe for salmon burgers. Of course, in the fit the version. 

 
For start we need a salmon fillet, defrost chopped spinach (about half a cup), fresh garlic, lemon and spices to taste (salt and pepper). 
Separate salmon from the skin and chop. Add spinach, and then frayed garlic, freshly squeezed juice from half  lemon, salt and pepper.
To make spinatch-salmon base proper for forming burgers, I used oat bran and ground flax seed and one egg. I mixed all these ingredients thoroughly. 

I form fish&spinach into burgers and fry them on each side on the pan. I used frying one calorie oil spray for frying. After a few minutes I put burgers into oven-pan and roast them for 30 minutes in 150 degrees. In this way, we reduce frying time, what is more by that our burgers will be juicier.
 

While burgers are roasting in the oven, I prepare souse which I will use instead of mayonnaise. I mix natural yoghurt (or quark cheese) with freshly grated garlic, lemon juice and pepper.


When the chops are ready, I halve a roll. I chose whole grain roll with a large number of grains, preferably rounded shape, that our burgers will fit it. 
Smear the bottom of a a roll with souse which we prepared earlier, put a lettuce, then burger, tomato, and cover it with upper part of roll.
 
Enjoy your meal!

After one year in Norway

Time flyes! In October there will be exact year since I moved to Norway, left my job in marketing department and left hometown for good. 


It was a huge decision about moving out to Norway but I won't use the term 'hard' in order to describe my last's year attitude. The one who knows me personally are familiar with my big passion for this country.

What did I achieve within this year? I would like to concetrate only at fitness aspect of my life due to character of this blog :)

I change my passion into my profession

It is the most important thing which I did last year. I made something which many dreams about - I am making money from things I really love to do. 
Was it easy? No. 
Is it easier now? Again, no. 
But still, I am more closer than further of making money only from fitness. Work in fitness  (both as an instructor and beeing responsible for reception and communication) is not easy sometimes, but I hope that my efforts will be appreciate and will bear interest in the future :)

My condition's level increased dramatically

I am in the best condition I have been for years! 90 minutes of spinn, hell yeah. 2 hours of aerobic in a row? No problem! I didn't think that I will be able of running for 10 kilometres, but actually I am now :)

I start REAL training at the gym

I mean lifting heavy, not only the lifts which are in the aerobic room. And I love it! Watching all the girls competing in athletic fitness and body fitness made me believe even more that great shape is made in the gym, no only on the treadmill.

I incorporated protein powder into my daily life and I didn't get bulk

I have already written about protein powders and benefits of taking them. After coming to Norway I realised that something which was unnormal in Poland here is a normal, daily food routine. 
Norwegians are far more up to date with dieting and supplementing and do not perceive proteins as a form of bulking product. Increased calories in diet will make you fat, not protein powder itself.

I started this blog

And it is something for me! I was thinking about having my own blog for a while but wasn't sure if I want to have everything in public. But then I realise that if I would like to help my clients they will have to trust me first and share their stories with me. Why would I keep mine only to myself then?

I gave my first interview

It was such a great experience to talk about my passion for Norway, fitness and cooking. And to find out that some are really interested in things I am actually doing :)

I developed my cooking skills

I develop them first when I moved to Norway and for 2 months I was looking for a job and taking rest from previous one. 
Then I switched into "Perfect housewife" mode  and start to cook, bake and generally making thousands of cookies, cakes and different types of meat. 
Then I had to adjust myself to new work so frequency of cooking increased (but not the passion!). 
Blog gave me new motivation and more fun from cooking :)

I found people who inspires me

I had some inspirations before, but here, in Norway I found some blogs of girsl which stories and life are truly motivating, inspiring and developing. I have to mention here Kristine Weber which has her own blog (only in Norwegian unfortunately) who won Bodyfitness +168 in Norway this year and also many competitions before. She will soon released her book and she is a real chef in kitchen, especially when in comes to protein-rich dishes.

And there is another lovely Kristine, Kristine Økern. Despite the fact she is younger than me, she is a really smart and mature woman! I admire her dedication (funny words game because her blog has the same name ;)) in blogging and posting. Day by day she has some tips, recipes and news to share with her veeery big audience. Her blog is in Norwegian but she is posting on instagram in English :)

Spinn marathon!

Today's spinn exeptionally with two instructors - Ragnhild og Lena :)

It was an intensive evening! At 18 in my workplace we started a happening - spinn marathon! The name is contractual because real spinn marathon takes 3 hours and we were cycling for "only" 90 minutes ;)

Little chill after 90 minutes of intensive workout

There were two instructors involved, each of them took 45 minutes. It was fun cycling in moderate tempo.

Almost 500 kcal burned during spinn

 Just before the happening we also got new working clothes. So cool!

Front

And back with "Sport og Mosjon" logo

Special delivery from Poland!

Happy girl and her certificate

Special delivery from Poland :)

I've just got my instructors license and my papers from Polish Fitness Academy! 
Before I went to Norway I've got only attestation, but now official papers came. 

Do I mentioned that I hate ID photos? :D

My new profession's certificate

So officially I have got new licensed profession - fitness instructor :) 
Beside the right to lead fitness hours I can also organise sport competitions and instruct in use sports equipment (also at the gym). Hell yeah!

"Me and my step" photo ;D

To celebrate that I lead step hour in the morning ;) 
We did simple step choreography with strength training - approximately 15 minutes of choreography followed by 15 minutes of exercising and repeated this sequence. 

One hour, 570 calories burned. What a nice beginning of a day! Have a good one!