First week of 'Shortcut to shred'

Like I wrote last Friday, I started Jim Stoppani's program 'Shortcut to shred'.
I made it through first weekend! ;) 

Over last week I did:

- 6 trainings for over 60minute each with cardio acceleration in between each set
- no more than 2 minutes of cardio at once!
- burned approximately 2500 calories during workouts (plus more calories with afterburn effect)
- eat way more carbs than I am used to (1,5g per bodyweight) and increase my calories consumption for about 400-500 kcal to boost metabolism

- about minus 1 cm from thighs and minus 0,5 cm from his together with 0,4kg more in weight (can be due little water retention after creatine, but the difference in weight is very little comparing to the food I consumed over the last week)

- got totally sore and got my body if very stiff
- tried at least 3 new exercises (smith machine hip thrust)
- felt more toned and firmed already
- got pain in the ankle (due to lots of jumping)

Today I have my well deserved rest day and I am gonna enjoy it for the best I can :)

Day 2 and LA Fitness West India Quey

entrance to LA Fitness West India Quey - my today's place of training

Second training from 'Shortcut to shred' was dedicated to legs, shoulders and calves.

grumpy mood? lifting some weights should help! ;)

Today I check another gym in my neighbourhood - LA Fitness West India Quey. I love the neighbourhood of a gym - Canary Wharf reminds me equlibrium buildings, lots of banks and well suited people around :)
 

pic from www.lafitness.co.uk

The gym itself is quite big (two floors) and has a swimming pool. Which for ones will be a huge advantage, but for me... not necessarily. I felt chlor everywhere and there were many kids in the changing room, since swimming pool is open for them as well.

cardio part with treadmills and other cardio equipement

By using summer offer I've got 5 days free trail (great idea!) at LA Fitness. So for next days I will visit that place and do my 'Shortcut to shred' workouts. 

The part with free weights was kind of messy for me - dumbbells and barbells around all the place which made my training quite hard. Beside that there as only 1 smith machine and 1 squat rack - too little! I had to wait in a que to make my exercises and hat to moderate 2 others for other equipment because I was already well warmed up and didn't want to lose it. (05.08 - I visited West India Quey out from peak hours and I have to say that weights room situation was way more better than with the first visit :) )
The other thing I didn't enjoy was a lack of natural light and lots of random people around. I mean, it is totally fine that they are coming to train (good for them!) but I would rather train in more professional atmosphere.
Of course there was still possible to train in there, and I will definately do that for few upcoming days :)

little messy changing room

I am very critique in relation to gyms because with my 6-times-in-a-week training routine I will be spending mch of my free time at the gym, that is why I want to feel there comfortable and have  essential equipment to use. The other thing is I already have worked in a gym and I know what to look for in order to find the perfect place for training :)

gym part with machines (and free weights in the back of the room)

On today's training list there was:
for shoulders: dumbbell shoulder press, one arm dumbbell upright row, barbell presses
for legs: barbell squat, barbell deadlifts
for calves: standing calf raises, leg press calf raises

cardio space from another perspective

I was still a little sore from yesterday's workout, but I made my best today.
I have pretty good energy because of lots of food I am consuming. I am not used to eating so much, but I decided to commit for 100% and do whatever Stoppani suggests (in oderd to training, nutrition and supplements), so for this week I eat way more carbs that I used to. And carbs makes me happy ;)

delicious breakfast today: 40g oatmeal made on water with Sukrin Gold, egg scramble frm 2 eggs and 100g of egg whites and 1/2 grapefruit

Epic first workout

As I wrote yesterday, I've just started Stoppani's 'Shortcut to shred' program. 

Today I had my first workout - chest, triceps and ABS with cardio acceleration in between each set of exercise. In practice it meant that I was either jumping/stepping up/doing jumping jack or running for 60sec. between each set of exercises. Sweat was literally run down from me!

I did new exercise as well which was smith machine hip thrust. I was scared to do it, because it looks so strange... but felt excited on the other hand to tried out something new.

it looks sick! but it engaged lower abs well

Normally I wasn't training for more than 60 minutes, but with that double training I was exercising for about 80-90 minutes. Non stop training with very high intense! Approximately 550-600 kcal burned. I am draineeeed! But on the other hand, really enjoy training. I was focused, persistent and haven't felt that good training buzz for a long time!

If you are curious what exact did I do today, check out this link: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/jim-stoppani-six-week-shortcut-to-shred-day-1-chest-triceps-abs.html and video.

Shortcut to shred

making adjustments to plan

So, it is August 1st and it is about a time to get serious about nutrition and training again. 

this is my 'before' photo - hope to see great results in 6 weeks :)

After some consideration, I will follow Jim Stoppani's 'Shortcut to shred' training and nutrition program for 6 weeks.

Trainings are based on intensive cardio sessions in between each series of exercises. You train each of body parts twice a week, having 6 training days all together with 1 rest day.

Nutrition is based on cutting calories with each week. For the first week there are 1,5 carbs per pound of bodyweight, then 1g carb and at last only 0,5g carb with high protein and healthy fats included.

Supplements are essential part of the program. They are additional to training and food, but still they may help!

my supplements :)

Whey protein, casein protein are the crucial ones, together with BCAAs, some fat burning combo (yohimbine, coffeine, l-tyrosine, green tea), l-carnitite, carnitine and CLA.

Exploring London - Soho Gyms Bow Wharf

Main entrance to the club

Another days in London and another gym checked. This time I visited one in out neighbourhood - Soho Gyms Bow Wharf :)

I really enjoyed training not in the underground, the natural light and space around me. 
Gym has better weight equipment than previous gym I have trained in (Fitness First Carnaby Street) and if I have to choose the gym to train, personally I would probably pick Soho. But, on the other hand it is more expensive than Fitness First Carnaby Street.

free weights section

Again, I made whole body training since I am not a regular visitor this time. 

My Thursday's training consisted of:
* flies
* bulgarian lunges
* hanging leg raises
* bent over shoulder raises to side
* seated leg curls
* hyperextensions 

And after training....
 

...oven baked cod for lunch

and I used huge mirror for some selfie ;)

Food heaven - Whole Foods

Yesterday's forenoon I spent at Whole Foods Kensington, the biggest organic shop in London.

organic fruits and vegetables - so many different ones!

It has 3 floors full of funcy food, organic, natural, with no sugar.. and so on. A heaven for somebody like me :)

spiecies and lentils section

special chilled room with different types of cheeses

Whole Foods has also great salad section where you can compose your own dish and eat it upstaris. 

happy me and happy belly with yummy food

I had beef and vegetables for lunch, this beef was really tasty!

my shopping listed above

My basket:
* sprouted wheat bread
* rye and oat soft tortillas
* linnseed (flaxseed)
* pumpkin puree (great for baking, flour replacement)
* pear and apple puree
* no fat natural cottage cheese
* sprouts
* no fat Greek yoghurt
* wheat bran

Did somebody say Quest bars?

I've just got some small delivery from Predator Nutrition (British official re-seller of Quest Nutrition products) with lots of protein Quest bars. 

It was my first experience with Internet shopping in UK and I was a little shock that Predator Nutrition asked me to prove my identity and show my previous invoices I had on my debit card. I was also a little disappointed by the shipping, because all that formal stuff took some time and I didn't get my pack on the other day, but actually after a few one. But at least customer service was nice and politely ;)

What are these treats? 

For first, as I already mentioned, these are treats - even though they contains protein I perceive them more like a candy, something sweet rather than a food from daily diet. However, there are places where I don't have chance to eat my 'real food' or have a sweet tooth and taking a bar like that is convenient. 

Any why Quest bars? 

Because as far as I know these are the healthiest options within protein bars. They contain little carbs, lots of fibre, no strange additives (just to mention: no, I am not sponsored by Quest hehe, but I would really like to be though!) and 20g of protein. And what is more, they have wonderful taste and can be find in very different flavors.

good macros: 170 kcal, 6g fat, 24g carbs (17g fiber), 20g protein

I've got mine Quest bars in flavors:
* cinnamon roll
* chocolate cookie dough
* strawberry cheescake
* apple pie 
* banana muffin
* berry
* almond

I've already tried one - Cinnamon Roll and it tastes like cinnamon cakes I found in Norway, yay! :)

Exploring London - Fitness First Black Label

pic from fitnessfirst.co.uk

As you know, I am new to London. I use this summer time for checking out different fitness clubs and try to find the one proper for me. 

pic from fitnessfirst.co.uk

Last week I had a chance to visit the best Fitness First's club in London - the one on Baker Street (thank you for invitation, Eva!). 
It is a special one because it is the most expensive one and even though you buy a multiclub membership at Fitness First you don't have access to that particular one. You have to member of their club first in order to have a chance to experience all of Black Label's facilities. 
Sounds posh and expensive? Well yes, for sure, but on the other hand the club is amazingly new and fresh!

I like their gym and swimming pool. Club has also great space for circuit training with lots of kettlebells, sand bags as so on.  Aerobic room was for little in my opinion and air conditioning there could be better. However, we had a very nice and creative Zumba class and it reminded me how much I like to teach classes! :) Instructor was very energetic and even though Zumba is not on the top of most intensive sport activities, I sweat out almost 500 kcal! Not bad! ;)

If you are a swimmer who like to train in modern club, this one might be perfect for you. Location is also great, near Hyde Park so you can always have a lunch outside after your training, as we did :)

Exploring London - Fitness First Carnaby Street

I was a frequent gueast at Fitness First Carnaby Street recently, not only for training reasons  But, I did have a chance to train there as well on Sunday. I got a free day pass to check the club and its facilities. It was so nice to lift some heavy weights! I really look forward to have my own club where I could train daily, like I used to in Norway.

Free weights room, pic from fitnessfirst.co.uk

Location of Fitness First Carnaby Street street is just wonderful - little streets, full of shops and coffee bars in the hearth of London.

Carnaby Street

The club itself is way more smaller than the clubs I was training in Norway. 
It has one room with free weights and one big room/space for cardio machines (lots of treadmills, bikes and rowing machines) with some additional training machines. 

Beside that there are also dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells and other circuit training equipment available. 

pic from fitnessfirst.co.uk

You have everything which you need to make a proper training, but personally I prefer bigger clubs with more space for your own training and with all the popular machines doubled (like squat rack, benches and so on). 
The staff is very friendly and the have also good choice of protein/carb shakes to choose from. 

crayfish and avocado salad with skinny cappuccino

The beauty of location made it so comfortable to have a coffee in that great location after training - perfect! :)