Diet week 1 update

It has been exactly I week since I start my diet and new training routine as a part of Michelle Brannan's Shape Team. 

As I already mentioned on my Facebook page, for 3 months I will be working with Showgirls Fitness and see how are my results and motivation level after. If after 12 weeks I will be in a reasonably good shape, I might think about competing in bikini fitness :) 

my coach Michelle Brannan at last Olympia contest

My 12 weeks started exactly week ago, on Tuesday. 

I have to admit that first days were the hardest day dieting I have ever in my life. Calories restriction killed me and together with very, very busy working scheldue I was terrified how I am gonna survive that next 3 months.

favourite meal of the day - breakfast :)

The is only onre reason it was that hard and it is ME only. 

meal prep in full scope ;)

I was tottaly unware that I get into trap I was alarming every one of my clients: eating too much because of tiredness and active lifestyle. I was counting my macros but I relied to much on listening to my body. And my body was sending me signals about hunger when it was not only hungry, but tired and stressed. It all result in eating too much and too often. 
When I got my meal plan and eat according to eat, for the first days I couldn't adjust. Hunger I experience was indescribable.
Luckly, during that days I was in still contact with my coach Michelle. She reacted very quickly on each of my strugglings. After few days we adjusted little my calories intake and make things easier. 

Now every day required a lot of planning. I have to do meal prep at least every second day. But on the other day, during day I don't have to think what to eat to meet my goals, everything is ready so I just have to grab a fork and eat it. 

one leg press exercise

Training-wise I am thrilled. 
I have 5 day split training and I train legs a looot! 
I thought I was keen on almost every resistance exercise, but still tried some few new for me, like one leg press. 
This exercise literally killed my ass ;)
 
Beside resistance training I have my cardio workouts. Luckly, Insanity classes count as a one of them, so only with no-Insanity days I have to do something additionally. Cardio will be definately that big change if it comes to my training since I wasn't do much cardio during winter time.

On Saturday I had my first cheat meal/free meal. I had some of them before, but that time I wasn't dieting that strictly. This time it was tottally well deserved meal.

I didn't choose anything fancy, just a toast with double cheese and ham together with some corn nachos and rice cakes. Carbs mostly ;) Nothing sweet. Again, I just realise that I don't have necessar a sweet tooth ;)





The feeling of happines while eating my toast was soooo big. I don't want to build wrong realtion with food (and junk food), but I needed that carb loading.

Now I've just send my stats and pictures to my coach and wait about her comments about how well or bad I did during my first week. 
My current form pic (I dropped 2cm in waist, and 2,5cm in hips so far):

7 days done, 77 days to go :)

Insanity UK

By the end of December 2013 I had an opportunity to become one of the first certificated Insanity instructors in UK. My gyms, Soho Gyms, were the first ones in England to introduce that format to their clubs.

With every week more and more people sign up because they want to do Insanity training. I am more than thrilled! And I can definitely say that this course was a milestone in my fitness instructor's career.

What is Insanity?
It is a high intensive interval training where you use your own body weight to do specific moves for exact amount of time with some short breaks in between.
Training itself is based on home DVD series made by Beachbody. It was that popular, they decided to introduce it to clubs as well. 

What can you achive?
This is the type of training where you definitely go out from your comfort zone. You work on your stamina and endurance but improve your strength too. As I often say to my group - you hate it during the process, you think it is too much, but when you're done you feel amazing and you have that endorphins kick! Check the video:

And here you have some moves you can expect during the class:

Is Insanty for everyone?
Class is designed for everyone, on every fitness level. You can always do low impact modification of the move.You can move in your own pace and this is not a class where you exercise to music. 

But definitely not everyone will goining to like that tempo. If you have hearth and serious back and knee injuries, you should not take it. But you still might consult your instructor before class, so he/she can help you with finding some other variations of the moves. Or propose some other suitable form of training.

Can you join anytime?
Yes. This is the main difference between DVD series and class in a fitness club. I introduce new moves and keep them changing a lot, but there is nothing like day 1 or 60. Even if you already know some of the moves, there is always room for improvement. 

Where and when?
Try class (as a guest if you are not a Soho Gym member) at one of my classes at Bow Wharf (East London). Wednesdays 7:00 PM and Sundays 10:00AM! :)

Here you have a timetable for all Insanity classes at Soho Gyms.

Keep focus in December

Time flies and we already have December! 

When shops are getting busier, gyms seems to be more and more quiet with each day.

People tent to concentrate on Christmas preparations, buying gifts and splurging with food and warm winter drinks. It is natural, I think, but I still believe that keeping yourself on track during December will results in better energy and attitude when exact Christmas time will come. 

I plan ahead my cheat meals

Don't postpone your fitness training til January:

* you will have more energy on your trainings from some additional calories from Christmas treats

* you will feel better with yourself of eyou know that you won't binge every day in December 

* you won't have so much work to do in January because you won't gain so many kg's in December 

My strategy for December is to plan my cheat days in advance, keep on my training going and do some circuit training instead of cardio between resistance training days. 

Terrible blogger

I admit sincerely. I am terrible blogger recent days/week. 
It is all due to the fact that we are still not settled down in here, in UK. We still don't have our own apartment and share place with my man's kind family. I hope this situation will change somehow soon and I will be more dedicated to my blogging.

warm up at roing machine

If it comes to work and training, it couldn't be better. I started my own routine consisted of 3 heavy lifting sessions and 2 hiit cardio days in between. 

daily lunchboxes

I am not so strict with my diet as well, I still track my macros. I keep my carbs quite high, but I have to admit, that my body react very positive for that. 

friday flex

My current training split is: 
* back/biceps
* legs/shoulders
* chest/triceps
(I did ABS on my class and sometimes with chest day)

Beside that I have 2 cardio workouts, which are normally hight intensivity interval ones. In practice they are no longer than 25 minutes. 
Sometimes I did hiit on treadmill, sometimes by doing 15 reps of different exercises like clean up, burpees, push ups, kettelbell swings and so on. After one full month of that routine I want to track my progress by doing bodyfat percentage measurment :)

current form

Have a nice Sunday!

Sometimes you have to take step back...

yeah, one of those bad days

On Friday I found myself drained from stress, trainings and dieting with horrible mindset and in terrible mood. 

My new job is very demanding and time consuming, so I have to adapt to new, longer working hours and more stressful environment. Combined with exhausting "Shortcut to shred" trainings and low carb phase of diet, it resulted in Friday's mind&body collapse. 

my weekends remedy - normal amounts of carbs and green tea at starbucks

But I took my weekend off and charged batteries. 
I did a step back and treat my body better, give it more sleep and food (since I started to getting cold as well!).  
Three things always helps me getting better: good food, sleep and shopping. And I did exacxtly all of them ;D

week 4-5 "Shortcut to shred" form with some stress and job related distractions

My weekend, beside mental relax, was quite active though.

On Saturday I had my personal training session where I mastered deadlift technique. 
As a new LA Fitness worker I have to check classes, Personal Trainers and other facilities to make sure that I know what I am offering to our clients. That is why I had my PT session on Saturday. 

deadlift are one of the best whole body exercises but only if you do them right!

An hour with a trainer was challenging and I enjoyed it very much! I am finally sure about my deadlift technique (I found it hard to check my own form while exercising) and was reassured that my squats technique is perfect! :) After that we trained in a park with Meggie :) 

we trained at Green Park again :)

Today I joined Body Conditioning class, followed by yoga session, quick swim and relax in jacuzzi.
 

quick relaxing swimming session in our renewed swimming pool at LA Fitness WIQ

I am not keen in yoga, but my body and soul needed that and really enjoyed that form of activity and stretching. Perfect! A already feel better :)

I hope that I've charged my batteries for whole week and I won't find myself in a place like on Friday again

Summing up the week

Saturday and training outside just right to Buckingham Palace :)

Since I started my job, my free time amounts extremely decreased. I will just sum up the last week then and try to be more detailed in upcoming week.

pic from Saturday's training at LaFitness Waldorf

- I had my first time of month close in the sales at LA Fitness, ufff! whoever works in sales will know how busy it can be then!

post workout pleasure for a dieting girl

- despite business I followed 'Shortcut to shred' nutrition and training plan which I am very proud of (starting week 5 next Tuesday)

- I started phase 3 of nutrition plan which is a low carb one (with one oppcarbing day in the week) which, surprisingly, wasn't so hard to follow

- I did 2 additional light cardio trainings in the park as well during training with Megi (cheers!:))

Sunday's lazy cooking - this is what I love! preparing stir biff

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 :)

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 ;)