Archive for Fitness

Timberrr!

Really…really I shouldn’t be surprised that a mundane existence was never really going to last long with me. I’ve been meaning to write about my jolly jaunts as a Fitness Coach (in red) on the gym floor but of course I’ve been far too tired and had zero inclination to write anything once I’ve gotten home from work.

It’s only been 4 months, but from that initial obsessive compulsive NEED to prove to myself I could be employed if I wanted to (and thus poo-poo all over the “lack of jobs” chorus society sings), in my ever-expanding wisdom I raised my head from the fog of insanity. Probably about 2/3 months in I metaphorically slapped myself across the face and screamed “What in the blue hell do you think you’re doing?!”

Tropic Thunder Kirk Lazarus Full Retard

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How NOT to start a new fitness program…

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#BeYourPersonalBest

It’s amazing how having a few faces you recognise walking into the gym makes your day go by quicker. It’s still an adjustment from making “split-second friends” in a stadium or festival or the Olympic park *cough*, and as such a steep learning curve in many ways. Mainly learning new things about myself.

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Quick Start…

In the last month or so, I’ve somehow gotten the idea of working at a gym is a good idea. As a result, I applied to various gym instructor positions and have ended up being a fitness coach at a Virgin Active gym.

It’s probably due to the few rejections that I became almost obsessed in trying to get someone to hire me, purely out of principle. But now I’ve gotten the job the determination blinkers have risen and I’m now wondering where the hell I am.

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Feel Good, Look Good, Being Naked…[NSFW]

Without beating about the bush, a larger reason for most people as to why they workout and spend irreplaceable hours in the gym is so that they look and feel good, whilst naked. Read more

Making of a “Fitness Professional”: Nutrition Frustrations…

Ok…so sometime last year I decided to bite the bullet and start a very slippery slope of getting qualifications for being a personal trainer in the UK. Typically one needs to be insured via Public Liability Insurance, which doesn’t happen easily unless you’ve got qualifications from either REPs, CYQ (Central YMCA Qualifications), FIA, NRPT etc. etc.

There’s no *one* governing body for fitness professionals, though obviously some are seen in a better light than others for a gazillion and one reasons. But this isn’t the point of this rant post.

I decided to get my quals from Future Fit training and I’ve been slowly going through the modules. Mostly having to disregard what I know from my own background and up bringing, and reading out of books/journals. What’s really gotten frustrating is going through part 1 of 2 nutrition modules. A LOT of what is written is obviously from “guidelines” from the government and we all know that those guidelines are archaic at best.

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These 5 tracks: That’ll destroy your headphones (Dubstep)

Something new I’m going to do every Monday (yes I know it’s Tuesday, shush!). A selection of tracks under a specific genre or feeling or whatever. (*psst* sign up for the long mix at the bottom of the post!)

This week’s theme was inspired by a friend at the local Crossfit box asking me to recommend some dubstep tracks that would literally destroy his headphones. Clearly, it was a “max effort” day, so he wanted to go in HARD!

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Shaped like an hourglass…

So I was going to do a video blog about something that’s been bothering me as of late, (it’s still on my hard drive, I’m in two minds as to whether I should upload it or not) but then came upon an article posted on another site about the ill conceived perception of what a “Paleo” woman should look like.

That phrase in itself is an oxymoron really. If we’re talking about how a woman should look like from an evolutionary stand point, then the hourglass has us down to a T, if not MORE so. Here’s evolution for you, “Mmmm, she’s got child bearing hips”…

Anyway, Paleo aside, the booty really isn’t something that should disappear. I know there are cultural differences where by some say a big butt is bad, and others say a big butt is good (the bigger the better) and that’s their prerogative. All I’m saying is rather than pining for these images we’re force fed on a daily basis giving us a false foundation of where happiness lies, look at yourself in the mirror and say “hello”. Find the bits you’re not so keen on and look at WHY you’re not so keen on them and what you’d rather prefer…NO don’t look at a magazine and say you want *that* body. Unless we’re going into genetic restructuring, that’s not a path that’s available.

Venus of Willendorf

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Keep It Simple, Stupid!

So I’m sat here, noodling away with things, and stuff (like we all do) and I’ve *still* not gone outside to test my new speed rope from RX Jump Ropes. It’s an insanely sunny day with a crisp nip in the air (and a bit of a bite in the shadows), yet I’ve opted for sitting indoors planning world domination.

There is a method to the madness mind. Tuesday afternoon last week, I went to the gym…I had a set program in mind (currently hammering the hammies, glutes and quads) as well as weights and time. Never more than an hour in the gym, out of that probably 20-25mins is weights, the rest involves a warmup, stability exercises that target the gluteus maximus and gluteus medius (as my physio lovingly says, I “got a weak ass!”), mobility work (mm, foam rollers!) and some breathing meditation to round it off.

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Something something something Darkside!

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So every time I have a moment free or an idea for an article, I fire up WordPress on my phone, type away frantically for 10 minutes, then realise it’s a big topic and I won’t be happy with it till I’ve done research and backed things up with proof blah, blah, blah.

I love reading those kinds of posts but sometimes just posting what you’re up to is just as good.

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