Sooo....we all know the benefits of exercise....weight loss, improved health, improved everyday functionality...you get to feel superior over everyone who sits on their but the whole day...just kidding on the last part.
1. Have a problem with memory? Regular exercise helps to sharpen memory. The sweaty sessions increases cell production in the hippocampus responsible for memory and learning. This is true for both children and adults. Who doesn't want to have a sharper brain? In the same line, as we age, our brains degenerate. Regular exercise whilst cannot completely stop this process, can help prevent cognitive decline. Forget anti ageing treatments, nature provided us with the best one, just keep moving!
2. Exercise helps manage both physical and mental stress. Not only does going through a sweat session release soothing hormones, research has also shown it to reduce the effects of ageing caused by stress.
3. Are you required to be creative in your day to day activities? Exercise boosts creativity. So you see? Not only for the buffed up guys at the gym, also the artsy types can benefit.
4. The brain releases 'dopamine' during exercise, the "reward hormone"....ever heard of the runners high? Or the fact that some people get addicted to exercise? It is because of this hormone. Therefore, exercise can become a substitute for recovering addicts. Much healthier addiction. (To a certain level of course)
5. You actually get more done than your sedentary colleagues if you exercise. No matter how busy you think you are, making time for exercise actually makes you more productive. Ever wonder how that mom of three young babies does it all? You know the one, Maria Kang? Her exercise regime does help, it is not a punishment, but it gives you energy to do all that you want to do.
6. Exercising landladies give birth to smarter former tenants. Let me rephrase that, exercising pregnant ladies give birth to smarter babies. Not only is exercise good for the body it is also good for the developing baby inside you. Brisk walking will do. You don't have to go all ninja looking for a baby with an IQ of 200.
7. Constipation, gas, ....regular bowel movement. I had to add this because of my current pregnancy. I pity whomever is behind me when I'm jogging or working out, that's when all the gas decides to come out. It's a "side effect" of being a baby making machine, my digestive tract is slow because of hormones. Many women suffer from constipation during pregnancy. Because of diet, regular people also may have difficulties in bowel movement. Runners will tell you the first place they run after a run is to the bathroom for a different kind of run....he he he, I am talking from experience. Seriously, try exercise, it works!
Feel good today, get some exercise in.
Keep active!
Showing posts with label General Fitness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label General Fitness. Show all posts
Thursday, 18 December 2014
Tuesday, 2 December 2014
And by request....here are two videos, 17 weeks pregnant, leading private zumba class
All the ladies of the group "Operation Lose that Pot Belly" :-) Here's a little Operation losing that pot belly at work. Everyone is at ease in my class, the instructor has the biggest belly of all!
Keep active!
You are now 17 weeks pregnant....
I wish I was past half way. People say...enjoy the journey, but I like the one woman I met with a one month old baby at a play ground where I had taken my toddler out to play....she was honest....she said....I don't envy you in this journey....that's honesty for you! Pregnancy can be a trial, but the results are so worth it...just like doing legs twice a week. The chicken walk is so worth it.
So, my inbox this week has a few e-mails reminding me I am 17 weeks along....I do also subscribe to pregnancy news, I'm not all sweat and buff you know! And I spoke to my mother this morning. I told her I wanted to come over for a cup of tea after my workout....because my next class was late in the afternoon...her first response? You're still having class?
So, my inbox this week has a few e-mails reminding me I am 17 weeks along....I do also subscribe to pregnancy news, I'm not all sweat and buff you know! And I spoke to my mother this morning. I told her I wanted to come over for a cup of tea after my workout....because my next class was late in the afternoon...her first response? You're still having class?
Monday, 1 December 2014
Part 2 - Training techniques - Why failing to plan is planning to fail
4. Being stagnant - Nothing ever grows by being stagnant - Yes, you may not realise it but you stagnate. I see it many times. The same program is followed every month with the same repetitions and the same weight, the same intensity and duration for cardio. In the beginning, you saw progress. Your body adapted pretty well too. You developed strength and became fitter, the weight started falling off. But at some point, you hit a plateau and became frustrated.
Why isn't this working? Why should I bother?
Your body is a pretty efficient machine, it adapts pretty fast to new stresses you put on it. Which means you're now better at doing what you do and you need to change the kind of stress you put on it in order to get more gains.
Talk to your trainer about varying your program every 6 - 8 weeks. If you're training by yourself, read and research ways to break a plateau. A change is as good as a rest. Usually, this is enough to begin showing progress again.
5. Diet - Yes, diet.
You see, there are so many people who believe that exercising will improve their health and will read and research a lot on exercise forgetting that only 20% of the battle is won with physical activity. You cannot outrun what you eat.
Why isn't this working? Why should I bother?
Your body is a pretty efficient machine, it adapts pretty fast to new stresses you put on it. Which means you're now better at doing what you do and you need to change the kind of stress you put on it in order to get more gains.
Talk to your trainer about varying your program every 6 - 8 weeks. If you're training by yourself, read and research ways to break a plateau. A change is as good as a rest. Usually, this is enough to begin showing progress again.
5. Diet - Yes, diet.
You see, there are so many people who believe that exercising will improve their health and will read and research a lot on exercise forgetting that only 20% of the battle is won with physical activity. You cannot outrun what you eat.
Wednesday, 26 November 2014
Bend a tree whilst it is still young (direct translation, just bear with me)
My sister was told by a workmate after revealing she was exercising that she should not bother now....she should "get her babies and then lose the weight"....That statement alone reveals a mindset that is the engine behind our expanding waist lines and the rise and rise of plus size clothing stores - which I have nothing against, their existence points to a growing problem.
We are a nation of procrastinators, shelving the things we consider unimportant until an emergency arises. Look at our politicians, aren't they just bad handymen who rush to fill up cracks with substandard material when problems arise instead of planning ahead like they are supposed to? But I digress, it's been a difficult week in Kenya, with massacres in the name of religion, stripping of women and violation in broad daylight in the streets and raping of a 3 year old by two uncles. We are a nation that thinks of solutions when it is already too late, when a lot of damage has been done and it takes a mammoth effort to put this right. This applies to our health as well.
When I was a teenager, and overweight, I wanted to begin exercising in earnest in order to lose the weight, for self esteem mostly, body image is very important at that stage.
We are a nation of procrastinators, shelving the things we consider unimportant until an emergency arises. Look at our politicians, aren't they just bad handymen who rush to fill up cracks with substandard material when problems arise instead of planning ahead like they are supposed to? But I digress, it's been a difficult week in Kenya, with massacres in the name of religion, stripping of women and violation in broad daylight in the streets and raping of a 3 year old by two uncles. We are a nation that thinks of solutions when it is already too late, when a lot of damage has been done and it takes a mammoth effort to put this right. This applies to our health as well.
When I was a teenager, and overweight, I wanted to begin exercising in earnest in order to lose the weight, for self esteem mostly, body image is very important at that stage.
Tuesday, 25 November 2014
Training techniques - Why failing to plan is planning to fail - Part 1
The fitness industry has come a long way from Jane Fonda videos (bless her soul) and there are a lot of ready to buy programs out there which many of us do buy because of ease of use and the flexibility of working out at home...your own bathroom for one. These home programs are great especially if you already have a baseline of fitness and understand your body somewhat.
Going to a fitness centre is different. Everyone there looks like they know what they are doing, they have great bodies...save for the pregnant mama lifting over there...what is she doing there? Oh, that's me, say hi :-)
It can be intimidating, not knowing what to do, how to do it and for how long.
This is why you need to arm yourself with information before hand, especially if you're signing up at a gym where the trainers will not touch you except if you pay personal trainer fees. Which is well and good if you can afford it, but if you can't here are a few tips to help you through.
1. There is such a thing as too much too soon. Going at your maximum pace might not be a good idea especially if you're a beginner, recovering from injury, have a BMI that classifies you as obese or if you're older.
Going to a fitness centre is different. Everyone there looks like they know what they are doing, they have great bodies...save for the pregnant mama lifting over there...what is she doing there? Oh, that's me, say hi :-)
It can be intimidating, not knowing what to do, how to do it and for how long.
This is why you need to arm yourself with information before hand, especially if you're signing up at a gym where the trainers will not touch you except if you pay personal trainer fees. Which is well and good if you can afford it, but if you can't here are a few tips to help you through.
1. There is such a thing as too much too soon. Going at your maximum pace might not be a good idea especially if you're a beginner, recovering from injury, have a BMI that classifies you as obese or if you're older.
Wednesday, 19 November 2014
Has it been that long? 15 weeks...little Ninja and I are doing well...I even felt the first kicks!
Yes...I did! And they were not "flutters". It seems baby Ninja wanted to interrupt date night and came right up to the surface where my husband felt his/her movements last week (14 weeks! That's early!) It was right after a gym session so maybe baby was feeling good with all the happy hormones running through our systems.
Talking about the gym, and working out, how are you doing? I'm really showing now, and I have begun to get a few stares at the gym. I am trying to keep as active as possible, because I know this is good for baby and I and some of you might know this...I really want to have a VBAC this time round (vaginal birth after C Section). My first born was born via emergency C section. We almost lost her, without the C Section we probably would.
However, Kenyan hospitals and some mothers increasingly prefer C sections over natural births for a variety of reasons ranging from scheduling, fear of pain and the monetary aspects for the obstetricians involved. Whatever the reason, talking from experience, the recovery from a C section can be difficult. It is a major operation, after which, you are expected to take care of your baby and your family while you recover. So this time, I would like to avoid this if I can. And one way of working towards that, is keeping active.
So what's my regimen like?
I teach 5 -6 cardio classes a week. I am not lacking in cardio. When I do make it to the gym, I restrict my cardio to the warm up stage and concentrate on weights.
The amount of lifting I do has gone down from 5 - 6 days to 3 - 4 days due to time, and also exhaustion. I feel more strained, tire easily and would like to preserve energy for my normal day to day activities as well. We have to remember, pregnancy places an additional strain on your body already, your heart is working faster because of more blood, your centre of gravity changes because of the increased frontal load, you have hormones affecting how your body functions, and the extra weight you carry also makes things a bit difficult.
So, if you meet me taking a jog, or lifting some weights, or swinging a kettle bell, and you ask me why? I will tell you it is because it is good for both baby and I. This is the best thing I can do to adapt to the changes my body is going through and prepare me for child birth. I have been told I am vain, that all I care about is looks. Vanity would not have led me to pregnancy....what with the stretch marks, boobs going down south, belly distortion, and amount of time it takes to get back to pre pregnancy body (if ever), vanity is not a part of pregnancy fitness.
Strong mommies make strong babies....
Stay active everyone!
Talking about the gym, and working out, how are you doing? I'm really showing now, and I have begun to get a few stares at the gym. I am trying to keep as active as possible, because I know this is good for baby and I and some of you might know this...I really want to have a VBAC this time round (vaginal birth after C Section). My first born was born via emergency C section. We almost lost her, without the C Section we probably would.
However, Kenyan hospitals and some mothers increasingly prefer C sections over natural births for a variety of reasons ranging from scheduling, fear of pain and the monetary aspects for the obstetricians involved. Whatever the reason, talking from experience, the recovery from a C section can be difficult. It is a major operation, after which, you are expected to take care of your baby and your family while you recover. So this time, I would like to avoid this if I can. And one way of working towards that, is keeping active.
So what's my regimen like?
I teach 5 -6 cardio classes a week. I am not lacking in cardio. When I do make it to the gym, I restrict my cardio to the warm up stage and concentrate on weights.
The amount of lifting I do has gone down from 5 - 6 days to 3 - 4 days due to time, and also exhaustion. I feel more strained, tire easily and would like to preserve energy for my normal day to day activities as well. We have to remember, pregnancy places an additional strain on your body already, your heart is working faster because of more blood, your centre of gravity changes because of the increased frontal load, you have hormones affecting how your body functions, and the extra weight you carry also makes things a bit difficult.
So, if you meet me taking a jog, or lifting some weights, or swinging a kettle bell, and you ask me why? I will tell you it is because it is good for both baby and I. This is the best thing I can do to adapt to the changes my body is going through and prepare me for child birth. I have been told I am vain, that all I care about is looks. Vanity would not have led me to pregnancy....what with the stretch marks, boobs going down south, belly distortion, and amount of time it takes to get back to pre pregnancy body (if ever), vanity is not a part of pregnancy fitness.
Strong mommies make strong babies....
Stay active everyone!
Monday, 13 October 2014
Week 10. I am beginning to sound like a broken record already - My rules on dealing with pregnant and post -partum clients
I cannot wait for week 13, magic time is supposed to begin then. I am supposed to begin having loads of energy, stop feeling like even lifting my hand is a lot of work, and go on with business as usual. Until then, it will continue to be a battle everyday.
I have my first corporate client today. I postponed leg day to tomorrow because I want to conserve energy, I don't want to disappoint, I still bring it to my classes and I will bring it today. It's funny, I thought that this pregnancy would slow down my personal growth, the expansion of my career, but it hasn't. This week I have four new classes and I am adding more to my "arsenal". As soon as we have quorum, we are going to have a class for expectant moms, and another one for getting our sexy back after having our babies. We are unstoppable, we manufacture human beings and smile while doing it (most of the time anyway). This little moran baby inside me has reminded me how important it is to consider these groups while structuring fitness classes, and how their special needs need to be taken care off. So here's my consideration list for pregnant and post partum clients, why they are special, and why we need to treat them different.
1. No matter how civilised, hormones still affect us. Be sensitive to hormonal changes taking place within a woman's body. She is more likely to be irritated by touching, strange smells, noises that are not part of the class. Motivation methods cannot be drill sergent-like. Those are more likely to de motivate.
2. Beware that this group is full of sleep deprived, food craving creatures. Sleep is essential to any program, however, because of body changes, crying new borns and other siblings to take care of, mothers and mothers to be are usually running on low. Avoid sessions that go on for too long and or are on high intensity through out even with previously conditioned exercisers.
3. Although they are doing the most important job in the world, they are the most unappreciated and will suffer from a low self image and esteem because of their changing/changed bodies. Women need to feel beautiful even at 2 weeks over due, or a month after a CS with a CS overhang that looks impossible to defeat. Do not chide about size, make jokes that you expect them to laugh at, they won't. It will just show your ignorance. Be realistic in raising their expectations, do not tell blatant lies on how long it will take. Be gentle but be truthful.
4. Be creative - There's more to abs than crunches and planks. Especially post partum, core strength is nil, work on building this, the rest will come easy.
5. Focus on what makes their lives easy - For example, in early pregnancy, I try not to miss a back and leg day, this is because I need a strong back and strong lower body for what is coming. I never miss out on compound lifts because of core strength and have refused to give up running until I absolutely have to. For new mothers, focus on posture, a lot of back pain occurs because of bending over for household duties and wrong "form" breast feeding. Do your research, give advice on what to do at home to prevent aches and pains.
If all else fails, give me a call. I'm in the thick of things, after complaining for two minutes, I'll let you know how I try to deal with things as they happen.
Have a terrific week! Keep active!
Sunday, 28 September 2014
Week 8 - Every workout feels like I'm starting from scratch
How difficult can it be to remain fit and active in the first trimester? The literature says that you should and are able to do what you have been doing before you got pregnant.
But they forgot to mention that your body constantly fights against you. I have been lucky, no morning sickness, but I feel as though I am fatigued all the time. Every workout is like the first week of working out when you have been in active for years. I have to drag myself. Afterwards I feel great, but starting has been an issue.
Food:
I have no crazy cravings. In fact, the only things I am eating more off, which is similar to my first pregnancy, is citrus fruits and pineapple. For some reason, these are the only things that seem to get rid of the funny taste in my mouth. I don't think this is bad, at least I'm getting a healthy dose of fibre and vitamins. My diet remains much the same. I am not yet eating in amounts that could be described as "for two". I will avoid that this time round (remind me in six months or so).
So how has my workout regime looked like?
Tuesday - Legs and Shoulders - The very same that I have been doing. I avoided step ups because I wasn't feeling too good. However, I did walking lunges with a bar, single leg press....It was good. I wobbled home after.
Wednesday - Back and Triceps - This was a terrific workout. I had a class to teach wednesday so I had the added cardio of one hour zumba outside. I heat up easily now and I am taking copious amounts of water.
Thursday - I didn't make it to the gym but I did kick boxing and kettle bell training at home. This was a difficult workout. I strained on the plyo but I'm not ready to give that up yet.
Friday - A bit of cardio and chest and biceps. Yes I am still lying down on the bench. I will continue to do this until about 16 weeks when the pressure will be too much to bear.
Saturday - Awesome class. Thanks to everyone who turned up! My Mom came for Zumba....how cool is that?
Today - I want to do full body dumbbell strength today. It's family day and we are about to go out. So it all depends on time. I won't stress about it. Tomorrow is legs and I will probably get two workouts in as I choreograph some new stuff for my classes.
Take heart if you're tired all the time. It takes an enormous amount of will power to get up and running when your body is working against you. But you can do it.
Have an active Sunday!
But they forgot to mention that your body constantly fights against you. I have been lucky, no morning sickness, but I feel as though I am fatigued all the time. Every workout is like the first week of working out when you have been in active for years. I have to drag myself. Afterwards I feel great, but starting has been an issue.
Food:
I have no crazy cravings. In fact, the only things I am eating more off, which is similar to my first pregnancy, is citrus fruits and pineapple. For some reason, these are the only things that seem to get rid of the funny taste in my mouth. I don't think this is bad, at least I'm getting a healthy dose of fibre and vitamins. My diet remains much the same. I am not yet eating in amounts that could be described as "for two". I will avoid that this time round (remind me in six months or so).
So how has my workout regime looked like?
Tuesday - Legs and Shoulders - The very same that I have been doing. I avoided step ups because I wasn't feeling too good. However, I did walking lunges with a bar, single leg press....It was good. I wobbled home after.
Wednesday - Back and Triceps - This was a terrific workout. I had a class to teach wednesday so I had the added cardio of one hour zumba outside. I heat up easily now and I am taking copious amounts of water.
Thursday - I didn't make it to the gym but I did kick boxing and kettle bell training at home. This was a difficult workout. I strained on the plyo but I'm not ready to give that up yet.
Friday - A bit of cardio and chest and biceps. Yes I am still lying down on the bench. I will continue to do this until about 16 weeks when the pressure will be too much to bear.
Saturday - Awesome class. Thanks to everyone who turned up! My Mom came for Zumba....how cool is that?
Today - I want to do full body dumbbell strength today. It's family day and we are about to go out. So it all depends on time. I won't stress about it. Tomorrow is legs and I will probably get two workouts in as I choreograph some new stuff for my classes.
Take heart if you're tired all the time. It takes an enormous amount of will power to get up and running when your body is working against you. But you can do it.
Have an active Sunday!
Thursday, 25 September 2014
Fitness, Kenyan Mama Style!
“Perhaps fitness is not a good career for a woman of reproductive age....” Said my Husband. I know he said it from a good place, he is my rock, he has been supportive of me since I decided to take fitness up full time. Leaving the sitting room to me in the evenings after our baby has fallen asleep so that I can choreograph my classes in peace, indulging my trips for events, enduring changes in diet, but you see, we did not foresee this happening so soon after I had begun. There were two lines on the stick. We were expecting another mini me.
I am a mother of one. My new career was born out of losing weight and coming back to self after baby number one. I had done it through hard work, through a lot of research and studying, I had even taken up a course on personal training and sought certification in Zumba. It wasn’t about losing weight anymore, I wanted to spread this new happy place I had discovered, that we all have the power to transform ourselves, inside and out.
We moved to Nairobi from Nakuru in August. This was a new and exciting chapter for me. Once the house had come together, I set about knocking doors, marketing myself, teaching free classes....everything was beginning to come together. I was getting a schedule, enjoying my work, choreographing new classes all the time and loving it.
But then my shoes started getting a little smaller....really! Tight and tighter. I didn’t know this could happen? (in retrospect my body reacted rather fast)....I seemed to be bloated all the time, and that ab definition? What Ab definition?
The clincher? I went to a pool party and donned a small top to teach Zumba. We had fun. We shimmied, we danced, we had a terrific time. And we went home, tired, partied out. ....then the photos and the videos came out. My abs looked completely wrecked. I am a bit narcissistic you see, :-P I know how things are supposed to look with the hard work I put in, and they didn’t reflect it. It was time to pee on a stick.
...that last line was for the dramatic effect...I walked into a hospital and took a pregnancy test...less dramatic....but I wanted to be sure.
We are expecting another Mini Me.
Yay! Yay. Yay?
How does this affect my work, my career, my own body image? It is important to be confident as a trainer, inspiring and motivating others is only done when you are in a good place yourself.
So we talked, we mulled it over, my husband and I...and finally we decided....
This little baby is going to be a Maasai warrior at birth.
Eh?
Yes I said it! Mum’s going to be what she preaches everyday. That pregnancy is not a disease. That we can be active through out, that actually getting your legs off of the coffee table and getting them moving is beneficial to you, and your little one. My little baby is going to be born a Spartan, a Warrior, He/She is going to be born swinging a kettlebell ....ouch that might be painful...maybe just holding up a fist.
So I started showing a little early...happens with subsequent pregnancies. I’m about 7 and a half weeks in. The doctor seemed amused when I told him my abs told me I was pregnant....he doesn’t understand ego....but he was sweet.
So here I am....putting myself out there once again....putting my own tagline to the test. Fitness, Kenyan Mama Style!
This is today, after an hour and a half of kick boxing and kettle bell training.
Hello, I’m Miss Fit Kenya....and I’m expecting.
Friday, 6 June 2014
How not to communicate to your overweight, sensitive, client...Personal Trainer Dont's
It is true that staying with a program aimed to change one's lifestyle to a more healthier one is challenging. Many make resolutions that do not make it past month 1. Many more keep the resolution as a thought only. It's difficult enough as it is, without we personal trainers making it harder by shredding you to pieces when you cannot perform that last rep. Shame on us.
Motivation is over half our work. Our knowledge, experience and attention to you does not matter as much as keeping you interested and inspired to continue with your program.
Motivational strategies for each client differ, here are some things I have observed, sometimes to my disgust, during sessions with clients.
1. Comments meant to insult and that impune on poor character on the part of the client when the client states that they are tired, sore, or feel beaten by life, the workout...anything. What about this will spur the person into action? Especially when dealing with fragile egos, this is more likely to make one a little or a lot depressed and not follow through with their program.
2. Walking away, taking more interest in your phone, leaving the training area numerous times, making every exercise seem like an afterthought....you're just not interested in your client! You're also giving them an excuse to say that you do not make an effort and thus they are not seeing any changes...no other factors will be taken into account.
3. Not imparting knowledge. Personal training today has become a life coaching job. Nothing can be done in isolation. I take pride in explaining to my clients exactly why I prescribe something to them and why proper form is important e.t.c. I also never design a program that does not include some tips on eating. There is always a caveat, I am not a nutritionist, but when I want results for myself I do this. That is enough.
4. Asking...so what did we do last time....Really?
5. Calling your client fat. - Yes it happens. There are some who believe that using such terms will make your client realise that they need to make a change. They are with you, they already know that. Rubbing it in their face will not make them affirm this decision, it only benefits you the trainer, and how that is, I am not sure.
I actually wrote this post after a close friend who used to be a client confessed she felt demeaned by treatment she received from a trainer. So much so that she chose to continue her journey at home as she waits for my calendar to clear up so that we could begin training together again.
Shame on you for putting her down....I wonder how far up the ladder that has taken you. In my books, you're lower than a worm.
Have an active day!
Monday, 2 June 2014
Lose Forty (40%) More Fat This way!
That got you here didn't it? I bet in a little while this post is going to be the most visited on this blog...even more than the weight loss supplement post (the supplements which I'm against?)
I have met a few cardio queens in my day, but one impressed me most. She ran on an incline on the treadmill, left that and took up the skipping rope, left that and cooled off on the bike. Her shirt was dripping, she had a smile on her face, that was a terrific workout. Why dear lady don't you pick up some iron...I don't want to grow masculine she said...I told her, they have been lying to you. (this actually happened...not as romanticized as this but yeah, I do approach sweaty people at the gym. It's a hobby :-) )
So, you want to look like this...
Then you're going to have to do a lot of this
Both are one and the same woman. Nicole Wilkins (the lady with a banging body above) is a figure competitor.
Not convinced?
Let's go back to the fat burning issue. Research has shown that those who exercise using resistance exercise lost 40% more fat than those who did pure cardio or diet only. Who doesn't want less fat? Less fat means you look better with your clothes off. Who doesn't want that?
So, dear dieter and cardio believer. Cardio is great when you want to build endurance and when you have a lot of weight to lose. But, you lose muscle also, which makes you jump up and down when you step on a scale BUT you will burn less calories overall when you're lazing around at home, because muscle burns more at rest. Your clothes will not fit better, because one pound of fat occupies around 18% more space than muscle.
We're walking on water already, do you still have doubt? Take my hand....
You will get fitter, faster, with weights.
Yes, you can get the same endurance training with weights as you do running a marathon. Try circuit training. It elevates your heart rate much the same as running does. Try HIIT training using your own body weight. Don't believe this can be difficult? Do the insanity fitness test, your own body weight will give you a butt whopping. Don't know what the insanity fitness test is? Google Shaun T.
Forget the light weight high repetitions you have been fed through out the years. The light weight used is usually too light to challenge your body.
Lift something heavy today, you will feel powerful. That, you can take to the bank.
I have met a few cardio queens in my day, but one impressed me most. She ran on an incline on the treadmill, left that and took up the skipping rope, left that and cooled off on the bike. Her shirt was dripping, she had a smile on her face, that was a terrific workout. Why dear lady don't you pick up some iron...I don't want to grow masculine she said...I told her, they have been lying to you. (this actually happened...not as romanticized as this but yeah, I do approach sweaty people at the gym. It's a hobby :-) )
So, you want to look like this...
Not convinced?
Let's go back to the fat burning issue. Research has shown that those who exercise using resistance exercise lost 40% more fat than those who did pure cardio or diet only. Who doesn't want less fat? Less fat means you look better with your clothes off. Who doesn't want that?
So, dear dieter and cardio believer. Cardio is great when you want to build endurance and when you have a lot of weight to lose. But, you lose muscle also, which makes you jump up and down when you step on a scale BUT you will burn less calories overall when you're lazing around at home, because muscle burns more at rest. Your clothes will not fit better, because one pound of fat occupies around 18% more space than muscle.
We're walking on water already, do you still have doubt? Take my hand....
You will get fitter, faster, with weights.
Yes, you can get the same endurance training with weights as you do running a marathon. Try circuit training. It elevates your heart rate much the same as running does. Try HIIT training using your own body weight. Don't believe this can be difficult? Do the insanity fitness test, your own body weight will give you a butt whopping. Don't know what the insanity fitness test is? Google Shaun T.
Forget the light weight high repetitions you have been fed through out the years. The light weight used is usually too light to challenge your body.
Lift something heavy today, you will feel powerful. That, you can take to the bank.
Wednesday, 21 May 2014
Sometimes besting yourself is not the best thing
Only the best doctor will do when one is feeling unwell. Our loved ones insist on it for our sake when we are incapacitated, we are willing to impoverish ourselves looking to get well even when there is seemingly no hope. It is human nature, we desire to live, we desire to thrive.
It is also in our nature to look for the best deal possible. To come out on top when dealing with another, to get the best out of everything, especially when it means gaining an advantage over someone else. We always want to pay less to get more, to save some to have more...it is in our nature too. We do not want to give too much of what we have to get what we don't have. We want it all.
This same human nature will reason its way into a double portion of food, because it is cheat day and I have worked so hard during the week. I deserve this.
It will move your lips, and the sound will come out, the sound that is definitely not your own, and it will say, I will do ten push ups, instead of fifteen, that will be enough. After all, doing even one makes me a hero...who are you bargaining with? Who do you best?
We forget that we cannot best ourselves by giving ourselves a bad deal. We do not realise what that bad deal is because the results are not immediate. The "here and now" gratification sounds much better than a delayed prize that is not for sure anyway.....sound familiar? Personal finance works the same way. Too much here and now, and the future might not be so bright.
So, quit the daily bargaining, run the full 10 K if that's what you set out to do, if you can do it. It's worth the future gratification. Lift and lift heavy, huff and puff away, look stupid while doing it. You won't look so stupid in your six pack on the beach this summer.
Go and dance. Fall over yourself. Fall over others. Laugh about it. Get up, and dance again. Nobody's going to be laughing when you are a knock out at the high school reunion.
This week on BBC I heard a scary statistic. In the next 10 years, 60 percent of adults will be over weight or obese.
Think about it.
What you do today will put you in the enviable 40 percent 10 years to come.
Stay active
It is also in our nature to look for the best deal possible. To come out on top when dealing with another, to get the best out of everything, especially when it means gaining an advantage over someone else. We always want to pay less to get more, to save some to have more...it is in our nature too. We do not want to give too much of what we have to get what we don't have. We want it all.
This same human nature will reason its way into a double portion of food, because it is cheat day and I have worked so hard during the week. I deserve this.
It will move your lips, and the sound will come out, the sound that is definitely not your own, and it will say, I will do ten push ups, instead of fifteen, that will be enough. After all, doing even one makes me a hero...who are you bargaining with? Who do you best?
We forget that we cannot best ourselves by giving ourselves a bad deal. We do not realise what that bad deal is because the results are not immediate. The "here and now" gratification sounds much better than a delayed prize that is not for sure anyway.....sound familiar? Personal finance works the same way. Too much here and now, and the future might not be so bright.
So, quit the daily bargaining, run the full 10 K if that's what you set out to do, if you can do it. It's worth the future gratification. Lift and lift heavy, huff and puff away, look stupid while doing it. You won't look so stupid in your six pack on the beach this summer.
Go and dance. Fall over yourself. Fall over others. Laugh about it. Get up, and dance again. Nobody's going to be laughing when you are a knock out at the high school reunion.
This week on BBC I heard a scary statistic. In the next 10 years, 60 percent of adults will be over weight or obese.
Think about it.
What you do today will put you in the enviable 40 percent 10 years to come.
Stay active
Friday, 9 May 2014
The week of affirmation
It's Friday, and I'm glad to be alive. I'm grateful for family, I am grateful for health, I appreciate my friends...it has been a week of affirmation.
I have been unwell.
I have been at this long enough to know that when the body demands rest, you give it rest otherwise you do more harm.
So reluctantly, I slowed down. The body likes being comfortable, I was and did not put it through any stress, aahhhh Njahira, now you know how to treat me, how about slowing down even more, doesn't that feel good? Don't you deserve it? You have been working so hard to build your new career, to build your body, and keep everything in balance. This feels good...
And slowly, I ground to a halt.
Laziness be gone!
But you're unwell my love, lie here, rest....you will recover.
Laziness be gone!
My body does not purge itself of illness, instead the threads that hold me together begin to unravel
Laziness be gone!
My spirit suffers. I am irritable. I am angry. I am weak.
Laziness be gone!
You cannot beat me, I am stronger than you.
And slowly I begun to get back to myself. It is more a battle of will than of body.
I wake up, coughing and spitting the spiritual fatigue out of me...
As I reactivate myself, balance begins to be restored. The fibre that is my being repairs itself.
I begin to feel whole.
This has been a week of affirmation. Had I any doubt what effect my choices had on my well being, that doubt is removed.
Be active people. Have a terrific weekend!
I have been unwell.
I have been at this long enough to know that when the body demands rest, you give it rest otherwise you do more harm.
So reluctantly, I slowed down. The body likes being comfortable, I was and did not put it through any stress, aahhhh Njahira, now you know how to treat me, how about slowing down even more, doesn't that feel good? Don't you deserve it? You have been working so hard to build your new career, to build your body, and keep everything in balance. This feels good...
And slowly, I ground to a halt.
Laziness be gone!
But you're unwell my love, lie here, rest....you will recover.
Laziness be gone!
My body does not purge itself of illness, instead the threads that hold me together begin to unravel
Laziness be gone!
My spirit suffers. I am irritable. I am angry. I am weak.
Laziness be gone!
You cannot beat me, I am stronger than you.
And slowly I begun to get back to myself. It is more a battle of will than of body.
I wake up, coughing and spitting the spiritual fatigue out of me...
As I reactivate myself, balance begins to be restored. The fibre that is my being repairs itself.
I begin to feel whole.
This has been a week of affirmation. Had I any doubt what effect my choices had on my well being, that doubt is removed.
Be active people. Have a terrific weekend!
Sunday, 16 March 2014
It was a fun day!
Yesterday was Operation Lose that Pot Belly Health and Fitness day in Nairobi! Here are the highlights!
There were nutrition talks, and exhibitors outside, I have loads of photos, here are a few of the workout sessions. Thank you everyone! The day was fabulous!
Zumba....I have never seen a class like this one
Probably because of the instructor, Jossy Simonet....my goodness she rocks!
Guess who.....warming up the class for strength
And you cannot have strength without push ups..yes ladies, hate me for it, I will always have you do push ups in my class
My very fit friend and a personal trainer Wangare leading the bums and tums class....by the way she is training for a triathlon this year....I'm gonna paparazzi that too!
One of Wangare's victims...that class would have made me ache too if I wasn't pretending to take photos
And then we cut the cake. On the Left, Janet who just had a baby but was there full force, on the right, Shiku, organised the event. Don't be fooled by her stature, she's a pocket hercules!
Tuesday, 11 March 2014
And in other news I squatted today, and it felt great...
Don't mind the blog heading, I was on a mini holiday for 9 days, and I missed the squat rack, today it felt like heaven.
But that's not what I wanted to talk about....the real blog title of the day is.....wait for it..........
Things that happened since I started lifting heavy
1. My husband tells everyone I can beat him up....
2. I stopped focussing on weight, I don't weigh myself, but when I am reminded to do so, I am pleasantly surprised to find that I am on the higher end of the recommended weight for my height, and I still don't care.
3. I love being strong, I challenge myself with every lift. I started focusing on getting stronger, on balancing strength gains throughout my body. I started learning about my body, because I broke my body down to bits in order to build it.
4. I made good friends at the gym, most of them call me "kairatu"....which means young girl...and I'm not, but I like it.
5. Really, my husband tells everyone I can beat him up....luckily they never believe him.
6. I became more confident. Not in what I wear, but it helps too, in life, generally. The discipline, the kind of commitment it takes to build cannot be left at the rack, no way, you take it with you. You sit with your back straighter, you look people in the eye, heck, you even start swimming in a two piece before that potbelly completely disappears. Just because your brain is getting stronger too.
7. I learned more about food, about what food does to your body, about eating well, and I share this with people that I know, and my daughter suffers the vegetables, the fresh foods, because I want her to grow up healthy. I cared more, read more, got informed because I want to progress. But you know what? It is an investment in my future, in the future of my family, because they in turn get influenced as well.
8. I see someone carrying what seems to be a gym bag and I want to start a conversation with them because you learn something new from someone all the time and you cannot know it all. Sometimes I look like a stalker but heck, I just tell them I'm "kairatu"
9. I have a new found respect for Arnold
Yap, Arnold rocks.
Have a good one!
But that's not what I wanted to talk about....the real blog title of the day is.....wait for it..........
Things that happened since I started lifting heavy
1. My husband tells everyone I can beat him up....
2. I stopped focussing on weight, I don't weigh myself, but when I am reminded to do so, I am pleasantly surprised to find that I am on the higher end of the recommended weight for my height, and I still don't care.
3. I love being strong, I challenge myself with every lift. I started focusing on getting stronger, on balancing strength gains throughout my body. I started learning about my body, because I broke my body down to bits in order to build it.
4. I made good friends at the gym, most of them call me "kairatu"....which means young girl...and I'm not, but I like it.
5. Really, my husband tells everyone I can beat him up....luckily they never believe him.
6. I became more confident. Not in what I wear, but it helps too, in life, generally. The discipline, the kind of commitment it takes to build cannot be left at the rack, no way, you take it with you. You sit with your back straighter, you look people in the eye, heck, you even start swimming in a two piece before that potbelly completely disappears. Just because your brain is getting stronger too.
7. I learned more about food, about what food does to your body, about eating well, and I share this with people that I know, and my daughter suffers the vegetables, the fresh foods, because I want her to grow up healthy. I cared more, read more, got informed because I want to progress. But you know what? It is an investment in my future, in the future of my family, because they in turn get influenced as well.
8. I see someone carrying what seems to be a gym bag and I want to start a conversation with them because you learn something new from someone all the time and you cannot know it all. Sometimes I look like a stalker but heck, I just tell them I'm "kairatu"
9. I have a new found respect for Arnold
Yap, Arnold rocks.
Have a good one!
Wednesday, 12 February 2014
So my sister asked me how I stay motivated.....
My sister asked me this question yesterday, and I was blank for a moment. Not because I lack motivation strategies, but because I didn't know where to begin. Yes, everyone goes through ruts in their bid to remain healthy, the world is filled with temptations abound and the body dislikes discomfort, which is what exercise is, discomfort. So how do you get your mind to tell your body to keep going? Here are some of the things that help keep me motivated.
1. Accountability
Given the tendency of my personality to do everything in excess, I chose to write this blog. I chose to have a facebook page. I chose to be part of several online and offline communities whose main thematic area is living healthy. I was a loud mouth when I joined the gym I attend. I told the trainer on day one I wanted to do unassisted pull ups and my aim was to build muscle. He holds me to account too. He almost made me cry today benching my personal best, but I am accountable to him, and I have to prove to him that what I say, I mean. tsk, I should learn to shut my big mouth.
So, you don't have to write a blog, or have a page if you don't want to. How about letting your partner know you want to lose weight, or improve your fitness, or basic strength or flexibility. Take him/her on board. Your best friend, your sister, join a group. Do it together. You are more likely to succeed this way. Accountability works.
2. Have a goal, and remember goals can change
In the beginning, I just wanted to lose weight. I was heavy, unhealthy heavy. I did not feel comfortable in my own skin. So I set a goal on how much I wanted to weigh. I told myself I would achieve this by a certain time. I also set out a game plan how I was going to do it. Not having a goal is like putting on a blind fold and aiming a gun at a target. Chances are, you will not hit the target.
Make the goal more challenging. Compete, participate in an event that would require your fitness level to change dramatically. My goal at the moment is to compete. To do so, I have to work very hard. I have friends who have ran half marathons, that was their goal, they achieved it, and I'm so proud of them, I have never done anything like that. Can't do a push up? Try saying by the end of the month I will do one full unassisted push up, then work up to 3, then 5....that's the way it goes, realistic, achievable goals. They work too. Just ask my marathoner friends...one step at a time.
3. Do something you love
I just read an article that Zumba is a great interval workout...what??? Intervals? That is the hot buzz word in fitness today! It burns fat! So you like to dance? Go do Zumba! I have two left feet, I will sprint instead, but that is what I love....do what you love, as long as you're moving.
Don't let anyone push you into doing a workout you hate, you will give up long before you're successful. Looking for low impact? Don't do treadmill, do the cross trainer, so what if another person says you're being sissy, you're moving! Hate going to the gym? Do a home workout instead. I lost 20 kilos on my living room floor. It can be done! Love the outdoors? Go play catch with your dog! Play hide and seek with the kids! Everything counts!
4. I always do this but you don't have to
Yes, I oogle at photos of fitness models and say to myself...I can be like that. Visualise who you want to be, and work towards it. I have heard so many women say they want arms like Michelle Obama...well, there's your picture, now what do you have to do to get there? I want well defined everything, and my eyes almost burn with the desire for that when I see such photos. It makes me want to work harder. Pin it next to the mirror if you have to, then work towards it.
5. Link your fitness to your health
Yes, take note of the measurable health gains. Which means checking your blood sugar levels if they were high, monitoring your blood pressure, cholesterol levels, getting out of the 'obesity' range. Think about it in terms of what you're doing to your bones as a lady when you're preserving your bone density, increasing your flexibility...you can tie your shoes? These are the most rewarding goals in my experience. Health is wealth. Invest in it.
Have an active day will you
1. Accountability
Given the tendency of my personality to do everything in excess, I chose to write this blog. I chose to have a facebook page. I chose to be part of several online and offline communities whose main thematic area is living healthy. I was a loud mouth when I joined the gym I attend. I told the trainer on day one I wanted to do unassisted pull ups and my aim was to build muscle. He holds me to account too. He almost made me cry today benching my personal best, but I am accountable to him, and I have to prove to him that what I say, I mean. tsk, I should learn to shut my big mouth.
So, you don't have to write a blog, or have a page if you don't want to. How about letting your partner know you want to lose weight, or improve your fitness, or basic strength or flexibility. Take him/her on board. Your best friend, your sister, join a group. Do it together. You are more likely to succeed this way. Accountability works.
2. Have a goal, and remember goals can change
In the beginning, I just wanted to lose weight. I was heavy, unhealthy heavy. I did not feel comfortable in my own skin. So I set a goal on how much I wanted to weigh. I told myself I would achieve this by a certain time. I also set out a game plan how I was going to do it. Not having a goal is like putting on a blind fold and aiming a gun at a target. Chances are, you will not hit the target.
Make the goal more challenging. Compete, participate in an event that would require your fitness level to change dramatically. My goal at the moment is to compete. To do so, I have to work very hard. I have friends who have ran half marathons, that was their goal, they achieved it, and I'm so proud of them, I have never done anything like that. Can't do a push up? Try saying by the end of the month I will do one full unassisted push up, then work up to 3, then 5....that's the way it goes, realistic, achievable goals. They work too. Just ask my marathoner friends...one step at a time.
3. Do something you love
I just read an article that Zumba is a great interval workout...what??? Intervals? That is the hot buzz word in fitness today! It burns fat! So you like to dance? Go do Zumba! I have two left feet, I will sprint instead, but that is what I love....do what you love, as long as you're moving.
Don't let anyone push you into doing a workout you hate, you will give up long before you're successful. Looking for low impact? Don't do treadmill, do the cross trainer, so what if another person says you're being sissy, you're moving! Hate going to the gym? Do a home workout instead. I lost 20 kilos on my living room floor. It can be done! Love the outdoors? Go play catch with your dog! Play hide and seek with the kids! Everything counts!
4. I always do this but you don't have to
Yes, I oogle at photos of fitness models and say to myself...I can be like that. Visualise who you want to be, and work towards it. I have heard so many women say they want arms like Michelle Obama...well, there's your picture, now what do you have to do to get there? I want well defined everything, and my eyes almost burn with the desire for that when I see such photos. It makes me want to work harder. Pin it next to the mirror if you have to, then work towards it.
5. Link your fitness to your health
Yes, take note of the measurable health gains. Which means checking your blood sugar levels if they were high, monitoring your blood pressure, cholesterol levels, getting out of the 'obesity' range. Think about it in terms of what you're doing to your bones as a lady when you're preserving your bone density, increasing your flexibility...you can tie your shoes? These are the most rewarding goals in my experience. Health is wealth. Invest in it.
Have an active day will you
Tuesday, 4 February 2014
Wear your body with pride
Sometime last week I was doing some stretches with some ladies at the gym. Stretching for me is a good time for time wasting banter...why? I can talk while I stretch....no time wasting really.
I was leading the ladies through a series of stretches on the floor when I noticed that one of them was constantly pulling her tee shirt down while looking at me.... Huh? I looked at her and she shyly asked...my stomach is showing ...isn't it?
So that's what is preventing you from working out properly, you are self conscious about how your body looks and moves, there are too many mirrors in the gym, you rarely use the one at home, who thought of putting so many mirrors here? You cannot avoid looking at yourself....
Nonsense!
Yes that is what I told her.
I would have been more sensitive about what I said had I put some brakes between my brain and my mouth but there was a mechanical failure and it just came out.
Why?
That midsection is the reason you are here! There is no need to feel shy about working on it, and it will keep you from attaining your goals! Contrary to what you may think, the gym is not the natural habitat of those buffed up individuals. It is your natural habitat too, there are no alphas here, we are all equal.
And if that does not convince you, think about the money you ,spent on membership and the time you commit to going to the gym, it had better not go to waste!
So please, wear your body with pride, for as you run on the street, or play with your kids,or go for Zumba, you are sculpting it. You are choosing change, you are doing more an most people do. You are showing strength, mental fortitude, endurance, discipline and patience. You are showing that you have the characters to stick with the more difficult path. There is no need to hide that strength, be proud.
Have an active day!
I was leading the ladies through a series of stretches on the floor when I noticed that one of them was constantly pulling her tee shirt down while looking at me.... Huh? I looked at her and she shyly asked...my stomach is showing ...isn't it?
So that's what is preventing you from working out properly, you are self conscious about how your body looks and moves, there are too many mirrors in the gym, you rarely use the one at home, who thought of putting so many mirrors here? You cannot avoid looking at yourself....
Nonsense!
Yes that is what I told her.
I would have been more sensitive about what I said had I put some brakes between my brain and my mouth but there was a mechanical failure and it just came out.
Why?
That midsection is the reason you are here! There is no need to feel shy about working on it, and it will keep you from attaining your goals! Contrary to what you may think, the gym is not the natural habitat of those buffed up individuals. It is your natural habitat too, there are no alphas here, we are all equal.
And if that does not convince you, think about the money you ,spent on membership and the time you commit to going to the gym, it had better not go to waste!
So please, wear your body with pride, for as you run on the street, or play with your kids,or go for Zumba, you are sculpting it. You are choosing change, you are doing more an most people do. You are showing strength, mental fortitude, endurance, discipline and patience. You are showing that you have the characters to stick with the more difficult path. There is no need to hide that strength, be proud.
Have an active day!
Friday, 24 January 2014
Love thyself.
Recently I have heard a lot of comments about vanity, and how those that continuously work on their bodies are vain and selfish, taking the time out of their family/social lives to work on themselves. Inconsiderate in their food choices when they choose not to indulge where others are. Obsessed for being particular, reading labels and choosing not to poison their bodies. It's not obsession, it is commitment.
We have come to a point that weight issues have become weighty. Where obesity is costing us and our healthcare providers more and more. In Kenya, over 40% of women are overweight, these figures are not that current and I wouldn't be surprised if the figure rose to 45% or even 50%. Imagine that statistic superimposed to that of lifestyle diseases....diabetes, heart diseases and the lack of productivity caused by these diseases. Imagine you having to pay for treating those diseases, imagine the cost to your family in terms of emotional distress, imagine early deaths where children bury their parents for reasons that were totally preventable. You do not have to imagine it anymore, it is already happening.
So you see, choosing a healthy lifestyle is not a luxury, it is a necessity. We are past the age of lack, where we gorge ourselves not knowing where the next meal will come from. We have made our lives easier, mechanising a lot of tasks we used to perform manually, we move less, and this is progress, but it is killing us.
Today as I was performing wood choppers using cables, I thought to myself, had I been born 100 years ago, I would be doing wood choppers for real...then again, I wouldn't have been overweight to begin with, highly unlikely.
So finally I get to my point. Love thyself. Go for a walk, go for a run, swim even and pick up something heavy while at it. Sweat a little bit and remember the long hard days our ancestors put in, you're lucky WHO recommends only 30 minutes of exercise for an adult everyday....that is so little. Get some happy hormones, ward off some disease, look bad ass while at it and rock that muscle tee or bikini for your self esteem. Everything about it is positive. Why not give it a go?
Have an active weekend!
We have come to a point that weight issues have become weighty. Where obesity is costing us and our healthcare providers more and more. In Kenya, over 40% of women are overweight, these figures are not that current and I wouldn't be surprised if the figure rose to 45% or even 50%. Imagine that statistic superimposed to that of lifestyle diseases....diabetes, heart diseases and the lack of productivity caused by these diseases. Imagine you having to pay for treating those diseases, imagine the cost to your family in terms of emotional distress, imagine early deaths where children bury their parents for reasons that were totally preventable. You do not have to imagine it anymore, it is already happening.
So you see, choosing a healthy lifestyle is not a luxury, it is a necessity. We are past the age of lack, where we gorge ourselves not knowing where the next meal will come from. We have made our lives easier, mechanising a lot of tasks we used to perform manually, we move less, and this is progress, but it is killing us.
Today as I was performing wood choppers using cables, I thought to myself, had I been born 100 years ago, I would be doing wood choppers for real...then again, I wouldn't have been overweight to begin with, highly unlikely.
So finally I get to my point. Love thyself. Go for a walk, go for a run, swim even and pick up something heavy while at it. Sweat a little bit and remember the long hard days our ancestors put in, you're lucky WHO recommends only 30 minutes of exercise for an adult everyday....that is so little. Get some happy hormones, ward off some disease, look bad ass while at it and rock that muscle tee or bikini for your self esteem. Everything about it is positive. Why not give it a go?
Have an active weekend!
Wednesday, 22 January 2014
Weight loss is the easy part....
What? You oxymoron you....! What did you say??!!!
Yes, I said it right, losing weight is easy, it's when your goals begin getting more complicated, when you demand more of yourself, when you start feeling that just being good isn't good enough, you want to be the best version of yourself you can be, that is when it becomes really difficult. Let me explain myself before you begin throwing rotten tomatoes at me ...
If you are consistently being active, taking whatever form of exercise you have taken up seriously and watching your diet, unless you have underlying physical problems, the weight practically falls off. Yes, it is challenging and it takes an enormous amount of will power to break habits that lead to weight gain but with determination, progress can be seen within a month and after that, with consistency, there are continuous gains in terms of fitness, inches lost, measurable health gains and on the weighing scale.
But you want more...you look longingly at the photos of fitness models, of bikini competitors and say to yourself...if they can do it, so can I...so you pick up the not so sissy weights and start lifting...you begin doing more intense cardio and become a bit narcissistic, looking at yourself every morning, looking for the littlest hint of a line that will show that finally you are getting some definition. And when none shows after a month of lifting, you begin to get discouraged, your body does not begin to look like those fitness models, or the athletes, or Lupita Nyongo...
But ask yourself this, why aren't there more people who are that ripped? They are a minority amongst us, which is why we stare when we see them. Why? Because it is hard! And it takes time and discipline to get that way.
Because it does not take a month for you to achieve that greek goddess (god) look that we crave. And it takes a lot more training than you are used to, even if you train smart.
So trust the process and do not despair, it will take time, but if you are consistent, you will get there. It takes time to build tall buildings, because the foundation has to be deep and strong. You cannot define what muscle isn't there, you cannot tone without building first, you cannot build floor upon floor without first digging a deep foundation and building the support.
So when you're looking at the woman next to you near the weight rack who's muscles ripple, or the trainer with what seems like a 16 pack, remember, they have been at it for a while. And it will take you a while to get there.
Keep active, keep at it.
Have a wonderful day!
Yes, I said it right, losing weight is easy, it's when your goals begin getting more complicated, when you demand more of yourself, when you start feeling that just being good isn't good enough, you want to be the best version of yourself you can be, that is when it becomes really difficult. Let me explain myself before you begin throwing rotten tomatoes at me ...
If you are consistently being active, taking whatever form of exercise you have taken up seriously and watching your diet, unless you have underlying physical problems, the weight practically falls off. Yes, it is challenging and it takes an enormous amount of will power to break habits that lead to weight gain but with determination, progress can be seen within a month and after that, with consistency, there are continuous gains in terms of fitness, inches lost, measurable health gains and on the weighing scale.
But you want more...you look longingly at the photos of fitness models, of bikini competitors and say to yourself...if they can do it, so can I...so you pick up the not so sissy weights and start lifting...you begin doing more intense cardio and become a bit narcissistic, looking at yourself every morning, looking for the littlest hint of a line that will show that finally you are getting some definition. And when none shows after a month of lifting, you begin to get discouraged, your body does not begin to look like those fitness models, or the athletes, or Lupita Nyongo...
But ask yourself this, why aren't there more people who are that ripped? They are a minority amongst us, which is why we stare when we see them. Why? Because it is hard! And it takes time and discipline to get that way.
Because it does not take a month for you to achieve that greek goddess (god) look that we crave. And it takes a lot more training than you are used to, even if you train smart.
So trust the process and do not despair, it will take time, but if you are consistent, you will get there. It takes time to build tall buildings, because the foundation has to be deep and strong. You cannot define what muscle isn't there, you cannot tone without building first, you cannot build floor upon floor without first digging a deep foundation and building the support.
So when you're looking at the woman next to you near the weight rack who's muscles ripple, or the trainer with what seems like a 16 pack, remember, they have been at it for a while. And it will take you a while to get there.
Keep active, keep at it.
Have a wonderful day!
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