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fit

Fitness

Girls, please lift weights

April 9, 2014

I feel as if most girls are allergic just to the idea of lifting weights.

“No, I just stick to cardio.” “Are you kidding, the weight room is full of guys!” “Mmm, but my legs will get bulky, right?”

I am sure many of you have heard this before (or have said this), and honestly the only one I kind of get is the second comment. Because yeah, most weight rooms are full of guys, but don’t let this put you off. Sure they may stare at you, but that’s just because it is a rarity to see a girl lifting weights. If anything, take a friend with you so it won’t be as intimidating or ask one of the personal trainers at your gym to teach you a few exercises.

Lifting weights will not make you bulky, UNLESS you are eating a diet which will not aid in fat loss. I used to think I was getting bulky from lifting weights but in reality, it was because I still had some extra fat. So because I was not losing any fat, I looked bigger because there was muscle AND fat. Although I still have some excess fat I currently want to lose (it is a long process ..) when I first starting lifting weights and following an eating plan that aided in fat loss, I saw a big change in my body. Cardio will only take you so far. Cardio can help you lose fat but lifting weights (or just resistance exercises in general such as using resistance bands or TRX) will help shape and firm your ‘problem area’s.’

There are also certain area’s of the body that you just will not be able to tone up unless you use weights. Case in point: the back. My body has this lovely (sarcasm people) tendency to store fat in my back (it’s disgusting) and I only started to see improvement in this area when I started using weights to strengthen and tone my back. It’s pretty exhilarating actually to see my progress, and how I am able to use heavier and heavier weights .. and a more defined back!

So please ladies, rethink your approach to weight and fat loss. Cardio is an important factor but not the ONLY factor. What you eat also plays a role, and using weights will help shape your body. Plus food for thought – a lot of yogi’s will train using weights to help them do advanced balancing exercises which require a great deal of upper body, core and lower body strength. And I do not know about you, but I have never seen a ‘bulky’ yogi.

What are some of your favorite exercises? Mine are currently cable back rows and doing sit ups on a bench with a 10 pound weight 🙂

Honestly yours,
Alice xxx

P.S. The gorgeous lady in the features image is Juennifer, and she lifts weights 😉

Fitness

Making your own home gym

March 2, 2014

own home gym

Source: Background image from http://www.domundee.com/Condo-Pattaya-Luxury-Jomtien-Beachfront-Aeras-Condominium.html

Okay, so I know that not all of us are part of a gym. But that doesn’t mean you can’t work out and do all the same things that you could do at a gym (minus a few unless you’re willing to shell out some big bucks)! This post will give you a run through of some ‘must have’ pieces of equipment if you want to successfully workout at home.

1. A pair of dumbbells and/or a kettlebell
Dumbbells are imperative because lifting weights is one of the best ways to burn fat and shape your body. A good weight to start with is 5 pounds, preferably working up to 10 or 12 pounds. If you can also afford to get a kettlebell then I suggest you get one, preferably at a weight of 20 pounds or higher. Kettlebells differ from dumbbells because you activate more muscles when using them when you use them to do certain variations of exercises.

 

  kettlebell

2. Resistance Band
Resistance bands are a MUST HAVE especially if you are always on the move! These can also be used for strength training and will help tone your muscles. Resistance bands offer a fun way to change up your routine so you don’t get bored, and a new way to challenge your muscles. There are also certain exercises you can only do with resistance bands which are faaaantastic for toning up the butt.

3. Exercise ball and/or bosu ball 
I say exercise ball and/or exercise ball because unfortunately bosu balls are quite expensive. I recommend getting either an exercise ball or a bosu ball (or both!) because they can both be used for stabilization movements and again, as a new way to challenge your muscles.

4. Jump rope
Ahh the jump rope, once thought to only be used by school girls and boxers. The jump rope is an amazing and portable piece of equipment which offers a fantastic form of cardio and also a way to tone your arms and legs. I am a big fan of Michael Olajide Jr, who is the personal trainer of Adriana Lima, and the key component of their training is the jump rope. There are many Youtube videos that coach you on how to do jump rope variations, and jump rope workouts.

5. Super sliders
Hehe, okay so I am a little biased here but super sliders are AWESOME! Super sliders help you mimic moves from the pilates reformer and can be used in a variety of ways that really challenge your muscle in a new way. Anyone who has bought one and tried some of the moves from my super sliders video can certainly attest to that.

6. Foam Roller
If you are working out regularly, I seriously advise you to invest in a foam roller. Not only is it affordable (about $20), using a foam roller is like having a massage. The foam roller is a form of self myofascial release , which essentially means that you are rolling out the knots in your muscles which can become very tight with exercise and can cause your limbs to look slightly bulky.

So there you have it! I believe that if you have all the equipment I listed above, then there is no way you cannot achieve your fitness goals. Look online, read magazines and buy workout DVDs so that you can get ideas for what moves to do using these fitness pieces. An at-home pull up bar is also a great piece of equipment but probably not a necessity unless you are like me and desperate to build some upper body strength hehe.

Honestly yours,
Alice

Fitness

Glide your way to toned

January 14, 2014

If I’m right, the area’s women tend to be most concerned about are the abs, legs and butt. Am I right?

Of course there are other area’s we all want to be perfectly toned and slim, like our arms, backs and etc, but the three mentioned above are what I always hear women complain about. How can I tone my legs? How can I tone my abs? How can I look like a Victoria Secret model? How can I tone up fast? All valid questions. I have quite a petite frame and although I have never been fat (although I was definitely overweight as a middle schooler), I have always been on the lookout on how to shed some extra body fat, and tone up those problem area’s. I mean come on, apart from Victoria Secret models, who doesn’t want to lose a little fat and tone up a little?

Glide your way to toned

Glide your way to toned workout

Although a number of factors come into play when shedding body fat and toning up, I am going to talk about an awesome, little, and portable piece of equipment that has given me a whole range of new exercises to do, and has really helped tone up my stomach. I am still on my fitness journey and am nowhere near my ideal body yet, but man oh man, I am so happy to have discovered this baby!

Glide your way to toned workout

Ta-da, super sliders! Super sliders, commonly known as furniture sliders, are what they say they are. They literally help you slide around heavy objects, like furniture … and human bodies! You guys probably think I am nuts and are wondering how on earth I use furniture sliders to tone my abs, legs and booty. I will explain that in a moment, along with a few exercise demonstrations right after I explain how I discovered them.

I first came across the concept of using sliders when I heard about Valslides, which are the creation of celebrity fitness trainer Valerie Waters. I thought they were a great concept, and a new and fun way to really push your routine that extra mile and challenge your muscles in a new and different way. However, as awesome as Valslides are, they are not cheap. They are around $30 dollars for a set and frankly, I was not willing to pay that much for something that seemed like quite a simple product. I did some intensive Google searching and came across a forum which recommended Super Sliders as a substitute for Valslides. They were only $10 from Lowes so I decided to buy them because even if they didn’t work out, $10 won’t break the bank. Let me just say that I am SO happy I did. Not only did they look exactly like Valslides, I actually got 2 pairs instead of 1 🙂 Now they’re a regular part of my workout routines and have been a fun and quite difficult little addition.

The following are my favourite slider moves. Let me know how they work out for you guys, and if you want more moves or even a whole workout utilizing them, then please let me know. For any followers who are located outside of the U.S wanting a super slider, I would be happy to send them to you. If so, please leave your email address below so I can contact you about it.

Honestly yours,
Alice

P.S. If any of you have any advice or experience with video editing, I would love to hear how I can make my video’s better! I am hoping that the more I make, the better I will get, so please bear that in mind when watching the above video 🙂