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fat loss

Fitness

Common workout mistakes: Squats

March 4, 2014

Hey everyone!

So a friend recently asked if I could do a blog post about how to do squats with proper form .. what a great question!! Having correct form in any exercise, and particularly squats, is crucial to ensure that you activate the correct muscles and that you do not injure yourself.

The following is a short video where I show you how to do a squat with proper form and various ways of how not to do a squat! I am sorry the audio is quite static-y but alas, I have yet to get any professional editing software. Hashtag #brokeunistudent

[embedyt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxB7ZD7YyoU[/embedyt]

Key things to take away from this video are …

1. Make sure your knees are not flying over your toes. Keep your knees in line with them.

2. Keep you back straight. Pleaaase do not hunch over.

3. Try and squat so that you are parallel to the ground. This all depends on your hip flexibility though, so do not force yourself to squat lower if you simply cannot.

4. Do NOT lock your knees when you come up. Keep them slightly bent.

Hope this helps you all! Squats are an amazing exercise because they work multiple muscles and challenge your stability. A great compound move that can be added to your routine, in a variety of different ways.

Honestly yours,
Alice

Products I love, Sunday Summary

Sunday Summary: Kayla Itsines Week 1

March 2, 2014

Hey guys!

I hope you all have had a great week. I have to say that this week was a bit of a struggle for me, mentally and physically. I had a lot of work due this week, in the form of readings and presentations, and my attitude was just all over the place. It was pretty strange, but this whole week I have just been in a really negative place, and not feeling particularly happy about my body.

I know it seems silly, and it is pretty easy to mentally beat yourself up, but sometimes it just happens you know. I just want you all to know that you are not alone, and that life is not always perfect and amazing. I try my best to live a healthy and active lifestyle and sometimes things do not always go as planned. But you know what, it is alright, and the important thing is to stay focused on the bigger picture. So what if I may have overeaten this week, there are 52 weeks in a year. So what if my body doesn’t look exactly like the perfect ideal I have in my head? Everything takes time and patience is key. I have always have insecurities over my body and sometimes it is soooo hard to not listen to the little voices in my head telling me that I am not good enough. But what has always helped me (plus yoga now too) is keeping a positive outlook on life and reminding myself that I am doing the best that I can, and reminding myself how awesome I really am.

review of Kayla Itsines Week 1

Kayla Itsines Week 1

Anyway, enough of all that. I bought the Kayla Itsines bikini body guide this week so hopefully that will help be battle my body insecurities over the next few weeks!

review of Kayla Itsines Week 1

For those of you that do not know about Kayla, I talked about her briefly in last week’s Sunday Summary post. She is a very inspirational personal trainer that made waves in the world of social media, not only for her toned body and healthy lifestyle, but for her client transformations. She released her bikini body guide a few months ago and it is basically a complete 12 week training guide to help you achieve that bikini body look (toned abs, arms and  legs). I have already completed most of the first week (just have one more workout left to do) and so far I love it!! She gives advice on cardio, and outlines a three week plan with specific workouts to do during the week which focuses on different parts of the body. The workouts really push you to your maximum and I am really excited to see the outcome at the end of the 12 weeks.

If you have any questions about her Kayla Itsine’s bikini body guide, leave me a question in the comments below. And if you are also doing the training guide, please let me know!! It is always great to find others on the same journey.

Cheers to a positive week everyone!

Honestly yours,
Alice

 

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