Makes me smile....

Weight 10st12lb, BMI 23.2, Body Fat 26.3%

 

I have to share and write about this because when I reflect, it makes me smile :)

 

At the tender age of 44 I am back to a size 10 and weighing in, in the 10's and in better shape than I've ever been.  I was 22 when I was last a size 10 and weighing in at about 10st 7lb but I wasn't the same shape as I am now.  I was slim but I wasn't toned and if I'm honest probably wasn't too fit either.



..the bikini pic that I thought would never be!

I put on some weight just before I got married (stress)...yep stress...I must be the only bride-to-be that the dress had to be 'let-out' a bit on various fittings..I was lucky she wasn't banging another panel in!  When I got stressed I used to eat.  Even up to 7 years ago when I had a stressful full-time job...I went in a size 12/14 and came out a year and a half later a good size 16 *munch munch munch* and no exercise.

 

Anyhow, started putting on the weight before the 'big' day, continued on the honeymoon, the food was gorgeous in Barbados and the cocktails were for nothing,  so the weight started from there.  After 6 months I was fed up being soft and unfit, so along with two of my work colleagues/friends, I did join a gym on Clanbrassil Street. I did train 3 to 4 times a week, as in Step Aerobics, 'Jane Fonda' type Aerobics (I even had a couple of those fab shiny G-string leotards),Circuit classes and resistance training and I got back into great shape, six-pack 'n all. Looked fab....up until I had the girls.  Then I did no exercise, though I did join Weight Watchers TWICE and did the Slim Fast, Cabbage Soup, Atkins and whatever other fad diet that was around at the time until I copped on and joined the gym 6 years ago.

 

I wasn't always great at going to the gym or training properly once I was there but it did 'click' with me after a time and of course after I started to see the results of a good focused training session.

 

You know the rest.  Ended up loving the training. Decided to study for a qualification in Exercise, Nutrition and Personal Training. Got 2 A's & 2 B's in my exams (something else that made me smile as I never got A's in any of my big school exams). And here I am.

 

Things are happening slowly, however I am so grateful for the couple of clients that I have and especially the one who rang me months ago and told me she would cancel her current trainer and come and train with me once I was qualified.  True to form, she rang me the morning I got my results and booked me...you know who you are...thank you from the bottom of my heart. I am still on work placement in my favourite gym but am not so confident about securing a position there.  Although I've been told by the Operations Managers and the gym Manager that there has been a lot of positive feedback about me, there are no positions and if and when one does become available, there are 'bodies' ahead of me.  I will continue my work placement there, keep my eyes and ears open and learn as much as I can.  I will also stay positive, try and build my Personal Trainer client list (finding that difficult) and also try and secure a position as an Instructor in a gym.

 

I hope to have my web page with pictures and information (thanks to Paul D), my new FB page (named along with the web page, with the help of Rachel F), organised later this week and it all up and running by next week.  I will link my Blog into both.  When I do, I know I can count on you to 'like' and 'share' for me.  I just have to keep believing....

 

something great is going to happen!

 

 

Strength Training For Kids....

..a bicep curl & a smile :)

 This is something that I've looked into and read up on as it is something that I'm interested in.  As more and more children are starting to participate in sports and thankfully a number of increasingly overweight children are becoming more active....there is an increasing number of sports related injuries.

As you know by this stage, coz I bang on about it so much, I'm an advocater of resistance training not only for burning fat, improving bone density but it is also recommended to strengthen kids to prevent their chance of a sports related injury.

Before I continue I want to clarify that I'm talking about strength training as in using your body weight (push-ups, sit-ups), machines (although gym machines may be inappropriate for a child's use), free weights or pieces of equipment like resistance bands/tubing or medicine balls.  I'm not talking about power lifting or body building!

According to The Sports Medicine Institute for Young Athletes at The Hospital for Special Surgery, NY, a regimen of strength training before kids start playing sport may prevent injuries.  They reckon.."strength training for kids is safe, helpful and important for kids who are playing sports.  It gets them in shape and ready to play for the season".  It's also a great confidence builder and something that parents/adults and kids can do together. Evidence suggests that a preseason strength training program can reduce sports related injuries in adolescents and can speed up metabolism in overweight children.

If its done properly, strength training is completely safe for kids. A supervised, sports specific program is key to success ie swimmers need shoulder strengthening.

It is important to use HIGH reps of a LOW weight ie 3 sets of 15 reps of say 1kg for each exercise and ideally 3 times a week. These exercises must always be supervised by a parent/adult.  For maximum benefit, strength training should start at least 6 weeks before their season starts so their muscles have time to develop.  When I say develop I don't mean they will develop large muscles (they won't because of the high reps and low weight) but they will develop strength.

A Football/Soccer Player

 

Would do training for lower body ie squats, lunges, wall lunges using an exercise ball etc and these can be done at home or at the gym.



..how about a little squat..mind you his technique isn't great :-/





A Martial Arts Participant

 

Would do upper body training ie dumbbell bicep curls, single arm rows and other exercises that develop upper body strength.

 

However any athlete involved in throwing sports (although even a footballer has to throw the ball from the sideline at some stage) will benefit from developing back (Lat Pull downs) and shoulder press (shoulders) strengthening program early to prevent injuries around the shoulder.
 

 

 

Core Strength Training

 

EVERY young athlete in EVERY sport needs to have have core strength (this goes for adults too). Abdominal and lower back strength in ANY sport is crucial as not only does it improve performance but it also helps prevent injury around their lower back and hips.

 

Simple bread 'n butter exercises like the plank and crunches on a stability ball are great for starters.

 

 

 

So there you have it. 

Stronger child, prevention of injuries and

improved performance in their chosen sport



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I don't know where they got my name from but I have just been emailed this...I don't think they know me very well?! 

Quick Holiday/Home Workout

Probably 'the' best bikini pic I will ever have..I got there in the end :)

What a lovely relaxing holiday I had. I really really needed the break as it had been a long year with my big 'change' and all of that! 

Before I went away I was sooo tired, mentally and physically so I decided that I was going to do no training for the first week, just give myself a rest from it, but by day 2.....I missed it!  I had brought a resistance band to use for work-outs and I wrote myself an all over body work-out programme incorporating all muscle groups.  It took 40 mins from start to finish including my 10 minute running up and down the outdoor apartment steps (17 in all) for my warm up (sweat up more like). 

Derms said he wanted to get involved and I thought it might be a bit awkward with the two of us trying to do this work-out with one band etc so I remembered a 'Home Workout' I had seen so I dug that out.

It was perfect for us....D was very impressed with it. Every second evening at 6pm we went for a small 10 min warm up jog, came back to a nice shaded area of the pool, armed with a towel, watch, bottle of water and this workout.  We did 3 sets, high intensity and the whole workout, including jog only took half an hour.

I would recommend this for a holiday workout (just to help keep you in shape until you get home) or as it's headed, a little something to do at home.  Use the stairs for your 10 minute warm up.  The trick with this is quick transitions between exercises with only a 30 sec rest between your 3 or 5 sets.  You have to keep the heart-rate up for results.

Each of us only put on 2lbs on the holiday, eventhough we ate and drank our fill (fresh french stick, couple of desserts and I'm surprised my teeth aren't stained purple from the red wine) but we ate our porridge/seeds every morning, I drank my green tea (there's no way D would touch it) and I also drank 3 litres of water every day.  All of this, along with our little work-out stood to us.

It's certainly a work-out I'm going to keep to hand and use on my clients...you have been warned! 

Let me know if you try it and if you do...how you got on?