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everything you want to do know in one post
It has been a long, long time since my last fitness post. The gym is one of the few but fierce routines of my life but it doesn’t surface here as often as it should. I know you are interested, you tell me all the time. And so my latest collaboration with Primark, showcasing some of their new sportswear seemed the perfect time to spill all on my routine, what I eat daily and some random advice I learnt the hard way after working out for the majority of my life. Now exercise isn’t something you can do a few times or for a little while, I believe you have to look at it in the same way you might approach a marriage: its for life, FOREVER. Chasing results quickly will end in disappointment, you have to go all in for the long haul. And so with that in mind, here’s what I do, I come from a very exercise orientated family , so everything I share here comes with no expertise, solely experience fostered though a fitness focused upbringing.
my weekly workout
My routine is shockingly basic, but I believe my success lies in its simplicity. I run 5 times a week and these runs are as close to religion I have ever come in my life. I cannot skip them, and should I do, I feel restless and terribly anxious. Previously, I concentrated on clocking up impressive distances, but this became too time consuming and personally, running for over an hour can get dull. 4 months ago, I switched my focus to speed – running at a very fast pace for 25 minutes. Followed by 10 minutes of high intensity training; running at my maximum speed for 30 seconds followed by another 30 second fast jog. Now, 35 minutes in total isn’t long at all, but by the end, I am drenched in sweat and utterly exhausted. My speed increase has also helped define my legs and seriously, running really fast REALLY blasts calories away. It’s also exhilarating, most days I get goosebumps because there is so much adrenaline pumping through my body. It’s addictive; running very fast is my favourite way to feel alive.
Alongside running 5 times weekly, I do 100 sit ups at home every morning (I use this abdominal bench). 3 days a week, I weight train, typically before my run; combining both free weights alongside machines to target certain muscles such as my triceps, chest and back. I also do a lot of push-ups, I believe these are one of the best toning exercises, you get your abs, chest, shoulders, biceps all at once. Last year, I also dedicated one workout a week to legs, using machines as well as weighted squats – but my fast runs and HIT training are working these muscles more than sufficiently so I now skip that entirely. You’d think I’d be under defined but my legs and derriere are now more muscular than ever.
5 X WEEKLY: RUNNING 25 MINS AT VERY FAST PACE FOLLOWED BY 10 MINUTES OF HIT TRAINING
(alternating 30 seconds maximum speed with 30 seconds of fast jog)
EVERYDAY: 100 SIT UPS ON SLANTED SIT UP BENCH EVERY MORNING
3 X WEEKLY: 3 SETS 15 OF 22 KG BICEP CURL / 3 SETS OF 15 KG SHOULDER LATERAL RAISE / 3 SETS OF 25 PUSH UPS
/ 3 SETS OF 15 22 KG TRICEP PRESS MACHINE/ 3 SETS OF 15 30 KG BENCH PRESS / 3 SETS OF 15 20 KG SHOULDER RAISE MACHINE /
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my daily diet
I’m fastidious about what I put in my body, in fact, I’ve always prioritized it over exercising. Food is our fuel and without it we can’t operate as humans at our maximum potential. So, a clean eater I obsessively am. I absolutely avoid anything processed or containing chemicals. I see these sorts of foods as pure poison. I also stay far away from gluten as well as sugar, which makes me sound terribly uptight. But I am. I do indulge every so often but 2016 has been a very lean year for me so far. Do I dream of cake? Ofcourse I do and yes I will eat it every so often but a ritual in my life it is absolutely not. This year I set out to lose a little bit of weight, so I’ve been especially strict. The only reason I am telling you this is because I want to be honest. My diet aligns with my own personal goals, I cannot say what yours are, but avoiding anything processed and eating as little gluten/sugar as you can will benefit you regardless. I supplement my diet with a painfully expensive multi-vitamin, as well as a individual doses of C, D and Spirulina. My preferred vitamin brand is Solgar. I also include Pulsin Hemp protein powder in all my smoothies and take a Forza 5000 mg pure green coffee pill every day too, which gives me infinite energy and honestly, I can say has helped me shift the little bit of weight I set out to lose. It is 100% natural, vegan friendly and safe too. 3 times weekly I drink liquid Hylaronic acid, a substance that exists naturally within our skin to keep it plumped and in our joints to keep them lubricated I have also noticed a huge difference in my hair and skin, both are much softer now. I use this one. Supplements aside, below is what I will typically eat in one day, ofcourse this does change and fluctuate but this meal breakdown is solely to give you a very general diet idea.
BREAKFAST:
banana nut smoothie: 2 bananas, 2 tablespoons of walnuts & roasted unsalted almonds, 2 teaspoons of coconut powder, bran,
almond powder, chia seeds & lin seeds, almond milk & 2 tablespoons of pulsin hemp protein powder alongside a HUGE latte.
LUNCH:
tofu burger /3 egg whites alongside brown rice/quinoa or lentils/ avocado & sundried tomatoes on gluten-free
rice bread. yoghurt & homemade granola drizzled with 1/2 teaspoon of honey. 1 glass of carrot & ginger juice
DINNER:
Typically I make a light mezze platter of some sort, rye crackers with rocket & non fat cheese, a handful of vegetables
such as red pepper slices or cherry tomatoes & unsalted nuts with a few spoons of brown rice or slices of smoked salmon.
SNACKS THROUGHOUT THE DAY:
nuts/ grapes /blueberries/ carrot & ginger juice as well
as a 2 litres of water sipped consistently throughout the day.
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some personal advice
Drink plenty of water, it shocks me how little people drink of this absolutely essential liquid. You will look more beautiful too if you drink more, I promise. Invest in both a blender as well as juicer. I own this one and this one by Phillips. They aren’t cheap but skip a few pair of shoes and acquire these instead. These machines can nourish your body in amazing ways. Diet pills do not work nor do those silly detox or de-bloating teas, I strongly suggest the green coffee supplement. Your first and most important aim should always to be healthy, anything harming your health is foolish and your body deserves to be treated like the absolute temple it is. Make commitments and narrowly define your goals. Don’t set out with loose expectations or outlandish aims – this will demotivate you and inevitably lead to giving up. Exercise because you have muscles in your body and those muscles were made to move. Don’t do it to lose weight or look better – I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again, exercising is like brushing your teeth. It is simply something you must do. And above all, aim to be strong not skinny. Strength is the sexiest thing a woman can possess. And we can all always be stronger.
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