Personlig Træner Sarah Louise

🤓 Spoiler alert: you can’t look “toned” without also building muscle

Strength training is overlooked by many, who have a goal of “losing weight and looking lean and toned”.

Why?

Firstly, because many people still thing that weights make you look “big and bulky”

Secondly, because for many years we’ve been told that strength training is what builds muscle and cardio is what burns fat

So why *shouldn’t* cardio be the only thing you focus on when you want to burn fat? 🤷🏼‍♀️

Because if you don’t build up the muscle that’s underneath the body fat, then you won’t have any actual muscle tone to show, after putting in all the work to burn the fat 🥲

Meaning you’ll likely look the same as you do now, just smaller (aka no more muscle tone)

So the 🗝️ takeaways are:

• Muscle improves body composition, giving you a leaner appearance. The more muscle you have compared to fat, the leaner you’ll look

• Strength training should ALWAYS be included in your training, no matter your goal - but ESPECIALLY if you want to look toned

• The cardio and the controlled calorie deficit is what’s added to (and not replacing) the strength training in those weeks or months where you want to tone up a little extra 🔥

Hope this helps!

🙋🏼‍♀️ Hands up if you’ve got a strength workout planned this week

The secret to a good muscle-building workout plan is *repetition* 🤓 Here’s why 👇🏼

We’ve always been told we have to “keep the body guessing” by often changing the exercises and workouts we do

And yes, that’s partly true

However, there’s a big difference between “keeping the body guessing” and “keeping the body challenged”

Because muscle doesn’t necessarily grow when you “surprise it” with a new exercise. It grows when it’s *challenged* 🤝🏼

And that can easily come from doing same exercises again and again

For muscles to be challenged you need to reach the point where the last few reps are a struggle 😮‍💨 When you do this often, your body will adapt by building muscle, so it can handle “the load” you apply to it

Meaning 👉🏼 you’ll get stronger and the weights will feel easier

And THIS is where you *adapt* - do a couple more reps; do an extra set; grab a heavier weight; or progress the exercise to a more difficult version

So, to conclude, here’s what you need to do:

🏋🏼‍♀️ 1. Strength train regularly — ideally with weights as they will be challenging for your muscles.

🤝🏼 2. Focus on compound exercises — they are the most efficient and easiest to progress with.

🔁 3. Repeat, but adapt — keep doing these exercises but over time lift slightly heavier weights, do slightly more reps or add an extra set.

I’ve been training for 10+ years and still do mostly the same exercises I did in the beginning 🤯

Bonus tip: if you hit a plateau on a certain exercise, change it to something similar or swap it for a more advanced version of the exercise 👉🏼 for example swap from a regular plank to weighted plank; from leg press machine to barbell squats; from crunches to sit ups; from pulldowns to pull-ups etc

There you go. The simple (but challenging) progress to build muscle. Remember, consistent actions lead to long term results

💪🏼

Why balanced meals are *so helpful* if you’re on a weight loss journey (3 reasons)

… or if you just want to (finally) be able to stick to a healthy diet

This is for you 👇🏼

We all know that a (big) part of losing weight is managing what you eat

And while this might feel easy the first week or two, eventually the cravings, hunger and self control gets difficult 😬

This is where a balanced meals come in!

First, let’s clarify: a “balanced meal” contains a good balance of protein, carbs, healthy fats and fibre. The correct balance for you depends on things like your fitness goal, workout schedule, age, height and gender etc

So why are balanced meals helpful when losing weight:

🍫 1. You avoid cravings shortly after eating
The carbs and fibre will lower the sweet cravings after a meal. The protein and healthy fats will keep you full so you don’t already feel hungry 1 hour after

🥦 2. You absorb more vitamins
Fun fact: certain vitamins (A, D, E, and K) found in most fruit and veg can only be absorbed in your body when paired with healthy fats. So cutting this out, means cutting out good nutrients too

🤩 3. You maintain a stable blood sugar
A stable blood sugar = stable energy throughout the day, much better workouts and more controlled hunger levels (making it 10x easier maintaining a calorie deficit)

Ps. it’s completely okay that not every. single. meal. is 100% “balanced”, but if you make sure you get a good amount of both protein, carbs and healthy fats throughout the day you’ll be doing yourself a favour 👌🏼

Pps. can you tell my favourite healthy fats are hummus, avo and tahini? 😅

Dear new gym-goers: this is for you 👇🏼

With a new year starting comes a lot of new faces in the gym (I love it)

If it’s your first time navigating around, here are 4 things that’ll make your first gym sessions a *much less* daunting:

🏋🏼‍♀️ Have a training plan —
it really helps knowing what exercises you’re doing before you go in. Get familiar with the exercises and what equipment you need

📝 Think about logistics —
make sure the exercises are in an order that means you don’t have to keep walking from one end of the gym to another. Keep exercises that use the same equipment together

🔁 Have alternative exercises ready —
if a machine is taken, this helps you easily replace the exercise without disrupting your workout

🕥 Go during off-peak hours —
less people, more space

Remember: be patient. it’s better to be the reason someone loves the gym, than the reason they quit.

One of my faaavourite things is helping people feel confident in the gym. If I can help you, send me a DM 🫶🏼

I know, I know … you’ve heard these things 10000x before ☝🏼 But here’s why each of them is actually really important:

🏋 2-5x workouts per week — preferably workouts that challenge your strength & heart rate. This sends signals to your body that it has to get stronger and fitter to accommodate the “pressure” you apply to it

🚶 8000+ steps per day — it boosts your calorie burn during the day, keeps your heart healthy & helps your body digest food. It also just helps clear your mind and release endorphins.

😴 7-9 hours of sleep per night — this is the prime time for your muscles to recover. Getting enough step also helps regulate your hormones (especially hunger hormones) so you don’t go overboard on snacks the next day.

🥦 30+ grams of fibre per day — adding fibre to your meals helps your body digest the food slower, so you stay full for longer. It’s also a great way to eat more for less calories.

🥘 3-4 meals with protein per day — this helps your muscles regularly get the fuel they need to get stronger. It also helps you stay full for longer after meals, especially when combined with fibre.

💧 1.5+ litres of water per day — this helps your body stay hydrated, feel less bloated and retain less water.

🥤 0 sugary or alcoholic drinks — just like adding fibre helps with a stable blood sugar, so will removing sugar. This is also an easy way to cut calories you didn’t know you were consuming.

If you implement these habits consistently (yes, it’s okay to not do them 100% every single week), then you WILL see progress. These habits will help you stay strong, lean & feel good all year round.

The only other ting I’d add to this list is to manage your calories / portion sizes according to your goal.

But that’s it — keep it simple. Stay consistent. See progress.

💪🏼

🇩🇰 www.sarahlouisetraening.dk
🇬🇧 www.sarahlouisetraining.co.uk

“How much cardio should I do to lose weight?”

The short answer: it depends 😅 Let me explain:

Firstly, you absolutely can lose weight without doing cardio.

*But*, it’s an incredible tool to boost your overall calorie burn for the week. Plus, it keeps your heart strong and healthy

🤓 So, here’s how you go about it:

Start simple. Set yourself a goal of a total of eg. 45 mins of low intensity cardio for the week

Spread it out as you like throughout the week (e.g. 15 mins after workouts or all in one go)

Low intensity cardio can be going for a run, walking on an incline, cycling or going on a cardio machine

Aim to keep your heart rate steady. Usually around 110-145 bpm. You should get a sweat on, but should still be able to have a conversation, only stopping to catch your breath every once in a while

From here, monitor your progress for 2 weeks:
👍🏼 If you’re losing weight, don’t change anything. Just keep going.
👎🏼 If you’re not losing weight, you can either adjust your nutrition or add 20 mins more cardio

🧡

Remember friends: don’t think cardio is the only thing you should do to lose weight. Strength train to maintain muscle, eat healthy to nourish your body and don’t completely *exhaust* yourself with exercise.

We’re setting you up for long-term results here, not just a 2-week thing 🏆

DM me any questions

“How much cardio should I be doing (to lose weight)?”

The short answer: it depends 😅 Let me explain:

Firstly, you absolutely can lose weight without doing cardio.

*But*, it’s an incredible tool to boost your overall calorie burn for the week. Plus, it keeps your heart strong and healthy

🤓 So, here’s how you go about it:

Start simple. Set yourself a goal of a total of eg. 45 mins of low intensity cardio for the week

Spread it out as you like throughout the week (e.g. 15 mins after workouts or all in one go)

Low intensity cardio can be going for a run, walking on an incline, cycling or going on a cardio machine

Aim to keep your heart rate steady. Usually around 110-145 bpm. You should get a sweat on, but should still be able to have a conversation, only stopping to catch your breath every once in a while

From here, monitor your progress for 2 weeks:
👍🏼 If you’re losing weight, don’t change anything. Just keep going.
👎🏼 If you’re not losing weight, you can either adjust your nutrition or add 20 mins more cardio

🧡

Remember friends: don’t think cardio is the only thing you should do to lose weight. Strength train to maintain muscle, eat healthy to nourish your body and don’t completely *exhaust* yourself with exercise.

We’re setting you up for long-term results here, not just a 2-week thing 🏆

DM me any questions

Am I the only one who finds it oddly satisfying that this year ends on a Sunday? 🤤😂

Finishing both the week & the year on the same day (and even better, starting 2024 on a Monday), is PERFECT! 🤌🏼

There’s 11 weeks left of 2023. Now is a super great time to re-focus and re-align with your goals

In the last few months…
… have you seen the results you wanted to see?
… are there certain things that you’ve particularly struggled with or routines that haven’t worked?

What small changes can you make?

If you start now (instead of Jan 1st like everyone else 😬) you’ll already be a big step closer than yoare today when everyone else is o

I’m not saying you need a drastic transformation or anything, but putting in a little work these 11 weeks will make January 1st feel *a lot less* overwhelming 😌

For me, I’ve spent the last few days optimising a few things nutrition- and work wise. I can already feel the benefits of the small changes and having a better flow of things

I’m curious — is there anything you want to focus on these next few months? Let me know in the comments 👇🏼

#2023

🏃🏼‍♀️ The Copenhagen Half Marathon is on Sunday. If you’ve been training for it, you might have started to feel the anticipation & pressure of wanting to do your best

Because the “elites” run it in less than 2 hours, right?

But do you know who I’m really proud of? The person who it takes 4 hours to complete.

4 hours of non-stop running is absolutely incredible. Regardless of the distance 🤯

Thoughts are telling you, that you can’t do it… People are passing you… You’re comparing your pace to others around you…

Yet, you STILL cross that finish line 4 hours later. And *my god* you are so strong for that!! 🏆

I hope that whatever time it takes you to cross the finish line, that you’re proud of what you overcome, how you pushed yourself and the consistency with training it’s taken you to run it.

Every fitness journey is different 🧡

Are you running the half marathon this weekend?

If you often find yourself “falling off track” and missing workouts, then here’s what you can do👇🏼

Firstly, it’s okay to have weeks where you miss a workout or two. Life happens. Don’t beat yourself up.

But if it happens *too often* or just makes you feel 😩😩, then it’s worth making a change

1️⃣ Step one: identify the “triggers”

Whats the most common reason you miss your workouts?
• do you end up working late?
• are you not enjoying your workouts?
• do you not know which exercises to do?
• are you often tired at the end of the day?

2️⃣ Step two: overcome the obstacles

Based on your triggers, here are a few ideas for changes you can make
• Follow a training plan
• Have set days each week you workout
• Workout in the morning
• Find a workout partner or trainer
• Have a goal you’re training towards
• Find a workout style you enjoy
• Change your workout split to allow for one less workout each week

3️⃣ Step 3: slowly implement the changes

Remember, changing habits won’t happen in a day or week. But if you work in it every day, your habits WILL change 🧡

You’ve got this 👊🏼

“Hvor lang tid bør jeg være om mit vægttabs forløb?” ⚖️ hurtigt vs langsomt vægttab 👇🏼

Det er nemt at være ivrig når man starter et vægttabs forløb — motivationen er i top og du er klar til at gå “all in”

Men det er vigtigt at gøre det i det rette tempo. Taber du dig for hurtigt, risikerer du at
(1) miste muskler 📉
(2) have nul energi til dagen eller træning 🥱
(3) ikke kunne vedligeholde det på lang sigt 🥲

Generelt set, er et sundt vægttab et fald på 0,4 - 1% af din kropsvægt hver uge (hvilket typisk svarer til 0,3 - 1kg)

Hvis du lige nu har en højere fedtprocent, vil dit vægttab være i den højere ende af intervallet; og hvis du lige nu har en lavere til middel fedtprocent, vil dit vægttab være i den lavere ende af intervallet

👇🏼

OKAY, så hvordan monitorerer du dit vægttab:

1️⃣ Begynd at veje dig selv mindst et par gange om ugen. Skriv tallene ned

2️⃣ Kig på din udvikling hver uge og udregn hvor meget du har tabt dig den uge + hvordan dit energiniveau har været:

• Hvis du har tabt dig en sund mængde + din energi har været god, så er det fantastisk! Gentag det endnu en uge

• Hvis du ikke har tabt dig, så se om du enten bør optimere din kost, nedjustere dit madindtag eller oppe din træning

Et par vigtige huskeregler:

📉 Det er normalt at vægten falder hurtigere de første par uger, men lad det ikke fortsætte i for mange uger (særligt hvis du oplever lav energi eller føler dig meget sulten)

🥴 Et vægttab aldrig er lineært — det er helt normalt der er uger hvor vægten ikke rykker sig eller går den modsatte vej

🐢 Slow and steady wins the race — det er bedre at have en lille udvikling hver uge, end at have drastisk udvikling i et par uger og derefter ikke kunne vedligeholde det

One of my favourite things as a personal trainer is helping you realise that you’re actually *much* stronger than you think 🙌🏼

And even if you’re not necessarily strong right now, small tweaks to your workouts every week can help you get there

It feels SO great and rewarding to properly challenge your body in your workouts, and you can literally FEEL your confidence grow after every single workout 🤩

⏩️ Swipe to read the 4 signs you’re probably stronger than you think and can grab that slightly heavier weight

Remember, all exercise is good exercise (wether you train with weights or not), but if you want to most optimally build muscle, you should continuously be adjusting your weights, reps and exercises. You should be continuously pushing yourself and adapting as you get stronger

Don’t worry, we all need that little push and guidance sometimes. That’s totally okay. Better to seek advice from someone who knows what they’re doing, than to guess for yourself

Even I need a little push myself sometimes 😅

Start coaching 👇🏼
🇩🇰 www.sarahlouisetraening.dk
🇬🇧 www.sarahlouisetraining.co.uk