CD Fitness

5 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULDN’T SKIP UPPER BODY DAY/S 💪💪

1. Aids other workouts which require a good foundation of upper body strength e.g. strong upper back muscles are key during deadlifts.

2. Improves posture by strengthening the back muscles. This is key for long distance runners who needs a strong core to help stabilise and control lumbopelvic movements. This is also great for all you office workers and those working from home who sit at a desk all day! (Motion is lotion…avoid all those aches and pains that come as a result!)

3. Reduces injury risk through strengthening muscles (Note that technique should be prioritised over weight always!)
4. Improves range of motion and flexibility
5. Helps with everyday functional activities- pushing and pulling movements. Picking up the kids or putting the shopping in the cupboards.

If you’re a runner, cyclist, swimmer, netballer or tennis player upper body days are vital to give you that extra edge and mitigate against injury!

These are some of my go to upper body exercises:

1. Single arm dumbbell row
2. Pull ups (assisted)
3. Shoulder press
4. Chest press
5. Lat pull down
6. Push ups

LIKE, SHARE & SAVE for your next upper body day ✌️💪

Don’t be fooled by angles on instagram📐

On a daily basis we consume toxic images which often result in self-scrutiny and a decline in self-esteem. We forget that social media is saturated with airbrushed and filtered photos, particularly from those in the health, fitness and beauty industries. The majority of these images are edited, ‘touched up’ and aim to sell us an ‘ideal’ body shape and beauty standard whilst shaming those who do not match up to these unattainable expectations.

This is CRAZY! We’re all different whether that be down to genetics, age, lifestyle etc. These differences are to be embraced not hidden. We all have things we dislike about our bodies and ‘imperfections’…just not everyone chooses to expose them on their social medial platforms or some aren’t as obvious. I think we can all agree that us ourselves use social media mostly to share our ‘highlights’ or ‘best bits’ which are only snapshots of one point in time.

So we need to remember to view others ‘highlights’ and ‘best angles’ with a pinch of salt! I can pretty much guarantee that people in these images don’t look like their instagram photos all the time in real life, even though we have become conditioned to believe they do!

The images below are an example of this and highlights how clothing position can make a big difference in enhancing features. Don’t be fooled my butt doesn’t look like the left image all the time! Angles, posing, clothing position, filtering, editing apps and lighting all contribute to body image deception on social media!

So here’s a reminder to stop putting unrealistic expectations on yourself, don’t believe everything you see on social media and embrace your differences ❤️

WHY STRENGTH TRAINING IS THE HOLY GRAIL 💁‍♀️💪

Other than the obvious (helping to increase muscle strength) strength training has endless benefits to your health and well-being. Some of these include helping to…

1. Manage weight loss
2. Increase metabolism-the more muscle and the less fat you have, the higher your metabolic rate. This is because at rest muscle used more energy than fat.
3. Increase bone density - helping to reduce the risk of osteoporosis, fractures and falls especially as you age
4. Mitigate against injury -e.g. helps protect joints whilst under impact, prevents muscular imbalances and improves movement efficiently and effectiveness
5. Improve sporting/athletic performance parameters - power, strength, endurance etc. Alongside improving tendon stiffness which is important for running, hopping and jumping based activities
6. Decrease blood pressure - if performed regularly. Alongside lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol and improving blood circulation
7. Lower risk of developing diabetes - as skeletal muscle helps increase insulin sensitivity. It helps remove glucose from blood to supply the muscle cells. This greater muscle mass can help manage blood sugar levels
8. Improve mobility and flexibility-e.g. eccentric training helps provide strength at length helping to protect you against injuries by improving your tissue’s capacity to tolerate deeper ranges of motion.
9. Boost self esteem and mood- challenging yourself in the gym is likely to be reflected in areas of your life outside the gym. Helping to reach your goals and become more productive!
10. As a bonus strength training can help improve your aesthetics through increasing muscle growth making you appear more ‘toned’💪👙

How to maintain an exercise routine whilst working long hours 💪💪

- Schedule your big training days for the weekend - this is ideal for those with short lunch breaks
- Implement bouts of activity into your commute/day e.g. take the stairs, the longer route home, park further away from the office or go for a walk on your lunch break.
- Join a gym near your workplace
- Go to the gym for shorter periods e.g. 30 mins you don’t always need to go for an hour or so
- Plan your workout so you don’t waste time when you get the chance to exercise (get an online fitness coach to help you reach your goals by programming effective workouts) Message me for help! ❤️
- Be realistic- working long hours and commuting is tiring. Set yourself realistic expectations
- If you have time…wake up earlier to exercise or use your lunch break to exercise
- Use your timely wisely - e.g. work on the train if it means you can use your lunch break to exercise
- Get a workout partner whether that be a work mate or friend/family member to keep yourself accountable and make it more enjoyable
- If you have limited time choose strength -this will get you the best results
- Stand up more- this burns more calories than sitting
- Cook extras at dinner to have for lunch the next day. This is great for anyone who doesn’t have time to meal prep at the weekend
- Stay consistent and build up healthy habits so this become part of the norm of you
- Pick a form of exercise you enjoy whether that be a quick class, jog or strength session

Hope this helped! Let’s smash next week 🤩🤩💪

TIPS FOR KEEPING YOURSELF ON TRACK ➡️ 💪💪

1. MEAL PREP- this will save you time and energy especially after a long day at work/school/uni. Sometime re heating a chilli with some rice and veg is a healthy and quick way to stay on track with your food!

2. GET A GYM/HOME PROGRAMME (get in touch with me if you need a hand!) This will help with structuring your workouts into your week, help you mentally prepare yourself and help you get the results you deserve!

3. SCHEDULE IT IN- Schedule time in your week to workout (don’t feel guilty…you’re looking after your health!)

4. GET A WORKOUT BUDDY- to help keep your accountable and keep exercise as enjoyable as possible

5. SET GOALS - short, medium and long term. Make sure they’re SMART and check in with an online fitness coach or yourself to ensure you stay accountable

6. MAKE IT PART OF YOUR DAILY ROUTINE -integrate walks and a few mins of exercise inbetween daily tasks e.g. taking the stairs or squatting during TV adverts or while you’re boiling the kettle.

7. BE PREPARED- get out your workout clothes the night before. No one wants to be running round the gaff trying to pack their gym bag whilst their half asleep in the morning

8. ENJOY IT! Whether it be a daily walk, dance classes, weights at the gym. Make sure you enjoy atleast some aspect of it! This will help ensure you stay consistent!

9. KEEP TRACK OF YOUR PROGRESS- taking progress photos along the way is something I get my online clients to do. Measurements are not the be all and end all. Also focusing on how you feel before and after you workout is a great way to stay motivated in future

10. BE KIND TO YOURSELF - sometimes you need to take the pressure off yourself. Look after your mental health and give your body time to rest to avoid burn out. The main thing is that you get back on track as soon as you can. Health and fitness come hand in hand!

MY 2022 TRANSFORMATION 💪

What has helped me see results?

1. Staying consistent
2. Finding a sustainable balance with my nutrition (restriction will achieve the complete opposite)
3. Progressive overload
5. Lifting heavy
6. Enjoying the process along the way

If you want results that you can maintain, enjoy the process and find a healthy routine that you can maintain then enquire about my online fitness coaching services to start your journey towards developing your best self! 🙌💪

No fat diets
No quick fixes

Let me help YOU find a way to implement fitness into your lifestyle and reach your goals 🙌

WHY REST DAYS ARE NON-NEGOTIABLE 💪💤

1. PROTEIN PROTEIN PROTEIN💪
This is so important for muscle repair and recovery and promotes muscle protein synthesis

Around 0.8g/kg of bodyweight is recommended. This equates to 45g/day for women & 56g/day for men of average BW.
Try to have a protein source with every meal i.e. tuna, chicken, eggs etc.
If you’re struggling try adding protein shakes into your diet (but remember this is a supplement not an alternative to proper nutritional food!)

2. CARBS ARE YOUR FRIEND 🥔👫

Carbs help restore depleted glycogen stores.
During short-duration & high intensity exercise your muscle uses glycogen as their primary energy source…REFUELLL!

Go for carbs with a high glycemic index (an orange or jam on toast) pre workout & post workout consume a meal with a low glycemic index i.e brown rice, potatoes
(GI relates to impact on blood sugar levels)

3. HYDRATE 💦

Water helps to regulate body temp so less energy is being expended on keeping you cool➡️improved performance 🤪

Hydration also helps to regulate blood pressure, helping to normalise heart rate, which affects the amount of stress placed on the body.
Sufficient water also helps remove metabolic waste products such as lactic acid from the muscles

4. GET THOSE Z’s😴
Sleep is probably the no.1 reason you’re struggling with recovery and struggling to hit the gym after a few sessions.
Try to aim for around 8 hours sleep a night.
I know this is easier said than done & is definitely something I need to work on.
Try to avoid screen time before bed & avoid eating a heavy meal try before you sleep.

Sleep deprivation has been found to impair muscle recovery and produce cortisol for longer (so you’re producing more energy than needed), while reducing leptin and ghrelin (hunger hormones).

i.e less sleep is likely to make you want to eat more the next day.

5. Mobility work 🕺
Improves circulation, improves joint range of motion, reduces nerve restriction & helps decrease tissue inflammation

6. Additions
Massage, contrast therapy, compression garments all have their place in the world of recovery.

But get the basics right first and you’ll be flyingggg.✈️✈️

CLIENT TESTIMONAL 💪

Testimonial from online coaching client

He’s been smashing his workouts & working towards upping his steps whilst on a busy schedule. 👏🤩

If you’re ready for some serious progress, drop & want to join my online fitness coaching clients, send me a DM with the phrase “online coaching” to find out more about my online coaching services & to kickstart your fitness journey !

Let’s smash this week 🤪🤪🙌

Let’s goooo 💪

CLIENT TESTIMONAL 💪

Testimonial from online client

He’s made some amazing progress in during his first month with me. Looking forward to what’s ahead 💪👏🤩

If you’re ready for some serious progress, drop me a DM with the phrase “online coaching” to find out more about my online coaching services & to kickstart your fitness journey !

Let’s goooo 💪

CAJUN CHICKEN WITH STIR FRIED VEG & QUINOA

LIKE & SAVE to try laterrrr🤩

CAJUN CHICKEN NOODLES 🥢🤩

LIKE & SAVE for later 😋😋

CLIENT TESTIMONAL 💪

Testimonial from online client .cook

If you’re ready for some serious progress, drop me a DM with the phrase “online coaching” to find out more about my online coaching services & to kickstart your fitness journey !

Let’s goooo 💪