Today's Motivation

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Skull Crushers Equals One Very Sore Head

Well I certainly had a mishap in the gym today! During my final set of skull crushers for todays arm workout I reached complete failure and managed drop the bar on my head resulting in a rather large bruise! Luckily i was able to stop the bar a little bit so it didn't get the full impact of a falling bar but still highly embarrassing. I am still struggling without having a training partner for a spotter all the time and need to remember to stay safe in all my workouts. 

This was my workout today which I did after a great RPM class. Train safe people, watch technique and know your limits!!!

Increase weights with each sets - the lower the reps the higher the weights and keep rest periods minimal.

Cable curl 4 sets x 20 reps, 16reps ,12 reps, 10 reps increasing weight as you go

Superset with Triceps Push Downs on the cable 4 sets x 20 reps, 16reps ,12 reps, 10 reps


Standing Barbell Curls 4 sets x 20 reps, 16reps ,12 reps, 10 reps


Superset with Lying Triceps Extensions (aka Skull Crushers)  4 sets x 20 reps, 16reps ,12 reps, 10 reps

Alternating Dumbbell Curl  4 sets x 20 reps, 16reps ,12 reps, 10 reps


Superset with Triceps Dumbbell Kickbacks  4 sets x 20 reps, 16reps ,12 reps, 10 reps

“If you always put limit on everything you do, physical or anything else. It will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them.”

Bruce Lee

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Today's Motivation

All Images are from Gym Motivation

Today's Motivation

‎"It ain't about how hard you can hit. Its about how hard you can get hit, and how much you can take, and keep moving forward." Rocky Balboa

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Travel, Food and The Makeup Session!

I’ve had a busy last few days in transit, travelling between my home town and the snow. I always try and maintain as active as I can when travelling but don’t beat myself up if I miss a work out. I just make sure I’m still eating healthily. Or vice versa, if I relax my diet on holidays I compensate with harder workouts.

The one thing I do before any trip I take is to plan my food. I ensure I have my breakfast (oats and protein shake) for each day I’m away, snacks of carrots, nuts, apples and raw broccoli to much on while travelling. Then as soon I get to where I’m going I head to the supermarket to stock up on basics like fruit and veg, cottage cheese, tinned salmon and natural yoghurt.

To make up for my trip away, I really pushed myself in RPM yesterday keeping my heart rate up around 90% in all intervals and not letting it get below 170 beats per min. I then followed this up with an intense back work out today. I used different grips and focused on making it a cardio based weights workout.

Cardio Based:

Bent Over Row super set with Over Head Barbell Presses x 3 sets

One Set is:

Row + 5 Presses

Row + 4 Presses

Row + 3 Presses

Row + 2 Presses

Row + 1 Press

Doing this as quickly as possible to keep the heart rate up but maintain form

Lat Pull Down – Pulsating 8 reps, 6 reps, 4 reps, 6 reps

Cardio Based:

Horizontal Pull Ups super set with Dumbbell Bent over rows x 3 sets of 10 reps

Reverse Flys – Pulsating 8 reps, 6 reps, 4 reps, 6 reps

Tomorrow I have personal training that will be outdoors, and I’m hoping to follow that up in the afternoon with a nice heavy leg session. I miss the burn

Never fear shadows.... that always means there is a light shining somewhere. Jonathan Santos

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Girl Power

Ignore the fact this video is an advertisement and have a look at the power, strength and absolute beauty of these two women! Amanda Latona and Jennifer Nicole Lee are two of my inspirational women, so It's nice to have them in the one video! 

T

he rewards for those who persevere far exceed the pain that must precede the victory. 

Ted W Engstrom

 

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The Get In Shape Girl

The workout shown in this video is exactly the type of intense gym session I love! It's from The Get In Shape Girl. Have a look at her site for more honest workout stories and the results she achieves. 

Conquer your day! 

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Today's Motivation

Family Break

I had a weekend filled with laughter and fantastic moment as part of my family came and visited me. While I still had to face my mountain of Uni assessment and course work it was great to be able to relax with those I love. I even had a sneaky glass of red! I am not a big drinking; I don't enjoy the effect it has on my body at the time of drinking and certainly not after. It means I can't train as hard as I want to but a nice glass of wine with dinner ever now then goes down quite well. 

We did a lot of walking and exploring this weekend and luckily their visit feel on a rest day and an arms day.

I followed up the weekend with an intense RPM class on Monday. I felt like I was seeing stars by the end of it and then a back work out today my legs are still struggling from yesterday so it's a non cardio day to prepare for my leg workout tomorrow. 

Here’s my arm and back workouts - 

Arms

Close Grip Bench Press - pulsating 4 sets x 10 reps, 8 reps, 6 reps, 8 reps

Seated Bicep Curls - 3 sets of 12 reps superset with Eccentric Bicep Curls  - 3 sets x 6 reps

Bicep Curls - pulsating 4 sets x 10 reps, 8 reps, 6 reps, 8 reps superset with triceps pull downs - pulsating 4 sets x 10 reps, 8 reps, 6 reps, 8 reps 

(Eccentric exercises occur where the muscle lengthens in a contraction which cause higher levels of fatigue and micro-damage to your muscle, promoting muscle hypertrophy because of the heavier weights used.)

Back

Lat Pull Down - pulsating 4 sets x 10 reps, 8 reps, 6 reps, 8 reps

Reverse Fly - 3 sets x 8 reps superset with Bent Over Row (Underhand Grip) 2 sets x 8 reps

Pullovers - 3 sets x 12 reps superset with One Arm Rows 3 sets x 6 reps

"Our attitude toward life determines life's attitude towards us." John N. Mitchel

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Rewards

I wanted to speak about something that I feel most women do - reward themselves with food. Sometimes I forget that this is very common occurrence, one I used to do as well but have trained myself not to. I think it's important to realise that food should not be a reward. Generally, I feel it has been instilled in us from childhood when were promised a 'treat' such as ice cream for being 'good'. 

Breaking this habit can help in reaching your health and fitness goals (getting moving being the number one priority!). Food is not your reward for being good. Using treats or food that is not beneficial for you is only sabotaging your good work. 

Replace treating yourself with lollies, cakes, flavored coffees etc. with a manicure, a massage or some new workout gear to keep you motivated and feeling great!

So you can reward yourself, as long as you remember food is not a reward. 

"Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish." John Quincy Adams

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Interval Time

There is something about morning sunlight that makes me feel so positive every time I wake up and pull the blind back. It gives you a sense that the day will be an accomplished one! 

Yesterday was a cardio and abs day. As my glutes were still ACHING something chronic from legs on Thursday I went with the rower and cross trainer over the treadmill. 

Cardio - 

Cross Trainer - 10 min of 30 sprints with 30 second rest. (I aimed to keep increasing the level while also maintaining a high RPM. After the last interval, my legs were absolutely burning!)

Rower - 30 second intervals x 5 (top resistance keeping the RPM below 1.50 per 500m)

Abs:

3 sets - Plank 1min, 45 seconds, 30 seconds super set with Swiss Ball Crunches x 20 reps

Swiss Ball Mountains Climbers x 20 reps super set with Leg Raises x 12 reps

Side Raises x 12 reps each side super set with Swiss Ball Pikes x 8 reps

Have an amazing day and get outside in the sun :)

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Today's Motivation

My body isn't up to this level yet, but it will be. I'm aiming to compete in my first body sculpting comp next year in the sports model division. These videos help me stay motivated and feel energetic about training.

After all,

"Nothing great is every achieved without enthusiasm!"

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Who's Going to Stop Me Now?

Pulse!

Today’s exercise was based on the pulsating method (also know as the wave method). I tend not to train chest to much as I find it over develops quickly where as my back need more attention to maintain correct posture and pull me up right. Also who doesn't love a defined back!

The reason pulsating weight training is so effect that it allows you to get in the extra volume of work on the final set by allowing you to lift heavier weight due to the 'warm-up' effect the previous sets created. This helps in muscle hypertrophy. 

This was my work out: 

Assisted Pull Ups 3 x 8 reps

Lat Pull Down 4 x pulsating sets - 8 reps, 6, reps, 4 reps, 6 reps

Pullovers 4 x pulsating sets  - 10 reps, 8 reps, 6 reps, 8 reps superset with One Arm Rows (also pulsating with the same reps per sets as the Pullovers)

I did this work out in the morning so as to give my body time to replenish it's ATP (energy) stores for tonight’s cardio, RPM. I can't wait for another good sweat session!

"Life is not just about pursuing your passion one day, it's about having passion every day." Keith Abraham

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Don't Give Up

Motivation, Dedication.

One week off from training can provide a rest for the mind and body. It lets you come back with zest and energy for a new program and reach new goals. Two weeks off due to illness, leads to a lack of motivation to get back into it. 

This happened to me after a fairly heavy hypertrophy phase (German volume training - 10 sets of 10 reps at about 70% of your one rep max) and I needed to sit down reassess what I wanted achieve and why I wanted to achieve them. 

A lack of motivation is hard to address and become harder to gain the longer you're away from the gym. I thought through my reasons and realised that continuing training hard has become for someone's to look a certain way. Not the reason to be training. 

So my goals going into my new training program are: 

•    Train for me - for my health and wellbeing

•    Increase my cardio fitness for my upcoming Grand Canyon trek in August

•    Maintain muscle mass as much as possible with cardio increase

•    Work on stability through my ankle, knees and hips for the trek

I've been working on my motivation levels this week, reading inspiring articles, using my motivation board images as inspiration and its working. 

Two successful RPM classes (this was to ease my self back into the swing of things) followed by todays work out which focused on Hamstrings and Glutes. 

Lunges 3x 8 reps (8th rep 5 partial lunges)

Squats 3 x 8 reps  (8th rep 5 partial lunges) superset with back extensions x 15 reps

Deadlifts 3 x 8 reps super set with Swiss Ball Hamstring curls x 10 reps

Calf raises with dumbbells 3 x 10 reps

I make sure my lunges stance is far forward to focus on the Glutes and ensure my squats are deep and wide. 

Find what motivates you, pictures, videos, and articles. What ever works! 

"Dreams are just goals without a plan."

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