Wondering how on earth you manage to fit in a workout what with your busy schedule, chores and day to day responsibilities. Wondering how to make it all possible?
I can prove to you it is, what with motivation, persistence and a little bit of patience, you can make it happen. I'm not claiming to be an expert here but I just want to share with you what has worked for me. Here I demonstrate a few exercises for you guys to take away and practice. You can make them your own depending on your fitness level and what works best for your body, adding in weights or resistance bands for example. I will be posting more videos with different exercises at different levels of difficulty so you can come back for more inspiration and adapt them into your workouts.
It all began for me when I decided to challenge myself and sign up to Tough Mudder, something I had always wanted to do and knew I would have to train hard to conquer. That was it, after that, my mind just changed. I couldn't leave all this behind, I wanted to push further and drive myself to getting as fit as I could, always bettering myself.
Why? Because I could.
First off, I booked a personal trainer at my local gym to push me further and to show me new ways of getting strong and in peak condition for the challenge that lay ahead. I had just short of 2 months so had to work hard. This was pretty eye opening for me as I learnt a hell of a lot about my body and what it was capable of. Having always kept relatively fit prior to these sessions, I had no idea what I was missing. This was a new level. What was it you ask?
Circuit training, of which I swear by today.
So why is it so good?
Circuit training is great for people who like to work hard, quickly. If you are someone who as I said at the beginning, struggles to fit everything in but is prepared to go the extra mile to achieve amazing results, then this is perfect for you. I love it because you can vary up your routine so it doesn't get boring and you can make it harder and quicker each time.
Do you value your time?
If you are anything like me then you must really value your time. You want to make the most of your downtime in the evenings before getting up in the morning ready for work, and to start all over again without feeling lazy or too tired before the week has even got to Wednesday. Circuit training is quick. You only have to do a few different exercises in one session, lasting a total of 20/30 minutes without including a cool down. The timing depends on how hard you work and what difficulty you choose. I'm a home bird at heart so I love getting back from work, making some dinner and settling down to watch a film and cuddle up on the sofa before bed. I do my workouts straight from work once I have had a snack beforehand to get my energy levels up again. I don't get home too late and then BOOM it's chill time. You feel great for having worked out and pushing yourself, whilst letting off steam from the busy day. A while back I liked working out in the morning before work using the natural energy your body wakes up with. It's whatever works best for you with your work schedule or other responsibilities and when you feel you have the best energy that you can use to it's full potential.
Anytime...any place... anywhere
There is no excuse, don't have a gym membership? Doesn't matter. You can work out in the park, at home, or even on the beach (but be prepared for a messy shower). You have options so it's easy. Equipment is not always necessary as you can use your own body weight and get creative with exercises such as the ones in my video. It's so accessible and free, can't get better than that right?
How can they be so quick yet actually work?
The reason is because a lot of the time circuit training involves the whole body, working out many body parts all in the same session and often at the same time. You can of course adapt what you do when you have built up a few different variations of exercises. I sometimes like to concentrate more on certain areas in one session so say arms and legs one day and bum and tum another. The beauty of it is you can only get better and stronger therefore increasing the intensity of your workouts and cutting down the time it takes to do them. All in all, it's a win win.
When do you notice a difference?
I mean you notice a difference straight away in ways of physical feeling. If you work out hard, the next day you'll definitely feel it, noticing muscles you may never knew you had. I'm telling you, if you've done squats to the best of your ability and to the point that you think you may collapse, then the next day you really may not be able to walk. No, I'm kidding you'll be able to walk but maybe with a bit of a shuffle, but hey, totally worth it guys! I noticed a difference extremely quickly when I first started training for tough mudder. Since then, certain exercises have become easier and many I am still yet to master, but I love the challenge. My mentality is "if she can do it, so can I!" I believe this should be the case for everyone. Why the hell not, if you really want it, be that person that strives for it and gets the results of a pro! It feels so good to physically see and feel your muscles getting stronger and more toned.
Will I sweat?
Hell yes! Anyone that is too scared to sweat it out in the gym needs to seriously consider why they are there and wasting their time. If you love to sweat it out and by this I don't mean a slightly damp forehead but dripping with the stuff, then this is most definitely your calling. If you don't feel like you're sweating after a session then you aren't doing it hard enough which won't make a difference. Just go for it, it's totally worth the pain the next day and if you can manage this 3 days a week then you'll gradually see the pain wears off pretty quick. You still feel achy but more used to it and it all depends on what exercises you do, for example new ones are obviously going to hurt more because your body hasn't been doing them repeatedly so is not used to being worked that way. Variation is key so don't stick to the same ones all the time because you can have fun with so many.
Should I be doing anything else other than just 3 workouts a week?
If you want to see results fast then yes, you can do more and I would recommend it. Push for a cardio session once a week whether this be a run, fast walk or cycling, whatever you prefer that gets your heart pumping and blood flowing. Personally, I love running so I fit at least one of these in a week to maintain my stamina and increase fitness levels even further. It also stretches my muscles out which feels great as I do this at the end of the week on either a Saturday or Sunday, depending on social plans of course. But hey, we all have the same 24 hours as Kylie right?!
Be patient
Getting your fitness to the level you want it to be may seem unachievable at times but it's not, you just have to be in the right mindset and find the motivation needed to get there. It does take time, unfortunately we can't all be the Lara Croft's of the world. Angelina would have had extensive training to almost an althete's standard and not all of us are althete's or personal trainers so I get it, it's hard and you have to stick with it. What an amazing thing though, to have a goal and achieve it.
Be realistic but work hard at it and don't be slack.
Diet is a game changer
You should really consider your diet and what you eat alongside working out. Did you know that your diet is just as, if not MORE important in order to get results. You can't expect to have your dream body if you are nailing fast food twice a week or having those cheeky treats every other day.
Your body is a temple
Remember this. What goes in it? Ask yourself.
Have no fear
Though this may sound like a lot and you're thinking, "as if I have the time for all that?" You really do. It only takes a few changes and adapting your own lifestyle for the better.
I have just introduced the Paleo style food plan, otherwise known as eating like a caveman. I don't see it as a diet, just a healthy change in the way you eat. I'll let you guys know how I'm getting on but having done my research on it, it's an amazing way to change habits for the better and to maintain health as well as make you feel better, brighter and more alert.
Check back in soon to discover what the Paleo food plan has in store for me and how it is working out alongside my weekly workouts!
Please feel free to leave a comment on how you're getting on with this circuit.
Let me know what your favourites are and how fast you see results! Enjoy the variations.
N x
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