End of An Era

 

 



 

Burns Fitness.  Situated in the city centre of Swansea, based out of an old and dilapidated building, it has seen better days.

However, behind the tired fascia lies the best gym experience I've ever had.

At first glance, it might not seem like the best gym. The windows didn't close properly (which led to us training along side pigeons on occasions). It was freezing cold in the winter but like a sweatbox in the summer. The rain leaked in through the roof, which was no doubt full of asbestos. The rubber matting hid holes in the floor from dropped weights and the equipment had seen better days.

 

 

 

 

But look a little closer and you would see a hidden gem. A tight knit community, where members supported, motivated and encouraged each other. Where members would stop and gather to watch others attempt a PR, shouting encouragement and offering applause and congratulations. There would always be someone there to offer a spot, even if you hadn't asked for one. Progress was recognised and complimented. Members ranged from late teens up to men and women in their 60s and even 70s, some of them members since the early 1980s when Burns Fitness opened its doors for the first time.

Training amongst world champion powerlifters and competitive bodybuilders, there was never a lack of inspiration, whatever your goal. The dedication and tenacity shown by other members was hugely motivating for me, even though I don't aspire to either of those goals.

Sadly, on Sunday 10th September, this gym closed it's doors for the final time, leaving it's loyal and core members with nowhere to call home.

John Burns, gym founder and Commonwealth Games gold medallist, is finally retiring at the grand age of 69 years old, after 36 years in business. It truly is the end of an era and Swansea has lost an iconic gym.

 

 

 



And whilst I certainly don't begrudge him his retirement (it's well earned!) a small and selfish part of me is devastated to lose my second home.

John and all at Burns Fitness - thanks for the memories <3

Goals - Choosing Them & Planning How To Achieve Them

It's been quite a while since I dusted off my laptop and even longer since I last sat down to write a blog post! This may well end up being a long post so grab a cup of tea and get comfortable.

Last night, I was thinking about some short term goals that I wanted to achieve and put together a little picture of what they are and some incentives for achieving them.

I posted this to my various social media sites and was met with such a positive response that it inspired me to write this blog post.

Goal setting is a rewarding practice to engage in on a regular basis. It gives you something to work towards, enhances motivation and gives that feel good factor when you achieve it. However, it is important to make sure you aren't setting the bar too high and that your goals are achievable.

When setting goals, I always recommend following the SMART principles: That is, the goals should be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time Bound.

With this in mind, I set out to invest in a new notebook...

And got to writing.

My goals have been split into three separate categories: Weight Loss Goals, Strength Goals and Lifestyle Goals. Each goal has a reward incentive that is not based around food and I made sure that all rewards were something that I really want. It's not essential to incentivize your goals but I find it adds a little extra motivation. 

Using the SMART principles listed above, I'll share my goals with you and how I plan to achieve them.

WEIGHT LOSS GOALS

SPECIFIC

What?: To lose 5, 10, 14lb in bodyweight

How I plan to achieve it:

I will create a moderate caloric deficit. I shall do this by restricting my daily calorie intake and increasing levels of NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis). I will also track my food intake accurately by weighing and measuring food and drinks and logging my daily intake using the MyFitnessPal app.

MEASURABLE

I will measure and track my goals by weighing myself daily and taking a weekly average. This will help to balance out any daily fluctuations.

I will also take bi-weekly progress photos, using the same clothing, posing and light conditions (weather permitting).

I will track my daily step count to ensure NEAT levels are at the required level.

ATTAINABLE

Items I need in order to achieve this:

MyFitnessPal app on my phone
Food scale
Bodyweight scale
Camera for progress photos
Gym membership
Daily steps tracker

Things I need to learn to achieve my goal:

Not to blow my own trumpet but I know all I need to know in order to lose body fat. It's applying it that is the hardest part for me. I don't believe in fad diets and  will follow a flexible style of dieting which means that the majority of calories will be used on nutritiously dense foods, with a little room to include small treats. I also practice daily fasting using the 16/8 regime (6.5 years and counting!) so my calories will be back-loaded into the second half of the day, usually split into two large meals and a pre workout snack.

How will I make time to achieve my goal?:

I will ensure regular food planning and will prep all food for the day the night before. I'm already used to doing this.

People I can talk to for support:

Emz & my friends

RELEVANT

Why do I want to achieve this goal?:

As vain as it sounds, one of my biggest reasons is for aesthetic appearance. However, it will also enable me to reach my bodyweight exercise goals quicker as less bodyweight means less weight I need to move. Losing fat will help me to feel more confident as my clothes will fit better. It will also mean less strain on my body. Although I may not look "overweight", any excess bodyweight, whether it comes from fat or muscle, puts extra and unnecessary strain on the body.

TIMELY

I will reach my goal of 14lb weight loss by 25th November 2017. I aim to be halfway towards my goal (7lb) by 30th September.

Usually, I would only allocate 12 weeks to dieting before taking a diet break. However, I have 3 major social events coming up during this time (a hen party, a wedding and a family birthday celebration). In order to ensure I don't set myself up for failure, I have extended this period to 16 weeks in order to allow a little flexibility during these occasions.

STRENGTH GOALS

SPECIFIC

What?:

To complete 5 unassisted, consecutive bodyweight chin ups
To complete 8 unassisted, consecutive bodyweight chin ups

How I plan to achieve this:

Reduce excess bodyweight by creating a caloric deficit. Having less bodyweight to lift means I will reach my goal quicker. I will also include a variety of chin up exercises in my workouts - AMRAP reps, negative reps and band assisted chin ups. I will also continue to strength train at least three times per week to improve overall strength, especially in the accessory muscles.

MEASURABLE

I will measure/track my goal progress by logging my training sessions in my workout log, which I carry with me to every gym session without fail. Every single weight and rep is listed for each exercise I perform and I also make notes depending on how I felt during each exercise.

ATTAINABLE

Items I need in order to achieve this:

A chinning bar (which is present in my gym)
Resistance bands
Time - I need to ensure I allocate sufficient time during each workout

Things I need to learn to achieve my goal:

Read up on correct technique. A lot of what makes bodyweight exercises easier is ensuring you are using the correct technique and engaging the correct muscles. I find I often use too much bicep when trying to pull rather than using my back. Incorporating band assisted reps should help me to engage my back muscles properly.

People I can talk to for support:

Emz - he has excellent chin up technique and will be able to watch my form and advise where necessary.

RELEVANT

Why do I want to achieve this goal?

Bodyweight exercises are a great way to strength train, especially when you are short of equipment, eg. on holiday. They are also a great display of physical strength and let's face it, chicks knocking out multiple reps of chin ups look freaking badass! Plus they develop the back muscles and who doesn't love a sexy back?!

TIMELY

I will reach my 5 rep goal by Christmas.
I will reach my 8 rep goal in time for my next birthday (26th March)


SPECIFIC

What?:

I will perform a one-handed handstand whilst using a wall for support

How I plan to achieve this:

I will practice regular, two handed handstands at least twice per week. I will allocate ten minutes at the end of my training sessions to accommodate this. I will also reduce my bodyweight which will ensure less strain is put through my joints and should therefore make the exercise easier to complete. I will also continue to strength train at least three times per week in order to strengthen all required muscle groups.

MEASURABLE

I will measure/track my progress by logging each session in my gym log book, which comes with me to every gym session. 

ATTAINABLE

Items I need in order to achieve this:

A sturdy wall to handstand against (gym)
Wrist wraps to give extra support to my wrists

Things I need to learn to achieve my goal:

I need to do some reading to learn the correct technique. I also want to read about how to progress from regular handstands as confidence is a real issue for me.

People I can talk to for support:

Online friends who can already perform this exercise.

RELEVANT

Why do I want to achieve this goal?:

Single handed handstands are a spectacular display of strength and balance. My main reason for wanting to learn this is purely for bragging rights. And I also think it will make a kickass photo for Instagram!

TIMELY

I will achieve this goal in time for my birthday (26th March).


As well as my fitness goals, I wanted to incorporate some smaller, day to day lifestyle goals. These are things that I achieve about 80% of the time but am always striving to improve.  As these are goals that I am already mostly achieving, I won't go into the SMART principle for each one. However, please note that I still followed these principles when planning out how I would achieve them.

LIFESTYLE GOALS

Remove make-up before bed
Eat at least 5 portions of fruit & vegetables every day
Drink at least 2L water every day
Increase daily NEAT to at least 30 minutes per day

The above goals are pretty much self explanatory, as should the reasons behind each one be. It's very rare that I will eat less than 5 portions of F&V per day but it does happen on occasion. During my working day, I always drink at least 3L of water per day. However, it's when I'm at home that this falls down and I often forget to drink, which leads to me getting a fuzzy head and feeling lethargic.

Removing my make-up before bed is something I often struggle with. After work, I'm in the gym and then I'm coming home, making food, playing with Phoebe (oh yeah - Phoebe is my kitten - isn't she gorgeous??)

Anyway, I digress. As I was saying, by the time I get home and do everything I have to do, I'm so exhausted that it's just too easy to fall into bed still wearing my make-up. It's not like I even wear very much - I gave up wearing foundation 18 months ago so my skin isn't suffering, but I often sleep in my mascara which leaves me with gritty feeling eyes the next morning. My lashes are also suffering and becoming really dry and brittle.

Incorporating NEAT into my day has been covered in my goals above. Again, it's something I do most days but sometimes, it's too tempting to sit at my desk and read the internet during my lunch break rather than getting away from my desk and getting some fresh air.

I have downloaded an app to my phone which I have set up my lifestyle goals on. I can then check in daily when I have achieved each goal. If I manage to complete all 4 lifestyle goals daily for 30 days, I will reward myself with a beauty treat, eg. manicure, pedicure, eyelash treatment, etc. If I don't manage to complete them all, there will be no reward. Yes, I'm a cruel and harsh mistress!

That is the end of this blog post. If you're still with me - well done and thank you so much for reading :)

Why You Shouldn't Rely Only On The Scale

 

 

There is a 21lb difference in weight between the above two photos and it would be easy to think that the numbers were on the wrong photos.

The before photo was taken back in March 2010, when I had stupidly entered a figure competition with only 8 weeks to prepare. As you can see, I was in no way ready to even think about stepping on stage and within a week of entering, I had come to my senses and pulled out.

Looking back, I am so glad that I did as I was nowhere near even close to being stage ready. Yes, I was slim but there isn't any real shape on me. I'd dieted pretty aggressively and done a lot of cardio in order to shift around 50lbs but it left me skinny, still flabby and pretty shapeless.

Compare the before photo to the after - my mid section was bigger, I had no real curves and my butt was flat. I'm not putting myself down or belittling how I looked but this shape was not appropriate for a figure competition, where muscles and curves = murves and are what the judges are looking for.

Fast forward to 6 years later. Lots of heavy weight lifting, lots of dieting/growing cycles and whole lot of patience, consistency and hard work and maybe, just maybe, I could think about entering a competition at some point in the next year or so, if I worked my ass off for it.

Not that I have any aspirations to step on stage these days. Back then, I think I was seeking validation by entering a competition and I don't really feel like I need that now. Plus having a history with Binge Eating Disorder, any kind of super strict dieting is a trigger for me, and having been binge free for 5 years, it's not something I want to risk happening again.

But I digress. The whole point of this post was to say that the scale, though important when tracking progress, should not solely be relied on. If I didn't understand about body recomposition I would still be aiming for a goal weight of 138lb, because that's how light I used to be. Theses days, I track my weight and follow the downward trend but I have no "goal weight" in mind because I'm more interested in how I look in the mirror/photographs. After all, who can tell what the number on the scale reads just from looking at someone? The above photo is proof of why it would be impossible.

Below are a couple more photos for comparison purposes...

After photo shows a more defined waist and abdominal definition. Also 21lb heavier.

After photo shows a more defined waist, better developed glutes, back definition and more shapely legs. Also 21lb heavier.


Take home lesson - if you strength train with any regularity over a prolonged period of time, you may gain weight but your shape will change for the better!

Update

Daily weight: 159.8lb

Hello to my lovely blog friends, it's been a while since I updated!  Diet and training have been going really well and I've finally dropped back under 160lb and I'm 2lb away from my leanest last summer.

Today, before work, I went to see my friend Becky who runs BodyWorks Soft Tissue Therapy in Swansea to see if she could fix my back niggle.

After doing lots of reading online, I managed to rule out sciatica or any disc problems and managed to pinpoint it to the SI joint. It's the exact spot where I feel the pain with additional pain in the left glute.

When I saw Becky this morning, she took some notes from me, asked about my symptoms and when and how the pain started and on listening to me, agreed that it sounded like an issue with the SI joint. When she had me stand in front of her and perform certain movements, she confirmed that yes, it's definitely the SI joint and said it's no wonder I've been in pain.

The SI joint on the left (painful) side was moved out of place and stiff and unable to move as it should. This has caused the piriformis, located deep within the glute, to go into spasm, which was adding to the pain.

She did a lot of mobilisation, massage, dry needling and stretching and managed to get the SI joint moving again as it should. She also released  a lot of the tension from the left piriformis but has advised me to continue massaging and stretching it over the next few days as it's been in spasm for so long. I've also been given some exercises to do to prevent this from happening again.

The relief I feel is amazing and I can actually bend and move pain free! However, my left glute was pummelled and is extremely sore. Thankfully I am still able to train legs tomorrow - hooray!

I've been absolutely loving the warm weather we've been having here in Swansea. On non-gym evenings and at the weekend we've been out for long walks along the beach

But training in my gym in this heat is punishing - no air conditioning really zaps your strength when lifting!

I'm taking official progress pictures this weekend for my coach, but I'm so happy with the progress I've made in the last year :-) My shape has completely changed and I'm REALLY pleased that I'm finally starting to look athletic.

I'm not going to list all of my food and training for all the days I've not blogged but here is a little sample of some of the delicious things I've been eating <3

 

 

 

Holy yum!

Back in the gym tomorrow for my second leg day of the week. Not sure if I will leave squats out again just as a precaution after being poked and prodded today - I'll see how I'm feeling on the day I think.

I'll leave you with a couple of glute training videos from the last week or two :)

 

 

If you're not already following me on snapchat, add me for random selfies, gym videos/photos and follow my daily life - @ Justagirl_78

Macro Friendly Trifle

Yes, there is such a thing - isn't it beautiful? And this whole bowl only comes in at 139 calories - amazing!

My friend Emily gave me the idea recently when she posted about making a similar dessert and as a huge lover of trifle, I knew I had to give it a go.

It's super easy to make and tastes incredible.

Serves One

1/2 pint sugar free jelly (I used raspberry)
1 small pot Alpro custard
15g light squirty cream
Strawberries to garnish

Macros
Fat: 4.8g
Carbs: 18.3g
Protein: 5.5g
Total Cals: 139

Using Alpro custard gives it a little protein boost which I would never have thought of if Emily hadn't given me the idea - genius!

If you decide to make it, let me know what you think - I'm certain you'll love it!