Tag Archives: gym

My Advice for First Time Gym-Goers

I know we all joke about it, but its true – January will see more people heading into gyms than any other month of the year. Getting fitter, healthier or trying to lose weight is one of, if not the most popular New Year’s resolution, and although its something a lot of people poke fun at, I for one am here for it, each and every year, because I think its a fabulous resolution to have.

I also know that if you’re a first time gym member, or haven’t been to a gym for a long long time, it can be a kinda terrifying experience for you. Trust me, I’ve been there. And while I’m not a fitness professional, I have been a regular gym user for about the last 7 years, and so I’d like to share some advice for all of you who feel like you’re a little out of your comfort zone as you go into the gym this January (or any time, if you’re reading this in the future!).

Do a gym tour/introduction session

Most gyms will offer new members a tour of the facilities, which is a great way for you to get the lay of the land and ease yourself in slowly. It also gives you a chance to get to know the staff a little, and get the low-down on any rules of the gym, plus its a great chance for you to..

Ask the questions that you want answered

How do I use this piece of equipment? What exercises should I be doing to work on this area? Don’t be worried to ask gym staff as many questions as you need to because as well as it being part of their job to help you feel comfortable at the gym, they’d also rather you asked a question that you thought might be silly, than you not ask them and potentially hurt yourself, or even just not feel like you know what you’re doing.

Don’t assume other gym members dislike you

I see SO MANY people on Twitter at this time of year say things like ‘ugh everyone in the gym is so judgemental of us gym newbies’ and it really bothers me because most gym-goers aren’t focused on anything but their own workout. If anyone has said, or does say anything to you that makes you feel bad, I’m so sorry that you’ve had a bad experience but if nothing has been actually said to you then please don’t make the assumptions that people are that nasty because most of us aren’t like that, promise!

Start off slowly

It might go without saying, but don’t push yourself too hard straight off the bat. All good things take time and getting your workout routine right is no different!

Know the difference between ‘the burn’ and real pain

You’re going to want to feel ‘the burn’, and that means that what you’re doing is working, but that is something that should subside fairly swiftly after you finish that exercise. If you’re still in significant pain for some time after you stop whatever it is you were doing, that’s a sign that you may have done some actual damage, and if that’s the case then please don’t try to push through that.

Have fun with it

I personally love going to the gym, and that’s why I go, because if I didn’t like it I wouldn’t do it. The trick is finding something that you actually enjoy doing at the gym. If you hate what you’re doing, try something different, and keep trying until something sticks, but honestly you’ve got so many options to try so keep at it!

Remember, only you can make your fitness goals happen, so ignore everyone else who says otherwise and let’s do this!

Twitter / Bloglovin / Instagram
2 Comments

My First Time at BodyPump and Tips for First-Timers

After what for me feels like WAY too long, I am officially back in a gym! With going from living somewhere where I could walk to my gym in 25 minutes, to living somewhere where we don’t even have a proper gym in town, its taken me a while to find somewhere that meets my gym standards amongst settling into our new home and getting back into work.

But I’m back! I joined my nearest Total Fitness gym, and I’m determined to get my money’s worth out of this membership (because its so much more than my old gym!) and I’ve always liked doing classes because they push me both physically and a little out of my comfort zone. One class I’ve been super interested in trying for quite some time now is BodyPump, so I booked in for yesterday’s class, and here’s how it went..

Because I knew nothing about the class other than a general overview, I went straight to the class instructor to admit that I was a first timer and had no idea what was going on, and I would 100% recommend doing this if you are trying this class for the first time. She told me what equipment I needed to get and what weights to start off with and reassured me that I’d easily be able to follow along.

BodyPump is a weight based class, but its more of a light weight, high reps sorta workout. I grabbed a barbell and two of each of the weight plates, plus we also had a step box and a mat each. As the instructor told me to start off light, I put the lightest plates on first, which felt a little too light for me at first by I stuck with it anyway because I didn’t know what was going to happen so I figured it was the safest bet, plus because I’d been out of the gym for about 6 weeks, I thought it was best for me to start with mainly bodyweight anyway.

After a short warm-up consisting of mainly squats, we were given a little bit of time to adjust our weights for the next section of the workout, so I did change up the plates on my bar to go a little heavier, although not by much because I was still playing it safe. That said, I quickly worked up a sweat as we went into the main workout! We alternated a bit between the bar and using just plates, and also used the box as a sort of bench for doing chest work.

There was a lot of lower body work, lots of squats and lunges etc, but I was also happy when later in the class we did come round to upper stuff – primarily overhead which I didn’t mind because I’m good with overhead – and we actually finished the class on abs before going into a cool down and stretch.

Overall I really enjoyed the class. Yes, it took some getting used to and it’ll probably take me a few goes before I feel really confident in knowing what I’m doing in terms of the weights to use, but I definitely will be going back! It wasn’t as cardio as I had expected it to be, but I liked that about it, and even though I went quite light with the weights, I am feeling it a little bit today so that’s a great sign that its working!

If you’ve been considering the class for a while, or are looking for a new class to start, I would definitely recommend BodyPump, and here are some tips for when you do:

  • As I mentioned earlier, definitely speak to the instructor before the class starts and let them know you’re a newbie
  • If you can, find a spot right in front of the instructor, or at least where you can clearly see them so that you can properly copy the moves they’re doing
  • Start off light, even if you think you can do heavier – I’m a confident lifter and would normally lift a lot more than I used, but I’m so glad I went light because I did still feel the burn
  • Enjoy yourself!

I’m on the hunt for other classes to try out so if you’ve got any recommendations then hit me up!

Twitter / Bloglovin / Instagram
2 Comments

My Favourite Lower Body Exercises

So despite starting the year with a promise of monthly fitness update posts, that literally only happened in January. Oops, my bad.

I’m a little bit ashamed to say I’ve yo-yo’d a bit this year. I started the year on a high, but various aspects of life have been challenging my fitness journey and this has led to inconsistencies and going backwards at times, and while I’m a little bit annoyed about this, there’s nothing I can do looking back on it so all I can do is move forward.

My gym recently went through a big refurb, and while it never looked back in the first place, it looks so much better now! We have new equipment, new areas and a new pink wall that I’m particularly fond of, and the update has done wonders for my motivation.

If you read my new fitness plan back in May, you might have seen that summer is the time when I tend to focus more on my legs as I’m not running as much (and hate running during summer heat), and these are some of my favourite workouts for my lower body at the moment:

Plyo Box Jumps

The most popular new piece of kit in the gym is our new PlyoSoft boxes, and while I’d always considered them to be torture before I’d actually used them, but now I’m obsessed! I start off on a 45cm, the quickly moved up to 60cm and now I’m on 75cm and I’m aiming for 90cm by the end of August. Its a great bodyweight-only workout and I’m already seeing results!

Bosu ball squats

Because squatting isn’t tricky enough at the best of times, I’ve now taken to doing them on top of a bosu ball.. While this might not seem too different to squatting on solid ground, you’ll be amazed at how many more muscles you get working while you’re trying to maintain your stability!

Donkey kicks

While it may seem very cliche gym-girl, I love donkey kicks, and all the different variations of them. I have a little donkey kick routine that’s my go-to on days when I’m focusing on lower body, and I will do it over and over until the backs of my legs are screaming just cos for some reason I really seem to enjoy it..

Wall sits

Wall sits are probably the easiest possible exercise for your legs ever, and its amazing how much you feel the burn afterwards. If my legs aren’t already knackered, I’ll try and get in a few minutes of a wall sit at the end of a workout just to push myself right to the end – and then probably fall down the stairs out of the gym.

Swiss ball leg raises

These are killer for both abs and legs! Gripping a Swiss ball between your knees/calves, then raising your legs straight up and down while lying on the floor; I’ll tell you now its a killer!

What are your go-to leg moves in the gym?

Twitter / Bloglovin / Instagram
1 Comment

Five Things You’re Doing Wrong in the Gym

The gym. I don’t need to explain it, you know why you go there – or don’t, in some people’s case.. But whether you’re a fitness freak or a workout whenever kinda person, there are some mistakes that you could make if you’re not careful..

Shirt from The Happiest Fitness Co

Shirt from The Happiest Fitness Co

Copying other people

Sure, its great looking around for inspiration; maybe you’ve never seen someone do goblet squats before and that’s something you’d be interested in, but go away, do a little bit of research, look into the correct method and then come back and start rocking it. Don’t just see someone doing something strange and unknown, and try and replicate it – you could get injured by doing something wrong.

Feeling pain

There’s a difference between feeling the burn and experiencing actual pain, and only the former is a good sign. When you’re muscles are starting to ache and fatigue, you’ll be getting that familiar warm sensation that isn’t exactly comfortable, but that should go away within a few minutes of stopping. There’s also nothing wrong with aching the following day, or after a few hours, but if you’re walking away from a workout and are still feeling a lot of pain in your body, you’ve overdone it.

Not taking on fluid

Everyone sweats. Its no big deal, especially in the gym, but you need to be replacing the water that your body is loosing swiftly to keep it functioning at its best. If you’re just sweaty, try and stick to water; if you’re also needing to take on some fuel, an isotonic sports drink might be better.

Judging other gym users

This is my absolute biggest gym peeve, and it happens in so many different ways. Laughing at overweight people? They’re still working out aren’t they? Staring at the gorgeous blonde in the sports bra and short shorts? She doesn’t come to the gym so you can wink at her from the corner of the free weights area.. Girls can lift, guys can lift, whatever – getting fit is not a competition so what is the point of putting down everyone around you?

Keeping clean

Be a team player – carry a towel and wipe down your equipment after you use it. Its courteous, and its hygienic; not doing so is the gym equivalent of wearing bowling shoes that haven’t been sprayed between wearers. Yuck.

Are you guilty of any of these?

Twitter / Bloglovin / Instagram
1 Comment

My Gym Confessions

Its that time of month again; the time where I spill some of my little life secrets in the hopes of entertaining my lovely readers! I love a good bit of tongue in cheek.

We all know that some of the biggest cliches that resonate worldwide are those found on the gym floor, and pretty much everyone and their mother claims to have a membership somewhere, even if they use it once in a blue moon, so hopefully I won’t be alone in some of these!

I skipped the induction session

You know that half an hour they expect you to book in so that they can walk you around and point out what things are while you ignore them and end up just as clueless as you were at the start. Yep, I figured it was pointless..

I’m still a little nervous in the free weights area

It doesn’t stop me going there – I mean, when a girl’s gotta lift, a girl’s gotta lift – but I do make my visits swift when there’s lots of other people there, and if I know I’ve got a bit of an audience, I’ll stick to things I know rather than making a fool of myself

If anyone shoots me a dirty look while I’m working out, they instantly go in my bad books

I don’t care that I don’t know them. There’s this one girl at my gym who gives me shade all the time, and one time she put all her stuff over the mat that I was working on – as in, I was actually sat on this mat and she still didn’t care and took up half of it, come on! – and I genuinely have started trying to avoid the times she’s normally there.

That being said, I give some people major shade

Hypocrite, I know, but if you’re trying to take a selfie on a machine, or are the middle aged creep attempting to seduce young girls while you’re sweating buckets on the rower, I’m gonna shoot the odd dirty look your way. Also if you’re not wiping down your equipment, gross.

I can’t work out with other people

With the exception of my PT Steph, I don’t think I could ever do a workout with a buddy. I’m happy to go to the gym with other people, but after we walk onto the floor its everyone for themselves!

I hate going on equipment right after someone else has used it

Not because I think its gross, but I’m always worried that they weren’t finished using it or that they might think I was waiting to pounce on it as soon as they’d finished.

Eye contact makes me super uncomfortable

I’m flattered that you want to stare at my while I’m getting sweaty, but if I look up and our eyes meet then its just a little weird.

Damn right I’m proud of what I can achieve

When you catch me looking pretty smug or increasing my weight, you bet I’m feeling pretty great about it. I’ve come a long way and I’ve worked hard for what I can achieve now.

Go on, drop me a confession in the comments!

Twitter / Bloglovin / Instagram
3 Comments

YearOfFit – Home Gym Essentials

These days there are a million ways for you to stay active without paying out for a gym membership.

There’s workout videos, YouTube, dancing, Pinterest, and you can even buy your own machines so you don’t need to share with smelly strangers, and if you’re doing any of these things, you might be thinking about setting up a little ‘home gym’. Yeah? Well here are a few bits of kit you’ll want to consider!

Home Gym

1. Swiss ball

There are a lot of things you can do with a Swiss ball, from pilates to core work; you can even use it as a chair or bench!

2. Skipping rope

Skipping is a great way to get your heart rate up and burn calories, and a rope is a really cheap piece of kit!

3. Resistance bands

Another budget piece of kit, but a great way to save paying out for pricey strength training equipment

4. Kettlebells

Although I really hate them sometimes, kettlebells are a really versatile option if you’re thinking of buying weights

5. Foam roller

Most people, runners especially, have a real love/hate relationship with the foam roller. Personally, although it can hurt, my foam roller is my go-to for tight calf problems and general muscle aches and pains.

6. TRX/Suspension cables

If you’ve got somewhere safe and strong to secure them, suspension cables are a great piece of kit that utilises your body weight for strength training. The possibilities can be endless!

7. Step box

Whether you’re using it for an aerobics workout, a weight bench, or just a general prop, a box can be a great purchase for your home gym area

8. Dumbells

Dumbells can be a pricey piece of equipment, but if you want to take your home gym to the next level, a pair or even a set of dumbells is the way to go!

9. Mat

Save yourself from workout out on cold or uncomfortable floors with a foam or rubber exercise mat!

Do you prefer to workout at home or at a gym?

Twitter / Bloglovin / Instagram
3 Comments

#fitfordisney – What’s in my gym bag?

I love reading ‘What’s in my bag’ posts on other people’s blogs, so I thought it would be fun for a #fitfordisney post to do a ‘What’s in my gym bag’ post!

I’ve written before all about my gym bag itself, and how much I love it – its the Fabletics Sophia Satchel, and you can read all about it here – but today I’m emptying it to share the essential items of my gym kit that I love.

SONY DSC

SONY DSC

SONY DSC

For starters, I have a LOT of hairbands; everything from scrunchies to headbands. Because I have such long hair, keeping it all out of the way when I’m at the gym or out running is damn near impossible with just a simple hair tie, so I generally keep a skinny headband on me at all times, either to wrap my ponytail up into a bun, or to control the wispy hairs around my face which drive me mad! The wider headbands I tend to wear more around the house, or when I’m doing yoga.

SONY DSC

 

I generally walk to and from the gym, so don’t use the shower and changing facilities there, which means I don’t carry a massive amount of toiletries, but I cannot be without lip balm so I keep one of my many Eos balls in with my kit, as well as Vaseline hand cream in a vague attempt to keep my hands soft after doing weights! I also always have my combination lock, because you have to provide your own at my gym, and the nifty tool that opens my Fitbit when I need to change the battery, just in case!

SONY DSC

SONY DSC

SONY DSC

While hygiene is important in most aspects, I feel that foot hygiene is pretty high up there on the list of most important places to keep clean, and generally fairly forgotten about. As a runner, my feet are the most used body part in my workouts, so I always keep a can of shoe deodorant in my bag to spray my trainers after use, as well as a spare pair of socks. On the topic of feet, I also keep my pair of yoga socks in my gym bag, should I need them. They might look weird, but they’re crazy comfy, super grippy and I love them.

SONY DSC

Then there’s the gym essentials: a water bottle and a sweat towel. We all sweat, its entirely natural and you can’t do anything about it, but you can be considerate to other gym users by wiping down your equipment after use, whether you’re super sweaty or not, and for your own good, keeping hydrated is vital for replacing the water you lose while you’re working at your hardest. I have an Aladdin water bottle which is 600ml, and I generally will end up refilling it halfway through my gym sessions because I try to drink as much as possible.

So that’s me and my gym bag, what’s in yours?

#fitfordisney
Leave a comment