August 8, 2013

your heart

The most important muscle in your body is your heart…. Make sure you look after it this Valentines Day and every day. It likes to be clear of fat blocking it up and surrounding it so it can provide the rest of your body with the stuff it needs to keep moving. If someone breaks your heart you will get over it (eventually) if you don’t look after your heart you will not get over it. Nuff said … Happy Valentines Day. Love yourself and your body it is the most important relationship you will ever have x x x

August 8, 2013

how to do a push up

Just saw a big outdoor group doing push ups with really poor form. Guys, quick tips for push ups: fingers pointing forwards and spread apart (to take pressure of wrists),

back of head, middle of shoulder blades and bum all in a straight line, lower and raise keeping the line and position. Make sure your lower back doesn’t arch. If you are unable to maintain this position on the floor regress the exercise to a bench or even a wall if you’re a beginner. Don’t do push ups on your knees, change the angle instead.

August 8, 2013

overweight and angry

Lady at counter buying a can of V and a packet of cigarettes says to me, ‘Not the healthiest of breakfasts hey?’ Me, wearing my Personal Training top, smiles and says nothing. Lady, ‘I suppose you think I’m not helping myself, I know I’m overweight, it’s ok for you with your body, I bet you have never struggled with your weight in your life!’ Me: ‘Actually, that’s not the case, I used to……,’ Lady, interrupts me and says, ‘people like you shouldn’t judge others, it makes me so angry. Lady storms off

August 8, 2013

exercise and fat loss

YAWN! What a load of old irresponsible bol***x! I read this at the weekend. It makes me bored then annoyed all at the same time. People who promote exercise (especially here at Innervate) never pretend that working out without good nutrition is going to be enough if you want to burn body fat. Nutrition plays a massive part (anecdotally 70 to 80%). It makes me angry when people use this info to rubbish exercise. It is hard enough as it is encouraging people to move more without books describing exercise for weight loss as ‘pointless’. Regular activity helps protect you from heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, back pain, osteoporosis, and helps you manage stress and this is a tiny snap shot of the benefits. I could write for ever with reasons why you should move more. Rant over. LIsa Brown out. GRRRRRRRRR!!!

View the smh article here.

August 8, 2013

create effective change

If you want things to be different: do things differently. This applies to workouts and life in general. If you’ve plateaued in your physical gains stimulate the muscles differently. i.e loads, sets, tempo, duration, intensity etc. If things are not going the way you want in other areas of your life then take a look at how you respond to the things that are happening around you. This you can control and change.

August 8, 2013

cheat foods

I am working from home today. I bought myself a jar of Branston Pickle (the Pom’s will know what I am talking about) when I went food shopping last week. I LOVE cheddar cheese and pickle sandwiches and used to eat massive overloaded subs constantly when I was an overweight kid. The Branston Pickle has been winking at me from the fridge and whispering how it wants to be thickly spread on a massive crispy French baton with as much cheese as the bread can hold. Now, don’t get me wrong, I enjoy my treats but I don’t like to eat wheat and I know that if I succumb I will feel yuk and bloated. I always think about my clients at times like these and know I cannot be a hypocrite. Therefore, I had two cheese slices and a tablespoon of pickle. I took my time and savored the taste. YUM. It is no longer whispering or winking and I can get back to work. I have found the experience v interesting as the pickle took me back to a time where I would have overeaten and thought nothing of it.

August 8, 2013

picking up chicks

Lady at the cafe in Kings Cross, ‘You look very strong’. Me, ‘thank you’. Lady, ‘do you think you could pick me up?’. Me, ‘I’m not sure, but prob best not to try as I’ve just had a massive workout and may drop you’. Lady, ‘please, come on, see if you can pick me up and walk with me on your back’. Me, ‘I’d rather not, but thanks for the offer’. 

I had to walk away ASAP as she wouldn’t leave it alone and kept insisting that I pick her up. 

It’s not difficult to pick a lady up in Kings Cross but it seems they come to you and insist on it if you strength train. 

Note to those interested in females. START SQUATTING 🙂

August 8, 2013

holiday cheats

Urgh and yuk! I feel like I have a layer of Christmas all over me! Anyone else? Truth is I have been drinking more than usual and eating more treats than usual. I am on holiday for one more week but I set my alarm to train with my friend this morning and I feel so much better now. 



5 sets of 8 BB Deadlifts and 8 up and over DB walking lunges (30 secs rest between each set)



5 sets of 8 seated rows and 8 Hammer Bench Press (30 secs rest between each set)



3 sets 8 reps close grip bench press, reverse curls, lat raises, bent over rear dent raises.



BOOM… Monday morning feels good… Unlike my forearms which are shaky and pumped!

August 8, 2013

junk food for breakfast

I’m just about to go and do my weekly food shop. I’ve had a couple of sessions this morning and had literally no food in my house to make brekkie. I’m really hungry. In the food court looking for a healthy option and HUNGRY is not a good combo. No wonder people make bad food choices. I was tempted too. This reminds me to be PREPARED with food. I’m always telling my clients this. When you have your food packed and ready for the day you are less likely to grab stuff that diverts you from your healthy intentions. 

Ended up buying a banana and a handful of nuts and a coffee. I decided to sit next to a Macca’s ‘restaurant’ as wanted to observe. A massive bunch of school kids are buying burgers, mcmuffins, cokes, mc this mc that. A big queue of them, all in their uniforms ready to go to school eating this c**p! What a way to start the day!!!

August 8, 2013

heathrow injection

Hey guys, its interesting being back in the North East of England (where I was born and brought up). Get ready for one of my jibber jabber’s 🙂 

If you are a follower of this page you will know that I was overweight as a kid and teenager and in all honesty just didn’t feel like I fit in anywhere. Coming back always stirs up emotions and memories of what that time was like for me. 

I have to say that I think it would be really challenging for anyone living here to live a healthy lifestyle and eat good, healthy nutritious food and exercise regularly. I find it so much easier in Sydney to do this because of food options and of course the weather. 

It is so difficult to make healthy choices as all menus are full of the opposite. I scan the menus searching for something I can eat. Always asking if I can change the chips for salad (and receiving a surprised look and a ‘not sure, let me check’) and then getting a bit of lettuce on the side. Trying to grab a healthy snack from a service station or a corner shop is almost impossible. 

Please don’t think that I’m slagging the North East off (for my northern followers), that is not my intention. I just think that it is literally so much harder to achieve health and fitness goals here. 

People talk about the ‘Heathrow Injection’ (the idea that you put on lots of body fat when you arrive in the UK). I have had many enquiries because of this Heathrow injection from 
people returning to Oz from a prolonged period in the UK. I can totally understand why this happens. It’s something that I observe all over the UK. 

I guess my mantra of being organised is even more prevalent if you live in the UK. You have got to make sure you have your food packed and ready to go. A banana in your bag for a healthy snack etc etc this is the way to eat healthy. If you don’t do this, especially here, you are going to struggle to get to where you want to be and make bad junk food choices as that is the only option you have. 

This area is a place of two parts, on one side you have Redcar Beach (see pic) and on the other you have the most beautiful North Yorkshire moors. My dad and I are staying at the Lion Inn at Blakey Ridge tonight (my favourite place here) and I am going to do the 8 mile trail run this afternoon: check it out! How beautiful does it look?
 Anyway guys, I’m gonna rug up and make myself a healthy breakfast before heading up to the beautiful moors.