Project: Transformation

“Genuine happiness can only be achieved when we transform our way of life from the unthinking pursuit of pleasure to one committed to enriching our inner lives, when we focus on 'being more' rather than simply having more.”

  - Daisaku Ikeda

I was going to start this post talking about the physical transformation program I have started however, I realised that by the pure act of focusing on improving our physical selves; we begin to grow spiritually too. No matter what form of exercise you undertake, it will require self-motivation and inner strength to push your body past the limits that your mind sets. I don’t really practice yoga but I find that when I get into the zone running or lifting weights it is meditative; you’re focusing on your breathing, at completing the task at hand. Because of this, physical activity is a fantastic tool to combat depression and anxiety; it alleviates stress and boosts self esteem. Personally, I also find that it helps solve problems, getting blood pumping around the brain you become more alert, more aware, somehow the problem seems smaller and the answers just come to you. There is no other feeling like when you get into your own mind, focus, push and drive yourself to be better. I think this is why so many fitness professionals are so keen to share their lifestyles with others; to help them to realise the riches that lie within themselves.

With this in mind I am committing myself to being more. The first step of this journey begins with the physical. I’m the kind of person that likes a plan; I like to know what I am going to do & when I am going to do it. And then like a massive geek I record everything in an excel spreadsheet. Yep, that’s me! I just find having a structure makes it easier to achieve want I want to; kind of like when you do a time management plan to complete an essay or get through your to do list at work. Or am I the only one that does time management spreadsheets too?? Anyway, I decided that for my goals I would download a 12 week training program from Bodybuilding.com and chose the Jamie Eason’s 12 week transformation plan. Jamie Eason is an incredibly successful fitness model and this plan is great as it gives you a day by day of what you should be doing and eating; with videos to demonstrate form and a list of different foods and serving sizes required for each meal. This is fantastic for anyone who is just starting out as all the information you need is there!

I started the program on the 16/01/2014 I don’t rely wholly on my weight as a measuring device as it can be deceptive so instead I am using pictures and my body fat percentage to record my progress.  I’m not sure I am ready to share my progression pictures with you quite yet, (besides not sure the difference is at a point where it is noticeable after 1 week!) But I have seen a decrease of 1.7% body fat which brings me into the healthy range so I am happy with that.

	Day 1	Day 7
Body Fat Percent	31.80%	30.10%

This first week really helped me to establish where I am in terms of my strength; I realised that my upper body is still incredibly weak and I need to work on endurance as well as strength, but I also discovered that my legs are much more powerful and stronger that I thought; I managed to squat and leg press more than I ever have before and still have the confidence that I can go heavier! The Phase 1 of this plan does just focus on weightlifting and I have put a table of what I completed this week below however I have also been undertaking cardio in bootcamp form; which I will detail in a post over the weekend.

For the 1^st 4 weeks of this program I will be doing 3 sets of 12 reps, with a 1 minute rest between sets. I tried to pick a weight that would have me working at 60% effort and cause me to get to failure by the 3^rd set, as this is my first week it will take a bit of trial and error to get the weights right! On some of the sets I did feel I could lift a bit heavier on my next attempt, whereas with others I had to drop some weight in order to complete them.

I will update again on week 4 to see how the weights have improved! 

Getting Stretchy in the Park

Okay so I remember a time not too long ago when I was actually quite flexible, I mean I couldn’t exactly put my ankles behind my head or anything but I certainly could rest my head on my knees comfortably.

This is when I used to do more exercise at home, now I’m more of a gym-bunny and I guess no-one really likes getting all bendy and stretchy in front of everyone right? But more than that, I have spoken to quite a few of my gym buddies and a lack of flexibility exercises and stretching seems to be a trend. 

Now I tested my flexibility this morning and erm..could only just touch my toes! Eek! Flexibility is really important as it keeps us agile, improves our sporting performance as well as our posture and protects against strains and injuries. 

So according to Ultra FIT Your Own Personal Trainer author John Shepherd you should do 5-10mins of cardio prior to stretching to warm up your muscles and prepare them for stretching so I took myself off to the park to get started!

I had a 15min jog around the park to warm up. Once my muscles were all warmed I began with stretching my legs; calves and hamstrings in both sitting and standing poses, holding each for 10-15 seconds. I hadn’t realized how tight I’d allowed my muscles to get! If holding a pose was difficult (which sadly I must admit they were) I took two deep breaths and, as I exhaled was able to push the stretch a bit further.

I then went on to stretch my inner thighs, hips, arms, back, chest, oblique muscles and neck. This was a quite a long session of mainly static stretches. Of course depending on your work out goals you should opt for different types of stretches. For example pre-cardio you should only undertake dynamic stretches such as high knees and heel flicks. However if pushing your flexibility is the goal it is important to include proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) stretches (to you and me this basically means assisted stretching) you can use a band or a partner to help push your stretch that little bit further than you could unaided.

As you can imagine all this stretching takes up a bit of time so I have decided to choose a few key poses every day to practice and enhance my flexibility. I'm also going to try and get into yoga; I must admit I don't find it as appealing as say, kick boxing, but for the sake of my goals I will be putting in the effort!

Summer Loving

The sun has finally come out! And what a difference it makes...

For me as with most people my mood completely lifts when the sun shines and I feel warm, everything seems a little bit more achievable, everybody seems to have a fresh vigour for life. Of course; it also reminds us that bikini season is almost upon us. 

So let's take advantage of this new energy we have for life, get outside and get in shape!

Here are my top 5 reasons to get outside:

1. It's a Mood Lifter! I guarantee that no matter how a bad a mood you may be in; if you take your workout outside it will put everything in perspective. Being out in nature makes me feel empowered.

2. An outdoor workout mixes it up. Often when we workout in a gym environment we can get stuck in a routine; when you take your workout outside it opens up a whole new playground which can change on a daily basis. Take a run off road for a stamina challenge, jump on and off of obstacles, do the monkey bars, climb some cliffs, swim in the sea. Not only will you challenge your body in new, different ways, it's enjoyable and time will fly!

3. Fresh air is good for you! Fresh air cleans our lungs; allowing us to breathe deeper and therefore take in more oxygen. Increased oxygen gives us more energy as well as reducing the build up of lactic acid and an increase in stamina. Our brains also use up 20% of the oxygen we take in so by increasing the amount of oxygen we take in allows our brains to function better and with greater clarity. So if you need to resolve a problem; get out for a walk or run!

4. The power of the Sun. For anyone who has ever suffered from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) you will know just how important getting that dose of sunshine can be! Our body can also synthesize Vitamin D from cholesterol with adequate amounts of sunshine; Vitamin D is responsible for the intestinal absorption of calcium and phosphate.

5. Get socialising :)  There are lots of exercises and activities that you take outside that can be super sociable such as team sports; boot camps, run clubs and climbing trips. Getting outside and socialising with like-minded, positive people can make you feel better about yourself on the inside and out. Remember health is not just physical; it's mental too!