W is for Warm Up Ok so I know it’s now Feb and I didn’t manage to finish this in time, but I’ve had a massively crazy busy two weeks. And fitness is for life, not just for January 😉 Warming up is very important and often neglected. It increases the heart rate and circulation, promoting blood flow to the muscles and preparing them for what’s to come. Do a decent heart raiser for at least 10mins. It doesn’t have to be just running or walking on the treadmill, try using a step or other equipment to make it fun. Afterwards make sure you do mobility work to help increase your range of motion and reduce injury. Warming up can also help you mentally get into the headspace for a decent workout, especially if it’s first thing in the morning or after a stressful day at work. Photography by Derek Bremner
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I get asked a lot similar questions, so over the next month both on my Instagram (@fitchicnic) and on here, I’ll be going through the alphabet talking about some of the most common health and fitness related questions and topics. V is for V sits I talked about Abs right back at the letter A, but here I want to talk more about how to do core exercises correctly. V sits / V Tucks, among others like crunches, are hard because people tend to compensate and use their back rather than their actual core muscles. When you lie on your back and relax, your pelvis is probably slightly tilted downwards, which makes your back slightly arch and have a gap underneath it. Before doing any kind of core exercise (especially sit ups!) “engage” the abs by tipping the pelvis up and so you can feel a slight tension in the core. Then really think about the muscles working as you execute the exercise (rather than trying to get through it as quick as possible!) So when it comes to V sits from the floor don’t just chuck yourself upwards – have the arms by your side and ensure the core […]
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I get asked a lot similar questions, so over the next month both on my Instagram (@fitchicnic) and on here, I’ll be going through the alphabet talking about some of the most common health and fitness related questions and topics. 🌀 U is for Upper Body. Many women feel like their upper bodies are weaker than their lower body. Ladies, it’s just practice and understanding the different exercises that make up a decent full upper body workout. 🔸 Back – lots of rows! (Bent over, single arm, seated etc) Lat pulldowns and assisted pullups are also my go-to exercises. 🔸 Shoulders – shoulder presses, lateral raises, high face pulls, rear delt flyes. All very good for strengthening and shaping the shoulders so they have that “capped” look. 🔸 Chest – although not really needed to be trained aesthetically for women (your boobs are body fat not muscle I’m afraid!) training your chest muscles (press ups, any kind of pushing action) will benefit your general strength. 🔸 Biceps and triceps – it’s good to isolate them occasionally with bicep curls, Tricep pushdowns, Tricep dips etc, but working on your bigger back and chest exercises will also help them indirectly. Photography by […]
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I get asked a lot similar questions, so over the next month both on my Instagram (@fitchicnic) and on here, I’ll be going through the alphabet talking about some of the most common health and fitness related questions and topics. T is for Toning I’ve been waiting for this one! Toning is probably the most overused word in mainstream gyms. But toning isn’t actually a thing. Usually by being “toned,” people mean having slight muscular definition and shape, while having nothing “jiggling.” But muscles don’t get harder or softer, they either grow or shrink in size, & you also need low enough body fat to be able to see the definition of the muscles. Therefore to get “toned” you need to do the following: 1. Do resistance training to increase your muscle tissue. The weights you use need to be heavy enough to put stress on the muscles, so that when you do a set between 8-15 repetitions, you can’t easily do many more than that. Every exercise is different and uses different muscles, so you may be “only” using 2kg for one, but 8kg for another, for example. It’ll take time to work it out. 2. Eat in a […]
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I get asked a lot similar questions, so over the next month both on my Instagram (@fitchicnic) and on here, I’ll be going through the alphabet talking about some of the most common health and fitness related questions and topics. S is for Spin Classes and Squats Spin Classes are now a popular staple in many gyms. I often get asked if they’re “good:” The Pros: 🔹 They’re great for cardiovascular endurance, and you can gain a little lower body strength at first. 🔹 It’s inclusive for beginners, and fun to work out as a group. 🔹 Low risk of injury generally. 🔹 You’re in control of how hard you work. The Cons: 🔸 In this day and age, we already spend a lot of time sitting down! It won’t help with a balanced fitness approach or help our posture. 🔸 It doesn’t help the upper body much, and you should still do full body resistance training during the rest of the week. 🔸 As with most fitness classes, it doesn’t teach technique. 🔸 A con as well as a pro – you’re in control of how hard you work, so you may not push yourself. So the odd spin […]
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I get asked a lot similar questions, so over the next month both on my Instagram (@fitchicnic) and on here, I’ll be going through the alphabet talking about some of the most common health and fitness related questions and topics. R is for Running, Reps, and Renourish 🔹 FACT: You don’t have to run to lose weight. I hear so many clients say “I hate running’ so I ask them why they then do it. Losing weight is about being in a calorie deficit, while exercise should be something you do to enjoy, and helps work towards your specific goals. Cardio is an important part of cardiovascular health, and can be used as a tool for weight loss by burning some extra calories, but there’s no rule saying it has to be in the form of running. Although running is cheap and effective, there are so many options – walking, the elliptical machines, dancing, netball, boxing etc. I hate running unless it’s a short distance competitive sprint ha (or it’s for charity.) 🔹 Reps. Short for repetitions, the number of times you perform an exercise before stopping. There’s no one magic number, but as a general rule I follow 1-5 […]
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