I really miss my fitness blog. But I'm still working hard at working out even if I'm not writing about it so much any more. Those of you who have followed me from the beginning will know that I trained to be a personal trainer and worked as a fitness instructor in one of my past lives.
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| I took this picture of myself at the gym and have had a lot of stick for it, particularly the lipstick and blusher. But it's funny, so why not? |
I currently use the Holiday Inn gym in Southsea and really have to keep my mouth shut when I see other gym members training incorrectly. People use the machines and weights with absolutely no control and have the settings so low, that they must be doing more harm than good, but I don't think they'd appreciate me telling them to soften their knees and straighten their backs!
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| The lady in the front is showing good posture and technique, I'd have to have a word with the ladies stooping at the back though. Tut tut. |
My advice to anyone desperate to shift those pounds quickly would be to take up interval training. You'll often see me sprinting for 45 seconds to one minute followed by jogging for three minutes on the treadmill. It certainly brings out a sweat and it means that I can run for longer at a steady faster pace when I am not interval training. The same technique can be applied to the rowing machine, the bike and the cross trainer.
You'll also find me using the bench and free weights in addition to the interval training I do. Which is why the article I was sent below, caught my eye. I don't think women do enough weight lifting. It's what our bodies are designed to do. I lift 7kg weights (12 reps), rest by working on my lower body, then I'll lift 10kg weights (10 reps), rest by working on my lower body again, followed by a final push on 12kg weights for 8 reps. It's a killer but if you're going to workout, I believe in working as hard as possible. My current favourite exercise is climbing, it works muscles you wouldn't normally use and is a lot fun as well as a huge challenge. I don't have the coveted Jessica Ennis body as mentioned in the article below but I'm looking alright for a 37 year old mother of three.
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| Jodie Marsh works out for a gruelling six hours a day to look like this, her daily workout includes three hours of cardio work, two hours of weights and an hour of “posing” |
Read on to find out more about REPs (Register of Exercise Professionals) latest press release on weight lifting.
Why won’t women lift weights?
Women keen to lose weight are often doing the wrong exercises say REPs
Many women associate lifting weights with dramatic muscle gain, avoiding the male dominated weights section of gyms at all costs. However, Jean-Ann Marnoch from industry watchdog REPs has explained that lifting weights can be an important part of workouts, whether training for a charity run, getting fit or even losing weight.
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| Lifting the weights will not leave you looking like a man, even after six hours training a day - Jodie looks more lean than bulky |
She said, “There is a common misconception that weight lifting should only be undertaken when building muscle, however, this is not the case. Lifting moderate to light weights for endurance gains (you should reach muscle exhaustion in 15 repetitions) has been shown to give improvements in muscle metabolic rate, in other words the rate at which your body burns calories. This means that even at rest, your body is a better fat burner, in addition to the improved tone to the look of your muscles.”
Britons waste £37 million a year on unused gym membership, with many growing frustrated as they fail to reach goals. However, if fully understood and utilised, lifting weights could help women up and down the country drop a dress size.
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| Drop a dress size and get rid of those baggy trousers |
“Lifting weights also strengthens muscle and bone but does not mean you will instantly bulk up. Strengthening the bone is an important contribution to reducing the risk of osteoporosis or brittle bone disease. Lifting the right weights can dramatically improve the productivity of a workout regardless of your aim. Just make sure if you are receiving instruction or advice, you do so from a REPs approved instructor, who can ensure you safely and efficiently meet your goals.”
The number of women lifting weights could also dramatically increase considering the shifting ‘ideal body image’. With an abundance of ultra-fit, toned, sculpted Olympians gracing our screen last summer, a recent survey has seen Britons vote Jessica Ennis “best female body”, with 72% of women would now prefer a more athletic figure.
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| Jessica's multi-disciplinary training gives her this amazing figure and those superb abs |
REPs (the Register of Exercise Professionals) is the industry regulator for exercise professionals, setting a benchmark for proficiency within the health industry. They ensure any registered professionals will be sufficiently qualified, ensuring public safety and confidence.
I am not a member of REPs but if you have any questions about weight loss and exercise, then leave a comment below. Right I'm off to do some crunches...
