Fitness & Nutrition - The Things I Have Learned

Fitness is a huge part of my life and my fitness journey has been a long one and one that continues to grow the more I become informed.

 

Over the years I have made some mistakes along the way (and probably still do) but here are some of the things I've learnt so far.......

 

Go hard or go home

 

True to some extent, but everything in moderation.  I've gone through periods where I've been to the gym everyday - not good. Your body needs time to rest and repair, especially if you are weight training. I'm all about going hard at the gym and making the most of it, however if you feel knackered, give it a rest, you're better going 3/4 times a week and having a decent workout than every day and it being mediocre each time.

 

No pain, no gain

 

 Again true to some extent.  I'm all for pushing it at the gym and feeling the burn, however if something is hurting you need to stop. I learnt this the hard way, when I suffered an illness that affected my right knee.  I had a leg brace and was out of action for 2 months but continued to push myself, even when I was on crutches I insisted on going down there and working out.  Not clever.  It ultimately could have done more damage than good so if you're hurting (in a bad way) you need to stop.

 

Workout on an empty stomach

 

One of the age old arguments, does it burn more fat, who knows, but it works for me. This is where fasted cardio comes into it.  I do this maybe once or twice a week on an empty stomach, usually early morning, 20/30 minutes of walking on an incline. There's a lot of debate as to whether it is actually effective at burning fat, however the science behind it is that your body uses fat stores instead of calories from food to fuel your workout, hence burning more fat (apparently.)

 

The less you eat the better / no carbs / only consume shakes / soups / air / 

 

These 'diets' do not work. Period.  Your body needs food to function and the more wholesome and nutritious food you consume, the better it's going to work.  There are no miracle cures or fast track diets, just hard work and patience.  Yes they may make you lose a few pounds initially, only for you to put them back on when you start eating again!!

 

You will look like a man if you lift weights

 

Not true, I have been lifting weights for years and it’s the best thing I ever did for my body! Most women don't understand to actually look like a man you'd have to eat a sh*t load, lift seriously heavy weights and probably dedicate most of your life to being in the gym. I have the utter most respect for women that do this, but each to their own.

 

Plan for success 

 

This is key. Plan your workouts a week or two in advance, yes it may seem boring but it stops you standing In the gym aimlessly wondering what you're going to do for half an hour. Planning your workouts ensures you get the best from your time.  Same goes for diet.  Plan ahead, cook your food the week / night before and always have healthy snacks to hand.

Be patient

 

Which I'm totally not. It'll never happen overnight.  Most people don't realise to actually get a six pack or sculpted bod it takes months, heck even years.

And lastly make it fun 

 

I genuinely enjoy what I do.  I'm luckily enough to have a partner that loves fitness just as much as me (probably more) and sisters that are the same. We push each other and I try to make my workouts different and enjoyable, mixing it up with lots of different moves and variations.

You can't do the same day in, day out and expect different results, keep things fresh and keep yourself motivated by trying new things.  If you don't like lifting weights do a class, if you hate running, try spinning, the options are endless!

 

What are your top fitness tips?