Showing posts with label squats. Show all posts
Showing posts with label squats. Show all posts

Monday, 2 September 2013

September challenge - super sets

Thank you all for your input in our challenge this month. I decided to tailor the below exercises which will target ALL your areas identified. To make it even more fun, I've mixed things up a bit and used one of my favourite exercise methods, SUPER SETS.

Fitness Food And Style September "super sets" challenge


I love super sets. It's the greatest workout to lose fat and gain muscles while adding intensity to your workouts. Supersetting is an excellent way to keep your gym visits or in my case workouts at home short and sweet. It will bump up the intensity of your workout and build muscle.

What is a superset? A superset is performed when two exercises are performed in a row without stopping. However a rest period is required after each super set. Eg: after the A1, A2 exercises, rest for 60 seconds and then commence B1, B2, rest for 60 seconds and then complete C1 and C2.

I will be posting videos for these super sets which we will do on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.


Warm up and cool down.

Always start with a light stretch or warm up routine which will prepare your body and prevent injury to the muscles, especially when your muscles are cold. The cool down will help you body clear lactic acid which builds up during any activity. Less lactic acid = less soreness and stiffness the next day!


Super sets

Arms, shoulders and back

A1 Plank with alternating leg lift

Start this exercise in the push up position. Arms should be out in front with shoulders directly over hands, legs straight out behind and resting on tip toes. Keep abs engaged throughout the exercise. Lift one leg up about 15cm (5 inches) from the mat, and push heel straight back about a foot. Bring foot back and return to the mat. Repeat same motion with other foot.

A2 Spiderman crawl to push up

From a push-up position on the mat, walk forward with your right arm as you lift your left leg and step forward.  Now repeat with your left arm and right leg.  With each step, stay low to the mat.  Continue alternating, for about 20 yards while keeping your back straight throughout movement.

*REST 60 seconds

Legs and butt

B1 Bulgarian split squat

Grab a pair of dumbbells and hold them at arm's length next to your sides, your palms facing each other. Stand in a staggered stance, your left foot in front of your right, Set your feet 2 to 3 feet apart. Place just the instep of you back foot on a bench. When you're doing split squats, the higher your foot is elevated, the harder the exercise. Your front knee should be slight bent. Brace your core.

B2 Squat with weights (kettle bell, plate or dumb bells)

Choose a pair of dumbbells and hold them down by your sides. Stand with a slight bend in your knees and your feet around shoulder width apart. Keep your head up and your back straight. This is the starting position. Keeping your eyes facing forward slowly lower your body down. Don't lean forward as you come down. Your buttocks should come out and drop straight down. Squat down as far as possible or at least until your thighs are parallel with the floor, and then slowly raise your body back up by pushing through your heels. Do not lock the knees out when you stand up, and then repeat the movement.

*REST 60 seconds

Flat & firmer belly

C1 Swan dive

Lie on your stomach, stretch your arms overhead, point your toes and lift your arms and legs about 15cms (6 inches) off the ground. Hold for 1 count, imagining your legs being pulled out and back, away from your hips. Next circle your arms out to the sides and behind you. Exhale and reach your arms toward your toes, palms facing in. Hold for 1 count, then bring arms back to starting position and relax entire body to ground. Repeat.

C2 Tone it V hold

Sit with knees bent and feet on the floor. Clasp underside of thighs with both hands, hinge back and lift feet until lower legs are parallel to floor. Release hands. Straighten legs and reach for your toes, hold for up to 10 breaths.



Nutrition

Please ensure you are eating healthy and adequate protein is obtained. Popular sources typically say 1.4g to 1.8g (0.6 to 0.8 g per pound) of protein per kg of body weight per day is required for the cell growth and muscle repair. That's why I opt for my 180 Nutrition protein powder as that contains 22g of protein in just one serve and with my daily scoops x2 that's 44g. Leaving me another 49.8g with my standard healthy eating throughout the day. If you would like to know how much protein you are eating throughout the day, I highly recommend the app Fitness Pal.

Here's an example of my protein intake per day;

1.4g x 67kgs = 93.8g protein

It is super important for us to hydrate so if you didn't download last months water challenge pdf, I highly recommend you keep track of your water intake.

Carbohydrates are also important (5-7g per kg) as they are our source of energy and for the body to restore glycogen levels in our muscles. Avoid those white foods eg: rice, flour and high processed foods, biscuits and sweets and go for all kinds of vegetables, fruit, oatmeal, lentils, brown rice etc...

As most of you know, I have a pre (typically 1-2 hours beforehand) and post (protein shake normally) workout meal and this ensures adequate energy and amnio acids are available for the intense workouts I do. I love the fact that I only need to train 15 minutes per day with the Fit Yummy Mummy workouts which you can read more about under my FITNESS tab.

So without further adieu, lets get this September challenge started and make sure you;

1). Tag your photos using our #ffs_septemberchallenge
2). Like my Facebook page and
3). Subscribe to my blog so you can be in the draw to win some amazing giveaways at the end of every week, this month.

Help me celebrate reaching 100,000 Instagram followers, with me giving back to you a little something nice. Here are some of the sponsors donating prizes this month Stylerunner180 Nutrition, The Onzie, iTunes and much much MORE, so make sure your email is registered.

You in?

Much love & friendship,
xxDani



  1. DISCLAIMER

    NB: Before starting any new diet and exercise program please check with your doctor and clear any/or diet changes with them before beginning. I am not a registered fitness instructor or registered dietician. I do not provide medical aid or nutrition for the purpose of health or disease and claim to be a fitness instructor or dietician. 

    This is merely my blog, my new healthy and fit lifestyle journey that I wish to share with you all. I am not liable, either expressly or in an implied manner, nor claim any responsibility for any emotional or physical problems that may occur directly or indirectly from this reading this blog. 

Wednesday, 1 May 2013

Fitness Food And Style Photo A Day Challenge - Day 1 DENIM

Hello everyone, another month, another challenge.

I thought I would mix things up a little and get you to capture everything and anything Fitness Food And Style related. So get your camera ready!

The words are your guide, prompt, inspiration to get all creative. As you may know by now, I am such a visual person and I live on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter. So please come and join me. Hash tag #ffsphotoaday and let's have some fun.



Photo A Day Challenge




Day One - Denim



Assorted denim




A denim bag filled with coloured and acid wash denim jeans. A denim vest, jacket and acid wash shirt! :-) can I have any more denim???

Here are my fantastic four pics that caught my eye from;

@kristinostevik
@sunshinengiggles
@bec_wallaby and 
@susanmarlene



Denim action



What's your favourite denim piece?

Hope you're having a fabulous Wednesday! XxDani


Monday, 22 April 2013

Mini leg workout challenge this week USE THE STAIRS

With a lot of people requesting another mini challenge, I thought I would come to the party as everyone did extremely well with our 1000 squats in 5 days last week!!! Jeepers were my legs sore! Yours??? Yes, I know. 


Step it up. Take the stairs challenge


Fitness


This one is pretty easy. I didn't want to stretch our friendship so instead of 200 reps per day, I have dropped it down to 100 step ups per day over the next 5 days = 500! Which simply means, go hard for 60 seconds and slow for 30 seconds. 

Example 20 step up x 5 sets

The aim of this challenge is to get your heart rate up and I will be doing mine as part of my interval training which gets my heart pumping and body sweating. So just because you go up a flight of stairs everyday at your apartment block, at work etc... you're not really working up a sweat are you?

For those unable to do this type of interval work, simply take the stairs and avoid any escalators and lifts. This also applies to parking. Park as far away from wherever you are going so it forces you to make more steps in your day!

Food

Our Stand Up And Be Rawesome challenge AKA #standfullyraw is going great guns and people on Instagram have been tagging some amazing meal ideas. Here are just a few AMAZING people that I truly adore and they inspire me daily!!!! YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW THEM if you are on Instagram.

justglowingwithhealth
purtyvicky
realfood4thought
rawnaeima


Fully raw meal ideas 


We have been enjoying our juices and smoothies this week, here's just a few of our favourite ones.

Banana chocolate smoothie

2 bananas
1tsp vanilla essence
1tsp chia and sesame seeds
1 scoop of 180 Nutrition chocolate protein powder
handful of walnuts
almond milk

Chocolate smoothie

Strawberry banana and coconut smoothie

2 bananas
1 punnet of strawberries
1 scoop of 180 Nutrition coconut powder
almond milk


Strawberry banana smoothie


Here was our lunch today, my Dad loves french toast. I made it with a twist.

French Toast club sandwiches

Simply mix eggs, a splash of water with salt and pepper, dip in wholemeal bread and cook in olive oil until golden brown. Drain on paper towel and start building your club sandwiches. 

We had smoked ham, parmesan cheese with spinach. Amazing!


French toast club sandwiches

BTW here's a picture of Zali and I with our final squat last week. She's a trooper. Monkey see, monkey do. Or is it like Mother like Daughter?


Drop it like a squat

Please note, I was heading out that evening so all I had to do was put on my stiletto's and a leather jacket and my rockstar outfit was complete. I am loving Lorna Jane's active gear and loved Lorna's twitter back to me when she saw this pic: 

"Your Active Life extends beyond the walls of the gym. It's for the girl on the go - glad you love it. Lx" 

Love it I do, Lorna. Thanks for being such a great designer. 

Goodnight from me. Until we meet again xx Dani



This post is proudly sponsored by 1st Available. Click now to register for free.


Sunday, 31 March 2013

April Challenge STAND UP AND BE RAWESOME


Here we go again. Another month, another brand new challenge. What are your thoughts on this one??? 

STAND UP AND BE RAWESOME





Fitness


It's all about legs this month as we tone them with various lunge, step ups, side lunges, DB split squat etc....for those that go to the gym you can use the gym equipment there and challenge your routine this month. Try to base it like our push ups routine and allow a day of rest every second day.

For everyone else, here are some other ideas;

Skinny Ms killer leg workout 

Rear lunges with or without dumb bells





Dumb bell home leg exercises 

Bulgarian split squat





For my male readers wanting more challenges give these workouts a go!






Muscular and Strength 3 week cycle workout

I'll be focusing on cycling over the next few months so I will be incorporating some bike interval training.

NB: all these hyperlinks have their own workout regime so simply choose which one suits you. 

As some of you are aware, I follow the Fit Yummy Mummy fat loss system. I will be incorporating my leg workout as part of my interval training. I only workout 15 minutes per day and find it's the best workout for me, especially being able to workout in the comfort of my own home.

For those interested in following me, you have an exclusive 50% discount offer via my blog link here. You get an ebook that is jam packed with various exercises, meal planning ideas and much! much! more! What's even better, it is only $19. It also includes a free 30 day trial at Clubfym as you get ongoing support there for a monthly membership fee. 
I have been following this program for the past 6 years and can't recommend it highly enough. Please let me know how you go.  

Combine this FYM workout plan with Sarah Wilson's I QUIT SUGAR cookbook and you are set to go! Superb recipes to keep you on track and curb those old sugary habits. (especially after the Easter Bunny made a special appearance this weekend) It has changed my life and that is why I would like to share what has worked for me.




Fit Yummy Mummy Dani Stevens Mother of 4



Food

You may recall my interview a few weeks ago with Kristina Carrillo-Bucaram co founder of Fully Raw and found it so intriguing that someone could just eat plant based foods, raw! No meat, no eggs, no milk. So while we have been doing our #pushupsgreens challenge this month and increasing our greens, it just made sense to continue this next challenge journey and try it myself and GO RAW FOR 30 DAYS!!!

You in? 

1st-30th April 2013

I just grabbed myself a copy of The Raw Food Diet Plan from the lovely Laura Jane from The Rawtarian so go check that out as it is jam packed with a starter kit, shopping list, meal planner, recipes and MUCH MUCH MORE!!!! Preparation is the key and this girl has it nailed everywhere!

There are a couple of reasons why I want to do this. Firstly, Oscar my second (5yo) son is dependant on OsmoLax which assists in the treatment of constipation. Kristina has been able to coach people through migraines, cardiovascular disease, obesity, constipation, diabetes, arthritis, depression and cancer. The list goes on. So really there are three reasons why I want to do this. 

Secondly, my mother suffers from chronic arthritis and travels to Serbia every European summer to get some heat into her bones. 

Then of course there is the dreaded C word!!! I have had many family members die from cancer, my father thankfully survived prostate but my poor Grandfather endured the most painful death in Serbia and died at home as his prostate cancer spread to his bones and lungs. 

I am encouraging my mother to do this with me and continue to do so when she goes to Serbia for 6 months this year. My mother is constantly living under the fear of cancer as she has ongoing tumours that need to be tested frequently. The burden of this worry is overwhelming and I truly hope we can make a difference with the food we eat. We can only try?


But it's Autumn? I don't want to eat cold food

I know, I know, some of you are based in the autumn month and it's going to get cold for us. Who wants to eat cold food, right? I was initially going to run this challenge in our summer around Oct/Nov but then that wouldn't be fair to my other readers? So for those of you enjoying the sunny Spring season, you have no excuse but to do this with me! Right? Regardless, I didn't want to make it easy for me (as I always like to take the short cuts) I just decided I wanted to do this now, regardless if it's going to be in the colder months. 

So I am going to do this. 

WE ARE GOING TO DO THIS! 

Am I fully raw prepared? No. Do I think I can do it. Yes. Maybe I'll fail but I hope to be at least 80% raw. All I know is that I will try my hardest. I am constantly researching and will share all the things I come across. Likewise those of you that are already on this raw journey, please assist us as we embark on this new lifestyle. Everyone is different, some of you will be hardcore like me, others want to try it as much as they can and for everyone else...I just really want you to at least try one dish that is raw daily.

30 days fully raw challenge

Level 1 100% we go exclusively raw 

Level 2 If you can't live without certain foods example: yogurt, eggs, fish etc...you can allow this and ensure the rest of your food is fully raw

Level 3 Have at least 1 serve of raw food daily eg: apple, raw almonds, salad 


Kristina is a fabulous resource and has everything covered at her Fully Raw website and will be our support coach over the next 30 days.

She believes to be FullyRaw is to live a lifestyle that includes eating a diet composed of 100% organic fruits & vegetables, nuts, and seeds in their natural and uncooked states.

To feel Raw is to feel 100% confident, happy, and pure in your skin. Many who are trying to live healthfully on a raw foods diet often struggle because they have no guidance, knowledge, or support. Many fall off the wagon of health a
nd wonder why they cannot stabilize their eating habits or find balance in food choices. Everyone comes from a different place in his or her life, and we all need hand holding and personalized attention to bring us to our next elevation.

To live as FullyRaw is to be dedicated to respecting and honoring your body as a temple where only 100% of the purest food enters within it.


Imagine the day where you find complete confidence in your body, your choices, and in your life. Envision health, clarity, health, freedom, and self-love. When we are invigorated and inspired, we are living Rawfully happy. When we are FullyRaw, we change the world.


If you have any questions check them HERE first. I know this will be a new way of living for most of us. I too will be learning each day and will rely on others to help me answer your questions, if I haven't already researched it. 


What does it mean to be fully raw?

Here are some sensational FAQ's on Fully Raw and our 80/10/10;


80% comes from Carbohydrates = FRUIT
10% comes from fat = NUTS AND SEEDS
10% comes from protein = GREENS AND VEGGIES AND FRUIT

2 lbs of leafy greens has more protein than steak!

Steak = 25 g of protein, 40% is absorbed b/c it's animal based
2 lbs of leafy greens, 60-70g of protein!!!! 99.9% absorbed into your bloodsteam = plant based!
2000 calorie diet, 80/10/10 = 1600 calories from fruit, 200 calories from fat, 200 calories from protein (greens)
16 bananas (100 calories per banana), 2 heads of greens, very small handful of nuts or seeds

So what can we expect to eat in a day?

Kristina says the number #1 reason people fail eating raw long term = THEY DO NOT CONSUME ENOUGH CALORIES. Check out what she eats in one day below....




Another great resource for us will be www.cronometer.com so go there and register for free and get some menu ideas and your daily calorie intake per fitness level etc..... I will also post what I am eating over the next 30 days.

Make sure you subscribe to Kristina's YouTube channel as she has some amazing dishes, so we won't miss our "once upon a time" non raw foods. Here's her Alfredo cauliflower cheese pasta! 





Facebook

I was hoping to set up a group under Fitness Food And Style Challenges so we can help one another over there as well. What suits you best? Having discussions on my blog, Facebook or both? 



This HUROM juicer baby will be my best friend over the next 30 days. If you need a new juicer or one like mine, you can go shopping and check some out HERE


Hurom juicer

So who's with me? Let's make this a RAWESOME month!!!

XxDani




Tuesday, 25 December 2012

Merry Christmas 2012 ~ squat challenge ends

Hello all, just a quick post to wish you all a wonderful Christmas, may you enjoy this day with your family and friends.


Merry Christmas from all of us



Here are the past few days of our squats challenge, which officially ends today. It has been sensational and I am so grateful for all those that participated even if you were not able to share your pictures. I really appreciate all your comments here, on Instagram and Facebook etc... YOU ROCK!!!


Squats challenge

NB: there are some poses where I have just made it on time for the camera to say SNAP! So please ignore my kneeling positions as THESE ARE NOT SQUATS. I have a wall squat pictured above showing you that your knees should not go past your toes and your butt just goes back in a seating position.

Be safe, be Merry and don't over indulge like me!!!! I am hopeless when it comes to food around this time of year. So I look forward to another challenge with you next month.

BTW what's a Christmas squat challenge without a squat with the big fella himself!!! YAY!! I did it, 25 squats per day for the last 25 days GRAND TOTAL of 625 squats!!! Can't forget the additional 200 I did, so I officially did 825 squats. WOO HOO!!!!




For my results come check them out on my Facebook or Instagram page, there you will also see the ab fab challenge coming soon in January. Do you like to plank??? If so, come follow me.

Again, Merry Christmas to you and your family. Have a beautiful day!!!

Xx Dani