I've ditched my £30 gym member ship, and extra travel costs, so the only pounds I'm loosing are the ones around my bum and tum! I've tried something new: fitness videos from the comfort of my own home! When I had my gym membership I was going only 3-4 days a week, mainly because it took a while to get there and back so I wasn't really motivated to go. Now however, I workout 5-6 days a week and I work hard. I can own the red-faced-and-sweaty look and not worry about being seen and I can groan and pant without drawing attention to myself, it's fantastic. Plus it saves me a lot of money that I could otherwise spend on shoes! So what do you need to start shedding pounds and saving money?
Dumbbells
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| You can buy dumbbells on Amazon from £5! |
Okay so you may need to buy these but they are cheap so it balances out in the long run. Most of the workouts that you should be doing will require dumbbells. Simple moves like squats with arm curls incorporate a lot of muscles and get you an even bigger calorie burn, and they save time! Lifting will not give you a body like Jason Statham, girls, if you want lift and tone your body then you can't shy away from chest presses or lunges. If you want to lift your ass then you have to lift heavy (as heavy as you can).
A Mat
Nothing fancy here, this one is purely for comfort. Your living room, dining room or bedroom floor might not be so comfy and you need a good surface when you're hammering those fire hydrants! A mat is also an essential if you're winding down with some yoga. Yeah, you might need to buy your own mat as well *eye roll* but they're cheap and so the price of dumbbells and a mat is way cheaper than one month at the gym.Fitness Videos
Not sure about lifting? How often? Which moves? What is life!?
Well, fitness channels on Youtube come in super handy when you're unsure about an area of fitness or even nutrition. A lot of certified nutritionists have Youtube channels with their own advice videos on fat burning foods, healthy carbs, getting enough protein and basically ALL the areas that beginners are unsure of.
Working out to a fitness video is sort of like having a personal trainer right there with you, they tell you exactly what to do so you know for a fact that you're getting an effective workout. Getting the right balance between strength and cardio can be hard when you're a beginner, luckily there are loads of videos that feature a combination of both! If you're not in the mood for cardio though, why not try a yoga or Pilates routine? Forget paying extra on top of you gym membership, everything you need is accessible from your laptop!
Apart from certain Youtube videos, I cannot rave enough about The 30 Day Shred by Jillian Michaels. The 30 Day Shred combines strength, cardio and abs and is split into three levels so you do each level for 10 days. The dvd workout is designed to shred fat and build lean, toned muscle and you better believe it WORKS- but only if you work too. I'm on day 14 and I can already see the difference in my body and I can really feel my stamina elevating, crazy right? Try it! I personally also do some extra cardio to really maximize my results.
Here are my Four Favorite Free Fitness channels:
Jessica Smith TV:
She's a SHAPE magazine contributor and a certified fitness coach and she does not mess around. Jessica has 150 effective workouts on her channel, all free, and she offers positive motivation during each one. My favorite routine on Jessica Smith TV is her 'HIIT Cardio and Core Mashup', that one really makes you sweat but she also has some really great yoga videos on her channel too. Check out her channel here: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCB7wvgp4HUBe5TD10jIgxDg
Fitness Blender
These guys post 4-6 new workouts every week so you can always switch up your routine to keep your body challenged. As well as a range of workouts, beginner mode to beast mode, Fitness Blender also post regular videos in which they discuss things like: the best post-workout snacks, food shopping for weight loss and the best cardio for weight loss- all the things that you may want to know if you're serious about reaching your goals.
My favorite Fitness Blender video is a bit of a toughie, the '1000 Calorie Workout Video' sounds intimidating but actually this workout incorporates strength and cardio so it isn't a monotonous routine. It's over before you know it... Or at least, it gets you a giant leap closer to that bikini!
Get sweating to a video ASAP, here: http://www.youtube.com/user/FitnessBlender
Blogilates
Get ready to work with cheery certified fitness instructor Cassey Ho! Her channel features a range of awesome POP Pilates body sculpting workouts that will help you get in great shape. Cassey motivates you through each workout and encourages you to keep one eye on your goal while you work and when the burn gets tough, upbeat motivation is exactly what we need! Along with her fitness routines there are also many advice videos and yummy (yet oh-so-healthy) easy to make recipes. My personal favorite on the Blogilates channel is Cassey's 'Bikini Blaster 1! HIIT IT HARD!' a little bit of HIIT cardio and strength never hurt nobody, actually that's a lie but the pain is worth it! HIIT IT, here: http://www.youtube.com/user/blogilates
Livestrong Woman
This channel offers a bit of everything and it's all free! The Livestrong Woman Channel is dedicated to helping you on your way to becoming a fitter you, I would recommend browsing this channel for scrumptious recipes, toning and sculpting routines, and awesome advice. It's like a fitness community that's dedicated to all things healthy. Livestrong Woman offers high and low intensity routines, tune in to their 'Total Body Holiday Yoga Workout' for a chilled session. Or try something a little harder, it's all here: http://www.youtube.com/user/LivestrongWoman/videos
An Image Of Success
For motivation purposes! It can be so tough to stay motivated and when we aren't feeling inspired enough then we're more inclined to throw in the towel or in this case, the dumbbell. So to stay positive, pumped and motivated we need to keep in our heads an image of success that reminds us of the bigger picture. Here are a few ideas:
- Although I don't recommend bombarding yourself with pictures of airbrushed women, if sticking a picture of the gorgeous Beyonce on your fridge keeps you motivated then stick her on there! There's no harm in looking to celebrities for inspiration, just remember that perfection isn't a realistic goal- we all have little bumps and creases.
- Bookmark an amazing pair of jeans, a size smaller than you are now. Work hard and stick at it and they will be yours. Look at the jeans when your short on motivation to do a workout. Remember, that workout is your little stepping stone to getting what you want!
- Booked a summer holiday somewhere hot? Keep a picture of that place in the area where you workout. Not feeling the last set of squats? Awh, too bad. Look at the picture of that pretty beach, you wana look hot on that beach? WELL SQUAT SO YOU LOOK HOT ON THAT BEACH! Now drop and give me 20 ;)
- Make a little brain storm of motivational quotes, a few words of wisdom could steer you on the right path
- When loosing weight, it's so easy to be self critical and that's why it's crucial to make the very most of your body positive days. Whatever it is: if your hair looks nice, your old tshirt feels looser on you, your new bra makes your boobs look awesome- write it down. Celebrate your body!
Healthy Eating (simplified)
You will need to do your research into healthy eating but here are a few pointers
- Never eat any less than 1200 calories a day, if you do you're body's metabolism will slow down and, in short, you'll just gain weigh so stop that!
- Fruit and Veg is cheaper on market stalls than in the super market
- Lean meat is cheaper in a butchers than it is in super markets
- Eat within half-1 hour of waking up
- Eat a good breakfast
- Eat 5 times a day to rev up your metabolism. It's about eating healthy, not less
- Healthy eating 80% of the time and treats 20% of the time
- Be mindful of what you eat
- Be creative, there are so many yummy healthy recipes to help you make healthy eating interesting. Don't make it a punishment!
- Check out some easy to prepare fat burning meals here: http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20678467,00.html
- DON'T cut out carbs, they give you energy, regulate blood sugar and contain fiber that makes you loose weight.
- Healthy carbs: veggies, Sweet potato, BROWN rice, BROWN pasta, Wholewheat bread (fewer ingredients the better), beans, oatmeal
- Lean & Healthy sources of Protein: Turkey, Chicken, Fish, beef, eggs, broccoli, chickpeas, humus, almonds
- Drink plenty of water, minimum of 2 liters a day (if your pee is dark, drink more)
- Don't exclude fats, again just regulate fats in your diet
- Bad fat = Saturated fat
- Healthy fats: almonds, avocado, oily fish, olive oil
Most of all
Don't give up! Even if you caved in and ate a liter of ice cream, tomorrow is a whole new day.
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