Work it to the bone: Ten basic work out tips

Do you remember that scene in last years movie 'Hercules' where he is chained and breaks free while screaming "I aaaam Hercules!"? He is Hercules, the man with the extraordinary power, the man with the legendary name. When I say Hercules, the ones who know the story will think of power. I am, not Hercules of course, but one of what I call, self-motivational speakers. When I hit the gym to do strength training, in my mind I become one of these legendary figures that I associate with power. While lifting weights my mind goes "I am Herculesss", and the weights go up in the air like they are feathers. That is wishful thinking, but it makes exercising a whole lot easier because I believe in their power, and therefore in mine. Motivate that mind and your body will do the rest.  As a gym junky by heart I have done all the don'ts before I discovered the do's.  I am by no means a fitness expert, but I love to give you tips that worked for me. So let's get started with some of my basics.

1. Confucius once said: “Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life." That counts for everything you do. A workout will feel less of an effort if you enjoy doing it. If you are an outdoorsy type, don't spend hours on a treadmill or elliptical indoors. If you like swimming, don't go running because you have to.

2. If you are adventurous, do step out of your comfort zone and try things you have never done before. You haven't failed until you quit trying.
3. Rome wasn't built in a day. Start slow, be patient and manage you expectations. Results will come just make sure you have got the basics right. Set a realistic goal and always keep that end result in mind, even when things don't go the way you want to. Think about where you want to be and do it. Procrastination won't give you that lean body you are hoping for. Better be sore than sorry.
4. Get informed. Being the next hit on Youtube in a video called "sports bloopers" or "the guy/girl and the flying dumbbells" might not be the fame you are aiming for.
5. Dumbbells are your new best friends. If you want a result that lasts you need to combine cardio with strength training so you can build lean muscle mass, which elevates your metabolism and burns more fat, even when you are not working out.
6. Ass to the grass. Target your largest muscles if you want to boost your metabolism by doing squats, deadlifts and lunges.
7. Team up. To get the best out of yourself team up with the "gym" expendables. The best of the best is your new daily crew. The Usain Bolt of your gym will make you run faster, and the Ronnie Coleman of your gym will make you lift weights like you never did before.
8. Dare to do different! For the best results change your workout routine frequently, preferably every 4-6 weeks. If you lack inspiration there is a lot of information and schedules that you can find online. Join Facebook groups such as Womens/mens health, FitnessRX for women.  Most fitness gurus have websites, Instagram or Facebook where you can follow them and get the tips you need. I personally combine weight training sessions with kettle bell training, the TRX or the Tabata app that I have downloaded on my phone.
9. Go and get TABATAnized! I am very impressed by the results of this high intensity interval training that consists of eight rounds of ultra-high intensity (bodyweight) exercises in a 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off interval. The duration of one Tabata circuit is four minutes and the exercise options are endless. Mountain climbers, jump lunges, push-ups,  you are like a kid in a candy store,  just mix and match!  
10. Abs are made in the kitchen.  Your car does not run without fuel, so make sure you put high quality gas in that tank. I have the 90%-10% principle, which means I eat 90% clean and give myself a break the other 10%. Balance between the right carbs, protein and healthy fat will get you lean.

Be happy,

~Ilona~

follow me on bloglovin

 

How to get into the runners mindset

How come New Year’s resolutions seem to be so much less appealing on New Year’s morning when you wake up and the only word you can stutter is; detox? That morning on January 1st is not the ideal foundation for the healthy eating plans and not for that long procrastinated run either. I realized that when I was stumbling around Berlin the morning after, wasting my time looking for healthy food while all the stores were closed and the only thing I could find were bratwursts. If I wasn't a vegetarian I would have definitely bought one, people were chewing on them like it was their mission to slaughter them for the second time. I there and then decided that I would never start my New Year’s resolutions on January 1st anymore. My advice would be to start a bit later or at the beginning of December instead, so you can guilty free chew on those cinnamon rolls on Christmas day.

Even for a gym junky like me a daily shot of endorphins can lose its glory sometimes. So, how to write a motivational piece about New Year’s resolution workouts without the standard ‘Ten tips how to lose ten pounds in ten days’ list? First of all, you have decided to hop back on that trainings wagon and that's half the battle. Congratulations! I am proud of you. The key ingredient to success is to set a goal and get into the right mindset to achieve it. To keep myself going, I always sign up for a half marathon in the second week of January. Although I am not a rookie when it comes to endurance training, the 21k/13miles running distance is not something I am a big fan of. Going out in the cold week in week out to train a certain amount of kilometers can often feel like torture to me.

Last year I have read some articles about the law of attraction that explained that thoughts and feelings become things. In short, you will become what you think. While reading I became really enthusiastic. I figured it could help me improve my running times without putting more effort into it, just as long as I was thinking, I am a runner! This is what I do. A week or two before a half marathon I get into the mindset of a professional runner. In my mind I start to live like a runner, adjust my diet, eat, breath and sleep like a runner. I keep telling myself I run faster every day. In my mind I imagine I am running that competition effortlessly and having that proud feeling when I cross the finish line. On the day of the competition, even when my knees and legs start to hurt towards the finish line, giving up never crosses my mind. Believe it or not, my mind exercise resulted in faster running times. 

You don't have to be perfect. Reaching your goals starts with getting into the right mindset and believing in yourself. As Henry Ford said;" Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you are right." Get in front of the mirror and imagine yourself being a 20 pounds less you, who lifts weights at the gym as if they are light weighted Birkin bags or a six-pack of Heineken. Become that runner, that bodybuilder or that amazing swimmer in your mind. Now that the right mindset is established I wouldn't want to hold my workout tips from the ones who were actually excited about the ‘10 tips how to lose weight’ lists. I will share my training experiences with you on a monthly basis and will post that list soon.

Be happy,
˜Ilona˜