Wednesday’s Workout| Plank Challenge

 

Who’s ready to get some amazing abs? I’m sure the thought of bikini season being just around the corner is pushing you to try a tone up a little so you are your most confident on the beach. Now abs are completely made in the kitchen, so if you are wanting some definition yes you need to work out your core but you also need to shed the fat so you can show off your new abs.

One of the most effective moves for toning the whole of your core is the plank. Not only is it effective, it is super simple to do, requires no equipment and only takes minutes to work you hard. You can see all the muscles that the plank works in the picture above.

The Tone It Up Girls know that the plank is a super effective and have started a challenge of their own the; #bikiniseries5minplank challenge… yes we even have our own hashtag! You can see mine and others attempts in the picture above, but follow everyone’s journey on instagram and Twitter with the hashtag. So the challenge is fairly self explanatory we are aiming to hold a 5 minute plank in 6 weeks time. Yes it seems like a long time! I’m still a long way off, with my max being 1.25, however each day I rack up more seconds so I should be there in 6 weeks!

I have only been doing the challenge for 7 days but already I am seeing great results. My abs are definitely stronger, especially my lower abs, I feel more toned and solid… if you know what I mean… less jiggly! So I could not recommend this challenge enough!

If you want to plank it out and mix it up a little, the below video is a great super short workout that is full of modified planks. It is only about 7 minutes long and you hold each move for around 30 seconds, so it is very manageable if you are a beginner, but the length of means it is still a good workout for those that are a little fitter. I cannot recommend the plank enough! If you want to have a toned core in time for your bikini then start today you will soon see results within a few weeks.

What do you think of the plank? Are you a lover of a hater of it? Which other abs moves do you recommend?

Don't forget to check out my blogger of the week Rhiannon from The Barbelle. If you enjoy my fitness and health posts you will love her blog. It is crammed full of fitspiration!

Come on Sunshine| Nails Inc Springtime Shades

 

Where has spring gone? Normally May is such a reliable month, but this May it poured down on my birthday and I’ve barely seen the sun! In protest of the none existent springtime up here in  Cumbria I decided to try out my newest Nails Inc collection that my gorgeous friend bought me for my birthday… she knows me so well!

As it was a collection of 5 I thought it was best to swatch each one onto each of my fingers so I could show you them all at the same time. At first I was going to remove the multi-coloured look I had going on before I went to work the next day however I decided to keep it on and embrace the colourful look….it’s a good job I had no meetings the next day. It’s not the most professional nail art I have worn but it was definitely the brightest and definitely made me smile everytime I looked down at my keyboard and saw my nails. I embraced the look for a few days until someone said that it reminded them of the circus and clowns. Upon mentioning clowns, that was all I could think about whenever I looked at my nails, which isn’t great for a person with clown phobia!

I do love the look, but don’t think I will be wearing them all at once again. My favourite’s out of the bunch are York Street and Westferry Circus, mainly as they are two shades that I don’t have already. The others I have a number of nails varnishes that are of about the same shade.

Have you ever worn colourful nails to make your day a little more cheerful? Which of the above shades is your favourite? Which Nails Inc shades would you recommend  me to try next?

Don't forget to check out my blogger of the week Cantara from Gym Bags and Glad Rags. If you enjoy my fitness post you will fall in love with her blog. She is a stunner with a great blog!

Fitness Friday| Healthy Snacking| Fun Fruit

 

A foodie post for you all today. I’m really trying to make significant changes to my diet at the moment and have found that if I plan and prepare my meals then I am more likely to eat healthier. I decided that my diet needs to change as my fitness regime is pretty much there now, as in I am loving exercising and have to do it 5/6 times a week otherwise I go stir crazy. I pretty much hate my rest days and when I injured my leg the other day my first thought was “ oh no, I won’t be able to workout” I pretty much panicked. I know that I am going to have to rest it so that it recovers quickly, but my days feel incomplete if I haven’t worked out.

My diet on the other hand needs to improve, I still give into my cravings which is ok every now and again but not all the time. I need to eat less processed food and less sugar. So the snacks I am sharing with you above are perfect! Yes they do have sugar in them due to the fruit and little amount of chocolate spread, but they are a healthier alternative to chocolate bars or cake.

The snacks are super easy to make for the Banana Bites all you need it Nutella and a banana… these remind me of banana and Nutella crepes that I used to live on when I lived in France. You simply slice the banana then spread the Nutella onto one piece of banana and top with a second to make a little Banana Sandwich.

For the Apple Chunks you need Peanut Butter, desiccated coconut and an apple. Slice an apple and chop off the end so they are flat, this gives you an area for coat with peanut butter. After spreading on the peanut butter sprinkle desiccated coconut on top. The Apple Chunks are great to prepare for the next day in the office. I tend to have half in the morning and half in the afternoon. The Banana Bites I have in the evening if I’m craving something sweet.

Snacking is very important if you are trying to watch your weight as having a healthy snack between your meals can help reduce the amount you eat during your meals, it ensures that you don’t over eat as you are never hungry. If you prepare a healthy snack and have one to hand you are less likely to grab something unhealthy on the move. You should always have some fruit of nuts in your bag to ensure you don’t grab a bag of crisps or chocolate bar while at the train station etc. A healthy snack that is made up of complex carbs, protein and health fats increases your energy levels for a longer period of time than a sugary snack does. This will ensure that you don’t have the 3 o clock slump in the afternoon.

Nutritional value (approx..)

Banana Bites - Calories-205 carbs- 27g Fat-6g Protein-3g

Apple Chunks - Calories- 225 Carbs-27g Fat- 12g Protein-0g

 

Don't forget to check out my blogger of the week Cantara from Gym Bags and Glad Rags. If you enjoy my fitness post you will fall in love with her blog. She is a stunner with a great blog!

Wednesday's Workout| Tone your Muffin Top & Love Handles

Firstly I would just like to thank each and every one of you for your amazing comments on the progress picture I posted on Friday. Your feedback has completely overwhelmed me and made me very proud of my achievements so far, however it is has also encouraged me to work harder so that my next progress picture will be just as impressive. I was literally brought to tears by some of your kind words; I've even had old uni friends comment on how much better and happier I look.Yesterday my Granddad rang me to inform me that he'd read my blog and just wanted to let me know how amazing I look and how proud he is of me. All of your support and amazingly kind comments always make my low days easier, and they always encourage me to lace up my trainers and drag myself out for a run when I really don't want to. So thankyou so much for reading my blog, commenting, tweeting and instagramming me, your support means the world to me.

Anyways enough of the smoochy stuff and onto our next workout! How is your week going? We are now half way through the month, so you should be half way through your newest fitness and health goals... if you aren't what are you waiting for... start now! There are only 6 weeks until summer so if you don't start now, when are you?

This weeks Wednesday Workout is going to concentrate on your muffin-top; that area of fat that sticks out from over your jeans, and Love Handles; the area at the side of your waist. Now you may be very lucky and have very little fat on your lower or side Abs but these workouts will help you tone up so still give them a go. These workouts will work the side, middle and lower Abs. They are both short videos of around 10 minutes long and both incorporate a number of moves all designed to work your Abs. Some of the moves are repeated in both videos, but there are new moves in each video so I wanted to share both of them with you. They are a little tough and will work you hard, but if you do manage them with ease just do the workout another 2 or 3 times to increase intensity. 

Please be warned the intro to the second video is very weird and a little scary so if you scare easily please skip it to 32 seconds in. If you don't scare easy then you will sit and wonder what the hell did you just watch as I do every-time I see it. 

What are your favouirte moves to tone the Muffin Top and Love Handles? Let me know what you think of the workouts. Or if you have any areas you would like to tone and would like me to find a good video for you. Don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube so that you have all the workouts in one easy place! 



Don't forget to check out my blogger of the week Cantara from Gym Bags and Glad Rags. If you enjoy my fitness post you will fall in love with her blog. She is a stunner with a great blog!

Turning 24| My Birthday Celebrations

 

This week was my birthday…. possibly one of my most favourite days in the year. Although it has always been special, it used to have the shine taken off it as it was always in the middle of exam and assignment hand-in time. However now I have finished university I think that my birthday is perfectly placed in the year. It is kind of halfway through the year, so not near Christmas and New Year and overlooked or during the summer so is favoured for Summer Holidays.

I am currently snuggled up on the couch nursing a tiny hangover after celebrating my 24th birthday last night with my boyfriend and closest friends. Matt and I spent Saturday morning baking and cooking ready for everyone to arrive. I made three flavours of cupcake; Oreo, Malteser and Rolo, you can see pictures of my handy work above. Matt made homemade pizzas and potato wedges for dinner… a big carb dinner, perfect to line our stomachs for all the fizzy cocktails.

After getting glammed up, my friends and I all sat around and played the usual drinking games, before heading off into town for more cocktails and some dancing. I haven’t been out partying in my new hometown much and it’s definitely a big change from my old favourite drinking establishments in Newcastle, but we made the most of it. It was actually great to go out to places that weren’t full of idiots and posers. To be able to go out and not worry about what you look like, but rather go out let your hair down and dance like a loon with your friends. We stayed out until closing time, then went back to our apartment and made more pizzas and caught up with The Voice before all passing out. Overall it was a perfect night and a great way to celebrate my birthday. So thank-you to all my gorgeous friends for travelling hundred of miles to visit me, my family for all the love you share with me and my boy for spoiling me like he does everyday.

What’s your preferred way to spend your birthday? A night with the girls, a dinner with family or a weeks worth of celebrations like me (might as well make the most of it!)

Don't forget to check out my blogger of the week Rhiannon from The Barbelle. If you enjoy my fitness and health posts you will love her blog. It is crammed full of fitspiration!