Monday, 9 June 2014

Keep up the results and the motivation during winter!

Keep up the results and the motivation during winter!

Now that it’s starting to get a little chilly, the last thing you want to do is roll out of bed at 6am and hit the gym. Or fit in a quick workout on the way home when a hot dinner and passing out on the lounge sounds way more tempting!

My name’s ASH and Here’s my 5 hot tips to keep your results up and motivation high while the temperature drops this winter…

11.     Always have your gym clothes ready to go, and keep them somewhere warm.
Even pop them in the dryer while you’re in the shower, or wear them to bed (if you're that    desperate!)


22.     Have a really good warm up
When our muscles and joints are cold we are more prone to injury and strains. To get the most out of your workout make sure you warm up well before and cool down and stretch afterwards.

Here’s a great interval style workout to get you warmed up and ready!
Choose your weapon of torture (treadmill, x-trainer, rower, stairs, a hill on the way to the gym….)
30 seconds easy pace, 30 seconds hard out, 30 seconds easy, 30 seconds hard…repeat till you get warm!
I find the x trainer and the rower great for this as it puts our bodies through movements we will actually use!

33.     Keep up the good work with your nutrition!
There’s no point living on green smoothies and poached chicken salad in summer, only to replace it with heavy pastas and hot chocolates during winter. Don’t undo all your good work! You can still have comfort food just trick it up with healthy alternatives! Instead of hot chocolate have tea, and “crowd out” with lots of hearty veggie cassseroles and light curries so you’ve got no room to eat crappy food. We can use winter to build muscle and strength by eating a bit more, but that doesn’t mean you have to go overboard (“I’m Bulking” doesn’t give you a license to induce heart disease and obesity over winter…)

Boil veggies (my favourite is pumpkin and sweet potato or cauliflour and leek) add some protein (chicken or lean bacon), add water, stock, herbs and blend! Easy, yummy SOUP!
(If you need the carbs serve with a side of wholemeal brown toast or brown rice.)



44.     Plan out your workouts the night before, or better yet save yourself the time and get a personal trainer to do it for you!
Planning out an effective workout programme helps you stay on pointe with your goals and results. Plus it gets you in and out of the gym quicker, meaning you can have a bit of a sleep in, WINNING!
Plan for a months worth of workouts, and have a small goal at the end of each week (e.g. lift heavier, run further), with a big one at the end!


55.     Plan a little reward each time you hit a goal
That’s not an excuse to have a gigantic cheat meal (like The Rock), I mean schedule a massage, make a new workout playlist, make a great HEALTHY meal, go the movies, get some fresh new Nikes….
The options are there, just make them good ones, don’t reward yourself for having a great workout week by ruining your consistent efforts!




There you have it, keep up the great work!  - Ash

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