Day 18
Looking FIT is Being FIT??
COMPLETELY oversleeping for breakfast, I still wake up feeling strong and fierce. Last night's dinner party was a treat with a healthy salad, I prepared containing chick peas, sun dried tomatoes, brocolli, avo, danish feta, mint and almonds. Wishful thinking I was getting out of the delicious butter chicken curry the host had prepared, with yellow rice and rotis, which I indulged in both... Plus malva pudding (minus custard) and 4 x Lindt Balls, which apparently are only 78 calories each. A little bit less than 1 medium sized banana (90 cal). So that's 48min of walking to scorch the lil Lindt Lovelies. Obsessed much? No. I try my very best NOT to count what I put in my mouth but if I continue to walk around with my head in the cloud and one hand in the biscuit cupboard in the pantry and the other in the fridge, this entire mission means NOTHING. That being said, it is about a lifestyle. A lifestyle that should be enjoyable and lived. Being a starved skinny miserable hellcat is no life. No thanks. So I stuff the balls down my pie hole and have some chocolate milk when I get home, also telling myself it's okay to not have trained at all today and that in a few hours I am expected on the squash court for a lesson and some fun. At least the organism is well fed for the activities ahead...
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| Lindor Balls weighing in @ 78 cal each |
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| 1 x Medium Banana weighing in @ 90cal |
Play Run + Play Squash
Waiting on courts @ 06:30am at the VA Green Point, to get things going I manage a quick 3.5km.
Legs are strong, feeling light, life is good. Before the game my excellent and patient teacher and I do some warm ups with my favourite MB and stability work on the Bosu.
Squash is good. I am rubbish, apparently my footwork is up to nonsense as I dance around the court trying to figure out the "mental" side of the game. Not taking myself seriously at all, I decide I need to get better if I really want to play the game with boys points. Not girl points. Dehydrated like hell, I push through it all telling myself my human cells consist of 65–90% water, so I should be fine for my personal training session at 10:00, right?
Taking my "Point VA" after taste with me to 360, frustratingly I consult the trainers Mark
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/profile.php?id=743104999&ref=ts, Gareth
http://www.360training.co.za/and Tarryn
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/profile.php?id=788511803&ref=ts about the ultimate aesthetic physique I see around me everyday, especially at the "The Point," what are those people eating? What are they not eating? I see regular cardio regimes, stretching, basic circuit followers and your typical body building strength training practices, no rocket science, no challenging weighted movement patterns, no plyometric training, no monkey bar swinging and definitely no KB training! So what the hell are they doing that I'm not? Somethings got to give. Give a girl a break for crying out loud.
Is diet really 60% of every look? Do these people sacrifice Lindor Balls and butter chicken curries? Do they even know what Lindor Balls are? But damn they look hotttt in the changing rooms, flinging off their towels parading around in lil thongs, while I just wrap myself in my towel like a sausage rolled into a pastry. Don't get me wrong I love sausage rolls but not for my ultimate physique. Wondering why my parents and their parents and their parents wanted to sabotage my body fat percentage so badly by giving me a low Basal Metabolic Rate is beside me.
Several associations between weight and hereditary genetic factors have been identified. For instance a lower-than-average BMR will lead to a tendency to gain weight. Intra-abdominal fat (fat around abdomen) appears to have a genetic link in the majority of cases and in mine too, thanks Dad. There are a few genetic factors that make a difference in how well we build muscle. The number of muscle cells, the length of muscle bellies, our muscle fibre arrangement and muscle cell types all combine to make up our overall genetic potential for building muscle. Not to mention the fat-muscle ratio I got given as well, then there is Thermogenesis too, the stakes are looking rather high for myself and way too much for me to process while fasting.
Science prevails and the simple fact is that some people have better genetic potential allowing them to gain muscle no matter what training program they follow. So for some, a walk every second day, maybe a hike, maybe a Zumba class will result in progress (we can all only always be better versions of ourselves than yesterday), maybe running works for you, maybe its yoga? One just has to decide how badly you want to reach the goals you desire, and how much are you willing to sacrifice? What if your goal is overall fitness?
What is overall fitness?
Physical fitness makes up the 5 components: body composition, cardiovascular fitness, flexibility, muscular strength, and muscular endurance. Because each of these components can be assessed, quantified and measured to give a general idea of a person's physical fitness level.
Some sources might discuss agility, balance, coordination, and speed along with the 5 components of fitness to help clarify the picture of establishing someones fitness level. In addition, you may also find that some sources include mental and emotional health as an important part of overall fitness.
Before my session I know I have most of the above covered and grazed across the ones I'll get to as I eat my elephant. So why can I not see the results I want? Do I sacrifice dinner parties and late night snacking? There is no way I'm cutting out carbs, choc chip peanut butter, dates, avo's and fruit... How would I manage to get through the day without being able to perform physically and mentally? Now you're lean and super fabulous in jeans with no personality because you haven't eaten chocolate since the 90's, can't remember what going to the movies was like because you're afraid of the popcorn and coke combo. I wonder if Posh did research on her genetic potential and hereditary BMR, because she snacks on ice cubes when she's feeling hungry.
"I run four miles (6.5km), seven days a week,” she explains. “I feel energized and healthy — there are really nice gyms here (in California) and I just enjoy it. I need that self-discipline to get up in the morning, drop the kids off at school then go to the gym. And yes, I am eating more. I think you do eat more when you’re working out. And you want to eat healthily, so it’s good all round
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| Even Posh claims exercise helps her "eat" more. Someone somewhere give Posh a protein shake! | |
Play 360
Inspired by Posh's discipline to perform her proclaimed running program, I know that no matter how much training, sweating is done and tears and cravings are had we cannot override our genetic predisposition we can only make the most of what we have. So I put on my brave face and bust out a session with Chris, who trains with me today. Loving every second I try keep up with the tempo he has set and try not to complain through the 1 arm push ups, that is just expected of me. We do dynamic stretching which includes different power yoga moves, stretching out the tight hip flexes, which is great for people who sit in front of their desks working on a computer. Plenty of MD Ball body work as well to challenge the bodies stability, leg and core strength.
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| 1 Arm Push Up, hand on hip |
What Are the Benefits of One-Arm Pushups?
One-arm push-ups are a variation that takes great physical as well as mental strength. Regular push-ups come with a lot of benefits, but being that you are on one arm, those benefits are compounded.
Chest Strength
The chest is always working when doing one-arm push-ups. Both sides get worked independently, which causes more body weight to be used causing gains in strength.
Forearms
The forearms are used to stabilize the wrists when doing one-arm push-ups, so they get contracted, which can strengthen them.
Core Stability
The core really needs to hold the body in place during one-arm push-ups. This can lead to an increase in core stability.
Triceps
The triceps have to do a lot more work because they are carrying more of a load, so this can lead to strength gains.
Shoulders
One more muscle group that can benefit is the shoulders. They are being maximally recruited when you are lowering and rising, so they, too, will become stronger.
Concentration
One-arm push-ups can also help your brain function. When you do them, you need to concentrate, which can enhance your ability to focus.
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| MD Pushup, strengthen my very weak triceps and the chest |
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| Push up rotate |
The value of the medicine ball is that it targets your core strength –
or the area that includes your back and your abs. Strengthening your
core will directly fortify the joints in your elbows, shoulders, and
knees, thus providing more raw power for your arms and legs.
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| Warrior 2, Increases the strength and stamina, stretches and strengthens the legs, shoulders and arms. Opens the chest, thus improving your deep breathing capacity |
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| Warrior
3, stretches the muscles of the thighs and hamstrings, strengthens
legs, back muscles, shoulders and arms while expanding the lungs, chest
and shoulders. | | |
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| An attempt at a weak Pigeon Pose, If done correctly, not seen here, the pigeon pose can elongate the back, open the hips, groin, hamstrings, and relieves pressure on the lower back and sciatica. Your hips are a keystone to your body and its proper functioning. |
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| Rolly |
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| Pollys |
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| The Wheel Pose throws open the chest and lungs, strengthens the legs and hands and abdominal muscles, it stimulates the pituitary and thyroid glands, it helps keep illnesses at bay and helps boost up physical energy!!! |
After the warm up I'm energized for the rest of my core and upper body strength program... planks and plank rotations etc etc etc. KNACKERED.
Day 18 Play Rating
Run
Sweaty t-shirt rating: 7/10
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Squash
Sweaty t-shirt rating: 4/10
@ 594cal
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360 PT
Sweaty t-shirt rating: 4/10
400cal
TOTAL CALORIES BURNT:
994cal
Day 18 Eat
6 dates
handful of almonds
homemade cocktail sausage roll
grilled chicken breast + grilled veg + fried chips
2 x skinny cappucinos
Day 18 Eat Rating
4/10 Poor choices with the pastry + FRIED CHIPSSSS.
Pull yourself together. Fighting genetics is hard enough
