Back and Biceps Training Plan

On Friday we flex! 

              

So today I worked out back and biceps, this workout was made out for me by my brother who isn't a qualified professional so I recommend you go to a personal instructor to find something to suit your own capabilities. However if you are looking to start a weight training program this is how I am doing it.

Deadlifts 4 sets of 8 reps at 40kg 

This was tough and I found myself losing my grip towards the end, this exercise has also lead to th development of lovely baby calluses! 

 N n

However the deadlift is one of the best exercises to target your whole body, back, legs, glutes and arms. 

Bent over rows with a 20kg bar

I did 3 sets of 10, I might start adding weights as these weren't that difficult.

Seated Cable rows 4 sets of 12 at 10kg 

Good posture is essential in these so you don't injure your back and get the full benefit. 

Back extensions or 'good mornings' 

3 sets of 12 

Or 3 sets of 10 weighted

These are great for strengthening your back to enable you to lift heavier on the deadlifts. I haaaated doing thse at the start as I think I'm going to fall flat on my face. 

As always Youtube these exercises if you don't know how to do them, I've been shown them and still have to have a quick search on how to do them. 

Finished off with a bicep barbell curl at 10kg. I did 3 sets of 8 reps, the last set was a real struggle as my muscles were exhausted. 

I did twenty minute HIIT cardio on the elliptical machine and finished off with a plank. My record is still 45 seconds but hoping to build on that! 

Follow me on Instagram @wheelerworksout for meal inspiration and makeup selfies :-) 

Legs and Shoulders Training Plan

First things first, myself or my brother have absolutely no qualifications in exercise or fitness but he does a lot of research and trains himself so this is the plan he devised for me. It's advised you ask a gym instructor in your gym or a personal trainer to devise a plan that will suit you specifically. This is jus the plan that I follow: 

So I start off by five minutes warm up on the treadmill, incline at 3 and speed at 6 for five minutes just to get the blood moving. 

Today is legs and shoulders so funnily enough those will be the two body parts these exercises are aimed at. 

Squats 4 sets of 8 using the bar which weighs 20kg - this was tough the first time I attempted it because I tried it two days after I did deadlifts which killed my legs so you can try doing them unweighted at the start or by using a kettle bell and build up to using the bar. It's important to get your body positioning and form correct. Knees slightly more than shoulder width apart, knees shouldn't go over feet and you should really sit back into the squats. 

If you wanna know why we squat this is why: 

Then comes lunges, I did three sets of twelve today alternating legs. I did the first set with 7.5 kg Dumbbells in each hand but I felt wrecked after the first set so changed down to 5kg dumbells in each hand for the last two sets holding them down by my side while I stepped forward on one leg, touching the other knee of the floor, back up and alternate. Youtube these exercises if you don't know how to do them. You can also do them on a mat so it doesn't hurt your knees. 

Next was leg extensions, I started at 30kg, increasing by 5kg after each set. I did three sets of ten reps increasing the weight each time and then did a drop set where I decreased the weight to 20 kg and did as many as I could til I felt the burn which was 20 reps. You should probably rest between reps or guarantee your legs will feel like jelly. 

Next came leg curls, I did four sets of ten reps at 25kg. You can really feel it in your hamstrings, the trick is to not let the weights touch on the way down. Power up and lower back down. 

You are seriously going to feel the burn the next day, I guarantee. 

Moving onto shoulders, I started by doing three sets of ten reps on the shoulder press. I did ,y first set at 10 kg for ten reps but I just couldn't manage it for the last two and dropped down to 7.5kg. I really struggle on this exercise, I used the machine shoulder press for this as the bar is just to heavy for me at the moment. I'd recommend youtubing the shoulder exercises, I always forget what they are. 

You will need to use the bench in the gym for the next three exercises. Have the bench raised into seated position for the front press and the Arnold press. YouTube these exercises again. These are tough because I have barely any upper body strength. I used 5kg Dumbbells in each hand for these two exercises as well. 

Front press was four sets of eight reps, concentrate on form and your breathing it really does help. I never believed you wou,d actually sweat doing weights! 

I rested between each set and then again before I moved into the next exercise. 

Arnold press I did three sets of eight, then I lowered the bench to a lying down position and sitting forward with my head forward and my arms down I did the rear delt raise. Once again YouTube this as its kind of hard to explain. I did three sets of ten reps using 5kg Dumbbells, I attempted 7.5 kg Dumbbells but my form was all wrong and I was swinging them up. The most important thing is having control over the exercise and he body part you are moving so move down a weight if it's too difficult. 

And that's my legs and shoulders workout! I then did ten minutes cardio on the bike at a high resistance just because I really want to burn fat, I also did the plank three times trying to beat my personal best. Fifty seconds was the longest I managed. 

There really is no better feeling than the feeling you get after a good workout. Keep an eye on the blog for my workout plan for chest and triceps and back and biceps and let me know what you think! Any tips much appreciated also xx

Getting over the Gym fear

So if you have been following my blog you will see I recently posted about the blog taking a slight turn in direction and including not just beauty but health in its content, and really the two go hand in hand. I've decided to grab my fitness goals by the legs and actually do something about my appalling level of fitness. My main goal is to work on my strength. If you have always been one of those people who go to the gym and only use the treadmill then you and I are very alike. My upper body strength is practically non existent as is my core. I don't want to just tone up, I want to be strong. That's where the weights come in! 

As we all know walking into a gym, especially the weights area as a girl, an overweight girl I might add is very intimidating. Luckily my brother had helped me out in that area. It helps having someone who knows what they are doing so I would recommend even doing a session or two with a personal trainer so they can show you around the gym and show you how to use the equipment and how to perform exercises using proper form. 

The workout routine I have been following is three day split. This is basically dividing your workout across three days and splitting up the body parts you work on. One day is back and biceps, one day like today is chest and triceps and another day is legs and shoulders. I do all the same exercises as my brother give or take one or two but I use lighter weights that still challenge me. This has only been my first week of doing the three day split and I am really enjoying it. I did deadlifts for the first time!

The whole idea of doing weights nowadays is because muscle burns more calories, and your overall figure will look a whole lot better than just slaving away on the treadmill. I finish off these workouts with ten minutes of cardio which isn't a lot really but it is high intensity and you are actually wrecked after doing weights exercises more than I ever would have thought. My plan is to build up doing more high intensity interval cardio to burn fat as I do want to lose weight as well as build muscle. One thing at a time though! 

                   

  

How I overcame my gym fear of the weights is simple really: 

1. Everyone is too busy doing their own workout to care about what you are doing or to look at you, so don't be paranoid. 

2. Get someone to show you how to do exercises and put weights on the bars so you actually do have  a basic knowledge of what you are doing. 

3. Focus on the body you want - that isn't going to come from doing the same thing you have always done. If you do that, you will look how you have always looked. 

I'm only starting out and I have to really focus on getting my nutrition right and start back eating clean like when I was following the Volta Fitness program as when the two come together I'm told, I will start to see results. 

A change of direction

I've been thinking about taking the blog in a new direction for a little while now. Whilst I love writing about beauty on a recent college work placement I discovered that health is another topic that I love writing on. Health and fitnes have become more important to me lately what with taking part in the #BeTheBestYou challenge with Claire of Volta Fitness (www.voltafitness.co). I've realised how important it is to incorporate both a healthy diet and exercise into your lifestyle. 

Before I would have been a slave to the treadmill which ultimately isn't giving me the body shape or tone that I want. I was and still am a bit nervous to go anywhere near the muscly sweaty men at the gym who patrol the weights area like it is their own stomping ground. Over the last little while however my brother has been putting me through my paces in the gym showing me how to lift weights, and I have to say it is addictive. I've only been in the gym two days with him and my legs, back and shoulders are in absolute bits but I want to pursue it. It is so much more fulfilling feeling strong and feeling the effects of a workout that involves lifting weights than a workout that involves twenty minutes cardio on the treadmill and a few feeble attempts at ab work. 

In order to achieve the results that I want it will be baby steps. "Progress not perfection" is a quote that taps into the sort of mindset you have to have. 

The purpose of this blog post anyway is to let you all know that I won't be focusing predominantly on beauty/fashion any more. Instead I want to incorporate healthy eating and exercise also perhaps charting my progress towards my fitness goal. Hopefully those of you who already follow me will support me in this and it can turn into a collaborative effort! I will still be posting beauty reviews, etc but it will be taking more of a turn towards fitnes and health posts as well. I find reading fitness blogs very is inspirational and I am hoping to carve out a little motivational section on the web for myself too.  I'm going to see how it goes on my blog for a while, but if I do end up predominantly posting on fitness and health I may decide to go for a re branding of the blog under a different name. This is only the beginning :)