When a friend introduced me to her blog littlestruns I didn’t know I was going to start reading such a motivating story. I expected a running blog but what I got was a real, raw and truthful collection of thoughts from a true Superhero. Laura shares how fitness, including running and training with weights, has given her confidence, self love and enthusiasm for life even after experiencing events which I can’t even imagine having to deal with.

After reading her story and getting to know her through her own words I can honestly say that I am motivated to just get out there and tackle those things that scare me. Because when I see how Laura has taken control of her life, I feel empowered. I hope you do too.

You will see when you read her story that this is about SO MUCH MORE than the physical transformation

First of all, lets start with the most important question of all – what is your fitness story?

I was always fairly active, especially when I was younger. In my second year of university a close friend sexually assaulted me, and this brought up many issues that I hadn’t dealt with as a result of being raped when I was 13. I became incredibly anxious and depressed, and almost killed myself. I gained about 5 kilos (which when you’re about 4ft 9”, is A LOT!) and I lived in my ‘fat day’ clothes. My idea of a meal was often two king size twixes and a packet of crisps. I had terrible insomnia, and I hated the way I looked.

I found being much bigger really hard as I’d always been pretty fit/healthy. I used to hike/gym/play volley and dance as a teenager so suddenly piling on the weight was hard. I used to do some weights back home so when I started lifting again, I remembered how much I loved it.

How and why did you discover fitness?

I really hated the way that I looked- I felt massive. As I fought the depression, I started eating better (actual meals!) and started to exercise again. It wasn’t until I joined twitter that things really started to change. I went on a seminar that was about clean eating (no wheat, no processed foods, single ingredient foods only) I implemented that and my body changed and I started sleeping- actually sleeping, and well! (after having terrible insomnia for about 2 years, this was AMAZING.)

I had always hated running, but started it as part of a challenge at work. I ran a 10km and a half marathon.

After the encouragement of everyone on twitter, I hit the weights area, and I’ve never looked back. The original motivation, other than aesthetics was to help my depression/anxiety and sleeping. I now haven’t had a panic attack in easily 6 months and I get a perfect nights sleep.

I would seriously advise anyone with any issues like that to look at diet and exercise before taking meds.

Check out these big post-run smiles!

How has being fit and strong affected your life so far? and how do you see it working in your future?

Being fit and healthy has made the biggest difference. Conquering the weights room with all those men was very scary… Once I knew I could do that, I knew I could do anything. It’s changed the relationship that I have with my body – if I have a fat day, I think about what my body can do – eg I can leg press more than 2.5x my body weight rather than the fact that I feel squidgy. I feel strong physically and mentally, and it’s amazing.

Its physical strength like this 70kg deadlift that have helped Laura to develop her incredible mental courage

I can’t imagine it not playing a part in my life, if I have kids I want to be known as the really strong mum (though when it occurred to me that I can’t lift weights when pregnant, that made me not want to have them a little!) It is a part of who I am, and I don’t see that changing.

In terms of fitting fitness and healthy living into your everyday life, around all the other activities, what priority does your fitness take?

Fitness is a big priority for me. I normally work out in the morning, then I can’t let the stress of a day or evening plans get in the way. I find the biggest struggle for me is leaving my boyfriend in bed so I can go work out… You can normally find ‘clean’ options in most restaurants, but that I really struggle with. He’s been great at embracing it. His nickname for me is domsy, he loves my muscles and I’m getting him in the squat rack soon.

Thinking back, was there a turning point in your life where you knew that you could never go back to being the person you were before?

There were two points when I realised that I was making a permanent change. The first was when I wrote my suicide note and I couldn’t finish it. In that moment I chose to continue, to fight.

The second was when I started lifting weights. I cannot even explain how much I love it. I was getting stared at in the weights room the other day, not boys checking me out but them being amazed at how much I was lifting. It felt incredible!

The deadlift and resultant booty!

What favourite activities or exercises do you have that you would like to share with the readers?

I’ve recently started to powerlift, so I’d encourage everyone to learn how to deadlift and squat (with an Olympic bar, ass to grass) I’m also a huge fan of Bulgarian split squats and weighted glute bridges. I’ve never has an ass in my life, and now I have a baby booty :-)

What would be your no.1 tip for staying motivated?

I think the most important thing to staying motivated is focusing on more than one thing. So many people get fixated on the scales (they are bullshit – ignore them. The only reason I even have a pair is because power lifting is done in weight classes) being healthy and fit is about so much more than your relationship with gravity – take progress photos, measurements, do you feel better? Do you sleep better, have more energy? Are you stronger, can you run further?

If I ever have a bad session I think of two things: That in January 2012 I could only just do push ups with my knees on the ground, and now I can do clap push ups. In November, when I first lifted an Olympic bar (20kg) It felt crazy heavy. Now I think it doesn’t weigh anything! Being fit and healthy is more than aesthetics. It’s about physical and mental well being.

After her first 10k run Loving every stage of the journey

The biggest external thing that’s helped me achieve my goals and make the progress I have has had to be support. It’s so important to have someone that supports you. Making change isn’t easy, so when you’re having bad moments, you need that person. It doesn’t have to be someone you know. My best friend was vital in me overcoming my depression but the people I know on twitter have been equally as vital with fitness etc. ignore (within reason) anyone that doesn’t support your goals!!

What has been the biggest challenge or misconception?

For me the biggest challenge/misconception is other people and their attitudes.  Most people are very supportive.  When they are not, I found that you need to realise that it says more about them than you. Many people are jealous of, and fear change. Many people do not understand why I lift weights, they often ask how big I want to get etc.. when it’s not about that. I’ve been told that I’ll get huge and that women should only do body weight exercises. The thing to remember is that it is your journey, your body, your fitness, your health. No-one elses.

 ********

Related posts:

1. The Power of Positive Thinking
2. Did You Hate Sport at School? You don’t have to hate Fitness Now! (Interview)
3. Fun Fitness with The Mighty Deer Stalker

This time I am sharing with you a fantastic ‘in progress’ case study. I am so excited to publish this because it is so important to acknowledge the results and successes that we all achieve along the way, even when we are not at our perfect fitness level or we haven’t yet achieved the goal.

So its brilliant that I have had a fantastic, dedicated and enthusiastic woman contact me asking to share her ongoing fitness and weight loss journey. From a childhood of always being overweight but always diewting, she is now choosing fitness to control her weight as an adult. Since deciding to adopt a fitter, healthier lifestyle, she has already lost a stone (6kg) since Christmas! She is powering along, getting fitter, healthier and stronger each week

Judit you ROCK!!

And with that being said…… Please can you share with us YOUR fitness story?

I always hated doing sports at school, I thought it was boring practising all these different sports, but not the one I liked – swimming. I started swimming when I was 9 but had to drop it when I started high school as I had lots to study and not much time to deal with it, after that I have joined the gym many times with no success at all.

Were you fit and healthy as a child?

When I was 4 I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism, this changed my whole childhood as I

 was always tired and under strict diets, at the age of 6 needed a treatment that lasted 6 years. I have followed all type of diets and I have never succeeded losing weight, I will lose some weight over a year, really slowly and then put it back. So, yes I was healthy as I was never allowed to eat fast food or sweets, but I was overweight too.

As a healthy but overweight child

How and why did you discover fitness?

I got to a point recently were I was not happy at all with the way I looked, I tried to avoid the mirror but I knew there was only one way to get to where I wanted, so I discovered JNL Fusion after Faye Robertson the girl behind Fit Girl Factory got certified in Miami, I had a consultation with her and she inspired me to start working out towards my goals, to get fit and healthy.

Judit before starting her new fitness lifestyle.

I have no other reason to get fitter than for myself, but I must admit that I would like to go to my sister in law’s wedding next year looking stunning and feeling happier and healthier than ever.

How has being fit and strong affected your life so far?

I have only been training for just over 2 months but I feel much healthier already, I have so much more energy and my clothes are starting to get baggy, people have started to compliment me and ask what I am doing! I have started to build some muscle and even after my first 3 weeks I had lost around 5 centimetres from my waist and hips.

Looking fresh and feeling healthier after only 2 months!

In terms of fitting fitness and healthy living into your everyday life, around all the other activities, what priority does fitness take?

As I said I have only started, but so far so good, I have stuck it into my daily routine and I do not go to work before training for half an hour, I have started to be more active and I eat very healthy now, also I try to leave the car at home as much as I can and walk instead. If I know that I am not going to be able to exercise in the morning I will make sure I do after work.

What favourite activities or exercises do you have that you would like to share with the readers?

As well as following the JNL Fusion method,  I also bought the Davina McCall Intense Fitness DVD, it is based on the same workouts where you exercise with a combination of 30 seconds of cardio, 30 seconds of weights. I used to hate doing press ups but now I love it because it is not only doing 30 minutes of press ups, I do other exercises in between that make it fun!

What would be your no.1 tip for staying motivated with your fitness?

The best tip would be probably that if you want to start exercising it is not only a wish but a decision that you have to take, get someone involved that will help you stay motivated – your partner, friend, kids, that way you won’t feel alone and there will be someone always to push you if you start making excuses. There are no excuses to miss my workouts now!

if you want to start exercising it is not only a wish, but a decision that you have to take

THANK YOU Judit, so much for this interview – I know people will find motivation in your story and I also know that we can’t wait to hear more about your progress! Keep it up!

And the take-away message from this interview is that it is never too late – even if you have always been overweight, or you have never found a sport that you enjoy – keep looking, keep asking for advice and help. Judit found Faye and a fitness style that works for her. You can too

 

Related posts:

1. Inspirational Interview – Happiness from Fitness
2. Fun Fitness with The Mighty Deer Stalker
3. Fit Girl Faye, transformed herself and now inspires others

It is an extremely important story and one which I am happy to be publishing on the site, to enable sharing with another group, who will not have read it when originally published. I met Jessica online through my JNL Fusion sister Aoife MacIntyre, a Nurse, specialising in mental health and in particular eating disorders, and ambassador for fitness changing lives.

There are so many reasons why we start to exercise and one thing which I feel strongly about is that no one should be criticised or looked down upon for their personal reason. There is no shame in admitting that you were living an unhappy life, maybe using unhealthy behaviours to cope and maybe actually not coping.

This blog post is for anyone who (or knows someone who) has been, or is currently in this situation of hitting rock bottom. This is a from the heart, truthful and raw story of a broken young lady who has rebuilt her life and body, to now be a sponsored athlete and fitness role model.

Thank you so much for sharing  :-)

Blog in aid of eating disorder awareness week

Related posts:

1. Inspirational Interview – Happiness from Fitness

Now that I know her better and know more about her inspiring story, I am really really excited that she has agreed to share it with you all!  She is a super super person and I know that there will be others, who like Faye, just decided enough is enough and created a new lifestyle. I will let her explain…

Take it away Faye…

First of all, lets start with the most important question of all – how has fitness changed your life?

In so many ways, mentally and physically. It has given me something to believe in, dedicate myself to, it’s my therapy, me time… it makes me feel awesome, confident, strong, unbeatable. I love to sweat!

But it has also given me a new career and passion, and a desire to help others improve their lives.

It has even given me new experiences. I travelled to Miami (to the JNL World Con) in January of this year, and have made new friends and got to meet Jennifer Nicole Lee (JNL), herself. Plus, I love my guns!!

Were you fit and healthy as a child?

I was active and yes, healthy, sporty, with a natural interest in health and fitness. But this dwindled as I got older.

How and why did you discover fitness?

I started a business in 1999 and started to neglect my health. I realised 4 years ago that I had put on nearly 2 stone, was lethargic, jiggled when I walked and just felt yuck!! I knew I had to do something about it.

Faye before she discovered how good being fit feels! Back in the jiggly days.....

How has being fit and strong affected your life so far?

I can cycle round Paris with ease…..

I can wear great clothes, out push up and out skip ultra fit young tennis players

It’s knowing in my head that I am strong, fit, fast, powerful but to look at me I am small and people underestimate me, which I love. I have passed along my passion to family and friends and now my Mum comes to the gym and does JNL Fusion every day.

In terms of fitting fitness and healthy living into your everyday life, around all the other activities, what priority does fitness take?

Fitness is a huge priority but I know it can’t always take top priority. I’m on my bike every morning at 6.30am to the gym, so I can get my workout in before the rest of the world wakes up! I also make sure I cycle or walk everywhere. Prepare all my food for the week every Sunday. I also regularly visit the Nike store to purchase new workout clothes!!!

Thinking back, was there a turning point in your life where you knew that you could never go back to being the person you were before?

It’s been gradual but the JNL World Con in Miami was a huge turning point.

What favourite activities or exercises do you have that you would like to share with the readers?

JNL Fusion, cycling.

What would be your no.1 tip for staying motivated with your fitness?

Find what you love, keep doing it. Do not give up. Eat well. I got a good tip from a friend “Stay Excited”

You KNOW it's true - stay excited and everything is sooo much easier

Please pop over and visit Faye in her own world at fitgirlfactory.co.uk

Related posts:

1. Meet Mac…
2. Fun Fitness with The Mighty Deer Stalker

I am so excited to be able to write this post from a place of knowledge and experience – as a bikini competitor! And one who placed 5th in my very first competition

I have always looked up to bikini girls like Amanda Latona, Ingrid Romero and Jennifer Andrews. To me they represent the ideal female form, the epitomy of class and beauty. For me, this has been my fitness motivation since January – I would LOVE to look as good as they do!

Its been an amazing journey, which I documented at the 6 week stage (how 6 weeks of contest prep have changed me) and just before the show (79 day body transformation awesomeness!) and one which has made me incredibly proud of myself and given me an amazing sense of what is possible with dedication and action.

Read about my TRANSFORMATION here <———-

Today I would like to share with you the most important lessons I learnt along the way about what NOT to do. Some picked up from my coach Olesya Novik, some from my intensive research (hours of reading, listening and watching….) and some from my own experience. I hope that this will help anyone who is planning their own body transformation, or even preparing for a bikini contest!

So here we go….

Bikini Models NEVER do these 7 things…

1. Focus on calories

   You are never going to have the energy to create the beautiful body that you need to compete in bikini if you are not fueling your body with enough calories, on top of that bikini girls need muscle and that is not going to grow if your body is starved of food. Not eating enough calories is an error that many people, dieters as well as competitors, make. But its not the right way to get lean.

   I know that it may go against conventional wisdom but one of the best ways to boost your metabolism and burn fat is to eat more! Obviously you can’t just eat whatever you like, thats not cool. But you do need to eat more lean protein, good fats and clean carbs.

2. Endless fasted steady state cardio

   Yes it is true that steady state fasted cardio is great for fat loss, without eating away at all that curvy muscle, but… it will also lose its effectiveness if you do it too often over a long period of time. Too much of it and you will fi

   nd that your body will come to expect it and it will not work to strip away any more fat.

   Save your early morning power walk before breakfast to the last month of your transformation. That way it will really work well to burn off the last fat and get you really ripped and lean

3. Lift weights that aren’t heavy enough

   

   These legs didn't come easy - those lunges were heavy!

   I have included this one because this is the mistake that I made at first. In fact I was making this mistake for years! I am not sure why I thought I knew better than the experts, but I did. I thought I could create the beautiful feminine and curvy physique that I needed without heavy squats that make my legs ache afterwards. I thought that the advice was not for me and that I could look full and bootylicious doing circuits and intensive interval training.

   Of course I was wrong! And as soon I started to lift the “heavy ass weights” as Ronnie Coleman calls them! I found my body shape changing – for the better. I immediately started to get rounder glutes and better legs and the fat was much easier to lose. Combining heavy weight training (I was lifting till I could do no more reps at that weight and then increasing it the next week) with changing my diet to be based on protein and fat rather than carbs was what changed my body shape from average to bikini model.

4. Follow varied advice from different sources

   Now this is a big one so please take note – so so many people fall prey to this trap and there is no need.

   “There is more than one way to climb a mountain, but the view from the top is the same”

   There are so many conflicting ideas about how best to prepare for a show, each competitor will be slightly different in the details of their diet, training and supplementation. Partly this is because everyone is different and it is true that when you do more and more shows you will become more familiar with what works better for your body. But at the start, it is best to find one coach who who like and trust and to stick with what they suggest. That way you have done a full contest preparation and watched what happened with your body and then after that you can make changes next time.

   

   Every one of the girls in my class would have trained slightly differently and followed slightly different diets and yet each looks amazing with great shape and definition.

   When you start down the route of taking too much advice you could find yourself using two techniques at once and leave yourself open to exhaustion or just not being in your best shape.

5. Skimp on protein or fats

   OMG – this one is soooooo important! I really love JNL and especially her fitness model body programme. She tells it like it is, the whole truth – lifting heavy, saying no to bad foods, putting yourself first and very importantly she says “Eat as much protein as you can, and then eat more and you probably still won’t be eating enough!” I remember hearing this before I started on my bikini journey and I didn’t fully understand it. I now do.

   I felt sick in the first couple of weeks. I thought I just could not eat any more meat! I was literally forcing myself to eat steak at 4pm when I really did not want to. It was quite unpleasant!

   But I trusted my coach and I followed her nutrition plan to the letter and that meant eating what I thought was too much meat.

   After a couple of weeks I started to get used to it and found myself enjoying it a lot more, especially when the fat started to drop away and my body shaped started to change! Ooooh thats such a great feeling! Hard firm muscles in the place of soft nothingness.

   Strong is the new skinny!

6. Lose focus and let life take over

   Ok, so you are a determined person and you most probably won’t be affected by this one. Lets face it – competing appeals to driven personalities and you aren’t the type of person to give in easily or conveniently forget about your goals. However, as the time passes by and you get deeper into your contest preparation you may find that it gets harder to stay on track. I know I did!

   I just got more tired and I kinda missed what I saw as my ‘old life’ sometimes. I sometimes had to just gently remind myself that there is a time limit to this – I have a certain number of weeks to get my body to look as good as possible and then I am going to get on a stage and be judged. Now is not the time to relax, now is not the time to say “I didn’t have time to workout, I was busy in the office, I had to meet someone, I had other commitments…”

   When you are preparing for that competition you have to understand that you are always preparing – everything that you do or don’t do over that time will either take you closer to the success you are after or further away. There is no happy medium.

   Its like – do you want this or don’t you because if you do then there is really no point in doing it half-heartedly, you have to give it all you have got and don’t be afraid of failure.

   Which brings me seamlessly on to my final point, which is…

7. Forget the real goal – to make yourself proud by being the very best version of you!

   This is the most important thing of all and you must never forget this. You are the star of the show and the show is your life. It is your job to live your life in the best way that you can, living by your own values and doing what makes you feel happy and fulfilled.

   

   The most important thing is to enjoy your new body, and if you have a show coming up - HAVE FUN!

   You are doing this transformation or competition preparation for you – no one else. You are getting this body for you and you are growing stronger, more capable, happier and sexier for you. Of course this benefits everyone around you and in the end you could end up with a medal or a trophy but the truth is that that isn’t what is important.

   There are two things that are important and two things only. It isn’t winning and it isn’t looking better than other girls. Its about you and its about having fun and if you can get those two things right then nothing else matters at all.

Planning your own body transformation? – Read this 3 part series to get you on your way…  <——————-

If you have any questions regarding training, diet or contest prep be sure to ask, either in the comments below, on the facebook page or even by email at the contact page. I am more than happy to help, and if I don’t know the answer I will find out for you 

Related posts:

1. Kelly Rennie, Model & Athelete, Shares her Fitness Motivation

But now I am back to talk about myself again and tell the world how the last 5-6 weeks has given me even more confidence, taken my physique to new levels and introduced me to a world of opportunity and excellence I never imagined could be so good.

Well sort of…

I mean it has done those things but it also brought to life for me the amazing and powerful nature of goal setting and how much I really want to share that with everyone and help as many people as possible see how easy it is to change your lifestyle and achieve your dreams.

Of course just setting the goals is not enough, thats not where champions are made and thats not what will get you abs or let you lead the life you always knew you deserved. Its following through on those goals to the very end, through the dark times and all the opportunities to give up, ignoring the mind’s sneaky wee attempts to derail everything and get back to normality when things were easier.

THAT’S where champions are made!

There is something so special and amazing knowing that you are the master of your destiny and that you can change your life if you want to. Its empowering knowing that the only thing standing in your way is yourself.

So step aside and let the real you run through!

I wish everyone could know how it feels. Its ace, its awesome, its fab, its brilliant, its sensational, its out of this world, its fantastic, its amazing and its inside of all of us if we just know what we want.

I have to also say that I realise now what people really go through when they make great transformations, weight loss or sporting success in their lives. I actually wrote about that a few weeks back (read about that here) I am happy to say that I am now much better educated and experienced to give you more from this site!

In hindsight I can now see that was my main problem – I didn’t know what I wanted. But after years and years of scrambling around I think I found a passion. I LOVE the fitness lifestyle. I love exercise. I love motivation and learning about how to become more motivated and why people are driven to do what they do. I want to find out more about that and share whatever I learn so that I might be able to help other people who are just like I was. People who need to know that life can be everything you thought it should be. So everyone can know that its not all about fitting in or doing the right thing. Its not even about standing out and doing amazing things.

Its about being you and doing what you love to do to the very best of your abilities.

Thats your true calling – to be the very best version of you. Not worrying about whether its what you ought to be doing. I mean who decides that anyway?

So before I get into the REALLY dark times of contest prep and start eating fatty meat with no liquid for 24 hours, I would just like to say that I am happy, on a level that I never knew before. I have just rocked my own world with my achievement and I am really proud of myself. I have given 100% over the last 11 weeks and although I have my ups and downs I am really pleased with the changes in my physique! I am ecstatic that I have given up my daily sugar hit!!!  I am prouder than ever that I never missed a gym session and I CAN NOW DO 12 UNASSISTED PULL-UPS!! oooooh yeh!!

So no matter what happens on the day, no matter if I am noticed by the judges or make an impact on anyone else at all, I have made an impact on myself and for me thats the greatest thing EVER.

Well almost…

What would be even greater would be if I could inspire some of you to do the same. If I could inspire you to find a dream goal, something great, big, scary and exciting. And just to go for it!

That would be even greater and thats my new goal for the next 1/4 of 2012. Yip thats right we are only 3 months in – 9 more to play with!

So, what are you waiting for??  Lets smash out some goals! Who is with me?

I am on the mission. Questions, comments, messages, rants anything always welcome 

Related posts:

1. Plan Your Own Body Transformation – PART 2
2. Plan Your Own Body Transformation – PART 3

In January I decided to travel home from Scotland to New Zealand for 6 weeks to see my family, catch up with my mates and catch some good old fashioned sun (if you have ever lived in Scotland you will know what I mean – there is NO sun!)
Off I went back to rural South Island NZ, to have a long holiday spending time with my family – in the middle of summer swimming in the river and relaxing. All good.

But NO GYM!  How could I survive not being able to train for 6 weeks?

I was definitely not prepared to give up my training to spend 6 weeks on the farm with Dad, my sister who is still at high school and my younger brother (who is about 8 inches taller then me ) who has recently moved back from the city.

Ever since I left home I’ve always lived in cities near the essentials like a gym, supplement stores and supermarkets.

Sure if it was 1,2 or even 3 weeks I could call it a good bit of active rest, but 6 weeks is a bit too long not to train (and just rely on the jobs the old man was bound to give me to do around the farm)

Solution was train like ROCKY!

I decided to build my own gym using axles and chains for my weights.
Being the middle of summer the hay loft above the stables was going to be empty for a while until hay cutting. Perfect!

Once I arrived I didn’t waste any time and immediately got looking around the yard and sheds for old iron implements such as wheels, sash window weights, chains and pipe.

The next step was to set it up. There is a half wall dividing the loft space into two which I used to build a frame against – using bits of old 4×2 from Dad’s timber stash.

This was bolted together to form a squat rack bench press and chin-up bar. BOOM!

Next on the list was a bench or two, a bar, some weight and even cables.

I already knew there was an old axle and wheels from a trailer floating around that would make a great bar bell. I also found a solid iron bar about 2 inchs thick and about 6 foot long weighing in at I reckon around 45 lbs. Perfect.
As for weights I found old cast iron wheels that had come off horse drawn farm implements such as ploughs. These would be the plates to load up the bar.

Now we’re getting carried away…..cables. A couple of old pullies strung up to the rafters some old rope, carabenas, various weight to hang on the end of the rope and some attachments like a rope pull down and two triangular handles. Sorted!

Oh and a dip frame which was an old school desk frame with a piece cut out and a couple bits of black water pipe slipped over the metal sides to make hand grips.

So there it was a full on Kiwi farmer spec gym in a hay barn and held together by bailing twyn. ‘She’ll be right mate’

Now it was time to train!

Although I had designed the gym with my training program in mind and had the basics set up it was still a little limited. But I just stuck as close to normal training as possible with only a couple of substitutions. For example, in the gym I would usually pre-exhaust my hamstrings with a leg curl before dead lifts but in the farm gym I lay face down on a flat bench with my legs hanging off the end from the knees down. Then I took one of the iron plough wheels weighing around 35 lbs and gripped it between my ankles, then curled. To increase the weight I hung a length of meaty chain from the wheel. Sweet as!

Now some of you might be thinking why did I try to replicate my normal workouts? Why not switch it up completely to shock the body?

We all know that changing your workout routine every 6 to 8 or so weeks is the thing to do to keep your workouts fresh and your body guessing.

Well, although there are a lot of theories out there, you don’t actually have to completely overhaul your workout just to freshen it up. Once you have a good solid program that is set up for your goals and works for you, there is no need to completely change every month – all you really need is a few tweaks to keep you progressing.
Something I’ve learnt recently is that if you change only one of the exercises in your routine or change the order of the exercises in your routine or even the volume of your workout then that is a new workout.

So with that said just the fact the I was training with less gear and having to improvise for some of my exercises then that was enough to be a completely different workout and shock my body.

The whole idea is that you don’t need the latest gear, or really any gear for that matter, to get a really good heavy workout, and if your more into circuit type training or aerobics then you need even less stuff and really can train anywhere. You just need to think it out and plan. Where there’s a will there’s a way – as they say.

In saying all that I will admit that even though I got some great workouts in the hill billy gym I did struggle to find enough weight to really punish my legs. All the other body parts were able to be destroyed but when I got back to civilization and into a gym it was my legs that got the biggest shock!

So there you have it, thats one of the ways I managed to go on holiday and keep pumping that iron

No related posts.

I am half-way now and apart from the changes to my body (which to be fair are less dramatic than I had hoped!) there have been massive changes in my mindset, my attitude and my whole approach to the way I think about my life.

Seriously? Can only 6 weeks of preparation for a bikini show really change me as a person?

Well, maybe I was ready to change or maybe its just a progression of who I was anyway and I am reading too much into it but what I do know is that I FEEL different and that I think of myself differently. So even if I haven’t outwardly changed to those around me, because my opinion of myself has changed, well I feel changed.

And quite dramatically too.

Its kinda hard to explain the way you feel when you realise you have followed an eating plan for the last 6 weeks, almost to the letter. That you have planned every meal and every workout and stuck to it. That you have got up on the alarm every morning, eaten on time every time, weighed all food, counted every rep and followed all advice.

Its a strong feeling, its a feeling of control, of calm and of balance. There is a purpose to everything that I do and so therefore there is a reason to do everything. There are no questions anymore, no doubts and no insecurities. I know what I have to do and when I have to do it. I know that if I do it right I will get the results that I want and that if I don’t then I won’t. I know that what I get out is related to what I put in. In fact I know that the more I put in the more I get out, with seemingly infinite results.

Of course this is all related to the fact that I have a trainer that I trust and I am able to follow her advice and for anyone who is thinking of competing I would have to say that I think that is the most important thing. A good trainer will take out all of the guesswork and provide you with the routine and guidance that you need. Then all you have to do is add the determination and the motivation.

I have been amazed at all the little tricks I have used over the past few weeks to keep myself on track. the level of planning and preparation has been intense. There has not been a day go by that has not been planned by the hour. I have taken food with me wherever I go, I am constantly weighing and packaging food in boxes, washing the boxes and starting all over again.

Nothing has been impulsive. Thats not the go at the moment. Impulse has been put on the back burner. I will have to come back to that later. But part of me wonders whether I ever really will. Perhaps on holiday… But planning is so good! A planned day is so much more productive! Its incredible what gets done when its been planned in! Who knew I could workout 6 times a week and still have all my evenings free? Its truly staggering how much more time I have when I am now going to the gym more times a week than ever before! I honestly don’t want to go back to unplanned days.

Another thing I am going to cut out of my life is punishment for failing. I can see now that there is no need, because there is actually no failing. Of course cheating on the dieting is failing of a type but its more importanlty learning. With every naughty thing that I do I learn a little more about myself. And with everything I learn I get to like myself a little better too 

I dunno its kinda like I have my back, you know – I am there for me when times get tough. If anything happend then I can rely on myself, I know that I am there for myself, I am my friend. An ally in an unfriendly world! he he!

I guess at the base of it I am doing this for me and making myself proud and its just a nice feeling.

I also now know that there are people close to me who don’t really want me to do this. I know that they won’t try to stop me but I do know that they don’t like my decision. Its a funny feeling to know that but in a way its empowering because it has shown me how much I want to do this when I am prepared to stick by myself and not give in to any outside pressure. This is the first time I can remember this happening and its already given me a strength I never knew I had. And a sureness of myself that was somehow missing. Ok so thats deep and maybe I will feel differently at the end of this, maybe I won’t want to compete again, maybe they will be right. Maybe.

But MAYBE just pushes me to try harder!

For me the motivation comes from wanting to do well. I would not be entering if I did not think I could have a chance of maybe even winning, I don’t want to just turn up. I want to know that I did my best and to see how that compares to everyone else.

I also know that I have told the world now and if I don’t follow through with this then I am going to be so embarrassed. How would I admit that I didn’t have the strength and motivation? Accountability in action!!

And also I get motivation from just wanting to see the changes in myself. Like what will my abs look like? How heavy will I be when I step on stage? What will I feel like during the cutting phase of the diet? How will I cope with cravings in the last few weeks?

Things are stepping up now, I am slowly cutting down on my carbs and calories, I am choosing what to wear and I am doing a lot of research on posing styles too. I am starting to get nervous and I am starting to get hungry. I know its going to be amazing tho and I know that whatever happens I can handle it, after all this was my decision and when I look at it that way its pretty easy to justify and get on with.

The changes have been so amazing so far and I can’t wait to see what else there is to come!

No related posts.

I have a confession to make – I started this website too soon. I started it before I personally had any real idea about what fitness motivation really means – deep down  – when you really have to draw upon it.

Don’t get me wrong – I THOUGHT I knew! 

But I was wrong. I had never really needed to struggle for workout motivation, its always been pretty easy for me – well, since I realised how much better I felt living a healthy lifestyle. All I have been doing was to think about how great fitness makes me feel and… tada!…. I want to go workout. I love working out, its a great feeling for me. Its something that I would do out of choice because of how it feels at the time and then the after effects that I feel. Because of that I have never really had to force myself to go to the gym when I don’t feel like it.

Also I have never had a problem with my weight or with body fat. I have always been happy with how I look, how clothes fit and how I feel within myself and my own body image. So I have never really had to stick to a strict diet with an end goal in mind, I have never had to feel like I am denying myself something I really want for something that I really want MORE!

Yes, I have dieted and workout out for a photoshoot but to be honest I didn’t try all that hard, I didn’t have a training plan or nutrition plan, I didn’t really think about what I ate before workouts etc and I wasn’t overly happy with the results. Being a positive person I pushed it to one side and didn’t dwell on the fact that I didn’t get abs. It just blended in to being just one of those things – not really a big deal, and I was able to get on with my healthy and fit lifestyle being happy, contented and hoping to help others to feel the same.

I guess its my positive body image, bright outlook on situations and general love of life that has meant that I have not actually really had to dig deep for motivation or inspiration and never had to make tough decisions or be hard on myself.

Well thats all changing now – oh yes!

12 weeks ago I made a sudden decision to enter a bikini competition. Goodness knows why I thought that would be a good idea, I mean there is barely time to prepare for it in 12 weeks so its not the most sesible thing I have done. I could potentially be setting myself up for failure BUT I did it.

I was sick of not knowing what it takes, not knowing if I could and really not being the person that I wished I was (Bridget with abs!!)

So I signed up with a specialised online trainer who is very experienced. I gave her my measurements, my current eating habits, my current gym habits and my massive (possibly unrealistic!) goal. She agreed to help me with a personalised nutrition and training plan, designed to get me where I want to be in the limited time I gave myself!

And that is when my whole outlook on fitness motivation and self control with eating changed. Completely.

Suddenly everything I have written about became true for me. Suddenly I was faced with having to cook ALL my meals the night before, weigh and measure all quantities, cycle my macronutrients, go to the gym when I didn’t feel like it, get up at stupid o’clock to fit in my workout, eat breakfast before I was ready, stuff myself with meat and generally force myself to do (or not to do) things that I desired.

OMG!

I have been transported to a whole new world! I am experiencing thougts I have never had before – self doubt and fear of failure being the main one. Horrible!

Even though I know that this is what I want to do and that I really have to look great on that stage in April it seems that there are times when everything is conspiring against me. Well I will rephrase that – when every part of ME is conspiring against me!

I have had to turn down dessert in front of friends and managed it and then on another occaision I didn’t – how did that happen?

I have had to leave the biscuits alone, which has been sometimes easy and sometimes actually impossible and I ate one (well three) of them – why did that happen?

I have had to drag myself out of bed, some days feeling tough and other days still lying there ten minutes later knowing that I am going to have to run to the gym now or miss out on putting my make up on – why would I do that?

Doubts, doubts, doubts…

And then there have been the reactions from others – sometimes surprising! I had no idea that some people I respect would find the idea “appaling” or that there would be family members who don’t agree with the concept of bikini and bodybuilding competitions. Now I know much more about whether it is ok to discuss your goals!

I had to write this post to say that I had no idea how hard it can be. Although I knew all about the theory behind it all and I have written a book on goal setting and achieving success, I had not had to put the ideas properly into practice myself. Sad but true, I had not completely experienced how it truly feels and to some extent I still haven’t.

I know that this will get more extreme. I know that I have so much more to go through and to fight for.

I can see that now and for that I wanted to write this post, as an explanation and I guess to say sorry 

Its hard to admit when you have made a mistake but its also kinda good to admit it because then you are free to learn and to move onwards and upwards, and that is what I am doing now and through that I hope to be able to share much more insightful posts with you guys. And also I hope to be able to help as many of you as possible to achieve really amazing goals and to do things that you never thought you could – because thats what I believe in.

No matter what anyone says YOU are the master of your own life and whatever you dream about can be yours – don’t let anyone stop you.

No related posts.

Why do so many of the great fitness models and bodybuilders train their muscle groups split accross the week on different days? Is it all for physical benefits or could it be more motivational? Read on to find out why training with a split is a fantastic technique for you to increase your exercise motivation and get better results more easily – including one reason which may not appeal to everyone…

A ‘split’ in weight training simply means training different body parts on different days of the week. A good example of this might be

Monday – Legs

Tuesday – Chest and Shoulders

Wednesday – Rest/Cardio

Thursday – Back

Friday – Bicep and Tricep

Saturday - Rest/Cardio

Sunday – Rest

The most obvious reason for splitting up the body parts in this way is to allow adequate rest between sessions.

It is important that your body gets enough time to recover and grow stronger.

With a full week off for each muscle group you avoid fatigue and overtraining, which can occur if performing full-body weight training sessions more than once a week, especially if you give it everything you’ve got! Proper rest is just as important as a great workout.

The other great thing about training with a split like this is the added and continued motivation that you get, day by day and week by week, as you progress through your program to your fitness goals.

When it comes to training with weights, whether for strength or size, it is the mind which really controls the effectiveness of the workout. If your brain is fully engaged in what you are doing and you feel strong and positive then you will have a great session. If, on the other hand, you feel down or disconnected, perhaps thinking about something else that is troubling you or you are just bored with what you are doing in the gym, then you will find that you won’t perform at your best.

With the muscle groups split up into individual sessions over the week, not only are you less likely to get bored, you are also able to really give full and maximum focus to the body part in question on that particular day.

 Put Your Mind into it!

With this focus you will find that you can really put your mind into what you are doing, really feel the muscle as it is being worked and concentrate your efforts on what you are doing. With this intensity you will boost the power of your workout and maximise its effectiveness.

This is going to bring with it bigger gains and a faster progression towards those fitness goals, whether that be building strength or size, or improving performance.

Also a split is often associated with intermediate and advanced training because of the intensity given to each muscle group during the training session. This is another reason why its a fantastic way to boost motivation – who wouldn’t want to know that they had progressed beyond ‘beginner’ status!

So far we know that you have the added motivation from the increased gains, as a result of intense and focused training, and added to that the boost of confidence just knowing that you are now one of the top people in your gym. But there is another motivation benefit (although it definitely wouldn’t appeal to everyone!)

More time to do what you love!

For people who love to workout and who enjoy their time at the gym, splitting up muscle groups in this way allows then to spend more time at the gym.

For those people who do actually love training this is a real benefit. If you are someone who enjoys your sessions, who looks forward to that time alone in the gym or training with a buddy, then splitting up the workouts gives you more of what you want. More time to lift heavy, to push yourself to the limits and to work towards your goals.

So if you love to workout with weights and you are looking for greater results, or you have reached a plataeu with your training and are seeking new motivation then using the ‘split’ training technique could be just what you are looking for to boost your motivation and take your training to new heights.

Related posts:

1. Working out today = New motivation for tomorrow
2. How to get FITNESS MOTIVATION
3. Kelly Rennie, Model & Athelete, Shares her Fitness Motivation