New Year Inspiration

Photo credit: Rebecca Andrews

So my 6 day detox is well and truly over and I have continued to stick to a healthy diet since, as I only have 16 weeks until Fit Factor in May, I've got to keep going. 

To give you guys a bit of inspiration to continue with your goals past January, we have an exclusive Q&A with my friend and trainer, Emma Louise Burrows. What she has achieved, not only in her competing career but in the last year alone; opening her own studio (Studio ELB) is truly inspirational! She is an inspiration to me and motivates me to train harder and to dream bigger...

So Em, we've just finished the 6 Day ELB detox; thank you so much for putting it together. Is there any significance for making it just 6 days?

I like to design 'detoxes' which achieve as much as possible in the time set so this time I went for 6 days which meant I could ramp up the intensity of the training. Any more than 6 days of back to back training combined with a conservative calorie intake would result in some participants having to drop out. It is about considering the mental side of things as well as what our bodies are capable of achieving, whilst still maintaining a healthy approach if that makes sense. 

What are the health/ fitness benefits with a detox like this? Is this the type of detox you would usually do?

For the participants who carried out the full detox which included step by step meal plans for the 6 days as well as daily 45 minute workouts with the rest of Team Detox, they would have achieved the following:

- Increased fitness levels

- Body fat loss

- Increased levels of hydration

- A steady balance of insulin levels throughout

- The all important feel good factor which will motivate them to use the detox as a spring board into a healthier fitter body for 2015

Do you have any top tips about detoxing i.e: the do's/ don't?

The main DO when detoxing is dedicate your life to that timeframe. If you are unable to work your daily routine into a detox plan then it simply won't happen.

The main DON'T when detoxing is to keep it healthy. Anything too extreme will do more harm than good.

Gyms Kitchen sponsored the detox and provided the amazing breakfast smoothie's. Are you guys planning on working together again in the future?

Gyms Kitchen are most certainly the restaurant of choice for us and we sponsor them also. We believe that whilst we are the best place to train in town, Gyms Kitchen are the best place to dine for those who take their bodies and health seriously. We make a good team and yes are working on plans to partner up and offer the fitness family of Essex some very unique opportunities to benefit from our partnership. More will be revealed soon. 

With all the training we've done over the last 6 days, what was your favourite? And what was your favourite smoothie?

The success of the detox has led us to offering a monthly membership for those who want to keep up the 7am workouts 3 x per week followed by what we found to be the most popular smoothies. The 2 favoured smoothies were; Fruity Fusion which is a classic blend of berries, banana and almond milk and the Pick Me Up which consists of oats, walnuts, banana and almond milk. I loved the final workout we used for the detox team as we combined everything they had learnt through the week to create one big crazy high intensity and full body circuit. 

You're a big ambassador for Tabata? What makes you so passionate about it and have you got any future plans?

I have never been a fan of fad classes that come and go. There is always a new gimmick but for those of us who are results driven in the industry, Tabata is a breath of fresh air because it is scientifically proven to achieve more in 20 minutes than an hour or steady cardio. It combines my love for using your own bodyweight to workout and my strong belief that to burn fat most effectively, a high intensity approach is always the most efficient. It is also a great way for people who have limited time and/or money to get a lot out of what they put in.

Your studio is such an amazing space to train in. What made you want to open your own studio?

I am extremely passionate about what I do and the only way I could envisage offering everything I wanted to people I train and coach, was to create the perfect space. Along with the right team of fellow trainers/coaches/gurus that are just as passionate in what they do. We cover various things at the studio, as I am a sought after competitor coach as well as training clients, so designing my own studio has allowed me to offer the best of both worlds. Every request we get from a new client is always unique and I am lucky enough to have the studio that allows us to cater to each individuals needs. 

DREAM - BELIEVE - ACHIEVE

Eggstraordinary Muffins!!

You're riffling through your snack drawer(s) at work, its getting to that time of day where you fancy a tasty snack. Instead of reaching for the packet of crisps or standard flatbreads or rice cakes, why not try these little critters - you can literally make them with any ingredients or left over vegetables you've got.

Before & After shot....

Eggs are full of protein, so can help you stay fuller for longer, and with the turkey as well, these egg muffins are jam packed with protein and flavour I might add.

Recipe for Pea, Celery, Turkey and Chilli Muffins: 

Makes 4 muffins

Time to prep = 5-10 minutes
Cooking time = 12-15 minutes

4 eggs

Handful of garden peas 

Handful of sweetcorn

Turkey breast, diced into small pieces

1 celery stick, chopped finely & split between 4 muffin cases

Pinch of chilli flakes in each muffin case

2 gloves of garlic, chopped. (split between 4 muffin cases)

Pre-heat the oven to 180c 

Split all the ingredients equally between 4 muffin cases. 

Season tops of vegetables and turkey with black pepper, chilli flakes and chopped garlic

Whisk 4 eggs into a bowl (season if you want extra spice - this is optional)

Once whisked, tip the egg mixture into each muffin case - about 3/4 full. (Dont fill all the way to the top as the egg will rise whilst cooking.)

Pop the muffins into the oven and leave for between 12-15 minutes until the tops of the eggs go golden brown. The top of the egg should feel a little fluffy to touch and spring back. 

You can eat them hot or cold, its up to you. Personally I like them cold!

Have a go yourself, try with different ingredients and you'll be eggscited (sorry last egg joke) to see the endless recipes.

Till next time;

Little Miss Fitness

We are MACHINES...

Final day everyone - day 6 of the detox! 

Oh my goodness, I have had a great time this week; its been such a laugh with the guys that have taken part. The early morning starts (yes, even on my day off) were hard but once the workout was done and we had a giggle, you could get on with the rest of your day. I will miss the guys who have done the detox this week, but i will definitely continue mixing and matching with the healthy diet.

Guess the flavour in todays smoothie...

 I’ve made a decision from this week to try and workout more in the mornings. It wakes me up, they fit in with work and my social life a lot easier. The gym and your diet should fit INTO your lifestyle and not just be something you do for a month or two. However come March, it will be upping the training for Fit Factor in May at the NEC. I’ll admit now, the dieting for this competition I'm not looking forward too, and im sure a few other people aren’t either – sorry!

During this weeks detox, I've picked up some useful tips that you could use as well, if you struggle to get out of bed (like I do) for an early gym session.


1) Put your phone/ clock away from your bedside. That way you have to get up and turn it off! Once you're out of bed you can get going.

2) Prepped your food/ clothes for work and even handbag before going to bed. That way its less of a ball ache in the morning, rushing around for things.

3) Wash your face with cold water. There may not be any science behind this but the it will certainly wake you up!

The ELB Detox Gang, not so fresh after our workout...

Going back to yesterdays session, not only did I do our 7am circuit class but straight after this, Emma worked me hard on my glutes - yes a double session! I am insane, but who wants to be boring?! Not me.


The main bits I want to train and work on this year is my butt. I keep saying I want a bubble-butt and I'm determined to get one. So Em took me through my paces yesterday with heavy weights and plyometric exercises to fire up my butt! My god it was hard, but i felt it working.






Ive got a little treat for you guys next week but you'll have to wait and see what it is..


Till next time;

Little miss fitness

Halfway Hill...

So it's day 3 of the 6 day detox; I'm halfway through...

I'm used to getting up early for a morning workout, but not however 6 days on the trot. Today I have found the hardest to get up and with the additional driving to the studio, tackling the m25 traffic - its no cheesecake. But listen to me going on and on moaning. I chose to do this 6 day detox so I am going to have to suck it up time and get on with it. Yes you're all right! No more moaning as of this point.

ELB Detox Family - the machines!!

The smoothie from Gyms Kitchen this morning was a fruity fusion; Raspberries, banana, almond milk; all of that goodness in a cup. It made the early start and workout worth it! 

Today's training, taken by Emma was a cruelling 20 minutes of tabata (working on explosive legs) then followed with a 15minute deep stretching session. I'll admit I felt so much better after the stretching; I haven't done deep stretching in a while (i'm shameful to admit). Hopefully I'll be able to walk escalators to get to work now. One of my favourite stretches and one that we focused a lot on today was for your hip flexes, and guess who I got paired with. Ill give you a guess. Emma's flexibility is incredible, she can get her chest all the way to the floor her hips whilst her legs are stretched out sideways. Thats insane, although she does come from a gymnastics background.

The nutrition today is the hardest day out of all 6; sad to say that we aren't allowed a treat snack as dinner tonight has a few more calories than the other days - its homemade chilli con carne. With fresh tomatoes, peppers, kidney beans and spices...yummy yummy.

So only 3 more days to go and i am determined to stick to the diet, attend all the morning classes and get to the end of the detox, . This week, the nutrition plan reminds me very much of the diet I had for Miss Galaxy; its hard but will power and motivation is all you need to reach your goal. Tomorrow is a new dawn and new day; new challenges to face and to overcome. 

Till next time; 

Little Miss Fitness

So it begins...

My 6 day detox has begun and it's with none other than my amazing trainer Emma Louise Burrows at Studio ELB. I have to admit I did have a heavy one at the weekend and with a photo shoot coming up with Lowell Mason, I've got to be in tip top shape, so Emma's detox (nutrition plan included) is the best thing to start a new year.

Food prepped and ready to go...

Day 1: Wake up call at 5:45am was not something I looked forward too. But i still dragged my butt out of bed and down the ELB Studio. I must be mad! This morning's workout was difficult but my god I feel so much better now and afterwards I enjoyed a scrumptious, post-workout breakfast smoothie from Gyms Kitchen. Thanks to them, they will be fuelling my breakfasts for the next 6 days. Result! 

Hardcore team post workout.

Today's workout was none other than one of Vivi's metabolic meltdown's; a circuit of different exercises that we had to complete in 40 seconds as hard and as fast as you could! 40 seconds on 30 seconds rest and move to your next station! We did this twice before Emma gave us a little "treat" as she liked to call it. No i can safely say it was no treat, it was doing the circuit for a third time, this time 30 seconds work with only 10 second rest and then move onto the next station! I can tell you that I was sweating and breathing rather heavily after all of this - so it must have done the trick! 

Tomorrow I have a feeling is going to be a mixture of tabata, so more sweat, gust busting exercises that will make me feel revitalised and refreshed - all before 8am. Is there something wrong with this picture? Oh yes there no bed or lie-in involved..

To top my day off even more I had an amazing delivery from Myprotein. They have sent me my bundle from winning The Diet Kitchens Facebook competition. The bundle included a huge bag of Elle True Diet milk chocolate protein, a shaker for my protein, a box of scrummy virtue bars and a tub of Elle Thermopure capsules. I thought Christmas was over but clearly Santa missed a present for me. 

A New Year treat..

I can't wait to try the milk chocolate protein in my morning pancakes, ah who says that eating clean has to be boring. This protein powder is high protein, low carb-perfect for female athletes that want to lean up during fitness season. I have also made another New Years resolution today - to find more interesting ways to cook and eat healthy, clean foods. Watch this space - things could get a bit messy....

Till tomorrow my fitness frieks and another 5:45am start! 

Little Miss Fitness

Xx

Top Picks this Week

So it's the start of a new year and one that I hope is going to be amazing for you all! I believe no goal is too big or too small, whether that be to lose weight or lean up. Being able to see it through is the toughest mental challenge but if you do, you've already succeeded. The satisfaction and pride that comes with reaching a goal makes it all worth while. I set myself a big goal last year with Miss Galaxy Universe but the hard work paid off, and it made those hard moments worth it to go through. 

It is easy to make a new year resolution, and we are all guilty of making unrealistic ones; actually doing it is where you find out how strong you are. Dont give up at the first hurdle, bumps in the road will happen. So surround yourself with people who will help you and support you when you're feeling down and they will pick you up and keep you going.

Believe in yourself.. "YOU CAN DO IT"

Ive come across a couple of articles this week that are really useful to help you keep on track and that dispell fitness myths about lifting weights. So girls read, learn and listen to the experts in the industry. 

A really good article from Fitness RX and gives some tips on cardio training vs weight training: click here to read the full article 

Ladies - have a read of this article from Daily HIIT: protein benefits you no matter what gender y ou are. Click here to read 

Happy New Year;

Little Miss Fitness
Xx

Very Merry Christmas...

Family time is the best time:

So Christmas is officially over now and what a year its been... A year of firsts for me. Its been a time for reflection and to look back on what has happened in the last 12 months. When I start thinking, so much has happened, and only in the short space of 6 months. I met a wonderful boyfriend who stood by me and supported me through all my training. I trained to compete in my very first bikini competition and came 2nd in my category at Musclemania Britain in September. I then carried on training for the big fitness and stage competition Miss Galaxy Universe in November. And I won which i can't believe still happened. I also started a blog, in which I could document all the bits and pieces for my training and diet etc. As a result of this, its given me some new goals for 2015 which will be an even bigger year.

But this christmas has definitely opened my eyes to be thankful for everything I have (and not just materialistic things) as so many people in life do not have anything. Family, friends and partners should be the things you treasure most, as they guide you through tough times and bring you out the other side.  So I just want to say a huge thank you to all those who have helped me this year; you know who you are....

It's been a nice, quiet affair this christmas with just my mum and stepdad. So Christmas day wasn't spent rushing around for mum and 13 people like usual. No this year, I was the one cooking Christmas lunch and it was only for 3 people - just to ease me in gently for my first Christmas lunch. It was nice just the 3 of us; there wasn't any pressure to eat that extra chocolate (although i'm afraid to say i did!). I don't think this year I ate as much as last year, however i could be wrong, the scales will be the decider! 

I did get some wonderful presents from my family and friends. Check out these bad boys; I cant wait to wear them in the gym; at least you'll be able to spot me in a crowd.

Keep running, running and running....

I also got this little beauty from my folks, now i have no excuse to say i'm not a morning person!

I've never been a morning person...

I have kept my promise and trained over Christmas, however not as hard as I would usually. So now Christmas is over and it's time to work off all that food that's been consumed over the pst week. A good time go start those new year resolutions early, with a January detox. If you want to change your outlook on healthy eating and shed any unwanted weight gained over Christmas, Emma's detox will do just that.

Interested? Contact Studio ELB for more info

And so to start my New Years resolutions earlier, check out my new Facebook page for top tips, advice and me trying out nutrition recipes on https://www.facebook.com/missfitness88

Happy New Year

Little Miss Fitness;
x