I cant keep it quiet any longer...

Wow it's the start of another week again; time just seems to be flying by; I cant keep up sometimes. Another good training session last week and on Saturday I did a killer legs/glutes workout. One thing I love about training is learning new exercises that target certain body parts. On Saturday, one of the PT's at Fitness First showed me a new exercises that target the outer part of your glutes - it felt odd to start with but trust me this one is a killer!!

Outer Leg Exercise: (12-15 reps each leg on lightweight)

• Sit sideways on a leg press machine. 
• Adjust the machine to a light weight (believe me its not about going heavy on this exercise). 
• Your top leg should be placed half way up on the foot board, the lower leg should then just dangle beside the machine.
• When your in a comfortable(ish) position, adjust the seat forward so that your knee comes to a right angle, in line with the ankle that is on the foot board. 
• Release the seat so that it slides into the lowest slot. 
• Place your hands on the side of the seat next to your shoulder. 
• From your starting position, you are going to push up, through until your top leg is straight (you should feel the outer part of your bum working when doing so.)
• Then slowly lower yourself back to the starting position and then drive up again to straighten the top leg.

As I said this exercise isn't about heavy weight; it gets your body focusing on a specific area of your glutes.

I have some very exciting news that I just cant hold it in any longer. In less than 2 weeks now I am going to be doing a photo-shoot with the fabulous Rebecca Andrews at Studio ELB; alongside some other amazing athletes who put their heart and soul into their training. Oh my goodness I can't tell you how excited I am. I haven't decided on outfits yet, so I guess I should get my butt into gear and sort some bits out. I've never done a shoot like this before, so am just training and dieting as if it was for stage. I'm starting to get nervous now; Emma will point me in the right direction, but biting my nails is not an option right now!! 

Just some Rebecca's amazing shots from Studio ELB already

Another exciting thing that happened last week, I was approached by The Athletic Colony to do an interview about winning Miss Galaxy win. I was stunned that someone was asking me to answer a couple of questions for an interview, but it was so cool. I had to try and jog my memory a bit, but it was an amazing opportunity to be asked by Oli. You can read the full interview here. There are success stories on their website from other fitness competitors, so go check it out. 

Snippet from my interview with The Athletic Colony

Countdown to Fit Factor: we are at 81 days now and now I'm trying to up my cardio to 2 sessions a week, plus all my weight training. Blasting body fat isn't easy and I'm starting to feel a little tired but I've got to power through.

Right i'm off to the land of nod my gorgeous people. Rest and recovery are key...and boy do I love my bed!

Little Miss Fitness

Xx

Sweet or Savoury??

So as its Shrove Tuesday (Pancake day) I thought I would follow the crowd and make a batch of pancakes. But I wanted to try and do something different from the traditional batter of flour, eggs and milk etc and in order for me to keep my diet clean, whilst training for Fit Factor I've had to find a recipe that kind of fits in with my plan.

So I did a bit of research and came across a really simple recipe that uses Almond flour instead. Wahey!! Low carbs and a new cooking experiment! Lets see what havoc I can cause in the kitchen.

Low Carb Almond Flour Pancakes:

Recipe: Makes 6 pancakes (dependant on whether you like large or small pancakes)
NOTE: These pancakes are not thin, they are a little more dense (similar to the american style pancakes) 

Ingredients:
1 cup of Almond Flour (whatever brand you can find)
1/4 almond milk (unsweetened) or water if you prefer
2 eggs (medium)
2 tablespoons of olive oil or coconut oil 
1 tablespoon of agave nectar (dark or light)
1/8 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

Prep time: 5-10 mins max
Cooking: approx. 5 mins

1) Put all ingredients into a mixing bowl & whisk together to form a batter. Put to one side.

2) Heat a saute pan or frying pan, on a medium heat with a little bit of olive oil or coconut oil.
3) When the pan is hot enough, take a nice big tablespoon of the batter and drop it into the middle of the pan.

4) Wait for the edges to brown, and then gently flip the pancakes over and let them brown on the other side (this should take between 30 seconds - 1 minute)
5) Once cooked on both sides, simply dish up straight away with your favourite topping. Mine's Nutella hands down, but whats yours?

I've finished making my batch now; the first few were a little bit of a disaster but I got the hang of it by the 3rd go! And they say 3 times a charm...

Tadaaa...they smell better than they look

Now I am planning to save these as my breakfast tomorrow (madness I know), however I did have a cheeky bite (or 2) from one of them. They taste delicious on their own, with a slight sweetness to them - but you can go the traditional way and put lemon and sugar on top or Nutella or why not try savoury with cottage cheese or prosciutto?

Tomorrow is another early morning rise to hit the gym before work. Today was spin, which definitely got me working up a sweat. Tomorrow abs are on the agenda, and then before the week is out, I've got to cram in another legs session, back, arms and some more HIIT. Wow, lots to do so I best get to bed and get some rest, whilst dreaming about my pancake breakfast tomorrow.. yummy!!

Little Miss Fitness
Xx

Strong Beats Skinny!!

Another great start to the week; I'm feeling strong which makes a change from a couple of weeks ago. Last night I dead lift 70kg for 8 reps for the very first time in my life! For some it may not sound a lot but for me thats a PB and having long legs, I have further to lift. Well that's my excuse and i'm sticking to it. So this week and last week were both good starts and on legs, which are my least favourite sessions, perhaps I should start training them on a Monday?! Leg press also went up and beat last weeks PB; 170kg this week and leg curl burnouts are up to 20kg for 3 sets. I feel like progress is being made, which is a nice feeling. 

What goals have you guys achieved so far this week? It can be anything big or small; I love to know if you feel the same way when achieving something you work hard for.

Since I started training properly and with the guidance from people, I've learnt that you'll have good days/weeks and bad. Success doesn't happen overnight, it takes time and patience. So for someone like me who likes to run before she can walk it was really frustrating not seeing results automatically. Im not the most patient of people, so its taught me that patience and determination are key. So when I see my friends frustrated or upset they aren't seeing results I try to keep them positive and focused on what they're trying to achieve. I have my off days too, which is why i look to my friends and family for support. Mental strength is half the battle!!

Tuesday morning treat - time to get strapped in..

So time on the countdown clock till Fit Factor? We have 94 days and counting not much time when we think how quick it will go. Picking up the training and trying to keep to a strict diet is a tough routine to get back into but not impossible. Do you know of anyone else competing this year? Or are you competing? 

I made another batch of homemade Quest protein bars at the weekend. Thanks to the genius that is Simon Roshdy, from The Diet Kitchen for this simple recipe. This time I have  adapted the cookies & cream recipe for a few new flavours - think chocolate, coconut and chillies. Since I've started using vitafiber I love it, I can't stop. I'm still on the quest to try some more recipes from Simon's YouTube channel; that might be homework for tonight. I'll post the recipe for the Quest protein bars sometime this week for you. 

Shhhh.. youll have to wait and see

Ooo before I go I have some really exciting news. In just over 3 weeks time I will be taking part in something big, with a well-known name in her industry. But its top secret for now so stay tuned, you'll find out soon...

Little Miss Fitness,
Xx

Mondays are made to be broken

So today was one of many firsts. For one I've never done a legs session on a Monday night, and as its a new month I thought I would mix it up by doing cardio at the end of my workout. I've read a couple of articles recently, suggesting that doing cardio after a weights session can help burn more fat than doing it before a workout. As I'm one for a challenge, I wanted to see how this went...

Well I can tell you now that after tonight's session, the treadmill became the devil! My legs just felt like jelly - but I will persevere and do it again tomorrow after my shoulder/ back workout.

I also broke some PB's; Monday's are fast becoming a day for things to be challenged and broken. Todays PB's were;

167KG Seated Leg Press

60KG Straight Leg Deadlift

45KG Squat

This is how i feel right now

I felt strong today in the gym; I guess I should take it as a good sign that this week will be better in the gym. Lets see what other PB's I can break - whose up to see this challenge through with me?

And now for a victory dinner deserving of such a workout - I love adding new vegetables and spices to this Chicken stir-fry. I've popped the recipe below, so you can create your own. Its healthy, quick and tastes yummy - so all round winner.

Victory Dinner; get in

Recipe for Chicken & Vegetable Stir-Fry: (serves 2-3)

2 Chicken breasts, into chopped medium sized chunks (smaller chunks will cook quicker)

1/2 head of brocolli 

2 handfuls of sweetcorn (can be frozen)

1 handful of broad beans (can be frozen)

1 red pepper (chopped)

1 handful of fine beans (chopped)

2 gloves of garlic, grated

3cm of fresh finer, grated

1 tsp of light soya sauce

1 tbsp of organic Agave

Optional: 1/2 cup of cooked brown rice

Cooking:
Prep time: 10-15 mins
Cooking time: 15 mins

- Put a bit of olive oil into a wok and let it heat up
- Pop the chicken into the wok and fry between 5-10 minutes (cut a piece open to check its cooked).
- Before placing the chicken in a bowl to one side - throw in the grated garlic & ginger.
- Use the same wok, no need to add any additional oil 
- Throw in the vegetables altogether and stir-fry for a good couple of minutes. After a few minutes, stir in the Agave and light soya sauce.
- Just before serving, put the pre-cooked chicken back into the wok.
- Ey Voila! You want to waste time eating this....

- Optional: if you want to add some carbs - then throw in the brown rice towards the end with the pre-cooked chicken. Mix everything together, then serve and enjoy! 

Little Miss Fitness
Xx

It's official!!

Yep it's official..its just over 100 days to go until myself, Louise and Amy will be hitting the stage at Fit Factor, part of Body Power; Europe's largest fitness and nutrition exhibition at the NEC! I am so excited to be getting up on stage with those 2 gorgeous girls. I also can't wait to see some of the biggest names in the fitness industry: Phil Heath, Jay Cutler, Paige Hathaway are just a few. Not to mention some of the amazing brands that us fitness peps buy and devour. The likes of protein pick a mix, shredz, Scitec, USN and many more. Sad as it sounds but I can't wait to learn more about the industry and meet new people.

Countdown begins...again!

So now it's time to up my training and work on those areas that need improvement aka: getting that bubble butt!! You will no doubt in the coming months hear me moan and whinge about my hardcore sessions with Emma and the diet that will commence just before comp.. So bear with me! But youll be able to see some more protein bar creations that I'm dying to try with my vitafiber, and protein ice cream as well. Yes now that I have found a new blender, smoothies and protein ice cream will be special treats for me to make to curb those cravings.

Protein bar recipes from The Diet Kitchen

This week has been a little up and down; today I've not felt 100% my heads felt a little fuzzy which is unusual for me. I go through little blips sometimes but not one which lasts the majority of the day. So with the loving advice of work colleagues and boyfriend, the best thing was to come home and rest my body. Tomorrow is a new day with a new frame of mind. I'm not sure where it's come! I feel as if I've fallen off the wagon this week with diet and training. I have been to the gym but perhaps not as much as what I feel I should.. I'm a weird one yes! I've got to try and keep myself busy, as I feel like I'm not doing much at the moment. Perhaps that's why I'm so much like my mum. If I'm not busy I easily get tempted into the wrong things and become lazy with training. 

Do you ever feel like this or am I talking rubbish? 

You can follow me and my training and nutrition experiments on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Please like and share my videos and photos with friends, even if it's to laugh at my cooking skills!

Instagram - @littlefitness88

Twitter - @littlefitness88

Facebook - Little Miss Fitness

Till next time 

Xx

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