The Best Headphones for Exercising

Have you ever gotten that feeling when you are really into your workout then suddenly, you are interrupted by the tangling up of a wire or the falling out of an ear bud? I don't know about you but music plays a huge part in the performance of my workouts. It takes my mind off of the challenging task at hand. I was in search for earphones designed for working out. I came across the Motorola S305. These are the best headphone for exercising! 

1. It's wireless, say bye bye to annoying chords.
2. It's extremely lightweight and comfortable.
3. The sound quality is on point.
4. It operates via bluetooth so you can make hands free calls.
5. It works with all devices containing bluetooth.
6. You can control your music from the headset e.g track and volume controls.
7. It's relatively affordable.

I started using this in November 2014 and my workouts have transformed dramatically. This is particularly useful during lifting as it's wireless. The only negative thing really is that it's not sweat proof so if you sweat a lot around your hairline it can get irritating but you just need to re adjust it. I also ordered it from the U.S so I had to get an adapter to charge it. 

I highly recommend investing in a decent pair or wireless headphones like these as it can change your workout for the better. I use Spotify during my workouts! 

Do you listen to music during your workout? What kind of music do you like?

"Music is the poetry of the air"-Richter

Free Online Personal Training

Hey guys, I got the opportunity to review an Online Personal Trainer a while ago. Her name was Becky and she was my first PT! She was really understanding and super encouraging. Firstly we had a Skype interview about my goals and current routine. She then devised a personalised workout plan that was straight forward yet challenging. We also had check-ins weekly. 







Initially I didn't think it would be as effective as a physical PT. I trialed the bonus membership so I had to report back to her weekly which encouraged me to complete my plan having given my all. Click here to read Becky's Success Stories.

My goal was to tone and strengthen my body, particularly the legs and my core. After the month my legs felt stronger and my core was tighter. Overall I felt much more confident in working out because Becky was my accountability coach. Incase you aren't sure what the exercise is she has video demos on her website.

Online Personal Training is a fantastic idea as people are busy with work, school, family etc... Working out in the comfort of your own home is so practical. Becky will not let you down. She is offering a 1-month FREE trial of online Personal Training. Click here.

Becky's Website, Twitter, Facebook Page 

"Don't fake it, make it"

Where is the Best Place to Work Out?

Many people think the gym is the only place to workout. You can work out anywhere anytime!

• Gym?
• Pool?
• Outside?
• In the comfort of your own home? 

It's a trick question really, Wherever you have access to! I like to train at home, gym, outside and on the basketball court. Home workouts work well on rainy days but I do enjoy my fresh air. 

Have you visited your local park?

The main reason I wrote this post was because there are a lot of people who are scared of exercising outside. The truth about it is that nobody really cares. When you see people running outside, you never really say "OMG who does she think she is exercising". Think of it this way, no matter how slow you think you are, you are always lapping the people on the couch!

There is also this awesome FREE app called PumpUp available on IOS and Android. You can devise a workout depending on how much time and what equipment you have. They also have an online community where you can track/share your progress and get motivated! Everyone is super supportive and it's such a welcoming environment. It's like a Fitness Instagram. Follow me @Jennooos. 

Hope this motivates you to jump start your New Years Resolution! Please go ahead and like my Facebook Page if you haven't already! 

"Excuses don't burn calories" 

Weight-Training 101

I thought it'll be very useful to ask a lifter about it all, so I decided to interview Sean! 

What exactly is Bodybuilding?

BB’s are people who either try put on/lose weight and gain muscle at the same time. Power lifters are people who just simply put on weight to lift as heavy as possible. You may think they are similar but they are completely opposite. Bodybuilding is all about being in the best shape as possible with the least amount of body fat, whereas power lifters would contain quite a lot of body fat.

The four types of bodybuilding are professional bodybuilding, natural bodybuilding, female bodybuilding, and teenage bodybuilding. 

What am I?

Well personally I would be neither of these; I would be leaning towards more of a fitness model than anything. I prefer the look where you are not to huge yet still have a significant amount of muscle and a low body fat. A lot of the younger generation are aspiring to be like fitness models, take for eg; Zyzz, Jeff Seid, Steve Cook and Rob Riches.

When did I start?

I started weight training when I was in secondary school as it was a requirement in order to make the rugby team. However I didn’t really know what I was doing until I was 18. I did a lot of research into body building and what I learnt the most was the DIET. Up until then I had no idea what foods to eat and what foods not to eat. When I was bulking I was eating a lot of junk food to gain weight rather than eating good carbs- such as potatoes, rice etc. And when it came to cutting towards the summer, I learnt that in order to get into good shape (abs) you really needed to be strict with your diet. However I do love my food and junk food so I came up with a solution that worked for me. I found that after dieting Monday-Friday I would reward myself on Saturday and Sunday and literally eat anything I wanted. This may not work for others but this certainly worked for me. I felt that I wasn’t completely depriving myself of the food I loved. So for example if I was going on holidays during the summer, I would start this diet 10-12 weeks before, depends on how serious you are.

Why did I start?

 After seeing pictures and movies of these ripped guys (Zyzz etc), I just aspired to look like them. When seeing what they looked like before and after, I knew it was possible. It just required a significant amount of discipline and hard work. What I did over the winter was gained weight and then during the summer I would cut it all up and lose the body fat. What people need to understand is that this transformation does not just happen overnight it can take years. The difference between one summer and the next could be literally 3/4kg muscle increase which is significant. It really does show.

How often do you gym?

I like to train at least 4 times a week if not more. It varies between the seasons- winter and summer. During the summer I could train up to 6 times a week, I generally doing my cardio in the morning before I eat and then do my weight session in the evening. I like to change up my cardio routine so it doesn’t get boring. Preferably HIIT (high intensity interval training) is the best type of cardio training if you’re trying to lose weight. So for example- 1 minute walking/ jogging and 1 mintute sprinting. Do between 10-20 minutes of this and the fat will shred very quickly!

Why is there so much controversy over this topic?

I think when you walk by someone and who are massive and shredded, people automatically think “steroids”. This is a major topic in bodybuilding. Yes a lot of bodybuilders do take steroids, however a lot of them also don’t. I myself do not and would never take steroids as I am against all that. I prefer to do it naturally. Taking protein/ weight gainer/ creatine is NOT steroids, its just natural supplements which your body needs if you’re training. Whey protein is essential for training as it recovers your muscles after your workout. Creatine is good for putting on muscle quickly- water weight. Weight gainer is good for people who struggle to put on weight. 

What keeps me motivated?

I like to set myself goals and reach them within a certain time frame. I think the most important thing is to not compare yourself with someone else but to compare yourself with what you looked like this time last year or this time last month. This is the only way you will improve. If you compare yourself with someone like Zyzz and after a year you think “I don’t look like him yet, I’m giving up”, this defeats the whole purpose of training. It took all these bodybuilders/ fitness models years to look how they look!

So just be patient and stick to a plan which works for you. You look at these bodybuilders/ fitness models now and think wow they are amazing. Just understand they were EXACTLY LIKE YOU IN THE BEGINNING, they had to start off with 5kgs dumbbells and work they’re way up!

As they same “Rome wasn’t built in a day”.

What would you recommend to newbies? 

I personally only use whey protein. I would recommend to just start off with whey protein (myprotein.ie and bulkpoweders.co.uk). If you want to put on quick muscle as well you can also get creatine if you like. I think the most important thing about training is to enjoy it, pick a goal and try reach that target within 6 weeks (whether its gaining 10 kg or going up in your bench press/ squat to a certain weight). When you set yourself goals it makes you work that extra bit harder and keeps you from straying away from that goal. After 6 weeks, change your program up as your body gets used to it and it is very important to shock the system by doing something else.

3 exercises that are most effective

If I had to pick 3 exercises they would be

1.      Squats

2.      Deadlift

3.      Bench Press

Squats because not only does it do your legs but it’s an all-round workout and essential for growth. 

Deadlift because it helps you grow/ widen and thicker out your back, which makes you look bigger. In order to put on weight squats and deadlifts are essential to quick gains.

Bench press because it helps your chest grow and makes you looks fuller. 

Thanks for your time Sean, hope you guys find this helpful. 

"Pain is weakness leaving your body" -Tom Sobal 

Why you aren't seeing the results

So you want to lose weight huh? So do a lot of people. They listen to what people tell them and do it but see no results. I was one of those people. I got fed up with the same number on the scale and decided to do my own research and not listening to the ridiculous advice I was given.

To lose 22 pounds in 3 months here is what I didn't do. 

1. Just eat something because it was labelled healthy or nutritious. Any company can just slap on a buzz word to make their product more appealing. Call me crazy but I read the ingredients and if I didn't know what the ingredient was I sometimes didn't eat it because I didn't know what the heck it would do for my body. Makes sense though?                                            
2. Eat  little throughout the day. It's like not watering a plant and expecting it to grow. The key to weight loss is a fast metabolism meaning eating clean more often to keep the ball rollin'.
3. Strictly do cardio. Yes it worked, I burned calories during, but I didn't after. I found out that High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) burns more calories in a less amount of time also lifting weights continues to burn calories after working out, sweet right?
4. Eat a low carb diet. If you want to lose weight you should eat complex carbs (brown pasta,rice, sweet potatoes) as well as work out. You need energy for a good workout so tell me why you should eat little/no carbs?! 
5. Eat a little junk nearly everyday. This is debatable. For me I learned the hard way that it was the little things like having this chocolate bar or the bag of chips or that slice of pizza that would be a setback for eating healthier. I do eat junk, but I plan the days I want to, that way I know it won't be a setback and I won't feel guilty about it because I worked for it.
6. Think drinks that we consume don't matter. Our bodies don't recognise drinking calories as nutrients so they don't make us full. You're better off to eat your calories than drink them! You'll feel more satisfied. I did.      

                            

Majority of the things I talked about are food related. That goes to show the importance of diet in weight-loss. You may not want to take my advice but I have found with my weight loss it is the little things that make a big difference! I know I'm cringing as I type this but it's the truth, otherwise I wouldn't be making this post! 

"One definition of insanity is: Doing the same thing again and again and expecting a different result."

                                                                                -Jen'shealth

Weight loss motivation

How did you stay motivated to lose 22 pounds in 3 months? 

 I didn't. I was motivated for about 2 weeks then I wasn't bothered but it was determination that kept me "chasing" after my goal, (get it because I ran as cardio!)

Here are things that helped me stay on track (because I also sprinted!) 

1. My environment. Thankfully I have a brother that gyms all day every day so he showed me a couple things and was also into healthier eating so I was able to help him out too. Win win situation! My parents didn't buy as much junk food also. I went shopping with my mom and chose things I wanted to try out. With school, I brought my own lunch too.  
2. Changing up my workout and music playlist. My workouts ranged from Maximum Interval Training- Low impact eg. Insanity - Arm pedal exerciser. My playlist was upbeat but I had to constantly change it up so I wouldn't get use to it and try harder.
3. Getting new workout equipment/clothes. Whether it be a yoga mat or new running leggings the fact I was investing in those things made me want to use it even more. 
4. Following people who inspired me. Seeing people working out eg. joggers. I follow a lot of fitspirations on Instagram, Twitter, Youtube & PumpUp which is similar to IG except you post about health and fitness, you can create a workout also. I started a health and fitness group with friends which is really encouraging. We do weekly challenges and share tips and ideas. 
5. Cringey Quotes. They helped me run faster and train harder because they were true.                                  
6. Setting mini goals. Here is a picture of my weight loss motivation jar. It's pretty self explanatory but this helped because I walk past it every day and it reminds me of my goals and how far I've come, with weight loss we tend to forget that!  

"If you wait for the perfect conditions you'll never get anything done." -Ecclesiastes 11 vs 4

                                                                                         -Jen'shealth

What exercises I did to lose 22 pounds in 3 months

Background

On the 3rd of April I was overweight I weighed 176 pounds (80.9 kgs) and it is now the 17th of June and I weigh 154.4 pounds (70 kg). So I lost 22 pounds/10 kg in 3 months. I'm 5'11. I wanted to tone up and get rid of unnecessary flab so I came across "Insanity" which is a maximum intensity interval training programme for 2 months. In other words, you either go hard or go home. I did it for 6 days and lost 6 pounds, it was tough and unrealistic for me to do it every day for 30 minutes so I quit. I'd recommend it if you don't mind doing push ups in a pool of your own sweat!

So what kind of exercising did you do?

Cardio all day every day.

1. Jogging: at one point I did it every day for about 30- 50 mins.
2. Soccer: I went to training and played matches every week for about a month.
3. Gyming: For about 15-30 mins per machine Treadmill (jogging), Bicycle, Cross-trainer/Elliptical, Stair Master, Arm pedal exerciser.
4. Interval running: sprinting then walking and repeating. Much more effective than jogging, you use more energy= burn more fat! 
5. Dance workouts: I did these at least once a week. Scola Dondo's afrobeat ones are the best! 
6. Strength training: (exercises that help your muscles become more stronger and powerful) eg, squats, russian twists, crunches, push ups, tricep dips and planks.
7. Weight training: I did a little, I want to be toned not skinny. I do bicep curls with dumbbells and use ankle weights for russian twists, bicycle crunches etc.

On average I did these about 5-6 times a week.I think it's important to change up your workout, your brain gets use to you doing the same thing therefore you'll get the same results. I have a pretty active lifestyle, I take the bus weekly, take the stairs when I can and go for strolls. 

"Cardio is fun said no one ever" -Anonymous.