My Fitness Journey (2)

I document my fitness journey on my Instagram page @misslaneyx

The Changes

So it has been a while since I have posted about my fitness journey on here! I can definitely say there have been some major changes with my gym routine!

3 personal trainers later, I have discovered that I love weight training! It has changed my body so much and made me far stronger and fitter than I was back in September 2015 when I made the decision to get fit and healthy! 

July 2016

At the start of my fitness journey, I weighed in at around 60kg and I am currently at 57kg with less body fat and more muscle! I still have a long way to go BUT I know it takes time! I also know that diet is such a huge part which is the only thing that is affecting my progress but I have to say, I am so much better with food than I was when I first started my fitness journey.

Left - September 2015
Right - 10th April 2016

In December, I met with a personal trainer in London after winning a competition and she introduced me to strength training and I instantly fell in love with strength training! I loved the challenge and it actually gave me so much satisfaction when I was able to lift a weight that I never thought I would be able to lift! I asked my current personal trainer then if I could do some strength training but he refused to incorporate that into our sessions and told me I wasn't ready! Let's just say, I really started disliking my personal training sessions because I was doing the same thing day in and day out and it was just so boring! I switched gyms after Christmas and got myself a new personal trainer.

In February, I started lifting weights properly with the help of a personal trainer! I would highly recommend seeking help from a personal trainer if you are new to the gym/ weight training! As I have had several personal trainers in the past who have taught me good form, I haven't had any injuries so far (luckily)!

I feel much more confident with my current body as opposed to before when I was holding a lot of fat, especially around the stomach area. I DO NOT have abs, I am still working on it!

My Gym Routine

I have started training legs/glutes twice a week because one of my aims is to build a bum as I currently kind of lack one...  I do loads of squats (different versions), lunges, hip thrusts, good mornings etc. I love using the Smith Machine too for legs! I do kick backs on them, squats, lunges etc. You can find so many different exercises to do on youtube and instagram! 

I train chest and back together doing supersets for 6 exercises. I then like to do other back exercises like single arm row using cables and lat pulldowns. I also like to throw in clean and press for my chest and back day! 

Shoulders, biceps and triceps I do together for one gym session! 

Lets not forget core and some cardio! I try and throw in a bit of cardio at least 3 times a week at the end of my sessions for around 10-15 minutes doing either a steady jog or HITT on the treadmill. I aim for 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off at 15kph-16kph. I try and increase the speed as much as I can but it really depends on how I am feeling at that moment in time because usually I am quite tired after my main workout. 

I also like to dedicate one day to core and cardio at the end of the week. Unfortunately, my current gym doesn't have a TRX which is annoying as I love the TRX for core work. 

An example of my week at the gym:

• Monday - Legs/glutes
• Tuesday - Chest + back + 15mins cardio
• Wednesday - Shoulders, biceps and triceps + 15mins cardio
• Thursday - Legs/glutes
• Friday - Core + cardio
• Saturday & Sunday - rest days

Below is a video of some of the exercises I do!

Diet

I struggle with diet quite a lot! I try and keep it clean when I can but sometimes I can't help myself but eat a few pieces of chocolate.... 

For breakfast, I will usually have porridge with fresh fruit and some granola or crushed almonds. An alternative breakfast option is toast with scrambled eggs - I use 1 whole egg and egg whites from two chicks products (liquid egg white).

For lunch, I usually opt for rice, salmon, chicken and lots of veg.

For dinner, I have either chicken, salmon or steak and lots of veg. 

Examples of some of my meals below....

Breakfast example - omlette with lots of veg and some chicken

Salmon and chicken with lots of veg

Steak and veg

Breakfast protein pancakes with lots of fresh fruit and a drizzle of fruit syrup

Porridge with fresh fruit and and sprinkle of granola

Snack - Kallo rice cakes with peanut butter, fresh strawberries and crushed almonds

Porridge with lots of fresh fruit and crushed almonds

Protein pancakes with lots of fruit and some peanut butter cups... 

Supplements

I have a few protein powders that I use. For protein pancake making, I use Muscle Magpie in vanilla or PhD Diet Whey in belgian chocolate. 

For a protein shake, I use Scitec Nutrition in strawberry white chocolate as it tastes AMAZING!

I sometimes opt for a pre-workout and I use a variety of different ones from my sponsor Muscle Crate. Use code ELAINE20 for 20% off! 

I also have No Explode by BSN that I sometimes use for a pre-workout. 

I do not rely on pre-workouts as they are so high in caffeine which means they can't be too good for you if you take it often! I only really take pre-workouts between 2-4 times a month. I only take it when I need a kick which is usually for a leg/glutes session or chest and back session which involves lots of heavy lifting!

I take a protein shake after every workout to help with muscle recovery and also to help with my protein intake for the day! 

Muscle Crate Supplement Box - Use code ELAINE20 for 20% off

If you have any questions, feel free to comment or send me a message!