Cj's BootyCamp

Last week I took part in “Cj’s Bootycamp” a week long event taking place every morning from 6:45am – 8am to kick me into shape. Bootycamp was set up by Carly; a Level 3 qualified Fitness instructor and busy mum dedicated to promoting health and fitness. Carly’s main fitness passion is Muay Thai Kick Boxing but believes that we need to challenge ourselves with different kinds of activities to see a real improvement in our fitness. Bootycamp came about as Carly believes that women should support and motivate each other and uses high impact, explosive exercise focusing on core strength and conditioning as the main ethos. And it works.

When I first signed up to the Bootycamp in December Carly sent me through a welcome pack with advice on exercises to complete in preparation for the Bootycamp week and guidance on healthy eating and nutrition with recipes from Miss Fighting Fit. This was fantastic as it made it clear that Carly is willing to be fantastic resource and support throughout your fitness journey and this holistic approach is key as it is educating on how fitness and nutrition really do go hand in hand.

So what did Bootycamp involve? Each morning you went to Bootycamp not knowing what to expect; this surprise element really went in its favour as it made you excited to try new activities but also took away the potential dread or boredom that an come with doing the same activity everyday; Carly mixed up the sessions as well often by taking us outside for half the session and then inviting guest instructors in to teach us all something new. Unfortunately I was unable to make it to the Monday session but below details what we covered for the rest of the week;

Tuesday

On Tuesday we had the pleasure of Ian Davies; Head Coach at So8 Gym in Falmouth. Ian got us doing straightforward jabs to work our arms, overhead boxing to work our shoulders, leg raises to work our abs and wall sits to get our legs burning. All of these activities were timed and what really impressed me about Ian’s technique was how much he emphasised the power of the mind; how our mind will give up before our body will and we need to get ourselves into a zone, distract ourselves and push through. I have no doubt that training with Ian on a regular basis would push me out of my comfort zone into a whole new level of fitness. Afterwards Carly took us outside to some hill sprints (on Tuesday this was more of a slope but each day the hill sprints got steeper!) and then got us working in pairs to do different kind of ab exercises where we would hopefully not even realise we were working as she uses tools to distract you.

Wednesday

Wednesday we started off outside running around the centre of Truro; sprinting through the subway and up steps, doing press-ups and tricep dips on the benches in the piazza and then jogging back to TR1 fitness to complete circuit training. This for me was a real eye opener into my fitness as it really tested my strength and endurance. Stations included box jumps (which I have always had an irrational fear about), step ups, planks, squats, shoulder press, speed ball and boxing. I really felt the effects of this session and must admit felt absolutely shattered at the end. However I think my tiredness may have also been attributed by the fact that I didn’t take in enough calories the day before; it’s amazing the difference that it makes. Circuit training is definitely going to be added to my work out routine following this session.

                                                         Thursday

On Thursday Carly spent the first half of the session giving us a spin class. Now I love spin; it has been a long time since I did a class and I loved getting back into it. It makes your legs burn and gets your heart rate up; I can’t help but smile all the way through, although I’m not sure if that is more of a grin and bear it type smile! The one thing I would say is that if you are going to a spin class make sure you take plenty of water and a towel because you will sweat. A  lot. Following the spin we did Bootycamp’s version of leg day by doing sprints, lunges, bunny hops and duck walks in the car park. Ouch.

Friday

Friday again was doing an activity that I absolutely love; Kettle bells. I really need to do this more often. Again we had a guest instructor in as this was something that Carly had actually never done before herself and it was brilliant. Set up in a circuit we had different movements to complete at each station as well as a few bodyweight exercises thrown in. Using kettle bells really gets your heart rate up; it is a great example of where lifting weights can also be a cardiovascular exercise aswell and they can be used to target every section of your body. If you’re not into lifting weights on the whole I would suggest you give kettle bells a go.

Saturday

The last day of Bootycamp, Carly had us sprinting up the steepest hill yet, running around the town with a weighted bar above our heads and lunging, squatting, shoulder pressing and doing stand up rows on the piazza. Getting outside and exercising really does make it more fun and exercising it groups gives you that little bit of peer pressure to ensure you keep going when you otherwise might want to stop. When we got back to the studio it was time to take another leaf from the Muay Thai and handbook with kicks. Watching Carly do it; she made it look powerful and easy. Not so much for me! When I was in Thailand last year i did this twice a day, every day for a week and thought I would still be quite good at it; not the case at all. We started off with 1 kick, then 2, then 3, then 4, then 5 and back down again and then moved onto the next leg. It really made me realise how much your strength and fitness diminishes if you don’t use it! My kicks were not at all powerful and if I’m honest it was the hardest cardio I did all week and have done in a long time. Afterwards I felt brilliant but know this is something I really need to get back into.

My overall view of the Bootycamp is that it is a fantastic introduction to different forms of exercise; Carly makes it fun and varied and pushes you without making you feel under pressure or unhappy about it; it was an enjoyable environment and I would definitely recommend it. So many women don’t exercise because they feel self conscious or lack motivation; this environment takes those worries away as Carly is a great motivator and the female only environment promotes camaraderie and as everyone is at different levels you don’t feel self conscious if there are some activities you can’t do as well. For me personally, I learnt that I need to do more High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and circuits to boost my fitness and two main areas of strength that need working on are my core and my upper body. I would absolutely book onto Cj’s Bootycamp again as no matter what level of fitness you are; a solid week of completing all different activities pushes you out of your comfort zone and challenges you; which is something we should never stop doing.

All photos courtesy of Cj's Bootycamp

Project: Transformation

“Genuine happiness can only be achieved when we transform our way of life from the unthinking pursuit of pleasure to one committed to enriching our inner lives, when we focus on 'being more' rather than simply having more.”

  - Daisaku Ikeda

I was going to start this post talking about the physical transformation program I have started however, I realised that by the pure act of focusing on improving our physical selves; we begin to grow spiritually too. No matter what form of exercise you undertake, it will require self-motivation and inner strength to push your body past the limits that your mind sets. I don’t really practice yoga but I find that when I get into the zone running or lifting weights it is meditative; you’re focusing on your breathing, at completing the task at hand. Because of this, physical activity is a fantastic tool to combat depression and anxiety; it alleviates stress and boosts self esteem. Personally, I also find that it helps solve problems, getting blood pumping around the brain you become more alert, more aware, somehow the problem seems smaller and the answers just come to you. There is no other feeling like when you get into your own mind, focus, push and drive yourself to be better. I think this is why so many fitness professionals are so keen to share their lifestyles with others; to help them to realise the riches that lie within themselves.

With this in mind I am committing myself to being more. The first step of this journey begins with the physical. I’m the kind of person that likes a plan; I like to know what I am going to do & when I am going to do it. And then like a massive geek I record everything in an excel spreadsheet. Yep, that’s me! I just find having a structure makes it easier to achieve want I want to; kind of like when you do a time management plan to complete an essay or get through your to do list at work. Or am I the only one that does time management spreadsheets too?? Anyway, I decided that for my goals I would download a 12 week training program from Bodybuilding.com and chose the Jamie Eason’s 12 week transformation plan. Jamie Eason is an incredibly successful fitness model and this plan is great as it gives you a day by day of what you should be doing and eating; with videos to demonstrate form and a list of different foods and serving sizes required for each meal. This is fantastic for anyone who is just starting out as all the information you need is there!

I started the program on the 16/01/2014 I don’t rely wholly on my weight as a measuring device as it can be deceptive so instead I am using pictures and my body fat percentage to record my progress.  I’m not sure I am ready to share my progression pictures with you quite yet, (besides not sure the difference is at a point where it is noticeable after 1 week!) But I have seen a decrease of 1.7% body fat which brings me into the healthy range so I am happy with that.

	Day 1	Day 7
Body Fat Percent	31.80%	30.10%

This first week really helped me to establish where I am in terms of my strength; I realised that my upper body is still incredibly weak and I need to work on endurance as well as strength, but I also discovered that my legs are much more powerful and stronger that I thought; I managed to squat and leg press more than I ever have before and still have the confidence that I can go heavier! The Phase 1 of this plan does just focus on weightlifting and I have put a table of what I completed this week below however I have also been undertaking cardio in bootcamp form; which I will detail in a post over the weekend.

For the 1^st 4 weeks of this program I will be doing 3 sets of 12 reps, with a 1 minute rest between sets. I tried to pick a weight that would have me working at 60% effort and cause me to get to failure by the 3^rd set, as this is my first week it will take a bit of trial and error to get the weights right! On some of the sets I did feel I could lift a bit heavier on my next attempt, whereas with others I had to drop some weight in order to complete them.

I will update again on week 4 to see how the weights have improved! 

Make The Jump

I feel like I have been on a sabbatical. I have been absent from my blog for far, far too long and I am reflecting on why that has been.

2013 was a year of great change for me; when I first started my blog on the 31^st January last year I was working within Human Resources in London and started the blog as a hobby; I enjoyed fitness and had developed a specific interest in nutrition because of this, my love of cooking and to help develop high protein, paleo and vegetarian recipes.

Through this process, I began to realise where my passions truly lay and this just exacerbated the feeling that I was wasting my life in my current job; I was not realising my potential, growing as a person and in turn felt deeply unhappy.

And so, I did something drastic. I took a leap of faith.

I applied to university to study nutrition and almost as if on a whim; I quit my job and relocated back to my home in Cornwall to give me some time to get back to me. To re-learn who I am and ensure I was making the right decision about my future; I spent a month in Thailand exploring the mountains, diving the ocean and practicing Muay Thai. It was bliss. I remember trekking through the mountains and feeling completely content, making my way to the boxing gym at 7am every morning knowing that this was I wanted to do, in this moment, happiness.

I read two books whilst I was away that just reinforced my own beliefs that you have to take risks in life to do what you love and follow your dream to be the person you aspire to be; Mike Mahler’s” Live Life Aggressively” and Bear Gryll’s Autobiography “Mud, Sweat and Tears”. The former reminded me that continue to do the same action but expect different results; is the definition of insanity and that we have to be responsible for our own success by educating ourselves and constantly evolving. The latter inspired my mind to believe that my body can achieve things beyond my own expectations, that the most important things in life our love, family and faith, that if you put all your energy and focus into doing something you are a passionate about you will succeed.

I am not saying it has all been plain sailing since then; I have been constantly plagued by doubts, whether it be about living in Cornwall/London, being away from my fiancée, whether I chose the right course. But I know, deep in my heart, when I listen to my inner voice, that I am moving in the right direction. I feel so much more satisfied and content; waking up every day with purpose.

2014 for me is an incredibly exciting prospect; I know that after making all the big decisions and changes last year, that what awaits over the next 12 months is going to be hard work. I have a lot to do; physically and mentally but I am so excited!

So here I am, back in the game, sharing my journey with you and I hope you will in turn share your journeys with me. Remember you can do anything you put your mind to; all you need is the courage to make the jump...

Free Diving Freedom Part1

Growing up in Cornwall I spent my childhood in the ocean; I have always loved being a part of this amazing world that holds so many mysteries. We would often send days snorkeling, cliff jumping and fishing but I discovered I had a real knack for diving deeper than most of my peers. 

I first experienced this whilst sailing in Turkey when I was 10 years old; I was snorkeling with my Dad and older sister when my Dad suggested that we dive down and check the anchor was secure. After several attempts neither my Dad or sister could reach the anchor, they simply laughed when I said I wanted a go. But I calmly started breathing deeply; took a few final normal breaths and went for it! I swam down effortlessly and reached the anchor, pushed on it to ensure it was secure in the reef and then rather smugly returned to the surface. I was ecstatic! I couldn't believe that for once I was actually the best at something! (Being the youngest often meant that this was a rare event). Thus sparked my enthusiasm for free diving; a passion that only grew as my passion for the ocean did.

However it only remained a hobby I would partake in with my friends when we would go snorkeling or spear fishing. This year though, I wrote a list of things I wanted to do and achieve and one of the top activities among them, was learning to free dive properly.

My opportunity arose, quite out of the blue, recently on a visit to Koh Tao in Thailand. I simply had to share the experience with you as it felt spiritually and physically invigorating and a must do for any water-bound fitness enthusiasts!

I took part in a two day free diving beginner course with a company called Blue Immersion which would teach me; breathing techniques, the physiological impact of free diving on the body, diving techniques and rescue procedures as well as providing me with the opportunity to dive to a depth of 20 meters exploring Thailand's finest dive sites!

The course started off with breathing techniques similar to what you would use in yoga; and in fact as the courses progress and you are pushing your body further, yoga is often practiced in the mornings to prepare and calm your body before the dives.

We then had an initial go to see how long we could hold our breath for; this for me was awful. I could not relax, I found myself panicking and wanting to breath earlier than I ever thought I would normally need to; but it turns out I managed to hold my breath for 1min 15secs. Compared with the rest of the group this was terrible. The instructor taught me though, that this was my body tricking me as it was simply CO2 wanting to get out; not that I needed oxygen and I simply needed to divert my mind to keep myself calm. I put these instructions into practice and by the next day could hold my breath for 2mins 30secs; still terrible in comparison to the rest of the group but I felt like I had come a huge way in just 24 hours. I had been imagining I was a seagull.

These initial breath hold exercise took place outside of the water however; and once we got out to sea and were diving down the line I instantly felt calmer and focused on what I needed to do.

I can't tell you how freeing it is to swim down to these depths without the heavy equipment involved in scuba. It was surreal and made me feel much more at one with the ocean and her creatures.

Two days was not enough for me in this sport; it has opened my eyes up to really challenging your mind and body. Stepping (or swimming!) outside of your comfort zone and taking control. This sport truly is mind over matter and I'm only just beginning...

To be continued...

Spinach & Tofu Burgers

For anybody that has been over to my house in the last two years, you have probably already eaten one of our 'famous' spinach and tofu burgers. We probably make them more than any other meal...why?? Because they THE tastiest burgers I have ever eaten!*

*You do not have to agree with this statement as it is a personal opinion; mine!

The wonderful thing about these burgers is that not only are they easy to make but they a) are a good source of iron which is a must for me and b) they are great for getting in your protein which is an important factor for veggies' especially those that spend a lot of time in the gym :)


The Tofu gives them a really creamy texture as well; you can fry them or bake them and if you make to much mixture simply pop them between two sheets of grease proof paper / cling film and stick them in the freezer!



Ingredients
3 large handfuls/half a bag of baby spinach leaves
3 spring onions - sliced
3 cloves of garlic
1 block of firm tofu; squeezed dry
1/2 cup of bread crumbs
1/4 cup of sesame seeds
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
Salt & Pepper to taste

Method
1.Cook spinach for 1 minute until wilted in a saucepan; chop finely and put into a large bowl
2. Put the spring onions and garlic into a food processor until minced and add to the bowl

3. Crumble half the tofu with your hands into the bowl. Place the other half of the tofu into the food processor and process until smooth.
4. Add the smooth tofu to the bowl with the remaining ingredients
5. Combine the ingredients until evenly distributed
6. Use your hands of a burger press to form evenly sized patties (we normally get about 5 burgers out of it)
7. Fry or bake dependent on your preference (frying seals them better but baking is healthier)
8. Serve in buns, pittas or by themselves with salad!

Lentil Moussaka

This week (May 20th to May 24th) is National Vegetarian Week. So, with that in mind each day I will be sharing with you some of my favourite vegetarian dishes for you to try at home. 

National Vegetarian Week is a great opportunity for you to get out of that food rut; experiment with new dishes and ingredients.Although there are a lot of people nowadays that do think outside of the 'meat-and-two-veg box' it is astonishing how many people still can not even imagine a meal without meat in it and, when they find out I'm a vegetarian, still respond with "but what do you eat?"

The following recipe is one of my favourite comfort foods; it's high in protein and you can make it healthier with a less cheesy sauce but that is also one of guilty pleasures! Unfortunately I wasn't able to make this in time for the blog so don't have any pictures; but will try and get some for you at a later date.

Lentil Moussaka

Ingredients
1 Aubergine
1 Sweet Potato
1 large white onion
4 cloves of garlic
1 can of chopped tomatoes
1 can of lentils
Sea Salt
Olive Oil
Milk
Cheddar Cheese
Flour
Parmesan
Butter

Method
1. Thinly slice the aubergine & let rest for 20mins in order for the sour juices to escape
2. Thinly slice the sweet potato & parboil for 5mins
3. Fry the chopped onions & garlic until golden then add the lentils and chopped tomatoes
4. Melt the butter in a saucepan & add the milk and flour; stir until smooth
5. Add the grated cheese, take off the heat & stir until smooth
6. Layer the lentils in a lasagne dish, alternating with the sweet potato & aubergine, finishing with a layer of lentils
7. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes
8. Pour the cheese sauce over the vegetables and bake for 20 minutes
9. Serve, Share and Enjoy!

The Power of Positivity

"Positive thinking is a mental attitude that admits into the mind thoughts, words and images that are conductive to growth, expansion and success. It is a mental attitude that expects good and favourable results. A positive mind anticipates happiness, joy, health and a successful outcome of every situation and action.Whatever the mind expects, it finds."                                                  

Remez Sasson,The Power of Positive Thinking

Not so long ago I realised, although  I hated to admit it, but I can be a bit of negative nancy. This was first brought to my attention by dear mum who, when listening to me rant about my life, interrupted saying; "Do you realise how often you say 'I can't' ?"

Whenever I have read interviews or autobiographies by any successful individual, be it in business, love or life generally, one thing they all say is you have to have self-belief and learn to turn negatives into positives.

Last weekend in Cornwall when running along the coastal path from St.Agnes to Wheal Coates; I allowed my mind to wonder about the sheer mass of the task I am undertaking and about the challenge that is Tough Mudder. The negative voices began creeping in; "you'll never do it, there's no way your going to be fit enough".

I read a book once by Paolo Coelho called By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept, in which he spoke of this voice as "the other" and if we are ever going to achieve our true potential we must banish it from our mind.

A friend once told me that you need to paint the picture of what you want in your mind, or on paper if it helps. Imagine how it will feel to be there and every detail of how it will be. As for the negative thoughts; every time they arise make a concious effort to replace them with a positive thought and in my case stop saying I can't. I need to stop making excuses and get on with it.

As Richard Branson said; Screw it, Let's do it. Or Dr. Pepper; What's the worse that can happen?