Things I Love Thursday #8 Confidence

One day walking home from school with some friends, age fifteen, a boy walked passed me and commented on my jiggly legs.  That boy insulted me and will have forgotten about it in days. It stayed however, lurking in my mind; when trying on new outfits, putting on my gym clothes or getting ready to go out someplace.  Its a horrible feeling thinking that you must look so bad a random stranger decided to comment on how you look.  Even now when I pull on a pair of shorts I think of that day and question if I should go out looking "like that".


Last weekend my boyfriend bought me the cutest pair of shorts.  They are so comfy, fit amazingly and have pockets.  We were going to the gym the following Monday for international chest day.  I threw on my new shorts and thought;  This is it, they day I face my fears.  The whole time I was in the gym I kept looking at myself in the mirror to see if I looked ok.  Thing was, I did.  I looked good in my shorts and even more I noticed that other people were just getting on with there day, meeting there goals and focusing on themselves.  Yeah ok there might be some people judging my choice of clothing but I was confidant and happy in myself. 


When you can put on an outfit and a smile follows everyone will notice the smile first.  Having confidence in yourself is so important and not in just how you look.  This is something that going to the gym has helped me build.  Not just because now I look better but it has shown me with hard work you can progress and succeed.


Work to become the person you want to be, follow your dreams and don't let other peoples doubt get in the way.

Things I love Thursday #7 Burning Up and Stressing Down

Day to day life isn't always easy and I know that I get stressed quite a lot.  It wouldn't be a normal day for me if I wasn't worrying about one thing or another.  I have noticed that when I hit the gym, cardio, weights or classes I always feel a lot more positive about life afterwards. You often hear people say: "No one says they regret working out."  This isn't just because of their health or strength increases, a lot of it is the therapy they get from it.  On rest days I even notice that I am still carrying the weight of the day later on into the night.  I am not saying train every day, because your body needs a break, but giving your mind a break is important to.

 For example when lifting weights, let say squatting, do you ever fret about work or money or deadlines when you are squatting?  I know that I don't because I am concentrating on the task in hand (Not falling over is the main one!).  Giving your mind something else to focus on makes it harder for you to worry.  This can also work in reverse and I know this from experience.  Trying to work out when that worry cant be distracted can be very dangerous.  You stop concentrating so much on technique causing you to slip up and make mistakes.  When this happens my best advise is to take a break from whatever you are doing and focus on something easy or repetitive.  Getting on a treadmill and giving you time to calm your head might be the way for you (keep in mind to go slow and not get your heart rate up to high!). I however like doing circuits.  Slamming a ball onto the floor 15 times really helps take the anger and stress out of me. Its not something that you can forget all form for but something that is quite simple to do.

Whatever way it works the gym is there to help and at a much cheaper cost than a therapist!  Keeping fit helps you keep happy and full of energy and is the reason I am a gym junky.  If you ever want advice or someone to destress to drop me an email at amelia.gourlay1@gmail.com.


Keep it up and remember to give me a follow!  See you soon!

Thinks I love Thursday #6 Training Buddy!

For the first few months of my gym life  I was a lone wolf.  I hated training with other people.  Mainly because I only had a small amount of knowledge on my workouts that I wasn't able to switch and change things up for training with other people.  I used to get annoyed when someone showed me a different way to do something because that is not how I had been taught.  I am a grumpy toddler at heart.  Even though deep down I am the same stubborn brat things have changed. 


Going to the gym with someone now is a totally different experience.  Its like being with another member of the pack ready to show the world how it should be done.  This has changed because I have learnt something very important.  Just because its different, doesn't mean its wrong.  When I started out at the gym I was a novice.  I had been taught how to do an action or motion in relation to the workout I was doing, for my body at that time and to help develop a serration area.  Over time building knowledge of my body and techniques I am beginning to understand the difference between bad form and variations.  This is something that is very important when training with someone.  For example the person I currently train with is male, tall and has been training for a few years now.  The variations he sometimes uses are different to mine.  We both might be training legs however he might be isolating one area whereas because I am not as far on I might be working on my legs as a whole.  As a result of this we may be doing things differently. 


Right now I am particularly enjoying working out with my friends who are new to or don't have much knowledge of training.  This allows me to share what I know, and in doing so develop myself.  As people are different I am coming up with plans that suite both of us and using different variations to suite our bodies and levels.  It has also helped me to develop my skills in supporting people within a gym environment. 


Going to the gym with someone and working out together is something I would recommend to everyone.  Give it a shot because it might not be as bad as you think!  Remember to be open to new workouts and styles but make sure you keep your form on point and stay safe!


Hope you enjoyed my Things I love Thursday #6!  See you soon!

Things I love Thursday #5 Supersets!

Everyone has their favourite thing to do in the gym.  Their go to workout when they can't be bothered walking to the gym let alone doing anything there.  Mine is something that is the baine of most peoples lives... I love supersets.  I can get bored quite easily when working out so supersets keeping things fast paced and interesting.  Mixing different workouts together and powering through them gets your heart rate up and your blood pumping.  I like to do a combination of body weight and weighted workouts.  This way just general cardio can be a little more interesting.  As time goes by you can see progress in your weights, skill and time.  When I first started I could do a double arm kettle bell swing at 8kg.  Now with good form I can do 16kg with one arm, double the weight, half the arms! 

It has also helped me build up my confidence and showed me that I can  do this.  Before starting I was so scared of hights I couldn't jump onto a box that was just above my knees.  Now I can smash out 15 box jumps and not miss one!

They have helped develop me in so many ways.  As much as I love them I am aware its not for everyone.  So many people are starting the gym this month and giving up not long after.  I bumped into an old friend of mine the other day at the gym.  It was her first time and she was worried it might also be her last.  She said to me that she was going to force herself to come in every week.  The second she said that I had to stop her.  This is one mistake that many people make when they join the gym.  They hit the tread mill, try to run for a bit, get a cramp and stop.  Nagging and nagging at themselves to go and repeat this every week.  This is not the way to do it!!  As much as the gym is for getting you fit it should be enjoyable.  Making yourself go when you don't want to will only make you hate it more.

I advised that she look at some classes, try out some stuff until she found something she likes.  I gave her a card for a PT that I know and also told her to check out stuff online to get ideas.  It is always good to start the gym with someone who has some experience and if you don't know anyone even two or three sessions with a PT can be a massive help.  I said she can give me a buzz if she wants a hand and I could put a plan together if she wants.  I love my supersets but finding what you love is key.

Hope you enjoyed my mini rant and keep strong!  See you all next Thursday!

Things I love Thursday #4 My New Bottle

I am not normally a "new year new me" kind of person however I am constantly setting goals for myself and this one just happened to fall near the start of the year!  I have a very bad habit of not drinking enough water.  Don't get me wrong water is my first choice of drink however it can be hard to drink as much as recommended in a day.  Like most things to do with keeping healthy there is a recommended daily intake, five fruit and veg a day, 2500ml/3000ml of water, no biscuits... but water can be hard.  With an average glass of water only being 250mls you would have to drink 10 to 15 glasses a day. 

For some people this might be easy but I needed a little helping hand.  You might remember my previous post about protein powder.  When I ordered a bulk of stuff and received a maxi nutrition water bottle.  It is 1L and one of the best things to happen to me!  Not only does it mean I have a great bottle with measurements so I can see how much I need to drink but it also is easy to use at the gym with its handy lid.  I know that if by lunch I have not drank at least a bottle I need to get drinking.

I suffer from migraines and bad headaches, drinking water really helps keep these at bay and something I recommend everyone does.  It doesn't just have to be drinking water though!  Green and any caffeine free teas are a great way to intake water.  One of the best ways to get water into your body is by eating watermelon!


I love my bottle, what helps you work out and keep healthy?  Comment below!

Things I love Thursday #3 Fit Family

This time of year can be really hard to keep motivated will all the cake and chocolate and roast potatoes and... anyway!  One thing that has made it a lot easier is the family around me.  Over the last year it hasn't just been me improving my life style.  My dad has always been good at playing football and hitting the gym but for myself if was something new and for my mum it was about finding the right things for her.

I have always been brought up to try new foods and to keep healthy.  My mum has started up nordic walking and yoga.  Seeing the progress in both of us has meant this year at Christmas we have still kept motivated.

This year I even hit the gym on Christmas Day without judgment from my family!  It's hard enough to keep healthy but when you don't have support from the people you are closest to.  I am really glad to have a supportive family! 

Sorry for the late post and I'll see you guys soon! 

Lifting ain't all about the weight

First thing people ask when you are discussing the gym is "So what can you lift?".  This can sometimes be a great question as many guys are amazed at the fact a woman can lift anything other than shopping bags from sales, but its not the be all and end all.  Being able to lift a substantial weight is great but only when you have your form on point.  This is why I am very grateful for my personal trainer.  As much as watching YouTube videos, reading "how to guides" and doing thirty day challenges give your body a boost and test your mind they are not there to support you through each step.  There are so many people that jump right into exercises and workouts that they have never done before without any research.

I am not suggesting that everyone gets a personal trainer but reading up on how workouts should be performed is a minimum.  I would strongly suggest that you pair up with a fellow fitness lover, newbie or not, brain up on how to do things safely and spot each other.  Don't be afraid to as a member of staff at the gym if you are doing it correctly.  After all they know best.  One website I have found that gives an in depth guidance and useful steps is "The Art of Manliness" (www.artofmanliness.com).  This website also helps you to be more manly!  

Without good form and strong technique the only difference lifting heavier weights makes is the amount of damage you can do to your body.  Some workouts might be harder once you have looked up the right way to do them but this is simply because you are now using the right areas of your body to carry it out.  It doesn't matter if you can't lift as high as you might wish.  You will get there with hard work and dedication.  Getting fitter and building strength takes time and is something that cant be rushed.

So grab a guide/buddy/PT and get that form right!