Protein and You

When I first started lifting weights, my fiancé and I talked about taking protein supplements, and we decided to try it out for a while. Although I'd never had the need to try supplements before my partner had and he had noticed a benefit. So after a bit of research, and experimentation we found a supplement that suited our needs.

We tried it out for a few months, it was very expensive and although I noticed results at first, things dramatically changed when our diet did. At first I noticed that my muscles weren't as achy after a workout and I felt much more energised and active.

Over these few months our diet dramatically changed, we added many more protein rich foods, and cut out a lot of carbohydrates, and fats. All of a sudden the energised feeling I was getting from the protein developed into a more tired, bloated feeling.

Once we stopped the supplements and concentrated on getting enough protein from out diet this feeling subsided. Not only do I feel better now, but my fiancé and I have noticed a dramatic difference in fat loss and muscle gain. I'm sure that now that we are getting the needed protein from our diet we are much better off.

I've just finished reading an excellent article called: Do You Need To Take Protein Supplements? This article explains the importance of protein and when you need to consume supplements. This is a wonderful read if your interested in getting the most out of your diet and therefore your body.

It's Important to Stretch

I talked last night about the importance of warming up and cooling down when working out, strength training.

Stretching is not the only type of warm up, cool down activity that you can do. You can ride a bike, walk, jog, or jump rope. Personally I like to jump rope, and use a fitness ball.
However it is important that you stretch as well as one or more of these other exercises. Stretching can help prevent an injury, and post-exercise muscle soreness, as well as improve your range of motion (ROM).

I do the same stretching set before and after a work out. I like to do the set backwards in cool down, to keep me concentrating, and I prefer to go from Lying to Standing before then, Standing to Lying afterwards. Each stretch I do is held for a count of 30, and it's really important to focus on the area your stretching while your stretching it. This seems to intensify the stretch.

My stretching routing looks like this: (If your unsure of any of the stretches follow the links)

Position	Stretch
Lying Down	Groin Stretch
	Lying Tuck
Sitting	Groin Stretch
	Ham String Stretch
	Iliotibial Band Stretch
	Golfers Elbow Stretch Level 1
	Golfers Elbow Stretch Level 2
	Tennis Elbow Stretch Level 1
	Tennis Elbow Stretch level 2
Keeling	Chest Stretch
	Lat Stretch
	Cat Stretch
Standing	Calf Stretch
	Soleus Stretch
	Groin Stretch
	Ham String Stretch
	Quadriceps Stretch

Then the same but backwards for after my weight lifting routine.

If your would like to know more about stretching this is a nice document: Stretching and Flexibility - How to Stretch.
I love how fit, and healthy I'm feeling now. I have so much more energy and I feel great. Good luck, have fun, and stay healthy :-)

6 Week Workout Routine

I started a new workout routine yesterday. It's a nice little routine, working all of the major muscle areas. I'm going to use this workout for 6 weeks then I'm going to up the sets to three instead of two.
My new routine is split over two days, Day 1: Upper Body, Day 2: Lower Body, and Day 3: Off. Always remember how important it is to have a day off, this is when your muscles grow.

This is my new routine for anyone interested.

Day 1
Muscle Group	Exercise	Sets	Reps
Chest	Bench Press	2	12-15
	Incline Press	2	12-15
Upper Back	Lat Pull Down	2	12-15
	One-arm Dumbbell Row	2	12-15
	Heavy Shrugs	2	12-15
Shoulders	Dumbbell Shoulder Press	2	12-15
	Upright Row	2	12-15
	Dumbbell Lying Raise	2	12-15
Biceps	Barbell Curl	2	12-15
Triceps	Tricep Extension	2	12-15
Abdominals	Crunch	2	12-15
	Oblique Crunch	2	12-15
Day 2
Legs/Glutes	Squat	2	12-15
Quadriceps/Glutes	Front Lunge	2	12-15
Quadriceps	Leg Extension	2	12-15
Ham Strings	Lying Leg Curl	2	12-15
Lower Back	Back Extension	2	12-15
Calves	Calf Raise	2	12-15
Abdominals	Crunch	2	12-15
	Oblique Crunch	2	12-15

If you would like more information on strength training, or these exercises these sites have some awesome information:
Exercise Instruction & Kinesiology
Muscle Exercise Encyclopedia Instructions
Have fun and stay safe when exercising, and always warm-up and cool down before and after lifting weights ;-)

Motivation

Finding motivation from day to day can be very difficult. Recently I've been very unwell, my partner and I caught a nasty bug that's been going around. Illness quickly saps your energy and working-out (especially weight training) becomes impossible. When I started to feel better I really found it hard to get back into my routine, I didn't want to start working out again. I'm not sure why, I love the feeling, I just really struggled.

I'm back in the saddle now, and doing a split routine, 2 days on, 1 day off, upper body and abs one day and lower body and abs the second day. I just didn't think that it would take so much to start again. I really had to push to find that motivation. When you have a regular routine it just becomes something that you do, you don't really think about it, you just do it.

I remember when I first started, I was very unfit and fat, it took a lot to get me going. I just focused on how much I wanted it. How much I wanted to be able to run to the end of the street and not be worn out. To be able to play and mess around with my partner and not need to stop and have a breather. How I wanted to remove the fat from my body and be fit and healthy. How much I want to start my marriage feeling good about me, and my life.

I wouldn't give-up working-out, the energy that I have now is incredible. It seems strange that working-out would give you more energy but it does. It makes you feel fit and strong, your memory and concentration improve as well.

So even though the motivation can be hard to find at times it is very much worth the effort. I'm glad that I take 20 minutes to and hour out of my day to exercise. After a while it just becomes something that you crave, that you miss when you don't get to do it. That gives you so much more than you ever expected. Give it a go, find your motivation today.

The Word For Today Is: PAIN

Pain has taken over my life for the past 3-4 days. First I hurt myself weight lifting, then I got a tooth ache. So things have not been fun at all. Pain takes so much away from you, it is hard to think properly, let alone complete tasks. It makes you feel tired, and everything is confusing and very frustrating.

Weight Lifting
I have been doing weight training for a bit over two months. I am loving it, I have lost heaps of weight, and I am starting to develop some muscle. I will admit I didn't think I would like weight lifting. I don't particularly like big muscles on women. Yet I have found that it is not quite as simple as that. Basically I can choose how I am going to look by the types of exercises I do, and the way I do them.

Over the past few of days I have been writing myself a workout routine. It is my first ever attempt. Until now I've been learning different exercises, and using light weights to practice my form.

Creating a routine turned out to be harder than I thought. It is hard firstly because you need to take into account all of the major muscle groups, and try not to over do any one area. I made a classic newbie mistake, because I made a long hard routine, which of course hurt me so much that I haven't been able to lift weights for two days.

I have modified my workout now, and hopefully today I should be able to easily complete one circuit.

My Tooth Ache
The problem with my teeth is a small and simple one. It has been going on for weeks now, but the last couple of days have been unbearable. This tooth ache could be easily fixed if I had any money. I hate money so incredibly much.

I can't really eat or drink anything, which is probably adding to my state of confusion and exhaustion. So I am sitting here right now, tying to drink a coffee without sugar. It hurts even without the sugar, but I need something in me. I can handle many types of pain, but this is just nuts.

I should start a "fix my teeth fund", where people can donate money for me to get my teeth fixed. :)
The worst thing is, I feel horrible for complaining because my partners teeth are way worse than mine.

Dental health is a national problem, which you can see from the following; Dental health in decay, Figures highlight dentist shortage in Tas, Holes in dental health, Vic dental waiting lists hit five years, Sick to the back teeth.

Therefore we certainly are not the only people here in Australia with dental problems. The problems with the health system here do not end with the dental sector. I can't even get into see a G.P. here. I think that is disgusting.
Anyway enough of my rant for today. Have a good one :)