My Fitness Journey

Ciao lovelies. I'm back after another long absence, two months this time and I can offer no apologies or explanations. It feels as though it were yesterday that I wrote my last post but alas, it's been two months. Time is moving way too fast for me. It's scary. There have been so many changes in my life during this time, something I'm not going to go into right now. Instead, I want to talk to you a bit about my fitness journey over the past few months. 


Disclaimer: I am not a personal trainer or fitness guru or whatever, I'm just your average gym goer and want to share my experiences with you. If you want professional fitness advice then this is not the blog for you - consult a personal trainer.

Finding a Routine
It's very important to find a routine when you're committing to going to the gym otherwise it's easy to sack it off and watch Netflix in bed. Before my holiday in Turkey, I went to the gym three or four times a week after work. I have the luxury of finishing at 3 and would head straight to my gym for an hour or more to work out. Firstly, this is a big ask sometimes. I, like most people, have bad days at work and want to curl up in bed instead of going to the gym but I've realised that it's always better to go to the gym even if it's for half an hour of cardio than not go at all. You can regret the decision to not go the next day. I'm not saying that I've made the right decision every time, I haven't. I've been notoriously bad over July. I didn't go for the whole month because work was extremely tiring and I couldn't be bothered and I regret it so much.

I wish I'd not given myself a months break. Now, I've finished work and have the summer off which I'm taking as the perfect opportunity to get myself back into a routine. Yes, it will be messed up come September when work starts again but until then I'm going to the gym 5 times a week in the hope that I can regain some strength and see some changes in my body. I see some already and I'm excited about the results further down the line.

Routine doesn't just mean when you go to the gym but what you train while you're there. I've been notoriously bad at this in the past but now, I'm going to the gym with the goal of training specific parts of my body each day. I tend to do 2 leg days a week, 1 at the beginning and the other at the end of the week. I've tried training abs once a week and I HATE IT. Training abs may be the worst thing in existence but I'm committed to training them more and hopefully will see a better result. I want to be training abs twice a week too. The other day I do arms/shoulders/back which isn't something that I've trained before but after training with a PT, I feel comfortable doing this. I do cardio every time I go to the gym, I loathe it but I always do it. I usually use the stepper machine - I don't actually know the name for it - but you literally step up and down on the spot and it counts the distance in terms of flights of stairs. I tend to do 25-50 steps and then move onto the rest of my workout. Recently, I've been incorporating more cardio into my workout by running, mainly sprints at intervals because running is another one of my pet hates, I find it really boring. Alongside stepping up my routine, I'm hoping to get more cardio done in each session too.


Asking for Help
I'm probably the last person on earth that would ask for help. I'm more of a suffer in silence kind of girl and while that's ok in some situations it's not when you're working out. If you're confused or don't know how to use a certain machine, you need to ask for help or you could injure yourself. If you don't want to approach the big muscley personal trainer, just remember that it's their job is to help you. I've been very lucky and been approached by personal trainers while working out and they're more than willing to help. I've been given tips on how to improve certain things like my form and it really changes your workout for the better. I've also trained with personal trainers, they'll absolutely murder your boy by the end of it but you learn new exercises and the proper way to do them. I would recommend having a session with a personal trainer or a gym induction if your gym offers them.


Dressing for the Gym
This may not be anybody's top concern when it comes to the gym, you're going to be a sweaty mess by the end of it anyway but it's important to be comfortable when you're working out. I get hot really quickly so in this weather it's important that I'm dressed just right. Shorts are my best friend at the moment to avoid getting too hot. It's unavoidable mostly but shorts and a crop top are the best way forward in hotter weather. I still wear my leggings but forego the top. It's quite easy to feel self-conscious walking through a gym but honestly, it really doesn't matter as long as you're comfortable during your workout. There's nothing worse than being uncomfortable especially when you're pushing your body to its limits anyway.

Also, if you want to wear a full face of makeup and expensive gym clothes, do it. It's completely up to you what you wear and how that makes you feel. I know when I first started going to the gym I wore the same makeup I'd been wearing all day. Now, I'm happier when I'm wearing no makeup at all in the gym (especially in this heat) and I always cleanse my face once I've finished working out. Again, it's all about preference but if you want to rock a gymshark workout set and red lipstick, do it.

Top Tops

  • The gym is even better with a workout buddy. If you have a friend that goes to the same gym, then ask to tag along. You can workout together or on your own, sometimes it's just nice to see a friendly face. I have a friend for work that goes to the same gym as me, so we'd go straight after work and though we didn't work out together, she did show me some exercises and machines that are now a staple in my workouts. 
  • As previously stated, ask for help. Talk to the people at the gym about what you want to do and they'll help you to reach your goals. If you're a total gym virgin, they'll give you exercises to target exactly what you want to do.
  • Take a class. What's the worst that could happen? I feel like a fraud giving this advice as I've never gone to a class at my gym but the last two I've booked have coincided with illness and injury but I'm eager to go to a few in the future.
  • Take water. You don't want to get dehydrated especially during a workout so make sure you have a bottle of water and if not, buy one, they're are usually vending machines for these occasions.
  • A towel is your best friend. A small gym towel is perfect for making sure that the machines aren't covered in yours or anybody else's sweat. 
  • If a personal trainer offers to train with you, do it. It's free and honestly, it's so enlightening.


My Personal Journey
I know I'm only at the beginning of my journey but I honestly feel so much better about myself: mentally and physically. I'm quite happy to sit and pick things I don't like about my appearance but I feel so much better about me and my body. I've never had a reason to hate my body, I have a nice body and I know that but dedicating some time to training has made me eager to get stronger and fitter and run without hating it in two seconds. It's a small step to some self-improvement and seeing myself in a better light and honestly, having some exercise in your routine is such an important thing. A morning workout sets you up for the day. If I could fit in a workout before work, I would but no matter what, no matter how horrible the workout, it's about not giving up and trying.

I'm looking forward to seeing some more differences in the coming months. Hopefully, some abs if they ever come out of hibernation and more muscle definition. I'm also eager to become more flexible, I'm about as flexible as a tree branch it's embarrassing and it's something I'd like to try and change.


Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog and read this post. 


Tiffani x

Comments

  1. Thanks a ton for sharing your fitness journey here. I had a brilliant time reading through it and got motivated. Even I am going to buy the beyond yoga leggings and tank tops in order to start my gym sessions from the next month. My sister gave me the recommendation of this brand and I hope to have a good experience with these apparels.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Fitness is not an easy job at all. It really requires 100% dedication when you really wish to see the desired outcome in the desired period of time. I can say this by experience.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular Posts