Week 22: workouts

Hiya,

Just wanted to share my workouts for the week.

I'm coming down with the flu, but I can't skip my classes.. It sucks, to be honest. I feel like I've been hit by a truck. I have no voice whatsoever and I feel feverish. But what wouldn't I do for my clients? ;)

Monday Gym time! Lower body workout + core. Plus a little HIIT (running).
Tuesday Group fitness day: 1h Functional, 1h modern dance class, 1h pilates. (and I feel like sh*t)
The modern dance class pushed me way out of my comfort zone. I'm usually not that into rolling on the floor or doing somersaults over my shoulders, but I think I evolved a bit during the class.. It was definitely one of the most physical dance classes I've ever been to. And I loved it. (You've probably noticed - I love to move)
Wednesday Rest
Thursday 1h Functional, 1h Stretch
Friday I really hope that I'm fine by Friday. It's gym time! Upper body strength + core
Saturday Rest
Sunday Gym: lower body strength + core. I absolutely love my gym routine. I'm so winded my friends think I'm dying. Love it.

In case I develop some sort of pneumonia or plague, I'll probably skip all my workouts and find subs for my classes on Thursday. Lets' hope it won't come to that.

Hope you're having a better Tuesday than I am.

/U

Cupcake fever!

 

Homemade cupcakes with protein

I made one batch of chocolate cupcakes and a batch with berries.. Delicious.

(12 cupcakes)

1 egg

3 egg whites
120 g quark (I used non-fat)
1 dl milk or plain yogurt
1-2 tbsp raw cacao (100%)
1 dl rice protein powder
1-2 tbsp flour (I used oat)
2 tsp organic vanilla extract
2 tsp baking powder
pinch of rose salt (Himalayan)

(In case you need additional sweetener, use stevia, lucuma or maple syrup)

For the berry version:

Leave out the cacao powder.
150 g berries (raspberries, blueberries, blackberries..)

Preheat the oven to 200℃ and prepare 12 cupcake molds.

Combine the egg, quark, yoghurt in a large bowl and whisk together until light and creamy.  

Add the remaining ingredients, except for the egg whites. Beat until the batter is smooth.

In a separate bowl, with clean beaters or whisk, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks. 

(The berry version: fold in the berries before adding the egg whites)

Divide the batter among the prepared cupcake molds.

Bake for about 20 – 25 minutes. I baked these for about 15-19 minutes, since my oven is extra-HOT! :D

Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack. The cupcakes will rise in the oven and fall again in the centre when they're cool.

 

Gooey centre, check. Moist delicious cupcakes, check. 

 

You can also try combining the berries with the chocolate batter, I bet it works too.

 

A quick heads up: the cupcakes are a bit sticky on the first day - they're the best on the day after baking.

Good luck with the baking ;)

/U

Monday motivation

Hi.

Just wanted to share my workout schedule for this week.


Monday Gym time, baby! 60 minutes of sweat and tears. Glutes, hamstrings, quads, abs and lower back.

Tuesday Group fitness day. 4 hours of group fitness instructing: 2 Zumba classes, one Functional training class and one Pilates. 1 class = 55 minutes of fun ;)

Wednesday Functional training at home with my TRX and a 7½ pound medicine ball. Focusing on upper body strength and core. (Normally this would be my gym day, but I want to stay home with my doggy).

Thursday Group fitness classes: One Functional training class and Stretching for 60 minutes. The functional training class is basically a bosu class with a touch of kettlebell workouts. And maybe a little TRX if my class is up for it.

Friday Gym time! I'm going to beat the sh*t out of myself. Glutes, hamstrings, quads, abs and lower back.

Saturday Vinyasa flow yoga 90 min.

Sunday HIIT - run, baby, run! My main goal is to run as fast as I can for as many intervals as I can until I throw up. Sounds perfect, doesn't it?


Now, before you go off critisizing my workout schedule, please remember that I know what I'm doing. I'm a group fitness instructor, and to be honest I could be instructing a LOT more classes than I am now. Since I'm a fitness manager at a fitness club I have to work a few hours behind a desk, so no time for instructing more..

My goals in fitness are to be as fit as possible (almost super-human ;)) and to feel awesome about myself. In the past month I've dropped a few pounds and two jeans sizes (gained a lot of muscle mass, too).
What motivates me? Seeing the changes in my body and in my workouts. Yesterday I could do full sets of cross back lunges and split jumps, just like I wanted to. Now that that feels easy, I'm going to challenge myself somehow - by adding a step board or extra weights.

Hope you're having the best of Mondays,

/Ulrika

The start of something new.

Hi and welcome.

I'm so happy that you've taken the time to read my first post. Yay!

In my first post I want to tackle a huge problem: stress. Spring is a stressful season for most of us - getting into shape for the summer isn't easy.

Here are my top 7 tips for de-stressing your body and improving sleep quality:
1. Turn off the TV and computer at least one hour before bedtime. Flashing lights and exciting stuff on the internet won't make you sleep better! If you must watch TV, avoid thrillers and horror bits and focus on comedies instead.
Try creating a routine - you know it's important for children, so why not for adults as well?
2. Make sure you take enough magnesium. Magnesium aids in calming the nerves and relaxing the muscles, which in turn can help you fall asleep - low magnesium levels may cause the release of certain stress hormones in the body, which increase under stress. In short, that means that magnesium deficiency can cause insomnia. Low magnesium levels can also cause muscle cramps, disrupting sleep.
3. Use adaptogens like Rose root, Indian ginseng, Liquorice root, Holy Basil, Maca root.
An adaptogen is a plant based metabolic regulator which helps the human body to "adapt" or to "adjust" to strains and changes of daily living and normalizes the functions of bodily systems. Adaptogens increase the ability of adapting to environmental factors and to avoid damage from such factors. For example, rose root has been shown to significantly regulate sleep disorders and improve sleep quality. Adaptogens help you bounce back from a terrible flu or a killer workout!
I use maca root daily, mixed in my morning smoothie.
4. Cut down on caffeine after 4 pm. Try herbal infusions like rooibos or lemon&ginger infusion. The latter one gives you a perfect sense of warmth, I absolutely love the feeling.
5. If you have trouble falling asleep, try to wind down by stretching, reading a book or writing a diary.
6. Take a look at your workout schedule. Is there too much high paced cardio, too little strength training and no time for a calming workout like yoga, pilates, chiball, asahi or stretching? Is there simply too much of everything? When do you work out, if at all? Do you spend enough time outdoors?
If you need help balancing your workouts, contact a Personal Trainer (PT).
7. The most important one: Think positive! Challenge yourself and stop complaining for a few days. Give your face a workout and smile more! I promise you, this single tip makes the biggest difference.

Which de-stressing method works best for you?

Model: Maija. Pictures taken by me.

I'll take a closer look at a balanced diet and stress in another post.

I'll be happy to answer any of your questions, so go on and post some comments :) Since this is my first post, I really hope to get some ideas and wishes. What do you wish I write about?

Thanks for reading!

/U