Friday motivation.

My motivational moodboard of the week:

 

 

Hi peeps.

I'm going through some serious sh*t in my personal life, but you know what? I'm strong, I'll get through it. I'm more motivated than ever to work out like crazy and to get shredded by August. Heck, I'll be in top shape in July.

No excuses, just get it done.

/Coach U

Picture source

Saturday motivation.

Motivational pictures of the week.

I wanted to share some beautiful pictures with you guys. These pictures are printed and glued to my motivational diary for this week's entry. As I've said before, i love to keep a log on my eating, working out and just overall feelings. My workouts this week haven't been perfect (I injured my left glute muscles last week), but I've really focused on clean eating and sleeping enough.

I've kept a dietary log this week, just to stay on track. I've written everything down, every sip of water and every supplement. Keeping a dietary log even for a week gives me perspective on my diet. I should be drinking a lot more water (even though I drink 2-3 litres every day), making sure I take my HCl supplements on every meal (with solid proteins, that is) and eating a lot more greens. We eat a lot of veggies and fruits, but we should focus a lot more on deep green leafy veggies like spinach. I grew my own spinach in the summer and got a bit of an overdose of it - eating spinach on every meal gets tiring after a month! Any ideas for a great substitute?

I completed my upper body CrossTraining workout on Tuesday, and my lats have been on fire ever since! Scap pulls, negative pull-ups and ring work seems to work my lats in a totally new way - adding some eccentric work to the mix seems to help too ;) As always, I did something different this week - I completed a BodyCombat class at 7 a.m. on Thursday morning. I'm not usually for cardio training at the break of dawn, but it was a lot of fun!

I've been working out with friends this week. It's so much fun, I bet we both feel so pumped up afterwards. I'm able to add a lot more weights and my plyo training goes a lot better when I'm not alone - I guess I'm a bit of a show-off :D Just kidding, it feels so much safer to squat with heavier weights when you know that if anything happens, there's someone there for you. I'll ask a friend to photograph my gym workouts next week, so you'll see both my workout routines! Prepare to be amazed.

I'm off to meet my nieces in a few hours, so I have to go now... I really hope you're having a great weekend!

Stay on track,
/Ulrika


Picture source

Wednesday motivation.

 

Motivational pictures of the week, borrowed from here and here.

I've been sick for the last 6 days, so no workouts for me.. My throat is still really sore and I have a runny nose, so it's nothing serious - but I still don't want to risk it. I'm getting better though, hopefully soon enough to go for a light jog later this week.

It's better to rest now and be healthy in a few days than work my butt off and get pneumonia. I went through it in May and I'm not exactly looking forward to doing it again.

It's really hard to be away from lifting when I've got a cold. I'm trying to do as I preach - I'm always telling my clients to wait until they are properly healthy before breaking a decent sweat.

I'm more motivated than ever right now. Without going into further details I'll tell you that I've seen a specialist about my health issue.. It's really eye-opening, to finally get answers to questions I haven't dared to ask, and maybe getting some closure. I just hope that these issues will be solved fast.

I've planned my workouts for October and November: surprise - I'm mixing it up again!

I'll ditch most of my resistance training and go for bodyweight training in stead. More chin-ups, more handstand push-ups and ring training (which I find really challenging). I'd really love to master a few muscle-ups by next spring. It sounds like I'm making huge changes in my workouts, although I'm not.. Just modifying the upper body workouts, inspired by CrossTraining.

I won't ditch my front squats, deadlifts or kettlebell swings. I'd rather die.

How are you guys doing? Anything new for this fall?

/Ulrika

Need to lose a few pounds?

Are you trying to lose weight? I probably meet people just like you every day at work. The reasons for being overweight are always different; just like we are different from each other. The main goal is nearly always the same "to lose weight".

Whether it comes to shedding just a few pounds, toning your body a bit or losing a lot of weight you should still have a game plan. In my previous post I wrote about setting goals. I strongly recommend reading it before getting started.

After you've written down a list of goals and things you need to do, this is the next step. I recommend a dietary journal for at least two weeks to get you started. After keeping the log for a fortnight, analyze it. Check for possible pitfalls, your eating rhythm (did you eat 4-6 smaller meals or 2-3 bigger meals?), and the balance of your diet: protein/carbohydrate/fat - ratio. In case you have no idea what I just said, take your diet log to a personal trainer or nutritionist and you'll get started.

Keep a journal of everything that goes into your mouth (drinks too!) for two weeks, and let's see what happens.. Here are the things that you should write down:

- Time e.g. 8 a.m.
- What you ate and drank The amount should be as precise as possible. You don't need to have a cooking scale though; it could be something like this: two eggs, boiled hard; one tomato; two cups of coffee with milk and sugar.
- Who prepared it? Did you make your breakfast yourself or did you eat take-out?
- How hungry were you before eating? Use a scale from 1 to 5, 1 being "not hungry at all" and 5 being "starving". Trust me, this one is important.
- What were you doing while eating? Did you watch TV, read the newspaper or fiddle around with your iPhone while eating, did you have breakfast by yourself in silence or with your family?

These points are important and really helpful when it comes to analyzing a person's eating patterns. You'll see your eating habits in a different light after keeping a journal - and you'll know what to change. Every single one of you readers probably know what a healthy diet should consist of, now you just need to make it happen.If you feel lost in the jungle of "healthy eating", send me a message to ulrika(dot)lillsunde(at)gmail(dot)com and we'll work something out.

Try this - you'll thank me later.

/Ulrika

//Translation//Käännös
Aikaisemmassa tekstissäni kerroin, kuinka määrittelet itsellesi tavoitteet. Viimeisenä pisteenä tavoitteiden laatimisessa oli ruoka- ja treenipäiväkirjan pito. Tämän tekstin tarkoitus on tuoda sinulle ohjeet oikean ruokapäiväkirjan pitämiseen, jotta varmasti onnistut. 
Pidä ruokapäiväkirjaa kaksi viikkoa ja varmista, että syöt sinulle normaalisti kahden viikon aikana. Älä huijaa itseäsi, sillä analysointi on silloin huomattavasti vaikeampaa! Kahden viikon kirjoittelun jälkeen ruokapäiväkirja analysoidaan. Tarkkaile siis ateriarytmiäsi (söitkö 4-6 pientä ateriaa vai 2-3 suurta?) sekä ruokavaliosi monipuolisuutta ja tasapainoa (proteiinit/hiilihydraatit/rasvat-suhde). Jos et tiedä yhtään mistä puhun, vie ruokapäiväkirjasi Personal Trainerille niin pääset alkuun.

Tässä muutama asia, jotka olisi hyvä näkyä ruokapäiväkirjassasi:
- Kellonaika
- Mitä söit ja joit (esim. kaksi kananmunaa, yksi tomaatti, kaksi kuppia kahvia maidolla ja sokerilla)
- Kuka valmisti ruokasi? Söitkö itse tehdyn aamiaisen vai haitko sen kulmakuppilasta?
- Kuinka nälkäinen olit ennen ruokailua? Käytä asteikkoa 1-5, jossa 1 on "ei ollenkaan nälkäinen" ja 5 "pahin mahdollinen nälkä". Pyri havainnoimaan tätä numeroa, sillä se on tärkeä!
- Mitä teit ruokailun aikana? Katsoitko televisiota, luitko lehteä, näppäilitkö kännykkääsi, söitkö yksin hiljaisuudessa vai yhdessä perheesi kanssa?

Niin kuin aiemmin sanoin, kokeile tätä kahden viikon ajan. Näet ruokailutottumuksesi uudessa valossa ruokapäiväkirjan pitämisen jälkeen - tiedät varmasti mitä muuttaa. Uskoisin, että jokainen lukijani tietää miltä terveellinen ruokavalio näyttää, nyt ei muuta kuin toteuttamaan sitä! Jos koet olevasi eksyksissä itsellesi sopivan ruokavalion suhteen, lähetä minulle sähköpostia osoitteeseen ulrika(piste)lillsunde(at)gmail(piste)com niin katsotaan mitä voin tehdä.

Testaa tätä - kiität minua myöhemmin.

/Ulrika

Sunday motivation.

I know you guys usually rest on weekends, but you should definitely have a game plan regarding your eating habits. Not having a plan usually ends in binge-eating and feeling like cr*p. So make a plan and stick to it!

I don't want to preach, so I'll just gather my favourite motivational pictures of the week. Here they are:

 

Picture source: M&F hers facebook page

I've had a great week. Somehow I found my inspiration (which was never lost in the first place..?) and changed my workout routines, again. I'm absolutely loving the new sets: I'm doing bodyweight training in stead of hard-core resistance training with big weights. I've never felt such pain in my quads than this Wednesday, I thought I'd die when I finished my plyo circuit at the gym, just before hitting the pool for some HIIT aquajogging. I'll give you a full description of my workout routines next week.

Oh, and I've lost another dress size this week. Feels awesome to fit in smaller jeans. ;)

Favourite feedback of the week: "You're such a bitch. But I still love you."

Ha ha. My clients rock.

Stay true to yourself and remember your goals! I did a post about setting goals yesterday, check it out here. 

Hope you're having an inspirational weekend! I'm off on a quick jog and some yoga in my back yard. I wish you all an awesome Sunday.

/Ulrika


//Translation//Käännös
Moikka,
Todennäköisesti vietät sunnutaisin treenivapaata päivää, kuten moni muu. Olethan tehnyt viikonlopun varalle suunnitelman ruokailujen suhteen? Arkisin suunnitelmia ja aikatauluja on helppo ylläpitää, sillä arki on rytmitetty selkeämmin kuin viikonloput. Viikonloppujen suunnitelmattomuus johtaa usein ähkysyömiseen ja ahmimiseen - joten tee itsellesi suunnitelma ja pidä siitä kiinni!
Motivaatiopostauksieni tarkoitus on esitellä viikon lempimotivaatiokuvat ja -lainaukset. Toivottavasti saat niistä motivaatiota ja inspiraatiota myös omaan treenaamiseen!
Kirjoitin eilen tekstin tavoitteiden laatimisesta, lue se täältä.
Toivottavasti viikonloppusi on ollut rentouttava ja motivoiva! Itse lähden tästä nopealle hölkälle, jonka jälkeen joogaan takapihallani. Ihanaa sunnuntaipäivää.
/Ulrika

Setting goals

Effective goal setting means more than just writing down a wishlist and posting it on your fridge. Here's a few things you should keep in mind when setting goals and making an effective plan to reach them.


1. Determine the goal in a measurable way and set a deadline
Don't use vague terms. The phrase "I want to be stronger and better than before" won't carry you far, since it doesn't hold a specific, measurable goal or a deadline. I've been browsing a lot of fitness blogs and the phrase "I don't want to be perfect, I just want to be better than yesterday" comes up frequently. You probably know that I'm not very fond of this, since it doesn't really push you anywhere. Rather than saying "I want to be better" you should strive for a specific goal, like a specific dress size/body fat percentage/lifting a precise weight. These are just examples. Make sure you make the goals for yourself and no one else.
The date is really important! Make sure you have a specific deadline, or you'll procrastinate. Set a goal for this fall and for each single workout. Write down your goals. When you remember where you're going, you'll get there much faster. The more precise you are, the better.

2. Assess your starting physiology
Make an appointment with a personal trainer or a healthcare specialist. I recommend a full body composition analysis, for example the InBody or a body fat measurement with clamps. You'll get a realistic, objective analysis of your body composition.
In addition to the InBody or clamp measurements, I recommend a fitness test. Depending on your goals, a muscle fitness test (repeated squats, push-ups, back extensions and sit-ups) or an aerobic test (12 minute submaximal fitness test with a stationary bike or Cooper's test) are the ones to do. In case you have a specific goal like benchpressing 300 pounds, you should definitely test your bench press1RM (1 repetition maximum).
A hormonal profile, adrenal stress index and metabolic rate tests are excellent in assessing your situation in the beginning. Ask your physician more about testing your metabolism.
Assessing your starting physiology also helps you to get a realistic view of your limitations. For example, if you have a low testosterone level, you probably won't gain a lot of muscle mass in a short time.

3. Ask yourself the question "What am I willing to do to reach my goal?"
How many times a week are you ready to work out?
How much are you willing to change your diet?
Be realistic about these changes. A radical change in diet or exercise routines is never a good thing, since you're not likely to keep it up for a long time. Make small changes! I recommend one change a week, for example starting off with balancing your breakfast. I'll write a post about changing your diet in a few weeks.
No goals are achieved without making some sacrifices! This means that you'll really need to push yourself out of your comfort zone to gain results. People are used to staying inside their comfort zone, never changing their workouts because it's tough in the beginning. If you've been doing the same "fatburn" program on the same elliptical trainer for two years, you should definitely mix it up and try something different.
Remember: if it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you.
Don't underestimate how lapses in discipline can affect your training. If you drink like a fish on Friday and Saturday, Sunday and Monday won't be productive days when it comes to working out.

4. Determine the behaviours that go with step 3
Can you hear the difference between phrases "I'm trying to lose weight" and "I'm losing weight"? Stop trying and start doing. The same thing goes for behavioural changes, like "I will take my Omegas in the morning" vs. "I take my Omegas in the morning".
Your subconscious doesn't recognize the past or the future, so write positive behaviours in the present tense. That subtle change in phrasing changes your way of thinking and makes you change your behaviour on a longer term. Tell yourself that you can do this.

5. Make a list of intermediate goals with specific deadlines
You should be able to repeat the body composition tests (as presented in step 2) on a regular basis, for example every three to four months. If you're not progressing the way you should be, make a change in behaviour. Consult a trainer if you need help with balancing your workouts and diet.

6. Keep a detailed diet and training diary
Diet logs seem really hard to keep for some people, because they require honesty and seriously planning your meals. A well kept log helps you monitor and evaluate your progress and efficacy of your training program.
I recommend writing down feelings as well. A dietary journal is incomplete without a log about hunger (on a scale from 1 to 5, 1 being "not hungry at all" and 5 being "starving"). The same comes to training logs as well, write down the amount of reps you performed, the breaks you took and the weights you used - don't forget to write down the feeling you got from working out. It's really fun to look back on your old training and diet journals - I had so much fun reading my training log while I was on Atkins... Jeez, I really don't recommend working out like a maniac on really low carbs. But that's another story.

By following these steps you will reach your goals, just be true to yourself and your trainer. Give these few steps a try - for a change!

//Translation//Käännös
Tavoitteiden saavuttaminen vaatii tarkkaa suunnittelua ja selkeän, aikataulutetun ohjelman. Tässä lyhyesti muutama asia, joka kannattaa pitää mielessä tavoitteita laatiessa.
1. Aseta selkeä tavoite ja aikaraja. Mitä tarkempi olet tavoitteesi kanssa, sen parempi. Pyri välttämään epäselviä lauseita kuten "haluan olla parempi kuin ennen" - käytä mielummin mitattavia tavoitteita kuten vaatekokoa, rasvaprosenttia tai painoa, jonka haluat nostaa kuntosalilla. Aikarajan määrittäminen on erittäin tärkeää, ettei tavoitteesi saavuttaminen viivästy!
Aseta siis kokonaisvaltainen tavoite ja jaa se pienempiin osiin. Jokaisella harjoituksellakin pitäisi olla selkeä tavoite, jotta pysyt vauhdissa. Jos tarvitset apua tavoitteiden asettamisessa, ota yhteys personal traineriin tai fysioterapeuttiin.
2. Arvioi lähtötilanteesi. Suosittelen alkuun ainakin kehonkoostumusmittausta (esim. InBody tai pihtimittaus), lisäksi kuntotestiä (lihaskuntotestit, polkupyöräergometritesti tai Cooperin testi, riippuen tavoitteistasi). Jos tavoitteenasi on nostaa penkistä 100 kg, tehdään alkuun 1RM (yhden toiston maksimi) - testi. Lisäksi suosittelen ainakin hormonitasapainon testausta verikokein.
3. Kysy itseltäsi, mitä olet valmis muuttamaan saavuttaaksesi tavoitteesi. Kuinka monta kertaa viikossa olet valmis treenaamaan? Mitä olet valmis muuttamaan ruokavaliossasi?
4. Tee päätökset vaadittavan käyttäytymisen suhteen. Kerro alitajunnallesi preesenssissä, mitä aiot tehdä saavuttaaksesi tavoitteesi. Huomaatko eron lauseiden "yritän pudottaa painoani" ja "pudotan painoani" välillä? Kerro itsellesi, että pystyt tähän.
5. Tee itsellesi lista välitavoitteista aikarajoineen. Aiemmin suorittamasi testit pitää pystyä uusimaan tietyin väliajoin. Testien uusittaessa saat arvion siitä, kuinka treeni- ja ravinto-ohjelmasi on toiminut.
6. Pidä yksityiskohtaista treeni- ja ruokapäiväkirjaa. Kirjaa ylös kaikki syömisesi ja treenit, samoin tunteesi treenin aikana - ruokapäiväkirjaan kirjaa myös nälän tunne asteikolla 1-5 (1= ei ollenkaan nälkä, 5= kovin mahdollinen nälkä). Ruoka- ja treenipäiväkirjoja on myös hauskaa lukea myöhemmin, kun tilanteesi muuttuu.


Seuraa näitä askelia ja koe muutos!