ABBBC First Month In!!

I can’t believe I am going into Week 5 of Ashy Bines Bikini Beach Body Challenge (ABBBC, and no I will not write all that out again, my poor fingers). It has been an incredible experience so far and I do think I can see/feel some progress!

During my first week of ABBBC I upgraded from 3 one hour sessions a week to 6. It was so clear to me early in that this is the program I have been looking for and the positivity from all involved would be what helps me FINALLY stick it out in an exercise regime. Here is a list of the outdoor classes I have been doing:

• Boxing: A sure way to leave me drenched in sweat. Did you know boxing incudes burpees, lunges, squats and push-ups? Ya me either, but it’s awesome!
• Xstng: AKA cross training. This is my least favourite when doing it because it’s bloody hard, but my favourite following. I immediately feel the after math of exhaustion, which means it is a great workout. Like any cross training class it’s a bit of everything. We use our own body weight for most exercises and cardio, but also throw in some kettlebell swings.
• Pilates: Right, so I am really not well balanced and pilates reminds me of how bad I really am. Amazing workouts, my muscles burn during and even more so after, but I am sure the reward is worth it.
• Yoga: I have always been one for high intensity workouts that leave me wrecked. Yoga is a great reminder that being fit does not need to come from being out of breath for an hour. I love the way I feel after, especially when we have 10 minutes of meditation at the end.
• Perky Butts: Leg day baby!! Conveniently the one time I have done this class was the night before my hubby flew in from work. He hadn’t seen me since I started the program and was blown away by my butt (likely swollen from the recent workout) and how hilarious it was to watch me waddle, I mean walk.
• Chicks that Lift: Probably the biggest challenge out of them all. Turns out, I have been doing deadlifts and weighted squats wrong all along – go me! It’s pretty difficult to change old habits, but I am working on it with the help of our awesome trainers Eddie, Tess and Ash.
• Tabata: 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off with high intensity intervals. Knowing it was such a short period of time did help me to work that much harder. We did push ups, crunches, sprints, weights, squats, skipping and more! Can’t wait to do this again.
• Kettlebell training: I have loved kettlebell training for some time, but Eddie still managed to find a few swings I had never even fathomed trying. I pushed my limited and increased to a 10kg kettlebell for everything.

We have a challenge every week, which you complete twice during each round (each round is 12 weeks). So far we have completed Death by Cardio, the Punisher and Workout of the Round WOR. I was relatively happy with my results in the challenges but really look forward to beating them next time.

I also had my first weigh in on Monday of Week 3. I was so nervous, I got there early and was first to weigh in. I am very happy to say that I am officially in the 30’s for metabolic years, my body fat percentage decreased, muscle mass increased, water retention increased and overall weight went down by 1.2 kilos! Yay!!!

I am still struggling a bit with sleeping patterns. We have classes at 6am Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 6pm Tuesday and Thursday and 7am on Saturdays. By the time I get home from class on Tuesday and Thursday I only have about an hour until I should be in bed if I want 8 hours of sleep. I am working on other ways to help streamline the process so I can sleep properly and feel great so I will update once solutions are found.

I’d love to hear about your exercise regime?

xx Sammy

Fitness Challenge – Kicking Some Serious Arse

When I say kicking some serious arse, I mean mine, into shape, routine and out of bed at 5am. Here is the first honest post about ABBBC (Ashy Bines Bikini Beach Body Challenge) in detail.

I’m 1.5 weeks in and seriously impressed with the program and everyone in it. I mentioned in my previous post Where Did This Bitch Go? that everyone is ridiculously positive and supportive and the impact this has had on me already is beyond belief. I am finding my head space to be clearer, happier and more focused than it has been for years. I know what I want (to be healthy) and I am working hard to get there.

Each week we have training Monday, Wednesday & Friday at 6am, Tuesday & Thursday at 6pm and Saturday at 7am. They all run for an hour (literally, I jogged for almost an hour yesterday) and for the most part are high intensity with the exception of Yoga and Pilates. They offer different options each day and we get to organize our week based on our preferences. So far I have left my comfort zone  and tried yoga, pilates and cross training; I’m very glad I did.

Here is what my first week consisted of:

Monday 19^th January – Intro Beginners Class. Do not let the word Beginners fool you, it was intense but they made sure to show us how to do exercises properly, hence beginners. It consisted of running, push-ups, squats, planks, sit-ups and crunches. I was confident I knew how to do all the exercises properly, however I was cocky and wrong. They explained that my push-ups were OK, but they were putting unnecessary strain on my shoulders and I need to keep my elbows in line with my body. After swimming for years and being a push-up queen I tried this new technique and could barely do 5!

Tuesday 20^th January – Beginners Boxing. So much fun!! Our trainer Ashlee was an ABBBC participant herself since the beginning and is so passionate about everything, especially boxing! I previously did kickboxing and thought this would be similar, however this was full force, moving heaps, arms up and block your damn teeth style. They also threw in burpees, running, push-ups and planks just to really challenge us.

Wednesday 21^st January – XTRNG. This is the fancy pants name for cross training. I had been warned about this one but I am here to challenge myself so went and nearly died. Our trainer Eddie is a mad man, in a good way of course! He went through all the correct techniques with us and then had us complete a challenge in 25 minutes. As always at this challenge, we each work to our own ability, so we did as much as we could during that time. The exercises were burpees, medicine ball squat lifts, sit-up toe touches, kettle bell swings and a 200m (approx) run. We did this in reps of 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 then went backwards so 10, 8, 6, 4, 2. I am pleased to say I managed to complete the entire course within the 25 minute frame, but just!

Thursday 22^nd January – Yoga. I was a bit apprehensive at first as I always thought HIIT was the only way to get fit but I loved every minute of this exercise and the way I felt following it. Our training Emerlyn is amazing! She taught us plenty of poses and helped to ensure we did them all correctly while focusing on our breathing. I was surprised by my own flexibility but still have some work to do. At the end of the session we had 10 minutes of meditation. Again, with focusing on our breathing, I was able to really relax and reap some benefits of meditation. My mind did drift off a few times, but it was a great experience nonetheless.

Friday 23^rd January – I used this as a rest day as I had a lot of trouble falling asleep the night before and hardly got shuteye. I went for a walk around Kings Park during my lunch break to get some fresh air and help with the headache that had been haunting me all day.

Saturday 24^th January – DNA Tower. It should be called tower of terror (see photo to fully grasp it). We did another timed circuit and again, I finished just as the timer went. We ran up and down the DNA tower 5 times (next round 4, 3, 2, 1) and then did 5 push-ups, 5 crunches, 10 lunges, 5 weighted rows and 50 mountain climbers per round (these did not decrease each set like the DNA tower did). It was seriously killer!! Good news is we had a delish brunch at a café in King Park following. I smashed my poached eggs, sourdough and avocado, yummm I want some now!

Sunday 25^th January – Rest day! Time to let my body relax and get ready for another big week of training. I started the IQS 8 week program the following day so Sunday I had some food prep to get through. I also went to see Les Miserables at the Crown Theatre in Perth with my sister-in-law. It was amazing and I highly recommend. I cried, more than once.

So you want to know my verdict on ABBBC so far? It’s the best program I have ever done, hands down. Waking up at 5am is pretty tricky, but the second I get there I feel great and really content with myself and life in general. I can see some changes within my body already. My booty is changing (for the better) and my legs feel stronger. I have been drinking heaps of water which in addition to my Franks Scrub I think my cellulite is fading a tad, YAY!!!

I shall post my first IQS verdict this week and an overview of week 2 on ABBBC. I’m loving the changes in my life and so happy it’s all coming together.

Hope everyone is having a lovely week!
xx Sammy

Where did this bitch go?

Sorry, sorry, sorry – said by of a true Canadian of course. I have been busy and kept putting off another blog post  Naughty, I know!

I started my training program on Monday January 19^th – Ashy Bines Bikini Body Challenge, AKA ABBBC 12 week challenge and my goodness it’s awesome! I was pretty nervous as I had heard it will completely kick my butt and it is, but I love it.

My friend Veronica has done this program for a year now and had amazing results (I’ll see if she will let me slip a transformation photo in hehe). She had been encouraging me and our lovely friend Felms to join for a little while now and we finally took the plunge. Little tip I will get into later, exercise with friends and hold each other accountable, it makes it more fun and heaps easier.

Saturday prior to the program starting they ran an information session for all Newbies or anyone who wanted a refresher. It was a great way to meet everyone, while absorbing the essential information to have as much success in this program as possible. Upon arrival we did our measurements and jumped on these fancy scales which included the following measurements:

• Body Fat % : This is something I have wanted to know for ages as I feel it’s a great measuring tool for myself. I was also terrified to find out. I came in at 30% I now remind myself that it’s a number and it’s one that I won’t see for very long because that sucker is going down!!
• Muscle KG: Another great tool! I swam competitive basically my entire childhood until my teens. My muscle has gone down so much and I miss it – COME BACK MUSCLE. Can’t wait to see this number go up while my body fat % goes down.
• Body Water %: Again, I was not very familiar with this and still do not fully understand it. I’m going to follow this up next weigh in, however if anyone reads this and has some insight here, please share.
• Visceral Fat: I understand this as the fat surrounding your organs? Again, something I need to look into further. I was informed the closer it is to 1 the better. Goal here, lower this number. I don’t want anything impacting how well my organs work.
• Metabolic Age: HAHAHA my favourite. I actually cracked up when I saw this number. I’m 40. In metabolic years Vron could be my child. This is a new joke we have, but in all seriousness, I am not comparing myself with her or anyone. It’s about becoming a better me, and maybe getting my metabolic age into the 30’s at least.
• BMR: An ideal way to calculate out how much I should be consuming daily, based on how much my body will burn.

They also told us our weight. Weight is not used as a focal point in this program. They really stress that weight loss is not a realistic way to achieve our goals and is not nearly as important as the above measurements, how we physically & mentally feel and pulling out a good ol tape measure. I love the way they view weight, however it is really hard for me to get away from the mentality of losing KGs is the best measurement (article on this to follow).

After the fancy scale time we had our chests, waists, hips (my problem tummy area), butts, thigh and arms measured in centimetres. They also asked how we feel in terms of confident and energy levels.

All these measurements, along with our photo updates (full body front, right side, left side, back) will be taken fortnightly or biweekly for my lovely North American amigos. It is up to us to take our own photos, but they do stress it is a preferred way for most to track their progress.

After all the measurements were recorded and filed to be added to our private online profiles, we went through a presentation that introduced all our trainers and had some basic eat, sleep, exercise regimes. They stress how important clean eating is to feel amazing, think clearly, achieve fitness goals and maintain a strong immune system/ great health. It’s really all about fresh produce, low sugar, removing processed foods and consuming good fats, protein and complex carbs.

It was very inspiring and really got us amped for our 30 minute exercise to follow. We headed into the 39 degree weather and did some core and butt exercises – hello pulse squats, I don’t like you very much.

And that was our intro day. I should mention that everyone was incredibly nice, positive and super duper welcoming! I left feeling so excited to get started on the program. Day 5 into the program, first week overview to follow shortly.

The Five W’s and a Big Fat H

Do you remember being taught every great story contains the five W’s? From a young age it was drilled into my head that in order to have a good story you must explain who, what, when, where, why and that always awkward, how. Well here is my tale as to how this blog came to be.

Who? I’m Sammy. If you haven’t already read Who’s This Bitch… Peas , I suggest you check it out now, as I do not want to dwell too much here. I’m not very exciting, I have a strong accent (according to these Aussies) and smile daily until my face hurts. I have basically lived by the slogan “fake it until you make it” my entire life, however, reality has kicked in and this needs to change.

What? This year is dedicated to detoxing my life, inside and out. I need to change, (and to be truly happy with who I am mentally and physically), the people surrounding me and the path I am heading down. It’s going to be shocking, challenging and probably beyond frustrating at times, but I am certain it will be completely worth it.

When? Right now! During this lovely heat wave, it was only 44 degrees yesterday. And yes, I do still have to exercise in this oh so chilly weather; I hear I may sweat – whatever that is.

Where? Perth Western Australia, however I can’t put life on hold so holidays are just as applicable.

• Why? I put this as my last W for a reason. I need to make this honest and raw for my own benefit and that can be very confronting. I have many reasons why I need to cleanse my life and will go through them over the next 12 months, however, these are my major reasons at this very moment:
  I physically feel like rubbish. This is a result of the crap I have been consuming and the very little physical activity I engage in. I cringe when I look in the mirror, not because I watched the Victoria Secret Fashion Show, but because I know my excess fat makes me at risk for many illnesses and has made my life more difficult than it needs to be.
• I want to be a damn good mum.  I have wanted to have children since I was a bub myself; however with age and a bitof maturity, I realised there is so much more to it than just popping out a few kids (this is a horrible phrase, sorry to all the wonderful mothers I just offended). I want to raise my children in a healthy manner. I want to be able to chase after them for hours on end and wear a bathing suit at the beach without worrying if that stranger was laughing about my cellulite. I want my happiness to be real and for this to be infectious to my friends and family alike. That said, my amazing husband and I do not have any children yet, and are still a ways out from being in a position to start a family, but now is my time to prepare.
• I feel stressed, anxious and just off-balance. This is hard for me to explain, but I have known for a while that my life was spirally out of control, yet did nothing about it. You may be thinking, come on Sammy, your life is pretty great, you’re just being dramatic and you are right, it is and I am, but I can get so much more out of life if I reduce my toxicity within and surrounding me.

How? Well, if anyone has somehow managed to stumble upon my blog and actually read to this point, then this would be the part where you can chirp in and suggest anything you want. I do have some measures that I have put into place this year, which again I will outline in further detail over the coming posts, but for now a certain few deserve a call out.

• Ashy Bines Bikini Body Challenge Boot Camp (ABBBC)- commencing January 19th. I will be completing this 12 week challenge with two of my close friends three days a week and exercising another two days per week on my own. We have already started encouraging each other and have similar goals which I have heard should be extremely helpful (with the exception of Vron who is on her third round of the program and going to compete in a Bikini Contest, go girl)!
• I Quit Sugar (IQS) – I am starting Sarah Wilsons IQS eight week program January 22nd. I have come to realise my dependence on sugar is out of control and feel a whole foods approach is a sustainable long-term lifestyle I can adopt. My mother back in Canada has registered for the program too. She suffers from Fibromyalgia, and while maintaining a full schedule, has decided to dedicate similar amounts of time this year to healthy eating, personal mediation and exercise.
• During both programs I will be posting my thoughts, progress and how I feel at the time. Again, this is a great reminder for me to look back on during my week moments, so it will be honest and most likely blunt. I will also provide my Mum’s experience as often as possible, which should make for interesting comparisons.
• There aren’t any fancy juices or soups for mental cleanses which makes it the most difficult in my mind. I have a lot of thoughts floating around and even more questions that I have yet found the answer to , however I can tell you this, I will be removing toxins from my life, this includes people. There will be some massive obstacles like work and family, but with the supportive team I have backing me, I am confident I will be able to do this.

So, with those 900 words said, I’ll conclude this post with I am very excited for 2015 and everything it has in store for me. If anyone out there has been through similar or will be doing so, please get in touch. I would love to hear any thoughts, suggestions, concerns, or just hear from you in general.

xx Sammy