Build your booty: 3 exercises that reshape your glutes!

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The gluteus minimus and gluteus maximus are two muscles that shape our "behinds" or "bottoms". These muscles should be trained in a full body/leg workout, and not frequently trained on it's own. Strong glutes are important for jumping, running, moving laterally and rotating.

 The glutes play a key role in spine alignment, and also keepng your knees and ankles aligned. The exercises I will show you are not the normal butt-building exercises your used to.

Aim to perform 20 repetitions on each exercise with 2 sets to ensure butt building results! 

Glute Kickbacks

Description- This exercise can be performed in a standing position or on all fours. Hyperextend (picture above) one leg whilst balancing the rest of the body. Rememeber to squeeze the glute and hamstring and hold that position for a few seconds. Return to the starting position and repeat on the other leg.

Hip Abduction

Description- For this exercise you can use your bodyweight, a cable or a pilates/resistance band. Stand on one leg and hold onto something nearby. Laterally raise your leg (like the picture above) and hold the leg for a few seconds. Lower the leg and repeat with the opposing leg.

Sliding leg curl

Description- Lie with your back on a mat. Place your feet on a towel or an a4 piece of paper. Keep your hips bridged or lifted throughout and bend your knees, so your heels move towards your glutes. Extend your legs and return to the starting position.

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Revealed: Change the way you think about nutrition and exercise. Think positive!

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When I meet up with PT clients or even clients from exercise classes I discuss their nutrition and exercise from the previous week. It is evident if there is a lack of motivation and the exercise and healthy eating plan hasn't bee followed.
It's only came to my attention lately that I've noticed people's thought processes to overcome a bad eating habit or lack of exercise for example. This isn't so much my clients but almost everyone's thought processes at some point, either when they slip up or continue to eat something they really shouldn't and they compensate it by making a wrong judgement. Its how we deal with it and stay positive and work for it tomorrow!

  Here are some examples of the wrong mentally/thought process in relation to nutrition and exercise:

•  " I've ate chocolate cake, so I'll eat nothing for my dinner tonight because that cake was alot of calories"
• " I know water is good, but I drink alot of flavoured water, if I have flavoured water that's just the same right?"
• "I haven't done any exercise all week but I'll do 4 hours in the gym and work as hard as I can"
• " I've missed breakfast and lunch and but I'll make up for it and have the biggest dinner! "

Some of these examples you might be able relate to, change your thought process when your ever in any of these situations and ask yourself these questions:

Is this harming my body?
Do I really need this?
If I eat bad can I get back to my good ways tomorrow?
What is the reason for eating/drinking this?
If I don't exercise today when can I make time this week?

Maintaining a positive mindset is difficult, especially when you slip up or if you don't get the results you want in a certain time, and it can often knock your confidence. Maybe your goal was unrealistic or you didn't give 100% and more to reach that goal. What you don't want to do is dwell on your results, there is always something you can do different, or give something more than last time. Think positive, get back on the wagon and try harder next time and you will surprise yourself what you can achieve!



Thanks for reading!

Is there anything that stops you reaching your goals? What do you do when you slip up?

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Do what you love and don't hold back!

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Do what you love and don't hold back!

Is there a job you would love to do or a dream you've always wanted to come true?

Well let me show you how I did it and my advice to help you reach them goals, dreams and aspirations.

At one point in my life, I had left my part time job and didn't work any notice before I found a new job. I was unemployed and desperate to show people I can do great things with my education through University. I kind of always wanted to work for myself and I liked the idea of being my own boss. If people know me from school, I always enjoyed taking part in sports and loved wellbeing and fitness from 12/13 years old.

  Over a year ago, I was on the bottom and with no money. It made me think I don't want to be in this position again. I thought why me? What have I done to deserve this? I eventually stopped feeling sorry for myself and started to change my life for the better. I believe you can make your own life by dedicated your energy, time and committment to get the goals you want and the rewards do pay off.  This kick started attributes that were already there and I followed my passion... Fitness! I had fitness courses that I had worked hard for prior to leaving my old job, but I didn't have the passion to go back into retail, I applied for different jobs not neccessarily fitness jobs, more of bar work, retial etc and I planned to use this as a foundation to build up my own work... Meso Fitness.

The following attributes that has helped to where I am today are:

• Determination to succeed- I had a vision of where I wanted to be in 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, 5 years and took action, you do the same!
• Self motivation- Preparing myself to get up early and look for work and doing the extra graft that "Joe Bloggs" wouldn't do. 
• Thinking positive- If I get a rejection from a job opportunity, I learn not to take it to heart and move on swiftly, an employer will look for your attributes and qualities and you need to express that in an interview, CV, group tasks etc.
• Proving doubters wrong- I have had my setbacks for jobs or opportuities in the past but you must not dwell on it. Peers around me have said to me why are you doing exercise classes for, it will never work? How will you make a living? I take negative opinions with a pinch of salt, some of it can be constructive criticism and I look to change things but if it's a someone attacking you and it's personal, it hurts! I've learnt to surround myself with positive people around me and don't take any negatives personally.

Advice for people looking for work

• Apply for more jobs than you normally would. I used to apply for 10-20 jobs a day!
• Set time aside to apply for jobs
• Don't spend hours and hours a day, break it up and have plenty of little breaks. You don't want to be flustered!
• Go out and approach employers, speak in person and show them your enthusiasm and passion to work!

Is there any tips you do to stay motivated or to find a job?

I hope this will inspire people about my personal experiences!

Carl Conifey- Owner of Meso Fitness

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Why you should take fish oil/cod liver oil:The Facts

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Why you should take fish oil: The Facts

What is Fish Oil?

Fish oil is a fatty acid from the source, fish! This fatty acid is Omega-3. If you eat plenty of fish containing Omega-3 then you don't need to worry as much about topping up your intake with supplements.

However it's good to boost your omega-3 intake with supplements, however these will only support your daily intake. Don't replace foods with supplements, use supplements to support foods or food groups.

Studies have shown that fish oil can improve:

• Blood Cholesterol- LDL's or Low-Density lipoproteins are known as "bad cholesterol" as these transport cholesterol to cells that need it and too much can clog up the artery walls! However there is "good cholesterol" or High-Density Lipoproteins (HDL) transport cholesterol away from the cells and back to the liver, which can either be broken down or passed through the body as waste. Fish oil can improve the levels of HDL's and LDL's.
• Lower's the risk of cancer- Taking fish oil supplements alongside a good intake of fish and antioxidants from fruit and vegetables will helps eliminate the risk of cancer in later life.
• Improves bone density- Fatty acids that come from fish and supplements help to maintain good calcium levels along with balanced healthy eating.

Remember:

Don't replace fish oils with fish, the fish oil only supports your daily amount of fatty acids.

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Top 5 Rules of Effective Training

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Top 5 rules of Effective Training

1) Don't always associate muscle soreness as the best way to judge your workout
Muscle soreness is a result of small tears in muscle fibres in working muscles. But it can an unreliable measurement tool. Muscle soreness occurs when you have reached a higher level in your training. Also if you haven't trained for awhile and you do the same workout again and if your a beginner and lifting weights for the first time.

2) Don't use the scales to measure your success
The scales can sometimes lie! Some people measure themselves different times in the day and wonder why they're different weights (duh-duh!). The scales don't tell you that it's not about gaining weight but about gaining lean muscle mass which will utilise fat more effectively and you will much better for it! Focus on tape measurements, photos and how you fit in your clothes as a measurement tool instead of the scales.





3) Supplements are only one part of the BIG picture

Supplements do what they say, they only supplement or support your intake. Protein shakes and amino acids alone wouldn't get you big results, but if you have foods rich in protein like lean turkey and tuna steaks alongside your supplements you can't go wrong with your nutrition in that perspective.

4) Training 5-7 times a week with very little rest is good? Hell No!

There is a thing as over training, and your body will have the reverse effect than adding muscle or losing weight. Rest is just as important as you need your body to repair and muscles to strengthen for the next workout.



5) Keep your head in the game


  It's not just about keeping motivated, it's about focusing on technique during a resistance exercise or remembering the next ratio on an interval on a treadmill. Research has shown that regular exercise improve concentration levels and memory.

Do you have rules for effective traning? Share them

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How I manage to fit 3 exercise sessions in every week and work full time

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How I manage to fit 3 exercise sessions in every week and work full time

  These last few months have been much busier in terms of workload and new opportunities, meaning more time working and less time to do exercise. However I still make time to train 3 times a week, I know I need to train 3 times a week and I also know that rest is just as important. Most of my work is on a night time, so I train early in the morning and it sets me up for the rest of the day. I train at the gym, and limit my workout upto 1 hour maximum.


Tips to make time and fit exercise in your schedule:

• Buy a diary- Input your work shifts, look at times where you have 30 minutes- 1 hour to do very effective exercise.
• Learn to say no- Friends invite you out every week and alcohol does no favours to your body, or family members want to go for a meal. Use that time to train and use it as one of your 3 sessions a week. I don't want you to not socialise with your friends so limit your nightouts to once a month!
• Plan the day after the day before- Write a schedule of the next day and look for opportunities to fit exercise in.
• Take a friend or partner to the gym- This way your more likely to go to the gym if someone else is working out with you.
• Train outdoors or at home- You don't have to train at the gym, if the weather is bad train in a small space at home, go for a jog outdoors and build up your cardiovascular fitness. Don't limit yourself to one place where you can train have a few options.

Try this 30 minute High Intensity Full Body workout

Sets-3
Rest- 30 seconds after the last exercise
Duration-1 minute on each exercise

Floor Inverted Shoulder Press

Spider-man Press ups

Alternating Lunges

V-Sits

Hill-Climbers

Anatomical Bicep curls

Any questions or even ideas that you helps you train even when your busy please share!

Develop, tighten and firm your chest

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How to develop, tighten and firm your chest

Want to have a chest like this?



If your sick of having no pectorals or chest muscles or you want to transform the "moobs" or man boobs then these exercises below will definately tighten, firm and develop your chest muscles. Developing your chest helps to hide away an excess fat on the abdominal region, so get working! Whether your a beginner or avid fitness freak these exercises will benefit you no matter what your fitness level! These exercises are ideal for women as well as men so it's a win win for all!

Double arm dumbbell pullover

Lie flat on a bench. Hold a dumbbell in each hand. Bend your elbows at 90 degrees and hold the dumbbells straight over your chest. Lower the weight in an arc above your head until you feel the chest stretch. Hold it for a few seconds and return to the starting position.

Push-ups


Go into a press-up position on the floor. Bring your hands closer together than you would do a press-up approximately shoulder width if not abit closer. Lower your body so your chest reaches a few inches from the floor. Elbows pointing out slightly. Raise your body and contract your chest, that's 1 rep.

Chest Dips




To do this exercise you will need parallel bars. Hold onto the bars at arms length. Lower your body, so that your upperbody is leaning forward about 30 degrees and point out your elbows slightly. When you feel the stretch in the chets hold your postion and return to the start position. Tip- for an extra benefit, contract the chest muscles when returning to the starting position.

Any exercises you like to develop, tighten and firm your chest? Share your ideas below
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