Have you ever had that thought in your head that you heart will explode and will collapse before the finish line – aka your goal target distance? If answer is yes – don’t worry, you are not alone. I have had it several times, especially when I restart running after long time, like after injury or for several other obstacles that prevents me for running for longer periods. Every single time after couple of kilometers I am thinking, “OMG, I am old. I will die” How long I still have to go? (looks to the watch) Seriously? it’s been 9 min, ONLY? I will never make it. Why I am doing this to myself?”, but than in the end I go ahead and finish my distance anyway. You would ask me how? And my answer is simple – dedication and goal reaching and knowing my limits. When I set a goal, whatever field, I always evaluate my possibilities and weapons in order to achieve them and I try to be as realistic as possible, and also honest with myself – can I make it? Read More
Workout
Workouts, tips and different challenges to become best version of yourself
Last 10 days has been a wild roller coaster during my business trip in Japan. When I am travelling it is really hard to maintain my physical form as well as stick to my diet. Luckily for me I was staying in a wonderful hotel at Tokyo which had a great gym with several exercise machines, so were using that to stay in shape and get adopted to the new time zone faster. (Having a good weight training or a run always helps me to get over the jet lag faster).
As a person who is quite shy than getting acquainted with a new gym, it’s equipment, courses, timings and make new friends is quite challenging for me. (Not even mentioning how strange for me is to go around a skyscraper to search for it’s gym, dressed in workout clothes. Not my preferred activity at all. Especially when my colleagues and clients are staying the same place). However I always try to not think about what others think and just concentrate on my goals and reason why I am hitting the gym. And trust me – it helps!
As I believe that I am not the only one that has some intimidation issues with gym than will try to list some things that might make things easier also for you. (Works for me).
In a days like these, when it’s raining cats and dogs all I want to do is to stay in and crawl up on a couch with a hot cup of good tea and read some good book. As I am not on holiday, but on a business trip in Tokyo with one hell of a full agenda than it is not possible. Therefore I have not left choice but to be super active, energized and loaded to manage to make the best out of my trip and overcome the jet lag and be efficient and productive and the best medicine for adopting to the new rhythm is a workout to get you going.
Tip number 1 – You should always check out your destinations fitness center/ gym possibilities in hotel or near distance”.
Luckily for me I am staying in this wonderful, luxury hotel at the heart of Shibuya – Cerulean Tower Tokyu Hotel. It offers a wonderful facilities and one of them is (quite) fully equipped fitness center, such as: Treadmills × 5, Exercise bikes × 6, Smith machine, weights, leg extension, and more, to ensure you a possibility to maintain your fitness level like a pro. Read More
You don’t have to be a champion to become a champion! this was the a motivational picture I got after finishing my N+TC workout yesterday morning before heading to my first business meeting her in Stockholm. It’s been a while since I could work out due to my dental intervention and frequent traveling lately, so this kind of motivational picture, popping up on my screen after a good workout, was exactly what I needed to start my day good and encourage to get back on track (and stay on it – as I will be travelling a lot upcoming months as well) with my workouts and training routines.
However, travels are not excuse to not work out. Yes, it is more challenging, as you have to make an extra effort to find strength and motivation to work out after/before a long day of traveling and meetings but once you have squeezed in a workout in your schedule, even a short one, it is definitely worth it. I am completely honest when I say that I have never ever regretted waking up 1 h earlier before to have a 20, 30 or 45 min workout session before starting my day. It’s not because I wouldn’t love to sleep! No, no! But love for my body and workout benefits it’s grater than desire to sleep in, so I just get myself up and do a quick workout session that will energize me for the rest of the day.
Usually I work out at my hotel room and having a HIIT or body weight circuit sessions as the hotel gyms are pretty useless anyway, if there are any, as it is pretty convenient and time saving. Also yesterday morning was the case and worked out using only body weight and my limited space in my hotel room.
Trust me, it is all that you actually need to keep active while on road as even a short training can be really effective to maintain the fitness level and stay fit on the road. Read More
Workout Wednesday is here and also my last day of holiday is here. As today I am travelling all day than will miss out my Wednesday workout but will take my time, in plane and airport, to review my new workout and adopt it to my next month travelling schedule. Also it is a good time to update my workout playlist to get best out of my training: to push harder, resist lon [ger and strive for progress and without a good and pumping workout playlist I just cannot imagine my workout. So here is my summers workout playlist that might inspire you too.
Workout playlist – full of lifting and power songs:
1. Tinie Tempah ( feat.2 Chainz) – Trampoline
2. X Ambassadors – Jungle
3. Skrillex & Diplo (feat. Kiesza) – Take Ü there
4. Juicy J feat. Big Sean and Young
5. Jerry (Explicit Version) – Show Out
6. Calvin Harris feat. Big Sean – Open Wide
7. DMX – X Gon’ Give It To Ya
8. Lil Jon feat. Tyga – Bend Ova
9. Andy C (Extended Version) – Heartbeat Loud
10. Skrillex (feat. Sirah) – Bangarang
11. Iggy Azalea – Iggy SZN
12. Major Lazer (feat. Bruno) – Bubble Butt
13. Noise Mac feat. Selecta – Dub Step Kill Dem
14. The Cataract feat. Sky Blu – Alcohol
15. Lil Wayne feat. Big Sean – My Homies Still
16. Kanye West – Bound 2 (cool down song)
What’s your favourite work out song?
Every time I am traveling my choice for airport reading falls to Women’s Health magazine UK as it is full of interesting things, workouts, tips and confessions – not only entertaining but also educational. Especially I love to see the workouts by star trainers and fitness experts as always find something exciting and new to try out or include in my gym routine to spice it up a little. This time was not an exception as decided to challenge myself by doing their September issue workout by star trainer Dan Roberts.
As a person who loves to experiment, improve and throw challenges to myself than I was immediately intrigued and where determined that must test immediately this world famous trainer method: Mindfulness together with martial-arts Hiit.
Mostly I was curious to see if this workout actually does something, like makes me feel my muscles ache the day after. Let me already anticipate you – it does. OMG, it does. The day after was bad, especially for my groin muscles where destroyed by doing 100 knee strikes per leg (1st exercise), as this is a muscle that is trained really rarely or superficially, well at least my case. Read More
Every bachelorette party is different, some is calm, some is wild, some involves naughty tasks and games, but some has full of surprises – like a boot camp in a middle of forest as part of a list of tasks and exercises to complete to become a proper wife. This is what exactly happened one of my best friends bachelorette party last week in Latvia, where each of girls had to be responsible for an activity or two and as I am the sporty one – I had to lead the wake up warm up as well as warm up before the boot camp/ survivor in a forest for a team building.
As we all know before every activity one should properly warm up, even before unknown ones – like a challenging team building/boot camp in a forest. As a professional – military guy was asked to organized the activity than even I had no clue about it, so did my best to prepare girls for every kind of challenge and avoid injuries. Read More
3o day challenge of splits by Blogilates are officially over so it is time to make a review of how the second half went to a complete newbie in yoga/pilates – me!
To be completely honest with you ( and myself), that I must admit that while my vacation in Latvia I was able to do just 2 days of stretching instead of remaining 6 – not because I did not want, but physically I had so full agenda, that I arrived home every day at midnight completely overwhelmed and exhausted that were no good to do a proper stretching. Therefore this check in will be only for the progress I made, as I decided to add extra 2 weeks to complete and follow the Cassey guide till the end to see where I can arrive at standing split.
So far I have been seeing quite a progress in my flexibility as been doing my stretches every day religiously so can admit it’s definitely working! Below is my photo check in how the rest of the days went. Read More
Buongiorno Milano! I am back from my one week (seems-like-one-month) getaway to Latvia and ready to get back on track with my training and clean eating lifestyle. Also I expect this to be an exciting week as well as going to switch up my gym workout schedule for a new one and implement some new exercises and techniques to give some extra boost to my progress and of course also to lose that extra kilos taken from all the barbecues, gatherings, wedding and lack of exercises(hit the gym just twice, BUT did it properly with my friend Martins and fitness mentor. Here is a sneak-a-peak from our Leg day – did not walk the next 2 days properly).
Recently I have been asked what I am doing to switch up my workout/ exercise routines to stay motivated and the answer is simple – variation and not letting yourself to get too comfortable. I constantly try to challenge myself to push harder, if the weights getting “lighter” I am adding some extra kilos therefore constantly trying to beat my own best and not letting those muscles get too comfortable. Read More
it’s been just 4th day of my vacations but already seems that I have been here for 2 weeks as so many things has been done already – Bachelorette party, home warming parties, sightseeing, baby seeing, friend gatherings and so many more things, like workout and being trained by TeamFisher. Must say got some issues with stairs and hair combing the next day but you know what they say – better sore than sorry. I am totally not sorry, just sore.
Usually when I go to gym I like to train alone to concentrate better but time to time it’s important that someone couch you and push you harder and and check your performance and I had a perfection occasion to improve my performance by training with professional athletes – with TeamFisher.
The video is a little preview – how my leg day goes. These are some suggestions what girls can do for legs to build definition of for legs and butt. No! you will not become muscular like a body builder if you lift weights – not happening! Look at me, if you don’t believe me. I lift heavy weights for 2 years already and still not getting bulky – just seeing some better shapes – that’s all. SO don’t be afraid to touch the weights at gym and ask for an advice to a professional trainer.
My video leg day routine goes like this:
warm up for legs.
4 sets of 15 repetitions for all exercises with 1min pause in between. (weight per choice or possibilities. If you are a beginner – start with lower weights and increase over time)
- Squat
- Leg press
- Walking lunges with weights
- Stiff legged deadlift with barbell
- Lying leg curls
- Seated Leg curl
Some of the exercises are in my weekly schedule as I am working for that butt lifting and having nice legs).
What About you? What’s your target to improve in your body??
P.S. The T-shirt is appropriate as it was a Monday workout.
happy girl, dancer, photographer, gym-goer, Herc., traveler, dreamer, explorer, color and moment collector, healthy food and recipe discoverer and tester