Why Women Should Lift!

Why Women should Lift Weights!

Any girl who lifts will tell you that the single most annoying thing is when people say "Ohhhh you will get bulky" or "I don't want to get muscles I just want to tone up" (where do you think toning and definition comes from?)

Here are the top reasons why women should lift weights!

You wont get Bulky

Women have approximately 10% of the testosterone levels that men do, this means that it is automatically more difficult for us to build muscle.

I promise you, you will not get bulky - it takes an incredible amount of effort  for a woman to gain a substaintial amount of muscle

 

Higher Metabolism

When you work out with heavier weights you get a higher metabolic rate. resistance with heavy weights creates tiny muscular tears (that grow back to be stronger) throughout your body. For your body to repair those muscular tears it will expand a higher number of calories

As you gain more lean muscle your resting metabolism increases. It is estimated that for every 1lb of muscle that you have you will burn 35-50 calories more a day.

For example take 2 women, both weigh 130lbs however women A has 10lbs more muscle than women B. This means that Woman A will burn approx. 350-500 more calories a day!

Increased Strength

As you increase the weights that you use your body strength increases which makes everyday tasks easier.  On a personal note its a great feeling - you can feel that strength and it is a massive confidence boost!

Weight training can increase a woman's strength by 30-50%

Less Chance of Injury

Muscularity means that you are less likely to injure yourself in other sports or fitness activities e.g. tag rugby etc..

In layman's terms - your athletic ability will improve. 

Greater Muscle Definition

This one is a bit obvious! When you work your muscles you appear more toned. You need to lift heavier weights to work your muscles - girls lifting very light weights you are barely challenging your muscles! As a result your muscles wont grow (again back to point one no you will NOT get bulky!)

Counteract Muscle Decline

As you get older (post 25 :( ) your muscle mass decreases, however most people increase weight with age meaning this weight is fat.

Decreased risk of Osteoporosis

Research indicates that weight training can increase bone density by 13% in 6 months. (Keep up the calcium intake too!)

 
Additional reading
 
http://gubernatrix.co.uk/2010/11/why-muscle-building-should-be-your-top-priority-whoever-you-are/
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/girls-get-your-guns-why-women-should-lift-weights.html
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/franco7.htm
http://bradpilon.com/muscle-building/muscle-and-metabolism/

 

Gym Eats - Should I, what should I and what shouldn't I eat

Should I eat before a workout?

There is a lot of debate about whether eating before the gym helps or works against your fitness goals - 'goal' is the key word here - it completely depends on your goal and what your workout is e.g. High Intensity Interval Training, Strength & Conditioning, Resistance Training, Low Intensity Steady State Cardio, Endurance etc..

If your goal is fat loss (like me) then you may prefer to do fasted cardio and do it first thing in the morning. A recent UK study published in the "British Journal of Nutrition" found that when participants did fasted cardio they burned 20% more fat than those who ate a meal before hand. I prefer to do my weights sessions later in the day and I would have eaten before this to give my body energy.

If your workout goal is to reach a new PB, eating before working out can increase your energy and allow you to work out with more intensity for longer periods of time

The "Journal of Applied Physiology," recently published a study that found that eating a meal 45 minutes before moderate-intensity exercise effectively increases exercise capability.

It is up to you to determine how and when you train however if you decide that you want to eat before your workout here are some guides to foods i find keep my muscles and tummy happy!

Pre-Gym snack ideas:

• Apple & Almond Butter - If you want something sweet try some slices of apple with some almond butter (I buy mine here)
• Smoothie - For a foolproof formula, use your favorite sliced fruit, a cup of Greek yogurt and some oats for a thicker consistency. If you're buying one make sure that its made from whey or milk-based proteins.
• Porridge with fruit & milk - slow release energy is perfect for a intense cardio workout. Add fruit for more flavour and add a drop of honey if you need to sweeten
• Eggs - Eggs are one of the most nutrient dense foods you can eat, I have 2 boiled eggs as a snack, or scrambled in the microwave when I'm really stuck on time

My personal routine is this:

• 6.30 am - 30 minutes of fasted cardio
• 9 am coffee and an omelette/scrambled egg/oats
• 12.30pm Lunch (fish and veg, chicken salad, soup and turkey slices)
• 3pm Afternoon Snack (fruit, nuts, greek yoghurt)
• 7pm Pre workout - BCAA amino energy
• 7.30pm Gym session - weights 
• 9pm - Dinner High protein, low carb (grilled meat/fish with asparagus, roasted green beans (with salt, garlic powder and pepper) NOM, sweet potato fries, roasted red pepper etc..)

Source: Pinterest

Some additional reading:

http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/recipes/healthy-eating/nutrition/best-workout-foods
http://www.livestrong.com/article/520992-good-food-to-eat-before-gym-in-the-morning/
http://greatist.com/fitness/50-awesome-pre-and-post-workout-snacks
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/is-fasted-cardio-the-best-for-burning-fat.html

5 Nutrition Myths....BUSTED!

5 Nutrition Myths....BUSTED!

We are definitely in the midst of a healthy eating revolution, however with healthy eating and nutrition advice being absolutely everywhere its sometimes really difficult to cut through the noise! Here are some nutrition myths busted!

Myth 1: The Healthiest Diet is a Low-Fat, High-Carb Diet With Lots of Grains

• This myth is in place because it was the mainstream advice given since 1977. These recommendations were untested in any trial before being introduced! (read more here)
• The assumption was that eating fat meant you gained fat so instead it was advised to completely eliminate fat from the diet. What resulted was a lot of "diet foods" such as non fat yogurts and ready made meals. 
• The problem with this is that Fat naturally satiates (makes you feel full) and gives flavor to food. When you take the fat out you generally take the flavor, to combat this food manufacturers replaced with high levels of salt and sugar! Beware of "diet foods!". Clean food is the best approach (non processed, natural foods).
• This

Myth 2: It is Best to Eat Many, Small Meals Throughout The Day to “Stoke The Metabolic Flame”

• It is not true that eating many, smaller meals leads to an increase in the amount of calories burned throughout the day. 
• Weight loss/gain comes down to calories in versus calories burned, a deficit will equate a loss and a surplus will cause weight gain
• Where eating smaller meals more frequently may help is keeping you from overeating at meal times as you may feel excessively hungry
• Personally i find eating 5 meals a day works for me as I can keep my blood sugar more stable which means i am less likely to crave food and/or overeat.

 

Myth 3: Egg Yolks Should be Avoided Because They Are High in Cholesterol, Which Drives Heart Disease

"Ahhh I absolutely hate this one! I start my day with 2 boiled eggs and the first thing people say when I tell them what I have is "ooooh watch out for cholesterol...."

• Despite eggs being high in cholesterol, they do not raise blood cholesterol or increase heart disease risk for the majority of people. 

• Dietary cholesterol does not always equal blood cholesterol - in fact researchers found that "Carbohydrates, rather than fat, plays a critical role in activating pro-inflammatory processes through their effect on the fatty acid composition of lipids and membranes". (read more here)

• See blog post on the truth about eggs and cholesterol!

Myth 4: Whole Wheat is a Health Food and an Essential Part of a “Balanced” Diet

• Wheat has been a diet staple for hundreds of years, however the problem is that the 'wheat' we eat today is not like the wheat consumed years ago due to processing techniques that make the food less nutritious (as the bran and the germ have been separated, which hold most of the starchy carb that keep us full).
• Grains are now also prepared differently to make processing times quicker. The flour is bleached and bread is cooked with quick rise yeast.
• The wheat most people are eating today is unhealthy. It is less nutritious and may increase cholesterol levels and inflammatory markers.

Myth 5: Coffee is Unhealthy and Should be Avoided

Love that this is a myth! yaaay more coffee for me! (watch the milk intake though as its relatively high in calories. Opt for an Americano rather than anything milk heavy like cappuccinos or lattes!)

• Despite being perceived as unhealthy, coffee is actually loaded with antioxidants.
• Take a coffee before your workout (30-60 mins before) to boost your energy levels
• Numerous studies show that coffee drinkers live longer and have a lower risk of many serious diseases.
• Take a look at this blog post about Coffee and your workout!

Sources
http://eatlocalgrown.com/article/13256-mainstream-nutrition-myths-proved-wrong.html
http://www.theverge.com/2015/2/9/8003971/low-fat-dietary-health-goals-bad-science
http://authoritynutrition.com/modern-wheat-health-nightmare/

Chocolate Mug Cake

Chocolate Mug Cake....its Amazing!

When I first started clean eating I found it really frustrating that many of the sweet treats / desserts had so many ingredients in them. Some times you need a really quick chocolaty fix and this mug cake gives you just that.

It has also been approved by my non clean eating friends who think it is delicious!

Here is the recipe:

• 3 Tablespoons of Ground Almonds (Tesco own brand is waaay cheaper)
• 3 Tablespoons of cocoa
• 2 Tablespoons of honey
• Few drops of vanilla extract (not essence)
• 1 egg
• half a teaspoon of coconut oil (virgin is better)

You literally just place all the ingredients into a microwaveable mug and stir! Pop it in the microwave for 1.5-2mins and voila!

Be careful with the mug - some mugs get really hot others aren't too bad but better to be safe than sorry that you dropped your chocolate cake!

Happy Baking,

Vicci xoxo

How much water should i be drinking?

How much water should I be drinking?

 

It is something we all know we should do, yet a lot of us (myself included) are really bad at drinking enough water a day.

 

There are many reasons why you should make sure you get enough water however a relatively unknown reason is that a drop of 1.5% in water levels translates in drop of 10% your maximal strength.

 

It is vital to ensuring that you are getting the best workout you are capable of!

So how much should you have a day?

• 0.6-0.7 ounces per pound of bodyweight

or

• 39 ml per kg of bodyweight.

Example: If you weigh 55kg you should have approx 2.145 litres a day.

Don't forget that if you do an intense workout you should have additional water to replace the fluids you have lost.

 

 

Now get drinking!

 

 

Vicci x

Welcome!

Welcome!

Hi there!

I decided to start a blog so that I could better share my Paleo and fitness journey with the world!

You can also follow my Instagram for great meal ideas, recipes and workouts available at:

http://instagram.com/vixmurphy


Happy reading,

Vicci xx