Weekly Update (01/30)

Aloha readers! 

Time for this weeks check-in :) 

I am VERY proud of myself to be able to tell you that this week, I PUT MY FITNESS FIRST. No matter what happened, I stuck to my plan of getting to the gym. And despite the increased stress load from school, I still feel good and my brain gets the much needed break from studying. 

My original plan: HIIT circuit training on Monday, Legs + HIIT on Tuesday, and Upper body on Thursday. That quickly showed that it wouldn't work out. SO, instead of dwelling over the fact that I had missed that day's workout, I rearranged the schedule. Monday was HIIT circuit as planned, Upper body got moved to Wednesday, and today (Friday) was Legs + HIIT. I made it work! And you can too! I'm so glad I came across Steve's article on why it's OKAY to be selfish and put your fitness first, and how that can ACTUALLY have positive impact on all other aspects of your life. If you want to learn more about the article I am referring to, you can read it here (Original article here).  

This is my happy face when working out :P 

Today's leg workout was a BLAST. Not only was I happy to be at the gym after being stuck in a chair for countless hours writing a lab report, but I tried out some new things tonight! 

Here's a quick rundown of the workout:

Glute bridges superset w/ Fire hydrants - 3 sets
Pushups superset w/ Wall sits - 3 sets
pushups were included because I am trying to rebuild my upper body strength, 
and pushups have always been something I struggled with. Did them 
on my toes until I couldn't, then did them on my knees until failure. 
Dumbbell deadlifts superset w/ Curtsey lunges - 3 sets
Hip abductors - 2 sets

And the fun part; new things I tried out!
Smith machine glute kickbacks - 3 sets
Smith machine barbell squats - 2 sets 

Everyone is always saying how they're "at the bar on Friday night"... well, that was me tonight! ;) 

Got my HR up quite high with my supersets tonight - great calorie burn! 

Report deadlines and midterms are quickly approaching next week, so I'll be working extra hard to stick to this "putting fitness first" behaviour change, in hopes that it will help make me more energetic and focused on my school work!

Until next time!

Cheers!

xoxo

The Daily Grind + Leg Day Workout (01/20)

Aloha readers! 

A few of you have reached out to me via private message and on instagram about my last blog post, and I am truly grateful for all your kind words!  Today is Day 2 of back to building the grind for me :) Things have been going well, with the exception of eating - adjusting to this new plan is a rough start! I'm not used to tracking my macros, thus I've been overeating quite a bit. The meal plan will help bring me back to eating the amount of food my body actually NEEDS - which is less than what I eat - so it will take some time for my body to adjust! 

I went to the gym in between volunteering today, and I have to admit it's still a little hard adjusting to this new gym :( When I envision myself going to the gym, I still have the old gym's layout engrained in my head! 

Today's workout was mainly leg focused, with some HIIT. 

Fire Hydrants

Lying Leg Curls 

Leg Extensions 

Dumbbell Curls 

Jump Squats 

Alternating Superman 

Jump Knee Touches 

I used to mix a lot of leg focused exercises and minimal glute focused exercises on leg day, so I'm changing that up as I want to start focus building my glutes :D For me to do work that into my workout schedule, days I have off from school will be dedicated to longer, upper body workouts, and other days will be split among HIIT, LISS (Low Intensity Steady State) cardio, and legs and glute workouts :) I'll keep you updated on how that works out. Until then! 

Cheers! 

xoxo

Booty Move of The Week - Sumo Squats (12/26)

Merry Christmas everyone! 

I know I'm a day late on posting, but the holidays is about spending time with the people you love. And I hope that's exactly what you did! 

Today I'm going to share with you a squat variation that I like to include in my workouts. I seldom get tension in my hips, so Sumo Squats are a good exercise to help strengthen them. It also helps strengthen the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes! Try these out, and share your feedback with me! 

1. Stand up straight, with feet wider than shoulder width apart, toes pointed out (top pictures).
2. Keep your chest up high, shoulders pulled back, and keeping your back straight.
3. As you squat down, go to parallel level or even lower if you can (bottom pictures).
4. As you come back up, push up through your heels. Like a normal squat, squeeze your glutes at the end for a couple seconds.

Cheers! 

xoxo

Workout of the Day: Lower Body (06/25)

Hey everyone!
Sorry for those of you who was redirected here from my instagram, and didn't see this post earlier like I had promised. Family plans came up, so I had to post-pone this post!

Anywho, I had a GREAT workout today at the gym. I spent over two hours there working out, which doesn't happen very often. But it was much needed. I started off with some cardio warm up on the stair-master, then did some warm up stretches. After my workout routine, I did some cool down stretches and foam rolled my entire body.

The full workout routine is below

I'm still struggling with my dead-lifts, as I don't have much flexibility on my hamstrings. I've been learning about stretching and flexibility in my Personal Trainer Certification Course, so I'm excited to start implementing that knowledge into my own workouts to help improve my own health and fitness.

I talked to one of the Facility Monitors/Instructors at the gym today about what it would take to be a personal trainer for the facility, and for a independent personal trainer on a contract at the gym. Not everything is working in my favor, but there are definitely possibilities for future opportunities for me there. I just have to keep working hard, keep checking back for job openings, and hope for the best!!

I've got split shifts at work this week, so I'll be allocating some of that down time to my studies and hopefully hitting up the gym just across the street from my work. I'll keep you guys updated with some workouts if that happens!
Cheers! 
xoxo

Workout of the Day: Legs and Chest (06/18)

Bikini Booty Summer Body Challenge 

I love glute workouts :D Leg days are one of my favourite days! It usually falls on a Tuesday because Monday is my rest day after four straight days of work, and doing it on Wednesday won't let me get enough rest before I go back to work. 

On top of these exercises, I also did some standard dumbbell squats. I feel like I'm trying to get ahead of myself by learning to do dead-lifts.  I was having a little struggle with them last week. So this week I wanted to focus on improving that first! 

I also learned this week that the stair master is actually a great form of cardio exercise that works your glutes, hamstrings, and quads with less stress on your joints (especially the knees). So I took my cardio on that today! Man , I was sweating buckets!! Gotta start using it more often :) 

Thanks for reading and your continued support! 

Cheers! 

xoxo

Workout of the Day: Legs and Shoulders (05/27)

Bikini Booty Summer Body Challenge - Week 4 Day 2 

Leg days get tough when you've been standing on your feet all day waiting on tables :( 

I'm still trying to figure out a way to work these workout sessions around my work schedule, so that not only can I make it to the gym but don't feel exhausted like I always do after work. 

If you have any tips/pointers, please let me know! 

So I talk about building a booty and doing leg workouts pretty often, but today I wanted to address something else - how to melt belly fat. Obviously, there is no way for spot reduction on our body. A flat, and toned midsection will have to come from a proper, clean, balanced diet. But I also believe that there are certain foods and liquids that will better the process of the flat midsection. 

1. Eat six meals a day - eating many smaller meals a day helps keep your energy levels balanced and prevent you from overeating big meals. 

2. Choose foods that swap fat for muscle - Choose 2 or 3 of these foods in 3 of your major meals, and at least one of the foods in  your snacks 

eggs, nuts, leafy greens, vegetables, berries, lean meats and fish, beans, peanut butter, and oatmeal 

3. Know what to drink - Drink plenty of water. An average female requires 2.7L of water intake a day, depending on the person. This intake comes from all sources - water, fruits, vegetables, milk, juice, etc. 

4. Know what not to drink - alcohol is pure sugar, and it can affect your body in many ways. Firstly, too much simple sugar intake is not good. Secondly, it can make you feel bloated and affect your food intake. Lastly, it can affect your body's fat burning rate and encourage the storing of fat. 

5. Eat dairy - choose for low fat dairy options. Dairy products help strengthen your bones. Aim for 1200-1300mg of calcium a day, with adequate vitamin D intake to help with the absorption of the calcium. The better of a reason to go out and get some sun! 

6. Eat more of the right fats - try to limit the amount of saturated and trans fats you consume. Make an effort to consume more monounsaturated (flaxseed, olive oil) and polyunsaturated fats. Aim for 1 1/2 tablespoons of these healthy fats per day.  

I hope these tips will help you make some healthier choices in your daily meals to help with burning the fat! 

Cheers! 

xoxo

Workout of the Day: Legs (05/21)

Bikini Booty Summer Body Challenge - Week 3 Day 3 

I did an at-home leg workout yesterday, and despite it being a good workout, I still don't feel like I pushed myself hard enough. So, I went back to the gym today and did a routine that was a little bit more intense. 

Today's routine included: heavier than usual dumbbell squats, dumbbell walking lunges, lying curls, split squats, and weight calf raises. Let me say that I am currently sitting on my chair with a lot of pain in my quads :D 

Did some good foam rolling as well, since I have a lot of work ahead of me the next few days. Also going to take an epsom salt bath later tonight to relax these leg muscles! 

This picture perfectly describes me right now :) 

I'm starting a part time job this week, so I'll be working 4 days a week. This means I will have to rearrange my workout schedule to accommodate for work. However, this is good news for me, because I need to start saving for my tuition. Speaking of school... 

I have been accepted into the Dietetics Nutrition Program at my University!!! I am beyond happy to have received this email, because only weeks ago I was worrying about not being admitted and the long line of other issues that would arise because of that. I am so glad that my countless hours of studying, and occasional overnights at the library, has finally paid off! 

I'll keep posting workouts and motivational tips for you readers on the days I'm working! 

Cheers! 

xoxo

Workout of the Day: Legs and Shoulders (05/20)

Bikini Booty Summer Body Challenge - Week 3 Day 2

I was really looking forward to the gym today, but I woke up feel groggy and my ankle was still hurting (I landed on my foot wrong after jumping off the fishing boat yesterday). 

So, I decided that I will do an at home workout today. The above workout can be done at the gym, but many of the moves can be done at home too if you have the equipment. In compensation for the moves I can't do, I will be throwing in parts of Lauren Gleisberg's at home workout exercises :) 

I can't remember exactly when, but this photo really speaks to me now. Growing up I was overweight, and all I wanted to be was skinny. Not healthy, skinny. The approach was all wrong. Once I started to appreciate fitness, and found my passion for health and nutrition, the pieces started falling into place. 

Now, my goal is not to be skinny, but to be healthy, be fit, be confident, and be sexy. What could be better than the radiating confidence you have over your own fit, toned, and sexy body!? That being said, your goals may not be the same as mine. And that is 100% okay. The important thing is to always keep sight of your goals; write it down in your journal, make a pamphlet of it and put it somewhere you can see it. Don't let little bumps and turns along the way make you lose sight of your goal! 

This also leads me to the fact that I've been looking for a line of fitness products (preworkout, protein powder, etc) designed for women, besides Proteenie. Then, I came across FitMiss ! 

I'm currently doing my research on the ingredients behind the products, just to ensure that they are all safe and nothing is crazy. If things turn out well, I would consider investing in this brand! If you use/used this brand before, please tell me what you think about it! 

Cheers! 

xoxo

Workout of the Day: Legs and Shoulders (05/13)

Bikini Booty Summer Body Challenge - Week 2 Day 2 

Love, love, love leg days now! If you were to ask me why I didn't like it before, I would probably tell you because I didn't keep my eyes on my goals and I didn't have the right mindset. 

Right now, my goal is to focus on slimming down and start building my booty for the summer bikini season. Perhaps that is my biggest motivation for leg days! 

Legs day at the gym, and a gorgeous, sunny warm day outside? This girl is HAPPY! 

If you've read my previous posts, you'll recall that my journey started because I simply wanted to "lose weight" and "be skinny". However, that is no longer the case. My journey today is: to be healthy for my age, be happy about my body, and feel confident over my body (and overall more confidence in general). 

In my eyes, there is a difference between skinny and fit. Some people even use the term "skinny fit". When I first started my fitness journey, my goal was to lose weight and be "skinny". But as the pounds slowly started dropping with cardio exercise, I discovered weight lifting and fell in-love with it almost instantly.  

Since then, I have discovered so much and learned so much about healthy eating, exercise, personal training, cardio exercises, and so forth. It only makes me more hungry to learn more about all these subjects and beyond! 

So look beyond the reasons of simply "getting skinny" with your workout / fitness journey. Exercise to be fit! Strong! Healthy! 

Don't starve, eat. Eat healthy, and eat for your body, mind, and soul. 

Focus your energy on yourself and the positive things, rather than others and the negative attitudes and remarks. 

Cheers! 

xoxo

Workout of the Day: Legs and Shoulders (05/07)

Bikini Booty Summer Body Challenge - Week 1 Day 3 

I can't deny that I dread Leg Days - I'm hoping that changes by pairing it up with some shoulder workouts. I moved this week's Legs day to Wednesday because I needed 

a day off yesterday. I woke up with my whole body being sore, my neck 

was hurting - it was just terrible. 

Like many other girls, I want to have a nice round booty and toned thighs - they can be big, 

as long as they are toned. However, with leg days being the days I drag, I tend to skip them, 

or not push myself as hard as I could. 

But that's about to change! 

I killed my leg workout today! 

This is my tired face after the workout - sweat, sweat, and more sweat! 

This summer is going to be different, and I am ready to commit to these changes! 

The workouts in the Bikini Booty Summer Body challenge are familiar yet challenging for me. Week 1's workout is similiar to things I normally do on leg days. As the challenge 

progresses, the workouts change up; greater intensity and new workouts to 

keep my booty guessing. 

Check back daily for new workouts, including killer leg workouts to come! ;) 

Cheers! 

xoxo

Workout of the Day: Legs Day (02/28)

TGIF!
Leg workouts are something I tend to lack, and if I could,
I would rather have it at the start of the week. They say
that it helps to work on the parts you struggle earlier on
in the week rather than later on in the week. However,
I would like to be able to walk for the rest of the week xD 

Sometimes you just want to go home early on a Friday night 

and kick start your weekend off early. So today's workout is a 

leg workout that can be done at home. The only equipment you need 

are a pair of dumbbells (or water jugs) and a resistance band 

(or an old pair of nylon tights). 

This workout is based off of workouts from my Monthly Downloadable 

Workout Plan. If you aren't sure what that is, you can 

read more about it here. 

To download the workout plan for March, click below! 
For today only, download it at 50% off the original price! 

buy

Kick back, and let your legs rest! 

Enjoy your weekend! 

xoxo

Clumsy Injury Leads to a Rest Day

Normally around this time on a Thursday morning I'm already at the gym. 

But since I was a clutz on Monday and fell down some stairs in my lecture 

hall, I sprained my ankle and can't really do much walking. 

This was the leg workout I was going to do today to build that booty! Just 
because I can't do it, doesn't mean you guys can't! Feel free to tag me 
in your workouts on instagram with #sellychanfitness so we 
can support each other and show off our progress! 

Tip: Remember to squeeeeeze your glutes! I find that my

 glutes are more sore the next day when I really focus on 

contracting the muscles rather than just going through 

the motions of things. Squeeze your glutes for a couple

 seconds while the leg is extended during kickbacks to 

really feel the burn! 

Cheers! 

xoxo

Workout of the Day: 01/21 (Leg Circuit; Glute Emphasis)

Today's workout is "Booty Building Leg Circuit". It's another dollar a day training workout that I downloaded from Fitness Barbie Lauren Gleisberg's blog. 

This workout was supposed to be done yesterday, but the gym was super packed and people were being rude and weren't sharing machines. I gave up and left, but re-did the entire workout this morning.

After being incredibly sore from the upper body circuit workout, I knew exactly what kind of workouts to opt for when I'm looking for  a good challenge. 

Lying hamstring curls - 35 lbs 

Abductor machine - 30 lbs 

Wide stance squat (no machine)- 8 lbs db per hand 

Cable kickbacks - 10 lbs 

Db stiff legged deadlift - 5 lbs db per hand 

Walking lunge - 10 lb db per hand  

With my heart pumping and a lot of sweat dripping off my body, this was definitely one of the greater workouts I've had in a long time! Looking forward to a rest day tomorrow, and then another upper body circuit! 

Baby muscles are growing! 

Cheers!
xoxo