GYM: HydrateM8

Whilst I was recently watching YouTube I noticed that a lot of people were using a water bottle with a gauge on the side that informed them how much water they needed to drink at certain times of the day. I'm one of those people who does actually like drinking water but I could never keep track on how much I was actually drinking so I wanted one of these bottles so I could be sure I was drinking enough water in the day and doing it properly. The brand is called HydrateM8 and I love my bottle.

HydrateM8's are a clear bottle with different coloured lids and straws, I picked myself up the orange bottle and I got Scott the blue bottle. Each of the bottles have a slogan printed on them too with a little bit of motivation, such as 'carpe diem' or 'summer mode' which I thought was a nice touch. Down the back of the bottle is where the gauge is printed on informing you how much water you should've drunk by a certain time. There is also some motivation down the side too such as 'keep drinking' 'nearly there' and 'good job' so if you don't really like drinking water I feel like this helps to encourage you. 

They're brilliant for taking around with you too. The lid is very sturdy and the straws folds away so you don't have to worry about it leaking all in your bag or anything. They're brilliant for if you have to do a lot of driving. Whether that's your job entails you to drive a lot of if you're just going out for the day and it's a long drive as you don't have to worry about unscrewing any lids you just pull the straw up. I've had mine for a week now and have used it every single day. Both myself and Scott are a little obsessed with using them at the moment. I also prefer using the bottle than having to go out and keep buying bottles of water each day. This way I can keep a jug of water in the fridge and fill my own HydrateM8 up and I'm good to go. 

I would highly recommend. Especially if you're someone who does need to drink more water. They're not too cheap at £13.99 but they're definitely worth it and the quality of the bottle seems amazing. HydrateM8 also Children's bottles. Obviously these are a little smaller but they're perfect for your child to take to school with them. Finally the brand also does Fruit Infusers, so if you like your water to have a little more flavour to it, you can use these to help them taste a little sweeter. 

Have you tried HydrateM8 yet?

♥

Twitter | Bloglovin' | Instagram

GYM: Getting Back in the Gym

So for two weeks I didn't go to the gym a single day. I realise how bad that is, especially when I finally got back in the gym I was knackered after about ten minutes. With Scott being away in Birmingham for a few days I didn't go and then when he was back I was so busy trying to have content to upload when I was away that I simply forgot to go and then I had my birthday. There was that much going off around my birthday, that again, I ended up missing another week.

Last week, we decided we needed to get back in the gym. We were both feeling a little on the stuffed side from probably eating too much whilst we were away and to be honest I did kind of miss it (I know, I must be crazy for missing the gym). Anyway, coming back to the gym hasn't been easy. Whilst I had hoped I'd be able to pick off right where I had left that wasn't the case. Any signs of my abs felt like they had disappeared so trying to do sit ups, crunches and leg raises left me feeling completely drained. Cardio left me feeling sick and I felt a little depressed when I couldn't lift weights on the same setting as what I had previously.

Despite this little downfall of getting out of going to the gym and feeling my confidence knocked a little bit by having to take it a little easier, I also feel incredibly motivated. I know that I can have abs and lift heavier weights so I feel motivated to get back and exceed what I was at. Whilst my cardio  and general fitness has never been perfect I also feel motivated to make sure that I do become fitter, especially as I've been given the all clear from my doctor that my heart is working properly (long story) and I am safe to do more exercise - though I will still take it easy anyway.

What do you do to get/keep you motivated for the gym?

♥

Twitter | Bloglovin' | Instagram

GYM: My Pre-Workout Snacks

I've noticed that I always feel better at the gym if I've had a little pre-workout snack. I'm not one to have pre-workout shakes or protein shakes, but after you've been at work all day I need a little pick me up before heading off to the gym. I normally try and have something about half an hour before going to the gym just so I don't feel sick when I am there. So today I thought I'd share with you my three go to snacks before I workout.

First, I tend to reach for the Walkers Sunbites Wholegrain Popcorn. I gravitate towards the sweet & salty flavour the most. These contain a lot carbs which just helps give me a little boost, its not too sweet either that I'll feel incredibly sick whilst working out. They're also not too filling that I feel bloated they just have a nice balance to make me feel a bit more motivated.

My naughty snack - which is definitely not the best for you - is a Mars Bar. I know you probably shouldn't have that much sugar before you workout but sometimes I need a kick of sugar to get me going and these are perfect with the glucose that they contain in them. I feel sometimes at the gym I can't start to feel a bit faint and I feel like a need a bit of sugar so having a Mars Bar helps to avoid that situation.

Finally, I tend to take a Lucazade Sport with me to the gym. I just find this helps to waken me up if I feel really tired before the gym but also helps to give me a little bit of a boost at the gym also. I tend to have lucazade when I'm doing weights rather than doing cardio however.

What do you tend to reach for before going to the gym?

♥

Twitter | Bloglovin' | Instagram

GYM: Women's Health Big Book of Exercises

Sometimes it's hard to get motivated to go to the gym, trust me I know. Sometimes you're hungry after work and so that comes before going to the gym, there is nothing worse than being hungry and working out, I always feel so faint and sick. It's also hard to find motivation to hit the gym if you're constantly doing the same things. For me, I've been looking through the Women's Health Big Book of Exercises to find new and things to do in my workouts. I tend to use it more when I'm at home doing a home work out if I'm honest.

What I like about the book is that it's in clear sections for you to find exercises to train different parts of your body. I look at the abs section the most. I find it boring doing sit ups and crunches all the time so this helps me find new ideas for different circuits for me to do and helps me keep things a bit more interesting. It's also good if you're bored at the gym and creating routines before you actually go.

I've also got a couple of kettlebells at home that weighed a tonne carrying them home from my supermarket but I haven't really used them since I bought them, so I've been wanting to get into more at home workouts including these in my routine so it wasn't a waste of money. I know that Scott has looked through the book for ideas too, so it's definitely not just for women despite its name. I just need to invest in a good mat so that I'm not hurting my back on my wood floors.

Where do you find workout inspirations from? Also any recommendations for good gym mats for at home?

♥

Twitter | Bloglovin' | Instagram

GYM: The at Home Ab Workout

Before I got into going to the gym, I started working on my abs by following YouTube videos. There's loads out there and it's just trying to find one that suits you and that you enjoy doing. So I thought I'd share with you my favourite ab workout that I tend to do at home (though you can also do at the gym too).

So I started following a routine called the 10 Minute Ab Workout: How to Get a Six Pack off of the XHit Daily. I liked this routine because it's easy to follow as she goes through all the steps with you plus it reminds you of what's next in the routine throughout the video with a notification. I find the video is really encouraging and it's more about doing what your capable of in that time limit than doing a certain amount of leg raises etc. I also noticed a difference after a couple of weeks following this routine with my abs. They were definitely more defined. The channel also has a five minute ab workout along with workouts for beginners so be sure to check their channel out.

Check out 10 Minute Ab Workout: How to Get a Six Pack below:

♥

Twitter | Bloglovin' | Instagram

GYM: Adidas Gym Leggings

I've found it difficult to find a pair of gym leggings I really like. Some are see through which means you always have to wear a longer top - which I don't mind but some days I want to wear something a little tighter that isn't swishing around me. Some just go rubbish when you wash them. The struggle has been real for me. That's until I spotted these Adidas Response Tights.

I saw a girl wearing them at my gym and I thought they looked really cool. I've been after some plain black gym leggings for a while and I liked the Adidas stripes going horizontally across the knee and thought it looked different. I was then on the hunt for these leggings, I wanted to try them on see how they fit and ultimately see if they were see through. I found them about 2-3 weeks after my search at my gym on promotion for £29.99 instead of £40. After trying them on I knew I had to have them.

I bought a size small, and they fit perfectly. They have a drawstring tie inside to make them tighter around the waist if need be too. They're super stretchy so great for squatting and stretching in. They're also really lightweight in feel too, so you don't get too hot in them. My bum also looks amazing in them which is always a bonus. Though they're slightly more pricey that I would've intially thought about paying for some gym leggings I love them to bits and already have had my money's worth out of them. Definitely check them out if you're in the market for some new gym leggings.

♥

Twitter | Bloglovin' | Instagram

LIFE: The Topshop Crop/Sports Bra

Since starting the gym back in January I've been trying to build up my sports gear collection. As vain as it may sound I still want to look fashionable as well as being comfortable at the gym. I've been using the same sports bras I got about a year ago from Missguided since I started, however, as I've got more into going I didn't find these the comfiest thing to wear. Plus mine were very plain and not very flattering/well fitting and had quickly gone dingy.

My main issue however was the material. It felt more like a thermal/scuba material and when I was doing cardio, so on the bike or the cross-trainer. I simply got too hot. My chest would feel incredibly sticky with sweat and I didn't feel comfortable so I was in the market to find something else. I've had my eye on the Calvin Klein classic Bralet for a while but I think they're so expensive especially if you end up not liking them so when I went into Topshop and found they had some similar in style I had to pick one up and give it a try.

Oh my god, they are so comfy. They are quite thin so don't give you much support however I only have small boobs anyway so its not something that bothers me too much. Plus I tend to wear my sports bra with lower cut tops to try and hide some cleavage. They don't make me too hot like the previous ones were plus they're super soft and looks a lot more stylish. If you do want some support I've found wearing a strapless bra underneath is perfect, so you've got that support but you're covered from any boob mishaps at the gym. I have found they aren't very big and I haven't got the biggest boobs in the world, so maybe size up, I find that Topshop can be small in fittings anyway.

I've now got them in the grey and navy with the matching underwear because I loved the first one so much and tempted to buy them in the white and red too, I think they also do it in an animal print too. I would seriously recommend them, not only for the gym but at home too. I love putting mine on if I don't want to wear my normal bra, so if I'm just hanging out at  home all day as it's so much comfier than a normal everyday bra. At £10 I also think they're such a bargain.

♥

Twitter | Bloglovin' | Instagram

LIFE: Being a Gym Newbie

I've been considering joining the gym for around six months now and simply kept putting it down out of fear. I'm not particularly a sporty person and definitely not in good shape fitness wise, and it has been something I've wanted to change for a while. I've always started ab routines from YouTube and after a couple of weeks given up but this time I'm determined to use the gym and stick to it - if only because of the price of the gym membership. I'm not going to lie to you and say I'm going everyday because I haven't. But these last few weeks I've been getting into the gym more and trying different equipment I've also been changing what exercises I do depending on how I feel that day.

First off, nobody is staring at you at the gym. This was my biggest worry, I always get scared that people are watching me mess up or if I'm self conscious I automatically think that people are watching what I'm doing but in reality they aren't. My first time at the gym I did look around to see what everyone else was doing but I think that helps in learning how to do certain things correctly and also to gain some inspiration. You don't want to feel in a rut with your routines because it'll become boring. But I can reassure you, nobody is staring or watching you, they're more interested in themselves. 

Be comfortable in what you're wearing. There's nothing worse than not feeling good in what you're wearing and that does have an affect on you. I always tend to wear some leggings and a longer vest. I'm conscious of my leggings possibly being see through so I like to wear a longer top so that this isn't an issue. Also get some good trainers that are going to be suitable for the gym. I bought some Nike New Balance trainers from ASOS in the sale and they are really comfy and give me good support at the gym. 

I go to the gym with Scott, this is for two reasons. The selfish reason my gym is about an half an hour walk and I couldn't walk that far do a gym session and then walk home (that sounds really bad) so Scott is my set of wheels. Also, I don't have a clue what I'm doing there and I know I would lose motivation if I went on my own. I would suggest going with someone you're comfortable with or who knows what they're doing. If not gyms have personal trainers and the ones at my gym all seem really nice and willing to help you. Especially for your first couple of weeks I would suggest this whilst you get yourself into a routine and know how to use equipment properly/ get the form of positions right so you don't strain your muscles/  

Don't forget to take a bottle of water. I did this in my first gym session and I felt it immediately. It's nice to have that refresh after each set and in a weird way it helps to calm me down a little as well as cooling me down too. If you have asthma I would also recommend taking your ventolin with you. I suffered when I was younger and when I had this chest infection at the beginning of the year I was struggling with my breathing so this has been vital equipment for me. 

You will have to get used to seeing naked bodies at the gym. I'm a prude, I hate seeing people naked and I hate people seeing me naked so my first experience of this was a little strange, However, just stick your head in your locker and get out of their as quickly as possible if you're like me. 

Lastly. I would say don't get down on yourself. If you've not had as good a gym session, if you've had to move your weight setting down a little don't beat yourself up over it. Odds are you've had a busy day or your body is just telling you to chill out a little bit. You can always throw in an extra session or go harder the next time. 

That is my little bit of advice from the last few weeks of going to the gym. I'm hoping to get into it properly this month and try and work a little harder. Maybe I'll update yo with my progress throughout the year. If you're considering joining the gym I'd say go for it, most offer a free trial period and you can see what you like and what sort of things you want to do at the gym.

♥

Twitter | Bloglovin' | Instagram