FITNESS SELFIES – INSPIRATIONAL OR JUST DEPRESSING?

In the last few years there seems to have been an explosion in the use of fitness-selfies (or gym-selfies). Looking online there are millions of pictures of healthy, muscular and toned individuals (of all ages) who are happy to post their pictures of themselves in their gym gear on social media sites, particularly on Instagram or Pinterest. The prevalence of smart phones means it’s a piece of cake to snap and post in an instant. Of course many of these people are happy to post their pictures because they’ve achieved a toned and muscular physique – a body to be proud of. The idea behind some of these fitness-selfies is no doubt to brag, but in fact for many it’s to act as inspiration. If I can achieve this, you can too.

I have to say I’ve come across a few of these gym selfies online and actually felt slightly more inspired to work that little bit harder in the gym. Is there just something about looking at pictures of people who look  like regular folks, but who clearly have achieved great physiques, quite inspirational? Or do they harm or dent our own self-esteem? Do they inspire others or just discourage us?

Certain psychologists say that these fitness selfies can actually harm those with low self-esteem or low self-image issues. There’s also the view that some people posting these selfies may themselves be becoming obsessed with their self-image, never quite happy with how they look and always striving for perfection. This in itself can of course be equally harmful.

There is no doubt that self-photos are useful when it comes to fitness. Personal trainers regularly take photos of clients as they progress throughout their fitness program. Week 1, Week 6, Week 12 and so on. But the reason they take these pictures is that most of us don’t notice changes to our own bodies on a day to day basis. We don’t notice gradual changes in our bodies. It’s only when we look over photos (side by side) that we can see how far we’ve come. Think of it as a log of your progress.

So what’s your thoughts on this. Have you ever taken a fitness selfie? Are these fitness-selfies you see online, images that inspire you to get in shape or do they simply put you off? Do they motivate you to want to get fit or do they make you feel slightly depressed? I want to hear your views.

EXERCISE OF THE MONTH: SEATED RUSSIAN TWIST

When it comes to exercise selection there is one body part that seems to be spoilt for choice –  and that’s the abs. Maybe it’s our obsession with acheieving that wash-board stomach. For me there are many great exercises that really work for my abs but it’s those hard-to-reach obliques that really need attention for me and for this my favourite exercise is without doubt the good old-fashioned seated Russian Twist.

You can perform this exercise without any weight at all. Just begin in a seated position with your knees bent at 90 degrees and leaning back slightly to help balance but with your back straight. Hold your arms outstretched in front of you (level with your chest). Then whilst pulling in your stomach (important), explosively rotate your torso round to the left as far as you can and then all the way back round and to the right as far as you can.

Hint: your back should be straight and you torso 45 degrees to the floor. It’s easy to perform the exercise if you arch the back but that’s not the idea. It’s very tough to perform when keeping the back straight but it works, so concentrate on correct form. You can also perform the exercise with your feet off the floor. My personal preference is to perform the exercise this way as I feel the stomach working harder this way.

The great thing about the Seated Russian Twist is that it really works. Even without weight you can feel it working. But to add extra difficulty to the russian twist exercise try holding a dumbbell, medicine ball or even a kettlebell. Only progress to something like the Kettlebell Russian Twist when you have already perfected the movement without any weight. Keeping correct form is the most effective way of feeling the burn.

MY RETURN TO PERSONAL TRAINING

Fitness Trainer

After having spent the Summer back in the States, I returned back to London last month and straight back to work. Unfortunately my time away over the Summer has been spent largely socialising and catching up with friends and family. My fitness has frankly gone out the window, except for a few early morning jogs. So to kick start me back into a healthy regime I decided to try a course of personal training sessions once again, as this worked so well for me before. I was looking for intense results and the motivation to get me back on track.

My trainer Daniel turned up at my home and within a few minutes had analysed my lifestyle, eating habits and exercise shortcomings. With a knowing nod of his head, he assured me, “We’ll get you back into top shape, but you’ll have to make some changes”. Okay so I was expecting this but I suppose until someone sits you down and tells you straight you kinda avoid wanting to make any changes. We began with some measurements as Daniel told me this was the best way to see how the body was improving. I have found from the past that this approach really works for me so I was happy to have these taken. Waist and hips were measured, bodyweight and bodyfat percentage (I don’t wish to share these results this time!). I was quite ashamed at how much weight I had put on over the Summer months. These figures really gave me some motivation to really change. We booked in our first session for the next morning and I was ready for it.

The next day I met Daniel from motivatept.co.uk and we arranged a first session in the park – he arrived with a whole manner of tortuous looking contraptions. Some light jogging to start the workout and then we were right into high intensity circuits using boxing, kettlebells, plyometric boxes, agility ladders and battle ropes. This was very intense training some of which I had done in the past, so I hadn’t. Although tough I felt than Daniel pitched the session just right, without making it too tough to put me off! We decided to go with three sessions a week and Daniel also gave me a meal plan that was based upon complex carbohydrates and protein without any refined sugar, and no alcohol (yes you heard me right, he wanted me to stop drinking!). I have to confess that I can give up sweat foods and treats far more easily that the glass of wine I enjoy at meal time. But this was all about making sacrifices so I accepted the challenge and we began a 5 week program of intense personal training and strict eating.

I have now just finished my 5 week plan and I am delighted with my results. I have lost 1 stone and my bodyfat percentage has dropped significantly. My arms don’t wobble half as much as they did before but the biggest difference is in my thighs and hips where I have slimmed down considerably. My plan now is to try to maintain this new me on my own. I will be continuing with one session a week with Daniel and then exercise in between on my own – but not so intensely. My diet was great. I plan to stick with the no sugary foods as I feel so much better on it. I also agreed a compromise with Daniel that I would restrict alcohol to just weekends. With my new improved physique and eating plan I am confident of getting through to Winter without letting it all go again.