No Access to a Gym? Find out how to get lean abs, arms and legs at home

I decided last minute to go to Ireland for a week to visit my family. In Ireland I don't have a car and no access to a gym so I do my own workouts in my sitting room. I always bring my gym boss with me as it allows for a more intense workout. I also bring my skipping rope as it doesn't take up much room and its a great full body exercise which gets your heart rate up between isolated exercises.

Lower Body

I try to do two or three lower body exercises a week as the lower body is the hardest part for a girl to gain defined muscle. Even though I didn't have access to heavy weights, I still created a tough body weight workout which had my glutes burning. Its good to exercise with light weights or no weights sometimes so you can focus on techniques for example trying to squat really deep.

5 rounds

1. Air Squat- 20 reps
2. Bulgarian Split Squat (L) -15 reps
3. Bulgarian Split Squat (R)- 15 reps
4. Back Leg Lunge (one leg at a time)- 15 reps each
5. Curtsy Lunge (one leg at a time)- 15 reps each
6. Hip Bridge - 20 reps




If you want to get your heart rate up between exercises add in 30 seconds/ minute of skipping between exercises

Upper body

I incorporate lots of compound exercises which work the whole body and create lean toned arms-push ups, burpees, mountain climbers, star jumps, mummy kicks etc. Try incorporate a compound exercise (an exercises which works various muscle groups at the same time) with an isolated exercise (which works one muscle at a time) e.g. biceps curls, hammer curls, shoulder presses etc.

3 rounds for beginners
5 rounds for advanced

1. Dive Bomber Push Ups- 20 reps
2. Shoulder Press with dumbbells (grab something heavy like milk cartons)- 15 reps
3. Half Burpee Push Up- 20 reps
4. Lateral Raises- 15 reps
5. Mountain Climbers- 20 reps
6. Front Raises- 15 reps

Abs

No need to focus too much on abs all the above exercises work your core and your obliques to give you that lean look. If you have a lot of weight to lose I would focus on doing lots of cardio HIIT workouts as above and when you have leaned out then focus more on abs. If you are quite lean add in a three minute abs exercise after your HIIT cardio or incorporate it into your workout e.g. Push up and abs tucks or Mountain climbers etc

If you are looking for more home workout ideas check out my Bikini Challenge which contains weeks of workout ideas. Copy and paste the below link or click on the bikini challenge on the top right hand side of the blog page.
  
http://thechicphysique.blogspot.ie/2013/04/bikini-challenge-week-1-day-1.html

TRUST THE PROCESS

Foods to eat to help you get a flat stomach and so called "healthy" foods to avoid

I cannot stress how much abs are down to diet. If I have a good week of tough workouts but my diet is not spot on then my abs are non existent and I feel like crap. Although exercise does help diet is really the key. I am the same as everyone I have good days and bad days. On my bad days (which have been a lot recently) I get what I call the "guilts" which I suppose is better than not having them. The main thing is to get your diet back on track asap when you have a bad day or weekend. Don't say "oh I will start again on Monday" start straight away. You will feel so much better for it. What I find is that people don't understand what is good for them and what is bad for them.The following are "fatty" foods that can actually help you try to get lean and start seeing some abs:-

1. Dark Chocolate (at least 72% cocoa content)

 If you are like me and have a sweet tooth and crave a dessert after dinner then try 1 or 2 small squares of chocolate to satisfy your cravings for only 30 or 40 calories rather than 400 calories for a bar or a piece of cake. Check the brand of dark chocolate you choose has a high fibre and low sugar content. Look for more fat than total carbs. Dark chocolate does not spike your blood sugar levels like other desserts. It is also a powerful antioxidant. The fat content in dark chocolate should come solely from natural healthy fats from cocoa butter and not from other added fats. The higher the content of cocoa the lower the % of sugar.

2. Coconut milk, coconut flour and coconut oil

Coconut milk and oil are great sources of a super healthy type of saturated fat. Coconut flour is a healthier flour option for baking and adds flavour. Coconut flour is extremely high in fibre and very high in protein compared to other flours and is gluten free.

3. Grass fed butter (Kerrygold) or real butter

Real butter has got a lot of bad press and has been talked about as  being unhealthy. Real butter (grass fed) can actually be a healthy part of your diet. Grass fed butter has an ideal balance of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids. It helps satisfy your appetite and control blood sugar levels which help you keep lean.

4. Whole eggs including yolks

Eggs are one of the highest sources of protein. What people don't know is that the egg yolks are the healthiest part of the egg. That is where almost all the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants are found. Egg yolks contain more than 90% of calcium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, thiamin, B6, folate and B12 as well as vitamins A, D, E and K of the egg. Make sure the eggs are free range organic eggs. The balance between healthy omega 3 fatty acids and omega 6 fatty acids is controlled by the diet of the hens.

5. Grass fed beef

Beef found in a grocery store is raised on grains such as corn. This is not the natural diet of cattle and changes the chemical balance of fats and other nutrients in beef. Grain fed beef is usually too high in omega 6 fats and way too low in omega 3 fats. On the other hand grass-fed cattle were raised on natural foods and have much higher levels of healthy omega 3 fats and lower levels of inflammatory omega 6 fats.

6. Avocados

Avocados are full of healthy fats. It is super high in monounsaturated fats and full of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants which helps your body to maintain proper levels of hormones that help with fat loss and muscle building.

7. Nuts: Almonds, Walnuts, Pistachios, Pecans, Brazil nuts etc

Nuts are a good source of fibre and protein which helps control blood sugar levels and can aid in fat loss. Nuts also maintain good levels of fat burning hormones as well as helping to control appetite and cravings. Try eat a handful of nuts 20 minutes before your dinner so you will not overeat for your meal.

 

"Healthy" Foods to Avoid

These are sometimes seen as healthy but are in reality fat storing traps:-

• whole grain breads
• whole grain crackers
• soymilk
• tofu
• veggie burgers
• orange juice
• apple juice
• skim milk
• pre-packaged diet dinners
• diet ice cream and diet desserts
• pasta
• rice cakes
• protein bars
• sports drinks
• low fat foods

 

No Gym, No Equipment, No Excuses

For my first year of training I did short and intense workouts in my bedroom with no equipment and saw really good results and got very fit. So stop making excuses, get out in this lovely weather and start doing some burpees! Here is a sample workout plan you can try in the park or in your garden. This is a short 10 minute intense workout that will burn that fat right off your abs! You need to give it your all for each 30 second interval. Don't forget to warm up.

Set your timer for 30/30/30

 

Round 1

 

30 seconds- Jumping Jacks

30 seconds- Ski Jumps

30 seconds- rest

 

Repeat

 

Round 2

 

30 seconds- Basketball jumps

30 seconds- Squats

30 seconds- rest

 

Repeat

 

Round 3

 

1 minute of burpees

 

Round 4

 

30 seconds- High Knees

30 seconds-Push ups

30 seconds rest

 

Repeat

You don't get Abs by doing Abs Exercises- so how do you get Abs?

I didn't get my abs from doing abs exercises. This is the worst myth. YOU ALREADY HAVE ABS- the problem is that they are probably hidden. What you need to do is remove the fat that is covering your abs.

YOU CAN'T SPOT REDUCE- doing a 100 sit ups a day is not the answer. Your body decides where the fat will come off and there is nothing we can do about it. Stop focusing on training your abs and start doing the following:-
 

1. LIFT WEIGHTS- the more muscle on your body the more fat your body burns even by doing absolutely nothing. Concentrate on large compound movements. With weights you are working your abs indirectly by engaging your core with each movement. And NO doing weights doesn't make you bulky it gives you that lean defined look.
2. NO MORE CARDIO- instead of long and boring cardio do High Intensity Interval Training- click on my bikini challenge link on my blog home page for some 10-20 minute HIIT workouts you can do from home. Try do 3 sessions a week and trust me you will start to see a difference and start seeing some abs coming through.
3. CONSISTENCY- Consistency is key. Set realistic goals so that you don't burn yourself out after two weeks. This is a lifestyle change -so try fit it into your lifestyle not let it take over your life! Start off with 2 or 3 days a week to see what works for you.
4. EAT CLEAN-this does not mean starving yourself or eating tasteless food, this just means making healthy choices. Click on the clean eating label on my blog home page for some clean eating ideas or follow my instagram page @thechicphysique.
5. CUT OUT GLUTEN AND DAIRY- some people don't realise that they might have an intolerance to either gluten or dairy or both. This causes inflammation in your gut which decreases nutrient absorption and makes you put on weight.
6. CARB CYCLE- eating the same amount of calories day in and day out when trying to lose fat can quickly result in adaptions, making it impossible to lose weight or gain muscle. The solution is to "cycle" your calories. For example on weight training days have a calorie surplus- eat starchy carbs for breakfast and lunch. On cardio days or light training days- try have a calorie deficit- one starchy carb in the morning. This will keep your thyroid activity efficient and leptin sensitivity high, which is necessary for fat loss and muscle gains.
7. DRINK WATER- It increases your metabolism, regulates your appetite and aids in digestion to name a few. A lot of people think drinking water bloats them. One of the main causes of bloating is dehydration. When the amount of water in your body falls too low, your kidneys signal the rest of your body to hold onto water. So drinking enough water can help reduce bloating.
8. DRINK GREEN TEA-Try drink green tea after each meal. In addition to boosting your metabolism it also decreases belly bloat.
9. EAT PROTEIN- Try eat protein with every meal. Proteins are the body's building blocks. After a tough workout, muscles are rebuilt and repaired by the proteins you eat.