Does lean equal healthy?

The short answer is no. You are not healthy just because you are lean, just like you are not unhealthy just because you are overweight.

Take these two pictures for instance.

46kg vs 58kg which looks healthier?

By BMI standards. I am within the healthy range in both. In the first, I am closer to underweight, and in the second, I am closer to overweight.

The thing is, in the first pic, I had just gone through my first big break up (the drams), I was barely eating (I emotionally undereat) and was doing crazy amounts of cardio (I dont think I ever wanna see a stepper again).

The result was, I dropped to 46kg, Which at the time I thought was great cos I was super skinny.. but it didn’t last, and in no time when things settled down, I went back to my normal size.

This second photo was taken last week. I’m currently sitting at 58kg. I eat what I like (within reason) I’m pretty emotionally stable (as much as you can be in a pandemic ) and I do cardio for fun not fatloss.(though i question how fun it is when I am doing it)

I think it’s really important to highlight that skinny (or lean) does not mean health. There are many people out there who can’t put on weight for various reasons.

I am not just talking about people suffering from anorexia or bulemia, There are also many chronic diseases that are imparing peoples ability to absorb nutrients, so they are, infact, malnourished not healthy.

Just as there are both emotional and physical that can prevent someone from losing weight.

I think instead of focusing on what other people look like and equating that to a predetiminded health status. We should focus on our own and getting to a place where we feel both mentally and physically healthy.

Carbs are not making you fat!

The ‘diet’ world goes through phases of pointing the finger of blame at one food group that is making us all fat.

In the 90s it was fat (pretty easy one of course) and now in recent times it seems to be carbs.

We’ve probably all seen those keto warriors saying how great they feel now they don’t eat carbs (but lets face it, we know they’d give their right arm for a slice of cake.. I would anyway).

Now don’t get me wrong there is nothing wrong with the ketogenic diet (see I know its full name #science). But unless its for medical reasons, why would you put yourself on one of the most restrictive diets out there, just to shed those few (or more) extra pounds that you are carrying.

Well unless you want to be miserable while doing it..

The reason we all jump on keto is by cutting carbs, you suddenly see a massive drop in scale weight in a short period in time, partially because you have most likely cut calories without noticing and also you lose a tonne of water weight.

And while the short term results may be amazing, how many of you have checked back in with whoever was screaming from the rooftops about this diet 6 months later? how do they look then? are they still loving life and look the same or are they back to how they were 6 months later?

You may have heard the terms ‘energy balance’ or ‘calorie deficit’ while researching your new diet plan.

If you have and haven’t looked into it, here is what they mean:

Energy balance is the relationship between calories in (food) and calories out (energy expenditure -walks,sleeping,living)

If you are in a positve energy stateyou are taking in more calories than you need and these excess calories get stored as bodyfat.

If you are in a negative energy state you are taking in less calories than your body needs and your body will access those bodyfat stores in order make up that energy deficit.

If you are in a neutral energy state you will see no difference.

So really all you need is that small reduction in calories to start that fatloss journey. (Maybe just eat the one mars bar instead of 5)

This change alone won’t feel so difficult and the best part is you can still have all the fun stuff like bread and cake!

The best thing you can do today before you decide to jump on any one of those diet bandwagons, is educate yourself. Find a plan that will suit YOU most. Something you can stick to long term and finally make that change.

Its not a diet.. its a lifestyle change!

Also don’t do keto!

Unless you enjoy being miserable that is..

A guide to getting back into the gym after a break off

Starting back after a break can be so hard!

Coming back to the gym after an extended break can be difficult so what do you do in this scenario?

The simple answer here is just go!

And while it technnically is that easy, in reality it is not.

especially if you haven’t trained for a long time and feel like you are too unfit or will make an eejit of yourself if you do go

But here are a few things you can do as you come back into training in a gym.

Have a plan- there are so many free workouts online (you’ll find loads of ideas on my page too if you need any inspo), Don’t over complicate it especially if you haven’t trained in a long time. A simple 20–30 minute workout will do starting back, you don’t need a mammoth 2hr session because it will become too daunting and you will not go.

If you are not confident in following a plan yourself, Join a class there are so many available out there and the group atmosphere can be both motivating and make it more fun!

Take it slowly, start at a weight you are comfortable with and make sure you focus on form and relearning the movements.

Warm up — You should be doing this anyway but especially if you haven’t trained in a long time you need to give the body a chance. Don’t go hell for leather straight away. It’s the easiest way to end up injured!

If you need help ask! There are staff in the gym for a reason thye are there to help you so there is no reason that you shouldn’t make use of them and ask them if you are unsure about anything.

And lastly have fun! It can be very stressful starting again but try not to make it feel like a chore! The more you enjoy it the more likely you are to stick with it!

If you have any questions about starting again or getting started for the first time, drop me a message and I’d be happy to help you!

For a free Kickstarter workout guide follow the link below!

https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/v7m8t6

Are you setting up the right environment to achieve?

Does this sound familiar to you?

Its January 1st and you think ‘right thats it. THIS is the year i get fit no excuses’

You empty the presses of all ‘bad’ foods. You sign up to that exercise programme. You’ve locked away all the alcohol.

Your partner is on the same buzz and you’re both ready to shed those pounds.

Easy right?

Wrong.

What happens when you go to your paremts, or the in laws, and they are offering you cake, or biscuits, or a second dinner just because you’ve popped by.

Then your partner gets fed up and orders a massive takeaway and has a bottle of wine, while you sit there sulking and pretending you’re enjoying your ‘fakeaway’.

Your partner, who does the shopping, is starting to buy all those things you’ve been missing, and they are just looking at you. Calling you. Willing you to eat them.

Works getting stressful and you’re dying for a drink.

It’s now mid february and you’re just fed up.

So all hell breaks lose. You have one biscuit, then two,then six, well fuck it now you’re going to have that bottle of wine and the takeaway, sure whats the point now?

Now one thing you probably did was try to change too much at once, but you also didn’t surround yourself with the right people when you were ready to make this change (don’t worry I’m not telling you to break up with your partner..unless you want to)

You are the five people closest to you. What that means is, The five people closest to you are very successfull you’re likely to become the sixth and conversly. If the five people closest to you are overweight and unhealthy.. well I’ve some bad news for you.

If these are the type of people surrounding you, its likely that they won’t be most enthused with your goal of changing. They may not say it, but they will be thinking it and their actions will show it too. Offering you that slice of cake, or those extra few drinks.

So How do we combat this?

First look at your plan and make sure its not too much too soon.

Then in good time before you start make sure you let everyone know you will be doing this and to respect it. You appreciate that they are thinking of you but also, you would be really greatful if they didn’t offer you anything like this for the first few weeks. Then if they do you can gentally remind them of your request.

Try to curate your news feed on social media with people who inspire you to keep going, rather than people going on the sesh.

Most importantly don’t let your partner do the shopping! (I joke)

When things start to get easier with your nutrition and training, it will be easier to factor these things back in more frequently. But you need everyone around you to work with you until that happens.

And don’t let anyone tell you you’re a dry shite for doing it!

Things that you may not know about your core

So you’ve probabl yheard at some point that you “need to strengthen your core”

And what does that mean anyway?

Do sit ups every day? Hold a plank for 8 mins? 

Do you even know where your core is?

One thing that I have found in particular, is that people do not realise that their core is not just their ab muscles. It is acutally much more than that.

Your core is made up of muscles from your mid to lower back, pelvic region and your hips. This means, in order to train each of them you will need to do many different exercises to really target all of these muscles appropriately.

Another thing worth noting is that a lot of these muscles are type I muscle fibres. This means they are slow twitch muscles. We also have type II muscles which are known as fast twitch muscles. 

Type I muscles are resposible for long slow movements where are type II are for explosive short term use (think marathon vs sprinting) for this reason they are almost constantly in use in our day to day lives.

This means that strengthening them can really help with your general well being and it’s not just about having a 6 pack.

It is also common for womens core to be weakened after childbearing/childbirth. This is not only because during pregnancy the abdominal wall splits but also during childbirth the hormones realised to aid it can result in muscles and tendons becoming more lax.

When working on strengthening your core, your breath becomes very important. previous ques would have been to suck in your belly, But that neither engages, nor is very comfortable if you need to breath!

You should be able to engage these muscles and breath simultaniously like you would with any other muscles.

For example bend and flex your arm and breath at the same time. Its not hard is it?

What you need to start practicing is bracing your muscles like somebody is about to punch you. This way you will be able to breath while activating those muscles.

Another one is to pretend you are peeing and try to stop the flow (it may sound a bit weird but it works).

Strengthening your core does take time and patience. But it is worth the effort as it will make more of a difference than you realise!

I also released a podcast this week on the topic of the core which is linked here:

Remember if you have any questions about this or anything at all feel free to contact me at any time

3 things to remember about your fitness tracker

Fitness Trackers/watches are great! I have one myself and I love it.

But there are a few things you may need to remind yourself if you have one, So here are three things I think you need to know about your fitness tracker:

1. They are not accurate at calculating caloies burned in a workout. Stanford University did a study on several well known brands, and while they were shown to accurately monitor heart rates, the same cannot be said for calories burned. The closest tracker still registered a 20% inaccuracy! So if you are considering eating back your calories burned, you are likely to overeat.

2. Most of these trackers or apps will undercalculate your required calorie intake for weightloss.. by a lot! No grown adults should be on a 1200 kcal a day diet. as it is the recomended intake for a toddler! If you really want your caloies calculated get a coach, or someone who it trained to do this so it can be done in a more sustainable manner.

3. The 10,000 step goal was created buy a Japanese company who in 1965 decided this was the optimal amount for health. They called their pedometer “Manpo-kei” which literally means “10,000 steps -meter” and this stuck as the industry standard.

I am not saying now that you should bin your tracker, and sit on the couch. Having things like a step goal, and a way to monitor your heart rate,or water intake can be very benificial to your overall journey.

I’m just saying be mindful of this ,and if things like not getting your 10,000 steps are giving you anxiety, maybe its time to take a break from your tracker!

Let me know your favourite and least favourite things about your fitness tracker or if you don’t have one do you feel like you’re missing out?

Want 3 FREE workouts for home or the gym? Follow this link for my FREE Kickstarter workout guide! :

https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/v7m8t6

5 benefits of fitball training when it comes to horse riding.

Is a fitball really any use?

So I’m sure you’ve all heard of the fitball, (Swiss ball, Exercise ball, Yoga ball). If you haven’t they are the big inflated balls you sit on.

Now if you’ve ever used one of these balls to do any form of exercise, you probably already know how difficult it can be to use them. 

Believe me, they may look harmless but they are more challenging than you may think.

You may be reading this wondering “how is this going to help my horse riding?” Well, this is where I come in. I am going to explain to you 5 benefits of using a fitball and how this can help you with your riding.

So without further ado, let’s get started.

1. Corrects your posture — Now we all know how important your posture is as a horse rider. (especially when it comes to dressage). It’s not only more comfortable to sit upright when riding, but it also helps the horse stay balanced too. When we sit on a fit ball, it causes you to sit up straight and engage your core. Practising this for just a few minutes a day can improve your overall posture (and your dressage scores too!)

2. Improves core strength — As Ijust mentioned in the previous point. Sitting on a fitball forces to your engage your core to keep upright. Over time this is going to lead to an improvement of the strength of your deep core muscles (which you probably didn’t even know existed!)

3. Improves your balance — These deep core muscles that I mentioned are resposible for keeping you balanced. These are always working as we go through day to day life but being on an unstable surface can really kick them into gear.

4. You can use a fitball without any other equipment — If you want to train at home and don’t want to be filling the place up with lots of extra equipment (we all know how much space numnahs take up). You can easily do full workouts with a fitball, which are also highly effective.

5. Improved back pain — Did you know that lower back pain is NOT caused by weak back muscles? It is actually from the lower back muscles becoming tired from picking up the slack from our glute, or ab muscles which are, more often than not weak and not activating properly. These muscles are all part of your core, so by using the fitball you will help wake them up so your back gets a break!

So as you can see the fitball has loads of benefits and the real questions is, why aren’t you using it?

If you have any other questions in regards to fitball and fitball training feel free to drop me a message and I can tell you more about how it can help you!

Do you suffer from stiff, tense or grindy hips? 

Follow this link for my FREE PDF “Happy Hips for Horseriding”

https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/b4y0n6

So many benefits to using a fitball

Things I learned in 2021

As we come to the end of the first few weeks of 2022, I decided to look back over the last year

2021 was somehow really long and really short all at once

The first 6 months of the year, I barely left my apt other than to train, see Sam and get groceries. I filled up my tank of petrol on new years eve and didn't refill it again until april 1st.

Then as things reopened it flipped and I was back to working, socializing and the summer blurred past

Then in October I decided to try my first shred programme and photoshoot which were both new, exciting and terrifying experiences

I also joined a business group and learned more about marketing for social media and how to set up so many different systems which I would not have been able to do, and I highly recommend @Vicky Shilling for this

I had loads of great guests on my podcast @whynot, and also got better at talking on my own for solo eps which was something that I initially found really difficult.

I started my seond page, and a tiktok dedicated to helping equestrians, which is something I've always been passionate about! I was scared of doing it for so long because I was afraid that I would be judged for not having enough knowledge on the subject but I finally took the plunge and do not regret it! Follow @stronginthesaddle_

I fully qualified as a Neuromuscular Therapist, and did an advanced dry needling course

I turned 30...(still haven't gotten over that one.. prob never will)

I set goals for the first time ever- missed most but at least I did it.

I learned more about PT and classes thanks to @ignitedublin

I also had days where i doubted everything and considered giving up

Had days where I was frustrated

Had days where I felt lonely with no one to talk to

But that's all part of life and I got through those days just like I got through the good ones and I learned a lot from both.

2021 was an interesting year, I've learned to let go of somethings and am still working on letting go of others

I'll always be a work in progress but I'm glad I have the opportunity to be one.

What did you take from 2021?

Photo taken during my photoshoot

8 Things that I learned on an 8 week shred

So I just completed an 8 week shred programme and I celebrated with my first photoshoot and I wanted to share with you all what I learned.

1. Tracking can be a great tool, however it’s not for everyone. For me, it really highlighted at the start how little protein that I was eating, and now I know what I should be aiming for going forward. This will help me make better choices for my meals going forward, but if it becomes something that you can’t take a day off from, maybe its not for you.

2. You need a lot of time in the day — towards the end of this shred I had weights 5 days a week and 2 hrs of cardio 6 days a week, which is a lot of time to spend exercising. Not everyone has that time and training like this can start to take away from other parts of your life which isn’t sustainable.

3. Don’t shred in winter! — there is a reason that they say winter is for bulking, when you reduce your calories you are cold ALL OF THE TIME and coupled with the winter temps its just not worth it, plus you’re covered up the whole time so no one will even see your results, If I do this again, I will make sure that I do it in the summer!

4. I like having abs but I like food more! Towards the end I was tired and cranky because of the low cals and honestly, it was nice to try but I wouldn’t want to live like this.

5. I couldn’t have done this several years ago — I wouldn’t have been in the right headspace then, I would have become obessessed with it and suffered guilt during, now tho if I wasn’t perfect I didn’t mind and I am mentally prepared to put weight back on when I go back to eating normally. Unless you can say this, I wouldn’t advice doing it.

6. You don’t have to be perfect to get results, I went away during week 5 and while away I decided to enjoy my time and ate and drink what I wanted, I reset at the end of that week and I’m happy to say I stll got great results. I factored treats into my final weeks. This made the experience way more managable.

7. Training is easier than diet — keeping a training schedule is so easy but planning prepping and cooking meals was much harder. As somone who doesn’t like cooking it was a real learning curve for me but now I have more recipes I can use going forward!

8. Having a goal really does make a difference — I have no issue with training regualary but it had become a bit stagnent, by buying this programme and setting a goal of doing a photoshoot, it really helped me get my head in the game and work harder than I have been for a long time. If you feel like this maybe you need to set yourself a goal too.

This is just some of the things that I learned in the 8 weeks and I can say I learned so much more too. I’m so glad I did this and didnt let my ego of “I’m a trainer, I don’t need a programme from someone else” get in the way of it.

I also recorded a podcast speaking of my experience and you can find the episode here:

If you’ve been struggling with having a direction with training or reaching your goal, maybe you don’t even have a goal, drop me a message and I will chat to you about how I can help YOU!

#24 I can't eat that.. can i? With @f.i.g._nutrition_

Managing ibs and gut health is difficult at the best of times but Christmas it's almost 10 times worse.

 Today we have special guest Sarah Hawkins ANut (f.i.g. nutrition) on to talk about the different ways you can manage ibs, how diet isn't everything when it comes to guy health and how to enjoy yourself at Christmas without feeling guilty!

Find Sarah on instagram: @f.i.g._nutrition_

Find me: Instagram: chrissyhfitness

Want my free kickstarter workout guide? Follow this link!

https://adept-inventor-2618.ck.page/70ccafd8d7

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2vLme4JmXEivyimx3M9J2N?si=e0bd04ac53784295

#23 Negativi-free

First episode in the new format where Chrissy goes solo, she discussing negative people how to deal with them and how you control your own happiness!

Find me: Instagram: chrissyhfitness

Want my free kickstarter workout guide? Follow this link!

https://adept-inventor-2618.ck.page/70ccafd8d7

https://open.spotify.com/episode/77TrjGfjBkKoH3WU23mu9F?si=439511d493ee46d6

Who is Chrissy Hawkins fitness? 🤔

Em me duh!🙈

It’s funny, when it comes to talking about lots of different topics, I can ramble for hours but ask me about me and I’m like hmmmm.. 😬

So heres my back story!

I’ve qualified as a pt about 4 years ago. Growing up I probably tried every sport out there and was always very active. I was a tom boy, so I’d play football most days and climb trees, all of that kind of stuff.

In my teens, I kind of fell out of being active, and probably around my mid teens started to put on a bit of weight, like most of us do, with more money and freedom I bought more McDonalds

I started training in gyms when I was 16/17, but at that age i was mostly going from cardio machine to cardio machine, with not much idea of what I was at.

It was actually my ex who introduced my to weights. Back then girls didn’t do weights, because no one(myself included) wanted to get bulky like the lads!(Oh how naive we were)

A few years later, I started to get into lifting heavier. I loved being strong and being able to lift the heavy weights despite my small stature. I realised I didn’t get bulky from it, just felt so powerful and loved what it was doing. I was hooked!

Then I started to think of it as a career. I’ve always loved teaching(but alas can’t stand children) and had a real passion training.

This was when I decided to go get my pt qualification. Something I know to this day, was the best decision I ever made. After a few months qualified, I left a full time job in retail, to work part time job working in admin and the floor of a big commercial gym, and while I don’t work there anymore, I never left the industry. Even though it’s a hard job and the hours are different to your normal 9–5, I’m doing exactly what I want to do.😁

My goal is to teach women that they are stronger than they know, both mentally and physically. 💪

I want to help them realise that you can be fit and enjoy your food, restriction isn’t the only way. I use sustainable approaches to food and training and also.. weights don’t make you bulky! 😂

You can contact me here at any time or via email chrissyhfit@gmail.com

Remember YOU are stronger than you think!

Riding properly is hard!

So recently I’ve been focusing on taking my own advice while riding and I’ve realised this.. its bloody hard!

Especially if you are in the habit of just potterong around and going through the motions.

If you are not training for anything in particular it can be very easy to fall into these kinds of patterns.

Warm up

Walk

Trot (with a circle or two for good measure)

Canter (few more cirlces)

Cool down

Sound familiar?

I knwo this is what I have been doing for a long time so recently I decided to try focus on my position and doing all the things that I’ve been telling you all to do.

My bum doesn’t want to stay under me.

My legs muscles get sore when holding on.

My shoulders creep forward.

But thats ok.

I’ve not been doing it for so long, I can’t automatically fix all these habits.

But what I can do is do it for a long as I can and then take a break until I build back up these muscles.

It will come with time.

The original habits didn’t happen over night so I have to be patient with bringing new habits in and I can do some of the work at home too to help this become even easier!

Have you tried to adjust your position? How did you find it?

This is the last exercise/diet plan you will ever start

Because this is not a transformation this is a change of mindset.

What I want to do is show you how to completely change how you think of diet and exercise.

This is not a quick fix.

This is not drop 10 pounds in 10 days.

This is not 6 HIIT sessions a week that leave you crippled and struggling to use the toilet.

What I offer is a chance to change your life for once and for all.

I want you to feel strong and confident every time you walk into a room.

I want to help you ditch the scales once and for all and not have your self worth tied to an arbitrary number you heard on the telly 10 years ago and now thinks thats what you have to be.

Theres no point having a six pack if you are miserable all of the time. I want to work with you to help improve your overall health and well being so that you can enjoy food and exercise.

Just because I run doesn’t mean you will have to run

Just because I lift weights doesn’t mean you have to lift weights

This plan is made to work for you and in a way you want it to work.

If you are fed up jumping from plan to plan and just want to feel good about yourself instead of ristricted and worn out, contact me today!

Stop the yoyo for good!

Why I don’t post HIIT workouts

If you look at my workout posts on instagram you will find a lot of similar exercises. A lot of the basic exercises, and not a lot of HIIT workouts.

This isn’t an accident.

I do this because while I understand that HIIT and two exercises combined into one may look better. It’s the basics that work.

There is so much conflicting information out there, which is confusing enough. Many content creators too trying to stand out of the crowd by posting these crazy workouts that may look impressive, but aren’t all that effective. You can’t do them every day and if you did, you run a higher risk of injury.

If you are starting a journey and you see all these fit people doing these crazy exercises it can be really intimidating, and off putting. I am here to show you that it doesn’t have to be complex.

I want to help you make those first steps into the fitness space.

So yes my exercise content may be dull.. But its what has worked for so many people over the years and what I personally do myself.

Over complication creates overwhelm and I am trying to remove overwhelm from my clients lives.

Consistence is key for a successful fitness journey and no amount of jump squats can beat that!

Are you looking to get started but feel nervous and overwhelmed when you see crazy workouts online?

Drop me a message today and we can talk about how to achieve your goals in a way that you can manage.

Skinny doesn’t equal confidence

Confidence is something that I have struggled with my whole life. 

I’ve never been good in groups of people and I’ve always been nervous about meeting new people.

So I would shy away from it for years.

I still find it difficult to talk to people I don’t know or be around large groups of people. 

When I was younger I was obsessed about staying under a certain weight. There was no rhyme or reason to it but I remember that I always wanted to be about 50kg and no more. 

I thought being skinny would help me be more confident or make me more likable because growing up in the 00’s stick skinny was in. 

The thing is, it never got me more friends or made me feel more confident. Yes I had boyfriends but they never really cared nor commented on me being in or around 50kg. 

All that did happen was I tried crazy diets, avoided delicious carbs and did endless amounts of cardio to try keep the size that I thought I should be.

What I am trying to say here is, that if you are tieing you self worth to a certain weight. believing that you will be happy when you are that weight, it just won’t happen. 

I was no more confident when I was 50kgs, if anything now I am 8kg heavier I am vastly more confident than I was. 

Now some of that is that I am older, and care less what people thing of me.

But its also because I don’t tie my happiness to my body shape or size.

I built my confidence by putting myself out there and into social situations that made me uncomfortable. 

Am I still shit scared of it all.. yes .. yes I am.

Do I need a bit of dutch courage from time to time absolutely.

But I do it, because its the only way I can get better at it, and being whatever size won’t affect that at all.

It took a long time to get that mentality out of my head but once you do, things become a whole lot better!

Is this something you have sttruggled with in the past? 

Chrissy’s First Blog

I like Guinea Pigs.

Deadlifting is cool.

You should deadlift.