Challenge Me - Fitness, Nutrition, Lifestyle

I couldn’t help but share this ridiculously delicious looking healthy-ish soufflé. I know what I’ll be making this weekend 😍

https://instagram.com/p/BfDM651jkYF/

50% off all Challenge Me Fitness programs for one day only! Use code 'BLACK50' at checkout!

Click here to choose your program: http://challengeme-fitness.com/our-programs/

EXERCISE OF THE DAY: SINGLE LEG CURL

Leg curls are a standard hamstring strengthening exercise. But have you tried single leg curls? Great for isolating each side and working on any specific muscle imbalances. My left leg is my weak point so it sure struggles by the end of each set!

TECHNIQUE TIP: Focus on the leg lowering phase of the movement and make sure you lower slowly. This is the 'eccentric' phase of the movement and extra important in strength building. Try it in your workout today!

One of the biggest barriers to achieving health and fitness goals that we hear over and over again is accountability. It's easy to go for drinks instead of working out or having that icecream because it's just one treat when you're not accountable to anyone or anything. Which is why we've built multiple accountability tools into each of the Challenge Me Fitness programs. So pens out people! If you need help setting your health and fitness goals and want a structured program to help you achieve them in time for summer, check out the Challenge Me Fitness programs at www.challengeme-fitness.com

Looking for a quick and healthy alternative to refined sugar-filled treats? Try these simple and delicious coconut chocolate bites from Well With Elle Naturopathy!

Quick and Easy Coconut Chocolates ~ Wholefood Simply Quick and Easy Coconut Chocolates. So simple and soooo delicious. Free from gluten, grains, dairy, egg, nuts and refined sugar. Enjoy.

Looking for something quick and healthy for dinner tonight? Try our Lemon and Asparagus Monday delight! It takes 5 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook - doesn't get much easier than that!

Ingredients:
- 1 salmon fillet
- 1/2 lemon
- 2 sprigs of thyme
- Salt and pepper
- 1 tsp Butter

Method:
- Preheat oven to 200C
- Place foil on baking tray/dish
- Place salmon fillet on top of seasoned and washed asparagus spears
- Squeeze lemon juice over salmon
- Place a slice of lemon, thyme sprigs and butter on top of salmon
- Seal foil over the ingredients
- Place in oven and bake for 20-25 minutes

You can also pan fry both the asparagus and the salmon (if you want crispy skin) with a little bit of butter. Enjoy!

Here at Challenge Me Fitness, we love receiving feedback from our clients! I received this lovely email from client Joel Markoff who particularly loved the nutrition side of the Challenge Me Fitness program. Joel joined Challenge Me Fitness to help prepare his each body for Mykonos. Not only did Joel clean up his nutrition, but we introduced him to some new exercises in the gym to not only help him gain strength and tone up, but keep his workouts interesting and his body challenged.

Joel says 'The thing I love about the Challenge Me nutrition guide is that it isn't a 'diet.' I've previously been sucked into a lot of fad diets and whilst I have lost weight, the weight loss hasn't been sustainable and I've often felt tired and lacking energy. The challenge me guide provides genuine health tips and recommendations, busts a lot of myths and provides countless substitutes to staple foods. By following the Challenge Me Fitness nutrition guide, I've come to understand that by making smarter food choices, I can eat delicious meals and still lose weight and work towards my health goals. Whereas I had previously been having one or two bananas for breakfast, sacrificing variety and taste for 'health', challenge-me has taught me the importance of full, balanced meals. The egg frittata I now prepare most weeks (which provides me with 4 breakfasts) is not only tastier and more filling than my previous breakfast, it's also providing me with the energy to break new barriers when training and reach my goals!

Exercise of the week: The Get Up

The get-up has its origins in strongman training which is why its often referred to as the 'Turkish get-up'). It is an exercise that teaches you how to lift and move your body under heavy weight. We use it as a whole body exercise to improve core stability, overall strength and burn calories. It's a fantastic way to teach body awareness and body control

Instructions:
1. Start laying on your back with your right arm straight and reaching up to the sky (holding a weight or dumbbell is optional)
2. Bend your knees and use your left hand to 'get up' off the ground as shown in the images above
3. Always keep your arm straight and above your head
4. Once standing, bend your knees and use your left arm to help lower yourself to starting position
5. Repeat for subscribed number of repetitions and then swap sides

Technique tips:
1. Keep your abs engaged at all times to protect your back
2. If you find this exercise too hard, lower the weight and progress as you get stronger. You will feel this exercise mostly in the straight arm and your quads but it's a great full body exercise!

This is a question I get asked all of the time - should I eat before working out? My advice is always to eat after you train to maximise fat burning. Here's some supporting evidence for you all. Happy fasted training! 💪🏼👊🏻

Breakfast before or after a workout? The order of your morning routine could impact your weight loss—or gain—a new study reports.

You can’t really step foot in a health food store without seeing a multitude of fermented foods. Pretty, rainbow coloured cabbage or ‘sauerkraut’ fill the fridges and strange names that all seem to involve the letter ‘ k’, like ‘kombucha’ and ‘kefir’ line the shelves. So are these fermented foods full of magical, super gut healing powers or are they just pretty, overpriced jars?

In the final installment of our super informative gut health series with resident Nutritionist and Naturopath, Well With Elle Naturopathy, we explore fermented foods - what they are and why they are good for you.

http://challengeme-fitness.com/2017/09/03/fermented-foods-what-are-they-and-why-are-they-good-for-you/

Fermented Foods – what are they and why are they good for you? Welcome to the final installment of the Challenge Me Fitness blog series on gut health by our resident nutritionist Elle Eastwood. This week we are talking all

If you're vegan or vegetarian and struggle to get enough protein in your diet, check out this infographic to help you make the right food choices for your body!

But where do you get your protein?

Love this poster? See more here: https://www.simplehappykitchen.com

Does the health of your gut affect your skin?

So often, the skin is viewed as a completely separate organ to the rest of the body which can only be treated by slathering on multiple topical treatments. This couldn’t be further from the truth!

In the third installment of our super informative gut health series with resident Nutritionist and Naturopath, Well With Elle Naturopathy, we explore how the health of your gut affects your skin. Click the link for the full article!

http://challengeme-fitness.com/2017/08/06/how-your-gut-affects-your-skin/

The hype around intermittent fasting is due to some solid, unbiased scientific evidence. Not only may it help you to control your body weight, but it may help you live longer due to the fasting response in your brain and cells. Want to know more? Check out this TED talk and join our mailing list at www.challengeme-fitness.com where I will be sending out a summary of my own research and what types of fasting are best for you in the coming weeks.

http://myscienceacademy.org/2017/05/08/neuroscience-reveals-fasting-brain-big-pharma-food-industry-wont-study/

Neuroscience Reveals What Fasting Does To The Brain (And Why Big Pharma and the Food Industry Won't Study It) I came across this TEDx talk given by Mark Mattson, the current Chief of the Laboratory of Neuroscience at the National Institute on Aging. It presents some fascinating details about fasting and why it isn’t as popular as it should be. Countless research studies are showing its benefits. These studi...

The proof is in the research...

http://www.strengthsensei.com/skinny-fat-4-causes/

The Four Causes of Skinny Fat - STRENGTH SENSEI Most people want to look good naked. Skinny fat guys and gals meet half of the requirements - looking good fully dressed. Here's the 4 most common mistakes

Exercise of the week!

Following yesterday's blog post on core stability, this weeks focus is on the plank. So how do you plank correctly?

1. Start by kneeling on all fours but place your elbows and forearms on the floor, shoulder width apart
2. Tighten your abdominal muscles (pull your tummy in slighlty -
read our blog post for how to do this) and lift your body up so that your trunk and legs are in line and your weight is through your forearms and balls of your feet
3. Hold this position for the specified duration (usually 30-60 seconds, maintaining a strong core and not letting your back arch)

Technique tips:
1. To help keep your bottom down and prevent your lower back from arching, tilt your pelvis posteriorly/tuck your bottom under
2. Gently pull your shoulder blades apart by pushing through your elbows and forearms - this will assist with shoulder stabilisation as well as make the exercise harder on your core!

We’ve been talking about core stability for years but do you really know what it means? Did you know that your abs are more than just your 6 pack? Did you know that you actually have three layers of abdominal muscles with the deepest layers crucial to your core stability? Did you know that core stability relies on muscles other than your abdominals? If you want to find out more, check out our latest blog post on core stability via the link below!

http://challengeme-fitness.com/2017/06/27/core-stability-what-is-it-and-why-is-it-important/

Core stability: what is it and why is it important?! We’ve been talking about core stability for years but do you really know what it means? Did you know that your abs are more than just your 6 pack? Did you kno

Sweet potato crisps are not only one of the healthiest snacks getting around, but they're super easy to make and fit almost all dietary requirements! Simply use a peeler to create thing strips of sweet potato, lay out on tray sprayed with coconut or olive oil, season with smoky paprika, salt (try and used non-bleached salt such as Himalayan sea salt) and cracked pepper, and bake on a low heat (around 140C) for around 45 mins (turn occasionally - I just moved them around with tongs). Enjoy!

In the second installment of our four part series on gut health with resident gut expert Elle Eastwood from Well With Elle Naturopathy, we explore the five key foods that can help to heal your gut and exactly how they work. Click the link to find out more!

http://challengeme-fitness.com/2017/07/02/five-foods-to-help-heal-your-gut/

Exercise of the week: Bent over row

A great compound exercise for working your upper back including your middle and lower trapezius muscles, lats, rhomboids, rear deltoid and even your biceps! Remember compound exercises are those that work multiple muscle groups across multiple joints - effective for overall toning and strength increase as well as burning more calories.

Instructions:
1. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, abdominals contracted, knees and hips bent and back straight (make sure you hinge forward from your hips, don't bend your back!)
2. Holding dumbbells, squeeze your shoulder blades together as you bend your elbows to bring dumbbells in towards your waist
3. Slowly lower back to starting position
4. Repeat for prescribed number of repetitions (usually 8-12 depending on your workout!)

Technique tips:
1. Maintain the natural curves of your spine and bend forward from your hips (if you bend your back you are at higher risk of injury)
2. Engage your abs/core throughout the whole exercise to protect your spine

Try it in your workout today!

Want to know why your gut is so important to not only weight loss but your overall health? Our resident gut guru, Elle Eastwood, Nutritionist and Naturopath extraordinaire from Well With Elle Naturopathy, explains why in the first of a four part blog series on gut health. Check it out via the link below!
http://challengeme-fitness.com/2017/06/19/five-things-you-need-to-know-about-your-gut/

challengeme-fitness.com

EXERCISE OF THE WEEK: BACKWARDS LUNGE
Lunging is a great lower body exercise as it pretty much works every muscle in your lower body, especially your glutes and quads. The forward lunge is a classic exercise that you'll see in most gyms and home programs, however did you know that if you perform a backwards lunge or side lunge, you will reduce the stress on your patello-femoral joint which is great if you have problems with this joint (like me!). Read on to find out how to perform the backwards lunge correctly.

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Stand with hands on hips (or use dumbbells with your arms by your side to make the exercise harder)
2. Step back with one leg and lower your back leg towards the ground (until your back knee almost touches the ground)
3. Push up through your front heel as you return your back leg to the starting position
4. Swap sides
5. Repeat for prescribed number of repetitions (usually 20)

TECHNIQUE TIPS:
- Your front knee should never go over your front toes (if it does, you need to step back further)
- Keep your torso straight (don't bend forward)
- Most of your weight should be through your front heel (it is your front leg doing most of the work and you should feel it predominantly in your front glutes and hamstrings + quads)
- Keep your abdominals braced at all times to protect your back

It’s winter time! The days are becoming shorter and the mornings cooler. We understand how hard it can be to stick to your health and fitness routine during the cold winter months, which is why we’ve decided to motivate you with this epic WINTER FITNESS ESSENTIALS Instagram competition
Here’s what you could win:
- 1 x 6 Week Fitness package ($99.95)
- 1 x Winter Retreat Yourself Box ($69.95)
- 1 x $100 voucher ($100)
- 1x Insulated, stainless steel bottle ($45)
- 1x Superfood Protein Blends ($40)
- 1 x Turmeric Elixr gift pack ($95)
- 1 x Yoga Mat ($115)
- 1x baller pack of protein balls ($60)

TOTAL VALUE - $625!
To enter, simply go to our instagram page , find this image and follow the instructions!

Squats - are they safe for your knees? If you want to know our professional opinion as Physiotherapists as well as learn how to squat properly for your knees, follow the link below to our latest blog post on all things squats!

http://challengeme-fitness.com/2017/05/31/squats-are-they-safe-for-your-knees/

Squats – are they safe for your knees? You’ve heard it before, squatting past 90° is bad for your knees. So what’s with all of those trainers promoting deep ‘ass to grass’ squats? While evid

Did you know that 40% of your daily activities are habits?! Check out our latest blog post to find out how you can develop new healthy habits for life!

http://challengeme-fitness.com/2017/05/17/how-to-develop-good-habits-to-achieve-your-health-and-fitness-goals/

How to develop good habits to achieve your health and fitness goals! We all have health and fitness goals. We start new eating plans or workout routines and many of us struggle to stick to them. So how can we change this? We need

Ever wondered how to make bone broth and you have some spare time this weekend? Give this recipe a try! Bone broth is rich in minerals that support your immune system and contains healing compounds to reduce gut and intestinal inflammation. It's good as a savoury drink (especially when you get sick of herbal tea!) and especially great if you've been eating poorly or drinking too much alcohol and are feeling bloated and not quite right. Give it a try this weekend and let us know how you go!