Wearing my logo?!

Recently I got approached by College Custom and was asked if I would like to get my logo printed on a piece of clothing. Who wouldn't want to wear their own logo?!

College Custom are a company based in Brighton that personalises sports wear, clothing garments and accessories mainly for schools, colleges and universities. They are the sister company of LeaversHoodies.com.

They gave a such a professional and enthusiastic service I loved it! I was contacted the whole way through the process from the designing to the delivery. I would definitely go back to College Custom for any personalised clothing I want in the future!

I chose the hoodie in amongst the numerous other options on the website (there were loads to chose from!) due to being practical to wear during my training at hockey and wearing it to and from the gym. 

My hoodie arrived within a week of it being made and I had no problems at all in receiving the hoodie. It usually takes about 2 weeks from payment to delivery because all garments are made to the highest quality. As soon as it arrived I ripped the parcel open, I was super excited to try it on and my first impressions were very positive. The inside is like a fleecy material which is so warm and cosy and the fit is slightly baggy which I love in hoodies because it makes it easier to move when doing sports in my case.

At first I did think there was a hole in front hand pocket but then realised and was totally amazed because I had never had this little contraption in a hoodie, but it was a little incision in the hoodie to thread your headphones up the inside of your hoodie so the wire doesn't get in your way on the outside of the hoodie! I know, I was just as amazed...brilliant! 

I would definitely recommend using the College Custom service because the customer service I received was so exceptional and the garments are such a high quality. 

Go check out College Custom and Leavers Hoodies for more information and to check out their super cool range of garments to choose from! 

www.collegecustom.com

www.leavershoodies.com

Little Update!

4/5 months slightly over due but I have finally organised myself into a routine to get back into what I do best and that is blogging! The past 4/5 months have been super full on with uni and a ton of other stuff which I know is no excuse to have such a long ‘break’ from blogging.

Now work load is starting to calm down with at uni I will have a lot more time to focus on the content of my blog and improving my communications with my audience.

In the essence of health and fitness, I plucked up the courage to join Coventry Uni Hockey Club and couldn’t be happier with the pals I have gained as well as being part of a team of crazy and ever so slightly alcoholic girls. Training every Monday helps to keep on top of my fitness as well as going to the gym throughout the week. I am glad I have kept to an active regime and not just packed it in since moving back to uni.

On the other hand I am not being as strict as I was over the summer with my diet. I am a lot more lenient with what I eat, not in the sense of stuffing my face with shitty foods but after spending the months from April 2015 to September 2015 with no carbohydrates or very little, I have reintroduced certain carbohydrates into my diet these include; whole wheat pasta, whole wheat bread and the usual sweet potato that I love, I had to do this due to training for hockey and playing matches, I needed to re think my diet for energy levels in sport.

I still go to the gym when I can each week which is usually 2-3 times because it helps a lot with letting out stress from uni work as well as keeping the weight I have worked hard to lose, off.

I have a whole list of blog posts that I want to write each week to keep my blog active for my audience and keep my motivations going on my own journey to improving and maintaining my health and fitness. 

Workout Routine Change Up!

I did a post near to when I first started this blog explaining the ins and outs of my old workout routine. Although I felt like that was a good routine to start this journey off with, I felt like I was hitting a brick wall and it wasn't really benefiting me because it was purely cardio based. So I stepped it up a level and worked out a new workout routine. After doing research into different styles of workouts I wanted to make sure I had plenty of muscle building and toning exercises because it is a really good way to burn fat.

Whilst researching I also came across the Cardio Bum horror stories, and that was when I stepped up the squats and glute exercises. No one wants a cardio bum! Peachy Perfect, always. 

Below I have written out and illustrated my workout I do everyday. ( Do excuse my ever so slightly green bean looking illustrated people) 

• 30 minute run 

I go for a 30 minute HIIT, where I will do exactly what I did on the treadmill in the gym:

Ill start with a slow jog then move into HIIT:

standard run for 1 minute

sprint for 30 seconds

standard run for 1 minute

sprint for 30 seconds. 

I will do that in 10 minute intervals.

4 days a week followed by my workout routine below which I do 6 days a week:

 Non equipment exercises:

 Burpees -  20 reps

Alternating push-up plank 30 seconds

Reverse plank - 20 seconds hold, repeat 3 times.

If you cant raise your body high enough, try straight arms instead of bending them.

Mountain climbers - 30 seconds. 

2x 30 second reps

 Plank - 20 seconds hold, repeat 3 times

Plank on your front.

Medicine ball:

5kg V up- 30 reps 

Medicine squat, rise lift above head - 20 reps.

Keep back as straight as you can and keep medicine ball to chest.

Mason twist /Russian twist with medicine ball - 30 reps

If you cant lift your legs at first, keep them bent with your feet flat on the floor whilst doing the twists.

Kettle bells: 

Pass through lunges 6kg - 20 lunges

Kettle bell swings 8kg - 30 swings 

Make sure you are lifting from your legs, it is super important to bend your legs when you swing down, lifting from your back will cause your lower back to become uncomfortable and ache later on. ( trust me, I learnt the hard way. This heads up will save you the pain)

One arm kettle bell push press 4kg - 15 reps on each arm 

Kettle bell single leg deadlift 6kg - 10 reps each leg 

Squat, kettle bicep curl, rise, push above head 4kg - 20 rep

This one is similar to the medicine ball squat:

• Hold the kettle bell at the "horns" close to your chest 
• Squat down, complete a bicep curl with the kettle bell
• Rise from the squat 
• Push above head

Repeat the whole workout 2x.

Post Workout Warm Down
I then move onto warming down because I want to reduce as much ache as possible the next day. I use the app 'DailyYoga' which has a ton of cool yoga workouts tailored to what you want.

• DailyYoga

I know this workout routine wont be perfect for everyone but I wanted to put it up to show that you don't always need to pay for a gym membership to workout and to give some ideas for other routines. If you don't have kettle bells or a medicine there are a ton of exercises that you can do that can have a similar effect on your body without using equipment, do your research and put your own routine into practise! 

2 Months Off the Gym!

So its now summer and I have come home from uni for 2 months and I wasn't sure whether I wanted to get a membership at a gym near home or just use the outdoors as my gym. Due to wanting to save money for when I head back to uni after summer, I've decided to take the next 2 months off the gym and make the outdoors my gym. I did buy 2 essentials that I wanted to have during my workouts over the summer as I felt they would make it more effective to what I want to carry on achieving plus I can take them back to uni with me and use them there too!
So The first thing I bought was a 5kg medicine ball. I wanted to get one heavy enough that it challenged me but I didn't want to get one too heavy that it would make it hard for me to use effectively.
I then bought a kettle bell set that included 4 kettle bells ranging from 2kg, 4kg, 6kg and 8kg.
Both purchases were definitely worth it! they make my workout routines a whole lot more fun and challenging. I just use a simple yoga foam mat for when I do exercises that involve lying down, for added padding and comfort on my back.

Kettle Bells: £24.99
 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Palm-Springs-Vinyl-Kettlebell-2kg-4kg-6kg-8kg/dp/B006LTCJ8K/ref=sr_1_88?s=fitness&ie=UTF8&qid=1435241001&sr=1-88 -

Medicine Ball: £19.99
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Medicine-Crossfit-Strength-Training-Kilograms/dp/B00KSDC9QW/ref=sr_1_10?s=sports&ie=UTF8&qid=1435241037&sr=1-10&keywords=5kg+medicine+ball

For my runs I just go on different routes around where I live, mainly country roads and hills because I live in a village with a ton of quiet routes to run on.