21 Feb Eye Of The Tiger

”I can. I will. …Watch me.”

It took a while to get back into it, as I’ve mentioned in my previous blog Raise Your Standards, but I’m back! Because I know that ”nothing will work, unless you do”, I’ve decided to take control and force myself into a good routine. It’s been a while since A Better you: HOW -> Fitness & HIIT Cardio, which is the last time I’ve given you an update on my fitness routine, and some of you have been asking about it. I have to be honest and say that I found myself postponing and procrastinating..a lot, but I kept getting slapped in the face with the hard truth , which is that ”time has no patience for your excuses, and neither should you”. With only a few months until summer, it’s definitely time to get working. Everything is hard, before it’s easy, so I pulled myself through and decided to get hungry, get focused, get the eye of the tiger!

While the core is pretty much the same, I’ve incorporated a few changes into my routine since A Better You: HOW -> Fitness & HIIT Cardio.

My aim is still to train 5-6 days a week. I’ve added one day a week especially dedicated to the booty, and it’s so worth it, believe me! As I’ve mentioned in my previous post Raise Your Standards,  I’m also getting more into boxing/kickboxing, which I love to do as a replacement of or in addition to my regular HIIT Cardio.

My schedule is something like:
Day 1 – Full Body – I do a lot of exercises that basically hit every muscle to wake up the body (Deadlifts, Kettlebell Swings, Push Ups, Pull Ups, Squats) //  Boxing
Day 2 –  Booty  + HIIT Cardio (5-8 different exercises)- I try to be creative and there are tons of booty exercises, my favorites are Donkey Kicks, Glute Bridge (with weights), Single Leg Glute Bridge, Courtsey Lunges. For more creative Glute exercises, check out WomensWorkoutChannel . Most of them you can do at home, although I am a fan of adding weights in the gym, for faster results.

Day 3 – Back & Biceps + HIIT Cardio (3-4 Back exercises + 3 Bicep exercises)
Day 4 – Rest
Day 5 – Triceps & Shoulders + Core/Chest (3-4 Tricep exercises + 3 Shoulder exercises + 2 Core/Chest exercises; I switch every other week)
Day 6 – Legday (4-6 exercises)
Day 7 – Rest // Boxing – I start my boxing workout with jumping rope for warmup, and then different punching exercises using weights (cable). This allows me to grow strength to throw into my punches, but also is great for posture. Afterwards I do different combinations on the punching bag or pads with my partner, who is my trainer.

Every workout is preceded by some stretching and warm up exercises for the particular muscles I will be working out that day and planking 3 X till failure (at least 1 minute).
HIIT Cardio = 15-20 min (1 min sprint intervals; I put up the incline to make it even harder). For a detailed instructions on Fitness exercises and HIIT Cardio, read more here. Make sure you switch up your exercises every other week, to keep it fun, and to keep your body guessing.

My training philosophy is ”Go hard, or go home”/”All or nothing”. Even if you decide you will only do a 10 minute workout (the only bad workout is the one you didn’t do), you have to make sure you pour your heart out during those 10 minutes. While every intensity you put in does count, you will only  create a lasting change when you keep on making it harder for yourself every workout. Don’t just lift…Raise the bar. You have to give a little more than your previous workout every time. I’m sure you’ve heard the saying ”If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you” before. Well, it’s true, if  your workout is not challenging enough, it won’t do anything for you with regards to any change in and outside your body. So whether you amp up with the number of reps, try some advanced exercises, or use heavier weights, do what you have to do to keep yourself challenged.

Arnold Schwarzenegger said ”The last 3 or 4 reps is what makes the muscle grow. This area of pain divides the champion from someone else who is not a champion”. Now where all my champions at??!

But before getting yourself into taking action and making a lasting commitment to yourself, your body goals and your health, your mindset is extremely important. You see, your mind is what keeps you going when it gets tough (and believe me it will get tough!). Excuses don’t burn calories. You have to be mentally strong to choose the right foods when you’re actually craving chocolate, or keep on going for those extra body-changing reps when it’s burning like crazy and you really want to vomit. You have to have clear goal and a strong will to get there. You have to have ”The Eye Of The Tiger”.  Your motivation for commitment should be strong. It helps when you do it for yourself. Being in competition with yourself, to become a better version of you (instead of focusing on what others are doing). For more guidance on how to prepare yourself for success mentally, read ”A Better You: WHY -> State of Mind”. And remember, nothing epic grows from comfort zones!!

By now, I think most of you know that there is no magic pill. Next to die-hard exercise, nutrition will still be influencing your results for about 70%, so try to make it habit to eat clean and healthy. Every time you eat is an opportunity to nourish your body. For more information on the right nutrition, read my blogs ”A Better You: HOW -> Nutrition” part 1 and part 2.
For more tips you can also check out my blog: 27 Ways To Get in Shape for Summer.A few months ago, I did a fun shoot for the new Wulterkens collection with some samples that ended up not even making the final cut. While I also wasn’t in my best shape, I loved the outcome of the shoot, so I decided to share the pictures and make a colourful party out of it.

You don’t get the booty you want by sitting on it, so let’s get working and shine together! Of course we all want to do it style, so make sure you grab your favourite Wulterkens outfit.

See you in Wulterkens!

Love,

Nadira

”If you’re not willing to fight for greatness, it just means you’re okay with being mediocre”.