gym | Fitness on Toast

Posts tagged 'gym'

10 WAYS TO BE A DUFUS AT THE GYM!

08/11/2018

FitnessOnToast.com has always been a warm, friendly, inclusive place to share helpful, optimistic, focussed material. Well, NOT TODAY motherfos. This Gym Etiquette 101 post is motivated exclusively by burning rage and shall act as a form of cathartic therapy for me! I go to the gym on a regular basis, between 3 and 5 days per week. I consider the gym to be a shared space in which many people pay a fee to be allowed its use. However, my observation over 15+ years of gymming is that many people believe ‘once I’m a member, it’s my space’. They’re often disrespectful to the equipment, staff and other members, are messy and all too often, just really, really loud – just to name a few pet peeves. For me, I think of it as a privilege to use the gym. Yes, one pays a fee – sometimes a substantial one at that – but it’s not your property, or your private space. The better I look after the equipment, and the more respectful I am to other members, the more enjoyable and easier their time will be using the gym. In return, I’d expect the same consideration from others. So, without further ado here’s my TOP 10 of things that drive me up the wall every single time I go to the gym! Maybe you can relate to a few of them – alternatively, feel free to add your own irritations in the comments section below. I’d love to know if I’m the only one who feels this way. (more…)

TECHNIQUE FREAK!

18/06/2018

Poor training is a sad sight to behold 😪. I wanted to revisit a key component of ‘sound technique’, as I wrote about it many years ago but it remains no less topical as ever-more fitness converts venture to the gym to kickstart their lifestyle changes. It’s also pretty perfect for this time of year when no doubt people are more likely to head outside for their sessions. So, if like me, you love the outdoors & perhaps don’t have access to / don’t always feel like going to the gym – but you still want a workout which is challenging and effective – well then, this post is for YOU! First consider the following 3 different training techniques, and some of the exercises I suggest doing to put those techniques to use! Also, it requires no weights; just a nice summer’s day, like the ones scheduled for the coming week… (more…)

BRONZE AT COWES WEEK!

20/08/2016

It’s almost impossible for me to believe, but last weekend myself, along with three other novice sailors (all of us bloggers) took Bronze position in the Cruiser B Class at Cowes week – the oldest and largest sailing Regatta in the world. We came in with a time of 2:53:41 which was actually second to the first placed 2:49:07 but factoring in the third-placed boat’s ‘handicap’, it meant we took home bronze. It’s a pretty mind-boggling achievement for us, following a solid year of training, study, toil and practise which went into our efforts, with our Helly Hansen family making the whole thing possible! Click more to read about and see the experience, with beautiful photography courtesy of Anthony Potts on the day! (more…)

WHY DO I WRITE THIS BLOG?

29/06/2016

Last week, I read a super thought-provoking short article in the British Airways Business Life magazine about Simon Sinek’s ‘Why, How, What’ thesis, which rose to prominence in his celebrated TEDx talk. In short, it’s 3 simple questions which the best companies and politicians in history could/can compellingly answer without ever being asked. The answers unveil their raison d’aître with total honesty and validity, and I feel it’s important to try and do the same. Whilst Fitness On Toast remains my passion project, and I’m certainly no politician, I wanted to explain not just the What and How, but share my ‘Why‘… The driving force behind me putting myself outside my comfort zone almost every day. For those who want to read it (which I recognise won’t be everyone), this post is an open and genuine distillation of my drive and ethos. Click more to see it all! (more…)

ORGANISE YOUR GOALS!

07/06/2016

There are two types of people; those with meticulously curated diaries full of bespoke post-its and colour-coordinated appointment notes, and then there are the disorganised others. For years I drifted aimlessly in the latter camp, but writing this blog forced me to upgrade my ‘planning skills’ alot, and I’ve learned a few things along the way, which I’m sharing in this post! If organisation doesn’t come naturally to you and you find yourself overwhelmed when considering the wiry tangle of chaotic strands that make up life – don’t panic, it can be done and hopefully these tips will help you! As I’ve seen with Personal Training clients over the years, organisation will categorically help you to succeed in reaching your fitness goals. Click MORE to see how I choose to approach organisation, with my top 5 tips! (more…)

RESET FOR SPRING WITH GARNIER!

26/05/2016

The eagle-eyed amongst you might have spied that I recently took over the @GarnierUK Instagram a couple of weeks ago as part of the fun of joining their team of super inspirational women! Apart from hosting some epic competitions, I was really keen for the takeover to showcase a few different practical tips to help you be the healthiest version of you and reset for spring! As ever, I always try to emphasise small but lasting changes to help clients feel good about themselves, and discuss them all in a little more detail below with my top 12 tips! I’ve also put some thoughtful care into compiling my ‘Custom Recovery Bundles’ which included some awesome Garnier essentials for Hair, Skin, Body & Sun – the lucky winners are announced in the post! Click MORE to see it all 🙂 (more…)

YES TO HIIT CLASS!

07/12/2015

Last week, I hosted a 30min high-intensity fitness class for a group of awesome girls, as part of my ongoing partnership with Yes To the natural skincare and hair care brand, at the beautiful Mind-Body studio in Virgin Active Mayfair. When I train, I like to combine high intensity exertion with bodyweight exercises, and often skipping too; it’s a highly portable and ultra-effective workout technique which you can easily dispatch from the comfort of your own home, or even a hotel room whilst travelling. For this reason, it’s how I structured this half-hour power-class! It’s especially good if you’re short on time, have a limited attention-span, are keen to toast fat, to improve muscle definition, and to build serious stamina that you can draw upon in a moments notice! Click MORE to get the ‘how & why’!

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IT’S IN THE BAG!

20/11/2015

Not just the preserve of the beauty blogger, fitness bloggers too have their own bags full of favourite little treasures! I try to stay as healthy as I can for as much of the time as possible, notwithstanding the occasional treat required to maintain my sanity 🙂 This post details some of the current healthy-favourites you’ll find inside my sports bag right now, including a bunch of hero products from Yes To, Apple and Beats… (more…)

WESTIN WELLBEING + COMPETITION!

12/11/2015

I’m absolutely thrilled to announce my ambassadorship for Westin Hotels & Resorts in 2016! Regular readers will know that Active Travel forms such an important part of what I believe to be an enjoyable and sustainably healthy life, so it’s a dream to be working with Westin, whose visionary ethos about restorative wellness totally chimes with everything that Fitness On Toast stands for. To celebrate, Westin & I are going to be hosting a very special competition series; 3 lucky subscribers will win an Active Escape that I’ve curated, to 3 different, awesome locations! The first – a 2 night escape to The Westin Paris – Vendôme, a supreme hotel located in the centre of this iconic European city – launches today! The other locations? The Westin Warsaw and The Westin Turtle Bay Resort & Spa Mauritius, coming soon! Click MORE to find out how to enter, as well as discovering all about the ‘Westin Wellbeing Movement’… <<MORE>>

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WAKE UP YOUR GLUTES !

20/10/2015

Sitting at the desk for hour after hour, day after day, month after month, year after year (etc) means the glutes become lazy and that laziness compounds up! The body adapts to become far less dependent on the musculature and joints found within the lower body, which ultimately leads to muscle atrophy (weakening of muscles) and lengthened, inhibited glutes. This post is about how to re-activate the hibernating derrière with a simple but effective routine, shot at the gorgeous gym in Coworth Park... (more…)