Some of my studios equipment

Mat work and equipment work are both great fun and I always share mat work exercises but never really any machine work so here are some pictures of what can be done on my reformer and wunda chair :)

 This is my FAVOURITE!!!! Its a great hammie stretch.

Triceps!!!

Abs! Abs! ABS!

Damn it is super hard to work your lower abs and your upper abs at the same time but I have just the exercise for you!! I love doing it and it is even nice to do after doing a set of chest lifts because then you really feel the burn in your upper abs.

Starting Position:

Start with your hands behind your head and your head, neck and shoulders in a chest lift keeping your shoulder blades off the ground and then your legs extended out to 45 degrees. If your back does arch in this position take your legs up higher and closer to 90 degrees instead of lower to the ground.


Movement:

Inhale: Prepare
Exhale: Increase your crunch and curl your legs in to table top or into your chest.
Inhale: Extend back to starting position by slowly curling your back down on the mat and legs to 45 degrees on the height you feel  comfortable with.

Repeat 15 to 20 times.

Important!!

If you have a very arched back concentrate really hard on not arching your back and keeping your legs closer to 90 degrees than lower to avoid a back injury!

Hint:

If you curl your tail bone up nice and high when you pull your legs to table top the more your lower abs will work.

Interesting Fact

Studies have linked a high fibre diet to a longer lifespan, reduced risk of breast cancer and many other health benefits.

Fun Fact

26 grams of fat in some of the larger sized popcorn boxes of oil popped popcorn at the cinemas. This adds up to as many kilojuoles as a Mcdonalds Cheeseburger and Medium chips. Ouch...Im staying away from oil popped popcorn for a while ;)

Leg Circles in a Shoulder Bridge Position

Focus:

Abdominals
Hamstrings
Hip Extensors

Aim:

Core strength
Hamstring strength and length
Abdominal strength
Pelvic Stability
Hip mobility


Starting Position:

Lie on your back with your knees bent, heels close to your tailbone and your arms by your side reaching towards your heels.

Movement:

Inhale: Prepare
Exhale: Pelvic Curl up 1 vertebrae at a time until you are on your shoulders
Inhale: Extend 1 leg up into the air as straight as you can.
Exhale Pause
Inhale: Slightly lower your leg to the side.
Exhale: Complete your circle

Repeat 8 times in each direction.

Inhale on the last complete circle
Exhale: Lower leg down.

Repeat on your other side.

Do Not:

Let pelvic drop
Over extend your spine

Do:

Keep your pelvic and abdominals stable
Keep the range of movement controlled and small.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

This cake is perfect for any gluten-free friends or family members

 

Ingredients

• 500g chopped dark chocolate
• 6 eggs, at room temperature
• 2tbsp Frangelico or brandy
• 165g ground hazelnuts
• 250ml cream, whipped
• Icing sugar to dust, and cream, to serve

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F/Gas 2. Grease a 20 cm (8 inch) round cake tin and line the base with baking paper.
2. Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Half fill a saucepan with water, bring to the boil, then remove from the heat and sit the bowl over the pan (don’t let the bowl touch the water or the chocolate will get too
   hot and seize). Stir occasionally until the chocolate melts.
3. Put the eggs in a heatproof bowl and add the Frangelico. Put the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water — don’t let it touch the water. Beat the eggs with electric beaters on high speed for 7 minutes, or until light and foamy. Remove from the heat.
4. Using a metal spoon, quickly and lightly fold the chocolate and ground hazelnuts into the eggs. Fold in the whipped cream and pour the mixture into the cake tin. Put the cake tin in a roasting tin and pour enough boiling water into the roasting tin to come halfway up the side of the cake tin. Bake for 1 hour, or until a skewer comes out clean when poked into the centre of the cake. Remove the cake tin from the water bath and cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
5. Turn out the cake onto a plate, remove the paper and cut into slices.
6. Dust with icing sugar and serve with cream.

• Serves: 10
• Prep time: 20 mins
• Cooking time: 1 hr
• Total time: 1 hr 20 mins
  
  
    
  Nutritional information
  Guideline Daily Amount for 2,000 calories per day are: 70g fat, 20g saturated fat, 90g sugar, 6g salt.
  

GrapeFruit Smoothie

I love grapefruit in the morning :) Grapefruit speeds up your metabolism and helps you lose weight.

Grapefruit Smoothie

Ingredients
1 1/3 Cup Fresh Red grapefruit juice
8 Large strawberries
2 Medium bananas
1 (8oz) container strawberry yoghurt
2 tbsp Honey
1 cup Crushed ice


How to make it:

Place the grapefruit juice, strawberries, bananas,yoghurt, honey and ice into a blender and blend until smooth.

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 361
Total fat: 1.8g
Cholesterol: 5g