FUEL

Shoulder injuries from training are a common occurrence and can really slow your progress. It is important that you train all aspects of your shoulders to help minimise your chances of  injury and to  improve your performance.

Three areas to focus on are Power, Control and Stability. Make sure your program covers all of these areas equally to help train safer and longer. 

For Power, focus on your push, press and pull movements. Chances are you’re already doing these exercises so be sure to progress them responsibly. 

An example of an exercise for global shoulder strength would be a farmer’s carry as shown below:

Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell by your side. Set your shoulder in a neutral position by drawing your shoulder blades back and down. While maintaining this position squeeze the weight and walk forward for a set distance. While walking ensure the core is engaged and the shoulders are stable.  

For Control, keep your concentration on the complete movement of the shoulder joint and the shoulder blade. 

Lateral Raise and Shoulder blade focused exercises are important here. For example you could try the prone T/Y/M.

Laying on your stomach with your forehead resting on a towel. Position your arms in either the T, Y or M position.

Engage the middle back by pulling your shoulder blades down and against your rib cage prior to each rep. After engaging your mid back, keep your arms straight and lift your hands or weight off the floor. Start this exercise without weight and progress in small increments as needed. 

For Stability, start simple but continue to challenge yourself. Stability exercises require lighter resistance but more challenging movements to teach you to keep your shoulder stabilised throughout exercises.

The plank pull through can be used to train shoulder stability. 

Position yourself in a high plank position ensuring you are engaged throughout the shoulder. Have a kettlebell or weight next to your chest.

Reach with the opposite hand and pull the weight to the other side of your body, repeat going the other way. While pulling ensure your shoulder is stable and not letting your torso or hips dip. 

IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH & FITNESS PLAN AT CRUNCH FITNESS

No matter where you are with your health & fitness plan we can provide the advice you need to move forward to reach your goals. Our certified world-class personal trainers are here to help you and make you feel confident with your fitness journey.

Get in touch with one of our friendly Crunch staff members today to book a personal training session.

Follow Tensegrity Clinics on Instagram or visit their website

• Passionate team of health practitioners
• Experts in movement and function

All information in this article is written by a Health Practitioner at Tensegrity Clinics

Touring with different artists for the past 8 years now dancing Reggaeton, meet one of our Group Fitness Instructors straight from Colombia, Valentina! Starting out as a Membership Officer at Crunch and 3 months later kicking off her dance instructing career, she has taught in almost every Crunch club across NSW. You can find Valentina teaching this class every Wednesday 7.30pm at Crunch Fitness Alexandria. Read on to learn more about her passion for Reggaeton dance!

Inspiring members to dance their hearts out

How I got into dancing & teaching Reggaeton

Living in Colombia, I started out my career in Nutrition & Dietetics and I was always dancing as a hobby, not as a profession. At the time, there was a casting with a Reggaeton artist and I was chosen to be one of the dancers to go on tour with them for two years. The second year on tour, I had the opportunity to choreograph many of the performances and it was during this process that my passion & love for dance grew immensely. I made the decision to stop my career as a Nutritionist to pursue a career as a Professional Dancer. For me, this was a beautiful and exciting thing as I got to perform in front of thousands of people. Fast forward a few years, I decided to stop touring, move to Australia and keep dancing as a hobby. Scoring a job at Crunch as a Membership Officer was great! It all came together for me when I completed my Dance Management course and was able to start teaching classes at Crunch. I am now loving life working in Sales while teaching & inspiring members to dance their hearts out.

Reggaeton Dance Style

Reggaeton is a style of music that originated in Puerto Rico in the 1970s. The Reggaeton dance style I would say is very strong & sexy, it’s the Urban version of Latin Dance. You will learn strong movements & get a great lower body workout with this style of dance. I can say that trying out this class will definitely improve your attitude, confidence and help you feel sexy while having fun and ultimately bring out your personality.

Personal Training

Teaching dance & being a dancer myself allows me to do lots of cardio, however not much weights & strength. Crunch however offers Personal Training not only for the members but also for their employees. Having a Personal Trainer helps me to improve my strength & conditioning which in turn allows me to develop new skills in my dance routines.

My Experience at Crunch

My experience at Crunch Fitness has been very positive. I have had the opportunity to progress not only in my sales career but also as a dancer & teacher. For me, Crunch is one of the most attractive clubs for group fitness & dance as you get to do exercise while having loads of fun. Having a bachelor in Nutrition & Dietetics gives me the ability to apply my knowledge from what I’ve learnt through my studies to my every day health & fitness lifestyle and thus sharing this with the members here at Crunch.

The Crunch Culture & Community

I believe Crunch has a very happy & encouraging culture. As a dance teacher, I feel like the culture in the classes feels like we’re one big family, everyone knows each other, and the members are very friendly & consistent with their training. When you have a gym culture where the members are consistent, dedicated & have a massive passion for fitness, it makes me love what I do even more. One thing I want to say about the community in our group classes is the underlying theme of Happiness & Inclusivity. The instructors & members at Crunch will always make you feel included even if you’ve never done a group fitness class before, you will be made to feel so welcome & encouraged to express your best self. Our instructors are so motivating to the point that you feel uplifted, supported & you want to come back for more! I believe Crunch is one of the most encouraging fitness branches that has a strong focus on their members & instills a no judgments policy across their whole community.

SEE HOW CRUNCH FITNESS CAN HELP YOU WITH YOUR OWN PERSONAL FITNESS JOURNEY

Congratulations Valentina on recently being promoted to senior Membership Officer! There is always room to grow at Crunch Fitness.

If embarking on your own personal fitness journey is something you’ve been thinking about, get in touch with one of our friendly Crunch Fitness staff members. Whatever your goals or aspirations are, we have a team of world class personal trainers who are ready to take your sessions and goals to the next level. If having a career at Crunch is something you are passionate about, you can apply here.

Watch the full interview here.

We interviewed one of our very own Chatswood staff members, Kyle McBride to find a little more about his experience working at Crunch & why its had such a positive impact on his life.

Life working at Crunch Fitness

How did you start working at Crunch Fitness?

I moved from Adelaide about 3 years ago and I started at our Sydney CBD Club as a Membership Officer. We fast forward 3 years now and I’ve just finished my 2nd year as General Manager of Crunch Fitness Chatswood.

What’s your favourite thing about the Crunch staff family?

When I first started, I moved across by myself so it kinda was a family for me. Being surrounded by passionate, positive fitness minded individuals is awesome and it felt like the more that I gave, the more I got back and now I’m in a situation where I can provide the same for new starters in Chatswood.

How does Crunch help you spread our overall mission and message?

I’m provided with a platform to be able to engage with an entire community to spread our message. It’s a no judgements gym so this is everyones gym from all walks of life. We know what we’ve got in here can help you look better and feel better.

Kyle’s Fitness Journey

Image Source: @kale.mcbride

Can you tell us a little bit about your fitness journey?

About 4 years ago I was about 115kg, I’d just recently been diagnosed with depression and then I dropped out of UNI, lacking a general sense of purpose. Fitness has always been something that I’ve been really interested in, but I always went very extreme and I didn’t really have the long term goals in mind. That’s something that’s now changed for me, I just do things that I can do each and everyday and as a result I guess I’m in the best shape of my life now.

What is your training schedule like?

I try to be active everyday typically 4 to 5 times a week I’m doing weight or circuit training. I really enjoy body weight exercises and running, but for me as well, training with someone is a big benefit to me as I love the social aspect of it and also having someone to hold you accountable as well.

Balancing work & gym Life

How do you balance your work life & gym life in your daily routine?

Routine is very important for me. My workout is the first thing I do everyday which means I wake up a little earlier to smash my workout before I start work in the morning! But if I don’t get to fit this in, I try to make up for it at another time – it’s all about finding balance!

Do you have any special training tips/life advice you’d like to share with our Crunch members?

From my own experience, I’d say it’s all trial and error. You may not see the results you want to see straight away, but persistence is key. Keep tweaking things and you will find that you get better and better everyday, focus on the bigger picture of long term lifestyle & it will benefit you in the future.

If you have a similar story or maybe you’re at the beginning or yours, Crunch Fitness has everything that you need whether it be classes or Personal Trainers. There’s everything under one roof and the staff are always here to help!

SEE HOW CRUNCH FITNESS CAN HELP YOU WITH YOUR OWN PERSONAL FITNESS JOURNEY

Congratulations Kyle with how far you’ve come with your fitness journey. We’re sure we’ll be seeing many more amazing things to come!

If embarking on your own personal fitness journey just like Kyle’s is something you’ve been thinking about, get in touch with one of our friendly Crunch Fitness staff members. Whatever your goals or aspirations are, we have a team of world class personal trainers who are ready to take your sessions and goals to the next level.

Do you struggle to stay on track over the Christmas holidays? We’re here to help! If you want to stay fit & healthy over the Christmas break, then check out these 10 tips to keep you motivated!

Plan Ahead

To avoid overeating, think ahead of time of what social events you have coming up. Stick to lower calorie food options earlier in the day before your feast begins so you can still enjoy it without the guilt!

Take Time For Yourself

Simplify Your Exercise Routine

Be Mindful

Pay attention to what foods you put on your plate and make sure your plate is complete with the 3 macronutrients; carbohydrates, fats and protein to keep you fully satisfied!

Don’t Sacrifice Sleep

Go easy on the booze

Drink a glass of water between every alcoholic beverage you consume. This will keep you hydrated throughout your celebrations and help you to wake up feeling fresh.

Stay Safe

Prioritise your workouts

If you know you have a big day/days ahead, plan to smash your workouts out in the morning. This will lead you to feeling amazing afterwards and will help you make great choices throughout the day!

Have Fun

IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH & FITNESS PLAN AT CRUNCH FITNESS

No matter where you are with your health & fitness plan we can provide the advice you need to move forward to reach your goals. Our certified world-class personal trainers are here to help you and make you feel confident with your fitness journey.

Get in touch with one of our friendly Crunch staff members today to book a personal training session or even get an early start on your New Years resolutions for the year 2020 & download a Free 3 Day Pass!

Become Healthier and More Organised

Food prep is all about being organised and planning your meals for the week ahead.

It can be quite daunting to get started, but you’ll soon realise how helpful it is to stay on track with your diet and fitness goals.

Some benefits of meal prepping include saving money, eating healthy, not wasting any food, saving time and stressing less about what to eat that day.

To make things easy, we’ve put together a how-to guide on food prep for all the beginners out there!

Plan Ahead

What will you be eating?

First things first, you want to plan what you’ll be eating during the week. Take a moment and think about what kind of recipes you’re looking into and decide how much you’d like to make. Make a plan and stick with it.

What does the week ahead look like for you?

Now that you’ve decided what you’ll be eating, it’s time to flip open your schedule and see what your week ahead looks like. If you have work meetings, appointments or other commitments, save time and money by not creating these meals for those periods and only prep for when you don’t have a meal planned.

Make a shopping list

Next, compile a shopping list that will include all the ingredients you’ll need for your week of meals.

If it helps you, go shopping the day or couple days before so you have plenty of time to prepare the food prior to the week starting.

Mark it in your diary

Choose a day to do it. Failing to plan is a plan to fail, so pick a day of the week where you will prepare all your meals. Put aside 2-3 hours of your time and make it a habit each week. It’s important to try and make it a routine so you can stay on track with your own nutritional goals.

Be Smart With Your Storage

Meal prepping doesn’t have to be boring. Make it exciting and get some really nice containers for yourself. Invest in high quality plastic containers that are safe to use (such as BPA free) and easy to wash. That way you can reuse the containers time and time again and the added investment will help you keep to the plan.

Start with Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner

When you’re just starting out, there is no pressure to meal prep for the entire weeks worth of food. You will feel quite overwhelmed if you try to plan 3 meals a day for the week ahead, especially if you’re just starting out.

Instead start with only planning for your breakfasts for the week. Once you’re comfortable and sticking to that, then start moving on to lunches, dinners or even snacks.

Mix it Up

You may find after a while of using some of the same recipes (or foods) that you get bored of consuming the same thing or similar meals. Here’s a couple of tips on how to avoid this from happening throughout the week.

• Add colour to your spread: Healthy food doesn’t have to be boring or bland. In fact each colour of the fruits and vegetables provides a different set of phytonutrients. They help prevent disease and keep your body working efficiently. Secondly, you eat with your eyes! So if you see your food is aesthetically pleasing, you’re more likely wanting to eat it!
• Trying a new recipe each week: Mix up your meals every week and try something new. Research and find new recipes from different chefs to try.
• Spice it up: Expand your tastebuds and experiment with different herbs and spices. Try and stray away from your usual salt and pepper. This will keep your meals from being tedious, and you may stumble on your new favourite flavours!

Use your freezer!

Take advantage of your freezer. If you are making meals that may not have a very long fridge life, make sure you store them in airtight containers in the freezer. Airtight containers are going to prevent freezer burn which is where ice seeps through onto your food and it won’t taste so nice when you reheat it.

Pro tip: label your containers so you know what food is in them!

Make it social

As a beginner we’ve mentioned that it can be quite scary to start this process. A great solution to combat this is to meal prep with a friend! You could even host your meal prepping party.

Let us help plan your journey!

At Crunch Fitness we strive to motivate and inspire, and we know that committing to a nutrition or fitness plan is way easier with your mates. That’s why we allow you bring a guest for free every time you work out! That way you keep on track and keep each other accountable.

Now that you’ve learnt how to meal prep, let us help you with your fitness goals. Get in touch with us and see how we can make working out fun and motivating for you!

First off, what is yoga? Yoga is a Hindu spiritual and ascetic discipline, a part of which, including breath control, simple meditation, and the adoption of specific bodily postures, is widely practised for health and relaxation.

Taking 10 minutes out of your day to practice yoga can bring you so many benefits, like changing your brain chemistry & improving your mood. Here are 5 reasons why practicing yoga is worth your time:

Improve flexibility, strength & posture

Daily yoga practice will help to stretch & tone your muscles. It’s a full-body workout that incorporates static holds and dynamic movements. Poses such as the plank will simultaneously work your arms, legs & core all at the same time, which helps build functional strength in areas where you really need it!

Better all-round fitness

Yoga gives you the benefit of working out in a peaceful, safe and holistic way. It combines aspects of functional  strength training as well as cardio all in one! Better yet, this workout can be done in the space of your own home, at your own pace.

Weight loss

Even less vigorous styles of yoga can help you burn calories & control your weight by reducing stress, providing a heightened sense of self-esteem & bringing mindfulness to your eating habits. It can also help to restore the hormonal balance in your body, which can normalise your body weight.

Increase your energy

Yoga will provide that much-needed boost of energy in our busy lives by awakening the main energy centres in our body (our chakras). Poses that give us extra energy include the tree pose & cobra pose, allowing energy to circulate throughout the whole body.

Reduce stress

It’s been shown that yoga is an amazing stress buster. By practicing yoga, encourages relaxation & lowers the levels of the stress hormone. If the three elements of yoga are practiced regularly; poses, breathing & meditation, our heart-rate variability becomes easier to regulate, giving the body the ability to respond to stress in a more flexible way.

Many of the benefits of yoga stem from the ability to unplug and focus on what’s going on in your body and in your life right now. Happiness can only be found here and now.

Find out which yoga classes are available at your Crunch Fitness gym by checking the timetable here.

IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH & FITNESS PLAN AT CRUNCH FITNESS

No matter where you are with your health & fitness plan we can provide the advice you need to move forward to reach your goals. Our certified world-class personal trainers are here to help you and make you feel confident with your fitness journey.

Get in touch with one of our friendly Crunch staff members today to book a personal training session.

Low-carb snacks are considered a popular snack choice because of it’s many health benefits including weight loss, HDL cholesterol & blood sugar control. Finding the right low-carb snacks is important to your health & eating plan. In this blog, we’ll share with you our top 10 favourite low-carb snacks to help you when choosing what foods to eat to cure those cravings!

Homemade Trail Mix

The tip to making a low-carb trail mix is to combine a variety of nuts & seeds. You can also add other low carb ingredients like unsweetened coconut to switch up the flavours! Try mixing some walnuts, peans, almonds, and unsweetened coconut flakes for a tasty snack.

Tuna Salad Lettuce Wraps

Tuna is a great way to get your daily dose of Omega 3’s. Being high in protein & rich in antioxidants, tuna is a great snack for those afternoon cravings. Rather than pairing it with bread, try using iceberg lettuce cups to wrap around your tuna. Light, tasty & prepared in seconds!

Stuffed Avocado

One of our favourites! Avocados provide a good source of monounsaturated fats and are loaded with fibre. Cut your avo in half, remove the pip and fill! For a low-carb option, we recommend stuffing your avo with diced tomatoes, onions, basil & drizzle with balsamic vinegar!

Kale Chips

The ultimate superfood! Packed with Vitamin K, Vitamin A & folate, Kale is a popular low-carb vegetable that contains less than 1 gram of carbs. For a healthy snack, grab a bunch of kale, wash thoroughly & rip the leaves into bite-sized pieces. Lay them onto a baking tray and lightly drizzle with olive oil & a pinch of salt. Bake at 180 degrees celsius for about 10 minutes & voila! You’ve got a crunchy snack, guilt-free!

Steamed Edamame

The powerhouse of proteins! Edamame beans are packed with nutrition, they’re high in fibre & contain a great source of vitamin A and C. Boil these in water with a pinch of salt & enjoy either on their own or in a salad! Pair with some broccoli & lightly drizzle with olive oil for a low-carb, tasty snack.

Celery with Peanut Butter

Dipping celery sticks into peanut butter is a surprisingly delicious snack & the best part, it’s low-carb! Some peanut butter brands contain added sugar, so we recommend sticking to a natural peanut butter consisting of only peanuts and minimal salt.

Guacamole with Baby Carrots

Try out this healthy, low-carb guacamole recipe! Smash one avocado, add in some diced red onion, a pinch of salt, and fresh lime juice. Now that you’ve got your guac prepared, enjoy with some chopped up baby carrots!

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

A great snack filled with protein, potassium & magnesium. Toss your pumpkin seeds in some olive oil and spices of your choice – then roast! They’re easy to store & are a delicious snack to have on the go! These are also great to add into your salads.

Cottage Cheese

Cottage cheese can be enjoyed with sweet or savoury foods! If you’re feeling like fruit, dice up some kiwi fruit, pineapple & orange – yum! Feeling like something savoury but want to maintain low-carbs, combine some avocado slices with cherry tomatoes & place them on some low-carb crackers. A simply & easy snack to prepare.

PB & J Snacks

Create your own PB & J snacks by swapping out bread & jam with banana slices & strawberries! Tastes great, fast and easy to whip up & they make the perfect snack to cure those sweet tooth cravings.

IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH & FITNESS PLAN AT CRUNCH FITNESS

No matter where you are with your health & fitness plan, we can provide the advice you need to move forward to reach your goals. Our certified world-class personal trainers are here to help you and make you feel confident with your fitness journey.

Many of our Personal Trainers here at Crunch Fitness have qualifications in Nutrition & Weight management and can be of help regarding nutritional advice. Head over to the crunch Personal Training Page to get into contact with one of our PTs  today!

It’s easy to go overboard on the sweets on Valentine’s Day, so we’ve created this healthy Peanut Butter Protein Ball recipe. Not only are they delicious, but they are packed with protein and make a great snack! Gift the one you love with these healthy Valentine’s Day Protein Balls that they’ll love. You can also watch the full video to this recipe on our YouTube channel!

THE MAIN INGREDIENTS: 

Peanut butter: Use natural Peanut Butter with no added sugar. It will also make the mixture easier to stir due to the looser consistency.

Oats: Use  old fashioned oats if you can. If you can only use quick cooking oats or something similar, that’s fine too!

Shredded coconut: Be sure to use unsweetened shredded coconut.

Chia seeds: An excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, rich in antioxidants and have a ton of fiber.

Honey: The honey  is mostly used for sweetness in this recipe – if you don’t have honey, maple syrup will work just as well.

Chocolate chips: This will give your Protein Balls that extra sweetness & crunch but you can skip them if you’re really trying to be good.

Milk: Use whichever kind you prefer.

MAKES: 12

PREP: 5 MINS

TOTAL TIME: 40 MINS

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/4 cup old fashioned oats
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips
• 2 tbsp chia seeds
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)
• 3/4 cup peanut butter (natural)
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tbsp milk
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

1. Line a baking tray or chopping board with baking paper.
2. In a large bowl, add all your dry ingredients: oats, chia seeds, ground cinnamon, coconut, and choc chips.
3. Stir in peanut butter, honey, milk, and pure vanilla extract.
4. Once you’ve stirred your mixture together, roll into 12 medium-sized balls & place them on your baking sheet.
5. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until chilled.

IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH & FITNESS PLAN AT CRUNCH FITNESS

No matter where you are with your health & fitness plan, we can provide the advice you need to move forward to reach your goals. Our certified world-class personal trainers are here to help you and make you feel confident with your fitness journey.

Many of our Personal Trainers here at Crunch Fitness have qualifications in Nutrition & Weight management and can be of help regarding nutritional advice. Head over to the crunch Personal Training Page to get into contact with one of our PTs  today!

There’s a new revolutionary fitness tool that you’ll want to get your hands on… The Theragun! This ultimate percussive therapy device can be used to treat muscular pain, and help with stress, sleep & workout recovery. It’s like having your own personal masseuse on stand by! Fun Fact: The Theragun was developed by chiropractor Dr Jason Wersland after experiencing deep tissue pain following a major motorcycle accident.

What does the Theragun do?

This extraordinary device uses percussive massage therapy to treat sore muscles & provide muscle pain relief. They are scientifically calibrated to reach 60% deeper into the muscle than an average massager, at 40 times a second, for greater full body wellness. With 16mm amplitude, the Theragun reaches deep into your muscles and stimulates heat and blood flow, helping to bring oxygen in and impurities out, improving the health and function of your muscles.

Why do I need a Theragun?

Who DOESN’T need one!? It literally melts muscle tension in minutes. You can use it all over your body – neck, back, shoulders, legs and feet! A few benefits of Theragun percussive therapy include increased blood flow throughout your body, decreasing lactic acid found in the muscles and improvement in your range of motion. This device assists in a faster warm-up pre-workout & a faster recovery post workout. If you suffer from bad posture, the Theragun is designed to relieve any muscle pain & little aches that will ultimately improve the way your muscles feel & can help with posture.

“Our mission is to provide you with the effective natural solutions you need to take charge of your daily wellness. We’ve combined education, innovation, and over a decade of pioneering within the tech wellness space to make wellness more accessible for everybody.”

Which Theragun should I choose?

Theragun PRO

Theragun PRO is the professional percussive therapy device in a league of its own – it’s powerfully quiet too! Offering top-of-the-line, commercial grade muscle treatment that includes an OLED screen to display the speed settings, long-life batteries that last 2 hours, a professional grade motor and the best part… it comes with four different rotating arm positions that allows you to treat every part of your body!

Theragun Elite

The Elite has a lot of the same benefits as the PRO and is quieter than ever! It has a powerful motor with a max force of forty pounds & 5 different attachments. Most attachments come included.

Theragun Prime

This device is one of the more affordable, however still gives you much of what you get with the Elite. It is the perfect balance of strength and style, offering deep muscle treatment simplified for your needs. It has the same battery life, bluetooth capability and speed settings as the Elite, just with a simple LED screen in place of the OLED display.

Theragun Mini

It’s portable treatment packed with power! The Mini is a compact, pocket-sized device that’s similar to the Prime in that it’s more affordable but the stand out of this device is that it’s perfectly portable & great for on-the-go muscle massage treatment. This device has 3 speeds, 150 min of battery life and comes with a single attachment. It’s the perfect intro to percussive therapy tools.

IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH & FITNESS PLAN AT CRUNCH FITNESS

Theragun devices available for purchase at Crunch Alexandria with a special member discount!

Follow Therabody on Instagram or visit their website

Believe it or not, many people experience weight gain while working out. There are many factors as to why this happens. Consider the following five reasons as to why you might not be seeing the results you’d hoped for on your weight loss journey before getting discouraged.

Muscle Gains

Don’t be fooled! You will ‘gain weight’ from lean muscle gain as muscle mass weighs more than fat. This is a major win! We generally build muscle faster than we shed fat. We can get so caught up by a number on a scale although that number may be due to an increase in lean muscle mass and is generally not an increase in fat. If you are eating healthily & investing your time & effort into exercising regularly, then it’s safe to say that a number on a scale is not nearly as important as how great you feel in and outside of the gym!

Water Retention

It’s natural for your body to go through changes in the first few months of working out. The reason why we retain water when we workout is to provide a healing property for our muscles. Your muscle fibres tend to tear as you build muscle mass, causing inflammation in the body & temporarily retaining water. In saying this, it is still important to drink plenty of water during your training session to stay hydrated & avoid muscle cramps. If you are struggling with water retention, a few ways to deal with it includes getting an adequate amount of sleep, reducing your stress levels & fuelling your body with a good balance of all 3 essential macro-nutrients.

Diet

In order to ‘lose weight’ you must be in a calorie deficit. This simply involves burning off more calories than what we consume. Keep in mind that everything you consume counts towards your daily calorie intake, so we recommend having a general understanding of how many calories you are consuming in a day. If you are eating more calories than you are burning while working out, then you won’t see the results you’re hoping for. It’s important to maintain a balanced diet & make small adjustments of food choices, keeping track of how much you consume per day. Another thing to keep in mind is that we don’t want to be consuming to many processed foods, try and consume as much whole foods as you can to fuel your body.

Glycogen (Sugar) Conversion

When you start to exercise regularly, your body needs more energy to fuel your muscles. In order for your body to do this, it converts glycogen (sugar) into glucose. The glycogen essentially combines with water to fuel your muscles and as you begin to exercise on a more regular basis, your muscles will become accustomed to this process & will need less glycogen to fuel your body with energy. When this happens, you’ll start to see that added weight come off due to your muscles retaining less water!

It’s a Process!

Don’t be discouraged if you don’t see immediate results. Your body takes time to adjust to a new training regime or unfamiliar diet, so depending on the person, it can take weeks for your body to respond.

IMPROVE YOUR FITNESS PLAN AT CRUNCH FITNESS

Here at Crunch, we’ve got tons of weights, rows of cardio & loads of equipment available from treadmills to cross-trainers and rowers for you to check out! Download your Free Pass to trial our gym for FREE! No matter where you are with your health & fitness plan, we can provide the advice you need to move forward to reach your goals. Our certified world-class personal trainers are here to help you and make you feel confident with your fitness journey!