From playschool to pre-school, or: level up from the beginner's MMA course

I have been kind of busy with politics during the last few days and weeks. I have been elected into our university's Student Representative Council last Wednesday and before that I spent a lot of time campaigning or planning my campaign or at the local Lidl basement, where my MMA/Martial Arts club is located these days.

And this is just what I was going to write about. Training has been going well, I didn't end up under someone or in an arm/leg bar as soon as we started sparring and I noticed that the whole thing had become a little more fluent and natural. I'm still losing mostly, but now I also understand what kinds of mistakes I have made and know how to avoid them in the future.

Yesterday was out last beginner's course class. On Monday there will be a fresh load of beginners and we will be advanced. Today was the first advanced level training we were allowed to attend and me and two guys seized the opportunity. It was a different kind of training, a lot more hands on, really doing stuff, but that was to be expected. At some points I felt my technique was a little meh, but everybody told me that was normal and it would all come in due time. So, longer sessions, a little more exhausting than before, even more great people to get to know and six possible sessions a week. I guess there's no point to really attending six training sessions a week, because I have to give my body time to recover and I actually want to do some other sports related stuff, too, but yeah. I guess four or five would be okay.

Though, I got to admit, I had to made some sacrifices for this; Thursday I cut my hair short, or rather my hair stylist did. But I like the new hair, it's much more practical and washing my hair is not as much of an annoyance as before (which is great seeing that I had to wash it about two times a day in summer). And I won't be wearing mini skirts anymore due to excessive bruising. But seeing how much I've gained in the short time I've done MMA, I really don't feel these sacrifices anywhere.
Someone once told me that everybody could be enthusiastic about doing sports and I sincerely doubted it then. He told me, all you had to do was find "your thing", your passion, your discipline. Guess the "joke" is on me. Dude was right. And I'm really, really happy.

Bright Stars and Book Hangovers

Ever suffered from a book hangover? A book hangover is the inability to start reading a new book because you are still living in the last book's world, feeling or grieving for the last book's characters, mourning the last book's characters, still in love with one of the last book's characters (mostly this is the case with me) or still suffering from the emotional trauma the last book you read caused you (so much the case right now). 

I just finished reading "Clockwork Princess", the last book of the Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare and I really don't know what to do with my life right now. It was such a great story and the characters were so lovable that it is really hard to part with them. I suppose I'll go on reading Insurgent next, or I'll read the whole Mortal Instruments series again... But reading Insurgent would make more sense. Seriously though, Clockwork Princess left me a little emotionally scarred. And I don't know, but Cassandra Clare is really good with quotable lines. One line in particular that I loved is the following:

"Bright star" [...] "Those of you who are mortal, you burn so fiercely. And you fiercer than most, Will, I will not ever forget you." - Magnus Bane.

I try to live my life this way. I try to burn as fiercely as possible, do everything I can while I can and not have regrets when I leave this world. This has been my goal from a rather young age onward. You never know when Death is gonna get you and you don't want to go with a long list of unfinished businesses. This is why, these days, when I want to do something, I just go and try it. This is why I tell people openly when I like them. I want to burn as fiercely as possible without exploding. I want to live life to the hilt, I want to taste it, feel it even if it hurts sometimes. What is life, if you don't even have a few scars to show for it? What is death if you haven't tried to make your life what you want it to be? I can tell you: a waste of time.

Morning training

I love to work out in the morning. I would have never thought that I'd become a morning person, but due to my morning workouts I started to slowly slip into some kind of routine where I'm going to sleep at about 10-11 pm and get up somewhere around 6 and 7 am. 

It started when I started the Tone It Up -Regime a few months back where you are supposed to do some light Cardio in the morning 3-4 times a week to get your metabolism going. I started sometime in May with 30min running sessions. Then I figured out that our gym had morning classes and did some yoga on some days. Now that autumn is upon us and brought temps like -3°C with it, I really don't feel like running anymore, but thanks to one of my favourite instructors, there is a new morning workout that made it into my weekly schedule. Atm my mornings look like follows: Monday MMA HIIT, Tuesday is mostly my recovery day, Wednesday MMA HIIT, Thursday has still been a running day, but I'll come to this later, Friday GRIT Plyo, Saturday Body Pump and/or Combat and Sunday I sleep in. 

Morning training sessions or workouts or actually anything you do to move your body in the morning are an effective way to wake up your body, to rev up your metabolism and you are really awake afterwards. But the best part: you still got the whole day ahead of you and if you don't feel like it, you don't have to do anything sports related in the afternoon. :) Okay, the last point doesn't really do it for me, but I know some people who are busybodies and like to spend their afternoons meeting people, doing things. My afternoons normally mean another training session, seeing that I got MMA-training three times a week, I like my Sunday workout that consists of CX WORX, GRIT Strength and most Sundays a Body Combat in addition to these. And Thursdays are actually Body Combat days. 

But back to today; after MMA practice yesterday I felt like my body had been going through a wood chipper or sth similar, it hurt so bad. Every muscle was sore minutes after the training was over and I won't even start on the bruises. It's part of the game so there's no complaining and usually I like this kind of pain, where there's nothing left to do but take a hot shower, go to bed, role up into a fetal position and hope you don't move so it doesn't hurt so bad. Most mornings, I wake up feeling okay. I had a feeling yesterday that today would be different. Oh, and it was. I was actually hurting even more than in the evening and most of my joints were incredibly stiff. For a moment I lay in bed and thought about my options. Going for a run? Hell no! Dying? Might actually be more pleasant than this... but then I remembered that there was a "Rise&Shine" class in the morning that contained a warm up, soft muscle conditioning moves (not the kind of stuff you do in a toning class, but toned down, flowing, soft movements) that got your muscles softer and open and then half an hour of stretching. Afterwards I spent about 15min in the sauna and now I'm feeling a lot better. I can move without pain, my joints are flexible again and breathing doesn't hurt anymore. Definitely going there again. 

So even if you're not a morning person, just try it maybe a few times, it doesn't have to be anything hard or exhausting, maybe get up 15min earlier and do a little yoga routine like this one:

That's what HIIT is about

A week off...

I've had a rather quiet week this week, because I had some minor surgery done on Monday and wasn't supposed to do much sports.
Just after the operation was finished, the medical assistant told me to remember that I shouldn't do any sports for the next 24hrs. I nodded and made an understanding face. I had already been at a MMA HIIT -class in the morning, so no problem. And Tuesday was supposed to be my recovery day anyway. About 20sec. later my surgeon came into the room and told me no sports for the next seven days. Whoa, weird dude say what?! I still nodded and made an understanding face, but when he left I threw a desperate look at the assistant. She came a little closer and told me to listen to my body, keep the stitches clean and dry and be careful. And that's what I did. I surprised myself a little, I didn't know I could be this sensible. On the other hand... had I ripped the stitches open, I'd probably have to spend a few weeks longer without doing sports.

But: we got a new practice model at our club. It's called MMA HIIT and is actually a normal HIIT (high intensity interval training), but the ingenious thing about it is that the warm up consists of MMA moves or moves that assist MMA training. I really like it, because not only do HIITs challenge your physical boundaries, but your mental boundaries, too. It's a little like running a (half) marathon: your head is screaming that you can't go any further (or do more reps) but your body is actually still good. So you need to step over the mental boundaries your head is setting. You give it your all, and by all I mean EVERYTHING you got. The aim is that you could not do a single rep more, even if your life depended on it. You don't save any energy, you go all in. And that's the beauty of it. By breaking these mental boundaries you actually achieve this athlete mindset that you can do everything even if it hurts like hell.
The other thing that makes HIITs so appealing, is the fact that the actual training is only about 8-12min long. Add a warm up and a cool down and you have a 30-45min training session and you're actually done. You don't have to do anything else for the day, because HIITs due to their intensity work up a high response in your body's hormonal system and they rev up your metabolism. This effect can last up to 24hrs after the training itself. So, if you got the possibility: try it.

Tomorrow the stitches are being removed and I'm almost back to normal again. I should probably be careful for a few more days so the scars don't open, but then we're back in the game!

MMA Team 300's Mikael Nyyssönen at Cage 23

The guy in the grey shorts is one of my club's professionals. I probably shouldn't show this video to my parents telling them that "Mom, dad, this is what I'm up to these days", but I like to watch MMA matches. It kind of motivates me (though I know it would/will be years till I'm as good). 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UB5eJZhl7zs

Yosa Sport

Today I tried out a new kind of "yogurt" in the widest sense of the word; it's a 100% plant based, milk free, soy free oat snack. The consistency and taste is just like normal yogurt, but without the lactose and bloating effects dairy has.

Plus, it is made for people leading an active life, so it contains 5g of protein per 100g and only 73 kcal. It is sweetened with stevia, but that doesn't effect the taste. One serving is 200g (so 10g protein and 146 kcal).

For me, this is a great thing, because I am actually not supposed to eat dairy after lunch (because of the bloating and going to bed and stuff), but I love me some yogurt or quark after dinner. So, you can imagine that this makes me very happy. :)

Mixed Martial Arts

So, yesterday our trainer let us try out everything we've learned so far in action. He gave us three times two minutes, during which we were supposed to just try everything to get the other guy to give up.

The other guy? Yes. I seem to be the only girl left standing in our course. Well, maybe the other girl that started with me just has to work, but she's missed about one third of our training sessions up till now and last I talked to her she was having problems cutting her nails short (which is a must due to safety reasons when you're doing martial arts). So yeah, seems like MMA is a rather manly sport (even if she continues it's 2-24). But anyways, where was I?

Yeah, right: training ground techniques and actually using them. It was about the hardest experience I've made so far in martial arts training, but it was also the most fun I've had during training since I can remember. The fact that most guys are stronger than me and I really have to go to my physical boundaries, just makes it more interesting and I do believe that should I decide to really compete at some point, it will come in handy that I am used to guys taller, stronger and much heavier than me.
But how does it feel? Well, you have to somehow figure out how to do your thing and to get a good grip on your "opponent" to get him to give up or disable him. Now, your opponent does his thing and makes it rather hard for you to get through, because let's face it, he too has been training and he knows what you're up to. So, while you're trying to figure out a way of getting the upper hand, your opponent does the same. And most of the time you're in a tight clinch and wrestling hands and arms and legs and you try to get up with all your might, but you can't or can and you're using every single muscle in your body. So, you're pretty done in for the day afterwards. But the feeling is just ridiculously great. I really love this and I love the fact that it's hard and tiring and that I still have a lot to learn. This is so my thing, and it is great to have finally found it. Thai boxing was great, yeah, but it doesn't compare to this rush. This is so much more hands on, down to business. I'm in love. I'm in love with a sport and the great thing is that as long as I stay healthy, nobody can take this away from me.

So, try to find your thing, try to find out, what makes you tick. I realised now, that everything I've done up to this point makes sense right now. My physical fitness is at a level it has never been before. Without this, I'd be like a dead fish trapped under a blue whale during these ground fighting sessions we've had. I also know, that I could be a much better version of myself, if I only learned to eat right and train more efficiently. But I'm getting to it. I started clean eating a few weeks ago when my favourite instructor left, but for entirely different reasons (yeah, wanting to make some visible progress within four months is a nice goal), now I only have to get it to point. At the moment I still have my problems with portion size and peanut butter (don't even ask), but I will get a grip on that, too, because now I have sth to work for. There is this guy at our club, okay, he's a professional, but it would be just great to get to the same level of functional fitness as he. I would really love to make my body functionally strong, so that it works for me. Even if I won't compete ever, I'd love to know, that I could, that my body could do it. So, here's what makes me tick.

Motivation

Starting on Monday I took myself by the neck and dragged me out of bed an hour early every day this week to start my day with exercise. On Monday I went to the gym and pushed through a hard upper body workout (only a half hour and then I had breakfast right away) and in the evening I had MMA ground training. We started practicing chokes this week, which is particularly fun when you still see the choke marks the next day. :D 

Tuesday I did a TIU routine (check out www.toneitup.com) in the morning and met a friend for a Body Pump class in the afternoon. Wednesday I did some yoga and light stretching because my body was kind of sore from the Pump the day before, in the afternoon I had MMA stand-up training. 

Today I went for a 3k run in the morning, which was especially nice in the crisp autumn air outside and I just came home from a Body Combat class with one of my fav instructors. Body Combat 57 has me really excited, as almost every new release (well, the low 50's were a little so-so, but...yeah). 

Tomorrow will start with some GRIT Plyo (<3), then off to work and in the evening it's MMA ground training again. 

Saturday will kind of suck because I have to get up at about 3:45 am (yes, really) to get to work on time. So, no exercise then (sleep is more important, also for weight loss, than exercise because stress hormones can cause your body to put on weight/bloat and crave more food) and probably not in the afternoon, either. 

On Sunday however, it will be high life; CX WORX, GRIT Strength, Body Combat. One of the best two hour combos ever. 

So, yeah, this is this weeks schedule and I still feel, like I could do more. I probably shouldn't, but I really love to work out. 

your body on fat percentage

I found an interesting picture on Pinterest today, showing how your body looks at different fat percentage levels. I myself should be somewhere between 25 and 22% at the moment, but I'm trying hard to get to 20 or even 18. Don't know if this is actually going to work, because it is not about simple dieting but body composition changes, but I can try. :)

One should probably remember that the female body isn't meant to be totally skinny, but that women are supposed to be a little softer than guys. Also, at a certain level (I believe it was around 15%), you won't get your menstruation anymore or at least not on a regular basis, because your body just isn't fit to become pregnant. So, whatever goals you aspire, keep in mind to keep it healthy. :)

breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, that's not only an old saying, but also a hard fact. Breakfast gets your metabolism going and if you skip breakfast, your body won't be able to perform at its best and your metabolism will be sluggish all day, meaning that you need more time to digest and use the food you are eating.

I have been eating egg white omelettes or protein pancakes for a while but they don't really deliver the energy I need, because they are lacking good carbs. So, after trying out a few things my breakfast nowadays (at least on days when I know I'm going to train, and train hard) is either cereal with a little vanilla flavoured whey protein and one egg or porridge.

I love porridge and I spent the last few weeks perfecting my breakfast porridge; I tried adding several things, but some of them didn't work (e.g.: never add frozen berries and milk directly, because the citric acid in the berries will make the milk clump) as whey protein for example doesn't really dissolve in water. However, I found some strawberry soy protein in my cupboard and thought "what the heck, just try it". It was actually good. The soy protein dissolves really well in hot water and the result tastes great. :)

Here's the recipe:

300ml water
150ml 4-grain-porridge
1 tbsp soy protein powder.
1 dash of salt.

heat water in a small kettle, add salt and soy protein, stir until protein powder is dissolved and wait for the water to boil. Then add the 4-grain-porridge (rolled oats are okay, too) and stir until your porridge has the wished consistency. I myself like to add a teaspoon of cherry or strawberry jam for taste.

The best thing is that grains contain loads of fiber, so even if there's a lot of carbs in your porridge, you also get a lot of fiber (which isn't digested) that makes you feel full and lessens the net carb value.

Good morning to you! :)

Half-marathon, or: Who does this for fun?!?

I finished my first half-marathon today. And it will probably be my last. I don't know. Maybe I'll get the crazy idea to try it again sometime when my body stops aching. 

Rewind. On Friday, a friend of mine asked me if I was competing in the half-marathon through our little city, the Tampere Puolimaraton. 21km, no training whatsoever, no mental preparation whatsoever, no idea if I was even able to run 21km (seeing as I've never done this before): of course I said yes and signed up for it after a few more hours of re-arranging my Sunday shift at work. 

Then I started thinking about it and got a little scared. Then a friend told me that it's only 21km, nothing to worry about. Wait, what? The longest distance I've ever gone was about 12km, and that was with a few walking breaks, you see? And yeah, GRIT did a lot to improve my fitness and my VO2max, but I wasn't quite sure what my body would say to a 21km run. So I decided for myself that I could always walk if running started to get impossible, and I assembled an incredible playlist for the whole thing.

Yesterday I got my start number (1304) and all instructions needed and today, with shaking fingers, I pinned the start number to my chest, placed the tracking chip in my shoe and tied my shoes. I met a few friends at the starting point, but I was calm. I was surprisingly calm. Then the whole thing started and I was off to a rather good start. That's what I thought. You never know, because there's just so many people and you never know if the people you're overtaking are actually far behind. But well, I just did my thing (Luke Bryan's "Doing my Thing" was in my playlist) and ran. It felt really good after I had got going, especially kilometers 3-8 were just great. Then my friend, the one that got me into the whole darn thing, showed up beside me. We ran side by side for about one kilometer when he mentioned "Whoa, we haven't even made half the distance.". I told him to just go for it and run and tried to keep him in sight. Which did work out for about 3km, then I lost him from view. Anyway, I was in this for myself, not to prove a point or impress a friend (if you need to impress your friends, you should probably get new friends, that just as an aside), so again I listened to Luke Bryan singing that rain was a good thing and Papa Roach telling me to not keep quiet. Lovex spurred me on, telling me that I should push my mind aside and let my body decide and to get it on. Finnish rapper Cheek sang that there's no shortcut to happiness (oh, how fitting) and the Sick Puppies said that one of us was going down. Concentrating on the music, my body did the dirty work and just kept going. My thighs started to ache like hell on km 15, on km 18 my hips started to tighten up painfully and on km 19 my butt decided to cramp. But it was already km 19. And even though I wanted nothing more than just stop and walk (or actually lie down and die), I knew it was only 2 km to go. I could do this. 2 km and 15 minutes unil two hours were up. 

I kept on running. I asked my body, I pleaded, to make it to the finish line and my body said "okay, let's do this". For real, it sounds strange, but at one point, I almost started to cry because I was so grateful for the things my body was able and willing to do for me, even though it was hurting and feeling like it was being tortured. km 20 went in a blur, but then I saw the bridge that led to the finish line and I gave it the last of my energy reserves and I crossed the finish line at 1h53min brutto, 1h51min netto. Not only has this been my first half-marathon, no, I also made it in less than 2 hours (without even training for it). My friend ran 1:47br and 1:45 net. Which is about 0.5km/h faster than me. 

Anyway, after crossing the finish line, it was hard to even walk straight, oh, let's be honest, it was hard to walk - Full Stop. My thighs were cramping, my butt was cramping, my calves were burning and my feet hurt. Fortunately enough, I have no blisters at all and no chaffing and no nothing. My muscles are aching, but that's it. Oh, and my head was swimming and I was seeing a few stars. I had a banana, a cuppa coffee and loads of water. And I swore, I'd never - ever - do this again. 

But right now, as I am sitting here and thinking the whole thing through... how about trying again next year? Trying to beat 1:45? No. It would be...but why not? :D 

I'm torn. It was a great experience. A painful, but great experience. It was fun. It hurt like hell and it really cost me some self control not to give up. Let's see, what happens. Go with what feels right. 

But one thing I can tell you: I am physically unable to run a marathon. I'm not an endurance athlete, I'm better at short distances. And my body would not have been able to take more. Or maybe it would have been, but this is the moment where my soul tightly hugs my body and tells everybody else to go away and leave the poor thing alone*. Which is why I will get some sleep now. Happy as a clam and tired as hell. Good night.

* (please humor me; today I really felt like my body and mind are two entirely different entities, bound together, but not the same. strange feeling)

Shrimping and half marathons

Today has been a great day in spite of being Friday 13th. 

First of all, I got to spend quality time with a friend I haven't seen since May. It's nice to know that sometimes you don't grow apart even though you haven't seen each other for a long time.

But - the most important part - I had my second real MMA training session. Ground technique. And this is where shrimping comes in :D No, it's not about peeling or catching shellfish, but it's an escape technique in MMA. It looks kind of stupid, but first of all, it's a basic technique you need to learn and second of all: you need to use a hell of a lot of muscle whilst shrimping. To give you an impression, here's a video:

So, my shoulders kind of hurt and I feel a little tired, but I shrimped. 

And then I decided to enlist for the annual Tampere Half Marathon. My aforementioned friend asked me if I wanted to go and I was mulling it over, I needed to change a shift at work, but that worked out just fine. Then I thought about the distance; would I be able to run 20k? But after a while it occurred to me: I didn't need to. If I wanted to, I could walk. So I enlisted, paid the fee and now I'm going to take part in a Half Marathon the day after tomorrow. I could have thought about this a little earlier and maybe train, but training is for sissies. :D No, I suppose my fitness these days can take 20k, and if not, well, walking is always an option. Because it's not important how fast you go, the important thing is that you go. 

I'll probably write about the half marathon, so yeah, see you Sunday :)

MMA - hell, yeah!

So, on Monday my MMA beginner's course started off with the demonstration of the several martial arts the club I'm training at teaches. There were so many people there that wanted to get in shape, wanted to start a new hobby, liked martial arts and it was just great. It was great that there are so many people out there that like this stuff, too. Nice to see that you are not alone with something, that you are not the only one.

I've been doing Muay Thai aka thai boxing for the last two years, but due to several changes at my old club and the training getting a little out of hand (at least that's how I felt), I lost interest in it. Or rather I started to fear training more than I looked forward to. Timo, our main/responsible coach at my new club, came to give an intensive course on different distances in combat one weekend. I learned more in those few hours than I had in the months before during regular training; he was the first one to say that you should never ever hit your partner with full force. I really started to like that guy as a trainer. So, when I heard that his club was moving from the outskirts of the city to the city centre (about 800m from my apartment), I decided to give martial arts another chance. But the fear/tiredness related to Muay Thai had grown too big and I decided to try out another sport in that field: Mixed Martial Arts. I always wanted to try it out, but...I feared my body couldn't take it. But these days I've become quite muscular and strong (and confident in what my body can and can't do), so I thought now was just the right time. This is how I ended up at the demonstration/introduction.

During the application process there were three other women applying for MMA (most females signed up for thai boxing). Today, at our first training session, there was only me. And about 20 guys. Whoohoo. Another male dominated sport I do. But it was fun and the guys were great. Plus, everybody knew me in the end, since I was the only girl. And who's to say I don't have a place in this world of fighting? There's a few women in UFC, Gina Carano or Ronda Rousey.

And not only are they good fighters, but they didn't lose their female charm and sexiness, either. They are cute, but pretty good at beating other people up. I think this could be me, too. Okay, I might be a little old to go pro, but at least I can overcome myself and prove to myself that I got what it takes to survive. I wouldn't be the first to die in the Hunger Games :D

Oh, and the best part? I really feel at home at my new club. The people there are so welcoming and nice and open that it's easy to feel at ease. I stopped worrying about all those things normally going on in my head, like: what if no one likes me? what if no one wants to be my partner? what if I'm all alone in this? The moment I stepped into that gym, it was just...fine. And it doesn't hurt that our club's secretary is rather sexy. :D just kidding. No, not only, he's really good looking, but that's besides the point, he's actually really nice, too. And that's what counts.
So, I guess thanks already for a great first training and a successful introduction to my new club MMA Team 300.

Five years (or: Getting the Finnish Citizenship for Dummies, part I)

...ago we moved to Tampere on August 19th. Back then we were only three German exchange students with the hope of someday maybe living in Tampere. 

Moving here through a student exchange took a lot of responsibility of our shoulders and made a lot of things easier (e.g. getting a residence permit, finding somewhere to live...), plus we got some money from the exchange program. Of course we did study and every single one of us got their degree at some point or another. After about five months living in a student dorm, we moved to our own flat, but we had the time to find a nice one because we could have lived at the dorm for another two to three months. 

That summer we spent some weeks in Germany, finishing our studies and getting our degrees and getting everything else in order. Then we tried to find jobs. We were lucky and found jobs at the same cleaning firm in the same spot. Yeah, cleaning, just like so many other foreigners. But it was a fun working place and I started stumbling up the ladder and so none of us really complained. We had our fun, we made our own money to pay for it, and eventually we all found out what we wanted to do with our lives and went to pursue it. One became a barkeeper/waitress and is pretty happy with this, the other went to Helsinki to become a make-up artist/hairdresser and I myself started to study again (going to become a big time business law advisor or sth in this general direction. or a politician if all else fails :D). 

And somewhere along the road of working, stumbling into strange Finnish nightlife adventures (the best memories I have are of evenings that turned into early mornings sitting on a roof in Tammela eating hamburgers and watching the sunrise with friends, concerts after which I've been talking for hours with nice people walking back home in the morning light, dancing with the nicest group of study buddies one could wish for), making friends some of which were really unexpected, and having really weird experiences with Finnish guys (they are a breed of their own ;) ), we have been living here for five years already. And one day a work mate asked me if I'm applying for the Finnish citizenship. He himself is from Chile and has been living in Finland for a long time, seeing a lot of his friends through the process. 

This got the stone rolling. I looked up everything I could find, and found out that we had actually a shot at it. 

You have to:

- be able to prove your identity reliably: check

- be 18 or older: check (at least that's what my passport says)

- you've been living in Finland for at least 5 years, without breaks: check

- you have no entries in your crime register: check

- you're not hopelessly indebted or haven't been neglecting paying fees etc.: check

- you can show and prove how you earn your living: check

- you have prove that you speak the language well enough: WAIT.

The last condition was a little more problematic than the others. We went to the police and asked if our BA in Finnish Language and Culture was enough, but it wasn't in the list of acceptable documents, so we had to go do the YKI-test. The woman at the police looked at me and apologized a few times because we spoke Finnish well enough, but law is law and she was not able to change it. So: next step, YKI-test.

You could not apply for the YKI-test through the internet. You had to be at the school that organized the test in the morning and hand in your application papers. They recommended you come in time and get a number. So, we were there an hour before application started only to find that there were already about 25 people waiting. An elderly Arab guy wrote down all our names on a list and put the newcomers in in order of arrival. By the time the doors opened, there were about 36 people there. But it still took an hour for them to get the application process going and numbers were nowhere to be seen. By the time application started there were about 45 people. They gave the list to the woman who gave out the application numbers. Yes, now they gave out numbers, and she started screaming our names and gave a number to everybody in order of the names on the list. Wait, did I say everybody? Well, not exactly. The first 40 got a number, because they would not take more than 40 people to take the test. After we had our numbers, they took the first 20 up onto the third floor to go through the application process. We had to wait in the foyer of the school for another hour. Every now and then someone would leave the building, but no one told us what was going on. After an hour of waiting we got to the third floor and there they did nothing else than call out a number, that person went into a room, sat down in front of the woman in charge of the whole thing, gave her the application, she would have a look at it, give you some papers with information about the test and then she'd send you home. That was it. Because of that we had waited three hours! Well, turned out that they did it that way because some of those guys applying filled in their names in the wrong spot because their language competence was rather...iffy. I don't even want to start on that topic (applying for a language competence test if you can't even fill in the test application? Dude...).

After a few weeks we got our test invitations and they were in Finnish. And English. Again, I don't even want to comment on that. We had to pay the fee (100e) and then we went to take the test last Saturday. 

There was a part on reading and understanding, writing, understanding spoken language and speaking. 

The reading comprehension test was just laughable. There were several articles, letters and invitations and you had to answer questions concerning these. Piece of cake. The writing part consisted of three parts: first an email to a friend, second was feedback via email to someone official and third an essay. Again, piece of cake.

Understanding spoken language was just laughable (they spoke clearer and more pronounced Finnish than any of my friends and acquaintances) and the talking part... let's just say, my job has been to talk people into stuff and convince them of things and talking things up, plus teaching newbies and giving seminars in Finnish. I also instructed gym classes. In Finnish. So, yeah, no problem there, either. 

My friend who was with me got the giggles every now and then because she felt that the whole test was kind of ridiculous. It was for us, I have to add. The people who weren't able to fill their names in in the right place in the application form had their problems. And one guy was severely hung over, he was fighting with difficulties of his own. 

And now we wait. They said it takes them about two months to check the tests. So, in late October or early November we can probably take the next step. Filling in new application forms and standing in line and waiting at the local police station for a change. Finns love standing in lines and taking numbers. I've had to get used to it, but they do. 

If you want to apply for the Finnish citizenship yourself, check out the homepage of the Maahanmuuttovirasto here.

Personal Training. or sth like that..

So, a friend of mine asked me for advice on how to get fitter. Mostly because her back was driving her crazy; working as a waitress she has to stand for up to 12 hours a day. 

I suggested she try going to the gym and gaining some muscle. But she didn't really dare to go to a new gym on her own and she said she wanted some help with the machines and stuff, suggestions on what she can do, these kind of things. 

Monday we went to a gym I had been instructing at a few years back and that had left a rather good impression. I looked at the stuff they got there and we tried a few things an based on that I developed a program for her for the first few weeks. We're going to adapt it as we go, but here's the gist:

warm up will be only 10min on either stationary bike or treadmill, because she already is pretty slender and does not need to lose fat. After that we're going to warm up the big muscle groups.

12 jump squats, 5 (assisted) pull ups and 10 push ups to get her muscles working. 

After that we'll be doing 3 different rounds.

The first one will be a fast HIIT-sy one, where she does 6 squats to press, 6 throws onto a ball trampoline, 6 squat burpees (because I came to like the move). She'll be repeating this sequence 3 times. 

The second round is mostly a upper body workout with the help of a TRX-system: back rows, Y-deltoid raises, biceps curls, chest press and triceps press. Then push ups until muscle failure and a short break. After the break a shorter set of the same moves, at the end instead of push ups lunges.

Then we'll go down to round three, the core and especially the lower back; she'll do some back extensions, hanging abs, and dips. Afterwards to get her heart rate up again some boxing.

The last moves will be sit ups and plank pose with her feet on a bosu. I'm not quite sure how she will manage, but I'll pull her through and adapt the training program should she too challenged with this or not challenged enough. 

Most of the stuff we tried out last week and it seems like she can do it, but let's see how it works out. :)

I don't want to start her up with weight training and death lifts and stuff, because I want to see what her back can take and be sure she doesn't get sloppy with the technique, which would be worse when she was doing high weight training the wrong way.

How To Stay Productive When You Work In An Open Office

I found this nice article through CapGemini. I myself have had some problems with keeping up concentration at our office where people are talking to each other across the office or over your head. It's kind of annoying when you're trying to re-calculate the work hours of a mathematically challenged employee and someone starts babbling right beside you.

Here's some tips and tricks.

1. Create a virtual wall
use headphones and listen to ambience/natural sounds to shut out noisy co-workers.
"The best sounds for concentration are natural and unpredictable. Ambient electronic music tends to work well at blocking out noise yet it doesn’t create a distraction. Try binaural beats in stereo headphones. Neurophysiologists believe these sounds can induce the brain into a deep state of concentration, creativity and relaxation."

2. Have a "Collaboration table"
if you want people to collaborate, give them a special area to do so, so they don't have to worry about disturbing others and others don't have to try and concentrate through noisy brainstorming.

3. Adopt a "Do not disturb attitude"
set aside a certain amount of time a day, where you are not to be disturbed and concentrate only on your own work.
"In a study published in Applied Psychology, people seeking help performed better at work, but people providing help actually performed worse. Scientists determined that alternating between helping others and doing your own work imposes a heavy “cognitive load” because you have to reacquaint yourself with the details of your project each time you return to it. Not to mention –multitasking is a fallacy."

Interested in reading the whole thing? switch over here

sports bras and stuff

Yay, my mailorder came today. Got two new, perfectly fitting sports bras and matching undies. and I didn't even pay a lot for these (2 bras & 3 undies for about 30e including postage fees at sportsdirect.com).

But actually I'm happy I finally found perfectly fitting sports bras; Lonsdale 36C. After I lost all this weight, all my Nike bras sit awkwardly and don't really keep anything in place anymore, so I tried on a few others, but for some reason Nike bras don't fit me, I'm somewhere in between sizes and there's nothing worse than a badly fitting sports bra during exercise.

Get UP!

I don't know what a nervous breakdown feels like, but I had a breakdown of some kind today.
After two exhausting classes at the gym - I've done more and worse workouts before - I went home and took a shower. But the moment the adrenalin left my body, I just had to sit down and had no idea of how to get up again, I was so exhausted. Mentally and physically. I'm not sure what hit me, worrying too much about study related stuff or problems with someone in my life. But it was weird. Afterward I went to bed and fell into a deep sleep and the next morning it was all better, but it was a weird thing.

So, for now I'm trying to get more sleep, try to worry less and start to cut out stressing factors from my life. And I listen more closely to my body. But still, sometimes you have to clench your fists and just get up. Don't let life get you down. :)

Unrealistic Goals

There has been an interesting article on Shape magazine I wanted to share with you. It's all about keeping your goals realistic because you get frustrated and can really wreck your health if you pursue unrealistic goals.

5 Common Body Goals That Are Unrealistic

The thigh gap—it’s like the latest Hermes bag: Seemingly every woman wants it, yet not everyone can have it. But that doesn’t stop women from hitting the gym or, at times, taking more drastic measures to try to turn their bodies into their “ideal” figures.

And while working out and eating well can help you fine-tune your body, some goals can only be achieved if you’re genetically blessed or have a certain bone structure. So rather than pushing yourself to your breaking point (perhaps literally), find out what’s realistic for your body.

The Thigh Gap

Seeing Victoria Secret models strut the length of a runway without a single thigh rub is enough to make you seethe with jealousy, but simmer down because for most women the only way to not have your inner thighs touch is to refashion your skeleton.

“No dieting or fitness regimen is going to change your bone structure,” say Polly de Mille, an exercise physiologist at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. And it’s urban legend that taking birth control pills for the extra estrogen will help widen your hips and create that gap. “That doesn't work. You can't control your hip size.”

Instead of fighting it, embrace the fact that you are fit and have muscle. “If you look at models, you'll notice they don't have defined quads or hamstrings like you see on CrossFit women,” says mobility doctor Vonda Wright, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. In other words, active girls have powerful legs that help carry them through their favorite sports and adventures. “Unless you're genetically wide-hipped, you shouldn't have a gap. Skinny is not always fit or strong,” she adds.

Dress to love your shape: Rock what your mama gave you in a pencil skirt, suggests style expert Bridgette Raes, author of Style Rx. “Most women who have large thighs normally have a very defined waistline, so the best thing they can do is accentuate that area to create that natural hourglass figure.” Pair the snug bottom with a boat neck top to counterbalance the hip-to-shoulder ratio and emphasize that va-va-voom figure.

V-Cut Abs

Guys aren't the only ones who can sculpt the lower part of their abs to form that cool v-shape. Singer Pink has wowed us with her stomach for years, before and after having a baby with husband Carey Hart in June 2011. What’s her secret?

“Pink was a gymnast for years, so she likely developed that fit body through training early in life,” de Mille says, adding that genetics is also probably at play since not everyone is designed to chisel their midsection. “People who are apple-shaped may never get lean enough that you can see this kind of definition. They can have abs, they just may be hidden under a little layer of fat.”

Pear-shaped ladies, on the other hand, have a better shot at this look since their fat generally is deposited around their hips—so your thighs may touch, but you've got a crazy core. However, you may need to drop your body fat to an unhealthy level to achieve this. If your body fat drops so low that you stop menstruating (the exact percentage at which this happens varies for every woman), your bone health will also suffer, Dr. Wright warns.

Dress to love your shape: A wrap dress with some ruching can work wonders. “People won't know whether it's your abs or the dress,” says Raes, who recommends looking for a v-shaped mitered stripe pattern to help pull off the illusion. Look for pieces that are going to help hold you in (a little Lycra goes a long way) instead of flimsy or bulky dresses that won't help define your midsection.


Toned Arms


You can thank folks like First Lady Michelle Obama, Madonna, and Kelly Rippa for this one. While women genetically tend to accumulate fat on the back of their arms, it takes as little as six weeks of consistent strength training to tighten your triceps and biceps and wave goodbye to batwings, according to de Mille. And don’t worry about getting man arms, as it can be really hard to pack on even a little bit of muscle; it all depends on your muscle fibers.

“If you have predominately slow-twitch muscle fibers, you're going to be a good endurance athlete, but you can pump iron until you're blue in the face and not develop noticeably defined muscles,” de Mille says. On the other hand, if you have mostly fast-twitch fibers, you can pretty much sneeze and pop a muscle. Take a look at your family to figure out what kind of fibers you likely have more of.

But even if you have the DNA of a female Arnold Schwarzenegger, it'll still be a challenge. “Women just don't have enough testosterone on board to get that bodybuilder's frame,” de Mille says. Give it time, and even if you can’t sculpt flab-free arms, chances are you will see at least a little difference.

Dress to love your shape: A flattering cap sleeve shapes the top of your arms and can help optically broaden the shoulder line to create a narrowing effect on the bottom half of the body, Raes says, making your arms look slimmer. A wider or higher neckline will also aid in this cause.

Concave Stomach

This may be the worst goal to go after: Fit abs tend to bulge outward. The only way to have a stomach that collapses inward is to lose an unhealthy amount of weight through extreme dieting.

“Think about what's in your stomach: You've got your intestines, which often have food or air in them, and you may also be bloated if you're menstruating. While your belly can look flat, it's unlikely that it would look sunken in if you're eating normally,” de Mille says. Plus, eating too little will cause your nails to become brittle and your hair to fall out since you won’t be getting adequate levels of the nutrients your body needs for normal functioning, and your hormones will become imbalanced due to a lack of fat, Dr. Wright adds. Not worth it.

Dress to love your shape: Stripes, patterns, and seams that move on a diagonal as well as diagonals themselves are all super slimming, Raes says. Her other secret weapon: Spanx. “We see shapewear as this very uncomfortable, restrictive garment, but a light shapewear, like a tank or a bottom piece that rises up to the bra line, can make you feel contained and confident.”

Narrow Hips and Small Butt

While Jennifer Lopez, Kim Kardashian, and Christina Hendricks may have paved the way for real-life curvy women everywhere, some ladies still covet a small butt and hips a la Cameron Diaz—but not everyone is biologically programmed to be built this way. If you have curves thanks to your bone structure, you can’t do anything to shrink your hips; as for your rear, how “small” it appears is up to genetics, but you can improve how bootylicious it looks.

“Strengthening your glutes and reducing the layer of fat over them will change the outline of your body, whether you’re an apple or a pear, because muscle shapes you,” de Mille says. Resistance training is key to build that muscle, and “you need to work your arms and core as well as your butt,” says Dr. Wright, who recommends biking or climbing stairs (real stairs, not a machine) while swinging your arms to help propel you.

Dress to love your shape: For an instant butt lift, wear denim with back pockets that sit rather high up at the top of your derriere, Raes recommends, but watch their angle. “When pockets are angled too far down at the bottom, they can create the impression of a lower, wider butt,” she warns. And opt for a high rise. “When the waist hits higher, it emphasizes your natural hip curve, and then your butt won't look short and saggy,” she explains.

The Benefits of GRIT workouts

I love these infographics, so here goes. btw, isn't Little Les Mills cute? ;) This infographic shows the health benefits of my new fav workouts - Les Mills GRIT

Old Goals, New Goals, Achievements and Pride

So, I did not have a six-pack this summer.
But: I don't care. I had the best beach body in my whole life and - what's even more important - I feel great in my own skin. I realised that even more than your outward appearance it's the feeling that counts. And the things you, your body, is able to do.
My fitness is better than ever.
I can lift more weight than ever.
I can run faster.
I get winded much later.
My resting pulse went down a bit.

But now for some new goals... I have to motivate myself this coming autumn. My favourite instructor leaves for a few months and thus I'm... it would be too much to say on my own...but I'm a little lost. The news got me spinning a little last week, but then again... it's a challenge. First: I have to find my own motivation. Second: Dude, I'm gonna show you what kind of results I can achieve in four months. My own pride will probably keep me going and come Christmas, I will have changed my body a little more. I'm not going for big changes anymore, but there are a few small things I could hone. :)

And maybe next year the six pack. :D but hell, I'm a Nike S-size these days! (former L-gal is rather impressed with herself) :)

Kiss The Butt

I've never had much of a butt, but since I started working out for real last autumn, I've managed to shape a quite nice behind. I've been getting lots of compliments from a lot of different people. So, how do you shape your behind? Pretty easy, shape and grow the muscles in your booty; gluteus medius, maximus and minimus.
The great thing? It's the old-school-stuff that helps you here.
Do Jumping Jacks for your medius, deep lunges for your maximus and deep squats for your minimus. Yes, there are a few other exercises out there, but these are so basic everyone can do them and you can do them everywhere. So, no excuses, go and work for that kiss-worthy butt :)

http://www.repinall.com/WeightLosePlan/2012/12/25/lift-dat-ass-exerci-2/

Well, well, well, what do we have here - GRITStrength

Okay, after starting to adapt to GRIT Plyo and... well, yes, obviously starting to like love it, I thought it might be time to try out GRIT Strength. So, today I just forgot all of the reason why I shouldn't or couldn't do it and just went for it. It was with an instructor I've never had a class with and so there was no chance, I'd make a complete fool of myself the first time around. I actually did pretty well, at least that's what she told me. She even asked me if I'd consider coming to her class on Wednesday (wait a moment, Sunday GRIT Plyo, Monday GRIT Strength, Tuesday Plyo, Wednesday Strength? Not even I am this insane).

But let me tell you, it was FUN! It was friggin' hard, it was rough, it was exhausting, I feel like I'm ready to die right about now, but it was FUN! You feel about every muscle in your body ache, your shoulders are screaming for deliverance, your legs are about to give out, but you just have to push through it. In my humble opinion Strength isn't as exhausting on a cardio level as Plyo, but well that's not the point. I'm still a little shaky and the afterburn effect starts to really set in (anyone wanna share an elephant for dinner? No? Doesn't matter, I'm gonna have a whole one. By myself. On toast! :D), so, even if you're not huffing and puffing as hard as during and after Plyo, you're still getting one hell of a training and yes, you do feel it. My shoulders are done for today. and probably tomorrow. And the day after tomorrow.

But I got to give some kudos to the instructor, too. She did a great job motivating our group and well, I think I got a new body crush. She was pretty ripped but not to the point where it was too much, she still looked pretty female, too. she's a little shorter than me and I started to realise that I am kind of... long and lean these days. almost gangly. I like it, because it doesn't make me look too pumped even though the muscle is starting to grow. Some more Strength and Plyo and I'm on my way to ripped :D

fully booked

So, my mom came to visit me on Monday and it's been quite a ride. To get at least some training done, I'm getting up at 6am the latest and go either for a run, do some yoga or spend some quality time at the gym. And since my mom loves to walk, we've been walking quite a lot. Like 2-15 km a day. Monday I went for a jog in the morning and did some resistance training (but I was super sore from GRIT class on Sunday), Tuesday I was even sorer and did about 45min of Cardio Yoga, yesterday I went to a Body Pump class in the morning and today I was at the gym for some resistance training and I took the afternoon off to go to a Body Combat class. I'll still be meeting my mother a little later in the evening, but well, I really need the kick of a Combat class right now. Plus, I've been eating a little too much since my mum and I are eating out every single evening. Monday I had some chicken with balsamico sauce, green beans and zucchini; Tuesday was fat fast with some snails and a burger at Jack the Rooster (the snails are seriously good) and yesterday I had chicken breast in Garlic sauce with carrots and zucchini and potatoes. Today we're having sushi. Looking forward to that.

Another upside to my mother's visit was the fact that I told her that I need shoes with better shock absorption, and I she bought me Nikes!

These are my new GRIT Plyo shoes:

GRITPlyo

So, I tried GRIT Plyo once again today and I found it... exhausting. In a good way. I had totally forgotten how it felt to really go until you can't go any further, huffing and puffing making it through an exercise. And the feeling afterwards.
So, GRIT Plyo is basically a HIIT (high intensity interval training), you boost your heart rate and then let your cardiovascular system recover for a moment just to get your heart pumping again. And as the name says, it includes plyometrics, meaning fast production of energy (e.g. jumping). I actually intended to do a Body Combat class afterwards, but there just wasn't any power left in me. The high intensity part means going to your physical boundaries and beyond and a relatively small group means extra attention from the instructor, who not only corrects your posture/pose (in my case he advised me to drop my hip a little so I had to engage my core a little more), but also encourages you to go harder and spurs you on, and not only a little; the instructor today motivated me by almost "carrying" me through one especially challenging workout. He stood in front of me and did the last few reps with me and just kept on talking to me, telling me how many reps, how well I was actually doing and so on.
I still have to try GRIT Strength and GRIT Cardio (but GRIT Cardio isn't yet available at our gym), but I did enjoy Plyo. Well, there's enjoy and then there's enjoy, I enjoyed it someone loving to test out boundaries loves the feeling of having to throw up any minute (because of exhaustion) and pushing through it. Just when you think, "whoa, I'm real fit these days!", you got to try something new. It might be that it changes your perspective because I realised that my body is fit and adapted to the disciplines you're doing. My body can do hours of Body Combat and Body Pump, it doesn't mind 1-2 hrs running, it loves poledancing and thaiboxing... but HIIT is a whole new world for it. Oh, and I'm so going to conquer this, too! Harhar :D

P.S.: should you want to try out GRIT Plyo, I'd really advise you to use shoes that absorb shock better than my new shoes (my Asics have absolutely no damping). I suppose running shoes would be best since they are designed to act as damper. Otherwise you'll feel a lot of the jumping in your joints and lower back, at least that's what I realised.

I've been quiet for a while now...

...due to my job and training and more training and friends and... life in general.

I've been working out like crazy the last few weeks, I'm talking about 2 hours a day, six days a week. I'm starting to show some (more) muscle (especially my shoulders start to look real toned), but since I've been working out so much there has been some adjusting to eating. I realised that there is no way that I can stay on a very low carb diet. It just doesn't work for my body. After a few days I start hitting walls; like "not being able to raise my arms feeling faint all the time" -walls. So I added a little carbs. And realised that those were a little too much carbs. So I had to figure out what amount of carbs to eat to keep me going. And when to eat. I realised that timing was essential, too. Oh, and then there's ice cream. I've been eating quite a lot of ice cream during the last few weeks, so I've bulked up, but didn't really tone down. Gnah. And next week my mom is coming for a visit and this means eating out almost all of the time and cutting down on my workouts. Let's see how that works for me.

But I got new training shoes today - and OMG, do I love them!!! They are Asics Mattflex2 -wrestling shoes, but I wear them to the gym because... well, I just tried them on, because they looked cool and I didn't want to take them off any more. They fit perfectly and felt like being barefoot only with a little support in the right places. I LOVE them. Let's see how they will do during training. :)

Shopping List

So, my roommate and I decided that we'd give the new and improved 7-Day-Slimdown by Tone it Up a go. It's not some kind of wonder diet or anything, just a method to either get you back on track with your eating or get you in shape for an event. We're doing it to get our eating in check once again, because with all the heat, ice cream and stuff have been getting the better of us and with this you don't have to think about what you're actually eating. It's easy, effective and - most importantly - healthy. You're mostly eating vegetables and lean protein, so there's no secret as to why you're losing weight. No refined sugar, no simple carbs, actually no starchy carbs for a week. Plus you're cutting a lot of dairy products, too, which helps with bloated stomachs and so on.

Here's what my shopping cart looked like today:

and this was the grocery list:

almond butter, apples, apple juice, asparagus, bananas, bellpeppers, berries, blueberries, broccoli, cayenne pepper, chicken, cucumber, eggs, frozen veggies, grapefruit, hummus, leafy greens, mushrooms, pollock, soyy milk, spinach, stevia, tomatoes, tuna, turkey. seems healthy? at least it did to the couple behind me, who started talking about my shopping carts contents. :)

Superfoods?

There has been a lot of discussion about so called superfoods. And there seems to be some truth to the claims that some foods help the body to recover or to even change your physique. For example; there have been studies that showed that people from a test group who included nuts in their diet (think almonds, UNSALTED pistachios, cashews, peanuts, walnuts...) lost more body fat than a test group eating the exact same amount of calories only they didn't include nuts.

But how does this work? Well, they help you burn more calories from fat, decrease chronic infalmmation and increase your cells' sensitivity to insulin, or they improve your body's internal detoxification system so waste products and toxins slowing your metabolism will be eliminated more easily. Also, some foods increase your body's resting metabolic rate and support tissue renewal and repair and they help the body respond faster and better to food.

There are lots of superfoods and supplements but here's a nice list of ten superfoods for fat loss and body composition that also explains a little better how these work:

http://www.charlespoliquin.com/ArticlesMultimedia/Articles/Article/942/Top_Ten_Foods_for_Fat_Loss_Body_Composition.aspx

Running

I never thought, I'd be one of those people, but I am. :)

Yoga - Relief for Tensed Shoulders

I was suffering from some severe neck and shoulder pain these last few days and so I tried yoga to relief the stress and the pain. It really helped. I never thought that yoga could actually help me clear my mind, but it helped with that, too.

Try it, if you want to, Tara knows what she does.

OZ - The Great And Powerful

A friend and I went to see Oz the Great and Powerful. It was a great movie, not only did the make-up department do their best (my friend is an aspiring make-up artist, so she knows about these things), but also did the actors know what they were doing and the story was - basic but - good. It was one of these growth stories I relate to far too easy.

Oh. And it didn't hurt that James Franco played the title part *coughs* I'd so marry his brains. Doesn't hurt that he's good looking, either :P
And I love Mila Kunis, so there were enough reasons to go see the film. And it was totally worth the 13e we had to pay. The visual effects were fantastic and everything was so colourful and magic, it was the perfect movie for an escapist such as myself. So, go see it, if you can.
btw, I loved China Girl. She shows that strength comes in all shapes and sizes.

The Joys Of Muay Thai (or martial arts in general)

that is thaiboxing. and poledancing. Three weeks without these two and I really managed to forget - or rather suppress the memory of - how easy you get bruises. Well, back into the game, after my first poledancing and second Muay Thai class since my break, I do remember oh too well. Why can't I love sports that are less bruisy? :D
and this is just my side. My legs and arms look even better.

Motivation

Motivation can be a tricky thing. Especially if you have to fight your own demons, may they be tests, heart break, family drama or something else entirely (I've worked out through all of the above and felt better for doing so). Actually, you just have to get your butt up and to the gym. You know what to do. Go through the motions. At some point the tension fades and you can enjoy not only your workout, but life, too, again.

Morning Yoga Routine

with this short and easy yoga sequence, getting up in the morning is quite nice :)

Gym Etiquette

Don't do this. Don't be this person. Just don't. :D

Those Last Ten Pounds

So:
- skip the booze
- don't go for a deficit of more than 500 kcal
- use your common sense when it comes to what you're eating (no processed foods, whole grain, etc.)

And I'm off to a massage. Today is my recovery day, I won't do any sports, because my body is too sore and all I'd do is risk an injury. Plus, your body needs some days off to recover, to build new muscle etc. A massage is another good way to take care of your muscles, especially if you're doing a lot of working out and sports and other fitness stuff. And well, if you feel better, you have a more positive attitude toward your body. So, treat yourself and your body to something every now and then.

The Perks of Being A Coffee-Addict

I am a coffee addict. Never did I think that one day I would like, no, need coffee the way I do now. Especially not when I had my first cuppa, but nowadays I am almost unable to get out of bed without knowing that I will have a good cup of coffee.*

But there are certain stigmata and urban legends, upsides and downsides to coffee; high bloodpressure, heart diseases, and headaches are just a few medical problems linked to coffee. At the same time, coffee is said to boost your performance – physically and mentally, to boost your metabolism and to help prevent diabetes and different forms of cancer. But what is the truth about coffee?

What about all the fat and calories you consume due to your coffee habit?

A few weeks ago one of my classmates asked me if I was worried about all the fat I was consuming with my coffee. And oh man, the calories, there have to be loads of calories in something as good as coffee. This got me researching – and now writing – about the perks of being a coffee addict. And this is why I am going to start this little article with the nutritional facts.
First of all: No, I am not worried about “all that fat”, because a normal cup of coffee only has as much as 0,05g fat, about 9 kcal and 108mg of caffeine.
The carb- and fat fest only starts when you add milk, cream, sugar, flavoured syrups etc. to your coffee. Though adding some milk to your coffee does not make it high-calorie, either. A cup of coffee with a tablespoon fat free milk has 10 kcal, with 2% milk about 15 kcal. This means, from a calorie point of view, you are okay, as long as you go with a normal cup of joe and not the Starbucks (or coffee shop of your choice’s) calorie fest Extra Grande Caffee Latte Caramel Cream with chocolate sprinkles.


Ups…

One of the most obvious upsides of coffee is the 10-15% boost in your performance during a workout. This boost is due to the fact that caffeine keeps you from getting tired as fast and works as a mild analgetic (pain killer), meaning you can push yourself a little further before you start feeling sore.
Coffee also helps you concentrate, because the caffeine intercepts adenosine, the chemical that slows down your nerves and messages the need to sleep. At the same time, though, it stimulates your brain’s pleasure center by increasing the levels of the feel-good-hormone dopamine. Thus coffee makes you feel alert AND relaxed at the same time.

Good news for women: coffee also contains anti-aging anti-oxidants, quinines, that get even more potent after roasting.
Also, coffee helps ward of mental decline, Parkinson’s disease, high blood pressure, certain cancers and even extra pounds.
Every cup of coffee slashes your risk of diabetes by 7% (according to another study, 4+ cups a day cut your diabetes risk by 2/3), and 2-3 cups a day promise a 21% lower risk for heart diseases. The caffeine in coffee also helps reduce headaches and migraine (but remember that moderation is the key, otherwise you get headaches, your heartrate increases and you can be affected by insomnia).
Trigonelline, an anti-bacterial compound found in coffee, prevents dental caries. Chromium helps the body to use insuline more efficiently. And coffee releases stored fatty acids that fuel ATP-production and give you an extra kick during your workout and help your recovery.


…and Downs

But there are also certain downsides. One of the most common ones is probably the tolerance you can develop to caffeine; this means withdrawal symptoms like headaches and irritability (well, you should not talk to me before my first coffee, so I guess this is true). The more coffee you drink, the more severe the withdrawal symptoms.
Caffeine has also been linked to inflammation that might cause heart disease and diabetes. This still does not mean that caffeine actually causes the inflammation.
You can get heartburn from coffee, especially if you have a stomach that gets easily upset, you may get the jitters if you get too much coffee. And, well, coffee has a slightly diuretic effect.
“Slow metabolizers” should be careful, because they break down caffeine at a slower rate than normal people and so these slow metabolizers have a greater risk of heart disease. Normal people, however, have no problems, in their case the health benefits outweigh the risks.
Also, studies have shown that coffee, or rather caffeine, does not cause heart diseases in normal people, it might, however, trigger them in people who are already at risk for these.


And urban legends

Even though people still insist that long term consumption may lead to severe health problems, studies have shown that this is not the case. Another study has actually found out the reasons behind this assumption; smokers break down caffeine twice as fast as normal people, making them drink more coffee in turn and the health damages actually caused by their smoking are partly (and wrongly) attributed to their coffee consumption.
Even though coffee does not cause high blood pressure, it can increase the risk of arrhythmia in those prone to it and exacerbates existing conditions.
Coffee does not lead to bone loss. If you still fear it, pour a little milk into your coffee and you make up for the minimal loss of calcium.
And the last fun urban legend: you cannot overdose on coffee. You would die of the amount of consumed liquid before you even get to drink half as much caffeine needed to give yourself a caffeine poisoning. Well, isn’t that a relief?


So, in moderation, coffee s actually healthy, but what is the right dosage? Most studies and experts say that you can get about 250mg caffeine/day before you develop a dependency. This equals about two cups of normal coffee, but everyone is different, so you should just listen to your body and what it tells you.
But in the end, there are worse things to be addicted to. :)

*(it’s incredibly hard to get good coffee in Finland. I don’t mean to insult anyone, but I had to try out about 14 different blends of coffee and uncountable coffee shops before I finally found Finnish coffee that suited my German taste in coffee. Nowadays I’m either buying German coffee in bulk and importing it, or I head to Arnolds, a local coffee shop chain, and get their house blend.)

if you want to know where I got my data or just read more on the subject, here's the link list:
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/nutrition/the-benefits-of-coffee
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/nutrition/coffee-benefitshttp://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/caffeine-effects
http://www.shape.com/blogs/shape-your-life/your-daily-cup-coffee-may-be-linked-longer-lifespan
http://www.shape.com/blogs/shape-your-life/real-deal-coffee
http://www.shape.com/blogs/shape-your-life/why-coffee-and-tea-super-good-you
http://www.shape.com/blogs/shape-your-life/long-term-coffee-drinks-reduce-endometrial-cancer-risk-third
http://www.livestrong.com/article/271895-coffee-fat-cells/#ixzz2Nc6OEjz6
http://www.fatsecret.com/calories-nutrition/food/coffee/fat

Tabata, or: I'm about to puke...oh wait, I'm not.

Today I've been to my second Tabata-class ever. And it was like death in 20sec portions once again.
The main idea of Tabata is to get a high intensity interval training (HIIT) in a half hour. So you're doing one move for 20secs, rest for 10secs and repeat this 7 more times. Afterwards you get a minute's rest and then you're going on to the next move. All in all you're doing 5x8 20sec-cycles. It's... intense, as the first "I" in HIIT tells you.
The first three cycles seem okay but the latest in cycle five your muscles start to tire and it gets harder and harder. Try it with a simple move as a burpee. It feels like 20secs death during these last few cycles. Or well, I suppose death feels nicer :D

What is Tabata?

Tabata is a popular workout used by celebrities and athletes alike. As I said before, you do one move eight times for 20sec. You give it all you got. In between rounds you get to rest 10sec. After you finished the 8th round, you move on to the next move. This workout is proven to burn more fat during and after training than other, moderate group fitness classes, because your body can't get into energy saving mode.

Tabata is designed to overcome oneself and to improve one's cardio-vascular fitness and muscle fitness. It has been designed by Japanese researcher Izumi Tabata, when he compared the results of moderate and high intensity training. Even though the moderate intensity group trained five times a week for an hour and the high intensity group four times a week for 4min (!), the first group only improved their cardio-vascular fitness, whereas the second group, in spite of having trained less than the first group, had improved their strength and cardio-vascular fitness. So, the result of the research was that HIIT produced better results for athletes.

The idea of HIIT is that your training lasts 20 minutes or less (not counting warm-up), you use big muscle groups and do compound moves (using more than one muscle group at once). BUT: to reap real results, you have to really push yourself or you need a trainer that kicks your butt, so you don't turn down the intensity.
The feeling afterwards is great, you feel energized and happy thanks to the "runner's high", even though the training itself might feel like hell. So, it's really worth it!