Tag: fitness

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Green Juice, Not Just a Trend

GreenGreen juice has become a part of everyday life. It’s on almost every restaurant or coffee shop menu. It’s in the hands of your colleagues and many celebrities. But, green juice shouldn’t just be a phase you follow until the next trend. The Hulk Juice has been the superstar of my eating plans for many years because the benefits stand the test of time and aren’t just seen or felt as a trend.

You may know that green juice is good for you, but do you know why you should drink it and what it actually does in your body?

The Hulk Juice is filled with vitamins and nutrients that is absorbed into the bloodstream and transported to various parts of the body immediately. Your body doesn’t need to break down the juice, so you’re giving your digestive system a mini-break.

Immune Boost, After One Glass
It’s filled with antioxidants and phytonutrients which help to resist damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals are not good, they weaken and burden our immune systems. The Hulk Juice also boosts gut health, which ends up improving your immune system as well because part of it is located in the gut. It works in the gut by assisting microorganisms to absorb nutrients in order to be strong enough to protect us against disease. It also alleviates constipation and regulates bowel movements. The regular bowel movements is also due to green juice’s detoxification properties.

Detox Made Easy
The body is designed to detox itself, but drinking green juice actually helps the natural detoxification process. It also supports the various stages of detoxing by ensuring that the body has the required nutrients to clear out toxins. It also improves the health and function of the liver; which is responsible for detoxification. The result of the detoxification is a less bloated stomach, reduction in cellulite and a clearer complexion.

The full body spring clean also touches the reproductive organs which improves your fertility. Hulk Juice is also great during pregnancy and postpartum recovery.

Glow Inside-Out with this Beauty Elixir
The effect of what’s happening on the inside is seen on the outside. Hulk Juice slows down the aging process making you appear more youthful. Your complexion will clear, your skin will glow and your eyes will become brighter. The ingredients also improves the health of your nails and hair. The vast beauty benefits of green juice is also due to hydration and its rich concentration of Vitamin C, Antioxidants and Vitamin E.

Boost Your Energy the Green Way
Not only will you SEE the effects of the body detoxing, but you will also FEEL them. You will feel healthier, lighter and more energetic. Hulk Juice is a great start the day and is the perfect snack when you have energy slump as it gives you an instant boost. In addition to these benefits, the Hulk Juice recipe found in the Glow Cleanse e-books also boosts your electrolyte levels, helps alleviate stomach cramps and nausea and acts as a natural antibiotic.

It’s a Family Affair
Kids will benefit from the addition of veggies during growth and development. Teens will benefit from the natural energy it provides. The elderly will also benefit from it as assists to alleviate some of the ailments that they may be faced with.

Hulk Juice also helps prevent or lower chronic illnesses, helps fight cholesterol and is anti-inflammatory which may prevent blood clots. It can also help them digest much-needed nutrients, especially for the elderly who are beginning to lose their appetite, which can happen as we age. Research also indicates that drinking green juice every day helps keep the heart healthy and regulates blood pressure and blood sugar levels.Hulk Juice also helps with cell regeneration has cancer-fighting properties, helps to shed weight and reduces inflammation in the body. It also aids in the production of red blood cells, assists the blood to transport oxygen better and can even help treat anaemia.

The Hulk Juice increases, your family’s intake of veggies and greens, especially if you’re not eating enough of these nutrients. With that said, having a Hulk Juice is not about drinking your greens instead of eating it. Ensure that you are eating enough veggies and greens.

Now that you are more informed about what’s in your green glass, hopefully when you drink it you can visualise these benefits entering your life. If you want to take these Hulk benefits forward and capitalise on alkalising your nutrition, I’d suggest following the entire Glow Cleanse, which is inflammatory-free (i.e. gluten and dairy free), which is perfect for the entire family.

Share your green journey with me. I love to hear it. Pop us an email at info@rushtush.com

Love,

Rushda  

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QUICK TRUTHS on How To Lose Belly Fat by Rushda

1. How does a diet help in losing belly fat?

I strongly dislike the word ‘diet’, I prefer the term ‘lifestyle guideline’, but yes a structured eating plan of controlled calories will result in fat loss over time. Time is the most important factor here, which is why I stress on the term lifestyle.

The aim of a diet is to re train the mind to develop good habits over a long period of time, and hopefully forever. This is how one decreases fat. Note that you cannot target fat loss areas. Your body will shave off fat from everywhere. Although there are definitely ways to get a more toned flat tummy. Start by cutting out processed foods. I call it fake food. Go back to basics, eat your macros (proteins, fats and carbohydrates) as they were intended by God. Keep it clean and simple, enjoy real food, eating healthy is fun and exciting. Over the years humans have complicated food and drink. Drink plenty of water. Cut out sugars.

2. What are the best exercises to lose your belly fat?

Many people think that toning your mid section and achieving a flat stomach has everything to do with ab routines. Remember your waist and abs are muscles and if you train them hard enough, you create trauma and following trauma is growth. So you could create a thicker more swollen mid section if you don’t know what you’re doing and most importantly negligent with your nutrition. These are my 5 TIPS on how to beat the bloat and drop body fat.

1. Make a healthy shopping list, have your menu and meals planned for the next few days. This makes healthy eating and snacking easier.

2. Exercise mindful eating. Less stress and emotional eating. Address your trigger and manage your emotions better. Eat when you are hungry, not needy.

3. Eat smaller portions. Don’t have seconds. Eat until comfortable, not full.

4. Cardio 4-5 p/ week. Examples of cardio: Brisk walking, jogging, running, hiking, dancing, cycling, skipping, swimming, yoga, boxing.

5. Weight training at least twice per week. Full body workouts operating at moderate to high intensity. This will add muscle mass onto the body and burn fat even when you’re not in the gym.

TRAIN WITH RUSHTUSH here https://apps.apple.com/za/app/rushtushfit/id1484784716 only available for iPhone at the moment. Android version drops end of September.

3. What nutrition advice do you have to maintain a flat belly?

1. Try to eat lean protein at every meal. It will keep you fuller for longer and help you add muscle. We lose muscle as we age, even if we are keeping active. We need to put in the work to maintain our bodies strength and prevent us from falling apart. It’s not only about having a tight mid section. Healthy eating should go beyond the aesthetic and address longevity.

2. Load up on your GREENS. Try to eat GREENS everyday. Spinach, green beans, broccoli, asparagus, brussell sprouts.

3. Hot water with lemon upon rising is a great way to feel energized and regular.

4. Avoid anything that is a liquid that’s not water lol. Juice, fizzy drinks, “health drinks,” and even miracle shakes. It’s all a set up. Enjoy a herbal tea, I have been loving Detox Tea blends with licorice root, fennel, mint, ginger, dandelion and the mixes!

5. You may be hungry if you’re not getting enough protein in. Make sure you supplement with a good quality whey protein. Make sure you trust the brand, I would recommend Rushtush Whey, which comes in a 350gm bag, in flavours chocolate and original. Also consider adding a collagen supplement to your daily diet. Rushtush Collagen is pure protein and provides 17gm of protein per serving.

4. What advice can you give for new moms on how to get their belly fat back to pre pregnancy?

Wrapping and binding your belly post partum is so important. I wrapped and slept in spanx. Your skin has gradually been stretching for 10 months, it will take time to shrink back to what it was before. Over time the bloatedness will leave you just hang in there.

Get moving asap. Listen to what your body says, don’t be afraid to do some movement, the road to recovery is gentle, all you need to do is start! I started with light weight movements, moving throughout the body before I started aggressive cardio.

I also have MOMMA GLOW DIET for NURSING MOMS, that will assist with mothers to get their healthy eating back on track. http://rushtush.co.za/shop/glow-guides/breastfeeding-diet/

If you are not nursing, then my Glow Cleanse is the 8 week nutrition cleanse your body needs. available here: http://rushtush.co.za/shop/glow-guides/glow-cleanse/

To lean out even further once you’ve completed the Glow Cleanse, Momma Glow and Winter Glow a few times, Naked Glow is the one for you for lifestyle long term maintenance. You can shop this here https://rushtush.com/product/the-naked-glow/

Love Rush

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Rush, what are YOUR body goals?

Although my business is helping you achieve your body goals, I’m often asked what I am training for and the goals I have for my body. My desires for my aesthetic is pretty much where I want it to be. Yes, I’m not the most buff, the most ripped and the fittest ever, but for me, I’m just right. Some people may have just started following me, or maybe come on to Rushtush the last couple of months. You might not be aware that the way that I train and the volume of training I do is in fact just who I am. I’m not training to achieve anything specific. I train for peace of mind, therapy, release, endorphins and to enjoy myself. It’s part of who I am. Through the past ten years and some more, I’ve evolved with my thinking of what I expect from my body. I’ve evolved in my idea of what my body should look like. I’ve stopped forcing my body to be what it does not want to be. I’ve done crossfit style training, I’ve been a runner, I’ve put in some bodybuilding work, been religious with my Muay Thai, and then boxing, I mean I’ve also been a yogi. All of these phases and styles have highly impacted the way I understand what womens bodies react too and adapt too and how we feel about what we look like.

Striving for a physique that doesn’t exist will stand in the way of your happiness and gratitude for your able body. Body types: Some women have high hips and broad shoulders, other women have fuller upper bodies and carry more belly fat than others. We all have different genetics and racial builds, and often a mix of some. It might sound like common sense to many, but I need to make sure I’m highlighting all the factors, so we can cancel out most of the struggle so many women are chasing. Hormones: Some women have more natural testosterone and therefore appear more lean as its easier to display athleticism. For example I can do 100 pushups and bench every day of the week. Yes I’ll be super strong, but my upper body just won’t appear as toned. But, my legs look insane on the daily. Functional Training: We need to fortify our bodies yes, and it doesn’t mean we have weak imbalances just because the aesthetic isn’t visible. For example you can have a strong core but no visible ab definition. That is purely body fat percentage, also the length of your actual torso lol. If you’re incorporating functional training int your weight lifting schedule you will definitely see tone. If you don’t know where and HOW to START I wrote this guide for you: https://rushtush.com/product/newbie-body/

I’ve always loved lifting heavy weights. To maintain a lean, natural but strong physique I don’t have to lift heavy weights often at all to achieve this. Especially because I am very short. My quads, back, forearms and shoulders grow wide very quickly. This is the main reason why incorporate so much body weight movement and odd lifting into my routines. I hardly get the time to do the cardio I’d like to do, because I have other priorities now. I’d rather snuggle with my kid than be on the treadmill. Get an extra hour of conversation with my son before I rush to get cardio in before my sessions. I’m doing enough for my body right now, so when I train I have to do the most. I also love doing the most when I do what I do. My body goals aren’t so much about a certain aesthetic, it is about how fast and light I feel with the right amount of power in the speed I’m operating. Feeling powerful in my own body is what I’m after. Obviously as we age we become a lot slower, and thats okay. I’m not the fastest. But I feel pretty fit when I’m going fast. I can wake up at any day of the week after not having run the mountain or done sprints in the beach in ages, to comfortably achieve a pleasurable fitness experience, no matter what I decide to do with my body. My recovery is excellent. I can go and go and go for days on end. Being your fittest means recovery is a gem. This is also what I’m after. This for me is body goals. I don’t compare myself to anyone else. I haven’t walked in another’s shoes, I don’t know what she sacrificed and did to get to walk in those shoes. We all have our own story and journey, and things unfold and become priorities at different times in our lives, that too is okay. I just wanna feel lekker, be injury free and happy when I train. I want to move well and accurate while enjoying every breathe in this body. That is goals for me! Its just a bonus that I look as good as I feel!

Love Your Coach, Rush xoxox

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Maintaining your Sexy During the Holidays

We trained hard all year, some over several years, we ate all our protein and green veg, drank all our hulk juice, only for our routines in the office to take a pause and festivities to take over. This means less time in the gym and more time with family and friends. Catching up over cocktails and mocktails snacks upon snack and preparing all the traditional meals families love. In this article I’ll be covering MY APPROACH to the holidays lol and then also WHAT YOUR APPROACH TO STAYING SEXY should be. These are techniques and strategies I use and live by. Depending on where I am in may life, I use what is relevant to me. There is no all or nothing approach. We need to adapt and evolve.

My Approach:

I’ve booked myself off on a sabbatical since November, so I’ve been on vacay for almost two months already lol. Naturally training is part of my life so that was never going to stop. But I also just needed a break from my routine. I did not derail my eating, but I’ve made a point to enjoy experiences, especially on my holiday in London. Even though my sabbatical is more focused on me resting more than training, these are my tips on how to travel healthy.

Travelling Healthy:

1. Pack running / training shoes and socks
2. Pack 2 x pairs of workout tights, 2 x long sleeve tops and 2 x bra built in vests
3. Buy washing powder on arrival so you can wash your training kit and alternate outfits
4. Pack in mobile running strap and ear phones
5. I always take my GREEN VIBRANCE POWDER with. You can get sachets or any green powder, the Green Vibrance is my favourite. I’ll have it with some water on my trip or add to 1/3 of a green juice I could find at the shops. You’ll be surprised how easy it is to locate green juice. Just watch out for high fruit content. Most of them don’t compromise mostly of leafy greens like spinach, kale and celery and will have more pear, apple and pineapple varieties. I use what I can find and I’ll add water to 1/3 of a juice and will save the rest.
6. Have 1 Green Vibrance / Green Powder Tonic and Green Juice mix per day. This will be ONE of your meals. This is a strategy I use to keep myself in check.
7. Make sure you have control over all your meals, and plan your eating schedule ahead. When travelling with a bigger family group you’re not always in control of your eating because everyone has different demands. Make sure you factor in eating a heavy meal, by keeping your other meals light on the day during holiday. Don’t get set up by spending your entire vacation held hostage by others eating needs. If you don’t want to eat a big breakfast, learn to say no thank you. Family members understand that ones personal health is now a priority for many, more so than ever before. I always packed my boiled eggs from my holiday brekkie to carry over into a lunchtime snack. This way I had space to eat a decent dinner. After all I am on holiday.
8. Don’t fall into the self sabotaging myth of “but I’ll be walking so much on holiday!” I can eat what I want. No you cannot. Be kind to your body and give it the nutrition it deserves. Your body isn’t a rubbish bun.
9. You don’t need to eat EVERYTHING on your plate. Its okay to eat until you are comfortable not until you are stuffed. Get a takeaway.
10. Google / Insta Google lol local gyms. Try out a new class nearby, yoga studio or a new concept. If you’re going to Thailand, why not seek out a Muai Thai gym? If you’re heading to Europe, there will always be new concept gyms and hype training styles we haven’t experienced yet in SA. If the views are breathtaking schedule in a hike.
11. City Location (no hotel gym): What I usually do is run for 30 minutes away from my location and turn around on 30. Lol run done for the day.
12. Resort Gym: depends on my mood, I’ll do treadmill work, incline walk, flat run, jog, sprints total 30 minutes. Then I’ll do a top up weights, medium weight, 12-15 reps 2 sets, because I’m lazy. Just something to let the muscle know its still there. Nothing too aggressive. I love traditional deadlifts, 1 leg deads, bent over rows, squat variations, plank rows, shoulder presses and tricep extensions. I like to look lean on holiday and I don’t want my muscles getting too stimulated and puffy because I’ll be eating a lot carbs.

What happens if you don’t have a nanny and your trainer is on holiday? UGH. I hate not having my scheduled sessions booked in my diary. I thrive on routine. No one fuxks with my session times, but me. PLAN AHEAD. I make sure I either arrange a family member or I do a run on the promenade where I can take Haydar in his jogger pram or take him to V Club. I call on friends and clients and book runs with them. This way I know I will get it in. I schedule trail runs with my husband, he will make sure I get on that mountain. But more importantly, he prefers me when I’m on a steady consistent training rhythm as I’m just so much more pleasant and lovely. Lately I’ve been very sick and have rested to get my health back. Sometimes, for some, rest is more valuable than time in the gym.

TIPS FOR THE HOLIDAYS
1. You don’t have to EAT EVERYTHING YOU SEE. Be selective.
2. Wake up early and work out even for 30 minutes in the lounge. If you don’t know what to do YOUTUBE. If you need help I have my BODYWEIGHTSERIES WORKOUTS available for Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced. You don’t even need weights
3. Never skip a Green Juice as a meal.
4. If you’re on Naked Glow you can even do OFF DAYS for two days, then one STRICT DAY. OFF DAYS on Naked Glow are better than ROGUE DAYS. If you don’t have Naked Glow you can get it here.
5. Arrange a hike or a fitness family day with family members.
6. Always ensure there are salads and greens at family functions. Always take your own, just in case. You don’t need to eat bread and other starch. You don’t need to do anything you don’t want too.
7. Its okay too be hungry. Its not long until your next meal. Try to get comfortable with the idea of not always needing to be full. Consider intermittent fasting, especially if your meal was heavy the night before. You wont die of hunger. Everything will be okay.
8. Don’t restrict yourself too much and be too strict on your lifestyle. There is no need to be hard on yourself. Causing stress over missed sessions only leads to an unhealthy obsession with working out. It also increases your cortisol levels which makes it difficult for you to lose weight anyway. Life is short and you’re meant to be happy on whatever “diet” you are following. Your journey is meant to be enjoyed and should be one of longevity. Intense courses of deprivation will only lead to a negative relationship with food and yo yo dieting. Be flexible, because soon the festive season is over and we are back into our routines!

Happy holidays and enjoy it!
Love Rush

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Is there a cut off time to eat at night?

I often get asked, “Rush when is the latest I can eat? I’m working / studying late / I’m on a night shift, will my ‘diet’ still be effective?” Yes. Somewhere along the line people got brainwashed into thinking if you eat your carbs at night it’s going to get stuck. Many have the thinking that because we are less active in the evenings, that this theory could be true? For whatever reason, I’m here to tell you it aint true!

The problem with late night eating is we are often indulging in high calorie foods late at night. Ask yourself, am I eating for comfort? Stress? Is it a habit to have something sweet before bed? Address emotional and habitual eating issues first, before beating yourself up about “sticking to diets.” My advice here would be to replace unhealthy snacking and meals with healthier options, or omit a snack altogether and start new rituals and habits. Some hot water with lemon, herbal tea and a catch up with a family member. Meditating, praying, reading or watching your favorite show. There are many things to do beside mindless eating.

What happens after you eat any meal? Your stomach is filled with food and water. You have a food baby, right? This is going to happen any time of the day that you decide to eat. DUH. Unless you’re Beyonce on world tour performing in a leotard, only then are you going to eat teeny tiny meals throughout the day. This is not functional for many. It is normal to be a bit bloated after a meal. It is normal to feel heavy. This natural occurrence won’t affect your result over all.

CALORIE ALLOWANCE & TECHNOLOGY
I don’t want to get technical here. I don’t want you to measure, track, log or weigh your food. That is madness. I do however think when you are educating yourself on what foods carry what weight in the calorie department it is a fantastic way to learn about calories. Balancing your calorie expenditure vs your calorie intake is no way to live. Many people get caught up in how many calories did I reach today? How many calories did I burn today? Tracking absolutely everything can have a negative affect on your long-term stress for many reasons. We are so quick to turn to technology to give us answers that we completely unlearn ourselves. What is your heart rate? Are you reaching it? Are you recovered? Are you in the safe zone? You need to be present and alive in your body, listen to it and adjust yourself appropriately. Knowing when you are full, listening to specific cravings and performing moderately in the gym are things we need to be in tune with within ourselves. We don’t need apps and technology to track our worth.

A TYPICAL DAY
If you’re observing a healthy diet on any given day, it doesn’t matter what time you eat what. You need to look at your total days worth of meals, snacks and drinks. If you’re controlled with your eating and you’ve been diligent with exercise and movement, there is no need to be concerned with what time you eat what meal. It’s not going to matter. Your body doesn’t know what the time is. Your metabolism will act the same in the morning, as it would at night. Yes in the morning your stomach is its flattest, you will feel your lightest. This is because you had a night of ‘fasting’ ie sleep. Lol. So you will feel light. Address your gut and your digestion and that will only ensure that you are regular throughout the course of the day. If you feel “fat” by the end of the day you are eating the incorrect food for your body and your digestive system is whack. Eating allergens that cause inflammation in the gut is a culprit here too. If you eat whole natural foods, have enough water and get movement in, you wont feel sluggish, heavy, bloated. Food should be used as fuel and pass through your system efficiently. If you don’t know what to eat, start with a CLEANSE, to teach you how your body responds to whole foods. Check out my two CLEANSES here http://rushtush.co.za/shop/glow-guides/glow-cleanse/and http://rushtush.co.za/shop/glow-guides/winterglow/ for a detailed plan.

LOOK AT THE BIGGER PICTURE
Don’t forget its not about ONE DAY. Its about a collective of days, for how long can you repeat those days? That’s what yields results. For me, I like to look at my day as a whole. Then I look at my week. Roughly I know which days my body will require more nutrients. I know which dates I’m going on with friends to enjoy a meal I’ve been wanting to eat, and which days will be physically and emotionally draining. Those days I need more. For the rest of my meals and snacks I’m to the point clean. You need to be real, honest and relaxed about this journey. If you added 8-10kgs over years, you cant expect to lose it in a few days or weeks. You need to enjoy the journey, discover your healthy side and eat a few meals at night without sweating it. You will still achieve results, over time, focus on the bigger picture.

Happy holidays and enjoy it!
Love Rush

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I want to GET FIT but I don’t know where to START? By Rushda Moosajee

START AT HOME, like I did.

How to build a home gym

You don’t need to have a membership to START a fitness change. All you need is yourself, some space and a plan. If the weather isn’t favorable for an outdoor mission, don’t fret, your lounge and a playlist will do. You can start off with BODYWEIGHT movements and exercises. Try collecting odd dumbbells from siblings and family members. Buy a pilates ball, a medicine ball, ankle weights and even a kettlebell, if you’re planning on getting serious. I love a jump rope, they’re so affordable as well. None of this equipment will ever go to waste. A training inventory is essential in every household!

HOW DO I START?

CREATE A VISION BOARD

Build your visual, your mood board. Be realistic. Don’t compare yourself to other people. It’s all about focusing on traits, elements that you envision for yourself. It’s not about becoming someone else. Its about creating a better, stronger, fitter and healthier you. Be very specific about the visuals you use.

DRAW UP A SCHEDULE

Drawing up my workout schedule for the week gave me butterflies, every single time. Planning out the days you would do WEIGHTS, REST and CARDIO will give you a clear outline what is required bare minimum. Setting small goals week by week build in second nature habits for the rest of your life. It also puts your schedule into perspective. Am I training too much? Am I resting enough? Is this unrealistic? Will it create self-loathing if I don’t make my sessions? These are questions we often overlook. Don’t be over ambitious. Do what you can. Training too much is counter-productive and very unhealthy to anyone’s goals. Also learn to be flexible. Being too rigid can create more stress. We want happy stress free carefree babes.

DRAW UP YOUR WORKOUT

Know exactly what you’re going to do before you get there. Before you enter the gym or start your workout make sure you have a plan. Even I draw up a small workout on my phone. Why go to the supermarket without a list, then get home and cook off the method? It is vital to stick to rep ranges and sets, set out for the workout and the day. Congratulations for working out and getting to the gym yes, but even your workouts need structure and progression. If you’re unsure on how to do this I’ve drawn up NEWBIE BODYhttp://rushtush.co.za/shop/glow-guides/newbiebodytrainingguide/ If you are working without weights especially at home or on travel I’ve drawn up BODYWEIGHSTERIES to help http://rushtush.co.za/product-category/bodyweight-series/ it features Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced workouts.

Better yet, download the RushTushFit app and train with me virtually, It’s like having me in your pocket, ready to train you anywhere, anytime. My Beginner’s programme is a strong base programme that will help you establish the fundamentals and set you up for the rest of your fitness journey. Android launches end of October.

ONCE I GET STARTED,

How long should my workouts be?

30-45 minutes is enough. From start to finish. 30 minute workouts should be more intense. Consistency is better than intensity. I would prefer my clients trained consistently over a long period of time, rather than too intensely for a short period of time with many breaks in between. Training intensely for 90 minutes and doubling up on sessions only causes stress on the body, disrupts sugar levels in the body and cause hormone imbalances.

How often should I weight train to see results? What do I do for the rest of the week?

Twice per week weight lifting at a very intense and structured program is perfect. The rest of the week should be cardio, fitness and mind workouts. For me running outside is considered mind and cardio. Biskop would be fitness. Boxing would be fitness and upper body. Trail running falls under mind and body. Best results for females would be training split body parts twice per week. This gives the muscles enough time to grow and recover to reap optimum muscle definition. I prefer splitting legs with glutes and then upper body and abs. All workouts are functional with a few isolated free weight movements. 2 x WEIGHT sessions, 2 x CARDIO sessions, 1 x FITNESS session and 1 x MIND session = 6 sessions out of a 7 day week. is more than enough. If you’re looking to trim down and your body bulk is your biggest concern, then CARDIO & FULL BODY workouts should be your focus.

How long before I see results?

12 weeks of consistent training. If you miss a day here and there, catch a cold or just taking care of your health, its no big deal, just start every day new. Get back on the track. after 1 week you will feel the difference but only after 2 months (8 weeks) you will start to see a physical change. A significant difference will occur after 3 months. You should look at 500g of healthy weight loss per week. Give yourself a chance in your new routine before you give up and throw in the towel, saying “things aren’t working!” the magic happens day after day. Give yourself a chance. *TIP* take before pictures. Front, back and sides. Make collages and compare your progress.

If you feel you need more help, beyond kicking it on your own. I’m more than happy to help.

Love Rush

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Bleeding/Spotting While Pregnant

I like to believe I’m an expert at MY life. I mean if I’m not then who is? But I’ve never been pregnant before. I also haven’t bled while pregnant before, until, the eve of my 12week mark. Spotting while pregnant is a lot more common than most women are aware of. Of course it is not an ideal situation. It’s a serious situation that needs immediate medical attention. Bleeding and especially fresh red blood can be associated with miscarriage. Miscarriages also do happen, a lot more often than we think. People often say that miscarriages are more common nowadays because of the stressful and demanding lifestyles we lead. I honestly think, that our mothers and their mothers never really spoke about those types of things. We on the other hand are a generation comfortable with talking about sex, pms symptoms and our period. So it would make sense we would hear about these occurrences. I do believe that health, weight, stress and living conditions play an important role in growing healthy babies. But that being said, there are many homeless, poorly fed and intoxicated moms who bear children too. Life is ultimately in Gods hands and he knows best.

I discovered I was 5 weeks pregnant at the height of my summer fitness. I periodise my training or go through phases, as one should, you can’t just chase a peak all year. This is very different to changing your mind on what you’re doing in the gym or on the road etc. I put in the same types of work all year, for all the years. The only thing that changes is intensity and frequency. From conception of the bean I was putting in the most sessions in the gym and with my boxing coach and outdoors. My fitness was peaking and my running was pretty strong. Keep in mind I wouldn’t consider myself a runner, but high intensity bouts is my jam. Moving at speed and not for long at all. The last time I ran 21kms was 8 years ago. I’m just not interested in being on my legs for that long. I also don’t like big crowds of people and I hate taking myself so seriously. I just want to be alone and free, but little did I know my bean was living his fittest life too.

Bleeding after intense training is also very common amongst non-expecting girls and women. It’s happened to me before, 7/8 years ago when my training focused on heavy power lifts. I did some crazy lifts in a session once and I bled immediately after, it was more of a fresh spotting and that was it. I knew that my body didn’t want to lift that kind of weight under that intensity, so I didn’t repeat that.

I continued running, in the mountain and smashing stairs, all the while I took it easy, running behind my girls and holding myself back. Always concerned and worried about nonsense I had read and the silly things that people have said. This is after all my first time at the rodeo. Until one Saturday I climbed Platteklip Gorge with my girls, we were about to do one of my fave express contour runs. I was so frustrated that day – my emotions got the best of me and I smashed the trail and flew down the cable car steps. ‘Flew” is an expression I use when I’m hardly touching the ground but “moering” my way lol. The wind was howling and I ran back on the road to the car at a speed. For the rest of the day I had violent cramps, I rested until the next evening. I found I had bled a large amount of old blood. I was admitted overnight to the hospital. Thankfully, all praise to the Highest, the baby is alive and healthy. I was spotting old blood for the next few days and I definitely felt internal trauma. I’m so used to living in pain, being bound with muscle that I have a high pain threshold and I always push through – because time heals all, right? Internal bleeding is a sign of internal trauma. Trauma to one’s internal organs brought on by external activity is not very smart. Although running is not a contact activity the jarring down the mountain and the intensity I was performing at caused an internal rupture. Never to be repeated again. LOL. The only time I didn’t feel completely ill, moody, seasick, tired and drunk for the first 11 weeks was when I was TRAINING. Some days it was all I wanted to do because it was the only thing that settled me. Even light movement on the elliptical for 20 minutes made me feel like I wasn’t in the tumble drier.

I’ve stuck to the rest of my routine, kettlebells, light weight, body weight, skipping, fat burning cardio, boxing (no sparring of course), cables and free weights etc. I’m going to save my high intensity cardio work for November. I’m not perfect and I never said I was going to try to be. I don’t live by any books. I write my own story, and in this chapter I made a mistake. First of the many mistakes I’m still going make in the next couple of months. Mistakes that will become insignificant when I make bigger fuck ups as a parent. So what. Like I said many women do bleed… the first question the Doctors and nurses asked was if I had sexual intercourse. Apparently that is a commonly associated with bleeding in pregnancy. A family member told me that she had pushed her bed in her first pregnancy, which led to her spotting. I guess we all need to find our new physical limits and survive within that. Deal with what we have too, work with what we can and still make it look easy. Because the benefits of that snore fest that is a 60 minute cardio session on that elliptical or treadmill, far out weighs sitting on the couch moping about what you cannot do for the next few months. Adapt or die. There is middle ground in all the highlights of our lives. Don’t just stop completely because your doctor was born in the stone ages. Don’t grow a baby in fear because you heard a horrible story. The benefit of basic movement goes beyond anything terrible you can imagine.

HAPPY MOM = HAPPY BABY (rushtush:2017)

Yours in Health & Fitness
Rush xx