Month: August 2023

Do it, In Ten! The new Pick n Mix series is here! This September, I am launching a brand new, ten-minutes only, workout series on my platform. From now members will have access to an exclusive new series to kick start their exercise following the summer break.

For many this is the first week back to work or school after the long holidays and the first time exercise is back on the agenda. The ‘In Ten; Pick n Mix’ series will be available for women looking to build strength and find a routine following the summer months. 

I am always looking for new solutions to help my members hit their goals and be consistent with their exercise habits. I have therefore created the In Ten series to knock down the barriers for those women struggling with low motivation and overwhelmed by the commitment of longer class lengths. Research has shown that short sharp workouts really are as effective if not more so than longer length sessions and are ideal for keeping focus & boosting mental health too (take a look at my previous blog on this here).

This series makes exercise accessible and achievable for everyone – in shorter bitesize sessions – all of which can be completed in the comfort of home, without much equipment and expensive gym memberships. 

Workouts consist of just ten minutes of exercise, working different muscle groups each session. I have released all ten new, Pick n Mix In Ten sessions at once for you to complete in your own time. They can be done as one singular activity or stacked, to create longer workouts based on your needs. The In Ten workouts can be selected at your choosing and repeated whenever suits you – think of it as the Pick n Mix of the exercise world! Due to the length of the sessions they will keep you focussed and motivated – shorter workouts add variety and there isn’t time to find an excuse!

For many, starting something new can at times feel overwhelming. With the In Ten series, there’s nothing to lose and yet so much to gain. Below are just some of the incredible benefits associated with strength training.

• Increases bone density: post-menopausal women are at greater risk of osteoporosis due to the drop in oestrogen, weight training stimulates new bone growth to counteract this.
• Aids weight management: when you train with weights you build lean muscle which increases your metabolism, burning more calories over the day post workout.
• Boosts mood: strength training releases the endorphins helping relieve anxiety and stress and putting you in a great mood.
• Reduces the risk of heart disease and diabetes: strength training has been proven to aid cardiovascular health to help reduce the risk of heart related conditions.

This feels like a really exciting and accessible series for the platform.I hope the In Ten series provides a solution for many, squeezing in shorter workouts throughout the week but still gaining all the benefits of strength exercise.

Sign up using the code picknmix20 for a 20% discount for your first month of membership to the entire Caroline’s Circuits platform including the Do it, In Ten series.

This is a question I get all the time – what is the best time of day to workout, so this week we are talking morning vs evening workouts…spoiler alert it really doesn’t matter! A lot of it is down to personal preference and when you can guarantee you can commit to being consistent and getting it done. There are definitely pros and cons of both morning and evenings for workouts but for me it is definitely the morning that wins.

Both morning and evening workouts require discipline and motivation to get them done and make sure they don’t get bumped down the to do list. First off let’s talk mornings…

Morning workouts have been proven to boost energy and alertness levels throughout the day, you benefit from the post-exercise endorphin release all day and can put you in a better mood to start the day. Working out in the morning does usually mean that other distractions such as work, socialising, cooking dinner, laundry and the rest don’t get in the way and cause the workout to be missed. That said, if you’re getting up super early to fit in a morning workout you might be cutting short your sleep which is vital for recovery as well as mental wellbeing. Did you know that 45% of women choose to workout in the morning rather than the evening? Furthermore, on average women who worked out in the morning completed more workouts than those who opted for the evening (from TreadMill Survey).

Evening workouts definitely have their benefits too. You don’t necessarily have a tight time scale in the evening meaning you might be able to fit in a slightly longer workout (as you’re not rushing to finish in time for work or school run) so perhaps you could fit in that core finisher or a longer cool down? Some studies have reported that people found they could train harder in the evenings vs mornings, although this did vary between strength and cardio. This may in turn help you sleep – if you’re training a little harder and not getting up quite as early to train pre-work you might just find your sleep quality improves. In contradiction, some people report that workouts too late in the evening will result in an inability to switch off and they end up going to bed later. In addition it can be harder to be consistent in the evenings due to other commitments. 

So the true answer to this is to do whatever works best for you! If working out in the morning is going to help you be consistent then go for it, if it’s the evening then definitely do that. The difference in performance is so minimal, that it really doesn’t matter. So my take home message is that consistency is key! 

Let me know what works best for you – get in touch.

Caroline x

Struggling to stick to your normal routine whilst in the midst of summer holidays? Do you find you’re juggling work, children, holidays and socialising and the thing that keeps slipping is your exercise? Don’t worry, I’ve got you. Do you think you could find time for a 15 minute full body sculpt blast? 

The best part about it is that it is all body weight – no equipment needed at all so you can run out into the garden (if the rain allows!) and do it quickly or a speedy session by the pool on holiday. It will be over and done with before you know it and you’ll feel amazing afterwards. 

This is a HIIT workout so it’s high intensity for short high energy bursts with a short rest period before moving onto the next exercise. This format is great for short, sharp workouts as it is varied, you don’t get bored of the exercises and it’s a real metabolism booster as you continue to burn calories long after the workout has finished. 

This workout has been a real hit with my members this summer and I have been sent some fab videos of my lovely members from all around the world completing this workout in all sorts of different locations, so I thought I would open it up for everyone to try. It is part of my 15 minute summer express series which launched in June and is available in the membership hub alongside the weekly classes. 

Have a go and try the class for free here.

Let me know how you get on with it.

Caroline x

A new piece of research has been released which reveals that isometric exercises are more effective at preventing high blood pressure than a run, a walk or a cycle. This sounds great but what does it actually mean? 

First of all, what is an isometric exercise? These are exercises which involve holding the body in a fixed position with no muscle or joint movement at all. So, examples would include a plank, a wall sit, a squat hold or box plank. One of the best things about isometric exercises is that they require no equipment and you really can do them anywhere, at any time.

The study from Canterbury Christchurch University in Kent suggests that doing 4 sets of 2 minute isometric exercises 3 times per week is effective, provided the exercises are performed with good form. Of course, the benefits of resistance training like this go much further than just blood pressure, they include improved bone health, strengthening muscles, boosting immunity and of course the mood enhancing bonus.

So, whilst these exercises are very beneficial when performed with good form they are also some of the moves most commonly performed incorrectly. So, let’s have a quick look at how to access the power of the plank and what you need to do to create the perfect wall sit! 

Plank – this can be either a forearm plank or a high plank, the principle of both is the same. The key is to have a nice, straight, strong back and core without your hips in the air! So the key steps to perfect this are:

• Engage the core, pull the belly button to the spine
• Squeeze the glutes
• Lift through the quads
• Shoulders back and down
• Neutral head position – try not to drop the head or look up too much
• Think straight line from shoulders to hips to knees to ankles
• And don’t forget to breathe!

Now what about a wall sit…these are just like a squat but up against a wall. The key here again is to engage the core and get low enough!

• Make sure the back is pushed against the wall (don’t let the lower back arch forwards)
• Weight is in the heels 
• Get down low to have a 90 degree angle at the knees so the thighs are parallel to the floor 
• Make sure the knees don’t fall in
• Nice deep breaths! And try to resist the hands resting on the legs.

Now don’t panic if you can’t immediately jump into a perfect 2 minute plank! The most important thing, as I always say, is consistency. Keep practising. Planks are brilliant for building upper body strength and will really help with lots of other compound exercises such as your press ups. Wall squats will similarly help with your lower body strength! These are the perfect exercises to tack onto the end of a workout too as a  finisher. 

Let me know how you get on, as always please do get in touch!

Caroline x

There are so many reasons why I love TRX training, anyone who knows me will know I am a big fan! Read on to find out why! TRX suspension training is resistance training with your body weight and is proven to improve total body strength, core stability and heart health. So here are my top ten reasons you should give TRX training a go…

1. Great for all fitness levels – TRX training really is for everyone. There are loads of modifications to all of the exercises you can do with this piece of equipment. You can use your whole body weight by being suspended or for a gentler workout you can use the TRX for greater support and adopt more of a standing position as you build strength and fitness.
2. It’s different to other workouts – unlike conventional resistance training with weights where you challenge yourself by increasing the weight/number of reps/sets, with TRX the slightest shift in body position can dramatically increase your workout intensity!
3. It hits your core hard – almost every exercise you do with the TRX activates your core muscles. Research has shown that many TRX exercises show greater core activation than when performing these exercises without.
4. Low risk and low impact – a lot of the exercises focus on mobility and flexibility whilst building strength. The exercises are gentle on the joints and do pose lower risk than many other forms of exercise because they are very low impact.
5. There’s no denying it, TRX training builds muscle. It is a form of resistance training and it really does build muscle effectively.
6. Increase in metabolic rate – because it is resistance training it gives you that sustained calorie burn post exercise that you get from weight training.
7. Pack it and take it! You can pop it in your suitcase to take on holiday, throw it in your bag for a work trip or pop it up in the garden for a summer workout!
8. Cardio and strength – depending on the style of workout and the exercises you do you can tick the cardio and strength boxes with your TRX. Squat jumps with one are not for the faint hearted. 
9. Fast, effective whole body workout – TRX actually stands for Total-Body Resistance Exercise and that’s a pretty good summary! With the little piece of kit you can hit your whole body in a short space of time. Both upper body and lower body exercises are equally effective. There are some very advanced abs moves too!
10. Functional fitness – loads of the TRX exercises are great functional fitness exercises (if you missed my blog on this, you can find it here) which means that they are building strength in movements which mimic those we do in everyday life. Think of it as training for real life! I also really like to use mine for single leg exercises which help hugely with stability and any muscle imbalances. So a great solution for rehab too.

I often get asked what my favourite TRX exercises are and which ones I would recommend. Take a look at my IG post for a great TRX legs workout recommendation here. Let me know how you get on! Keep your eyes peeled for more TRX inspo coming soon!

You can use code TRX15CC for 15% off at TRXtraining.com if you want to have a go.

Caroline x

This is an ad for TRX.