The dreaded BEFORE photo

The dreaded BEFORE photo

Today was my first EVER Julia Buckley workout.  She recomends starting with 5 days of bootcamp sessions, so that is the plan for this week. I have to teach spinning Monday and Tuesday night, which means double sessions for me.  The moves were simple and Julia gave exellent verbal instructions, along with options to make the moves more or less intense.  It is up to the viewer to decide what level they are at and to work towards a positive progression over time.

One of the reasons I signed up to be a #FitnessRockstar was for the accountability.  Strength training is something I never make time for, but always wish I had when I line up at the start line.  Working with Julia means I have no excuses.  Everything I need is available at my fingertips as all her workouts are available online.  Luckily, I have some weights and mats at home which means I just need to take over the living room for an hour each  night.  Oldland isn’t too keen that he can’t see me when the door is shut but he will get over it.

To make this experience with Julia as real as possible, I am posting my ‘before’ photos.  Note they were after 2 bottles of Diet Coke, a posh kebab, and small popcorn at the cinema.  I am an apple-shape and am finding that the stress from work and lack of sleep make my stomach the place for even more fat to hang out.  To combat this, I know I need to work on my food choices.  For this first month though, I am going to work on sticking to my exercise schedule and then work on healthy food selection in November.  It is important not to change too much too fast or too drastically because it can be overwhelming and cause you to quit.  I am not about to become a quitter!

Drumroll please……

Julia thought it would be fun for all the Rockstars to share a bit about themselves and what fitness means to them,  Here is the quickfire  #JuliaBFit Fitness Rockstar Spotlight Interview with,errr, me:

1. For me, fitness is all about: Feeling healthy and hanging out with like-minded people who are always up for new adventures.  I pride myself on being a capable person and being fit helps me be independent too.

2. I get most excited to do my workout when: I know the tunes are going to be awesome.  Good music makes everything more enjoyable.

3. When a workout really pushes me to my limit, I think to myself:  ‘Come on, Tubbs!’ which is my maiden name and what my husband shouts at me when I am finishing my parkrun.

4. I’m most likely to skip my workout if:  I am super-tired, have to work late, or it is raining, hence why I need my community to hold me accountable with this project!

5. In a group fitness session I’ll be the one who: Is up-front so I can see what the movements are.  I am also watching the other participants to see how they are doing.  As a fellow instructor, I can also be a bit critical of the instructor if I feel they are being unsafe.

6. The item of exercise equipment I’d most hate to go without is:  A sports bra, my running shoes or my GPS watch.  Soon to be dumbbells?

7. The last thing I usually do before starting my workout is: Take a sip of water

8. My top 5 workout music tracks are:  Well, I haven’t downloaded new songs on my iPod in several years, so ‘Put Your Hands Up For Detroit’, ‘Dog Days Are Over’, ‘Womanizer’, ‘Insomnia’, and anything 80s.

9. If I start feeling meh about fitness I give myself a boost by: Signing up for a race or setting up a meet up with some blogging friends at a new fitness class, follwed by coffee or drinks.

10. The most important thing I’ve learned about fitness in the last year is:  Everybody struggles and nobody  is perfect.  But if you consistently work hard, you can achieve anything you put your mind to.


If you want to join me, Julia, and the other Rockstars, click here to sign up today.  Online access is much cheaper than a gym membership.  Plus you can do it at home, on your own schedule.

This post contains afflitiate links, which cost you nothing but help me maintain the blog.  All opinions are honest and my own.

I’m a Fitness Rockstar! Come sweat with me

I’m a Fitness Rockstar! Come sweat with me

Hello there! So much has been going on behind-the-scenes here- marathons, international challenges, extra hours at the day job, and something that I can’t wait to tell you about.  I will be posting details on it all but let’s get to the exciting news first.


I have been selected to be a Julia’s Buckley Fitness Rockstar.  I have known Julia virtually for a few years now.  My friend, Becca, of From Strength to Strength, introduced me to Julia back in the days of the Zero Calorie Advent Calendar.  Julia’s workouts are simple, effective and accessible to everyone.  She started off with a book, Fat Burn Revolution, and now has a huge online gym.

Julia was looking for Fitness Rockstars to help spread the word about her offerings (so affordable and accessible) and I was keen to get involved.  As a fellow fitness professional, I am happy to support and promote Julia.  Her programs work (several of my friends have had tremendous success) and I am ready to be her next success story.

Julai’s Fitness Rockstars are a collective of people with a mission to make the world a healthier, happier place (it is like we are all curt from the same cloth!).  We’re not professional athletes, or even what many would consider typical “fitness people,” but we all appreciate the privilege of having the ability to move our bodies and we’ve all experienced having our worlds rocked by the astounding difference fitness and health has made to our lives.  You may think that personal trainers are always motivated to workout, but I can tell you that it isn’t true.  We have struggles just like our clients.

Neither are we celebrities, or in a position to spread our message to millions of people, but if something we post can help light the fuse that helps anyone to discover myriad of amazing benefits of doing what takes to be fit and strong which ripple out into all areas of life, then we’ll feel like stars for sure.  Together, we think we can shine enough light to make a difference.  If I can get even one of my readers to start moving their body in a positive way towards a healthy lifestyle, I will feel like I have won.


From now until January, I am going to focus on strength training.  It is something I always say I need to do and now is the time.   The plan is to start with the 5 day bootcamp, as these videos have more instructions and will give me a solid knowledge base to proceed.  The plan is to mix Ignite sessions (which are 30 minutes and require no equipment) with Rebellion Stength sessions.  The Ignite sessions I can do at work on my tea break and Rebellion I can fit in in my free evenings.

Here is a rough idea of my training schedule:

Monday nights- I teach spinning at Forest Fitness
Tuesday nights in October- I teach spinning at the Velodrome
Wednesdays- Ignite at work
Thursdays- Rebellion workout at home
Friday morning- Adidas Runners session at King’s Cross
Saturdays- Rebellion workout at home
Sunday- Rest

I will soon share from ‘before’ photos and take body measurements.  Each week, I will aim to post a quick update on how things are going for me.  This public declaration should hold me accountable so I will stick to it!

How about you join me?  Click Here! To pick up Julia’ Ignite program as an E-Book. This is a new updated version that what was sold on Amazon’s Kindle site (which got great reviews).  Or you can join Julia’s online gym.    

So, what do you think?  Leave a comment below and let me know what your fitness plans are for the rest of the year.

Please note, this post includes affiliate links.  There is no extra cost for you and help pay to maintain this blog.

I’m a Fitness Rockstar! Come sweat with me

I’m a Fitness Rockstar! Come sweat with me

Hello there! So much has been going on behind-the-scenes here- marathons, international challenges, extra hours at the day job, and something that I can’t wait to tell you about.  I will be posting details on it all but let’s get to the exciting news first.


I have been selected to be a Julia’s Buckley Fitness Rockstar.  I have known Julia virtually for a few years now.  My friend, Becca, of From Strength to Strength, introduced me to Julia back in the days of the Zero Calorie Advent Calendar.  Julia’s workouts are simple, effective and accessible to everyone.  She started off with a book, Fat Burn Revolution, and now has a huge online gym.

Julia was looking for Fitness Rockstars to help spread the word about her offerings (so affordable and accessible) and I was keen to get involved.  As a fellow fitness professional, I am happy to support and promote Julia.  Her programs work (several of my friends have had tremendous success) and I am ready to be her next success story.

Julai’s Fitness Rockstars are a collective of people with a mission to make the world a healthier, happier place (it is like we are all curt from the same cloth!).  We’re not professional athletes, or even what many would consider typical “fitness people,” but we all appreciate the privilege of having the ability to move our bodies and we’ve all experienced having our worlds rocked by the astounding difference fitness and health has made to our lives.  You may think that personal trainers are always motivated to workout, but I can tell you that it isn’t true.  We have struggles just like our clients.

Neither are we celebrities, or in a position to spread our message to millions of people, but if something we post can help light the fuse that helps anyone to discover myriad of amazing benefits of doing what takes to be fit and strong which ripple out into all areas of life, then we’ll feel like stars for sure.  Together, we think we can shine enough light to make a difference.  If I can get even one of my readers to start moving their body in a positive way towards a healthy lifestyle, I will feel like I have won.


From now until January, I am going to focus on strength training.  It is something I always say I need to do and now is the time.   The plan is to start with the 5 day bootcamp, as these videos have more instructions and will give me a solid knowledge base to proceed.  The plan is to mix Ignite sessions (which are 30 minutes and require no equipment) with Rebellion Stength sessions.  The Ignite sessions I can do at work on my tea break and Rebellion I can fit in in my free evenings.

Here is a rough idea of my training schedule:

Monday nights- I teach spinning at Forest Fitness
Tuesday nights in October- I teach spinning at the Velodrome
Wednesdays- Ignite at work
Thursdays- Rebellion workout at home
Friday morning- Adidas Runners session at King’s Cross
Saturdays- Rebellion workout at home
Sunday- Rest

I will soon share from ‘before’ photos and take body measurements.  Each week, I will aim to post a quick update on how things are going for me.  This public declaration should hold me accountable so I will stick to it!

How about you join me?  Click Here! To pick up Julia’ Ignite program as an E-Book. This is a new updated version that what was sold on Amazon’s Kindle site (which got great reviews).  Or you can join Julia’s online gym.    

So, what do you think?  Leave a comment below and let me know what your fitness plans are for the rest of the year.

Please note, this post includes affiliate links.  There is no extra cost for you and help pay to maintain this blog.