swolesecrets

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My go-to gym apparel

Hey, welcome back to my blog! With the progression of the media, gym apparel as well as athleisure, has become a large part of today’s western society. When I first started going to the gym, I would remember seeing tiktoks of matching workout sets, or GymShark advertised everywhere and often contemplating what I should or should not buy.

 It soon came to my attention that gym clothes are expensive! For a single pair of shorts from gym shark, they were around 50$+ with an additional shipping fee. Lululemon, another high quality athletic brand, has shorts yet they range from 50$-80$+.  Being only 14 years old, I was searching for a cheap alternative with high quality fabrics, and cute style or colors. With a little bit of research and some trial and error, I have collected my amazon favorites that are cute and affordable. Here are my favorite finds; 

Contour Seamless shorts; A significantly similar dupe of the original NVGTN contour seamless shorts, they are made up of the same material composition and offer the same high quality that Navigation does for almost half the price. Both have great selections of colors and make the lower-body look great, providing a compressive element in the waistband, and stretchy fabric thus accentuating the figure.

 

These are one pair of my NVGTN contour seamless shorts in electric purple. Amazon Aurola Shorts, can easily be compared to the Alphalete Amplify Shorts, including details like the subtle contour, a scrunch, and a similar fabric make up. On the higher end of the price range, at 42$ the Aurola shorts are a better deal than the 70$ Alphalete shorts. These aren’t necessarily my favorite shorts, simply because I do not like the way they fit my body type, however they are extremely comfortable, come in various colors, and stretch to accommodate performance.  

The Amazon Bandeau Sports Bra and the Amazon razor back bra Are, for sure some of my affordable favorites. I find that with extra layers of clothing I get quite hot, and training in sports bras allows me to not only improve my muscle mind connection by seeing my muscle, but also help me to regulate my body temperature. The razer back one from amazon can be compared to the lululemon Flow Y Nulu bra, standing at around 66$, whereas the Nulu one sits at around 38$.     

I enjoy wearing bigger clothes, typically from the thrift over my spandex and sports bras until my muscles are warmed up and I start to get warm. The idea of this is not only to stay warm and prevent injuries, but also get the blood flowing for better aesthetics known by gym rats as a “pump”. Overall, although the “known” fitness clothes are not necessarily affordable, there exists other alternatives for almost half the price out there with comparable quality. 

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What is in my gym bag?!

Welcome back to my blog! Today I will be discussing gym accessories and gym products often advertised in the media. 

As a highschool student with 2 jobs, oftentimes I have to squeeze in my workout right after school, right after work or any other time where I was “conveniently out”. My school day typically begins with me carrying out my backpack, school lunch, work lunch and clothes, and my massive gym bag to my car since I won’t get the chance to get home throughout the day. 

What could you even possibly have in your gym bag? To be fair, when I started working out, I would show up to the gym in my gym clothes from my house, with nothing but my phone, my airpods and a water bottle. As my fitness journey progressed over the years, it seems that my gym essentials had evolved too. Here are my gym essentials as a 17 year old girl with a loaded schedule:

My gym shoes! No I do not mean powerlifting shoes, I am not a powerlifter, but I mean my converse. Personally, although converse aren’t my ideal shoe outside of the gym, they are my favorite in the gym, I have white and black! Converse can be stylish, with the different styles and colors and overall very large selection, however since these have been my O.G shoes for the gym, it seems that I always associate them with the gym… Being flat and light (not the platforms), they offer incredible stability for lifting purposes. It is important to find shoes that accommodate the natural shape of the foot for optimal performance. Fun fact, some lifters even prefer to deadlift and squat barefoot, for the reason being that the natural human foot shape is ideal for balance. 

 Here are my "not-so-white" converse at the gym, since I wear them everyday.

Pre Workout or energy drinks… Sometimes my days are over 12 hours long away from home, which can be both emotionally and physically draining. For that reason, occasionally the consumption of caffeine can significantly improve both my performance, mood, motivation and my experience in the gym. I used to consume this product every day, however I soon realized that the negative side effects of daily consumption can be mentally detrimental... Especially for those who have ADHD or anxiety, the caffeine amplifies the effects of the disorders. Now that I have limited not only the frequency of consumption but also the amount of caffeine I do love these drinks. Some of my favorites are Batch 27, specifically the orange creamsicle flavor and Monster Tropical Punch… 

Lifting belt… I have the lifting belt by Upper Gear in the color lavender, which is cute and supportive. Lifting belts are used by lifters who want or require more back and core support creating a superficial brace in order to prevent injuries and improve performance. This is absolutely not required in the gym and if anything learning how to brace is very important. More experienced lifters typically use them, as they already know how to brace themselves yet add extra support.

Lifting straps, I love my lifting straps! Lifting straps are affordable, come in different styles and colors and help tremendously, whether it be to grow muscles or gain strength. Mine are camo from amazon and are for sure one of my essentials. Using lifting straps helps lifters who do not have great grip strength, or really want to isolate a muscle group while eliminating limiting factors. I have always had very frail and small wrists, ultimately limiting my grip strength. However ever since I have been using lifting straps I am able to push out for reps, and increase muscle-mind connection. 

Helimix shaker! Every lifter knows the nasty smell of protein from an unwashed shaker, or the annoying sound of the metal mixer ball inside. Ever since I discovered the helimix, cleaning it has been simplified, and no more metal ball clinking. The helimix is a shaker available on amazon, and is said to have a scientifically explained shape that naturally creates a spiral of the liquid and thus mixing the contents smoothly. Some say it is a placebo effect, however I believe that the helimix truly mixes my contents successfully. I have the pink one, as well as the teal one, and use them for both my protein shakes, pre workout, and to carry my other daily beverages. 

I also carry some “not necessarily gym-related” items, such as makeup, deodorant, a hair brush, and most importantly my beats! I mean yes, my beats are so important for my lifts and I could not do it without them, however they are also a huge part of my whole life… Any given chance I will be listening to music. Which is why I excluded it from my gym essentials list. They are an essential part of my life, period. To conclude this blog, no gym accessories are actually required to reach your goals, it is important to discover what works for you. Nothing in fitness is “one size fits all.”

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Food is Fuel.

We all know that food is an essential part of life, but just how important is it really? In this blog we will be discussing macros, and calories, all because nutrition is the first leading factor to your results and physical well-being...

What are macro nutrients and why are they important? They are nutrients used in large amounts used by the body in order to perform it's daily tasks. In these sub groups, we can find protein, carbohydrates and fats. With various misconceptions concerning these essential nutrients, I would like to clear up misinformation.

I think that the most common one talked about amongst the three, especially in the fitness world would be protein. Okay, but why do we talk about protein, what does it really do... Also explained in Biology, proteins are used in order to create new cells during the process of mitosis, and to repair damaged cells, which is exactly what happens when exercising. The muscle fibers are torn and then fixed with the protein we ingest. All of this to say that if you want to get "bigger muscles" eat your protein.

I typically aim for my bodyweight in protein grams as a daily goal so for me around 130 grams. However, it is very important to know that grams of protein, and calories don't only come from food. All food is calories, yet not all calories come from food... You see, almost all things we consume contain calories, that amount just varies based on the item in question, besides water, or specialized drinks (coke zero, diet pepsi, etc..). Therefore, when we drink juice, add dressing to our salad or add olive oil into a skillet, those are also calories, simply in liquid form, which are the sneakiest kinds of calories. For as good as "budget friendly" could get with protein... Here are some of my favourite "somewhat" budget friendly high protein foods and meals;

Cottage cheese; Personally, after basically force feeding myself to eat cottage cheese over the last year, I think that I have just learnt to enjoy it and I find it easier on the stomach compared to other protein sources. Yet many people seem to not like cottage cheese, perhaps trying to add some honey on it, I have heard was good from others, and some say they enjoy mustard.

Low fat greek yogourt; Another food that some people have troubles with would be low fat greek yogourt. I know for myself this is the case, to me it is the sour after taste, and the texture I think. I enjoy making frozen yogourt however to solve the texture problem. Although higher on the price range, in my experience, there are always atleast one pack on sale.

Chicken breast; The canned ones from costco are affordable and to me not that bad for canned chicken. I have made so may things with this product, such as chicken salad for sandwiches and wraps, butter chicken, chicken pasta and buffalo chicken wraps...

Rotisserie chicken; If canned chicken is not for you, we also buy the Whole Rotisserie Costco Chicken's. For only 8$, the whole chicken will last me, my mom and brother a whole week being used in various meals...

Turkey; Simply turkey no name lunch meat, and even lunch meat variety packs in bulk at costco, yet still available at every grocery store, are great sources of lean protein.

Robert Irvine's protein bars; Best protein bars in terms of taste for sure, having tried so many.

Premier Protein shake, or protein milk and Fairlife (when on sale); My go-to protein packed drinks, that are portable perfect for student life-syle.

EGGS! Specifically egg whites, but I am not that picky; I don't LOVE eggs however awesome and easy source of protein, the calories to protein ratio is great. I like mine "sunny side up" or "scrambled" with ketchup. Deviled eggs are also nice when I have some time to make them. On the other hand fats and carbs are commonly words that scare a lot of people, especially those wanting to lose weight, and to be honest I was one of those people once. However, carbs and fats are your primary source of energy. Carbs being used for quick and rapid acting energy, such as cardio. Yet fats are used for long term energy stock as well as absorption necessary for a healthy body. In order to do the things you love, to talk to your friends and family, perform any physical activity, and to use your brain to its full potential, fats and carbs are NEEDED. I used to track my carbs and fats, but I don't find that necessary anymore... Simply being conscious of their importance and incorporating them in my diet, is now enough for me; intuitive eating. Here are my favourite carb and fat sources;

Whole wheat pasta

English muffins

Fresh fruits

Vegetables

Oats

Cheerios honestly

Oatmeal

Salmon again

Nuts such as cashews, walnuts, peanuts, peanut butter

Avocado

So let this be your daily reminder to go eat your food, some REAL food, and stay conscious about your macro nutrients based on your goal's needs. Eating intuitively is the best way to maintain a good relationship with food while dieting, in my experience!

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Lets talk splits.

In the fitness world, there exists various manors to organize our time and exercise choice based on our  personal goals, alternatively known as a “split”. This organization tool which aims to prioritize each anatomical region of the body, ensures that each muscle group receives equal attention, of course again based on personal preference.

As it is already, there exists a mass amount of controversy concerning “splits”, but does it really make a difference? Of course it does. In order to organize your workout plan in the most efficient manner, it is important to understand why splits are important. To begin we must note that muscle exertion plays a huge role in our split. Muscle exertion explains that different muscles burn more calories/energy than others mostly due to their placement and size, therefore affecting our exercise order and day assigned to ______ muscle group.

In this blog, I will begin my series of reviewing different existing splits… 

First off, the most popular and used split for hypertrophy, which is ultimately my favorite. The “Push, Pull, Legs split”.  Simply because it is the most known and commonly used by “noobs”, does not make this split any less awesome and strategically organized than it is. 

The “Push, Pull, Legs” split consists of a rotation between three groups of muscles, incorporating rest days based on personal needs. On day 1, or on “Push” day we prioritize “pushing” muscles, such as chest, shoulders and triceps. On day 2, otherwise “Pull” day, we use muscles that are used for pulling the resistance, such as the back, and the biceps. Finally on the last day, or “leg” day, hated by many, we incorporate movements to work the quads, hamstrings, glutes and calves. 

The reason I love this split is because it ensures that no major muscle group is neglected and that the muscle exertion is taken into account for, placing the “larger” muscle groups with the” minor” muscle groups. Most importantly, this split strategically organizes supporting muscles that work together through various movements. An example is the bench press, although obviously  the chest is the main muscle targeted throughout this movement, we must not forget that the shoulders and triceps are assisting, therefore explaining why we hit them together in this split. This is not to say that this split is perfect though…

These pictures are a significant part of my gym journey, from when I was doing the PPL split. I think it is obvious, at least to me, that my upper body to lower body ratio is incomparable. As a result, this caused immense amount of insecurities, leading me to do something quite risky for a gym rat… CHANGE MY SPLIT.

There exist many variations of this split based on personal goals. Ever since September of last year, as someone with very long and skinny legs growing up, as seen in the pictures above… It was my goal to grow them. Despite not wanting to use another split and wanting to keep the split that worked for me, I simply incorporated an extra leg day, “Push, Legs, Pull, Legs…” continued. At first this was difficult since the  legs are such a huge muscle group and require plenty of recovery time, but by dividing my leg days into subgroups, I have noticed a substantial amount of lower body growth since then as well as enough recovery time to hit them every other day. 

Here is my split:

 Push; Chest, shoulder tris

Legs; Quads, glutes

Pull; Back, bis

Legs; Hamstrings, glues

Push; Chest, shoulder tris

Legs; Glutes

Pull; Back, bis

I would rate the “PPL” split at 8/10 and my personal “PLPL” split at  9.8/10 for my personal goals. Simply because sometimes hitting legs so often does get annoying, as it requires so much energy, but on the other hand, is extremely effective.  Overall, this split is popular for a reason, optimal for both hypertrophy and organization. Highly recommend this split to anyone who trains for hypertrophy, and specifically my split if you seek to prioritize lower body muscle growth.

[swolesecrets]

America is Obese.

Before I begin, I think it is crucial that I tell you a bit about me... My name is Gwyneth, I am a 17 year old girl who loves fitness, starting my fitness journey around 2-3 years ago. I have always had a caring and empathic personality, ultimately hoping to help people. For that reason among many others, I plan on pursuing a career in nursing as well as personal training. My goal is to preach the wonders of the fitness world whilst assisting people to attain their goals. Welcome to swolesecrets...  

The detrimental obesity epidemic is an overlooked societal issue specifically throughout the Western community. "The latest estimates are that approximately 34% of adults and 15–20% of children and adolescents in the U.S. are obese." According to https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, this concludes that obesity is a health concern that affects every age segment of the U.S population. Just how detrimental can an obese population really be though?.. VERY bad. 

Defined by the Oxford English Dictionary, the term obesity is “The condition of being extremely fat or overweight; stoutness, corpulence.” Ultimately posing affects one's physical capabilities and quality of life. 

“But how does someone else’s physical health affect you?” 

As a gym nerd myself and an aspiring personal trainer, it is simply a fact that this growing obesity epidemic will have an impact on the society as a whole, and here’s why… Given that as seen by definition; this state of health imposes compromises to the individual's physical demands… We can foresee economical issues given that more people are incapable of doing difficult jobs essential to a functioning society, such as trade work, floor nursing and emergency services amongst many others, and in fact increase tax rates and pose negative effects on the healthcare system. 

Just within recent years, obesity rates have spiked immensely. In terms of a historical science stand-point, early primates and our ancestors were “physically fit”, because it was a factor that determined their survival rate, which can be proved by the Darwin Theory. “Survival of the fittest” literally and metaphorically. 

It is most important to note that weight does not correspond to obesity! Everyone is different, in terms of metabolisms, genetics, bone structure and where they may carry weight. To say that being “skinny” or being “larger” is healthy or unhealthy is unfair, the truth is, there's no set definition of what a healthy person is as long as their body does not compromise them from expected average tasks and their favorite activities. Did you know that exercising speeds up your metabolic rate naturally, thust decreasing your risk of obesity.

In the most simple way, weight is determined by the average ratio of calories being consumed to calories being burnt. When the average person consumes more than what the body is able to burn, that's when we can observe a gain of weight.

“But do the pros REALLY outweigh the cons?”

There are so many reasons why exercise is beneficial for humans' emotional, physical and psychological well-being. I think that everyone could benefit from exercise, especially for themselves. It doesn't matter how you do it, the fitness world is so immense from weightlifting, zumba classes, pilates, yoga, aqua fitness, sports, swimming, cardio, home workouts, biking and perhaps even walking your dog.

Let's be real, many of us don't like exercising at first. I certaintly didn't. I was in grade 9 during the pandemic when I first set foot in the gym, not knowing what the muscle groups were even called. Nor what a benchpress even was. Thankfully though, through my mask no one could see my facial expression of udder confusion looking up "back workouts for girls", "instant ab workouts", "toned full body workout." into my TikTok search. I think thats one of the many reasons why fitness could benefit EVERYONE. It allows you to challenge yourself; work towards something. For me personally I truly believe fitness has helped immensely with my mental health. From being so isolated in my room every day throughout lockdown, fitness taught me determination, improved my work ethic, allowed me to process my feelings and gain confidence.

With that being said, throughout this Blog I will discuss the insides of the fitness industry including, the many benefits of working out, motivation sources, my journey in depth, healthy nutrition advice, my favorite workouts, time management with working out and much more…