Summer has started and the name of the game is getting beach ready! The biggest goal I have for this summer is to get my arms and legs toned, and beating back the cellulite. I remember a few years ago I hated wearing shorts because I could see all the cellulite on my legs. My arms were marginally better, but needed a lot of work. I started working out last year at the end of summer, but fell off the bandwagon during the winter. After working out on and off during January and February I decided it was high time to get things together and started working out consistently. The people around me started noticing a difference, and I started seeing a difference too! My arms and legs are looking a lot more toned so I no longer stress about how my legs look when I’m wearing shorts. I wouldn’t mind slimming down a bit more, but it’s just such a relief to be able to walk around without noticeably visible cellulite. So today I thought I’d share exactly what I did to tone up my arms and legs for the summer!
#1. Workout schedule – I did the BBG workout that I reviewed here on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday without fail. Personally I found that if I gave myself the leeway to skip a day because I was busy or tired, I was more likely not to do it the next day and the next. So I told myself that working out was not optional, but top priority. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I gave myself the option to either do a yoga workout (I’ve been using Kathryn Budig’s Aim True Yoga
#2. Workout intensity – Some of my friends have asked me whether or not I do the full BBG workout. The answer is not really. When I first started doing the BBG my knees were in such bad condition that I felt knee pain from doing more than one squat. I was also flat on my back after finishing circuit one, and couldn’t even make it to circuit two. So I decided that I would just do one squat instead of the 10-15 squats that were required by the guide. After having consistently done one squat for two weeks without knee pain, I increased the number to two squats. Now I can do 15 squats without feeling knee pain and it’s just an amazing feeling to look back at how I went from only being able to do one squat to doing 15! Don’t beat yourself up if you can only do one or two squats, and don’t give yourself an injury trying to do too much too soon! There’s no shame in doing one squat, but it’s a shame if you were to give up doing squats altogether and getting no where. Right now I can get through circuit one and circuit two both once, but I’m hoping that I’ll build enough strength to get through both circuits twice eventually.
#3. Cellulite Massager & Cream – A few years back I saw Ruth Crilly’s videos on how to body brush and use a cellulite massager. At the time, neither the body brush by Elemis nor the massager by Bliss were available in Korea so I went and got both at the Body Shop. I still haven’t gotten into the habit of using the body brush because it’s not the most pleasant thing in the world to brush yourself with cactus hair. I usually remember that I need to body brush before I hop in the shower, but I’m usually hopping in the shower when I’m busy in the morning or when I’m sweaty after a workout. I don’t like the idea of using the brush when I’m covered in sweat, so my body brush is just sort of sitting on my vanity. I haven’t tried the cellulite cream by Body Shop but I have tried the one by Biotherm. I didn’t really like the Biotherm one in the end because it left a film of gel on my arms and legs that annoyed me.
This year I got the cellulite cream by Bliss. Many people say that cellulite creams don’t actually do much and exercise is the only way to get rid of cellulite. I was a skeptic myself but even when I was exercising daily last year I still saw the cellulite on my legs and it really bothered me. So I decided I needed all the help I could get, even if it was minimal. I bought the cream and the arm candy cream and slathered my arms and legs after each post-workout shower. As Ruth instructed in her video, I pummeled, knead, and massaged for results. To be honest, it was probably the cellulite massager that was tackling the cellulite. Still, just having the Bliss creams on my vanity served as a good reminder and motivation to actually do this ritual every day. Since I’ve never been in the habit of using body lotion, the creams helped me establish a body care routine into my life. I like that the Bliss creams make my skin slippery enough to use the massager, but don’t leave any residue on my skin after drying.
#4. Diet – I am probably the worst person to ask for dieting advice because simply put, I am terrible at it. Most if not all my friends are foodies and are always eagerly telling me about the next amazing place to eat at. Even without them leading me into temptation, it’s hard when you can walk 3 minutes from your home and reach McDonalds, Baskin Robbins, and 5 different fried chicken restaurants. Did I mention that McDonalds in Korea delivers to your doorstep? There’s also no delivery fee or tipping in Korea, which makes ordering delivery so tempting! So what I try to do is, eat as healthy as I can and stay conscious of the number of times I eat things like pizza or ice cream. If I feel like I’ve been eating too unhealthy I’ll try to find healthier alternatives to my cravings. So instead of eating pizza again I’ll make myself spaghetti, or if I just can’t help myself I’ll try to get frozen yogurt rather than ice cream. I also avoid bringing home chips and soda as I’m much less likely to snack if I have to go out at 11pm to buy the snacks.
Your Turn ♥ What tips do you have for getting beach ready?
