The Fit Parisian

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On my day’s off I’ve started doing yoga. I’ve never tried it before oddly enough, even though it’s been touted from every rooftop in Paris (and the rest of the world for that matter). It turns out I’m not as flexible as I thought! But I’m trying! This yogi does a great job at showing a few basic poses to get started with. I find the Marjariasana which is perhaps the easiest to actually be great when I have lower back pain.

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I must admit that I’ve been considering looking at fat burning steroids and other options to get ahead. I know many people use a common bronchodilator like Clenbuterol (which is also thermogenic) or other more natural fat burners or appetite suppressants like african mango, caralluma fimbriata, garcinia cambogia, yacon root and so on. However, after speaking to some of my more serious gym friends, the long natural road is always the safer and smarter option. People might use something like liquid Clenbuterol for competition, but only once they’ve gotten to the stage where they need to lose 1-2% of bodyfat to be really defined and show off all their hard work. However, most mortals have difficulty or lack the discipline to even make it to that point. I’ve come to realize that in the end it just comes down to dedication and consistency. Staying active and keeping a clean diet (with the odd cheat day which for me is usually Saturday or Sunday). With enough perserverence, eventually I’ll get to where I want to be. As many have said, this is a lifestyle not a goal. Though it’s also important to have mini goals - whether that’s a little bit more of an incline every week on the treadmill, or an extra couple of pounds a week on my bench press. This includes developing lots of new healthy habits as well. Taking the stairs instead of the elevator, having a glass of water instead of a glass of juice, dropping the sugar from coffee and so on. It all adds up at the end of the day, and as long as you feel and look better then it doesn’t even matter what the scale says.

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Talk about pushing it. Strong woman constantly inspire me to strive for the physique I want. I’m currently in a fat loss phase due to an injury and other circumstances that kept me away from the gym and a little too close to the kitchen! However, it’s good to be back and feel good about myself after every session. 

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Everyone has a weakness! It’s practically winter so I’m allowed a hot chocolate if I want!  Vous devriez essayer le chocolat chaud.

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At the moment I have changed from a push/pull routine which was working great for a while, especially as I had so little time with work. However, I have gone back to a split - focusing on one muscle group per day of the week. Today is shoulder day, and one of my favorites. Always remember to warm up and focus carefully on your technique so you don’t end up with a rotator cuff injury or otherwise. Though, remember that when it comes to building shoulders it’s all about angles and what feels right for you. For instance, some like doing a shoulder press with palms facing forward in the traditional way, while others prefer a neutral grip with palms facing inward. Also keep in mind that it’s the higher reps that build muscle if you’re looking for hypertrophy.

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I’ve been looking at different cutting cycle ideas as I always wondered how people got their fat percentage to the 6-9% range. It seems that it’s incredibly difficult to do naturally, and the consensus seems to be that those who can, usually only do it for a very short amount of time - such as for competition. While many people don’t like the “skinny look” these days, if you have muscle and you are defined then you aren’t skinny, you are healthy. I also love the current culture of strong women who can push just as hard as men. In fact, there are two girls at the gym who can squat more than most “big” guys. I’m currently squatting 40kg which isn’t much, but I don’t know what my maximum is. 

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This is harder than it looks!

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This woman is such an inspiration! I highly recommend following her channel as she has tons of videos that can help anyone looking for the body they want!

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I’m using this as my motivation for today. I need to drop 20lbs to get back in shape again. I did a workout yesterday and my abs are killing me. I won’t post pictures yet. Cardio today - back on the hamster wheel!