For so long, most of us believed life was all about the bathroom scales and how much we weighed when we stepped on them. Thankfully now people are beginning to realise it’s possible to look great, have a very toned sexy body shape, feel strong, yet appear to be a few pounds heavier on the scales.

How is this possible? Muscle is dense and when we are strong, fit and healthy, we will always be heavier on the bathroom scales.

Heres some more reasons why we must have muscle.

Weights burn more fat than cardio.

Weight training burns a lot of fat compared to cardio – simply because we use more muscles when we lift weights – it takes more effort and concentration! Too much cardio can also burn away muscle, which in turns lowers your metabolic rate and can you leave your body lacking tone and not looking as sexy.

Your RMR (Resting Metabolic Rate) is raised.

After a good weight lifting session, you are burning fat 24-48 hours after that workout. Which means you are burning more fat at rest, even when you are sat down relaxing! Muscle mass determines your resting metabolic rate  – put simply the more muscle we have, the higher the RMR, which means building muscle three times a week is vital.

A confidence builder.

Discovering that we can lift weights correctly and finding weekly we are getting stronger and looking even sexier is highly addictive! It also builds massive confidence within us…. we can achieve previously impossible goals and achieve anything in the physical world. The results become evident – visibly and mentally.

Builds mental strength.

When we realise we can lift weights, smash past our own barriers within the mind and realise our true body potential, we start to get hugely rewarding results –  and a huge metaphor for life

Increased flexibility.

Using weights and stretching each muscle group to their full capacity will increase the range of our working muscles and other various muscles, which were previously inactive.

Mind and body are re-connected.

Many people these days are using technology and not using their bodies as they need to. The body is then neglected and the mind becomes one of the few organs in the body getting a workout. In order for the body to function correctly, it needs to be in sync with the mind – When we lift weights, we strengthen the mind and body connection – as both communicate to perform a lift.

Clothes will fit better – you will drop a dress size or more…..

As you get stronger and more confident lifting weights in the gym, we find our clothes begin to fit even better. This is because the muscles become firm and toned, ensuring you look even sexier with or without clothes on!

2. Recipe of the Month

Green Smoothie 

Perfect for helping your body recover from the festive season excess…

Serves: 4

You need:

A Food Processor 

Ingredients

2 Kiwis

1 Lemon, Juiced

2 Green Apples

1 Pear

200g Spinach (small bag)

1 Ltr of Water

1 Tbsp of Spirulina, Chlorella or Wheatgrass (or a combination of all three)

Method

Wash all of your fruit, de-core the apples, take the stalk off the pear, take the end off the kiwi but keep the skin on. Put all the fruit, lemon juice and spinach into your food processor and blend into a puree along with the spirulina, chlorella or wheatgrass. Then add the water and blend for a couple of seconds and serve. This can be kept in the fridge for a day.

Food Fact

Spirulina is the most common of the blue-green algae; it is a rich source of beta-carotene and amino acids, the building blocks of protein.

3. New Workout of the Month

Fartlek training is the workout this month. 

Fartlek is swedish and means “speed play”. You can use this with walking, jogging, cycling, boxing and body weight exercise, such as push up and squats. It involves moving at slow speeds, medium speeds and high speed repetition in random time slots.

The benefits of fartlek are that it helps the heart beat at different intensities, which will ensure the heart is able to be able to cope with the different demands placed upon it in daily life. If you are outside and working out, you can you use this kind of training and incorporate it into the environment around you. This becomes fun because you can use sign posts, park benches and any land marks or monuments you see to alter the speed you are walking or jogging at. If you are inside a gym, you can use a timer on your phone which can also signal the change in speed for you to switch it up.

4. Life Coach Corner – Boundaries and learning to say NO!

Saying NO has HUGE power and creates great boundaries.

Too often in life we say YES to everything, over committing, over indulging ourselves and even saying YES to please other people.

At www.thebodycamp.com in Ibiza, we discuss boundaries with guests – they play an important part in our lives.

Without them, we would say YES to everything and feel powerless, leading to devastating effects.

During the holiday season, especially in winter, its important to remember that saying YES to many things, can lead to short term pleasure but long term discomfort, pain and long time consequences. We can say YES to many things in life and sometimes this can be a good thing – on certain occasions!

However saying NO can be very powerful too. When we say NO, we are remembering who’s important (you) and understand that people or external events have no real power over us….it’s how we think about the event or people’s words!

We always have the choice to say NO to anything in life, which we feel will not benefit us – especially in regards to our health.

 There are many reasons that people are afraid of saying NO.…

• Fear of hurting someone’s feelings – about health related beliefs, like a better nutrition choice.
• Fear of abandonment – and not “fitting in” with friends who might all want to go out drinking.
• Fear of shame – of eating healthy in front of others, being seen as a health “nut” or  people looking at you at the gym.
• Fear of being seen as bad or selfish – about looking after yourself.

Here’s some examples of what happens when we say YES too often….

• Saying YES to that extra alcoholic drink at a social event – can lead to worse decision making later!
• Saying YES to a second helping of food at the buffet or at a family gathering  – can lead to more body fat and bad feelings! (A moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips!)
• Saying YES to friends who wants you to go somewhere, instead of hitting the gym at night time!

Here’s some examples of what happens when NO can be used to powerful effect by you and others….

• “NO, I do not want another large plate of food again thank you” (To say when the family are over feeding you at xmas!)
• “NO, I am not going to buy more sweets to fill up my cupboards – I will buy fruit instead.”
• “NO, I don’t mind if you think I am a “health freak” – just because I drink a Body Camp smoothie every day.”
• Have a think about how many times you are saying NO – is it often enough to achieve your health goals

5. Book of the Month – The Body Camp Cook Book

We are very lucky at The Body Camp to have such a dedicated and talented nutritional chef as Ben Whale. Whilst working hard during 2016 making beautiful and healthy meals for our guests, he has also written The Body Camp Cook Book, so that you can re-create his delicious food at home. It is perfect for our guests who then have this important tool to continue their health journey once they return to the real world. Everybody else gets to enjoy a little bit of The Body Camp food philosophy too.

Our food is 80% plant based, supplemented with small amounts of eggs, dairy, organic lean meat and fresh fish and seafood. We only use fresh, quality (local and organic where possible) ingredients, cutting out all refined sugars, chemicals and additives.

The book costs £20 plus £1.99 postage (UK), £5.50 postage (Europe) and £7.50 postage (USA). There is a downloadable PDF version for £15.00. Click on the Cook Book image above to order.

Ben Whale, The Body Camp Chef

6. 10 BCDC CHALLENGE in 2017 

2017 is here! We are going to go against tradition and finally put an end to all New years Resolutions!

New years resolutions are attempted every year and by February, most people have given up and are back on into old habits. Here’s The Body Camp solution – and it’s so easy!!!! 

All you have to do is simply the following …Pick out some time and GIVE yourself 10 minutes in the day. Stick to this for 30 days in January!

We call it simply……..

The 10 BCDC (10 Body Camp  D – daily  C – commitment)

The New Year Body Camp challenge!

10 BCDC works because if you do anything daily for a period of time, it becomes a habit and part of your daily lifestyle. We are all just a collection of daily habits that build up over time and be using the 10 BCDC you will build habits into your daily life that take very little precious time from your busy schedule.

Just simply follow the 3 Step challenge ……

1.Commit to 10 minutes everyday of something that effects you positively.

2.Choose from the following – 

• A meditation
• Yoga
• A lovely walk
• A slow steady jog
• A weight training session
• Sitting down,breathing deep and closing the eyes
• Saying positive affirmations to yourself such as “I have all I need within me now”
• Eat a meal mindfully
• Help someone or listen to someone
• Reading a self development book

3. Then post a picture of which one you are committing too at “thebodycampibiza” on instagram or #thebodycamp on Facebook

Watch how your 10 BCDC becomes a habit – just like a muscle which gets used everyday – guess what happens? The muscle gets stronger and stronger …..before you know it, 2017 is off to a brilliant start!

I am personally jogging slowly for 10 minutes, every day at a slow pace in January…it’s addictive and I am already enjoying the benefits.

Enjoy your 10 BCDC and start the New Year with a 10 minute healthy habit that will stick for life.

Adios New Year resolutions forever!

7. New Affirmations Of The Month

• “I have all I need within me now to succeed today and every day and control my thought process and emotions.”
• “Just today, I will eat more mindfully and slow down when I am enjoying my food”
• “Just today, I will choose my words carefully and only speak when I am ready to say something that will have a positive effect”

8. The Body Camp Guest Experience Feedback (latest one direct – from Trip Advisor) 

“Not Just For Girls..”

“Had an amazing week at Bodycamp Ibiza. At first concerned to be one of 2 guys out of a group of 14 but this is no bums and tums spa break. Went in pretty good shape, with an open mind, looking for a bit of a detox, reset, and to try something new. Format allows you to work as hard as you can, regardless of ability, and training is structured in such a way you can get the most out of every session. You really can smash it. Yeah, there are some sessions that are a little hippy dippy that take you out of your comfort zone a little, but that’s what it’s all about right? I left camp having dropped 2.5kg of fat, maintained all my lean muscle and wasn’t hungry once and met a bunch of fantastic people along the way. Ricky, the master trainer is a legend, you won’t meet a more positive, inspirational guy to train with. Ben the chef is amazing, who’d have thought healthy could taste so good and portions and protein tailored to your personal goals. Last but not least Kate, the lady of the house, quietly and efficiently making everything run like clockwork. Couple this great team with an amazing bunch of outside fitness and lifestyle experts and you’ve got a winning formula. Would highly recommend and for all you guys out there who think it’s just for girls, think again.”

9. Weather In Ibiza 

The weather in January is a fairly consistent 16 degrees, compared to 6 degrees in London today.

10. The Top 10 benefits of Attending or Re-Attending The Body Camp.

1. Improved habits that stick for life

2. Lower body fat levels

3. Lower stress levels

4. Increased energy and health

5. Learn to cook incredible, healthy food

6. Meet amazing new friends

7. Challenge yourself out of your comfort zone

8. Learn easy to do at home workouts

9. Learn to control emotions

10. Relax in an amazing villa and feel good!

That’s it folks. We hope to see you in 2017.

If you have any questions about The Body Camp Fitness Retreat, please email info@thebodycamp.com or call us on 01548 550803

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