Elite Body Squad RSS

Ever Heard Of Veganuary... Has your hangover kicked in? New year resolutions made? More and more people are committing to making a lifestyle change this year, with record numbers signing up to “Veganuary” and will try living on a plant-based diet, at least for a few weeks. Rich Hardy, head of campaigns at Veganuary, said that on January 1st around 14,000 people pledged to go vegan for the first month of 2019 – a rate of one every six seconds. He said, “In 2018 there hasn’t been a week that hasn’t gone by without veganism hitting the headlines. Vegan products are getting a lot... Read more

You Can’t Have Eggs Every Morning For Breakfast! You can’t have eggs every morning for breakfast! Try some tasty alternatives, that won’t kill your gains. Going low carb is an option, but healthy fats will keep your brain switched on through the toughest Monday mornings. Try flaked coconut, sliced almonds, chia seeds, hemp seeds and ground cinnamon. Sweet treats could include Greek yoghurt, vanilla protein, fresh strawberries and a handful of granola. Mix up some oats, a scoop of casein protein powder and some honey. Add some berries or unsweetened coconut milk for that extra sweet kick. And on the other days, an omelette with spinach and homemade... Read more

Are You Getting Enough Vitamin C... Vitamin C plays a huge role in boosting your immune system, but it also helps support collagen production, bone, and skin health - making it one of our super vitamins. It’s important to make sure we get enough vitamin C in our diet, otherwise our health could be at risk. So how do we know if we are getting enough? Signs of a deficiency include: * You bruise more easily than usual * Poor skin health, experiencing dry, rough bumpy skin You can become anaemic, resulting in fatigue, lack of energy and mood swings * Bleeding gums or inflammation to the gum... Read more

How To Deadlift... The classic Deadlift is arguably one of the best exercises in the history of the gym, for building overall body strength, burning plenty of calories and improving posture. The move challenges the core muscles as well as the bigger muscle groups. Research has shown that there isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ deadlift and the exercise should be adapted depending on your height, arm length and leg length. The conventional deadlift is best for short guys, and if you are shorter than 5‘6“ you should stick to the classic barbell deadlift. The hex bar deadlift is better for those over... Read more

Slurp Your Way To Stronger Muscles... Believe it or not, 'When sipped at the right times, in the right amount and blended with the right things, smoothies can build and repair lean muscle tissue, help you feel full and satisfied and may help decrease levels of ghrelin, a hunger-related hormone,' says Jenna Werner, creator of Happy Slim Healthy. By adding plenty of protein to a smoothie, you will get a much more balanced food choice. The protein will slow down digestion, keeping you fuller longer, and help prevent sugar spikes and crashes. If you’re making your smoothie a meal, aim for at least 25 grams of... Read more

Top 5 Healthy Snacks That You've Probably Never Heard Of Before... We all enjoy snacking, especially to satisfy our hunger quickly, but relying on sweet treats isn’t always the most healthy option. As our days get busier and our nights longer, there ARE some healthy low-fat alternatives, and some of them are actually quite yummy! #1 Popcorn is a good source of fibre and can keep your feeling full - 3 cups of air-popped popcorn is actually only 100 calories and contains about 2.5 grams of fat. It also contains magnesium for muscle and bone strength, potassium and antioxidants. Get munching! #2 Watermelon, and other melons, can be eaten quite freely... Read more

Wise Words From Our Brand Ambassador Jess Lee... If there’s one thing I have learnt over the course of my fitness journey, and any advice I would give...do it because you want it. Not because someone told you to, not because you need to fit into a bikini or to lose weight - do it for yourself. Turn it into a passion, something fun that you love and isn’t a chore and rein it into a hobby. You'll go much further if enjoy what you do. I’m not saying don’t graft in everything you do, but make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons and make it... Read more

4 Great Simple Tips To Keep Your Waistline In Check This Christmas Most of us love Christmas and while it’s a time to celebrate, it’s not always a celebration for your waistline!With cold nights, a hectic Christmas party schedule and busy work commitments, it can be difficult to find the motivation or the time to exercise. But, there are some fun and really simple changes you can make to your daily routine to burn off the calories, without feeling guilty about skipping a workout! Are you a fidget? If not, you should be! 1.Just by tapping your foot, shaking a leg or getting up and down keeps your body burning calories. Try... Read more

No Equipment? No Excuses... As the fitness industry evolves, more fancy-looking equipment and accessories have appeared in our gyms and home, which has helped keep us more active. While classic machines such as treadmills, weight benches and stationary bikes always will be popular, today we have more advanced equipment and cool new pieces to support us. Of course, you don’t necessarily need a huge amount of gear to exercise – you can run and walk - but let’s face it, workouts can get monotonous over time. And because your body adapts to these repeated challenges, progress may stall or be limited after a few... Read more

Ever Tried Working Out At Home? The number one excuse for not working out is a lack of time. At Elite we understand that, but the reality is you don’t need a lot of time to get a good workout at home. You already have the only tool you will ever need - your own body. Grab an Elite Body Squad mat and put your body through its paces…from the comfort of your own home - Check out ours in own shop NOW Read more

How To Beat Hunger Pangs... Hunger can be triggered not just by our need for food, but by the sight and smell of it. As a cue to stop eating, brush your teeth after the meal. The taste of toothpaste is likely to eliminate overeating and grazing later. Despite what you see on social media, everyone does NOT have the best family gatherings where everything is perfect, so do yourself a favour and drop unrealistic expectations around this time of year. Read more

Do You Wear Weight Lifting Gloves?... Wearing weight lifting gloves is a personal choice. Some people swear by them and wouldn’t dream of heading to the gym without them, yet others feel they interfere with their workout. We love them, they pull sweat away from the hands, add padding and are a perfect snug fit. They also help prevent calluses and blisters, offer wrist support, relieves pressure placed on your hands when lifting heavy weights and helps you lift heavier weights by distributing the weight across your forearms. And they’re a brilliant price now on Amazon - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B015LX9AWE Read more

Now Is Not The Time To Hibernate The winter months can be a challenging time to stick to a lifestyle plan - both exercising and around our diet, but it’s not a time to hibernate! The weather is colder, the daylight hours are shorter and it’s a busy time of year which pushes other priorities further up the list. It can make it hard to establish a routine, but it’s important to maintain strength and energy and not comfort eat. To keep in shape over the winter needs determination and a plan which is achievable and you’re able to keep! Go for the goals. Remind yourself of your... Read more

Out Of The Gym Smelling Of Roses? How often you shower typically falls into one of two camps: every day without fail or as little as possible. But according to dermatologists, there’s an actually a recommendation of right (and wrong) number of times to shower each week. And there’s even research papers to support their findings! A good general guideline is once a day or once every other day. However, even that recommendation might vary depending on your workout habits, your skin type or where you live. Bottom line, not many of us leave the gym smelling fresh without a shower…! Read more

What Are You Doing This Black THIGH Day... Stronger, longer, leaner thighs…some want them, some don’t! When it comes to targeting thighs, there's no better exercise to firm up and tone up than a squat. They're simply the most challenging leg movement you can do, especially when loaded appropriately. Bodybuilders typically use the high bar squat, which hits all the leg musculature fairly evenly. Powerlifters prefer the low version, in which the bar instead sits further down, since this variation slightly shifts the body's centre of gravity such that the glutes take up more of the workload, which immediately allows the lifter to use more weight. You're not... Read more