Flex with Becks: Challenging times in the company of a titan

Flex with Becks enters week two and there’s no letting up in the intensity of her workouts. But can she stay the distance?

While ‘leg-day’ is commonly associated with strong emotions of dread amongst men, for me the equivalent are the shoulders and arms – my weakest areas.

As I have hypermobile shoulders, I carry a high risk of injury and thus need to pay a lot more attention to strengthening the muscles for support and protection.

Gentle, gentle … intense
Kayser accordingly devised a gentle workout to animate and mobilise the weak areas in my shoulders and arms, followed by an intense HIIT weight training the day after. I died during, only to feel positively resurrected after completing the workout.

Being used to having a coach and a team to egg and push you on to achieve your PB, my training sessions with Kayser have really made me realise how much I’ve been missing this form of motivation during training.

Master of motivation
I am by no means someone who slacks off when training by myself, as I am not satisfied with leaving the gym until I can do so drenched in sweat.

However, during the sessions with Kayser, I just push myself that little bit further, and it feels amazing and incredibly satisfying afterwards.

Know your limits!
Kayser is great at motivating and pushing you to do all you can, but makes sure you never overdo it.

He immediately finds an alternative exercise if he can see you’re physically unable to do the one he has set.

Hugging Hercules
At the end of the workout I was so thankful towards him for seeing me through the workout that I felt like giving him a massive hug.

Sadly I couldn’t lift my arms that high, as Kayser is two metres tall.

I can’t wait for next week’s workouts!
incline bench press 1web

Healthy Eating
The New Nordic Diet, devised by researchers at the University of Copenhagen, is based around traditional, seasonal, organic and nutrient dense ingredients. Low-temp cooking maximises nutrient retention in your food, and you can lose three times more weight than with a regular diet.

meal tipMeal ideas:
Avocados are an extremely nutritious, dense food. One-fifth of a medium-sized avocado has 50 calories and contributes nearly 20 vitamins and minerals, which makes it a perfect choice to provide you with nutrients while balancing your calorie intake.

Olives have dozens of health-protective nutrients including a diverse range of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nutrients. Their high mono-unsaturated fat content has been associated with reduced blood pressure, a decrease in blood cholesterol and a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease.

Try multi-grain rice cakes with fresh avocado creme (blend avocado with some salt and pepper), red pepper corns to garnish and olives.

Ten principles of the New Nordic Diet:
1. Eat more fruit and vegetables (berries, cabbage, root veg, legumes, potatoes and herbs)
2. Eat more wholegrains (especially rye, oats and barley)
3. Eat more food from the seas and lakes
4. Eat higher-quality meat, but less of it
5. Eat more food from wild landscapes
6. Eat organic produce where possible
7. Avoid food additives
8. Eat more meals that are based on seasonal produce
9. Eat more meals that are home-cooked
10. Produce less waste