The Programme, week 4: Maire Higgins
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Your support makes all the difference.Maire: I feel very energised this week – I'm aware of my abdominal muscles for the first time in a long while.
Maire: I feel very energised this week – I'm aware of my abdominal muscles for the first time in a long while. I'm sticking with my diet, having cut out all starchy carbohydrates, and replaced them with lots of vegetables, and feel so much better for it. In fact I'm shocked now when I walk around supermarkets how much space is given over to sugary and fatty things – although I must confess to finding myself hanging around the sweets the other day. I grabbed a banana and quickly ran out! I just feel so much more positive – it's been a real catalyst for change. I'm now making long-overdue changes in all areas of my life.
Matt Lovell, nutritionist: Maire is doing well. Her food intake remains much the same: low-starch carbohydrates, lots of vegetables, salad, protein from beef and fish, and some fruit.Many people take five pieces of fruit and vegetable to mean five or more pieces of fruit. We like to see five to six portions of vegetable and one to two pieces of fruit, ideally after physical exertion. Maire should have something substantial after her workout – this is prime time for getting extra nutrients into the muscles.
Janine Burns, trainer: Maire's results were good this week, even though she had a stomach bug for a couple of days. She recovered well, and as a result has had two extra rest days. This is no bad thing as she went at The Programme with all guns blazing; the two rest days have allowed her muscles to recuperate. Her core-stability strength is improving, so I have added some more exercises to her workout. She commented positively that the whole routine is now feeling much more like a habit rather than hard work. (A good habit goes a long way!)
Home workout – twice a week
Back mobility On Swiss ball, move bum in circular motion
Step warm-up Each leg x10; hamstring curl; front leg-kick; side leg-kick
Stretch See 'Flexibility'
Upper body Dumb-bell fly x 8; shoulder press x 10; long-arm pullover x 8; lateral pull-down x 8; bench press x 12
Abdominals The plank – 2x10sec for following: basic; feet lifted; bum squeeze. Then following on Swiss ball: sitting with feet off ground; ab crunch x5
Step workout As with 'Step warm-up', except x15 reps
Stretch See 'Flexibility'
Aerobic – twice a week
Jog or walk 20min, including one power-walk with hills
Flexibility
Hamstring stretch 30sec hold
Quad stretch 30sec hold
Back stretch 30sec hold
Chest stretch 30sec hold
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