Becoming a Gym Girl

When I was younger I was not the athletic type of person to say the least. I never competed on sports teams, the most I did was swimming. When I was around 14 I started doing little home workouts after discovering the miracle that is YouTube but most days I would only do one or two Blogilates videos and that was it for my exercise.

Going into sixth form I wanted to put on weight by gaining muscle and so I started the gym. All over the media was the growing appeal of girls with curves and butts, so I signed up to my local gym and started going regularly. Since joining the gym I have gone through many phases. I first started out by only doing leg day and training my booty. I did this by light weight squats and using the machines that were provided. When I started the gym I was very intimidated by the guys in the free weights area, so I stayed away.

As I became slowly stronger and more confident at the gym and going more regularly, I tried out new things. I started hypertrophy training by doing free bar squats and deadlifts in sets and I got my schedule down. Now, I train lower body twice a week and upper body twice, sometimes I do cardio once but very rarley (I am not much of a runner) but if I do it is a short inclined walk. I tend to do either sets of 8 or 10 depending on the weight I am using. Recently other than hypertrophy I have incorporated more hyperplasia training which requires doing less reps and has longer rest periods but using heavier weights and forces you to train your muscles harder. For example, I have started squatting 5 sets of 4/5 at my maximum weight where as before I would have done 3 sets of 8 at a lighter weight. I have found this has helped to prevent my muscles plateauing.

I use the gym as my me time, I put on my music and block out any anxiety or stress I have and put it all into my workout. When I up that weight a little each session I get that little bit of pride in myself knowing I am becoming stronger. Going from a girl who was scared to eat or workout because it would make me 'curvy' to a girl who strives to lift heavier each session and fuels herself with good food is something I am really proud of.

My Routine

1 x back and biceps
1 x leg day (butt focused)
1 x chest, shoulders and triceps
1 x leg day (hamstring and quad focused)

My Favourite Exercises

Free bar squats (5x5)
Deadlifts (5x6)
Push Presses (5x8)
Shoulder Press with dumbbells (3x8 or 10)
Cable chest flys (4x8)
Leg press (5x8)
Bulgarian split squats (4x6 per leg)

Affordable Cruelty Free Brands | 2019

As I am still vegan it is still important to me to make sure my products are cruelty free, and by being student who doesn't have a whole lot of spare cash lying around at the minute it is also important to make sure these products are affordable. Hence, why I am always on the lookout for high street finds minus the cruelty. I have put together a list of some of my favourite brands which I have been tried and tested by me so I would recommend to my fellow cruelty free lovers for both their quality and price tag.

The List
Lush
B by Superdrug
Source of Nature at Sainsburys
Collection
Natural Collection
Barry M
Colour Pop
Palmers
Sleek
Elf
Wet and Wild
Superdrug
Original Source
Makeup Revolution
Bastiste
Yes to

Not to mention a lot of supermarkets own brands are also cruelty free these days, they do not just do  beauty items but also cruelty free cleaning products as well. The majority of these brands I use within my daily routine and I even used them before I went cruelty free. Making the switch to cruelty free beauty products does not always have to cost an arm and a leg and this list proves that it is easier than ever to make that step.

1st Semester of University

I made it through my first semester of university, I survived. I did not die of lack of food, or over-dosing on alcohol.

I learnt many things in my first semester of university. I think the most important one being me learning to survive on my own. I think I have become quite good at it, the adulting life is not all that bad so far. I have learnt the concept of budgeting (kind of), mostly entailing me making sure I can still afford alcohol at the end of the week. I equipped myself with the skills of washing up my dishes and doing my own laundry all of which were done for me at home. It makes you appreciate everything that little bit more when you do eventually go home for the holidays, like a double bed or a nice shower that does not just dribble or not having a shower curtain that likes to have a fight with you mid shower.

Starting lectures was a challenge. Yes, I was excited to delve into the science that is Marine Biology, but I was not quite prepared for the amount of new information that would be thrown my way and that I would be expected to absorb and regurgitate for exams. I wrote from first essay and report, learning the masters of completing work the day before it is due (yes you will always do it). Essays are hard, trying to blab 1000-2000 words on a subject you have no clue about proves a challenge but I did it and actually got a decent grade for it.

The people have been the best part about university for me. You are thrown into a pool of new and interesting faces. It is easy to meet people because you are literally all put in the same situation and everyone is looking for someone to hold onto to become friends with. I have met amazing people in my short time here and know I will continue to meet even more.

The downsides of university are still there amidst the good. It can put a strain on your mental health at times. Being away from home without that comfort blanket of people, it can be a lonely time sometimes. The stresses of deadlines can sometimes get overwhelming. But as a student you learn to deal with it and it will be okay in the end. University really is not all bad.

I am thankful for my time at university, enriching myself with new information within my degree and surrounding myself with the beautiful people I have met in my short time here.

Friendships and Loneliness

I don't think I have encountered much worse than losing people you love. Over the years I have made some true friendships that I hope will last a lifetime, but a few months ago I had to say goodbye to all of those people.

The first few days of being without someone makes you realise just how much you relied on that person. My friends have always been there for me. They know when I am in a bad mood and how to cheer me up, they laugh at my awful jokes and appreciate my slight stupidity. Not having them physically close to me breaks my heart a little and though that may sound dramatic it kind of is the truth. Being lonely is not something I thought I had experienced before, but losing friends you have had for the past 2, 7 and 13 years of your life, hurts. You have to tell them how things are going over the phone and whilst yes, you can still talk, it is not the same as being face to face. Do not get me wrong I have met some amazing new friends upon my time in university but there is still that hole of my friends miles away. It is an alienating thing.

It is not all doom and gloom as I know we will see each other as much as we can and when we do it will be special. We will make the most of the time we have together and I hope these people never leave my life completely but I wish them all the best for their futures.

Just because someone has walked out of your life it does not mean that you will never fill that hole, you have the memories that will remind you of the moments you spent together, you shall meet new people and make even more memories.