We all love our sun holidays. Being able to step outside in shorts
and feel the sun heat you to your core just seems to set the world to
right! Most people choose to lie on a beach, have sangria at a poolside
bar or enjoy sitting building sandcastles with a young family. I've done
all these and loved every second.
However, being a bit of a fitness fanatic, in 2012 my husband and I decided to spend a week running in the Alps instead of going on a sun holiday. To put it simply, that week changed my life. For the first time, I was surrounded with a group of positive athletes all with the same goal. All focused on improving their running, looking for some rest and relaxation in their down time and aiming to take some training tips away to use once home. I came away from that week having paid the deposit for the following year and counting the days until I could come back. I couldn't make that running camp this year, so instead I am bringing all those lovely runners to West Cork for a July running retreat, just to get my fix of positive vibes and share a few miles with the lifelong friends I made in France.
Fastforward to October 2013 and I have found myself signed up to a fitness retreat in Quinta Da Colina in the Algarve for a week with the Irish Strength Institute. Reading the brief, I saw that I had the option of focusing on muscle building or fat loss for the week and decided to wait until I arrived to speak to my coach about which option I should take. With my flights booked and my bags packed with enough Naked bars to feed an army, I was ready for my week in the sun.
I should mention at this point that at the end of August, I made the decision to train for and compete in the the Mr Cork Bodybuilding competition in the Fitness Figure category, so my real focus was to spend the week learning tips and training methods to help me along that road. With that in mind, I packed a cooler bag with healthy food and off I went on the bus to Dublin.
This
is where I introduce you to Mick - 'The Coach'. Having met Mick on a
number of occasions previously at the ISI in Dublin and at training
events, I knew we were in for a good week. On the aeroplane, Mick waded
through row after row of women taking sneaky squeezes of bicep and
fluttering eyelashes to come say hello and give me a preview of the week
ahead. He suggested that I focus on fat loss for the week as it would
give me an idea of what was ahead in my competition focused journey.
With this decision made, we continued our journey to the airport where
Mick collected the rental car and we drove to our resort only 40 minutes
away.
After stopping on the way for some lunch, I got settled into my home for the week and met my house mate. The accommodation was expansive with two double ensuite bedrooms upstairs, a kitchen, dining room and living room downstairs opening onto a patio area with a barbeque. With my unpacking done, I sat outside with a coffee and took in the view and the sunset. If this was how my week was going to begin, it was going to be a fantastic holiday.
The next morning, breakfast was planned for the duplex apartment next door but a small mix up meant that we all had to jump in the car and head to a cafe up the road. This was no problem as Mick lined up a feast to get us started on our first day of training. Our first meal was a huge crisp salad with balsamic vinegar, a delicious freshly made gourmet beef burger topped with a poached egg.
We
followed this outing with some food shopping for the week. Coach gave
us some pointers about what we should and shouldn't be picking up. In
short - anything that we would consider a snack was out - no nuts,
bread, crackers, rice cakes. If we wanted results, we had to put in the
work and follow the rules. So, with our shopping bags weighed down with
meat and lots of veg, we made our way back to our complex and the gym
session that awaited us.
Before We Began
With instructions to hydrate and be ready to train at 10am, Mick gave everyone time slots to be downstairs for bodyfat and weight measurements. Using calipers, I had measurements taken on my legs, bum, stomach, arms, back, chin...you name it, it got pinched. This meant that at the end of the week, Mick would be able to give us an accurate result with regards to any body composition changes we may have had. With that done, everyone got into workout gear and we made our way to the gym.
The First Session
Everyone lined up in the gym and Mick brought us through a very simple circuit. It was structured so that the first exercise was done for 6 reps, the second was done for 12 reps and the final exercise was done for 24 reps. After we had completed the circuit 4 times each, we changed the exercises. I will just say this - I was ruined after this first session. If you like a nice trainer who holds your hand while you do curls with a pink 0.5kg dumbbell, then this is not for you. If you want to work your ass off in an environment where all the people around you are shouting your name in encouragement as you squeeze out each rep with huge effort and sheer will.....then this is the place to be. After 40 minutes, I was begging to be back at my bodybuilding gym in West Cork working on growth as opposed to fat loss.
We followed this session with lunch. Traditional herbs and spices were used to flavour succulent roast turkey and we accompanied this with roast veg and salad. As we were on the fat loss train, there were no carbs for us! One of the attendees on the holiday was doing a muscle building programme and he had rice cakes and peanut butter after his lunch. Up to this point, I have never been jealous of someone elses food...this week changed all that. Following a short mid afternoon nap, session 2 go underway. This session had a more cardiovascular element whilst still working through strength training. Modified strongman training was really tough but a lot of fun and something I had never done before. Pushing a weighted sled at speed then turning around and carrying two 20kg plates back to the start point certainly wins out over steady state jogging on a treadmill for me!!!
35 minutes of this and everyone was ready for their protein shake and a good shower before dinner.
While breakfast and lunch were provided at the complex, dinners were our own responsibility - this was an excellent opportunity to practice making the correct food choices whilst enjoying the foods we love. Omlettes, prawns, barbequed chicken, there was nothing that we didn't try and many nights were spent with the group and everyone bringing along something nice.
We did try to kill off the coach mid week though by adding a bit too much chilli to the prawns....our tactic didn't work though and he was ready for us at dawnbreak the next day.
After lunch on Day 1 Mick spent about 40 minutes talking us through the format for the week. We would have 2 sessions a day, one after breakfast and the second one between lunch and dinner. He explained that as the week went on, we may begin to feel a bit down and emotional as our bodies began to suffer withdrawal from sugar. I thought he was joking, but what I would experience over the next few days would completely change the way I looked at food.It was an early night to bed that night with alarms set for 7am (I am an early riser and like to have my coffee at least an hour before I have to communicate with anyone!).
Day 2 dawned and I sat drinking my coffee at 7am looking out over this view.
Quinta Da Colina is the perfect location for a camp like this because it is out of the hussle and bustle of the holiday centre where bars and music only offer temptation to those with poor self control. The day ahead would feature exactly the same format as day one with some changes made to the exercises and a different format for the evening session. Once again, the food was beautiful, the training was killer and the sun stayed out long enough for us to soak in the pool after our training to ease the muscle soreness that was beginning to creep in. By the end of day 2, I knew that sleeping comfortable was going to be a problem. Every session was a full body workout to maximise calorie burning and my body feeling it.
Day 3
So, this is where my little diary begins to sound like an excerpt from one of the 'Alien' movies. When I woke up this morning, I couldn't move. DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) had set it. This was good, this meant that I was working hard...but mother of GOD I couldn't wait to get into the cold pool after our morning workout. I was beginning to feel a bit cranky and jaded which Mick explained was down to the lack of carbohydrate. My body was being forced to attack the fat stores that I was so desperate to shift. This was good....this is what I wanted......wasn't it? By 10pm that night, I was on the phone to my husband telling him that I wanted to book a flight home. Now I'm not usually the emotional type but I just felt absolutely exhausted and unable to cope with even one of the 6 sessions we had left. Sitting down for a cup of tea with Mary (my house mate) was a Godsend. We had a chat about how we were both feeling (exhausted, hungry, sore) and then we both agreed that we had decided to be here and to zip up our man suits and get on with it. I went to bed that night with a renewed sense of purpose, focus and enthusiasm for the 3 days ahead.
Days 4, 5 and 6 were spent really working at staying positive, getting straight in the freezing pool after sessions and making sure that I kept on track with my nutrition. Morning sessions were built around resistance training and featured exercises such as hack squat, front squat, split squats, deadlifts, clean & press and many others. The evening sessions consisted of modified strongman sessions, fast paced Jarovic complexes, boxing sessions....no two sessions were the same! On day 6, we started our last afternoon session with tabata kettlebell swings outdoors. My quads and gluts were screaming but when Mick told us we were finishing off our last session with uphill sprints, I was thrilled. With a background in running, I felt that I would finish on a high. It was exhausting, but with our final weigh in to look forward to, we sprinted up that hill for 40 seconds repeats like it was our first day of training.
Final Measurements
We
were all booked in to have our final weigh in and body fat measurements
taken by Mick on our last day. I was absolutely shocked and thrilled to
discover that I had lost a huge 1.5kg in the 6 days of training and I
had dropped a total of 1.6% body fat. The trousers I had squeezed into
on the way over were now a size too big for me on the waist! I was very
excited to have achieved these results.
We had a final picture taken in the gym and then it was upstairs to get ready for our night out. We went to a beautiful restaurant on the sea front, for our final meal. Everyone had great plans of chips, potatoes and plates of chocolate cake, but once the option was given to us, everyone agreed that moderation was the preferred option. We all had delicious steak, fresh fish and a selection of traditional veg....and a few of us shared some profiterolls (come on....we deserved them).
Now That Its Over
That camp was October 2013. I came home and continued my prep for the Mr Cork competition in May of this year. I was still building up until February when my coach decided it was time to start rowing back on the calories and cleaning up my diet a little more. The camp in the Algarve had given me great insight into what I would need to do to produce the results I was looking for.
While I didn't place this time, I have caught the bug and I'm looking forward to competing again in October. What I really need is another week in the Algarve to work on my legs and my diet and I'll kick ass on the stage.
Ill be raiding the piggy bank over the next few weeks to see if I can produce the goods....when I do, who wants to come along and share a room?
If you want any info about this camp, check out www.ultimatealgarve.com or send enquiries to tara@isipersonaltraining.com
However, being a bit of a fitness fanatic, in 2012 my husband and I decided to spend a week running in the Alps instead of going on a sun holiday. To put it simply, that week changed my life. For the first time, I was surrounded with a group of positive athletes all with the same goal. All focused on improving their running, looking for some rest and relaxation in their down time and aiming to take some training tips away to use once home. I came away from that week having paid the deposit for the following year and counting the days until I could come back. I couldn't make that running camp this year, so instead I am bringing all those lovely runners to West Cork for a July running retreat, just to get my fix of positive vibes and share a few miles with the lifelong friends I made in France.
Fastforward to October 2013 and I have found myself signed up to a fitness retreat in Quinta Da Colina in the Algarve for a week with the Irish Strength Institute. Reading the brief, I saw that I had the option of focusing on muscle building or fat loss for the week and decided to wait until I arrived to speak to my coach about which option I should take. With my flights booked and my bags packed with enough Naked bars to feed an army, I was ready for my week in the sun.
I should mention at this point that at the end of August, I made the decision to train for and compete in the the Mr Cork Bodybuilding competition in the Fitness Figure category, so my real focus was to spend the week learning tips and training methods to help me along that road. With that in mind, I packed a cooler bag with healthy food and off I went on the bus to Dublin.
This
is where I introduce you to Mick - 'The Coach'. Having met Mick on a
number of occasions previously at the ISI in Dublin and at training
events, I knew we were in for a good week. On the aeroplane, Mick waded
through row after row of women taking sneaky squeezes of bicep and
fluttering eyelashes to come say hello and give me a preview of the week
ahead. He suggested that I focus on fat loss for the week as it would
give me an idea of what was ahead in my competition focused journey.
With this decision made, we continued our journey to the airport where
Mick collected the rental car and we drove to our resort only 40 minutes
away. After stopping on the way for some lunch, I got settled into my home for the week and met my house mate. The accommodation was expansive with two double ensuite bedrooms upstairs, a kitchen, dining room and living room downstairs opening onto a patio area with a barbeque. With my unpacking done, I sat outside with a coffee and took in the view and the sunset. If this was how my week was going to begin, it was going to be a fantastic holiday.
The next morning, breakfast was planned for the duplex apartment next door but a small mix up meant that we all had to jump in the car and head to a cafe up the road. This was no problem as Mick lined up a feast to get us started on our first day of training. Our first meal was a huge crisp salad with balsamic vinegar, a delicious freshly made gourmet beef burger topped with a poached egg.
We
followed this outing with some food shopping for the week. Coach gave
us some pointers about what we should and shouldn't be picking up. In
short - anything that we would consider a snack was out - no nuts,
bread, crackers, rice cakes. If we wanted results, we had to put in the
work and follow the rules. So, with our shopping bags weighed down with
meat and lots of veg, we made our way back to our complex and the gym
session that awaited us.Before We Began
With instructions to hydrate and be ready to train at 10am, Mick gave everyone time slots to be downstairs for bodyfat and weight measurements. Using calipers, I had measurements taken on my legs, bum, stomach, arms, back, chin...you name it, it got pinched. This meant that at the end of the week, Mick would be able to give us an accurate result with regards to any body composition changes we may have had. With that done, everyone got into workout gear and we made our way to the gym.
The First Session
Everyone lined up in the gym and Mick brought us through a very simple circuit. It was structured so that the first exercise was done for 6 reps, the second was done for 12 reps and the final exercise was done for 24 reps. After we had completed the circuit 4 times each, we changed the exercises. I will just say this - I was ruined after this first session. If you like a nice trainer who holds your hand while you do curls with a pink 0.5kg dumbbell, then this is not for you. If you want to work your ass off in an environment where all the people around you are shouting your name in encouragement as you squeeze out each rep with huge effort and sheer will.....then this is the place to be. After 40 minutes, I was begging to be back at my bodybuilding gym in West Cork working on growth as opposed to fat loss.
We followed this session with lunch. Traditional herbs and spices were used to flavour succulent roast turkey and we accompanied this with roast veg and salad. As we were on the fat loss train, there were no carbs for us! One of the attendees on the holiday was doing a muscle building programme and he had rice cakes and peanut butter after his lunch. Up to this point, I have never been jealous of someone elses food...this week changed all that. Following a short mid afternoon nap, session 2 go underway. This session had a more cardiovascular element whilst still working through strength training. Modified strongman training was really tough but a lot of fun and something I had never done before. Pushing a weighted sled at speed then turning around and carrying two 20kg plates back to the start point certainly wins out over steady state jogging on a treadmill for me!!!
35 minutes of this and everyone was ready for their protein shake and a good shower before dinner.
While breakfast and lunch were provided at the complex, dinners were our own responsibility - this was an excellent opportunity to practice making the correct food choices whilst enjoying the foods we love. Omlettes, prawns, barbequed chicken, there was nothing that we didn't try and many nights were spent with the group and everyone bringing along something nice.
We did try to kill off the coach mid week though by adding a bit too much chilli to the prawns....our tactic didn't work though and he was ready for us at dawnbreak the next day.
After lunch on Day 1 Mick spent about 40 minutes talking us through the format for the week. We would have 2 sessions a day, one after breakfast and the second one between lunch and dinner. He explained that as the week went on, we may begin to feel a bit down and emotional as our bodies began to suffer withdrawal from sugar. I thought he was joking, but what I would experience over the next few days would completely change the way I looked at food.It was an early night to bed that night with alarms set for 7am (I am an early riser and like to have my coffee at least an hour before I have to communicate with anyone!).
Day 2 dawned and I sat drinking my coffee at 7am looking out over this view.
Quinta Da Colina is the perfect location for a camp like this because it is out of the hussle and bustle of the holiday centre where bars and music only offer temptation to those with poor self control. The day ahead would feature exactly the same format as day one with some changes made to the exercises and a different format for the evening session. Once again, the food was beautiful, the training was killer and the sun stayed out long enough for us to soak in the pool after our training to ease the muscle soreness that was beginning to creep in. By the end of day 2, I knew that sleeping comfortable was going to be a problem. Every session was a full body workout to maximise calorie burning and my body feeling it.
So, this is where my little diary begins to sound like an excerpt from one of the 'Alien' movies. When I woke up this morning, I couldn't move. DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) had set it. This was good, this meant that I was working hard...but mother of GOD I couldn't wait to get into the cold pool after our morning workout. I was beginning to feel a bit cranky and jaded which Mick explained was down to the lack of carbohydrate. My body was being forced to attack the fat stores that I was so desperate to shift. This was good....this is what I wanted......wasn't it? By 10pm that night, I was on the phone to my husband telling him that I wanted to book a flight home. Now I'm not usually the emotional type but I just felt absolutely exhausted and unable to cope with even one of the 6 sessions we had left. Sitting down for a cup of tea with Mary (my house mate) was a Godsend. We had a chat about how we were both feeling (exhausted, hungry, sore) and then we both agreed that we had decided to be here and to zip up our man suits and get on with it. I went to bed that night with a renewed sense of purpose, focus and enthusiasm for the 3 days ahead.
Days 4, 5 and 6 were spent really working at staying positive, getting straight in the freezing pool after sessions and making sure that I kept on track with my nutrition. Morning sessions were built around resistance training and featured exercises such as hack squat, front squat, split squats, deadlifts, clean & press and many others. The evening sessions consisted of modified strongman sessions, fast paced Jarovic complexes, boxing sessions....no two sessions were the same! On day 6, we started our last afternoon session with tabata kettlebell swings outdoors. My quads and gluts were screaming but when Mick told us we were finishing off our last session with uphill sprints, I was thrilled. With a background in running, I felt that I would finish on a high. It was exhausting, but with our final weigh in to look forward to, we sprinted up that hill for 40 seconds repeats like it was our first day of training.
Final Measurements
We
were all booked in to have our final weigh in and body fat measurements
taken by Mick on our last day. I was absolutely shocked and thrilled to
discover that I had lost a huge 1.5kg in the 6 days of training and I
had dropped a total of 1.6% body fat. The trousers I had squeezed into
on the way over were now a size too big for me on the waist! I was very
excited to have achieved these results.We had a final picture taken in the gym and then it was upstairs to get ready for our night out. We went to a beautiful restaurant on the sea front, for our final meal. Everyone had great plans of chips, potatoes and plates of chocolate cake, but once the option was given to us, everyone agreed that moderation was the preferred option. We all had delicious steak, fresh fish and a selection of traditional veg....and a few of us shared some profiterolls (come on....we deserved them).
Now That Its Over
That camp was October 2013. I came home and continued my prep for the Mr Cork competition in May of this year. I was still building up until February when my coach decided it was time to start rowing back on the calories and cleaning up my diet a little more. The camp in the Algarve had given me great insight into what I would need to do to produce the results I was looking for.
While I didn't place this time, I have caught the bug and I'm looking forward to competing again in October. What I really need is another week in the Algarve to work on my legs and my diet and I'll kick ass on the stage.
Ill be raiding the piggy bank over the next few weeks to see if I can produce the goods....when I do, who wants to come along and share a room?
If you want any info about this camp, check out www.ultimatealgarve.com or send enquiries to tara@isipersonaltraining.com
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