BONUS: You can do it whilst watching the TV…
Right I have two things to talk about that are awesome in today’s post – Zanna Van Dijk and Sweaty Betty. Both fitness-related and both make me want to get my ass into gear in different ways. Let’s talk Zanna first. You may have seen her before in my vlogs, on my Snapchat or just generally slaying the fitness game on social media. She’s a bit of a mogul this one. I roped her into devising an ab burning workout and then filming it for my channel (scroll down for the video). In exchange she roped me into being the human tester (OUCH!) and doing the a ‘Yoga Challenge’ video for her channel (OUCH again).
The routine she created was just what I was looking for. It’s plank-based which means that it targets the core and it’s pretty much equipment-free, which means that you can do it at home. It’s also as short or as long as you wish to make it. Personally I like to use it at the end of a workout just to get a bit of a burn before I go home to sleep and eat my bodyweight in Chocolate Orange Cookies (recipe coming soon!), but you can do it whilst watching Netflix if you fancy and do one round or ten. I mean – 10? Seriously? You deserve a medal for that. Drop me a comment or tweet if you give it a go and I’ll give you a virtual high five back.
Secondly, let’s have a world about Sweaty Betty. It’s fast become one of my favourite workout brands. Sure I love a bit of Lululemon (the Align Pants will forever be my favourite item of clothing ever), but not being London based, sometimes I want to go into store, try stuff on, get a feel of the fabric and so when the need for a new workout wear purchase arises, I’ve been turning to good ol’ Sweaty Betty. Now we’re talking investment pieces here – leggings you’ll wear for years, hoodies so darn comfortable that they somehow slip into your everyday wardrobe – but everything I’ve purchased so far has passed all the relevant tests. They wash well, don’t show things they shouldn’t when you squat, don’t cut in in unflattering ways; they tick all the boxes.
My favourite outfit is this little number, the Power Leggings (can’t seem to find this pattern online but I purchased them instore recently), with the Seamless Athlete Workout Vest, Upbeat Padded Zip Bra and the Parkour Studio Sweat. The leggings are good for pretty much all sweat-related activities; I’ve worn them to lift, run and do yoga in. They sit comfortably at the belly button and make me feel supported whilst also being able to breathe. The Upbeat Padded Bra is fab because it zips up at the front so there’s no need to dislocate your shoulder every time you take it off. The Workout Vest is a classic and although they don’t seem to have it in this colour online, I’m very tempted to pick up another one in a new hue because it’s comfy and doesn’t show sweat too badly. Then there’s the Parkour Studio Sweat which is basically my dream jumper. Cosy? Tick. Monochrome? Tick. Cool ombre effect? Tick. I’ve been throwing this pre and post-gym and it’s already been washed about five times.
Yep I’m a convert and there’s plenty more on my wishlist – STEP AWAY FROM THE LYCRA, ANNA. So for now I’ve just put together my current top picks below. A little wishlist which is basically a fitness-lovers dream ‘What I Want For Christmas’ list. Friends and family members – take note…
Photos by Lauren Shipley
MY SWEATY BETTY TOP PICKS
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