This week's ab challenges and a giveaway...

How did you go with the weekend's abs challenges? We were away and I was a bit slack but I made up for it today, making sure I got in yesterday's ab workouts as well as today's plank challenge.

Here are the challenges for this week until Friday, there are a mix of workouts and healthy eating tips and advice:

Day 11 (Tuesday): Training Tip: Count to Three
It isn't easy, but when you strength train, count to three as you lower the weight (or your body weight) back to the starting position. Slowing things down increases the breakdown of muscle tissue—yeah, it sounds bad, but all that damage you're incurring is actually a good thing. The repair process pumps up your metabolism for as long as 72 hours after your session, according to researchers at Wayne State University.
But pass on those featherweight dumbbells; you need to use enough weight that you struggle to complete the final few reps. Try this challenging "burn-out sets" workout and you'll lose more when you lift more!

Day 12 (Wednesday): Slim-Down Strategy: Plan Your Meals In Advance
If you know what’s for dinner (and you already have the ingredients), you’re much less likely to cave and order takeout. Need some planning help? Print our one-week eating plan: You'll eat well and stay satisfied with healthy 1,500-calorie menus from Keri Glassman R.D. Each delicious day includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, two snacks, and dessert.

Day 13 (Thursday): Core-Sculpting Workout: 360-Degree Abs Routine
Your abs aren’t only on the front! They're an intricate system of muscles, connecting to your rib cage, your hips, and even your backbone. To get a strong, sculpted core, you not only need belly exercises but also lower-back strength and exercises for your obliques (the abdominal muscles that run down the sides of your torso). TRY IT: These fat-burning abs exercises work all of the key regions of your core: upper abs, lower abs, obliques, and lower back.

Day 14 (Friday): Slim-Down Strategy: Never Skip Breakfast
Eat (a good) breakfast. Every. Single. Day. If you don't, your body goes into starvation mode (it's paranoid like that), so your metabolism slows to a crawl to conserve energy. Try one of these 10 healthy breakfasts!

 My Facebook giveaway...

Earlier on here I mentioned that if I got to 100 'likes' on my FB page I would have a giveaway and we made it people! Thank you to all who went here to my page and 'liked' it, I made it to 116... Woop! That's about 116 x more than the amount of friends I have!

So to celebrate that, one of the people on my FB page will win this...

The reason I have chosen this book to giveaway is because I have read it and think it is an awesome book for people who are already runners, want to be runners, or dabble in the odd bit of running. It has everything you need to know about beginning running, nutrition for running, building strength and endurance, training for a half or full marathon and SO much more! I read this book when I had been training for a couple of years and was wanting to start training for my first marathon. I found it so helpful and learned a lot! Definitely a must read for any runner whether you are new to running or not, it's great! 

I will use the random number generator to draw a winner tomorrow. I will let you know here and on my FB page who that lucky person is.

Have you read this book before?

What is your favourite book about all things running? 

Coming up on the blog... The winner of this book as well as a product review on the Shock Absorber Bra. Watch this space!!