DJ CALVIN HARRIS THANKS PILATES & EGGS FOR HIS NEW BODY

The entire music world is asking the same question: how did Scottish DJ Calvin Harris get so damn toned? The answer? Regular Pilates classes and lots of eggs! 

The famous DJ's body transformation has been incredible, to say the least. Harris has ditched the bowl haircut, the daggy clothes, the thin frame and gained lots of lean muscle mass. The 31-year-old says that living in LA since 2012 has assisted greatly in helping him adopt a healthy lifestyle, due to the plentiful food options. "The food is fantastic over here (in LA). You can eat healthily, there’s a lot more healthy options than in the UK".  

Calvin starts his days with a homemade breakfast; an egg-white omelette, smoked salmon and spinach, before heading to the gym for a reformer Pilates class. Harris was spotted just last week participating in a gruelling one-on-one Pilates workout with a trainer. 

Frequent Pilates classes got the world's highest earning DJ's six-pack muscles ready for his model debut in the Emporio Armani Spring/Summer 2015 shoot. Calvin's chiselled physique is on display for all to see in these revealing photos. Harris's ripped frame and handsome looks also landed him another modelling gig, as the face of Armani's eyewear and watch range. 

The 6 foot 5 inch musician is an inspiring Pilates convert, as he used to struggle with his height and thin frame. Harris remembers being bullied during his school days; "It was hard being the tallest person in class. Especially when you are a teenager. You want to keep your head down. I did anyway...When you are a spotty awkward teenager, you don't want people to look at you. It's a self-conscious thing. Everyone looks at you because you are extra gangly." The DJ reveals that he has only become comfortable with his body in the last few years; ""It's only in the last five years that I have come to terms with the fact that I am a big tall bitch!"

So as you can see, real men do Pilates! Not convinced? Come try out our reformer machines with co-owner Chris Boult and see why he loves this form of exercise! Call 0402 680 724, visit us online at premiumpilatesstudio.com or email us at inquiries@premiumpilatesstudio.com today! 

Images by http://www0.evoke.ie/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/CalvinComp.jpg?3d09e4, http://cdn04.cdn.justjared.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/ora-salon19/rita-ora-visits-the-salon-after-studio-time-with-calvin-harris-04.JPG, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2957251/Calvin-Harris-gets-plenty-attention-personal-trainer-displaying-ripped-physique-new-underwear-campaign.html. 

PANKO CHICKEN NUGGETS

I love to make recipes that contain no added oil. It just makes me feel so much healthier. I decided not to fry these chicken nuggets prior to baking them in the oven for this very reason. If gluten intolerant, polenta or gluten-free breadcrumbs would work nicely as a substitute for panko. I like adding ground paprika and chives, however you could change the seasonings and add ground chilli, lemon pepper seasoning, dried oregano, fresh coriander, the possibilities are endless. 

Ingredients

• 500g chicken breast fillets, fat removed 
• 1 free range egg, beaten
• 1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
• 1 teaspoon ground paprika
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives

Cooking 

1. Preheat a fan force oven to 180 degrees celsius. 

2. Cut the chicken into small, even sized nuggets/pieces. 

3. . Whisk the beaten egg with 3 tablespoons water in a small bowl and place at the start of your assembly line, after the chicken pieces. Combine the breadcrumbs, paprika, chives and pinch of salt & pepper (optional) in a medium bowl and place this next to the egg. Place a baking tray lined with baking paper at the end of the assemble line. 

4. The fun part - making the nuggets! Dunk each piece of chicken into the egg, then let the extra egg drip for a second off the chicken before placing the chicken piece in the panko seasoning bowl. Cover the nugget with the breadcrumbs by turning it over on each side and then place on the baking tray. Continue this process until no chicken remains. 

4. Bake the chicken nuggets in the oven for 15 minutes or until just lightly brown. Remove from the oven and leave the chicken to cool and continue cooking for 5 minutes before serving. 

Serves / 4 with a side dish 
Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 
Total Cooking time / 20 minutes 

x Emily 

STACY KEIBLER: BETTER ABS NOW THAN BEFORE PREGNANCY, THANKS TO PILATES & PALEO EATING

Former professional wrestler, ex of George Clooney and actress Stacey Keibler looks incredible just five months after giving birth! The mother-of-one's flat abs were on display as she performed a gruelling Pilates workout this week. 

The 35-year-old has always been a big fan of exercise, however she credits Pilates workouts pre and post natally as well as a Paleo eating plan for her amazing body, post baby. "My abs are in better shape now than before I got pregnant!", says Stacy. 

However, Stacy didn't shed the baby weight without lots of hard work. Keibler exercised almost every day before giving birth, combining Pilates with ballet workouts, walking and hiking.  "[My husband] Jared and I hiked hills and took walks together," said Keibler. "Walking a few miles every day was an essential part of my daily routine. I also went to Pilates three times a week."

The toned mum almost watched her eating whilst pregnant. "I didn't eat any dairy or gluten," she said. "I saw the difference in my body, my energy and my mental clarity." Stacy is a big advocate of eating Paleo. She tried this way of eating in 2013 and lost weight without exercising. “I was eating protein and vegetables. I did no gluten, no soy, no dairy, no sugar. I felt amazing. I actually lost weight without working out.”

Want to work on your abs after giving birth? Eager to have a little time out for yourself after becoming a mum? Come join us at Premium Pilates Studio! All our instructors are trained in Pregalates and have the knowledge and experience to program individual workouts for you, whether you be pre or post natal. Just remember to get a doctor's approval before attending a Pilates class! Call 0402 680 724, visit us online at premiumpilatesstudio.com or email us at inquiries@premiumpilatesstudio.com today! 

from the PPS team. 

http://www.examiner.com/article/stacy-keilber-flaunts-abs-low-carb-paleo-diet-pilates-are-weight-loss-secrets, http://ecelebrityfacts.com/uploads/pages/1404799136Stacy-Keibler.jpg, http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/image_content_width/hash/45/c8/45c83c31e6a28942f7f994bfaa64169f.jpg?itok=45Qpsz44, http://assets-s3.usmagazine.com/uploads/assets/articles/74442-stacy-keibler-works-out-while-pregnant-shares-diet-tips-pictures/1403031491_stacey-keibler-article.jpg. 

PELVIC FLOOR - ARE YOU ENGAGING IT CORRECTLY?

How do you know that you are engaging your pelvic floor properly? You can listen intently to your Pilates instructor waffle on and on about engaging these muscles, but at the end of the day you may not be performing this internal activation correctly. Unfortunately, your Pilates instructor cannot x-ray you with his/her eyes and see exactly what is going on down there! So here's some important points and knowledge to remember when trying to engage the muscles lining your pelvic floor (and we must point out at this point that this post refers to women's anatomy, not mens!): 

Firstly some background: Your pelvic floor muscles are the muscles you use whenever you restrain a natural urge to urinate or defecate. These muscles brace the uterus, bladder and rectum. The pelvic floor resides inside the bowl of the pelvis. Both men and women have pelvic floor muscles. 

These muscles are important to strengthen for several reasons: 

• These muscles work together with the deep abdominal muscles to improve core strength and provide you with a toned stomach
• The pelvic floor muscles stabilise and support the spine
• If these muscles are weak, the deep abdominal and back muscles will not be able to work in conjunction, which can cause injury and misalignment 
• Strengthening these muscles protects the bladder & bowel in men and women as well as the uterus in women 
• Women's pelvic floor muscles assist them during labour and the delivery of a baby

Here are some signs that you are not engaging your pelvic floor properly. If you find yourself: 

• Bearing down;
• Clenching butt muscles or leg muscles;
• Holding your breath;
• Contracting muscles without being able to let go;
• Other people can tell you’re doing them.

Don't feel like you are a Pilates failure if you have answered yes to at least once of these signs, as you are not alone! Physiotherapist Nelly Faghani says, “The research shows that more than 50 per cent of women don’t do their Kegel exercises/engage their pelvic floor properly." 

So how do you truly know if you are engaging your pelvic floor correctly? Below is a link to a simple but informative video on how to engage the pelvic floor. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysE-TddclQo

A brief summary of this video is below: 

• Think of the pelvic floor as a sling or hammock that wraps around from the pubic bone to the tailbone. 
• Lying down with knees bent is a good way to start practising how to engage the pelvic floor, as you are not working against gravity. 
• Some people prefer to sit on a swiss ball, as they can feel 'feedback' or pressure on their pelvic floor and can feel it lift when they engage. 
• Once you learn how to engage the pelvic floor, make a conscious effort to engage these muscles on a daily basis, whether you are sitting, standing, walking, exercising, etc. 
• Get into a comfortable position and think of tightening from back to front of the pelvic floor: 
• Firstly:  tighten and pull up around the back of the pelvic floor, as if you are trying to stop wind. Hold this. 
• Secondly: tighten and pull up around the middle of the pelvic floor, imagining that you are tightening your vagina as if you are wearing a tampon. Hold this. 
• Lastly: tightening the front of the pelvic floor, as if you are stopping the flow of urine and hold. 
• Hold for 5 seconds, then release slowly for 5 seconds. 
• Repeat 10 times. As you improve, try to hold up to 10 seconds each repetition. 
• Think of the energy of the pelvic floor muscles lifting up through the middle of the body
• Keep the shoulders and neck relaxed 
• Keep the spine in a neutral or natural position. Do not tuck the pelvis and imprint your spine. 
• Another fews way to think of engaging the pelvic floor:
• *think of pulling the sit bones together and upwards;
• *think of your vagina as an 10 level elevator and that you are lifting up to the top level. 

Remember, your Pilates instructor is there to help you, so make sure you ask him/her if you feel that you are not activating properly, as they will be happy to talk you through it! 

For all the male Pilates enthusiasts out there, we will have a blog post on how to tighten your pelvic floor soon! 

From the PPS team

Images by http://www.monicamathewsyoga.com/images/female_pelvicFloor.gif, http://thebellemethod.com/wp-content/uploads/kegels-397x277.jpg