SYLVESTER STALLONE CALLS PILATES 'TOUGHER THAN BOXING'

Actor, screenwriter, filmmaker and all around tough guy Sylvester Stallone has recently admitted on an Instagram video just how tough Pilates is! The 70-year-old, who seems as fit and strong as he was during his peak Rocky & Rambo years, has been doing Reformer Pilates for several months and has been very vocal about how tough this form of exercise is. 

One of Stallone's daughters recently accompanied him for a Pilates session in Hollywood. Until then, Stallone had been doing private Pilates classes. We think he pushed himself a little more in front of his daughter! Sylvester admitted how exhausted he was after the class and praised Pilates. 

“For anyone who’s never tried Pilates – the name sounds cute, but it ain’t cute...Brutal! Working out with my daughter doing Pilates… Oh my God. This is like going the distance with Clubber Lang and Drago before breakfast!! This is an amazing workout but definitely not for the faint of heart. I've lifted weights I have boxed, wrestled, Track and field, played football and many other sports… But this workout pushes you to the limit… And beyond!"

For all of you out there who regularly practise Pilates, give yourselves a big pat on the back! It is a very challenging yet rewarding workout, as endorsed by super tough guy Stallone! For those of you who haven't tried this form of exercise yet, don't be intimated! At Premium Pilates & Fitness we instruct you to work at your own level and have many different types of classes to choose from. So come try out the toughest workout by calling 0402 680 724, emailing hi@premiumpilates.com.au or visiting us online by clicking here.

Images by http://www.inquisitr.com/3983432/sylvester-stallone-admits-pilates-is-tougher-than-boxing-and-weightlifting/, https://i.ytimg.com/vi/3gKxp02YNBw/hqdefault.jpg, https://i.ytimg.com/vi/KfVfSlJ5-xc/hqdefault.jpg. http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/f8796644e7f8cf8eedef3a58745898eb8acff553/c=254-0-2946-4808&r=583&c=0-0-580-1031/local/-/media/2016/02/08/USATODAY/USATODAY/635905425411479883-AFP-548675642-79515384.JPG.

ZUCCHINI MUFFINS

These zucchini muffins were loosely adapted from a Coles magazine. Whilst these babies may not photograph so well, myself and my husband can testify that they are ah-mazing! Once baked these muffins are crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, perhaps due to the fact that you do not squeeze the water out of the zucchini prior to baking (as you so often do). You can add extra vegetables to these muffins such as grated carrot and/or beetroot, finely chopped baby spinach and/or capsicum, which I'm definitely going to do next time. You can also try different herbs to me; basil would work lovely. My oven may not be working 100% effectively as these muffins took 45 minutes to cook, so perhaps check your muffins after 30 minutes. Store in the fridge as it is mighty humid in Brisbane right now! Eat as a snack on the run or as a light breakfast, lunch or dinner with salad. Once cooled I place each muffin in a plastic bag so that we have healthy snacks for the week. 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon rice bran oil 
• 2 bacon rashers, fat trimmed, finely chopped
• 3 zucchini, roughly grated
• 2 cups self-raising flour (or gluten-free if allergic or intolerant)
• 1/2 cup reduced-fat grated cheddar cheese
• 40g reduced-fat feta, crumbled
• 2-3 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, finely chopped
• 2 eggs, preferably free-range, beaten
• 3/4 cup reduced-fat cows milk (or lactose-free, soy or unsweetened almond milk if allergic or intolerant)
• 60g nutalex, melted 

COOKING 

1. Preheat a fan-forced oven to 180 degrees celsius. Lightly grease a 12-hole muffin tin with the oil. 

2. Dry-fry the bacon pieces over low-heat in a medium frying pan. 

3. In a large bowl combine the zucchini, flour, two types of cheese, herbs and a pinch of sea salt & pepper and stir well. Whisk the eggs, milk and nutalex in a medium bowl, then pour into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. 

4. Use a 1/2 cup to spoon the mixture into each individual muffin hole. Bake in the oven for 30-45 minutes (see above for more details) or until the tops are lightly golden and a skewer inserted in the centre of the muffins comes out clean. 

Makes / 12

Total Prep time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 30-45 minutes 

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COMEDIAN CHELSEA HANDLER DOES PILATES EVERYWHERE!

American comedian Chelsea Handler loves Pilates so much that she practises it everywhere she can, even on the beach! The 41 year old has started to look after herself in recent years, resulting in a healthier, slim body and a better outlook on life. 

Handler recently shared with Shape magazine, “It took me a long time to deprogram myself, to get rid of my unhealthy weight loss diet plans and flaky commitment to any kind of fitness exercise program.” When Chelsea decided it was time to get healthy, Pilates was there for her. 

“I can honestly say [Pilates] changed my body – and my life...I’m longer and leaner and much more graceful.” Handler says that she prefers doing Pilates than yoga or going to the gym, which she does as well. The toned comedian also has a personal trainer, who pushes her with sprint training. Chelsea feels that Pilates is a great low impact form of gentle exercise that gives her results without putting strain on her joints. 

In addition to exercise, Chelsea completely overhauled her eating several years ago. Handler admits that for years she did not how to eat healthy. Nowadays, she avoids fast food and processed food and sticks to a very simple, whole foods eating plan. Except for her one vice: alcohol. Chelsea reveals that she told her nutritionist she was not willing to cut out alcohol from her diet, so they both compromised. "He (her nutritionist) explained that calorie-wise, vodka isn’t so bad, as long as you drink it with soda so knowing I could still have a drink made it easier to stick to my weight loss program.” Good to know that not everything one loves has to be cut out to stay healthy! 

Want to slim down and tone up like Chelsea Handler without giving up all your vices? Come try Premium Pilates & Fitness, where we have a class for you! (and for burning off your alcohol!). Call 0402 680 724, book online by clicking HERE or by downloading our App from the iTunes store or by emailing hi@premiumpilates.com.au. OR if you live elsewhere, click HERE to try our online classes! 

x Premium Pilates & Fitness 

Images by http://www.foods4betterhealth.com/chelsea-handler-height-age-weight-body-statistics-28596, http://www.popsugar.com/fitness/Picture-Chelsea-Handler-Doing-Pilates-Twitter-7910197, https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&ved=0ahUKEwjV14meuuHRAhXMn5QKHQkzCvoQjRwIBw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.justjared.com%2Fphoto-gallery%2F2961680%2Fchelsea-handler-bares-bikini-beach-body-in-hawaii-03%2F&bvm=bv.145063293,d.dGc&psig=AF, http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0259/2109/t/2/assets/blog_metchelsea.jpg?1703QjCNGbfVt4Hl_e1u__-bPONzCxDa_WJg&ust=1485576580508790

JUNGLE BLISS BALLS

A good friend gave me a recipe similar to this a few years ago for maca & tahini bliss balls. I just happened to come across in a few weeks ago when I was switching phones and recalled how much I love making bliss balls with a wealth of ingredients in them. Jungle bliss balls is how I describe them. You can use whatever nuts you have on hand for this recipe and if you do not have / like goji berries or cranberries, substitute for something else, such as chia seeds, pepitas, sunflower seeds. Because these bliss balls have nuts as their base, they need to be chopped quite finely (I suggest pulsing them in the food processor first). Also, rolling the balls is a little more challenging (but still fun) as it requires the use of water and a firm hand. Hope you like them as much as me! And if you don't feel like making them, they are in the studio all this week for only $2 each! 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 brimming cups finely chopped unsalted nuts (I used a mixture of raw almonds, cashews and shelled pistachios)
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil
• 4 tablespoons water
• 1 cup desiccated coconut, plus 3/4 cup extra, to coat 
• 1/2 cup cacao nibs or small dark chocolate buttons
• 1/2 cup tahini
• 1/2 cup goji berries
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup honey 

METHOD

1. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and stir very well to mix, adding more water at a splash a time if needed. To chop the nuts I like to pulse them in the food processor for just a few seconds. 

2. Have a small bowl of tap water handy, a medium plate with the extra desiccated coconut spread out on it and a spare large plate. Dip your hands in the water, then roll one bliss ball at a time, coating with the coconut and then placing on the spare plate. You may need to dip your hands in the water before rolling each bliss ball. 

Makes approximately 30 bliss balls, depending on the size you want to make. Store in the fridge for up to two weeks and enjoy! 

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KATE HUDSON ISN'T SHY ABOUT HER LOVE OF PILATES

37-year-old actress Kate Hudson cannot get enough of Pilates. When she's not raving about the exercise regime she has been dedicated to since she was 19, she's posting videos of her Pilates' classes on social media or posing for magazines with a Pilates theme shoot. 

Devoted to Pilates for the past 18 years, Hudson has worked hard on her flexibility, strength and agility. As a result she has an incredibly toned body and can perform some very advanced Pilates exercises (see above!). The mother-of-two also likes to attend dance and exercise classes as well as workout outdoors but at the end of the day her love and heart is with Pilates. 

"Nothing, literally nothing, makes me feel like I'm back to my body more than pilates," she confessed. "I'll travel, and I’ll go for a run or I'll Spin. But when I go home and get on the reformer or the Cadillac, my body immediately goes back. I can see an instant shift."

The slender star works very hard for her body and says that she forces herself to get in any incident exercise that she possibly can. "I'm one of those people who, it'll be early in the morning and I'll be in a robe getting my hair done, and I'll use my Hot5 app (a fitness app) -- and do push-ups for five minutes!" Hudson reveals.

Kate knows that to maintain her toned body she needs to eat very healthily. She eats five small meals a day, eating mainly unprocessed and plant-based foods. Hudson has a post-workout protein shake after breakfast, a salad for lunch, and a late-afternoon snack before dinner. Kate reveals that she used to never eat breakfast but started to when she realised how vital it was to her health. "The hardest thing for me is eating right when I get up, because I don't like to. I'm not one of those people who wakes up hungry," she explains. "I wake up and I want coffee and even a green juice, but everybody says you've got to eat something, even if it's little. So that's sort of the hardest, but I realise that when I do, I eat less during the day or late at night." 

Saying all thisHudson is a fan of treating herself and thinks that life needs to include some indulgence. "If I want to go out and eat at a restaurant with amazing food, I'll do that, like, once a week, where I’m not thinking about it," she says. "I want to indulge! I want to do things that are not necessarily healthy sometimes."

If you are dedicated and motivated to work out as Kate, why not splash out and indulge?!

Want to try our equipment classes to see why Kate Hudson loves the reformer machine? Keen to do a range of Pilates such as Boxilates, Barre, Mat or Stretch classes? Visit us online by clicking here to book online, email hi@premiumpilates.com.au or call us on 0402 680 724. 

images by http://www.etonline.com/news/208753_kate_hudson_shows_off_intense_pilates_workout_see_the_pic/, https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/cf/98/d6/cf98d6b2dc2635f676b7e551760cb1d1.jpg, https://pmchollywoodlife.files.wordpress.com/2016/02/kate-hudson-self-magazine-lead-1.jpg?w=600, http://www.gotceleb.com/wp-content/uploads/photos/kate-hudson/self-magazine-march-2016/Kate-Hudson:-Self-Magazine-2016--10-662x901.jpg, http://keyassets-p2.timeincuk.net/wp/prod/wp-content/uploads/sites/57/2015/08/kate_hudson-1.jpg, http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/08/25/14/3790729E00000578-3758272-image-a-1_1472132462052.jpg, http://www.etonline.com/news/181449_kate_hudson_shows_off_her_jaw_dropping_bod_a_white_bikini/. 

OREGANO & RICOTTA CORN FRITTERS

I went to my absolute favourite breakfast cafe of all time a little over a week ago, Jam Pantry in Greenslopes, Brisbane and my friend ordered the corn fritters. As soon as I tried some of her meal I had the worst case of food envy! The fritters were deliciously light clouds filled with ricotta, oregano, many other amazing ingredients and were gluten-free. Whilst my fritters taste nothing like my friend's did at the Jam Pantry, they were tasty enough for me to make three times in one week and eat for breakfast and dinner! Oregano works so well here that you should definitely go buy some- I've tried this recipe with basil and spring onions and its not as good! 

INGREDIENTS

• 3 eggs, preferably free-range
• 250g light smooth ricotta
• 1 cup reduced-fat cow's milk (or if allergic or intolerant to dairy use unsweetened almond milk, soy milk).
• 1 x 400g tin corn kernels, drained & rinsed
• 1 cup plain flour (if allergic or intolerant to gluten use gluten-free)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder 
• 2 tablespoons fresh oregano, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano 
• 1 teaspoon lemon rind
• rice bran oil 

Sides 

• avocado
• tomato
• baby spinach and or rocket
• bacon 

COOKING

1. Whisk the eggs, ricotta and milk in a large bowl. Add the corn kernels, flour, baking powder, oregano, lemon rind and season with salt and pepper. Stir well until all combined. 

2. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat, pouring 1 tablespoon oil into the pan and swirling to coat. Spoon out 1/3 cup batter into the pan, flattening slightly with the back of a large spoon. If using a large pan you can cook 3-4 fritters at once. Cook for around 2-3 minutes or each side or until golden brown. Remove from heat and keep warm as you continue to cook the fritters, adding more oil if necessary, until all the batter is gone. 

Serve warm with sides or alone. 

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes 
Total Cooking time / around 15 minutes 
Serves / 4 

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TENNIS STAR MARIA SHARAPOVA MIXES IT UP WITH PILATES

Tennis star Maria Sharapova's workout is not for the faint-heartened. In addition to practising tennis three hours a day, five to six days a week, the Russian beauty also spends time a lot of time exercising off the court, including going to Pilates classes! 

The 29-year-old says that her workouts off the court are just as important as her tennis training. “Our bodies get used to something when we do it consistently, so I think the biggest gift that I can give to my body is always making it guess...It’s really about mixing it up and doing different things. As much as I play tennis, I want to do workouts that are different.”

One of these go-to different workouts of Maria's is Pilates. Sharapova particularly likes Pilates exercises on the mat and loves doing core workouts using a swiss ball. “I love doing core because it’s the center of the chain for everything,” Sharapova says. “I love Pilates as it (involves) a little bit of everything.”

To compliment her crazy workout and training schedule, Maria makes sure that she gives her body a day of rest each week.“When we think about working out and staying in shape, we think about constantly doing it, but sometimes the days off are just as important for your body as the days that you’re on,” says Sharapova.

The tennis talent follows a balanced and moderation approach to healthy eating. “It’s about making the right choices for your body, but I also think indulging is a part of it. It’s important mentally to give yourself a break as well. If you’re constantly resisting and saying ‘no,’ that becomes a challenge. I try to keep it 80/20 where 80 percent you’re healthy and you’re really aware that you’re eating clean, and 20 percent giving yourself a chance to relax and have a piece of bread and a cookie!”. We agree! 

Want to work on your core and mix up your exercise regime with something different? Try Pilates today! At Premium Pilates & Fitness we have a class for everyone, including Equipment, Matwork, Barre, Boxilates and Stretch classes. Visit us online at http://www.premiumpilates.com.au/, find out app on the Itunes store, email at us at hi@premiumpilates.com or call us on 0402 680 724 today!

Images and text adapted from http://people.com/bodies/maria-sharapova-how-she-stays-in-shape-off-the-tennis-court/, https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/51/5b/6b/515b6b5173747eeb0118283eff757245.jpg, http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/06/11/article-2655238-1EAB118E00000578-282_634x844.jpg