Sober September: Carley's 30 Day Challenge
Throughout the month of September Carley Belmonte, the star of MTV’s hit reality show ‘The Valleys’, will be hitting the gym hard and taking on a challenge set by a top Cardiff Personal Trainer, Ryan Evans. ‘The Valleys’ is renowned for featuring a group of people who, shall we say enjoy a drink, and Carley is no stranger to a glass or two of Rosé. After working with Ryan, Carley was starting to notice some results, and in order to achieve more, the idea of Sober September was born. “Over the last 2 months I’ve been getting into my training and healthy eating, not religiously, but I have been training a couple of times a week as well as watching what I eat. I’ve seen a change in my body which other people have noticed, and this has motivated me to get my dream body! Yet, there is one thing in my way, partying and alcohol! Ryan has explained that in order to look physically better, as well as to feel healthier mentally and be more driven I would need to give up the drink and work really hard. I am serious about this and I will give it my all, I want and I WILL have that body that is pinned up on my fridge and all around my house, so I am doing it! I am dedicating the month of September to the gym, my diet and a month free of alcohol, and I CANNOT wait to see the result” Carley and Ryan have devised an intense training and diet plan based around high protein and fats, as well as high intensity cardio with compound weight movements. Ryan is a hard task master and has Carley doing 4-5 weight training sessions a week, with up to 5 cardio sessions in the morning, so this challenge is for those serious about overhauling their body composition, but not for the faint-hearted. Alongside this rigorous training and diet plan, Ryan has utilised his relationship with Marc Robinson and his team at Cardiff Sports Nutrition in order to tailor make a supplement plan specifically for Carley and her challenge. Carley, alongside her tailor made diet plan, is taking the following supplements:
- Whey Protein: this supplement is engineered in a way to give you a concentrated source of protein and the correct amount of amino acids (the building blocks of protein) in order to result in a consistent level of muscle growth as well as development. Supplementation with whey protein also results in an enhanced level of cellular and hormonal responses. This is particularly useful for those, like Carley, who are dieting as it can stabilize the levels of blood sugar levels throughout the body, with this helping the user to not overeat, whilst increasing the energy levels.
- Micellar Casein Protein: this particular protein supplement is derived from milk, and has a high level of naturally occurring intake glutamine, which is fundamentally the most important amino acid that is found within human muscle tissue. Glutamine is essential for muscular repair or recovery. As this supplement is derived from milk, it is a slow digesting protein source that allows the consumer to remain in a muscle building state, which is why Carley consumes this supplement before bed.
- Fat Burners: as we try to burn fat we need to be burning more calories than we are consuming, and if you want to lose body fat as quickly as possible a fat burner is ideal. A fat burner is a product that has been specifically formulated to provide you and your body with all the nutrients and ingredients that it needs in order to shred that excess fat. There are a wide range of fat burning supplements available on the market, ranging from thermogenic (metabolism booster) to appetite suppressants, however, we must stress that fat burners aren’t a magic pill, they are no substitute for a good quality diet and exercise regime. Carely has a top quality diet and exercise regime, and she is using a fat burner to aid her fat burning capabilities.
- L-Carnitine: this particular supplement is, again, an amino acid that occurs in the body naturally. Supplementation with L-Carnitine will help Carley as it will increase the level of support for her metabolism, as well as turning fat stores into a form of energy. With this supplement you can expect an increased level of fat burning, as well as increased energy production which will ultimately improve gym performance.
- Multi-Vitamin: it is beneficial for someone like Carley to supplement her diet with a good quality multi-vitamin supplement, in order to promote the normal functioning of the body’s immune system as well as contributing to normal cellular function as well as growth and repair.
Ryan does however want to stress that Carley is taking supplements in order to supplement her good quality diet, not replace it. Between Ryan and Marc, Carley has all of her bases covered and has the best possible team around her to make sure that she succeeds and achieves that body she has on her fridge! Make sure to follow Carley’s progress on this blog, as well as through her own personal Twitter account (@CarleyValleys) as well as on Ryan’s (@ryanevans99). Here at CSN we wish Carley the best of luck as she embarks on #SoberSeptember. Alex Conroy