My Active life: Personal Trainer and Vie Activist Zanna Cox

Guest Post: Zanna Cox from Zanna Cox Fitness

Driven, motivated and ambitious personal trainer Zanna Cox from Sydney's northern beaches is passionate about nutrition, health and fitness. An Outdoor Personal Trainer, she lives and breathes an active lifestyle doing what she loves on a daily basis. 

What’s your workout ethos/philosophy? My workout philosophy is to have exercise and healthy eating as your lifestyle, rather than a fad phase. I love helping people to be the best that they can be, physically and mentally & I believe the only way we can achieve this is by having a holistic, lifestyle approach! I specialise in women's weight loss and toning and I achieve this through strength and conditioning, cardiovascular training, boxing and weight training; which all gets the heart rate up super high, so you burn fat all day. However because I am an Outdoor Personal Trainer, I love training my clients outdoors on the beach first thing in the morning, because it is truly the best part of my day! 

What is your own fitness regimen like? I am currently training 5-6 days a week and following my own gym/outdoor program. I change my program every 2-3 weeks so I am constantly shocking my muscle memory and keeping my body guessing. I train weights everyday (moderate-heavy yet still at a fast pace to use my fast muscle twitch fibres) & really focus on isolating my muscle groups. I also do my interval training with body weighted exercises, plus sprints on the Treadmill, Cross Trainer and Spin Bike! And I generally try to aim for 1 or 2 days of cardio, when I am wanting to really lean up before Summer. 

Tell us about your eating habits (what you eat/ what you avoid)? I am currently following my own 14 day meal plan, however I am also following a Blood Type Diet which Miranda Kerr is currently doing also! I have been following Peter D'Adamo's Blood Type Diet for the past year and have never felt better! My energy levels are high, my body fat is low and I believe it is all because I am giving my body the right foods that agree with me. However just because this works for me, doesn't mean it will work for everyone. I always give my clients my standard meal plan which is basically well balanced healthy eating. But if necessary I do recommend my clients seek their own specialist advice regarding their diet. My diet consists of 5 small meals a day (eating every 2-3 hours) and I follow the 80/20 rule.

I eat the following:

Oats or eggs for breakfast

White meat (fish, tuna, turkey, chicken, salmon) 

Wholemeal carbohydrates (wholemeal rye bread, wholemeal pasta and brown rice) 

Plenty of fruit and vegetables (3 servings daily)

3 litres of water per day with lemon

3 x green teas a day

Almond milk berry smoothies

Fresh vegetable juice (Beetroot, carrot, celery, ginger & apple) 

I tend to avoid all red meat as it is quite heavy for my stomach and doesn't agree with me, creamy pastas and anything that is really processed. 

Thoughts on dessert? I am a HUGE fan of dessert. My favourites would probably be Lindt dark chocolate with almonds, fruit sorbets and fruit salads with passionfruit on top. I believe you can still have yummy desserts that are healthy, yet still good for you, however its all about looking for the healthiest option. When you follow an 80/20 rule you allow yourself to have treats because you have worked hard for it! Life is meant to be enjoyed :)

What’s your top workout tactic? My top workout tactic would be interval training with body weighted exercises such as burpees, squats, pushups, planking together with activities like boxing and sprint training to break up routine. This all builds lean, toned muscle and burns fat FAST!

What do you look for in activewear? I love stylish, colourful gym clothes that are comfortable to wear and a firm fit. Anything that makes me look and feel amazing!  

Why is Vie Active your top choice for active wear? Vie Active is my top choice for active wear because the clothes are not like just any ordinary gym clothes. They are pure merino which is super comfy, soft, breathable & temperature regulating. I also love the style of the clothes; the fabric and leopard print design makes me feel great when I exercise!

What are the benefits of wearing this range when training? The clothes are pure merino which is breathable & temperature regulating for when I exercise. I love that I can still look great when I workout as the clothes have odour control and moisture management so when I work up a sweat, it dry's instantly! I also do a lot of early mornings and nights at Boot Camp in Winter so the clothes are also great for keeping my body nice and warm from the temperature control. The other benefit is also having the UV protection, because I am constantly training clients outdoors in the sun, the clothes will never fade or get damaged.

How does this enhance your workout? and post workout? The clothes enhance my workout as they are a great fit, plus enable me to perform at my ultimate peak without over heating. The clothes make me cool when I am hot which is great for my athletic training performance. In terms of my post workout I love how I can go train my clients straight after my session and not have to worry about changing clothes as they have already dried. The other positive is having the odour control, so my clothes always smell fresh and make me feel great straight after my workout. 

How does wearing the range make you feel? Amazing!!

What are your favourite pieces from the range? Katrina Zippered Tank, Libby Hoody and Noa Foundation Jacket