5 Things I’ve Learned As A Personal Trainer

1, You can be a technical expert in exercise but without communication skills they aren’t worth jack

I have meet many personal trainers who were excellent in regards to their training knowledge but lacked in their communication skills If you are unable to communicate the knowledge across to your customers and demonstrate the benefits as person will get from training with you then your business will no doubt fail. I often see new personal trainers afraid to talk to members, in fear that they might be rejected. When I first started as a trainer I was guilty of this myself.

On the flip side of this I see many personal trainers who to quote the movie Dodge Ball “are about as useful as a cock flavoured lollypop” do well with their business because they able to talk to customers and convince them to invest in their training services. They are ballsy and don’t care if they get rejected, they play the numbers. The fact that they are often completely inadequate as trainers to actually get anybody results is another matter and will be a subject for another blog post.

2, There is no such thing as a perfect programme

Some people search high and low for the perfect routine. They swap and change routines weekly, trying to find something that will turn their bodies into something worthy of a men’s health or shape magazine. The fact of the matter is that there are certain training guidelines to fall within depending on your goal but quite often anything can work for while provided the required effort and intensity is put into it.

Quite often people change programmes searching for the easy way to get results. It takes hard work and consistant effort to produce a body worth admiring!

3, Be wary of experts or gurus who make blanket statements

There are thousands of so called ‘experts and gurus’ in the fitness industry who claim that there way is the ‘holy path’ and the only way to train. Firstly be wary of their exercise preferences as they are likely to be biased towards a style of training that has best suited them.

Everyone is different and so will respond different to training stimuli. A very wise quote from Bruce Lee is to:

"Absorb what is useful, Discard what is not, Add what is uniquely your own”



Smart Guy!






Through years of consistent, hard work you can discover what works best for you.

A good trainer should always be a student to his profession, constantly striving to learn more and be open to new ideas and techniques.

You also have to question why an ‘expert’ is making a blanket statement, do they have a hidden agenda? Are they trying to sell you their own style of training or supplement line?

4, Nutrition, nutrition, nutrition

The difference between a guy and girl who spends years in the gym training but never changes their body can most often be attributed to lack of effort in the kitchen. There are three main types of people I encounter-









Perma-bulkers
There are thousands of guys who are ‘perma-bulkers’ walking around the gym for years with too much body fat to ever be close to seeing their abdominal muscles. They train hard and often can be quite strong but never get smart with their nutrition which would allow them to diet down and reveal the hard, chiselled muscle underneath their soft exterior.









Cardio queens/Ms. pink dumbbells

There are also many women who slog away at the gym, quite often performing too much cardio and not enough resistance training but also who fail to make adjustments to their diets and consequently never achieve the lean, toned look they so desire.








Skinny dweebs

These guys try and do all the hardcore training, often trying to follow the routines of their favourite pro-bodybuilders they read in magazines. They however never get it right with their nutrition, never eating enough nutrients to enable their body to grow into something worth looking at. They are often too scared to eat too much in fear that they might temporarily loose sight of their abdominals. You can train your ass off but unless you eat the required nutrients you will not grow.

The difference between someone who looks average which these days is often overweight and a bodybuilder who gets into contest shape (5% or below) is nutrition.

A bodybuilder or even a Men’s Health cover model (a more desirable look for most people) makes the most adjustments to his/her routine through diet. If your goal is to build your body you need to provide your body with the building blocks in which it can grow. If you want to loose fat then you have to create a deficit which will encourage your body use fat as a fuel while preserving the muscle you have.


5, Create a definitive goal and then shoot for it







I am surprised by the number of people I encounter who have absolutely no idea what they are trying to achieve by attending the gym other than the vague idea of ‘trying to get in shape’.

If you don’t have a definitive goal then you will never be able to achieve success. If you goal is to look “bloody fantastic at your sisters wedding, making all the males at the wedding heads turn” or “I want to bench press 100 kilo’s” then write this down!

Once you have a definitive goal you can better plan how best to achieve this. Some of the most successful people in the world such as Bill gates, Richard Branson, and Arnold Schwarzenegger are all keen goal setters and clearly defined what they wanted to achieve in every area in which they ultimately succeeded.

Give yourself a deadline; we all generally work better under pressure. Take responsibility for you goal and make yourself accountable. Create checkpoints towards your goal and then make sure you consistently hit them along the way.

Wrap up

This is just a small sample of things I have learned, stay posted for future insights!

How to boost your magnesium levels

If you are eating lots of processed food or ready meals or have a history of alcoholism then you are more likely to not be getting enough magnesium in your diet.

What role does magnesium play?

Magnesium is an important element in the body because it activates or is involved in many basic processes or functions, including:

cofactor for over 300 enzymes
oxidation of fatty acids
activation of amino acids
synthesis and breakdown of DNA
neurotransmission
immune function
interactions with other nutrients, including potassium , vitamin B6, and boron

How to up the intake

A simple tip to boost your magnesium intake is to eat more dark green vegetables. These are important sources of magnesium because it is the central atom in the structure of chlorophyll.

Other dietary sources of magnesium include nuts; dried peas and beans; whole grain cereals such as oatmeal, millet, and brown rice; bone meal; blackstrap molasses; brewer's yeast.

Magnesium as a cure

Many naturopaths believe that the official government recommended daily allowance (RDA) of magnesium is too low. They think that it should be doubled to about 600 or 700 mg daily for adults. Most recommend the use of dietary supplements containing magnesium to make up the difference.

Naturopathic practitioners regard magnesium to be important in the relief or cure of the following conditions:

Mitral valve prolapse: Magnesium deficiency may lower the body's ability to repair defective connective tissue, including defective mitral valves.

Atherosclerosis.

Certain psychological conditions, including apathy, decreased ability to learn, memory loss , and confusion.

Kidney stones : Magnesium increases the solubility of certain calcium compounds that form kidney stones if they are not excreted in the urine.

Hypertension: Hypertensive people often have lower levels of magnesium within their cells than people with normal blood pressure.

Angina pectoris: Magnesium is thought to relax spastic arteries and help prevent arrhythmias.

Osteoporosis : Many osteoporosis patients have low levels of magnesium in their bodies.

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and menstrual cramps: Some women report relief from the symptoms of PMS when taking magnesium supplements.

Naturopaths also treat asthma, epilepsy, autism , hyperactivity, chronic fatigue syndrome , noise-induced hearing loss, insomnia , and stress-related anxiety with supplemental magnesium.

Wrap up

I recommend to everyone to up their intake of dark green vegetables. As well as providing magnesium, they also supply a host of vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and dietry fibre.

I further recommend supplemental magnesium taken 45 minutes before bed if sleep is an issue for you.

You can be as great as you want to be

"A man or woman can be as great as they wants to be. If you believe in yourself and have the courage, the determination, the dedication, the competitive drive and if you are willing to sacrifice the little things in life and pay the price for the things that are worthwhile, it can be done." - Vince Lombardi

I post this in response to the tidal wave of limiting beliefs I hear from people every day in the gym. I get tired of hearing people making excuses for themselves and trying to rationalise why they can't achieve something.

Lets break this quote down-

Courage - Grow a pair and step out of the herd. Take that first step into your new healthier lifestyle and you will see how quickly you can transform your body.

Grow some self respect and realise that being fat is your fault but you can change it. It’s neither healthy nor attractive so stop with the excuses. Tell me, do you want to live a long life free of obesity related diseases?

Determination - Remind yourself every time you don't feel like going to the gym or you go food shopping and come across the sweets isle what you want to achieve! Use positive affirmations regularly!

Dedication- You will commit to dedicating the time and effort needed to transform your body no matter what obstacles stand in your way. Stop dedicating yourself to a lifestyle that is ruining your health.

Competitive drive- You can either compete with yourself by tracking your progress in the gym and with body composition testing. Alternatively can challenge a colleague or loved one a competition to see who can make the biggest body transformation. Turn it into a game and make it fun!

Willing to sacrifice the little things in life and pay the price for the things that are worthwhile - If you want to achieve a body transformation then your daily trips to McDonalds or the cookies in the evening have to go. Get off your ass and get outside or in the gym. Switch off the depressing, insidious, worthless soaps like East Enders and Coronation Street and instead get your body active.

What do you love more?

Your one minute fix from eating something sweet or would you love more to have a six pack?

Do you really love to work 60-80 hours per week to earn 'good money'. Constantly lacking in sleep and good nutrition, causing the quality of relationships with loved ones to suffer. Filling the void with addictions to alcohol, food or even drugs to escape from reality. Tell me, is it really worth it?

Or would you love to work less and have more time for yourself? There are always ways to live within your means better and many strategies to escape the rat race. Have the courage and make the changes necessary!

Finally, don't be a victim and take control of your reality today!

For another good read please go here-

http://www.charlespoliquin.com/ArticlesMultimedia/Articles/Article/161/The_Myth_of_Discipline.aspx

The Bio Signature Method

Here is Charles Poliquin explaining the Bio Signature Method-



Please drop me an email if you have any questions about Bio Signature Modulation.

Healthy food is not boring food

When discussing eating and nutrition with people they often hold the belief that eating ‘healthy’ has to consist of the same boring foods.

I think this stems from the fact that many competitive bodybuilders will literally eat egg whites and porridge for breakfast followed by dry chicken breast, rice and broccoli for years upon end.

The above example is not a balanced diet; you would be missing out on a significant amount of nutrients if you limited yourself to those food groups. Then again modern bodybuilding is not really about health.

The second problem with the above example is that eating the same foods all the time makes you more likely to develop food sensitivities.

When you become sensitive to a food you body develops an inflammatory reaction to it. This over time can lead to symptoms of IBS, bowel disorders bloating, depression and other neurological disorders. The gastrointestinal tract is a prominent part of the immune system. Are you starting to see how a dysfunctional gastrointestinal tract can cause a host of problems?

I recommend people to vary their sources of food regularly. This serves to provide them with a variety of nutrients, vitamins and minerals. With food ever available buy these days it’s possible to eat a different food every day.

How to put it into action

Step 1: Vary your sources of protein

Protein is made up of Amino acids and different amino acids have varying pharmacological effects upon the body. Different meats contain different levels of amino acids and this consequently gives them their distinctive tastes.

For example Turkey is high in tryptophan which has shown to be reasonably effective sleep aid, probably due to its ability to increase brain levels of serotonin (a calming neurotransmitter when present in moderate levels)[21] and/or melatonin (a sleep-inducing hormone secreted by the pineal gland in
response to darkness or low light levels).

So choosing turkey as your last meal of the day before bed would be a wise choice.

Good sources of protein: grass fed beef, free-range chicken, free-range turkey, new Zealand lamb, free-range pork, fresh or deep water fish, seafood, eggs, wild meats

Step 2: Vary your sources of vegetables

Vegetables contain varying levels of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. It’s important to get a broad spectrum of these compounds for optimal health. The simplest way to make sure your bases are covered is to vary the colours regularly.

Here is a list of some good options you can eat-

Alfalfa Sprouts
Artichokes
Asparagus
Bean sprouts
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Celery
Celeriac
Collard greens/ spring greens
Cucumber
Eggplant
Fennel
Green beans
Kale
Leek
Mange tout
Mushrooms
Okra
Peppers
Radishes
Rocket
Romaine Lettuce
Sauerkraut
Seaweed/Kelp
Spring onions
Spinach
Swiss chards
Tomatoes
Swede
Water chestnuts
Watercress

Step 3: Vary your sources of Fats

Using different types of fats to cook with or accompany a meal will again provide different health benefits. The most important point of fat intake is having the right balance.

Here is a brief on fats, I will go into more detail in another article-

Monounsaturated fats

These fats are generally high in Vitamin E and are found in foods such as pumpkin seeds, sesame seed, cashews, almonds, avocado, olive oil and olives. Providing essential fatty acids they are also believed to lower cholesterol and aid in reducing heart disease.

Monounsaturated fats are usually liquid at room temperature

Polyunsaturated fats

Usually liquid at room temperature, polyunsaturated fats can be found in sources such as fish, sunflower-seed and plant oils, safflower, soy and corn

Omega 6

In general most peoples intake of Omega 6 fats has increased to an unhealthy level in the last 60 years with the increased availability of plant based cooking oils and also the shift of diet of farm bred animals that we now eat. Cows and chickens are not supposed to eat grains and when they do their fat becomes too high in omega 6 fatty acids.

Sources of omega 6- cooking oils, nuts, and grain fed animals

Omega 3

Our intake of Omega 3 fatty acids has also decreased due to the shift in what the animals we eat are made of. Grass fed animals and Wild meat is naturally higher in Omega 3 and I highly recommend investing in eating only these types of meat. I

Sources of omega 3 – oily fish, flax seed, supplements

Trans Fats

These are the byproducts of food manufacturing and unless you have been living under a rock you should be informed by now that these are bad for you and should be avoided as much as possible!

Sources of trans fats- processed food, baked goods, re-used fast food oils

Saturated Fat

This has also unfortunately come at the expense of using good fats such as grass fed organic butter and animal fats which have been demonised as a source of heart disease by some very clever food manufacturers with an interest in selling you their vegetable oils.

For the skinny on saturated fat please go here and read these series of articles-

http://www.spacedoc.net/saturated_fat_is_good_for_you_1

Sources of saturated fat- butter, coconut oil, animal fats, dairy products

Step 4: Vary your sources of carbohydrate but limit gluten

Carbohydrates are by no means evil; you just need to eat them relative to your daily energy needs and individual metabolism.

For someone who is gifted with good tolerance of carbohydrates (and also normally a very lean sub scapular) these people can get away with murder in regards to how many carbs they can eat without putting on any body fat. If you are a carboholic then to you they are the lucky bastards of the world, get over it!

For the majority, sometimes estimated at up to 75% of the population; carbohydrate intake needs to be limited to sticking mainly to fibrous vegetable sources and limited fruit with strategic use of starchy carbohydrates based around times of exercise.

This is especially true if with people who are overweight or obese and having markers of metabolic syndrome. At a certain point for these people their body will stop responding properly to utilising carbohydrate effectively and become much more likely to store it as more fat. As a person gets leaner they can reintroduce more carbohydrates into their diets.

Get rid of the Gluten

I am not a fan of Gluten due to its Lectin content. Lectin’s have been shown to irritate the gastrointestinal tract and can contribute to autoimmune disorders. The number of people who also have issues with wheat has also increased over the last 60 years due to the mass expansion of harvesting grains using seed with the same genotypes. Again having the same food all the time causes a problem. In the past where people could be eating dozens of different species of grains before mass standardisation this was less of an issue.

For more on Lectin’s go here- http://www.krispin.com/lectin.html

Wrap up

So there you have it. The take home point is that a healthy diet doesn’t have to consist of the same foods; in fact a diet that consists of the same foods is not so healthy. A healthy diet should consist of a huge variety of foods in order to maximise your intake of nutrients.

Im also a strong believer in balance and the occasional treat of foods we know are not so good for us is ok to have.

I am by no means a food Nazi and enjoy my bit of cake every so often as much as anyone else. Its when that bit of cake becomes part of the daily intake along with biscuits, pizza, donuts etc.

Don't fall victim to mass marketing and become a sheep eating whatever the adverts promote into your living room. You have the power to choose!

Quote of the day 11/03/2011

"In truth, people can generally make time for what they choose to do; it is not really the time but the will that is lacking."

Sir John Lubbock


I post this in light of a conversation I had with a member at the gym today. He complained that he didn't have time to train every day, he then complimented me on my physical condition.

I then told him its not neccesary to train every day, that in fact I train myself 3-4 days per week for only 45-60 minutes at a time. I suggested he spend more time focusing on his nutrition than trying to attend the gym every day.

The point is if you prioritise your health you can make the time to put effort into training and controlling what you put into your mouth. Living in a free country such as the United Kingdoms gives you the freedom to choose, cherish it!

Five ways to waste time at the gym

1, Focusing on small isolation exercises only

Using exercises that only activate a small number of muscle fibres is going to get you nowhere when trying to loose fat and improve muscle tone. For women this normally involves using 2kg dumbbells for redundant shoulder exercises and for guys its often spending 45 minutes to an hour training only arms with isolation exercises.

Solution- Instead focus on big compound exercises that recruit the most muscle groups. This will give you the best bang for buck return for your efforts in the gym. Yes they feel hard, but that’s why they work!

2, Performing too much cardio, especially at steady state

Excessive cardio not only raises stress hormone levels further but it will actually make you fatter in the long run as your body breaks down muscle for fuel. Don’t be a cardio queen or make the mistake of doing cardio to ‘loose weight’.

Solution- Drop the cardio, especially performing it before you lift weights. Lifting more weights will not automatically turn you into Arnold Schwarzenegger or Zena warrior princess. The majority of guys who go to the gym struggle to build muscle despite their efforts. It takes years of specific and targeted training and nutrition to build appreciable amounts of muscle. Weight training will however increase your metabolic rate and make you stronger.

If you still insist on doing cardio then leave it to the end and limit it to 10-15 minutes of gruelling interval training. Intervals are best performed in a park as getting some fresh air and natural light is good for you.

3, Doing stupid stuff because its different and looks cool

Jumping on a bosu ball to perform 1 legged squats or doing bicep curls on a vibrating plate is not going to get you any closer to weight loss success. This is no more than entertainment training. Sure it might feel difficult due to the balance involved but so would a tightrope walk across the Grand Canyon. Would tightrope walking help you loose weight more effectively though, certainly not!

Solution- Ignore the stupid stuff and stick to the basics, and especially don’t let amateur personal trainers misdirect your efforts in the gym trying to show you cool stuff. You want maximal return for your time invested in the gym.

4, Getting stuck in Ground Hog Day and doing the same thing all the time

Humans are creatures of habit and routine and like to do things a certain way. Unfortunately so is the human body and it will adapt to any physical challenge you give it within 6-12 weeks. Performing the same routine for too long is a game of diminishing returns, especially if you are not pushing yourself to make performance improvements, i.e. get stronger or do more work in less time.

Solution- Change your bloody routine and stop being so OCD about doing the same thing all the time! Give yourself some fresh exercises to do that are compound in nature and you’ll be surprised how quickly it has an effect on your body.

5, Trying to make up for an inadequate diet with more activity in the gym

If you eat like crap unless you are exceptionally gifted with a fast metabolism to burn it off then you will look like crap too.

Unfortunately even those gifted with a fast metabolism cannot stop the internal damage done by trans fats and nutritional deficiencies created by the lack of nutrients in processed/fast foods. Eventually it will catch up on them in the form of inflammatory conditions and illnesses such as, IBS, diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure, mental conditions and abnormal cholesterol levels. The clock is ticking.

If you want your body to be healthy and function well then you need to provide it with the right nutrients for it to function properly. Only YOU put the food in your mouth, making excuses because of cultural and social pressure is no excuse.

Rather than bitch about how you find it difficult to eat healthier when around your family why not take command and start steering those you love to you to a healthier diet. How many years of good health do you want to spend with them?

With over 60% of the UK population overweight these you need to be doing something different from the majority. Don’t let yourself remain part of the overweight and sick herd of sheep.

The government guidelines on how to eat quite simply suck and are not working. People are getting fatter and sicker than ever and health policies are heavily influenced by big food manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies profiteering and filling their pockets at the expense of your health. Open your eyes!

Solution- Seek expert from a Bio Signature Practitioner or functional medicine doctor on correct nutrition. It you have been eating badly for a number of years then you are already going to have some nutritional deficiencies and imbalances that need to be corrected if you are to improve your health and loose body fat. A healthy body will drop excess body fat once it has been brought back into nutrient and hormone balance.

Back to Basics- Chin ups and Dips

I often find myself in discussion with guys about the most effective methods of training. Their usual desire is to get bigger on the upper body, specifically in the arms.

I start by asking them how many FULL RANGE dips and chin ups they can do and with how much additional weight. I emphasise full range which means starting from a dead hang on every rep of chin up and going as deep as your shoulder flexibility will allow on the dip. The partial range versions when you don’t come all the way down or up on either exercise don’t count I’m afraid!

At this point I often get funny looks at the concept of adding weight to these exercises. Then the typical excuses start to roll in-

A “Those exercises are so hard”

B “I’ll never be able to get as strong as you”

C “I’ll never be good at those, I’m too heavy”

D “My grip is too weak, I can’t hold onto the bar”

E “It hurts my shoulders”

Well sorry; none of the above are valid excuses.

A Yes the chin-up and dip ARE hard exercises because they activate so many muscle groups. But at the same time that activation of so many muscle groups at one time causes a massive stimulus to the body. More muscle means a faster metabolism so big exercises are crucial for your chubby guys too.

Please don’t tell me you are worried about getting too big if you do these exercises, unless your cousin is Arnold Schwarzenegger its just not that bloody easy to ‘get too big’.

Your results are proportionate to your effort. If you want to grow or if your goal is to reduce your waistline you have to be prepared to put in hard work and effort.

B News flash, when I started training I could do a grand total of 0 of either of these exercises. Yes I was skinny fat and weak. I have had to build up over a number of years what I can now do with additional weight. I am certainly nothing special as far as genetic marvels go!

If you put a limiting belief on yourself that you will never be able to do something then you are cheating yourself out of ever being good at it!

C How heavy you are when performing chin ups and dips is irrelevant. Your strength is all relative to your size. Yes true, a guy who weighs 80kg has to lift more bodyweight than a 60kg, but at the same token the 80kg guy should have more muscle.

Now if you are 60kg or 80kg and your body fat is too high (15% or above) then I’m afraid its time to loose the belly first! Any self-respecting male should be able to maintain around 10% body fat or below year round, especially personal trainers!

You will find as you loose the body fat and improve your fat to muscle ratio your chin up and dip performance will naturally improve.

D Your grip is too weak. Well its time to ditch wasting effort on 6 kilo wrist curls and start doing more chin ups. Ditch the straps and invest in chalk if your palms get sweaty.

Your forearms will get a hell of a workout just supporting your bodyweight. The grip will naturally improve over time as you get stronger on the exercise and will give you a much greater return compared to a wrist curl.

E If either the chin up or dip hurts your shoulders then its doubtful it’s the exercises themselves are the problem.

Its more likely that you have a shoulder dysfunction that could be caused by being too tight in the pectorals, too weak in the external rotators and lower trapezius or too inflexible in the thoracic spine. I recommend that you go and see a physiotherapist for a consultation if you have any shoulder issues. The shoulder is a complicated and easily injured joint so it’s a worthwhile investment to keep it healthy.

Chin ups and dips are for ladies too!



Women should not be afraid of performing chin ups and dips either. Women do not possess nearly as much muscle growth potential as men due to different muscle fibre composition and much lower levels of testosterone and other growth stimulating hormones. Becoming stronger at chin up's and dips will only produce a stronger, leaner, sexier feminine physique.

A benchmark to work towards

So to wrap it up if you cannot perform at least 10 full range chin ups or dips with your bodyweight then its time to drop the extra bicep curls and tricep pushdowns until you get a lot stronger on these basic exercises. This is a beginner’s level of strength for a man.

A man who has trained in the gym for more than a couple of years, should be able to perform these exercises for 10 rep's with at least 15% of his bodyweight added.

Ladies should aim to perform at least 3 full range chin ups and dips with their bodyweight.

Start mastering your bodyweight today!

A week of learning, now back to helping people

I have just spent the last five days participating on Charles Poliquin's Biosignature course. It was held at the Ramada Hotel in Ealing.

Biosignature is a method of assessment and treatment of the hormones in the body. With the lifestyles we lead today our hormones often get out of balance due to stress, environmental toxins, lack of sleep and poor diet. The Biosignature Method aims to restore the body to a working harmony, leaving you feeling a lot healthier, leaner and stronger.

The course was packed full of insightful information and Charles presented it in a fun and interesting way. He is a real walking encyclopaedia of information on health and exercise and walks the talk with a huge pair of arms!

It has been an intensive five days of learning and it will take a few days for it all to sink in. In the near future I will start to apply the knowledge I have learnt to my clients to further increase both their results and health.

Thank you Charles, John Connor of the Irish Strength Institute and André Benoit.




Stay tuned for updates on some of the subjects we covered.

Quote of the day 06/02/2011

“No great achievement is possible without persistent work.”

-Bertrand Russell

Abdominals are made in the kitchen

There are 2 huge mistakes people make when attending the gym in an attempt to get rid of their gut or burn off the love handles.


Mistake 1- Training abs, training abs and then training abs some more

Performing multiple exercises for abdominals is a waste of time unless it is for a sports specific reason involving certain movement patterns. You CANNOT spot reduce fat from your stomach by performing lots of exercises. Training abdominals more frequently is also another mistake. Abdominals are like any other muscle group and best respond to progressive overload with adequate rest in between repeat bouts of training.

People as me how I get my stomach muscles looking so good? Here they are for examples sake-



Well It certainly isn’t though performing lots of stomach exercises, I typically spend 5 minutes perform 2-3 sets of stomach work per week!

Mistake 2- Performing lots of cardio

Attempting to sculpt their stomach muscles by performing lots of cardio to loose weight is another bad strategy. Cardiovascular training although helping you to burn calories is not generally a good long term strategy to create a calorie deficit as it takes a hell of a lot of effort relative to the ease of eating calories. A more sound strategy is to not ingest those excess calories in the first place. Extreme amounts of cardio is also counterproductive to any weight training you are performing to improve muscle tone and strength.

Examples

A Mars bar contains 234 calories, consisting of 4.05 grams of protein, 31.35 grams of carbohydrate and 11.5 grams of fat.

This would take a 60 kg (9st4) women 30 minutes walking at 5mph to burn off. An 80kg (12st5) man would have to walk at 3mph (moderate pace) for 53 minutes. That’s quite a lot of effort to work off a chocolate bar that typically is eaten in less than a minute!

A typical piece of cheese cake contains 520 calories, consisting of 9 grams of protein, 54 grams of carbohydrate and 31 grams of fat.

This would take a 60 kg (9st4) women 52 minutes running at 6mph(10 min/mile) to burn off. An 80kg (12st5) man would have to run at 6mph(10 min/mile) for 39 minutes.
running, 5mph (12 min/mile). Maybe sharing your piece of cheese cake with someone would be an ok strategy if you must have it?

My cardio

I do not perform lots of cardio. I go for a 30-45 minute walk outside on my rest days from weight training, listening to an audio book while doing this a great way to learn, get some fresh air and some sunlight. I also avoid using the bus or tube when I have the time or option of walking. I live on the 5th floor of my apartment block so I also always opt to use the stairs. The human body is designed to move, so use it more!

How I get in shape

What is different in my strategy is that I use adjustments in my nutrition to affect changes to my body fat levels. Loosing body fat is not only easy, its very simple to do when you have a bit of DIETRY DICIPLINE. Creating a subtle calorie deficit over a period of time to maximise retention of muscle while loosing body fat at a steady rate is the best strategy from my many years experience as a personal trainer. This strategy has worked for hundreds of my clients and it can work for you to.

So to sum it up if you want your abdominals to show more, follow these 3 steps-

-Adopt an effective programme of eating to create a subtle deficit

- Track your intake of food consistently. Most people either underestimate how much they eat or end up under eating; starving themselves. They loose weight too fast, eating away at muscle and then rebound with a slower metabolism. How many times have you yo-yoed??

-Stick to it for at least 12 weeks

Your results will always be directly proportionate to your effort!

Quote of the day 26/01/2011

"Motivation is a fire from within. If someone else tries to light that fire under you, chances are it will burn very briefly."

- Stephen R. Covey

Fitness food doesn't have to be boring

There is a widespread mistaken belief that in order to attain or maintain a lean toned physique year round that your food has to consist of the same bland, tasteless food.

This could not be further from the truth as it’s the number of nutrients contained in the food and what it adds up to which is most important, not the type of food per say. This is why you often see these crazy McDonalds, maple syrup, cabbage soup diets etc actually work for people. Yes they are certainly not optimal in regards to the nutrients you are getting and you would certainly loose muscle using one of these but they are have a common trend in that the people doing them are ingesting less calories than they are burning.

So called ‘healthy eating’ doesn’t have to be limited to chicken, rice and broccoli people!

Now for someone who is uneducated on food and its nutritional content, sticking to bland foods which can be more easily tracked might be a good idea as it will make it easier for them to hit their target intake for the day. But this is certainly not the only way.

I also believe that sticking to bland foods is only a short term strategy is not sustainable. You often see people come off diets and then indulge in all the things that they have denied themselves for so long only to put back on all the weight they lost.

The long term benefits of educating yourself on nutrient content of food groups will in the long term help you make better food choices. If the food can fit into the overall target intake for the day then there’s nothing wrong with a bit of indulgence. Consistently hitting your target nutrient intake for the day is more important.

Here is an example-

Say you fancy a bit of chocolate cake. An average slice of chocolate cake contains between 300-400 calories. If you can account for this into you overall calorie intake for the day and the rest of the days food consists of an appropriate division of protein, carbohydrate and fat then I there is nothing wrong with having the piece of cake. Err on the side of caution and estimate high when in doubt. Most nutrition information is readily available at the click of a Google search, ignorance is not an excuse.

Now obviously the flexibility will be reduced when on a calorie restriction as you have less calories to play with but there are few foods that have to be totally eliminated. Nutrition and ‘healthy eating’ like so many things in life is about balance. It’s not about living like a monk and restricting your self from all pleasures in life.

There is also having flexibility when cooking. Again use of herbs, spices and condiments shouldn’t be restricted provided they are accounted for in the overall nutrient intake for the day.

Here are some examples of the food I cook, food porn for the foodies-



Chicken liver casserole with potatoes, green beans and saukraut.



Baked coley fillets





Pepper steak with potatoes and mushrooms

Mixed berries with sweetner



Baked whole gammon joint




Homemade chocolate cake

Would you like to learn how to track your food so that you can maintain a lean, toned physique year round without having to restrict yourself from food?

I will post more examples of my cooking in future. Please email me if you have any questions

Quote of the day 19/1/2011

"A sign of wisdom and maturity is when you come to terms with the realization that your decisions cause your rewards and consequences. You are responsible for your life, and your ultimate success depends on the choices you make."

-Denis Waitley

Womens Training: Getting stronger doesn't mean getting bulkier

There is a misconception that if a women lifts heavy weights it will make her muscular and bulky. This is false as one of the main regulators of if you can build lots of muscle is your testosterone level. That is why drug using bodybuilders male and female will inject testosterone it in order to assist them in building muscle size. Women have 20 times less testosterone which makes building lots of muscle naturally extremely difficult.

What people refer to as muscle 'tone' is lean muscle that doesn't have a layer of fat covering it. If you want to improve muscle tone then focus on getting stronger along with adjustments to you nutrition. Performing hours of cardio combined with a few high rep free weight exercises with light dumbbells doesn't work!

Check out Teddy, does she look bulky at 53kilos bodyweight?

Why Protein is number one

Protein is a word of Greek origin meaning ‘of first importance’ for a good reason. Proteins are fundamental components of all living cells and include many substances, such as enzymes, hormones, and antibodies that are necessary for the proper functioning of the human body. They are essential in the diet of all animals for the growth and repair of tissue and have be obtained from foods such as meat, fish, eggs, milk, and legumes.

Protein is also extremely important in regards to body composition. The human body has a daily requirement of protein whether you get enough of it in your diet or not. The human body unfortunately unalike fat and carbohydrate doesn’t have much of a store for excess protein, it has to either used or burned off as energy. A diet deficient in protein will lead to your body breaking down its own body source of protein which is muscle.

Protein requirements go up when exercising or on a calorie restricted diet as your body struggles to repair tissue you damage during exercise with less resources. It will also to an extent use protein as an energy source which if not provided from the diet will come from muscle tissue. The reason we want to avoid muscle from being broken does is that muscle tissue has a strong factor on your metabolism. Basically the more of it you have, the higher your calorie requirements are.

Protein is superior to carbohydrate and fat in providing a feeling of fullness in both short and long term hunger suppression. Protein also has a high ‘thermic effect of feeing’ (TEF) which is the increment in energy expenditure above resting metabolic rate due to the cost of processing food for storage and use.

So when planning meals, especially when trying to loose weight always consider your protein source first. If the goal is weight loss then lean sources of protein such as chicken, turkey and white fish are preferential to use. Make sure to get between 30-60 grams of protein per meal (depending on your weight). A piece of meat approximately 100 grams or 3 oz will provide you with around 25g’s of protein. If you are eye balling your portion size then this is about the size of a deck of cards. The protein requirements for someone on a calorie restricted diet can vary from 1.5g-3.3g per lb bodyweight per day depending on activity level.

Aim to eat around 3 times per day, always thinking about your protein source first. This is especially crucial during your first meal of the day which commonly consists of either cereal or toast. These breakfast selections are woefully deficient in adequate protein so accompany them with meat, eggs, quark, cottage cheese or a protein shake if you are rushed for time. Yogurt although containing a bit of protein will generally not give you enough unless you eat of a lot of it. Yogurt mixed with one to two scoops of protein and a few berries however is an excellent choice!

I know it will take some getting used to eating meat at breakfast but suck it up and stop procrastinating! Doing something different from the rest of society is what’s needed when most of society is becoming overweight!

Quote of the day 11/01/2011

In reference to my recent time management article I discovered an appropriate quote-

“What comes first, the compass or the clock? Before one can truly manage time (the clock), it is important to know where you are going, what your priorities and goals are, in which direction you are headed (the compass). Where you are headed is more important than how fast you are going. Rather than always focusing on what’s urgent, learn to focus on what is really important.“ - Unknown source

Making Time Gets Results

A common complaint I hear from people is that they don’t have time to cook or that they can’t find the time to attend the gym. It takes action by MAKING the time to fit it in. A good meal and coincidently a good workout at the gym should very seldom take more than 30-45 minutes to complete.
Time management is becoming increasingly common and crucial in business as companies strive to optimise their return from employees. These same time management strategies can be employed in your personal life to find time to attend the gym and to also eat well.

A book I would highly recommend if you would like to improve time management is ‘Eat That Frog’ by Brian Tracy. You can get it at Amazon.com in either paper or audio book format. Use of audio books is another fantastic time management trick and can be used during your commute to work or while you do the housework. It’s a great way to learn and while at the same time fight the stress of the often crowded commute. Paperback Audio Book

Once you have found the time to attend the gym and prepare food, it takes ACTION and DICIPLINE to make it work for you. Like any new discipline it takes time for the habit to form. A habit is commonly associated with negatives things such as smoking or picking your nose. But a habit can also be a very positive thing such as attending the gym three times per week and planning ahead with your eating and cooking.

So replace that habit of melting your brain watching East Enders while eating nutritionally empty micro waved food and replace it with putting aside thirty minutes to making a nutritious meal or attend the gym.
Are you ready to learn the strategies of maximising your time in the gym and the kitchen? training@trainwithsklayne.co.uk