The Importance of Intent

Intent-

1. Firmly fixed; concentrated.

2. Having the attention applied; engrossed

3. Having the mind and will focused on a specific purpose

Are you going to ‘give it a go’ or are you going to put your blood and guts into it and make it work?

The way you approach things is very influential on your performance. If you never really commit to doing something 100%, instead just ‘trying it out’ then expect your results to be mediocre. No strength coach, life coach or psychologist can help you if you never fully embrace the process.

Achieving something great takes continuous effect and application.

There are varying degrees of achievement, and these will fluctuate in degree along your path to your goal. However all of these are important so don't forget the little wins that helped you on your path to success

To some it might mean an athlete lifting a personal record on the snatch in preparation for the Olympics. For the office secretary it might be something as small as resisting buying that muffin at star bucks every morning, both are important steps of progress to the individual.

There are a thousand analogies I could use-

“How do you eat an elephant? A bite at a time”

“Rome wasn’t built in a day”

“The path to success begins with one step”

Etc..

My point is that unless you approach each goal with the right intent you are greatly heightening your chances of failing.

Start by changing your language patterns, you'll be surprised how well these work in re-enforcing your intent. Here are some examples-

Instead of "I'll try to not skip skip breakfast" say "I eat a nourishing breakfast every morning"

Rather than "I must get to bed earlier say "I go to bed at 9pm because it gives me the 8 hours of sleep I need per night for recovery"

The differences here is that you are stating them in the present which makes them more powerful.

If something is important to you then throw everything into it and get it done. The pain of knowing deep down that you never really gave it your all and failed because of this is deeper, more damaging and long lasting that the initial pain of making changes.

Make yourself accountable to yourself for your actions and your results from those actions.

5 ways to start your day better

1: Resist turning on the news

The news is very rarely a source of positivity and especially with the current recession its quite often all doom and gloom.

Replace- Instead listen to some inspirational music or audio book. Look up some motivational quotations online.

2: Ensure to have a high protein breakfast

Your body after fasting for 6-8 hours during sleep is in need of a good boost of protein to support neurological and immune system function. Accompany this with some healthy fats and you will find you will feel sharper and more ready to take on the day. I have to credit Charles Poliquin for this tip.

Lots of processed carbohydrate in the form of breakfast cereals is not a good option at this time of the morning as this tends to produce an insulin spike and promote release of serotonin which you would rather save for later in the day when relaxing after work.

3: Have your tasks for the day established

"If you fail to plan you plan to fail."

Having your tasks organised for the day and knowing what is most priority will make your day far more productive. This will also feel satisfying and rewarding as you work your way through your ‘to do list’. I would recommend to write out tasks and establish your goals the night before so that you can relax in the evening without things playing on your mind when you go to bed.

4: Training early in the morning before work

I’m a big believer that training earlier in the day is superior to evening training for these reasons-

You are fresher and have more energy first thing in the morning (once you have adapted of course!)

This eliminates the risk of missing a workout should you be asked to stay at work late.

Allows you to spend more quality time in the evening with your loved ones

The evening time should be a time when you are winding down and getting ready to sleep, not pumping up and stimulating your nervous system which might interfere with your sleep.

When you start the day off well you are more likely to remain compliant on the other things you need to do, such as eating the right foods.

5: Move more

We as a society are getting less and less active which is a huge contributory factor to the increases of obesity we see in the UK. Get off a stop or two early on the way to work or better yet walk the whole way or use a Boris Bike.

Things I learned at Charles Poliquin’s Hypertrophy seminar held at Ultimate Performance Mayfair.

I just spent the weekend at Ultimate Performance Gym in Mayfair.

On Saturday we had a private seminar only for Ultimate Performance Trainers on the subject of improving results for clients.

I then went back on Sunday for a seminar on Hypertrophy training.

Being the always avid note writer I took detailed minutes of the events.

Here is a tidbit: 5 things I learned from each one –

Saturday

• When getting someone to change their eating habits never use the word DIET, this implies restriction and something short term.
Instead teach them a lifestyle, this is a non threatening approach.

• Don’t overload the client, start them off small. They have to buy into the process step by step when they perceive a benefit from the advice you are giving them.

• The first 40 grams of protein you eat supports detoxification and the immune system. These are a priority to the body before it considers less essential functions such as repairing/growing lean body mass (muscle).

• Male clients like to see figures and numbers, women clients are more interested in abstract concepts and ‘feel’.

• Only having artificial source of light all day lowers dopamine, acetyl choline and suppresses serotonin production.

Sunday

• Bio mechanical factors and restrictions in soft tissue are one of the greatest limiting factors in muscle growth.

• Soft tissue tolerance has decreased in last 20 years due to environmental toxicities according to functional medicine expert and lecturer Bob Rakowski

• Multiple Training sessions per day are superior for muscle hypertrophy

• The more you control cortisol the better you progress with strength development.

• If training for hypertrophy you want to create an acidic environment as possible so its not a good idea to use an alkalinising drink such as primal greens during a hypertrophy workout.

Overall I found the seminar very interesting and I stayed back afterwards to talk to Charles for longer. It was entertaining to hear Charles stories on some of the most dangerous gyms in the world he has visited.

The next Poliquin event I plan on attending will be a 5 day Hypertrophy boot camp which will entail training 3x per day and result in copious amounts of muscle soreness and growth.

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.