This is something I hear a lot. If a gym could figure out how to make exercise more fun then they would be onto a real winning strategy. This is where the likes of Zumba or Les Mills has attracted lots of followers. People like the fun element. In my quest to figure out why people think the gym is boring, I looked into the reasons why people feel they need to go to the gym. I quickly found out some disparities in their reasons for going versus what they feel they need to do get into shape or get fitter. It became clear that the reasons aren't being matched up with the correct tools so people don't feel a sense of success when they go.
Here are some of the conflicting messages people are sending themselves about the gym.
They think that calories in v calories out are the only way to lose weight. So they feel that they have to burn off their over indulgence with hours of painstaking cardio.
People feel that you need to train at a crazy intensity to get into shape. This translates to a lot of pain for most. No one voluntarily signs up for putting themselves through lots of pain so we keep putting it off and live our excessive lifestyles. Then we sign up to a Bootcamp or Personal Trainer because to undo the damage.
They put too much emphasis on fat burning cardio. The problem with this is that again you need to spend hours (and I mean hours) to burn fat at this level. Does that sound like something you want to do?
Gyms are unfriendly. This is true of a lot of gyms. However, you may be one of the unfriendly people you don't like. A lot of people are quite defensive and feel insecure in their gym gear.
They haven't got a long term-plan. If you have a long-term plan, you can break it down it sub-sections of 2-3 weeks at a time. Then you haven't got this nagging feeling that you should be doing more exercise.
There is a 'them and us' mentality. People think that there are either those who like exercise and those who don't. They can't comprehend going on a journey with their exercise programme and liking it at the end. I didn't wake up one day and think "I live for exercise." Some days I can't be bothered to train at a high intensity. It has less to do with ticking a box and more to do with meeting an objective of the session. That could be stress management, getting my body moving or getting stronger.
These are all myths. So is the myth that everyone in there is loving
life and can't wait to do another rep. Some are but people exercise for
different reasons. However, don't be in a rush to say the gym is boring
for the reasons above. The gym is just a place where exercise equipment lives. Yes you get the odd lycra clad individual who needs to buy a bigger size, but you can make it what you want. However, if you still hate the gym after all this, then all I would say is go for it! Life's too short, there are plenty of other things to do!
If you can't be bothered to exercise, this is a really great blog by a client.
http://unfittojoin.tumblr.com/post/40709555764/please-adjust-your-resolution
Chris.
Wednesday, 23 January 2013
Sunday, 20 January 2013
Portion sizes for ALAP
Here are some portion sizes for the plan.
Nuts are to be had with breakfast.
Try to keep your rice as close to this portion as possible.
The steak burger is a rib eye, grass fed 200g burger. This is a filling meal. You may not need as much on your plate. Just listen to your body.
Enjoy.
Chris.
Nuts are to be had with breakfast.
Try to keep your rice as close to this portion as possible.
The steak burger is a rib eye, grass fed 200g burger. This is a filling meal. You may not need as much on your plate. Just listen to your body.
Enjoy.
Chris.
Wednesday, 16 January 2013
Being healthy is rubbish!!
Whenever we hear about exercise and diet, we always hear the word 'health' attached to any diet or exercise regime. However, I have come to realise that the term is meaningless to people.
Here is the definition as outlined by the World Health Organisation.
Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
I have a question for the next expert who says, "eat a healthy diet," or "try to be healthy." WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!! Seriously, if health means different things to people, how does what you are saying translate to their interpretation of health. For some people, heart disease may have affected them or people they know, so when information comes out about diet and heart disease, it may mean something to those affected. However, I know that for many, it doesn't have the same meaning (if any), so the message is irrelevant. Some people don't want to live to 100. Some don't care about heart disease. Instead of trying to drive a square peg through a round hole, we need to find out what health means to people instead of them expecting to care about things they don't care about.
Here are some of the things clients say are what health means to them.
1. Being able to choose clothes that aren't at the end of the rack in the section labelled, "this is all we've got in your size."
2. Having the flexibility to cut toenails.
3. Being able to play with grandchildren.
4. Feeling your body moves with less restriction.
5. Having more energy.
6. Having a better sex life.
7. Being able to see your abs.
8. Offsetting your lifestyle.
9. Your children not calling you fat anymore.
10. Not having debilitating digestive discomfort when you eat or drink.
11. Feeling more like yourself.
12. Having regular bowel movements that don't have a 1 mile fallout zone.
13. Not having skin complaints.
14. Getting in shape so you are more attractive to other people.
15. Getting ill less.
None of these directly involve improving health in the way it is portrayed by the media or doctors, but it will indirectly affect your health status, but first it will address what is most important to the individual. This is what makes people happy, not following a diet that will make you live to 100. So don't ever feel guilty or silly if your goals don't seem as 'rational' as other people's goals. If it makes you happy, trust me, it is having a positive impact on your health.
Chris.
Here is the definition as outlined by the World Health Organisation.
Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
I have a question for the next expert who says, "eat a healthy diet," or "try to be healthy." WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!! Seriously, if health means different things to people, how does what you are saying translate to their interpretation of health. For some people, heart disease may have affected them or people they know, so when information comes out about diet and heart disease, it may mean something to those affected. However, I know that for many, it doesn't have the same meaning (if any), so the message is irrelevant. Some people don't want to live to 100. Some don't care about heart disease. Instead of trying to drive a square peg through a round hole, we need to find out what health means to people instead of them expecting to care about things they don't care about.
Here are some of the things clients say are what health means to them.
1. Being able to choose clothes that aren't at the end of the rack in the section labelled, "this is all we've got in your size."
2. Having the flexibility to cut toenails.
3. Being able to play with grandchildren.
4. Feeling your body moves with less restriction.
5. Having more energy.
6. Having a better sex life.
7. Being able to see your abs.
8. Offsetting your lifestyle.
9. Your children not calling you fat anymore.
10. Not having debilitating digestive discomfort when you eat or drink.
11. Feeling more like yourself.
12. Having regular bowel movements that don't have a 1 mile fallout zone.
13. Not having skin complaints.
14. Getting in shape so you are more attractive to other people.
15. Getting ill less.
None of these directly involve improving health in the way it is portrayed by the media or doctors, but it will indirectly affect your health status, but first it will address what is most important to the individual. This is what makes people happy, not following a diet that will make you live to 100. So don't ever feel guilty or silly if your goals don't seem as 'rational' as other people's goals. If it makes you happy, trust me, it is having a positive impact on your health.
Chris.
Tuesday, 15 January 2013
Monster blog
So a top London PT says he's doing a monster blog and wanted 3 quick tips on fat loss. Knowing some of the trainers who would comment, I didn't want to repeat myself, so I thought about some mindset tips. Little did I know that he was going to a) use them, b) use the pic of me in my Hawaiian shirt and I would definitely have checked the spelling! That will teach me. Anyway, check out this monster blog of some of the finest minds in fitness.
Chris.
http://www.daxmoy.com/london-personal-trainer-top-fatloss-tips-from-top-fatloss-trainers/
Chris.
http://www.daxmoy.com/london-personal-trainer-top-fatloss-tips-from-top-fatloss-trainers/
Monday, 14 January 2013
Preparation for any weight loss attempt.
So the diet season has started. Although I don't want to completely dissuade people from their attempt to get in shape, there is some guidance I can offer to ensure that you don't hurt yourself or just return back to the same shape and add another extra pounds as well. Here are some tips which I've used for nearly 10 years of training people.
1. Any attempt to lose weight or fat must start with removing as much processed sugar as possible from your diet. If, not, you'll stay in a predominantly sugar burning state and when you re-introduce sugar back into your diet (and you will as it's in everything) you'll just put the weight back on.
2. Don't cut out food groups unless you know what nutrients you are going to be missing. For example, my clients don't eat much cereals and instead they up their fibre from seeds, dark green vegetables and also up their B vits ad and iron by increasing their red meat (game meat).
3. Know what's hidden in your diet products. I don't advocate anything with the words 'diet' or 'slimming' on them. They're most likely full of garbage and sugar. See note 1.
4. See the next 30 days as a kick start and not the end of your health kick. Have a think about doing a 30 day challenge several times in the year. Plan in advance and put it in the diary.
5. If it makes you miserable, don't do it. There are lots of ways to lose weight and get into shape. Find one you enjoy and you will have more long-term success.
6. Ensure there is plenty of variety. Most people's idea of healthy cooking involves cutting down calories and cutting out fat. You need to learn how to cook healthy meals that you look forward to and enjoy eating. You also need to ensure that your family like to eat them too as it is a joint effort!
Want to try our Fit School cookbook?
Not one of my clients thinks the nutritional plan they follow is painful or dull. They go out to restaurants and eat what they want and don't just count calories. Counting calories can be a miserable way to live your life and there are better ways lose weight. I've been helping people lose weight for over 10 years and trust me, there is very little I don't know about this topic.
Do you want to look like a cover model? Or would you like to look like the latest former-fat-now-slim celebrity? You'll probably need to lose your friends, change jobs and probably ask your parents for different genes!! There is a right way to do this and a wrong way. Please don't make the same mistake thousands of people make which leaves them right back where they started and more frustrated than ever.
Chris
Want to know more about Fit School?
1. Any attempt to lose weight or fat must start with removing as much processed sugar as possible from your diet. If, not, you'll stay in a predominantly sugar burning state and when you re-introduce sugar back into your diet (and you will as it's in everything) you'll just put the weight back on.
2. Don't cut out food groups unless you know what nutrients you are going to be missing. For example, my clients don't eat much cereals and instead they up their fibre from seeds, dark green vegetables and also up their B vits ad and iron by increasing their red meat (game meat).
3. Know what's hidden in your diet products. I don't advocate anything with the words 'diet' or 'slimming' on them. They're most likely full of garbage and sugar. See note 1.
4. See the next 30 days as a kick start and not the end of your health kick. Have a think about doing a 30 day challenge several times in the year. Plan in advance and put it in the diary.
5. If it makes you miserable, don't do it. There are lots of ways to lose weight and get into shape. Find one you enjoy and you will have more long-term success.
6. Ensure there is plenty of variety. Most people's idea of healthy cooking involves cutting down calories and cutting out fat. You need to learn how to cook healthy meals that you look forward to and enjoy eating. You also need to ensure that your family like to eat them too as it is a joint effort!
Want to try our Fit School cookbook?
Not one of my clients thinks the nutritional plan they follow is painful or dull. They go out to restaurants and eat what they want and don't just count calories. Counting calories can be a miserable way to live your life and there are better ways lose weight. I've been helping people lose weight for over 10 years and trust me, there is very little I don't know about this topic.
Do you want to look like a cover model? Or would you like to look like the latest former-fat-now-slim celebrity? You'll probably need to lose your friends, change jobs and probably ask your parents for different genes!! There is a right way to do this and a wrong way. Please don't make the same mistake thousands of people make which leaves them right back where they started and more frustrated than ever.
Chris
Want to know more about Fit School?
Thursday, 25 October 2012
Fasted workouts- how to get a 6 pack part 2
People seem to have a strong opinion either way about fasted training. I used fasted workouts on my client and the results were pretty spectacular. I have been using them for many years and on myself too. However, I only used fasted workouts with the following conditions.
1. The client has been eating a specifically low carb diet for some time and has developed a good relationship with food.
2. They don't have a strong psychological link with the need to eat before a workout.
3. They have a good level of muscular condition.
4. They haven' got obvious food or body issues which could turn into an obsessive compulsive disorder.
Even though fasting in this case is merely having a late breakfast, it is very important that you know if it is right for you. First lets have a quick look at why fasting is used.
Fasting is nothing new. There was documentary earlier in the year on the BBC which studied the effectiveness of Fasting. Scientists seem to think it has some interesting applications to health. Some of you may have read "Eat Stop Eat,", by Brad Pilon. He has been talking about the effectiveness of fasting for over 10 years. Also, studies dating back before the 80's show that fat is metabolised quicker when your body has been in a fasted state for 12 hours or more. So people then say, "well you get energy from carbs, or "they can't train without food." I think if it makes you miserable to not eat before your session, don't do it. However, I don't have any scientific information which backs up the NEED to "eat for fuel" for your exercise session. It appears to be mainly psychological. The only thing that will be burnt up when you eat before you train will be what you ate, which will most likely make you hungry. So you eat again and you are back to square one. This is ok if you aren't trying to lose fat.
So how do you train on an empty stomach. Once I have got my clients to become more efficient at burning fat as fuel (not officially tested although you can through having your metabolic rate tested) they are ready to use existing fuel (fat) and muscle energy during the session. We aren't looking at PB's so the session needs to be put together carefully. Preferably a day when you can train early and 12 hours after your last meal. The guy in the recent pictures was fearful he would have the strength of a field mouse, but actually there was no difference at all. However, the session was geared slightly differently. We did a variation of 2 different kinds of workouts (+ others but these were the main ones). The first was similar to Martin Rooney's Hurricane Training. This involves sprints and weights as part of a circuit. Here is one of his.
A1. Bench press 12 reps
A2. Pull ups. 8 reps
A3. sprinting on the treadmill at 14 kph, 10% incline for 30 seconds.
There was no rest in between each exercise but you rest at the end. You repeat this 3 times then pick 2 fresh weight challenges and increase the speed on the treadmill and start your next set of 3. In total you do 9 sets.
Even though we dialled back the weights, he was still banging out 12 reps of bench press at 70 kg. This is not an easy workout.
One of the other workouts we did was German Body Composition (GBC). This again involves weights but you have short rest with 40s worth of work in the muscle. In total my client was working his legs 3 times per week. 2 lots of hurricane training sessions and 1 GBC. Here is a sample GBC session. The rest varied but was never more than 45 seconds between each exercise and we did 4 sets, 8-12 reps except for the last pair of exercises which were higher reps (15-20 reps).
A1. Split squat.
A2. Standing military press.
B1. Weighted step ups.
B2. Chin ups.
C1. Lying dumbbell tricep extension
C2. Incline dumbbell curls.
Again, he was able to shift a significant percentage of the usual weights normally uses.
It can be a minefield looking into fasted workouts and purely for peace of mind, I would suggest speaking to someone knowledgeable about it before you dismiss it as a fad. Unless you have a medical condition, eating a bit later in the day is not something which should cause as many problems as is made out. Again, if it is something you just can't do or don't like the look of, don't do it. It isn't for everyone. Those that can get into it though, do get very good results. Just ensure that you seek professional guidance before you think about doing it. This is purely to help with how it can affect you psychologically as well as what to have as a post workout meal and what to eat the night before.
1. The client has been eating a specifically low carb diet for some time and has developed a good relationship with food.
2. They don't have a strong psychological link with the need to eat before a workout.
3. They have a good level of muscular condition.
4. They haven' got obvious food or body issues which could turn into an obsessive compulsive disorder.
Even though fasting in this case is merely having a late breakfast, it is very important that you know if it is right for you. First lets have a quick look at why fasting is used.
Fasting is nothing new. There was documentary earlier in the year on the BBC which studied the effectiveness of Fasting. Scientists seem to think it has some interesting applications to health. Some of you may have read "Eat Stop Eat,", by Brad Pilon. He has been talking about the effectiveness of fasting for over 10 years. Also, studies dating back before the 80's show that fat is metabolised quicker when your body has been in a fasted state for 12 hours or more. So people then say, "well you get energy from carbs, or "they can't train without food." I think if it makes you miserable to not eat before your session, don't do it. However, I don't have any scientific information which backs up the NEED to "eat for fuel" for your exercise session. It appears to be mainly psychological. The only thing that will be burnt up when you eat before you train will be what you ate, which will most likely make you hungry. So you eat again and you are back to square one. This is ok if you aren't trying to lose fat.
So how do you train on an empty stomach. Once I have got my clients to become more efficient at burning fat as fuel (not officially tested although you can through having your metabolic rate tested) they are ready to use existing fuel (fat) and muscle energy during the session. We aren't looking at PB's so the session needs to be put together carefully. Preferably a day when you can train early and 12 hours after your last meal. The guy in the recent pictures was fearful he would have the strength of a field mouse, but actually there was no difference at all. However, the session was geared slightly differently. We did a variation of 2 different kinds of workouts (+ others but these were the main ones). The first was similar to Martin Rooney's Hurricane Training. This involves sprints and weights as part of a circuit. Here is one of his.
A1. Bench press 12 reps
A2. Pull ups. 8 reps
A3. sprinting on the treadmill at 14 kph, 10% incline for 30 seconds.
There was no rest in between each exercise but you rest at the end. You repeat this 3 times then pick 2 fresh weight challenges and increase the speed on the treadmill and start your next set of 3. In total you do 9 sets.
Even though we dialled back the weights, he was still banging out 12 reps of bench press at 70 kg. This is not an easy workout.
One of the other workouts we did was German Body Composition (GBC). This again involves weights but you have short rest with 40s worth of work in the muscle. In total my client was working his legs 3 times per week. 2 lots of hurricane training sessions and 1 GBC. Here is a sample GBC session. The rest varied but was never more than 45 seconds between each exercise and we did 4 sets, 8-12 reps except for the last pair of exercises which were higher reps (15-20 reps).
A1. Split squat.
A2. Standing military press.
B1. Weighted step ups.
B2. Chin ups.
C1. Lying dumbbell tricep extension
C2. Incline dumbbell curls.
Again, he was able to shift a significant percentage of the usual weights normally uses.
It can be a minefield looking into fasted workouts and purely for peace of mind, I would suggest speaking to someone knowledgeable about it before you dismiss it as a fad. Unless you have a medical condition, eating a bit later in the day is not something which should cause as many problems as is made out. Again, if it is something you just can't do or don't like the look of, don't do it. It isn't for everyone. Those that can get into it though, do get very good results. Just ensure that you seek professional guidance before you think about doing it. This is purely to help with how it can affect you psychologically as well as what to have as a post workout meal and what to eat the night before.
Monday, 22 October 2012
How to get a six pack
This is a question I get asked by a lot of men. Never when other men are around though. It's always when I'm alone. Despite what you read in fitness magazines, getting a six pack in 6 weeks is either a venture for the genetically gifted or an athlete who has been deconditioned before hand. For the rest of society, it will take longer than 6 weeks and it will take longer than a few exercises in a £3.99 magazine. So here a few common rules about getting a 6 pack which circle the fitness industry.
1. Abs are made in the kitchen.
2. Eat slightly lower complex carbs than you currently are and very little refined carbs.
3. Eradicate all forms of sugar.
4. Lift weights.
5. Perform interval training.
6. Eat more protein.
7. Cut out alcohol.
8. Increase your intake of Omega 3.
9. Fasted workouts.
10.Get healthy.
I doubt you would see all these in a magazine as it will leave the reader bemused. The reality is you need to work damn hard to get a 6 pack. If you stick to a long-term program you will achieve good results.
Here is a sample week of a client who has never had visible abs in his entire life until he was 46. Even when he was leaner in his teens, he didn't have abs like he does now.
Warning. This program is fully supervised and shouldn't be done without professional guidance.
Monday.
Fast until lunch. Late lunch, protein salad. Boxing training/cardio. protein shake after. Light evening meal of 25g of brown rice with a small piece of protein and some veg.
Tuesday.
Trains with me. Protein smoothie after workout. Lunch, 25-35g rice with piece of fish and vegetables. Small snack around 3. Avocado/nuts with a piece of chicken and a piece of fruit. Evening meal of dark green salad, vegetables and piece of fish.
Wednesday.
Long fast. Eats at 6pm. Just has water and a green drink throughout the day.
Thursday.
Train with me. Same as Tuesday.
Friday.
Same as Tuesday.
Saturday.
Soaked porridge for breakfast. Sometimes something much worse. Salad for lunch. Evening meal mainly unknown along with copious amounts of alcohol.
Sunday.
Light breakfast, Light lunch and Sunday meal with his family.
We don't do any conventional cardio. He only sprints for about 30 seconds on a treadmill. His weight training during a fat burning phase is one day of German Body composition training (reps lasting for 40 seconds with short rest intervals). The other days are sprints and weights. During which his heart rate is pretty high. During a fat loss cycle, all workouts are fasted.
He aims for about 150g of protein on training days. As it is high (ish depending on who you speak to), I wanted him to substitute animal protein for a plant based protein shake to not contribute to the load on his liver. Also to keep his diet mainly alkaline. There was no difference during the change. Low carbs during a fat loss cycle. 100-150g during a building phase.
Supplements. Fish oil, protein shake (a vegan shake), green drink, amino acids, sometimes creatine and ZMA to aid recovery. You could get by without them but I couldn't say whether you would not be able to get out of bed or whether you would last the day after your training session. I'm not overly keen on creatine as even though there is plenty of evidence to say that it works, I'm not convinced that is is essential. So he only has it after his session. This is specific for the kind of training we do. It isn't for everyone
Just to add, this is a typical good week. We have had weeks when his socialising can be quite erratic and he would probably be much leaner and got results faster. However, it's all about knowing what balance works for you and I think he's done pretty well. He's now at 12.5%. If you did half of what he does, you would get pretty good results too.
Do you want to see specific workouts?
1. Abs are made in the kitchen.
2. Eat slightly lower complex carbs than you currently are and very little refined carbs.
3. Eradicate all forms of sugar.
4. Lift weights.
5. Perform interval training.
6. Eat more protein.
7. Cut out alcohol.
8. Increase your intake of Omega 3.
9. Fasted workouts.
10.Get healthy.
I doubt you would see all these in a magazine as it will leave the reader bemused. The reality is you need to work damn hard to get a 6 pack. If you stick to a long-term program you will achieve good results.
Here is a sample week of a client who has never had visible abs in his entire life until he was 46. Even when he was leaner in his teens, he didn't have abs like he does now.
Warning. This program is fully supervised and shouldn't be done without professional guidance.
Monday.
Fast until lunch. Late lunch, protein salad. Boxing training/cardio. protein shake after. Light evening meal of 25g of brown rice with a small piece of protein and some veg.
Tuesday.
Trains with me. Protein smoothie after workout. Lunch, 25-35g rice with piece of fish and vegetables. Small snack around 3. Avocado/nuts with a piece of chicken and a piece of fruit. Evening meal of dark green salad, vegetables and piece of fish.
Wednesday.
Long fast. Eats at 6pm. Just has water and a green drink throughout the day.
Thursday.
Train with me. Same as Tuesday.
Friday.
Same as Tuesday.
Saturday.
Soaked porridge for breakfast. Sometimes something much worse. Salad for lunch. Evening meal mainly unknown along with copious amounts of alcohol.
Sunday.
Light breakfast, Light lunch and Sunday meal with his family.
We don't do any conventional cardio. He only sprints for about 30 seconds on a treadmill. His weight training during a fat burning phase is one day of German Body composition training (reps lasting for 40 seconds with short rest intervals). The other days are sprints and weights. During which his heart rate is pretty high. During a fat loss cycle, all workouts are fasted.
He aims for about 150g of protein on training days. As it is high (ish depending on who you speak to), I wanted him to substitute animal protein for a plant based protein shake to not contribute to the load on his liver. Also to keep his diet mainly alkaline. There was no difference during the change. Low carbs during a fat loss cycle. 100-150g during a building phase.
Supplements. Fish oil, protein shake (a vegan shake), green drink, amino acids, sometimes creatine and ZMA to aid recovery. You could get by without them but I couldn't say whether you would not be able to get out of bed or whether you would last the day after your training session. I'm not overly keen on creatine as even though there is plenty of evidence to say that it works, I'm not convinced that is is essential. So he only has it after his session. This is specific for the kind of training we do. It isn't for everyone
Just to add, this is a typical good week. We have had weeks when his socialising can be quite erratic and he would probably be much leaner and got results faster. However, it's all about knowing what balance works for you and I think he's done pretty well. He's now at 12.5%. If you did half of what he does, you would get pretty good results too.
Do you want to see specific workouts?
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