Posted on

Wednesday, 25th April

We talked about the importance of progress on here yesterday, and hope you are on a path of sustainable health and fitness improvements. In fact, this is the mission of this blog.

I’m not sure always who is reading this of course in terms of individual requirements, but i know a recurring subject on here is back pain and by bringing it up a lot, i know i will be talking to people who have experienced it at some time in their lives, often with very painful memories! In fact, around 87% of you will experience this unpleasant fact of everyday life.

Its not hard to see why either! Most jobs these days involve sitting down for hours on end, doing very little physically. Even construction these days is done a lot by machines, and there are move JCB drivers on sites these days than ever before. It’s very hard these days to name five physical jobs off the top off your head, when perhaps 50 years ago, most jobs involved burning calories and actually moving around!

Back pain can be a huge source of pain in people’s lives, and its very sad to see most of the population will go through it largely through inactivity and weight gain, and a weak core which is the central point to all of this.

 A lot of you will hhave gone to see the doctor about it, and the great news is that these days they will usually recommend you become more active, try eating a bit less to lose some  weight, and in general lead a healthier lifestyle.

Guess what they recommend for most ailments these days? The very same thing!!!

So leading a good lifestyle will help your health no end in all sorts of ways, and doctors now are preaching the message much harder, instead of dishing out endless pain killers!

More on back pain tomorrow!

Twitt
Posted on

Tuesday, 17th April

We talked about nutrient dense foods, and perhaps a little more detail is needed!

Lean proteins, whole grains, and the right kinds of fats are vital to your ambitions in life.

You need to fuel your body to increase your metabolism.

The less you eat, the lower your metabolism goes and eventually your body goes into starvation mode and your body will do everything it can to hang on to as much fat as possible! Exactly what you DO NOT NEED!

If you eat breakfast like a king and eat your evening meal like a “peasant”, you won’t go far wrong!

Your breakfast should be larger and each meal after should be a little smaller. When you think of  it, once you eat breakfast, you have your whole day in front of you and this means you have a whole day of calorie burning to do!

By the time you get to evening meal, your body is slowing down and the last thing you need is calories sitting on your stomach all night, a lighter meal would be perfect and keeps your fat burning process going along very nicely!

Your evening meal should be a lean protein with salad or lots of veggies. Remember also when we talk about having the right amount of carbs, the size of your fist would work big time because you are getting enough energy you can actually use, instead of eating too much and the extra carbs despositing as fat in your body!

The main focus of your meal plan every day should be eating clean nutritious food and doing your best to eliminate all the “empty” calories from your diet. If you try and accomplish this, you are bound to be in great shape for a lifetime. Eating “clean” is the key to being in really good shape, all the training in the world would be no good without good nutritious food going in on a regular basis!!!

Twitt
Posted on

Friday, 13th April

Making the most out of your training has been a common theme on here since i started, and back pain/weakness has also been a major talking point.

We also talk about the importance about core strength, and how it helps you relieve the painful symptons of a bad back.

The fantastic part about fixing your core, getting it nice and strong, is that your training performance will literally go through the roof once you get strong in your lower back, hamstrings, thighs, stomach areas. The momentum and power you will feel can be dramatic and make you into a much better athlete!

Don’t laugh at being called an “athlete” either, everyone is an athlete in their own way. I do train individuals who could be considered serious athletes, and i train individuals who are trying to walk gently again after a serious operation or illness. Both are very much athletes to me.

An athlete in my book is someone who wants constant improvement, who wants to learn how their body reaches peak performance and what can let them down. An athlete to me is someone who continuously eats well, and tries to keep on improving in this vital area because they know how vital it is.

An athlete is also someone who hits the sack early most nights because they know how important recovery is to them.

There is a time to enjoy and eat what you want of course at times, but there’s nothing wrong with being serious about your training, eating and resting, after all this what being an “athlete” is all about!!!

Twitt
Posted on

Thursday, 5th April

Having your blood pressure checked regularly is one of the easiest things you can do to keep yourself healthy, or rather MAKE SURE you are keeping yourself healthy.

Most chemists these days will do it for free, and blood pressure testing is one of the most fundamental testing methods I use, usually once a month but sometimes more frequent depending on the client’s history.

Higher blood pressure which is usually a reading over 140/90 is a warning sign that you have mild hypertension and your doctor will tell you what to do next, if it is slightly over he or she will tell you that it will be monitored over the next few weeks, to see what direction it takes.

The doctor/nurse or even pharmacist should be able to tell you that a healthy lifestyle will have a direct and long lasting effect on your blood pressure.

When I see someone with a blood pressure issue, I know the plan of attack has to include the three keys to success.

I know that if I include these three fundamentals in my approach, then the blood pressure will be dramatically improved over a period of months, as long as the client is willing to accept responsibility and show some determination themselves.

After all, I am only there for training a brief period of time, the other 23 hours are down to the individual and how he or she handles and applies my advice.

Number one key is avoiding salty food, in other words processed food. Never cook in salt, never add salt to your food, throw the ready meals in the pain and get used to cooking food from scratch. This will be a HUGE difference to you and you will immediately feel better.

Number two is alcohol. Nothing is worse for somebody trying to bring their blood pressure down than booze. Until this matter is addressed and lower consumption or even eliminate until your blood pressure comes back to normal, progress will be slow.

Number three is what you should be doing most days anyway! Exercise! Working out regularly in a moderate way

Twitt
Posted on

Wednesday, 4th April

Finding out your deficiencies and strengths in your body is absolutely the first thing you should do when you are trying to formulate a very good training plan.

I have trained a lot of people over the years, and most of them DO have issues and problems with their body before they start to train.

Some examples include blood pressure issues, heart issues, obesity issues of all different kinds, joint problems, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis just to name a few, all of these issues need a tailored programme and with exercise, it is definitely a case DOES NOT fit all!!!

The typical general gym programme doesnt work for everyone either, and in my research over years of training, EVERYONE needs a different programme!!

Core stability work you may have heard of, but it has to be done in a proper and holistic way, something i have become to totally focus on the last few years, and develop to new levels. The number one concern for me is client safety and overall improvement free of injury.

The annoying part for me is that a lot of people have a swiss/fit ball, one of those big balls you seem in gyms or at home. The problem is that nobody is really showing you how to use them, when they can have so many benefits to you in term of core stability, relief of back pain, strengthening of the back, hip strength and flexibility, hamstring strength and flexibility, the list seriously goes on and on!

Then you come into a whole range of core stability tool, from a bosu ball, a club roller, balance pad and wedges, all of these tools are designed not only to make you look better, you will feel better, perform better and guide yourself safely and strongly into a grand old age!!

This is the current phenomenon in training and will be for years to come!!!

Twitt