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Wednesday, 3rd October

We talked about the value of trying to raise your metabolism yesterday, here are some key ways on how to do it!

Number one is to lift weights. If you just do normal cardio that most people do (treadmill, bike etc), then your metabolism will be raised but only for the duration of your workout.

The difference with weights/resistance training is the effect will last a lot longer!

Scientific studies show the elevated metabolism you will experience can last up to 39 hours!!! This is why weight training is so important! Weight training breaks down muscle tissue and usually needs that amount of time to recover.

We have always talked on here about the benefits of weight training, and obviously this another big reason to lift!!

Number two is to train intensely. Whatever workout you do, make sure you train with purpose and if you put a good intensity into it, your metabolism will be raised that much more again, meaning you burn more calories and burn more fat.

Number three is embracing the process of building lean muscle tissue. Experts suggest that for every pound of muscle gained, your body will burn an extra 35-50 calories a day!! Compare that with just 2 pounds for every pound of fat. This is why people who are lean and muscular find it easier to stay like that, whilst people who carry a lot of fat struggle more to get it off.

Number four is eating more  protein, not too much but a sensible amount. With all of this good training, you should also a healthy amount of protein such as the size of your fist in each meal. Not only does it fill you up that much longer than carbs and fat, it also takes 25% more calories for the body to break down protein.  These 25% of the calories in protein are broken down through the digestion process, compare this to 5% of carbs and just 2% effort to burn fat when ingested!!

More tomorrow!!

Twitt
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Tuesday, October 2nd

The word metabolism has become very fashionable these days, but in real terms it refers to the amount of energy your body uses.

We all think about energy in our workouts, but our body uses vital energy resources in just about everything we do.

Your heart beating, sustaining your lean muscle on your body, breathing and regulating your temperature among other functions all require calories, so your metabolism is truly the rate your body burns calories 24 hours a day!

How many people do you know who blams their “slow metabolism” for their lack of progress? I know a huge number for starters, and have spent a career disproving that statement!!

The word metabolism is so misunderstood, that the often corrupt weight loss industry will take advantage of this ignorance by making false claims.

How many times have you fallen for pills that claim to “raise” your metabolism without the need for diet and exercise?

Like i said, how many times have you been told me the media that you cannot lose weight due to your “slow metabolism”?!!

How many times have you been told that “thin” people were born lucky because of their fast metabolisms”?!!

A big myth exploded is the fact that overweight people have actually higher metabolisms than so called thinner people because it requires sometimes a lot more calories to SUSTAIN a much higher weight. The bigger weight person also burns more calories in exercise too, because it is usually a bigger effort.

Genes DO play in metabolism but it has been proven by science that they prove a far smaller role than previously thought!

Luck doesn’t really have anything to do with it, action and eating well has about a thousand times more to do with it so the sooner you realise that the better, and the sooner you realise that actions speak louder than words the better!!!

The main point is we do not have to become “victims” of our so called slow metabolisms at all!

We will talk about many ways to boost your metabolism A LOT tomorrow!!!

Twitt
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Monday, 1st October

It’s monday again, and also the start of the month. It is twelve weeks today to christmas day so if there was ever a day to get psyched up about getting fit and healthy, it has to be today!

We talked friday about how important and convenient it was to train at the weekend, but for those of you who put all your workouts into the week, then today, monday, is the most important day to set the tone for the rest of the week!!!

I always view monday as a huge day, not only its the first day for me back training people, but its an important marker for me in how my own workout is going. I rarely train along anyway and haven’t done for years. I either run or cycle with someone i train, or i do the same with weight training, and i ALWAYS get a better workout training with someone than training alone, as long as that person is committed.

If there is two of you training, then both of you can push each other. Maybe one day you are feeling a bit sluggish and down, then its up to that other person to get you off your behind and push you to your normal high levels!!!

The only problem with training partners is sometimes one of you isn’t great time keeping, and this can really get people fed up i have found!

Then there are many of you i know who like to train alone, to do your own thing when you want to do it, to suit all of the other commitments in your life, i know i used to be one myself!!

So whatever your situation, be sure to get your best workout of the week in today, or at least give it one heck of a shot! Setting the right tone today is a massive indication of the level of commitment you have to getting yourself in top shape!!

Twitt
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Friday, 28th September

Training at the weekend can seem foreign and never happen for most people.

There are a couple of big advantages though for weekend training.

First of all, it can be a great time to play catch-up.

If you have missed a session or two in the week, then making up for it at the weekend is not only important, its vital for those of you who are after serious results.

Then there are those of us who train well in the week, and then still want to train Saturday or Sunday anyway! I always recommend having at least one day off a week, I personally take a Saturday off, but make  sure that  I really get a good workout in on Sunday to get myself going again and feel great.

The “feeling great” part of it is the most important part not only for myself, but for everyone else I speak to.

Hopefully you can relate to this.

If you have a weekend of overeating and bingeing on everything, have a few drinks and generally slob around, then undoubtedly you are not going to feel that great by the time Monday comes along!!! Most of us can relate to that!

This is when the importance of a Saturday or Sunday workout comes into it, and I find outside workouts in particular great at getting rid of an excesses of the weekend.

We all feel better when we rid our bodies of the toxins that have invaded our bodies at the weekend!

It makes sense if we get back to eating and exercising well as soon as possible!

So if we do this to feel better, then we know we will also benefit from losing body fat too. You can be sure if we binge all weekend without any exercise, the body fat will come on thick and fast, and we will face Monday morning with a bit of a mountain to climb!!!

You can see it makes a lot of sense to take advantage of the weekend to put your trainers on and workout!!!

Twitt
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Wednesday, 26th September

As time goes by, technology allows us to do everything faster, more conveniently, and achieve a lot more in a record amount of time!

This has been proved to me yet again by two completely different training clients this week.

One is a 16 year old boy, who has already been training 5 years with me, and has gone from a very overweight young man, hating sport, to someone who has become very accomplished in exercise terms, is now very lean and pacy, and has reached national level in one of  his chosen sports, he plays three different sports now, and none of them rugby or foootball!!!

He has become very organised now, and now keeps training diaries and records of everything he does.

He told me the other day that he finds this whole process fascinating, purely because of the staggering progress he has made over the 5 years. He was shocked to see how he is training now, compared to the light and basic programme he had to start! He now realises that he can get in shape in a very quick period of time! He trains 5 times a week for 25 mins a time, and that’s it!!

This is how technology can work for you!

Then the other individual is someone who used to be fit and healthy, but now has several issues with his health and life in general.

He tried to get fit on his own, doing the same things he did when he was 20. It turns out he can’t do any of those things anymore, and he came to me in desperation, realising  even at 45 years of age, his body couldn’t move in any way like he used to, and he panicked about it!!

Six weeks on, he feels alive again! He is moving better, stronger, leaner and finally getting control of his diet, realising that whatever goes into his body will have a direct effect on the way he looks and feels!!

Best of all he says, exercising 4 times a week for 40 mins a time suits his lifestyle, and all the new moves and exercises are a tiny sacrifice to get him feeling young and healthy again.

Exercise doesn’t have to be all grunt, using your brain can make the whole process a lot more enjoyable and dramatically speed up your process!!!

Twitt