Monday, 23rd May

What a monday already, wet and windy and what happened to the heatwave promised?

Anyway, we are already into a great monday when your body has been working in many ways already.

You may know already that you work your “core” in every single movement.

Your core in general terms is your stomach, lower back, hamstrings and thighs and these muscle groups control every movement in your body.

You could be making a cup of coffee, and the turning side to side to get the milk, coffee etc works your core, okay in a small way but still works it.

Reaching for a product in a supermarket also works your core, picking a child out of a car works your core, lifting anything works your core, just about anything works your core, and its VITAL your core is strong for any activity in life.

Anyone who has ever worked out with me will know that practically EVERY exercise will work your core with me, and you can always tell by the next day because you will be a little stiff in the most important area on your body!!! It shows that we are going things right and safely, which is always important to me and it should be to you too.

And you can forget about any fancy machines too, they claim to work your core but they don’t offer the flexibility that free motion and more natural movements offer. When you are on a machine, you are always in a limited range of  motion, and your body will therefore be limited in the way it can move. Anytime this happens, it means you are not getting the full benefits you should be out of your workouts, and therefore not going to be improving in the way you know you should be!!!!

I have found that with machines, they offer limited success and i am always more in favour of free weights, and much more free and natural movements you can do with a medicine ball and the fit ball (the pumped up big ball you see in gyms etc) of course.

The bottom line, stay away from these fancy machines who promise the earth, and stick to tried and tested methods that will safely deliver big results every time!!!!

Friday, 20th May

End of the week for some, or the start of the weekend’s activities for others.

Saturday signals a day off for me, after a tough week and allows me to relax. Others i train will be hitting 30-40 miles on a bike, going on walking trips or maybe having a day off  like me.

Whatever you decide to do, its all about living a health and fitness lifestyle to the max.

The rewards of a health and fitness lifestyle never let you down, and this lifestyle always delivers.

If you want an abundance of energy in you life, this is the lifestyle for you.

If you want to look lean and healthy and feel fantastic, then this is the lifestyle for you.

If you want to sleep well for the rest of your life, then the health and fitness lifestyle is a must for you.

If you want to remain optimistic for the rest of your life, then working out and eat fresh natural foods is paramount, and will have a direct effect on your overall moods and future aspirations, this has been proven many, many times!!!!

If you encounter negative people, ignore them and feel lucky you are part of a much more rewarding lifestyle.

Negative people usually have poor diets, drink too much alcohol, sometimes smoke and definitely don’t exercise!!!! This is true in 99% of cases, sad but true.

We are on the road to a better healthier life by showing positivity in times of stress and anxiety, when most others would crumble under the stress but we are stronger than that now, and will break through any obstacles put in our way!!!

Everythings ultra-positive today because theres an abundance of energy around!!!!!

Have a great weekend and live at your healthiest for maximum rewards!!!

Thursday May 19th

How’s all your training targets going?

For example, if you are used to using the coastal path and your target has always been the outer reaches of the country park when cycling, then why aren’t you doing it now?!!!

If you are, what time are you clocking in for that trip? Do you test yourself say once a month to see how fast you can do it? I find this very beneficial when training people to enable me to check how they are doing, it also gives the individual concerned satisfaction in knowing that they are constantly improving.

If you never check yourself, then it’s a recipe for mediocrity in your training and your overall results full stop.

If you are a complete beginner, your initial aims need to be just to show up to your training sessions and showing an optimistic and positive attitude. When you’re actually doing something about your health and fitness, nobody can fault you for your attitude, and this is where it all begins.

We were all beginners sometime or another and its exactly the right time to remember that again, and why we got into exercising and eating properly in the first place.

None of us get it completely right either, none of us are perfect and we are there not to judge others. From my own perspective, my role is to help others, give individuals the benefit of my experience and to save people time getting into shape, and getting them there safely and without injury or strains of any kind, that’s always been the most important thing for me.

So basic things you can do to check yourself are get a measuring tape to check your waist and hip measurements, they are the key readings I ALWAYS look for!

It would be a good idea to buy a blood pressure machine too, they are cheap enough these days and will give you an accurate measure of your very important blood pressure AND resting pulse rate.

Back to your waist measurement, a simple way to check your health is take your height, say you were 5 foot which is 60 inches, and your waist should be a maximum of half that amount, if it isn’t then it needs to come down for all sorts of health reasons!

So if you are 5 foot tall, and 60 inches, your waist should be 35 inches or less.

If its not, then keep reading this and I will help you all the way or email me on fitness@kerimckibbin.co.uk

Debbie’s Comeback!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Debbie’s going for it big time again, and following jean’s inspiring example, yes SHE CAN DO IT!!!!!

These are her words so far and im going to help her all the way, just like jean so lets go!

”

Hi Keri and the Gang!!!!
 
I have made a fresh start thanks to my dear friend and motivator Keri McKibbin.
I met him at his gym yesterday afternoon, after making the decision to commit to getting on the right path again.
I have messed about for far too long, kidding myself that “it” would happen “one day soon”!!!
Hearing of Jean’s renewed efforts, which are paying huge dividends, I decided to grit my teeth and do the one thing I have been avoiding.
ADMIT I AM NOT DOING IT, AND JUST GET OUT THERE AND DO IT!!!!!!
 
Keri took me gently through my paces to assess my capabilities, planning a workout that will get me started but not put too much pressure on me.
I came out of there feeling positive, energised and committed. So much so that I also went to Zumba class last night, though I admit to feeling absolutely
knackered last night!!!  
I saw Jean at the gym working hard and looking good. See you there again soon, Jean. CYRIL come and join us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
I asked Keri to have a look at my diet to see where I can improve. Unlike Jean, I am not going to count calories, prefering to cut my portions and eat healthy choices where possible.So, here is my menu for today, see what you think Keri :
 
B: 1 sl. wholemeal toast with banana on top.
L.: Mackerel with home made pasta salad/toms/rocket/cuc.
T: Home made spag bol made with wholemeal spag/steak mince/veggies
S: Apple/grapes   
Breakfast/Lunch/Tea/Snacks
 
There you go!! I can’t get to the gym today so going for a walk instead.
Will be at the gym tomorrow though.
See you there xxx “
Well done debs and we will go through the eating solutions tomorrow!!!

May 17th 2011

Some of you are going through a fresh start at the moment, and that’s always a good thing.

Don’t look back at your failures of the recent past, you can learn from them. They can only be classed as failures IF you don’t learn from them, simple as that. They can be classed as “learning” experiences if you proceed with confidence in the future, knowing you’re not going to go back to the place that caused misery and unhappiness before.

Unfortunately, the process of putting on weight, then taking it off, then piling it back on and this time 5% more again, can be deeply distressing! Some of you have been through it a number of times, and it doesn’t make it any easier of course.

This is an opportunity to put them to rest, and tell yourself you simply won’t accept the faddy diets you used to go on, you won’t fall for buying a faddy piece of exercise equipment again that you never use, you wont accept mediocrity in your training attendance.

For example, how many times have you wondered how you’re putting weight on in a particular month, and if you go back through that month in your head, you would have realised you may have missed a lot of scheduled workouts, the one day a week drinking rule has become a two-three day a week rule, and your stricter eating habits have now become somewhat less than strict, and the one day a week “have what you like” rule has become a three to four day a week rule!!!

So coming back to our point, making a fresh start is exactly that, there is NO GOING BACK this time.

If you are focused on getting your mind and body in top shape, you have to choose which lifestyle you really want. Is it the pain of constant disappointment and regret? Or will you be brave and actually DO IT this time and make it sustainable for the rest of your life? No regrets and no going back, you have to remember that so lets go!!!!