Friday 18th August

There are always myths and false statements out there, especially in the world of health and fitness, where marketing of products seems much more important than the quality of the product.

We should all know by now that one fitness product is not going to get us magically into shape.

Those magically designed powder based meals are not the long term answer, protein shakes have their place for sure, but not those shakes that you take all day every day, then you lose the weight, and then pile it all back on and more!!

You may have noticed by now that im much more of a natural foods type of guy.

Theres great news now on natural foods like never before.

Take natural yoghurt for example, which i now love and i used to hate it!!! The trend for you to select yoghurts now is to judge the product on how much fat the yoghurt as, this has been proven to be a big mistake. The manufacters get around this by stripping the fat out the product, and to make it taste much nicer, they replace it with more or less pure sugar!!! Therefore it suddenly becomes very well qualified as A LOW-FAT FOOD!!!! What a sham in terms of getting lean, sugar makes you fat full stop and too much makes you diabetic, another fact over time!!

This is hilarious surely or is it really disturbing more like?!!! Give me natural yoghurt anytime and here’s another fact for you after latest research.

If you eat natural yoghurt on a regular basis, then studies show that you lose be more successful on staying lean than eating regularly low fat yoghurts! Thats quite a story isn’t it? Haven’t we been duped into thinking low-fat yoghurts are some kind of god like product in the slimming terms, at least what the advertisements tell us?!! It must be right surely?!!!!

This is a big example of how advertisers and manufacters are trying to fool you, lie to you and strip of your hard earned cash,plus never deliver on their pledge to get you slimmer!! Don’t fall for it, keep it natural and at least you know what you have!!!!

August 18, 2011

Thursday 18th August 2011

The big story of the week in exercise terms was that if you exercised for 15 minutes a day, then you were likely to live longer (about 3-4 years) and you were significantly less likely to suffer from cancer.

Its great to see people are encouraged to do far more manageable bouts of exercise. Most people with their busy lives are not going to be able to do one hour a day for 5 days a week, it just wont happen in my experience.

I also love the way they put some good exercises in there for a change too, squats and lunges for example instead of having some government minister playing table tennis for 2 minutes and calling that amazing exercise!!!

I must hasten to add that table tennis played at a very good standard CAN be very good exercise, but the odd knock around is never going to replace a proper well-structured exercise programme with strength training as well as cardiovascular work of course!!

This is why we need a common message going out there regularly with well-structured basic routines of around 4-6 exercises that will get people in far better shape than they are now.

I know lots of people with gym cards who never exercise in a manner that will bring lasting improvements, and to me that’s a lack of knowledge and not being put on the right path.

If I see someone not working hard or not doing an exercise properly, I WILL PUT THEM RIGHT and its up to them whether they take my opinion or not, but since my new mortgage payment depends on me getting my advice right and making sure its pretty much guaranteed to work, there is a fair chance of them listening!!

So I think 15 minutes a day or most days is definitely achievable for anyone, exercise selection is always important because some people may not be able to do squats and lunges due to bad knees for example, in fact I know many, many people so employing a fitness professional can save you many hours, months or even years in getting you to your goals and in total safety too, which for me is always the number one thing!

For those of you who are struggling to manage any exercise because it seems so daunting, email me on fitness@kerimckibbin.co.uk or subsribe on here and post me a question!! I totally believe that ANYONE can get in great shape, it’s a matter of having a good sustainable plan! As I have posted this week, its shocking that some of the pro athletes are far away from getting it right, so lets believe in yourself and focus on what you could be rather than the obstacles currently in your way!!!

August 17, 2011

Wednesday 17th August

As we were talking about sports performance yesterday, its remarkable how similar a diet that you should be implementing yourself to get into shape and stay in shape, and the diets of footballers are often remarkably similar.

David beckham for example, when he was playing out in Italy credited the team’s nutritionist with helping his career go on for a few more years than he previously thought it would.

Get this, he was really speaking about some “revoultionary” foods that perhaps you have never heard of, what were these magical foods that set beckham on an indian summer in terms of his career?!!!

These “magical” foods were salmon and other fish in their natural state with no sauces or breadcrumbs, just plain old fish cooked in a healthy way with good old fashioned way with olive oil!!!

Then there was “magical” vegetables to go with it, and a whole array on wonderful veg in many different colours!!

Then he would eat a variety of fruit throughout the day for snacks and even had a small handful of nuts, such as almonds, brazils, cashews etc!!!

Also, he amazingly drunk water throughout the day, and insisted on going to bed early every night.

He very rarely drunk either, alcohol that is, and only a little during off season!!!

The result?

He was in the shape of his life, and he looked and felt fantastic, the porridge for breakfast had really energised him too apparently!!! The great man was feeling great going into his late 30’s!!!!

Okay sarcasm ended but what i describe is the truth regarding his diet, and he did and IS in incredible shape as we speak, anyone who reads the papers can see that!!!

So what we talk about on here every day, is very similar to beckham’s “magical” diet isn’t it? Or is it less than magical and more like just a healthy diet?!!!! Or does it sound more mystical if it comes from Italy, so they can take all the credit again and call it the meditterranean diet!!!!

Whatever marketing angle is used, you know that this diet, these foods and this way of life will work every time for you!!!!

August 16, 2011

Tuesday 16th August

Swansea didn’t get off to the most promising starts in the premiership last night, losing 4 nil but it wasn’t all bad of course.

They played some very good football in the first 20 minutes and held their own most of the first half. The problem was when the first goal went in, the floodgates opened and Swansea were opened up regularly.

Apart from the fact that manchester city have the most expensive squad in the world, there was another major difference for me.

When a Manchester player had the ball, he usually just brushed away a Swansea city player with ease, because he was bigger and stronger, not necessarily quicker!

The same happened when Swansea had the ball, they were often pushed off the ball in a legal way by a stronger man city player, in fact it happened heck of a lot!!!

I trace this problem to what I saw of local football players over the last 15 years, they simply ARE NOT STRONG ENOUGH, they are quick enough but not strong enough and need some serious strength work!!!

It makes me puzzled when I hear that Cardiff city for example only had their magnificent training facilities in place 2 years ago, despite getting £24 million in debt by spending on players, isn’t that crazy?!!!!!

My recent work with younger football players confirm what I expected, they are encouraged to do lots of running but little or no advice on strength work and certainly not much on diet!!!! I could go on record and be really blunt about the way they train at junior level in the professional clubs, but I want to come across as constructive and not negative, but things HAVE TO IMPROVE!!!!

It is criminal the lack of knowledge these clubs have and are too pig-headed to do anything about it!!!!!

Why are they spending money on all these players yet they could easily improve on what they have by making their current players fitter and stronger, and getting their diets so much more efficient and nutrient rich, I repeat again, THIS IS CRIMINAL IN TERMS OF WASTING TALENT!!!!!

The highest paid sport in the world and you have a proportion of their organisation at best ill-informed and if you had to be nasty about it, you would call them amateurs!!!!!

Welsh rugby is in far better shape now with conditioning.

I blogged before about the junior international I was training, and in his WRU diet, he was told to eat jam sandwiches as a snack!!!! Jam sandwiches I need to repeat that!!!!! What a joke they were and this was back in 1998/99!!!!! LUCKILY, they have come from there and got their act together!!!

It seems to me that football needs to get its act together and the swans need to get bigger and stronger, and could even improve their speed. How they are light years behind some sports is mystifying and must be very frustrating for their fans!!!!

August 15, 2011

Monday 15th August

If you have been reading this for a while, then i congratulate you for your perserverance and commitment, which shows you have qualities that should enable you to be and get into shape.

There are three types of people when it comes to getting into shape.

The people who are keen to start with, yet find some reason or excuse to quit early in their quest to get into shape.There is an endless list of excuses they pick from and none of those reasons to stop training are usually strong, and will often apply to other areas of their life.

For example, some people take up tennis and start hitting the ball better and better within the first couple of weeks, and they get enthused.

Then, all of a sudden the progress can dry up and they quit at the first sign they have to work a bit harder and show more commitment to practice.

These people are known as the “could have, would have, should have” type who usually talk a good game too, but offer little action!

Then you have the second type who get really enthusiastic straight away, go at things like a bull at a gate, then often try and train every day, sometimes twice a day because they are so keen!!! They are often so keen they will buy books on diet straight away, buy exercise equipment and have all the latest training gear.

Then around a month later, because they have gone at it so hard, they more often than not lose enthusiasm completely or get injured and throw the towel in!!!

This type of indidual then usually moves on to something else, immerses himself in that activity or hobby, with usually the same frustrating results.

The third type is the most successful because they work at the fundamentals every day, constantly looking at how to become better.

These people usually approach things in a more moderate manner, and know they are in it for the long term. A healthy lifestyle is exactly that, a “lifestyle”. These people look to become masters at what they are doing, getting fitter despite getting older by working smarter. Eating better and healthier despite having a busy family life but shopping smarter.

They develop more energy by paying more attention to sleep and rest and recovery.

This type of people are smart and will be honest about their improvements and how they can pick themselves up again if they fall down from time to time.

The question is what type of you? The bottom line is that if you are consistent at eveything in your healthy lifestyle, then group number three could easily be you and means you are likely to be in shape for life!!!!