Monday, 16th September

Following a fitness programme where you just do, let’s say some work on a cross trainer, some treadmill maybe and a short spell on a bike could be described as very popular in the big clubs, and you would be one of many doing the same thing.

This programme undoubtedly has some health benefits and well done to you on exercising regularly.

If you do the same aerobic type of work, and you throw a little weight training in, then you will do even better. This is a better balance than the first example definitely.

Unfortunately, this is where even the most ardent exercises’ variety of training programmes ends, stuck in the 1980’s and not a thing has changed since! I have highlighted the fact that if you do indeed follow this way of training, then I congratulate you on actually training, instead of talking about it like most people do!

The point here is that exercise programmes have moved on so much more since then. A lot of people aware of the “core” these days, and the importance of working it, but most of these people haven’t a clue on how to work the core, and don’t know a thing about the different tools you should be using to strengthen your core.

They don’t know because they usually are not shown, not given a programme with a great deal of variety, and this is a great problem of the big gyms, when 3000, yes you heard it, three thousand people have to join for them just to BREAK EVEN!! They cant afford to get the quality of staff in, and you could never hope to service 3000 people anyway. This is why 90% of the big clubs are deep in debt or in bankruptcy already, both in the UK and US.

This week we will talk about different ways to make your programme work for you, come into 2013 finally in terms of training science, and actually enhance every area of your body in strength, flexibility and getter leaner than ever, plus reducing the risk of injury right now and in the future!

Tuesday, 10th September

The worrying news is that the faddy diets never stop coming.

Apart from the herbalife disaster, lighter life horror stories, the Cambridge diet example of perpetual yo-yo dieting, and you add a ton of other so called “diets” to these in the “hall of fame ruin your health and mind faddy diets list”, there comes a new one over the horizon.

Have you heard about the eat for 5 days, fast for 2 days diet?

Well, you may have because its been gaining some traction lately!

They claim to lower cholesterol, help with diabetes and generally help you lose weight-quickly! Interesting that nobody in the medical community is willing to back it, in fact they have come forward to publicly dispel its claims, and urge the public not to do it!

The downsides include a big hit to general health and immune system, some women have found themselves becoming infertile under medical tests, and all sorts of fainting and general not so pleasant side-effects.

Fasting has been around for many, many years and some people claim it works wonders but only now and again is it supposed to be practiced.

I have never tried it but I know there can be dangers with anything extreme, especially as not eating for 24 hours, but this new one says you shouldn’t eat for 48 hours, just drink liquids!

A lot of the medical community is up in arms and rightly so. The horror stories are likely to continue if you are doing without food for 48 hours. Of course you will lose weight by not eating, it doesn’t take a genius to work that one out, but the cost physically and emotionally cannot be worth any temporary short term weight loss!

15 weeks to Christmas today, and it’s a perfect opportunity to save your money, go and shop for good wholesome nutritious food that will do your body good, you will end up feeling a whole lot better, and in the process you will most likely drop a significant amount of body fat, especially when combined with a sensible exercise programme over those 15 weeks!

Monday, 9th September

Monday’s blog is as important to me as it is to everyone else. I always go on about the importance of starting Monday with a bang, and its vital for me to get that spirit going for myself too.

My Monday morning starts at 420am when I get up for breakfast and prepare for my first session. I know that if I show up for that first session a bit tired, a bit sleepy and in general “not up for it” then I know I am not serving that individual who is paying me to train them.

So my preparation has to be good and methodical and it all starts with an early night on Sunday and a good breakfast of porridge, water and one coffee to get me going.

Once I get into my first session, I know I am set up for the day and revved up to perform at my best.

I know once I get my first run of the day under my belt, I feel so much more energized and the energy and adrenalin soon starts to flow at a rate of knots!

This is why I tell people all the time, and the ones that are new to exercise especially, that you actually CREATE energy and future energy by exercising and eating well. It may seem that you are burning energy up by exercising, but once your body recovers, you will feel so much better after you have had a bath or shower.

It’s the constant regularity of your exercise programme that will literally make you feel better by the week. This is the addictive feeling that people enjoy so much from exercise, and this is why practically every single person I have spoken to feels so much better from exercise, and never wants to let that emotional uplift disappear!

So here we are at another Monday, so please try and make it happen today not only to get into shape and set the week up nicely, but to create an abundance of energy for yourself every day this week!

Wednesday, 28th August

Catherine asked a great question about marathons, and how to become a good runner in the first place, or become A runner of some description, run longer than a couple of minutes would be an achievement for many people I have started with the last couple of years.

As I said yesterday, I have one lady about to do a marathon but I have had MANY who have been through the same challenge and each a different story to tell.

Before we get into all of that, and the problems and challenges that the 26.2 miles presents, its vital you start at the beginning. You either do it the proper way or it’s like reading a book and going straight to the back of the book to find out the ending, because you couldn’t be bothered to read the book!

Some people have started off better than others, and doing it your own way is frought with danger.

I remember one lady really wanted to become a good runner, or even be able to run for ONE MINUTE was an achievement, she wasn’t overweight whatsoever and in some disciplines, had a reasonable level of fitness.

The first thing I told her was to buy running shoes, and change them every 500 miles (I tell everyone this).

I then took her out running and the best she could do was run for around 15 yards, then she had to walk until she got her breath back. She would walk for 40 yards, then run 15 again, then walk for 40, run for 15 etc.

This lasted for around 20 minutes and she was really tired, felt more than a little frustrated but explained this was the best way to go. This session was on a Monday lunch time.

I gave her other exercises to do on Tuesday inside, rest Wednesday, and to try the same run/walk Thursday. Inside exercises again on Saturday after a Friday rest.

When I saw her the next Monday, I could tell things had gone badly wrong.

Number one she hadn’t changed her trainers, she was still wearing the thinly supported “fashion” trainers.

Number two she had tried to run EVERY night!

Two things happened as they usually do following this schedule, she had blisters due to poor trainers, she pulled a calf muscle due to overdoing it, and when I saw her she was almost in tears fearing she would never run again.

I asked her why she didn’t follow my schedule and admitted she followed a book her brother had bought her (to encourage her).

It was called “run a marathon in 26 weeks”, claiming you could run a marathon in 26 weeks. This may be technically possible with perfect conditions and support for 1 in a 1000 people, but I can assure you I HAVE NEVER SEEN IT!!!

I soon had it out with her and told her to throw away the book, as its going to permanently injure her if she keeps to that impossible schedule!

It turned out to be the best thing she ever did, and she went on to reach an incredible standard which I will fill you on tomorrow!

Tuesday, 20th August

The biggest surprise that individuals have when they come home from holidays is their first measurement immediately after returning home.

Depending on what type of holiday they have had, the measurements across the range can vary wildly!

Someone who has drunk alcohol every night on their trip and eaten heavily will be the worst offenders and their first measurement usually shocks them!

Blood pressure is usually way up!

Their resting heart rate is usually way up!

They usually put 2-3 inches on their waist and hips.

They usually add 2-4% body fat which is a significant number!

Their energy levels have vanished and show no signs of returning.

Their motivation is at an all-time low.

Their start back to exercising again is usually delayed by a series of minor excuses.

So you can a two week holiday of this kind of indulgence can have a serious effect on one’s ability to get back to where you were before the holiday!

It’s up to you what kind of holiday you want but beware the consequences of constantly overdoing it EVERY night on holiday. The best advice is to get straight away into it, take your time the first week back especially, and within 2-3 weeks, you will soon be feeling yourself once again!!

This shows the benefits of measurements too! If you weren’t constantly checked, you wouldn’t know the damage caused internally, as well as how you look in the mirror of course compared to when you went away!