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February 13th, 2012

Technique is often underplayed when it comes to exercise.

If you walk into any gym anywhere, you see a wide variety of versions of the same exercise.

A lot of boys and men like to do curls for arms for example, unfortunately due to the swinging in this exercise, it ends up as a back exercise instead of an ARMS exercise!!! I’m sure many of you have seen the same thing, the key is to drop the weight until you are not swinging your back, this will give your biceps a far better workout and ultimately this means results.

There is also a tendency to do exercises in rapid fashion.

This means that on leg exercises for example, you will be putting enormous strain on your knees, leading often to injuries that can be hard to reverse.

Lack of proper technique is often seen outside the gym too.

Cycling for instance is a prime example.  Incorrect seat height and handlebar height can hurt your knees and back, and make cycling thoroughly unpleasant.

Your seat height should be in line your hip, and you shouldn’t be bending over too much to use the handlebars, make it comfortable and you instantly become a more efficient and better cyclist overall.

Running is another example when a lot of people get it wrong, not using your arms for example when you run, and especially when you want to sprint wont allow you to run at top speed. Your leg speed is always dictated by your arm speed, so not using your arms in an efficient manner will stop you reach your running and sprinting potential.

The same can be said when you’re walking and especially uphill. If you swing your arms you will walk stronger, faster and with more purpose purely down to using good technique.

 These are little things that can make your training much more productive and enjoyable, and you don’t have to be a pro athlete only to enjoy them. Everyone can train like a pro by using a few simple strategies that works, and this means more results in the end!

Twitt
Posted on

Friday, 10th February

If you are exercising hard throughout this very cold period, then you ought to congratulate yourself because you are getting through the hardest time of year, this is the time for those of you who have the courage to “do”.

Not only in weather terms but you have managed to get through to February, which is longer than most of the population who often quit by now after the January surge in dieting and exercise. If you are active now, you have some serious momentum in your life.

Better times are coming with lighter nights, warmer days and even more inspiration for your training simply because “summer is coming”!

The spring and summer is the time when you really hoped you were in good shape. Most people at the end of the summer promise themselves that “next” year will be the summer they finally get into great shape,  and they will be proud to show their body off.

The reality is often quite different unfortunately.

It’s a good idea on a Friday to evaluate how you have been doing, and whether you have come close to achieving your goals? You should be able to know right now whether you have come up short, or have you over-achieved this week and actually taken yourself higher than you thought?!

If you can most fridays, deliver on the promises you made to yourself on a Monday morning, then being in shape is probably a reality for you and a healthy lifestyle an everyday reality that you enjoy.

Dieting on some crazy faddy diet is no fun, never has been and never will be. Plus they never work long term.

Living healthy by eating healthy and training sensibly and often has never been more enjoyable, given all the options we all have in front of us these days.

There is more known about exercise and nutrition these days than ever before, yet according to statistics, most of the population ignores all of this research and never gets active, and constantly fall for all the foods high in sugar and saturated fat, sad but true!

You will discover that living a healthy lifestyle is not being part of the crowd, but more of an individual journey that will develop more and more the further you travel, in age and in health terms.

Its Friday and lets be honest where you are at the end of the week.

Twitt
Posted on

Thursday, 9th February

To continue about the importance of a strong healthy heart, its vital you start with a proper foundation in order to create it in the first place.

Number one is you need to exercise regularly and in general stay active.

Number two is you need to eat healthy at regular intervals, and in sensible portions.

Number three is that you need to avoid excess alcohol. Drinking a few times a week will especially put great strain on your heart, as well as other vital organs.

Number four is to avoid smoking, if you smoke you are doing the single most destructive thing against your body. You are destroying cells, ageing your body throughout and putting amazing strain on your most important muscle.

Number five is to try and cut down on stress. If you have a lot of worry in your life, self-induced or otherwise, you are putting strain eventually on your heart. It is no coincidence that exercise and eating well are the best for combating this stress.

Number six is sleep well. Sleep deprivation can literally affect everything you do. Hate to be like a broken record but all of the above helps you sleep better!

Number seven is stay positive. Being positive about life can be one of your best habits to develop, negative people are usually full of stress and never actually do anything for the greater good. If you stay positive, then you tend to take action and approach life in an optimistic way, one of the secrets of quality of life especially in old age research has shown.

Number eight is to show consistency in all of these keys to having a successful strong and healthy heart, don’t be a “flash in the pan” when it comes to your health or let a doctor tell you all of this when its too late. If you practice these most of the time, then you will reap huge benefits!!

Twitt
Posted on

Tuesday, 7th February

Sometimes your biggest enemy can be the reliance too much on routine.

For example, if all you did in the gym or wherever you trained, was to work on the treadmill or bike, then your gains wouldn’t be as strong as they would by mixing your training right up.

If you don’t do your weights/resistance work, then you’re going to be missing out.

If you don’t workout aerobically, and this means working out with big gulps of oxygen, and getting your heart rate up quite a bit, then you’re also going to be missing out.

However, even if you every exercise under the  sun, and simply “go through the motions”, you are not likely to get very much at all out of your training programme.

When you get going on your workouts, please make sure you train with purpose, you’re not there to look good and show off, you’re not there to watch the clock and just last until an hour is gone, you’re not there so you can work to levels well beneath you, and you’re not there to stay in some kind of comfort zone.

Today is another day to prove to yourself that you’re still alive, that you have enough energy to test yourself physically to new limits, even if you have seen the wrong side of 50. Age is never a deciding factor either, in my experience it is training experience and conditioning that matters, and definitely not age.

I have many 60 something’s who could destroy 21 year old’s in terms of physical performance, and having a leaner and harder body. When you get older, it seems that we value our health much more sometimes due to our inactivity of the past.

The bottom line is that its never too late to do something about it, and discover the power of actually “doing it”!!

Twitt
Posted on

Monday, 6th February

This week coincides with a lot of measurements i normally take for the month of january in terms of individual progress.

Most have been pretty good, some outstanding and a minority not up to the usual standard.

There are reasons why people get different measurements, and the truth always comes out when explaining each one.

The bottom line is when you are measured every month or thereabouts, you automatically make yourself accountable, and this is usually when lifestyle habits are examined in detail.

Unless you take this approach, then progress can be regarded as a matter of luck rather than intention.

Intention is a big word because if your intent is always there, then your lifestyle habits will always be good most of the time. If you have no goals then there is little or no intent, and there is no pressure on you eating well, training well and keeping alcohol to a minimum.

Most if not all the welsh players in the game against ireland, have been full of intention for a long time now in advancing themselves as a creditable force on the world stage, in rugby terms.

In their case, it has meant increased commitment in training, getting more out of themselves than they ever thought.

In eating terms, they have had to be even more meticulous in the preparation and timing of each meal and snack. Eating to perform at your best in sports is a big industry and nothing would have been left to chance in this vital area.

Most of the time too, you will not get these players getting trashed on alcohol every week after a game. A lot of players don’t drink so much now, and some do not even drink at all!

These players are much more professional in their outlook, their intention and delivery of performance these days.

They get measured constantly too, and this helps a great deal with their power of intention, a much undervalued way of getting the very best out of yourself at all times!

Make yourself accountable and start coming on at a much faster rate!!1

Twitt