Fit or Unfit for what you need to be?!

Yesterday we went to Alice Holt, a nice little woodland forest area, with bike tracks, walkways and lots of hidden kids playgrounds. We had just bought a tag-along for our bikes so we can take our 4 year old old on the bike rides, meaning extra leg work! This is another great way to get the family out and about and get some exercise without really thinking about it!

However, we came round one corner and just caught a glimpse of a "Dad" taking his son down from his shoulders, after presumably carrying him for a bit. The child was about 5, nothing too big, and the Dad was probably about 30lbs overweight. What I saw next disappointed me, but also made me realise just how unfit for everyday tasks people are.

As the child wandered off, the Dad spent the next 30secs, doubled over, stretching out his lower back, putting his hand on his hips and arching, bending forward, and generally grimacing!

He was obviously not in any condition to carry his son any difference, and now his back and muscles were paying the price! Come on! What are you gonna do when your son wants you to play games with him? Tell him you've got some work to do and move off?!

This really does annoy me, as you're supposed to be setting an example to your kids, and if you can't keep up with them, what is that going to show?

I'd hope the Dad will look into his diet, and his exercise "regime" and do something about it, but I guess he'll probably just say he can't do too much because of a bad back..............

Set an example, lead from the front, and eat natural, eat clean, and exercise properly.

Interview with Craig Ballantyne - Turbulence Training

Craig was kind enough to supply me with the following interview recently.

If you haven't checked out any of his workouts before, they are definitely worth investing in, as have thousands of people throughout the world!

1) Hi Craig, thanks for taking the time to talk to me and my readers!
Give us a quick biog of yourself and how TT started?

Answer:
Turbulence Training is the combined result of over 6 years of University study (including a Master's Degree in Exercise Physiology), 16 years of hands-on, in the trenches gym experience, over 5,318 personal training sessions, and careful scrutiny of over 723 medical research papers.
It started in 1999, when I was a struggling grad student at McMaster University in Hamilton , Ontario , Canada . We had just finished one of my graduate research studies and I was spending up to 16 hours a day in the lab analyzing my research data.
As a former athlete, I knew that I had to find a way to stay lean and muscular and avoid the fat gain that comes from working long hours in a lab and at a desk as a researcher.
The workouts were a combination of my experience and the research I was going over at that time.
Now we use even more bodyweight exercises and the workers are sometimes even shorter, but it's all based on that original TT philosophy.

2) With so many diets, programmes, ideas out there, what do you think are the top 3 things that people do wrong when starting a fat loss/fitness programme? A few months back, I made a post on my blog saying people had to "buy-in" to the whole package (exercise, nutrition, and think about it
daily, integrating it into their lives, rather than just at workout times, if they are to achieve successful results.)

Answer:
i) They cheat too much on weekends and snack mindlessly. Diet is the biggest factor in fat loss, and most folks cheat a lot more than they like to think.
ii) They do too much long, low-intensity exercise (i.e. low intensity cardio). You don't need to do that much exercise to lose fat. Just focus on your diet and quick workouts instead.
iii) They neglect resistance training. If you really want to change your body, you need to do some resistance training twice per week. But again, most fat loss comes from diet, not exercise.


3) You talk a lot about the ‘social support’ aspect when setting out your fat loss goals. Can you tell us more why this is an important key towards your success?

Answer:
It's difficult for most folks to lose fat on their own. Worse, a lot of folks live in environments that are unfriendly to fat loss (friends, spouse, significant others, etc., want to eat bad foods and sit around).
So you must get support outside of your normal social circle. This can be online or at the gym, or maybe you could even find a nutrition buddy at work.
But it's too hard to do it when you are the only one who wants to see you succeed.

4) What would your top 5 bodyweight and ‘gym’ based exercises be?

Answer:
My big 5 fat loss movements are...
i) A squat-type movement (squatting, kettlebell swings, jumps, etc)
ii) A pushing exercise (pushups, dumbbell chest press, kettlebell press)
iii) A pulling exercise (pullups, dumbbell rows, bodyweight rows)
iv) A single-leg exercise (split squats, 1-leg lying hip extensions)
v) A total body ab exercise (Knee ups, planks, side planks)
That's a well rounded total body, fat burning, body sculpting routine right there.

5) What are your top 5 foods that people should and shouldn’t be eating?

Answer:
Should be eating...
- more fruits
- more vegetables
- more raw nuts
- more protein (to a point...but the average person doesn't eat enough...but you don't need to eat more than 1 gram per pound of lean body weight) Nothing specific...just a wide variety of whole, natural foods.
Should NOT be eating...
- liquid calories
- anything with added sugar
- anything with trans-fats
- processed carbohydrates


6) Can you give us a quick breakdown of what you ate today/yesterday?

Answer:
A typical day goes like this:
6:30am - water and vitamin C before dog walk
8:30am - breakfast bowl of blueberries, pecans, a banana, a tbspn natural
peanut butter, coconut flakes. Green Tea.
11am - 4-egg omelet (omega-3 enriched eggs) with green & red peppers,
asparagus, broccoli, onion, mushrooms, spinach and a bit of cheese. topped
with salsa. Green Tea. Greens plus drink.
2pm - After a workout, I drink 2 cups of chocolate milk.
3pm - Lunch of salad and chicken and an apple and raw almonds.
7pm - Dinner of either:
chicken breast plus broccoli, asparagus, spinach and soup.
or
Amy's Organic Chili plus added vegetables
10pm - raw nuts and apple or pear

7) If you’re aiming to put on muscle, how you should eat differently to a fat loss specific programme?

Answer:
Eat more carbohydrates at all meals. Pretty simple.

8) Do/should you train women differently to men for fat loss? Are they
any exercises women/men benefit from more, or should perform more often?

Answer:
Not really. Sometimes we just do fewer sets.

9) Should workouts for fat loss be a set followed programme, with weight increases each session, for say 4 weeks, or does a challenging, varied workout each time have the same effect?

Answer:
It depends. There's nothing wrong with sticking to the same program for 4 weeks straight (each program consisting of 2-3 workouts of course). But you can change the workout each time and still lose a lot of fat.

Thanks to Craig for his time during his busy schedule! Checkout his work at http://www.turbulencetraining.com/ or his blog at http://www.turbulencetraining.blogspot.com/

Are you having your life and efforts sucked away?!

While in Malaysia we all managed to get bitten by Mosquito's except my eldest daughter who didn't get bitten once! Not sure what we did wrong?!

Mosquito's are literally sucking your life force (blood) to feed themselves - thankfully though, with a mozzie bite you're left with nothing more than a few marks for a few days.

However, if you have people around you that will 'suck your life force' or positive energy you could well find your efforts and targets slowly fade away.

I'm talking about people who knock your attempts at fitness, who always question why "you're eating healthily or rabbit food", people who are always looking at the negative aspects of life. People who always seek out the negative in the things that you do to improve your health, your fitness, your life.

Everyone knows somebody like this, be it a family member, work colleague, even a friend?! These people could endanger your chances of success, if you let them.

It's not always possible to "reason" with these people and their views, so where possible you will need to either limit your time with them when you are at a crucial stage of your success, or associate yourself with more like-minded people who are attempting to achieve similar goals, and feed off each others positive views and efforts.

An example of this is Weightwatchers and similar clubs. Although I don't really agree with some of their rules (counting calories all the time) it works for most people, because they go for weekly weigh-ins, and will be around like-minded people who are after the same goals, and can talk the same language. They are also help responsible for their own actions and success at these "weigh-ins" and so they are more likely to be strict with the food during the week. Health and fitness forums are also great areas for people to talk, discuss, and find people who are working towards the same goals.

If you want to succeed, find like minded-people, be positive, be responsible for your actions, plan your goals, and keep your focus. You should then be much further towards success than the "negative people" around you.

If you want to join like-minded people, come and join our community forum, Fat Loss and Fitness Solutions, and you too will be on your way to achieving what you are after!

Heed the warning signs!!

Yesterday, I had to take my car to the garage to have the cam belt changed. I'd been holding off, as to me, a non-mechanical sort of person, it seemed like a waste of money! It was going to cost me over £300, for something that, at the time, didn't seem like I needed.

(Supposedly the cam belt, or timing belt, has a lot to do with the running of the engine, and the valve system?! Who know's I'm just a PT?!)

However, I was already 8,000 miles and a couple of years over the recommended time for changing it, so felt now was as good a time as any!

If the cam belt snaps, I've heard that the damage to the engine can often be beyond repair - so with this in the back of my mind, I collected the car and paid my money.

Driving home, the car felt, and drove no better, and part of me thought, "What a waste of £300!", but looking logically, it was overdue, needed to be done, and if it had snapped, I would be looking at a much larger bill!

If you compare this with your exercise and nutrition regime, there could be comparisons.

Sometimes you may think, "oh it won't matter if I have this cake today, or take-away meal tonight, it won't do that much harm", but if you don't pay attention to your intake on a regular basis, it WILL mount up and eventually YOU WILL pay the price!

Yes, you can get away with things for a short period of time, but keep pushing the risks, or don't pay attention to the warning signs, and the end cost could be a big shock, and something you weren't planning for.

Be it eating too many, or the wrong type of calories, or performing exercises incorrectly, or with bad posture, the bad side of things will catch with you in the end!

MRPT BootCamp comes to Godalming!

For those of you that want to get fit and lose fat this year, whilst exercising in a fun, group environment, MRPT BootCamp could be the answer! Based in Godalming, Surrey, it is already attracting interest from people in Guildford, Haslemere, and surrounding Surrey towns!

You may have joined a gym as a New Year resolution, and are starting to realise that you're left on your own after your induction, with no nutrition advice, and a lot of useless equipment?! Click here for my YouTube video describing the number of useless machines at the gym that you're often inducted on!

However, with my BootCamp you get my MRPT Nutrition Plan which is gives proven results with my Personal Training clients, free of charge, you get exercises which work, and advice which will help your achieve your results. Follow these guidelines, and you could be dropping a dress of trouser size in just 4 weeks!

Signup here for further BootCamp information;

If you still want to carry on at the gym, or even exercise from home then put your details into the box below and I'll tell you if the exercises you are doing are wasting your time and effort, and advise you on those that will get you results!

I hope to see you at BootCamp!

"Can we do some stomach exercises?!"

If I said to you, "what exercises work your core, or your abs or your stomach", what would be your thought?

Crunches? Situps? Plank? Ab Rollers?

Sometimes I get asked at the end of our PT sessions, or have over heard at the gym "Can we do some stomach work?!", or "we haven't done any stomach exercises, let's do some now!"

I give the same answer, til I'm blue in the face, but it still keeps happening!!

"You know those lunges with overhead press, the pullups, the renegade rows, the pressups, the mountain climbers, the squats? You know I keep reminding you, pull that belly button in, brace your core?!"

Well hey! Guess what?! You've worked your core, your abs, your stomach, and a hell of a lot more muscles, with all of those functional exercises!! If those muscles didn't work during the exercises, your hips would have sagged, your lower back would have folded like jelly, your hips and knees would have buckled, and you would be a mess on the floor!

Your 'core' is always working! It is your central pillar, that keeps you upright, and assists with balance. By focusing on the above exercises, and bracing your abs/core further you are engaging those muscles to further support you, and whether you know it or not, they are getting a great workout!

It's only people who aren't in the know, who feel they have to finish, or sometimes even start (which is worse, as your core acts as a stabilising set of muscles for your body, and if they are fatigued at the beginning of your workout, you will not be very productive and risk injury!) their workouts with "abs" exercises, like situps, more situps and 'specific abs' exercises.

Sure, if you want to hit your core further, add in some cable rotations, wood chops, sledgehammers etc, but make sure they are at the end, and aren't the main focus of your workout.

Situps and Steady pace Cardio - The route for minimum results!

It never amazes me when at the gym, how many times I see the 2 exercises above being performed. The "situp" and the "steady Treadmill run".

Quite often, people will go from the treadmill to some situps and then home! To them, that is their workout done!

"The Situp"
Yesterday at the gym, I saw some overweight men, huffing and puffing on the treadmill, who then moved to the matted area and wrenched out a few variations of the situp. Each repetition looked strained and performance wise, would have been ineffective.
Let me state here and now, Situps WILL NOT REMOVE BELLY FAT .... period! If you're doing situps in an attempt to lose that belly, then I'm afraid you're fighting a losing battle. It takes 3,500kcals to rid just 1 pound of fat, how many calories do you honestly think some situps will burn?!

Agreed, to a degree, situps or crunches will be strengthening the muscles, but if there is a huge layer of fat overlaying them, it's pretty pointless.

If you have say a stone or more to lose, and you're hoping situps will rid that tummy, think again, no matter how many you do.
You will be better off performing BIG exercises, like the Squat, Pressups, Pullups, Deadlifts etc. Learn the correct form and each of these exercises will burn more calories, use more muscles, and work your core at the same time.

"The Treadmill"
Again, if the treadmill is your choice of exercise for Fat Loss, then you need to re-think your workouts.
Sure the occasional run is fine if you enjoy it, but if you are doing multiple runs a week to try and lose weight, there are so many better routes to take.

If you are just going to run for say 30mins, sure you will burn some calories, maybe around 400kcals, but that will be all, after you finish your heart rate returns, and you've burnt off 3-400 kcals...wow! A sandwich or latte later, and you've re-instated those calories.

However, if you were to perform say 15-20mins of interval training, combining a period of intense running, backed with a period of recovery (even walking) you will burn a greater number of calories, both during the workout, and for up to 36 hours later, because of your EPOC, or Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption.

When performing strenuous exercise, your body has to process oxygen throughout the body at a much higher rate, resulting in your metabolism being highly elevated, and your body working overtime to replenish energy stores, rid by-products which have been produced, and generally return the body back to a "recovered state." This system requires calories to work, and therefore your body will be burning those additional calories for hours after your workout.

Throw in some full body resistance or bodyweight exercises after your intervals, and you have 'ramped up' your body and it's metabolic state, big time! You will leave the gym knowing you've worked out!
Compare this to a laboured run on the treadmill, and 2 strained sets of 15 on the ab cradle or situps, and hopefully you can now see the benefit!

As I aways relay, exercise and results is about INTENSITY. Only with INTENSITY, and a clean diet, and commitment, will you get worthwhile results.

What excess weight are you carrying?

The other day I was talking with one of my PT clients, as we were setting his goals for this year. His target was to lose a stone, and at that stage he asked, "What does a pound of fat feel/look like?!"

I said, "Let's forget a pound, let's look at the bigger targets!" and picked up a 7kg dumbbell.

"There you go, that's about a stone of FAT!"

Now, to those of you that workout, you will know that a 7kg Dumbbell is quite a weight! Imagine that as excess FAT that you're carrying. Imagine even further if you're targets are 2, 3 or 4 stones of fat?!

That is quite an extra load you are carrying around, and your joints have to support.

For your interest, the picture top left is what just 1 pound of fat looks like, and the picture at the top right, is just 5 pounds of FAT. Pretty gruesome, and quite a size, when you think what most people are looking to, or need to drop.

Start eating sensibly, workout regularly and with intensity, and you will drop fat.

Who wants Fat like the above in their body?

Everyone wants abs, a flat stomach, shapely arms and legs, but without shedding the fat you won't see, or get those results.

Make the choice, make the effort, and make the change.

Gym Users - Don't waste your valuable time and money!

To people using gym's or planning on joining a gym - "read this post to ensure you don't waste your time, money and effort!"

Most of the equipment you will find at the gym, and most likely are inducted on, are a waste of time, and will get you minimal results.

Let's forget the X-trainer, stepper etc for now, I'm talking about the 'fixed range of motion' gym kit/machines that take up most of the gym floor space. Born in the 70's and primarily designed for Bodybuilders, these pieces of kit will do nothing to shape your body, and assist you in losing body fat.

Take the machine in the picture above for example, the shoulder press. Firstly you are sat down, so all the muscles from your hips down are switched off - already you are using less muscles and calories than you could be. Secondly, as you push the handles up, to work the "shoulder muscles", the arms will only move in 1 fixed, plane of motion.

Therefore, every time you use this machine, you will use the same group of muscles, in the same fixed movement.
Swap this to an everyday functional movement, such as lifting a box up or down from a top shelf - that box isn't going to move straight up and down is it?

The load will shift, it might wobble to the left or right, it might even start to topple backwards, but because you have trained your shoulder and tricep muscles to work straight up and down, you will not be in a strong position to correct the imbalance, and re-adjust to push that box up, or bring it down safely. Basically, you are not working additional muscles such as you core, and assistor muscles to the primary moving muscles.
It is just not a functional movement.

On the other hand, if you perform a kettlebell, dumbell, or sandbag overhead press, it will NOT move in a straight line, it WILL be more challenging, and therefore will use more muscles, will burn more calories, and fat, and will shape your body in a quicker time compared to static, fixed range machines.

I would go as far as to say 80% of the machines in gyms are a waste of time. Click here to see my video, and comments on the machines at my gym!

This evening while training one of my PT clients at the gym, I saw an induction being carried out, and every exercise the instructor gave them was on a static gym machine. The Chest Press, the shoulder press, leg press, leg extension..... the useless list went on!

Get people carrying and supporting their bodyweight when exercising, get them moving and using multiple muscles and calories, get them moving in a functional way that will help them in their daily lives, but will also get them results, in a reasonable time frame.

Use bodyweight exercises, cable machines, dumbells, barbells, sandbags, kettlebells etc, all external resistance which will move erratically and challenge the body further.
If you want further ideas for workouts, and places to talk about exercises, workouts and nutrition, come and join my Fat Loss and Fitness Solutions forum, it's free, as is the information, and my aim is to help you get your results!

No wonder, so many people give up early when joining a gym, they don't see results, they lose motivation, they lose interest, and most of this is because of such inductions and exercises.

Signup below for my 'controversial' list of Exercises that WORK and DON'T WORK at the gym!

Then feel free to comment about what you have seen and read, or your thoughts?!!

Madonna - good or bad body at 50?

In the paper at the weekend was an article with Tracy Anderson, Personal Trainer to Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow and other celebrities. Some of the quotes pulled from there were, about Madonna, "I want to keep her body looking like it's 20 years old ".

Now, I know a lot of people actually dislike Madonna's body! Fair play to her for exercising regularly, but when veins start popping out of arms, well, I haven't seen that on a 20 year old! Author Fay Weldon put's it as "Madonna does not have the body of a 20 yr old. She has the body of a 50yr old who is well-exercised and half-starved!"

"Using her training system, The Method, Anderson uses low weight (only up to 3 pounds) but high reps - 60 for most people, but 100 for Madonna. She exercises with Madonna for 2 hours per day, 6 times a week".
- COME ON! Up to 3lb weights?! How is that challening? Though the fact she probably eats so little, could make that challenging?! What is 3lb going to do for anyone?! And 2 hours a day?! No wonder, the weights have to be so light!
Do yourself a favaour, lift heavy/challenging weights, keeping reps under 12, keep workouts under 50mins, and 3-4 times a week is more than enough! I have a client who is 51, and I've trained for 5 years now. She has a much better look to her body than Madonna! We will often Deadlift 45kg, DB Press 15kg DB's, 25 full pressups, Bodyweight rows etc. She would have words to say if I handed her a pair of 1kg weights!

"When Anderson first met Paltrow and Madonna, they were horrified by her junk food diet. I had gotten cocky about the fitness programme I designed and I was eating 4 cupcakes a day, cheeseburgers, dunking Oreo's in processed icing. But I had such a serious sweet tooth, and because I got such good results from my fitness regime I could get away with it!"

- No, you probably have a high metabolism from exercising regularly, which generally means you can get away with eating a few extra cheat meals, but come on?! Food and calories are what put weight on. Either you did that junk food diet for about 2 days or you weren't telling us how much weight you gained during that time, because you would have put it on!

The lives of celebreties are there for us to read about! To follow, or emulate their lives would be wrong, and not very practical!

For us 'normal' folk;

Write down your specific goals, and the date you want to achieve them by.

Reduce wheat, dairy, sugar and alcohol in your daily diet.

Eat more fresh meat and fish, nuts, seeds, vegetables and fruit.

Exercise 2-4 times a week, incorporating challenging weights, and short, sharp, interval training.

You will then see good results...I can't promise a 20 year old body, but I can promise a body you will be proud to show off!

What do you think?! Does Madonna have a good body at 50 or not?! Feel free to comment!

Talk to one of the world's TOP Fat Loss Trainers!

I will have the pleasure of interviewing one of the worlds leading fat loss specialists, Craig Ballantyne, later this week. Craig's Turbulence Training system is used throughout the world, with everyday people shedding pounds of fat, and gaining lean muscle, and finishing with outstanding results, and figures!

Here's your chance to ask Craig any questions you may have, about his TT system, or health and fitness in general. Post your questions in the comments section of this post, or email me at Mark@Markspt.co.uk, and I'll select the best ones.
The interview will appear on here in the next few weeks, so bookmark, subscribe to this blog and get ready for some of the most important facts about fat loss and exercise!

6-pack Abs or 6-pack Flab?!

So it's over! The Christmas period has gone, and work looms! How do you feel? Honestly? Added a few pounds? Feeling bloated? Feel sluggish?

Chances are you overdid things, and some work needs to be done.

The thing is, you will need to;

1) Start immediately, or your current 'routine' will continue, and start dates will be put back.

2) Have a set plan to follow, which has been written down with specific aims, and dates you want to achieve them by. Otherwise it's a black hole, and a recipe for failure. Did you know only 8% of people who set 'goals/resolutions' will achieve them?! That's pretty poor. Be it motivation, will power, additional help? Do all you can to ensure you know what your aiming for, how your going to do it, and when your going to achieve it by.

3)Use resources such as here and other reputable blogs etc to get the information you need and use it! My information is tried and tested, it works for a reason.......people stick to it!

If you want to watch some workout ideas try here for starters. In the next few weeks I will be releasing my Fat Loss and Fitness Home plan, which WILL get you results. Keep an eye out!.

If you want further nutrition information have a look at my FREE articles on my website at http://www.markspt.co.uk/

Do yourself, and your body a favour. Start now - be focused, work hard, and get YOUR results!

Feel free to comment with your aims and goals, and if I can help I will.

Celebrity 'Fat Loss' Dvd's? Don't waste your money!

It's that time of year when 'celebrities' bring out their magical 'fat loss' and fitness DVD's, promising you that pounds, even stones of fat will drop off it you just follow their DVD!
They will even have a before and after photo of themselves to make the choice even easier!

Errr......no. If people could get those results from following a step DVD, or a 30minute dance class that has you shuffling, tripping, and mostly stopping to rewind and re-watch the last moves, Personal Trainers, BootCamps etc would be out of business.

Please don't be fooled by this marketing and 'celebrity' tag, they are just using their profile to sell something that;

May get you a little bit fitter / May get you moving a bit, but WILL NOT help you burn fat!

The one thing you will need to do, that these DVD's often don't advertise is to CHANGE YOUR DIET. It's the food that you have eaten that has made you fat, not the fact that you have been without their DVD for all this time!!

Save your money, lay off the wheat, the dairy, the alcohol, and start eating more natural foods and then you Will start to lose regular weight.

Why not take advantage of my FREE online training offer posted below or at http://www.markspt.co.uk/?

You could also look to buy my combined Nutrition and Exercise ebook coming out in the next 6 weeks!! :-)

Goals and targets for 2009

I think a lot of people, when the words "Goals" and "targets" come up, switch off, or gloss over! I know I used to! However, they are SO important when it comes to achievement and focus.

If you don't set a specific end target, how do you know if;

a)You're on the right path towards the goal?

b) You've reached your target goal?

Why not set a goal or target for health and fitness NOW?! When setting them, look to write down;

1) Exactly what you are looking to achieve (ie 10 pounds, a dress size, 20 bodyweight pressups, 5% body fat). Make sure it is exact. If you say "I want to lose weight", where do you stop?! Be specific

2) Write down a date that you want to achieve this on, or by. If you just say I want to lose 10 pounds, then you leave yourself open to failure, to days of "Oh well, I'll have a takeaway tonight and start tomorrow" Be specific with the date, and you really do have a target.

3) Another good idea is to write down some obstacles, or possible barriers that could stop you from achieving your goal. (E.g. I often leave more than 4 hours between eating, or I normally have a beer as soon as I come in from work) Then you can sit down and workout how you will get around these obstacles. (Will take pre-prepared snacks into work, I will not have beers in the fridge until the weekend, or I will have a glass of water as soon as I get in from work)

Write the date, and your goal in your diary. Add it to your email calendar. Write it on a piece of paper and put it on the fridge and by your bed. Then it will be at the forefront of your mind, and you will have less of a chance of 'falling off'.

Don't just be another 'chancer'. Set yourself a target, and you will feel such a sense of achievement when you reach that date!

Don't overeat this Christmas!

With Christmas just a few days away, no doubt your party celebrations and excessive consumption has started?! Company Parties? Invites to friends or family? Extra visits to the pub? All of these extra 'celebrations' often result in extra pounds of fat being added, making your New Year targets longer, harder, and less likely to achieve.

We've all got to mid afternoon on Christams day and collapsed on the sofa with the "Oh...I'm stuffed" phrase.

Well, why get to that stage this year? Sure, eat a few treats, drink some alcohol, but don't go silly. Also, from Boxing Day, why not get back onto your usual routine? It's not an all week bender! Months of hard work at the gym, and with your food plans, could easily be undone in that one week. The sooner you start, the sooner you'll achieve your results.

Why not signup to my 6 minute workout to the right. Everyone can spare 6 minutes, and you'll start to melt away that additional fat you've probably added!

Make yourself stand out in 2009!

So, Chris Hoy deservedly won Sports Personality of the year 2008.

His, and the British cycling teams performance at the Olympics was outstanding, for such a "small country"!

Let's be honest for a moment.......many of you had probably never even heard of Chris before the Olympics?!?

Yet, the British team, and Chris in particular had faith in their training, their regime and more importantly, themselves, that they could win at the Olympics.

If you can do the same in 2009; work hard, have a goal and a vision, and eat sensibly, then you too can stand out from the crowd, and have more people noticing you for your efforts.

You'll feel great for your efforts and sense of achievement, and will know the efforts were worthwhile.

Go on, set yourself a challenge..........!

PLEASE put down the light weights!

I had limited time for a workout today due to a busy schedule, so at the gym, after a warmup, I set my watch for a 15minute timer. From here I moved from one exercise to the next, completing 15reps at each exercise, with limited rest before the next. I chose multiple muscle exercises like pullups, kettlebell swings, lunge with press, pressups and squats.

Suffice to say by 15mins I was toast!! I collapsed to the matted area, to catch my breath with sweat running off my head! A fair few calories had been burnt!

Just then a middle aged lady asked, "Have you finished on here?" pointing to the Lat pulley.
"I'm definitely done!" I replied!
"What weight did you use?" she asked?
Now, unless she was being competitive, I decided to help out!
I asked her what she was attempting to do, to which she replied, "I'm supposed to be doing 2 x 16 reps, and I'm using weight number 1" Now, I was tired, and exhausted, but this lady needed helping! I rolled over and said, "Well basically, you should be selecting a weight whereby your last 2 reps are getting pretty tough, so therefore you probably need to be selecting a heavier weight, do you think?!"
"Ummmm maybe" she replied, "I have my programme review next week, so maybe I'll wait til then"

NO!

It is a myth that women will get big by lifting heavy. To get anywhere near "big", women would need to eat thousands of calories, lift heavy and often, and probably inject a touch of testosterone.
After progressing, you need to start lifting heavier weights. Choose weights which will challenge you around the 8-10 repetition mark. Only then will you start seeing your body change and adapt. You'll see nothing by using such light weights.

This particular lady probably lifts heavier weights carrying her shopping to the car, lifts her children on a daily basis, or carries the hoover up the stairs. Just because it is called 'a weight' it doesn't mean you need to go light!

Quite why the weights pictured above are sold I do not know. In fact it is laughable that such small weights are made with the intention of using them separately for exercises, when the whole lot together is packaged in a case with a carry handle, meaning you have to carry them all together at some point!
PLEASE, ladies reading, ditch the sub 4kg weights, and allow your body to change for the better!

Your new Personal Trainer!!

Some ideas for our next session courtsey of Euro Training!

Home Workout #1 !

OK below is the first published home workout! (This can be done at the gym, but I will aim to give exercises which require little or no equipment, and can be completed in 5mins!!) This workout is designed to work the full body, put your metabolism into overdrive, and therefore burn a high number of calories, not just during the workout, but for many hours afterwards, due to the intensity of the workout! To achieve this 'overdrive' of calories you will need to work hard! You get out, or burn, what you put in!

Work at a steady pace and you'll be wasting time, push it hard and, well, you'll see!

Warmup (perform each exercise with no rest. At the end rest 30secs and repeat the warmup, then rest a further 30secs, and go straight into the workout)
Squats x10 / Star Jumps x20 / Pressups x10 / Alternate Lunges x16

Workout
1) Advanced Burpee - 10 repetitions. (Stand with a shoulder width stance. Squat down and put your hands on the ground in front of your feet. Next, kick your feet back while lowering your chest to the ground. This step will essentially put you in the bottom position of a push up. Then, push your chest away from the floor while simultaneously thrusting your legs back up into the squat position with the hands still on the floor. Finish the movement by explosively jumping up in the air. Upon landing, quickly drop back down into the squat position and repeat)
Rest 20seconds then;
2) Prisoner Speed Squats - 20 repetitions. (Feet just wider than shoulder width, with hands on back of head, pin elbows and shoulder blades backwards throughout. Squat down, keeping your weight on heels, and stomach muscles in and braced, then drive back upwards. Repeat at speed)
Rest 20 seconds then;

Repeat workout for 3 times in total. Stretch out at end of workout.
Expect the lower body to be feeling 'worked' the next day! Feel free to comment/give suggestions after the workout!

Pregnancy, Exercise and Nutrition

If you have been exercising regularly in the lead up to pregnancy, there are more reasons to continue your exercise regime (albeit slightly modified) than stopping. A stronger, fitter, healthy body is what we want generally, and so why would we not want the same during pregnancy? If you're new to exercise and wish to start during pregnancy, it's advisable to consult with your GP before embarking on a programme.

What are the benefits of exercising during pregnancy?

Staying active during pregnancy will help keep your body stronger and more supple. You will have fewer problems with your joints, tendons, intestines, stomach and circulation. Exercise will make it easier for you to avoid gaining more weight than the average 10-12kg (22-26lb). If you're wondering or even worried where this weight comes from, the below is an average breakdown;

- 7.5 pounds: average baby's weight
- 7 pounds: extra stored protein, fat, and other nutrients
- 4 pounds: extra blood
- 4 pounds: other extra body fluids
- 2 pounds: breast enlargement
- 2 pounds: enlargement of your uterus
- 2 pounds: amniotic fluid surrounding your baby
- 1.5 pounds: the placenta

It can also make it easier to regain pre-pregnancy fitness levels, and weight, after the birth. Many women have also found that exercising before and during pregnancy have helped with shorter labour times.

Weights and fitness work

Weight training improves muscle tone and builds stamina which will pay off during labour. The main risks are putting too much strain on the joints, as they loosen during pregnancy, with the release of the hormone relaxin. You also need to be careful that you don't raise your heart rate too high, for too long a period. Likewise overheating can become and issue, especially during the Summer months. Working out vigorously can be dangerous because of the extra strain this will put on your body and heart. This will cause stress for your baby and make you feel unwell. You should also avoid excessive training on your back during the 2nd trimester, as it places the uterus onto the Vena Cava, which in turn will limit blood flow back to the heart, and could cause dizziness. From the second trimester, sit down more often to lift weights. Also avoid jumps, and sharp changes in direction, as this can place additional stress on the joints.

Primarily your work should be geared towards maintaining cardiovascular fitness (albeit at a lower intensity), and working on the postural muscles which will be affected during the 9 months, including the glutes, lower back and legs. In the early stages core work is still possible and essential.

In the later stages where certain movements can become uncomfortable, you could look to add or increase swimming, or stationary cycling to your regime. Both are non weight bearing but have further benefits with flexibility, leg strength, and cardiovascularly.

Eating during pregnancy

You need about 300 extra calories a day — especially later in your pregnancy, when your baby grows quickly — those calories should come from nutritious foods so they can contribute to your baby's growth and development.

The key is to eat foods from the different food groups in approximately the recommended proportions. Although it's generally recommended that a woman of normal weight gain approximately 25 to 35 pounds during pregnancy (most gain 4 to 6 pounds during the first trimester and 1 pound a week during the second and third trimesters), don't fixate on the scale. Instead, focus on eating a good variety and balance of nutritious foods to keep both you and your baby healthy.

- plenty of fruit and vegetables (fresh, frozen, tinned, dried or a glass of juice). Aim for at least five portions of a variety each day
- foods such as bread, pasta, rice and potatoes - try to choose wholegrain options
- foods rich in protein such as lean meat and chicken, fish (aim for at least two servings of fish a week, including one of oily fish), eggs and pulses (such as beans and lentils). These foods are also good sources of iron

- plenty of fibre. This helps prevent constipation and is found in wholegrain bread, pasta, rice, pulses and fruit and vegetables
- dairy foods such as milk, cheese and yoghurt, which contain calcium.

It's also a good idea to cut down on foods such as cakes and biscuits, because these are high in fat and sugar. This can also help you to avoid putting on too much weight during pregnancy.

What to avoid
There are certain foods that you should avoid when you're pregnant, because they might make you ill or harm your baby:

- Avoid cheeses such as Camembert, Brie or chevre (a type of goats' cheese), or others that have a similar rind. You should also avoid soft blue cheeses. These cheeses are made with mould and they can contain listeria, a type of bacteria that could harm your unborn baby.

- Pâté Avoid all types of pâté, including vegetable. This is because pate can contain listeria.

- Avoid eating raw eggs and food containing raw or partially-cooked eggs. Only eat eggs cooked enough for both the white and yolk to be solid. This is to avoid the risk of salmonella, which causes a type of food poisoning.

- Raw or undercooked meat. Make sure you only eat meat that has been well cooked. This is especially important with poultry and products made from minced meat, such as sausages and burgers. Make sure these are cooked until they are piping hot all the way through and no pink meat is left.

-Liver products and supplements containing vitamin A. Make sure you don't have too much vitamin A. This means you should avoid eating liver and liver products such as pâté and avoid taking supplements containing vitamin A or fish liver oils (which contain high levels of vitamin A). You need some vitamin A, but having too much means that levels could build up and may harm your unborn baby.

- You can eat most types of fish when you're pregnant. But there are a few types you should avoid and some others where you should limit the amount you eat. Avoid eating any shark, swordfish and marlin. Limit the amount of tuna you eat to no more than two tuna steaks a week (weighing about 140g cooked or 170g raw). This is because of the levels of mercury in these fish. At high levels, mercury can harm a baby's developing nervous system. Have no more than two portions of oily fish a week.

- Avoid raw shellfish when you're pregnant. This is because raw shellfish can sometimes contain harmful bacteria and viruses that could cause food poisoning.

A pregnancy multivitamin can be beneficial during pregnancy, but if in doubt, again check with your GP.