Christmas is a time for giving... Here are some free workouts

With the festive season just around the corner, I wanted to give you all something from me.

Christmas time can be a common time for people to fall off the wagon in every unhealthy way imaginable. Late nights, extra alcohol, extra food, extra chocolate or nibbles and no exercise.

I can't stop you from doing ALL of that, but what I wanted to do was offer you 10 quick workouts that you can do in or around the house.

Ideally, you would drag yourself to the gym. But, if you're not going to do that, you could at least spare 20-30 minutes to do some of these at home over the holidays.

As a promise, I'm going to do each of these as a MINIMUM this holiday just to up my activity levels.

I HOPE some of you might take these and give them a go; if you do, let me know how you get on.

I'd ALSO like to remind you of this handy article which explains how you can approach Christmas in order to limit the damage you cause yourself: Brilliant Christmas article - click and read!

WORKOUTS

WORKOUT 1 - 22 mins

Set your watch or timer for 10 minutes. Leave your house and run as far as you can in 10 minutes. Don't think too much about where you're running, just run in the most continuous and straight way you can. When the alarm goes, stop and rest for 2 minutes. After that, reset the alarm and try to make it all the way home in 10 minutes.

WORKOUT 2 - 20-25mins

Set a time to go off every 30 seconds for 20 minutes. You'll work for 30 seconds, rest for 30 seconds and carry on until you complete 4 or 5 rounds

A1) Press Ups

A2) Bodyweight Squat or Jump Squats for more advanced

A3) Mountain Climbers

A4) Plank

A5) Alternating reverse lunges while raising your arms and opening your shoulders

WORKOUT 3 - 20 mins

Set your timer for Tabata (20 secs work, 10 secs rest). Perform each of these exercises against the Tabata timer until you have completed all 8 sets of 20 secs. Then, rest a full minute and move on to the next exercise.

Exercise 1: Mountain Climbers

Exercise 2: Burpees

Exercise 3: Plank-Push Ups / Suicide Push Ups

Exercise 4: Kneeling - squat (do a squat, climb down to kneeling position, and back up, squat and repeat)

WORKOUT 4 - 21 mins

Set your timer to sound every 60 seconds for 21 minutes. Start each exercise when the buzzer sounds and rest for the remainder of the minute. For examples, if the exercise takes you 30 seconds then you still have 30 seconds rest. But, if it takes you 50 seconds for example, you only have 10 seconds rest until your next exercise. Speed is of the essence. Complete 7 rounds of these 3:

A1) 10-15 press ups and reach. As you come up from the press up extend your arm and the opposite leg and hold at the top position for a second. Change arm and leg each repetition.

A2) 20-40 Mountain Climbers & 5-10 Crunches

A3) 10 reverse lunges or 16 Jumping switch lunges

WORKOUT 5 - 21 mins

Set your timer for 30 second intervals. Complete each of these exercises for 30 seconds and rest for 30 seconds. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R819KfRrRe0 

WORKOUT 6 - 22 mins 

Repeat the 20 minute run in workout 1 and aim to run further.


Workout 7 - 15 minutes or so
Bodyweight complex - do 1 repetition of each of the exercises below in this order. Keep going until you have completed 8 repetitions of each. That's 1 set. Then rest for 60-90 seconds and repeat it again until you have done 3 sets. ie: by the time you've finished, you will have completed 24 repetitions of each exercise by doing 3 x 8 reps. Make sense?


A1) Squat
A2) Reverse lunge each leg
A3) Burpee
A4) Press Up
A5) Lower Back Extensions
A6) 8 mountain climbers
A7) A "pop up"
That's 1 rep.

WORKOUT 8 - 11mins

Roxanne Challenge: Play the song "Roxanne" by The Police. When they sing the words "Roxanne" perform exercise 1. When they sing "Put on the red light" perform exercise 2. Rest for 2 minutes and then try it with the next exercises.

A1) Press Up

A2) Up/Downs or Plank-Push Up or Suicide Push Up (whatever you want to call it)

B1) 2 x Squat Jumps

B2) Burpee

WORKOUT 9 - Ladder: As fast as you can without rest

A1) 10 Press Ups

A2) 10 Squats

A3) 10 Lower Back Extensions

A4) 10 Burpees

A5) 10 Crunches

Then 8 of each, 6 of each, 4 of each, 2 of each, and finish with 10 of each.

WORKOUT 10 - 20 mins

Set the timer for 30 second intervals. Work for 30 secs, rest for 30 secs.

A1) Press Ups

A2) Plank

A3) Squats

A4) Left Side Plank

A5) Split Squat - Left leg Forward

A6) Right Side Plank

A7) Split Squat - Right leg forward

A8) Plank

A9) Lower Back Extensions

A10) Left Side Plank

A11) Plank Crawl Outs

A12) Right Side Plank

A13) Burpees

A14) Plank

A15) Mountain Climbers

A16) Left Side Plank

A17) Crunches

A18) Right Side Plank

A19) Straight leg Raises

A20) Plank

There you have it - 10 workouts - all under 30 mins and all without equipment.

make it your challenge to do at LEAST these over Christmas. I'm going to make a start on them December 20th or there abouts to finish them this month. I'll be moaning about them on Twitter.

Enjoy.

Try them out and let me know how you get along.

DON'T FORGET: You can follow me on Twitter (@MichaelD_PT) and YouTube

Christmas 2013 - DOUBLE BLOG: 10 Things to Focus On & 10 x Free 10 Min Workouts

 

So it's Christmas season and I'm feeling generous - here's a double blog to take care of you over the Christmas break and make sure you don't go completely off the boil with your health.

First up...

PART ONE: 10 Things to Focus on Over Christmas...

1) Exercise: Obvious right? My advice is just to "Get it done!" Most people will take advantage of the relaxed Christmas schedule and rise a little later than normal. But if their plan is a 10am breakfast of Cadbury's Heroes then it means you'll need to be out of the door at 9am and off exercising. One hour less sleep and you can have your workout for the day complete and be home in time to join in the usual festivities.
DON'T wait until later or plan to get it done "at some point" - it won't happen!

2) Hydration: Don't neglect the simple things. Keep yourself hydrated throughout the day and help your body to ease some of the strains you're putting on it with your week or so of excess. try to link drinks with daily events; for example: Target a pint of cold water within 10 minutes of waking, before you go to bed, and before lunch and dinner - that's 4 every day as a minimum. Add a pint of water every time you're going to leave the house for an extended period to ensure hydration and you're averaging at least 5 pints a day - make that a minimum.
DON'T leave it to chance and realise you haven't had much water today - ESPECIALLY when alcohol levels will be higher for many of you!

3) Turkey: Yep, that's right: "Target The Turkey!" My point being, go big on high protein, lean meats (turkey being one of the best for this)at meal time. It will offer you prolonged energy, aid recovery from exercise (you WILL need to exercise!), keep you fuller for longer and also curb your hunger a little before pudding shows up! Avoid taking your first few bites of any dinner from foods that aren't high in protein such as roast potatoes. If there's lean meat left, DON'T save room for pudding!
DON'T approach your days differently to your working week. have a plan for rough meal times and meal content ahead of each day. Leaving things to chance and eating "whatever's going" won't rub!

4) Sleep: Easiest one! Take advantage of the break from work (if you're fortunate enough to have one) and sleep where possible. Don't fear a day time nap - embrace it. Sleep is one of the easiest and cheapest medicines going; the value of sleep should never be over looked.
DON'T burn the candle at both ends and go back to work after your break, needing a break!

5)R&R: Following on from the sleep suggestion focus on taking care of your body. Spend some time foam rolling and stretching, doing yoga and pilates and generally making sure you feel in top notch for 2014. you might not have this much spare time or flexibility again for a few months.
DON'T waste this opportunity to really let your body recovery and repair ahead of 2014.

6) Fun: Don't take activity seriously all of the time. In fact, be creative and try to exercise elsewhere apart from your usual gym. Some of the workouts listed below don't require any equipment so why not head of to somewhere scenic and workout there for a change?
DON'T just head to the gym and go through the motions

7) Next year: Have a moment of reflection. What did you do with the last 12 months? Where did you start? Where did you finish? Are you in a better place physically than you were 12 months ago? How do you intend to improve again? What is your new "Why"? Get a focus for the year ahead and plan it out with micro plans of 1-3 months that will take you to your end goal stage by stage with no chance of failure.
DON'T just do next year what you did this year - life's too short!

8)Life: If you want to have a successful year ahead in terms of improving your health then it's important to have all other areas of your life in balance such as your work, family and other commitments. More often than not people struggle with results as their health isn't a REAL priority. They may say it is, but they're not willing to manage other areas of their life to MAKE time for exercise and living healthily.
"I didn't have time to go to the gym this week..."
"I was in a rush at lunch so just picked up..."
"I don't have time for breakfast in the morning..."
"I had to drink as it was..."
" I'm going to struggle to make the gym next week. I'm running my kids around..."
"There aren't enough hours in the day!.."
If you say these things, your health is not your priority. You need to plan in the inevitable and figure out solutions when met with barriers.
DON'T "try" to do anything next year... just do it! Plan with accuracy and thoroughness and create a fool proof regime.

9) Alcohol: Don't focus on drinking it; focus on being aware of when you're most likely to drink it. For example, if you're planning your exercise regime for the week then consider social occasions too. Don't plan an early morning sprint session on a day when you'll be recovering from a family gathering where you might drink. Likewise, don't drink "because it's Christmas" - you're not a child; have some self control. Sure, you may drink more than normal but remember, you don't HAVE TO drink! Try saying "no", then wake up the next day and workout - you'll be glad you did it. Just be realistic with your plans and don't instantly let lose on the alcohol.
DON'T see Christmas as a green light for daily drinking!

10) Embracing your surroundings: In my opinion, there is no better time of the year to get outside look around and listen to what's around you. Reflect on the year gone by, think about the year ahead and be grateful for what you have and how fortunate you are. Go for a walk, discover somewhere new, enjoy scenery and spend time absorbing your surroundings. Life can be very go-go-go... stop... be aware!
DON'T sit in all Christmas eating chocolate and watching repeats of Christmas films or playing with your newest toy!

PART TWO: 10 x 10 min workouts...

NB: ALWAYS take time to warm up first though with either a lower intensity of the exercise you're about to do such as tempo runs before sprinting or a mobility flow such as the two on the links below before doing resistance work. The warm up may last only a few minutes but it's necessary to get the most from your 10 minute workout.
Mobility Flow 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1cpIOjiVs4
Mobility Flow 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cnMTfq_ON4

WORKOUTS: 1) 10 x "1 minute 100's" : Run 100m in 15-17 seconds, turn and immediately jog back to the start in the remainder of the minute (ie: 45 sec jog if the sprint took you 15 secs), try to keep an eye on the time so that you make it back on time. When the second minute starts, turn and sprint again. Do this 10 times - much harder than it sounds.

2) Tabata Push and Core: Set your timer up for Tabata Intervals: 20 secs work, 10 secs rest x 8 (4 mins total). During the 20 second working periods alternate between these exercises:
A1) Push Ups and Tuck (as you perform the push up, during the upwards "push" motion lift one knee and raise it towards the wrist on the opposite side of your body, drop into the nxt push up with both feet on the floor and this time, as you push raise othe other knees under the body and across to the opposite wrist) Similar to exercise 3 here (link) but with push ups in between
A2) Plank and Reach https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAzQqEF50PE

B1) Shoulder Press Push Ups (push ups with your feet standing nearer your hands to create an upside down "V" shape with your body. Lower the top of your head towards the floor rather than your chest) Exercise 10 here (Link)
B2) Frogs Exercise 12 here (Link)

3) Short Running intervals: Set your GymBoss or interval timers to sound every 15 seconds. Simply run as fast s you can for 15 seconds, walk for 15 seconds trying to slow your breathing as much as possible in that time. It might be necessary to break this into 2 x 5 minute blocks with a short rest between.

4) Tabata Pull and Core:
A1) Pull Ups or inverted row under a bar or tree or climbing frame A2) Side Plank on your left side
B1) Heavy Deadlift (find something heavy and pick it up with a flat back, heels planted flat and feet either side of the object. be creative: plant pots, logs, old Christmas trees anything "heavy".) B2) Side plank on your right side

5) Broken 1000m Row: Row 100m - Climb off and do 10 x heavy Kettlebell Swings - repeat for 10 rounds

6) Tabata - Legs and Core:
A1) Squats or jump squats (add weight if accessible)
A2) Laying Leg Raises

B1) Alternating Reverse Lunges
B2) Crawl Outs - (Link)  

7)10 x Minutes of 5 x exercises: 1) Push Ups, 2) Squats, 3) Plank 4) Walking Lunges, 5) Burpees - Twice Through with minimal/no rest

8)Tabata - Conditioning
A1) "Up/Downs" or "Suicide Push Ups" (start in a push up position climb down to a plank and then back up again as fast as you can as many times you can without your knees touching the ground) Exercise 21 here: Link
A2) Animal Crawl 2-3m Forwards and Backwards (Link)

B1) "Pop ups" - (Link)  
B2) Mountain Climbers (Link)  

9) Short variation of "Cindy" (it's a Crossfit workout"): 5 x pull ups, 10 x push ups, 5 x bodyweight squats - 10 minutes. Aim to do a round a minute every minute and you'll be doing well.

10) Walk. The easiest option going but if you at least walked every day that's streets better than the majority of the country. Add variety to it though - whether you add in some intervals, hill sprints, bodyweight exercises, combine walking lunges between regular walking, race a friend, take a dog and sprint around with them, whatever you do, just try to be active.

So there you have it - 10 things to focus on and 10 EASY to fit in workouts. You're telling me you can't sacrifice 10 minutes from your day?

You must REALLY want to be fit and healthy! (sarcasm intended!)

PRIZE for anyone that does all of the 10 workouts above and shares evidence of it with me (pictures along the way). I mean it - I'm offering to reward you for putting aside 10 minutes of your day! How easy is THAT!?...

Hope you found this useful. Feel free to share with your friends, family and networks.

Have a lovely break from Christmas... but not from life! Until next year....

Don't forget to follow me on Twitter  @MichaelD_PT and YouTube

10 Ways to Take Care of Your Body

Every day we expect something from our body. We expect basic (actually not that basic) bodily functions to kick into action and work on command as soon as we wake. We eat a mixture of foods and textures and expect the body to take it and make use of it. We mix and match our sleep and rest patterns and expect the body to keep up. Then, we add in exercise and stretch the body, pound it on paths and treadmills and put unheard amount of weight and torque through our joints. Then to bed – we might be sleeping but we still expect the body to do its bit. Then wake up and do it all over again!

It’s not easy being a body! We can’t expect it to just keep on giving and keep on giving before something gives way and injuries, illnesses or more complex personality and relationship issues occur.

It’s time we gave back! Take care of your body and your body will take care of you. Here are my top methods/products for giving back to my body. Take a few minutes every day and give back to yours and see how much better you feel in all aspects of life. The focuses here are robustness, performance and general wellbeing...

1)      Escape Fitness Foam Roller - £25

This had to be number one. I carry it everywhere and it has relieved pain for me, eased tension for me, helped me to move better before and after exercising, it’s even improved my mood. This Escape fitness one is ideal! Most others are too soft and lose their shape – this is firm and gives deep pressure in more fleshy areas like your backside. If it’s too hard, layer up in more clothes. Best to have a roller that’s too hard and adjust your position and clothing accordingly, than a useless one that’s too soft. I also like that it’s smooth and not like the “grid” style rollers that lots of people use. If you want more specific, localised pressure for trigger point work, see point number 2). Get this roller today from: Escape Fitness Online Enter the reference code MDARREN – if you do buy one please.

2)      Lacrosse Ball -£5

I use this in a similar fashion to the roller above. The lacrosse ball differs as it offers a much more localised pressure and allows you to focus on smaller areas. It’s also an AMAZING way to release the fascia in your feet by simply rolling the sole of your feet hard against the ball on the floor. Try this after a day of walking around – it’ll change your life.

One of the coolest things I’ve ever seen done with this is “Whacking” to improve ankle mobility and as a result, squat depth – I now use this myself most weeks and it’s brilliant! Take a look:

I’ve tried other objects and sports ball like tennis balls, golf balls, hockey balls for similar trigger point work  – stick with the lacrosse ball – nothing compares. The texture, weight and density are ideal. What’s great about having a ball is that it travels easily too. My current lacrosse ball has some serious air miles to its name – it’s great to use after long journeys or hours of walking around on holiday. Get one today from www.Amazon.co.uk

 

3)      AdiSage - £22

That’s right – flip flops! Anyone that has ever played rugby with me over the last 8-10 years will know that this is my essential post-training and post-game footwear. So comfortable and also the little “numbles” act as mini lacrosse balls if you like (only much softer) and gently add some trigger point pressure to your feet. Perfect after a day in shoes or sports footwear. Plus, they look ace! I love them that much, I’m going to buy a pair for around the house too. Available from: Adidas Online

4)      Recovery Leggings

Now, I get some stick when I wear these but I can HONESTLY say, these have been one of my best purchases of the past 10 years. I have on-going arthritis issues in my knees and I’ve found that the additional high level of warmth and compression has really benefited me. I sleep in them fairly regularly and by the morning feel brilliant in comparison to when I went to bed. There are different versions or purposes to leggings so be sure to get the right ones. 2XU (the brand of my latest ones) pictures above, do an “Active” pair – basically for warmth and general sports wear. Some kind of Cross-Active pair which is part recovery and part for sport (ie: You can wear for either), but I opted for the all out “Pure Recovery” ones. This may make some men feel a little uneasy... they only come in stockings. Throw a pair of shorts over the top and no one knows the difference. Available on sale at the moment, sickeningly for me at half the price I paid for mine, at Rat Race.com

 

5)      Becoming a Supple Leopard - £35

Featured above in the lacrosse ball/ankle mobility video is Dr Kelly Starrett, the author of this book. He is the guru of all things mobility based – if you need mobility help just search him on YouTube; he covers it all. Before you assume it, no, he isn’t a skinny guy that practices just Pilates – he’s a pretty big and athletic dude too. This book isn’t cheap but it’s the only reference you’ll ever need to improve your own mobility for exercise and general wellbeing. There are some free extracts available online if you want a preview and I believe it’s also a little cheaper if you download it onto a kindle etc. Buy the hard copy here: Amazon

6)      Massage - £15+

So you may not want to put the time or money aside for regular massages and sure, your daily maintenance with a foam roller and lacrosse ball will go a long way towards keeping your engine oiled. But, it’s the pure escapism of massage that I think is so valuable. If you don’t want to commit financially to the idea or can’t commit monthly to it, why not join Groupon? They send you email offers of massages and similar on a regular basis – often up to 80% off. Why not wait for one in our local area and take advantage of the deals sporadically? You owe it to yourself. www.Groupon.co.uk

7)      Sleep - £Free

Probably the easiest and definitely the cheapest of my suggestions. Sleep more. Rest when you can, get your feet up when you can, nap when you can. Don’t be afraid to allocate time to sleep or weekend naps.

Sleeping is extremely helpful and it’s when your body gets the most rest and opportunity to repair and recuperate itself. If you want to sleep well it’s important your bedtime routine and surroundings are correct. A few simple tips: Try to avoid all electronic goods (TV, phone, iPad etc) for 30-60 mins before bed. Brush your teeth and wash as early as possible. Use black out blinds for a fully dark room. Breathe slowly and learn to calm yourself in the time leading up to sleep.

8)      Holiday / Outdoor Breaks - £0+

A holiday doesn’t need to be expensive or even abroad, but they need to be factored into your year. I genuinely believe in the power of change;  change of scenery, change of focuses and priorities and a change of mind set for a few days does you, your mind and body the world of good. Avoid taking work related items or methods of contact if possible. If this isn’t possible then restrict your time with your phone to an hour in the morning and again in the evening.

If you 100% cannot afford to get away, even within the same country then make sure you get outside. Whenever you can, get outside. Fresh air and vitamin D are great catalysts for improving mood, health and general wellbeing. If you work at a desk all day - walk in your lunch break. If you’re going to eat at home at the weekend – eat outside; however you do it, take time to be outside.

9)      Laugh and have fun

It’s incredible how much better you can feel within your body once you’re in a happy mind set. Consciously make time to have fun. I don’t mean visiting the pub, I mean have fun. Good, old-fashioned, clean fun. Ride a bike, laugh with friends, take the dog to a park and run around and play with it, do something stupid and exciting – whatever you do, DON’T let yourself get stuck in a rut. Take time to forget your worries for a few minutes and let your mind focus on other, seemingly less important things. When you go back to reality it often makes things appear that much clearer.

 

10)   Eat Well

Eating well and eating lots are very different things. Feed your body fresh grown produce without preservatives and sweeteners. Give your body natural and easy to digest food that is high in nutritional value. It may cost a little more at times but consider this: Eating well isn’t too expensive – eating badly is too cheap! Feed your body junk and you can expect the output to be sub-par. If you’re not even going to make any effort with your food then why should your body? If you want to find some reasonable and varied food alternatives try the “Exotic Meat” section on www.KezieFoods.co.uk ... Zebra anyone?..

 

CONCLUSION:
Giving back to your body is a physical and mental process. Allowing your muscles, joints and mind to rest from their daily rigour is essential if you want the best from them. Don’t go half a year and realise you haven’t been doing any of the above; schedule them in and make them as much a priority as your exercise regime.

 Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter - @MichaelD_PT and YouTube

 

 

Don't undo 11 months hard work: Simple holiday health tips

You get up extra early, you exercise late at night after work when you'd rather go home, you say "no" when people offer you food and drink you shouldn't have all year round. Then, when the holiday count down comes you up your efforts again; add additional cardio and increase the intensity of your workouts all for one holiday.

Then what?.. You go away, stuff your face, drink alcohol every day, do no exercise and undo 11 months of hard work. This doesn't have to be the case. You can still enjoy your holiday and stick to these simple tips to try and limit the damage you do.

Don't drink EVERY day
Start with what most people will consider the hardest one. Really, it's not. Drinking every day will not only significantly add to your calorie count, but even one or two drinks can heavily impact your food choices, sleep patterns and metabolic efficiency. Then, if you plan on training on holiday, the alcohol may completely compromise any strength gains you aim to make during the session; read Charles Poliquin's blog on that topic here: Blog One and another from him on the impact of alcohol here: Blog Two

Exercise in the morning or at lunch time
You want to enjoy your holiday and not let every day revolve around your exercise regime - that's a given. So why not get it out of the way first thing? Get up early, get moving and get it done? You don't need to spend all morning in the gym; if you're fast and effective then you can be in and out in 45 mins or less. If you want some ideas on how to spend your time in the gym efficiently there are some great ideas here, including some hotel workouts: Workout Ideas

Alternatively, if you're not a morning person and/or you're visiting a hot country what about scheduling a midday workout? Personally I like a midday workout, followed by lunch then back to the pool for 2pm. you'll enjoy your rest after and the hottest part of the day will have passed. It's a nice and easy routine to build.

Download an interval timer
When the surrounding are new, you're on holiday mode and the climate is a little warmer, it can be difficult to exercise with any intensity and stick to a worthwhile workout. A great way to make sure this isn't the case is to download an interval timer. What's also great about interval work is not only will you get through lots of work and maintain the intensity, but you know before you enter the gym exactly how long your session will be so you can be happy you won't be spending hours of your holiday exercising. A lot of the workouts listed on the previous links rely on an interval timer - if you're unsure which to choose I'd recommend the free GymBoss timer.

Use your bodyweight
Not every hotel has a gym facility and it can be tricky in some places to scout out a gym that offers short term membership or reasonable guest fees. There are THOUSANDS of YouTube videos offering you alternative bodyweight exercises and ideas for things you can do depending on your abilities. Again, why not combine this with the interval timer and knock out a quick, hard and effective 30-40 minute bodyweight session? You can do it on the beach too - work on your tan at the same time.
Here's 21 bodyweight exercise ideas from me: Here
and here's a recent video from AthleanX with some advanced exercise ideas utilising the sandy beach - great video: Here

Stick with high protein content every day
Be sensible with food choices. You know the usual rules - they still apply. High protein, low sugar, low carb, no preservatives. Just because it's your holiday, it doesn't mean you need to let everything go out the window. There are usually decent or at least half decent options available if you look hard enough. Eggs at breakfast, avoid chips where possible, skip dessert - if you stuck to those 3 simple rules alone you'd be way ahead of most people.

Take supplements with you
If you take supplements all year round, continue with this while you're away. You can spend a few minutes counting out the daily amounts and putting them into small bags before you leave. Another great addition is taking sachets of protein away with you. These are easy to pack and can be used to help reach your daily protein targets, used post workout and also if you're ever away from food for a long time or, as a last resort when you're unable to get good quality food for a meal. For instance in Hong Kong when I wasn't exactly sure what was on offer in some places and I didn't fancy rice for breakfast, I had a high protein, meal replacement shake each morning for breakfast (a blend of casein, whey and egg protein). Not ideal but much better than what was available and outs you into an anabolic state for the next few hours.

Start your day off right
Try to eat a high protein, low sugar and low carb breakfast. Steak and eggs, omelettes etc I realise waffles, muffins and other bits are very appealing but, if you can start off the right way your energy levels will be more sustained, your food choices throughout the day will be impacted positively and you will minimise any insulin spikes and stop your body from encouraging fat retention.

Summary
Sure, it's a holiday and you want to have a good time. You can't be expected to have a dull holiday as you're purely focused on your food and visiting the gym. However... it's not an excuse to turn off completely - there's plenty of small and effective adjustments that you can easily make to your schedule.

Don't forget to follow me on Twitter (@MichaelD_PT) and on YouTube

Reach out. Learn, improve and prosper

The moral of this blog and the take away lessons are:

If you don’t know, ask. If you want, ask. There’s always someone that has more than you and knows more than you – be open minded, ask questions,  learn and improve yourself.

So, I never usually write this blog as a personal experience blog, “I just had an amazing moment...” kind of blog, but... this month I was on a little (actually fairly long) road trip with “Tiny” in America for 8 days.

Starting in New York City, then New York State, over the boarder to Niagara Falls in Canada and then back to Philadelphia and finishing with family in Brooklyn. Decent drive!

Anyway, the important part with regards to this blog is my stop off in New York State. We stopped overnight at a little town called Binghamton – a place that, as it happened, I’d visited a few times when I was younger for summer football / “soccer” camps.

Anyway, through various social media forums I had noticed that a guy named Joe Hashey of Synergy Athletics (www.Synergy-athletics.com) is based in Binghampton. For those of you that don’t know, Joe is not only a gym owner but also a highly regarded Strength Coach and contributor to a number of top tier fitness publications. He’s someone that I’ve followed online (www.Twitter.com/Jhashey ) for a number of years now and learned a great deal through his YouTube contributions. (Join his 15,000+ YouTube subscribers here: www.YouTube.com/JHashey )

I realised we’d would be in town for a day so shot Joe a message on Twitter and he got back to me pretty quickly. We spoke briefly over email and, the following day I drove down there and got to meet the good man himself and use his facility.

Joe is a not only a really smart guy but a really kind and welcoming guy. My visit there was brief as we had to check out of the hotel that morning BUT... just him opening his doors to me, allowing me to use his facility, check out the set up and ask a few questions about Synergy Athletics had a really positive impact on me – probably much more than he realised.

It was great to see how other people operate and engage with clients. Plus I got to lift an Atlas Stone and picked up this sweet warm up Tshirt.

 

As I always say “Never stop learning”. I think, particularly in England, people are often too shy to ask. Sure, social media has made this a little easier with much greater access to industry figures and heads of business but even so, I think we should all ask more questions.

Joe had no reason to reply to me or welcome me to his facility, but he did, and for that I am extremely grateful. Though my visit was somewhat brief, I took away a LOT to think about and left feeling really welcomed and really motivated! Thanks Joe!

 

Now to the rest of you – go forth and ask. In return, give your time as you would hope others would do for you. Ask open questions with an open mind and be aware of positive lessons that you can take from every interaction and experience.

As I said at the start:

If you don’t know, ask. If you want, ask. There’s always someone that has more than you and knows more than you – be open minded, learn and improve yourself.

Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter and YouTube

 

How do you know if you're getting anywhere?.. The importance of tracking progress

One of THE most common reasons for people to leave the gym and quit exercising is boredom. Often this can materialise as the person feels they're not getting any results. A perceived lack of progress is enough to make even the most frequent gym user down heartened and deflated.

In many cases progress in fact IS being made. So why are we not noticing it? It may be relative improvements, you may NOT be as strong as your friends but significantly stronger than you were originally.

Or, it may be a subtle change that you struggle to see yourself; after all, you live with yourself and see yourself every day in the mirror - it can be tough to spot changes and progress.

With that in mind, here are some tangible and useful measures of success everyone should use in some form along with some potential flaws in many of the most common methods people use.

Weighing Scales:
Scales are often the first port of call when people want to track progress and make sure that their exercise regime is making a difference. They can be useful, particularly for those who have a lot of additional body fat to lose.
Potential Flaw: However, weighing scales do not offer an accurate reflection with regards to your body composition. What is the weight made up from? Sure, some offer you a body fat percentage but this is very much a "finger in the sky" process due to the high number of variables that can skew your results. Factors such as when you ate last, how much water you've had and if you use them pre or post exercise can all adjust the readings heavily.

Body Fat Percentage Callipers:
Callipers are the traditional way of measuring body fat percentage. Used correctly, they offer you an accurate, full body percentage for the amount of body fat you have and are widely regarded as the "best" or most accurate way to measure body fat percentage most accurately.
Potential Flaw: However, there can be a big discrepancy in the accuracy of these callipers if used incorrectly. While they CAN be the most accurate in terms of measuring body fat percentage, it's important to get someone with experience in taking skin fold measurements to take your measurements. I've seen it done incorrectly many times; if they don't mark your skin fold points with a pen or eye liner, take multiple measurements in the same place, or even worse, take measurements through clothing (yes that actually happens) then they are NOT taking accurate measurement.

Body Mass Index (BMI):
Your BMI or "Body Mass Index" is a basic way of measuring your height against your weight and saying whether, from this data, you are within the parameters of "normal".
Potential Flaws: While still used by many medical professionals, this is a pretty retro and pointless measure. Your BMI doesn't offer a fair reflection of good health VS bad health as it pays no consideration to body composition. ie: a 6ft tall, 100kg male with 12% body fat that exercises 5 days per week will score the same as a 6ft tall, 100kg male with 35% body fat who does no exercise!?.. Where's the logic?

Tape Measure:
Measuring various circumferences at different points around your body is a great way to track a reduction in size, or perhaps increase in size depending your goals. While you may not be able to notice change with your own eyes, monthly measurements will let you know that you are making progress but also, tell you when specific body parts are making progress at a slower rate or not at all and so you may adjust your training each month accordingly.
Potential Flaw: There are 2 main issues with taking measurements -
1) The tape measure does not take into consideration the difference between fat and muscle. ie: If a male loses body fat through a mixture of resistance work and cardio, his chest measurement may stay identical yet he would be making progress.
2) Measuring in the exact same place a month after your initial measurements may be difficult. There's a huge variation between the top and middle of your leg for instance. Try to use markers that won't change and you can relocate each time such as your belly button or even a mole or scar on your body.

Photos:
Taking a monthly snap in as little clothing as possible can be a tangible way for your to track progress across the months. Under close inspection you can scrutinize each and every body part while getting a clear view of how others see you. If you ask someone to take pictures for you, or you have the necessary skills, then you can also get pictures of your rear view - something that isn't always particularly easy to see or regularly analyse in depth. Taking pictures also allows you to take your time and analyse your physique - this can be really useful ahead of planning for your next phase of training. I mean how much time can you REALLY spend looking at yourself and analysing your physique in a gym mirror before you look strange?.. In fact, don't answer that.
Potential Flaw: Photos can be easily manipulated in order to give an improved and inaccurate reflection of progress. These pictures should be for your own benefit and so this would defeat the purpose of them. A simple adjustment in lighting, positioning within the room, camera angle or pose can give a completely altered image. Be sure to: use the same room at the same(ish) time of day, stand the same distance from the camera and have the same (or as similar as possible to) lighting and stand in a natural and neutral position - no tensing or breathing in. Taking a picture on the first week of each month should be regular enough.

Tally Your Weights:
Tracking improvements in strength is a great way to show that you're making progress in the gym. If you're doing this then it's best to write in a small handbook as you go around the gym. Don't jut try to remember - your numbers won't go up at anywhere near the same rate if you do this. Knowing your numbers is a great way of not only tracking progress but also setting yourself new and testing goals to make sure that this progress continues.
Potential Flaws: The issue here is that you may sacrifice body composition and aesthetics for strength. It all depends on your goals - if your goal is to be as strong as possible and you have little focus on aesthetics then this system works. However, if you become completely encapsulated by improving your strength, your physique may be compromised. Using myself as an example, when I began to enjoy deadlifts and improve constantly, I hadn't noticed that I was gaining weight; that was until I came to do pull ups. Pull ups had gone right down hill. I began dieting, pull ups went up, deadlifts went down. It's a balancing act that many people face. Are you getting stronger or are you getting pound-for-pound stronger?

Conclusion:
So what's the answer? The key is to rely on a combination or tracking methods. You want to make sure everything is working correctly to make sure that your training is going correctly and effecting your body the way that you thought it would. You wouldn't check your car oil levels were ok and if they were, assume that you had enough air in your tyres. Same thing - make sure every bit of your beautiful machine is performing at its optimum and maintain it - after all, you can buy a new car but you only get one body!

Thanks for reading...

Don't forget to follow me on: www.twitter.com/MichaelD_PT - @MichaelD_PT
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“I find the gym intimidating”

With summer approaching there are plenty of people feeling a little out of shape and wanting to up their pre-holiday exercise efforts. But for many, the gym is an unknown and, as such, an intimidating environment.

Often a gym can be viewed as an overwhelming place full of gym-regulars that all know exactly what they’re doing. An environment where you won’t have a clue what to do and you’ll stand out like a sore thumb. If that’s the case, here are a few simple tips that you can try in order to make yourself feel more confident entering the gym and bettering your life.

Get some professional help

Training with a personal trainer is a great way to gain the necessary education you need to improve your gym confidence. During your sessions you’ll learn an array of exercises, how various machines work, how to target specific areas of the body, the best exercises to help you reach your goals and the general workings of a gym floor. Having someone guide you through everything can be a great way to learn firsthand what you should be doing and not, like so many, waste years training ineffectively. It may be a cost that you assume you can’t afford but view it as a short-term investment. Train with a personal trainer for a few months, learn what you need to learn and then make contact with them again from time to time while training on your own and book a few additional sessions for more ideas and to check up on your progress.

Dress it down

Just because you’re exercising it doesn’t mean you need to wear tiny outfits or dress yourself head to toe in lycra. Many of these outfits can be very unflattering on the wrong figure and make you feel self-conscious before you even leave the changing room. If you’re unsure what your options are, spend some time browsing sports sections of shops and fitness magazines for ideas and inspiration. If you want to avoid the eyes of other gym goers simply wear something discreet and comfortable that fits you well. If you’ve never bought gym clothing before try it on in store and move around to make sure that everything stays covered as it needs to and you can move freely. If you see someone else in the gym with clothing you like, pay them a compliment and find out how to get something similar yourself, “Nice top – where’s it from?” – simple as that.

Turn it up

You can take yourself to a whole new place if you wear headphones when in the gym. It will not only keep you motivated and upbeat but will keep your mind focused on the job at hand. It seems a simple idea but, if you’re conscious of those around you and the gym environment on the whole, headphones can be a great way to escape it all. Better still, The Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine (2005),also found that listening to music during exercise not only lifted mood but also helped to improve performance. https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/tjem/206/3/206_3_213/_article

Avoid the rush

If you’re worried about being an “outsider” in the gym, try to avoid peak times. Perhaps you work 9-5.30 and can’t avoid the evening rush? Then try first thing in the morning. It may mean you’re out of bed a little earlier which can be hard, but just remember why you’re doing it. By getting up earlier and training in the morning the gym is likely to be less busy than the evenings and you can be happy that you’ve completed your exercise for the day before most people’s day has even started. As you become more confident after a few weeks you can then train during the evenings and be happy that you too are now a “gym regular”.

Bring a friend

Training with a friend can be a great way to boost your confidence in the gym no matter what their level of experience. If you both have little experience then you can learn and work things out together; if they’re more experienced than you are then you can get a guiding hand around the gym from a familiar face. Either way, you’ll no longer be alone on your fitness journey. A “gym buddy” can also help to keep you motivated away from the gym. Together you can make sure that you don’t let your eating habits slip too frequently and that you make each gym session that you have scheduled – a friendly nudge can be very useful from time to time.

Try group exercise first

The gym is full of weights, equipment and fitness “toys” – all of which can, if you’ve never used them before, appear very confusing. If it’s a more active lifestyle you’re looking for then group exercise can be a great inroad. There’s something for everyone and even classes that will incorporate some resistance work in them as a hybrid of traditional group exercise and gym work. You’ll get to build a regular, healthier routine and class times will mean you start off with an instantly more structured workout schedule. As you become more familiar with the classes, more confident in your image and want some variety you can gradually wean yourself into the gym.

Get out of town

For some the fear of bumping into a friend of work colleague while they’re “not at their best”, covered in sweat, wearing an old gym top and gasping for air is enough to keep them out of the gym all together. Don’t use this as an excuse; find a gym a little further away and you can exercise in confidence that you can remain completely anonymous. If that’s not an option you can invest in a variety of equipment to allow you to train at home. Things such as multi gyms, dumbbells, kettlebells, powerbags or a TRX are all very versatile pieces of equipment that you can use for full body workouts in the privacy of your own home.

The Truth...

The truth is there are plenty of reasons and excuses to not exercise if we look for them; being intimidated by the gym is just another excuse. If you want to change the way you look and feel about yourself then you can’t let it be the be all and end all. Find a way around it. Those who want to exercise will find a way. Those who don’t want to exercise will find an excuse. Just remember, everyone, in every gym had their first day in the gym at some point. Now look at them – that can be you in a matter of months. Leaner, more knowledgeable and more confident – stick with it, remain consistent and these things will come.

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