It's not helping...

(PHOTO VIA: @TommyFatFingers)

Despite its retro vibe (thanks Instagram) I came across the above picture online only recently, taken at a regular UK health club.

It was a Friday, which, in this particular gym, seemed to be specifically "Curls Friday". Of the 30 or so people in there, all were in big groups, all working upper body.

Anyway, that aside, watching these 5 guys take it in turns to bicep curls and look at themselves in the mirror while the others either chatted around them or over-spotted (discussed below) and gave a false impression of strength; I got thinking "I wonder how many people do things in the gym without realising it's actually not helping their situation/progress?" Here's a few:

Over sized Group Training...

Training with a partner or perhaps in a group of 3 with similar aims and goals can be beneficial for both motivation and safety/spotting on heavier lifts. Any larger than that and it becomes detrimental to your workout - too much rest, changing weights, social talk,distractions it just doesn't work.

Over-Spotting...

I mentioned it in the intro. A spotter is there for safety purposes to make sure that you don't drop the weight in a dangerous way, to offer coaches cues during exercises, and at times to offer assistance when doing eccentric work or pushing for one last repetition. The spotter should NOT join in for more than 2 (MAXIMUM) repetitions! The Spotter should NOT join in unless 100% needed (don't spot for the sake of spotting!) The spotter should NOT be working hard every set! How many times do you see a guy bench pressing and his pal who's "spotting" is basically deadlifting the bar too! Double workout? I don't think so! If you need that much help, take some weight off!

Watch this example. The guy "spotted" him (horribly) for every rep for a set of 10! The "spotter" ended up doing some kind of isometric bicep curl by resting the bar on his forearm/inner elbow and poorly, hunched "good morning" exercise. In reality, the weight was too heavy. Ego trained:

Weights Belts...

I think I get more annoyed by this than most! If you have a bad back, get a better back, not a better belt. Weights belts for injuries do not fix an issue only mask it and more likely, offer unnatural support and cause you to recruit muscles from elsewhere for stability. Look after your back sure; and, if you really feel much happier, perhaps use the belt for additional support on your last, heaviest sets. but don't use a belt for the sake of using it and being lazy with your own core strength. Pet hate, bicep curls in a weights belt! Pardon?..

"Sports Drinks"...
Unless you're a diabetic or have issues with blood pressure and blood sugar levels, leave the "sports drink" at home. These are sugary, isotonic drinks designed predominantly for recovery, not, as many people drinking them mid session will say when you're "Feeling tired and need some instant energy". What you're likely to get is a sugar high and perhaps a feeling of energy - this is more likely to be a release of Serotonin than anything more productive for the gym. After this peak in sugar and accessible glucose, you'll get a drop, with that comes a crash in energy too. These sugary drinks will also cause insulin spikes and encourage fat retention. So your "Energy Drink" makes you less energetic so your workout is worse and your body is more susceptible to retaining fat too - how many would you like?

Protein Shakes...
While on the drinks front I thought I'd mention protein shakes. Not to say "they're not helping." But more, if your diet consists of cornflakes for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch and KFC for dinner, it's unlikely the protein shake is a worthwhile investment in as much as it's a small piece of your currently, messy puzzle. Get everything else in place and don't rely on a miracle drink to make you the person you want to be.

Cardio...
Again, I'm not saying "Don't do cardio" but it's more exercise prescription in this instance.

TO LOSE WEIGHT: Slow, long duration cardio is boring and time consuming. Worse still, it offers slow results. Throw in as much variety and intervals as you can with cardio. Short sprints, mixed with resistance work, crawling, hill running, weight bearing, whatever! Intervals are a much more effective, fun and time effective way to cut body fat and retain hard earned muscle.

FOR SPORT: You see or hear people say "I need to get fit for..." and step 1 is go for a run. Be smart, think about replicating your sport. In no sport (other than long distance running) do you run continuously for a long distance. How long is a football or rugby pitch? 100m max? And how many times would you run the length of the field twice consecutively? So why do you need to be good at running any distance longer than 200m continuously. What you DO need to improve is your rate of recovery and ability to repeat exercises at a top standard over and over again with minimal rest.

Sweat suits...
I've mentioned this before but in short: Weight loss through sweat suits is temporary and is just a loss of retained water. Once you consume water after, the weight returns. Worse still, the dehydrated state you put yourself into means that your performance is worse during exercise, as a result, you burn less calories than you could have without the suit. Sweat suit AND a sports drink - NO!

Crunches for fat loss on the stomach...
Again on fat loss - ab crunches to lose stomach fat. You're just developing muscles under the fat - this will not strip stomach fat directly. Sure, work on core strength and stability as you lose body fat, but the issue isn't the lack of abs; you have the abs, they're just covered in fat.

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8 Natural Ways to Boost Your Energy... Caffeine Free!!

Today, Starbucks UK ran a promotion offering their latest caffeine-fuelled product for free to customers before 12pm. A free latte (which now has an extra Espresso shot in there for the UK market). According to Twitter, this went down a STORM!

Having never been a coffee or tea drinker, I didn't get what all the fuss was about. Nor do I get the urges of self-proclaimed "caffeine addicts" who apparently "need" a coffee.

Personally, I can't imagine depending on something for energy, nor having something like this as an irreplaceable pillar of my diet. With this in mind, here's 8 ways that you can tweak your lifestyle and help to boost energy levels without that little paper cup...

1) Exercise...(it was always going to be #1!)
Might sound counter productive to some. "I don't have any energy so I need to do more?" The lack of energy is probably caused through a number of factors; all of which are bad habit. You're often lethargic rather than tired! Get moving, get active and feel better in yourself physically and mentally. You don't have to become a gym buff; including a little more activity can be part of your everyday. Walk more, ride a bike, leave the car at home on the way to work, go for a brisk walk on your lunch break or simply jump off the train a stop early and get moving each morning. No matter what your age or abilities, we can all probably be a little more active during the day (not just at the gym).

2) Sleep more...
OK so the first 2 are obvious. But if it's that obvious you do it then right? Probably not. One study at Loughborough University simply stated that the amount of sleep a person needs varies from person to person. The way to determine if you need more sleep is easy, "The amount of sleep we require is what we need not to be sleepy in the daytime". (money well spent I'd say!). So if you're tired, you need to sleep more in the evenings.

3)Avoid highly caffeinated drinks...
Yeah you heard! They make you feel "perky" and alert right? Well if they're so wonderful, why do some people rattle through 5 or more each day? Note the people around you who drink excessive amounts of coffee. They probably don't look the picture of health, bad skin, tired eyes and a temper or mood swings to match. Caffeine IS a stimulant correct, and used correctly, is a great "pick-me-up" for a short duration of energy and a boost for your metabolism. But to rely on caffeine for "energy" is a bad idea. you'll get your boost in energy, but as with everything in the body, a steady, regulated level is much more desirable. Following this peak in energy, you'll get a "crash". A low in energy, below your original state. Time for cup of coffee number two...

4) Plan B...
"B" is for "B vitamins" - a great energy booster and a favourite among supplement kings and queens around the world. But, before you go racing to your local health shop, try and get as much B Vitamins from your food as possible. Aim for broccoli, cabbage, sesame and pumpkin seeds, eggs and mushrooms (to name a few).

5) Drink more...
Water! Not coffee! Water is a basic bodily need, essential in a number of bodily functions and key to excreting waste products that we naturally generate. Effectively, without taking water on board, you're running your car exhaust straight back into the car (and we all know what happens there!)
Aim for at LEAST 2 litres a day.
TIP: If you have it, you'll drink it. Don't keep popping back to the tap/water fountain and filling a cup, you won't reach your target. Instead, buy a large, 1.5litre bottle of water and carry it with you; you'd be surprised how much more you get through.

6) CoQ10...
No, it's not a spelling mistake. C0Q10 is widely regarded as a natural way to boost your energy levels. Also available in a tablet form, try to include it in your diet through food. Spinach, mackerel, sardines, walnuts and peanuts will be a good start.

7) Low GI, Complex Carbs and Low Sugar...
The body likes to keep most things regulated and under control. Heart rate, blood pressure, food intake, daily activity levels - a healthy you, is a creature of habit. the same can be said for carb and sugar intake. Eating high GI food or simple carbs or foods high in sugar will cause a spike in your bodies insulin levels followed by a steep crash in both insulin, blood sugar levels and energy. Pick your food wisely to avoid these peaks and troffs in blood sugar and insulin in order to discourage fat retention and maintain a steady and productive energy level.
To keep your energy levels steady...
Go for: cherries, apples pears, broccoli, cabbage, long grain rice, buckwheat, yoghurt, tomato juice, sweet potato,
Avoid excessive amounts of: Dates, pineapples, parsnips, short grain rice, ice cream, cranberry juice, baked potato, fries, and sugary treats
Here's a more comprehensive list...
8) Protein...
This was always going to appear. It's not just an aim of guys trying to bulk up, EVERYONE needs protein! Try to aim for at least 1g of protein for every KG of body weight you have every day! This will help to regulate your metabolism, maintain steady energy levels and avoid the peaks and troffs in insulin mentioned earlier, help to repair each day, maintain your immune system and also help to maintain whatever muscle you have to make every day living that much easier. Look for white meats such as turkey and chicken, or fish. not meat eaters can still consume protein through lentils, pulses and quinoa (to name a few options).

So if you need energy NOW, it's probably a result of a number of things that you're doing to yourself day in, day out. Don't rely on coffee, instead, make small adjustments to your lifestyle and reap the benefits of a naturally, energy fuelled life.

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New Year Resolutions... again - 2012 Edition

Ok, So I wrote about it last year and I think it's time to revisit it. I'm going to make a New Year's resolution NOT to make a resolution... I'm going to set goals!

I'm not big on "resolutions". If I felt there was something wrong and I needed to do something about it, I would have done it by now. The new year however, is a good time to check you're on schedule for whatever it is you're doing and set some new life goals.
So, if you're going to use the turn of the year to set yourself some goals, here's some tips and some areas to consider in order to make sure they're not forgotten within a few weeks.

#1: Break it down...
Don't set yourself goals to be achieved by the end of the year such as "lose weight". break it down; how much weight? By when? And how? Be as detailed as you can - leave nothing to chance. 

#2: One step at a time...
Don't just have a big end goal and have no idea if you're heading towards it. If your goal for instance is to lose 2 stone in weight, work out how much weight this would mean you need to lose each month, or even each week. Then keep a written log of your weight. That way you'll know if you're on track or if something needs changing.
NB: "Losing 2 stone" is a crap goal!! lose body fat percentage and reduce your measurements where needed. Weight loss is a pore scale of success

#3: Understand how...
If your goal is to be more active or visit the gym more then you will need to set a goal of how often you want to visit the gym or exercise each week. next step, "HOW?" This is a new thing and an adjustment to your usual routine. If it's going to work, you need to know how. How will you schedule it in? On what days will you exercise? Can you avoid work getting in the way? Is there a fall back plan if work does get in the way such as pre-work exercise? Don't just say it and assume that it will happen.

#4: "READ ALL ABOUT IT" (Better yet, write all about it!)..
Take all of the above, create your goals and WRITE-THEM-DOWN! Have them somewhere you can see them on occasion, and use them to check that you're on schedule to meet your goals. Ideally, you want to create a timeline. Make it visual; draw a line and mark out the months of the year and when each part of your goal will be started and achieved by. If your goal simply needs to be "done within a year" you're unlikely to kick it off in time, and never going to achieve it. Know when each part starts and put pressure on yourself to get them done by a set date.

#5: Shout all about it...
Well, you don't have to shout; but tell friends. Tell those around you and those close to you. If your goals are publicly known, you are GUARANTEED to feel that you must achieve them and far more likely to be proactive and to achieve them knowing that everyone is waiting to see the results. THIS IS A FACT - there's proof! It's science! I'd say that this is one of the most crucial parts of the process!

And while I'm there, why don't I take some of my own advice (tip #5) and tell you all what MY resolutions?.. sorry what my GOALS are for 2012.

In 2012 I am going to (start on a positive. Not "I want to", instead "I'm GOING TO!")...

SHORT TERM
Upon return from my travels I intend to continue to offer top quality personal training sessions and in my spare time, I want to study for a pre/post-natal course to allow me specialised knowledge of training techniques and procedures for pregnant clients and new mums. This should be complete by E/O April

MID TERM
A new business: Begin an outdoor exercise initiative. Focus on logistics, costs and sponsorship involvement for the next 6 months with an aim to launch July/August 2012.

LONG TERM
A second new business: Try to patent an idea for a piece of gym equipment that I have an idea/design for. I already have ideas for marketing, website, social media, endorsement and PR, but I know the patent process is a long one so this falls into a longer term goal. But, in 2012 I intend to get everything in place as best I can. Aim for patent to be approved and website in progress by end December 2012.
There you go - I've laid myself on the line with a big chance of public failure. Fear of failure is a great driving force! I best get on with it!

So that's the next 12 months for me... what are YOU going to do? I'd love to hear your plans and offer advice where I can. we could even act as a little mentor scheme for one another checking that we stay on track. For anyone willing to take me up on this, drop me a note and tell me in confidence what your goals are for 2012 - MichaelADarren@Gmail.com

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MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

The perils of a salad! It might not be what it seems...

So I'm currently travelling and I'm in Arizona. Trying to not get fully into the "American Way" when it comes to eating, I opted for a turkey salad at lunch yesterday. What arrived is the picture at the top of this post. Not only was it STUPIDLY huge, it came with two large pots of dressing, 10 heavily salted crackers, loads of bacon bits and a massive pile of blue cheese. "Healthy" would not be the word I used to describe this meal!

As I often say to people "Don't be fooled - just because your food is called a 'salad', doesn't necessarily make it healthy!"

This is especially true when opting for an "I'll pick something up" lunch which takes you past the likes of M&S or worse still, a petrol station! Pre-prepared salads are usually pretty bad. So you're confused? You thought salads were healthy no matter what? ..

Well, although it can depend on a number of factors, here's a few basic tips for the next time you opt for a salad. After all, if you feel that you're being strong-willed and "depriving" yourself of the food you look, it's best to make sure you're doing it right...

1 - Opt for white meat. You want salads with high quantities of chicken (not fried), turkey or fish
2 - Keep an eye on the portion size. Just because it's salad doesn't mean you should eat endless amounts. Imagine it was a regular meal, would you eat a smaller plate?
3 - Avoid heavy dressing. Aim for the "light" dressing and even then, a THIN covering for some of your salad is all that you need
4 - "PASTA salad" is NOT a salad!
5 - D.I.Y - at all costs make your own salad. It takes hardly any time and you can be in control of all of the above points

As I said, there may be other factors involved but if you can stick to the above then you won't go far wrong. Just consider what's actually in front of you and make sure the "healthy" option is ACTUALLY healthy!

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Healthy eating tips - a realistic guide

When it comes to nutrition and specifically, nutrition advice,I ALWAYS say,

"It needs to be sustainable."

By this I mean people's approach to dieting. It's unrealistic to ask the average person to know the exact content of every meal, weigh out each ingredient for home cooked meals and avoid completely some of the naughty things they enjoy eating. Unless you have a nutritionist, a chef and don't keep a regular job then for many, this isn't a realistic way of life.

For the average person, nutrition management can be significantly improved at your diet issues in much more general terms and taking the following measures to control any poor eating habits...

Portion control...
We've grown up hearing "finish what's on your plate" and "Don't let that go to waste!" and had this conditioned into us from an early age. It's a hard habit to break but an easy one to control - don't put it on the plate. It's often said that the body takes 20 minutes to realise that it's full so inevitably we often eat too much and feel over-full shortly after.

My advice to my clients that struggle with portion control is:
Plate up what you'd usually eat, then, take a third of everything and take it off the plate. If you're GENUINELY hungry 20 minutes after dinner you can have some more. If you find yourself cutting this third from every meal then you've cut your daily calories by a third (aside from snacks) How easy was that!?!..

If lunchtime sandwiches are your downfall, make yourself some wraps, less carbs and there's no way you can stuff all the same filling into that, simple, but it works!

Cheat days ( I prefer "treat" days)...
If you're told "Never do this..", "avoid this at all costs..", "You're not allowed this.." then you'll soon resent your diet and fall off the wagon.
So dangle yourself a carrot. Tell yourself that if you can control your eating habits for just 5 days then you can have a "cheat/treat day" where you eat something a little naughty. This means no mid-week drinking, takeaways, sweets and other naughty bits, knowing that Friday or Saturday is going to be your day.

You'd be surprised how much better things taste when you have them less often. And if you can't control yourself for just 5 days then you have to take a serious look at your will power and commitment to be healthy.

Food preparation...
If you decide to "just pick something up" for lunch or while you're on the go then you'll be hard pushed to find anything that you can classify as mildly "healthy". Seriously, take a walk around your local BP petrol station and try to piece together a worthwhile on-the-go meal. Don't be fooled by pasta "salads". Using the word "salad" doesn't make it healthy!

For this reason, food preparation is essential! Preparing fresh food for the day ahead or tomorrow's lunch will have huge repercussions on your health. It might mean a few less minutes in bed but it's well worth it.

If you seriously can't bring yourself to do it the cook too much at meal times. Cook too much for dinner and use it for lunches later in the week.

Hunger scale...
If at times you find yourself eating for eating's sake then try using a hunger scale. Before you eat, stop and think, "Out of 10, how hungry am I?.." If the answer is 1-5: You don't get to eat, 6-8: it's meal time, 9 or 10: you've left it too late; sure you gota eat but be aware that you've gone too long without food.

By using this scale, this will firstly stop you eating just "because you wanted to" and also make you more aware of your hunger, eating patterns and habits. Often people eat through habit and not hunger.

Drink, drink, drink...
The brain can, at times, have difficulty differentiating between being hungry and being thirsty. When you feel hungry make sure your first reaction is get a drink of water. Have a drink and wait a while if you're still really hungry then go for it, if not, stick with the water for a little.

Most people don't drink enough during the day as it is and this can seriously slow down your metabolism. So, even if you do decide to eat after, adding to your daily water intake will do you some good.

Eat more...
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I just said eat less, BUT, there's a large proportion of people who need to eat more, or at leats more often. It's imperative to NOT skip meals, specifically breakfast! The body likes things to be regulated. It likes to know when it's going to get fed, how much is going to be expected of it in terms of activity and how much rest it can have each day. If you're eating sparadically and skipping meals at times then the body will panic and begin to store fuel and insulation... fat! If you don't want your body to store fat you need to feed it on a regular basis.

Snack with food, not with "snacks"...
When people say "snack" they generally think crisps, biscuit, bits and pieces basically. The actual nutritional value in most of these foods is usually pretty poor and as a result won't fuel you sufficiently and will inevitably, leave you feeling hungry soon after and eating again.

Try to snack on real food. This leads on nicely from the idea of cooking too much, if it's there in the fridge it's easy and tastes decent too. What about the thirds you've taken from dinners now you're all about portion control? Use them for snacks later in the week.

Don't fight fat with Fad's!...
There seems to be endless "Fad diets", often popularised by celebrities, from the Atkins diet, to Special K diet or cabbage soup diet. Whatever it is, avoid it. They have their time and place, if you want to do a last minute reduction for a special event, night out or holiday, go for it. But know that any weight loss is likely to be temporary. If diets worked there wouldn't be a diet industry... there would just be A diet and we'd all stick to it. As I said in the opener, what you eat must be sustainable; these diets are too extreme and too hard to follow. Can you say you'll never drink alcohol, never treat yourself to something sweet, never eat a takeaway or meal out?.. NO?.. then ultimately, the diet will fail.

Summary...
In short, there's LOADS you can do to help control eating habits and improve the quality of what you're feeding on. You don't have to be militant about it, and you should let yourself enjoy food, alcohol, treats and whatever floats your boat... but in moderation. Most people use the 70/30 rule (70% good Vs 30% bad food) and that's not a bad approach.

Often it's just a case of being more aware of what you're sticking in and thinking before doing. It may feel alien at first but it can soon become an easy and sustainable habit.

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Be inspired - set yourself goals and train for a reason

When I first started using a gym it was so that I could become stronger in order to make me a better rugby player.

YES, I wasted probably the first two years of gym visits as I didn't know what I was doing and so I'd dabble with a few machines, copy a big guy at the gym and maybe try something I'd seen in Men's Health or similar.... not good!

BUT... at least I had a reason. This kept me focused, determined and meant I came to the gym each time with something in mind.

This is ESSENTIAL for anyone, though you may not think it, if you're making progress in the gym you probably have an inspiration.

Find yours. Try...

EMOTIONS
Think of your emotions. How does the gym make you feel afterwards? How do you feel when you haven't been to the gym for a while? Was there an event in your life which spurred you to join the gym? Are you training to improve yourself for something which means a lot to you? How does it feel when you've trained hard for a while and someone compliments you? Many of the people I meet train simply to lift their mood. If it's what keeps you coming through the door, go with it!

FUNCTION
What will going to the gym help you do physically? If you're a keen sportsperson then this is much easier to imagine. I want to be faster, stronger, fitter etc.. This will also help you focus your style of training much more easily. Even if you don't have a sport, function is still important. Consider your job, lifestyle and hobbies. How can you focus your gym work to improve them? ie: if you drive for hours and hours it's important to strengthen your core and back in order to avoid postural problems.

HEALTH
A number of people exercise for health reasons. To avoid disease, aid recovery, lengthen life, improve cardiovascular strength and generally feel more awake, agile and youthful. However, training to "feel healthier" can be a difficult goal to gauge success against. Make sure you have some more tangible goals that can be targeted. Look at your recovery time during cardio work or even make sure that you have regular medicals conducted with particular focus on body fat percentage, resting heart rate and blood pressure. I see too many people visiting the gym to improve their health but in fact hardly break a sweat. Walking through the gym door does NOT make you healthier!!!

AESTHETICS
Aesthetics shouldn't be viewed as a dirty word. Looking around my gym, I'd estimate that well over half of the members use the gym as they want to make their bodies look better and nothing else. If that's for you then that's fine, but don't go to the gym so that your body looks "better"; you need to be much more specific! Focus on areas such as, you want bigger legs, or smaller hips or more definition on your arms, whatever it is, be specific. If it helps, use a visual guide to keep you on track. This should take two parts:

1) If you find a picture of someone, anyone, who has a body that you crave, keep it. They can be a celebrity, model or random from a magazine; either way you need some kind of target
2)Keep a photo log of yourself. This will show your progression more clearly than any other method if "looking good" is your goal. It will also show you where you have fallen short and areas to focus on in the future

Remember: What the mind can imagine, the body can achieve.

IN SUMMARY...
There are MANY reasons why a person might join a gym. To get a healthier lifestyle, lose weight, build muscle mass, appear more toned or improve cardiovascular capabilities.

Whatever the reason, make sure you have a S.M.A.R.T goal

S = Specific
M = Measurable
A = Attainable
R = Realistic
T = Timed

If you can follow these guidelines then you'll soon notice an improvement in your focus in the gym, commitment to each session and hand-in-hand with that, your results.

Make a note of your goals, making sure the stick to the S.M.A.R.T guidelines and highlight how and where they fit in. Create a timeline and stick it up somewhere that you'll see it. Without a clear timeline in mind, weeks will pass and session after session will go unnoticed. Work to a timeline and you'll feel like you're in control of where you're going and you will know what you can expect.

Don't forget to follow me on www.twitter.com/MichaelD_PT