Im a REPs Level 3 qualified Personal Trainer, based in Edinburgh. I want to help you achieve your goals, and help you to make long-term lasting changes to your health and fitness.
You can contact me here or on www.b-fast.co.uk.
Stay healthy.
The last linkz of the year is here! 2011 is almost gone so enjoy the links I've got for you today (needless to say there are a fair number of top 10s of 2011)!
Day 12. The last day of this run of posts, I've enjoyed doing them. I realised a couple of things,
1. I need to be better organised than I was, I had planned these posts but should have thought them through a bit better and
2. I really need to get better at this writing thing! But hey, I'm a personal trainer not a writer!
Anyways, for the last day, I've got a 12 round circuit for you. I used this with my bootcamp guys on Monday as an end of year/ happy Christmas for me workout! They did me proud!
The exercises:
1. 10 sec plank
2. 10 sec side plank (each side)
3. Divebomber pushup
4. Inchworm
5. Glute bridges
6. Pushups
7. McGill crunch
8. Bird dogs (4 each side)
9. Squat jumps
10. Jumping Jacks
11. Burpees
12. Reverse lunge (6 each side - I was feeling generous...)
The circuit:
Do round 1 - 10 sec plank
Round 2 - 10 sec plank each side, 10 sec front plank
Round 3 - 3 Divebomber pushups, 10s side plank each side, 10s front plank.
Round 4 - 4 Inchworms, 3 divebomber pushups, 10 s side planks, 10s front plank.
Round 5 - You get the idea...
Do these with as little rest as possible between rounds right up till you complete the 12th round.
Great quick blast for you midweek if you are looking for something quick and intense to get you through the mind numbing and endless re-runs of crappy movies and Christmas specials...
Today I've got 11 websites I can't go more than a day without checking in on. Great resources for all thing health related!
T-Nation -The Intelligent and Relentless Pursuit of Muscle. With an awesome forum and post written by everyone from Dave Tate, Mike Robertson, Jim Wendler, Bret Contreras, John Meadows, Chris Shugart etc etc etc If what you are looking for isn't here then you don't need it!
Elite FTS - Alwyn Cosgrove, Ben Bruno, Jason Pegg, Jen Comas Keck and Molly Galbraith all put up great articles here, along with their training logs and some awesome nutrition info and recipes.
Facebook - Bear with me on this one! There are some awesome links to articles that I would otherwise miss. Not to mention posting up anything I stumble upon and find interesting!
Precision Nutrition - The most bestest nutrition info on the web, in my opinion anyways. Dr John Berardi and co put up a wealth of info on all facets of nutrition and go in depth with it.
StrengthCoach.com - Mike Boyles Strength coach website is a pay site but its so worth it you shouldn't even think twice about signing up! The sheer volume of info contained here is fairly overwhelming, between the forums and the articles, you'll be able to find anything you need.
Google.com - More specifically the RSS reader. All the blogs I follow on a regular basis I have linked to here, helps keep me up to date. I don't like to miss out on anything! I'm an information junkie...
Livestrong -The articles are good, but the main use is actually the calorie counter on the Daily Plate section of the site. Its amazing how hard it is to estimate 4500 cals without a tracker...
Twitter - Same as with facebook, I check in here every now and again, following as many in the strength and conditioning, nutrition, fitness etc fields as I can and theres loads of links to great articles and blog posts to be found here.
Bodybuilding.com - a huge site with loads of resources for your pursuit of muscle. From nutrition and supplementation info to a load of training articles, it can all be found here.
FunctionalMovement.com - A load of stuff on the functional movement screen, articles, corrective strategies, forums, research etc. Lots of really interesting stuff here.
Itunes Movie Trailers - I know, nothing to do with health and fitness, but I like movies, so I like to know whats coming!
Have an awesome day, hope all your shopping is done!
Stay healthy
Last day tomorrow, so check back for the 12th day!
4 sleeps to go! On this the 10th day of Christmas (thats right, Christmas, not winterval dammit!) my top 10 favourite articles of the year. This was hard to boil down to 10 but these are all great articles that I got a lot from. Hope you enjoy them as much as I did!
1. From Jan 2011, Dan John on minimalist training. I love Dan Johns writing, its simple, clear, packed full of goodness!
2. From Feb, Nate Green released The Hero Handbook, the ultimate guide to becoming your own hero. Download it, read it, get heroic.
3. From March, Leigh Peele breaks down how to read a research paper, how to know what to look for and start making sense of it all...
Wow! Its the 20th already, I'm almost done with my gifts, just a couple to go... Why do I always leave it so late?
Anyhoo, its day 9 of the 12 days, and today I've got 9 tips for a healthy christmas...
1. Have fun. Relax and enjoy the time with your family and friends. Stress isn't healthy, take some time for yourself and chill. Theres the whole of next year to worry about stuff...
2. Don't beat yourself up over what you shouldn't have eaten. That said, don't pack yourself full of sweets and crap for the next 7 - 10 days either.
3. Eat a good breakfast. Don't go skipping arguably the most important meal of the day just so you can "treat" yourself later.
4. Christmas dinner is great, I love it, all that turkey, veg and trimmings. But think about what you eat. Its Christmas, not "eatasmuchcrapasyouwanttillyouburstday" Load up on turkey, veggies and keep the potatoes and stuffing etc to a minimum. Healthy and tasty!
5. If you are gonna have an alcoholic drink, try not to go overboard with it. I'm not gonna get all preachy about this, I like a couple of beers every now and again too, just know your limits and since alcohol has as many calories per gram as fat, keep your intake moderate.
6. You eat smart all year (more or less..) eat your meals, and snack healthily when you need to. Why change that now? Just because there are chocolates and crisps being passed around doesn't mean you have to have them, pass them on. Don't feel guilty for doing it either.
7. Get out for a walk. As tempting as it is to stay in with a selection of sweets and mince pies, watching whatever movie is being re-run on tv, get up, get dressed warm and get out for a stomp. Fresh air and exercise is a great way to burn off some those calories consumed over the xmas period.
8. Learn to say no once in a while. Everybody wants to get round to see everybody at this time off year, usually ending in all involved being totally stressed, rushing about and not really enjoying the time they have with anyone. Put a couple of things off until after the holidays and it'll give you a little breathing space and let you enjoy the holidays. You'll go into the new year feeling more refreshed and ready to kick 2012s ass!
9. Take the down time to think about your year ahead. Set some goals and write down how you are going to go about achieving them. Make some plans so that next year is your absolutely best yet!
Over half way now! so I'm gonna begin the second half of the 12 days by giving you the gift of power! Well, kinda anyway. Since we all know that knowledge is power, then you can get your learn on with these awesome blogs by some of the smartest in the strength and conditioning/ personal training game!
Bret Contreras - Super smart dude, (as all these folks are!) Scientific approach, the guy actually conducted hundreds of electromyography experiments on himself to find the best exercises for each muscle group. He developed the hip thrust, he's an expert on glute development, great at explaining biomechanics. Currently studying for his Phd in New Zealand.
Jim Smith - Co founding member of Diesel Crew (along with Jedd Johnson), published in loads of magazines, as well as the author of a huge number of great products. As well as all this, he is super motivated, always positive and inspirational.
Tony Gentilcore - Co-founder of Cressey performance with Eric Cressey, is one of the most entertaining bloggers around. Not to mention really smart. His blogs are really easy to read but contain a great amount of info on all things training.
Nia Shanks - This woman is the perfect example of why women should lift heavy, excellent posts on her site and a great example of how doing more than tricep kickbacks with that cute little pink dumbbell set isn't gonna get you "bulky."
Nate Green - As much a lifestyle blog as a lifting blog, Nate always has awesome content. Great workout and nutrition stuff (he work with John Berardi over at Precision Nutrition), he also has loads on becoming your own hero!
Dean Somerset - Strength coach, kinesiologist, post rehab specialist, physiologist, Canadian. His ability to put even the most complex info into an easy to read, and not to mention, humourous format makes this a must read.
Harold Gibbons - Harold is always putting out great posts through his blog, great content on all aspects of health and fitness, great info and always a good read!
This is by no means an exhaustive list, but I had to limit it to 7 so there a big bunch of folks who I read almost daily that I've not put on the list. If you start with these, you'll be doing alright to start with!
Come back tomorrow for day numero 8....
Stay healthy.
Ps since I'm an idiot and forgot to post this on Sunday as I should have, this is going out on day 8 in the morning, and later today I'll post up day 8s actual intended post!
So we are at the 6th day, half way to Santa day. So still time to get some of those last minute pressies, and since I'm such a nice guy, I have half a dozen ideas for gifts for the folks you've forgotten, not got round to yet!
1. TRX - Awesome piece of kit. Take it anywhere, do almost anything with it! Easy to pack and with the door anchor you have no excuse not to get your workout in wherever you may find yourself!
2. Minimalist shoes - New Balance are my shoe of choice at the moment. The best thing I've ever done for my feet, super comfy, no heel lift and they look pretty good too. Taking away the heel lift and getting your feet back into the position they have evolved to be in. thats got to be a good thing right?
3. Egg poachers - I love eggs, especially poached, mmmmm! Since they are one of the best whole foods you can have, you should probably be eating more of em! These little silicon pods are easy to use (and just as importantly, easy to clean). (U.K.) (U.S.)
4. Foam Roller - Not just for in the gym you know! great to use on off days to help with recover and ease those tight muscles. (Also useful for working the core in a different way, see Bret Contreras post here) (U.K.) (U.S.)
5. Training gear - shorts, t-shirts, hoodies, track bottoms, all useful stuff. I used to be the guy in the scruffiest gear, but now I have to look a little smarter so I go for Under Armour. I like the feel of it and it performs really well. (U.K.) (U.S.)
6. Personal training sessions - Slightly shameless plug, but a good trainer can help motivate you and get you over any plateaus and help you take your training down a more focused route. There are loads of trainers out there, but if you are in the Edinburgh area, give me a shout!
All links are to amazon.co.uk or amazon.com, I'm not affiliated in any way, I just found it easier to link there than anywhere else! Likewise for the Under Armour links.
Today I have my 4 favourite exercises. These are the 4 exercises that I not only enjoy doing, no matter how beat I feel after performing them, but also that I feel give me, and probably you to, the best bang for your buck!
Pull ups A strong upper back is an absolute must! Most folks concentrate on training what they can see in the mirrors, chest, biceps, chest, abs, chest... you get my point! But in order to maintain good posture, balance must be made between the front and back of the body. Pull ups (or chinups) will help maintain that balance, and they look badass! Check out Neghar Fonooni busting out some weighted pull ups.
Deadlift While we are on the subject of working the muscles you can't see, we can't forget the deadlift. I love this lift. It hits everything down your back, through your glutes, hamstrings, calves and into your feet. Not to mention you arms, grip and core! But for the love of god, get someone who knows what they are doing to give you proper technique coaching, don't be this guy...
TRX body saw I love this exercise as it really focuses you into keeping the whole front of your core tight, and I mean from the chest right down to your knees! Having a slight hip hinges helps keep your core tight and saves your lower back sagging and stressing your poor lumbar spine.
To perform this movement, get in a face down position, feet in the TRX (which should be about mid shin height when you set it up), feet directly below the anchor point. Raise yourself up on your elbows, which should be directly under your shoulders, Push back with your armsso your body moves backwards while you hold it straight and tight, once your get back to a point about 8-12 inches behind your starting point, pull yourself forward to the start point. The video shows it better than I can describe it...along with an awesome tune!
1 arm Dumbbell press I wasn't gonna leave you without a pressing movement of some kind! It is almost Christmas after all! The difference with this one is the core component is there, because your loading is asymmetrical, you have to work that bit harder to stabilise your shoulder and torso. The added core component probably means that initially you'll have to go a little lighter than your normal DB bench load, once you are stronger and more easily able to stabilise the movement then you can work on increasing the load. Eric Cressey shows how its done.
Share and enjoy!
Don't forget to come back tomorrow for the next part of the 12 days of Christmas!
So here we are, the 3rd day of Christmas.
Santa day is getting closer, and I have 3 great festive breakfast ideas for you. These will give you the energy you need to battle through the Xmas madness and keep you fueled for success over the festive period, or at least till lunch!
Protein porridge with banana - I love porridge, especially in the winter, its hot, nutritious and verstile.
1 cup of oats
1 cup of semi skimmed (2%) milk.
Put both into a saucepan, put on the heat, keep stirring until it thickens and then add 1 scoop of protein powder, stir it in, and add a chopped banana, and eat!
You get:
34g protein
79g carbs
11g fat
3g fibre
and 585kcals.
Breakfast shake - great if you are in a rush!
Into a blender put, 250g yoghurt, top up with fresh orange juice (ideally not from concentrate), handful of mixed berries, 1 scoop of protein and a little squeeze of honey (about 2 teaspoons worth).
Blend, pour and drink!
You get:
38g protein
64g carbs
6g fat
8g fibre
and 425kcals.
Spicy scrambled eggs with veggies.
Dice up a couple of spring onions, a tomato and half a bell pepper, and put them into a hot pan with a little coriander and a little tumeric. Put your eggs into a bowl and whisk them up, adding about a tablespoon of Greek style yoghurt. Add this to the veggies and keep them moving while they cook.
Heat a tortilla for about 30 sec under the grill, spoon the egg mix onto the tortilla and wrap it up and eat!
You get:
15g protein
33g carbs
10g fat
2g fibre
and 333kcals
Enjoy!
Remember to come back tomorrow for the 3rd day of Christmas...
Day 2, For you today I have 2 book suggestions for ya!
I've read a lot this past year, books, blogs, articles, newspapers, food packages, twitter feeds, facebook posts, clocks, post, DVD covers, graffiti. You get the drift, I read a lot!
Narrowing it down to give you guys 2 suggestions of books has been difficult!
However...
The first is Michael Mejia and John Berardis' Scrawny to Brawny. (U.K.) (U.S.)
I really enjoyed this book, its well laid out and easy to read with a load of info. The training section is a good intro but my own training has gone a little further on now. However the nutrition section is fantastic and is a great resource.
The second is The New Rules of Lifting for Women (U.K.) (U.S.) This is the book I recommend to any woman coming to me about starting to lift. Both the nutrition and training info contained in here is excellent and is as valid for men as it is for women and I can't recommend it highly enough!
If you are looking for last minute gifts or just something to give your training a boost these are great options.
Have an awesome day, hope you are enjoying your build up to Santa day!
Here we are, once again its the run up to Christmas. Time flies!!
Over the next 12 days, I have 12 posts to give you ideas covering Christmas food, gifts, training and motivation to help keep you going in the busy run up to Present day!
To begin, I have not a partridge in a pear tree, but... the number 1 best tip I can offer give you to ensure that 2012 is your absolute, without doubt best year yet!
Set your Goals
That's all. Sounds simple right? It is! Kinda...but it is completely vital for you to achieve what you want to. If you don't have a goal, a clearly defined, written down goal, how on Earth will you know if you have truly reached it?
"Goals that are not written down are just wishes. " - Unknown
And we all know, "If wishes were horses, beggars would ride." - English proverb
I've read a lot lately, on various topics - training, anatomy, business, self development etc and one of the common themes I've picked up is that of having clearly defined goals. I also have listened to the goals series by Zig Ziglar, motivational speaker and master at goal setting and achievement.By following some of his suggestions and becoming more goal oriented I have achieved more in the last 2 months then I had in the previous 4! I would strongly advise you start to setting clear goals and start working on em! Its an ongoing process but well worth it.
1. Decide what you want.
2. Write it down.
3. Write down why you want it.
4. Write down who you need to talk to and what you need to do to achieve it.
5. Go do it!
It really is that simple, but, and there is always a but...
1. Be very clear about your goal. Fuzzy goals = fuzzy results.
2. If you don't write it, its a dream, its a wish. Write it down and put it somewhere you see it everyday.
3. If you can't say why, in 1 concise sentence why you want to achieve your goal, you don't want it. Not right now at least. Put it aside for later.
4. You need a plan, who can help you, what steps are needed and how do you go about achieving it.
5. Go do it!
Whether your goals are fat-loss, muscle building, financial, personal, job based, family, whatever they may be, set your goals, and go get em!
(And if you can get a hold of the Zig Ziglar "Goals" series, I highly recommend listening to it!)
Remember to come back tomorrow for the 2nd day of Christmas...
On this coming Monday its 12 days to Santa day, So I'll be posting 12 blogs, 1 on each of the 12 days of Christmas covering food, training, gifts and more!
In the meantime, an issue of the Linkz to keep you learnin!
So, here we go...
Ben Bruno has a request, he's doing an experiment comparing pushups and inverted rows. If you haven't done so, check out the post and send your results...
A short post from Charlotte Ord on strategies for growing old well.
I get asked at least half a dozen times a week, "Dave, what kind of crunches/ situps/ voodoo magic can I do to get the 6-pack I dream of?"
(image: Sloananderson.blogspot.com)
So then I start to talk about situps being a waste of space, risking your back to train a movement that isn't recreated in normal day to day life... I mean, the only crunch type movement I do everyday is getting out of bed. Even then its a fairly vague similarity...
So then it begins...
Them, "So, em, what should I do?"
Me,"Well, first off, you have train your core like its designed to work."
Them,"Huh?"
Me,"Your core is designed to resist extension (rectus abdominus -the 6 pack muscle), lateral flexion (internal and external obliques) and rotation (the whole core, rectus abdominus, obliques and transverse abdominus), so you should be training to resist those types of movements. Oh, and drop that packet of biscuits, start eating better and drop your body fat so you can actually see what, if any, muscle you have."
Them,"So, what kind of crunches should I be doing?"
I can totally understand where they are coming from, I mean, that used to be my way of training my core. I was always crunching away. Crunches, side crunches, feet elevated situps, weighted situps... the list goes on, because thats the way I was told it was done.
But...
Evidence from Dr Stuart McGill)has shown that repeated spinal flexion, ie situps, crunches etc can have a detrimental effect on your spine, watch this video....
So, if not crunches or situps, then what do you do for that six pack you dream of having? Well, there are 2 parts to your humble quest:
1. Get the muscle, and
2. Show the muscle.
The first part is done with the proper training.
Anti-extension (resisting any extension in your lumbar spine) - Plank, TRX fallouts, ab wheel rollouts. Anti-Rotation (resisting rotation at your lumbar spine) - Pallof presses (standing and half kneeling) Anti-Lateral extension (resisting bending to the side at your lumbar spine) - 1 sided farmer carries, 1 arm waiter carries, kettlebell windmills.
Always check proper form with any of these exercises as bad technique will negate any pluses these have! (Im working on my own video clips for all these and more, but it'll take time, in the mean time, check out Nick Tumminello, Mike Robertson and any of the other great coaches out there for demonstrations on youtube!)
So, now you've fixed your core, its strong and you know there is a kick ass set of abs but there is still not even a glimmer of your dreamed of 6 pack...
"Imagine your mid section is like a bed, if you have a thick duvet, (fat) covering it, then you can't see any definition. If you strip that duvet away, and replace it with a sheet (thinner fat layer, 8-12%) then definition will show through. If there is no appreciable muscle though, then there can be no 6 pack."
Now that is not exactly word for word, but you get the point. There are 2 factors involved in amazing 6 pack-ery. Muscle mass and low body fat.
Since we've got the muscle part down, lets talk about the fat loss. Generally speaking, guys need to be down around the 10% mark and ladies around 15% before your abs show through, so getting your 6 pack is gonna be a full body transformation.
A clean diet, lower carbs and higher protein is gonna be the answer for most folks. (This is a whole post in itself, so I'm gonna keep this very general. I'll come back with more specific suggestions in another post).
Calories in vs calories out is also hugely important, excess calories, those not burnt through activity, are stored as fat. If you are storing fat, muscle definition, abs or elsewhere, is not happening, so you have to burn more then you consume to ensure a caloric deficit. Caloric deficit, assuming protein:carb:fat ratios are good, and your nutrition is all good (big assumption I know!) means a lower body fat % and you are into a state of abs-a-poppin!
Here we go once again with the best of the article, blogs and videos I've looked at, learned from and been inspired by over the last couple of weeks!
Its been a little while since I've done one of these, but I've been in desperate need of my time management skills which have totally deserted me! But I'm back on top of most things now, and you'll forgive me right? Right?
Here we go...
Nate Green studies how the meathead has evolved and how to recognise one...
Tony Gentilcore teaches the neutral spine, Parts 1 and 2
Jason Ferruggia has a great training tip, you should definitely listen up.
Bret Contreras with some awesome glute exercises from the men, and the ladies.
An incredibly brave article from Nia Shanks on her experiences with disordered eating. Read this.
Followed with her great Beautiful Badass Nutrition and training principles. Definitely read these!
Jen Comas Keck with a review from the Girls Gone Strong weekend. I know guys who dont train this hard, and they wonder why they arent getting anywhere. Everyone should train with this awesomeness!
Alli McKee with an update and more on Girls Gone Strong.
Another member of Girls Gone Strong, Neghar Fonooni on food as fuel.
So another week is about to begin...and you have 2 choices.
You can either get sucked into that soul destroying mind fart that signals the end of the weekend, the end of your great weekend away from work and all the day to day drudgery that is about to begin.
Or,
You could use it as the start of something new, something that changes the way you see the world and how it sees you. If you aren't happy at what life is throwing your way, pick it up, throw it back and decide what you want.
It doesn't have to be a grand, sweeping change to every aspect of your world and the parts that piss you off, but change something. Start small, let it snowball. Its addictive!
You dont like your job? Well, what would you like to do? Think about what you really want to do, then take some time to find out what you need to do to get there. Talk to the people doing what you are interested in, how did they get there? What is needed to do what they do?
You want to get fitter, change your shape? Go to the gym, look at the people you want to look like, learn what is needed and go to work! Hire a trainer, even if its to get you started on your way, they know what they are talking about (mostly...) and do what they ask of you.
Want to learn something new? Find out what classes are available, research what books are the best, look for blogs, articles and whatever else is necessary to take the steps towards where you want to be.
The information you need, and the people you will need to talk to, for whatever you want to do is out in the world already. The internet isn't just for porn anymore, everything you need to know can be found, if, you take the time to look and know what you are looking for.
The point I'm trying (fairly uneloquently, I'm a personal trainer after all, not a writer, although it is something I want to improve at!), is that you have the ability to change your world and take control of it. You just need to decide to do it.
So, go and think about what you want, set your goals, then break those big goals into smaller ones. Then break those down into even smaller ones. Then pick one, any one, and get it done. Feels good right?
Keep on ticking off all those little goals, one at a time, take all the time you need to accomplish them but no more time than you need. That will lead into all sorts of delay tactics to get out of doing what is necessary! Before you know it, you are ticking off the big goals and you have made change happen!
Now, I am not saying its gonna be easy, god knows its isn't (from experience I know it can be tough, it takes you right out of your comfort zone and you have got to be consistent) but it sure as hell is worth it!
So go away, write down those goals, put them somewhere you will see them every single day. Tell your nearest and dearest about them, make them hold you accountable for achieving your goals. And go change your world.
High heels, I'm sure we can agree they can look pretty good -
But ladies, you have to ask yourself, are they worth the potential risks to your health?
I’m serious, they are called killer heels for a reason! Well, ok “killer” may be going a little far (unless you topple over and have a nasty fall!) but the risks to your joints, is very much real.
The position your feet are put into when wearing this type of shoe is pretty extreme, and, even if your heel is a relatively modest 2 inches, the stresses put on your joints can be debilitating.
So, lets start at the base and work our way up, looking at how your body must adapt when wearing this type of footwear.
Foot – The foot is placed into a toes down position, (plantar flexion), which increases the pressure on the sole of the foot. This type of increased pressure, as much as 75% at a 3¼ inch heel, can lead to deformities such as hammer toes and bunions. This position also increases the outward turn of the foot, supination, which strains the Achilles tendon as it no longer pulls in its optimal line.
Ankle – In a permanent state of plantar flexion, which limits the ability of the ankle to powerfully push of on each step. The position also may cause a shortening of the Achilles tendon causing an increase in the tension of the Achilles where it attaches on the heel bone.
Lower leg – Shortening of the calf muscle, study shows no decrease in volume but a shortening of the muscle fibres by up 13%, and a corresponding thickening and stiffening of the Achilles tendon to allow the calf muscle to operate “normally.”
Knee – Osteoarthritis of the knee is 2 times as common amongst women than men, there is some evidence that high heels may be the cause. In high heels, the knee is continually in a state of flexion, i.e. always bent, the shin bone is alsoput into an internally rotated position, the combination of these factors puts a compressive force onto the medial area of the knee, a common site for the development of osteoarthritis.
Hip – The position that wearing high heels would put you in, limits the drive from your feet when walking, therefore other muscle have to compensate. Most of this compensation comes from the hip flexor, the group of muscle at the upper front portion of the thigh. This in turn leads to chronic overuse andshortening of the muscles.
Lumbar spine – The spine has a natural curve to it which acts as a shock absorber, taking the stresses of walking and dissipating them to safe your vertebrae. Elevating the heel reduces the lumbar curve because your body leans forward and to compensate and keep your body in alignment flattens the lower back and tilts the head back.
So, ask yourself, is it truly worth it? All the above mentioned potential problems just to give the temporary illusion of an extra 2 or 3 inches in height?
Not really worth it, is it?
*Actual image of a womans feet after a lifetime of high heel wearing...
Hope all is well out there! I'm back to the new and soon to be much more regular day for the Linkz, after trip down to visit family last week, I'm back on track.
I've got my plan for the remainder of the month, and busy revising the plan for the rest of 2011! Adapt or die, right?
Speaking of which that leads us to our first article...
Its been a great week, we were down near Cambridge visiting my sister and her family. Had an awesome time with my nephew who is almost 2 and becoming a real character!
Anyway, I didn't have a lot of time for reading, but thats not to say I didnt get any done, as it turns out 2 year olds don't tend to sleep late!
First off, Zach Moore has a great post on using mixed grips
Over at Alwyn Cosgroves' site, he looks at diet vs exercise for fat loss.
I really enjoy Bret Contreras posts, super smart and easy to read too, Here is the RKC plank.
Great post from Martin Berkhan on a major problem in so many gyms these days...
A great 3 part (and counting?) series from Tony Gentilcore, Mistakes skinny guys make part 1, part 2 and part 3.
Jason Ferruggia shares some great tips from the Iron Guru himself, Vince Gironda
I'm talking about pre- and post training nutrition. The most under-valued nutrition of your day. The stuff that is gonna make the difference between working your ass off and getting frustrated at lack of progress, and working your ass off and getting the kind of size and strength gains you deserve.
Surrounding your workout, you have a key time period in which you can make or break your results by what building blocks you give your muscles to work with. How many times have you gone in to the gym, had a mediocre session because you don't have enough energy to complete your full sets and reps, and then felt crappy afterwards for longer than you really have any right to given your poor session?
It should never happen.
A little knowledge, a little planning and a smidgen of consistency will keep you progressing nicely.
The Knowledge.
Before you train, you need to fuel your session appropriately. Protein and complex carbs are gonna be what you need. Complex carbs release their energy slowly, drip feeding your muscles a steady source of energy allowing you to maintain your intensity throughout the full duration of your session. The protein will help minimise the muscle breakdown throughout your training.
Immediately after your session ends, you have an amazing anabolic (growth) window, within which you can take advantage to maximise your bodies potential to create muscle and burn fat. While slow release carbs are great before you start, their use is limited afterwards where fast replenishment of muscle glycogen is key. Fast, simple carbs are what you want here. Along with a quickly absorbed protein such as whey protein (casein protein is too slowly absorbed to be use in this period.)
Ideally you should be consuming a liquid protein and carb drink. I usually aim for around 1g per kg of bodyweight of carbs and 0.5g of protein per kg of bodyweight. Since I'm currently around 100kg, that equates to 100 g of carbs and 50 g of protein, all chugged down within 15 to 20 mins of training finishing. (The shake I typically make is at the end of this post)
If you were to wait just a couple of hours to get your post workout nutrition in instead of immediately post trianing, glycogen synthesis is as much as 3 times less. Glycogen synthesis, the method by which the carbs you consume are turned into glycogen, the energy stored in the muscles and liver, is controlled by providing adequate volumes of carbohydrate, and by stimulating the production of insulin (the hormone that basically pushes the glycogen into the muscles).
The Planning.
You know when you're gonna be training. So there is no excuse to missout on your pre- and post-workout nutrition. There are loads of ready to shake proteins out there that will give you the ratios you need in order to maximise your results. before you leave, get a shake down you, then pack one in your bag to make sure you get your nutrition asap afterwards.
The Consistency.
This is tied in with the planning, plans are only good if you follow them through. You need to get the post workout shake into you after Every. Single. Workout.
No more to it!
My shake:
400ml of semi skimmed milk
2 medium bananas
2 scoops of protein powder
squirt of honey
This gives 750 kcals, 66g protein, 99 g of carbs. I also take 2 caps of BCAAs.
Now you may not be my size, so you can scale it for your own requirements. Remembering the 1g carb and 0.5g of protein per kg of bodyweight.
The Turkish Getup isn't an oddball buddy cop movie from the 80s, it is however an awesome exrcise! Neghar Fonooni shows you how its done. ps She is crazy strong!
Dan John is smart, in fact he has 40 years of smarts and is happy to share. Part 1 and part 2.
While we are on the topic of Dan John, When Mike Boyle tells you what hes learned from the man, you would be wise to listen!
What a week its been, (or maybe i should say week and a half!) We move into the new flat at the start of last week, (still got some unpacking to do...)
Due to a misunderstanding with our letting agent, our phone and internet arent gonna be up and running until the 19th of the month (hard to believe that I rely that much on the internet...) and to top it all off, our car deadlocked itself and not even the Mazda engineers know how to sort it!
On the plus side though, I dropped my hours at the shop I work in to concentrate on getting the personal training business going. On that note my temporary site should be up tonight and I'm so excited to see it and what the full site will be like!
I'm getting back to my own training tonight, really looking forward to that, with everything thats been going on I've been slipping with my own training. So everything is getting back on track and once my internet connection is back, I'll be posting more regularly and there will be a bumper issue of the Linkz as a thank you for your patience!
Hi Folks, I'm possibly gonna be off-line for the next few days as me and the future Mrs Dave are moving to a new flat tomorrow and it might be a couple off days to get our internet set up.
Not sure quite how I'm gonna make it, but have iPhone, will get by!
Over the last week, I've not had a load of time to train this week, thats not to say I've not managed. Monday morning I did a session from the workout I posted last week, Wednesday was a body weight workout, working for 30 secs on pushups, jump squats, plank, burpees and alternate lunges, no rest between exercises, 2min rest and repeat 5 times. Friday I worked through a bootcamp session as I had 2 people turn up due to the weather and they insisted I work along with them. Who am I to say no!
Needless to say I'll be back to normal training this week once all our stuff has been moved in, which in itself is gonna be a decent amount of work, but a few friends are helping out so that will be great!
Anyway, just a quick post today to keep you all up to date (should you be interested!) and I'll be back toward the end of the week with more post and the linkz on Friday. This is the last linkz post incase you missed it!
