Hey! We’re in 2010, welcome. Do you know what, I’m so happy! Why? Well, A) You’re going to feel absolutely amazing this year B) It’s my mission to change more people’s lives than I did last year and C) I’ve got so many treats ahead for you, I’m so excited. Oh and thank you so much for reading my blogs, emails and more – thanks for your support in 2009 and let’s together make this year one that delivers you the body, confidence and passion to do more than just lose weight or get fit! Agreed?
By now you should know if you’re not involved in some kind of fitness then you should be. It changed my life and even when I was busy, when I ‘got into it’, it changed my life. I am aware though that for a lot of people, finding the time to exercise and just getting that ball moving is a real struggle. That’s why, you can now download Fitness, Even When You’re Really Busy - there’s 50% off and an added extra discount for 24 hours only using the code ‘happynewyear’.
This new ebook is for anyone who needs a good kick start in the new year. If you want more energy, to feel a real zest for life and remember what I said in ‘The Snowball Effect’, if fitness isn’t in your life, it simply has to be.
Picture the scene, it’s Christmas day and my dad opens his latest present. It’s a power ball grip strengthener – i’ve done a post featuring these before, but since I’ve just acquired a lovely new flip video camera for christmas myself, I thought i’d update the blog with what I think is a quite a funny video. On a serious note, these powerballs aren’t gimmicks – they seriously help you build up arms strength, particulary the wrist which is great for tennis, squash, badminton, body building, climbing, bowling and many other sports. If you have generally poor strength in the wrist then this will affect the way you perform your exercises in the gym. This little tool is brilliant, as you’re about to see. I cant wait for your comments on this one…
I’ve included some links below to powerballs if you want them… There are now 4 of these between our houses!
Click Here for Powerballs @ Amazon.co.uk
Click here for Powerballs @ Amazon.com (USA + WORLDWIDE)
Ouch, my head is still bruised. In our final bootcamp of 2009 this morning, I decided to create a game using the big red boxes at our gymnastics club – they’re great, we jump over them, push them, wrestle with them and more.
I decided it would be fun to stand them all up tall and create ‘Chase The Elf’ with my little green hat stuck over my eats to amuse my bootcampers. After several hilarious games with screams from the girls as they caught each other (you can’t really see each other as they’re so tall, so it installs that sense of unknown), I decided to get involved.
In a split second before ending the session I decided to go to knee height – Alison, our new bootcamper (who has been doing great coming to pretty much every session since she started, well done you), ran directly into my head. As a result, the following photos show the evidence.
The message of this post! Erm, exericse is can be hilarious, but sometimes you can get a few bumps and bruises, you just have to get up and carry on. Needless to say, I had a lovely email from one of the bootcampers after this morning’s session which I thought i’d share to give everyone some motivation to find a bootcamp or something close to you that offers the same enjoyment as New Body Bootcamp here in Exeter.
This is my signing off for Christmas – I want to wish you all a very happy Christmas and new year, so I made this little video!
A bicep curl is an isolation exercise
I wanted to do a quick post today to show you the difference between what we call compound and isolation exercises. It’s quite important to know the difference if you’re using weights which you should know by now are important not only for building muscle, but also losing weight, as the more muscle in the body, the less room for fat. If you’ve not implemented strength training into your programme then you need to, and I’ve got a great solution for you which I’ll come onto in a moment.
But first of all, what’s the difference between a compounds and isolation exercise?
A compound movement is where several muscle groups are being used at once. So, in the example below we have a press up. The press up is a big ‘pushing movement’ which develops the pectorals (chest), triceps (back of arms, or bingo wings!) and delts (shoulders). A compound exercise is great because when multiple muscle groups are recruited, you get more bang for your buck – perfect if you’re short of time and want to get the whole body exercised. By putting a series of compound exercises together in what we call a circuit, you can seriously increase the heart rate, which is ideal for fat stripping workouts.
Compound = Pressup
Now an isolation exercise is where one muscle group is being recruited, such in the example below of the tricep kickback. These exercises are great if you’re looking to build a certain area of the body, but if you’re looking to get overall strength, you can easily make do with big compound movements. In my bootcamps we tend to work large muscle groups (compound), which create more of a hormonal response, thus generating more fat stripping and weight loss cells.
It would take three isolation exercises to get the same benefit of the pressup. You would have to perform a tricep exercise, a shoulder exercise and a chest exercise. By executing compound movements, these are what we call functional exercises, movements that your muscles would require for day to day operation, recruiting multiple muscles, at different intensities.
Isolation = Tricep Kickback
Where isolation exercises are definately beneficial, I think they tend to be overused for many people who simply want to lose weight – bigger compound movents such as squats, deadlifts and the above pressup are fantastic for both. People get conditioned in the gym to working all of the isolation machines, where they could simply hit the compound movements and get the same results. Plus remember your rep ranges 15 for toning, 12 for size and 8 and lower for strength. Having said that, you need to work until you feel uncomfortable remember, let the lactic acid in the muscles build up until it’s like a balloon about to pop!
If you’re looking for more exericse demos, with all the muscles used then head over to http://www.strength-training-anatomy-exercises.com
If on the other hand you’re looking for specific fat burning workouts then one of which I would highly recommend is Craig Ballantyne’s Turbulance Training System which I have arranged you a $4.95 trial of.
Hey peeps,
I know what it’s like – last minute Christmas decisions. I’m being honest now, it’s Wednesday evening and I have not bought one present yet, I’ll be doing all of my stuff last minute – oops! Anyway, if you’re wondering what to buy friend or family member something this Christmas and you want to help them develop their body, why not pick one of the following.
The Powerball
The handy grip strength builder that’s small, portable and will assist you with other exercises in the gym. This is a great low cost buy that works and is fun. This gets my thumbs up!
12kg Kettlebell
I use kettle bells in my bootcamps. They’re super effective at stripping fat and building strength. The 12kg is the perfect starter weight for a beginner and you’ll be able to perform the traditional swing perfectly. Don’t go for anything too light or you won’t feel the benefit. Swing it, push it – this one is the ‘Biggest Loser’ favourite. More on these next year on the blog.
Heart Rate Monitor
Using a heart rate monitor is a great way to ensure you’re working at the correct rate for aerobic or anaerobic workouts. By tracking your heart rate, you can set the tempo for workouts and see quick improvements. It’s the ultimate gadget for fitness and polar are the world leaders.
Pink Punchbag and Mitts
Boxing is the no1 favourite exercise with 1-1 clients and with this there’s no reason why you can’t get in on the action. Boxing is fun, burn more carlories than you would exer expect and is a great confidence builder. If you haven’t tried women’s boxing yet, go for it – grab a mate and have some fun! Guys, this is a top level gift for the girl or woman in your life!
Fit Ball
I’m surprised how many people haven’t got fit balls and are still lying the floor yanking the back of their necks trying to get a fit torso. A fitball will reshape the way you think about training your abs. Get one of these and put it in your own stocking if you don’t get it for someone else! I’ll be doing some videos next year all on the ball!
So there you go, some great ideas for Christmas and maybe, just maybe yourself! Have a great one!
Here’s a question that was asked recently and I think it’s one that many have on their minds, especially if you haven’t undertaken structured exercise before. Now, bare in mind that pretty much throughout my life I never undertook any exercise, until my early twenties. Why? Well first of all I was always picked last for sports and then I got into the working life, where drinking was more popular than exercise – I’m not using it as an excuse but in the video games industry which I was in, it was about drinking after work and not going to the gym or taking part in sports, unless it was on a computer console. The next public relatiopns rep would be down to promote their new game and it was tradition to let the alcohol flow pretty much daily after work hours, a lot of the time even from the afternoon – now when you’ve got a hang-over pretty much every day, you’re not in the mood for working out, just as much as eating healthy when you’re hangin’ – yuk. So the snowball of fat gain and feeling sluggish begins.
So, how do you get addicted to the gym? Well, if I look at how I became a regular gym goer who enjoyed it, coming from someone who felt sick at the thought of it; my ‘tipping point’ (meaning the point that you say, ‘enough is enough, I have to do something about this’) came after being bullied once too many times. My confidence had been knocked so much that I wanted to do something about it. So, being the youngster I was, I thought of the ultimate confidence builder ‘Kung Fu’. As many of you may have read in The Lunch Box Diet, I enrolled in a local class. The great thing about doing it this way is; as long as you can overcome the fear of the first session, once you’re in, you’re normally meant to feel quite welcome. So when you go back and back again, you just improve and get fitter. Then the snowball starts rolling in the right direction. I was fortunate to have a great tutor who saw that I was a little more out of shape than the other budding Bruce Lees, so he offered to help me 1-1, free of charge in the gym, when he was exercising – nice guy! It was this moment that changed my life. Having a mentor there to be by my side made a massive difference. Modeling someone else’s performance and eating habits is the quickest way to success. So, if you’re wondering of a great way to get started, grab a friend who was in a similar situation to you are now and ask if you can jump on board. Chances are they’ll be thankful of the compliment and you asking to be their ‘health mentor’, will be something they can’t refuse.
Wait to see results
In addition, it’s also important that you push yourself through the initial periods and start seeing results before giving up. Don’t expect too much to quickly and lose interest. You’ll get addicted, when your clothes start to change and your feel different in yourself. When you’ve got more energy and are less tired. Make fitness fun and interesting. In my fitness bootcamps in Exeter, we have fun, mess around, have a laugh and people want to come back time and time again. Not only that, they want to see the same people who were there last time and everyone motivates each other. So, if you’ve been to a gym before and haven’t got results, don’t go back and do the same. Simple. Find something new, change your tactics! This will change your results.
Have a goal and track your progress
Be sure to track your progress. If you run for 10 minutes the fist time you run, make sure you do 12 the next time. If you lift 8kg weights for the first four weeks, up it to 10kg the next four weeks and write it down. When you stick within your comfort zone and prance around on the x-trainer while watching Eastenders, thinking ‘if I burn another 200 calories’ I can afford to have that curry tonight, you’re not going to get there! Work hard, but work so you get that buzz and want to come back and beat your personal best the next time around.
Visualise your end result
I’ve said it before, but use visualisation. Close your eyes and imagine you looking the best you ever have. Get the feeling of being in the skinny dress or jeans that everyone says ‘bloody hell X, you look amazing’. When you get that first comment, that’s when you’ll get addicted. You’ll get addicted to the feeling of compliments, instead of used to making up the fact that you’re happy at your weight, when you’re clealy not. You’ll get addicted to reaching targets – you’ve got to have clear targets in mind.
Well this is how I got ‘addicted’ anyway. There are plenty of other ways to get into exercise and love it, but the rule of thumb is find what you enjoy. If you don’t enjoy it, move on, there are hundreds of things you can be doing to get you fit without you moaning in the initial stages. But I’ll bet you this, once you catch the bug, the things don’t enjoy now you’ll most likely love. I’ve converted treadmill ‘haters’ into people who cry when they get an injury and can’t enter a marathon. I’ve converted sluggish office types into personal trainers themselves. It’s all about passion, and you too can get a passion for exercise. Let me tell you this, until you do, your life won’t be complete. You probably won’t have the relationships you want, be doing the job that serves you best and living your life to the max.
With that, I hope you’re raring to go!
A common problem among many newcomers to exercise is their wrist strength, and I see many more women with this problem than men. If you’ve not performed structured exercise before then don’t be surprised if the muscles in your lower arm become weak and you can’t hold heavy weights for very long. This can hinder exercises such as the dead lift, which often need much more weight than your grip can hold initially. I’ve worked with many who simply can’t hold light dumbbells when performing simple pressing movements, the hands twisting and turning out of control, leaving the exercise unsafe, especially when working individually. So what’s the solution when starting out as it can be very frustrating…
First of all you can build up gradually – be sure so hold onto weights as long as you can to develop the muscles and condition them over a period of time. Holding and squeezing a tennis ball regularly is a good option, but many people don’t force themselves to perform this regularly.
Another alternative are wrist curls, please see the animated exercise below which you can perform on a bench with a barbell.
Another more modern version is to grab yourself a Powerball – these smart futuristic looking tools really get to work on developing the wrist and forcing it to work under pressure, with the weight distribution and intensity being continuously moved around.
So, here are your exercise animations for wrist curls and reverse wrist curls, taken from Training Buddy, the exercise animation software.
I hope what will be a light hearted, but also useful post, today I wanted to demonstrate how easy it is to pile on the pounds over the festive period. Even if you eliminate a few of these tips, or include some of them, you’re sure to prevent some of the agony in the new year. Yes of course, it’s a time for celebrations, festive cheer and all that, but blimey, you just don’t need to:
- Say yes to everything offered to you
- Put out a 12 pack of mince pies for santa and then tell the kids that he ate them all
- Grab a handful of something everytime you pass through the living room on christmas morning
- Always be the one to offer around all the nibbles so you have your excuse to delve your mittens in first
- Secretly place a giant bar of chocolate under the tree, wrapped and named for youself, by yourself
- Stand cooking the christmas dinner, being a real chef and tasting everything, every 20 seconds
- Steal children’s treats telling them it’s bad for their teeth, and then eat them yourself
- Shout ‘let’s play eating games!’
- Fill your christmas dinner plate so everything is dripping off the edge
- Trying the toddlers portions every three seconds, saying ‘no, it’s still too hot when it’s cold’
- Pass around everything, six times just so you can get three more spuds
- Saying you didn’t like the first desert, even tho half of it has vanishsed
- Picking the crackers with the sweets in!
- Playing the ‘find all the christmas tree sweets’ and winning every time, even though there are kids around!
- Miss out on any exercise between now and new year
- Using the queen’s speech to slip out and ‘fill up again’
- Get a bike or exercise equipment as a gift and toss it to ones side
- Switch off a child using Wii Fit and put on Mario Kart!
- Get completely bladdered
- Repeat most of the above on boxing day from the left overs!
Hey guys,
Hope you’re having a good weekend. Here’s the start of my exercise posts. I will be doing some videos of me performing exercises next year, but for the moment here’s a great way of learning how your body works. The first exercise is a dumbbell squat, great for toning the legs – the lower you go, the more you hit your butt and always remember to pick a weight that’s not too light, you should really feel it! About 15 reps for toning and 12 to build size. Great for skiing conditioning, especially if you hold the exercise at the lower part of the exercise.
If you want to see over 60 exercises like this one and learn all the muscle groups for the whole body check out http://www.strength-training-anatomy-exercises.com/
Hover over the button on the right to find out what muscles your working and get exercise tips at the bottom! Happy days 
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