First steps in to fitness

Has it finally happened? Have you looked in the mirror and said I need to get in shape?

You are not on you own! However one of the main problems when people come to this realisation is they don’t know how to get in to shape! Is this you? 

Don't worry we've all been there.

A lot of people will just jump on the computer type in to Google “ how to lose weight” then get frustrated because there are thousands of articles saying different thing, so they just shut the page down and forget about trying to get in shape.  

This blog is going to get you ready to start getting in to shape!

Let’s get started.  Think back to the last time you tried to get in shape and lose weight.  How successful were you? What went wrong? Why did you stop?

There you go we are 1 step closer all ready, you now know what doesn't work for you. You can’t do the same thing over and over again and expect different results.

So my 3 basic steps to getting you started are simple:

·         Education: know how to get in shape

·         Inspiration: know why you’re getting in shape. What is your goal!

·         Support: having others help you along the way to get in shape

I understand people see education and run a mile! But this is just understanding the basic, what to train for your body type, what foods are actually healthy. If you are using Google make the search direct! Don’t say how to get in shape, say… how to lose body fat through diet and exercise. Getting a basic understanding of what a healthy lifestyle is will put a step in the right direction.

Inspiration is a fun one! Why do you want to lose this weight or get lean or even build muscle? Dig deep to find these answers! This will be your motivation. Find a photo of what you want to look like and then you have an image of what you want. Always! Always! Always d progress pictures this will show you how far you have come.

Now support this could me a couple of things, gym buddy, your family eating what you need to help reach your goal or a someone just encouraging you to carry on and to not give in.

If you follow these 3 basic steps you’ll be taking a massive leap in the right direction!

Six key health benefits of walking

Depending on your current fitness level, a fast paced walk might just get you sweating and raise the heart rate too.

As you start to find a fast walk easy you can increase the distance or speed and if you’re feeling daring both, switch between high and moderate intensity, decrease the ‘recovery periods’, and find hills/steps to climb.

If you want to know how many steps you are doing a day get a pedometer (step counter). The NHS suggests we should aim to take more than 10,000 steps a day to see health benefits. However on average people only take 4,000, so a pedometer could help see how many you take.

So my six key benefits of walking are;

• Developing stronger bones: Walking has far less pressure on your joints than running, and can reduce the risk of osteoporosis by increasing bone mineral density.
• Healthy heart: High blood pressure and high cholesterol are proven to be reduced by walking regularly
• Controls weight: Depending on the intensity and the fitness level for the person a little aerobic walk can get you sweating and raise your heart rate
• Clears the mind: The psychological benefits of a long walk are great, it can help clear a mind full of stress and worry, reduce depression and even improve the quality of sleep
• Energises the body: Walking is a great way to promote oxygen to flow around your body, reducing muscle tension and stiffness.
• Tones up your muscles: A hill-walk every day can really bring shapely definition to the calves, quads, even glutes. Increasing the pace will bring in the hamstrings, hip flexors, and buttocks.

The Dreaded Diet

Lets face it, dieting is hell! I don’t know anyone who actually enjoys dieting or, who doesn’t find it a real struggle (me included). So instead of being on & off a ridiculous regime, I have discovered a more attainable way to eat healthily, get great changes from your body, without going through the pain of a diet!

My first point, everyone responds differently to foods so my opinion in this blog is a generalisation however, you will get plenty of mileage from this advice.

So lets get started with the basics. You must first of all recognise what foods are causing you great damage. High sugars, high saturated fats and the biggest criminal of them all are trans or hydrogenated fats!

Look carefully on the back of the packet at what you’re eating and if the sugar content is high then remove it. If the saturated fat is high then also remove it, unless, its olive oil, coconut oil or butter. Some of these oils will clearly say no trans or hydrogenated fats. If they don’t, then find one. Unfortunately, with fats, there is no legal obligation for companies to display their use of trans or hydrogenation however, some companies take pride to advertise the fact they don’t, thus, these fats are safe to use.

 

Remaining vigilant on what high concentrations of sugars and fats are in your existing diet allows you to make better choices of the same things with fewer repercussions. So if you want chocolate, look for chocolate that is primarily made from cacao and cacao butter, The Naked cacao bars are a great substitute (don’t worry I’m not on commission) so give them a try.

If you want sugar in cooking or coffee then use Agave nectar, its completely natural, its 25% less sugar than normal sugar and its 50% sweeter so you don’t need as much. And it doesn’t contain any of the nasty industrial cleaning ingredients like aspartame, which, is found in most sweeteners.

Get rid of cooking sauces and start blending your own herbs and spices mixed with olive oil. You will be amazed at how great your own homemade blends can taste, even better than off-the-shelf pastes and sauces. A little experimentation is needed her but, trust me, by going on to you tube and looking how to make your own healthy pastes and sauces you will have gorgeous meals every day, and, you will be eating meals that are healthy for you.

If you want snacks then simply have a couple of pieces of your favourite fruit every day or a couple of rice cakes with peanut butter or almond butter and a tiny speck of Agave nectar, a delicious way to keep you going between meals.

  

Once you put this into practise you will notice a dramatic difference in your body regardless of your goals. Not to mention all the amazing health benefits for eating this way. You will no longer have to endure a diet again for the rest of your life but enjoy the great results some diets can produce.

So, if this has inspired you then go and get started today! And, also share this with all your friends and family. Pass on the good message of healthy eating the delicious way!

Keep healthy

Lewis

Running in winter

It’s nearly winter time guys! Which means for the runners it’s nearly time for the final races of the year.

When racing and working out at this time of year, the temperature is a concern for runners all over the country. Not only do many runners think running in the cold is bad for you, but it’s not an appealing thought to be standing on the starting line shivering in your spandex.

So I thought I’d give a brief run through of the effects of cold weather on your performance. 

1. You rely on carbohydrates more than fat and protein. Which means this will drain your energy quicker, this could mean trouble on a winter run.
2. Your lactate production is higher for a given intensity.
3. Your muscle contractions are less powerful. 

Higher lactate production, and less efficient muscle contractions are also problematic for shorter races. However these points can be controlled by wearing warm clothes and moderate activate like jogging. This means it is best to use a continuous workout rather than short bouts of exercise as once you cool down you will struggle to warm back up during a race or workout!

So our final conclusion about running in the cold is:

Running in the cold can impact your performance. However for those that still want to run we do have some helpful tips. 

1. It is important to stay warm before and during a workout or a race in the cold. Because it is much harder to bring it back up once it has dropped
2. Maintaining your carbohydrate and fluid intake levels are also important, as you’re more likely to “hit the wall” in training or in a long race during cold weather. 
3. Layering is always a good idea in the cold; it is easier to calibrate your optimal clothing level when you have several thinner layers versus one thick one.
4. For the cold and rainy runs, buy Latex gloves because its water proof. You can wear the latex gloves under or over your mittens. This will keep your hands dry.

• Wear tight clothing. Loose clothes will sag more and weight you down, plus you will feel more comfortable.
• Put Vaseline on exposed parts of your skin. Vaseline is water-resistant and it will help keep you warm if it’s windy.

So if you love to run and the cold weather isn’t going to stop you, then try these useful tips!

Sweat through the Stress

Hands up how many people get home after a stressful day at work and think; I just want to sit down with my chocolates and cuppa/wine and chill out?

You’re not likely going to think, I've had a very stressful day I know lets go do a workout to release this stress. Am I RIGHT?

WELL IT’S SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN THAT’S THE WAY YOU SHOULD THINK…

See your body wasn't made to sit down all day, it was made to exercise. So when you don’t exercise, your body is not working to its full potential.  Meaning the hormones and chemicals that need to be released in to your body are not being released... so therefore your stress levels are high and will stay high.

Whereas if you work out then your hormones and chemicals are being released so then your stress will start to disappear!

So don’t go to the Sugar and sweets or the cheeky drink, go to your gym or do your workout at home!

SWEAT YOUR STRESS OUT :)

Detox diet: - Fab or Fad

How many of you have thought it’s time for a NEW YOU? 

Or said it’s time to lose that extra couple of pounds you don’t want?

The first thing that you want to do is cleanse your body of all those sneaky takeaways, those pints or even the couple of bottles of wine you’ve been having on the weekend. Right?

so your looking through your Facebook and you see words like “detox”, “cleanse” or “flush” your reading the articles and the case studies they are providing, and you’re thinking to yourself wow that sounds easy! I’ll try that! A couple of tablets a day, or just smoothies for 3 days and I lose that much weight and my body’s healthy.  YES PLEASE!

IT’S NOT TRUE! These words “detox”& “cleanses” are just medical terms that have been turned in to a marketing strategy. Yeah you may have lost some weight but only because you have starved yourself, that weight will come right back when you start eating again. 

To maintain the weight you would have lost, would mean gym at least 3-4 times a week and your diet to be spot on. You would have starved your body doing a detox, so there for whatever you eat your body is going to absorb everything it can out of it.

They only way to lose fat and get healthy is to do exercise and eat healthy! Nothing else will give you the long term affects you want!

How to Run in the Sun

Running in amazing but unbearable heat can be seriously draining, not to mention it can affect your pace and times.  I know this puts a lot of people off, however we can do stuff to help.

There are techniques used by athletes called 'pre-cooling', which as the name suggests is about lowering the body temperature before you start your workout. Which according to the articles, this can be done from the inside or the outside. Mainly they say this is from drinking a cold drink or cooling the skin.

There was a study done that split a group of runners into three groups, one did no pre-cooling, the second had a slushy and the third used iced towels, ice baths for their arms, and even iced underwear. The results basically showed;

1. During the start of the run those who had pre-cooled were able to sustain a higher intensity.
2. Regardless of pre-cooling their finishing body temperatures were the same, so eventually the effects do wear off
3. The effects lasted longest on those who had cooled the skin rather than the stomach.

So if you are running or want to start running, then these can help to keep yourself going during the hot weather.

For more help, guidance or just general motivation then follow us on social media Twitter @PTElite_ and Facebook or if you want information on personal training at our private training studios for Liverpool and Wirral simply contact us on 0151 668 0250 or email info@elitefitnessconsultants.co.uk

THE PRE WORKOUTS GUIDE

People want the most out of their workouts, otherwise what would be the point.  They want more reps, more distance covered, more weight, so usually any advantage we can bring to the gym is welcome.  The supplement industry is built around this desire for peak performance, and one particular type of supplement that is becoming increasingly popular is pre-workout.

When looking through blogs and other fitness magazines, it’s recognisable that pre-workout is soon or is going to be a must have for the Gym heads out there.  What the companies say that pre-workout does- increased focus, strength and endurance for the duration of your workout, resulting in better all-round performance and ultimately better results. But are they back? I basically want to give you an idea of it so I'm going to look at the pros and cons of pre-workout.

The Pro’s

Most pre-workouts are based around caffeine, which is used everywhere! And well everyone knows what effects caffeine has on you (increased alertness, focus, and energy levels). 

The typical dose of caffeine is usually between 100-300 mg, which is about the same as a couple of cups of strong coffee.  So if your drink well over 5 cups of coffee a day it might not effect you as much as say someone who drinks 2 a day. If you are a big Coffee drinker I’d say to you to cut back if you want the full effects of pre-workout.

Now to get more in-depth (Geek alert) there are other stimulants, like Taurine and Methylhexanamine, and this is to help give users that extra boost. Some also use creatine & BCAA’s to help muscle recover.

Pre-workout can help you get a more out of your workout, but don’t use it every time you go to the gym you’ll develop a tolerance and won’t get what you want out of it in the end. If I was going to say use it, do it before a heavy lift session not all the time.

The Cons

There are reasons to avoid pre-workout supplements, like the increase in blood pressure can be dangerous for so many people, so people with heart & cardiovascular issues should avoid pre-workout.

A lot of people just react well to these, they tend to get side effects like headaches and sickness. However drink a lot of water may help you. If still getting side effects I’d recommend you to stop taking them. Another big complaint that I have heard is that it effects people’s sleeps, so if you take it you have to stick to the same rules as coffee (don’t take 6 hours before bed).

So basically the main points are; only use before your heavier workouts and those days where you’re really struggling for energy.  Misuse it and you’ll most likely feel the side effects.  Don’t use if you have heart and cardiovascular issues, & don’t use before bed.

Free Weights vs. Machines

Have you ever been halfway through your workout, working hard, on the machines and wondered if using the machine is better than using free standing weights?  

Both forms of equipment have some benefits and some drawbacks; the key is to figure out which one is right for you.

Machines

When you walk into a gym, the first pieces of equipment you usually see are loads of different machines set up to work each muscle in your body. You get on the machine and let them guide your body through the movement while they provide resistance; all you need to do is push or pull.

Machines are great for newbies because they don't have much of an intimidation factor. You can easily select a weight that is appropriate for you and just follow the machine's range of motion to guarantee that you hit your target muscle. They can also help prevent injuries.

These are some of reasons why we think machines are good.

• Faster workouts
• Reduced risk of injury 
• Easy to use
• Useful when recovering from an injury

These are some of the reason we have against using them:

Here are some of the downsides of weight machines:

• Increased risk of pattern overload injuries
• False sense of strength gain
• Mistaken sense of safety
• Locked-in-place body movement patterns.

Free weights

Free weights, This Is equipment such as dumbbells and barbells. These are the alternative to machines for your strength-training program. If you're a beginner but have invested in some personal training sessions, or if you're past the beginner stage, free weights are your better option.

Some of the benefits of free weights are:

•         Increased use of stabilizing muscles
•          Similarity with everyday activities
•          Improved balance
•          Increased use of brainpower
•          Convenient and inexpensive

Free weights also have some bad points.

•          Increased risk of injury when not using proper form
•          Decreased efficiency

So to sum it up.

While both free weights and machines have their pros and cons, free weights tend to be a better choice for almost everyone. Even beginners should try to progress to free weights as quickly as possible since they will see more noticeable improvements with this type of equipment. Every once in a while, a session with a trainer is a great idea to ensure you are using correct form, and to give you ideas for different exercises to increase your interest in working out.

If you want more help, guidance and just general motivation then follow us on social media Twitter @PTElite_ and Facebook or if you want information on personal training at our private training studios for Liverpool and Wirral simply contact us on 0151 668 0250 or email info@elitefitnessconsultants.co.uk

First Fat now Sugar .......what else?

Sugar is THE hot topic in the world of health and nutrition at the moment, with huge media attention homing down on sugar which has quickly become the devil of our diets.

To kick things off let’s start with some statistics:

• In 1993 13% of men and 16% of women were obese – in 2011 this has risen to 24% for     men and 26% for women. (NHS, 2013)
• Out of children attending reception class (aged 4-5 years) during 2011-12, 9.5% were       obese. (NHS, 2013)
• In the UK, 64% of adults are classed as being overweight or obese. (BBC, 2014)

Interesting hey? However if current trends continue those percentages are only going to increase! Now we have some statistics; let’s look at sugar and the role it has to play in our diet.

The table sugar we know of is a Disaccharide (simple carbohydrate) it is digested and broken down into glucose where it is used for energy and storage in the liver and muscles. This process is very quick, making sugar our most easily utilised fuel to create energy. Fat and protein take longer to digest and release energy.

Why is sugar perceived as being so bad you ask? The body seems to love the sweet stuff! Well a scope of common sense is needed here, and the realisation that we are consuming too much sugar. Some sugar can have a place in our diets but excessive use (most people’s intakes) will lead to fat storage and ill health.

Sugar is a fast acting source of energy therefore can be a very useful tool for keen runners or endurance athletes, who are exercising regularly over 90 minutes at a time. You’ll find your body craving a sugar high to give you a much needed performance boost! (I've found Haribo hit the spot nicely) However anything less than 90 minutes will usually mean you can survive just fine with a good meal before, and water throughout.

There is no evil in sugar per se so should not be demonised. Where the problem lies however is its rate of consumption when set against our current activity levels, this is what’s contributing to Obesity, Heart Disease, Type 2 Diabetes and other such horrible diseases.

Sugar in conjunction with our ever increasing sedentary lifestyles, lack of exercise, low sport participation, love of alcohol, the influence of technology and the convenience of motorised transport are all contributors to our poor health and flabby belly’s.

A final thought is our understanding of what is good nutrition, with a minefield of misleading advertisement and marketing campaigns from the major food chains, these guys at the top are influencing us massively. Next time you go to buy something because it’s a slow releasing carbohydrate or claims to “help maintain a healthy heart” (they usually have green banners also) take a second to ask how is this healthy? Then ask who is telling you this information? A professional who deals with nutrition or (more than likely) a company selling their product?

To stay on the safe side of those statistics earlier, try reducing your sugar consumption (NHS recommend no more than 70g a day for men and 50g for women) and combine this with 30-45 minute exercise sessions 3-4x a week. Eat your green’s and increase your protein intake such as meat, fish and poultry.

A couple of basic changes for you there that will improve cholesterol levels, skin conditions such as eczema and most importantly, shift those inches off the waistline.

If you need more help regarding your health, fitness and nutrition then give us a call at Elite Fitness Consultants 0151 668 0250 or email me at lee@elitefitnessconsultants.co.uk

Personal Trainers Talking Rubbish!

To firstly warn you, this is a bit of a rant however, it is also a good guide to help avoid being ripped off or misled by Personal Trainers promising you the dream they cannot deliver!

I am sick and tired of seeing personal trainers making statements on websites, facebook, twitter and every other media platform out there promising people the body of their dreams in 21 days or a 6 pack in 6 weeks, or drop a dress size in a week.  

Women and Weight Training

When women come to see me at my private training studios, one of the most common goals requested is weight loss and toning. I then proceed to inform them a good majority of the workouts will need to consist of weight training. This never fails produce a concerned look on their face shortly followed by “but I don’t want to bulk up or be like a body builder, I just want to tone up”.

The Red Wine Myth

An old client and now friend of mine recently asked me a question on Facebook, is a glass of red wine a day good for you.  After my abrupt disappointed response, she then replied that she had read so much information which displayed scientific evidence that Red wine was good for your heart.

Is your diet really healthy?

One of the most common statements I hear from people who come to see me for a personal training consultation is “well I think my diet is quite healthy to be honest” - hmmm really! So following this I will always ask what their typical daily diet consists of which usually looks like this:

How to get started with fitness

I recently wrote a blog for Jade Ainsworth gossip column http://www.jadeainsworthgossip.co.uk/ about taking action and stop talking about doing it. Although my words are very true and straight to the point I also realise it can be difficult to just get started!

Benefits of morning training

Seeing a good number of twitter and Facebook posts this morning from people training early has inspired me to write this blog on the benefits of training early in the day.

Which is the best diet – The one that works for you!

Countless times both you and I have heard of the next crazy diet that will make you look amazing in just a few weeks by simply eating lettuce and taking 2 shakes of whatever a day.  If its not a supplement company pushing their product its some crazy doctor who is short on cash and wants to sell his idea of eating certain foods will produce this amazing result for everyone.  The truth is this has been going on for years and even some diets have been repeated from back in the 1960’s.  Some promote high protein, low carb and low fat, some high carb, some

no dairy, no grains, some cave man eating, some fruit only and the list goes on.

Is it healthier to drink spirits over beer?

With Liverpool having one of the best social scenes the country has to offer it is hard to escape the fact that this City loves to party. As a Liverpool Personal Trainer this makes my life difficult

when trying to teach clients not to party so much but this job also makes me a focal point when anybody wants to ask me about health & fitness so I am frequently asked a whole host of questions on different areas relating to health. 

I am now going to share with you just one question that I was asked just last week...

“D’ya know when I got out on a bender, will I lose weight if I drink spirits instead of larger”?

Once I had regained my composure after falling about laughing I looked at this person who was actually deadly serious and I answered his question and just about managed to keep a straight face. This is how I answered his question..

You are right to think there are not as many calories in spirits as there are in beer however it’s not calories that are the issue here. You’re liver will only process one unit of alcohol per hour therefore it will take 2 hours (roughly) to process 1 measure. If you like a good swig do you really think you will drink 1 measure over 2 hours.... hardly. 

Even for a lightweight like, myself, who could probably drink 1 an hour, that would mean my liver could not handle any more for at least another hour. The toxins then enter your system and intoxicate you!

You might be thinking what has that got to do with fat? Well, your liver is the amazing organ that not only processes the toxins in your system keeping you alive but it also metabolises fat. So faced with a choice of burning fat or processing the harmful chemicals in your body it will always favour keeping you alive therefore your ability to burn fat will be significantly hindered.

If you want my top tip on how to help alleviate this when going

out then try to reduce the amount you have (obviously) but then after every drink have a glass of water. Yes I know it’s not cool to drink water but it will give your liver a break and help you burn fat.

So try that and I hope it works out for you.

Keep healthy

The shocking truth about your food!

Following on from my last blog, where I briefly discussed the overview on how bad food is and the reasons why, I would now like to list a few simple and shocking facts to make you think differently about the food you buy. To read my last blog click here

As a personal trainer it’s my job to find out exactly what is going on with food so I can best inform my clients and these are just some of things I have found over the years. So get ready for a few uncomfortable truths:

1. A small bottle 200ml bottle of Robinson’s fruit shoots contains 5 teaspoons of sugar, not to mention the rest of the junk it contains! Think wisely when making your children’s pack lunch.

2. A bowel of kelloggs Frosties contains 6 teaspoons of sugar, Grrrrrrreeeaaaatt – yeh thanks Tony!

3. One can of coke contains 11 teaspoons of sugar – When you see coca cola think great taste with a short trip to the diabetes clinic!

4. Hydrogenated fats are present in margarine, biscuits, cakes, frozen meals, fried foods, sweets and crisps. This fat is full of hydrogen which allows it to remain solid in warm temperatures. This means it clings nicely around your artery walls. When eating the above think – do I want my artery walls plastered?

5. McDonalds Milkshakes – Ever wondered why there are over 50 different chemicals and ingredients in a strawberry milkshake but not one of them is strawberry??? Will leave you with that!

6. On average, in a ready meal beef lasagne there is only 11% beef (or horse depending on where you shop) so what is in the rest of it???

7. Did you know the FDA in the states accept one maggot contained in 250ml of citrus fruit as safe?

8. A few years ago an experiment was done on rats for breakfast cereal. They took a leading brand which must remain anonymous for legal reasons however the brand sounds like Telloggs. Two sets of rats, one was fed the cereal and the other was fed the cardboard box the cereal was contained in (mixed with milk of course as dry cardboard is just cruel). After 30 days they monitored the health of the rats and the ones eating the cardboard were in better health than the ones eating cereal... Thanks again Tony!

I could go on but I would be here all day writing this blog. So hope you have taken this on board and if you don’t believe me then go and research it. However it is the truth and because it is the truth I would like you to share this with all of your friends and family, everyone should read this! If you want to find out more or if you want to become an Elite member then email me on lewis@elitefitnessconsultants.co.uk or simply follow me on facebook or twitter and you will receive plenty of free health and fitness information.

Keep healthy