To Be A Better Athlete

Sports Massage for Runners

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 12:59:37 GMT

Why Every Marathon Runner Should Book a Sports Massage Before Race Day

If you’re preparing for a marathon or long-distance race, you’re probably doing everything you can to get to the start line feeling strong. The miles are building, your long runs are getting longer, and you’re carefully managing your nutrition, hydration, and recovery. But there’s one powerful tool many runners overlook during marathon training: sports massage. As someone who works with runners every week—and as someone who understands the physical demands of marathon training—I’ve seen firsthand how the right massage at the right time can make the difference between simply finishing a race and running it feeling strong, fluid, and confident. Let’s talk about why sports massage should be part of your marathon preparation.

Running Puts Your Body Under Enormous Stress

Training for a marathon is an incredible commitment. Over the course of a typical 16–20 week training cycle, runners will cover hundreds of miles. Every stride places repeated stress on your calves, hamstrings, quads, glutes, hips, and lower back.

Even with excellent training plans, this repetitive loading can create tightness in muscles and connective tissues. Over time, this can lead to:

Reduced range of motion
Muscle fatigue
Compensation in running form
Increased injury risk

Many runners assume tightness is just “part of the process.” But when your muscles become restricted, they cannot perform efficiently.

This is where sports massage becomes incredibly valuable.

Sports Massage Helps Muscles Recover Faster

One of the biggest benefits runners notice after a sports massage is improved recovery.

When you run long distances, microscopic damage occurs within the muscle fibres. This is a normal part of training, but if recovery isn’t managed properly, it can lead to lingering soreness and stiffness.

Sports massage helps by:

Increasing blood flow to the muscles
Supporting the removal of metabolic waste products
Reducing muscular tension
Encouraging the body’s natural healing processes

The result? Your legs feel lighter, fresher, and more ready for the next session.

Many runners tell me they feel as if their stride opens up again after a massage.

It Improves Running Efficiency

When muscles become tight, your body starts to compensate. Maybe your hip flexors restrict your stride. Maybe your calves tighten, limiting your ankle mobility. These small restrictions can subtly change your running mechanics. Over the distance of a marathon, inefficient movement patterns can cost a huge amount of energy. Sports massage works to release tension in the key muscle groups runners rely on, including:

Calves
Hamstrings
Quadriceps
Glutes
Hip flexors
IT band

By restoring normal muscle function and mobility, massage helps your body move more freely and efficiently.

And when your body moves better, you run better.

Preventing Injuries During Marathon Training

One of the biggest fears runners have during marathon preparation is injury. Nothing is more frustrating than putting in weeks of training only to be sidelined with issues such as:

Tight calves
Achilles irritation
IT band pain
Hamstring strains
Hip tightness

ports massage is not just about relaxation—it’s a proactive way to identify and address problem areas before they develop into injuries. During a session, I often notice early signs of tension or imbalance that runners themselves may not yet feel. By treating these areas early, we can often prevent minor tightness from becoming a full injury. Think of it as maintenance for your running body. Just as you wouldn’t ignore servicing your car before a long journey, your body deserves the same attention.

The Mental Benefit Runners Often Forget

Marathon training isn’t just physically demanding—it’s mentally demanding too. Between long runs, early alarms, and balancing life around training, runners carry a lot of fatigue. A sports massage provides more than physical recovery. It gives you time to switch off, reset, and reconnect with your body. Many runners leave feeling not only looser physically, but calmer and more focused mentally.

That mental reset can make a huge difference during heavy training weeks.

When Should Runners Get a Sports Massage?

Timing matters. For runners training for a marathon or long-distance race, the most effective approach is to include massage regularly throughout the training cycle. Typically, I recommend:

Every 3–4 weeks during training
More frequently during peak mileage
A lighter maintenance massage 5–7 days before race day

This approach helps keep muscles functioning well throughout the entire training process rather than waiting until something goes wrong .

Your Body Is Your Most Important Piece of Equipment

Runners invest in the best shoes, watches, and nutrition strategies. But your most important piece of equipment is your body. Looking after it properly is what allows you to train consistently, avoid injury, and arrive at the start line ready to perform at your best. Sports massage isn’t a luxury for runners—it’s one of the smartest investments you can make in your training.

Ready to Feel the Difference?

If you’re preparing for a marathon or long-distance race and want your body to perform at its best, a sports massage can help keep you moving freely, help you recover faster, and help you train stronger. Many runners wait until they’re injured before booking. The smartest runners book before that happens. If your legs are feeling heavy, tight, or fatigued from training, now is the perfect time to give them the care they deserve.

Book your sports massage with Apache Brave Sports Therapy today to keep your marathon training on track.

Your future race-day legs will thank you for it.

8 Compelling Benefits of Daily Early Morning Exercise

Tue, 25 Nov 2025 10:52:10 GMT

Rise and Thrive: 8 Compelling Benefits of Daily Early Morning Exercise and Stretching

In the hustle of modern life, finding time for self-care can feel like a luxury. Yet one of the simplest and most profound acts of self-care is weaving an early-morning routine. It’s not just about burning calories; it's about setting a powerful, positive trajectory for your entire day.

Forget the alarm-snooze cycle and imagine stepping into your day already feeling energised, focused, and limber. Dedicating as little as 15–30 minutes to movement right after waking up can unlock a cascade of benefits that improve your physical health, mental acuity, and emotional well-being.

Here are 8 compelling reasons why making early morning movement a non-negotiable part of your daily life is a game-changer:

The 8 Daily Benefits of Early Morning Movement

1. Boosted Mental Clarity and Focus ��

Morning exercise gets your blood pumping, which means more oxygen reaches your brain. This immediate rush helps to "wake up" your cognitive functions. Research consistently shows that physical activity improves executive functions , leading to enhanced concentration , sharper memory , and better problem-solving skills that last throughout your work day.

2. Superior Mood Regulation and Stress Reduction ��

Starting your day with physical activity is a natural way to trigger the release of endorphins , often called the body's natural mood boosters. This feel-good chemical cocktail immediately lowers levels of the stress hormone cortisol (which naturally peaks in the early morning), making you more resilient to the stresses of the day ahead. Stretching, in particular, relieves residual muscle tension that can contribute to feelings of anxiety.

3. Consistent Energy Levels All Day Long ⚡️

While the thought of exercise when you're tired might seem counterintuitive, a morning session actually combats fatigue. Unlike the temporary jolt from caffeine, exercise provides a sustained, natural energy release. It kickstarts your metabolism and primes your cardiovascular system, ensuring you feel less of that mid-afternoon slump and maintain vitality until bedtime.

4. Enhanced Metabolism and Weight Management ��

Exercising in the morning, often before your first meal, can encourage your body to tap into stored fat for fuel. Furthermore, exercising creates an "afterburn effect," or Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC), in which you burn calories at an elevated rate for hours after you finish your workout. This significantly aids in long-term weight management.

5. Improved Quality of Sleep ��

Though the exercise is done early, its benefits extend into the night. Engaging in vigorous activity too close to bedtime can interfere with sleep. Morning exercise, however, helps to regulate your body's circadian rhythm (internal clock). By getting active early, you signal to your body when it's time to be alert, which, in turn, helps signal when it's time to rest deeply later that night.

6. Stronger Immune System Function ��️

Regular, moderate exercise has been shown to improve the circulation of immune cells throughout the body. By getting your movement in early, you give your immune system a head start, making it more efficient at detecting and fighting off pathogens. This daily habit contributes significantly to overall health and resilience against common illnesses.

7. Better Dietary Choices ��

Committing to an early workout often creates a domino effect of healthy habits. After putting in the effort, you are psychologically less likely to sabotage your work with poor food choices. The routine fosters a mindset of discipline and self-care, encouraging you to fuel your body with nutritious options throughout the day.

8. Greater Consistency and Adherence ✅

When you complete your exercise first thing, you eliminate the potential for the day's obligations—work meetings, family duties, or unexpected errands—to derail your fitness plans. Morning workouts are simply less likely to be skipped . This consistency is the single most critical factor in achieving long-term fitness goals. You have accomplished something meaningful before many people have even had their first cup of coffee.

Getting Started

Your morning routine doesn't need to be a gruelling hour-long session. It can be as simple as dynamic stretching, a brisk walk, or a short bodyweight circuit. The key is consistency . By choosing to greet the sunrise with movement, you are choosing productivity, peace, and lifelong health.

Ready to claim your best day? Set your clothes out tonight and commit to that first five minutes of movement tomorrow.

��‍♀️ 8 Simple Kickstarters for Your Morning Routine

You don't need a gym membership or fancy equipment to reap the rewards of morning movement. This routine focuses on gentle wake-up stretches and simple bodyweight movements, requiring just a few feet of space. Perform each for 30–60 seconds.

Stretches (Wake up your muscles):

Cat-Cow Stretch: On all fours, alternate arching your back (Cow) and rounding your spine (Cat). This is excellent for spinal mobility and gentle core activation.
Downward-Facing Dog: From a plank position or all fours, push your hips up and back to form an inverted 'V'. Pedal your feet to stretch your calves and hamstrings .
Side Body Reach: Stand tall and interlace your fingers overhead. Lean gently to one side, feeling the stretch along the opposite rib cage and hip. Repeat on the other side. Great for obliques and side flexibility .
Shoulder Rolls: Stand or sit straight. Roll your shoulders up towards your ears, back, and then down in a large, controlled circle. Repeat in reverse. This releases tension in the neck and upper back .

Exercises (Get your blood flowing):

March in Place (High Knees): Stand up and lift one knee up toward your chest, alternating legs briskly. This elevates your heart rate without jarring impact.
Wall Push-ups: Stand facing a wall, about arm's length away. Place your hands on the wall shoulder-width apart and gently lean in, bending your elbows, then push back. A mild way to activate the chest and arms .
Bodyweight Squats: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Push your hips back and down as if sitting in a chair. Keep your chest up. Excellent for activating the glutes and leg muscles .
Bird-Dog: Back on all fours, simultaneously extend your right arm straight forward and your left leg straight back, keeping your hips level. Return and switch sides. This improves balance and core stability .

ACL Injury and Rehabilitation

Mon, 27 Mar 2023 13:10:42 GMT

Introduction to ACL injury, symptoms and rehabilitation.

An ACL injury is a tear or rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). The ACL is one of four major ligaments in the knee. It connects your thighbone to the shin bone and helps keep your knee stable. This can be caused by a sudden twisting movement or a direct hit to the knee, which causes the ligament to tear apart.

What is an ACL injury?

An ACL injury is a tear in the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), which is one of the four major ligaments in your knee. The ACL connects to bone on one side and to muscle tissue on another side. It prevents overstretching of your knee joint, especially when you're running or jumping.

An ACL tear can happen when you twist or rotate your leg while it's planted firmly on the ground; for example, if someone trips you from behind or pushes you forward while standing still, causing your legs to move out from under you so that they land unevenly on either side of an obstacle such as stairs or curbstones (this is often called "posterior drawer"). You could also sustain an injury if someone kicks at your lower back while they are standing behind him/herself--a common scenario during basketball games--or if someone pulls hard enough while holding onto his/her wrist so that their body moves forward without realizing it until too late...

How do you know if you have a torn ACL?

Pain
Swelling
Instability (giving way)
Trouble walking or running, pivoting or cutting, kneeling or squatting and jumping or landing

What are the symptoms of an ACL injury?

If you have a torn ACL, it's likely that one or more of these symptoms will be present:

Pain: The first sign of a torn ACL is usually pain in your knee. The pain may be mild, but it can also be severe enough to interfere with daily activities like walking and running.
Swelling: Your knee will swell up after injuring yourself, which indicates that there is damage to the ligament or surrounding tissue. This can make moving around even more difficult because it increases the pressure on other parts of your leg as well as on nearby joints like ankles, hips and spine (since all are connected).
Instability: People who suffer from unstable knees tend not only experience instability when walking but also notice popping sounds when doing so; this could indicate that something has gone wrong inside their joints due to excessive stress being placed upon them over time due lack mobility caused by weak muscles around those areas as well as poor balance resulting from inflammation/swelling due injury sustained earlier on during playtime activities involving jumping onto hard surfaces repeatedly without any breaks between intervals spent moving around quickly instead of resting adequately before trying again later once healed enough (if ever).

Who is at risk of tearing their ACL?

If you're active and play sports, you're at higher risk of tearing your ACL. This is because the more physical activity you do, the more likely it is that something will go wrong--and this includes running, jumping and landing.

If you have a family history of ACL injury (or if one of your parents does), then there's an increased chance that this could happen to you too. Similarly, if you have poor knee alignment or poor core strength as well as being overweight or obese, then this also increases your risk of sustaining an injury like this one.

What should I do if I tear my ACL during training?

If you have torn your ACL, seek immediate medi cal attention. Don't put weight on the leg, don't try to walk on it and don't attempt to run. If you can walk after an injury without any pain or instability in your knee joint then it is probably not a serious tear. But if there is pain, swelling and/or instability in the knee joint then it is best not to move around until further investigations take place by a doctor who specializes in sports injuries (orthopedic surgeon).

How are ACL injuries treated?

Rehabilitation: The goal of rehabilitation is to restore full knee function and strength, as well as prevent further injury.
Surgery: Surgery may be needed if you have a torn ACL, but only if the damage is severe enough that it can't be repaired with physical therapy alone. There are several different surgical options available; your orthopedic surgeon will work with you to determine which option is best for your specific injury and situation.
Physical therapy: This involves restoring mobility back into your knee joint by strengthening the muscles around it so they can support its movements more effectively than before. You'll also learn exercises designed to improve stability throughout your lower body so that when one part moves another doesn't have to compensate (or vice versa). Your therapist will teach these exercises as part of an individualized rehab plan tailored specifically toward helping patients recover from ACL injuries as quickly as possible while still maintaining safe range-of-motion throughout all stages of recovery.* Core stability exercises: These focus on improving balance through strengthening core muscles such as those found between our hip bones (iliopsoas) or lower back region (erector spinae). This helps prevent overuse injuries caused by weak lateral ligaments around these areas where most people experience pain when doing squats because they lack proper control over their form during exercise routines.* Muscle strengthening exercises: These help strengthen surrounding muscles like quads/hamstrings so they can provide additional support during high impact activities such as running downhill or jumping onto boxes without fear of injuring themselves again in future workouts.* Return To Sport Afterward

How long does it take to recover from a torn ACL?

The recovery time from an ACL tear is dependent on a number of factors. The severity of your injury and whether or not you had surgery are two major ones.

The average recovery period for torn ACLs is 6-9 months, but this can vary depending on several things:

How severe your injury was (for example, whether there was also damage to other ligaments)
Whether or not you had surgery to repair it

Will I be able to return to sport following an ACL reconstruction or repair surgery?

ACL reconstruction and ACL repair surgery are not the same, and they both have different pros and cons.

ACL reconstruction is a surgical procedure where a tendon graft is used to replace the torn ligament. This can be done with either an autograft (the patient's own tissue) or allograft (a donor's tissue). The pros of ACL reconstruction include:

it may help prevent osteoarthritis in the knee; this is because replacing your torn ligament with a new one provides stability to your knee joint so that you don't have as much wear-and-tear on other parts of your body over time

How can I best avoid further injury while I am recovering from a torn ACL?

You can best avoid further injury by protecting your knee. This means not putting unnecessary pressure on it and allowing time for recovery. Here are some ways to do that:

Avoid high-impact activities such as running, jumping and squatting until you are fully recovered from surgery. Swimming and cycling are both low-impact exercises that can be done while recovering from an ACL tear. Cycling is also a great way to build strength in affected muscles without putting too much stress on the joint itself.
Make sure that you stretch regularly before engaging in physical activity (especially if it involves movement of the legs). You should also stretch after working out because this helps loosen up stiff muscles; this will make exercising more enjoyable for you!

Learning more about your body, pushes you towards being self-aware and in control of your health and sport performance.

Learning more about your body, and what it needs to perform well, is important for your health and sport performance. By understanding the workings of your body, you can become more aware of what physical activity is best for you. This includes knowing which exercises are best suited to help improve your strength and mobility; as well as understanding when it's time to ease off or take a break from training because something hurts too much.

Learning more about yourself helps make sure that everything is working correctly so that you can get back into action as soon as possible after injury occurs!

Conclusion, ACL Injury and repair

In conclusion, if you are looking to improve your sport performance, then it is important that you learn more about your body and how it works. This will help you become more self-aware and in control of your health as well as performance. Learning about your body can also help you to prevent injuries and be more aware of what is going on with your body. This will help you to prevent further injury and get back in action as soon as possible.

Get help from Apache Brave Sports Therapy Coventry, we provide excellent rehabilitation training plans to help you get back to sports, gain the knowledge and benefit from first hand experience of acl injury rehab with from our sports therapist Richard.

Cycling Nutrition

rich-watson@hotmail.co.uk (richard watson) — Mon, 08 Aug 2022 10:30:50 GMT

Cycling Nutritional Guide

As one of sports most physically grueling disciplines, nutrition plays a huge part in cycling success at all levels, from fighting fatigue to supporting recovery. The intensity and effort required in cycling demands a nutritional programme that provides energy, power and stamina to succeed.

Whilst distances and workloads vary, the common factor with any cycling discipline is that your body must produce the power and intensity to reach the finish line as quickly as possible.

Cycling Nutritional Guide

Although the concept is quite similar, the nutritional requirements for endurance and sprint events are different; long distance cyclists must be proficient in utilizing all forms of fuel in the body - whilst sprint cyclists need the type of fuel that can provide explosive bursts of power.

In all disciplines of cycling, exercise must promote a number of physiological changes to help make the body more efficient and improve physical performance

Before an event

Carbohydrates are essential to fuel both long and short distance cycling by keeping muscle-glycogen concentrations high. When concentrations are low, performance will be negatively affected. It has been shown that insufficient amounts of carbohydrates can also affect an athlete's co-ordination as the Central Nervous System becomes fatigued.

Extremely effective carbohydrate drinks can be consumed before, during and after exercise to great effect. Carbohydrates will fuel your exercise for a short, medium and long period of exercise whilst helping to keep the body hydrated; particularly important during long distance events. Sprint cyclists may find Caffeine to be an extremely effective performance enhancer when taken before exercise. Caffeine can increase adrenaline levels, provide extra mental focus and boost energy.
Read our blog on Caffeine

Both disciplines would benefit from the addition of Creatine Monohydrate. Particularly beneficial to sprint cyclists, Creatine Monohydrate helps your muscles produce ATP, which can improve explosive power and strength, perfect for a sprint or hill-top finish. During a long distance race, cyclists will benefit from its ability to re-produce ATP, enhancing the ability to perform repetitive sprints.

During

Whether you're a competitive cyclist or you simply ride for fun, it is vital to ensure you have sufficient glycogen stores and hydration levels to maximize your performance.

The combination of carbohydrates and electrolytes found in good quality sports drinks can make it the perfect option to help keep your energy levels up until you hit the finish line.

After

Due to the high work rates in both distance and sprint cycling, it is advisable to consume high amounts of protein and carbohydrates upon completing a session.

A recovery supplement will provide a great ratio of carbohydrates to protein to aid the recovery process in preparation for your next race.

Women in Strength

rich-watson@hotmail.co.uk (richard watson) — Thu, 01 Oct 2020 11:00:32 GMT

Time for females to take over the strength training zone

Quite often we find that female gym goers can be hesitant to pick up the barbell. Let alone to train for strength. Why are some females so scared by the concept? For most, it’s the preconceived conception that they will pick up a heavy weight and in the morning be the female Hulk. This is far from the case.

Before we head into things, what are the benefits of strength training for women? The biggest benefit? A greater rate of fat loss! Your rate of oxygen consumption post training is increased, and the more oxygen you are consuming, the more you are burning. This is known as Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC). Not to mention other factors such as curves, greater calorie expenditure, better quality sleep, increased energy and more.

Did you know…

Women require less rest between sets.
Women can train heavier more frequently than men.
Women can do sets of 5 closer to their 1 Rep Max (1RM) than men.

We have listed some simple tips to help transition the female into strength training.

1.Build up slowly.

Start off with small, bodyweight movements covering basic movement patterns (e.g. bodyweight squat, press ups, assisted pulls ups and so on). From here you can then start to transition into resistance machines and free weights. It’s often not until a you can physically see progress that you will become less hesitant to try new things. Build up your strength and confidence before throwing yourself into the deep end of the free weights room.

2. Use self-motivation .

Motivate I hear you say? That’s easy, it’s part of the job. Here, we are referring to the Self Determination Theory (STD). Everyone has the desire to feel involved or “be in the know” and have some form of structure that they have control of. This theory concerns human motivation, personality and optimal functioning. Rather than just the amount of motivation, self-determination theory focuses on different types of motivation.

So how do you apply this to your training? Let’s say you’re about to take on a back workout, and you hate training back. As a train, you could give yourself some form of control over that session, choose the destiny of the day. Choose one of the exercises, giving yourself an option: “OK, so we can either do a barbell bent over row or a deadlift”. This gives the a feeling of ownership and comfort. You have chosen the exercise, whether you like either option or not, so in your mind you have that feeling of control.

3 Always give positive feedback .

We all love to hear we are doing something correctly, or perhaps better than previously. self-talk is a great way to motivate youirself in the gym, for example: “Remember to keep your shoulders back on the next rep, other than that your form has really come on!”. Refrain from being that “good job” gym goers, keep it fresh, focused and relevant. As you’re moving to a new exercise, how about: “You’re going to really enjoy this exercise, you perform really well with new movements”. Even when you become unsure of yourself, your well timed self-talk can make a whole world of difference.

4. Make them familiar with a barbell .

As you progresses, you can slowly start to introduce the smith machine and barbell. Remind yourself that utilising free weights will help increase your energy expenditure during and after training. Start off with the barbell, as this doesn’t require as much stabilisation as dumbbells and is used in most compound lifts. Introduce the basic compound lifts (squat, deadlift, shoulder press and bench press) and when taking yourself through the movement patterns, don’t overcomplicate it – keep it simple and easy to follow.

So there we have it, one training session at a time we will slowly break the misconceptions of females and weightlifting, and help bring more strong women into the fitness industry. It won’t be easy, some will jump into it like a fish in water straight away while others may struggle. Check out our Female Fitness Workouts Plans

Covid-19 Free Fitness Workouts

Tue, 24 Mar 2020 15:19:53 GMT

Keeping Healthy During Covid-19 Crisis

We've seen nothing this before, a virus that is so bad that it is shutting down not only this Country but the whole of the world, Country after Country are closing down andGovenments are asking people to stay indoors and isolate themselves. To stop the spread of Covid-19 we all need to keep safe and listen to expert advice.

The government has advised that we stil exercise to stay healthy, exercise has been proven to lift your mood as well as keeping you physically fit. Just 30 minutes of exercise can boost your immune system along with self-esteem, mood, sleep quality and energy, as well as reducing your risk of stress, depression, dementia and Alzheimer's disease plus many other health benefits.

What are the health benefits of exercise?

Regular exercise and physical activity may

Help you control your weight. Along with diet, exercise plays an important role in controlling your weight and preventing obesity. To maintain your weight, the calories you eat and drink must equal the energy you burn. To lose weight, you must use more calories than you eat and drink.
Reduce your risk of heart diseases. Exercise strengthens your heart and improves your circulation. The increased blood flow raises the oxygen levels in your body. This helps lower your risk of heart diseases such as high cholesterol, coronary artery disease, and heart attack. Regular exercise can also lower your blood pressure and triglyceride levels.
Help your body manage blood sugar and insulin levels. Exercise can lower your blood sugar level and help your insulin work better. This can cut down your risk for metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. And if you already have one of those diseases, exercise can help you to manage it.
Help you quit smoking. Exercise may make it easier to quit smoking by reducing your cravings and withdrawal symptoms. It can also help limit the weight you might gain when you stop smoking.
Improve your mental health and mood. During exercise, your body releases chemicals that can improve your mood and make you feel more relaxed. This can help you deal with stress and reduce your risk of depression.
Help keep your thinking, learning, and judgment skills sharp as you age. Exercise stimulates your body to release proteins and other chemicals that improve the structure and function of your brain.
Strengthen your bones and muscles. Regular exercise can help kids and teens build strong bones. Later in life, it can also slow the loss of bone density that comes with age. Doing muscle-strengthening activities can help you increase or maintain your muscle mass and strength.
Reduce your risk of some cancers, including colon, breast , uterine, and lung cancer.
Reduce your risk of falls. For older adults, research shows that doing balance and muscle-strengthening activities in addition to moderate-intensity aerobic activity can help reduce your risk of falling.
Improve your sleep. Exercise can help you to fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.

Sedentary lifestyles

Inactivity is described by the Department of Health as a "silent killer". Evidence is emerging that sedentary behaviour, such as sitting or lying down for long periods, is bad for your health.

Not only should you try to raise your activity levels, but you should also reduce the amount of time you and your family spend sitting down.

Common examples of sedentary behaviour include watching TV, using a computer, using the car for short journeys and sitting down to read, talk or listen to music. This type of behaviour is thought to increase your risk of developing many chronic diseases, such as heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes, as well as weight gain and obesity.

"Previous generations were active more naturally through work and manual labour, but today we have to find ways of integrating activity into our daily lives," says Dr Cavill. Whether it's limiting the time babies spend strapped in their buggies, or encouraging adults to stand up and move frequently, people of all ages need to reduce their sedentary behaviour.

"This means that each of us needs to think about increasing the types of activities that suit our lifestyle and can easily be included in our day," says Dr Cavill. Crucially, you can hit your weekly activity target but still be at risk of ill health if you spend the rest of the time sitting or lying down

Fitness workout plans are FREE except for a small £2 admin charge

My Top 9 Benefits of Regular Exercise .

1. It Can Make You Feel Happier

Exercise has been shown to improve your mood and decrease feelings of depression, anxiety and stress. It produces changes in the parts of the brain that regulate stress and anxiety. It can also increase brain sensitivity for the hormones serotonin and norepinephrine, which relieve feelings of depression.

Additionally, exercise can increase the production of endorphins, which are known to help produce positive feelings and reduce the perception of pain. Furthermore, exercise has been shown to reduce symptoms in people suffering from anxiety. It can also help you be more aware of your mental state and practice distraction from your fears.

Interestingly, it doesn't matter how intense your workout is. It seems that your mood can benefit from exercise no matter the intensity of the physical activity. In fact, a study in 24 women who had been diagnosed with depression showed that exercise of any intensity significantly decreased feelings of depression.

The effects of exercise on mood are so powerful that choosing to exercise (or not) even makes a difference over short periods. One study asked 26 healthy men and women who normally exercised regularly to either continue exercising or stop exercising for two weeks. Those who stopped exercising experienced increases in negative mood.

Summary:
Exercising regularly can improve your mood and reduce feelings of anxiety and depression.

2. It Can Help With Weight Loss

Some studies have shown that inactivity is a major factor in weight gain and obesity. To understand the effect of exercise on weight reduction, it is important to understand the relationship between exercise and energy expenditure. Your body spends energy in three ways: digesting food, exercising and maintaining body functions like your heartbeat and breathing.

While dieting, a reduced calorie intake will lower your metabolic rate, which will delay weight loss. On the contrary, regular exercise has been shown to increase your metabolic rate, which will burn more calories and help you lose weight. Additionally, studies have shown that combining aerobic exercise with resistance training can maximize fat loss and muscle mass maintenance, which is essential for keeping the weight off.

Summary:
Exercise is crucial to supporting a fast metabolism and burning more calories per day. It also helps you maintain your muscle mass and weight loss.

3. It Is Good for Your Muscles and Bones

Exercise plays a vital role in building and maintaining strong muscles and bones. Physical activity like weight lifting can stimulate muscle building when paired with adequate protein intake. This is because exercise helps release hormones that promote the ability of your muscles to absorb amino acids. This helps them grow and reduces their breakdown.

As people age, they tend to lose muscle mass and function, which can lead to injuries and disabilities. Practicing regular physical activity is essential to reducing muscle loss and maintaining strength at any age. Also, exercise helps build bone density when you're younger, in addition to helping prevent osteoporosis later in life. Interestingly, high-impact exercise, such as gymnastics or running, or odd-impact sports, such as soccer and basketball, have been shown to promote a higher bone density than non-impact sports like swimming and cycling.

Summary:
Physical activity helps you build muscles and strong bones. It may also help prevent osteoporosis.

4. It Can Increase Your Energy Levels

Exercise can be a real energy booster for healthy people, as well as those suffering from various medical conditions. One study found that six weeks of regular exercise reduced feelings of fatigue for 36 healthy people who had reported persistent fatigue.

Furthermore, exercise can significantly increase energy levels for people suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and other serious illnesses. In fact, exercise seems to be more effective at combating CFS than other treatments, including passive therapies like relaxation and stretching, or no treatment at all.

Additionally, exercise has been shown to increase energy levels in people suffering from progressive illnesses, such as cancer, HIV/AIDS and multiple sclerosis.

Summary:
Engaging in regular physical activity can increase your energy levels. This is true even in people with persistent fatigue and those suffering from serious illnesses.

5. It Can Reduce Your Risk of Chronic Disease

Lack of regular physical activity is a primary cause of chronic disease. Regular exercise has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity, cardiovascular fitness and body composition, yet decrease blood pressure and blood fat levels.

In contrast, a lack of regular exercise — even in the short term — can lead to significant increases in belly fat, which increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and early death. Therefore, daily physical activity is recommended to reduce belly fat and decrease the risk of developing these diseases.

Summary:
Daily physical activity is essential to maintaining a healthy weight and reducing the risk of chronic disease.

6. It Can Help Skin Health

Your skin can be affected by the amount of oxidative stress in your body. Oxidative stress occurs when the body's antioxidant defenses cannot completely repair the damage that free radicals cause to cells. This can damage their internal structures and deteriorate your skin.

Even though intense and exhaustive physical activity can contribute to oxidative damage, regular moderate exercise can increase your body's production of natural antioxidants, which help protect cells. In the same way, exercise can stimulate blood flow and induce skin cell adaptations that can help delay the appearance of skin aging.

Summary:
Moderate exercise can provide antioxidant protection and promote blood flow, which can protect your skin and delay signs of aging .

7. It Can Help Your Brain Health and Memory

Exercise can improve brain function and protect memory and thinking skills. To begin with, it increases your heart rate, which promotes the flow of blood and oxygen to your brain. It can also stimulate the production of hormones that can enhance the growth of brain cells.

Moreover, the ability of exercise to prevent chronic disease can translate into benefits for your brain, since its function can be affected by these diseases. Regular physical activity is especially important in older adults since aging — combined with oxidative stress and inflammation — promotes changes in brain structure and function.

Exercise has been shown to cause the hippocampus, a part of the brain that's vital for memory and learning, to grow in size. This serves to increase mental function in older adults. Lastly, exercise has been shown to reduce changes in the brain that can cause Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia.

Summary:
Regular exercise improves blood flow to the brain and helps brain health and memory. Among older adults, it can help protect mental function.

8. It Can Help With Relaxation and Sleep Quality

Regular exercise can help you relax and sleep better. In regards to sleep quality, the energy depletion that occurs during exercise stimulates recuperative processes during sleep. The increase in body temperature that occurs during exercise is thought to improve sleep quality by helping it drop during sleep. Many studies on the effects of exercise on sleep have reached similar conclusions.

One study found that 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity per week can provide up to a 65% improvement in sleep quality. Another showed that 16 weeks of physical activity increased sleep quality and helped 17 people with insomnia sleep longer and more deeply than the control group. It also helped them feel more energized during the day.

What's more, engaging in regular exercise seems to be beneficial for the elderly, who tend to be affected by sleep disorders.

You can be flexible with the kind of exercise you choose. It appears that either aerobic exercise alone or aerobic exercise combined with resistance training can equally help sleep quality.

Summary:
Regular physical activity, regardless of whether it is aerobic or a combination of aerobic and resistance training, can help you sleep better and feel more energized during the day.

9. It Can Reduce Pain

Chronic pain can be debilitating, but exercise can actually help reduce it. In fact, for many years, the recommendation for treating chronic pain was rest and inactivity. However, recent studies show that exercise helps relieve chronic pain. A review of several studies indicates that exercise helps participants with chronic pain reduce their pain and improve their quality of life.

Several studies show that exercise can help control pain that's associated with various health conditions, including chronic low back pain, fibromyalgia and chronic soft tissue shoulder disorder, to name a few.

Additionally, physical activity can also raise pain tolerance and decrease pain perception.

Summary:
Exercise has favorable effects on the pain that's associated with various conditions. It can also increase pain tolerance.

The Bottom Line

Exercise offers incredible benefits that can improve nearly every aspect of your health from the inside out. Regular physical activity can increase the production of hormones that make you feel happier and help you sleep better. It can also improve your skin's appearance, help you lose weight and keep it off, lessen the risk of chronic disease and improve your general life. Whether you practice a specific sport or follow the guideline of 150 minutes of activity per week, you will inevitably improve your health in many ways

Fitness workout plans are FREE except for a small £2 admin charge

See our full range of workout plans by visiting our fitness workout page click here

Maximum Aerobic Function

Fri, 30 Aug 2019 10:12:29 GMT

Fitness Training Slower for Maximum Benefit

The Basics of MAF Training

MAF Training stands for M aximum A erobic F unction Training. Most people train by pace or speed and many have the "No pain no gain" attitude. If they haven't trained fast, trained hard and broken into a sweat then they feel that they haven't gained any benefits. Actually, what people don't realize, is that by doing most of your training slowly, you are in fact strengthening all your body systems. You will be less likely to get injured and over time you will become a stronger and faster athlete.

Using MAF training, your heart rate will dictate your training and how fast you should go and not the other way round. The higher your heart rate, the more stress your body is under so by training with a lower heart rate, you are aiming to reduce stress but at the same time you will be improving your training efficiency. With MAF Training, you train by heart rate as opposed to speed and pace. If any of the following resonates with you, then read on as MAF training might be right for you:

You are a new athlete.
You are an older athlete.
You often have sports related injuries.
You want to reduce your injury risk.
You are less enthusiastic about your sport than you used to be.
You dread speed work.
Your race times have slowed or you are just not improving.
You lead a stressful lifestyle.
You want to improve your overall health.
You are gaining weight in spite of extra exercise.

How will MAF training make you a better athlete?

We have 2 systems in our body for providing energy. The aerobic system and the anaerobic system.

Aerobic system:

The aerobic system uses oxygen to provide energy to your muscles. As you breathe in, your body uses the oxygen it needs to power the muscles, and then as you exhale, your body gets rid of what it does not need in the form of carbon dioxide and water.

Anaerobic system:

The anaerobic system comes into play when there is not enough oxygen for your needs, such as when you are training hard and fast and your muscles are crying out for energy to keep them going. In this case, as there is not enough oxygen, the muscles start to break down their supply of sugar in order to create the energy that you need. The byproduct of this process is lactate. Normally the body can get rid of these byproducts but without enough oxygen to help clear it up, the lactate builds up and you end up with that burning pain in your muscles.

Try this test:

Find a flat area like a sports field or park and walk around it for 5 minutes. If you can talk or sing whilst walking and without getting out of breath, then you are probably using your aerobic system. Your body and muscles are engaged but they are not stressed and you could go on walking for a long time.
Now run around for 5 mins so that you can feel your heart rate rising and you are unable to have a proper conversation without gulping for air. Chances are you are now using your anaerobic system. Your body does not have enough oxygen for its energy needs and is starting to use the glucose in your muscles to provide energy. This glucose over time will run out and you will then tire.

How great it would be if you could train fast around that sports field and not get out of breath and not have your heart rate (HR) shooting up. Well that is where MAF training comes in.

The theory behind MAF training is to build up your aerobic system so that your body can train faster and faster at a lower HR and delay the time when your body needs to use the anaerobic system. This means you can train longer and faster before your body begins to tire. Not only is this a much more comfortable feeling, but there is far less stress on your body which means far less risk of injury.

MAF training not only results in you training faster at a lower heart rate but it also helps develop lots of other systems in the body.

These include:

Your heart muscle gets stronger.
Your mitochondria (the parts of cells that turn the sugars, fats and proteins that we eat, into forms of usable chemical energy) increase, which means more energy for your muscles.
Your physical stress levels decrease.
Since there is less stress on your body, you can train for longer. This is great if you are training for a longer endurance event.

Calculating your MAF Heart Rate

Using a specific formula based on age and current health, you calculate your MAF training HR and you do ALL your training (to begin with) based on your HR. Your HR and time on your feet are the most important aspects. Forget pace and speed. As a general rule your MAF HR is 180 minus your age. You can make some modifications to this rule depending on several factors.

So if for example you are aged 50 and are in good health, then your MAF heart rate will be 180-50 = 130. Your MAF range for training will be 120-130 beats per minute.

MAF Training and More…

You may be wondering whether you have to do MAF training all the time and forever. That depends on what your goals are. If you are happy training slower, are enjoying the benefits and are feeling in good health, than perfect, stay with MAF.

For those that like to race, you also need to stress your body with some speed-work every now and then. This gives you a mental boost more than anything but does also reminds your muscles that they can perform fast if they want to.

Fitness Test for Runners

rich-watson@hotmail.co.uk (richard watson) — Wed, 14 Nov 2018 11:50:51 GMT

Cooper 1.5 mile run test (2.4km)

Aerobic fitness can be assessed using the 1.5 mile run test first described by Copper in 1968. The test can provide a valid measure of aerobic capacity, but it requires pacing and a sustained, near-maximal effort. For those reasons, at least six weeks’ aerobic training is recommended before attempting the test. Athletes should perform a warm-up before completing the 1.5 mile distance.

A great test for your fitness

Time is recorded to the nearest second, and a gradual cool-down should follow the test. Interpret test performance using the tables below. If the Cooper 1.5 mile run test is performed on a treadmill, the incline should be set at 1% to replicate running outdoors.

We use the Cooper 1.5 mile run test during our Personal Training routines to evaluate your fitness, this gives us and you a valuable benchmark and guide to your fitness, from time to time you will be re-evaluated you to see how your fitness results have improved.

Classification of cardio-respiratory fitness based on Cooper 1.5-mile run test (Cooper, 1982). Values represent time (min:s) elapsed in completing 1.5 miles (2.4-km)

Age (y)	Very Poor	Poor	Fair	Good	Excellent	Superior
20-29
Males	>15:31	15:30-12:11	12:10-10:49	10:48-9:41	9:40-8:37	<8:36
Females	>18:31	18:30-16:55	16:54-14:31	14:30-12:30	12:29-11:50	<11:49
30-39
Males	>16:01	16:00-14:01	14:00-12:01	12:00-10:46	10:45-9:45	<9:44
Females	>19:01	19:00-18:31	18:30-15:55	15:54-13:31	13:30-12:30	<12:29
40-49
Males	>17:31	17:30-15:36	15:35-13:01	13:00-11:31	11:30-10:30	<10:29
Females	>20:01	20:00-19:31	19:00-17:31	17:30-15:56	15:55-13:45	<13:44
50-59
Males	>19:01	19:00-17:01	17:00-14:31	14:30-12:31	12:30-11:00	<10:59
Females	>20:31	20:30-20:01	20:00-19:01	19:00-16:31	16:30-14:30	<14:29

If you want to improve your fitness then check out our fitness plans designed by our in house Personal Trainer, we have training plans that will suit your goals and starting from just £5 per plan there is no excuse not to get fit. To discover our fitness plans click here

Runners Nutrition

rich-watson@hotmail.co.uk (richard watson) — Tue, 02 Oct 2018 12:36:27 GMT

Running Nutritional Guide

Whether it’s an ultra-distance event or a shorter track event, the physical demands of running require a structured nutritional plan to support and promote optimal levels of fitness. With the implementation of a tailored training programme and detailed diet, runners can improve their performance dramatically.

Although running is one of the most popular means of improving fitness it is also one of the most grueling. Often exercising on their own, runners must produce the commitment, dedication and energy to fulfill their training goals and improve their performance.

The nature of an endurance sport like running causes the body to go through a great deal of stress in order for it to become fitter and more efficient. For athletes who run on a regular basis, it is important to provide the body with all the essential nutrients it requires to promote such physiological functions and improve fitness.

Before an event

Carbohydrates are the body's primary fuel source, therefore it is vital for runners to ensure they have consumed enough before a big race.

A slow-release carbohydrate source such as Instant Oats should help to provide the body with the energy to complete the task at hand.

During

Whether you're a competitive runner or you simply run for fun, it is vital to ensure you have sufficient glycogen stores and hydration levels to maximize your performance.

The combination of carbohydrates and electrolytes found in good quality sports drinks can make it the perfect option to help keep your energy levels up until you hit the finish line.

After

Post-race, we recommend taking on board a combination high quality carbohydrates and protein to support the recovery process. For those who prefer to take just one supplement at a time, My Protein's recovery drink is a highly effective and convenient alternative.

The right nutritional plan plays a vital key to the success of your running lifestyle, balancing the right food with the right supplements can help you recovery quicker from your tough running plans. Eating regular meals helps keep your metabolic rate up while fueling your muscles after exercising; having the right meals can be a tough balancing act.

The sport of Running requires different nutritional needs, what to eat and when to eat are very important aspects of a good running diet, supplements also play a supporting role in helping you gain extra vitamins that are sometimes hard to gain from foods.

Want to get more personal with your nutrition and diet? Why not take our Pro DNA Fit test to a fuller picture of your diet needs and discover your full potential. Read more about our DNA

Get In Shape

rich-watson@hotmail.co.uk (richard watson) — Wed, 19 Sep 2018 14:26:48 GMT

Getting Your Body Toned Up

Having a shaped, toned body is the primary goal for many gym-goers. However, many are fed countless ‘guaranteed-not-to-fail’ strategies on how to quickly shed fat and attain the perfect look. Such mixed advice often leads to confusion, frustration, and a general feeling of ‘back to the drawing board.’ we understand that every one of us is different, and a ‘one size fits all’ approach just won’t do. So, we’ve designed a healthy, sustainable and evidence-based guide filled with tips to help you efficiently and safely get the look you want.

Regardless of age, genetics and ability, we’ll help you educate yourself, providing expert dietary, training and lifestyle tips for starting to achieve your tone-up targets.

Weight Loss

Achieving that ripped physique requires a combination of correct timing, nutrition, progressive training, and appropriate sleep and rest. Fundamentally, nobody can supplement a poor diet, so Weight-Loss should be integrated into any healthy eating plan if you want to tone your muscles, build lean muscle mass and reduce body fat. We know you’re on the tone-up plan, but ultimately, getting you on the road to the results you need requires a balanced approach – integrating the right meals with the right programme and the right supplements to help you achieve those lean goals.

Before we get into the specifics of the diet, here is a guide to an average nutritional target for a tone up plan

Tone Up Nutritional Guide

TARGET 1500 kcals per day
PROTEIN 40 % / 150g per day
FATS 35% / 58g per day
CARBS 25% / 94g per day
WATER 2000ml
TARGET WALKING PER DAY 3 miles
ESTIMATED CALORIES BURNED 2000kcals (inclusive of BMI and activity levels)

Healthy Snacks

When striving to optimize your physique and build lean muscle definition, always pay close attention to the nutritional value of your daily food intake — making sure to satisfy your body’s energy demands while also creating a calorie deficit. Regular protein (every 3-4 hours) is absolutely essential to maintaining a toned body, while low glycaemic carbohydrates and low-fat snacks also play a major part in getting you there. Life can be hectic and often on-the-go, proving difficult to make the best choices and maintain will power.

Meal Planning

To attain that perfectly toned body, you should always pay attention to your daily calorie intake. Your training intensity and rest days should determine your CARBOHYDRATE intake, as this is the primary source that fuels you. During this journey, PROTEIN will be your best friend, as with the correct timing, type and total, it’s imperative to crafting the look you want. Most of your FATS should be extracted from mono and polyunsaturated sources to support a healthy heart, recovery, and a balanced diet. Target all 3 macro-nutrients for a typical training day. Remember, hydration is also fundamental, so target one small glass of fluid with every meal, as well as a portion of vegetables to optimize your vitamin and mineral intake

PORTION SIZES
If you want to tone-up,these are essential

Red Meats
PROTEIN
When eating red meats and other protein sources like chicken, turkey and burgers, stick to having a serving that is the same size as a the palm of your hand – having excessive amounts will increase body fat and inhibit your health (i.e. cholesterol).

Cheese and Dairy
FATS
Be extremely cautious when piling cheese and dairy products on your meals like spaghetti bolognaise and salads. Stick to portions the size as a deck of small matches otherwise staying lean and defined will be an uphill battle.

Oils and Spreads
MORE FATS
Be careful when applying spreads to meals and snacks and cooking with different oils. Stick to portions the size of the end of your thumb to keep your lean gains and health in safe hands.

Pasta, Rice, Potatoes
CARBS
We all get that temptation to pile our plates with pasta, rice, potatoes and many more delicious carbohydrates. However, when striving to get lean, stick to small serving of carbohydrates – make sure you’re not eating three portions in one go!

10 RULES TO TONE UP SUCCESS

No matter what level you’re at, these 10 ‘Tone-Up’ rules are easy to understand and just perfect for keeping your training on track

RESISTANCE TRAINING Incorporate resistance training into your lifestyle to achieve the desired aesthetics
PROTEIN EVERY 3-4 HOURS Protein contains amino acids which are the building blocks for lean muscle growth and repair
PORTION SIZES It’s time to start getting more precise with portion sizes at every meal
SWITCH UP THOSE CARB TYPES Make the transfer high sugary simple carbohydrates to slow-digesting ones
MONITOR PROGRESS Ensure you’re achieving results, but remember, patience is the key to success
EDUCATION IS THE KEY Each macro-nutrient is metabolized differently even though they all provide calories. Proteins and carbohydrates provide 4 calories per gram, whereas 1 gram of fat provides 9 calories. Constantly eating fatty foods will make those calories rise through the roof, so keep your fat intake below 30% of total calories consumed, with 90% of this coming from healthy fats.
CALORIE TRACKING Calculate your calorie intake so you know you’re reaching your daily targets
FASTED WORKOUTS Nutrition and getting lean work hand in hand with regular exercise
POST-WORKOUT MEALS Feed your muscles what they need instantly for maximum gains
PLAN AHEAD Stay organized by treating your meal prep like your workouts!

Get a Plan and Getting Personal

To really get that desired definition, everything matters – correct nutrition and supplements, appropriate lifestyle habits such as sleep, hygiene, and of course, a well-structured and effective workout routine! We at Apache Brave believe in getting your personal training plan as bespoke to you as possible; that's why we offer our Ultimate Fitness Pro DNA package . You'll get our full DNA test (which is really simple to do) and a custom training plan based on your genetic profile, not only this but we can show you how you can personalize your nutrition to suit you body type. This is really the next level in Personal Training to reach your goals.

Want a Tone Up workout plan that you can download to you phone? click here to discover our pre-made plans to suit your fitness goals or why not book a Personal Trainer to get that 1 on 1 benefit

Check out our Personal Training Packages for more details.

Ultimate Fitness Pro DNA
1 on 1 Personal Training Package
Pre Made Personal Training Workouts

Build Muscle Fast

rich-watson@hotmail.co.uk (richard watson) — Tue, 14 Aug 2018 12:18:02 GMT

building muscle mass effectively in short time

German Volume Training ( GVT ) will shock your body into gaining lean muscle mass with its ability to place vast amounts of stress onto one motor unit (group of muscle fibres).

Developed in Germany in the 70s, German volume training (GVT) was taken up by national weightlifting coach Rolf Feser and used primarily in the off-season to bulk athletes up, increasing their lean body mass.

GVT is sometimes called the ‘Ten Sets Method’ the workout consisting of 10 sets of 10 repetitions, with minimal rest between sets. Used by Olympic weightlifters and professional bodybuilders, GVT is world renowned for promoting hypertrophy; this means increasing cell size of skeletal muscle. Highly recommended by one of the most successful strength coaches, Charles Poliquin – GVT has been used time and time again for over 40 years in building muscle mass effectively in short time frames .

Over a 6 week period the goal is to complete 10 sets of 10 reps with 60% of your one rep max (1RM), due to cumulative fatigue this will take some weeks to accomplish!

How to use GVT.

Pick one compound lift for each GVT section of your workout, the focus for each session should be on one muscle group. For example ‘bench press day’, here you use the bench press to carry out GVT before moving on to the rest of the session.

The aim is to complete 10 sets of 10 reps with a weight roughly 60% of your 1 rep max for the compound lift, so if your 1RM is 100kg for the bench press, shoot for 10 sets with 60kg. Ideal rest between sets is short at only 90 seconds, which further challenges your recovery time.

For the majority of lifters, 10 reps consistently every set will be very challenging, cumulative fatigue may only allow for 4 – 6 reps in the last few sets. If this is the case don’t worry, you are aiming to get 10 reps, but if you fail before that point your muscles have succeeded in being sufficiently fatigued so stop, rest and move on to the next set.

After completing the GVT part in each workout, complete 1-2 more exercises on the SAME muscle group for 3 sets, 8-12 reps. This will ensure, firstly you are not overtraining – which is detrimental to muscle growth, and secondly that you stick to a hypertrophy rep range for the remainder of the workout.

Purchase our German Volume Training Package Only £7.99

Try GVT by rotating three different workouts with a specific focus for each.

Have a look at the sample workout and weekly plan below.

Sample bench-press day workout.

Bench Press GVT – 10 x 10 rest 90s between sets.
Rest
Incline Flyes – 3 x 12 rest 90s between sets.
Rest
DB Shoulder Press – 3 x 12 rest 90s between sets.
Rest

Sample week.

Each GVT lift followed by two additional exercises on the same bodypart.

For this classic GVT plan, follow each training day with one rest day.

After completing the 6 days, start cycle again on ‘Day 1’ for 6 weeks.

Day 1 – Squat Day GVT
Day 2 – Bench Press GVT
Day 3 – Back and Arms GVT

Increase your weight by 5% Max per week

Supplementation.

GVT may be the very thing you need to break your plateaus and gain MASS! But with such a high volume training plan, it’s important you feed your body for success. The post-workout window is the perfect time to replenish with vital nutrients. Make sure you’re taking on board a quality supply of protein and carbohydrates. A supplement like PROTEIN is ideal, or for those looking for larger size gains, Hard Gainer will deliver a greater calorie load.

Due to the high demands placed on the Central Nervous System, make sure you incorporate the alternate rest days between GVT sessions, as mentioned above. In addition, supplementing with Zinc and Magnesium can be beneficial. Magnesium plays an important part on neurotransmission at the synapse. This is where you need chemicals to either carry the impulse forward, or block the signal (in some instances this can be advantageous). In addition to neurotransmission, Magnesium is also important in the production of Dopamine – which can have a calming effect on the brain. It is important to stimulate CNS relaxation after German Volume Training, as the CNS takes a big whack from all the stimulation.

Our GVT Package is only £7.99

Power to Plyometrics

Tue, 05 Jun 2018 10:45:00 GMT

Beef up your Workouts with these techniques

Plyometric exercises can be crucial for people who want to improve their strength and explosive power, as well as athletes who play sports that require quick bursts of pace, for instance. If you want bigger and stronger muscles then most of your training time should be dedicated to lifting weights. But you can reach your size and strength goals faster by also including some weekly plyometric work, which means doing more explosive bodyweight moves such as box jumps or clap press-ups

The research found that subjects who performed plyometric exercises added more muscular size and had greater power output than those who didn’t. And the best bit – aside from not needing any equipment – is that you only need to do it once a week, because those who did just one plyometric session a week saw greater benefits than those who did four.

Download our FREE Plyometric workout to your phone, link at bottom of article

What are they?

Plyometric exercises are a form of power training designed to increase the strength and elasticity of muscles by increasing the speed and force of contractions. This is done by performing explosive movements that first lengthen and then shorten the muscle through the contraction that takes place.

While plyometric exercises can be done by beginners at a lower intensity, it is important to note that when doing more advanced variations you should have some degree of strength and fitness that has come from doing sports or working out due to the nature of these movements.

They involve any sort of jumping movement where a part of your body leaves the ground and downward force is applied on your follow through – think skipping, lunging, jumping, and variations of push-ups, like claps!

In short, a plyometric contraction involves three consecutive phases:

Eccentric Phase – a rapid muscle lengthening movement

Amortization Phase – a short resting phase

Concentric Phase – an explosive muscle shortening movement

Why do them?

The goal of plyometric exercises is to maximize muscle contraction, quickly, which increases the output of muscle power. In doing so, the strength of your fast-twitch muscle fibers increases along with their ability to exert a high amount of force in a short space of time.

Athletes or people who enjoy doing sports will see the most benefit from doing plyometric exercises as it is a power exercise that elevates the body’s ability to perform quick movements. This ability to apply more force can then be applied to any specific sport: football, basketball, tennis, rugby, swimming

Athletes normally need to exert a high amount of force in the shortest amount of time. Whether it’s a sprinter running flat out over a short distance or a footballer kicking a ball with as much power as possible, plyometric exercises will serve to enable them to do this to their maximal capability.

Plyometric exercises are also beneficial to people undergoing rehabilitation or for limiting injury risk. This is because your muscles will become more flexible and accustomed to forceful movements.

In short, the benefits of plyometrics can be summed up as:

Improved storage and utilisation of elastic strain energy
Increased active muscle working range
Enhanced involuntary nervous reflexes
Enhanced length-tension characteristics
Increased muscular pre-activity
Enhanced motor coordination

Dopwnload our FREE Starter Plyometric workout Now

Complete full body workout featuring 11 Plyometric exercise that will target your major muscles building power and strength.

How do you perform them?

Plyometric exercises can be performed in a number of ways that vary in intensity. You can start at the very beginning and as you build up your strength and flexibility you’ll be able to see a steady progression in performance.

Some examples of plometric exercises:

Jumping Jack
Squat Jumps
Burpees
Mountain Climbers

Conculsion

Plyometric training has been shown to increase muscular power, speed, agility and strength. It is also an important component of rehabilitation and conditioning programs because stretch-shorten cycle exercise actions that constitute plyometric exercises are a natural characteristic of human movements from activities of daily living to elite level sporting actions. Once you have mastered these, you can move on to combining and varying up your exercises. What plyometric exercises also offer is another way for you to train. All too often we see that people get bored of their routine in the gym, and this can occasionally lead to people stopping their training altogether. By adding difference to your workout you’ll not only target different groups of muscles at different times, but present yourself with new challenges to overcome to keep your body guessing and ensuring that you don’t plateau.

How to Descend on a Road Bike

rich-watson@hotmail.co.uk (richard watson) — Wed, 02 May 2018 10:19:59 GMT

Want to descend like a pro? Here's how

Descending is an inevitable part of riding your bike, what goes up must come down, and so it's a necessary skill to develop. Many riders are fearful or nervous when descending, while others lack the skills to fully take advantage of a good dip in the road. Some riders may just want to further their skills so that during a ride they can take full advantage of any decline. Whichever type of road cycling you do, these tips will make you safer, faster and develop your skills when descending on your road bike.

So as well as developing your skills with these handy tips, we also aim to build your confidence and turn you into an accomplished descender. In order to do so, we've enlisted the help of cyclist and owner of Apache Brave Racing, Richard Watson to provide us with some helpful tips, specifically for descending on a road bike.

Relax, Relax, Relax

"Tension in the shoulders and braking into the corners" are the two biggest mistakes Richard sees in amateurs when descending, and so his number one tip to a new road rider is to "relax, relax, relax!"

You shouldn't be fighting the bike on the way down, you should let the bike do the work. Having straight, stiff arms will cause you to feel every bump or imperfection in the road which you will translate back into the handlebars making handling the bike feel nervous and twitchy. Instead, try to relax your shoulders by keeping them down and back, and keep a small bend in your arms to absorb any bumps along the way. Also try to slow down your breathing, focus on taking big deep breaths to calm your body down and relieve any tension.

"Don't fight the bike. Let the bike do the work."

A simple way to develop this calmness is to head to a hill you are familiar with and practice repeatedly. Start at a pace you are comfortable with, ensuring to stay relaxed and loose, keeping your breathing under control, and then progressively get faster as you get more comfortable with the road, the corners, and the speed. Once you feel you have mastered this one descent, do the same on a variety of descents; short, long, steep, technical, fast, etc... all the while remembering to relax, relax, relax.

Get Low

Getting low on your bike while descending serves two functions. Firstly, it will reduce your frontal profile (the surface area that meets the wind) which will improve your aerodynamics enabling you to hold speed throughout the descent. It's why we see so many pros adopt the super 'aero tuck' position where they basically sit on their top tube and get as low as possible.

However, more importantly, dropping your torso lowers your centre of gravity, providing a wider base of support, thereby enabling you to better negotiate corners and making you feel more planted to the road. You'll rarely see pros sitting bolt upright when descending, they are always low on their bikes, looking ahead with a relaxed posture. As well as aiming to keep your torso as low as possible, to further lower your centre of gravity, try dropping your inside shoulder when cornering.

Look ahead

How far ahead should you be looking? "You should always be looking at where you want to go, where you want to exit the corner or in a straight line 30 metres up the road. You will follow where your eyes are so if you're staring at the obstacle, you might hit it!"

As you focus on those points of vision, you'll find your body will manoeuvre itself and your bike into the ideal position. If there is a rider in front of you, look past them, your peripheral vision will tell you where they are, and it means you won't follow them into a bad line or end up crashing if they do. And when cornering, try to look around the corner and not at the edge of the road.

Push on your outside leg

This is a specific skill that you need to practice to the point when it becomes automatic. As you take a corner, keep your outside leg straight with the majority of your weight pushing on the pedal. This further increases your base of support and lowers your centre of gravity, enabling you to take a tight line through the corner when combined with your dropped inside shoulder and low torso.

On or off the seat?

Referring back to the aim of getting your centre of gravity as low as possible, it's best to stay in the seat. Richard says, "this will ensure you're balanced well across the length of the bike and that your arms and shoulders are relaxed."

"Stay in the saddle!"

The shortest line

The safest and fastest way through a corner is also the shortest. Taking the shortest line possible smoothes out the corner, requires less pedaling, covers less distance and consequently, helps maintain a high speed. In some cases you can't take the absolute shortest line due to traffic lines, so try to smooth out the angle of the corner as much as possible while staying safe and law abiding.

Richard has some tips on achieving the shortest line. "Generally, start wide, aim for the apex or inside point of the corner, being aware of traffic or other riders (and staying on your side of the road). The only time when this isn't necessary is when it's a longer sweeping corner and you can hug the inside line all the way through it."

Descending isn't a time for rest

Well, it's a great time to recover but it's not a time to completely stop pedaling and rest. If you were to stop pedaling on a long descent, your legs will fill will lactic acid and end up feeling like cement blocks when you try to start pedaling again. To prevent this lactic build up, spin your legs where possible and avoid long stationary periods. You don't need to apply a lot of pressure, it's purely to keep the blood circulating and help clear waste from your legs.

You have two brakes, use them

There are two brakes on your bike so use both when descending. This will spread the load through the bike evenly, helping you maintain balance and preventing your weight and centre of gravity from changing too drastically.

Going back to our first point, "braking into the corners" is one of the biggest mistakes Richard sees in cyclists when descending. Richard advises to "judge the speed you can hit the corner at, brake before the corner, then let the bike run through the corner unimpeded."

Braking through a corner puts you at risk of washing out (losing) your front or back wheel, which will see you hit the road. If you really need to stop in a hurry mid-way through a corner then try to get as upright as possible first.

When applying the brakes, do so progressively and evenly, being aware that your front brake is going to have greater power than your rear

Ride on the drops

In addition to lowering your centre of gravity, riding on the drops will give you much greater control over the bikes handling thanks to better grip and less chance of your hands slipping if you hit a pothole or bump in the road. Riding on the drops will also give you greater efficiency when using the brakes as you'll have greater leverage than if you stayed on the hoods.

Here's Richard's ideal position, "be in the drops, hands firmly holding the bars but don't clench. Keep your shoulders relaxed, your elbows bent and your head looking up the road. Have 60% of your weight on the back wheel, 40% on the front."

Things to be aware of

Having your brakes on too long: Constantly having pressure on your brakes will result in the braking surface overheating causing brake fatigue and eventually failure. This is especially the case for carbon braking surfaces. To avoid excessive heat build up, try pulsing the brakes to wash off speed or alternating between the front and rear.

Take care in the wet: Braking becomes significantly compromised in the wet. The quality of contact between the braking surfaces is diminished, as a result, it will take you longer to slow you down. On top of that, traction to the road won't be as good, you won't be able to see as far ahead, you may have water sprayed in your face by another rider and it will be harder to grip the bars. As a consequence, take care in the wet, leave yourself enough time to brake appropriately and be extra cautious.

Descending shouldn't feel like work: It should feel fluid and easy. If you are working too hard or concentrating too much, there's a high likelihood you're not descending as well as you could. Try to let the descent flow and again, practice makes this possible. Pick a descent you know well and practice it over and over to build your confidence to the point where you can get to the bottom safely, at good speed and with minimal effort.

Is the Mediterranean diet for you?

rich-watson@hotmail.co.uk (richard watson) — Wed, 28 Mar 2018 09:33:33 GMT

Follow a Mediterranean diet type and live healthier? Find out here

The Mediterranean diet is more suited to those whom have a very-low to medium sensitivity towards both carbohydrates as well as fats this would be the optimal diet type for you. A Mediterranean diet incorporates the traditional healthy living habits of people from countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea, including France, Greece, Italy and Spain.

Traditionally the Mediterranean diet is portrayed as a plant-based diet pattern where high intake of fruit, vegetables, whole grains, pulses (split peas, beans, lentils and chickpeas), nuts, seeds, olive oil and fish, a moderate intake of dairy products and white meats, and a low consumption of red meats and sugars is recommended. To summarize, it is a moderate unrefined fibrous carbohydrate, unsaturated fat diet with a moderate to low protein intake. Suggesting that 50% of the daily calories would be derived from unrefined carbohydrates (where approximately 8-10% could come from refined carbohydrates), 30% from fats and the remaining 20% from protein.

Even though you have a lower sensitivity to carbohydrates and fats it is still important to consider the type and amount you include within your diet. The basic make-up of a Mediterranean diet implies that your carbohydrates should be high in fiber with low glycemic index. And your fat choices should be particularly rich in monounsaturated fats (with emphasis on olive oil) and omega 3’s (from oily fish).

The Mediterranean diet is very similar to the UK government's healthy eating advice. The guide shows what foods are needed for a healthy, balanced diet and how much you should eat of each food group:

eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day

base your meals on starchy foods such as potatoes, bread, rice and pasta – choose wholegrain versions where possible
eat some beans or pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins (including 2 portions of fish every week, 1 of which should be oily)
have some dairy or dairy alternatives (such as soya drinks) – choose lower-fat and lower-sugar options

choose unsaturated oils and spreads, and eat them in small amounts

You don't need to achieve this balance with every meal, but try to get it right over the course of a day or even a week.

A lower incidence of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes has been related to the Mediterranean diet, as well as B group vitamin (B1, B2, niacin, B6, folate, and B12) and antioxidant (vitamins A, C and E) sufficiency - this can be particularly useful if you have an increased need for these micronutrients.

Your B vitamins are found in fruit, vegetables, fish and pulses, where in comparison your antioxidants can also be found in fruit and vegetables, as well as nuts, seeds and avocado.

To give you a better idea of what a Mediterranean diet looks like DNAFit compiled a sample menu.

MORNING SNACK

¼ cup dried fruit (cranberries)

30g (1oz) walnuts nuts (plain, unsalted)

LUNCH: Steamed Fish, Bulgur Wheat and Lentils with Zucchini Noodles

½ cup – ¾ cup boiled bulgur wheat mixed with ½ cup – ¾ cup brown lentils

1 cup boiled zucchini noodles

30g (1oz) – 60g (2oz) steamed oily fish (salmon / tuna / trout / mackerel)

2 teaspoons olive oil for cooking / dressing

AFTERNOON SNACK

½ cup carrot sticks, to dip in hummus

1 medium fruit (pear / kiwi / orange)

2 tablespoons hummus

DINNER: Artichoke, Asparagus and Brown Rice Salad with a Baked Chicken Thigh

½ cup – ¾ cup brown rice, with ½ cup – ¾ cup sweet corn

½ cup baked, chopped asparagus and ½ cup artichokes

90g (30oz) boned, skinless chicken thigh, baked

½ medium Avocado

1 teaspoon olive oil for cooking / dressing

" Following a strict Mediterranean diet offers substantial protection against heart disease, cancer, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's ”, the Daily Express reported. It said the biggest ever study into the diet had shown that a diet rich in fruit, vegetables and fish can reduce the number of deaths from these diseases. It found that people who stick to the diet are 9% less likely to die young and show significant improvements in health.

Discovering your ideal potential diet is easy with our DNA Testing kits, a simple swap from your mouth is then sent to the laboratory where it is tested against over 48 different DNA strands relating to your diet and fitness, this then give you your guide to unlocking your potential to a healthier you. Order your DNA kit now

Discover Your VO2 Max Potential

rich-watson@hotmail.co.uk (richard watson) — Mon, 26 Feb 2018 12:18:44 GMT

VO2 Max is not the be all and end all

VO2max is the threshold of your body’s ability to transport and use oxygen during physical activity. For a long time, it was also considered to be the primary indicator to determine how good you will be at aerobic exercise, fitness and sports performance. However, as science has grown so too has our understanding of other factors that also play a role. Yes, VO2max is an important component but it is not the be all and end all.

This is further highlighted by our understanding of genetics. Remember, in terms of your Fitness DNA Pro test , a main aspect is that it tells you how quickly, and to what magnitude, you can improve your VO2max, which is a factor in aerobic fitness. A person with a low trainability would likely see smaller improvements, or have these improvements take longer to occur; as such, training that is VO2max-based in nature would have a smaller effect than with someone with a high potential, for example. We can use this information to inform training programme design; those with a low or very low potential should focus on movement efficiency training if they want to improve their aerobic endurance performance. Those with high or very high should focus on vo2max based training, which is typically intense interval training. Those who are medium should likely have a mix of both.

By implementing the relevant training adaptations, it will go a long way to improving your overall performance.

High-aerobic intensity endurance interval training is significantly more effective than performing the same total work at 70% HRmax, in improving VO2max. The changes in VO2max correspond with changes in stroke volume of the heart, indicating a close link between the two. One positive outcome about training that many of us already know is the huge popularity of high intensity interval training. More and more we are seeing people including HIIT into their weekly routines, a few times a week, and if your VO2max genetic trainability is low then doing HIIT will go a long way to conditioning your body to use oxygen more efficiently .

A low VO2max genetic trainability isn’t something that is meant to discourage you from undertaking aerobic exercise but to make you aware of training better for better results. VO2max is important… but not the all-encompassing guiding light. With that low score, you will also want to shift your focus on how you train for the best results.

Another way to improve your VO2max, and get results is by doing anaerobic training.

Whether you focus on cardio or strength training, you can do both anaerobically; the only stumbling block is that anaerobic exercise is very difficult because you are required to push yourself beyond your limits for a short period of time. To summarize briefly, while aerobic exercise uses oxygen, anaerobic exercise does not because you aren’t focus on using oxygen over those short bursts. Anaerobic exercise is short-lasting, high-intensity activity, where your body’s demand for oxygen exceeds the oxygen supply available.

Remember that there are also other environmental factors that come into play with VO2max such as age, geography, lifestyle and gender.

People over 40, for example, will find that their VO2max genetic trainability has already started to decrease but as long as you are continuing to train you can effectively manage your score by eating healthy, losing weight, and doing cardio regularly.

The value in knowing your inherent genetic response to VO2max is an important guide that you can use to live a healthier life. It is there to not show you where you are at, but to give you deep insight into the person that you have always been so that you can make relevant adjustments to be fitter and reach your human potential.

Even though your VO2max genetic trainability may be low, by implementing cardio into your workout and focusing on improving it you’ll be able to boost your overall VO2max score, and raise your fitness level. Test your Fitness DNA now

Training Power or Endurance

rich-watson@hotmail.co.uk (richard watson) — Wed, 31 Jan 2018 14:01:26 GMT

How your should train based on your genetics.

Your power/endurance profile can give you a deep insight into the way to get the maximum results out of your training by adjusting to where you fall on the spectrum. For the purpose of this article we focus on mixed bias and what this means for you.

When you first see your power/endurance profile it is important to note that this spectrum does not suggest that you’ll be better at power sports than endurance sports or vice versa. It shows an indication of what your body is likely to adapt to in terms of body fat % decrease and muscle mass development from a genetically predisposed point of view.

In terms of response we mean: if you focused more on endurance activities you would improve/increase/maintain in muscle tone/very lean muscle mass with endurance based weight (high repetition weight) training and will have a greater fatigue resistance ability over a longer period of time. If you focused on power training- the response you would see is favourable muscle growth and great muscular speed, power and explosive development.

You’ll know that the insights that genetic testing can offer you can be invaluable in terms of your athletic fitness and training programme. You’re able to move away from the one-size-fits-all approach and tackle your training empowered by the knowledge about your genetic information that the DNA test gives you. The main aspect of the DNA fitness report includes an algorithm based on a combination of genes that tells you whether you respond better to power, endurance or mixed training. Get your DNA test kit now click here

What Does It Mean For Me?

Here we’ll be taking you through some of the best exercises to do if you’re a mixed responder but first, what exactly does this mixed response mean?

Mixed responders fall somewhere in-between the power and endurance scale, sometimes right or close to the middle. You’re more likely to respond to exercises that can be considered more standard but are varied over doing intense cardio training and lifting weights. It’s important to find an exercise regime that works for you and stick to it for the best results. High intensity training across-the-board is a great way to condition your body to reach peak athletic fitness.

Exercises

Crossfit – it is widely considered that full-body, challenging CrossFit exercises are the best way to target all of the muscle groups. CrossFit is known for pushing people’s limits while drawing from a number of exercises. It is a strength and conditioning system that is designed to promote both broad and targeted physical fitness. The system combines a wide variety of exercises to ensure that a total fitness level is achieved. It burns fat, is a great workout, always at high intensity. Examples of exercises include:

- Running

- Jumping

- Various weight lifting exercises

- Sprints

And some unconventional techniques such as:

- Tire flips

- Bodyweight squats

- Clapping push-ups

- Thrusters

- Steady rings that gymnasts normally use

Full body gym workouts/circuits are also a great way to keep that intensity high while focusing on making gains. It’s not so much about the repetitions but the fact that you’re engaging your body from a consistently new perspective.

Exercises include:

- Dumbbell bench press

- Rows

- Dips

- Leg press

- Super-sets (combining cable training with push-ups or lighter weights)

- cardio

- Raised lunges

- Squats

Hypertrophy Weight Lifting - Individuals with close to a 50/50 response to power and endurance would respond well to the hypertrophy range which is generally set between 8-12 reps. Those who have a great response to power would respond well to heavy weight resistance training of reps between 1-6, while those with a great response to endurance are likely to see great benefits and adaptations to higher repetition weight lifting set at 14 - 20 + reps per set therefore making the 8-12 rep range for those close to the 50/50 mark well suited, genetically, to see great adaptations.

Learn to know how best to understand your own Power/Endurance profile and you will quickly see gains in your health, fitness and sport, there is no one size fits all workout, so designing a custom plan based on your own DNA results and really benefit you like never before. Remember your results reflect your potential in that desired training phase not sporting potential, you can still be a great distance running even if your results show high power result profile, it's all about adaptive training.

Once you know your results we can design a 4 week plan based on your profile, this will help you get started and understand how to best implement your power and endurance training to reach your goals.

Get your DNA kit now and unlock your fitness and diet potential click here

Controlling Your Diet At Weekends

rich-watson@hotmail.co.uk (richard watson) — Wed, 29 Nov 2017 14:57:04 GMT

�� The Weekend Wreckage: How Your 48-Hour Break is Erasing 5 Days of Progress

You’re a machine all week. Monday to Friday, you crush your workouts, stick to your meal prep, and watch your calories meticulously. You build a calorie deficit, feel fantastic, and see the scale moving in the right direction.

Then the weekend hits.

That feeling of freedom often translates into a dangerous mindset: the “all-or-nothing” mentality . We relax our standards, grant ourselves a few "well-deserved" cheats, and suddenly, two days of indulgence erase the entirety of your Monday-to-Friday effort. This pattern—the "Weekend Wreckage"—is the single biggest factor derailing long-term fitness goals.

The truth is, consistency, not intensity, is the ultimate driver of success. If you want to stop the cycle of gain/lose, feast/famine, and finally achieve lasting results, you must learn to navigate those precious 48 hours with a strategic mindset.

�� Cut the Cord: Why the “Cheat Day” is a Lie

The concept of the "cheat day" started as a psychological tool for bodybuilders on highly restrictive diets, but for most people, it has become a destructive, counterproductive binge signal .

A full cheat day—where all dietary rules are suspended—can easily involve consuming 3,000 to 5,000 extra calories. If you spent the entire week in a 500-calorie deficit (a standard approach for sustainable weight loss), you would have only saved 2,500 calories (5 days x 500 calories).

One day of abandonment can immediately put you back in a weekly surplus or wipe out your entire deficit. The Alternative: The "Treat Meal" Approach. Instead of a destructive cheat day, integrate a planned "treat meal" or "flexible indulgence" into your weekend. This allows you to enjoy a favourite meal, socialise, and satisfy cravings without triggering the psychological binge that leads to a cascade of poor decisions for two days straight. The goal is to make healthy eating a sustainable lifestyle , not a prison sentence that requires a weekend break.

�� Pillar 1: Proactive Food Control

The primary reason weekday diets fail on the weekend is a lack of planning and structure . During the week, your work schedule provides a routine; on the weekend, you're left to your own devices, and usually, those devices lead to takeaways and convenience foods.

Make Healthy Meals Better

Take the extra time the weekend offers to learn to cook a few healthy meals that you genuinely look forward to. Experiment with spices, new ingredients, and different cooking methods. If you have exciting, delicious, healthy food ready, you are far less likely to call for a greasy delivery. This shift transforms food from a strictly functional necessity into an enjoyable, health-promoting hobby.

Strategic Snacking

Don't let yourself get too hungry. Plan healthy snacks (nuts, fruit, quality protein bars) before going out or engaging in activities. If you show up to a social gathering starving, your decision-making will be compromised, and you will choose the highest-calorie, most convenient option available.

�� Pillar 2: Activity as a Social Outlet

The weekend is meant for relaxation, but "relaxing" shouldn't mean being sedentary for 48 hours. Stay active!

Instead of only scheduling your physical activity around the gym, use the extended free time to explore other ways to move:

Go for a long hike or nature walk.
Take a cycling trip with friends or family.
Try a new, fun sport like tennis or bouldering.

Being active not only burns calories but also makes you feel better about yourself and reinforces the positive mindset you built during the week. Furthermore, physical activity itself can reduce cravings for unhealthy comfort foods.

�� The Double Whammy: Alcohol’s Undermining Effect

The single biggest criminal in sabotaging weekend goals is often alcohol . This is not just about the empty calories in the drinks themselves; it's about the metabolic and psychological damage that follows.

A "big night out" is a double whammy:

Calorie & Macro Overload: Alcohol provides pure energy that your body must prioritise burning, meaning fat burning stops. Plus, alcohol often leads to late-night snacking on nutrient-poor foods (pizza, chips, etc.).
The Hangover Domino Effect: The next day, a hangover virtually guarantees you'll be sedentary, craving hyperpalatable, fatty foods to soothe your symptoms, and certainly won't be hitting the gym.

You do not need to cut out alcohol completely, but practice moderation and mindfulness . Inter-space alcoholic drinks with water, stick to lower-calorie options, and critically, know when to call it a night.

Conclusion: Own Your 48 Hours

Success in health and fitness is a marathon, not a sprint—and your training never stops. Stop viewing the weekend as a time to escape your diet; start viewing it as an opportunity to reinforce your lifestyle . By planning your food, integrating fun activity, and controlling your alcohol intake, you turn the "Weekend Wreckage" into the Weekend Win , propelling your results forward, not backwards.

Top 10 Tips to Toning Your body

rich-watson@hotmail.co.uk (richard watson) — Fri, 17 Nov 2017 11:20:21 GMT

Fast rules to follow when toning your body

Weight loss

Achieving that ripped physique requires a combination of correct timing, nutrition, progressive training, and appropriate sleep and rest. Fundamentally, nobody can supplement a poor diet, so Weight-Loss should be integrated into any healthy eating plan if you want to tone your muscles, build lean muscle mass and reduce body fat. We know you’re on the tone-up plan, but ultimately, getting you on the road to the results you need requires a balanced approach – integrating the right meals with the right programme and the right supplements to help you achieve those lean goals.

Tone Up Nutritional Guide

Before we get into the specifics of the diet, here is a guide to an average nutritional targets for a tone up plan

TARGET
1500 kcals per day
PROTEIN
40 % / 150g per day
FATS
35% / 58g per day
CARBS
25% / 94g per day
WATER
2000ml
TARGET STEPS PER DAY
10,000
ESTIMATED CALORIES BURNED
2000kcals (inclusive of BMI and activity levels)

Healthy Snacks

When striving to optimize your physique and build lean muscle definition, always pay close attention to the nutritional value of your daily food intake — making sure to satisfy your body’s energy demands with some great snacks while also creating a calorie deficit. Regular protein (every 3-4 hours) is absolutely essential to maintaining a toned body, while low glycaemic carbohydrates and low-fat snacks also play a major part in getting you there. Life can be hectic and often on-the-go, proving difficult to make the best choices and maintain will power.

Meal Planning

PORTION SIZES
If you want to tone-up,these are essential

Red Meats
PROTEIN
When eating red meats and other protein sources like chicken, turkey and burgers, stick to having a serving that is the same size as a the palm of your hand – having excessive amounts will increase body fat and inhibit your health (i.e. cholesterol).

Cheese and Dairy
FATS
Be extremely cautious when piling cheese and dairy products on your meals like spaghetti bolognaise and salads. Stick to portions the size as a deck of small matches otherwise staying lean and defined will be an uphill battle.

Oils and Spreads
MORE FATS
Be careful when applying spreads to meals and snacks and cooking with different oils. Stick to portions the size of the end of your thumb to keep your lean gains and health in safe hands.

Pasta, Rice, Potatoes
CARBS
We all get that temptation to pile our plates with pasta, rice, potatoes and many more delicious carbohydrates. However, when striving to get lean, stick to a serving of carbohydrates the same size as a baseball – make sure you’re not eating three portions in one go!

10 RULES TO TONE UP SUCCESS

No matter what level you’re at, these 10 ‘Tone-Up’ rules are easy to understand and just perfect for keeping your training on track

1. RESISTANCE TRAINING
Incorporate resistance training into your lifestyle to achieve the desired aesthetics

2. PROTEIN EVERY 3-4 HOURS
Protein contains amino acids which are the building blocks for lean muscle growth and repair

3. PORTION SIZES
It’s time to start getting more precise with portion sizes at every meal

4. SWITCH UP THOSE CARB TYPES
Make the transfer high sugary simple carbohydrates to slow-digesting ones

5. MONITOR PROGRESS
Ensure you’re achieving results, but remember, patience is the key to success

6. EDUCATION IS THE KEY
Each macro-nutrient is metabolized differently even though they all provide calories. Proteins and carbohydrates provide 4 calories per gram, whereas 1 gram of fat provides 9 calories. Constantly eating fatty foods will make those calories rise through the roof, so keep your fat intake below 30% of total calories consumed, with 90% of this coming from healthy fats.

7. CALORIE TRACKING
Calculate your calorie intake so you know you’re reaching your daily targets

8. FASTED WORKOUTS
Nutrition and getting lean work hand in hand with regular exercise

9. POST-WORKOUT MEALS
Feed your muscles what they need instantly for maximum gains

10. PLAN AHEAD
Stay organized by treating your meal prep like your workouts!

Workouts to Support Toning Up

Get Stronger Quicker

rich-watson@hotmail.co.uk (richard watson) — Wed, 04 Oct 2017 11:46:33 GMT

Change your thinking towards different training styles.

Strength training comes in all shapes and sizes, and if you incorporate slight adjustments to your gym routine you’ll find that it’ll be both rewarding and beneficial.

If you have plateaued and you're not seeing results any more; this will lead you to frustration and in the end you will start having negative results and thoughts.

But it doesn’t have to be that way…

Strength training comes in all shapes and sizes, and if you have slight adjustments to your gym workouts you’ll find that it’ll be both rewarding and beneficial. We have listed 7 different ways in which you can alter your training workout to suit your needs and the needs of your body, which will help you adapt and in turn you will start to see gains in your training.

Full Body Training

Your weight training may be focused on working a number of different body parts either every single day or over the course of the week. The idea behind this is to train each body part evenly so that you build muscle all at once and become strong all around. This is best to do when starting out and wanting to tone or bulk up all over before including more variation and difference into your workout.

An example would be doing chest on Monday, back and shoulders on Tuesday, legs on Wednesday, cardio and active recovery on Thursday, biceps and triceps on Friday

Upper/Lower

Strength training requires variation in order for you to continuously build and prevent the possibility of not progressing. To counter this, try changing it up by working your upper body one day and lower body the next. Keep this interchange going for 2 weeks before changing your routine again.

An example would be to train 4-5 times a week and do an upper body exercise like chest or back one day and legs the next, while including cardio in on “rest” days.

Push/Pull

A recent trend at the moment in gyms is the push/pull workout schedule. If you are you reaching a plateau? Or you are encountering a few functional weaknesses that make it difficult to progress to a higher level. Does this sounds like you? Then you should incorporate push/pull into your training routine for a while. It is involved with doing an exercise whereby you “push” and the next day doing exercises that require a “pull”.

An example of this would be to do an activity such as rowing one day and then a bench press the following day, keep this variety going while concentrating on all your muscle groups.

Isometric training

Do you want to strengthen your muscles and make them able to grip and lift weights more efficiently? Then you need to incorporate isometric training into your workout. It is where you hold a weight in a fixed position for a certain amount of time, normally around 30-60 seconds. It will help your muscles to become used to withstanding a load and boost your overall training.

An example would be holding a weighted dumbbell out in front of you with a straight arm for 30 seconds at a time during your workout, possibly as part of a superset.

Circuit training

You may have seen everyone to novices to the daily gym bunnies on the circuit, hearing that familiar beep go off, whereby they either hop onto a new machine or onto the steps for a lung-busting high intensity cardio workout. And that’s because circuit training is all about high energy stimulation of muscles. Do it to condition your muscles to work actively under pressure, as well as for fat burning and toning.

An example would be ditching your regular routine once a week to go around the circuit a few times, or do it on a day of active recovery juxtaposed with your cardio session.

Power lifting

Want to push yourself to your limit? Perhaps you’re seriously interested about bulking up but aren’t quite sure where to start. Well, power lifting is pretty much the best place. It involves doing a maximum load weight over three of the most important exercises. Lift as much as you can while completing a squat, bench press, and deadlift for big results.

An example is pretty straightforward: complete a squat, then bench press, then deadlift while lifting to your max.

Eccentric loading

This is necessary if you want to prevent your likelihood of picking up injuries or you want to “stretch” and lengthen your muscles. It is a simple yet technical change to your usual lifting where you do, say, a bicep curl normally but when you lower weight down you do it slowly and at a concentrated pace which will help build the muscle to become bigger, and then finishing off quickly with force.

An example is doing a tricep curl by focusing on lowering the weight down slowly and then complete it with a powerful burst.

In summary, it's always best to keep evaluating and adapting your training programmes this will help you gain the most from your time in the gym. A good step to take first is to have a fitness and diet DNA test , this will help you target the correct reps and sets to your workouts and indicate the right recovery time, helping you cut the risk of injuries by overtraining. The DNA test will also help you on the right path towards good nutrition which play an important role in any training programme.

Don't be afraid to ask a Personal Trainer for some advice or better still to help you design a programme; this is probably the best option to reach your goals in the most effective way. A personal Trainer will change and adapt your routine as your progress while also focusing on the important areas that you want to improve on.

Inflammation and your Diet

rich-watson@hotmail.co.uk (richard watson) — Thu, 24 Aug 2017 10:29:15 GMT

The Impact Your DNA Has On Inflammation.

What if we told you that top athletes suffer from the same thing as you do? Inflammation happens to everyone; it is part of our body’s natural response to training and damaged tissues and also plays a role in the immune system response. With modern day advances in sport science we are now able to see just how much inflammation you’re likely to feel from a strenuous bout of activity through the analysis of your genes.

A DNA Kit test will look at four genetic inflammatory markers - IL6, IL6R, CRP and TNF. Variations in these genes give us a clue if you are predisposed to suffer significantly higher levels or slightly lower levels of inflammation. Knowing your predisposition of this biological phenomenon can make big alteration to your training and even more so to your recovery strategies which dictate your training schedule and ultimately your goals.

Acute inflammation is important for healing; however excessive inflammation can result in prolonged feelings of soreness, tenderness, swelling, and also in a loss of function (reduces ROM or range of motion) and could even result in allergies and chronic diseases. There are various strategies that can be used to help decrease acute and chronic inflammation like sports massage therapy , but for the purpose of today's blog we will be looking at foods that can help in the role of decreasing inflammation in our body:

Omega – 3

Known as an essential fatty acid because it is both crucial to our bodies function, and cannot be produced by the body, we therefore need to get them from food sources. Omega- 3’s are also a type of unsaturated fat. There are quite a few healthy benefits that can be provided through the right intake of omega-3’s in our diet; they help reduce rheumatoid arthritis, lower fats in our blood and they also provide our bodies with an anti-inflammatory result. They have been seen to reduce inflammation and help promote recovery following bouts of resistance training.

Foods that contain omega-3: Oily fish like salmon, mackerel, herring, cod, tuna; nuts and seeds like walnuts, flax seeds, hemp seeds and chia seeds or through a one a day tablet form

Tip: Grind in omega-3 rich nuts or seeds with your post-workout shake.

Vitamin D

This fat-soluble vitamin is vital as it helps to regulate anti-inflammatory cells as well as muscle growth. It has been well known for many years that vitamin D is important for bone health as it helps with the absorption of calcium. Low vitamin D levels are associated with a few diseases including arthritis (joint inflammation).

A study conducted in 2012 examined specific mechanisms by which vitamin D might act on our inflammatory and immune pathways. The researchers isolated human white blood cells by incubating these cells with assorted levels of vitamin D, they then exposed these white blood cells to LPS (lipopolysaccharide). This molecule is associated with bacterial cell walls that are known to promote inflammatory responses. The outcome showed that cells which were incubated with no vitamin D produced high levels of cytokines IL-6 and TNF-alpha, which are major markers in the inflammatory response. The same result was also seen in white blood cells incubated by a solution containing 15 ng/ml of vitamin D. Cells that were incubated in 30 ng/ml and above of vitamin D showed significantly decreased response to the LPS. Incubation in 50 ng/ml of vitamin D resulted in the highest levels of inflammatory inhibition.

Vitamin D food include oily fish, fortified breakfast cereals, milk and mushrooms. Vitamin D3 are also in tablet form

Tip: Instead of mixing your post-workout protein shake with water, try using milk instead. It will also provide you with great amount of casein protein that can assist with muscle repair and ultimately your gains.

Antioxidants

Found in various fruits and vegetables, and they play an significant role in removing harmful compounds from our body known as free radicals. Vitamins A, C and E, bioflavonoids, polyphenols and glutathione are some good examples of antioxidants.

Many berries like strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries and other cherries contain great antioxidant compounds that have been shown to help reduce inflammation as well as chronic disease risk and their effects has been seen to help encourage recovery from exercise.

Tip: Have a handful of assorted berries as a daily snack choice.

Curcumin

This is a yellow-like substance which can be found in some Asian meals, such as curry, and is the most active component in the yellow spice turmeric. It has been seen to reduce soreness and inflammation after exercise. Research suggests that Curcumin has the ability, at molecular level, to target several steps in the inflammation pathway. Curcumin blocks a molecule (NF-kB) that travels into the nuclei of cells and turns on genes related to inflammation.

Tip: Add turmeric to your carbohydrates. If you are going to eat rice or perhaps you are carbo-loading for an event, adding the turmeric spice can be a great option to combat stiffness and soreness

Phytochemicals

These are chemicals created by plants that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Foods that are rich in phytochemicals range from various berries, vegetables that are green, red, or orange in colour (such as sweet peppers), peanuts, and whole grain products.

Tip: Include colourful fruits and vegetables in your diet, whether this is at breakfast, lunch or dinner that’s up to you. The way you can attain this is to include a “colourful” salad as a side to your main course.

Beetroot Juice

Along with its suggested effect of dilating blood vessels to allow for more oxygen transportation towards functioning muscles, it has also been revealed to have an anti-inflammatory effect. Beet’s contain a micronutrient called betaine which has anti-inflammatory properties as it has been related with reduced levels of IL6, TNFa and CRP.

Tip: Drink a glass (250-300mL) 2 hours before an endurance activity to get the best benefits from it. Try Beetroot powder in cakes, smoothies and oat bars.

In Summary

It is not a secret that there is a connection between strenuous, harder bouts of training or exercise and bigger levels of inflammation, and it shouldn’t be a secret that a healthier diet can help relieve inflammation and therefore allow you to do more high intensity activity in a week as recovery becomes faster. As previously stated, our genes play a role in the regulation of inflammation. The DNA test looks at four genes that impact the inflammatory response:

IL-6 - Stimulates the immune response to training and is involved in the inflammatory repair process.

TNF - Is shown to regulate our immune cells which is able to induce fever, inhibit tumor growth, and is part of the inflammation process.

CRP - This is an acute phase protein which rises in response to inflammation. It is stimulated by the IL-6 and is often used as a marker for inflammation in blood tests.

IL6-R - The IL6R gene specifically encodes this IL6R subunit, which in-turn influences IL6 cytokine action.

Difference within the genes mentioned above can predispose a person to lower levels of inflammation after a demanding bout of activity, leading to quicker recovery times. Some genotypes are associated with increased levels of inflammation after exercise, and as such would need a longer rest period between bouts of activity. Understanding your genes and their indications could be an essential part in the approach to decrease inflammation. Adopting stability between correct strategies like workout, rest, active recovery sessions and modalities as well as nutrition should provide you with the best possible approach to recover.

Discover more about our ultimate personal training package with the DNA Fitness Pro test ; see all the genes that are tested to help you gain the most potential from your training and diet, click here

Getting DNA Fitter

rich-watson@hotmail.co.uk (richard watson) — Fri, 18 Aug 2017 10:20:31 GMT

Gaining the complete package to your healthier lifestyle

For those people who know me will tell you I am the most skeptical person out there when it comes to new products and fad diets to aid fitness training and weight management. I go to lots of trade fairs and seminars and see lots of new products, most of the time I have made my mind up within 20 seconds. Science has to prove it works for me to believe in something, it’s the way I run my business as a sports therapist and the way I train myself.

I first saw the DNA fitness tests in 2013 at a trade show; it was not something I was interested in at the time so I walked on by. However, after seeing these tests repeatedly pop up on trade and fitness magazines I started to take more of an interest.

Over the years I’ve personally battled with injuries from playing sport and had to deal with my own weight issues while being off sport recovering from injury. It’s what got me in to my now profession as a sports therapist; I help many athletes recover, prepare and condition their bodies ready for their events.

As a sports person you are always looking for that extra legal edge, that extra bit that will gain you a few seconds off your personal best or just be able to train and diet better for a healthier lifestyle. So I felt that taking the DNA Diet Fitness Pro test was really worthwhile.

The reports included an abundance of manageable and easily understandable information about my DNA and also provided focused and implementable advice, which wasn’t just based on eating less and exercising more. I was particularly impressed with the strength of the connections DNAFit made between my genetics and the practical implications the results might have in terms of my diet and fitness.

I would recommend this test to anyone interested in improving their health and fitness, regardless of whether you’re a complete beginner or training for a marathon.

Full Review

Product Expectations

Things that I might find out about with a test from DNAFit were made immediately clear. I was most interested in exploring how my DNA might impact my fitness and diet, so signed up for the full package, these no point in only knowing half the information about you.

There was also a whole page dedicated to explaining the science behind the test. This was really comprehensive, including not only a list of the genes analyzed in the test, but information about each gene, how they chose which to include and how they came to conclusions about the different variants of each gene. There was even a sample selection of some of the scientific journal articles that were used to develop the test. It was also made clear that genetics don’t define everything about us, and that environmental factors play just as an important role in our fitness.

Results section: Infographic Report

I correctly assumed that the Infographic Report would provide me with an overview of my results, so chose to look at that first. This report consisted of one page that summarized both my fitness and diet reports, though the latter took up the majority of the page.

A section of my Infographic Report.

The page was bright and included colourful diagrams corresponding to each of my results. This made it really easy to quickly look at all of the results, and gave me an idea of what my strengths and weaknesses were before reading about them in more detail in the other reports. Among many other things, I found out that I had a high sensitivity to carbohydrates. I was intrigued and wanted to find out more about what this might mean practically, so moved on to the Diet Report.

Diet Report

There were 12 results in total: ‘ Carbohydrate Sensitivity ’, ‘ Saturated Fat Sensitivity ’, ‘ Detoxification Ability ’, ‘ Anti-Oxidant Need ’, ‘ Omega-3 Need ’, ‘ Vitamin B Requirements ’, ‘ Vitamin D Requirements ’, ‘ Salt Sensitivity ’, ‘ Alcohol Response ’, ‘ Caffeine Sensitivity ’, ‘ Lactose Intolerance ’ and ‘ Coeliac Predisposition ’. Each section was quite long, and full of useful information.

The summary of my Diet Report results.

I thought this was a great feature, giving me an idea of which results to pay particular attention to. I liked that it was more focused than the Infographic Report but was still brief enough to allow me to quickly assess. There were some, such as ‘Lactose intolerant’ that had obvious consequences (If I drink milk I may get adverse effects), but others were less obvious (what does it mean to be a slow metaboliser of caffeine?), so I was interested to read more in the full report.

My Carbohydrate Sensitivity result.

This section provided more detail about my high sensitivity to carbohydrates in a way that made the information manageable, using a scale to show how I compared to others and a table to show each of the genes analyzed against my variants and the effects. This result also included personalised ‘Action Points’, for example suggesting I only consume 6% of my daily calories as refined carbohydrates. Beneath this was a thorough, but again not overwhelming, explanation of the different types of carbohydrates, and a page about what GI and GL were. Finally, there was a table with examples of carbohydrates with their GI and GL values.

I was impressed with the extensive amount of information provided, just for that one result, but was even more impressed that at no point did it seem too complex or scientific that the average person couldn’t understand.

Each result after this was similar – I found out that I needed to increase my intake of antioxidants to compensate for my reduced capacity to neutralize free radicals, and that I had an increased sensitivity to salt, so should cut my intake. Once I’d gone through all of the results I felt that I hadn’t just learnt about my own dietary needs, but had gained a lot of valuable information about nutrition in general

Results section: Fitness Report

After looking through my Diet Report, I moved on to finding out about how my DNA might affect various aspects of my fitness. The following four sections were used to present the results: ‘ Power/Endurance Profile ’, ‘Your Aerobic Potential (VO2 Max) ’, ‘ Recovery ’ and ‘ Injury Risk ’ and the main conclusions were summarized in my ‘DNA Overview’, shown below.

My fitness report ‘DNA Overview’.

I initially thought that the relatively small number of sections might mean the report wouldn’t provide much information, but found that as I went through it, each result covered many areas of fitness. Together, the sections provided plenty of information about my results, how to interpret them and advice on how to act upon them.

This report started in a similar way to the Diet Report, but the results themselves were laid out slightly differently. The first result, my ‘Power/Endurance Profile’, was about how suited I was likely to be to power or endurance activities when exercising.

I was initially disappointed to find out that I was more likely to respond well to endurance activities, as I enjoy weight training and high impact work. However, there was a note at the bottom of the page that explained that the results shouldn’t change my fitness goals but help me to train for them in a more efficient way. It made me realize that I’d done really well during my 100m sprinting days and power events when I was competing and that if I had incorporated more endurance activities into training I may have achieved more. I could have become faster .

The rest of the results went over other aspects of fitness, such as my likelihood of sustaining a soft tissue injury when doing sport and ways to recover quickest ; something I wish I’d know many years ago having suffer two ACL knee injuries, which in the end made me retire from my footballing career. I was particularly interested to read about and calculate my VO2 max score, which is used to assess how effectively my body uses oxygen during exercise.

Summary

I felt that taking the DNA Diet Fitness Pro test was really worthwhile. The reports included an abundance of manageable and easily understandable information about my DNA and also provided focused and implementable advice, which wasn’t just based on eating less and exercising more. I was particularly impressed with the strength of the connections DNA made between my genetics and the practical implications the results might have in terms of my diet and fitness.

I was so impressed that I have now become a certified trainer for DNAFit , it’s a product I really believe in and only wish it was around during my peak sporting career. That’s not to say it doesn’t benefit me know, I still compete in cycling (just for fun) and want to get the best out of my training and diet; so testing my DNA had taken all the guess work out of my diet, recovery and training. Being a DNA trainer I am able to design the right training programs for my clients while also helping them keep on top of their diet and weight management.

Our full test might seem expensive at £300 for the our complete Ultimate Fitness and Diet package, but it’s a one off purchase that can really help you succeed in your sport, fitness and diet. Our package also comes with a 12 week Diet plan including all meals and shopping list of foods, we will get you started with your fitness with a 4 week online fitness workout based on your DNAFit report.

So in the long term it can pay for itself by getting your training and diet right. Discover more about our DNA fitness Pro package here

Fit to Ride

rich-watson@hotmail.co.uk (richard watson) — Mon, 10 Apr 2017 11:44:53 GMT

Are you ready to cycle fit?

There has been a huge increase in interest in cycling over recent years as more people become aware of the health and fitness benefits’ cycling achieves, as well as its advantages as a fast and economical means of transport. Studio cycling has also grown and has been identified as one of the most popular group exercise formats in clubs worldwide.

Here are some training basics for cycling that will be helpful across the spectrum of participants.

Cadence - The number of times the legs turn the cranks in a full circle over the space of a minute. It is measured in revolutions per minute (RPM). That is, the number of times that the right or left foot passes through the bottom of the pedal stroke over 60 seconds.

Gearing - Allows the rider to change the distance that a bike would travel forward for one revolution of the cranks. If you change into a higher gear while keeping the same pedal speed, the bike will travel faster. More power is being generated, so it will feel harder. In the context of indoor cycling, resistance replicates the effect of gearing.

Power - Produced when cadence and gearing are combined. Power is a rate of doing work and measured in watts. In terms of generating power with the least fatigue, cadences in the region of 80 to 100rpm are often quoted. However, beginners will often struggle to sustain these speeds and often “mash” a larger gear (struggling against too great a resistance). This can have the unfortunate effect of inducing lactate build up, which may put them off. More experienced cyclists tend to use lower gears and “spin” the cranks at speeds of 85 to 100rpm.

Components of Fitness

Technique

Most people learn to cycle as a child and, once they’ve mastered movement and balance, very little attention is paid to technique. From that point on, it is usually assumed that people can just get on and go. As a result, good pedaling technique and, just as importantly, good posture tends to be forgotten. As adults, people may often repeat any bad habits picked up in childhood.

A constant awareness of smoothing out of the pedal stroke is crucial for efficiency as power comes from the whole of the pedal stroke. Good pedaling technique takes advantage of the entire pedal circle, rather than just the down stroke. This has been helped considerably by the wide-scale adoption of cycle-specific shoes and pedals.

Posture is also much neglected. Good basic posture points (lengthened, neutral spine, relaxed and gently retracted shoulders, core engaged) should apply even though the upper body is tilted forwards towards the handlebars. Observe some participants in an indoor session, and you will see a huge difference in the participant who is hunched over the bars, grinding away and the participant with strong, tall posture.

Cardiovascular System

The rhythmic nature of cycling, in its use of large muscle groups, requires an efficient delivery of oxygen from the heart, lungs and circulation. All cyclists need a good cardiovascular base, which gives them the ability to produce power steadily for sustained periods.

Skeletal Muscle

Cycling in the real world is generally an endurance activity, but it is interspersed with intervals of greater speed and resistance. As well as a good cardiovascular base, cyclists also require the capacity for shorter bursts of power, whether that is to climb a hill, accelerate away from an imminent hazard or to break away from opponents towards the end of a race. This means that cycling challenges muscle fibre types across the range, including Type I (endurance biased), Type IIa (medium duration/moderate to high intensity biased) and Type IIb (short duration/high intensity biased).

Benefits of Outdoor Cycling

Essentially, outdoor cycling is a random interval training session. If you think about all of the key elements (up hills, down hills, flats, accelerating to overtake, recovery, sprint finishes etc), a variety of cadences and resistances are used, which place differing demands on the skeletal muscle and the cardiovascular system.

Low cadences with higher resistances tend to challenge fast-twitch fibres and lactate tolerance, while higher cadences with lower resistances tend to challenge slow-twitch fibres and the cardiovascular system.

For the majority of participants, a level of cross training is key in order to work all the systems involved. This approach provides the widest variety of health and fitness benefits from a single exercise session. Some athletes may want to concentrate on encouraging more endurance or speed from their short duration/high intensity biased fibres, depending on the duration/intensity of their discipline.

Outdoor cycling also provides the challenge and excitement of engaging with a constantly changing environment.

Benefits of Indoor Cycling

Originally, indoor cycling was developed by endurance rider Jonathan Goldberg (“Jonny G”) as a way of complementing his outdoor training. But he found that the combination of indoor training and the use of music brought a different and complementary aspect to his regime.

Indoor cycling has the following benefits:

It allows pure focus on technique without any of the distractions of being outdoors (i.e., traffic, road surface, intersections, etc).
It allows use of music. This is a major motivational tool that may not be feasible or safe to use on the road. In some indoor cycling courses, the focus is on cycling to the beat and phrase of the music. In this way, cadence is controlled, and a variety of different speed tracks can be used to create a cross training approach.
Only the hardcore want to put a load of outdoor miles under their belts on a cold, dark, wet morning.
Indoor cycling can accommodate a number of participants at different levels. They may all be pedalling at 80rpm in time with the beat, but their power outputs can vary significantly depending upon the resistance they have chosen.

So indoor cycling can help to give participants a cross trained effect that will directly impact upon their outdoor performance, not to mention their technique and posture. In addition to this, it can be made much more specific and tailored for participants training for an event if they wish to take part in very controlled, steady state or interval training without the distractions of the road.

A common mistake in indoor cycling is use of excessive speed. Many classes utilize extremely high cadences (in excess of 140rpm), either for prolonged periods or as a “sprint.” These speeds are likely to place substantial stress on the hips and knees, by transmission of rapid, uncontrolled, inertia driven forces through the joints. For this reason, some cycles have now imposed a 140rpm limit on the cadence readout.

The beauty of cycling is that it can accommodate the needs of an incredibly wide variety of participants. Indoor or out, focusing on these key concepts can help you create a stimulating and effective workout for whatever level of fitness and ability you are.

Top food myths

rich-watson@hotmail.co.uk (richard watson) — Wed, 01 Mar 2017 11:54:46 GMT

Getting to the truth about weight gain

Good bacteria can help you lose weight

True
For every probiotic evangelist there are several that sneered at the idea that these ‘good bacteria’ products did anything other than leave a big whole in your pocket. But according to a recent study, probiotics are very much more than a health food gimmick.

Probiotics, which are available as yoghurts, drinks and pills, contain so called ‘good’ bacteria that manufacturers claim aid digestive health and boost the immune system.

But the jury remained out – until now when a study has found that they do have many health benefits, including proving effective medicines and helping to control weight.

But you need to need to use the probiotics every day to see any benefits and you should be mindful of the sugar content (it’s best to opt for a pill over yoghurt) which will negate any of the benefits.

Eggs raise your cholesterol levels

False
Eggs have been lumbered with a heart harming reputation for a long time despite the claim that they contribute to heart disease being proven wrong in numerous studies.

Yes, eggs contain cholesterol but it’s now believed that the real threat to our heart health doesn’t lie with cholesterol in foods such as eggs, but the sort made by our body.

Dangerous levels of LDL (‘bad’) cholesterol have been linked to a diet high in saturated fat – the kind you find in processed eat, cakes, biscuits.

Far from being a food to be feared, eggs are a part of a healthy diet as they’re loaded with nutritional goodness – the yolk alone contains carotenoids, vitamin A, Vitamin E and choline – so get boiling/frying/poaching.

Fat is bad for you

False
Contrary to what large sections of the diet industry would have you believe, fat is an essential part of our diets. The confusion comes because there are so many different types of fat – and they’re not all created equally.

Unsaturated fat, the kind found in nuts, oily fish and vegetable oils are essential for the smooth running of our internal organs – especially our brain.

Fat is needed to transport fat soluble vitamins including X, D, E and K and essential fatty acids whose name is an indication of just how vital they are to your body.

Without fat in our diet, our bodies wouldn’t be able to produce the engine fuel that supports our brain and other major organs. Fats biggest PR problem is that it’s so energy dense – you don’t get much calorie bang for your portion buck.

A gram of fat contains nine calories – twice as much as the protein equivalent which is why the Department of Health recommends that no more than a third of your daily calories

Being apple-shaped is more dangerous than being pear-shaped

True
Being prone to putting on weight around your middle doesn’t just make doing your skinny jeans up a pain; it could increase your risk of heart disease.

Experts believe that the best way to predict the likelihood of suffering a heart attack is the proportion of your waist to your hips.

To do this, measure your waist at the smallest point, and then measure your hips at the widest point. Divide the first number by the second number: an ideal ratio is 0.8 or lower. Any higher and you should think about blasting that belly with some fat-busting cardio.

Calcium could reduce fat

True
A recent study by the University of Tennessee (funded by the American National Dairy Council so, um, it might be a little biased) discovered that obese mice who were put on high-calcium, low-calorie diets lost a about a fifth of their body weight, while those who ate low-calorie and low-calcium diets lost just 11%.

Of course, we’re not obese mice, but researchers believe that calcium may have a similar affect on humans as it encourages the body to burn energy rather than store it as fat.

Sadly that doesn’t mean that a block of calcium rich, but very fatty, cheese suddenly becomes calorie neutral. Instead opt for fat-free, calcium-loaded, green, leafy vegetables like kale, spinach and broccoli.

Diet drinks can make you fat

True
Words of wisdom and Paris Hilton aren’t usually found in the same sentence together but the socialite’s memorable “Only fat people drink Diet Coke” statement may have a ring of truth about it.

According to researchers in the US, artificial sweetener found in diet tricks the body into making you eat more. The sugary substance makes your body believe that it’s about to get a huge calorie surge and when you disappoint it, it strikes back with hunger pangs that lead you to the cookie jar. So swap that Coke Zero for a glass of water – make a sparkling if you miss the fizz.

Don’t eat after 8pm

False
The diet myth that won’t die, due in large part to celebrities continually wheeling it out in any ‘I’ve dropped a stone’ stories.

Calories can’t tell the time; you don’t stop burning energy as soon as the Eastenders theme tune strikes up. In an ideal world we would reverse our usual eating pattern – starting with a big breakfast and eating a decent lunch makes sense, after all we need the energy during the day not while we’re asleep.

But most of us barely have time to grab a piece of toast first thing and it’s difficult to eat a slap up meal over a keyboard.

But eating late at night isn’t responsible for weight gain; eating your biggest meal of the day after the clock has struck 8 might leave you with a little indigestion but you won’t wake up with bigger thighs.

Improving Motivation for Marathon runners

rich-watson@hotmail.co.uk (richard watson) — Mon, 06 Feb 2017 16:51:02 GMT

Becoming a better runner

The definition of motivation is that which gives the impetus to behaviour by arousing, sustaining and directing it towards the successful attainment of goals. Abraham Maslow (1954) proposed that we all have a hierarchy of needs, the most basic being physiological needs such as food, and the highest needs being those related to self-fulfillment. Motivation directs behaviour – it organizes behaviour towards a particular goal state. It maintains behaviour until that goal is achieved.

The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 26 miles and 385 yards that is usually run as a road race. The marathon was one of the original modern Olympic events in 1896, though the distance did not become standardized until 1921. More than 500 marathons are contested throughout the world each year, with the vast majority of competitors being recreational athletes. Larger marathons can have tens of thousands of participants.

Why do people take up marathon running? Sport medicine physician Dr Jack Taunton (2006) recognized that an increasing number of athletes use the marathon to start a regular exercise programme. However more experienced runners will have different reasons that are more psychological than physiological. Individuals who engage in marathon running for the first time compared with experienced runners will, for example, differ in their reasons for participating.

Previous investigators have explored the development of motives for participation with runners using retrospective self-report methods. For example, Carmack and Martens (1979) studied 250 non-marathon runners who were recruited at various locations and events throughout Illinois and Indiana. The subjects completed questionnaires that inquired about their reasons for running, outcomes of running, commitment to running, training practices, and demographics. The investigators found that serious runners tended to de-emphasize physical health as a reason for running, and instead, placed increasing emphasis on psychological reasons.

In another self-report, retrospective study Johnsgard (1985) asked a large sample of readers of a running magazine, and a second sample of runners over age 50 years why they began running and why they continue to run. He found that both groups indicated a shift toward psychological factors and away from fitness and weight control, although fitness remained the top ranked reason.

Many different theoretical perspectives acknowledge that the factors which motivate someone to initiate an activity are often different from the factors which motivate the individual to maintain or continue to engage in the behaviour. Researchers in the area of exercise have been especially receptive to this position, in part because of the high drop out rate among those who begin an exercise program. Martin and Dubbert (1982) noted that between 50 and 70% of individuals who begin an exercise program drop out within 12 to 24 months. Dishman (1986) has similarly noted that about 40 to 50% drop out within the first 6 months. Lee and Owen (1986) have examined this problem from a number of perspectives, including the cognitive-behavioural and social psychological. They noted that behaviour change is a process which occurs in a series of stages. Consequently, from a behavioural view, early reinforcement contingencies that influence behaviour change may lose their effect as the individual moves from the acquisition to maintenance stage.

Along these lines, Shepherd (1985) has proposed that exercise programs be designed to initially maximize external reinforcement until the preliminary discomfort experienced by exercising individuals has subsided. Subsequently these exercisers will become motivated by internal rewards that are inherent in the exercise itself. Kasimatis, Langston and Clark (1992) and Sonstroem (1988) have reported other process models that rely more heavily on cognitive variables to explain exercise initiation and maintenance. What these approaches have in common is the position that the motivation for exercising changes throughout the individual's particular exercise history.

Can looking at the trait personality of a runner help in the motivation for a marathon? Trait theories propose that personality can be described in terms of a limited number of traits which we all have, but to varying degrees. These traits are long lasting and stable; they cause us to behave in characteristic ways. They are therefore frequently evident in the individual’s behaviour, and knowing these traits will enable us to explain and predict that person’s behaviour.

Hans Eysenck (1982) proposed from his research that there are a considerable number of personality traits which, because they are related to each other, can be grouped together in two ways. One of these groups is called extrovert –introvert dimensions (called E): - Eysenck argues that human beings seek to maintain a level of stimulation or activation which is comfortable for them. Activation is directed by the reticular activation system (the RAS). However, the level of activation which the individual finds comfortable varies from person to person. This variation is identified in the E dimension.

Extrovert

Biological basis : RAS dampens down incoming information so the individual seeks additional stimulation in order to maintain a comfortable level of activation.

Characteristics : Becomes bored more quickly, is less responsive to pain, seeks change and excitement, and is poor at tasks requiring concentration.

Introvert

Biological basis: RAS amplifies incoming information so the individual prefers low levels of stimulation in order to avoid excessive activation.

Characteristics : Does not seek excitement, prefers calm and quiet, dislikes the unexpected, prefers order, is good at tasks requiring concentration

Stable – neurotic dimension (called N): Eysenck’s N dimension is associated with emotionality. Its physiological basis is the autonomic nervous system (the ANS), in particular how rapidly the autonomic nervous system responds to stressful situations.

Stable

Biological basis : ANS is fairly slow to respond to stressful situations and is not very vigorous

Characteristics: Even-tempered emotional stable easy going.

Neurotic

Biological basis : ANS responds rapidly and strongly to stressful situations

Characteristics : Restless, excitable, anxious

What is the use of Eysenck’s theory and relevance of this dimension to marathon running? On the E dimension, introverts were found to be well-represented amongst distance runners. Eysenck also claims that people scoring at the stable end of the N dimension were more likely to be found amongst athletes than amongst the general population.

For those runners who are attempting their first marathon, Grete Waitz (2007) suggests that they do their homework fully before starting and training. She continues to say that planning your training with the incentives of finding a marathon to run. Enter an event with friends or a running group will further motivate you. Choose a cause to run for like a charity. All these factors will help you step out of the door on a cold and dark night. Set these philosophies in stone. As a first time marathon runner your goal is the finish line. The clock is not your motivation; its only there to make you stay on pace

Using goal setting can be an effective way of motivation. Runners must also know when the goal has been achieved, which is why the goal must be specific and measurable. These principles can be used by marathon runners using the acronym SCCAMP; specific, controllable, challenging, attainable, measurable and personal.

Imagery is another way of motivation. Athletes who speak of visualisation, mental rehearsal, imagery or mental practice are all referring to the process of creating an experience in the mind – of imagining something. Imagery can be used to experience many aspects of skill learning and sports performance.

Thoughts of crossing the finishing line triumphantly can help you through tough races, workout and training runs; they can not do it all, especially when the race is far in the future. Using the SCCAMP as described earlier; taking a progressive approach to training helps to motivate, because you are able to continually see positive results from your efforts. Reaching different goals along the way will keep you motivated to reach a new goal that is lightly more challenging and thus push you towards your final goal of the marathon finish line.

Other ways to keep motivated and stay motivated can be the use of self-talk. Self-talk refers to the conversations we have with ourselves. These conversations can help us to monitor or direct out thoughts and actions. In self-talk we are interpreting events for ourselves. It is how we interpret these events which is the crucial factor, and will effect our concentration, muscle tension and motivation. How can we change self-talk from negative to positive? Two widely used strategies are:

Thought stopping: stopping negative thought as soon as it occurs, and refocusing your attention on what is important. Using the word “stop” can help to prevent negative thought from taking over.
Substitution: changing negative into positive thoughts so that you see the circumstances in a more positive way.

Positive self-talk can help improve performance and motivation by helping to;

Remind ourselves of a key element in a new skill
Break a bad habit: “stop”
Motivate ourselves: “hang in there”
Concentrate
Reduce arousal
Reinterpret negative events in a positive way

Once a marathon runner has completed a marathon their goals will have changed from either getting fitter or losing weight to one of self fulfilment. An experienced runner will set goals on trying to better themselves.

Bandura (1977b) proposed that as people learn they can master things they develop a feeling of self-efficacy, the expectation that they will be competent and successful in a particular task. Bandura (1982) found that those with high levels of self-efficacy try harder and persist longer, but those low in self-efficacy give up in the face of difficulty. Bandura suggest that expectations of efficacy are the major reasons for our choice of activity, the amount of effort we put into it and the degree of persistence we show. Bandura proposed that self-efficacy comes from four sources, these sources are:

Past performance: Previous experiences provide information from which self-efficacy develops.
Vicarious experiences: means watching others successfully perform the task, and called modelling.
Verbal persuasion: encouraging performers to think they can do the task.
Arousal: the way the performers interpret the arousal they feel will affect their feelings of confidence. Bandura (1977b) argues that what matters is the runners’ interpretation of the arousal in terms of their own performance.

Conclusion

There are many tools in which we can use to help and keep motivated, imagery, positive self-talk and self-efficacy will all lead to confidence within the world of marathon running. Having a progressive training plan with selected goals; can help achieve and encourage the runner that they are on the right course and help complete their marathon. For example, the results of this study imply that adherence to exercise may be enhanced if initial efforts are directed toward psychological variables. These could include careful and flexible goal setting and talking to participants about exercise as part of a healthy philosophy of life. Then the introduction of social reinforces that would facilitate the acquisition of an identity based on the activity being performed. Examples include public rewards for achieving certain milestones, announcements in publications, and the awarding of trophies/medals and t-shirts displaying emblems or logos that identify the wearer as a particular type of exerciser. The development of perceived and actual competence is also important throughout and must be considered at each phase of their training. As the marathon runner develops their fitness and becomes more efficient at running their psychological direction must focus towards internal self fulfilment. They still need to use the principals they first used when training for their first marathon (SCCAMP) to be motivated to complete each training session and finish every marathon, but their goal and motivation will be to better a previous time or finishing position and improving performance. Cognitive factors, such as attention or imagery, as well as ideas from learning theory, such as reinforcement have to be considered to help motivation. When runners lose interest they need to discover what attributions they make, in order to help them change their perceptions. Self-efficacy is a key factor in maintaining participation and improving performance; techniques such as goal setting and positive self-talk, along with other factors will help to develop self-efficacy and in turn motivation.

Myth-busters: HIIT fat in no time

rich-watson@hotmail.co.uk (richard watson) — Thu, 05 Jan 2017 15:29:26 GMT

Burn more Fat not more time?

Disclaimer
Although, all of the information that is presented in this article is geared toward the benefits and/or effectiveness of anaerobic high intensity interval training (HIIT) vs. low intensity aerobic training with regards to fat utilization, there is an understanding that some reasons for aerobic training supersede the outcomes. For the sake of pure enjoyment, personal goal setting (training for a triathlon, marathon, road race, etc), and the challenge of competition are all viable and respectable reasons for interacting with long slow distance (LSD) activities. For many people these types of activities are suitable for their lifestyle and enjoyable means of living an active life. The goal of this article is not to discount or diminish the value of physical activity in all its modalities, but to merely present data with regards to optimum fat loss, hormonal indicators, and other factors of cardiovascular and cardio respiratory markers as they pertain to exercise intensity prescription.

Misinformation is Costing Money

People today are on sensory overload with achieving a “lean or sculpted” physique. This has made weight-loss a billion pound industry (46.3 billion to be exact as reported by naturalnews.com, 2004). If you have ever been to a gym, talked about working out, or even remotely have expressed interest in health, you have probably had the “I need to lose weight” or “shed a little fat” talk at some point. Marry this desire with the endless supply of jargon in magazines and infomercials that promise miracles with the use of their products and we see the weight loss industry getting richer and richer. The unfortunate part is that most people have little or no educational means to differentiate between what is effective and what is merely an elaborate marketing effort. Oddly enough, there is a gym on virtually every street corner and new weight loss supplements are coming out on a daily basis. Yet, the obesity rate in the UK has grown to epidemic proportions. With this many products and weight loss systems available that claim to give you a rock hard physique or fitness model quality body, how can so many people be overweight? One word, misinformation!

So now that both your mood and pocketbook have been suppressed, how can we ensure that our efforts toward weight loss, and moreover fat loss, are attainable? The answer is more effective training. This article is intended to share what has been reported in the scientific literature for decades. In the following section several myths associated with fat loss will be discussed and debunked. It is important for the reader to understand that the information about to be presented goes beyond the author’s opinion and is based on scientific research, not claims or gimmicks. So, stop buying supplements that claim you don’t have to work out to lose fat or to be lean. The only thing they make smaller is your disposable income. You MUST exercise to burn fat effectively. Quit joining the fad diet crazes! Over half of those people gain back the weight. In fact, many of these diets promote calorie reduction without exercise. As a result, lean muscle may also be lost in conjunction with fat and causes a reduction in the resting metabolic rate. Frequently, when people return to their pre-diet weight they are actually fatter in terms of body fat percentage than before they went on the diet.

Get Educated

What is the solution to this endless cycle? Education. It is time to START LEARNING! Odds are you did not get your job by ordering a magic pill or following some fanatical routine, so stop treating your health the same way. If you truly desire to lose weight or to get leaner, you must learn how the body works, even if it is from a crude or rudimentary standpoint. Otherwise you will continue to waste money on ineffective products and gym fees for the rest of your life!

Here are some facts about why aerobic long slow distance training (LSD) may be less effective and possibly even counterproductive for fat loss when compared to high intensity interval training (HIIT). First of all, LSD and interval training both increase fat oxidation (burning). However, the positive effect for LSD can take up to two weeks to be effective whereas interval training demonstrates an immediate return. This is generally due to the nature of glycogen (sugar) depletion. With HIIT, glycogen is depleted rapidly. But in LSD training, depletion requires much longer duration as the intensity of exercise is exceedingly lower. Fat oxidation will markedly increase with depleted glycogen levels.

Does this sound familiar? This is essentially the basis of the ever so famous “low carb” diet craze. With depleted glycogen (carbohydrate), the body will initiate higher levels or fat oxidation. However with this type of diet, protein and/or muscle loss may be affected as well. Glycogen levels are important and all the macronutrients (fat, carbohydrate, and protein) play a significant role in overall nutrition and health.

Fat Burning Zone

Secondly, do not get caught up in the “fat burning zone”. This is generally in reference to the percentage of heart rate (HR) max. This has typically been displayed for unsuspecting users of cardio equipment in health clubs. The typical “fat burning zone” is promoted as being near 65% of HR max. While there is truth in the statement that at 65% of HR max, a higher level of fat will be oxidized when compared to carbohydrate consumption, the overall training effect utilizes less fat.

Let’s take a closer look at this for caloric burn and also from what is called EPOC, or excess post oxygen consumption. EPOC generally accounts for the energy expenditure during recovery from the exercise bout or the “post exercise burning" of calories (9). Typically this EPOC is fuelled by fat and the intensity of work performed. The higher the intensity, the higher the EPOC. When compared to post exercise fat oxidation, moderate to low intensity exercise barely compares. Take for example the work done by Tremblay et al. This study compared an aerobic group and an anaerobic group of subjects for caloric burn and fat loss. The aerobic group trained for 20 weeks while the anaerobic group (interval) trained for only 15 weeks. The results showed that although the aerobic group burned nearly 50% more calories, the anaerobic (interval) group burned nine times more subcutaneous fat than their counterparts (11). For those not paying attention, in summary, that is five weeks less work and nine times the fat lost.

Cellular Hydration

Cellular Hydration is the third point of interest. There is a surprising thermogenic affect of water. A study of seven men and women who drank 500 millilitres found that after merely 10 minutes of ingestion the subjects resting metabolic rate rose by 30%. Interestingly, this influx was fuelled by fat in the male subjects and carbohydrate with the female subjects (1). Typically the rule of thumb for water consumption is near one gallon per day. Not too many people reach this goal on a daily basis. Water also aids in nutrient absorption and also helps flush out toxins accumulated from exercise.

Muscle Burns Fat?

The caloric utilization of tissues in the body differs too. The old adage that “muscle burns fat” is not entirely true. But when compared, muscle tissue burns 7-10 kcal/kg/day whereas adipose tissue only consumes 2-3 kcal/kg/day. Some of the additional benefits that the high intensity interval trained may experience in conjunction with increased fat loss include, greater improvements in VO2max, increased growth hormone response (due to lactate accumulation), and positive blood pressure response (4, 5).

VO2Max

The VO2max may seem surprising to those who have been told that the LSD training will elicit the highest level of VO2max. This too has been shown to reach higher levels with HIIT when compared to moderate intensity exercise. Tabata et all compared a “fat burning zone” group vs. a HIIT group and found that although the fat burning group improved VO2max by 10%, they did not produce any concomitant improvement in anaerobic capacity. Conversely, the HIIT group improved their VO2max by 14% and their anaerobic capacity also rose by 28% (10). Furthermore, a third party University study showed that the 1992 Canadian Alpine ski team (predominately HIIT) demonstrated higher VO2max markers than their Nordic (highly aerobic) counterparts.

Still think that your aerobic work is the ticket to success? Here are some other contributing factors to think about. High levels of aerobic exercise increases adrenal stress which can increase the potential for such symptoms as insomnia, depression, reduced memory, frequent influenza and most importantly – the ability to lose weight (12). Also, aerobic training has an effect on local muscular power (3, 6, 8) and lastly, training aerobically diminishes testosterone/cortisol ratio, which in turn also impedes your ability to burn fat (7). Read more about V02 here

Summary

The traditional school of thought for exercise prescription and fat loss has been long assumed to be accomplished through aerobic activity. However, with the plethora of research that has been geared toward finding the best means of fat utilization, we now know that HIIT is by far a better method for attaining this goal. Keep in mind that HIIT is very demanding and that it is important to ensure that your client/athlete is cleared for such activity through a medical professional. Also understand that the chronological age and training status of your client will determine what might be HIIT for each person. A 55-year old untrained client will quite easily reach an anaerobic state and for much shorter duration than will a 25-year old moderately trained client. If these parameters and considerations are kept in mind, HIIT can benefit people from all walks of life and all levels of fitness. Detailed personal training programmes are a good way to gain the best out of your workouts

References

1.Boschmann, M., Steiniger J, Hillie U, Tank J, Adams F, Sharma AM, Klaus S, Luft SC, Jordan J. (2003). Water-Induced Thermogenesis. J Clinical Endocrinol Met 88(12):6015-6019.

2.Bray, GA, Bouchard C, and James W.P.T. (1998) Handbook of Obesity. New York: Marcel Dekker.

3.Dudley, GA., and Djamil R. (1985) Incompatibility of Endurance and Strength Training Modes of Exercise. J Appl Physiol 59:1446-1451.

4.Gray AB, Telford RD, and Weidemann MJ. (1993) Endocrine Response to Intense Interval Exercise. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol 66:366-371.

5.Haram PM, Kemi OJ, Lee SJ, Bendheim MO, Al-Share QY, Waldum HL, Gilligan LJ, Koch LF, Britton SL, Najjar SM, and Wisleff U. (2008). Aerobic Interval Training vs. Continuous Moderate Exercise in the Metabolic Syndrome of Rats Artificially Selected for Low Aerobic Capacity. Cardiovasc Res 81:723-732.

6.Hickson, RC. (1980) Interference of Strength Development by Simutaneously Training for Strength and Endurance. Eur J Appl Physiol 45:255-263.

7.Hoogeveen AR, Zonderland ML. (1996) Relationship between Testosterone, Cortisol and Performance in Professional Cyclists. Int J Sports Medicine 17(6):423-428.

8.Kraemer WJ, Patton J, Gordon SE, Harman EA, Deschenes MR, Reynolds K, Newton RU, Triplett NT, Dziados JR. (1995) Compatability of High Intensity Strength and Endurance Training on Hormonal and Skeletal Muscle Adaptations. J Appl Physiol 78:976-989.

9.Stainsby WM, and Barclay JK. (1970) Exercise Metabolism: O2 Deficit, Steady Level of O2 Uptake and O2 Uptake in Recovery. Med Sci Sports 2:177-195.

10.Tabata I, Irishawa K, Kuzaki M, Nishimura K, Ogita F, and Miyacho M. (1995). Metabolic Profile of High-Intensity Intermittent Exercises. Medicine and Science in Sports & Ex 29(3):390-395.

11.Tremblay, A., Simoneau JA, and Bouchard C. (1994). Impact of Exercise Intensity on Body Fatness and Skeletal Muscle Metabolism. Metabolism 43:814-818.

12.Wilson, J. (2002). Adrenal Fatigue – 21st Century Stress Syndrome. 1st Edition Smart Publications.

13.Wolf, A. (1998). What is the Economic Case for Treating Obesity? Obesity Research. 6(1); 2S-7S.

Inactivity and the Links to Cancer

rich-watson@hotmail.co.uk (richard watson) — Tue, 01 Nov 2016 14:22:49 GMT

Review of Physical (In)activity and Cancer

Cancers are classified as a family of related diseases that result from uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells5 that usually become a tumor. The most common causes of cancer related deaths in the United Kingdom are seen in Figure 1 below. The evidence linking low levels of physical activity and an increased potential for development of cancer is growing. More studies are focused on determining if physical activity can be used as a preventative measure in the incidence of cancer.

Figure 1: The 9 Most Common Causes of Cancer Death in 2014

Number of Deaths per Year, All Ages, UK

Cancer Site Male Female Persons

Lung (C33-C34) 19,563 16,332 35,895

Bowel (C18-C20) 8,566 7,337 15,903

Breast (C50) 73 11,360 11,433

Prostate (C61) 11,287 11,287

Pancreas (C25) 4,426 4,391 8,817

Oesophagus (C15) 5,213 2,577 7,790

Bladder (C67) 3,614 1,755 5,369

Brain 2,881 2,342 5,223

Liver (C22) 3,055 2,036 5,091

Physical Activity and Breast Cancer

Thune et al (1997) found in their study of over 25,000 participants that an increased amount of physical activity during leisure time and work is associated with a decreased risk of breast cancer. The study evaluated the influence of physical activity, both at work and leisure time, in a large sample (n =25, 624, age 20 to 54) of pre-menopausal and post-menopausal women. Further support to the notion of increased physical activity and lower incidence of breast cancer is supported in studies of former college athletes10,11 and general population (Friedenreich et.al.,1995). One hypothesis for the lower incidence of breast cancer in former athletes relates to the later age of menarche usually found in this population (Frisch et al. 1985). Both early menarche and late menopause would be expected because they (the athletic population) would generally carry less body fat.

However, there are a number of studies that have found no evidence to suggest physical activity can help to reduce the incidence of breast cancer in a population. One such study looked at a large sample (n = 10118) of female teachers in Finland (Pukkala, et.al.,1993) and compared the incidence of cancers in a group of physically active teachers (PE teachers) with a less active group (language teachers). Another study showed that the risk for male and female breast cancer became elevated after socio-economic status was taken into consideration (Dosemeci et al 1993). A suggestion may be that lower socio-economic groups may not have sufficient physical activity and consume a “less healthy” diet (i.e., with higher fat intake), thus potentially increasing the risk of cancer. This article on the BBC website provides an interesting discussion on possible lifestyle links to breast cancer: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/1633831.stm .

A review by Van Gaal and Mertens, cited in Kopelman and Stock (1998), shows conflicting evidence in relation to breast cancer and fat distribution. Some studies have reported a correlation between breast cancer risk and fat distribution (Van Gaal et al. (1998). Other studies have not come to the same conclusions.

The connection between physical activity and body fat distribution is that physical activity can help control body weight.

Physical Activity and Colon Cancer

Much of the research conducted on cancer and physical activity combine the data for colon and rectal cancers. Friendreich and Orenstein (2002) state that the evidence for a link between physical inactivity and the appearance of colon cancer is strong and consistent. Giovanucci et al (1995) found that physical activity was inversely related with colon cancer, after adjustments for age and other factors.

Waist to hip ratio and waist circumference were also indicative of risk factors for colon cancer. Therefore, it could be hypothesized that increased abdominal adiposity is associated with an elevated risk. This can be viewed as a significant finding as the study examined a large group of participants (n = 51529). However, because the sample group consisted of health professionals, it is could be argued that this is not representative of the general population. Dosemeci et al. (1993) suggested that the lower the socio-economic status, the higher the incidence of colon cancer. Additionally cancers of the colon and prostate showed an increased risk with males participating in lower levels of activity. Slattery et al. (1997) lend support to the notion that low levels of physical activity and high energy intake (therefore, a potential increase in body mass) are associated with colon cancer. The same study found that a high level of energy intake that was balanced by a high level of physical revealed a non-significant risk of colon cancer.

Another study (Paffenbarger et al. 1987) highlighted varying populations, (i.e., dockworkers, college alumni etc.) and reviewed them for the incidence of cancer in relation to the levels of physical activity involved during both leisure time and occupational time. The conclusions suggested that the more active men have an increased likelihood to die from pancreatic and colorectal cancers. No differences by activity for the incident of prostate cancer were noted. However, Friedenreich (2001) suggests that the evidence for correlation between physical activity and colon/colorectal cancer is convincing. A significant number of studies have clearly demonstrated a large reduction in risk of cancer in the physically active. (Thun et al. 1992: Paffenbarger et al. 1987: Lee et al.1994)

Batty and Thune (2000) suggest plausible mechanisms of protection of physical activity on insulin amongst others, which positively influence cells in the colon. Additionally, they suggest that physical activity improves the transit time of the bowel, thus reducing the contact time with carcinogens in faecal matter. The authors report the appearance of an increased risk of colon cancer associated with sedentary or light physical activity. This supports the statement that increased physical activity appears to aid in the reduction of risk for colon and rectal cancers.

Other Cancer Sites

An examination of data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHAMES 1) by Albanes et al. (1989) showed a nearly two-fold risk increase in the inactive group for all cancer sites. The study used 5,138 men and 7,407 females, age 25 to 74 years of age. The most common sites of cancer identified in the follow up period of the study for males were lung, prostate and colorectal. The common sites in females were identified as breast and colorectal.

Exercise has an important role in cancer prevention by helping to maintain a healthy body weight especially when combined with a healthy diet. It may also have a more direct effect on cancer risk. Exercise is thought to influence the levels of hormones such as estrogen and insulin in the body and may have a particular effect in hormone-related cancers.

There is also evidence that physical activity significantly reduces the risk of bowel cancer and may help lower the risk of breast, prostate, lung and endometrial cancer. Cancer Research UK suggests moderate exercise five days per week for around thirty minutes.

The protective mechanism suggested by Thune and Furberg (2001) is that physical activity improves ventilation and perfusion. Therefore, concentration of carcinogenic agents in the airways will be reduced as will the duration of agent/airway interaction. Albanes et al. (1989) supports a protective effect from leisure time activity and is supported by Lee et al. (1999) and Severson et al (1989). Due to the relatively small number of supportive studies on lung cancer and physical activity, the current results must be treated with caution, particularly when considering the participants of the studies. The majority of participants in this area have been male, so perhaps more females need to be recruited to establish a male/female risk factor. There is little mention of the ethnicity of the participants.

Practical Considerations

Exercise prescription as part of the disease management for cancer patients must be highly individualized because of the extreme variability of the effects of cancer and treatment regimens on functional capacity. Furthermore, other concurrent or prior health problems should be anticipated and taken into account in developing any exercise prescription. Although it is acknowledged that the recommendations for exercise should be modified for specific patients, it is generally accepted to recommend 30 minutes of continuous exercise such as brisk walking or swimming three to four times per week. Attention should be given to safety measures and general health maintenance. These guidelines are the general exercise recommendations outlined by American College of Sports Medicine (2006) and more recently updated (Haskell, et al. 2007). Furthermore, Cancer UK published a good healthy living leaflet for general health ( http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/healthyliving/tentoptips/ ).

Walking and cycling are recommended as safe and generally well tolerated exercise modes involving large muscle groups. De-conditioned patients should begin with daily sessions of shorter duration and lower intensity. In general, moderate intensity exercise (50-75% HR reserve, RPE 11-14) sessions of between 20 and 30 minutes duration are recommended, with modifications as needed, including an interval approach to cardiovascular exercise, consisting of short exercise bouts (three to five minutes) followed by rest periods.

Conclusion

While there is a link between physical activity and certain cancers, there still seems to be a gap in the knowledge of why physical activity seems to have a preventative effect on certain cancers. Some studies offer suggestions, but there is no clear reason of the “why” increased physical activity may help and “how” it may help.

There is not sufficient conclusive evidence to say that an increased physical activity level has a preventative measure against the development of all site cancers. However, as discussed above, there is strong evidence for the decreased risk of certain cancers.

Practically speaking it is difficult to make general recommendations regarding frequency, intensity, and duration. No one individual or demographic will be the same. The key is to remember this and use gradual progressive exercise programming.

References:

ACSM (2006) Guideline for Exercise Testing and Prescription. Chapter 7 General Principles of Exercise Prescription. Seventh edition. Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins
Albanes, D. Blair, A. and Taylor, P.R (1989) Physical Activity and Risk of Cancer in the NHAMES 1 Population. American Journal of Public Health. Vol 79, No 6 pp744 – 750.
Brownson, R.C. Chang, J.C. Davis, J.R. and Smith, C.A (1991) Physical Activity on the job and cancer in Missouri: In Friedenreich, C.M (2001) Physical Activity and Cancer Prevention: From Observational to Intervention Research. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Vol 10, pp287 – 301.
Crespo, C.J. Exercise and the Prevention of Chronic Disabling Illness. In Frontera, W.R, Dawson, D.M and Slovik, D.M (1999) Exercise in Rehabilitation Medicine. Human Kinetics. Champaign Ill.pp 151 – 172
Dishman, R.K. Washburn, R.A. and Heath, G.W (2004) Physical Activity Epidemiology. Human Kinetics. Champaign Ill.
Dosemeci, M. Hayes, R.B. Vetter, R. Hoover, R.N. Tucker, M. Engin, K. Unsal, M. and Blair, A. (1993) Occupational physical activity, socio-economic status, and risks of 15 cancer sites in Turkey. Cancer Causes and Control. Vol 4, pp313 – 321.
Friedenreich, C.M (2001) Physical Activity and Cancer Prevention: From Observational to Intervention Research. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Vol 10, pp287 – 301.
Friedenreich, C.M and Orenstein, M.R (2002) Physical Activity and Cancer Prevention: Etiological Evidence and Biological Mechanisms. Journal of Nutrition, 132: 3456S – 3464S.
Friedenreich, C.M and Rohan, T.E (1995) Physical Activity and risk of breast cancer. European Journal of Cancer Prevention. 4, pp145-151
Frisch, R.E. Wyshak, G. Albright, N.L. Albright, T.E. Schiff, I. Witschi, J. and Marguglio, M (1985) Lower prevalence of breast cancer and cancers of the reproductive system among former college athletes compared to non- athletes. British Journal of Cancer. 52, pp885-891.
Frisch, R.E. Wyshak, G. Albright, N.L. Albright, T.E. Schiff, I. Witschi, J. and Marguglio, M (1987) Lower lifetime occurrence of breast cancer and cancers of the reproductive system among former college athletes. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 45; 328-335.
Gallagher, R.P. Huchcroft, S. Hill, G.B. Coldman, A.J. Coppin, C. and Lee, T. (1995) Physical activity, medical history, and risk of testicular cancer. Cancer Causes & Control. Sep; 6 (5): 398-406
Giovanucci, E. Ascherio, A. Rimm, E.B. Colditz, G.A. Stampfer, M.J. and Willett, W.C (1995) Physical Activity, Obesity, and a Risk for Colon Cancer and Adenoma in Men. Annals of Internal Medicine. Vol 122, (5) pp327 - 334
Haskell, W.L., I-Min L, Pate, R.R., Powell, K.E., Blair, S.N Franklin, B.A.,. Macera, C.A.,. Heath, G.W., Thompson, P.D., and Bauman. A (2007) Physical Activity and Public Health: Updated Recommendation for Adults from the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise., Vol. 39, No. 8, pp. 1423–1434,
Joyner, M.J (2001) Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Disease in Humans. Exercise and Sport Science Reviews. Jan. pp 1- 2
Lee, I.M and Paffenbarger, R.S (1994) Physical activity and its relation to cancer risk: a prospective study of college alumni. In Friedenreich (1997) Physical Activity and Cancer Prevention. Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention. Vol 10, pp 287 – 301
Lee, I.M. Sesso, H.D. and Paffenbarger, Jr R.S (1999) Physical activity and risk of lung cancer. International Journal of Epidemiology. 28; 620 – 625
Paffenbarger, R.S. Hyde, R.T. Wing, A.L. (1987) Physical activity and incidence of cancer in diverse populations: a preliminary report. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 45; pp312-317
Pukkala, E. Poskiparta, M. Apter, D. and Vihko, V (1993) Life long physical activity and cancer risk amongst Finnish female teachers. European Journal of Cancer Prevention. Vol 2. pp369 - 376
Severson, R.K Nomura, Grove, J.S. Stemmerman, G.N (1989) A prospective analysis of physical activity and cancer. In: Thune, I. and Furberg, A.S (2001) Physical activity and cancer risk: dose response and cancer, all sites and site-specific. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. Vol. 33, No6, Suppl, S530 – S550.
Sherman, B. Wallace, R. Bean, J. and Schlabaugh, L (1981) Relationship of body weight to menarcheal and menopausal age. In Frisch, R.E. Wyshak, G. Albright, N.L. Albright, T.E. Schiff, I. Witschi, J. and Marguglio, M (1985) Lower prevalence of breast cancer and cancers of the reproductive system among former college athletes compared to non- athletes. British Journal of Cancer. 52, pp885-891.
Slattery, M.L. Potter, J. Caan, B. Edwards, S. Coates, A. Ma, K.N and Berry, T.D (1997) Energy balance and colon cancer – beyond physical activity. Cancer Research, Vol 57 (1) pp75 - 80
Steenland, K. Nowlin, S. and Palu, S (1995) Cancer Incidence in the National Health and Nutrition Survey 1 follow up data: diabetes, cholesterol, pulse and physical activity. In: Friedenreich, C.M (2001) Physical Activity and Cancer Prevention: From Observational to Intervention Research. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Vol 10, pp287 – 301.
Srivastava, A. and Kreiger, N (2000) Relationship of physical activity to risk of testicular cancer. American Journal of Epidemiology. Vol 151, Issue 1: 78 – 87
Thune, I. Brenn, T. Lund, E. and Gaard, M. (1997) Physical Activity and the Risk of Breast Cancer. The New England Journal of Medicine. Vol: 336, No 18: 1269 – 1275.
Thun, Calle, Namboodiri, Flanders, Coates, Byers, Boffetta, Garfinkel, and Heath (1992) Risk factors for fatal colon cancer in a large prospective study. In Friedenreich (1997) Physical Activity and Cancer Prevention. Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention. Vol 10, pp 287 – 301
Thune, I. and Furberg, A.S (2001) Physical activity and cancer risk: dose response and cancer, all sites and site-specific. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. Vol. 33, No6, Suppl, S530 – S550.
Van Gaal. L.F and Mertens. I.L. Effect of obesity on cardiovascular system and blood pressure control, digestive disease and cancer. In: Kopelman, P.G and Stock. M eds (1998) Clinical Obesity. Blackwell Science. Pp206 - 225
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/1633831.stm Breast 'most common cancer'. Accessed 18th May 2009

http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/cancerstats/mortality/cancerdeaths/ Accessed 18th May 2009. 20 most common causes of death from cancer, UK, 2006

VO2 What?

rich-watson@hotmail.co.uk (richard watson) — Wed, 05 Oct 2016 07:53:27 GMT

In the world of endurance VO2 is king

In the world of endurance, it seems that you cannot discuss fitness without discussing VO2 max. Ask any endurance athlete about it, and you will hear epic stories with names like Indurain, and LeMond. Many of you, however, may find yourselves wondering what exactly VO2 max is and why is it so important. To better understand this concept; let’s take a little trip back to school, specifically back to physiology class. According to the Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning textbook, VO2 max is the maximum amount of oxygen in millilitres one can use in one minute per kilogram of body weight (ml/kg/min). In other words, maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max) is the greatest amount of oxygen that can be used at the cellular level for the entire body. VO2 max has been found to correlate well with an individual’s degree of physical conditioning and has been accepted as an index of total body fitness. Numerous studies show that one can increase his/her VO2 max by working out at an intensity that raises the heart rate to between 65 and 85 percent of its maximum, for at least 20 minutes, three to five times per week. The estimated mean value of VO2 max for male athletes is about 3.5 liters/minute and for female athletes is about 2.7 liters/minute.

Now that we know what VO2 is, we can now answer the question, “Why is it so important?” For the endurance athlete, VO2 has long been considered the Holy Grail of fitness. The common rationale is the better one can utilize oxygen, the higher the level one can perform in endurance events. Is this, however, really the case?

Although VO2 max is an important component of any endurance program, I have both good and bad news for those of us who have may not have chosen the right parents! The bad news is that according to Exercise Physiologist Neal Henderson, Coordinator of Sport Science at the Boulder Center for Sports Medicine in Colorado, VO2 is approximately 80 percent genetic. Other estimates put this number anywhere between 30 to 60 percent. Whatever the number is, one thing is certain; there is a genetic ceiling for VO2. The good news is that VO2 is trainable. Unfortunately, if Neal Henderson’s 80 percent estimate is correct, and your VO2 is, for example, at 45ml/kg-/min (average), your best may only be 52 ml/kg-/min after a 20 percent gain (52 ml/kg-/min is considered to be good or just above average).

To put this into perspective, cross country skier Bjorn Daehlie measured at an astounding 96 ml/kg/min. The highest VO2 max ever recorded in a lab was 300 ml/kg/min! This, of course, did not belong to a human but rather a pronghorn antelope. How they got the antelope to run on the treadmill I’ll never know, but I promise I’m not making this up. Thoroughbred horses have a VO2 max of around 180 ml/kg/min, and Siberian dogs running in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race sled race have VO2 values as high as 240 ml/kg/min. To add even more perspective, Olympic marathon winners and elite runners like Jeff Galloway, Alberto Salazar and Frank Shorter check in among the low to mid 70s.

The good news is, like the previously mentioned runners, although you may be at your genetic potential, there are many factors besides VO2 max that can also influence your success in endurance performance. Improving efficiency and economy of movement as well as raising your anaerobic threshold (AT) can lead to performance enhancements in the absence of increases in VO2. These three components can all be addressed through a functional strength training program. Now let’s take a closer look at each of these components.

Continuing on in our physiology lesson, now would be a good time to talk about lactate threshold (LT) and its relationship to VO2. Dr. Stephen Seiler of Masters Athlete Physiology and Performance says, “For the endurance athlete, a high VO2 max is like having an invitation to the big dance but having an invitation to the dance does not ensure you will dance with the prettiest girl.” If you want to dance with that girl, you are going to have to work on your LT! (And you thought it was big guns and washboard abs that attracted the girls.) LT, as pointed out in one of my previous articles (see Lactic Acid; The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly), is the point where the body produces more lactic acid than it can clear. Training LT will result in a decrease in lactate production at any given exercise intensity. Untrained individuals usually reach the LT at about 60 percent of VO2 max. This means that even if my VO2 is 70 ml/kg/min, which is an elite level, I can only use 60 percent of it, or 42 ml/kg/min (average), before my LT shuts me down. With training, however, LT can increase from 60 percent to above 70 percent or even higher. Elite endurance athletes typically have an LT at or above 80 percent of VO2 max. Although most endurance athletes usually train LT in the pool, on the bike or during the run, we have several protocols in the gym designed specifically to improve LT. Furthermore, because specificity of movement is very important when training LT, these protocols address both the lower and upper body (see Table 1 below).

Super Legs

Exercise	Repetitions	Notes
Speed Squats	20	20 reps in less than 20 seconds to parallel
Lunges	20 (10 per side)	Alternate legs, knee just off ground
Box shuffle/split jump	20 (10 per side)	Use 9” box
Squat jumps	10	Squat to parallel and no rest between jumps

Complete entire circuit without resting in less than 1:30

Last but not least, we can now tackle efficiency and economy of movement. The difference between efficiency and economy in an exercise setting is that, for a given energy consumption, economy is measured as movement velocity, while efficiency is measured as mechanical power output. What does all that mean? It means that efficiency and economy can be just as important as VO2 or LT. To better understand this concept, just think of the last time you were out for a group ride. Was it easier to pull at the front or sit in? Sit in, of course! Why is that? Because sitting in allows for more efficient movement and less exertion, which in turn will allow you to be more economical. Think of every joint in a given movement as an opportunity to leak power. The more joints involved in a movement, the more opportunity there is to leak power. The more stable the joint, the less power that leaks. The less power that leaks, the more efficiency in a given activity.

So how do these concepts apply to strength training? Frequently, I am asked to watch someone run on the treadmill and look at his gait. Instead, I ask him to perform 10 anterior reaches on a single leg. If this is difficult, that tells me his hips are not as stable as they could be, and his gait could not possibly be as good as it should be. The same goes for the shoulder joint. If you cannot manage a set of t-stabilization push ups with good form, then your swim stroke is not as efficient and economical as it could be.

Now for all of you skeptics out there, all I ask is for you to just try it out. Perhaps before you go to test your VO2 (no fun, by any means), you might first try taking a look at your anterior reaches or t-stab push ups. These alternatives I have presented are not meant to point out your shortcomings or embarrass you but rather to empower you. Rather than whining about genetics (though I still do), try testing your limits in some of the ways mentioned earlier. I assure you that you will find what my most successful clients have found, that through a comprehensive functional strength training program, economy, efficiency and lactate threshold can be improved, making maximal VO2 less important.

Some famous and not so famous athletes and their corresponding VO2 numbers:

Greg LeMond	Professional Cyclist	92.5
Matt Carpenter	Pikes Peak Marathon Course Record Holder	92.0
Harri Kirvesniem	Finnish Cross Country Skier	91.0
Miguel Indurain	Professional Cyclist	88.0
Kip Keino	Olympic 1500 Champion	82.0
Sebastian Coe	WR mile, 1500	77.0
Bruce Fordyce	Ultramarathoner	73.3
Jeff Galloway	Running Expert	73.0
Ingrid Kristiansen	ex-Marathon World Record Holder	71.2
Rosa Mota	Marathoner	67.2

References:

Baechle, Thomas and Earle, Roger. "Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning." Human Kinetics Publishers; 2 edition (August 2000)

The truth about shop Vitamins and more...

rich-watson@hotmail.co.uk (richard watson) — Wed, 14 Sep 2016 12:39:34 GMT

Top 10 Supplement Facts You Probably Didn't Know

It is ironic that in this age of information, people continue to be confused about supplements. While in The UK alone, billions of pounds sterling are spent annually on vitamins, minerals, herbs, amino acids and other nutritional products, studies still show that people in all walks of life (including fitness professionals) need a good foundation in basic supplement information to help them make informed decisions about which products might best suit their individual needs. Because of this, the following is a list of what I feel are the top 10 supplements facts that can help save you time and money - and get the most out of the products you use.

Fact #1. Natural vitamins are not better than synthetic vitamins.

A common mistake made not only by the general public but also by many fitness professionals as well is that vitamins made in nature are superior to synthetically-made vitamins. The fact is that the chemical structure of synthetic and natural vitamins is basically identical. In other words, synthetic vitamin C looks the same as natural vitamin C. This means that your body cannot tell the difference between them. In some instances, the absorption of vitamins can differ between natural and synthetic, but this does not always favour natural vitamins. For example, folic acid, common among prenatal vitamins, is actually the synthetic version of the B vitamin, folate. Folic acid is used in prenatal vitamins because it is better absorbed.

Fact #2. Soy can help reduce cholesterol levels.

Many people have heard that soy may help cholesterol levels but most have no idea how much might help. For soy to have an impact on cholesterol, studies show between 25 to 50 grams of soy per day is going to be needed. So, those who are supplementing with soy-containing foods and/or supplements and not seeing a reduction in cholesterol may simply not be eating enough. Most soy products in the UK list the amount they contain on their labels, which makes it easy to track how much soy you are getting.

Keep in mind that most research for soy reducing cholesterol is on people who eat soy-containing foods. This leaves open the possibility that isolated soy ingredients , often found in supplements, may not have the same effect as eating soy itself. Regardless, if soy is going to help, it is important to combine it with a diet that is also low in saturated fat to obtain the best results.

Fact #3. Vitamins do not give us energy.

Some people may take massive amounts of vitamins (especially B vitamins) in the hopes that they will provide more pep to get through hectic days. This is why you often see a lot of B vitamins in energy drinks. However, a problem arises when it becomes known that vitamins do not contain any usable energy (calories). Vitamins do help us extract energy from food and process it. In a malnourished person, such vitamins may indeed help, but for those who eat an even halfway decent diet, vitamins alone are unlikely to improve energy levels. Remember, vitamins and food work in concert with each other to keep us healthy and provide us with the energy we need.

Fact #4. Glucosamine may help arthritis.

Many studies over the last several years found that glucosamine may help reduce arthritis-related pain. For glucosamine to work, you must have osteoarthritis. Of the over 100 types of arthritis known to exist, osteoarthritis is the most common and results when the cartilage between bones wears away. This is the type of arthritis that responds to glucosamine. While the degree of osteoarthritis and length of time you have it may impact success with this nutrient, studies tend show that four to eight weeks of glucosamine supplementation may be needed before results are observed. For best results, look for glucosamine sulfate as this form has the most evidence that it might help.

Fact #5. Natural does not always mean safe.

A common mantra repeated on many web sites today is that because supplements are natural, they are automatically safe for everyone. On the contrary, some supplements, if used by the wrong people may have significant side effects. For example, St. John’s wort, which is typically used for depression, may interact with not only antidepressant drugs but also those used to treat cancer and AIDS. Vitamin E might reduce the blood’s ability to clot. This is the reason why doctors typically tell their patients to stop using vitamin E before surgery. While many supplements are indeed safe, it is also true that people should know what they put in their bodies.

Fact #6. To build the most muscle, eat your protein after working out.

Frequently, I am asked the question, “When is the best time to eat protein, before or after exercise?” While your body will absorb protein no matter when you eat it, new research suggests that after exercise may be better than before exercise. In a study of older individuals who lifted weights, researchers found that people who ate protein immediately after exercise built more muscle than seniors who ate protein two hours later. While this study investigated the effects of protein and strength training in seniors, there is little reason to doubt that the same effect would not be seen in younger persons. If you like to eat protein before exercise, that’s fine. Just remember to also eat some protein (and carbs) preferably within 30 to 60 minutes after exercise to get the best results.

Fact #7. The government does regulate supplements.

It’s often stated that the UK government doesn’t regulate supplements. In reality, it does, but the regulations are different than those used for medications. The government has a very lengthy definition to describe what can and cannot be called a “supplement.” While this does allow for a wide range of products to be sold, the definition does have limits. For example, some hormones are not permitted to be sold as supplements. Another stipulation is that supplement companies cannot make specific claims that a product can treat or cure any diseases or conditions. Doing so might confuse people and make the product appear to be like a drug.

In contrast, supplement labels can list what are called structure/function claims. These claims make reference to how a supplement is involved in helping the body. For example, the claim that a supplement helps keep bones strong is a structure/function claim. Structure/function claims are pretty easy to identify because they usually contain words like supports aids or maintains.

Fact #8. You CAN absorb more than 40 grams of protein at a time.

There is an urban legend circulating through some fitness circles that maintains that people can only absorb a certain amount of protein per meal. Usually, people say this amount is about 40 grams. This may be why some protein bars and shakes usually do not contain much more than this amount. Regardless, while we can indeed utilize more than 40 grams of protein per meal, the real question is whether or not all of that protein is going to build and maintain muscle. This is a much harder question to answer and depends on your exercise routine, how often you work out and how much rest you get, to name a few.

Fact #9. Extra vitamins will not make you a better athlete.

While a good quality multivitamin is probably something to consider, many studies have found that extra vitamins do not make people stronger, faster or improve any exercise-related activity. As a rule, people who exercise regularly tend to eat more food and make healthier food choices overall. Food is also a very good source of vitamins. So the more food people are eating, the more vitamins they tend to eat as well.

Fact #10. Even if you eat a healthy diet, you might still benefit from supplements.

Sometimes people email me and ask, “Do I need supplements if I eat well”? It turns out that the answer appears to depend on who you are. Research shows that some supplements may benefit certain groups of people when used above what is normally consumed in a typical diet. For example, it is well known that as people grow older, they tend to eat less. This can have disastrous consequences by leading to muscle and strength loss and a reduced quality of life. Some new research is finding that the branch chain amino acids (leucine, isoleucine and valine) can stimulate appetite in older adults. Potentially, if you can stimulate appetite, this might lead to stronger muscles and a better chance of remaining independent to a ripe old age. Another example is the amino acid glutamine. Studies tend to show that when consumed at higher amounts than is normally eaten, glutamine may lead to shorter hospital stays and increased body weight in some cancer patients.

There is no doubt that for most people, a balanced diet that’s rich in fruits, vegetables and grains is still a great first step to staying healthy. For those who have special needs or concerns or who want to see what else they can do to stay fit, a quality-made supplement may be something to discuss with your physician.

References:

Anderson JW et al. (1995). Meta-analysis of the effects of soy protein intake on serum lipids. New England Journal of Medicine, 333,5,276-282.
Cannon, Joe (2006). Nutritional Supplements: What Works and Why. A Review from A to Zinc and Beyond. www.joe-cannon.com
Dietary Supplement Health and Education act of 1994.
Esmarck B et al. (2001). Timing of postexercise protein intake is important for muscle hypertrophy with resistance training in elderly humans. Journal of Applied Physiology 535,1,301-311.
Kleiner, S. (1998). Power Eating. Human Kinetics. www.humankinetics.com
McArdle, W. D., Katch, F. I., Katch, V. L. (1999). Sport & Exercise Nutrition. Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins.

Richy F et al. (2003). Structural and symptomatic efficacy of glucosamine and chondroitin in knee osteoarthritis: a comprehensive meta-analysis. Archives of Internal Medicine, 163,1514-1522.

Caffeine and the Benefits for Endurance Performance

rich-watson@hotmail.co.uk (richard watson) — Wed, 27 Jul 2016 11:20:39 GMT

It's time to wake up and smell the Coffee

Caffeine is one of the most heavily researched and beneficial ergogenic aids available. It is mostly consumed in coffee, with 1 cup containing around 75mg of caffeine. The understanding of the performance effect of caffeine has increased and this has widened its use. Most people know that “caffeine may improve performance” but what does it actually do and how can we make the most of caffeine?

Caffeine is classified as a stimulant and is the most common drug used in the world. Caffeine crosses the membranes of all the body's tissues. It can wield effects on the central nervous system and the peripheral tissues that result in physiological effects. Studies have shown that caffeine can help an athlete perform better. It has been shown to be a powerful ergogenic aid that is beneficial in athletic performance and training. Caffeine has been shown to increase speed and power output, improve the length an athlete can train, and assist the athlete in resisting fatigue. Caffeine has also been proven to stimulate the brain which contributes to an athlete's clearer thinking and ability to concentrate harder on the task at hand.

The Science

The American Alliance for Health stated that there are three ways that caffeine may provide ergogenic effects. "First, the metabolic theory suggests that caffeine provides improved endurance due to an increased utilization of fat as fuel and a sparing effect on carbohydrate utilization. Secondly, caffeine may increase the calcium content of skeletal muscle and enhance the strength of muscle contraction. Lastly, caffeine has a direct effect on the central nervous system as a stimulant, and this can help with fatigue, increased alertness, and increased muscle recruitment (Powers M, 2004, pg. 4)[9]".

Many athletes have used caffeine prior to competitions for years, but it wasn't until recently that caffeine has been discovered to aid an athlete's performance. "Results of studies reported over the last five years strongly indicate that caffeine effectively increases athletic performances in endurance events (Sinclair & Geiger, 2000, pg. 2)[10]". Athletes ranging from cycling to those participating in strength and power competitions benefit from caffeine consumption. "Persons were able to complete a cycling time trial significantly faster after caffeine ingestion, (Jenkinson & Harbert, 2008, pg. 3) [7]".

Caffeine has been shown to increase speed and power. It also allows athletes to train longer. Caffeine stimulates the brain which contributes to clearer thinking and greater concentration. Studies have shown that caffeine doesn't directly improve maximal oxygen capacity but assists in the process of resisting fatigue. "Although the effectiveness of caffeine as a means of masking fatigue has been explored since the early 1900s, the use of this ergogenic aid became popular following widely publicized research indicating improved endurance performance (Applegate & Grivetti, 1997, pg. 6)[2]". Like all drugs, caffeine use has some side effects. There is no evidence that states that caffeine leads to dehydration, ion imbalance, or any other adverse effects. Caffeine acts centrally on the brain to lower the perception of effort, which is particularly noticeable in longer events such as running or cycling. In distance events over 90 minutes, mental tiredness as well as physical fatigue plays a large role in determining performance as the event progresses. Caffeine can help to maintain performance in this situation.Buy a good quality products with combined energy & caffeine

How much?

It is suggest that you consume 3-9mg of caffeine per kilo of body mass, with more caffeine not resulting in better performance. For example, a 70kg athlete could take in 350mg of caffeine during an endurance event lasting over 90 minutes (5mg* 70kg = 350mg). Everybody’s sensitivity to caffeine can vary, so it should always be tried in training and in small doses initially. Caffeine does not dehydrate during exercise; however it has been shown to increase urine volume, so keep hydrated.

In most people, caffeine is absorbed in about 45 min after ingestion. The effect can last between 2- 4.5 hours and this depends solely on the individual. Protein mixed with Caffeine can be perfect for hard training session when you need the protein to help rebuild muscles break down and the shot of coffee to help prevent fatigue and increase power output.

Speed/Power in Long Term Exercise

There have been few studies conducted to evaluate the effects caffeine has on speed or endurance event. Early studies found improvements in activities such as cycling, and treadmill tests. Researchers have studied elite skiers on a 20-23 km course at both high and low altitude. The ingestion of caffeine resulted in faster performance times at the halfway mark and the finish line. The total time was about 55-67 minutes while caffeine resulted in times of 33 and 101 seconds faster for low and high altitudes.

Another study explained individual who performed 2 hours of cycle exercise after caffeine ingestion. The caffeinated athletes' generated 7.3% greater total power output. Skilled cyclists were told to perform, as quickly as possible, a set amount of work that was estimated to take about an hour. After exercising to exhaustion, seven endurance cyclists were given either a straight carbohydrate drink or one laced with the equivalent of six cups of coffee. "While it's been established that carbohydrates and caffeine improve a variety of athletic performances, this is the first study that has revealed that combining caffeine with carbohydrates after you've exercised can actually help your muscles refuel more rapidly (Caffeine Aids Athlete Recovery, 2008, pg. 1)[4]". When the solution contained caffeine the power output improvement was greater. Grab a nutritional energy gel with Caffeine click here

Muscle Glycogen

It has been found that caffeine results in glycogen sparing. Professor John Hawley, Head of RMIT's Exercise Metabolism Group, found that athletes who had caffeine with their meal after exercise had 66% more glycogen in their muscles 4 hours later (Caffeine Aids Athlete Recovery, 2008)[4]. Glycogen is the body's preferred fuel for muscles when exercising. Hawley Stated, "If you have 66% more fuel for the next day's training or competition, there's no question you'll be able to go further and faster (Caffeine Aids Athlete Recovery, 2008, pg. 1)[4]". There are many experiments lasting less than 30 minutes in which caffeine has been shown to be beneficial when glycogen does not appear to be limiting.

Conclusion

Caffeine is known to assist athletes to train harder and longer. "The actions of caffeine throughout the body correlate positively with caffeine levels and the levels are governed by caffeine absorption, metabolism and excretion. Caffeine is absorbed efficiently through the gastrointestinal tract after oral administration with about 100% bioavailability (Sinclair & Geiger, 2000, pg. 2)[10]".

Caffeine is a complex substance that is found in many organic compounds and is consumed by humans in coffee, tea, and chocolate. Caffeine is the most commonly used drug in the world. Food industries are adding caffeine to a wide variety of foods and drinks. Caffeine is found in a number of 'natural health products' and in many over-the-counter drugs. The affect caffeine has on the body ranges from various adenosine receptors in several types of body tissues.

Caffeine is ergogenic in most if not all aerobic exercises. Studies have shown that as an ergogenic aid caffeine enhances endurance type exercises such as running, swimming, and cycling. Studies have shown that caffeine also provide benefits in anaerobic activities such as resistance training. "Glucose recovery slows drastically after 3-4 hours, so recovery rates after 4 hours are excellent proxies for glycogen storage 24 hours after exercise. If you have 66% more fuel for the next day's training or competition, there's no question you'll be able to go further and faster (Caffeine Aids Athlete Recovery, 2008, pg. 1)[4]".

So far there has been little evidence demonstrating that the administration of caffeine substances prior to or after exercise produces a negative effect. One article stated, "The mechanisms involved in actions of these compounds are varied and complex and extend well beyond the traditional explanation of sparing of muscle glycogen to probably involve fundamental aspects of muscle contractility." Many scientists have conducted a number of tests and experiments to determine caffeine's effects and will continue researching caffeine as an ergogenic aid.

References

ANTONIO, J. (2004) Caffeine: The Forgotten Ergogenic Aid. Strength and Conditioning Journal, 26 (6), p. 50-51
APPLEGATE, E. & GRIVETTI, L. (1997) Search for the competitive edge: A History of dietary fads and supplements. The Journal of Nutrition: 1996 ASNS Symposium Proceedings , 127 (5), p. 869-873
BEAVEN, C. et al. (2008) Dose Effect of Caffeine on Testosterone and Cortisol Responses to Resistance Exercise. International Journal of Sport Nutrition & Exercise Metabolism, 18 (2), p. 131-141
Caffeine Aids Athlete Recovery (2008) Australasian Science 1 Sep. 2008: ProQuest Education Journals. ProQuest. Karl E. Mundt Library, Madison, SD. 29 Jan. 2009 http://www.proquest.com/
CLARK, N. (2005) Caffeine and Performance. Palaestra 1 Oct. 2005: 46. Research Library. ProQuest. Karl E. Mundt Library, Madison
GRAHAM, T. (2001) Caffeine and Exercise: Metabolism, Endurance and Performance. Sports Medicine 31 (11), p. 785-807.
JENKINSON, D. & HARBERT, A. (2008). Supplements and Sports. American Family Physician , 78 (9), p. 1039-1046.
McNAUGHTON, L. et al. (2008). The effects of caffeine ingestion on time trial cycling performance. Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness , 48 (3), p. 320-325.
POWERS, M. (2004) "Safety, Efficacy, and Legal Issues Related to DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS", Strategies , 18 (1), p. 30-34.
SINCLAIR, C. & GEIGER, J. (2000) Caffeine use in sports: A pharmacological review. Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness , 40 (1), p. 71-79.
WALLACE, S. (2006) A Comparison of Caffeinated Drinks [Photograph] [WWW] Available from: http://biolife.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/caffeinated-drink-comparison.jpg [Accessed December 4,2009]

The Dangers of Over-training

rich-watson@hotmail.co.uk (richard watson) — Fri, 08 Jul 2016 12:43:48 GMT

How to Maximize Performance without Overtraining

You’ve seen it before, and you’ll see it again. You have been intensely training for months, but you start to mention that you haven’t slept well for weeks, and the stress is starting to get in the way of your performance. You may suspect you’ve overtrained, which is quite common among competitive athletes. While overtraining can occur in a variety of different ways, it typically results from a combination of hormonal, neuroendocrine, and nutritional imbalances, secondary to heavy training (Kreher, 2012).

Identify the signs and symptoms of overtraining.
Determine ways to help recover from overtraining.
Understand the importance of training breaks in the prevention of overtraining.

The Signs and Symptoms of Over-training

Although it can produce positive outcomes, intense training completed too frequently without sufficient rest, can compromise an athlete’s muscular, endocrine, and immune systems, as well as psychological state. Signs and symptoms of over-training can be (Kreher, 2012):

Under-performance
Extreme muscle soreness or stiffness during and in-between training sessions
Unintentional weight loss
Chronic fatigue
Swollen lymph nodes
Depression and/or anxiety
Sleep disturbances

Avoiding Over-training

Once you detect these signs and symptoms, you can work with your coach and sports therapist to avoid overtraining. By monitoring performance, mood and physical changes, you’ll be able to quickly identify you are at-risk, and swiftly implement practical interventions:

Schedule training days complemented by rest and/or “off” days.
To maximize performance and gain a competitive advantage, athletes need a schedule that incorporates both training and rest days. In a recent study, researchers found that athletes who incorporated light, leisure activity into their weekly training regimens reported less exhaustion and fewer injuries. These findings support the practical recommendation that athletes should consider tapering, periodization, and rest to help avoid overuse and overtraining (Vetter, 2010).
Promote a well-balanced, whole foods diet eaten at the right time.
During intense training, a well-balanced diet rich in whole foods should be encouraged, emphasizing the importance of nutrient timing. Research suggests that the scheduled timing of dietary consumption can be just as important as its composition, (Zoorab, 2013) and should complement heavy training to enhance performance (Zaryski, 2005). Ensure you are adequately fueling your body before, during and after exercise.
Encourage adequate sleep.
During intense training regimens, competitive athletes require adequate sleep to provide rest to the body and support mental calmness as well. To improve your sleeping habits, have a variety of approaches—including scheduling in sleep, keeping your bedrooms free of electronics an hour before bed, and incorporating relaxing strategies such as deep breathing and meditation before bed.

When You Meet an Over-trained Athlete

If over-training is suspected, a variety of therapies can help promote healing while minimizing additional stress. To assist in the recovery from overtraining, a holistic approach that includes dietary modifications, support for the mental aspects of training, sports massage and additional rest.

Dietary Modifications
Focusing on nutrient dense foods is vital to recovery from heavy training. Some research supports that many of the effects and symptoms of overtraining is caused by inflammation and cytokine release, which has been associated with fatigue, mood changes and adverse adrenal changes (Kreher, 2012). Consuming a clean, well-balanced diet rich in anti-inflammatory Omega-3s , and antioxidants like avocados can help support recovery. Add more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds to help manage inflammation.
Support for the mental aspects of training
Complementary techniques that address the mental aspects of training, like counseling, should also be considered. Athletes who overtraing can experience a decrease in mood, especially over a loss at a recent event, or anxiety over an upcoming competition.
Giving you muscles some much need attention with treatments such as Sports massage can greatly help in the recovery of overtrained muscles, the different techniques used will help to relieve tension while also draining toxins and nourishing muscle fibres.

Your coach and sports therapist can aid you in all these aspects.

Five weeks of rest, which should include “off” and light training days, supports sustainable recovery (Vetter, 2010). Although athletes will recover at their own rate depending on the severity at which they’ve over trained, steady and stable recovery should not be rushed.

At some point in your career, you will be doing everything you can to gain an advantage over competition—at any cost. What you may not realize is that passion can both fuel your motivation and, unknowingly, increase your chances of over-training.

The right direction is by using a coach to schedule your training plan that includes rest days, sports massage treatment , promoting a well-balanced diet and encouraging adequate sleep.

Leave your comments in the box below.

The Dreaded Hamstring Injury

rich-watson@hotmail.co.uk (richard watson) — Fri, 10 Jun 2016 09:21:11 GMT

Recurring Hamstring Injuries and Lumbo-Pelvic Instability

Hamstring injuries are prevalent in many sporting and training environments. They are the curse of many top athletes and urban warriors alike and have a horrible tendency to recur with monotonous regularity.

In the past, rehab specialists and trainers may have fallen prey to the hypothesis that "if it keeps tearing, it must be tight and therefore needs a stretch."

In this article I would like to pose a different hypothesis. One that looks at the length-tension relationships between the hamstrings at the back of the pelvis and quads and hip flexors at the front of the pelvis. We’ll look at how this relationship can contribute to these types of injuries.

Firstly an anatomy review.

Most of us are familiar with the fact that the hamstrings arise from the ischial tuberosities (sit bones) of the pelvis and insert in to their respective points of attachment below the knee. The hamstrings therefore flex the knee and assist gluteus maximus with hip extension. When shortened and over-active posturally they will also draw the pelvis down at the back into a posterior tilt.

The quadriceps is made up of four muscles as the name suggests. The 3 vasti muscles arise from the femur and insert into the patella. Rectus femoris originates from the anterior inferior iliac spine at the front of the pelvis and also inserts into the patella. The vasti muscles extend the knee; rectus femoris also extends the knee and is a hip flexor

Other muscles which flex the hip include psoas and iliacus, tensor fascia lata and to a lesser degree sartorius.

The hip flexors when posturally over-active and shortened will draw the pelvis down at the front, creating an anterior tilt of the pelvis, keeping the hip in a degree of hip flexion.

Let’s get back to our recurrent hamstring injury scenario. Suppose that Jane Jogalot (an avid long distance runner) is suffering from the hamstring curse. No matter how much she stretches her hamstring, she can’t run more than 20 minutes without experiencing a tightening/straining feeling down the back of her right thigh which forces her to stop. She’s been diagnosed as having a Grade Two muscle strain of this hamstring.

The remedy - soft tissue work and progressive stretches???

But hang on - let’s look at Jane’s pelvis. Jane has a slight anterior pelvic tilt and due to her running style she is very quad-dominant. This, along with weak gluteals is allowing her pelvis to be drawn down at the front into the anterior tilt with associated shortening of ilio-psoas and tensor fascia lata.

As a sports therapist this effect can be assessed by:

A) The Wall Standing Test - Standing with the heels, buttocks and upper back in contact with the wall. The client slides their hand into the gap between the lower back and the wall. The fingers should slide behind the back to the level of the knuckles and no further. Jane might find that she can get her whole hand behind her back due to her anterior pelvic tilt and subsequent increased lumbar lordosis.

B) Hip Flexor or Thomas Test - Lying on her back on the edge of a table with her opposite knee drawn up to flatten the lower back. The hanging leg should remain in contact with the table. In Jane’s case her thigh sits up off the table with an extended knee indicating tension of her rectus femoris and possibly her hip flexors.

A hamstring test in lying reveals that Jane’s hamstrings are of normal length. Care must be taken when testing the hamstrings to allow for tight hip flexors. Occasionally the hamstrings will test "short" because the pelvis is held in an anterior tilt during the test. This restricts the straight leg raise due to pre-tensioning of the hamstring muscle fibres as they are already on a slight stretch. To compensate for this the opposite leg to the one being tested may need to be bent a little and supported on a pillow to allow the back to flatten - then re-test the hamstrings which now allows a normal range of motion to be observed (i.e.80 - 90 degrees of hip flexion with the knee in extension).

So if her hamstrings aren’t tight - why does Jane continue to have this problem??

With the anterior tilt, Jane’s hamstrings are pre-lengthened which creates extra length tension when she heel strikes. The hamstrings are unable to decelerate the limb against the pull of the hip flexors and quads at the end of the swing phase to achieve heel contact. There is a delay in the firing sequence of the hamstrings which eventually occurs with the fibres too elongated, which results in overstraining, micro-tearing and discomfort.

So if her hamstrings aren’t tight - why does Jane continue to have this problem??

These resistance exercises might include:

Hamstring Curls - Seated, lying or standing.

Swiss Ball Hamstring Curls.

Leg Press for Gluteus Maximus.

These are just a few of the exercises that may be appropriate in Jane’s case - there are many others.

The resistance applied during these exercises will depend on Jane’s tissue tolerance at each stage of her rehab. They should be pain free.

Obviously, Jane is a fictitious character. However, this scenario is quite common in the clinical arena. Don’t always assume that "if it hurts - it needs a stretch". Correct management always boils down to a thorough assessment and specific prescription of exercises to meet the needs of the individual. If you have a reoccurring muscular problem let our sports therapist assess your muscles and prescribe a suitable workout programme.

References

(1) Kendall, McCreary,Provance, Muscles Testing and Function, Williams and Wilkins.

(2) Paul Chek Seminars - C.H.E.K.Institute: Scientific Core Conditioning Seminar

(3) Swiss Ball Training Seminar

(4) Frank Netter, Human Atlas of Anatomy - CD Rom

Common Shoulder Syndromes

rich-watson@hotmail.co.uk (richard watson) — Tue, 10 May 2016 10:42:03 GMT

Stabilization Solutions for Common Shoulder Syndromes

Shoulder problems are rampant in modern society and are a common complaint of clients I see regular. While shoulder impingement, rotator cuff syndrome, and tendonitis are common clinical diagnoses, most shoulder problems share a common etiology: poor scapulothoracic stabilization. Common treatments — including joint and soft tissue manipulation, stretching, medications, heat, and electrical muscle stimulation — rarely succeed in providing significant long-term benefits because they don’t address the underlying stability issues of the shoulder complex. Although it is rarely discussed when dealing with shoulder issues, the cervical spine is a large contributor to scapulothoracic instability.

This article will discuss the relevant anatomy as well as the relationship of the cervical spine to shoulder instability and identify some of the commonly overlooked signs of both cervical and scapulothoracic instability. Additionally, this article will define a corrective and progressive exercise strategy based upon the principles of the Integrated Movement System™ (IMS)

Cervical and Scapulothoracic Dysfunction

The first step in gaining confidence when working with shoulder problems is to develop an understanding of the anatomy and kinesiology of the cervical and scapulothoracic regions. While they are not often discussed together, the cervical spine and shoulder complex are intimately related. The cervical spine is composed of seven vertebrae that blend into the thoracic region of the spine. It functions as a base for the head as well as an important attachment point for several of the muscles that support the scapulothoracic region. Several muscles of scapulothoracic complex, including the levator scapula, rhomboid minor, and fibers of the upper and middle trapezius each have attachments on both the cervical spine and scapula.

The C5-T1 cervical nerve roots form the brachial plexus as they exit the foramina. The brachial plexus exits the neck between the anterior and middle scalene, travels underneath both the clavicle and the pectoralis minor prior to innervating the structures of the shoulder and upper extremity.

These relationships are important to understand, since dysfunctions in both postural support or proper movement patterns can have significant impact on the function of the shoulder complex. For example, disc herniations are a common cause of neck pain and dysfunction. Radicular symptoms such as numbness and tingling are usual symptoms of disc problems, but several other patterns often precede these symptoms. Decreases in internal shoulder range of motion and chronic trigger points in the levator scapula and rhomboid minor are two common early signs of irritation of the cervical nerve roots. While clients can experience problems at any disc level, C5-6 is the most common level for cervical disc bulges and herniations. Not so ironically, the nerve roots C5, 6, and 7 innervate the serratus anterior and disc irritations of the C5-6 level can be a cause of serratus anterior weakness and subsequent instability or winging of the scapulothoracic region.

This cervical instability must be improved when dealing with scapulothoracic dysfunction or there will be no long-term solution to these movement dysfunctions. While there are several causes of cervical instability, two of the more common ones include the forward head syndrome and downward scapular rotation syndrome. Their relation to scapulothoracic instability will be discussed below.

Forward Head Syndrome

The forward head posture is largely blamed on prolonged sitting and excessive time spent in front of computers, televisions, and video games. While each of these factors likely contributes to the problem, they are unlikely to be part of the driving force behind this problem. The forward head posture and subsequent hyperextension of the mid-cervical spine and anterior shear of the lower cervical spine (see arrow in Figure 1) are direct consequences of poor respiratory patterns. What is the relationship between the forward head posture and respiration? As the accessory muscles (scalenes, sternocleidomastoid, and pectoralis minor) assume the primary role of respiration, they subsequently pull the head and scapula into a forward position. This process leads to anterior shear of the lower cervical spine and compensatory hyperextension of the mid-cervical spine resulting in lower cervical instability and the subsequent lower cervical disc irritation that was discussed earlier.

Downward Rotation Scapular Syndrome

The “levator scapula sign” occurs when the scapula is insufficiently stabilized along its inferior border by the inferior fibers of the serratus anterior and lower trapezius. As the athlete performs a pushing or pulling pattern, rather than remaining stabilized, the superior angle of the scapula moves superior and medial on the thorax, and there is prominence of the levator scapula along the lateral aspect of the neck (see Figure 2). In addition to prominence of the levator scapula, hypertonicity can be palpated within the levator scapula as the athlete performs her patterns. Over-activation of the levator scapula also contributes to hyperextension of the mid-cervical spine as the levator scapula also functions as an extensor of the neck. This is a dysfunctional pattern that encourages downward rotation of the scapula especially when there is subsequent over use of the pectoralis minor as a primary respiratory muscle.

When there is over-activation of the downward rotators of the scapula (pectoralis minor, levator scapula, and rhomboids), it is common for athletes to struggle with scapular stabilization. This patterning can be viewed in several upper extremity patterns however is easiest to see as the athlete returns their arm from the overhead position (see Figure 3). Notice how the inferior angle of the scapula moves away from the thoracic cage as the arm is lowered — and this is without any weight in the arm. It is important to look and/or palpate for this instability as this dysfunction will only be exacerbated as the arm is loaded. Improved scapular stabilization must be achieved prior to progressing the athlete to the fundamental pushing and pulling patterns or the athlete will further ingrain these poor habits.

These altered stabilization and movement patterns can lead to a host of additional shoulder and upper extremity conditions, including thoracic outlet syndrome, bicipital tendinopathies, and rotator cuff syndromes. Therefore, the corrective strategy for these conditions (as well as the forward head and downward rotation syndrome) is to improve respiration, stabilization, and integration of the fundamental movement patterns.

Integrating the Respiratory, Stabilization and Movement Systems

To specifically address the three most common causes of movement dysfunction — poor respiratory patterns, poor stabilization, and improper progressions of the fundamental patterns — the fitness professional must focus on improving the three principles of human function:

respiration prior to stabilization
stabilization prior to integration
integration prior to progressions

RESPIRATION

Respiration must be optimized; otherwise, no other movement can be optimal. Proper diaphragmatic respiration must be established to ensure both optimal oxygenation as well as proper stabilization of the spine and thorax. In fact, faulty respiratory patterns have been linked to overall poor health in addition to poor stabilization of the trunk and spine. The diaphragm has been shown to have a role in both respiration and stabilization (Richards et al., 2004) and faulty patterning of the diaphragm has been indicated in dysfunctional stabilization of the trunk and spine (Hodges et al., 2001; Kolar, 2009).

STABILIZATION

Once optimal respiratory patterns and core activation have been established, the athlete can be progressed to restoring optimal scapular mechanics. Recall that stabilization of the scapula against the thorax and control of upward rotation must be established prior to loading the upper extremity. Research has demonstrated that the push-up plus (push-up with an additional protraction component) and dynamic hug (fly pattern performed with resistive tubing or cables) patterns are two exercises that effectively activate both the serratus anterior and subscapularis, two muscles that have been linked to shoulder instability (McClure, 2006). In reviewing the literature, it would be logical to include these two exercises in a corrective exercise routine for athletes with scapulothoracic or glenohumeral instability. However, when reviewing research it is important to understand EMG studies are limited in that an EMG only records muscle activity, not whether or not the muscle is actually being activated to perform optimally. This is where the athlete must be diligent in understanding both the research as well as the optimum functional kinesiology of a muscle prior to instituting a corrective exercise program.

There is no arguing the fact that the serratus anterior is heavily recruited during a push-up plus motion. In addition to its stabilization function, the serratus anterior functions as a strong protractor of the scapula. However, the serratus anterior must also adhere the scapula to the thorax cage and decelerate the humerus as the arm returns from overhead motion, two functions that are not guaranteed during the push up plus. Yes, it is maximally recruited during a push up plus, but does this prove that the scapula is under any better neuromuscular control than in other functional positions? Unfortunately, it does not. This is not to say that the push-up plus cannot be an effective exercise as part of a progressive rehabilitative program but rather point out its limitations if used early in the rehabilitative process.

Recall that most shoulder problems — as well as problems in the low back, neck, etc. — are not strength issues; they are motor control issues. Applying more strength will only benefit the athlete who has a defined weakness and who possesses optimal neuromotor programs. Adding strength does not ensure anything except that a athlete will get stronger. Adding strength to a client with poor neuromuscular patterns only ensures that the athlete will continue to compensate and use the same patterns they have habitually used.

The following series of exercises is key in establishing both optimal stabilization as well as movement awareness of the scapulothoracic and glenohumeral regions. Movement awareness is the most overlooked component to corrective exercise as the client must be made aware of how they are currently moving as well as what ideal patterns look and feel like. These patterns include the quadruped with arm reach, the wall plank with arm reach, and shoulder rotation patterns. It is important to remember that the goal of these patterns is to improve neuromuscular control of the scapulae and spine stabilizers, so it is important that the early phases of corrective exercise emphasize this point.

Wall Plank

The wall plank is an excellent pattern to establish both optimal scapular and spine alignment, as well as activation of the deep intrinsic stabilizers of both regions. In Figure 4, the athlete stands approximately one foot away from the wall and assumes an elbow plank position against the wall. Her upper arms are positioned level with the shoulders and she is cued into a neutral spine and scapular positions. These cues include:

a long spine posture – the deep neck flexors are activated, the spine is in neutral posture;
the scapula are positioned into upward rotation — the serratus anterior and lower trapezius are activated;
the core is activated and the client maintains diaphragmatic respiration.

She slides one arm up the wall while stabilizing the opposite side and returns to the starting position. She repeats on the other side for the desired number of reps. It is important that the athlete controls the lowering of her arm (eccentric control) as she returns to the starting position. Equally important is that she maintains stability in the stationary arm, as the goal is to improve the stabilization function of the scapular stabilizers. Be sure to monitor for excessive levator scapula activity by observing the lateral aspect of the athlete’s neck.

Quadruped with Arm Reach

As shown in Figure 5, the quadruped pattern begins with the athlete positioned in a quadruped posture with her elbows shoulder-width apart. She establishes neutral spine posture and the image of a long spine (as if someone is pulling her head by a string). She activates her serratus anterior and lower trapezius and maintains this activation throughout the pattern. She reaches one arm out as far as she can without losing scapular or spine position and returns to the starting position. She repeats on the other side, alternating each side until completed the desired number of reps. As with the wall plank, it is just as important to maintain stability in the stationary arm as the goal is to improve the isometric function of the scapular stabilizers. Be sure to monitor for excessive levator scapula activity by observing the lateral neck.

Reversed Rotator Cuff Patterns

The closed chain rotator cuff pattern is an excellent pattern to incorporate the scapular stabilizers as well as the muscles of the rotator cuff, specifically the subscapularis. Most rehabilitation exercises for the rotator cuff begin with fixation of the trunk and rotation of the humerus on the scapula, which is in direct contrast to the patterns that occur during development. As the child learns to crawl, he moves the scapula over a fixated humerus thereby developing optimal rotator cuff function. This concept will be used to incorporate rotator cuff function with scapulothoracic stability. Please note that because this is a higher-level pattern, it must only be performed by athletes that have established optimal stability of the cervical, scapulothoracic, and glenohumeral regions.

The athlete should begin by holding onto a barbell secured to a power rack before progressing to the TRX version — both are demonstrated below. The athlete begins with a very shallow angle of incline and then lowers his body as he develop stability and strength. The athlete grasps the bar or handles (see Figures 6 and 7) and stabilizes his scapula and spine. He reaches to the side with his free arm without losing the scapular control of the fixed arm or alignment of the spine. He rotates back to the starting position and repeats for the desired number of repetitions on each side. The rotation occurs around the glenohumeral joint making these patterns essentially a reversed rotator cuff exercise for the stationary arm.

Sets, Reps, and Tempo

Quality over quantity should always be stressed whenever attempting to improve motor patterns. The first two patterns — the wall plank-reach and the quadruped reach — are designed to improve stabilization and motor control and are generally not taxing to the endocrine or nervous systems. Therefore, these patterns need to be performed every day to improve motor control as well as awareness and can be done so without much worry of over-training. The athlete will perform these patterns 2 times per day for 5-10 reps per arm with a 2 second concentric and 2 second eccentric phase. This is a great posture relief exercise for athletes who work long hours at a desk or computer.

The reverse rotator cuff pattern is a higher level pattern and can easily lead to an over-trained or fatigued rotator cuff. This pattern will be performed 2-3 times per week for 2-3 sets of 8-12 repetitions.

Integration

Once an athlete achieves optimal respiration and stabilization, they must be taught how to integrate these into the fundamental movement patterns including pushing and pulling patterns. During pushing and pulling patterns, the scapulae must remain stabilized on the thorax. As the arm is lowered from overhead, the scapula must be eccentrically controlled throughout the entire motion. This same eccentric control must be adhered to during the eccentric phase of the dumbbell or cable chest press.

Conclusion

The one thing that all upper extremity syndromes — including thoracic outlet, carpal tunnel, and rotator cuff — have in common: they are all a result of poor stabilization and/or movement patterns. Therefore, passive therapies, medications, or surgery are rarely a long-term solution because none of these options address the underlying stabilization or movement issues. To be a part of the long-term solution, fitness athletes must understand and be able to educate themselves about the proper methods of respiration, stabilization, and movement integration. This article described several common movement impairments that lead to scapulothoracic dysfunction and introduced the key components of integrating the respiratory, stabilization, and movement systems as a means of improving movement patterns. Hiring a sport therapist can greatly help improve and monitor these patterns, the sports therapist can become an important part of an athletes health care team and become part of the solution to the health care crisis.

References

Decker, D.J., Tokish, J.M., Ellis, H.B., Torry, M.R., Hawkins, R.J. (2003). Subscapularis Muscle Activity During Selected Rehabilitation Exercises; The America Journal of Sports Medicine ; 31:126-134.

Hodges, P.W., Heijnen, I., Gandevia, S.C. (2001). Postural activity of the diaphragm is reduced in humans when respiratory demand increases; Journal of Physiology ; 537(3): 999–1008.

Kolar, P., Holubcova, Z., Frank, C., Liebenson, C., Kobesova, A. (2009). Exercise & the Athlete: Reflexive, Rudimentary & Fundamental Strategies. International Society of Clinical Rehabilitation Specialists – course handouts, Chicago, IL.

Kolar, P., Kobesova, A., Holubcova, Z. (2009). Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization: A Developmental Kinesiology Approach. Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago – course handouts, Chicago, IL.

Liebenson, C. (2007). Rehabilitation of the Spine: a Practitioner's Manual . 2nd ed. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia, PA.

McClure, P.W., Michener, L.A., Karduna, A.R. (2006). Shoulder Function and 3-Dimensional Scapular Kinematics in People With and Without Shoulder Impingement Syndrome; Physical Therapy; 86(8):1075-1090.

Osar, E. (2010). Assessing the Fundamentals-The Thoracic Connection- part 1. PTontheNet. Retrieved from http://www.ptonthenet.com/articles/assessing-the-fundamentals-the-thoracic-connection-part-1-3286 .

Osar, E. (2010). Assessing the Fundamentals-The Thoracic Connection- part 2. PTontheNet. Retrieved from http://www.ptonthenet.com/articles/assessing-the-fundamentals-the-thoracic-connection-part-2-3302 , June 9, 2010.

Osar, E. (2007). Improving Shoulder Function-Part 1. PTontheNet. Retrieved from http://www.ptonthenet.com/articles/Improving-Shoulder-Function---Part-1-2965 .

Osar, E. (2008). Improving Shoulder Function-Part 2. PTontheNet. Retrieved from http://www.ptonthenet.com/articles/Improving-Shoulder-Function---Part-2-3046 .

Osar, E. (2008). Improving Shoulder Function-Part 3. PTontheNET. Retrieved from http://www.ptonthenet.com/articles/Improving-Shoulder-Function---Part-3-3066 .

Richardson, C., Hides, J., Hodges, P.W. (2004). Therapeutic Exercise for Lumbopelvic Stabilization: a Motor Control Approach for the Treatment and Prevention of Low Back Pain. 2nd Ed . u.a.: Churchill Livingstone, Edinburgh.

Sahrmann, S. (2002). Diagnosis and Treatment of Movement Impairment Syndromes. Mosby, St. Louis, MO.

Article taken from PTontheNet and adapted by Apache Brave Sports Therapies

Protein Powders

rich-watson@hotmail.co.uk (richard watson) — Thu, 31 Mar 2016 12:14:47 GMT

All You Ever Wanted to Know (Nearly All)

One of the problems with western diets is a lack of high-quality protein. One reason is our obsession with poor-quality fast foods; another is lack of time. In a world where everyone is overwhelmed with a busy life, it often becomes difficult to find the time to prepare high-protein meals of fish, lean meats or eggs. This is especially true for bodybuilders and elite athletes who follow lifestyle programs that have them consuming five to six meals a day. One solution is to make health food shakes with added protein or to consume meal replacement products that are high in protein.

A great way to get a lot of high-quality protein quickly is with a shake with protein powder added. This product has an interesting history. The first type of protein powder was powdered milk, which has its roots in the Mongol people and their powerful leader, Genghis Khan. The Mongols would evaporate milk by allowing it to dry in the sun and would reportedly take the chalk-like substance with them on their long journeys of conquest. In Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World, author Jack Weatherford suggests that a low-carb, high-protein diet with an emphasis on milk protein was one of the reasons for Khan’s success in battle:

“The Chinese noted with surprise and disgust the ability of the Mongol warriors to survive on little food and water for long periods; according to one, the entire army could camp without a single puff of smoke since they needed no fires to cook. Compared to the Jurched soldiers, the Mongols were much healthier and stronger. The Mongols consumed a steady diet of meat, milk, yogurt, and other dairy products, and they fought men who lived on gruel made from various grains. The grain diet of the peasant warriors stunted their bones, rotted their teeth, and left them weak and prone to disease. In contrast, the poorest Mongol soldier ate mostly protein, thereby giving him strong teeth and bones.”

The individual responsible for inventing the modern form of powdered milk was most likely Gail Borden, nicknamed “The Father of the Modern Dairy Industry.” In 1856 Borden received a patent for condensing milk that involved boiling the milk in airtight vacuum pans. In the early 1860s, the American Civil War created a huge demand for Borden’s product, and another market opened up in 1867 when Henri Nestlé added flour and sugar to powdered milk to create the first infant formula.

With today’s powdered milk there is little risk of bacterial contamination because of the lack of moisture. However, you need to pay attention to the expiration date of powdered milk and protein powders, as the proteins eventually oxidize, reducing their quality.

One benefit of powders is that they enable you to precisely follow a nutrition program. For example, when someone reduces calories to try to lose weight, his or her protein requirements increase. If you don’t get enough protein during a weight loss program, you can experience a loss of muscle mass. In addition, protein tends to help with food cravings because it helps stabilize blood sugar levels and creates a sense of fullness. Sure, drinking milk and eating steaks will give you protein, but they also give you a lot of fat and calories you may not want during a weight loss program.

Does Your Protein Measure Up?

One question we have to ask in any discussion about protein powders is “Why use milk as a source for protein in the first place?” There are many good reasons. The first reason to use milk in protein powders is simply because it contains a lot of protein. Beef, chicken and eggs are considered very concentrated sources of protein, but just one cup of milk contains as much protein as one ounce of beef or chicken – whereas a whole egg contains 6.5 grams of protein.

Another reason to use milk as a protein source is that it’s very digestible. Just because the label of a protein powder says it contains a certain amount of protein, that doesn’t necessarily mean your body can use all that protein. Of course there are protein powders made from soy , rice and even hemp seeds, but those proteins are of inferior quality. Let me explain.

There are several methods of ranking the quality of a protein, and one of the most recent is called the Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAA). The highest value that a protein can receive in this type of measurement is 1.00. Milk and whole eggs earn a perfect score, and beef looks good at .92, but Mr. Peanut has no reason to smile, as he only earns a .52 score.

Of course, there are other ways to judge the protein quality of food, such as a measurement called biological value (BV) that looks at nitrogen retention and absorption. With this measurement, milk earns a score of 91 compared to whole eggs, which max out at 100; but milk still wins out over beef, which achieves a score of only 80. And with the plant proteins, you have to consider that these are considered incomplete proteins in that they must be combined with other sources of amino acids to be used by the body. For example, to make a complete protein source you can spread peanut butter on a rice cake.

Although this discussion has been primarily about powdered milk, I’d like to take it a step further and talk about whey protein. Milk contains two types of protein: casein and whey. Whey protein is higher in quality than casein; whey is equal to milk in PDCAA scoring and higher in BV, and during the separation process its lactose can be removed.

Lactose is a sugar that causes gastrointestinal distress in much of the world’s population. The enzyme that breaks down lactose is called lactase. If an individual is not producing enough lactase, the result is lactose intolerance. Symptoms of lactose intolerance include bloating, gas, cramps, diarrhea and even nausea. Lactose intolerance is one reason for the popularity of soy protein powders, but I have a laundry list of problems with using soy products, including its potential to reduce testosterone in men. It’s rare that a child is born with complete lactose intolerance, as the problem usually develops after adolescence. Taking a lactase supplement can help, but it’s easier to avoid lactose intolerance altogether by using whey protein powders.

When you go shopping for whey protein powders, you’ll see that they come in categories such as concentrates, isolates and hydrolysates. Isolates contain more protein and less fat than concentrates, and hydrolysates contain digestive enzymes. Isolates cost more than concentrates, and hydrolysates cost more than isolates.

The Case for Meal Replacements

Extending our discussion beyond protein powders, meal replacement shakes offer quality food ingredients in various combinations of the three macronutrients: protein, carbohydrates and fats. And despite the name, meal replacements should only replace some meals – not all of them.

There are many reasons to use meal replacements, and there is legitimate scientific research to support their use. Two frequently cited studies looked at weight loss with meal replacements.

The March 2001 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association published the results of a yearlong study of 64 overweight women, ages 18 to 55, who expressed an interest in losing between 20 and 40 pounds. One of the unique characteristics of the women involved in this study is that all claimed they had been unsuccessful in changing their eating habits. The women were divided into two groups and were placed on 1,200-calorie diets. The control group was given a standard diet, while the other group consumed three milk-based, 220-calorie meal replacement drinks totaling 680 calories (meaning that the remaining 520 calories consumed were from whole foods, primarily fruits and vegetables). The result is that after three months, both groups lost 3-6 pounds, but at the end of 52 weeks the group that used the meal replacement product kept the weight off while the whole-food group regained the weight they had lost. Discipline in a can!

Published in October 2004 in the International Journal of Obesity were the results of a six-month study with 63 overweight subjects, 50 female and 12 male, with an average age of about 49 years. Their daily nutrition consisted of one whole-food meal per day and two milk-based meal replacement drinks, with a total daily intake of 800 to 1,800 calories. The subjects were instructed to walk three times a week for 30 minutes each session. Six months into the nutrition program, there was a mean decrease of seven percent body weight.

The meal replacements used in these studies were commercially available and had a high amount of sugar (220 calories and 34 grams of sugar); the ingredients in one brand consisted primarily of milk, cocoa and two types of sugar. But before getting into what constitutes a good meal replacement, let’s look at the origins of this type of product – which, incidentally, falls into the category of infant formulas.

The first infant formula was developed in 1867, consisting of cow’s milk, wheat flour, malt flour and potassium bicarbonate; the first soy formula was introduced in 1929. The most famous developer was Henri Nestlé (yes, that Nestlé, of Toll House cookie fame).

Born in Frankfort, Germany, Nestlé came from a family of 14 children, half of whom died before reaching adulthood. In the mid-1860s, Nestlé used his training in pharmacology to address the issue of infant mortality due to malnutrition by developing a healthy, economical alternative for mothers who could not breastfeed. With the help of nutritionist Jean Balthasar Schnetzler, Nestlé made the formula easier to digest by removing the acid and the starch in wheat flour. Nestlé called the new product Farine Lactée Henri Nestlé.

The early days of infant formula eventually involved into meal replacement powders for athletes , primarily bodybuilders. One of the most popular formulas among bodybuilders in the ’70s was called Blair’s Protein, developed by Irvin Johnson (who changed his name to Rheo H. Blair on the advice of an astrologer). It was a delicious mixture – described as having the taste of soft ice cream – and was reportedly the favorite of six Mr. Olympias. However, because it contained approximately 25 percent lactose, it often caused gastrointestinal distress.

The two major types of meal replacement formulas manufactured today use whey or soy as their primary protein source. One reason that soy was introduced to infant formulas was to deal with infants who are allergic to cow’s milk; however, the American Academy of Pediatrics says that infants who are allergic to cow’s milk should not be given soy milk because 50 percent of those who are allergic to cow’s milk are also allergic to soy milk. Soy can be bad news, especially for men due to its effect in decreasing serum testosterone. To learn why soy is such a poor choice for a meal replacement, pick up a copy of Dr. Kaayla Daniel’s book The Whole Soy Story .

Although not as well known, one other option is pea protein . Pea protein has excellent digestibility (98 percent) and has an excellent array of amino acids, including high levels of BCAAs. It is particularly high in leucine, lysine, arginine, phenylalanine and tyrosine. And because pea protein has ACE inhibitory activity, it may have a positive effect on the maintenance of normal blood pressure levels. It has also been shown, in rat studies, to have a positive impact on total cholesterol and very-low-density lipoproteins (VLDL) by stimulating bile acid formation and excretion.

The concept behind using meal replacement powders is a good one, as they can be quickly and easily prepared and can provide precisely the nutrients you want. When you use nutrition/lifestyle protocols that involve several “feedings” a day, adequate food preparation becomes very difficult and time consuming.

I recommend that the majority of your calories come from whole foods, but this is a fast-paced world, so meal replacements and protein powders have a place as convenient ways to ensure you receive the highest-quality nutrition.

References

Daniel, K. T. (2005). The whole soy story: The dark side of America ’s favorite health food. Washington, DC: NewTrends Publishing.

Frantz, J. B. (1951). Gail Borden: Dairyman to a nation. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press.

History [of Nestlé]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.nestle.com/AboutUs/History/Pages/History.aspx .

Huerta, S., Li, Z., Li, H. C., Hu, M. S., Yu, C. A., & Heber, D. (2004). Feasibility of a partial meal replacement plan for weight loss in low-income patients. International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders, 28 (12), 1575-1579.

Rothacker, D. Q., Staniszewski, B. A., & Ellis, P. K. (2001, March). Liquid meal replacement vs traditional food: A potential model for women who cannot maintain eating habit change. The Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 101 (3), 345-347.

Weatherford, J. (2004). Genghis Khan and the making of the modern world. New York, NY: Crown Publishers.

Overlooking recovery after exercise.

rich-watson@hotmail.co.uk (richard watson) — Wed, 17 Feb 2016 12:07:01 GMT

��️‍♀️ The Adaptation Equation: Why Overlooking Recovery is the Fastest Way to Stop Progress

You’ve dedicated the hours. You’ve endured the sweat. You've pushed your limits in the gym, on the road, or on the field. You've done the hardest part: the training load . But if you treat your workout like a finished equation, you’re missing the critical final step. Ignoring recovery is the single biggest mistake an athlete—or anyone committed to fitness—can make.

It's time to shift your focus: Recovery isn't passive rest; it's active progress.

The True Training Ground: The Science of Supercompensation

We often think we get fitter during the workout itself, but this is a physiological myth. During a hard session, you are intentionally breaking your body down. You deplete energy stores (glycogen), create micro-tears in muscle fibres, and introduce acute fatigue.

The body’s natural response to this stress is adaptation . It doesn’t just repair the damage; it repairs it stronger and better to handle the next challenge. This process is called Supercompensation . Your peak fitness gains—increased strength, improved endurance, and higher power output—only occur in the recovery phase . If you skip this crucial step and immediately hit the next hard workout, you prevent adaptation, leading to chronic fatigue, plateaus, and, worst of all, injury .

�� The Four Non-Negotiable Pillars of Daily Recovery

To ensure your body moves through the supercompensation cycle effectively, you must support it with consistent, strategic recovery habits.

1. Quality Sleep: The Ultimate Repair Window ��

This is non-negotiable. During deep sleep, your body ramps up growth hormone production, essential for repairing muscle tissue and regulating metabolism. Lack of sleep has been shown to impair muscle recovery, reduce reaction time, and significantly increase the risk of injury due to poor judgment and motor control. Aim for 7-9 hours of high-quality, uninterrupted rest every night.

2. Refuel and Rebuild: Strategic Nutrition ��

The post-exercise window is vital for replenishing the resources you just burned.

Protein: Immediately after a workout, consuming adequate protein provides the amino acid building blocks needed to repair the torn muscle fibers. This is the cornerstone of hypertrophy (muscle growth).
Carbohydrates: Endurance athletes, or anyone engaging in high-intensity training, must prioritise carbohydrates to restore muscle and liver glycogen —your primary fuel source. Delaying this replenishment slows recovery and impairs performance in subsequent sessions. Hydration is also paramount; replacing lost fluids and electrolytes is essential for cellular function.

3. Active and Passive Restoration ��

Recovery isn't just about lying down; it's about movement and targeted therapy.

Cool-Downs: Never skip the 5–10 minutes of light cardio and static stretching immediately post-session. This helps normalise heart rate, lower body temperature, and flush metabolic waste products, such as lactic acid, from the muscles.
Mobility Tools: Incorporate foam rolling or dynamic stretching on your rest days to break up adhesions, release trigger points, and improve circulation to damaged areas.
Professional Intervention (Sports Massage): Don’t wait until you’re injured. Regular sports massage treatments target deep muscle tissues, helping to reduce chronic tightness, restore optimal muscle length, and increase range of motion. This passive recovery strategy accelerates the flushing of waste products far beyond what basic stretching can achieve.

4. Strategic Rest (Tapering & Deloads) ��

As the original philosophy highlights, sometimes the best training is less training.

The concept of tapering —a planned reduction in training load leading up to a major event—is what allows the physiological benefits of hard training to manifest fully. During a taper, key changes occur: red blood cell volume increases, aerobic enzyme activity improves, and muscle glycogen stores are maximised. This prepares the body to tolerate an extremely high workload on race day. Similarly, deload weeks throughout your training year prevent burnout and allow ligaments and tendons—which recover more slowly than muscles—to have the time they need to adapt, ensuring longevity in your fitness journey.

The Price of Neglect

When you consistently push hard without proper recovery, you create a state of overtraining . Symptoms include persistent muscle soreness, insomnia, mood swings, a weakened immune system, and performance plateaus that refuse to budge.

Your hard work deserves better. Start viewing your recovery time as a performance enhancer , not a luxury. By prioritising sleep, strategic nutrition, and proactive restoration (like a sports massage), you stop training against yourself and start maximising every single minute you put in.

Ready to stop guessing and start recovering like a professional? Contact us today to book a comprehensive Sports Massage Treatment and ensure your body is truly ready for the next challenge.

Conditioning for Increased Speed in Triathlon

Wed, 27 Jan 2016 12:05:24 GMT

�� Beyond Endurance: Unlocking Real Speed in Triathlon with Smart Conditioning

You are a triathlete. You are driven, disciplined, and dedicated to the grind. You track your miles, monitor your heart rate, and structure your life around the pool, the bike, and the run. You know how to suffer—that’s your superpower.

But here is the hard truth: If you are only focused on volume, you are leaving free speed on the table.

Many triathletes, especially those moving up to Half-Ironman or Ironman distances, fall into the trap of over-prioritising aerobic endurance and ignoring gym work. You may think strength training takes too much time or interferes with volume, but this mindset is the ceiling that prevents you from reaching your true race potential.

The fastest triathletes understand that true speed isn’t about just surviving the distance; it’s about making the distance feel easier. And that efficiency comes from Conditioning .

The Core Problem: The “Relative Effort” Deficit.

While it's true that 90–95% of your energy during an endurance event comes from your aerobic system, strength training improves the quality of every single stroke, pedal revolution, and stride.

Think of it this way: Strength determines your gear ratio.

Imagine two athletes, both weighing 65kg.

Athlete A can only squat 60kg (a 1RM of less than bodyweight).
Athlete B can squat 100kg (a 1RM significantly over bodyweight).

When both athletes cycle up a steep hill, Athlete A is operating much closer to their maximum capacity—their relative effort is significantly higher. Athlete B, with their greater absolute strength, uses far less effort to complete the same task. This reduced relative effort conserves your aerobic battery, delays fatigue, and allows you to push harder, later.

Building maximal strength is about reducing the energy cost of movement.

The Three Phases of Conditioning for Speed

To gain that precious efficiency and speed, your conditioning program must be periodized —strategically changing based on your race calendar.

1. The Base Phase: Strength (The Foundation)

This is where you build the engine. Forget high-rep cardio lifting. This phase focuses on heavy, compound movements (squats, deadlifts, presses, rows) to build true muscle resilience and neural recruitment. This foundational strength prevents your body from breaking down under the massive volume of triathlon training. Without this base, any attempt at power or speed training will likely lead to injury.

2. The Build Phase: Power (The Accelerator)

Once you have at least 1-2 years of solid strength training under your belt, you can introduce power movements, most notably Plyometrics .

The goal here is to train the Stretch-Shortening Cycle (SSC) . The SSC is your body’s natural elastic recoil. Think of it like stretching a rubber band (the eccentric, or lengthening, phase) and then immediately releasing it (the concentric, or shortening, phase). The stored elastic energy makes the subsequent contraction much more powerful and energy-efficient than a normal contraction. This is especially vital in running, where your calves and Achilles tendon act as springs.

The faster you can transition from stretching to contracting (the amortisation phase), the more power you produce and the more energy you conserve. Plyometrics (such as bounding or box jumps) train this neural speed, but because of the high stress involved, sessions must be short (20–45 minutes) and focused on perfect technique to avoid injury.

3. The Race Phase: Maintenance

As race day approaches and your volume peaks, you dial back the heavy strength and power work. Your goal is simply to maintain the strength you built without adding extra fatigue, allowing your body to fully adapt and taper into peak condition.

��️ The Ultimate Performance Multiplier: Injury Resilience

A well-structured strength and conditioning program is not just about speed—it’s the most effective form of injury prevention. Triathlon training involves highly repetitive, asymmetrical movements over long periods. Strength training corrects muscle imbalances, improves core stability, and bulletproofs the joints (especially the hips, knees, and shoulders), ensuring you make it to the start line healthy.

Finally, remember that conditioning includes recovery. Regular sports massage treatments are vital. Sports therapy helps manage training fatigue, flushes out metabolic waste, and addresses muscle tightness before it becomes a race-ending injury.

Stop sacrificing strength for volume. A dedicated, periodized conditioning plan, combined with expert coaching and therapeutic care, is the key to unlocking actual, sustainable speed and efficiency in your next triathlon .

Refuel after Exercise

rich-watson@hotmail.co.uk (richard watson) — Wed, 20 Jan 2016 12:29:47 GMT

What you do for the rest of the day when you are not exercising is just as important as what you do when you are exercising.

Refuel

Not refueling after exercise, especially after long or intense bouts, is possibly the single worst thing you can do to thwart your recovery. The most important aspect of optimal recovery from hard workouts is refueling nutrient-depleted muscles. Refueling after workouts is important for several reasons including the replenishment of fuel stores and the repair of muscle damage. In regards to fuel, carbohydrates are the most important nutrient to replenish. It has been known since the late 1960s that exercise performance is strongly influenced by the amount of pre-exercise muscle glycogen and that intense endurance exercise decreases muscle glycogen content.

Glycogen synthesis is a complex biochemical process largely controlled by insulin and the availability of blood glucose. Muscles are picky when it comes to the time for synthesizing and storing glycogen. Although glycogen will continue to be synthesized until storage in your muscles is complete, the process is most rapid if you consume carbohydrates within the first 30 to 60 minutes after workouts. Indeed, delaying carbohydrate ingestion for just two hours after a workout has been shown to significantly reduce the rate at which glycogen is synthesized and stored.

Regarding reparation of cellular damage, protein is another important nutrient to consume after hard and long workouts, especially when trying to build muscle. To repair muscle fibres that are damaged during training, you need to consume complete protein (those which contain all essential amino acids) after your workout. Some studies have found that eating protein and carbohydrates together also maximizes muscle glycogen storage, although this doesn't seem to be the case when an adequate amount of carbohydrate is ingested. My Protein provide some excellent product that combine a good mix of carbs and protein which can be taken pre intra or post workout, check out their protein products here .

Re hydrate

Water is vital for many chemical reactions that occur inside our cells, including the production of energy. When you sweat during exercise, you lose body water that can affect cellular processes. In addition, your blood volume decreases and becomes thicker if they don't replace fluids. The result is a lower stroke volume (the amount of blood pumped by the heart per beat), cardiac output (the amount of blood pumped by the heart per minute) and ultimately a decreased oxygen delivery. The ability to exercise starts to decline with only a two to three percent loss of body mass due to fluid loss.

The best re-hydration fluids are those that contain sodium , which stimulates the kidneys to retain water. However, if your workouts are at a low intensity and last less than an hour, plain water in combination with a balanced diet is just as effective. A good indicator of your hydration level is the colour of their urine, with a light colour indicating adequate hydration. On the other hand, if your urine looks like apple juice, then keep drinking.