The Grim

A MASSIVE shout out this week to my bootcampers who took on The Grim.

Out of the 23 representing (and the 15+ friends of the team taking part!!) the majority had never done a race before, many of those that had had never taken on a challenge so vast and a couple had not done any formal run training ever before!!

We SMASHED it!!!

We we’re by far the biggest crew, we had by far the best supporters and everyone LOVED it!!!

The Fit Green is NOT a running club, nor is it confined to the fit or healthy. It is for cool people who want to get/keep fit and don’t mind a bit of banter or getting stuck in.

My team were challenged to the max this weekend and loved it!

The camaraderie at my bootcamp is second to none and this weekend they proved it.

Wading through mud and waist deep water (shoulder deep on some!?!) Team Green sent The Grim packing...

Of particular highlight was Tracy losing her shoe, Tina being pulled out of the mud by a spectator and Natalie’s mulled wine.

It’s fair to say a good day was had by all.

What can I talk them into doing next???

Radiators and Drains

The transfer of energy between people can be MASSIVE.

Some people just have that aura, right?

Some people naturally have a great energy.

Some people can elevate your mood and are great to be around and you just don’t know why.

However, unfortunately this also works the other way

When I was speaking to one of my new favourite people last week we were speaking about radiators and drains. She explained her idea and it makes perfect sense.

She told me that some people are radiators and give off lots of energy and are fun and positive to be around and others are drains and ...well, you can guess the rest.

This is not a new concept to me. I have always been interested in the transfer of energy. My job depends on it. To increase a persons (or a groups) energy level immediately is of massive importance to me to firstly having a good time in life, secondly having a good time in life (yes - I said it twice!) and thirdly getting the best out of people.

You see, if you are the type of person that radiates energy people will follow your lead. They will subconsciously mimic or model your behaviour and as such you will get the best out of them. Furthermore, your life will be better and more fulfilling too.

Now, there are certain conditions to this that stop you becoming a knobhead (technical term). You cannot just pitch up to people and be a happy clappy wanker (another technical term) they will think you are weird and you will be avoided because your consistently positive and upbeat outlook on life is tiring (we are British after all...)

You must read the situation. It’s no good being overly positive at a funeral. This is not the right time. (I laugh my ass off writing this!!) However, you do not need to be a drain. The old-adage of if you’ve got nothing good to say don’t say anything is relevant here.

Being consistent is important. So much of communication is non-verbal. You body language will communicate your ideas before you say it. Smile, hold a confident posture, be open with you arms... These are all things that work well. BUT you have to mean what you say. People can smell a lack of integrity a mile off. You have genuinely want to be positive.

Read the situation. Like I said it’s no good being a happy clappy wanker. Those guys are annoying. I measure a persons body language on a scale of one to ten and if I want to increase their energy I arrive at one or two points above them. Like I said they will begin to mimic or model your behaviour and soon enough will be unknowingly having a good time and radiating energy themselves (mwahahahahhahahaha... They are falling for our plan!)

This all sounds very manipulative. It isn’t. Well, I suppose it is. But it is dependent again on integrity. You have to be genuine in your interest. Getting the best out of people day-to-day will only make your life better, more fun and fulfilling. Also, it’s something interesting to do.

Challenge for the day... If you see a friend without a smile; give them one of yours.

If you want to do something cool today. Try smiling at people (not just friends). It is the best way to see how people mimic or model behaviour. The proverb above will open many doors and will generally increase your energy and the energy of people around you. Plus it’ll be a fun experiment.

Note: Make your smile appropriate. I don’t want you guys getting arrested!

Have a great day!

Training With Zack: Arnie I'm Not!

This afternoon I went off to visit my buddy Zack Cahill at Aegis Training.

I make no secret that I enjoy reading and studying all aspect of fitness and nutrition. I enjoy studying physiology, biomechanics and psychology, BUT I’m not gonna lie, I enjoy reading programs and training too.

I like to watch other trainers, I like to understand the coaching process and I like to know the underlying mechanisms that support there business.

I’ve followed Zack’s work for while reading his blog and value his opinion and insight.

After looking at Zack’s training programs - all of which are affectionately named after 1980’s Arnie films - I thought it was time to pay my dues and go and visit him in person.

I really rate personal training as a method of getting fit and genuinely think there is no better way for a person to get in shape. Being coached in anything lends itself to achieving success and despite my many years of training I am no exception.

I turned up at Zack’s gym 15-minutes late having confused the time of our appointment and somewhat unfortunately interrupted his lunch. Not a good start.

After a brief warm up we soon hit the squat rack. We started with something Zack called the ‘Man Circuit.’ A combination of heavy squats, weighted jump squats, standing jumps and sled pushes. I knew I wasn’t in for a good time.

We then hit a couple of back circuits super setting different exercises with a variety of interesting and exciting rep systems. And finally finishing with something interestingly named ‘The Cunt.’

I’ll be honest it was more like ‘The Can’t.’ I was fried. Skillfully and intelligently Zack had destroyed me. I’m rather ashamed to say I failed to finish my final set instead choosing to hover over a bin in case my prawn sandwich and coffee which I joyfully scoffed at lunch decided to make a reappearance.

Please don’t feel this is in any way, shape or form irresponsible of Zack - it was exactly what I wanted. I wanted to see some of the methods he uses to get his clients (mainly female lawyers) in such good shape. In just one hour I had be given a brilliant insight into why Zack and his company Aegis Training was voted one of London’s top gyms.

From reading Zack’s programs and spending time talking to him after I have feel I have benefited as a coach. Spending just a short amount of time in his gym I got an idea of how I can develop my business. He used a couple of very skillful ways to keep me moving between sets and the variation of exercises was brilliant.

Another takeaway for me is variation of tempo. The combination of fast and slow movements created an obscure metabolic demands. This is something I will play with. The way and speed in which he regulated the sets was interesting. He set a target of between three or four sets per circuit but limited it by time. This meant that when the clock hit 10 or 15 minutes we changed onto a new set of exercises. And again the old school rep systems he used with different exercises is not something I had ever thought of.

Zack’s business seems to be incredibly popular and for good reason. He forgo’s the gimmicky nonsense that are common place in many gyms and prefers to develop and cultivate good relationships and evidence based training protocals.

I can’t wait to re-visit Zack in the new year when I'm fitter and stronger - hopefully next time I won’t puke my ring up!

If you are up in the city and looking for a PT I can’t recommend Zack highly enough. Check out his website www.aegistraining.co.uk

Who the hell is Ralph?

After arriving fashionably late (11 days!!) and in a style befitting his father, little William George Keywood is finally here.

Weighing in at 7lbs 11oz and standing (or lying?!) at approx the length of a really long ruler, William is the newest shiniest addition to Keywood household.

With his mothers good looks and his fathers sense of humour (or vice versa...), he is bound to be a stud. At the moment he spends his days feeding, sleeping and filling nappies and when he is not doing that he enjoys walking around the lake with mummy and daddy, hanging out in Starbucks and going to Nando’s.

...as you guys will know I’m always happy to abbreviate a name or give someone a nickname. William is no exception. I have referred to him for a long time as Key-dogg Jr. At the moment by others he is known as Will, Wills, and rather unfortunately Little Willy (I’m not too happy about this one!) but for a long while EJ and I called the bump Ralph. This name seems to have stuck, so if you hear me talking about Ralph and think who the hell is Ralph? Now you know.

We all seem to be settling in really well and both EJ and I are very happy. Thanks to everyone for their best wishes.

Five Steps To Building A Better Bottom

Having a good bottom, whilst being aesthetically pleasing, is also a must for any person dreaming of optimum health and performance. The perfect posterior whilst pleasing to the eye is also very important for function of the core musculature which is fundamental for prevention of back pain.

Try this five step approach to achieving better bottom...

Start Rolling...
It is very common for people who have a sedentary job or women who have had babies (so most people reading this blog then...) to suffer with glute amnesia. During the later stages of pregnancy or if sat on for a long periods of time, the muscles in your bottom ‘switch off’ and forget how to work. The gluteal muscles are the powerhouse of the body and when they don’t function efficiently can cause back pain. If they are overly tight they can also contribute to knee pain. The first step to getting ‘buns of steel’ is to loosen up any tight or knotty adhesions within that muscle. This will also serve a dual purpose and activate the sleeping giant (so to speak..).

The best way I have seen for you to do this to yourself is by using self-myofascial release. You can do this with a foam roller or tennis/hockey ball. Place the ball in the belly of the muscle and sit on it propping yourself up with your hands and feet. Move or roll it around until you find a tender point and pause. The muscle will release under the pressure allowing you to put it to work in the remainder of your workout.



Stretch the hip flexors...
One of the main reason many peoples bottom musculature switch off is due to the tightness through the hip flexors. When the hip flexors become tight they alter the way the muscles in your bottom work. By stretching and inhibiting the hip flexors you allow for the muscles in your butt to begin working again.

The best way and simplest way I have found to stretch your hip flexors is by using a Warrior Stretch. To perform the warrior stretch place one knee on a mat and take a big step forward. Clasp and extend your hand above your head and drive your hips forward. You should feel this through the front of your thigh. Hold this for between 30 and 60 seconds on each leg for best results.



Do the spiderman...
Now, the muscle on the front of your leg are more than likely very tight and so will need a bit more than just one stretch. A great exercise I have found to develop mobility through the front of your leg (and consequently allow the muscles in the bottom to work) is a spiderman. An exercise that forces you to open up the hip flexors in the front of the leg, the spidie (as it is affectionally known at bootcamp) is performed in press up position doing what for all intense and purposes is a lunge. Check out this video for how it is done. http://www.youtube.com/user/SteveKeyPT#p/u/19/3lmqDfSADKQ

Get your bridge on...
One of the simplest most effective ways to create the ‘two eggs in a hanky’ effect is to get your bridge on. The prime mover in your bottom - the glute max - is primarily a hip extensor. By lying on your back with your feet underneath your knees, tensing your bottom and pressing your hips to the sky you will have a very effective bridge exercise.



Do some proper exercise...
The steps up until now have been rather gentle. Whilst incredibly effective to really change the shape of your bottom I would suggest exercise that extend the hips such as squats and lunges. To sculpt and tone adding an element of power or intensity to them by adding a jump too. Squat jumps or split jumps are incredibly tough and incredibly effective. One of my other favorite ways of targeting this area of the body is by sprinting. Different to running, sprinting involves a huge amount of hip extension and can really get you the kind of bottom that is pleasing to the eye.

So there you have it, five steps to building a better bottom! Remember, have a better bottom is not all about looking good, it is an important remedy for back and knee pain, is essential for improving core function and can lead to a great performance in sport.

Am I Too Old To Shop In Jack Wills?

Last week I dragged my very pregnant wife (39wks) up the cobbled streets of Guildford to buy some stuff I neither needed or wanted. Isn’t that what shopping is all about?!

One of the shops we ventured into was Jack Wills. For those not in the know - Jack Wills is a trendy shop where the stuff, albeit really good quality, is really overpriced.

After buying a hooded jumper and making our way out EJ asked the question.

‘Did you notice anything about anyone else in that shop?’

She has told me before how she feels about me buying stuff in there.

She followed this up with a line that was cutting.

‘The older people you saw in there weren’t buying stuff for themselves you know.’

Ouch.

I asked ‘what are you trying to say?’

To which she smirked.

She is evil.

Girly Hormones...

I realize I’m going out on a limb here.

I understand there is a strong chance I will get shot down.

Being a man talking about womens’ hormones I realize I’m on a hiding to nothing.

I never fully understood the implications of this until I took part in a the Marbella Six Pack Challenge just a few weeks ago.

During the challenge (to get a six-pack in six weeks) some incredibly fit and healthy girls ended up struggling due to ‘womens problems.’

Of course I’ve been ‘aware’ of it. Hell, I’ve been on the wrong end of it enough!

Cramps... Bloating... Crying for no reason... I’ve seen it all.

I’ve worked with hundreds if not thousands of women, but before the six-pack challenge I attributed many hormonal issues my clients (and the other women in my life) experienced on bad dietary choices and a hectic lifestyle (sleep, stress, etc).

I obviously recognized the incredible power of hormones and how they can affect people in different ways and I understood how one week for no good reason a client who was 100% compliant on a diet plan would gain between three and five pounds instead of losing weight. I understood at certain times of the month my clients would experience insatiable cravings for food and despite being good would experience a bloated distended stomach that would lead to the understandable despair. And, trust me, I was very much aware of the mood swings!

This being said these things, albeit unfair, are kinda just the way life is and if being a female who wants to fit in your skinny jeans, a little black dress or just be comfortable in yourself is an aspiration, you will have to either get on with it or, the preferred option (and the goal of this post...) learn to understand it a bit better and have a strategy to combat it.

[cue women spitting feathers]

Guys - Please don’t click away now - there is actually something for everyone in this post - if you are a guy reading this can really help. Understanding the different stages of a woman's cycle can help you understand when it might be ok to leave a bowl on the side instead of putting it in the dishwasher, or when you need to go the extra mile and hang your towel up after a shower instead of leaving it on the floor!

What the hell does a guy understand about this sort of stuff anyway?

Good question.

I have been told by many female clients they enjoy training with me because I understand them and have a good understanding of them (EJ will definitely disagree with this!) Perhaps the reason they feel this way is that apply the fundamental rules of human interaction and allow them to tell me how they feel, and one of the perks of being incredibly well read is that once they have told me how they feel I can respond reassuringly with detailed explanation about why they feel the way they do. (Hint for guys - don’t just skip the listening bit and go straight to the solution! Women like to be listened to...)

So lets cut to the chase. During the month your body changes. Some women are more affected than others. Bloating, mood swings and cravings - you need to understand you can minimize the affect these have by eating a clean diet, cutting down the stress and getting to bed on time.

This being said this can have its limitations. So how can you make the most of your training and diet to get the best results?

A typical cycle should last 28 days (can often be erratic and may be as short as 18 or as long as 40) if you pay attention, document changes or develop intuition you will begin to recognize certain familiar symptoms become consistent with it. From this you can start to plan your training and diet around it.

During the first one to five days of your menstrual cycle (The Period Week) you may feel cramps and generally low energy. During this time your body will produce less serotonin (The Happy Chemical) which can make you feel down in the dumps. Exercising at this time will be a good thing - even if you don’t feel like it - because exercise is a great way to boost serotonin naturally. Even if your workout feels harder than usual my general recommendation is to persevere because anecdotal evidence suggests you will feel better for doing it. You will be unlikely to set any records in the gym this week whilst battling fatigue and feeling achey so don’t let this frustrate you.

However, every cloud has a silver lining.... During this time you should take advantage as in theory your body is more susceptible to burning fat. Research suggests that due to the effects of estrogen and progesterone your body will metabolize carbohydrates differently. It is for this reason it reduces serotonin. By reducing serotonin your body will crave carbohydrates (hence the reason they are comfort foods) to burn instead of fat. If fat loss (or health in general) is your goal you must avoid these foods (bread and chocolate!) at these times and continue to exercise as it will reap its rewards. You can actually burn more fat than usual at this time!

From days six to twenty (the day after your period ends) is your time to shine. Your hormones are in the best possible shape and you need to take advantage of this in the gym. Dig deep in the gym and work hard because during this two-week window your body will be able to do more repetitions, lift more weight or work a bit harder. Challenge yourself during this time because you should feel your best and most stable at this time of the month - its a great time to develop fitness.

Again - for fear of being shot down - I understand that symptoms vary hugely between women. Some women will feel symptoms of PMS as early as day 14, when they will experience a surge of estrogen during ovulation, but most don’t suffer this fate until day 21. Therefore you should make the most of no cravings and more balanced energy at this time and push yourself in the gym and eat a clean healthy diet.

The third and final stage of the cycle - The PMS Week - usually starts from day 21 through to day 28. During this time you might suffer from all manner of adverse symptoms such as fatigue and cramping to body aches and uncontrollable cravings. Please note after following my diet and exercise plans I have had numerous reports from the women that they have seen many of these symptoms subside. This, I realize, will be little comfort for the ladies reading this who for no apparent reason have woken up in this time of her cycle tired, bloated and irritable with a huge spot on her face!

During this time you are likely to bloat. It is not uncommon for your body to retain water and so if the scale is your only measure of success you will have stuck to the healthy eating plan and prescribed exercise and you instead of losing weight you would of possibly gained a couple of pounds! This is another reason why weight alone is not the best measure of success. It is during this time many women get frustrated and quit.

I recognize when you are feeling low you might not want to exercise but (unsurprisingly!) my recommendation is to do it. During this time it will be easy to find an excuse - your breasts hurt, you have a headache, your joints are more lax and have a higher risk of injury - but please - stick to the plan. During the last week of your cycle, just like in the first, you have a greater propensity to burn fat. Therefore, despite not feeling like it, this is a great time to train.

Professional athletes (both men and women) actually periodize training into four week blocks to develop fitness. During this time they will have two or three weeks of high intensity when they strive to improve fitness and a week of slightly less intensity when they look to recover and regenerate. I encourage you to do the same. When you are feeling low you cannot expect to put forward your best effort. However, exercising slightly less intensely will still reap rewards.

You must not be weighed down by the scales because as you can see from your monthly cycle your weight will fluctuate from week to week. If weight loss is your goal charting it over a longer period of time (say 2-3 months) can offer you a better perspective. Providing its going in the right direction overall the slight weekly fluctuations will not matter.

It should offer comfort for those effected to know that research indicates menstrual symptoms diminish significantly after women follow a fitness training plan. This is because storing body fat (and the opposite - getting fitter) changes your hormone balance. Those that are unfit and eating an unhealthy diet will find themselves at the mercy of estrogen - a fat storing hormone - this is responsible for many adverse symptoms. By following a regular exercise routine you can have better control of hormones and less adverse symptoms.

Aside from the obvious advice of eating healthy and exercise what other pearls of wisdom do I have for you?!

Following a healthy eating plan (rather than a calorie controlled diet like slimming world or weight watchers) will mean you get your blood sugars back into balance. This will free you from cravings. However, I realize when your ‘friend’ comes to visit this all changes. Due to the different hormones at play you will likely experience cravings. Therefore rather than hit self-destruct and eat your way into the stretchy pants try planning a cheat meal. Just one delicious meal (with dessert!) will give you something to work towards and stop you eating everything you get your hands on.

Try drinking a little more water - this will reduce the effects of bloating and and support your kidneys. This will help flush away the toxins that give you the distended stomach.

Try eating more frequently - eating smaller meals more frequently assist in stabilizing blood sugar and might prevent some of the grumpiness (maybe...).

Being armed with a bit more information can legitimize your monthly battle. Much of what I’m asking you to do goes against your natural instincts and despite feeling bad get some exercise and continue to eat healthily. I realize for some this might be a bit too much. They will perhaps think I’m a jack-ass for even suggesting it... I’m a guy what do I know anyway!

For those people I’m sorry - you are not in the right place for me to help you at the moment. However, for those that are ready I prosper the last bit of advice and say decide your end goal (your motivation - what jeans/dress do you want to fit into? Do you want to run a 10k? Do you just want to feel your best?) maintain your focus and stick to your plan and you will be rewarded with the bodyshape you want, freedom from many adverse symptoms and pleasing sense of achievement.

For guys that have got this far - congratulations - you now have a better understanding of what these girls go through but please note - we are fighting a losing battle. I might understand this stuff but it makes no difference. Today I put my bowl in the dishwasher and hung up my towel and EJ still hates me... :-)

Ultimate Fat Loss: Methods Vs. Principles

Methods are many,
Principles are few,
Methods are always changing,
Principles never do.

One thing that makes my fitness business better than most is that I always apply what I consider to be the 'unquestionable truths'. A term I have stolen from a friend of mine Dax Moy - the 'unquestionable truths' quite simply refer to aspects of fat-loss and fitness that will never change. They are principles.

The above quote adapted from Ralph Waldo Emerson highlights the mantra I've been working too the last few years.

The application of principles can mean the difference between sustained healthy and fast weight loss and eliminate the guesswork from exercise and nutrition.

What is a method? Methods are many. For example in nutrition they are things like high carb, low carb, high fat, low fat, counting calories, wave dieting and the like. You know they are methods because they are always changing depending on the fashion or latest 'scientific' discoveries.In fitness these are modalities such as running, body pump, bootcamp or pilates. They might share a similar goal but the journey is very different.

Principles are different. Despite latest research or fashion these will never change. Hence they are unquestionable truths. The human body fundamentally has not changed in the last several million years and if we took a step back and had a look from afar we all know intuitively what makes it tick.

Principles of nutrition are best summed up by Michael Pollan in his book In Defence Of Food when he said 'Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.' On analysis this can be summed up as avoid or eliminate processed foods, alcohol and sugar. There is a pretty conclusive case to do this. A healthy diet does not involve counting calories or points or having read or green days but not being greedy. And eating a largely plant-based diet is difficult to disagree with (I'm not suggesting becoming a vegetarian!!)

For exercise (or movement - which is essentially what exercise is!) this is a little more complex. You need to understand the fundamentals of human movement - these are beyond the scope of a simple blog post. However, as a general rule by progressively overloading (doing a little bit more) and rest (managing rest to regenerate your body) you can develop both health and fitness.

I have decided the principles I use day-to-day with my clients from extensive reading and research. I combine these with a variety of methods for the best results.

For example if fat-loss was a clients goal I might combine my principles of nutrition with a low-carb calorie controlled diet. This maintains that my approach is both healthy and effective. My principles of exercise might dictate I use a kettlebell, soft-tissue release or yoga to stimulate a fat-burning response.

You can see how using a combination of methods, with underlying principles leads to FAST and SUSTAINABLE results.

Perhaps if you were considering getting fit you might do the same.

Are YOU Wasting Time In The Gym?

You want to get in the best shape of your life and exercise is your modality. Smart choice. But beware just turning up and doing is no longer an option. You should really consider the principles of training before you begin...

Specificity - Will your choice of training get you your desired result? We all know that to run a marathon we need to run a bit (understatement or what?!) but think about it, if fat loss is your goal and you turn up to a class each week and nobody is either in good shape or changes shape you might need to reconsider, right? The same can be said for sports specific training too. If you wanted to get fitter to play rugby, tennis, squash, football or any other sport for that matter you need (to a certain extent) mimic the energy demands, actions and requirements of that sport. Doing a 40 minute run three times per week will not help a prop forward in rugby, right? They might get to the scrum first but they will be owned by the 40 stone unit pushing against them!

Progression - Are you getting better? In the last couple of months I have trained a couple of people who have attended the same step class every week for the last 10 years. Whilst I admire the dedication they have actually got fatter doing it. Why? They have worked at the same tempo, with the same tiny hand weights, with the step at the same height since day one. The class might work up a sweat but they are not making progress. Dare I say it where is there to go? There is only so many variations you can make in a step class. Again, if exercise is your modality, choose carefully. Do the step class but unless you are deliberate and make it more difficult you will not continue to see results. Don’t think I’m bitching about step - the same can be said for the guy who follows the same gym routine for months/years without changing it. Increase a weight, increase the reps, reduce the recovery, go quicker, put the step up but make sure you’re progressing.

Adaption - linked to progression - adaption is quite simply how your body reacts to the demands you place on it. Your body is intuitive and becomes better at what you do. Too long doing the same thing and the benefits will reduce. Hence the reason when starting any (good) new exercise plan you will within a few weeks experience great results. If you have had the misfortune of going spinning for any extended period of time you will quite honestly see people get fatter on the bike. Their body has adapted to the bike, they are moving at a similar tempo, for the same duration. I counter this at bootcamp by doing something different every time and with my one-to-one clients by varying there plan every four weeks. Aside from anything else it’s great for enjoyment and motivation.

Overload - I have written enough about the most efficient methods for fat loss recently but if turning up to a low-intensity fitness class and going through the motions is what you are doing, perhaps its time to reconsider? I’m not saying you have to work your ass off every time you exercise - sometimes the opposite is true - BUT if you want results regardless of your goal you will have to progressively overload your body. If you are comfortable doing what you are doing then theres a good chance you are not following this principle. Challenge yourself in your choice of exercise and you will soon see improvement.

Rest - people tend to go either way with exercise. Many will not challenge themselves whilst others will do too much. You only get the benefits from exercise when you rest and recover. You can stimulate this by doing stuff like eating a healthy diet, getting to bed on time, etc. But don’t overlook this foundation principle of fat-loss, fitness and health in general. How much time have you spent recently in complete silence? I mean COMPLETE silence. No t.v., no book, no wiring sound from the boiler... We are in a permanent state of fight or flight. Try taking five minutes to just be. It’s bloody hard work! When you do this though (and it might take practice) your body will regenerate faster and you will see the benefits of your hard work in the gym, in the class or pounding the streets.

Reversability - there is a fine line between resting and being a lazy bitch! Sitting on your ass can only be good for you for so long! Unfortunately the principle of reversability dictates if you don’t use it you lose it. Hence the reason the results you get from exercise can be quickly undone in just a few weeks. This is why doing something between three and five times per week is important. Never fear, if you are out of training at the moment your muscle has a certain amount of memory. If you have been fit before you can quickly get back into it.

Enjoyment - Possibly the most important factor - we tend to do what we enjoy?! There is a ton of different exercise modalities to choose from - as I have said before each has its pro’s and cons so choose wisely - but you MUST enjoy or get a certain amount of satisfaction from it. I can tell by the smiling faces at the end of bootcamp or a personal training session if I’m doing something right. If you don’t enjoy it or begrudgingly visit the gym chances are you will not get your desired result anyway. Bringing a smile and energy to whatever you do will generally speaking allow your body to work best!

Apply these principles to your training plan and see the results...

Key-Dogg's Rules

Do you think I follow a diet plan all the time? No.

I do have general principles I follow but I LOVE food.

I LOVE the taste. I LOVE the smell. I LOVE the texture.

One of the ways I manage to not eat myself to the size of a bus is by setting myself rules or guidelines to follow.

I am not strict all the time (although I do eat healthier than most?!) and some times I get a bit carried away and end up having a bad week.

I recognise the bad weeks sometimes add up. After a couple of bad weeks I reign it in and am really strict and get myself back on track.

This being said here are the general principles I follow…

Everyday I drink a minimum of 1.5L of Evian Water

Research shows its cleaner than tap water. Also being in a bottle I can measure my consumption. You might be thinking thats less than the 2L recommendation. This is true, but I ALWAYS make sure I drink two mugs of warm water first thing in the morning (from the kettle so not my allotted litre and a half), I also drink a couple of cups of herbal tea throughout the day (normally tulsi, peppermint or liquorice and cinnamon). This helps flush out my system of any toxins. I do like a cup of coffee and limit myself to two a day (this is normally where I fall off the wagon!!) always before 12 and ONLY when I drink enough water to flush it out.

I ALWAYS eat five vegetables every day

I snack on raw carrots and celery with hummus. Try to eat a green leafy salad with avocado and tomato (I know its a fruit technically!) at lunch. And I always have either roasted, stir fried of boiled veg in the evening. The evidence is clear and substantial - eating vegetables is for cool people. Everyday I endeavour to smash my five-a-day (vegetables NOT fruit!) I always feel better when I eat vegetables regardless of what other naughty stuff creeps in my diet.

Eat protein at EVERY meal

Eggs for breakfast. Trout fillets, king prawns or salmon fillet at lunch. And lamb chops, chicken, steak or tuna steak for tea. Eating a little bit of protein at each meal balances my blood sugar. I don't avoid vegetarian foods - I'm not so ignorant to see some of the benefits of a vegetarian diet, BUT by eating a bit more protein I feel more balanced.

Avoid pasta and bread

There is a reason many italian women are bottom heavy in older age. These are both energy dense and nutrient poor. This means they are high in calories and low in vitamins and minerals. Heavily processed and full of wheat these are really not good for anyone. Besides if I'm gonna eat something unhealthy its gonna be worth it…

Love the fat

I realised a long time ago scoffing fat was good for me. everyday at pretty much every meal I strive to eat some. Fish oils supplement, olive oil on my salad, coconut oil in teas and to be cooked with. Eating fat keeps my metabolism high and increases my satiety (satisfaction derived from food). It's nothing to do with exercise - every cells in your body is composed of fat - if you want your body to work efficiently you NEED it.


These are just five simple habits I use to keep me lean. I'm not a big fan of moderation. I think the term moderation can hide all manner of sins. I simply stick to my rules and try to pick and choose when I cheat - this way I can keep everything in balance. Have a go at writing some rules and see how you go.

Vegetables ARE for Cool People (and a cool rhyme)

Whatever nutrition strategy you choose to adopt one thing seems universally excepted – eating vegetables is a good thing.

If you choose a low carb diet, a high carb diet, an elimination-style diet, a calorie controlled diet or even the maple syrup diet getting a minimum of five vegetables a day (not fruit) is always a winner.

Crammed full of vitamins and minerals and with the majority packing a healthy dose of fibre vegetables are for cool people.

To help you remember the benefits of veg I made up this handy rhyme…

Roasted, stir-fried or sautéed,
Boiled, steamed or raw,
If half your plate is full of veg,
You’ll be kicking down the door.

I obviously run out of ideas to finish it, but if you can do better lets hear it.

Please feel free to post your vegetable-related poems on my Steve Keywood’s Personal Training Facebook Page

Advanced Fat Loss Strategies: The Effects of Insulin

I’m not shy in my disagreement with the calorie counting theory with regards to weight loss, fat loss and health. I don’t completely disagree with it. I just don’t think it tells the whole story.

One of the shortfalls is due to the fact we have lots of hormones at work in the human body at any one time. Estrogens, testosterone, cortisol, growth hormones, are all relevant to us and our journey from fat to fit (or even fit to fitter…) however it seems clear to all that when it comes to developing a lean, toned body, insulin (or controlling insulin) seems key.

Don’t believe me?

Take, for example, a type 1 diabetic. A type 1 diabetic can eat whatever he wants and doesn’t gain a pound. A type 1 diabetic loses weight because, quite simply, his pancreas does not produce enough insulin. Without insulin the sugar in his bloodstream cannot get into his cells to get fat. Without insulin you cannot gain weight.

Sounds rather glamorous, right? It’s also worth noting that without insulin you cannot build muscle (a metabolically active tissue essential for looking good) and will die. Not so glam now, right?

However, understanding and controlling this hormone could be the answer many of you are looking for in the battle against the bulge.

Have you ever had the misfortune of seeing two people on the exact same diet get very different results? One loses lots of weight whilst the other is left scratching her head as she seems to of put on a pound.

People are different and the sooner this simple fact is understood the better. When this occurs the calorie counting diet can be left wanting. You can either eat less and less and become more miserable or you can wonder, is there something else going on here?

The body has millions of biochemical reactions a minute. Amongst these are the suppression and innovation of many different hormones. The question of how to stimulate the desired hormones to stimulate fat loss might seem like a complicated one but in fact it’s remarkably simple.

You could use a synthetic variety from your doctor which comes with numerous unwanted side effect or you could use something that is cheap and available to all.

What is this wonder drug? …Food!

Understanding your body’s response to food is important when it comes to fat-loss, fitness and health in general. Your choice of food quite simply determines your body’s hormonal response to it.

This is not isolated to insulin. It is relevant to estrogens, testosterone, cortisol, growth hormones, too. All of which have huge implications on the way your body stores fat (and quite possibly where your body stores fat), your metabolic rate and fitness, too.

However, for the time being let’s take a look at the bigger picture regarding insulin…

When you eat any meal your blood sugar rises. Your body knows it needs to keep blood sugar within a healthy range. To keep blood sugar in a healthy range it releases insulin from your pancreas to guide sugar into muscle cells. This is where it can be used for energy. Or as is more often the case it will guide sugar into adipose tissue to be stored as fat.

In essence insulin has two jobs…
1. Get blood sugar back to normal
2. To guide sugar to cells where it can be used for energy or stored for later use.

When this works it is AWESOME. But, more often than not, people eat far too much sugars and starches (carbohydrates), not enough healthy fats, protein or fibre, and as a result blood sugar goes through the roof.

When this happens the pancreas bangs out a huge amount of insulin to deal with the insult and to regulate blood sugar.

The assists the blood sugar to its preferred source, the muscle cells, but they only have limited availability and soon become resistant to insulin and begin turning the sugar away.

To remove the sugar from the blood stream the pancreas will give another blast of insulin into the blood stream and as the muscle cells do not offer the sugar and insulin a friendly reception they go to the next best place, the fat cells.

Meanwhile, the pancreas has pumped the blood stream with an elevated level of insulin this leads to a sharp reduction in blood sugar, crashing tiredness, cravings and weight gain.

When this happens on a regular occasion the cells become less hospitable to insulin and more often than not store sugar as fat.

Hence the reason sugar makes you fat and not fat.

This is called insulin resistance and is essentially a major factor in a new age condition called Syndrome X. (…I don’t want to go off track so if you want to know more google it!)

I’m not negating the calorie counting theory completely. If you eat too much and do not exercise, independent of any metabolic disorder (hormone imbalance, etc) you will get fat.

BUT for many of us we recognise that it’s easier for some people to get fat than others. This is probably to do with some degree of insulin resistance.

If you have a normal insulin response to food you will quite possibly thrive (for a while at least) on a calorie-controlled diet (slimming world, weight watchers, etc)

HOWEVER if you are one of the many people (most of whom are undiagnosed) who are somewhat insulin insensitive then calorie counting diets will spell disaster.

What’s the score?
At the end of the day you will need to eat food that produces a balanced hormonal response in order to accelerate fat-loss.

To do this you will NOT want high levels of insulin in your bloodstream.

Whilst you have high levels of insulin your body will more likely store more fat.

Your body does not burn fat in the presence of high levels of insulin.

You must also understand insulin is not the enemy here. You need insulin to live. You must create a balance between insulin and its opposing hormone glucagons (this increases blood sugar when its to low) for optimal health and fat loss.

What can I do to create a balanced hormonal response?
Avoid starches and sugars (energy dense carbohydrates) such as bread, pasta and cereal and to a lesser extent potatoes and rice. Take it easy on the fruit (sugars sugar) and avoid large meals in general. These will all spike blood sugar. Try eating a little more protein at each meal and snack. This will raise blood sugar slowly, keep it there for a longer period of time and slowly bring it down.

Balance your blood sugar TODAY and turn your body into a fat burning furnace!

Morning Glory

How you start your day is indicative of how the rest of your day will be.

For many people I train there previous routine involves hitting the snooze button several times, skipping breakfast or even worse having cereals or toast, and rushing off to work.

Sound familiar? Well take note. If you feel rushed this is no way to start your day.

Being proactive and taking control of your morning can set you up for the rest of the day. Follow my fail-safe guide to kicking your day off perfectly…

Step 1: When your alarm goes off, get up.

Get out the habit of hitting the snooze button. Start the day like you mean business. Get out of bed and get moving.

Step 2: Drink a HUGE glass of water.

After eight hours of sleeping you are certain to be dehydrated. Speed up your metabolism and make some inroads into your two litres a day target by having a big glass of water.

Step 3: Open the curtains, look outside and take a deep breath.

It’s a great way to get some perspective. First thing in the morning, it’s normally quiet and still outside. Take a deep breath. This is great for helping you relax.

Step 4: Get moving!

If you struggle to fit exercise into your routine now’s a good time to get it done. Try one of my 10-minute bodyweight routines like The Five Alive. This will get you burning calories at a higher rate for the rest of the day. No time in the morning? Get up 10-minutes earlier.

Step 5: Eat breakfast.

You MUST have protein at breakfast. Put two boiled eggs in some cold water before you start your bodyweight circuit, get them on the hob at a high heat and by the time you’re done so will you breakfast be. Eating protein at breakfast will balance blood sugar, keep you full up until lunch and make a much better alternative to cereals, toast or fruit and yoghurt.

Start your day like you mean business and the rest of the day will be easy.

Think Quality NOT Quantity

I think its common knowledge these days that free-range eggs are far superior than battery farmed ones. The majority of people recognise a chicken with the ability to roam will lay a better quality more nourishing egg than one that’s been cooped up in a small dark cage.

However, not many people recognise how in other ways the food on our plate is reared/grown can affect our health, nourishment and vitality.

Take for example farm-raised salmon compared to Wild Alaskan Salmon. Salmon is an incredibly healthy food but is a classic example of how with advances in modern farming techniques food can change. In salmon farms, salmon are crowded into pens with hundreds of other fish. In this environment disease can spread rapidly. Salmon are naturally carnivores – feeding off mackerel, sardines and krill, but when raised in pens they are fed on grain. Grain is not the natural diet of the salmon and as a result the fish you eat is vastly different from what you might expect. Grain-fed fish are high in inflammatory omega-6 (something we get far too much of), have a rather unpleasant dose of antibiotics (to prevent disease) and actually contain far less omega-3 fats than you would expect.

Compare this with its wild Alaskan brother and you will see the difference. Immediately you will notice the delicious pink colour. Wild Alaskan Salmon gets its colour from eating krill and shrimp. These foods contain high levels of antioxidants (cancer fighting nutrients). If you find a pink farm reared salmon there is a chance it has got its colour from a different source. In the US (not sure if this happens here…) they use a farmed salmon colour wheel to determine how red or pink you want your salmon to be. Somewhat worryingly they will manipulate the type of food they use to create the type of food the consumer (or supermarket) will prefer.

It’s not all so straightforward mind you. Many people will argue that the benefits of naturally reared fish are counteracted by mercury contamination. Whilst there is an element of truth to this the above should provide the perfect example why paying a little bit more for better quality food is important.

A similar storey can be told for grain-fed cattle, non-organic vegetables and even tap water. I realise that if we listened too much to this stuff we would end up not eating anything but making better decisions in the supermarket (or even better at your local farmers market!) can have big implications on your health and fitness goals. Paying a little bit more will mean you get closer to the real thing.

Therefore, it would seem the storey of the chicken and the egg is just the tip of the iceberg.

Is Your Shopping List Sabotaging Your Fat Loss?

I went to the supermarket last week, grabbed what I wanted and got to the till. I emptied my basket and got to the front of the queue. Looking at my t-shirt the cashier saw I was a personal trainer and made a standard remark, ‘oh, I could do with your help.’ As with most of these instances I smile and say something polite, ‘no you don’t, exercise is bad for you, ha ha ha… (polite laughter)’

Without drawing breath the friendly cashier told me she’s started to eat ‘healthy.’ Now, I stopped advising people as to what eat or what not to eat in these situations when I realised that most people who ask me questions in these situations don’t really want to know the truth nor are they in the ‘right place’ to action it. I.e. they are still content to go down the same routes they always have done and either cut the fat out their diet (big mistake) or go to a slimming club (never really works, does it?).

Anyway, she looked in my basket and saw I had full fat organic yoghurt and said the immortal words ‘I wouldn’t of thought you’d be eating this’ aside from how unprofessional I thought she was, I actually asked why not. ‘Well,’ she told me, ‘we all know fat is bad for us, don’t we?’ I raised my eyebrows.

The next item through was an organic steak. ‘I’m not so sure about organic food.’ She said ‘I read an article in the daily mail the other day that said it was all a load of nonsense.’ I smiled politely again.

She scanned my green leafy salad, lemon and extra-virgin olive oil and told me that if I was making a salad I should take a look at the salad dressings in the produce section. ‘They are all fat free and are on offer at the moment.’

During our brief time together she told me about the diet she was following and how she can drink sugar-free diet coke, enjoys snacking on fat-free rice cakes, has healthy cereal bars for breakfast when she’s in a rush otherwise it’s special k, the plan she follows is great because she can save her points up for the weekend…

During our brief time together not once did I make a comment on her diet. I knew it wasn’t worth it. I did wish her luck and went on my way.

However, it did cross my mind as to how badly informed the general public are when it comes to health, weight loss and fitness.

I resisted the urge to tell her…

**Cutting fat from your diet is a sure-fire way getting fat. There is now an abundance of research to support this. The reason the government won’t u-turn on this is because it would mean losing face, upsetting a number of tax-generating industries and creating a huge void in public understanding. Dietary fat is important for cellular health, satiety, contains vitamins and increases the uptake of vitamins and minerals in the body. I agree the quality of fat is important – hence the reason I choose organic steak.

**The fat-free rice cakes she is consuming are nothing but refined starch with no fibre that will quite simply break down into sugar immediately in the body causing a massive spike in insulin causing you to store more fat and feel hungry almost straight away.

**Sugar-free diet coke is probably worse than the real thing and is full of chemicals. This will give your liver (a fat-burning organ) even more to do to try and detoxify your system and stop you from burning fat efficiently.

**The so-called healthy breakfast cereals and cereal bars are full of wheat that will leach vitamins and minerals from your body making you malnourished and hungry.

**The fat-free salad dressings she referred to are full of sugar not a good option.


Most people are fooled by so-called healthy foods. As a general rule if it has health claim on it it’s worth avoiding. You don’t see health claims on real healthy foods because they are difficult to engineer. The so-called healthy foods at first glance appear all good and well but if you flip it over and look at the ingredients generally they are full of sugar (or a sugar alternatives), salt and various unpronounceable ingredients.

You need to understand if you can’t pronounce it there is a good chance your body will not recognise it as food either. Try sticking to the basics and as a general rule if it didn’t swim, fly or run or if it didn’t grow out the ground be suspicious.

In reality, everything the cashier was buying was full of chemicals, sugar and refined ingredients. I am fairly confident when I re-visit the supermarket in a couple of weeks she will be in the same shape.

It’s not her fault the labels you find on foods are confusing. This combined with mass-marketing, conflicting opinions on nutrition and a lack of intuition makes her a victim.

Forget what you know (or think you know) and try eating naturally derived foods and watch the weight fall off.

Miranda Kerr (Uber-Hot) Scoffs Coconut Oil. I Think You Should Too.

This week the Mail Online featured an article suggesting Victoria Secrets model and uber-hot chick Miranda Kerr’s secret to jaw-dropping hotness was eating fat.

BOOM! What the hell?! An uber-chick with jaw-dropping beauty scoffs fat?! Surely not.

HOLD THE PHONE. This just got interesting….

Not just ANY fat. Coconut Oil. [Cue hordes of women looting Holland & Barrett in search of this nutritious wonder…]

BUT hold up, this must be crap right. Like all the things these freakishly hot chicks say, it must be nonsense.

It would appear not.

Unlike wrapping yourself up in cling film, using vibrating dumbbells or even the most ridiculous myth of all doing sit-ups for a flat stomach (wow! That’s controversial…) eating coconut oil is indeed the cats’ pyjamas when it comes to getting in shape.

And I didn’t want to say I told you so, BUT… I wrote this back in November 2009. http://stevekeywoodspersonaltraining.blogspot.com/2009/10/coconut-oil.html

Suddenly when a super-model mentions it in an interview you girls sit up and listen.

To quote Miranda Kerr, ‘I will not go a day without coconut oil. I personally take four tablespoons a day, either on my salad, in my cooking or in my cups of green tea.’

I think I love her.

Extracted from the flesh of mature coconuts, coconut oil can be eaten raw, used in cooking (particularly good as it has a high smoke point which prevents oxidation...) or even applied directly to the skin.

And don’t be put off by idiots who say it’s a saturated fat beware. They truly are thick. (I will elaborate on this another time..)

Consuming coconut oil (and other healthy fats such as extra virgin olive oil, avocados, nuts, seeds, and fish oils) can elevate your metabolism and speed up fat-loss.

They also have important functions in terms of cellular health and satiety (the feeling of satisfaction you get after a meal – its no wonder fat free diets make you hungry and miserable!!)

…anyway I seem to of gone of track.

Coconut oil WILL (as part of a healthy, clean and nutritious diet) make you seriously hot just like Miranda Kerr, which I think is a good thing.

5 Simple Steps To Fat Loss

Lets not overcomplicate this….

1. Reduce the amount you eat – whilst I don’t advocate counting calories we are all a little bit greedy, right? Start by reducing the amount you eat gradually by putting less on your plate.

2. Support your muscles by eating more lean protein – choose good quality sources of lean meat, chicken and fish. This will speed up your metabolism, help you feel full and provide you with amino acids.

3. Gradually reduce starchy and sugary carbohydrates – these foods are typically energy dense and nutrient poor meaning they are high in calories and low in vitamins and minerals. Sugars and starches can play havoc with your hormones too.

4. Be healthy – eat more vegetables – try replacing some of the sugars and starches with vegetables. This will give you an abundance of fibre, vitamins and minerals.

5. Support your metabolism – replace bad fats with good ones – include more extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, avocado, nuts, seeds and fish oil.

So, there you have it – five simple steps to fat loss. Eat a little less, eat a little more protein, swap the sugars and starches for veggies and replace bad fats with good ones.

Don’t Waste Your Time! The Effects of Abdominal Training on Abdominal Fat

You want to get rid of the wobbly bits around your middle?

Don’t bother doing sit-ups.

Over the last year or two I have done my very best to discredit the use of stomach crunches for developing muscle tone for the simple reason they don’t really work, and research in last months Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research appears to support my claims.

When tested in a six –week program in which participants performed seven different exercises (bent-knee sit-up, lateral trunk flexion, leg lifts, oblique crunch, stability ball crunch, stability ball twist and abdominal crunch) twice over for ten repetions five days a week the participants experienced no reduction in body weight, body fat, abdominal fat or waist circumference.

Oh dear.

So what’s the storey?!

If you are looking for the most bang for your buck (or in normal terms to make best use of your time) you would be better off following a higher-intensity multi-joint program that includes squats, lunges, press ups, etc.

Doing sit-ups, although they may feel like they are hard work, DO NOT require huge energy demands by the body. Therefore will not burn much fat.

On the other hand, big multi-joint exercises done at an appropriate tempo DO. Not only will you burn fat BUT if you engage your muscles correctly you can activate those muscles in your abdomen, lose inches, and develop a much more balanced healthy physique.

…and lets be honest if your abdomen is covered in a layer of body fat nobodies going to see it anyway!

I’m not saying don’t do sit ups again. The research suggests that those participants who followed the six-week program significantly improved strength in their abdomen. However, for most of my clients this has never really been a goal.

If you want a slim and toned middle you would be better off finishing your session with ten or fifteen thirty-metre sprints with 20sec recovery. Doing this will get you seriously hot and bothered and burning calories for the next 36hrs.


If you want to find out more read the research yourself… Vispute, S., Smith, J., LeChiminant, J., Hurley, K. (2011). The Effect of Abdominal Exercise on Abdominal Fat. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.

What's Your Excuse?

reason noun (explanation) the cause of an event or situation or something which provides an excuse or explanation.

excuse noun 1. a reason you give to explain why you did something wrong. 2. a false reason you give you give to explain why you do something.

Knowing the difference between a reason and an excuse can make a HUGE difference to your weight loss, fat loss and fitness goals…

Perhaps the major difference between the two is accountability

You shouldn’t feel bad about this. If your goals are genuine you will not find this a problem. However, if you are not focused and dedicated towards your goal that’s when excuses might slip in.

Fundamental to this is taking responsibility. By taking responsibility and NOT offloading it onto other people is important. It’s all too easy to blame your children, the traffic, lack of time an unsupportive spouse or even weather.

Take responsibility, be accountable and know the difference between a reason and an excuse and you will soon find you achieve your fat loss and fitness goals.

If you need an extra push check out this.

FASTER Fat Loss: The Tortoise & The Hare Continued…

A couple of weeks ago I wrote a post about The Tortoise and The Hare.

To cut a long story short the tortoise won the race, but the hare looked better in a bikini. My point being if you want to get in shape you should not exercise at a slow and steady intensity but work at faster more vigorous intervals of slightly more intense exercise interspersed with periods of rest.

My usual banter of ‘trust me I’m a personal trainer’ can only get me so far with you the avid reader so I’m back with a follow up and I’m bringing hard evidence…

To prove my point that fat loss is about intensity NOT duration I have found a brilliant research paper.

In somewhat of a landmark study Tremblay et al. (1994) compared endurance training (ET) with high-intensity intermittent-training (HIIT) similar to the sort you will find at bootcamp or during one of my PT sessions.

They compared a variety of different factors including energy expenditure, bodyweight and body-fat.

The endurance training group followed a 20-week program in which the participant maintained a heart rate of between 60-85% (or a comfortable pace to you or I) for between 30-45 minutes.

The HIIT group followed 15-week program in which the participant maintained a heart rate of in excess of 70% (or slightly less comfortable pace to you and I) for up to 30 minutes.

The researchers actually found no significant difference between the groups in weight when tested at the end of each program. However, the difference in terms of energy expenditure and body fat proved to be incredibly interesting.

To quote the researchers… “Despite the fact that the energy cost of the ET program was twice that of the HIIT program, it impact on subcutaneous adiposity was lower than the HIIT program” Pretty damning, don’t you think? But this was not all. The researchers went on to compare relative energy expenditure with fat loss and concluded that HIIT was NINE TIMES more efficient!

So what does this mean?

When corrected for energy costs, subjects working at a higher-intensity lost NINE TIMES more body fat!

It is for this reason that the hare looks leaner than the tortoise.

What does this mean for you?

In essence, to make best use of your time choose more vigorous interval based exercise rather than the slower steady stuff and you may not lose more weight, or burn more calories BUT you will burn more body fat.

Don’t believe me? Check out the research for yourself here.

I exercise, I do Pilates.

I’m not the biggest fan of Pilates. I realise I go against the common belief of many doctors, physiotherapists, osteopaths and chiropractors on this one, but in my experience I have not seen the incredible results that Pilates promises.

Part of my issue with Pilates is the way it’s taught. Perhaps I haven’t found the right teacher or class for my clients, but in my experience Pilates is practised lying on your back in a dark room listening to soft music. I realise the need for relaxing exercise, but this invariably leads to poor form, minimal transference to day-to-day activities and a class full of lazy people that would probably get greater benefit on their feet learning how to move properly (i.e. doing a good squat, deadlift or inverted row).

However, adopting the Bruce Lee approach to training I tend to use what works and disregard what doesn’t. One thing that I have found that does work is the fundamental principles Pilates follows.

The Pilates principles include:

Concentration – visualisation and mental focus are essential to gain muscle control.

Control – quality movement is most beneficial and less harmful to joints and muscles.

Centring – stabilising the abdomen, lower back, hips and buttocks or ‘the powerhouse’, is the focus of strength, stability and ‘core’ control.

Fluidity – graceful flowing motion is required in the early days of most exercise programs, with no static, jerky or rushed movements.

Precision – purposeful movement with good body alignment develops better muscle patterns for everyday movements.

Breathing – applying breathing pattern assists movement rhythm and control.


I integrate all the principles day-to-day with the people train. Applying the concept of torso stability and coordination is not restricted to those that lie on the floor in dark rooms – it can be applied to bigger compound movements in just the same way and, if correctly taught in a progressive and intelligent manner, can develop the same smaller stabilising muscles just the same as Pilates.

By integrating the Pilates principles into your training program – regardless of whether you are bootcamping, PTing or god forbid Body Pumping – you will see your progress double, and all this without having to lie on the floor in the dark for an hour and calling it exercise!

A Beautiful Mind

This weekend I watched the film A Beautiful Mind. I know what you’re thinking ‘that came out ages ago!’ and I’ll admit I am a bit slow on the uptake with this one.

The film tells the story of troubled genius John Nash. Without wishing to spoil the film, although I’m sure most people have already seen it, John Nash has schizophrenia. Like most mental illness it is somewhat unknown and misunderstood, especially in the 1950’s when this film was set. Despite his difficulty, with the help and support of his peers he goes on to counter his demons and win a nobel prize.

Anyway… What does this have to do with fitness? I hear you ask.

Well… In my opinion the most important aspect a person needs to address when starting a fat-loss or fitness plan is not nutrition or exercise (they are both REALLY important), it’s not sleep, stress, digestion or even hydration (although they are important too). It doesn’t matter about flexibility, posture, range of motion, strength, metabolic type, hormone imbalances, medication, time to train or anything else…

It’s all about mindset.

When a person makes a true decision to change all of the above will not matter. When a person makes a true decision to change they will forget all other options – the leftovers from there children’s dinner, the chocolate or wine when the kids have gone to bed, the beer with workmates on a Friday night, the peer pressure from friends on a Saturday night when you decide not to drink, the coffee and cake just to fit in with the mums from school – it will all disappear.

It is all to do with making a true decision. Deciding what you want, why you want it makes all the difference. If you value you goals enough and have a really powerful reason why, then, and only then, will taking action towards your goal be the right path.

If for whatever reason you don’t have a big enough reason to do it then you probably shouldn’t waste your time. I use the example of slimming clubs up and down the country. I was invited to sit in on a slimming world meeting a couple of years ago (as a fitness consultant NOT as a client!!!) and sat in disgust as they went around the room listening to excuse after excuse as to why these people hadn’t stuck to the plan. I found it kind of embarrassing.

There is nothing worse than someone who is on a permanent diet. Not only do they not achieve their goals BUT they never enjoy themselves either!

Make a true decision and stick to your plans.

The reason that mindset is so important is because physiology follows psychology. You can quite simply change the physiological processes of your body by changing your mindset.

Don’t believe me? Is it not true that you first become embarrassed (psychological) and then you go red (physical)? Do you first become scared (psychological) and the get goose bumps (physical)?

If you change your mind, the rest becomes easy.

What does this have to do with the film? John Nash knew what he wanted and worked hard everyday to get it. Sure, it drove him to mental illness but arguably with his personality he was vulnerable to it anyway (a different discussion!!)

Nevertheless, later in the film John Nash was able to temper his demons and received recognition for it. Now you don’t need to watch the film. Ha. More time for exercise…

FIVE supplements for supersonic Fat Loss

So, you’re eating a good clean diet and drinking lots of water, you’re doing some good exercise (not Zumba or Pilates!), and you’re getting to bed on time. You wanna speed up your results and you want to feel even more awesome…

To get you that last 10% I’d suggest you start to supplement.

Now, anyone who knows me knows that I’m a HUGE advocate of eating natural, nourishing food BUT we all live in the real world, right?

After the stresses and strains take their toll even fresh food can be found wanting. This being said the following suggestions are SUPPLEMENTARY to a healthy lifestyle (as noted above!)

I have spunked loads of cash on supplements over the years and these are the ones that I have found work the best and are research-based.

Green Drinks
Over the last year I have made the transition from a multivitamin to a green drink. Green drinks are ace because they contain tons of nutrients, aid with regeneration of the liver (a major fat-burning detoxifying organ) and go some way to improving a persons acid/alkaline balance.

Coming in powder form, for some it can be a little hard to swallow, but it’s not full of any fillers that you might find in a pill form. I prefer to use Garden of Life Perfect Food Super Green Formula.

Fish Oils
There is a substantial body of evidence for supplementing with fish oil these days. With a high omega-3 content fish oils improve brain function, improve cellular health, stimulate fat-loss and reduce the rate of fat-storage.

I recommend taking 2-3 tablespoons per day in liquid form (rather than capsule). One brand that I have found particularly good is Carlson Fish Oil. With its lemony taste it seems to go down far better than expected.

It can’t be that bad as even EJ takes it – that’s saying something!!

Magnesium
Magnesium is a mineral that is largely deficient in many people today. Vital to many bodily functions, magnesium assists with synthesis of proteins, transmission of nerve signals and transportation of energy from food.

I tend to go with Solgar’s Magnesium Citrate and supplement anywhere up to 400mg. It’s best taken 60 minutes before bed and can give you the most fantastic nights sleep.

Zinc
Similar to magnesium, zinc is a mineral many people are deficient in. Zinc can improve liver function, detoxification and improve insulin synthesis. I take Zinc Picolinate (by Solgar) up to 20mg per day 60 minutes before I go to bed (with my magnesium).

Ashwaghanda
I’ve also found adaptagenic herbs to be a useful supplement. Coming from Ayurvedic medicine, Ashwaghanda has been found useful in stress management and reducing anxiety therefore can help balance hormones.

Try taking 20-30 drops three-times per day and feel this ancient herb help you relax. It is also implicated in a reduction in abdominal fat.


I have also found many other supplements useful such as digestive enzymes, vitamin D and amino acids. However, it is I stress the point that these are SUPPLEMENTS. If you eat crap these will not help you!!

WARNING: You can waste lots of your hard-earned cash on supplements. The supplement industry (like many others) is poorly regulated and so I’d advise buying reputable brands (not found in supermarkets!) It might cost you a little bit more but you get what you pay for…

MUST READ: Probably the most important blog post ever written

Maybe it’s my aversion to staring at a wall for 45 minutes or perhaps I have an issue with sitting in one place for an extended period of time wasting time but I HATE THE TREADMILL.

Time and time again I hear people talk about ‘cardio’ being the best fat burning activity. Training in the ‘fat burning zone’ is the way to go.

It’s fair to say ‘cardio’ is a very loose term in itself. When people talk about ‘cardio’ invariably they are talking about the slow and steady runs they do on a treadmill, stationary bike or x-trainer (or even outside…).

It may be interesting to note that there is HUGE body of evidence that now indicates that not only is slow boring low-intensity NOT the most efficient way to exercise, but in fact it’s largely ineffective.

I shouldn’t be too much of a bitch - if it’s a toss up between you doing nothing and going for a long slow bike ride, going on the bike ride is better than nothing. But you need to understand if your goal is to burn fat – do not bother.

Anyone who is familiar with the story of the tortoise and the hare will know that the tortoise won the race.

Whilst the tortoise won the race by going slow and steady, the hare managed to have a sleep and looked really lean and was really cool.

I liken this to your fat loss battle. If you look at Mother Nature any animal that moves faster is leaner and has better tone. For example a slow lumbering cow = fat cow, a fast lean chicken = hot chick. Perhaps it’s not as simple as that but you get the idea…

Working at a high intensity is by far the way to go.

It’s time efficient, more effective and WAAAAAAAAAAY more interesting.

Sure, at the time it will not yield as many calories – an hour of running will burn more calories than a 30 minute interval training session - BUT it’s not the calories you burn at the time that counts, it’s the calories you burn after.

Doing higher intensity interval training creates an afterburn effect. Research suggests that by doing between 5 and 45 minutes of interval training (such as bootcamp, repeat sprints, tabatta) you will continue to burn calories at a higher rate for the next 36hrs.

Therefore you will be burning calories in your sleep!!!

If you want to know how it’s done pull on a pair of trainers go to your local field and run as fast as you can for one-minute and then walk for a minute. Do this for 20 minutes and voila! Of course you can do this on a treadmill or better still even with a variety of bodyweight exercises.

Ditch the slow boring low-intensity ‘cardio’ TODAY and try faster more efficient time-friendly approach. You to could be a lean hot chick!

Three Ways to Get A Flat Stomach

I apologise for being a bit blog-shy recently. As many of you know I’ve been training for ironman and as well as being really busy with PT and Bootcamps the 18-20hrs a week training has kinda left me short of time.

This morning I have a quick one for you.

I typically answer about 1000 questions a day about getting a flat stomach and when the sun comes out this number triples (ok, I might be exaggerating a little).

In my experience to achieve a flat stomach you need three things…

1. A good body composition. This is not necessarily about weight. We are talking about having a low body fat percentage. It stands to reason the leaner you are the better chance you are gonna have of getting a flat stomach. I’m also sorry to tell you this is most strongly manipulated through eating a clean and healthy diet. I’m sorry to tell you also this is nothing about weight. Just because you are light on the scales it doesn’t mean you will have a good body composition. Body fat and weight are different. Cut back on the sugar, processed foods and alcohol and you’ll be halfway there.

2. Create tonality. You cannot do this by exercising at a low intensity! Running on the treadmill for an hour or even lifting the 1kg dumbbells 50 times cannot help you here. Create tonality by working at a higher intensity. People who train at a higher intensity (i.e. get out there comfort zone) have better tonality. And I’m not talking about ‘doing ab work’. Whole body exercises such as squats, lunges, press ups, walkouts, burpees, pull ups are the way to go as they will kick start you metabolism.

3. Posture, posture, posture!!! How you stand and move is important. Anyone who has seen a glamorous celeb on the red carpet will notice it’s all about posturing and confidence. Don’t waste your time doing crunch after crunch on the living room floor, and I’m not talking about doing pilates either. The principles of pilates are good, but apply them to your everyday life by walking and moving in good alignment. To improve posture I suggest doing exercises like planks, side planks, wall angels, bridges - but do them well.

There you have it nice and simple (maybe??). Three things to consider when getting beach ready this year. Perhaps if I pull my finger out in the next week or so I will elaborate on each point separately to give you a better idea of what to do.

Less than two weeks until Ironman France!!! :-)