The Athletic Body Project

Do you want to be shredded for summer?

Next plan starts on 5th May - sign up here ----> www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=TMH9SNGQDQAV4

The Athletic Body Project is a six week online fitness and nutrition plan designed to help you lose stubborn body fat, build muscle and become stronger and more supple.

I'm not gonna lie to you - it's tough. It takes six weeks of hard work and dedication. I vary the plan so you'll have beginner, intermediate & advanced options BUT some experience of using free weights is ideal (squats, lunges, presses & rows).

The nutrition plan is strict (you didn't expect anything different, did you?!) you'll need to cut out the main protagonists (alcohol, sugar, processed foods and wheat) but to support you we give you recipe and meal ideas too.

I coach you through a secret Facebook group which doubles as a fantastic support throughout the plan. On here you'll find video tutorials, hints and tips. You'll be able to share your thoughts, concerns and ideas too.

To take part in the plan you'll need to be ready to train in the gym between 3-5 times per week. You'll need to buy an additional £60 worth of supplements to support your efforts.

What do you think? Still interested?

The next plan is scheduled to start 5th May so if you want to be in incredible shape for the summer this is the place to begin.

With 65 graduates from the previous plan I want to continue to create a buzz around The Athletic Body Project so I'm offering you this at an early bird rate.

Judging by the HUGE response I've had to this plan in the last three months I know many people are keen to get started.

Therefore if you sign up NOW I'm willing to do this for just £55. After this, the full price will be £99.

To sign up use this link ---->

www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=TMH9SNGQDQAV4

You will get an email with confirmation of your place on the plan.

You Decide: Fight & Flight or Rest & Digest

Amongst the myriad of information of fitness you rarely hear anything of the autonomic nervous system. There’s probably a reason for this. It’s heavy stuff. 

It’s much easier for a hapless fit pro to bitch about the pro’s and cons of the calorie. Or even to write about the effects of cortisol on belly fat, thyroid on metabolism or the role of insulin on fat burning...

BUT truth be known understanding about the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system and more so being able to stimulate them at the right time is important and is why some people get results and others don’t.

Something we have limited control over, the autonomic nervous system (ANS) regulates functions of our internal organs like the heart and stomach. Functioning involuntarily, we are often unaware of what it does. 

I guess this is useful because it would be a pain in the butt to think about dilating our blood vessels when our heart beats faster or slowing it down when it doesn’t.

But, with some level of training, or with a little stimulation, we can take some control and this can be useful for fat loss and fitness.

Of particular notes are the conditions of the ANS in ‘rest and digest’ and ‘fight or flight’.

Imagine the scene, you’re taking a nice walk on a sunny day. Walking through the woods you are pounced upon by a bear. In an instant your heart rate elevates and you either run away or strike. This is your bodies fight and flight response. 

A symptom of the sympathetic nervous system, your body finds the energy in an instant and reacts. You find hidden strengths when your body releases adrenalin and shunts blood to the muscles.

On the flip side, you take a nice walk on a sunny day. You find a comfortable chair and sit and relax. In this example your heart rate lowers, your body becomes calm and rested. This state is known as ‘rest and digest’.

A symptom of the parasympathetic nervous system, your blood pressure reduces, pulse rate reduces and blood shifts to vital organs like the stomach for digestive processes and the like.

At this stage you can be excused for wondering how this is going to help you look better in your bikini. Let me elaborate...

Think about it, under what conditions would you do better in exercise? Rest and digest? I think not. What conditions would you better recover? I think you know the answer.

I need to qualify this and say the ANS is always in operation. You’re rarely one or the other. Most of the day you are somewhere between the two.

However, being able to ramp up the fight and flight response before exercise will obviously improve your performance, whilst stimulating rest and digest can clearly speed up recovery. 

Therefore, it can be down to what you do before and after exercise to manipulate this state of flux which make the difference.

One way I’ve found to bring about a fight and flight response is to eat a reduced carb diet. If you think about how you feel after a carbohydrate-dense meal, I’m certain it’s pretty sleepy and relaxed. That’s not great conditions for a barnstorming gym session, right?!

On top of this I like to use caffeine. A black coffee and small bar of dark chocolate seem to work for me. This gives me the focus I need to hit the gym.

Somewhat unsociably a gut wrenching scream before you lift can help. Use this cautiously because your gym manager might not be so supportive. Especially if you’re taking part in a zumba class...

On the other hand, to bring about a speedy recovery assuming a rest and digest state can be useful. If you’re session is suitably intense (not spinning or body pump...) then a protein shake might help.

With a liquid protein being fast absorbed it can immediately replenish glycogen stores and preserve metabolically demanding muscle tissue. This is an important aspect in fat loss, fitness and muscle building programs. 

Followed by a meal containing carbohydrates (think sweet potato or white basmati rice) you’ll further support this process. Even more so if you take some time to rest and relax too.

Bearing mind carbohydrate-dense meals can bring about a state of rest and digest, this further supports my position of eating your carbohydrates with your evening meal rather than your breakfast. It fits your bodies natural rhythms regardless of whether you exercise or not.

For the opposite of the reasons above (you don’t want to induce fight or flight), avoiding caffeine after exercise can be smart too. Stick to drinks like herbal tea.

Further to this it should be noted how excessive stress and lack of sleep can mistime these responses and effect results.

There you have it. Think about your bodies ‘fight and flight’ and ‘rest and digest’ responses and time them with your exercise for maximum results. 

Secrets Revealed: How To Survive Christmas

Let’s be clear from the start - the problem is NOT what you do between Christmas and New Year it’s what you do between New Year and Christmas. Therefore if there is a time of year you eat, drink and be merry it is now. 

This being said if you’ve been training hard and watching what you eat there is no reason to let everything go to the wall.

Here are my five simple steps to stay in shape during the festive season...

Don’t feel guilty! On the proviso you’ve had a great time and take responsibility for what you eat day-to-day cutting loose and eating and drinking what you want is fine. Don’t try and exercise harder to counteract it. Get over it and move on.

Drink water. If you’ve had a couple of drinks you’ll be supporting your liver to detoxify by rehydrating. Use your pee as a guide - you want it to be pale and plentiful rather yellow and smelly. To be this way you’ll probably need a small glass of water every 60-90 minutes.

Set yourself a protein goal. Trying to balance blood sugar is the name of the game here. Therefore, veering towards the leftover turkey at breakfast, lunch and dinner will offset t

he sugary carbohydrate and blunt the impact on body fat. To compliment this get your nutrients from veggies and healthy fats.

Stay active. Even if you’re away from home seek opportunities to get moving. A family walk after dinner, or even better still something that works up a sweat, whatever you do this is perfect for energizing a lethargic body, getting the happy hormones buzzing about and quelling those fat storing hormones. It needn’t be complicated - just a little gentle exercise.

Get an early night. With so many great films on the box and social occasions it can be difficult to get to bed on time. Take your opportunity when you can. A simple rule is an hour before twelve counts for two after - try and get to bed by 10pm on one night and feel the difference.

The Hot Bitch Project: January Edition

The Hot Bitch Project: January Edition

DISCOVER THE SECRETS TO HEALTH, FITNESS AND A FLAT STOMACH...

**Sign up today - Next 10 people to sign up in the next 24hrs get it for just £57 - Tomorrow the price goes up again**

Dear Fellow Fitness Consumer,

What you’re about to read might surprise you.

Whether you’re fit already or have aspirations to be fit this is important to you.

In the last year I’ve helped hundreds of people all over the world change shape, burn stubborn fat and become fitter than they’ve ever thought possible.

If you’re anything like most people you don’t have time to exercise or the motivation to eat healthily and you’ve become somewhat bemused by the inconsistencies in the media about what it takes to be fit and healthy.

If this is you then I can help.

Before I begin I need to tell you this plan is not for everyone. This plan is not for you if you want to just read the diet and exercise plan and do nothing about it. This plan takes action to achieve the results. Yes - it is only one fifteen-minute workout a day to be done in your front room with no equipment and no fuss, but you need to do it and give it your all. 

You will be asked to give up some of the stuff you like such as food and drinks containing alcohol and sugar, but you didn’t expect me to say otherwise, did you? But, please bear in mind you will receive all the information, daily coaching and support you need to do this and make it work.

I understand why this is hard to believe. The constant to-ing and fro-ing of so-called experts can be difficult to understand. One minute red meat is good for you, the next it’s not. One minute you can’t eat fat, the next you can. One minute you need carbs, the next you don’t. The diet and exercise industry is complicated!

Starting on Monday 6th January for 21 days we are embarking on a clean eating and a do-at-home bodyweight exercise plan of which the results have to be seen to be believed. 

When you sign up to this plan you will receive...

• The Diet of Plenty - a simple easy to follow guide on what to eat and what not to eat and why. 
• The 15 Minute Solution - a time-friendly bodyweight exercise plan to be done at home in your front room.
• Advanced Fat Loss Strategies - the ultimate tricks and tips to be applied to The Diet of Plenty to accelerate results.
• Access to our secret Facebook forum - the hub of the clean eating and exercise plan. This secret group is a great place to compare notes with fellow clean eaters, ask questions, swap recipe ideas and generally hang out. Check in daily to stay on track.
• The Exercise Guide - including mobility matrix, stretch routines and additional stomach workouts.
• The Diet of Plenty Recipe Book - this includes tons of delicious recipes, a meal planner and a daily ritual tick list to keep you on track.

Sounds good, right? I guess the results of a previous plan speak for themselves...

Total loss 10lbs &; 10 inches overall - so happy! - Vicky

In total: 7lb & 9" lost. Very happy with the overall results and a lot of the healthy eating is becoming second nature. Thanks Keywood! - Tina

Total weight loss is 13 lbs, total 16 3/4inches. Am very happy with that and I intend to carry on eating this sort of way! Thanks steve! - Michelle

Total loss 8 inches. I don't weigh but feel lighter! Best news is that my favourite jeans that haven't seen daylight for years now go on... Can't do the button up still but hey they got over my hips!! - Sue

Weight 10lbs total

Measures 9.5" total

Looking better, feeling great, love it!

Stephen Keywood I hate to tell you your right but this shit really does work!! ;-) - Ben

Final weight loss 12lb.... And a dress size! - Tillie

I have lost 12lb and 9 inches. Need some new jeans !! Am going to keep going for February !! Well done everyone. Results are amazing !! - Nicola

12 inch loss overall :0)

Overall Weight loss 15lbs :0)

Didn't think that being such a loser would make me feel so good, and will carry on until I have reached my goal of being a yummy old mummy !!

Thank you Steve, I now have the confidence and right attitude about weight loss/exercise and healthy eating to continue ( with the help of my friends here on FB) - Jane

5" lost and 7lbs. Goal achieved- hurrah! - Fiona

Ok so 8" reduction overall and 7lb loss. Got the Christmas naughties off!! Hooray!! - Ally

Amazed & delighted..from my dodgy measuring looks like a near total 10 inches lost from various body parts...a 12lbs weight loss & counting...Have no desire to change my eating habbits any time soon as would like to keep loosing those inches & pounds for a while longer....One happy chappy! :) - Becky

Final results 10lbs and 12 inches. Going to keep going as want to keep the inch and weight loss up and feel so much better in myself:) - Claire

Final results for stidders.....9" total body fat loss and 7lbs on the scales. Really pleased with results and the fact that the overindulgence at Christmas is now finally off ;) - Claire

Final stats: 9 1b and 10.5 '' . Intend to carry on and aim for a further stone, setting myself another target. Feeling great with no hankerings for a diet coke or packet of crisps.

Concession is that if I want a piece of cake I'll hold out for a dairy/regular flour type on cheat day - Charlotte

I have been working super hard too ! I am really please to have knocked 8lbs off and 8inches over 8 measurements:-

Well Done to all of you! Amazing results and it was not soo bad was it ?! ;)

I will continue with the plan through the week and save treats for weekend

And I will certainly continue to lift those heavy weights in the gym :) - Jane

My results: 8lbs & 12 Inches - Overall chuffed to bits, clothes no longer tight. Thank you forum for your support. - Lindsey

Weight was 10 st 0 down to lb 9 st 5 lb. Thank you so much for everything you have taught us and thanks to everyone for sharing the experience and keeping me motivated and entertained - Karen

6kg and 11 inches but definitely not stopping here, bikini in 2 weeks! Thanks guys, you all played a part...v grateful for the support - Charlotte

Final results for Lois... 7.5 ins and 10lbs! It's been great, thanks Stephen Keywood you gave us the tools to work with but we all did it!! Well done guys!!!!! - Lois

Lost a stone (now got another 1.5 to go so will be continuing) and 12.5" so very happy with that. Makes me wonder what I could have done if I had done the exercises everyday tho!!! Thanks to everyone- the forum has been an excellent source of motivation......And thanks Steve!! - Nicky

If you want these results in just 21 days it’s a no brainer, right?

However for those I haven’t met I can understand you might have some reservations. Therefore I will put forward this guarantee. 

That’s how confident I am that my clean up plan will work for you.

The majority of people are looking for results, and I want to ensure this is exactly what you receive.

Provided you stick to the proven formula you will drop a jean size.

Are you a suitable candidate for the guarantee?

My training programs are highly effective, but only if you are ready to stick to the rules. For this reason I am only prepared to offer the guarantee to those who stick to it 100%.

I do accept clients who do not wish to adhere but I do not offer them the same guarantee.

Before you decide you want to train with a guarantee take a look at the deal.

I guarantee if you follow my few simple rules and DON’T drop one jean size within the first 21 DAYS, I will refund all of your money.

• You must adhere to the advice given and maintain a positive attitude throughout the program.
• You must follow my healthy eating recommendations to the letter. This includes giving up the toxic foods such as alcohol, bread, pasta and processed foods that are keeping you overweight for 21 days.
• You must commit to taking positive action everyday to achieving your goals including participating in the one fifteen-minute workout.
• You must write a daily training journal every evening that documents the foods you’ve eaten, your mood and energy levels, your daily activity and exercise.
• You must take a before and after picture at the start and finish of the 21 days to demonstrate the changes in your body shape and be prepared to write a full testimonial so that others can see how well you have done! - You do NOT have to share these - unless you want too...

This might sound like hard work - but most find it enjoyable.

If you truly want these results you will understand that you need to make changes.

You might think there may be a catch, but there isn’t one. I do not intend to give you your money back… because I wont have to. If you follow my advice you will achieve your desired goal and you will not want your money back!

The plan starts on Monday 6th January. To secure your place you need to sign up now.

**Sign up today - Next 10 people to sign up in the next 24hrs get it for just £57 - Tomorrow the price goes up again**

...how much? 

You’d expect me to build this up by equating how much my personal training clients pay for this kind of plan, but I won’t. The results speak for themselves. If in twenty-one days time you want to be fitter, healthier and a jean size smaller it will cost you £67.

**SIGN UP NOW! - NEXT 10 PEOPLE GET 24hr DISCOUNT - Sign up now for just £57**

To pay you can use the paypal button HERE - this will send me an email to me and from there I will add you to my list. I will send you more information from there...

If you have any questions in the meantime head over to my Facebook page and just ask. 

Confusion, Thyroid & Metabolism

I don’t mind admitting my frustration on this one. I’d trained this person for nearly three years in my group fitness classes, The Fit Green, and she’d gone from strength to strength. Her circumstance changed. 

She’d been made redundant from a company she had worked for for fifteen years plus and I put it down to stress and anxiety. Whilst I don’t think I was far off, I knew what to look for and I missed the vital signs.

I train many women in their forties and fifties and I pride myself on being familiar with common conditions synonymous with this demographic. She felt exhaustion and anxiety when doing a similar level of exercise she had done before. She felt breathless and talk about lethargy and low mood.

After a period of time she went to the doctor, who called it straight away. When she came back and told me it was clear. How could I miss it?!

The thyroid is a gland based at the bottom of your throat. It’s role is principally is to regulate your metabolism or basal metabolic rate - the speed at which you burn protein, fats and carbohydrate. Without stating the obvious, food fuels our body, but the rate at which you burn fuel differs from person to person. The thyroid has a huge influence over this, and so can determine if you have a ‘fast metabolism’ or a ‘slow metabolism’. Hence the frustration of many people with thyroid dysfunction - depending on if its hypo or hyper - you will struggle to lose weight or gain weight.

I perhaps need to qualify this further. It’s not that I completely disregard the energy balance equation (eat less + move more = weight loss), but the path from entrance to exit is subject to many challenging and different issues including digestive efficiency, hormone health, brain chemistry, cellular health, mindset, exercise intensity, sleeping patterns, allergies/ sensitivities, biochemical individuality... The list is endless. To think it’s just a case of ‘energy in versus energy out’ is simply crazy, and by definition so is counting calories. You only need to speak to someone with a thyroid issue to appreciate this.

The thyroid produces several hormones, however a couple seem more relevant than the others. This being said, it’s important to remember biology happens on a continuum. Looking into this I truly appreciate the sequence of rate determining steps that effect healthy hormones. This is why dealing with this issue is tricky.

The key hormones to be familiar with seem to be triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4). These hormone help oxygen get into cells, and regulate metabolism. However, a number of transport proteins from the liver are needed to carry thyroid hormones through the blood to the cells. Obviously coming from the liver, the transport proteins are subject to a clean and healthy liver for safe and efficient transportation.

Every cell in the human body has a receptor for thyroid hormone. This is relevant because thyroid hormone is responsible for basic functions within the body, and can speed up metabolic reactions within every tissue. To emphasize this point a fractional drop in T4 can lead to 40% drop in basal metabolic rate (the rate at which your body burns calories). This can obviously cause you to gain weight quickly.

To use an analogy by performance nutritionist, Phil Richards, ‘one can imagine the thyroid gland as a furnace and the pituitary gland as the thermostat. Thyroid hormones are like heat. When the heat gets back to the thermostat, it turns the thermostat off.’

A healthy thyroid gland is regulated by a feedback system in your brain - the hypothalamus and pituitary gland - which make thyroid-releasing hormone (TRH) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). If it works as it should, your body will make what it needs and T4 will be converted to T3, in a synchronized loop maintaining balance. 

One of the challenges with thyroid issues is diagnosis. You might not feel right, but the blood test might demonstrate something different. Like many things regarding your health there is an element of individuality. The medical profession has to draw the line somewhere and so a person might register a ‘normal’ score for one of the above hormones, but feel adverse symptoms, whilst someone might register an abnormal result and feel fine. You’ll need to listen to your body and consult with your doctor to get the treatment you need.

Furthermore, from what Bryan Walsh talks about in his Thyroid Repair Kit you’ll need to test for quite a few different aspects to get the clearest result. In this article alone I’ve mentioned T3, T4, TSH, TRH ...and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. You will need your doctor to take a variety of tests to know whats going on.

AND most importantly appreciating why you’ve an imbalance in the first place goes without saying. I’m certainly not against medication for this type of condition, but looking beyond medication you’ll notice several key factors - most notably chronic stress.

You need to appreciate an imbalance in one or more of the bodies systems will have an impact on another. In this case hormones are no different. Hormones work in cascades and thyroid hormones are subject to influence from your adrenal glands which are responsible for managing stress.

I’m not talking about the immediate and intense reaction you get from being chased by a lion (a daily occurrence here in Surrey). But more of the long slow drawn out chronic stress you get from working long hours, not going to bed on time, drinking too much coffee or wine, being in a bad relationship, etc. We’re not talking about adrenaline, we’re talking about cortisol and his many bedfellows. 

A certain amount of stress is a good thing - it’s the very reason we get out of bed in the morning - but as Robert Sapolsky writes in his book Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers, chronic stress leads to adrenal exhaustion and is often connected with thyroid issues.

In this circumstance, taking thyroid medication in cases of prolonged chronic stress without addressing the stress is pointless. Your body needs cortisol to convert T4 to T3, too little (due to adrenal exhaustion) and the medication won’t work, too much and you’ll be thyroid resistant. The latter means the numbers will look normal on paper but will not actually be working at a cellular level. 

I guess the resolve is simple in this circumstance, but not easy. To address stress you you’ve either got to deal with it, or learn to cope. I guess this might mean quitting your job, getting a divorce or putting your kids up for adoption! Or learning to appreciate stressors differently...

If you have a thyroid issue another area you might struggle with is oestrogen balance. Oestrogen - the female sex hormone - in simple terms causes food calories to be stored as fat. Thyroid hormones causes fat calories to be turned into usable energy. Therefore, as Phil Richards says, ‘thyroid hormones and oestrogen have opposing actions.’

The elevated oestrogen levels lead to increased production of thyroid-binding globulin (TBG) by the liver. Elevated levels of TBG will bind to thyroid hormones and the reduce the free thyroid hormones in the blood. This will means it cannot connect with the cells and elevate metabolism.

You can have elevated oestrogen levels for many reasons but in my experience the first step is to eliminate processed foods and improve liver function. Further to this I’d suggest eating more green leafy vegetables. 

In terms of nurturing your thyroid back to good health I’d express caution in reducing calories. Your thyroid will work against you. It will slow your metabolism further. Fasting-style diets and restricted calorie diets reduce thyroid hormones. Similarly too few carbohydrates seem to disrupt thyroid hormones too. Therefore a small amount of carbohydrate seems to be necessary.

With best quality proteins (...think meats, poultry and fish) adequate amounts of healthy fats are important too. Look at coconut oil, or more specifically lauric acid, found in coconut oil, for stabilizing blood sugar and increasing satiety after meals. 

You’ll find a few key nutrients are connected with optimum function. Most notably iodine and L-tyrosine to convert T4 to T3. Iodine deficiency is widely regarded as the number one reason for hypothyroidism, and can be found in salt-water fish, seaweed, sea vegetables and shellfish. And L-tyrosine, an amino acid,  can be found in good quality sources of protein. I’m sure you’ll recognise the difficulty of calculating exactly how much of each nutrient you get and so I’d encourage you to look at supplementation to get more exact doses. 

I’m sure by the very brief bio I’ve already written about this challenging hormone, you’ll appreciate the varying cofactors are subject to nourishment from specific nutrients too. These include selenium, copper, magnesium, niacin, riboflavin, vitamin B6 and zinc. Deficiency in one or more of the above can effect healthy thyroid function.  

...I guess this article got away from me a little! The key points to consider are firstly to consider liver function - to do this eat nourishing healthy food and drink water/ herbal tea. Second take stress seriously - either deal with it or learn to cope better. Thirdly I’d take rest seriously - I guess this will sound counterintuitive - but if you’re stressed this is important - learn to rest! Fourthly look at supplementing to give your body a little support.

For further reading I definitely recommend Phil Richards Ultimate Fat Loss Manual and maybe look at Bryan Walsh’s Thyroid Repair Kit. Or more generally a great book is Paul Chek’s How To Eat Move and Be Healthy.

For more info follow my Facebook page HERE

YES - Girls Can Do Pull Ups

Somewhere in a universe separate to our own, women are doing pull ups again, and again, and again... It’s the norm. They’ve not been talked out of it by other women - who think it’ll make them bulky, a concerned other half - who can’t do a pull up himself, or themselves - who don’t want to try and fail and look silly. They just do it. Because they can.

The pull up is a brilliant exercise. If you do it properly you can strengthen and tone the arms, shoulders and upper back, and to quote one of my clients from last week ‘how come my abs hurt?!’ YES - hanging off a pull up bar forces you to engage your abs! If you don’t do them already, you need to. If you can’t, I hope this helps...

The Perfect Pull Up

To achieve the perfect pull up you need to grasp the bar just outside shoulder width, keeping your head tall with your chin tucked in and shoulders locked and loaded (shoulders set down with shoulder blades retracted), pull through your elbows until your sternum (chest bone) is nearly touching the bar. Pause for a moment at the top and lower under control until arms are straight, but elbows are not fully extended (soft joints) and body continues to remain under tension. Repeat again, and again, and again.

If you’ve ever tried to do this you’ll realise this is difficult - NOT IMPOSSIBLE - I have several female clients who can do it - BUT you need to practice.

To quote Tony Gentlicore, the man who inspired my recent fascination with girly pull ups, “If you have the ability to grow a human being inside your body and push it out, you undoubtedly have the ability to bang out a chin-up.  And might I add:  in MUCH less time than nine months.”

To bridge the gap between a full pull up and not try these simple progressions...

The TRX Pull Up

The TRX is a great start point. Starting with the simple Inverted Row, walk your feet forwards so you can manage a challenging but controlled pull up and lower, and as you get better challenge yourself to move further underneath the handles until you’re parallel with the floor. Once you’ve championed the row (or alongside championing the row) try raising your feet up to get even further underneath. Even if you lower your hips in the bottom bit this will mimic the initial pull up phase.

---> see how to a TRX pull up HERE

I know the TRX is expensive. So why not take a look at the Z-Trainer HERE - this is what we use at The Fit Green. It’s a versatile bit of kit - not just for pull ups!

The Band Assisted Pull Up

Following on from the TRX, I like the band assisted pull up. Using a rubber band from Wolverson Fitness I will typically get my client to put their feet or knees in to support there efforts.

---> See how to do a band assisted pull up HERE

Being springy, the band helps them get out of the lower portion of the pull up which is the most difficult. And, without boring you about strength curves, allows them less support in the upper part of the lift when they are stronger, and more in the lower when you’re not. 

To further support their efforts I’m on hand to give them a little push from the knees so they can get their sternum to the bar, pause and I allow them to lower under tension using just their strength (and the support of the band). 

When considering rep ranges (how many reps to do?!) I’d urge you to challenge yourself, but stop just shy of absolute failure on every set. This will allow you to develop strength whilst being able to pick up a mug of herbal tea the next day. 

Similarly, I’d encourage you to do this exercise well regularly for fast improvement. This might involve getting yourself a pull up bar at home and giving it a quick whirl everyday or twice a day if uber keen. 

If you fancy this I’ve seen these door mounted ones to be a sound investment. Find them at Argos. Or other reputable retailers... See a door mounted pull up bar HERE

The Eccentric Pull Up & Isometric Holds

Following on from the band assisted pull ups, or even alongside the band assisted pull ups, you’d be smart to include some Eccentric Pull Ups (a contradiction in terms I think?!) and some isometric holds.

The eccentric, or lowering portion of the movement, where the muscle is lengthening under tension, is always stronger than the concentric (the shortening of the muscle or the actual pulling up bit) therefore to bridge the gap it’s effective to practice just the lowering phase.

To do this use a box or bench and hop up so your sternum is in near touching distance of the bar, pause and lower over 5 or more seconds. Repeat this five or six times and you’ve a pretty effective exercise. 

------> See how to do an eccentric pull up HERE

Again, I understand to many this is a HUGE ask. So to do this you can employ the rest-pause method. Do one eccentric pull up and rest 10 seconds, do another eccentric pull up, rest 10 seconds, do another eccentric pull up, rest 10 seconds... You get the idea! Do this for a total of five or six reps. Be warned, this is mean.

To conclude this cheeky little foray into pull ups I’d say when I started The Fit Green nearly four years ago most of the women I trained could hardly do a full press up. Now, the norm is to do full press ups rather than the knees down alternative. YOU CAN DO IT - if you want and you’re prepared to put the hard work in.

Like your piano teacher used to say, five minutes a day is better than one hour a week. Get a pull up bar in your house and do one rep every time you pass it. Better still dedicate 2 minutes once, twice three times a day and you’ll be amazing fast.

Let me know how you get on.

Five Exercises You Must Try

Strength-based cardio seems kick ass for everything from sports performance to improved body composition. From a simple bodyweight circuit to a higher intensity gym routine, one of the more recent trends seems to be strongman training. 

Typically the domain of the manly man, I’ve found them to be very effective for training women too. With and intensity to build mental and physical toughness, I guess I position it differently - for one I don’t call it strongman training - but call a spade a spade. That’s what we do. And here are a few of the exercises my clients do...

Tire Flips - Flipping a heavy tire uses every muscle in your body. They’re awkward and require you to sit deep into a squat, maintain spinal stability and speed to spin your hands around and push it over at the top.

Farmers Walk - A brilliant exercise for improving muscular endurance. The farmers walk is great for grip strength, upper back and oblique strength. To do it you simply pick up something heavy and walk.

Backward Tire Drag - By wrapping the TRX straps around a tractor tire we create a piece of equipment which makes you thighs burn more than 1000 squats! Simply hold on tight, keep a good posture and pull!

Prowler Push - a weighted sledge is a brilliant challenge for both the muscular and cardiovascular system. Push it hard with short steps. This is especially challenging when its preceded by goblet squats and squat jumps...

Tug-of-War - a little bit of friendly competition has made a huge difference to many of my sessions. My female clients are girly girls, but this brings out the best in them. 

If you fancy giving it a whirl we run sessions on a Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Go to www.TheFitGreen.com to download your free pass.