Are Abs Made In The Kitchen?

How Are Abs Made?

As a personal trainer, one of the most frequent questions that I get asked is “can you show me certain moves to work my abs and how to tone them?”

A calorie deficit is the most important and is the correct answer you’re looking for. Without a controlled, healthy, nutritious diet you won’t see your abs no matter how many sit-ups you attempt! You could plank for two hours a day but if you’re eating into a big calorie surplus (consuming more calories than you’re burning off) then you’re shooting yourself in the foot!

If you aren’t losing weight or can’t see any physical changes in the mirror, then you’ll need to do one of two things. Either decrease your calorie intake or increase the amount of exercise you’re doing. Both will aid towards pushing your overall calorie intake down slightly.

Make small changes. With exercise, introduce a little more cardio at the end of your workouts so that your calorie output for the week increases. With weight loss, try and consume good wholesome and nutritious foods rather than relying on processed foods. You need to be aiming for a loss of 1-2lbs a week to make it both realistic and maintainable.

I want to make it clear that everyone has abs. EVERYONE. You just have to work hard in order to see them! Like anything, be patient! It won’t happen overnight! Getting to the required level of body fat to be able to see your abdominal muscles will take numerous things. Consistency in nutrition and training, patience, dedication, good willpower and to some degree your genetic potential. Some people will be genetically gifted with a strong solid six pack. Everyone is different.

The abdominals are a muscle, like any other muscle. So, spending an hour every single day performing ab exercises will be somewhat pointless. They need rest, time to recover just like all muscles do! I suggest 3 maybe 4 times a week for about 10-15 minutes with a lot of variation of exercises. Even though this won’t help in terms of revealing your abs, it will certainly help make them stronger and give them more shape when you do eventually reach a low enough body fat percentage.

There are no magic pills, no special protein shakes and no special fat burners. Supplements can aid your journey and contribute, but they are not the full answer. They are there to supplement alongside an already well-balanced nutrition plan.

The answer is not removing all your carbs, nor is the answer avoiding eating anything fatty! Just high-quality nutrition, which is well managed. Remember, you can’t out-train a bad diet. Until your nutrition is of a high standard, you will not see your abdominal muscles. Abs are 100% made in the kitchen!

My Protein
http://www.myprotein.com/thezone/training/are-abs-made-in-the-kitchen/

How To Swim The Perfect Length | Breast Stroke, Butterfly Or Freestyle?

How To Swim The Perfect Length

Being able to swim the perfect length is not something that can happen overnight. You need to develop your rhythm and timing to such an extent that you can glide effortlessly and powerfully through the water without lurching or dead spots. To do this, your brain and your body need to tune into one another and work in harmony, which means practice, practice and more practice.

The hints and tips to get to this stage which you can find below are intended to help you get into the rhythm and perfect your timing to swim your best length. The purpose is not initially to swim faster, but smoother; focus on moving seamlessly through the water rather than on strength. The speed and power will come after. The focus of the article is also on freestyle, but many of the principles can be applied to all other strokes as well.

The first place to start on your way to swimming the perfect length is to measure your own body’s dimensions. The fact is that everybody must find the stroke that best suits them, and different physical traits will affect the stroke you choose. To begin with, measure what is called your “Ape Index”, which compares the length of your arms from the tip of your left fingers to the tip of your right fingers.

There is no need for special equipment; all you need is a post or a wall. Stand with your chest flat against the post or wall and both arms out at shoulder height, then stretch down to the floor with one side so that your arms are perpendicular to the ground. Mark the height on the post or wall and then compare your height from head to toe with that measurement. If your height is equal to or less than your arm length, you will want to consider a shorter stroke. If your arm length is 2 or 3 inches more, you will want to be taking longer strokes.

Having determined whether your stroke should be made longer or shorter, it now comes down to getting the feel of things. Put simply and to repeat, everybody is made differently and so there is no one-size-fits-all for your perfect stroke pattern. The only solution is to swim, and to swim often with concentration on your body’s movements. It will help if you can ask somebody to take a video of your stroke and also to provide you with some comments and tips for where you might not be as smooth in the water as you like.

Take note of when your body lurches or when there are “dead spots” in your stroke, i.e. when your body is merely gliding through the water against resistance, rather than propelling you through the water. Unfortunately, there is no dead-cert solution to this besides hours of practice!

Here is what to look out for when you practice:

#1 Body Position

The key elements of your body position are the amount of “drag” you create in the water. To simplify, to minimise drag, if you were to look at your position from the side, your body should be straight from head to toe and parallel with the surface of the water. If your legs tend to sink, then it is likely your head is lifted too high.

Although you should keep your body as flat as possible, the roll is an essential part of the freestyle stroke. A roll of approximately 45 degrees left and right will allow you to breathe and also to engage the larger and stronger muscles of your back, allowing you to propel yourself faster through the water than if you were to primarily rely on the smaller arm muscles.

#2 Mechanics

The mechanics of your stroke describes the manner in which you propel yourself forward. When you stretch one arm out in the front when you begin the stroke and then pull it beneath your body, picture “holding” the water with your hand and arm. The more water you can hold, the greater propulsion you will achieve. Paddles are a very useful tool for getting the “feel” for the correct position to maximise the amount of water you hold. Stay tuned for more articles on swimming drills with paddles and other equipment!

#3 Distance Per Stroke

The aim when calculating the distance per stroke is to cover more distance per stroke, rather than cover more distance with faster strokes. To use an adage from Crossfit, “what can be measured, can be improved”, so every 3 or 4 lengths count the number of strokes you take to complete a length. Try to ensure that you keep your stroke rate down while maintaining and eventually lowering your length time, keeping in mind that you should avoid lurching and dead spots.

#4 Timing

As with many things, timing is essential. It will help you to keep your body streamlined in the water (to minimise drag), will help you maximise your distance per stroke (see point 3) and will give you plenty time to suck in some air during your roll. Aim to ensure that one hand enters the water while the other is pulling you forward, rather than when your arms are at opposing positions, i.e. when your right arm is extending straight in front of your head, your left arm should be pointing down to the floor of the pool/seabed and vice-versa.

To Take Away…

Next time you hit the water, focus on the 4 elements of body position, mechanics, distance per stroke and timing, avoid lurching and dead sports, and work on your roll. Once you begin to smooth out any rough spots, you will notice that your swimming will progress in leaps and bounds and you will be on your way to swimming the perfect length.

My Protein
http://www.myprotein.com/thezone/training/how-to-swim-the-perfect-length-breast-stroke-butterfly-or-freestyle/

Girls | Ditch Zumba And Lift Heavy!

Girls – Ditch Zumba And Lift Heavy!

Ladies, its time to ditch the Zumba, Spin classes and Pilates if you are wanting to get into great shape. Every day we see females relentlessly training hard in classes, however how often are we seeing huge change in physique? While it is important to enjoy training and if doing these classes mean you are enjoying yourself by all means do it, however, just don’t consistently do them every day as your only source of exercise.

Classes like those mentioned are often at a very high intensity, they are usually jam packed with those with similar goals and all working as hard as is physically possible. While this form of training is effective when done correctly.. STOP.. backtrack, “when done correctly”.

How can we expect just one instructor to manage the technique, posture and breathing patterns of 30-50 people at one time to ensure each and every one of them are getting an effective workout? It is impossible, coaching one person to do all of these things at once is hard enough.

Any girl looking to start reaping the rewards of training hard should be focused primarily on training with weights using large compound movements such as the squat, deadlift, pull ups, hip bridges and pressing both on a flat bench and overhead. However a typical fear and one myth that is plaguing the fitness industry is that girls that use weights will get big and bulky.

Hormonally this simply cannot happen with just training with weights, due to the hormone, testosterone, being so low in a female it is very difficult for large amounts of muscle mass to be accumulated. Alongside this, your calorie intake from your nutrient profiling will ensure that you are not to increase weight too dramatically or at all if the goal is based around fat loss.

“Testosterone is produced by the gonads (by the Leydig cells in testes in men and by the ovaries in women), although small quantities are also produced by the adrenal glands in both sexes. It is an androgen, meaning that it stimulates the development of male characteristics. Present in much greater levels in men than women, testosterone initiates the development of the male internal and external reproductive organs during foetal development and is essential for the production of sperm in adult life.

This hormone also signals the body to make new blood cells, ensures that muscles and bones stay strong during and after puberty and enhances libido both in men and women. Testosterone is linked to many of the changes seen in boys during puberty (including an increase in height, body and pubic hair growth, enlargement of the penis, testes and prostate gland and changes in sexual and aggressive behaviour). It also regulates the secretion of luteinising hormone and follicle stimulating hormone. To effect these changes, testosterone is often converted into another androgen called dihydrotestosterone. In women, testosterone is produced by the ovaries and adrenal glands. The majority of testosterone produced in the ovary is converted to the principle female sex hormone, oestradiol.”

Therefore, females who train with weights will find that although they may find a slight increment in lean muscle tissue, they will not find themselves in a position where their arms or legs are bulging from their clothes. Muscle mass is an incredibly difficult thing to grow, many males spend years trying to increase it while their testosterone levels are huge in comparison to a female. Do not make the mistake of missing out on the perfect way in which to train to achieve your goals due to the fear of something that simply will not happen.

My Protein
http://www.myprotein.com/thezone/training/girls-ditch-zumba-and-lift-heavy/

The Whole 30 Diet | Could You Handle It?

Whole 30 Diet

The Whole 30 Diet is gaining steady popularity as a thorough “clean eating” program. Whole 9 Life, the organisation behind the Whole 30 program, estimates that over 100,000 people have completed it since its conception in 2009. But what actually is it, how does it help, and could you handle it?

What is the Whole 30 Diet?

Following the Whole 30 program centres around foregoing all processed, non-natural foods, sugars, dairy, legumes and grains for 30 days. The creators assert that within this time, your body will “reset” its bad habits and alter your metabolism. Without the foods that can have a negative effect on your mood and energy levels, you’ll realise the harm they have been doing. Thus, you’ll be able to make a much healthier choices going forward.

Why Do People Do It?

The promise of resetting your body back to a much healthier level within 1 month is a very tempting starting point. But within this overall health, there are key benefits that come from this stripped back nutrition plan:

#1 A reduction in systemic inflammation that causes discomfort and wider long term health issues.

#2 A reduction in digestive issues caused by unnatural products the body struggles to break down.

#3 Improvement in the health and appearance of skin.

#4 Help to fertility issues.

#5 Improvement in seasonal allergies that can be unknowingly exacerbated by diet.

#6 Weight loss

Another plus-point to the Whole 30 program is that the emphasis falls on how the diet makes your body feel. Weighing yourself and taking measurements is banned during the 30 days program, so you can keep focused on what your body needs to feel healthy.

Advocates from the program often insist that their taste buds seem to alter, and that they find their old cheat day treats too much to enjoy after completing the Whole 30.

Why Doesn’t Everyone Do It?

The exclusion list is pretty strict. Plus, if you cheat at all, you have to go back to day 1.

Another off-putting aspect of this diet is that is strongly frowned upon to recreate your cheat meal favourites with Whole 30 ingredients. Whereas with the similar Paleo Diet, you can create pancakes, pizza, muffins and other treats which substitute the banned elements, Whole 30 throws out the whole concept altogether. The thinking is, if you are still indulging in the thought of eating a real pizza etc, you aren’t resetting your mind alongside your body.

Meal prep is essential to succeed on this program, as it is very hard to find a satisfying whole 30 approved meal on the fly. Unsurprisingly, willpower is also essential, although testimonials often attest to dieters finding it far easier once the first week is complete.

Can You Mass Gain on Whole 30?

Yes. Like with anyone wanting to make gains on the Paleo Diet, you can still add plenty of muscle whilst following the plan. Again, meal prep and planning your food shopping is the key to reaching your full workout potential.

Can You Do Whole 30 For More Than 30 Days?

No. The program is designed to reset your system. Therefore, after the 30 days, you shouldn’t need to re-reset it all over again. Some people find the diet a good segue into the slightly less restrictive Paleo lifestyle, which can be maintained long term. Others find it a good kick start to a generally healthier diet. You can re-do Whole 30 after a while if you need another reset or to tighten up your habits. Some people find it a good way to start the New Year or an effective snap-back after over indulging on holiday.

Can You Handle Whole 30?

If you’re ready and serious about a lifestyle change and have the willpower to make it happen, you can certainly handle Whole 30.

My Protein
http://www.myprotein.com/thezone/nutrition/the-whole-30-diet-could-you-handle-it/

Do Fats Make You Fat? | Discover The Truth

Fats Don’t Make You Fat – True or False

Its becoming something that just rolls off the tongue of any personal trainer or diet coach now a days; “Fats don’t make you fat”. In this latest article I will be presenting to you the reasons as to why this is being told to the public and why we need to be careful with the advise that we are feeding to our clients and the general fitness world.

Take a typical person who doesn’t consciously watch or control their diet, invariably this person will be consuming a high glycemic load, in other words, eating a high sugar diet. This may be through cereals, bread, oats and other grains with fruit juices and cordials at breakfast, then lunches and evening meals consisting of pasta, rice, potatoes etc and snacking on fruits, sweets, crisps, cereal bars and chocolates throughout the day.

All of these types of foods are very high in carbohydrates and this macronutrient breaks down into its simplest form as sugar. Therefore, when this type of client comes to me with a goal of fat loss or any other form of health improvement, I will tell them that what is currently the issue is that there is simply too much sugar in the diet and the body will not be utilising it as efficiently and effectively as it would if you were minimising the sugar intake and consuming a higher level of  essential fatty acids, otherwise knows as fats. The following question nearly always follows by:

“BUT! Will eating fat not make me even fatter?!”

Now, the following the answer to this may set the precedent for the rest of your relationship with this particular client and can be the start of a slippy slope if answered incorrectly.

“No, Fats don’t make you fat, sugar does”

Half of this is true, sugar does make us fat, this is down to the insulin sensitivity decreasing by how much insulin your body is consuming. “Insulin Sensitivity is a function of how well your body can handle glucose (blood sugar) through insulin secretion. Insulin is secreted from an organ called the pancreas in response to elevating blood sugar, and the less insulin that is needed to get the job done is how sensitive you are to insulin.”

However, fats can make us fat too, so can protein. Shocked? Don’t be, its very simple, we all have our own specific basil metabolic rate where we can find our calorie expenditure in a day to day situation. If this figure, for example, came out at 3000 calories per day of expenditure, then eating 4000 calories of ‘healthy’ protein and fats will still make you increase in body weight, while health wouldn’t suffer as much as it would if you ate those 4000 calories in junk food and sugar it would still see you increase in weight. Therefore we must begin to educate the public on how to manage your diet in terms of calorie restrictions, macronutrients and sports nutrition (supplementation).

The 3 key points to the formulation of an intelligent nutritional protocol for fat loss:

#1 Find your Basil Metabolic Rate figure and create a small deficit of 500 calories.

#2 Set a macronutrient percentage that is applicable to that of someone aiming to lose body fat or weight. This can be 40% Protein, 40% Fat and 20% Carbohydrate.

#3 Ensure you are eating at the right time; breaking the fast from the night before as early as you can upon waking, regular food throughout the day to ensure calorie requirements are met, post workout nutrition should use 10% of your daily carbohydrate allowance with the other 10% in your last meal to help improve sleep quality.

My Protein
http://www.myprotein.com/thezone/nutrition/do-fats-make-you-fat-true-or-false/

5 Top Tips For Running A 10k

Top Tips For Running A 10k

Signing up to a 10-km run is a great motivator for casual runners who want a focus and an aim to train for. Achieving a steady pace throughout takes practice, but it’s a distance most people can manage, particularly if you already work out regularly. Here are our top tips for running a successful 10k.

Fuel Your Engine

Ensure your diet complements your training schedule. Increase your carbohydrate intake on training days so your body has plenty of energy to access throughout your runs. Consider using electrolyte and pre-workout supplements to help you achieve your maximum potential.

Avoid foods that will give you an energy spike and crash. Sugary snacks and processed carbohydrates such as white bread may seem like they are giving you a boost at first, but you will struggle to maintain your pace. Protein and complex carbohydrates like grains and potatoes will give your body the fuel it needs to go for miles.

Practice Running with A Group

Whilst treadmills are great for tracking your speed in a controlled environment, practising in a similar environment to The Big Day is essential to hitting your targets for a 10k run.

It can make a huge difference to your performance running in a group. Many people find keeping their pace a huge challenge once they’re surrounded by fellow runners. For some, their competitive streak causes them to speed way up at the start, leading to a major drop in energy later on. For others, it can be tempting to fall into pace with pocket of fellow runners even if they’re running at a slower pace than you’re aiming for. The more you practice around other runners, the more you will be able to shut them out and concentrate on yourself.

There are plenty of running groups across the UK. Parkrun and Meetup are popular ways of finding local runs, and many leisure centres have post boards where groups can advertise. Some are free, while others ask for a small contribution to organisers.

Pave the Road to Recovery

While training is the cornerstone to achieving your running goals, recovery is essential to achieving your training goals. Before a run, combine light jogging and stretches to prep your muscles for the running ahead. Warm down thoroughly immediately after your run is complete and consider including a protein shake or post workout recovery supplement to give your muscles an added boost . In addition, rest days every week give your body a chance to recuperate.

Shake Up your Training

Don’t aim to run 10km every time you work out. Mix up longer running sessions with interval training and some shorter, easier runs. If you feel your motivation dropping, throw in some different styles of cardio, like swimming or dance.

Gear Up

If you haven’t already, investing in some good gym wear can really boost your performance. In particular, trainers specifically designed for runners are essential to give your feet the support they need and save you a lot of aches and pains in the long run (pun intended).

My Protein
http://www.myprotein.com/thezone/training/5-top-tips-for-running-a-10k/

Protein | When To Take It? How? And Why?

Protein Intake

It is less common to find recreational endurance athletes taking in as much protein as the guys who hit the gym five days a week. But with the stress which endurance sports put on your body, it is even more important for men and women taking part in cycling, running, swimming and other endurance events to make sure their protein intake is suitably high. In addition to the amount of protein consumed, endurance athletes also have to consider when they take it.

Why Endurance Athletes Need Protein

There is a common perception among endurance athletes that carbohydrates should be their main source of fuel, and that high protein intake is often the reserve of bodybuilders. The fact is, however, that covering long distances over long periods of time will break down your muscles as your body begins to cannibalize itself to acquire the fuel that it needs to keep you going.

Protein is essential for the repair, maintenance and growth of muscles and so it is very important for endurance athletes who do not wish to suffer from over-training, undesired weight loss and muscle loss. A lack of protein can also affect your immune system, which, especially now that we are in winter, could put a serious spoke in the works of your training schedule. The amount of protein endurance athletes need to consume is discussed in another article, but the focus of this article is the timing of protein intake.

Protein Intake: When?

Arguably a more important factor than how much protein to take is the question of when. Although in recent years there has been a lot of confusing information on this, and for some the issue is yet to be settled, it appears that most scientific studies now conclude that protein consumption during and immediately after endurance and long-distance exercise is optimal.

Although why consuming protein during and immediately after endurance exercise is beneficial is still debated, possible reasons include that increased protein intake during endurance exercise produces greater stores of muscle glycogen which the body can use as compared with only the glycogen available after only consuming carbohydrate.

When you take in only carbohydrates, your body can use the glycogen from this energy source to power your muscles. But by adding protein, your muscles retain more glycogen within themselves, meaning that your body will be able to sustain bouts of exercise for longer than if you only refuel with carbohydrates. Mixing both carbohydrates and protein seems to be optimal, rather than having purely one or the other.

Besides glycogen storage, it is speculated that the addition of protein to a carbohydrate recovery drink can give you that extra boost because it simply adds calories for your body to burn. However, the number of calories added in a supplement drink relative to the calories burned during endurance exercise is negligible.

What is more likely is that the consumption of protein during and after a workout repairs muscle damage. The stress which your body undergoes when taking part in endurance sports can be severe, and a lack of protein will lead to muscle breakdown as your body seeks to find the fuel to carry on from its own muscle energy stores.

When you consume protein along with carbohydrate supplementation both during and after endurance exercise, you therefore add to your body’s glycogen energy stores and then help to repair damaged muscle tissue after exercise, meaning that you can go at it again much sooner than without protein supplementation.

Take Home Message

Protein is essential for endurance athletes to protect and repair their muscles from the damage which they undergo following long periods of stress on the body. Without it, your body’s ability to recover will be slowed and you will lack the nourishment to meet your training goals. Take it during endurance exercise to help increase muscle glycogen levels and immediately after endurance exercise (within 30 minutes) to ensure that your body has high quality fuel to keep going.

My Protein
http://www.myprotein.com/thezone/nutrition/protein-when-to-take-it-how-and-why/