You need to do resistance training (weights) and aim to increase your muscle mass. If you disagree with me, or think this does not apply to you, sorry, but you are wrong, and I am right. Read on and I’ll try to explain why…
Recommended reading: Feeding your kids fruit and veg – 5 a day.
I don’t have kids, so there are some problems that I have (thankfully!) never experienced. One of these problems is how to get your kids to eat enough fruit and veg. But my friend who does have children asked me this the other day…so if you have this problem, try reading the following link…
Strength and strength training – What, how and for who.
Many people (including some experienced athletes) tend to equate strength training with bodybuilding…thinking that both are one and the same. They get stuck in the “3 sets of 10” rut and never get out. But there is more than one type of strength, each having its own pros and cons, and each being more or less suitable for different activities. As such there is more than one way of training for strength. Here is a quick run down of the major forms of strength…
General Strength
Training for very practical reasons.
Most people come to the gym to train for aesthetic reasons (to look better). But a special few train for practical reasons (to be able to perform a physical task better). And I like coaching these people! And I had an eye opening opportunity the other day…in a funeral home.
Recommended reading: The Minnesota Starvation Study
“During World War II, 36 conscientious objectors participated in a study of human starvation conducted by Ancel Keys and his colleagues at the University of Minnesota. The Minnesota Starvation Experiment, as it was later known, was a grueling study meant to gain insight into the physical and psychologic effects of semistarvation and the problem of refeeding civilians who had been starved during the war. During the experiment, the participants were subjected to semistarvation in which most lost <25% of their weight, and many experienced anemia, fatigue, apathy, extreme weakness, irritability, neurological deficits, and lower extremity edema.”
Large waist size linked to ‘higher risk of death’
Here is another news story suggesting that your waist/hip ratio is a better assessment of your health, than your total bodyweight or your BMI.
Congratulations to Karen again!
Well done to my mate, Karen Driver, who has just competed in the world masters swimming championships! She got a 7th in the 800 metre freestyle, 9th in the 400 metre freestyle and 12th in the 400 metre individual medley. Karen Driver Swimming I used to train with her in the gym before she got … Read more
Why do we eat?
About 2 thirds of the UK population are overweight or obese. This is because we eat/drink too much and don’t exercise enough. We all know this, but we still continue overeating. Why? Off the top of my head, I can think of 3 major reasons why we eat/drink:
Indomitable Will: Part 2
Isn’t life full of coincidences? After writing yesterday about the willpower needed to keep on trying, I stumbled on this video from utube. It’s a speech from Rocky and it says basically the same thing I was trying to say…but in a much better way, obviously!
Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.
“Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will”.
Mahatma Gandhi.
I was coaching a general circuit training session, and we had a couple of minutes left before we had to finish. We could have just left it there. But instead we did one last flying lap round the circuit.
Recommended reading: Weight training during pregnancy – Lieke’s experience
Because a couple of people have asked me recently about training during pregnancy, I’ve found myself reading up loads on it (remember, I’m not claiming to be any kind of expert, so if you know better, please let me know). But I just read this blog post (click here to read it) about one ladys personal experience of weight training during her pregnancy.
Getting back into training after a break.
I was coaching a nice lady who was back after having a months break. She has a fantastic attitude, but was killing herself trying to do the same things as before she stopped. As normal, I am going to try to take a step back and take the long view. So here are my recommendations for getting back into training after a break…
NICE guidelines for managing your weight before/during/after pregnancy.
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) have released weight management guidelines for women before/during/after pregnancy. You can take a look by clicking here. I’m the first to admit I am no expert in this department, so if you are, let me know where I’m going wrong. But the guidelines are 60 pages long, so here are some of the bits that caught my eye, and my personal comments in brackets…
Recommended viewing – Food inc.
Just watched the film Food inc. It is a documentary about the food industry in America. I highly recommend it to anyone with a passing interest in food and where it comes from. One of my favorite quotes from the film was the very last line. It was spoken by a farmer upset by what … Read more
Why do you go training?
I was talking to a guy in the gym I work at and he was complaining that the satellite TV channels aren’t working. It turns out that the main reason he comes is to watch the sports channels. This reminded me again that we are all different.
The Healthy Eating Pyramid
I am a firm believer in keeping things simple whenever I can.
Not only does this mean that I can keep my life nice and easy, but I also find that simple things make the biggest differences in life. Especially when it comes to food, drink and weight control. So probably the simplest thing that any of us can do to improve our health and give our bodies the resources they need to perform at a high standard, is follow this healthy eating pyramid:
Woo hoo! Someone wants to do pressups!
I was in a really good mood the other day. A lass who is a regular in the gym actually came up and asked how to improve her pressups! Most people grimace and run a mile when I mention pressups to them! So here is a rough and ready guide to pressups. How to do them and how not to do them..
Slimming pills: Do the claims add up?
News story looking at 5 slimming pills to see if their claims to help you lose weight are actually backed up by any research. Click here for the full story.
Link between inactivity and obesity queried
Researchers have challenged the assumption that a lack of exercise causes children to put on weight. Click here to read the whole news article.
Exercise Workshop last Sunday
So I did my first Exercise Workshop on Sunday, and first and foremost I want to say a huge congratulations and thank you to all who attended!
Exercise Workshop
Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves, I had plenty of positive feedback (all of which was “good” or better!) and I think everyone learnt some new and important things over the 2 hours.