So you want to get good at something? It could be getting good at your sport, your diet, your job, your relationship or your school subject. But there are good and bad ways to go about this. One of the best ways is to work from the general to the specific. This means you spend time getting the fundamental, foundation principles right before worrying about the minute details. Get good at the general stuff first, then move on to the specifics. For example:
Carbohydrates, proteins & fats: The basics.
Food is probably the third most important thing in our lives after oxygen and water. But hardly any of us know anything about it. Do you know what carbohydrates, proteins and fats are? What do they do? Where do we get them from?
NHS watchdog NICE calls for trans-fats ban in foods
Trans-fats should be eliminated from food in England, NHS watchdog NICE has said. Click here to read the rest of the story from BBC news.
Do you have a healthy lifestyle?
Some things are just more important than others. Some things just need to be nailed before others. Some things are just so fundamental that without them, other things are simply not going to work. Some examples include:
Proprioception – The word of the day.
I have spent quite a while developing my Exercise Workshop (being held in Skipton on July 4th, click here for details). And one of the major goals of it is to coach people to simply “move” better, safer and more efficiently. Because one thing I have noticed over the years, is how few people actually know what bits of their body are doing, and where those bits actually are!
Exercise Workshop – Romanian Deadlift (RDL)
The Romanian Deadlift (RDL) What does it do? Romanian Deadlift (RDL) This exercise strengthens the back, bum and back of legs. Why do it? To strengthen the back half of your body. A lot of us are over-strong in the front and weak at the back of the body. So this can help redress … Read more
Now taking bookings for my first Exercise Workshop.
Don’t forget, Sunday, July 4th from 10am – 12pm. My first exercise workshop covering safe, efficient and effective resistance training techniques. Click here to book your place on line, or you can come see me in the gym at Craven Fitness Centre. Bare in mind, I’ll only be there in the mornings these next couple … Read more
Coming soon…Exercise Workshop in Skipton
After weeks of fighting to get it arranged, I’m finally in a position to announce my first Exercise Workshop here in Skipton, North Yorshire! It will be an indepth tutorial on how to do some of the main, fundamental resistance exercises and how they cross-over to virtually every other exercise you do. It will cover … Read more
Fat and fit
I think I depressed one of my work colleagues today. I was showing them the scales that work out your body fat percentage. Unfortunately it gave a higher percentage than they hoped (it classed them as obese). So he asked how can he be classed as obese if he does so much training? Well, fitness … Read more
Priorities of losing fat
With 2 thirds of the UK population classed as overweight, there are plenty of people out there who want to lose some bodyfat. There are hundreds of diets to choose from, and thousands of “fat loss tips” to take in. And this can make things a little confusing for people. Which ones should you try? Which ones will work better? Which things are more important?
Common mistake: “What’s the best thing for…?”
A common mistake I’ve seen from many people I have trained with (from absolute beginners to those who are really very good). They want to know “The best thing for…”
Good luck Marion!
I want to say a big good luck to Marion who is running the Edinburgh marathon this Sunday! I’ve been watching her train and encouraging her this past year and she has been absolutely fantastic! She is retired, and last year decided she was going to run a marathon. It has been a difficult year with … Read more
Congratulations to Bex!
Just a quickie to say a huge well done to my friend Becky who won her second amature boxing match over the weekend. She travelled a round trip of 11 hours(!) and her opponent threw in the towel half way through the second round. She has been working very hard on her conditioning recently, but so … Read more
Inspiration…what is stopping you today?
We all have reasons or excuses why we can’t do something. Sometimes it is because we don’t have enough time, or it is too difficult, or we have forgotten our trainers today, or we’re feeling a bit hungover after last night.
But watch and read this short news story here about a group of wounded former and serving British soldiers who are in training to trek to the north pole next year. Their injuries include paralysed arms and amputated legs and any psychological traumas that accompany them.
Are you born fit/strong/fat or do you become fit/strong/fat?
I managed to have a lie-in this morning, and I ended up hearing this short discussion on the radio (click here to listen. It lasts less than 6 minutes). They were asking if great athletes are born, or are they made through training?
And the line that really caught my ear was:
“…the limiting factor in the vast majority of sports and most real life situations, is software”
Consistency…an update.
Following on from my previous post about consistency, a couple of people came up to me to ask:
“So shouldn’t I change my current workout then?”
Due to me never reading my posts before I publish them, I want to be a politician for a moment and “clarify” what I meant… What I meant to say was…
It’s election day…have you voted yet?
So have you voted yet? Are you going to vote today? I hope so. It sounds like a cliché, but better people than I have fought and died for my right to vote. The least I can do is honour that sacrifice and put a cross on a ballot paper. It doesn’t matter if you … Read more
Consistency
A very important factor that decides if an outcome is achieved or not, is consistency (simply doing something time and again and again and again). Do the following stories sound familiar?
Nearly a million obese Britons may be eligible for weight-reduction surgery
If you are in a good mood and want something to put a real downer on your day, take 2 minutes to read this story here…