Ready to get fit after the birth of your new baby? Jamie Eason is here to help. Check out her upcoming 12-week post-pregnancy plan and learn how you can achieve the best shape of your life!
Click on the link below to watch our funny video….
Bring Sally Up Challenge Last week we had some fun doing a Squat Challenge to Moby’s song “Flower” Thank you girls for being such good sports. x
Creatine supplements are used by athletes, bodybuilders, wrestlers, sprinters & other who just want to gain muscle mass. The body produces some of the creatine it uses, other sources come from protein rich foods such as meat or fish.
Creatine has the ability to increase muscle stores of PCr (phosphocreaine), potentially increasing the muscles ability to resynthesize the ATP from ADP to meet increased energy demands. Did you just say “What the?”
Confused???? If so watch this great video I recently found on Youtube How does Creatine work?
Extensive research has shown that oral creatine supplementation at a rate of 5 – 20 grams per day appears to be very safe & largely devoid of adverse side effects, while still being effective in improving the physiological response to resistance exercise, increasing the maximal force production of muscles.
A supplementation of creatine is not recommended for people with kidney or liver disease or diabetes. Others who should avoid taking it are children under 18 and women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
Summer is here, and everyone is wanting that washboard stomach. Well, don’t waste time on inefficient exercises a study conducted has taken the guess work out of it for you.
A team led by Peter Francis, Ph.D., and Jennifer Davis, M.A., in SDSU’s Biomechanics Lab, conducted the study. They recruited 30 women and men (20 to 45 years old). Each participant was reportedly in good health with an activity level ranging from occasional to daily exercise. The researchers asked participants to perform a variety of abdominal exercises at random while hooked up an EMG machine, which monitored their level of muscular activity as they worked each movement.
Using the collected data, the researchers were able to establish each exercise’s average level of muscle activity. Based on these numbers, the exercises were then ranked from best to worst.
The Results
Every tested exercise proved to be relatively effective—but some were more effective than others.
The Top Five Abdominal Exercises
Bicycle Crunch
Captain’s Chair
Stability Ball Crunches
Vertical Leg Crunch
Reverse Crunch
It’s best to choose based on your preferences and experience. No matter which exercises you choose, take the time to train and strengthen your abdominal muscles. Strong abdominal muscles can help with posture, alleviate lower back pain and contribute to your long-term health.
My job is both rewarding and frustrating. I hear all the excuses under the sun. People want the results, but unfortunately lack the determination to achieve their outcome. People have got to understand that they didn’t all of a sudden become overweight or unfit, it is a slow and graduate process that seems to creep up on them. And therefore the fix is not going to be a quick one. The quick fixes will not last, studies have shown over and over again dieters, the majority of the time will put the weight back on, and then some. It is a lifestyle change my darlings!! that will lead to a long lasting healthy life.
Andrew has lost 10cm from his waist, 18.3cm from his belly button & 9cm from his hips.
Anyway, I digress. I am very proud to share with you 2 people that have shown absolute dedication, consistency and focus in their fitness and weight loss goals. There have been many times of struggle & anguish, but they have stuck to their resolve and the results are remarkable.
EMMA & ANDREW These results were achieved in 87 Days. Look up “awesome” in the dictionary, and there should be a photo of these two fabulous people. They lost over 13kg each. Congratulations x
Emma has lost 10cm from her waist, 16.8cm from her belly button, and 7.5cm from her hips.
Emma has gone from a size 14 to a size 8
I won’t try to hide it, I am not a big fan of Cross Fit. It is the injury issue and poor form I have witnessed that I have a problem with. People should be properly educated on form, acceptable rep numbers, and the warning signs of when to stop, this is the responsibility of the instructors. There are plenty of Personal Trainers in my field of Strength and Conditioning out there too who aren’t strict on form either, shame on them.
There are a few ideas I have taken from Cross Fit and incorporated them in my own gym as my clients can confirm over the years. This week I will be incorporating some of the workouts specified in this article written by the awesome Christian Thibaudeau on T-Nation. 3-complexes-for-rapid-female-fat-loss. I, and my clients are fortunate however, that training is one on one, so strict form will be always adhered to at all times.
The Modified Cosgrove Complex – 6 Reps of each
1. Deadlift
2. Straight-Leg Deadlift
3. Romanian Deadlift
4. Bent-Over Row
5. Front Squat
6. Push Press
7. Back Squat
8. Good Morning
The Kettlebell Complex – 6 to 10 Reps of each
1. Overhead Squat
2. Squat
3. Swing
4. Bent-Over Row
5. Romanian Deadlift
The Waterbury Dumbbell Complex
1. Reverse Lunge, 6 reps per leg
2. Romanian Deadlift, 12 reps
3. Good Morning, 12 reps
4. Front Squat, 6 reps
5. Military Press/Push Press, 6 reps
6. Bent-Over Row, 6 reps
7. Floor Press, 12 reps
Let the fun and games begin.
I saw this recent article in the HUFFINGTON POST on the 18th October 2014. ” The 7 Best Strength Exercises You’re Probably Not Doing”. I thought mmmm, what could these be. I am very happy to report, that we do all of these exercises in my gym and have done for many many years.
Here is the article written by Eric Bach:
Every exercise in your strength program has a purpose — to help you build muscle, burn fat and improve your fitness. While there’s a time and a place for nearly any exercise under the right circumstance, some movements are simply more effective than others. And it should be no surprise that the ones that build a foundation for skills that you’ll use in real life will be the most beneficial for improving your fitness and quality of life.
So how does a lifter ensure they’re making all the right moves? If you’ve plateaued or just aren’t seeing the results you’re banking on, it’s time to get back to basics with these seven moves. From increased strength, better core stability, greater athleticism and improved overall health, these key exercises need to find their way into your routine.
1. Goblet Squat – Squats are an exercise many people struggle to perform safely and effectively. Luckily, the goblet squat is a great progression from a bodyweight squat before squatting with a bar. Because the load is held in front, the core works double-time to keep you tall, while your legs work to control your movement down and stand back up.
2. Pallof Press – The Pallof press is one of those movements that looks confusing, but is actually incredibly simple and beneficial. While you may not be hoisting heavy weight, the real challenge lies in resisting movement — in this case, rotation. That makes this an “anti-rotation” movement, forcing you to engage through your entire core: obliques, abs, lower back, glutes and more.
3. Dumbbell Row – Developing a strong back is key to balancing things out, improving posture and avoiding injury. The dumbbell row can help achieve all that, in addition to building strong arms and a strong core. The main muscles being used are the lats, traps and rhomboids, which reinforce good posture by pulling your shoulders back and aiding the core in stabilizing your spine
4. Push Up – The push up might appear basic, but it’s one of the best exercises you can do. The functional movement is great for training the upper-body pushing muscles — the anterior deltoids, triceps and chest. It also requires you to engage your core and allows full range of motion in your shoulder blades, unlike the bench press.
5. Split Squat – Traditional squats are great, but it’s important to incorporate single-leg movements to develop athleticism and minimize training imbalances. The split squat, a stationary lunge, does just that. The split stance requires you to balance with a narrow base of support, firing up stabilizing muscles of the hip and trunk while training your quads, glutes and hamstrings to perform the movement. In addition to building lower-body strength, the single-leg nature of the exercise helps improve balance and increase flexibility and stability in the hips.
6. Lateral Squat – The lateral squat combines two movements: a lateral lunge and a squat. It requires you to move side-to-side, providing a great stretch on the groin and inner thighs while training the hips, thighs and trunk to work together. Life isn’t strictly moving forwards and backwards. It’s best that your training isn’t either.
7. Hip Extensions (Glute Bridges/Hip Thrusts) – One of the most important muscle groups for any trainee — athlete, weekend warrior or newbie — is the glutes. Yet they are often neglected and underutilized from sitting for long periods each day. According to Campbell, “When we attempt movements from running to squatting without optimal hip movement we risk injury to our hips, knees and ankles. Getting glutes that not only switch on when they should but are strong is crucial, and that’s where this simple yet powerfully effective movement comes in.”
With all these exercises, pay close attention to form and execution. Continue to add weight to each lift once you can complete two more reps than prescribed with your training weight. Keep it up and after a few workouts you’ll start to notice rapid gains in strength and overall fitness. Within a few weeks you’ll have these exercises mastered and be on your way to having a body that better serves you!
CLICK HERE FOR A LINK TO THE FULL ARTICLE
Our Australian Government has the following physical activity recommendations for Adults between the ages of 18 – 64 years of age.
- Be active on most, preferably all, days every week.
- Accumulate 150 to 300 minutes (2 ½ to 5 hours) of moderate intensity physical activity or 75 to 150 minutes (1 ¼ to 2 ½ hours) of vigorous intensity physical activity, or an equivalent combination of both moderate and vigorous activities, each week.
- Do muscle strengthening activities on at least 2 days each week.
You can download their “Make your Move – Sit Less – Be active for life!” brochure from their website: http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/content/health-pubhlth-strateg-phys-act-guidelines#apaadult
Not convinced of the benefits of regular exercise?
Adding in a couple of strengthening sessions a week with your brisk walk or jog, and you can expect to build muscle, protect your heart, avoid obesity and even live longer.
Regular exercisers have a 40 percent lower risk of developing dementia, and a 60 percent lower risk of any type of cognitive impairment, according to a 2012 study. In young adults, regular exercise can increase bone mineral density by as much as 2 to 8 percent a year, according to the New York Times, helping to prevent dangerous falls and fractures later in life.
Some of the big differences between sedentary and active people are obviously beneficial, like a longer lifespan or a less-taxed heart. Others are a little less clear, like a higher maximal oxygen uptake, or VO2max, which reflects a regular exerciser’s increased capacity for aerobic exercise, or a more efficient sweating response, which helps regular exercisers cool their bodies quickly. Check out these and other differences exercise makes. Then go ahead and lace up those sneaks.
Here is the proof that exercise changes everything
some of this information was taken from The Huffington Post article written by Sarah Klein
Posted: 22/05/2014
Fit with HIIT:
Science Is Dropping The Hammer On Endless Bouts Of Steady-State Cardio.
Less is more … except when it applies to things you really don’t enjoy, that is.
Take cardio, for example. How much cardio does it take to burn through that stubborn layer of fat lingering around your abdomen?
Copious amounts–or at least that’s what it feels like at times, since the most pervasive methodology behind fat-burning involves seemingly interminable sessions of cardiovascular activity done at a sustained rate. Where cardio is concerned, the theory has always been more is more.
But all that’s about to change.
What would you say if we told you that the latest scientific research suggests shorter cardio sessions for crazy fat loss? How would you feel if you could actually end up burning more fat in the long run while holding on to more of your iron-wrought muscle? You can go ahead and smile–because it’s entirely true. High-intensity interval training, or HIIT, is on the fast track to becoming the standard for steady and sustained fat loss.
With HIIT, the workouts are shorter, yes, but you’ll actually be working harder than the guy on the treadmill next to you. HIIT is what it says high-intensity and the results are undeniable. If you’re used to wearing a heartrate monitor to judge the efficiency of your cardio, shelve it you won’t need it.
By cycling between bouts of all-out effort and short stretches of active recovery, a mirror will be all you need to gauge your progress.
Burning Debate
Bodybuilders and others have long used steady-state cardio, which involves low- to moderate-intensity exercise performed at 60%-70% of one’s maximum heart rate (MHR), to whittle away bodyfat. Trainers and other experts argue that since lower-intensity cardio exercise burns a higher percentage of fat for energy, slow and steady indeed wins the race. HIIT cardio, on the other hand, involves intervals of high-intensity exercise–at a rate near 90% MHR–followed by intervals of slower-paced active recovery. Anecdotal reports and early research on HIIT went against the steady-state establishment, claiming that it was the superior method of cardio for losing fat. And the exercise community, likely looking for a way to collectively limit its time on a conveyor belt, felt it was time for in-depth science to put an end to the developing debate. What they found, time after time, was that HIIT cardio was the best way to lose fat, despite the fact that it required less total time.
Studies
One of the earliest studies, done by researchers at Laval University (Ste-Foy, Quebec, Canada), kept it basic, using two groups in a months-long experiment. One group followed a 15-week program using HIIT while the other performed only steady-state cardio for 20 weeks. Proponents of steady-state training were pleased to hear that those subjects burned 15,000 calories more than their HIIT counterparts. Those who followed the HIIT program, however, lost significantly more bodyfat. A 2001 study from East Tennessee State University (Johnson City) demonstrated similar findings with subjects who followed an eight-week HIIT program. Again, HIIT proved to be the better fat-burner–subjects dropped 2% bodyfat over the course of the experiment. Meanwhile, those who plodded through the eight weeks on a steady-state program lost no bodyfat.
The most recent study, out of Australia, reported that a group of females who followed a 20-minute HIIT program consisting of eight-second sprints followed by 12 seconds of rest lost an amazing six times more bodyfat than a group that followed a 40-minute cardio program performed at a constant intensity of 60% MHR.
Turn Up The HIIT
So what is it about HIIT cardio training that sends bodyfat to the great beyond? There are actually several reasons, but the first and perhaps most important involves its effect on your metabolism.
A 1996 study from Baylor College of Medicine (Houston) reported that subjects who performed a HIIT workout on a stationary cycle burned significantly more calories during the 24 hours following the workout than those who cycled at a moderate, steady-state intensity due to a rise in resting metabolism. Why? Since HIIT is tougher on the body, it requires more energy (read: calories) to repair itself afterward. The previously mentioned 2001 East Tennessee State study found that test subjects in the HIIT program also burned nearly 100 more calories per day during the 24 hours after exercise.
More recently, a study presented by Florida State University (Tallahassee) researchers at the 2007 Annual Meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) reported that subjects who performed HIIT cardio burned almost 10% more calories during the 24 hours following exercise than a steady-state group, despite the fact that the total calories burned during each workout were the same.
What else the research confirms
Research also confirms that HIIT enhances the metabolic machinery in muscle cells that promotes fat-burning and blunts fat production. The Laval University study discovered that the HIIT subjects’ muscle fibers had significantly higher markers for fat oxidation (fat-burning) than those in the steady-state exercise group. And a study published in a 2007 issue of the Journal of Applied Physiology reported that young females who performed seven HIIT workouts over a two-week period experienced a 30% increase in both fat oxidation and levels of muscle enzymes that enhance fat oxidation. Moreover, researchers from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (Trondheim) reported that subjects with metabolic syndrome–a combination of medical disorders that increases one’s risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes–who followed a 16-week HIIT program had a 100% greater decrease in the fat-producing enzyme fatty acid synthase compared to subjects who followed a program of continuous moderate-intensity exercise.
More great news
The bonus to all this research is discovering that shorter exercise sessions will allow you to hold on to more muscle. Pro physique competitors often have to walk a fine line between just enough and too much steady-state cardio because the usual prescription of 45-60 minutes, sometimes done twice a day precontest, can rob muscles of size and fullness. Short, hard bursts of cardio, on the other hand, will help you preserve your hard-earned muscle mass. To illustrate the point, think about the size of a marathon runner’s legs compared to a sprinter’s legs–the sprinter, whose entire training schedule revolves around HIIT, possesses significantly more muscular thighs.
In the event you choose cycling as your primary method of HIIT cardio, you can actually add leg mass because of the increased recruitment of the growth-crazy, fast-twitch fibers in your thighs.
HIIT could be the only way to train for people looking to lose fat while adding and/or preserving muscle mass.
Rev It Up
No one enjoys doing cardio, but it’s a necessary component of reaching your physique goals. But that doesn’t mean it needs to be monotonous to be effective, and we’ve shown you the science to prove it. Turning up the heat on your workouts with HIIT will keep your gym time feeling productive while speeding up your fat oxidation–and in less time than you’d normally spend doing cardio.
If steady-state is the four-door sedan of cardio, HIIT is the Porsche–it’s sexier, and there’s enough under the hood to keep you blowing past the guy next to you.
Tips/Tricks
Time your HIIT sessions
Doing cardio after weights or in the morning on an empty stomach will burn the greatest amount of fat. During both of these times your body is slightly carb-depleted, making fat the primary fuel source for energy.
Preserve muscle
If you do cardio first thing in the morning, have a half-scoop of whey protein (about 10 grams) mixed in water or 6-10 grams of mixed amino acids before your session. This will help ensure that your body draws most of its energy from fat and these fast-digesting supplements instead of your muscle.
Supplement right
A fat-burning stack of caffeine and carnitine will enhance the amount of fat you burn during exercise.
Take 200-400 mg of caffeine along with 1.5-3 grams of carnitine (in the form of L-carnitine, acetyl-L-carnitine or L-carnitine L-tartrate) 30 minutes before your session.
Make it an uphill climb
Consider working hills into your HIIT cardio to add more detail to your hams and glutes. If you don’t have hills available, adjust the incline on a treadmill to simulate it. Be sure to drop the incline to level, or zero, during low-intensity intervals.
Get in and out
Limit HIIT cardio sessions to 20-30 minutes to maximize intensity while actually aiding muscle growth and preventing muscle loss.
Adjust for the lag
During intervals on a treadmill, there will be a slight lag time as the machine adjusts to the change in speed: By the time the treadmill is up to running speed, the fast interval portion is almost over. To keep your intensity high, begin the sprint portion of the interval when the machine has reached your target speed.
You can do this by counting seconds once the target speed is reached, or by straddling the sides of the treadmill as it gets up to speed.
Making HIIT Work For You
Below is a sample HIIT cardio workout. The training modes listed here are merely examples; feel free to substitute other cardio choices. The mode of training isn’t as important as the method you use. Each sprint, whether on foot or a stationary cycle, indicates an all-out effort. The active recovery intervals should be slow enough to get you ready for the next sprint.
Start using this workout to fine-tune your fat-fighting machine.
References
Boutcher, S.H., et al. The effect of high-intensity intermittent exercise training on autonomic response of premenopausal women. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 39(5 suppl):S165, 2007.
Gorostiaga, E.M., et al. Uniqueness of interval and continuous training at the same maintained exercise intensity. European Journal of Applied Physiology 63(2):101-107, 1991.
King, J.W. A comparison of the effects of interval training vs. continuous training on weight loss and body composition in obese premenopausal women (thesis). East Tennessee State University, 2001.
Meuret, J.R., et al. A comparison of the effects of continuous aerobic, intermittent aerobic, and resistance exercise on resting metabolic rate at 12 and 21 hours post-exercise. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 39(5 suppl):S247, 2007.
Talanian, J.L., et al. Two weeks of high-intensity aerobic interval training increases the capacity for fat oxidation during exercise in women. Journal of Applied Physiology 102(4):1,439-1,447, 2007.
Tjonna, A.E., et al. Superior cardiovascular effect of interval training vs. moderate exercise in patients with metabolic syndrome. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 39(5 suppl):S112, 2007.
Trapp, E.G., Boutcher, S.H. Fat loss following 15 weeks of high-intensity, intermittent cycle ergometer training. Obesity Reviews 341, 2006.
Treuth, M.S., et al. Effects of exercise intensity on 24-h energy expenditure and substrate oxidation. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 28(9):1,138-1,143, 1996.
Author: Jimmy Pena, MS, CSCS, and Jim Stoppani, PhD, with Eric Velazquez
If you still see exercise as an optional extra, not a health essential, science is finding more reasons to change your mind – including new research that suggests strong muscles are good medicine.
One of the most compelling findings of recent years is that muscles are actually a huge secretory organ and when we exercise them they release hormone-like chemicals that have a major influence on every system of the body, says Rob Newton, Foundation Professor of Exercise and Sports Science at Western Australia’s Edith Cowan University.
“Doing aerobic exercise and ignoring strength exercises is like remembering to change the oil in the car but ignoring the transmission fluid.”
The effects of these chemicals – called myokines – include reducing the low level inflammation in the body thought to contribute to heart disease, type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer’s – and possibly working as tumour suppressants.
“Some studies have found that extracting blood from exercising humans and adding it to cancer cells in test tubes slows the rate of cell reproduction,” he says. “In a study of mice, the growth of breast cancer cells was halted in mice that exercised, while the cancer continued developing in mice that were inactive.”
This may be one reason why exercise appears to help reduce the risk of some cancers and improve survival in people with cancer.
“Some types of exercise, including strength training, also produce a surge of the hormone testosterone which helps sharpen thinking and memory,” he adds.
Then there’s the effect of exercise on mitochondria, the little energy ‘factories’ in our cells – when you exercise your body makes more mitochondria – and the more you have the more you can do.
“But when you’re inactive, the numbers of mitochondria decline so it gets harder to do things,” Newton explains. “If you become ill when you already have fewer mitochondria it’s harder to recover.”
Examples like these show why an exercise habit is like a pill that boosts energy, strength and improves resistance to disease, he says – and if we want to reduce the risk of inactivity-driven diseases like heart disease, diabetes, cancer and Alzheimer’s, we need a regular dose all the way from childhood to old age.
Childhood and adolescence – fighting inactivity.
It’s not just grownups who’ve been forced into inactivity by 21st century lifestyles. When did you last see a toddler walking in a shopping centre? It’s more common to see toddlers and even older children sitting in strollers or shopping trolleys and it’s easy to see why – wheeling little kids around is more convenient than walking at their pace. Yet if you check Australia’s latest Physical Activity Guidelines, spending long periods in car seats and strollers isn’t on the to-do list – ‘all children (birth to 5 years) should not be sedentary, restrained, or kept inactive, for more than one hour at a time, with the exception of sleeping’ is the advice.
“Once I would have said that it’s in the teens when children leave school that physical activity declines, but kids are becoming less active at younger ages,” says Newton. “Screen time is up but there are also other factors including concerns about litigation or safety that lead to limits on what children are allowed to do – like banning monkey bars or even lunchtime sport in some schools.”
And although we hear a lot about kids needing calcium for strong bones, only physical activity will build bone, he adds.
Ironically, among the tips for bone and muscle building moves for 5 to 12 year olds from the Physical Activity Guidelines is … climbing or swinging on monkey bars and climbing frames. Other suggestions are games like tug o’ war (tugging is great for muscle) and hopscotch (jumping is good for bone), along with dance, gymnastics and martial arts.
Prime time for bone growth is childhood, adolescence and young adulthood – getting as much bone in the ‘bank’ between now and 30 is a hedge against the gradual bone loss that starts after 40.
20 to 50 – Exercise boosts performance.
Because these are peak years for building careers and families, time is often short – but being physically active helps mind and body work better, improving productivity, Newton says.
“If you say, ‘I’ve got kids – there’s no time to exercise’, it’s worth remembering that you won’t be much good for your kids if you have a heart attack.”
While aerobic exercise to prevent heart disease is important, we also need two to three sessions of strength training a week, he says.
“Doing aerobic exercise like walking, running or cycling and ignoring strength exercises is like remembering to change the oil in the car regularly but ignoring the transmission fluid.”
50 -65 Disease-proofing for better health
An exercise habit now will help stave off chronic diseases that can blight older age.
“If you’re planning to travel in retirement but get to 65 with problems like overweight, arthritis and muscle loss it won’t be so much fun,” says Newton, stressing that conserving muscle and bone with strength training helps head off frailty further down the track.
Walking is terrific for helping prevent cardiovascular disease but does nothing for building muscle or bone.
“Regular strength training also provides muscles with a built-in repair kit. It causes satellite cells attached to the outside of muscle cells to proliferate and donate nuclei to muscle tissue, allowing new cells to grow and repair – so even though you’re older, muscles are still strong and tuned for repair and growth.
“Exercising muscle also helps control blood glucose levels – if you have low muscle mass you can’t control blood sugar levels so well and this increases diabetes risk.”
60 plus – getting with the strength
You’d think that the generation most likely to pick up weights are 20 or 30-somethings doing CrossFit, but strength training now has considerable traction with the over-60s, says Newton. Many have joined Living Longer, Living Stronger – a program of strength training classes available in some states to reduce age-related decline and improve health.
“It doesn’t have to be strength training at the gym – it can be gardening if there’s lifting and digging involved. The number one reason people go into dependent care is frailty – this is the age group with the most to lose if muscle strength dwindles, but a lot to gain if they can slow muscle loss down.”
Written by Paula Goodyer is a Walkley award winning health writer – Published in the Sydney Morning Herald 7 April 2014
