Weight Loss....

This is well worth a read....I am not claiming credit for writing it, it was written by a Sh1t-Hot Personal Trainer in Cardiff whose Blog I follow.  I just thought I'd share it with you :)

Weight loss is primarily about food, and what you do, or don’t consume.

I’ve had clients who have stated at the initial taster, “I don’t mind exercising, but I don’t want to change or limit what I’m eating or drinking” Really?

So exercising for 2 hours a week is going to get the fat dropping off you, while you still indulge in a takeaway once or twice a week, a cake or chocolate bar once or twice a day, and that big drinking session on Friday and/or Saturday night?

Dream on……! Exercise and nutrition is a joint package, it’s a lifestyle, and surely we all want to be fit, look good, and be healthy?

If you look at food and exercise in terms of calories you’ll see why food and fluids should be looked at initially. If you ate a chocolate bar or a cake that could quite easily total 200-300 calories. To expend that many calories through exercise, you would have to do a x 20 Minute WOD, at a high intensity level. Which is easier? A 20minute WOD or not eating a chocolate bar or cake?

(If you’re saying, “but I like them!” that’s fine once a week if you’ve been sensible the rest of the week, but if not, you seriously need to re-address and look at your goals! – you know who you are!)

Men and women are consuming too many calories above their recommended daily allowance; They’re often eating 1000 kcals more daily.

It is far easier to reduce your calorie intake than it is having to exercise more.
Always think about food in terms of exercise calories, it will put things into perspective.

Three pints of beer is about 600 kcals, a few glasses of wine will be over 350 kcals. A meal out, or a takeaway, can easily total up to over 1000kcals, which is half a recommended man’s intake and 2/3 of a woman’s intake.

If weight loss is your goal, it will all come down to your food and fluid intake, bottom line. Remember even if the food is small, it may well be energy dense and hold a lot of calories. Control what you’re eating and you will reach your ideal weight, and combined with our exercise sessions, you’ll be looking and feeling great too!

Food is one factor YOU can control. YOU are in charge and responsible for yourself!

I can guide you and push you each and every day to follow my Healthy Eating Plan, but I cannot control what you put in your Mouth.

Well written...it's definitely
..Food for thought!

Let's go back outside....

Day 2 of ... 'taking it outside' :) Following on from my basic KB swings I then moved on to a one-armed Overhead Press with Squat. It takes a little while to get this technique right. You're holding the lighter KB(12kg for me but work to your own capability) behind your tricep (back of upper arm)/shoulder. Squeeze your armpit so that your Lat (side of upper back) touches your tricep. Press bell straight up by squeezing everything tightly and keep the movement slow and controlled. Your forearm remains vertical throughout. On your downward move, come down to a squat and then driving through your heels rise up and push through to the Overhead Press. Don't stop halfway up and turn the exercise into a shoulder press....drive through the heels and make it one smooth continuous move. It is not easy...it will burn...but it will be worth it in the long-run ;)  If you're finding it too tough with the squat, just leave the squat out.  Just work to your own capability...you will get stronger and you will improve.

 

If you can, do 3 X 20 of the Double-Arm Swings and 3 X 10 of the

Overhead Press with Squat. Failing that, just do as many as you can with good

technique as this is more important than the reps :)

I did some 'Burpees' and some 'Jumping Jacks' between my sets just to keep my heart-rate up or you can 'Jog-On-The-Spot' WITH high knees. 

You could also do some 'Planks' or some 'Push Ups' if you preferred to keep the work-out 'low'.

Advanced 'plank' with raised leg. Basic with both feet on ground. 3 X 30 secs hold

The plank is one of the best endurance exercises for abs, core, hips and back. Build a hard core with this deceptively simple exercise. Squeeze everything, don't let your back sag, don't push your bum in the air, remain perfectly straight and strong!  The longer you can maintain this pose the better/stronger you'll become :)

Press ups on your knees or on your toes.  As many as you can for 30 secs

Benefits of Push-Ups to Women

Women typically have less upper body strength than men. While there has been an increase in womens' weightlifting, many women are not comfortable lifting barbells and heavy dumbbells. Push-ups can be the great equaliser. Women who do push-ups can quickly build strength in the chest, upper arms, forearms and wrists. Doing three sets of 10 to 15 push-ups is a great starting point for women who want to get stronger.

Building Core Strength

In addition to building upper body strength and gaining more power in the arms, shoulders and hands, push-ups done with the proper form will help build the core muscles in the middle of your body. To do push-ups properly, your elbows must be fully extended at the start and end of a push-up, your toes should be on the floor and your legs, hips and back should be straight.

As I mentioned before, I'm training to achieve this proper push-up...chest to ground, feet together, on the toes 'n all that...I'm fit and relatively strong, but I find it tough.  It's a goal and a real challenge for me.  I hope to have improved greatly by the Summer.  I'll keep you posted.

All comments, suggestions, feedback welcome.

I would love to know what you all think..

Is this of any benefit to any of you?

I'm having fun with it and would love if you could too :)

Now, get out to that garden....enjoy!

My secret is out....

And you all wondered why I train so god-damned hard.....

Boston.com/Health BLOG: White Coat Notes

Women's health

Orgasms when you exercise? Research suggests it’s possible

By Deborah Kotz, Globe Staff

Have you ever heard of a coregasm? That’s an orgasm that occurs from engaging your core muscles when you exercise. I certainly hadn’t until I read a new Indiana University study published this week that confirms what Cosmopolitan magazine has been telling its readers for years: it’s actually possible, at least in women.

The study, which surveyed 530 women who volunteered to answer questions about their sexual feelings when exercising, found that 370 of the survey respondents reported experiencing either an orgasm or sexual pleasure when they exercised. About one-third of that group said they occasionally had all-out orgasms most often while doing abdominal exercises, which strengthen core muscles, as well as climbing ropes, weight lifting or running.

Those sound like ridiculously high numbers to me, and study author Debby Herbenick told me that the study wasn’t designed to get the real incidence of exercise-induced orgasms -- just to prove they actually occur and to get a sense of the kinds of activities that bring them on.

She’d been hearing from female students enrolled in her human sexuality course that this happened to them when they exercised, which spurred her to conduct a survey. The results were published in the peer-reviewed journal, Sexual and Relationship Therapy.

“We don’t really know why these orgasms happen,” said Herbenick, “but I prefer not to call them coregasms since they sometimes involve genital friction -- biking, spinning, pole climbing -- not just working the core muscles.”

A majority of the study participants said the pleasure they received from exercise made them self-conscious about exercising in front of other people, but many said they could avoid particular activities or, say, limit the amount of crunches to keep sensations under control in public.

Researchers have been studying the arousal effects of exercise for some time, but this is the first study to actual examine orgasms themselves. Next up for Herbenick? She’s planning to conduct a survey to see if the phenomenon occurs in men.

“I’ve heard from a number of men in recent days who’ve told me they experience the same thing when exercising,” she said. “That surprised me since I’d never heard from any before.”

I’ve decided to take my own informal survey. Feel free to answer the poll below.

Have you ever experienced an orgasm while exercising?

Eh...answers on a postcard please.

Thought you might have a giggle at that one folks.

And oh.. erm.. by the way...

the answer is 'no'...

but hope springs eternal :))

Let's go outside....

Oh what a beautiful day....we don't get too many of these in The Emerald Isle so I decided to make the most of it and do some outdoor training with my newly bought Kettlebells and other pieces of training equipment.

My warm-up was a jog around the block, ending with an up-hill slog (that wasn't a typo) back to the house.  I was well warmed up...I was positively 'glowing'..

I used a 16kg for my two-armed exercises and a 12kg for my one-armed exercises...not for the faint-hearted...I did have to build myself up to these weights over the past 6 months *phew*

I started with basic Two-handed KB Swings. Stand with feet a little wider than your shoulders. Place 2 hands on the bell, hike it back between your legs so your forearms are in your groin. Keep your core (abs) tight, chin up and face forward.

Shoot your HIPS straight forward and drive through your heels. At the same time your HIPS should come forward, torso rises, your arms and bell move in an arc forward to SHOULDER height only (any higher and you loose the benefit of the move). As the bell reaches the peak of the swing, forcefully contract your glutes (bum), hamstrings (back of thigh) and abs but keep your arms 'soft' with just enough tension to hold the bell. Elbows slightly bent.

You should stand tall (without leaning back) with your abs tight and your pelvis tucked under. The bottom of the bell is in line with your straight wrists.  Just reverse the movement by pushing your hips back.  The arms trace their path back between your legs.  Continue to keep your Lats (upper back) tight, chest out, shoulders down and in, and wrists straight. The moved is more of a backwards and forwards motion rather than up and down motion. I like to think of it like a pendulum move.  Tips:  The weight should be in your heels the whole time.  Keep your core tight. Face forward to enable you to keep a neutral spine. You're driving with your heels, HIPS, bum and hamstrings with this move. Breathe (blow) out on exertion and in on the way back.

I do 3 X 20 reps with some 'Jumping-Jacks' or 'Burpees' in between sets to keep the heart-rate up.

Sometimes I do some 'Push-ups' in between sets when I want to keep it 'low' and work more of the core.

Do as many as you can for 30 seconds.  These can be done on your knees or I have been training to enable me to do them on my toes, feet together, chest to the ground...I can manage 5 in a row with perfect technique...not many you may think but harder for us ladies to do than you might think....I'll get there!

Although I did a further 4 different type of KB exercises, I'm only going to show you the basic 'Two-handed Swing' today....I show you another soon :)

The Bells are a fantastic all over body work-out as I've mentioned many many times.  They have helped me achieve me current level of fitness along with cardio/vascular indoor cycling classes.

Try KettleBell classes...

you'll be amazed with the results...

Just 20 mins a day...

How Can I Start Getting in Shape in 20 Minutes a Day?

Interval training is the shortcut to exercise and fitness. If you can spare just 20 mins a day, then 20 minutes of exercise a day is enough to seriously improve your fitness.  Interval training is included in the Spin Classes I attend.  We climb for say 2 minutes on moderate resistance, then drop the resistance and sprint, flat out, for a minute....timings vary from class to class.  Do you know what interval training is all about or how to get started? This is what you need to know....

Interval training is a great way to fit the recommended 30 minutes of exercise, five days a week, into a busy schedule. Basically, it compacts your workout into short, intensive bursts so you can get them done in 20 minutes. A recent study suggests you can use interval training in place of regular exercise. The study also suggests you can get started right away even if you're out of shape. We'll take a quick look at interval training and then check out a few exercises you can do without a gym.

The Basics of Interval Training

In simple terms, interval training means: Push yourself almost as hard as you can for a little while, then pull back and rest for a little while, and then repeat. So, if you're jogging, you push yourself near you maximum for one minute, then turn down and lightly jog for another minute.

Or what I do when I'm on the treadmill, jog along at a pace of about 8.8 for 3 mins & then increase the speed to 13 (running pace) for 40 seconds, and then I return to the 8.8 for another 3 to 4 mins and repeat.  I do this for 20 mins...I have to admit that I hate it because I hate jogging/running... but it works.

What does maximum mean exactly? It's different for everyone, but it's gauged on a 1 to 10 scale, where 10 is somewhere around, "My lungs are on fire and I can't feel my legs" and 1 is "I'm too lazy to change the channel." The scale is based on your heart rate and you can get a rough estimate of your maximum heart rate by subtracting your age from 220. Most interval training workouts want you to push yourself to around an 8 or 9, which is the equivalent to about 80% or 90% of your maximum heart rate. If you're 30 years old, your maximum is 190. 90% of that is 171.

Interval training burns the same amount of calories as (and possibly more than) a traditional workout. A lot of variations on the timing in interval training are out there, but here are two of the most popular.

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT): This has you pushing yourself at about 90% of your maximum for one minute and then resting for one minute. You repeat this 10 times for a total of 20 minutes.

Tabata: Tabata is the same idea, but shrinks down the time period. Here, you push to your absolute max for 20 seconds and then rest for 10 seconds. This is great if you have a hill in your neighbourhood where you run up the hill at full speed, walk down, and repeat. Like HIIT, you can integrate this into pretty much any workout.

Interval training can save you a lot of time and shrink your workout down to a short period that you can fit it into your day. Here are a few ideas for getting started with your workout.

No Gym Necessary

Alternating between jogging and walking or running and jogging is the easiest way to start interval training. It's simple and works no matter what shape you're in. The benefit is, instead of having to sustain a jog for 30 mins you only have to get in 10 mins of hard work. Start by jogging for a full minute, then slow down to a fast walk for another minute. Repeat this 10 times for a total of 20 minutes.
Even better, an exercise App like RunKeeper allows you to set timed intervals and prompt you to start and stop with a "coach".

Skipping

You have a few different options to use interval training in skipping. You can switch from jumping on both feet for a duration of time, to jumping on one. If you don't have the strength to handle that, one minute of jumping rope followed by one minute of running in place will also do the trick. Again, repeat this 10 times for a total of 20 minutes of exercise.

Running in Circles

If you wanted to, you could run around in circles for one minute, then walk backwards for one minute. As long as you push your body near the maximum 10 times in 20 minutes you're doing it right. As with any exercise, be careful. If you suffer from any heart conditions talk with your doctor before you start. Interval training is a great way to fit an entire workout into a very small section of time, and with new research suggesting it's just as good as a regular-length workout, it's probably not a bad idea to start doing it now.

So grab a friend or two for encouragement, and get going..
...let me know how you get on :)

On your bike....

..Hi there, I cannot believe that I haven't written about this before?!  It's my favourite form of endurance and cardiovascular exercise...I love it <3

I started spinning about 3 years ago and when I did, I hated it!  I had an assessment at the gym and the Instructor suggested I do a couple of spin classes and a couple of 'Body Pump' classes (resistance training) a week.  I wanted to loose body fat whilst getting fit and this is what was suggested.  When I first started..I couldn't keep up in the class. I was puffing..I was panting..I had a stitch..I was in pain..I was miserable BUT I didn't give up.  I kept going back until I found it getting easier and easier as I got fitter and fitter.  I'm now at the stage where I feel I own the bike and not the other way around. Emma (my daughter) her friend was at a couple of classes I was at and she told her afterwards that I was 'animal' at Spin...I think that's a good thing? :)

Spin class is one class where it's really up to the individual how hard you push yourself.  The more you increase your resistance and the more you increase your speed while doing this...the fitter you'll get and the more calories you'll buuuuurrn :) I push myself to the limit in every class, sweat like a divil but I love the rush I get from it.

Here are some benefits of Spinning:

It's a fantastic way to improve cardiovascular health, stamina, leg and core (ab) strength.  You won't see immediate results of your abdominal work, but over time you will feel your entire body begin to tone up, including your abs.

You literally work every leg muscle during each cycle stroke. Additionally, the heart (actually a muscle) is worked and the lungs increase their capacity over time.  Spinning makes your heart pump at 80 percent of its capacity as opposed to 50 to 65 percent normally. These are huge benefits of spinning.

Calorific burn depends on several variables but in general, I burn between 600-700 calories as a result of a 40 minutes class.  I can feel myself getting stronger each time I attend a class.

Indoor cycling is geared to many repetitions with a resistance you can maintain over that time, which results in toning and strengthening of muscle, not increased size. Yet another one of many benefits of spinning!

Spinning also builds mental strength. When you spin, there are good days and bad. The important thing is that you carry through with your regular Spinning routine. Push through difficult times. Push up hill climbs and push through endurance training.

Self discipline of the mind gained in Spinning can be applied to all areas of life. I have found it most beneficial in areas of self-control and confidence. Spinning helps develop a positive, "can do" attitude.

Trainers recommend Spinning no more than three days a week. In addition to Spinning, strength training is recommended (Pump or Kettlebell class) so that Spinning does not burn away muscle, but burns the fat you want to get rid of....and believe me...it will!

I'd also say riding to some awesome 'choons' whilst enjoying the fabulous Italian countryside on the screen in front of you is also one of the many benefits of spinning!

Try it...you'll end up loving it!

Functional fitness....

I may just source a tractor tyre for my back garden....hmmm

Functional Fitness, most people have never heard of it and it may sound very odd.
Basically it is about training your body to deal with real life situations. It's linking fitness to real functions and is designed to reflect movements and functions found in everyday life....pulling a sled...chopping wood etc.

Functional fitness and functional exercise are the latest gym buzzwords. They focus on building a body capable of doing real-life activities in real-life positions, not just lifting a certain amount of weight in an idealised posture created by a gym machine.
Just for example.....yesterday you had a great session at the gym. You're bench-pressing more weight than ever before, and pulling enough weight on the seated rowing machine to try out for a top rowing team....feeling pretty chuffed with yourself....

Today, you attempt to lift a 20 kg suitcase to carry it downstairs... and pull your back *ouch*  What happened? In all likelihood, you're not paying enough attention to your functional fitness. You might be toned, tight, and ready for the beach, but is your training functional as in functional for everyday life. Are you ready to lift your baby/toddler out of their car seat or lift a box from the floor?

You're probably thinking, “What’s the point of that... I’ll never have any need to chop wood or pull a sled?”

But the great thing about functional fitness is that you use ordinary objects found around the home or the garage. You don’t need expensive equipment or a fancy gym to get fit. A sledgehammer is not only much cheaper than a cable machine, but you might actually be able to use it for other tasks as well...like smashing your old furniture up for fire-wood! I've just remember that my Mother's old dining room table is still sitting in her back garden..that could be project no.1 for me :)

Functional fitness is a simpler approach to fitness. The point is to get fit, not to spend lots of money on machines and gym memberships. Functional fitness practitioners use simple and versatile equipment like the skipping rope, kettlebells or home-made sandbags. 

Practitioners of functional fitness enjoy training outside or in a fairly basic indoor environment...clear out that garage.  Simple and functional environments are appreciated as much as simple and functional equipment.

We are fortunate to have a large (sometimes I think too bloody large) back garden..we're not overlooked..we have the bells..we have the skipping rope..we have a 13' trampoline..the fine weather is coming in..and Derms might make me a present of a tractor tyre..? I think it may be time to start with our functional fitness at no. 36..

Easily pleased...

Look at what I got :)

Yep romance is not dead in this house.  Hubby arrived home with a set of Kettlebells for us.  We are awaiting the 'baby'...he's 8kg and he's to be named 'Young', to join his brothers....'Crosbie', 'Stills' & 'Nash'.    Yes, only if you are of a certain age will you know who these individuals are....but they did belt out an occasional good 'choon'....well perhaps not 'choon'....probably more a 'tune' in their time.  Ahhh, those carefree days of a friend's front room, Johnny Blue cigs, mugs of Lyons tea and crackly vinyl.  Happy times *day-dream* :)..

Sorry, I went off on one there..back to the bells.  I know I 'posted' about them before and at the risk of repeating myself.....they are a fan-bloody-tastic work out.

Derms bought the book from Amazon and finds it very informative.  He doesn't attend classes like I do, so he is self-taught and works out at his gym in work. He is in fantastic shape for a man his age, thanks to a balanced diet, cardio workouts, resistance training and Kettlebells (he won't allow me to post a 'shirtless pic though')..you'll just have to take my word for it :) This book is complete with step-by-step photographs to show you the correct technique.

So if you're looking to:

*  burn fat and build muscle

*  enhance balance and coordination

*  increase hand and foot speed

*  improve sports performance

*  boost endurance and core strength

..these bells along with the 'Ultimate Kettlebell Workbook' will teach you the proper way to do the lifts along with the variations so you use your Kettlebells safely and effectively to transform your workout and hence develop strength and power to a well-toned and fit body.

Incidentally, for the lady beginners, Argos are selling Bells too in lighter weights and in cutesy colours...worth a look.

I'm looking forward to the warm fine weather coming in so we can take our bells to the back garden and have a good aul' workout al fresco. 

Told you....I'm easily pleased :)

Get it into ye...

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These are my basic daily fluids.  I drink up to 3 litres of water a day and perhaps slightly more when I'm training. As well as the benefits listed on the diagram below, drinking water also gives you healthy skin, reduces the risk of a heart attack, gets us energised and alert, keeps us 'regular' and helps us burn more fat & build more muscle :) Functions of Water in The Body Now for the Green Tea...yuck...I hear you say...yes it's an acquired taste but stick with it. I buy the Clipper range as it tastes 'good' and is 'Fairtrade'. The Miracle of Green Tea

"Better to be deprived of food for three days, than tea for one." (Ancient Chinese Proverb)

I don't think any other drink is reported to have as many health benefits as green tea? The Chinese have known about the medicinal benefits of green tea since ancient times, using it to treat everything from headaches to depression. In her book Green Tea: The Natural Secret for a Healthier Life, Nadine Taylor states that green tea has been used as a medicine in China for at least 4,000 years.
Today, scientific research in both Asia and the west is providing hard evidence for the health benefits long associated with drinking green tea. For example, in 1994 the Journal of the National Cancer Institute published the results of an epidemiological study indicating that drinking green tea reduced the risk of esophageal cancer in Chinese men and women by nearly sixty percent. University of Purdue researchers recently concluded that a compound in green tea inhibits the growth of cancer cells. There is also research indicating that drinking green tea lowers total cholesterol levels, as well as improving the ratio of good (HDL) cholesterol to bad (LDL) cholesterol.

To sum up, here are just a few medical conditions in which drinking green tea is reputed to be helpful:

cancer

rheumatoid arthritis

high cholesterol levels

cariovascular disease

infection

Other Benefits

New evidence is emerging that green tea can even help dieters. In November, 1999, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published the results of a study at the University of Geneva in Switzerland. Researchers found that men who were given a combination of caffeine and green tea extract burned more calories than those given only caffeine or a placebo.
Green tea can even help prevent tooth decay! Just as its bacteria-destroying abilities can help prevent food poisoning, it can also kill the bacteria that causes dental plaque. Meanwhile, skin preparations containing green tea - from deodorants to creams - are starting to appear on the market.

Drinking up to five cups a day has been shown to decrease risk for stomach cancer. For weight loss and to boost your metabolism, the best results have been seen with drinking seven cups a day (this was studied in mice though and has yet to be studied directly on humans). Additionally many other medical studies have shown the the more green tea consumed daily the greater the benefits, with 10 cups being the upper limit. If you are sensitive to caffeine, or suffer from insomnia, 10 cups of green tea is probably going to be too much for your system, regardless of the benefits.

Having said all this..."I am no Angel"...and also enjoy a tipple or two or...or...I just ensure I hydrate well afterwards...

Going forwards...

I can 'shoulder press' at home when I can't get to the gym..

..but facing backwards...perhaps my best side :)  Just letting you know how I'm getting on with my two current projects (1) my weight training programme to improve my upper body strength and (2) my course in Exercise, Nutrition & Personal Training.

Firstly, my programme is going quite well, considering I'm not always finding the time to get to the gym to do it three times per week as I should.  I've managed to 'lower' the bar, a notch, for my 'up' the rack push-ups. I'm now pressing 2' from the ground, feet together and bar to chest...5 X10 sets...whew! The idea is to keep lowering the bar until eventually I'm pushing comfortably and with strong technique, from the ground.

I'm not going to bring a camera to the gym to show you how it's done, so I just found pics of 'Bob' in his work shirt and hat to demonstrate.  It's a great way for you girls to train to get off the knees and into a real press-up, as they are a fantastic overall body work out.

I'm getting a little stronger with eccentric chin ups.  These are about getting your chin above the bar, holding it (and your body of course) there without movement for as long as you can (Isometric Muscle Contractions) approx 12 secs for me and then lowering yourself as slowly as possible (Eccentric Muscle Contractions) approx 7 secs for me.  As I improve the lowering should take me longer and longer.  I only do three of these until my technique improves.

Don't think my back with ever look this good though :)

There are other exercises, Pull downs, Shoulder presses etc. as part of the programme but I'll spare you the details.

Secondly, my course is coming along swimmingly, although it is intense. There are four different sections to the course, Anatomy, Physiology, Exercise to Music & Resistance Training and they are all starting to click together for me.  My fellow students are the best, we really gel well and enjoy each others company.  One of the guys has set up our own Group page on FB and we are having our first night out at the end of the month.  Smoothies and salads all round....eh...

Finding time in a week for 3 classes, study, work-outs and family is challenging.  However, it's more challenging for those who have to work and travel from various parts of the country (some as far as Wexford).  There are quite a few people in the class who have to do this and they deserve and have my respect and admiration.

There are loads of you out there doing courses and studying...how are you getting on? I'd really love to know and also I'd welcome any study tips :)

Raise your metabolism..

So what is your metabolism?

Well basically, your metabolism, is what determines how many calories your body burns each day. It is affected and controlled by your thyroid, and is largely a factor of your muscle mass. For every 0.5 pound of muscle you add, your body will burn 25 calories per day, just to maintain it, let alone further calories burnt training and further developing the muscle. This equates to 9140 kcals per year, or just over 2.5lbs of fat.

So you can see that gaining and maintaining just 2.5lbs of lean muscle will assist in burning over 13lbs or 1 stone of fat over the next year!
This is through lean muscle gain – add on the cutting out of bad foods, short sharp interval training, and you’ll be dropping fat by the load!

I mentioned in a previous Post the benefits of resistance training and this is just another benefit of resistance training over steady state cardio!


Below are 7 key tips for raising your metabolism:

1) Exercise – it’s a sure-fire way to increase the amount of muscle you have, which in turn will speed up your metabolism. Do a mixture of short, sharp, cardio and resistance training for best results and continued calorie burning effect. High intensity work is more beneficial than slow laboured workouts. Lean muscle gain is the key!

2) Eat little and often – there’s evidence that eating small, regular meals throughout the day, rather than one or two large meals, will help to keep your metabolism high. Aim to eat small every 3 hours. Surprisingly, around 10% of the calories we use each day go on digesting and absorbing food – so the more times you eat, the greater this effect is likely to be.

3) Eat a decent protein and nut breakfast  - as your body has been asleep overnight, it is ready for nutrients to feed and fuel it for the next few hours. What you eat should also rev up your metabolism.

4) Eat plenty of protein-rich foods, preferably with each meal – research shows that around 25% of calories in a protein-rich meal may be burnt off. But make sure you choose low-fat protein foods such as lean meat, skinless chicken, and fish.

5) Spice up meals - spices like chilli are thought to raise metabolism by up to 50% for up to three hours after eating, due to increasing your heart rate. However, I don't really mean an Indian take-away :)  Maybe try chilli’s in your food and spices such as Cinnamon to help speed things up.

6) Swap your daily cup of Barrys for green tea – yep I know..it's yucky..it's an acquired taste but then again so is Guinness but the end result is veeeeery different :) There’s evidence that green tea contains antioxidants that speed up metabolism.

7) Get some kind of exercise in daily - even if its a walk at lunchtime, climbing the stairs at work etc. anything to get the heart rate up and the body working. Off the bum-bum and onto the feet!

Your metabolism is your main fat loss key…keep it high and work it hard!

GO GO GO...