TIPS FOR XMAS WORKOUTS

So we all know how hard it is to keep up with the training over Christmas. Excuses creep into your head like "Im going to be stuffing myself full of chocolates and turkey so whats the point in exercising" and "I'll start again properly in the new year" etc etc.

This is all well and good and having a break from training, especially if you put a lot of effort into your sessions and go hard, is actually not a bad idea as it will give the body time to recover properly. But do you really want to stop exercising completely? You know how hard it is going to be to get going again!

So here are a few tips for getting the most out of the 'down' time over the holidays:

1) Try and get to the gym (or train outside) at least twice a week for the next two weeks. This will keep your eye in and the routine that you have done so well to build up will still be there.

2) Dont follow your normal plan or session. Do something completely different and do whatever you feel like doing. If you always run on the treadmill, run outside round the block. If you always lift heavy weights, lighten the load but increase the reps. Try and mix it up.

3) Dont have any preconceived ideas about what you want to achieve. Dont plan to set any new records. Just go in and enjoy being in the gym. Sometimes we can forget to enjoy actually being in the moment and feeling our bodies as they workout. I know it always feels good afterwards but try and enjoy the actual training!

4) Take a little longer stretching before and after training. For lots of people this is their weakest area so leave aside 10 minutes of good strecthing pre-workout and 15-20 minutes post-workout.

5) Just have fun! Break out of the normal routine you follow. Its easy to get in a rut. Look on the internet, get some new exercises and go try them out (remember to ask any of the trainers for a hand if you are unsure how to do them)

By doing some or all of the things above you will fly through the Christmas period feeling great and you wont get lethargic and out of the habit of visiting the gym. Yes, we are all going to eat a lot more than perhaps we normally do (if you cant sit down in front of the TV and polish off a box of chocolates on christmas day then when can you!) but by popping down to the gym a few times and training light you will be ready come the new year to hit a training plan with enthusiasm! Not trudging through the first few weeks trying to get back into it.

Hope this helps and have a great Christmas!

CHRISTMAS GIFT VOUCHERS

Still got presents to buy? How about a personal training voucher?

Perhaps you know a friend who likes to train and could use some motivation or a change of routine. Perhaps its someone who has been thinking about getting a trainer for a while but hasnt got round to it. Or maybe you want to get a friend or partner interested in training so that you get a workout buddy!

I have three types available:

3 x 1 hour CrossFit Intro voucher * = £100

3 x 1 hour regular session gift voucher = £80

1 hour regular session gift voucher = £30

* the CrossFit Intro voucher is for anyone interested in CrossFit and who wants to know more about its methodology. All 9 foundational CrossFit movements are looked at and taught (scaled as necessary) and an insight into the Paleo diet is given. The session is topped off with a Workout of the Day.

Gift Vouchers come as a printed voucher and named to the recipient.

Drop me an email if you are interested and i will take your details.
(bodylinkfitness@hotmail.co.uk)

Happy Christmas!

DAY 6 - FOAM ROLLER-ING

Okay, so the pain is subsiding a little!!
Its interesting actually as im using a brand new roller at home which is very dense whilst the one i use at the gym is a fair bit softer. I used to find the gym one painful, especially on the IT Band, but after completing nearly a week on the harder one at home (and getting deeper into the tissues because of it) the gym roller is now a walk in the park! Happy days.

Ive also found a really beneficial part to roll; the upper insertion of the rec fem, sartorius and TFL (basically the top of the thigh) immediately below the anterior hip bone. Hips feel a lot looser after five minutes in that area. And that point is kind of a nice pain! :)

Still following Kelly Starretts mobility WOD. Its a great blog and fair play to the guy for posting a video EVERY day! He knows his stuff.

14 DAY FOAM ROLLER EXPERIMENT

Ive never had a problem with pushing myself with any kind of training you throw at me but unless i am doing a yoga class or some such, i have to say, like many people im sure, my stretching and mobility routines are pretty thin on the ground!
Ive been inspired by the blog of Kelly Starrett who is a bit of a guru in the whole mobility world and posts some great videos on strecthing and mobility:

http://mobilitywod.blogspot.com/

So i have now purchased a foam roller (damn its hard!) from Nick Rivett Sports in Hove and am challenging myself to use it for at least 20 minutes a day from now until Christmas. It will be interesting to see the effects.
I have never suffered too bad before with aches and pains post training but a combination of me getting older (!!) and lots of olympic lifting lately has left my hips, glutes and IT bands pretty tight. Im going to steamroll my way back to looseness with the big white foam thing.

Watch this space!

TRAINING MYTH #1 - MUSCLE WEIGHS MORE THAN FAT!

This little gem of a statement gets thrown around gyms all over the country everyday and is something Ive heard or been asked about many times over the years. I have just read a very nice article that explains things very simply so thought i'd share with you. Its written by Darryl Edwards (aka The Fitness Explorer http://www.thefitnessexplorer.com/home/2010/8/24/does-muscle-weigh-more-than-fat.html)

How many times have you heard or even used the expression.

"Muscle weighs more than fat!"

Well it's not something I've really questioned before. But however you look at it - this phrase is misleading. A kilo of muscle and a kilo of fat placed on a scale would both weigh exactly the same. A kilo. It is something we come to terms with when comparing feathers and lead, but it seems subliminal to many with reference to body composition.

What people are really comparing is not weight, but density and volume. Muscle tissue has greater density than adipose (fat) tissue and so fat has a greater volume. Or more strictly speaking muscle has more weight by volume.

Imagine if a kilo of muscle was the size of a grapefruit, a kilo of fat would be 3 times larger. This could mean a significant difference to body composition, shape, size and health when the percentage of your body fat changes.


I've also been asked by clients:

"What exercises can I do to convert my excess fat into muscle?"

For clarification it is a complete myth that you can turn fat into muscle with training. It is also a myth that your muscle will turn into fat when a training regime subsides. Fat and muscle are completely different tissues. They have different composition and respond to training in different ways.

I will discuss this in more detail in a future post, but in simple terms:

* to decrease fat, make the right nutritional, activity and lifestyle choices;
* to increase muscle, overload muscles with resistance activity. Different training programs can be used to: increase strength, increase muscle size (hypertrophy), improve tone, density and efficiency (or all of these simultaneously);
* muscle cells burn more calories;
* fat cells store calories;
* focusing on body weight alone is not enough, a woman who weighs 60 kilos (9 stones 6 or 132lbs) and has 12% body fat will look completely different to a woman who weighs 60 kilos, but has a body fat percentage of 20%


So dont worry about bulking up too much, this especially being a concern of women when they lift weights. If you train with heavy weights and lose five pounds of fat but replace it with five punds of muscle, yes, you may weigh exactly the same but you are going to look different due to the less amount of space five pounds of muscle will occupy on your body!

Lifting heavy is good for almost everyone. Grab a barbell and start learning the big lifts such as the deadlift, the squat and the clean and press. Ensure you seek some good instruction though as these lifts are technical and you need to get them right. It will be worth it in the long run. Five sets of heavy deadlifts or five sets on the legs-spread abductor machine?! Its a no brainer!

FREE DOWNLOAD - 'ZEN AND RUNNING'

I was having a conversation with someone today about Christopher McDougals book 'Born To Run' being the best book ive read on running (not that i can say ive read that many!). He suggested i try The Zen of Runnning by Fred Rohe, apparently THE classic text on running and barefoot running at that written in the 1970's.

However, after a bit of digging around i found it was out of print and that a second hand shop on Amazon wanted £68 for it! Then i found on Barefoot Teds website a link to a free PDF version of the book online. Very cool.
I am yet to get started with it but wanted to share the link:

http://www.naturalhealthyellowpages.com/health_ebooks/the_zen_of_running/index.html

When you start reading it, let me know your thoughts. :)

VIBRAM ADVERT

Just found this great Vibram advert that they have produced against all the apparent Vibram Five Finger fakes that are out there. Made me laugh!

CAVEMAN SNACKS - PALEO DIET

Wanted to post up some information here about a great company that just so happens to be run by a couple of friends of mine.

Caveman Snacks are a Brighton based Paleo Diet nutrition company that are going great guns in bringing high quality, nutritious food to people who are aware of how important eating right is in relation to your training efforts and general wellbeing.

Ideal for meals on the go or a post workout snack, they are Zone and Paleo diet friendly with a balanced combination of protein, carbohydrate and fat.

The ingrediants include a delicious combination of Biltong, Sultanas, Sour Cherries, Cranberries, Goji berries, Macadamia nuts, Almonds, Cashews and Pumpkins Seeds.

So now you have no excuse to not eat well when at work or during a busy day out and about.

Take a look at their website and order up a few bags to see for yourself how good they taste and how convienient they are. Ive been using them as snacks and as a post workout food now instead of the normal protein shake that ive used for years. I cant wait to rip that bag open once ive finished training! :)

www.cavemansnacks.co.uk

GYM CHANGES - NOW ZT'S

Hey all.... well I do keep changing things dont I? There has been a change of plans with regards to my new place of training. As stated below I was going to join up at Riptide gym in the town centre. But, after actually going in there myself for a train on wednesday I came to the conclusion that it just wasnt going to suit my needs as your trainer.
Yes, it was central but it didnt have much space mat-wise on which to train, it didnt have any free weight barbell area and for some reason just had a really strange feel to it! Maybe that last part was just me but in terms of equipment i just didnt think it was worth taking you guys there.

So i have now joined ZT's gym which is situated directly behind Hove station (just over the bridge). I know this isnt ideal for some of you but it really is streets ahead in terms of facilities. It has a great climbing frame (!), an olympic lifting area, kettlebells, a studio, tons of boxing equipment and even a few sets of gymnastic rings hanging around the place. These are the things that will make our training so beneficial and fun.

Here is a link to their site here:
http://www.ztfightskool.com/

The set up is the same deal with my clients not having to be members. You just turn up with me for the session and thats it. It really is a fun place to train out of. There is also car parking right outside (although a little limited) and parking on the surrounding roads which is either free or £1.50 during peak hours.

So please give me a call if you would like to get any sessions booked in and to check this new place out. I promise you wont be dissapointed!

STRONG? OR ATHLETICALLY STRONG?

A few paragraphs on what functional strength means by Steve Myrland. A great summary:

"Perhaps the most persistent blunder athletes and coaches make in training to compete is regularly mistaking “strength” for “athleticism,” so let’s clear this up right away: Athleticism—the ability to express one’s physical self with optimal speed, agility, strength, balance, suppleness, stamina and grace while avoiding injury—is the goal. Strength, as you will note by re-reading the sentence, above, is a single element of the collective term: athleticism. You cannot be athletic without being strong; but you can be strong without being athletic."

"Peek into any high school weight-room and you will see big, slow guys lifting weights under the misguided notion that strength is the holy-grail. It isn’t. Big strong guys are a dime-a-dozen. Big strong guys who can move get recruited . . . get scholarships . . . get drafted . . . get rich. Therefore, the strength you create in training must necessarily be strength that augments the whole, rather than constrains it. It must be athletic strength; that is, it must always promote better movement."

I thought this summed up my own and the CrossFit philosophy perfectly. Thats why im getting you all jumping round the gym and constantly varying the exercises you are doing rather than just lumping you in the free weights room! Its not just my sadistic nature that wants to see you red in the face, sweating and breathing harder than you thought possible! There is method to my madness..........

(read the rest of the article on this great blog by Frank Forencich. http://blog.exuberantanimal.com/ The article by Steve Myrland is about 2/3rds of the way down the page - 'Why Athletes Should Avoid The Bars'. Although i like the way he looks at fitness and conditioning he does go on to say we should leave the barbells behind completely which i dont agree with!)

ALL SET AT RIPTIDE

As of tomorrow (Wednesday 10th) i will be all set to go at Riptide gym on the seafront. For those that would like a session this week i am free:

Wednesday 10th - (from 1.30pm)
Thursday 11th - (7am or 8am / 6.30pm onwards)
Friday 12th - (all day till 5pm)

See you all soon!

BODYLINK @ RIPTIDE

Okay, so it looks like my new home for the next few months is going to be Riptide gym on the seafront at the bottom of Queens Road.

Popped in there today to talk to the manager and it seesm like a very friendly place. This means i can keep training all of you who want/need to stay central and also have a place to shelter during the cold, wet weather that we are bound to have now winter is fast approaching!

It should be all sorted by next week so normal sessions for my clients will be able to get back on track. Thanks for the patience. :)

TWITTER

I have just re-launched my Twitter account for anyone who is interested and tweets regularly. I thought that with all the goings on with the new gym in the pipeline it would be good to keep everyone abreast of the goings on.

TIME TO FIND SOME PREMISES

So i'm in transition.......and hopefully not for long. Time has come to do what i have always planned on doing and open my own training studio.

Things have been progressing nicely since we moved down here in March. I have met a lot of really cool people, been training with some great clients and also found a growing Crossfit scene.

People are wanting something different from their training these days and with the experience i have built up over the last six years and having discovered functional, exciting training through CrossFit and its community i feel ready to be able to open a first class strength and conditioning facility. And just as importantly i have found a couple of colleagues who share the same vision.

Its all about now finding the right venue. I have got my eye on a few places and would love to have something open realistically in the new year sometime. You may have to bear with me a bit during this time but from the feedback i have got i know a lot of you think its a great idea. I will keep you all posted of course.

Imagine being able to train somewhere with personal instruction everytime in a small group, three or four times a week for the cost of a regular gym membership?! Thats the plan.......and with this level of dedication and teaching imagine the results. Following a CrossFit type training plan for six months or more will change the way you think about health, fitness, diet and training forever.

Training wont be something you have to live with doing, it will be something you cant live without doing.

In fact, it will probably take a lot less time than this. After training for over 15 years i was hooked after two workouts.

Add to this mix a great community spirit where everyone interacts, encourages, motivates and high fives when you've dusted off the chalk from a new personal best. Its about results. Solid, irrefutable data based on times, reps, round or weights. Yes, its intense....but that is relative to your own levels. Everything is scalable. Cant do Handstand Push ups? Push ups with your knees down is fine. Cant manage a 100kg back squat? A bodyweight squat works perfect. As long as you are safely pushing the boundaries of your own abilities, that is all that is asked for.

I will regularly keep this blog updated as to my progress so sign up to follow the blog. Or look for BodyLink Fitness on facebook.

Exciting times. I feel as though everything is coming together.

Watch This Space!

CROSSFIT WEB JOURNAL

Any Crossfitters out there take a look at Beyond The Whiteboard. Its the best site for logging workouts, keeping tarck of Personal Bests and generally all things CrossFit. It has a cost of $3 a month but i think with all the stats it provides thats a bargain. Let me know if any of you join up and we can create a 'gym' ...amongst freinds to see how everyone gets on.

www.beyondthewhiteboard.com

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT BAREFOOT RUNNING BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK!

Click on this link to find a fantastic article about Barefoot running. And yes, amazingly its by The Daily Mail!

It covers a lot of things from proven research into running injuries to the billion dollar trainer industry.

It might just make you want to take your shoes off!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/moslive/article-1170253/The-painful-truth-trainers-Are-expensive-running-shoes-waste-money.html

CALVES = OUCH!

So all those warnings about not running too far in the Vibrams for the first time were right! Two days later and my calves still feel like someone is stabbing knives into them repeatedly!! Perhaps 4km was too much! ;)

First Training Sessions in Vibrams

Okay, so now i've trained in the Vibrams too and love them!

Last night was Crossfit night and with all the big lifts my feet felt fully grounded and i got none of the normal rocking or slight shifts in balance that i sometimes got when wearing soft cushioned trainers. This made the lifts feel a lot more secure.

Then this morning i went for a brief run on the seafront in the lovely early morning sunshine. I made sure i didnt go too far as ive had lots of advice to take it really easy at first.
It definitely felt different, although perhaps not as different as i thought it might feel. The heel of the foot still makes contact with the ground (your not entirely on your forefoot), it just comes down AFTER the forefoot and with far less force than with my normal heel strike running style where the heel is the first thing to hit the ground.

I did about 4km in total split up with a few bodyweight exercises. And yes, my calves are now feeling it!! In a good way i think and not like i wont be able to walk tomorrow............well, we'll see! :)

I'm going back into trainers tomorrow to give the feet a rest as i've now worn the Vibrams for about 4 days straight. I wonder how this will feel?

Oh, and im now a lot more used to wearing them and getting funny looks! It doesnt take long to adapt and not feel self conscious anymore!

FIRST WEAR OF VIBRAMS

Yesterday was the first outing for my new vibrams....and i have to give them a big thumbs up! I thought they might take a bit of getting used to but i was wearing them from 9am till 8pm and was on my feet for virtually the whole day and my feet didnt ache once.

When i was on my feet for this long in my usual trainers (asics runners)i found my heels aching and having to shift my weight from one foot to the other towards the end of the day. None of this in the Vibrams.

One thing that does take some getting used to though is the thought that everybody you walk past is looking at your feet! I did feel quite self conscious in them. I can imagine having lots of conversations about them over the next few weeks.

I havent tried running in them yet as im recovering from a twisted ankle at the moment. Should be good to go this week though. Ive had lots of advice to keep it REALLY simple for the first few runs so that the legs get used to the different running style. Im very much a heel strike runner so it will be very different for me to run on my forefoot. Think im going to build it up in perhaps 10 minute blocks. That should be gentle enough....we'll see!

BRIGHTON HALF MARATHON

With talk of all this running i got carried away and have entered the Brighton Half Marathon (formerly the Sussex Beacons) on Sunday 20th February 2011.

This will be the first 'race' i have ever entered and am really looking forward to it. I normally just run whenever the mood takes me but it will be good to have a goal to aim for and to hopefully get a good time. I wonder if it will be done in my Vibrams??!! haha!

Plus the fact that the full marathon has never appealed due to its stupid distance and toll it takes on the body! (Thats just my excuse for not doing it by the way!)

THE BAREFOOT PROFESSOR

A great video on the barefoot running method and its benefits by 'The Barefoot Professor' - Daniel Lieberman, a Harvard professor.

It has some really good foot strike visuals and shows you just how big a difference there is between heel striking and forefoot running and what this could mean for potential injuries.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jrnj-7YKZE&feature=related

CROSSFIT CLASSES!

hey all,

Ive found a great class to go along to if anyone is interested in joining me. A lady and great trainer called Holly runs Cross Training (think CrossFit!) classes up at ZT's Fight School (a martial arts/boxing gym just behind hove station) on Monday and Wednesday evenings at 6.30pm.

Ive been going for a few weeks now and as you all know this is my prefered form of training and one that i think gets you in great shape and prepared for anything. We really do cover a load of different stuff during the classes. Its tough but its also super fun and very motivating.

Its £6 for the hours class and if you want to come along just give me a shout. If you are up for something a bit different that will really boost your training then this is it. I currently only go to the Monday one due to seeing clients on the wednesday. Any more info just email me. :)

Hope some of you might be interested................

Dave

INOV8 BAREFOOT TRAINING SHOES

Barefoot running is becoming a bit of a thing at the moment with loads of articles and websites devoted to this re-discovered technique. Its principles basically state that our natural way of running when we evolved was obviously barefoot and this entailed running on the balls of our feet and our toes. Since the advent of high (relatively!!) heeled, cushioned running trainers a lot of us are running with a heel strike first and then rolling off the toes second. The advocates of barefoot running imply that this could possibly be the probelm with so many injuries associated with jogging. Next time you have no shoes on, try jogging. Im betting you definitely dont hit the floor with your heel first! It hurts.
So a few companies have sprung up which construct trainers that are much flatter and less cushioned, allowing us to get back to running caveman style! Check out the article below (excuse the fact it is from the Dail Mail!)

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1246642/Why-running-barefoot-better-body.html

A few websites from shoe companies are listed below.

http://www.inov-8.com/Home.asp?L=26

A Scottish company that have been getting amazing reviews for their trail shoes and 'parkour' trainers.

http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/

And for a little bit alternative check out the link above. Vibram five fingers. Like a glove for your feet!

I am yet to try a pair of these out but from the numerous people i have spoken to, they absolutely swear by them. It does take some getting used to of course, but they said they will never go back to traditional running shoes.

Check them out and let me know what you think?

L-Sit Core Exercise Video

Here is one of the best tummy and core conditioning exercises you can ever do. It really will develop the muscular strength in your stomach to an amazing degree.
Find two raised and stable objects, be it two chairs, two boxes or two push up bars like i am using in the video. Place your hands on them about shoulder width apart, brace the arms straight against your sides and lift your feet off of the floor. The easier version is to keep your legs bent at 90 degrees at the hip and also at the knee. Hold this position whilst mainitaining a regular breathing pattern and count. Rest briefly and then repeat for three or four sets. It may only be a 5 second hold to start with but you will get stronger at this quickly if you put in the practice. As you improve you will want to practice keeping the legs straight out in front of you with no bend to form an L-shape. Hence the name. As a tip, the higher the objects you are resting on the lower you will be able to hang the legs which makes it easier. As you get stronger get lower to the floor and get the legs nearer to parallel.

A PROTEIN MYTH?

An intersting video that a friend sent me about protein. Do we need as much as 'they' say? Ive always believed in having your 1g - 1.5g of protein per Kg of bodyweight if you are training hard and it has always worked well for me. However, i havent trained protein-less so i cant compare it. Definitely need to look into... some more of what this guy has to say. What do you guys think?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ae-dlHOmwk4&feature=player_embedded

Comments below

20% OFF SEPTEMBER SPECIALS

September is almost upon us and apart from hoping that this year is similar to the last few and we get a late blast of sunshine, you are perhaps turning your thoughts once again to your training. After January and February, September is the busiest time of year in the gym and its a good time to really focus your goals and make sure you achieve them. With over 20% off training prices right now its a good time to invest in your future.

Ask yourself this:

"Have I seen the results that I really wanted to over the last year?"

You joined the gym with a goal in mind and if you are honest with yourself have you achieved this? If you have, then congratulations. Its a beautiful feeling setting yourself a challenge and then actually realizing it. However, I see a lot of people in gyms who never reach their goals and get disappointed when they dont see the changes they are hoping for. Dont let this be you! You are paying your monthly gym membership, make sure its money well spent.

Now is the perfect time to re-asses your goals, set yourself some targets and go about achieving them. Within three months and with a little bit of dedication you can really change the way you look and feel. Just in time for all those Christmas parties!
A few guidelines, a set programme to follow and a few sessions to realize the levels at which you should be working at is all it will take to kickstart your enthusiasm.

September Specials

To encourage you to get going and to ensure you are doing the most efficient things I have a few of special offers to throw your way next month:

KICKSTART PACKAGE:
3 x half-hour personal training sessions
6-week detailed plan on what to do every session
Important nutritional advice and food diary analysis
Initial strength and fitness assessment (to give you a starting reference point)
6-week follow up strength and fitness assessment
£60

EDUCATION PACKAGE:
3 x one-hour personal training sessions
6-week detailed plan on what to do every session.
Important nutritional advice and food diary analysis
Initial strength and fitness assessment (to give you a starting reference point)
6-week follow up strength and fitness assessment
£100

RESULTS PACKAGE 3:
12 x one-hour personal training sessions
12-week detailed plan on what to do every session
Important nutritional advice and food diary analysis
Initial strength and fitness assessment (to give you a starting reference point)
6 and 12 week follow up strength and fitness assessment
£400

With savings of over 20% off of the regular training prices now is a great time to take that step towards really achieving your goals.

Dont hesitate to give me a call or drop me an email if you have any more questions. Its my job to ensure you get the most out of your gym membership and I get great satisfaction from helping people become fitter, stronger and more positive towards their health and fitness. As a personal trainer i know i would say this, but you really cant underestimate how a few simple sessions can change the way you think about training and staying in shape. These offers will be available until Friday 10th September.

Plus, dont forget that if you know anyone that may be interested in personal training or these offers and they sign up then YOU get free training sessions as a thank you! Please feel free to forward this email on to as many people as you like.

Take care,

FULL DEPTH SQUATS

Here is a good little article about why your squats should be FULL DEPTH. That is, with the crease of your hip going lower than your knees. No, despite what you hear its not dangerous to squat past 90 degree knee flexion. If you can (taking previous exercise history and injuries into account of course) you always should. It takes a little bit of practice to perform full squats and keep your back in the correct position but keep practising as the results you get from going to full depth are definitely worth it.

A good explanation of why this is so can be read here if you have a few minutes:

http://www.tonygentilcore.com/2010/04/let-me-know-if-youve-heard-this-one-before-a-personal-trainer-walks-into-a-bar-and-says-squatting-below-parallel-is-bad-for-the-knees/

Creatine -Sale Prices

Hey all, I'm back from holidays! Before i post anything else i thought some of you might like this discount of creatine from Myprotein.co.uk.

If you use the code CRM01 at the checkout the prices will be:

Offer Prices:
250g - sale price £3.82 (RRP £4.49)
500g - sale price £6.76 (RRP £7.95)
1kg - sale price £11.86 (RRP £13.95)

Thats stupidly cheap for top quality creatine monohydrate. If you need any more info on creatine just give me a shout. But its without doubt the best sports supplement to ever have hit the market!

Offer ends Midnight Thursday 12th August.

When Your Trainer Is Away - Workout 2 - The Filthy Fifty

Hello again....okay, workout 2 - The Filthy Fifty!

This workout is adapted from a CrossFit workout and is designed to give a real blast to your heart, lungs and muscles....in fact all of you! Its not an easy one, but like all CrossFit workouts, it can be scaled to suit your fitness levels. Heres how its done:

Warm up strecth for a good 10 minutes first of all.
Then start the stopwatch before your first rep.
Complete all of the exercises below in order as quickly as you can.
Stop the stopwatch at the end of the very last rep.
Now, as i said this one is not easy so take as much rest as you need whilst completing the exercises. It is done against the clock but you dont want to kill yourself!
Do not move onto the next exercise until all 50 reps have been completed.

In terms of scaling it to your levels of fitness you could try just 10 reps of each exercise or perhaps 25 reps. You want to find a level that is challenging but fun. Also if you need to use lighter weights or use the assissted machine for the pullups/dips thats fine. Just make a note of what you did.

So here it is.....the list:

50 step jumps (3 risers) - both feet together
50 Pull ups - use assissted machine as necessary
50 Dumbell Swings - 14kg dumbell
50 Lunges - 25 each leg
50 knee raises - on dip station (elbows on pads lifting knees up)
50 Thrusters - 10kg dumbells - hold dumbells at shoulders, squat down then stand and press above head)
50 ball back extensions - tummy on ball, feet on floor, hands by temples, slowly lower and raise
50 Shoulder presses - 15kg barbell
50 Burpess - from standing, lower into press up position, jump feet back and then in, then stand.
50 Ab crunches - full sit ups or crunches.

So 500 reps in all!! The weights are just a guide. Have a look through the exercises, familiarise yourself with them all and choose a weight that you think will be testing. And remember you can all do this......it just needs to be scaled to your own level. Go on...give it a go!

Post what you did and your times to the 'comments' link below. It will be interesting to see what everyone gets.

Yours in training.....
Dave

When Your Trainer Is Away! - Workout 1 - The Cooper Test

Hey all. If you have followed the link from the email i sent out then you are in the right place. If you are just here on the off chance then welcome and why not try out these two workouts anyway.

Workout 1: The Cooper Test.

A great test of fitness the Cooper Test measures your ability to run a distance on a treadmill and then relates that to tables comparing your age and sex with the distance you managed to cover. This will give you a 'below average -to- excellent' score for how well you did. Its simple to perform:

Warm up and stretch for a good 5-10 minutes first of all. Then get onto a treadmill at the gym and set the gradient to 1%. Then run at a pace that you can maintain for 12 minutes. ie Dont start off at a thundering pace and then have to walk by the end. Try and keep it a fairly constant pace. All you need to do is then record how far you have covered in that time (press the 'distance' button at the end). I have a table of results based on age/sex that i can then send out to you once you have let me know what you got. If you have done this test already then its time to do it again. The aim here is to beat your score from last time! (Disclaimer!: And remember, if it is the first time you have run for a while just take it easy. Have a good stretch before hand. We are looking for a first distance, not a record. Once you have a first score its then that you can try and beat it!)

So thats it. Run for 12 minutes. Done and dusted! Your score (distance) will show you where you are for cardiovascular fitness at your age and if it is something that you could do with improving.
Post your time (and age!) to 'comments' below and then see how my other clients got on. Like all things its not about having the best score its about doing the best you can for yourself right now.

Have fun and let me know how you get on.

Dave

100 Push Up Challenge!

Now heres a good website featuring the good old fashioned push up. Superb, all body exercise and a very good strength indicator.

100 press ups people, lets get on it!

http://hundredpushups.com/

Post initial test results and progress to comments. Good luck - you're gonna need it!

Runners Knee and Tight IT Bands

For those of you that ever suffer from any knee pain whilst running (or after) then it could be down to the fact you have a tight IT band. This strip of muscle runs from your hip to you knee and can cause the knee cap to track incorrectly if it is tight. ie it pulls it over to one side. Watch this video (not me this ti...me!) and try some of these stretches and massage techniques before and after running to help alleviate the problem. This is a major cause of a lot of knee pain suffered by regular gym go-ers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9aJtO0VCqw&feature=related

The foam roller massage does hurt a little but bear with it and it should really help. When you find a sore spot, just stop and rest on it until the pain subsides then continue. Work on spots like this until it is more comfortable to roll the foam along it.

MBT's and POSTURE TRAINERS

An article for any of you that have been thinking about getting a pair of the MBT or FitFlop posture shoes. They seem to be all the rage at the moment but do they really work? Read here for a quick review and a bit more information:

http://www.metro.co.uk/lifestyle/831917-sneaker-preview-these-shoes-were-made-for-walkin...

WORLD CUP PRIZES!

A Great World Cup Offer!

We all know England didnt do that great in their opening game of the World Cup against the USA but hey, they drew the opening game of the 1966 World Cup and then went on to win the thing! (You have to find positives in everything!)

So to celebrate England still having AT LEAST another two games left in South Africa I am offering a free one hour training session and two half price training sessions to the first three people who text me after every game that England WIN between now and their exit from the competition. (This will of course be on July 11th having won the tournament!)

Thats right............the first person to text me on this number - 07791 474780 after the final whistle has blown will get a free one hour session and the following two people will get a half price one hour training session (priced at £20).

Texts have to be received AFTER the final whistle has blown and not before, so dont get too keen! I will then reply to the winners and get in touch to book the sessions in.

So come on England......start playing like we know you can!

Good luck and happy training.

David

PS....clients currently training with me, if successful, will receive the sessions in addition to their ongoing training.

Tabata Intervals

I have put a few of my clients through some Tabata Intervals lately so thought i would post up a bit more information about them as they are an amazing way of iliciting a response from the body. Plus, it confirms that im not just being mean by making people do the worst thing i could conjure up! :)

The Tabata protocol is a high-intensity training regimen that produces remarkable results. A Tabata workout (also called a Tabata sequence) is an interval training cycle of 20 seconds of maximum intensity exercise, followed by 10 seconds of rest, repeated without pause 8 times for a total of four minutes. You can keep score by counting how many lifts/jumps/whatever you do in each of the 20 second rounds. The round with the smallest number is your score.

Credit for this simple and powerful training method belongs to its namesake, Dr. Izumi Tabata and a team of researchers from the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo, Japan. Their groundbreaking 1996 study, published in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports & Exercise, provided documented evidence concerning the dramatic physiological benefits of high-intensity intermittent training. After just 6 weeks of testing, Dr. Tabata noted a 28% increase in anaerobic capacity in his subjects, along with a 14% increase in their ability to consume oxygen (V02Max). These results were witnessed in already physically fit athletes. The conclusion was that just four minutes of Tabata interval training could do more to boost aerobic and anaerobic capacity than an hour of endurance exercise.

Although Dr. Tabata used a mechanically braked exercise cycle machine, you can apply this protocol to almost any exercise. For example, a basic Tabata workout can be performed with sit-ups. The more muscles used the better, so use full knees-bent sit-ups. Sit-up non-stop for 20-second intervals, followed by 10 seconds of rest. Repeat for a total of 8 cycles. Bodyweight squats are another great one to use. If you dont mind your legs feeling like jelly for a few hours afterwards!

How effective can just 4 minutes of exercise be? ... Very. You will be amazed at how intense the four minutes of exercise will feel. The intervals tax both your aerobic and anaerobic energy systems. To be clear, this isn't "eight sets of eight," although the goal of doing eight reps in each of the 20-second clusters is about right. Instead it's "as many reps as I can get in" during the twenty seconds, followed by ten seconds rest.

To make things even more intense a great combined Tabata workout would be Tabata intevals done on four exercises without rest. Eg Squats, press ups, pull ups and sit ups. A total time of 16 minutes and one hell of a full body workout. Try it to see what i mean.

Over time and with practice you will get your numbers for each exercise up and this is a great measure of improving fitness and strength.

You wouldnt want to do Tabata work every session but a couple of times a week will provide plenty of stimulus to perhaps kick you through that plateau.

HALF PRICE SESSIONS - Week of 24th May

This weeks half price session slots are:

Thursday 27th May @ 3.30pm
Friday 28th May @ 3.00pm

Follow the instructions below if you can make it:

Go to:
http://www.club-training.com/and click on the "1/2 price sessions" blue box on the left of the screen.
Then on the next screen click on "Trainer Profile" and type in my name
"David Draper" and search.The available appointments will then appear.
Click on the one you want, and then click "Book This Session".
It will then ask you to sign in or sign up depending on if you have done so or not.
Thats it! You get a a full hours PT session at HALF PRICE!

Beetroot Juice!

Apparently beetroot juice is natures own energy drink - boosting stamina by making our muscles more fuel efficient. Or so says The Metro last week.

Drinking a pint a day for one week enabled test subjects to cycle 16% longer than before they drank it. This is due to the boost in nitrates in the test subjects blood which cut the rate at which the muscles used up energy and oxygen. The muscles chief energy source - adenosine triphosphate or ATP - was used up slower after drinking the purple stuff!

I have not ever tried beetroot juice but i have been told its not that nice! Could be worth a go!

(Findings are published in the Journal of Applied Physiology)

Muscle Building Supplement Stack

Check this webpage out for a great combo of supplements in one stack. Good for pre/post workout and rest days it really has all your bases covered and will last approx 1 month. It looks like an amazing deal. And their products taste GOOD too!! Im amazed they can sell all this for that price!

http://www.myprotein.co.uk/products/24/7_muscle_stack1?utm_source=SMART&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=479

Remember to use discount code MP139693 to get an extra 5% off.

Dave

Bikram 'Hot' Yoga

For any of you that are interested in Bikram yoga, there is a new studio that has just opened up (well its 3 months old!) on North Street opposite New Road (where the theater is).

I have just been to my first class tonight and loved it! I have done normal yoga on and off over the years and have always been a big fan of all of its benefits but never found anywhere that convienient to work or home. Now i have no excuse as its just round the corner from LA Fitness!
Bikram yoga is a series of 26 positions performed in a heated room. And its this that makes it so demanding. After 90 minutes of hard work and sweating intensely you feel energised (and a little bit strange the first few times i might add!). With the room being so hot you can really push yourself to get into the stretches and feel your flexibility increasing so quickly.

Ask me for any more details or go check it out yourself. Tell them that I sent you too as they might be setting up a trainer / client package of some sort. They also have a lot of classes on everyday so you should be able to find a time that suits you.

:)

Stability Ball Crunches

Here is the standard stability ball crunch. One that I'm sure a lot of you have done before but still a very effective one if done correctly. It all depends on the position of the ball under your back. The further up your back the ball is the easier the crunch will be. The nearer your hips the ball is the harder it will be as more of you will be leaning off the ball. Keep the core muscles 'engaged' throughout the crunches, that is pull your tummy button in toward your spine and tense. And hold a medicine ball or small weight to increase the difficulty if you need to.
You should feel these after 3 sets of 15 reps. If you cant, change the position of the ball to make it harder!

Side Planks

This is one of the best exercises you can do to target those 'love handles'. It really hits the obliques but will work the entire core musculature too. Ensure that you stay in a nice straight line whilst holding the position so that your head, shoulders, hips and knees are all in alignment. For a harder version try coming up and balancing on your hand rather than resting on your elbow. Also, by slowly dipping and raising the hips whilst squeezing your tummy muscles you can add difficulty to this exercise. Remember not to hold your breath!

Protein and Good Snacks

You cant under-estimate the need for protein. Especially as we are all gym users. Protein and its building blocks of amino acids contribute to the rebuilding of muscles after we have trained in the gym. If we dont have enough protein in our diet then our body is going to find it hard to repair itself and this in turn will affect our performances the next time we train.

Getting enough protein will keep you strong, energised and feeling full, even when you are perhaps restricting your calories to lose weight. This is because our blood sugar levels are kept fairly balanced when we consume protein as opposed to fluctuating wildly when we have a carbohydrate meal or snack. This means we are not so prone to rampant eating when getting enough protein! And you can see the benefits this will have on weight loss.

The RDA of protein for an average adult is about 0.8g per kg of bodyweight.
If you are training in the gym you should be getting nearer 1 - 1.2g per kg of bodyweight
And if you are weight training heavily you should get nearer 1.4-1.6g per kg of bodyweight.

Write down what you eat over two typical days. Look at the labels (i know, i know....! Just this once!) and calculate how much protein is in your diet. Then compare this to your bodyweight and see how you come out according to the levels above. You may be surprised that its a lot lower than you think.

A lot of people have been asking me recently what they can eat as a 'good' snack. When you snack between meals ideally you want to be taking in some protein as this is going to help you feel full until the next meal. Ive listed below some ideal choices of things to snack on that are high in protein:

Cottage cheese (add fruit of choice to make it more interesting)
Chicken or turkey breast
Tuna
Nuts (these are excellent, a great source of protein and 'good' fats) (almonds, walnuts, cashews, brazil etc)
Peanut butter (again, excellent for protein and energy. Dont overdo this one though due to the high calorie content!)
Edamame (soy) beans
Chick peas
Lentils
Eggs (hard boiled would be easiest to snack on)
Seeds (pumpkin, sesame etc)
Hummus

If you really are bad at preparing food or taking food to work with you then the easiest way to get good protein in your diet would be through a whey protein shake. These shakes are super convienient, provide around 25g of quality protein and only about 100 calories. The website i have already listed on a post below (www.myprotein.co.uk) has a three months supply for about £25.

Take a look at your own diet and see how much protein you are getting.

Mass Building Protein Shake

Try this recipe for a home made muscle building protein shake. It will add some really good extra calories to your diet to aid with bulking up.

Half a Pint of Milk (semi skimmed or full fat)
1 tbsp of peanut butter
1 tbsp of powdered oats (you can use normal rolled oats but blend them first so they are powdery)
1 banana
1tsp of honey
1 tbsp of natural yoghurt
(+ a couple of egg whites if you fancy!)

This will be a very nice tasting shake (adjust amounts through trial and error for your own taste) and will give you plenty of extra good calories, protein and no bad fats. Chuck a scoop or two of protein powder in there if you really want to max it up!

Happy shaking!

'myprotein.co.uk' Supplements

Use this link to a great supplement site called MyProtein. It is a web based company that not only produces the cheapest, highest quality supplements i have come across, they are also the best tasting! Which counts for a lot!

Use the code MP139693 for an additional 5% discount.

I used another company for years until i came across these guys.

Its at:

www.myprotein.co.uk

Give me a shout if you need any advice about which ones to take for your specific goals.

5-minute glute / bum / legs Blast Video

Here's another 5 minute 'blast' video that will hit the stubborn areas of the legs and glutes (bum!).
Enjoy.

CrossFit Level 1 Instructor

CrossFit Level 1 Instructor!

I'm excited to have completed my Level 1 certification this past weekend.

It was a great weekend and very inspiring. I now realise quite how many people are getting into CrossFit and i think its on the point of getting huge in this country just like it has done in the States.

It has also opened doors on lots of new avenues of research for myself that will only benefit you guys, my clients, as a result! I feel like a sponge at the moment in wanting to absorb as many new pieces of fitness research as i can.

Have fun!

What is CrossFit Article

CrossFit Level 1 Instructors Certification

Im off to do my CrossFit Level 1 Instructors Certification this weekend which I have been looking forward to for a while now. It should be an excellent, if tiring weekend.

I have touched on CrossFit with a few of you and tried to get across how excellent i think this way of training is. Indeed, its all i have been doing myself for the past 6 months and i know that i am currently in the best shape of my life.

The good thing about CrossFit is that anyone can train in its methods and see remarkable results whether you are 16 or 60. It is without doubt the best way i have found in 15 years of training to lose weight, tone up and get an all round superb level of fitness. EVERYONE will see results by following its methods.

And most of all...........ITS FUN!!!

I have posted a link here to an article which will describe the foundations of CrossFit in a bit more detail so you can really understand the benefits of its methodology. Read it carefully as it may well change the way you train for ever more. I will post more articles on here over the next couple of weeks that will give you more information.

If you would like anymore information now or have any questions dont hesitate to get in touch. Some of my clients have been realising the benefits of CrossFit after just a couple of sessions.

Have fun!

(copy and paste the link below into your browser address bar)

http://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B5qOhtCqy32BNDNkNWNhMTEtYjI3NC00YjVjLWFhMjgtNmMzYzAyODZjOGRh&hl=en

HALF PRICE TRAINING SESSIONS!!!!!

HALF PRICE TRAINING SESSIONS!!!!!

Whenever I have cancellations during the week, as i do now, I can upload these slots onto the club training website and offer them to all for HALF PRICE! Thats only £20 for a full one hour PT session.

This week i have three slots become available:

Tuesday 13th - 2pm
Thursday 15th - 2pm
Thursday 15th - 4pm

Go to:

http://www.club-training.com/

and click on the "1/2 price sessions" blue box on the left of the screen.

Then on the next screen click on "Trainer Profile" and type in my name "David Draper" and search. The three appointments, or however many are left will then appear.

Click on the one you want, and then click "Book This Session". It will then ask you to sign in or sign up depending on if you have done so or not.

Thats it! You get a a full hours PT session at HALF PRICE!

And remember there are only THREE available!

5-minute Abdominal Blast Video

Abs Blast Video

Heres another 5 minute 'Blast' video for you guys to check out. This time its an abdominal one and will give your abs and core a full workout. Enjoy.............

Seeing as though the Brighton marathon is coming up next weekend i thought i'd put a bit of info for runners up here. If you havent done already, check out:

www.mapmyrun.com.

Its a great website that can log all of your runs on a training calendar and tell you the distance, your average speed etc. Its great for mapping runs outside as you use a simple point and click method around google street maps that will then work out your distance. Good stuff.........

5-minute Press Up Blast Video

Press Up Blast Video

Thought some of you may want to take a look at this press up video for some ideas on how to get a good upper body workout FAST! Over the coming weeks i will post up some more videos as i have about 50 that i made for my clients over the years. Hope you enjoy.

Dave

Starting on Monday 29th March

I will be starting work for LA Fitness Brighton on Monday 29th March. My wife and I have a new place to call home and are very excited about living in Brighton!

I have uploaded my availability onto the website so you just need to follow the appropriate links on www.bodylinkfitness.com to book any sessions you wish.

Have a good day! :)

New Website

At last, after weeks of building and then trying to get my new website up onto the servers...it is now live. I love computers, but sometimes they can be very frustrating!

Take a look at www.bodylinkfitness.com

Information, prices and links to booking options and my schedule can all be found on there.