Should You Be Racing A 15k with No Preparation? - By Laure Riboud

It had been months since my longest run to date (10k) and weeks since my last run altogether. The last run I had done was in Battersea park with my dog, about 3.5k and was a total disaster.

The reason for the very few runs recently was due to a bad knee that wouldn't heal. As a personal trainer and spin Instructor, the number of spin classes I teach a week would explain why my knee wouldn't heal.

A few months back, when my friend Marek asked me to run a 15k in Istanbul with him, I absolutely loved the idea. So we both registered and we both had the best intention to start training for it. 

Unfortunately, whilst my reasons for not being able to train were physical, Marek suddenly was dealing with a heartbreak and work kept him busy after hours so the idea of training no longer was appealing. 

As a result, he slowly started piling up the pounds, knocking his confidence in the process. 

As for me, my body fat also increased due to the lack of training and probably indulging a little too much as I felt sorry for myself. 

My trip was booked, so off to Istanbul I went. Marek and I both decided to do the race anyway, even if we just walked it. I thought it could be an awesome way to do the Istanbul sightseeing. 

The start line was packed with people of all nationalities. Marek and I were standing there thinking "what the heck are we doing here?"

The Turkish national anthem started playing and Turkish people sang along. This gave me serious goosebumps and suddenly I knew why we were here. Because this is what we do, this is who we are. We'd just lost ourselves a little lately.

And off we went. The adrenaline kicked in and we both had the widest smiles on our faces.

The race started on Bosphorus bridge. We jogged all the way across, taking silly selfies and looking at the outstanding view the bridge had to offer. Once we'd crossed the bridge, I took a look at my Garmin and at this point we'd ran 2k. Have you ever ran 2k that felt like 100m? Me neither. But I can tell you it's a damn good feeling. 

At this point Marek decided to walk for a bit, but I carried on and we agreed to meet at the finish line. 

The next 1000m were uphill. No, not fun indeed. But what an amazing surprise it was to realise the next 1.5 k was downhill. And by downhill I mean, seriously downhill. 

People were flying through it, music was playing loud and people were cheering! At this very moment, there was no where else I had rather been. I felt alive. 

However, I had to be reasonable and kept a slower pace compared to everyone else as my knee didn't quite like it as much. 

The next few Kilometres went by fairly smoothly. I enjoyed looking around, and spotting rather random things like a man racing in jeans and inappropriate footwear, someone running with his dog, people trying to sell water to runners, or other people completely oblivious there was a race going on, crossing the road just in front of me and looking at me as if I was the one who shouldn't be here. I loved it all. Welcome to Istanbul. 

Then Garmin said: 10k.  

For a second I thought: "yes, I could walk now". But then I remembered the times I used to run 5k most mornings before work. I remembered how they felt. And even though I had not done one of these runs in a very long time, I tried to focus on how I used to easily do 5k and how 5k is all I had left to do. So I carried on. 

At 12K, I felt like dying. But somehow pushed to 13k. When Garmin screamed 13k I wasn't sure whether it was good news or bad news. Because 2k is nothing, but boy was I tired. 

The good news was, my knee still had not failed me. So I thought "your legs are still going, you don't have any excuse, you can't stop now."

I kept going. 

And finally, the last 500m. I could see the finish line but the desire to walk was much too strong. The last 100m my vision blurred and I felt like I was going to collapse. I didn't care, as long as it was passed the line. 

I crossed the line, stopped the Garmin, looked for water, picked up my medal and took a selfie within one minute of crossing the line. 

I sat down and sent the selfie to my biggest fan, my mum. 

At this point, I was still breathless but the emotion overtook me and my eyes filled with tears. 

10 mins later, Marek crossed the line. Wish I had managed to capture him sprinting towards the finish line. Even though he'd not done any running and he wasn't in the best shape of his life, he certainly can run!

He's inspired me from the day I met him and despite the difficulties he is going through today, he still does massively. He ran countless marathons all over the world, and is now into triathlon. His knowledge when it comes to endurance and running technique is incredible.

The day of the race he said I inspire him. I can't explain how I felt. 

INSPIRE - BE INSPIRED. 

So shall you be running 15k without preparation? Hell yes! (If you're willing to deal with the physical consequences!) 

Because it's cleared my mind, it's showed me what I am capable of, it made me proud and it boosted my confidence. 

Both Marek and I are back on track now!  

Next stop Warsaw half marathon.

Follow Laure on her fitness journey on here: https://www.facebook.com/evolve24fitness

Get Motivated And Start Setting yourself FITNESS GOALS TODAY! by Anthony Mayatt

How to get motivated

Motivation is an area a lot of people struggle with and a lot of the time it is down to poor management of their lifestyle juggling work and social life, healthy eating, sleep times etc. So personal trainer Anthony Mayatt @BreatheFitPT (Owner of Breathe Fitness) will share some pointers on how to get motivated and keep it there in the long term.

People who exercise regularly rarely need the motivation to workout. It has got to a point where heading to the gym or going out for a run is just habit as it has been embedded into a routine. At the other end of the scale you have people who exercise but need some way to get the motivation to do it in the first place. 

Identify a cue

This is basically what gets you exercising in the first place. As an example for people that smoke, the cue is a moment of stress or meeting up with certain people and the brain tells the person a cigarette is needed. I don't want to go off the subject but in terms of helping people quitting smoking you need to identify the cues and create new ones to the point the brain sends a different message for something that can replace a cigarette. When a moment of stress arises listen to a certain song or go to the gym to get the hormones pumping that will reduce the need to smoke. These take time but once the brain gets used to a new signal then it becomes habit.

What cues can motivate you to exercise?

• Change in your health
• Change in friend or family members health
• New offer at local gym
• Sports team you like nearby etc.

There are many cues that will be personal to you so identify them and then write them down. 

Rewards

This is an important point and it goes hand in hand with identifying a cue above. Going back to the smoking point you have the cue which is a moment of stress so the brain says you need to smoke. The reward you get out of it is that feeling like the cigarette has helped even though we all know it actually just makes you worse. 

So you want to exercise and you know what your cue is, the reward is what you get out of it in the end and it may be that you know by exercising you are making yourself healthier each day, it could be that you treat yourself to a salad from your favourite cafe after etc. It basically means by motivating yourself to exercise and then actually doing it you know there is a reward at the end. My reward is that there is a certain protein shake I love to drink and I will always take it to the gym with me as I know once I have worked out I have that to look forward to at the end. 

Write down goals long and short term

This is simple yet so effective and more people need to do it. It is one thing to have an idea in your head what your goals are but writing them down allows you to physically see them and keep track of how you are getting on while trying to achieve them. As an example you have a long term goal of lose 5kg by the end of the year. Short term set a target of 1 pound a week or something along those lines then the goal will feel easier to reach giving you more motivation to stick to your long term plan.

Make a weekly plan

Another simple way to increase your motivation. Research has shown that more people stick to a plan when they write down their goals for the week ahead. Choose a day where you can write down what days and times you are going to exercise. This way you can prepare for it and look forward to it rather than wake up and suddenly realise that its gym day, more people skip it when it is like that. Over time as it becomes more of a habit you will go to the gym or exercise on these days/times without ever having to think about it.

Lastly and it is a repetition but it is that important I want it to be the last thing I want you to think about so if you only take one thing from this article then it is this.

Always focus on what you want to get out of exercising in the first place

Are you going on holiday in a few weeks but woken up tired so thinking of skipping the gym? Focus on that holiday and think about why you are exercising, your goals. Having that planted in your head will keep you motivated and stop the lazy unmotivated person creeping out. 

Now drop and give me 20 :-)

Anthony Mayatt

Owner/Personal Trainer

Breathe Fitness 

@BreatheFitPT

5 Easy Ways to Relax in a Stressful Environment, By Health Coach Liza Lim

Do you get sick often?

Do you tend to overeat and crave lots of sweets?

Do you tend to forget the simplest things?

Is it hard for you to digest your foods properly?

Do you get regular headaches or insomnia?

Do you have low energy?

Do you get easily agitated or frustrated?

Do you feel lonely or think bad of yourself?

These could be symptoms of chronic stress.

Liza Lim shares her top 5 ways to relax in a stressful enviroment.

According to a 20-year study led by researchers at the University of London, unmanaged reactions to stress were a more dangerous risk factor for cancer and heart disease than smoking or high cholesterol foods. The saying that stress is a silent killer is not an understatement, especially in modern times with high demands in daily life.

High levels of stress can come along with pressures to keep your position at work, finding a job to take care of your family, social pressures to keep up an image to fit in with a crowd (even documented now by using social media), feeling at a loss in family or other relationships.

When we are operating from this place of long-term stress, the havoc it creates on our bodies should not go unnoticed.

During times of stress, the body releases steroid hormone called cortisol. High amounts of cortisol in the body threaten the immune system by:

· Increasing chances of impaired cognitive performance

· Suppressing thyroid function

· Creating blood sugar imbalances such as hyperglycemia

· Decreasing bone density

· Decreasing muscle tissue

· Higher blood pressure

· Increasing abdominal fat

But do not fear (that will only create more stress!)! There are ways to decrease your levels of stress. You may not be able to control what is happening outside of you, but you certainly can partake how you respond to those stresses.

To get the body and mind back to a state of relaxation, create a relaxation plan. Choose a few or all mentioned below to get your ideal plan going.


Relaxation Plan:

Meditation: Meditation helps you cultivate mindfulness, also known as awareness. In this state, you can become more aware of the patterns or response that you experience during stress. By meditating regularly, you can learn to let go of unhealthy emotional states.

Deep breathing: Shallow, upper chest breathing is part of the typical stress response. By breathing deeply, you can control the nervous system better and encourage the body to relax. Allow the belly to expand like a balloon and fill the lungs up, then release slowly emptying the air out in the belly.

Massage: Massage stimulates the parasympathetic system, which will bring balance to a stressed body. When the parasympathetic system is activated, peristalsis is increased, blood pressure is lowered, and pain receptors are ignored or reduced in the blood stream. Blood circulation is increased to the internal organs, which speeds digestion.

Exercise: Exercise pumps up the production of neurotransmitters called endorphins. Other feel-good chemicals released during exercise are dopamine and serotonin. Regular exercise can help improve your mood, increase self-confidence, and improve sleep, which can often be compromised when you are stressed.

Connection and intimacy: When we find intimate connection with others, a safe place to be vulnerable, we feel safe. Not feeling safe is one of the biggest reasons why people disengage, separate, or find coping mechanisms that help them feel safe in a crazy environment. One way to find connection can be to confide in someone you trust, do some research online and put yourself out there to get support, or write in a journal and connect to yourself.

Liza Lim is the owner of a massage and well-being company called Revive Touch and is midway through her health coaching program at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. She has 15 years of studying loving touch, mind-body connection, meditation, yoga, whole foods, and a detoxification lifestyle. These tools are what helped her turn her life around and how she assists others to turn their life around. www.revivetouch.com

How To Keep Motivated In Fitness And In The GYM by Chris Magee

It's that time of year. Far enough away from January to have slackened up on the New Years resolutions. Far enough away from the summer to tell yourself there's still plenty of time to get ready for the beach. And of course, surrounded by discount chocolate left over from Easter. The perfect storm.

Whatever the reason your motivation may have slipped. Today we are going to get it back! Or if it hasn't, we are going give you that extra push to achieve greatness.

Group Fitness Instructor and Broga Ambassador Chris Magee @Mageesy gives us some tips on how to do this...

Chris with Shaun Stafford at Broga Training. There's #MyGymspiration RIGHT THERE!

- PUSH YOUR BOUNDARIES -

I motivate people every day. Constantly pushing people in every class and every session I teach, so they can give that extra little bit, push further out of their comfort zone than they would alone. This extra push is what gets you the improvements and results you desire. I call it earning your workout.

How? I'm not going to lie, when you train with me there is a lot of tough love dished out! But above all else I use one thing, the same thing I use to motivate myself- Positive reinforcement and visualisation. When you couple this with achievable goals, we have the keys to success!

- MAXIMUM EFFORT, ALWAYS -

Often I won't ask for a specific number of reps or level of resistance, but instead I will ask that you work to your maximum on any given day. It may not be as good as the previous session, or the previous week, but that's ok. Our circumstances change day to day/week to week, so the results/numbers may dip or waver, but the constant is your effort level. So long as you are giving it your maximum, you can congratulate yourself at the end of every workout, as you gave it your all. If you didn't push, the only person you cheat is yourself. Not the instructor, not your friend, just you. Come to train, and don't leave anything in the tank. You are stronger than you think you are!

- SILENCE THE VOICE -

There is a voice in your head that tells you you need to stop/rest/quit. We all have it. The key is learning to drown it out with positive thoughts. It's natural instinct for your body to want to stop before the point of exhaustion. It's programmed this way for survival as our primal ancestors would have often been scarce of food, or needed to run away from a t-Rex say. But let's be honest, this doesn't apply to us (thankfully!). We will give the body all the fuel and recovery it needs when we are finished. At the time your brain doesn't know this- hence the wanting to stop while you still have something left to give!

- SET SPECIFIC GOALS -

Self motivation requires you to have specific goals in mind, so you can track results and progress. For example, "I want to tone up" or "I want to get fitter" are both very vague goals. Think more specifically about what you want to change, or a level you want to reach- "I want to have 10% body fat" or "I want to run a sub 50min 10k" - these are quantifiable goals. We can break these down, and set smaller targets that always help us move towards the overall goal. These smaller targets bolster our motivation. Achievable goals that we constantly conquer, give us a sense of accomplishment. This floods our brain with positivity, and renews our motivation to push on and achieve the next target. Thinking about a big final goal, can often seem miles away from where we are now. If we have no clear plan how to get there, negativity creeps in and our brain often convinces us to give up before we even really get started!

- ACCOUNTABILITY -

Make yourself accountable for your actions, and set yourself a deadline. If you have a goal, tell people. Put it on your social media. Tell colleagues and friends. This action gives an extra push of motivation subconsciously. People now know your goal, and expect to see you achieve it. Giving yourself a deadline forces you to take action. You can't put it off! You can have the most specific goals in the world, it won't help if you don't have a time scale to work in.

- FINDING MOTIVATION -

We all have those days where you wake up under energised or with a negative mindset, and it's hard to shift to get your training in. So what do you do? Google gym motivation, YouTube it. Look at how many results you get. People are always on hand to help inspire you, MyGymspitation is a perfect example of that! Let other people help - see a trainer, or attend a class and draw on the energy from the instructor- that's what we're there for! You don't have to go it alone!

- FOCUS -

Remind yourself daily of the final goal and why you want to achieve it. Above all else - enjoy the journey! Focus on the effort and the results will come.

Happy training!

Chris Magee

If you want more motivation from Chris, follow him with @Mageesy on Instagram and Twitter, or contact him directly mageefitness@gmail.com

Simple Power Protein Bars Made WITHOUT Baking

Ingredients you will need:

1 Cup of Coconut Cream (or milk if you don't have cream we prefer cream)

2/3 Full Scoops of Vanilla Protein Powder (We like the Herbalife Range available here: http://www.goherbalife.com/mygymspiration/en-GB)

1 Cup of Peanut butter (you may use any other nut butter if you prefer) We used crunchy ;)

1.5 - 2 Cups of Dry Oatmeal

1 Table Spoon of Chia Seeds (optional)

Here are the steps to making these Simple Power Protein Bars. These are high in energy so great for the start of the day.

1.

Whisk the coconut cream until smooth

2.

Add the Vanilla Protein Power and whisk until smooth

3.

Add the Peanut Butter and Chia seeds and mix everything together fully

4.

Next comes the Oatmeal. Mix well and add more if you desire. 

5.

Once satisfied place in a baking dish on grease proof paper (I sometimes use kitchen foil) make sure you don't make it too thick and place it in the fridge for a few hours before cutting up into preferred size bars and enjoying ;)

Depending on your ingredients and how big you cut the bars these are approximately 255 Calories with 17g Protein 

#MyGymspiration Review of Bitch Boxing @ GYMBOX With Lisa Moore

Staring at my computer screen wondering if this was a good idea, I was booking myself in for Bitch Boxing at GYMBOX. EEeeeK! This class is for ladies only... all my independent women, this one is definitely for you ;)! All booked in I got ready for my class a little nervous and excited at the same time. This was going to be my first ever boxing class in the ring. Each GYMBOX has a full size boxing ring which many classes and one on one sessions take place. I have to say stepping into the ring made this all the more exciting whist strapping my gloves on.

Heyyyy! Quick #Selfie before class as I knew I would look slightly different after  ;)

We started with a little cardio warm up, and then got straight to it. Partnered up we practiced a simple Jab, Cross combination, and once I finally discovered my left from my right we moved on to adding in a Hook. Lisa's classes are great because she actually teaches you technique and also how to use your feet along with body positioning. There is a lot to take in but this class is a full hour and you also get the chance to have some one on one interaction with Lisa who will push you to hit your full potential.

The lovely Hayley Nolan and I. Think she had a slight height advantage if I'm honest!

Now we had that combo going nicely it was time to go over a few defence moves and we was shown how to swiftly dodge a punch by slipping. Slipping is a skilful defensive boxing technique. Good slipping technique allows you to avoid punches AND come back with a good counter-punch. This is a small full body movement that you can really feel working if repeated a few times. I was really surprised how much cardio is in boxing as well as strength training.

And here's proof Lisa works you hard and you really do get a good burn on in this class!

Once we had the slipping down we threw that into the combo. So we now had the combo Jab, Cross, Jab, Slip, Hook. This is when I realised there is a lot more to this sport than I thought. Its mentally challenging too. even though I knew the combination that was coming my way, I didn't know when it was coming. Hayley, my partner for most of the class was cracking me up with her timing and made me work hard with my slipping. I'm used to weight training on my own so having a partner to train with was new to me, but I really enjoyed it as it kept me on my toes.

Miss Nolan taking a cheeky snap of me resting on the ropes to catch my breath!

Bitch Boxing is an amazing class and I will 100% make this one a regular in my diary as it is great for a full body workout, you are constantly learning new skills, working with a partner makes it challenging, it can help build your confidence in the ring if you decide to do a mixed class or MMA class and also I love the buzz it gives you. Adrenaline junkies this ones for you ;) If it's rapid tone and fat loss you're after then boxing is something you should definitely think about getting involved in.

Lisa in centre with the girls at GYMBOX Farringdon 

Huge Thank You to Lisa Moore Bitch Boxing Instructor who is without doubt #MyGymspiration, and if you would like to book in for a class check out www.Gymbox.com

Lisa Moore, Our Bitch Boxing instructor. Follow her on twitter and instagram @LMooreFitness

At the moment the classes are:

Wednesday 18:00 Bank

Thursday 18:30 Farringdon

Sunday 11:00 Westfield

But do check online.

Hope you enjoyed this review and if you have any events you would like the MyGymspiration team to come and review please email us on info@Mygymspiration.com

Smiles and Jabs ;)

SYA

x

Eating Clean Knock Out Combo’s!

A good friend of mine (who shall remain nameless for her own safety) was chatting to me recently about her day of healthy eating including her favourite snack of cottage cheese and blueberries. It was heartbreaking to have to tell her that this is actually a less than optimal manner in which to consume these two wonderful foods. Dairy products (especially ones containing high amounts of casein protein seem to make many polyphenols (found in berries) much less available for absorption into the blood stream from the gut. I wasn’t too popular after pointing this out. I cried a little. We both did.

However that conversation inspired me to write this blog, detailing some other good and bad food combinations to help our readers make some small adjustments to their meal plans.

It must be said that the way you combine your food will not make a huge amount of difference overnight. You’re certainly not going to add an inch to your arms or suddenly have killer glutes just by changing your morning milk for greek yogurt (see item number one). The most important thing is to be eating a healthy, balanced diet full of nutrients. 

That being said, if you are looking for a few ways to take your nutrition to the next level of perfection, this should help.

Bad Combinations:

1) Cereals with Milk

I probably won’t win any friends with this one because let’s face it us Brits love our morning cereal with ice cold milk (semi skimmed of course). It’s been a tradition in this country since the days when the white stuff got delivered to our front doors in glass bottles with different coloured foil lids. Which we then collected and sent to Blue Peter. No? Just me then.

The truth is that cereals and milk both contain high GI (read rapidly absorbed) carbohydrates, which cause blood sugar levels to spike and then drop dramatically as a surge of insulin is released to repair the damage. This leads to the all too familiar mid morning energy crash (you know that feeling when your head feels like it weighs 100lbs and your neck seems to be made of rubber bands?)

To aid digestion and slow down the energy surge, add fat and protein to your morning meal by pouring your cereal over some zero fat greek yoghurt and adding a handful of almonds or walnuts. Tasty!

2) Wine with Dessert

Again this is a popular choice around the world. Nothing finishes off a nice meal at a restaurant or in your friend house like a generous helping of pudding and the last few mouthfuls of that delightful red wine your host has just spent a painful twenty minutes describing to you as if you really care where it came from. Just pour the damn stuff!!

Or don’t. At least not with dessert. Alcohol interferes with blood sugar by increasing levels of insulin, which then converts the dessert’s extra sugar into fat. And that causes weight gain. No big shock there.

If you must have a glass of wine with dinner (let’s face it we all do it from time to time) try to drink it during the main course and if possible combine it with low GI foods such as vegetables, which reduce the alcohol’s sugar surge. Just don’t try making a veggie and wine smoothie. Trust me it doesn’t work and your partner will get upset with you for staining the blender with wine. Again.

3) Salad with Low-fat or Non-fat Dressing

‘But it’s OK I had a salad!’ said the obese person as they waddled out of McDonalds feeling super proud of themselves and clutching the toy they stole from the defenceless kids ‘Happy Meal’. Incidentally I think McDonalds should be sued for false advertising. There is NOTHING happy about that meal. Nothing at all! But I digress…

Contrary to popular belief, low-fat dressings are not the best choice for flavouring your salad. The vitamins in your salad such as A and K need some fat to be absorbed. Hence their catchy name ‘fat soluble vitamins’. Come on guys the clue is in the name! So avoiding fat entirely prevents maximum nutrient absorption. And let’s not forget that many ‘low-fat’ or ‘non-fat’ dressings are full of sugar, which is rapidly converted inside the body and stored as fat. So how exactly are they low-fat? The mind boggles!!

Dress your salads with olive oil and your choice of vinegar. This will aid nutrient absorption and give your salad that bit of ‘zing’ they need to stop you thinking about the fact that you’re eating rabbit food.

Good Combinations:

1) Oatmeal and Orange Juice

OK so fruit juice can be high in sugar so many people avoid it but when used in moderation, especially in this combination, the classic OJ (not Simpson - no one would want him round for breakfast) can actually save lives. Ironically enough.

Consuming a glass of vitamin C-rich orange juice whilst eating a bowl of real oatmeal cleans your arteries and prevents heart attacks with two times as much efficacy than if you were to ingest either on their own. The organic compounds in both foods (phenols) stabilise your LDL cholesterol (so-called ‘bad cholesterol’) when consumed together.

2) Apples and Chocolate

No I haven’t gone mad… Well no more than usual.

Apples, especially ‘Red Delicious’ (incidentally my stage name) are known to be high in an anti-inflammatory flavonoid called quercetin. By itself, quercetin has been shown to reduce the risk of allergies, heart attack, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and prostate and lung cancer. Go quercetin!!

Chocolate, especially ‘Dark Chocolate’ (incidentally my friend Sonia’s stage name) contains the flavonoid catechin, an antioxidant that reduces the risks of atherosclerosis and cancer.

When ‘Dark Chocolate’ and ‘Red Delicious’ are teamed up (tickets available online) quercetin and catechin loosen lumpy blood platelets, improving cardiovascular health and providing anticoagulant activity.

We also do kids birthday parties.

3) Peanuts and Wholewheat

This one is genius because it means a peanut butter sandwich is not necessarily junk food! When it’s done in the right way. I’m still waiting for the report that says the same about a full tub of Ben & Jerry’s Chocolate Fudge Brownie ice cream. At this stage the results are still inconclusive.

The specific amino acids absent in wheat are actually present in peanuts. You need (and very rarely receive in one meal) the complete chain of amino acids in order to build and maintain muscle mass. Especially as you get older.

So enjoy a peanut butter sandwich made with organic peanut butter and wholewheat bread. An ideal time to consume this is immediately after you exercise. Someone even told me once that it was a better post workout fix than ‘That chemically enhanced gym-rat protein shake you’re gulping down that’s aimed at meat heads and steroid abusers!’ 

So I stole his sandwich and kicked him in the shin.

Well that just about does it… I hope this has given you a few ideas and inspired some small changes.

Feel free to follow me on Twitter and Instagram and ‘like’ my page on Facebook. I’ll be providing more tricks, tips and humour in the near future.

I’m also available for PT sessions… Visit my website to see what it’s all about and book a free consultation.

Yours in Health and Fitness,

Jonny Spurling

London Personal Trainer and Blogger

Twitter: @JonnySpurling

Instagram: Jonny_Healthy_Happy

Facebook: www.facebook.com/jpsfitnesslondon

Web: www.jonnyspurling.wix.com/jpsfitness

MyGymspiration Checks Out #Bartendaz @ GYMBOX

My Gymspiration founder Sonia Yasmin Ali checked out the #Bartendaz class with Mr Clean AKA @bar_coach at Gymbox #Holborn today. The science behind this type if training is very simple but also extremely effective. It's designed to use your own body weight to achieve total body transformation in short intense periods. This training has helped male and female attendees transform their body in 8 weeks. Bartendaz is a dynamic martial arts and physical training program engineered to bolster fitness, discipline, self-esteem and actualisation for practitioners. A combination of military drills & calisthenics Bartendaz physical fitness practice has been known to not only transform bodies, but also transforms lives.

We think we will be making this one a regular in our weekly workout schedule so be sure to keep it locked on www.Mygymspiration.com for more updates ;)

If you would like to try it make sure you enquire at www.GYMBOX.com

Bartendaz Website link is below
http://westsidebartendaz.blogspot.co.uk/

Become A Swinger - 5 fundamental Kettlebell exercises

Developed in Russia in the 18^th century and were a key training tool for the Soviet Army. They're solid pieces of cast iron that can be described as cannonballs with handles. Allow me to introduce the kettlebell.

         Kettlebells have surged in popularity in the last decade within the health & fitness industry. These days, you would be hard pressed to find a gym that doesn't supply them. They're commonly used in bootcamp classes and personal training sessions with some gyms even having classes purely dedicated to using them. But who would benefit from using them? And if so, how do you use them?

         A kettlebell workout is fundamentally a resistance training session. It is based around full body movements to increase your cardiovascular fitness, strength and muscular endurance, particularly your posterior chain muscles (muscles on the back of your body). Compared to dumbbell or barbell exercises, kettlebell movements tend to be performed much faster and explosively with a higher number of reps. It will therefore typically resemble a high intensity interval workout, making it very efficient for fat burning.

         The most impressive thing I find with kettlebells is the lack of space and time you need in order to have a great workout. Because the intensity is so high and the rest times so short, you burn a lot of calories in a very quick time. Also most of the exercises require you to stay in one spot, you typically require only 2 square meters of space to complete a workout. This makes it great for workouts to do at home or at peak times in a crowded gym.

         Kettlebell exercises vary largely in difficulty. From teaching kettlebells I've learned the importance of mastering the fundamental movements first before moving onto more complex exercises. However let me warn you, just because the movements are simpler to perform doesn't therefore make it an easy workout. So with that in mind, here is a great workout using 5 fundamental kettlebell exercises designed to increase your cardiovascular fitness and burn body fat:

Aim to do 20 reps on each exercise or 10 reps on each arm, following the order shown in the video. Rest for 20s between each exercise to complete one circuit. Try to do 5 circuits whist resting for 60s between circuits. Depending on your level of fitness, you may need to adjust the variables to suit you. These include the weight of the kettlebell you're using, reps, circuits completed and the rest time. For example, if you wanted to make the workout more challenging you could use a heavier kettlebell, perform more reps and/or circuits or shorten the rest time—and vice versa to make it easier.

Welcome to the swingers club

Enjoy

James 

Follow James on twitter: @James_J_McGill

Jonny Spurling Fitness Expert and Personal Trainer, Discusses LosingWeight VS Burning Fat

'Losing Weight VS Burning Fat'

 

As a personal trainer I’m constantly asked ‘What’s the fastest way to lose weight?’ To which I usually answer something along the lines of ‘Have your leg amputated... Wow you just lost 30lbs in a few hours!’ Of course this answer is usually met with a cold hard stare at which point I go on to explain my rather sarcastic retort. Nobody should have the goal of ‘losing weight’. Everybody should have the goal of ‘burning fat’.

More and more nowadays I see people championing extreme diets and the associated rapid weight loss. It’s not unusual to see people posting status updates celebrating the fact that they lost 7 - 10lbs in the first week of their new ‘nothing but cheese’ diet. Whilst it’s great that they’re making some changes to their lives (hopefully not just cheese) this kind of weight loss per week is way too much and is certainly not just fat loss.

Your body is made up of fat, water, lean muscle, bones, vital organs and a few other things. When you aim to ‘lose weight’ you can lose it from anyone of these areas. You can lose water weight (dehydration), you can lose muscle weight (atrophy) you can lose bone density if your diet is poor enough (osteoporosis) and you can even lose weight from your vital organs! Yuck!

And NONE of these are GOOD forms of losing weight. The only GOOD form of losing weight is BURNING FAT!! Or perhaps having a hefty hair cut if you’re sporting a mullet.

Yes it is true that the only way to burn fat is to create a calorie deficit i.e. you have to eat less calories than you burn off each day. But if you cut your calories by too much or fail to appreciate the importance of meal times and macronutrient proportions (essential fats, carbohydrates and proteins), you’re so called ‘diet’ will undoubtedly end in tears as you nose dive into the first bucket of Ben & Jerry’s you see. 

To understand why, it’s important to learn a little bit about a wonderful survival mechanism that humans developed centuries ago... Which is almost completely redundant now!

Starvation Mode:

If our ancient ancestors wanted to eat they had to hunt for it. And sometimes they would have to go a long time between hunts and feeds. As a species we developed the ability to feed ourselves even when food was scarce. We learned to store excess energy around our bodies as fat. When the food ran out for a while we were able to feed off our own fat stores, our muscle tissue and eventually our organs. Of course if it got that far we were in trouble! Heart and lungs don’t taste too good and we kind of need them for other things.

Nowadays in Western civilisation we rarely find ourselves starving but we still have this survival mechanism in place and guess what? Your body can’t distinguish between starvation and an extreme diet! When you restrict calories by too much over a prolonged period of time your body tells itself: 

‘It looks like this is all the food we’re getting for a while so instead of burning it off, let’s keep hold of it! Oh and lets increase hunger and cravings too so we can get some more food!’ 

It sounds like your body is working against your fat burning dreams and in essence it is but only because it’s helping you survive. Thanks a lot evolution!

Not only does your weight loss slow down and eventually stop as you go into starvation mode, when you go on a diet you tend to lose muscle mass as well. That means that after a few weeks you congratulate yourself on finally squeezing back into those jeans you had when you were 18 but guess what? You’ve now got much less lean muscle tissue than you had before. 

So your starving body starts giving into those cravings and committing ‘carbicide’ but because your body now has less muscle tissue you now have a slower metabolism. You very quickly pile all the weight back on and in most cases end up bigger and heavier than you were before you even started the pesky diet! Damn it those jeans are back in the closet again!

Here’s what you do instead of using a ‘one-size-fits-all’ diet. You calculate what will work for YOU!

Calculate Your Daily Calorie Needs - Accurately:

In order to know how to get to where you’re going, you need to know where you are now! How many calories does your body need every day just to survive and keep you going at the same pace you are now? This is called your maintenance dose.

Here’s a quick and easy way to figure that out:

http://www.exrx.net/Calculators/CalRequire.html

This website is super easy to use and generates a pretty accurate result. Plug in your details and it will tell you how many calories you need per day to maintain your current status quo.

Once you have your maintenance dose simply minus 20% to get your calorie target per day for safe and effective fat loss. For example when I enter my details it tells me I have a maintenance dose of 3,100 calories per day (I’m a big chap and pretty active!). So I subtract 20% from that number:

3,100 - 20% (620) = 2480 calories per day.

That’s enough calories to feed me every day and prevent me going into starvation mode but because it’s less than my body actually needs each day I will have no choice but to start eating into my reserves i.e. my stored body fat. Yay! If I were to cut calories by more than 20% I would lose weight faster but it wouldn’t be weight from fat. It would be from my precious muscle tissue. Lose the guns!?! No way!

Add Exercise:

Far too many people attempt to burn fat using nutrition alone. That’s like entering a boxing match with one arm tied behind your back. Trust me that’s not fun! I tried it once. Never again.

When you burn fat using a calorie deficit created by cutting calories that you consume, you miss out on all the health benefits that come with physical activity:

• Increased energy
• Reduced risk of chronic heart disease
• Reduced risk of osteoporosis
• Increased lean muscle tissue (faster metabolism and better body composition)
• Improved mood (less stress and anxiety)
• Increased libido (so get your partner to train too!)

And if that’s not enough to motivate you consider this:

If someone who is not training has a maintenance dose of 2,500 calories per day, their calorie total for fat loss would be 2,000 calories (2,500 - 20%). 

But if that same person exercised for 30mins each day and therefore burned off an additional 500 calories, their daily maintenance dose would increase to 3,000 so their total for fat loss would go up to 2,400 calories. 

No shock there... If you train, you can eat more and still burn fat! So go ahead... Have that cheese!

It would take another whole article to go into the details of training to help fat loss and hopefully I will get to write that article very soon but for now I would suggest the following:

• Aim for 3 - 5 sessions per week, 30 - 45mins per session 
• Incorporate some cardio exercise with every session (treadmill, jogging, bike etc)
• Incorporate resistance training for 2 - 3 sessions (weights, cables, machines etc)
• When using resistance and cardio in one session, do resistance first and then cardio
• Hire a PT if you’re unsure of what to do and need some guidance (we’re pretty cool!)

Please remember though... YOU CANNOT OUT TRAIN A BAD DIET!!

All the work in the gym is for nothing if your calorie intake is wrong so get that part sorted first!

Thanks for taking the time to read this article. I’ll be back soon with some more fat burning tips.

Train hard, eat well, sleep soundly and believe in you!

Yours in health and fitness,

Jonny Spurling'

If you would like to book in for a free Personal Training consultation or book a training session / nutrition session with Jonny please visit his website here: www.jonnyspurling.wix.com/jpsfitness