Hi Fit Fam

I hope you had a great week?  Did you re-evaluate?  Where are you on your road to a better you?

Today I am giving you home based workout that needs no equipment!!!!

The reason for this blog is that this week a few colleagues are away and I
am training  a few of their clients. 

One particular client that is a daily exerciser and always trains in the gym, never at home.  When I spoke to her I asked the question where did she want trained...????  Immediately she said the GYM,  then posed the question to me.... CAN YOU TRAIN ME IN MY HOUSE????

Her perception was that in order to get fit and stay healthy you needed to go to the gym. NOT TRUE.  Yes there are more tools, equipment and might be more pleasing to the eye but BELIEVE me when I say, you can get a great workout at home with minimal equipment and little space.

So for you non believers I set this workout!!!!!

Warmup 5 mins

Stair runs,
Jogging on spot
Lateral runs
Touchdowns
Skipping

Just get the heart rate up.

Set yourself 20 mins and complete as many rounds of the following exercises as you can

READY, SET, GO

25 Body Weight
Squats
20 Alternate Hand Release Push up ( when you push up lift arm in line with ear)
20 Multi Directional Lunges (change direction of movement)
6 Burpees with lateral jump
20 Feet walks in and out whilst in plank position, either on arms or hands.

Perform each round as if it was the last one, push hard and complete as many as possible.

I guarantee by the end you will feel adequately worked, just like in the gym!!!!

If you do it let me know the outcome.

Enjoy

Until next week

Stay Healthy 
J xx

Hi Fit Fam

Hope you had a great week?

2013 is well and truly underway.  So today I ask a question. 

Did you set goals?
Have you stuck to them?
If yes, how do you feel?
If no, why, and how do feel?

I am speaking for the majority in saying that the good intentions and healthy resolutions may be a distant memory!  Don't be disheartened by this.   It is not a reason not to start and re commit.  Fitness, exercise and healthy living is unfortunately a rollercoaster sometimes. 

In my opinion the reason for this is, 

Not enough education
Not enough support
Poor advice
Too much advice
Clear goals and targets not set.

So today if you feel that this is you at this present moment in time you are in luck.  I have given My TOP 5 tips to make healthy living not a chore, which will eventually lead to a positive habit. 

READY????

1- Move-  develop and move more mindset.  Can you take stairs at work? Yes DO IT.  Can you walk to a near by shop? Yes DO IT.  Can you wake up 10 minutes earlier and do a little?

2- Commit to a Personal Trainer- employ a Personal Trainer, have them come to you, at home or at work.  People that work with a trainer are more likely to stay
committed.  A personal trainer will educate and support you.  The main reasons why most give up.

3- Get fit with a friend- exercising with a friend can make it more enjoyable and having a friend to support you will make all the difference!

4- Find an activity that you enjoy- How many times have watched  a TVprogram that you don't enjoy, or eaten a meal that was not nice?  Would you continue to watch the show or eat the meal?  Of course not.  This is the same for when we choose exercise.  Find something that makes you leave feeling energised and happy.  Exercise should be fun!

5- Have a reminder photo or board- This is a great tool, if you write down why you are wanting to make positive changes then those days when you
are feeling low or demotivated, a quick read or a glance at that picture can be the push you need to stay on track!

All Be it  a simple blog I can never over emphasise when training clients the
importance of goals and consistency when wanting to be fitter and healthier. 


So if today is a day that you felt like giving up or you feel you are
getting no where, I hope this blog has set you back on track

Until next week

Stay Healthy

Jill

Hi Fit Fam I hope this finds you well.

As a Personal Trainer I am often asked......

What should my Heart rate be to burn fat?
What should it be to improve fitness?
What's the best Zone to work in?

With all these questions it is easy to get get confused.  So I hope to explain things for you in this blog.

What is you Maximum Heart Rate?

Your maximum heart rate is determined by a formula, which is simply 220- you age. 

Example 

A 20 year olds maximum heart rate is 200 beats per minute, so from this
figure we can workout,
50 %= 100 beats
60%= 120 beats
70%= 140 beats
and so on.

Levels or zones are determined using percentage guidelines.  As a general rule of thumb and keeping it simple the zones are broken down into

Fat Burn 50-65%
Aerobic  65-80%
Anaerorbic 80-90%


There are other sub-categories that may fall within these zones (threshold zones).

Fat Burning/ Aerobic Zone-

In this zone we are able to produce energy using oxygen. In this zone we are able to use carbohydrate and fat as the primary source of fuel that.  Once the excess carbohydrate stores are burnt,  then fat will be utilised as fuel,  it is often said that steady state cardio will give good results in fat loss.  Whilst this true, fat is burnt at a higher level when glycogen levels are low.  I would not solely rely on this type of training.  You should incorporate High Intensity Training to also stimulate fat loss.

Anaerobic Zone

In this zone we generate energy  without the presence of oxygen, therefore the
time period that you can work in this zone is short.  Within the anaerobic zone there are two types  energy systems:

1) ATP adenosine triphosphate and CP creatine
phosphate system

2) Anaerobic glycolysis.

The high energy required to fuel such activities, is stored in very limited quantities within muscle cells.  Anaerobic glycolysis exclusively uses glucose and glycogen as a fuel in the absence of oxygen. These physical activities that last up to about thirty seconds rely primarily on the ATP-PC phosphagen system. Longer than this the Anaerobic glycolysis system kicks in.  It is here that lactate acid (a by product from the energy breakdown is produced).  You may have heard of this and it has traditionally been thought to be detrimental to muscle function. However, this appears likely only when lactate levels are very high. Elevated lactate levels are only one of many changes that occur within and around muscle cells during intense exercise that can lead to fatigue. Elevated muscle and blood lactate levels are a normal consequence of any physical exertion. Anaerobic activity can be improved through training.

So what's the best Zone?
 
Well like everything you need a balance.  Training that only uses one zone
will not help you progress long term, it is essential to incorporate, HITT
training as well as longer lower intensity workouts.

Please note that if you have not exercised before your heart rate may be higher initially.  However you should find that with time it will fall faster after HITT training and you can work harder and still maintain within the zone you want to be.  This will also indicate that your fitness levels are improving.

I hope you enjoyed this article and if you have any question please do not hesitate to contact me.

Until next week stay healthy

Jill

Hi Fit Fam

Hope you had a great week

Today's blog was inspired by a Cross fit event that was recently held here in Kuwait.  I had always seen videos, heard reports but never actually witnessed an actual event and ... well it inspired me.  I am a Cross-fit convert.  The energy, power strength and adrenaline, teamwork was immense.  It was so enjoyable that I myself have enrolled to become a crossfit trainer.  In April I will travel to India, where I will learn the methods, so I too can deliver it here in Kuwait, safely and effectively to my Clients and also myself.

SO Today I have decided to explain to you the ins and outs!!!!

About the Games

Who is the fittest?

The CrossFit Games began in 2007, and to today has rapidly evolved. Each
year there is a Cross Fit  event.  It is comprehensive test of fitness for
athletes all over the world.  There are several unique characteristics define
the CrossFit Games. The events change every year, and the details are not announced until right before each event. 

Keen Cross fitters train year-round for an unknown competition so to speak!!!  They are only aware of the events tasks when they reach the Home Depot Centre.  Their training throughout the year puts their, mental and physical fortitude to the test.  They take on a rigorous, broad-ranging tests of overall physical capacity.

The Crossfit games last for three days, thereafter the Fittest on Earth will have clearly distinguished themselves.
 
What does it Involve?
CrossFit- it is in principal a strength and conditioning  program.  It is used by many police academies and tactical operations teams,  military special operations units, champion martial artists, and hundreds of other elite and
professional athletes worldwide.

The beauty of Crossfit is that it covers a broad range of exercises and challenges, its specialty is not specializing.  
 
The Work itself- WOD
 
Crossfit is intense, powerful and dynamic.  It involve exercises like plyometric jumps, and Olympic lifts while using non-traditional weightlifting equipment such as kettlbells, sand-bags, suspension systems or water-filled implements.
 
The workout or WOD as you may see is structured in such a way you will be
challenged to do a certain number of repetitions in a workout in a specific time
frame, or a set number of rounds and repititions that are timed

Advanced CrossFit participants will actually compete against each other to see how fast they can complete the daily workout. 


Benefits of Crossfit-

 High intensity, power-based exercises are effective for burning a high number of calories in a short period.

Improves aerobic fitness and promoting the anabolic hormones such as testosterone, HGH and IGF-1 which are responsible for muscular growth and can actually have an anti-aging effect.

Teams compete together, so it has a real social aspect to it and it is global. 

It is a great way for the experienced exercise enthusiast to add much-needed intensity and diversity to his or her program.  #Note that I put experienced, it is not a recommended program for people just starting to exercise, it is intense and with that intensity comes the risk factor that if not done correctly with proper technique there is an increase the risk of injury.

Some Tips

If you are interested in starting or implementing CrossFit into your workout my advice would be to work with a Personal Trainer who is Cross Fit certified, they will be able to educate you and teach you how to perform the movements required for the workout.

To some it up.  CrossFit is certainly becoming a hot topic and training program in the fitness industry today and in Kuwait there are many avid followers and and up and coming instructors.  SO if you have been bitten by this bug, get in touch for more information.

Here is also a link to the CrossFit games website if you want more information.
http://games.crossfit.com/about-the-games/the-games-season
 
Until next week

Stay Healthy

Jill