Fitness Basics – a step by step guide to bodyweight exercises – Part One
04 Jun 2012 Leave a Comment
in Exercise and Fitness, Information Tags: fitness, Health, Push Up, gym, Mark’s Daily Apple, Mark Sisson, The Primal Blueprint: Reprogram your genes for effortless weight loss vibrant health and boundless energy, Daily Apple, Bodyweight exercise
So, I’ve talked a lot lately about food and nutrition but what about exercise? Everyone assumes that EVERYONE knows how to do all the main exercises but it’s so important to get the techniques right; I thought I would share some short demonstrations including the basic movements plus some variations which will take you in easy steps through to the harder version!
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New goals, new plan, new future!
14 May 2012 Leave a Comment
in My Training Updates Tags: Bench press, BFP, Chin-up, exercise, fitness, goals, motivation, Neuro-linguistic programming, NLP, Push Up, Therapeutic use of Neuro-linguistic programming, training
Back in February I set down a list of goals and achievements I wanted by the end of the year and as the main flurry of training courses has now subsided I thought it would be useful to revisit it and assess what I have done and what is still under construction!
So starting with the academic stuff
- Pass my L2 PT accreditation exams – PASSED
- Pass my L3 PT exams - PASSED
- Complete my NLP Practitioner course – PASSED
- Complete marketing and branding for new business – DONE
- Develop website - DONE
- Start actually seeing clients – DONE
- Develop NLP therapy business as a complement to PT – UNDERWAY
- Complete NLP Master Practitioner course – NOW PLANNED FOR 2013
- Develop my own coaching and training materials for NLP courses – CANT DO UNTIL AFTER MASTER PRAC COURSE 2013
Well, I know it’s not a complete clean sweep but all in all that’s a pretty good set of achievements in just three months, something I would do as well to remember, life has been very hectic but just look at how much I have done! I am really proud of myself and how much I have accomplished but now its time to put the same degree of determination into my training and eating plan and to get the same degree of outstanding results!
Reviewing my fitness goals from February, its clear that although I have been in a plateau as far as weight and BFP is concerned, my shape has changed again meaning that at least two of my goals from back then I have already achieved. So, although I have made real progress academically I still have a way to go with fitness goals and its now time to focus on them and apply the same amount of commitment to getting things not just right, but perfect. So in the spirit of grabbing hold of life and reaching ones potential, the new plan starts today!
Time to clean the diet up, get tough on the carbs and get back to training all out four times a week – and if that doesn’t make a change to my body, weight and body fat percentage I don’t know what will!
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Principles of Movement
18 Apr 2012 1 Comment
in Exercise and Fitness, My Training Updates Tags: Body weight, Chin-up, fitness, gym, Health, Push Up, Sports
Well, I have made so much progress with getting the business stuff sorted and before I start marketing and finding clients in earnest I 
thought I ought to try and develop a sense of who and what I am or rather what do I believe in?
Move
Quite simply we should all MOVE much more. Exercise or fitness doesn’t have to be structured, it doesn’t need to mean classes full of determined looking faces, it doesn’t need to only take place in a gym. exercise should be fun, it should incorporate movements our bodies were meant to do – walking, running, jumping, climbing, lifting.
Our ancestors wouldn’t have had access to resistance machines or treadmills, they would walk or jog for many miles whilst hunting and would only sprint when game was located or they were trying to get away from predators. They would climb trees, hills, rocks; lift or carry food back great distances and would jump over rivers, streams, boulders. All a mixture of activities carried out over what we now know as a range of intensities but the crucial thing is that they were active.
Our bodies are not designed to spend long periods of time sat at a desk, shoulders hunched forward staring at a screen and nor are we designed to sit for hours on a couch watching TV at night when our bodies are trying to tell us its dark and we should be sleeping.
We should all move more.
Walk the dogs; walk the children to school; walk to work; take the lift; go for a walk at lunchtime; get outside and get some fresh air, get the sun on your skin and the wind in your hair and remember that we do actually have seasons and that the quality of the light changes throughout the year.
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Goals, goals and more goals!
21 Feb 2012 Leave a Comment
in My Training Updates Tags: Bench press, Extraversion and introversion, fitness, goal setting, Level 3 Personal Trainer, motivation, NLP, Push Up, weight loss
Following my Homer Simpson light bulb moment last week I have been doing some serious thought about what my fitness or gym based goals should be. I seem to have given myself a whole load of other goals that I am happy with even though I know the workload will be intense, I also know that the sense of achievement as I tick each one off will be worth it;
- Pass my L2 PT accreditation exams
- Pass my L3 PT exams
- Complete my NLP Practitioner course
- Complete marketing and branding for new business
- Develop website with on-line library or resources for clients
- Start actually seeing clients
- Develop NLP therapy business as a complement to PT
- Complete NLP Master Practitioner course
- Develop my own coaching and training materials for NLP courses
So, given that I already have my hands full why on earth do I need to give myself the added pressure of developing another set of goals as well? Well, as a self-confessed introvert (see my post entitled Are you an introvert or and extrovert?) I am results driven and goal oriented – what makes me happy is seeing results, achieving things and given the level of dissatisfaction I have despite how much I have achieved this year, being clearer on what I really want can only a good thing!
In that case, what do I REALLY REALLY want to have achieved in fitness and/or weight loss in 12 months time – what is the real honest answer to that one? What would make me happy? What would make me proud and satisfied at my accomplishments?
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You made me cry….
18 Feb 2012 Leave a Comment
in My Training Updates Tags: Jeremy Clarkson, Kettlebell, Physical exercise, Push Up, Squat, Upright row
This week has been a really tough training week, incredibly intense, emotional and hopefully worthwhile.
Having changed my training days last week my first training day was Monday, which just felt kind of weird, I mean, I never train on a Monday, it completely threw my week out! Anyway, Monday night was my first night doing the metabolic stuff on my own and I hated it. Its one thing to push yourself to the gasping-for-air-cant-do-anymore-stage and quite another to keep yourself at the same level for the whole programme; by half way I was struggling to even lift the weights above my head and as for push-ups, well they were a complete disaster. Felt as if I had gone back several months and could barely even lower myself an inch! Finished the programme somewhat grudgingly and headed off home.
Overtraining, injuries and frustrations!
11 Feb 2012 Leave a Comment
in My Training Updates Tags: body fat percentage, Hip flexors, Kieran, Overtraining, Push Up, Tabata, training
Training has been very odd the last few weeks, there have been so many niggly little injuries, aches and pains that they have been starting to interfere with my training sessions. Nothing major, just tight quads, hamstrings or hip flexors, the minor problem with my knee and muscle aches that last 48-72 hours after training; at the back of my mind I have been wondering if this was a sign of over training.
I feel fine to be honest, not run down or over tired or anything but I have been so frustrated that every time we take a step forwards with training we have to go back a couple cos of a sore quad or something. Anyway, this week I trained heavier on Tuesday and really felt the difference, felt as though I had actually achieved something, no particular aches, no issues with my knee and so Wednesday it was PT with Kieran. Training was fine to be begin with until my knee started to hurt whist doing pendulum lunges and although it was nothing major it seemed to just stick around and affect the amount of training we could get done.
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My first injury…..
29 Jan 2012 2 Comments
in My Training Updates Tags: fitness, injury, Kieran O'Leary, knee, lunge, Push Up, TRX
Yesterday (Saturday) I got my first gym injury – not bad really been training for nearly a year, a few minor niggles but this was enough to 
stop me in my tracks!
Went in for training as usual, did my programme for an hour and got ready for PT. Started well with 5 sets of Pendulum Lunges, Weighted Step Ups, TRX Squat and pull and finished up with Push Ups. All done without rest, tough but ok. Then as I got up off the floor from the Push Up my knee felt a bit funny, by the time I had walked across the studio I had a lump the size of half an egg on the side of my knee. No idea what I did or how I did it – I was only getting up off the floor not exactly a tough exercise!
Kieran put an ice pack on it and both he and Richard checked for mobility, tenderness etc and weirdly although it looked really strange it wasnt sore and I could move my knee/leg in all the usual ways. Managed to get home with no problems (thank goodness I drive an automatic!) and into a hot bath. It was definitely a bit stiff but seemed ok.
This morning its a bit tender and a little bit sore but at least it looks as though the swelling as gone down a bit – no more egg-shaped lump more a bit swollen! Off to get some more ice and think today will be spent with my knee propped up, an ice pack and my study books – thank goodness its a rest day and fingers crossed it doesn’t hamper my training this week!
