Woodlands Fitness Centre

The Woodlands Fitness Centre March 2015 Newsletter

Sunday 1st March 2015

The Woodlands Fitness Centre March 2015 Newsletter

What's New?

Well here we are in March 2015. My son Jacob will have his very first birthday on the 18th of this month. The last 12 months have absolutely flown by.

It's easy to keep putting things off - I'm as much a culprit of procrastination as the next guy - but if you want to look your best this summer, maybe on your holidays or maybe just staggering round Bakewell like a topless vagrant - you need to really knuckle down and start work on a plan as to how you're going to get there. Each month I provide/bore you with an abundance of information about the Paleo diet, which I use as the backbone of my own diet.

For me, the Paleo diet works very well as it allows me to eat most of the foods I like. Bread, rice and pasta are filling, inexpensive and satisfy carbohydrate cravings - but eating them can lead to considerable weight gain because of their high calorie content. Cutting out high carbohydrate foods like bread, rice and pasta is a simple - but incredibly effective - strategy to lose weight providing the rest of your diet is calorie controlled.

The reason I write these newsletters each month is to help you guys get to where you want to be. It's these newsletters - amongst other things - that set us apart, that make us different.

I've always had a fear of mediocrity, of being the same as everyone else. It's very easy in any industry to be another generic, me-too outfit - but it takes a real balls to stand apart from everyone else and do what you believe.

There's an abundance of Zumba, aerobics and other dance classes in the area at other gyms, village halls, etc - and doing these kind of classes are kinda ok but they'll never help you achieve amazing results.

In a previous newsletter, I wrote that conventional classes - aerobics, Zumba etc - are useful for maintaining a reasonable level of health but they don't necessarily burn many calories. Some members might think they can have a couple of glasses of wine tonight because they've been to the gym. In most cases, the calories in those glasses of wine exceed the calories they've burnt in the gym.

Each month I communicate what I believe in (based on years of trial and error and actual evidence).

I recently read a book called "How the World Sees You' by Sally Hogshead. One of the main lessons in this book is to resist the urge to be better - highlight how you are different.

The author illustrates this point with by using ice cream as an example: are you 'vanilla or pistachio'? Vanilla, as we all know, is the best selling ice cream flavour - it's the safest to serve any guests. But if your business is vanilla (as most are) then you're going to need an enormous marketing budget, otherwise you'll go unnoticed and never make your mark. And being a 'better vanilla' won't help you. Why? Because you are still vanilla.

Being pistachio will get you noticed. Yes, you'll get a negative response from some (yes, you know who you are!!!!) - but being pistachio is the only way to be fascinating to somebody. Vanilla fascinates no body.

Elsewhere in the book Sally makes the point that you are 99.9% the same as everyone else. She's talking about DNA and anatomy - but it applies to businesses as well. Your individuality depends on that 0.1% - that's where you've got to find your advantage.

If you're seen as vanilla by your target market it means that you're trying too hard to be 'mainstream acceptable', too inclusive, too gentle, too 'same-as-but-better', too careful, and in doing so you're suppressing the very 0.1% difference that offers your only true opportunity for greatness or wealth or real power in your marketplace.

It's why I'm so blunt with the advice I give each month in these newsletters. It makes us different - no other gym in the area (as far as I'm aware) produces a newsletter each month. Taking into account the high quality of the jokes we use, maybe it makes us interesting.

There is a lot we can all learn from this: being vanilla is bad - in all respects. Pistachio is where it's at. I like having the confidence and guts to stand apart from the others and say "we're different"!

I always want to know what you think of the Woodlands Fitness Centre - the gym, classes, prices, Personal training, and anything else. Please speak to me at the gym, use the suggestion box or email any feedback and suggestions to the email address at the end of this newsletter.

Thanks,
Giles


Resistance Training: the Basics

Ok, so you're going on holiday during the summer holidays - which means you've got about 5 months. That's enough time to get where you want to be BUT ONLY IF YOU START NOW! NOT TOMORROW! RIGHT NOW!

By now, most of you know my advocate resistance training to get the results you craze. So I've prepared an basic resistance training overview.

You don't have to spend hours doing resistance training seven days a week to see and feel positive changes in your fitness level. A resistance-training program that does not focus on technique will get you results much more slowly and may put you at risk of injury. Here are some very important technique tips:

Quality and execution of movement is critical. It makes no sense to perform 20 rubbish reps - it's better to perform eight reps with perfect form and then a break.

Take it slowly. Proper resistance training is not a fast sport. Unless you're training for power, one repetition should typically take approximately about 4 seconds, which equates to two seconds to lift the weight and two seconds to lower the weight in a controlled fashion.

Most people lift much too quickly, using momentum instead of muscle. A proper set of 8 to 12 repetitions should take approximately one minute to complete. Proper execution of each rep is the most critical factor in resistance training. Reps performed with poor technique will get you nowhere!

Breathe. One thing I'm always eager to encourage our members do is breathe. Side effects of not breathing can include death. So make sure you breathe both in and out. The breathing out part is just as important. Jack can sometimes hold his breath for up to 17 hours - but he's obviously a trained athlete.

A proper breathing rhythm will make each set more effective. Focus on exhaling as you lift the weight or when you exert, and inhaling as you lower the weight.

Maintain good posture. Proper posture is critical to ensure you are working the correct muscle groups and not putting your body at risk of injury. If seated, sit up straight. Always keep your abdominals contracted through the entire set of any exercise. Pull them up and in toward your spine to help stabilize your trunk. Keep your shoulders back and chest lifted up and out during any seated, bent-over or standing exercise.

A good exercise set will finish once you hit the point at which you absolutely cannot do another rep with perfect form. If you exceed your rep goal (typically 8 to 12 reps) increase the weight.

If you cannot perform 8 reps, the weight is too heavy. If you can perform 12 reps with perfect technique, increase the weight by approx five per cent.

Never go to failure. Failure is when you continue the set with poor technique, or when other muscle groups kick in to help finish the set. It is important that you always avoid bad technique and muscle substitution.

Perform your muscle-conditioning sessions on alternating days. Your muscles require a day of rest in between muscle conditioning workouts.

Put your mind into it. It is okay to let your mind wander while you perform some fitness activities. For example, you can jump onto a treadmill and whether you think about it or not you will expend the same amount of calories. However, this is not the case with muscle-conditioning exercise.

You must focus on what you're doing because there is such a strong connection between the brain, the nerves and the muscles. Studies show that if you concentrate on what you are doing you can significantly increase the amount of muscle activity measured during these exercises. So put down your magazines, cease all conversation and really focus on each set. Each repetition and each set will become much more effective and you will experience results much more quickly.

Change the Exercise Order. Plan the order in which you do your exercises as seriously as you plan the exercises themselves. Try alternating between muscle groups--e.g., doing elbow curls (arms) followed by knee extensions (legs)-or "stacking" all the exercises for one muscle group (i.e., performing them consecutively). A third possibility is to start with the exercises of greatest priority to you and follow them with exercises of lesser importance.

The most effective way to add variety to your workouts is through periodization, which means making systematic changes to your training at regular intervals. Periodizing your strength workouts can help you avoid plateaus, prevent injury, and make greater gains in strength, power, muscular size and endurance, and athletic performance.

Are carbs our friends?

Everyone seems to have a different philosophy when it comes to carbs. One school of thought will tell you to never eat them; another will say to limit them after 3pm, still others might tell you to eat them up until three hours before bedtime. But which theory is the correct one to follow when trying to shed bodyfat?

In truth, most of what you hear about carbs has a certain element of fact to it, but with all the recent hype, carbs have seemed to get a bad name, and furthermore are pinpointed as the big culprit for putting on bodyfat. But I'm here to tell you that you can eat carbohydrates in a much greater amount, and more often than you might have previously assumed.
Carbohydrates can be broken down into three categories:

1. Simple
2. Complex
3. Fibrous

Simple carbohydrates are shorter chains of sugars, usually coming from food items with a noticeably "sweet" flavor. Candy, fruit and sports drinks are all examples of simple sugars. They provide short term energy and are quickly broken down by the body. Hence they don't make you feel satiated for very long.

Complex carbohydrates are longer chains of sugars predominantly coming from foods without such a noticeably sweet flavour, such as rice, bread, potatoes, oats, pasta, and things of that nature. In general, since the body takes a little longer to break these down, they give you energy for a longer period of time than do their simple sugar counterparts.

Fibrous carbohydrates come predominantly from roughage such as green leafy vegetables, broccoli and and the skins of various vegetables and fruits, hence the term "fiber".

When you ingest carbohydrates, your pancreas secretes a hormone called insulin. Simple carbs (for the most part) cause a quick insulin spike, and then drop you rather quickly, hence you crave more carbs soon after your insulin levels drop.

Complex carbohydrates cause a more gradual insulin spike. This allows you to feel fuller for a longer period of time, typically for the two to three hour duration between meals. Knowing the different types of carbs can help build the body you have always dreamed of.

Fibrous carbohydrates have a negligible effect on blood sugar levels, but act more as a "cleanser" for your intestinal tract, providing you with a much needed tool for pushing food through the system.

We already know that eating carbohydrates causes a rise in insulin/blood sugar levels. The glycemic index is basically a system which measures the degree to which a certain food will spike insulin levels, and how quickly it will do so. This means that 50g of carbohydrates found in one food might have more or less of an effect on blood sugar levels than 50g of carbohydrate coming from another food.

The quality of carbohydrate that one eats is much more important than the quantity. For example, if we compare a low glycaemic index carbohydrate such as a yam, with high glycaemic carbohydrates such as a doughnut, you could probably eat 2-3 yams, and not cause as dramatic an insulin spike as you would eating only 1 doughnut.

In fact, a lot of foods you might think cause a dramatic insulin spike (cherries for example), are in fact very low glycemic (a cherry has a lower glycemic index than a yam, and a yam is considered a staple food when trying to get lean).

Whenever you are in debate of late night carbohydrate indulgence, just keep in mind the degree to which the carb you're going to eat will affect your blood sugar levels. This will determine whether or not your body stores fat.

So now the myth has been dispelled: not all carbs are bad, and some can be eaten in moderation at any time of the day. Choose your carbs wisely, and the fear of bodyfat storage will no longer haunt you.

10 reasons why you're not losing fat number 9: You blame your genes

Genetics give us a shedload of excuses, including metabolism, 'big bones' and an underactive thyroid. In fact, only around one per cent of people have a fault in their DNA - a hormone, glandular or chromosomal disorder - that means their metabolism does not function normally.

Being overweight is more about bad eating habits and learned behaviour. If you're overweight, the chances are that your parents are, too. But don't assume this is genetic - it's far more likely that you have inherited their eating habits and lifestyle.

Your genes do have a certain influence on your figure - for example, the body shape scientists call 'endomorph' is more prone to collecting weight around the abdomen - but they don't make you overweight in the first place (if you don't eat the food)..

Remember that being overweight is about what you eat, not the DNA that made you. Chances are you eat more than you realise.

In next month's newsletter, I discuss the benefits of keeping track of what you eat.

Paleo Snack Ideas number 9.

Turkey Rollups: this combination is one of our most satisfying Paleo snack. We Roll Turkey around bacon and avocado and we have a snack that will keep us full for hours.

Full Fat Yogurt with Berries: be careful as many yogurt brands try to promote their "low fat" yogurts. Opt for the Full Fat choice and add berries to create a early morning Paleo snack.

Lox (a fillet of brined salmon) with Cucumbers: this snack is one of the most refreshing Paleo options in the summertime. Slice up some cucumbers and place your salmon on top.

Peppers with Salsa: if you chop up bell peppers and dip the rods into some salsa, you'll have a quick on the go Paleo snack.

Dark Chocolate: chocoholic? Try Dark Chocolate that is over 70% cacao to satisfy your desire.


10 Reasons to do Group Personal training number 4: You Need to Be Challenged

If you're like me, you tend to slack off on your workouts sometimes, especially when things get tough. This is particularly true on legs day, when I sometimes 'phone it in'.

A trainer can motivate you to push past those self-imposed limits, encouraging you to lift heavier, go longer and challenge yourself more than you would on your own. One of my PT clients, a lady in her late forties, can do full push ups with her feet on a medicine ball. This quite an achievement as it requires excellent core strength and strength to weight ratio.

When I first started training this lady - who will remain nameless (SUE!) - she was only doing classes, sticking to using light dumbbells and not really getting anywhere. With me, she's using up to 15kg dumbbells for chest presses and reasonably heavy barbells for deadlifting and squatting movements. Despite using heavier weights, this client isn't bulky or muscle bound at all.

The one thing my Group personal training and 1-to-1 personal training clients are very aware of is how hard it is to slack off with a trainer standing over you, telling you to do just...one...more...rep! You may even find hidden strengths you never knew you had, which can motivate you even more.





Very Punny

Why did Jack Critchlow get excited after finishing a puzzle in 6 months? The box said 2 to 4 years!

What did the fish say when he swam into the wall?
Damn!

Never argue with a fool - they will lower you to their level, and then beat you with experience.

Stalking is when two people go for a long romantic walk together but only one of them knows about it.

Why don't cannibals eat clowns? -- Because they taste funny.

Why are pirates so mean? They just arrrr!




The Woodlands Fitness Centre Ltd
A: Unit 29, Peak Village Estate, Chatsworth Road, Rowsley (nr Matlock & Bakewell), Derbyshire, DE4 2JE
T: (01629) 733 123
E: woodlandsfitness@yahoo.co.uk
W: www.woodlandsfitnessrowsley.co.uk