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Maloney's Fitness Tip of the Month

malonchr — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 06:48:27 CDT

Chris Maloney is an experienced personal trainer based in Sydney, Australia. In the last 8 years he has trained everyone from elite athletes, tv and radio stars, right through to soccer moms and corporate fat cats.

In Maloney's Fitness Tip of the Month, Chris tackles topical fitness issues, providing useful hints and tips to readers in his trademark humorous style.

Whether you are looking for advice to help you bulk up or trim down, or just after an entertaining read in your lunch break, be sure to join this site to receive your fix of Maloney's Fitness Tip of the Month. When you join the site you will receive email notifications as new tips are added.

Train with Chris

Latest fitness tips

#34 When was the last time you sprinted?
#33 Screw weights...lift yourself instead

Fitness tip archive

#1 Take the stairs	#2 To burn fat...put your runners on	#3 When and how long should I train for?
#4 Measuring your progress	#5 Ten quick fitness tips	#6 Ten quick fatness tips
#7 Why am I so sore for days after training?	#8 Maintaining motivation over winter	#9 Removing fat from problem areas
#10 Resistance training	#11 Can I train when sick?	#12 Getting in shape from the inside out
#13 Alcohol's effect on training	#14 Hard/Easy/Hard/Easy/Hard/Easy	#15 The importance of stretching
#16 By popular demand...training the abs	#17 Its a sunny long weekend...go play outside	#18 Let's get ready to rumble
#19 If you can't measure it you can't manage it	#20 Have you been paying attention	#21 Supplements do you really need them?
#22 Supplements do you really need them part 2	#23 How your fitness can survive the silly season	#24 New Years Resolution time
#25 Beat your body to a beat	#26 Find your inner caveman	#27 Breaking through plateaus
#28 Get married*	#29 Keep off the winter fat	#30 City 2 Surf
#31 12 Weeks Until Summer!	#32 Physiotherapist or personal trainer?	#33 Screw weights...lift yourself instead
#34 When was the last time you sprinted?

Sign up for Maloney Fitness Boot Camp!

malonchr — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 06:46:23 CDT

Each year, a holiday that celebrates the eating of large quantities of chocolate rabbits is typically the start of the dreaded winter fat season.

Most people tend to think of this as the “off-season” where they can abandon their training and healthy eating efforts as they hide anything excess under thick woolen jumpers.

But ask any athlete, and they will tell you that the “off-season” is when they train the hardest. They put in the hard work in the “off-season” so they can enter the season, which for us means Spring/Summer, in the best possible shape.

To help you get or stay in shape this off-season I have teamed up with one of Sydney’s best young trainers to launch Off-Season Boot Camp.

With two experienced trainers you will get all the attention and motivation you need to get the results you are after. Check out the details below and book yourself in today!

Off-Season Boot Camp - Enlist now!

Trainers: Chris Maloney & Shannon Kofoed

Where: Pyrmont Bay Park, Sydney

How Long: 5 weeks - 10 sessions (2 sessions per week)

Days: Mondays and Wednesdays commencing 20th April 2009

Time: 6.30am -7.15am

Who: Open to all fitness levels, males and females

How much: $200 (Only $20 per session!)

Special mates rates offer: Join with a friend and each get one session free (save $40!)

To find out more or to enlist simply email Chris today! Hurry, places will fill up fast!

Rest assured it will be better than this boot camp! I didnt know star jumps were so difficult!

#34 When was the last time you sprinted?

malonchr — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 03:01:58 CDT

It seems like a silly question right?

But when you think about it, as we get older and stop playing competitive sports, the need to ever sprint as fast as you can is limited to chasing the bus, or running from the local ice addict (or Vanilla Ice music).

I had to ask this question of myself when I recently participated in a boot camp.

Now as you probably know I’ve been running boot camps for a long time, but I hadn’t participated in one myself in about 5 years…about the same time since I had to stop playing rugby league.

So that was the answer….IT HAD BEEN 5 YEARS SINCE I HAD SPRINTED!
In the same time I had lost some of my tone, but fortunately not as much as Arnie has let himself go.

I have to be honest….sprinting again after 5 years meant I was quite sore, make that friggen sore, after each boot camp session.

But after sticking to it for 6 weeks, I am now in the best fitness and shape I have been in a very long time, and all because of sprinting.

My training partner for long distance running is now struggling to keep up.

How you can build sprinting into your training

This is really easy…just go outside and sprint as fast as you can until you can’t anymore.

Well there are some better ways than that, for starters then you have to turn around and walk back.

During your normal distance jog

Pick a spot approximately 50 - 100 metres ahead (telegraph poles are good)
Sprint as fast as you can to it
Return to your normal pace
Repeat this every 2 minutes for the length of your run.

In a park (Known as line sprints or shuttle runs)

Put four markers in a line 10 metres apart
Sprint to the first marker
Touch the ground with your hand
Sprint back to the start
Repeat for the rest of the markers

Hill sprints / stair sprints

This is easy just find a hill or flight of stairs and sprint up it, then walk down
Repeat.
For hills, lift your knees up as high as possible.
For stairs vary between doing two stairs and one stair at a time.
These change ups will improve you power and cadence (foot speed) respectively.

Till next month,

Chris

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#33 Screw weights...lift yourself instead

malonchr — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 03:00:48 CDT

A strange coincidence a few weeks ago sparked this…the last Fitness tip of 2008.

I was with a couple of the boys, having pre drinks and getting ready to hit the town, when one of the crew decided it would be a great idea to crank out some push ups to get themselves looking buff for the female specimen we would inevitably hit on that night.

As often happens when four testosterone fuelled lads are drinking…a competition ensued.

After a lot of heckling, and chest beating showmanship, I was slightly disappointed at my 75 but still managed to take their money.

They took the girl I was after that night, so we called it even.

The next night I was out for another mate’s birthday…one of my personal training clients from years back…who when we got onto the topic of how his training is going, said “I have been training for a long time, but by far the most effective program I ever did was the bodyweight training we used to do”.

Firstly, I was flattered, as he has trained with some of the best in the business.

Then I felt a strange sense of déjà vu…as I had been doing some body weight training the night before…although unintentionally…via our drunken push up competition…and I was still sore.

I was first inspired to develop bodyweight programs after watching the male gymnasts at the 2000 Olympics. Despite not lifting weights their physics were by far the most muscular and ripped.

It was also a great for training females who just wanted to tone, but were scared weights would make them look freaky, a wrong assumption but better not to argue.

My current fascination is with push ups, in particular http://www.hundredpushups.com/

I haven’t set foot in a gym for the last month or so because of this fascination.

Fitness First called yesterday to check I was still alive.

Or maybe it was to sell me something, or ask for 5 of my friends name? Most probably the latter.

Push ups work pretty much all of your upper body: chest, shoulders, arms, upper back, and abs/core. Combine them with chin ups and dips and you have an unbeatable upper body combination.

But the secret to the bodyweight program that my mate most fondly recalled was the variety of push ups we came up with.

So here is a list you can try if you are bored…or drunk with your mates.

If you don’t think they work check out the dog I have been training for the last month.

Try for 10 sets of 10 with 1 minute rest between each set.

Straight pushups (just alternate the width of your hands each set)
Diamond pushups (put your thumb and forefingers of each hand together into the shape of a diamond – great for the triceps and inner chest)
Feet up on a bench or swiss ball (upper chest/core)
Hands up on a bench, bosu, or swill ball (lower chest/core
One hand on a step/medicine ball (focus on one side then roll medicine ball to the other
One leg in the air (focuses the core - both legs in the air known as the face plant)
21s (7 bottom to middle of push up, 7 middle to top, 7 full)
Negative pushups (after failure at the end of your set, lift yourself up with the help of your knees then lower yourself down as per a normal push up)
Clap push ups (explode up and clap at the top of your push up. Just don’t go to failure or you will break your nose)
One hand in front of the other (Upper and lower chest at the same time)

Oh and one arm push ups are for show offs. Bruce Lee’s two finger push ups are for ninja show offs.

#32 Physiotherapist or personal trainer?

malonchr — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 06:31:48 CST

Lets kick this tip off with a pop quiz, if you get them all right you win a big prize!

Well actually my prize budget has been cut after the whole “Win a date with Maloney” promotion didn’t work out, so if you get them all right your prize is…self satisfaction

Here we go…

Point at your Soleus
Point at your Iliotibial Band
Point at your Piriformis
Point at your Rotator Cuff
Pat your head and rub your stomach

Tough? Especially number 5?

These are all muscles that are very functionally important but don’t get the same airplay as the “beach” muscles such as the abs, biceps and pecs.

I’m pretty sure you will never here a girl say “wow that guy has a great pair of Rotator Cuffs”…or maybe they do, I stopped trying to figure out women a long time ago.

The reason I chose these muscles is personal. I have had some serious injuries in my years of training including snapped ligaments and torn muscles in just about every limb, all caused by the muscles above either being too weak, unbalanced with opposing muscles, too tight, or not activating at all.

Recently, following the City 2 Surf I kept my long distance training up in the hope of completing the half marathon. Unfortunately all the training started giving me intense lower back pain, to the point where at one stage I was lying on the ground unable to move.

So I went to a physiotherapist and found out it was due to an overly tight piriformis (part of the gluteals…stop laughing). The physio gave a series of exercises to do and it is all good now.

But the whole experience did get me thinking, and I went back and asked the physio to do a full body check up to find out what muscles were too tight, too weak, or not activating. Together we came up with a plan of attack to get each muscle in sync with the rest of my body.

I highly recommend that you do the same, it will save you from a lot of easily preventable training injuries. Some of the really good personal trainers can also do this...but to be honest they are few and far between so you are better off going to a physiotherapist who are qualified and know what they are doing.

Til next month,

Chris

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#31 12 Weeks Until Summer!

malonchr — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 06:11:38 CST

Welcome to the Fitness Tip of the Month for August! Sorry about missing July, but as promised I spend most of it in the US in hard training (my liver mostly). So I’ve decided to make this one twice as long to make up for it. You might need two sittings.

But before we go on, I have been asked to break up my fitness tips into headings so people can skip to read only what they want. To keep the punters happy I have divided the tip into two sections, section one will be me banging on about everything and anything that I find interesting (mostly fitness related), and section two will be the fitness tip.

Or better yet if anyone on the list can help me set this up as a blog or something that would be great. Email is so 1997.

Section 1: Chris banging on about everything and anything

Some of you may remember the goal I mentioned a few months ago to train down on “Muscle Beach” in Venice California. Well I did it…I finally got to train where my fitness idols including Schwarzenegger and Ronnie Coleman made their names!

Turns out you have to be pretty self confident to train at Muscle Beach….mainly because they make you check your singlet at the gate, so you have to train shirtless (sorry no photos, this is PG). I’m pretty sure that is why there were no women training there. Well, either that or my pasty white designer “Australian winter” skin…but either way it was only dudes.

Unfortunately there were no steroid freaks there while I was training, or fortunately as I wasn’t mistaken for a toothpick…or a dumbbell. Moving on.

WAIT….I AM SO SORRY!

I almost forgot that congratulations are in order!

Australia has finally overtaken the US as the most obese nation in the world! All without the help of deep frying and putting cheese on anything and everything. (I asked a large American why they do that and their answer was simple…cause its fricken delicious)

Seriously guys, I miss one fitness tip and all of a sudden we are the most obese nation in the world? Looks like we have some work to do. To be honest it is probably more due to Americans still being able to buy Ephedrine over the counter.

That stuff is awesome.

For Jenny Craig’s sake please let us have it Mr Rudd.

(That is how you can hide blasphemy from now on, just say “Jenny Craig”, it’s the same initials right?)

Speaking of drugs, did anyone watch the Olympics?

Ok so maybe only 5 athletes were caught this time around, but did you know they keep the samples for 20 years for when testing gets better? Imagine that, getting your gold medal taken off you for being a drug cheat 20 years after the fact.

I’m betting on you Michael Phelps…oh and that French dude Bernard who beat our guy the 100 metres freestyle final. You know…the one with arms like legs?

Speaking of legs, were anyone else’s sore after the City 2 Surf a few weeks ago? Congratulations to everyone on the list who completed the toughest fun run in the world! The man upstairs turned on some great weather, well except if you walked it then you might have got a little bit wet. But hey that is what you get for walking it.

It was great to hear that everyone who took my advice and went out and bought Thorlos (the Lamborghini of the sock world) finished the race without blisters for the first time! There really should be a MasterCard ad for those things.

Pair of Thorlos socks: $35
Getting to the end of the toughest fun run in the world without blisters:
Priceless For everything else there is Commonwealth Bank MasterCard.

Myself, I did a personal best time this year, mainly due to reading my own fitness tip and pacing myself, instead of trying to out sprint Steve Moneghetti to the Coke sign. That and I had a fantastic running partner who carried me up the hill…you know who you are…thanks!

Ok well that is probably enough banging on…let’s get into some fitness tips shall we?

Section 2: The Fitness Tip – 12 weeks till Summer!

In a couple of days we will celebrate the start of Spring, when flowers start blooming, birds and bees start singing, and most of the people on this list (including myself) start having “oh cr@p” moments when they realize how much weight they have put on over winter.

It’s ok, it’s natural. Bears hibernate to keep warm over winter…we get fat.

But with only 12 weeks until summer, it is time to start losing it people. So here are my top 5 tips for shifting the weight before beach time

1. Keep doing events

For everyone who did the City 2 Surf (and those that should have) you will know how good an event is to keep your motivation up for training. Here are a few events coming up that I recommend signing yourself up for if you can:

Sydney Tower Run Up this Friday 29 August. Only 1504 stairs!
Nike+ Human Race (10km) this Sunday 31 August featuring over 1 million runners from around the world. Even if you don’t do the race sign up for Nike + as it is taking over the world
Sydney Running Festival on Sunday 21 September which features a run over the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge. Choose between a marathon (crazy), half marathon (half crazy), bridge run (9km) or family fun run (4km).
Sydney to the Gong MS bike ride on Sunday 2 November. Ride 56km or 90km for charity. Wollongong is south of Sydney right? So it must be all downhill

2. Overcome your obstacles to training

Here is a link to a really good quiz that helps figure out your main obstacles to training, then gives you tips to overcome them. The same site also has a great free 12 week holistic weight loss program that you can sign up for weekly emails from.

3. Fix your bad eating habits

Buy, borrow or steal this book by Dr Gillian McKeith: You are what you eat. I hate nutrition (I like food too much) and was sceptical about this until I started reading it, now I am converted. It has everything you would ever want to know about nutrition, in digestible format (what a dad joke)

4. Buy a new bikini or pair of board shorts

Now stand in front of a full length mirror. Take a photo if you want (just don’t post it on Facebook). You should now have all the motivation you need to get you in shape by summer

5. Increase your volume of training

You need to do a mix of strength/resistance training and cardio training to really shift the winter fat fast.

Your minimum should be 2 resistance training sessions, and 3 x 20 minute cardio training sessions a week (the resistance and cardio can be in the same session but do the resistance first for maximum results).

Before you ask…yes yoga and Pilates are forms of resistance training.

Til next month,

Chris

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#23 How your fitness can survive the silly season

malonchr — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 04:55:22 CST

It’s that time of year again, time to eat and drink more in one month than you have in total this year. I, like you reading this, struggle to keep a training routine over this period. Fortunately I have learnt a few tricks over the years that can help you keep your fitness over this period…so without further ado here are my top 7 fitness tips for surviving the silly season.

Water is your friend. If out drinking either have water in between drinks or have a few glasses before bed. Dehydration and hangovers does not assist in training motivation. Drinking water also fills you up so you are inclined to eat less.
Train in the morning. This time of year is tempting for long lunches and drinks after work, which will kill your training routine. If you can, try to train in the mornings, it lifts your metabolism for the day, which means you can be bad later in the day if you need to.
High fat foods do not help hangovers. All the research points to eating and drinking water the morning after as the best way to rid the body of the effects of alcohol. High fat foods (such as bacon and egg rolls) do not help any more than food that is good for you, except in helping you pack on the kilos.
Do not set any ambitious fitness or weight loss goals during this season. Unless you have a will of steel, and are not planning on having any fun this holiday season, do not set big goals as you will be disappointed. The only goal I recommend to set yourself is to maintain your fitness levels…then you can set an ambitious goal as your New Year’s Resolution.
Re-evaluate your poison of choice. Refer to my previous fitness tip which looks at different types of alcohol and what you should think about when choosing a poison.
Go play in the sunshine. Ok so maybe the weather hasn’t been that great in Sydney over the last week or so, but things are looking up, so aim to go for a walk/run at lunch time or after work this week. Also if you are eating big Christmas meals get out for a walk around the block, or play a game of street cricket afterwards
Get off your behind. Aim to cut the time spent sitting on your behind by 10%. Get off at a different bus stop, take the stairs, hook yourself up to a printer on the other side of the floor….whatever just move. That is it for this week.

Next month I will show you how to set a New Years Fitness Resolution that you will stick to this time!
Til next month,

Chris

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#16 By popular demand...training the abs

malonchr — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 04:54:27 CST

Ah Spring, the time of year when gym memberships and personal training sales go through the roof, only to be surpassed by New Year Resolution sales in January.

Based on the number of backpacks making their way around the office over the last week or so…it looks as if this year is no exception to the rule.

This fitness sales seasonality is mostly due to the fear that people will be putting on the bikini or board shorts in a few months, and the winter fat has got to go!!

So by popular demand…this month's tip is how to properly train to flatten your abs.

The abs are made up of three distinct muscle groups:

Rectus Abdominis or “the six pack” which is broken up in upper, middle and lower abs.
The Obliques or “love handles” which rest on the sides of the abs.
The invisible Transverse Abdominis or "core" which sits behind the six pack and is there to keep you upright and your insides in.

The six pack (or eight pack if you are Brad Pitt)

Despite what they say when advertising an AB3000 machine on TV at 3am in the morning, crunches are the most effective way to train the six pack.

Notice I said crunches...not sit ups.

Sit ups, where you bring your whole upper body up to your knees, are not an effective ab workout! They rely on momentum, and the use of the hip flexors, which effectively do the work the abs should be doing...but without the benefits.

Perfecting the crunch is simple, and you will find it a lot easier than a sit up!

Lie on your back with your knees bent up and feet flat on the floor (do not "lock" your feet under anything or get someone to stand on them - this is cheating).
Rest your hands on top of your thighs about half way up
Crunch up sliding your hands up your thighs to your knees, which will bring your shoulders slightly off the ground. Focus on feeling your abs contract.
When your hands are on top of your knees, hold at the top for one second and slide back down.
Repeat as many times as possible

You can perform a crunch on a Swiss Ball to bring the stabilizing transverse abs into play as well.

The crunch is effective at training the upper and middle abs, however does not activate the lower abs. This is because the crunch brings the ribs towards the hips. The lower abs are only activated when the hips are brought towards the ribs, i.e. a reverse crunch.

A reverse crunch is slightly more challenging but necessary for a complete ab workout

Start in the same position as the crunch above with your hands on the ground beside your hips
Lift your feet off the ground and roll back, bringing your hips slightly off the ground towards your ribs (like rolling into a ball) using your hands as stabilizers
Roll back to the starting position
Repeat

The love handles

The obliques are responsible for twisting movements. Tight oblique muscles help with the impression of a smaller waistline.

My favourite exercise for the obliques is the bicycle crunch

Lay flat on your back as if doing a crunch.
Lift your legs up bent to create a right angle at the hip and knee (your lower legs will be parallel to the floor)
With your hands supporting your head, perform a "one shoulder at a time" crunch and in a bicycle fashion, bring the left knee and your right shoulder towards the centre of your body at the same time.
Next repetition, switch your crunch so that your left shoulder and your right knee come closer together.
The twisting movement will tighten your obliques

The transverse abs (core)

I have covered the core muscles in a previous tip.

Important note!

Training the abs is all about volume. The R&B artist Usher, does 1000 crunches a day. The Beckhams do 250 crunches together before going to bed each night.

Do not add weights or medicine balls to your ab workout, unless you want the abs of a Springbok front row forward or Mike Tyson.

Weights add muscle bulk to the abs, so for a flat stomach you should increase intensity by adding volume and variety rather than resistance/weights.

Please note all the crunches in the world will not remove the layer of fat over the abs. Therefore diet and aerobic exercise are critical for a flat toned stomach to be visible.

Til next month,

Chris

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#17 Its a sunny long weekend...go play outside

malonchr — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 02:59:57 CST

Finally, a sunny Sydney spring long weekend is on the way (my apologies to the Londoners on the distribution list)…so my fitness tip of the month is to give the gym a miss and get out in the sunshine.

Firstly, exercising outdoors is good for the soul, if you have gotten into the habit of doing all your training indoors (or not at all) over winter, now is the time to get out there and mix it up.

There are actual psychological and physiological benefits to training outdoors. Outdoor training is more engaging and mentally stimulating due to the changing scenery and terrain. The changing terrain exercises different muscle groups that can’t easily be targeted in indoor training.

Outdoor activities involve higher levels of weight-bearing activity, which means you burn more kilojoules and improve bone density. Lets be completely honest, the treadmill does the walking for you doesn’t it!

The sun is also your best source of Vitamin D. When the sun's rays hit the skin, the skin makes Vitamin D, which is absorbed in to the blood. Vitamin D is essential in building strong bones, and fighting certain cancers and immune diseases. Vitamin D is also one of the better anti depressants, there is nothing like the mood boost that comes from being outside in the sunshine (research has shown that lack of sunshine leads to depression…and maybe the reason why Pommies whinge a lot)

Also, outdoor training is quick. You can go for a walk around the block in the time it would take to get in your car and drive to the gym.

And the best thing about cardio exercise outdoors….you can have a goal that is a destination! Nothing is more soul destroying than sitting on a stationary bike for an hour and never moving from the spot in which you started.

No idea where to start with outdoor training?

Are you sick of the treadmill…well how about a walk/run from Coogee to Bondi Beach along the coastline?
Are you sick of spin classes…well how about a ride of a few laps around Centennial Park?
Are you sick of weights…well how about some push ups and chin ups on the exercise equipment down at Manly Beach?
Are you sick of the rowing machine…well how about a kayak around Middle Harbour?

A few things to remember when outdoor training:

The sun will dehydrate you so make sure you drink plenty of water
Protect yourself from the sun – and wear sunglasses (you will look cooler)
Uneven outdoor terrain can increase the risk of rolling an ankle, so make sure you are wearing properly fitted sneakers.

Til next month,

Chris

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#15 The importance of stretching

malonchr — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 02:57:24 CST

The last time I visited a physiotherapist they said I had one of the tightest ITB muscles they had ever seen. I, of course, said “why thank you!”

But it turns out it isn’t a compliment, and rather the reason why on a regular basis my knees give up their only responsibility…bending.

Which brings me to this month’s fitness tip on the importance of stretching.

As you probably already know we are born with fantastic range of movement when it comes to flexibility.

How a baby can suck its own toes is beyond me.

So what happens to that flexibility as you get older?

Desk Bound = Muscle Bound

Picture this. You spend eight hours a day for much of the year sitting at your desk staring at a computer screen (hey the web doesn’t surf itself does it). The act of sitting for this long puts muscles in a state of constant contraction (i.e. in a shortened state). Without doing any activity to lengthen and relax these same muscles your body is left with physical imbalances.

Then you decide to go for a run, or even just do some spring cleaning or lift up one of the kids, and SNAP! goes your hamstring, which means you will be doing a lot more sitting from now on!

A typical office worker (when I was working as a personal trainer I made myself a promise never to become one of those…oops), will sit with their shoulders rolled forward, hunching their back, and neck jutted forward. This results in shortened and contracted chest muscles, tension in their upper back, weak posture, headaches, and often wrist and elbow pain.

Add to this the act of sitting tightening the hamstrings and hip flexors (front of hips), and making the backside muscles lazy, as the reason for many a pain in the lower back. And don’t get me started on the impact of high heels on shortening calf muscles!

So what should I do about it?

Well for starters, mum was right, you should sit up straight.

But more importantly you should regularly stretch your muscles before, after, and during work/work outs where possible, to counteract the shortening that goes on during the day.

Regular stretching has the following benefits

Increased flexibility and better range of motion of your joints
Lowered risk of muscular imbalance and repetitive strain injuries
Improved circulation
Better posture
Stress relief
Enhanced coordination

Tips for stretching

There are too many types of stretches to go through in one email, so here are some tips for stretching in general.

Do not stretch cold muscles, always warm up first
Hold each stretch for at least 30 seconds
Stretch slowly and don't bounce
STOP if a stretch causes pain, rather than mild discomfort
Relax and don't hold your breath
Stretch both sides of the body to avoid imbalances
Stretch both before and after a workout and between exercises.

Til next month,

Chris

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#14 Hard/Easy/Hard/Easy/Hard/Easy

malonchr — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 02:56:15 CST

You are probably wondering why I called this month’s tip “Hard/Easy/Hard/Easy/Hard/Easy”?

Well…this month we look at interval training, also known as speed play training or Fartlek (stop giggling!) training.

The essence of interval training is that instead of remaining at one constant intensity throughout your cardio workout (much like a Barry Manilow concert…rather boring!), you vary the intensity (Hard/Easy) for intervals during the workout.

Interval training has an incredible effect on increasing metabolism compared to standard cardio training, and most importantly this increased metabolism can last for up to 24 hours after the workout! The body is very much like a car in this respect, you will burn more fuel if you take off quickly at every set of traffic lights, than if you maintain a constant speed.

The variety of interval training techniques is infinite, and most aerobic classes, especially spin/cycle classes, are based on interval training as they vary intensity throughout the class.

But you don’t need to join a class, try these ideas:

Add a hill into your run (or use a hill setting on the treadmill)
Go as hard as you can for 30sec-1min and then slow down to recover for 1-2min and repeat throughout the workout
Sprint 50-100m then walk back to the start and repeat
Run up a flight of stairs then walk back down and repeat

I’ve had a few people comment when I included in my last email that I had gained 4kg during my recent holidays. Well to follow up, I took ownership of the issue and have managed to lose all of that weight through strict diet and interval training. The interval training I am using is very simple yet studies have shown it to be one of the most effective in weight loss, and here it is for your benefit:

Sit on a stationary bike
Pick a moderate intensity setting
Go as hard and fast as you can for 8 seconds
Recover at a comfortable pace for 12 seconds
Repeat for 20 minutes
Do 3-5 times a week
Lose weight
Simple!

Til next month,

Chris

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#13 Alcohol's effect on training

malonchr — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 02:54:59 CST

I’m back! And after 2 weeks of partying in much warmer climates I’ve managed to put on 4kg…mainly because I wasn’t following this month's tip!

This month I have decided to talk about alcohol and its impacts on reaching your fitness training goals. Now before you delete this email…I am not so naïve as to recommend total abstinence (because that would make me a hypocrite), but I thought it would be good to at least know how drinking can affect what you are trying to achieve with your training and what options there are.

Alcohol impacts on body fat composition…in a bad way

When you drink alcohol, it is the first fuel the body uses. This means that while there is alcohol in your system your body will not burn fat, which isn’t great news for those who have this as a training goal. Alcohol increases your appetite for fatty food Ever wondered why you have a craving for a kebab, crisps, some wedges, or bacon and eggs the morning after for that matter? Alcohol tends to have an appetite stimulating effect as it provides little in the way of nutrition, leaving a craving for other foods, which are most often of the fatty* and salty* (*tasty) variety. It is often the case that it is not the alcohol that makes you gain weight but the food that you eat with it.

Alcohol can lower your motivation

Ever tried training on a hangover? Although it helps remove the headache by releasing endorphins, cardio training with a hangover can also be potentially dangerous as you are often dehydrated.

If you are going to drink, you should consider the following

They don’t call it a “beer belly” for nothing! Beer generally has the most kilojoules of common alcoholic beverages. Thankfully there are a few low carbohydrate alternatives now available on the market which contain about the same kilojoules as a glass of wine.
Wine contains about half the kilojoules of full strength beer, and the antioxidants in red wine are good for your heart (in moderation of course).
Straight spirits contain the lowest kilojoules (with Vodka being the winner) but ensure that the mixer is sugarless, this means avoiding soft drink, juice and cordial. Vodka, Fresh Lime and Soda is the lowest kilojoule option (thanks for the sponsorship dollars Mr Smirnoff)
Avoid binge drinking as much as possible. This causes an increase in appetite for fatty foods and means you will be less likely to be able to exercise the next day.
Drink water between alcoholic drinks to avoid dehydration.

Til next month,

Chris

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#12 Getting in shape from the inside out

malonchr — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 02:53:44 CST

The ‘core’ is something that is often forgotten in an exercise regime. This is because there is nothing flashy about it. Although it involves the abs, it won’t give you give you a six pack or a flat stomach. And although core muscles help determine how strong you feel and how much weight you can lift they are often considered secondary in a training program to ‘show off’ muscles such as biceps….ok I was referring to myself there.

Up until recently the only people who really understood ‘core’ strength were dancers and those who practiced Yoga and Pilates. They develop core muscles as part of their training and it shows…they stand up straighter and have more energy as they get older.

The ‘core’ is made up of the abdominals, of which the transverse abdominals (which sit behind your six pack if you have one) are the most critical. Pilates instructors will call this the “T-line” which is just some fancy fitness jargon they made up to sell video tapes!

The core is also made up of the muscles in the lower back and the pelvic floor, and besides holding your insides in, they are together responsible for keeping you upright, and transferring power from the legs to the upper body and vice versa (i.e. your golf swing). But more importantly when ‘core’ muscles are weak it can lead to poor posture, lower back pain and injury, which none of us want!

To best build up your core strength I suggest attending a Pilates class. They are conducted for all levels from beginners to advanced and are a great way to strengthen from the inside out. For those who want to add flexibility try Yoga. If training in the gym try using the Swiss Ball for crunches as it activates the 'core' for stabilisation.

But if you can’t get to a class try this Pilates exercise known as the “hover”, "plank" or "bridge" depending on which Pilates video tape you watch

Before you start, locate your the transverse abs — by coughing once. The deep muscle you feel contracting is your transverse abs. Focus on keeping this muscle contracted whilst completing this exercise.
Lie on the floor on your stomach (preferably on a mat), with your hands beneath your shoulders and push up to the top of a push up position (either on your knees or on your toes). Contract your transverse abdominals as above and hold the position for 30-60sec then return to the floor. Repeat 3 times.
With this exercise, breathe freely and deeply and avoid holding your breath.
If you want to make this exercise more challenging try lifting one leg, or one arm, or both! off the ground whilst in the “hover” position.

Within no time you will be standing up straighter, complaining less about your lower back pain, and driving the golf ball a few more yards than last round.

Til next month,

Chris

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#11 Can I train when sick?

malonchr — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 02:52:31 CST

Over the last few weeks a few people have asked me about whether or not they can train when they are sick and how.

Firstly I thought…step away from me you sickos...I don’t want your lurgie! But then I thought I better put it in an email and they won’t come to my desk and ask me personally, meaning I wont need to disinfect my desk again…JD I am talking about you my friend.

I’m going to keep it really simple: If your symptoms are above the neck only (head cold), you can do some lighter training. If your symptoms are below the neck, forget about training…drink lots of water…and rest. Training when you have symptoms below the neck is not good because it distracts the body from doing what it should be…building up antibodies to fight off your flu. Try running to the doctors and not the gym.

Let's get more specific. If you have a cold in which your symptoms are a headache, sneezing, and a runny nose (i.e. a cold), then you should be able to do some light exercise. In fact, light aerobic exercise can sometimes be the best prescription for a headache, as it causes the release of positive endorphins. And while not scientifically proven, the old wives tale is that you can "sweat out a cold".

If you are going to train when you have symptoms above the neck, keep the intensity no greater than 50% of your average session. If you feel yourself getting sicker, stop training immediately. You should be drinking more water than normal if training when sick.

When you start feeling better, for the first week keep your intensity no more than 70%, as your body is still recovering and you don’t want to fall sick again. Two weeks after, you should be good to go hard again.

Hope this helps, but please note: if pain persists, please see your doctor.

Til next month,

Chris

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#10 Resistance training

malonchr — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 02:51:11 CST

Ok so considering the weather man says it is supposed to rain every day this week…AGAIN, I thought I would do an indoor training tip this week…and a personal favourite of mine at that: Resistance Training.

Now before I get started I want to dispel one myth: resistance (weights) training is not just for guys wanting to get so big they look like they are carrying an esky* under each arm! *For the Kiwis on the distribution list: an Australian "esky" is the same thing as a NZ "chilly bin".

Many women avoid resistance training for fears they will end up looking like Xena: Warrior Princess, but I can assure you that result is only in very extreme cases. However, most women I have trained want to “tone”, and resistance training will build muscle tone quicker than a treadmill ever could...and building muscle helps burn fat!

Here are the five quick resistance training tips:

Free weights vs. machine weights? Free weights such as dumbbells and barbells are generally more effective as they activate stabilizing muscles such as the abs (finally an abs workout without sit ups!!), and they allow for the exercise to go through a natural range of motion. Machine weights have a fixed range of motion and due to pulley systems generally don’t use gravity as effectively (are not as good for you) as free weights.
How many repetitions and sets? As a former Body for Life trainer (the program famous for its dramatic before and after photo comparisons), I am a strong advocate for what is called Pyramid Training. This means that with each set you increase the weight you are using and decrease the repetitions. Males should attempt four sets of an exercise with repetitions of 12,10,8,6 respectively, increasing the weight used each set. Females should do three sets with repetitions of 15,12,10. Rest periods between sets should be no longer than one minute for best effect.
Training to failure – On the last repetition of your last set of an exercise you should be “failing” (meaning that you cannot complete the exercise). This indicates that you have fully exhausted the muscle which leads to the best results. If you are not “failing” on your last repetition…or at least coming close…you need to increase the weight you are using. Please note: "failing to train" is not the same as "training to failure"
Stretching – resistance training causes muscles to contract forcefully which over time can lead to the shortening of the muscles, often mistakenly referred to as “muscle bound” (which is actually inflexibility). So it is important to stretch the muscles used in the session before and after training.
What if I don’t have access to weights? There is plenty of resistance training you can do without weights. Squats, lunges, push ups, chin ups, sit ups, dips etc are all forms of resistance training and can be just as effective as training with weights. Try getting in the habit of doing a few sets of each of the above after you get out of bed in the morning to get you going for the day.

Til next month,

Chris

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#9 Removing fat from problem areas

malonchr — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 02:49:21 CST

I’ve had quite a few fitness questions come through my inbox over the last few weeks. Sorry I haven’t been able to answer them as I have a real job to do becasue you arent paying me. But, one appears regularly so I thought I would cover it off in this months fitness tip.

How can I remove stubborn fat in problem areas (e.g. lower abs, triceps, thighs)?

Unfortunately, scientifically the only way you can do what is known in the business as “spot reduction of fat” is by using a sharp knife and a vacuum cleaner…umm…don’t try this at home.

There is simply no such thing as localized fat loss, no matter what type of exercise gadget is used and no matter what type of exercise is prescribed.

SO DO NOT BUY THE LATEST AB MACHINE PROMOTED AT 2AM IN THE MORNING!!!

You can build muscle (or tone) in local areas but fat loss doesn’t work the same way.

The truth is that fat is deposited in areas around your body according to your genetic makeup (you can blame your parents)…and what really stinks is that the first place you put on fat is most often the last place you will lose it. Oh, and while I am at it…fat cannot turn into muscle and vice versa.

I can tell what you are thinking now…“this guy thinks he is a fitness guru?… he cant even tell me how to get rid of my love handles”. Well I hear you!!

The fact that you cannot spot reduce is scientifically proven. But really, what has science done for us lately? Try yelling out “Beam me up Scotty”…and the only place you end up is in a padded room or a Star Trek convention (not sure which one I would prefer to be honest).

So here are two tips I found to work with my personal training clients in somewhat “targeting” stubborn fat.

1. Do your weight training workout before your aerobic workout

Weight training is anaerobic exercise (the opposite of aerobics), meaning that fuel is burnt without the presence of oxygen. Carbohydrate is the only fuel that can be burnt in weight training.

During aerobic exercise (such as running), carbohydrate then fat is burnt as a fuel source in that order, due to the presence of oxygen. Like fire, fat cannot be burnt without oxygen available.

So by doing your weight training before your aerobic workout you will burn up your carbohydrate stores so you can get to burning fat faster in your aerobic exercise.

2. Focus on your problem areas by doing them first in the workout (or in the week)

Ok…I stole this second tip from the greatest body builder ever, Arnold Schwarzenegger

By performing exercises targeting your problem areas first in the workout (or in the week), you are prioritizing these areas when you have the most energy to train the hardest.

I often see people leave abdominal training to the end of their workouts…well if this is your problem area, train it first and you will have better results.

Til next month,

Chris

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#8 Maintaining motivation over winter

malonchr — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 02:45:10 CST

On Saturday morning, whilst sitting at a cafe attempting to recall the license plate of the truck that must have hit me the night before, I was passed by a friend who, after mocking my sorry state continued on their run…in the pouring rain mind you. Inspired, I threw on my running shoes and braved the rain myself.

Which brings me to this week’s fitness tip…maintaining motivation over the winter months. It is important to stay motivated over winter as you will see the benefits next summer when you put on the board shorts or bikini (guys preferably the former).

Set Goals

One of the best ways to keep motivated for exercise through the cold months is to set achievable, measurable goals and write them down. Writing goals down and putting them somewhere you have to look at them everyday is a great motivator. A post it note on the bathroom mirror usually works well.

You should also write down how you will reward yourself if you achieve your goal. This is especially important if you are the type to start things but never finish them.

Once you have written down your fitness goal, tell as many people as you can about it. If at any stage your resolve begins to weaken just imagine how difficult and embarrassing it will to tell everyone you gave up!

If you are short on ideas for goals here is a great one… do the City to Surf this year (if you haven’t done it before) and if you have completed it before aim to better your time this year.

The City to Surf is on Sunday August 12, or approximately 2 months away. If you start training for this event now (be it walking or running) you will be in a great position to conquer Heartbreak Hill.

To work our how you should prepare for the event check out this great training planner.

Warm Up

Getting injured is a great way to kill your motivation. To help avoid this happening ensure you conduct a good warm up before exercising. During the winter months this warm up should be longer than usual.

When personal training my general rule is no less than 15% of the session should be dedicated to warm ups and cool downs. Please note you should only stretch warm muscles, or you wont stretch you will SNAP!!! So go for a 3-5 min jog (you can do this on the spot) enough to work up a sweat before commencing your stretching.

Try something new (cross training)

They say change is as good as a holiday….well personally I would prefer a holiday. But in terms of training nothing is more likely to keep you going than adding some variety to your workouts.

Here are some indoor activity ideas

Join an indoor sports team – this is a great way to meet people and get fit. Mixed netball appears to be the craze at the moment (guys apparently you don’t have to wear a skirt if you don’t want to)
Join a gym – if you pay for it you will feel more compelled to use it. Ask staff to show you how to use the equipment if you haven’t used it before.
Try an exercise class you haven’t tried before - the variety of class types is endless.
Go to an indoor pool. Working out in water is easy on your joints. Try lap swimming or a water aerobics class.
Invest in home exercise equipment. Choose something that's practical, enjoyable and easy to use.

For those who still prefer to train outdoors

Start your run into the wind. You'll be less likely to get a cold on the way back if you end your workout — when you may be sweaty — with the wind at your back.
Drink plenty of fluids. Cold air has a drying effect, which can increase the risk of dehydration.

Til next month,

Chris

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#7 Why am I so sore for days after training

malonchr — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 02:43:55 CST

Firstly, congratulations to everyone who finished the City 2 Surf! Based on the amount of people who were limping around the office like myself last week, I’m sure there are a quite a few of you asking yourself if it was a good idea to run 14km, including a hill that never seems to end.

Which brings me to this month’s tip – why am I so sore days after training?

Muscle soreness is something I'm sure EVERYBODY can relate to. Even if you've never stepped into a gym or run 14km, I'm sure that sometime in your life, you've done some sort of exercise or heavy work and experienced muscle soreness.

24 hours to 48 hours after a hard workout that your body is not used to, most people begin to experience soreness in the body parts trained. This is called Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, or DOMS for the acronym junkies.

DOMS is caused by tiny microscopic tears that occur in the muscle as a result of high intensity exercise. Over the next few days, the muscle begins to rebuild itself only this time it makes itself stronger, so that if you put your body through that exercise intensity again it will be easier, and you will experience less, if any, after workout soreness the next time. So basically, I’m saying that muscle soreness after a workout is a good sign. Then again like most personal trainers I am a sadist.

Now a question I get asked a lot: If I'm still sore from my last workout should I still train?

Simple….No. Don’t train sore muscles. Your muscles are trying to repair and make themselves stronger. If you train them while they are sore they will hate you, and you will not get any of the benefit of training them in the first place. If you are going to train, train another muscle group or do light cardio.

A question I get asked even more frequently than the last: How can I make the soreness go away?

Well the scientific jury is out on whether or not you can actually influence the decrease of DOMS, except of course by not doing the exercise in the first place. But I know you don’t want to hear that so here are some things you can try:

Warm up and stretch – before and after the workout then for a few days after to release the muscles
Massage – increases the blood flow to the muscle which may help the ‘healing’ process
Light cardio exercise – swimming (including jogging in water) and stationary bike are popular with football players the day after the game to increase blood flow to the muscles.
Pain killers and anti inflammatory creams
Icing the area – with ice not icing sugar

Hope this helps

Til next month,

Chris

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#6 Ten quick fatness tips

malonchr — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 02:42:33 CST

Someone who doesnt like the whole fitness idea got a hold of my last tip…..and below is what they came up with…I cant advocate this but it is damn funny

Move less – take the lift, kick the dog, scare some kids (others preferably), drive to the shops instead of walking, throw away your pedometer, and order a printer for your desk so you don’t have to move.
Start smoking – it is a great appetite suppresent and you will look really cool and smell great.
Eat more fat – remember, a potato chip is a vegetable. A Cherry Ripe is fruit. A toffee apple is a great tasting apple.
Get your hand out of the fruit bowl, and into the lolly jar - Do you know how boring it is to eat an apple? A bag of mixed lollies or some chips and gravy is much tastier. And don’t forget Maccas now has tick-approved meals, such as the wholemeal salad roll (plus the large chips and thick shake to even things up). Don’t forget the importance of balance.
Drink less water - Nothing is quite as tasteless as water. Have you ever tried keeping a bottle of beer on your desk, or having a few nips of good whisky to make that afternoon fly by. Don’t forget the fridge is always full of beer on level 4.
Go to a health and wellbeing course – a great idea to get out of work. Check them out, book yourself in and get a day off work. Don’t turn up and spend the day at the pubs with your mates.
Eat more, more often - Studies have shown that eating often helps accelerate the metabolism, so you burn more fat. When you consume 15-16 large meals a day, you will feel full (and isnt that is a great feeling!). Try and increase the number of large meals you have by one a week and in no time you will be off the scales. Remember, the more you eat, the more attractive you will be to the girls and boys in the office and the more popular you will become.
Don’t do today what you can put off until tomorrow – if you keep doing this, you will never have to do anything. It solves many problems.
Be realistic – if you cant run a marathon on the first day then you are a loser. You need to take a good hard look at yourself in the mirror and call yourself many names. Remember, there are many people from countries with little to eat and they do well running the marathon at the Olympics.
Find a training partner or take up a team sport – it is always more fun drinking at the pub with a friend or some mates. Share the experience together.

ENJOY LIFE

Til next month,

Chris

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#5 Ten quick fitness tips

malonchr — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 02:41:17 CST

This month I didn’t get round to writing another fitness essay, so here are Ten Quick Fitness Tips:

Move more – take the stairs, walk the dog, chase the kids (your own preferably), walk to the shops instead of taking the car, wear a pedometer, and hook yourself up to a printer on the other side of the floor.\
Quit smoking – is makes you look older than you are and it will kill you….enough said.
Cut the fat – remember, a potato chip is not a vegetable.
Get your hand out of the lolly jar, and into the fruit bowl - Did you know an apple provides as much energy as a cup of coffee?
Drink more water - Nothing quells the appetite like water, lots and lots of water. Keep a bottle on your desk.
Educate yourself – the more you know about health and fitness the more motivate you will be, so buy some books or surf the net in addition to reading my tips
Eat less, more often - Studies have shown that eating often helps accelerate the metabolism, so you burn more fat. When you consume 5-6 nutritious, smaller meals a day, the food is more efficiently absorbed and processed by your body than the typical Australian diet of three large meals a day.
Don’t put off to tomorrow, what you can do today – if I hear another person say “I’m going to start my diet or exercise program next week”, I’m going to tell them to drop and give me twenty pushups...starting today. (Dear Mr Freud…I’m getting flashbacks to my Boot Camp Instructor days)
Be realistic – don’t expect to be able to run a marathon if you haven’t trained in a while (or ever), and don’t start diets that require you to starve yourself. You are more likely to fall off the wagon if you set your goals too big, too early. Start off with smaller goals.
Find a training partner or take up a team sport – you are more likely to sustain an exercise program if you have a training partner or team, as you will not want to let them down. Its been great to hear so many people are taking the stairs over the last few months! It will get easier I promise!

Til next month,

Chris

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