GB Personal Training News

Last year was a fantastic year for both myself and GB Personal Training. Here are a few things that I learnt over the course of the year:

1. Most people who go to the gym are no fitter at the end of the year than at the beginning

2. Six Pack abs are 90% diet

3. Slow Cookers are an absolute Godsend for healthy meals after a busy days work

4. Set BIG goals. Small goals are uninspiring. Dream big and then take daily steps to get you there

5. Consistency is the key to getting results. You must train on a regular basis and keep progressing

6. Kettlebells are a great tool for improving fitness but they are only a tool

7. Diet Coke is no better than regular Coke and will still make you fat

8. Sugar is the new saturated fat. Focus on reducing sugar levels and drinking more water

9. Happiness comes from giving not receiving. This year it’s charity work all the way

10. Most people still sacrifice there health for more money

11. Emails stifle productivity. Answer them a few times a day and get on with more important things

12. Education is the key to success. The more you know the more you can offer

13. Cross Trainers, Stepers, Ab Cradles are pointless and should all be burnt

14. It’s not how much money you make but how much you keep that’s important

15. Work is only one part of your life. Forget all the other parts at your own peril

16. Make lists. Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Yearly. It keeps you focused on what needs to get done

17. Post Nutrition and rest are vital for exercise recovery. Eat within 1 hour of training and don’t over-train

18. Cold showers go along way to reducing muscle soreness

19. The beach is nice but the mountains are far better

20. If you are not ready to commit to an exercise programme than don’t start. Sort your motivations out 1st

21. Only increase your workout load by 5-10% at a time. Even a machine will break if you overload it

22. Bicep curls and tricep extensions add no benefit to an already good full body workout

23. Yoga and static stretching produces better results than assisted stretching

24. Long distance running won’t burn fat as quickly as short interval training

25. Friends and family are the most important assets you possess

26. Most people don’t exercise hard enough. You need to operate out of your comfort zone

27. Good Life is about balance. Nutrition, Exercise, Relationships, Work, Education, Fun, Everything

28. Follow your dreams and not someone else’s

29. Stress, Smoking, and Medication makes you store fat

30. Without change you get the same results. Make changes to your life and get rewarded

This year is going to be even more action packed than last year with a huge list of things to achieve. Have you set your goals for 2009 yet?

To your good health, Greg

Evolution really does hold the key when it comes to fat loss in 2009. Increasing your daily intake of good quality protein and reducing your exercise duration will kick start your metabolism quicker than ever before.

Our body still hasn’t evolved as quickly as society would have us believe. Just like our hunter gather days a lack of quality protein is a sign of starvation and our body is quick to hold onto fat our preferred energy source. Eat good quality protein and foods you can either pick from a tree or dig up from the ground and you will come out of starvation mode and start to drop the fat.

Evolution also explains what exercise we are best served to perform today. Again back in our Hunter Gather Days we were either the hunter or being hunted and this involved short intense bursts of energy. We wouldn’t have been jogging around for 20 minutes as this would have served no purpose to our survival.

Research has even proven that sticking to what we have evolved to do produces better results. Mr Tabata discovered this intense exercise protocol and research shows that:

“Tabata protocol showed that a 4 minute anaerobic workout (very intense) produced 40% better improvement in aerobic capacity when compared to 60 minutes of aerobic work at 70%  V02 max. Also improved anaerobic capacity by 28%, aerobic work did not improve anaerobic capacity at all.” Med Sci Exerc, 1996 Oct 28 (10)

So 4 minutes of very intense exercise (eg. sprinting) is better than 60 minutes of jogging for improving your health. The bonus is that this intensity also produces a “metabolic disturbance” that will have you burning fat for hours following your workout; you don’t get this following a 60 minute jog.

In the busy world that we all live in today not many people have the time or inclination to exercise for hours at a time and the good news is that you don’t have too. Keep your exercise short and intense and increase you quantity of quality protein, fruit and veg and you’ll be looking and feeling great in 2009.

After another annual dose of “The Great Escape” and  an intense 30 minute Kettlebell and bodyweight circuit things are looking rosy for 2009.

Starting on the 12th of January we are kicking off our New Years London Fitness Boot Camps, one is taking place on Regents Park and the other on Clapham Common. Both camps are held at 7am and are run twice per week. If you are looking for a fun and alternative way to shred those extra pounds in 2009 then our boot camps could be for you.

Ever swung a kettlebell? Done a partner squat? Ran 20 yards attached to a friend? Our boot camps are certainly different, employing the most modern techniques and fun partner activities you’ll be losing fat without even realising it.

If you fancy giving one of our boot camps a go then email me to reserve your place or visit our London Fitness Boot Camps for more info.

To a healthy New Year,

Greg

Well I’m back from the most incredible 2 weeks in India spent preparing for ‘09. Yoga, Mediation, Natural fresh food and Golden sunsets. I’m crammed full of ideas, have made plans for improving our approach and ensuring our clients quest for results is even more attainable in ‘09.

The New Year can be both an exciting but stressful time for many. My advice is simple, set huge dreams but take small steps to get you there. Providing you are getting closer to your goals by the end of the day than at the beginning of it you will do just fine. This can apply perfectly to your health and fitness goals. Perform one extra minute of interval training on the rowing machine or press that weight 11 times rather than 10. Drink one less glass of wine and eat one extra vegetable. Small steps and your on the right path to achieving you goals, just keep moving forwards.

Here’s a special treat for your New Years, a free copy of my “Evolution Diet”. I usually only include this in with my Personal Training Packages but now you can get results just like my personal clients but for free. There is one catch though…you have to stick to it for 30 days to get the results. But I promise you the results will be well worth it. Go get your free copy now!

So, set your BIG dreams and take daily small steps to get you there. I did just that and ended up in India for Christmas. Dreams can come true!

Just like Aviva yesterday, Dow Jones also completed a Max test today so we can set new goals for the new year. The exercises we tested were: Snatch, Press Ups, Squat, Press, Forward Lunge, Plank. Each exercise was performed for 3 minutes with a 1 minute rest before moving on to the next.

Here’s the results: (everything with a 12kg, unless stated. Snatch 8kg )

Celine - Snatch 72, Press Ups 25, Squat 75, Press 50 (8kg), Forward Lunge 35/20 (8kg), Plank 1.29 min

Anne Aurelie - Snatch 65, Press Ups 69, Squat 52, Press 36, Forward Lunge 54, Plank 1.50 min

Kim - Snatch 64, Press Ups 66, Squat 75, Press 43, Forward Lunge 52, Plank 2.32 min

Rachel - Snatch 62, Press Ups 25/15 half, Squat 25/60 (8), Press 60(8), Forward Lunge 48, Plank 1.54 min

Inna - Press Ups 5/25 half, Squat 55(8), Press 45(8), Forward Lunge 55(8), Plank 1.20 min

Michelle - Snatch 63, Press Ups 39, Squat 62, Press 27, Forward Lunge 64, Plank 3.26 min

Did you see that Plank from Michelle 3.26 minutes, thats a fantastic time. I challenge anyone to beat that.

Well done everyone, thanks for a great year, look forward to a challenging New Year with lots of great workouts.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Greg

It was the final Aviva kettlebell class of the year last night before I jet off to India for 2 weeks of Yoga and meditation. I always think it’s important to set goals and targets when getting into shape, so last night was half an hour of testing everyone’s limits with 6 different exercises: Snatch, Press Ups, Squat, Press, Burpees, Plank. Each exercise was performed for 3 minutes with 1 minute rest between each.

Here’s the stats:

Richard (16kg) - Snatch 68, P.Ups 51, Squat 63, Press 69, Burpees 39, Plank 1.22 min

Anna (12kg) - Snatch 65, P.Ups 36, Squat 84, Press 67, Burpees 55, Plank 1.36 min

Mike (12kg) - Snatch 58, P.Ups 53, Squat 54, Press 41, Burpees 40, Plank 1.12 min

Matt (16kg) - Snatch 63, P.Ups 40, Squat 67 (12kg), Press 45 (12kg), Burpees 32, Plank 1.11 min

Renos (16kg) - Snatch 65, P.Ups 75, Squat 74, Press 60, Burpees 50, Plank 2.00 min

This truely was a tough session with everyone feeling totally spent after the 30 minutes. We now have everyone’s PB’s ready for the new year when we can work on moving forward with new goals and new exercises.

Thanks for a great year team, have a healthy Christmas and see you in the New Year.

Greg

I’ve just returned home from a fantastic weekend in Snodonia, North Wales, trekking in the mountains. I couldn’t of asked for better weather, even though there was snow at the peaks to negociate the sky was clear and the sun was warm. Can you believe I was walking with a t-shirt at 3000 feet.

My philosophy has always been to integrate natural exercise into your daily lives and getting out into the mountains every now and again couldn’t be a better example. What would you prefer, doing step ups in the sweaty gym or walking up to “Devils Kitchen” in the fresh mountain air?

Next year I shall be arranging more weekend mountain treks with my clients and we will all be getting fit and strong together the natural way. I can’t wait!

Stay strong and healthy, Greg

It seemed everyone was feeling the Pre Christmas pinch from those late nights and over-indulgent office parties today at Dow Jones’ Kettlebell Class. Yes everyone did struggle a little more than usual but no-one gave in, teeth were gritted and the session was finished in style.

Here’s what happened:

Everyone completed 6 exercises: Snatch Left, Snatch Right, Yoga Squat, Sit & Press, Squat, Press Ups.

Each exercise was completed 10 times before moving onto the next. Once the circuit was finished it was repeated with 9 repetions per exercise and so on down to 1 repetition each exercise. Everyone rested when needed but of course this was limited to, shall we say, my words of encouragement.

Here’s the stats:

Jo - 20 mins (12kg, 8kg for Snatches) Enjoy your holidays in Australia

Kim - 20.32 (8kg, normally a candidate for the 12kg but recovering from illness)

Rachel - 21.58 (8kg, making some real progress)

Helen - 22.12 (8kg & 12kg mix) Improved her hangover

Anne Aurelie - 22.31 (8kg Snatches, rest 12kg)

Michelle - 23.45 (8kg, must have been under the weather today)

Well done everyone, eat well, rest up and see you on Tuesday.

Greg

For the first time my kettlebells class from Aviva took on my original 300 kettlebell challenge. This is no easy task and all completed the following exercises in the subsequent times:

Swings x100, Snatch x50, Clean & Press x50, Reverse Lunge x50, Squat & Press x50

Minna - 15.20 (6kg) “Swapped Moutain Climbers for Snatches”

Julian - 15.52 (12kg) “Swapped Moutain Climbers for Snatches”

Renos - 16.02 (Double Cleans 2 x 12kg, Double Squats 2 x12kg)

Richard - 16.15 (16kg)

Bol - 17.08 (12kg) “Swapped Moutain Climbers for Snatches”

Charlotte - 17.24 (12kg)

Anna - 18.01 (12 kg)

Lorenzo - 18.30 (16kg & 12kg)

Geoff - 19.40 (12 kg)

Sian - 20.30 (12 kg)

Mike G - 21.15 (12 kg)

All have shown huge improvements but in particular Charlotte did well having not been training for that long, Sian managed the challenge with a 12kg all the way through which shows great progress and Lorenzo started on the 16kg for many exercises. Geoff has to be one of the most improved of the whole group.

Congratulations to all, lets keep it coming.

See you Monday

It seems there is a common misconception when it comes to fat loss that the more your exercise the more fat you are going to lose. This is true in one respect but the body is incapable of working at the optimal fat loss intensity level for long periods of time. The best intensity for long term fat loss is hard! There is no way you could maintain this optimal level of fat loss for longer than 20 minutes, maximum. In fact, short intervals of 20 secs have proven to be more effective than 1 hour of steady cardio.

All this was proven when I started offering my 30 minute sessions. The results I started to achieve even shocked me! And the difference all along had been in the intensity of the sessions. You see, by exercising more frequently but for less time I was able to increase the intensity and increase fat burning potential.

Now many of my clients train for 30 minutes per day, sometimes with me and sometimes on there own. But when they do train they really go for it, no steady plodding around regents park proper work that makes a difference.

If you want to get much quicker results then I recommend you cut back on the length of time training and increase the intensity. Try this set of interval runs for maximum results (only 17minutes total):

3 minute jog

20 secs hard running & then 10 secs walking - repeat 8 times.

3 minute jog

20 secs hard running & then 10 secs walking - repeat 8 times.

3 minute gentle jog

This is hard training but it’s results based training. It’s less time exercising but you get more results so that must be a bonus.

Enjoy those runs!