Top Health and Fitness Articles by Greg Brookes

Overtraining Symptoms and Signs: 3 Simple Ways to Find Out

By Greg Brookes

You may of heard of the term Overtraining. It’s pretty self explanatory, you are exercising too much.

Overtraining signs and symptoms can be:

Overuse Injuries
General Fatigue
Lack of Enthusiasm
Development Plateaus
Results Reversal

Overtraining is not good. The key to getting the most from your workouts is managing your work verses rest ratio. Workout too much and you over-train, workout too little and you under-train.

symptoms of overtraining — Image by Hang in There

So how do you get it right? Well first lets look at the actual rebuilding process:

The Super Compensation Process

Results achieved via exercise are due to what we call the Supercompensation Cycle.

The process is pretty simple to understand. Here’s a very simple explanation:

You perform your workout
Your body breaks down, called the Catabolic Process
You recover and rebuild, the Anabolic Process
You Overcompensate your recovery for the next workout, Supercompensation

So the cycle involves breaking the body down and then building it back up so it is better prepared for the next workout. This process is exactly why we get fitter and stronger and workouts get easier.

The key to success is making sure you workout again after the Supercompensation process has finished and not before. If you exercise each time your body is still trying to recover or during it supercompensation window then you don’t receive the full benefits of the regrowth.

So how do you know if you are overtraining and ready to workout again? Here are 3 options:

Option #1 – Do You Want To Exercise?

This is the most simple gage of whether you are overtraining. Assess your basic willingness to want to workout.

Do you feel tired?
Have you lost motivation?

If you usually enjoy training but don’t feel like it that particular day then it may be a sign of overtraining.

This method is the most simple but it has obvious flaws. For example, not everyone is enthusiastic about exercise. Use this assessment as a simple gage and nothing more. Just listen to your body and see what it is telling you.

Option #2 – Are You Progressing?

Another simple way to see if you are overtraining. Let your workout results tell you if you are over doing it.

Are you getting stronger and lifting more each workout?
Are you times and fitness levels improving?

If you are not improving by at least 1% each workout then it’s time to take another days rest.

Option #3 – Monitor Your Heart Rate Each Morning

When you exercise your body is knocked out of homeostasis or off centre and it usually takes 24-48 hours to return to normal depending on the intensity of the session.

In order to repair your body and return your balance of homeostasis the blood is used to transport oxygen and nutrients to repair the effected areas.

The increase in blood required for full body repair results in an increase in your heart rate.

If you check your resting heart rate every morning you will notice an increase in your heart rate when your body is in a state of repair and a decrease when its not. If its higher than usual take another day off.

So, every morning before you get up and at the same time each day, record your resting heart rate. You will soon start to see when you need to take it easy and when you are ready to exercise again.

Using this method is also a great way to predict illness and times to just take it easy 🙂

There are 3 methods you can use to check your resting heart rate:

Take your pulse at your neck or wrist and count the number of beats per minute
Strap on your heart rate monitor and relax
Use a digital blood pressure cuff with a resting heart rate monitor included

No matter which form of heart rate monitoring you use this is a great way to find out where you are in the recovery process.

Putting it into Practice

Now you know 3 ways to check whether you are overtraining its time to put them into practice.

Monitor your workouts using the 3 methods above. If you think that you may be overtraining then take another day off or reduce the intensity of the workout.

Remember that we all recover at different rates based on:

The Intensity of the Workout
Your Genetics
Your Age
Your Stress Levels
Your Nutrition

The secret is to look at the big picture and understand that more isn’t always better.

Look after yourself and listen to your body for maximum results.

Over To You

How many times per week do you find you need to exercise to get results?

Everything You Need To Know About Stability Ball Training

By Greg Brookes

It’s hard to find a gym now that doesn’t have a selection of Stability balls or Swiss balls rolling around on the gym floor. Although all gyms seem to offer them I’m often surprised to find very few people using them.

Throughout this article I’m going to help you get familiar with these exercise balls. Hopefully, by the end of this article you will feel confident enough to start exercising with an exercise ball and enjoy the benefits that this great tool can offer.

Swiss Ball Training — Image by Keith Allison

What is a Stability Ball?

Stability Balls are basically large inflatable balls that are used to provide an unstable platform for exercises.

There are lots of manufacturers of these exercise balls but they basically fall into 3 categories based on their overall inflated size:

The 3 Stability Ball Sizes:

Small 55cm / 22″: Recommended Users Height between 5’0 – 5’5″
Medium 65cm / 26″: Recommended Users Height between 5’6″ to 5’11”
Large 75cm / 30″: Recommended Users Height between 6’0″ to 6’3″

You will also find that many manufacturers produce Anti-Burst Balls now too. The trend of producing these Anti-Burst type balls began when people started lying on the balls and holding heavy dumbbells. My advice would be to purchase an anti-burst ball if you can afford the extra expense.

If you are a Personal Trainer or intend to use your exercise ball at home then I would also recommend that you purchase a Swiss Ball Pump. These excellent devices will enable you to inflate your ball very quickly and some have a special valve that enables you to inflate both on the push and pull of the handle.

What are the Stability Ball Benefits?

There are many benefits to using an exercise ball but these 2 are my favourites:

Challenges Instability

Performing exercises on top of an inflated ball seriously challenges your balance. This doesn’t mean you have to stand on the ball, more often than not you are lying on top of the ball either facing upwards or lying face down. As the ball tries to move underneath you the smaller stabilising muscles of the body have to work hard to maintain your position. It is these small stabilising muscles that are often neglected in modern day training because most people concentrate on the large (look good) muscles.

Ignoring the stabilising muscles is a big mistake because child development shows us that as we grow it’s the stabilising muscles that develop first and the larger muscles second. Without stabilisation muscles we cannot maintain correct joint alignment or provide a safe platform for the larger more powerful muscles to operate off. In simple terms, the stabilisation muscles are part of the muscular foundation. The better the stabilisation muscles the less prone to injury you become and ultimately the more power you can generate.

Provides Natural Range of Movement

Performing exercises on top of the Swiss Ball allows for a full range of forward flexion and back extension. As you lie over the ball backwards you will notice that the ball beautifully fills the arch of your back. When you exercise on the floor back extension is limited, the ground prevents you from bending too far backwards. The spine is developed to bend backwards just as it bends forwards and so exercising on top of the ball allows for full movement in both directions.

A perfect example of this is evident when you look at Swiss Ball Crunches that involve performing crunches while lying on top of the ball. If you were to perform this exercise on the floor your crunch would be limited to only half the movement by the floor. Using a ball for this exercise enables you to get full back extension along with full abdominal flexion.

Warming Up Preparation and Mobility

Before we dive into the exercises it’s a good idea to get used to the exercise ball and warm up the hips because the hips spend some much time sitting statically.

Begin by just sitting on the ball, your thighs should be parallel with the floor. If your thighs are not level with the ground then you need to change the size of ball you are using. If your thighs slope forwards then the ball is too large and if they slope backwards then it’s too small.

Next start to get used to the movement of the ball beneath your buttocks. Try these mobility movements to really get your hips moving and your back warmed up:

Sit up straight with a Tall Spine
Rock your hips left and right, feel the ball move beneath you
Rock your hips forwards and backwards
Rotate your hips in a circular motion, clockwise and anti-clockwise
Rotate your hips in a figure of 8 movement, practice both directions

Following this hip mobility routine you should have a better feeling as to how the ball moves beneath you. You will have fired up your small stabilisation muscles and also given your hips the movement they desperately need from spending so much time sitting still.

Here are 5 Stability Ball Exercises

OK, so you have your Swiss Ball or you have grabbed hold of one down your local gym, what now?

Here is a list of some of the exercises you can try:

Exercise #1 – Stability Ball Squats

I’ve included this exercise first because its probably one of the easiest exercises and excellent for helping people to Squat properly if they lack core stability.

Basically you place the ball behind your back and up against a wall, so the ball is sandwiched between you and the wall. You then lean into the ball as you perform a full Squat. I’ve used this method for teaching the Squat with clients that want to practice by themselves but require the ball for extra confidence. It works very well and is an excellent start to using the ball.

Exercise #2 – Stability Ball Plank

The regular floor plank is an excellent exercise for activating the core muscles that prevent back extension. However, when you add a Swiss ball into the mix it become a far more challenging exercise.

Here’s a quick guide to how its done:

Keep feet together and place elbows on the ball
Ensure the elbows are at 90 degree or more to the ball
Keep the hips up and don’t let the back sag
Breathe normally, don’t hold your breath

You will find when you try this exercise that the ball will try to move underneath your elbows. It is this constant movement that increases the demands on your core activation. If you start to feel it in your lower back then it’s time to stop your core has given up!

Here’s a Video of the Stability Ball Plank (advanced version – Stir the Pot):

Exercise No #3 – Swiss Ball Leg Curl

Although the Swiss ball is often associated with core exercises it is also a great tool for working hip extension and the Hamstrings. Again the instability of the ball puts a much larger demand on the stabilising muscles and causing the muscle to work harder to achieve the exercise.

To perform the exercise:

Lie on your back, heels on the Ball
Push your Hips in the air to full hip extension
Next, curl the heels in towards your buttocks
Pause and then push out again
Maintain high hips at all times

Hip extension and the Hamstrings are often neglected in many peoples workouts but they are vital for a balanced body. Not only are the hamstrings the body’s natural brakes but hip extension is vital to counteract all the sitting we do these days.

Here’s a Video of the Swiss Ball Leg Curl:

Exercise #4 – Swiss Ball Jackknife

The Jackknife is a great exercise for working the core muscles for all angles. It is a more advanced exercise so if you struggle with the Swiss Ball Plank then this is going to be too much for you at this stage.

Here’s how its done:

Lie in a Push Up Position with your feet on the ball
Maintain a straight line from shoulder to ankle
Pull your knees in towards your chest maintaining alignment
Pause and return your feet slowly

During the whole exercise it is vital that you do not let your hips drop. Keep your core tight and maintain good alignment. The ball will want to move underneath you so a greater emphasis is placed on the core during this exercise. For the more advanced you can try this exercise with just one leg rather than 2 🙂

Here’s a Video of the Swiss Ball Jackknife:

Exercise #5 – Swiss Ball Push Ups

Another excellent way you can use an exercise ball is to improve your Push Up Stability. Simply by performing a push up either with your hands on the ball or your feet on the ball you can challenge your stabilisation and core muscles even more.

The push up with your feet on the ball is an excellent progression on from the regular raised feet push up, so the progression would look like this:

Regular Push Up
Raised Feet on Bench Push Up
Feet on Stability Ball Push Up
Hands on Stability Ball Push Up

Performing push ups with your feet on the ball seriously challenges your core stability at the ball tries to move underneath you.

If you perform the Push up with your hands on the ball then you challenge not only your core stability but your shoulder stability too. I personally love this exercise.

Here’s a Video of the Swiss Ball Push Up (hands on ball):

Putting Together Stability Ball Workouts

Now you have a basic understanding of the exercises you can start to put them together into a workout.

Remember that this type of training is very demanding so you don’t want to include too many of the same exercises into each workout.

Here are a few effective circuits that you could try:

Beginners

Stability Ball Squat x 8-20 reps
Regular Push Ups x 8-20 reps
Stability Ball Leg Curls x 8-20 reps
Rest 1-3 minute thenÂ Repeat 1-3 times

Intermediate

Regular Lunge x 8-20 reps
Stability Ball Plank x 20-40 secs
Stability Ball Leg Curls x 8-20 reps
Rest 1-3 minute thenÂ Repeat 1-3 times

Advanced

Stability Ball Push Up x 8-20 reps
Stability Ball Leg Curls x 8-20 reps
Stability Ball Jackknife x 8-20 reps
Rest 1-2 minute thenÂ Repeat 2-4 times

Stretching and Cooling Down

Once you have finished your workout it’s time to cool down. Cooling down enables the heart rate to return back to normal and the body temperature to reduce.

Many people advocate stretching straight after a workout but I’m NOT one of these people. Following exercise your nervous system is too Sympathetic, meaning that you are still in a ‘Stressed Out’ state, stretching is simply not effective in this state. To get any benefits from stretching your nervous system needs to be Para-sympathetic, this means you need to be relaxed. To maximise stretching your should aim for times when you are relaxed, like the evenings before bedtime.

I do recommend that you return to the hip mobility routine that I outlined earlier to assist the cool down process. Run through the list of hip movements for 5-10 minutes and concentrate on your breathing.

One Great Relaxation Stretch You Can Try

One Stretch that most people can benefit from at any time of the day is too simply lie backwards over the ball. Place the ball in the mid back and slowly let the ball fill your backs natural curves. This position is highly relaxing and helps to lengthen the full ‘fascial backline’. You will also find that it releases a lot of the backs residual tension.

People with low blood pressure should be careful because your may feel light headed during this movement.

There you have it!

I hope you enjoyed this article on Stability Ball Training. Just like any other piece of exercise equipment it is only as good as the person using it, so start out steady. Take your time and get used to the unstable surface that the ball offers.

Swiss Balls are not for everyone but if you feel that you are ready to take the next step then they can offer you a multitude of options and some great results in return for your efforts.

Take care and enjoy the workouts!

Do you use a Swiss Ball? What’s your favourite exercise?

How to Exercise for Fat Loss – Greg's Complete Step-By-Step Workout Tutorial

By Greg Brookes

Starting a workout programme and getting results from exercise doesn’t need to be complicated.

I think many people get ‘paralysis from analysis’ when it comes to exercise. In this tutorial I’m going to show you everything you need to know to start exercising safely and effectively.

An Exercise Program for Fat Loss

There are many ways to exercise. You can of course run and cycle, play sports or join a dance class.

The program that I am proposing below is for fat loss and general conditioning. You will lose fat and increase the muscle tone over your complete body with this program. You will also increase your cardiovascular health so your ability to utilise oxygen efficiently will also improve. Basically you will feel less out of breath 🙂

This is not a body building program. If you want to develop huge arms or a bulging chest then this is not for you. However, if your overall goal is body building and you have not exercised consistently for a period of time then this is an excellent start.

How to exercise for fat loss — Image by Go Interactive Wellness

Why this Workout is so Effective for Fat Loss

I have been using this method for fat loss with my clients for many years. It is highly effective. Here’s why:

Uses Over 600 muscles: Â all of these exercises in this program use large movements. The larger the movement the more muscles are activated and the more energy is required. What this ultimately means is that you get more done in less time. Unfortunately it also means that you will find the exercises more tiring than simple isolation exercises like a biceps curl or triceps extension.

Avoiding Repetition: its common for people to use repetitive movement for a fat loss program like running or cycling. The problem with this method is the body quickly adapts to the repetition and also over-use injuries can occur. With my program we keep the body guessing and don’t spend too long repeating one single movement. It’s also more fun because of this too 🙂

Balancing the Body: the body was originally designed to be balanced but with time postures change and things become misaligned. Many workout programs don’t focus on the balance of the body only what’s on show. This workout program ensures that no muscle remains untouched this means that we balance out your posture and also target muscle groups that often get missed out.

Increase Muscle Tone: muscle is very energy dependant. Basically the more muscle that is active in your body the more energy is required to feed the muscles. With this program we condition all your muscles in one go, this revs up your metabolism and helps you burn fat even when your not exercising.

Pumping the Body: when you perform exercise movements correctly then you actively pump nutrients around the body. Like a free flowing river stagnation never occurs. Â This program maximises the pumping systems of the body and ensures you pump toxins and poisons out of the body and avoid stagnation.

Overview of the Workout Program

The workout you will be performing will involve 6 exercises only, here are the little beauties:

Lunge
Pushing Exercise
Deadlift
Pulling Exercise
Squat
Core Exercise

Although the above exercises may change the fundamental movements will always remain the same.

You will perform a certain number of each exercise (from 8 – 20) before moving onto the next exercise. You will rest at the end of the circuit and try to move through the 6 exercises as quickly as possible.

A Precaution Before you Get Started

Although the following workout method is completely natural and men and women have been moving in this way for millions of years, everyone responds to exercise differently.

First please check with your local doctor or medical professional to confirm you are ready for exercise.

You should never experience any pain during any of these exercises. Fatigue is normal, as is a shortness of breath. Pain is NOT normal and you should stop immediately. If you are new to exercise then start slowly and build up gradually. Consistency is far better than short blasts. Work on developing an exercise habit and mastering the movements.

How Often Should you Workout

I get asked how often to exercise a lot. A really simple guide is Monday, Wednesday and Friday with the weekends off.

However, some people can exercise more and some people less. For example if you have a very physical job then you should probably exercise less. If you are young then you can usually exercise more.

Start with my guideline of 3 times per week and see how you get on. Remember that more isn’t always better. Muscle tissue gets broken down during exercise so it needs time to repair and grow again.

If you are finding that you are not improving during every workout then take another days rest.

Also nutrition and stress levels play a role too. If your diet is bad then you will not recover from exercise as quickly as someone with an all natural diet. Plus, if you are stressed from work pressures then you may be physically drained too! Exercise is a stress too so be careful.

What You Will Need to Exercise

In a word, nothing!

Simply using your bodyweight will be enough to get you results. The better you become at the exercises and workout the more advanced the exercise will become but this still doesn’t mean you need equipment.

The beauty of this type of workout is that you can do it anywhere. You have no excuses 🙂

For the more advanced you can start to add minimal pieces of equipment like dumbbells or a medicine ball but the exercise movements will remain the same. So it remains simple to follow. And you never need to visit a gym again if you don’t want to.

For the actual workout loose clothing is a must. You can wear a pair of comfy sports shoes but I prefer to exercise in bare feet, it feels more natural and you can get better reactions from the ground.

OK, Lets Start the Workout

Before you begin the workout you will need to run through a warm up. You should never stretch before an exercise program because it will effect the length / tension relationship of the muscles your are about to start using. Stretching muscles before a workout is a quick way to deactivate muscles and confuse the body. Stretching comes later.

The Mobility Warm Up

In order to prepare the body for exercise you should run through a mobility routine. Improving mobility is great way to stay young. The more time you spend without movement before your workout the longer you should spend mobilising each joint. So if you are exercising first thing in the morning make sure you spend a little extra time warming up.

Here’s a simple routine for your warm up:

Neck: chin left and right, chin forwards and backwards, head side to side

Shoulders: swing the arms in big circles forwards and backwards

Upper back: rotate from the upper back left and right, let the arms swing as you turn

Hips: hands on hips and roll the hips in big circles, clockwise and anticlockwise

Ankles: Roll the ankles clockwise and anticlockwise

There are hundreds of mobility warm up exercises but concentrating on the above joints from top to bottom will give you a systematic way to warm up each area. If a joint feels restricted or immobile then spend extra time on that area.

Never move into pain. You should NOT feel pain during your mobility warm up, if you do stop immediately and get it checked out.

The Workout

Here are the 6 exercises that you will be performing in the workout. Follow the guidelines for each exercise. Remember that you will be completing each exercise one after the other in a circuit format.

Exercise #1 – The Lunge

The lunge is a hugely powerful exercise that will challenge your balance as well as your core strength. The Lunge targets most muscles in the body but you will especially feel it in the Buttocks and Thighs.

There are many ways to perform the lunge, here are just a few options:

Beginners

Static Lunge
Reverse Lunge
Forward Lunge

Intermediate

Side Lunge
Diagonal Lunge
Double Lunge

Advanced

Bulgarian Lunge
Jumping Lunge

How Many Lunges is best?

The lunge exercise is better performed at higher repetitions, so try to achieve 12 repetitions on each leg before moving on to a more advanced Lunge variation. You also have the option to perform all your lunges on one side before changing to the other side, or alternating between one side and the other between every repetition.

Beginners should start by perform all one side first and then all the other side before moving on to alternating lunges.

Here’s a Video demonstrating How to Perform the Forward Lunge:

Exercise #2 – Pushing Exercise

There are 2 types of Pushing Exercises. You can either push something overhead or push something out in front of you. Both types of exercises use your shoulders, backs of arms, chest and core muscles.

Here are the various Pushing exercises you can try:

Beginners

Wall Push Ups
Kneeling Push Ups

Intermediate

Full Push Ups
Overhead Pressing with Dumbbells etc.

Advanced

Dive Bomber Push Ups
T – Push Ups

Start Easy with Push Ups

Unless you are lying down on a bench all pressing exercises require a large degree of core activation. As you are taking the press up position the core should be tight and engaged this prevents the hips from sagging and provides a strong connection between the lower half of the body and the upper half.

Many people progress too quickly. They have a disconnection between the upper and lower body. Start slowly and try to remain in a straight line from shoulders to heels.

Your goal should be 20 quality repetitions before you move onto a more difficult variation.

Here’s a Video Demonstrating How to Perform the Dive Bomber Push Up:

Exercise #3 – The Deadlift

The Deadlift exercise is another full body movement. It works all the muscles of the body but in particular the ones at the back, namely the buttocks, hamstrings, core, lower and upper back. The Deadlift exercise involves bending and folding at the hips and NOT the lower back.

Here are a few Deadlift Variations:

Beginner

Hip Bridge
One Leg Forward Reach

Intermediate

Single Leg Deadlift

Advanced

Kangaroos
Single Leg Jumping Deadlift

How Many Deadlifts to Perform?

The Deadlift is very demanding and requires a lot of neurological input. Unlike many of the other exercises you should keep the repetitions reasonably low for the deadlift exercise.

The Hip Bridge is one exception where you can work up to 20 reps but I would recommend no more than 10 reps for the others.

Here’s a Video of the Single Leg Deadlift (you don’t need to use dumbbells just touch the floor)

Exercise #4 – The Pulling Exercise

Pulling and back extension based exercise are highly underused and essential for your posture. These types of exercises also work hard to counteract all that back pain you may experience from prolonged periods of sitting. There is also a lot of muscle at the back of the body so they are great for increasing your metabolism.

Pulling exercises, like the pushing exercises, can be divided into 2 groups, pulling towards you horizontally and pulling towards you vertically.

Here are a few exercises you can try:

Beginners

Sky Divers
Swimmers
Bird Dogs

Intermediate

Inverted Bodyweight Rows
Bent over Rows

Advanced

Renegade Rows
Pull Ups or Chin Ups

Where to Start with Pulling Exercises

Always perfect the beginners exercises above before moving onto more advanced exercises. The core muscles don’t just exist at the front of the body they come all the way around to the back too. Working on Sky Divers and Bird Dogs will ensure you have a solid base that you can work off when you proceed to Rows.

20 repetitions of Sky Divers, Swimmers or Bird Dogs (on each side) should be your goal. But as with all the other exercises start off slow and build up. You will find that the more advanced the Pulling exercise the more core engagement is required. So don’t jump the gun!

Here’s a Video showing you How to Perform the Bird Dog

Exercise #5 – The Squat

I’m sure you have heard of the squat. You squat every time you sit on a chair or onto the toilet. Squats work most muscles of the body and heavily pump the system. You can expect to feel the squat mostly in your Buttocks and Thighs.

Many people struggle with the squat for one of 2 reasons:

They lack mobility in their hips
They lack core control to prevent them from folding forwards

Practice usually solves both of these issues. I’m not a believer in elevating the heels even if this does improve the squat. Many believe that heel elevation helps with ankle flexion issues but in my experience ankle mobility is very rarely the issue. You can assess your ankle mobility by sitting down on a chair in the squat position and noting that usually the ankles mobility is fine.

What actually happens when you elevate the heels is you shift the centre of gravity enabling easier core activation.

Here are a few Squats Variations to try:

Beginners

Squat to Chair
Squat Holding Stick
Squat with Stability Ball Against a Wall

Intermediate

Y Squat
Prisoner Squat
Yoga Squat

Advanced

Jump Squats
One Leg Pistol Squats

Foot Position for Squats

How you position your feet during your squat will have a big impact. For example wider feet will enable you to push your hips back better and generally squat to a deeper level.

The feet should naturally turn out and the knees should track along the feet to prevent excessive torque at the knee joint.

You must ensure that your thighs get down to parallel with the floor. Â If your thighs don’t break parallel then you won’t engage your Buttocks, the largest muscles in your body. Shallow squats will result in big thighs and flat buttocks. Sound familiar?

How Many Squats?

Squats are one of those exercises that work well with a high number of repetitions. 20 reps is a good target but 50 can be a nice challenge for you one day too!

As with all these exercises start at the beginners level and work up to the advanced. Get the technique right first. Get down deep enough and don’t rush through your squats.

Here’s a Video of my Favourite Yoga Squats:

Exercise #6 – Core Exercises

Final exercise and I save the core exercise until last, so you haven’t worn out your core muscles before you have started. Core training has had a lot of press but the principles are very simple. A strong core means you have a strong base for your limbs to move from.

If your core is weak you will injure your back more often and you will lack power every time you need to connect the lower half of your body with the top half. Every time you walk you need to do this 🙂

I’m not going to go deep into Core training here because it demands an article of its own but here is a list of progressions for you to try:

Beginners

Front Plank
Side Plank
Shoulder Taps

Intermediate

Slow Mountain Climbers
Cross Body Mountain Climbers
Dead Bugs

Advanced

Dirty Dogs
Wood Chops
Roll Outs

Â What no Sit Ups or Crunches?

Flexion type exercises like Crunches are ruining the backs and posture of people worldwide. In a world where we sit crunched over already, who ever thought that doing more is a good idea? I’m not going to get on my ‘high horse’ about this one but we need a lot more anti-crunch based exercises today to straighten out our postures once and for all.

How Much Core is Enough?

By this point in the workout your core will already be tired so you only need a little just to finish the circuit. For the plank and beginner based exercises try to work up to 45 seconds, that’s per side for the side plank. Once you reach the intermediate level then 20 reps will be sufficient .

For most of the core exercises you will be trying to keep your core tight and contracted while either gravity or your limbs work against you.

If you feel aching in your lower back then either raise your hips or your core has given up and it’s time to stop. Again progress slowly and precisely with each exercise.

Here’s a Video showing the Dead Bug:

Putting All the Exercises Together

So now you understand the types of exercises that you need to perform there is only one thing left to do. Complete the circuit. Here’s how it works:

Complete your Mobility Warm Up (5-10 minutes)
Perform Exercise 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 in a row with minimal rest between exercises
Rest for 1-2 minutes (the less rest the better)
Complete another 2 more circuits if you can

Aim to perform 8-20 repetitions of each exercise except for the deadlifts (only perform 10 max). If you find the exercise too difficult then select an easier one. If you find the exercise too easy at 20 reps then choose a more difficult one.

How Should the Workout Feel?

It is very important that you push yourself through the workout. At first you will need to take your time and get used to the exercises but after that it’s time to go for it.

You should feel a shortness of breath as you move from one exercise to the next with little rest. You may also experience a heaviness in your muscles. With time you will get used to all these feelings and be able to push yourself more each time.

One tip is to time your circuit. Try to beat your time each round but never sacrifice good technique for speed.

Remember that change comes from pushing your body to a place where it needs to adapt for next time. Your body will improve to make the workout easier so you need to keep pushing.

No Need to Stretch Afterwards

If you feel the need to stretch afterwards then that is fine but there is no scientific proof that stretching will prevent muscle soreness, prevent injury or speed up the healing process. In fact after a workout your nervous system is too excited to benefit from any stretching.

My advice is to stretch in the evening before bed. You are more susceptible to change at this time. The more frequently you stretch the better. Sitting for 8 hours a day takes a lot of correction.

Enjoy the Workout

There we go my Step by Step guide to Exercising for Fat Loss.

Exercise only really works if it’s consistent so go for little and often. Build up a habit of exercise. Progress slowly and work on getting great at all the movements. Learning to move and exercise in this way will be the best investment of time in yourself that you will every make.

Take care and enjoy!

Are you ready to start this workout program? Let me know more below…

8 Things Everybody Ought to Know About Food Preparation to Maximise Health

By Greg Brookes

Using the freshest and best quality ingredients you can find when cooking is vital but preparation can alsoÂ have a huge impact on the nutritional quality of your meal. Follow these simple guidelines to get the most outÂ of your ingredients:

8 things you need to know about food preparation — Image by Oxfordian

1. Don’t Over Boil

When you boil vegetables a large proportion of the nutrients leeches out into the water. If you do boil vegetables thenÂ ensure you use minimal amounts of water and then use the water for soups and stock. Also, avoid leavingÂ prepared vegetables in salted water for long periods of time for the same reasons.

2. Start Steaming

Steaming food is a much better option for maintaining nutrients. Some nutrients are still lost intoÂ the steaming water beneath so again save this water for stocks and sauces. I use an electric steamer because it frees up space on the cooker to prepare other food. Bamboo steamers are also a great all natural option.

3. Go Organic

Although sometimes more expensive organic food certainly has its advantages. I have an Organic Box of Â meat, fruit and vegetables delivered once a week. From the moment fruit and veg is picked it starts losing its nutritional value. So the more seasonal and the less time the food is ‘out of the ground’ the better.

There are many conflicting arguments about the additional nutritional value of organic foods. I personally believe that foods that are grown without the addition of pesticides and other chemicals are better. Washing non-organic foods will not remove the nasty chemicals because they has been designed to be resistant to rain.

4. Cooking With Oils

Heating delicate oils like Olive Oil at high temperatures will cause them to denature and go rancid. Olive oil should only be used for low temperature cooking andÂ for dressings. For high heat cooking coconut oil is a far better option and makes great roast potatoes. Avoid all other oils likeÂ linseed, rapeseed, corn oil, and vegetable oils.

5. Avoid Microwaves

When you heat food using a microwave it causes the molecules to oscillate at incredibly high speeds. During the microwaving process the molecular structure is totally changed. Once a food has been microwaved it is left in a denatured form that is unrecognisable to the gut.

You may be interested to hear about a recent school girls project that involved watering 2 similar plants. She watered one plant with cooled water that had been boiled in a microwave and the other with cooled water she had boiled in a saucepan. The results would shock you when you compare the health of the 2 plants after only a one week.

6. Raw food

Eating raw food ensures you get a very nutrient rich meal. A good proportion of your daily diet should consist ofÂ raw food. However, don’t be fooled into thinking that all food should be raw. In the great book Catching FireÂ the author argues that it was with the advent of cooking that our evolution accelerated. Cooking food does mean we can consume more of it and digest it easier but ensuring the body performs its natural function and breaks down raw food is also important, especially for your metabolic rate.

7. Avoid Caramelising

Making food crispy and browned around the edges can make many foods tasteÂ better but unfortunately this process leaves the food with carcinogenic properties that are best avoided.

8. Choose Your Pan Wisely

Non stick teflon pans and especially aluminum pans that have been linked withÂ many diseases including Alzheimers. Use stainless steel, cast iron or glass as a safer alternative.

What food preparation methods do you use? Share below…

5 Movements You Must Include in Every Workout

By Greg Brookes

1. Squat

We all squat when we sit and get up off the toilet or a chair. In many countries people still work and play from theÂ squatÂ position. Squatting is a natural movement that takes the hands to the floor. Squatting involves using the Buttocks (Glutes), the Thighs (Quads), the back of the Thighs (Hamstrings), the Core muscles both front and back. There is a huge amount of muscle activation during the squat. For fat loss or just developing pure brute strength you cannot beat the squat.

2. Lunge

Whenever you walk up some stairs you are lunging. Lunging is like an exaggeration of the gait pattern. During sports you lunge all the time, watch a tennis player and see how they lunge for the ball as they run backwards and forwards. Lunging is a bit more tricky than Squatting because there are more balance requirements and you tend to overload one leg more than the other. All this makes lunging very demanding both physically and neurologically. Again the lunge is a great tool for fat loss and highly underused. For more sports specific strength then you canâ€™t beatÂ omnidirectional lunges.

3. Deadlift

Have you ever picked up a box from the floor? This is the deadlift pattern. It is highly dependent on the back of the body (posterior chain). What I donâ€™t mean here is just the back, rather the Buttocks (Glutes), Back of the Thighs (Hamstrings), and also the Spinal Erectors. Basically the hips do the work and the rest serve just to stabilse.Â DeadliftsÂ are a real strongmanâ€™s exercises. Great for overall strength, muscle development, and improving posture. It is one of the great full body pulling movements. If you only had to do one exercise then this is the one!

4. Push

We can divide the push into 2 separate categories: Horizontal and Vertical. So aÂ Push UpÂ would be a horizontal push and an overhead press would be Vertical. Most pushing exercises require strong core stability. The only time you wonâ€™t really use your core is if you are lying on a bench. So to get more â€œBang for your Buckâ€ donâ€™t lye down when exercising! Most men spend too much time pushing, trying to develop a good looking chest. Too many pushing exercises can make drastic postural changes to the body. Ensure you match ever pushing exercise with a Pulling exercise!

Â 5. Pull

Again like Push you can divide these exercise into: Horizontal and Vertical. A horizontal Pull would be a row and a vertical Pull would be a Chin Up. Most people donâ€™t do enough Pulling exercises. Pulling is crucial to neutralise all the time we spend sitting in a forward slouched position. Pulling will help get the shoulders back and improve posture and ultimately better breathing. AlthoughÂ Pulling based exercisesÂ can be more difficult to achieve without equipment they must be pat of any program.

Whatâ€™s Missing?

I could have also addedÂ One Legged exercisesÂ to this list but I think these fall under the 5 movements above. For example you can Squat with one leg and Deadlift with one leg. One Legged exercises are merely a way of progressing on from the the above movement patterns.Â Rotational exercisesÂ could have been added too but as with One Legged exercises I see these as a progression on from the above 5. We generally rotate anyway with most movement but you could exaggerate this with a One Armed Push or Pull, or a Lunge with Rotation etc.

Do you struggle with any of these movements? Love to know below…

Top 7 Exercise Challenges. How do you compare?

By Greg Brookes

Challenge #1: Turkish Get Ups with 1/2 Bodyweight x 5 reps

The ultimate full body exercise for stabilisation and mobility. If you want to bomb proof your body against injury then this is the exercise to master.

Rumour has it that ancient greeks were not taught to strength train with any extra load until they could get off the ground with that same weight held over head.

By completing this test the young Greeks were able to demonstrate their ability to dynamically stabilise the weight before moving onto more prime mover based exercises. This is a lesson that is so often ignored as newcomers get injured diving into the weight stack without ensuring their body has adequate stability before they start.

Challenge #2:Â Push Ups x 100 reps

The Push Up is so much more that just a horizontal pressing movement, it’s a huge core stabilisation exercise too. It’s always interesting to see big bench pressers perform a push up, the core is always quick to collapse and sag. I like to think of the Push Up as a moving plank from the hands.

Ensure that you utilise as much muscle as you can by corkscrewing the arms inwards and pulling yourself down with your lats. The lowering part of the movement (eccentric) should be slow and controlled and the pushing up (concentric) phase should be fast and explosive. You can also add a Push Up plus to the top of the movement to work on the scapular.

Challenge #3:Â Pistols Squats x 10

You can’t find a better single leg exercise for working on pure single leg strength, mobility and stability. The Pistol or One Legged Squat requires good balance, excellent mobility at the hips and ankle, and brute strength in the glute, quad and hamstring.

Research shows that the Glute Medius, a very important hip stabilisation muscle, is more active in the Pistol than any other exercise, beating the clam and others hands down. For those who struggle with balance a counter balance weight can be held in front or a TRX can be used for support.

Challenge #4:Â Chin Ups x 20

This powerful exercise is where many people struggle, there is huge core integration along with scapular stability and brute pulling power. Common problems seen are a craning of the neck, over active traps that create a hunching of the shoulders, and using momentum by kipping.

To perfect good Chin Ups you can regress the movement by using bands attached to the bar and under one foot. Keep the movement strict, use the lats to pull you up by thinking about protecting your armpits, go all the way down to the bottom but don’t let your shoulder blades drop by keeping everything packed and keep the chest high at the top. Don’t crane your neck to get over the bar.

Challenge #5:Â Deadlift at twice bodyweight x 1 rep

The real big boy of strength training. Uses practically every muscle in the body and strengthens the posterior chain that is so good for posture as well as performance.

I managed to achieve my Deadlift record by sticking to the classic 5 x 5 once and occasionally twice per week. So that’s 5 reps and 5 sets. I increased the weight by 2.5 – 5kg each week.

Remember that the Deadlift is called a Deadlift because it is pulled from the ground from a dead position. So in theory you should be performing 5 x 1 reps. I always deadlift in barefeet and drive heavily through the heels.

Top 7 Exercise Challenges — Image my Amber Karnes

I never use straps, if my grip strength is not ready then the rest of me is not ready either, we all work together.

Challenge #6:Â 2000M Row in Under 7 mins

I’m very particular when it comes to cardiovascular training, not because I don’t like it but more because I don’t like to waste time. This indoor rower workout is excellent for improving your cardiovascular strength and anaerobic threshold.

Rowing is an often neglected exercise and very powerful to counteract all the slouching and anterior based workouts that are so common.

A good rowing technique heavy works the quads, glutes, core and back. I like the scapular retraction benefits of the movement. Give this challenge a go, the last time I completed it my legs were like jelly and I staggered around the gym grabbing hold of things to stop my falling over!

Challenge #7: OneÂ Mile Run (under 4 minutes)

I know what you are thinking, that’s a ridiculous challenge. But it’s interesting to note that when Roger Bannister broke the 4 minute mile back in 1954, he not only broke a record but a psychological barrier. Many thought it was not possible but following Rogers achievement many people followed in quick succession.

This challenge like all the others ARE possible, you just need to be committed and have a progressive plan. Start with a 6 or 7 minute mile, then set yourself progressive targets and see how close you can get. I’m not saying you will make 4 minutes but use it as a target.

You will be amazed at how quickly your time improves if you run consistently. Ensure you rest well and warm up well prior to each attempt. Wear a heart rate monitor and monitor your progress as your anaerobic threshold improves.

These fitness challenges were chosen because they utilise exercises that I believe improve your general health and fitness. They can all be achieved with dedication and a progressive goal setting plan. Now select one and get started.

Have you tried any of these exercises? Love to know how you got on below…

Top 10 Core and Abs Exercises You're Probably NOT Doing

By Greg Brookes

Selecting the correct Core and Ab exercises doesn’t have to be difficult. The days of Sit-Ups and Crunches are over unless you want to destroy your posture and ruin your lower back. The Core and Abs need to be targeted in a scientific way, from all directions, and in a way they are designed to function.

With all this in mind here are my selection of top 10 Core and Ab exercises:

1. Slow Mountain Climbers

The core is primarily designed to prevent movement of the spine, this protects your spine from sudden movements or impacts that may threaten you. Slow Mountain Climbers place the spine in a stable position with gravity pushing down on it. By alternatively drawing the knees to the elbows you challenge your spines stability as well as activating the obliques.

2. Side Plank with Rotation

A lateral spinal stability drill but with an added movement. Like the slow mountain climbers the core works hard to prevent the spine from collapsing. By rotating and threading the arm underneath the body you challenge your spinal stability further and at the same time work your thoracic rotation. Limitations in the thoracic spine are responsible for issues in the lower back so this additional movement is an added bonus.

3. Cable Chop

The core can be attacked in four directions from the cable chop: top right to bottom left, top left to bottom right, bottom right to top left and bottom left to top right. Here the main objective is to prevent rotation of the spine. Reset the weight stack after each rep and learn to re-engage the core each time. It is interesting to note which of the 4 quadrants listed above you struggle with most and then progress this quadrant to balance out your core.

4. Roll Outs

Remember the old AB wheels, well they are back! Rolling out forwards with your hands on the wheel requires a huge amount of core strength and activation as the body tries extremely hard to avoid collapsing at the lower back. This can be a very hard exercise for the beginner but can be made easier by using a stability ball and starting from the knees.

5. Side Plank with Leg Raise

Similar principles to the “Side Plank with Rotation” above but this time you include some hip ABduction. For this exercise you stay in the side plank position and raise the top leg slowly. Avoid external rotation or opening of the hips, stay in line. This exercise is not only intense on the lateral workings of the core but also strengthens the Glute Medius, an important muscle for hip stability and often weak in today’s society.

6. Bird Dog with Rotation

A fundamental exercise that concentrates on the sling systems that connect shoulder to opposite hip. From all fours the opposite arm and leg are extended activating the back extensors. The elbow is then brought towards the knee and then extended out again. Notice how this movement pattern emulates our basic walking and running cross pattern. Strength in this pattern is paramount for general movement and function in daily life.

7. Dirty Dogs

A great number of the core muscles are designed to prevent the back from being over extended. Simple Up and Down Dogs as performed in Yoga will leave you with sore abs as your core works hard to prevent you from over extending your back in the Upwards Facing Dog position. You can take this traditional yoga movement and make it slightly more demanding by reaching back towards the opposite toe in the down dog position.

8. Push Ups

We are all familiar with the regular push up but did you know that they are a great core strengthener too? Push Ups are difficult for many people, not because they have weak upper body strength but because they have weak core strength. You can think of the push up as a moving plank. Clap Push Ups and Push Ups off a Swiss Ball just add more of a core challenge as the demand to stay rigid increases. Ever wondered why some guys can bench press hundreds of pounds but can’t do many push ups? Well now you know, strong chest but weak core!

9. Diaphragm Breathing

The Core and Abs can be divided into Inner and Outer. The Outer consists of all the famous muscles: 6 pack abs, obliques etc. The Inner core is what braces and provides a compression chamber to support the spine. No need to wear a weight lifters belt when you can strengthen your own inner corset and provide your own as nature intended. Simple deep diaphragm breathing from all fours drawing in the naval towards the spine on the Out breath and pushing it out on the In breath, will strengthen your inner corset and take inches off your waist.

10. Interval Sprints

Not only great for fat loss and cardiovascular conditioning but intensive on the core muscles too. Fast and explosive cross diagonal engagement of the core is as nature intended. You don’t have to sprint from a wild animal just try 5-8 sprints of 20-30 seconds resting until your heart rate comes back down to 60-75 % of you max heart rate before repeating. Ensure you have a good level of Cardio health before trying this one!

These are my top core exercise recommendations. With the addition of a good clean nutrition plan, and a reduction in stress levels and you are well on your way to the body of your dreams.

Have you tried any of these Exercises? Let me know how you got on below…

What Everybody Ought to Know About Fat Loss

By Greg Brookes

Have you ever wondered why you simply cannot lose weight or reduce that bulging belly? Well here is your answer…Fat Loss is a little more complicated than many think, there is no miracle exercise. It is important to look at the body as a whole. Here are the 3 fundamentals that you will need to follow in order to lose that stubborn fat and feel a million dollars.

what everybody ought to know about fat loss — Image by Randomplaces

1. Stress

Stress produces energy as a survival mechanism. Look out there’s a tiger! The body produces huge amounts of energy in order to optimise escape or deal with the situation. Getting stressed and producing energy while sitting down at work causes a rise in energy but no way of spending it. The body has to work hard to deal with excess energy, the hormone insulin is used to store energy in both the liver and our fat cells. So stress really does make you fat!

Stress also causes stimulation of the Sympathetic Nervous System (Fight or Flight) and shuts down the opposite the Parasympathetic Nervous System (Rest and Digest). So the whole time we are stressed we are unable to digest our food. So don’t eat at your desk choose a quiet and peaceful environment for good digestion.

Over stimulation of our stress hormones can wear out our Adrenal Glands. The more stress false alarms the body has to deal with, whether its from stimulants like caffeine or cigarettes, or from work, financial or relationship stress, they all contribute to exhausting your Adrenal Glands. Worn out Adrenal Glands lead to excessive fatigue and a whole host of hormonal issues including weight gain.

2. Nutrition

Food intolerance is a big problem today. Most people suffer in some degree or another. Gluten is the biggest problem. Dairy is also another. Many foods are now highly processed or relatively new to our ancient digestive systems. Food intolerance’s can cause leaky gut syndrome, auto immune problems, bloating, depression, and fatigue to name just a few.

Toxins are also a major problem. We are digesting more toxins today than ever before. Most vegetables are sprayed with chemicals all of which must be dealt with by the body. We all store toxins in our fat cells. Fat provides a natural barrier to protect the vital organs from the problems of toxic chemicals. Unless you eliminate as many toxins as possible your body will retain fat to protect the body.

Balancing blood sugar levels is vital for fat loss. Carbohydrates and stimulants are the enemy here. The more the body has to deal with surges of simple sugars the more it struggles to maintain an energy balance and stores energy in our fat cells. To stay energised, free of cravings and reduce fat storage you must manage your blood sugar levels.

3. Exercise

Most of us sit all day. We need to move more, the opposite of movement is death. So lets get moving. You don’t need to run to work or go nuts at a gym class you just need to move more often. Walk more, play more and have fun with your body 🙂

Most workouts and exercise routines in magazine don’t work in tune with your body and nature. The body dictates how it should move. Bicep curls are great for body building but useless for fat loss or everyday life. We need to be intelligent about how we exercise and base all movements on how the body is designed to move. We need to stimulate as many muscles as possible and enjoy ourselves.

Everyone is different, we don’t all need the same type of exercise. A one size fits all approach to workout design will only get you so far. We need to start at the centre and work outwards. Make progressions in a safe and logical way. Running before you can walk is ridiculous, and so is professional workout routines for unprofessional athletes. We need to use common sense and tailor make workouts to our abilities and not someone else’s.

Do you struggle with Fat Loss? Let me know your biggest problem below…

10 Things You Didn’t Know About Stretching

By Greg Brookes

#1 – You’re Not Just Stretching Muscle

Every time you stretch you are not just hitting your muscles but other soft tissue too. Fascia, the connective tissue that surrounds muscles, blood vessels and nerves also gets stretched. Lets also not forget the tendons that connect your muscles to your bones. So next time you think you are performing a quad stretch realise that so much more is being put under strain and you may not be targeting the muscle as much as you think you are.

#2 – Everything is Connected

Thomas Myers in his revolutionary book “Anatomy Trains” describes how the body is comprised of connecting pathways of soft tissue. These pathways run through the entire body, some connecting soft tissue from head to toe. With the body interconnected in this way it turns localised stretching into globalised stretching. In other words, by stretching one section of the soft tissue pathway you are influencing other areas throughout that pathway. A simple example is how repeated wearing of high heel shoes shortens the Superficial Back Line (runs from the sole of the foot to the forehead up the back of the body) and can result in back pain and headaches.

#3 – Stretching De-Activates Muscles

The act of lengthening a muscle reduces the ability for that muscle to contract. This is a very useful theory that can be used to assist and activate other muscles. For example stretching the Hamstrings can assist in the firing of the Glutes if the firing pattern of the hip extensors is off. Stretching a muscle certainly will not render it useless but it will reduce its ability to contract.

#4 – We Should All Stretch Differently

We are all unique and have different length tensions throughout the body. There is no “One size fits all” stretching program. Just like tuning a musical instrument we must only address the strings that need adjustment. It is important to understand your own body and then make adjustments accordingly.

#5 – Breathing Influences the Stretch

Deep breathing stimulates the Parasympathetic nervous system and this causes the body to relax. Mediation makes good use of this technique, as does Yoga which is fundamentally about â€The Breathâ€. When the body is relaxed it lets go of muscle tension. When you stretch you can use the breath to increase your stretching range of movement. As you slowly move into the stretch take a deep and long breath out and feel your tension release, do not fight it. As you breath in come out of the stretch slightly and then return into the stretch as you breath out again.

#6 – Stretching Can Be a Waste of Time

Stretching can be a waste of time if your body NEEDS to retain that tension for stabilisation reasons. A good example is the hamstrings being used to maintain core stability through pelvic alignment. No matter how many times you stretch the Hamstrings they will continue to Grip the pelvis so long as your core stability is weak. The solution is to strengthen the core muscles that maintain pelvic alignment thus enabling the hamstrings to relax. If a muscle simply wonâ€™t lengthen then you must look at why it is being held under tension.

#7 – Stretching Can Cause Injury

Knots, Adhesion’s and Scar Tissue leave our soft tissue weak and vulnerable. Putting poor quality soft tissue under strain through stretching can cause further damage. Think about stretching an elastic band with a knot tied in the centre, the knot gets tighter and produces weak breaking points. Spending time addressing your soft tissue through massage and foam rolling will go a long way to improving it quality.

#8 – Stretching is NOT a Warm Up

Static stretching has it place at the beginning of a workout as part of a corrective exercise program but should not be thought of as a warm up. Mobilising the joints and dynamically taking the body through the movement patterns used in the forthcoming workout are far better ways to prepare the body for exercise. Stretching should be thought of as corrective and nothing more!

#9 – Better to Stretch Away From Exercise

Stretching can be done at anytime but stretching when the body is relaxed is the most effective time for correcting muscle tissue length. Stretching in the evening is best. If you try and change soft tissue length during your workout time the sympathetic nervous system is often active and the muscles finds it hard to relax. You can however perform maintenance stretching at this time.

#10 – Stretching is 3 Dimensional

We have over 600 muscles in the body and they all run in different directions. When you stretch you need to consider the angle of the muscles on stretch. For example you have 3 Hamstrings and by just internally or externally rotating the legs you can hit different muscles. If you find one stretch easy then try it from a different angle. You body will always chose the easiest path so look for the lines with restriction.