Personal Trainer Northampton Blog

Hello everyone,

I hope everybody had a great Christmas and is looking forward to the New Year.

The New Year is always a time for reflection and for looking forward. A new start, where you can be and achieve whatever you like. But why is it so hard to keep the goals that you set yourself, particularly fitness related goals? I will lose weight, I will build more muscle or I will get fitter. That tends to be our resolutions but how will we lose weight, build muscle or get fitter? We never seem to build that goal piece by piece, or break it into achievable sections. It tends to be the big end goal, or nothing at all.

You wouldn’t say “Right I am driving to the other side of the country, having never done it before and I am not going to use my Sat Nav, directions or use any Signposts!” This may sound silly and also obvious, but my point is if you wouldn’t do that, why would you say ” I am going to lose some weight” but yet not plan how?

If you can’t set a plan, set some dates to achieve it by and see the progress along the way, you will inevitably lose faith and lose your resolution.

Over the next few weeks, I will write a series of posts that I hope will help you, inspire you and assist you along the way.

Have a great New Year, be safe and we will kick start 2010 together!

We have seen it films time and again, the main character needs to get leaner, faster and stronger..cue the music and cue the montage!

It is strange though, because if you are like me, just watching these scenes gets you feeling motivated, pumped and wanting to go and start training! What you also see a lot of in these instances is using your own body to train. What I mean by this is using very basic exercises, sit ups or press ups, as opposed to actual equipment.

Don’t get me wrong, you won’t find a bigger lover of fitness equipment than me. But, it can certainly benefit to add in some ‘vintage’ exercises too. When you work your chest or triceps, add some push ups in. If they get too easy, try some variations, like having your feet on a higher level or bench, or your hands wider or narrower.

With you back, try some lat raises. Lie flat, stomach down, and place your hands at your temples. Then, just raise the upper part of your body, keeping the legs still. This is one repetition.

With the modern, high tec equipment we have spoiling us fitness users nowadays, sometimes it is pleasing to just got back to raw training basics.

Now run that montage…

When you are engaged in an active lifestyle, supplementing your bdoy is very important. When I say supplementing, I do not necessarily mean artificial powders etc, although these play a significant part but the majority of what your body needs should come from natural sources.

What do I mean by natural sources? Well if you are seeking protein to aid muscle growth and repair, sources ripe with protein are Fish, Milk, Eggs, Cheese (especially Cottage Cheese) and Meat. A great source in particular is Turkey. Great sources of Carbohydrate include Pasta and Bread, particularly Wholemeal bread. and Porridge.

It may not be possible however to get all your total requirements just from natural sources. In these instances, supplements are a marvel. The best protein powder you can take, in my opinion, is whey protein . This is a natural protein source, derived from the cheese making process. It has the highest biological value of protein known. Amounts of protein in each scoop can vary between each manufacturer so you have to check the label for accuracy and also health/safety information.

As we head towards the final part of the year, it will soon be the New Year. This is a period notorious with a massive increase in the fitness market, as people set themselves goals to get in shape, lose some weight or just live that bit of a healthier lifestyle.

The current financial climate has meant many people have turned to home-use fitness equipment, instead of paying repeated gym fees. Others may prefer to train in the privacy of their own home. With this period in mind, my fitness site has a selection of  treadmill reviews to assist you in making a decision regarding which piece of fitness equipment is right for you.

The site is still being constructed so I ask for your patience while content is added but please have a look at what is there already as there are some fantastic pieces of fitness equipment available.

Many thanks and happy training.

This post, as you may have guessed, is about variation. There always comes a point when your body can adjust and almost become used to what you are doing. At this point, muscle growth is harder, losing weight is tougher and the results you want to see are much harder to achieve.

This is where you need to vary things.  In weight lifting, try swapping a ‘normal’ set for one that is done slightly quicker, slower or try a something like dropping the weight. This is known as a drop set. Basically, you complete the set as far as possible and then drop the weight a few kilos and go again until you cannot lift any more, the repeat. sometimes you can end up with just a few kilos but because you are on the fifth or sixth set by now, it will feel very heavy!

Mixing it up this way keeps your body guessing, your muscles growing and you much happier.

You may have heard of “the pump” before, we have even touched upon it here in the past. I thought it a good post to bring back up though. The “Pump” is the sensation we feel when dilated blood vessels and capillaries send blood into the muscles you are working. You can often feel it in isolation exercise, such as on the bicep. It feels almost as if your arm is going to explode!

To assist with this, at the peak of your contraction, hold and squeeze for a second or two.  This forces extra blood to the muscles and “Primes the Pump,” giving you that bigger pumped feeling. A lot of Nitric Oxide supplements that some athletes use pre-workout help to widen the blood vessels and allow more blood to flow to the muscles. (Always read the label.)

So there we have it, a little more information on the pump…try it next time you workout and take your training to the next level.

Well I can’t believe it has been a year since I wrote about Mr Olympia 2008…where does the time go? Yes Mr Olympia 2009 has been and gone and Jay Cutler claimed his third title. I know Jay has a lot of fans and support and I am most definitely one of them. I remember hearing Jay speak once, talking of the different jobs he had when he was younger but how he always found time and a way to get in his required calories in for the day to upkeep his size and training regime. The guy is filled with determination and hard work and this third crown is proof at just how far those characteristics go. I for one can see him adding further titles.

The top three finishers were:
1 – Jay Cutler
2 – Branch Warren
3 – Dexter Jackson

I am lucky enough to live near to some beautiful countryside, which is perfect for running and jogging. A great run I had the other day involved also doing some dips of an old tractor tyre I found half way round. Why not turn your running path into a bigger physical test? (Please do not steal or trespass of course!) But if there is something elevated that you can do a push up from (safely) then it is great to throw it into the mix. I always believe that keeping your body guessing is the way to results.

Happy training!

Since I have taken on more web work, I find myself spending a lot more time sat down and feel very inactive.  If you find yourself in a similar situation each day, you will appreciate the importance of keeping active.  Whether it merely be a 5 minute break to go and stretch your legs, up to a run in the evening when you get home.  It makes you feel so much better and shakes of that lethargic feeling that can grow throughout the day. When you exercise, your body releases hormones that make you feel happier and more alert.

Make sure that you keep active, no matter how much or little you can do.

I talk a lot on here aobut weight lifting techniques and body building, largely because it is my main passion.  Saying this however, the cardiovascualr side of training should in no way be overlooked.  Bodybuilders certainly don’t.  It is a great way to burn body fat and also help to tone muscle groups.  Great examples are running and swimming.  Swimming is advantageous to the extent that it is very easy on the joints, due to the ‘weightless’ feeling of the water.  This greatly reduces the risk of injury and is a great aerobic activity.  However, not everyone can swim, myself included.  Running is a great alternative for a good aerobic workout.  I love nothing better than to run in the countryside, in the fresh air.  But, mentioned above, this can cause impact injuries on the joints.  Running on a treadmill can get around this problem.  At the moment, the reebok irun treadmill is a great buy.  It is cheap, an important factor in these difficult economic times and great for training at home.

Swimming is great for those of all ages.  If you don’t feel confident running, go for a jog or simply for a walk.  The important thing is to get up and get active.  Trust me, you will feel better for it.