Kettle Bell Workout / Introduction of the RPE scale

I really enjoy training with kettle bells, they add another perspective to 'free-weights' and are a really good tool for building muscle, toning, shaping, and also loosing fat. Kettle bells come in many different weights and sizes. I use a range between 2kg and 22kg at the moment and have also got a 26kg for my more experienced clients.
Below is a simple kettle bell routine, this will get you started and will be ideal for beginners. I recommend a comfortable weight under 10kg to begin with to allow you to gain the right technique as this is very important.

RPE SCALE - basically a scale from 1-10 1 being easy/less intense 10 being hard/intense. I will sometimes use this to gauge a persons level of psycal activity while they are training by asking them on the scale of 1-10 how they feel.

This kettle bell routine will work the arms, chest and back and is ideal for beginners. As always stay safe and always learn proper techniques to lessen the risk of injury. If you feel you may have any problems injury wise always consult a doctor before any intense exercise.

KETTLE BELL #1 WILL FOLLOW IN THE NEXT POST

Back from my time off and itching to get back training

I will be posting alot over the next week to catch up on the time I have missed over the past few weeks :) hope you are all well and are keeping fit. as always feel free to contact me about my personal training/group sessions. I have developed my own style of outdoor training that will open your eyes to what can be achieved away from the gym.

Army Abs - My adaptation - Part 1 - Low Intensity

Army Abs

I have spent the last week researching a number of military style ab workouts, there is many to choose from. I have decided to choose exercises from each routine including my favourites, the ones I feel are most beneficial and also some that I feel are interesting and under used. As with any exercise routine healthy eating comes into play, especially when the ab region is the focus. Try and eat as well as you can, aim to consume the amount of food suggested in the eatwell plate in an article below, any information on general nutrition feel free to drop me an e-mail. (address at the end of this article).

I have decided to write three articles on this subject first starting with a low-intensity 2 week programme:

The Routine-Low Intensity

Week One

Monday

20 x Crunches
20 x Oblique Twists
30 seconds plank
30 seconds side plank (each side)

Wednesday

20 x Sit ups
20 x Double leg Raises
20 x Dorsi Raises
30 seconds sky-diver position

Friday

20 x V-ups
20 x Raised Leg Oblique Crunches
20 x Single Leg Raises
30 seconds plank
30 seconds side plank (each side)
30 seconds sky-diver position

Try and include at least two CV (cardio) sessions with a minimum duration of 20 mins each week.

Week Two

Monday

2 x 15 Crunches
2 x 15 Oblique Twists
45 seconds plank
45 seconds side plank (each side)

Wednesday

2 x 15 Sit ups
2 x 15 Double leg Raises
2 x 15 Dorsi Raises
45 seconds sky-diver position

Friday

2 x 15 V-ups
2 x 15 Raised Leg Oblique Crunches
2 x 15 Single Leg Raises
45 seconds plank
45 seconds side plank (each side)
45 seconds sky-diver position

Try and include at least two CV (cardio) sessions with a minimum duration of 20 mins each week.


As always thanks for reading, happy training, remember to stay safe, any questions drop me an e-mail NickGoreFitnessTraining@hotmail.co.uk

Some simple calf exercises

Here are some simple calf exercises that I personally use and also use in my sessions. These will tone your calfs, add muscle and shape. Mainly calf raises with a few adaptations.

The first is a simple calf raise. Stand with your feet together and raise up onto the balls of your feet (tiptoes) then slowly take your heels back to the floor, repeat 15 times for a set.

Second is an addition to the first, try calf raises with a weight in each hand, if you have no weights a good thing to use is two of the largest milk bottles you can buy (like the one in the picture)filled with sand or water.

Third is once again an adaptation of calf raises, this time find a step/interior staircase and stand yourself on the bottom step heels off the back of the step so you are only on the balls of your feet. Repeat the calf raise exercise , introduce the weights when you feel comfortable.

Alternatively try walking up staircases rather than taking the lift, the action of walking up a staircase naturally tones the calfs. Maybe even have a few laps up and down your own staircase each day. It is the little things you do that will add up to make the big difference, try and incorperate exercise into your everyday life to make the most of yourself.

As always thanks for reading, happy training, remember to stay safe, any questions drop me an e-mail NickGoreFitnessTraining@hotmail.co.uk.

In the pipeline-Things to look out for over the next few days

Just to keep you posted on what I am up to personally. As always im busy with work, writing this blog and of course playing a bit of World of Warcraft in my spare time :) yes I regularly geek it up!. I have been researching a load of exciting new things, from new ways to work out to new products in the fitness market. Over the next few days i intend on writing a number of new blogs including:

I raise you two calfs-Calf toning exercises

Supplements-Good or Bad
Videos of the basic 3 exercise ab routine
Information on a Kettlebell work out
Some ideas on adapting army style workout routines (high intensity)
and of course More DIY at home Fitness

as well as a number of other interesting topics.

As always thanks for reading, happy training, remember to stay safe, any questions drop me an e-mail NickGoreFitnessTraining@hotmail.co.uk.

Make your own Medi-Ball - save loads of cash

With the price of medi-balls being so high, some as much as £50 they are an expesive piece of kit to aquire. I do have real medi-balls but to begin with I managed to improvise and make my own. To do this I bought a basketball from a sports shop and some play sand from Argos, I also purchased a puncture repair kit :) . It is probably obvious what I did but I will explain anyway.

First I cut a small hole in the basket ball (kids get your parents to do the cutting lol!!!!) and used a funnel to fill the basket ball with the play sand, then I used the puncture repair kit to cover over the hole that I had cut. Make sure you glue it peoperly :). This will make a fairly weighty ball so remember to be safe. If you want an accurately weighted ball then you can always fill it up with sand while on scales (like in the picture below) .I have also found smaller basket balls that are great for making lighter smaller medi-balls with.

To further challenge yourself why not fill the basket ball 1/2 full with water to make an unstable ball. Alternatively you can fill it 1/2 with sand to make it lighter. One last way to make the ball unstable is when you cut the hole in, take a balloon and push it into the basket ball keeping the hole of the balloon accessable. Then you want to fill the balloon with sand until it has a bit of weight to it, tie it off and poke the tied end into the ball, patch it and glue it over,  this will then roll around inside the basket ball and make it unstable.








As always thanks for reading, happy training, remember to stay safe, any questions drop me an e-mail NickGoreFitnessTraining@hotmail.co.uk.

Beginners Basic ab 3 exercise routine

To properly tone the ab region you have to take into account the amount of muscles that are situated there. Normal sit ups will predominantly work the top of the abs, leg raises will work the bottom with oblique twists working the obliques down the sides of your ab region. This is the most basic 3 exercise ab routine.

Sit ups - There are 3 ways in which you can do a sit up, basically Easy,Medium, and Hard.



This is the Easy way to do a sit up, rest your hands on your thighs  and slide them up and down keeping your back straight and neck and head aligned.



This is the 'medium' way of performing a sit up, (sorry about the funny clip art). Once again keep straight back and neck and head aligned. This time place your hands on your chest. this will feel harder than the previous and is the most common form of sit up amoungst beginners.

 

This is the hardest way to perform a sit up, notice that the person has their hands on their temples rather than clasped behind their head. This is the best way to carry out this exercise as clasping you hands behind your head can lead to upper back and neck pain as you pull the neck forward rounding the back and spine in the process.

LEG RAISES  


Start off in this position with both legs in the air gently lower both legs to the floor keeping them straight and in a controlled motion. As they nearly (but not quite) touch the floor raise them slowly

back up. Alternatively you can just do it with one leg at a time while keeping the other in the air, if that proves to be too hard place one leg on the floor and go alternate from there. 10-20 repititions(whatever you can manage , remember dont push yourself too hard too fast!)

OBLIQUE TWISTS



Oblique twists start off in the original sit up position however this time you are to cross your legs and hold your arms out infront of you. As you come up for the sit up twist to one side then return your back to the floor repeat and twist to the other side. Make sure all movements are fluid and not jerky as jerky movements can lead to pulled/twisted muscles.





 



As always thanks for reading, happy training, remember to stay safe, any questions drop me an e-mail NickGoreFitnessTraining@hotmail.co.uk.

Walking

Research shows that walking 10,000 steps a day will significantly improve your health. Putting one foot in front of the other can build stamina, burn excess calories and give you a healthier heart. 

On average we walk between 1,000 and 4,000 steps per day, with 1,000 being equivalent to around 10 mins of brisk walking. Walking 10,000 steps per day can burn around 400 calories. 

If you feel that keeping an eye on the amount of steps could benefit you then pedometers are available from as little as £4, they are a great way to keep track of how many steps you have walked, there are also some smart phone apps that will track your steps although I have found them to not be 100% accurate. 

NHS walking initiative Walking For Health - http://www.nhs.uk/livewell/getting-started-guides/pages/getting-started-walking.aspx This website contains alot of information on walking and the benefits. As always if you are concerned in anyway about any aspect of your phsycal health always consult a doctor before partaking in any intensive physical activity.

As always thanks for reading, happy training, remember to stay safe, any questions drop me an e-mail NickGoreFitnessTraining@hotmail.co.uk.

The Eatwell Plate (anyone my age or above will probably remember this as the food pyramid but thats out of date now :)

This is the eatwell plate (formerly the food pyramid). It is a guide on your intake of food and shows you which food groups you should eat more/less of. It is a good way of comparing your every day diet to that which is recommended. Maybe write yourself a food diary over the course of 7 days, include snacks and drink and compare each day to the eatwell plate and see where you could improve.


If you would like any more information on the food groups, or any advice on diet please e-mail me on nickgorefitnesstraining@hotmail.co.uk

So, try to eat:

Plenty of fruit and vegetables

Plenty of bread, rice, potatoes, pasta and other

starchy foods – choose wholegrain varieties

when you can

Some milk and dairy foods

Some meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non-dairy

sources of protein

Just a small amount of foods and drinks high

in fat and/or sugar



As always thanks for reading, happy training, remember to stay safe, any questions drop me an e-mail NickGoreFitnessTraining@hotmail.co.uk.

TRX - Worth it ??

YES !!!! of course they are worth it , this amazing invention, made by a US Soldier is one of the best outdoor pieces of training equipment on the planet. Compact and extremely well made these little bands will last you a very long time and are able to be used pretty much anywhere! Their background is as I mentioned in the army and they were invented to be lightweight and able to be used in the field without much set up needed. There are hundreds of exercises you can do with TRX, unlike conventional resistance bands these are made of webbing, such as you would find on a climbers harness, therefore this form of training is called'suspension training' as the 'resistance' is your own body weight. TRX is made with an anchor system that allows you to attatch it to trees, bars, doors etc, this is genuinely such a mobile piece of equipment. TRX is made with a two handle system with the two webbing straps attatched, each handle had full 360 movement and has soft grips, these are also designed to allow your feet to fit in(such as in the picture above). It does come with a fairly high price tag usually around £125+ depending on which pack you buy. You are paying for the quality though and I would definately recommend buying a TRX original rather than a copy or cheaper option.

Not only is it a great form of training, I have yet to meet anyone that has told me they havent enjoyed it. It is always nice to try something new and this had brought new light to the opportunities of outdoor exercise.

This is a short video explaining some of the benefits and exercises that TRX has to offer.

As always thanks for reading, happy training, remember to stay safe, any questions drop me an e-mail NickGoreFitnessTraining@hotmail.co.uk.

Stability balls - not just for work out time !!!

As I have mentioned before many people these days are taking to using a stability ball at work, such as the one in the picture. I have read many articles on this and have researched it myself by using my stability ball as my computer chair. It has changed the way I think about using my stability ball as it is now not just a part of my gym bag.

Benefits of using a stability ball at work/home as an alternative to an office chair. It will cause you to shift position every now and then therefore helping to reduce any damage done by sitting in the same position for prolonged lengths of time.

It encourages you to engage your core muscles which in turn will help to tone your abs, obliques etc.

Sitting on a stability ball will encourage proper spine alignment and can dramatically decrease the amount of pain some people suffer while sat in an office chair all day long.

It is a great time buster, if you are ever sat there with a spare min, why not roll down and do 20 crunches? Its by doing things like this that we will be able to encourage fitness and exercise in everyday jobs, encourage variety and allow people to learn alternatives to visiting a gym.

Other benefits include, improved circulation (rather than sitting flat on a chair you are sat on a curved soft surface which wont squash blood vessles in your legs. Many people experience weight loss over a period of time while using a ball at work, this is due to the amount of small movments they make around their core throughout the day, research has shown that you could loose up to 350 calories per day just by using a ball. It will improve your overall balance and help with your general motor skills.

These are just a few benefits of stability balls, obviously they are great for exercising but if we can manage to use them as a chair, so simple as it is , it could really help your general health and fitness.


As always thanks for reading, happy training, remember to stay safe, any questions drop me an e-mail NickGoreFitnessTraining@hotmail.co.uk.

Just a Quick 'pinch from one of my favourite websites- www.naturalfoodfinder.co.uk

This website http://www.naturalfoodfinder.co.uk/ is full of interesting articles and information on whole foods, healthy alternatives and sources for obtaining these types of natural free range foods. It is always said to be the 'posh' option or the more expensive/time consuming way of eating however this website will open your eyes to the amount of good dishes that can be made and how far some foods can go and how long they can last you.

This article is about weight loss and is a basic guide on how to level out your diet without compromising your health or allowing youself to eat less nutrients than you should be.

1: Don't eat cold processed cereals for breakfast - they will offer minimal nutrition, rapidly raise blood insulin levels and leave you hungry again by mid morning.
2: Seek a feeling of satisfaction after a meal, not a feeling of being physically full and bloated - How often have you had a meal that left you physically full, but afterwards felt you wanted something else, possibly a sweet treat? This is the body telling you to seek out needed nutrients that were not sufficient in the meal you ate.
3: Don't get caught up counting calories - it is time consuming, almost impossible to do with any degree of accuracy and has never been scientifically proven to successfully lose the dieter the amount of weight they should lose when the deficit of calories is calculated. In fact most barely even lose half of the weight they should have lost when the calorie deficit is worked out. Low calorie diets have almost invariably been found in scientific trials to fail in the long term. Short term losses are mostly regained after 6 months.
4: Be aware of your metabolic type - not everyone is designed to eat the same food. Some people will be healthiest on a higher protein and fat diet low in carbohydrates, while others will do well on a higher, whole food carbohydrates diet with moderate protein and low in fat. After all we live a world with vastly differing climates. In colder climes nearer the poles there is much less fruit, veg and grains available and so they would need to eat more protein and fat rich animal produce. Nearer the equator where there is plentiful fruit and veg all year round and the weather is hot, the intake of plants an fish is normal and feels natural. heavy meats and fat in hot weather is often not desirable.
5: Proteins are the most potent food to satisfy - however if eaten lean they will do little to sustain energy levels as less than 12% of protein calories contribute to daily energy. Nature has packaged most protein foods with adequate fats to serve as a excellent energy source. When proteins are eaten with the natural fat it provides satiety with greater longevity between meals and the energy needed to carry out daily activities.
6: Soups should be based on home made stocks and broths - a soup is not just about blending up a meal. Real nourishing soups made from bone broths and vegetable stock are rich in minerals, nutrients and nourishing compounds that are excellent for digestive health and healing the body. They take time and care to prepare and will certainly leave you feeling satisfied for long periods. A blended mush, will leave you feeling bloated and not satisfied.
7: A broader choice of natural, whole foods is heaven - Being able to draw upon a wide choice of nourishing foods, meals and produce will lead to excellent health, reduce the volume of food that needs to be eaten and help the consumer develop a strong relationship with food and life.
8: Full fat dairy is beneficial - and not because we just might excrete more fat. Several studies have shown clear associations with those who drink full fat dairy and lower rates of heart disease, lower rates of obesity, especially abdominal obesity, lower rates of diabetes, lower rates of asthma and allergies and of course stronger bones!
9: Exercise at a higher intensity - improve your tolerance for more vigorous exercise. This will increase your aerobic threshold which will enable you to more easily deliver oxygen to the cells of your body. If the cells receive a better supply of oxygen then they are better able to utilise fat a a fuel for energy. Higher intensity exercise, both cardiovascular work and resistance training, has been shown to increase metabolism or 'after burn' by as much as 10% for between 15-48 hours after the exercise session.
10: Keep improving on your dietary habits - lots of small bouts of activity will not resolve the pot belly or muffin tops, but continual efforts to improve the quality of food eaten will lead over time to a truly nutrient dense diet that will bring with it optimal health and, of course natural weight loss, until your body reaches it's desirable weight.

As always thanks for reading, happy training, remember to stay safe, any questions drop me an e-mail NickGoreFitnessTraining@hotmail.co.uk.

Fitness outside the gym

Many people these days feel that keeping fit and eating well is an essential part of living healthy. Unfortunately a large majority of people do not have access to a gym, whether it be for financial reasons or time and prior commitments such as work. It is with this in mind that I intend to encourage people to find news ways to exercise, I frequently take a pair of resistance bands down to the river when i go for a run and spend half an hour exercising on a picnic bench after turning it into a fairly well equipped cable type set up. With this I have been able to do a number of exercises including flyes, bicep curls, seated and upright rows, and some chest/back work. This is a simple form of making the most of what you have, there is many different ways in which you can exercise outside of the gym, a growing trend in America and Japan is to take swiss stability balls into offices and sit on one rather than an office chair for an hour or so a day, this will help your core stability and will gently help to tone muscles in the legs and ab region. Over the coming months I will be posting alot of information on working out at home and away from the gym, aswel as information on healthy eating and how to obtain healthy free range farm foods.

 I work as a personal trainer specialise in outdoor training and if anyone local to me ( Bournemouth, UK ) would like to book in for a consultation (free) please feel free to email me on NickGoreFitnessTraining@hotmail.co.uk

I studied Level 3 CYQ in personal training gym instruction and nutrition, and I am also qualified to teach spinning, circuits and gym based boxing.

As always thanks for reading, happy training, remember to stay safe, any questions drop me an e-mail NickGoreFitnessTraining@hotmail.co.uk.