We're a third of the way through the programme, remember we discussed the importance of rest in a previous post? Enjoy your day off eat well, drink lots of water and get an early night!
See you tomorrow.
Sunday, 31 May 2009
Day Thirteen
Get outside in the sunshine and try this one...
60 second sprint 120 second recovery
60 second sprint 120 second recovery
60 second sprint 120 second recovery
60 second sprint 120 second recovery
60 second sprint 120 second recovery
That's 15 minutes of exercise.
The sprint should be at your maximum capacity and the rest should be active rest - in other words slow right down to a walk but keep moving for two minutes. Enjoy!
60 second sprint 120 second recovery
60 second sprint 120 second recovery
60 second sprint 120 second recovery
60 second sprint 120 second recovery
60 second sprint 120 second recovery
That's 15 minutes of exercise.
The sprint should be at your maximum capacity and the rest should be active rest - in other words slow right down to a walk but keep moving for two minutes. Enjoy!
Friday, 29 May 2009
Day Twelve
OK somthing different for today.
Try this link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIu3kMRBIMk&feature=channel_page
Still 20 seconds of exercise, 10 seconds rest, 8 exercises, 3 circuits.
Nutrition
All About You guide to dietary protein
Always buy organic
Remember a toxic animal is a toxic meal! Always buy organic to reduce your exposure to dangerous health damaging pesticides and other poisons. An organically farmed animal is not just a healthy meal, it’s an animal that has led a life of quality, roaming the lush organic pastures. If you are concerned with animal welfare, the environment and your health- there really is only one choice- organic all the way!
Buy grass fed beef
Because cows raised on grass take longer to reach their slaughter weight compared to cows fed on grain, antibiotics and growth hormones there has been a big shift in the cow’s traditional diet. The problem with this is that many humans do not process grains very well, and if you cow I eating grains then so are you.
Grass fed beef besides being free of chemicals and molds associated with grain fed beef, also has richer amounts of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) which is instrumental in fighting disease.
Seek local produce
Travelling to your local butchers is a great choice when purchasing meat, not only is it a more personable experience but you can find out more information on the animals you are purchasing. For example, are they organic? Are they grass fed? Where is the animal kept?
Plan Your Week
Failing to plan is planning to fail! For good health you need to plan your meals for the week ahead when doing your food shopping. This will minimise your chances of being “caught short” and opting for quick grab convenience foods.
Cook at low temperatures
Research indicates that meat cooked at very high temperatures can damage the molecular structure of foods and increase the amount of carcinogens. Therefore animal products are best cooked at low temperatures. This does mean cooking time increases. For the best results purchasing a “slow cooker” will ensure that your protein is well cooked without damaging the health giving properties of the food.
Try this link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIu3kMRBIMk&feature=channel_page
Still 20 seconds of exercise, 10 seconds rest, 8 exercises, 3 circuits.
Nutrition
All About You guide to dietary protein
Always buy organic
Remember a toxic animal is a toxic meal! Always buy organic to reduce your exposure to dangerous health damaging pesticides and other poisons. An organically farmed animal is not just a healthy meal, it’s an animal that has led a life of quality, roaming the lush organic pastures. If you are concerned with animal welfare, the environment and your health- there really is only one choice- organic all the way!
Buy grass fed beef
Because cows raised on grass take longer to reach their slaughter weight compared to cows fed on grain, antibiotics and growth hormones there has been a big shift in the cow’s traditional diet. The problem with this is that many humans do not process grains very well, and if you cow I eating grains then so are you.
Grass fed beef besides being free of chemicals and molds associated with grain fed beef, also has richer amounts of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) which is instrumental in fighting disease.
Seek local produce
Travelling to your local butchers is a great choice when purchasing meat, not only is it a more personable experience but you can find out more information on the animals you are purchasing. For example, are they organic? Are they grass fed? Where is the animal kept?
Plan Your Week
Failing to plan is planning to fail! For good health you need to plan your meals for the week ahead when doing your food shopping. This will minimise your chances of being “caught short” and opting for quick grab convenience foods.
Cook at low temperatures
Research indicates that meat cooked at very high temperatures can damage the molecular structure of foods and increase the amount of carcinogens. Therefore animal products are best cooked at low temperatures. This does mean cooking time increases. For the best results purchasing a “slow cooker” will ensure that your protein is well cooked without damaging the health giving properties of the food.
Day Eleven
Your workout today consists of
20 seconds of Press-ups 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Jump Squats 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of The Plank 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Back extensions 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Sprints on the spot 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Dynamic lunges 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Squat Thrusts 10 seconds rest
1 minute rest and then repeat.
Your aim is to complete 3 sets of this circuit.
Nutrition
The Importance of Protein
Proteins are the building blocks of the animal kingdom. The human body assembles and utilizes about 50,000 different proteins to form organs, nerves, muscles and flesh.
Protein is essential for normal growth and for the formation of hormones. It is also essential for the acid-alkaline balance of tissues and blood. When protein is lacking in the diet, there is a tendency for the blood and tissues to become either too acidic or too alkaline. This leads to a number of problems and is often apparent with most vegetarians.
Just as animal fats are our only sources of vitamins A and D and other body building factors, animal protein is our only source of complete protein with all the essential amino acids. Vegetables provide sources of incomplete proteins but the body can only utilise proteins when ALL the essential amino acids are available.
Protein is also an appetite suppressant. The aim of the six week challenge is to feed your body the nutrients it needs to create more lean muscle tissue and to stop the cravings for crap food your body can do nothing with.
Aim to include protein in one form or another in all of your meals.
See you tomorrow.
20 seconds of Press-ups 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Jump Squats 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of The Plank 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Back extensions 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Sprints on the spot 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Dynamic lunges 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Squat Thrusts 10 seconds rest
1 minute rest and then repeat.
Your aim is to complete 3 sets of this circuit.
Nutrition
The Importance of Protein
Proteins are the building blocks of the animal kingdom. The human body assembles and utilizes about 50,000 different proteins to form organs, nerves, muscles and flesh.
Protein is essential for normal growth and for the formation of hormones. It is also essential for the acid-alkaline balance of tissues and blood. When protein is lacking in the diet, there is a tendency for the blood and tissues to become either too acidic or too alkaline. This leads to a number of problems and is often apparent with most vegetarians.
Just as animal fats are our only sources of vitamins A and D and other body building factors, animal protein is our only source of complete protein with all the essential amino acids. Vegetables provide sources of incomplete proteins but the body can only utilise proteins when ALL the essential amino acids are available.
Protein is also an appetite suppressant. The aim of the six week challenge is to feed your body the nutrients it needs to create more lean muscle tissue and to stop the cravings for crap food your body can do nothing with.
Aim to include protein in one form or another in all of your meals.
See you tomorrow.
Wednesday, 27 May 2009
Day Ten
Today's workout...
20 seconds of Jump squats 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of T-stance press-ups 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of The Plank 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Supine Bridge 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Wall climbers 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Star Jumps 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Reverse Lunges 10 seconds rest
1 minute rest and then repeat 2 more times
Nutrition
Processed food continued...
Yesterday we talked about avoiding processed foods. Today I've outlined a few simple guidelines to follwas well as a few interseting facts you may not know...
20 seconds of Jump squats 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of T-stance press-ups 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of The Plank 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Supine Bridge 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Wall climbers 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Star Jumps 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Reverse Lunges 10 seconds rest
1 minute rest and then repeat 2 more times
Nutrition
Processed food continued...
Yesterday we talked about avoiding processed foods. Today I've outlined a few simple guidelines to follwas well as a few interseting facts you may not know...
- Recommendations
- Eat foods from 10,000 years ago, if you can’t read what’s on the label it’s probably not very good for you!
- Avoid all foods that have a self life of more than 1 week, unless they are packaged to last by nature, for example, nuts, seeds.
- Avoid all microwavable meals.
- The more money that is spent on the marketing of the food, the worst it probably is for you!
- Never eat any fortified or enriched foods, they are fortified and enriched for a reason, because they provide low levels of nutrition in the first place.
- Never eat anything with hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated .
See you tomorrow!
Tuesday, 26 May 2009
Day Nine
Your workout today consists of
20 seconds of Press-ups 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Jump Squats 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of The Plank 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Back extensions 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Sprints on the spot 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Dynamic lunges 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Squat Thrusts 10 seconds rest
1 minute rest and then repeat.
Processed Foods
Next time you go shopping have a look at the contents of most shopping trolleys. The majority are full of what can be called non foods/displacement foods; these foods are foods that cost more in nutritional value to digest, absorb and eliminate than it delivers. Most processed foods fall into this category.
Processed foods are the product of methods and techniques that are used to transform raw ingredients into foods that aid a more market driven product, appealing to certain target markets and increasing shelf life to the benefit of many large food manufacturers and distributors, unfortunately at the cost of your health.
The drawbacks of processed foods are vast and ever more apparent. Commonly the food processing will deplete nutrients within foods, therefore reducing the amount of vitamins and minerals consumed. Not only that but also many of the preservatives added during the food processing can cause quite substantial health risks.
It is said that we consume around our own body weight purely from these food additives per year, so that could be around 70kilograms of chemicals that your liver has to process, not ideal to say the least, especially when this leads to your liver becoming over worked and the chemicals and additives ending up in your blood stream and have unlimited access to the cells of your body as well as placing strain on your systems of detoxification. When this happens it can lead to many unpleasant symptoms such as:
Weight Gain
Skin Disorders
Auto-immune Diseases
Basically, you need to reduce the amount of processed foods in your diet! I’ll give you some guidelines to do this in tomorrow’s update…
20 seconds of Press-ups 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Jump Squats 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of The Plank 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Back extensions 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Sprints on the spot 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Dynamic lunges 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Squat Thrusts 10 seconds rest
1 minute rest and then repeat.
Processed Foods
Next time you go shopping have a look at the contents of most shopping trolleys. The majority are full of what can be called non foods/displacement foods; these foods are foods that cost more in nutritional value to digest, absorb and eliminate than it delivers. Most processed foods fall into this category.
Processed foods are the product of methods and techniques that are used to transform raw ingredients into foods that aid a more market driven product, appealing to certain target markets and increasing shelf life to the benefit of many large food manufacturers and distributors, unfortunately at the cost of your health.
The drawbacks of processed foods are vast and ever more apparent. Commonly the food processing will deplete nutrients within foods, therefore reducing the amount of vitamins and minerals consumed. Not only that but also many of the preservatives added during the food processing can cause quite substantial health risks.
It is said that we consume around our own body weight purely from these food additives per year, so that could be around 70kilograms of chemicals that your liver has to process, not ideal to say the least, especially when this leads to your liver becoming over worked and the chemicals and additives ending up in your blood stream and have unlimited access to the cells of your body as well as placing strain on your systems of detoxification. When this happens it can lead to many unpleasant symptoms such as:
Weight Gain
Skin Disorders
Auto-immune Diseases
Basically, you need to reduce the amount of processed foods in your diet! I’ll give you some guidelines to do this in tomorrow’s update…
Monday, 25 May 2009
Day Eight
Something different for you today.
As the weather has been so nice today's workout is to be done outside...
60 second sprint 120 second recovery
60 second sprint 120 second recovery
60 second sprint 120 second recovery
60 second sprint 120 second recovery
60 second sprint 120 second recovery
That's 15 minutes of exercise.
The sprint should be at your maximum capacity and the rest should be active rest - in other words slow right down to a walk but keep moving for two minutes.
Enjoy!
Nutrition
"Failing to plan is planning to fail"
If you're going to be successful with any venture then you need to make the appropriate plans for this to happen. This is especially true with your dietary goals...
I often find with clients that their biggest problem is that their work commitments often get in the way of their nutrition plan and as a result they make poor food choices or go for long periods without eating.
We've already discussed the need to eat little and often now I want you to think about how your working day can affect your eating schedule.
Think about these questions to improve your eating habbits at work:
- When do you feel hungry?
- What foods do you snack on?
- Where will you eat? Your desk? Your car? At meetings?
- How much time will you have to eat?
- What food will you have access to?
- Will you be able to eat at regular times?
Can you see where I'm going with this? If you know you're going to have a busy day make sure you're prepared for it. A healthy diet is a well planned diet.
See you tomorrow.
As the weather has been so nice today's workout is to be done outside...
60 second sprint 120 second recovery
60 second sprint 120 second recovery
60 second sprint 120 second recovery
60 second sprint 120 second recovery
60 second sprint 120 second recovery
That's 15 minutes of exercise.
The sprint should be at your maximum capacity and the rest should be active rest - in other words slow right down to a walk but keep moving for two minutes.
Enjoy!
Nutrition
"Failing to plan is planning to fail"
If you're going to be successful with any venture then you need to make the appropriate plans for this to happen. This is especially true with your dietary goals...
I often find with clients that their biggest problem is that their work commitments often get in the way of their nutrition plan and as a result they make poor food choices or go for long periods without eating.
We've already discussed the need to eat little and often now I want you to think about how your working day can affect your eating schedule.
Think about these questions to improve your eating habbits at work:
- When do you feel hungry?
- What foods do you snack on?
- Where will you eat? Your desk? Your car? At meetings?
- How much time will you have to eat?
- What food will you have access to?
- Will you be able to eat at regular times?
Can you see where I'm going with this? If you know you're going to have a busy day make sure you're prepared for it. A healthy diet is a well planned diet.
See you tomorrow.
Saturday, 23 May 2009
Day Six
There is no circuit to follow today, instead try to go out for a jog, a swim or even a walk in the park. Keep moving but you don't need to push yourself to the limit as you have in the previous sessions this week.
After five days of bodyweight training your body needs a chance to recover. So take the opportunity to relax a little bit over the weekend, unwind and catch up on any sleep you may have missed during the week.
The key to getting results in this six week programme is to work HARD during your training sessions, eat good quality foods and look after your body.
We all need a little bit of stress in our lives to push ourselves on to do and achieve more in our working and personal lives. Although, we need to be careful to manage that stress in order to look after our health and in this case achieve the best possible results in a six week period.
A lack of sleep, too much alcohol and poor food choices all contribute to stress.
When we are stressed our body releases cortisol - this is also a fat storing hormone - therefore the more stressed we become the more fat our bodies will store.
So really try to enjoy this bank holiday weekend, relax and reap the benefits.
See you tomorrow.
After five days of bodyweight training your body needs a chance to recover. So take the opportunity to relax a little bit over the weekend, unwind and catch up on any sleep you may have missed during the week.
The key to getting results in this six week programme is to work HARD during your training sessions, eat good quality foods and look after your body.
We all need a little bit of stress in our lives to push ourselves on to do and achieve more in our working and personal lives. Although, we need to be careful to manage that stress in order to look after our health and in this case achieve the best possible results in a six week period.
A lack of sleep, too much alcohol and poor food choices all contribute to stress.
When we are stressed our body releases cortisol - this is also a fat storing hormone - therefore the more stressed we become the more fat our bodies will store.
So really try to enjoy this bank holiday weekend, relax and reap the benefits.
See you tomorrow.
Friday, 22 May 2009
Day Five
Day Five Workout
20 seconds of Walking Lunges 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Step up and knee drive 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Burpees 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Back extensions 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Dips 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Squat Jumps 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Crunches 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Side Bridge 10 seconds rest
1 minute rest and then repeat. – 3 circuits as usual. – Enjoy.
Nutrition
I don’t want to put a downer on your bank holiday weekend, but I just want to make sure you’re not going to put this week’s hard work to waste….
Three of the main reasons that alcohol is making you fat:
Alcohol stops both the fat burning enzymes and muscle building and recovery hormones working.
Alcohol is often consumed more in the evening, when most people also consume there largest meal of the day. You put your body under a lot of strain because as you drink alcohol the body is trying to burn that off as energy and so your meal is getting stored as body fat!
Alcohol usually tends to lead to bad food choices – I’m sure you’ve all regretted that 3am visit to the kebab shop!
How to help yourself
1.Try not to consume alcohol more than once per week; ideally it should be totally eliminated from your diet, especially if you are trying to either build muscle mass or loss body fat.
2. If you choose to consume alcohol, always consume with a high quality fat and protein source to protect the gut wall and minimising the effects on your blood sugars, good examples are cheese and salmon (don’t over do it though).
3. The more you drink the more you need to focus on getting good nutrients into your body.
4. Adjust meal proportions to include alcohol as carbohydrate intake. If your drinking alcohol, eat fats and proteins but very little carbohydrate based foods like rice, pasta, bread, etc.
5. Try to avoid tying emotional bonds to alcohol. You’re probably turning to alcohol because you’re stressed and your blood sugar control is poor. You can prevent alcoholic cravings by ensuring you are always fully hydrated and the foods you eat promote blood sugar balance, again fats and proteins are crucial for this control.
6. Definitely avoid any drink within 24 hours either side of exercise as it will prevent the body from ideal repair and recovery, cause dehydration and generally lead to a drop in strength and fitness.
Have a great weekend – Information will still appear on the blog over the weekend but the hard work for the week has been done. See you tomorrow
20 seconds of Walking Lunges 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Step up and knee drive 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Burpees 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Back extensions 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Dips 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Squat Jumps 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Crunches 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Side Bridge 10 seconds rest
1 minute rest and then repeat. – 3 circuits as usual. – Enjoy.
Nutrition
I don’t want to put a downer on your bank holiday weekend, but I just want to make sure you’re not going to put this week’s hard work to waste….
Three of the main reasons that alcohol is making you fat:
Alcohol stops both the fat burning enzymes and muscle building and recovery hormones working.
Alcohol is often consumed more in the evening, when most people also consume there largest meal of the day. You put your body under a lot of strain because as you drink alcohol the body is trying to burn that off as energy and so your meal is getting stored as body fat!
Alcohol usually tends to lead to bad food choices – I’m sure you’ve all regretted that 3am visit to the kebab shop!
How to help yourself
1.Try not to consume alcohol more than once per week; ideally it should be totally eliminated from your diet, especially if you are trying to either build muscle mass or loss body fat.
2. If you choose to consume alcohol, always consume with a high quality fat and protein source to protect the gut wall and minimising the effects on your blood sugars, good examples are cheese and salmon (don’t over do it though).
3. The more you drink the more you need to focus on getting good nutrients into your body.
4. Adjust meal proportions to include alcohol as carbohydrate intake. If your drinking alcohol, eat fats and proteins but very little carbohydrate based foods like rice, pasta, bread, etc.
5. Try to avoid tying emotional bonds to alcohol. You’re probably turning to alcohol because you’re stressed and your blood sugar control is poor. You can prevent alcoholic cravings by ensuring you are always fully hydrated and the foods you eat promote blood sugar balance, again fats and proteins are crucial for this control.
6. Definitely avoid any drink within 24 hours either side of exercise as it will prevent the body from ideal repair and recovery, cause dehydration and generally lead to a drop in strength and fitness.
Have a great weekend – Information will still appear on the blog over the weekend but the hard work for the week has been done. See you tomorrow
Thursday, 21 May 2009
Day Four
Day 4 Workout!
20 seconds of Dive-Bomber push-ups 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Mountain Climbers 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Reverse Lunges 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Wall Sit 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Tuck Jumps 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Lateral Squats 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Full sit-ups 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Supermans 10 seconds rest
1 minute rest and then repeat. – 3 circuits as usual. – Enjoy.
Nutrition
Cut down on the carbs!
In the quest for fat loss many people get caught up in looking at the fat content of the foods they eat. This isn’t the biggest problem. The truth is that eat fat doesn’t make you fat, your body needs good fats it doesn’t need sugar…
Highly processed carbohydrates like bread, biscuits, cakes and pies offer very little nutritional value. They are loaded with calories but almost no protein or fibre meaning that after eating these types of foods you wont fill full and will keep eating them until you’ve finished the entire box!
Ideally you need to cut them out of your diet completely. If you do have a problem with these types of foods then it may prove very difficult in weaning yourself off. If this is the case introduce a cheat meal each week – let me explain.
Following the advice given yesterday you’re now eating about 5 times per day. 5 meals 7 days per week = 35 meals. If 34 of them are full of nutrients, protein and fibre then you’ve earned yourself a cheat meal!
If you want to see the results then hard work is ahead of you in the next few weeks but I usually find that an all or nothing approach doesn’t work with most of my clients. This 6 weeks will be strict but I will allow you to slip and have a few “cheats” through the course of the programme.
I’ll be sending you some more nutritional information tomorrow and some sample meal plans next week.
See you tomorrow.
David
20 seconds of Dive-Bomber push-ups 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Mountain Climbers 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Reverse Lunges 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Wall Sit 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Tuck Jumps 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Lateral Squats 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Full sit-ups 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Supermans 10 seconds rest
1 minute rest and then repeat. – 3 circuits as usual. – Enjoy.
Nutrition
Cut down on the carbs!
In the quest for fat loss many people get caught up in looking at the fat content of the foods they eat. This isn’t the biggest problem. The truth is that eat fat doesn’t make you fat, your body needs good fats it doesn’t need sugar…
Highly processed carbohydrates like bread, biscuits, cakes and pies offer very little nutritional value. They are loaded with calories but almost no protein or fibre meaning that after eating these types of foods you wont fill full and will keep eating them until you’ve finished the entire box!
Ideally you need to cut them out of your diet completely. If you do have a problem with these types of foods then it may prove very difficult in weaning yourself off. If this is the case introduce a cheat meal each week – let me explain.
Following the advice given yesterday you’re now eating about 5 times per day. 5 meals 7 days per week = 35 meals. If 34 of them are full of nutrients, protein and fibre then you’ve earned yourself a cheat meal!
If you want to see the results then hard work is ahead of you in the next few weeks but I usually find that an all or nothing approach doesn’t work with most of my clients. This 6 weeks will be strict but I will allow you to slip and have a few “cheats” through the course of the programme.
I’ll be sending you some more nutritional information tomorrow and some sample meal plans next week.
See you tomorrow.
David
Tuesday, 19 May 2009
Day Three
OK Day 3, here’s your workout:
20 seconds of Burpees 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Wide stance Squats 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Mountain Climbers 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Press – ups 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Star Jumps 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Bench Dips 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Step – ups 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Crunches 10 seconds rest
1 minute rest and then repeat. – 3 circuits as usual. – Enjoy.
Nutrition
Eat more and weigh less!
It may not sound right to you but let me explain. The key to burning fat is keeping your metabolism high. The training programme you are following at the moment is great for giving your metabolism a kick but if you want to really start burning some fat we need to look closer at what and when you eat.
Calorie restrictive diets do not work – yes people lose weight but that is generally water or muscle wastage that contributes to the weight loss. We want to lose fat
When you stop eating regularly your body goes into emergency mode and slows down your metabolism – this is the reason why most dieters end up gaining all their weight back and usually some new weight as well!
The solution is to eat more often. Try to eat every 3 hours. I recommend aiming for five to six small meals each day rather than 3 large ones and aim to consume high quality nutrient-dense foods.
As a rule if it has lived or come out of the ground eat it. If it’s filled with artificial sweeteners or chemicals you can’t even pronounce leave it well alone!
We’ll go into more detail of the exact foods to include in your diet over the coming days.
Don’t forget what we’ve already covered:
Aim to drink 1.5 – 2 litres of water per day and leave the fizzy drinks, fruit juices and caffeine alone.
See you tomorrow.
20 seconds of Burpees 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Wide stance Squats 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Mountain Climbers 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Press – ups 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Star Jumps 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Bench Dips 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Step – ups 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Crunches 10 seconds rest
1 minute rest and then repeat. – 3 circuits as usual. – Enjoy.
Nutrition
Eat more and weigh less!
It may not sound right to you but let me explain. The key to burning fat is keeping your metabolism high. The training programme you are following at the moment is great for giving your metabolism a kick but if you want to really start burning some fat we need to look closer at what and when you eat.
Calorie restrictive diets do not work – yes people lose weight but that is generally water or muscle wastage that contributes to the weight loss. We want to lose fat
When you stop eating regularly your body goes into emergency mode and slows down your metabolism – this is the reason why most dieters end up gaining all their weight back and usually some new weight as well!
The solution is to eat more often. Try to eat every 3 hours. I recommend aiming for five to six small meals each day rather than 3 large ones and aim to consume high quality nutrient-dense foods.
As a rule if it has lived or come out of the ground eat it. If it’s filled with artificial sweeteners or chemicals you can’t even pronounce leave it well alone!
We’ll go into more detail of the exact foods to include in your diet over the coming days.
Don’t forget what we’ve already covered:
Aim to drink 1.5 – 2 litres of water per day and leave the fizzy drinks, fruit juices and caffeine alone.
See you tomorrow.
Monday, 18 May 2009
Day Two
How did you get on with the workout yesterday?
You may not be that familiar with all of the exercises in the workout and so I will be changing the way these workouts are delivered in the coming weeks. Until then you will have to make do!
Your workout today consists of
20 seconds of Press-ups 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Jump Squats 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of The Plank 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Back extensions 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Sprints on the spot 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Dynamic lunges 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Squat Thrusts 10 seconds rest
1 minute rest and then repeat.
Your aim is to complete 3 sets of this circuit.
Any questions then give me a shout…
Day 2 Nutrition
Caffeine
Caffeine affects each person differently. It has an almost instant effect on your body and will stay in your system for around 6-8 hours.
Why should you cut it out?
This programme is about becoming more in control of your body. Caffeine is an addictive drug and as a result has many negative side effects. The following are commonly attributed to over-use of caffeine:
Stimulates your heart, respiratory system, and central nervous system.
Raises blood pressure
Causes your stomach to produce more acid
Irritates the stomach lining
Makes digestion less effective by relaxing the muscles of your intestinal system – (NOT GOOD FOR THE SIX PACK PLANS!)
Affects the length and quality of sleep. Heavy caffeine users suffer from sleep-deprivation because their nervous system is too stimulated to allow them deep, restful or prolonged sleep.
For the first few weeks after stopping caffeine intake you may find that you are sleeping deeper and for longer. For this reason it is a good idea to allow yourself an extra hour per night for a few weeks, increasing this if you continue to experience lethargy in the mornings.
Be aware that some effects of coming off caffeine can be very unpleasant and if you’re used to consuming large amounts of caffeine it may be suggested to gradually reduce your intake.
Put the cup of coffee down and I'll see you Tomorrow...
You may not be that familiar with all of the exercises in the workout and so I will be changing the way these workouts are delivered in the coming weeks. Until then you will have to make do!
Your workout today consists of
20 seconds of Press-ups 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Jump Squats 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of The Plank 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Back extensions 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Sprints on the spot 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Dynamic lunges 10 seconds rest
20 seconds of Squat Thrusts 10 seconds rest
1 minute rest and then repeat.
Your aim is to complete 3 sets of this circuit.
Any questions then give me a shout…
Day 2 Nutrition
Caffeine
Caffeine affects each person differently. It has an almost instant effect on your body and will stay in your system for around 6-8 hours.
Why should you cut it out?
This programme is about becoming more in control of your body. Caffeine is an addictive drug and as a result has many negative side effects. The following are commonly attributed to over-use of caffeine:
Stimulates your heart, respiratory system, and central nervous system.
Raises blood pressure
Causes your stomach to produce more acid
Irritates the stomach lining
Makes digestion less effective by relaxing the muscles of your intestinal system – (NOT GOOD FOR THE SIX PACK PLANS!)
Affects the length and quality of sleep. Heavy caffeine users suffer from sleep-deprivation because their nervous system is too stimulated to allow them deep, restful or prolonged sleep.
For the first few weeks after stopping caffeine intake you may find that you are sleeping deeper and for longer. For this reason it is a good idea to allow yourself an extra hour per night for a few weeks, increasing this if you continue to experience lethargy in the mornings.
Be aware that some effects of coming off caffeine can be very unpleasant and if you’re used to consuming large amounts of caffeine it may be suggested to gradually reduce your intake.
Put the cup of coffee down and I'll see you Tomorrow...
Day One
Welcome to the first day of the six week challenge!
Each day for the next six weeks I will be posting a new workout for you to follow and giving you a simple step by step guide to take control of your eating habits.
The aim of the programme is to make a big difference to your body in the next six weeks. Follow the advice given, work HARD during your training sessions and you WILL have a body ready for the beach in just six weeks time...
The Workouts
Each day a new workout will be posted here. The majority of the exercises will require absolutely no equipment and for those that do there will be alternative options. The idea is to make the programme as simple as possible for you.
Bodyweight exercises can be performed anywhere so there is NO EXCUSE for you not being able to follow the programme.
The format
Each workout consists of 8 exercises. You will perform each exercise for 20 seconds and then rest for 10 seconds before moving on to the next exercise. This means that the 8 exercise circuit will take you just 4 minutes to complete.
The aim is to complete each circuit at least twice and to build up to performing it 3 - 4 times, resting for 1 minute between each circuit.
That's a maximum of 16 minutes worth of exercise per day - THAT'S IT!
The key is to push yourself as hard as you can during that 20 seconds of work.
During the programme I will be posting pictures and videos to illustrate the exercises - unfortunately they aren't ready for today.
The Exercises
Squats
Press-ups
Step-ups
Reverse curls
Lunges
Dips
Burpees
Star Jumps
Day One - Nutrition
Your aim is to cut out all fluids from your diet except water!
The average fizzy drink contains around 10 teaspoons of sugar!
Fruit juice is a better option but still loaded with sugar - yes it may be natural and have some vitamins but it is still sugar.
As for caffeine - we will discuss this later...
Your challenge for day 1 is to JUST DRINK WATER!
See you tomorrow!
Each day for the next six weeks I will be posting a new workout for you to follow and giving you a simple step by step guide to take control of your eating habits.
The aim of the programme is to make a big difference to your body in the next six weeks. Follow the advice given, work HARD during your training sessions and you WILL have a body ready for the beach in just six weeks time...
The Workouts
Each day a new workout will be posted here. The majority of the exercises will require absolutely no equipment and for those that do there will be alternative options. The idea is to make the programme as simple as possible for you.
Bodyweight exercises can be performed anywhere so there is NO EXCUSE for you not being able to follow the programme.
The format
Each workout consists of 8 exercises. You will perform each exercise for 20 seconds and then rest for 10 seconds before moving on to the next exercise. This means that the 8 exercise circuit will take you just 4 minutes to complete.
The aim is to complete each circuit at least twice and to build up to performing it 3 - 4 times, resting for 1 minute between each circuit.
That's a maximum of 16 minutes worth of exercise per day - THAT'S IT!
The key is to push yourself as hard as you can during that 20 seconds of work.
During the programme I will be posting pictures and videos to illustrate the exercises - unfortunately they aren't ready for today.
The Exercises
Squats
Press-ups
Step-ups
Reverse curls
Lunges
Dips
Burpees
Star Jumps
Day One - Nutrition
Your aim is to cut out all fluids from your diet except water!
The average fizzy drink contains around 10 teaspoons of sugar!
Fruit juice is a better option but still loaded with sugar - yes it may be natural and have some vitamins but it is still sugar.
As for caffeine - we will discuss this later...
Your challenge for day 1 is to JUST DRINK WATER!
See you tomorrow!
Friday, 15 May 2009
The Six Week Challenge
Summer is just around the corner, is your body ready for the beach?
If not the team at All About You has a challenge for you:
Follow our six week programme and get in the best shape of your life this summer.
This is not a sales pitch, there is nothing for you to buy and no hidden costs it's just a challenge that we will be completing at the gym and invite our readers to join in.
Each day you will be set a work-out to follow - This will be a bodyweight routine meaning that you won't need a gym membership or even any equipment so there are no excuses! The exercise routines will be varied and progresseive throughout the six weeks.
You will also receive dietary information, meal plans and useful guidelines and tools to keep you on track throughout the challenge.
Don't let the next six weeks pass without doing anything - Rise to the challenge.
Join us on Monday 18th May...
If not the team at All About You has a challenge for you:
Follow our six week programme and get in the best shape of your life this summer.
This is not a sales pitch, there is nothing for you to buy and no hidden costs it's just a challenge that we will be completing at the gym and invite our readers to join in.
Each day you will be set a work-out to follow - This will be a bodyweight routine meaning that you won't need a gym membership or even any equipment so there are no excuses! The exercise routines will be varied and progresseive throughout the six weeks.
You will also receive dietary information, meal plans and useful guidelines and tools to keep you on track throughout the challenge.
Don't let the next six weeks pass without doing anything - Rise to the challenge.
Join us on Monday 18th May...
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