Thursday, 4 April 2013

The next step...

And so the first week of the next step begins for my Pupil.
Now that we have attained a fairly adept fitness level, it's time to start shaping the goal/target areas so that in the final phase all the hard work will be shown.
It has been a taxing week for me as I have completed the sessions with my pupil (no more watching and standing back), and I have still carried out my morning sessions as per normal. But this is good for me as it is helping me with my motto of train like a beast, if I get a chance; I want to take it and train!
My pupil has such a drive within, and although some of the exercises that we have been doing are new to him, he has attacked them with a great determination. Booyah!
This week has also allowed me to experience another gym, a hobby that I love to indulge in. Vamp Fit in Bunbury is where my pupil has taken up residence (it helps that it is close by and open 24/7 for him) and I must say the facilities are more than adequate.
Wednesday was a full Shoulder session, today was abs (a concept that the Vamp Fit owner found strange) and Saturday will be at my gym…and my pupils (and most likely mine as well) glutes will not know what hit em.
Bring on the weekend, and bring on the next 2 months of AWESOME!

Monday, 1 April 2013

The cull!!

Today is the day of the cull.

Easter may have taken a toll on you all. Some may have fared better than others, some may have taken quite a hit.

I still have choc to spare, and it’s not the good kind (dark choc or a raw treat alternative). It’s the great sugar laden sweetness that needs to be had in moderation.

So today I sacrifice some spare choc goodies in the name of all that is good for my fitness.

But I am not going to throw them out, I shall share with others and ensure that there is not wastage.

Take spare eggs to work, take them to other family members and at the very last resort…thrown them out.

If you still have eggs after today you don’t want to hold onto them (unless you have a great and superior power of will and plan to eat them only when the time is right).

Repent now and your body will forgive you.

And take a good dose of extra workout to cleanse the body of the evil sugar demons!!!

Repent I say!

Thursday, 28 March 2013

New phase!

Well yesterday and the long weekend Easter break marked the transition into a new phase with my pupil.

After two months of fitness conditioning we are now able to move onto the second phase of his fitness program.

Last night my pupil gave 110% to his workout goals. He was hungry for more and this was exciting and great to see. Next week will see us enter the gym domain even more to start sculpting at some target areas to achieve his goal.

It's good to have a plan that you can stick with and that can guide you so that you don't get stuck in a endless and result less rut.

For those interested in what path I have chosen for my pupil here it is.
2 months of fitness conditioning. This included jogging for cardio vascular endurance. HIIT styled sessions in the park, pulling a weighted sled timed burpee sets etc, and beach workouts for extra resistance and variance.
2 months of area specific building. This will involve an abs/core session, shoulder session and butt session. The jogging and general fitness will continue.
2 months of area specific toning. Same sessions. But with some more emphasis on toning techniques instead of building. And even more cardio and general fitness.

Along with the fitness plan we have also changed the eating lifestyle. Currently healthy food choices and healthy portions are the key. Depending on how the next few mints go will depend on if we need to change the diet any more.

Let the journey continue…

And come next week he will know a whole new level of exercise.
Check out the name tag. You're in my world now.

Wednesday, 20 March 2013

Physical Exercise and Cancer Treatment


Physical Exercise and Cancer Treatment

If you are currently living with cancer, there are quite a number of things you are able to do in your own home to improve the quality of your life. Even if you're receiving treatment for mesothelioma or are in remission for breast cancer, you will find that there are things you are able to do at home that will provide you with more energy and more fulfillment on a daily basis.

Eating Healthy
Eating healthier foods is essential for when you are undergoing cancer treatment or are in remission. Healthy foods, like vegetables and fruits, provide your body with valuable nutrients that are sure to help you feel better. A healthy diet is not going to cure cancer, but it definitely will supplement some of the vitamins that you need to combat side effects and function more normally throughout the day. You should also speak with your treatment physician to make sure that changing your diet is going to be right for you.

There is a good chance that your doctor already has you on a very strict diet, so make sure that you are not veering from this diet too much. You might also want to discuss healthier food options with your doctor to see if you can make changes and swaps throughout the day that will not hinder your treatment progress. Making these changes may just be what you need in order to feel better on a more regular basis.

Being Active
Being more active is also so important when undergoing cancer treatment. Regular exercise might sound difficult when you're already exhausted from treatment, but it can help to boost your weakened immune system and strengthen bones. Even going for a very light walk on the treadmill a few times a week is enough to help put you into a more active and energetic state. Even if you're undergoing treatment, there are many things you can do that will help in terms of providing you with more energy for your busy day.


Living healthy if you have cancer or are in remission can be easier than you think. Speak with your doctor and start taking the necessary steps to ensure the most successful recovery from your battle.



Guest post by Melanie B.

Monday, 18 March 2013

Supp review - beta!!

Well as I mentioned in my previous blog post in regards to Miracles, I have brought and am now trialing some good old stock standard Beta-alanine amino acid.

Sources state that β-Alanine (or beta-alanine) has been shown to increase the concentration of carnosine in muscles, decrease fatigue in athletes and increase total muscular work done. see references from Wikipedia below.

This means that essentially you should be able to exhaust your muscles beyond the norm and create hypertrophy and or endurance in your applied activity.

I went into the test a little bit sceptical as a few recent preworkout supps have left me a little disappointed as far as really not doing anything. And on the first 7 mins as I drove to gym, I felt nothing. What a waste, maybe I would feel something once the workout started. Perhaps some super strength.

But then as I almost arrived at the gym, I started to feel a tingle. My ears has a weird little itch, and then the tip of my nose. Then my arms began to tingle… and I could tell that the sup had started sinking in.

It was chest day, and I was able to push out my routine with what felt like more energy and less fatigue. I smashed my personal record for incline bench press and by the end of the workout dips and push ups were not a problem (last week was a struggle without the beta.)

Today was arms day. The routine was fresh so I didn’t have the last weeks comparison to gauge it against. However there was no problem going beyond my usual for reps weight and overall workout length of time. As you start to move your target muscle group the tingles become noticeable in those areas, it is quite a sensation, and it was not a once time affair that lasted a few minutes, it remained and sustained over the one and a half hour session.

I will continue to use this supplement and keep everyone updated on how it goes for me, long term effects and short.

OMG bring on legs day…

References below

(Derave W, Ozdemir MS, Harris R, Pottier A, Reyngoudt H, Koppo K, Wise JA, Achten E. (August 9, 2007). "Beta-alanine supplementation augments muscle carnosine content and attenuates fatigue during repeated isokinetic contraction bouts in trained sprinters". J Appl Physiol 103 (5): 1736.doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.00397.2007.PMID 17690198.
Hill CA, Harris RC, Kim HJ, Harris BD, Sale C, Boobis LH, Kim CK, Wise JA. (2007). "Influence of beta-alanine supplementation on skeletal muscle carnosine concentrations and high intensity cycling capacity". Amino Acids32 (2): 225–33. doi:10.1007/s00726-006-0364-4. PMID 16868650.)


Sunday, 17 March 2013

Fitness tech! - Revised 4/10/14

Everyone seems to be on their phones these days.

They make us unsociable and lazy.

They are the bane of our existence.

But they can also be a useful tool for keeping motivated and active. I've done some reviews in the past on some tools that you can use so here is another one I just stumbled across. If you are a bit of a gamer this might interest you!

Nexercise! Turn working out into a game. Earn XP and medals. This app is available for the i(stuff) and the droid.

Record jogs, weights sessions, sports matches, you name it this has it listed. From aerial rings to Zumba and even Xbox kinect, you can record all of your physical activities.

I will start using this as I can record my regular workouts and jogs and everything else in between. I'll see how the staying factor is as far ease of use, rewards and overall fun, and I shall report how I go in further posts.

If anyone already uses it let me know how it's been for you.

In the words of Mat Mac, Alright, Alright, Alright... over a year on and I am still using this app more as a timer and logger of my routines than anything else. The XP side of things is novel but I skip over it most of the time perhaps having a group of people using the same app might have some more competitiveness to it but I seem to be on my own for now. I have started looking for another app that can take this ones place. I've gone beyond needing a log system that incorporates reps, sets and weights, this I already can do blindfolded. There is something in particular that I'm REALLY looking for... but I am yet to find it. Any iPhone app programers hit me up for that idea if you think you can make it happen...





Friday, 15 March 2013

Going that bit further!

You hear about even veteran fitness individuals platue-ing and losing drive, you may even find yourself losing motivation or see your results slowing or even going backwards.

Sometimes this is purely because of your body's mechanism to adapt to change.

Your body can adapt so well that a workout that once got you into shape now leaves you unchallenged, and this is where the pitfall begins.

If you don't keep making the challenge harder two things can happen.
1. You lose motivation because the task of fitness becomes mundane. Ever played a piece of music so damn long that you can't stand it after a week or two. Yeah we all have ( if you listen to FM radio you'll know the feeling). Mental stimulus in the form of new personal best goals and achievements and taking yourself last what you "know" you can do will stop the de motivation. However it can help to have someone that with you on the journey, whether a training buddy or a personal trainer. If you do use a training buddy make sure you both strive to keep each other motivated (no slacking)

2. On the body side of things, your body becomes more adapt at dealing with what you throw at it. You get the most change either for muscle growth or fat loss by challenging yourself with each workout. Once you make it to half an hour solid on the tread mill at speed 10, don't keep doing this week after week, change it up. Try for 45 mins instead or increase the speed instead. Your body is you own worst enemy for change, cause once its made the change to cope with the routine, it's no longer effort to do the routine and you expend less energy than you did before.

So mix it up, try and break one personal record each routine you do. Don't break all of them at once, just aim for one broken every session. Change your routine regularly to ensure different muscles get targeted, and keep the challenge going.

Challenge = change and change = results!