5 POST-RUN STRETCHES!

Stretching your lower body after a run isn’t just ‘nice-to-do’, it’s essential. You claim an array of benefits including the reduction of tightness in your largest muscle groups, alleviation of potential pains (including DOMS and the dreaded knee pain), the correction of muscular imbalances and even the improvement of actual running technique! Of course stretching after other forms of training (e.g. weight training) is also beneficial, so this post is by no means exclusive to running! The menu for available stretches is a broad buffet indeed, but in this post I wanted to showcase a specific few you might not have seen before, using a tennis ball or indeed a ‘physio ball’ like the one in my pictures. These therapeutic little spheres come in different shapes, sizes, and densities, and much like the foam-roller they enable a sort of self-massage. It’s a simple, cheap and hugely effective way to hone in on your specific needs, anywhere, anytime on the go, or at home. Dressed head-to-toe in Saucony, I went out for a 6k run around the basin city of Bath on a recent blog trip (full review coming soon!) and then dispatched this 5-stretch routine upon my return! Click MORE to get the full routine and give it a try yourself – all you need is a tennis ball!

A number of my friends who’re serious marathon runners choose Saucony shoes for a number of reasons; the ones I’ve heard are their natural ride, their 4mm rise and supportive cushioning over long distances. I was working with them on their #LIFEONTHERUN campaign alongside my friend AJ Odudu; when I gave their newest, top-end Freedom ISO shoes a shot, I got it after one run. They’re extremely technical and are engineered for distance achievement, with reassuring support, as I suffered not a hint of foot fatigue over the run.

After the run, it’s straight back to the task at hand, warming down with the physio-ball! The beauty is that you’re able to control the pressure yourself. When thinking about ‘what’s the right amount of pressure’, it’s worth remembering it might feel uncomfortable but you shouldn’t experience any pain doing these exercises.

This time of year, many people sign up for their first proper run or are training more than usual, to exit the winter with escape velocity! As a personal trainer who’s constantly on one’s feet. I myself have had knee problems in the past, and clients over the years have noted that they often experience knee pain after a long walk or run. Whether or not you’re one of these people, or you’d rather just keep yourself in well-oiled condition, hopefully this will help you in your new training!

 

Stretches

STRETCH 1) Gluteus stretch using a tennis ball (as below image)

  1. Lying on your back bend your knees and place on foot across your thigh as in the photo illustrated.
  2. Place a tennis ball under the side of your gluteus with the leg bent resting on the other thigh.
  3. Move the tennis ball around until you find a sore spot and hold that position for 5-20 seconds. You should feel some discomfort but no pain.
  4. The tension will start to release after a while, then move the ball to another position.
  5. Play around with it for a couple of minutes and then do the same on the other side.

STRETCH 2) Calf stretch using a ball (as below image)

  1. Start but sitting upright on the floor, with your back straight.
  2. Place your legs out straight in front of you. Sit with your back against the wall (or like me, the banisters).
  3. Place the ball under the calf. Hold each sore spot you find for 5-20 seconds and then move the ball to another spot.
  4. Repeat on the other side.

STRETCH 3) IT-band stretch using tennis ball (as below image)

  1. Start by sitting on the ground on a flat surface. Place the outside of your thigh on top of the ball.
  2. Hold the thigh gently in place over the ball, applying the a tolerable amount of pressure, for 5-20 seconds.
  3. When you feel the tension has decreased, move the ball to a lower part of the IT-band (that narrow band of muscle running on the outside of the thigh).
  4. Repeat until you feel the tension has decreased.
  5. Repeat on the other side.

STRETCH 4) Hip flexors stretch using tennis ball (as below image)

  1. Start by lying face down and placing the ball under the front of your hip (not the bone, but the muscular hip flexors below it).
  2. Move the ball around until you find a sore spot
  3. Hold the ball in the same position for 5 to 20 seconds, again applying tolerable pressure.
  4. Once the tension has decreased move the ball to another spot.
  5. Continue with this for a few minutes and then move to the other side.

STRETCH 5) Hip Stretch using tennis ball (as below image)

  1. Lie on the ground on one side. Place your head on a foam box/stack of books or pillow, for adequate support of the neck.
  2. Place the ball on the side of your hip, then slowly lean into the ball.
  3. Find a sore spot and hold it for a few seconds 5-20, then move it to another spot.
  4. Then repeat on the other side.

 

Conclusion

The instant gratification society in which we live, and our addicion to a ‘quick fix’ may make it seem as though these exercises are tedious and don’t give an obvious instant effect. They do work, but like most things that matter, they take time to yield results. If you’re training weekly, invest in a few minutes every day to care for your body. You may not experience pain now but this is something if left unchecked you will notice later in life.

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I WAS WEARING:

Trainers: Saucony, FREEDOM ISO
Leggings: Saucony, Out of stock, similar HERE
Short sleeve Top: Saucony, similar HERE
Long sleeve top: Saucony, similar HERE
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THIS IS A SPONSORED PIECE OF CONTENT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SAUCONY. PLEASE SEE MY DISCLOSURE PAGE FOR MORE ABOUT WHY I TAKE ON SUCH PROJECTS.

GYMBOX ‘GIVE IT A SPIN’ CLASS WITH METHOD!

I wanted to share a recent visit to Gymbox Farringdon, where I was invited to hit up the method laundry Challenge for their “Give it a Spin” class! It’s a purpose-built Spin Cycle class, crafted by method (a planet-friendly household brand which massively appeals to my inner eco-warrior) using a series of fragrances which motivate you to work out even harder! Now, there are countless mega-gyms, niche studios and pop-up classes proliferating all around London, and I’m always thrilled to try new ones and share them here. This class, at this gym, did not disappoint! If you haven’t been to this Gymbox, it’s well worth a visit; it’s unlike any other gym in that it feels as if you’ve entered an underground rave. With a DJ in a cage blasting forth tech house upon the cavernous gym floor, exercise revelers are propelled by the energy, and therefore they really go for it. That in turn, is hugely motivating. There’s no need to wait for any of the squat racks or benches because there are so many of them all over the place. There’s a huge section of monkey bars, pull-up bars – it’s literally an adult’s playground! Click MORE to see all about the class, to enter my competition to win AN ENTIRE YEAR’S free laundry detergent plus a Monreal gym bag, and to discover the delicious scents!

Just 3 parts to this post… 1) the class, 2) method, and 3) the competition!

1) THE CLASS:

This grueling (and quite euphoric) spin class was conceived to mark the launch of the new Method laundry detergent. The spin ‘arena’ is phenomenally lit, making use of a changing array of neon primary colors, delivered via LED backlit strips. Completing that ‘holy trinity’ of all great exercise studios is a pounding audio system and great air-con! Whilst you’re melting away in your spinning trance, delicious fresh smells – jasmine which definitely has a euphoric element), fresh cut grass (arousing, bringing you back and increasing alertness as well as uplifting the mood), and pink grapefruit (stimulating, reminiscent of a morning snack, promoting new alertness and a natural stress fighter helping to beat down inflammation) – were being pumped through the system especially designed by method. These fragrances are there specifically to motivate you to work out even harder. I didn’t have a control experiment running, but they were certainly a fascinating treat for the nostrils in what can otherwise be a sweaty malodorous affair!

2) METHOD:

This is my kind of cleaning brand making a seriously stylish detergent that’s bursting with color (beware the hypnotic slow-mo dog video if you click that link)! Needless to say, I train a lot; many of you, my dear gym-conscious readers, will train regularly too. That gives rise to the phenomenon whereby laundry multiplies like crazed bunnies! If like me you love your sportswear, you may find you’re washing your clothes non-stop and threatening the very vibrancy of their colors! I also want to be conscious of the environment and where possible I want to avoid phosphates, bleach, ammonia, parabens etc many of which are toxic to me and to the world around me! Over the past month of trialing, I’ve found method’s concentrated laundry detergent to work nicely for my favorite gym pieces – fresh natural fragrances, and naturally derived cleaning power that fights tough dumbbell dirt, but is also gentle on my beloved Monreal London pieces! It’s also suitable for my sensitive skin, which is another important box ticked for me. Again, importantly it’s environmentally friendly as it’s plant-based, with a 98% biodegradable formula that works in cold water. 1 cap = 1 wash and it’s recyclable bottle made with 100% post-consumer recycled materials.

3) THE COMPETITION!!! 

To fight the war against gym laundry here’s your chance to win a year’s worth of Detergent as well as a beautiful & stylish Monreal gym bag! There are choices in ‘flavor’ of method products of course (Peony Blush, Orchard Fruit, Wild Lavender) but I’m a ‘Lavender’ kind of girl!

‘HOW DO I ENTER?’ – It’s simple; just head over to my INSTAGRAM today, ‘like’ the pic of my Gym bag & comment to tell me why you love your favorite athleisure brands! Winner takes it all (Casual Abba reference…). Full T&C’s can be found HERE. Good luck!

If you don’t win, my friends at Monreal London are offering all Fitness On Toast readers a 10% discount code to use at www.monreallondon.com until the end of May. The code: FITNESSONTOAST10 can be entered at checkout as a promo code and is valid on all full price orders.

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THIS IS A SPONSORED PIECE OF CONTENT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH METHOD. PLEASE SEE MY DISCLOSURE PAGE FOR MORE ABOUT WHY I TAKE ON SUCH PROJECTS.

INTERVIEW WITH TOP BRITISH HEPTATHLETE!

One of the greatest privileges to come from writing this blog is the epic 1-on-1 exposure to world-class professionals operating in the health & wellness arena. From Elle Macpherson to Steffi Graf, I’ve recorded my Interviews on a special section of FitnessOnToast.com, and today I’m thrilled to reveal another fascinating insight into the life of a top-level British athlete, Katarina Johnson-Thompson, of heptathlon fame! Katarina hosted a class with my friends at BRITA which amongst other things, touched on the importance of optimal hydration – a topic I’ve written about several times on this blog; with a gruelling 7 components to master for her athletic discipline, I wanted to understand how she approaches this incredibly broad ask, and how she tailors her lifestyle to the task! She took attendees through a seriously demanding Switch7 workout for an hour, building on Hydration, Speed, Power, Strength, Agility, Stamina and Recovery. Click MORE to read our full interview…

Research by BRITA has revealed that 68% of fitness fanatics believe that their current exercise routine isn’t challenging their body, and 44% admitting they don’t understand when to hydrate optimally. A whopping 34% admitted they only hydrate once the workout is over! I spoke to Katarina about her hydration habits and her training regime more broadly. These are her responses;

F.O.T: How do you ensure to stay hydrated throughout the day?
I’m constantly drinking so it’s never really been a concern for me. It’s second nature I guess… And by the way, I don’t mean “that kind” of drink – something soft; water, juice, an energy drink etc.

How much water do you typically drink per day and how does that differ depending on training? 
I try for at least 1.5 litres a day. In Montpellier, it’s been more because of the heat. It’s really important for everybody to hydrate throughout the day, no matter where they are. I usually carry my BRITA fill&go Active bottle with me which is great as means I can easily get a drink and hydrate. I make sure I drink enough water throughout the day but especially before exercise. Most people don’t and in fact, over two-thirds of people are confused about hydration when exercising.

What sort of physique – and indeed mindset – do you think you need to be a heptathlon? How does that differ from other disciplines?
In the heptathlon, there’s such a wide range of physiques that it is very difficult to say what physique you need or what is ideal. Although we are doing the same event (heptathlon), my physique may mean I’m strong in one of the disciplines but not so good in another whereas another athlete may be the exact opposite, be really strong in the discipline that I’m weaker at and be weaker at a discipline that I’m stronger in and both be good athletes. All heptathletes have different strengths and weaknesses which is what makes it so interesting and enjoyable.

How do you train effectively for so many different disciplines at one time, and does that present an increased risk of injury?
It comes down to a lot of planning. My coach sets the training plans so I go by what he says but there is a lot of structure to each of my training sessions. I have a timetable which says that one day I will work on my hurdles and high jump, for example, then the following day we may do sprint endurance training and weight training. It’s all planned out so I can train as I need to be without overdoing a certain aspect and becoming more susceptible to risking injury.

What type of training do you do aside from actually working on each particular sport?
For instance, do you do weight training in the gym and if so what kind of exercises do you do and how often? Yes I have two gym sessions a week which target almost every major muscle group in the body – think of the major compound moves, squats, cleans, deadlifts etc. Other training that’s different to track are hill runs which really work on speed endurance and push your lactic threshold.

Do you do any type of rehab training and if so could you mention what that would involve, perhaps a short key routine you do a lot?
I do a rehab session every Monday, which targets injuries I’ve had in the past. For example hamstring rolls on a yoga ball or foot drills in the sandpit. That aside, it is taking the right precautions as part of a regular routine – stretching properly, having ice-baths, getting in the correct nutrition to aid recovery.

How often do you get treatments and massage done?
Maybe twice or three times a week

If you could only perform one exercise again in your life, what would it be?
Probably running – I strangely enjoy which is handy considering I’m an athlete.

When you’re preparing for an event, do you have lucky charms or superstitions?
Just get my music ready – I make sure my playlist is how I want it to be. Other than that, I like to get everything in for that event in order and organised ahead of time so my bags are packed and I am ready.

What does a typical day in terms of meals look like (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks). How many calories do you consume roughly leading such an active lifestyle both for on- and off-season?
Maybe around 2000 calories. Fruit/porridge/protein smoothie for breakfast. Avocado and eggs on toast for lunch. Red meat or chicken or prawns and rice and veg for dinner. I will snacks on extra protein – I use SiS Whey20’s and bananas / more fruit.

Who are you female role models?
Serena Williams – she’s amazing. Nothing more to add.

How was the Rio experience?
Fab. I’m lucky in a way as my event is usually the first two days of athletics so once that’s done I get a chance to relax, go out and explore. If I get a chance to go back and explore more of South America I definitely would. I think everybody knows I love animals, I’m fascinated by them so would love to have the chance to see how they live in their natural habitat.

Do you ever struggle with motivation and if so what gets you up in the morning when you really don’t want to train?
The thought of being ready on competition day. You don’t want to go into the biggest test of your life thinking you’re underprepared / not given it your all which I think is true for most aspects of life.

Have you ever had a massive setback in your professional career, and how did you come back? 
Everyone has setbacks, it’s just life. When you get over setbacks you become a proper adult.

QUICKFIRE:

Workout or Lie In? Lie in (not the answer you were expecting)
Yoga or Spinning? Yoga
Skiing or Swimming? Skiing
Trail or treadmill? Trail
Lazy beach holiday or active adventure? Lazy beach
LA or UK? UK
Protein or Carbs? Carbs
Blueberries or Strawberries? Strawberries
Coffee or Herbal Tea? Coffee
Blended smoothie or fresh juice? Fresh juice
High Heels or Trainers? Trainers
Heavy weights or Body weight? Body weight
Solo or Group Workouts? Solo
Occasional treat or total dedication? Occasional treat
Your favourite workout tunes? Anything Kanye!

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THIS IS A SPONSORED PIECE OF CONTENT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH BRITA. PLEASE SEE MY DISCLOSURE PAGE FOR MORE ABOUT WHY I TAKE ON SUCH PROJECTS.

MEDITATION – THE BOOST ON-THE-GO!

Life is stressful but I’ve long believed it’s possible to steal back a little bit of balanced calm, and often at some of the most unexpected times throughout the day. There are several ways to give oneself a physical and mental healthy nudge to keep going… one of my favorites is meditation. Everyone’s daily pressures differ, and mine come in the form of juggling personal training clients, meetings pertaining to this blog, and a few other projects I have on the go. For me, seeking a moment of tranquility to escape the relentless chaos is best served through a moment of meditation on the go; I even practice on the tube between stations, because there’s no bad place for it. Read the full post to see some of my top reasons for taking some time to include this discipline in your day too.

This post is in partnership with Naked Juice, who I’ve been working with around their Pressed range which incorporates some of my favorite fruit & vegetable ingredients, cold-pressed and blended together; the Bright Greens elixir packs in apple, cucumber, spinach, lettuce, courgette, celery, and wheatgrass. It’s slightly sweet and seriously refreshing. I like to drink small sips throughout the day when I feel I need a bit of a boost.*  Whilst I like to cold press my own juices every now and again, the time constraints of a busy life don’t always permit that; Naked to the rescue with something that’s credibly green! They’ve asked me to talk about a how I get a boost on-the-go, so I’ve chosen meditation as it’s a subject that’s quite important to me, and I find has helped me to bring focus to both my professional and personal life in London.

SOME KEY BENEFITS OF MEDITATION:

1) “HOW IT MAKES MY BODY FEEL”:

The process of deep relaxation makes a serious difference to me; I feel my heart rate slow, my breathing deepen, my muscles relax, and I generally sense a lower ingress of ‘stress’… to name but a few. With regular practice, I believe this makes me feel stronger emotionally, it gives me higher energy levels and ultimately leaves me with a stronger body.

2) “HOW IT MAKES MY MIND FEEL”:

By entering the relaxed state on a regular basis, I sense that my brain becomes more accustomed to producing gentle signals, and is less likely to deliver me a ‘fight-or-flight’ response during tough times. By muting those negative sensations, there are secondary effects which make me feel that with meditation, I’m basically relaxing away my stress! It’s a more calm, serene state of mind, which may not last all day, but even entering that tranquil zone for a little while can make all the difference to the cadence of a day’s emotions for me.

3) THE LESS DEMONSTRABLE…

For me, some of the greatest benefits of meditation are hard to define but are related to a better understanding of one’s self, a certain tranquility and awareness level that’s proven elusive before, and a generally improved enjoyment of life. Some take away a spiritual comfort, and indeed meditation forms a considerable part of the wonderfully enlightened Buddhist religion, where taking control of one’s state of mind (‘mindfulness’) is considered to be core.

I hope this helps to highlight just a few of the multiple advantages of this tranquil practice to everybody’s daily process. There is simply no bad place for it!

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This post is a sponsored collaboration with the Naked Juice. For more about why I take on such projects, please see my DISCLOSURE page. Thank you. 

*contains vitamin C which contributes towards the reduction of tiredness and fatigue

TRAINING WITH SKI TEAM SWEDEN!

Just a few weeks back, I had the epic behind-the-scenes experience of training alongside some world-class, hardcore athletes; it was an honor to be invited to the pre-season launch session with my home country’s championship Ski Team. This event has only ever taken place behind closed doors in the past, so I bring you this post with enormous excitement! On the day, I was asked to talk a little about social media and share my findings on what has worked and not worked when writing this blog; it was also a chance for me to get to know this inspirational family of athletes and coaches, see how they work together as a team, to meet the coaches and to participate in a totally punishing kick-off workout! Click MORE to see what we got up to during the games!

THE BACKGROUND:

The ‘Alpine Games’, as they’re referred to, are something of a re-launch following the athletes’ summer breaks, and consist of three intense days of physical, mental and communicative, team-building challenges, as well as some classroom-based sessions which focussed on the importance of Anti-doping, teamwork exercises, business and social media awareness etc.

The athletes were grouped in small teams of similar age and ability, where they compete to win as a group but also to fight for the honor to become the ‘Mr. & Ms. Alpine Games’. This year, the mighty Maria Pietilä Holmner won Ms. for the second consecutive year. Alpine Games newcomer Jesper Brändholm was crowned Mr. Alpine Games in the individual competitions.

THE DESTINATION: Åre Ski Resort

The kick off took place in Åre, perhaps the most famous Swedish ski destination which every year attracts 500,000 visitors from all over the world. It’ll host the international World Cup in February 2019 where the best ski racers in the world will battle it out for ultimate glory in Slalom, Giant Slalom, Super G, Downhill, Team and Alpine combined. It’s also where Ski Team Sweden Alpine are headquartered in their newly built facility. The resort offers long sweeping vertical runs, plenty of off-piste, beautiful scenery and despite being some 200 miles south of the Arctic Circle, some spectacular views of the Northern Lights when it’s in-season!

THE TRAINING! 

One thing struck me above all else; there’s absolutely NO body uniformity in this sport… Unlike many other competitive sports, the ski athlete does not conform to one particular body type.

What do I mean? Take, for instance, a long distance or endurance runner who operates mostly in an aerobic arena which requires a good amount of stamina. This long-distance runner has more slow-twitch, ‘Type 1’ muscle fibers, which have a slower contraction speed but a higher aerobic capacity and resistance to fatigue. The body type would be described as ‘ectomorphic’ (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somatotype_and_constitutional_psychology) and this body type is way better equipped for this particular sport.

Conversely, a sprinter’s muscles have more fast-twitch fibers, and they’re also bigger and denser. The larger the muscle, the more force it can produce; this body type is typically defined as ‘mesomorphic’. Therefore, a mesomorphic long-distance runner would have to haul the extra weight around, whilst it’s using up energy which can mean early fatigue. So these sorts of athletes bodies are naturally suited to purpose.

Now, in the back in Ski arena up in Åre, upon observing the athletes, there were all types of bodies, across both of the genders; wiry, muscular, tall and short, some frames better suited to the speed disciplines, others more agile in the technical disciplines. What was even more fascinating to me was that in the individual challenges the results differed hugely. Whilst on the snow, an athlete may reign supreme in ski technique, they might lack shoulder strength on ‘ground training’ (for example), and vice versa, so being in perfect shape can still be trumped by supple flexibility and ‘feel’ to correct and adjust oneself on the snow and snatch the win. These ‘Alpine Games’ are partly designed to showcase every single athlete’s strengths and weaknesses to themselves, but also to each other, and the coaches know that a well-rounded performance across all disciplines will show the skier to be well positioned for the season ahead. It’s awesome to see!

WHAT WERE THE CHALLENGES?

PULLUPS SUSPENDED FROM THE RINGS

WHY? Pull-ups are one of my all-time favorite exercises! A devastating upper-body compound movement which works a number of larger muscle groups at the same time (back, shoulders, & arms)!

HOW?
1. Here, the goal was to start in a hanging position with hands facing forward. However, you could start with hands facing inwards or facing towards you. As you slowly pull yourself up your hands will naturally rotate inwards to save your shoulder joints. At the end position, they will be facing inwards.

  1. As you slowly start pulling yourself upwards to the end position which is where your chest almost touches the rings. Your chin is then above the rings.
  2. Often, you’ll hear people say, ‘chest up’ or ‘open up your chest’. It’s easy to hunch your shoulders in this position, so focus instead on bringing your shoulders down and back, and lead with your chest as you pull yourself up.
  3. Also, avoid arching or swinging your legs back and forth or side to side. It’s better to perform this exercise slowly and in a controlled manner as opposed to ‘jumping up’ relying on momentum, with technique suffering as a result.
  4. Finally, slowly lower yourself to the initial starting position, and repeat to failure. Some team members such as Dan-Axel Grahn were easily powering out 50+ of these!

HANGING LEG RAISES

WHY? The hanging leg raise is great for a number of reasons and it’s ideal for building core strength, fast. If you’re new to these, aim to hang from a bar, curl your hips and knees up to your chest and as you get stronger progress to the full leg raises. It’s a wonderful and fun exercise to work the abdominals. It requires core strength, endurance, flexibility, and a solid, strong grip.

HOW?

  1. Depending on the height of the rings (you should be able to adjust them or alternatively place a chair below so you can comfortable get into position) avoid having to jump up and swing all over the place. Another option is of course to use a bar.
  2. Ensure to keep your shoulders pulled down, ‘away from your ears’. This helps improve your posture and helps protect your shoulders from potential injuries.
  3. When you lift your legs, the movement should occur at your hips—not in your lower back.
  4. Try to control the legs as you slowly bring them back down, this requires more core work as opposed to allowing gravity to do all the work for you.
  5. Try to create tension in your arms, your core and you whole body. Try not to just hang, but create tension. This way, you’re engaging all of your major muscles in your body, which will help stabilize your spine and will make it easier to raise your legs to your chest.
  6. Take a deep breath in and when your legs as high as they can go, exhale through. Try taking deep belly breaths to avoid your chest, ribs to rise. This causes the abs to contract and makes you brace the core. Keeping the abs contracted means you don’t just use momentum to get your legs up, but also pressures the abdominals, and causes you to tear more fibres, which in turn leads to greater rebuild.
  7. Inhale when you lower your legs.

PUSH UPS WITH A PALM RAISE AT THE BOTTOM

WHY? These pretty much target every muscle in your entire body – they’re great for chest, arms, core and much more. The press-up can be varied depending on the positioning of the arms/hands and rendered easier/harder accordingly. For the endurance test, the requirement was that you had to start in a position where your chest was comfortably flat, resting on the ground, with hands off the floor.

HOW?

  1. Start by lying on the floor face down and place your hands about a shoulder-width apart whilst pressing your torso up at arm’s length, on tiptoes. Basically, get into a high plank position.
  2. Then slowly lower yourself down until your chest touches the floor. Ensure your hands come off the ground. Then start over.
  3. Press your upper body back up to the starting position.
  4. Repeat to annihilated exhaustion. Again, Max Gordon Sundquist powered out >50.

   

THE SINGLE LEG REACH-AND-TOUCH !!!

WHY?
Balancing on a single leg helps you to isolate and render stronger individual muscles, and to make your reaction time better.  When the balance is impaired, muscles work less effectively and struggle to deliver proprioception information (which tells you about where you are in space) to your brain. The exercise strengthens the glutes, hamstrings, and core while enhancing the balance of the stable leg.

HOW:

  1. Standing on a measuring tape, slowly and in a controlled manner, start by bending the leg on which you are standing, whilst simultaneously moving the other leg behind you (similar to a single leg deadlift position)
  2. Reach down as far along the measuring tape as you can – all along ensuring your airborne foot and none of your other body parts touch the ground.
  3. Slowly, and in a controlled manner, return to standing, and repeat on the other side. Repeat this pair a further 4 times, just to get clear measurements!

STATIC LAUNCHING JUMPS

WHY?:

This is test mainly used to measure an athlete’s explosive lower-body power and is a used by coaches to measure the power in the lower body.

HOW?: For this, you’ll need some way of measuring your results… The pros used a light-gate to evaluate the time between takeoff and landing, but you could use your phone, starting the timer when you launch and stopping it the moment you touch down.

  1. Start by bending the knees and using your arms to propel you upwards into the air.
  2. The aim is not just to jump as high as possible (with knees and legs totally straight) but also to attempt to land in the same spot as you took off – as jumping forwards, backward or sideways could affect the test results.
  3. You’re allowed three jumps so that performance averages can be calculated.
  4. Squat Jumps are a fantastic way to build explosive power to grow your capacity for this measurement!

See our below image of Gustav Lundback reaching some heady heights with his jumping efforts – he seemed to hang in the air for minutes!

THE HANGING N-SIT !!!

Powering out an N-sit hold on the rings – one of many drills they put me through. This is a deceptively brutal exercise which requires serious all- round strength, including core strength, strong triceps, shoulder strength, as well as the smaller stabilizers. The benefits include defined triceps, chiseled abs, shoulder health as well as functional core strength.

How to?
1) If you don’t have rings try the dip bars.

2) Here, we started off squatting on the box below. That way you can carefully get into position, find the technique & the comfortably & securely get into position. It eliminates having to jump & quickly try to correct your technique.
3) Position yourself between the rings, set shoulder-width apart. Using a firm, neutral grip, push your body off the ground, locking your elbows as if you’re at the top of a dip exercise. Make sure to keep your shoulders down as you bend your knees, & hold up your thighs, hold your legs together, forming a N sit.
4) How long can you hold it for? I want to say that 2.5 minutes was the record on the day; but I erased this one from my memory!

Other more specialist challenges were:

THE CONCLUSIONS

I interviewed a host of fascinating athletes and coaches during my time with the team and look forward to bringing you those posts in the near future, so that you can glean some insight into the focused and dedicated lives of these passionate, world-class competitors!

My time being around them, and seeing how they will each other on, how they share their energy as a collective force to help each team member pull out just a little more performance; that was unbelievably warming and hugely motivating. I return to London having taken something of that team’s drive back with me, and will attack my training with renewed vigour, and I greatly look forward to following their progress during the 2017-18 season! For the record, I will be proudly wearing my official Ski Team Sweden gilet, which the team kindly presented as a gift to me!

For anyone considering visiting Åre, check out SkiStar for lodging, accommodation, ski pass and other information, https://www.skistar.com/en/Are/

INTERVIEW W/ TOP SKI ATHLETE, MATTS OLSSON!

Last month, I was incredibly fortunate to meet some of my country’s top Alpine athletes at the HQ of Ski Team Sweden in Åre. Amongst them, I spent some time with Matts Olsson, a World Championship medalist and one of the top male FIS World Cup competitors from Sweden, with a specialization in Giant Slalom. He’s an ultra-experienced hand on the circuit, powering through 9 seasons, and has just had one of his best in 2016/17 with two podium finishes. It struck me that the younger members of the team really look up to those who’ve given battle alongside the international legends of the sport, and Matts wears his experience with great wisdom and humility. It was with great pleasure that I sat down to ask him about his training, his mental approach, his diet, and his ethos on competition! Here’s what I learned…

F.O.T:  Can you say how you get into skiing, your background?

MO: I don’t remember the moment I started to ski but I’ve seen photos, my parents told me I was 3 years old. That wasn’t in Are, I was from way more South, the slopes aren’t that fantastic! I grew up close to Karlstad, which was the main reason I started to ski because it was convenient! My parents weren’t into skiing so much – they knew about it, they followed Ingmar Stenmark for sure, but they didn’t have any skiing background. I just started, and then I started to like it!

F.O.T: Do you remember when you realized you loved skiing?

MO: At an early age, I knew that I wanted to be an athlete. I didn’t know skiing was my biggest passion. I played soccer, hockey, and skiing. It started to become obvious at the age of 11 or 12. I did all the training with gates, but I used to do free skiing in woods with friends. That was the biggest love, the feeling of being free! When I chose skiing 100%, that was because, in the hockey arena, I wasn’t as free as I was on skis!

F.O.T: It’s much more a solo sport, vs a team sport in hockey. Is that how you see it?

MO: Yes absolutely, that fitted my personality better, to do it alone. I don’t know why but that’s the way I am! Now, when we’re in Ski Team Sweden, to be out with the guys, that’s 80% of the fun. I’m super lucky to have team mates I really like and like to spend time with them.

F.O.T: How much of an athlete do you have to be?

MO: It’s hard for people to know. What you see is that you start on the top of a mountain and you ski down! And if you’re used to skiing on easy slopes for your ski holiday, it doesn’t feel like a big deal. But when you start to ski World Cup slopes when it’s actually not snow that you’re skiing on, but rather ice… And then you in the turns, you can generate 3-400kg of pressure loaded onto your legs, mixed with bumps that you don’t see and an uneven surface that takes a lot of balance to correct… Alpine Ski Racers won’t be best in any single discipline of physical abilities, but in the big picture, an alpine skier will do really well overall.

F.O.T: How do you train for that. How does a week look like in training?

MO: That’s different from person to person. For me, I train hard for 2 days, then I rest one day, and I train hard for 2 days again, and then I rest one day again. I don’t work out for the whole week and take the weekend off; I’m more two-and-one. If I work on a weekend, so I work a weekend. I focus on endurance, strength, agility, a bunch of different competencies. The main focus is often core and legs. In the past, I used to separate the body part that I wanted to train and focus on that for the day. Now I mix it up more; I can’t explain why, my physical trainer knows why I do that, I trust him and I follow the program.

F.O.T: How do you fuel that, in terms of nutrition?

MO: I don’t break things down by macros and measure them by grams. I eat a lot, I try to eat healthily, I try to get the right amounts of food, but I eat what I eat. If I train hard, I try to eat a lot, and I see how I feel. If I’m losing kilograms, I need to do something about it; I solve to a body weight. You need to be good in a lot of different areas, but you only have so much focus, so I like to keep some parts a little simpler and focus on the things that I feel are more important to my training.

F.O.T: What’s your guilty pleasure?

MO: I don’t know if I want to say, but I like snus every now and again, and I drink too much coffee I think. But that’s pretty much it. I don’t have to drink beer or eat junk food – I’m fine without that.

F.O.T: Mental focus; when you’re at the top of the starter gate, how do you fire yourself up to give it the most?

MO: Now I’m almost 29; I’ve done ski racing for a while. In the beginning, you try to find your way to see what’s working. You might think ‘it was a good race, what did I do differently?’. For many years, I learned how I wanted to approach a race mentally. Now my first step is to decide the day before that it will be war tomorrow, i have to go out there and be ready.  At the start, you have to get it fired up. I talk to myself with a few words, BEAST MODE!

F.O.T: Do you feel fear?

MO: Not now. I ski only Giant Slalom. I Don’t see that as such a high-speed discipline. When i was a junior and started to compete in World Cup, I did a few downhills. I was a good speed skier, but then I definitely felt the fear. The speed was fine, but the jumps were a nightmare, as I never felt so comfortable in the air. I never crashed in a jump, but I didn’t know how to do it! Then you start to ski too soon on the super tough hills with jumps that are too big. With a different gradual approach, it might have worked. But some of the downhill guys have a mental approach that’s slightly unhinged, and you need that to tackle some of those runs. They don’t see what could happen, they just go for it. They love the adrenaline.

F.O.T: Which slope was it that made you wonder…

MO: A couple of the big jumps in Val Gardena, Italy. There’s a huge jump, not the one by the finish, but the one further up (See video about that HERE). It’s not just a jump where things fall away, that’s normal; it then goes up again, so it’s a gap jump which requires a 60-80m jump. At the inspection, I didn’t fancy my chances on that. I only did one training run. I didn’t really ‘ski’ the top part, I was just mentally preparing for the jump and it was pretty exhausting!

F.O.T: Have you had any struggles in your ski career, and how have you overcome those?

MO: As a kid, it was no trouble; I won races, and everything was fine. But then, later on, you have more difficult years where results aren’t there. After a few bad races, you get pretty down. For me though, I always have a day after a race where I’m disappointed, but then you keep on going and you believe in yourself for the next race. After a bad season – I had those for sure – I actually feel more motivated then, because I know I can do better.

F.O.T: A lot of people want to be healthy and to train, but struggle with motivation; Do you ever feel you just want to go back to bed?

MO: I never had a problem going to the gym. I kind of like it. I had an ACL injury a few years back, and before the surgery, I went to the gym, because that’s what I do. Then I suddenly felt ‘what am I doing here – I have no motivation because everything is so far away from skiing’. It didn’t matter whether I trained because I’d lose it all after surgery. I realized at that point that what gets me to the gym is that I have a goal. It’s the goal that gets me there. I want to compete in skiing, I want to do that well, that’s the goal, and that’s actually why it’s no problem to go to the gym. I didn’t realize that before the injury, but I knew it afterward. If you start to go to the gym and push yourself, at the end of the day, you have a great feeling at the gym that you’ve done something great today!

F.O.T: You mention the importance of rest. What do you do on a rest day?

MO: Sometimes I lie on the sofa and watch TV! Those are very few indeed though. In summer if I’m pre-season training, mobility takes precedent. If I go to the gym and do normal training, it’ll take me 2-2.5 hours. After that, I don’t really want to stretch, so I try to do that as its own session. I get plenty of sleep. I wake up and take an easy breakfast. Then I stretch, I do some foam rolling, focus on some trigger points with physio balls… I do that for more than an hour. Possibly 90 minutes. As an athlete that’s so important for me.

F.O.T: How about sleep?

MO: When we go into pre-season mode, we get out really early onto the glaciers, we need to wake up early in the morning. 22:00 is late for me to go to bed. Also, I usually sleep for an hour in the afternoon before a physical session, sometimes 2 hours! You feel a little weird, a bit lost after you wake up from that, but it’s great in terms of extra energy for the next session.

F.O.T: And what do you do at the gym for 2 whole hours?!

MO: Since my injury, the warm up protocol is LONG! That’s why I stay there for so long, and is why after the session, I do stretching on the following morning, or I’d be there all day!

F.O.T: Your favorite course on the World Cup?

MO: Well, I scored my first podium in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, so that’s up there! When I started World Cup, it was Alta Badia in Italy, then it switched to Kranjska Gora, and then Beaver Creek in the States! I love Colorado, I love the snow, that kind of slope they have there, it’s so much fun to ski. If I were a regular ski tourist, I’d go there for sure!

F.O.T: Do you ski for pleasure these days?!

MO: Not so much. I still enjoy it certainly; if we have some powder skiing when we’re out, I love it. Then you get that wave of emotion and think ‘oh man, skiing is fantastic!’. When you ski red and blue gates all the time, that’s work. The reward is absolutely the results, and that’s fantastic too!

Follow Matts on his pre-season journey thru his Insta HERE and keep up with all the FIS World Cup online HERE.

A CLASSIC DAY OUT!

ALERT! This post has almost nothing to do with Fitness, Fashion, Nutrition or Travel, but it WAS a lot of fun to put together and it teases out a little passion of mine! Last weekend I went to the classic car Concours of Elegance at the majestic abode that is Hampton Court Palace. I was invited by a sponsor of the event, whom I believe to be the most magical of Swiss watch manufactures, Breguet. As I have a clockmaker in the family, I’ve long known of and marveled over this company’s virtuosic mechanical genius; all who call themselves ‘horologists’ worship at the shrine of Abraham Louis Breguet, the godfather of the temporal arts! In 1815, he was officially appointed chronometer-maker to the French Navy and as a keen sailor myself (you might recall my Bronze at Cowes Week) I was quite keen to discover the heritage and credentials of their Marine collection first hand, whilst seeing some of the most fabulous classic cars. Click MORE below to see it all…

Hampton Court Palace, once the residence of Henry VIII, and a sprawling labyrinth of confused semi-Tudor, quasi-Baroque architecture, hosted the Concours of Elegance which recalls the days when the Parisian aristocracy would parade around in their civilised horse-drawn carraiges. These days, it’s an excuse to polish up the most rarefied specimens of automotive heritage and show them to the world. My affections were taken by this pristine 1958 Mercedes Benz 300SL roadster!

To the Watches now, if I may. The resourceful creativity of Breguet totally astounds me. In an era when I can globally accomplish more communicative productivity with my smartphone in 60 seconds than Breguet perhaps did in a lifetime, I still completely fail to wrap my mind around the inventions he pioneered; almost because of our nonplussed response to digital technology’s capabilities these days, the romantic fascination grows stronger for mechanical genius, for devices imbued with life from breathing springs and whirring cogs. Apart from the first ever wrist watch, the self-winding rotor, the perpetual calendar, and the mother of all complications, the tourbillon, he also dreamed up the ‘Equation of Time’, to help sailors navigate better with their chronometers. The company describes it as follows:

From time immemorial, the Sun has served as the basis of time measurement. Nonetheless, the visible orbit of the Sun – the true solar time shown on sundials – is irregular.

The equation of time is the difference between mean solar time – our civil time based on a conventional twenty-four-hour period – and the true solar time, which varies with the earth’s irregular orbit round the sun. Mean solar tune runs up to 16 minutes behind true solar time, as is the case on November 3; or up to 14 minutes ahead of it, as is the case on February 12. The two values are exactly matched on just four days a year.

Appointed “Chronometer-maker to the French Royal Navy” in 1815, A.-L. Breguet and his son created the most elaborate equation of time models of their time.

My own fascination was for the Marine 5817, which I perceive to be the watch for a keen sailor to wear on an  everyday basis. A polished steel case, a screw-lock crown, waterproof to 100m, a simple and focussed rubber strap, and a set of muscular lugs protruding out from the circular case; these are the practical and sturdy components of the design. But looking a little closer reveals beautiful signature details which speak to me of passion and heritage; the enchanting Breguet hands in blued steel, the engine-turned face with that oceanic maelstrom pattern, and the sapphire glass to the rear guarding the guilloche-patterned rotor which itself unveils the beating heart of the watch, the silicon balance spring and spidery escapement wheel. It is the meeting place of functional and magical…

… But if you’ve made it this far and still aren’t convinced, then the following video shows basically the most sublime piece of mechanical engineering I’ve ever laid eyes upon, and wraps it all up beautifully, in this quite movingly portrayed video!

The Concours was quite an experience in a gorgeous heritage location, and overall a superb day out in Blighty to steal one of the final days of summer! Thank you for the invitation Breguet.

DOWNHILL IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, WITH EE!

A fortnight ago, I had an outrageously exciting adventure; I headed to Machynlleth, in North-West Wales to take part in the Red Bull Fox Hunt, the world’s only all-female downhill mountain biking event (N.B, there were no 4-legged foxes involved, only 2-legged ones on bikes!). Regularly cycling along the leafy roads of suburban North London and growing up biking about the idyllic Swedish countryside I mistakenly thought I probably had this covered and that it would be pretty easy; not for the last time, I somewhat misjudged it! The course was remote, cold, muddy, unbelievably slippery and the mountains were terrifyingly steep at speed; imagine trying to get traction whilst cycling through chocolate slurry… Why did I do it? EE invited me to go somewhere with absolutely no coverage, so that they could show how their 4G ‘Helikite’ can deliver superfast 4G to my smartphone in the most remote places.  This was a super muddy experiment for me to prove the thesis. Click MORE to see how I got on during the downhill (clue; my shoes became ‘collateral damage’!)…

1)    SETTING THE SCENE…

This was an event powered by EE’s superfast 4G network which allowed me to use my phone for calls, texts, and planning/checking my route. Whilst travelling to Mach (as the locals affectionately – and pronounceably – nickname it), there was a point at which signal simply stopped on the train. The more rural we got, the less likely it was that I’d be able to check emails, have a flutter on social media or even make calls. That absence of what you might take for granted, the ability to communicate on demand, was quite surprisingly paralyzing as if a sense has been temporarily muted. With that in mind, it was quite amazing to find myself standing on top of the mountains in rural Wales only to receive a good luck call before heading down the track!

Rachel Atherton, last year’s winner, and MTB pro designed the route. Unfortunately, she had a cracked rib and for that reason was unable to take part, but she was there cheering competitors along. This year’s winner was Millie Johnset who was the first down the hill with a dominant, fear-inducing and presumably reckless time of 00.03.50, outperforming 2nd place by a prodigious margin of 33 seconds!

2)    WHY CYCLE?

Cycling is one of my favourite ways to travel around as it not only gets me there, but I can do some bonus cardio training in the process. It burns calories (c. 120 calories per mile), elevates the heart rate, lowers blood pressure, eases the risk of cardiovascular disease and it’s pretty soft on the environment too! Compared to running, which puts a lot of strain on the body (especially the knees), cycling is very low impact exercise and is kinder to your joints. It builds stamina and strength, with fewer injuries along the way. If you’re worried about losing precious muscle mass because of the CV, cycling actually develops muscle, especially in the lower body as power is generated by the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes, which will fuel additional calorie burn even after the journey has ended. It will also stimulate the production of HGH (human growth hormone), and remember, muscle burns more calories at rest than fat, so this is a form of exercise that keeps on giving!

However, this event evidently wasn’t about road biking. MTB is a completely different ball game; in fact, it’s not actually a ball game. Enthusiasts who’ve invested thousands of pounds into their bikes, gathered from all over the UK, pitched tents overnight in a muddy, sodden field surrounded by cute local sheep so that they could get on their bikes early in the morning in the rain, to cycle up a mountain and then hurl themselves back down again! That’s dedication, passion and enthusiasm from a super involved community!

3)   MY TAKE…

a) OUT OF THE COMFORT ZONE… Whilst it was indeed cold, wet and rainy and the mud only got muddier, it was also super invigorating to be out there! For lack of a better example, it a little bit like the time when you’re standing beside a lake and you’re already cold and you’re debating whether to get colder and wetter by jumping in…. then you do it and it feels great! You just have to plough on and hope for the best!

b) Brings people together, a diverse crowd. This was my first experience within the community, and MTB is, I would say, a fairly niche discipline. Yes, it’s pretty accessible for everyone but for this event, you either live nearby or have gone out of your way to pursue this passion.This became apparent when looking around I saw energetic women of all ages and different fitness levels who all had different reasons for being there. One woman I spoke to said she wanted to lose weight but wanted a real outdoorsy challenge and another said she’d divorced her husband and wanted to just do something different.

c) It’s challenging, exhilarating and for anyone looking for a bit of adrenaline look no further! The closeness to nature combined with the speed and knife-edge approach to balance is a recipe for a natural high!

d) Intense cardiovascular training, whilst being low impact. It’s cardiovascular training with natural intervals. The terrain constantly changes, you may be going downhill, uphill, pitching left and right, whereby speed and resistance changes. This means you’ll have times of heavy resistance, so your legs burn and are seriously challenged. Interval training gets the heart rate up toasts more calories in less time. This is serious leg training targeting the gluteus as well, so you may experience soreness the next couple of days if this is something you’re not used too.

e) It’s affordable. You can rent bikes of varying technical credentials, and at different price levels but that’s a one-off investment. You don’t need a membership, you literally can cycle anywhere – endless freedom! I probably wouldn’t bring a Boris Bike to this sort of event though…

f) TOURISM! It means you see new parts of the world. Whether it be your city or the countryside, it gets you out in the open, fresh air and stimulation!

4) DID I GET SIGNAL?

Despite being off the grid, with no network coverage, in the rural outback of the remote Welsh countryside, EE’s ‘Airmast’ balloon showered an arcing dome of superfast 4G signal across the competition site, and beyond. With my smartphone tucked inside my jersey, I was in contact with whoever and whatever throughout. I was able to call, text and record-and-share my workout stats through the day. I took breaks during the hours of riding up, down and around the course, during which I could simply be in touch when needed – that’s a sense of freedom I very much appreciate, given how much the job relies on communication!

 

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This post is a sponsored collaboration with EE. For more about why I take on such projects, please see my DISCLOSURE page. Thank you. 

MOTIVATE YOUR EARS!

This is a short post-ette on seeking out acoustic motivation, in whatever form works for you! I’ve written extensively on the importance of setting goals, checking in on oneself, and measuring progress, but I believe that to achieve all of this, motivation is something that must be sought out every single day; as Zig Ziglar observed, ‘People often say that motivation doesn’t last – well, neither does bathing, that’s why we recommend it daily!’. I wanted to share with you one of the major ways in which I encounter and extract health and fitness motivation on a daily basis. The best bit is that you can do it anywhere, anytime and it costs nothing – whilst commuting, walking to work or the gym (my favourite), whilst cooking, cleaning or even whilst working. Podcasts not only deliver awesome and focussed motivation, but they’re informative and keep me entertained. As with everything, there are parts of certain pods I agree with and others I don’t, but it’s always interesting to hear different views. I’m broadening my horizons whilst accomplishing things I might not have wanted to accomplish, spurred along by this! Click MORE to see my top podcasts and my two items that deliver me pure audiophile bliss

First up, a small confession; I’m an audiophile! Like many, I find music to be such an evocative force, it can bring me to tears of joy and then sorrow, and back to joy again within mere minutes. My ears constantly crave high sound quality, and to that end my friends at Amazon made something pretty incredible happen via their #ShoptheFuture store: I am the very proud owner of a pair of Japanese hand-crafted Sony MDR-Z1R ultra-high-def headphones, which is the acoustic equivalent of a petrolhead procuring a Ferrari F40. The rendering of sound is quite literally as good as I’ve ever heard, throughout the entire register, with a warm rich bass, perfectly balanced by crisp trebles and impossible amounts of character and presence in between. They reveal details I’ve simply never heard in familiar songs, so that I can enjoy my favourite motivational tunes in the best quality I’ve ever experienced.  It is delicious, sumptuous audio quality, and parallels eating chocolate with your ears! Not only that but the butter-soft sheepskin padded muffs almost make you weep with the comfort – this is gearhead utopia. Having a huge array of diverse playlists to cycle through, consisting of new tunes, old favourites, up-tempo genres, and chill out standards – all of which enthuse and energise me, is a necessity. Training in a gym at 06:00 can at times feel lonely, but having someone wailing in my ear about their latest breakup in 4-part-harmony in HD clarity is like having a good friend giving you that extra bit of drive! 

Another favourite is heading down to my local park at sunset and just busting out some Beyonce to get me through an outdoor session! For this purpose, I’ve been experimenting with the Bose Soundlink Revolve Bluetooth speaker, which is perfectly suited to the task. It’s cradle rechargeable, instantly connects to my phone first-time-every-time, and delivers 360-degree sound with substance and presence. From something so small and readily portable, I am super impressed with the punch from this little package – perfect for when you and a few mates decide to go for a park session!

WHAT DO I RECOMMEND BY WAY OF PODCASTS?

Well, there’s always the classic TED Talks Health. If through some misfortune, you’ve not encountered TED Talks, they’re short erudite soliloquies lasting approximately 18 minutes or less. The TED Talks Health show some different subjects varying from body image, motivation, mental illness and nutrition.

There are so many to listen to, but some of my choicest favourites that have made quite an impression on me:

  1. Sandra Aamodt: Why Dieting Doesn’t Usually Work (see item #69 in the list that comes up)
  2. Why fitness is more important than weight – Leanne Spencer, at TEDxWandsworth
  3. One which touches more perhaps on organization (a key ingredient for goal setting) and one of my favourites; partly because it’s so funny and if you have a tendency to procrastinate you’ll relate. https://www.ted.com/talks/tim_urban_inside_the_mind_of_a_master_procrastinator
  4. And a key talk, Simon Sinek’s ‘Why, How, What’ thesis, which rose to prominence in his celebrated TEDx talk, about which I wrote in my recent post HERE.

ALSO, HERE ARE 4 MORE GEMS…

  1. Shredded by science Radio – Humorous but scientific. It’s informative and makes light of another wise at times; industry; which takes itself very seriously and is riddled by ego.
  2. Food for Fitness – Scott Bapties a Physique and sports nutritionist discussed diets, food shows, training.
  3. Podrunner – I recently discovered this is a podcast channel that’s established for 10 years+, and which delivers free music for anyone training – running, power-walkers, weight training etc. I find that anything between 120-130bpm (ideally 128) is ideal for the purpose! Power it out on the Bose Soundlink and you’re in business
  4. Barbell Shrugged – Find up to 250 episodes which interviews experts in specific different fields. It’s super informative and the sort of stuff which can be super helpful to improve your training. There’s a lot of x-fit stuff but also a lot of other bits too – something for everyone.

Enjoy the tunes & learnings!

Liked the products? Buy them here:
– Sony MDR-Z1R ultra-high-def headphones – HERE
– Bose Soundlink Revolve Bluetooth speaker – HERE

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This post is a sponsored collaboration with Amazon as part of their #ShopetheFuture campaign. For more about why I take on such projects, please see my DISCLOSURE page. Thank you. 

WHY TO START TRAINING – NOW !!!

Amidst the snowy deluge of a brutally frosted British December, Summer is but a moribund memory, seemingly belonging to a different planet (or Sydney in the case of my shots here!). Bikinis and/or trunks are consigned to a forgotten section of the wardrobe and instead, it’s acceptable to hide under countless layers of knitted misc. The commercialized ‘beach body’ frenzy is over; we feel as though we can relax, without the pressure to get naked! It’s also a time when we naturally eat and/or drink a little more than we otherwise would; t’is festive season leading up to Christmas…

For that reason, I say TRAIN NOW; this way whatever excess you’re consuming, at least you’re burning it off at the gym! Furthermore, you’re establishing a fitness routine now rather than leaving it to January, when going cold turkey will feel like a tragic uphill struggle. By the time the equally commercialized ‘new year new you’ fallacy comes around, you’ll already have a strong, regular thing going on; new year, same you! BTW, I don’t subscribe to the January frenzy, instead I believe healthy is a lifestyle choice all year round! This post contains a few 101 tips to get started, right now!

 

Without sounding like the Grinch I’m all for engaging with festivities; mince pies and mulled wine are some of life’s most wonderful gifts! BUT to avoid starting the year on a bad note, feeling overwhelming guilt the sense of futility, why not start now?! 

To help you with goal setting I’ve written lots of tips about this HERE.

 

If you’re completely new to training and thinking ‘where do I even begin’, my advice would be not to over-think the process. There are a million different ‘rules’ and techniques you can pursue, but at a high level, training really can be pretty straightforward.

101 OF TRAINING – KEEPING IT SIMPLE!

–       Keep it challenging. Always push yourself when it starts to get easy; you want to leave feeling that you’ve fatigued and challenged yourself, that you gave your all.

–       Always ensure to pursue good technique and form. Don’t be afraid to ask one of the trainers in your gym whether you’re doing it right; that’s what they’re there for, and it will benefit your body disproportionately to ask!

–       Start with body weight exercises and once that feels easy, introduce some light free weights.

–     Engage with your bread and butter training. The classic exercises are classic for a reason. Think squats, lunges, deadlifts, bench press, dumbbell flies, lat-pulldown, seated rows etc.

–       Start with a straightforward, easy split routine 3 times a week. Day 1: Chest and biceps. Day 3: Legs. Day 5 Back and triceps. Then repeat the following week.

–       Make sure to include rest/recovery days in between each session

–       Always warm up and stretch after every session

–       Eat within an hour after each session.

–       Abs are made in the kitchen. Cut out junk food.

–       AND if you’re feeling like something festive then enjoy those treats in moderation; accept it, don’t feel guilty but perhaps see it as extra fuel to work even harder at the gym!

Finally, besides all of that, make the small every day changes first, while your body gets used to the idea. Remember, any change is better than what you are doing right now. It is possible! Just start today—you will thank yourself in a few months!