Alwyn Cosgrove is regarded as the Worlds Leading authority on fat loss and athletic conditioning and has kindly agreed to give me an interview on how he achieves rapid results with his clients.

MK: Hi Alwyn, I really appreciate you taking out some time for this interview.

AC: Cheers Marc, always happy to help out.

MK: Could you start by telling the readers a little about your current coaching commitments?

AC: Right now it’s a mixed bag Marc. Most of my time is actually spent coaching BUSINESS for personal trainers and studio owners. The newest arm of our business is ResultsFitnessBiz.com which puts on educational events and provides business development coaching for exercise professionals.

We also still operate a VERY busy gym – Results Fitness, here in Santa Clarita, California, with a full load of clients and of course, I’m on the road quite a bit. My commitments range from actual training sessions, staff training to more of a consulting role. I helped Felicia Oh (World submission grappling champion) and Juila Cross (World Taekwondo champion) with their physical preparation for their last events – purely as a consultant.

MK: Can you tell the reader a little about your educational background?

AC: It’s not really a background Marc – it’s an ongoing journey!

To answer your question though –formally I have a degree from the University of Liverpool (Chester College) and also completed a course of study at West Lothian College in Scotland.

I have had every certification in the book at one point, and to be honest have let most of them lapse. The education was great, but I didn’t see much point in maintaining them all (as to be honest the “maintaining” tended to involve just attending more seminars – which I do anyway – and then sending someone some money!)

But the real answer is – we have 300 clients at our facility. We monitor their results all the time and test and tweak our programming accordingly.

I try to read a book a week at minimum. Today, it’s more business and professional development books as opposed to training – but you can imagine the difference that reading 52 books a year can make.

And I attend seminars. I suggest my staff attend one every 90 days as a minimum. We bring in people to train our staff at least 2-3 times per year, and we run our own in-house training.

My suggestion for most reading this would be to attend at least 4 seminars per year. I’m blessed in that I present around 15-20 times per year, so I’m also able to attend the other speakers presentations. It makes for a lot of education.

MK: In your books Afterburn and Afterburn 2 you do not recommend any steady state cardio. A lot of people reading this will be of the opinion that steady state cardio in the “fat burning zone” is the best way to lose fat. Can you give me your opinion on why traditional cardio doesn’t work and what you think of the fat burning zone?

AC: It’s quite simple. There are no studies that show any significant fat loss effect to low intensity steady state cardio. There are tons that show higher intensity work, resistance training and interval training to work very well. It’s not rocket science. Harder work will yield more results.

The fat burning zone is correct. There is a heart rate zone where your body will burn more energy from fat as a percentage than it will from other fuel sources. However it’s been misinterpreted – the “as a percentage” line gets missed by most people. It’s irrelevant. You burn the most fat as a percentage with low intensity work (and at rest). Does anyone really think that the international obesity epidemic is as result of people working too hard in their exercise programs?

MK: In my training programs I never use any of the traditional “machine” exercises as I believe they cause long term joint injuries. Would you share your opinions of the machines that you would find in a typical gym?

AC: You’re asking the wrong guy. I haven’t been in a typical machine gym in ten years or so. I have no idea what they have in there, sorry

Basically though – all machines were ever designed to do was to mimic free weight movement and isolate muscle groups. Why we would need a more expensive “alternative” and a need to isolate anything never made any sense to me.

MK: Your training philosophy is not too dissimilar to mine in that you use supersets, tri-sets and circuits to get rapid fat loss results. Could you tell the reader why you chose this method instead of traditional weight training where you do one set of an exercise, rest before repeating the exercise?

AC: We don’t’ always use that method. Different programs require different approaches. For metabolic conditioning we use that method as it allows us to keep overall work high while minimizing local muscular fatigue. I break down the science here: Tweaking Your Workout

MK: Thanks Alwyn.  Now for some of the ladies reading this they might be reluctant to try your program due to the weight training. What would you say to a female client who was worried about “bulking up” due to lifting weights?

AC: We have 300+ clients – about 70% or more are female. They all get leaner and smaller. I think today’s female knows that weight training can be a great tool for them. Most females were leanest when they were in their early 20’s – typically when they had the most muscle mass. If any ladies out there are still unsure of the benefits of resistance training – then check out Rachel’s book – “The Female Body Breakthrough”

MK: Thanks for clearing that up. Moving on to nutrition, with regards to fat loss, what should the readers be doing to get incredible results?

AC: I think we have got carried away with nutrition. A good goal would be to eat every 3 hours, a serving of lean protein, with a serving or two of fruits and vegetables. Follow that plan 80-90% of the time and you’ll be making great progress.

MK: What would you say to someone who was training hard but still not seeing the results you would expect from the effort they were putting in at the gym?

AC: There are so many variables. It could be bad form, actually not working hard enough (perception vs reality), or not working smart enough. Busting your arse on a bench press program when your goal is weight loss won’t work – so sometimes it’s a programming issue. I’d need to see training diaries, video, and do a consultation to know for sure.

MK: With regards to calories, obviously eating too much is going to hinder fat loss, would you say eating too little will have an adverse effect on results? Could you explain why?

AC: It can but that’s rarely a problem until you look longer term. Any time you don’t eat enough you slow down. Forget metabolic rate etc for now – if you eat far too little food – you just won’t have the energy to train, work or even live. Basically you’ll move less and be tired more. Therefore you’ll close any numerical caloric deficit that you think you’ve created.

The other issue is that, as my friend Valerie Waters says – strategy will trump willpower all the time. At some point, after eating way too little, you’re going to snap and eat too much. So we have a double whammy – you’re moving less and over the course of the week, or month, you end up overeating anyway – so now we are burning less calories and still eating too much.

MK: What are your opinions on these diets that say “drink two shakes & one meal per day” or the cereal based diets?

AC: I haven’t heard of the cereal based ones – must be a UK thing. It’s a short term approach for inevitable failure. How are the result one year or more after coming off those plans? I’ve never seen anyone who can live like that for long periods of time, and I’ve never seen anyone make meaningful change when they come off those plans.

MK: I believe that supplements should be just that. They should be an addition to a healthy balanced nutrition plan make up of whole foods and not replace them. Would you agree?

AC: Yes.

MK: Before we close Alwyn, what would be your 5 top things to do regarding training and nutrition to help the readers to cut body fat

AC:

1.       Perform metabolic circuits or pairings 3 times per week

2.       Drink enough water – it’s hard to do anything in a dehydrated state

3.       Eat real food, multiple times per day

4.       Increase the amount of vegetables and fruits you consume while limiting starch and processed foods

5.       Weight train 1-2 times per week

Obviously we can create hybrid routines of #1 and #5 but most people still need to train at both ends of the continuum

MK: This has been an awesome interview Alwyn, I’ve learned a lot from you today and I hope the readers have too. Where can the readers go to find out more about you and your training programs?

AC: For trainers wanting to learn about business – check out www.resultsfitnessbiz.com. For those of you wanting to learn about training – my gym website is www.results-fitness.com and I have a blog over at www.alwyncosgrove.com

MK: Thanks again Alwyn

About Alwyn: For nearly two decades Alwyn Cosgrove has been committed to achieving excellence in the field of fitness training and athletic preparation.  Specializing in performance enhancement, Alwyn has helped countless individuals and athletes reach their goals through sound scientific training.  Alwyn has an honors degree in Sports Science from the University of Liverpool, is certified as a strength & conditioning specialist with the National Strength and Conditioning Association and has been recognized as a Master of Sports Sciences with the International Sports Sciences Association.

Alwyn is also recognized by the National Academy of Sports Medicine, the American College of Sports Medicine, the British Association of Sports and Exercise Sciences, Kingsports International Australia, the Society for Weight Training Injury Specialists, USA Weightlifting and the Chek

Institute of Corrective High Performance Exercise Kinesiology. A former Taekwon-do international champion, Alwyn has utilized his personal experience as an athlete and combined it with the advanced theories of European Sports Science and the principles of modern strength and conditioning systems.

Through the years in this field Alwyn has been recognized as a specialist in Athletic Preparation by The United States, the United Kingdom and Australia and has studied extensively each country’s approach to athletic preparation. During his career as a strength and conditioning coach, Alwyn has worked with a wide variety of clientele, including several Olympic and national level athletes, five World Champions and professionals in a multitude of sports including boxing, martial arts, soccer, ice skating, football, fencing, triathlon,  rugby, bodybuilding, dance and fitness competition

Alwyn recently had two books published, The New Rules of Lifting and The New Rules of Lifting for Women. A sought after ‘expert’ for several of the country’s leading publications including Men’s Health magazine, Alwyn works closely with our program design department developing all the training programs carried out in the gym, and oversees the elite staff in their implementation of each workout.

Nick Grantham has become recognised as a specialist in athletic preparation and has helped athletes at all levels achieve their personal goals and ambitions. He has kindly agreed to give me an interview on why he believes everyone should train like an athlete.

MK: Hi Nick, I really appreciate you taking out some time for this interview.

NG: No problem Marc, it’s always a pleasure to be asked to do things like this. I’m looking forward to sharing my thoughts and ideas and I promise I’ll try not to go off on any rants!

MK: Could you start by telling the readers a little about your current coaching commitments? (I borrowed that from your interview with Mike Boyle)

NG: I currently run my own facility in Newcastle upon Tyne, Smart Fitness. I have a wide range of clients from general population through to professional athletes, so I have a great mix. I am also the strength and conditioning coach for the GB Women’s Basketball Team, helping them prepare for 2012.

MK: Can you tell the reader a little about your coaching background?

NG: After finishing my MSc I started working with British Gymnastics as a sport scientist/physiologist but I wasn’t particularly excited by running VO2 max tests and taking bloods, in fact I was much more interested in the training that went on between the testing.  I decided to take a bit of gamble and sat the first NSCA strength and conditioning accreditation to take place in the UK. Soon after that I took up a position with England Netball which was one of the first posts in the UK specifically for strength and conditioning. Around the same time British Gymnastics asked me back as a consultant in a similar capacity where I worked with the Mens Artisitic team as they prepared for the 2002 Commonwealth Games. Following this I took up the position of lead strength and conditioning coach in the West Midlands for the English Institute of Sport. This was a great job and my team looked after athletes competing in a wide range of sports. We had a great support team and I was lucky to work with some of the best athletes in the country. I held that post for 4 and a half years before leaving to open up my own business in the Newcastle Upon Tyne, Smart Fitness. I now look after a range of clients, from general population through to professional athletes and teams. I’m very lucky to be doing something I really enjoy, it’s brilliant.

MK: I recently attended a seminar where you where one of the guest speakers. In the seminar you talked about the need to train like an athlete, could you explain why?

NG: Now, I did say I wouldn’t rant but I’m really passionate about this and I reckon I’m in danger of going off on one.

Why should everyone train like an athlete. Well, the simple answer is it gets RESULTS! Most commercial facilities fail to mention anything in their marketing material about results, usually because their members don’t get any!

In my opinion a lot of what takes place in commercial gyms is simply selling the clients short. The path to improved fitness, health and sporting performances is not through slow steady state cardio, followed by a machine based resistance training session. The reason this has become the ‘norm’ in so many facilities is because it is an easy option for most gym owners and personal trainers.

We need to train in a manner that will support our day to day lifestyle. You don’t need to be an athlete to train like one. Think of a 45 year that has to sprint to catch the bus, or the young mum of two trying to carry the kids and put them in the car whilst loading the car up with shopping. Initially you may not consider what they are doing as ‘athletic’ but think about the movements and loads and stresses that are being placed on the body. Now ask yourself if sitting on a pec deck or repping out on the thigh master is really challenging the body and helping it develop the capacity to cope with everyday ‘athletic’ situations.

I come from a performance background and I figured that everyone should be able to access the level of care and attention that I gave to my high performance athletes. For the past 3 years I’ve been successfully putting my training principles into practice with the clients that train with me at Smart Fitness. The response I get from my clients when they adopt an ‘athletic’ approach to training is amazing. For many of them this is the first time in their lives that they have worked out with any real intensity. For the vast majority it is the first time that they have combined the powerful benefits of resistance training, high-intensity cardiovascular training and a clean diet. It doesn’t take long for them to start seeing and feeling the benefits of a more ‘athletic’ approach to training and enjoying the RESULTS of their hard work

MK:  Could you give some examples of the types of clients you train?

NG: Sure, we are a broad church at Smart Fitness! You met Ken in my presentation. Ken is 65 years old, had a brain tumour removed and came to me to help regain some confidence, balance and fitness. Marc, you saw the video, Ken kicks arse, 18 months down the line and he is proof as to why everyone should adopt an athletic approach to training.

At the other end of the spectrum I have professional athletes that come to train with me, usually pre-season work when they are away from their clubs and need some expert guidance at a local facility.

The beauty is that we work on a semi-private basis so we have several clients training at a time. This is, in my opinion, the perfect training environment; we have the pro’s in with the fat loss clients. What is great is that rather than being an intimidating environment, it’s a place where everyone can find motivation and inspiration. Imagine the fat loss clients face when they realise they have a better technique on an exercise than a pro-athelte! The fat loss clients realises they rock and the pro athlete realises they need to up their game. It’s a win win situation!

MK:  Athletic training would involve lots of functional exercise, could you explain to the readers what functional training is and more importantly what it is not?

NG: Marc, you are doing your best to wind me up! Functional training is not wobbling around on a stability ball doing bicep curls – save that for the circus! Vern Gambetta provides a great overview on what he considers to be functional training is in his book Athletic Development: The Art and Science of Functional Sports Conditioning. Vern says that functional training “employees an integrated (as opposed to isolated) approach. It involves movement of multiple body parts, and the move involves multiple planes”. In the seminar that I deliver on the EXF-Perform Better Learn By Doing Workshops I go into more detail about exactly what I feel functional training is, but Vern pretty much hits the nail on the head.

MK: You also talked about multi directional movements. Could you explain why this is important?

NG: It comes back to how we move in real life. Our body moves through a wide range of movements in multiple directions. I can’t think of one activity that we perform in our day-to-day lives that require true isolation of any single muscle, so why do we insist on training in this manner? Machines pretty much lock you into a single plane of movement, but that is not how the body actually moves and performs day to day functions.

MK: What type of equipment would you use to achieve this?

NG: I use whatever it takes to get the job done! There are currently a lot of coaches out there that market themselves as the ‘kettlebell guy’ or the ‘olympic lifting guy’ which seems a bit odd to me. What they are basically saying is that they only have one approach to getting people in shape! It’s my way or the highway and this is the best training method for fat loss, injury prevention, body building etc etc. I would argue that if you come across this type of coach that their locker is probably pretty empty, and here’s why. Lets say I had to put together a bookshelf from Ikea. The bookshelf had 50 screws that held it together. Now I’m a ‘hammer guy’ and I’m going to knock the crap out of each screw and make sure they go into the wood! This approach may work in the short term, it’s probably going to look a bit messy and chances are it would have been hard work! Wouldn’t it be so much easier if I chose the appropriate tool for the job. A good coach will get the screwdriver out!

Coaches need to stop attaching themselves to pieces of equipment and develop a wide coaching skill set. I will use bodyweight, weighted vests, dumbbells, barbells, bands, chains, kettlebells, suspension trainers, cable machines, medicine balls etc etc. If you want to develop functionality through multidimensional movement you need a range of ‘tools’ that will let you get the job done. Match the skill with the appropriate tool and you are onto a winner.

MK: So barbells, dumbbells, bodyweight exercises are the key. What about exercise machines that you would find in most commercial gyms?

NG: Marc, Marc, Marc…..you are determined to make me rant! Let’s face facts, exercise machines appeal to the general population because they are ‘high-tech’, and anything with a button, TV screen or LED display must be fantastic, right? They appeal to gym instructors and some personal trainers, because they don’t require a discernable level of skill to operate them! Coaching is not standing next to machine, adjusting the seat height and selecting the weight and then counting backwards, from 10 down to 1!

You’ve seen photos of my facility, and I can safely say that my training is not focused on the use of machines. Resistance machines have several fundamental flaws:

1. They are designed for the average Joe – what if you are not average, what if you are tall or short or maybe a bit on the heavy side?
2. Most machines have you sitting down. We spent millions of years, evolving so that we can walk round up right but now we seem hell bent on sitting down on our arse all day. We sit on the sofa at home, we sit in our car on the way to work, and we sit at our desk all day at work. Guess what, we go to the gym, and once again, you are encouraged to sit on your arse!
3. Most machines only allow movement in one plane. Daily activity takes place in all three lanes of movement.
4. Most machines at tempt to isolate individual muscle groups. Once again, this has very little bearing on the movements that we carry out on a day-to-day basis.

My primary goal with the clients I work with is to improve their ‘functional’ strength. I strongly believe that an over reliance on resistance machines, compromises, the overall development of an individual’s ability to perform day-to-day functions.

The exception to the rule are cable machines (see I’m not 100% against machines…just 99.9%!). If you can get your hands on a good cable system then you will have an effective tool for developing strength through a wide range of movement patterns.

MK: High Intensity Interval Training is superior to clients looking for fat loss could you explain to the reader what it is and why it is preferable to steady state cardio?

NG: Not all cardio is created equal. If you can read your magazine/book or hold a conversation with your friend whilst performing your cardio workout then you need to have a rethink!

For me HIIT is simply switching from a high intensity work effort to a low intensity work effort and repeating for a set period of time. For a new client It may simply be walking fast for one minute and then walking slow for one minute (if you are out of shape walking fast is high intensity), repeating that sequence for 15 to 20 minutes. For someone that has been training for some time, the intensity level of each work effort will be higher, but the principle remains the same, alternate, periods of high intensity with periods of low intensity efforts.

Give me 20 minutes and I will give you a fat melting cardio session which will have you incinerating calories even when you have stopped training! We squeeze every last drop out of our cardio sessions by working at high intensities. There is a heap of research that clearly shows that HIIT is far superior for increasing lean body mass. HIIT promotes EPOC (Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption) and research has shown it can elevate metabolisms for up to 36 hours post-exercise! If this results in even only a 1 calorie per minute increase, this comes out to an excess 2,160 calories burned over the next day and half!! This is not even counting the cumulative effect of  your next workout!

Clients have a choice, plod along for ages hardly breaking a sweat, or increase the intensity for a shorter period of time to maximise the training benefit.

MK: Could you outline a typical fat loss training program?

NG: A typical fat loss program consists of three components.

1. Strength – 1-2 whole body movements (5 minutes)
2. Metabolic Resistance Training (MRT) – a series of 4-5 strength-based movements completed in a circuit (20-25 minutes)
3. HIIT – cardio intervals (10-20 minutes)

I would be looking for this session to be completed at least three times per week and combined with a healthy nutrition plan.

MK: Thanks Nick, you have given us some great information so far. Moving on to nutrition, with regards to fat loss, what should the readers be doing to get incredible results?

NG: Table push aways! Most people eat way too much and would probably benefit from pushing the table away halfway through the meal! (I got that one from Mike Boyle – he should go into stand up!)

MK: What would you say to someone who was training hard but still not seeing the results you would expect from the effort they were putting in at the gym?

NG: You need to consider your clients as a ‘24 hour client’. What are they doing outside of the gym that is preventing them from getting the results? I know that my programs work. So when a client is training with me and I’m not seeing the level of improvement that I would expect, we need to take a look at what is going on outside of their training sessions with me.

I usually ask some simple questions. I ask the clients tell me three things that went well this week with their training and nutrition. I then ask the client to tell me three things that they think didn’t go so well this week. It’s at this point that you usually find out that something has happened during the week that is counter-productive to their goals! It may be that they are freestyling their nutrition, not training enough or possibly not getting enough recovery. The key is to have a conversation with your client and start to understand what is actually happening when they are not with you.

MK: With regards to calories, obviously eating too much is going to hinder fat loss, would you say eating too little will have an adverse effect on results? Could you explain why?

NG: Starvation is not the way to go for fat loss! Rachel Cosgrove sums it up nicely in her book, The Female Body Breakthrough. “Eat more often, not less. Becoming fit and fabulous is not about starving yourself and feeling deprived. The key is to get your metabolism revving, fuel your body throughout the day with healthy foods, and learn how to enjoy a guilt free splurge that fits into your healthy lifestyle… instead of starving your body and letting your metabolism stall out, creating an ideal situation to gain the weight back, the goal is to fuel your body and boost your metabolism to the point where your body burns through the food you eat and you have to continue fuelling to keep your metabolism leading”.

The body is very clever, when you start to reduce your calorie intake the body will work overtime to save energy. The first thing that will happen is your metabolism will start to drop. This is the exact opposite of what you actually want to happen!

MK: What are your opinions on these diets that say “drink two shakes & one meal per day” or the cereal based diets?

NG: Marc, here’s what I think

Quick fix – short term results – long-term failure – yo-yo weight loss weight gain constantly frustrated!

This is not, in my opinion, a healthy approach to long-term sustained fat loss. The cereal based diets really make me laugh. Cereals are traditionally eaten at breakfast. That’s one meal out of a potential three (if we adopt a typical Western meal plan). So let’s think why they may want you to eat two bowls of cereal each day. Any thoughts? Maybe it’s because if you start to eat two bowls of cereal and you are going to need to buy twice as much cereal! I reckon it has less to do with adopting a balanced and healthy lifestyle, and more to do with sales! Just my opinion.

MK: I believe that supplements should be just that. They should be an addition to a healthy balanced nutrition plan made up of whole foods and not replace them. Would you agree?

NG: Marc, I think you have hit the mail on the head. Supplements are like the icing on the cake. The problem is, most people don’t have a cake in the first place! I think it is really important for people to adopt a healthy balanced diet and work hard to get their vitamins, minerals and nutrients from natural sources. However, it’s important that we should also recognise that some populations (athletes, students etc) may not have the healthiest and most balanced diet! These people may actually benefit from supplementation. But lets not get carried away, if you are constantly popping pills and drinking shakes then I think you need to get a grip of yourself and start eating some real food.

MK: What would be your top three “must do” things with regards to nutrition for fat loss?

NG:

1.       Eat clean  – if you can’t pronounce it then chances are you don’t want it in your stomach! Avoid overly processed foods and go natural.

2.       Drink more – reduce the amount of calorie containing beverages and drink more water at least 2 litres a day.

3.       Eat 5-6 times a day – provide your body with a constant stream of nutrients.

MK: Before we close Nick, what would be your 5 top things to do regarding training and nutrition to help the readers to cut body fat

NG:

1. Consistency of effort is the key to success. Develop a good programme, and repeat it consistently over an extended period of time. One session a week for a couple of weeks just doesn’t cut it. The same goes for nutrition, you need to be consistent with your efforts.
2. Ditch steady state cardio – it’s boring as hell and takes far too long. HIIT is tough but you can be done in as little as 10 minutes and you can let EPOC take care of things whilst you are doing something more interesting than training!
3. Lift weights – studies have compared weight lifting to aerobics and found that whilst both groups lost the same amount of weight, the group that lifted weights lost only fat. The aerobics group lost 8% of their weight from muscle! Remeber losing muscle, slows metabolism. We want to elevate metabolisms so lift heavy, you’ll love it!
4. Get Functional – ditch the machines (cables can stay!) and start to train how you need to move. Yes it’s more challenging but it’s a lot more fun and interesting than sitting on a pec deck watching TV!
5. Invisible Training – we need to take time for recovery and regeneration. If you are stressed all the time your body is going to pump out cortisol. Research has linked high cortisol levels with increased belly fat. Take some time to relax and you may just drop those muffin tops. You’ll probably be a nicer person to be around as well!

MK: It was great speaking to you today Nick, you’ve shared some incredible information which I hope the readers have found helpful. Where can the readers go to find out more about you and your training programs?

NG: Thanks for having me today Marc, it’s been fun and I hope I didn’t go off into too many rants! Your readers can keep in touch by following me on www.nickgrantham.com where I have a heap of free information, reviews, special offers, Q&A’s and the occasional rant! If they fancy seeing me in person then they can catch me at the EXF-Perform Better Learn By Doing Seminar in Oxford on July 10^th.

It’s the season finale and there is a great line up of world class speakers so even if they don’t want to see me it’s worth getting along to!

I’ve even embraced the social media side of things so you can catch me on twitter (http://twitter.com/coachnickg) and facebook (http://www.facebook.com/coachnickgrantham)!

MK: Thanks again Nick

NG: Absolute pleasure Marc, all the very best.

Nick has become recognised as a specialist in athletic preparation and has helped athletes at all levels achieve their personal goals and ambitions. Nick has worked in high performance sport for more than 10 years and has extensive experience of long term athlete development. As lead strength and conditioning coach to National Governing Body’s and Home Institutes Nick has been responsible for the management, development and delivery of integrated physical preparation strategies for a wide range of sports.

Nick has developed and delivered physical preparation strategies, incorporating other disciplines such as sport science, physiotherapy, nutrition, performance analysis and biomechanics. He has also worked closely with medical teams assisting in the management, monitoring and implementation of injury management programmes.

Nick continues to develop his knowledge of advanced training concepts and evidence based training principles, and has observed best practice at leading training establishments around the world including; the Australian Institute of Sport, International Rugby Academy New Zealand, US Olympic Training Centre, Cirque du Soleil and Birmingham Royal Ballet.

Nick has a proven record of coach and athlete education, having developed resources, practices and applied research that has enhanced the delivery of both sport specific and strength and conditioning support.

A sought after ‘expert’ Nick has presented seminars and practical demonstrations on strength and conditioning for the Football Association, the National Sports Medicine Institute, the British Olympic Association and the UK Strength and Conditioning Association.  Nick has articles published in leading sports publications such as Triathlete’s World, Men’s Health and Men’s Fitness including monthly columns in Sports Injury Bulletin and Maxim magazine.

The health and fitness industry is full of myths and fallacies regarding training mostly based on emotion. Thing is some people believe in these so much you could almost mistake it for another religion.

All my Personal Training and Boot Camp training programs are based on scientific principles and not somebody’s unfounded emotional opintion or some massive supplement company out to make a quick buck by manipulating  the truth. Remember these companies pay marketing houses massive amounts of money to help relieve you of your hard earned cash. So oftentimes the only thing losing weight is your wallet!

Over the next few articles I’m going to cover some common myths that I’ve come accross recently with regards to training and nutrition. I’ll start with a quick list a quick list of the more common ones before I pull it apart and give your the TRUTH.

1. Women who lift weights get big bulky muscles
   
2. Your lean toned muscles will turn to fat if you stop lifting weight
3. Specific exercises are great for toning muscles
4. Specific exercises are great for ’spot reduction’
5. Lifting light weights for high reps is great for ‘toning’
6. Men can get ‘muscle bound’ and can’t move around
7. Men and women need different exercise programs
8. Children should not lift weights
9. Specific exercises help ’shape’ a muscle
10. Specific exercises can help ‘cut up’ a muscle
11. You can train different ections of a muscle
12. You can eat and drink protein powders to build extra muscle
13. You ‘must’ take supplements to enhance muscle strength, power and size
14. You can take fat metabolisers, fat burning pills anduse cellulite cream to burn unwanted body fat
15. You should go on a diet if you want to lose weight
16. You should stop strength training if you are pregnant
17. You should not lift weights if you have arthritis
18. You should not lift weights if you have diabetes
    

Women who lift weights get big bulky muscles

Ok so lets knock this one on the head straight away. Women do not have the neccessary levels of testosterone and growth hormone required to increase lean muscle mass dramtically naturally. The majority of women only have the ability to replace the muscle tissue they have lost naturally since the age of about 20. At most an increase of a couple of kilograms of lean muscle tissue, above and beyond what your genetics determines may occur in a small percentage of a very few lucky women.

Lucky because this increase in muscle tissue will results in a faster metabolism therefore speeding up the bodies fat burning ability and slowing down the ageing process.

Ok, so suppose you have increased your muscle tissue by 5lbs over and above your genetic potential you are still not going to be bulky. There are a couple of reasons for this. Firstly, if you are training hard, are ingesting calories congruent with your training goals (which for most women is weight loss), then you going to lose weight due to the increased calorie burn from the extra muscle. Its like putting a supercharger on your car, it will burn more petrol.

Another factor that would prevent you bulking up is the fact that muscle tissue takes up 1/3 the space of body fat. So if you gained 5lb of lean muscle and burned off 5lbs of fat then yes you would weight the same on the scales but as we know the scales lie but you clothes would be looser due to your decreased body fat. Next time you are in the super market why not put it to the test. Get 1lb of lard and compare it to 1lb of lean steak.

So the take home message from this is: don’t be afraid to lift weights if your goal is weight loss. Set your training up  in a circuit fashion to help you burn more fat and not only will you lose weight and get in great shape, you wont bulk up!

I’ll be back in a couple of days with Training Myth 2: Your lean toned muscles will turn to fat if you stop lifting weights

Train Hard, Eat Smart!

Marc

Suppose that at a distance you see a short, stooped figure walking with short, slow steps. Most likely, you will conclude that the person is old. The hunched posture gives you the clue.

Why does aging contort so many bodies in this way? The reason is that many people, throughout their lives, never extend the neck to its full range, and so the muscles shorten. Long hours of reading, sewing, typing, or standing at a workbench take their toll. Eventually deposits of calcium salts in the joints complete the process of immobilization. Once this calcification takes place, nothing can be done to reverse it.

Fortunately, older persons can take action before it is too late. The best action is regular exercise that stretches the muscles and improves flexibility, with special considerations on the core muscles. This kind of response is relatively important for a number of factors that when taken for granted will only lead to serious health problems.

What Are Core Muscles?

Core muscles pertain to the muscles found at the obliques, abdominals, lower back, and the glutes. These four areas of the body are the ones that usually frame the posture of a person. Hence, a good posture reflects the good condition of these muscle areas.

What people do not know is that core muscles are actually the “core” or the central part for all the strength that is needed to carry out different physical activities. This only means that if an individual’s core muscle is physically powerful, it will maintain equilibrium on the body and will stabilize the system every time the person is working out and moving.

Strengthening Core Muscles

The main responsibility of the core muscles is to provide enough power to the body in order to enable it to cope with the dynamic challenges of every physical activity that a person encounters.

For this reason, many health and fitness experts have realized that it is relatively important to strengthen the core muscles than the other muscles in the body. Through some series of experiments and research, they have found out that having a stronger core can lessen a lot of health problems concerning posture.

For instance, well-conditioned core muscles can project good posture. They can also improve the endurance of the back all the way through the day.

Why? Because muscles that are included in the group of core muscles are actually the ones that initiate the proper stabilization of the whole upper and lower torso.

So, for those who wish to know and understand why it is important to strengthen the core muscles, here is a list of some of the benefits that you can use as references:

1. Strengthening core muscles will improve posture and prevent low back pain of the muscular origin.

This means that as you incorporate stretching exercises in your routine, taking a particular focus on the muscles of the upper and front part of the trunk, including the abdominal and trunk muscles, the activity has the tendency to strengthen the muscles of the back that extend to the spine.

2. It will help tone the muscles, thereby, avoiding further back injury

Exercising your core muscles will strengthen and tone your lower back muscles and buttocks while stretching the hip flexors and the muscles on the front of the thighs.

Achieving this state will deter you from any serious lower back injury.

3. Improves physical performance

Exercising the core muscles with slow, static stretching is just as effective in relieving stiffness and enhances flexibility. Once the flexibility of a person has improved, it follows that he will be able to perform his physical activities at a better state.

4. They do not cause sore aching muscles

Static stretching for core muscles is best for the muscles and connective tissues. And because it employs slow stretches only, it will not cause any soreness, as do the quick, bouncing exercises that rely on jerky muscle contraction.

5. Lengthen muscles and avoid unbalanced footing as you get old

Core muscle exercises lengthen the muscles that have contracted as a result of pain. It also prevents pain from vigorous exercise if they are included at the end of each workout.

Health and fitness experts highly recommend starting core work out immediately and repeating the routine at least 2 times a week. The process can be done after the workout or even during the activity, for about 10 to 20 minutes only.

Indeed, core muscles are absolutely important in determining the good posture of the body. Strengthening them can absolutely eliminate those nuisances of back pains.

Train Hard, Eat Smart!

Marc

Many women nowadays are into resistance training. Many get into resistance training programs engaging into sports. Resistance training is important for women. It allows you to be active and have a healthy body. You may also gain the needed strength from physically built muscles.

Before you start lifting weights, you should know the proper ways on how to execute the exercise. Many women seriously encounter injuries when they incorrectly lift weights. It is important that you get rid first of the excess weight that you have by walking or jogging. You may also purchase weight loss equipment such as treadmills, cross bar platinum, and nutrition boo guides for a better health.

Women usually do not have the natural muscle structure that most men have. They may not also have the same strength to carry heavy loads or the same resistance that men have. What more if you get older? Your body may no longer have the same strength when you were still young. This happens because of the lifestyle you have or just because of aging process. Your resistance may have just decreased and your body tends to weaken.

You can benefit many things when you get into resistance training. Even if you are not an athlete or a body-building enthusiast, you can get into resistance training programs. Having an active body and well-toned muscles can provide you more strength and good resistance. You can do some workouts outdoors like walking or jogging to get a better blood circulation.

You may also do some stretching and warm up exercises to allow the blood nutrients go to the muscles and joints of your body. Muscle stretching also helps in lessening the risks of injuries and muscle pains after the work out. Muscles tend to get sore and get strained if you are not well warmed-up and do the proper stretching techniques before the work out.

In addition, muscle stretching also gives you more flexibility. You will be able to execute exercises comfortably and effectively. It is advisable that you do repetitive stretching and warm ups. Repetition of exercises makes your muscles and joints more enhanced and more adapted to the motion you are executing.

When you are ready to lift weights, you should first work on your larger muscles then the smaller ones. You may then finally go to the muscles that are isolated. You may execute push-ups that can enhance the upper muscles of the body. Before doing triceps extension exercises, you should first focus on the larger muscle groups such as the muscle found in your butt. You may execute exercises like repetitive squatting, box step-ups, and lunges.

You may also work on your quads which is the muscle found on the front thigh. You may perform repetitive squatting and lunges as well.

You should always remember that you work on the opposite muscles. Muscles tend to get imbalanced especially if the amounts of exercises you do are not equally distributed. When performing triceps extension, it is advised that you also do bicep exercises. If you work out on the chest and the stomach area like crunches, it is important that you do back extension exercises to get a balanced upper muscle toning.

Always take a rest after your resistance training work out. Allow your muscles to cool gradually so that you will not feel any sore or strained muscles. After the resistance training, you will see that you are more ready and physically fit for many kinds of sports.

Train Hard, Eat Smart!

Marc