Archive for the ‘Fitness’ Category



Body Transformation Boot Camp

Saturday, December 5th, 2009

Its back! North Devon’s original

“Body Transformation

Boot Camp”

DEADLINE EXTENDED TO: FRIDAY 26TH MARCH 2010


For the second year running North Devon Fat Loss & Fitness Expert Marc Kent is running his “Body Transformation Boot Camp.” This is your chance to kick start the New Year by getting in the best shape of your life.

By joining one of my Boot Camp classes you will be training with a group of highly motivated people and together you will be able to make some big changes in your life. By entering this contest you have put yourself in a position to succeed like never before. There will be tons of social support and accountability to keep you focused and on track.

To top it off, you will also be eligible to wins some HUGE prizes! Really, everyone will win because they will have met their fitness goals quicker than ever before. But, nothing beats a little extra incentive to keep your eyes on the prize.

The “Body Transformation Boot Camp” starts on Monday 4th January2010 and finishes on Friday 7th May 2010

To be in with a chance of winning £1000 and many other prizes
all you need to do is:

A minimum of 2 Boot Camp/Personal Training sessions per
week for a minimum of 12 weeks. For membership options, please click here

Follow a simple nutrition plan laid out by Marc

Pay a one off registration fee of £10

It couldn’t be simpler!

Here’s a list of all the prizes

£1000 cash to spend as you wish, courtesy of Fat Loss & Fitness Expert Marc Kent

Photo Shoot with top Devon photographer Andy Casey (value). Visit www.andycaseyphotography.co.uk or call  07792 864370 for more information about Andy’s services.

Complete make over, courtesy of Kudos Bideford

Colour Analysis and Style Consultation – value £200 provided by Judith Brady, Image Consultant – Devon’s answer to Gok Wan!

A Colour Analysis is the starting point for many transformations. Discover which colours make you look and feel fabulous – it is amazing what a difference it can make when you wear the colours that are right for you.  A Style Consultation shows you which cuts, shapes and styles will flatter your body shape and gives you lots of tips on how to put outfits together, use of accessories and which fashions will look good on you and which to avoid.  Further information can be found on my website: www.judithbrady.co.uk

One months FREE membership at PURE TAEKWON-DO, for more information visit www.puretkd.com

A Top To Toe Pamper Hamper (worth 50.00) & facial from VIE AT HOME. For more info or to book a party call EMMA HEAL on 07530 223236

More will be added

So, here’s how it works, (the rules)

  • The “Body Transformation Boot Camp” starts on Monday 4th January 2010 and finishes on Friday 7th May 2010
  • To be eligible to enter the “Body Transformation Boot Camp” you must enroll in a minimum of 2 Boot Camp/Personal Training sessions per week for a minimum period of 12 weeks at my gym in Roundswell.
  • Only members of Boot Camp or Personal Training clients of Marc Kent may participate in the “Body Transformation Boot Camp”
  • The last day to enroll on the “Body Transformation Boot Camp” is Monday 15th February 2010. This is to allow you a 12 week period of training. DEADLINE FOR ENROLLING IS EXTENDED TO FRIDAY 26TH MARCH 2010
  • Everybody in the contest MUST submit before pictures and have completed a body transformation consultation with Marc within 5 days of their start date to be eligible for this contest.
  • Anyone wishing to participate in the “Body Transformation Boot Camp” will be required to pay a registration fee of £10
  • You will be required to write a short essay detailing why you decided to join the “Body Transformation Boot Camp” and what results you achieved.
  • Photos will be taken of each participant at the conclusion of the “Body Transformation Boot Camp”
  • At the completion of the “Body Transformation Boot Camp”, the judges will select and announce 3 finalists for the transformation contest prizes. The remaining contestants will then vote anonymously for whom they think is the ONE person that most deserves the title of “WINNER” of the “Body Transformation Boot Camp” among the 3 finalists.
  • On Saturday 15th May at 7.30pm we will have a special end of contest prize giving at a restaurant (TBA, depending on numbers) for the whole group to recognize EVERYONE’s accomplishments and to announce the winners of the special prizes above.
  • By entering this Contest, each winner of a contest prize consents to the use of his/her name, and/or photograph in any publicity carried out by the Contest Sponsors and its advertising and promotional agencies without further notice or compensation.
  • The Contest Sponsor’s rulings are final and without appeal in all matters related to this Contest and the awarding of the Prizes
  • The Contest Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to modify, cancel or suspend this Contest should an external circumstances arise which are beyond the reasonable control of the Contest Sponsor. The Contest Sponsor is not responsible for any errors or omissions in printing or advertising this Contest.
  • The Contest Sponsor collects your personal information for the purposes of registration, program evaluation and to keep you informed about The Challenge. The Contest Sponsor may, if consent was given during registration, also contact you from time to time with information about other ways you can lose weight.
  • The Contest Sponsor will not share any personal data about entrants with any other party. The personal data collected for this Contest will not be used for any other purposes unless entrants provide explicit permission as indicated on the entry form.
  • By entering this Contest, entrants agree to release and hold harmless the Contest Sponsor and their respective employees, officers, directors, agents, representatives, successors, assigns, advertising and promotional agencies from any liability for any loss or damage of any kind to the entrant or any other person in connection with this Contest or participation in any Contest related activities, including but not limited the taking of a urine test or, if declared a winner, the use or misuse of a prize or any portion of a prize including personal injury, death or property damage.
  • This Contest will run in accordance with these Contest Rules, subject to amendment by the Contest Sponsor. Contest Sponsor reserves the right to cancel, amend, modify or terminate this Contest or the Rules at any time in its sole discretion and without notice.
  • Entrants must comply with these rules, and will be deemed to have received and understood the rules if they participate in the Contest.
  • You will be required to read and sign a copy of the above rules to be eligible to enter.

If you have any questions please leave a comment below or email me at marc@marckent.com

Train Hard, Eat Smart!

Marc Kent

Fat Loss & Fitness Expert

PS. Sign up for my newsletter at the top of the page to receive regular contest updates. You will also receive my special report on “How To Get Maximum Weight Loss & Fitness Results In Minimum Time!” along with a gift certificate entitling you to ONE free weeks of Boot Camp

Share and Enjoy:
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • NewsVine
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • Live
  • LinkedIn
  • MySpace
  • Add to favorites
  • Twitter
  • Yahoo! Bookmarks

Benefits of Detoxing for Fitness and Health

Monday, August 31st, 2009

It seems to be a little disgusting when you are detoxing or cleansing. Your body shows some signs that you have built up toxins. These toxins can affect your whole body fitness and health.

There are times that you feel sluggish and feel stressful. Your body may experience continuous aching, diarrhea, constipation, and feeling of clumsiness. Rapid weight gain and the incapacity to lose the excess weight can also be signs of having toxins in the body.

Moreover, the toxins found in the body are found and stored on your fat cells. For people who are taking the usual Western diet, a person may consume 70 trillion garbage cans for each cell. In detoxing your body and cleaning that unwanted garbage in your cells, you should pay attention on your elimination organs.

There are particular organs in your body that deal on cell waste management. These organs play a major role in the detoxing process for a fit and healthy body.

1. Your liver is the organ that recycles the unwanted chemicals in the body. It sorts out the toxins and places them to the organ for elimination during the process of circulation. The principal elimination organs will back up the liver on where these toxins will be stored and then eliminated.

2. The lymph glands also play an important role in eliminating the toxins. A network of tubing brings out the excess waste of the cells from the body and to the final eliminating organs. The appendix, thymus, tonsil, and spleens are major lymphatic glands that help the major organs of the body in cleansing and detoxing.

3. The kidneys help in the water management of the body. They are the ones that keep the good chemistry of the blood alkaline by eliminating the dissolved acid waste. You can help your kidney to function very well by drinking plenty of water. It is much better if you drink fresh alkaline juices and purified water. You may take ½ ounce of alkaline everyday to see positive results on your body weight.

4. The lungs are the organs that keep the blood air purified. They allow the oxygen to go directly to the bloodstream. It is also responsible in removing waste gases that are found in every cell of the body. Deep breathing and fresh air is very helpful in keeping the lungs healthy and free from toxins. If you are in an urban area, it is recommended that you find an oxygen rich area where you can perform deep breathing.

5. The colon is a solid waste management organ in your body. Medical practitioners have found many peolpe that may have an 80-pound mucus and rubber like solid waste that are found on the walls of the colon. Detoxing and cleaning the colon can be a real tough thing to do. However, having a free waste colon can certainly provide you good benefits of having a clean and healthy body.

If you are experiencing some signs of detoxification, you may try doing a regular exercise. Exercise is a good key in having a fit and healthy body. Many diet doctors also suggest that you drink plenty of lemon water. This is an effective way of maintaining a very good circulation and can increase the rate of detoxification inside the body.

Train Hard, Eat Smart!

Marc

Share and Enjoy:
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • NewsVine
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • Live
  • LinkedIn
  • MySpace
  • Add to favorites
  • Twitter
  • Yahoo! Bookmarks

Benefits of Stretching

Monday, August 24th, 2009

The body is flexible. It is supposed to be flexible. You must be able to bend and reach that something you dropped on the floor. You must be able to zip the back of your favorite dress on your own. You must be able to reach that book you need to read at the top shelf.

These are simple activities. Nothing grand about them, you merely stretched out a bit. However, if there are difficulties in doing such simple motions, then you have to stretch your limits. You already need a stretching program.

What Is Stretching?

Stretching is simply the act of extending to full length the body or simply a part of it. This activity involves straightening or stretching the structure or the limbs.

How Does One Do the Stretching?

Stretching is fairly easy. As mentioned in the introduction, it is involved in the normal activities. It can be done by any people, regardless of age.

However the extent of stretching and flexing differs. The muscles tighten as a person ages. The range of joint movements can be minimized. This can very well obstruct an on-the-go lifestyle. That is why as the person grows older, bending or flexing becomes more limited. This is why stretching regularly, as part of a routine is very important.

Simple stretches can be done everyday. They can be incorporated into your lifestyle and daily activities. Stretching  does not require much of your time.

Stretching exercises can also be done while training. Actually, stretching is an essential part of any training or sport. It must be done first before anything else. Stretching the body and the limbs is a good preparation for a more rigorous activity.

Most athletes would do the sit and reach, wherein they position themselves on the floor, extend their legs and reach the tip of their foot with the tip of their hand. Most trainers actually require their athletes to do some form of stretching before playing.

There is actually an ideal length of time in stretching. It is best to do it in 10 minutes. This will give the body enough opportunity to move and flex the muscles, thus preparing it for more complicated and strenuous movements.

Some experts however would frown upon going way beyond 10 minutes. Stretching the exercise to 30 minutes or more will already wear out the body. This will not be favorable if one is preparing for a game.

What Are the Benefits of Stretching?

1. Increase the Range of Movement
As one constantly do the stretching exercises, the length of the muscles and the tendons are also increased. This will help in increasing the range of your movement. Thus, the limbs and joints will be able to move, way before an injury can take place. You are definitely physically fit.

2. Increased Ability to Perform Skills
When you have a wide range of movement, the more you will be able to do more things. For example, you can jump high without feeling any pain when you land back on the floor. This will also help you start a new sport or improve more if you are in one. Stretching in this aspect also allows you to have a more active lifestyle.

3. Injury Prevention
One can prevent injury to joints, tendons and muscles with stretching. When the muscles and tendons are well-flexed, they are considered in good working order. This will help in a faster recovery and decreased soreness. The muscles of the body will be able to take more exhausting and rigorous movements with less probability of being injured.

4. Reduce Muscle Tension
If the muscles are given their regular exercises and stretching, it is less likely that they will contract. This will definitely relieve you of any muscle pain or problems.

5. Enhance Energy
Being able to move more will also give you more energy. Stretching will also help enhance your awareness, like knowing that you have a body that is capable of doing many things. As such, you are going to be more driven to move rather than sulk in the corner.

6. Reduces Cholesterol
Research also shows that doing prolonged stretching exercises can help reduce the cholesterol in the body. This of course must be done with a healthy diet at hand. This could prevent and even reverse the hardening of the arteries, allowing you to avoid coronary diseases.

Incorporate stretching in your everyday lifestyle. It has benefits you can not say no to. It also does not require much time. It can be your usual activities, bending and flexing every now and then. After all, your fitness is everything so do what it takes to keep the body healthy.

Train Hard, Stretch and Eat Smart!

Marc

Share and Enjoy:
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • NewsVine
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • Live
  • LinkedIn
  • MySpace
  • Add to favorites
  • Twitter
  • Yahoo! Bookmarks

The Importance of Working Your Core Muscles

Friday, August 21st, 2009

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

Share and Enjoy:
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • NewsVine
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • Live
  • LinkedIn
  • MySpace
  • Add to favorites
  • Twitter
  • Yahoo! Bookmarks

Importance of Resistance Training For Women

Wednesday, August 19th, 2009

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

Share and Enjoy:
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • NewsVine
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • Live
  • LinkedIn
  • MySpace
  • Add to favorites
  • Twitter
  • Yahoo! Bookmarks