Claire, myself & Chris: rasining money for North Devon Hospice

In April last year I was approached by Claire with the view to her starting Boot Camp as preparation for the walk accross The Great Wall of China to raise money for the North Devon Hospice. After talking with Claire and the rest of the members of the team and a visit to the Hospice I decided to sponsor the trek by allowing them to participate in Boot Camp for free for the entire year to get them ready to walk The Great Wall of China.

Below is Claire’s story, please read on.

Back in April of this year (2009), whilst browsing through the North Devon Journal, I came across the article featuring Richard Taylor and his challenge of walking The Great Wall of China in memory of Sarah his sister, after reading the article my first reaction was I can do that, after telling my mum my plans she immediately said the same and it all started from there.

After a lot of thought both our attentions turned to HOW we would do it, I was unhealthy and overweight and mum felt that at 60 she was not at her peak, after ringing around a couple of fitness instructors, I came across Marc Kent, who was extremely supportive of our challenge, and much to my surprise offered his services to all of the group for free, after a couple of people pulling out we were left with just me and mum.

In May we started our long journey to getting fit and ready for the walk, I think we both had misconceptions about what to expect, but after our first session we were both hooked.  3 times a week we take part in an hour of full on exercise, which includes a warm up, circuit training and the dreaded last 10 minutes, which usually involves press ups, knees to elbow, star jumps and running.

Had somebody told us 12 months ago we would be getting up at 6.30am and running around a gym, I would not have believed them, however Marc has not only prepared us physically he has given us the confidence to believe that we can achieve this once in a life time opportunity.

What Marc Kent proves is that you can be any size, any age and any level of fitness and with the right person guiding you, you can achieve anything. This may sound corny but this is fact and we are proof of that.

What is really important about this challenge is not only the chance for us to fulfil a dream, but also the opportunity to raise as much money as possible for 2 great charities, The North Devon Hospice and Tinker Taylor 12.  Both mum and I had the opportunity to know Sarah Taylor and her family, and hear about the support they received from the Hospice at a time when they most needed it, and I can not think of a better reason to do what we are doing.

As part of the fundraising for this event, we will be holding a ladies charity night on Thursday 28th January at Sticklepath School; the event will include the following:

• A ready steady cook – Healthy style

• A presentation from Marc Kent about keeping fit

• Massage, reflexology, and head massage.

• Plus other pampering ideas.

• The event will cost £7 per person.

For more information please phone Claire on 01271 371208

If you would like to sponsor Claire and Chris’s trek and raise money for the North Devon Hospice, please visit: www.justgiving.com/clairefisher7

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

I often have people ask me “Marc if I take this pill or drink this shake will I be able to lose weight?”

In short the answer is no and I’ll go on to explain why in a moment but first I want to talk about the diet companies who make millions praying on desperate people looking for a quick fix to their weight problem. These companies employ the best marketing minds in the world whose job it is to convince people that this new pill or potion is the answer to their weight loss dreams. Using clever adds they pull at the heart strings of our dieter (who has probably tried fad diet after fad diet only to end up back where they started or worse bigger than they where to begin with!) that this new pill or shake can make all the difference in your weight loss plan. Don’t be fooled by sensational claims made by these companies. Now that I’ve got that off my chest I’m going to give you The Truth about Fat Loss…..

There is no special pill, potion or exercise gadget when it comes to fat loss and achieving the toned and sculpted body that you desire.

There is only one way to achieve permanent results and that is to follow an integrated fitness and nutrition plan which focuses on a change in body composition (lean muscle vs. body fat) and not just weight loss according to the bathroom scales. It is lean muscle that plays a key part in any fat loss program.

Calories In vs. Calories Out.

It’s a question of balance. To reduce body fat and increase lean muscle and therefore positively change your body composition you have to play a game of numbers. If you burn more calories than you take in each day you will lose weight. This is called a calories deficit and is the only way to lose fat. Even though this is a simple concept the calorie deficit must be kept small so you don’t lose lean muscle while you burn fat. This will allow you to keep your metabolism high while at the same time transforming the shape of your body. However if calories are severely reduced your body goes into what is known as starvation mode and begins storing fat and breaking muscle down which in turn slows the metabolism. Which is why when people go on strict diets they lose a lot of weight which is mainly muscle tissue. Once they have reached their desired weight they often bounce back to the weight they were before the diet or worse they end up heavier. This is due to the slower metabolism caused by a loss of lean muscle tissue.

Muscle Drives Your Metabolism.

The amount of lean muscle you have directly affects your metabolism and it’s your metabolism that affects the shape of your body. Your metabolism is simply the rate at which your body burns calories. The higher your metabolism the more calories you burn and the more lean muscle you have the higher your metabolism. Muscle is in essence your fat burning machinery as it burns calories even at rest whereas fat does not.

Resistance/ Weight Training.

Resistance training is by far the best way to exercise to reshape your body and increase your metabolism. By using weights, machines and even your own body weight to effectively work your muscles you can progressively overload them so they grow stronger.

As you increase your lean body mass you will increase your metabolism enabling you to burn fat faster even while you are sleeping. This will in turn allow you to eat more and thus preventing your body from going into starvation mode.

There are many more benefits to resistance training than just burning fat. As resistance training strengthens muscles it also strengthens the supporting structures around the joint helping to protect our joints from the stresses and strains of an active lifestyle. Resistance training also decreases the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, helps to lower blood pressure and decreases the risk of degenerative diseases such as arthritis. Other benefits include improved posture, improved mood and enhanced self esteem.

Cardio Training.

Cardio exercise is the type of exercise performed to train the heart, lungs and circulatory systems and usually involves the use of the large muscle groups over an extended period of time. Running, cycling, swimming, rowing and walking are all great cardio exercises. Cardio exercise is great for burning calories but due to the fact that the body quickly adapts to cardio exercises cardio lovers have to continually increase the time they exercise for in order to burn the same amount of calories, increasing the odds that the body will start to burn muscle for energy instead of fat and therefore lower your metabolic rate. The way to overcome this problem is to increase the intensity of the activity. So instead of training for longer, train harder for the same period of time.

The many benefits of cardio respiratory exercise include increased lung volume, lowered resting heart rate and increased bone mineral density which lowers the risk of osteoporosis.

Nutrition.

Nutrition has the greatest impact on fat loss. A balanced and supportive eating plan will not only help to improve your health it will also provide the optimal environment in which to burn fat. If your goal is to reduce body fat you must eat slightly fewer calories than you burn each day.

There are currently thousands of diet books available today each claiming to be the answer to fat loss but the vary fact that there are so many proves that not one of them works. If there was a magic diet then everyone would be on it and know one would be overweight. Diets simply don’t work in the long term due to improper nutrition and a failure to change exercise and eating habits for life.

A healthy nutrition plan doesn’t need to be complicated, keep things simple by eating a wide variety of nutritious foods including plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, lean meats, fish and poultry and a variety of whole grains such as whole grain rice, whole wheat pasta and whole wheat bread.

Try to reduce your intake of alcohol, junk food and saturated fat by trimming all visible fat from meats. Also try to avoid deep frying food, instead bake, steam, dry roast and stir fry.

Keeping the body hydrated will enable you to burn fat faster and help the body to flush out stored toxins. Try to drink 1.5-2 litres of fresh clean water per day.

There you have it, the truth about fat loss. By eating slightly less calories than you burn each day coupled with resistance training and intense cardio workouts will help you reach your goals faster, safer and the results will be lasting.

Train Hard, Eat Smart!

Marc

There will be days (everyday?) when you don’t feel like doing your workout.

Some days you won’t want to get out of bed early.

Sometimes you don’t want to leave your office because you feel like you have too much left to do (but this is when you need a workout the most!).

Then there’ll be times you don’t want to end of play time with the kids to have to make time for your workout.

This even happens to me.

But I how great I feel after my daily workout.

And at the end of the day I make my living by being in shape and I have to lead by example.

If you are set on achieving a fitness goal, then when its workout time, come hell or high water you’ve got to knuckle down and do the job done.

So I’m giving you 7 tips to get you motivated for your workout and to keep you inspired to get you through your workout.

1) Reward yourself. After you finish your workout treat yourself to a relaxing bath, an episode of your favourite TV show or some time with the family.

2) Why not set up a punishment for missing workouts. If you skip the workout, put £10 into a jar to spend on DIY, think of it like a swear jar for missing your exercise appointment. Make sure your spouse controls the jar.

3) Write your goals down Until you put your goals down into black and white they are not goals. If they are only in your head then they are merely dreams. Commit them to paper and read them everyday and night. By constantly keeping your goals fresh in your mind it will help you to stay on track.

4) Realize that the hardest part of the workout is often travelling to the gym after you have been home for a few hours. Make the effort to go to the gym even if you don’t feel like it. Once you get to the gym you will be less likely to skip a workout. Once you get there tell yourself, “I’ll just go in and do 1 set of the first 2 exercises, then I can go”. Next thing you know, you’ll have done the entire workout.

5) Visualize yourself once you have achieved your goals. Be visualizing your new body you will feel inspired to workout. Think of your workouts as a step in the right direction to a new fitter, healthier you. Conversely every time you miss a workout is a step in the wrong direction.

6) Take your MP3 player with you. Seriously, nothing motivates you more than working out to some upbeat music. Some of my friends swear by the Rocky soundtrack!

7) Get social support. If you have a workout partner, chances are you’ll feel bad if you let them down. Or let me hold you accountable by signing up for online personal training.

Train Hard, Eat Smart!

Marc

Summer is finally here and its time to head down the beach and show off that body you have been working hard on all through the winter. You have been exercising through the winter haven’t you?

Well if not now’s the time to take action and stop putting it off with excuses such as “oh, I’ll start tomorrow” or “just one more biscuit, slice of cake, vodka etc wont hurt”

So to help you get a beach ready body that you can be proud of I’m going to give you my top five tips to give you the best results in the next two weeks.

Now I’m not saying it’s going to be easy but then nothing truly worth having is ever easy. So here are my top five tips…

1, Stop working your abs in the hope that if you do thousands of sit ups/ crunches you will be able to burn loads off fat and get that toned midsection that you desire. It just doesn’t work like that. The body burns fat from genetically determined places which you nor I have control of and doing sit ups/ crunches won’t burn anywhere near enough calories to elicit a fat burning effect.

2, Exercise! Come on, you didn’t honestly think you could get ready for the beach without putting in a little effort did you? You don’t need to live in the gym but what you do need is a 20-25 minute whole body workout done 3-4 times per week using compound exercises that use the largest muscle groups in the body, (check out some of my videos for ideas). By using compound exercises that use more than one muscle group at a time you will not only stimulate muscle growth and burn calories, you will also rev up your metabolism which will allow you to burn more fat all day long. Stay away from shaping exercises as they don’t burn anywhere near as many calories.

3, Follow your 20-25 minute workout with 15-20 minutes of interval cardio. Interval s can be done on any of the traditional cardio machines or out side. After a five minute warm up on your chosen exercise to get the blood pumping you then go as fast as you can for 30-60 seconds and then rest for the same amount of time. Repeat this for a total of 15-20 minutes for a great fat blasting workout. If you’re up for it try hill sprints or try skipping as fast as you can for a minute then slower to catch your breath then repeat. Interval training will help you to burn more calories post workout than slow steady cardio. Forget the fat burning zone; you want to burn as many calories as you can!

4, Nutrition. Fuel your body with real food. Try to eat as much fresh natural food as possible staying away from processed packaged food which is generally high in fat, salt and sugar. Try to reduce you consumption of caffeine which dehydrates the body and alcohol which is a useless nutrient that the body has to deal with before it can burn any of the calories that you’ve eaten from food. Basically if it wasn’t around when the cavemen where then don’t eat it. Technology may have moved on since then but the body still works on the same principles as it did thousands of years ago.

5, Be sure to drink at least 2 litres of fresh water per day. Did you know that the body is over two thirds water? Water is used by the body for transporting and carrying nutrients between cells, exchanging oxygen in the air we breathe with the carbon dioxide produced in or cells which must be excreted from the lungs. Water helps flush the body of toxins and waste products through urine, sweat and tears. Water helps to keep the skin healthy, helps to reduce wrinkles and helps reduce your chances of getting headaches. Need I say any more about water?

There you have it, my top five tips for getting a beach ready body in two weeks but will you act on them?

Train Hard, Eat Smart!

Marc