HERE'S YOUR 6 INFINITY STONES (TO LOSE 8KGS IN 8 WEEKS)

I'm sure most of us seen the Avengers and are aware of the all important Infinity Stones.

Bringing half of the universe isn't quite at stake here but this 8 week program supplies you with your own 6 Infinity Stones to lose 8kgs in 8 weeks.

INFINITY STONE #1 - NUTRITION 

I've seen countless fads come and go do you know what they all have in common and is the not-so-secret secret?

Calorie Deficit.

Unless you enter a calorie deficit, you will lose weight.

The popular phone app (you've probably already used it before I'm sure), works 100% on eating to a calorie deficit which is exactly what you need for this program to be successful.

INFINITY STONE #2 - PERSONAL TRAINING

I have an outline of a program that I feel fits this program the best but we're all different, we al like different exercises over others and we all have different training ages so my outline is exactly that until you tell me otherwise.

Once signed up to the program I'll get you on the phone and we'll have a chat about how we can optimise the training portion of the program to fit you perfectly.

INFINITY STONE #3 - SUPPORT

You'll have access to me near 24hrs (I'm not a robot, I do sleep) and you'll also need to check in with me daily in regards to outside training and what you're eating and the casual chat about the final episodes of Games of Thrones.

There will not be a time during the 8 weeks where you do not what to do, when to do it and how to do it.

INFINITY STONE #4 - ACCOUNTABILITY

Prior to the program I'll get you to write a little note about what getting in tip-top shape would do for you going forward and the commitment you've made to yourself for the next 8 weeks.

You'll hold yourself accountable just as hard, if not harder, then I will.

INFINITY STONE #5 - HOMEWORK

There's 168hrs in the week, 2 of which I'll see you personally for - that's a lot of down time.

To keep your mind and body ticking over in these down times you will be provided with a bunch of different workouts you can do in your own time whenever time permits.

The 14/28 program will also keep the smaller, minor challenges coming your way where increasing the smaller 10 - 15% smaller aspects of your lifestyle 1% each, resulting in an overall 10 - 15% improvement in how you look and feel. 

INFINITY STONE #6 - OPPORTUNITY

Right now you have been given an opportunity but opportunity is only that unless you seize it.

You've got everything at your disposal to reach the Endgame - 8kgs in 8 weeks - right at your finger tips.

Bring your own team of Avengers into the program and all these 6 INFINITY STONES become even more stronger!

Remember the program starts on Monday so if you want in, let me know by Thursday/Friday so there's plenty of time to complete all the pre-program requirements.

THE EASY 8 TRANSFORMATION PROGRAM - OPEN NOW!

Australia is the greatest nation in the world and not because of the beaches and culture but because we have a pile of public holiday and long weekends early in the year as the Xmas break just isn't anywhere near long enough.

Unfortunately that means that getting into any form of a routine is a complete nightmare so here's your chance to right that wrong.

Introducing the Easy 8 Transformation Program.

It's 8 weeks and with full compliance, you could drop up to 8kgs without killing yourself and your social life.

It's also a similar time frame between now and the next long weekend so it's the ideal time to knuckle down.

Here's what you get as part of this program:

- 2/week small group semi private personal training sessions for all 8 weeks (value $720)

- 8 week app based nutritional program (with no restriction on what you can and can't have!)

- PDF of 5 workouts that you can do in your own time away from the gym (value $30)

- PDF copy of the 14 missions 28 days program to keep you accountable for the hardest part of the program (the first 14 - 21 days) to get you on the right track as soon as possible (value $30)

- PDF copy of my report on stress and pain and the implications that they can have on each other (value $20)

- You'll also receive a weekly progress chart of how you're progressing to keep you motivated for the entire 8 weeks

- Last but not least, you'll have access to me, a 14-year personal trainer, so you'll never be in the dark on what to do, when to do it and how to do it (value - priceless!)

All up that's a whopping $800 worth of resources aimed at giving you the very best chance of completing this program and accomplishing the Easy 8.

I've run a modified version of this program with my current clients in the past with my best result being 1 client who did reach the Easy 8 training just 1/week in total with a little extra walking thrown in, but this program is jacked up with the extra's.

The program will need a certain amount of dedication and sacrifice on your part, anything worth doing does, but it is by no means meant to ruin your life for the next 8 weeks.

The small group training sessions are as far from your drill Sargent as you can imagine and again you'll be challenged physically and mentally, but you'll have plenty to spare to get through work or to hang out with your mates - the aim is certainty not to leave you on the floor in a pile of your own fluids - that just isn't needed.

The cost is 50% off the total value price with 2 payment options:

Option #1 - 1 x $400 payment (cash/transfer/ezi-debit) prior to the start of the program

Option #2 - 2 x $225 payments (ezi-debit) prior to the start of each 4 week period

This program will start next Monday, the 13th of May so I'll need all confirmations and forms completed by then to get everyone set up prior to the starting date.

If you are interested in this program (and how couldn't you be?) or have any questions on this please let me know as soon as possible via the email in the image above.

FINE TUNE YOUR NERVOUS SYSTEM

These tips come from an article of the same name that can be found here, bit I'll only touch on some of them so give the article to read all 12 tips.

I'll list them all but expand on those I think are most important.

Enhancing performance in absolutely anything is about balancing stress and recovery.

I've posted about the nervous system and it's implications on performance before but here's a very quick summary of how it works:

-  Performance is controlled by the autonomic nervous system (ANS)

- the ANS has two sub-systems being the parasympathetic nervous (PSNS) system and the sympathetic nervous system (SNS)

- PSNS inhibits/rest/digest

- SNS excites/fight/flight

The secret in balancing these 2 systems is to know when to excite and when to inhibit because if you stay "on" in times where you should be off (taking home work with you for example) then you're on a fast road to and illness sooner rather than later and it cascades from there when you cease to address it as time goes on.

1 - Don't Dwell on Your Training

2 - Big Events Require Big Recovery

- Big events are usually those that you aren't in your usually schedule and this your body probably hasn't adapted to that type or volume of stress as well as what you do day in and day out. When you are less adapted to something then it uses more resources to be fuelled and also more resources to re-fuel after it.

- A lot of us go wrong thinking we can simply add these big events on top of everything else and we'l be able to handle it but all that happens is that your stress cup overflows and the body will put the brakes on you to MAKE unable to do more, in the form of an injury (back pain for no reason) or illness

- With a big event on the on the calendar you'll need to drop something from your schedule in the lead up to the event, during the event and after the event and once you've recovered from the big event, then you can go back to your normal schedule 

3 - Don't Even Think About Program Hopping

4 - Relax

5 - Nap

6 - Pick Your Aggressive Spots

- The positive effects of the SNS are short lived so once you've used it for what you need it for (run from a bear, get that presentation done you forgot about) then you have to shut it down

- Don't amp yourself for a walk in the park, save it for life altering situations

7 - Do Compound Lifts

8 - Train Hard, Recover Harder

9 - Reconsider Your Training Split

10 - Celebrate Special Occasions

- I don''t need to tell many of you this one but when you do celebrate, don't think of the consequences

- Celebrating is almost the height of PSNS activation

11 - Account for Doing Something Different

12 - Learnt to Breathe

- Specifically learn to control your breathing

- Take the time everyday at some point to lie down and simply focus on breathing.

- Breath all the way in through your nose, hold for about a second and then most importantly breath ALL of the air out of your stomach and chest before going into your next breath.

- Each breath should take about 6 - 8secs if you're doing this properly - don't rush this!

There's a lot of good stuff in this article and most of the points can be implemented with a little bit extra planning and minimal effort.

I incorporate a lot of this stuff into my programming for personal training clients so if your program feels a little out of control and you need a bit of overhaul, feel free to contact me.

WHY YOUR BRAIN BECOMES MORE FLEXIBLE AFTER WORKING OUT

- In this study, participants performed 30mins of moderate cycling

- The moderate intensity represented about 60% of your maximum effort

- Immediately following the workout the motor cortex has less gamma-aminobutyric acid, or GABA, a neurotransmitter that inhibits activity in the brain

- This is similar mechanism for how aerobic exercise promotes neuroplasticity, or the brain's ability to reshape itself

- What this process might do is enhance early acquisition and consolidation skills leading to improved motor memory and performance

- This means that a workout could prime strike victims fr more effective physical therapy allowing them to recoordinate their limbs because memory isn't just mental, but physical

How can you take advantage of this?

Glad you asked!

If you have a big day at work planned then if you train in the morning then make that session of a moderate intensity and duration to prepare your mind and body for what you have to do later, rather then hitting the high intensity class that leave son the floor for 30mins, making you late for work and breaking your day before it even starts.

Luck is also on your side as I have opened up 8 spots for 30mins sessions starting from next week so get in contact with me if you'l like a good dose of neuroplasticity!

WHAT CARBS SHOULD YOU PERSONALLY EAT?

Important Fact - Carbs are NOT the enemy, calories are.

That being said, different types of carbs you consume can have different effects on you personally so it's worth taking notes of what effects they are if you'd like to optimise your energy levels at specific times.

A nice by-product of that is tat choosing the right carbs for you can also decrease overeating and this weight loss as well.

Win x 2.

While 1 person may pile on weight eating rice, another can barely maintain weight with it - and the same for almost any food you can think up.

Culturally, some populations have eaten specific foods for their entire existence and have biologically progressed to be able to handle these types of foods over thousands of years.

Introduce them to newer food/carb types that their bodies aren't great at processing and the story can be very different.

Finding out your blood sugar response to various carb sources can help you greatly in determining what exactly happens when you eat.

Food is highly addictive and we are biased towards foods thus we can rationalise with ourselves on what foods are good for us or not, but a blood sugar tester gives you the absolute truth.

If you register a high blood sugar reading then you might hit the dreaded carb coma where you wanna take a nap but you'll also feel hungry again pretty soon after which will break whatever weight loss or maintenance aspirations you have right in it's tracks.

There are no good carbs or bad carbs - it all depends on the person eating them and we're not sure yet why this is but there's a feeling it's got a lot to do with our individual genetics  and how they work with our gut bacteria.

Blood sugar levels are measured in millimoles of glucose per litre (mmol/l) and our levels fluctuate throughout the day, with a normal reading being between 4.4 - 6.4 mmol/l.

If you go the tester route (a quick online search found them for $40 at Chemist Warehouse) then eat different carb sources each morning for breakfast and see how they test.

You can have a drink with breakfast as well but keep it the same each morning you test so there''s no interference with the carb food source.

If you go without the tester then simply note how you feel in the 20 - 60mins after that meal in regards to energy and satiety and also note how long after it you start to feel hungry again and then analyse the results of each carb source where you'll find some maintain satiety right up until lunchtime while others barely make it through your commute to work.

Also be aware that energy levels and blood sugar readings may not match up perfectly where something might provide you with long lasting energy but it also spikes a high blood sugar level and doesn't fill you up for very long.

As we all pile into chocolate this weekend (I have a giant bunny in the fridge from my son as we speak), give this a little trial and see what you find yourself doing.

TRAINING THE FEMALE ATHLETE PART 4/4

BODY COMPOSITION

We all have different body shapes, which leads to different body fat storage patterns but females take this to a different level than men.


Body Composition is critical to elite performance but is too often overlooked at the local/amateur level but you’ll see the players with better body composition will generally be the fittest and most injury resilient players.


Here some points on getting that elite body for sport, specific to women:

• Blood sugar imbalances can increase testosterone which can make it impossible to lose fat

• Adrenal and gut dysfunction will affect blood sugar levels

• The rate of fat or weight loss for females will be slower than men simply because women have less overall mass so it’s easier to lose 10kgs off 100kgs then 5kgs of 50kgs.

• Females tend to lose body fat from top to bottom

• Women have less vascularisation in the lower body as less blood vessels + lower fat stores = harder to mobilize fatty acids

• Females need more training volume and thus energy expenditure because of higher relative body fat levels to lose fat

• Women can’t restrict calories as much as men as they still need a minimum amount of calories so again women need to look at energy expenditure for the most part.

• Respond better to low carb nutritional strategies then men which is great for keeping insulin and blood sugar levels down, but women can also be more sensitive to low carb as their body's are programmed to maintain body fat for reproduction.

These aren’t knocks but rather points to consider when developing a training program for the female athlete.

TRAINING THE FEMALE ATHLETE PART 3/4

PSYCHOLOGY


As a personal trainer I have trained females for over 10 years and I probably like to train dedicated females the best as their potential for improvement and growth is off the scale!


Over my years of personal training, this is what I have found and see if any of these ring a bell:

- Females require more intensity with their training because as alluded to earlier they are already blessed with pretty good natural endurance

- Females love, love, love positive enforcement

- Women athletes require a lot of stability based work at the “core” to learn how to safely control the high forces that go their bodies during footy training and games

- Females almost always underestimate their strength and where it can get to

- Females might not do much free weight training simply because they just might not know how to

- Women athletes will tend to not increase training load until instructed to do so

- Females often train “too fast” so will need rest periods reinforced constantly

- More is not better, better is better

- Females don’t sweat as much

- Females will be more successful with multiple rep personal bests rather single rep (do 3 rep max over 1 rep max)