"The Kaizen Approach to New Year’s Health and Fitness" by John Lark
Gyms laugh in January. They open their doors to a stream of enthusiastic and motivated individuals decked in the latest spandex offerings and with the zeal of a child diving into a pack of sweets. They take your details, ask a few probing questions, assess you and then leave you to it. The motivation is good at the start. You take up a class, lift a few weights, enjoy the group walks around the block. A month on you look at the scales and nothing has moved.
Was it really worth it?
Was it worth leaving a screaming household to go and perform a workout that left me drained in a pool of sweat? Short answer – no. So you throw in the towel. It is ok. No one will notice.
The race to become a fitter, healthier and significantly newer you has finished. Well, until next year, or next week, or ‘when I get the call from next door to go for a walk’. Time to wake up and smell the coffee.
Your interior monologue and the little voices that keep you in front of mindless soaps such as Coronation Street are not going to win this one. Time to take a realistic approach to the New Year. One that will include gradual and ongoing improvement. This is beautifully summed up with the Eastern Philosophy of ‘Kaizen’.
Each day – no matter how small - you are going to take steps to improving your health and fitness. Think baby steps rather than futile long strides.
Kaizen in health and fitness allows us to take each day as it comes. Set goals which are attainable and progressive and incorporate health and fitness into our lives with progression, accountability and constant revision.
Here are my five top ways of incorporating this philosophy into your plans for the new you in the new year.
1. Set Behaviour Orientated Goals
It may be your ambition to start having a breakfast each morning to help you with your energy, fat metabolism and sugar cravings each day.
From the outset this seems a constant and never-ending battle. In time you may give up because you haven’t realised that the goal of eating breakfast each morning is actually preceded by the behaviour of getting up earlier.
Going to the gym three times a week may be hard if you don’t bring your kit bag with you to work and nip there on the way home rather than heading home first.
The behaviour that allows you to go to the gym three times a week is actually ‘taking a gym bag to work’
Your First Step:
Identify which five behaviours you need to add and work on for 21 days.
2. Start Interval Training
Recent research shows that shorter, yet more intense bouts of exercise are more effective at burning fat than the long drawn out sessions.
This is great for our baby steps. Now 45 minutes doesn’t seem so daunting to achieve 5 times per week.
Your First Step:
Try one session of twenty minutes whereby you pick the pace up of your walk for a minute and then ease back down for two minutes. Repeat this eight to ten times.
3. Begin to Strength Train
A progressive and gradual increase in strength will mean more muscle, a faster metabolism, more anti-aging hormones circulating in your system and more energy.
Your First Step:
Pick up a book from your local bookstore, use a video or hire a professional to show you how.
4. Start a simple and effortless stretching routine
Stretching is crucial to our health and vitality and needn’t be exhaustive in the time it takes you to perform.
Your First Step
Try this simple stretch – Kneel with one knee on the ground. Hold onto a chair for support. Push gently through the knee on the floor. You should feel a mild tug on the front of your thigh. Relax. Repeat 2-3 times per side each time holding for 15 seconds.
5. Kick Start Your Diet with Foods Rich in Protein and Fibre
Eating a die rich in lean protein sources such as eggs, chicken, turkey, lean red meat and fish coupled with plenty of fibre in green vegetables is a sure fire way to get the fat furnaces going this new year.
Your first step
Plan your shopping and try and knock out some of the high fat processed foods and substitute them for more meats and fish alongside more fruits and vegetables. Your body and your wallet will thank you for it.
John Lark M.A., CSCS is a fat loss specialist based at The Sphere Fitness Studio, Leinster Clinic, Maynoooth. Download your free fat loss report at www.spherefitness.ie
Contact – John Lark
E: jlark@spherefitness.ie
Dec 20, 2007
Nov 6, 2007
Oct 31, 2007
7 most effective ways to gain fat fast
7 Most Effective Ways to Gain Fat Fast...
It is that time of year again. The run into Xmas. A few weeks to make sure that you hit the New Year like a sack of spuds.
Think of the blissful feeling of bumming in the tracksuits and only being able to wear a few items of clothing 'cos that's all that fits'.
Let me list perhaps the 7 most effective and easiest ways of gaining fat like it was suddenly an Olympic sport.
1. Eat a Diet Rich in Sugars and Hydrogenated Vegetable Fats
A classic dietary approach to take for those of us wishing to gain a steady 0.5 - 2 lbs of weight a week.
Ensure that you take a restricted approach to your diet by consuming foods rich in hydrogenated vegetable oils and fats and sugar.
One trick of convincing yourself that you avoided this pitfall is to consume low-fat cereal bars.
"It's OK - these are low in fat!"
Taking in these between meals are a sure fire way to keep you on the road to gaining fat in a sensible and progressive way by allowing us to shut down the activity of our fat burning enzymes and increasing the activity of fat storage enzymes. Perfect - I wouldn't have it any other way.
2. Sit on Your Arse
This is a great approach to take to again ensure steady fat gain. All the excuses under the sun will be strong enough to overcome the urge to exercise and get out of breath through lifting weights, circuit training and a brisk walk, jog, run, swim or bike.
Oscar Wilde once wrote that whenever he felt like exercise he sat down until the feeling passed.
Sound advice.
3. Avoid Fruits and Vegetables like the plague
Avoiding these little bundles of goodness will help me no end in my quest to put on fat over the holidays. They will allow you extra time in bed as you catch every cold going. They will even make you eat more of the sugary stuff as you will never, unbelievably, feel full after eating.
RESULT!
4. Taking No Responsibility for Your Actions
This is a great little progresser in the fat gaining stakes.
It can’t be your fault that you cram the cookies into your mouth or sit on your arse all day watching the clock ticking.
It is your dog’s fault that he kept you up all night barking stopping you from going out for your morning walk.
It is your children’s fault that they can’t do their homework and have a play that you have to attend that stops you from attending your class.
It is your husband’s fault that he argued with you and you responded by eating a tub of Ben and Jerry’s.
Equally it is not your fault when you see the scales rise after doing nothing all weak. But that’s OK at the end of the day it is not your problem.
5. Choose to Drink 3 litres of Alcohol a Day rather than water
A bottle of wine is a far better choice than a glass.
10 pints seems to have far more rational logic to it that 3-4 bottles.
5 chasers seem to have a much better effect than just leaving at the lovely dinner that you ate.
But that’s OK – see point 4.
6. Stress, Stress and More Stress
This will help you lose weight but still gain fat as frequent boozing, late nights, no exercise lowers your testosterone to levels akin to the alcoholic on the corner of Grafton Street.
Keep working the hours you work, neglect taking proper time off and stress the body until it cries at you to stop.
Equally stress will be available in volume alongside the more obvious times you can feel it. So absorb it and thrive on it.
That is undoubtedly a winning formula.
7. Letting it all go!
Let it all go! Ignore your body and the potential it has to provide you with boundless energy, strength and vitality.
Develop the will to just say no to exercise, sound food choices and a comfortable stress free lifestyle.
That is, after all the easiest way isn’t it?
It is that time of year again. The run into Xmas. A few weeks to make sure that you hit the New Year like a sack of spuds.
Think of the blissful feeling of bumming in the tracksuits and only being able to wear a few items of clothing 'cos that's all that fits'.
Let me list perhaps the 7 most effective and easiest ways of gaining fat like it was suddenly an Olympic sport.
1. Eat a Diet Rich in Sugars and Hydrogenated Vegetable Fats
A classic dietary approach to take for those of us wishing to gain a steady 0.5 - 2 lbs of weight a week.
Ensure that you take a restricted approach to your diet by consuming foods rich in hydrogenated vegetable oils and fats and sugar.
One trick of convincing yourself that you avoided this pitfall is to consume low-fat cereal bars.
"It's OK - these are low in fat!"
Taking in these between meals are a sure fire way to keep you on the road to gaining fat in a sensible and progressive way by allowing us to shut down the activity of our fat burning enzymes and increasing the activity of fat storage enzymes. Perfect - I wouldn't have it any other way.
2. Sit on Your Arse
This is a great approach to take to again ensure steady fat gain. All the excuses under the sun will be strong enough to overcome the urge to exercise and get out of breath through lifting weights, circuit training and a brisk walk, jog, run, swim or bike.
Oscar Wilde once wrote that whenever he felt like exercise he sat down until the feeling passed.
Sound advice.
3. Avoid Fruits and Vegetables like the plague
Avoiding these little bundles of goodness will help me no end in my quest to put on fat over the holidays. They will allow you extra time in bed as you catch every cold going. They will even make you eat more of the sugary stuff as you will never, unbelievably, feel full after eating.
RESULT!
4. Taking No Responsibility for Your Actions
This is a great little progresser in the fat gaining stakes.
It can’t be your fault that you cram the cookies into your mouth or sit on your arse all day watching the clock ticking.
It is your dog’s fault that he kept you up all night barking stopping you from going out for your morning walk.
It is your children’s fault that they can’t do their homework and have a play that you have to attend that stops you from attending your class.
It is your husband’s fault that he argued with you and you responded by eating a tub of Ben and Jerry’s.
Equally it is not your fault when you see the scales rise after doing nothing all weak. But that’s OK at the end of the day it is not your problem.
5. Choose to Drink 3 litres of Alcohol a Day rather than water
A bottle of wine is a far better choice than a glass.
10 pints seems to have far more rational logic to it that 3-4 bottles.
5 chasers seem to have a much better effect than just leaving at the lovely dinner that you ate.
But that’s OK – see point 4.
6. Stress, Stress and More Stress
This will help you lose weight but still gain fat as frequent boozing, late nights, no exercise lowers your testosterone to levels akin to the alcoholic on the corner of Grafton Street.
Keep working the hours you work, neglect taking proper time off and stress the body until it cries at you to stop.
Equally stress will be available in volume alongside the more obvious times you can feel it. So absorb it and thrive on it.
That is undoubtedly a winning formula.
7. Letting it all go!
Let it all go! Ignore your body and the potential it has to provide you with boundless energy, strength and vitality.
Develop the will to just say no to exercise, sound food choices and a comfortable stress free lifestyle.
That is, after all the easiest way isn’t it?
Oct 5, 2007
Why the scales do not move...
Courtesy of Alwyncosgrove.com
Q: This weekend I got on a scale at a friend's house (I don't own one) and much to my disappointment, the numbers haven't budged all that much since my last weigh in several months ago. Now, my clothes fit better, I'm in better shape than I've perhaps EVER been in, I know muscle weighs more than fat, I look GREAT, etc...but those numbers scream overweight to me. They make me feel like I've made no progress at allA: First off - your clothes "fit better", you're "in better shape than you've ever been in" and you "look GREAT"... but you're disappointed solely because the bathroom scale didn't go down "All that much"
Here's something we tell clients:
If we had a magic fat loss machine -- that you stepped in and pushed a button and you came out looking EXACTLY how you've always dreamed of looking and feeling - the exact dress or pant size you wanted, with the definition and muscle tone you want, at the bodyfat percentage you want - you can see your abs (if that's what you want) etc etc.
Would you be interested? Of course you would!!
But what if the side effect of the fat loss machine is that it increased bone density and muscle density by 100%. So while you looked and felt better than you've ever felt before -- the scale is 50lbs higher than it's ever been. So for example a 150lb-er would come out looking amazing, but weighing 200lbs...
Would that number on the scale make you not want the other results?
Now what if the machine did the reverse - you look exactly the same as you've always done, but you'd weigh 50lbs less? Would you be happy with that? Probably not right?
Just understand that how you look and feel, and how much you weigh are not necessarily related at all.The picture on the left shows the difference in size between five pounds of fat (top) and five pounds of muscle (bottom). You can see that it's a pretty big size difference.
If you add ten pounds of muscle and lose ten pounds of fat -- you're going to look like you lost 20lbs.
But the scale won't move.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
JL : This is a common problem that we face. How to dispell the myth of the scales. After all a comprehensive fitness assessment with us can take up to 11 readings of which the scales is 'one'.
I suppose it all stems from the fact that magazines are geared to headings such as 'celebrity loses 10lbs in a day'. A dangerous misconception that is thrown around like there is no tomorrow.
So understand this - your body composition is far more complex than a scale reading. Keep things in context.
Sep 28, 2007
What's a Rep?
More often than not you will see this short-hand on your programmes 3 x 10.
For most of this, this is likened to WWII coding that the enigma machine may be able to crack.
For lifters this is the spoken word.
What it simply means is that you lift a given weight for 3 sets of 10 repetitions.
Pick an exercise, say a squat or a bench press and lift this for 10 reps. Repeat this 2 more times. Shorthand means 3 x 10. Simple enough.
So how can we manipulate the number of reps we do to give us our training goal?
Well in general
1-5 reps per set = Relative strength i.e the strength of gymnasts and martial artists who do not require much muscle bulk yet are, pound for pound, phenomenally strong. They would train in this rep range alot.
6-8 reps = functional hypertrophy. NFL linemen, rugby players use this for gaining muscle with strength. It has a great cross over with relative strength reps.
9-12 reps = Hypertrophy or muscle gain. Alot of beginners would use this rep range. And why not? If used correctly, then this can help with fat loss too as metabolically this is tough as sets can last between 40 and 70 seconds. Remember, the more muscle gained then the more fat you will lose.
13+ reps - strength endurance. Kayaking, swimming etc and any other endurance events would use this.
Use this as the foundation of your programme. Just remember when it says 12 reps, your spleen should be ready to pop on the 12th rep. So push yourself!
JL
p.s. Google Health Week starts this Monday...
For most of this, this is likened to WWII coding that the enigma machine may be able to crack.
For lifters this is the spoken word.
What it simply means is that you lift a given weight for 3 sets of 10 repetitions.
Pick an exercise, say a squat or a bench press and lift this for 10 reps. Repeat this 2 more times. Shorthand means 3 x 10. Simple enough.
So how can we manipulate the number of reps we do to give us our training goal?
Well in general
1-5 reps per set = Relative strength i.e the strength of gymnasts and martial artists who do not require much muscle bulk yet are, pound for pound, phenomenally strong. They would train in this rep range alot.
6-8 reps = functional hypertrophy. NFL linemen, rugby players use this for gaining muscle with strength. It has a great cross over with relative strength reps.
9-12 reps = Hypertrophy or muscle gain. Alot of beginners would use this rep range. And why not? If used correctly, then this can help with fat loss too as metabolically this is tough as sets can last between 40 and 70 seconds. Remember, the more muscle gained then the more fat you will lose.
13+ reps - strength endurance. Kayaking, swimming etc and any other endurance events would use this.
Use this as the foundation of your programme. Just remember when it says 12 reps, your spleen should be ready to pop on the 12th rep. So push yourself!
JL
p.s. Google Health Week starts this Monday...
Sep 13, 2007
A Special Treat For You....
As a special thank you for all those who turned up to the Workshop on Wednesday I have compiled a list of Exercises that will zip up your training to new levels with photos and descriptions. I normally include this with my 'Get Fit for Rugby' as a bonus (worth €19.97).
Yours for free!
Thank you for your continued efforts in the gym
Click Here - password is 'spherefitness'
JL
p.s book mark the gym blog as your new resource for exercise and health.
Yours for free!
Thank you for your continued efforts in the gym
Click Here - password is 'spherefitness'
JL
p.s book mark the gym blog as your new resource for exercise and health.
Sep 11, 2007
Stop Guessing Your Gym Training
All good things start with a plan.
Knowing where to go.
So what if was to say to you that you can get results in twice as quick with a simple A5 notebook?
My old mentor use to say "if you are not assessing you are guessing". Wondered why you haven't lost the lovehandles yet - more than likely it is because you haven't progressed.
Make sure that you record what you do in the gym every workout. It saves time, allows you to see progression, allows you to view previous lifts, distances, times etc so that you can work to better them.
You see we work by the principle of progressive overload - force the body to change, adapt and progress. It may mean lifting more weight from session to the next, covering more km on the treadmill - whatever your niche.
The bottom line is this - record everything. It will save alot of time.
Knowing where to go.
So what if was to say to you that you can get results in twice as quick with a simple A5 notebook?
My old mentor use to say "if you are not assessing you are guessing". Wondered why you haven't lost the lovehandles yet - more than likely it is because you haven't progressed.
Make sure that you record what you do in the gym every workout. It saves time, allows you to see progression, allows you to view previous lifts, distances, times etc so that you can work to better them.
You see we work by the principle of progressive overload - force the body to change, adapt and progress. It may mean lifting more weight from session to the next, covering more km on the treadmill - whatever your niche.
The bottom line is this - record everything. It will save alot of time.
Sep 7, 2007
Low Carb Diets are Effective for Fat Loss
In sensible circumstances Low Carb diets work of course under the supervision of a qualified professional )
This is a recent study:
Meckling KA, Sherfey R A randomized trial of a hypocaloric high-protein diet, with and without exercise, on weight loss, fitness, and markers of the Metabolic Syndrome in overweight and obese women. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2007 Aug;32(4):743-752.
The subjects were divided into two main groups - high carb (3:1 carb:protein) and low carb (1:1 carb: protein) and then subdivided into exercise (three times per week) and non exercise groups within each diet group.
Weight loss after 12 weeks was as follows: 4.6lbs for high carb no exercise group 8.8lbs for high carb with exercise group 10.1lbs for the high protein-low carb -no exercise group and 15.5 lbs for the high protein, low carb with exercise group.
"What's really interesting is that the high protein, low carb group was superior for weight loss over high carb with exercise. And it was 75% superior when combined with exercise."
(Alwyn Cosgrove)
This is a recent study:
Meckling KA, Sherfey R A randomized trial of a hypocaloric high-protein diet, with and without exercise, on weight loss, fitness, and markers of the Metabolic Syndrome in overweight and obese women. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2007 Aug;32(4):743-752.
The subjects were divided into two main groups - high carb (3:1 carb:protein) and low carb (1:1 carb: protein) and then subdivided into exercise (three times per week) and non exercise groups within each diet group.
Weight loss after 12 weeks was as follows: 4.6lbs for high carb no exercise group 8.8lbs for high carb with exercise group 10.1lbs for the high protein-low carb -no exercise group and 15.5 lbs for the high protein, low carb with exercise group.
"What's really interesting is that the high protein, low carb group was superior for weight loss over high carb with exercise. And it was 75% superior when combined with exercise."
(Alwyn Cosgrove)
Jan 10, 2007
Mailing List: fitness-ie
We have a monthly newsletter which will be available in hard copy in the gym or via the mailing list fitness-ie.It will include articles, suggested workouts, lifestyle info and more. If you wish to receive this free newsletter please subscribe to the mailing list via the following link http://go/fitness-ie.
Programmes
We now have 1 on 1 slots where we will sit down with you and design a programme of exercises specific to your needs and wants. These last 1 hour and will include a quick assessment if required.
Joining the Gym
To use the gym all you have to do is come down and fill out 1 simple form. A full assessment is not necessary. However if you wish to monitor your progress we recommend you do an assessment at the beginning so we can measure your progress.
Jan 4, 2007
Google Calendar Integration!
Just click the 'Book' button for any Class, Assessment or Programme and this event will automatically be added to your calendar.
Your name will be added to the list of attendees along with anyone else who will be attending that event.
Likewise, if you delete your booking at any time your name will be removed from the list of attendees.
Your name will be added to the list of attendees along with anyone else who will be attending that event.
Likewise, if you delete your booking at any time your name will be removed from the list of attendees.
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