Dublin Google Gym Blog

Is sugar good for us?

2011-09-19T14:46:00.011+01:00

When you think “sugar,” you probably think “yum!” Because it’s so sweet, lots of adults and kids like sugar and sugary foods. But what exactly is sugar, and why is it considered as one of the most toxic substances to the human body??

We are all surrounded with sugary food everywhere, it’s in bread, tomato sauce even in baby food…

We have to distinguish between naturally acquiring sugar and the Refined Drug.

The natural sugar comes from fruit, vegetables and grains. This food is a packed with vitamins, minerals, enzymes and fiber which help the body to digest the sugar from it.

To digest the refined drug your body actually uses its own vitamins and minerals. It gives you blood sugar cravings, highs, hyperactivity, excitability, nervous and anxious tension which bring you all the way down to unbelievable mood swings, fatigue, exhaustion and might lead to chronic depression.

What else does that “sweet and tasty evil” do to your body?

- Sugar makes us fat, ugly and depressed,

- Gives you headaches,

- Memory loss

- It makes your skin dry and your hair dull.

The list is endless.

Ok, now you’ve decided you don’t want any more sugar in your life. Well, there are many alternative sugar free products, eating these instead – solves the problem. WRONG!

The commercials do a good job convincing us that all that diet coke sugar free and low calorie products so great and absolutely safe. WRONG!

There are three most known sugar substitutes:

1. Aspartame - Artificial Diet Sweetener (sold as "Nutrasweet," "Equal," and "Spoonful") is over 200 times sweeter than sugar, it's a common ingredient found in "diet" foods and has become a sweetening staple for dieters. Besides being totally poison, aspartame actually contributes to weight gain by causing a craving for carbohydrates.

2. Splenda – is another Artificial Sugar substitute. Did you know that the main ingredient is CHLORINE?

According to the study from Duke University, Splenda “suppresses beneficial bacteria and directly affects the expression of the transporter P-gp and cytochrome P-450 isozymes that are known to interfere with the bioavailability of drugs and nutrients

3. Stevia and sorbitol — natural alternatives to artificial sweeteners.

These chemicals known as neurotoxins – they go to our brains and physically change the brain’s chemistry to make us crave more food …

These are natural sweeteners that do not trigger an insulin reaction. (Xylitol can be derived from birch tree pulp.) They have half the calories of sugar and are not digested by the small intestine.

While most polyalcohol sugars have no side effects, sorbitol is a natural laxative and can cause diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, bloating and flatulence.Open your eyes to how much you are poisoning your body and your mind when you give in to the sweet tooth craving!

Top Toxins to the human body

2011-07-25T14:25:00.010+01:00

Hi All,

Over the course of the coming months we will elaborate and continue this topic of discussion.

I'm sure at this stage, you all have a relatively good idea of the "why's" behind the approach of the Ph Diet.

This brief post is going to identify the top 4 toxic substances our bodies are exposed to on a daily basis. Then over the coming months I will elaborate on this thread of posts, providing additional and informative information on these top 4 toxins.

So what are they...

Toxic invader # 1 = SUGAR

Despite what the mainstream media and food marketeers would like us to believe, SUGAR is not an innocent substance that gives us pleasure and cause no harm. Quite the contary, but more about this later...

Toxic invader # 2 = PARASITES

After SUGAR, PARASITES are the second toxic invader that we must try to eliminate from our bodies. Many of these uninvited guests come from our sugar intake, so by making an effort to remove sugar from your diet, you also begin to remove some parasites. Parasites are an unsuspected source of many

baffling symptoms ranging from chronic fatigue and IBS to overweight and even underweight as well as diarrhea and constipation, but more about this later.

Toxic invader # 3 = HEAVY METALS

Aluminum, Antimony, Arsenic, Cadmium, copper, iron, lead, manganese, mercury, nickel, seleniuive sinm, silver, vanadium to Zinc, these are all classified as heavy metals. Getting rid of SUGAR & PARASITES is in some ways easier than freeing ourselves from heavy metals. With the likes of Aluminum, lead, mercury & copper being so pervasive since the 20th century - it is almost impossible to figure out which metal is to blame for one's ill health. But more about this later.

Toxic invader # 4 = RADIATION

In many respects, radiation is the greatest contaminant in the world. It cannot be seen, felt or heard. It is tasteless and odorless. it is found

in our food and in our air, it is in our blood and in our bones and can remain in our ashes to go on to contaminate someone else. today more than ever before we are increasingly coming in contact with this toxin and quite simply put... when these particles get into our bodies via air, water or food - they destroy tissues, organs, cells and genes, shortening our life span. But more about this later.

So they you have the top 4, now that you have been introduced... I suggest you start researching and trying to educate yourselves about these 4 Toxins.

If that is not you, then stay tuned and I will continue to post and discuss these four toxins in further detail.

Remember, you can stay young and healthy in this toxic world, but you must want to!

The Gym Team!

CHANGE YOUR BRAIN LOSE FAT

2011-07-14T10:20:00.010+01:00

Getting healthy and fit takes practice. More so than you think.

Did you know that bit of gray matter between your ears is the mother ship guiding your decisions, rationale, subconscious, will-power? You name - it steers it.

Each time you succumb to temptation and a lack of will power you condition your brain to repeat this pattern. It is something that brain specialist Daniel Amen alludes to in his book “Change Your Brain, Change your Body”.

On the flip side, each time you say 'no' or 'I have had plenty thank you' you reinforce this pattern. Sooner or later the brain knows exactly what to do.

This habitual practice can extend in so many ways and something you should be aware of as you take a step towards a healthier and fitter you.

It is one of the reasons why I don't recommend moderation. Each time you give yourself an excuse to shy away from that promise you made to yourself and succumb you practice failure.

Do something whole hog for 12 weeks and assess where you are then. I guarantee you will be in a much better place.

In our centre we align individual’s weak links with a set of new habits to head away and practice with. Day in day out you practice health.

Sure, practice one thing at a time but do it 100%. If you set the rule that you are eliminating grains and refined cereal from now on, that's it. Each time you are swayed and a difficult decision comes along you need to practice will-power. It takes practice.

If you set the rule that you will exercise 3 times and week again, you don’t shy away from training if it is raining or you forgot your clothes. You dig in and find a way.

Each time you stick to the rules you make it infinitely easier to draw upon this little bit of inner strength in the future.

It carries over too. That bit of work you said you would complete suddenly gets done. Or that business you thought about starting suddenly starts rolling. Or that letter you were going to write to your long lost Aunt is written. All of the deadwood circulating in the mind gets done as your self-control and level of will-power heightens.

Of course there are some strategies that you can deploy to heighten your will-power and ability to practice effortlessly and without much strain.

1. These include getting in the habit of exercising. Even a simple walk will heighten the activity in certain areas of the brain leading to more rational decisions being made.

2. Staying hydrated will ensure that water, the brain’s most precious nutrient, is found in abundance leading to optimum functioning.

3. Taking an Omega 3 supplement in the form of pharmacy grade fish oil will ensure that the brain also receives its crucial form of good fats. If you were to wring out the brain, its dry weight would consist of 60% fat. So for all of you fat-phobias out there, listen up! Stop it! You are starving your brain!

4. Cut the bad fats and up your good fats in the form of fish oil, avocados, olive oil, nuts and seeds.

5. The brain robbers, sugar and caffeine all do a great job at placing a burden on the brain by acting as a stimulant. Adenosine is a chemical in the brain. It tricks the brain into feeling drowsy and stimulates sleep so that we can recharge our brains. Caffeine blocks the effects of adenosine by occupying the adenosine receptor sites and preventing the brain from seeing it. So even if you are tired and are in need of sleep to rejuvenate your brain chemistry, caffeine tricks the brain into thinking it is wide awake.

Respect your brain and the mother ship will steer you into good health.

The Gym Team.

The link between PH, Health and Fat Loss

2011-07-08T16:38:00.009+01:00

Friend, pH is a chemistry term that describes whether something is acidic or basic (alkaline). It's based on a scale from 1-14. 1 being the most acidic and 14 being the most basic. The middle is neutral at pH 7. This is an important number, since your body happens to function most optimally at pH 7. In fact, you can only survive within a very strict range of pH 7.

Thankfully, your body has many built in mechanisms to ensure that the pH level doesn't ever veer too much. However, it's always best to keep as much strain off of your body as possible to ensure that it keeps functioning optimally.

One way to do so is by eating a well balanced diet. Now, all foods have an acidic or basic value. All proteins (meats, poultry, fish and dairy) and refined carbs (ESPECIALLY grains) are acidic foods, whereas all unrefined carbs, which are your fruits and vegetables are basic and most fats are neutral.

Since proteins are essential in your diet, these are acidic foods that are necessary and it's easy to balance them out by eating enough fruits and vegetables.
Where you can get into trouble is when you consume refined carbs - especially grains like breads, pasta, rice and all packaged snacks such as chips, cookies, crackers and so on. These foods are highly acidic not to mention packed with sugar and calories and do nothing for your weight loss endeavors. Another food you should try to avoid is cheese. I know it's delicious, but it's also highly acidic and dense in calories.
Avoiding these highly acidic foods will give your body a break from having to use its own vital organs and bone minerals to neutralize the acidic foods. The less your body has to expend energy and nutrients on keeping your body functioning, the more energy it has to enhance metabolic processes that helps you recover faster, burn more fat and build lean muscles quicker.
So to optimize your body's functions stick to eating natural whole foods. Eat plenty of protein and balance it out by eating plenty of fruits and vegetables. You really can't eat enough greens...ever! This is one case where more is better. And don't forget to throw in some healthy fats in the mix to balance it all out.
The great thing is the way you need to eat to maintain an optimal pH level in your body also happens to be the best way to maximize your health and weight loss as well! Coincidence? I think not.

Keep the balance!

The gym team.

Loking for some inspiration?!

2011-06-29T16:58:00.003+01:00

Check out this video

Be inspired!

The Gym Team

Benefits of Compound Exercises for Fat Burn

2011-06-15T17:05:00.024+01:00

What are compound exercises?

Compound exercise is a type of exercise which involves several muscle groups at a time. This is very beneficial for the body since you can usually workout 3-4 muscle groups. One of the greatest advantages of compound exercise is you can do a whole body workout just by doing a few exercises in a few minutes.

Are they really good for Fat Burn?

In regards to burning fat, one research also discovered that people burn 100% carbohydrates during compound exercises. For most individuals who want to burn fat, burning carbohydrates is very beneficial. The science behind this discovery is based on our bodies' very limited supply of carbohydrates for exercise, and when those stores get low, the body automatically releases fat to replace the muscle and liver carbohydrate.

Think of compound strength training as a reverse method of losing fat. Compound exercises burn a lot of calories and carbohydrates, which causes fat to be utilized after the workout. Also, it makes your Basic Metabolic Rate (BMI) much higher so you do burn more calories and fat at the rest.

Many people believe that to target certain muscle groups, isolation exercises are the way to go. This is simply not the case. Isolation exercises, for example bicep curls and the chest fly, only work one muscle across a single joint. Both actions focus on one muscle in a single movement. Compound exercises, like squats, bench presses, deadlifts and lunges, work multiple muscles across more than one joint through a single movement. Not only do they reshape troubled areas, like your glutes and abs, they also sculpt secondary muscles like triceps and calves.

Six good reason to use compound exercises:

You are giving your body a more complete workout, you're enhancing your balance and improving your core all at the same time.
Your heart rate stays elevated so you can perform the exercises longer. Isolation exercises produce more immediate lactic acid, causing you to fatigue quickly.
If your goal is to lose weight and decrease body fat, then burning calories directly from carbs is the best way to do it. (To achieve those same results you'd have to run a 5 kilometer race.)
Compound exercises also allow you to lift a heavier load (weight) because you involve more muscles in the action.
When you take advantage of those large muscle groups, like the muscles of the lower body, you activate testosterone, which helps increase muscle.
Compound exercises are also functional in daily activities, such as lifting a toddler or getting in and out of a car.

There's nothing wrong with performing isolation exercises during your workout. But if you don't have a lot of time to spend at the gym and you're trying to lose fat, then incorporating compound exercises into your routine is a more efficient way to do it.

Examples of Compound Exercises

- Squat + Shoulder Press

- Lunge + Triceps Overhead Extension

- Squat + Calf Raise

- Lunge + Shoulder Press

- Walking Lunge + Medicine Ball twist

The possibilities are endless!

Strength and Conditioning Course

2010-07-20T08:26:00.002+01:00

Plyometrics Training

2010-07-09T11:30:00.002+01:00

Weekly Health Bulletin

2010-06-30T17:11:00.002+01:00

Why "Diet" soda can make you fat!

Many people see diet soda is an innocuous, harmless beverage that
can't possibly cause any harm to their waistline since it doesn't
have any calories. Think again.

Research published this summer in the medical journal Circulation
shows that people who drink more than one soda a day -- whether
it's regular or diet -- have an almost 50 percent increased risk
for metabolic syndrome, which doubles their risk for heart disease
and diabetes.

Two years ago, a study at the University of Texas Health Science
Center found that there was a 41 percent increase in the risk for
being overweight for every single can of diet soda a person
consumed daily.

But how can something with no calories increase the risk for
obesity and heart disease?

There are several possible ways.

First, my own theory is that the sweet taste works in the brain to
create a conditioned response. The body responds as it usually does
to normal sugar -- with insulin, the fat-storing hormone. Those
circuits in the brain are pretty primitive and ancient, and they
can't immediately distinguish chemical fakery. As far as your brain
is concerned, sweet means sugar. It's entirely possible that
physiologically, you would respond to aspartame in the same way as
you would to table sugar. It's only a theory, but it makes sense to
me.

Second, sugar creates its own cravings. Just as a taste of rum
creates an unstoppable craving in an alcoholic, it's entirely
possible that the taste of sweet, even if it's fake, creates the
same cascade of cravings in a carb addict that regular sugar does,
leading to overeating and binging and all the rest of the reasons
people put on weight.

Third, many people think that by drinking diet beverages they're
"saving" calories. They subconsciously allow themselves to eat
more, figuring it's not doing as much harm since they're drinking a
diet drink. The diet drink gives them subconscious "permission" to
eat more.

What's worse than making you fat, aspartame may be toxic. Aspartame
is made primarily from three ingredients: aspartic acid,
phenylalanine and methanol. Methanol, an alcohol, breaks down in
the body to formaldehyde, a poison if there ever was one.
Apologists for aspartame say that it doesn't create enough
formaldehyde in the body to cause any damage, but I'm not so sure.
Exposing children to formaldehyde levels as low as .75 mg daily for
several months has been shown to cause gradual toxicity. Plus, diet
soda is frequently stored in hot warehouses, causing chemical
breakdowns that went undetected in the original safety studies that
looked at "ideal" conditions.

Soda is bad news, whether regular or diet. Period.

Weekly Health Bulletin

2010-06-25T19:15:00.002+01:00

Top 10 Alkaline Weight Loss Tips For Busy People

Tip #1. Drink, Drink, And Then Drink Some More!

By far the most important and yet the easiest way to accelerate your weight loss results is to hydrate consistently. There is more research on the positive effects of hydration on weight loss than you can imagine… so I won’t bore you with the details! After all, you are a busy person, right?
Let’s just say that water is the most critical element in maintaining and facilitating your body’s chemistry (after oxygen, of course). Strip your body of water, and it will strip you of your health, energy, and ultimately, your life!

The generally advised 8 glasses a day are enough if you are an “average” person: 5’8”, 160 lbs. male in good shape! I doubt this applies to you, or else you wouldn’t be interested in weight loss, right?

So, what’s the bottom line?
To stay properly hydrated, you must drink a minimum of 7 oz. of pure (not tap) water for every 10 lbs. of body weight. More if you’re active, work out, or live/work in a dry place. That’s 105 oz. of pure water if you weigh 150 lbs… just over 3 liters.

And don’t try to climb Mt. Everest in one day: GRADUALLY work your way up to the amount that’s right for you.

One more thing: get yourself a good water filtration system. This is not only the most cost-effective way to get pure water, but it’s probably your best bet for getting good quality water.

Finally, to make hydration more effective, all water you drink should be alkaline water. Alkalizing your water not only adds oxygen to your water, but it also helps neutralize the acids that make you fat (see Tip #2).

Stay Healthy!
The Gym team.

How to Use Body Fat Scales

2010-06-18T16:22:00.002+01:00

Weekly Health Bulletin

2010-06-11T19:25:00.001+01:00

Alkaline meal sample of the day

This recipe contains buckwheat noodles, which are a healthier and more alkaline alternative to other types of noodles.

You can use any of your favourite vegetables, which are currently in season for this lovely Stir Fry.

Chinese Stir Fry Buckwheat Noodles
Serves 1

Ingredients
For the noodles:
100g buckwheat flour
50-60 ml water
1 tbsp olive oil
¼ tsp sea salt

Any favourite vegetables that are in season. I use carrots, Chinese cabbage, fennel, courgette, turnip, red pepper and bean sprouts.

Onions and garlic, finely chopped. Use whatever amount you like.

1 tbsp olive or flaxseed oil
1 tbsp soya sauce (healthier alternative: Bragg Liquid Aminos)
Salt and pepper

Instructions
Firstly prepare the noodles by placing the buckwheat flour in a bowl and making a well in the centre. Add the rest of the ingredients (with 50ml water) in the centre and slowly mix in the flour. Then knead till a pliable dough is formed. If too dry add another 5 ml water. Wrap in cling film and put in the fridge for ½ hour.

Meanwhile wash and prepare vegetables. Except for the bean sprouts.
Place dough on a lightly dusted (with buckwheat flour) worktop. Roll it out to roughly 1mm thick evenly. It doesn’t matter in what shape the dough is. Then cut into thin long stripes.
Get a small pot of water boiling. Fill another bowl with cold tap water and place in the sink. When water boils turn heat down to medium and put all the noodles in. The noodles are cooked when they float to the surface. Use a slotted spoon or sieve to dish them out and put them straight into the bowl with cold water and keep running cold water in the bowl to cool the noodles.

While the noodles are cooling down, heat a frying pan with olive oil and sauté onions and garlic for ½ min. Add carrot and stir-fry for another ½ min. Add the rest of the vegetables and keep stir-frying for ½ min. Drain the noodles and add to the vegetables.
Add soya sauce, salt and pepper to taste.
Serve and enjoy.

Note: The vegetables should just be partially cooked.

7 Habits of Healthy Fat Loss (part 6)

2010-06-10T13:23:00.002+01:00

7 Habits of Healthy Fat Loss (part 5)

2010-06-10T13:12:00.002+01:00

7 Habits of Healthy Fat Loss (part 4)

2010-06-10T12:56:00.002+01:00

7 Habits of Healthy Fat Loss (part 3)

2010-06-10T12:11:00.002+01:00

7 Habits of Healthy Fat Loss (part 2)

2010-06-10T11:48:00.005+01:00

7 Healthy Habits of Fat Loss (part1)

2010-06-01T07:29:00.003+01:00

Plank Variations, Pt.3

2010-05-25T17:41:00.003+01:00

Weekly health bulletin

2010-05-24T11:03:00.000+01:00

Alkaline vs Acidic food choices

Salads

The benefits of eating a salad two to three times a day are evident. They are rich in alkaline minerals, salts and will do wonders for any nutrition plan. In fact they should form the staple of your diet. But to do this requires a key strategy. In their case it will involve you making a salad twice per week. Use items such as baby spinach leave as your base and build from there. Add in cucumbers, peppers, celery, aubergine etc. For added crunch add in seeds and nuts. There really is no limit on your imagination with this one. All in all it can topped off with a really simple dressing.

Raw Vegetable Platter

Crudités is a French term that refers to "raw vegetables," so a platter of crudités typically consists of one or more types of raw vegetables served with one or more dips. These are great for parties and can be served as an appetizer, at a buffet, in place of a salad - the sky is the limit. Here are some ideas for interesting crudité platters - mix and match to discover what you like best.

Vegetables
• Asparagus (steamed)
• Bell peppers
• Broccoli
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Celery
• Cucumbers
• Fennel
• Green onions
• Mushrooms
• Radishes
• Snow peas
• Tomatoes

On this salad you can also use a bit of feta cheese, egg whites and Caesar dressing or some light dressing (low in calories). Another option is just salt and vinegar with extra virgin olive oil.

Weekly health bulletin

2010-05-14T13:56:00.002+01:00

Alkaline Foods / Acidic Foods

Overview

The chart below categorizes a food as either acidic or alkaline based on the effect consumption of the food has on urine pH.
For example, if a food tends to increase the acidity of urine after it is ingested, it is classified as an acid forming food.
Conversely, if a food increases the alkalinity of urine after it has been ingested, it was classified it as an alkaline forming food.
The effect foods have on urine pH may be quite different than the pH of the foods themselves. For example, orange juice is a highly acidic food due to its high citrus acid content, but after being metabolized it will cause urine to become alkaline.

Most of the information below is based on information from my collection of nutrition books, including a chart I have from a Mayo Clinic diet manual, and also some from personal observations.
The books I have all vary significantly in how they categorize the pH of different foods, so it is hard to tell which ones are correct. With this in mind, take the chart below as a general
guide that most likely will contain some errors.

It is interesting to note that nutrient status can be impacted by the acid-base balance in the body. Researchers in Germany found that "acid-base status affects renal magnesium losses, irrespectively of magnesium intake.
" This means that besides not eating enough foods high in magnesium, an acid load in the body could be another factor that contributes to a magnesium deficiency condition.

Acidic Foods
•
Corn
•
Meat
•
Beans
•
Fish
•
Fowl
•
Most grains
•
Coffee
•
Plums
•
Prunes
•
Cranberries
•
Distilled water

*I get a lot of email from people saying distilled water is not acidic or that it is very healthy for you to drink. According to the Environmental Protection web site, "Pure distilled water would have tested neutral, but pure distilled water is not easily
obtained because carbon dioxide in the air around us mixes, or dissolves, in the water, making it somewhat acidic.

The pH of distilled water is between 5.6 and 7".
The pH of distilled water I have bought from stores and tested myself at home has always tested out to be acidic.

Very Acidic Foods and Supplements Include
•
Eggs
•
Liver and other organ meats
•
Gravy
•
Broth made from bones or other animal parts
•
Wine
•
Yogurt with active cultures
•
Buttermilk, including buttermilk pancakes and biscuits
•
Sour cream
•
Most fermented foods and aged cheeses
•
Some B vitamin supplements (or foods supplemented with B vitamins) can make your stomach more acid
•
Hydrochloric acid supplements
•
Digestive enzymes

Please note that fermented foods like yogurt, buttermilk and sour cream seem to become more acidic in the body if they contain some types of active cultures of helpful bacteria.

Non Food Substances That Can Make Urine Acidic

•
Probiotics - These are supplements that contain "helpful bacteria". At least some types of beneficial bacteria help to create an acidic environment in the digestive tract.
Probiotics are often used after taking antibiotics and may help some cases of bladder infections, irritable bowel syndrome and diarrhea. My friends and family have noticed that if we take excess amounts of probiotics it may cause heart burn and/or high blood pressure. (See my related section on IBS Treatment.)
•
Soft water - Soft water is water that is low in minerals. This type of water tends to be more acidic.

Alkaline Foods
•
Most fruits, except as noted above
•
Most vegetables, except as noted above

Very Alkaline Foods Include
•
Bananas
•
Chocolate
•
Figs
•
Mineral water
•
Orange juice
•
Potatoes
•
Spinach
•
Watermelon
•
Dandelion Greens

Please note that some foods, such as citrus fruits, have an acid pH before they are consumed and but they usually leave an alkaline residue in the body after they have been metabolized. Sorry to spell this out twice, but I get a lot of emails on this topic.

Non Food Substances That Can Make Urine Alkaline
•
Antibiotics - antibiotics destroy both the bad and the helpful bacteria in the intestinal tract. Some of the helpful bacteria work to create an acidic environment in the human body.
When these bacteria are eliminated by antibiotics, urine may become more alkaline. I think this is one reason why women will frequently get bladder infections after taking antibiotics.
I have some old nutrition text books, and in the era before wide spread antibiotic use, health care professionals often advised people suffering from urinary tract infections to eat a lot of meat and other acid forming foods.
Many allopathic doctors of today think acid-base balance is a lot of malarkey, but thirty years ago you could actually find this type of knowledge in some college nutrition text books.

Many mineral supplements - especially calcium, potassium, iron and magnesium. Calcium and magnesium are common ingredients in antacids as they neutralize stomach acid.
Some people get upset stomachs (gas, bloating, diarrhea, malabsorption) from these types of mineral supplements, especially if they suffer from hypochloridia (low stomach acid).

Antacids - Antacids, which often contain magnesium or calcium supplements, may cause an increase in the alkalinity of the urine, which can lead to bladder infections as bacteria tend to thrive in alkaline environments.

Hard Water - Hard water is just the opposite of soft water. It is water that has a high mineral content, and as a result tends to be more alkaline. Some studies have shown that people have less heart attacks where the water is hard, presumably because the disolved minerals that make the water hard are important for nutrition.

Neutral Foods

The Mayo Clinic Diet Manual, Seventh Edition categorizes the following foods as neutral foods: Butter,Margarine,Cooking fats, Oils, Plain candies, Sugar, Syrup, Honey, Arrowroot, Corn, Tapioca, Coffee, Tea.

Plank Variations. Part 3.

2010-05-13T15:04:00.002+01:00

Plank Variations. Part 2

2010-05-07T14:53:00.002+01:00

Plank Variations. Part 1

2010-05-04T08:57:00.002+01:00

Weekly health bulletin

2010-03-26T07:33:00.002Z

Relaxation

Take 10 minutes out each day

This is a simple, basic meditation that is best done at the start of the day. Find a quiet place where you can sit without being disturbed. Take a couple of deep breaths and close your eyes. Become aware of your senses: the feelings in the body, the sounds and the smells around you. Don’t think about them, simply notice them.

Next become aware of the breath.

You don’t need to breathe in any special way, just notice how the rising and falling movement of the breath feels in the body. Each time the mind wanders, gently bring it back to that same point of focus — the rising and falling sensation of the breath.

Make it a daily exercise

A bit like learning any new skill, meditation works best when you do it regularly and often. It doesn’t have to be at the same time every day, but you may well find it easier to stick to this way.

Be conscious of what you’re doing

We live on auto-pilot, especially when we do things that we have done thousands of times before — brushing your teeth or drinking a cup of tea, for example.

Choose just one of these activities to be fully conscious of each day.

Rather than let the mind wander off into worrying, planning or thinking about things, notice what it feels like to actually drink a cup of tea. What does it taste, feel and smell like? It’s amazing how much we miss because we are simply lost in thought.

Resist the urge to control the mind

When we first become aware of the constant chatter of our thoughts, we try to “stop thinking”, which is impossible. Focus instead on being at ease with whatever is happening in the mind. If it’s busy, OK, it’s busy. Resist the temptation to try to control it. If you feel irritated or upset, that’s just how it is sometimes. Don’t fight it. Let thoughts come, acknowledge them and let them go. By allowing thoughts and feelings to flow in this way, they are usually much more short-lived.

Shift the focus from ‘me’ to ‘you’

Have you ever noticed that the more you focus on your own problems, the bigger they seem to get? Take a moment to reflect on those people close to you who might also be having a tough time with things right now. How are they feeling? This simple exercise helps to put your own difficulties into perspective and to develop empathy and understanding towards that other person.

Ease off the gas

If you look at the best sportsmen and women, they seem to play with a sublime lack of effort. Roger Federer, the tennis player, is one of the best examples of this. Trying harder does not mean performing better — often it’s just the opposite. By approaching everyday activities in a slightly more relaxed and measured way, things not only will become more enjoyable, but also will be done that much better.

Take practical steps

When life becomes so busy that you hardly have time to breathe, it’s unrealistic to expect a lot of headspace.
If it’s possible, try to simplify life a little. Look for ways to reduce the amount you’re doing, or ways of doing it more effectively. Similarly, if you have lots of thoughts racing around your mind, take a couple of minutes to write them down. This can help to free up the hard drive, and at least give a feeling of additional space in the mind.

2010-03-18T13:50:00.000Z

Improve Your Eating Habits

Rates of obesity and ill-health due to poor diets are rising, both in the UK and in the US. I don't agree with diets. After all, now many of them really work? No, I mean really work. Diets are a restricted eating regime that is not about real life.

The only way to lose weight is to eat less and exercise more. If you want a diet for life then you need to adjust your eating habits.

Water. If you're thirsty you're already dehydrated. If you feel hungry, you may actually be thirsty. The majority of us don't drink as much as we should during the day. If you drink tea and coffee to keep you going these have a diuretic effect, so you should be drinking water to compensate.

Have a glass of water first thing in the morning and last thing at night - your body loses a lot of water while you're asleep - not only if it's warm and you sweat a lot but just sleeping for 8 hours (if you're lucky) you're going to wake up dehydrated.

Fruit & Veg. Fruit and vegetables provide you with vitamins, minerals and fibre to help keep your body healthy. They're high in anti-oxidants and good for keeping your insides healthy.

Do you manage five a day? Eat a piece of fruit or drink fresh juice for breakfast. Better still take up juicing (see below). Fresh berries on muesli or porridge or cereal. Have fruit as a snack during the day and salad and vegetables with your main meals.

Avoid processed food. With the increased reliance on ready-prepared meals, take-aways and convenience food to save time, there is an increase in the amount of processed food that people eat.

Before you buy that convenience meal - check the label. How much sugar, salt, hydrogenated fat, E preservatives, colouring does it contain? Because it's processed - a lot of the flavour and goodness is lost and has to be added in the form of colourings, flavours and bulking agents. Because it needs to survive transport with a long shelf-life and cooking fats and preservatives are added.
And how much does it really cost? Cooking simple meals such as stir-fries and casseroles are just as convenient and so much better for you.

Juice. One great way to kick-start your day and gently wake up your digestive system, is to have a fresh juice every morning. I don't mean the orange juice with your breakfast but fresh vegetable juices. Invest in a good juicer, buy local organic produce and find out how good fresh juice is. A simple daily mixture is apple, carrot, celery, ginger and lemon.

Fish. Eat fish at least once a week. It contains healthy Omega 3 oils which are good for your joints, and nerves. Flax and hemp oils offer an alternative for non-fish eaters.

Eat regularly. Get into the habit of eating breakfast. Your body has been without food over night - break the fast with a glass of warm water, then have a fresh juice (see above). Eat a breakfast of cereal, muesli or porridge (avoid those loaded with salt and sugar).
Try to eat every 2-3 hours throughout the day - little and often - to avoid your blood sugar fluctuating too much. Don't eat a heavy meal late in the evening. Your body will naturally be slowing down and it will be harder to digest.

Alcohol. There's nothing wrong with the odd glass of wine, in fact these days it's seen to be healthy for the anti-oxidants. Alcohol causes your kidney's and liver to work overtime to rid the body of the toxins.

Know what you're eating. Be aware of what food you're putting in your body. Read the food labels if you buy tinned, processed food to be aware of how much salt, sugar and fat is in the food you buy. Buy organic meat whenever possible to avoid the steroids, hormones and anti-biotics that are in factory farmed meat.

Balanced diet. One of the most important ways to improve your eating habits is to have a balanced diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables, whole food, fish and meat, nuts and seeds. Everything in moderation. Keep fatty and sugary foods low but if you enjoy chocolate, cakes and curries there's nothing wrong with having one once in a while.

Think about 80/20. Eat healthily 80% of the time and enjoy yourself the other 20%!

Weekly health bulletin

2010-03-10T17:43:00.000Z

Stop Smoking

We know how difficult it is to quit smoking so we have put together some tips from other smokers who have successfully quit. Maybe they will help you too.

Stay Positive
Think positively: If you feel tempted, think about anything except lighting a cigarette – a nice day out, a meal or a pleasant memory. The less you think about smoking the easier it will be to stay stopped.
Be positive
Make a list of the reasons you want to stop smoking and put it somewhere you will see it. Keeping a record will help you get through those times when your resolve to stop weakens.
Overcoming problems on the way
It is common for smokers to get negative thoughts. Now is the time you’ll need your determination more than ever.
Think of yourself as a non-smoker not a deprived ex-smoker
If you’re using Gums, tablets, Patches or Inhalers you’ll find that you would still prefer cigarettes. However, once you stop smoking, you’ll find your sense of smell and taste improve so you’ll start to enjoy your food more. Don’t risk losing it all again with just one cigarette.

Willpower and control
Take control: Use your willpower and ask yourself, “How much do I really need this cigarette?” Remind yourself of all the reasons you decided to stop smoking in the first place. Do you really want to throw all your hard work away now that you’ve got this far?
Coping in a crisis: There will be moments when you feel like throwing it all in and reaching for a cigarette if you’ve stopped straight away. Perhaps a personal crisis such as an argument at home or pressure at work. Your determination is the key to success. Do you really want to quit??, then continue what you’ve already started.

Avoid temptation and smoking triggers
Avoid Triggers: Remember alcohol and coffee are usually strong triggers for smoking. Try to avoid alcohol if it weakens your willpower and limit tea and coffee to a few cups a day. Drink decaffeinated coffee, water or fruit juice instead.
Remove any temptation
Don’t be tempted by relaxed surroundings such as holidays or in the evening after work and risk ruining all your hard work with just one cigarette. Remember, the occasional cigarette will only make you crave more.
Keep yourself busy, whenever you feel the urge to smoke take your mind off it by keeping active. Early evenings are often the most difficult time. You could decide to try a new hobby, decorate or exercise. Remember the craving will only last a couple of minutes, don’t give in!
Substitute something for a cigarette
If you’re in a social situation try carrying a non-alcoholic drink to keep your hands occupied. Chewing ordinary gum or sucking a hard boiled sweet can help you to resist that urge to smoke.
You don’t need to smoke to relax
Try new ways to relax and deal with stress such as deep breathing, taking regular breaks or light exercise. Try adding a few drops of relaxing lavender oil to your bath or put a few drops on to your pillow before you go to sleep.

Diet and Exercise
Get some exercise: Try going for a walk, run or swim (however gentle). Physical activity is not only a great way of dealing with stress but you’ll be getting fitter too.
Eat sensibly and stick to your normal diet
Cigarette cravings are often mistaken for hunger pangs. If you feel hungrier than usual or worry about putting on weight, avoid snacking on high calorie foods such as chocolate. Instead, keep plenty of fruit and vegetables handy. Remember that your doctor/ pharmacist can offer some useful advice.

Reward yourself
Reward yourself regularly: One of the really noticeable things about stopping smoking is you’ll have some extra money. Add it up and you could find it is equivalent to a reasonable pay rise. Use the money you would have normally spent on cigarettes to buy yourself a treat.

Don’t panic
Remember, you’re not alone: Quit smoking help from family and friends are invaluable, and your Doctor or Pharmacist is always available for advice.
If at first you don’t succeed...
Relapses can happen, so don’t despair. Many ex-smokers usually try several times before being successful. Think of your relapse as a temporary setback, rather than a failure. Use the experience and learn from it.

Lat Pull Down

2010-03-04T12:13:00.001Z

Weekly health bulletin

2010-02-26T11:00:00.001Z

Vitamin D, Nutrient of the day

Vitamin D is the nutrient of the day, year, and even decade. Vitamin D plays a role in maintaining healthy bones, but the sunshine vitamin also helps prevent certain cancers, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic pain, and neurological disorders.
In these dark, cold winter months, especially if you live in a Nordic country(including Ireland), you’re probably lacking vitamin D. Research suggests that about half of all men and women lack vitamin D and up to 70% of our children are deficient.
Individuals at highest risk for vitamin D deficiencies include:
• Anyone who lives in a cold climate (north of 42° latitude)
• Children and older adults
• Those with dark skin
• Individuals who are overweight or obese
Increasing vitamin D to at least 400 IU per day is the best way to boost vitamin D in the absence of sunlight, and here’s how to do it.
ID the D
Few foods naturally contain high levels of vitamin D. Those that do include things we typically don’t like, such as cod liver oil and sardines. However, eggs and mushrooms are a good source of vitamin D, as well as milk and other dairy products like cheese and yogurt. Some 100% fruit juices, spreads, and cereals are also fortified with vitamin D.
Some of the ways I add vitamin D to my diet include:
• Eggs`: Eggs contain vitamin D. Eating two eggs will provide 15% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin D.
• Mushrooms are the only fruit or vegetable that naturally contain vitamin D. Similarly to how our skin can manufacture vitamin D through UV rays from the sun, mushrooms can manufacture vitamin D through exposure to sunlight. You can find mushrooms exposed to ultraviolet light that provide 100% of your DV for vitamin D per serving.
• Salmon. Salmon is one of the richest sources of vitamin D you can find with up to 794 IU of vitamin D per 3 ounces cooked or nearly double your total daily intake. And, what’s great is that unlike tuna and other oily fish, wild Alaskan salmon is sustainable and has high quantities of heart-healthy omega-3s that aren’t found in farm-raised varieties.

Weekly health bulletin

2010-01-29T16:13:00.001Z

Creatine

Creatine monohydrate is formed in the human body from the amino acids arginine, glycine and methionine primarily in the kidney and liver. It is transported in the blood for use by muscles. Approximately 95% of the human body's total creatine is located in skeletal muscle.The rest is located in the brain or heart. Certain foods such as beef and oily fish contain creatine monohydrate. However the quantities a person would have to digest for the desired amounts would not be practical.
Creatine is stored in the body as creatine phosphate. The average 160lb person contains 120 grams of creatine phosphate.
In short duration explosive sports such as sprinting, weight lifting, rugby, ATP(adenosine tri-phosphate) is the energy system used. When ATP is depleted it uses your bodies creatine phosphate reserves to produce more ATP energy. Supplementing with creatine monohydrate increases your body’s pool of creatine allowing more ATP to be formed, resulting in more work being performed.
For optimum effect, load up on creatine as follows: 5 grams 5 times a day for 5 days, followed by a maintenance dose of 5 grams twice a day.
Studies in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found that muscle fibers grow when a person takes creatine.
The catch: This only happens if you take advantage of the boost in energy and hit the gym. Otherwise, it is just water weight.
Important Note: In some cases (different medical conditions) creatine can have side effects and for this reason the best thing before taking this supplement consult your doctor or physician.

Cable Ab Crunch

2010-01-18T11:41:00.002Z

Weekly health bulletin

2009-11-26T11:07:00.006Z

SUGAR

Sugar is a class of edible crystalline substances, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose. Human taste buds interpret its flavor as sweet. Sugar as a basic food carbohydrate primarily comes from sugar cane and from sugar beet, but also appears in fruit, honey, sorghum, sugar maple (in maple syrup), glucose syrup and in many other sources. It forms the main ingredient in candy.
Excessive consumption of sugar has been associated with increased incidences of type 2 diabetes, obesity and tooth decay, therefore sugar intake should be carefully measured. If you need to know the average sugar intake of an adult, this depends on more factors but as a general rule for an average 2.000 calorie/day diet an adult should eat about 32 grams of simple sugar/day. To make it simple 32 grams mean about 8 teaspoons of sugar a day but you have to keep in mind that eating refined sugars (Bad Sugars) like: sweets, chocolate, ice cream, cakes, etc will be exactly like eating sugar if not worse in some cases, as refined sugars are referred to as empty calories – ie; they contain no nutrients what so ever.
Your body needs sugar as this is pure energy and the good thing is that sugar comes from different sources and some of this sources are healthy enough that’s why are called good sugars. These are the fruits and vegetables and here are few examples: (apple, blueberries, orange, pineapple, strawberries, banana, cantaloupe, carrots, tomato, zucchini, broccoli, spinach, cucumber, etc.)These good sugars should be ingested instead of simple sugars and here are few reasons why simple (refined sugar) is bad for us:
The "glycemic index" is a measure of how a given food affects blood-glucose levels, with each food being assigned a numbered rating. The lower the rating, the slower the absorption and digestion process, which provides a more gradual, healthier infusion of sugars into the bloodstream. On the other hand, a high rating means that blood-glucose levels are increased quickly, which stimulates the pancreas to secrete insulin to drop blood-sugar levels. These rapid fluctuations of blood-sugar levels are not healthy because of the stress they place on the body.
One of sugar's major drawbacks is that it raises the insulin level, which inhibits the release of growth hormones, which in turn depresses the immune system. This is not something you want to take place if you want to avoid disease.
An influx of sugar into the bloodstream upsets the body's blood-sugar balance, triggering the release of insulin, which the body uses to keep blood-sugar at a constant and safe level. Insulin also promotes the storage of fat, so that when you eat sweets high in sugar, you're making way for rapid weight gain and elevated triglyceride levels, both of which have been linked to cardiovascular disease. Complex carbohydrates tend to be absorbed more slowly, lessening the impact on blood-sugar levels.
Here is a list of ways sugar can affect your health:
• Sugar can suppress the immune system.
• Sugar can upset the body's mineral balance.
• Sugar can contribute to hyperactivity, anxiety, depression, concentration difficulties, and crankiness in children.
• Sugar can produce a significant rise in triglycerides.
• Sugar can cause drowsiness and decreased activity in children.
• Sugar can reduce helpful high density cholesterol (HDLs).
• Sugar can promote an elevation of harmful cholesterol (LDLs).
• Sugar can cause hypoglycemia.
• Sugar contributes to a weakened defense against bacterial infection.
• Sugar can cause kidney damage.
• Sugar can increase the risk of coronary heart disease.
• Sugar may lead to chromium and copper deficiency.
• Sugar interferes with absorption of calcium and magnesium.
• Sugar can increase fasting levels of blood glucose.
• Sugar can promote tooth decay.
• Sugar can produce an acidic stomach.
• Sugar can raise adrenaline levels in children.
• Sugar can lead to periodontal disease.
• Sugar can speed the aging process, causing wrinkles and grey hair.
• Sugar can increase total cholesterol.
• Sugar can contribute to weight gain and obesity.
• High intake of sugar increases the risk of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.
• Sugar can contribute to diabetes and osteoporosis.
• Sugar can cause a decrease in insulin sensitivity.
• Sugar leads to decreased glucose tolerance.
• Sugar can cause cardiovascular disease.
• Sugar can increase systolic blood pressure.
• Sugar causes food allergies.
• Sugar can cause free radical formation in the bloodstream.
• Sugar can cause toxemia during pregnancy.
• Sugar can contribute to eczema in children.
• Sugar can overstress the pancreas, causing damage.
• Sugar can cause atherosclerosis.
• Sugar can compromise the lining of the capillaries.
• Sugar can cause liver cells to divide, increasing the size of the liver.
• Sugar can increase the amount of fat in the liver.
• Sugar can increase kidney size and produce pathological changes in the kidney.
• Sugar can increase the body's fluid retention.
• Sugar can cause hormonal imbalance.
• Sugar can cause hypertension.
• Sugar can cause headaches, including migraines.
• Sugar can cause an increase in delta, alpha and theta brain waves, which can alter the mind's ability to think clearly.
• Sugar can increase blood platelet adhesiveness which increases risk of blood clots and strokes.
• Sugar can increase insulin responses in those consuming high-sugar diets compared to low sugar diets.
• Sugar increases bacterial fermentation in the colon.

Health Bulletin - Shake that Salt Habit!

2009-11-12T11:48:00.005Z

According to recent research published by Safefood a shocking 66% of Irish adults have too much salt in their diet. It is recommended by health professionals that salt intake be no more than 6g per day, however the average intake of an Irish adult is closer to 9g!

You may think it makes little or no difference but in fact, consistently eating too much salt can have drastic effects on health. We all need salt for water balance but taking in too much salt causes the body to retain water. This extra water puts increased strain on the blood vessels, in other words increases our blood pressure. Sustained high blood pressure (around 140/90) damages the lining of arteries, thickens the heart muscle and paves the way for heart disease.

Here's the interesting part, most of the salt that we eat - 65-70% is added to foods during the manufacturing process. Meaning that we don't always realise that we are eating it. This is usually the case with highly processed foods or ready meals such as powdered soups, frozen pizzas and pot noodles. Salty meats such as posrk and bacon also contain high amounts of salt.

So how can we decrease our salt intake? Cutting down on processed foods is a great start! Where possible, choose fresh meat, vegatables and fruits. Add less salt when cooking and at the table. Cut down on salty meats, such as prok, gammon and bacon. Try using herbs, garlic and freshly ground black pepper to flavour your food instead of salt! Sauces and gravy often contain a lot of salt so ask for these on the side when you are eating out. Always taste your food before you add salt, more often than not you won't actually need to add any!

Take these steps gradually over a period of six weeks. Your taste buds will adjust and you will actually get used to less salty foods. You will even begin to appreciate the other flavours of food even more!

If you think that you may need to get your salt intake under control, try calculating how much salt there is in some of the products you eat. To do this look at the food label and check out the salt or sodium content. Often the salt content is given in terms of 'sodium'. One gram of sodium equates to 2.4g of salt. Remember you should take in no more than 6g of salt per day! Items that are low in salt will have less than or equal to 0.3g of salt per 100g (or 0.1g sodium per 100g). Products that are classified as being high in salt will have greater than or equal to 1.3g salt per 100g (0.5g sodium per 100g).

The Gym Team

Health Bulletin - Metabolism Boosters!!

2009-11-04T19:04:00.004Z

With the evenings getting shorter and the weather getting that 'little' bit more miserable, we decided that it's time to clear up a common misconception many people have about the effect of winter on metabolism. You may have heard people say that metabolic rate slows down during the winter months. This is simply NOT true! Our metabolic system stays the same all year round, it just so happens that people tend to move a little less and sit a little more during the winter. This is what affects our fat burning capacity, not the weather!

Having said that there are ways to boost our metabolism....that work all year round! Include these strategies into your daily routine and you'll be burning fat quicker than before!!

Build Lean Muscle:
One of the most straightforward ways to increase metabolic rate is to increase your lean muscle mass. It is a simple fact, the more muscle you have, the more calories you will burn at rest! So try to fit some resistance exercises into your routine. You don't have to be a bodybuilder, there are plenty of simple but tough body weight exercises that can be done anywhere, with no equipment!

Eat Early, Eat Often:
Skipping breakfast is a recipe for disaster. People who skip breakfast are more likely to be overweight or obese. By skipping breakfast you are going to be more tempted to compensate by eating extra calories over the course of the day. Make sure you have a balanced breakfast, including adequate protein. In addition, eating regular meals and including healthy snacks between meals will further increase metabolic rate. This is because food has a thermogenic effect on the body.We must expend a certain amount of energy in order to digest food. Eating smaller, regular meals will maintain this effect for the day.

Drink Green Tea:
Studies have shown that drinking green tea after a meal boosts metabolism. In fact, drinking green tea has been found to increase the thermogenic effect by 35-43% within a 24 hr period.

Fidget:
Wiggling your feet, finger tapping, pottering, stretching, all those habits that your colleague beside you might find irritating are in fact a great way to expend some extra calories. A study showed that one of the strongest factors differentiating thin people from their overweight counterparts was the amount of 'non exercise activity' they did.

De-Stress:
Anxiety and stress cause hormones, namely cortisol and adrenaline to be released into the bloodstream. These hormones can affect appetite, by making us feel more hungry and by interfering with the process by which our brain is told we are full. Consequently, we eat MORE! Furthermore, our nervous system responds to these stress hormones and causes a subsequent rise in blood sugar, increase in the amount of fat stored and also a lowering in metabolic rate. The message....you can't control stressful events from occurring, but you can control how you deal with them. Incorporate some stress busting yoga, meditation, deep breathing or relaxation exercises into your routine to help you clear your mind and face those stressful situations with ease!!

Ab / Core basic workout

2009-05-20T13:26:00.003+01:00

Hi All,

Below is short video for a basic ab / core workout using the swissball.
There are six exercises on this video.
Please feel free to watch and learn some new exercises that you can add to your own workout routine.
We will post additional progressive ab / core workouts a later date - stay tuned!

We have also added a short exercise technique video, concerning how to perform a straight leg dead lift with the barbell correctly.
Please feel free to check out some of our older posts containing other exercise technique videos.

Enjoy and be healthy,

The Gym Team.

Straight leg barbell deadlift technique

2009-05-20T10:52:00.001+01:00

2009-05-13T12:24:00.000+01:00

Weekly Health Bulletin 11/05/09
The Glycaemic index of carbohydrates

Hi Everybody,
This week’s health bulletin focuses on the Glycaemic index of carbohydrates. I’m a big advocate of healthy eating, as about 70% of your health goals can be achieved through healthy eating habits alone. So as a little taster of the type of information and detail required in understanding healthy eating, I would like to provide a little info relating to the main energy source of the body – Carbohydrates. The food groups associated as carbohydrates are the Grain food group and the fruit & Vegetable food group.

The glycemic index (GI) is a ranking of carbohydrates on a scale from 0 to 100 according to the extent to which they raise blood sugar levels after eating. Foods with a high GI are those which are rapidly digested and absorbed and result in marked fluctuations in blood sugar levels. Low-GI foods, by virtue of their slow digestion and absorption, produce gradual rises in blood sugar and insulin levels, and have proven benefits for health. Low GI diets have been shown to improve both glucose and lipid levels in people with diabetes (type 1 and type 2). They have benefits for weight control because they help control appetite and delay hunger. Low GI diets also reduce insulin levels and insulin resistance.

Recent studies from Harvard School of Public Health indicate that the risks of diseases such as type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease are strongly related to the GI of the overall diet. In 1999, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) recommended that people in industrialised countries base their diets on low-GI foods in order to prevent the most common diseases of affluence, such as coronary heart disease, diabetes and obesity.
For further information on this and general healthy eating habits, please book in for an assessment on our Google Dublin gym page.

Metabolic Conditioning Circuit 2

2009-04-09T16:11:00.001+01:00

Weekly Health Bulletin 23/03/09

2009-03-23T16:33:00.003Z

Hi everyone,

This weeks health bulletin focuses on those niggling aches and pains on your body, be it a shoulder, a knee, neck or back problem.
Since the start of the new year we have been receiving more and more questions in relation to personal aches, pains and minor injuries various people have.
Unfortunately none of the gym staff are qualified Physiotherapists, so answering questions in relation to minor injuries, aches and pains can be somewhat difficult, particularly when the person themselves can offer very little information in relation to their problem.

What is very concerning is those with injuries usually want to begin some sort of exercise program without causing further stress on these injuries. My advice to those who have any injuries, aches or pains, is to visit a physiotherapist to assess what sort of injury or problem you might have before even thinking about exercising.
Ignoring this advice could result in making the injury or problem a lot worse, or cause other injuries to develop.

One might require a rehabilitation program prior to starting a regular exercise program.
So on this note I have provided a link below to The Leinster Clinic, The clinic has been redeveloped to include a wide range of clinical disciplines now operating as a modern multidisciplinary Health Centre.

So if you have any injury, aches or pains and are unsure what it is or how to make it better, please seek professional help before dismissing it as something that will gradually sort itself out over time.

Take care of yourselves,

The Gym team. http://www.leinsterclinic.ie/

Google Gym - Correct Push-up Technique

2009-03-12T16:00:00.001Z

Weekly Health Bulletin 23.02.09

2009-02-24T10:14:00.002Z

Hi all,

This weeks health bulletin focuses on posture.

Please refer to the the postural video, which educates one about correct posture in both a seated and standing position.

"Posture is also part of our emotional anatomy:

How we hold ourselves somatically is related to how we hold ourselves emotionally and psychologically."

- Clyde Ford

Clyde W. Ford's writing career has focused on the many aspects of psychic healing. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, he wrote about healing therapy; in the mid-1990s he concentrated on the healing of racial wounds; and in 1999 he wrote The Hero with an African Face, a book about how myths heal psychic wounds. Besides exploring these issues in books and on the lecture circuit, he has conducted seminars and written numerous articles for Massage Magazine, Massage Therapy Journal, and Chiropractic Economics. In 1991 East West magazine recognized Ford's work as one of the 20 trends reshaping society. Linda Elliot and Mark Mayell in East West described Ford as "an 'engineer' who's building a bridge across the chasm that separates practitioners who focus only on body structures and those who concentrate specifically on the psyche.

Sitting and Standing Posture

2009-02-24T10:13:00.002Z

Squatting Technique

2009-02-23T15:07:00.002Z

Weekly Health Bulletin 17.02.09

2009-02-17T10:02:00.004Z

Benefits

Beyond Vitamins and Minerals -
Importance of Fruits and Vegetables

By increasing your intake of fruits and vegetables, you can reduce your risk for chronic diseases like cancer, diabetes and heart disease. Nutritive components like vitamins and minerals are important to good health but aren't the only reason to eat a good variety of fruits and vegetables. Non - nutritive compnents like fiber, antioxidants and other phytochemicals may help prevent chronic diseases. This classifies fruits and vegetables as "functional foods".

Antioxidants
Some vitamins and mineral can act as antioxidants (vitamins A, C, E and selenium), but there are thousands of other plant components that have the potential antioxidant properties. Scientists are still trying to discover and categorize all of them.

Phytochemicals
The term "phytochemical" simply means any compound a plant makes. These compunds are important for colour, taste, scent, growth, and defensive mechanisms of the plant. There are probably hundreds of thousands of different phytochemicals and scientists have only begun to examine a few of them. So far, phytochemicals appear to have unique beneficial effects on human health.

Fiber
Fruits and vegetables contain fiber, which helps to prevent constipation and other conditions including heart disease, cancer, diabetes and kidney stones. Fiber from fruits and vegetables adds bulk to your meals which prevents overeating and helps you feel full on fewer calories. Fruits and vegetables contain both soluable and insoluable forms of fiber.

Additional Benefits of Fruits and Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables add a lot of volume and only a small number of calories to a well-balanced eating pattern. This helps reduce the intake of other calorie-dense foods eaten at a meal. Fruit juices and canned fruits are more calorie-dense than their fresh and frozen counterparts and should be eaten less often. Fresh, frozen and canned vegetables are great anytime.

Fruits and vegetables add variety, texture and flavour to every meal. If you are not accustomed to eating fruits and vegetables, you may need to try them a few different ways to find something you like.

Portions

Most people should aim for at least nine servings of vegetables and fruits a day, and potatoes don't count. Examples of portion sizes of fruit and vegetables are given below:

1 portion = 80g=3oz=1/2 cup=3 tbsp
1 medium piece of fruit apple, pear, orange, banana)
1 handful of grapes of cherries
2 small fruits such as plums, apricots
1 slice of large fruit e.g. pineapple, melon
1 glass of fruit or vegetable juice
1 small packet of dried fruit e.g. prunes, raisins
1/2 an avocado or grapefruit
small side salad
1 large tomatoe or 6 cherry tomatoes
1 small tin of fruit (150-200g)
3 large tbsp of vegetables
3 tbsp of pulses - chickpeas, beans, lentils
1 corn on the cob
1 bunch of watercress or rocket

What to eat

Go for a variety of kinds and colours of produce, to give your body the mix of nutrients it needs. Include dark leafy greens, cooked tomatoes, and anything that's a rich yellow, orange or red colour.

Reference
www.helpwithcooking.com
http://efed.aces.uiuc.edu
www.hsph.harvard.edu

Weekly Health Bulletin

2009-02-12T11:08:00.003Z

Hi all,

Health is multidimensional, encompassing the physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and social aspects of health. This weeks health bulletin is food for thought, a quote from Rumi a medieval philosopher:

There is a force within
Which gives you life-
seek that

In your body
Lies a priceless gem-
seek that

O wandering Sufi,
if you want to find
the greatest treasure
don't look outside,
Look inside, and seek that.

Rumi

Nooglers Gym Tour

2009-01-08T10:54:00.004Z

New to Google?

Have you found the gym yet? - 1st floor Gas Works Building.

Would you like to see our facilities, would you like to know about the services available to all Googlers?

Take the tour and find out everything you need to know about getting started....

Google Gym Open Day - Friday 9th January 2009

2008-12-30T10:53:00.000Z

Hi Everyone,

To mark the season of New Year Resolutions we are holding a Gym Open Day on January Friday 9th. The Open Day will be especially suitable for those Googlers who are new to exercise and for those who are lapsed gym users. The open day is meant to encourage new gym users to incorporate exercise into their daily routine.

Timetable of Event’s

8.00am – Introduction to Group Exercise (30 mins)
• Group Fitness Studio
• Demonstration of all classes on Group Exercise Timetable

8.45am - Introduction to Resistance Training
• Gym Floor
• Activity based workshop on Resistance Training

9.30am – 12.00pm Gym Tours (15 mins)

12.15pm – Introduction to Group Exercise – New users only (30 mins)
• Group Fitness Studio
• Demonstration of all classes on Group Exercise Timetable

1.00pm – "Eat more, weigh less" Seminar (30-45 mins)
• Gym Floor
• Numbers limited to 20
• Activity based workshop on back care.

2pm - 4pm – Gym Tours (15 mins)

5pm - "New Year Health Challenge" Seminar (30-45 mins)
- Gym Floor
- Numbers limited to 20
- Explanation on new health challenge program

6.15pm- Introduction to Group Exercise – (30 mins)
• Group Fitness Studio
• Demonstration of all classes on Group Exercise Timetable

7.00pm – Introduction to Resistance Training
• Gym Floor
• Activity based workshop on Resistance Training

The Gym Team is looking forward to seeing lots of new faces over the course of the Open Day.

Yours in Fitness,

The Google Gym Team.

What constitutes a successful approach to reaching your health and fitness goals?

2008-12-11T10:53:00.000Z

In essence treating each and every person as an individual is crucial if you want to reach your health and fitness goals.

What motivates one will demotivate the other. Think of the gender and age differences, level of athletic ability, starting points for the programme. These all have to be taken into consideration.

However, there are several key principles that must be adhered to if you want success with any health and fitness programme.

1. Tailor Your Goals and Establish a Time Frame – at Sphere Fitness this is established from the beginning and displayed in 12 week time frames. Each 12 week block is split into defined training phases. This allows us to keep momentum with your progress by allowing consistent and never-ending improvement.

2. A successful approach will have regular and on-going assessments throughout. This allows the trainer and the client to review progress, aid with compliance and identify quickly any issues that may be arising from nutrition, lifestyle and training. Ideally weekly and at a minimum, monthly.

3. A successful approach will have a tailored exercise programme geared to the client’s goals. This is reviewed and changed every 3-4 weeks.

4. A successful approach will have the client work through the programme with 90% compliance i.e. not skipping sessions, training with purpose rather than ‘going through the motions’.

5. A successful approach will recognised that as a trainee you are learning how to train rather than become baby-sat throughout the session. This will then stay with you for the long haul.

6. A successful approach will provide a habit based approach to nutrition centred around 10 habits. These are worked on 1 at a time by the client in a progressive manner. 90% adherence to the plan is required for it to succeed in the long run. There are tools to measure this rate of progress. You will be asked to keep a food diary and a compliance chart score.

7. A successful approach will use supplements that are geared to the client’s goals and assessment. Why? Because they work.

8. A successful approach will recognise the need for balance in one’s life and address this with tools that give calm and inner balance. Stress management is crucial to the success of all health and fitness programmes. Sphere have a range of tools that we offer the client in this area.

Hopefully this gives the client an idea of what is expected in bringing success to the programme. This is project you! With that draws individual components that rely strongly on one another. If your training is excellent but your nutrition and supplement compliance is poor you will struggle. Likewise if you are a stressed bunny 24-7, results will be hard to achieve.

Our Obsession with Scales

2008-10-28T15:18:00.000Z

It is around this time of year that ‘weight loss’ becomes the new talking point for most men and women.

The last excuse has disappeared with the kids back to school and there is a nice run into Xmas.

But it is also this time of year that frustration begins to creep in and Seasonal Mood Adjustments mean that ‘beating yourself up’ becomes the norm if the scales begin to creep.

Let’s set the record straight. I do like scales. Do I weigh myself? Yes, once a week. What does it tell me? Not much.

As a quick and easy indicator, the scales are great. I suggest you pick a number you are happy with, say 4lbs, and if the scales creep up 4lbs you know that it is time to pull back and take action rather than wait until the dial looks more like 14.

But let’s not get carried away here. I am aware that most ladies freak out at the sight of the scales shifting in the wrong direction.

So if you do weigh yourself make sure it is a) first thing in the morning b) done naked or as close as possible c) urinate before you weigh yourself

What do the scales tell us? Ultimately they tell us our weight. But weight of what? We are made up of muscle, fat, water, a connective frame that includes bone, tendons ligaments etc etc.

Your hydration levels, glycogen stores (your muscle’s sugar stores), sodium levels, constipation, menstrual cycle and de-hydration (this forces the body to retain water) will all negatively influence the reading.

It is disheartening to see so many of us become hung up on our weight and what the scales say. Your weight can fluctuate throughout the day. Imagine hopping on the scales after a gym session and seeing you lost 2lbs. Great. Later on in the day, the scales creep back up 2lbs. Disappointment sets in. You may even think about quitting.

Lean bodies with good levels of health determined by blood tests will possess 10% of their body weight as fat in males and between 14-18% in females. Visible muscle definition will be evident.

I know plenty of women who carry very little weight but are well outside this range. The ‘skinny fat’ as I call them are seen walking around with their breakfast of skinny latte and a slice of toast before not eating anything until dinner time. By that time, their bodies have cannibalised its own protein source (its muscles) to fuel their bodies.

If you find yourself in this category try to start eating small regular amounts of food throughout the day that include protein, veggies and some healthy fats. Your metabolism will thank you for it.

Try and embrace how much body fat you are carrying over what the scales tell you. A skilled exercise physiologist will be able to measure your body fat levels. Embrace the challenge of burning fat and perform activities that preserve lean muscle mass whilst burning fat such as weight training.

A good measure of your success and progress is your own self-perception, people complimenting you and how your clothes fit.

Is it as easy as drinking your food? No. Is it as easy as relying solely on the scales? No. Keep focused on your body fat levels. Have them accurately taken and then set about meeting the challenge.

We have a good run into Xmas now. Where can you see yourself 8-10 weeks from now? In this time there could be a new you

John Lark is a Fat Loss Specialist combining Exercise, Nutrition and Lifestyle Tools at The Sphere Fitness Studio, Maynooth. Download his 5 Top Tips for Burning Fat at www.spherefitnessstudio.com

Why do I Thank the Japanese for Fat Loss

2008-10-23T14:18:00.000+01:00

Why do I Thank the Japanese for Fat Loss

Well, I have to admit that to thank the Japanese for fat loss would be a slight exaggeration.

However, they are responsible for one pleasant, or not so pleasant chap called Professor Tabata who has made working out, training, exercise or whatever you want to label it as an excuse of the past.

The phrase Tabata Interval originated from a study performed by Dr. Izumi Tabata (and colleagues) at the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo, Japan.

They found that, to cut it short, that 7-8 sets of exercise on a stationary bike at 170% of your VO2 max (a term used to describe your fitness levels) for 20 seconds followed by 10 seconds rest was effective at improving your fitness levels by as much as 28%.

So let me get this right – 4 minutes for a 28% improvement in fitness.

It is also a great little fat burner. The keys lies not in the amount of calories you burn during the session but the time following the session. This ‘after burn’ or Elevated Post Oxygen Consumption for the nerds out there (and yes I am one) is the result of you elevating your metabolic rate through the roof. You will burn calories whilst sitting at your desk!

Yep. Not a bad investment for your body and the beauty is that it only takes 4 minutes. Imagine if you had all of 8, 12 or 16 minutes what you could achieve.

It is one of the biggest excuses that I hear every day.

‘I don’t have time’

or ‘I HAD to do the washing’

‘Really? What is easier to fix – a pile of dirty clothes or the rolls of fat hanging over your trousers?’

The key lies with the intensity of your exercise during the 20 seconds. If you can hold a conversation then you are not working hard enough or the ‘intent’ is not enough.

The beauty with this principle is that you can apply is to any exercise. The more muscles you involve the better. So curling a bag of sugar for 20 seconds will not yield as much fat burning effect as a press up-squat combination.

If you are out walking then walk briskly for 5-10 minutes ensuring you are warm and ready to launch into some Tabatas. Then up the intensity. For some this may be no more than a fast walk. For others, a jog, a run or even a sprint. Then rest for 10 seconds before going again. Now repeat this session for 7 more sets.

You can also use body weight exercises performed to as many repetitions in the allotted time frame.

Try a squat by placing your feet shoulder width apart, keeping your chest proud and sitting back and down into as deep as position as possible.

Try a lunge by placing your front foot out in front before explosively pushing back to the start position. If you find this tough then keep the front foot where it is and lunge and up and down.

How about the humble press-up? Or chin-up for the more militant about you? A press up is a great foundation movement. Place your hands for beginners against a wall, intermediate against an elevated platform and for the advanced, the floor. Keep your hips and shoulders level and lower to the ground. Push the ground away from you back to the start position.

Running on the spot or skipping is also a great way of performing the dreaded tabatas.

These sessions are short and sweet and yes 4 minutes will yield some results. If you wish to combine blocks of 4 minutes rest for 4 minutes in-between if you are starting out. If you are more advanced then 2 minutes will suffice.

Be sure to combine the above with a well-designed nutrition programme, drink plenty of water, get your sleep and you are sure to be in for the results you want.

John Lark is a fat loss specialist. Go to his web site www.john-lark.com and download his free report on ‘5 Most Effective Ways of Burning Fat’ or call 01-5052131.

How to Power Start Your Day

2008-10-06T13:44:00.001+01:00

There was a time when breakfast used to be the time when most of the family were together.

Papa Smurf popped off to work after reading the paper, Mamma Smurf cooked up the eggs and cereals, whilst the kids lamented over their day at school.

Fast-forward 50 years.

Most people are on their way to work before the sun rises. Kids are hurried off one arm in jumper with the other grabbing a bit of toast. Mum in the meantime is grabbing a bit of lippy and providing a gentle but firm kick up the backside to get out of the door.

Yet we all know and rightly so – breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

Skipping it altogether will tee you up nicely for fat gain. Particularly around the mid-rift. Through years of looking at eating habits and body fat distribution patterns I can firmly say that whose who skip breakfast consistently end up looking like a pear.

In same light using a cereal box as your method of starting the day has also had a large part to play in keeping people erring towards the muffin top shape.

Most of us are familiar with the food pyramid?

Well try the reverse food pyramid in the sense that make your breakfast the largest meal of the day and taper off your calorific intake as the day progresses.

Assuming that we all know that 5-6 ‘feedings’ are better than 3 ‘fill-your-boots- type’ meals then your calorific intake at each meal would look like this if you were shooting for 1500 kcal a day:

Breakfast – 400 kcal, Meal 2 – 200 kcal, Meal 3 – 300 kcal Meal 4 – 200 kcal Meal 5 – 200 Meal 6 – 200 kcal

Better blood sugar management, leaner physique, no hunger, better moods, more food to eat (!!) and so on. What is there not to like about this?

You see instead of perpetuating a cycle of sugar cravings by leaving gaps between meals (longer than 2-3 hours) we are actually feeding our bodies regularly.

So what’s the big deal with breakfast?

What you eat first in the day will determine your hormonal and energy levels. Try this practical experiment. For the next five days try meat, salad and nuts breakfast. Think of it as having dinner for breakfast.

See how your energy levels are for the rest of day. Then go back to your cereal based breakfast and compare.

I will guarantee more energy and certainly less sugar cravings. It is unsurprising that your dopamine levels will increase providing you with extra ‘get-up-and-go’ to face the day.

Some other options for breakfast can be leftover dinner, homemade patties with a side salad or chicken breast with salsa or Guacamole.

Typical comments I have received in the past are ‘I felt like gagging’ and ‘where am I going to find the time?’

All I can say to this is – ‘try it, you won’t be disappointed’

So what then do you have for dinner? Try something light like a salad with cold meats or a Vegetable Omelette.

In fact Eggs are quick and easy to knock up alongside the fact that they are rich in choline, a nutrient geared towards optimal brain health. Not a bad food to have on your side if you are in the middle of a feeding frenzy at the zoo.

Most of my female clients have settled into the swing of cooking up their breakfast whilst knocking up dinners.

For the males this is a bit tougher. For most of them, reading the instructions on a Pot Noodle is as far as it goes.

Although one athlete I used to room with at college was caught emptying the contents of one a pot noodle into a saucepan before transferring it back into the pot to eat.

This is the same guy who assembled a flat pack bed downstairs.

So can you see how important your nutrition is to your brain health?

Start your day with a power breakfast, not some dehydrated excuses of fruit with an empty cereal. Prepare your food the night before whilst you cook your dinner. At worst have left-overs. Your brain, waist line and energy levels will thank you with open arms.

John Lark is a personal trainer and fat loss specialist combining nutrition, training and supplementation for tailored results. Download his free report at www.john-lark.com or call 01-5052131 for more information

Ten Minute Health and Fitness Solutions

2008-09-01T10:47:00.004+01:00

In a world of quick fixes who can blame us for searching for the quickest and fastest route to sometimes the hardest finishing line?

It is often said that ‘slow and steady wins the race’. When it comes to health and fitness this is certainly the case.

Learning to enjoy the ride and discovering what your body is capable of doing is a crucial learning experience.

However, there are a few quick fixes. There are a few mini tasks that can be performed that take ten minutes tops to perform yet could mean the difference between winning or losing the battle against the bulge.

1. Preparing a shopping list will not only mean saving on the pennies but also saving on your calorie budget. This simple ten minute task will mean that you are far more likely to stay clear of the middle aisles when you make up a list rich in meats, fish, poultry, veggies, fruits and healthy fats. The temptation to sneak in the extra packet of biscuits is dramatically reduced.

2. Haven’t got time to exercise? Try this handy circuit of exercise that requires no equipment to perform. It is based on High Intensity Training (HIT) methods, but in essence that is what you make of it. If your idea of high intensity is not using a remote control then this is not for you.

Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and a chair behind you. Now squat up and down as many times as you can in 20 seconds. Rest for 10 seconds. Go over to a wall and position your hands against the wall around chest level. Keep your body straight and lower yourself as many times as possible in 20 seconds. Rest for 10 seconds. Return back to the squat for another 20 seconds work and 10 seconds rest. You can repeat this eight times for a total of four minutes.

Some of you can just do one four-minute block. Other more experienced can try two with a 2-minute rest in between each set of four minutes.

3. Begin a food diary to really maximise your results. Set aside ten minutes at the end of the day to record what you ate for the day. Research has shown that you are 80% more likely to reach your target weight if you do this simple task. Recording the time that you ate, what you ate and the quantities is a great start. So get that that A5 book handy!

4. Pre-chop your veggie is another valuable time saver and one of those ‘small investments but big reward’ type activities. Getting your veggies out of the packets, chopped and into zip-loc bags will mean preparing omelettes, stir-fries, casseroles and other meals becomes easy! Spend no more than 10 minutes on this after you shop.

5. Cooking food in bulk will mean that you never have to worry about eating dead food again! What do I mean by dead food? Classic examples include the healthy-touted wrap with nothing in it! Have you ever un-wrapped a shop wrap? There is nothing in it except a few washed up pieces of lettuce with a dollop of radiated mayo. Nice.

Dead food takes nourishment from you. It takes more energy to digest, absorb and detoxify the food than the actual amount of energy it provides.

At dinner take ten minutes to prepare a little snack or a meal for the following day. This habit will pay you back ten-fold.

6. Shopping can be a laborious process so why not spend ten minutes shopping for your regular items online. Set up an account and get all your regular items delivered. This normally takes ten minutes. This will allow you more time to visit your local butcher and farmers markets to get some real food.

Our most successful clients are those that understand the link between health and fitness. They have made healthy living an integral part of their lives without it overwhelming them. Take one of these ten-minute habits and perform it religiously for the next 21 days. See what happens!

What is the worst that can happen? That you actually take responsibility for your health and fitness and ditch the excuses that you are simply too busy. No one is too busy. It is just a case of what is important to you. Everyone has ten minutes.

John Lark is a Fat Loss Specialist providing tools to help you get healthier and leaner - faster. He can be contacted at 01-505213. Download your free fat loss report at www.spherefitnessstudio.com

Alcohol

2008-07-30T17:11:00.002+01:00

Every year, more money is spent promoting the use of alcohol than any other product. Perhaps through its elaborate and creative marketing, the most basic, yet important fact about alcohol is often overlooked — alcohol is a drug — the most commonly used and widely abused psychoactive drug in the world.

One concept that many people find difficult to accept is that alcoholism and alcohol problems are a disease. Research has shown that alcohol interacts with the body’s systems in predictable ways to lead to physiological addiction.

Alcoholism is a disease — a chronic, progressive, fatal disease if not treated.

Short Term Effects
Even at low doses, alcohol significantly impairs the judgment and coordination required to drive a car or operate machinery safely. Low to moderate doses of alcohol can also increase the incidence of a variety of aggressive acts, including domestic violence and child abuse.

Effects of moderate alcohol intake include dizziness and talkativeness. The immediate effects of a larger amount of alcohol include slurred speech, disturbed sleep, nausea, and vomiting. “Hangovers” are another effect after large amounts of alcohol are consumed — symptoms including headache, nausea, thirst, dizziness, and fatigue.

Long Term Effects
Prolonged, heavy use of alcohol can lead to addiction (alcoholism). Sudden cessation of long term, extensive alcohol intake is likely to produce withdrawal symptoms, including severe anxiety, tremors, hallucinations, and convulsions.

Long-term effects of consuming large quantities of alcohol can lead to:
• permanent damage to vital organs
• several different types of cancer
• gastrointestinal irritations, such as nausea, diarrhea, and ulcers
• malnutrition and nutritional deficiencies
• sexual dysfunctions
• high blood pressure
• lowered resistance to disease

Alcohol and Exercise

Studies have shown that small amounts of alcohol increase muscular endurance and strength output, but, these benefits are very short lived. After around twenty or so minutes, the problems start. All the negative side affects of alcohol fully outweigh any possible benefits it can have to anyone. Alcohol is a toxin (poison) and so a whole host of physical abnormalities can arise.

These can reduce your strength, endurance, recovery capabilities, aerobic capacity, ability to metabolize fat and muscle growth. Alcohol can also affect your nervous system and brain. Long term use can cause severe deterioration of your central nervous system. With short term use, nerve-muscle interaction can be reduced resulting in a loss of strength.

When alcohol reaches the muscle cells, it can cause damage to them. Inflammation of the muscle cells is common among alcohol users. Over the long term, some of these damaged cells can die resulting in less functional muscle contractions. Alcohol will also leave you with more muscle soreness after exercise making recuperation periods longer.

Maximize Your Progress with Hydrochloric Acid

2008-06-24T16:12:00.000+01:00

Are your muscles getting all the protein contained in that 12-ounce steak? Does your immune system enjoy all the antioxidant protection from the vitamins and minerals in organic fruits and vegetables? Do your supplements work as well as the manufacturer promises? There’s a 50/50 chance that the answer is “No.” The reason is that it’s not so much what you eat or what supplements you take, but how much you assimilate. This statement might seem peculiar, but it is true. The problem can often be traced to low levels of stomach acids, a condition known as hypochlorhydria.

Stomach acid breaks down food, chemically altering it so that the body can extract the required nutrients for proper structure and function, including muscle maintenance and growth. The acid begins the digestion of protein in the stomach and then triggers the pancreas to secrete digestive enzymes and the gallbladder to release bile into the small intestine. The acid is also responsible for killing pathogenic bacteria that enters the body via food.

Here are a few of the symptoms of low stomach acid:

· belching or gas within one hour of a meal

· bloating and fullness shortly after eating

· bad breath

· loss of taste for meat

· nausea after taking supplements

· brittle fingernails

· undigested food in stool

· foul-smelling stools

· stomach pain

· desire to skip meals

· estrogen buildup

· acne rosacea

· Depression

There are many reasons for low stomach acid, such as B vitamin deficiency, excess carbohydrate consumption, hypothyroidism, food sensitivities, H. Pylori infection, soda consumption and aging. But the most common cause of low stomach acid is actually stress. Stress experts estimate that we now have 100 times more stress than our grandfathers did. How do you test for low HCl? Here are a few ways:

· From your blood chemistry screen values, or by a urine test

· A string test where you swallow a string in order to measure your stomach pH – not a pleasant test, incidentally

· An examination of the reflex point on your abdomen, an inch below the bottom of the breastbone on the edge of the left rib cage

· Presence of a zinc deficiency; an insufficient amount of this mineral is associated with hypochlorhydria

· Presence of vertical ridges on your nails

· Stool testing

· Amino acid profile tests

In addition to HCL Supplementation*, here are a few other suggestions to normalize your stomach acid levels. First, avoid carbonated drinks. Second, avoid all-you-can-eat buffets and such like as they are a leading source of food-borne pathogens. Finally, there are numerous herbs that can contribute to raising HCl, such as gentian, peppermint and ginger, but be aware that very few controlled studies exist on this topic.

Correction in HCl deficiency leads to not only dramatic improvements in physique and strength but also improvements in a variety of health parameters. Interestingly enough, in strength-trained individuals those improvements are often associated with gains of 15 to 18 pounds of lean body mass within two months! Why? They are now absorbing proteins and minerals.

If you suspect that you are low in stomach acid, you must address this issue with the utmost importance. You cannot make adequate use of your food or your supplements if you cannot break them down for proper absorption. It’s true that not only are you what you eat, you are what you assimilate!

Article courtesy of Charles Poliquin

2008-04-11T12:24:00.007+01:00

Time Saving Training Tips

For most people, it seems like seconds count in their personal and professional lives. Catching a plane for a sales trip. Critical appointments with clients, running around with your kids, making sure that you catch the latest episode of Coronation Street or whatever other hundred other things you're involved with each day.

But YOU don't have to leave that philosophy in the changing room when you hit the gym floor. Although there's never an excuse for poor exercise technique, there are dozens of safe ways to shave time from your workout routine - and still train like a champion. Here are some effective time-saving strategies...

1. Opposites attract.

Train opposing muscle groups during your rest periods. Also called "modified compound sets." For example, after you get done doing a set of bench press to work your chest, IMMEDIATELY go to the lat pulldown machine to do a set of pulldowns for your upper and middle back.

2. Stay focused.

You've heard it before: he who fails to plan plans to fail. Said in fitness jargon, he who walks into the gym and wanders around wastes massive amounts of time. Plan your routine before you go to the gym or better still talk to a Fitness Coach who will workout a programme for you. And STICK WITH IT.

3. Rev up your Metabolism with intervals.

This writer has worked in the industry for 10 years and I am still amazed by people who are able to read a book or worse still study a text book while on a bike or a treadmill. If you can read then your not making use of your workout time. Treadmills are great for walking, jogging, or running, but doing a little of each be INTERVAL TRAINING can help kick your body's fat-burning ability into high-gear. Walk for 5 minutes to start. Then jog for 2 minutes, then run at a higher level for 2 minutes, alternating back and forth until you've reached anywhere from 15-20 minutes of total time. If that's too difficult, start at 30 seconds of jog, 30 seconds of run, and increase gradually by 15 seconds until you can do 2 minutes jog, 2 minutes run.

4. Bring a bottle.

Sure, you could go to the drinking fountain every time you want some water. A better idea is to carry a water bottle with you as you work out. Not only do you save time, but you keep your body properly hydrated, resulting in better workout performance.

5. Avoid peaking!

If you want a peak performance workout, avoid working out during your gym's peak hours - typically 5 pm - 8 pm. You'll wind up wasting time waiting in line for workout equipment and dumbbells. And a wasted workout.

6. Early bird gets the worm.

Gyms have fewer clients in the early-morning hours. Plus, you'll often find they're less talkative - maybe because they're trying to wake up!

7. Use free weights.

A single, adjustable bench allows you to do a multitude of free weight exercises. You can do bench presses, shoulder presses, crunches, curls, triceps extensions, upright rows, etc. Your workout goes smoothest when you have all the barbells and dumbbells nearby, so the only time you have to move is to grab different weights.

8. Quit the B.S.ing.

Yes, you look forward to chatting with your friends at the gym. But when time is on the line and you have to zip through your workout, TELL THEM. That way you get your workout in without making them feel ignored and plus feel like you've worked out more than just your jaw.

9. Race against the clock.

When you're pushed for time use a STOPWATCH and take 30 second rest periods between sets. Keep a close eye on the the watch. As soon as it's been 30 seconds, BAM, start your next set.

10. Train with your partner.

Sometimes exercise can seem like it's stealing time away from your spouse or significant other. Why not go to the gym together? You don't actually have to work out together - your workouts will be very different. Better than feeling guilty about not spending time together.

11. Prepare.

Prepare for your next exercise between sets will save you time. If you're going to use dumbbells, for instance, pull them from the rack and place them at the bench you're going to use. Also on the subject of preparation pack your gym bag the night before as it will save you time and ensure that you won't forget your trainers

Squatting With Heels Raised

2008-03-28T13:53:00.005Z

A lot of people have difficulty squatting past parallel, because they've never done it before. And when they do, they find it hard keeping their torsos upright at the bottom of the movement. They lack the flexibility to do full squats correctly, because their Achille's tendons just don't allow for it. How do you know you lack the flexibility to do full range squats? Try squatting all the way down with your back arched, shoulders back, chest out and body upright. If you find your heels come up at the bottom of the movement, then you're lacking in flexibility. One way to get around this is to place a couple of plates underneath the heels. This allows you to squat all the way down with a semi-upright torso. It also shifts the emphasis slightly from your ass and hips to your quads, which develops a better look for your thighs.

Benefits

More VMO(vastus medialis obliquus) Recruitment
Back is straighter as you squat
Great for those with limited ankle plantar flexion
Allows full range
More range allows for a more balanced development of the thigh i.e. between vastus intermedius, lateralis and medialis. Most of us have underdeveloped medialis leading to destabilising of the knee.
More synovial fluid flushing i.e. lubrication of the knee
Reduced risk of injury.

Cons

More shear force for the unhealthy knee - must take into consideration history before attempting
Must be pain free Range of Motion
Flexibility issues further up the spine.

I hope this wee article sheds some light on the subject.

Happy and safe squatting.

How to Stay Motivated

2008-02-29T11:12:00.011Z

Staying Motivated

Its time to get back to the gym people. Tomorrow is the start of a new month and its time to get your gym gear ready and get back on track with that exercise programme you started in January and for some reason or another you fell off the wagon. Maybe it was those cold and dark winter mornings and your bed was a far more enticing than battling the elements or maybe you just got bored. Hell you can even use the excuse that your dog ate your gym gear and you've just been far too busy to pop into town and replace it :) We all make excuses but sometime we just have to get back on that treadmill and fight the laziness of the mind. Here are some tips to help you get back on track with your exercise habit.

A great motivation technique is to set goals for yourself so that you can monitor your progress on a weekly or monthly basis. As you are able to see your progress, your enthusiasm will soar.

Listed below are some specific goal setting tips:

Be specific

In order to stimulate your motivation, you need to be specific with your goal setting. Instead of saying you are going to set a personal best for a dead lift or a 5km run, set a goal to improve on your personal best by 10kg's or 15 seconds in the next six months.

Set a deadline

Complacency and an attitude of "I'll work on that later" will set in if your deadline for achieving your goal is not defined. Add a sense of urgency to your goal by adding a specific timeframe and watch your motivation skyrocket!

Set realistic but difficult to obtain goals

Your goals should be achievable and challenging at the same time. An unrealistic goal will kill motivation but a goal that is too easily obtained will lead to boredom.

Write and Review Your Goals

Writing down your goals creates your roadmap to success. Although just the act of writing them down can set the process in motion, it is also extremely important to frequently review your goals. Remember, the more focused you are on your goals the more likely you are to accomplish them.

Develop a Plan and Work It

Develop a plan of action to achieve your running goals and then Just Do It! By taking the time to decide on the specific steps needed to achieve your goals, you increase your motivation and your chances of success. The final step is to get out there and work your plan.

Utilize a Training Log

Keep a training log of each workout you do. Record times, distances, weights lifted, nutrition record, time of day, weather, your pulse rate, progress toward goals and any other statistic or aspect of your exercise you might find valuable. A training log allows you to monitor your progress and learn from your mistakes. Many regular exercisers regularly review their training logs to look at the work they've done in the past to provide motivation for the future.

Implement the Buddy System

Train with a compatiable training partner. Finding others with which to train makes time fly, provides accountability, builds friendships, and provides mutual motivation on those days when you or your partner(s) just "don't feel like it."

Don't know of anyone to train with? Ask your fitness coach or ask your work colleague who you feel is at the same level as you and may have similar goals.

Surround yourself with Reminders

Sustained motivation is key to achieving your potential. One way to keep your motivation high is to find out what fires you up, and then surround yourself with it. Examples include: posters, quotes, photos, inspiring literature, biographies of successful athletes, fitness books, fitness magazines, and videos. Place your "mental stimuli" where you can see it every day.

Be Creative with your Workouts

Doing the same workout day after day leads to boredom and burnout. Alter your workout routine by

Getting a fitness assessment and programme review
Hire a personal trainer to train you once a week

Being creative with your workout will add new life to your exercise habit.

Do more than just going to the gym

Do more than just going to the gym to add a boost of motivation, incorporate some cross training in your workout routine. There are many other activities that can increase your strength, flexibility, and aerobic conditioning. Mix in some cycling, swimming, hiking, or take up a new sport. In the now famous words of Nike, Just Do It!

Reward yourself when you succeed

Rewards can be a powerful motivator. When you do succeed, make sure to do something nice for yourself. Many who have reached their goal treat themselves to some tangible reward: a sports watch, a meal at a nice restaurant, or a special trip. The ideas are limited only by your imagination.

Bottom line: Be good to yourself.

Resistance Training for Women - The Myths

2008-02-08T13:42:00.000Z

1. If you lift weights, you'll bulk up! It's physiologically impossible for women because testosterone is responsible for increasing muscle bulk, and women simply don't have enough of this predominantly male hormone to build Schwarzenegger-sized bulges.

2. Lifting weights will get rid of "lovehandles" and any other unsightly bulges.
The truth is that there is no such thing as "spot reduction." If you have a ripple here or a bulge there, your only recourse is to reduce fat all over. The best way is with a combination of cardiovascular exercise, strength training and a healthy nutrition plan. Strength training (via free weights or weight machines), and you'll beef up your lean muscle mass, turning your body into a round-the-clock calorie-burning factory.

3. In order to see results, you need to work every muscle individually. Not only is it unnecessary to work each of your more than 600 muscles separately, you actually get a better workout (as in faster results in less time) by performing compound moves. Think squats, lunges, dips, push-ups. Unlike single-joint exercises (like a biceps curl or leg extension), compound moves mimic activities you're likely to perform in everyday life.

4. For maximum definition, the more repetitions of each exercise, the better.
In order to see gains in strength, size, or power is by taking the muscle to fatigue. In general, try to do at least two sets of each exercise and use a weight that's heavy enough so that you can barely lift it by the end of the second set.

5. If you stop working out, your muscles will turn to fat.
Think apples and oranges: Fat and muscle are two different substances, and one cannot, will not, and has not ever turned into the other. Less of one simply means more room for the other. When you stop using your muscles, your body becomes significantly less efficient at burning calories and this allows the fat to creep back on. And another thing to remeber ladies is that women who work out with weights can slow the 10 percent loss of strength per decade that occurs in women who don't train with weights.

The Kaizen Approach to New Year's Health and Fitness

2007-12-20T13:37:00.000Z

"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

Who says Girls Shouldn't Squat?

2007-11-06T11:29:00.001Z

7 most effective ways to gain fat fast

2007-10-31T12:14:00.000Z

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?

Why the scales do not move...

2007-10-05T20:46:00.001+01:00

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 all

A: 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.

What's a Rep?

2007-09-28T11:13:00.000+01:00

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...

A Special Treat For You....

2007-09-13T20:39:00.000+01:00

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.

Stop Guessing Your Gym Training

2007-09-11T20:41:00.000+01:00

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.

Low Carb Diets are Effective for Fat Loss

2007-09-07T10:29:00.000+01:00

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)

Mailing List: fitness-ie

2007-01-10T16:06:00.001Z

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

2007-01-10T15:57:00.000Z

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

2007-01-10T15:52:00.000Z

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.

Google Calendar Integration!

2007-01-04T17:07:00.000Z

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.