I need to start this blog post with a HUUUUUGE apology.
It's been 11 months since our last blog post and for that I am truly sorry.
What a year it's been though. Ups, downs, incredible highs, unbelievable lows, but through it all we have kept smiling & trying to bring to all our clients the best level of care & coaching we are able to.
We have seen an influx of professional athletes join the Complete Family, inspirational, driven, & wonderfully nice people to have around. Our gym family has grown as well. We have loads of new people who have joined us & who have helped to spread the message.
That actually leads me to my purpose for this post.
Out of all the new members (not including athletes) our intake has been 80% women, 20% men. Now this truly amazes me. For those of you who don't know us that well we are hardly set up like a feminine gym. Yet time & time again the women who come in adapt really well to the training methods we use, & really put huge effort into getting stronger, leaner, & more athletic. I'm sorry to say that the men who come in trial our training programmes, complain about how hard they are & disappear very quickly.
So I just wonder if there are any real men left anymore? Since when did complaining, bitching & moaning become par for the course? Does this mean I have to water down my training programmes because men are getting too weak to do a full press up??
I want to challenge the guys to prove me wrong. Let's return to the days when we could hold our bodies in alignment, pull up to a bar above our heads, rip out 40- 50 press ups in less than 60 seconds. All it takes is a bit of effort and commitment.
I'll let you know how we get on
Paul
Saturday, 17 March 2012
Tuesday, 19 April 2011
The Warrior Within You...
Hello!
So as a bank holiday is approaching it must be a newsletter from the Complete Studio!!!
My plan had been to send out a monthly newsletter this year and rather than just listing things going on in the studio, make them a bit more topical. But events in January proved a little more challenging than we had anticipated!
So instead of our usual newsletter we've posted this as a blog post.
If you've ever trained in our gym, or been to one of my Pilates classes, you'll know that Paul and I are never short of an opinion, fact, or joke (Paul), or a story and a very funny joke ( me!)
One of the latest opinions that Paul has been sharing is the lack of "warrior" spirit nowadays. Thankfully, his definition of a warrior isn't someone who is obsessed with physical fighting - and yes I am aware of all the boxing talk in the studio. Being a warrior - according to Paul - is all about strength - physical and mental,being brave - and being honourable.
So, although there is an element of physical strength to this concept of warrior-ness this is much more about being prepared to get out of your comfort zone physically and mentally, whether to achieve your goals or to overcome some of the curve balls that life can throw at you.
Often in the studio, we see people who really want to improve their health but aren't prepared to change their lifestyle and be disciplined enough to stick with those changes.
This isn't about criticizing people's lifestyles but being a warrior is about taking responsibility for your actions - and understanding that the diet and exercise choices you make will affect your health.
Every time Paul trains he embodies warrior spirit - may sound corny but it is true - and in the past that has meant pushing himself harder - which is no mean fête. In the last few months he has had a serious back injury, and has had to find a much deeper level of warrior-ness - listen to his body and find different training methods to maintain and develop his strength in new ways - a greater challenge than he has experienced before.
But the ultimate demonstration of a true warrior has been given by my mother-in-law. In January she was diagnosed with breast cancer, and as the last 4 months have gone by, her treatment has been much tougher than originally anticipated. Throughout this incredibly tough time she has been amazing - accepting her situation but dealing with each new challenge with a completely positive mindset and her doctor is amazed at the progress she is making.
The point of sharing this isn't to make you feel sorry for Paul's Mum but to be inspired by her spirit - she really is a true warrior.
People are amazing and I think there are far more warriors out there than we realise.
Have a wonderful Easter, be healthy and happy,
From Liza & everyone at the Complete Studio
PS don't eat too much chocolate!!!
So as a bank holiday is approaching it must be a newsletter from the Complete Studio!!!
My plan had been to send out a monthly newsletter this year and rather than just listing things going on in the studio, make them a bit more topical. But events in January proved a little more challenging than we had anticipated!
So instead of our usual newsletter we've posted this as a blog post.
If you've ever trained in our gym, or been to one of my Pilates classes, you'll know that Paul and I are never short of an opinion, fact, or joke (Paul), or a story and a very funny joke ( me!)
One of the latest opinions that Paul has been sharing is the lack of "warrior" spirit nowadays. Thankfully, his definition of a warrior isn't someone who is obsessed with physical fighting - and yes I am aware of all the boxing talk in the studio. Being a warrior - according to Paul - is all about strength - physical and mental,being brave - and being honourable.
So, although there is an element of physical strength to this concept of warrior-ness this is much more about being prepared to get out of your comfort zone physically and mentally, whether to achieve your goals or to overcome some of the curve balls that life can throw at you.
Often in the studio, we see people who really want to improve their health but aren't prepared to change their lifestyle and be disciplined enough to stick with those changes.
This isn't about criticizing people's lifestyles but being a warrior is about taking responsibility for your actions - and understanding that the diet and exercise choices you make will affect your health.
Every time Paul trains he embodies warrior spirit - may sound corny but it is true - and in the past that has meant pushing himself harder - which is no mean fête. In the last few months he has had a serious back injury, and has had to find a much deeper level of warrior-ness - listen to his body and find different training methods to maintain and develop his strength in new ways - a greater challenge than he has experienced before.
But the ultimate demonstration of a true warrior has been given by my mother-in-law. In January she was diagnosed with breast cancer, and as the last 4 months have gone by, her treatment has been much tougher than originally anticipated. Throughout this incredibly tough time she has been amazing - accepting her situation but dealing with each new challenge with a completely positive mindset and her doctor is amazed at the progress she is making.
The point of sharing this isn't to make you feel sorry for Paul's Mum but to be inspired by her spirit - she really is a true warrior.
People are amazing and I think there are far more warriors out there than we realise.
Have a wonderful Easter, be healthy and happy,
From Liza & everyone at the Complete Studio
PS don't eat too much chocolate!!!
Wednesday, 26 January 2011
R.I.P Jack LaLanne
It would be remiss of me as an exercise professional if I didn't comment on the passing this week of the great Jack LaLanne. For those of you who don't know him Jack was know as the Godfather of Fitness. He had a highly rated fitness show on American TV for donkey's years and really paved the way for a fitness industry.
He lived and promoted a healthy, natural lifestyle, was in many ways way ahead of his time, and was also known for his outrageous feats of strength and endurance. He passed earlier this week from complications developed from a bout of pneumonia at the age of 96!!
I'll leave you with just a brief look at the great man in action.....
He lived and promoted a healthy, natural lifestyle, was in many ways way ahead of his time, and was also known for his outrageous feats of strength and endurance. He passed earlier this week from complications developed from a bout of pneumonia at the age of 96!!
I'll leave you with just a brief look at the great man in action.....
Saturday, 8 January 2011
Breast fed babies.....stronger, faster, bigger??
Got an interesting one for you today.... check out this research
http://www.scienceagogo.com/news/20110006031144data_trunc_sys.shtml
We don't have to think too hard to come to the conclusion that babies of any species are supposed to be fed by their mothers. Nature makes it this way for a reason. All the nutrients needed for health, vitality, and strength in one available and convenient package.
What this research seems to indicate though is just how important it still is years later, for both mother and child. Simply put, the older breastfed children were able to perform more explosive horizontal jumping than his / her non breast fed counterparts regardless of height, muscle, and body fat percentage.
Processed food of any sort is a very poor substitute for whole, natural, organic produce, FULL STOP!
Don't believe me? Then spend some time in the gym with me and watch how much weaker, fatter, and less vital people are getting as they get older. A lifetime of processed food and sedentary habits cannot be fixed in 3 months (the average length of 'personal trainers' fat loss programmes!) We need a real commitment to a healthy lifestyle. A permanently healthy lifestyle, not just a few weeks before you go on holiday.
Paul
http://www.scienceagogo.com/news/20110006031144data_trunc_sys.shtml
We don't have to think too hard to come to the conclusion that babies of any species are supposed to be fed by their mothers. Nature makes it this way for a reason. All the nutrients needed for health, vitality, and strength in one available and convenient package.
What this research seems to indicate though is just how important it still is years later, for both mother and child. Simply put, the older breastfed children were able to perform more explosive horizontal jumping than his / her non breast fed counterparts regardless of height, muscle, and body fat percentage.
Processed food of any sort is a very poor substitute for whole, natural, organic produce, FULL STOP!
Don't believe me? Then spend some time in the gym with me and watch how much weaker, fatter, and less vital people are getting as they get older. A lifetime of processed food and sedentary habits cannot be fixed in 3 months (the average length of 'personal trainers' fat loss programmes!) We need a real commitment to a healthy lifestyle. A permanently healthy lifestyle, not just a few weeks before you go on holiday.
Paul
Friday, 25 June 2010
21st Century Cardio at the Complete Studio
How did Anthony drop 25lbs and 8% bodyfat in only 8 weeks?
Let's drop in halfway through one of his 'cardio' sessions.....
No fluff, no nonsense, just quality work, sensible nutrtion and rest.
Now get on with it!!!!!
Let's drop in halfway through one of his 'cardio' sessions.....
No fluff, no nonsense, just quality work, sensible nutrtion and rest.
Now get on with it!!!!!
Tuesday, 23 March 2010
Flatten your Stomach Part III
So today we're going to look at the exercise part of fat loss and I'm going to jump straight in at the deep end and start by saying that most of you have this so very wrong!
When clients first come into the studio to begin our fat loss programmes, a large number of them inherently know what a reasonable lifestyle and diet consists of (they may not do it but at least they understand it!)
When it comes to exercise though it's another ball game. We pretty much have to help them unlearn all they think they know about fat loss and related exercise and training. Take a look at this....
The above video gives a good demonstration of THE most important fat loss training consideration.... METABOLISM.
Think of your metabolism as a central heating thermostat. When you have the thermostat on a low setting, you are using a small amount of fuel (energy) and the output of heat is low. Crank it up and the energy requirements increase as does the heat.It's the same with your metabolism. A low metabolism equals a small amount of fat loss (if any), while a high metabolism equals a large amount of fat loss. So, I hear you ask, what's the best way to a permanently high metabolism?
RESISTANCE!
When constructing a fat burning programme you must place the body under a progressive stress. The inherent danger is that people do the same workout over and over, whilst restricting calories, without realising that the results they are getting are minimal at best. Another consideration here is that a huge number of people jog/cycle/swim for fat loss without realising that these low intensity, steady state types of aerobic exercises do little in the way of increasing metabolism.
In fact a landmark study by Tremblay et al, in the July 1994 edition of Metabolism, published the results of a study pitting 20 weeks of endurance training Vs 15 weeks of interval training. The energy costs of the endurance training was 28,661 calories, while the interval training cost 13,614 calories, "less than half I hear you shout!!!!!" But hold on.
The interval training group showed a greater loss in subcutaneous body fat by NINE TIMES more than the endurance group!
So the interval group did less work, burned less calories, but lost 9 times more body fat?
How did this happen?
The key thing to realise here is that short, sharp, intense training, while it doesn't burn as many calories at the time, burns many more afterward. Studies have shown that this heightened metabolism can last for up to 3 days. This simply doesn't happen with low intensity, steady state, endurance type training. This is why sprinters are leaner and more powerful looking than endurance athletes.
That's not to say we don't use steady state cardio, it just isn't a mainstay of our programmes.
So how do we put it all together?
A basic fat loss programme will start with a warm up, stretch and roll on the foam roller, move on to a strength exercise, then a metabolic circuit, core exercises, and finish with interval training!
All in all about 25-35 mins of HARD work. Have a look what i mean.....
Paul
When clients first come into the studio to begin our fat loss programmes, a large number of them inherently know what a reasonable lifestyle and diet consists of (they may not do it but at least they understand it!)
When it comes to exercise though it's another ball game. We pretty much have to help them unlearn all they think they know about fat loss and related exercise and training. Take a look at this....
The above video gives a good demonstration of THE most important fat loss training consideration.... METABOLISM.
Think of your metabolism as a central heating thermostat. When you have the thermostat on a low setting, you are using a small amount of fuel (energy) and the output of heat is low. Crank it up and the energy requirements increase as does the heat.It's the same with your metabolism. A low metabolism equals a small amount of fat loss (if any), while a high metabolism equals a large amount of fat loss. So, I hear you ask, what's the best way to a permanently high metabolism?
RESISTANCE!
When constructing a fat burning programme you must place the body under a progressive stress. The inherent danger is that people do the same workout over and over, whilst restricting calories, without realising that the results they are getting are minimal at best. Another consideration here is that a huge number of people jog/cycle/swim for fat loss without realising that these low intensity, steady state types of aerobic exercises do little in the way of increasing metabolism.
In fact a landmark study by Tremblay et al, in the July 1994 edition of Metabolism, published the results of a study pitting 20 weeks of endurance training Vs 15 weeks of interval training. The energy costs of the endurance training was 28,661 calories, while the interval training cost 13,614 calories, "less than half I hear you shout!!!!!" But hold on.
The interval training group showed a greater loss in subcutaneous body fat by NINE TIMES more than the endurance group!
So the interval group did less work, burned less calories, but lost 9 times more body fat?
How did this happen?
The key thing to realise here is that short, sharp, intense training, while it doesn't burn as many calories at the time, burns many more afterward. Studies have shown that this heightened metabolism can last for up to 3 days. This simply doesn't happen with low intensity, steady state, endurance type training. This is why sprinters are leaner and more powerful looking than endurance athletes.
That's not to say we don't use steady state cardio, it just isn't a mainstay of our programmes.
So how do we put it all together?
A basic fat loss programme will start with a warm up, stretch and roll on the foam roller, move on to a strength exercise, then a metabolic circuit, core exercises, and finish with interval training!
All in all about 25-35 mins of HARD work. Have a look what i mean.....
Paul
Tuesday, 16 March 2010
How to flatten your Stomach...... Part II
Nutrition....
So here is the million dollar question, how do I eat to flatten my stomach?? Is it just a case of following the government approved food pyramid shown above?
Well actually NO!
What I find interesting about the pyramid is how it recommends the same servings for everyone. So for example we all have to drink 8 servings of water and eat 6 servings of rice and pasta, while only eating 2 servings of meat, nuts, poultry and beans. There is no mention made of how to adapt this for individuals who differ wildly in body composition, ethnic background, activity levels etc etc.
Here's another interesting fact. We have been reccommended this diet for a good few years now yet are we slimmer and healthier? Are we lowering the rates of degenerative disease? I guess we have to say NO again.
So just what do we do? How do we cut through the misinformation presented today?
You know, we all inherently know how to eat for good health and vitality it's the application that lets us down.
Let us then look at what we consider to be the optimal foods to consume for health and vitality.
In no particular order....
Fresh vegetables
Fresh fruit
Fresh meat
Fresh poultry
Fresh fish
Nuts & seeds
Legumes, beans & pulses
Fresh clean, pure water
In a nutshell, that's it!!
"What about my bread/pasta/tea/coffee/coke (fill in the blank yourself)?" I hear you scream. Well, you, along with everyone else have been misguidedly eating and drinking these foods all along, yet aren't seeing the results you want. Let me be completely up front with you here, cereals and grains are NOT the health food you are led to believe they are. Food manufacturers have been knowingly misleading you for years. Most of these foods are highly processed and as such have no nutritional value whatsoever. If you look at the package it, in most cases, says 'Fortified' which really means synthetic chemicals added. It's no wonder we struggle to maintain a level bodyfat percentage!
If you must eat grains and cereals at least make sure they are in their natural form, are organic, and you restrict the amount you do eat.
Stick to zero calorie drinks, mostly water, herbal teas, green tea, NOT zero calorie coca cola, and please, please try to stay away from milk (highly processed and homoginized) and soy milk (a true bad boy, and the subject of another post I promise). Rice milk or almond milk works well here.
A quick word regarding oatmeal. In moderation oatmeal (organic and whole obviously) is fine and personally I have it with a little rice milk, a bit of water and some seeds and berries.... lovely!!!!
So there we have it. Eat good organic whole foods in their natural state. Stay well away from anything processed or added to, drink mostly clean pure water, and pay particular attention to the next blog post which will delve into the mysteries of fat loss training.
Paul
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