Iain Mahony2013-05-18T01:19:46-04:00Iain Mahonyhttp://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/author/index.php?author=iain-mahonyCopyright 2008, HuffingtonPost.com, Inc.HuffingtonPost Blogger Feed for Iain MahonyGood old fashioned elbow grease.Confessions of a Personal Trainertag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.30194002013-04-07T19:00:00-04:002013-04-07T18:46:51-04:00Iain Mahonyhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/iain-mahony/
I am writing this article with a hangover and my legs are so stiff that I can barely sit down without a wince. I've also just eaten half an Easter egg that I didn't particularly want. As with all stories, it's probably best to start at the beginning.
One of my dear friends recently got engaged to a wonderful girl - so far so good. When he
announced his chosen best men on a night out (one never seems enough these days), a mutual
friend, who is something of a bon viveur, cast me a lingering stare and, with a lupine grin, hissed "It'll be a massive stag do!"
I've recently set up a company (which has entailed a couple of really good bollockings from my
accountant for my laissez-faire approach to book keeping) and been knee-deep in getting my
website up and running. Combine this with training my clients, tweeting (I am about as tech-savvy as Harald Hadrada), contending with a second burglary at my flat in as many months, trying to write regular blogs for Huff Post UK, staying up-to-date with journals, and reading, plus trying to train myself and cook my meals. My mind was elsewhere.
Before I strain my ears for the barely audible screech of the world's smallest violin, I can safely I
have been getting more stressed and less productive with each passing day. I was not taking any of the advice I have given to clients.
I was just about keeping up with things, albeit being snappier than usual - then the stag do hit
(literally). I'd never contemplated what it would be like to run away from an amped up, 500kg bull - whilst being smashed on sangria, and having sunstroke - just after witnessing said bull break the arm of the trainee matador, who was supposed to be our teacher - it is surprisingly good fun. The stag do was brilliant (I am getting to the point...) but it was to be my undoing.
I have written before that stress will eventually lead to people, who are normally vigilant with their diet, going 'tonto' - and losing control. Check: there is a wonderful photo of me gazing amorously at a slice of pizza like it is Monica Belluci. I didn't meet a single carb that I didn't like in Spain. Once I started eating badly, I didn't stop.
I have also spoken to many clients about the need to keep time for themselves, and to use me as a sounding board if they need an ear and think I can help (a good PT should always be a coach who listens to their clients' and responds accordingly) them from getting too tired, annoyed with their nutrition plan and throwing in the towel or relying on coffee, junk food or alcohol because they have too much on. Check.
The three-day stag do was followed by a five-day hangover. It was then my birthday, so I had ANOTHER week off training, drank way too much coffee (my only resolution this year was to stop and I was doing pretty well) skipped meals and then made awful food choices due to low blood sugar (the sandwiches I inhaled took me straight to gluten hell), and stalled on pretty much everything I have meant to be doing, because I felt so knackered and didn't pace myself.
I had a final birthday celebration with my family last night and drank too much sauvignon blanc.
My John Wayne walking gait can be attributed to my first session back in the gym, and trying to keep up with my training partner (because, despite me easing any client back in to training after a lay off - I'm a numpty). I also ate the chocolate because it was there, and I feel rancid.
Confession over. The beauty of this is that it was only just over two weeks. The damage is minimal. I have planned my work schedule (with time to breath), amended my diary and enlisted help with the bits I am struggling with (including working with a business coach who is Amazing). I am also making time to cook my meals again, starting a new training phase and having a month off the booze.
My next blog will be on 'How to start your quest for a summer beach body'. I'm sure there are
more than a few of you who feel like Willy Wonka's love child and never want to eat another
chocolate...
My point, after this meandering confessional, is that I think the best personal trainers are fallible and human. I worked in the city before changing careers and I can empathise with clients when they tell me about the constraints they face. It also enables me to set realistic goals and implement strategies that will work. I help, I don't judge.
Is it important to look healthy and fit? Of course. I usually train four days a week and cook all my own food. Do you need to keep up to date with courses, reading, and have a good understanding of nutrition and hormonal balance? Without a doubt. You have to practice what you preach and have good knowledge.
However, that knowledge is only useful if you can apply it to each client individually. To know
when to ease off, when to change a programme, when someone needs an hour long stretch and to let off some steam and to be able to be honest and ask some difficult questions - because you genuinely care and your clients know it.
'Falling off the wagon' also reminds your clients that you are not perfect, and that is important too.]]>Training for Fat Loss - My 10 Key Tipstag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.28685992013-03-13T14:17:08-04:002013-05-13T05:12:01-04:00Iain Mahonyhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/iain-mahony/
The other vital element is training. I always look at each client as an individual. How many carbohydrates they should eat, what type of training will work best for them (the balance of resistance and cardiovascular training, suitable rep ranges) and many other factors.
That said, there are certain principles and training systems that will help almost anyone to change their body composition for the better (this is working on the assumption that appropriate nutrition, hydration and recovery are in place).
Finnish researchers Hakkinen and Pakarinen proved that moderate loads (8-15 reps) with high volume (multiple sets) produce a twenty fold increase in growth hormone (great for fat loss) when compared to high intensity training (heavy weights for fewer reps).
Before we get to the training, I'd like to look at two other vital components that compliment a training programme.
If you think of the workout as the star of the show, foam rolling (pre and post session) and stretching (post session and pre bed) represent the front of house and back stage. Not as glamorous as the stars but without them, there is no main event.
Foam rolling
Why foam roll?
• Prevent injuries - regular foam rolling helps to reduce tension in your fascia (connective tissue that surrounds muscle and nerves) which can become trigger points
• If you have trigger points and tension, your muscle will be restricted - Whether your goal is to be a 'lean and mean' runner or endurance bunny or a 'funky and chunky' weightlifter or body builder, you will have impaired training ability if you cannot use your muscle to the fullest extent possible re range and force production.
• Keep you flexible
Why stretch?
• Improved posture and muscle range
• Reduce muscular tension
• Improve circulation
• Reduce stress
This type of training should make you feel as though you have just completed a hard CV session i.e. sweaty and out of breath (minus the negative factors alluded to in my previous blogs).
With this in mind, I will set out some key training parameters that you should stick to if you are aiming to lose body fat.
1) Use compound, multi joint exercises
• Legs - Squat / Deadlifts / Leg Press / Lunges
• Push - Dips / Standing Shoulder Press / Bench Press
• Pull - Chin or Pull Up / Bent Over Row / Single Arm Row
2) Stick to Short rest periods between sets i.e. 60-90 seconds
3) Use a moderate rep range between (8-12) with strict form initially then switch to heavier loads and fewer reps (4-7). Going super high with reps, adding in a ton of cardio and implementing a radical calorie deficit is a sure fire way to feel hollow and wave good bye to hard earned muscle.
4) Use a high number of sets per exercise (4 +)
5) Initially alternate between upper and lower body exercises and follow programmes such as PHA, GBC and 6,12,25. Then progress to multiple sets focusing on body part splits i.e. Upper/Lower splits. It will keep you interested and prevent boredom and stagnation.
6) Change the programme, reps etc every 4-6 weeks depending on training age (the longer you been training, the more frequent the change requirement)
7) If you train 4 hours per week, what are you doing for the other 164 hours? Ensure you recover sufficiently and prioritize sleep.
8) Progressive increase in load (5% per week if fit, able and training consistently)
9) Keep your protein intake high. It will aid satiety and is the most thermogenic macronutrient
10) Don't get caught in the calorie trap. Rely on clean, fresh food and prioritize eating slowly and take time (when possible) to enjoy cooking and eating.]]>The Truth About Fat - Top Diet Tips That Will Help You Stay Lean and Healthytag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.27822092013-02-28T19:00:00-05:002013-04-30T05:12:01-04:00Iain Mahonyhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/iain-mahony/
Fat comes in different guises and whilst there are some that you should avoid like the plague, others are integral to health and optimal body composition.
Here are my top tips regarding fat intake:
1) Avoid trans fats (not saturated fats)
Obvious but worth a mention. Trans and hydrogenated fats are poison. They have no place in our diet and should be avoided at all costs. Where are they found? Cakes, snacks, biscuits, crisps, chips and margarine.
What is a hydrogenated fat? An oil that has had hydrogen gas bubbled through it (hydrogenation) making a solid from a liquid. Yuck.
This alters its chemical structure, turning it into a toxin that our body cannot assimilate or process.
2) Cook with a mixture of saturated and mono-saturated fat.
People typically think that is better to use polyunsaturated fats (oils) to cook with as they are healthier alternatives to saturated fat (butter or coconut oil).
Used cold in dressings, cold pressed extra virgin olive oil gets my vote. However, cooking is a different matter.
Firstly, cooking with extra virgin olive oil is comparable to cleaning your car with Evian i.e. a big fat waste (had to slip one pun in there).
Secondly, heat. In the words of L'Oreal, here comes the science...
That is why saturated fat is solid at room temperature and polyunsaturated oils are liquid even in the fridge. Mono-unsaturated has one free bond hence the mono.
Those free links mean that when oil is heated, free radicals are produced. Free radicals are highly reactive chemicals that damage cells, destroy nutrients and increase the risk of disease (cancer and heart disease primarily). This is another reason to avoid hydrogenated fat.
Use coconut oil or a mixture of butter and olive oil to cook as these choices are stable and less prone to oxidative damage.
3) Ensure adequate omega 3 intake
Omega 3's come in 3 main forms. ALA, DHA and EPA. These are 'essential' fats because we cannot make them ourselves and have to get them from our diet.
Why do we want Omega 3's in our diet?
• They make cell membranes more fluid so they can communicate better with one another.
• They allow neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine in more easily (better mood).
• They are anti-inflammatory (inflammation is a key factor in degenerative diseases including Alzheimers and heart disease)
• They support circulation
• They thin the blood (think aspirin minus the side effects).
• They improve insulin sensitivity (sugar into muscle cells not fat cells).
• They help with fat loss and appetite control
What are the best sources?
• Walnuts - ALA.
• Flaxseed - ALA (not liquid as it has a tendency to go rancid very quickly so stick to husk).
• Oily fish (wild salmon, mackerel, sardines) EPA/DHA.
• Fish oil (make sure they are cold pressed) EPA/DHA.
4) Include saturated fat in your diet
Many people are staunchly opposed to saturated fat. While I don't advocate high amounts for everyone, they have a part to play (approx. 30-60% of your fat intake) for the following reasons:
• They stimulate hormone production
• They contribute to healthy cell membranes.
• They contribute towards healthy skin and hair.
• Organic butter is a rich source of iodine (essential for thyroid function).
• Organic butter is rich in Vitamin A (immunity/vision) and contains E (antioxidant), D (immunity/cell health) and K (bone density) plus CLA (anti cancer properties).
Related on HuffPost ]]>Eat Your Greens - The Wonders of Kale and Broccolitag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.26950452013-02-15T19:00:00-05:002013-04-17T05:12:01-04:00Iain Mahonyhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/iain-mahony/
In my experience, the main mistake that people make is underestimating the importance of their diet. I have had people ask for five training sessions per week and then ask why I look like I have seen a ghost.
In my mind, there is no way that a normal person with a family, job, commute and friends can perform five relevant sessions in seven days.
The problem arises because people want to atone for their nutritional/lifestyle indiscretions by working even harder.
I have alluded to this in previous blogs - if you are stressed, overtraining (or more likely lacking sufficient recovery) eating the wrong food and drinking too much - it won't work. I have also stated that each individual will respond to a different nutritional, training, supplementation programme. However, there are a few universal foods that everyone should be eating. This blog will focus on the oldest staple out there. Greens.
I am hardly reinventing the wheel here. We all know that we meant to eat our greens. However, how many people actually do it? Keep a food diary for a week and you'll probably see a lot less than you should.
People look at me with confusion when they see the amount of kale and broccoli in my trolley - five a day is not wrong but it is certainly not right either. Make it your mission to eat that and more. If you are serious about being lean, happy and healthy these are essential.
Let's have a look at these dietary staples and why you will benefit from including them in your diet.
What is all the fuss about? Well, dark cruciferous green vegetables are a useful tool because of -
1. Fibre - we all need it and very few of us get enough of it. Patrick Holford tells us that the typical African diet has 55g of daily fibre. Our Palaeolithic ancestors got a whopping 100g per day. The western, modern equivalent? A measly 11g.
What does fibre do?
• Reduces the risk of bowel cancer.
• Lowers cholesterol.
• Improves blood sugar balance i.e. it slows the release of digested sugar.
3. They help to make your system alkaline - healthy joints, better circulation and improved blood sugar management.
Top three
• Kale
• Why - Top Vegetable in the ORAC rating (mitigating free radical damage)
• Why - Contains organosulfur compounds (which can prevent cancer)
• Recipe suggestion - Steamed kale, toasted pine nuts, a few shavings of parmesan tossed in a light vinaigrette
• Broccoli
• Why - contains sulphur compounds that aid detoxification
• Why - boost your immune system
• Recipe suggestion -
• boil a whole floret of broccoli in a chicken stock for six mins
• soften an onion in coconut oil and add half a sliced red chilli, a finely chopped clove of garlic and 1tsp each of ground cumin and coriander plus seasoning
• Combine and blend for a delicious and nutritious soup
• Green Cabbage
• Why - One of the lowest calorie foods on the planet
• Why - Packed with magnesium, potassium, Vitamin C and K and high in fibre
• Recipe Suggestion -
• Remove leaves and cut out the thick central stalk
• Place the sliced leaves on top of each other (biggest outside)
• Roll up into a sausage shape and slice as thinly as possible
• Plunge in boiling water for 30 seconds
• Serve with a little butter along with chopped chestnuts and crispy bacon
Also on HuffPost UK Lifestyle ]]>Fat Loss, Diet, Hormones and Your Healthtag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.26303992013-02-06T19:00:00-05:002013-04-08T05:12:01-04:00Iain Mahonyhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/iain-mahony/
Last week, I used an example of two people who were physically very different to one another using the same programme.
Let's take things a step further and look at a calorie deficit fat loss model. Traditional five site body fat measurements, using callipers, add the sum of skin folds to give you a percentage.
Our example is 5'10, 80 kg, male and 35 years old with a body fat of 18%. He wants to lose body fat and applies the methods outlined below to help. There are many methods using calorie expenditure designed to aid fat loss. A good example is using BMR and then applying this to the Harris Benedict formula.
The BMR uses height, weight and age to determine your BMR (basal metabolic rate). This is basically the number of calories that you need to stay alive i.e. if you you were lying down all day and not moving. Based on the data above, his BMR is 1813 kcal. Alarm bell one is ringing. Why?
It is giving you a calorie intake based on weight not lbm (lean body mass i.e. your fat free mass). There is no allowance for him being 8% or 18% bodyfat.
Not all calories are equal. It requires more calories to digest steak than pasta.
Fat doesn't have an impact on insulin (fat storage hormone) but carbohydrates (wheat, pasta, potatoes and bread to name a few) do. Too much protein will also cause an insulin spike.
People are generally fat phobic and will consequently eat far too many carbohydrates.
This means even if you are eating fewer than the stated number of calories, you can still gain fat!
The Harris Benedict model then asks you to multiply this number (BMR) by another figure depending on your activity levels. Alarm bell two is sounding. Why?
This is subjective.
Different people have varying perceptions of what constitutes hard work.
If our example trains three times a week whilst sipping a lucozade, doing 3x10 bicep curls, tricep extensions, some lat raises and press ups followed by a plod on the cross trainer then hits the steam room - he was in the gym for an hour and fifteen minutes and did not do much. Shame.
If he performs two sessions per week consisting of 4x6-8 squats, dips, deadlifts and chins with good form and appropriate rest before stretching, foam rolling and then taking BCCA's - we have lift off.
Either one could be considered 'moderately active' depending on perception.
The ratios of protein, fat and carbohydrate he should eat would be more appropriately based on his fat deposition not his perceived expenditure.
As mentioned in a previous article, if our example is training in a manner that doesn't compliment his body (i.e. an apple shape, stressed out with work, sleeping poorly, mainlining coffee then going on a 30 minute run to 'unwind' aka milk his adrenals, four-five nights a week) he will be impairing his ability to use the calories taken in but ingesting more to match his output. It's smash my head with the keyboard time again!
Looking at the hormonal and in depth consultation method we see that he -
Is a night owl who uses his laptop in bed to do work and sleeps poorly (belly fat - cortisol).
Craves sugars, salt and liquorice and drinks coffee (belly fat - cortisol).
Lives on a high carbohydrate, moderate protein and low fat diet (love handles - insulin).
Heats all his food in plastics (fat thighs - oestrogen).
Has poor digestion and irregular eating patterns (poor oestrogen excretion).
Does a few light weights after a long, slow run four-five nights per week (picture the adrenal glands singing "hello - is it me your looking for?" cortisol ).
The specific recommendations for him -
Avoid using lap top pre bed as it will stimulate nervous system and stop you falling asleep. Drink camomile tea, use lavender oil on pillow and establish a regular sleep pattern.
Initially, if time poor, eat balanced meals with equal (33/33/33) ratios fat/protein/carbs. Eat regularly. Be guided by satiety and eat slowly, stopping before becoming too full.
Take chromium to control sugar craving.
Stop heating food in plastic.
Take flax seed as it aids oestrogen excretion and is an Omega 3.
Perform two moderate intensity/volume full body sessions per week.
Use additional time to stretch, have a massage and to relax. It will do more good than training if recovery is impaired.
No mention of a calories anywhere there. Just specific, relevant, advice that applies to the individual in question.
Please contact me via Twitter for more information on fat loss and training schedules.]]>Fat Loss and Exercise Regimes - Everyone's Differenttag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.25745062013-01-29T19:00:00-05:002013-03-31T05:12:01-04:00Iain Mahonyhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/iain-mahony/
When people ask me a question such as -
• Is coffee good or bad?
• What is the best training programme to lose fat?
• Should I follow a low carb diet?
My answer is always the same. It depends.
Have a look at the following example.
A and B are 35, mates from university but now have very different lives. A is a primary school teacher, married with young twins. B works in private equity, is single and has no intention of settling down. They are both buying new cars.
B has just bought a Ferrari and is loving every minute of it - right for him, obviously wrong for A. The car as it too expensive and is totally impractical. It doesn't match his specifications. The two also have different pension plans and mortgages that reflect their personal requirements too.
You may be thinking - what's your point Jackanory? Am I having a dig at the private sector? Have I decided to take up creative writing? If so, you would probably say stick to the day job.
My point is that in this situation it is clear that A and B have totally different solutions for their individual needs.
So why might A (5'7 with sloping shoulders, a thick, robust build, who mainly stores a lot of fat on his stomach, back and thighs and has trouble losing fat) end up following a programme that worked well for B (6'2, long limbed, stores little fat on his arms and chest and can eat whatever he likes whilst staying relatively thin)?
This happens a lot more commonly than people buying the wrong car but the parameters are not that different.
Everyone is unique. Let's have a look at some of the variables that impact on exercise, nutrition and supplemental advice:
1. Where do you store fat (back, arms, stomach, legs)
2. Where do you store fat (in case you missed it)
3. What is your somatotype (your build)
4. What is your fibre type (are you better at power or endurance)
5. What is your training age (how long have you been training)
6. How many hours a week can you commit to training
7. How have you been training since you started
8. How old are you
9. What does your diet look like
10. How do you sleep
11. Are you structurally balanced (think posture and muscle ratios to one another)
12. How willing are you to implement change
13. How able are you implement change
14. Do you have injuries
15. What is your objective? Strength, fat loss, posture, flexibility, building muscle or endurance. Or a bit of all of them.
You can see that generic exercise plans are hit and miss. As I mentioned in my last article, most women will make a positive initial adaption to resistance training. It is new to the body. However, you need specificity after the honeymoon period.
I have helped different people to lose weight because I deal with the individual. You might argue that if everyone ate less and did more exercise then they would lose weight. In my experience, it is not that simple. Many people try in vain to lose fat because they are not following the most suitable system for their needs.
There is one myth I would like to dispel about losing body fat. You cannot spot reduce fat with exercise. What does that mean? Exercising a particular body part such as triceps will not lead to reduced fat deposits in that area. Bingo wings? You can do tricep exercises until your arms seize up. Won't work. Spare tyre that won't shift? Sit ups are not the answer. The only way that you can lose fat is to balance your hormones.
It takes the guesswork out of the process. Should you drink coffee? What type or rep ranges should you focus on? How many carbs should you eat?
Whilst I gingerly climb off my soap box, let us look at some answers.
Here are some basic rules to follow
• If you store fat on your back, insulin is the issue i.e. it is a reflection of your genetic tolerance to carbohydrates i.e. the more fat you have, the fewer carbs you should be eating (until it drops.) Eat a broad spectrum of fats, protein and nuts plus don't think low carbs means eating like a sparrow.
• If you struggle with fat on the back of your arms, take steps to improve your testosterone. More good quality protein, lowered exposure to oestrogen (more next time), increase lower rep resistance training and get more sleep.
• If you have fat deposition on your stomach, cortisol (stress is the key) stay away from stimulants (coffee), avoid inflammatory carbs (think irritation not combustion i.e. white goods) and drink more water. Resistance training is also a great way to reduce stress.
Also on HuffPost
]]>Common Fat Loss Pitfalls, Part Twotag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.25274152013-01-22T19:00:00-05:002013-03-24T05:12:02-04:00Iain Mahonyhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/iain-mahony/last blog post, I highlighted some of the potential mistakes people make when trying to implement too many changes in a short space of time. I would like to emphasise that it is excellent to want to change (partly because I'd be out of job otherwise.)
My tone was not meant to be didactic - it just proves a constant source of frustration that training and fat loss are subjects where people will defer to anecdotal advice from a friend/website to the detriment of progress. The beauty of losing fat/building muscle is that it is a science.
In this post, I will explain why I am not a fan of redundant 'cardio', why men should change their workouts more and also make an impassioned plea for women to start resistance training.
I mentioned avoiding unstructured running in my last blog. My reasons for opposing 'just running', unless you are built for it, are that it is not an efficient way to burn fat (you'll have to burn carbohydrate before you get to it) burns muscle tissue, decreases testosterone, is pro inflammatory and rough on the joints unless you are structurally balanced. It also creates more oxidative stress aka free radical damage.
Let's look at a typical New Year running plan i.e. running at 10km per hr on a 1.0 gradient for 30-45 minutes three times a week. People will start this in January and still be doing the same speed, gradient and frequency in September. What was challenging to the metabolic and cardiovascular systems in January is not eight months later.
Despite the fact that you still sweat and have an increased pulse, physiologically, you've adapted. One might refute this by mentioning the fabled 'fat burning zone.' To counter this, I would argue that you burn the greatest percentage of fat calories when you are asleep.
My point is that whilst the percentage of fat calories burned when jogging is higher, the overall expenditure is low. When you sprint, you are burning a smaller percentage of fat calories but of a far higher number i.e. the overall fat burned is greater and you will also continue burning fat long after you stop (a key reason why weight training is also a good option) due to, wait for it, post exercise oxygen consumption (your cells getting their breath back.)
Solution? Once you have developed your endurance 'base' fitness (six-eight weeks from scratch) progress to intervals/boxing/circuits. All excellent ways to get a great cardiovascular response and burn fat. Just make sure that you perform these to your own ability, with appropriate rest and progressions to avoid stagnating/boredom.
Before I start alienating runners, the same is true of people following a resistance programme. Let's look at '10 reps Tony'. A stereotype who has done the same three day split for years: Monday - chest and biceps / Wednesday - back and shoulders / Friday - legs (which quickly morphs into chest and biceps - part II.) Same exercises (flat bench, incline bench, dips) same reps (3x10) same rest (60 seconds - which actually means three minutes because you need to sip your Lucozade and look at the girl on the cross trainer) same volume (three sets of each exercise) as for tempo/time under tension (no idea, just get the biggest weights out and let's get groaning). Progress? Minimal to non-existent.
Before someone sneaks on me, pre-career swap I was that person! You could say I've learnt from experience. Try changing some of these variables -
• 6x3, 4x8 or 3x15 as different rep ranges for strength, hypertrophy and muscular endurance
• Take longer rest for low reps and focus on load. Take shorter rest periods for eight reps and upwards, use lighter weights and good form.
• Ditch the isolation (curls, leg extensions and tricep extensions) and stick to compound exercises (squats, chins and deadlifts).
• Vary which muscle groups you work and in what order e.g. Full body, upper/lower splits, pre exhaustion etc
• Four weeks then switch it up. Keep things interesting (always make sure you seek appropriate tuition.)
Many women will avoid resistance training altogether. Please, please don't. Some females (hammer throwers and heavyweight olympic lifters) are genetically predisposed to be powerful and heavy. They still need to eat massive quantities of food, perform a huge volume of resistance work and may be taking a lot 'supplements' to help. They also have high body fat levels. Women do not produce sufficient testosterone to build large muscles (15-20 times less than men).
I have worked with dubious models who have been explicit that this is not an option! Once female clients start resistance training, they love the positive changes they experience in terms of fat loss, building lean tissue and improved posture.
Breaking it down...
• Moderate (not light) weights, short rest periods (45-60 seconds) and 8-15 reps per exercise (I will post a workout next week).
• Why? This will stimulate a lot of lactic acid, lowered blood ph and a consequent surge in growth hormone.
• Scratching your head? It is perfect for getting rid of fat i.e. you won't look like Arnie - it will make you lean and lithe (especially if paired with yoga or pilates.)]]>Common Fat Loss Pitfallstag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.24709762013-01-14T19:00:00-05:002013-03-16T05:12:02-04:00Iain Mahonyhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/iain-mahony/
The excesses of the festive period mean you may have become overly acidic (meat, cheese, booze, coffee, stress) reducing your ability to burn fat, you may feel despondent (your body's been the victim of a festive mugging so serotonin is down and cravings are up, your liver is close to filing for divorce and you are carrying a little more ballast than usual, leading to you feeling demoralised) plus your hormones are totally out of kilter. Excess oestrogen, cortisol, and insulin leave you feeling puffy, tired/wired and squidgy respectively.
Which nutrition plan to choose? Paleo, Dukan, GI, Atkins, Zone, Ketogenic? Dropping carbs entirely from your diet will lead to a drop in weight. Mainly water. If you go too low too fast or for too long, you will affect your concentration, energy and slow your metabolism down. Your fat cells release a hormone called leptin. If your food intake drops drastically, so do your leptin levels. Low leptin will initiate a hunger response and make you want to eat. A lot. Prolonged dieting or 'yo yo' eating will lead to more problems. Your body is getting the impression that food is scarce. Metabolism drops and calories are stored as fat. The polar opposite of the plan.
For starters, take out simple sugars and gluten, add more servings of vegetables e.g. kale, broccoli, herbs and peppers. They are cheap, packed with vitamins and minerals and will aid satiety, bowel movements (which can be an issue if you up protein) and are full of fibre (which people rarely get enough of). They will also help you excrete oestrogen more easily. Eat little and often and include protein with each meal (meat, eggs, fish or quinoa). It is essential for growth, repair and will aid detoxification (the liver needs amino acids). Don't worry about how many grams, just put some in for starters before being preoccupied with specifics.
You are also more likely to succeed if you borrow an idea from the bodybuilding community. Have planned cheat meals (if deserved) every five-seven days and you are far likelier to succeed in the long term. Hormones like ghrelin and melatonin also play their roles (but that is a blog all of its own). Basically, more sleep (ideally pre-midnight) is a key way to have the mechanisms that control hunger (and lead to improved body composition) working in your favour and will aid recovery (think of charging a phone). Useful if you are training more frequently.
Physical and mental fatigue can lead to stress. Putting unrealistic expectations on yourself often results in a period of angelic abstinence followed by a blowout leading to stopping altogether. People who worry more and are typically controlled with diet are proven to be hyperphagic (eat more) when stressed. Too much training and worrying coupled with insufficient rest and excessively reduced calories (such as no carbs without guidance) all result in your stress hormones (primarily cortisol) increasing.
Cortisol (adrenal hormone) is up too because you are physically stressed, using stimulants (if coffee makes you feel like doing cartwheels followed by crash - stick to herbal tea) and possibly running to lose weight. Dehydration alone will cause problems. Cortisol also makes you want starch, sugar and fat. A sensible nutrition approach will avoid these pitfalls but the approach for each individual varies. Cortisol also leads to fat deposition around the middle (apple shape) and this is the worst place to store fat in health terms. It will also make you feel knackered and interfere with sleep.
The other problem is training. Many opt for the 'road to nowhere' running plan (I am hitting my head with the keyboard now) or do daily bikram yoga sessions from a standing start (before I get slated for picking yoga, bikram and other styles are excellent disciplines, my point is excessive frequency, and work very well when paired with resistance training).
A properly planned training phase should last for a specific time (a mesocycle of typically three-six weeks). You present an appropriate stimulus to the body, which goes through an 'alarm' phase, an 'adaptation' phase and it will then plateau or may go backwards. You should then change the stimulus.
In English? If you change your programme too often you are not getting the benefit of the stimulus/overload and are confusing your body. If you have been doing the same programme for months or, worse, years and nothing is changing - Einstein said it best "Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."
I have seen how demoralised people get when they 'diet' and train too aggressively only to lose muscle and water, with a tiny bit of fat, despite the scales dropping significantly. I have even seen the nightmare scenario - gaining fat and losing weight (included me in my Lloyd's of London days!) I'll go into more detail about training next time.
Also on HuffPost UK Lifestyle: ]]>A Healthy January Detox Starts With a Happy Livertag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.23952722013-01-03T19:00:00-05:002013-03-05T05:12:01-05:00Iain Mahonyhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/iain-mahony/
Imagine a nightmare scenario of cooking Christmas lunch every day for a week. You keep asking for help but the music is too loud and people are too drunk to care. As you frantically keep cooking and trying to collect the seemingly endless rubbish, someone walks in and blithely informs you that five old friends have turned up for lunch, they also need you to do their washing and could you go and get more champagne because it is running low. You would inevitably go into meltdown and throw in the towel.
The scenario above is how your liver might feel after the festive period. Stressed, over worked, and unable to do its job properly.
It is common knowledge that the liver is responsible for dealing with alcohol. However, the other 499 functions it carries out are all fundamental to our health and fat levels. Ignoring the vitality of your liver is a sure fire way to end up with poor body composition.
What are some of key functions of the liver (when it is working effectively)
Making bile and cholesterol (enabling you to break down fat and make hormones)
Maintaining immunity
Storing vitamins and minerals
Balancing hormones (excreting oestrogen, activating thyroid and leaving us lean and happy)
Controlling glucose and fat supplies (keeping blood sugar and energy levels balanced)
Phase one detoxification - gathering toxic waste i.e. filling a bin bag (hormones, alcohol, caffeine, medicine and antibiotics).
Phase two detoxification - conjugation (waste binds with/sticks to something to allow movement to the kidneys for excretion) i.e. putting the rubbish out.
You don't need to be biologist (I hope) to recognise that this is a very important organ. The liver is the key organiser of chemical matter in the body. Just think how many toxins we are exposed to everyday from the air we breathe, the food we eat and the water we drink. If you can't get rid of them, you increase your toxic load and impair your body's ability to burn fat.
We all eat a richer diet over the festive period (more fat and toxins), drink more alcohol (more toxins and sugar) and do less exercise (meaning less blood is flushed through the liver).
Phase one (gathering) will take precedent. Like our Christmas chef, the liver can only deal with a certain number of jobs. That means phase two (preparation for elimination) cannot be done efficiently. Toxins have to be stored or excreted and excretion is not an option!
If the toxins are not eliminated, they are going to be reabsorbed and that is when you gain fat and retain water. Clients often attribute fat loss to alcohol abstinence (fewer calories). True in part, but they are also less stressed, less toxic, sleeping better, making better food choices and have better hormonal balance. They can train harder too.
Now that I've made everyone feel profoundly guilty and put a turkey-sized dampener on proceedings, let's look at some basic steps you can take to mitigate the damage (having a few weeks off drinking is a given.)
Take a good quality multivitamin as an insurance policy. If you take, for example, zinc and selenium A, C, E you are not going to be able to utilise them effectively as all vitamins and minerals work in synergy. You need a multi as an umbrella. In my experience, clients cannot always discern how it has helped but their general state of well-being is almost always improved. They are more balanced.
Start 2013 with a realistic, sensible goal. People often work in extremes. Horrible Christmas, impeccable New Year. Be patient, implement change gradually. To ensure you are as efficient as possible and maximise progress find a practitioner who can devise a nutrition, exercise and supplementation programme that is tailored to your body and needs.
Happy 2013 and one final piece of advice: if you follow a detox plan that requires you to cut out all protein - good luck. You'll end up lighter but a large proportion of the weight you lose will be muscle.
Also on HuffPost UK Lifestyle: ]]>Surviving the Festive Periodtag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.21967402012-11-23T19:00:00-05:002013-01-23T05:12:01-05:00Iain Mahonyhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/iain-mahony/
Late nights, rich and fatty food plus too much alcohol can all contribute to compromised immunity and the onset of cumulative fatigue. The net result is that in January you can feel weary and bloated then either 'going nuclear' with an all-out assault on fat loss or just avoid change entirely.
Firstly, let's look at why people can feel despondent at this time of year. Vitamin D (particularly the active form Vitamin D3) is very important in terms of detoxification, immunity, cell health and mood. Too little, from food or sunlight, can leave us feeling depressed, apathetic and lethargic. For Vitamin D3 to work its magic, we need to take it in supplement form (let's face it, it wasn't a great summer). Aim for two mega doses per week. Use 20-25 IU per lb bodyweight per day as a safe starting point.
Step one is getting it into the system, step two is ensuring an alkaline system for it to work. Protein, alcohol, stress, smoking, toxins, coffee and exercise all make our system acidic. Too much acid means that magnesium/calcium/potassium balances are all affected. To keep your system balanced, increase your intake of dark green veg, nuts and seeds. Also take 300 - 500 mg of magnesium before bed as it helps sleep, blood sugar management and detoxification. The only caveat is to avoid the oxide version (applies to all supplements).
Another key way to stay lean and healthy when you change your diet is maintaining gut health. People understand how important the heart, brain and liver are but many underestimate the key role our stomach plays in keeping us fit and happy. It is the main producer of immune cells in the body. Too many of the aforementioned indulgences can limit how many immune cells we produce. A good solution is to take a pro biotic/fish oil/glutamine. These help to keep our gut healthy, reduce inflammation and have other beneficial roles in terms of digestion and hormone balance.
Secondly, 95% of serotonin (feel good neurotransmitter) is produced in the stomach (GI tract). Ever wonder why comfort food is all dense, stodgy and carbohydrate based? If we eat or drink substances that cause inflammation in the gut (coffee and wheat are two key offenders) we limit the amount of serotonin in the body. As we cannot produce enough, our body knows that we will derive a feeling of satisfaction and pleasure from eating carbohydrate (another source of serotonin). This can then lead to further inflammation and the cycle continues. When you factor in hormones like cortisol and insulin, it all gets rather messy rather quickly in terms of body composition, energy levels, sleep and cravings.
Alcohol is ubiquitous at this time of year. Abstinence may make you feel virtuous but can also be dull. If you do drink, I'd advocate men avoiding beer. Beer increases levels of an enzyme called aromatase. This converts testosterone into oestrogen and leads to fat deposition around the pectoral - the dreaded man boobs. Stick to a few glasses of good quality red wine instead.
Finally, we need to ensure adequate levels of hydration. A safe guide is 0.75-1 litre of water per 25kg of bodyweight. Many of my clients will change their nutrition, take supplements, go to bed earlier and push themselves in the gym. Despite this it is an ongoing battle to get them to drink more water than coffee! One incentive is that the fastest and easiest way to reduce fat deposition around the belly button is to drink more water.
Hopefully these tips will help you feel healthier and happier over the festive period.
Iain Mahony is a personal trainer who specialises in fat loss. Located in Mayfair, London, Iain designs bespoke six-week training and nutrition programmes for all clients - based on individual body fat deposition and biomechanics. Please contact iainmahony@hotmail.com]]>