Fitness Matrix

1.  Look-up

Keep your head up at all times, by squating in-front of a mirror.  This is very important, because your spine acts like a zip and if you don’t look-up during the whole repitition of the exercise, your spine will un-zip and you will seriously damage your back.  So, to maintain a neutral spine and keep your spine zipped-up, look at your reflection in the mirror throughout the squat.

2.  Feet Forward

Keep your feet flat on the floor, pointing in the 12 o’clock position and keep your knees in-line with yoiur toes.  This will give you a strong platform and good posture, which will allow you to squat heavier weights and ultimately become stronger.

3.  Don’t squat too far

On the downward motion of the exercise, don’t go too low, because you will put too much strain on your lower back and your knees.  To safeguard against injury, ensure that your upper body and your lower legs form 2 parallel lines, at the lowest point of the squat.

4.  Drive-up

Drive-up with your legs and not your lower back, as this will only result in injury, especially if you are squating a heavy weight.  Push the whole of your feet into the floor to generate the power to complete the upward motion of the exercise, which will help you maintain good technique and perform a good quality squat.

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Prior to taking part in exercise, your muscles are at a low temperature and relatively tight.  Static stretching before taking part in exercise increases the risk of injury, because when your muscles are cold, they react like Blu-Tack.  When Blu-Tack is cold it snaps and when it is warm it is flexible and pliable, which is the same for your muscles.  To avoid muscle injury, it is important to perform dynamic stretching.  Dynamic stretching involves gentle movement, which stimulates the muscles by increasing your blood circulation, making your muscles more flexible and pliable.  An excellent example of dynamic stretching as a ‘squat to overhead reach’, which uses every muscle in your body and comprises of squating, with your arms dangling by your side, followed by standing-up on to your tip-toes while reaching for the sky with your hands.  You should complete 20 repetitions to ensure a complete warm-up and stretch.

It is alright to perform static stretching after exercising, as your muscles will be warmed-up and ready to be stretched.  This will help your muscle fibres return to their pre-exercise length, promote recovery and avoid DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness).

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“Are spinning classes as effective for losing weight and burning calories as cycling outside?”  Yes, because most people will work harder during a spinning class than they will cycling outdoors, as they are encouraged and motivated by the instructor, but also by the music and the other members of the class.  During a spinning class, people will be exercising for the entire class, frequently adjusting the resistance to simulate hills and sprints, which stimulates the brain and the body’s innate awareness, shaking-up the body as much as possible and not allowing it to settle into an exercising routine.

It is unlikely that cycling outdoors for exercise, will be as safe and as effective at losing weight and burning calories, as a spinning class.

For more information about spinning, follow this link:  http://www.fitnessmatrix.co.uk/spinning-classes/

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If you are training to build muscle mass (hypertrophy), immediately after your training session, there is a 15 minute window when your body is at it’s most receptive to nutrition.  The best way to maximise your training, is to ensure that you eat a meal that is high in protein within this 15 minute window, to give your muscles the best possible opportunity to repair quicker, then become bigger and stronger.  Don’t fall into the trap of taking protein shakes or supplements, because not only are these full of artificial ingredients that your body doesn’t need or want, but they only increase the fluid (sarcoplasm) between the muscle and the skin, rather than build the muscle.  This provides a cosmetic result instead of a physical result, defeating the aim of the training.

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Before I had my first personal training session at Fitness Matrix, I would go to the gym, not really understanding the programmes or settings on the machines, do my routine 10 mins on each piece of equipment, believing that I was working hard and doing the same as everyone else.  I would look at the free standing weights with horror, not knowing what to do.  For all my effort, I did not notice any real difference in my weight or muscle definition.

I then had my first PT session at Fitness Matrix.  When I walked into the brightly lit training room, I immediately felt motivated, but surprised that the usual gym equipment was not there.  Henry talked to me about my goals, what I wanted to achieve, then he took my blood pressure, pulse and weight.  He designed an individual training programme, built around my needs, strengths and weaknesses.

My first warm-up at Fitness Matrix had me sweating more that I did after one hour at the gym and there was not one piece of equipment used.  It really surprised me how doing dynamic stretching exercises raised my heart rate and got me sweating.

My sessions at Fitness Matrix have taught me how to use free weights, the bosu and the stability ball, in addition to varied exercises that require no equipment.  I much prefer one-to-one personal training, as it gives me the motivation I need, as well as the guidance on doing the exercises properly, avoiding injury.  I still attend my local gym, however, Henry has taught me how to use the machines correctly ie: interval training on the treadmill and a hill programme on the stationary bike.  The other advantages of using the services at Fitness Matrix is the massage and nutrition: if an injury occurs, Henry can attend to it immediately and I can continue training; the nutritional advice that Henry has given me, has had a positive impact on my overal health and sleep.  In total, I have lost just under 2 stone in weight in a few months.

If I was still a mouse on a wheel, doing the same routine at the gym, I would not be looking and feeling the way I do.

Christie, Gateshead.

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Most people that keep-fit, don’t realise that there are 4 muscles in a muscle group: Agonist, Antagonist, Synergist and Fixator.  The Agonist is the main muscle being used; the Antagonist is the muscle opposite the Agonist; while the Synergist and Fixator are the 2 smaller muscles, that are activated when the Agonist and Antagonist require stabilising.  The Synergist and Fixator are often neglected, because most people use the fixed weights machines in gyms, which immediately render the Synergist and Fixator obsolete.  To enlist all 4 of the muscles and maximise your workout, it is best to use free weights, stability balls and medicine balls.  While the fitness Instructors employed in gyms have a basic knowledge of training programmes, to ensure that you train correctly and safely, maintaining good posture and using the correct technique, you should enlist the help of a Personal Trainer.

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If you are taking part in the Great North Run, you need to have pre and post-race sports massages.  The health benefits of massage are widely known, but people that exercise or take part in sports rarely get a sports massage.

A pre-race sports massage will cleanse and detox the muscles, giving them an ‘oil change’, while simultaneously invigorating the muscles by introducing fresh, oxygenated blood into the area, producing increased circulation.  It will also increase flexibility and strength, in addition to attending to any existing muscle weaknesses.  This gets the muscles fired-up and in optimum condition, preparing them in the best way possible for the race ahead, reducing the risk of injury and giving you a greater chance of crossing the line or getting a better time.

A post-race sports massage will also cleanse and detox the muscles, but is aimed at relaxing the muscles, reducing the risk of cramp and DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness), while at the same time introducing fresh, oxygenated blood into the area, to maintain good circulation.  It will also accelerate recovery, attending to any strains sustained during the race by maintaining the length of the muscle fibres and subsequently, muscle flexibility.

For those of you that exercise regularly, I would recommend having a sports massage at least monthly, to keep your muscles in optimum condition and prevent strains or injuries from happening, rather than attending to them afterwards.

For those of you that are looking for a course of pre and post-event sports massages, I would recommend once-a-week, no less than four weeks prior to an event and then twice in the week following an event.

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Here are some little snippets of advice to help you train better and feel better afterwards:-

1. Always complete a dynamic warm-up before exercising.
2. Ensure you have a pre-training snack about 1-2hrs before, to give your body some fuel to exercise.
3. Always conduct a warm-down stretch routine, to reduce the risk of DOMS.
4. Make your own sports drink and consume before, during and after training, to maximise performance.
5. Have  a post-training rest, to give your body the earliest opportunity to repair.  It will thank you for it!

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This is one of the best types of training.  It involves structured periods of exercise and recovery, aimed at developing the aerobic and anaerobic energy systems.  The main benefit of this type of training, is that the body’s tolerance to lactic acid is enhanced.  When exercising at a high intensity, the body cannot provide enough energy from the aerobic system, so the lactate system must be used to provide the remainder of the energy.  Interval training improves performance in two ways:-

• It increases the ability of the body to tolerate high levels of lactic acid.
• It improves the rate at which lactic acid is removed from the muscles.
• This type of training should be incorporated into every training regime, to maximise performance and reduce recovery time.

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Most people that keep fit don’t realise, that it is vital to give your body the chance to rest and repair between training sessions, so that it can build to a higher level of performance.  The body only repairs itself when it is sleeping. So, if you don’t give your body enough rest and recuperation, it will breakdown from the inside and become weak (catabolic), rather than build and become strong (anabolic).  While it is good to push your  body to its limits in relation to fitness, it is only beneficial to do this if you ensure that you get enough sleep for your body to repair.  If you don’t, keeping fit can have a detrimental effect on the body and its health.  You can avoid this by enlisting the help of a Personal Trainer, as they will design a programme specifically for you, that will incorporate a structured training regime with rest periods, so that you get the maximum benefits from exercising.

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