Fitness Matrix

You can do this by incorporating another exercise into your training programme.  Adding another aspect to your training, shakes-up your body and forces it to exercise in a different way, which makes your aerobic system and muscles work in a different way.

Spinning classes and Kettlebell training are two excellent ways to do this, as they are non-impact and provide a whole body workout, that puts more demands on your body than other forms of exercise.

Varying your exercise regime will keep you stimulated and interested for your main sport, while enhancing and complimenting it.

Give it a try and see the results for yourself!

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Most people that exercise are doing too much, because they become addicted or maybe they are not seeing any results from their hard work, so they train even more and harder.

Exercising too much has a negative effect on your body, because it takes it out of the ‘growth zone’ and into the ‘over-training zone’.  When you over-train your body you place it in a catabolic state, which means that it is breaking-down rather than building, so the exercise you are doing is making your body weaker.

The way to avoid this happening, is to have a structured training programme that incorporates ‘rest days’, because your body only recovers, repairs and builds, when you are resting.  If you train one day and rest the next, you give your body the chance to repair and build after one session, from which there is little to recover from.  But, if you train all week and only rest at the weekend, your body has to recover, repair and build after a whole week of exercising, which places more demand on your body.

You don’t have to do one day on and one day off, but don’t exercise more than three days consecutively.  You’ll find that you feel stronger and have more energy, which will help you train better and produce positive results.

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Most people fall-short in this area when training themselves, yet it is one of the most, if not the most, important area to focus on.  If your balance is not being challenged, then your training is not being maximised.

The best way to improve your balance and your core strength, which provides your body with strength and stability, is to exercise on unstable surfaces, with equipment such as a Bosu, a stability ball or something as simple as an inflated disc.  These types of equipment are largely neglected and often ignored in gyms, because most people don’t know what to do with them.

Training with equipment that provides an unstable surface, creates the biggest challenge for your body, as it must maintain balance and stability, which forces your core to work harder, thereby giving you inner strength and improving your balance.

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The Myth

“If you only occasionally have 10 or 15 mins spare to exercise, what is the point?”

The Reality

Working at a higher intensity for short periods, will use more energy and burn more fuel; getting you fitter and slimmer in less time.

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Recently I was told by one of my new clients, that when she cancelled her membership to the gym, she was told that from a total membership of about 5000, only around 1500 members actually use the gym.  So, more than a third of the revenue earned by the gym, is coming from people that don’t even use it!

The cost of gym membership varies, but most range from £30-£50 per month, depending on your chosen package.  If we divide the difference and say on average people are paying £40 per month for their gym membership, that’s £140,000 per month that the gym is taking from people that never use their facillity…..£140,000!! This is obscene!

Do you pay for a gym membership and never go?  Are they taking your money by standing order, so you don’t see how much money you’re throwing away every month?  If so, you are one of the many that are contributing to the £140,000 per month that the gym is making from non-attendees.  You wouldn’t pay for any other service and not use it, would you?

So, if you have no intention of returning to the gym, cancel your membership.

However, if you do want to exercise, have a fitness goal that you want to achieve or want to lose weight, but don’t have the self-discipline and will-power to do it yourself, spend your money wisely on a Personal Trainer.  A Personal Trainer will help you reach your desired goal, by specifically designing a training programme for you, to suit your needs and deliver the results that you want.  Whereas the gym, just wants your money.

You may think that you can’t afford a Personal Trainer, but you can, because if you can afford to give money to the gym every month for nothing, you can afford to pay for a Personal Trainer, who will help you achieve your goal and you’ll spend less money in the long term.  They will keep you motivated and interested with fun and varied exercises, which will maintain your commitment to reach your desired goal.

So, if your thinking  ‘I can’t reach my goal’ or ‘it never works for me’, you can and it will, with a Personal Trainer…..search for one now!

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Myth

If you exercise for longer, you will achieve better results.

Fact

It is not the duration of your workout that determines the results you achieve, it is the intensity.  You will feel and see more improvement in a shorter period, by increasing the intensity level of your workout, rather than extending the length your training session.

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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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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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