YOGA ATHLETE: May 2014

Monday 26 May 2014

3 Simple Rules to achieving REAL Results

How to achieve REAL results

People everywhere are trying ALL SORTS of things to get the results they desire. The unfortunate truth is that many are disappointed with their lack of results. Why is this? If people are trying so hard, why don't they achieve what they want? Surely some will, even if it's dumb luck; right? WRONG.

The sad truth is most people don't get the results they want because they are looking everywhere, and trying everything EXCEPT the right way. The right way seems to simple, and therefore is often ignored. Why? Because people are looking for short-cuts. Easy methods. The latest gimmick. Here's a home-truth: there are no short-cuts. There are no easy methods. Gimmicks are worthless.

That all seems a little doom-and-gloom; right? Maybe. But there is good news too. The right methods are SIMPLE. So simple you'd be amazed. Not saying easy, but definitely simple. Stick to the following plan and I guarantee you, you will experience twice the results in half the time that you have EVER experienced!

Frequency. Consistency. Intensity.

That's it.

You need to commit to increasing your training frequency. This means the number of times in a week that you train (and by train, I mean stick to a plan that is designed specifically to get you closer to your goals. Not just random exercise in the hope that general activity will produce the results you're after). Think about it: if three people start training every week, person 1 trains once a week, person 2 trains twice a week, and person 3 trains three times a week; whom do you think will experience the most or the quickest results? It's a no-brainer.

(twice a week from once a week is doubling your results)

You need to commit to training on a regular basis. This is arguably the most important of the 3 values above! In martial arts there is a common saying: “How to get a black belt: Show up. Keep repeating this.” This is the only value that will eventually produce results without the other two values. Admittedly without the other two it will take a long time, but eventually it will produce results. If you commit to 2 sessions a week, then train twice a week. If you can't do one of them, reschedule it so that the week doesn't pass without having done both sessions. This is about being consistent. Not just about being interested!

Last, but certainly not least, is intensity. If you want results, train like it! Nobody ever achieved anything worthwhile in the gym by sleepwalking through their session, whining it's too heavy or difficult (it's supposed to be heavy & difficult!), or making an issue out of the slightest amount of perceived discomfort. I could list off dozens of sayings which illustrate this:

“If it doesn't challenge you, it won't change you”

“If you want results, train like it!”

“Suck it up so one day you won't have to suck it in”

“More sweat now, less jiggle later”

“It isn't going to be easy, but it is going to be worth it”

You get the idea... You workout is a very small part of your day. Put the effort in and push yourself as hard as possible. You need to shock your body into changing. If it's comfortable you just aren't working hard enough. To make a stronger, fitter, faster, leaner & meaner body, you have to ask it to do things that are difficult, outside of your comfort zone, things that it isn't currently capable of – that is the only way to change it, to make it a better version of yourself. People who put the effort in will get the results. I see it all the time. One person works out with passion, drive and determination to succeed, whilst another whines every time and shies away from anything resembling hard work. Take a guess who will be awesome in 6 months, and who will still be whinging in 6 months.

Please take note that I did not include any particular methodology. There are literally dozens of ways to achieve the results you want physically. I specialise in kettlebells, strength training, Olympic lifting and using various other tools such as strongman equipment, ropes, plyometrics and callisthenics. I believe these to be the most suitable methods for most people's physical goals, but there are others. Choose a method that you enjoy, but that is also one that suits your goals.

Contact me if you would like to discuss how best to achieve your goals.

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Personal coaching can help you achieve the results you desire, as well as giving you the necessary effective tools you need to keep striving forwards, to keep changing and progressing on your journey.

Challenge everything, especially yourself.

Alex Kay Grimmer

Contact me for Kettlebell classes and Personal Training in Southend-on-sea.
Please visit my website: ALEXKAY

Is compromising okay?

Most people aren't aiming for an Olympic gold medal. Most people just want to be a little fitter, look a little better, manage physical tasks a little easier, and feel a little bit better about themselves.

THIS IS PERFECTLY FINE.

But don't make the mistake of thinking that because you only want 5% of the results that an Olympian has, that you only need to put 5% of the effort in. You still need to put 100% effort in. The difference lies in the method of exercise you will use, and the extent to which you will cheat your nutritional plan.

All roads lead to Rome.

If you enjoy kettlebells classes, attend them. If you enjoy Zumba classes, attend them. If yoga is your thing, attend yoga classes. If you hate classes and just want to lift heavy barbells, do that. If running through the woods does it for you, then run in the woods. Enjoyment is a key factor in remaining committed, plus a key factor in life. Don't punish yourself with a method that you hate, but recognise that some methods will deliver certain results better than others.

Some methods are more in line with your goals than others. If you want to build muscle or become stronger, running is not the best method. But if you enjoying running for the sake of running, then by all means run. So deciding what you really want is important. If your day to day activities and your finances mean you can only commit to 1 or 2 exercise classes a week, that is perfectly okay.

However, you also need to be aware that by restricting your physical exercise to 1 or 2 classes a week, you're restricting your results to what 1 or 2 classes a week can potentially provide. So long as you understand that, it honestly doesn't matter to anyone but you.

If you're willing to compromise on your training, you will compromise your results. There is nothing wrong with this, unless you're unhappy with your compromised results.

To get more (or better) results, you need more (or better) in your training. That might mean more time (frequency) every week. It might mean more commitment (not skipping sessions when you don't feel like it). It might mean more intensity (training like you mean it; like you're sponsored by Nike). It might mean a greater financial investment (Personal Training sessions). It could be any or all of those things.

Specific goals will require specific action. If you have a specific goal in mind, and you're just not achieving it currently, come and speak to me about it. I will offer you the best advice I can, without obligation towards anything.

Start deciding what it is that you want to achieve, and start making real progress towards your goals!

Look out for my next post, which will give you 3 simple rules for achieving all the physical results you'll ever want!

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Monday 19 May 2014

FIVE SIMPLE FAT LOSS TIPS

Monitor your calorie intake – If you are not in a calorie deficit, you will NOT lose weight!
Exercise regularly – 2 heavy lifting sessions a week and 3 cardio-orientated sessions a week
Fill your plate with veggies, (preferably dark green first, then as colourful as possible), lean meats (chicken, turkey, fish) and be very sparing with the carbohydrates, if any at all
Don't avoid healthy fats (avocado, coconut oil, olives) but don't overdo them either!
Stop with the junk food!!! You can't seriously think you can keep eating/drinking that crap and lose weight, can you?! No sweets, chocolates, cakes, fizzy drinks, alcohol, pizzas, burgers, fries, etc.

Start a food diary. Write down EVERYTHING you consume. Work out how many calories it is. Yes this means weighing everything and doing a bit of work. Suck it up buttercup; it's for your own good. If you don't work it out you'll never know, and you NEED to know how many calories you're consuming, so you can consume less. Less than “I don't know” is never going to work!

Regular exercise doesn't mean only when it's convenient, or only when nothing better crops up, or only if you're feeling perfect. Schedule it in and get it done. It's the accumulation of that effort that gives results. One good workout once in a while is just NOT GOOD ENOUGH. Aim to lift heavy twice a week – things like deadlifts, squats and military presses, and then aim to do some more cardio-orientated three times a week. That means lifting weights faster or some type of “jumping around” activity. Your workout sessions can be around 30 minutes each. That's only 2 and half hours of specific activity a week. If you say you haven't got time, quite frankly I'm just not going to believe you.

Eat more veggies!! Not only are they a great source of vitamins & minerals; but by piling them onto your plate you eating more nutritionally dense foods that are lower in caloric value. Start with dark green veggies like spinach and broccoli, and then just add as much colourful veg as you can. Protein is a MUST on your plate. Do not scrimp on protein. It is essential for growth & repair of muscle tissue. If you're not consuming enough protein your workouts will suffer greatly and you won't get the results you're wanting.

Fats are important! Some vitamins and minerals are fat soluble, so without fats you'll become V&M deficient. Fat also provides a great source of energy as opposed to the weight-gaining carbohydrates. Look to include healthy fats like avocados, coconut oil and olives. Avoid overconsumption though, as fats have a high caloric value.

How can you expect to lose fat if you continue to consume crap? If you're eating and drinking junk foods then don't come crying to me when you haven't lost the excess weight. We all KNOW that junk food and drink leads to excess weight gain. In fact, most people who just cut out the junk food, the takeaways, the fizzy drinks and the alcohol will experience a substantial amount of weight loss. Try it. It works.

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Monday 12 May 2014

Lose Weight Or Lift Weight?

Why you should worry less about the number on the scales, and more about the number on the bar

When your main goal is to reduce the number on the scales, you do a whole bunch of detrimental things. Firstly you probably go the usual route of eating less and exercising more. This will only work if you are grossly overweight. Eating less means less fuel, yet you increase your activity levels. Your body has no option now but to steal fuel from a valuable source – muscle. Reduced muscle and reduced fuel intake results in a lower metabolic rate, which means regardless of your increased activity, your body will slow down the rate at which it burns fuel. You will also rob your body of vital vitamins and minerals, which results in a less effective immune system, and higher susceptibility to infection, mood swings, poor sleeping patterns, bad skin and hair, etc. With the addition of increased activity, and your body having less ability to recover, you're likely to suffer from an increase aches and pains which take longer to dissipate. Your ability to perform well at exercise is dramatically reduced too. Think you can squat and deadlift heavy in the state described above? Think again. Your health is adversely affected, and your performance is adversely affected; but you've lost those annoying few pounds right? Well it has probably been a struggle to go through all of that to lose those few pounds – the sort of struggle that's not sustainable. Eventually you will crack. You will either get ill, or probably have a binge due to the cravings you've created. Then you will despair at the thought of the weeks of effort, poor health, running yourself into the ground to achieve the loss of those few pounds, only to find yourself worse off for it, and likely to have regained those pounds back again anyway. The long term effects of this strategy also mean that each time you do this, you further damage your endocrine system and overall health, which means it gets harder and harder to achieve the same thing each time. Long term; you're going backwards.

By focusing on the number on the bar, you give yourself a performance related goal. This will directly be affected by ALL other factors. If you're concerned about increasing your deadlift or squat, you need to ensure that you are functioning optimally. So you need to ensure adequate and quality sleep. You need to ensure that you include active recovery to be prepared to lift heavy. You need to ensure you have fuelled your body correctly to have what is necessary to lift that weight. You need to ensure you don't over-train so that you are fresh for your lifting days. Now your body will function as it should. Your health will be optimal. Your sleeping pattern will be optimal. Your recovery will be optimal. Your mental focus and clarity will be optimal. Your mood will be positive. And guess what? Your body weight will be optimal too.

If you focus on a performance related goal, everything else must be optimally aligned to prepare for it. If you focus on bodyweight alone, you end up sacrificing everything else to achieve pointless goal. Think about it: If you say you want to lose a few pounds, what do you mean? A few pounds of what? Fat probably. A few pounds of fat from where exactly? Waistline probably. Why there specifically? So that you will look better probably. So when you break it down you want to LOOK better, not weigh less!

So stop focusing on losing weight! Start focusing on looking better, which will be a welcome result from focusing on better performance.

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Monday 5 May 2014

Breakfast Options

My breakfast is nearly always the same – bacon and eggs cooked in coconut oil. This gives me a good amount of protein and healthy fats which not only provide excellent nutritional nourishment, but also keep me feeling full for most of the day. However, I have had requests for breakfast options that DON'T contain eggs; so here they are:

Breakfast Stir Fry

Chicken or turkey mince

Chopped onions & tomatoes

Mixed herbs

Tomato puree

Coconut oil

Avocado

Salt and pepper

Heat the coconut oil in a pan, add the onions and tomato, then the mince and fry for a few minutes. Add in the puree, herbs, salt & pepper and fry for a few more minutes until the meat is cooked. Slice your avocado on top and it's ready in less than 10 minutes :)

Avocado Breakfast Bowl

Chopped chicken breast(s)

Smoked paprika

Avocado

Chopped bacon

Sliced tomato