Interval training...a great time saving way to shed the pounds!!

I often hear people say that they would really love to get fitter and lose weight but they just don't have enough spare time on their hands to spend hours and hours every week in the gym.

Believe me that really is a myth. When I throw that statement back at people and ask could they spare just 30-45 minutes just 3 days a week (so a total of 2 and a half hours a week max!) most people agree that is very achievable.

One of the best and most time saving ways to burn fat and increase your fitness levels is by doing interval training. Interval training is a form of training where you combine bursts of high intensity exercise with periods of rest or low intensity work known as active recovery. It can be used doing almost any cardiovascular exercise such as running, walking, cycling, rowing as well as using equipment specific to the gym like steppers and cross trainers.

Some of the benefits to doing this are:

-It burns more calories than low intensity training. Meaning that you can burn more fat in a shorter space of time

-Working at higher intensity's stimulate your metabolism far more AFTER the workout than lower intensity training. This means your body is still burning lots of calories for longer periods of time even once your workout is complete

-It can dramatically improve sporting performance for example football or rugby players would be able to sprint faster as well as recover more quickly once they have finished sprinting

-It can be a brilliant way to conquer boredom and monotony. Rather than just plodding along for an hour on one piece of equipment you are constantly chopping and changing the workout and you will find that although it’s tough its actually quite fun. It’s also a way to really challenge yourself and after an interval workout I can guarantee you will always feel brilliant!

-It’s a good way to improve, and avoid going into a Plateau with your training because you are constantly pushing yourself. With each high intensity burst it is telling your body it’s time to get over the plateau and start to progress

-As I have already mentioned it saves time. You can work just as hard and achieve the same results doing interval training using half the time that you would doing a low intensity workout.

When you do interval training you will be challenging both your body's aerobic and anaerobic systems simultaneously. During the high intensity part of the interval your body is working anaerobically. The anaerobic system will use the energy stored in your muscles (which is known as glycogen) and your metabolism works without oxygen. A by product of working anaerobically is lactic acid. This is related to the burning sensation you may experience during high intensity workouts. During the active recovery period of the interval you are working aerobically. This system is used with oxygen, which converts your stored carbohydrates back into energy.

Interval training can be done in many different forms but what you are basically trying to do is include short high bursts followed by a slightly longer recovery. The fitter and better you get at it you can start to decrease the recovery periods in between the high intensity work. So if you have never done it before an example would be to use a treadmill and start with a 5-7 min warm up starting with a walk then slowly entering a gentle jog. Then try to increase your speed, working as hard as you feel you can for 30 seconds. Then slow back down into a gentle jog for 90 seconds.

Try to repeat this around 5-6 times before ending with a 5-10 minute cool down at a nice low intensity bringing your heart rate back down.

This is just a basic example but hopefully it explains what I mean by interval training.

For more information or any questions on this subject or anything else you may want to know please feel free to contact me either by phone or email. Contact details can be found on my website www.gbhealthandfitness.co.uk

Until my next post

Glenn

low carb diet...fab or bad?!!

It was about 10 years ago that I first heard about the "low carb" or the "Atkins" diet. At first I simply couldn't understand it or get my head around it. It went against everything I'd ever been taught or told about nutrition and weight loss. I was very intrigued and decided that I had to learn more so I purchased and read Dr Atkins book. At the time I will admit I was amazed. The book and everything he said seemed to make so much sense...but it left me very confused...as I previously said, it had gone against everything I had ever been told...yet now it seemed to make a lot of sense to me. So I decided I had to try it for myself.

As many of you are probably aware the Atkins or the low carb diet does not involve counting calories in any way meaning that you can eat as much as you like...also you are not restricted in the amount of fat you can eat...so foods such as fried bacon and eggs, cheese, and even things like pork scratchings are all very much part of the menu...yet Dr Atkins still guarantees you will lose weight! What Dr Atkins was saying was that if we eat carbohydrates we will increase our insulin production. By doing this we will prevent our body from burning our stored fats. Atkins said we won't gain weight by preventing our body from eating carbohydrates.

I must admit at first I really enjoyed it...it felt great to be eating all of these foods that normally I'd only eat on very rare occasions. And I have to admit I did lose weight...and very quickly. At this stage I really thought it was the most wonderful and revolutionary diet ever to be thought up. I couldn't work out why no one had thought of this before. A diet where you can eat as much food as you like and still lose weight. I thought it was amazing. But it wasn't long before I changed my mind. After a week or 2 the foods you are restricted to eat become bland and boring. And I can't describe the cravings I was getting. I was literally going out of my mind and foods such as bread and chocolate were all I could think about! And it wasn't long before my training started to suffer. When in the gym I just had no energy. I could lift nowhere near what I was used to and any form of cardio was simply out of the question. My body simply wouldn't do it. So with my mind lost just thinking about food and my body unable to perform anywhere near its usual standard physiologically it was very bad. It got to the point where one day I was driving home from training with a client and I had what can only be described as a blackout. I was so dizzy and drained I could not focus. I had to pull over and eat some fruit just to get some form of sugar into me. From that day on I started eating carbs again.

To be blunt our bodies need carbohydrates. Our bodies breakdown carbohydrates to yield the simple sugar glucose, which we then use for energy. Although protein and fat also supply energy to the body, some tissues require energy I'm the form of glucose. Specifically, red blood cells and brain cells derive energy from glucose almost exclusively. When you decrease your carb intake you decrease your glycogen. When you consume enough carbohydrate your liver and muscles will form enough glycogen to help you prevent muscle loss and dehydration. So basically a low carb diet will result in muscle loss and you will end up dehydrated. That's why you lose weight so fast. It’s not because you lose your stored fat. Without enough carbohydrate to burn your excess fat your body will produce ketones. This will cause side effects such as headaches, nausea and bad breath. Another problem with diets like the Atkins diet is that consuming such a high volume of fat adds more risk to your heart.

Carbohydrates don't make you fat. Excess calories make you fat. With protein containing 4 calories per gram, carbohydrate containing 4 calories per gram and fat containing 9 calories per gram. For weight loss the priority is reducing total calorie intake, so reducing the amount of fat in your diet will make the biggest difference.
 
Keep posted as I will be soon posting some of my favourite foods and snacks for before and after training as well as those I like to eat during an endurance event.
 
Bye for now!
 
Glenn

Indoor Bootcamp - Come rain or shine!

I am currently launching my brand new class, Indoor Bootcamp. It starts on Thursday 4^th of August and will run every Thursday after that. Class runs from 8.15pm – 9.15pm at The Parsonage Lane Community Hall, Parsonage Lane, Bishops Stortford, Hertfordshire, CM23 5PY. Classes are for age 16+ and all levels of fitness are welcome. Price is £7.50 per class or 10 classes for £65.00.

It will be a tough and challenging work out but great fun at the same time. I will be using a mixture of military exercises and equipment for a great workout. The great thing with this class is that it’s Bootcamp that the weather can’t spoil!

If you’re interested in joining please contact me on 07876233561 or email me at glennbowershealthandfitness@hotmail.co.uk. There are limited places available so call now to avoid disappointment.  

Why too much booze, really is bad news!!

When it comes to drinking alcohol I have the belief that like most things (sweets, crisps, chocolate etc) it is fine to have it in moderation. I will gladly admit that even as a personal trainer and an endurance event enthusiast I usually enjoy a few glasses of wine with dinner with my partner at the weekends.
 
But there is a popular belief that "as long as you train its fine to drink as much alcohol as you want"... this is the same sort of belief as people thinking it is fine to eat as much junk food as you want "as long as you exercise"...I'm sorry to tell you folks but unfortunately is simply not the case.
 
First of all it’s no secret that most alcoholic drinks are extremely high in calories. (With the average pint of lager consisting of around 250 and about 140-150 for a glass of wine). So try to look at it this way. Most people will think nothing of going out on a Saturday night and drinking 4-7 (sometime more!!) alcoholic drinks...but in terms of calories that's almost the same as eating 4-7 bars of chocolate in one sitting! And that's something I'm sure most people wouldn't want to do! That is a lot of Calories to take in and you could easily undo all your hard work in the gym in a very short space of time...
 
We all know how tough it is doing a 30 minute run on a treadmill for example. But not even 2 pints in the pub and all the calories you burned during that exercise have gone straight back on!
 
Lots of alcoholic drinks are also mixed with very high calorie mixers or soft drinks that are very high in sugar. And on top of this drinking alcohol it is very often done alongside eating food and snacks such as crisps, dips, and nuts. So it’s no surprise that people who drink frequently can gain unwanted weight very quickly.
 
In certain high calorie foods and drinks there can also be a volume of vitamins and minerals meaning that although the food itself may not be the best thing for your waistline it still comes with a certain level of goodness.
 
Alcohol however is what we call "empty calories" it hardly contains any appreciable amounts of vitamins or minerals and it over loads the livers metabolic pathways. The liver diverts calories into making fat which is stored in the liver before being carried away to more permanent storage sites.
 
Sorry guys but here is some more bad news...the way alcohol is absorbed by the body can reduce the amount of fat you are able to burn by exercising. Unfortunately our bodies are not designed to store alcohol. It will try to get rid of it as quickly as possible so in turn this then gets in the way of other processes, including absorbing nutrients AND burning fat. So as well as adding lots of empty calories...which can then lead to an increase in body fat... it can also slow down the process of burning it!!!

And when it comes to having a workout the day after a night on the beer, it can also be very damaging to your training performance. First of all if any of you have ever tried training or taking part in a sporting activity with a hangover you don't need me to tell you how hard it is!! I know from my own personal experience that it’s impossible to work or perform at the level that you would do normally. Alcohol is what is known as a diuretic (this is something that causes greater loss of fluids) this basically makes you urinate more, lose water and cause dehydration. Proper hydration before, during and after exercise is very important to create and ideal environment for building muscles and losing fat. It is also important to help achieving peak energy levels as well as absorbing and transporting nutrients.
 
Alcohol can also bring on exercise fatigue by increasing lactic acid production. In hot environments it can also increase sweating which of course will lead to even further dehydration.
 
As I spoke about in one of my previous posts, recovery is a vital part of any training regime. The better you recover the easier it is to train that bit harder in your next workout, which is how we progress to do more and get fitter and stronger. If you drink alcohol soon after exercising the alcohol calories can replace the carbohydrate calories usually eaten after exercise causing an improper or delayed recovery.
 
 So you have to ask yourselves..... Is it really worth it?!?

Like I said guys and girls I believe that there is nothing wrong with drinking alcohol as long as it’s done in moderation. Most of us work hard and live busy lives and it’s nice to relax and socialise with our friends and family and enjoy a few drinks together. All I'm saying is that if you really are serious about getting the results you want from your training, whatever they may be, drinking too much alcohol will ultimately have a negative effect...
 
Until my next post....
 
 
Glenn

BIG RACE COMING UP!!!!!

On September the 21st myself and my friends Ian Ling and Charlie Hare will start our first of 4 marathons over 4 days as part of the Great barrow challenge, in barrow in Suffolk. In a bold statement my aim is to do a quicker time each day with the final run being my fastest!!

It remains to be seen if I can achieve this but I will certainly give it a go!!

We are running in aid of the charity "everyman" to support those who have been unfortunate to have been affected by testicular and prostate cancer. I will soon post a link on here with the details where you can kindly donate to this worthy cause if you wish to. Every penny would be greatly appreciated!

Marathon and endurance running is something I love and also something I train all year round for. But this event will really test me with limited time to recover each day before we are back out on the road again the next morning.

I completed my first big distance run this Sunday since I did the London and Brighton marathons back in April. I ran 16 miles in a time of just over 2hrs 15 minutes. As it was the first big one in a while I am quite happy with the distance and time, feeling strong right until the end.

Keep posted as I will be logging all my distance training as well as giving advice on distance running, the right clothing and footwear as well as nutritional advice when taking part in an endurance event.

Speak to you soon!

Glenn

More is not always better!!

Have you ever felt like you are putting in all the hours you can in the gym, desperately trying to achieve your goals but seem to be going backwards?

Or have you found your training sessions seem to be getting harder although you are not doing as much as you once were?

Or maybe you are feeling like you have lost your appetite for training all together and are struggling to motivate yourself to get to the gym at all??

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms then there is a chance that you are actually doing too much exercise and that you are in fact, over training.

Apart from just decreased performance in the gym, there are a number of symptoms that could indicate that you are asking too much of your body and it’s time to give it some rest! These include:

Pain in joints and muscles

Rapid heart increase

Chronic fatigue

Delayed recovery

Increased lactic acid

There are psychological effects as well, these include:

Depression

Decreased self-esteem

Difficulty concentrating and generally feeling irritable

Feeling stressed

Emotional instability

People tend to over train for a number of reasons, but I find it’s particularly common in beginners and people who are new to training.

They are in such a rush to get in shape as fast as they possibly can and believe that hitting the gym twice a day will turn them into a champion over night!

But the reality is that they will end up very tired and totally burnt out, they will not have seen any results, and will probably have seen the gym as such a negative experience that they are likely to fail to get back there again!

So here are some quick tips to help you to avoid over training.

Nutrition

A good nutritional diet plays a vital role in replacing energy in the body, so by following some of my simple tips you can help your body recover from your workouts more quickly.

NEVER miss breakfast...breakfast meaning to “break the fast". Assuming you have been sleeping for 6-8 hours then it’s probably been at least 10 hours since your last meal.....and to make your body wait another 5 hours until lunch time can cause loss of the lean muscle tissue you have been working so hard to gain.

Avoid getting hungry at all costs!!! Being hungry too often will make your body break down your hard earned lean muscle to give to your vital organs...so try to eat BEFORE YOU FEEL TO HUNGRY!

If you are feeling hungry try to avoid training until you have eaten unless your goal is to lose all your lean muscle!!??

Always try to eat within at least an hour of finishing your workout. The sooner you start replenishing your body’s depleted energy store the quicker the recovery process can start to get under way. A good quality protein or recovery shake is also highly recommended after a workout.

Always stay well hydrated!! When it comes to recovery dehydration is a big problem...workout recovery occurs a lot better when you are properly hydrated.

 

Get enough rest....and sleep!

We all need a different amount of sleep each night but if you are following a strenuous exercise programme I would recommend you aim for at least 8 hours. Your muscles require plenty of rest for adequate recovery between workouts and muscles actually recover and grow during periods of deep sleep.

Progress slowly

Remember even the strongest and fittest men and women in the world had to start somewhere. So just try to stick to your own personal capabilities and let yourself progress when you are ready. Take running as an example; if you want to start running don’t try and start with unrealistic times and distances. Just start by doing a slow jog/walk in intervals for about 10-15 minutes. So to start with it can be as simple as 30 seconds jogging to 4 minutes walking. What you want to aim to do is increase the time you jog and lower the time you walk. It should be done slowly and over a period of time. Eventually you will find that you can jog for the whole 15 minutes, and then you can start to increase it to 20 minutes and so on......

Work different muscle groups on different days

Rather than going into the gym for 2 hours and taking your whole body through a workout 3 times a week why not try just concentrating on working 2 or 3 muscle groups at a time? For example:

Workout one: chest and biceps

Workout two:  legs and lower back

Workout three: back and triceps

Workout four: shoulders and forearms

This will not only cut down the time you spend training in the gym but also give each muscle group longer to recover which will result in an overall stronger body.

So if you are feeling like you have been doing a bit too much lately then just try to follow some of the above and it should hopefully help you. As much as it’s important to train hard and on a regular basis it’s just as important to let yourself rest and recover as well!

 

Happy training (and resting!)

Glenn

Ladies......don't be scared of the iron!!!!!!!

So very often in the gym I hear woman complaining that they are training 4-5 times per week yet never feel that they are getting the results that they desire and also work so hard to try to achieve.


When I ask what it is they are doing during their workouts, a lot of the time it seems that all they do is spend hours and hours, week after week just plodding away on a bike or a stepper,never dreaming of entering the weights and resistance section of the gym. When I ask why I am always given exactly the same answer every time..."weights wont help me to burn calories, they will just make me big and bulky..."


Yet this common response could not be further from the truth!!


First of all due to the fact that woman do not...and can not... produce as much testosterone as men ( testosterone is one of the main hormones that is responsible for increasing muscle size) it is impossible for girls to gain large amounts of muscle mass just because they do a bit of training with some weights!


The "body building" girls we so often see in magazines, on the Internet and on tv achieve such a drastic look by unfortunately taking anabolic steroids (synthetic testosterone). This level of muscle size which these woman achieve is probably also down to genetics as well as an unbelievable amount of hours spent in the gym. The way they look is what they spend their whole life trying to achieve, it is not done by accident!!


In fact, regularly using weights as part of your training programme will give you some great results. Not only will you get a lot leaner and stronger than if you are just doing cardio alone, you will also find that you drop your body fat percent a lot quicker....let me explain:


Lean muscle is what is known as "metabolically active"...what this means is that just by this muscle being on your body, it demands a certain amount of calories to maintain. So by using weights and increasing your lean muscle you will burn more calories even when you are resting or sleeping...eventually turning you into a calorie burning furnace!!!!!


For maximum results try using what are known as "compound exercises" meaning a series of exercises using the larger muscle groups of the body and usually more than one muscle group at a time.


So for the lower body try exercises such as squats, lunges or even a leg press machine. And for the upper body try exercises such and chest presses, shoulder presses and bent over rows...all can be performed using a barbell or dumbbells and on resistance machines.


And ladies, don't be afraid to lift heavy !! Of the few woman I do know who work out with weights most of them lift very light weights with sky high repetitions such as 20-30 reps each set. For better results and to get leaner quicker try making the weight heavier and only doing 6-8 reps, taking your muscles to failure on each set.


Try to record the weights you are lifting to help you monitor your progress.


Keep posted as I will soon be posting some of my favourite weight training workouts, as well as some advice on safe and effective training techniques, as well as some top tips to help you get the most from your time spent in the gym


Happy training!!
Glenn