Tuesday 27 March 2007

Freestyle Training







Due to this infernal bug I've been unable to train for nearly a week. Today, however, as I have started to recover, I decided to go to the studio and deviate from the current programme and do something I've been dying to do for months - an old-style chest-blasting workout.






I simply decided upon a rough rep-range (6-8) and based the exercises on feel (one set of incline bench; reduce the incline by a notch for two more sets, and then two sets of flat bench. This was followed by two sets of flyes super-setted with cable crossovers. Finally I did a giant set comrpised of dips, flyes, crossovers and press-ups).


For good measure I threw in a few sets of parallel grip chins at the end.


This is by far my favourite approach to working out but it needs to be used sparingly, otherwise essential work may be neglected in favour of more enjoyable work.




ankle is still mullered


I'm unfortunately still off work and hobbling around on a rather dodgy ankle. This obviously has got in the way of our exercise routine and is therefore rather annoying. I'm still hoping to make a session on wednesday morning although I seriously doubt that I will be able to do any leg work. Lets just hope that Del is feeling better too otherwise we may end up giving up on this week and recovering for next.

It may be best to try the arm workout again so I'll have to speak to Del and see what he's up to.

Sunday 25 March 2007

F.I.S.H. Progress


The process of F.I.S.H. becoming a limited company is almost complete. The new Fitness Instruction for Strength & Health Limited will start trading on 1-4-2007.


There have been two recent enquiries from freelance Personal Trainers who wish to start training clients at the studio. Melody is now almost at full capacity and is considering reducing her working hours elsewhere to increase her time at the studio.


Chutz has injured his ankle at work and was unable to do the German Body Comp Program this weekend. Derek has been ill with a virus and unable to train - or eat the usual high protein diet. In fact, food of any sort has been a hardship! We should be back on course next week.


We have started to develop the full German Body Comp Program for our clients, offering twelve weeks of training including diet and supplementation. Melody has one client hoping to start the program next week. Meanwhile we are putting together some advertising around this.

Monday 19 March 2007

fat burning progress


Ah, at last my google gremlins have been overcome and I can now post on this blog. As Del has already posted about the new regime I thought I'd just add my own little comments.
I have spent my winter being somewhat lazy, especially in the nutrition department. This obviously has lead to an increase in body fat but I also think it may have helped the growth of my legs in particular. I think that the extra calorific intake combined with much longer rest periods has enabled some considerable muscular growth in this area as legs were the one body part that was worked out every week without fail.That said my next goal is obviously to lose the excess winter fat in order to look better and more importantly, feel better. The recent change in exercise style is frankly refreshing and it would appear that after this 6 week fat burning stage Del is going to change the routine again and focus on strength training. I look forward to this eagerly as I did a lot more of that kind of trainng years ago when I first started lifting weights although not as scientifically and also not as lower reps as promised this time. Should be interesting to see what gains we can both make.

Sunday 18 March 2007

Chutz & Del's Training Log Part 3











The first phase of the arm program is over. This was really gruelling - double tri-sets using reverse grip E-Z bar curls, Zottman curls, lying triceps extensions and close grip bench press. The next phase is for maximal strength development (neuro-muscular adaptations primarily). During the six workouts of phase one we have both made significant gains in strength and size.




Chutz & Del's Training Log Part 2


The trouble with changing training parameters is that new demands are placed on the body - in our case cardiovascular demands from the reduced rest intervals. This week I have responded to the fatigue by giving in to my body's demands for more carbohydrate in an uncontrolled manner (hence the wine and icecream last night!). It doesn't take long, however, to make the necessary adjustments. In this case I have finally started to use the new smoothie maker and this morning had a breakfast shake with protein powder, glutamine, oatmeal, fruit, and milk. The carbs are low GI and will provide sustained energy.


The use of the blender means I don't have to pay huge sums of money for the designer meal replacements on the market. The plan is to provide similar drinks at the studio for recovery. A range of ingredients will be on offer so that clients can customise their shakes according to their needs and tastes.


Regarding the German Body Comp Program, the signs are that it is already having the desired effect of reducing body fat and retaining muscle. This afternoon we complete phase 1 of the arm program. Phase 2 involves very heavy preacher curls and dips for a maximal strength phase.

Saturday 17 March 2007

Facing the FAcTs




At the age of nine I was looking really chunky, I was picked on at school and felt ashamed of myself and hated school because of it.
So began the cycle of starvation for days followed by cramming in as much high sugar high fat food as I could.
By the time I was 11 I weighed 11 stone and was a size 14. School summer dresses were a problem as back then when overweight children were not so common, they only made these dresses up to a size 12. I remember the embarrassment I felt when the ever so skinny shop assistant. looked at me disapprovingly as she told my mum the news.
I sweltered in the summer in that thick winter uniform.

At 12 years old I was taken to the dietitian by my worried parents, I was now 12 stone, and put on what seemed a starvation diet if Ryvita and salad, at least that’s all I can remember about it. I now had everyone on my case, treating me, or so it felt, like I was a greedy lazy little naughty fat girl, who needed to be told off all the time and treated with no respect until I showed signs of losing weight.
And so, I became obsessed with food, I took to creeping down stairs into the fridge and cupboards and stealing and scoffing whole packets of ham, cheese, chocolate biscuits and anything tasty I could find. Only then for my parents to discover the stolen food and tell me off in front of everyone and anyone and humiliate me beyond belief, making me out to be so greedy stealing everyone else’s food. Well what did they expect when I was being starved all day and made to feel awful and ashamed of letting people see me eat?
It got so bad that I would take £1 out of my mums purse and sneak to the sweet shop and buy as much chocolate as I could and then hide it under my bed. I had stashes of food hidden everywhere!

This went on until I left home, at 15 I weighted nearly 16 stone and was now a size 18, while everyone else at school was enjoying P.E. classes I did anything I could to get out of it. I hated the drama of when the 2 most slim pretty popular people would be chosen by the teachers to pick out from the class who was to be on their team. They would choose all their friends first, then the fittest people, then at the end there would be just me and a couple of the geekiest most picked on individuals left. They would then laugh and take the mickey and would moan about which of the crap people they were going to get lumbered with on their precious teams. It makes my blood boil just to think back on those memories!
Needless to say though many of those pretty girls had their kindness repaid as many of them I have I seen in recent years have weight problems or are just plain ugly now!!
Sorry, but Ha bloody Ha!

So I left home at 16, and my weight stabilised for a while, I didn’t put any on for a couple of years. Then I made one big mistake. I started seeing a guy, I can’t now begin to imagine why I became so infatuated with him, but I did, and so when he told me he really liked me BUT would only really want to go out with me if I lost some weight, I agreed.
I went to a dodgy doctor and was given an appetite suppressant and stimulant called Duremine. This gave me endless energy and no need for food! I lost a stone and a half in 4 weeks, the compliments were flooding in and I felt fantastic. UNTIL ONE NIGHT I PASSED OUT.
My appetite had been so suppressed I was barely eating anything but the odd bit of salad or fruit, after 5 weeks of this my body couldn't’t take it, and walked home one night I blacked out and woke up vomiting. I was shaking so violently I was frightened.
I went to a real doctor and he told me “stop the Duremine.”
2 months later I had regained all of the weight lost and added on to it another 8 lbs.
Over the next year and a half after a cycle of yo -yo dieting I went to weight watchers only to discover I was now up to 17.10 stone.
I remember feeling quite shocked and upset at this figure.
My new boyfriend was supportive and really liked me just as I was which stopped me from considering any more nasty diet tablets!
Weight watchers I felt was quite good, I did manage to lose a slow steady stone through good eating and the support of the meetings.

Shortly after this period I met Derek, my now husband. We got together, and for a while I think we both lost weight due to the passionate nature of our relationship!!
Soon that familiar comfort and cosiness of being together set in and we loved going out to restaurants and pubs together or staying in and having fine food and wine and having friends round for parties all based around music and food. We planned to get married and we were both conscious of our bloated bellies and so we joined the David Lloyd club to try and get into shape!
Well, I remember ambling around doing a bit of this and a bit of that, sometimes working to hard, and other times not really doing anything.
At the time I had no idea about weight training and nutrition and so I did lose some weight but not much, and probably lost more muscle tissue than fat.

Friday 16 March 2007

Chutz & Del's Training Log Part 1



Following on from a winter of heavy lifting and over-indulgence on pizza and wine, Chutney and Derek have started leaning out using a modified form of Poliquin's German Body Comp Program. The routine involves alternating two whole body approaches twice per week. The rest intervals are reduced and exercises are paired or in circuit form. The rep-range is generally 10-12 so there is still some hypertrophy. The increased blood lactate produced during the routine elevates growth hormone production and therefore increased fat burning. Heart rate remains elevated throughout the workout burning calories and creating an extended POEC.

Coupled with the new workout, Derek is now taking hydroxycut hardcore, L-glutamine, l-carnatine, CLA, vitamin supplements, BCAAs and protein and Chutney has switched from Cyclone to Labrada Lean Body Carb Watchers protein. Here are the latest workout shots. Hopefully there will be less fat next time!

Sunday 11 March 2007

Mike Mentzer and High Intensity Training


Nothing polarizes proponents of weight training and bodybuilding as much as the figure of Mike Mentzer. Mentzer was a professional bodybuilder who won the Mr Universe title in the 70s and the heavyweight category at the Olympia. He last competed in the 1980 Olympia and was favoured by many to win. This was the year of Arnold's comeback as part of his preparation for "Conan the Barbarian" and the Austrian Oak won amidst controversy. Mike Mentzer came fifth, despite being in the most awesome shape of his life. He retired from professional bodybuilding in disgust.

Mentzer continued to write his "Heavy Duty" column in "Ironman" magazine and produced books and other media promoting his "Heavy Duty" training system - high intensity training in which the volume of training is reduced, rest periods are increased, and heavy weights are favoured, often using intensity increasers like pre-exhaust, negatives, and forced reps.

Mentzer likened the training stimulus to other stressors on the body, including exposure to the sun. Too much sun exposure results in sunburn and the destruction of skin rather than the desired tanning effect. Too much volume in weight training, coupled with insufficient rest, leads to over-training and muscle atrophy.

Mentzer recommended training infrequently and he advised cutting down the volume, often as low as one all-out effort working set for a particular body part. Some of Mentzer's protocols were adopted successfully by seven-time Mr Olympia Dorian Yates.

Mentzer has come in for a lot of criticism, however. Charles Poliquin, for one, says that it is impossible to completely exhaust all available motor units with just one working set. Another problem is Mentzer's insistence on taking every set to failure and beyond - something which has been shown to reduce testosterone levels and thus decrease the anabolic environment needed for muscle growth.

Mentzer was right, however, to reduce training time (anything above 45-60 minutes generally results in an increase in cortisol levels which results in catabolism and gluconeogenesis). He was right to indicate that many bodybuilders trained too frequently and were thus prone to over-training syndrome.

During his professional career, Mentzer initially followed the high volume training associated with Arnold et al. He later identified the need for less frequent training but seem, in his later writings, to have reduced training frequency ad absurdum.

If Mentzer's insights are married with the high volume approach and a middle ground is sought his ideas start to bear fruit. Ideally, training protocols need to be varied, periodised, so that high intensity, low volume (in terms of total reps performed) work gives way to periods of lower intensity (load) higher volume work. Rest intervals between sets, number of sets and reps, and number of training days are all factors that need to be manipulated in order to ensure maximal training effects.

In general I like to change training protocols every 6 weeks or so (for example, six week periods of accumulation, increasing volume; strength work at higher intensity, lower over-all volume, and longer rest intervals; fat stripping periods of high volume, higher reps and incomplete rest between sets etc).

It is best to avoid the polemic on either side of the high intensity vs high volume debate. We need aspects of both, and more, for continuous progress. Mentzer was a thoughtful, intelligent, trainer who may have had personal and political reasons to wage war against the protocols promoted by the bodybuilding "authorities". He offers insights into some of the pitfalls that have always plagued bodybuilding - such as the psychological reasons for too frequent training, but his own views often need tempering.

The key is to understand how each stage of training relates to specific goals. Understand what you are trying to do and how to get those results safely and effectively. There is no perfect programme that can continue to reap rewards indefinitely. One of the most interesting things about training (and a real pain to those who are mentally lazy) is that it has to keep evolving if the body is going to continue adapting.

F.I.S.H. Calling Personal Trainers


If you are a freelance Personal Trainer with Level 3 REPS registration F.I.S.H. would like to hear from you. Our fully equipped studio is available to rent on a "pay as you go" basis. There are no contracts and no fixed rent: you simply pay a percentage of each session you give at the studio.


Personal Trainers are encouraged to bring their own clients to the studio and may also advertise their own Personal Training business both at the studio and on our blog site. Due to the high volume of Personal Training currently undertaken by F.I.S.H. we may also be able to refer new clients to freelance Personal Trainers using the studio.


For more information, and to come and look around, please contact Derek on 07871760054 or email fishfitness@tiscali.co.uk

Friday 9 March 2007

How To Find a Good Personal Trainer


There are hundreds of Personal Trainers out there, some excellent, some good, some average, and some down-right dreadful. As with any other profession it is not enough to go by qualifications. To be an effective trainer the individual needs to have passion and commitment, organisational skills, inter-personal skills, deductive reasoning, a commitment to continuous learning, and empirical knowledge.

Unfortunately I've witnessed a lot of bad Personal Trainers. Some barely seem to watch what their clients are doing and either don't recognise or don't care about poor exercise technique. At best these trainers are ineffective, at worst they are negligent and even dangerous.

The first quality I tend to look for in a trainer is attentiveness: they need to be constantly observant. They must scrutinize every aspect of their client's exercise performance and must filter out everything else going on around them (except for being aware of potential hazards).

This attentiveness needs to be present when discussing goals and taking background. It is made manifest in active listening skills: the client must feel that they are being heard, valued, and respected.

A good trainer will also be a diligent record-keeper. This will ensure that the client progresses at each session (if they do not progress each time they are wasting their money). There must be clear plans of what the client wants to achieve and how to get there efficiently and safely. The trainer should regularly discuss these plans with the client and make adjustments depending on the response to different aspects of the programme.

The trainer should also be sensitive to anything that makes the client feel uncomfortable or embarrassed and seek to minimise or eradicate these things.

The trainer should also be able to provide a rationale for exercise choices and training parameters. They should be open to discussion and honest about the limitations of their expertise. A good trainer is never satisfied with their own level of knowledge and should continuously push the boundaries of their own understanding and practice.

It is not enough for the trainer to have a sound academic knowledge - they should experience the exercises and regimens for themselves wherever possible. They must be able to speak from experience.

A good trainer will avoid over-training the client (I have known trainers who insist on excessive use of particular exercises that leave the client barely able to walk for days afterwards). They must also be knowledgeable about the importance of rest and nutrition.

If you are looking for a Personal Trainer check for the following:

1. Registration with the Register of Exercise Professionals at Level 3; some big gyms employ level 2 gym instructors and then pass them off as Personal Trainers.
2. Observe them training others and watch for attentiveness, exercise correction, record-keeping etc;
3. Find out about their own training. Do they look like they train?
4. Ask for any testimonies or speak to their clients yourself. What results did they get?
5. Request a free consultation. Were you listened to? What approach did the trainer recommend? Does it make sense? Ask them for a rationale and evidence base for their suggestions.
6. Check the fees and cancellation policy.
7. What records will the trainer keep? If they take no notes at the consultation forget training with them!
8. Observe them, observe their clients. Look out for posture, conditioning, exercise performance. Fit clients, or those making progress, often indicate a good trainer.

Once you find a good trainer stick with it. Good trainers are of immense value and will get you results beyond anything you could achieve by yourself. A Personal Trainer should be an invaluable resource, motivator, technical instructor and guide.

The keywords are attentiveness; safety; efficacy; diligence; reliability; commitment and a passion for training.

Wednesday 7 March 2007

Fat Loss Through Weight Training


Many people think that to lose fat they need to go on a restricted calorie diet and perform hour upon hour of cardio. Calorie controlled diets are virtually certain to backfire: they generally result in a loss of lean muscle tissue which leads to a corresponding drop in metabolic rate. Eventually progress with the weight loss plateaus until there is another drop in calories and a further reduction in metabolic rate. From here there are generally two options: continue the progressive calorie restriction (ultimately leading to anorexia and cachexia, or severe muscle wasting) or return to normal eating and put on even more weight than you lost due to the reduction in metabolically active muscle.

Aerobic exercise may help to shed even more calories but it does not effect major changes to body composition and metabolic rate. Cardio is ideal for health (the 30 minutes per day of exercise equivalent to brisk walking recommended by the ACSM) or sports-specific training, but weight training is superior for lasting fat loss and changes to body composition.

Not only can muscular hypertrophy lead to a better physique and the burning of significantly more calories at rest, but there are even protocols for training with moderate weights (65-75% of 1 rep max) that will generate high levels of blood lactate with a corresponding high production of growth hormone (which burns fat whilst stimulatin glean tissue growth).

For maximum fat burning it is essential to produce high levels of lactic acid by extending sets and increasing time under tension (through relatively high reps, say 10-15). It is helpful to pair exercises using super or compound sets and to reduce rest intervals (generally to between 45 and 65 seconds; sometimes as low as 30 seconds). This "incomplete" recovery contributes to the elevated lactate levels and growth hormone response.

Diet also has its part to play but not by excessively reducing calories. Generally the ratios of macronutrients need to be manipulated in favour of higher protein and lower carbohydrate (but not to the levels suggested by Atkins). Low GI complex carbs should be the principal form of carbohydrates. The level of carbohydrates decided upon will be dependant upon carb tolerance, energy levels, and activity. The only exception to the low GI rule should be the post workout (within 15 minutes) meal.

For more information on losing fat through weight training contact Derek at fishfitness@tiscali.co.uk

Tuesday 6 March 2007

Are You Serious About Changing Your Body?


At F.I.S.H. we take great pride in our knowledge and experience of using weight training to change body composition. Whether your goal is to lose body fat or increase muscle mass we can help you with all aspects of training and nutrition. We always start with technique, ensuring that all exercises are safe and effective. We then make progressive demands on the tensile strength of muscle fibres and on the respective energy sustems to elicit the desired training effect. Through manipulation of training variables, nutrition and rest we can help you to make the most of growth hormone production to build lean muscle and eliminate body fat.


If you think you have the dedication to transform your body, and if you can commit to three or more training sessions per week then we would like to hear from you. To kick start the opening of the new studio we are looking for four people willing to undertake the body composition challenge and share their progress with visitors to our blog. The four people selected will receive a substantial discount on Personal Training sessions for the period of the challenge (12 weeks).


Please email fishfitness@tiscali.co.uk for further details.

F.I.S.H. Goes Limited




F.I.S.H. has now started the process of becoming a limited company - Fitness Instruction for Strength & Health Limited. Presently we are operating as sole traders, Priority Principle and Inspire Fitness. Once the limited company is operating we will be approaching other Personal Trainers about using the studio.

The cable crossover is now assembled and the studio is now fully functioning. We have ordered a preacher curl bench and dip bars and are awaiting the delivery of safety pins for the power rack.

Training in the studio is proving to be sheer luxury. It's nice to be able to perform supersets, tri-sets and even giant sets without losing the equipment mid-way. Derek and Chutney have been meticulously recording loading, tempo and time under tension and thus progressing at each and every workout. We have two more weeks of mixed strength and hypertrophy to go before moving on to Poliquin's German Body Comp Program for six weeks prior to a maximum strength phase.

Melody has started a three day split and is already starting to rediscover the definition she had before Christmas. Nutrition is improving all the time and the new trade account with Tropicana is proving very popular - particularly as there is no minimum order (Maximuscle insisted on at least £300 per order). The combination of EFA capsules and CLA is proving effective and we have both started on Hydroxycut Hardcore, the new version of the fat stripper we both employed whilst in Australia a few years ago.

Best achievement so far must go to Jon Martin who is now doing parallel squats with a three second eccentric and explosive concentric phase. We have been working on form for a few weeks and it is now close to perfect. He's currently up to 47.5kg but will rapidly increase the load now that the range of motion and technique have developed.

Friday 2 March 2007

Melody's Personal Training Maladies


I feel like giving up. I’m angry with people for letting me down tonight.
I am worried about money now, I had it all just about covered.

I am really stressed out about putting together that bloody piece of equipment, I nearly broke my back trying to do it, not to mention all the broken nails!

I didn’t have any food with me because I was going to go to Waitrose on the way to Ian’s and get some food.
Feel like eating one of Del's protein bars, given up chocolate for lent, but it’s not that that stops me it the thought of getting a telling off from Del!!

Perhaps a bag of crisps or, sod lent and get an inviting creamy chocolate bar (or 2), well after all I am hungry and I have a good thousand or more calories to eat by the end of the day!

My hands are cold and I’m sick of listening to that same CD, the floor is a mess, needs hovering, I need to do all the washing up, and there is a bloody trolley full of rubbish outside that I need to get rid of……..

Kathy has such kind words for me about my training, Anne is chuffed to bits she’s lost half a stone and 6% body fat. It’s great, but unless I get more honest and committed clients like them it is all going to fail. I feel despairing about this, I have to lose a stone at least before I think anyone will look at me and want to train with me and pay the full price. So why does my mind want to sabotage and go and eat crap just because my mood has been changed by circumstances that I cannot control right now?
Yes weight loss is going to be slow and steady, I weighed myself tonight and I was down another pound, felt depressed that is wasn’t down by 3 pound or more, OH GET A GRIP, WHAT DO I SAY TO EVERYONE ELSE? a pound down is better that a pound up, and a pound of fat takes up a good fistful of flesh!!

Well, found the high calorie Dr Kargs crackers, high in protein too so munched one of them for dinner, oh OK I lied I had 2. Well it was supposed to be my dinner.
Still pondering on the miserable mood, considering the blow it tonight attitude.
When I realise I need to challenge myself and decide to write it down get it all out, and get it into perspective.

Now how about I write a nice friendly, but informing letter to all my clients who are buggering me about.

Then drink a big glass of water (always makes me feel better some how)
Then tidy up, wash up, hoover up, so we’re ready for action tomorrow?

Make a plan of actions for the week as far as getting classes running and new clients in the door.

Then god forbids What about TRAINING?????? What on a moody day? Turn this crap day into the best day I have had??
I turned it around, all by myself. And from now on it will just get better and better. There’s still a lot of hard work and crap turn-able days ahead, but I am going to do it. I am going to get fit and feel great again and make a good decent living from a job I love doing.

the end. (until next time)

Foundations for a Better Physique now on Kindle! Get your Kindle here.