Tuesday Top 5 - Pump up music!

Tuesday Top 5 - Pump up songs (male)
So I put together my top 5 tunes that make me get syked to be in the gym. and I'm sure allow me to lift heavier and train for longer........ Your welcome.

Nice one, I'm off to build a website.

Fitness Friday - Vitamin C...... 'The Body Fat Ninja'

Fitness Friday - Vitamin C..... 'The Body Fat Ninja'

So after seeing a lot of people talking about how Vitamin-C can help lower body fat percentage, I decided to do some research. I found some nice research put together by Arizona state university. 

how it actually works.

Vitamin-C helps with the biosynthesis of a small protein like molecule called Carnitine. Carnitine works by moving fat round the body to cells where oxidation can take place. So therefore a lack of vitamin-c, will lead to fat not being easily moved around the body. With this in mind, it means a build up of fat can occur if vitamin deficiency happens regularly.

The interesting thing about the research, was that there was no significant results. the test group which was a group of obese men and women, all lost weight and had been given a strict calorie controlled diet. The group that had the daily vitamin-C did lose more weight, but not enough that would specifically determine it to be the vitamin-C and not just the diet. 

So what does this tell us??

The trial was only done over a four week period, so a longer trial is being done and the hypothesis is that having the vitamin in the body for a longer period of time, will produce more significant results to a better fat oxidation rate. 

Another thing to look at, is that not a lot of weight was lost specifically to do with the Vitamin-C, but weight was also now where near as easily stored. Which I think is the real positive of the trial.

Verdict??!!

When trying to strip down, add a 500mg supplement of Vitamin-C into your cycle. It will in the long run help with burning off fat quicker, but before that, help with not storing fat as easily. 

nice one, I'm off.........

Tuesday Music.........

The music I was listening too while writing my latest blog. I think these guys are awesome and seem to be finding another amazing song by them everyday. Also the visual that accompany this song are amazing!

Enjoy.

Top-Tuesday-5 (Gym pet peeves)

The First of many people..... Welcome to the 'Top-Tuesday-5' here is where I will every week, yes you've guessed it! on Tuesday name a top 5 something........

This week... my Top5 - Gym Pet-Peeves!
All of these are things I see on a day to day bases that either make me want to physically hurt someone, or just make me wonder why these people even bother coming to the gym to 'train'

1) - Mobile Phones...... Ok I know that most people have iPhones, so you can't really not have your Phone in the gym with you. But when I say that mobile phones annoy me. I'm talking about the idiots that sit on a bench (in a crowded gym at peek time) and have a chat to their mums! If your not using the kit, get off it! And as far as I'm concerned, if you're wiling to take a call or are waiting for a call while in the gym...... your not training hard enough!  

                                                                             
2) - Lucozade is for athletes..... I very often see Joe-public in the gym swigging on a lucozade or lucozade light. Now this isn't a problem if your trying to up your calorie content because of the amount of physical energy expenditure you give out on a daily basis. I.E. if your a endurance athlete, strength trainer, bodybuilder or competitive athlete. But for everyday people, this is simply clever marketing, and people thinking they need it.
What would be better??....... Water. or if you need a isotonic drink to replenish the salt and sugars you have lost, Combine half a glass of fruit juice with half a glass of water and add a small amount of salt. It will be better for you and will cost about 80% less.
   The reason why I'm trying to point people away from it, is due to it meaning that most of the work at the gym is counter productive, due to the fact that the calories that you're burning, you're putting straight back into the body.
Lucozade (sport) - 28kcal per 100ml - 1 bottle = 140kcal = extra 10min on treadmill- med/high intensity.
Lucozade (light) - 10kcal per 100ml - 1 bottle = 50kcal = extra 6 min on treadmill- med/high intensity
   So simply, opt for water, and see more results.

3) - Guys fondling their masculinity......... This trend I seem not able to get my head around. Guys in the gym with their hands down their trousers, like they're at home. My trail of thought goes like this...... Guy fondling his crotch - fondling crotch man's hands on the weights - I use the weights fondling crotch man has been using - I have inadvertently touched fondling crotch man's genitals........ PROPER DISGUSTING!!
   So I think I speak for everyone when I say........ All 'Gym Crotch Fondlers' ........DON'T DO IT! ITS WEIRD! AND I DON'T WANT TO BE TOUCHING YOUR GENITALS!

4) - Put Your Weights Back!...... This will always be a problem in any badly managed gyms, and they should impose penalties for bad gym etiquette. So time and time again I come to the gym all ready to get into a nice zone and crack out some squats or dead-lifts, or if I feel like treating myself maybe a cheeky bench press. But oh wait............. Some complete inconsiderate bastard has decided to put 100kg on the only free bar, and leave it after he's done with it.
   Gym etiquette the same as politeness costs nothing. And if everyone puts back the stuff they use. The weights area would have a much faster and easier turn over at busier periods.
          So pretty please with a cherry on top....... PUT YOUR WEIGHTS AWAY!

5) - Ice Hockey Player, On Chicken Legs........ This is for the lads who are 'Trying to get Big' Go and stand in front of a full length mirror with just a pair of shorts on, and take a look at how disproportionate your legs are to your upper body. Firstly you look ridiculous and if you ever tried to do any serious lifting, your going to be in trouble! and Secondly a little tip: Training your legs (biggest muscle groups in the body) has massive benefits! due to being the biggest muscle groups in the body, they produce the biggest testosterone boost when trained. So if you train another body part after your leg workout. You can take advantage of the extra testosterone in the system.
Train the legs for better upper to lower body proportion, and also gaining more muscle for the entire body.

Note: I found it very hard to find a picture to highlight my disproportionate legs to upper body syndrome. So I put this picture in of Franco Columbu (my favorite bodybuilder of all time) who I think is one of the best examples of a perfectly proportionate bodybuilder.

Nice one. I'm off for a cheeky espresso and a good long read.

Fridays Music.....

The  music that has been keeping me motivated, while writing my blog.......... Enjoy.

Fitness Friday

Fitness Friday - The Dreaded 'Shin-Splints'

So firstly what are shin splints? Shin splints form when the muscles that run the length of your shin (anterior-tibialaris) become increasingly weak, due to lengthening and under-active use. They form due to the constant stop start motion and the high impact that that puts on the bones and underlying muscles. This in a simpler form, is a substantial amount of running, or I'm sorry to say ladies...... high heels.


Now don't get me wrong, a woman in a skirt with the nice pair of heels........ is all good! What I am saying is that wearing heels for 8 hours a day and then out at night or a weekend, is where the problems start to lie.

High heels put the the calf muscles constantly in contraction and the anterior-tibialaris in a constant lengthened state. This over time, means that the anterior-tibialaris needs to splint to the bone, to help maintain it, as the muscles are no longer strong enough on their own.


However the more common cause and most likely for men (unless you're a cross dresser) is running. And generally comes from running indoors on a treadmill. The problem is that a treadmill is too flat, and doesn't allow the foot to change angles, so therefore again the calf muscles (gastrosoleus-complex) do all the work, Leaving the frontal muscles to become lengthened and weak.

How do we improve or prevent this from happening??


Here are a few simple rules for preventing or treating shin splints....

1) - Walk backwards, this might seem strange and it is, you'll get some looks in the gym. Walking backwards means that you will increase the amount your frontal leg muscles work, as you have to produce far more dorsiflexion (pointing your toes upwards, like your trying to touch your shin with your toes) This helps rebuild or build up the muscles.

2) - Run on varying terrains, this will mean the angle your foot is moving at will constantly be changing. With this all plains of movement will become stronger.

3) - Stretch! after any kind of exercise, stretching helps return the muscles back to there original length, this helps with the rebuilding process and prevents DOMS (delayed onset of muscles soreness) in this case, it will also help strengthen the weak muscles and lengthen the tight ones.

4) - Specifically for the ladies..... where possible where flats! I can't stress this point enough to my clients. High heels do terrible things to the body, So where possible give your feet a break.


Ok I hope that helps guys? any questions you have, just send me an email: Phil@thefitscene.com



Nice One, I'm off to catch the tube.........

The Hidden Park Enemy!

Morning people,
                         So the English summer has been short and I think pretty good. But as the morning seem to becoming more and more moist...... yes moist, as in Due and rain etc. I'm noticing loads of these tiny little black flies in the park. At first glance they're nothing, but as small as they are..... They pack a really nasty first bite...... And then a BLOODY HELL I WANT TO TEAR MY ARM OFF!   Irritating take away present for about 4 days after.
  After spending about half an hour trying to figure out exactly what they are, I think they're some kind of species of horse-fly. They seem to love wetland areas and parks of most kinds. So for all us Personal trainers trying to make an honest buck training people in the park........ Its a bit of a pain!
    I'm hesitant to admit I literally ran out of the park away from a massive swarm today....... I know really manly!

So my point: 1)  If you're training people in the parks, bug-repellent up! (hardcore)
                    2) Wear long sleeve t-shirts and tracksuit bottoms (Its getting a bit colder, so it works anyway)
                    3) Train in urban environments instead of parks where you can.... Bugs don't like concrete!

Nice one, I'm off to shout at pigeons!

HELLO!

Dear followers or viewers,
                                           This is my first EVER blog post !!!!........ and as you can tell I'm rather excited!

So the reason why I set up this blog is for the purpose of a personal and professional point of view. I'm one half of a personal training company that operate out of central London (www.thefitscene.com) and run events on a private island off the Essex coast. (I know bad-ass)

So this blog will be used to express my views towards the industry that I am and have been immersed in for the past 3 years. I'll be writing tips and articles on areas of interest, as well as finding some of the more extreme/ crazy/ weird/ amazing things in fitness.

Nice one! I'm off for an espresso.......