Training smarter AND harder!

There is a big move the the US footwear market towards footwear that gives you something for nothing. This sparked a conversation I had with a footwear designer that really got me thinking about the nature of training and a spin on a subject I have been talking about for may years. Like most people in the health and fitness world I talk about exercising smarter NOT harder, I like to think that I am one of the few that actually practices this because I am one of the few that has the skill to measure and evaluate the body before prescribing either strength or endurance exercise, everyone else is just guessing… But my realization was that what I actually want is for my clients to train smarter AND harder, let me elaborate:

By taking an extensive evaluation in terms of interview, postural and biomechanical testing and, if appropriate, blood lactate testing I can help the client avoid many pitfalls. I can help my clients do exercises that are the right exercises for their body, exercises that won’t injure them, exercises that will yield results. This evaluation takes time, and has taken many years of study all around the world. My years of study and years of experience working with the widest range of clients is that doing an evaluation is not enough. To get the results that most clients want the client usually needs to be working harder, that means more hours training usually at a higher intensity, and for endurance athletes many more hours training a lower intensity (trust me this is harder for the client).

To get real results clients need to be doing something nearly every day! I spoke to a noted triathlon coach who believes that doing 20 hours of training per week for an age-group Ironman athlete is a compromise and will only give mediocre results, he expects his athletes to work in the 40 hours per week arena (these are not full-time athletes, and most have normal jobs!). The combination of us doing the blood lactate testing for these athletes and the coaches training program ensure that we are definitely working smarter. The results that this particular coach gets are amazing, it is a matter of training both smarter AND harder.

The best way to improve running form is to run, if you want to get fitter and stronger you need to train hard. If it was as easy as putting on a slimming belt or wearing special weight loss shoes or weight loss clothing then we would all be slim and fit! Buying the latest bare foot running shoes is no substitute for hard work, you still need to put the hours of training in.

Until we find a magic pill, or running shoe, that gives you more willpower then those that train hardest and make the most sacrifices will see the best results. Yes you need to train smart but that alone is not enough, you need to train smarter AND harder.

Alan

Want to lose weight? Are you sure?

Have you ever tried to get into the bathroom before a weight loss class? Many clients admit to deliberately going to the bathroom just before their weigh-in, they jump up and down after they have lost a half pound, knowing that they are dehydrated or have taken a laxative.

Weight is not what people want to lose, they want to change shape. If you could hit your target weight but you looked the same would you be happy? Losing body fat is the key, if you can do this at the same time as putting on some muscle and toning up all the better. But that may mean that your weight does not change, would you be happy if your jeans fitted better, you lost the muffin-top but weighed the same?

We measure body composition using a little black box that is attached to a couple of pads on your hands and a couple of pads on your foot. The machine is programed with a lot of data, weight, height, gender, exercise level, even ethnicity and then it gives us a wide range of data about what you are composed of. Our machine gives us data on body fat%, hydration, BMI, basal metabolic rate and a whole bunch of other things. We measure how much fat you actually have to lose! 

Our machine is much more accurate than the body fat scales and the hand-to-hand measurements that many facilities use. When I was an instructor in the Fire Department I carried out many hundreds of tests using skin-fold-calipers, I took the body fat of the fire-fighters for their entry tests and for their 3monthly fitness tests, so I can say that I have some experience and skill level. What I have found is that using our machine gives us much better results than the skin-fold-caliper because of the variables that we can program into the machine, plus the hydration measurement is incredibly useful.

After only a few minutes we can tell you much how much body fat you have and what you need to lose. We can then design an exercise program to get you to where you need to be. We will tell you about your hydration status and if you could benefit from drinking more water.

For a short while we are offering body composition analysis for $20 (usually $49). The test is painless, does not require any clothing removal other than a sock and shoe. No appointment necessary just pop by when we are open!

Guinea Pig Workout Week 4 - by Carrie Adamson

This is the week I started noticing changes. It has been only a few weeks of working with Corina and Alan, but for the first time I really started to see and feel changes in the shape of my body. I am finally recovered from my cold and had a full workout our week of training in the gym and running. At the Wolf Studio I had two leg workouts and upper body in the middle of the week. It was Wednesday and I was on my first set of bent over rows. I am watching myself in the mirror on the first repetition and when I am pulling the bar in towards my chest I notice a cut in my arms that I have never seen before. Staring at my arms throughout the movements I am thinking, “Wow, look at my arms!” I commented to Alan that I noticed the new definition and that working on machines for over a year and half I never seen results like what I am getting now. I have been back to running my training schedule and last week I actually felt comfortable running my hill repeats, a part of training that is new to me. I remember being in the car and happened to put my hand on my leg and being amazed at how solid the muscle felt. I was on a fitness high feeling good about feeling fit and realizing my body is making changes. I have gained more definition working with Corina and Alan in four weeks then I have in using the machines at the gym in a year!

I have a bit of a confession to make to Alan and Corina. This is from my Friday workout when we worked lower body. I made it through my four sets of squats and was on to the four sets of walking lunges. After the first set Alan asks, “what did you have for dinner?” I had my dinner staple, a burrito made with a whole wheat tortilla, black beans, and chicken breast. His reply was that he noticed my belly was distended and my abs were not engaging like they normally do and should be on the exercises and he got Corina’s confirmation it was true. I hadn’t noticed this myself in the morning, I actually though I was looking good in the morning when I got ready. The part I left out about my dinner was that I had some chocolate cake, M&Ms and Girl Scout cookies for dessert. I didn’t want to say that I had a big dessert because I knew as soon as I said it I would feel guilty for the over indulgence. I try to limit my cheat meal to once a week, but that night my self control was lacking. One thing I have to say about this is that wow Corina and Alan know their professions, the human body, and even my body after just the few weeks we have been working together. Soon I will be giving up my sweets to really get ready for my race, that is what I want more than eating a few cookies: to perform my best at Boston.

A Good Diet is for Life Not Just for Christmas

At The Wolf Studio we often notice that our clients have two phases of training and diet. Clients will train and diet in order to get fit for their summer holiday, and at this time of year clients are often trying to loose weight to look good for the office party season.

While it is a great idea to get into the gym and start looking at your diet to get fit and healthy, whether it is to look good on the beach or to look good in that little black party dress, it is important to remember not to throw away all of your hard earned gains. Particularly at this time of year our clients are literally working their butts off to look good, it seems a shame for them to binge during the holiday period and get unfit and overweight.

A much better and more healthy approach is to look after your diet throughout the year and to exercise regularly. By doing this then you can maintain a higher level of fitness and the need for high intensity training and more severe dietary change is lessened. At times of the year when you want to add more training into your schedule, to look good on the beach or at the Christmas party, then these changes can be added much more easily as you will be working from a higher base of fitness and vitality.

What we often see is that clients will achieve their goals of looking and feeling better for their holiday or party season and then will stop training. They will go on holiday or overindulge at Christmas and will feel guilty about not training and will feel bad about getting back to training. Guilt is a major factor in many peoples training, it is a motivational factor but it is also a major obstacle. Just imagine that you have spent a couple of months working hard to achieve that weight loss or get those bulging muscles, you overindulge over the holiday period and the thought of getting back in the gym come January is just too much. A much more sensible approach is to accept that you are going to have a good time on your holiday or at Christmas, life is for living after all, but once the Christmas period is over then you are going to go back to eating sensibly and exercising regularly.

Exercise and diet are habitual, both good and bad diet and exercise. The problem at this time of year is that once you start indulging at Christmas parties, a few extra drinks or whatever then this becomes the norm. We have clients for whom Christmas parties start in mid November and end at the end of January. Obviously it is not possible to over indulge for this period of time and maintain health without some discipline.

Here are some tips to help you through this time of year;

• Keep exercising. Too many people just stop training over the Christmas period. Even if it is just one training session per week it will make a difference and will make going back in January easier.
• Prioritize your parties! Don’t over indulge at every party or Christmas lunch that you attend. Pick which parties are important for you and let yourself have a good time. At other events limit your alcohol intake, or don’t have a desert. Don’t blow all of your training at events or with people whom you don’t really like!
• Watch the alcohol. There are loads of hidden calories in alcohol and alcohol is really easily broken down to fat. Limit the amount that you are going to drink. Even better to take the car and stay tee total, especially at events that you are not too bothered about.
• Quality not quantity. If you are going to indulge, which you should at this time of year, treat yourself with high quality food and drink rather than masses of cheap crap. You will find that good quality food will taste better and will last longer, especially if you have been denying yourself over the build up to Christmas.
• When it’s over it’s over. Set a date when you are going to start exercising again and when the partying ends. If you know that you are going to be good from a specific date then you will be more disciplined.
• Tell everyone about your New Years resolutions. It you shout your intentions from the mountains so that everyone knows what you are going to give up or even better achieve in the New Year then you are much more likely to actually do it. Write your New Years resolutions down and stick it where you can see it, it really does work

Enjoy this Christmas and New Year and we hope to see you all in 2011.

Alan

Alan’s Top 10 Tips for Enjoying the Holiday Season

1. Enjoy your Holiday party season but remember that once the party has finished the diet and exercise regime must restart. The Holiday Season is long, you just keep exercising between Thanksgiving and New Year!

2. Don’t get involved with New Years resolutions. Make lifestyle changes when you are ready for them rather than just because it is the turn of the year.

3. When you go out drinking, and no I’m not condoning it, try alternating between soft and alcoholic drinks. This will hopefully reduce the amount that you drink and will increase your hydration level.

4. Do not under any circumstance go for the ‘diet’ option. Most of these sugar free or diet foods and drinks will contain aspartame or similar and should be considered poison. Yes that means that if you are going to have a cola mixer in your drink you are better to go for the full sugar option rather than the diet option.

5. To reduce the chances of the kids going hyper supply them with some healthy snacks such as carrots and fruit rather than chocolate. Your aim is to stabilise your kids blood sugar levels, introduce them to healthy food and it also means the times when they do have chocolate they will appreciate it more.

6. Treat your food like we treat exercise, it is quality not quantity that counts. If you are going to have food or drink that you know is naughty then buy high quality, high cost naughty food. This will mean that you will appreciate the food and drink more, you will savour the flavours more and the chances are that you will consume less.

7. If you are going out for your celebration meal and you know that you are a protein type, have a high protein snack before you go out. If you have a Thanksgiving or Christmas meal the chances are that it will be high in carbohydrate rather then high protein so have a suitable snack first. Also remember that you must include your desert in your carb/protein balance, so if you are going to have a desert you may not want to eat your veggies with your turkey!

8. Chew your food, it sounds basic but trust me this makes a big difference. By chewing your food until it is liquid you will take much longer to eat and this will much improve your digestion. Increasing the time it takes to eat will allow your stomach to actually register that you have eaten, this reduces the chances of overeating.

9. Remember that we are open throughout the holiday period so if you fancy a training session on Christmas day or hurt your back while playing with the kids give us a call.

10. Finally, reduce your stress levels by buying your loved ones a voucher for massage or personal training from The Wolf Studio (come on you didn’t think I’d miss an opportunity to plug the business!).

Alan