Stocking up for the winter!

Well not only do Fitness First provide you with GREAT membership deals, GREAT service and GREAT personal trainers, they also encourage us to stay active!Certainly one of the more popular ways amongst us to "keep fit" :)

Supermarket domination?

What's your opinion?

I mean don't get me wrong, I still go to supermarkets for bits and bobs but these billion dollar companies like Tesco, Asda, Sainsburys just seem to be popping up all over the show. Not to mention they are all English!!

Back in the mid 80's there would have been typically a few butchers, fruit and veg and bakeries lined the streets. Now we have very little.

Tesco's opened up a supermarket in Crumlin down the street from my cousin's butcher shop. Thankfully no damage has been done. Tesco's 'meat display' looks something like Lady Ga Ga would wear on a night out . . . needless to say the meat is crap at best. They don't hang the meat to give it maturity or flavour. They pre pack it and fire it out on the shelves and I can guarantee the meat will be as tough as old boots. Anyhow - my rant is over. I urge you to support your local farmers/butchers and tradesmen as Tesco would say . . . "Every little bit helps!"

I mean if that doesn't make you hungry I don't know what will!

Developing Good Sleep Habits

I can't stand it when I wake up feeling tired! I'm certainly a person that needs their rest!

This is a common factor with people of all age groups. It is an article I stumbled upon and is worth reading!

“Think in the morning. Act in the noon. Eat in the evening. Sleep in the night.” ~William Blake

I believe that Blake’s quote is profound advice for living. Once you have your sleep environment properly set, it is time to address your sleep routines and rituals.

Do’s:

Go to bed the same time every night. Even if you're sleepy, stay on schedule. The more your body is on “rhythm” the easier it will be to fall asleep and wake up. Keep a sleep journal to document your hours and be able to review your patterns. (If you can document your training, you can do this, too!)

Have a “pre-sleep” routine. This can include reading, soft music, mentally planning out the next day, or even deep breathing. Turning the lights low or even wearing sunglasses in the house thirty minutes before bed can jump start the sleep process.

Have a light snack before bed. A glass of milk and peanut butter sandwich can be a simple and quick meal to give you the protein and carbs your body needs to get to bed. To get a little more technical (and less tasty to some) some sliced turkey and cottage cheese can deliver the L-tryptophan and slowly digested protein that can get you off to bed and supplied during sleep.

Improve your supplement closet. In addition to the potential effects of supplement classics like melatonin and valerian root, making sure you're not deficient in magnesium and zinc (found in ZMA may also help with a restful night sleep. Another supplement to look into is arginine.

Don’ts:

Don’t oversleep. A few days in a row of this can confuse your sleep schedule.

Don’t use caffeine (up to 8-10 hours before sleep), alcohol (which can disrupt sleep patterns), cigarettes (stimulant), and sleeping pills.

Don’t nap. And if you do need to lie down on the couch for a snooze during the day, keep it under 25 minutes.

Don’t train within three hours of bedtime. (Jacking up your nervous and cardiovascular system will make it nearly impossible for your body to shut down and get restful sleep).

“There will be enough time for sleeping in the grave.” ~Benjamin Franklin

Most athletes look at training and nutrition with such detail, but merely gloss over sleep. To reach your full potential (in body and mind), you must embrace the art of sleeping as much as you have the art of training.

Most of us recognize the things that lead to bad sleep habits, but are you really doing anything about it? Make no mistake: you are the result of the behaviors you maintain. So make some of the behavioral changes listed above and your life—not to mention your physique—will improve.

If, however, you subscribe to the Franklin quote above and miss too much sleep, that time in the grave might just be sooner than later.

Industry Leaders . . .

Ok so I've recently started adding strengths coaches & leaders in the fitness industry on facebook such as Poliquin, Chek, Boyle . . . .
Being leaders in the industry they are constantly furthering their knowledge and would be a shame for us "P.T's" to miss out on all the gossip!
I'd highly reccommend getting on their website, adding them on facebook or following them on twitter!
Charles Poliquin
Paul Chek (love this guy)
Michael Boyle

A lucky fella in work Brian won a competition to go on Poliquin's strength and conditioning course up to the value of £600 - from what I hear its gonna be tough and the pass mark is something ridiculous like 92% !!
=========================================================================

DRAGON'S DEN?

Did anyone see the episode of Dragon's Den the other week? Duncan Bannatyne who owns shit loads of health clubs, hotels, gyms, brewery's etc etc and quite frankly has enough money to send me to the moon and back! ANYHOW . . . he came across with a great point! (12.30)

The dog ate my shoe's

=========================================================================

So I reckon my next 2 purchases will not be any supplements or shakes but these . . .

fatgripz.com

If you want forearm's like bowling pins then look no further!

Want to go further than bodyweight exercises? Pull ups, dip's even squats? This is the next tool on the list :)

Easy to attach onto a dumbbell or wrap around a plate. Adhere to proper technique at all times. Please don't be a hero and end up ass over tit in front of all the gym members!

BerryFit: Exercise for kids . . .

 I set one of my 1st clients, Morgan Taggart a wee homework on why exercise can be good for kids. So she typed out on her computer a few lines in her own words.
  Might I add, Morgan is coming on leaps and bounds since training. Her confidence has grown, her friends and family have noticed great changes in her appearance AND THIS IS ONLY AFTER 3 WEEKS!
  Up to date Morgan has lost 7.6lbs after only 6 training sessions and following a healthy diet plan I made for her. She has signed up with BerryFit for a 12 week package, training twice a week completely tailored to work around her schedule. She has now realised that only proper nutrition along with correct exercise is the way forward to a happy and successful life ahead . . .

  "Hello, I'm Morgan Taggart and I've been training with Craig and he is the best trainer. He has taught me a lot about diet, nutrition and exercise. He is also teaching me how to play badminton."

1. Exercise keeps you fit and healthy
2. Exercise helps you if you want to loose weight
3. If ou sit all day and do nothing and eat all fatty foods, it can lead to diabetes, strokes, heart conditions and problems with your health
4. Exercise helps you eat and sleep better
5. Exercise can make you live longer
6. Energy drinks such as Lucozade and Powerade are all bad for you and when you're exercising it can dehydrate you so drink water because it is tasty and very good for you

THIS WAS TAKEN ON OUR 1ST DAY - WAIT TILL YOU SEE HER AFTER 12 WEEKS :)

Survival of The Fit Brit

So finally the FitBrit challenge is over at Fitness First Newtownabbey . . .

1. Row

Men:500m Women: 400m

2. Seated Shoulder Press

Men: 20kg - 30 reps Women: 10kg - 30 reps

3. Bunny Hops

Men: 30 reps Women: 20 reps

4. Bike

Men: 3km Women: 3km

5. Bench Press

Men: 20kg - 30 reps Women: 10kg - 30 reps

6. Box Jumps

Men: 30 reps Women: 20 reps

7. Squats

Men: 20kg - 30 reps Women:10kg - 30 reps

8. Run

Men: 1km Women: 800m

CONGRATULATIONS to Dom Melly who completed this gruelling test in 11m 54s. Dom's cardio must certainly be up there, he plays semi professional football for Bangor FC.

I think everyone found 6, 7 & 8 the hardest as it became sheer agony on the legs!!

What a great workout though in such a short space of time.