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% !!
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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

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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.

Mixed Martial Arts vs Kung Fu

I thought this post would suit the young lads out there in the gym that are thinking of getting involved in some form of martial arts. Hope this helps . . .

So if you want my opinion, I'm more of a traditionalist . . . I'd have to go for Kung Fu. I was brought up watching countless Bruce Lee films, pure poetry in motion.

Kung Fu can translate into a few different meanings, but the one that sticks with me is 'hard working man' - the strengthening of the body and mind. It came about thousands of years ago by Buddhist monks most famously from the Shaolin Temple. It was used for killing, life & death situations. You don't win a great big shiny gold belt at the end of it!

A while back I had several private lessons at an instructors house learning Southern Praying Mantis - "Chow Gar" one of the many types of Kung Fu out there! Needless to say it was a big wake up call! It's like he's my personal trainer for the day, he pushes me to my limits physically in a way than you would find it very difficult to do on your own. Lets just say it's what I would call 'character building' :) Some of the things you're taught, you certainly wouldn't use in a streetfight, not that your supposed to go out looking for a fight, that's one of the nice things about Kung Fu . . it's purely self defence. If you get cocky and big headed you'll be told where the door is. These boys don't muck about! The fighting styles that are practiced today were developed over the centuries, after having incorporated forms that came into existence later. Some of these include Bagua, Drunken Boxing, Eagle Claw, Five Animals, Hsing I, Hung Gar, Lau Gar, Monkey, Bak Mei Pai, Praying Mantis, Fujian White Crane, Wing Chun and Tai Chi Chuan.Mixed Martial Arts for me is a great spectacle to watch. You can learn a lot from just watching the likes of UFC on television. The training for MMA is second to none. It doesn't get any tougher! These guys are fit as a butchers dog! The local MMA gym in Antrim has a few buckets in the corners of the gym for people to throw up during their workout, NICE!Some of the many styles involved are Brazilian ju-jitsu, Wrestling, Judo, Kick boxing.Don't get me wrong, I respect these guys, but aside from the money, it's beyond me why they want to kick the shit out of each other to win a shiny gold belt. I'd rather know that I'd only ever have to fight if it was really called for.It is not for the faint hearted though. Whether it's on t.v or you're taking a few digs to the head yourself . . . be prepared for 1 or 2 bruises and a spot of blood!!Why can't we all just be good friends . . . . . . . . . . !?!

PLEASE, do not try this at home!!

THIS GUY CRACKS ME UP!

If your having a bad day and fancy a laugh - check this out. But please do not try this at home!

Im not sure how I stumbled upon this but I'm sure my friend Richard would enjoy the clip! ;) only slaggin mate!

Why do YOU go to the gym?

The majority of people that join a gym will tell you they are there to get in shape, loose weight, look like their favourite celebrity, bla bla bla . . . .

The truth is a lot of people go (they wont exactly tell you this to your face) to impress members of the opposite sex, whether it be in the gym or that special someone outside. Some people go to make new friends that find it hard maybe being socially accepted, others like to go to class sessions as they like being part of a group/team and enjoy working out that way & some people to go to find love!

God's honest truth, at my local gym's last BBQ/Quiz night there was a man that proposed to a lady in front of everyone (cringe-worthy) to which she replied yes. A week later I found out the wedding was off!! hmm . . .

Many people will spend hundreds even thousands of ££'s a year on gym membership and still look the same as when they started.

Personal Training is a great way to hit your target and definatley worth the money in the long run!

Marathon Runner vs Athletic Sprinter.

This photo gave me a great laugh. Nothing to do with the picture might I add . . .

I said to my mum, "I'm doing a blog related to marathon runners vs sprinters, here have a look at this picture", to which she replied, "WHICH ONE'S THE SPRINTER!?!"

An average body fat % of a marathon runner can be anywhere from 12-16% which is still quite low but in comparison to a sprinter they have roughly 6-9%.

Personally, I like to incorporate the sprinters training into workouts with my clients. Time efficent, very effective and if you like burning calories then look no further!

I'll let you decide for yourself :)