Spring has sprung – or at least it has ac-cording to daylight saving time. It‘s a bit early in the year to be thinking about cloud-less skies and balmy warm days but that doesn‘t mean we can‘t start looking at out-door training opportunities. In this month‘s issue, expert Amanda York tells you every-thing you need to know about Sun Saluta-tions – a sequence of Yoga postures that can be used as an effective warm up or as mini stand alone yoga workout. This simple series of postures will help mobilize all your major joints while gently stretching almost all of your muscles and, once mastered, is an invaluable addition to everyone‘s workout – including men! Contrary to popular belief, Yoga can help increase your strength, coor-dination, balance and not just your flexibility. Keeping with the outdoor theme in this is-sue, you‘ll also find an article on fitness training for sailing. Sailing, like horse riding and motorbike racing, is one of those sports where the fitness demands are not always obvious and the uninitiated may think that the boat/horse/bike does all the work. This is not actually the case and a few hours out on the salty seas in high winds will soon make you realize just how much physical effort is required to keep your boat ripping along the surface of the sea. Our final outdoor article is from expert Kevin Parker and is all about running technique.

While heart and lung fitness, combined with a high degree of muscular endurance, are vital for success in running, many of us waste a lot of energy by using an uneco-nomical running style. In his very informative article, runner Kevin lifts the lid of running mechanics and explains how you can run further and/or faster for less effort. Sounds good to me! Second only to six-pack abs, a firm and fat-free butt is a major goal for many exercisers. In addition to filling the back of your jeans and giving you something to sit on, your glu-teus maximus muscles or glutes for short are one of the most essential muscles in your body. A lifetime if sitting down can make this muscle weak and flaccid and this can adversely affect your posture while in-creasing your risk of back injury. In his arti-cle on the kettlebell swing, expert Del Wilson explains that if you want to build a better butt, the kettlebell swing is your top choice. No other exercise burns fat and tones mus-cle like the kettlebell swing. I only do two kettlebell exercises – the swing and the Turkish get up – and I can confirm that Del is absolutely spot-on when he says that the swing will develop your butt like no other ex-ercise can. And so, without further ado, welcome to is-

sue two of our little magazine. We are very

proud of it and we hope you like it too!

Welcome to the second edition of our little magazine. Issue one was very well

received and was read by over 10,000 people – amazing when you consider

that many print magazines produce a lot less issues than this and are still

considered to be successful. We had some amazing feedback from readers

which we really appreciate and we would like to take this opportunity to thank

you all for your previous and ongoing support. Remember, this is as much

your magazine as it is ours so if there are any topics you would like to see

covered in future issues, please drop us a line.

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Editorial Contributors Andreas Michael Website: www.metrohealthandfitness.co.uk Pippa Crowther Facebook: PipFit

Hayley Kirby Contact number: 07545 372720

Del Wilson Website: www.achieverspersonaltraining.co.uk

Alan Butler

Amanda York Website: gymanda.com

Patrick Dale Website: www.solar-fitness.com Kevin Parker Website: www.kpfit.co.uk

Caroline Sandry Website: www.carolinesandry.com

Magazine Editor Patrick Dale

Advertising Sales

Andreas Michael telephone: 07950 338897 Email: ad sales

Published online only Fitnorama magazine is published 12 times a per year Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here may not be in agreement with those of Fit-norama.com and their employees. The above parties are not responsible in any manner whatsoever for any injury or health condition that may occur Consult with your physician before starting any ex-ercise program.

April 2011 | Fitnorama | 3

Win a fantastic Human Kinetics workout book Our friends at Human Kinetics are giving away 5 copies of their new book; The Strength Training Anatomy Workout to five lucky readers of Fitnorama magazine. From Frederic Delavier — author of the bestselling book Strength Training Anatomy (over 1 million copies sold) — comes The Strength Training Anatomy Workout. Beautifully detailed by Delavier‘s trademark illustrations and hundreds of full-colour photos, this supplementoffers over 200 exer-cises and 50 programmes for strength, power, performance, shaping and toning. To enter simply answer the following question by clicking either A, B or C to email your answer. Don‘t forget to include your name. Which muscle is one of the three that makes up part of the hamstrings?

A. Bicep femoris B. Gluteus maximus C. Triceps brachil

The closing date for entrants is May 22nd 2011. Winners will be chosen at random from the correct entries. Full terms and conditions can be found here. click here.

Here are some highlights of what you‘ll find in the April 2011 issue of Fitnorama.

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P10 - TRAINING FOR SAILING

P14 - PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND PREGNANCY

P18 - STRENGTH TRAINING FOR MARTIAL ARTS

P6 - GET SMART, GET RESULTS

TOTAL RUNDOWN P6 - GET SMART, GET RESULTS P10 - TRAINING FOR SAILING

P14 - PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND PREGNANCY P18 - STRENGTH TRAINING FOR MARTIAL ARTS P22 - PYRAMID WORKOUT P24 - SALUTE SUN, STAY SUPPLE P28 - ARE YOU ADDICTED TO LSD P30 - RUNNING ECONOMY P34 - BODYBUILDING PART 2 P36 - DIET WARS P40 - GET YOUR SWING ON P44 - AN INTRODUCTION TO PILATES

April 2011 | Fitnorama | 5

P24 - SALUTE SUN, STAY SUPPLE

P24 - FITNORAMA READERS SPEAK

P36 - DIET WARS

P30 - RUNNING ECONOMY

P40 - GET YOUR SWING ON

It is NEVER too late to start exercising. There are, however, risks as well as benefits to working out. By considering the following in-formation and then designing your exercise programme around your goals, you will be able to develop a bespoke plan that is ideally suited to your in individual needs and aims!

H eredity - your genetic make-up will determine your response to certain types of training. For ex-ample, you may have a muscle

fibre type that means you respond better to endurance training than heavy strength training.

L ifestyle - what you do (or don‘t do) on a daily basis can have a mas-sive impact on your fitness levels. Hard manual jobs can make recov-

ering from workouts difficult whereas a sed-entary job can make weight management more of a challenge.

B ody type or Somatotype - your basic structure (limb length, shoulder and hip width, leverage, natural muscle mass) will influ-

ence your physical abilities. There are three main types. Mesomorph (muscular), Endo-morph (rounded) and Ectomorph (slim). Body types are genetically determined and your type will dictate the activities you are more likely to excel at or enjoy. Age and gender differences – your body changes with age. While exercise can work towards reversing some of these

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changes, there are some age-related ad-aptations that are unavoidable and inevita-ble. Lowered bone mass, decreased joint mobility and reduced hormonal secretions mean that the exercises that suit a younger person might not suit an older one. There are also certain fundamental differences between male and female that will influence exercise selection and re-sults.

H ealth status - your physical performance can be greatly af-fected by illness and injury – both past and current. Your

health status and medical history will influ-ence the exercises that you can safely perform.

D iet - a healthy diet equals a healthy body and mind! The best training plan in the world will be much less effective if your diet is

not supplying all the essential nutrients you need for growth, repair and recovery.

The Benefits of Exercise The Lancet medical journal published a report at the end of 2010 estimating that more people will die in the next 15 years from chronic diseases than were lost in both world wars. It is well documented and widely acknowledged that lack of physical activity can have harmful effects on your health and life expectancy and that exercise can work both as a treatment and a preventative measure. Given what we know and read constantly then why aren‘t more people exercising regu-larly? Here are just a few of the benefits of regular physical activity...

Exercise will:-

Help to control body weight and reduce the risk of obesity.

Help to maintain healthy bones, muscles and joints.

Combat osteoporosis.

Develop strength and agility.

Decrease the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke.

Decrease the risk of developing diabetes.

Decrease the risk of developing high blood pressure.

Reduce blood pressure and cholesterol.

Improve feelings of well being and improve self esteem.

Lower levels of anxiety and depression.

Delay the onset of dementia.

Improve maternal and baby health. Healthy Mum = healthy Baby.

Improve digestion.

Help you sleep better.

Can be fun and relaxing.

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What about the RISKS It‘s an irrefutable fact that exercise is good for you but there are also a few risks associ-ated with working out. Minimize your risks by following these simple guidelines... Tell your trainer if you are currently on any medication or have an illness or injury that may affect your ability to exercise. Your trainer may need to adapt your exercise rou-tine because of the information you disclose. Remember, this information is confidential but not telling your trainer may mean you are asked to do an exercise that is not suit-able for you. Ensure that you warm up and cool down thoroughly. Perform stretches for the mus-cles you have been working and, most im-portantly, ensure that you use the correct technique at all times. Wear the correct footwear and clothing for your chosen activity. Doing so will make ex-ercise more comfortable and reduce your risk of injury. Good shoes, breathable cloth-ing and supportive underwear are all essen-tials.

Individuals with specific medical conditions or health risks must seek specialist advice before commencing any exercise pro-gramme. The fitness industry has recog-nised qualifications for specific conditions so seek out an appropriately qualified instructor to help you with any medical concerns. GOAL SETTING It can be a bit daunting to start a new exer-cise programme – especially if you aren‘t too sure why you are exercising in the first place! There are dozens of exercise options for you to choose from such as group exer-cise classes, weight training, cardio work-outs and outdoor workouts...it‘s a long list. Choosing the right workout is really a matter of selecting the best exercise option to match your personal fitness goals. Setting goals will provide you with focus and help steer you to choosing the right types of workouts. Goals can be big, medium or small in size and a good trainer will help you break any goal you have decided on into small, man-ageable steps to ensure you progress smoothly towards your health and fitness targets. Personal trainers use the acronym SMART when setting goals...

S pecific - The goal that you or your trainer sets needs to be specific. A good question to ask yourself when setting your goal is ‗what would I

like to achieve and when would I like to achieve this by‘? So rather than setting a goal of ‗I would like to lose weight‘ your spe-cific goal would be ‗I would like to lose 14lbs in 12 weeks and I will achieve this by….‘

M easurable - By making a goal measurable you will be able to quantify your progress and this will help with motivation. Rather

that state that you want to get fitter, your trainer may well ask you what you want to achieve with your new-found fitness. For ex-ample, running a mile in 10 minutes is measureable whereas ―getting fitter‖ is less so.

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A greed/Achievable - There is no point setting a goal if you, the cli-ent, are not happy with it and there is no point setting a goal

that you unlikely to achieve. Goals should be challenging but well within your abilities. Our aim as trainers is not to set you up to fail but steer you towards success.

R ecorded - Record keeping is an important part of the monitoring process. By recording your pro-gress you will see that you are

making great steps towards reaching your ultimate fitness goals – this is very motivat-ing. Food diaries, training logs, body com-position and blood pressure charts can all provide valuable feedback that will show you just how far you have come since you started.

T ime framed - By setting a deadline, you are more likely to stay focused on your goal. You will be much more aware of how you are pro-

gressing and this helps keep you on the ―straight and narrow‖ as you work towards achieving your ultimate goal. Open-ended goals are seldom achieved!

Now you know what a SMART goal is; spend a few minutes using this handy acronym and set yourself some fitness goals. Compare your current training routine to your goals. Is your current diet, exer-cise routine and lifestyle driving you towards your goals or steering you away? Make the necessary ad-justments and you’ll soon be en-joying the progress you deserve!

April 2011 | Fitnorama | 9

Maximizing the performance of a sailing boat requires fast and decisive actions. Hoist a sail too late and you might miss the wind. Tack too early and you might take the wrong line and lose speed. Sailors need a good level of all round fitness to ensure that they can per-form the tasks necessary to effectively convert wind power into speed on the water.

T he Fitness Demands of Sailing - Sailing often takes place over many hours, days or even weeks so sailors need a good level of aerobic fitness.

Aerobic fitness is developed through moder-ate to long sustained-pace workouts that ele-vate breathing and heart rate. Rowing, cy-cling, swimming and running are all good ex-amples of aerobic activities. Being aerobically

fit means your body is better able to take in, transport and utilize oxygen. The more oxy-gen you can use, the higher your work capac-ity will be and the less fatigued you are likely to become. Many of the techniques in sailing are per-formed very dynamically and require a high degree of strength, muscular endurance and anaerobic fitness. This type of physical condi-tioning is best developed in the gym. Sailing uses most of your muscles but there is a par-ticular emphasis on pulling movements and, as such, the biceps and upper back muscles are a priority during training. Anaerobic fitness describes your ability to work without the presence of oxygen. Anaero-

Sailing is one of those sports that can look pretty effortless when you watch it on your big-screen TV in the comfort of your living room but the reality can be very different. Sailing a big boat around the Mediterranean ocean for pleasure or rac-ing a small boat in high winds are both physically demanding activities in their own way. Add string winds, big waves and extremes of weather and you have a very demanding sport indeed!

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bic activity lasts around 60 to 180 seconds and is usually very high intensity. This fitness component is best developed by performing interval training and circuit training. The by-product of anaerobic activity is lactic acid. Lactic acid is what makes your muscles burn when you push yourself near to your limits. Anaerobic training helps delay the build up of lactic acid as well as developing your ability to clear it faster and usually involves alternating periods of high intensity work with low inten-sity recovery.

Regardless of the type of sailing you are in-volved in, a good level of all round fitness will help condition your body for the rigours of be-ing on the water. By ensuring your body is as well prepared as possible, you will be able to maximize the performance of your boat.

alternating periods of high intensity work with low intensity recovery

Exercise Sets Reps Recovery Training System

1a Barbell Back Squats 2 to 4

6 to 8 90 seconds Superset*

1b Leg Curls 12 to 15

2 Pull Ups 2 to 4 AMRAP 90 Seconds As Many Reps as Possible**

3 Clap Press Ups 2 to 4 AMRAP 60 seconds As Many Reps As Possible

4 Dumbbell Rows 2 to 4 8 to 12 60 seconds Pyramid***

5 Dumbbell Shoulder Press 2 to 4

8 to 12 60 seconds Pyramid

6a Kettlebell Swings 20 90 seconds Superset

6b Leg Extensions 2 to 4 12 to 15

7a Supine Hip Bridge 2 to 4

15 to 20 60 seconds Superset

7b Cable Russian Twists 8 to 12

*Supersets – perform the first exercise, designated a, and then immediately perform the second exercise, desig-nated b. Rest after the second exercise and then repeat the pairing. **AMRAP – simply perform as many repetitions as you possibly can. Rest for the prescribed period and then repeat. You will probably find that your rep count decreases set by set as you get more tired.

***Pyramid – increase the weight and decrease repetitions set-by-set. E.G. your first set may be 12 reps at 40 kilo-

grams and your next set 9 reps at 50 kilograms. Try to stay within the designated repletion range and stop each set

one rep short of failure.

Sailing Training Plan Warm up before each workout by performing some light cardio and dynamic stretches. Finish each workout with more easy cardio and some static stretches that target all your major muscles. 1-2 per week – 30 minutes plus of aerobic exercise e.g. running, cycling, swimming. 1-2 per week – interval training. Alternate 120 seconds of high intensity activity with 60 sec-ond recoveries. Start with five sets and increase duration, volume and intensity as you get fitter. 1-2 per week – general strength and conditioning programme outlined below.

April 2011 | Fitnorama | 11

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April 2011 | Fitnorama | 13

Q - Hi, Can you give me a few exercises I can do to build up my butt? It’s as flat as an ironing board! Posted by

Quincy james

A - Hello and thanks for your question! Building an athletic and well-shaped butt is a fairly straight forward process but you will need to perform these exercises with a reasonable amount of

intensity. Perform this butt-centric workout twice a week on non-sequential days e.g. Monday and Friday. Always warm up with some

light cardio and dynamic stretching beforehand.

Lying Hip Bridges Lie on your back with your legs bent and feet flat on the floor. Push down through your heels and lift your hips as high as you can. Lower your butt back to the floor and repeat. You can also perform this

exercise using one leg at a time for a more challenging workout.

Single Leg Deadlifts Stand on one leg. Hinge forwards from the hips and reach down to touch the ground just in front of your toes while simultaneously lifting your non-weight bearing leg to the rear. Stand up and repeat. Perform all your reps for one leg and then switch. You can make this exercise more challenging by holding dumbbells, a barbell or a medicine ball. Remember to keep your chest up and maintain a

straight line from your free heel to your hip to your shoulders.

Weighted Swings Traditionally performed using a kettlebell, this exercise can be performed using a dumbbell or even a heavily loaded bag of books. Stand with your feet around shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent. With the weight held in front of you, hinge forwards from your hips, push your butt back and lower the weight between your knees. Pop your hips forwards with a powerful thrust and swing the weight up to shoulder height. Some experts suggest swinging the weight up above your head while others suggest no higher than shoulder level. Try a range of heights and go with what feels best. let gravity do its job and lower the weight back to the starting position and then repeat. Make

sure your lower back does not round as this can lead to injury.

Perform 2 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions of the first two exercises and 2 to 4 sets of 15 to 20 repeti-tions of the last exercise. You can perform the exercises as a circuit or as straight sets according to

your preference.

Good luck! Patrick Dale

Submit a question via our website and you could

be in the next issue of Fitnorama magazine

Firstly Congratulations! It is a wonderful experience and I hope you are feeling well. I am currently writing this with my 18 month old curled up asleep next to me. Whether you‘re 4 or 34+ weeks into your pregnancy your body is quickly adapting and gearing itself up for labour, so is there anything you can do to help?

YES! Exercise! Stay active! Eat well! There are loads of benefits to exercising during pregnancy. This article will show you that it‘s still possible to exercise even when you loose the sight of your toes and how exercising can help make pregnancy, labour and recovery a really positive experience. So enjoy reading and take what information you think will suit your body and situation – no two pregnancies are the same so adapt this information ac-cording to your own very individual needs.

labour and recovery a really positive experience.

B enefits of Exercise - Regular mod-erate exercise during all stages of pregnancy has been proven to pro-vide a number of benefits:

Improved cardiovascular function

Limited pregnancy weight gain

Decreased musculoskeletal discomfort

Reduced incidence of muscle cramps and lower limb oedema

Mood stability

Reduction of gestational diabetes melli-tus and gestational hypertension (high blood pressure).

Makes getting back into shape after your baby is born easier

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Exercising during your pregnancy will also prepare you for the physical challenge of la-bour and birth. There have been few studies linking exercise to shorter or easier labour. The results are showing that there may be a link but more research is required. Current re-search does show that first time mothers gen-erally have longer labours compared with sub-sequent pregnancies. My midwife told me to prepare for a marathon not a sprint. She was-n‘t wrong! A study published in 1995 in the journal Medi-cine and Science in Sport and Exercise found that women who continued exercising three times a week for 30 minutes or more at a moderate intensity gained less weight overall and put on less body fat than women who quit exercising during their pregnancies.

P hysical Changes during Preg-nancy - Your body goes under many physical changes during pregnancy. The benefits of exercise will ease the

impact of the following changes:

Pelvis widens

Weight gain

Breast enlargement

Hyperextension in lower back (lumbar re-gion)

Increased flexibility (tendons & ligaments loosen in all joints due to the production the hormone relaxin)

Abdominals stretch

T ummy Facts - Your stomach obvi-ously changes dramatically within the space of nine months. Your stomach muscles (rectus abnominus muscle)

consists of two bands of muscle fibers that are glued together by the linea alba or white line. This fibrous tissue runs from the 4th / 5th rib down to the pubic bone. During pregnancy, the growing baby and hor-mones (primarily relaxin) cause the linea alba to stretch in such a way that the rectus ab-dominus separates. This separation, referred to as diastasis, allows the baby to come for-ward rather than push backwards on the spine- the normal condition of pregnancy. This will

have an effect on your posture and your ability to perform certain movement but that doesn‘t mean you can‘t do it. You just have to adapt it and there are alternatives to every exercise.

E xercising Safely - If you are a regu-lar exerciser there is nothing wrong with carrying on as long as your pregnancy is healthy (i.e. not suffer-

ing high blood pressure etc). If you don‘t exer-cise regularly but would like to improve your fitness now that you are pregnant, it would be wise to get the all clear from either your doctor or midwife. Pregnant women should take the following precautions during exercise.

Keep well hydrated. You will be going to the toilet more frequently and so dehydra-tion can occur more quickly.

Wear baggy cool clothes so to avoid over heating

When lifting weights

Avoid taking them over your head as it can effect blood pressure

Increase the repetitions and lower the weight

Avoid holding your breath

Running in early pregnancy is fine. How-ever, running in later pregnancy can weaken your pelvic floor and it can lead to bladder issues after birth.

I would invest in a Fit ball (Swiss ball). It‘s a great, cheap piece of equipment that helps you adapt your regular exercises so you can still do them but with added sup-port.

April 2011 | Fitnorama | 15

Listen to your body you know it better than anyone else. Now‘s not the time too exert yourself take into account that your stomach muscles have literally unzipped. It‘s about finding the right balance.

T ypes of Exercise - There are loads of things you can get involved in dur-ing your pregnancy. Here are a few suggestions of classes that may inter-

est you. They are available in most towns and cities. Search the internet for your closest ses-sion:

Antenatal swimming classes

Antenatal yoga classes (there has been positive feedback about this helping with labour)

Antenatal Pilates classes

Antenatal exercise classes - Most major gyms will have a specific antenatal class, which generally is open to non – mem-bers at a small cost.

Having access to a swimming pool, cross trainer or bike are great to keep up cardiovas-cular fitness. If not don‘t worry; taking long walks can be great for the body but also the mind too. If you are unable to attend exercise classes then do it at home. It is still just as effective. Here is a little whole body workout. All you need is a fit ball and some light hand weights or even some baked bean tins from the cup-board.

Exercise Sets / Reps Description

Squats with Fit ball

3sets 15 reps Put the fit ball against a sturdy wall. The ball should rest in the natural curve of your back. Have your feet shoulder width apart and slightly forward. Sit down as though you were sitting in a chair. Keep your knees in line with your ankles and rise back up. The ball should support your movement

Press-ups with Fit ball

3 sets 10 reps Put the fit ball at chest height against a sturdy wall. Place hands as wide as possible. Bends elbows so your chest goes towards the ball and push back to standing

Side raises with weights

3 sets 15 reps Stand feet shoulder width apart with weights in both hands. With straight arms raise them in line with the shoulders out to the side and back down

Front raises 3 sets 15 reps Same as side raises but bring the weights forward. Keep good posture. Don‘t arch your back

Biceps curls, op-tion sit on the fit ball

3 sets 15 reps Holding the weights in front keeping your elbow in place draw them up to shoulder height and release back down

Triceps Kickbacks

3 sets 15 reps On all fours hold a weight in one hand. Set your elbow at your side. It should not move. Straighten your arm back until you feel a squeeze. Bring your arm back to a 90-degree position.

Kegels 5 second squeezes X 10

Squeeze the muscle for five seconds; relax for five seconds, then squeeze again. Another option is to do Flutter exercises: Squeeze and release, then squeeze and release as quickly as you can. Work up to doing 100 Kegels each day

Stomach strengthen-ing exercise

Slowly 10 times Start on all fours, knees under hips, hands under shoulders and fingers facing forward. Pull the abdominals towards the ceiling, curling the trunk and allow-ing the head to relax gently forward. Hold for a few seconds and return back to resting position.

Calf stretch

Hold for 20 to 30 seconds. Repeat with each leg

Lean a hand against a wall or firm surface. Reach one leg out behind you,

keeping your heel on the floor.

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April 2011 | Fitnorama | 17

Speed, strength, power, and endurance are a vital part of a martial artists training. The ability to produce explosive power when blocking and striking is essential. A strong block will make the difference between staying safe and getting severely injured. A martial artist needs to be strong in mind, body, and spirit. A strong mind is one that processes and reacts to informa-tion quickly. This is essential when fighting as it will speed up your reaction time. In a split second you have analysed your opponent‘s guard or attack and will be able to counter with great efficiency. Spirit is the determination to win; going into a competition with a defeatist attitude will result in defeat. Positive thinking en-ables us to accomplish great things. A martial artist‘s body is a complex weapon. It has lots of intricate parts that need looking after if neglected it will not work properly.

My top strength exercises for martial arts training are:

1 Bench press- This targets the pectorals and is similar in movement to a punch

2 Bent over rows- Targeting the rhomboids, latissimus dorsi, and the trapezius muscle groups. This exercise is great as when combined with bench press will im-prove your power. It is necessary for a martial artist to be able to pull their arm back quickly after a strike; if the arm is left out it is vulnerable to grabs, locks

and throws.

3 Sparring whilst holding dumbbells- A functional exercise which works the whole body. 3 - 4 kilograms (kg) is a good weight if training at full speed. Slightly heavier weights (I prefer 5 – 6kg) are great for practicing your striking tech-niques slowly. This puts the

muscles under greater tension. Improving your muscular strength and endurance will result in a more pow-erful punch.

4 Lying side kicks- Side kicks are my absolute favourite technique we use in karate. Done properly this technique is devastating to your opponent. It is the most powerful kicking technique with ex-ception to the jumping kicks. When performed lying on the floor it works

your glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and hip flexors. This tough exercise to do at the best of times, but it is harder if you have longer legs.

5 Lunges - My favourite cross-over exercise because it is a movement used in karate; lunges will greatly aid you in your ability to move quickly and decisively in your stance. Lunges target your quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and your calves. They can be performed in a vari-ety of ways the most beneficial to us as martial artists are multidirectional or clock

lunges as they are commonly called.

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6 Squats- are ―the daddy of all exercises‖ working the entire lower half of your body as well as a large part of the upper body. I have been told countless times in my karate training to sit lower in my stance. There is nothing quite like squats to develop muscular strength and endurance. squats definitely helps you cope with the lactic acid build up that you get from spending a long time sitting in a low stance.

7 Dumbbell clean and dumbbell snatch- These are ex-tremely powerful exercises that will develop strength and power for grappling, blocking, and striking. Three things that are closest to a martial artist‘s heart!

8 Plank, Russian twists, air walking, dead bugs, and dorsal raise - Core strength and stability are the underpinning foundations of every movement we make. As martial artists our core really takes a beat-

ing when we train and even more when we compete. A martial artist‘s power is generated from their core. By driving through

your core when you punch you will generate more power than if you just punch. Don‘t believe me? Then try it out for yourself: Punch just using your arm to generate the power (Don‘t pull the arm back or twist your body) Now do the same again but this time drive through your core (twist your body). Follow through with your punch. The majority of people will throw a punch and stop when it connects with their target. By doing this all the power that was recruited is lost. So how do we train this vital area? As you are probably aware we have two sets of abdominal muscles: Rectus ab-dominus, the vertical muscles at the front of your stomach, and transverse abdominus (TVA) which run horizontally across your waist. It is the TVA that is responsible for pulling your stomach in. Dead bug and Russian twists will target the TVA. The Plank

and air walking will challenge your rectus abdominals. It is crucial that our abdominals are able to cope with absorb-ing the impact of a strike. A strong core will also greatly improve your ability to generate power.

In some circles, strength training is frowned upon for martial artists because of the misguided opinion that lifting weights make you slow. This is not the case and a

well-designed strength training programme will really enhance your mar-tial art skills.

“There are no limits but those we

place on ourselves” Alan Bean

April 2011 | Fitnorama | 19 By Expert Alan Butler

Dale Atherton – Aged 29, Bank clerk, Arbroath

I play rugby in my spare time but always used to find I was one of the least fit

guys on the pitch. I read about an exercise called burpees and started doing

burpee-based workouts two or three times a week. After six weeks I am now

one of the fittest players on the pitch! I love burpees – they don‘t need any

exercise equipment and really work your whole body.

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Nicole French – Aged 33, Full time mum, Manchester

Being a mum of three young children I don‘t often have a lot of time to

spend on a long exercise routine especially when I‘m at home with my

children. So when my partner comes home I really enjoy doing a short 30

run in my local park, I feel it gives me the opportunity to think things

through and gets me ready for the following day.

Becky pine – Aged 27, PA, London

Working in the busy city of London I often escape to the gym at lunchtimes or before work and enjoy a high energy exer-cise class. I‘m particularly fond of Bodypump classes. I find it gives me a boost to return to the office refreshed and alert.

David York – Aged 44, Accountant, London

Coming from a bodybuilding background one of the exercises I felt really had the biggest impact on my physique was the squat. I build up to a PB of 140kg and still perform the squat once or twice per week, but sadly not creating anymore PB‘s.

Wanda Cartwright – Aged 41, Full-time mum from Blackpool After my children were born I really wanted to tone up my stomach but I

don‘t like crunches and sit ups. Luckily my trainer showed me how to do

planks. Planks have really helped tone up my stomach muscles. I do front

and side planks and my entire mid-section is so much more firm as a result.

Bill Smethurst – Aged 51, Landscape gardener, Plymouth My job is pretty active and I don‘t usually feel much like exercising but a friend

of mine showed me how to do Sun Salutations from Yoga and now I do them

almost every day. I find they stop my back and hips from stiffening up and

make my job much easier.

Jerry Carson – Aged 22, Student, Loughborough

I don‘t always have time to go to the gym because of studies and socialising

but I still want to stay fit so I do a lot of skipping. Skipping helps me keep my

weight in check, keeps me fit and helps with my footwork when I‘m busting

moves down at the club! I just put on my i-pod and grab my rope and skip for

20 minutes a couple of times a week.

April 2011 | Fitnorama | 21

Want to be in the next issue of Fitnorama? “Tell us what motivates you to exercise?” Email

your answer along with you age, job title, and location (max 50words). Click here to email

Mark Warren – Aged 30, Taxi driver from Nottingham

My favourite exercise is dead lifts. I have found that, since doing

this exercise, the lower back ache I used to suffer from as a result

of my job as virtually disappeared! I had some coaching to make

sure I was doing it right and can now lift some decent weights.

Dead lifts are a big part of my workouts now!

Round and Exercise Reps Rest

1. Rower a. Burpees

1200 meters 12

As little as possible

2. Rower a. Burpees

1000 meters 10

3. Rower a. Burpees

800 meters 8

4. Rower a. Burpees

600 meters 6

5. Rower a. Burpees

400 meters 4

6. Rower a. Burpees

200 meters 2

Using a pyramid principle, superset the rowing machine and Burpees for a super charged all body workout. Rowing machine? Check! Bags of motivation? Check! and possibly a sick bag… the row and burpee workout is here, and it‘s a tough one! The workout: Warm-up and dynamic stretch well This workout is based over 6 rounds working down a pyramid system.

22 | Fitnorama | April 2011

1

2

BURPEES BURPEES -- 1. Start 1. Start -- standingstanding

2. Place hands on the floor 2. Place hands on the floor

and jump back to a pressand jump back to a press--up up

positionposition

3. Jump back into a 3. Jump back into a

crouched position and jump crouched position and jump

up, hands to the ceilingup, hands to the ceiling 4. End 4. End –– StandingStanding

3

4

5

ROWING MACHINE ROWING MACHINE

-- slide forwards, remaining

tall, Drive back forcefully with your legs, arms straight, once handles passed knees, pull into ribs, repeat.

April 2011 | Fitnorama | 23

In ancient times the sun was worshipped on a daily basis and who can blame anyone for that!?I have a vivid mem-ory of sitting in Finsbury Square for lunch last winter when Londoners were endur-ing a particularly harsh spell of perpetual snow and cloud cover. During this brief but brilliant moment the clouds had cleared and the sun be-came a magic light beaming down upon our earth. People were sat on benches lined up and united sharing a moment wrapped up in their coats with their pale faces tilted up to the skies absorbing the sun‘s powerful rays. Their normally dour faces lit as they soaked up every second of sunshine – it was almost as if they thought that might never feel or see such a delight ever again!

There are an abundance of benefits to the Sun Salutation sequence - both mental and physical levels. On a spiritual note, the steady, rhythmic se-quence is said to reflect the rhythm of the universe; 24 hours in a day, 7 days in a week, 12 months in a year etc. therefore applying this rhythm to the mind and body generates a force which pro-duces a more dynamic life and enhanced energy. Whether you believe this or not, performing sun saluta-tions has both an energising and calming effect on your body and mind. On a physical level, all bodily systems including the diges-tive, circulatory, respiratory and reproductive are stimu-lated and balanced when you practice sun salutations. Your

joints are mobilised, the mus-cles warmed, stretched and toned and internal organs massaged and stimulated. Surya Namaskara can be used to prepare your mind and body for a full Yoga prac-tice or performed alone for ‗Mini Yoga‘ session. Breath is an important compo-nent of Sun Salutes. The syn-chronisation of inhalation and exhalation with each transition between postures ensures that you breathe deeply. This in turn increases mental clar-ity by bringing fresh oxygen-ated blood to the brain. If you‘re new to saluting the sun, you may experience some side effects due to the detoxification it instigates in the body as you‘ll be bending backwards and forwards in

Spring has sprung and there’s no better time to salute the sun! Get a sun-kissed glow by frequently practicing Sun Salutations.

24 | Fitnorama | April 2011

semi-inversions and working every major muscle and joint. This is of course all very posi-tive and you will soon start to feel and look amazing if you practice on a regular basis. Much like any new regime, it‘s advisable to contact your GP before starting out especially if you have back or blood pressure conditions or are pregnant. When to salute? At sunrise feels very powerful, spiritual and serene yet at sunset it‘s an energising way to file the day away. Try to practice out-side as much as possible or

inside facing the sun when-ever you can. How to salute? Follow the simple sequence described in the table and relating to the pictures. Start with 4 rounds (one round being L & R side) and build up every few weeks. Maybe work up to the ‗100 Sun Salutes Challenge‘ at the Yoga Show! It‘s such a versa-tile exercise regime which can be enjoyed any time, any-where, as long as you build up gently and have a small flat surface to practice on. You will be able to perform as many rounds as you desire or

require over time as an exer-cise in its own right, both as a preparation for yoga practice or as a great warm up pre-gym or circuits session. Once you‘re adept, try closing your eyes to really get in to the flow and a meditative state. After you have completed your sun salutations, why not sit and contemplate for 5 minutes or more post-practice to really maximise the benefits of this powerful sequence of pos-tures?

April 2011 | Fitnorama | 25

1. Tadasana 2. Hasta Uttanasana

- bring awareness inside the body and relax it, focus on breath - pelvis in neutral, toes together, knees slightly soft, hands in prayer

- bend forwards from hips on exhale floating arms to sides and down whilst lowering chest to thighs - hands to floor, either side of feet,

bend knees if required

3. Uttanasana

- step right leg back on inhale, (lowering knee to floor initially and throughout if hips are tight) - feel the stretch in hips & look up

pushing chest forwards

4. Ashwa Sanchalasana

- retain breath in Plank, shoulders over hands, away from ears, gaze at nose (nb on knees is easier option) - shoulders, hips, knees & ankles

aligned

5. Khumbakasana

- lower knees, chin, chest to floor on exhale - elbows & abs drawn in, externally

rotate shoulders, keep your energy

6. Ashtanga Namaskara

- on inhalation, reach both arms out to sides and up with a small backbend

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7. Bhujangasana

- slide chest through hands on inhale & arch back as far as comfortable - feet flat, shoulders back & down - hips remain on ground, legs engaged feet & knees together, spine long & gentle arch - push through hands & feet equally - tuck chin towards throat to keep

neck long

8. Adho Muhka Svanasana

- exhale, pushing through hands on knees to lift from butt to sky with engaged core to inverted V - sitting bones to sky, shoulders away from ears rotating outwards, pressing knees back & heels down - gaze towards navel, neutral neck

easier bent knee option shown in

b&w image in next column

REPEAT 4, 3 and 2 as 9, 10 & 11

REPEAT WHOLE SEQUENCE ON L SIDE

Namaste.

April 2011 | Fitnorama | 27

Long slow duration training (LSD) (LSD) is the form of training I was putting a lot of time and effort into. Long distance running is typically a great example of LSD type training: low intensity 65-70% VO2Max and anything from 30 minutes to 2 hours plus. LSD can be a great way of developing an aerobic based line for beginners and de-conditioned athletes. LSD is defiantly the average gym goer‘s choice for aerobic training. LSD can also be cycling, x-training etc and for this article I‘m using running as an example.

In my professional experience, it seems that many runners and people who do mainly LSD cardio add unwanted weight on the scales. Is LSD cardio sabotaging our bodies‘ ability to lose fat? LSD raises cortisol levels, suppresses the immune system and decreases fat metabo-lism, just due to the fact the body sheds un-used muscle mass in an attempt to make en-ergy stores-specifically fat-last longer. Why store muscle when it‘s not needed? Reducing muscle mass is how your body makes it‘s fat stores last longer – like stripping the excess weight out of a car to improve fuel economy.

I was! I shared my addiction with a lot of people and found that LSD offers a relatively inexpensive way of getting fit and requires very little know-how to get started. I found running an overly-addictive part of my workout week and was often filled with guilt if I didn‘t manage to hit the road for most days of the week. The rush of freedom that run-ning allowed me to place falling books back on the shelf; the ―The fallen books‖ for me symbolising thoughts, ideas and other mental clutter that was on my mind from that day, week etc. It gave me the time to think about solutions and workarounds, but was my ad-diction a healthy one or was the teenage me making the same mistakes many exercis-ers are still make as they perform longer and longer workouts at low intensity? In my at-tempts to lose that unwanted puppy fat was I unwittingly adding to my fat stores by per-forming LSD type cardiovascular training?

28| Fitnorama | April 2011

The question to ask yourself is: Why are you running? It could be habit, training goal (marathon) or the simple fact that you love it. But if you are running long distances slowly (LSD) for fat loss, you may be backing a losing horse! Running doesn‘t give you a free pass to eat whatever you like. If you‘re a consistent run-ner completing the same routes and distances at the same speeds, the likelihood is that your body has adapted to that specific amount of stress, which means the high level of calories you first started burn-ing quickly diminishes as you continue the same old same old. You may have been in-creasing your calorie intake without realizing it (topping up your stores after your runs maybe be a downfall). The ba-sic principle for weight loss still applies: You must burn more calories than you consume, and you maybe not be burning as many calories as you think. One way of overcoming this particular problem is to record calories burned by using a good heart rate monitor to map progress. If your calorie intake is equal to your calorie expenditure then, regardless of how much exercise you are doing, your weight will remain constant. Planning post training meals is also a great means to an end, have you ever got back from a run and raided the cupboards for the first carbohydrate fix you can find. Recording food intake using a food diary will eliminate loading up on empty calories, there is a window of opportunity but why waste it

fuelling on worthless foods. This leads on to drinking too many calories from isotonic drinks before, during and after a run. Avoid unnecessary sug-ary sports drinks, and opt for water on short runs. Recent studies also suggest that LSD cardio increases your cravings for carbohydrate foods and consuming excess carbs, which result in elevated insulin levels, actually impair fat burning! And as for sugar-laden sports drinks…one step forwards, two steps back for weight loss.

L ooking for real change and results? Spice it up you cardio… by adding

intervals, sprints and Fartlek based training sessions. These higher intensity bit shorter duration workouts burn plenty of energy but do not promote muscle breakdown…

I nterval training – Inter-vals are periods of high intensity work interspersed with periods of steady

state recovery e.g. sprinting for 60 seconds and then jog-ging for 120 seconds, re-peated six to eight times. In-terestingly, interval training increases both anaerobic and aerobic fitness at the same time so offers you plenty of bang for your workout buck.

F artlek – What do you get when you mix in-terval and LSD train-ing together and then

randomize them?! Fartlek training is just that, a Swedish term meaning ―Speed play‖ it

gives you the chance to play with different speeds and dis-tances using an unstructured manner. So you could be jog-ging one minute and sprinting the very next second with a walk/slow jog to recover. The trick is to do whatever comes into your head at the time making a split second deci-sion.

Why not take it further to boost your fat burn-ing efforts and still get a cardio fix in half the time…

The ultimate way of adding some fat burning muscle whilst still feeding your cardio addiction is by adding cardio within weight bearing exer-cises… drills, circuits and su-persets are a super way of charging up you natural growth hormone production and working both the anaero-bic and aerobic systems, more good news I hear you ask… well you can be done in half the time. I hope you enjoyed reading my take on cardio addiction. In my opinion, and experience with my numerous clients, longer is not always better and intensity variety is crucial!

April 2011 | Fitnorama | 29

Even though running is a primeval move-ment, sometimes we need to look at how we can make our running style better. There are various debates at the moment on how work-ing on our running technique can make us run more economically and efficiently. In this article I want to look at some of the current approaches to improving your running tech-nique. Arguably the two most important factors which affect running pace are the combina-tion of stride length and cadence.

S tride length Stride length is defined as the distance travelled between two successive placements of the same foot, so within three steps (e.g. left, right, left) of

running. There is much discussion over whether or not stride length is related to im-proving running efficiency. Is it better to take fewer, longer strides or lots of little steps when running? There have been numerous studies to attempt to prove the effectiveness of both methods. World renowned running

Running is simple, isn‘t it? You don‘t need much equipment; you just slip on a

pair of trainers, put one foot in front of the other and off you go. It‘s something

that‘s been done naturally by humans since we evolved to stand upright and

hunt for food. We spend lots of time training in various forms trying to improve

our cardiovascular and muscular fitness, thinking that this will make us an im-

proved runner. However, I bet you know someone who seems to train as

much or even less than you and just seems to be naturally better in their run-

ning. One reason could be because they have a more efficient running style.

Look around you at any race or organised event. Everyone‘s running style is

different.

30 | Fitnorama | April 2011

coach, Jack Daniels, found in a study at the 1984 Olympics, that 100 metre athletes had longer strides than average. However, at other distances, such as 800m, 10k or a marathon, the stride length tended to vary dis-proportionately. A separate study by Dr Gabe Mirkin at the New York Marathon showed that the top 70 runners took longer strides. How-ever, it was concluded that this was some-thing that had occurred naturally through a comprehensive training and strengthening programme and was not a conscious process. He also determined that consciously attempt-ing to increase your stride length can actually incur braking forces which will slow you down. It is also more likely to lead to injury. The gen-eral consensus of stride length studies is that the ideal stride length varies according to indi-viduals and can change depending on the dis-tance covered and training programme em-ployed.

C adence Cadence (also known as stride frequency) is defined as how many foot strikes are made by the left or right foot in one min-ute. It is generally argued that

improving your cadence when running will raise your speed. Increasing cadence will al-low your feet to make more frequent contact with the ground. This will mean that more hori-zontal power (which propels you forward) and less vertical power (which propels you up-ward) is applied, making you move faster. It will also lessen the chances of injury because your feet are closer to the ground, giving you a lighter landing. Elite runners tend to have a running cadence of around 90-96 strikes per minute, whereas for the average runner, it is around 75-80. Running cadence can be improved by doing interval work, tempo running, hill training and specific drills. Training in this way will mean that your cadence should improve naturally when on your longer runs.

An effective drill to develop/improve running cadence:

Run for 30 secs while counting how many times your left foot touches the ground

Rest 1 – 2 minutes Run for 30 secs again – try to increase the number of times your left foot touches the ground by 1 or 2 strikes

F oot strike – Back to Basics? There is huge debate currently raging regarding running foot-strike, footwear and running effi-ciency. Books such as Born to Run by Chris McDougall advo-

cate barefoot running and argue that modern running footwear encourages a heel strike when running. This is not a natural movement and, it is alleged, has a resulted in an unnec-essarily high proportion of running injuries. When running with a heel strike, the leading leg tends to extend with the toes pointing up-wards. When the heel strikes the ground, it acts as a brake, which requires more effort to accelerate away again. The heel is not par-ticularly good at absorbing impact and the re-sulting shock generated is carried up the leg and as a result can lead to injury. Many studies now advocate midfoot or fore-

April 2011 | Fitnorama | 31

forefoot running either barefoot or wearing ‗minimalist‘ footwear, instead of wearing ‗supportive‘ running shoes which encourage a heel strike. According to Daniel Lieberman (a leading writer on the biomechanics of foot-strikes) the impact on the ground of forefoot running is seven times less than using a heel strike. The 26 bones in the front of the foot are more designed to deal with the impact of run-ning than the heel, meaning that the risk of in-jury is much less. Landing on the forefoot also does not incur the braking forces that a heel strike can. When hitting the ground, the weight of the runner is transferred to the front of the foot, which propels the runner forward with mo-mentum and minimal slowing down. As Lieber-man says ‗It is like dropping a rod on its end at an angle. There is a sudden stop at one end of the rod, but it is less loud because the rod con-tinues to fall as it topples over‘. Many elite run-ners often use a forefoot strike when racing. Combined with a high cadence and stride length, this seems to suggest the optimum run-ning technique. So should we all change our running style to incorporate forefoot running? Not necessarily. Some advocates would only recommend this method for short distances, especially when initially attempting to change running style. Al-though the risk of injury to bones and joints can decrease, this running technique can put extra stress on other areas of the body and can lead to calf, Achilles‘ tendon and plantar fascia inju-ries. Any changes to running style should be slow, progressive and with a structured ap-proach. An example of such a programme is the POSE running method. This technique was pioneered by Dr Nicholas Romanov in 1977. Its funda-mental principle is based upon using gravity to help you run more effectively. Dr Romanov lik-ens efficient running to the movement of a wheel that moves horizontally, with minimal vertical movement. The POSE running style is to ‗pull‘ the feet under the hips (rather than the buttocks) and to land on the ball of the foot, which must be kept under the body. By using gravity to help the runner fall forward (keeping an ‗S‘ like position with slightly bent knees), it is claimed that this will reduce the risk of injury by

50% and can drastically improve your running performance due to less energy expenditure. Like any other sport, running can be viewed as a skill which must be practised in order to pro-gress. Runners who wish to adopt this method have to build up technique over a period of months using a comprehensive variety of drills combined with exercises designed to strengthen the core and hips. It is clear that there are a number of unan-

swered questions regarding running efficiency

and technique. This is something that will con-

tinue to be debated for a long time to come.

Whilst we probably all could improve elements

of our running style, there is a strong argument

to suggest that if we‘re enjoying our running

and are injury free, then why change some-

thing that is working? Altering our style or foot-

wear could make us better runners, but it could

take some time and could potentially make

things worse. However, there is often an ele-

ment of risk and taking a step back to reassess

when trying to improve in sport, so it may reap

rewards for some people. What is important is

that we all enjoy our running, no matter what

technique we use or how efficient we are!

32 | Fitnorama | April 2011

April 2011 | Fitnorama | 33

The Mizuno Wave Creation 12 running shoe is the latest in the Mizuno Wave Creation range. It claims to pick up where the Wave Creation 11 left off. Designed for those with a neutral running style, Mizuno has developed a ‗Gender Specific‘ shoe (a ladies version is also avail-able) in which the midsole and outsole are tai-lored to improve comfort and performance. Its features include an AP+ midsole for cushion-ing, which due to its durability has been devel-oped to last over a longer distance. The Wave cushioning technology is still present, which claims to spread the force of running impact over a wider surface area. Dynamotion Fit ma-terial also reduces lateral stress and matches the movement of the foot to give a more com-fortable fit. These were great shoes to test. They felt very

breathable and supportive over my 7 mile run

along the bumps and cracks of the Thames

towpath. As a heel striker, it certainly felt like I

was making less impact as I hit the ground.

The front of the trainer felt more flexible than I

was used to, which meant that it felt that I was

pushing off better from my toes. Overall, I

would recommend this trainer to anyone who

has a neutral running gait and is looking for

comfort and speed as they are building up the

miles.

RRP

£110

These shorts are of the traditional ‗split‘ type and have recently been released by Mizuno. With ‗Dynamo Plus‘ technology, this is claimed to reduce friction and stress in those all too common areas whilst running. The 100% polyester shorts have a stretch woven outer fabric and a soft inner lining. There are two pockets, one at the front (big enough for keys or money) and a larger one at the side (with velcro fastening), which could keep a gel or mobile phone. I tried these out on a drizzly morning and they felt very lightweight, smooth and breathable. There were no ill effects after-wards either! Available in black/yellow or black/blue, these shorts are an excellent pur-chase if you want to run in something comfort-able, whilst being able to carry your essential items

RRP £25.00 www.mizuno.eu

4 days per week training Up to this point, your focus should have been on getting your form correct and not on punish-ing your body every session with relentless and sloppy sets and reps. Only once you have good form can you then load up the body with heavy weights. Still can‘t do a body weight squat? Then don‘t even think about loading on additional weight. This will simply result in in-correct loading on the structures of your body ultimately leading to injury. If you can perform the movements from last month‘s then read on! At this point in your training, it‘s all about maxi-mum intensity and maximum recuperation. This is why I am now advocating that you train each body part once per week. (Calves ex-cepted) You may question the reasoning be-hind changing from 3 times per week per body part to once per week but let me explain. For the next 4-6 weeks as you transition into a 4 day routine, you will be steadily upping the intensity and the volume of your workouts. Once your strength reaches a certain point, it

will simply take you too long to complete your programme. The exercises at the end of your routine will start to suffer as you get fatigued. Stamina and fatigue now become factors as you get stronger and workout with increased intensity. Recovery is another factor here. Once you start to push heavier and heavier weights, your body will demand more recovery time. You simply won‘t be recovered sufficiently working within the previous framework of working each body part 3 times per week. If you start working with higher intensity as indeed you will be, then the body will need the extra rest and recupera-tion you are going to be giving it. At this point, avoid using the various methods available to increase intensity such as drop sets, pre-exhaust sets and negative reps. You will be able to incorporate these methods soon enough but for now, as an intermediate body-builder, you should be getting all the stimulus your body needs just from regular sets and reps.

You‘ve been going to the gym steadily for the last 8-16 weeks, you can squat, deadlift, bench press, military press and do the various other movements with sufficient skill. You‘re not skip-ping sessions and you feel as though you can increase your work capacity? Maybe it‘s time to up your game and progress to the next stage of your new bodybuilding programme.

34 | Fitnorama | April 2011

One of the main reasons for overtraining or burnout and general lack of progress is over eagerness and impatience. It takes time for the body to adapt and lay down new muscle fibre and it has to have a good reason to do so. Get yourself in the gym, warm up, train hard for an hour, stretch afterwards and then rest. Concen-trate on good nutrition throughout the day and ideally get 8-9 hours of sleep every night. Be consistent in all of this and you will be re-warded with substantial gains in muscular growth.

Periodisation Periodisation is a method of cycling your work-outs to include different phases. For example, you could have a hypertrophy stage (muscle growth) a strength phase (power phase) and an

active rest phase. This allows you to add in a bit of variety to your programming. Aim to achieve a 4-6 week hypertrophy phase and then take a week‘s active rest. This could then be followed by a 4-6 week strength phase, once again followed by a week‘s active rest. Of course, it will do no harm to have a complete week out of your usual gym training and do something completely different instead. You will not lose any muscle in a one week period so relax! You could also use periodisation if you were preparing for a competition. Here you would break down the entire period leading up to the event therefore assuring you would arrive in peak condition regardless whether it was a bodybuilding or strength event.

Exercises

Day 1 legs Squats 3-5 x 8-10 reps

Front squat 3 x 8-10 reps

Romanian deadlift or hamstring curl. 3-5 x 8-10 reps

Standing calf raise 4 x 15-20 reps

Day 2 Chest and Tri-ceps

Bench press (Barbell or dumbbell) 3-5 x 8-10 reps

Wide grip bench press 3 x 8-10 reps

Dips with forward lean 3 x 8-10

Lying triceps exten-sions 4 x 8-10 reps

Day off

Day 3 Back and Biceps Wide grip pull ups 3-5 x 8-10

Deadlifts 3-5x 8-10

Barbell row 3-5 x 8-10

Barbell or preacher curls 3-5 x 8-10

Day 4 Shoulders, calves and abs

Clean and press or seated press behind neck 3-5 x 8-10

Lateral raises 3 x 10-12

Standing Calf raise 4 x 15-20

Planks, mountain climbers and crunches

Day off Although feel free to do some light cardiovascular exercise or some short interval sessions on these days.

Day off

Phase Length of phase

Sets per exercise Reps per set Load % of maximum Rest interval between sets

Hypertrophy 4-6 weeks 3 - 5 8 - 12 55 – 65% 1 - 2 minutes

Strength 4-6 weeks 4 - 5 4 - 6 75 – 85% 3 - 5 minutes

Active rest 1 week 3 - 5 15 - 20 40 – 50% 1 - 2 minutes

Summary

Make a gradual transition between the two different styles of workout, increasing the intensity progres-

sively

Cycle your workouts so as to avoid burnout, create a greater stimulus and keep things interesting

Keep your focus on straight sets and reps at this point, no need as yet to over complicate things.

Try to maintain approximately 4-5 sets per smaller body parts such as biceps and triceps and 8-12 sets

for larger body parts such as legs and back

Make the most of your time in the gym; leave any distractions such as mobile phones in the locker room!

Get in, train hard, get out, rest!

Start to focus more on nutrition. This will be the subject of my next article: Basic Nutrition for bodybuilding

The following is based on a hypertrophy or muscle growth phase

Periodisation

April 2011 | Fitnorama | 35

Diet is a dirty four-letter word! It implies a short-term fix for what is often the result of years of under exercising and overeating. Like a get rich quick scheme, diets often promise much but deliver very little. Any diet that promises large amounts of weight loss in a short space of time will probably have a number of factors in com-mon…

Very low calorie intake

Unpleasant food choices

Unsustainable eating regime

Exotic food recommendations

Unsocial eating patterns

All in all, while virtually every diet that limits your food intake will work, it will only work for as long as you can stick with it! Once you ―fall off the wagon‖, as you inevitably will do after eat-ing nothing but eggs and grapefruit for a month, you will quickly revert to your old eating habits and regain all the weight you lost and a whole lot more. This is commonly referred to as yo-yo dieting and is the result of something called the starvation response.

T he Starvation Response Once upon a time, your ancestors roamed the plains seeking food. They hunted and gathered, scrounged and foraged. When food was plentiful they got fat and

when food was scarce they got skinny. To help them live as long as possible during periods of reduced food intake, nature developed the star-

vation response. This response essentially en-sured that, in periods of short food supply, your ancestor‘s metabolism slowed down and their fat stores lasted as long as possible so that they survived until they next glut of food was available. When food availability increased, their bodies were ―primed‖ for fat storage and any calorific excess was quickly converted to adipose tissue in case food became scare again. This response was essential in the past but, de-spite no longer having the need to hunt and gather and an almost limitless supply of food, your body still has the same instincts and if food supplies are drastically reduced, your body still goes into starvation mode. This means that an overly aggressive reduction in food intake will result a slowed metabolism, muscle atrophy or shrinkage, and improved fat storage ability so that, when you fall off the wagon, you actually gain back more fat than you lost. Your body has no idea that you are voluntarily reducing your food intake – it perceives the lack of food as a threat to survival and re-sponds by ensuring that you end up fatter and better

36 | Fitnorama | April 2011

able to weather subsequent food shortages. Hardly conducive to losing a few post-Christmas or pre-summer inches!

A Modern Dilemma Modern life is lived at a fast pace – whatever you want, you want it now! Modern diets are designed to deliver rapid results but unfortunately these types of

diets do not work in synergy with your biology. It‘s also worth considering that most diets have a fiscal value attached to them – in other words, someone wants to make money from you! This might mean you have to buy a book, subscribe to a magazine, and buy certain food products or splash out on special dietary sup-plements. If you think about it logically, a diet should actually reduce your food bill, not in-crease it as you should be eating less and therefore spending less!

C ashing in at the calorie bank Although there is more to weight loss than simple calories in ver-sus calories out, a subject that deserves an entire book, one of the most important factors in

weight management is creating an energy defi-cit. By going ―overdrawn‖ at the calorie bank, your body will be forced to dip into its fat stores to provide you with energy. Try to make too big a fat-calorie withdrawal and you‘ll trigger the dreaded starvation response but a small with-drawal won‘t set the alarm bells ringing and should result in slow, steady, painless and sus-tainable fat loss.

C reating a Calorie Deficit There are three ways you can create a calorie deficit: Reduce your food intake Increase your activity levels Reduce your food intake AND

increase your activity levels Almost every study on weight loss indicates that option number three is the best. Relying on diet restriction alone usually leaves you hungry, exercise alone only really works on the days you actually perform your workout and if you skip a workout your weight loss is likely to

stall. Combining a modest calorie restriction with a modest regular increase in physical ac-tivity won‘t leave you hungry and won‘t require you to take up full-time residence in the gym. It‘s a case of 1+1=3!

G etting the most Bang for your Buck So you are eating a little less and exercising a little more. You are losing weight slowly and steadily but you want a

few ―tricks‖ to help speed up fat loss. Try these strategies to maximize your efforts without un-dermining your progress. Remember, these tips are designed to increase weight loss with-out triggering the starvation response.

Reduce carbohydrate intake and in-crease protein intake. Doing this will lower the amount of insulin your body pro-duces. Insulin suppresses fat burning and promotes fat storage. You won‘t be eating any less - just regulating your blood glu-cose and therefore your insulin levels. Fill up of veggies, cut down on grains and pile on the protein. Protein also has a metabo-lism-boosting effect above and beyond that of carbohydrate which can help with weight management.

Increase your NEPA. Non-exercise physical activity is another way to increase your daily energy expenditure by being more active. It‘s not exercise but merely an increase in daily movement that won‘t impact on your exercise routine. Walk for 30 minutes after dinner, wash your car by hand, use the stairs and not the lift, do some gardening or DIY – just try and move more. The more you move, the greater your calorie withdrawal will be and the more you will dip into the fat banks!

Lift weights. Most people who want to lose weight focus on cardio in the hope that they will burn fat. While it is true that aerobic exercise does indeed burn fat, it doesn‘t actually burn a whole lot. To burn a single pound of body fat, you need to run about 35 miles! However, if you in-

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crease your muscle mass slightly, you in-crease your metabolism significantly and the result is greater total daily energy ex-penditure – not just while you workout but every hour of every day. Building muscle is like putting a big engine in a small car – fuel consumption increases. Turn your body into a gas-guzzler rather than an economic green-mobile by building some muscle.

Get some EPOC. Not an expensive food supplement but far more effective, EPOC stands for Excessive Post-exercise Oxy-gen Consumption and is what we used to call Oxygen debt. In simple terms, high intensity exercise produces lactic acid. Clearing lactic acid from your body re-quires lots of oxygen. The process of pumping oxygen around your body to clear lactic acid uses fat for fuel. This means that a workout that results in lots of lactic acid being produced raises your metabolism significantly during the hours after your workout. In essence, you get two workouts for the price of one! Interval

training, circuit training, hill sprints and weight training all trigger a big dose of EPOC. There is little in the way of EPOC after slow-paced cardio and studies sug-gest that it also causes muscle atrophy and increased stress hormone secretion – neither of which are conducive to weight loss. Think about it – how many fat jog-gers and aerobics call participants do you see? Seen many fat sprinters lately? No – me neither!

By all means go and buy the newest weight loss book but remember this; there is a rea-son there is a new weight loss book on the shelves – the previous ones didn’t work!

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I believe that kettlebells are very much here to stay and will soon be found in an ever-increasing num-ber of gyms. However, I also believe that they should not be used unless you have had some qual-ity tuition in their use. This is because of the dynamic nature of the principle ket-tlebell movements. This is in complete contrast to the very slow deliberate movements usually incor-porated in your regular

gym routine. In this article I am going to fo-cus on the swing. It‘s the first exercise you need to learn along with the TGU. You have to master the swing and the TGU before you can snatch or clean the kettlebell. The swing will teach you how to explo-sively use your hips to create power and the TGU will create flexibility, co-ordination and the stability in your shoulder joint required before you can safely hold a kettlebell over your head. Master the swing and the TGU and you will be well on your way to becoming an

efficient kettlebell lifter. These two exercises alone will greatly benefit your conditioning.

T he benefits of the swing. Kettlebell Swings primarily work your posterior chain. This in-

cludes the often neglected muscles of your lower back, your glutes and hamstrings. These posterior chain muscles are key to your posture and joint health and are essential for athletic performance, strength and power. The swing will help increase flexibility in

Getting your swing on - Kettlebell swings, the why and the how? Kettlebells are fast becoming a main stream fitness training tool for the everyday man and woman. However, their time on this earth as a tool for building strength and endurance spans back many centuries. Today, kettlebells are finding their way into many gyms and there are a number of training courses now available for Personal Trainers and gym instruc-

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these areas as well as help improve your posture. The car-diovascular benefits of the swing cannot be over exagger-ated. Tremendous gains can be had with your cardiovascu-lar system if you employ kettle-bell training as a regular part of your training. In a recent study, it was found that kettle-bell training when done with high intensity can burn up to 20 calories per minute. That‘s and astonishing 400 calories in a 20 minute workout!

B efore you begin, Can you squat?

Can you deadlift?

The ability to squat to an adequate depth will also help teach you correct body positioning. Practice squatting facing a wall. Position your feet a couple of inches away and attempt to squat as deep as possible keeping your weight distributed over your heels. As you become more flexible, move your toes nearer to the wall. The goal is to get your toes right up against the wall whilst squatting to at least parallel. Squatting whilst facing a wall like this will force you to adopt the correct positioning. It will also reveal limitations in your squatting ability but these will be overcome with repeated practice providing you supple-ment this exercise with addi-tional stretches.

I would also advise that you practise deadlifting first. The swing is essentially a deadlift type ‗pulling‘ motion performed in a very dynamic fashion.

To deadlift, push your hips back and bend at the knees whist hinging at the hips. Your back should be flat; head should be in a neutral position, eyes up... Grab the kettlebell and grip the handle hard. Stand up purposefully and tighten your gluts at the top position. Be sure that your backside doesn‘t lead the way in the ascent. Keep it under the torso. Maintain an even tension at all times.

A note on footwear

Kettlebell training can be done bare-foot or while wearing

minimalistic footwear or shoes with solid soles. There are a whole load of proprioceptive receptors in your feet so it‘s important with kettlebell train-ing that you have a good con-nection between your feet and the ground. Please do not wear running shoes for your kettlebell training! Other than that, just wear comfortable loose fitting clothing.

B reathing for the swing

Paradoxical: Inhale on the downswing, exhale on the upswing. This method can be used both for beginners and for experienced lifters when utilising heavy weights. Taking a deep breath when on the downswing will help create intra abdominal pressure and therefore help brace your back.

Anatomical: Exhale on the down swing, Inhale on the upswing. Once you are reasonably experienced, you should employ this method of breathing for light to moderate weights. It is generally easier to take a full breath as you rise up out of the swing and open up your chest.

C hoosing your

weight

Be conservative with your weight selection

if you are a swing novice – fo-cus on technique before jump-ing in with heavy weights. Just because you can press a heavy dumbbell doesn‘t mean you can swing a heavy kettle-bell. For women – try using an 8 to 12 kg ‗bell and men should use a 12 to 16kg ‗bell. With practice you‘ll soon be swinging a 32kg monster ‗bell with perfect form!

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How to do it

1. Place a kettlebell on the floor slightly ahead of your feet. 2. Your stance should be wide enough for the kettlebell to fit easily between your legs

but not too wide. It should feel very athletic. 3. Then think about pushing your hips back as if sitting back on to a bench making sure

that you hinge at your hips whilst maintaining a straight back position although not upright. Imagine you are trying to touch a wall two foot behind you with your back side. Your shoulders should be back and down – this is the correct starting position. If you‘ve got it right then you should be feeling a stretch in your hamstrings. I like to compare the position to a wicket keeper as he is readying himself for a bowler.

4. Look straight ahead and swing the kettlebell back between your legs as if you are passing a ball to someone behind you. Get a good connection with your forearms against your inner thighs and quickly reverse the direction and drive though with your hips explosively taking the kettlebell straight out to a chest-high position. Concentrate on projecting the kettlebell forwards as opposed to upwards. Tighten your glutes hard as you stand upright. Really concentrate on ‗snapping‘ your hips through.

5. Let the kettlebell swing back between your legs under its own momentum and repeat. Make sure you really load up your hamstrings by picking up the momentum at the bottom of the swing and driving the kettlebell back between your legs. Get this right and you will stand up with greater speed and power.

6. Remember you are not using the deltoids to lift the kettlebell. This is primarily a ham-strings, glutes and lower back exercise. If you experience any shoulder fatigue, your technique is wrong.

You need to have economy of movement here as is the case with a lot of kettlebell move-ments. Make sure that the kettlebell doesn‘t swing too far out. This is generally referred to as ‗taming the arc‘. Don‘t lean back excessively but do make sure you keep your shoulder blades pulled back to minimise the outward projector of the kettlebell.

In conclusion I hope I have provided you with enough information to help get you started with the swing. As always, it‘s worth getting some tuition from a qualified kettlebell instructor first. If this is not possible, then proceed with caution. Remember, if it doesn‘t feel right, then it probably isn‘t.

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What is Pilates? Joseph Pilates was way ahead of his time when he invented his method of ‗Contrology‘ back in the 1920‘s. He had been a sickly young man who suffered from rickets and asthma, but was determined to change what Mother Nature had given him. Using his own methods, he transformed his body and health to the extent that he was soon posing for ana-tomical charts! His work became popular when he began working with dancers in America, and soon everyone wanted to know his se-crets. Pilates said ―in ten sessions you will feel the difference, in twenty you will see the difference and in thirty you‘ll have a whole new body‖ While I can‘t guarantee that, but I can guaran-

tee this – Pilates delivers results! The principles of Pilates are:

Concentration – Key to connecting mind and body

Relaxation – working without undue ten-sion

Coordination – being aware of what your body is actually doing

Breathing – deep thoracic (rib) breathing

Centering – initiating movements from the ‗powerhouse‘ or centre

Flowing movements – movements should be graceful and fluid

Control – each movement is performed in a slow controlled manner

Precision – each movement has a purpose

Many people think Pilates was a soft exercise option. Think again! Pilates can seriously improve your body and performance…. Many people (particularly men!) think that Pilates is an easy option or more of a recovery and stretch class than anything else, but it can be a precise and measured form of exercise that can enhance athletic performance, help to prevent injury and can help you to develop a toned and lean physique.

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Why Pilates? Pilates works on all of the small stabilising muscles as well as the larger better known global muscles and focuses strongly on the core. Unlike weight lifting, which often focuses on one muscle at a time, Pilates works your body as a single unit, with all movements be-ginning at your core and lengthening outwards. Pilates is known for ‗lengthening‘ the body, and this is because muscles are worked through their full range of motion and are strengthened as they lengthen (rather than just contracting a muscle by bringing the two end closer together as in a biceps curl) and many of the exercises work on flexibility and strength simultaneously An Introduction to the method -

P ilates 100 – perhaps the best known Pilates exercise, the 100 warms up the entire body and im-proves breath control. It strength-

ens the rectus abdominus, obliques, hip flexors, neck flexors, and shoulder blade stabilisers.

Lie on your back, contract your abs and bring both knees up to a right angle

Exhale and lift head, shoulders and arms of the floor

Straighten legs, and begin to beat your arms as if pressing down on springs

Inhale for 5 arm beats and exhale for 5 arm beats building up to a 100 beats.

Keep abdominals contracted throughout, and do not let back arch.

(Beginners keep knees bent, advanced lower straight legs towards floor)

Training tips – keep your stomach flat and your spine in neutral throughout. Start with 50 breaths and build up. Keep your shoulders away from your ears and stay wide across the front of the chest.

T he Pilates Criss - Cross – targets the obliques, deep and superficial abs, deep spinal and hip flexor muscles, as well as improving rotational control

through the spine.

Lie on your back and bring your knees up above your hips with knees bent to a right

angle

Place fingers behind ears, keep elbows wide and lift head from the floor

Exhale and peel left shoulder across to-wards right hip as you extend the left leg out – (as low as you can keep stomach flat and spine flat)

Inhale back to centre and exhale in oppo-site direction.

Repeat 10 slow repetitions (3 count) followed by 12 fast, but controlled repetitions.

Training tips – Try to keep stomach flat throughout, and move in a controlled manor – don’t let hips rock as you move. Imagine you are folding each shoulder towards the opposite hip. Try to keep your shoulder blades off the floor throughout to work the abs.

O blique roll back – works the rectus abdominis and obliques. Also works shoulders and upper back whilst mobilising the spine.

Sit up tall with knees bent and gently squeezed together arms out in front at shoulder height

Inhale to prepare

Exhale and gently draw navel to spine as you roll backwards bringing your lower ribs towards your hips and twist to the right. As you turn, sweep your right arm down and back, finishing with it behind you at shoul-der height, both palms face forward

Inhale sit up tall

Exhale and repeat to the left Continue on alternate sides

Training tips – If you have any issues with your back avoid this exercise. Turn your eyes to

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where you want to go – this will help engage the correct muscles and keep drawing your belly button in throughout. Do not let your back flatten but stay ‘c’ shaped

P ilates Swimming - Works core stabil-ity muscles, shoulder stabilisers and abs

Kneel on all fours, knees under hips and hands under shoulders and spine in neu-tral

Inhale to prepare, exhale drawing navel to spine as you lengthen opposite arm and leg away from you until they lift off the floor

Inhale to return to centre

Exhale to lengthen opposite side limbs away

Repeat 8 times on each side Training tips – keep torso still throughout, imagine four glasses of water sitting on the four corners of your back and try not to spill a drop! Keep head and neck in line with spine. To in-crease instability and challenge keep the sta-tionery foot off the floor resting on knee only

S ingle leg Plank – flattens abs and strengthens the entire core

Start on all fours with hands under shoul-ders and knees under hips

Draw your abs in, and keep your back and hips still and in neutral as you extend one leg at a time behind you to rest on your toes

Hold your body straight like a plank and lift your right foot off the floor for 30 sec

Change legs and hold for a further 30 sec

Gradually build up from 30 seconds to a minute

Training tips – keep neutral spine throughout. Keep your shoulders away from your ears and your head in line with your spine. Build up gradually

R est in the Shell Stretch – kneel down on all fours and then press your bottom back onto your heels, with your hairline resting on the floor,

place your arms at your sides with your finger-tips by your toes and relax completely. Take several deep breaths into your back and ribs. These exercises are taken from ‗Pilates with Caroline Sandry‘ the new DVD with 3 Pilates full body workouts. Filmed in beautiful southern Spain, with panoramic views of mountains and a chilled out sound-track, Pilates with Caroline Sandry is available from

www.carolinesandry.com Caroline Sandry is a fitness presenter, trainer and author. With 10 DVDs to her name and two books published, she is passionate about health, fitness and Pilates! For more info check out her website as above.

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