ncef national fitness news e-zine january 2014

National Fitness E-News 1

Winter 2014 Volume 3 Issue 1


From the Editors Chair

Welcome to the first issue of NationalFitness News Ezine for 2014

This issue is jam-packed with ideasand suggestions as to how you canenhance and effectively develop as afitness professional

Dr Ian Kenny provides an interestingreview on the new Video Performance

Analysis Academy that has recently beenset up in the University of Limerick while Sarah Keoghgives very useful information on what foods are best toboost your immune system

New fitness classes come and go and Bridget Lawlor givesa very detailed analysis ndash both personal and professionalon her experiences in Hot Yoga - a controversial but byall accounts a very rewarding workout

Carmel De Mellorsquos newest class is lsquoFitStepsrsquo - the StrictlyCome Dancing craze has finally hit the fitness industry andis set to stay around for quite a while to come Her articleis both informative and an enjoyable read

The feature article on Extreme Workouts takes in Cross fitHIIT Training and Insanity will give you the low down onadvantages and disadvantages of these training approach-es with expert opinions from experienced practitioners

As I complete my term as Managing Director of theNCEF I would like to take this opportunity to wish all youfitness professionals ndash whether students or graduates ndashthe very best in your career in the exercise and healthfitness industry The one overriding fact that still remainstantamount to the maintenance of the highest standardswithin the fitness sector is the provision of educated andexperienced fitness professionals I urge you to continueto upskill through the continuing professional develop-ment opportunities provided via the NCEF FlexibleLearning Pathway which leads to a Bachelor of Sciencein Exercise and Health Fitness and through membershipof Fitness Professionals Ireland (FPI)Always strive for the highest possible standards in yourwork as a fitness professional ndash never sacrifice quantityand commercialism for excellence and quality in yourwork

Finally - my sincere thanks to the NCEF Team inparticular to the Ezine Editor Maeve Kavanagh for herpassion and dedication in the production of a consistentlyexcellent publication Long may it continue

Happy 2014Maura

Maura O Sullivan RyanManaging Director NCEF

Keep up to date with all the NCEF news courses and events -Like us on Facebook

NCEFOrganisation

From the Directors Chair

Happy New Year and welcome to the firstissue of NFN E-Zine for 2014

Have you checked back to what goalsyou set for 2013 Did you achieve allor some of them In todayrsquos businessclimate it can be quite challenging forfitness professionals However it canalso present us with opportunities to

kick start our careers try somethingnew and move our business up a level While keeping aclear head and our wits about us it is time for us to lookwith fresh eyes on how we operate and think of ways andopportunities on how to maximise all our services So setyour new business and personal goals to give 2014 thekick start that it needs

If adding to your qualifications is one of your goals for thisyear then the NCEF has many specialist courses on offerPlease visit our website for information on all courseoptions A reminder for those who meet the entryrequirements for the Diploma in Exercise amp Health Fitness(DEHF) this course will be offered in September 2014 andwe are currently accepting applications

As part of our on-going commitment to improve ourstudents learning experience and equip them with the skillsand competencies for working within the exercise and fit-ness industry we are currently conducting a review of theCertificate in Exercise and Health Fitness (CEHF)As a graduate of CEHF we would like to offer you the op-portunity to feedback on areas that need addressingandor could be improved throughout the curriculum Inorder to do this please use the link below to send us yourfeedback on any area within the curriculum which you feelneeds attention or change The link will bring you to anelectronic questionnaire which will only take a few minutesof your time to complete and when you are finished justclick on the lsquoSubmitrsquo button and it will come back to usautomatically LinkwwwcehflearningsupportcomgraduateshtmlFinally I would like to wish you all a very healthy happy andsuccessful 2014 and to personally thank Maura OrsquoSullivan Ryanfor inspiring and motivating me for the past 11 years I canrsquot sayenough about how much she will be missed Best wishes Maurain your new adventures

MaeveNFN Editor


Table of Contents4 News Room

8 Fitness Report

9 Nutrition Report

10 Health Report

Features

11 Running 101By Dr Jason Karp

14 Exercise your Clients into 2014By Ciara Losty

16 Extreme Training - Whatrsquos the Bottom Line

Fitness Professionals Opinions

Regulars

20 Nutrition Winter Foods to Boost Your Immune

By Sarah Keogh

22 Mind Body Hot Yoga - An InsightBy Bridget Lawlor

24 Personal Training PT Burnout - Time to Slow Down and Take Stock

By Mary Fitzpatrick

26 Research Video Performance Analysis Academy (VPAA)

By Dr Ian KennyNFN is an e-zine published by the National Council forExercise amp Fitness (NCEF)

The opinions and views in the publication are those of thecontributors and are not necessarily shared by the NCEFWhile every care is taken to ensure accuracy in the com-pilation of this e-zine NCEF cannot accept responsibilityfor any errors or omissions or effects arising thereofHowever such errors or omissions may be brought to theattention of the Editor All material is copyrighted

16

11

22

28 Group Fitness FITSTEPSBy Carmell De Mello

32 Boxercise

33 Fitness Professionals Ireland (FPI)


NCEF Management amp Administration Team

NCEF MISSION STATEMENT

To promote the highest standards possible in thepreparation of Exercise amp Health Fitness

Professionals through a sound professionaleducation and training structure that meets the

changing needs of the Health Fitness LeisureIndustry and promotes healthy and active lifestyles

UL Winter Conferring Ceremony

Wednesday 22nd January 2014 in theUniversity of Limerick

This applies to the cohort of students from20122013 who successfully received their offi-cial University of Limerick results in September2013 For further information on times gowncollection photography and guest pack pleaseclick on the link below

httpwww2uliewebWWWAdministrationCeremoniesGraduate_ConferringsInformation_for_Graduands

Congratulations to Carmel VekinsNCEF Board of Trustees Member onchosen as one of the inauguralinductees to the UL Hall of Fame

In recognition of ULrsquos uniquecontribution to sport regionallynationally and internationally and toround off an excellent year of eventscelebrating UL40 the University ofLimerick Sports Hall of Fame wasunveiled on Saturday 28 September2013 16 athletes were chosen fromthe four decades of sportingexcellence and Carmel Vekins was

one of these individuals for hercontribution to the sports Kayak andCanoe Polo Carmel wasacknowledged for her commitment toexcellence and the inspiration sheprovides to the next generation ofathletes

The NCEF would like to congratulateCarmel on this fantasticachievement

Above Carmel Vekins

University of Limerick - Sports Hall of Fame


NCEF Scholarship ProgrammeOn 1st October 2013 the National Council for Exercise ampFitness (NCEF) announced the recipient of the NCEFSports Scholarship Programme having been selectedfrom a high calibre of sporting applicants

Eighteen year old Conor Glynn from Thomondgate inLimerick is former captain of Ard Scoiacutel Riacutes Senior RugbyCup Team and a player with Shannon RFC since 2006He has represented Munster at Under 20 Under 19 andUnder 18 level He was a member of the Munster RugbyTalent Identification Squad and has progressed to theMunster Rugby Sub Academy

Conor commenced the two year ndash Higher Certificate inExercise amp Health Fitness (HCEHF) at the University ofLimerick last October The HCEHF is accredited by the

University of Limerick and is placed at Level 6 MajorAward on the National Framework of Qualifications(NFQ)

Speaking at the announcement Maura OrsquoSullivan RyanNCEF Managing Director stated the importance of thisscholarship ldquoThe NCEF Sports Scholarship programmeis an athlete led development programme which rewardsindividual excellence and encourages outstanding per-formance in a variety of sports while completing a courseof academic study We are delighted to award Conor withthis opportunity and we are confident that he will make anexcellent ambassador for the NCEFrdquo

At the announcement Conor stated ldquoI am delighted andhonored to have been accepted on to the NCEFScholarship Programme The scholarship will provide mewith an opportunity to follow a flexible pathway to gaininga university degree and a future career in the exerciseand health fitness industryrdquo

You can follow Conorrsquos progress on the official NCEFFacebook page - NCEFOrganisation

Maura OrsquoSullivan Ryan Managing Director NCEF presentingConor Glynn with the Sports Scholarship

Conor speaking with students at the University of LimerickOpen


FAREWELL FOR MAURA OrsquoSULLIVAN RYAN

Our colleague and friend Maura OrsquoSullivan Ryan completed her term as Managing Director with the NCEFon December 31st last year To mark this occasion a farewell reception was held in Plassey House at theUniversity of Limerick

Maura has worked for the NCEF in various capacities for the last 26 years and as Managing Director for the lastseven years Under her leadership a ground breaking partnership was forged with the University of Limerickwhich has resulted in the opening of many exciting professional development opportunities providing a flexiblelearning pathway in Exercise and Health Fitness up to graduate and post graduate levels

Maurarsquos leadership vision and passion for the NCEF will not be forgotten She will be missed by all her colleagues tutors students andfriends

Above Maura with members of her family Above Dr Leo Colgan and Professor Pat DuffyAbove Maura with Dr Leo Colgan andProfessor Pat Duffy

Above L to R Professor Pat Duffy CarmelVekins Catherine Bird Maura and Dr PJ Smyth

Above L to R Aoibhe Ryan Fionan Ryan andMajella OrsquoConnell UL Alumni

Above Members of the NCEF Team

Above Members of the NCEF Team amp PE ampSport Sciences (PESS) Department

Above Colleagues amp Family Members of Maura Above L to R NCEF Tutors Bridget LawlorLinda Gaynor and Clare Jones


Sean Flannery successfully completed the Universityof Limerick accredited Certificate in Exercise amp HealthFitness (CEHF) through Maltings Fitness Training inGalway He went on to successfully complete NCEFSpecialist Courses in Personal Training Strength ampConditioning for Sport Pilates amp Corrective Exerciseand Facility Operations In 2012 Sean completed theDiploma in Exercise and Health Fitness (DEHF) and heis currently in Year 4 of the BSc in Exercise amp HealthFitness

I completed the CEHF programme in Galway in 0708 as Ialways had a huge personal interest in health and fitnessand primarily wanted to know more and gain some legiti-mate qualifications I completed the CEHF for personalreasons as I was working in a non-sport related area at thetime Since the economic downturn I no longer work inthat area and can now devote my time to my passionwhich is health and fitness where I run group fitness class-es and personal training

Once the opportunity arose to complete the NCEF Year 2specialist coursersquos I sought out the areas that interestedme the most which were strength and conditioning forteams personal training pilates and corrective exerciseand studio-cycling instruction The expertise gained fromthese courses has allowed me to work with sports teamsindividuals and groups in the variety of areas listed

My careereducational aspirations after I complete Year 4of the BSc Exercise amp Health Fitness is to hopefullyprogress to complete a Masterrsquos in Sports Performance tofocus on strength and conditioningsports nutritionsportspsychology and all going well to some-day work with elitesports people

My current role within the Exercise amp Health industry is thatI operate my own health and fitness business in Sligowhere I provide group fitness instruction one to one orsmall group personal training and advice in related areassuch as nutritionfitness programming for general andsporting requirements My main responsibilities are toprovide an effective high quality service to my client base

The knowledge I gained on the NCEF courses has allowedme to develop as a more rounded fitness professional andhas exposed me to a wealth of knowledge required to growin this industry Meeting like-minded people and develop-ing friendships has been another valuable experience onewhere you constantly keep learning and ensure you enjoywhat you do

I stay Proactive by trying to keep up with all the advance-ments in the health and fitness sector and accept thatthere will never be a time where you will stop learningWhat motivates me to keep going is that life is forachieving and as this is my passion I want to succeed atwhat I love doing plus I enjoy what I do immensely and gethuge satisfaction providing a platform for people to achievetheir fitness goals

I try to be creative and collaborate with other healthcareprofessionals as I see how we all complement each othercan provide an overall package for the public to makechanges in their health and fitness to achieve a greaterquality of life

Nobody knows what the future has in store but in five yearsfrom now I would like to see myself in a prominent positionin the fitness industry continuing to keep up to date withany advancementrsquos that arise and hopefully be in aposition to aid in elite athletes ambitions to be the best theycan be

The advice I have for Exercise amp Health FitnessProfessionals wishing to enrol on the Flexible Learningpathway is that if you are passionate about health andfitness and you want to achieve various highly accreditedqualifications at your own pace while still being able toearn then itrsquos a great opportunity to do so Also for thosewho may think they are too old to make a change to begina journey of learning you are never as young as you aretoday so take that hardest step the first one and you canachieve whatever you want to

The NCEF would like to thank Sean for completing thisinterview and wish him all the best in completing theBSc In Exercise amp Health Fitness

1 You completed the CEHF Programme throughNCEF Certified Provider Maltings Training inGalway How did this experience benefit you in yourcareer path

2 After the CEHF Programme you were a verybusy person and completed a number of the NCEFYear 2 Specialist courses How did you decidewhich ones to choose and did you enjoy thecourses How have you used the expertise youhave gained from these courses in your workinglife working life

3 What are your careereducational aspirationsafter you complete Year 4 of the BScExercise amp Health Fitness

4 What is your current role within the Exerciseamp Health Fitness industry What are your mainresponsibilities

5 How has the knowledge you gained on theNCEF courses attributed to the success of yourbusiness

6 How do you stay Proactive and what motivatesyou to keep going

7 A fitness professional needs to be creativeand collaborate with other healthcare professionalsndash how do you implement these attributes s

8 How would you see your involvement in thefitness industry five years from now

9 What advice do you have for Exercise ampHealth Fitness Professionals wishing to enrol on theFlexible Learning pathway


It is already known that adults who use larger disheswhen they eat consume more food However new studieshave found that the same can be said of children

US research-ers set out todetermine theeffect of usinglarger bowlswhen eatingbreakfast ce-real among69 pre-schoolchildren Thechildren weregiven eithersmall 8ozbowls or large

16oz bowls

Adults were responsible for pouring the cereal and milk intothe bowls They did so in small increments and continuallyasked the children if this was enough or did they want moreThey kept pouring until the children were satisfied with theamount in their bowls

The results showed that when the larger bowls were usedchildren asked for almost 90 more cereal irrespective oftheir age gender or body bass index (BMI)

This study only focused on the amount the children said theywanted they did not have to eat the cereal However theresearchers wanted to see if children would actually eat thelarge portions that they had wanted They ran a secondsimilar study involving 18 children aged between six and 10

Similar to the first study adults were responsible for pouringthe cereal and milk in small increments until the children saidthey had enough However this time there were secret scaleshidden in the tables which measured exactly how much cerealeach child had and how much they then consumed

In this study the children requested almost 70 more food ifthey were using the large bowls and they consumed 52more than children using the small bowls They also wasted14 more food than the other children

Based on these findings decreasing the size of plates andbowls may be an easy way to prevent kids from over-consum-ing Having a separate set of smaller dishware for childrenmay be a simple solution for caregivers who are concernedabout their kids caloric intake the team said

Details of these findings are published in the Journal ofPediatricsSource DeborahCondon wwwirishhealthcom

Fitness and nutrition are correspondingprofessions that constantly overlap Confrontingthis coexistence isimportant tounderstandingyour role as afitness profession-al (ACE 2010)While discussingnutrition with aclient expandsyour professionalrole your scope ofpractice remainsthe same Al-though fitnessprofessionals donot prescribe dietsor recommend specific supplements (IDEA2001) they can play a unique personal role ineducating their clients about healthy eatingbased on the standards in the federal foodguidance system at wwwchoosemyplategov

Handling Referrals

When clients need help outside your scope ofpractice its time to refer them to a registereddietician They may require any of the following

Specific meal plans Supplement advice Disease-specific dietary counselling Detailed nutritional programming

Offering a referral for services beyond yourscope of practice tells your clients you careenough about them to to ensure that they receivethe most current information from a qualifiedwellness specialist Plus its a great way tonetwork and build relationships with other healthprofessionals

Source IDEA Food amp Nutrition Tips Nov-Dec 2013page 35

BACPR Level 4 Specialist Exercise Instructor TrainingRecognised by EREPS and Irish Association for Cardiac

Rehabilitation ( IACR)

Course Dates 2014 February 8th 9th 28th March 1st2nd and Assessment May 10th 2014Venue Dublin City UniversityContact Caroline Costelloe 091 893500 or 086 2513536


The five-a-day for physical health which involveseating five portions of fruit and vegetables a day is auseful framework which we can borrow to help us inthinking about how we can be proactive in taking careof our mental healthThe UK-based New Economics Foundation outlined fivekey ways to wellbeing based on up-to-date evidence aboutwhat promotes and supports our mental health andwellbeing This is a five-a-day guide for minding our mentalhealth

1 ConnectOur relationships with other people are fundamental to oursense of wellbeing and happiness Our close relationshipswith family and friends can yield love support and a senseof meaning in our lives Our wider social networks create inus a sense of belonging So it makes sense that we workon strengthening our relationships and on making newconnectionsFor example talking with others should be an everydayevent Conversations donrsquot have to be all about thedifficulties We need to tell one other about the enjoyableevents tooKnowing when to disconnect is vital too Being fully presentin the company we are in without the distraction ofphones tablets and other devices helps to deepen oursense of connection The ever-growing number of ways inwhich we can connect with one another means that we arein danger of privileging the quantity of our connections overtheir qualityWhat helps you to grow healthy connections with people inyour life

2 Be active

Experts have shown that exercising releases endorphins inour brains that make us feel good Being active doesnrsquothave to mean going to the gym competing in triathlons orwearing LycraThere are many ways to build activity into our daily livesand itrsquos about discovering something we enjoy doing andthen building it into our routineEngaging in exercise can present us with opportunities tomeet new people to engender a sense of belonging togive us a much-needed break from a stressful day andabove all to make us feel good about ourselves Regularexercise is also linked to better sleep which in turn isimportant for helping us to maintain good mental healthWhich ways of being active do you enjoy

3 Take noticeWe can all get caught up in the relentless busy-ness ofmodern life We can become intoxicated with the chatter ofthe mind How often are we mind-full as opposed tomindful Taking a few moments to focus our awareness onwhat is going on within us and what is going on in naturearound us can work wonders for our mental health It canfree us up even briefly from dwelling on the past or

worrying about the future It can help us get more out ofour day- to-day lives What do you notice about where youare and how you feel right now It can free us up evenbriefly from dwelling on the past or worrying about thefuture It can help us get more out of our day- to-day livesWhat do you notice about where you are and how you feelright now

4 Keep learningLearning exposes us to new ideas and helps us to staycurious and engaged It may also give us a sense ofaccomplishment which in turn can boost our confidenceLearning does not necessarily have to involve lecturesbooks or traditional teaching methods It can often takeplace through doingFor some it might involve being shown how to Skype aloved one on the other side of the world for others it iswatching a documentary and for others still it isexperimenting with a new recipe New learning can happenall the time if we are open to it What have you learnt ortried out for the first time recently

5 GiveDoing good is good for us Helping others makes us feelneeded and valued it can reinforce social connectednessand give us a sense of purpose ndash not to mention thebenefits for those we help and the wider benefit tocommunities by contributing to a more compassionatesocietyGiving ranges from simple spontaneous acts such aspaying a compliment or holding open a door to morestructured and significant commitments such asvolunteeringWhat have you done recently to make someone happy orto help others

Sourcehttpwwwirishtimescomlife-and-stylehealth-familyfive-a-day-guide-to-keeping-mind-and-body-happy-and-healthy-11553010


Career Use a tried-and-true business planning method to target your next growth step

As a fitness instructor yoursquore continually striving toenhance your clientsrsquo well-being But now and again youmust take some time to do a little soul-searching andassess what is best for you What are your needs wantsgoals and aspirations Maybe yoursquore ready to further youreducation or yoursquore eager to work with a new marketPerhaps yoursquod like to open your own studio or expand yourcurrent business Taking the next step in your career canbe stressfulmdashyou want to make good choices Self-reflec-tion takes part of the guesswork out of career decisionsand helps guide you down the path to successTo give structure to your introspection consider performinga personal SWOT analysis Businesses often conductSWOT analyses to focus on these elements

What works for companies can work for you A SWOTanalysis is an excellent way to investigate your profession-al preferences abilities advantages and disadvantagesWith a SWOT analysis in hand itrsquos much easier to formpersonal development goals forge a career path createbusiness-growth strategies and direct your positioning inthe industryTo view the full article from IDEA ndash click on the linkbelowSource IDEA Health amp Fitness Association -httpwwwideafitcomfitness-librarya-personal-swot-analysisutm_source=IPT+November+2013amputm_medium=emailamputm_campaign=November+2013+28629

eaknesses hreats

trengths pportunities

ACSM experts examine whatrsquos hot -- and whatrsquos not --in the health and fitness industryINDIANAPOLIS ndash A new winner has been crowned in the2014 top fitness trends High Intensity Interval Training hastopped the list of the 20 trends in its debut year This spotwas previously held since 2008 by Educated Certified andExperienced Fitness Professionals More than 3800fitness professionals completed an American College ofSports Medicine survey to determine the top fitness trendsfor 2014The survey now in its eighth year was completed by3815 health and fitness professionals worldwide (manycertified by ACSM) and was designed to reveal trends invarious fitness environments

1 High-Intensity IntervalTraining (HIIT) HIIT whichinvolves short bursts of activityfollowed by a short period ofrest or recovery jumps to thetop of this yearrsquos list Theseexercise programs are usuallyperformed in less than 30 min-utes

2 Body Weight Training Thisis the first appearance of thistrend in the survey Bodyweight training uses minimalequipment making it moreaffordable Not limited to justpush-ups and pull-ups thistrend allows people to get ldquobackto the basicsrdquo with fitness

3 Educated and ExperiencedFitness Professionals Giventhe large number of organiza-tions offering health and fitnesscertifications itrsquos important thatconsumers choose profession-als certified through programsthat are accredited by the Na-tional Commission for CertifyingAgencies (NCCA) such asthose offered by ACSM

4 Strength Training Strengthtraining remains a centralemphasis for many healthclubs Incorporating strengthtraining is an essential part of acomplete physical activityprogram for all physical activitylevels and genders (The otheressential components are aero-bic exercise and flexibility)

5 Exercise and Weight LossIn addition to nutrition exerciseis a key component of a properweight loss program Healthand fitness professionals whoprovide weight loss programsare increasingly incorporatingregular exercise and caloricrestriction for better weightcontrol in their clients

6 Personal Training Moreand more students are majoringin kinesiology which indicatesthat they are preparing

themselves for careers in alliedhealth fields such as personaltraining Education training andproper credentialing for person-al trainers have becomeincreasingly important to thehealth and fitness facilities thatemploy them

7 Fitness Programs for OlderAdults As the baby boom gen-eration ages into retirementsome of these people havemore discretionary money thantheir younger counterpartsTherefore many health andfitness professionals are takingthe time to create age-appropri-ate fitness programs to keepolder adults healthy and active

8 Functional Fitness This isa trend toward using strengthtraining to improve balance andease of daily living Functionalfitness and special fitnessprograms for older adults areclosely related

9 Group Personal TrainingIn challenging economic timesmany personal trainers are of-fering more group training op-tions Training two or threepeople at a time makes eco-nomic sense for the train cli-ents

10 Yoga Based on ancienttradition yoga utilizes a seriesof specific bodily postures prac-ticed for health and relaxationIncludes Power Yoga Yo-galates Bikram Ashtanga Vin-yasa Kripalu AnuraraKundalini Sivananda andothers

The full list of top 20 trends isavailable in the ACSM article

Now Trending WorldwideSurvey of Fitness Trends for2014rdquo


From the very beginning of civilization running wasvital for survival The Neanderthal in need of acquiringfood for his family ran through the woodlands chasingafter wild animals Running and being able to run longand fast was very important We see it even nowthousands of years later when a child takes his firsttentative steps and discovers the freedom that runningconfers as boys race each other on playgroundsacross the country showing off their speed to the girlsduring recess Even at that young age it is evidentthat something unique is taking place when we moveon two legs Indeed it is a form of locomotion thatmakes humans unique from most other animals

When done correctly it is a scientific endeavour to maxi-mize onersquos speed and endurance When you consider themany different types of workouts the different paces andhow everything in your clientsrsquo training programs fits to-gether you practically need a PhD to understand it all

Here are some of the major components of training

1 MileageThe number of kilometers (or time) your clients run

each week is the most important part of their training anddictates their performance capacity Endurance trainingincreases the number of red blood cells and hemoglobinwhich improves the blood vesselsrsquo oxygen-carrying capa-bility stimulates the storage of muscle glycogen givingyour clients more fuel for long races increases the use ofintramuscular fat to spare glycogen creates a greater cap-illary network surrounding the muscle fibers for a more rap-id diffusion of oxygen into the muscles increases musclemitochondrial density and the number of aerobic enzymeswhich control the rate at which energy (ATP) is producedand improves running economy

The single biggest mistake runners make is run-ning too fast on their easy days By doing so they addunnecessary stress to their legs without any extra benefitSlowing down the easy runs has at least three benefits (1)it decreases the chance of injury (2) it enables runners toget more out of their harder days because theyrsquore less fa-tigued and (3) it enables runners to increase their overallweekly mileage

2 Long RunsLong runs improve your clientsrsquo endurance by

running for a longer amount of time than theyrsquore used toThey cause a sustained push of oxygen into the musclesstimulating muscle capillarizationmdashan expansion of

existing capillary beds and the creation of new capillarybeds They also severely lower muscle glycogen and stim-ulate a greater reliance on fat Running low on glycogenmdashthe musclesrsquo preferred fuelmdashpresents a threat to the mus-clesrsquo survival The human body responds rather elegantlyto situations that threaten or deplete its supply of fuel syn-thesizing and storing more than what was previouslypresent thus increasing endurance for the future Themore glycogen your clients have packed into their musclesthe greater their endurance and ability to hold a hard pace

The long run shouldnrsquot comprise more than abouta third of your clientsrsquo weekly mileage however this maynot be possible if they run only a few times per week Donrsquotmake the long runs much longer than any other run duringthe week and try to have your clients run enough duringthe week to support the long run on the weekend


4 VO2max IntervalsVO2max is very important for distance runners

because it indicates the maximum rate at which their mus-cles consume oxygen Think of VO2max as your clientsrsquoaerobic ceiling with the acidosis threshold representing thefraction of that ceiling at which they can run without fa-tigue-causing acidosis

Although you can improve your clientsrsquo VO2maxsimply by increasing the number of kilometers they runeach week because mileage increases their musclesrsquometabolic machinery to use oxygen interval training dur-ing which your clients run at their max heart rate is themost potent way to increase VO2max One of the mostelegant adaptations to interval training is hypertrophy ofthe left ventricle of the heart causing an increase inmaximum stroke volume (the volume of blood the heartpumps each beat) maximum cardiac output (the volume ofblood the heart pumps each minute) and thus VO2max

3 Acidosis Threshold RunsThe acidosis threshold (AT) demarcates the

transition between running that is almost purely aerobicand running that includes significant oxygen-independent(anaerobic) metabolism The AT is an important determi-nant of distance running performance because it repre-sents the fastest pace attainable without a significantanaerobic contribution and the development of metabolicacidosis

Increasing your clientsrsquo AT enables them to runfaster before they fatigue because it enables them to runfaster before oxygen-independent metabolism begins toplay a significant role With training what was once anslight anaerobic pace becomes high aerobic The fasteryour clientsrsquo AT pace the faster the pace they can hold forany race from 5K to the marathon

FEATURE

Acidosis Threshold Workouts

1 AT RunThe most basic of AT workouts this is a continuous run atAT pacemiddot 3 to 5 kilometers (15 to 20 minutes) to 8 to 10 kilom-

eters (40 to 45 minutes) at AT pace

2 Long AT RunFor marathoners who need to get used to running forlonger periods of time at close to AT pace this workout is acontinuous run slightly slower than AT pacemiddot 10 to 12 kilometers (45 to 60 minutes) at 9 to 12 sec-

onds per kilometer slower than AT pace

3 AT IntervalsAT workouts can also be done in an interval format usingshort runs at AT pace with short rest intervals whichmakes the AT run both physically and psychologically easi-er and increases the distance clientsrsquo can run at AT pace ina single workoutmiddot 4 x 1600 meters at AT pace with 100 restmiddot 8 x 800 to 1000 meters at AT pace with 100 rest

4 AT+ IntervalsThis version of AT intervals is run slightly faster than ATpace (hence the plus) with very short rest intervalsmiddot 2 sets of 3 to 4 x 800 to 1000 meters at 3 to 6 sec-

onds per kilometer faster than AT pace with 45 sec-onds rest and two minutes rest between sets

5 ATLSD Combo RunA twist on the 1970s term long slow distance this chal-lenging workout for marathoners is a medium-long dis-tance run with a portion at AT pacemiddot 6 kilometers at AT pace + 12 kilometers easymiddot 8 kilometers easy + 5 kilometers at AT pace + 8 kilom-

eters easy + 5 kilometers at AT pacemiddot 16 kilometers easy + 6 kilometers at AT pace

VO2max Workouts

For VO2max intervals use work periods lasting three tofive minutes Make sure clients warm-up adequately beforeeach workout completing their warm-up with a few 100-meter runs at VO2max pace to prepare their legs for fasterrunning and seamlessly transition into the workout Exam-ples of VO2max workouts include

middot 5 to 6 x 800 meters at VO2max pace with a 1le1 workshyto-rest ratio

middot 4 to 5 x 1000 meters at VO2max pace with a 1le1work-to-rest ratio


middot VO2max Ladder 2 sets of 800 1000 and 1200 me-ters at VO2max pace with a 1le1 workshytoshyrest ratio

middot VO2max Pyramid 800 1000 1200 1000 and 800meters at VO2max pace with a 1le1 workshytoshyrest ratio


5 Anaerobic CapacityIntervals

The shorter the race the greater the relianceon anaerobic glycolysis for energy and the

greater the metabolic acidosis experienced Everydistance race from 1500 meters to 10K has a signif-

icant anaerobic contribution making anaerobic capaci-ty training an important part of training For anaerobic

capacity intervals use work periods lasting 45 seconds totwo minutes with recovery intervals one to three times aslong as the time spent running These workouts increasemuscle glycolytic enzyme activity so that glycolysis can re-generate ATP more quickly for muscle contraction and im-prove the ability to buffer the muscle acidosis that occurswhen there is a large dependence on oxygen-independent(anaerobic) metabolism

Anaerobic Capacity Workouts

Make sure clients warm-up adequately before eachworkout completing their warm-up with a few 100-meterruns at VO2max pace and at anaerobic capacity pace toprepare their legs for faster running and seamlessly transi-tion into the workout Examples of anaerobic capacityworkouts includebull 6 to 8 x 400 meters at anaerobic capacity pace with

11 workrest ratiobull 2 sets of 400800400 meters at anaerobic capacity

pace with 1-minute recovery and 5-minute recoverybetween sets

bull 2 sets of 5 x 200 to 300 meters at anaerobic capacitypace with 12 workrest ratio and 5-minute recoverybetween sets

FEATURE

For correct workout paces for AT workoutsVO2max intervals and anaerobic capacity intervals seeWorkout Paces table across

With all of the above types of workouts make theworkouts harder over time by adding more reps or de-creasing the recovery intervals rather than by running fast-er Only increase the speed of the work periods once yourclientsrsquo races have shown that their fitness level has im-proved Races which indicate your clientsrsquo fitness leveldictate the training speeds not the other way around Con-trary to what many runners and coaches think distancerunners donrsquot do workouts to practice running faster Theydo workouts to improve the physiological characteristicsthat enable them to run faster in the future Think of an as-sembly line If you want to make more products the betterstrategy is to increase the number of workers (physiologi-cal characteristics) so you have more assembly lines to dothe work rather than increase the speed at which theassembly line workers work The goal of training is to ob-tain the greatest benefit while incurring the least amount ofstress so train your clients with as slow of a pace as youcan while still obtaining the desired result of the workout

To train your clients to be better runnersfollow these guidelines And if they train smartenough theyrsquoll surely be the fastest of all theirfriends fast enough to even chase other runners onthe playground

Workout PacesEasy RunsLong Runsmiddot About 1 minute and 15 seconds per kilometer slower

than 5K race pacemiddot About 70 to 75 max heart ratemiddot Comfortable conversational pace

Acidosis Threshold (AT)middot Recreational runnersmiddot 6-9 seconds per kilometer slower than 5K race pace

(about 10K race pace)middot 75-80 max HRmiddot Highly-trainedcompetitive runnersmiddot 15-18 seconds per kilometer slower than 5K race pace

(6-9 seconds per kilometer slower than 10K racepace)

middot 85-90 max HRComfortably hard pace

VO2max Intervalsmiddot Recreational runnersmiddot 1500- to 2000-meter race pacemiddot Highly-trainedcompetitive runnersmiddot 3000-meter race pacemiddot 95-100 max HRmiddot Hard but manageable pace

Anaerobic Capacity Intervalsmiddot Recreational runnersmiddot 400- to 800-meter race pacemiddot Highly-trainedcompetitive runnersmiddot 800- to 1500-meter race pace

Very quick pace fast enough to cause acidosis

Author Biography

Dr Jason Karp is an internationally-recognizedrunning and fitness expert 2011 IDEA Personal Trainer ofthe Year and owner of Run-Fit He holds a PhD in exer-cise physiology A prolific writer he has more than 200articles published in international running coaching andfitness magazines is the author of five books includingRunning for Women and Running a Marathon For Dum-mies

Dr Karp is a frequent speaker at internationalfitness and coaching conferences and won a team silvermedal at the 2013 World Maccabiah Games in Israel Forhis popular training programs and an autographed copy ofhis books go to wwwRun-Fitcom


This article gives useful step by step information andstrategies that you can give to your clients toencourage them to exercise regularly in 2014Getting started and continuing an exercise program in theNew Year can be a challenging yet rewarding undertakingFifty percent of those who begin an exercise program willdrop out with-in six months (Anshel 2007 AmericanBoard of Sport Psychology 2013) You can implementvarious simple techniques to improve your adherence andyour clientrsquos adherence to these new lifestyle changes

Step 1 Scheduling Determine where you are going to exercise Some peo-ple find it more convenient to exercise at home Othersmay find they have fewer distractions at an exercise facili-ty If you choose to exercise at a gym pick one that isnearby since you may be less likely to exercise at a clubthat is further away Some of the most committed exercis-ers do it every day before the sun comes up or late atnight when the children are in bed Sit down with yourweekly schedule and try to build in an hour each day to begood to your body

Write your work out in your diary and to do lists set upyour childcare arrangements and rearrange things aroundthis one hour as if were any other important appointmentyou have to keep Or use technology like daily e-mail re-minders workout journal websites or iPhoneandroid appli-cations to keep you on task Set out your workout clothesor pack your workout bag the night before Now you areready to get started

Step 2 Getting Started Your first few workouts should be brief and well withinyour abilities Gradually increase the duration and intensityof your exercise Individualise your program and beginback gradually You are more likely to stick with your pro-gram if it is fun and convenient When working out with apartner try to choose someone with a similar fitness levelAs a beginner you may work too hard if you exercise withan experienced partner Studies have demonstrated youare less likely to continue your program if you exercise athigher intensities too soon Likewise long workouts arealso associated with higher dropout rates

Step 3 Reach out to othersTo really stick to a fitness program we need buy-in andencouragement from other people and our significantothers

FEATURE

Tell your friends and family you will need their support(both emotional and instrumental for you to stick to yourexercise programme)

Participate in physical activities with your spouse familyor friends Be creative Every week take turns having fami-ly members choose their favourite family activity For oth-ers it is finding a friend with a shared zest for running andplanning scheduled workouts together It is too easy to hitthe snooze button when itrsquos just you but much harder toleave a friendpersonal trainer waiting at the track

Consider joining a social networking site or online com-munity with fitness instructors and nutrition experts mdash andsupport from other people trying to lose weight and main-tain healthy eating and exercise routines People who getthis kind of online support are proven to lose three timesmore weight than people going it alone No matter howgoal-oriented you are the truth is that the majority of peo-ple find that reaching their goals is a lot smoother if theyhave a good support system in place

Plan your workouts by selecting exercises for the nextmonth or week Implement a variety of activities Considerscheduling a different activity on specific days of the weekadjusting in accordance of your changing interests If youwork out with weights change your exercise program eve-ry month to alleviate boredom and to reinvigorate progressWhen walking jogging or cycling vary exercise routes ortrails

Use diversions such as listening to music watching tele-vision or reading during exercises that you would other-wise find a bit boring ndash take your mind off your body andfocus externally This is known as the dissociation theory inthe exercise psychology literature Dissociated from yourbody particular if you are a beginner exerciser Studieshave shown the exercisers who dissociate from their bodyeg focus on external things such as TV music and do notfocus on feelings of fatigue or sweat exercise for longerand perceive the exercise to be easier

Step 4 Goals Setting amp Motivation Share your goals with those close to you or others thatare likely to ask you about your progress Ask them fortheir support Having explained that you have set aside aparticular time to exercise can potentially minimize futureconflicts or misunderstandings Those close to you willhave the opportunity to understand the importance of yourgoals and the time you have set aside for them


Write your goals on paper and post them where they arein view for you to see every day (eg refrigerator mirrordiary dash board of car etc) Visibility of goals is reallyimportant ndash you are sending yourself positive and practicalmessages by seeing your goals over and over again Ifyou donrsquot ink it you wonrsquot think it Your goals are onlydreams and wishes if you donrsquot write your goals down Thisis what sports people do to keep themselves focused ontheir goals Some people may even find it helpful to sign apersonal fitness contract with their personal trainer orfriend Set session daily weekly and monthly goals tomonitor your progress

Find an exercise professional that can monitor yourprogress Regular fitness tests can objectively measure theeffectiveness of your program and can possibly save youmonths or even years of hard work If progress is not sig-nificant immediate changes can be made to your programA fitness professional can help you decide the tests mostcompatible with your fitness goals and how often youshould test

Step 5 Adjust Expectations amp Choose Optimism Even if it doesnrsquot come naturally try to be optimisticabout your ability to avoid temptations Studies like Zhangand Fishbach (2010) suggest that being optimistic aboutavoiding temptation and reaching goals can be beneficialParticipants who were optimistic stuck at their task longerthan those who had been asked to make accurate predic-tions about reaching a goal Allow yourself to overestimatehow easy it will be to reach your goal As long as it doesnrsquotspill over into fantasy-land being fuzzy on the tricky bitscan motivate you in the present moment Choose yourmind-set ndash choose your feelings ndash choose to be optimisticThey are your thoughts in your head therefore you canchange them While you are exercising tell yourself you areenjoying the exercise ndash think useful and helpful thoughts

Perform a variety of exercises and activities Engage inutilitarian activities such as walking to the store walkingthe dog or catching up on yard work Try new activitiesyou think you may enjoy Consider less traditional forms ofexercise like kayaking urban hiking (sliacute na slainte) or par-ticipating in sports leagues like tag rugbynight owlleagues Check to see if your company offers wellness in-centive programs fitness facilities or corporate sportscompetitions Perhaps you could organise lunch time orafter work exercise sessions for staff Plan and train for anadventure vacation (eg walk the Camino in Spain) orsports event (participate in a triathlon) Learn about thesenew activities by reading an instructional book look at yourlocal papers joining a training group or hiring a personaltrainer

If do not feel like working out agree to yourself to have avery short light workout Quite often after getting readyand warming up you will find enough motivation to pushthrough a full workout If you miss your scheduled workoutrealise not all is lost Forgive yourself and re-evaluate yourbehavioural plan Adjust your strategies to prevent futuredrop outs and recommit to your program Develop a back-up plan in case of unforeseen circumstances Agree not touse your back up plan unless absolutely necessary If youhave not successfully stuck to your program in the pastanalyse past obstacles and implement new strategies toovercome these barriers

Step 6 Go Easy on Yourself We are our own worst critics With this in mind it is easyto see how we can be downright cruel to ourselves if weare stumbling along the path of reaching our goals If youstumble or fall off of the goal-setting wagon you shouldnever give up hope or faith in yourself Remember everysingle human stumbles along the pathway towards attain-ing their exercise goals ndash cut yourself a little bit of slackrecognise the stumble or blip for what it is and ensure thatyou can get right back on track to hitting those goals

Getting back on track can certainly prove to be a chal-lenge for even the most determined goal-setter however ifyou have your support system in place and you also haveyour mind set in the right place then you will be able to getright back up and keep on forging on to meet your goalsEnlist your support structure to help you get back on trackDonrsquot be afraid to lean on the members of your supportteam when you need them ndash that is what they are there forThere are pretty good odds also that at least one memberof your support team knows what it feels like to stumblealong the way and they may be able to provide you with alist of tips to help you get back on the goal-attainingtreadmill

In SummaryRemind clients that it is not so important where they aretoday as it is where they will be tomorrow Certainly theydo not need to implement every strategy outlined in thisarticle Start out with the techniques they believe will havethe most impact in their adherence to their programmefind activities they find fun and convenient set goals startout gradually monitor their progress perform a variety ofexercises and activities use diversions (they control theirthoughts) and utilise social support Ask them to startthinking of themselves as an exerciser and not a specta-tor Have them set a goal enlist a friend mark it on theircalendar and have some fun Theyrsquoll be setting themselvesup for a lifetime of better health more happiness andmore energy for everything else in their lifeCiara Losty is a lecturer in Sports amp Exercise Psychology atWaterford Institute of Technology (WIT) For information onthe new MSc in Applied Sport amp Exercise Psychologycontact clostywitie



The Pros1 Will CrossFit improve your body composition Justhave a look at the CrossFit games and observe the condi-tion of the athletes They are in phenomenal shape Bothmale and female have really good muscle mass andoptimal body fat percentages

2 Will CrossFit improve your cardiovascular fitnessCrossFit exercises normally lasts for about 30 minutesAnd this 30-minute routine will not only make your musclesweary it will also increase your cardiovascular fortitudeand there is absolutely no doubting that

3 Are the exercises worthwhile When you find a goodldquoboxrdquo or gym with a really good coach some of the lifts youlearn are absolutely fantastic and will hugely increase yourperformance You can learn all the olympic lifts learn howto jump optimally and this can help you to develop in to areally explosive individual

4 Will CrossFit help you develop a good applicationtowards training The programs will require you to per-form training routines that encompass Olympic weightlift-ing powerlifting callisthenics gymnastics sprintsplyometrics and a few hard-to-categorize exercises likerope climbingmdash the workouts are short intense and con-stantly changing This can help you improve your mindsettowards training and can make you mentally tough

The Cons1 CrossFit has exploded over the last 5 years With thisyou now have a lot of CrossFit boxes and CrossFitcoaches You can qualify as a CrossFit coach with a lessthan rigorous assessment and open your own facility aftera 2 day affiliation course That is not good

2 Safety All workouts given by a coach need to be safeThat is the priority Before you even contemplate improvingbody composition or performance that is the be all andend all However some of CrossFits workouts do not fall into this safe category For a coachtrainer that is an abso-lute no go

3 Form and technique is king when it comes to trainingDue to the nature of CrossFits workouts most of their rou-tines are measured with time This encourages your com-petitive trainee to compromise technique in order toachieve good times Compromising technique is somethingthat should never happen

4 Lack of progression Due to the never repeating na-ture of the programming it is difficult if not impossible totrack your main lifts You can not tell if your strength orspeed is improving if you never repeat protocols All pro-grammes needs to have progressive overload It is crucial

Hopefully based on what I have stated above you willnow be able to make an educated decision as towhether or not CrossFit is for you Please choose yourfacility and coach very very wisely

Crossfithelliphellipeasily one of the most hotlydiscussed and debated training methods ofthe last 10 years

What is CrossFit

CrossFit programmes claim to enhance all areas of totalbody fitness including strength agility power flexibilitycardiovascular health and more They are designed to bescalable meeting the needs of individuals from all walks oflife and they are also designed to be variable so that notwo workouts are exactly the same

What do Cross-Fit workoutsentail

Hour-long class-es at affiliatedgyms or box-es typically in-clude awarm-up a skilldevelopmentsegment thehigh-intensityworkout of theday (or WOD)and a period ofindividual or

group stretching delivered by a CrossFit Coach Someboxes also often have a strength focused movement priorto the WOD Performance on each WOD is often scoredandor ranked to encourage competition and to track indi-vidual progress Some affiliates offer additional classessuch as Olympic weightlifting which are not centeredaround a WOD

The CrossFit Games have been held every summersince 2007 Participation and sponsorship have grownrapidly the prize money awarded to each first-place maleand female increased from $500 at the inaugural Games to$250000 in 2011-2013 Winning the 2013 ReebokCrossFit Games now nets $275000 Athletes at theGames compete in workouts they learn about only hoursbeforehand sometimes including surprise elements thatare not part of the typical CrossFit regimen past examplesinclude a rough-water swim and a softball throw TheGames are styled as a venue for determining the Fitteston Earth where competitors should be ready for any-thing So the fittest on earthhellip a bold statement to say theleast

I am going to discuss the pros and cons of the CrossFitsystem and let you make up your own mind in it as atraining system Remember a detailed screening shouldbe performed with all clients before introducing a newprogramme and all exercises should be customised tothe clients ability

Aidan ShanahanPICP LEVEL 2 NASM CPTSPORTS THERAPIST


HIIT ndash High Intensity Interval Training

HIIT has become immensely popular in recent times as amethod of training but what exactly it is Well in short itrsquosperforming exercises using short intervals of maximum orclose to maximum effort with rest periods built in betweeneach work period The now famous Tabata protocol wouldbe a great example HIIT where you work at maximum ef-fort for 20 seconds followed by 10 seconds rest and com-plete 8 rounds Like all training protocols there are Pro andCons lets look at them

HIIT ndash Pros

HIIT is often thought of as a training protocol for athletesfor the very fit general population however this not entirelytrue You can manipulate HIIT to suit deconditioned clientsand still reap the rewards of this exercise protocol So HIITcan be thought of as a training tool to suit allAnother huge Pro of HIIT is that you can train using it withno equipment just using your own body weight you canperform a hugely demanding training session have a lookat the bodyweight program at the end of this article and tryit at home

Current research will tell you that HIIT training is beneficialfor increasing your metabolism improving your VO2 maxand reducing your body fat So for weight loss HIIT hashuge benefits and has become the protocol of choice forhelping clients reduce weight and get fit and has shownitself to be a more powerful choice than traditional steadystate aerobic based training

HIIT is such a versatile protocol it can be included as partof your overall strength session at either the beginning orend of your session to provide a metabolic boost or it canmake up the main part of your training program for a partic-ular session for an intense workout

As already mentioned you perform HIIT with little or noequipment thus meaning little space is also required Asmall space somewhere in your house and your body-weight and you can give yourself one hell of an intenseworkout

A HIIT workout can be performed using many differenttools Kettlebells Medicine balls Suspension trainersDumbbells Barbells Skip ropes Resistance bands andSandbags are all tools that can be used in isolation are mixup a session by using 2 or more of these

HIIT ndash Cons

1 A poorly planned and manipulated HIIT workout canleave you or your client with a nasty shock HIIT is noteasy so itrsquos important the workout is customised to yourclients level of fitness For example asking a deconditioned client to perform a demanding HIIT sessionmay turn them off ever using it again Please ensure you

Brian SamsonUEFA A Coach Strength amp ConditioningSpecialist Personal Trainer

screen all clients Start with short periods of work maybe10 seconds and longer rest periods2 When planning your workout remember that HIIT is allabout performing it at a high intensity Often this methodof training can be abused in that the work periods are toolong with too short rest periods and a very long sessionmeans it becomes more of an endurance or even aerobicstyle workout and some of the benefits of HIIT thereforecan be missed

Workouts

Here are three sample workouts you can try out

Bodyweight ndash perform each exercise for 20 sec-onds with a 40 second rest period The intensityfor the work period is maximal effort Performeach exercise one after another and try 3rounds

1 Power lunges2 Plyometric Push ups3 Burpees4 Squat jumps5 Mountain climbers

Beginner Complex ndash A complex is 2 or moreexercises performed back to back So you willmove from one to the other with no rest and pref-erably using the same training tool Perform thiscomplex using a set of dumbbells Start with 3rounds and progress once your client has adapt-ed Progress by adding exercises sets or reduc-ing the rest time

1 Alternating Lunges2 Romanian Deadlift3 Shoulder Press

Advanced Interval Training

Herersquos a workout using a number of differenttools Start by performing each exercise for 30seconds with 30 seconds rest Perform 4 roundsfor a demanding 20 minute workout

1 Kettlebell swings2 Dumbbell push press3 TRX pike4 Barbell Front squats5 Slam balls


totally worth it I teach 10-13 Fitness Classes a weekSurfat least once a week and so I thought I was fit To say Iwas humbled is an understatement but I was committed tocompleting the 60 days You must firstly complete a Fit-ness Test and I remember doing 40 Power Jumps in 60seconds and feeling exhausted However on my last fit-test I did 80 Power Jumps in the 60 seconds period I stillthink its Insane but that is how much I had improved Shaun T trains you to DIG DEEPER and thats what bringsyou to a whole new level of Fitness

It really is hard for me to find something negative to sayabout Insanityreg but as a Group Fitness Instructor working6 days a week I know that I was not giving my bodyenough recovery time Hence I would get niggles in thelower back and tightness in the hamstring and glutes Myadvice to Fitness Professionals would be to try this workoutin the summer months which are traditionally quiet in ourindustry I know I will start my next Insanityreg Adventure inJuly 2014 If this is your workout styleif you arecompetitive and if you want to be dripping in sweat thenyou have got to try it

Having taken part in athletics through primary andsecondary school I still feel the competitive spirit is inmeWith Insanityreg I thoroughly enjoyed the PlyometricSport Drills and Circuit Style Training because it remindedme of m training days

Again the Insanityreg DVDs will probably not be everyonescup of tea especially those that like low intensity or dislikesports but for the right personality fit its an effective wayto get in shape see results and build a strong foundationof fitness

If I could offer any other advice to the readers outthere it would be this

1 A detailed screening section is built into the DVDworkout so advise all clients to complete this beforecommencing the workouts2 Do your workouts with a buddy - be accountable tosomeone3 Share your workouts with Facebook friends andyourwebsite

Insanityreg is the next level in High Intensity Interval Trainingand to do this programme you have got to commit to get gitand never ever quit

Insanityreg the 60 Day Workout

I first learned about The Insanityreg Workout from a workcolleague back in 2010 I said to myself maybe this wasjust another Fitness Fad but when I watched aninfomercial I knew instantly this was a programme Iwanted to experience

Insanityreg was created by an retired Track amp Field star andworld famous workout guru - Shaun Thompson or ShaunT as he is known to his fan baseShaun T designed this Fitness Programme especially forBeachbodytrade LLC (A California-based company whocreated some of the nations most popular fitness andweight loss solutions) If you are familiar with Beachbodytradeand the workout programmes itheir famous for ie P90XTurbo Fire Hip Hop Abs you will already know they like todo things differently and really extreme Insanityreg is aworkout that is not only extreme its the next level

When I tell people about Insanityreg I think about the paintproduct Ronseal and the saying it does exactly what issays on the tin Thats what Insanityreg is Its Insane andmaybe just maybe it really is the hardest DVD workoutever released

The Programme

The Insanityreg programme Insanityreg consists of a plethoraof different workouts each targeting a different section ofthe individuals fitness requirementsThe programme isdivided into two months consisting ofCardioAbdominalResistance and Flexibility training Itreally is a complete one-stop shopping in regards towhole-body fitness In my opinion Insanityreg ticks all theboxes when it comes to dedicated individuals who areserious about getting into the best shape of their lives

I was very impressed with the meal plan and howBeachbodytrade educated me on not only the importance ofeating healthy but also how we can fuel the body for HighIntensity Interval TrainingThe meal plan is very detailedand preparation is very important as the meals will taketime to buy prepare and cook

Who Is Insanityreg Best Suited For

Insanityreg wasnrsquot designed for people that want a stroll inthe park or indeed the faint hearted Like all Beachbodytradeworkout systems itrsquos meant for dedicated individuals whoare truly serious about their training If you are a FitnessFreak like me then this is the programme for you

On March 3rd 2013 I read on Shaun Ts Facebook Pagethat he was doing an Insanityreg Challenge for his 35thBirthday and he wanted as many of his Facebook followersto do the 60 - Day workout I also had turned 35 thatFebruary so I was up for the challenge I am proud to saythat I completed my 60-day Insanityreg workout but I putmy body through intense effort Was it worth it It was

Jason WalsheDirectorOwner Jason Walshe Fitnesswwwjasonwalsheie


NUTRITION

Winter is a time when many of us start catching coughs colds and lsquoflu Christmas excess changes intemperature and too many comfort foods in front of the fire can all take their toll Just being busier canexpose us to more germs than usual so helping your own defences can make a difference in keepingyou sniffle-free into the spring

There are lots of supplements and lsquosuperfoodsrsquo out there that claim to boost your immune system andhelp you to avoid colds but do any of them actually work We take a look at the key foods andsupplements to help you breeze through the winter

1 Vitamin C Vitamin C is well known as a cold pre-venter but you need to be careful where you get itTaking large doses of vitamin C as a supplement maynot be healthy long-term ndash studies show that peoplewho take large amounts of vitamin C as a supplementactually end up getting more cancer For this reasonfocusing on food is a better approach Fruit andvegetables are the best place to get vitamin C but youmay not always feel like sitting down to a salad midwinter A glass of orange juice in the morning will giveyou a vitamin C boost and adding plenty of vegetablesto your plate at dinner or a warm bowl of vegetablesoup to lunch will keep you topped up Aim to havevegetables make up 13 of your lunch and 13 of yourdinner and going for variety will also help Think colourndash green and yellow and orange and redhellip

2 Zinc Zinc is another vital nutrient for the immunesystem helping you to fight colds and infections It isalso very good for healthy skin and strong shiny hairOne of the best places to get zinc is fish Almost alltypes of fish are rich in zinc and but shellfish areespecially rich Shellfish are one of the best places topick up zinc as well as minerals like selenium andeven iron Did you know that mussels have more ironthan beef and oysters will give you 6 times your dailyrecommended amount of zinc Try to have fish at leasttwice a week ndash tinned or fresh You will also pick uplots of zinc in beef and adding nuts and seeds to cere-als salads and yogurts will help top you up

3 Probiotics Probiotics wonrsquot stop you from catchinga cold but studies show that taking a probiotic can helpshorten a cold and make it less severe A typical coldlasts about 10 days but if you regularly take aprobiotic you can shorten this to just three days Liveprobiotics (rather than freeze-dried tablets) seem towork best so try one of the lsquolittle bottlesrsquo or yoghurts inyour supermarket Do check the label for the word


NUTRITION 4 Protein Protein is the main building

block of your immune system ndash without protein noth-ing will make a difference to how you feel Look for

protein in all kinds of meat chicken fish eggs and beansMake sure you have protein at lunch and at dinner everyday

If you are vegetarian you need to eat beans or lentils or nuts atbreakfast lunch and dinner everyday

5 Echinicea This helpful herbal supplement has been shown tohelp avoid or shorten coughs and colds You can buy it in pharmaciesusually as a liquid that you add to water It doesnrsquot work if you take it allthe time so save it for when you need it People often use it if they comein contact with someone who has a cold or if they feel one starting them-selves Talk to your pharmacist if you are taking any other medication be-fore you start to use it

6 Onions Not the first thing that you think of when you want toboost immunity but onions give a boost to a type of immune cell called aphagocyte Phagocytes are very like lsquopac-man (if you are old enough toremember that gamehellip) and they basically gobble any germs that comeinto your body When you eat onions you make more phagcytes helpingyou to stay infection-free

7 Garlic No article on immunity would be complete without mention-ing garlic Garlic has anti-bacterial anti-viral and anti-fungal effects so it isa powerful ally in the fight against infection And not just because no onewill come near you when you eat it (although that might helphellip) Com-pounds in garlic target bacteria and viruses and one well-known way toavoid a cold is to chew a clove of garlic for 5 minutes at the first sign of asniffle or scratchy throat If this is beyond you you can always just addgarlic to soups stews and casseroles and boost it that way

8 Rest Once you have given your immune system everything it needsto be at its best you then need to rest so it has a chance to build it inThere is no point eating a healthy diet if you never give your body achance to use the nutrients Rest is very important in helping to avoidcoughs and colds and indeed most illnesses Your immune systemneeds to repair and update itself on a daily basis and it needs lots of sleepand rest to do this Did you know that humans sleep on average 1 frac12hours less per night than we did 100 years ago And recent studies havefound that sleeping less than 7 hours per night is linked with increases inweight dementia heart disease and cancer Aim for at least 8 hourssleep a night (but take 9 if you can get it) And try to be in bed before10pm as you get your best quality of sleep before mid-night You shouldalso try to rest during the day ndash not necessarily sleep but even take 20minutes at lunch to read the paper and relax

What about traditional remedies A very traditional Irish remedy for a coldis a hot honey and lemon drink Did you know this actually will help Lem-on is a natural decongestant and honey will help to boost your immunesystem the heat will loosen mucus making you feel better and the lemonis rich in vitamin C Honey is also naturally antiseptic so it can help to clearyour cold If you can look for natural flower honey they can have probiot-ics that can also help to boost your immunity

And finallyhellipwash your hands Mostcolds are spread by touch so the bestway to avoid one ndash or to avoid passingyours on ndash is to wash your handsregularly and especially if you arearound anyone who has a cold


Winter is truly here and its cold outside so now is theperfect time to try Hot Yoga The hot room is alwayswarm and inviting and is the perfect winter warmerworkout

Yoga is a low impact physical activity taught in a groupclass setting which uses stretching and holding postures topromote flexibility muscular endurance balance and con-trol Some people choose to fully embrace the yoga life-style looking for the holistic union of the body mind andspirit There are several types of yoga styles such as In-venyar Vinyasa Hatha Astanga to name but a few

What is hot yoga

Hot yoga started about 50 years ago and is described as aclass of any form of yoga style or combination of stylesconducted in a hot room The temperature of the room canrange between 300 to 400C (850 to 1050F) depending onthe type of hot yoga being taught Humidity is also kept atabout 40

Types of Hot Yoga

1 Bikram Yoga is a challenging 26 asana (posture) se-ries Itrsquos the most popular form of hot yoga in Ireland withseveral studios throughout the country offering this special-ised yoga class (Dublin Kildare Cork Galway Limerick ampAthlone) Itrsquos a 90 minute practice in a room heated to400C (1050F) and at 40 humidity The class consists of26 postures and 2 breathing exercises which are alwaysconducted in the same set sequence

ldquoThis series of postures begins by waking up the body andexpanding the lungs through deep breath work that pumpsfresh oxygen into the circulatory systemhelliphelliphelliphellipThe se-ries continues to work systematically through the bodyleaving not one organ bone joint muscle ligament ten-don blood vessel nerve or gland unattendedrdquoBoss Yoga Studio 2013

2 Forrest Yoga is a method developed specifically to ad-dress physical and emotional current day stresses andchallenges Itrsquos taught in a hot room at 270C (800F) andfocuses on breath strength integrity amp spirit using yogasequences to go deeper build strength and promote heal-ing (GKinane 2013)

3 Vinyasa Yoga incorporates postures that are se-quenced to flow into each other synchronising flowingmovements with breathing also called power yoga the hot

MIND B

ODY

version is conducted in a room heated to 300320C (850-900F)

4 Hatha Hot Yoga - Hatha Yoga postures conducted in aroom heated at 300 to 400C (850 to 1050F) Class durationand posture sequences may varyBenefits of Hot Yoga

1 Itrsquos suitable for most people regardless of age or fitnesslevels2 The heated environment increases your circulation andmetabolism and also improves tissue elasticity3 The calorie burn per class is estimated at between 500to 1000 calories ndash depending on the individual (J Wells2013)4 During the class the reduced muscle and myofascialstiffness allows an increased and more efficient range ofmotion so that you can get deeper into the postures with-out injury5 The heat also reduces the viscosity of synovial fluidhelping to lubricate the joints more efficiently improvingcushioning allowing nutrients to get to the cartilage and forsmall particles of debris to be reabsorbed6 The long term benefits of hot yoga include improvedflexibility and muscular endurance with increased leanmuscle tissue and weight loss all of which contribute to theprevention of injuries7 It also helps improve circulation including peripheralcirculation which improves oxygen supply to all organsand tissues of the body whilst allowing the body to removemetabolic wastes more efficiently (B Satalkar 2011)8 It helps to enhance mood and the feeling of well beingand can reduce anxiety and depression

My hot yoga experience

Having never done any form of yoga ever I attempted myfirst Bikram yoga class in 2008 thinking how hard can itbe Itrsquos only yoga in a hot room lsquo

OMG ndash Irsquom sweating amp wersquore only breathing ndash youwant me to do what ndash lsquoGo back Way back Morebackrsquo - are you for real - Irsquove never put my headthere before - bend which way ndash ah jaysus I thinkmy heart is about to explodehellip I think Irsquom going tovomithelliprsquo

B Lawlor 2008

These were just a few of the repeatable thoughts thatpassed through my head in that first class and occasional-ly even now (260ish classes later)


My hot yoga experience contd

Bikram Yoga is one of the hardest workouts that Irsquove everdone and Irsquove had some toughies - forced route marchesover mountains (Army) marathons (Dublin twice) andmountain marathons (Wicklow amp Mourne) to name but a few

So why do I go back for more - Well my heart didnrsquotexplode and I havenrsquot vomited (yet) At first it was becauseI had paid euro49 for the introductory offer and wanted to getvalue for money Then I started to notice that within a fewhours of the class I would feel really fantastic I was sleepingbetter had more energy I was feeling better about myselfand better able to cope with life I know that these sideeffects are not just unique to Bikram Yoga but for me Irealise now that my training had dwindled and gone stalebut Bikram yoga helped me to refocus my time and energyon my training needs and wellbeing

Physical Benefits

As for the physical benefits since June 2012 by going toclassesin BossYogaStudioMay-noothconsist-ently(two plusclassesa week)I havelost 6kggainedlean muscle tissue improved my body shape muscularendurance and flexibility My knees hips back and shoul-ders have improved pain free range of motion and thearches in my feethave regained theirshape I have a histo-ry of painful patellartracking in bothknees from years ofpounding the roads amphills and neglectingmy flexibility andthrough years of fo-cusing on grossmovement exerciserather than the moresubtle art of muscleactivation amp controlBecause of hot yogaI am now able to trainfor and complete half marathons and am still able to tackleany stairs afterwards with pain free knees no longer hav-ing that crunching grinding pain of the patella scrapingacross the femur

Recently Irsquove been adding variety and intensity to my yogapractice by doing Hot Hatha and Ghosh Intermediateclasses and they have made a huge difference to mystrength and flexibility in the Bikram classes

Hot Hatha is a 75 minute class that uses postures similarto those in Bikram but holds each posture for longer withonly one set of each

Some Hot Yoga Tips

1 Hydrate before amp after each class not only replacingwater but you need to replace electrolytes also (usuallyavailable to buy at studios)2 Try not to eat a meal for about 2 hours before class itwill affect how you feel and perform in the hot room3 Wear comfortable stretchy clothing (lycracotton mixvests shorts or leggings) avoid too many clothes but domaintain your modesty making sure that nothing pops outGuys avoid baggy shorts or wear cycling shorts underthem4 Bring your own towel amp mat for the class and a separatetowel for the shower afterwards (usually available to hire orbuy at studios)5 Listen to the very detailed instruction and apply it6 Take each class and each posture within the class as itcomes - try to live in the moment even if itrsquos just for the 90minutes7 Last but not least - Always listen to your body you neverknow one day you might hear it and actually do what itrsquosasking you to do

So go on challenge yourself try something new itcould be life changing

Namaste References available upon request

Linda in Triangle Pose

Linda in Rabbit Pose

Mitch in Awkward Pose

Bikram Yoga Class Savasna Pose


The PT Road

The roads to becoming a lsquoPersonal Trainerrsquo are as varied asthere are trainers The road to burnouthellipIn the early days there was vision a mission Looking back itseemed easy natural unquestionable With a love of not just thework but of the greater ideology there was a flow to it all

I was lucky enough to grow up with an activity loving mindset thewant to be moving playing and doing and siblings and neigh-bours to play ball - any kind of ball - tennis football - just gener-ally be outdoors and moving Taking that into adulthood it is akind of Holy Grail Going from childhood sports and watching allkinds of sports with a serious sport fan father to adolescent com-petitive pursuits the option of forging through college in a relatedfield towards a career is WOWWhat NOT be a civil servant or Nurse or any other lsquosensiblersquocareer Make a living from a childhood hobby Yes Please

Is bringing that love and passion enough Some taking the pathas in most things in life have a greater force their lsquoeye on theprizersquo kind of strategic ability while with others I believe its more acase of following their heart with a faith that the pieces will fallfavourably

And so the paths are varied None is inherently the lsquorightrsquo orlsquowrongrsquo one The Path to Personal Trainer just isArduous study along with growing up being exposed to newnessnot found in a sleepy hometown is all part of any journey towardcareer and into adulthood But vision passion and faith keep thebody and soul moving forward All of those things (which we of-ten are not aware of) the image will always well just be At theyoung age there is no thought of that energy drive and motiva-tion not being tip top someday There is no reason to fast for-ward to a day or imagine when the ability to continue along thischosen path seems at best mediocre lsquoIt will always be sorsquo theinnocence of youth tells us Praise be for that blissful ignorance

The reality being being a Personal Trainer is largely (and I maystand corrected on this) one based on drive passion for healthactivity fitness And People The joy of people and personalcontact drives us to become Personal Trainers The personali-ties challenges and the hard work the non-compliant client theearly mornings and irregular income It is all from passion andfaith

Daily Groundog Day

When then does the lsquogoing to do work I loversquo become lsquodailygrindGroundhog dayrsquo That wasnrsquot in the planhellip

PERSONAL TRAINING (PT)


When passion turns to pedestrianinterest when the love and passion be-come lsquoshould dorsquo and lsquoought tosrsquo there issomething amiss

The morning start becomes arduous theClient list may drop off (or have alreadydropped off due to any number of outsidecircumstances) The thing is PersonalTraining is hard work Take any day foryou as a trainer You will encounter obvi-ously a number of clients Each humanbeing comes bringing their own lsquostoryrsquo -thoughts wishes fears worries emotionsof that day with them As their traineryou have a plan for the session But allhuman interactions are two way streetsand you as trainer bring your thoughtsemotions etc with you too And on thatsubtle yet powerful level what we thenhave is the meeting of say - the argumentat breakfast some financial fears familystresses or the clientrsquos low motivationfear if the scales arenrsquot down some weightand voila What a combination with justONE client All of these emotions andenergies are playing out and as the train-er you are having to create and execute asuccessful session for this client And thenext and the next And tomorrow andnext week and so on All of this is energythat youthe trainer are using up or givingout from your lsquostorersquo This outward pour-ing of not just the physical and mentalbut emotional energy day upon day yearupon year can easily deplete the innerenergy Chi life force of any trainerGiven this what manner of training domany (most) trainers engage in them-selves

Energy Replenishment

By and large with activities which are out-ward expressions of energy and Cataton-ic (energy depleting) in nature - weightlifting endurance aerobic pursuits orcompetitive sports With these activitiesenergy is being expelled from the bodyand what about energy replenishment

It is undisputed that slow movement lowintensity activities which engage bothbody and mind in an integrated fashionare cultivators of energy life force or ChiBy this I mean that they are Anabolic in-somuch as they draw energy into yourbody which is much like filling up yourcarrsquos petrol tank These type of activitiesare really a must for any and all humanbeings but more so for those spendinglarge quantities of physical mental andemotional energy in their line of work eve-ry day of the week But how many of ustake time to just walk slowly in naturealong a beach or in a wood Just breath-ing How many take Yoga classes prac-tice meditation or mindfulness to quietenour minds and bodies and just stop for awhile Does any course of study whichbrings us into this line of work touch onthis as an area of importance for trainerlongevity Is there a module out there onlsquoHow to Not Burn Outrsquo

Like a fire burning brightly it will soon ex-tinguish without fuel or oxygen being

constantly fed inwards Like us if weconstantly give our energy physical andmental and do not cultivate it back in-wards we too will hellipburnout Full stop

Burnout - The Signs

And when it comes there are always thestriking signs The morning lazinessnot really wanting to wake and be up lessenergy or motivation Or being up and atit but not the same liveliness or buzz asused to be Waking after the alarm (andseveral snoozes) rather than being awakebefore it goes off Perhaps sleep doesnrsquotcome as easily at night or it does but isbroken and a sense of not having restedas you awaken Coffeesugar stimulantsprop up your day more and more andwhatrsquos more they donrsquot hamper your abili-ty to at least fall asleep Your once ener-gising jog leaves you a heap ofexhaustion Thatrsquos because you Are Ex-hausted Burnt-out or at the very leastwell down the road to exhaustion Itrsquostime to STOP when the love and pas-sion for training your client becomes andticked box or lsquojustrsquo your income then MissBurnOut has entered the building

Slow down amp Stop

What to do Slow down at the veryleast if at all possible stop Take a breaka few days or more off Sleep RestSpeak As trainers we are so used to be-ing the go to person for others subtly webecome listeners solvers lsquotakersrsquo of oth-ersrsquo stresses and strains So we in turnmust open up and have someone else-family friend or even a kind professional- listen to our innermost thoughts needsand turmoils If sleep has become dis-rupted then this is the very first place tostart Knock the afternoon coffee on thehead bathe before bedtime create asanctuary for your self and your mind willbegin to ease Exercise little and slowly

As unaccustomised as you may be tolsquoslowing downrsquo you must Walk in natureas mentioned earlier in quietness withgood uplifting company - someone whois there to listen to youPlay Us human being adults are quiteawful at playing Do something thatmakes time stand still for you - jigsawpuzzles playing catch with your dog fair-ies and make-believe with your childrenBe silly Be fun Watch yourself ease upenergise and renew

Take Stock - Sleep

Take stock Sometimes our career pathschange Life has itrsquos own plan for ussometimes But when exhaustion comesit comes to give us a wake-up call Timeto re-address our life balance work andrest Our values and our motivations canand do change as we journey through lifeThis I am learning myself Each day isnrsquotexactly as we might have planned Hellsometimes a whole year or even two canbe throw into dissarray with an unexpect-ed life changing event And still we tryto lsquocarry onrsquo because that is what we do Isay this because I know Two majorfamily illnesses a family death a move toanother county and still I didnrsquot stop Iknow now because my own body told meso With broken sleep stresses of self-employment in a slowed economy andfinally my body told me that the one morething it couldnrsquot do Perhaps this finalpiece was my body and soul saying - timeto rest we canrsquot do your lsquocarry on regard-lessrsquo act any more

STOP I slept Full dream filled restfulsleep My body said no Time to re-ne-gotiate with the only body and soul I haveTime to re-kindle that fire


RESEARCH

Above Tagging of key moments during a recorded gamefor reviewing later by the coachBelow Sideline Analysts

Complementing the top class sports facilities at UL is theemergence of some of the most innovative and world leadingsport related research and services Video notationalperformance analysis is a relatively new discipline whichemerged worldwide over the last decade as many more sportsturned professional and additional detailed analysis of move-ment and tactics are being utilised Dr Ian Kenny Lecturer inBiomechanics has established a Video Performance AnalysisAcademy (VPAA) at the University of Limerick providing theonly academic facility of its kind in Ireland With a team of 20experienced analysts Ian has worked directly with squadsand sports individuals providing a video analysis service thathelps to effectively improve performance when used inconjunction with existing coaching structures The VPAA teamprovide a video notational analysis service which subsequentto a training session or game can offer key indicators ofmovement patterns performedstatistics for different plays andskills executed and high definition edited video of all theseevents for the coach to use

The service is growing increasingly popular in IrelandHockey rugby soccer and Gaelic games are the biggest cli-ents currently in Ireland The Academy have serviced an in-creasing number of clubs with clients including MunsterRugby Academy Limerick FC Limerick Hurling and FootballUL Basketball World Handball Championships European Ol-ympic Handball League and Boxing They provide detailedtailored match and player reports for the coach within 48hours of the game and push key reference video clips ontothe internet for players to download to their phones and lap-tops to review in their own time

Video notational performance analysis is a key element of thetaught MSc programme in lsquoSports Performancersquo at UL PhDresearchers Laura-Anne Furlong and Sarah Breen have ledthis taught element on the MSc and brings the studentsthrough to attain International Society for Performance Analy-sis in Sports (ISPAS) accreditation Both BSc and MSc disser-tation students have recently worked on data for Irish Hockeyprovinces and the GAA (Handball) to help inform coachesabout competition movement demands

Working with a number of UL and county sport teams theservice aims to improve coaching player feedback methodsand performance and models itself on successful perform-ance centres around the world Although it has a financiallyviable model the Academy was not designed to run a profitrather it has introduced a key new discipline to teaching andresearch within PESS It helps pay for equipment and analysttime and training for PESS students to progress to a career invideo performance analysis

Above Camera setup for pitch-side analysis

For further information please contact Dr Ian Kennyiankennyulie


BOXERCISE INSTRUCTORPROFILE

After years of working in the retailindustry I finally decided to pursuemy passion and returned to college tobecome a personal trainer Since2012 I have been working as apersonal trainer in Dublin Whilst itwas unnerving making a careerchange in my late twenties the deci-sion to return to college was one thatI was glad I made and Irsquove neverlooked back Fitness is not only mypassion but it is now my life I lovethe health and fitness industry as itallows me to meet all types of peopleand help optimise their fitness healthand lifestyle

One of my personal goals as a traineris to continually educate myself in allthe current trends in the industry as well as be able to offer my clientelea choice of options to help them improve their fitness I believe it is im-portant to stay up to date with exercise trends to meet my clientrsquos wantsand needs

One of the courses that I completed was Boxercise which has been oneof the best choices I have made It is always in demand with my clientsand covers all elements needed for a great overall workout No matterif it is a class of 20 or an individual client I can rely on the methodstaught in this course to instruct my clients

With Boxercise my clients are learning newskills as well as improving balance strengthcoordination movement and best of all lettinggo of unwanted tension or stress of daily life When my client completes their session red-cheeked sweaty but with a huge smile ontheir face I know I have done my job

I am currently working freelance in Dublinwith Powerhouse Fitness amp University CollegeDublin but teaching Boxercise has given methe confidence to go it on my own and startmy own classes I have now launched TomDalton Fitness and actively encourage my cli-ents to embrace Boxercise as an all-roundform of exercise to help burn fat and combatstress

I would highly recommend this particularcourse to trainers interested in teaching it asthe instructors were fantastic Their passionand enthusiasm is contagious plus their levelof knowledge is next to none with regard tothe safety aspect of Boxercise and its corevalues One thing that I would stress is thesupport I have received after I have taken thecourse The master trainers have made them-selves readily available for any questions andI have found them a pillar of support as Imaster my craft in this particular field

As a personal trainer it is important for me tostay on top of my game so I can offer myclients more and continue to grow in thisindustry


The power of Social Media reallypresented itself to me in the summerof 2013 when I noticed some verywell informed fitness professionals inan on-line conversation about a newdance programme called FIT-STEPS Having written about fit-ness for many years I hadpreviously reported on all areas ofdance fitness so I was instantly in-

trigued However this programme wasnrsquot just about thewriting this was to be much more physical Within thehour I had booked flights for one of the last remaining plac-es on instructor training in Manchester I was goingdancingStrictly Come DancingEach year on the TV show Strictly Come Dancing starstaking part get a chance to step out of their comfort zonesand balance their already busy professional schedules withdance lessons learning choreography with the newlsquosignificantrsquo other in their lives - their professional dancepartner It never takes long for the celebs to start enjoying

the benefits including weight loss and enhanced bodytone due to the hours of rehearsing and performing Manyleave the show in the best shape of their lives

What is Fit steps Created by Strictly professional dancers Natalie Lowe andIan Waite with the fitness influence of professional swimmerMark Foster FITSTEPS brings classic Latin and Ballroomdances together into the world of fitness The proventechniques principles postures and energy ensures thatboth exercise and dance is createdThe lsquoWaite Lowe amp Fosterrsquo trio completely personify theblend of dance and fitness All are role models in everyway At a recent master class in Dublin Ian Waite told theclass that whilst he had been a regular at lots of fitnessclasses it had really been dancing which had given him hisfitness strength and conditioning It had therefore been adream of both his and Nataliersquos to bring dance into thefitness world in this format The super fit Mark Fosterwitnessed his own fitness accelerate during dance trainingfor the show which just adds to the fitness authenticity atthe very foundations of the programme


TheFitsteps

WorkoutThe nature of the

work-out distracts theparticipants from the

physical intensityParticipants are surprised and

euphoric at how hard they workand it never seems to be a chore

Whilst the athletic ones may at firstseem to gallop as they learn thesteps those with dance experienceglide across the floor Whethergalloping or gliding the enthusiasm ishigh and the sense of achievementwhen steps improve is contagiousFITSTEPS is proving itself in a veryshort time to have a credible place inour industry and has just been rankedNumber One in the physical activitiesfor lsquopeople who donrsquot like sport (Sportand Recreation Alliance ndashwwwsportandrecreationorgukSo here is something that is reachingout to and interesting those who maynot be in to other forms of groupfitness With continued concernsabout inactivity in both UK andIreland FITSTEPS could hold the keyto getting some people simplylsquomovingrsquo to a wide variety of musicwhich goes with each of the danceIreland is a nation of music lovers and

I amfindingthatsomearecomingto classfor thelove ofthemusicthegenresof whichtheywouldnrsquot

find on the gym floorThe dance moves involved in theinitial class format are some of thevery same which the chosencelebrities learn when they first signup for Strictly Come Dancing It is onlywhen they started to master thesethat their professional partner willteach them the choreographedroutines

Fitsteps Instructor TrainingIn initial instructor training you willlearn four dances ndash the cha cha thewaltz the jive and the quickstepYou will soon find out that the

GROUP FITNESS combinations of and repetition of thecore moves provide the workout (andbe prepared to work hard in training)As time goes on there will be aroundtwelve of the most popular Latin andBallroom dances available forparticipants broken down into easilylearnable sections which can bedelivered at multi-levels of abilityand fitness The variety of thedances provide an all body workoutwith energetic moves from the Jiveand Cha Cha included to raise theheart rate Meaa range of slowermovements and postures from theWaltz and the Rumba use muscularstrength to tone the torso arms andlegs Plenty of contrast is providedClient ProfilesSo far clients are coming from bothavenues (fitness and dance) Thedancers are enjoying the fitnessgains and there are group fitnessaddicts who are pleasantly surprisedat just how much of a workoutFITSTEPS is They canrsquot believehow much of a sweat they work upand the psychological benefits areinstantly apparent Everyone leavesthe class on a highBenefits of FitstepsAfter four months of teachingFITSTEPS my findings for the fitnessprofessional are that this has broughtnew faces into the fitness emporiumand has instilled confidence as theirbodies (and possibly mindsets) beginto changeWhilst music and fun may ratehighest in the mind of someparticipants I predict extremely goodphysical results for clients and havealso witnessed clients coming back toclass leaner each week Due to thenature of the movement there aredefinite benefits for the mid-body andabdominal area A social experiencendash this is the sort of class that peoplewill want to tell their friends about andbring a friend to the classFITSTEPS brings something veryspecial to the Fitness Table and if

you are coming from a fitnessbackground my advice would be totreat this with the greatest respectDonrsquot expect to master themovements straight away We mayjust need to tame the athlete and losethe big power movements andintroduce elegance and grace withthe ultimate aim of becomingauthentic Sounds like a workout initself but just like the celebs on theshow anything is possible Put thehours in and enjoy dance benefitsand what they can bring Howrefreshing to know that there are noPress Ups or Burpees going on inthis sessionhellipTips for the Fitness ProfessionalIn Group Fitness we get to know outclientsrsquo capabilities and abilities It isour job to be empathetic to thosestarting out in exercise who maymove to the right when the class ismoving to the left Use your teachingexperience to break things downkeep the class moving and allowthem to enjoy learning the steps at asimple level We know what theaverage person is capable of As afitness instructor use this knowledgeto your advantage and use yourfitness to embellish the qualities thatthese magnificent dances bring tomake FITSTEPS all inclusive for yourclassesAudrey Kelly who teaches classes inthe Dublin area says she is proud tolsquobring the elegance and grace fromthe world of ballroom into fitnessrsquo andbelieves that FITSTEPS can cater forall agesAs my own journey into the world ofdance goes on I hope that FITSTEPsgrows in Ireland I would definitelyrecommend this for both communityand leisure facility fitness and withouta shadow of a doubt I declare that thecreators were absolutely right toinclude the word FIThellip in the nameFITSTEPS helliphellipand this is only thebeginning


Year 2 Active Aging for the Older Adult

Active Aging Specialist

This course provides 15 European Credit Transfer System(ECTS) credits towards the Higher Certificate DiplomaBSc inExercise amp Health Fitness The Higher Certificate Diploma andBSc are awarded by the University of Limerick and are placedat Level 678 on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF)and Level 67on the European Qualifications Framework(EQF)

Aim This specialist course is for qualified fitness instructorswho wish to enhance their knowledge and skills and designgroup exercise classes and prescribe progressive exerciseprogrammes suitable for independent older adults of varyinglevels of fitness in a gym leisure centre care setting orcommunity environment

Course Details

The course will take place over one contact day withassigned private study

The course theory must be covered prior to the contact dayParticipants will also be required to carry out assigned workexperience which includes a detailed work experience reportsubmission of a DVD showing practical teachinginstructionalability and the summative written is on-line format

Venue Contact Day University of Limerick

Contact Date 2014 Sat 24th May

Theory access Tues 6th May 2014 Participants willreceive a website address and password for access totheory etc Which they are required to cover prior tocontact day

Full details on entry requirements course contentand fees are available by clicking here


Year 2 Pilates amp Corrective Exercise

Q

COURSE DETAILS

Venue University of Limerick

Contact Dates

Spring Semester 2014

Sat 25th amp Sun 26th January

Sat 8th amp Sun 9th February

Sat 22nd amp Sun 23rd February

Sat 8th amp Sun 9th March


This course provides 30 European Credit Transfer System(ECTS) credits towards the Higher Certificate Diploma andBSc in Exercise amp Health Fitness The Higher CertificateDiploma and BSc are awarded by the University of Limerickand are placed at Level 678 on the National QualificationsFramework (NQF) and Level 56 on the EuropeanQualifications Framework (EQF)

Aim To provide Exercise amp Health Fitness Professionals withthe skills knowledge and competencies to provide safe andeffective professional instruction in Pilates amp CorrectiveExercise These specialists can work on a freelance basiseither on a one to one or in a group setting

Course Details

The course will take place over four weekends with assignedprivate studyParticipants will also be required to complete a Case StudyProject which involves training with a client submit apractical DVD of you teaching and complete an online writtenassessment


Year 2 Studio Cycling

Q

COURSE DETAILS

Venue for Contact Day Dublin

Contact Date 2014 Saturday 7th June 2014


Closing date for application is 14th April 2014

The closing date is set and cannot be extended This isto ensure students are registered and Garda Vettedprior to course commencement

This course provides 15 European Credit Transfer System(ECTS) credits towards the Higher Certificate DiplomaBSc inExercise amp Health Fitness The Higher Certificate Diploma andBSc are awarded by the University of Limerick and are placedat Level 678 on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF)and Level 67 on the European Qualifications Framework(EQF)

Aim This specialist course is for qualified fitness instructorswho wish to enhance their knowledge and skills and a work asa studio cycling instructor Studio Cycling Specialists usuallyteach group exercise within Health Fitness and Leisure facili-ties or with teams and clubs

Course Details The course will take place over one contact day with

assigned private study The course theory must be covered prior to the contact day Participants will also be required to submit a DVD showingpractical teachinginstructional ability and the summative writtenis on-line format


A Register of Exercise amp Health FitnessProfessionals in Ireland

Fitness Professionals Ireland (FPI) ndash is a not-for-profit public registerwhich recognises the qualifications and expertise of fitnessprofessionals in Ireland FPI aims to provide the highest possiblestandard of services and benefits to all its members

Benefits of FPI Membership

Discounted Professional Insurance

E-Zines three times per year

Access to Continuing Professional Developmentcourses

Option to avail of EREPS Membership - your passport towork in other European countries

For the full list of benefits please click here

JOIN TODAY - VISIT THE OFFICIALFPI WEBSITE

wwwfitnessprofessionalsirelandie

ereps



From the Editors Chair

Welcome to the first issue of NationalFitness News Ezine for 2014

This issue is jam-packed with ideasand suggestions as to how you canenhance and effectively develop as afitness professional

Dr Ian Kenny provides an interestingreview on the new Video Performance

Analysis Academy that has recently beenset up in the University of Limerick while Sarah Keoghgives very useful information on what foods are best toboost your immune system

New fitness classes come and go and Bridget Lawlor givesa very detailed analysis ndash both personal and professionalon her experiences in Hot Yoga - a controversial but byall accounts a very rewarding workout

Carmel De Mellorsquos newest class is lsquoFitStepsrsquo - the StrictlyCome Dancing craze has finally hit the fitness industry andis set to stay around for quite a while to come Her articleis both informative and an enjoyable read

The feature article on Extreme Workouts takes in Cross fitHIIT Training and Insanity will give you the low down onadvantages and disadvantages of these training approach-es with expert opinions from experienced practitioners

As I complete my term as Managing Director of theNCEF I would like to take this opportunity to wish all youfitness professionals ndash whether students or graduates ndashthe very best in your career in the exercise and healthfitness industry The one overriding fact that still remainstantamount to the maintenance of the highest standardswithin the fitness sector is the provision of educated andexperienced fitness professionals I urge you to continueto upskill through the continuing professional develop-ment opportunities provided via the NCEF FlexibleLearning Pathway which leads to a Bachelor of Sciencein Exercise and Health Fitness and through membershipof Fitness Professionals Ireland (FPI)Always strive for the highest possible standards in yourwork as a fitness professional ndash never sacrifice quantityand commercialism for excellence and quality in yourwork

Finally - my sincere thanks to the NCEF Team inparticular to the Ezine Editor Maeve Kavanagh for herpassion and dedication in the production of a consistentlyexcellent publication Long may it continue

Happy 2014Maura

Maura O Sullivan RyanManaging Director NCEF

Keep up to date with all the NCEF news courses and events -Like us on Facebook

NCEFOrganisation

From the Directors Chair

Happy New Year and welcome to the firstissue of NFN E-Zine for 2014

Have you checked back to what goalsyou set for 2013 Did you achieve allor some of them In todayrsquos businessclimate it can be quite challenging forfitness professionals However it canalso present us with opportunities to

kick start our careers try somethingnew and move our business up a level While keeping aclear head and our wits about us it is time for us to lookwith fresh eyes on how we operate and think of ways andopportunities on how to maximise all our services So setyour new business and personal goals to give 2014 thekick start that it needs

If adding to your qualifications is one of your goals for thisyear then the NCEF has many specialist courses on offerPlease visit our website for information on all courseoptions A reminder for those who meet the entryrequirements for the Diploma in Exercise amp Health Fitness(DEHF) this course will be offered in September 2014 andwe are currently accepting applications

As part of our on-going commitment to improve ourstudents learning experience and equip them with the skillsand competencies for working within the exercise and fit-ness industry we are currently conducting a review of theCertificate in Exercise and Health Fitness (CEHF)As a graduate of CEHF we would like to offer you the op-portunity to feedback on areas that need addressingandor could be improved throughout the curriculum Inorder to do this please use the link below to send us yourfeedback on any area within the curriculum which you feelneeds attention or change The link will bring you to anelectronic questionnaire which will only take a few minutesof your time to complete and when you are finished justclick on the lsquoSubmitrsquo button and it will come back to usautomatically LinkwwwcehflearningsupportcomgraduateshtmlFinally I would like to wish you all a very healthy happy andsuccessful 2014 and to personally thank Maura OrsquoSullivan Ryanfor inspiring and motivating me for the past 11 years I canrsquot sayenough about how much she will be missed Best wishes Maurain your new adventures

MaeveNFN Editor



8 Fitness Report

9 Nutrition Report

10 Health Report

Features





Regulars


By Sarah Keogh



By Mary Fitzpatrick




16

11

22


32 Boxercise
















Above Carmel Vekins















































16oz bowls









Handling Referrals











2 Be active











eaknesses hreats


































FEATURE











VO2max Workouts


















FEATURE













Author Biography









FEATURE




























What is CrossFit











HIIT ndash Pros






HIIT ndash Cons




Workouts





















The Programme








NUTRITION




















What is hot yoga


Types of Hot Yoga





MIND B

ODY







B Lawlor 2008






Physical Benefits




Some Hot Yoga Tips









The PT Road






Daily Groundog Day











Burnout - The Signs


Slow down amp Stop



Take Stock - Sleep




RESEARCH























TheFitsteps
















Course Details









Q

COURSE DETAILS


Contact Dates









Course Details




Q

COURSE DETAILS





















ereps




8 Fitness Report

9 Nutrition Report

10 Health Report

Features





Regulars


By Sarah Keogh



By Mary Fitzpatrick




16

11

22


32 Boxercise
















Above Carmel Vekins















































16oz bowls









Handling Referrals











2 Be active











eaknesses hreats


































FEATURE











VO2max Workouts


















FEATURE













Author Biography









FEATURE




























What is CrossFit











HIIT ndash Pros






HIIT ndash Cons




Workouts





















The Programme








NUTRITION




















What is hot yoga


Types of Hot Yoga





MIND B

ODY







B Lawlor 2008






Physical Benefits




Some Hot Yoga Tips









The PT Road






Daily Groundog Day











Burnout - The Signs


Slow down amp Stop



Take Stock - Sleep




RESEARCH























TheFitsteps
















Course Details









Q

COURSE DETAILS


Contact Dates









Course Details




Q

COURSE DETAILS





















ereps
















Above Carmel Vekins















































16oz bowls









Handling Referrals











2 Be active











eaknesses hreats


































FEATURE











VO2max Workouts


















FEATURE













Author Biography









FEATURE




























What is CrossFit











HIIT ndash Pros






HIIT ndash Cons




Workouts





















The Programme








NUTRITION




















What is hot yoga


Types of Hot Yoga





MIND B

ODY







B Lawlor 2008






Physical Benefits




Some Hot Yoga Tips









The PT Road






Daily Groundog Day











Burnout - The Signs


Slow down amp Stop



Take Stock - Sleep




RESEARCH























TheFitsteps
















Course Details









Q

COURSE DETAILS


Contact Dates









Course Details




Q

COURSE DETAILS





















ereps















































16oz bowls









Handling Referrals











2 Be active











eaknesses hreats


































FEATURE











VO2max Workouts


















FEATURE













Author Biography









FEATURE




























What is CrossFit











HIIT ndash Pros






HIIT ndash Cons




Workouts





















The Programme








NUTRITION




















What is hot yoga


Types of Hot Yoga





MIND B

ODY







B Lawlor 2008






Physical Benefits




Some Hot Yoga Tips









The PT Road






Daily Groundog Day











Burnout - The Signs


Slow down amp Stop



Take Stock - Sleep




RESEARCH























TheFitsteps
















Course Details









Q

COURSE DETAILS


Contact Dates









Course Details




Q

COURSE DETAILS





















ereps





2 Be active











eaknesses hreats


































FEATURE











VO2max Workouts


















FEATURE













Author Biography









FEATURE




























What is CrossFit











HIIT ndash Pros






HIIT ndash Cons




Workouts





















The Programme








NUTRITION




















What is hot yoga


Types of Hot Yoga





MIND B

ODY







B Lawlor 2008






Physical Benefits




Some Hot Yoga Tips









The PT Road






Daily Groundog Day











Burnout - The Signs


Slow down amp Stop



Take Stock - Sleep




RESEARCH























TheFitsteps
















Course Details









Q

COURSE DETAILS


Contact Dates









Course Details




Q

COURSE DETAILS





















ereps






eaknesses hreats


































FEATURE











VO2max Workouts


















FEATURE













Author Biography









FEATURE




























What is CrossFit











HIIT ndash Pros






HIIT ndash Cons




Workouts





















The Programme








NUTRITION




















What is hot yoga


Types of Hot Yoga





MIND B

ODY







B Lawlor 2008






Physical Benefits




Some Hot Yoga Tips









The PT Road






Daily Groundog Day











Burnout - The Signs


Slow down amp Stop



Take Stock - Sleep




RESEARCH























TheFitsteps
















Course Details









Q

COURSE DETAILS


Contact Dates









Course Details




Q

COURSE DETAILS





















ereps




















FEATURE











VO2max Workouts


















FEATURE













Author Biography









FEATURE




























What is CrossFit











HIIT ndash Pros






HIIT ndash Cons




Workouts





















The Programme








NUTRITION




















What is hot yoga


Types of Hot Yoga





MIND B

ODY







B Lawlor 2008






Physical Benefits




Some Hot Yoga Tips









The PT Road






Daily Groundog Day











Burnout - The Signs


Slow down amp Stop



Take Stock - Sleep




RESEARCH























TheFitsteps
















Course Details









Q

COURSE DETAILS


Contact Dates









Course Details




Q

COURSE DETAILS





















ereps













FEATURE













Author Biography









FEATURE




























What is CrossFit











HIIT ndash Pros






HIIT ndash Cons




Workouts





















The Programme








NUTRITION




















What is hot yoga


Types of Hot Yoga





MIND B

ODY







B Lawlor 2008






Physical Benefits




Some Hot Yoga Tips









The PT Road






Daily Groundog Day











Burnout - The Signs


Slow down amp Stop



Take Stock - Sleep




RESEARCH























TheFitsteps
















Course Details









Q

COURSE DETAILS


Contact Dates









Course Details




Q

COURSE DETAILS





















ereps








FEATURE




























What is CrossFit











HIIT ndash Pros






HIIT ndash Cons




Workouts





















The Programme








NUTRITION




















What is hot yoga


Types of Hot Yoga





MIND B

ODY







B Lawlor 2008






Physical Benefits




Some Hot Yoga Tips









The PT Road






Daily Groundog Day











Burnout - The Signs


Slow down amp Stop



Take Stock - Sleep




RESEARCH























TheFitsteps
















Course Details









Q

COURSE DETAILS


Contact Dates









Course Details




Q

COURSE DETAILS





















ereps























What is CrossFit











HIIT ndash Pros






HIIT ndash Cons




Workouts





















The Programme








NUTRITION




















What is hot yoga


Types of Hot Yoga





MIND B

ODY







B Lawlor 2008






Physical Benefits




Some Hot Yoga Tips









The PT Road






Daily Groundog Day











Burnout - The Signs


Slow down amp Stop



Take Stock - Sleep




RESEARCH























TheFitsteps
















Course Details









Q

COURSE DETAILS


Contact Dates









Course Details




Q

COURSE DETAILS





















ereps





HIIT ndash Pros






HIIT ndash Cons




Workouts





















The Programme








NUTRITION




















What is hot yoga


Types of Hot Yoga





MIND B

ODY







B Lawlor 2008






Physical Benefits




Some Hot Yoga Tips









The PT Road






Daily Groundog Day











Burnout - The Signs


Slow down amp Stop



Take Stock - Sleep




RESEARCH























TheFitsteps
















Course Details









Q

COURSE DETAILS


Contact Dates









Course Details




Q

COURSE DETAILS





















ereps














The Programme








NUTRITION




















What is hot yoga


Types of Hot Yoga





MIND B

ODY







B Lawlor 2008






Physical Benefits




Some Hot Yoga Tips









The PT Road






Daily Groundog Day











Burnout - The Signs


Slow down amp Stop



Take Stock - Sleep




RESEARCH























TheFitsteps
















Course Details









Q

COURSE DETAILS


Contact Dates









Course Details




Q

COURSE DETAILS





















ereps



NUTRITION




















What is hot yoga


Types of Hot Yoga





MIND B

ODY







B Lawlor 2008






Physical Benefits




Some Hot Yoga Tips









The PT Road






Daily Groundog Day











Burnout - The Signs


Slow down amp Stop



Take Stock - Sleep




RESEARCH























TheFitsteps
















Course Details









Q

COURSE DETAILS


Contact Dates









Course Details




Q

COURSE DETAILS





















ereps
















What is hot yoga


Types of Hot Yoga





MIND B

ODY







B Lawlor 2008






Physical Benefits




Some Hot Yoga Tips









The PT Road






Daily Groundog Day











Burnout - The Signs


Slow down amp Stop



Take Stock - Sleep




RESEARCH























TheFitsteps
















Course Details









Q

COURSE DETAILS


Contact Dates









Course Details




Q

COURSE DETAILS





















ereps






Physical Benefits




Some Hot Yoga Tips









The PT Road






Daily Groundog Day











Burnout - The Signs


Slow down amp Stop



Take Stock - Sleep




RESEARCH























TheFitsteps
















Course Details









Q

COURSE DETAILS


Contact Dates









Course Details




Q

COURSE DETAILS





















ereps



The PT Road






Daily Groundog Day











Burnout - The Signs


Slow down amp Stop



Take Stock - Sleep




RESEARCH























TheFitsteps
















Course Details









Q

COURSE DETAILS


Contact Dates









Course Details




Q

COURSE DETAILS





















ereps










Burnout - The Signs


Slow down amp Stop



Take Stock - Sleep




RESEARCH























TheFitsteps
















Course Details









Q

COURSE DETAILS


Contact Dates









Course Details




Q

COURSE DETAILS





















ereps



RESEARCH























TheFitsteps
















Course Details









Q

COURSE DETAILS


Contact Dates









Course Details




Q

COURSE DETAILS





















ereps

















TheFitsteps
















Course Details









Q

COURSE DETAILS


Contact Dates









Course Details




Q

COURSE DETAILS





















ereps







Course Details









Q

COURSE DETAILS


Contact Dates









Course Details




Q

COURSE DETAILS





















ereps




Q

COURSE DETAILS


Contact Dates









Course Details




Q

COURSE DETAILS





















ereps




Q

COURSE DETAILS





















ereps













ereps


ncef national fitness news e-zine january 2014

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