Then did 4 sprints up the steps – 119 steps taking just under 45 seconds per round. Walk down recovery as steps were very wet and slippery. Could feel the legs a little wobbly after this and even felt a little dizzy!

Then ran back home which was all slightly uphill and the final climb which is quite a killer on the best of days.

Great preparation for the Cardiff Survival of the Fittest in October where one of the obstacles will be to run up the steps of the Millenium Stadium.

Didn’t want to do too much today as haven’t run for a while and I am hosting a 5 hour Kettlebell Workshop tomorrow.

Warm down of 40 minute walk with Archie and Dexter. Am sure they would have preferred to come on the run

Fuel up with a spinach, banana, strawberries, red currants, frozen berries, sodium bicarb, iodine and rice milk smoothie. Lush.

Now some prep for tomorrow…

There are parents and grandparents being interviewed on radio and TV saying it is ridiculous to even think about stopping this service, even though it would save the country in the region of £50 million!

What these people do not realise is that this milk is actually harmful to these kids.

Many people are lactose intolerant. Lactose is a sugar found in milk. This can lead to bloating and digestive disorders.

You also need to look at the processing of milk. Homogenisation is where milk from various sources is mixed and forced through an extruder at around 35,000 psi. This prevents seperation of the fats and keeps a consistent flavour.

Then take the temperature processing where the milk is heated to high temperatures to kill off the bacteria so it can stay fresh for longer. Hey, the bacteria is one of the reasons for drinking the stuff!

Something else that is used in the argument for drinking milk is so that the kids can get their fix of calcium. Well, maybe we should be giving them green veggies such as Kale and Spinach which has many more times the levels of calcium of milk. Hey, I may have stumbled on something there. Why not get parents to feed their kids a proper diet instead of letting them eat all the crap out there?

This would reduce the epidemic of obesity at the same time and reduce the national health bill and strain.

Whoop, whoop. A double win!

When will governments learn to solve the cause and not symptoms?

Scrap the free milk now and get your kids fit and healthy.

What do you think?

I gave my client my nutritional programme that all my Personal Training clients MUST go through, as well as my Fat Loss Fit Camp members. This entails 30 days of clean, natural foods – meat, fish, poultry, veg, fruits, nuts and seeds. No caffeine or alcohol, just clean water.

Now the exercise regime didn’t go quite to plan due to time constraints but the client stuck to the nutrition 99%. I decided to follow the “diet” for the 30 days and we both blogged our journey.

So let’s get to the nitty gritty. Over this 30 days, we both lost a stone in weight! (actually, I didn’t need to!!)

But, the main aspect of this, and this post, is that my client had numerous health beneifts as well as the weight loss.

Firstly;

• Increased energy levels with no afternoon slumps
• Improved skin condition
• Improved sleep quality
• Elimination of snoring!! (so his wife benefitted too!)
• Had not suffered any Hay fever symptoms

Which brings me onto something else related to this. I was reading a post by Dr Mercola this morning and it was talking about the research which suggests increasing your levels of vitamin D and Magnesium has been shown to decrease or eliminate Asthma and Hay Fever. Studies showed that of those suffering from Hay Fever/Asthma were nearly always deficient in these areas.

Many of the pharmaceutical medications out there that supposedly help these conditions are actually making people worse.

I’m really glad to say that our nutritional programme advocates supplementing in both Vitamin D and Magnesium. This is not a pill popping exercise but suggesting clients get more sun exposure without sunscreen (safe levels of exposure) and the use of Transdermal Magnesium Oil rubbed into the skin.

What hardship is trying to eat sensibly, exercise outdoors when possible and following a healthy lifestyle in general for just 30 days.

Want to try it?

Contact us for you FREE 30 day programme and leave your comments below on your findings

“Methods are many, Principles are few, Methods keep on changing but Principles never do”.

Conundrum?

Well, in terms of exercise, there are many methods to getting fit, strong, flexible, etc. You have Kettlebells, circuit training, running, free weights, bodywieght training, Yoga, and so on and so on. All are methods to get you to your goal and every person will have their preference as to wat will suit them best or what they will enjoy.

So the Methods are many and all will work to some extent.

But the Principles of training is what will guarantee your success. Whatever Method of training you opt for, you have to follow the Principles to ensure you get the benefits.

So what are these?

Progressive Overload: You have to challenge your body on a regular basis. Doing the same thing week in week out will not force your body to adapt. Plodding the pavements 3 times per week over the same route at the same pace will make you more efficient; equalling burning less fuel.

Bench pressing 60, 70 80 or even 100 kg every Monday and Friday won’t make you stronger. You have to change something in order for the body to become stressed. Perform more reps or sets, alter the speed of reps, change the angle of movement, increase the weight.

You have to change something consistently for adaptation to take place.

Regeneration: With all this extra stress on the body, you have to allow time for rest and recovery. I have know many trainers that workout 6-7 days per week, do not see results so work even harder or more often. Hey. I’ve done it myself many years ago. This scenario just leads to staleness, and possible overuse injuries.

Instead, cycle you training so that you work gradually harder over a 4 week period so that week 4 is the toughest you have trained in terms of weight, reps, sets, speed, or whatever, then back off on week 5. Do half the training you did on week 4 or just do some light aerobic work or stretching and mobility. Then start the cycle again.

Now what works for you may be different. That is, you may want or need to work progressively over a 3 week period then ease off on week 4, or extend your progression phase to 5 weeks then have week 6 backing off. Find what works for you but follow the Principle; Progressive overload, then de-load.

So what about Nutrition?

Okay, the Methods are many and they keep changing. Low fat diets, Atkins, low carb, high protein, ridiculous Lighter Life starvation diets, etc. All of these will get some short term results, every single one. But they can’t possibly have any lasting benefit and may even cause you health problems.

The Principles of Fat Loss through Nutrition are to eat a predominantly vegetable based diet, of clean, preferably organic foods, small amounts of animal protein, fruits, nuts and seeds. You will get all the nutrients and minerals you require from following this Principle although due to modern soil conditions, you may need to supplement a little.

Reduce/eliminate sugar and sugar based products from your diet and do not consume anything with additives, preservatives, colourings or anything you cannot pronounce.

Reduce or eliminate dairy from your diet. It is not conducive to human digestion, especially when processed the way it is today.

I have been asked many times recently how to get enough Calcium in your diet if taking milk out of the equation. Firstly, you can get many more times, in some cases over a hundred times more Calcium from vegetables sources – Kale for instance.

It is also more about absorption of Calcium rather than the amount you take in. If you are consuming certain foods/drinks that leach Calcium from your bones, then it doesn’t really matter how much you take in, does it?

If you follow these Principles for Nutrition, your body will find its natural weight level. Put these Principles together with those for exercise and you have a winning formula.

Don’t forget to leave a comment…

We are hearing a lot of promotional stuff about the “Special K” diet; a breakfast cereal that if eaten a few times per day for 2 weeks, you will see a reduction in weight.

Well, some research I pulled up made me laugh about their claims but firstly, let’s look at the basics of this “diet”. A carb laden meal without any true nutritional value. Covered in the majority with milk that is undigestable for humans again with most nutritional value stripped from it. Usually covered with a sprinkling of sugar or even worse, a spoonful of chemicals that still gives your body the sensation of taking sugar with all the downsides.

Hmm, doesn’t sound so appetising when you put it like that, does it?

So let’s take a look at some of that research I was talking about. The following is extract taken from Wikipedia and discusses “Special K” in particular.

The country of Denmark has outlawed Kellogg’s products since 2004. Danish health officials banned the cereal because, as they claimed, Kellogg’s wanted to add extremely high levels of vitamin B₆, calcium, folic acid and iron, which would reach toxic levels when eaten on a daily basis. Young children risk liver and kidney^[9] damage, while the foetuses of pregnant women can suffer complications from the toxins.

The Dutch television show Keuringsdienst van Waarde^[10], in an episode aired on 15 October 2009, followed up one of Kellogg’s Special K nutritional claims, namely the addition of iron. The show provided evidence that the iron was not nutritional ionic iron – as it occurs in natural foods like spinach – but was in fact metallic iron. A Kellogg’s telephone helpdesk employee was not willing to discuss the ingredients of their products in general, claiming it was a company secret, although in the show the company was not confronted with the findings. The nutritional experts in the show (a university professor and a general practitioner) agreed that actual metallic iron should not be part of a diet, speculating that it might damage organs.^[11] After the airing, the Dutch food authority nuanced the claims made in the TV program, claiming there are no health risks as long as Kellogg’s stays within the legal limits. They also challenged the claim that the cereal could contain ’shredded bikes’, and responded that iron powder is suitable for human consumption.^[12]

The evidence provided during the show follow David Catz’s description of an experiment by Dr. Babu George, Sacred Heart University, in which iron is extracted from cereals.^[13] The description dates from 1984. As a result of this experiment being published and inquiries being made to the manufacturers, some companies have replaced the metallic iron in their products with an iron compound such as iron(III) phosphate, also called ferric phosphate.

Okay, the article isn’t conclusive but it should make you pause for thought. Why would a government actually ban a product, or company for that matter, if everything was hunky dorey?

Instead of trying to take the modern phenomenon of quick fixes with a host of processed foods that anyone with an ounce of sense would realise are not good for us, why not go the way our ancestors HAD to cope and get your nutritional requirements from fresh, preferably organic, produce.

So, interested in what they put in this “healthy” cereal?

Here goes;

Rice, wheat (wholewheat, wheat flour), sugar, wheat gluten, defatted wheatgerm, dried skimmed milk, salt, barley malt flavouring, vitamin C, niacin, iron, vitamin B₆, riboflavin (B₂), thiamin (B₁), folic acid, vitamin D, vitamin B₁₂. ^[8]

Think I’ll stick with my Spinach and fruit smoothies or veg stir fry, thank you very much!

Let me know what you thought of this with your comments below

Think your GP giving you meds is the only way to live with this debilitating disease?

Think again. Stop being lazy and eat how we were designed to by going Raw as much as possible and predominantly vegetarian. Don’t get me wrong, I am not a vegetarian and have no desire to give up meat but then again I eat pretty healthy compared to the majority of the population.

Modern dairy is predominantly sugar and we have a hard time digesting it anyway.

Why not try this 30 day challenge and turn your life around.

Oh, and watch the video below…

Reverse Diabetes in 30 Days Video!

This is exactly the type of nutrition plan we prescribe for our Personal Training clients and Fat Loss Fit Camp members and get great results!

I know plenty of you out there will be big fans of the rubbish served from the likes of KFC and you may well be raving fans of Oprah Winfrey. So take a look at this video, it’s just under 10 minutes long so settle down and enjoy.

Maybe a good idea not to have a KFC bucket with you during this!

Oh, and don’t forget to leave a comment…

Oprah ReThink KFC

Yes, many people say they are making plans and are going to do this or that but somehow, those plans never seem to materialise. Those same people often blame things on their circumstances, their upbringing, their financial predicaments, not having the breaks that others got.

Why is that?

Why would people blame something that they themselves have control over? It just doesn’t make sense. If you have no money, who is to blame for that; who can control it?

Yep, YOU, that’s who.

I know where Dax is coming from first hand. One of our tasks recently was to develop an online product and get it to market and earn a shed load of money from a passive source. Well, my excuses came out in abundance;

• Dax, I just getting my new early morning Fit Camps set up
• Hey, I am just setting up and opening my new Personal Health & Fitnesss Studio
• Dax, I’m not quite ready for doing a product just yet

Yep, I made all these excuses and now my peers who did take action are all bring in the dosh.

So where is all this going?

You only get paid for done. Not for thinking about doing, not for it’s in the pipeline, but for done.

One of the main problems with getting done is not having the particular thing planned out with logical steps along the way with milestones and targets to help you know you are on track.

Last year I got a shed load of personal and business goals DONE after getting involved with one of Dax’s programmes. This involved writing down a list of up to 100 goals covering headings such as Personal, Business, Educational, Money, Relationships, and Family.

I was amazed at what I got DONE because I am a bit of a procrastinator, an analyser, a not quite ready for that yet, an it must be perfect type person.

With all my clients, I now use this type of goal achievement process and it gets people thinking of “how do I get this DONE”. If you don’t know where you are going then how you gonna get there?

For me personally, I am going to double my income this year while working less hours than I ever have. I am going to have more time to spend with those I want to be around. I am only going to work with people that I really want to work with – people that REALLY want to be helped. This all makes me feel much more relaxed and happy with my life.

And do you want to know what makes all this possible?

I know what I want, when I want it, how much I need to pay (in terms of time, effort, pain, etc) and I am going to pay the price for all of it.

Want in?

Check out the Magic Hundred link over on the right hand panel of this blog post. Click on it and you will be taken to Dax’s site where he runs you through what is involved. You’re not committed to anything but I am sure if you want to get ahead and live a life having what you want, then this programme will definately help you achieve that.

Go on. And come back and leave me a comment when you start ripping through that wish list!

Martin

Martin Haley Physicalsolutions

“Oh, I’m too old to do that now”

Well, take a look at this short video (it’s only 4 minutes long) and then take a good look at yourself.

The next client that comes in and gives me that excuse is gonna get a slap around the chops and the directions to this video.

Enjoy and reflect on your thoughts about health and fitness!

After early morning Bootcamp was done and dusted, I spent a few hours painting the walls of my new Personal Training Studio which should be ready for business in a week. A brisk walk with the dogs around mid day then clients all afternoon and into early evening. Lunch was left-over curry from last night – homemade and all natural.

This evening though, the other half was going out so I had to fend for myself. I decided to opt for a curry from a local Chinese takeaway. I want to add that this really is a rare treat.

I phoned through my order of chicken curry and chips – I still had rice from night before to add. While waiting in cue for my order to handed over, I had a huge rush of guilt come over me. I was almost embarrassed to say out loud what my order was, especially as there were to other people in the shop that I new.

As someone that advocates a clean diet 80-90% of the time, this was very uncomfortable for me and it made me think why I felt that way. After all, this was a one off cheat meal in the grand scheme of things.

This got me thinking about how other people think/feel in these situations.

I think where most people “fail” themselves with nutrition is that they have no accountability. They are not worried about someone finding out or commenting on their diet choices. Or maybe they just don’t care.

I, on the other hand, am worried that friends and clients will think I am a fraud or two faced for telling them to do one thing – eat healthily and drink in moderation, and then do the opposite myself.

So how can you use this to your benefit?

Tell your friends and family about your plans in terms of health and fitness. Have people question your choices of food and put you on the spot should you be tempted off the rails. Openly discuss your plans so people can pull you up.

This is not about scare tactics but getting people to help you and having accountablility to others – something we all need on some level.

I am accountable to many different people and that keeps me to a strict regime “most” of the time. But I truly want to adhere to a good regime.

Try becoming accountable to someone or many people if you need help sticking to a healthy regime.