Taking a break....

Dear all,

I get quite a few positive comments over the blog but have decided to take a break from it for a while...

There is a number of reasons for this,

Principally most fitness blogs seem to be nothing more than a vehicle for crap affiliate marketing where we all plug someone else's miracle programme that comes with amazing free bonuses, rather than for the actual disbursement of anything original and creative or provocative writing/journalling....

Secondly, I just don't have the time to write blogs anymore! In fact that is probably the main reason...Currently commitments to business development, writing, training staff, and developing self are taking priority....not to mention having some time off.

So, thanks to you all for reading, I might well pick things up on this blog after the summer but for the moment, I'll be working on other projects. As ever, do feel free to contact me on graeme@aegistraining.co.uk

G

Amusement....

Yesterday I deactivated my Facebook account and I have to say I have been amused at some of the comments and reactions it has led to. There was however no sinister reasons or particular motivations, I just thought to myself "what's the point?"

I have met several very successful people from many industries and am fortunate to have recently been asked to be involved with some of them on bringing a new product to the U.K, none of them however are on Facebook, which isn't to say that there is anything wrong with being a Facebook member, just that it isn't the essential to life or success that some people seem to think it is.

Sure, I can message my cousin or my best mate on there, but really why don't I just call them? It seems that so many people now seem incapable of communication processes that don't occur via a computer interface.

Worse still I have got even more bored of these sycophantic guru's of my industry who seem to think that the louder they shout, the more credible their message. Everyone seems so concerned with moaning about what others are doing, perhaps if they concentrated on their own affairs they would be less worried about it. Maybe I have become less concerned with being a superstar trainer these days, whatever the reasons I find that those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw rocks. Heck, guess what - if someone out there doesn't like how I do something, or the method I use, or the workouts I write, then that's just fine but please stop trying to reinvent the wheel, or pretend like you came up with something new, which has actually been around for ages.

Or stop saying how research is useless and is just sports historians documenting what good coaches are already doing! Thank god not everyone uses your retarded logic to justify the lack of need for something or we would probably still be having operations in hospital without anaesthetic or pain-relieving drugs.

And while we are at it, using reverse logic to justify training methods is no better either. I've seen some 'miracle type fat loss programmes' from our friends across the pond who seem to spend more time on affiliate marketing that actual training that frankly are crap and far from being original.

And what about the 'sprinters are leaner than marathon runners so we should all train like sprinters...' THis line gets trotted out by many and followed by many more....

I love this line, but the logic that short explosive athletes have the best physiques or lowest bodyfat levels therefore we should train like them is utter crap. Talk about putting the cart before the horse....but it seems that if you have a loud voice and an accent you can get away with it...!!

Sumo Wrestlers don't run long distances either, and look at their physiques.

In fact as many of these folks like to use research to back up their 'unique' methods, here is one for them..

http://ajs.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/11/6/398

Interestingly, in athletes there is actually little or no difference between 100 metre runners or extreme aerobic athletes.

There is a hell of a lot of genetics, and probably a ton of pharmaceuticals splitting the physiques of athletes between the average gym client. If you think 10 minutes of intervals is going to turn you into Maurice Green then think again! These people are GENETICALLY predisposed to these events!!!!

If we are going to learn anything by looking at athletes then my suggestion is this.....

The best physiques.......belong to those with exceptional mobility....

They only lift their own bodyweight....

Their principle resistance is gravity....

They have a high frequency of training...

They blend speed, power, athleticism, coordination, and all the different strength qualities - isometric, eccentric and concentric...

They are gymnasts......

Perhaps that tells us how we should be training????

Just a thought....

G

Every now and then...

I decide to post something that is entirely unrelated to fitness,

Past few days have been busy working on articles for Mens Fitness and Mail On Sunday so as a departure from more fitness and nutrition stuff here is something a little lighter to raise a smile from you all on a Monday!

Enjoy!

FREE Fitness Advice - DO NOT MISS THIS!!

O.K - Apologies for the block capitals, not really my style but this really is a fantastic opportunity!!

Over the next 10 weeks, 10 of the U.K's leading fitness types are going to be doing a series of FREE teleseminar calls with the im to get fit and lean for the summer and to 'Lead Britain to Wellness'...

These calls are totally free and will feature a host of people from the worlds of nutrition, strength training, fat loss, dance/choreography, and even Yoga!

You will be able to listen to the calls as they are broadcast or even download them as a Podcast to listen to later....Bargain!!!

Sign up for it HERE

Don't miss this limited offer, there really are NO strings at all - just loads of free information!!

Check it out and sign up now!!

Graeme

This really is scary....

Check out this latest article from Dr Mercola's website...

This is genuinely scary stuff - the dangers of cell phones are something that I have a high level of belief in. I do not believe this to be a fad or scare tactics, particularly given the nature of the concerns. It strikes me that as this is about something non-tangible it is easily ignored or rubbished but a growing body of research is showing alarming trends.

No cell phone company in the world is realistically going to either support or fund these type of studies and therefore it is reliant on independant research carried out over long periods of time to establish solid links. Personally, I am not sure I want to wait that long as brain tumours are not an illness that I wish to accelerate.

It wasn't THAT long ago that we all survived without mobiles after all.

You'd be surprised how easy it is to survive without making calls on them....

G

Supplements I use...

Just been having a chat with 'Big Dave' of www.dfpt.co.uk who is one of the several high class freelance trainers who work at my studio in the City of London.

Dave and I were discussing supplements, what we like, what we don't, what works well and what doesn't etc etc and I thought that it would make an interesting blog post, albeit in a more abbreviated format....!

So, here are a few of the more common choices that I regularly sell to my clients. However, before that some quick caveats....

1) My clients are NOT professional athletes. I train city professionals, who while often very athletic and sporting, do not live the lifestyles of professional athletes, nor do they have any inclination to do that. Therefore their motivations and compliance levels are highly variable.

2) Most my clients are looking for ways to achieve good results with LESS effort, rather than amazing results with EXTRA effort. They seek to get more for less, not vice versa. This means that any additions to their training and nutrition that i give them has to be worthwhile. This is one of the reasons that I do not encourage them to do lots of steady-state cardio.

3) Dietary compliance must be over 90% for anything more than the most rudimentary of supplement protocols. Why? Because if it isn't then you won't see the benefits of the supplements. (See the 4 Essentials below).

4) I could prescribe 20 different supplements quite easily, but try to prioritise with getting the base right first and then building on it with priorities as indicated through Biosignature results or feedback.

So, with those thoughts out of the way.....

1) Fish Oil - Minimum 10 grammes a day. This should and indeed will form the basis for an entire post. I take a minimum 12g a day myself and believe it to be an essential aspect of just about all my clients supplement base. It helps everything from sleep and mood through to insulin resistance. Just check out Pubmed for all the proof you need!

2) Four Essentials - Well this is actually 3, as we have already covered one above. I give this as a blister strip and it comes from the excellent Aliment Nutrition. It serves as an excellent introduction to supplementation for clients who have never used them before. It comes in a blister strip format and comprises of Omega 3 oil, Mutlivitamin/mineral, Antioxidant (a very broad-based one, that is excellent), and a Prebiotic/Probiotic.

3) Protein Supplement - I use a Whey isolate/Casein protein powder that is a low-carbohydrate variant. This is in my opinion essential for anyone on a weight/fat loss routine. In fact just about all my clients struggle with protein intake, particularly at breakfast where they often still struggle to get away from a cereal-based meal. Research backs up the value of a protein supplement as well, particularly a casein-based one that is anti-catabolic and helps improve nitrogen retention. Check out THIS study for more information.

4) Green Tea Extract - Stuck this one in at the end of this little post as it is probably the safest ground research-wise and has a plethora of other benefits outside of simply thermogenic increases. As with most nutrients it is always best to try and obtain it from its natural source - in this case infused from leaves with citrus added - however you can also supplement. My recommendation is 1-2g a day, taken over 3 feedings.

So, there you have it. Go try them and see for yourself.

We haven't gone into digestive enzymes and digestive health here such as stomach acid etc. However, it should go without saying that if your client has poor digestive function then they are unlikely to be absorbing supplements or indeed any nutrients optimally and this should be addressed.

Till next time,

Train Harder, Train Smarter

Graeme

Some Research...Fat Loss, Intervals and more

One of my many focuses over the coming months is to put together a series of Ebooks that I hope to get out on the internet. Lately I have concentrated a lot of my study on nutrition and training for fat loss alongside hormonal changes and the effects of such hormones as Estrogen and Testosterone that are responsible in part for seeing so many differences between individual responses in the gym and bodyfat storage patterns.

So far i have read a lot of work from the likes of Lyle Macdonald and Ori Hofmekler along with various training modalities and supplement advice from Charles Poliquin, inspired by the Biosignature. This research along with my own experience and observations will form the crux of my new Female Fat Loss Plan Ebook that I hope to write over the next few months along with the 12 Week Intense Body Change Programme that has been based around the Cyclical dieting principles from the Ultimate Diet and BodyOpus.

i'll keep you posted with my progress, in the meantime here is some research that has formed the basis of the interval training protocols that will be part of the training programme for the Female Fat Loss Plan.

Check out THIS STUDY from the University of NSW in Australia...

Here is a video link of a news article in Australia that outlines the research, for some reason it didn't make it on to the TV here - funny that...