GB Personal Training News

This weekend I went down to the East London Gymnastics Club for a workout. I’ve always been a huge fan of bodyweight training and believe that nobody should be training with additional weights until they can master their own bodyweight.

Bodyweight training is hard work and uses all of your muscles together rather than just one or two. This type of training carves out a fantastic physique as well as burning fat at a rapid rate. You only had to take a look at some of the gymnasts at this years Olympics to see what I mean.

The best thing about bodyweight training is you can do it anywhere and anytime, and make it as easy or as hard as you want.

Here’s a few weekend pics of me putting myself through some really intense circuits:

Rope Climb with legs out

One Legged Squats on a balance beam

One Leg Balance Beam Press Ups

Holding an L Sit for 1 min - this really hurts!

Continuous Balance Beam Jumps

and later showing the kids some of my old silver screen martial arts moves:

Flying Side Kick

Flying Front Kick - Look out!

So get off those boring and useless machines down the gym and start doing some bodyweight training, its more fun and you’ll enjoy the results too!

I’ve actually written a downloadable ebook with 60 bodyweight exercises, you can find it here:

http://www.gbpersonaltraining.com/nogearworkout.htm

To your good health, Greg

Aviva Fund Managers completed there first 300 kettlebell challenge today. The workout consists of the following 6 exercises all completed in your own time, resting when necessary.

50 x One Hand Swing

50 x 0ne Hand Swing

50 x Rapid Mountain Climbers

50 x Clean & Press

50 x Reverse Lunge

50 x Squat & Press

Only a 50% turnout today due to work comitments but here’s the times of the heros and heroines who took part:

Rich - 18.22 mins - 16kg

Sian - 20.00 mins - 12kg except (20 x 8kg C&P) & (40 x 8kg S&P)

Lorenzo - 20.21 mins - 12kg

Geoff - 20.45 mins - 12kg

This is no easy challenge so well done to these 4, the others have something serious to look forward to next week.

http://www.gbpersonaltraining.com/kettlebells.htm

I’m pleased to announce that Kim,  one of my personal clients, will be featured in the New Years Fitness edition of Elle magazine coming out in December.

Kim has been following my programme and working very hard to lose the excess pounds and the results have been remarkable. Along with my 30 day nutritional guidlines here’s Kim’s fitness diary from last week:

Monday
Rest

Tuesday – Kettlebell session – 12 kg 30 mins
During lunch hour in the office

Dynamic Mobility Warm Up
Turkish Get Up x 5 each side
One Arm Swings x 1min each side
Squat Thrusts x 10
Clean & Press x 1min each side
Squat Thrusts x 10
Lateral Lunges x 1min each side
Squat Thrusts x 10
Squat & Press x 1min each side
Squat Thrusts x 10
Side Planks x 1min each side
Squat Thrusts x 10
Yoga Stretching & cool down

After the session I felt physically drained but completely mentally alert and ready for anything – as long as I could do it sitting down!

Wednesday – gym session
6pm after work (worked from home)

Warm up on bike – 5 mins

Interval training – treadmill 20 mins

4 mins x 8.9 km/hr
3 mins x 9.7 km/hr
2 mins x 10.5 km/hr
4 mins x 8.9 km/hr
3 mins x 9.7 km/hr
2 mins x 10.5 km/hr
2 mins x 7.5 km/hr

Cool down on bike – 5 mins
Stretching
During the intervals my legs were burning and it was tough going, but once I had cooled down I felt as though I could still done more.  Maybe I need to up the speeds!

Thursday – Kettlebell session - 12kg 30 mins
During lunch hour at work

Dynamic Mobility Warm Up
Turkish Get Up x 6 each side
Walking Swings x 2 lengths room
Forward Lunge & Press x 1 length room each side
Bear Walks x 2 lengths room
Lateral Lunges x 1 length room each side
Repeated circuit 3 times
Yoga Stretching & cool down

This was a really gruelling workout and really took it out of me.  Again I feel physically tired – particularly the leg muscles, and coming up the stairs was a challenge.   My job is largely sedentary so plenty of time to recover in the afternoon.  I am feeling quite tired this afternoon.

Friday
During lunch hour (at gym)

Warm up on Concept II rowing machine  – 5 mins

Interval training – treadmill 20 mins
4 mins x 9 km/hr
3 mins x 9.8 km/hr
2 mins x 10.6 km/hr
4 mins x 9 km/hr
3 mins x 9.8 km/hr
2 mins x 10.6 km/hr
2 mins x 7.5 km/hr

Cool down and stretching.  My legs were aching from yesterday’s kb session so the running was hard.  A high point today was that I cycled to and from the gym (a mile each way) and it was wonderful to get into the sunshine.  After a shower and a fruit smoothie to replace the nutrients lost through exercise I feel invigorated and stimulated.

Saturday

Rest day

Sunday

5.30 pm at the gym

Warm up on treadmill – 5 mins

Interval training – Concept II rowing machine 20 mins

4 mins x 2mins30/500 m
3 mins x 2mins25/500m
2 mins x 2mins20/500m
4 mins x 2mins30/500 m
3 mins x 2mins25/500m
2 mins x 2mins20/500m
2 mins x 2mins35/500m

Cool down and stretching.

We’d had a BBQ in the afternoon with family so I really didn’t feel like going to the gym in the evening.  When I did get there however, I had plenty of energy from a big lunch and it felt really good to burn some of it off.

Well done Kim you deserve all the results you have got.

If you want to see the complete article and why my style of training has been so successful then pick up your copy of January’s Elle coming out in December.

To your good health, Greg http://www.gbpersonaltraining.com

It was hard to believe that whilst reading the paper this morning that this headline appeared “Only 12% of Britons eat 5 portions of fruit & veg a day”. According to a survey recently conducted not only are 12% not eating the recommended amount of fruit & veg but also 12% arn’t eating any fruit & veg at all.

This got me thinking, if people arn’t eating fruit and veg then what are they eating? Fastfood, things out of packets and boxes? If you want to lose weight and/or lead a healthy life then it’s time to start eating fresh.

Every meal should include a piece of fruit or veg, so:

Breakfast: 1 pc fruit.

Snack: 1 pc fruit

Lunch: 3 pc Veg

Snack: 1 pc fruit

Dinner: 3pc Veg

Snack: 1 pc fruit

That’s a total of 4 fruit + 6 veg.

Vegetables have virtually no calories so you can eat as many as you like, no need to worry about overdosing on carrots or brocolli just have your fill with every meal. You can even juice them if that’s more convenient.

There seems to be a trend here, the nation is getting more and more obese and fruit & veg consumption is at a low.

If you want some help or advice on kick starting your new healthy eating programme then download my “Evolution diet” for free

http://www.gbpersonaltraining.com/documents/theevolutiondiet.pdf

I’m such a strong believer in kettlebells and the results that they can achieve that I have just launched a new website devoted to kettlebells.

 http://www.kettlebellunion.com

If you are interested in kettlebell training, would like to see them in action, would like to attend a kettlebell class or even purchase your own kettlebell then get on over to the site.

In fact I am even offering free workouts delivered directly to your inbox if you enter your name when on the site. These workouts can have you blasting fat in a matter of minutes a day.

Enjoy the site and all the freebies, it growing all the time!!

I always been a great proponent of Metabolic Typing and have offered this type of nutritional advice for some years. Its popularity has grown so much over the last year that we now have a “metabolic type advisor” solely for this purpose.

If you are not familiar with metabolic typing and its amazing benefits then here is a brief intro:

Metabolic typing places everybody as an individual. There is no one diet that fits all because we are all uniquely different. If you think of the body as an engine, just like cars need different fuels to run, so does the body. We don’t all function equally because we have different, chemical, mental and physical structures. Metabolic Typing allows each person to find their right macro nutrients (Protein, Carbohydrates and Fats) food groups and ratio.

It is so important to get the right food and ratios correct because what you eat determines how you think, feel, move and sleep. Food is your medicine; it is the biggest influence on your life. If you feel tired after eating, crave sugary foods, bloat after eating certain foods, and have irregular, soft or running bowel movements. You need to consider lifestyle changes. 80% of all diseases start in the gut.

Think about how many times a day, a week, a year we put food past our lips, constantly eating! It is vital to make sure the food you eat is right for your individual type, otherwise it will work against you and your health.  
  
‘One mans food is another mans poison’
  
So how do I find out which type I am?

Through a series of in-depth online questions your metabolic typing can be determined. We are currently offering 3 packages to help you with your nutrition and metabolic type:

1. Find out your type - all via email
2. Kick Start - includes a consultation with Hannah
3. New Life - indepth consultations and support

If you want to free yourself from Food Cravings, achieve your ideal weight, enjoy high energy and robust health and prevent and reverse disease then visit my metabolic page to find out more and invest in your lifestyle for the future.

Remember, ‘You are what you eat!’

Find out more here http://www.gbpersonaltraining.com/metabolic-typing.htm

I just have to tell you about this amazing piece of equipment that
will just make all your training so much easier, more fun and
improve your results no end.

What I’m so excited about is a digital interval trainer that is
designed exactly for all your fat loss sessions. Not only are
these interval trainers cheap but they are motivating and easy to
use too.

They include 2 timers so you can set one for rest and one for
worktime, they can either beep or vibrate.

I use my timer for the kettlebell classes that I teach, setting it
to beep every 1 minute and then beep after a further 20 seconds
rest and then it repeats again. Superb!

This is a total “no brainer” , if you have been following
my workouts it makes life so much easier and keeps you motivated
if training alone.

Follow interval trainer and get one straight away, they are only $19.95 or
approx £12. If you live in the UK they are dispatched from here too!

To your good health,

Greg

I just love the Olympic Games and to be honest I haven’t been able to take my eyes off them for the last 2 weeks. I always draw so much inspiration from all the competitors all gunning for gold.

You would think that achieving this level of skill and competence would be complicated but in essence it’s not. All great Olympians have followed 2 basic rules: Consistency and progression.

If you truly want great strength or a super lean and toned body then just follow these 2 simple rules with your training and you can’t fail.

1. Consistency - train regularly and make no excuses. Remember to take small steps towards your goal each day.

2. Progression - each training session should include a little bit more than the one before. Maybe one extra rep or a few extra seconds.

Follow these 2 simple rules and you’ll have your own Olympic Gold before you know it.

Come to think of it you can achieve anything you set your mind on in life by just following these 2 simple rules.

I’ve just started a pioneering type of training for intense fat loss offering 30 minutes training per day, 5 days per week and includes daily nutritional support and planning. For more info:

http://www.gbpersonaltraining.com/pricing.htm

I often get asked by clients and people I meet, my thoughts on alcohol and weight loss. Well, although I am not against alcohol consumption as a whole it is important to realise how it can affect your mission for a thinner body.

 1. Alcohol contains 7 calories per gram, only 2 fewer calories than fat.

2. Less than five percent of the alcohol calories you drink are turned into fat. Rather, the main effect of alcohol is to reduce the amount of fat your body burns for energy.

3. Alcohol contain empty calories meaning that it has no nutritional worth whatsoever.

4. Alcohol suppresses testosterone for up to 24 hours, this slows down your metabolic rate.

5. Testosterone is a great hormone for burning fat, therefore when it is reduced, fat storage is hastened.

6. Another downside of alcohol is dehydration of muscle cells,  we all know the importance of hydration - we are made of water!

7. Alcohol also blocks the absorption of many important nutrients which are involved in muscle contraction, relaxation and growth including calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron and potassium.

8. Alcohol also speeds up aromatization of androgens into estrogens, female hormone, so for those guys looking for bigger man boobs keep drinking.

9. Alcohol acts as a potent appetizer, an alcoholic drink taken before a meal  increases potential calorie intake to a greater extent.

So my advice would be if you are looking to lose fat then hold off the booze for a while and really notice the difference. If you are not on a serious mission to lose body fat then the odd drink now and again won’t hurt.

Cheers

Here’s an email I received today just proving there are quicker and more effective ways to burn fat:

Hi Greg

Thanks for your great site and tips on interval training. It’s amazing. I have been doing the 4:3:2: running as you recommend for about a month and it has made more difference to my weight/figure/energy levels/endorphin highs than 6 months of steadily plodding between 4 and 6 miles around the local lanes. And the great thing is I only need 20 minutes to do this and that is not so hard to find in the day is it?

I am a busy mum and had been having a nightmare trying to get fit, slim and lose lots of baby weight and I can honestly say that your recommendations have really changed my exercise life so thank you very much!

Here’s more info on interval training to get you started: http://gbpersonaltraining.co.uk/4-3-2-interval-training/