Kirk Miller

Kirk Miller is fast becoming a “household name” in the fitness industry, since he was catapulted into the spotlight after winning the Men’s Health cover model contest in 2010. Kirks life first hinted a change when he entered the competition to become a Men’s health fitness model in 2009 which proved to be unsuccessful. Not deterred by this failure Kirk reapplied the following year and on winning the competition changed his life.  

Kirk was propelled into the fitness industry and went from being a 26 year old plumber who spent a lot of time “watching the clock”, to a fitness model and personal trainer. “Being a fitness model and Personal trainer is amazing”, I completely understand the meaning of that famous saying, “when you find a job you love you’ll never work a day in your life”.

Kirk’s passion and energy for his job more than tells you how much enjoyment he gets from helping others. His favourite case is a woman he trains called Nikki, who went from a; depressed, recently divorced, unhealthy, binge drinker to a recent competitor in the bikini classification at Birmingham.

Kirk is currently being trained by the great Neil Hill whose two latest pupils pros James "Flex" Lewis and Zack "King" Khan have both become huge within the industry.

Kirk has been working closely with Neil in developing the Y3T workout which stands for Yoda 3 Training. The principle of Y3T is to systematically keep your muscles guessing how you are going to train so that your body has less chance to adapt. This is done by rotating your training style over a 3-week period. In this period all the muscle fibres are stimulated and giving the overall body a fantastic composition.

Crucial Tips from Kirk

• Consistency is the key to a whole body and lifestyle change.
• Don’t get hung up on heavy weights, be yourself with workouts.
• Quality over quantity cannot be said enough, the greater the muscle activation the more of the muscle can grow.

Finally, we would all love to abdominals like Kirk, so here are some of his best exercises to help you on your way.

• Reverse cable crunches
• Russian twists
• Hanging leg raises
• Don’t forget with lower abs, simple low kicks are a brilliant way to sculpt this area. 

You can follow Kirk on twitter at @Kirk_abs_miller .

GavinTownsend and GT Personal Training would both like to thank Kirk Miller for his interview, we all wish him the best for the future.

Hurricane Sandy

Hurricane Sandy has been aptly named the Frankenstorm due to it being the biggest hurricane to hit the US east coast in living memory.  

New York is iconic there’s no doubt about that, with miles of skyscrapers, a harbour with extensive shipping ports and numerous airports it’s no wonder that the city recently turned over $85bn in exports. To put that in EU terms, that’s over three times the exports of Greece.

This is the first time weather has closed markets in New York for two consecutive days since a blizzard in 1888.

Below are some of the best pictures from hurricane Sandy, showcasing how mother nature still ultimately has the last word.

A wrecked suburb.

A stunning shot of central New York.

The moment when the underground was flooded.

A New York Taxi rank, probably the most iconic image from the whole disaster.

A once bustling New York high street.

Posted by Gavin Townsend 

Carly Thornton Interview

Here we have the best bits from my interview with Carly Thornton.

A quick recap, I did post a blog earlier on in week on Carly telling her story so if you need information please check this link.

Carly’s first competition was at the UK BFF where she placed 6^th in the body fitness category, which  critiques women on whole body shape.

This gave Carly the drive and ambition to further improve herself to get to the top. Following this she competed at  European championship where she placed top 15, with all the traveling and seeing a whole new world of competition Carly was so excited to take the next step in her development.

Carly also wished well to fellow friend and competitor Flex Lewis who recently became Mr Olympia.

Here are some of Carly’s Top-Tips

• Before joining a gym you should meet a personal trainer, someone you work well with and understands you because everyone’s different.
• Don’t be afraid to ask professionals through social media channels.
• Get rid of scales, losing weight does not mean you’re necessarily getting healthier.
• Regular meals every 2/3 hours are essential to aid metabolism

Carly would like to thank everyone for all their support so far and is gearing up for the UK BFF champions at SportEX on the 19^th and 20^th of October.

YouTube link to the interview is below.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=vaA_Jl83XY4

Posted by Gavin Townsend                

Carly Thornton

Carly Thorntons story is one that can inspire anyone from any walk of life.

A relatively inactive child, it took Carly till her early 20's to realise that poor nutrition was taking a toll on her body and mind. In an attempt to shape up she joined a local gym and began going a few times a week. For a short while she only did cardio, then after time she began to experiment with the weights.

Carly has been quoted as saying  “I longed for that toned athletic look but had no clue how to obtain it”. I know most personal trainers would be ecstatic for a potential client with ambition to say such a line, although Carly decided to go down a different route by reading up on nutrition and weight training for herself. 

The level of research she went into was astounding, forever improving herself and her physique.  

Carly went on to become a personal trainer herself, until the commitments of being a top female fitness model became too great.

Carly has been involved with various media publications such as;

Fitness women

LA Muscle

Udos Choice Promotions

Muscle & Fitness

Ultra-FIT magazine

USN

To name just a few.

I am thoroughly looking forward to meeting Carly and I can’t wait to pass on what information she has to all of you.

Posted by Gavin Townsend

Leisure Industry Week

For those of you who didn’t attend Leisure Industry (LIW) Week shame on you! For those of you who did a huge well done. LIW is an annual three-day event where the leisure industry comes together with over 300+ exhibitors showcasing their products and services. There’s also an Education Village where a series of expert-led seminars were held.

At LIW I was running the Nutrition Complete stand, Nutrition Complete is an Australian company that offers fast-clinicalonline meal planning software. My role is to bring Nutrition Complete further into the UK market after the company’s success in Asia and America. The company received lots of genuine interest at LIW and this has given us a strong platform to build on. I would strongly suggest others look to get involved with LIW next year, you will definitely see me there!!

Lastly the atmosphere at LIW was one of optimism and looking towards the future of the fitness industry, which was brilliant. With this 20% VAT rise being imposed on fitness products its paramount that we all look at innovative ways to make ourselves appeal to the end user.

Posted By Gavin Townsend

VAT Increase on Sports Nutrition

When I first heard about the proposed VAT increase on some sports nutrition products I was genuinely appalled , 5 months on and sadly all attempts to fight this change have failed. This is going to happen and it will affect every individual in our marketplace at every level, we all need to [excuse the pun] muscle this one out!!

Below are some reason why this insanity is wrong.

      1.  The bodybuilding market is growing year on year, so why punish a market that is still in its development cycle?

2.  This year has seen the summer of sport do wonders for our nation and this can act as a catalyst for    righting so many wrongs that have crept into our culture. One of these being the increase of obesity and an   unhealthy lifestyle. So again I ask, why is there going to be a VAT increase on a key industry that’s encouraging physical fitness which can massively bring down costs for the NHS and improve a nation as a whole?

      3.   Regular gym users see nutritional supplements as a fundamental part of their lifestyle, surely we should be encouraging people to spend their money on healthy products rather than cheap junk.

4.  With high under 25 unemployment and a national debt that needs two generations to pay it off we should be encouraging youngsters to get out the house and get active, instead of making a healthy lifestyle even more expensive.  

Sorry to reiterate one of my points again, but I CANNOT understand the timing of this VAT increase.

Why not delay it a year so that the industry can brace itself, and the government can see what effect this Summer of Sport has had on our national as a whole.

Posted by Gavin Townsend

Back To Work

The summer of sport is coming to an end, for some this will be a sad moment which signals dark rainy days and traffic jams. For others this signals the beginning of a new business cycle and an opportunity to get the ball rolling again.

With so much happening this summer many brits have either escaped abroad or been super glued to their sofas giving hard up businesses an even greater challenge to entice people out of their homes and spending money again.

This is not the time to wallow in self-pity wrapped up in your coat waiting for that first inevitable cold school run. This is the time to act , reinvent yourself, build your portfolio, roll your sleeves up and get stuck in there are many willing clients out there.

GT personal training are here to help you, with advice on marketing, public relations and business planning.

Get ahead of your rivals and make this run up to Christmas the first quarter of your successful rising business.

Team GB Paralympians on course to better medal target

Before the games, anyone seeing the 103 medal target for Team GB would be allowed to think that was a tad optimistic. Although just 5 days into the Paralympics and this target is definitely in real danger of not only being achieved, but even bettered.  

The power of home advantage has never been so evident, with records being smashed, stadiums sold out and beaming smiles everywhere this again turning into a truly unforgettable few weeks for Britain as a whole.

The Team GB athletes recently won seven gold’s [“The Magnificent seven”] on what some are calling “Superb Sunday”. One of these gold’s was a truly sensational victory for wheelchair racer David Weir who lit up the Olympic Stadium with a dramatic last gasp win in the 5,000 meter race. Which was every bit as eventful as Mo Farah's win over the same distance.

The first few days were challenging for Team GB as they were battling for second spot with a resurgent Australia, with tougher competition they’ve done brilliantly to come out on top. An example in the raise in standards came last night when we saw Oscar Pistorius beaten in the 200m, which was a complete and utter shock. This acts as a fantastic statement of how much Paralympic sport has improved.

The Paralympians are a credit to themselves and their country so let’s all get behind the team for remaining days!

Posted by

Gavin Townsend

Olympic Legacy and Closing Ceremony

It’s all over, the years of planning, the cheers and the tears.

London 2012 was undoubtedly a success, the question on everyone’s lips is “how do we capitalise on this and a create a long lasting genuine legacy”. The London 2012 Olympic Games can’t just become a glorified memory it's time to pull all our minds together and make the end of the Olympics the start of something special. We can build a fairer, stronger, more equal country where everyone person has opportunities, with no moaning about the recession or being bored just an increased sense of optimism and determination.

Hopefully, with the upcoming Paralympic games receiving its most coverage ever this can be another vehicle to spread the message of making the most of your opportunities with reference to; friendship, courage, determination, inspiration and equality.

There are already programmes being put into place like Get Set education which already has more than 24,000 schools registered. This programme aims to integrate sport, culture and arts across the UK to help young people address issues such as bullying, gangs, social isolation, illegal drug use, and drive community participation and involvement.

Finally away from sports, the closing ceremony offered a different angle of what it’s like to be British.

We showed the world some of the darn right mad creative talents that we gave them such as; Madness, Blur, Spice Girls and the Pet Shop Boys. Also Emile Sande’s song All About was perfect our current situation with lyrics like, “We’re all wonderful people/ so when did we get so fearful/ now we are finally finding our voices”. The video of Freddy Mercury at one of his iconic concerts created incredible energy highlighting how inspiration can live on, lastly John Lennon singing Imagine with a deaf children's choir truly showed the Olympic spirit of anything is possible and perseverance against all odds.

With all the brilliant sporting success and fantastic ceremonies the time to act is now.

How would you go about creating the Olympic legacy for generations to come?

Great Britain’s Glorious Gold’s

The London 2012 Olympics is proving to be a true gold rush for our proud nation.

As of today here’s the full list of all the gold medallists so far.

Andy Murray, tackled his Wimbledon woes head on when he demolished Roger Federer to win Gold in straight sets. 

Ben Ainslie won his fourth straight gold medal to become the most decorated Olympic sailor in history and celebrated in strange style by lighting two flares and waving them to thousands of spectators.

Greg Rutherford, produced a brilliant 8.31 in a bad conditions to win the long jump with our first medal in the event since 1964.

 Mo Farah was the first brit in history to win the 10,000 meters, will we ever be so captivated to watch 25 laps of the track ever again?

Mo Farah then wrote his name into the record books by winning the 5,000 meters in the most dramatic of ways., running from the front for the whole last lap.

Jessica Ennis our national treasure and poster girl won the heptathlon with almost 7 thousand points, an icon is born.

Bradley Wiggins smashed the cycling time trial to become Britain’s most prolific Olympian in the event.

Tim Baillie and Etienne Stott defied the odds in the canoeing by winning after qualifying last.

Was our cycling team sprint ever in doubt with the dream team of Philip Hindes, Chris Hoy and Jason Kenny, winning gold. Hoy’s 5th Olympic gold medal.

Our Nations proud tradition of rowing continued with  Andy Triggs Hodge, Pete Reed, Tom James and Alex Gregory, achieving gold in the men's four for the fourth Olympics in a row.

Again cycling has showed its class by winning gold in the team pursuit with Ed Clancy, Steven Burke, Geraint Thomas and Peter Kennaugh smashing their own world record.

The team GB girls decided to match the men with Jo Rowsell, Laura Trott and Dani King, winning gold and setting their 6th world record in the team pursuit.

The rowing excellence continues thanks to Katherine Grainger and Anna Watkins, winning Gold in the double sculls.

Peter Wilson a farmer’s son , surprised many by shooting for gold in the double trap.

Victoria Pendleton, seized her moment by winning the keirin.

Katherine Copeland and Sophie Hosking continued the gold rush in the lightweight double sculls.

Rounding up, Helen Glover and Heather Stanning won gold in the rowing, pair.

ALISTAIR BROWNLEE Olympic triathlon champion, whose victory meant that we have equalled our gold medal tally from Beijing with the best part of five days remaining.

Laura Trott produced a superb race in the final event to win the Omnium gold.

Chris Hoy won an incredible gold in keirin with what looks like his last Olympic race, a perfect way to bow out.

Laura Bechtolsheimer, Carl Hester, Charlotter Dujardin won our 22^nd gold in the equestrian team dressage beating our medal haul from over 104 years ago!!

Charlotte Dujardin and her horse Valegro won Great Britain's first ever individual dressage gold medal.

Nicola Adams made history by winning gold in the 51kg category, making her the first female boxing champion.

Jade Jones beat China's Yuzhuo Hou to avenge her defeat by the Chinese fighter at last year's World Championships to take Great Britain’s first ever gold in the taekwondo .

Anthony Joshua 9 months ago was made to do 100 hours' unpaid work after admitting possessing cannabis. Fast forward 9 months and hes won a gold medal in the boxing ring at London 2012.

Ed Mckeever dubbed a the Usian Bolt on the water, demolished the field to win the 200m canoeing gold.

So the question is, did these heroic sports men and women do their job and inspire a generation?

National Pride

From the opening ceremony to the thousands of flags waved, the sense of national pride that the Olympics has installed is fantastic.

This Olympics has come in the darkest double dip recession for the 50 years, with the media doing its best to act as Ebenezer Scrooge by spreading tales of doom and gloom. Thankfully the headlines have been rewritten with stories of perseverance and journeys to success. Also the army chipping in to help with security has come off trumps, with them posing for photos and saluting the public.

On your daily travels look out for the Great British flag hanging proudly out of many a window and the kids running in the street and allow yourself to be inspired!!

Go out there and make a difference no matter how big or small.

Millions of tickets sold, millions of unsuccessful tickets applied for and there’s rows of empty seats at London 2012. Usually football reduces me to yelling at the television, but seeing all those empty seats for the corporate big guns genuinely hit me in the pit of my stomach. The rudeness to simply not show up for those tickets when the general public are crying out to see absolutely anything is astounding.



The Olympic organisers LOGOC [London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games] have put thousands of tickets back on sale today in order to relive pressure and fill the empty seats at venues across London 2012. It’s sad that it’s come to this but at least a response has happened, quickly and effectively.
If you’re wondering who the persons were absent from their seats then wait no more. The accredited "Games Family" have reportedly been blamed for the empty seats but London 2012, the Games Family includes; sports officials, media, international federations and sponsors.

Let’s hope that this hapless “Games Family” doesn’t get any complementary tickets for a while after their poor turnout.
Also, it’s great to see that the corporations don’t always win!!!
Power to the people.

The Power of Sponsorship

The London 2012 Olympics is days away!

We are looking at how Adidas has manipulated the Games to their advantage.

Currently when on the podium athletes have to wear their nations kit regardless of any other sponsorship deals. This has been the case for many years, until Nike decided it wasn’t for them. After a long and arduous battle Adidas yielded and agreed to let participants on the podium to wear sponsors shoes.

Visitor clothing rules, yes you did read that Adidas have enforced visitor clothing rules. Ridiculous yes, but  If you happen to be one of the lucky few heading to experience the Games first-hand, then don’t forget to leave your witty printed T-shirts, reading material, and competitor gear at home because all of that can get you turned away from the Olympic Games. Two of those three I can just about understand if I tilt my head to one side and put my corporate glasses on. The one thing I cannot understand is the outlawing of printed matter bearing “religious, political, or offensive content". If anything you’re reading contains even the hint of those contents the minimum you can expect is for that item to find its way to a confiscation room. I genuinely have no idea why this is being enforced, I am yet to meet a total stranger who kindly passed me a book to read, let alone pass me a book to read that was highly offensive.

The above two regulations are absurd, if this is the precedent for regulation at this Olympics what does the future old. At the Rio Olympics are well all going to need a bullet proof vest?

 

Olympic Security WHAT A JOKE

The London 2012 Olympics is supposed to be our nations showcase of creativity, organisation , efficiency and sporting excellence.

The current G4S situation, is going a long way to discredit all of the above assumptions.

The company were commissioned with the role of supplying security staff for the games, somehow they fell frighteningly short of all their targets with 1,000’s of additional security staff needed. This has resulted in Hundreds of police officers from across the UK being drafted in to help with the security crisis. These officers I’m sure have way important things to do then learn agonizingly boring procedures. Also this will be costing the government more money with additional over time and accommodation.

We are within two weeks of the opening ceremony and this shouldn’t be happening, although ministers have [of course] insisted that the “London 2012 Games would be secure and the failure of G4S is no more than a hitch”.
This fiasco does well to create that uncertain feeling in the pit of your stomach.

There are some serious questions that need to be answered here.

Firstly, how on earth did this go undetected for so long.
Secondly, who’s heads are going to roll on both the G4S and Government side.
Finally, what else can go wrong!! Excluding the weather.

Gym mistakes

I’m sure we have all been there, you’re at the gym watching someone do something totally wrong and you’re thinking; should I help also more importantly is that what I look like when I’m doing that exercise.

Well here’s our top 5 gym mistakes for you to look out for.

1. Sticking to the same workout
We all repeat the things we like doing, so then why wonder when you stop producing results because your body hits a plateau. The answer, every 4 to 6 weeks mix it up to keep the body guessing.

2. Copying hard-core gym members
It’s easy to look at people and think, to get as ripped them you simply have to do what they do. Don’t fall into this trap, you have no idea how many years and what chemicals have found their way into that persons system. Stick to your own progression and in time you will get there.

3. The last minute over dose
Ok so for whatever reason; a date , holiday or model shoot you decide that you need a crazy rush of working out every day for a month. This is not sustainable physically or mentally, you could do yourself a serious injury or more likely burn yourself out, so in a few months you’ll be back in the same position.

4. A tired brain is not a tired body
A tough day at the office leaves you shattered and in no mood for the gym, so you try to get an early night but for some reason you end up with a bout of insomnia. Your brain is knackered but your body is ready for exercise, by going to the gym in this state you’ll get your energy levels surging and de-stress yourself in the process.’

5. Fight the colds
This is a myth that genuinely gets on my nerves, It’s often said that if you exercise during a cold, you’ll work it out of your system. This is nonsense from a time when sports science was merely a dream. ‘When you train you weaken your immune system, FACT. This is because you ask it to repair the muscles you’ve damaged in order for them to get stronger. If you’ve got a cold already, lowering the immune system is going to bring that cold on even more. Take a couple of days off then come back to training gradually.

Don't just slog it out in the gym!

 

You don't have to slog it out in a sweaty gym to maintain your fitness. Simply boosting your levels of general daily activity can massively improve your health and fitness...

It has been proven that 20 minutes per day of light to moderate exercise can help towards the prevention of Cardiovascular & other health issues!

So here is 3 ideas for you!

1. Fast walk for 20 minutes every other day & 20 minutes cycle every other day!

2. Swim for 40 minutes once per week, weight in the gym twice per week & walk for 20 minutes 4 times per week.

or if you're feeling very fit and energetic!

3. Swim for 40 minutes once per week, interval running for 30 minutes twice per week,      3 strong split routine weight training sessions per week & 1 day of rest!

An increase on alcohol costs is good for the future of the UK!

This is a very tough subject to talk about (so we expect a mix of opinions on this blog!).

Many people in the UK are respectable drinkers & have a few drinks at special occasions or with a meal.

Unfortunately binge drinking is very common between teenagers, students & young professionals; however alcohol consumption is on a massive increase with the older generations also (which lead an example for the rest of the UK). Alcohol is not the problem! It is people over use & attitude towards the consumption of it which causes issues!

We have read this really good blog on the top 10 health risks with drinking excessive amounts of alcohol!

1. Pregnancy risks

women consuming alcohol when they are pregnant is very dangerous for the foetus. The results can be very disheartening like birth defects preventing normal growth causing mental retardation and improper formations of body parts. Hence avoid alcohol completely during pregnancy to have a healthy baby.

2. High blood pressure

Drinking more than two standard drinks of alcohol a day has a possibility of increasing the blood pressure twice, compared to non drinkers. It is advised for people with high blood pressure and being overweight to not consume alcohol. The suggested quantity of alcohol for men is two standard glasses per day and one glass for women.

3. Heart diseases

Apparently, average alcohol consumption reduces the risk of occurrence of heart attacks, strokes and coronary heart diseases. But excessive drinking can cause cardiovascular disease damaging the heart and its blood vessels.

4. Hangovers

one of the common short term effects of over drinking is hangover. Hangover means dehydration, headaches, vomiting, nausea, stomach pains, uneasiness and sickness that occurs after crossing the limit of alcohol your body can tolerate. The best way to get rid of it is to have a glass of lime juice or eating oily fried food.

5. Cancer

There is a high risk of breast cancer for women consuming more than average alcohol per day. Alcohol can even cause cancer of lever and digestive region. Not only excess consumption even little alcohol can cause this deadly disease.

6. Accidents

Driving under the influence of alcohol is very risky as a person’s reaction time becomes slow. There is a tendency to lose control while driving a vehicle. This might lead to accidents or even killing innocent people on the road.

7. Inappropriate behaviour

Consumption of alcohol makes you lose control over yourself. One might unknowingly indulge in unnecessary sexual activities which can lead to unwanted pregnancy or even get infected with sexually transmitted diseases.

8. Liver diseases

Liver diseases occur because of continually consuming alcohol. Liver can function even when it is damaged up to 75%. But torturing the liver after that point can lead to scarring of it or what is known as cirrhosis. Alcohol contains toxins called acetaldehyde which tend to damage the liver cells. And once it is damaged it can even lead to death.

9. Pancreatitis

Heavy drinking say more than 5 glasses a day can cause this disease. And if affected by this disease it is for life. One has to very careful while eating oily or fatty food. Pancreatitis is swelling of the pancreas. The main symptoms are pain in the upper abdomen, nausea, vomiting, fever and sweating. If it gets severe it can result in digestive problems, diabetes and pancreatic cancer.

10. Alcoholism

Addiction is the extreme case of alcoholism. It is the point where the body surrenders to alcohol and cannot live without it. In fact the body demands increased quantity gradually. And when deprived of it, the person starts to feel weak and irritated. It can even lead the person into depression.

http://www.quicktop10.com/health/top-10-risks-of-drinking-alcohol/

5 top tips to stay focused & motivated when exercising!

5 TOP TIPS TO STAY FOCUSED & MOTIVATED WHEN EXERCISING!

Living in a world full of many distractions can diturb your exercise plans!

Here are our 5 top tips to remain focused & motivated

1. TURN OFF YOUR MOBILE PHONE! HOW MANY PEOPLE DO YOU SEE IN THE GYM NOT EXERCISING PROPERLY, BEING DISTRACTED WITH UPDATES FROM FACEBOOK, SMS ALERTS & PHONE CALLS! OUR NUMBER 1 TIP TO STAY FOCUSED WHEN EXERCISING IS TURN OFF YOUR MOBILE!!!

2. LISTEN TO MUSIC THAT MOTIVATES YOU! THERE IS NOTHING WORSE THAN EXERCISING TO MUSIC THAT YOU HATE! IF YOU LOVE ROCK ANTHEMS, THERE IS NOTHING WORSE THAN LISTENING TO CHEESY POP OR DUB STEP. HOWEVER IF YOU LOVES DANCE CHARTS OR R&B THERE IS NOTHING MORE NAUSEATING THAN LISTENING TO 60'S & THE LIKES OF 70'S CHEESE! (THIS IS YOUR TIME TO EXERCISE SO LISTEN TO THE MUSIC YOU ENJOY HEARING!)



3. KEEP CONVERSATIONS TO THE BEGGINING OR AT THE END OF TRAINING! HAVE YOU SEEN MANY W.I. GROUPS FULL OF MEN IN THE GYM LATELY? IF YOU HAVE & YOU WISH TO FOCUS ON YOUR FITNESS THEN STAY AWAY FROM THESE TYPES OF PEOPLE AS THEY ONLY GO TO THE GYM TO TALK & NOT TRAIN!

4.  KEEP YOUR ENERGY LEVELS UP! CONSUME A SMALL MEAL OR A CARB / PROTEIN SHAKE AN HOUR BEFORE EXERCISE! MOST PEOPLE'S ENERGY LEVELS ARE DEPLETED WHEN EXERCISING, SO KEEP THEM UP BY CONSUMING THE RIGHT PRE & POST TRAINING MEAL FOR YOU!

5. WEAR CLOTHES  THAT MAKE YOU FEEL GOOD! IF LYCRA IS YOUR THING OR BAGGY MC HAMMER LIKE PANTS ARE, WEAR IT! MAKE SURE THAT THE CLOTHES YOU WEAR WON'T INJURE YOU! IF YOU FEEL GOOD IN YOUR OWN CLOTHES IT WILL AID YOUR TRAINING!

Below is a link to a really popular fitness cd to keep you motivated!

 

3 minutes exercise per week research

Just three MINUTES of exercise a week could prevent diabetes, say scientists

• Jumping on an exercise bike in just 20 second spurts can improve insulin function, scientists claim

So, does this mean that personal trainers are out of a job?

 

 
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2071590/Just-MINUTES-exercise-week-prevent-diabetes-say-scientists.html#ixzz1oTJiHQAr

 

Is making new year resolutions a waste of time?

Is making New Year resolutions a waste of time?

At this time of year many people regret they ever made New Year resolutions!

Most if not all who have made a list of New Year’s resolutions have failed miserably!

So why do most people give up so easily?

Well it is simple!

It is now accepted in society to "WANT NOW" & "DREAM OF RESULTS!" rather than "JUST DO IT!"

Too many people make excuses & never execute their plan to perfection!

So what are the main 5 excuses not to get great results!

1. The "I’ll do it tomorrow" mindset

2. I have had a bad day! I’ll feel better in front of the TV with a pack of crisps instead!

3. Its dark & miserable outside & it's raining!

4.  I kind of have a plan, I've stuck to it for 5 days and it's not working!

5. I've given this diet 9 days and I’ve only lost 1llb! Let’s try another diet fad instead!

To conclude!

New Year’s resolutions are not a waste of time!

Making a plan & never seeing it through is!

Too many people YO-YO & NEVER EVER see things through like they should! If they did the results would be amazing!

Exercise and Fitness for the Cancer Patient

Please note this is by: David Haas of the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance

Exercise and Fitness for the Cancer Patient

In times past, people who were diagnosed with cancer, whether it was a common cancer like breast cancer or a rare one such as mesothelioma were told to rest as much as possible. Recent studies have shown that exercise during and after treatment can be done safely and may improve the quality of the patient's life. While rest is important while a patient fights the disease, too much of it can cause weakness in muscles and limit the range of motion. This is why it is important to be as active as possible during the treatment process and beyond.

Physical activity provides many benefits to a cancer patient, such as improving muscle tone, increasing blood circulation and energy, decreasing the risk of heart disease, lessening depression and anxiety, controlling nausea and giving a feeling of well being. Energy levels tend to be higher in patients who exercise regularly, which results in less social isolation.

The patient’s health care team should approve any exercise regimen before starting. The best results may be obtained through working with a physical therapist or an exercise specialist. Both are trained to find the right type, duration and intensity of exercise that suits the needs of the individual.

When starting out with a new exercise routine, it is best to go slowly with frequent breaks for rest. It is important to include all the muscle groups and perform activities that emphasize flexibility, aerobic fitness and overall strength. The patient should always use moderation and pay attention to how the body is reacting.

There will be some days when there is too much fatigue, especially during radiation and chemotherapy treatment. While exercise can help alleviate tiredness, it is vital to allow the body to rest and recuperate.

Staying motivated can be a problem with any physical activity regimen. It can be helpful to set goals for the short and long term and try to keep it fun. Mixing up different exercises on different days can keep it fresh and interesting, as can working out with friends and family. Making a chart of progress and celebrating when goals are reached can give a feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction.

Cancer can be a scary experience but it is not the end. Staying physically strong can help a patient beat the disease and appreciate the new lease on life.

Please Note this is by: David Haas of the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance

Due to the sensitive subject, GTPT LTD is simply posting this blog & has not created the content.

www.mesothelioma.com/blog/authors/david/

10 diet tips to cut body fat quickly!

Why exercising from home works really well!

Exercising from home has never been so easy!



There are so many choices out there!

Some ideas are:

* Fitness videos

* Xbox Kinect or Playstation or Wii Fitness Games

* Yoga & Pilates guides

* Exercise equipment such as treadmills, cycles, multigyms etc...

Unfortunately many people buy gizmos and new technology fitness tools with the desire to get amazing results quick! However, the reality is it's never easy to get good results quick without a plan & persistence! For more of a structured plan & to achieve GREAT results your always better off having a Personal Trainer to guide you!

Some of the benefits of having a PT at home are;

* Flexibility with training schedule

* Train on a 1 to 1 with no one else around starring at you!

* Feel more confident in your home environment

Some suggestions when exercising at home with or without a PT!

* Turn up some good music!

* Turn off your phone & all distractions!

* Allocate a sensible amount of time to exercise!

To have a FREE consultation with one of our leading PT's please contact us!

IPAD & Blender Competition! Why we love giving our Facebook fans FREE stuff!

In the world of fitness everyone has their own ideas and thoughts.....

We at GT Personal Training only take on mature PT's who have expertise and ample of experience that will serve any customer well!

We believe that our followers & especially our Facebook Fans should be rewarded with all of the following:

* FREE fitness updates

* Latest news on health & fitness trends

* Video interviews with sports stars from various sports from around the world!

* Funny weekly pictures & videos to keep you amused & aware of health & fitness!

* & last but not least FREEBIES! Our competitions are not just great! They are the best! What other companies give away a £550 multi-gym, £600 IPAD / Blender prize, Signed Liverpool shirt (with Gerrard's signature too!!)

So, at this point if you are reading this please "LIKE" us on Facebook & Enter our IPAD & Blender Competition! www.facebook.com/GTPERSONALTRAINING

5 foods to eat to reduce stomach fat

We found this great website with some tips on 5 things that surprisingly can help reduce stomach fat weight!

1. Dark Chocolate: No, that is NOT a typo! Dark chocolate is loaded with antioxidants (nearly eight times the number found in strawberries), and it contains a sneaky little  ingredient called THEOBROMINE that can have a very positive effect on boosting your metabolism.

It also contains a nice dose of oleic acid, which is a monounsaturated “skinny fat.” Make sure to choose the 78% or higher cocoa levels for best results.

2. Peanut Butter: Okay, not just peanut butter, but mostly any seeds and nuts. These are the best: pistachios, walnuts, almonds (or almond butter), pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and flax seeds.

Why? They keep you full and satisfied for long periods of time, and they’re stuffed with healthy, belly-burning fats and minerals. (By the way, eat organic peanut butter with no added sugar as the regular stuff is loaded with trans-fats.)

3. Omelets: Despite what you may have heard, Eggs aren’t bad, they’re actually nutrient-dense and loaded with belly-burning protein, vitamins B6, B12, A, D, E, and K, folate, choline, lutein, calcium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, and omega-3 fatty acids.

Plus, they keep you full for long periods of time… also, choose eggs that come from free-range chickens because you’ll get more healthy nutrients.

4. Cinnamon: Researchers have found that cinnamon contains a type of antioxidant that increases insulin sensitivity and effectively helps to stabilize blood sugar… which means you will store less blubber!

5. Chili Peppers: Studies have shown that the active ingredient in chili peppers and powder, something called CAPSAICIN, increases calorie-burning, stabilizes blood-sugar levels (which decreases fat-storage), and is a potent antioxidant… so it sure seems like the right time to add some of this “spice” to your life!

website was: http://www.fatburningfurnace.com/blog/these-5-unique-foods-kill-belly-fat-fast

Is your WORK making you FAT?

Is your WORK making you FAT?



Unfortunately many people in the UK do not enjoy the work that they do. Many have to get up early to then commute long distances and fight there way to the JOB! Then when their working day is finally over they will have to drag their tired selves back home! After a long day many people are so fed up and tired that they start to find comfort in binging on whatever foods are available! & due to the dark evenings the typical office worker will come up with whatever excuse they can possibly find not to exercise!

Well if this is YOU! Stop it now!

Do the following!

1. Find a JOB which you enjoy!  

2. Cut out the excuses!

3. Eat more structured & healthier meals

4. Exercise regularly to avoid feeling low

5. Book a short break or holiday every 6 months to give yourself a break!

If that doesnt work contact us instead! www.gtpt.co.uk