Born Free!!

What is your first thought when it comes to fitness? For most it’s the thought of a packed out gym, full of body builders to the glamour girls in there Lycra. The majority of us are very self-conscious so the gym is a very intimidating place to go.  What if I told you, that you could seek all your fitness goals for free and not have to step one foot into a gym.  Sound good? The great outdoors so misunderstood though the fun you could have and the benefits you could receive from exercising outdoors are endless.

It’s Free!!

No membership payments or the struggle to get on a machine. The outdoors is everyone’s to share and enjoy. You don’t need specialised equipment to get fit; you just have to know where to start. The outdoors is always open with no time limits, no restrictions on what you can and can’t do.

Fresh Air

Nothing beats the outdoors for clean air, yes nowadays we are doing what it seems are utmost to pollute our world the outdoors is still twice as clean as air you’d find in a gym.

More Freebies

Yes I give you more freebies much better than your free water bottle and towel you usually get. As you may know the body needs vitamins and nutrients to function properly. Through the sunlight your body receives doses of vitamin D enough without worrying about taking any supplements. Another little bonus you might even pick yourself up a little tan, ok rare but you never know.

Open your Mind

While outdoors your mind becomes more active as it has to take in its surroundings, from hills you climb to a winding path or to the terrain you’re on.

Open your mind; open your heart to the outdoors.

Dave Low

Personal Trainer

Plyometrics

Plyometric: Bounce Ability

To start with what is plyometric; the main idea behind it is to force the body to exert the greatest amount of force possible, in the shortest time possible from any chosen muscle group. To therefore repeat this action continuously.

Plyometric exercises are more dominantly used with top sports man and woman needing that explosive power, though more and more people are using them in general day to day programmes.  Depending on a person’s fitness goals will determine whether or not plyometric will be of full benefit.

Plyometric Benefits

+ Endurance

For most increasing fitness is one of the key areas they like to improve, with plyometric training it allows a greater endurance allowing an athlete or novice to perform at a higher level for longer.

+ Muscle Strength

Another big feature for most is bulking up or becoming stronger, with plyometric exercises lean muscle is developed far greater providing an athlete with stronger and more efficient muscles.

+ Calorie Burn

The big one for most calories burning, due to the intensity of the exercise it enhances your metabolic rate allowing for higher calorie burn.

+ Injury risk reduced

Due to the extent of the training, plyometric training allows greater motion within the joints improving flexibility and providing muscle strength which reduces the risk of injury.

Plyometric training is endless with the different variations to each exercise and provides endless benefits for the participant. To get started try the most common the box jump, enjoy and bounce your way to success.

Box Jump

One of the most recognisable plyometric exercises is the box jump, as it involves the participant to exert the maximum force possible from the legs to jump on top of a box, landing with two feet. Though other kit could be used such a gym bench or even steps depending on how hard you want the jump. Go on give it go.

David Low

Personal Trainer

Top five bodyweight exercises

The ultimate in workouts has to be your own body weight; you can go to any gym and see everyone doing resistance workouts, dumbbells, barbells, Power plates and studio classes.
Occasionally you see the odd person doing standard press ups at the end of a chest workout or a few variations on there abdominals.
You never really see anyone doing a complete bodyweight no holds barred workout, why is bodyweight training so good

Benefits of bodyweight training:

It's free
Variations are endless
Minimum amount of space required
Can be conducted anywhere
Strength is relative
Body worked functionally
Speed, plyometrics, strength, endurance, stamina, flexibility, movement, are all incorporated

Top five exercises include

PRESS UPS
This is the original bodyweight move and is a great exercise for hitting the chest, shoulders, back and arms, there are many variations and by adding a bit of elevation the range of movement and motion can be increased<strong>.

Variations include

Military Press Up
Toblerone's
Marine press up
Bouncing bomb
Exploding bomb
Bronson press up

BURPEES
This has to be the bad boy of the all over bodyweight exercise; this is a favourite with the British Military and martial artists. Once the subject of unfounded bad press most people ignored this exercise but having never left the top five it has made a dramatic come back.

Variations include

Stand Up burpee
Jump Burpee
Bastardo
Rolling squat burpee
Bouncing burpee
Half burpee

SQUATS
Squats are a great exercise, many people owing to western culture only squat at right ankles, ignoring the Posterior kinetic chain and the elastic energy of the hamstrings and glutes when firing correctly. The squat is also a great indicator regarding hip and ankle mobility or lack of.

Variations include

Jump Squats
Gun Drills
Squat Thrusts
Knuckle squats
Split Squats
Pistol Squats

PULL UPS
Versatile and a mass builder for the back and arms, different variations will allow you to progress quickly, often seen as a test of strength most people find them difficult.

Variations include

Chin up
Side to side
Around the world
One handed
L sit
Parallel
Add a rope, towel, suspension system for variety

ABDOMINALS
The holy grail of exercises, in that we want them, but can't seem to find them. Fear not the six pack is there but don't fall into the "I must do 200 crunches everyday" as the abdominals need to rest like every other muscle group.

Variations include

Ab Roll outs
Super crunches
Double V sits
Jesus Curls
Side plank/oblique twists
Bicycle
Crunches

I need your opinion!  Leave a comment with your favourite bodyweight exercises

Brian Fernie
MMA CSCC
Master Personal Trainer

Rehydrate

When exercising perspiration causes the loss of water from the body along with electrolytes or salts and results in dehydration, this is an ongoing process within the human body where the fluids need to be replaced for optimum bodily functions.

Proper rehydration requires not just water but salts as the body needs these for efficient muscle contractions and nerve impulses. The main electrolytes are sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, chloride, hydrogen phosphate and hydrogen carbonate. Exercise depletes the bodies’ salt reserves more quickly bringing the onset of fatigue faster and in this instance water does not have a sufficient amount of these electrolytes to rehydrate as well.

There are three main types of sports drinks available to rehydrate before, during or after exercise with differing amounts of sugars for differing intensities as this is important for performing at your best. Isotonic drinks have the same concentrations of sugars and salts as the human body and are designed to rehydrate sports athletes that perform team sports, middle distance and long distance running, cycling and swimming.

Hypertonic sports drinks have a higher concentration of sugars (carbohydrates) designed to replenish glycogen stores in muscles for after high intensity training or very long distance events like marathons while hydrating and replacing essential salts within the body too.

Hypotonic sports drinks are designed for lower intensities as they have a lower concentration of sugars designed to rehydrate sports people like gymnasts and jockeys as they do not use up as much glycogen as runners or team sport athletes.

When working out at home or within the gym you have to consider the intensity you will be working at to accurately replenish sugars, salts and water within the body. A high intensity workout will require a hypertonic sports drink whereas a moderate or low intensity workout will require isotonic or hypotonic drink.

Daniel O Donnell (much loved by old ladies)
Personal Trainer

Medicine Balls

Play with your balls

Medicine balls are a great way to train, they can add variety to a workout and can target the upper and lower body there are also many exercises that target the core. Medicine balls can be purchases in many different weights and sizes. Some med balls have handles others are different finishes such as leather, rubber and vinyl finishes.  Med ball training can be performed by any age group and by any fitness levels from beginners to top athletes.

Advantages 

• Can improve range of motion
• Core strength and stability
• Upper and lower body strength
• Coordination
• Flexibility
• Can be used with a partner, on your own and thrown against walls.

Med balls are excellent for working the core which is the abdominals, the lower back, hips and spine areas. Med balls are effective as you can mimic functional movements that you use in everyday life for example lifting a heavy box. With med balls you can work many different core muscles at once. As you improve your core strength you are also working your upper and lower body. Med balls are also effective for rehab for example if you have a shoulder injury you could grab a light med ball and with your arms above your head throw the ball off a wall and catch it again and this will re-strengthen the should joint and muscle. 

Disadvantages

• Can cause damage to walls such as scuffs and dents
• Can cause sprains in the wrists and fingers if the catchers timing is off

Examples of medicine ball exercises

Upper body

• Kneeling over head pass (like a football throw-in but on your knees)
• Press ups on the ball.
• Chest pass

Lower body

• Jumping lunges shifting ball from side to side
• Squat
• Front reach

Core

• Russian twists
• V-sit passing the ball from feet to hands and back again
• Overhead floor slam

These exercises will add variety into your programme and you will enjoy performing them.

Next time you’re in the gym just ask to play with the balls.

Ryan Stewart

Personal Trainer

Pull Up's the action man exercise

The ultimate upper body workout, you will have seen it the action movies the hero gets ready for the fight and pushes out a quick set of pull ups.

Pull ups build and strengthen your back, shoulders and arms and help you achieve the perfect V shape.

The pull up and all of its variations are not easy to perform and do require a certain amount of strength and technique. If performed correctly and integrated into a training programme significant gains can be seen quickly.

By pulling your body weight upwards from an action of pulling the hands downwards from above your head does involve a big range of motion and places a lot of pressure on your muscles; however the gains out way the cons.

Many people and trainers abdicate the lat pull down machine and seated overhead press in order to progress your pull ups, This won’t aid you in anyway only by executing pull ups and the variations will you progress.

In order to get started and if you are a gym member try using the weight assisted pull up machines which can be found in all gyms, be wary though as you may be lulled into a false sense of security.

If your outside or not a gym member find a bar or tree that can easily be grasped by yourself and execute jump pull ups as follows

Stand below the bar

Use a box step if you have to

Use overhand or underhand grasp andgrip the bar and jump up slowly lower yourself to the ground

as soon as your feet touch the ground jump again repeat

One great piece of advice comes from Pavel Tsatsouline a former Russian spetnatz trainer which he terms as "greasing the pole" which in layman's terms means do a pull up every chance you get.

Pull/Chin up Variations

Here is a list of some types of variations in order to progress your pull/chin ups

Jump up's

Assisted pull up's

Weighted Pull ups (attach a weight belt or dumbbell)

Kipping Pull Up's – use the legs in a swinging motion to create hip thrust, this is a favourite with cross fit athletes

Side 2 Side- pull up taking left shoulder to left hand lower repeat to opposite side

Round the world- chin to one hand slide across to the other hand and return to start position

One arm pull up – Grab the bar with one hand place the other hand on the wrist for support

Clap pull up – standard chin up as you reach the top of the pull execute a clap return the hands to the bar and lower

Doris pull ups- execute a burpee below the bar, explode up from the down position and execute a pull up drop and repeat.

Other variations include the use of towels, ropes chains and partners.

I want your opinion, leave a comment on the ultimate pull up you use.</p>

Brian Fernie
MMA CSCC
Master Personal Trainer

The Art of a Deadlift

If you are looking to add strength to your physique then look no further than the deadlift. As one of the best compound exercises that you may want to introduce to your workout a deadlift provides a full body workout and is a great exercise to increase muscle strength and mass. A compound exercise involves two or more joint movements.

Muscles used in a deadlift

·         Quadriceps (thigh)

Biceps Femoris

Semimembranosus

Semitendinosus

Rectus Femoris

·         Gluteus Maximus

·         Hamstrings

·         Gastrocnemius (calf)

·         Erector Spinae (lower back)

·         Forearms

·         Trapezius

To summarise a deadlift performed correctly will work the muscles in the upper and lower legs, upper and lower back, glutes, forearms and the core.

Teaching points

The equipment needed for a deadlift is weights and a barbell.

·         Stand a couple of inches behind the bar with feet shoulder width apart, pointing forward.

·         Squat down grasp the bar with a grip you find comfortable (see variations for grips) hands should be slightly wider than shoulder width, keep the back straight and keep the head up looking forward. The shoulders hips and knees should all be in alignment.

·         Keeping the arms straight lift the bar using the quadriceps keeping the weight through the heels, don’t allow your knees to overlap your toes on the lift and keep the bar as close to the body as possible.

·         When at the top of the lift thrust the hips slightly forward.

·         Return the bar to the ground keeping the back straight.

·         The movement for the lift and lower phase should be controlled and in a flowing motion. You should breathe in on the lift phase and out on the lower phase.

Advantages

·         Good for building strength mainly in the postural chain which is the glutes, lower back and hamstrings.

·         Needs little equipment

·         Works major muscle groups simultaneously

·         Helps with core stability

·         Safe lift as the weight is not over your head

·         Develops grip strength

·         Provides a cardio vascular workout

Disadvantages

May cause injury in lower back, quadriceps or hamstrings if done with improper technique.

To avoid injury make sure back is straight at all times, this can be made easier by keeping the chest forward and raising the head.

Variations

·         Perform using two dumbbells

·         Perform a stiff leg deadlift

·         Take wider or narrower stance

·         Perform using different grip.

Overhand grip: palms facing the body

Underhand/overhand grip: one hand over palm facing the body, the other hand under hand palm facing away from the body.

·         To progress the deadlift lift heavier.

Ryan Stewart
Personal Trainer