Ladies a 40 min full body gym workout to keep you in good nick!!

So ladies, you have your monthly gym membership and you have endured your gratuitous gym induction with Stacey the 20 year old gym instructor who when not on the gym floor can generally be see in the gym cafe bar munching on a bag of crisps and fully engrossed into the latest OK Magazine.
So now what? you pretty much know how most of the cardio machines operate and if not you can fluff about with a few of the buttons for a while until you get the hang of the stair climber hoping that it isn't obvious to the other gym bunnies around that you are merely still finding your way. The resistance equipment is a totally different kettle of fish as they have often got varying seat adjustments and certain bars and handles need to be aligned with certain areas of the body in order to perform the exercise with correct form.
There is only so much that the lovely Stacey can show in in your free one hour induction then...... You are on your own!! Mwhaaaaa!!
I believe from my clients comments of their past gym experience that they end up feeling  confused somewhat slightly intimidated and generally end up sticking to the "safer" pieces of cardio equipment that they feel they are setting up correctly and are getting at least some form of workout from. 
The guys love to hog the Weights Area, we know that, and it takes a brave woman sometimes to muscle in between a group of sweaty blokes puffing up their plumage and competing with each other to pull the heaviest bicep curl on the cable machine. Usually I may add to the detriment of their lower backs but ya can't tell em... sigh!
Therefore I can hardly blame you ladies from avoiding the resistance area when and where possible, but by doing so you are missing out on some of the best pieces of kit that will enable you to tone and shape areas of your body like you never believed.
The good news is that many of the bigger gym chains now recognise that woman require their own area to resistance train with weights and have incorporated a more lets say feminine friendly area. The staff that are milling around or sat in the assessment office having a chat, are there to assist and help you in the gym they are on a salary to do just that so make the most of them and make sure they show you correct technique if you are unsure. 
If you have never done any restance training and are starting from scratch, I would recommend that you aim for 3 sessions per week, if you put the work in and you push yourself, you can be in and out in 40 minutes. In that time you will have done an aerobic section, a resistance section including abs, lower back and a stretch at the end.


Below is a basic example of a session that I would do with clients and the general level I would work with.  Its important to adapt the levels to your ability.  Remember if you are keen to achieve effective results your sessions should never be easy. Think of your level of exertion as lets say 1-10,  now level 1 would be lying on the sofa watching tv, level 10 would be lying on the floor out of breath unable to recover.  As a beginner you need to be aiming for around level 6-7, as a conditioned exerciser you should be aiming for around level 8-9. 

MY BASIC 40 MINUTE WORKOUT

15 MINS CV
5 min row for 1000 metres /
5 min cycle Level 7 (try a bike prog it relieves boredom)
5 treadmill run Level 10-12 (try interval training)

25 MINS Resistance Training
Chest Presses 2 sets of 15  repetitions
Lateral Pulldowns 2 sets of 15 repetitions
Leg Presses 2 sets of 25 repetitions
Shoulder Raises 2 sets of 15 repetitons
Tricep Dips (bench) 2 sets of 15 repetitions
Hamstring Curls (either or lying machine) 2 sets of 25 repetitions
Abdominals/lower back
Abdominal Crunches  1 set of 40 repetitions
Sky divers (lower back) 1 set of 20 repetitions
Reverse Abdominal Crunches 1 set of 40 repetitions
Air Cycles (obliques) 1 set of 40 repetitions
Lower Back Straight Leg Lifts (on  tummy) 1 set of 20 repetitions

You should feel pretty tired when you are finished with your workout.  When completing your 2nd set of resistance exercises you should be struggling to get the last few repetitions out. If you are not fatiguing at the end of the 2nd set the weight is not heavy enough and you need to increase the resistance. This requires discipline and awareness on your part as this is the purpose I serve when I am hired by my clients as their Personal Trainer.  It is my job to  gauge my clients ability and increase the challenge when I feel that they are able to handle more workload. I take the thinking and the repetitive counting out of the session for them and all that they need to do is follow my instruction.

Remember exercise should never be too easy, it should always be challenging but if you can set yourself up with a programme card, there is no reason why you cannot adapt different exercises each time you train. You should be able to get a programme card from the gym team and remember there are hundreds of progressions with your exercises that you can learn. The gym team should be helping you to make the most of your membership they have after all sold you an ongoing service. Don't be shy to ask for help if you are not sure how a machine works or what exercises to do for certain areas of your body. I worked in a London Gym for 6 years and I loved helping members to make the most of the gym equipment, and acheive their fitness goals, that is why I do this job.

Best regards


Sherry

You can read an updated version of this article here Full Body Workout

To see FitFoxy's new site click here www.FitFoxy.biz

Why exercise is important pre and post pregnancy.

If you are someone that has been regularly exercising for most of your life, I don't really need to explain how important it is to continue to stay fit and strong through and beyond your pregnancy.
If however you are not a regular exerciser and you do not understand the value of aerobic,  strength training and core exercises at this stage, you may well change your mind once you have read how you can benefit.

 Here are just a few of the advantages of exercise through pregnancy.

• A reduction in back pain
• Improved core strength helping to support your spine 
• Improved circulation and blood flow
• Improved calcium absorption preventing future osteoporosis
• Improved relaxation and sleep patterns
• Faster recovery time after the birth
• Avoidance of excess weight gain

There has been much research done that has shown women who have performed weight bearing exercise throughout their pregnancies have made a significant difference to their labour times compared to non exercising women. This was based on those who exercised at least three times per week for at least 20 minutes at more than 50% heart rate.
Provided you do not have a history of high risk pregnancy (3 or more miscarriages) high blood pressure, diabetes, thyroid disease kidney disorders or other medical complications etc  you will find that by exercising correctly to the pattern of exercise tailored to your trimestar period you will feel mentally and physically positive with regards to the labour and the delivery of your baby.
Listen and be in tune to your body, you don't need to over-exert yourself to feel benefit, you need to make sure that you are eating enough food to nourish both yourself and the baby. You need to take advice if possible train with a professional fitness trainer who will make sure you are performing the correct exercises and not over doing it. 

I am a fully insured qualified Personal trainer and have worked with both Pre-natal and post-natal clients. One of my post-natal clients Anita did not do any form of exercise or strength training prior to her pregnancy or up until giving birth to her twins. She came to see me 6 months after having the twins as her back was in a mess. I worked with her for 3 months and with a combination of light progressive aerobic work and some resistance training mixed with pilates lower back and core exercises we managed to fix her. She later realised that had she worked on this problem prior and during the pregnancy she would not have had such pain with her back later on.
One of my pre-natal clients Sarah was a different kettle of fish, she was a tiny little thing, and I often would make jokes as to how she would ever give birth to a baby being so petite. She was however incredibly flexible due to her love of yoga. She had not done any strength training so this is what we concentrated on when she came to see me. She had such a tiny frame that the heavy load of at least 7-8lbs of baby would have put far too much strain on her lower back. I did extensive work with her in the first trimestar to build up her upper body and strengthen her glutes and legs. We also had the time to do some core work in her 1st trimestar then after the first 5 weeks it came down to conditioning and strengthening with the necessary adaptions right up to her delivery day.
Sarah also continued with her yoga under the close supervision of her teacher, as the hormone relaxin which releases into a womans body during pregnancy was busy doing its job to prepare her for childbirth. Relaxin can also make the ligaments supporting the joints more mobile,therefore care must be taken as the body is capable of over-stretching when it is present.  Sarah had an uncomplicated birth and she had already taken the time to exercise and look after herself so it wasn't too hard for her to get back into her normal clothes just 6 weeks after having her baby.
 
1st Trimester (0-12wks)
You can still do almost all CV such as recumberant bike, treadmill walk, stepper, rower.  If you are all ready exercising there is no reason for you to have to slow down too much at this stage.  If you are new to it all, you must be careful to start off slowly and to not over exert yourself. Make sure you stay hydrated, drink plenty of water.
Focus on core, lower back and pelvic floor, you can still perform abdominal exercise at this stage and the more strength you can keep in your abdominals, core and lower back the better.
remember if you feel uncomfortable with any of the abdominal exercises you are doing you must stop. There are so many ways to strengthen the core besides sit ups and crunches, ask a trainer at your gym, they should have the knowledge to guide you.
Most of the resistance machines are comfortable enough for you to be seated such as the Chest Press Machine and the Lat Pull Down. Ball squats with light dumbell curls and seated side shoulder raises are also good. You can use the cable machine for biceps and triceps. stability balls are great for core hamstring rollouts. If you have been cleared by your GP,are confident in what you are doing and intend to do your exercises at home, a stability ball (if you have room) and a set of light dumbells would be good choices to invest in.

2nd Trimester 1st stage (12-20wks)

It is time to avoid the sit ups, crunches, twisting obliques and back extension machines at this stage, as the linea alba may have begun to split as the foetus may be out of the pelvis.
Carry  on doing pelvic tilts and stomach vaccuums on all fours, try to avoid any doming of the abdominals.  As far as cardio goes you can carry on with the treadmill uphill walking or light jogging if you are conditioned. Cross trainer and bike are also fine. You may find the recumberant bike more comfortable as it supports your back and concentrates on strengthening the legs. Rowing machine is fine to use up until the 3rd trimestar as long as you are using correct form, again if you find it uncomfortable stop. You can carry on with the resistance exercises try chest presses on the incline bench instead of flat, and make sure the reps are high and the weight not too heavy. Carry on with squats (use light weights) as they will keep your lower back, glutes and legs strong. Stiff leg deadlifts with a light barbell are okay and also great for strengthening the lower back. dumbell shoulder raises, triceps and bicep exercises can still be performed as normal and there are several variations of these.

2nd Trimester 2nd stage (20-28wks)

Cardio exercises such as the stepper, treadmill walking, cross trainer, stationary bike are fine. If you have these at your gym avoid them at this stage - (Ski machine, Versa climber, Air walkers).  
Ideally you need to avoid doing any exercise lying on your back where possible. Also avoid any exercises where you are lifting weight abouve your head and avoid any exercise that domes or stresses the abdominal area. Remember the rectus muscles will have split and be very stretched at this stage therefore will be weaker than normal. Avoid using barbell weight behing the neck and switch to light dumbells for exrcises such as squats.
Switch to cat stretches on all fours for lower back, and the same position for supermans.

3rd Trimester  (28-40wks) 
Cardio exercises that are still suitable at this stage - treadmill walking, stepper - (with caution), upright and recumberant bike also okay. Cross trainers depending on the machine are okay, but check first with a qualified trainer.  Avoid the rowing machine which at this stage would be pretty uncomfortable to use anyhow.
Avoid all exercises that involve lying on your back now.  Reduce pelvic tilt work now and don't overdo it with repetitions.
Whereas weights are concerned, you should ideally have someone supervising at this stage. You can comfortably continue to do exercises such as shoulder raises, tricep pushdowns, bicep curls, machine seated chest presses etc but reduce the weight at this stage. Remember no exercises raising the arms above the head as this will raise your blood pressure. You can adapt upper back exercises such as the lat pulldowns to straight arm pulldowns so that you aren't taking your arms above your head. You can also stand doing these which may be more comfortable for you. Don't forget your ball squats against the wall, these are very beneficial for strengthening your lower back glutes and legs.

Post Exercise Stretching 

Chest, Back, Arms, Calves, Hamstrings, Quadriceps, Hip Flexors,  

1st Trimester - Stretch as normal providing you do not have hyper flexible joints

2nd Trimester  - Stretch as normal but avoid the following: splits,hurdles stretches, crab stretch, touching toes standing or sitting, flinging arms or body from side to side. Do not hold the stretches for too long up to 20 seconds is plenty. Make sure your body is supported, hold onto something when doing standing stretches your balance will be compromised and also remember that as mentioned earlier relaxin will be present in your joints making them more prone to breakage.


3rd Trimester -  Try to avoid wide leg stretches especially if it causes you pain down the front of your pelvis. Chest muscles hamstrings and hip flexors need attention as they tend to get tighter as you get towards the end of your pregnancy.


Good Luck to all of you mums-to-be and remember... be kind to your body its amazing.


Sherry X

To view FitFoxy's new block please click here FitFoxy Diet and Weight Loss Specialist


This article has been updated and broken down into 3 seperate articles, so to view please go to Exercise and Pregnancy, Exercise During Pregnancy, Post Pregnancy Exercise

Only discipline & determination will get you to your ideal weight.

Once in a while I review my own fitness goals and have a look at the areas that I know need to be improved. I'm edging towards 42 years old and although I am a Personal Trainer, I tell you it still takes a huge effort to keep myself in good shape.
It is so easy to become demoralised in today's society, breast implants, liposuction corrective surgery is available to almost anyone. The media almost brain washes us into thinking that this is how the beautiful people live and if we want nice taut cellulite free thighs we can just go and pay to have the fat removed and become one of the "fabulous".
Thats not an option I aspire to, I do look in the mirror and see the emerging crows feet and the smile lines, I look a bit scary first thing in the morning but I still think that I look great for my age, and I really do not aspire to having a botox experience that is sure to paralyse any of my signature cheeky facial expressions.
I do however aspire to keep my body looking as fit as it can be until I'm at least 60yrs old, then I plan to just fall apart and eat chocolate all day every day!! Oh just joking..... but you know what, I do feel that way at times.
I realise that my waist which has always been tiny, wants to expand so I just work it harder at the gym. I know that my thighs having always been my excess fat storage facility need to be worked a little harder, and I know that I have to keep as much muscle on my body as I can to keep my metabolism burning energy nicely.
Some days I  have energy dips that zap me of any motivation to do any form of exercise. Thankfully since using Herbalife I don't suffer energy dips anywhere near as often as I did years back.
But most importantly I get out there and I do it, I know when I've over indulged or consumed too much alcohol, I know when I'm carrying extra weight and I do something about it. I'm only human I like my food, I'm not crazy about alcohol, I'd pick the chocolate cake over the glass of wine every time. But I have the discipline to pull it in when I need to and I'm proud of my appearance, some may call it vain and thats fine it is a form of vanity but on the greater scale of things is that such a bad thing?
Here's a tip for you, I have a pair of denim shorts bought when I was a super skinny minnie (a few years ago)  I can still get into them just about. I use these as my benchmark and I rummage them out once in a while to see if I can still pour myself into them. If I battle to do up the button I know its time to cut down on the treats and step up the training. 
I would call this discipline and determination, and it can't be bought from any shop.
But if it ever is....... I'll see you in the queue!!

Should you wish to read an updated version of this article, please read I will lose weight

Click here to view FitFoxy's new website FitFoxy Diet and Weight Loss Specialist

Sherry Chandler  (Fitfoxy)
http://www.fitnatherapy.co.uk

My Top Ten Male Bodies

1. Randy Couture
This dude is 47 years old and look at the shape of him.  He is a 3 times former heavy weight champion and twice light-heavy weight champ of the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship). He is the only 5 time champion in UFC History.

2. Jason Stratham
The 38 year old has starred in a few Guy Richie films such as Lock Stock and Snatch, but is mostly recognised for his role in the Transporter and Crank. As you can see from the body he is a fan of MMA (mixed martial arts)

 3. Tyson Beckford

mmm very nice isn't he?? He is 39 years old and most commonly known as the Ralph Lauren model. Was named by People Magazine as "one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world".  Yes I can see why.

4. Matthew Mcconaughey
Forty year old American actor, who to be fair is not my cup of tea in the looks dept facially, but he has a fantastic physique and thats what counts eh girls? The boy also has a sense of humour, he was apparently arrested in 1999 for possession of canabis and disturbance after playing music very loudly on his Bongo Drums, naked in his home.

5.  LL Cool J
This guy has got the best genetics I have ever seen, don't get me wrong I'm sure he works damn hard at the gym, but the structure of his shape has got to be god given. apparently is name LL Cool J stands for "Ladies love cool James" and I bet they do.

6.  Mark Wahlberg

He is my top favourite, feisty attitude, not too pretty and in fantastic shape. Mark was a bit of a wild child in his youth found himself in trouble often. He probably went out of his way to have the exact opposite persona of his brother Donny who was a member of The Backstreet Boys in the late 80's. Anyway he sure cleaned up his act and is now a highly acclaimed actor.

 

7. Jason Robinson

Played both Wing & Fullback for the England Rugby Team.  Of Jamaican and Scottish descent those genes were just destined for glory.  He retired in 2007 but for me THE BOY HAS GOT IT. MMMM.

 8. Hugh Jackman
Star of many films, most recently the film X Men and Australia. 41 years old and looking very good for it Hugh!

9.  Daniel Craig
Best known for his starring role in James Bond, and Layer Cake. He admitted on Jonathan Ross that he was happy when filming stopped for James Bond as keeping in condition was hard work. Yes Daniel at 42 yrs of age you have to work hard to keep those abs showing!

10.  Brad Pitt

Well I had no choice but to put him in the top ten, as lets face it the man has got it.
In the film Fight Club his body fat percentage was  extremely low at around 5-6% which he admitted he trained extremely hard for. Still at 46 years of age you have to hand it to the guy he still has what it takes.



So that is my Top 10 Best Male Bodies list. and of course we all know that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so if you think there is someone more deserving to be on this list please don't be shy, send me your preference.

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My Top 10 Female Bodies

  1. Cindy Crawford

Cindy is 44 years old now and she still looks gorgeous, she has trained for years to keep that body, and yes  girls Cindy trains with weights too girls!!

2. Nell McAndrew
Nell is well known for being the Forces Sweetheart but she is also heavily involved in fitness, taking part in the Great North Run and several Marathons. She has two great fitness Dvds which I have done in the past if you want a good workout try them!!

3. Shakira 
This Columbian beauty has got hips to die for, and the girl can move, she has a womanly shape and is naturally beautiful.

 

4. Salma Hayek

I will never forget this lady dancing on the table in the classic film "Dusk Till Dawn" with George Clooney and Quentin Tarrantino. I didn't know who she was then but she was mesmerising.

5. Elle McPherson 

Another one of the original Supermodels, whenever I saw pictures of Elle she was always the naturally tanned fit healthy australian beauty that we still know today, and at 47 yrs old the girl has still got it.

6. Kelly Brook

Kelly Brook is not quite as high up in the celebrity stakes as some of the above, but she is stunning and you can guarantee that she will be papped by the press often because she is beautiful and she has a figure to die for.
 

7. Thandie Newton
She is a natural beauty I have only seen her in two films, but she is captivating and again a real woman with a great body.

 

8  Fergie (Black Eyed Peas)
Wow, what can I say about Fergie? one of my closest friends once said that he and his friends had a discussion and said they may consider going "straight" for Fergie!! I always wondered if he meant it. This lady is one hot cookie.



 

9. Catherine Zeta Jones
Now you may think it strange that Catherine is here, but I remember her from The Darling Buds of May long before she got caught up in the whole Hollywood thing, and she was always a stunner. I remember her in the Film Entrapment she played a jewel thief and she wore this black catsuit which showed her curves off perfectly.

10. Halle Berry  
Another true beauty, gorgeous face and fantastic body. Halle is perfectly proportioned and she was the perfect choice for the beach scene in Die Another Day. At  aged 44 yrs old this lady is an inspiration.

So these are my ten top female bodies, you know plastic surgery can do certain things for you, but if you want that body to look truly toned and fantastic you need to work at it. I get my true inspiration from looking at ladies like this and I'm not ready to slow down until I'm at least 60 years old.

Remember Ladies: 

Cardio/Aerobic Exercise - Weights - Core - Stretching - Nutrition - Adequate Rest.

Don't just stick to one discipline of exercise, mix it up. And ladies....... WEIGHTS!! you need to lift some weights. 

Oh My,..The Dread of Middle Aged Spread!

Well we all know this much don't we? middle aged spread doesn't come in a jar, and we cannot choose to leave it on the shelf at the supermarket.  It is an inevitable fact of life and eventually it comes to us all.
Its the creeping weight gain that appears as we move into our late thirties and onwards and it just loves to situate itself around our waist areas.
So what do we do about it? I think some see it as a licence to give up being active and generally accept that their youthful energetic body is now a distant memory.
I however and the people that I choose to spend my time with do not, and have long ago taken on board the view that we are infact the new generation of 40+ and it is down to us to show that with a little more work than we once had to do, we can still be looking and feeling fantastic well into our 60's and 70's.
Think of it like this, as we get into our 40's our muscle mass depletes through a combination of hormone decrease and lack of activity. Unfortunately muscle works on the basis of "Use it or Lose it".  Muscle is highly active as an energy burner, to give you an example 1lb of muscle requires around 14 calories per day in comparison to 1lb of fat which requires around 2 calories per day.  So it stands to reason that if you have become less active you will eventually reduce your lean body mass and replace it with extra fat, your body will burn energy far slower and you will begin to accumulate unwanted weight.
Sorry to break it to you ladies but it is even tougher to stay on top of the muscle tone for us than it is for men as they naturally have more in the first place. This is evident when you look around and often see many middle aged couples where the woman is fairly overweight and the man is often leaner and slimmer. From my experience as a Trainer I have had conversations with many overweight women particularly over 40's and when I ask them what exercise they do, I tend to get responses such as yoga, pilates or aqua-aerobics. Oh hold on here's my favourite.. I walk alot!  Now I am not knocking these types of exercise especially pilates which I believe offers immense benefit, But many women do not understand the fact that they need to be combining these disciplines with other challenging cardio workouts and more importantly resistance
(weight)training exercises. Strength training doesn't entail lifting a 1kg pink plastic weight a couple of times either, I mean 3 sets of 15 reps with a weight that you are challenged with. So much so, that you struggle to finish the last set. Combined with sensible eating and keeping an eye on your alcohol intake you should be successful.
Some Inspiration For The Ladies: http://www.pocketfives.com/f13/msns-top-10-sexiest-women-over-40-a-418515/
Gentlemen, the fact is that you naturally store far less fat than women therefore you really have the advantage here. I train quite a few male clients and many of them have come to me for weight-loss and strength training purposes. Once the men embark on a structured training and eating programme, they tend to drop fat very quickly. The main problem with male middle age spread is the classic beer belly. Even the lucky ones that have been genetically gifted and remained slim most of their adult life find it almost impossible to avoid the prominent paunch once they reach their late 30's, unless they keep a sharp eye on their activity level and of course their diet. Remember alcohol is high in calories and encourages fat to deposit in the abdomen, even if you are exercising regularly you will sabotage your efforts if you are consuming too much alcohol.
If you would like to learn more about the effects of alcohol read my blog (How Can Alcohol Make me Fat).
Some Inspiration For The Men: http://www.posh24.com/alexander_skarsgard/top_list_hottest_men_over_40
I'm 41 yrs old now, I noticed that my shape started to change about four years ago. I have always had a small waist, but I started to develop fat around my stomach and I didn't like it.  I was faced with the grim realization  that I was going to have to work harder to keep my shape, the same goes for you, obviously it depends on whether it is enough of a priority.  It is for me as it is essentially my livelihood but I also think it is important to have a sense of pride. Its this simple  if you look great, you feel great but like anything really worth having you have to work for it, and  by the time you hit 40 you have to work a little harder.

 Personal Trainer Brighton & Hove

Sad facts regarding nutritional content of our foods and why we use supplements.

Years ago food was generally harvested and eaten within a short time period or it would perish.
These were the days when you would shop at several different places ie the local butcher, baker, greengrocer etc and communities were more close knit and accountable to each other. Times have changed so much and now with our busy lives we opt to shop at large Supermarket chains, where it has been so much more convenient to buy all of our produce under one roof.  Unfortunately this has driven many independent food traders out of business as they are just unable to compete with the likes of Sainsbury, Tesco and Asda.
We hear all sorts of horror stories and have been exposed to tv documentary's about animals being injected with growth hormones and chickens kept in cramped conditions and fed to twice the size before being slaughtered to end up on our dining room table. 
There are now more synthetic foods available than fresh food, as food may start out as fresh only to become tainted with preservatives, sweeteners and additives. It has been a bit of a catch 22 situation as manufacturers have adapted to the supply and demand of the over grown population. We have demands for pre-packed food and food with a longer shelf life.
Okay here comes the Profit of Doom here, you know that pre-packed sandwich you pick up at lunchtime, it has a sell by date on it of course so you wouldn't question the fact that it is fresh.  It will probably contain a high quantity of salt, and almost definitely some form of sugars or sweeteners to enhance the flavour of its ingredients. Then of course you will crave more of it.
You would be wiser to go to a Deli and buy a freshly made sandwich.  Here you can watch it being made and you can choose the ingredients from the counter.

Vegetables

Did you know that up to 45% of the most imporant nutrients are gone from fresh vegetables by the time they are consumed? Quite often it has taken anything from 2 weeks for the produce to reach your table, meanwhile we think we are purchasing "fresh vegetables. In most cases you may be better off to buy frozen vegetables which are stored almost immediately after harvesting thus retaining the majority of their nutritional value. On the plus side frozen vegetables are cheaper and can be stored for longer periods.

Herbalife Supplements

So when people say to me, "I eat well therefore I do not need to take a vitamin supplement" or "I won't try Herbalife Soya Protein Shakes because they are not real food!" I ask them if they eat bread and I ask them how they think bread is made. Our supplement is made from ground down soya and it is as natural and more healthy to use than most of the packaged foods that are currently filling the supermarket shelves. A great example is a typical commercial breakfast cereal. Stripped almost entirely of its natural fibre, has lost most of the vitamin and mineral content before it is processed into a crispy flake, then given some additive nutrients to justify the manufacturers claims of it being a "healthy breakfast".

I've used health supplements for years.  I eat very well or as well as I can taking into account the information I have given to you above, it is I agree a bit of a minefield. I use the Herbalife products as part of my diet and have a F1 shake every morning without fail. I take a multi-vitamin and a fish oil capsule every day and I ensure that I have a well balanced evening meal 99% of the time. I'm only human and if  I enjoy the odd Chinese takeaway or Dominos pizza at the weekend I still have the comfort of knowing I have had the majority of my vitamin intake from my breakfast shake and my supplements.

For further information on the Health and Wellbeing Supplements that I subscribe to, go to
http://www.fithealthyhappy.biz

Click here should you wish to have a look at FitFoxy's new site

To view an updated version of this article please go to nutritional facts
 Best regards
Sherry Chandler

Personal Trainer Brighton and Hove Website

What about healthy weight gain? (Part 2 Training For Size)

So by now you should have organised your nutritional plan and have worked out how many extra calories you are going to need each day in order to gain some weight.
Now we need to make sure that extra weight is to be converted straight to solid muscle mass.
If you are a beginner to resistance training or have done no structured exercise for more than 3 months, you need to start with a basic building phase.


With the following plan you will build a good strong base, try to think of it in the same way as building a house, you need a good solid foundation on which to form a solid perfect asymetrical structure, this is what you are now putting in place. This will prepare your body for the next phase of building.

Endurance Training  (Follow for 12 Wks) 

• 12-15 repetitions

• 3 sets per exercise

• Rest between sets = 60 secs 

• train 3 x times per week         

• Train whole body

Now you are ready for some serious bodybuilding

Hypertrophy Training  (Follow for 12 Wks)

• 6-12 repetitions

• 4-6 sets per exercise

• rest between sets = 1-2mins

• train 2-3 x times per week      

• Split routine  chest/back   shoulders/bi's/tri's   quads/hams/calves

The next phase is strength training but if you are happy with the results of your Hypertrophy Phase you can always follow this programme for longer if you wish, just remember that it is good to confuse your muscles by changing your programme after a period of time to avoid what is known as a plateau. You may see your gains start to slow down in which case the strength training phase will kick start your body to cope with more stress.

Strength Training (Follow for 12 Wks)

• 1-5 repetitions

• 2-6 sets per exercise

• rest between sets = 3-5 mins

• train 2 x times per week

• All over circuit

Good Luck

To view an updated version of this article, go to Healthy Weight Gain

GFifFoxy has now moved to www.FitFoxy.biz

Personal Trainer Brighton and Hove Website

What about healthy weight gain? (Part 1 Nutrition)

There are two ways of gaining weight, either increase your fat weight, or increase your muscle weight.  You should be opting to go for increasing muscle weight and you can only do this by combining an effective resistance training programme (which I will discuss further in Part 2) with a well balance diet. The exercise programme is obviously going to stimulate muscle growth but more importantly your food intake is going to provide you with the correct nutrition to enable you to grow.
Remember you can't force a square peg into a round hole here, your genetics make up 75% of you so if you are an ectomorph (long limbs, narrow shoulders and hips) you are going to have to work very hard to build up some muscle and change your shape. Having said that on the plus side, did you know that Brad Pitt is infact a famous ectomorph? and look how he transformed himself for the film that really skyrocketed him to fame FightClub.

Nutrition Counts!
In order to gain weight you are going to have to take in more calories than your body uses on a daily basis. Otherwise you are just going to burn off any of the muscle that you are trying to build. The downside to this is that you are going to have to eat more than your body is comfortable with initially. Don't worry this will change over time and your body will start to adapt and absorb the extra food.

Calculate Your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate)
This is important as you need to find out how many calories (energy) you are using up on a daily basis and you need to ensure you are eating more than you are using. You will need your height in cms, your current body weight measurement paper and pen and a calculator to do this.

 Men:   BMR = 66+ (13.7 x Weight in Kgs) + (5 x height in cms) - (6.8 x Age)
 Women:  BMR =655+ (9.6 x Weight in Kgs) + 1.8 x height in cms) - (4.7 x age)
Example:  Male, Age 30 Height 6ft 4ins (193cms) Weight 9st11lbs (68kgs)
BMR = 66 + 932 + 965 - 204 = 1759 calories per day.

This is the energy used before any activity this is merely to keep you alive at this weight.
Remember if you have a physically demanding job or are also exercising 3-5 days per week you need to multiply 1759 x1.55 = 2726cals per day.

Mind bogling Isn't it? fortunately when I assess my new clients, I have a scale that calculates this for me.

To gain 1lb of muscle you need to take in an extra 2,500 cals per week or say an extra 400 cals per day. This also depends on individual metabolism so you may require more or less you would need to monitor this and also make sure you are gaining muscle and not fat.
I would recomend that you fill out a nutritional diary and log everything you eat you would be amazed how this helps when you are focusing on both weight loss and weight gain.

Best Foods For Muscle Gain
Wholegrain Rice
Wholegrain Pasta
Quinoa
Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes
Wholemeal Bread

Chicken
Turkey
Fish - Tuna, salmon, mackerel, cod, shellfish 
Eggs
Nuts
Lean Red Meat
Dairy Products, skimmed milk, yoghurt, cottage cheese,
Protein Shakes (worth their weight in gold)
Protein Bars  (ditto)

NB:  Don't forget your fruit and veggies, they are packed with essential nutrients that are vital to help your body repair and grow.
You need to aim for 6 meals per day, remember 3 of these will be in snack form for example protein shake, bar or similar. If you are unfamiliar with or unsure about protein supplements, they are ideal to use to supplement your weight gain diet, we use Herbalife Nutritional Products ourselves and they are fantastic, you can view these on our site http://fithealthyhappy.biz View the section on Weight Gain.

NB:  Do not leave more than 3 hrs between meals this is crucial, you need to keep your body fuelled.

Good Luck

If you need professional 1-1 advice and a monitored training plan you would benefit from coming to see us check out our website at  Personal Trainer Brighton and Hove Website

Have a look at FitFoxy's new website at Diet and Weight Loss Specialist

For an updated version of this article go to Healthy Weight Gain