On The Sixth Day Of Christmas, Hall Training Systems Gave To Me...

...A Simple Concept To Make Progress!

Incorporate a stop watch and note book into your workouts. Both the timing of rest intervals and recordings of weight/reps/sets lifted are key for success in the gym.

This may sound like such a simple yet obvious tip, but I see so many people fail to utilise such simple methodology.

On The Fifth Day Of Christmas, Hall Training Systems Gave To Me...

...A More Effective Way Of Doing Pectoral Flyes!

When performing pec flyes most trainees perform the exercise on a bench lowering the dumbells out into a T shape.

Although slightly felt in the pecs this technique hits more the lats than the chest.

A better technique would be to extend the arms out into a Y shape lowering the dumbells so they come in line with the ear. Thumbs should also be pointed up towards the ceiling at the bottom of the motion. This is better felt in the chest as it follows the line of the clavicular fibers (upper chest) of the chest muscle.

Also try performing this exercise on a stability ball with the hips lowered as it will give you a greater stretch in the chest than performing it on the bench.

Important: Although this is a more effective technique than the 'typical' way of doing it you should only use 10% of your 1 R.M bench press when performing flyes.

On The Forth Day Of Christmas, Hall Training Systems Gave To Me...

...A Possible Solution For Gout!

Olive Leaf Extract has been shown to inhibit the enzyme xanthine oxidase, which is the main way that uric acid is formed in the body. Excess production of uric acid is highly inflammatory and can cause the disease gout, an inflammatory arthritis that primarily affects the big toe. 

 

The activity of xanthine oxidase is a normal function of your liver and so is the production of uric acid.  However, when your liver becomes inflamed or is stressed, uric acid production can increase to very high levels, setting the stage for the development of Gout

Source: Olea europaea leaf (Ph.Eur.) extract as well as several of its isolated phenolics inhibit the gout-related enzyme xanthine oxidase

On The Third Day Of Christmas, Hall Training Systems Gave To Me...

... Use Lemons To Lower the GI Of Foods!

By adding the juice of half a lemon or lime will help lower the Glycemic Index of that food by 30%

This is a great tip to use if trying to stick to a low carb option, but have business commitments that won't necessary allow it.

On The Second Day Of Christmas, Hall Training Systems Gave To Me...

...Incorporate Saunas For Faster Fat Loss!

For some real obese clients I like to integrate sauna sessions into their training schedule. 

2x 1 hour sessions, in a regular sauna for 12 weeks can result in a loss of up to 11kgs of fat! 

Environmental toxins are fat soluble so stored in body fat. If someone is poor at detoxifying (most fat people are) it can be easier for them to lose body fat simply by sitting in a sauna for two hours a week.

I've used this on two of my clinets with success, however it does require great discipline and commitment on the clinets behalf... An hour in a sauna is longer than you think!

On The First Day Of Christmas, Hall Training Systems Gave To Me...

...Taylor your warm up to the exercise!

When it comes to weight training I see so many people inappropriately warm up or completely neglect it all together.

A good warm up regime can help improve performance in the gym and reduce risk of injury. You need to taylor your warm up to the exercises in your workout. I've talked to a lot of people who claim 10 mins on a bike is a great warm up prior to performing squats?!... This is both idiotic and stupid!

Your warm needs to reflect the ACTUAL movement of the exercise. So when warming up for squats perform several warm up sets with a lesser intensity ON the squat, NOT the bike!

For example: my working set could be 80kgs for 6-8 reps. 

My warm up would be 40kgs for 6 reps (rest) 55kgs for 4 reps (rest) then 65kgs for 2-3 reps (rest) 

then into working set.

This is vitally improvement, as not only does it reduce the risk of injury but will also help prime the nervous system and help to further embed the movement pattern of that exercise.

This Weeks Top Tip

Flat pressing, whether it be with a barbell or dumbells usually plateaus off and many people struggle to make necessary strength improvements. For the majority of new clients I focus a lot on both incline and overhead pressing movements.

Prioritising these lifts over a 6-8 week period will prove to show great increases in flat pressing movements i.e the bench press.

This Weeks Top Tip

Applying a forward lean when performing the Seated Leg Curl will help to make this exercise more effective by recruiting a higher proportionate of muscle fibers and allowing for a greater stretch at the top of the movement.

12 Reasons Gluten Should Be Eliminated From Your Diet

The following article was written by world renowned health and strength coach Charles Poliquin. I explain to all my clients why they should ideally eliminate gluten from their diet.

Charles Poliquin has written 12 reason why it should be eliminated if you're sensitive to gluten.

"Gluten is a protein found in most grains eaten in America and all over Europe. For most people gluten intake will come from wheat products, but as well from barley, triticale, rye, oats, spelt. Oats are supposed by nature to be gluten free, however, they get cross-contaminated by being carried in trucks that also carry wheat. You should also know that American strands of wheat have the highest content of gluten in the World.

Gluten has been isolated as a risk factor is so many diseases, that is almost impossible to count them all. At the time of writing this blog, the functional medicine circle has isolated at least 55 diseases linked to it.

I have to pick 12 main reasons to eliminate gluten from your diet:

1. Gluten inflames the brain. The auto-immune response to ingesting inflames the brain. It deposits a type of plaque that interferes with proper communication between cells. Gluten is so bad for brain function that I know of at least one Formula One stable who bans their pilots from eating it.

2. The glutamate content in gluten kills brain cells. Glutamate is an excitotoxin, which means it overexcites brain cells, which either damages or kills them. Its docking station in the brain is called the NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor). Excessive excitation of this receptor is linked to many psychiatric disorders.

3. Gluten has been linked to autism. EVERY single client who came in for a consult to help their autistic child, have seen that the removal of gluten that the most influential factor to heal their child. They can also see how reintroducing gluten by accident, such as birthday cake consumption at a friend’s place immediately flares up all behavioral changes associated with autism.

4. Gluten is associated to osteo-arthritis. Removal of gluten from the diet, immediately attenuates pain levels.

5. Gluten can induce depression. The inflammatory responses associated with gluten consumption can induce depressive symptoms. No amount of meditation or talk therapy will get you off depression if you are gluten sensitive. Fixing your biology is crucial before undergoing any psychotherapy.

6. Gluten will ramp down your thyroid. Food intolerance to gluten has been shown negatively affect thyroid function.

7. Avoid developing celiac disease. In order to develop celiac disease, you need three things 1) genetic predisposition 2) an environmental trigger such as surgery, excessive stress, or a virus 3) a diet that contains gluten. If you avoid gluten, you cannot develop celiac disease.

8. Gluten aggravates menopausal symptoms.  All functional medicine practitioners will agree that removing gluten from the diet lowers dramatically the frequency and severity of the symptoms traditionally associated with menopause such as night sweats, hot flashes, headaches, mood swings, and fatigue.

9. Gluten is associated with accelerated aging. For example, dermatologist Nicholas Perricone M.D., points that the inflammation associated with wheat leads to faster wrinkling processes, and avoidance of wheat leads to faster skin regeneration.

10. Gluten exacerbates auto-immune diseases symptoms. Multiple studies have shown that removal of gluten from the diet lowers all symptoms commonly seen with auto-immune diseases.

11. Gluten weakens tooth enamel and leads to cavities. Consumption of gluten has been linked to more frequent tooth decay and loss of tooth enamel.

12. Gluten negatively affects body composition. When one stops eating gluten, BioSignature practitioners see immediate drops in subscapular, mid-axillary, umbilical, and supra-illiac sites. That is because gluten raises insulin dramatically and since it is also a strong allergen raises cortisol. The combination of raising both hormones leads to central obesity." - Charles Poliquin

This Weeks Top Tip - Leaner Legs

 For women who store excess fat on their legs, adding watercress into the diet can have a dramatic impact on leaning out the legs. The legs are a fat storage site for those people who have problems with high circulating levels of estrogen. 

Watercress is heavily rich in indole-3-Carbinol (I3C) and B-phenylethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC) two compounds that help to detoxify estrogen out of the body.

I recommend consuming a bag (60-75g) to two bags per day of watercress for 8 days then to take 8 days off, then repeat.

I've had great success using watercress and had one client drop her quadricep skinfold by 10mm in a week and another drop 9.6mm in 9 days!!

Start adding watercress to your meals to see the benefits for yourself

This Weeks Top Tip

According to a new study reported last Friday in the Journal of Pain, published by the American Pain Society, daily doses of raw or heat-treated ginger effectively relieved muscle aches and discomfort - and that includes even severe pain following strenuous exercise.

The scientists worked with 74 student volunteers who were divided into three groups. One group was given raw ginger, one group received heated ginger and the third group received a fake ginger placebo.

Muscle pain was induced in the volunteers by having them perform 18 eccentric muscle exercises. Then the research subjects were tested on 11 consecutive days to see if those taking the ginger had reduced muscle aches and pains. And they did -- dramatically. 

The results showed that both raw and heat-treated ginger lowered muscle pain intensity by 25 and 23 percent, respectively. 

Source: New Study Reports Ginger Effective For Muscle Pain Relief

This Weeks Top Tip - Squatting

The squat is an excellent exercise for adding size and strength to the lower body. It also has a fantastic carry over for most sports and will help improve performance in just about any lower dominate sport.

However having said that you need to earn the right to squat. 

Squatting isn't as simple as placing a barbell on your back and bending down with the knees. It's about engaging the whole body and for the body to move as a unit. I see people day in, day out placing the squat in their workout and the truth is, only about 2% of these people are able to squat with proper technique.

For the other 98% of you I strongly suggest leaving the squat for a few months to focus on structural balance and remedial work.

I structural balance every client of mine to see what imbalances both tension and muscular they have. To date I've only seen two people who have demonstrated proper technique for squatting. In most cases people will be tight in the hips causing them to lean forward. Many people have tight calves stopping them from keeping their heels on the floor and almost certainly, people have one leg stronger than the other - performing a squat with imbalances only increases the risk for injury and limits the training effect.

For those of you who are unsure of correct technique when it comes to performing a squat, ask any well qualified personal trainer and they should be able to help. Alternately you can locate a PICP 2 qualified strength coach and they'll be able to test for lower body discrepancies, recommend advice and have you squatting within about 8-10 weeks.

For locating a PICP Strength Coach please visit the following site:
http://www.charlespoliquin.com/TrainerDirectory/FindaCoach.aspx

This Weeks Top Tip

When Performing any pressing movements using dumbells, such as the flat dumbell press, it's best to take a semi supinated grip (palms facing in towards the body) instead of a pronated one (palms facing away from the body).

There are several advantages to this grip:

1. A semi supinated grip places less stress through the should joint. i.e it's safe for the shoulder
2. It allows for a greater stretch in the bottom position and greater range of motion
3. It recruits a higher percentage of muscle fibers of the chest and studies have shown it to develop quicker strength gains than using a pronated grip.

 

When teaching clients any dumbell pressing movements I always teach them the benefits of a semi supinated grip. Although some are reluctant, within a week they can all see an improvement.

Training Built Upon Science

Fish oil was shown to decrease symptoms of depression when supplemented by adolescent boys who were experiencing depressive states. 

This is the latest study to demonstrate the anti-depressive qualities of supplementing fish oil.

Source:  Kentaro Murakami, Yoshihiro Miyake,  Satoshi Sasaki, Keiko Tanaka, Masashi Arakawa, Fish and n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Intake and Depressive Symptoms: Ryukyus Child Health Study, PEDIATRICS (doi:10.1542/peds.2009-3277)

Now Writing For MyProtein.com

Over the last month I've been given the opportunity to write for a large UK based supplement company, My Protein. This is a great step for my future career as a strength coach and personal trainer.

The article is on the topic of Omega 3 and the importance it has on our health. It has been featured in their September news letter and been sent out to over 250,000 readers

You can check it out at the following link - Amazing Omega

This Weeks Top Tip

A recent study suggests by drinking four cups of an inexpensive, readily available green tea may help strip excess body weight. The study found that green tea as capsules or tea significantly reduced 2.5kgs of body weight over 8 weeks.

Source: Hursel R, Viechtbauer W, Westerterp-Plantenga MS. The effects of green tea on weight loss and weight maintenance: a meta-analysis. Int J Obes (Lond). 2009 Sep;33(9):956-61.

Top Tip For Tricep Training

The tricep muscle is comprised of three different heads - the long, lateral and medial head. It's impossible to purely isolated a single head of the tricep, however by the orientation of the upper arm in relation to gravity and to the body, you can affect the percentage of recruitment of each head.

For Example:

From Incline to Perpendicular - the further away your arms are from your navel, the greater the recruitment of the long head of the triceps.
E.g Seated French Presses, Overhead Tricep Extension w/rope.

Flat - Exercises in a flat position tend to recruit more the lateral and long head of the triceps.
E.g Close Grip Bench Press, Lying EZ Bar Tricep Extensions

Decline - The closer your arms are to your torso the greater the contribution of the medial head of the triceps at the top position. At the bottom position the lateral head does most of the work.
E.g Decline Close Grip Bench Press, Decline EZ Bar Tricep Extension.

You may also want to consider hand position. As a general rule, pronating the grip (palms down) increases recruitment of the the lateral head and a supine grip (palms up) increases recruitment of the medial head.

Knowing this information will hopefully add value to your workouts and place new size and strength onto your triceps!

This Weeks Top Tip

Women who reported high use of household cleaning products had a two-fold risk of developing breast cancer according to a scientific questionnaire and poll

Source: Self-reported chemicals exposure, beliefs about disease causation, and risk of breast cancer in the Cape Cod Breast Cancer and Environment Study: a case-control study

This Weeks Top Tip

Test subjects who had the lowest levels of blood serum vitamin D had significantly increased risk for developing Parkinson's disease. Those that had high levels of the vitamin demonstrated protection against the disease.

Source: Serum Vitamin D and the Risk of Parkinson Disease, Paul Knekt, DPH; Annamari Kilkkinen, PhD; Harri Rissanen, MSc; Jukka Marniemi, PhD; Katri Sääksjärvi, MSc; Markku Heliövaara, PhD Arch Neurol. 2010;67(7):808-811. doi:10.1001/archneurol.2010.120

This Weeks Top Tip

By taking a good quality multi-vitamin each day will help with fat loss and lipid panel improvement in obese women

 Source: Effects of multivitamin and mineral supplementation on adiposity, energy expenditure and lipid profiles in obese Chinese women, International Journal of Obesity (2010) 34, 1070–1077; doi:10.1038/ijo.2010.14; published online 9 February 2010

When working with clients, whatever the goal I will always recommend a good multi-vitamin to take each day. However not all multi-vitamins are created equal and some can even compromise you health instead of improving it. The products I normally recommend are from the UK's top health care professionals, Nutri.

Multigenics w/iron and Multigenics w/out iron

Please note: males should take a muti-vitamin product without iron and females with iron

You can purchase these two products through Nutri by calling: 0800 212 742 and Quote ID no. 3054468

This Weeks Top Tip

Training twice a day is the fastest way to improve your physique, whether it be for fat loss, muscle growth or strength

If you're lucky enough to have the time available for twice a day training I would definitely recommend it.

To avoid over training and total 'burn out' you need to allow at least a 4-6 hour window between your AM and PM sessions as well as keeping on top your nutrition and supplementation.

I would also recommend taking a 'deload week' every 3rd week whereby you only train once per day for that week to help improve recovery and avoid over training.

PICP Level 3 Day 6

The higher your blood levels of vitamin B the less likely you'll be bitten by mosquitoes

Vitamin B2 and B6 helps to repel mosquitoes.

You'll also find the higher your level of toxicity the more you'll attract mosquitoes.

Mosquitoes love to feed off heavily toxic people

PICP Level 3 Day 5

80% of a muscles recovery occurs within the first 10 minutes after training

It's vital that you consume your post workout shake within this 10 minute time window for optimal recovery

PICP Level 3 Day 4

A well design rotator cuff workout can increase punching power by at least 10% over 3 weeks

The rotator cuff muscles of the shoulder are often over looked in most people's training program. However they contribute to a lot of upper strength gains and help maintain shoulder health.

Add some external work into your program now!

PICP Level 3 Day 3

The overhead squat is the number one exercise that will determine possible lower body injuries

The overhead squat assessment can predict whether someone is likely to suffer from ankle and/or knee injuries as well as hamstring tears and/or lower back pain

PICP Level 3 Day 2

The best cardio exercises for burning body fat are as follows:

• Cross-country skiing
• Rowing
• Running
• Cycling

However be warned!

There is evidence out there that shows 6 weeks of continuous aerobic work, based on only performing it 2x per week will increase the risk of diabetes by 46%, from 'dirty electricty' given off from the equipment.

PICP Level 3 Day 1

Today was the start of PICP Level 3.
Topics covered in this module include:

• Applied Strength Training
• Supplementation for Sport Performance
• Understanding Principles of Nutrition
• Designing Effective Nutritional Plans
• Understand Factors Influencing Energy System Prescription
• Principles of Energy System Training
• Know how to Help Prevent and Rehabilitate Upper and Lower Body Injuries
• Know how to Design an Effective Short-Term Periodization Program

Today's Top Tip

Applied strongman training is the number training protocol for fat loss

By adding sled drags/pulls, farmers walk, car pushes, tire flips etc into your training program will have dramatic effects on your fat loss and body composition.

PICP Level 2 Day 5

The lower body needs less variation when it comes to training than the upper body

This means if you're training for strength over the next 6 weeks you may find you can stick with the same exercises for the lower body and still make progress. However the upper would soon start to regress and a change to the workout would be needed.

PICP Level 2 Day 4

When performing the barbell goodmorning, by taking a wider grip will allow for a greater stretch to occur in the lower back and hamstrings.

(This should only be performed by people with good hip mobility)

PICP Level 2 Day 3

According to Dr Stuart McGill a professor of spine biomichanics, when performing either the deadlift or romanian deadlift, for every inch the bar is away from the legs, places a 7-fold increase in resistance on the spine.

PICP Level 2 Day 2

Generally speaking, if you're forth toe along from the little toe is longer than the big toe, chances are you will never be a great sprinter.

The exact science is unknown, however all top sprinters seem to always have perfect proportions of their toes.

PICP Level 2 Day 1

 For those of you who are not aware, I'm currently spending some time away in the US to further develop my training knowledge. I'm studying under world renowned strength coach Charles Poliquin, doing his level 2 and 3 strength certification program.

PICP Level 2 is devoted to lower body training for enhancing performace in athletes and their sports.

The information I'll learn will be vast and so important for my future development as a strength coach.

As a result I feel it's both, important and beneficial if I post up a new piece of information I've learned that day.

Todays Top Tip

The hamstring muscle (back of the leg) is comprised of three individual muscles (semimembranosus, semitendinosus, bicep fermois)

By varying the position and angle of the feet in a hamstring curl you will recruit a higher % of muscle fibre in one of the muscles in the hamstring than the other.

Feet inwards will recruit more of the medial hamstring (semimembranosus)

Feet outwards will recruit more of the lateral hamstring (bicep fermoris)

Feet neutral/pointing up will recruit more the mid hamstring (semitendinosus)

This Weeks Top Tip

The average weight of a human head is though to weigh between 4.5 - 5kgs constituting around 8% of your total body mass.

Research suggests that for every 0.5cm of forward neck displacement, the neck ages prematurely by 5 years!

With today's lifestyle being what it is, the majority of people suffer from poor postural aligment and a forward head posture.

Training the neck extensors are often over looked in most peoples programs, however if correctly trained,  can have a huge impact on upper body strength development.

This Weeks Top Tip

Eating a vegetarian diet is healthy?
Wrong!

According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the annual all-cause death rate of vegetarian men is slightly more than that of non-vegetarian men (.93% vs .89%); the annual death rate of vegetarian women is significantly more than that of non-vegetarian women (.86% vs .54%) 

A Vegetarians diet often lacks important vitamins and minerals to help maintain a healthy lifestyle.

I strongly suggest all vegetarians supplement into their diet a good multivitamin, Vitamin B6/B12, zinc and some kind of protein supplement.

Source: (Am J Clin Nutr 1982 36:873)

This Weeks Top Tip

According to a new study recently published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, women who supplemented with zinc demonstrated reductions in anger and hostility and improvements in mood compared to those women who did not supplement with zinc.

I test for zinc levels in all my clients and since I introduced the test a year ago only two people have shown to have optimal zinc levels.

Apart from the research above, zinc has over 300 roles in the body and is vital for immune health and testosterone levels.

For clients who are sub optimal in zinc I prescribed an 8 week course of 120mgs per day and then retest.

Source: Effect of zinc supplementation on mood states in young women: a pilot study

This Weeks Top Tip

Just the expectation of a mirthful laughter increases endorphin levels by 27% and Human growth hormone by 87%

In a paper presented in an American Physiological Society session at Experimental Biology 2006, Lee S. Berk published a study that showed the significance between "mirthful laughter" and neuroendocrine/hormone effects.

According to Berk: "subjects just before they watched the video had 27% more beta-endorphins and 87% more human growth hormone, compared to blood from the control group, which didn't anticipate the watching of a humorous video.

My advice would be to book yourself a ticket for the pictures this weekend and watch your GH levels sore.

Source: Just the expectation of 'mirthful laughter' experiences boosts in endophins 27 percent, HGH 87 percent, American Physiological Society, Berk, 2006

This Weeks Top Tip

When it comes to organic food there's always some debate as to whether it's better for you or has a higher nutritional value. Although some organic food may not posses more nutrients than non-organic, one thing's for sure; non-organic food is ridiculed with toxins that can be detrimental to your health.

I can understand if you're not one for buying organic, however these two common day-to-day foods are a must when it comes to going organic.

Butter                   Coffee

These two foods have been tested to have the highest levels of pesticides/herbicides, compared with other foods

I recommend Rachel's Organic Butter and Percols Fairtrade Organic Coffee

Protein Cup Cakes

For people who are trying to improve their body composition I will always look at addressing their diet. For most people, carbohydrates seem to be the culprit on why people are getting fat.

I normally restrict carbohydrates completely for the first 14 days as it maximizes the fat loss enzymatic process. However this can be quite difficult for some, and cravings for cakes and sweet foods will sometimes emerge.
The problem is that most cakes and sweet things tend to loaded with sugar and will certainly  have detrimental impacts on your fat loss efforts.
Nevertheless, thanks to one of my clients I was introduced to a sugar free, carb free recipe for protein cup cakes. Although they aren't the most prettiest looking cakes in the world, they're far healthier, are loaded with good fats, and taste pretty good too.

Protein Cup Cake Recipe:

• 200grams of ground almonds
• 100grams of whey protein (flavor optional)
• 4 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons of bicarbonate of soda
• 1/3 cup of water
• 1 cup of melted organic butter
• For added flavor you could add the zest and juice of 1/2 lemon

1. Pre-heat oven to 180c 
2. Mix all of the ingredients in a bowel until smooth and then pour into cup cake holders.
3. Place in the oven and leave to bake for 12-15 mins.
4. For added flavor I recommend dusting with a cinnamon and serve warm

The above recipe will make anywhere between 10-20 cakes, each containing containing approximately 10 grams of protein depending on their size.

Try the recipe today and enjoy eating cake without the associated guilt.

This Weeks Top Tip

Add cinnamon into your diet today for improved sugar management and greater fat loss 

(especially around the love handle area)

According to some studies, cinnamon may improve blood glucose and cholesterol levels in people with Type 2 diabetes. The results of a study from 2003 in Pakistan showed lower levels of fasting glucose, triglycerides, LDL (bad cholesterol) and total cholesterol after 40 days with levels continuing to drop for 20 days after that.

I recommend clients mix 1/3rd teaspoon of ground cinnamon into hot water. Begin by consuming 4 cups of cinnamon tea per day for two weeks then drop back to 1-2 cups per day thereafter.

 Adding it to your coffee and consuming 40mins pre-workout will enhance the fat burning effects of your workout.

Source:

Khan, MS, PHD, Alam, Safdar, MS, Mahpara, Ali Khan, MS, PHD, Mohammad Muzaffar, Khattak, MS, Khan Nawaz, and Anderson, PHD, Richard A.. "Cinnamon Improves Glucose and Lipids of People With Type 2 Diabetes." Diabetes Care 26(2003): 3215-3218.

Body Transformation Photo

I'm wanting to share with you a client of mine, who's seen fantastic results from his training. For confidentiality reasons I'm unable to reveal his name, but Mr X has seen a huge change in his physique over the last 6 weeks - losing an incredible 24.4lbs.

Mr X came to me with only 12 weeks in which to transform his physique. He trains with me once a week and an additional 2 times following my program.  The following protocol is what I have prescribed to him over these last 6 weeks:

• Substituting his breakfast of toast and cereal to a meat and nut breakfast.
• Omega 3 fish oil liquid - 10 grams 3-4 times per day with meals.
• L'Carnitine - 3-4 grams per day.
• Taurine - 3 grams post workout and 3 grams with evening meal.

With only a few adjustments made to his lifestyle Mr X has seen great results, and with another 6 weeks to go and more improvements to be made we're both looking forward to seeing the end result.

This Weeks Top Tip

According to top strength coaches the trunk or 'core' muscles are the least trainable muscle group in regards to increasing strength. The calfs on the other hand have the most potential for the greatest increases in strength.

In other words, spend an initial 6-8 week period on your functional 'core' exercises and then let the big lifts, such as squats, deadlifts and chin ups take care of the rest. Time spent after this period is, in my experience time wasted.

This Weeks Top Tip

By adding the following foods to your meal you can effectively lower the glycemic index of the meal by 30%

• Green Olives
• Dills and Sweet pickles
• Horseadish
• 1/2 lemon or lime
• Pickled beets, peppers, garlic, legumes
• Vinegar

I often use this tip for clients who eat out regularly and find it hard to avoid low carbohydrate meals.

Success Story #3

It's the end of the week and I just wanted to tell you of another client's success story.

I'd like to congratulate one of my female clients on her outstanding drop in body fat %

In as little as 24 days she has dropped from 32.01% to 27.01%

A small change in her eating habits has led to this fantastic 5% drop.

                                                                                                Well Done

Success Story #2

I'd just like to congratulate one of my clients on his successful weight loss so far.

He came to me for training 2 weeks ago and wasn't at all happy about his weight.

He weighed in at 111kgs.

I amended his training and changed one aspect of his eating habits.

Two weeks on, he now weighs 103.2kgs.

A staggering loss of 7.8kgs

                                                           Well Done and keep up the good work!

Now On Final Fitness

I can now be found on Final Fitness as one of their featured personal trainers and fitness publishers.

Please take the time to click one of the following links to view my profile and past articles

http://finalfitness.co.uk/personal-trainers

Want To Lose 8lbs In 21 Days? I'll Show You How

How To Take Control Of Your Love Handles

The Truth Behind Tanning And Sunbeds

I Now Write For An Online Magazine

 I've recently been asked to write and submit my articles and top tips to an online fitness magazine called Final Fitness.

This is an exciting opportunity for myself and my business.

Please feel free to check out the magazine and I'll post the links to my articles once they are online.

www.finalfitness.co.uk

This Weeks Top Tip

When performing incline dumbbel curls make sure to keep the head back against the bench. When the exercise begins to get difficult push your head/neck into the bench as it will help increase neural drive to the biceps and improve concentric strength.

I see so many people perform this exercise whilst tilting their head forward. This leads to a slower communication time between the CNS and the muscle that will inevitably make you weaker!

An Elite Personal Training Service

Hall Training Systems... coming soon.

  A new business that offers an elite personal training service to Oxfordshire.

You can check the site @
http://www.halltrainingsystems.com 

Check it out today and download my free -
5 Tips For Faster Fat Loss ebook

This Weeks Top Tip

The next time you perform a squat think about pushing the ground away from you instead of pushing the weight up. You'll find the concentric part of the lift much easier.

I use this mentality with clients to instantly improve explosive strength of their lift.

This Weeks Top Tip

According to the Chinese the body is divided into two halves, Yin and Yang.

They believe that there needs to be a perfect balance between the two for optimal health and wellness.

If you ever experience twitching or muscular cramps in the right side of your body this is an indication of a potassium deficiency.

If you ever experience it in your left side, this is a magnesium deficiency.

Both of these minerals are at complete ends of the spectrum - Potassium is an energizing mineral, otherwise known as a Yang product and Magnesium is a relaxant; a Yin product.

So if you're someone who has regular twitching of the eye or cramping of the calf take a note of which side it is and take the appropriate action.

A Big Thank You

I've come to the end of my Haiti Appeal and I'd like to say a huge thank you for all of you who have helped and donated in some way.

Together we have managed to raise £155.00

Thank You for all your support

This Weeks Top Tip

When purchasing fruit at the supermarket you need to look for the following numbers to ensure a healthy option.

Conventional Grown Fruit Labels - Begin with a 4

Organically Grown Fruit Labels - Begin with a 9

GMO Grown Fruit Labels - Begin with an 8

Unfortunately manufactures will not state whether their fruit is genetically grown or not and the only way of telling is by this little number.

Launch of New Article

Hello and good morning.

Today is the day of the release of my new article -
"Want To Lose 8lbs In 21 Days? I'll Show You How"

For a copy of the article please drop me a line and I can email it across to you.

c.hall@instructor.net

This Weeks Top Tip

It's time for change... An exercise program is only as good as it takes for the body to adapt.

When it comes to resistance training the body will adapt to the rep ranges first and can take as little as 6-8 workouts.

In regards to CV training it takes the body between 6-8 weeks for muscular adaptations to reach their peak. After this you need to move on and try something else.

I come across so many people who stick to the same workouts for months at a time and then start to complain when they aren't seeing results.

For the next 3 weeks try changing things up a little and watch your results sore to the next level.

Haiti Aid Appeal

As from tomorrow I'll be working over the next two weeks to try and raise as much money as possible for the Haiti Appeal. I'll be donating 100% of my session cost towards the appeal for anyone new who decides to train with me between these dates: 8th Feb - 21 Feb.

The money will go towards a fantastic cause in helping to relieve the suffering. For those of you who haven't yet donated please visit the link below and give whatever money you can. Thank you!

 http://www.dec.org.uk

Together we can help make the world better place

This Weeks Top Tip

The first 30 grams of protein you consume in a day, will aid the liver in detoxification.

The second 30 grams of protein you consume will help support the immune system.

If you're someone who's struggling to put on muscle mass or gets a cold every time they step outdoors then I'd strongly recommend you take a look at how much protein your consuming a day.
As this can be a limiting factor to your success.

Aim for at least 60 grams before noon.

This Weeks Top Top

When it comes to fruit, the thinner the skin the lower the Glycemic Index.

Consuming blueberries or blackberries prior to training will help to keep blood sugar levels stable and maintain mental focus.

Fruits like bananas or oranges are best consumed post workout when the body is better equipped to handle the larger sugar surges for assistance in it’s recovery

Success Story #1 - The No Carb Miracle

I was recently talking to a colleague of mine about fat loss and the methods I employee to help clients become leaner. She seemed both interested and impressed and was having difficulty herself losing fat off 'problem areas'.
I offered to help and gave some advice on how to speed things up.
From taking her Biosignature profile it was clear her body wasn't metabolising carbohydrates well nor utilising insulin sufficiently - as a result she was carrying excess body fat around the 'love handles'(supra iliac) and on her back, just below the shoulder blades (subscapular)
I recommended she cut out all carbs and increase her intake of protein, fats and vegetables for the next 14 days.
Well, we're now 13 days in and here are the results:
                                                                               Day 0 - 33% body fat

                                                         27mm on Subscapular

                                                        18.8mm on Supra iliac

                                                Day 8 - 23mm on Subscapluar

                                                             14.2mm on Supra iliac

                                   Day 13 - 30% body fay

                                                            19.4 on Subscapular

                                                         13.8 on Supra iliac

After only 13 days she had dropped 3% body fat with a 8.2mm drop on the subscapular and 5.6mm on the supra iliac.

This Week's Top Tip

A 2% drop in hydration levels, equates to a 12% drop in total body strength

Use this formula (0.044litres X body weight in kgs) to calculate the amount of water you need to stay hydrated for the day.

Hello and Wecome

Hello and welcome to Training Built Upon Science.
After weeks of anticipation and by popular demand, it gives me great pleasure to announce the launch of my first blog.
Over the forthcoming months I will be publishing some of my top articles, tips of the week, videos, Q&A Sessions, and lots more. All with the intention of helping you to achieve your desired health and fitness goals, quicker and easier.
I'm also putting my first web page together, and hope to have it online by the end of January.

Meanwhile, please enjoy the blog and keep be sure to check out This Week's Top Tip.

Regards
Chris Hall