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Saturday, 26 February 2011
Friday, 18 February 2011
Blast from the past!
Posted by Train4Fitness on 15:57
Here a funny video I made with a great friend and a fantastic personal trainer Peter Banister! We were just having a laugh and see what exercise we could do on a airplane. Maybe you could try it next time your on a trip. The take off exercise is hard and is a good one to try.
Enjoy!!!
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Enjoy!!!
Thursday, 17 February 2011
Great love and hate story about Squats!
Posted by Train4Fitness on 17:22
Here a great article on squat and what its about. Great story about his journey in life and how he saw the light on why you should be doing Squats in the gym. Take some time out and read it!
Click Here to read it!
Article from stronglifts.com and its call I Squat, Therefore I Am.
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Click Here to read it!
Article from stronglifts.com and its call I Squat, Therefore I Am.
Let’s talk ‘Soy ’
Posted by Train4Fitness on 11:35
Soy protein that is!
You may hear lots of different things about it, as I do and it’s hard to know what to make of it. I am not really one for Soy protein supplements as I like my whey protein and have never got into the Soy thing. I feel that you should choose what you think is best for you and maybe research into it a little yourself. Now lots of different magazine’s and website will make comparisons between ‘Soy and Whey’. They base this on a number of different criteria for instance, biological value, amino acid and protein efficiency ratio etc.
So all I want to do it talk about Soy…..
Soy has been around for centuries, and use all around the world. It is used in large amounts by Asian cultures. Soy protein is a complete protein unlike all other plant sources. Other plant sources don’t always contain the right amount of amino acids so they are classed as incomplete. This is why vegetarians have to combine lots of different foods in their diet to get the right amino acids to form a complete protein. Soy protein has also shown to contain extra amounts of certain amino acids, which in turn improve the nutritional value of other foods in someone diet. One of the downsides to Soy is that as a plant it can grow almost anywhere, you are probably asking yourself, why is this a ‘down side’. Soy can grow in soil that has little or no nutritional value to it. This means the Soy plant with not be-able to absorb the minerals it needs to be a great protein source, meaning the plant will be a low quality food source. Also research has shown that soy protein isolate, has high phytate content. Phytate has binding properties that blocks the absorption of minerals like zinc, potassium, magnesium and calcium which are important to the way your body functions. Protein is broken down into amino acids as I have said previously and Trypsin is this important enzyme. Soy protein isolate content not just Phytate but also Trypsin inhibitors. Trypsin inhibitors disrupt the breakdown of protein into amino acids, so this goes against why we take protein supplements. Now this is the negative things I know about Soy protein isolate but the good things to Soy are:
Soy – Good!
Soy is low in fat so has shown to reduce cholesterol levels and is very evade heart disease. Research shows it helps reduce the risk of osteoporosis, and is beneficial for women on the edge of menopause. One of the best discoveries on soy is the related to prostate cancer.
So to finish I would personally say you are better with a Whey protein then a Soy Protein supplement because of the inhibitors and at the end of the day it’s about taking protein supplement of fitness benefits and not osteoporosis, menopause and prostate cancer.
Tuesday, 15 February 2011
Quote of the Week, week 7
Posted by Train4Fitness on 16:53
To keep the body in good health is a duty… otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.” ~ Buddha
Monday, 14 February 2011
GVT - German Volume Training
Posted by Train4Fitness on 17:00
German Volume Training has its roots in Germany. The method is to perform the same exercise from 10 sets of 10 reps. You should pick a weight that you could lift for 20 reps at the start of the exercises, around 50-60% of your 1RM* load. At first with this type of training you will not feel like you are lifting a heavy enough weight but this is normal at the start of the exercise. After several sets you will start to fatigue, as you are just resting for 60 seconds. As you start to fatigue you will feel the need to increase the rest time but you have to stay very strict with this break between sets, so use a stopwatch. Also it is important not to perform forced reps, negatives. If you can’t do the reps in that set with strict form, stop and make a note at which rep you stop on, you should keep details about the exact reps you have completed and are doing. Again just count the repetitions you complete in a strict form’.
Now how many exercises do you perform?
GVT is designed to do just one exercise for each muscle group, so it’s best to choose an exercise that recruits as much of the muscle as possible, e.g. Squats, Deadlifts, Bench Press etc. As this type of training is so intense, you need to give the body a longer period to recover, it’s best to give each muscle group five days rest. If you want to do more exercise for individual body parts, Biceps etc, just perform 3 sets of 10-15 reps. I have heard you can perform up to 20 reps but I feel it’s going a little over board.
How to write out a program for GVT?
As GVT works best when large muscle groups are recruited at once. You can split the program up over 3 days but I not heard anything saying you can’t do it over 4 or 5 days.
4 day split program
Chest and Back program
When you can complete 10 sets of 10 reps it’s time to increase the weight by about 5%. Again you should keep details about exactly what reps you complete. Just count the repetitions you complete with in a strict form. I recommend that after 6 weeks of this training method (style), you should change it, up to a different training style for around 2 weeks, to allow your body time to recovery before returning back to this style. You should find that this will help you get bigger gains and at the end of the day that what it’s all about.
*1 rep max
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Now how many exercises do you perform?
GVT is designed to do just one exercise for each muscle group, so it’s best to choose an exercise that recruits as much of the muscle as possible, e.g. Squats, Deadlifts, Bench Press etc. As this type of training is so intense, you need to give the body a longer period to recover, it’s best to give each muscle group five days rest. If you want to do more exercise for individual body parts, Biceps etc, just perform 3 sets of 10-15 reps. I have heard you can perform up to 20 reps but I feel it’s going a little over board.
How to write out a program for GVT?
As GVT works best when large muscle groups are recruited at once. You can split the program up over 3 days but I not heard anything saying you can’t do it over 4 or 5 days.
4 day split program
Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 |
Chest and Back | Off | Leg | Shoulders | Arms |
Chest and Back program
Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest Interval |
Bench Press | 10 | 10 | 60 sec |
Chin Up | 10 | 10 | 60 sec |
Cable fly’s | 3 | 10-15 | 60 sec |
Bent Over Row | 3 | 12-15 | 60 sec |
When you can complete 10 sets of 10 reps it’s time to increase the weight by about 5%. Again you should keep details about exactly what reps you complete. Just count the repetitions you complete with in a strict form. I recommend that after 6 weeks of this training method (style), you should change it, up to a different training style for around 2 weeks, to allow your body time to recovery before returning back to this style. You should find that this will help you get bigger gains and at the end of the day that what it’s all about.
*1 rep max
Sunday, 13 February 2011
Casein Protein?
Posted by Train4Fitness on 14:21
Casein Protein?
Many people don’t know the difference between Whey and Casein and there is a big debate about which type is the best. They are both good sources of protein, with a rich pool of essential amino acids. It’s difficult to make a comparison between the two sources; it’s like comparing two people doing 26 miles, one running the distance and the other walking the distance. They will have completed the same distance but in different times. So Whey and Casein will both give you all the amino acids you need but over different times scales.
Things you may not know about Casein
Casein is a dairy protein from cow’s milk and whey is a byproduct of cheese. Casein is absorbed slowly into the blood stream because casein forms a ‘clot’ in the stomach, it affects the rate at which amino acids are absorbed. This means that the amino acids are released over a longer period of time (like the person who would walk the 26 miles). This means that casein is a great supplement to take at bedtime, as it will be released slowly over the 6 to 8+ hour of sleep. As you sleep your body repair it’s self and it needs protein (amino acids) to do this. Also casein protein is great to take when you know you are going to spend a prolonged period without eating or should I say without the opportunity to eat anything that is protein based. Some people may have problems with lactose and could experience bloating from casein, plus some people are allergic to casein.
Choosing Casein
Like whey there are numerous choices for casein supplements but the one to keep your eyes open for is micellar casein as this is the most effective. A lot of supplement companies now have introduced using casein protein in their protein blends.
As I have written in previous articles, it’s all about what you need the protein for, but I personally would choose a protein blend. I look for a blend with whey hydrolysates or isolate and casein (micellar if I can find it). Every country has different protein companies so I don’t want to get into which company or protein brand to go for. If you have any queries, feel free to email, but remember the answer would be my personal preference. It may be more beneficial to use the information I have given you and check the internet for more information on the subject which suits your personal requirements.
Read more »
Many people don’t know the difference between Whey and Casein and there is a big debate about which type is the best. They are both good sources of protein, with a rich pool of essential amino acids. It’s difficult to make a comparison between the two sources; it’s like comparing two people doing 26 miles, one running the distance and the other walking the distance. They will have completed the same distance but in different times. So Whey and Casein will both give you all the amino acids you need but over different times scales.
Things you may not know about Casein
Casein is a dairy protein from cow’s milk and whey is a byproduct of cheese. Casein is absorbed slowly into the blood stream because casein forms a ‘clot’ in the stomach, it affects the rate at which amino acids are absorbed. This means that the amino acids are released over a longer period of time (like the person who would walk the 26 miles). This means that casein is a great supplement to take at bedtime, as it will be released slowly over the 6 to 8+ hour of sleep. As you sleep your body repair it’s self and it needs protein (amino acids) to do this. Also casein protein is great to take when you know you are going to spend a prolonged period without eating or should I say without the opportunity to eat anything that is protein based. Some people may have problems with lactose and could experience bloating from casein, plus some people are allergic to casein.
Choosing Casein
Like whey there are numerous choices for casein supplements but the one to keep your eyes open for is micellar casein as this is the most effective. A lot of supplement companies now have introduced using casein protein in their protein blends.
As I have written in previous articles, it’s all about what you need the protein for, but I personally would choose a protein blend. I look for a blend with whey hydrolysates or isolate and casein (micellar if I can find it). Every country has different protein companies so I don’t want to get into which company or protein brand to go for. If you have any queries, feel free to email, but remember the answer would be my personal preference. It may be more beneficial to use the information I have given you and check the internet for more information on the subject which suits your personal requirements.
