Newsletter - March 2012

March Madness Two months of the year is down and now we head into month number three. It seems like we were just celebrating Christmas and now we are staring down the barrel of winter. Let me ask you a question. Where are you placed with your health and fitness goals? Are you making steady progress or are the months just passing you in a rush? It can sometimes be a real struggle to get on top of your training with work and family commitments. The problem is the longer you leave it, the harder it will become. The issue is working smarter not about working harder. When thinking of fitness, most people think of long tiring workouts filled with lots of pain and sacrifice. In reality this type of thing may actually be counterproductive. Now Im not advocating the 10 min a day wonder workout three days a week and you will lose 5kg, but the days of 2 hour workouts 7 days a week are not needed. Be sure to check out my section on Alternatives to Aerobics. March also sees some changes for Fitness Ideas. As mentioned last month Fitness Ideas has gone into business with Blue Cactus Hairdressing. Fitness Ideas is now part of Blue Cactuss Hair Rewards Points. Be sure to check them out on Facebook and on their webpage to see how you can get your points. March also sees Fitness Ideas commencing work on a brand new website. This will be up and running early May but I will be sure to keep everyone updated on progress. March also sees the formal commencement of Fitness Ideas working with the Onslow College football programme. Fitness Ideas will provide strength and conditioning for all of the football teams. I am really excited about this and it will be great to work with people passionate about football. With the business becoming increasingly busier it is also worth pointing out the importance of locking your session times in. My free spaces are now very limited so make sure to get your sessions booked early to avoid missing out. Also please be aware of my cancellation policy regarding sessions. If you would like a copy of the cancellation policy, please email me on fitnessideas@hotmail.com. This months newsletter is full of interesting things. Be sure to check out the healthy and high protein meal idea as well my exercise of the month - the Pallof Press. Please feel free to share any thoughts you may have either by contacting me on email at fitnessideas@hotmail.com or visit me on my Facebook page. Yours in health Shaun

Be sure to follow me on: http://shaunsfitnessideas.wordpress.com

Something you want to see more of in the newsletter or something new you would like covered, then drop me a line and let me know!

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CLIENT ROUND UP If you have seen my Facebook page then you would have seen my regular updates about my two Good to Great clients and Tracey who is currently doing a 10 week health challenge. Robyn and Rebecca who have being following my Good to Great programme have noticed some great changes in their bodies, health, fitness and motivation. At the time of sending this newsletter they are both into their final week of six. Both have reported noticeable changes in their bodies as well as improvement in their motivation to exercise and in looking after their health. Be sure to check out their final results on my Facebook page: www.facebook.com/pages/Fitness-IdeasPersonal-Training Another person doing some really great work is Tracey. Over the last six weeks Tracey has been writing a weekly blog outlining her ups and downs while completing a 10 week challenge. Like Rebecca and Robyn she has been having some fantastic results one of which is losing 14cm from around her belly button measurement alone! Be sure to check out Traceys thoughts on the Facebook page or Fitness Ideas blog. The end of February saw quite a few of my clients competing in the annual Wellington Around the Bays fun run/walk. Wellington put on a cracker of a day and it was great to see my clients Tracey, Anna, Jackie, Karen and Lisa out there either competing in the 7km run or walk. Well done ladies and to everyone that got out there and took part. Finally a big congratulation to the Wellington members of the NZ Under 17 Womans Football team who are currently in Argentina. They beat the hosts 1-0 at the end of February. This is a huge step forward for the girls who last year had a series win over Australia. This builds further momentum heading towards World Cup qualifiers set for Auckland in April. WELL DONE GIRLS!

SUNDAY OUTDOOR CHALLENGE The month of February saw another Sunday Outdoor Challenge Group which was a whole lot of fun. Im sure the people that attended would agree that there is nothing like getting outside and training in the sun. March will see another group being run: Date: Sunday 4 February Time: 9.15 am to 10.00 am Leaving from City Fitness Johnsonville Cost: $15 per person (confirm your booking before 2 March and you can bring a friend for free Come and enjoy a fun training session where you can work at your own fitness level. Note: You do not have to be a City Fitness gym member to take advantage of this group. Places already filling quickly so be sure to contact me to book your place. Check out these photos from Februarys group session.

ALTERNATIVES TO AEROBICS Let me ask you a question. Who has the better looking body - a marathon runner or a sprinter?

Chances are if we are measuring lean muscle, body fat percentage and strength you will be saying the sprinter. There is so much discussion out there as to which is best. 1. Long slow periods of cardio or 2. High intensity, short bouts of cardio.

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For most individuals I see at the gym the belief is that long periods on the treadmill, bike or xtrainer is the best way to lose weight. While this may get you there in the end I want to challenge you with some ideas this month about a different way of approaching your cardio regime so you can still lose weight as well as free up valuable time for other things. I have been around a lot of gyms and the one thing that always gets my attention is the people slaving over the same cardio regimes day in and day out. Amazingly 99% of the time these people end up looking the same year after year and even sometimes end up looking worse than when they started. Now Im not belittling these people at all, sometimes it is all they know and they are not shown any other alternative. So hopefully the following ideas might provide those alternatives if you are stuck on the cardio treadmill. Firstly a few interesting points about relying on continuous cardio for weight loss. 1. Studies with Olympic athletes have shown that programmes that feature continuous aerobic work in them will plateau after an 8 week period if not changed and that anything more than that 8 week period is counter-productive. 2. Continual aerobic work can actually increase adrenal stress which in turn will lead to increased storing of fat. Below is a quote from respected trainer Charles Polquin to back up this theory. By stressing out the adrenal glands you can cause your body to go into adrenal fatigue which can lead to a whole range of symptoms; two of which are feeling worn out and an inability to lose weight even with extensive effort. 3. Stress causes stress. If you are already under stress by doing continual, long bouts of aerobic exercise this can add additional stress to your body which in turn will mean adding more fat to your body (add in strict dieting and that stress will just get higher). Now going back to my first question about the marathoner and the sprinter. Would you have guessed that the sprinter 9 times out of 10 will have a lower body fat than the marathoner? Would you also know that the sprinter does close to zero cardio work? How does that work? you may ask. The answer lies in the type of training they do. The higher the intensity of the session in terms of heart rate, not intensity or duration of effort, the more calories per minute are burned through a workout. Simply put whether doing weights or cardio, short, sharp and intense bouts of training

that elevate the heart rate works better at reducing body fat than long, slow and drawn out exercise sessions. The other major factor is that sprinters also rely on an intense weight training programme to reduce their body fat and not just cardio. Numerous studies are shown that interval training is more effective for fat loss while improving aerobic and anaerobic fitness. Im not saying that traditional methods of aerobic fitness wont get you there but it may take a lot longer and you may not get as good results. So if you are wanting to break out of your cardio rut then give the following a go. This training programme is courtesy of Charles Polquins (renowned strength coach) website. Table 1: Preparation workouts (to be done if new to training or coming off a lay-off) Week 1: Week 2: Week 3: Week 4: Week 5: Week 6: Week 7: Week 8: 4 sets 40 sec high intensity, 4 min recovery 4 sets 40 sec high intensity, 3:45 min recovery. 4 sets 40 sec high intensity, 3:30 min recovery. 4 sets 40 sec high intensity, 3:15 min recovery. 5 sets 40 sec high intensity, 3 min recovery. 5 sets 40 sec high intensity, 2:45 min recovery 6 sets 40 sec high intensity, 2:30 min recovery 6 sets 40 sec high intensity, 2:15 min recovery.

Table 2: A higher intensity interval schedule Week 1/2: Week 3/4: Week 5/6: Week 7/8: Week 9/10: Week 11/12: Week 13/14: Week 15/16: Week 17/18: 6 sets 40 sec high intensity, 2 min recovery 7sets 40 sec high intensity, 2 min recovery 8 sets 40 sec high intensity, 2 min recovery 9 sets 40 sec high intensity, 2 min recovery 10 sets 40 sec high intensity, 2 min recovery 11 sets 40 sec high intensity, 2 min recovery 12 sets 40 sec high intensity, 2 min recovery 12 sets 45 sec high intensity, 1:45 min recovery 12 sets 45 sec high intensity, 1:30 min recovery

* Perform 2-3 sessions a week maximum on non consecutive days.

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FANTASTIC BEEF Below is a fantastic recipe that was sent to me from nutrionalist, Stacey Hancock. Be sure to check her out at www.staceyhancock.co.nz. Beef casserole (7 servings)

The Pallof Press, whilst is a great core (especially lower back and obliques) it is also a fantastic exercise for the entire body. The goal of the exercise is to maintain a neutral spine in an athletic position while resisting turning your core. Start with a wider base to get the feel and narrow from there. Press the arms out straight creating a greater rotation force that the hips and trunk must resist. Personally I prefer to narrow the base rather than try to jack up the weight. Be sure the neck and traps are relaxed and tighten your grip on the handle. Your core should remain tight throughout the exercise and the movement should be controlled. Hips should remain square and you need to resist the urge to twist. Whilst this may look like an easy exercise give it a go and see how hard it is. Start with 5-8 reps and gradually add more over time. Start with 1-2 sets and work your way up to 3-5 sets, or Start with a short hold of around 10-15 seconds and gradually add more time. Start with 1-2 sets and work your way up to 3-5 sets.

Ingredients 1kg lean beef blade or chuck steak, trimmed and cut into 5cm cubes 3 Tbsp oil 1 large onion, peeled and chopped. 1 Tbsp minced garlic 4 Tbsp flour 4 cups beef stock Salt and pepper 2 cups diced vegetables eg celery, capsicums, carrots. 4 sprigs fresh thyme Preparation 1. Brown meat in 2-3 batches with the oil in a heavy-based pan. 2. Transfer to a casserole dish. 3. Gently fry the onions and garlic for 2-3 minutes in the same pan. 4. Sprinkle over the flour and stir well until the onions and garlic are well coated. 5. Gradually pour in the stock and bring to the boil, stirring well, to make a smooth sauce. 6. Season to taste. 7. Add the diced vegetables and thyme and pour the sauce over the beef and vegetables. 8. Cover and cook in a pre-heated 160C oven for 1 to 2 hours or until very tender. 9. Serve with fresh vegetables. PALLOF PRESS

QUOTE OF THE MONTH "When you believe and think "I can", you activate your motivation, commitment, confidence, concentration and excitement - all of which relate directly to achievement." ~ Dr. Jerry Lynch

REFER A FRIEND Do you know someone who wants to improve their health and wellbeing and would be interested in receiving my monthly newsletter? If so, contact me on fitnessideas@hotmail.com with their contact details. Or if you do not wish to receive this newsletter, please contact me by email. See you all next month.

Shaun
021 383 589

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Paul Ifill's Elite Health and Nutrition

For all Fitness Ideas clients and newsletter subscribers, mention my name when you place an order and you will receive a 10% discount. Hi, my name is Paul Ifill. I would like to thank you for visiting my page. I am a professional footballer for the Wellington Phoenix FC in the Hyundai ALeague. I have been playing professionally for 14 years and been fortunate enough to have appeared in the English Premier League for Sheffield Utd, the FA Cup final in 2004 for Milwall V Man Utd, which led to a place in the Europa League. After struggling to maintain my weight throughout most of my career and trying numerous FAD diets, I am pleased to be able to tell you that I believe I have found the answer! I have worked with many different nutritionists and fitness coaches throughout my career and have been able to bring all this information together to share with you and help you achieve your goals! It really is as simple as exercising, maintaining a healthy, balanced diet and using the correct supplements. I have discovered the brands Nutriway, Fuel Factor and XS Energy, which have played a key part in getting me back to full fitness. I feel I am in better shape, both physically and mentally, than I ever have been at any other point in my career. I will aim to keep you up to date with all the latest product information and my personal preferences. If you have any questions regarding the products please do not hesitate to contact me on: elitehealthandnutrition@gmail.com *Nutriway *Fuel Factor *XS Energy

If you would like to buy any of the products featured in the above ranges, please contact me elitehealthandnutrition@gmail.com or alternatively you can purchase them via PayPal on my Facebook page. http://www.facebook.com/elitehealthandnutrition http://www.twitter.com/EliteHealthNut http://www.youtube.com/EliteHealthNut

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