What is H.I.I.T?

So we've set our target, got our mind right, cleared out the cupboards of all the sweet, fatty calorie busting chocolaty snacks and now it’s time to start with the exercise. Ok so regrettably not all of us are on the same wavelength yet, some of you may need to go back 2 the earlier blogs for a re-cap before joining back up with us focused folk.

Now for the fun to begin...........

One of the simplest methods for weight loss and improving fitness is running, all you need is a comfortable pair of trainers and you're good to go. Running has so many benefits other than the obvious physical ones, pounding away at the pavements & treadmills are also a great stress release and the runners high you experience afterwards can become somewhat addictive.

warm up for 2mins, 1min fast followed by 3min slow

While a long continuous runs are good there is a way to makeyour runs more effective in less time. This method is called HIIT or High Intensity Interval Training which is set periods of high intensity followed by recovery time at a lower intensity (see graph). An example of this would be 1min sprinting/running with 3mins jogging/walking depending on fitness levels and repeat that for20-30mins. There are many variables and ratios that you can play about with to test the body. The example I gave is the 1:3, but there is also 3:3(3mins slow, 3mins fast) and 1:1(1min fast 1min slow).

 If you are lucky enough to have a running track nearby try the STONEiMAGErunners sprint workout of 3x150m, 4x100m and 5x50m all followed by a walk back to the start point in between each run. In 1hour I burnt 968cals doing this workout with the others and it is great fun with a group of friends.  

The added benefit of the HIIT method are post-workout, your body is left like a furnace burning calories at an increased rate for hours after. Go one better and do your resistance/weight training before your interval runs and your body will still be burning like a furnace up-to 3days after your workout, now how does that sound? you can relax for the next couple of days and still be benefiting from the previous workout. Unknown to most with slower continuous jogging it can be 30mins before the body starts burning your fat stores, which seems like a waste of time especially if you only planned a 30min run. The higher the intensity of the intervals the better, you want to be working at 70-100% with each run/sprint to elevate the heart rate, training your heart to recover quicker will improve your fitness. Working at such a high intensity requires greater muscle recruitment from the body than distant running, as well as your legs your abs and arms work extremely hard too so this is a speedy way to a flat stomach and toned arms.

So lace up and lets get sprinting

Written by 

Erron Dussard

STONEiMAGE Management LTD

@Stoneimage

Abs are made in the kitchen not the gym

A lot of gym goers, keep fitters make the mistake of thinking that all it takes to get a flat stomach is a bit of exercise in the gym a few times a week and hey presto your stomach will be rippling. I'm always telling my clients that is not the case, there’s a lot more to it. It has to be more of a conscious lifestyle change meaning eating healthier, drinking more water, sleeping more and monitoring alcohol consumption. When it comes to getting fit, toned, losing weight or gaining muscle it is 70% nutrition and 30% exercise, hence the title “Abs are made in the kitchen not the gym floor”. You could be one of those people who train relatively hard on a regular basis who seeing great transformation is a challenge for and all it could take is tweaking the way in which you eat, which will end up making a huge difference. Even the best workout programme in the world can be undone by unhealthy eating.The improvements can be so much more efficient and better with a correct nutritional plan.
Takeaways are very convenient and fast food but are saturated in fat. Eating healthy requires a little bit of preparation, a good idea is to cook before the start of the week, package and store your meals.

Other useful tips are snacking on raw nuts, seeds and fruit in between meals. Measure out your portion sizes to avoid over eating, carbohydrates should be measured by what you can cup in your hands, proteins is measured by the palm of your hand.
Basic issues like the regularity of your eating, the portion sizes you consume, the time of day you eat, your hydration levels and obviously what you are eating all play a role in how your body burns or stores the food. The common thought is the less you eat the more weight you lose or the less frequent you eat the better but that is not the case. Our body is so clever that our metabolic rate decreases if we go long periods without eating to avoid burning too much calories and basically falling into starvation. It is at this point when the body begins to store food as fat which is slower releasing of its energy.  If you think of your body as a burning furnace, you don’t wait for the fire to go out before adding more coal you continually add to the fire to keep the flame going. Our body is the same, rather than waiting till you are really hungry before eating with your metabolism slowing down, eat regularly (every 2-3hrs) and eat smaller portions to keep the metabolic furnace burning.

Those are just the basic aspects of nutrition which I have studied and touched upon but to really get to grips with nutrition, making sure you’re receiving the right nutrients for the body acquire the expertise of a specialist ie a dietician. Your nutrition will be the difference between great results and mediocre ones and I like my clients to be the best they can be.

For nutritional tips from STONEiMAGE Dietician Patricia Caprice @Vitalamine on twitter

Written by

Erron Dussard
STONEiMAGE Management LTD
@Stoneimage

Mind right 1st & the body will follow

It’s a new year and the start of health and fitness season. With our New Years Resolutions clearly set out we are hitting the sport stores, dusting off the old trainers, visiting local gyms while simultaneously clearing the cupboards of our sweet snacks and alcohol. Now granted I know this was the same case last year but we really mean it this time, we are gonna lose that weight, run that marathon and look hot on the beach this coming summer. We fell off last year but this year will be different!...................... Well, I hope it is.

 Are you one of those people who when approaching a training regime to get in shape get your mind right and focused first? If you are one of the few then you’ll more likely be the ones achieving your fitness goals looking great on the beach while the others wonder what they were doing wrong. A lot of people fail to link mental fitness with physical fitness and therefore fall off at the first hurdle of their fitness journey. It takes real mental strength to push yourself past your comfort zones, work through the pain, stay consistent, remain disciplined with your eating and stay focused on your goal, which is what you need to do to achieve that desired beach body. It needs to become a conscious lifestyle change, not a tiresome chore.

Do what you’ve always done and you’ll get what you’ve always got.

Goal setting is key, not only in fitness but in life in general. Ask yourself “if you have no goal in life, what is your purpose for living?”

The key to my goal setting methods (as seen above) are to be clear with what I wish to achieve and believe in it so definitely that in my mind it is already achieved. I write a clear statement using present tense stating what I am about to achieve and attach as much detailed feeling to the statement as I can. I date the statement at the exact date in which I will achieve my fitness goal.  I suggest you to do this and also attach a picture of that body you want, whether it is a celebrity or an old photo of how you once looked but the goal needs to be realistic to you. Use the acronym SMART to write your statement:

Specific- Your target needs to be specific, “I want to lose weight” is not enough. Write your desired weight

Measurable- How will your progress be measured? Dress size, scales, body measurements etc

Achievable- Goals must require you to do your best but be achievable

Realistic- Is your goal realistic and are you able to put in the work necessary to achieve

Timed- When will you achieve your goal by? Definite date should be set

What you think about you bring about, thoughts become things and  this is the same principle used by all the top sporting achievers  who use visualisation before major competitions.

You may feel this is a bit excessive but it all depends on how much you really desire to achieve your goal.

Written by 

Erron Dussard

STONEiMAGE Management LTD

STONEiMAGE on twitter