We all come in different shapes and sizes, therefore the results we achieve through training are different. Our maximum potentials are different and the speed in which we attain results will be different. Have you ever wondered why your friend only needs to look at a dumbbell before he starts swelling up with muscle? Or why your sister can drop a dress size in a week just by controlling her eating? While you fight tooth and nail just to lose a couple of pounds. It all comes down to the different body-types.
There are 3 categories known as the Somatotype which are used to describe someone’s body shape, Ectomorph (long limbs and slender), Mesomorph (broad shoulders) and Endomorph (round physique). You will generally tend to fall into one of the categories but it is not unusual to have a blend of 2. What I have done is break down the respective groups and suggest workout methods to help you achieve your goal.
Typical traits of an ectomorph:
Small “delicate” frame and bone structure
Flat chest
Small shoulders
Thin long limbs
Lean muscle mass
Finds it hard to gain weight
Fast metabolism
Ectomorphs struggle to gain weight easily so if you fall into this category and your fitness goal is to gain size then you will need to really increase your calorie intake substantially, eating loads of protein and supplementation is recommended. In terms of exercise you want to focus on compound movements working the larger muscle groups. Exercises for you are Squats, Deadlifts, Bench press, Pull ups and dips, working in a rep range of 8-12.
Typical traits on a Mesomorph:
Athletic
Hard body with well defined muscles
Rectangular shaped body
Strong broad shoulders
Gains muscle easily
Gains fat more easily than ectomorphs
Mesomorphs gain muscle easily and are best suited to weight training; the only problem is they can put on fat quickly. If your desire is to gain muscle but stay cut then I suggest you watch your calorie intake and include High Intensity Interval Training with your weight sessions. Interval sets of 1min sprints followed by 3mins jogging at a slower pace repeating for 20-30mins or incorporate a circuit session in your weekly regime also where you do a sequence of exercises packed together without rest in between, normally done by a measure of time rather than reps.
Typical traits of an Endomorph:
·Soft and round body
·Gains muscle and fat very easily
·Is generally short and “stocky”
·Round physique
·Finds it hard to lose fat
·Slow metabolism
Endomorphs carry the most fat so to trim down, dietary habits are important and you’ll need to do loads of cardio as well as lifting light weights doing high repetitions of 15+. A cardio exercise that is highly recommended is Boxing which is great for toning and burning the fat plus loads of fun.
Do we all have a pre-set that physically we are stuck with from birth passed down from family generations before or are we in complete control of our physical state?
Why is it easier for some more than others to lose weight or why is it within weeks your friend is sculpted like a god/goddess while you are still looking the same even though you do the same workout?
If my parents have gained significant amount of weight as they've got older is this my destiny? or on the other end of the scale my dad is an adonis so naturally when I grow up I will be too.
All these questions touch up on the subject of genetics................
There is a lot of research going on at the moment to try and identify what it is in genetics that has one group of people respond significantly better to exercise than others.
I train a numerous amount of different people who come in all different shapes and sizes. Some clients respond to weight training and gain muscle quickly while others don't, some can lose weight quickly while others struggle and with the different shapes comes muscle gains in different areas of their bodies, whether that be bigger bum, legs, chest, shoulders etc.
When at the start of 2011 I done the STONEiMAGE Experiment where I ate a 5000kcals high fat diet a day for 8weeks my body changed but the changes weren't as drastic as I predicted, was this down to genetics I wondered.
Before
after 8weeks
I found it hard to put on weight, funnily enough I lost weight which was due to the muscle mass drop even with all the high fat, sugar and calories I was taking in without exercising. Even now when I go a small period without training or eating enough I start to lose weight, not talking pounds I'm talking kilos in no time at all. I realise that my body has a pre-set of the weight it wants me to be and will always go back to that setting when I stop training. I have a naturally slim build, broadish shoulders with long limbs similar to my father and no matter how much weights I do I will never resemble the hulk. What is your natural build? What is the build of your parents?
I believe we all have a pre-set that is mostly down to genetics but we can alter our physical appearance if we lead a particular lifestyle whether that be good or bad. Like my earlier blog about somatotypes our natural builds we inadvertently affect the way in which we respond to exercise. Luckily for me my bloodline is full of male and female sport enthusiasts and my dad often likes to boost that he had a natural 6pack without any specific exercise and even up to this day he still has a decent amount of muscle definition even at 50. So its fair to say that genetically i'm blessed but what about those who don't have a bloodline of physically fit and active ancestors surely they should not just assume they're doomed to slobbery, evolution will tell you that we can make alterations. Do you come from a bloodline of athletes? Does your body shape mirror that of your parents?
As a species we have evolved physically throughout the years, you only have to look at how the 100metre sprint times have dropped over the last 50yrs dropping from 9.98 in 1968 - 9.58 in 2009.
With that being said with new technology and new exercise methods have allowed us to physically move forward so that would suggest that genetics can evolve and be changed if you alter your lifestyle and exercise or do something different to the past generations.
What male body parts do it for the women? here are the exercises to help develop the
areas
A few weeks ago I posed a question to my female friends
which heated up my Blackberry and Facebook screen with
non-stop feedback throughout the day. I asked the females to list their
favoured parts of the male physique. Some answers raised a few eyebrows, with a
surprising number of people mentioning hands, but there was a consensus for
back, bum, shoulders, arms, abs and the infamous “V” spot. Not
to mention cameo appearances for the chest and legs. More than anything, the
excited flurry of response made it clear to me that women really do focus on a
man's physical appearance just as much as we focus on their bodies.
There were two main reasons for the attractions, the
first obviously being sexual and the second was about the feeling of
protection that a man provides. While the ladies loved a man
with broad shoulders and strong arms to keep them safe, looking at
ripped abs, a toned bum and a cut ‘V’ spot is a major sexual turn
on. In general women prefer the look of an athletic swimmer rather than
the bodybuilder type. So, if you spend most of your time bench pressing
the heaviest weight in the gym so you can be popping buttons off of your
shirts then I’d have a little re-think. I know the idea is to work
out in the gym and exercise to improve your health and increase your
lifespan, but let’s be brutally honest, deep down we go to the gym to
make us more attractive and to increase our chances of appealing to the
opposite sex. Now I’m not saying girls are only attracted by
looks as there’s many other attributes that can get you leering glances
from the females, but I stand firm when I say the first contact
you make with anyone is through sight. The girls have to look at your
face and body first before they make conversation
or even become interested in talking with you?
Her first glance in the initial crucial seconds will
have already given her an impression of what type of person you are
and whether she is keen on you. So, you must be physically attractive
enough before she becomes emotionally and psychologically attracted too.
So back to what she likes........
I’m going to give you some exercise tips to help
build and sculpt the muscles she likes.
The TOP 5:
I’ll start with the favourite, 6 pack abs and the ‘V’ spot.
Everyone has abdominal muscles as they are the internal muscles at the core of
the body but it is one of the hardest muscles to bring out for all to see.
Please don’t spend your time doing thousands of crunches as that will
leave you with an unbalanced core as it targets just one area and if you have
layers of fat over the abs crunches won’t shift that fat. My tip is to increase
your cardio by doing some interval sprint runs, boxing, rowing or skipping to
trim down. After the fat has gone then focus on some quality core
exercises that work the whole region like the Plank. The
‘V’ cut is a natural progression of trimming down and having a good core.
Second which may surprise you guys was the bum, it
seems women like to see physically strong glutes as much as we like to see a
curvy derriere. One thing that does amuse me is the guys that spend so much
time on their upper body and completely neglect the lower half. We’re too busy
trying to be the alpha male, impressing other male apes and showing our
superiority that we don’t recognise how ridiculous it looks with a big torso
and skinny chicken legs. The girls notice though and are not impressed by these
disproportions, so guys up your squat and deadlift game. What you don’t
know is through working the glute muscles greater testosterone is released into
the body which will help you in your gains for size in the upper body also.
Next was the back, another neglected area in the free
weights room as obviously we can’t see our own back so we deem it not to be
important. Women love a wide strong back as one female put it, “I like
when it looks like you can sink your nails in”, yeah I know WOW!!! To build up
your back you want to start doing wide-grip pull ups or if that’s too advanced
use the Lat Pull down machine and also the earlier mentioned deadlift
exercise hits the back as well as the glutes too.
After came arms which was no surprise. When talking with an
interested female notice how quickly and subtly she touches or glides her
fingers across your arms (tale tale sign she’s interested). With
that being said don’t all rush to grab the dumbbells and get curling straight
away because the real size of your arms is really when it is straight (unless
you plan to walk around with your arms curled flexing your biceps all day).
Work your triceps by doing dips and narrow armed push ups as the triceps are
the larger of the 2 areas around your upper arm. That is not the only part of
the arm though guys, when getting specific the forearms were pointed out
as a turn on too. Anything requiring you lifting your own bodyweight
will automatically strengthen your forearms.
Last of the 5, but the women assured me it wasn’t by
any means the least, was broad swimmer shoulders. Broad shoulders are all about feeling
safe and protected while being with their man. Now getting broader is a natural
part of weight training but to really target the shoulders these two exercises
will help, barbell shoulder press and lateral raises will aid in working the
small different parts which make up the shoulder.
So that's all you need to know to get the body of her
dreams. In the simplest of terms work your full body in a balanced way so that
you are in proportion rather than over working the top half, as for a woman it
is not at all attractive.
Why do some of us pay a regular fee per month for a gym
membership, spend a small fortune on training attire, Hire a personal trainer,
take part in group training or push ourselves to the limits expending blood,
sweat and tears on regular basis?
Is it down to our
wish to feel healthy and live longer or is it all about our desire to look
better, whether that be for ourselves or possible suitors?
Over nearly 3yrs being a personal trainer I have trained
over 100people and I can count on one hand excluding my pinkie finger and thumb
the amount of clients that upon our 1st consultation have said to me
that their main aim is to just feel healthier and improve their living. The
requests are normally to lose weight and tone up which I would assumingly
relate to appearance based goals, correct me if I’m wrong. Now I’m not saying
that we are so self obsessed that all we want to do is to be able to look at
ourselves in the mirror and literally want to pounce on our reflection but
however you want to sugar coat and justify your attendance in the gym, the
underlying reason tends to be that of vanity. Now there’re obviously different
levels of vanity and some like to go overboard but we all have a bit of that
vain self-loving in us and there’s nothing wrong with that. If you don’t love
yourself why should anyone else.
As a personal trainer I know the deeper impact
of exercise that cannot be seen to the naked eye, such as the chemical and
psychological benefits of regularly exercising. The most commonly spoken
chemical benefit of exercise is that of the release of endorphins into the body
after an intense workout which leaves you feeling exhilarated in
the same way as you would after orgasm. Naturally produced by the body, endorphins are possibly the
best (and most legal way)way to achieve a natural high. Psychological benefits
include greater self-esteem, confidence, stress release and improved mental
alertness.
My conclusion is that it
is more often than not vanity which brings you to the world of exercise in the
first place but it’s the health benefits (some of which I listed) which keep
you exercising and make that lifestyle change. Simply put they both work
together in helping you to become a better you.
Simply put, weight training will give you the slim, toned, sculpted physique that cardio alone just cannot do.
The development of muscle leads to an increase in your metabolism, meaning while at rest & doing nothing your body will still be burning calories at a higher rate. Its all about the afterburn, if done properly after a weight session your muscles should ache, this is known as Delayed Onset of Muscle Soreness (DOMS). What this is, is mini micro tears in your muscles from the stress of the exercise that repairs itself back stronger in order to cope with that exercise again. The recuperation period normally takes between 24-72hrs, during this period the body is working hard to repair and therefore burns a lot more calories at rest than cardio. Don't worry about the scales as with weight training it will look deceiving as the weight stays the same but you notice a much more slender and lean physique. Muscle is more dense than fat so even though weighing the same muscle appears a lot more compact.
I tend to assess new-bees at the gym for a little while before offering assistance and what I notice is that a person will go from 1 cardio machine to another for a whole hour, do this for a few weeks, get bored, not see their desired results and then abandon the gym still forking out their monthly fee. Those that I do speak to, the general fitness goal tends to be weight loss or wanting to tone up, the moment I mention weight training as a highly effective tool for both I am met with a unanimous response of "I don't want to bulk up", or "I wanna burn the fat 1st for a few weeks and then do weights". Can I dispel the myth now that doing weights automatically means you will turn into the hulk. Ladies you do not produce the required amount of testosterone to blow up like the hulk, the muscular ladies you see go to extreme lengths to get that way. Guys as long as you are doing the correct repetitions and maintaining a low rest period, you too will not bulk up to great measures.
Cardio will help you lose weight Im not denying that but is your desire really to just be a shapeless drape of skin over bones or would you like a nice defined physique. You only have to look at a marathon runner to see the physique countless cardio will get you in comparison to a athlete who incorporates weight training into their training.
Hours jogging on the treadmill will not perk up the booty and an hour on the cross trainer wont reduce the moobs either. But what will is weights!!! Ladies get in the free weights room/area, don't be afraid its not just for men. I train a lot of women who all do weights, bodyweight or some form of resistance training and not one of them have hulked up, one even deadlifts and squats her own bodyweight.
Guys blast the MOOBS with the Bench Press and trim that GUT with Pull ups, Ladies shape that BOOTY with weighted Squats and banish the BINGO WINGS with Tricep extensions.
The sooner you push, pull or lift a weight the sooner you'll see results.
This debate will continue to go on while people remain dieting
in order to lose weight, carbohydrates (carbs) have been highly publicised by
some diets as being a prime nutrient of weight gain.Low-carb diets are food plansthat restrict carbohydrate consumption for weight loss. Foods high
in carbohydrates, such as bread and pasta are restricted and replaced with
protein rich foods (e.g. meat), high fat foods (e.g. dairy and fried food) and
foods low in carbs (e.g. green leafy vegetables). This
forces the body to use fat & protein from food also stored body fat as its
main source of energy and weight loss can take place rapidly. Some well known
diets like the Atkins, Stillman or Hollywood use these methods, they have
become famous for their fast results and are regularly used by celebrities on a
short term basis before a film or award show. Other benefits such as blood
sugar levels being reduced and lower blood pressure have been documented, but these
diets have not gone without their criticism. Overlooking the superficial
benefits there are severe underlying health risks which dieticians and
researchers are keen to point out. Risks such as kidney damage from the high
levels of proteins, heart disease and a risk of cancer are just a few of the
listed risks. The brain is also fuelled by carbs so with these diets you can
suffer from a lack of concentration too. Carbohydrates are the bodies’ main and
optimum energy source so without carbs in your diet it can lead to a real lack
of energy so strenuous exercise is not recommended and this is not a diet taken
by sports people, it is like the lazy persons option to losing weight.
It is true that huge amounts of weight can be lost really
quickly so that’s why I say that if you wish to follow the diet then it should
be a short term option. With it comes the consequences of yo-yo dieting, as the
body now craves carbs, once you again introduce it into your diet you can
quickly put the weight back on. I would never be an advocate of such dieting
methods and believe that everything should be consumed in moderation making
sure that your calorie intake does not exceed your calorie expenditure, so
simply put exercise and eat a balanced diet is my tip to losing weight.
It’s true, it’s a common problem and you most definitely
aren’t the only one. If I was to ask you what parts of your body would you want
to tone up right now? What would you say???
Before you all scream the answers at
your computers, let me hazard a guess, “Legs, Bum and Tum”. Now I’m not a
female mind reading genius (I wish), just a Personal Trainer who has heard these body
parts mentioned time and time again.
Why?
Its simple women’s bodies have been purposely created for
carrying and giving birth to children so their hips are a little wider, bum shapelier
and tum a little softer than men and that is the beauty of women. Whether
it’s having a more perk derriere, flatter stomach or a toned set of pins
exercise will have a positive effect on your physique.
I’m going to describe and list my Top3 exercises for each
body part that you can do at the gym or at home
Legs
Having a toned set of pins is always a popular one whether it’s
preparing for the beach or the summer when the skirts come out and the tights
are discarded. Exercise can reduce cellulite which is a common problem as women
get older. So here are my top3
3. Leg Curls: You’ll
need a stability ball for this exercise which is perfect for toning up
the back of the thighs. Lie on your back and place both heels on the ball with
legs outstretched, raise hips off of the ground, maintain position and then
roll the ball back and forth curling your feet backwards.
2. Split squat: you’ll
need to use a bench, chair or aerobic step for this exercise which is great for
the thighs and can be performed with or without weights. Place your back foot
up on the step with your front foot on the floor 2 footsteps ahead, bend your
front leg and lower your back knee down before standing back up straight.
1. Ski Sits: This
exercise can be performed practically anywhere and being an isometric exercise
(muscle contracting static at same length) will help build strength of the legs
and leave it smooth and toned. With your back firmly against a wall, squat down
into a seated 90degree position and hold this for as long as you can,
Bums
A lot was made of Miss Pippa Middleton’s bum last year being
curvy not that I can understand why (could of done with being curvier) but what
is clear is that Pippa has a toned physique. With these exercises your bum will
gain a new found shape and firmness to it that will have you side glancing at
every mirror or window you walk by.
3. Lunges: Now
there are loads and loads of variations to this exercise which works to tone
the back of the thigh and the glutes. epending on your training levels you can try tougher
adaptations but I’m going to describe the alternating lunge. Step forward with
one leg, bend your back leg, lower your knee towards the ground and then,
pushing through the heel of your front foot return to starting position before repeating with the other leg.
2. Deadlift: A
weighted compound exercise which is highly regarded as one of the top single
exercises as it works the arms, back, core and more importantly your glutes.
Get a barbell for this exercise, hold the bar in front of your legs with arms
straight, slide the bar down the front of your thigh, lean your upper body
forward keeping your back straight and as you go lower slightly bend your knees
and then lift the bar back up to standing straight.
1. Squats: Had to
be number 1, again another exercise that is debated as the best as it also
works multiple muscles when done with a barbell across your back. This exercise
will help produce a toned bum, creating more prominent curves and a
higher booty. An exercise that is often performed with poor technique often leading
to injury. So for the correct technique, place feet shoulder width apart, raise
your toes up in your trainers, push your bum out, tilt your hips back and squat
down to a 90degree angle and then pushing through the heels of your feet stand
back up straight.
Try Kelly Stone's Sexy legs and booty workout at home or in the gym
Tums
Sculpting a flat stomach can be the most difficult task
where fat covers the deeply buried internal core muscles. As a woman it is the area that gets manipulated the most over the 9month pregnancy period being stretched and pulled
every which way. After given birth especially if surgical cutting is involved
the lower abdominals become very weak and the area most problematic. Now is time
to banish crunches as an ineffective core strengthening/toning exercise. I say
this as the crunch targets only the top of the abdominal muscles and if you’ve
seen a toned stomach you’d have noticed that there are 6 or sometimes 8
different parts to the abs and that isn’t including the obliques at the sides. From
reading my previous blogs you will know my thoughts on ‘Abs are made in the kitchen not the gym’ so be sure to have a healthy balanced dietbut here are exercises to
further aid you to tone the abs.
3. Scissor kicks: any
stomach exercise involving the lifting or raising of your legs will work the
lower region of the tum. Lie on your back with your hands by your sides, push
your lower back into the floor and then raise your legs 6inches off of the
floor and then criss cross over your feet
2. Barbell roll out: kneel
down on the floor with a barbell in front of you, place hands on the bar
shoulder width apart, roll the bar forward lowering your whole body down with
your arms outstretched and then using your core muscles roll the bar back and
kneel back up straight.
1. Plank:
My single best abs exercise as it works the whole core. Again an
isometric exercise that will help build the strength of the core so the muscle
will soon break through the fat. Balance on your forearms and feet raising your
whole body up, keeping your back straight with no arches or dips and hold the position for again as long as you can.
These areas may be a problem now but with these exercises and balanced nutrition they will become problems of the past.
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.
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.
