Returning to Running Post Rehab

Almost every runner will understand the frustration of being injured all too well. Having to significantly reduce, or even sometimes stop training entirely while you rehab an injury can be extremely disheartening. Then you have the task of getting back to full training post rehab. It’s perfectly natural to feel some trepidation at first, so to help put your mind at ease, here are my top tips on returning to running after an injury. 

start gradually

This might seem obvious, but all too often people fail to account for the fact that they will have inevitably lost some conditioning while rehabbing - especially if the injury was a significant one. Your cardiovascular and muscular-skeletal system need time to get back to the level you were at before, so don’t try and pick up where you left off pre-injury straight away. How much you will need to reduce you training load will depend on how long you were injured for, as a rule of thumb you should increase your mileage by no more than 10% each week until you get back to your pre-injury level.

Start with steady state runs and increase speed later

Increasing the intensity of your training in moderation is just as important as gradually stepping up the total volume. Begin with some steady state runs under your lactate threshold (approximately 80-85% max heart rate) and then reintroduce faster intervals once you feel comfortable.

Listen to your body

If you don’t quite feel ready to get back to running yet, it’s probably because you aren’t. If you have any concerns, consult your therapist for their opinion and don’t try to push through any discomfort.

Don’t Run on Consecutive Days

Those first few runs after a period of time off from training are likely going to leave you pretty sore the next day - this is perfectly normal. Your muscles simply need time to readjust to running again and taking rest days is an essential part of the process.

Keep Doing Your Rehab Exercises

Just because you are now injury free does not mean that you should stop doing the rehab exercises prescribed by your therapist. One of the biggest risk factors for any injury is having had the same injury in the past, hence it’s critical that you do everything to ensure it doesn’t reoccur. You don’t have to do the same volume as when you were injured, or as frequently; 1-2 sets as part of your normal running warm-up will be sufficient.

Finally, it’s important that you celebrate your progress as you return to full fitness. Overcoming an injury, regardless of the severity is an achievement in itself. If you are looking for a personalised training program to help you take the next step in your fitness journey, contact me anytime

Positive Attitude Vs Positive Action

Most people will have probably heard the phrase positive mental attitude (PMA for short) before - it’s something I hear thrown around a whole lot, especially when it comes to the health and fitness industry, often by overly-keen, hyperactive fit pros trying to sell people on the idea that if they just think positively enough, everything will fall into place and their fitness goals will be actualized. However, in reality while there is some utility in being optimistic and ambitious about what you can achieve, it takes a whole lot more than a positive attitude to actually achieve your goals.

As I mentioned before, setting the bar high for you health and fitness aspirations is important and nobody should ever limit themselves as far as what is possible. This is where having a positive mental attitude can be useful. One phrase I often hear which drives me crazy is “I could never look like that”. There is nothing more dis-empowering than accepting defeat before you’ve even attempted something. The reason most people never achieve their health and fitness goals is because they never do anything to get started. Which leads me to what is actually necessary to make a change - positive action.

The irony is that a “positive mental attitude” is so often the thing that gets in the way of positive actions. Way too many people are listening to someone else on social media blowing smoke up their a*** and telling them how they are perfect just the way they are. But in my experience helping people lose weight and get fit, it’s only at rock bottom that people have the drive and motivation to take the positive steps in order to sort themselves out. Don’t believe me? Go and ask anyone who has ever lost weight, stopped smoking / drinking, or taking drugs, just how positively they felt about their situation before they turned their life around. The point I am trying to make is that while positivity has its place, its important not to understate the power of negative feelings and realise that taking positive action is the only way to succeed.

At the end of the day you can be the most enthusiastic person in the world, but unless you actually do something about being out of shape, all of that positivity means f*** all. Want to know the best part? When it comes to positive action, nothing is insignificant. Never underestimate the power of bettering yourself by even a tiny amount each day, because if you keep it up, one day you will look in the mirror and won’t recognise the person staring back at you.

5 Ways to Boost Your Immune System

Having a well functioning immune system has never been more important than right now as we face the global pandemic of COVID-19. Besides all of the standard precautions that we should be taking such as washing your hands etc. the next best defense against any infection is your body’s own immune system - Not only with regards to preventing the contraction an infectious disease, but also fighting it off if you are unfortunate enough to get it. Below are 5 simple ways that we can all boost our immune systems.

1. Consume plenty of fruits and vegetables - Ensuring that you aren’t deficient in any of the key vitamins and minerals that contribute to a well functioning immune system is the first place to start. Fruit and vegetables are great sources of vitamins A, B6, C, and E, as well as other macro-nutrients such as folic acid and copper. Some people choose to take a daily vitamin supplement, however some evidence suggests that your body absorbs more of each macro-nutrient from whole foods.

2. Make sure you are getting enough sleep - There is no biological function that is unaffected when you are sleep deprived and your immune system is no different. It is recommended that everyone should get anywhere between 6-8 hours per night, however the amount each individual needs varies from person to person. As a rule if you’re getting tired throughout the day, you could probably do with an extra hour or so.

3. Take regular exercise - Regular exercise is a great way to promote all round health and maintain a healthy level of body fat, lower blood pressure and improve cardiac health. In addition, exercise helps to promote good circulation, therefore allowing substances that are vital to the functioning of your immune system such as white blood cells to be transported around the body. This is why even if your are in self-isolation it is still recommended that you get some exercise, providing you are a safe distance from others. If your local gym has closed, or you have decided to stop going then outdoor exercise is your best bet. All of my one to one Personal Training sessions take place outside in the fresh air in a much more sterile environment than any gym, or leisure centre. Conversely, if you would prefer to train at home and avoid contact with anybody, I offer a remote coaching service with workouts your can do without leaving the house - more info here.

4. Try to keep stress to a minimum - The link between the mind and body is a powerful one. So much has been discovered in the last few years around the effects of emotional stress on physical health. While scientists don’t know everything about the effect of stress on your immune system, it is widely recommended that people are proactive in their attempts to minimise their stress levels. This doesn't necessarily mean avoiding stressful situations as for some people this is impossible, as I’m sure anyone with young children can attest to. But regardless you can still help lower your stress levels by using methods such as meditation, or the aforementioned regular exercise.

5. Keep alcohol consumption to a minimum - Consuming alcohol in quantities above the recommended daily amount puts a strain on your body, especially your liver. In addition, despite the fact that alcohol can make it easier to drift off, even one drink can significantly reduce the quality of your sleep. So try and take it easy of the booze for the next few months or so, you may even lose a bit of weight and feel better in the process!

So there you have it, 5 simple and effective ways to boost your immune system that you can put into practice right now, without disrupting your daily life. Please feel free to share this post with anyone that you feel might benefit from the information I have shared - Stay health and stay safe.

Protein Supplements - Are They Worth it?

As a Personal Trainer I get asked on a regular basis whether or not I recommend using protein supplements and how much they enhance the results garnered from training. However, as with most things health and fitness related, there is no “Yes / No” answer to this question and I only recommend protein supplements on a case by case basis depending on a client’s individual needs. To better understand whether protein supplements may help you, let’s first establish what protein is and its biological function.

First of all protein is not just one singular substance, but rather an umbrella term that defines a group of different compounds that are found in the human body. All proteins are made up of building blocks called amino acids, of which there are 21 different kinds. These amino acids can be arranged in a variety of ways to form every one of the vast number of proteins needed by the human body. The main function of these different proteins is to build and repair tissues and most importantly as it relates to fitness, are the building blocks of skeletal muscle. Therefore, if building muscle is one of your goals, then ensuring that your body has enough protein is essential.

There are a number of variables that have to be considered on a case by case basis that determine whether an individual will receive any benefit from protein supplementation. I’ve listed them below:

1. What is your goal? - Unless one of your main goals is to build muscle, then protein supplementation is most likely going to be a waste of time. For example an endurance athlete that primarily undertakes cardiovascular training will require in the region of 1.2-1.4 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight each day. So an 80kg athlete would need around 96-112 grams of protein per day. In a healthy balanced diet this is a very achievable number without additional supplementation. However, if building muscle mass is your primary goal and you are aiming for maximum protein synthesis, then you should be aiming for 1.6-1.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight each day. So in this instance the same 80kg person would need around 128-144 grams of protein per day. Whether or not you need to supplement your diet with additional protein will depend on your answer to the next question.

2. What is your daily protein intake from your regular diet? - Now that we have established what your daily protein requirements are depending on your goals, we now need to work out roughly how much protein you are already getting from your normal daily meals. The best way to do this is using a nutrition tracking app such as My Fitness Pal. I can’t stress enough that this doesn’t have to be an exact science, if you’re aiming for 145 grams of protein per day and you have calculated that you are having 135 grams, then you’re probably good. Conversely, if your current diet is only providing you with 120 grams of protein, then supplementing your diet with a scoop of lean protein powder each day will likely benefit you.

3. What is your training volume? - The amount of protein your body needs is based on how much you break down each day. Protein catabolism (breaking down) occurs through physical activity, specifically high volumes of resistance training. It is the catabolism of muscle protein that stimulates the anabolic process of protein synthesis and subsequent increase in muscle mass. The more protein that is broken down as a result of training, the more that is required to repair and build new tissue. Therefore, the amount of training that you do will impact how much protein you need to consume each day. If you are carrying out resistance training only a couple of times a week, you will not likely receive any benefit from protein supplementation. Whereas, somebody that is in the gym lifting 5-6 times per week is more likely to do so.

4. When do you train? - It has been found that for protein synthesis to be maximized, a single 20 gram dose of protein should be ingested during the early recovery recovery period (~5hr) after training. If you like many people tend to train in the evening after dinner - say 8 or 9 o’clock at night - then having a protein shake after your workout might provide you with some additional benefit, as otherwise you wouldn’t be getting your next does of protein until the following next day.

If you are unsure as to whether using protein supplements will benefit you or not, then consider your answers to the above questions. Remember your answers may be entirely different to somebody else, don’t try something just because someone you know swears by it. As a Personal Trainer it’s my job to provide appropriate nutritional and training advice to every one of my clients according to their individual needs. This is the sole reason why I have been able to achieve such great results - you can read some of my client testimonials here. If you need any further help, then please feel free to get in touch anytime.

Fallen Off The Gym Wagon? This is How to Get Back on Track...

As we are approaching the end of February, I’ve started to notice the numbers in the gym I go to really start to drop off. Anyone that has been exercising regularly for any period of time will attest to the fact that this is commonplace regardless of where you train, but it seems that this is particularly true for gym goers. So many people will have taken out their new membership last month, full of enthusiasm and good intentions only to come to the realisation that they are unable to stay motivated in the long term. So why does this happen? Allow me to offer my professional take and give you my top 5 fives reasons that people quit the gym in the first 2 months and how to get back on track.

1. You Didn’t Know What to do While You Were There - This is probably the most common one. Merely having the means to exercise is of absolutely no value if you don’t use it correctly - a goal without a plan is just a wish. So many people go to the gym, but don’t have the first clue what they are doing. So they end of wandering around from machine to machine, with no rhyme or reason for what exercise they have chosen, how many reps, or how long to do it for. Because of this they spend more time looking at their phone than actually exercising and as a consequence they don’t get the results they hoped for and they give up. Simply turning up to the gym isn’t going to cut it, you need to follow a training program that is appropriate for you and your goals. This is precisely what my Online Personal Training service is designed for, you can check out more details here.

2. You Went Too Hard Too Fast - This is exactly the mistake that I made when I first started training. All of that enthusiasm you have when you start a new health and fitness regimen can work against you by causing you to be way too over zealous. This often leads to overuse injuries, meaning that you have to stop training for a while and then struggle to get going again. Furthermore, trying something that is too intense and advanced for someone that hasn’t done any exercise in a while can be very demoralizing for anybody. If you are attending classes, try starting with the lowest intensity one first and going from there, or better yet get yourself a training program that is tailored specifically for your fitness level.

3. You Didn’t Track Your Progress - Hands down the best and honestly in my opinion the only way to stay motivated is by making progress towards your goals. Whether it’s weight loss, increasing muscle mass, improving your fitness, or getting stronger, unless you are achieving your desired outcome you will give up - because as much as I encourage people to do exercise that they enjoy, the vast majority of us are training for results first and foremost. So unless you have some way of tracking your progress towards said goals, you have no idea whether all of your hard work is worth it or not. I would recommend using as many measures as possible, from the weights you lift and the speed you run at, to your body weight, dimensions and progress pictures.

4. The Environment Didn’t Suit You - There is no dispute that gyms can often be intimidating environments for people that are new to fitness. The problem is that gyms aren’t the most inclusive of places and are often filled with people that are already in great shape. It is extremely hard for people to avoid comparing themselves to others and no one is going to stay motivated when they feel weak, or inadequate. So often this is exactly how people feel when they step into a gym. Now there are 2 solutions here: 1 - Stop comparing yourself to others (difficult, but doable with practice). 2 - Try a different environment. Just because the gym didn’t suit you, doesn’t mean its the end of your health and fitness journey. There are plenty of outdoor fitness programs, I offer an exclusively outdoor Mobile Personal Training Service working with clients at their homes, or in local parks - You can find out more here

5. You Didn’t Invest Enough - “The only thing more expensive than expensive is cheap”, I can’t remember where I heard that phrase, but it applies perfectly in relation to the different methods of getting in shape. People that use more expensive gyms, or fitness programs tend you use them more regularly and get better results from them - Why? Because they attach more value to them and want a better return on their investment. Go ahead and do a Google search right now for a free nutrition and workout plan, I guarantee you will find loads of resources available and guess what? They work too. But, people don’t use them because there is no value attached to them. So invest in something that you will actually adhere to, one of the reasons I get so much success with my clients is because of the investment they make in my service - you can find my information here

If your New Years resolution hasn’t quite gone to plan so far don’t worry, they rarely do! So don’t get disheartened, I hope that this article has given you some insight into how to get back on track and if you need any other help, or guidance please feel free to get in touch anytime.

Constantly Hungry? This is How to Combat it

One of the most common reasons people give me for making the wrong choices when it comes to their diet is that they find themselves constantly hungry throughout the day. This is totally understandable, I know that the absolute worst time for me to go shopping is when I’m starving hungry, as I end up filling the shopping trolley with junk food and most of the time don’t even make it home before I’m shoveling it down my throat. So I’ve learned that the best way to avoid this is to not allow myself to get that hungry in the first place.

Let’s look at why we feel hungry from a scientific point of view - hint: it’s not just about having a full stomach. The feeling of hunger is largely regulated by two hormones: leptin and ghrelin which decrease and increase your appetite respectively. What you eat has a massive effect on the function of these hormones, in particular the amount and type of carbohydrates that you consume.

For a long time now we have been fed the narrative that carbs are inherently bad for you and you should avoid them at all costs if you are trying to lose weight. However, not all carbs are created equally - There are two types: those that are high and low on the glycemic index. Carbs that are categorized as high on the glycemic index (i.e. refined carbohydrates and sugars) are broken down rapidly by the body causing a spike in blood sugar and insulin as a result. This leads to the body storing this energy as fat, this is known as the “carbohydrate-insulin model”.

In addition, consuming a diet high in refined carbohydrates is thought to lead to more food cravings by increasing levels of ghrelin and can even result in leptin resistance. This has a secondary negative outcome as leptin causes the body to prioritize the use of fat as an energy source, so leptin resistance makes it even harder to lose weight.

The solution - Start reducing the amount of refined carbohydrates in your diet, foods like white bread, pasta, potatoes and sugary snacks. But most importantly replace those foods with more protein, this will help keep you feeling fuller for longer and help you make better choices as a result. Download this free 7 Day Meal Plan to give you some ideas and if you need any further assistance you can contact me anytime

Are You Failing Enough?

My favourite part of my job is the variety of people that I work with on a daily basis and the opportunity I have to not only help shape they’re physical appearance, but more importantly their mindset as it relates to training. Whenever I work with a new client I always encourage them to embrace the fact that they are going to fail at some point in a training session. This is often met with confusion and sometimes resistance from people and understandably so, as we all want to be the best at everything. However, failing a rep, or not completing a circuit as quickly as the last one isn’t in and of itself a bad thing - it just means you’re training to failure, something that (in my opinion) is absolutely essential for improvement.

At it’s core the purpose of a training session is the put the body under sufficient physical stress that it adapts to better cope with said stress in the future. The human body is smart and it won’t expend the valuable resources required for this physical adaptation voluntarily, you have to force it to do so by training to the point of failure. Bare in mind though that you don’t have to do this every single session, for the best results I would recommend pushing yourself the maximum at least once per week, any more than this and you risk over doing it.

From a practical stand point, training to failure means working until you physically cannot continue. You will be surprised what you are physically able to push yourself through and most of the time it is actually a person’s mental resolve gives in. As your mental fortitude improves, so too will your ability to put your body under physical stress, thereby allowing to you get even better results further down the road.

One way that I ensure my clients achieve true failure when they train is to program rep ranges instead of specific numbers. For example, getting them to complete 10-15 reps of an exercise at a weight that I know they will not be able to do 15 reps for, ensuring that they fail somewhere in the 10-15 rep range. One message that I always try to get across to my clients is that (to a degree) the number of reps you complete is arbitrary and rather the stress that they put on the muscle is the driving force in development. So as long as you are working as hard as you possibly can, then whether you complete 10, 12 or 15 reps is irrelevant - just make sure you fail!

If you are looking for a training program that is tailored specifically to you and your goals then you can find more information about my Online Personal Training Service here

How Long Should You Train For?... Sometimes Less Equals More

If you’re currently working out on a regular basis, how long does your average training session last? If the answer is any more than 45-60 minutes (including a warm-up and stretching) then you should think about cutting it a bit shorter. When it comes to training ultimately we are trying to put out bodies under sufficient physical strain, that they are forced to adapt to better cope with these demands in the future. To achieve this we need to surpass a certain threshold of training intensity, or volume - Essentially you can go hard, or go longer. But, you can’t do both because the higher the intensity of your workout, the less time you will be able to sustain it for - this is the case for even the fittest athletes.

As I mentioned, for a positive training effect it is critical that the body is put under enough physical stress that it is forced to adapt. Given how busy people’s lives are with family and careers to juggle before even thinking about getting to the gym, training efficiently is crucial. Therefore, if you are going to choose between a longer workout and a more intense workout, choose intensity every time.

To back this up there was a program televised recently that tested the results of two training programs: one that featured heavier weight and lower repetitions and one that featured the opposite. When it came to the results there was absolutely no difference, however every participant said that they preferred the heavier weights option because it took less time and was more enjoyable.

There are a number of ways to increase the intensity of your workout:

1. Lift Heavier - As detailed above, if resistance training is a key part of your training regimen (if it’s not then it should be) then increasing the weights you lift serves as a great way to increase the intensity of your workout.

2. Lift Slower - With particular reference to the eccentric (downward) phase of your lifts. This is where the highest degree of damage to your muscles occurs and is what results in the soreness you get the day after a training session. Slower reps also increase the metabolic stress on your muscles and result in more calories being burned.

3. Lift Faster - Yes I know I just said lifting slower can increase the intensity of your workout, but so can lifting faster, or rather more explosively. This is especially true if you start including some ballistic training into your workouts i.e. where you are incorporating some sort of projectile, such as a medicine ball, or even your own body e.g. jump squats.

4. Shorter Rest Breaks - Giving your body less time to recover adds additional metabolic stress and challenges your cardiovascular system to a greater degree. If you aim if to improve your fitness then make sure you keep your rest intervals to a minimum.

Check out this training session from my YouTube channel that can be done at home without any equipment. It’s fairly challenging, but takes a maximum of 30 minutes - Perfect for those that don’t have hours to spend in the gym!

How Much Do You Move?

Without a doubt the best Christmas gift I received this year was a fitness tracker, not least because I hadn’t realised before just how much I move on a daily basis. Now I’m very luck with my job in the sense that physical activity is an inherent aspect of my daily routine. On average I do 12000-15000 steps a day equating to 8-12km in distance covered and around 600 calories burned - this is before I do any of my own training sessions. Now while this much movement maybe trickier to accomplish if you have a desk job, there are still many way you can build more movement into your daily routine - Here are my top 5:

1. Reduce your inactive time - This might sound simple, but it’s something that often gets overlooked. People say to me all the time that they can’t find the time to exercise or prepare good quality food for that matter, but on further questioning will admit to spending at least 2 hours per day on their phone looking at social media or watching TV. With only 24 hours in a day it’s vital that you make the most of every single one, so start by replacing this inactivity with something physical instead. Ultimately it comes down to priorities and what matters to you - if it’s important then you will make time.

2. Go for a walk in your lunch break - 30 minutes of brisk walking will burn anything from 100-300 calories depending on your pace. Bearing in mind that to lose weight and burn fat you should be aiming for a 100-300 calorie deficit per day, this simple change could be the difference between achieving your goals or not.

3. Get a standing desk - Anatomically we were basically screwed when the chair was invented. Sitting down at a desk for 6-8 hours per day is both terrible for your posture and massively increases the amount of time you spend in a sedentary state. Standing instead of sitting for 6 hours of your working day can help you burn between 50-80 extra calories per day - see above what I mentioned about achieving your daily calorie deficit goal.

4. Take the stairs - As humans we have evolved to make our lives as easy as possible in order to preserve energy and resources. However, in the 20th century western world that we find ourselves in this innate compulsion is working against us because from a health and fitness perspective, life is now too easy. Taking the stairs instead of an escalator on your daily commute acts as a miniature HIIT workout by significantly increasing your heart rate, even if it’s only for a short period of 30 seconds or so.

5. Park in the furthest space from the shop - We’ve all been guilty of this and myself included, driving around the car park trying to find the closest possible space to the entrance, all for the sake of saving ourselves a 3 minute walk to the door. When it comes to physical activity every little counts.

By putting these 5 simple tips into practice you will go a long way to increasing your physical activity levels without having to join a gym, or go to an exercise class. Looking, feeling and performing better all starts with improving your daily habits and overall lifestyle quality, try to focus on what you spend the most time doing because this will have the biggest impact on your health. If you need any further help or assistance, please feel free to get in touch anytime.

Let's Talk About Core Training

To establish whether you are training your “core” effectively it is first important to understand exactly what you are referring to. When most people talk about their core they are generally referring to their rectus abdominis aka the six-pack muscle. This makes sense because it is the most visible (assuming you have a level of body fat low enough to see it), however in reality your core is made of a number of other muscles, each with their own specific function - see diagram below.

The image above shows the primary muscles that make up your core. Each muscle has it’s individual function including: both generating and resisting rotation of the torso, flexion (bending) at the spine and flexion of the hip (bringing your leg up towards your torso). It is therefore essential that you include all of these movements into your training to ensure that you hit every muscle in your core. If you can incorporate multiple functions into the same exercise then even better e.g. a Star Fish Crunch. Below is a video of a short and very effective core training session that covers all of the necessary bases - give it a try!

Some of your core muscles e.g. the transverse abdominis are not visible, regardless of how low your body fat percentage is because they are located in deep inside your torso. With that being said If you are purely concerned with aesthetics then focus on the rectus abdominis, serratus anterior and external abdominal obliques. Although be mindful that as I mentioned unless your body fat percentage is low enough then you are wasting your time, because no amount of core training is going to give you the toned stomach you are after if you have a layer of fat covering it up. Instead focus on improving your nutrition, get yourself into a calorie deficit and start burning some fat - if you need help with this I can provide you with meal plans.