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Altrincham Hale Health Nutrition Personal Trainer Personal Training Personal Training Weight Loss steliosshengas

Understanding Fat

Why we need Fat in our diet:

Fuel Source

Protection of Vital Organs

Cell membrane constituents

Precursors of bile, hormones and steroids

Fat soluble vitamin intake

 

Types of Fat:

Monounsaturated fats: Sources include avocado’s, olive oil, and almonds.

Polyunsaturated fat: Sources include flaxseed oil, walnuts and salmon.

Saturated Fats: Sources include animal fats, butter, coconut oil

Trans fats: Sources include bakery goods, fried foods, dough of frozen pizzas and most processed foods. These are fats we should try and limit in our dietary intake.

 

How much we need:

Upwards of 20% of our daily intake of calories from fats is considered healthy, just as long as it’s not so much to the point where we do not consume enough protein.

 

Also, it’s important to consider that Fat is very calorie dense (9kcal per gram of fat compared to 4kcal per gram of carbohydrate and protein). Therefore, when amount taken in isn’t monitored then it is easier to end up in a calorie surplus and put on weight.

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Importance of Resistance Training for Elderly Populations

 

What is Resistance Training?

Resistance Training can be defined as a form of exercise, whereby external weights provide progressive overload to skeletal muscles in order to make them stronger and often result in hypertrophy (growth in overall size of muscle cells) (Alix-Fages et. al, 2022; Phillips and Winett, 2010), which can lead to several benefits.

 

Benefits:

Less chance of falls and subsequent physical inactivity:

Araujo et. al (2022) found that middle aged or older people who could not stand on one leg for more than 10 seconds were more likely to die in the next seven years, compared to people who could. Why could this be the case?

 

People with less balance can be more prone falls. When in older age, this is more likely to lead to serious injury to lower bone density. If this results in a hip fracture, then there is no guarantee they will reach pre-injury level of recovery, leaving a lack of mobility and pain. With many people, this can result in them stopping activities which they used to enjoy, such as regular walks, and meeting up with friends to do things. This decrease in physical activity and increase in isolation can further accelerate the negative effects of the fall such as increased risk of depression and heart disease from being physically inactive

 

Reduce risk of chronic diseases and keeping one’s independence:

Furthermore, regular resistance training (2-3 sessions per week) has been shown to reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as osteoporosis, heart disease, arthritis and type 2 diabetes. (Fragala et. al, 2019),  as well as being important in managing sarcopenia (the gradual loss in muscle mass due to age). Avoiding these chronic diseases can help people keep their independence in their old age, thus increasing their quality of life. For example, if someone can avoid osteoporosis and arthritis, then they can move with much more ease. This allows them the ability to complete activities such as playing with grandchildren and climbing stairs.

 

The snowball effect of being able to do these things can also have a positive effect on one’s mental health as they will be able to live with more confidence, less anxiety and more social interactions instead of potential isolation due to lack of mobility.

 

Seeing these benefits first hand:

As a personal trainer, one of the main protocols I take when working with older clients is to incorporate exercises which improve their balance and stability into their training programme, at a level suited to them. This can start off as simple as dowel assisted front foot elevated split squat, progressing all the way to unassisted single leg Romanian deadlifts. When performed consistently and accompanied by adequate nutrition, results are seen quickly so never think that it’s too late to start resistance training.

 

Reference List:

  • Alix-Fages, C., Del Vecchio, A., Baz-Valle, E., Santos-Concejero, J., & Balsalobre-Fernández, C. (2022). The role of the neural stimulus in regulating skeletal muscle hypertrophy. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 1-18.
  • AraujoCG, de Souza e Silva CG, Laukkanen JA, et al, Successful 10-second one-legged stance performance predicts survival in middle-aged and older individuals British Journal of Sports Medicine Published Online First: 21 June 2022. doi:1136/bjsports-2021-105360
  • Fragala, Maren S.1; Cadore, Eduardo L.2; Dorgo, Sandor3; Izquierdo, Mikel4; Kraemer, William J.5; Peterson, Mark D.6; Ryan, Eric D.7Resistance Training for Older Adults: Position Statement From the National Strength and Conditioning Association, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: August 2019 – Volume 33 – Issue 8 – p 2019-2052 doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000003230
  • Phillips, S. M., & Winett, R. A. (2010). Uncomplicated resistance training and health-related outcomes: evidence for a public health mandate. Current sports medicine reports, 9(4), 208.
  • Zhang, J., Ang, M. L., & Kwek, E. B. (2015). Who Will Walk Again? Effects of Rehabilitation on the Ambulatory Status in Elderly Patients Undergoing Hemiarthroplasty for Femoral Neck Fracture. Geriatric orthopaedic surgery & rehabilitation, 6(3), 168–172. https://doi.org/10.1177/2151458515583111

 

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Calorie Banking

Definition:

Saving a larger portion of your calories for one particular meal of the day or day of the week

 

Why/When?

This can be a useful tool to help stay on track with your total calories whilst minimising the sacrifice you have to make to your social life.

 

Example:

  • You want to consume 1800kcal per day in order to be in a calorie deficit.
  • Monday-Thursday you do this ‘normally’ by having around 500kcal per meal and a 300kcal snack.
  • However, on Friday you’re meeting friends at a restaurant.
  • Therefore, you don’t snack in the day and have 300kcal for breakfast and the same for lunch.
  • This leaves 1200kcal for dinner and any alcoholic drinks you may have. Allowing you to have a more caloric meal such as a big pasta dish, with a couple of pints of alcohol too, without exceeding your calorie limit.

 

Important to note:

This tool will help ensure you lose the same amount of weight compared to spreading your calories out normally but it is may affect how much fat is lost. This is because if you’re using this tool to consume alcohol every night, then more weight will be lost from muscle tissue as oppose to fat tissue. However, using calorie banking one day per week to consume alcohol in moderation will not have significant effects on your body composition. In short, calorie bank in moderation and it can be a very useful tool for helping you stay on track with your nutritional intake.

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Setting Yourself Up for Success

Nowadays, many people have heard about SMART goals. An acronym telling us that our goals should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time Bound. Although I completely agree with this, there is more that needs to be considered when setting a goal.  This is not only to increase the likelihood of achieving it, but also to increase the enjoyment during the process of doing so.

 

Categorising Goals:

Goals can be split into 2 categories: process goals and outcome goals. To define each in my own words, an outcome goal is the desired end result and process goals are targets you will need to meet during the process of achieving the outcome goal. In my opinion, both are critical for success.

 

When someone embarks on a journey to achieve better health and fitness, they will often set themselves an outcome goal. For example, ‘I want to lose 10lbs in 3 months’ or ‘I want to run 5k in under 25 minutes in 6 months’. However, they rarely set processes for their goals along the way which will help them get there.

 

Which is better?

I believe neither outcome or process goals are better than the other. Setting process goals is expected to increase one’s motivation for a task. (Zimmerman and Kitsantas, 1997).  On the other hand, setting process goals, such as ‘set time aside for 3 runs per week’ without an overall outcome goal which you really want to achieve, may also leave you unmotivated. Therefore, setting both, effectively, is crucial.

 

Setting goals effectively:

Knowing how to do this, effectively, however, can be easier said than done. Referring back to the first paragraph, this is where SMART becomes very effective. This should be applied to all of your goals, both outcome and process, to increase the chance of success.

 

The issue with this for many people though is that they may not have the required amount of knowledge on a topic to fulfil the ‘realistic’ part of SMART. For instance, I know nothing about cars. Therefore, if someone approached me and said set a realistic goal for yourself for how long it would take for you to fix this cars engine, I wouldn’t know where to start. Therefore, I would have two options, either devote a lot of time to learning about car engines, or hire a professional to do this for me. I believe this is the same approach people should take to their own bodies. Don’t second guess when it comes to your training and nutrition, either devote the time to learn how to eat and train effectively or hire a professional to guide you the right way.

 

Reference List:

  • Zimmerman, B. J., & Kitsantas, A. (1997). Developmental phases in self-regulation: Shifting from process goals to outcome goals. Journal of educational psychology, 89(1), 29.
Altrincham Building Muscle Hale Personal Trainer Personal Training Personal Training Strength and Conditioning Training Weight Loss steliosshengas

Upper Body Workout

Our personal trainers present your free upper body workout, please try it out. If you have any questions fire away!!!

LINK TO VIDEO:

https://youtube.com/shorts/Byg0w2gWT3s?feature=share

A1) Cable External Roatations @ 90 degrees

10 reps x 3 sets

B1) Half Kneeling Ipsilateral Pull Downs

8 reps x 3 sets

C1) Cable Chest Press

8-10 reps x 3 sets

D1) Single Arm Dumbell Row

6-8 reps x 3 sets

E1)Pronated Grip Upper Back Row

10 reps x 3 sets

F1) Lengthened Position Bicep Curl mechanical drop set into Mid Range Bicep Curl

8-12 reps x 8-12 reps x 3 sets

G1) Shortened Position Tricep Extension mechanical drop set into Mid Range Tricep Extension

8-12 reps x 8-12 reps x 3 sets

Altrincham endurance running Personal Trainer Personal Training Personal Training running Strength and Conditioning steliosshengas

Strength and Conditioning for the Endurance Runner

Thankfully, the general misconception that endurance athletes should only perform lightweights for a high number of reps has been exposed for quite a while now. It’s well understood that the majority of an endurance athletes’ time in the weights room is better spent lifting heavy weights (>80% of their 1 Rep Max) for a small number of reps (3-5 typically), as well as plyometric training (lifting a light load, explosively for a small number of reps) as this has been shown to have benefits such as helping maintain one’s running economy in the late stages of races. (Barnes et. al, 2013)

 

However, what isn’t as well understood is how to go from being a runner with little/no experience with weight training to one that can safely and effectively implement it into their training.

 

Firstly, learning correct exercise execution is critical so that athletes know how to do the exercise correctly when under load. This will not only minimise the risk of injury but also allow the athlete to perform the lift in the most efficient way, thus allowing for more weight to be lifted for a given amount of effort.

 

How does resistance training fit into the endurance runners training programme? The comprehensive answer to this question is too long for this article and will differ for each and every athlete. However, to answer in general terms, resistance training can be periodized. This means splitting up the year (macrocycle) into blocks with specific goals (mesocycles). Many runners will be familiar with the concept of periodisation and apply it to their endurance training, the same can be done with their resistance training, alongside their current training.

 

How resistance training is periodised will differ depending on the coaches ideology. In general, however, athletes will perform a strength endurance phase in the off season, a basic strength phase during off-season and pre-season, a strength/power phase during pre-season and then peaking and maintenance phases during competition season. (See Table for a visual representation of this)

 

Period General Preparatory Specific Preparatory Precompetitive Main Competitive Post Competitive
Stage of Competitive Season: Off-Season Off-Season/Pre-Season Pre-Season In-Season Post-Season
Phase: Strength Endurance/ Basic Strength Strength/Power Peaking or Maintenance Active Rest
Intensity: Low- Moderate

30-75% 1RM

 Moderate-High

80-95%

1RM

 Low to High

80-95% 1RM

30-85% 1RM

 Low to High

50-90% 1RM

 

 Low
Volume: High:

3-6 sets

12-20 reps

 Moderate

2-6 sets

2-6 reps

 Low

2-5 sets

2-5 reps

 Very Low Low

*Post-Season does not necessarily have to include resistance training.

 

I hope this gives you a better idea of how resistance training can fit into a runners training schedule in order to benefit your performance. If you wish to get a more in-depth understanding on how trainers at SOMA can help implement these concepts into your training, please contact us.

 

References:

  • Barnes, K. R., Hopkins, W. G., Mcguigan, M. R., Northuis, M. E., & Kilding, A. E. (2013). Effects of resistance training on running economy and cross-country performance.

 

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How You Can Finally Build Lasting Motivation For The Gym

 

 

 

‘You don’t need motivation, you need discipline!’ Scroll through the fitness pages of social media and quickly you will come across this misguided comment. In reality, when trying to build long term habits, there’s only one significant factor that will influence whether this habit will stick in the long run. This factor is called intrinsic motivation. (Texira, 2012)

Intrinsic motivation can be defined as the innate, natural propensity to engage one’s interests and exercise one’s capacity, and in doing so, seek and conquer optimal challenges (Deci and Ryan, 1985). In other words, intrinsic motivation is enjoyment derived the process of doing an activity, as opposed to partaking in something solely for the outcome goals. In terms of the gym, this would mean the process of attending the gym would have to be enjoyable, as opposed to only attending for the outcome goals of a more muscular body or heavier squat PR (these being examples of extrinsic motivation). There’s

absolutely nothing wrong with setting these outcome goals, in fact it’s openly encouraged as they can help a great deal but having this extrinsic motivation without a plan on how to build intrinsic motivation for the process of achieving these goals often leads to abandonment of these goals for the vast majority of people.

 

So how can you build intrinsic motivation if you don’t actually enjoy going to the gym? Well, in there’s 3 psychological needs that need to be fulfilled in order to achieve intrinsic motivation for an activity: competence, autonomy and relatedness (Deci and Ryan, 1985). As a personal trainer, I strive to achieve all three of these needs with my clients. Firstly, I help them feel competent by teaching correct technique and forming exercise plans bespoke to their anatomy and ability, so that they are challenged but not out of their depth. Autonomy is given, as the client is always in control of what the goal of the programme is, as well as what foods they eat, in order to achieve their nutritional targets. Lastly, myself and everyone at Soma help clients build relatedness by creating a welcoming and supportive atmosphere that clients look forward to being part of.

With extrinsic motivation towards New Year’s resolutions often tailing off at this time of year, I hope this article can provide you with the guidance you need to get back on track!

 

References:

  • Teixeira, P. J., Carraça, E. V., Markland, D., Silva, M. N., & Ryan, R. M. (2012). Exercise, physical activity, and self-determination theory: a systematic review. International journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity, 9(1), 1-30.

 

  • Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (1985). Cognitive evaluation theory. In Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behavior(pp. 43-85). Springer, Boston, MA.

Written By

Coach Shay Ward

Altrincham Hypertrophy Personal Trainer Personal Training Personal Training Strength and Conditioning Training steliosshengas

Do this for BIGGER TRICEPS!!!!!

Do this for BIGGER TRICEPS!!!

When training our arms we have to consider the anatomical carry angle of the individual. 99.9% of the time the little rope in the gym is not going to cut the mustard unless you have the shoulder width of a 3 year old girl.

Our coaches here at Soma Fitness take all of these things into account when programming sessions for our personal training clients. These fine details are what separate the average coaches in most facilities to the high level personal trainers that Soma Fitness provides. If we take you through an exercises we can explain to you the intent behind why we are doing it.

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The most important FREE muscle building component that everyone should be prioritising.


SLEEP
When consulting with individuals within their fitness and physique goals, A few questions we get asked very often are the following:
What are the best supplements I take to help me build muscle?
What is the best macro split?
What is the best training split I should follow?
How many reps should I aim for?

A lot of times people deprioritise the most important element that if neglected, the best training program from the best coach, with the best supplement protocol will not outperform the importance of a good quality night of sleep.
I will always answer their questions but with the phrase but if you do not prioritise sleep hygiene then the last thing you will do is build muscle.
What are the best supplements I take to help me build muscle?
(in my humble opinion) “Creatine, it has the most research completed on it than any other supplement. What ever can make you relax and place you in a parasympathetic state for the time that you are not training so you can optimise protein synthesis, after we have looked at certain lifestyle factors like SLEEP, stress and digestion then we can know what will be important for you as an individual.”

What is the best macro split?
“The one you can keep most consistent over a long period of time.”

What is the best training split I should follow?
“The one that you can recover from and have more frequency on each muscle group through the course of the week”.

The truth is and I know people hate hearing this is that there is no best of anything when it comes to human physiology, biochemistry, anatomical variance, and genetics. What is best for one individual will not be optimal for another. One thing I have learnt through over a decade of practice is that what is the best for one individual may not be what is best for another. Our linage and genetics all play a factor in many ways.

Why do we need to sleep?

– Improved Cognitive Function (adherence & will power)
– Optimal performance and recovery
– Impaired metabolic function due to lack of sleep
– Managing blood sugar levels
– Immune health
-Reduce inflammation
– Endocrine system function (optimal hormone production and homestasis)
– Increase adrenal function

Tips to improve sleep quality?

– Sleep in a pitch-dark room (blackout blinds/eye mask)
– Manage noise in the room (ear plugs)
– Manage stimulant intake (no coffee after 1 pm)
– Do not eat a heavy meal too close to bed
– Practise Nasal Breathing before bed (10 mins box breathing exercise inhale 4 secs: hold 4 secs: Exhale 4 secs: hold 4 secs)
– Create sleep habits
– Have your bedtime at the same time every night including weekends (Or within a 1-hour window)
– Post prandial walks after your evening meal
– Maintain health blood sugar balance (balanced meals throughout the day)
– Manage your screen time, try and cut out 2 hours before bed
– Limit exposure to blue light. Blue light glasses in the evenings our recommendation: www.blublox.com
– Maintain a room temperature of around 20-22 degrees Celsius
– Do not make the bedroom a centre for entertainment.
– Do not watch scary movies or highly stimulating programmes right before bed.
– Workout hard
– Take power naps or use a meditation app for 10-20 mins of relaxation during your day
– minimise stressors
– Read a book before bed

Glute training Personal Trainer Personal Training steliosshengas

3 great exercises for a Beginner for building glutes

The glutes are for most individuals the biggest muscle in the body, and for most females an area on their body that they have a preference to develop. That said form a performance point of view you want the biggest muscle in your body to be strong and functionally sound.
Many studies have shown the effects of the back squat at simulating hypertrophy at the glutes. The skill set required to perform a squat to the degree necessary to drive output and range of motion to get the glutes into a lengthened to the point of creating sufficient mechanical tension can only really be reached by individuals who have developed the skill of squatting. As you are reading this article, I would presume you are a novice lifter who would benefit from 3 efficient exercises that require an entry level skill set to stimulate your glutes.
I mentioned how great back squats are at building glutes however don’t think it gives you the licence to jump on the rack and start squatting you really have to earn the skill level to squat correctly and have the ability to stay stable enough so that you can use your glutes to squat. The problem most individuals walk into when squatting is going to an anterior pelvic tilt within their squat, this will disadvantage the ability for your glutes to create hip extension and the hamstrings and the adductor magnus will come into play. When you perform a squat and your knees cave in you are likely going to be an individual who will not grow your glutes via squatting in your program, your glutes will not be contributing to the lift for long enough to create a stimuli for them to create the adaptation for them to grow. This does not throw the back squat in the bin for you I just will require some dedicated time practising the skill of the squat and working on your stability around the hips and pelvis.
1) Leg Press – The leg press enables a relatively novice lifter to work the glutes in their lengthened position without requiring the same level of ability as a back squat would. With the external stability of the machine it gives the individual the opportunity to drive enough stimulus through the glutes to drive the growth through the glutes. Studies have also show that we generally see greater responses in muscle hypertrophy in exercises that challenge a muscle within its lengthened position this is more than likely due as it is where we see mechanical tension at its highest. To get the most out of the leg press a tempo to perform the exercise in would be: 2e:2-2c:0 (2e= 2 seconds eccentric:2 seconds hold at the bottom of the eccentric:2c=2 seconds concentric:0 seconds at the top of the concentric).

2) 45 degree back extension (glute dominant) – When done correctly this exercise effectively work the glutes within their shortened position. The key is limiting the range of motion so that you can remain in a posterior tilt of the pelvis throughout driving the hips into the pad as hard as you can squeezing the glute fibres together and contracting the glutes as hard as you can. This can be done with your bodyweight and still be incredibly challenging when the intent of maintaining the pelvis in that stable posterior tilt and contracting the glute fibres as hard as you can all the way throughout the movement. Some may argue that you are not working the full range of motion of the exercise however this article is for people who are looking to grow glutes and challenge the glutes with enough stimulus to elicit a hypertrophy adaptation, not a mindless pursuit of movement with no true stimulation. The great thing about this exercise is that it requires minimal set up time and you can really push the glutes to failure to stimulate enough metabolic stress and drive your glutes to grow. Comparing this exercise with the barbell hip thrust, which also works the glutes in its shortened position would be the inefficiency of time to set up the hip thrust. 3 mins to set up and 3 mins to clear your equipment away in that time you would have finished your sets on the 45 degree back extension, and more than likely pushed your glutes further into a state of fatigue and moved on to your next exercise hence why I would tend to go for the efficiency of the 45 degree back extension over the barbell hip thrust. Tempo considerations: 2c:2-1e:0

3) Trap Bar Deadlift – The trap bar deadlift would be my hip hinging movement of choice for a novice lifter, the technical requirements are so much less than a conventional deadlift or an RDL. The trap bar deadlift will also exert less force through the lumbar spine than a conventional deadlift but you still get a lot of glute stimulation. If you are a novice lifter who does not have the skill proficiency to squat and your goal is to have a good squat, its more than likely that you will need to work develop the skill requirements for a conventional deadlift also. The position you get into with the trap bar is a lot more upright than a conventional deadlift and may have some carry over to the progression of the barbell back squat as well as the conventional deadlift. It can teach you to keep your pelvis stable and how to brace from hip flexion to hip extension, as you are starting from a concentric phase where people usually break down within a squat which begins in the eccentric. Tempo considerations 1c:2-2e:2

In addition to these 3 movements I would add some unilateral lower body movements to your program on a consistent basis:

– Single leg RDLs
– Split Squat variations
– Lunge variations
– Hip airplane

If the goal is to grow your glutes the journey does not end with these 3 exercises however myself and many other experienced lifters use these movements as a staple in their training programs. Progressing your lifts to more advanced lifts once you have developed the skill prerequisites to perform them rather than fast tracking to exercises that may be more counterproductive for you due to your level of proficiency, this is probably the number one mistakes I see novice lifters make.