Tiz the season to drink lots and eat lots! Christmas functions abound and let’s not forget those BBQs. It’s been a slow start to summer but it seems most days it’s here now.  This post will take you through all the strategies you can use to minimize the damage to your waistline and your metabolism over the silly season, while still have loads of fun.

Use workouts as a buffer to excessive carbohydrate consumption: If you know you’re heading for an evening of drinking and eating more sugar than usual, make sure you’ve done a tough interval-style workout that day or the day before. This will use up your glycogen stores, leaving space for any sugary ‘naughties’ that you consume to be restocked as muscle fuel rather than heading straight for your fat cells. Your workout will need to be at least 30min long (shorter if you’re doing maximal sprints) but no longer than one hour (if you can go for an hour you’re not working out hard enough). Make sure this is effective by keeping the food you eat really low in carbs until the planned event, skip sugary fruit, potatoes, bread, pasta, rice, sugar etc.

Skip the bread, pasta and rice dishes: There’s usually plenty of meat and veggies at BBQs and Christmas functions you can choose instead. Avoid the starchy dishes and save the space for a bit of nice wine or desert instead. You don’t need the empty carbohydrate calories and quite frankly all of these things don’t taste that great anyway, at least not compared to pavlova or cheesecake!

Keep on track in between events: Get right back on track after each event and before the next one. Your body can cope perfectly well with the odd indulgence, but don’t declare the whole month of December to be a goner! Eating according to my fat flush meal plan in between events is a great way to make sure your body doesn’t start running on a sugar metabolism again and it stays well able to cope with a weekly blow out! I’m going to make the latest fat flush meal plan, cookbook and guidebook available to all my newsletter subscribers for only $20, email me if you want to get your hands on it! (This plan is usually only available during select fat flush times in combination with bootcamp for $67).

Plan a detoxing get back on track programme for January: Once the holidays are over it’s a great time to do a 14 day fat flush programme (these will be starting and running every Monday from the 9th of Jan till the 6th of Feb). This will help you shed any unwanted waist you may have gained over the holidays and help get your metabolism back on track if it needs a kick-start.

There's your guide, print it out and stick it on your fridge. If you follow this plan you will not run into anywhere near the problems most people do over the holidays. Remember, it's not the what you do between christmas and new years that matters the most, it's what you do between new years and christmas!

The Great Backpain Epidemic

Do you get back ache? Niggles between your shoulders? Aches in your lower spine? Backpain is annoying at best and can devistate people's lives at worst. Almost everyone will experience some degree of backpain in their lives, in fact I don't know anyone over the age of 12 that hasn't had at least a bit of an ache!

There are lots of reasons us humans are so susceptible to muscular and spinal problems. One of the main reasons is that we walk upright. This makes us unique among mammals. It also presents a whole new set of potential problems for us. One of the main ways we used to counteract the forces at work on our upright spine was to rest in a squating position. When humans sit in a full squat, the lower back is stretched in the opposite direction to that when we are upright. We get to counteract the forces of gravity acting on our spine by actively resting in a position that stretches us the way need to be stretched.

Most people don't rest in a squat position these days. In fact, most people seem pretty intent on evolving into the very chairs they sit on day in and day out! By learning to squat properly, and slowly working your way to being able to do a full squat and rest there, you will be doing a great service to your back. It's unlikely that you'll be able to just hop off your chair and plop down to a full squat, but follow the instructions below and you'll be on your way in no time.

Start standing, legs comfortably wide. Shift your weight back into your heels and push your hips back. Keep those tummy muscles tight.
Drop down, thinking of pushing your bum backwards. Keep the weight in your heels. You shouldn't feel any knee strain, and you should feel the backs of your legs and your bum working.
Once you've mastered the half-squat, you and start dropping your bum lower each time, provided you can keep your weight back. Eventually you will master the full squat!

The Great Spring Referral Drive…. Drumroll please

Ok folks, here’s the details on our fantastical referral competition. $30 from every bootcamp sign-up and $10 from every Zumba or Pilates 20 class concession sold will be donated to the Nelson Ark. I want to raise $1000 for them, so let’s get referring!

Get your friends in the door – because they know you they can have a 2 week free trial of bootcamp or a 1 week free trial of Zumba classes (Pilates too). You can bring them along to class, get their names, numbers and permission for me to call them, or email me for an email and facebook template you can send out and get people coming on in. You'll be doing your friends a favor - get them in before the great spring rush and get them the best spots before we start maxing out out class numbers!



For every friend that signs up for bootcamp you get a free 30min personal training session (or massage) and a $10 petrol voucher.
For every friend that buys a 20 concession card for Zumba or Pilates you get 2 free Zumba or Pilates  classes credited to your card.
To qualify to win the following prizes you need to get at least 3 friends to sign up or buy a concession card.
1^st Prize Super Referrer

• $100 Dinner Voucher to Plan B
• 2x 60min massages
• 5x 30min Personal Training Sessions
• 20 class concession for Zumba and Pilates

2^nd Prize Awesome Referrer

• $50 Dinner Voucher to Plan B
• 1x 60min Massage
• 3x 30min Personal Training Sessions
• 10 class concession for Zumba and Pilates

3^rd Prize Great Referrer

• 1x 30min Massage
• 2x 30min Personal Training Sessions
• 5 class concession for Zumba and Pilates

This competition runs until the end of September, you can give out free passes until the 30^th September. Final results will be collected 14^th of October, so anyone on a free trial at the end of September can still get counted for you if they sign up.
Want to know more about the Nelson Ark? Visit them online www.thenelsonark.co.nz
Grab some of my business cards and get referring!

You wanna lose fat. And you want to do it FAST!

To burn of that fat, you've got to burn calories. There's no way around it.

To that end, the most common piece of advice you'll hear is "do more cardio."

Easier said than done. Especially when you consider that there is so much conflicting information out there. Some people say you need to do hours on end of cardio.

Yet others say that long bouts of cardio are a waste of time. Instead what you need is HIIT cardio (high intensity interval training.)

So who's right!? And more importantly, what should YOU do so you can start burning off that fat faster than ever before?

Here's the skinny (sorry, no pun intended)...

When it comes to what kind of cardio to do, it depends.

Let me explain.

The main purpose of cardio in any training/fat loss program is to expend extra calories once you've ALREADY established a caloric deficit from diet - and are on a sound weight-lifting program.

So in the end, the mission is to burn enough calories to create enough of a deficit that you'll lose weight.

Both low-intensity and high-intensity cardio can do that.

The trade off is time and efficiency. With low-intensity cardio (like walking) you have to do more of it to burn a decent amount of calories.

This is why most recommendations for low-intensity cardio are between 45-60 minutes.

On the other hand, high-intensity cardio burns the same amount of calories in half the time (usually).

So with just 20-30 minutes of intense interval training, you can burn the same number of calories as you do with 45-60 minutes of low-intensity steady state cardio.

That said, too much of a good thing (on either end) is never a good thing.

So the best advice? Mix it up.

Do maybe 2-3 high intensity sessions a week.

If you still need more cardio than that, then add in maybe one or two extra bouts of low-intensity cardio.

The only caveat here is that you want to do this gradually. That is, if you're severely out of shape, start by only doing low-intensity cardio.

Once you've lost a bit of weight and have improved your cardiovascular system, then start adding in one intense cardio session a week.

Then build to two.

By mixing things up this way, you're reducing the chances of overuse injury. And, you ward off overtraining (5 high intensity cardio sessions a week plus weight training is overkill!)

So there you have it - cardio demystified!

Start small. Then build up. Then mix in both HIIT type workouts with low-intensity workouts and you'll see your fat loss speed up

So what’s the big deal with Zumba fitness? You see the ads on TV, everyone is talking about it, but isn’t it just some new fad? Well, fad or not, it is so good because it is so much fun!

Zumba fitness classes are designed to provide you with an awesome cardio workout using interval-training principles. This means that your heart rate goes up for a few minutes, then drops back down again for awhile, then up again and so on. While Zumba fitness isn’t as intense as some cardio interval programmes, it really gets the job done! This helps you to burn more calories and pump up your metabolism much more effectively than running, cycling, or any other boring gym workout o class.
But fitness-benefits aside, Zumba fitness classes are FUN! Pure and simple, you don’t feel like you are working out when you are at a Zumba class, you feel like you are at a dance party. It’s not till you stop that you realize what a good workout you have had!

So what are you waiting for? Head on down to your nearest Zumba fitness class and dance your way to being fit and fabulous. I guarantee that you will have the most fun you will ever have working out!

Ready to get started? Contact me today.
Checkout our timtable of classes here

Working your Abs – what, when, where, how?

Getting abs... Everyone wants a flat and toned mid-section right? Guys want a six-pack and girls want to feel confident to wear a bikini this summer! But HOW do you get a great mid-section? You may have tried all sorts of programmes without much success or you may be new to exercising. Maybe you have tried programmes and they have worked and now you want more.

This issue is for you! This month we are talking about how to get and keep great-looking and feeling abs. Get in shape this spring and be ready for summer!

Unfortunately I can’t offer you a magic pill that is going to take away all your belly fat and replace it with sexy lean muscle overnight. What I CAN do is help you to lose the fat, tone your body and maintain the result. If you want a magic fix, stop reading this newsletter right now and go make an appointment with a cosmetic surgeon. If you want to know how to sculpt sexy abs and keep them for life, keep reading!

We are not going to talk about nutrition this issue, but it is a very important part of any fitness programme. At least 80% of the results you do or don’t get will be dictated by how you eat. For a quick guide to effective eating, look at page 1 of your free report. Download the report here.

So, time for a bit of education about what your abs or your ‘core’ actually are, how they work and what this means for your workouts.

There are technically speaking three groups of muscles that make up the group commonly referred to as ‘abs’. The deepest and I would say most important abdominal muscle is the Transverses Abdominus (TVA). I say it is the most important because most people do not activate this muscle properly, and it is possible to use your other abdominal muscles and not active this muscle along with them. So for many people this is a very weak muscle. Your TVA runs horizontally around your middle, and acts as a sort of ‘corset’, holding your belly in and helping to stabilize your spine when you move.

On top of you TVA is the rectus abdominus. This is your ‘six-pack’ muscle. This muscle runs vertically from your rib cage to your pelvis. This muscle has the major job of pulling your ribs towards your hips in a straight-ahead position. Because of the way it can be worked (think crunches) it is often the strongest abdominal muscle, but it must work with all the rest of the abdominal muscles to be helpful. There’s no point in having a six-pack but still not having any spine stability or functional movement patterns.

The next group of muscles are the obliques. You have both internal and external obliques, and the internal ones are under the external ones (as their names would suggest). These muscles run diagonally across each other and attach from the rib cage to the pelvis. They are responsible for twisting movements of the torso.

All these muscles must work together to achieve proper spinal stability and control, as well as helping you to have great posture! (And a sexy flat belly).

How do you know when you have ‘activated’ your abs?

A really good way to help to understand activating your core is to think of gently pulling the base of your ribcage together. If you push your finger into the triangle of muscle between the base of your ribcage, it should feel firmer when you ‘pull’ your ribcage together than when you are just relaxed and ‘hanging out’. 

When you are on your back, you should think of drawing the belly down towards the floor. A way to check this is to try to slide your hand under your lower back. You shouldn’t be able to get your hand under; it should be stopped by your back against the floor.

Don’t overdo ab activation though! You still need to be comfortable and able to breathe.

I highly suggest coming to a pilates intro class or making an appointment with an experienced fitness trainer who can assist you with learning how to activate your core properly. If you have had incorrect posture for a long time, or have had any kind of back pain, it is a good idea to get some professional advice. This is because the body learns the ‘wrong’ kind of movement patterns and it takes time and careful planning to reprogramme your brain to the ‘right’ movement patterns again. You don’t want to learn core activation ‘wrong’ because you have done it by yourself and programmed it into your brain in the wrong way.

Pilates intro classes are FREE for everyone who signs up for any of my fitness classes.

First of all it’s important to be totally sure you can activate your core properly. This is important because if you can’t do this or are doing it in the wrong way, you run a much higher risk of injuring your back when trying to work your abs.

The best way to work your abs is with total body exercises such as plank variations, slow mountain climbers, and general all over exercises like push-ups, lunges and squats.

These are pretty advanced exercises, so first we have to start working the abs by making it a bit easier for them and just focusing on them by themselves. The best way to build a good base of strength in your core is to do pilates for a few months. This teaches you how to use your core and remain stable through a range of movement challenges. You can then perform the more advanced all-body exercise in a safe and effective way.

I have worked with a lot of people and one of the most important components in getting my clients the best results around is working towards a deadline. There is no better example of this than with a new bride to be. It’s amazing what happens to women as soon as they set a wedding date- they are ready and willing to do whatever it takes to get in their dream dress and inspire awe in all those who attend this very important day. 




But a bride still needs an exercise blueprint in order to get the job done. We need to build muscle in all of the right places (with a particular emphasis on the shoulders and arms – these are going to be on show ladies!) and burn fat in all the right places (think hips, thighs, and belly fat). The following training guidelines have produced both body and life-changing results for our many clients around the world. Typical results are losses of 0.5-1.5kgs of unwanted body fat per week and a reduction in at least 1 clothing size per month. Remember this - the focus must be on improving overall health, body composition, and performance, NOT just on weight loss!
 


The Fit Bride Mentality:
 
TRAIN to Elevate Metabolism and Lose Fat (NOT Weight)
 
Exercise Tip#1- Get Strong to Get Lean:
 
- Strength training strengthens muscle and bone leading to increases in lean body mass that increases RMR (resting metabolic rate), the number of calories your body requires to function on a daily basis regardless of activity. In other words, strength training will ramp up your metabolism so that you will be burning more stubborn fat 24/7-365 days a year. Talk about a good return on investment!
 
- Most people who strength train perform straight sets of the same exercise with super long rest periods in excess of 2-3 minutes. Rather, cut your workout time in half or more AND accelerate fat burning by performing alternating sets of non-competing exercises with short rest periods between sets. For example, perform an upper body exercise, then a lower body exercise, and then a core exercise. This will allow for full recovery for each exercise since you are resting your upper body while performing lower body and core exercises and visa versa. Furthermore, short rest periods allow for both the completion of more total work at each training session and also create the optimal hormonal environment for fat loss. Or better yet – use exercises that work the upper, lower, AND core all in one!
 
- For best results, perform 3 total body strength workouts per week with at least 1 day of rest between workouts. See below for a Sample Total Body Circuit Strength Workout:
 
50-10 Interval Five Exercise Total Body Circuit- You will alternate between 50 seconds of work and 10 s of rest for each exercise in the following five-exercise circuit. Perform this 5-minute circuit up to four times for a 20-minute total body workout. Be sure to switch between the 2 exercise options within each category for best results:

Exercise#	Exercise Name
1	Squats OR Deadlifts
2	Push-ups OR Dips
3	Lunges OR Single-Leg Hip Extensions
4	Rows OR Pull-ups/Curls
5	Front OR Side Pillars/Planks

 
Exercise Tip#2- Intervals Burn 9x More Fat Than Ordinary Cardio:
          
- With interval training, the focus is on the intensity of exercise (quality). Intervals consist of alternating between shorts bouts of all out high-intensity effort and active recovery periods for a much quicker and focused amount of time (typically 10-20 minutes of intervals works best). This approach is scientifically proven to burn nine times more fat AND lead to faster improvements in fitness than the aerobic alternative (going slow for long). And anyway, it’s really boring putting in hours on that treadmill… you’ve got better things to do with your time!
 
- The Tabata study compared the effects of four minutes of high-intensity interval training (20 seconds on, 10 seconds off) with 45-60 minutes of low to moderate intensity cardio. The interval training group burned just as much fat as the endurance group and also had greater improvement in both anaerobic (think sprinters) and aerobic (think distance runners) fitness… in only four minutes!
 
- For best results, perform 3 cardio interval training workouts per week on non-strength training days. Below is a sample Cardio Interval Training Workout:
 

Exercise#	Exercise Name
1	Squats OR Deadlifts
2	Push-ups OR Dips
3	Lunges OR Single-Leg Hip Extensions
4	Rows OR Pull-ups/Curls
5	Front OR Side Pillars/Planks

20-10 Tabatas- You will alternate between 20 seconds of work and 10s of rest. You will perform this 30-second set up to 8x for 4 total minutes followed by a 1-minute rest and transition. Perform this 5-minute sequence up to 4x for 20 total minutes. You can perform this workout on your cardio machine of choice (airdyne or spin bike, running, etc.) or by alternating between body weight cardio exercises like stationary running, jumping jacks, squat thrusts, mountain climbers, etc. for the ultimate in-home workout!
 
Exercise Tip#3- Use Stubborn Fat Cardio to Accelerate Results:
 
-       Aerobic training does have its uses in conjunction with a strength training and cardio interval training base. Aerobic training is of low to moderate intensity in nature and burns a larger proportion of fat per effort than sugar. On the other hand, strength training and high-intensity interval training rapidly eats up your body’s sugar stores thus forcing your body to use fat for fuel in the recovery from exercise.
 
-       By performing some low to moderate intensity cardio following your strength and/or cardio interval training workouts you can accelerate the fat loss process. More specifically, 5 minutes following high-intensity exercise your body dumps stored triglycerides (fat) into your bloodstream, making it the perfect time to do some aerobic training to eat up that fat before it gets re-stored.
 
-       We like to call this stubborn fat cardio and we prescribe a maximum of 10-20 minutes of high-intesity cardio (where you go as fast as you can without stopping) with 5 minutes of slower cardio; following strength and cardio interval workouts. This really helps accelerate the fat burning process, specifically for those trouble spot areas like the abs, hips, and thighs!






Exercise Tip#4- Use Total Body Exercises to Build Stunning Arms:
 
-       You don’t have to be a genius to know that most brides are really focused on working their arms and shoulders since these areas of the body are often highly exposed in wedding dresses. But, doing a bunch of single-joint, isolation exercises like curls and triceps extensions is not going to get the job done. Spot reduction is a myth- no number of triceps kickbacks will ever put a dent into the “turkey-arm phenomenon” many women deal with.
 
-       Rather, you should focus on performing compound, multi-joint movements that work as many muscles in your body as possible (including your arms and shoulders) for best results. Not only do compound exercises allow you to use heavier loads which stimulate maximal lean muscle gain (think push-ups over triceps extensions), but they also burn the most calories and create the optimal hormonal environment for burning the fat covering those sexy, toned muscles!
 
-       To take it to the next level, use total body exercises exclusively in your workouts. Whole body movements that work your upper body, lower body, and core at the same time will allow you to get lean all over in addition to ensuring that you are working your upper body during every moment so that you are ARM-ed and ready for the big day. For example, instead of doing presses, do squat to presses. Be sure to check out “THE OFFICIAL DESIRE FITNESS BRIDE WORKOUT” for some sample workouts using the aforementioned total body exercises- they are killer!
 
Exercise Tip#5- Recovery is Key:
 
-       Though this may be the least sexy tip of all, I truly believe it is the most important. Recovery from exercise is where all of the beneficial changes from high-intensity training occur. Don’t forget, a tough workout actually causes small micro-tears in your muscles that stimulates growth and repair. If all you do is work hard and break your body down this can lead to overtraining issues that may results in you limping down the aisle on the big day- not good!
 
-       Do yourself a favor and invest in your own personal massage therapist in the form of a foam roller. It’s cheap and easy to use. Simply spend at least 5 minutes post-working performing 5-10 rolls on the most tender and sore areas of your body, with a specific emphasis on your hips and thighs and your upper/mid back area.
 
-       This corrective self-massage both lengthens your muscles and improves tissue quality, preventing nagging aches and pains in your joints that can leave you on injured reserve in your get sexy bride quest. Furthermore, self-massage brings blood flow and nutrients to your muscles which accelerate recovery and reduce soreness from high-intensity exercise.
 
-       If you don’t have access to a foam roller, you can also use a tennis or lacrosse ball or even a rolling pin to achieve the same effect.
 
Well, those are my top 5 workout tips to help you look your best on the biggest day of your life. When it comes to exercise, keep it simple and stay the course. And remember, it’s not about weight loss- it’s about being as visually stunning as possible via losing cms in all the right places ;)

Tips for staying active in winter

Winter. It’s cold. It’s often wet. We all know we would rather just curl up on the sofa, put another log on the fire, and watch tv. Unfortunately that is generally a recipe for the kilos to creep on around your middle. This is great for me, a fitness trainer, because I know I’ll get a late-spring rush of clients desperate to shed the kilos before they have to get into their togs, but it’s not so great for you guys! So this newsletter is all about how to stay active in the colder months and AVOID the winter weight gain.

Find a buddy – your kids, your friends, you dog – anyone who can provide you with some social support to get out of the house and get active.

Get outside – We have great sunny winter days in Nelson, make the most of them. Walking on the beach or up the Maitai River are beautiful and garenteed to make you feel better. Sunshine is super healthy, you need it to help keep your vitamin D levels up. Vitamin D is an essential vitamin for your immune system so get out there!

Find a class – Find an exercise class that you enjoy and make the commitment to keep going. Winter is a tough time to get out in the evenings to exercise. This is where your buddy can help – find a friend who will go with you so any decision not to go won’t just affect you. A bit of guilt can work wonders for your waistline! Zumba fitness is the perfect class for winter, you will get warm and always have a blast.

Get a trainer – This could potentially be the absolute best way to keep you on track this winter. Having a personal trainer will instantly give you the accountability that we can’t really give ourselves. Heck I’m a trainer and I need a trainer to keep me accountable! Even better is training with a friend or in a group, you get a double dose of accountability!
Have a great winter guys!

How to Choose a Trainer

This is a challenging task for people who are looking to get the best results from their health and fitness investments. Unfortunately the industry has created a situation where trainers are underpaid and thus under qualified and lacking experience, especially in gyms. When you consider that these are the people into whose hands you are placing your fitness and your body, you should expect that they have a high level of competency!

The truth of the matter is that most trainers working in gyms do not even have a minimum of a one-year full time qualification. Some trainers on the other hand are exceptionally skilled and qualified, but these people are more likely found working in higher-end facilities or working for themselves in studios and boutique gyms. This is because the gym industry in particular does not value well-trained, highly experienced staff because they cost too much to employ!

A good start is to ONLY use a trainer who is registered with REPs (Register of Exercise Professionals). If you are looking for a personal trainer, then they should be registered at a personal training level. By being registered, your trainer has to meet minimum standards and undertake ongoing education. While this can give you some peace-of-mind, the minimum standards are just that – VERY MINIMAL!

Ask your trainer what qualifications they have, and what experience they have. Qualifications are no substitute for experience. On the other hand often experience is no substitute for qualifications, but trainers without any formal qualifications but who have lots of experience can be very good and knowledgeable.I would suggest that you find someone who has both a good qualification and a good level of experience - at least two years of training people for general weight-loss and fitness.

Once you have established that your trainer knows what they are doing, you need to make sure of the following:

Ask your trainer to explain their major training philosophies and why they train that way. If you don’t understand it, and they can’t explain it to you so you can, don’t train with them. Having a personal trainer should be much more than just writing you a ‘train by numbers’ programme and making you do it. You should understand your training and how it is going to help you to reach your goals.

If you don’t ‘click’ with your trainer or they make you feel unsafe, unsure or uncomfortable – find a new trainer! It is better for both you and the trainer that you are happy with each other.

The sort of training they do is the sort of training you WANT to do.

Don’t go see a weight-training specialist if you want to learn how to run marathons! Be clear about your fitness goals so your trainer can refer you to someone more suited if they don’t feel they can train you for what you want to do.

This ties in with what has been said above, your trainer should inspire you to reach your goals without making you feel in anyway unsafe. You should always feel like you can trust your trainer to give you honest feedback and advice.

It is important that your sessions and your training plan is all about you – you’re paying for it!

• ·         Qualified
• ·         Experienced (in what YOU want to train for)
• ·         REPs Registered
• ·         Training makes sense
• ·         Training is what you want to do
• ·         You like them
• ·         You trust them