May 17, 2017 · 8:18 am
“I want to be big and strong”
^^ A sentence many a man has said over the years and continues to say to this day.
“I want to be lean and strong”
^^ Something I’m pleased to announce more women are saying, it seems there has been a shift in them saying ‘I just want to be skinny’ to now learning the benefit of being lean and strong, it’s great to see.
While it is only my opinion, I feel everybody should be strong.
I’m not talking about record breaking strong, just strong enough to stay healthy and stave off the effects of ageing on the body.
These sports all centre around lifting:
– Weightlifting (olympic lifting)
– CrossFit (some may not like this one)
Did you know lifting weights can have the following positive effects on the body:
– Hormonal benefits: Higher testosterone, better insulin regulation, more growth hormone, lower cortisol to name a few
– Lowers body fat (great for improving health)
– A higher TDEE (total daily energy expenditure, more calories burnt in a day)
– Increased strength for sport/daily life
– Looking better naked (the most important benefit, obviously)
Those are only some of the benefits, there are numerous more.
Personally I’d say the mental improvement is the pivotal one as this can have the biggest impact on a persons life in a very positive way.
If you’re not an athlete and lift for health/confidence you should do it because you enjoy it, not because you feel you have to, that’s the secret to balance and long term sustainability.
Don’t eat yourself up if you miss a session, chalk it up to life and sue it as a rest day, that way you’ll be more motivated when you get to go in, excited to train in fact. Keep this in mind and you’ll find you don’t fall out of love with training.
What if lifting isn’t for you?
That’s cool, find soothing you do enjoy, here are some other options for improving strength and all achieving all the other benefits mentioned above:
– Calisthenics: bodyweight/movement training, loads of fun
– Kettlebells (sport or hard style)
– Climbing/outdoor sports
There are almost endless options.
Find something you enjoy, training shouldn’t be a chore.
Now go, have fun and make progress.
Filed under Fitness, Nutrition & Health
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July 4, 2015 · 9:50 am
A touchy topic today
Baby Weight…
How much should you gain?
How quickly should you lose baby weight?
How can you get your pre-baby body back?
Those are three of the most common questions we are asked by young mums. The answers might not quite be what they want to hear but they are the honest ones.
*I expect there will be some sever hate for this post but we have been speaking to a lot of woman to gather info and this is what we found.
How much should you gain?
According to various sources (NHS included), the average weight will be between 10-12.5kg of total weight gain during pregnancy. While it might be slightly higher in some because of their build or the size of the baby there is no need to gain 3,4,5 or more stone in weight like some people do.
A sad truth is some woman will use the excuse of being pregnant and “Eating for two.” to gorge on large amounts of crap foods (sweets, cakes, crisps, biscuits etc) and put it font o their ‘cravings’… No one craves to eat a whole cake unless they are greedy and gluttonous.
Might be harsh to hear but it’s often the truth.
How quickly should you lose baby weight?
This is a very tricky question. While the majority of the weight that is lost immediately will be baby and excess fluid there will be some excess body fat accumulation (it’s only natural after all). Some woman have claimed to lose this weight within 3 months, but the average from looking through various records and speaking to woman about this subject seems to be 6-9 months to drop the weight.
Weight loss after pregnancy can be tackled just as you would with normal weight loss (weight gained from sedentary life or over eating), just make sure you’re signed off by your doctor before you undertake any exercise as differing degrees of abdominal separation will require different recovery lengths before exercise and you don’t want to injure yourself.
How can you get your pre-baby body back?
The last and most common question is a delicate one because there is no guarantee that you will get your pre-baby body back. After all, you’ve put it under a lot of stress and pushed it to it’s limits.
Some woman regain the physique they once had and others get close but are never quite the same (due to either complications, bone separations, caesareans etc), however that does not mean you won’t look good post baby.
This can be linked to question one. People who put on lots of weight unnecessarily may cause themselves more problems than those who don’t. They may also struggle to regain their ‘old bodies’ but it’s not impossible.
If you eat plenty of good quality whole foods and satisfy your cravings with what you need without binging or going overboard then the chances of looking like you once did are much higher than if you don’t.
This topic is subjective to each person but worth knowing.
Enjoy
Ross
