Another way to burn fat, maybe?

On your mission to lose some, or maybe a lot of, body fat, you will no doubt of heard countless ways in which to do it. (I've mentioned 5 of my top ways here). Now you may or may not have heard people say the following.. ''The best way to burn fat is to exercise on an empty stomach''. A lot of bodybuilders and fitness models use this strategy (along with lifting heavy and following a very strict diet plan) but are they doing themselves out of better results? I came across this great article on bodybuilding.com that goes into a bit more detail about the method in question so instead of me rambling on about it just click here and read it for yourself.

How to run as fast as Usain Bolt!

In 2009, Usain Bolt set a new 100m world record of 9.58 seconds. After spending countless hours studying Bolt, observing his technique, his demeanor, his nutrition, his clothing and even his genes, I have come up with the ''top 5 must haves'' if you want to run as fast as the living Legend himself.

Must have number 1. You need to be black and you need to be a man. Why? Well, the first person genetically of European origin to run under 10 seconds was Christophe Lemaître who ran 9.98sec at the French national championships in 2012. So unless you are of African origin you can pretty much stop reading now. Oh and the fastest woman to cover the distance was Florence Griffith-Joyner in 10.49 so sorry ladies, that pretty much rules you out too.

Must have number 2. You need to be able to cover 100m in the same (or less) amount of strides as Bolt did when he crossed the line in 9.58secs, which was 41. The average amount of strides taken by most pro athletes is 44. So go outside, measure out 100m and again, if you can't cover that distance in less than 45 paces... Stop reading.

Must have number 3. Eat healthy but with a few treats along the way. In an interview with FHM magazine, Bolt says his diet consists of six meals. His diet ratio consists of 60% protein, 30% carbs and 10% fats. For breakfast, Bolt prefers Jamaican dumplings (flour, water, butter and milk) and yams. For lunch, Bolt eats either tuna or snapper for additional protein with wholewheat bread and brown rice. For dinner, he sticks with either chicken, pork or beef mixed with brown rice. Every now and again the big man will have a binge, usually on fried chicken. Still reading? Great, you're doing well, onto the next one.. 

Must have number 4. Be less than 30 years old. This, so studies say, is the age in which your body will start to decline in its strength, muscle mass and all round fitness levels. Under 30? then continue to the final ''must have'' and you could be on your way to the gold medal and a new world record!

Must have number 5. Firstly, before I tell you what the final piece to your new found speed puzzle is, I want to congratulate you on getting this far. OK, here goes, the final, and most important Must have you've been waiting for is...................   Be called Usain Bolt. Why? Because Usain Bolt is the only person to have ever, in the history of mankind, to run 100m in 9.58 seconds. Watch that here. 


You see, as a race, us humans are designed as individuals. No matter how hard you try, you will never, ever, ever, ever find someone else who is exactly like you, that is because YOU ARE UNIQUE. Bolt is unique, David Beckham is unique, Richard Branson is unique and even George W Bush is unique (Thank the lord). 

You came to this post in the hope of imitating someone else. Do you think all the aforementioned people want to imitate someone else? Of course not. Yes they may have had idols at one point in their lifes, but they are still individuals who have done, or are doing, something they love and are loving what they do.

Usain Bolt is a very talented and extremely gifted individual with near perfect genes for his calling in life. He also loves what he does and does what he loves. That is why he is so annoyingly good at it. Are you doing what you love and love what you do? If not, why not? 

Life isn't about trying to be someone else, life is about being you. Why would you want to be anything else? Yes have an idol, we all have idols, but instead of searching how to be like someone else, search how to be you instead. 

If you're not enjoying what you're doing, then you're wasting your very precious time on this wonderful planet. 

For me, life is this.... Either, wake up in the morning, go to bed at night and in between do what you want to do, within reason and within the confines of the law. (recommended) OR Wake up in the morning, go to bed at night and in between do what you need to do to be able to do what you want to do, again within reason and in the confines of the law. Not - wake up in the morning go to bed at night and in between do what others want you  to do or say you should do.

YOLO.  

Answers to 'The bloat'...

Have you ever wondered why you get bloated after eating? The Answers are HERE 

FAT BURNING FOODS!!

Yes that's right, Foods that can actually melt away fat! If you want to know what they are, then just click here! Don't forget to also check out my top 5 tips for burning fat, you can do that here. Enjoy! 


For more tips and info on Health, Fitness and Lifestyle, follow me on twitter @MattThePT 

A P*ss Poor Performance

I was asked today (Thursday), by an ex client (ex because they hit their goal and no longer need my help) and now a good friend of mine: 

''Matt, when is the best time to start something new? Shall I wait till Monday?'' 

Without hesitation I replied '' Start now!'' ''Why wait till Monday to start something new?''

Then I remembered a story a director of a company (who is also a good friend of mine now) once told me.

I passed on this story to my ex client/ good friend.

He still hasn't started that something new...

Two hungry lions were stood at the top of a hill watching a herd of gazelle as they grazed. 

One lion turns to the other and says, ''What are we waiting for? Lets sprint down there right now and catch as many gazelle as we can''.

So off they went, sprinting towards the herd. 

Can you guess what happened? That's right, as the lions sprinted towards the herd, the gazelle spotted the lions and ran off safely in all different directions,  leaving the lions hungry.

The next day, the situation presented itself again. 

This time the other lion said, ''While we are sat up here, lets make a plan so we don't fail like we did yesterday.

Their plan was this:

We will pick out one Gazelle that looks weaker than the rest,

 From there, we will both sneak up on the herd from different directions, 

Once we are in position, we will pounce and chase after the targeted gazelle''.

So they did. 

The Lions ate well that night.

The moral of the story is this:

Tomorrow will come, and when it does, you better be prepared for it, because, if you aren't, you will fail! 

Sounds a bit dramatic I know, but it's true.

 What I'm saying here is you need to have a goal, something to aim for.

***You wouldn't just get in the car and drive without planning on where you're going to end up now would you?*** 

Once you have that goal, then you need to work out a sustainable plan of how you're going to achieve it.

 It's only when your goals, and plans, are down on paper should you start on your path to achieving them! 

So if you really want to succeed at anything, whether it be a health or fitness goal, securing that promotion at work or even chatting up the hottie in the coffee shop, you must do this...

Remember the 6 P's:


Perfect Planning Prevents a Piss Poor Performance.


Matt 'helping you catch gazelle' Smith

5 Top tips for burning fat..

As a personal trainer, one of the most frequently asked questions I get asked is 'What is the best exercise to burn fat?' We've all heard expressions like ''stay in the fat burning zone'' or ''you must do HIIT'' or even ''lifting heavy weights is the best way'', but which one really is the king when it comes to burning away that ugly, wobbly stuff that nobody wants or needs on their body?

Below I have listed my top 5 tips that will help melt away the fat thus revealing a new tighter, toned version of you..

However, before I get onto the tips you need to understand the following..

To Lose just 1lb of FAT, not body weight, not water, not lean mass, FAT, you need a calorific deficit of 3500 calories, What does this mean? Firstly you need to know how many calories your body is using per day (you can do that here) Once you've done that, just subtract 500 from that number and that gives you the amount of calories you need to consume per day to lose 1lb of body fat per week. I.e if you burn 2000 calories per day, you should consume 1500 calories to lose 1lb fat per week. 

Now for those tips I was on about... 

1. Raise your metabolism. You're metabolism is how many calories your body burns per day. The more calories you burn, the more fat you will lose, it's that simple. OK, ''So how do I raise my metabolism?'' I hear you ask, well that's also simple. MOVE! Every movement you make from running for the bus to typing on your keyboard uses energy (calories) the more you move, the more energy is required, the more calories you burn.

2. Raise your metabolism. Again? Yes again, but this time you're going to lift weights, big heavy ones (with good form may I add). Lifting weights will increase your bodys lean muscle mass. The more muscle you have on your body, the more calories you will burn at rest. How good does that sound, ''Burn calories at rest!''.  Ladies, this bit's for you: don't worry about lifting weights, you have less than 10% of the testosterone in your body than males, as your body needs this stuff to gain muscle, you will not (unless you're pre-op) end up looking like Arnie. So go grab those dumbbells.

3. Raise your metabolism. Can you see where this is going? So you've moved more at work, Lifted some weights, now what? Easy, the best way... HIIT! Or High Intensity Interval Training to all you non gym bunnies out there. Studies have shown that doing just 20 minutes of HIIT can actually raise your metabolism for up 48 hours after exercise. So how do you do it? Simple, all you have to do is choose 1 exercise, lets say running, then work your ass off for 1 minute,  recover for 1 minute and then repeat for about 20 minutes.

4. Raise your metabolism. This time it's in the kitchen though. Lets imagine your metabolism is like a wood burning fire (bare with me). If you throw a huge amount of wood/fuel on the fire it will either take a long time to burn or will smother the fire completely thus making the fire go out. Now lets do the opposite, not put any wood/fuel on the fire at all, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out what will happen now, no wood/ fuel = no fire - no fire = pile of ash and wood. So, if you haven't worked it out already, here's the best way get the fire roaring:  Put small amounts of wood/fuel on the fire in small amounts, often. In other words, eat little and often to keep your metabolism roaring.

5. No, not raise your metabolism, instead.. We're using that horrible body fat as energy! This tip is often over looked due to the fact it involves you exercising before you take on any calories whatsoever (fasted state). 
When you exercise your body uses energy from its stores, primarily carbohydrates. However if your body has no stored carbohydrates it will have to choose another form of energy, FAT! The way to do it is to exercise first thing in the morning before you take on any calories whatsoever, for about 60 minutes and at an intensity of about 6/10 or 60% max heart rate. This way your body will have no choice but to use up any stored fat as energy.  

Always consult a doctor prior to starting any new exercise regime. Alternatively, hire a personal trainer, I recommend Matt Smith. you can locate him via www.MattSmithFitness.co.uk

Once again, thank you for taking the time to read this post and please feel free to share if you think it could be of use to anyone else.  

  

Not that 'C' word!

As I write this post, Roger Federer has just come from 2 sets down to win 3 sets to 2 in the 3rd round of Wimbledon 2012...

Now, as a personal trainer, an optimist and an advocate for forward thinking, there is one word that if I could ban, from the face of the earth, it would be the 'C' word. I hear this mostly around the gym, but I also hear it in life when people are presented with some form of challenge prior to them even attempting it. 

The word I'm referring to is Can't. This word should be made illegal! In fact, I would like to ban the use of all words that are the opposite to positive! (see what I did there?) But for now, let's stick with the C word in question shall we.

If I had £1 for every time a client said the words "I can't", prior to attempting any exercise, and then failing, I would be quite rich. However, if I had £1 for every time I made them say "I can" prior to them attempting the same exercise, they would complete it 100% of the time. 

You see the only thing stopping you from achieving anything in life is your beliefs, that's it, not your circumstances, your beliefs. 

Founder of the Ford motor company - Henry Ford hit the nail on the head when he said:

"Whether you think you can, or think you can't - you're right".

I'll repeat that because it's probably the most important statement ever made,

''Whether you think you can, or think you can't - You're right!''

Remember, what you focus on, you get more of. 

So before you write off your chances of any accomplishment when you are faced with a challenge, give yourself a little pep talk. And when I say little, all I mean is to simply say the two words that WILL make all the difference to any outcome, those two powerful words are.... 

"I can".

You could always take that one step further by using these next two words:

''I WILL!''

Give it a go and let me know how you get on.

Matt 'eliminating self limiting beliefs' smith 

Really? That many?

2000 For women and 2500 for men. That's how many calories the goverment recommend we all consume per day, Don't believe me? Then go and grab a packet of anything in your cupboard and read just above the ingredients, it's under GDA (Guideline Daily Amounts). OK, so what about Mrs Jones who is a 28 year old, 6' 2", 85kg factory worker who 1.spends 12 hours a day loading pallets and 2.plays tennis in her spare time? Or how about Mr Smith who is a 24 year old 6' 5" 98kg builder who also spends on average 8 hours a day, no not drinking tea, but climbing ladders and moving various pieces of masonry about the place, before heading off to the gym for a bit of a chat and a pose otherwise known as a workout?


What I'm getting at here is if Mrs Jones and Mr Smith were to listen to, and stick by, the governments calorific intake Guidleines then they would be seriously putting their health at risk. Lets take a look at the stats to work out why: Mrs Jones burns on average 2488 calories a day and Mr Smith about 3334, Really? That many? I hear you say, then maybe you should check out a previous post of mine titled 'everyone needs this in their life' as the equation is on there as to how I worked that out. Maybe you could work yours out too?   


I digress, although I have used extreme examples above, and the government Guidelines are what the 'average' adult should consume, (how many of us are average by the way?) well unless you are a 5'10'' 30 year old male, weighing 12 stone, then you shouldn't be listening to the government (as if you've not heard that before) when it comes to your diet, as you are (sorry to disappoint you) not average. Therefore, like the above examples, (Mrs Jones, who has a deficit of almost 500 calories a day, would lose close to 1lb per week and Mr Smith, who's deficit is almost 1000 calories a day, would lose close to 2lbs a week) you will not be getting enough calories in your diet to function optimally. Or, you could be going the other way, lets say you are ''vertically challenged'' and lead a very sedentary (long hours of office based work with a bit of sleep in between and not much else)  lifestyle, then the government recommendations could be too much for you, thus leading to unnecessary weight gain, aka FAT, and nobody wants that!


In summary, everyone should be made aware of exactly how many calories they are burning and how many they should be consuming per day. Yes I am suggesting that the equation on how to work it out should be printed on the food and drink labels instead of the GDA. And why not? People, and not just those who care about their health and appearance, should be made aware of how they can work out how to either maintain, increase or decrease their weight.


Thank you for taking the time to read my very first detailed blog, any comments are welcome and will be appreciated.  


Matt  

Everyone needs this in their life...

Below may look like something Einstein scribbled on a dusty window, but it is actually the secret to how many calories you burn on average per day (a number everyone needs in their life). Forget what's on your packet of Doritos under the heading GDA or RDA, if you haven't already realised, we are all different! Those figures are an 'average' and may as well be written in gobbledegook!


All you need to do is find out your weight in Kilograms, your height in centimeters, know your sex and age and the figure everyone should know will reveal itself to you...


Males: 66 + (13.7 x weight in kg) + (5 x height in cm) - (6.8 x age)


Females: 655 + (9.6 x kg) + (1.7 x cm) - (4.7 x age)


From there you need to do one more sum.


just multiply your answer from above with the following....


1.2 if you have a sedentary lifestyle
1.375 if you exercise lightly 1-3 times a week
1.55 if you exercise 3-5 times a week
1.725 if you exercise 6-7 times a week
and 1.9 if you exercise regularly and have a physical job


Hey presto! That's the amount of calories you need per day to maintain your current weight. If you want to lose weight just take away 20%, if you want to gain, just add 20%, Then keep going until you are at your desired weight.


Thanks for reading.


Matt


twitter @MattThePT.
   

Blog Bio..

This blog is about my knowledge and experiences regarding the health, fitness and lifestyle industries. Some of my posts will be about my personal knowledge, experience and opinions, some will be about the science and studies relating to the aforementioned industries and some will be about both. I aim to educate, motivate and inspire while being somewhat controversial. Enjoy.. side note: all links on this blog are ones that I have visited my self and were 100% safe at time of visiting.