Step right up! It's the miracle cure we've all been waiting for!

It can reduce your risk of major illnesses, such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer by up to 50% and lower your risk of early death by up to 30%. It’s free, easy to take, has an immediate effect and you don’t need a GP to get some. Its name....? Exercise

To stay healthy or to improve health, adults need to do two types of physical activity each week: aerobic and muscle-strengthening activity. 

2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity such as cycling or fast walking every week, and muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week that work all major muscle groups: legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms.

Or


1 hour and 15 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity such as running or a game of singles tennis every week, and muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week that work all major muscle groups legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms.

Or

An equivalent mix of moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic activity every week (for example 2, 30-minute runs plus 30 minutes of fast walking), and muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week that work all major muscle groups legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms.

Read more @ http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/fitness/Pages/physical-activity-guidelines-for-adults.aspx
 or contact www.commandofitness.co.uk

Exercising but not losing weight? Something has to give....

Ok when people talk about weight loss it really gets to me. A lot of people say they want to lose weight, I reply ‘cut of your leg this will help you lose weight. Different people call losing weight different things like cutting up or getting more defined they all share the same goal to remove excess body fat. Lets not beat around the bush, you want to lose excess body fat that is no good to anyone that hangs off various body parts and offers you nothing in return.

So how do we lose unwanted body fat?

Very simple, energy in (food) needs to be less as energy out (exercise).

If you’re exercising or running couple times a week and your not losing any weight…. Heres why,

Let take an example

Jo eat roughly 2000 calories (RDA for a women) a day and doesn’t exercise. She has stayed the same weight for a year now so we know 2000 calories is her RDA ( this can change due to your size and muscle mass). One day Jo starts to run 3 x 3 miles a week, each run she burns roughly 300 calories. So the 3 runs burns nearly an extra 1000 calories a week, simply this in turn will lead to fat loss.

After 3 months of this Jo has lost a stone in weight (fat) and is looking good, she continues to train the same as before 3 x 3 miles hoping for more weight loss. But after 1 more month she hasn’t lost any more weight….. Why is this?

One reason for this is because Jo’s body has got used to this exercise thereby reducing its effect significantly, less calories burned. Also she isn’t carrying that extra stone of fat with here making the 3 mile run easier. Here whole body is know more efficient at running and doesn’t need so much fuel to get here though 3 miles.

What to do?

You need to add to your training. You could try a faster pace, run for longer, add hill reps or body weight exercise like squats or lunges. You could also try HIIT training sessions. What every you do you need so add something that will over load the body in turn burning more calories.

How much exercise should I do?

NHS Recommended activity levels for adults

Adults should do a minimum of 30 minutes moderate-intensity physical activity, at least five days a week. Someone who's unfit or overweight may only have to walk up a slope to for a moderate-intensity work out, whereas an athlete could run quite fast up it to reach the same intensity.

Many people’s views on exercise are formed during school PE lessons while running in cold muddy playing fields in T-shirts and shorts, followed by a cold shower!

Your routine could include two to three more intense sessions, such as a sporting activity, the gym, fitness class or swimming.

Remember, the health benefits of physical activity only last as long as you remain active. “You can’t store physical activity in the bank,” says Cavill. “It has to be current and regular to provide any health benefit.”

Not enough reason to exercise? Exercise is a great stress buster. It can help you lose weight but, more importantly, it will lower your risk of developing major chronic diseases.

So get fit and stay fit!

Post exercise Stretching V's Warm up

How do you get ready for exercise?

Recommendations to stretch or not stretch change from year to year and from expert to expert. Stretching has been promoted for years as an essential part of a fitness program as a way to decrease the risk of injury, prevent soreness and improve performance. While researchers continue to look at the benefits and pitfalls of stretching, there is still limited (and conflicting) evidence to sort out these opinions.

Much of this confusion comes from a misinterpretation of research on warm up. These studies found that warming by itself has no effect on range of motion, but that when the warm up is followed by stretching there is an increase in range of motion.

Many people misinterpreted this finding to mean that stretching before exercise prevents injuries, even though the clinical research suggests otherwise. A better interpretation is that warm up prevents injury, whereas stretching has no effect on injury.

If injury prevention is the primary objective the evidence suggests that athletes should limit the stretching before exercise and increase the warm up time.

“What ever your sport, the bottom line on warming-up and stretching: what ever you do, just make sure your body is 100% ready to perform at its optimal state before the gun goes off.”

So how should we warm up?

It all depends on what your about to take part in, sport-specific movements. If your heading out on a maintenance run at a slow pace then you can start with a very slow jog and after 5 minutes complete some heels to bum, high knees side steps to warm up and get all the muscle in your legs to optimal length. However if you have been roped into a ‘Dad’s’ game of rugby then you will not only have to warm up your legs but your hole body. Think about the sport your about to take part in (rugby in this instant) and what range of movement/motion the body goes through. Sprinting, jogging, tackling, pushing and pulling, getting off the ground, getting taken to the ground! As you can see your body will be but through its paces so we need to replicate some of these moves before to prepare before whistle goes. Jogging, side stepping, press ups, sits, on and off the ground laying alternately on front or backs, sprinting jumping and changing of direction.

 Again, it’s all a matter of getting the core temperature up, and feeling loose. The muscles must be at optimal length, and ready to perform the full range of motion required for the event.

But one of the biggest benefits of stretching may be something the research can't quantify: it just feels good.

New Year resolution exercise plan

Hi guys,

Its been a while since my last blog with Christmas and the New Year things at Commando Fitness have been pretty hectic. However I have notice talking to friends and clients about some crazy new diets and exercise routines which have hit the shelves ready for everyone to start the New Year with. So I am going to tackle one of the things I have seen and its this new 1000s calorie work out by Clare Nasir. Apparently if you complete this workout you will burn 1000s calories….. This is not the case, I completed the whole hour training and on my Garmin 310xt witch is set up to my height weight and fitness level, I only burned 364 calories. I really went hard and gave it my all but the DVD is very aerobic and not a great deal of strength work. It did raise my heart rate a points but no where near enough the claim its a 1000s calorie workout.

So what works?

I am not going to tell you what works but I will give you the knowledge for you to digest and then make your own disision on how to train to suit your needs

Myth: Exercise done at a low intensity, such as walking, is better at fat burning than other high-intensity activities, like running or cardio activities where you push yourself very hard.

The Truth: In a strict scientific sense, these claims are true because working at a lower intensity requires less quick energy and a higher percentage of fat is burned. But you'll also burn fewer calories than you would if, for the same amount of time you work out at a harder intensity (running versus walking). If you're trying to lose weight, even though a higher percentage of fat is being used, a lower total amount of fat is lost.

What has often been misunderstood by both exercisers and exercise instructors alike is that the body relies on both fat and carbs for energy all the time, albeit in different ratios. In fact, as you sit here reading, you may be burning about 60 percent fat and 40 percent carbohydrates. You're not using much of either. If you were to get up and start jogging in place, your body would need to supply you with some quick energy to do so, so the metabolism ratio might shift to drawing upon more carbohydrates, say 70 percent carbs, and lets say 30 percent fat. If you were to continue jogging, then, in order to preserve the carbs which can run out since you have limited stores in the body, your body would gradually shift its metabolism ratio again to say, 60 percent fat and 40 percent carbohydrates.

30 minutes of walking verses a 30 minutes run

Walking for 30 mins you burn 150 (depends on fitness level and speed)  60% fat and 40% carbs

Total calories from:
Fat = 90 calories
Carbs  = 60 calories

Run for 30 mins you burn 350 calories 70% carbs 30% Fat

Total calories from;
Fat = 105 calories
Carbs = 195 calories

Its obvious really the harder you work the more calories burned.

For fitness advice or a personal training in Farnham Surrey please contact Commando Fitness

www.commandofitness.co.uk

To busy for exercise? Burn calories whilst you sleep!

No money, no gym no time?…… No problem

20 minutes and an empty street could be all you need.

HIIT is considered to be an excellent way to maximize a workout that is limited on time. We incorporate HIIT training into all our fitness because it’s short sharp and to the point! When you plod along on the treadmill doing stead state exercise you are working in an 'aerobic' state which is great but once finished that’s pretty much it in the way of using energy/calories. When you HIIT train however you are bringing an anaerobic activity into it. This raises your metabolism for hours (up to 39 hours!) after the activity has finished. There by using a greater number of calories in total. For instance for me 76 kg male, a 1 hour steady run would burn 500 calories and small to none after burn. But a 20 minute HIIT training session would be around 400 calories and up to 39 hours of high metabolize burning more calories.

One study published earlier this year showed that fit people continued to burn more calories at least 39 hours after they stopped exercise, and that their bodies chose to use nearly double the fat during that time than in inactive people. To find out more about after burn (EPOC) click on the link http://www.blogger.com/goog_777267606

How to HIIT train?

A HIIT session consists of a warm up period of exercise, followed by six to ten repetitions of high intensity exercise (95% of maximum effoert ), separated by medium intensity exercise (50% effort), and ending with a period of cool down exercise. The number of repetitions and length of each depends on the exercise. The goal is to do at least six cycles, and to have the entire HIIT session last at least fifteen minutes and not more than twenty.

How to HIIT train
Chose how you want to train i.e treadmill, rower, bike, outside running, hill reps, skipping or jogging on the spot!

Warm up 3-5 minutes jog to warm muscles you intend to use and increase heart rate.

Main session
Complete 6-8 repetition, this might be 30 seconds sprint and 60 seconds jog ( a 1-2 ratio).  As you get fitter over the weeks move to a longer sprint and shorter rest 1-1  then move to a 2-1 ratio.

Cool dowm
5-10 minutes cooling down helps remove lactic acid witch can cause cramps and stiffness and allows the heart rate to return to its resting rate.

Finish

To join in HIIT training in Farnham go to http://www.commandofitness.co.uk/ 20 minutes or hard work, no cost, no gym and extra calories burnt!

Doing a marathon next year? How to avoid hitting the wall!

So you got your place in the Marathon, well done. You will receive (wanted or not!) loads of advice on how to prepare for your marathon, how to train, what to wear and how to tie your shoe laces. You may also here the phase ‘hitting the wall’ getting throw around as if it’s inevitable and you will find this wall!

What is hitting the wall and how do I avoid it?

It’s described as a condition caused by the depletion of glycogen stores in the liver and muscles. I.E. Running out of fuel. The condition can usually be avoided by ensuring that glycogen (stored carbs) levels are high when the exercise begins, this can be achieved by ‘carb loading’ days before the race. You will also need to maintaining glycogen levels during exercise by eating or drinking carbohydrate-rich substances (sports drinks, gels and bars), or by reducing exercise intensity. This is not a choice if you’re already walking and want to finish the marathon!


So how many carbohydrates do I need to eat before, during and after the marathon? 

This depends on your body size, your fitness level and how fast you intend to run!
I have found a comprehensive link that will tell you an estimate of how many carbs your body needs!

http://www.endurancecalculator.com/

Guys enjoy your marathon and if you have any questions please feel free to contact me!