This formula intuitively sounds correct but is woefully incomplete. For the majority of people this approach fails over and over again. If it could work long-term it would have done so long ago. Underfeeding the body can slow metabolism as can over-exercising. Punishment gets you absolutely nowhere. True nourishment and joyous movement of the body will take you where you want to go.

 Myth #2: The reason you eat too much is lack of willpower.

Fortunately, the experts are off the mark on this one too. Your willpower is better than you could have ever imagined. We overeat not because we’re weaklings but because we’re physiologically driven to do so when our meals are deficient in relaxation, time, pleasure, awareness, and high-quality food.

Myth #3: As long as you eat the right foods in the right amounts, you’ll ensure good health and lose weight.

This principle seems scientifically sound but it’s caused way more damage than good. We can eat the healthiest food in the universe and in the perfect amount, but if we consume it in a state of anxious rushing, the physiologic stress-response will cause a dramatic rise in nutrient excretion and a deep decline in calorie burning capacity. What you eat is only half the equation of good nutrition. How you eat is the other half.

Myth #4: The experts are your ultimate source of reliable and scientifically accurate nutrition information.

If only this were true. We experts certainly have our lofty place, but we love to disagree with one another and we constantly change our minds. In actual fact, the most definitive nutrition expertise is literally found inside you. It’s called the enteric nervous system or ENS – the brain in the belly. This is your most faithful and accurate day-to-day dietary guide.

So get yourself down to Performance Foods (opposite Hove Library on Church Road) where you can get it with a 20% discount in celebration of their recent opening.

If you live too far away you can order it online at www.performancefoodsbrighton.com

“according to scientists, pomegranates have about three times the antioxidant levels of red wine and green tea, which are both renowned for their health benefits”

Antioxidants are the naturally occuring substances in plants that protect the body from harmful free radicals. Produced by the body when cells use oxygen, free radicals can cause heart disease as well as premature ageing.

So, it’s in our best interest to get as many antioxidants into our bodies as possible especially after training to mop up all the damage.

But, before you crack open that bottle of red wine quoting me as a lame excuse for getting pissed – here’s a list of my top antioxidant foods (and red wine’s not one of ‘em!):

Berries
Broccoli
Pomegrante
Tomatoes
Red grapes
Garlic
Spinach
Green tea

Thousands of women, up and down the country, are going to try (and hopefully convert) to new sports including core work out, ballet, running and Boxercise over the month of September. It is expected to be a powerful and energising initiative and is completely FREE!

I will be running the Boxercise session at Sweaty Betty, Brighton at 6:15pm on Wednesday 30^th September. They already have 12 people signed up so spaces a very limited and you need to get in quick if you would like to attend. The shop really isn’t that big!

My Boxercise session will be a high-energy circuit of cardio and strength training exercises with all the classic boxing moves in an easy to learn format. Expect to sweat a lot. This class is not for the faint hearted!

If you sign up for, and attend all four types of classes then you are able to enter into a fantastic prize draw. You stand the chance to win a year’s personal training in one of the four sports.

If you want to sign up pop into the store (it is located in the Regent’s arcade in the South Laines), fill in your details on the customer sign-up sheet and pick up an info letter.

Don’t worry if you’re too late signing up as Fit-4-Free will be running again in February. Hope you can join me!

Wishing you health and happiness…

Michelle xx

With such an inspiring story it’s hard not to think ‘well maybe I could do that?’ but the reality is that most people will not become pro fighters. The discipline, dedication and extreme pain tolerance is beyond what most people can endure. So what can we take from this that will benefit us in our everyday life?

“Most people don’t know that the secret to changing the body and burning fat is not more cardio, it is functional high intensity training that focuses on multi-joint, multi-planar and total body training. Any training that mixes energy systems requirements (aerobic and anaerobic etc.) and changes stimuli on the body will get results. Without the right intensity, you will be wasting your time. Training like a mixed martial artist requires that you train with high intensity” (Fields 2009).

Most people would have never experienced what ‘high intensity’ really means to an MMA fighter. I spent my entire first few weeks with John in total disbelief at what he was asking me to do. I wouldn’t have been surprised if he tied me to a parked car and said ‘Right, sprint’! I’ve never been pushed so hard in all my life but after a while I could sit back quite happily with that confident feeling that my fitness levels were soaring and I’d become the strongest I’ve ever been, both mentally and physically.

This is all very well for someone whose job it is to stay fit but is this an effective form of training for the masses? Well, when the results include a decrease in body fat, an increase in muscle strength and efficiency, increased power and endurance and improved flexibility, mobility, agility and balance – give me one person who doesn’t want one, some or all of these results?

As it has been proved to me, to really train like a mixed martial artist, you will probably need to experience a bit of sparring and trust me, this is no play fight with your older brother who holds his hand against your forehead whilst you throw punches into the air, missing him every time. Even a light bit of sparring wearing head gear is crippling to your average fitness enthusiast! So I say, ditch the head gear, ignore your trainer’s threatening attempts to stick you in a fight with another girl and use him as a human punch bag instead. You can take away as much or as little as you want and still benefit from the training.

So this is how I’ve incorporated what I’ve learned into training my clients and these principles are what I strongly agree to be the core requirements when it comes to designing my work outs;

1. Emphasize the core: Most martial arts movement will be inefficient without a strong core that is integrated into a movement skill. A strong core helps connect the upper and lower extremities and helps prevent force leaks.
2. Multi-planar: We have the ability to move straight ahead, go left and right and to rotate. Our training should enhance this ability and emphasize all three planes of motion.
3. Multi-joint: Pick up something off the floor and notice how many joints are moving. Training should emphasize the use of more than one joint to be functional, for example, a lunge rather than a leg extension machine exercise.
4. Ground based: When we train standing up, the transfer to everyday activities is greatest. We have to worry about our core muscles and spinal stabilizers, or we will fall down. If you want to train like a martial artist, then train with at least some part of your body (hands or feet) on the ground.
5. Balance dominated: Multi-directional movement requires balance, which in turn requires not only a strong core but also sufficient skill and coordination.
6. Single limb: Punching and kicking are usually performed one limb at a time. Most of us also perform various tasks throughout the day with only one hand. Try brushing your teeth with two hands, and see how efficient that is. Dumbbell and kettlebell exercises are ideal for single limb training as are body weight exercises such as single leg squats.
7. Alternating limbs: Throwing multiple punch and kick combinations are performed by moving our limbs in an alternating manner. Training in this manner will enhance our natural movement patterns and can improve overall strength, coordination and performance.
8. Activity specific: Understand the needs of the activity and select the best exercises and resistance levels to meet those needs. Try to mimic the general movement patterns, along with some specific movements, to enhance performance. For someone training like a mixed martial artist, learning to hit a punch bag or focus pads would be a good place to start!
9. Speed specific: If you want to be fast, then it is important to train fast. If you are looking for static control, then slower speeds may be more appropriate. If you are going to hit something, you need to do it explosively. Train powerfully to develop power. Plyometric training, Olympic weightlifting, kettlebell training, sprint and agility training can all help improve different elements of speed/power (adapted from Jeff Fields ‘Nine Principles of Athleticism’).

An example of one of my MMA inspired circuits for an individual client might go something like this:

• (5 minutes to complete 15 reps of each – circuit performed 3 times)
• Push up
• Walking dumbbell lunge (15 each side)
• Dumbbell squat to overhead press (standing on Bosu ball)
• Medicine ball v-sit rotations (15 each side)
• Punching with resistance bands (30 punches in each stance)
• Squat, thrust, jumps (burpees)
• Kettlebell swing
• Stability ball lower body twists (15 each side)

If I was preparing a circuit for a group, I might use 30 seconds to 1 minute per station instead and modify exercises for the needs of the group.

This all may sound like a lot of hard work and some may be put off but bear in mind after establishing your current fitness levels and any possible limitations you may have, this type of work out can be modified in intensity, speed and duration to that which is appropriate for you. I believe in building a strong base first, that way you can stay injury free and enjoy the journey.

Boot camp for Brighton – my style

Boot camp-style training exploding within the fitness industry but how many people are willing to be pushed like this to achieve their goal? It isn’t for everyone, for sure. To achieve really dramatic results it takes a bit more than three times a week pounding the treadmill or lifting a few weights at the local gym.  Let’s face it most people are after fast results and if you see those results quickly it often leads to more motivation to stick with an exercise programme.

I’m approaching boot camp with a view to fitness.  I don’t shout.  I won’t ridicule you. But I will push you.

So, what is a fitness boot camp and how can it help towards your goals?

This is what Wikipedia has to say;

A fitness boot camp is a type of physical training program conducted by gyms, personal trainers, and former military personnel. These programs have been increasing in popularity for the past several years. The training often combines running, interval training, and many other exercise using weights and/or body weight to lose body fat, increase cardiovascular efficiency, increase strength, and help people get into a routine of regular exercise. Many programs offer nutrition advice as well’

Normally these programmes are conducted as a group and often in remote locations with meals and accommodation provided. After parting with anything in the region of £1000-£1500, you come back after a week a dress size smaller. Fantastic! What happens when you go back to your normal routine of a stressful job, busy social life, family etc? How easy is this new weight to maintain

In my experience the truth is often that after spending a large wodge of cash on guaranteed weight loss, you’re pretty much guaranteed to put most of it back on, that is unless you can learn an entire new pattern of eating and exercise in one week that you instantly maintain upon return. Nice idea!

I believe that the key to long term healthy weight loss is in the understanding of sound nutrition practices and exercise as part of your daily life.  As humans we are designed to exercise to keep us feeling energetic and vital. Anyone who thinks they can exercise a couple of times a week, the rest of the time maintaining a sedentary job and feel healthy, is in denial!

I’m not talking about putting hours in at the gym every day.  It can be as easy as a simple walk one day, some gardening the next, a jog in the park or some resistance training all counts, just as long as you move every day.

So my fitness boot camp involves the application of all types of exercise, to some degree, depending on the client’s goals:

• Resistance training – develops strength and power and endurance, to a lesser degree. Examples: push ups, pull ups, sit ups, body squats, any exercise using dumbbells, barbells, resistance bands and tubes.
• Cardiovascular training – develops heart and lung efficiency and endurance. Example: running, cycling, swimming, aerobics and any activity done at an elevated heart rate for an extended period of time.
• Agility and speed training – develops fast movement and precision reflexes. Example: sprints, running side ways or backwards, running tires and obstacle courses¸ shuffles, martial arts movements.
• Plyometrics – develops power in movement and resilience. Example: vertical jumps, long jumps, medicine ball exercises, hopping, skipping.
• Stretching – develops flexibility. Examples: Hurdler’s stretch, most yoga poses, toe touches.

Types of exercise will obviously depend on your capabilities and any possible pre existing injuries or limitations and tailored to you as an individual.

Above all the nutrition planning that goes with this is crucial to the success of the programme and having the support to see it through is invaluable when changing your life for the better.

I have quite a few clients on my fitness/ weight loss boot camps at the moment and you can see their testimonials on my website.

Here is an example of a boot camp training plan. My female client is pretty advanced and has a good training history.