Gym Rat Fitness Personal Training Magazine

Dynamic Movement Training (DMT) improves muscle activation and boosts fat loss. What’s not to love?

We all know that any form of exercise makes our hearts thud faster than usual. During this phase, more oxygen needs to get to your muscles from the small blood vessels. The lungs breathe deeper to ensure that the delivery runs smoothly (if only our online shopping worked just as well)!

In cases of cardio and aerobic exercise, it means that it’s harder to complete a full workout without needing to rest because our body is in overdrive. If you are aiming for a longer workout, practice makes perfect – the more you work out in small or slow doses, the easier it is to lengthen the time for exercise so that you can complete a full 30 to 40-minute cardio sesh without stopping for a breather.

What is DMT?

“DMT basically combines strength training and cardio training into one and because of the energy, demanding movements actually deliver more results in less time,” says Hale.

“We know from initial research that dynamic movement training improves muscle activation, is more energy demanding for 30% more accelerated fat loss and enhances how the body functions to improve performance at work, in life and in sport.

“In addition to physical benefits, there are significant emotional and mental health benefits of this type of training, positively contributing to your muscle, heart, and brain health.”

Another effective way of improving heart health is long-distance jogging (yep, it’s that simple.)
“LSD (long slow distance) cardio training means going for a five km or 10 km goal, compared to SS (steady state) cardio, which keeps the heart rate approximately 65 to 75 per cent, allowing you to complete a certain duration like 20 minutes or 30 minutes,” says Hale.

Give it a burl… Join a DMT gym class that runs for 15 minutes, 30 minutes or 45 minutes so you have fast access to equipment. If you prefer to work out on simpler terms, do a 20 to 30 minute jog at least three to four times a week. (It typically burns between 240 and 400 calories for a 68 kg person.)

Source:

This full upper-body workout targets abs from every angle while sculpting arms, back and chest.

Sculpting full upper-body workout by Marcie King

The vision

Fat loss is key to what the majority of women want in a stomach: one that is ‘flat’ or lean, with a little definition and no love handles.

“The most common complaints I receive are from new mums who have a flabby stomach or saggy skin after giving birth, or from individuals who have gained weight and now have a ‘pot belly’,” says director of Soul Centre Yoga & Pilates Studio Libby Wever (soulcentre.com.au)

“Beyond aesthetics, core conditioning also improves posture, which contributes to a trimmer appearance, and improves flexibility and balance. Moreover, developing core muscle strength can boost the effectiveness of workouts and reduce the risk of injuries that sideline our efforts to stay in shape. It also protects your back, which is very important to maintain.”

Key features

Your core is actually a highly complex set of muscles, encompassing the pelvic floor muscles, transversus abdominis, multifidus, internal and external obliques, and the rectus abdominis. Minor core muscles include the latissimus dorsi, gluteus maximus and trapezius.

“The transverse abdominal muscles, which wrap from the sides of the lower back around to the front, are well-coordinated core muscles that stabilise the spine and help create a firm base of support for virtually all movement,” says Wever.

The plan

From an aesthetic point of view, there is little point smashing out the crunches if your obliques are hidden by layers of fat. That said, like any muscle, the abs still need to be worked for proper function and image once the fat does come off.

“Exercises that strengthen abdominal and other core muscles should be part of an overall fitness plan that includes regular moderate-intensity aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking 30 minutes per day, most days of the week. Strength training two to three times a week designed to work the core (think Pilates and compound lifts) will also help,” says Wever.

Given the abs are notoriously resistant to fatigue and contain predominantly of slow-twitch (endurance) muscle fibres, they usually respond best to higher volume training. Think upward of 12 reps, for multiple sets.

“Performing basic movements such as sit-ups, crunches, leg lifts, squats and lunges – 12 reps by three sets – as well as holding a full-body plank for two minutes will help to engage and strengthen the core, aiding in your performance across other sports and activities, such as running or swimming,” adds Wever.

http://ww.womenshealthandfitness.com.au/fitness/25-popular-topics/2368-how-to-sculpt-your-core

Looking for a workout plan that will kick-start weight loss?

We tapped New York City-based CAFS personal trainer Ashley Rosenberg, a group fitness instructor at modelFIT NYC, to develop a four-day weight loss workout plan to help boost your metabolism and build muscle from head to toe.

“It really is true what they say—‘abs are made in the kitchen!’ I keep this mantra in my head all week long as I am making quick lunch and dinner decisions on the go,” says Rosenberg. “Our food is the fuel that keeps us going during the day and throughout our workouts.”

When you don’t eat a healthy diet, you might feel too full, bloated, and sluggish, she says. Refined sugar causes that inevitable crash that zaps your energy and you won’t be able to perform as well when you get to the gym, Rosenberg says.

You can’t “outwork” a bad diet at the gym. “There is no special trick to losing weight—you simply have to create a calorie deficit,” says Rosenberg. You have to burn more calories than you consume so if you are eating an unhealthy diet you would have to kill yourself in the gym, all day long, to the point it’s no longer fun and enjoyable. Every workout should leave you feeling accomplished, and hopefully on an endorphin high.

A good diet motivates you to keep going, helps you sleep better so you have prolonged energy throughout the day, and keeps your body feeling lean and tight, she says.

“I follow the 90/10 rule: I follow my diet 90% of the time. I allow myself to fully indulge without regret when I am sitting down at a beautiful meal with my partner, friends, or family. It’s not about having a cheat meal, but enjoying the full experience with my loved ones,” says Rosenberg. “Because I know I have the freedom to indulge on those occasions, it’s so much easier to stay on track the rest of the week.”

WORKOUT DAY 1

Cardio: Jump rope intervals

Do 30 minutes of jump rope intervals. Start with 2 minutes on (jumping rope) and 1 minute of rest, working up to 3 minutes on the rope, 30 seconds of rest.

Strength Training: Arms & Abs

This exercise is pretty advanced, but you’ll really work your arms and core. Start in a plank. Bring your right knee forward while aiming for your right elbow. Hold the position for a second, pause, lower yourself into a pushup, push yourself back up, and then bring your leg back so you’re back in plank position. Repeat on each side for 10 reps. Rest 3 minutes, repeat for 3 sets.

Alternatively, for an easier (but still challenging!) abs move, start in a plank, and bring your right knee forward while aiming for your left elbow, hold for a pause, then open right knee to right elbow, hold for pause, send foot back into starting position. For an added challenge, add a push up at the end and repeat on the other side. That is one set. Repeat 10x. Rest for 1 to 3 minutes in between a set.

Check out our superfast slim-down training program.

WORKOUT DAY 2

Treadmill Intervals

These are similar to the jump rope intervals. Do these treadmill intervals for 30 minutes. Starting by running for 2 minutes at a fast pace, then hop off to the side for 1 minute of rest. Work up to 3 minutes of fast running and 30 seconds rest of rest. (Try these calorie-torching treadmill workouts when you get bored with your running program.)

Strength Training: Thighs and Butt

Wearing 3lb ankle weights (Rosenberg’s favorite equipment), start on all fours on a mat. Pull your belly button up into your spine and tuck your hips forward so the back curves, like a cow position in yoga. Keeping your knee bent, raise your leg up into a 90-degree angle and pulse your foot up to the sky once. Slowly lower your leg back into the starting position with your knees lined up, not allowing your working knee to touch the mat. Repeat 20 times. Stop at the top on #20 and do tiny pulses at that 90-degree angle for 20. It’ll look like your flex foot is pushing the ceiling up. For an added challenge, drop to your elbows rather than using your hands. Switch to the left side and repeat.

WORKOUT DAY 3

Cardio: Repeat day 1 cardio.

Strength Training: Arms, Abs, and Butt

Start on all fours on a mat (wearing ankle weights for an added challenge).

Pull your belly button into your spine, and then lift your right leg behind you (straight knee, foot pointed). Keeping your left knee on the mat, lift your left foot off ground. Pulling your elbows back alongside body, rock your chest forward and down into a forward triceps dip (your arms should be hugging your rib cage). Raise yourself back up, keeping the left foot still lifted off the mat, and pulse your right leg up for one pulse. Repeat 20 times for 1 set and switch the leg sides.

WORKOUT DAY 4:

Strength training: Combine all the strength training exercises listed above—plank knee-ins, sky kicks,  into a circuit. Do each strength exercise at least 3 times and up to 5x for a full-body workout.

Rocked this workout? Check out our 12-week transformation workout plan.

Progressively burn more fat with these top tips from personal trainer, Pilates instructor, and owner of KE Fitness Kris Etheridge.

Body fat is simply stored energy, so giving your body a reason to use it is vital. This can be done through diet or exercise, but most commonly a combination of the two.

“To lose body fat, you need to place your body into a calorie deficit, forcing it to use its fat for energy. Muscle is also your body’s engine – the bigger the engine, the more fuel it uses and the more calories you burn, making it easier to lose fat,” says Etheridge, who suggests any good fat loss plan contains gradual progressions in both fat-burning cardiovascular activity and resistance training.

“Strength training is the most important element; the amount of cardio you need to do to achieve fat loss depends on how strict you are with your diet and what kind of strength and conditioning program you’re doing,” he says.

“Utilise progressive overload to make your resistance workout more difficult than what you can comfortably perform in your current program. Whether it be using different training principals, such as supersets and circuits, or increasing the weight or reps, keep progressing by asking more from your body.”

Etheridge suggests increasing your weight, sets, reps or intensity each week for six weeks, followed by one week of lighter training (aka. a deload week) to allow the body to recover.

“Lighter weeks or rest weeks are imperative to minimise overtraining and reduce the chance of overuse injuries. This is the optimal way to increase your strength,” says Etheridge.

“For weight loss, it’s not as important to use progressions with your cardio. The cardio is purely for fat burning – but if you want to continue to improve your cardiovascular fitness, aim to increase your workout intensity by approximately five per cent each week for six weeks. Take a week off and then start your new program.”

Here are her top four tips:

1. Change your exercises from basic compound movements to compound movements that require a higher level of skill, coordination or strength. For example, single leg or unilateral work. Examples:think pistol squat, TRX suspended lunge, Bulgarian split squat, single-leg deadlift, squats and step-ups using a bosu ball; single arm work such as one arm dumbbell or chest press on a fitball, single arm rows or renegade rows.

2. Reduce rest periods. Depending on how much rest you’re currently having, aim to drop it by five per cent per week for six weeks, or until you’re only having approximately 40 seconds rest (if performing straight sets) and 20 seconds rest between exercises (if you’re performing a circuit).

3. Split your program up and focus on two to three muscles groups per workout rather than full body. This is a more advanced way of training and a great way to continue progressing. Splitting the body parts up means you can perform more volume (sets) on each muscle group in each workout, and workout more days each week while still allowing adequate recovery time.

4. Add plyometrics to your workouts. Plyometric training is high impact and high intensity, and involves a lot of jumping where your muscles exert maximum force in short intervals – great for power and agility, and can be a quick and fun way to burn fat given its higher calorie output.

In order to track your progress, keep yourself accountable. Regularly weigh yourself or take measurements, and keep a food and training diary to understand how training and nutrition protocols affect you on a weekly basis.

Source: 4 ways to increase fat loss

Need an excuse to go the gym? There’s a whole host of beautifying benefits that come from regular exercise

You’re doing everything right but your weight loss has come to a grinding halt?

Signs:

Weight loss plateaus can be frustrating, particularly if you are closely following your nutrition and training plan. Despite eating and moving well, signs of a dieting plateau include:

» Weight loss stalled or an increase in weight

» Feeling hungrier

» Low energy levels

» Poor recovery and/or sleep quality

Causes:

Essentially, dieting plateaus are caused by our body’s ability to adapt to the way they are fuelled and moved. Usually plateaus occur due to:

» Undereating and/or inappropriate macronutrient profile to meet your training and daily energy requirements.

» Overtraining and/or consistently moving your body in the same
way, regularly.

» Inadequate rest, recovery and stress: when we don’t get enough sleep our bodies produce cortisol, which leads to fat retention and storage, lethargy and irritability.

During weight loss you impose a caloric deficit, either by increasing exercise or decreasing food intake. Through this deficit you begin to lose body mass – and when muscle mass declines, so too does your metabolism. These are indicators that energy supply is low and your body adapts to energy restrictions accordingly: there is a decrease in hormones that promotes anabolism, energy expenditure and satiety (fullness) and a rise in hormones that promotes catabolism and hunger.

How to get results again:

Keeping your body guessing is key, as our bodies crave efficiency.

Mix up your meals. Do you have the same meal at the same time every day? Try carbohydrate and/or calorie cycling of higher, moderate and lower days. Opt for a higher carb day when you train legs or perform HIIT and lower carbs, higher fats on LISS/rest days. Rotating food choices helps ensure your metabolism doesn’t adjust to a specific diet regimen; because there is no sustained calorie restriction, your body doesn’t adjust its metabolism or start catabolising lean muscle tissue as it would on a sustained low-calorie diet.

Increase your calories: A calorie deficit is generally needed to lose weight, but not in all cases. You may actually need to increase your overall calories to continue burning them in order to preserve muscle mass and your metabolism. Your body will learn that food is abundant and won’t try to hoard it for starvation mode.

Prioritise protein:  Up your protein intake or incorporate a source of protein into each meal. This macronutrient has a higher thermic effect than fats and carbs, so your body has to work harder to digest it. Protein assists in the retention of lean muscle mass (metabolism), protein synthesis, satiety between meals and muscle recovery.

Training – shake & strengthen it up: Studies have found that strength training helps people shed more fat than cardio while boosting their metabolism by increasing muscle mass. Aim for a minimum of two to three strength sessions each week. If you already strength train, mix it up by using a combination of supersets, tri-sets and circuits to keep the intensity of the sessions high. Overall duration should be short to moderate and serve as a HIIT-style resistance workout. If you run 5km every day, try adding in a day of sprints. Keeping your sessions short but intense helps to utilise your anaerobic training zones and leads to greater excess post-exercise oxygen consumption.

Rest and recovery: If overtraining is the cause of your plateau, it may be time to add in a taper week or two. Prioritising sleep will help balance insulin resistance, regulate cortisol, and decrease leptin.

Check your portions: Are you really consuming the serving sizes you thought? Try and be more mindful of how much you are putting on your plate.

Plateau or happy place?

Lastly, consider whether you have REALLY plateaued and whether your training and nutrition has been as good as you say it has. If you feel you’ve reached one, take time to reflect, but also consider whether it is a plateau or, rather, your ideal weight. The numbers on the scales may have stalled, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t improving on areas of your strength, fitness and mindset. Try using a combination of how your clothes fit, measurements and fitness checks (60 second max tests or a simple 3 minute AMRAP) to track and re-check your progress. After all, the scales are just a number.

Source: How to beat a weight loss plateau

With the help of the author of The 7 Day Quickie and personal trainer Tegan Haining, we’ve come up with an approach to the week-long kickstart.

Haining’s book is a simple yet detailed guide to seven days of health and fitness that combines a balanced diet with a more active lifestyle. Nourishing food and drinks Haining says simple, nourishing food is key to incorporating good food habits into your lifestyle. Throughout the seven days, meals should be built around a palm-sized portion of protein (such as chicken, fish, organic grass-fed red meat, eggs, quinoa or tempeh), two cups of vegetables and a thumb-sized portion of healthy fats (such as coconut oil, olive oil, avocado or nuts).

When it comes to carbohydrates, Haining includes nutrient-dense carbohydrates in her plan but advises to add them last. “Carbohydrates are part of The 7 Day Quickie but we have brown rice instead of white rice, sweet potato instead of potato or rye toast with almond butter instead of white toast with jam, so the general person wouldn’t feel deprived eating this way,” says Haining.

Choose your vegetables wisely by including carrots, cauliflower, beetroot or pumpkin on your plate and you get your carb hit simultaneously. To get the most out of your week, drop all processed foods, sugar (if you fancy something sweet Haining suggests low sugar fruit such as blueberries, green apples or ruby red grapefruits) and pre-packaged food.

For liquids, maximise your water intake and aim for two litres daily. For caffeine lovers, Haining says one coffee per day before 2pm is fine. But for those keen on a glass of red, the news isn’t good. “Having a glass of wine in the evening really affects my sleep pattern because the liver often detoxes around 3am in the morning.

This is when you want to be getting that rejuvenating sleep, not detoxing the glass of wine or bad food from the day before,” says Haining. “Without an evening wine, I find I wake up before my alarm clock and feel really good. So give it a try for one week and notice what it does to your morning motivation.”

Exercise smart If you think the seven-day period of amazingness means you’ll be smashing yourself in the gym two hours every day, think again. Haining believes a balanced approach achieves the best results, including two rest days. “The people who give themselves rest days and time to allow their lean muscle mass to develop actually become more efficient at fat burning than those constantly running on the treadmill,” says Haining. “Yes, they’re burning fat, but they’re burning muscle too, and their cortisol is very high and they’re stressed…it’s not an ideal way to get a happy life at the same time.”

Instead, factor in two days of strength or resistance training, two days of interval training and a day or two of gentle yoga stretches over the week. Instead of leg or arm days, Haining recommends whole body workouts that work the front and back for ideal posture. “Work the front and then the back of your body so you’ve got nice posture, balance the upper and lower body exercises, work both pushing and pulling movements so we don’t get any rounded shoulder positioning that produces tightness in the chest – all of these are factors to consider,” says Haining. “Focus on a balanced, flexible and strong body – be really mindful of tightness because that’s where injury starts.”

Sleep The importance of sleep this week (and always) cannot be underestimated. When we get less than eight hours of quality sleep, our body produces the hormone ghrelin, making us crave foods (especially sugar) and our hunger is often insatiable. On the flipside, a decent eight-hour sleep produces the hormone leptin, which increases satiety, reducing the urge to overeat. “It’s often the most challenging thing for my clients when I talk about going to bed at 10pm. They think I’m from Mars, but it makes such a difference,” says Haining. “One of the models I trained in London couldn’t shift weight from around her waistline and when we looked at her sleep, she wasn’t ever going to bed before 1am. As soon as we got her to bed at 10pm, she lost that layer.”

The magic time between 10pm and 6am, working with the sun, seems to be the ideal sleep format to prevent us reaching for stimulants the next morning. “When we’ve had a good night’s sleep, everything else flows from there,” says Haining. “We’ll make better food choices and we might be a little bit happier about going to the gym. A bad night’s sleep messes with our mindset, and positivity is what gets us through the day and kicking goals!”

Self-care When you’re exercising hard plus eating lighter and healthier than ever, you may find some sore muscles and detoxing symptoms are the result in the first few days. Haining says self-care over the week is crucial to staying on track. “Choose one wellness factor, whether it be going for a massage, going to a sauna or a feelgood thing you wouldn’t usually do on one of your regeneration days,” suggests Haining. “Day six is good because you’re nearly at the end of the week, you might have detoxed and be feeling a bit average, so give your body some extra love.

Even an Epsom salt bath for half an hour at home will feel really good on sore, tired muscles.” For a daily hit of love, Haining is a firm believer in the power of affirmations, twisting any negative thoughts around. “Affirmations are a huge thing in my life and they really work,” she says. “If you’re feeling negative about something, you have to change your thinking, which might involve writing down a positive flip on that thought, such as ‘How am I ever going to get through these seven days’ and turn it around to ‘I can’t wait to feel how good I’m going to feel after these seven days’.

Write it down and put it on your fridge or on your phone as a daily alert; just constantly remind yourself.”   Pros & Cons Pros Seven days is achievable for anyone and Haining’s The 7-Day Quickie caters for all fitness levels and most taste buds. The balanced approach with carefully thought out nutrition alongside a mixture of exercise means you are unlikely to feel hungry or exhausted during this plan and, by the end, your energy levels will only increase.

While Haining is reluctant to mention a number on the scales as everyone is different, she says people will lose a layer and gain a flatter tummy. Without alcohol and processed foods, your sleep pattern should improve, which means you’ll look fresher and experience better moods.

Cons Whenever we go full throttle and deprive ourselves of favourite foods, there’s the possibility of backlash once we reach the finish life. Haining says slips are part of being human and if you fall off the wagon on day eight, don’t sweat it. “I worked with James Duigan for so many years and his motto or mantra is to be kind to yourself – which I so agree with. At the end of the day, you might have the worst eating day of your life on day eight after the program,” says Haining. “Drink your wine and eat your chocolate but know on day nine you can go back and do the quickie again for seven days and you’ll feel great.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with a day of bad eating, it’s when you have a bad couple of years of eating that we have a problem. Be kinder to yourself: it’s more important to feel happy and enjoy life, and not feel as though you’re being deprived of anything so you can maintain longevity.”

Source:

7 days to ultimate health with Tegan Haining

Keep your energy levels up throughout the day with Sheena-Lauren ‘s Warrior Recipes.

Chocolate protein and coconut porridge

BEST FOR: A mini boost before an end-of-day workout or if you need something in your tummy pre-early morning workout. (Sheena-Lauren recommends fasted morning workouts, but if you can’t fathom powering through without something to nibble, bite off a bit of brekkie and save the rest for recovery.)

“The oats provide a great sustained release of energy to power you through the morning. They are a great source of fibre to help curb mid-morning munchies,” Sheena-Lauren says.

What you’ll need

• ½–1 cup traditional rolled oats
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• 30 g chocolate protein
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 1 tsp rice malt syrup

What you’ll do

Combine the oats, coconut milk and chocolate protein in a bowl. Ensure the oats are completely covered with coconut milk. Place in the fridge overnight to soak through. Sprinkle with chia seeds and add one tsp of rice malt syrup.

Sip on a protein shake

BEST FOR: Knocking out niggling hunger near the end of your workout.

“I sometimes sip on this throughout my morning workout if I find myself getting hungry, and I finish it post workout,” Sheena-Lauren says.

What you’ll need

• High-quality whey protein or alternative

What you’ll do

Add a 20 g to 30 g scoop of protein powder to a shaker and top up with water. Shake thoroughly.

Spicy eggs and sweet potato

BEST FOR: Post workout recovery

“The eggs are a great source of protein for muscle repair and the sweet potato serves as a fantastic low-GI complex carbohydrate, replenishing energy stores to keep you feeling full and keep you on the go for the rest of your day,” Sheena-Lauren says

What you’ll need

• 200 g sweet potato, grated
• ½ red chilli, finely diced
• 1 clove garlic, finely diced
• 2 eggs
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tsp coconut oil

What you’ll do
Add the grated sweet potato to a fry pan with coconut oil on low heat. Add chilli and garlic. Continue to cook on low heat and toss regularly for approximately 20 to 30 minutes or until soft. Poach two eggs. Plate up the sweet potato, add the poached eggs on top and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
Add a 20 g to 30 g scoop

Start the Summer Warrior Challenge today.