The Best Blender I've Had!

Here is a great addition to your kitchen surface. In a nut shell, the hinari genie is a blender. What makes this particular blender so special is it's universal use. It can blend your fruit, chop your vegetables, grind your almonds and grate your cheddar.

The Genie comes with 2 blades. The flat blade is a useful tool for chopping whilst the cross blade is used for all other uses. Coupled with a powerful motor, I've managed to blend dry mixed nuts into a fine powder along with oats to create a high protean oatmeal cereal.

For you on the go people who need a quick blast of nutrients half way through the day, the Genie comes with multiple blending containers which can easily join you on your travels. It's quick and it's simple.

The best part about this machine is the price. We bought one for £25. That is quarter of the price that you'd end up paying for a Nutribullet!

If you're an athlete who integrates soups and smoothies into their diet, I'd heavily suggest you pick one of these things up!

Is weight training okay for children?

Well let’s put it this way; We can allow a child to sprint which has the ground reaction force equivalent of five times his or her own body weight per stride. Many sports coaches are comfortable allowing kids to perform Push Ups until their arms are about to drop off but heaven forbid that little Billy picks up a freaking dumbbell! In a nut shell, it's okay. However, there are rules we should follow.

1. Don't use too much resistance - A child’s skeleton is still developing and will continue to do so up until the age of 21. If the child is younger than 16, keep it light. This will provide bone density development but allow the immovable joints to maintain their structure until they fuse into a solid piece.

2. Focus on movement patterns - Compound exercises are great for even structural balance and categorising them into movement patterns are a fantastic way of adding practicality to a routine by mimicking sports movements. Consider grouping exercises this way:

Push

Pull

Squat

Hinge

Relocating

Gait

Rotate

4. Don't allow a child to weight train too often - Remember that they are still growing. Twice a week is enough for a child and only half an hour per session is needed.

5. Keep it fun! When ever we go about a childs conditioning, we must focus on what we want for the child long term. Let your child or young athlete to enjoy conditioning and give them an everlasting positive outlook on the gym environment.

Here is an example I used today with a young Cardiff Academy player:

10 medicine ball throws with a 5kg slam ball. Make it a competitions. Let your young star attempt to beat his last throw!

3 sets of 10 repetitions, battling rope slam downs. Take a 1 minute rest in between.

3 sets of 5 box jumps on a box which is at knee hight.

3 sets of 5 meter RDL walks.

3, 20 meter Prowler Pushes with an unweighted Prowler.

Remember, keep it fun!

10 People that we Love to Hate

The 10 People We Love to Hate

We've all seen them at one time or another. People who live to ruin your training. I've taken the liberty to categorise these these culprits into 10 groups. I hope you enjoy.

The sprinter

You're quietly going about your dumbbell curls until you hear "CRASH, CRASH, CRASH!!!" In the opposite corner of the gym there is some muppet with horrible running mechanics, unknowingly kicking the living shit out of a treadmill. If that treadmill had a voice, it would be screaming. These types of gym goers don't last long due to a sudden injury from running like an idiot!

Naked changing room guy

Whist innocently walking through the changing room, a gym member unexpectedly engages in friendly conversation. The problem? He's as naked as the day he was born. So you're left there, eagerly attempting to escape from an old geezer who wants to talk to you about his fitness programme. He resembles an avacardo which had been dropped from a height and his wedding tackle is swinging from side to side. Dude, put your pants on!

Smelly bastard

The worse in my book is the classic "smelly bastard!" It's not that this gentleman doesn't remain clean throughout his normal working day. The issue comes from hypothesising that it's okay to wear the same kit multiple times. After all, they are just workout clothes. Well your workout clothes make me want to gag! You can still smell these people from the car park.

The gym guru

You just want to finish your set but no. Here he comes again. Pumped up on steroids, wearing a tight base layer and pulling a smug expression that your just want to head but. You're about to be coached (incorrectly) and you haven't even asked for help from anyone. In fact, you probably don't even need it.

The hog

When you visit the gym, you have the intention of performing specific exercises and therefore you also have the intension of using specific machines. It's really annoying when some inconsiderate pleb sits on that machine and starts sending text messages, scrolling facebook and taking selfies. Also, they practice high sets. There are other people in the gym!

The Trendy One

When functional training is the "in thing" you can safely bet that there will be some weirdo standing single legged on a Bosu, performing a single arm shoulder press and eating some kiwa with the free hand. Practicing "functional" movements are in place to aid with your main compound lifts, not to replace them.

The chatter box

I hate being distracted from training. Sometimes life gets in the way. Work, social life and other commitments happen but when I'm being lead astray for idol chit chat, it's infuriating! I come to the gym to Do some training, not TALK ABOUT training.

The screamer

Sometimes these guys are comical. They pick up a light barbell for a simple warm up set and they already sound like King Kong on his wedding night! They scream, grunt and yelp on each and every rep. In fact, their voice is probably more sore than their muscles the next day. There's nothing wrong with letting one go now and then but don't be silly.

The Traveler

As a massive fan of Giant Sets, I sympathise with these people. Performing back to back drills is a fantastic weight loss tool, it saves time and you can hit more muscles in a single workout. However, if you insist on using giant sets, please don't take up the entire free weights room! When I'm about to use the bench I don't expect some ass hole on the opposite side of the room performing a smith machine squat to say "excuse me! I'm using that!" Aaaaaah!

The nag

This one is more of a pet hate for gym staff. Complaining about all the fore mentioned culprits is excusable as we have empathy. Sometimes, think things through before you wine. Last December, I had a complaint because we weren't playing Christmas Carols in the gym. Seriously!? No one wants to Bench Press to "The Little Drummer Boy"or Squat to "Silent Night!"

If you fit into one or more of these all so annoying category's, please stop! You're an annoying person!

Are you sick of energy gels?

There are so many different energy gels on the market. It's difficult to decide which one to buy because they all have similar nutrition value. They contain between 20 - 25 grams of carbohydrates with 5 - 10 grams of that being simple sugars. They also contain Sodium which serves a vital role of maintaining normal blood pressure, control fluid balance and allow adequate nerve functioning. Another ingredient is Potassium. Potassium is important for skeletal and cardiac muscle contraction. Arguably, it doesn't really matter what product you use. In fact, you don't even need to use an energy gel. Take a look at these 3 alternatives.

1. Bananas

Britain's most popular grocery. A banana contains 23g of carbohydrates with 12 grams of that being sugar, a very similar balance to energy gels. They are rebound for their high potassium levels (358mg) and contain 1mg of sodium. They really are the best substitute to energy gels.
You can't expect to compete in a gruelling endurance race with a bunch of bananas hanging from your bum bag so here's what you are going to do to combat the issue. Grab a resealable plastic bag, the type you would use to store food in the fridge. Mash up a banana and place it within the resealable bag. Whilst running, you can open a small corner and squeeze out the banana when you need it. It's not the most appealing way to eat a banana but it's resourceful.

2. Honey

Unlike the for mentioned banana, honey is 82g of pure sugar per 100 grams so this is probably best save as a last energy kick a few miles from the finish line. It doesn't add up to bananas when it comes to potassium but it containers 4mg of sodium for better water retention.
Honey is messy, sticky and hard to wash off so be warned, if it explodes it will be an uncomfortable running experience. It's best to buy honey in a plastic bottle that you can squeeze out at will. No glass jar, no spoon and no trouble!

3. Jaffa Cakes

I remember this favourite child hood treat as being Manchester United's half time snack. Per 100 grams, Jaffa Cakes offer a whopping 380 calories worth of energy. It should be pointed out that this is not ideal for people trying to lose weight! With 70.8 grams of carbohydrate with 52.5 grams of that coming from sugar, this snack will offer a faster releasing energy source than standard energy gels. Jaffa Cakes also offers 24 grams of salt which is much needed during a gruelling marathon.
To consume Jaffa Cakes during a race, place them in a small plastic bag within your side pocket. You may wish to brake them into pieces so that you don't have to overdo the chewing!

Considerations for snow boarding

The thigh burn is always a prominent issue among recreational boarders. This sport is physiologically demanding but by considering various interventions, we can lower that dreaded strain on the slopes!

First of all, why not look at the surrounding skeletal muscles. The largest and most powerful muscle group in sport performance is of course the Gluteus Maximus. The Gluteus Maximus (the backside muscles) are muscles that extend the hips. If they contract statically, they can share the work load. I would recommend practicing the Glute Bridge. For anyone capable of holding this position for more than a minute should begin to practice the single leg variation. Ensure that you use a high set range. Four sets of one minute should be your initial goal.

Practice your squats. We mimic this movement pattern as we face down the slope. You can practice holding the bottom position for extended periods of time, if you wish to be very specific but to teach your quadriceps how to utilise oxygen more efficiently, I would suggest high repetitions at a fast but controlled tempo. Attempt three sets of twenty repetitions. If you have a vast experience in resistance training, you may wish to implement plyometrics into your training.

Remember that the main job of the mid section muscles is to prevent movement, not cause it. Working the anti-rotational properties of your abdominals and oblique’s will result in more stability. This will decrease the demand on your thigh muscles. A side plank is a great exercise but consider moving the free arm in multiple directions to improve reactive properties of your mid section. Four sets of thirty seconds should be your initial goal.

The Keyphosis Buster

I've seen mentioned in various articles and tv programmes that a sedentary life style has been influenced by a persons profession. Those who spend hours on their computer, jotting in a lecture hall or engaging in work which involves prolonged seated posture for hours at a time, are subject to Keyphosis, too much of a curve in the thoracic spine. Sitting for too long causes tightening of the hip flexors, chest and shoulders. It also lowers activity of hip extensors and scapular stabilising muscles which results in these muscles weakening.

Try a thoracic bridge. Lye on your back, tuck your feet in towards your backside, place your hands beneath your shoulders and lift. Push with your feet and your hands leading your navel towards the sky.

This will help you to strengthen those shoulders and hip extensors. You should also notice a stretch in the hip flexors, chest and shoulders. This is a great all in one exercise for those suffering with Keyphosis and you only need to do it a few times a day to start seeing results. For complete beginners, try holding it for 10 seconds each time. From there, build up until you can manage a minute.

Please ensure that you do not have a pre-existing issue that will declare this exercise as unsafe for your specific use.

Training your Abdominals

I'm a big fan of trunk development. This is well known by every client that comes my way. Strengthening that mid section will promote good posture, efficient power output and obviously the well desired six pack!

I don't allow my clients to perform a crunch or a sit up. In fact I tell them off if I catch them performing a single repetition. This is because flexing the lumbar spine in that manor has been associated with degeneration of the cartilage.

As a rule, I base my abdominal routines on these principles. First of all, start with an exercise that hits the lower abs. They don't go through their full range of motion very often so they need special attention. Then work on rotation. This is a movement pattern which hits the waist as well as the front of the abdominals. I then like to finish with isometrics. A static muscle contraction acts as a good post exhaustion method.

So how about that set volume and repetition range? I like a high set volume. I believe from my many literature reviews that anywhere under four sets will never have the same effect as forcing out another gruelling series of repetitions. As for repetition range, the mid section is mainly built of slow twitch muscle fibres. If you're fairly new to an exercise, perform twelve repetitions. If you're confident in the exercise that you intend to practice, give us twenty!

Remember to keep the trunk under continuous tension with a slow tempo, set a routine together which takes up two sessions per week and you'll feel a difference within a month.

Thoracic Spine Mobility and Exercise Selection

A very common problem in people with shoulder mobility issues is tightness in the Latissimas Dorsi. The Latissimus Dorsi is a large mid back muscle which aids in adduction. This issue is identified when a person can't lift their arms above their head without the lower back over extending.

When it comes to resistance exercises for this specific dilemma, I don't advise people to perform direct lifts above eye level. This includes all shoulder press and pull up variety's. This may cause damage to the lumbar vertebra. Second of all, I use unilateral (single handed) exercises as this allows the participants to perform rotational movements of the thoracic spine to improve mobility and the comfort of the exercise.

Exercises to consider are the land mine press, the single hand gym ball chest press and the single hand seated row.

The T Push Up

As I took a regular client through her usual weight loss routine this afternoon, I found myself making a slight alteration to her session. I exchanged the push up to a T push up. This variation simply incorporates a point to the sky with consecutive hands, between the regular exercises. So why make this strange alteration to the classic, universally known military favourite? Well her shoulders were not operating as they should have been.

She has poor thoracic vertebra mobility and a T push up requires thoracic mobility.

She has poor scapula stability and a T push up requires activation of the Serratus muscles, those which holds the scapula against the rib cage.

Finally, there came the benefits of the standard push up. It does incorporate dynamic flexibility of the glenoid-humoral joint.

I appreciate the work of Grey Cook and Mike Boyle, especially in turns of their joint by joint approach to conditioning. They claim that each joint should be seen in an alternating fashion when it comes to mobility and stability. In this example, the shoulder needs mobility, the scapular needs stability and the thoracic spine needs mobility. All of these areas are engaged with the T push up. It's not just a fancy fad!

Consuming Iron

Since concluding my stance on eating meat and resorting to vegetarianism, I have been advised to search for alternative foods which provide protein and iron. Protein has a role in growth and repair but what is the purpose of iron in our body's physiological functioning?

Between 65-75% of our body's iron is present in our blood in the form of haemoglobin, a protein situated on the red blood cells. Red blood cells carry oxygen to where it is needed. Iron may also be found on myoglobin which provides the oxygen to the muscle cells so obviously, without iron the body will not have adequate oxygen delivery which will result in anemia.

Iron is found in a variety of different foods including fruit, vegetables and whole grains but this doesn't necessarily mean that consuming these products will provide us with the iron that we need.
Iron comes in two forms. First of all, we have heme iron. This is found in products that do not contain meat. Unfortunately, only 3% of heme iron is absorbed. Non-heme iron can only be found in animal sources and 25-35% of non-heme iron can be absorbed.

This raises the question, how can we improve our iron absorption? Here are 2 well known vitamins that can help.

Vitamin C is linked to improved iron absorption whilst taken in the same meal as iron.
Vitamin A is known to release iron from stores so that it may be used by the rest of the body.

In conclusion, vitamin A and C should be used in conjunction with iron in order to ensure healthy functioning of a vegetarian.