Perth Boot Camp Instructor Warns about the Weight Gain in Winter

Hey there, TC here your Perth boot camp instructor for the women boot camp in Perth. Winter is fast approaching and by now 50% of the people who started exercising to lose weight in the new year have fallen off the wagon according to past trend. And I predict that there will be more who will be falling off the wagon come this winter in Perth. Yes sure sure it's nice to sleep more and be lazy because the winter provides a very good "excuse". Start all over again in 2010.

But be warned! Can you afford to gain any more weight for the next 6 months until 2010 comes.

The fat cell increases in its size when you gained weight. As body fat continue to increase, cell size increased to a certain upper limit where they will start to increase in numbers. Sounds scary! You get more fat cells.

The worst part is that once the fat cells increased in numbers, the numbers can never be reduced even if you lose weight. They will only shrink in their size.

If you are gaining weight, start doing something now before your body start manufacturing more fat cells. If you are obese already, all is not lost because you can still shrink your fat cells by losing weight. With the 1/2 the population in Australia being overweight and obese, you don't want to add to the number and add more burden to the health system. Hey do you part and start losing fat with us at our Perth boot camp.

Train Hard Eat Healthy Look Good

TC

Perth Boot Camp Instructor Reveals 6 Exercises that Sucks

Here is the list of exercises that just don't work and just bloody waste of time.

1. The Ab Machine

When it comes to working off the muffin top, most people think about crunches and sit-ups. Hell yes the abs bloody hurt when you load up the weight stacks on this piece of machine. In fact, I seen people queuing up to hammer their bellies with this crap equipment. 

Crunches and sit-ups only promote excessive flexion of the lumbar spine and tend to cause neck and back pain. Now, make it worse by doing it in a similar fashion with this machine in a seated position moving your spine in a unnatural front to back manner. Hey Ab King Pro you see in late night informercial sucks too. 

The true function of the ab muscles is to stabilise the spine statically and dynamically to be able to maintain a neutral and straight line position from your hips to your shoulders in all 3 plane of movements (front to back, side to side and rotational). 

For best results for hard solid abs, ditch this machine as well as Ab King Pro and focus on basics that works. They are all variations of planks and russian twists.

2. Weight Loaded Back Extension Machine

Back extension machine is just as bad as the abdominal machine. Why? First of all, many desk-bound individuals have tight hips and inactive/weak glutes. As a result, they are using too much of their "back" muscles in many movements. Loading up on this machine will just overload the lower back muscles causing more stress leading to high potential of wreaked back. 

Instead, focus more on hip extension movements that strengthen your butt rather than continually overloading the spinal erectors. Plus, adding in corrective stretching for the hip flexor complex, the hip rotators, and the hamstring complex that opens up your hips and alleviates excessive spinal flexion and compressions is literally exactly what the doctor ordered.

Furthermore, this exercise only train your body in one plane of movement in a fixed path and as a result does not work on your stabilisers. 

So what do you do instead? Focus on compound movements such as deadlift and Good Mornings that do not put all the stress on the lower "back" Be sure to use the correct techniques. If unsure, please get a qualified personal trainer who knows what he is doing to help.

3. The Hip Adductor/Abductor Combo

This is an all-time favourite among the female gym goers who is desperate to get rid of the thunder thighs or cellulite situation. I know many of you are totally convinced that this combo is going to work for ya and finally you can fit into your jeans. But the truth is that it does not work even if you can crank out a thousand reps. 

I've say this before and going to say it again. 

"Spot Reduction Does Not Work"

Seriously, no amount of direct inner or other hip-thigh work will burn that ugly fat covering that sexy toned musculature everyone wants to see so let it go.

Solutions: Stop all the excuses and clean up all the junk diets and start eating lean proteins, healthy fats,  and fruits and vegetables every 2-4 hours. 

4. Leg Press

For most people, it's easy to choose the leg press over squats. Afterall, they work the same leg muscles. Not true. It's mentally and physically more draining to perform the squats than the leg press. You want results, you got to work hard my friend.

The problem with the leg press is that you can't train your core muscles hard and functionally just by lying down. Sure you get strong legs but you get weak core muscles that do not work synergistically with your legs. The leg press may well be a major contributiing to the increased number of fitness enthusiasts that hurt their backs. People always use way too much weight and use poor form resulting in brutally compressive forces on the spine.

Want a nice pair of legs and flat mid section?

Go Back to basic: SQUAT, SQUAT, SQUAT

5.Leg Extension

This is definitely a bodybuilders' favourite exercise. For most women who don't aspire to be a bodybuilder or even want to be working out 2 hours a day, you better off doing compound movement exercises to recruit more muscles and burn more calories. With the leg extension, you'll be just working on the quads (front part of the thighs) and compared that with lunges with dumbbells you'll be working your quads and bum. Which is better? 

It has to be the lunges. Work more muscles and burn more calories and save time.

6. Elliptical Trainer/Cross Trainer

If you're super unfit or really really overweight, then this elliptical has some use for you. Other than that, it's useless. Sure it's easy on the knees but this machine trains you a limited range of motion and does not burn as much calories as it claims. 

 

At the end of the day. if you can read a dam magazine while on an elliptical, how much benefit do you really think you will get from this overpriced waste of space?

What should do instead for best results? Do high-intensity interval training run to see the best results.

Did you notice a common trend in all the exercises?

Yeah you're right. They required the use of MACHINE!!

So Get Off those damn useless machines and get back to BASICS. Why do you need those expensive gym membership anyway? Focus on functional movements using free weights such as kettlebells, bands and medicine ball and train with INTENSITY. Not only do you ramp up your metabolism and start losing fat, you prevent yourself from turning into a hunchbacked.

Train Hard Eat Healthy Look Good

TC

P.S. Want a safe, functional and fat burning workout? Why not join us at the boot camp in Perth?

P.S.S. What other exercises do you see people doing in the gym that make you cringe? What other exercises do you absolutely hate? What exercises have gotten you (or your clients) hurt in the past? Please share your personal experiences by posting a comment to this blog post, thanks!

Perth Boot Camp Workout of the Week

This boot camp exercise is called the "Push Press" and it can be done anywhere with a strength band. And this strength band is not like the type of physio rehab band. This band is a high-intensity band that we used in our women boot camp that help provides intense boot camp training.

This boot camp exercise works the whole body saving you time. it works the legs ( the bum), core and the triceps and shoulders.  It's a winner. can't go wrong with this exercise. You don't have to think about using different exercises to work different muscles groups.

Hey for the women boot camp members you can do this in your off days or while you on the road. So no excuses for no workout.

Train Hard Eat Well

TC

Perth Personal Training

Perth Boot Camp

Bad News For Veggies Eater

It's just about impossible to gain weight just by eating veggies. I mean seriously, you'd have to eat a LOT of THEM.
BUT...

Salads are a different story altogether. Why is it that every time people want to get rid of their belly fat they break out the salad bowls and start eating like a rabbit?

Thing is, MOST salads people eat are loaded with fat and calories. It's as if people think bacon, cheese and ranch dressing suddenly have amazing fat burning properties when they're on top of a couple of carrots and broccoli.

Look, you probably don't really want to know how much damage you did the last time you ate "healthy" and went to the salad bar for lunch.

But what's done is done. Here are the tips you need to remember the next time you order one. They are from the Head of R & D at Prograde Nutrition, registered dietitian Jayson Hunter:

1) Ask for the dressing on the side and dip the tongs of your fork in the dressing and THEN pick up some salad. It gives you just enough flavor and keeps your calorie intake under control.

2) Choose a salad that has grilled protein in it such as chicken or fish. Remember, it should be GRILLED and not fried.

3) Sorry, leave off the cheese and bacon bits. You know why ;-)

Train Hard Eat Well
TC
www.perth-women-bootcamp.com.au
www.tcpersonaltraining.com

Eat Breakfast for Fat Loss

For a long time, we been told to eat our breakfast. And most people would probably not be sure exactly why we should eat our breakfast. Well I have very good reason for you to eat your breakfast if you want get into great shape.

It's been found that women who eat their breakfast tend to have a lower BMI (body mass index) than women who don't eat their breakfast. That means women who eat breakfast weigh less. But I believe it would be healthy breakfast.

One of the reason given is that women who eat breakfast eat lesser throughout the day compared to those non-breakfast women. Doesn't it make sense? If you end up eating less, you less likely to gain weight and more likely to weigh less. So if you want to start looking better eat your breakfast. Remember every little things you do help.

You can read more about Damaging Effects of not Eating breakfast HERE.

Train Hard Eat Well
TC
Perth Boot Camp Coach

Boot Camp Instructor for Supreme Court Garden on Wednesday

Hi my name is Sarah and I'm a qualified Exercise Physiologist having completed a Bachelor of Science (Exercise and Health Science) at The University of Western Australia. I also have two years experience working as a personal trainer and gym instructor for the Shire of Kalamunda, writing programmes for and instructing clients in the use of fitness equipment. I have had specific experience instructing the Boot Camp programme at the centre and really enjoyed pushing people to their limit.

I enjoy keeping myself fit, although trying to schedule it in around Physiotherapy studies isn't easy! My weekends usually include tennis, swimming and the occasional workout if I missed one during the week. Being active is a huge part of my life and I love encouraging others to do the same.

Fat -Killer Workout

This is a very time-efficient and tough workout that only requires 4 minutes of your time. Well you can chose to do 8 minute if you want.
Okay this is how it works, do 20 second of Burpees and rest for 10 seconds.
(Note: Do your burpees on a grass patch that will reduce impact on your joints. Doing on hard surface such as concrete floor is going to kill your knees.)

After 20 seconds of break, do 20 seconds of push-ups followed by a 10 seconds rest.

Watch the video below on how to do the killer burpees


Watch this video below on how to do your push ups


Okay the whole workout go like this:

Set 1 - Do as many burpees as possible in 20 seconds
Rest - Do nothing for 10 seconds or jog for 10 seconds

Set 2 - Do as many Push-Ups as possible in 20 seconds
Rest - Do nothing for 10 seconds or jog for 10 seconds

Set 3 - Do as many burpees as possible in 20 seconds
Rest - Do nothing for 10 seconds or jog for 10 seconds

Set 4 - Do as many Push ups as possible in 20 seconds
Rest - Do nothing for 10 seconds or jog for 10 seconds

Set 5 - Do as many burpees as possible in 20 seconds
Rest - Do nothing for 10 seconds or jog for 10 seconds

Set 6 - Do as many Push Ups as possible in 20 seconds
Rest - Do nothing for 10 seconds or jog for 10 seconds

Set 7 - Do as many burpees as possible in 20 seconds
Rest - Do nothing for 10 seconds or jog for 10 seconds

Set 8 - Do as many Push Ups as possible in 20 seconds
Rest - Do nothing for 10 seconds or jog for 10 seconds

And all this takes only 4 minutes but they're tough.
If you're fit enough, do 2 rounds (or 16 sets) for more fat burn.
Hey let me know how you feel after doing this.

Train hard and Train Smart
TC

New Coach: Danny Lum

Hey everyone! We have a new coach for the Bootcamp next week and he is Danny Lum. He is very experienced in fitness and graduated from The University of Western Australia with a Honours degree in Sports & Exercise Science. I had knew him back when I was in Singapore 4 years ago doing my ASCA Strength & Conditioning Certification course.
When I first know him, he looked very serious and yes he actually still look very serious. But when he start laughing or smiling it's kind of comical. So please poke fun at him when you see him at the camp.

More About Him
He was in the Commando and was very much involved in martial arts. Hmm...that's why he's so serious huh.
But don't worry about him been a commando, he won't get you to do crazy commando stuff.
He will give you a great workout experience because of his in depth knowledge about exercise science and the experience in fitness.

Train Hard and Train Smart
TC
Perth Women Bootcamp

Should You Consume Any Food after workout?

Yes you should after an intense workout like the one we have at Perth Women Bootcamp in College Park, Nedlands. And it would be best to have the post-workout food within 45 minutes after a intense workout. Why 45 minutes ? Well doesn't have to be exact. It's important to do that because research had found that the body absorbed the nutrients best during that 45 minutes. Anything roughly after that, the absorption will be sub-optimal. And you will be setting your body up in a catabolic state which will mean that your body will break down protein in your muscles.

This would be detrimental to your overall recovery because your muscles instead of being repaired for damage induced by the workout they further break down. The result is you never recover from the last workout when you start your next workout maybe 2 days later. Then it will get worse as you go on like this because your muscles are never repaired and you eventually becomes very tired and worse of all lower your metabolism. And lowering your metabolism will cause your body to gain weight easily and finding fat loss a challenge.

For effective fat loss and improved metabolism, it is paramount that muscle tissue is preserved as much as possible. And to do that, you got to have that post-workout recovery food to effectively help you take on the next workout with minimal fatigue and muscle soreness.

What is a Great Post Workout food?
The carbs to protein ratio should be 2:1. The carbs should allow quick digestion so that the protein can be quickly transported to the body for repair. The best form of protein recommended here based on research is Whey Protein Isolate because it is readily digested, absorbed and used by the body. How much protein then? Research indicate 14gram of protein and the carbs should be of low fibre content. Why low fibre? Fibre will slow down the absorption. But fibre should be included in every other meal to slow down sugar release so that your body can burn more fat as a fuel.

So What's the Take Home Message Here?
If you're working out hard and wants to see result and make your effort count, you got to consume a post-workout recovery food that is make up of protein and quick-digesting carbs. If not, what's the point of working out so hard when research shows that people who don't consume post-workout food end up gaining more fat, lower their metabolism, and recover slower.

Some suggestions: One egg white would give you about 6.1 gram of protein and a banana would give you about 27gram of quick digesting carbs.
If you find it hard to eat after a workout, you might look over what my friends at ProGrades have for you.

Don't just train hard. Train Smart!
TC
Perth Women Bootcamp

Making a Healthy Snack for Fat Loss

Hey this is something you wanna watch to give you an idea how you can really make a healthy and refreshing snack for maximum fat loss in less than a minute. Yes it's less than a minute. So no more excuses not to eat frequently because it can't take up much of your time and you don't have to be a great cook to make the wrap. Okay! I called it the "Perth Women Bootcamp Wrap.



The ingredients are:
Deli Turkey Breast (can be Roasted beef, grilled chicken breast)
Cherry Tomatoes (x 3)
Capsicum (1/4)
Alfafa Sprout (2 tablespoons)

You can't really go wrong with this wrap. You can bring it along to work and have it as a morning or mid afternoon snack.
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See Ya in the Camp!
TC
Perth Women Bootcamp