Dancing in the rain

"Life's not about waiting for the storms to pass...
It's about learning to dance in the rain."
~Vivian Greene

This post is going to be short and sweet, in the spirit of getting things done and not procrastinating!

There is never going to be an ideal time to start something, in reality for most people the 'right time' is nothing more than a fantasy and will simply never come, but this doesn't stop many people waiting for it to come. So what's the solution to this seemingly cynical observation? Take the first step now. Not later today, but now, before you read the rest of this blog. Something small, but a definite first step on whatever journey is necessary to reach your end goal.

Feel better?

As I sit and write this, I have a number of pressing commitments, but by getting through things one by one we build momentum, and make entire process a whole lot more efficient.

The beauty of momentum is that if you do one thing, that one thing will turn to two things, and pretty soon you'll be well on your way.

Start today. MAKE things happen for yourself, by getting it done today.

"A year from now, you will wish you started today" ~ Karen Lamb

I'll post this entry again one year from today, so it's over to you, where will you be?

Twitter: @JRPTfitness

Email: jhlrees@aol.com

Tornado Training

Nothing burns fat and improves conditioning as fast as this. You may even put on some muscle due to the cascade of anabolic hormones, such as growth hormone, from this beast.

Credit for Tornado training must go to Martin Rooney of the Parisi Speed School in New Jersey for inspiring me to try this and modifying his Hurricane training for his professional UFC fighters [Mixed Martial Arts, commonly know as MMA] for their fight conditioning training. This is what led to the Tornado Training!

This was brutal, especially on my current very low intake of carbohydrates. The beauty of it is that it can be tweaked to challenge almost anyone, by changing the speed and incline on the treadmill, the reps and resistance used, rest periods and the total duration.

Anyway this is what I did today:

Alternating between the following 2 Tornado sets for 30 minutes, with three 1 minute recovery periods when I thought I may throw up or collapse, taken roughly at 8 minutes in, 15 minutes in, and 22 minutes in.

30 seconds on treadmill 13kph @10 incline

50 metre Farmers’ walks (24kg dumbbell each hand)

Press ups (15)

30 seconds on treadmill 13kph @10 incline

30 seconds on treadmill 13kph @10 incline

Bent over/upright rows (12 reps with 40kg)

Kettlebell swings 12 reps with 24kg – thanks Ben Lauder-Dykes)

30 seconds on treadmill 13kph @10 incline

Give it a try, this will test you both physically and mentally! Can you handle it?

The Sweat Equity Complex

In these times of economic austerity, it's great to know that some things don't need much financial equity but can be gained through sweat equity - ie good old fashioned hard work!

Sometimes, especially with lower body training, there is no way around putting in some sweat equity. The returns you get are more than worth the initial sweat equity.

I've had great results with myself and others using this brutal complex as a finisher to promote muscle gain (hypertrophy), fat loss, muscular endurance and even helping to teach athletes to remain powerful and explosive while extremely fatigued.

Try this lower body complex from PT Nick Tumminello of Performance U. Throw it in at the end of a leg session, certainly not before the session!

20 body weight squats (fast and powerful)

12 squat jumps (powerful, jump high!)

20 second static hold with thighs parallel to the ground (ie bottom of the squat position)

REPEAT ad nauseam!

My friend and training partner, celebrity PT and Biosignature Practitioner Ben Lauder-Dykes and I managed to go through it 3 times with no rest in between, at the end of our lower body sessions. I challenge you guys and girls to beat that! Let me know if you do!

Fearsome Five

Try this fitness challenge to blast body fat and build muscle in record time:

As many repetitions as possible of the following exercises, with a time limit of 1 minute for each exercise, and less than 15 seconds rest in between the different exercises:

Squats (using a barbell equivalent to 1.5 x your bodyweight)

Bench Press (using a barbell equivalent to your bodyweight)

Chin ups (no added weight)

Dips (no added weight)

Deadlifts (using a barbell equivalent to 1.5 x your bodyweight)

Have fun, and let me know your scores! The highest score I see on film will win a free 1 hour coaching call or email consultation with me.

Check me out on twitter: http://www.twitter.com/JRPTfitness

“That which does not kill us makes us stronger.”

"That which does not kill us makes us stronger.” ~ Nietzsche – on that note, try this:

The Tabata protocol – possibly the fastest way to burn fat and separate the mentally strong from the weak.

CAUTION – do not attempt unless you’re in good cardiovascular condition, with no underlying health problems, and under supervision. I’d advise you to check with your doctor and exercise professional before doing these. With that out of the way, I guess you’re wondering what all the fuss is about. Well read on for more fat loss in four minutes than you’d usually get in four hours!

Essentially, this short but brutally effective protocol is as follows:

20 seconds of very high intensity exercise (go at minimum 90% capacity), followed by 10 seconds of rest, and repeat this 8 times. The beauty of it is that you can use any piece of cardiovascular equipment, a barbell or dumbbells, or no equipment at all. Just pick an exercise that works as much of your body as possible. My personal favourite is to do it on a rowing machine, as on most you can set the rest/work periods and just focus on the savage intensity.

A couple of my other favourites include using a barbell for front squats, using dumbbells for ‘thrusters’ – a combination of a squat followed by a shoulder press, or even just plain old sprints. But be warned, with a strict focus on speed, you don’t need to go too heavy.

This will keep your metabolism elevated for increased fat burning for hours to come, and also build your mental strength. When you’ve faced these, other gym challenges seem far less intimidating. Another bonus – it may be hell, but at least it’s only a short four minute stay!

To adapt Friedrich Nietzsche’s famous proclamation to this context – ‘that which does not kill us makes us LEANER!’

Check me out on twitter: http://www.twitter.com/JRPTfitness

15 Fantastic Foods

15 Fantastic Foods

Here are the mainstays of my shopping trolley, stock up and fill up on these staples on a regular basis and you can’t go wrong:

1. Chicken breasts

2. Watercress

3. Unsalted nuts

4. Blueberries

5. Broccoli

6. Greek yoghurt

7. Oily fish (eg salmon, mackerel etc)

8. Steak

9. Tuna

10.Wholegrain Rice

11Peppers

12. Onions and garlic

13. Avocadoes

14. Olive oil

15. Sweet potatoes

Ok plus a few cheeky extras if fancy them that didn't make the top 15:

16.Apples

17. Pinot Noir or Merlot (Red wine with the best polyphenol anti-oxidants)

18. Dark chocolate (minimum of 70% cocoa solids)

19. Peanut/almond butter

20. Unsalted Butter

What will you be buying?

Check me out on twitter: http://www.twitter.com/JRPTfitness

S

Jonny's Ten Top Tips

Ok guys, here are some basic tips that will benefit anyone looking to be healthier, improve sports performance or body composition/fat loss. Anybody can do these and start building a better you, today!

Simple and straightforward admittedly, but a great place to start.

JONNY’S TEN TOP TIPS

· BE SMART! Set yourself a SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-based) goal. Health, fat loss and muscle gain are all at least 70% diet and 30% training!

· RESISTANCE IS USEFUL! Resistance exercise is the most efficient way of both building muscle and burning fat. Use moves that work your whole body, or at least large muscle groups rather than exclusively focusing on cardiovascular training.

· PLAY THE PERCENTAGES! Remember the 80/20 rule – get things right 80% of the time and the 20% isn’t so important! One bad day is no big deal, and can even be beneficial.

· TAKE THE WATERS! Drink more water – aim for a minimum of 2.5 litres spread evenly throughout the day. This should also help with mental clarity.

· LITTLE AND OFTEN! Exercise adds up - little and often will have an impact. 5 minutes extra walking here or there (ie walk rather than taking the tube a few stops) is worthwhile and will make a difference if it becomes incorporated into your daily routine.

· GO NUTS AT BREAKFAST! Eat breakfast, but better still try the meat and nuts breakfast – it seems unconventional but the first thing you eat influences how your brain functions for the rest of the day, which will improve your mental clarity for the entire day, as well as being optimal for losing fat and gaining muscle. All of this in one meal!

· USE THE F WORD! Don’t be scared of fats, essential fats, such as omega 3 fish oils, will help turn off fat storage and turn on fat burning. Avocadoes, nuts, seeds, eggs and olive oil are all good sources.

· SINFUL SUGARS! Minimise consumption of simple sugars, such as those found in sweets and fruit juices.

· DON’T GO BANANAS! Get the majority of your carbohydrates from fibrous vegetables, such as broccoli, asparagus, spinach etc, as well as from berries such as blueberries, blackberries and raspberries rather than from starchy carbohydrates such as pasta and bread. Starchy carbohydrates are fine after exercise but eat for what you’ve just done and what you’re about to do. Remember the fuel tank analogy!

· GET UP TO SPEED! Try to eat some protein every 3 hours to keep your metabolism running at top speed!

Check me out on twitter: http://www.twitter.com/JRPTfitness

Jonny Rees LL.B, REPS Cert. PT – email jhlrees@aol.com for a consultation.