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Why Kettlebell Training is so effective for fat loss
1. You burn more fat in less time
Kettlebell training is different from conventional weight training because it focuses on the body’s natural movements, these natural movements leave no muscles untouched. So rather than exercising just your arms, legs, or back, kettlebell training works the entire body as a complete unit.
This type of training is very demanding, imagine how much more oxygen and energy is required to fuel 600+ muscles rather than just 1 or 2! The consequences of this are phenomenal; you can get an incredible workout in just 20 minutes and burn huge amounts of fat compared with regular long drawn out exercise.
2. Increases your metabolism
Your body has evolved to function in certain movement patterns whether it’s bending over to pick up a child or squatting down to sit into a chair. It is these exact movement patterns that Kettlebell training mimics and as you replicate these patterns your body will reward you by getting stronger and building muscle tone fast. I have never seen such quick gains in muscle tone than through kettlebell training.
Muscle tone is very important when it comes to fat loss because muscle is very metabolically active which means it constantly needs energy to maintain its size. The great news is that its favourite source of energy is body fat, so the more muscle tone you can develop the more fat you will burn, even at rest.
3. Burn calories even after exercise
The “Afterburn” or EPOC (excessive post-exercise oxygen consumption) is another great reason why kettlebells are so effective for fat loss. Certain intensive exercise, like kettlebell training, that drives your body into the anaerobic zone with create “Afterburn” or EPOC.
Following a kettlebell session the body has to work hard to return itself back to equilibrium: re-oxygenation of tissues, clearance of lactic acid, glycogen refuelling etc. This process demands energy and this energy comes from, you guessed it, your fat stores. So unlike other forms of exercise you will actually be burning calories after your workout, and for up to 24 hours too.
The 7 Deadly Sins of Running
Are you still getting up early in the pouring rain and pounding the streets in the hope of losing that excess belly fat? Well all that hard work could be for nothing and leave you injured too! Find out why running is one of the last things you should be doing for your health with my 7 deadly sins of running.
1. Decreases the size of your heart.
Small muscles use less energy and are more efficient. Consider the difference in energy consumption between a 50cc scooter and a huge V8 4x4 truck. Our heart is a muscle just like the rest of our muscles, if you force the heart to keep running for long periods of time it will naturally shrink to use less energy and become more efficient. Remember that energy is a valuable commodity and the body wants to retain as much as possible.
2. Causes injury through repetitive movements.
When you run 2.5-3 times your bodyweight is transmitted through your joints. Now imagine this type of force being repeated over and over again for long periods of time, eventually your weakest joint will give out. Usually the ankles or the knees are the first to go. Many runners then opt for some kind of support or brace which only exacerbates the problem by moving it on to the next weakest joint whist keeping the old injury still weak.
3. Slows down your metabolism.
The more muscle tone you can maintain, generally the higher your metabolism. Muscle is highly metabolically active and requires constant energy to survive, so the more muscle tone you have the more calories you will be burning at rest. Long distance running will often deplete your energy stores and then start breaking down your muscle tissue to use as energy. If you want some serious muscle wastage and to reduce your metabolic rate then keep running.
4. Produces more body fat.
Fat is one of our body's favourite sources of energy. The more you run the more your body prepares itself for your next run. You will actually start to hold on to more fat so you can run for longer next time.
5. Boring and time consuming.
Some people run for fun, but lets face it most of us run to get in shape and lose that excess belly fat. The truth is running is very time consuming and there are better ways to get great results in a lot lot less time.
6. Cardiac distress and heart attacks.
Evolving from our hunter gatherer days we had no real necessity to run long distances, in fact the only running we ever did was in short bursts to avoid predators or to catch food. Our body simply isn’t designed to run long distances and the stresses you put your heart under during this time can set you up for a heart attack. It’s a fact that many long distance runners do die of heart attacks.
7. Fat burning slows right down.
The body is an amazing machine and will adapt to anything over time. The more time you spend running the better you become at running and the more efficient you get at using less energy. So what starts off as a great calorie burner quite quickly becomes almost useless at burning excess calories. Ultimately runners then have to run further and further to get the same calorie expenditure that they acheived when they first started.
The 7 most common mistakes made when exercising
As a London Personal Trainer I spend around 1000 hours a year training my clients and have discovered that 7 reoccurring mistakes are made on a frequent basis. Just by taking note and correcting these 7 issues will dramatically improve your results and prevent injury.
1. Learn to breathe
Breathing correctly is vital when exercising. Deep breaths provide more oxygen to the body and in turn provide you with the ability to work harder; they also prevent you from becoming dizzy or light headed. Breaths should be taken deeply and from the pit of the stomach or diaphragm. Get into a good habit of breathing out during the hardest part of the exercise and in during the easiest. For example, when performing a push up breathe in on the way down and out on the way up. Never hold your breath, even when stretching!
2. Take your time
This is one of the most common mistakes I see and the harder the exercise becomes the more tempted you are to rush through it. Muscles need time to work and be stimulated, unless you are training for speed. A good test is to ask yourself whether you would be able to pause at any part during the exercise movement, if not then you are moving too fast. Chances are no matter how slow you think you are moving, you are probably moving too fast. A squat should take around 5 seconds, 2 seconds down, pause for a second and 2 seconds up.
3. Think technique
Concentrating on your technique and good form will ensure that you target the correct muscles and don’t develop bad habits. Bad technique is a sure fire way to get injured, if your technique starts to fail then stop the exercise. The last thing you want to do is develop a motor pattern for an incorrect movement. Start off with the correct movement and concentrate on that movement the whole time, think about what muscles are working and how it feels.
4. Tighten your core
If you want to develop 6 pack abs, a strong core and prevent injury then you must switch on your core. By switch on I mean brace your stomach as if you were about to take a punch – pull your navel in towards your spine and squeeze. Performing this action not only protects your spine but also gives your stomach muscles a thorough workout. If you switch on your core during every exercise the chances are you won’t need to do many individual core exercises to develop your stomach. The fact is that your core is working hard during most exercises (providing you are not lazy and using machines) and so the need for targeted stomach muscle exercises should be at a minimum.
5. Reduce your rest periods
I don’t believe in long cardio sessions, in fact research has shown that they don’t work anyway. If you want to get a good cardio workout then reduce the rest periods between your exercises. I see too many people at gyms idly standing around talking or reading magazines. To get the most out of your workouts reduce your resting times and increase the intensity. I like to put 2 or 3 exercises back to back with no rest periods to really get the heart rate up and lungs working.
6. Warm up the correct movement patterns
Starting your exercise programme without a warm is just asking for trouble. Not only do warm ups prepare your body physically but also prepare you mentally. The warm up should replicate the movements that you will be performing in the actual workout. If you are going to be pressing things over your head then make sure you push your arms up and down overhead a few times first. If you are going to be doing heavy squats then some body weight squats first will prepare you for this.
7. Stretch only the tight muscles
Everybody is designed differently and we all have some muscles that are tight and others that are more flexible. It is pointless performing a stretching routine that focuses on your most flexible areas; you should leave these alone and work on you most inflexible muscles. In order to neutralise your posture and improve your range of movement you should only stretch the areas that really need it.
Detox and improve your health with deep breathing
Are you breathing deeply enough? Do you even think about your breathing? Can you take a slow controlled breath in for 10 seconds and then a slow and controlled breath out for 10? Breathing is so natural to all of us but often little thought is taken over how we breath and the huge impact it can have on our lives if we breath incorrectly, or too shallow. Many of us breath too shallow sucking in our bellies and raising our shoulders. The fact is that the deeper you breath the better your general well being and the more relaxed you are able to become.
The breathing process has a large impact on our internal organs and the diaphram plays a central part in this. The diaphram is dome shaped and acts as a natural barrier between our heart and lungs and our other internal organs. The upper part of the diaphram actually supports the heart and the lower part attaches around the lower ribs and lower lumbar vertabrae. As we inhale the diaphram moves down allowing more air to be take into the lungs as the chest cavity increases, as we exhale the diaphram raises and the chest cavity is reduced. So the deeper we breath in the more oxygen can be taken into the lungs and conversely the more carbon dioxide can then be expelled.
Deep breathing not only allows us to take in more oxygen and expel more carbon dioxide it also has a huge impact on other areas of our health. As a deep breath is taken in the bottom of the diaphram actually massages the liver, stomach and other organs as well as massaging the heart on its return. Shallow breathing does not allow for much of this massaging. Also, as we deep breath the belly, lower back and lower rib cage expand. This process of up and down, in and out allows for a natural detox of our body through the promotion of blood flow, peristalsis and lymphatic pumping. Our lymphatic system is vital for removing toxins from our body and plays a key role in our immune system. Other than massage and muscle contraction the lymphatic system has no other means of inducing movement.
Deep breathing is also a huge relaxation instigator. I am constantly telling my clients to control their breathing during exercise, most people take more breath than is necessary. Breathing too shallow and rapidly expels carbon dioxide too quickly and isn't very good for your health. Deep breathing slows things down which in turn signals our parasympathetic nervous system and promotes a relaxation response. This is a great stress reliever and also helps to harmonise our system and promote overall long lasting health.
My advice is to start taking some time to understand your natural breathing patterns. Try to slow things down. Take long controlled breaths in and slow controlled breaths out. Think about drawing your belly button into your spine as you breath out and letting your lower stomach relax as you breath in. Deep breathing is vital for all aspects of good health, focus, concentrate and control your breathing and you will live a much healthier and stress free life.
