Get Outside

Keeping along the same lines as my last email about Earthing it seems appropriate to mention outdoor training again since it's practically summer.

The weather is turning and it would be rude to train indoors when the sun's shining, because the sun IS NOT bad for us - far from it in fact! (maybe I'll share my thoughts on that in the next email... join the list by claiming your free gift via the box on the right here >>>)

We wait most of the year for good weather, then go and do stuff indoors when it's sunny!

Take your training outside whenever you can.

Summer is a great time to get outside and mix up your training a bit.

This weekend, I simply took a kettlebell into the garden and did my workout barefoot on the grass, in the sun.

You could do the same.

If you have any gym kit like kettlebells, dumbbells, club bells, medicine balls, resistance bands... you can take them outside and do your workout there.

Not forgetting bodyweight exercises, Animal Flow, Rope Flow etc.

The benefits of sunlight, fresh air and earthing are not to be overlooked, and there's nothing worse than going in the gym for your workout and looking out at the beautiful weather!

Yes, it's important to keep your training up, but unless you have one very specific goal that requires you to train in the gym, and only in the gym, you can mix it up a bit.

Train in the gym when the weather's not so good (there's still plenty of opportunity for this, even in the summer here in the UK), and when the weather's good - get outside and do something different.

You may be able to take your regular workout outside, especially if you go to the gym to walk/run on the treadmill!!

...or do something completely different.

Try some track workouts - running drills, sprints, hill work, bounding, skipping, hopping...

You could either seize the day when the weather's good and change things on the fly, or you could change the focus of your training for the summer months to incorporate more outdoor training and activities.

Your results won't suffer much if you swap a couple of gym workouts for something like climbing, mountain biking, paddle boarding, kayaking, a kick-around with the boys, or even an outdoor fitness class or bootcamp...

Just pick an outdoor sport and do that for a couple of months to increase coordination, reactions and functional movement, and, of course, vitamin D levels :)

Keep up your strength work. 2 workouts a week is enough to maintain strength levels if you're still doing other training too and it gives you a chance to work some conditioning and skills too.

You could even do your strength work outside if you have the kit available - strongman training is exceptional for strength and functional movement and is best suited to outdoors anyway! 

Grab some heavy kettlebells or a sandbag and go for a walk.

So don't skip workouts because it's too nice to go to the gym (it's just an excuse!).

And don't skip the sunshine because you want to do grunt work in the gym.

Combine the two. Train, but do it outdoors.

When it's raining - go to the gym.

(or embrace the elements and get wet!)

Now go outside!

Mark

P.s. Many of the workouts on MoveBetter.Club are suitable to do outside with minimal or zero equipment - if you haven't checked it out yet, go there now and sign up. It could change the way you train forever!

Summer Training

So, the weather’s improved a bit and summer’s just about to kick in – do you change your training accordingly? 

It’s not essential, but a nice way to mix things up a bit and keep it interesting is to change your training to suit the seasons. 

Obviously, you need to train towards your specific goal(s) but it’s a good idea to make the most of the better weather, and you’ll likely have spent the last couple of months “getting in shape” for summer, so you can change the focus of your training a bit to maintenance and building your fitness levels. 

A good split that I like to use in the summer months is to complete two resistance (weights) workouts per week to maintain strength and muscle mass, and then include a couple of outdoor workouts – that could be anything from playing a sport, to going to an outdoor fitness class, to taking a couple of kettlebells into the garden for a workout to make the most of the good weather. 

Any outdoor sport would be good for this – paddle-boarding, climbing, mountain-biking, football… anything that gets you moving in different ways and challenges your coordination and reactions is fantastic. 

Walking is ok, but you should be doing that anyway. ‘Physical activity’ is NOT the same as ‘exercise’ or ‘training’. 

It needs to be a bit higher intensity than just walking and moving around. It’s also a great time to add in some sprint work and really work on your High Heart Rate training. 

Find a track or a big field and work some intervals. 

Why in Earth would you want to do your HIIT training in a gym when you can do it outside in the sun?! 

The main thing is that you capitalise on the warmer weather and get outdoors as much as you can. 

Tweak your training routine to include outdoor training (trust me, by Autumn you’ll be missing it!) 

Sun, fresh air and being in contact with the Earth are incredibly good for us – essential in fact. 

So make the most of this opportunity. 

And you don’t even need to have a strict weekly plan! 

On the rainy days – do your gym workouts 

On the sunny days – do your outdoor workouts 

Don’t get too hung up on Monday’s being ‘chest day’ and Wednesdays being ‘Legs’, just aim to get something done on the days you can train, the order really isn’t that important if you’re not a professional athlete! 

As a special summer offer you can now get your first month free at www.MoveBetter.Club where you’ll find a range of workouts that can be done outdoors, at home or at the gym and would fit perfectly into your summer training to mix things up. 

PLUS you still get all of the Nutrition and Lifestyle content that’s on there too! 

Head over to www.MoveBetter.Club and use the code ‘Blog’ to get your free month.

Mark

Summer Shape Up

As summer is almost here and holidays are just around the corner I thought I’d share a few tips to help those of you who want to shed those last few pounds before the bikini season.

So keeping it short and sweet…

Number 1: Cut out all unnecessary/simple carbs (bread, pasta, cakes, biscuits, cereals). Grains = flabby gains!
Your carbs should come mainly from vegetables, and fruits (ideally low Glycemic Index fruits like berries).
So less grains, more veggies!

Number 2: Eat protein and fat (yes, fat!) at every meal. Gone are the days of toast or cereal for breakfast and sandwiches for lunch. Meat, fish, eggs, seafood, and organic (preferably raw) dairy should provide your protein and fat fuels.

Number 3: Lift weights. Male or female, if you want to shape up and tone your body, you need to lift weights. Barbell Squats, Deadlifts, Chin-ups, Bench Press and Overhead presses should make up the bulk of your training programme. Add in some sprint intervals and Kettlebell Swings, and you’ve got yourself a recipe for success. 3-4 times a week along with a good diet and you’ll soon start to see the results that have eluded you for so long. Just make sure you’re lifting as heavy as you can with good technique.
Heavy + Bad Technique = Injury
Light + Good Technique = Slow Progress
Heavy + Good Technique = Good Progress!

Number 4: Sleep! You should be aiming for not only quantity, but quality. Bed by 11 in a pitch black room (no lights whatsoever – even the LED on your TV or alarm clock should be covered), and phone and Wi-Fi OFF! You’re not going to be making calls or surfing the net while you sleep, so turn them off until the morning – they WILL disrupt your sleep quality.

Number 5: Water. I’ve said it a million times – 1 litre per 50lbs bodyweight every day! Water is what we should be drinking. Ditch the diet drinks, and if you’re serious about this, cut out alcohol too, at least until you’re at your target weight – if you’re drinking more than a couple of glasses of red wine a week and not losing weight, you’ve only got yourself to blame!

And finally,

Number 6: Be consistent. Stick with it. Some people see results in the first week, some people it may take a bit longer; but if you give it time, it will happen. Steady progress is more permanent. Fast results are likely to disappear as fast as they came! And for your own sake, DON’T weigh yourself! Use your clothes as a way to measure your progress, or take some measurements and photos. You’ll be surprised at how much your body can change without your weight changing with it.