Three fitness tests to try right now

Want to test your strength, flexibility, muscular endurance, vascular health and longevity to name a few? Try these simple at home tests and see how you score. Ways to improve are also detailed below.

Test 1

30 second sit-to-stand test (Tests lower body muscular strength and endurance)

Start by sitting in a chair (approx 17” high from seat to floor and without arm rests ideally) with your arms crossed over your chest in front of you and simply stand up then sit straight back down again as many times as you can in 30 seconds. Make sure you touch the seat chair with your glutes (bottom) and stand completely straight at the top of the move. Count how many times you complete one stand up and sit down. It may be easier to ask a friend to time you for the 30 seconds.
How did you do? (The following results are taken from 60 year old test subjects so if you are a lot younger than this then you should be able to perform the above average scores!)

Females:

Level 3 (Less than 12 ) = Below average

Level 2 (12-17) =Average

Level 1 (Greater than 17) = Above average

Males:

Level 3 (Less than 14) = Below average

Level 2 (14-19) = Average

Level 1 (Greater than 19) = Above average

Test 2 - 30 second standing on one leg test (Tests postural instability, vascular health and even dementia risk!)

Stand on your right leg and raise your left leg up off the floor several inches. (Your left foot must not touch your right leg/foot for support).

How long can you hold this stance for without too much wobbling? Dont forget to try the other leg too. If this was easy try it again but with your eyes closed this time!

Level 1 = 30 seconds + with eyes closed. Fantastic!

Level 2 = 20-30 seconds + eyes open. Not bad at all. This is what everyone should be aiming for at the minimum.

Level 3 - Less than 20 seconds = There may be balance issues/vascular damage that needs investigating. Is one side significantly easier than the other? Look into possible issues with the spine.

Want to improve your time? Try standing on your right leg whilst cleaning your top teeth and then standing on your left leg whilst cleaning the bottom teeth. In this way you will be incorporating balance training into our daily life.

Test 3

Standing straight touch toes test (Tests flexibility especially in legs and lower back)

There is some evidence that being able to touch your toes is a good marker of how flexible you arteries are and an inability to reach the floor with your fingertips can be a predictor of a future heart attack. Issues of mobility or stability must be looked into if you cannot yet touch your toes in this move.

To perform this test stand up straight with your feet close together but not touching. Reach up from the hips and then bend forwards towards your toes. Not touching the floor? Try this. Stand tall again and simply rotate your pelvis forwards into a slight posterior pelvic tilt (tuck your bum in and forwards). Keeping this position reach up and forwards again and see what happens? Did you get further down this time?

Everyone should be striving towards being able to touch their toes from this standing position and with regular practice this will be achieved. If you simply are not getting any closer, investigate mobility and stability issues with a personal trainer or physical therapist.

Red Hot Personal Training

One-to-one PT sessions, Group training, One-to-one Pilates sessions, One-to-one pre and post-natal sessions, Nutrition for weight loss

Stand up for fitness!

Did you know that sitting down for too many hours every day can seriously impact your health? I wonder how many of you have just stood up!

Sitting facts:

• Research estimates that if you cut back on the time spent sitting down to under 3 hours a day in total, it could add two years to your life expectancy.
• An analysis of 18 studies found that people who sat for the longest periods of time were twice as likely to have or develop Type 2 Diabetes or heart disease, compared to those that sat the least.

Although a daily workout is absolutely essential for your health offering many physical and mental benefits, its equally important what you do in-between and if that is mainly sitting down in an office, at home or travelling try these suggestions below.

Here are some tips to get you moving:

1. Aim to not sit down for more than 15 minutes at a time without standing up or taking a quick walking break.
2.  Try standing up when you talk on the phone or use your computer/ipad etc.
3. Try and cut down on your TV time each day and incorporate regular standing breaks into your viewing time. (Go and make a cup of tea for example).
4. Simple body stretches performed after sitting down will help your circulation.
5. Do small bouts of exercise throughout the day. Every hour or two, take the opportunity to do some squats, standing lunges, high knees, toe touches, or push-ups against the wall. It doesn’t have to be anything crazy, complicated, or long. Just a few minutes will do!

Can Red Hot Personal Training help you? We offer the following:

• Online Personal Training
• One-to-one Personal Training
• Pilates Instructor
• Pre and Post-Natal Exercise

Hone and tone your bottom with this exercise!

Who wants to try one of the best exercises for great glutes (bottom) and build athletic speed and power whilst you are there! Red Hot Personal Training just loves this move for the great results it gets with clients. We featured this exercise in a previous blog last year and positive feedback was received from readers who gave it a try!

A step up from the 'Glute Bridge' exercise. This move adds an additional core challenge and increased range of motion. 

1. Sit on a stability/swiss ball. Slowly walk feet out until head and shoulders are resting on the ball, positioning feet hip-width apart under knees and place hands onto your hips.

2. Lower hips toward the floor, (try not to let your knees travel forwards) stopping a few inches above the ground. Pause, then engage abs and press up through the glutes and down into the heels to lift hips up in line with knees. Try no to hyperextend (don't lift up to high) Pause for 2 seconds squeezing your glute muscles (bottom).

3. Lower hips to start position. Try 3 sets of 10 reps.

(Remember to perform the exercise carefully and listen to your body, really focus on using your glute muscles to do the work). 

If you would like the help of a personal trainer please contact Red Hot Personal Training.

What is the best diet & exercise for your body type? (Part Two)

Want to know how to eat and workout for the best results for your body type?  In our last blog we identified the 3 distinct somatotype body types:  Please read Part 1 first if you have not already done so.

Once you have worked out your body type, use the information below to help fine tune your nutrition and exercise plans to get the most success with your goals whether they consist of weight loss, increased muscle or body sculpting.

ECTOMORPHS

Nutrition

SOURCE:RODALE WELLNESS

• Stay hydrated with plenty of fresh plain water
• Eat natural unprocessed foods
• Avoid drastically cutting carbs (eat enough vegetable carbs)
• Eat adequate calories to facilitate lean muscle growth (Don't use the excuse of having a faster metabolism to eat junk food as this does nothing to grow muscle)
• Eat plenty of broccoli, cauliflower, avocado, chicken, turkey, oats, brown rice, coconut oil or ghee, nuts, seeds and nut butter. 

Fitness training

• Focus on gaining strength
• Dont overtrain - dont overdo aerobic activities if your goal is to increase muscle and tone
• Ectomorphs tend to excel at cardio and avoid or do minimal weight/resistance training.  
• To increase muscle mass, increase strength and sculpt an ectomorph type body use heavy weights and body weight exercises
• Train 3 times a week to allow lots of recovery days to give muscles a chance to repair and grow.

MESOMORPH

Nutrition

• Stay hydrated with plenty of fresh plain water
• Eat natural unprocessed foods
• Watch overall food consumption as Mesomorphs tend to overeat as they feel its relatively easy to loose weight
• Include lots of healthy fats such as avocados, butter, olives, oily fish etc

Fitness training

• Try sprint training (build up to this if new to running) as its great for fat loss and muscle building
• Train 3 times a week to allow lots of recovery days to give muscles a chance to repair and grow
• Target multiple muscle groups each training session
• Pilates is great for mesomorph body types

ENDOMORPHS

Nutrition

• Stay hydrated with plenty of fresh plain water
• Eat natural unprocessed foods
• Watch carbohydrate consumption (especially later in the day) (try to get your carbs from vegetables as opposed to processed carbs such as bread, crackers, biscuits etc)
• No food within 3 hours of bedtime
• Fill up on protein at each meal and include loads of vegetables/salad
• Eliminate sweets and reduce alcohol
• Snacks if eaten should be smaller than the size of your palm
• Have a high protein and fibre breakfast such as an omelette of eggs, spinach, red peppers and spring onion

Fitness training

• Your goal should focus on burning fat whilst increasing muscle to gain a lean and toned body
• Train at a high intensity with little rest between sets to burn stored body fat
• Avoid long periods of sitting, exercise for 30 minutes a day (7 times a week) with two of those sessions using heavy weights/body weight exercises and one session being a HIIT session

With the above guidance you can take your nutrition and exercise to the next level and may see results faster and better then ever before.

If you are interested in knowing more about your body type and how we can help you achieve the best results please get in contact.

What is the best diet & exercise for your body type? (Part One)

Struggling to lose excess weight or wondering just why you can't gain any muscle? To take your physique to the next level it may be helpful to know your body type (somatotype) and how knowing what type it is could influence a successful outcome.  By eating the right foods and exercising in the way that is best for your particular body type success may be closer than you think.  Below you can see the three distinct body types consisting of Ectomorphs, Mesomorphs and Endomorphs.  

In this blog (Part 1) we will help you identify which body type you are. Most people may find they have a mix of types, however, there is usually characteristics of one type that resonates most with each person and this would be classed as your dominant body type. 

Source:Rodale Wellness

ECTOMORPH

• Long, lean and willowy with a small frame
• Small shoulders, chest and buttocks
• Low body fat percentage
• Hard to gain muscle mass
• Low muscular strength levels - finds resistance training a challenge, prefers low slow cardio
• Hard to gain weight 

MESOMORPH

• Gains muscle easily
• Naturally muscular and strong
• Naturally lean
• Broad Shoulders
• Gains fat easier than Ectomorphs

ENDOMORPH

• Harder to lose body fat and to keep it off
• High body fat percentage (may be overweight)
• Body shape more rounder, softer or curvier, or pear shaped
• Gains fat very easily
• Larger shoulders
• Sensitive to processed and refined carbohydrates 

Part 2 of our follow on blog will detail the appropriate training and nutrition that will help you get the most success for each body type.  Be sure not to miss the next blog by subscribing FREE. (On the right hand side of this page)

The building blocks to a better body.........

There is definitely something to take away from the 'Three Little Pigs' children's fairy tale and its not just for children. Children's stories are often written in a way to teach them valuable lessons with characters making mistakes thus helping children to translate them into real life situations.

In the story, the first little piggy was a little bit lazy and grabbed at the first thing he could to build his house. Unfortunately straw isn’t great raw materials for building a house and so the wolf ate him. This is like the person who grabs at the first sugary treat before stopping to think or eats processed foods at every single meal. Yes it gets the job done and you fill you stomach but in the long run the lack of nutrients will keep you constantly craving food and the body will just keep sending you hunger signals.  This little piggy did not put the time and effort into building his house much like those that don't take the time for exercise.  Even those of us who are extremely busy can learn to incorporate exercise into our daily lives so there really is no excuse.

The second little piggy built his house out of wood and yes it was stronger than the straw house, but the wolf still managed to blow the house down and eat the pig, it just took a little more effort on the wolfs part. The second little pig is like the person who still eats processed junk food BUT is “exercising” so its ok?? To some this might sound ok as the exercise will 'burn off' the junk that they are eating. If only it was as simple as that.  

The body constantly needs nutrients to build and repair and get stronger and the fuel that you supply it with and the exercise that you give it will ultimately make up 'You'. If you keep putting the junk and poor quality foods into your body and deny it of all the nutrients it needs and deny it of exercise, it simply WONT be able rebuild you a better body.  Simply put, you cannot out exercise a bad diet, or expect to do well on a good diet with no daily exercise, the two truly go hand in hand.

So that leaves us with the third little piggy who was the one who took his time, put the effort in and sourced the best materials and built himself a house of bricks and eventually outsmarted the big bad wolf. He kept it simple and built a house that would last for years.

To truly build yourself the best, strongest and most robust body (to keep that wolf at bay) does it not make sense to give it the best raw materials (nutrition) possible and the movement (exercise) that it needs and craves?

How to make your dream body a reality

Many people use this time of year to make New Years resolutions and dream about changing their bodies for the better.  Is this one of your resolutions this new year?

Picturing in your mind what you would like to acheive is fantastic but here are a few ways that can help you actually get there.

How committed are you to change? 

Your dream body will not be made overnight so understanding that you will need to commit to make exercise a part of your daily life and improving your diet so you consistently eat well are key to success. This is ultimately what we must strive for.

What do you need to focus on to get there?

Choosing an exercise programme designed for your individual body and personal goals in conjunction with a healthy diet will definitely improve your fitness, body shape and confidence not to mention enhance your mood and stamina. This is where a personal trainer can be invaluable and help you take away the guess work of what to do and when and motivate you to achieve your best.   

If you’re truly serious about your fitness goals make a commitment to yourself to do what it takes to make that happen. Keeping a diary of your exercise, increasing your daily vegetable intake and water consumption can have a big impact.

Remind yourself why you want to make the change

Do you want to be able to keep up with your small children in the park without getting out of breath, wear that size 10 bikini, be confident to stand up and present your work to a room full of people, sleep better? 

These are all achievable with the help of regular exercise and a healthy diet. Get excited about your goals and the final results, but make no mistake, if you don’t consistently exercise and support your training with a healthy diet, those results will never exist outside of your imagination and you’ll never find out how amazing it feels to have achieved them.

Always remind yourself of your goals and just go for it!

The Joy of Pilates

Increased flexibility, incredible core strength, enhanced endurance and great for creating a long and lean body too! Who doesn't strive for these?

Don't underestimate the benefits of practicing pilates as there are many and often more than meets the eye including stress reduction, injury prevention and rehabilitation and better mind and body connection.

If you have ever attended a large Pilates class and been stuck at the back wondering if you are doing the exercises correctly and struggled to locate your 'core' or even know what it truly is or how it works in conjunction with the exercises and everyday life, then trying a small group (2-6 people) or one-to-one sessions with a Pilates instructor could be just right for you.

To truly gain the benefits of Pilates really going back to the very principles at the heart of this amazing art is essential and from there progress can be made to identify and address weaknesses and build more challenging exercises into the sessions when you are ready. 

What we love about Pilates is that it is such an inclusive form of exercise whatever your age, fitness or experience , there is always a range of exercises and adaptions that are possible. 

Set some 'me time' aside and explore the joy of Pilates. 

Red Hot Personal Training and Pilates offers tailored one-to-one or small group Pilates sessions carried out in your own home, work or local park to help you realise the true Joy of Pilates.

Hone and tone your bottom with this supercharged exercise!

Who wants to try one of the best exercises for great glutes (bottom) and build athletic speed and power whilst you are there! Red Hot Personal Training just loves this move for the great results it gets with clients.

A step up from the 'Glute Bridge' exercise. This move adds an additional core challenge and increased range of motion. 

1. Sit on a stability/swiss ball. Slowly walk feet out until head and shoulders are resting on the ball, positioning feet hip-width apart under knees and place hands onto your hips.

2. Lower hips toward the floor, (try not to let your knees travel forwards) stopping a few inches above the ground. Pause, then engage abs and press up through the glutes and down into the heels to lift hips up in line with knees. Try no to hyperextend (don't lift up to high) Pause for 2 seconds squeezing your glute muscles (bottom).

3. Lower hips to start position. Try 3 sets of 10 reps.

(Remember to perform the exercise carefully and listen to your body, really focus on using your glute muscles to do the work). 

Do you know the benefits of drinking water?

Click on the video to watch a short video highlighting many of the benefits of drinking water.  Drink up everyone!

Brought to you by Red Hot Personal Training, Sussex.

Want a strong core?

What is your core?

When you hear the words core training what comes to mind?  Endless crunches that seem to produce no results?

A great number of people believe that your core muscles consist of only your abdominal muscles which is just not true.  Muscles of the core region include the abdominals and the hip and spinal musculature.  In fact when you strength train your core you aim to target all the muscle groups that stabalise the spine and pelvis.

Side plank

A strong core can help you with your functional fitness (those crucial ab and back muscles you call upon every time you turn, bend and lift) and also from an aesthetic perspective (sculpting and tightening that mid section!). 

Suffer from lower back pain?  

In some instances, weak or poorly controlled core muscles can be associated with lower back pain.  Correctly strength training the core muscles will result in them being stronger and more correctly balanced with less uneven strain being placed on the spine. 

Core Workouts

A great core workout may incorporate planks and side plank exercises to encourage a neutral spine position with a natural curve in the back.  Other excellent core exercises include the glute bridge that can help stabilise the pelvis. 

Using a swiss ball to perform core exercises on can be a great tool to really target those inner hard to reach core muscles whilst also adding an element of fun to the routine. Progression can then be made onto a push up lateral row that engages all the core musculature at once resulting in a thorough core workout.

Take it outside

As the busy founder off Red Hot Personal Training I often get asked by my clients "how do you find time to work out yourself?"  That question was the inspiration for this blog.

I often head outside for an outdoor workout (dog in tow too!) the fresh air, bird song and feeling of accomplishment that comes with working out with nature is such as good feeling. (Even when you don't feel like a heavy workout a brisk walk can do you wonders!). If you want to torch body fat, gain definition and keep you body burning fat long after your workout is finished then you need to use body weight moves.

If you want to up the intensity then find a nice quiet spot and a tree stump!  Here are just  a few ideas you could try:

1. Single leg deadlift (see photo at top)
2. Calf raises balancing on a small tree stump
3. Press -ups
4. Tricep dips
5. Plank

The list of possibilities is endless!  Make sure to choose a dry tree stump to avoid slipping!  Give it a try and reap those fresh air benefits:) x 

P.S Let us know if you enjoyed this blog by liking Red Hot Personal Training on Facebook or on our website.

How to get back on track - Part two

Small changes in habits can lead to a permanent lasting change. Think about how you can incorporate more movement and opportunities to increase/maintain muscle mass into your daily life. We have touched on this subject before but its such an important one. As we age its important to retain as much muscle mass as we can. We lose muscle at a rate of 1% a year after the age of 40!!  Try these two ideas below:

1. Walking the dogs or vacuuming the house today?  Add in some walking lunges when no one is looking! Lunges are a great multiple muscle exercise targeting not only those leg muscles but also stretching your hip flexor muscles, activating your core muscles and improving balance!

2. Why not put some music on and just dance!  Dancing helps improve aerobic fitness, improves muscle tone and strength and also has many mental benefits as well including enhancing mood. Click on the link below.  

DOWNLOAD SONG http://bit.ly/1nbKLB4 Flashdance What a Feeling Irene Cara © 1983 Unidisc Music Group Become a Fan On Facebook CLICK http://bit.ly/aybWug Follow on Twitter! http://twitter.com/UnidiscMusic Jennifer Beals Irene Cara is best known as a singer of movie themes, though she worked as an actress since childhood.

We love this, its a classic, just turn it up, dance and see how you feel afterwards! 

Please feel free to ‘like’ and or ‘share’ on facebook.

How to Make Exercise Part of your Life......

To truly live a healthy long life, incorporating healthy food and daily exercise into your life is essential.  Try these 3 tips below to help you achieve just that.

1. Focus on how good you will feel after working out both physically and mentally.  View exercise as a positive, restorative activity and your brain will see it as a reward rather than a chore.

2. A workout does not have to be traditional such as an hour at the gym.  Just keep your body moving. A brisk 20 minute run or walk outside, a few fast lengths at the pool, even vigorous gardening all count.  Just do what you enjoy and put some effort into it. Research studies into the Japanese art of Shinrin-yoku, or 'forest bathing' suggest that exercising outdoors in a wood or forest can reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol by 12.4 per cent more than an urban walk . This may be due to the chemicals (phytoncides) released by trees and plants.

3. Need some help and motivation?  Hire a Personal Trainer (PT)!  A good PT will listen to your fitness and nutritional goals and be able to design a unique training programme that will work around your lifestyle and barriers.  If you need motivation, the encouragement of your PT will be invaluable, offering continual support and advice along the way.