The Whole30 Diet
The Whole30 diet is a viral health movement that is increasing in popularity. It encourages followers to cut out alcohol, sugar, grains, legumes, dairy, and additives from their diet for
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Facts about Fibre
Getting enough fibre is something people don’t think about all that often. Let’s face it: Most of us haven’t a clue how many grams of fibre we’re taking in on
Football specific Training
With the football Euros 2024 almost upon us football fever is well and truly underway. Whether you play semi-pro or Sunday league there are a few crucial elements you should
Facts about Fats
FATS – THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE TRUTH We all know that too much of certain fats (saturated in particular) are bad for you and can raise your cholesterol,
Facts about the Keto diet
If you find yourself in a conversation about dieting or weight loss, chances are you’ll hear of the ketogenic, or keto, diet. That’s because the keto diet has become one
Intermittent fasting
Intermittent fasting, also known as intermittent energy restriction, is an umbrella term for various meal timing schedules that cycle between voluntary fasting and non- fasting over a given period. Methods
Facts about Protein
Protein provides the body with approximately 10 to 15% of its dietary energy and it is the second most abundant compound in the body, following water. A large proportion of
Facts about Carbohydrates
CARBS – GOOD OR BAD? Carbohydrates are the sugars, starches and fibres found in fruits, grains, vegetables, and milk products. Though often removed in trendy diets, carbohydrates — one of
Detox Diet
Detoxification (detox) diets are more popular than ever. These diets aim to clean your blood and eliminate harmful toxins from your body. However, it is not entirely clear how they
Empowering Women: The Role of Exercise in Managing Menopause
Written by Michelle Kenny As we celebrate International Women’s Day, it’s a perfect time to reflect on the unique experiences and challenges women face throughout their lives. One significant aspect
Facts about Minerals
Minerals are important for your body to stay healthy. Your body uses minerals for many different jobs, including keeping your bones, muscles, heart, and brain working properly. Minerals are also
Vegan Diet
WHAT IS A VEGAN DIET? The vegan diet is an eating plan that eliminates all animal products, including meat, fish, eggs, dairy, and honey. People decide to adopt veganism for
A Vegetarian diet
The vegetarian diet has gained popularity in recent years with estimates that vegetarians now account for 18% of the global population. Apart from the ethical and environmental benefits of cutting
Anti-Inflammatory foods you can eat
Inflammation can be both good and bad. On one hand, it helps your body defend itself from infection and injury. On the other hand, chronic inflammation can lead to weight
Strength Training: 7s/21s
This is an advanced method of training that the working muscle group in three different ranges of motion within a single set. Its name from the total number of reps
Low Intensity Steady State Training
Low-intensity steady-state, or LISS, is a method of cardiovascular exercise in which you do aerobic activity at a low-to-moderate intensity for a continuous, and often extended, period. “LISS” is a
Glutes
The muscles in the group are: Gluteus Maximus Primary function is upper leg (thigh) extension. (i.e., moving the upper leg backwards as in rising from a squat position). The same
Facts about Alcohol
There are many mixed messages out there about alcohol. On the one hand, moderate amounts have been linked to health benefits. On the other, it is addictive and highly toxic
What is a balanced diet?
A balanced diet gives your body all the nutrients it needs to function correctly. A balanced diet is a diet that contains a variety of foods in certain quantities and proportions so that
Benefits of HIIT Training
HIIT involves short bursts of intense exercise alternated with low-intensity recovery periods. Interestingly, it is perhaps the most time-efficient way to exercise. Typically, a HIIT workout will range from 10
Benefits of HIT 100s Training
If you want to get a serious pump in a short period of time, this is a great way to add high volume into your workout. Take a compound exercise,
Triceps
Triceps brachii comes from the Latin for “three-headed muscle of the arm”. It is the large muscle on the back of your arms and is responsible for extension of the
Tri-set Strength Training
Tri-sets are doing three exercises back-to-back with no break. During these sets you can either pair exercises that are non-competing, in other words opposing muscle groups, or you can target
Calves
The calf muscle, on the back of the lower leg, is made up of two muscles: THE GASTROCNEMIUS This is the larger calf muscle, forming the bulge visible beneath the
Unilateral Strength Training
Unilateral training is where you are only working one limb at a time. In most traditional training movements, we use both limbs concurrently to complete the task at hand. For
Hamstrings
BICEPS FEMORIS – Not to be confused with the bicep muscle in your upper arm!! Its main action is flexion at the knee, but it is also responsible for extending the
Pyramid Training
Pyramid training is a group of sets, of identical exercises, that begin with the lightweight and higher reps, escalating to a heavier weight and fewer reps. A full pyramid training
Time Under Tension
Time under tension (TUT) refers to the amount of time a muscle is held under tension or strain during an exercise set. During TUT workouts, you lengthen each phase of
Pre-exhaust Strength Training
Pre-exhaust training is a strength training concept which was designed to fully stimulate larger body parts that might otherwise be held back by relatively weaker body parts during multi-joint movements
Shoulders
THE DELTOIDS ‘Delts’ are teardrop shaped and have three parts, anterior, medial and posterior. They control the flexion, abduction and extension of the humerus. ROTATOR CUFF Made up of four
Indoor Cycling and Spin Session
A spin class is a high intensity cycling workout that generally takes place on a stationary machine with a heavy, weighted flywheel that is linked to the pedals. Most spin
Why You Should Stretch
Flexibility exercises (Stretching) stretch your muscles and can help your body stay flexible. These exercises may not improve your endurance or strength, but being flexible gives you more freedom of
Post-exhaust Strength Training
Post-exhaust training method basically involves a compound exercise followed by an isolation exercise. An example of this is a chin up paired with a straight-arm press down (to further fatigue
Chest
The chest forms part of a larger group of “pushing” muscles in the upper body and is made up of three muscles: pectoralis major, minor and the serratus anterior. PECTORALIS
Super Set Strength Training
The concept of a superset is to perform 2 exercises back-to-back, followed by a short rest (but not always). This effectively doubles the amount of work you are doing, whilst
Why You Should Do Mobility Training
It combines mobility exercises that increase the range of movements and motions your body can perform. These include flexibility, but also balance, pliability and strength. The full combination is the
Abductors and Adductors
Abductors This group of muscles are responsible for hip abduction (moving the leg away from the midline of the body). They also help with rotation of the leg at the
German Volume Training
German volume training (GVT) is an intense exercise program that builds the muscle mass and strength necessary for weightlifters to move beyond personal plateaus. It’s sometimes called the 10-sets method.
Moderate Intensity Steady State Training
MISS, or Moderate-Intensity, Steady-State, is a similar form of cardio to LISS, but with increased speed and effort. For example, if your LISS cardio is walking at a fast pace,
Biceps
The biceps muscle has 2 heads, the long head and short head. BICEPS BRACHII This muscle is responsible for bending the forearm back towards the upper arm so is involved
Core
The core transfers the forces between your upper and lower extremities. The core and limbs need to be strong and stable before any form of movement can happen through the
Circuit Training
Circuit training is a style of workout performed with different stations or exercises at a usually high intensity with little rest between each station or exercise. Circuit training is a
Basic Sets Strength Training
Sets and reps are the terms used to describe the number of times you perform an exercise. A rep is the number of times you perform a specific exercise, and
Why You Should Do Gironda Strength Training
8 sets of 8 is a high volume, fast tempo, size building workout. It is not designed for strength development – it’s purely for bodybuilding or “cosmetic” improvements. 8 sets
Why You Should Do Tabata Training
Developed by Izumi Tabata, Ph.D., at the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo, Tabata is based on timed interval method. Tabata is a type of HIIT workout that
Upper Back
The muscles in the group are: TRAPEZIUS This is broad, flat and triangular in shape. It is responsible for elevating and retracting the scapula (shoulder blade) and when the arm
Why You Should Do Giant Sets Training
Giant sets are doing 4 or more exercises back-to-back with no break. During these sets you can either pair exercises that are non-competing, in other words opposing muscle groups, or
Why You Should Do Fartlek Training
Fartlek is a Swedish word and roughly translated means ‘speed play’. Fartlek training involves varying the intensity or speed of your run to improve your fitness and endurance. Fartlek sessions
Lower Back
There are three different groups of muscles that help the spine to function. These are: Extensors – these enable standing and lifting (such as the Erector Spinae). Flexors – these
Why You Should Do Drop Set Training
A drop set is an advanced resistance training technique in which you focus on completing a set until failure — or the inability to do another repetition. Then, you lighten
Why You Should Do Interval Training
It’s not as complicated as you might think. Interval training is simply alternating short bursts (example 30 seconds) of intense activity with longer intervals (example 1 to 2 minutes) of
Abdominals
RECTUS ABDOMINIS This is your “6-pack” muscle. This muscle is essential for maintaining good posture and is primarily responsible for flexing the lumbar spine. It also helps to regulate your
Frosted Gingerbread Cookie Protein Smoothie
Ingredients (Single Serving) 1-2 cups ice I like to use 2 cups for a very thick shake ½ – 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk or other milk of choice
How to stay on track over Christmas
T’is the season to be jolly! When in the festive season, our daily routines go out the window. With much of our time made up of work parties, shopping, social
Olympic Weightlifting
There are multiple reasons why you should start to incorporate Olympic weightlifting into you regular programme, whether its to improve that explosive power output, increase your muscle density or to
Move Better and Feel Better
Do you want to achieve a healthy lifestyle? You should do! A healthy lifestyle is essential if you truly want to take the best possible care of your health. Yet