Fitter After 40

Fitness guru Jack LaLanne dies aged 96

2011-01-25T02:27:00.000-08:00

Jack LaLanne, the veteran television fitness guru who did much to promote exercise and healthy eating in America, has died aged 96.

Even well into his 90s the fitness fanatic exercised for two hours a day.

Mr LaLanne, who was only 5ft 6ins tall, was born to French immigrant parents in San Francisco and was a “sugar-holic” as a child.

His day-time television show, instructing housewives how to work out and eat healthily, ran for 34 years from 1959.

Among numerous high profile fitness stunts he completed 1,000 push-ups and 1,000 chin-ups at the age of 45.

More detail here.

He was surrounded by his family and passed very peacefully and in no distress.

May he rest in peace.

Ab toners and Ab belts - do they work?

2011-01-18T01:55:00.000-08:00

So you want to get a set of rock hard six pack abs or trim your waistline? You’ve probably seen one of those late night TV shopping commercials touting some fancy ab toner contraption or muscle stimulator belt.

All you need to do is rock backwards and forwards once a day and lo and behold, by the end of the month you will have that well sculpted mid section that you’ve always wanted. Better still, just sit there on the couch or behind your desk at work with one of those Electronic Muscle Stimulators (EMS) belts - don't exercise and still get the results you've been after? Physical trainers have it all wrong. After all, the fitness model pitching it has the well toned body and six pack abs. There are even testimonials from regular folks who swear by it. Surely, there has got to be something in it?

So out comes the credit card, you're a little reluctant but they are so convincing aren't they? What the hell, you have got nothing to lose eh, except the fat round your waistline?

Three months later you still don’t have the six pack abs, nor any reduction in your waistline despite using the ab toner with total dedication.

Unfortunately this is the plight of everyone who buys an ab toner or EMS belt. The reality is you will not get abs or a trimmer waistline by using some fancy piece of equipment to “spot reduce” fat from the areas of your body where you don’t want it. As for the EMS belts, unknown to you when you purchased it, in 2002 The Federal Trade Commission in the US filed lawsuits against three electronic abdominal exercise belts: AB Energizer, Ab Tronic and Fast Abs. The lawsuit claims that the ads for these products falsely claim the belts will help tone stomach muscles.

"Spot reduction" is one of those myths that are perpetuated by greedy marketers because they are so appealing to a lazy public that wants something for nothing. For years, marketers of diet and exercise products have been preying on overweight, out-of-shape consumers by hawking false hope in a pill, false hope in a bottle, and now, in a belt.

This is a public that wants to eat donuts, chips, crisps and chocolate biscuits, sit on a couch and watch daytime TV day in day out, then just rock back and forth in a little contraption and voila, six pack abs! Have you heard of the phrase "If it sounds to good to be true........." ?

The “spot reduction” myth is one that needs be sentenced to death once and for all. The only way to show your six pack abs (because we all have them) is through a total commitment of diet and whole-body high intensity exercise.

Repeat after me:- "I WILL NOT WASTE MY MONEY AND TIME ON USELESS AB TONERS AND ELECTRONIC STIMULATOR BELTS, THEY DO NOT WORK!"

Train with purpose!

Hard work cannot be avoided

2010-12-29T02:15:00.000-08:00

"Training should be a way of life. It should not be seen as a chore. While training, live for that moment, nothing else matters. The hard work, the fatigue and the pain of exhaustion never lasts forever, trust me , it will end. But do not focus on the end. Focus on the what you are doing, live that moment, experience it, embellish it, do not escape it. The masses WILL try to escape it - you are not the masses doing whatever the masses are doing, that is why you are here. You want to be different and you will see the difference. S0 get busy and enjoy the hard work"

My daily workout suggestions are posted here

Top 12 Reasons Why You're obese and how I can help

2010-12-09T01:37:00.000-08:00

Depending on who you talk to, you'll hear various reasons as to why people are obese/fat/overweight. Listed below are a few you've probably heard before:

1. "You eat too much sugar."

2. "You eat too much meat and fat."

3. "You eat too many carbs."

4. "You drink too much alcohol."

5. "You don't exercise enough."

6. "You don't exercise at all."

7. "It's genetic problem, Everyone in your family is fat."

8. "You're on drugs for depression."

9. "You're doing the wrong type of exercise."

And my all time favourite nonsense reason:-

10. "You're getting old, so your metabolism has slowed."

Some of these reasons are valid and untrue for others. What is clear is that no matter what your age or size; being overweight and unfit can be turned around in 100% of cases and quickly, by following a health program that transforms your body and mind from fat to fit. You've got to work hard for it though, but it won't take up your time - there will be no long distance cardio in the "fat burning zone". So the exercises will be far more effective and take up less of your time. It's a no brainer. Sign up to my FREE Body Transformation newsletter HERE

PS: As regards to point 10, your metabolism slows because people tend to exercise less when they get older (for some reason). Age has nothing to do with it!

How to Plan to Avoid Junk Food

2010-12-08T01:03:00.000-08:00

Kicking the junk-food habit can be tough. Junk food is convenient, aggressively marketed, cheap to buy and hard to resist. Most people are programmed to consume far too much and to choose foods that are saturated with fat and salt.

Tips:-

1. Eliminate temptation at home. Clear out all the junk from your cupboards, and get the whole family on board for the effort.

2. Lay a healthful foundation by stocking up on ingredients for nutritious meals, desserts and snacks. If you eat healthy food at home, you won't feel so bad when you splurge on an infrequent fast-food meal or candy bar.

3. Set realistic expectations for yourself by remembering to practice progression towards more healthy options. Total deprivation will only make your cravings more intense, so allow yourself a weekly treat for cutting back.

4. Identify those times of the day when you're most vulnerable to a junk-food attack. Is it that relentless 3 p.m. cookie craving?

5. Prepare ahead of time by having healthy, flavourful alternatives on hand

6. Focus on eating healthy foods. Be sure the snack foods you keep in plain sight and hidden away are all good choices. Keep a fruit basket on your kitchen counter, table or desk. If you stock the refrigerator with exclusively healthy foods, you'll eventually overcome the urge for fat and sugar-laden treats.

7. Avoid situations that may encourage a junk attack, like sitting in front of the television all evening. Resist those evil vending machines at work by bringing your own healthful snacks and leaving your pocket change at home.

8. Cook large quantities and put extra meals in the freezer. That way you won't be tempted to make a junk-food run on your way home from work.

9. Listen to your appetite - eat when you are hungry, stop when you are full.

10. Give alternative, healthy food a try. Try a new fruit or veg – there’s a whole world of taste out there – and plant foods have the largest variety.

11.Get in the habit of reading food labels: If the first two ingredients are fat and sugar, it's junk food.

12. Don't take labels at face value. This is just marketing hype and is done to sell products . Many "low-carb," "low-fat" or "no-fat" products are poor in nutrition and loaded with additives and sugar.

Drinking Milk - we are programmed into someone elses agenda

2010-11-10T06:54:00.000-08:00

Here are the facts about Milk:-

We are the only species on the planet who drink milk after we are weaned off breast milk. The majority of adults would be horrified if fully grown adults drank human breast milk, yet it's quite acceptable to drink it from the breast of another animal?
Cow’s milk is not a natural food for humans to consume
Most people in the world are lactose intolerant - lactose is the sugar in milk
Children consume a wheel barrow of sugar before they start school - just from milk!
Many children are affected by cow’s milk allergies
Plant-based sources of calcium are many and varied and offer many other health benefits as well as providing a natural and safe source of calcium
Milk producers make mothers feel guilty about not providing enough calcium for their children... and then emotionally blackmail them by promoting a product that's high in sugar, fat and chemical additives

There are plenty of better products that replace traditional milk and are much, much better for you. Try rice milk or coconut milk.

The Myth of Eating vast amounts of Protein for Muscle Growth and Strength

2010-11-08T01:53:00.000-08:00

There are all kinds of diet recommendations all over the fitness magazines and websites that advise you to divide your eating into different "ratios" and "percentages" for building muscle mass and gaining weight.
Some recommend high fat, low carb, others say moderate carbs, moderate fat, high carbs, low fat, etc. But the one thing that each and every one of these "weight gain" / "muscle building" diets say is it must be HIGH in protein. On almost every page there are adverts on whey protein supplements promoting the stuff with incredible claims.
The truth is it is not necessary at all to eat a diet high in protein to gain muscle weight.
Some even suggest you have to not only eat high, but massive amounts of protein to build muscle. Then you look at the nature and the most powerful land animals such as horses, elephants, bulls, rhinos and Gorillas actually have very little protein. Also, a growing baby's diet has less than 6% protein, yet I've seen claims that you need to consume 35% protein to gain muscle. Of course this is all propaganda.

This Myth is due to 3 reasons:

1) Most people think that muscle tissue is made up mostly of protein
2) Most people think that either high amounts of fat or high amounts of carbohydrates will cause you to get fat
3) Most people think that protein has a "thermogenic" (inner-body temperature raising) effect, which helps burn fat

All three of these beliefs are completely wrong!
Muscle tissue is NOT made up of mostly of protein. Muscle tissue is 70% water.
The other 30% is made of glucose, and Amino acids. Your muscles need just as much glucose (which is what carbohydrates are converted into), if not more than protein to gain muscle size.
Those that have medically studied the physiology of the human body know that amino acids are what make up protein.
However, the body uses whatever amount of amino acids it needs at that particular moment. The rest it stores for later use.
It is not true that you need to be eating a steady stream of protein to gain muscle weight, your body keeps a little pool of stored amino acids.
Protein is by far the most difficult macro nutrient to break down and digest and the higher the amount of protein you eat the more stress you are placing on your digestive system. High protein diets can lead to kidney stones and will make your blood more acidic leading to increased joint pain.
Have you ever noticed how you feel when you eat a huge burger or steak?
Even after several hours have passed, it still feels like you've got that entire piece of meat just sitting and rotting in your stomach.
How much benefit in gaining muscle weight do you think that's going to give you?
Have you ever drank those disgusting protein shakes or eaten those chalk-tasting protein bars? You get gas, you feel bloated, and you might even get diarrhea.
There are several real-life examples of athletes that don't consume massive amounts of protein to gain muscle weight, yet have tremendous physiques, are in excellent health, are powerful, fast, and agile.
Here's just a few:-

Mike Mahler - Kettlebell expert

Jon Hinds - Pan American Ju-jitsu Gold medalist, owner of Lifeline fitness and founder of the Monkey Bar Gymnasium

Bill Manetti - Powerlifting champion

Stan Price - World weight lifting record holder; bench press

Chris Campbell - Olympic wrestling champion

Luke Cummo - UFC Ultimate Fighter

Carl Lewis - Multi-Olympic Champion

You can eat all the protein in the world and not gain one pound of muscle weight if you aren't eating enough calories.
Remember, it doesn't matter what we've been fed by the magazines and companies trying to sell us their latest protein concoction; training hard using full body exercises and eating high quality nutrients is the key to success.

Online Personal Training now available

2010-11-07T06:14:00.000-08:00

Kick Ass Fitness Online Personal Training is a unique training program personally tailored to your goals and your current fitness levels to enable you to achieve long term health and fitness beyond what you thought was possible no matter what your starting level. Your program will offer all the benefits and support of having a personal trainer visiting you with a ‘do it yourself’ component. If you are committed to getting back into the shape of your life and want to save some money, this is the program for you. In addition you are not restricted to your trainer’s schedule, allowing you to perform your program when best suits you, saving you valuable time.
For more information with a list of what is included, please click here

Personal Trainer Scam

2010-11-06T17:00:00.000-07:00

If you're a trainer, martial arts teacher or sports coach you should be aware of a scam that is spreading internationally.
I was contacted by someone who pretended to be a potential client, who wanted a series of training sessions for several people.

This is the potential way they scam you - script below
1. They contact you with an enquiry
2. You confirm a price etc.
3. They ask you to charge their credit card as usual, plus also add an amount which they need you to forward to their "logistics agent" who does not take credit cards. The extra payment is for travel and accomodation. (this should ring major alarm bells, as nodody would ever ask you do this).
4. You then forward the extra amount to the agent, who would then do a runner with your money.You get a charge back from the original stolen credit card and as you took the amount over the phone, you don't have a leg to stand on, making you liable. The amount will be about £8 grand.

The scam is of course quite obvious, but many people must fall for this. Remember the old saying "If is sounds too good to be true....."

Here is the original e-mail:-

Philip Howard philiphoward19@gmail.com sent:

Hi
I'll be in the country with my friends for a one month vacation. During our stay, we would like to book for 3 weeks classes for 1Hr each day, Monday to Saturday (morning or Evening hours) for 6 persons.
As part of our plans to keep fit during the vac, we need Private group training. Do you have a training studio/facility where you conduct the classes? What Forms of Fitness Program do you teach best?

Kettlebells are tops for fat burning

2010-11-06T16:45:00.000-07:00

Claims that high intensity training using kettlebells delivers superior fat loss than any other method of exercise have now been vindicated by the American Council in Exercise in recent study by.

The research done by ACE has shown that after just a 20 minute kettlebell workout subjects burned an average of 272 calories. Measurements revealed off the chart readings at 6.6 calories per minute.

When you use kettlebells there is a significant full body muscle activation not found in other type of training. It is because of this that you can do much more work in a shorter amount of time producing rapid results.
Kettlebell training has bridged the gap between strength training and cardiovascular training making them an awesome fitness conditioning tool and suitable for all.

The Shake Weight Disgrace

2010-09-02T15:17:00.000-07:00

I've seen some awful fitness gadgets and claims over the last 30 years or so in my training but the Shake Weight has to be up there with the worst.

Everything they claim in their marketing is complete and utter nonsense to put it lightly. The video says you will look like the models in 6 minutes a day and is the classic way to sell fitness products to the ignorant man or woman sitting on the couch with a remote control and a credit card.

Shake weights claim to use "Revolutionary new technology called Dynamic Inertia", a statement that has Galileo turning in his grave.

Great parody and music below from Frisco Rails on YouTube

It’s time to rid the world of them and other disgraceful fitness products, so very shortly I will have some on my eBay link from my website:-

http://kickassfitnessuk.com/store/charity-smash-up/

If you buy one from me and send me some YouTube video footage of the Shake Weight you purchased being destroyed in a public place, I will personally guarantee you the following:-

For every one bought from me and destroyed (with the video evidence as proof), I will donate £5 of my own money to Breast Cancer UK. (www.breastcanceruk.org.uk). Alternatively I will donate £5 to the charity of your choice.

That’s not all; for the most creative piece of video footage sent to me between 1st September 2010 and 31st August 2011, the winner will receive a FREE 12kg Pro-Kettlebell worth £40 (UK customers only)

Videos will be judged on the following criteria:-

Comedy content
The creative method of destruction
How public you made it

Functional Fitness - is it just trendy?

2010-08-30T07:13:00.000-07:00

Functional fitness means "building a body capable of doing real-life activities in real-life positions, not just lifting a certain amount of weight in an idealized posture created by a gym machine." In Functional Fitness the muscles learn how to work together in harmony instead of being all aloof and separated from each other - this is how the body works in real life. Instead of using huge cumbersome weight machines designed to isolate muscles, functional fitness uses simple equipment like medicine balls, sandbags, plyo boxes, cables, or kettlebells. Or better yet, you can use nothing but your own body weight, with exercises like push ups, pull-ups and handstands. Training involves the continued practice of perfecting these movement skills and produces strong and highly skilled athletes.

However, most importantly functional training methods are diverse, interesting and great fun, a far cry from the boredom associated with machine and isolation training. All this makes this 'Trendy' fitness method hotter than anything I've seen in over 30 years of training.

My experience of the Monkey Bar Gym

2010-08-27T07:06:00.000-07:00

Running

Jumping

Crawling

Climbing

Eischens yoga restoration to rid the body of injuries and pains; Skill training to develop high skilled and strong individuals; Plant based nutrition to feel light and energised. The training I recieved was incredible and light years ahead of the current 'Fitness matrix'. Not only will it benefit my life, but my family and client's lives too.

Best salad ever!

2010-08-27T06:44:00.000-07:00

This is absolutely the best salad that I've ever had - even my 14 year old and 12 year old boys ate the whole lot!

Full of nutrition: strong plants & fruit, and perfect assistance for your fitness - remember 70% of your health is done in the kitchen. Don't kid yourself that you can eat junk, train hard and you'll still be fit.

Black Bean, Corriander and Apricot Salad

15oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup each of: chopped apricots, pure mango juice and chopped fresh corriander
1/4 cup each of: diced carrots and cashew nuts
Chopped spring onions x 4
Garlic cloves x 2 - crushed
2 tablespoons each of: olive oil and freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 tablespoon each of: Soy sauce and grated fresh ginger
Season to taste

Add last: 4 cups of chopped baby spinach or fresh lettuce

1. Mix all the ingredients (except the spinach) together well in a large bowl, cover bowl and place in fridge over night to marinade.

2. Bring to room temperature and add toss with spinach - serve and savour!

Check out my website!

2010-08-27T06:29:00.000-07:00

My website is now live!

http://www.kickassfitnessuk.com/

MORE ENERGY AND VITALITY

INCREASE YOUR BODY AWARENESS AND SENSE OF ACHIEVEMENT

KEEP YOUR BODY STRONG, FIT AND BALANCED AS YOU GET OLDER

My training will involve anything from using kettlebells and medicine balls to literally beating a tractor tyre with a sledgehammer, which is great fun - especially after a day’s work!

My training is about strengthening the spirit through strengthening the body. I promise you'll love it and so will your body.

Kettlebells - high yield fitness

2009-11-10T03:56:00.000-08:00

What is a Kettlebell?
A kettlebell is a traditional Russian training tool that has been used for hundreds of years to develop full body conditioning and fitness. A kettlebell looks like a cannon ball with a handle. The shape of the kettlebell allows for unique positioning of the weight directly above your centre of mass and allows you to keep your hand and wrists in neutral alignment; this enables greater endurance and longevity in the core lifts so that you can produce a much higher volume of exercise and thus greater conditioning and fitness. Unlike a conventional dumbbell or barbell, the Kettlebell’s centre of mass is displaced from the handle. This means the weight constantly pulls against your hand and requires not only strength and co-ordination, but also the recruitment of other muscles through your arms, shoulders and trunk.

How do you train with Kettlebells?
Kettlebell workouts have long been a favourite of martial artists, throwers, jumpers, sprinters and hurdlers. These athletes need to be highly agile and strong and they do exercises that have a dynamic component to them. You can perform squats, pulls, dynamic overhead snatches and rotational training plus much more, and these are the exercises that make up the majority of kettlebell training. Any age, size, fitness level… any relatively healthy person can get started with the proper instruction.
What are the benefits of kettlebells?
A regular kettlebell class will supercharge your fitness and melt your unwanted fat. You’ll bust your belly fat, lose your love handles and feel fantastic, energised and strong. Kettlebell training has tremendous sport and combat applications and they will dramatically improve explosiveness, help prevent injury and improve mental toughness.

See my website for information on classes, workouts and more:-

www.kickassfitnessuk.com

Tabata training - dispel the myth of aerobic exercise for fitness!

2009-11-10T02:59:00.000-08:00

We've been fed the "aerobic" lie for over 30 years. Even doctors have been fooled by this pervasive myth.

The truth is slow aerobic training is terribly inefficient when it comes to burning fat.

With aerobic training, once you're done, you no longer burn the calories.
But with high intensity exercise your body continues to burn calories for several days.

Many people have the idea that they need to increase the length or distance in order to become fitter. Instead, as your fitness improves you need to decrease the duration so you cover the same distance in shorter and shorter times.

So what is Tabata training?

The Tabata protocol was developed by Izumi Tabata from the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo, Japan. It challenges both the aerobic and anaerobic systems in your body by using maximum effort intervals followed by a short rest. This enables you to burn more fat at rest by raising your metabolic rate.

Here's the protocol:-
You will need a Gymboss timer available from my website store:-

http://kickassfitnessuk.com/store/kaf-products/

Or use an online one as below:-

Sprint as hard as you can for 20 seconds. This needs to be a 100% all out effort.

Active rest for 10 secs

Repeat 7 more times for a total of 8 sets.

So what you have here is a total of 4 minutes workout time. Only 4 minutes you say? Those who have done it never say 'only' again. But you can give yourself a pat on the back; you've just done a highly effective workout in four minutes and saved time, whilst everyone else is plodding along on a treadmill hour after hour.

I suggest the following exercises for variety:-
Cycling
Running
Skipping
Hitting a punch bag
Body squats
Pressups
Kettlebell swings / snatches.

Advanced warning: if you want to try Tabatas they are not for the faint hearted or unconditioned.
Beginners should learn general interval training first and once you are ready for the Tabata protocol, start out slowly and gradually work into a full workout. Aim to do 2 or 3 Tabata workouts per week as part of your normal workout routine.

As with any exercise program get a full physical check before you begin

"Flipping 'eck Tucker"

2009-10-23T07:44:00.000-07:00

We're talking tyre flipping here!

Normally associated with those crazy "strongest Man in the World TV Programmes", the tyre is a fantastic addition to your home gym and suitable for everybody who wants to get into the best shape of their life. You can flip them, drag them with a rope or even hit them repeatedly with a sledge hammer - just be careful your hammer doesn't bounce off into your next door neighbour's green house! You may have trouble explaining that one.

Having performed multiple tyre flips using a lorry tyre on a few occasions, I can confirm this is one of those exercises that hits every part of your body and will improve your strength, endurance and explosiveness. A lorry tyre at around 25 to 30kgs is perfect as it will allow you to perform multiple flips in a set period.

Technique: As the weight of the tyre is carried around the edges, flipping one requires an explosive whole-body effort. Start in a deep squat with your fingertips underneath the tyre, drive up through your heels and push your hips forwards as you lift your arms to flip the tyre.

As a suggested workout for tyre flipping, use interval training: Set your timer for 10 minutes and tyre flip for 30 secs followed by 30 secs rest. Better still, work with a training partner, changing over every 30 seconds. A perfect addition to your fitness equipment is a 'Gymboss' Interval timer (available from Amazon) and allows you set up multiple or individual intervals.

I've just ordered a worn lorry tyre from ATS Stratford; They normally have monthly collections and I can go along and pick one free of charge. So a free piece of gym equipment that gets maximum results! Just one problem. How do I get it past the wife?

How to become a Superstar

2009-10-16T01:17:00.000-07:00

Those of you of a certain age will remember Superstars' iconic champion Brian Jacks and his astonishing gym test results in the 1970's cult TV show. Brian was recognised more for his gym feats than his Olympic medals that he won in Judo. Click on the video link below from the Superstars 'fitness emporium', featuring Brian Jacks' amazing 100 parallel bar dips in 60 seconds:- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TE4ZYo7tvCI

Thrash your mates at press ups
You don't need to join the army to enjoy the many benefits of doing a proper press up. A press up, also called a push up, does not require any equipment other than you own body weight and it works all of the body at the same time. So how do you train to perform multiple press ups and be the envy of your mates? Enter the PRISON WORKOUT You don't have to get yourself locked up to take part in the prison workout, but there are plenty of real world applications. Do it in your house, garage, garden or when you are away on business when you only have a few minutes in your hotel room. It's intense and you could almost whip your body into shape by mastering this exercise routine alone. You'll be working out while Mr Average is still deciding what to do. Here's how.

From a standing position, drop down into a press up position and perform ten complete press ups.

Jump up, walk or jog to the other side of the room/garden, drop down again and perform 9 press ups.

Repeat until you have completed all descending sets

Time your routine and post your results

Descending from 10 down to 1 will give you a total 55 press ups, however if you descend from the holy grail of 20 you will be performing 210 press ups.

For an alternative try ascending from 1 upwards and see how far you get before you can't perform the next number. For instance you may get from 1 to 12 and then perform a further 7 press ups before you hit failure. This would give you 85 press ups.

Remember to post you results and comments.

Famous Sporting Comebacks

2009-10-14T11:16:00.001-07:00

To be fitter after 40 will require facing a few obstacles and you are going to have to sweat for it. What it won't involve is spending hours in the gym everyday, after all if, like me, you have a family you would want to spend as much time with them as possible.

Here are some famous sportsmen and women who have returned to the fray:-

George Foreman: Olympic Champion in 1968 at the age of 19 and went on to become world champion five years later when he defeated Joe Frazier. He lost his belt later to Mohammed Ali in the legendary 'Rumble in the Jungle'. But after some 12 years out of the game Foreman stunned the world of boxing when he floored Michael Moorer in 1994 at the age of 45. He remains the oldest ever boxing world champion.

Lance Armstrong: The Texan survived cancer and went on to win seven consecutive Tour De France crowns before retiring in 2005. This year he returned to the saddle after four years away and finished third. An impressive feat for a 37 year old, totally inspirational.

Steve Redgrave: Immediately after winning gold at the 1996 Olympic Games he stated that if anyone found him near a boat again they could shoot him. Despite this he went back for the Sydney Olympics in 2000 and won his fifth consecutive gold medal whilst battling against diabetes.

Niki Lauda: Won the world F1 Championship in 1975 and 1977 and quit in 1979 to focus on his airline. He returned in 1982 and in 1984 won his third world title with Mclaren.

Dara Torres: The champion of coming out of retirement, swimmer Torres quit twice only to return to the pool in Beijing at the age of 41 and won three silver medals in the 50m free, 4 x100m free and 4 x 100m relay. She competed in the 1984, 1988 and 1992 Olympics before returning to the blocks at Sydney 2000 and winning five medals. She then continued her education, started a family in 2006 before announcing her second return to competition a few months later.

The Big Gym Mentality

2009-10-14T10:07:00.000-07:00

If you are somebody that is prepared to commit to a path in fitness and be fitter after 40 what options do you have?

You could join one of the many large gym chains with an array of fancy equipment. However, step into the majority of these gyms and you'll discover that it's a world of confusion, dissolution. isolation, monotony, demotivation and ultimately disappointment. Over 90% of gym goers never reach their goals and that's ignoring the ones who continue to pay gym fees but rarely, if ever, turn up or those who have forgotten their original goal that made them join in the first place.

The reality is that the majority of these gyms are based around the body building mentality and it's been that way for over 40 years. No one questions whether or not the methods of training are acceptable to the general public because the people who work in this industry don't want to be exposed as unknowledgeable about fitness.

So let's take a closer look at the current state of the big gym:-

Big gyms are based around the body building mentality - do you really want to be a body builder? Bloated, deformed and slow like prey: or would you rather be sleek, strong, agile, and lean like a predator?

Static stretching before a workout - a complete waist of time that can lead to injury rather than preventing it. Have you ever seen a race horse do hamstring stretches before a race? No!

Many exercises encouraged at the big gyms are based around isolation exercise such as bicep curls, tricep extensions and leg extensions. I've been to numerous gyms around the country and all you see is rows of guys doing endless bicep curls. Is this a bicep curling contest? Anybody caught doing bicep curls or tricep kick backs should be laughed at. Similarly for doing endless sit-ups in the futile hope that it will reduce an ever increasing waistline.

A gym floor filled with endless rows of fancy machines. Do you really believe that you are going to get fit by sitting on a chair and pushing a weight that has already been stabilised and balanced for you? Reality check! Gyms use machines purely for economic reasons, meaning that they can employ cheaper staff as there is no skill requirement to train users on how to push a weight attached to a machine that does most of the hard work for you.

Fat burning zones and spending hour after hour on treadmills and elliptical trainers. Do you really believe that you will become lean by training like this? I'm sorry but you are going to be very disappointed.

A big gym would normally select one of two goals for you; bulk up and gain muscle or burn calories and lose weight. This can lead to unrealistic goals, a false sense of fitness and loss of motivation.

Isn't it any wonder that the majority of gym newcomers give up within a few weeks or rarely make an appearance. Obesity levels and falling fitness levels can only increase if gyms continue with these methods.

There is another way...

Over the next few posts, I'll show you the methods that will get you fitter at 40 plus than you were at 20. Stronger, leaner, more powerful, sleeker, faster and more agile. For those of you under 40 you have a head start.

Join the revolution.

Current state of over 40's health

2009-10-14T03:58:00.000-07:00

Almost a third of males over 40 are obese with a further third over weight and not forgetting those who are unfit. These rates look like they will continue to rise.

Many males are in a state of self denial about their current fitness levels. What doesn't help is the fact that the western world has an image of how you should look and act at every life stage.

Many over 40 year olds wish they could be as fit and lean as they were when they were in their 20s and younger. Wishing for it does not mean that you care about your health and no government health and fitness initiative is going to improve things and reduce the burden on the health service. It has to come from the individual and they must be prepared to follow the correct path to all round fitness.