Breakfast - How to start the day - As featured in Alpha Fit

Its often stated that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, usually by nutritionists and dieticians, however there’s no real physiological reasons behind this it just boils down to the fact that people who make the effort to eat a breakfast are more inclined to look after the rest of their diet and not rely on high calorie snakcs for their energy , so start the day as you mean to go on and that means without cereal too, often the box it comes in is more nutritious. Recent research discussed at the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) 20120 annual meeting and food expo hghlighted that breakfast skippers in general miss out on key nutrients through the day, consume more sweets and few vegetables and led to more over eating. So a good breakfast certainly sets you up for the day ahead. A point of note also raised was that protein at breakfast time was key to control over eating and satiety, however the staples we consider for breakfast are often low in protein and high in carbohydrates, far from optimal.

Here are my top 6 breakfast to get your day started

Meat & Nuts

First up is what has become the favoured breakfast of leading S&C coach Charles Poliquin, the meat and nut breakfast. Poliquin states “the meat allows for a slow and steady rise in blood sugar. The nuts provide a great source of healthy smart fats that allow the blood sugar to remain stable for an extended period of time.”

Suggestions given include steak and almonds, venison steak and cashw nuts and chicken and hazelnuts. Having tried it myself I can agree this is a great way to start the day

Pre race breakfast

Next up is my preferred ‘pre race’ or endurance event breakfast. Preparing clients for a marathon or other endurance event usually requires a carb in the days leading up to the event,

The key thing to remember here is your glycogen stores will be at near capacity, you just want to top up but also avoid foods which wont sit well, so pick foods which agree with you. A bagel with peanut butter and half a banana is always a good choice, you’ll get protein and fats from the peanut butter which will slow digestion and the bagel wont sit too heavy, while the banana will give you an early morning boost to give you a quick start and a good mix of energy. Don’t over do it though, you don’t want any unwanted pit stops!

Fat burning smoothie

for those of you who live a fast paced life but still want something nutritious to help kickstart your day and boost that fat burning then here’s a simple recipe, throw it all in a blender and once done you’ll have a great start to the day:

4 slices of pineapple
¼ grapefruit, peeled and sectioned
250ml low-fat natural yoghurt
2tbsp pumpkin seeds
2tbsp coconut oil
1 scoop of strawberry protein powder

Why it’s so good:

Pineapple is high in fibre keeping you fuller for longer while the grapefruit is high in fat burning enzymes an also reduces insulin spikes. The natural yoghurt is a rich source of calcium, iodine and protein and has been shown to boost immune function. The pumpkin seeds are full of good fats as is the coconut oil which promotes fat burning and finally the protein powder will help keep you fuller for longer

Paleo bacon buttie

This is so simple yet so tasty, it almost sounds like it wont go but trust me this is a great mouth watering way to start the day, similar to the meat and nuts breakfast I offers eat and healthy fats, it’s also quick and easy to make.

These are really easy to make, simply grill 4 rashers of bacon and spread guacamole on one, placing another slice on top making a sandwich. http://nomnompaleo.com/post/2538959456/bacon-guacamole-sammies-dont-these-bacon-and?121fa138

The benefits of this are the healthy fats and protein, keeping you fuller for longer and controlling blood sugar levels.

The healthy alternative to the fry up

Scrambled eggs, grilled bacon with the rind removed, grilled tomatoes, fried mushrooms, toasted rye bread. My clients are always surprised when I say they can have a full English on a weekend, but this version is high in protein, has healthy fats and slow release carbs from the rye bread which is a much better alternative to white bread. The tomatoes will give you a boost in vitamin C and antioxidants while the mushrooms (I would opt for shitake) are low in calorie but filling and are great for boosting the immune system.

The complete porridge

My all year round favourite, nothing quite beats this for quality and satiety, this realy does keep me going until lunch time! When I have a big legs day in the gym this is how I get my day started.

50g porridge mixed with water or skimmed milk – a complex carb which is slow release keeping you fuller for longer
1 teaspoon of cinnamon – research has shown this helps to control blood sugar
2 scoops of Reflex instant whey deluxe banoffe flavor – protein is a must at breakfast whatever your goals
40g of frozen blueberries – full of antioxidants (I prefer frozen as it brings the temperature down quicker so I can dig in!)
1tbsp greek yoghurt – lower in lactose than normal yoghurt with twice as much protein too

So there you have my top breakfasts to get your day started, from fat burning to pre race they all one thing in common and that’s protein, for the healthiest start to your day base your breakfasts around protein, no matter what your goals are.

Total Body Development Online Transformation Package

Online transformation package

What is it?

The Total Body Development online transformation package is a step-by-step training and nutrition plan for you to follow to achieve your fat loss goals. This is a way for you to receive guidance from me to achieve your goals at a fraction of what I would charge for my personal client services.

Who is it for?

Anyone who wants to get in shape but doesn’t know where to start or has become a little lost with his or her training. You can view it as a kick in the right direction as you will be eating healthier and training smarter, which will lead to great results in only a short space of time. Alternatively if you’re trying to get in the best shape you can as quick as possible you will also benefit from this package

What will you get?

In short a fool proof plan to get you in shape, no fad diets or ridiculous exercises, just a plan that works. This is a full step-by-step nutrition; supplement and training plan to follow along with support from both myself and other respected trainers and health professionals. You will also receive encouragement from others who are taking part in the programme as well as many of my past clients.

What can you expect?

Encouragement, sweat and results above everything else. You will be pushed hard to do the best you can but I also understand we all react differently to dieting and training hard, I’ve witnessed many people succeed but also many people fail, so I know what to look for and how to push people to get the best results they can.

What does it cost?

For the initial 6-week programme the total cost is £150, if after this period you wish to carry on with guidance then you can do so for £50 per month. In comparison to my 1:1 client packages, which cost in excess of £1000 this is a great way to utilise my knowledge and experience to help you achieve your goals. If you stick to the plan and are not happy at the end then I will refund you your money back, I am that confident that this work, simply because I have used it with so many people now.

What next?

To get started simply send me a message through my Facebook group
Total Body Development Page and I will send you the getting started questionnaire

Final Point…

If you’ve been a member of a gym or using a PT for some time but the look in the mirror and number on the scales doesn’t seem to be changing then this is a sure fire way to change that and give you the knowledge to be a healthier, fitter, stronger and above all else look better. This is Total Body Development.

Remember if you’re not happy with the results I will give you all of your money back.

My own transformation - The beginning

16 weeks today until i go away for a few weeks, a week in India and then on to Thailand with friends to celebrate my friend Stevo's 30th birthday.

So i need to get in shape or should i say i would like to get in shape and as i no longer play any sport i have a reason to get shredded, that being i want to look good on the beach!

Through my blog, twitter (twitter page) and Facebook page (TBD Page) i will log all my workouts and meals as well as my supplement protocol.

Current stats are:
height; 6ft 5"
weight: 111kg
bodyfat: 18%


Dieting for me is not something i enjoy but i know my body well enough and know i can drop fat very quickly with little cardio needed, just some clever diet and supplement manipulations, so rather than slog out the diet for months on end i usually diet for 3-4 weeks and get my abs out for a weeks holiday only for them to disappear within a week of coming back, this time however i'm aiming for conditioning that i can hold.

I have recently started working with the boxer Kell Brook in his preparation for his World Title eliminator fight against Hector Saldivia, as part of this i will be away from the 5th September for a 2 week training camp in Fuertuventura, which is where i will start my diet and training programme, no better place really!

Diet wise the first few weeks will be the same as what i do with all my clients and that is to slowly cut out the bad food habits and bring in the right foods at the right times, this makes the shift to a results driven and healthy diet all the more easier, it also helps boost the metabolism which will be key to dropping bodyfat.

Training will consist of a mix of strength and hypertrophy training, some steady state cv (because i want to ease myself in and i currently have a knee and hip injury which sprints will make worse) and 1-2 metabolic sessions per week along with some 1:1 pad work sessions with Ross Pettifer who is a pro MMA fighter (Ross twitter page)

Current lifts are:

Overhead Press - 90kg 5 sets of 5
Deadlift 200kg - 3 sets of 3
Pendlay Row - 110kg 5 sets of 5
Squats - 150kg for 3 - although no leg work has been done for 3 weeks due to injury
Dumbell incline bench press 55kg for 4 sets of 4

Conditioning/fitness wise - i am ridiculously unfit at the moment, i'll chart my progression as i go.

Supplements i will be using:

Vitamin D - 10,000iu per day
Zinc - 30mg per day
Magnesium - 800mg per day
Super once a day multivit from quest - 1 a day
Super Strength omega 3 - equivalent to 5g EPA per day
Whey Protein (Kinetica Banoffe, Reflex Chocolate and Optimum Nutrition Rocky Road)
Kinetica Oat Gain - for when i want a simple MRP or breakfast

I will use other supplements as and when needed during my diet but these will all remain as the staples, i will write a blog explaining why these are my staples of choice at a later date.

My goals are to add muscle and drop bodyfat, the holy grail, something you cant do at the same time apparently...

Diet so far today (31st August) has been Asda Rocky Road cereal, i finished the pack so i'm not tempted tomorrow, think that was about 800kclas worth and then i had a sausage and egg sandwich with brown sauce...... oh well as the saying goes "diet starts monday"

I will add my start pictures after the weekend, something i'm not looking forward to doing!

Here's one i took the other day

No 6 pack to see here, yet!

Any questions then feel free to ask them on my FB page or on twitter

Twitter page

Facebook page

Iced Green Tea recipe

I like my clients to drink green tea, there's tons of research on the benefits of it and its full of polyphenols which have strong antioxidant properties as well as containing alkaloids such as caffeine.

There have been many claims as to the health benefits of drinking green tea, however the key one's focus around promoting weight loss, increasing hydration and boosting the immune system.

As i'm a big fan of green tea and i like to drink it year round i came up with this recipe (it didn't take me long!) to make it more refreshing during the summer, an iced version that you can make up at night and drink throughout the day.

Here's what you need:

4 green tea bags
sugar free orange cordial
a jug or a protein shaker
an empty 2 litre bottle

Method:
boil the kettle and put the green tea bags in to the jug or protein shaker, add the boiled water and leave to cool. once it's cooled add the concentrated mix to an empty 2 litre water bottle, top it up with water and then add a splash of orange cordial to your preferred taste. Put it in the freezer overnight and take it out in the morning to drink through the day.

Here's a pic of what it looks like before you freeze it:

this is not a bottle of piss!

Because of the orange cordial the usual bitter taste you get from green tea is masked and this makes for a very healthy and refreshing alternative to just plain old water. Now if only we had a roasting summer that lasted more than 3 days!

Pre workout review for MJG Supplements – Grenade 50 calibre

Pre workout review for MJG Supplements – Grenade 50 calibre

I called in to see Matt from MJG supplements for a chat, talk business and basically wish each other well, we had a good chat and I saw the grenade pre workout on display, Matt kindly offered me a free sample in exchange for a review, so here it is.

I’m a Jack3d junkie, have been for a while but like to try different pre workout supplements every now and then and this one looks promising.

Now you’ve probably heard of grenade fat burners, they stand out not because of their ingredient list (much the same as most fat burners) but because they come in a grenade shaped container, clever marketing really. As a product thought its good and gets a lot of positive reviews, so when I saw that they had brought a pre workout formula out I was really looking forward to trying it.

It’s called 50 calibre and comes in plastic army type looking box, however I only had a sample and it was enough!

I usually ignore the creatine, beta alanine, bcaa, citrulaine malate, arginine and all the other aspects that usually make up a ‘propriety blend’ as the amounts are usually so insignificant that its just in there so they can make the product look better, real world results would require much more than Is added to the pre workout supplements (eg 1.5g creatine, pointless).

Unlike most hardcore pre workouts this one doesn’t include DMAA, I thought it may not give me the focus and energy such as products like jack3d, how wrong was i?!

Firstly the positives – increased energy (although not as good as jack3d) and the pump was ridiculous, I’d literally only have to look at a weight and the veins on my arms were pumped, I got great focus too, not once did I think about quitting on a set, it really helped me to push on through a pretty hard training session which included a lot of multi joint power work. I also felt like I could train for longer and even though the session was intense I never once felt I got close to failure, even though I was training at near maximal weights for the rep range.

Negatives – the worst was the sweating, I’ll refrain from putting in some crass ‘sweating like a…’ comment in but seriously I would like to know how much I’d sweat during my training session. I was dripping wet through from it. As well as this I got an edginess, sort of irritability which wasn’t nice and not very productive. The after affect or come down wasn’t too bad either, there definitely was one but in comparison the say 3 scoops of jack3d this was pretty tame. As well as this it did have a big effect on my appetite

Overall this will definitely work as a pre workout boost and if you’re a regular user of such products then definitely give this a try, the fact it doesn’t contain DMAA but still gives the energy and focus makes this a very good product in my opinion. I prefer a few others that don’t give me the terrible sweating and don’t include the same products as fat burners which knocked my appetite, however if you’re looking to drop weight then adding this will give you that extra benefit.

Nutrition - To be the best - As featured in Alpha Fit (issue 4)

Nutrition – to be the best

I am often asked what the differences are between the diets I write for elite athlete clients and those of the average gym user wanting to perform or look better. The truth is the same foods work for both; there are no secret foods that elite athletes are eating nor are there any supplements they have access to that your average gym user cannot get access to. However there are differences between elite and non-elite that I see too often when it comes to nutrition. Here is an overview of those differences.

1.     Consistency – the number one difference and without doubt the biggest issue when it comes to diet. Eating consistently well brings results. Sticking to a diet requires willpower but when that diet brings you results that earn you a living the willpower struggle diminishes. If your salary depended on eating the right foods and sticking to a diet, I’m sure you would.

2.     Understanding how food works – either the athlete or their nutritionist they work with will have a good understanding of why they are eating specific foods, why their meal timings are set out as they are and what the implications are of straying from the diet. I’m not saying you have to have a qualification in nutrition but an understanding of at least what foods are needed and when will improve your performance

3.     Lack of planning – after consistency this is the biggest issue I see for results not coming quick enough. If you don’t plan your foods out and take the time you will stray from your diet. As a good friend Chris Evers and one of the most committed gym members I have commented, “The engagement with food and the time and the effort you have to put in has to go up if you are to be the best you can be.” To really be the best you have to live the life in the kitchen too.

4.     Underestimating the importance of micronutrients– so often I see how young guys are using a protein powder, Creatine and a pre workout formula but completely ignore micronutrients either from their diet or from supplements, at the very least a multivitamin should be used. Other micronutrients such as Zinc and Vitamin D are excellent for both body composition and sports performance yet these are ignored. Contrast this with the elite and they will at the very least be covering all bases either through food or supplementation. I recently ran my own mini-research in to zinc deficiency of 37 males who bought a tub of protein 28 were deficient in Zinc, only 4 bought Zinc supplements based upon the results from a Zinc sulphate taste test. Begs the question why did they bother with any supplements?

There’s nothing radical there they are just behaviours which elite athletes adhere to and that is what sets them apart in terms of their diet from the average gym user. So what does it take to be the best? Well apart from genetics and great skill, the importance of nutrition is not to be underestimated. If you’re not planning out your diet then you wont ever be the best you can be, as you will never see where you could improve, this is integral to constant progress. Try and implement the above key differences for 3 months and you will be surprised how much progress you will make.

Passion, dropping weight, making weight and 'guru's'

This blog post comes more on reflection after what was a very busy and rewarding week for me in which certain goals were hit and made me proud for very different reasons. I’m not one to be in the limelight about my work I just enjoy what I do and value the job satisfaction I get. I think for a lot of people who work for themselves the stress can define them, either they thrive or crumble, luckily I don’t find my job stressful, maybe I would if all I did was ‘nutrition’ however I’m fortunate to have other business interests. I think these other interests are what keep me grounded.

I follow and read a lot of what other fitness and nutrition professionals have to say, their weekly blogs, tweets and Facebook updates, sometimes I envy how much time they put in to creating this all knowing guru status, then I have a reality check and realise that’s just not me, I don’t do this for recognition and if I could I would work for free (I answer enough emails and messages for free each week!) all I ever expect is a ‘thank you’ when helping people out for free.

There has long been a trend in nutrition to sell certain ways of dieting as being the only effective way, not rubbishing other methods as such but certainly making them out to be inferior. This is usually just down to marketing and money, I hope the people selling these ways don’t really believe this because everyone is different and this last week showed me that getting results is not just about using one method but finding what works for the client.

My week started off worrying about the progress of one of my clients, during our 1:1 strength & conditioning sessions he works very hard, there’s no let up with me and the session gets done, no early finish and no going easy, however in 5 weeks there had only been a weight loss of 6lbs, not bad for some but in context this wasn’t very good as the person in question started at over 30% bodyfat. Frustration was definitely kicking in for me; I’d tried a couple of subtle tricks to speed things up but got nothing. So my next step was to start afresh, go back to basics but also ask another nutritionist and friend to have a look and see if I was missing anything. Results are all I care about it’s what I’m paid for and I’m not driven by ego so asking for a fresh pair of eyes to look over my work is not something I’m afraid of doing. I respect my peers and value their knowledge and also their experience too, so why not use it.

So after a couple of emails I’d had chance to think about the new approach and sat down and put it all together, the result was a 7lb loss in 6 days. Strangely I did nothing revolutionary to change it up, certainly nothing worth writing a book or even an e-book about anyway. I changed the macronutrient split around slightly increasing calories, I also increased output slightly and focussed more on recovery to make sure output intensity levels could be kept high, I also made the client record every rep, weight used and mile ran as well as taking a photo of every meal and snack eaten. The result at weigh in yesterday certainly gave me a good start to this week.

Towards the end of the week I had a very different problem to deal with, it came from an old client who called me at 8am on Friday stating he had made a mess of his prep and he had woke up nowhere near the weight he expected and he wasn’t going to make weight for his weigh in so he had been given until 10am Saturday to make weight, which meant losing 19lbs in 26 hours.

No mean feat but I had a couple of things in my favour in the fact I had worked with this client before thus knew his body well enough to know that what he had done leading up to this point would be enough for me to work with and also the fact we had plenty of time (joke –we were under pressure but I couldn’t let him know that as stress makes you hold water). Off he went with a shopping list and I went to the shop, what usually happens here is I travel to the clients home or hotel and we get to work, as I had to work in the shop I was going to travel down after. However things went as expected and he was on course without me, so I stayed in contact via Skype when needed throughout Friday night. He weighed in at 10:11am at 19.3lbs lighter than when he called me. The hard part after this however is making sure the weight goes back on the right way and performance is not affected. Again this was achieved and the desired result came.

Now this all sounds very extreme to most people, 19lbs in a day and then rebounding 24lbs from weigh in only 10 hours later, yes it’s crazy but again it’s no magic voodoo like some guru’s try to sell as if they are the only one’s who understand the human body and the magical ways of nutrition manipulation. We simply utilised 2 methods in this case, thermoregulation and electrolyte balance manipulation. I will state however that trying this out is hard, yes I have done it but that’s just because I want to understand what my clients go through mentally, if you don’t need to then don’t. It’s very taxing on the body. I’m also not a fan of the whole business of trying to come in to the ring as the heaviest fighter, there’s more to both mma and boxing than being heavier than the other guy. Performance is what matters and I’ve written an article which I’ll publish soon on this aspect of the sport.

So that was my week, it was very rewarding and I thoroughly enjoyed it and at no point did I have to make any outlandish claims or declare myself to be a guru and sell off false ideals, all I did was my job which I enjoy.

The most expensive thing I own is my passion for my work.

Yes I did actually just write that too…..