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You’re lying face down in the grass and someone is screaming at you to push that final press up.

You sweat, the muscles hurt and you may be thinking, “Sod this, why not go back home and crawl into bed?”

There are many answers to that of course. Working out gives you a chance to escape the kids for half an hour, regain the vigor of your loss youth or (and this seems very popular) the chance to “look good naked”.

Then there is your health. Being sick – long-term sick I mean – is an exhausting, unpleasant and miserable experience. That is obvious. It can destroy much of the joy in your life. Just getting about day-to-day when you have on-going heart problems or when you are dealing with cancer – think about what that would be like.

The health benefits of regular exercise (and the word “regular” is important here) have been known for a long time. Here is a list of the major ones:

And while this may be familiar to some of you, it’s also worth pointing out that regular exercise boosts self-confidence and helps prevent depression.

Obviously go and see your doctor if you’re concerned about any aspect of your health. If you have undiagnosed diabetes or serious depression then attempting 10 chin-ups is not going to help you. You need medical care.

But I do think that if a drug company could invent one drug that had all the health benefits listed above – it would have made billions.

Well we are saying there is a “drug” that can do all that. And unlike sticking a fistful of tablets down your throat in the morning, getting out and doing some training is a lot more fun – at least the way we do it!

Here’s a quick video of one of our Sydney boot camp workouts, check it out…

Wishing you the best of health

Emiliano
Boot Camp Instructor
Dangerously Fit Boot Camp

P.S Visit Boot Camp Sydney for more info.

                        

It doesn’t matter how hard you train – you CANNOT out train a poor diet and I believe diet is about 80% of weight loss.

The following nutrition guidelines have produced some life-changing results for our personal training and boot camp clients all over Sydney.

If you follow our nutrition plan and exercise program CAREFULLY you can expect to lose 1kg per week.

Nutrition Tip 1. Eat at regular intervals

Your first meal of the day should be right after you wake up in the morning and then every 2-4 hours thereafter for a total of 6 small meals per day. This is the foundation of any weight loss program as it feeds the muscle with the nutrients it needs and prevents the body from going into starvation mode which will slow down your metabolism and fat burning.

You should try to consume 3 staple meals per day – breakfast, lunch and dinner, and 3 snacks (mid-morning, mid-afternoon and before bed).

Nutrition Tip 2. Eat carbs that are high in fiber

Remember to focus on the quality of the carbohydrate first, then on the quantity. All carbs (except dairy) should contain at least 3 grams of fiber per serving with less than 10 grams of sugar per serving.

Use the following 5 step carbohydrate reduction process to begin eliminating bad carbs…

Step1. Replace all white carbs with whole grains and all refined sugars with natural sugars i.e. fruit and honey. This will keep your blood sugar levels stable which is key to maintaining high energy levels and burning fat.

Step2. Limit all 100% whole grain starch and natural sugar consumption
to within 1-2 hours post-workout or immediately upon waking for breakfast. Your body best handles these types of carbs at these times without excessive risk of this energy being stored as fat.

Step3. Replace all starches and sugars with fruit and veg. Fruit and veg are the most nutrient dense carbs and are loaded with all types of nutrients, antioxidants, minerals, fiber and other photochemical’s making them an essential component of any sensible eating plan.

Step4. Decrease the amount of fruit and increase the amount of veggies (except corn, peas, carrots and potato) to limit the amount of natural sugar (fructose) that will prevent your body from maximally using stored body fat for fuel. Eat plenty of dark green veggies like green beans, spinach, broccoli, asparagus, dark leafy lettuce etc.

These types of veggies are the most figure friendly foods and you can consume as much of these as you like.

Step5. Use strategic carb and calorie cycling to take your body to next level (my clients and I have had great success with this but it is beyond the scope of this article).

Nutrition Tip 3. Take the right supplements

Not all supplements are equal and like everything you get what you pay for. The best type of multivitamin supplements are whole food based – meaning they originate from real food and not coal or tar as many synthetic vitamins do. These types of supplements are little more expensive but are definitely worth it.

The right type of multivitamin will ensure your body functions optimally even if you fail to eat 8-12 servings of fruit and veg a day.

You should also be taking a high quality essential fatty acid or fish oil supplement. Omega-3 fats found in fish oil are scientifically proven to increase metabolism and generate increased fat burning, besides having a host of other benefits like preventing cancer, reducing inflammation and joint pain, enhancing skin and hair quality, etc.

Well, those are my 3 nutrition tips you can instantly begin implementing. Keep your diet simple and clean and you’ll look your best in no time.

Let me know how you go.

Dan Clay
Dangerously fit

                        

The great thing about these bodyweight circuits are they’re quick, effective and you don’t need a gym.

So no more and queuing up for machines or long boring cardio workouts.

These exercises can be performed in the park, at the beach or even in the comfort of your own home. All you need is a clear space of about 2 square meters and you’re good to go.

Short high intensity workouts elevate your metabolism through EPOC (excess post oxygen consumption).

EPOC basically means if you train very hard even for short periods you’ll continue to burn calories after you’ve finished your workout.

It’s difficult to predict how much EPOC any workout will bring but as a general rule, the more intense your workout – the more EPOC.

High intensity exercise can keep your metabolism elevated for up to 2 days after your workout, which is why this type of training is the key for fast and sustainable fat loss.

The workout…

All the exercises in this circuit are compound exercises working more than one muscle at a time.

The circuit is split between cardio and strength upper and lower body exercises to give your energy systems and muscular a systems a rest between exercises.

Perform each exercise for 10 seconds, have a 20 second rest then move on to the next exercise until you’ve completed the circuit.
Have a 120 second rest, then repeat.

1.Squats
2.Mountain climbers
3.Push-ups
4.Squat thrusts
5.Reverse lunges
6.Jumping jacks (star jumps)
7.Inverted rows
8.Burpees

Guidelines…

Begin with a 2-1 work rest ratio meaning your resting for twice as long as you’re exercising

As you get fitter you can either increase the work (exercising for longer intervals)
or decrease your rest time between exercises – NOT BOTH.

With this workout only taking 10 minutes 3 times a week and being able perform it at home, there’s no excuse for being too busy.

Train hard!

Dan Clay
Dangerously Fit Personal Training
www.dangerouslyfitpersonaltraining.com
www.personaltrainersydney.com
www.bootcampsydney.com.au

P.S For more great bodyweight fat loss workouts check out Turbulence Training.

                        

”You can better results following a badly written exercise program than following a well written exercise program”.

What does that mean?

Well…

You can follow a badly written exercise program and get good results if you train hard enough and consistent enough.

And…

You can follow a great exercise program and get lousy results if you follow the program half assed and don’t put 100% effort in.

It doesn’t matter how great the program is it’s up to you to do the hard work, no-ones gonna do the push ups for you.

So if you put 100% effort into a bad program you’ll get great results……

But…

If you follow a good program with 100% effort you’ll get amazing results!

So what’s it gonna be?

Lousy results or amazing results?

It’s your choice.

Train hard!

Dan Clay
Dangerously Fit Personal Training
www.dangerouslyfitpersonaltraining.com
www.personaltrainersydney.com
www.bootcampsydney.com.au

                        

Although both are essential for losing weight I don’t think either are the most important factor.

Personally I believe mindset is by far the most important tool for losing weight.

Mindset is the thing that will bring everything together, it gives you the imagination, focus and belief to become what you’re capable of.

It doesn’t matter how good a nutrition or exercise program is if you continually slip up and miss workouts or eat garbage, the program simply won’t work.

If you have the right mindset losing weight becomes much easier, you’ll be more focused in your workouts and you’ll find it much easier to avoid pizza hut.

To learn more about mindset and I’d definitely recommend you grab yourself a copy of the pycho cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz.

Train Hard and Eat Well!

Dan Clay
Dangerously Fit Personal Training
www.dangerouslyfitpersonaltraining.com
www.personaltrainersydney.com
www.bootcampsydney.com.au

                        

Here is a video of a quick 8 minute ab workout routine, incorporate as many ab movement patterns into your ab workouts as possible.

The core is the link between your upper and lower body and needs special attention, gone are the days when core training meant performing hundreds of sit-ups off the floor, there are much more effective ways to train.

The rectus abdominal’s (abs) is the muscle known as “the 6 pack”. When training the abs it is important not to just perform trunk flexion exercises (sit-ups). The rectus abdominal’s are just one muscle of a whole group of muscles which is commonly referred to as the “Abs”.

The other muscles are: external oblique’s, internal oblique’s and the transverses abdominus.

All movement from the extremities rely on the core for stabilization and force production, it’s the most important area of the body. As the old saying goes “you can’t fire a canon from a canoe”.

Below are some general guidelines showing what a proper core program should look like, apply these strategies to your routine and you will have a shredded 6 pack in no time.

1. Interval Training.

This is short bouts of high intense exercise broken up with periods of low intense exercise. For example sprint for 10 seconds then rest for 10 seconds – repeat this for 15-20 mins, as you become fitter increase the reps or decrease the rest period. This will boost your metabolic rate whilst burning heaps of calories. Everyone has a six pack, it’s just that it’s usually hidden under fat.

2. Wood Chopping Exercises.

The rectus abdominals (6 pack) are designed more for anti-rotators of the trunk rather than trunk flexion (sit up’s). Otherwise the ab’s would look more like a bicep. Standing sideways to a cable machine, attach a rope to the high pulley. Pull the rope down and across your body, to just outside your left knee. Return the cable to the starting position, finish your reps and then switch sides.

3. Strength Training.

By increasing your lean muscle mass you’ll burn more calories sitting behind your desk and whilst you’re asleep, you will also burn a considerable more amount of energy whilst you’re exercising through greater energy demand from the increased lean muscle. Do large compound exercises working multiple muscles working every major muscle group in the body.

4. Fit-Ball.

By using a fit ball you’ll be increasing the range of motion from a neutral spine to trunk flexion (sit-ups), to trunk extension to trunk flexion. By doing sit-ups on an unstable surface you’ll also increase the amount of muscle fiber recruitment.

5. Diet.

If your diet is poor, no amount of training will work. Eat plenty of fruit, vegetables, nut’s, seeds, wholegrains, beans, legumes. If your eating meat and dairy make sure it’s lean and low in saturated fat. Keep sugar’s and alcohol to a minimum.

6. Train all Movements.

Don’t just do sit-ups, train all movement patterns. A good core program should include trunk flexion and extension, rotation, side flexion, reverse crunches and static holds. It’s not necessary to do them all in one session, pick one or two for each training session.

7. Less is More.

One of the most common mistakes people make is they do too many reps. The abs are just like any other muscle, so train them like you would other muscles. Doing hundreds of reps isn’t going to do much except give you bad posture. Add an external weight and keep the reps under twenty.

8. Stretch.

Like any other muscle the Abs need stretching. Lay face down with your hands under your shoulders, push up until your arms are nearly straight whilst simultaneously pushing your hips into the floor. This will increase the range of motion of the muscle and increase blood flow, therefore speeding up recovery between sessions.

9. Static Holds.

To develop a strong core you must incorporate exercises that incorporate the whole mid-section, including the hips. Stuart McGill (leading researcher on lower back dis-function) believes strength endurance is the most important factor in maintaining a healthy lower back. The plank is a good place to start, hold yourself in the press-up position, keeping your abs braced (tightened) and your butt squeezed tight. Start with a 20 second hold and increase this time by 10% a week.

10. Train the body as one integrated unit.

Use strength training exercises that will actively challenge the core. Some of the best core exercises around are ones that are working other muscle groups. By using exercises such as squat and deadlift variations, overhead presses, bent over rows and even push ups you’ll be creating awesome core strength.

If you have any questions please feel free to post them below.

Cheers,

Dan Clay
Dangerously Fit Personal Training
www.dangerouslyfitpersonaltraining.com