You CAN do ANYTHING (Plus Some Awesome Fat Loss Tips!)

It amazes me when people say they CAN'T achieve fat loss success because of their circumstances.

"I can't follow diets.."
"I have kids, I can't eat healthily."
"I'm too busy to prepare food"
"My job doesn't allow me to"

are just some of the poor excuses that I hear on a regular basis.

Success starts by taking 100% responsibility for your own actions. Its not your kids fault or your bosses fault that you're fat and the sooner you realise that,the better. Sorry if that sounded a bit harsh peeps but I feel its my duty as your fat loss coach to move you from "thinking about it" to taking "massive action" and if that means giving you a kick in the butt every now and then,then so be it.

I want you to take a look at this video I came across the other day. It's a story about a US marine called Ivan Castro who devastantingly suffered a mortar attack whilst serving in Iraq. The result of the attack left Ivan permanently blind. Soon after, Castro found himself battling with anger and depression. He eventually met with a blind Marine however who helped him realize that the man he had always been, was still alive.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mW7waO604c

Amazing huh?

Still think you can't drop that "bit of bodyfat?"

Put's things in perspective doesn't it.

You Can Do Anything If You Want To, You Just Got To Toughen Up And BELIEVE That You CAN thats all!

Below are some killer fat loss tips that you can start using straight away:

1) Plan, Plan & Do More Planning

Know what you're going to eat tomorrow, and the next day and the next. A quote I heard recently from my business mentor and UK's number 1 fat loss expert Paul Mort, which was "it's better to rely on your planning rather than will power when it comes to your diet." I love this quote! This basically means don't be caught in a situation where you're relying on your will power (eg. a party, wedding etc) to get yourself through the situation. Plan ahead, eat BEFORE you go out, pack a lunch if you're going out all day. Pack it the night before, whatever it takes to stop you from getting into that situation where you might blow off course with your diet.

2) Create some "What-Scenarios"

This kind of coincides with the above. Write a list of "what if" scenarios that might come up over the next few weeks that may stop you from eating healthily and put a hault on your fat loss progress. eg "what if I'm invited out for a curry? what am I going to do?" Next write down how you're gonna deal with each scenario eg. "if I'm invited out for a curry, I will either a) eat before I go out b) phone up the restaurant the night before and find out what healthy dishes they have. or c) Not go.

Plan out every scenario so that you know EXACTLY what you need to do before it's even come up. This may seem like a pain doing this but its well worth doing. This is the difference between achieving success and failure.

3) Eat Clean For 30 Days And Avoid Sugar!

Avoid wheat, dairy, alcohol, caffeine & sugar. Stick to filling your shopping trolley with nothing other than fresh fruit, vegetables and lean meats such as turkey, chicken, seafood etc. Avoid packaged food and focus on home cooking. If I have time to cook and prepare food for the next day, then YOU definitely should be able to do! Remember, no excuses! This is what you need to do if you want to achieve fat loss success.

4) Do BODYWEIGHT Workouts

You don't need to be a member of a health club or have access to all the latest "state of the art" gym equipment to get fat loss results. All you need is your own bodyweight and a positive can-do attitude and you'll be well on your way. I'll be releasing my new e-book "Hit Fat Where It Hurts" which is a 30 day bodyweight programme complete with nutrition plan on Friday 14th January so keep 'em peeled.

5)BELIEVE You Can Do IT!

Just like Ivan, he believes he can do anything and he's proven it with his recent challenges he's done. Believe you CAN achieve fat loss success.

I hope this blog post has been helpful to you.

Sam Winkworth

If you have any fat loss tips that you'd like to share then feel free to leave a comment in the section below.

14 Day Fat Flush System

To pay for your 14 Day Fat Flush System and get access to all the fat melting meal plans, Bootcamp menus & meal plans that will help you lose a ton of bodyfat then all you need to do is click on the paypal button below:

As soon as you've done this I will then get in contact with you telling you where the exact meeting point is. You'll also need to let me know what sessions you want to be booked on.


Here's that paypal link to reserve your place on this special 14 day fat loss programme:

See you at camp ; )

Sam Winkworth

The Difference Between Evolution Bootcamp And Other Group Training Options

Alot of people ask me what's the difference between Bootcamp and other group training options.

Quite alot actually!

The first big difference is the nutritional support you get at Bootcamp.

Following the right nutrition plan is crucial if you want to see healthy fat loss results. Poor nutrition is like driving a Ferrari with cheap engine oil in it.You will not get very far. Here at Evolution Bootcamp we look at optimising your nutrition so that you can start to see results in just 28 days without compromising your health.

Our nutrition plan isn't just a few diet tips that you'll find on the internet, it's really more of a nutritional philosophy that's designed to get you some great fat loss results in just 28 days.

The programme is all about eating great food, drinking fresh clean water, avoiding processed food and eating organically whenever you can.

You won't find us pushing any pills, powders or supplements your way whatsover to make your results look better than they actually are - just eating the way mother nature intended you to eat, that's it!

The Second Big Difference Is The Workouts We Use

The sessions we use at Bootcamp have been tried and tested on all our private 1-2-1 clients, and with great success too.

Put simply, we know how to create the best fat loss workout in just 45 minutes.

All our workouts we use at Bootcamp are designed with metabolic disturbance in mind. This means how many calories you'll burn long AFTER the workout finishes, even when you're resting. something that you don't always get with other group training options.

Bootcamp takes place every Monday (9.30am), Tuesday (6.30pm), Wednesday (9.30am), Thursday (6.30pm) and Saturday (8.30am)in Knole Park, Sevenoaks.

It also takes place every Tuesday (6.30pm), Thursday (6.30pm) and Saturday (9.30am) in Tonbridge Park, Tonbridge.

For more information and to reserve your place please call/text 07817 403398 or email sam@evolutionfitnessandnutrition.com

Alternatively, click on the paypal link to reserve your place:

PS - if you book your place before September 1st then we'll offer all readers a second month at half the price.

Are YOU A Drug Addict?

Hey! How you doing?

I hope you're doing awesome? Today I wanted to talk to you about sugar and how this white stuff can not only affect your fat loss but your overall health aswell.

I wrote about this subject only a few months ago however I feel that the "sugar message" is STILL not getting through to alot of people so I'm re-visiting this.

When I talk about giving up sugar, most people 'think' they have, when this couldn't be further from the truth.

Giving up sugar goes much deeper than just cutting out cakes, biscuits and chocolates.

Hidden sugars are also found in so-called "healthy foods" aswell:

Cereals,
Salad dressings,
Soups,
Spreads,
Pre-packed sandwiches,
Pre-packed salads,
Alcoholic beverages,
Bread, etc.

If you're committed to getting your health back and are truly interested in WHY you should give sugar up (or seriously cut back on it) then just check out the staggering list below.

(Alot of people I come across seem to think that diabetes is the only health disorder linked with high sugar consumption, but, as the list below will show you, consuming too much can have huge health implications):

(This list is from Nancy Appleton's website. www.nancyappleton.com)
This list is unbelievable! I was shocked when I first read this list.

1. Sugar can suppress the immune system.
2. Sugar upsets the mineral relationships in the body.
3. Sugar can cause hyperactivity, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and crankiness in children.
4. Sugar can produce a significant rise in triglycerides.
5. Sugar contributes to the reduction in defense against bacterial infection (infectious diseases).
6. Sugar causes a loss of tissue elasticity and function, the more sugar you eat the more elasticity and function you loose.
7. Sugar reduces high density lipoproteins.
8. Sugar leads to chromium deficiency.
9 Sugar leads to cancer of the ovaries.
10. Sugar can increase fasting levels of glucose.
11. Sugar causes copper deficiency.
12. Sugar interferes with absorption of calcium and magnesium.
13. Sugar can weaken eyesight.
14. Sugar raises the level of a neurotransmitters: dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine.
15. Sugar can cause hypoglycemia.
16. Sugar can produce an acidic digestive tract.
17. Sugar can cause a rapid rise of adrenaline levels in children.
18. Sugar malabsorption is frequent in patients with functional bowel disease.
19. Sugar can cause premature aging.
20. Sugar can lead to alcoholism.
21. Sugar can cause tooth decay.
22. Sugar contributes to obesity
23. High intake of sugar increases the risk of Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis.
24. Sugar can cause changes frequently found in person with gastric or duodenal ulcers.
25. Sugar can cause arthritis.
26. Sugar can cause asthma.
27. Sugar greatly assists the uncontrolled growth of Candida Albicans (yeast infections).
28. Sugar can cause gallstones.
29. Sugar can cause heart disease.
30. Sugar can cause appendicitis.
31. Sugar can cause multiple sclerosis.
32. Sugar can cause hemorrhoids.
33. Sugar can cause varicose veins.
34. Sugar can elevate glucose and insulin responses in oral contraceptive users.
35. Sugar can lead to periodontal disease.
36. Sugar can contribute to osteoporosis.
37. Sugar contributes to saliva acidity.
38. Sugar can cause a decrease in insulin sensitivity.
39. Sugar can lower the amount of Vitamin E (alpha-Tocopherol in the blood.
40. Sugar can decrease growth hormone.
41. Sugar can increase cholesterol.
42. Sugar can increase the systolic blood pressure.
43. Sugar can cause drowsiness and decreased activity in children.
44. High sugar intake increases advanced glycation end products (AGEs)(Sugar bound non-enzymatically to protein)
45. Sugar can interfere with the absorption of protein.
46. Sugar causes food allergies.
47. Sugar can contribute to diabetes.
48. Sugar can cause toxemia during pregnancy.
49. Sugar can contribute to eczema in children.
50. Sugar can cause cardiovascular disease.
51. Sugar can impair the structure of DNA
52. Sugar can change the structure of protein.
53. Sugar can make our skin age by changing the structure of collagen.
54. Sugar can cause cataracts.
55. Sugar can cause emphysema.
56. Sugar can cause atherosclerosis.
57. Sugar can promote an elevation of low density lipoproteins (LDL).
58. High sugar intake can impair the physiological homeostasis of many systems in the body.
59. Sugar lowers the enzymes ability to function.
60. Sugar intake is higher in people with Parkinson’s disease.
61. Sugar can cause a permanent altering the way the proteins act in the body.
62. Sugar can increase the size of the liver by making the liver cells divide.
63. Sugar can increase the amount of liver fat.
64. Sugar can increase kidney size and produce pathological changes in the kidney.
65. Sugar can damage the pancreas.
66. Sugar can increase the body's fluid retention.
67. Sugar is enemy #1 of the bowel movement.
68. Sugar can cause myopia (nearsightedness).
69. Sugar can compromise the lining of the capillaries.
70. Sugar can make the tendons more brittle.
71. Sugar can cause headaches, including migraine.
72. Sugar plays a role in pancreatic cancer in women.
73. Sugar can adversely affect school children's grades and cause learning disorders..
74. Sugar can cause an increase in delta, alpha, and theta brain waves.
75. Sugar can cause depression.
76. Sugar increases the risk of gastric cancer.
77. Sugar and cause dyspepsia (indigestion).
78. Sugar can increase your risk of getting gout.
79. Sugar can increase the levels of glucose in an oral glucose tolerance test over the ingestion of complex carbohydrates.
80. Sugar can increase the insulin responses in humans consuming high-sugar diets compared to low sugar diets.
81 High refined sugar diet reduces learning capacity.
82. Sugar can cause less effective functioning of two blood proteins, albumin, and lipoproteins, which may reduce the body’s ability to handle fat and cholesterol.
83. Sugar can contribute to Alzheimer’s disease.
84. Sugar can cause platelet adhesiveness.
85. Sugar can cause hormonal imbalance; some hormones become underactive and others become overactive.
86. Sugar can lead to the formation of kidney stones.
87. Sugar can lead to the hypothalamus to become highly sensitive to a large variety of stimuli.
88. Sugar can lead to dizziness.
89. Diets high in sugar can cause free radicals and oxidative stress.
90. High sucrose diets of subjects with peripheral vascular disease significantly increases platelet adhesion.
91. High sugar diet can lead to biliary tract cancer.
92. Sugar feeds cancer.
93. High sugar consumption of pregnant adolescents is associated with a twofold increased risk for delivering a small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infant.
94. High sugar consumption can lead to substantial decrease in gestation duration among adolescents.
95. Sugar slows food's travel time through the gastrointestinal tract.
96. Sugar increases the concentration of bile acids in stools and bacterial enzymes in the colon. This can modify bile to produce cancer-causing compounds and colon cancer.
97. Sugar increases estradiol (the most potent form of naturally occurring estrogen) in men.
98. Sugar combines and destroys phosphatase, an enzyme, which makes the process of digestion more difficult.
99. Sugar can be a risk factor of gallbladder cancer.
100. Sugar is an addictive substance.
101. Sugar can be intoxicating, similar to alcohol.
102. Sugar can exacerbate PMS.
103. Sugar given to premature babies can affect the amount of carbon dioxide they produce.
104. Decrease in sugar intake can increase emotional stability.
105. The body changes sugar into 2 to 5 times more fat in the bloodstream than it does starch.
106. The rapid absorption of sugar promotes excessive food intake in obese subjects.
107. Sugar can worsen the symptoms of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
108. Sugar adversely affects urinary electrolyte composition.
109. Sugar can slow down the ability of the adrenal glands to function.
110. Sugar has the potential of inducing abnormal metabolic processes in a normal healthy individual and to promote chronic degenerative diseases.
111.. I.Vs (intravenous feedings) of sugar water can cut off oxygen to the brain.
112. High sucrose intake could be an important risk factor in lung cancer.
113. Sugar increases the risk of polio.
114. High sugar intake can cause epileptic seizures.
115. Sugar causes high blood pressure in obese people.
116. In Intensive Care Units, limiting sugar saves lives.
117. Sugar may induce cell death.
118. Sugar can increase the amount of food that you eat.
119. In juvenile rehabilitation camps, when children were put on a low sugar diet, there was a 44% drop in antisocial behavior.
120. Sugar can lead to prostrate cancer.
121. Sugar dehydrates newborns.
122. Sugar increases the estradiol in young men.
123. Sugar can cause low birth weight babies.
124. Greater consumption of refined sugar is associated with a worse outcome of schizophrenia
125. Sugar can raise homocysteine levels in the blood stream.
126. Sweet food items increase the risk of breast cancer.
127. Sugar is a risk factor in cancer of the small intestine.
128. Sugar may cause laryngeal cancer.
129. Sugar induces salt and water retention.
130. Sugar may contribute to mild memory loss.
131. As sugar increases in the diet of 10 years olds, there is a linear decrease in the intake of many essential nutrients.
132. Sugar can increase the total amount of food consumed.
133. Exposing a newborn to sugar results in a heightened preference for sucrose relative to water at 6 months and 2 years of age.
134. Sugar causes constipation.
135. Sugar causes varicous veins.
136. Sugar can cause brain decay in prediabetic and diabetic women.
137. Sugar can increase the risk of stomach cancer.
138. Sugar can cause metabolic syndrome.
139. Sugar ingestion by pregnant women increases neural tube defects in embryos.
140. Sugar can be a factor in asthma.
141. The higher the sugar consumption the more chances of getting irritable bowel syndrome.
142. Sugar could affect central reward systems.
143. Sugar can cause cancer of the rectum.
144. Sugar can cause endometrial cancer.
145. Sugar can cause renal (kidney) cell carcinoma.
146. Sugar can cause liver tumors.


Unbelievable right?

Sugar is quite simply a drug and is actually more addictive than heroine, tobacco, cocaine and marijuana.

Just like any drug, it's really really hard to give up.

Here's what I think:

"Most People Are Addicted To Sugar They Just Don't Know It Yet"

The problem with sugar is that it's found it's way into most of our food and we really have to be careful about what we buy if we're to give it up completely.

It's likely that any food that's been tinned, canned or packaged has some kind of sugar in it to preserve it's lifespan. Anything ending is 'ose is basically sugar (Glucose, Sucrose, Lactose, Maltose, Galactose, Frutose, Dextrose, Mannose,
Saccharose, Levulose).

Below I've devised a 5-step plan to help you ween yourself off the nasty stuff that will not only help with your fat loss progress but your health aswell:

1) Give up sugar!

When you give up sugar (or severly cut down on your intake), it's likely that you'll experience some withdrawal symptoms. This is because you're a sugar addict and you're craving it. Go cold turkey for 2 months and try out some new and exciting sugar-free recipes. Avoid pre-packed food and focus on cooking with natural ingredients. Know where you're food and ingredients are coming from.

2) Check the labels when you go shopping

Do some detective work when you go shopping. Look for any of the hidden sugars mentioned above. Basically, anything ending in 'ose is sugar (fructose, sucrose, lactose, dextrose etc.)

3) Do Something else when your sugar craving kicks in

When a sugar craving kicks in, keep yourself busy and do something else. Go for a walk round the block or read a book for 20 minutes if you have to. This will help keep your mind off the food your craving.


4) Toughen Up!

Quit whingeing that you can't give up sugar and just DO it! If you're a "Fussy Eater" then do something about it and try out some different recipes. There's plenty of variety out there. This is your health we're talking about. When are you going to address it? When it's too late? When you have cancer? diabetes?

I'm sorry if that offended anyone but I feel it's my mission as your fat loss coach to be aware of the many health implications that sugar has on the human body.

Remember, the human body is a marvelous piece of machinery and it's not designed to eat sugar.

6) Don't Go Mad With The Fruit

Fruit is very good for us so please don't think I'm telling you that it's not! Just don't snack on it all day because at the end of the day, fruit contains fructose, which, although is sugar in it's natural form, it's still sugar and your body will see it as that. Replace with more fresh vegetables instead.


So there you have it! If you're interested in giving up sugar and want some recipes to try out that use nothing other than natural ingredients then let me know and I'll order you a cook book.

Here's to a sugar-free diet.

Sam

5 Killer Fat Loss Tips!

Hey! I hope you're doing awesome?

I certainly am. I'm into week 4 of my Elimination Diet and going well. No alcohol, caffeine, processed food or sugar for 30 days. If you want more information on this diet then check out my free fat loss report "9 Powerful Secrets to Losing Bodyfat!"

Anyway, that's not why I'm messaging you. I sometimes write about health & fat loss for my local magazine and, having thumbed through a recent edition, I realised I hadn't uploaded the article here so I just wanted to share with you my 5-step success plan. These are just some of the steps that I use successfully on both myself and with my private clients. I hope you are too.

1. Focus On Whole Natural Foods And Short Burst Workouts

Eat organically whenever you can and avoid anything that's been tinned, canned or packaged. Instead of long steady "cardio" activity focus on short burst workouts like circuit training and intervals to help burn off more bodyfat. These workouts have been research-proven to burn more calories long after the workout finishes.

2. Write Down What You're Eating.

Research shows that those that use a food diary are more likely to achieve fat loss success than those who don't. You can download yours for free over at my website.

3. Stop Beating Yourself Up!

If you fall off the wagon with your diet, then don't beat yourself up,just forget about it, move on and think that tomorrow will be a much better day. Try to get as much control over your health and fitness as you can by shopping, planning and preparing.Know what you're going to have to eat tomorrow, and the next and the next and STICK TO IT!

4. Surround Yourself With People Who Have The Same Goals As You.

The truth of the matter is that most people will hold you down and don't want to see you succeed. Hang around with others who share the same fitness/fat loss/health goals as you so you can benfit from shared knowledge, commitment, support and success.

Surround yourself with positive people and ditch the "energy drainers" from your life.

5) Create Some "Me-Time" For Yourself

Trying to please everybody is a recipe for failure. You need to find time you can label as your own, not your kids, your partner or your friends - YOURS!!! Because until you put yourself first, just occasionally, you will NEVER find the time to do what you want to do.

And there you have them, my 5-step fat loss success plan. Follow those steps and I'm sure you'll see some success.

Catch you soon,

Sam : )

Why Your Portion Sizes Maybe Keeping You Fat! (Plus My Vacation Photos From Tenerife).

Hey there,

How we all doing? I haven't written here in a while as I've been on vacation with my girlfriend Christie and only got back this week.

We both had an awesome time in Tenerife, lots of rest, recovery and regeneration and plenty of sunshine for the later part of the vacation which we were both happy about. Whilst we were there we managed to explore the famous Mount Teide volcano in the heart of the island. we also enjoyed a great boat trip where we saw some whales swimming real close to the boat.

Here are some of the pics I took whilst up Mount Teide and on the boat trip:





Mount Teide is the world's third biggest volcano at an altitude of 2,300 metres. It's also the highest point in Spain.

Our cattamerang trip saw us explore the west side of Tenerife during which time we saw a few whales that came up to the boat to do a bit of exploring themselves which was awesome!





I've never seen whales in the wild before so I was real happy that they came so close to the boat and that Christie & I could get some cool pics.

Anyway, I don't want to bore you too much with my holiday adventures but I DID want to talk to you about something I noticed in our hotel dining area every evening.

Something that most diners were doing that shocked me.

Something that will seriously put a BIG HAULT to your fat loss progress

..And this was PORTION SIZES

I couldn't believe how much food people were piling on their plate!

I'm guessing most of the guests staying at the hotel were 'all-inclusive' because ALL of them seemed to want to get their money's worth when it came to dining.

Don't get me wrong, I don't have an issue with people relaxing on their diet slightly when they go on vacation but piling plates and cutting half a loaf of bread for yourself seems somewhat greedy.

It was almost as if just because the food was there infront of them...they HAD to eat it!

You need to go EASY with the portion sizes when it comes to fat loss.

It doesn't matter whether you're on vacation, eating out or preparing something at home, you need to look at your portion sizes.

You can eat the healthiest food on this planet, and the best fat loss workouts money can buy yet you'll STILL put weight on if you're not thinking about how MUCH you're eating.

Any food is calories at the end of the day.

Make sure you're eating little and often. This will help to spread out your calories throughout the day instead of consuming most of your daily calories at the end of the day.

OK, rant over, just wanted to share that with you.

Here are some more pics from the holiday. And if you want to see ALL of the pics then make sure you check them out on my facebook page.













Peace out, and I'll talk to you again real soon...

Sam Winkworth CPT, SPN

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Please Leave A Comment In The Section Below
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9 Success Secrets To Maximise Fat Loss

I thought it would be cool to share with you some of the secrets I use with all my paying clients to help them achieve great fat loss success:

1) Quit waiting for the right time

Stop waiting around for the best time to start your fat loss plan. They'll NEVER be one. Just get going!!! Here's a workout to help you get started. Awesome chillout tune with it aswell : )



2) Be Honest With Yourself!

It's amazing how alot of people are disillusioned about the way they eat. Reality check: Cereal & toast for breakfast & Sandwiches for lunch isn't healthy. And what about the binge drinking the weekend. Have they "conveniently forgotton about that? If you want to lose body fat then don't be someone who suffers from "Dietary Dishonesty". Use a food diary and find out EXACTLY what you're eating on a daily basis.

Download my food diary I use with all my clients over at my personal training website

3) Surround yourself with positive people

Ditch the energy suckers from your life. If you're hanging out with people that are negative about diet & exercise then they will quickly pull you down to their level and suck the life out of you. They will stop you from moving forwards in life. Get rid of them if you want to see results.

4) Diarise Your Workouts

Make sure you schedule your workouts into your diary. If you haven't got a diary, buy one! Know WHEN you're going to workout and at WHAT time. Nothing is REAL until you schedule it!

5) Ditch the crap!!!

Humans aren't designed to eat processed food, sugar, salt or trans-fatty acids. Replace with more vegetables and fruit, combine with with 3 workouts a week, get to bed by 10:30pm and start to see a difference in your energy and your fat levels.

6) If you're not happy, make the change

"If you don't like something change it; if you can't change it, change the way you think about it." ~ Mary Engelbreit
I say if you're not happy about something in your life, whether it be personally or professionally then make the change. When you're through changing, you may aswell call it a day. Remember, ...it's not the strongest or most intelligent that survive, it's the person who can CHANGE the most.

7) Use intermittent fasting

Combining Brad Pilon's "Eat Stop Eat" nutritional Philosophy along with ours is going to help you burn a serious amount of bodyfat. We've been using "Eat Stop Eat" with our clients for the past 2 years and have had acceptional results with it. Go check it out Eat Stop Eat

8) Don't listen to the negative voice inside you!



9)Never, ever give up

Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up."- Thomas Edison
I say when it comes to your fat loss plan don't give up just because you've had a "bad diet day." Write it off and know in your mind that tomorrow will be MUCH much better.

Try implementing some of these secrets today : )

Peace out,

Sam

Let me know what you think in the comments section below:

'Green' Exercise Quickly 'Boosts Mental Health

Hi Guys,

if you were wondering what the benefits of exercising outdoors are, then look no further.

Check out this recent article I saw on one of my training buddies facebook page.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8654350.stm

You'll see that you don't need to be a member of a gym or health club to see results... just your local park!

Go take a look if you take your health seriously : )

...and don't forget to leave a comment for me!

Sam : )

PS - and if you live in the Sevenoaks area then this is ANOTHER reason to get yourself signed up to my outdoor Bootcamp if you haven't done so yet!

How To Eat Healthily Anytime, Any Place, Any Where!

This weekend saw me travel to the wonderful city of Barcelona for my brother's
stag-do (yes! that's him dressed as a cow!!!)

Never been to Barcelona before and I have to say what an awesome city! The first day was spent on the beach soaking up some rays, swiftly followed by a visit to the impressive nou camp to watch Barcelona play football. We then hit some bars in the evening which were bad ass!

The following day saw us soak up more sun rays, a nice evening meal followed by more bars. A great weekend break, everyone enjoyed themselves and my brother thanked me for organising the trip.



So why am I telling you all this?

Well, before I went on the stag-do, I made a promise to myself not to drink too much and to try and eat healthily over the 2 days. Tough test I know!

Stag-do weekends are usually associated with drinking too much and eating too much. I've been on 4 stag-do weekends over the last year and trust me, health is the last thing on people's minds!

Don't get me wrong, I still wanted to have a few drinks, just to not go mad. I can have a good time without getting absolutely pole-axed and I wanted to keep the momentum going with my healthy eating. I knew it would be a tough test on a stag weekend but was determined to put it into practice.

Here was what I ate on the Sunday:

Before Breakfast: Mega Greens Drink

Breakfast: Chicken salad sandwich

Mid-Morning Snack: Organic Almonds, 1 banana, 1 apple

Lunch: Tuna salad sandwich (was either this or burger king! lol)

Mid-Afternoon: Organic Almonds

Dinner: Paella with rabbit and vegetables(very nice!)

Not the perfect days eating, bit too much bread but under the circumstances I was happy with this.



So where am i going with this?

2 things really:

1) Ditch The Excuses And Plan Ahead!

When it comes to your fat loss plan, know what you're going to eat tomorrow, and the next day and the next. I packed my mega greens supplement tub with me to Barcelona so I could have this before breakfast. I knew I might not be able to eat much veg when I was ou there so I wanted to make sure I was getting all my nutrients in.I also bought some fruit and nuts and kept them in my pocket so I could snack on them in between meals to keep my energy levels stable throughout the day.

2) Have Willpower!!!

Are you strong-minded or weak-minded? Do you get tempted when someone offers you junk food or "another drink" or do you give in? Being around 10 other guys all taking the piss out of my food choices (for being too healthy in other words!!!)and offering me beers every 5 minutes was hard, but I did it! AND I still had an awesome time minus the hangover and I feel refreshed!!!

If I can manage to eat healthy on a stag-do where the main goal was to get as drunk as possible then YOU can DEFINITELY follow a healthy eating plan.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you MUST eat healthily ALL the time. There maybe occasions that this may not be the case however if you want to see results for this summer then you HAVE to tidy up your diet and eat healthily 90% of the time.

Peace out : )

Sam

PS - Here are a couple more pics from the stag-do : )

146 Reasons To Give Up Sugar!

It amazes me that so many people when asked, 'think' that they don't have sugar in their diet. Some people seem to think that not adding sugar in their tea or avoiding cakes and biscuits is enough to steer clear of it but this is unfortunately not the case.

Let me explain the cold truth about sugar:

Sugar has unfortunately found it's way into most of our food either to make it taste better or to preserve it's lifespan.

Any food product that's been boxed or packaged will usually have some form of sugar in it. And if you're checking food labels, any ingredients ending in "ose" has the horrible white stuff in it (such as dextrose, fructose, lactose.)

Sugar is also the common cause for the following:

(This list is from Nancy Appleton's website. www.nancyappleton.com)
This list is unbelievable! I was shocked when I first read this list.

1. Sugar can suppress the immune system.
2. Sugar upsets the mineral relationships in the body.
3. Sugar can cause hyperactivity, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and crankiness in children.
4. Sugar can produce a significant rise in triglycerides.
5. Sugar contributes to the reduction in defense against bacterial infection (infectious diseases).
6. Sugar causes a loss of tissue elasticity and function, the more sugar you eat the more elasticity and function you loose.
7. Sugar reduces high density lipoproteins.
8. Sugar leads to chromium deficiency.
9 Sugar leads to cancer of the ovaries.
10. Sugar can increase fasting levels of glucose.
11. Sugar causes copper deficiency.
12. Sugar interferes with absorption of calcium and magnesium.
13. Sugar can weaken eyesight.
14. Sugar raises the level of a neurotransmitters: dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine.
15. Sugar can cause hypoglycemia.
16. Sugar can produce an acidic digestive tract.
17. Sugar can cause a rapid rise of adrenaline levels in children.
18. Sugar malabsorption is frequent in patients with functional bowel disease.
19. Sugar can cause premature aging.
20. Sugar can lead to alcoholism.
21. Sugar can cause tooth decay.
22. Sugar contributes to obesity
23. High intake of sugar increases the risk of Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis.
24. Sugar can cause changes frequently found in person with gastric or duodenal ulcers.
25. Sugar can cause arthritis.
26. Sugar can cause asthma.
27. Sugar greatly assists the uncontrolled growth of Candida Albicans (yeast infections).
28. Sugar can cause gallstones.
29. Sugar can cause heart disease.
30. Sugar can cause appendicitis.
31. Sugar can cause multiple sclerosis.
32. Sugar can cause hemorrhoids.
33. Sugar can cause varicose veins.
34. Sugar can elevate glucose and insulin responses in oral contraceptive users.
35. Sugar can lead to periodontal disease.
36. Sugar can contribute to osteoporosis.
37. Sugar contributes to saliva acidity.
38. Sugar can cause a decrease in insulin sensitivity.
39. Sugar can lower the amount of Vitamin E (alpha-Tocopherol in the blood.
40. Sugar can decrease growth hormone.
41. Sugar can increase cholesterol.
42. Sugar can increase the systolic blood pressure.
43. Sugar can cause drowsiness and decreased activity in children.
44. High sugar intake increases advanced glycation end products (AGEs)(Sugar bound non-enzymatically to protein)
45. Sugar can interfere with the absorption of protein.
46. Sugar causes food allergies.
47. Sugar can contribute to diabetes.
48. Sugar can cause toxemia during pregnancy.
49. Sugar can contribute to eczema in children.
50. Sugar can cause cardiovascular disease.
51. Sugar can impair the structure of DNA
52. Sugar can change the structure of protein.
53. Sugar can make our skin age by changing the structure of collagen.
54. Sugar can cause cataracts.
55. Sugar can cause emphysema.
56. Sugar can cause atherosclerosis.
57. Sugar can promote an elevation of low density lipoproteins (LDL).
58. High sugar intake can impair the physiological homeostasis of many systems in the body.
59. Sugar lowers the enzymes ability to function.
60. Sugar intake is higher in people with Parkinson’s disease.
61. Sugar can cause a permanent altering the way the proteins act in the body.
62. Sugar can increase the size of the liver by making the liver cells divide.
63. Sugar can increase the amount of liver fat.
64. Sugar can increase kidney size and produce pathological changes in the kidney.
65. Sugar can damage the pancreas.
66. Sugar can increase the body's fluid retention.
67. Sugar is enemy #1 of the bowel movement.
68. Sugar can cause myopia (nearsightedness).
69. Sugar can compromise the lining of the capillaries.
70. Sugar can make the tendons more brittle.
71. Sugar can cause headaches, including migraine.
72. Sugar plays a role in pancreatic cancer in women.
73. Sugar can adversely affect school children's grades and cause learning disorders..
74. Sugar can cause an increase in delta, alpha, and theta brain waves.
75. Sugar can cause depression.
76. Sugar increases the risk of gastric cancer.
77. Sugar and cause dyspepsia (indigestion).
78. Sugar can increase your risk of getting gout.
79. Sugar can increase the levels of glucose in an oral glucose tolerance test over the ingestion of complex carbohydrates.
80. Sugar can increase the insulin responses in humans consuming high-sugar diets compared to low sugar diets.
81 High refined sugar diet reduces learning capacity.
82. Sugar can cause less effective functioning of two blood proteins, albumin, and lipoproteins, which may reduce the body’s ability to handle fat and cholesterol.
83. Sugar can contribute to Alzheimer’s disease.
84. Sugar can cause platelet adhesiveness.
85. Sugar can cause hormonal imbalance; some hormones become underactive and others become overactive.
86. Sugar can lead to the formation of kidney stones.
87. Sugar can lead to the hypothalamus to become highly sensitive to a large variety of stimuli.
88. Sugar can lead to dizziness.
89. Diets high in sugar can cause free radicals and oxidative stress.
90. High sucrose diets of subjects with peripheral vascular disease significantly increases platelet adhesion.
91. High sugar diet can lead to biliary tract cancer.
92. Sugar feeds cancer.
93. High sugar consumption of pregnant adolescents is associated with a twofold increased risk for delivering a small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infant.
94. High sugar consumption can lead to substantial decrease in gestation duration among adolescents.
95. Sugar slows food's travel time through the gastrointestinal tract.
96. Sugar increases the concentration of bile acids in stools and bacterial enzymes in the colon. This can modify bile to produce cancer-causing compounds and colon cancer.
97. Sugar increases estradiol (the most potent form of naturally occurring estrogen) in men.
98. Sugar combines and destroys phosphatase, an enzyme, which makes the process of digestion more difficult.
99. Sugar can be a risk factor of gallbladder cancer.
100. Sugar is an addictive substance.
101. Sugar can be intoxicating, similar to alcohol.
102. Sugar can exacerbate PMS.
103. Sugar given to premature babies can affect the amount of carbon dioxide they produce.
104. Decrease in sugar intake can increase emotional stability.
105. The body changes sugar into 2 to 5 times more fat in the bloodstream than it does starch.
106. The rapid absorption of sugar promotes excessive food intake in obese subjects.
107. Sugar can worsen the symptoms of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
108. Sugar adversely affects urinary electrolyte composition.
109. Sugar can slow down the ability of the adrenal glands to function.
110. Sugar has the potential of inducing abnormal metabolic processes in a normal healthy individual and to promote chronic degenerative diseases.
111.. I.Vs (intravenous feedings) of sugar water can cut off oxygen to the brain.
112. High sucrose intake could be an important risk factor in lung cancer.
113. Sugar increases the risk of polio.
114. High sugar intake can cause epileptic seizures.
115. Sugar causes high blood pressure in obese people.
116. In Intensive Care Units, limiting sugar saves lives.
117. Sugar may induce cell death.
118. Sugar can increase the amount of food that you eat.
119. In juvenile rehabilitation camps, when children were put on a low sugar diet, there was a 44% drop in antisocial behavior.
120. Sugar can lead to prostrate cancer.
121. Sugar dehydrates newborns.
122. Sugar increases the estradiol in young men.
123. Sugar can cause low birth weight babies.
124. Greater consumption of refined sugar is associated with a worse outcome of schizophrenia
125. Sugar can raise homocysteine levels in the blood stream.
126. Sweet food items increase the risk of breast cancer.
127. Sugar is a risk factor in cancer of the small intestine.
128. Sugar may cause laryngeal cancer.
129. Sugar induces salt and water retention.
130. Sugar may contribute to mild memory loss.
131. As sugar increases in the diet of 10 years olds, there is a linear decrease in the intake of many essential nutrients.
132. Sugar can increase the total amount of food consumed.
133. Exposing a newborn to sugar results in a heightened preference for sucrose relative to water at 6 months and 2 years of age.
134. Sugar causes constipation.
135. Sugar causes varicous veins.
136. Sugar can cause brain decay in prediabetic and diabetic women.
137. Sugar can increase the risk of stomach cancer.
138. Sugar can cause metabolic syndrome.
139. Sugar ingestion by pregnant women increases neural tube defects in embryos.
140. Sugar can be a factor in asthma.
141. The higher the sugar consumption the more chances of getting irritable bowel syndrome.
142. Sugar could affect central reward systems.
143. Sugar can cause cancer of the rectum.
144. Sugar can cause endometrial cancer.
145. Sugar can cause renal (kidney) cell carcinoma.
146. Sugar can cause liver tumors.



Not good huh?

Not only can sugar play havoc with your fat loss goals and be detrimental to your health, it can ALSO be VERY addictive and is basically like any other drug.

When people take drugs they crave them more right? They want a hit each day to keep them going, just like cigarettes, alcohol or in stronger cases, cocaine or heroine.

Well sugar is no different...

Here's what I think;

"Most people are addicted to sugar they just don't know it yet."

Here are foods that we eat that have sugar in them:

Cereals (any form)
pre-cooked meats & chicken,
pizza,
alcohol,
ryvitas,
Tea (with milk in it)
Red Bull
Dairy Products,
Cakes and cookies
Bread,
Chocolate,
Pre-packed sandwiches

If you're eating or drinking any of the above then you have a sugar addiction. No if's or but's. It doesn't matter how much or how little, you STILL have one.

How to beat your sugar addiction out.

Sugar can be a "bitch" to give up and (because it's a drug), when you first remove it from your diet, you may experience some withdrawl symptoms such as mood swings, fatigue, drowsiness depending on how much sugar you were eating in the first place.

These symptoms will only last a few days and the benefits are HUGE - better health, better moods,a feeling of increased vitality and clearer thinking.

Eliminate sugar from your diet and replace fresh fruit, vegetables, organic meat.

Sam Winkworth
CPT, SPN

PS - >>> Let me know your comments in the box below <<<

17 Secrets To Help You Lose Bodyfat

If you're having problems losing bodyfat then try as many of the following techniques as possible.

***

1) Train 4 times a week. Use short burst workouts (no longer than 45 minutes) like circuit training and intervals to burn more body fat that will help you to create metabolic disturbance. Try this one to get you started:



2) Give up wheat (bread, pasta etc), processed food and alcohol.

3) Fast 1-2 times per week using Brad Pilon's Eat Stop Eat nutritional philosophy.

4) fill out a food diary and blog your transformation experiences over at www.samwinkworth.ning.com

5) Get a balance with your fitness. If you like attending classes and like to work in a group then combining Bootcamp with Pilates or Yoga is the perfect match and should definitely be considered if you want a balanced fitness program.

6) Get to bed by 10:30pm. No if's or but's, just do it!

7) No, not 11pm, 10;30 at the latest!

8) Do THIS!!!

9)Done Is Better Than Perfect...Quit worrying about what the best way to eat and train is and just GET STARTED TODAY! You don't have to be a perfectionist when it comes to starting a fat loss plan. Whilst paying attention to detail is important, it's not essential. Just get going!

10) "There are 2 reasons why people fail. By the thoughts that occupy their mind and by the people they surround themselves with." - Bedros Keullian

I love this quote! Just like your body needs to be fed with the right nutrients to get the best out of it, your mind ALSO needs to be fed with the right THOUGHTS. Having the right mindset and maintaining a postive "CAN-DO" attitude when you're goal is to lose bodyfat and transform your body is key.

11) Don’t beat yourself up! If you have a bad day with your nutrition don’t beat yourself up over it, jump back on the wagon and know that tomorrow will be a much better day.

12) Eat Organically whenever you can.

13) Fill your shopping basket with nothing other than animal products (meat, turkey, chicken, fish), fresh fuit and vegetables

14) Ditch every excuse you use that's stopping you achieve fat loss results and take 100% full responsiblity for your own actions.
Here's an awesome video to give you a kick in the butt:



15) STOP eating sugar - Most people are addicted to sugar they just don't know it yet! A sugar addiction is more powerful than heroine, than cocaine or any other recreational drug. Erase it from your diet if you value your health.

16) Avoid calorie counting, food weighing and complicated point scoring and focus on building strong, healthy nutritional habits throughout the year. If you focus on achieving optimum health then you will NATURALLY achieve your ideal bodyweight and look AWESOME!

17) Surround yourself with positive people who have the same fat loss goals as you and ditch the "excuse-making", energy suckers from your life.

***

There you go! Try as many of these fat burning secrets as possible and I'm confident that you'll start to see a tramsformation in your body in no time at all!

Peace out : )

Sam

Soccer? To Blowtorch Bodyfat?

A recently published research experiment on sedentary men with high blood pressure showed that in just 3 months of playing soccer twice a week, there was a fall in blood pressure aswell as a percentage of bodyfat amongst subjects. Far more than doing moderate-intensity cardio like swimming or running.

The experiment was carried out by the University Of Copenhagen as part of a long-term project on soccer and health.

The researchers of the experiement concluded that based on the results, soccer can be recommended as part of the treatment for high blood pressure and for fat loss aswell.

What does this mean to us?

Well, soccer is fundamentally a form of interval training although the work and rest periods are randomized.

It's also multi-directional and multi-movement (jumping, heading, running, sprinting, kicking, tackling, with contact).

Basically this study suggests that open interval training, using multiple movements and directions is far more effective for fat loss when compared to long slow steady state cardio.

Finally some research that makes sense! It's what I've been saying all along.

Use short burst workouts like circuit training and intervals to burn more body fat that will help you to create metabolic disturbance.

Peace out : )

Sam

source: Medical News Today (www.medicalnewstoday.com)

Every Woman Who Want's To Lose Weight & Improve Their Health Should Read This!

Over the last 3 months, me and my team have trainers have been running our second Transformation Contest. 4 hand-picked volunteers were challenged to transform their body by way of healthy eating and exercise.

No diet pills, supplements or compicated calorie counting just a real emphasis on wholesome foods, short burst workouts like circuit training and maintaing a positive can-do attitude through the course.

Throughout the Contest, volunteers were asked to:

1) Give up wheat (bread, pasta etc), preocessed food and alcohol.
2) Fast 1-2 times per week using the Eat Stop Eat nutritional philosophy.
3) Train 4 times a week. This included one FREE private session each week with us aswell as attending one of our popular Bootcamp sessions each week.
4) fill out a food diary and blog their transformation experiences over at www.samwinkworth.ning.com

Each of the 4 challengers worked really hard over the last 3 months and it was hard picking an overall winner of the Contest but...after alot of thought we gave first place to Nicola Fitzgerald (below). I loved Nicola's attitude throughout the challenge. She always gave 100%. She always remained positive (which I liked), and she never missed a Bootcamp session.

It was Nicola's extra hard work and positive atttitude (and also the great results that she achieved aswell!) that swayed me to give first prize to her. She will receive a £250 cash prize so congratulation Nic!

Read Nic's full rundown of the contest below and let us know what you think in the comments section below:

****



"Prior to the challenge I would have ranked myself around low to middle in terms of fitness, I walked everywhere, kept an eye on my weight and did exercise classes. I was very in to yoga before my pregnancy, had worked with personal trainers in the past and overall was aware of my physical shape and body. I found it very difficult to shift the last of my pregnancy weight, which was why the transformation challenge appealed to me initially.
Anytime in the past I wanted to lose weight I would drastically alter my diet and see results. Total elimination of food groups and massive drop in calories worked for me but was not something I wanted to do forever. I thought it was best to abandon the binge purge method and look more towards a new way of living, eating and exercising.....

Exercise in the past was a hobby more than a 'look for results' type thing. Maybe 2 to 3 classes a week, or swimming and I was keeping my head above board but as mentioned, food was my way to lose weight. Even though I enjoyed exercise it was never fully integrated into my lifestyle and always fell by the wayside eventually.

From reading above it sounds like I was fairly good with my diet and fitness, but really I am all or nothing, non stop food , booze and fun or no carbs, no dairy and no fun!!

When I first started the challenge my biggest concern was the detox. How could I possibly eliminate all the food groups together for 30 days?? I could get rid of cheese (no probs), wheat (no probs), processed food (no probs) but all together? and with no wine??
1 week in and I can't remember having as much energy. My skin was looking great, my cravings were gone, apart from the tea, I'll never not want tea and I felt like I could run a marathon. When the exercise aspect of the programme kicked in I absolutely adored it. Bootcamps, 1 on 1 sessions, home exercising - I was like a woman posessed, I absolutely loved it. My clothes felt comfortable initially and at week 3 had a cut a new notch in my belt,I was delighted.

For me the toughest part of the challenge was mind over matter. The psychological of it is quite difficult, because you're doing something that ulimtately will benefit you, yet have to sacrcifice all 'rewards' on the way. For me, at the end of the day, after I've put my son to bed, a glass of wine is my treat. To not have that after the initial few weeks of excitement over a new routine is a hard pill to swallow. Weekends felt very 'samey' and my cooking skills were testing to the max to create something enjoyable and 'allowed'. The exercise, for me, was always good fun. Short bursts of high intensity work outs and before you know it, you're done for the day. I loved Sam's 'metabolic disturbance' workouts because you knew you would get results and I did. Everything just got smaller, from my boobs to my belly and my legs.

I was thrilled with my results, I dropped from a size 12 to a size 8 all over. I had to buy new jeans and take even my pre-pregnancy clothes to the charity shop as they were a bit too baggy. I lost over 1 stone in weight and even over Xmas managed to keep it all off.

I couldn't recommend the transformation programme more highly if I tried. Sam is an incredibly positive mentor, hard working no excuses allowed and keeps you on your toes (Skinny toes!) You see results and a change in how you view food and excercise. You get a sense of achievement like no other and I know I can continue elements of this programme right throughout my life. Sam doesn't just direct you towards a certain diet and excercise programme with no explanation, you understand completely what you are doing, why you are doing it and how it personally helps you.

I feel I entered into the most pro-active and positive exercise and nutrition programme there is and you'll never look back if you do the same."

- Nicola Fitzgerald, Sevenoaks, UK

****

Keep your eyes peeled for details of the next Transformation Contest.

Peace out,

SAM : )

The Interesting Search For Female Six Pack Abs

This week's post is from my good buddy Tristan Lewis over in America. I met Tristan back in November when I went to a fitness conference in Disneyworld, Orlando, and since then we hit it off and have kept in touch since.

Tristan is a great guy and I love his fitness philosophy which is very similar to mine.

Okay, handing you over to Tristan now. hope you enjoy the guest post.

****

Firstly, I want to say hi, my name is Tristan Lewis from MaverickFitnessCoach.com and I’m really thrilled to be working alongside my good mate Sam Winkworth to bring you new and exciting fitness, fat loss and body transformation advice. Sam is an outstanding trainer and a great friend and what he offers his clients and customers is cutting edge advice – but you all know that of course!

This is probably aimed more at the ladies today, but I’ll make up for it with something for the guys next – so today I’d like to discuss the idea that six pack abs are not just a male orientated desire and how women of all ages and current fitness levels should be training for and expecting this unique fitness aspect as part of their body transformation.

You see the reality is that women should not only be aiming for a small waist, or trim thighs and buns…but also a beautiful, feminine sculpted set of six pack abs - it’s real important to dismiss the stigma that abs are only for men and women should just focus on the ‘flat belly syndrome’. And here’s why…

The basic anatomical facts are that every human has ‘six pack abs’ – let’s use that term as our ‘keyword’ for a truly spectacular midsection. But these abs are typically covered by our bodyfat and that there is the issue with regards to actually seeing them.

We can break down abdominal training for men and women into two areas. One will be training for muscular development of the abs and all other muscles and the other training for fat loss to reveal not just the abs but sculpt your entire physique as well.

Women need to understand that firstly they’ll be very unlikely to create a visual appearance of ripped, rolling slabs of abdominal muscle – this simply will not be the case as genetically a woman carries less testosterone than a man and will not build the muscle like their male counterparts….BUT here’s where we need to continue and encourage all women to actually STILL concentrate on working out for that ‘female six pack abdominal appearance’.

Because whilst a woman can dismiss the fact right here that they’ll look like a man or have garish ab muscles, the idea of training for six pack abs puts them into the absolute correct exercise psychology of correct and proven fat loss and body transformation training.

You see of course it’s possible to set a goal of a nice lean tummy and firm thighs but the workouts you’d employ to achieve a stunning female physique with ‘six pack abs’ will REALLY be putting you into ‘full body transformation territory’ where fat is burned, muscle pathways are re-ignited and real physical change occurs.
What I’m saying is all women will genetically create their own unique look, their own slim, toned and tight body and midsection, but also their very own six pack abs. And the training that you attempt to get ‘six pack abs’ is the type of training that will deliver all the other aspects you are desiring in your new body image or transformation. It will not be just ‘six pack abs’ but a full body makeover.

An example is this:
I run my own Bootcamps called Intensity Bootcamps as well as training clients one on one. A majority of my current Bootcamps are ladies wanting to firstly lose body fat but secondly create a lean, toned and tight body. We had a discussion and around 70% told me they’d typically been in their gyms with the goal of a lean tight midsection and trim body firmly in place and the tools they were using were your typical long form cardio of 40 minutes plodding away on a treadmill or a cycle staring at the tv’s etc. I know you know what I mean, you see it all the time in most gyms.
Now it’s certainly not bad to do if you are concentrating on say running a marathon or for an endurance sport, but even then it’s worth mixing it up.

So I said to them, well look let me put you into this Bootcamp where the training will be exactly the same as what a man would do, with short burst intensity exercise, resistance circuits, explosive and reactive workouts – all designed to get you out the gym quicker but also to incorporate the resistance exercises to build lean muscle that in turn both sculpts and shapes your own particular fit female physique but burns more calories than simple long form cardio.

When I told them we’d be aiming to build lean muscle the initial reaction was ‘Whoa! – we don’t want big muscles or six pack abs like the guys train for.’

Now that ideology is common and perfectly understandable. BUT as we continued to discuss this I told them about the misconceptions in fitness training today that a woman is going to be threatened with bulky muscles if they lift weights or train like a ‘typical male counterpart’. This is fallacy. (The actual truth is all women should be training with resistance weight training as a major component of their routines for the very fact that it will burn more calories), it will create the lean and long muscles you wish for and it will give you the physique you are genetically meant to have.

And that is not big, muscular or bulky because unless you want to dabble in the world of steroids and excess testosterone you simply will not create that look – you simply won’t be able to.

So how does this philosophy all tie into the original topic of the search for female six pack abs. Well here it is:

I train all my female clients as I would any male client (ok, not in everything because some want to train for marathons or endurance sports etc and we change it up) but primarily I expect my lady clients to take up the same exact challenges as the guys because I’ll tell you this, in all honesty, I see the ladies I work with are so much more capable of doing more than they think they can it is almost unbelievable. I push them because ladies don’t seem to complain as much as some of the guys I work with (no offence men!) – I give them a challenge and they crush it!

Yes, maybe the next day at lunch or in the bar they chat with friends and say ‘Tristan got us doing this! Can you believe it!’ You know, but the fact remains they absolutely ‘kick butt’ as my American friends say.

And therefore I train them to develop FEMALE SIX PACK ABS because not only will this sort of training create strong core and supportive muscles and a midsection that is in optimal shape, but as we discussed further up, a woman, no matter what she thinks, will not develop garish six pack abs but the beautiful, lean feminine abs that a woman is capable of. The true ‘female six pack abs’; not just a small waist with weak floppy muscle underneath the skin, or nice hips and thighs still with a rounded back and loose abs….no – REAL solid feminine core musculature that will look stunning.
Of course the lower the body fat % the more you’ll see your abs. But physics has given women the same abs as men – the same muscles in your midsection – give or take- that a man has. If you were meant to have just a smooth, little tummy you’d only have one smooth muscle running down your core.

You –as a woman – deserve to show off your ‘six pack abs’ and trust me it will be a look you’ll adore as much as all the people staring at you!

Your training will consist of (full body intensity circuits, resistance training, body weight circuits and also a bit of cardio) if you still like all that – and it will be varied, enjoyable, challenging and exciting!

Ultimately you need to know that as a woman you SHOULD be training for ‘six pack abs’, you should rest safe in the knowledge you’ll not get bulky by training for such, and you need to trust that the workouts you do with Sam, with me or with any trainer who knows their stuff will transform your entire body into the type of feminine physique you see on magazine covers.

Nature’s given you a gift. (It’s up to you to train optimally and be proud to show yours off – it’s all in your mind and you are capable of anything you desire to put your mind to). So again: don’t think six pack abs is a keyword for men only – it is absolutely what you need to be training for as an integral part of your fitness program. Not just because it will offer support, structure, core strength and optimal performance but also because it will look incredible on you – mark my words – and it’s not as hard to achieve as you may have thought….

There is such a thing as Female Six Pack Abs – you’ve got them, now you just have to train them and allow them to be one of the key components in your full body transformation. You can do it! Believe me, I see it all day long with my clients.

Ladies are capable of a level of training that is phenomenal to observe.

Until next time, I wish you all the best and look forward to hearing from you and seeing how you’re doing.

Cheers all,
(Tristan Lewis
MaverickFitnessCoach.com)

*****

More posts from Tristan soon guys.

Train hard and be strong,

Sam

Tough Guy 2010 (Year Of The Original Heroes)

Hey everyone, wow!!!

it feels like a lifetime since I last posted on here. Big apologies for not writing sooner but my old lap top finally gave up the ghost last week and I simply haven't been online since. I now have a brand new one and I'm dying to tell my ToughGuy tale to you guys, so here goes.

On Sunday, I took part in the 2010 Tough Guy Challenge up in Wolverhampton, UK. For those of you who aren't too sure what this is then let me shed some light on the matter for you.

Tough Guy is a mixture between a 10k muddy cross country run and an army assualt course. It's a true test of fitness, strength and mental determination. Challengers have to endure sub zero lakes, underwater tunnels and fire walking to have the title of being a "Tough Guy".

Myself and some of my Evolution Bootcamp clients arrived in a freezing cold Wolverhampton on the Saturday evening. We figured that we didn't want to travel up on a Sunday morning. Sitting in a car for 3 hours is not exactly great preparation for an event like this so we went up the evening before.

I'd been training real hard for this challenge and I was feeling very confident about proceedings,as was everyone else. Part of the course involved several steep hills, (I say hills, they were more like muddy banks!!)I'd been doing plenty of hill running in training so I was actually looking forward to them!

The race started at 11am. Our start position wasn't great. We were almost right at the back which usually means it's hard to run at the pace you want due to slower runners infront but once that gun went off I went for it!

I decided that I would try and hit the run as hard as I could. This was to prevent me from cueing up at the obstacles towards the end of the race.

Eveything was going fine. I was steadily making my way through the pack. It was very hard to do this on occassions as the course was very narrow which would cause bottle necking, but I did everything I could to get through as many runners as possible and start chasing down the front squad.

I REALLY didn't want to be cueing for any of those obstacles at the end freezing my ass off!


Next up were the hills and this is where my progress was haulted slightly. Everyone was pretty much walking them which was fine! I don't blame 'em but this stopped me from moving ahead. I was disappointed with this as I had put so much effort into hill running in my training but I didn't let it bother me too much and after they were done, the cross country run continued.

I was happy. I'd finished the main bulk of the running and I was onto the obstacles and it was here when things started to change - for the worse.

Alot of the obstacles involved running in and out of freezing cold water. Sounds easy right?

At first, it's great, wading through muddy water up to your waist is loads of fun but the novelty soon started to wear off when the cold started kicking in.

I cannot describe to you how cold the water was. You would have to do it yourself to appreciate what I'm talking about.

I think someone said that the water was -7 degrees, the coldest Tough Guy on record.

The water was SOOOO cold that the ice was still there, unmelted!

The front squad had to break the ice with their elbows as they waded through the water.

The cold was starting to get to me, it was creeping up on me, my legs were completely numb and all I was focused on now was finishing the course without getting hypothermia.

All I could hear was the constant sound of the ambulance siren in the background. Everywhere I looked, runners were dropping out, stopping due to cramp or being pulled out by marshalls for hypothermia.

I needed to finish...and quick!

I had achieved my goal. The obstacles were clear when I did them. Hitting the run hard had paid off but the cold was REALLY kicking in. I was starting to feel real lonely out there aswell.

I had to finish. Another 20 minutes of this water and I knew I would be in big trouble.

Hypothermia is a huge factor in Tough Guy and if you're not prepared for it then you will fail. I had undertaken some cold water survival training (daily cold showers) in the months building up to it but in all honestly this didn't help me in the slightest with the cold.


Only a few more water obstacles to go and I was fading fast, I had come to the dreaded underwater tunnels. This is where you have to immerse yourself completely under water 4 times.

This was hell, as I swam out of the lake and climbed up the muddy bank I started to feel dizzy and had a severe case of "brain freeze". This wasn't good. Brain freeze is the feeling you get when you've eaten a cold ice cream, but this was like a thousand times worse. My condition was starting to deteriate.

I knew it wouldn't be long before hypothermia kicked.

Needed to finish...

As I entered the final part of the course, I heard from a spectator that there wasn't long to go. Only a few minutes until the finish. This was like a shot in the arm for me and actually gave me a new surge of energy.

Just one more plunge into a freezing cold lake and I was there. Every cell in my body was telling me NOT to go in there but I just carried on.I was in survival mode now. I waded through as fast as I could. I was starting to shiver violently. I was in a bad way.

One final sprint to the line, I had made it but I wasn't great! I was starting to hallucinate which I knew wasn't good, and I was experiencing the symptoms of stage 1 hypothermia. Uncontrollable shivering, unable to pay attention, confusion, feeling afraid, memory loss, drowsiness, slurred speech, slow shallow breathing...yep, I had them all.

I had to get out of my wet clothes and start warming up and fast.

After 2 hours of sipping hot chocolate in my clients car with the heater on full blast I had started to warm up. Hypothermia had kicked in.
At one point I was so bad I thought I was going to have to grab a paramedic to sort me out but I got myself through it- just!

I did it! I earnt my Tough Guy title and didn't let hypothermia beat me. My time was 2 hours and 7 minutes which was in the top 800 out of the 3,500 that finished. 6,000 had started.

My goal is to finish in the top 200 for the next one which I know I will with the right preparation, tactics and determination.

So what have I learnt from my Tough Guy experience?

Well, I have learnt that if I can do do Tough Guy then I can overcome ANY obstacle in my life. Tough Guy isn't really a test of fitness, it's more about mental toughness, it's about the will do go on, it's about how hard you get knocked but keep moving forwards. It's a test of inner strength.

Whenever you're feeling down, or if you're struggling to achieve a goal in your life, whenever you're feeling like giving up, whether it be professionally, personally or spiritually then think back to this story and have the inner strength to keep moving forwards no matter what happens, just like I did.

Rocky says it best in this video:



I loved that little motivational speech : )

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the full account of my Tough Guy experience and who knows, maybe I'll see you at the next one! (if you're crazy enough!)

Peace out : )

Sam

PS - if you're interested in seeing some of the horrors I had to endure on Sunday then check out this Tough Guy link to the BBC's website.

Out of the 6,000 runners that started the 2010 Tough Guy Challenge, only 3,500 finished. 600 suffered from Hypothermia and the rest pulled out due to injury or lack of fitness.