Functional Training Area, Piccadilly Gym

To improve our clients’ personal training and gym experience we have recently replaced the entire floor at the gym in Mayfair with a modern wooden flooring that as well as being aesthetically pleasing offers excellent grip for functional fitness training. Members and personal training clients now have an ideal floor space with which to develop their fitness and offers a large open training environment like no other in central London.

An Ageing Population

In 1900, average life expectancy was approximately 47 years, compared to today’s which is roughly 78. Men and women who make it to 65 can expect to live in to their 80′s. With this increased longevity it makes sense to maintain a healthy body to live a full, productive life. Through more research we have begun to learn the importance of the biological relationship between the body and the brain. Scientists are shouting loudly that what is good for our bodies is also good for our brains. Just as we lose it, if we don’t use it (i.e. exercise) our bodies, the same is true of our brains. It is easy to conceive of our muscular systems changing and adapting to exercise as we can see before our eyes the adaptations. The brain is no different. Neuroscientists have shown that the brain remains ‘plastic’ or changeable in later life whereas previously it was written off after a certain age. Neurons can make new connections and networks in response to learning. The result is that just like muscle tissue, brain tissue is able to change in response to exercise no matter what age you are – good news!

Brain Power and Brain Disease

The complex anatomy of the human brain and its thirst for energy means that it consumes around 20 per cent of the body’s oxygen supply and 20 per cent of its glucose. The intricate web of neurons that control our every move and thought have the ability to grow and develop new pathways in response to learning something new. That’s the good news. The bad news is that as early as the age of 40 we start to lose approximately 5 per cent of brain volume every decade of life. We also encounter -after the age of 65- brain disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s Disease International, based in the UK  estimates that there are 35.6million people living with dementia worldwide. However, whereas it is commonly assumed that this cruel disease is a normal response to ageing, the science is demonstrating that although age is one of the most important risk factors, genetics and lifestyle factors also play a major role; approximately one-third of brain ageing is down to genetics and the other two-thirds is down to lifestyle.

Brain Exercises, Aerobic Exercise and Metabolic Disease

The assumption with brain disorders is that they start as we enter old age. However, like our bodies our brains age from the get go and therefore how we treat our brains from an early age and throughout life is the same as how we treat our bodies. By keeping the brain and body active may be the most important ways to reduce the risk and possibly prevent brain disease. Indeed, studies suggest that exercise can lower the risk of dementia by 50-60 per cent, and decrease Alzheimer’s risk by 60 per cent. But what exercise is best for reducing Alzheimer’s risk? The research (by Weuve et al, 2004) suggests that it is aerobic exercise as this strengthens the connections between brain cells, creating more synapses, developing neurons and increasing dendritic branches. Indeed, positive results in memory and intelligence tests were indicated even with modest forms of aerobic exercise such as 90 minutes walking a week with best results coming from four hours running or 12 hours walking a week. Lack of exercise, or more pertinent in this case aerobic exercise, means that the brain receives less of the blood oxygen and glucose that is so vital to its functioning. Lack of physical activity is also a risk factor as we know for heart disease, diabetes, cancer, stroke, obesity and high blood pressure, which in turn can have an effect on brain function. This inextricable link between physical disease and our cardiovascular and metabolic systems means exercise is vital to preventing problems later in life. For example as our insulin levels drop throughout the ageing process, glucose has a harder time getting into the body’s cells to fuel them, causing blood glucose levels to increase. This raises the risk of diabetes which in turn increase the risk of dementia by 65 per cent and creates waste products that damage blood vessels and increases the risk of stroke and Alzheimer’s disease. Together with high cholesterol which increases the risk of dementia by 43 per cent and obesity which doubles the likelihood of dementia then the risks may be far higher.

Age and high levels of stress does eventually cause neurons like other cells in the body to decrease connections and it is when these connections outpace the new construction of connections that we witness problems with mental function. Stress also brings with it high production of the hormone cortisol which has been linked to cell death in the hippocampus – the part of the brain that is associated with long- and short-term memory and spatial orientation. Learning to cope with stress and an instigating a well-planned exercise training plan can help arrest some of these changes.

Type of Exercise to Improve Brain Function

A lot of research supports the theory that aerobic training has a positive impact on the ageing brain. A 2005 study by Kramer et al looked at healthy adults between the ages of 60 and 75 and found that mental tasks involved in executive control  - monitoring, scheduling, planning, inhibition, and memory – improved in a group doing aerobic exercise, but not in a control group. Other long term studies show similar results. So why is this case? Firstly, aerobic exercise increases brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein that has a fertilising effect on the brain’s neurons and dendrites, helping them grow and flourish. This protein also plays a role in neurogenesis, the process of cell division and new growth (of neurons).

Secondly, regular aerobic exercise also increases insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I) and vascular-endothelial growth factor (VEGF), two proteins that serve to build and maintain activity within the cell circuitry ( the infrastructure of neuronal connections). The familiar rush or buzz experienced by runners and other types of aerobic training has been attributed to hormone activity in the brain – these neurotransmitters such as Serotonin and Norepinephrine help transmit signals across synapses. The latter amplifies signals that influence attention, perception, motivation and arousal. All are boosted by aerobic training. More importantly perhaps aerobic exercise sends lots of oxygen-rich blood to the brain delivering glucose and oxygen, whilst removing waste products that inhbit the process. As regular resistance training increase muscle density and size, brain volume also grows with regular aerobic exercise due to an increase in capillaries, blood volume and nerve cell growth. And finally, just how we now understand that high-levels of glucose in the blood can lead to diabetes, high levels also effect brain health by decreasing  levels of BDNF, so it is important that glucose is kept at an optimum level, achieved with regular aerobic training.

Whilst we are more susceptible to diseases as we age due to the inevitable decline in cellular regeneration the good news is that it is never too late to start an exercise programme that will not only help you perform daily tasks more efficiently but will also give the old grey matter a boost. If anything, it provides another motivation to begin an exercise programme as science is proving you will be getting maximum return for your investment proving that wherever the body goes the mind is sure to follow.

The message has been well-publicised in all media channels with increasing regularity  that exercise is good for you. Move your body, whether that be in the gym pushing weights or playing football or hockey on a Saturday morning with your local team and you will most likely get fitter, lose a few pounds and reduce the likelihood of getting some type of metabolic disease and even some forms of cancer. For many, including a number of our personal training clients exercising a few times a week is the most that their busy schedules allows. However, there is a small but growing band of exercisers for whom anything less than extreme levels of exercise training, signing up to marathons, 
triathlons and the like is where it’s at and anything less than this type of training is not going to cut it. The popularity of endurance sports has increased with more than 850 triathlon events and hundreds more marathons and cycle races staged last year.  However, whilst all this is to be applauded and encouraged, like a lot of things in life can you get too much of a good thing? Are excessive amounts of endurance exercise potentially doing more harm than good? We already know of the potential catabolic effects on skeletal muscle tissue that results in excessive amounts of cardio training but some new research is beginning to look at the possible effects on the heart(muscle) of doing too much endurance exercise which may cause problems later in life. Some scientific research is beginning to show that placing huge loads on the heart over years of prolonged endurance exercise can alter its structure and workings.

Published in the Journal of Sports Medicine the research conducted at Liverpool John Moores University the paper states that “Lifelong repetitive bouts of arduous endurance exercise may result in fibrotic replacement of the myocardium (heart muscle) in susceptible individuals, resulting in….the development of arrythmias (uneven heartbeat). Obviously, the key phrase here is ‘susceptible individuals’ and this post isn’t intended to halt all runners, triathletes et al. in their tracks and have them rush off to the nearest cardiac unit for testing. However, it is intended to bring forth current research and make those who participate in long bouts of endurance training aware of the potential risks. Some of the research using MRI’s compared veteran marathon runners hearts to older non-runners hearts and also younger male endurance athletes. The research showed that half the veteran marathon runners had fibrosis of the heart. Earlier research in a separate study on triathletes demonstrated that the heart muscles are stretched after long endurance training events and that although most of the subjects heart muscles recovered the study warned “Chronic structural changes and reduced right ventricular function are evident in some of the most practised athletes”.

Less is More

So, should all the would-be first-time marathon runners, seasoned endurance athletes, and middle-aged triathletes cease their training and opt for something shorter and more intense? Well no, but it does perhaps highlight the possible risks that are involved in these types of events and hopefully will make would-be runners ensure they are fully-tested before embarking on a training programme that does place a lot of stress on the heart. Testing, in the forms of exercise stress tests and their like can be useful and advisable in this instance. Should we therefore as a personal training company be encouraging other forms of exercise to an increasingly health-conscious and receptive public? For many a marathon is a one-off event, a chance to challenge oneself, an opportunity to raise money for a good cause or to kick-start a personal fitness programme. But, it’s time consuming and not everyone has the mental strength to continue with this type of training. For many years now the less is more movement or to be more specific the interval based training approach has been gathering momentum. The recent TV programme featuring Michael Mosley BBC iPlayer – Horizon: 2011-2012: The Truth About Exercise showed what could be achieved in short bursts of training – helping to reduce blood sugar levels, improve insulin function and offset Type 2 diabetes. A similar study in Canada compared the effect of cycling at a moderate pace for 90-120 minutes with a workout comprising 20 seconds of gut-busting pedalling followed by four minutes’ rest, repeated 4-6times. After two weeks, both groups of subjects displayed almost identical improvements in aerobic fitness, despite the fact that one set of subjects had actually been pedalling for only 15 minutes, whilst the other over 10 hours!

The rise and rise of the HIIT ( high-intensity interval training) and Tabata style methods have been adopted by many personal trainers in London and no doubt will be the preferred exercise training method of the time-poor. The scientific evidence certainly points to a productive and efficient training approach suitable for today’s busy lifestyles. Even modified Tabata style training programmes have been shown to be effective in improving overall health even after only a few weeks of training. More impressive is the enhanced functioning of blood vessels and heart among people with established cardiovascular disease.

Of the many methods and approaches that are available to condition and train to improve one’s fitness the overriding factor that should always be borne in mind is to find an activity that captivates the interest and keeps us coming back for more. Essentially an activity we enjoy. Once we’ve found something we actually like doing then we’re more likely to stick to it. If this is long endurance events, triathlons etc then so be it  (full check up beforehand highly-recommended!). 

Clearly, over the past decade or so all the epidemiological data on levels of obesity in the UK indicate that things have continued to change for the worse in the general population despite an abundance of information, endless TV shows focused on weight loss, nutrition, healthy eating and exercise. Surely, with so much education and information within easy reach we should have a healthier nation? But what exactly is a healthy diet? We are all biochemically different, products of different genes that were raised in different environments whose nourishment came from differing sources. Hence, humanity has survived and adapted to all manner of food sources and this variety has led our bodies to adapt to certain foodstuffs and reject others.

How to Lose Weight Fast

The obsession with fast weight loss has become a national obsession, but if all the evidence is correct we are not doing very well at it. The exhortations to follow a certain diet plan to achieve the ideal bodyweight/size are routinely wheeled out by well-meaning nutritionists and health professionals. From a purely physiological/biochemical perspective losing weight would seem a relatively simple matter. Weight loss will happen if the number of calories consumed in a day is less than the number of calories expended. However, the key debates centre around the extent to which the type of calories consumed (e.g. low or high fat, low or high carbohydrate, low or high protein in various combinations) impact on either the speed or the extent of the weight loss. Fashionable diets tend to pander to these debates and hence the proliferation of new diet plans and approaches, e.g. Atkins diet, Dukan Diet, South Beach etc. The very word diet has come to symbolise restriction, restraint, a triumph of will over temptation. In other words, setting us up for failure.

Weight loss will indeed happen on very low intakes (<1,000 calories per day), but the physiological response to a heavily restricted intake, in effect starvation will decrease metabolic rate, reduce fat mobilisation and fat burning resulting in a slowing of weight loss over time. Deficits achieved by moderate decreases in intake together with increased activity are therefore more effective in the long run. The key to achieving this and how we at Morpheus generally approach this with our personal training clients is ensure that the food consumed suits an individual’s likes and dislikes and fits in well with their lifestyle. There is no point in enforcing unrealistic diet plans that will be quickly discarded and bad habits resumed. This is the key to successful weight loss on an individual level. The allure of high-protein diets that do indeed gain results are often not sustainable and eliminating whole food groups or very low calorie diets lead to most or all of the weight being regained.

So, where did we receive our advice on healthy eating, what started the trend towards a healthy diet? Dietary advice was largely informed at the start of the 21st century by the Healthy Eating Pyramid developed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in the early 1990′s and modified in 2005.

Healthy Eating Pyramid (Figure 1)

It has been well documented that the development of this pyramid was influenced by commercial interests keen to see a predominance of wheat growers and cattle farmers, consequently the pyramid over-emphasised refined and processed carbohydrate sources of energy by displaying loaves of bread, bowls of breakfast cereal, white rice and pasta and potatoes, failing to distinguish between these and wholegrains and brown rice. Consequently, throughout the 1990′s and 2000′s the obesity epidemic was fuelled by intake of high calorie dense, nutrient light, high glycaemic index (GI) and high glycaemic load (GL) foods. It’s little surprise therefore that an Atkins style diet plan would become popular and and achieve success in terms of stimulating weight loss. Once these ‘carbs’ are cut out of the diet the only thing left is protein and fat. Both in combination enhance satiety and make you feel fuller for longer, chemically switch off hunger pangs and increase weight loss. But we now seem to hold the view that carbs = bad,  protein=good, resulting in consumption of high protein foods and reduction in any form of carbohydrate, which potentially can be harmful in some instances. Whilst evidence suggests that a diet plan that is lower in overall carbohydrates is good, it is the high GI carbs that should be eliminated or at least restricted. These should be replaced with ‘good’ carbs in the form of whole grains, low GI root vegetables such as squashes and sweet potatoes, together with green vegetables and beans. These nutrient dense high fibre foods enable better appetite control and also as recent evidence is demonstrating are essential in preventing bowel cancer.

The Fat of the Land

Another important failure of the food pyramid was that it failed to differentiate between types of fat. All fat was deemed bad and confined to the tip of the pyramid which ignored the research that demonstrated the health benefits of of essential mono and polyunsaturated fats from fish, and vegetable sources such as dark green leafy vegetables, nuts and seeds. Again, this common misconception led to food manufacturers to develop fat-free products laden with sugar and salt and established the belief in the public’s mind that any FAT was equally evil as any CARB.  We now know that it is the trans fats found in hydrogenated vegetable oils that is the real danger to our health as the human system cannot metabolise them and lead to big increase in bad LDL blood lipids whilst lowering good HDL’s and enhancing systemic inflammation.

Healthy Eating and Healthy Diet

Clearly, as rates of obesity are one the rise it would appear that a clear, easy to understand message is needed to enable the public to make healthy, well-informed choices regarding their diets. Without it there will be a persistence of faddy, fashionable diets that serve only to confuse an already bewildered, diet-exhausted public. Thankfully, the USDA finally discontinued the food pyramid and instead introduced MyPlate to the world which although is a much improved message, prioritising fruit and vegetables, it did not mention any fat, good or bad and doesn’t distinguish between different types of protein. Fortunately, an alternative version has been produced by Harvard University’s School of Public Health. It clearly summarises the past 10 years of accumulated evidence base for the relationship between nutrition health and weight-management and allows the public to make better choices.  Although, at Morpheus personal training we don’t subscribe to all the new recommendations, we feel it is a large step in the right direction. 

Healthy Eating Plate - Harvard Medical School

 Diet Restriction, Genes, Disease and Long Life 

Diet, nutrition and healthy eating has been an evolving science over the last 10 years and will continue to evolve as new research brings forth new ideas and revelations on what we as human beings can consume to enable better health and prevent disease. The unlocking of the codes within our genes is telling us much about our health, how likely we are to develop certain diseases and what we can do to prevent them. But clearly as health professionals and personal trainers we need to continually educate and inform our clients of the benefits of consuming nutritious, well-balanced meals as like most things in life, prevention is better than cure. 

In an age of abundant food sources it is admittedly hard to turn the other cheek. Never has there been an age where food was so plentiful for those of us lucky enough to live in the developed world. Supermarkets shelves bursting with all types of food, and super marketeers ready and willing to offer multi-packs of food at reduced prices tempting an already voracious consumer. Difficult therefore to adhere to a new piece of science coming out of the US that believes starving every other day may actually help with weight-loss, delay age-related disease, boost brain power and extend lifespan. Many a personal trainer will tell you that starving is a game of diminishing returns, so to speak, and that the pounds will surely creep back on once metabolism slows to a snail’s pace. According to this experimental diet, pioneered at the National Institute for Ageing (NIA) it contends that “Dietary energy restriction extends lifespan and protects the brain and cardiovascular system against age-related disease”. More importantly for the fitness community their experiments showed that feeding intermittently ( i.e. on alternate days) increased sensitivity to insulin, the all-important hormone that regulates sugar in the blood reducing the risk of diabetes and reduced fat storage. There were also indicative markers for enhanced function of brain synapses and resistance to a neurotoxin that simulates Alzheimer’s disease. Slightly worrying in this research is the contention that would-be dieters could feasibly eat what they liked on their ‘eating’ days and still be effective with their weight-management. However, it is proof that our genes are only part of the story and that what we eat and how we eat can have a massive impact on our health and wellbeing.

Amongst all the information that is continually purveyed through media channels and by well-intentioned health professionals about how to lose weight, maintain a healthy weight and what diet we should consume, it is clear that following the latest fashionable diet is, and most of the evidence bears this out, going to be unsustainable in the long run and not be ‘healthy’. Over-complicated, supplement-led diets are not the answer to achieving an optimum weight and preventing disease. Getting the basics right is essential together with understanding the role the macronutrients play in human health and performance and is how we approach this area with the majority of our personal training clients.

There’s enough publicity in the media about the benefits of exercise and leading a healthy lifestyle that very few people can have escaped the mountain of evidence, anecdotal and scientific, to indicate that a more active lifestyle leads to a healthier, stronger and happier human. This latest post aims to give more scientific credence to this general notion by looking at some recent studies that give objective data on some of the effects that certain types of exercise have on our bodies. Whilst some of the data presented here isn’t necessarily new or ground-breaking, it does give more weight to the legions of print dedicated to showing that exercising has enormous benefits for every demographic and that by training smartly one can lead a healthier and happier life and even arrest some of the changes associated with growing older.

 Children and Exercise

The first area that has gained more media coverage than most in recent years is the realm of children and exercise and how as a society we should improve the next generation’s health. Parents are being bombarded with exhortations to raise their children to be aware of the dangers of processed food and a couch-style existence that can lead to obesity and years of health problems. Whilst the aim here is not to publish a guide on how to bring up the nation’s children it does seek to provide up-to-date scientific data and let well-informed parents make the parenting decisions based on this research.

Researchers at the Georgia Health Sciences University have shown that the cells in bone, fat and the pancreas all communicate during and after exercise. They analysed a group of obese school children and found that after 12 weeks of intensive training there was significant increases in bone strength, a reduction in insulin sensitivity ( reducing risk of diabetes) and less of the dangerous visceral fat ( the fat that surrounds internal organs and takes up space in the cavity between the abdomen wall and internal organs and which is potentially more deadly that than the fat that is on the outside). Whist this isn’t particularly surprising to anyone in the fitness or personal training world, what is interesting is that scientists found that they could determine how well or badly a child was developing in the aforementioned areas by measuring the hormone osteocalcin in the blood which is made by bone-producing osteoblasts.

This hormone according to bone biologist Dr Pollack may have an effect on the other areas. He states that “when osteocalcin is released in your blood, that hormone is talking back to the adipocytes, the cells that store fat, and the pancreatic cells that release insulin to improve energy metabolism”.  This suggests that due to the fact that fat and bone cells have a common ancestry coming from stem cells, a child’s early development and likelihood of becoming obese may be linked to their early lifestyle and habits. Exercise for children it would appear should be an important part of any child’s development.

The implications from this study alone would seem to lend weight (no pun intended) to the benefits of an exercise programme for children centred around strength exercise. Loading the skeletal system with weights has never seemed so crucial now there is more firm evidence to support the well-known fact that strengthening bones will also decrease the risk of metabolic disorders.

Exercise for Older People

Another mainstay of recent fitness literature is the theory on the benefits of interval training and most London personal training companies and fitness professionals will lecture and repeat endlessly to their personal training clients that long slow duration cardio workouts just don’t provide the return on investment and that short bouts of intensive training moderated with periods of less intensive exercise training are the best way to proceed. However, as one gets older the prospect of running, cycling or training at or near maximum is grueling to say the least. After all, training at or near maximum levels isn’t for the faint hearted. However, for those that are willing to take up the challenge and for whom age is but a number there is more good news, particularly if you though that your best days were behind you.

Researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology K.G. Jebsen Centre of Exercise Medicine have provided statistical evidence that 50-year olds can be as fit as someone 30 years younger.  The key to achieving this is the degree of intensity of exercise. The study showed that by increasing the intensity of exercise the risk of metabolic syndrome is reduced, the troublesome series of risks that can predispose people to type 2 diabetes, stroke and cardiovascular problems. 

Women whose fitness values were below the median Vo2peak (<35.1 mL kg-1 min-1) were five times more likely to have a range of risk factors in comparison to those in the highest quartile of Vo2peak (40.8 mL kg-1 min-1). For men below the median (<44.2 mL kg-1 min-1), the risk was even higher – they were eight times more likely to have a cluster of cardiovascular risk factors compared to those in the highest quartile of Vo2peak (50.5mL kg-1 min-1). The take away message from this study is that to maintain the benefits and reduce the risk of disease physical activity has to be maintained even if activity levels were high during younger years.

 Preserving Muscle Mass

It has often been assumed that the onset of old age was the main reason for a reduction in overall muscle mass and strength and an increase in fatty tissue. Whilst this is partially true, new science is beginning to challenge this assumption. It would seem that being active and in particular choosing activities that load the muscles can arrest the decline. Research at the University of Pittsburg has looked into the effects of vigorous exercise programmes of several age groups; 40 to 49 year olds, 50 to 59 year olds, 60 to 69 year olds and 70 plus and the effect on body composition ( i.e. fat to muscle ratio) and leg strength. Although, most of the participants in the study were very active, some athletes, it clearly demonstrated that there was little evidence of muscle deterioration in the older athletes’ musculature. The athletes in their 70′s and 80′s had almost as much thigh muscle mass as the athletes in their 40′s, with minor if any fat infiltration. There was a drop-off in leg muscle strength around the age 60 in both men and women. They weren’t as strong as the 50- year olds, but the differential was not huge and little additional decline followed. The 70- and 80-year-old athletes were about as strong as those in their 60′s.

Dr Vonda Wright who oversaw the study saw this as welcome news to the older exercising population. “…people don’t have to lose muscle mass and function as they grow older. The changes that we’ve assumed were due to ageing and therefore unstoppable seem actually to be caused by inactivity. And that can be changed”.

 Conclusions

As the above studies show there is a direct cause and effect between exercise – in all its many forms- and the condition of our physical health and wellbeing. They show that as a species we are designed to move and exert our bodies so the complex series of chemical processes that preserves our tissues and gives us the capacity to master our environment as well as stave off disease is achieved. The message oft-repeated, is that exercise increases the likelihood of leading a longer and healthier life allowing us to enjoy what we did in our early years right through to our senior years. The promotion of physical exercise programmes and the scientific research that underpins them seems set to continue and undoubtedly will lead to more advances in exercise training methodologies that will be adopted by all personal trainers in London.

Technogym Upright Bike

As part of the ongoing updating of gym equipment at our personal training sites we are pleased to announce that we have recently taken delivery of 4 new Technogym Upright Bikes at the personal training gym in Piccadilly. The bikes are fully interactive with multi media interfaces and have been well-received by members and clients alike. 

Further new equipment is planned for the early part of 2012 at our other personal training gyms including a new Power Rack at the Waterloo gym and new benches at the Tower Hill studio.

Home Gym Design in Kensington

The final stage of our latest home gym design project has just been completed. This week has seen the delivery and installation of all the home gym equipment ensuring the gym is up and running before the client moves in. The gym equipment selected for this home gym project was a Life Fitness Engage Treadmill, aTotalGym GTS, an X rack with 2kg – 20kg dumbbells, 2 stretch mats and swiss ball. Although compact, the gym has the right balance of fitness equipment to offer everyone at the house a challenging, effective and varied workout. As part of the home gym project some of the personal training team took each member of the household through a personal training session to ensure they make the best use of the equipment.

Weight Lifting Training

Much has been written about the benefits of weight training programs and how they assist in the creation of lean muscle tissue and the subsequent positive effects on the body’s metabolic rate, function and structure. Health and Fitness magazine covers frequently showcase well-muscled individuals who are a testament to the benefits of a well- structured resistance training program. They also tend to show young adults which may often leave older adults with the the feeling that perhaps weight training is for a certain age category only. However, as a nation we are now living longer and where once those of retirement age may have been advised that they should slow down, do less, relax and ease into old age gracefully, there has been a shift in attitude and behaviour. Being active in the latter stages of life is becoming the norm for healthy older adults and research is showing that the best way to maximise this resurgence in activity and keep functionally fit is to ( to use older terminology) pump iron or, to use its more contemporary epithet, resistance training. 

Physical Activity Guidelines for Older Adults

The UK Chief Medical Officers have produced activity guidelines on the various stages of human life and the amount and frequency that should be aimed for to maintain health and fitness and prevent disease. The physical activity guidelines for ‘Older Adults” (65+ years) is that they should aim to be active daily and over a week the activity should add up to at least 150 minutes (2.5 hours) of moderate intensity activity in bouts of 10 minutes or more (or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity spread across the week). As part of this generalised advice there is a vague reference to focus on improving muscle strength on at least two days per week. Obviously, to prescribe specific resistance training programs to a diverse population would not only be practically impossible but also somewhat irresponsible, hence the more generic advice. However, perhaps more emphasis would be put on weight lifting training when one notices that between the ages of 50 and 70 years people lose 30% of their muscle strength and the high occurrence of fractures and falls that occur as one ages, often as a result weakened bones and musculature. Maintaining muscle strength in old age would not only arrest some of these changes but would also ensure the maintenance of mobility and improve older adults independence and give them the confidence to manage every day tasks independently. When one looks at the research into weight lifting training and the effects on older adults then it is clear that a weight training program should play a large part of an older individual’s exercise regime. 

Recent Research into Weight Training for Older Adults

Scientists at the University of Potsdam* have recently published their findings on the effects of weight training on older adults and given weight ( no pun intended) to the belief that weight training is the best way to preserve muscle mass and hence improve function and the quality of an individual’s life. This research enables personal trainers, fitness coaches and other health and fitness professionals who have for some time now been encouraging their clients to focus on resistance training programs, to devise bespoke weight training programs that actually have enormous impacts on their clients’ lives rather than broad based training programs that often times are ineffectual. The authors of the latest research set out to find the extent to which muscle atrophy can be averted into older age by weight lifting training and which intensities are useful and possible in persons over 60 yrs. As expected, they found that regular resistance training increased muscle strength, reduced muscular atrophy, and had other positive adaptations on tendons and bones. These structural outcomes had a preventative effect in terms of avoiding falls and injuries. The greater the intensity of the weight training, the greater the effect; an intensity of 60-85% of one-repetition-maximum (1RM) increased muscle mass, whereas in order to increase rapidly available muscle force higher intensities (>85%) are required. The optimum amount of (resistance) exercise for healthy elderly individuals was found to be 3 to 4 times per week.

As we continue to live longer and as the retirement age goes up, it will become increasingly important to maintain the ability to work for longer as will the need for independence in everyday life and leisure activities. A well-structured resistance program will ensure that the muscles are kept functionally strong, reduce natural muscular atrophy, decrease the incidence of falls and injury and consequently result in a much better quality of life, giving older adults greater options and choice in the activities they do in their senior years. The growing awareness in health and fitness circles of the importance of resistance training should ensure that older adults take part in the weight lifting training revolution and the nation as a whole will benefit enormously because of it.

*  Mayer, F;  Scharhag-Rosenberger, F;  Carlsohn, A;  Cassel, M;  Muller, S;  Scharhag, J;  The Intensity and Effects of Strength Training in the Elderly. Deutsches Aerzzteblatt International, 2011; 108 (21): 359-64 DOI

Kettlebell Training

 5 Benefits of Kettlebell Training 

The ability to swing and rotate kettlebells gives them a unique set of benefits not necessarily experienced when using more conventional forms of resistance tools, such as dumbbells and barbells.

During my 10 years as a personal trainer in London, rarely have I come across a single training utensil that can be used to achieve virtually any fitness related goal.  More often than not the use of multiple pieces of equipment are required to achieve most objectives.  The Kettlebell however, is so versatile that programmes can be undertaken that take care of almost any training goal imaginable without the use of any other piece of equipment.  

There are obviously too many benefits to list in one article.  I have however, listed my top five benefits  which I think will appeal to all no matter what your training goal(s) may be.

No. 5) Improving Mental Toughness & Focus

Mental toughness determines whether or not you achieve your objectives, so for this reason alone it is very useful.  Without it you’ll become a yo-yo exerciser, forever taking two steps forwards and two steps back and ultimately not achieving your goals.  This applies especially to those who are new to exercise, as establishing a consistent regime can quite often be the hardest part. 

One of the key things I’ve noticed during my kettlebell classes in London is the improvement in mental toughness of many participants, particularly with newcomers and the slightly less experienced.  The reason for this I believe is unlike running on a treadmill, or pedaling away on a bike you actually have to focus on each repetition, correct breathing technique, weight distribution and the speed of kettlebell.  Even the most experienced users require high levels of concentration, making kettlebells not only a physical challenge but a mental one too.

No. 4) Multiple Muscle Groups Working Simultaneously

One of the main reasons kettlebell training is such an effective training system is its compound training (training multiple joints in one movement) format.  Due to their design, it’s very difficult to perform an isolation exercise (single joint) – So, training with a kettlebell is an effective way to condition multiple muscle groups quickly and effectively.

The vast majority of kettlebell exercises require several muscle groups to perform the action.  For example, the clean and press, is a huge compound exercise.  Hamstrings, glutes, biceps and lats are utilised during the clean; core, deltoids and triceps firing during the press.  So, eight muscle groups recruited!  This magnitude of muscle groups working simultaneously means rapid results and a big return on your workout time.

No. 3) Combines Cardiovascular Exercise with Strength Training

Strength training and cardio training are often seen as enemies.  One is the total opposite to the other, however the acquirement of both can send your training gains through the roof.  The general consensus is that to improve aerobic fitness and strength one must follow carefully constructed individualised programmes.  This route can reap rewards, however there is a way to improve both variables simultaneously (no prizes for guessing) without having to separate the two, saving time without sacrificing progress.

If you’ve participated in a kettlebell class in London* before you’ll be aware that sets can last for several minutes a time.  One of my favorite protocols I like to inflict during my kettlebell classes in London is called the Complex.  A complex consists of several exercises performed continuously for a set period of time.  For example, a complex might look like this: swing, high pull, clean, push press.  Perform one repetition of each of the aforementioned exercises on one arm.  Once this is achieved, change arms without breaking the momentum and repeat on the opposite side.  Keep this format going until the designated time period is up (could be anywhere between 2 and 10 mins long depending upon your level).

The high number of reps during this protocol places great a demand on your cardio vascular and strength endurance systems.

No.2) Posterior Chain Strengthener

The posterior chain muscles refer to the groups of muscles that run from the back of the neck down towards the heal, notably the calves, hamstrings, glutes, erector spinae (lower back), lats, rhomboids and trapezius.  The vast majority of kettlebell exercises recruit a number of posterior chain muscle groups, particularly the hamstrings, glutes and erector spinae.  

Today’s sedentary lifestyles dictate that we are seated for large parts of the day.  Over a period of time this leads to weaknesses within the posterior chain and chronic problems particularly in the lower back region.  Regular kettlebell training helps guard against this by keeping these often neglected, important muscle groups strong and active.

In fact, many participants in my London kettlebell classes describe noticing firmness in their hamstrings and gluteals.  A few even experience the disappearance of lower back pain after just a few weeks of regular kettlebell training. 

No.1) Development of Functional Strength 

Without question, the primary focus of any resistance programme should be to improve functional strength.  Functional strength refers to the strength needed to carry out everyday tasks, relying on multiple muscle groups working together as a strong unit.  A functionally strong person has good posture, walks and runs efficiently, lifts and carries effectively and is ready for the stresses and challenges that daily life presents. Functionally strong people also drastically reduce their risk of chronic conditions such as osteoporosis and lower back pain.  

If you would like to start kettlebell training in London, seek tuition from an experienced professional to start reaping the benefits and reduce the likelihood of injury.

Another path is to enroll in a beginner’s class.  There are many kettlebell classes in London that cater for beginners.  Sometimes, working in a group environment is more motivational than training individually.  Find out what suits you and start experiencing the full repertoire of benefits of kettlebell training.

*Kettlebell classes take place at our Tower Bridge and Piccadilly personal training gyms

Principles of Exercise Prescription,  Exercise Programming and Safety

The majority of prescribed exercise programmes will have 4 main components which will, by and large, determine the success/outcome of  any exercise programme.   These components are the type of exercise ( e.g, running, cycling, weight training etc), frequency ( how often it is performed), intensity (per cent of Max HR, amount lifted, rest periods etc) and duration ( length of time devoted to the activity).

When prescribing or embarking on an exercise programme during pregnancy, these components must be looked at carefully to ensure that not only is the programme effective and safe, but that it corresponds to the level and competency and experience of the exerciser.  Equally important is programme flexibility, so any programme can be adapted to accommodate the various stages of the pregnancy.   As Clapp states in his book on exercising during pregnancy;

” The benefits of exercise are different in early and late pregnancy.  Early pregnancy exercise improves the growth of the baby and decreases maternal symptoms.  Late pregnancy exercise maintains fitness, limits weight gain, and shortens labor”

So what type of exercise is most beneficial for expectant mothers?    There is clear evidence showing that weight bearing activities such as running, aerobics, and circuit style weight training have the biggest impact, quite simply because these modalities have the greatest impact on the physiology of the body and the resultant adaptations complement those of pregnancy.   In his research Clapp found that the exercise threshold necessary to achieve a weight gain and fat deposition reduction for someone starting exercise at the beginning of the third month was somewhere between 20 minutes , three to five times per week, and 40 minutes, five times per week.  Exercise type was weight bearing and intensity 55 per cent of maximum capacity.  He concluded that,

“Regular, sustained, weight-bearing exercise is the best type of exercise for pregnant women because it clearly complements the adaptations to pregnancy.    However, the proper frequency, duration, and intensity will vary from woman to woman.”

The approach to exercise prescription for healthy women during the reproductive process should follow the same principles and use the same tools as those used at other times during life.  A holistic approach that educates and integrates and balances the exercise with the reproductive process and other aspects of life.  Neither exercise nor reproduction exists in a vacuum, and both should be monitored regularly to assess progress.  Determining  type, frequency and intensity of exercise throughout the reproductive process should be based upon a woman’s fitness at the start and the goals she wishes to achieve.   Obviously, there may be a need to cut back should evidence of overtraining appear ( chronic fatigue, pain, loss of motivation, susceptibility to injury, common infection).  Conversely, an exercise regimen may need to be increased if inadequate progress is made.  Adopting a common sense approach and carefully monitoring responses ( of mother and baby) are two of the best ways to evaluate and assess training progress.

As more research establishes clear benefits to exercising during pregnancy, it is likely that there will be a change in attitude towards woman who exercise before, during and immediately after pregnancy.    

“Pregnancy is a normal physiological state, not a disease, and the benefits of exercise appear to be substantial for both the woman and the pregnancy…”