Flexit gym

THE NEW BREED OF HEALTH CLUB

2012-02-04T01:31:00.000-08:00

THE NEW BREED OF HEALTH CLUB

It is no secret that at Flex it Gym we have a mission. And that mission is to improve the experiences that people have in the field of health and exercise.

All of us at Flex it Gym are passionate about the health industry, our industry. And are determined to see peoples outcomes in health match there expectations.

When I sat down with Michael Collins my head trainer, we started working on what we wanted to achieve. This is what we have put in place:

· The best Training team ever seen in Wagga with 75 years experience

· Service level and facilities second to none in the Riverina

· All memberships fully inclusive- Gym, Group Fitness and Regular follow ups and re programming

· NO GIMMICKS OR QUICK FIX! Realistic plans to improve your chosen lifestyle!

· Friendly, fun atmosphere for everyone in the family!

At Flex it we will strive to make a positive change for the health of Wagga. We will show people how changing attitudes to eating, activity and lifestyle habits can lead to a healthier, fun life. We will use the core principles of Exercise Science and endeavour to educate each, and every member, how to make activity a regular part of each day. We will NOT follow the industry standard, of sales before service. We will provide the most complete Weight Loss, Health & Fitness service ever seen in Wagga. Each member will be assessed, programmed, and treated as an individual in order to make their journey as comfortable, safe and effective as possible.

We want to bring common sense and knowledge at last, to the homes of every wagga resident. We will recognize peoples current health, exercise history, previous injuries and time constraints when prescribing exercise programs. We will, NOT EVER prescribe an exercise that is beyond an individuals capabilities just because it will give faster results. We will follow correct exercise progressions. We will also strive to provide the most up to date dietary information so our members understand the how, exercise and food work together with good choices, to help make lasting changes that are sustainable. “Commitment is the distance between success and failure” …Succeed with us.

Tools

R.B.T (Results Based Training System) was born from a frustration with the Weight Loss and fitness industries. They thrive on quick fixes and poorly trained practitioners. We say there is no quick fix, just realistic goal setting for today’s busy lifestyles. Our Trainers and partners are all fully qualified in their respective fields and support each other on the clients journey, to ensure positive health outcomes for everyone.
R.B.T is a multi-pronged, motivational, educational approach to weight loss and fitness. The beauty of R.B.T is that no matter where you are in your journey, a first timer or an experienced trainer R.B.T provides the tools to ensure you are getting the best workout possible everytime.
R.B.T is founded on scientific principals, and each plan is designed to suit every individual’s goals and needs, both physical and psychological and lifestyle. These principles combined with our Allied Health Partners means Flex it is providing the Riverinas first true multi-pronged approach to weight loss and a healthier life.

Belief

We have worked hard on turning our club into the new breed of health club. I would like to personally invite you to try no obligation, our club free for 21 days. I guarantee the best gym experience ever.

Give Eryn a call at reception on 69211110

Cheers

Mark Bishop

LOSE FAT AND FEEL GREAT

2012-01-16T17:24:00.000-08:00

Lose Fat and feel great

This is an article I wrote last year, and a subject that is very relevant to this time of year. Weight loss does not have to be difficult. Since I wrote this article we have had over 300 people use the Ultra Lite program with a success rate over 90%,

It’s not only losing weight, it’s how you feel when you’re eating healthfully again: higher energy levels, stable moods, and a new lease on life. Please read on, and give us a call. It all starts with you.

Two years ago I started looking for a weight loss program I was prepared to put in our gym.

My criteria were:

My aims were to find a program that:

· was not shake based,

· was easy to follow,

· gave consistent, quick results every time,

· did not cannibalise muscle, and

· had a strong follow up program to make sure weight didn’t go back on.

I came across shake based programs that a lot of people would rebound off and put weight back on. I looked at calorie controlled diets; these were a pain because you had to count calories and were generally too hard to keep to. I looked at programs that supplied meals; they would work but were generally expensive, and didn’t teach the client anything about eating, so weight would go on when the meals stopped. It looked like I could not find anything suitable.

During a trip to Brisbane last year, I visited a well known gym chain that had just implemented a new weight loss program. Not only in Brisbane, but they bought the rights to it in every capital city in Australia. I thought to myself, if they were prepared to spend that amount of money to own this program it might be worth a look. A week later I was talking to Malcolm Mclean, the managing director of Ultralite, who absolutely believes in his product.

I have been coaching athletes in diet programs for 15 years, and have used most diets myself at one time or another. I know a bit about how a diet will work, and this one certainly impressed me .It is simple, allows you to eat great food( eg bacon and eggs for breaky) and the follow up maintenance program makes sure you learn how to keep the weight off. Most of all it teaches you to what you can and can’t eat, while still being able to eat comfortably. A week later we were the proud owners of Ultra Lite for the Riverina.

So now to testing. We organised our first trials.

The results are in. each week shows cumulative kilograms and body centremetres lost

Name	Week1 kg	Week1 cm	Week2 kg	Week2 Cm	Week3 Kg	Week3 Cm	Week4 Kg	Week4 Cm	Week5 kg	Week5 Cm
Sue	3.1	16.5	4.2	31	5.7	39.5	5.7	48.5	6.2	54.7
Scott	5.3	33.5	8.5	48	10.3	55.5	13.4	71.5	15	76.5
Beryl	4.9	28	6	38.5	7.5	55.5	8.5	65.5	9.4	72.5
Paul	4.5	26	6.3	33	8.1	39.5	9.3	44.5	10.8	55.8
Linda	3.8	21.5	5.2	31.5	5.8	34.5	7.1	38.5	Lost enough

Scott went on to lose over 30 kg, Beryl is in her 80s, and all kept the weight off. Scott and Beryl did no exercise at all.

These results are real. You can talk to the people involved at Flexit Gym. You do not have to be a member to try Ultra Lite. Simply call on 69211110 to speak to a consultant.

If you would like more information go to www.ultralite.com.au or email me at flexitgym@aapt.net.au with your details, and I will send you an information pack.

Cheers

Mark Bishop

Lose Fat and feel great

Two years ago I started looking for a weight loss program I was prepared to put in our gym.

My criteria were:

My aims were to find a program that:

· was not shake based,

· was easy to follow,

· gave consistent, quick results every time,

· did not cannibalise muscle, and

· had a strong follow up program to make sure weight didn’t go back on.

So now to testing. We organised our first trials.

The results are in. each week shows cumulative kilograms and body centremetres lost

Name	Week1 kg	Week1 cm	Week2 kg	Week2 Cm	Week3 Kg	Week3 Cm	Week4 Kg	Week4 Cm	Week5 kg	Week5 Cm
Sue	3.1	16.5	4.2	31	5.7	39.5	5.7	48.5	6.2	54.7
Scott	5.3	33.5	8.5	48	10.3	55.5	13.4	71.5	15	76.5
Beryl	4.9	28	6	38.5	7.5	55.5	8.5	65.5	9.4	72.5
Paul	4.5	26	6.3	33	8.1	39.5	9.3	44.5	10.8	55.8
Linda	3.8	21.5	5.2	31.5	5.8	34.5	7.1	38.5	Lost enough

Scott went on to lose over 30 kg, Beryl is in her 80s, and all kept the weight off. Scott and Beryl did no exercise at all.

These results are real. You can talk to the people involved at Flexit Gym. You do not have to be a member to try Ultra Lite. Simply call on 69211110 to speak to a consultant.

If you would like more information go to http://www.ultralite.com.au/ or email me at flexitgym@aapt.net.au with your details, and I will send you an information pack.

Cheers

Mark Bishop

2011-12-12T04:00:00.000-08:00

CHOOSE WELL

You must choose your health club and trainers well. It’s important for the health industry in Wagga Wagga that your experiences are good ones. If They’re not, then the outcome can turn you off exercise, and that does not help anybody.

Wagga has some of the best gyms and trainers in NSW, and it also has its share of cowboys and fad training. Let’s look at a few guidelines to make sure your experiences in health care will be positive, and something you will want to do for a long time. Here are a few tips:

The most basic thing is make sure the person who is training you is qualified and insured. Qualifications should indicate that this trainer knows enough to train you properly and safely. Your trainer should be able to appraise you, create goals based on that appraisal, and keep you motivated to achieve those goals.
Insurance is vital.If the trainer is uninsured and something goes wrong there may be very little compensation for you.
Ask for references from people the trainer has worked with who are similar to you.
Talk to your trainer. Is this person someone who is genuinely interested in you and a person you can work with?
Do you like the person? If you don’t then you should look further afield. probably not the right one.
Is the trainer a good listener? Be wary of people who spend most of the appraisal session talking about themselves.
Your trainer should be in reasonable shape.Not necessarily beefcakes or super models, just in good shape.
Ask your friends and family about their trainers?
Is the trainer keeping up with the latest in sports science, or still working with what they did in the seventies?
If your trainer pushes you past your limits then get out. This should not happen. Work hard, yes .Wreck you definitely not!

In the last few years it seems that clubs and gyms have popped up all over Wagga. are they all worth joining?

I don’t think so. My recommendations on choosing a club or gym are:

Try to choose a club that is owned locally and the owner works in the club.

This should insure that your time in the club will be enjoyable and productive.

No frill’s is for motels, fast food and airlines, not so good for gyms. May work for a seasoned iron pumper or someone who equates physical fitness to a cheap deal, but don’t expect much caring.
If you ever walk in to a gym and show interest in joining, and they do not screen and appraise you before doing an exercise program, walk straight out.
Look at the members who are there. Are they people you would be comfortable with?
How long has the gym been there? There are good gyms in Wagga that have withstood the test of time, There are reasons for that.
Does the gym or club use evidence- based training techniques? Or just the latest fads?
Are there child care facilities and plenty of parking?

At Flexit Gym we give you a Free Two week trial because we believe we have the best health club in town .If we can’t win your business in this time, we don’t deserve it.

Cheers,

Mark Bishop

EVIDENCE BASED HEALTH

2011-11-27T01:46:00.000-08:00

For some reason Health conferences all seem to be held on the gold coast I am not complaining. As I am writing this I have just returned from the international conference on applied strength and conditioning.

I particularly enjoy the 3 days of this conference as they have a great mix of practical and theoretical sessions with some of the most prestigious presenters in the world.

It started off with a practical session with Meg stone, Meg has 7 national titles in track and field she was the director of strength and conditioning at Texas Tech University and then moved back to the

and is currently the national high performance coach for athletes.

Meg explained and we got to try the latest concepts of weightlifting movements to enhance explosiveness.

This is a subject close to my heart as this is the type of training we use to develop local athletes for sports such as football and track n field.

Next I went to see Jay Dawes, Jay is a real character good fun to work with and helpful to everyone.

Jay is a professor in the department of Kinesiology at Texas University and

USA

weightlifting coach.

We worked doing isometric exercises for various sports and conditioning games for young athletes.

Dr Stephen bird who was my strength and conditioning education coach delivered the latest research on nutrient timing and delivery.

So those of you who use sports supplements would be well advised to look at some of his research papers to find out how to use them properly and which ones work.

Mike McGurn showed us how to carry over what works for the professional football player and how to apply that to the amateur player. Mike was national head of strength and conditioning for

Ireland

rugby.

While were on Rugby I met Ashley Jones, Ashley has worked with the Sydney kings and Newcastle knights rugby league team he was the all blacks’ strength and conditioning coach for 4 years.

Ashley delivered a detailed plan for the physical preparation of an elite rugby squad from pre-season to playoffs.

There were lots more great presentations and made new friends can’t wait till next year

How does all this apply to you?

Well quite significantly, Sports science has moved ahead at lighting speeds in the last ten years and as trainers it’s our job to keep up to date and carry the benefits of the latest evidence based training research to you.

Evidence based training delivers maximum results with the least risk.

This is important for athletes as well as weight loss and general health for the average person.

At Flexit gym we only work with proven exercise science based methods, There are too many fads in the health industry at the moment so when you choose a health club or trainer please make sure they are up to date with the latest in evidence based training if what there doing doesn’t feel right it probably isn’t.

At Flexit gym we train the next generation of trainers through our Australian institute of personal trainers campuses, Our mission is to create the new breed of trainer and that’s what we are busy doing.

The new breed of trainer will only use proven evidence based training so that you will get great results safely.

Anyway after the conference I can say there are some amazing break throughs in health on the horizon being researched at the moment, and we have some of the brightest minds in health science here in Australia so the future is bright for health.

If you would like to be one of the new breed of personnel trainers we are taking admissions for the February campus now.

Just contact us at Flexit gym

Cheers

Mark

LESS = MORE

2011-11-10T02:44:00.000-08:00

LESS = MORE

Have you noticed how each year seems to get busier and more stressful? Work stress, long hours, kids sport, cooking and cleaning.

No wonder your feeling tired.

The reason I bring this up, I have had a run of clients lately who have decided to start an exercise program or who are already on one who are fatigued before they start.

A good trainer will always find out background on your home life so they can evaluate the correct work load.

If you’re busy and doing other sports out side then it is easy to run into nervous system fatigue.

Signs can be irritability, having trouble sleeping, loss of appetite, lack of motivation, not enjoying your exercise, and not getting results.

Some times when your doing up exercise programs less is more.

Joan came to me because she wasn’t happy with how she was looking. I started with having a look at what she was eating, that was all ok she was exercising 5 times a week so should be able to control her weight.

Her appearance re a healthy look was not there dark under the eyes no bounce in her step.

I suspected nervous system fatigue was holding her back. I confirmed this when we broke everything down, Joan was working about a 60 hour week and adding that amount of exercise into the mix was too much.

What happens is the body protects itself by hanging onto fat, also by fluid retention so the body has a very soft look, What people do then is add more exercise in to try and look better which of course just makes things worse.

So what to do? First I cut training back to 2 sessions a week then changed the exercise program to full body resistance training with no more than 2 sets per exercise and light cardio.

This got things moving again for Joan and as work eased up for her we could a just things up again.

With advanced trainers and athletes there are 2 main areas I watch.

1. muscle recovery

2. nervous system recovery

Remember the only reason you train the body is to get an adaptation and this usually occurs during rest time.

Sports science has come a long way since the old routines of the 70s when you would do 5 day splits training the muscle heavy as you can week in week out.

Then after 2 years wondering why you haven’t got any stronger.

When we design a proper periodised exercise plans for beginners or advanced athletes we design them around the above 2 points this gives you continuous results through out the years.

The nervous system is extremely complex and research into nervous system fatigue is still quite new.

The point is if you’re not getting results from your exercise or you have stalled then may be try less is more.

We have a really good promotion on at the moment.

Join Flexit gym now and get a NEW BIKE
that’s right......every 12 month membership comes with a FREE Malvern Star Mountain bike. Valued at $300 thanks to Kidsons bikes.

If you need a hand with your exercise programs then please give me a call at Flexit

69211110

GET YOUR BEACH BODY

2011-10-18T03:50:00.000-07:00

he warm weather is now most definitely upon us. The days are getting longer, the shorts are out and the skies are blue. NOW is the time to be starting the ‘beach body’ programme. I think I’ve written about it in the past how professional football players view the last month of the season as the time to get started in the gym to build their guns and a six-pack to impress the laydeeez on the beach.
Really you should have been getting ready over the last four months my most basic of rules when it comes to muscle hypertrophy is you need consistency and patience! The time for beach holidays how ever is here so if you have left it late what can we do.
Let’s take it that your ‘new body’ programme begins today. What’s the best way to approach this? Well, I know I’ve written about this previously, but the most important things are to:

• Ensure a balance between push and pull: This means, if you do loads of bench press, you need to do a similar amount of bench pull, or chin ups.
• Vary your programme: Don’t keep doing the same stuff all the time. Aim to change your programme and its emphasis (be it strength, endurance or power) every 3-5 weeks. The longer your lifting history, the more frequently you’ll have to vary your programme to keep your body guessing. If you’re still doing routines based in the eighties WAKE UP its time you looked at proper evidence based sports science.
• Lift heavy things but with good technique: The only effective way to get strong is to continually challenge your body to adapt to greater challenges. Don’t sacrifice your technique to do this though otherwise you’ll spend more time visiting the physio than using your gym membership.
• Keep a training journal: if you cant monitor it you cant manage it use your journal to get constant improvement
• Rest for growth: The only reason for training is so that the body can adapt to the stresses applied to it, It does this when you rest not when you exercise so make sure your rest periods are enough
• Stay mentally focused: I’m still not sure about the whole training with iPods thing, to get good muscle contraction engage your mind concentrate on the muscle you are training and feel it, can you do this with Kylie minogue in the back ground? maybe
• Support yourself nutritionally: This means making sure you have eaten before training and that you have a supply of protein and carbs for afterwards.
• Water is your friend: drink 2 litres of water a day to instantly look harder, you can holds kilos of water under the skin the way to remove it is to be hydrated so your body will let it go
• Go easy on carbs: cut the carbs back after lunch you don’t need energy foods towards bed time, load up on green veg
• Eat broccoli: yes even if you don’t like it, broccoli is a mild diuretic and will help you shed water as well as being full of anti oxidants.
• 6 meals a day: you know this just do it, 6 small meals a day kick starts your fat burning machinery, stabilises your blood sugars and stops cravings

Obviously, there are lots of methods of training but that’s for another day. What’s safe to say though is if you ignore these basic points, you’ll really struggle to build the beach body that you want.,
Our Christmas party is coming up, Christmas already! We are having a BBQ and day out at paint ball on the 26 of Nov contact reception for details.
If you want to do my 5 week beach body transformation give me a call
Cheers
Mark

Well what can I eat then?

2011-09-03T23:45:00.000-07:00

Well what can I eat then?

I had written a couple of articles lately on what not to eat, when a member came up to me in the club and asked, you’ve told us everything we cant eat doesn’t leave us much ,what are we supposed to eat?

Good question I thought, with all the things we are told not to eat how should we make our food choices.

I am anti sugar as I have made that fairly clear by now, I have worked with so many people over the last year that have been caught up in the sugar cycle and emotional eating that has affected weight,moods,energy,well being its nasty stuff so lets start there.

When I use the term sugar I am also referring to high glycemic carbs they also work the same. Clients will tell me they don’t each much sugar then sit down and eat white bread, works the same as sugar.

What is the Glycemic Index?

Not all carbohydrate foods are created equal; in fact they behave quite differently in our bodies. The glycemic index or GI describes this difference by ranking carbohydrates according to their effect on our blood glucose levels. Choosing low GI carbs - the ones that produce only small fluctuations in our blood glucose and insulin levels - is the secret to long-term health reducing your risk of heart disease and diabetes and is the key to sustainable weight loss.

OK how I like to use the GI index is to help us choose foods that will be kind to not only our bodies but also our minds and emotions, its really as simple as swapping high glycemic carbohydrates for low GI carbs

Hers a guide to help

LOW GI EAT MOST

Most vegetables
Grapefruit, peach,plums,banna
Apples oranges
Popcorn
Brown rice
Sour dough bread
Chick peas, yogurt
Sweet potato
Lentils, beans
Oats

INTERMEDIATE GI EAT MODERATELY

· Pineapple, orange juice

· Wholemeal bread, basmati rice

· Special k ,taco shells

· Muesli,rasins

· Rye bread, couscous

HIGH GI AVOID

White bread
Cornflakes, glucose
Pretzels, chips
Ice cream, table sugar
Baked potatoes
Jelly beans

Portion size comes into play here as well, The Gi is used for Carbohydrates, you only need a certain amount the rest will go on as fat if not used so keep an eye on your portion sizes.

So based on the above we should be using breakfast cereals based on oats ,barley and bran, I like using a lot of bran as it swells in the belly and fills you up, Use breads with whole grains,stone ground flour and sour dough.

Watch those potatoes go for sweet potatoes but again watch the portion size.

Jasmine rice not so good, go for Basmati, doongara or Japanese kashihkari.

Load on the salad and veges use a low sugar vinaigrette dressing.

Try and choose one low GI food in each meal.

Think about keeping your carbohydrate portion size at night lower as you don’t need the additional energy before bed.

If you want any more help on this drop me an email.

Tonight we are having a careers night for people who would like to become trainers and enter the health industry you do not need previous experience as we will teach and train you to become the new breed of trainer, if you would like to come along and see what its all about your welcome its at the wagga commercial club starting at 6.30pm.

Congratulations to every one who joined the Flexit team to walk run or ride the lake to lagoon this will be our biggest team ever if you see me walking please come over and say hello I did say walking, I’ll be the one at the back walking a lazy cattle dog.

We also have coming up our next wine tasting day touring the Griffith wineries there’s still time to register if you would like to join us just give Laura a ring at reception on 6921110.

The warm weather is on its way I am busy doing 12 week programs at the moment to get that body transformation happening for summer, as always if you need help drop me an email or call

Cheers

Mark

High-protein low-carbohydrate diets: what is the rationale?

2011-08-23T04:05:00.000-07:00

High-protein low-carbohydrate diets: what is the rationale?

Busetto L, Marangon M, De Stefano F.

Abstract

Dietary recommendations released by the large majority of international scientific committees and organizations suggest that the diet for the prevention and treatment of the most compelling health problems of our societies (obesity, diabetes, atherosclerosis, cardiovascular diseases and cancer) should be a diet moderately low in caloric content, low in fat content (particularly in saturated fat), poor in total cholesterol and rich in fibre. Despite this uniformity in official recommendations, alternative diets with low carbohydrate and high protein content continue to be extremely popular within consumers and patients. Recently, new studies seem to suggest that high-protein low-carbohydrate diets may have particularly positive effects on reducing body weight and other risk factors for heart disease. Gannon and Nuttall conducted direct comparisons of high-protein low-carbohydrate diets compared with high-carbohydrate low-protein diets in subjects with type 2 diabetes. They found that high-protein low-carbohydrate diets reduced fasting plasma glucose, 24-h glucose area under the curve and haemoglobin A(1c). On the basis of these results, a joint committee of the American Diabetes Association, North American Society for the Study of Obesity and the American Society for Clinical Nutrition suggested that a low-carbohydrate diet may be preferred to a low-fat diet for the induction of weight loss and glycaemic control in subjects with type 2 diabetes.

Regards,

Stephen Eddey M.H.Sc.,B.Comp.Med.,Dip.App.Sc.(Nat).,Ass.Dip.Chem.Cert.I.V.(Workplace Training and Assessment).

HEALTH SCHOOLS

AUSTRALIA

Po Box 815

, HELENSVALE QLD 4212
PH: 07 5530 8899
FAX: 07 5530 8877
WEB: www.healthaustralia.com

JENNIFER HAWKINS SECRETS

2011-08-08T03:48:00.000-07:00

JENNIFER HAWKINS SECRETS

Last weeks telegraph had an article on how Jennifer Hawkins stays in shape and gets ready for summer.

She said she prepares for summer by

Cutting back alcohol
Get a personnel trainer
Do yoga and Pilates
Do weight training
Do boxing
Train the core
Lower your carbs
Drink water

I think this would be a badly kept secret, common sense if you ask me.

How ever its good advice lets look at what she does.

Cut back alcohol don’t despair she said cut back not drop it entirely.

Apart from the empty calories alcohol has when you drink the body is focused on processing alcohol, it is not able to properly break down foods containing carbohydrates and fat. Therefore, these calories are converted into body fat and are carried away for permanent storage on your body.

Wouldn’t it be great if we could train like the stars and have our own trainer with us every day?

While that might be out of reach personnel training isn’t . Working with a personal trainer removes all the guess-work from your workouts. At Flexit our trainers Based on the thorough assessment and discussion they will initially have with you, will know exactly which exercises, and the perfect amount of; sets, reps, rest, tempo and order to put them in, to get you the best results in the shortest time possible

Our stretch yoga and Pilate’s classes are great for getting you in shape and help to tone and burn calories, first class is FREE.

Sorry ladies but if one more woman says to me I don’t want to do resistance training because I will bulk up with muscle ill scream , It’s a MYTH.

If you want to lose weight, burn more fat, look and feel stronger, have stronger bones and be able to eat more without putting on extra weight from fat, ABSOLUTELY! Then train with weights. Strength training replaces lost muscle tis sue and means YOU will have a faster metabolism, faster fat burning and less chance of getting fat!!!
Strength training does not make women 'bigger' and 'bulkier'.
Muscle is smooth, lean, hard and small; Fat is lumpy, flabby, soft and big - the choice is YOURS; which would you prefer??

Have you thought about boxing for weight loss and toneing? At Flexit we use it quite a lot with our female clients also our boxing classes and Wednesday nights ladies self defence is great fun, Boxing is without a doubt one of the best interval training routines possible that sends your heart rate sky high each and every time.

Just doing ab training wont tighten your mid section say good bye to the ab machines on TV they don’t work, Sure after we have taken the surface fat off you want something there to show. When we do a program for you we always include a core work out.

More so to protect your back and body but also to have that tight mid section when the fat comes off.

Generally we eat too many carbs and I deal with carb and sugar addiction a lot with clients, the body can only store a limited amount of carbohydrates. Be it in the liver or the muscles there is only so much “carb saturation” that is going to take place before the rest is stored as an unusable, excess calorie, weight gaining by product.

Water, most people don’t drink enough water. Most people are also carrying around a few more kilos than they would be if they did drink enough water. If you can’t seem to get that weight off, try drowning your sorrows in nature’s magical weight-loss mineral. It works.

Ladies you might not be able to look like Jennifer Hawkins but you can certainly pick up a few of her secrets to start you on your way.
Otherwise come and see me you will be surprised at what you can do with an 8 week body transformation plan.
Cheers
Mark

MOOBS OR MAN BOOBS

2011-07-11T05:40:00.000-07:00

IS IT MOOBS OR MAN BOOBS

Over the years I have done a lot of work with men who have the man boob problem for the male that suffers with this its no joke, You can usually pick a Man boob sufferer he will always where loose-fitting clothes and walk hunched over.

It can strike at any age from adolescence to middle age.

Adolescents will normally grow out of the problem in 2 or 3 years.

10% of Australian men will develop the problem that’s a million blokes.

I mainly work with middle age men whose moobs are caused by slight hormonal imbalances combined with excess body fat.

Moobs are made up of fatty tissue stored over the pectoral muscles. A common myth is that you can spot reduce your man boobs, but unfortunately, you can't pick and choose where your body is going to lose its fat, so you will just have to lower it overall.

And you know what that means yep exercise and diet, always seems to come back to those two.

The type of exercise I will use to reduce your chest fat will be things like: Interval training this is one of your best options because it will kick your metabolism into high gear. Since it is so intense, your body will burn a heap of calories -- even after you have finished working out.
Your interval training session would be done for about 20 to 25 minutes, during which time you work out at a ratio of 1:3 in regards to hard vs. easy.

I also like the elliptical trainer for burning calories and the rower because it uses your upper body.

During this fat burning stage I suggest a good eating program.

So now we have surface fat coming off we better make sure there is something under there to give your chest shape.

As the fat comes off you will have started on a chest training program exercises like dumb bell presses incline and decline, flat bench ,fly’s all classic chest training.

For some one who suffers from moobs I like to fill out the upper chest area as this evens out the chest. Specific lower chest exercises will have your Pecs looking more like Conan’s then grandmas.

I will also have you work on the rest of your upper body not from any bodybuilding angle but for toning, nice toned shoulders and arms will even out the look of your whole upper body. Building muscle in the shoulders and the upper back will also stretch and tighten the skin of the upper torso as a whole.

So there it is hit those man boobs with high intensity cardio and the correct weight training.

This type of training must be done with the correct supervision so it’s not to be done at home, get your butt off the couch and come and see me.

Man boobs can be embarrassing and eat into self esteem the good news is the condition can be beat.

Coming up at the gym is our Griffith grapes trip we will leave wagga and tour the Griffith wineries call reception to book as seats are limited.

Our new spin bikes have just arrived so spin classes start soon watch this space.

Springs not far away so if you need help to shape up we can do a strategy up for you first is free just call reception on 69211110.

And don’t forget Flexit is home to the 14 day free trial so you can try us out the only risk is you might get a bit fitter

Cheers

Mark

EAT YOUR SHARE OF FAT

2011-06-27T17:29:00.001-07:00

EAT YOUR SHARE OF FAT

Fat has received a lot of bad publicity in recent years, and because of this fat is often more misunderstood than carbohydrates. The low fat, high carb craze started in the 1980s, and since then most western countries adopting this eating philosophy have been getting fatter and recording increasingly higher rates of obesity year after year.

Fats add flavour and fullness to food, and since fats have over twice the caloric value of carbohydrates and proteins, they also help fill you up and kill your appetite. Low fat food manufacturers strip out the fat from foods and then add sugars, sweeteners and fillers in to make them taste good. After removing the fat and adding other ingredients, these low fat foods are often higher in calories than they were when they contained fat, but now they are more likely to send your fat-storing insulin hormones through the roof.

Fats, or at least good fats, are actually essential in your diet in order for your body to function properly. Good fats are responsible for the well-being and functioning of your brain and nervous system, as well as providing fuel for your body to convert into energy. There is also a growing amount of evidence to show that 'good fats' actually reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke, and assist in long-term weight loss and weight maintenance by helping with sugar and insulin metabolism.

With ultralite our weight loss program we add in healthy fats ,after around two weeks I notice clients hair and skin looking great there almost glowing

It’s important to understand the difference between each of the four fat groups and how each of these fats affects your health and your weight.

Fats - the good, the bad and the ugly

Good fats:

Mono-unsaturated (MUFA)

Mono-unsaturated fats have been found to be the healthiest types of fats to consume because of their ability to fight against coronary heart disease and cancer. They are full of antioxidants, lowering your total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol), while increasing HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol). They have also been found to help in weight loss,

Mono-unsaturated fats are found in:

Animal sources: lean meats, game meats.

Natural sources: olive oil and olives, avocado, peanut oil, canola (rapeseed) oil and raw nuts including peanuts, walnuts, almonds and pistachios.

Poly-unsaturated (PUFA)

Poly-unsaturated fats also lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. Almost all polyunsaturated fats in the human diet are from essential fatty acids (EFAs). These are made up of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which must be obtained from the diet as they cannot be produced by the body.

EFAs are essential for good health as they assist in many metabolic processes. They have been found to fight against coronary heart disease, and there is also evidence that omega-3 oils help prevent or treat depression, arthritis, asthma and colitis.

Poly-unsaturated fats are found in:

Animal sources: oily fish, seafood and fish oil.

natural sources: corn, soy, canola, safflower, flaxseed (linseed), hemp and sunflower oils, as well as pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, leafy vegetables, walnuts, almonds and macadamia nuts.

Bad fats:

Saturated (SAFA)

Saturated fats have been linked to coronary heart disease, increasing total blood cholesterol as well as LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol), high blood pressure and arteriosclerosis (blocking of the arteries). However, a few recent studies have shown that some saturated fats can be beneficial for heart health and endocrine cell production (such as those found in butter, coconut oil, palm oil and animal fats from grass-fed cows, free-range chickens and lard). But even in light of these latest findings, you should limit your saturated fat intake to about 10% of your total daily fats.

Saturated fats are found in:

Animal sources: beef, veal, lamb, pork, lard, poultry fat and full-fat dairy products

Natural sources: coconut, coconut oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil (often called tropical oils) and cocoa butter.

A note about eggs

Eggs have seen their share of good and bad press in the past 20 years or so, and many people are still not sure whether eggs are a healthy or unhealthy choice when it comes to their cholesterol and general health.

Eggs are actually one of nature's nutritional powerhouses, and although they do contain dietary cholesterol, they contain more polyunsaturated fat (which actually lowers your cholesterol levels) than saturated fat. Research has also shown that it is actually saturated fat that substantially impacts on your blood cholesterol levels and not dietary cholesterol.

A great reason to include eggs in your diet is that they contain vitamins A, D, E, B1, B2, B6 and B12, as well as the minerals iron, zinc, calcium, iodine and selenium.

Ugly fats:

Trans-fatty acids (Trans fats)

Trans fats are the worst types of fats to consume. They increase your risk of heart disease and are bad for your blood vessels, nervous system and waistline. The 'very-bad-for-your-health' trans fats were invented when scientists began to 'hydrogenate' liquid oils so that they could perform better in food production and have a longer shelf life.

So if your trying to control your weight think again about Fat

Congratulations to Bronwyn, Bronwyn came to us a month ago wanting to get weight off ,we used ultralite and a fat cutting exercise program she just finished 10 weeks and took off 20kg well done

Start thinking about toeing up for spring its not there far away if you want help give me a call that’s what were here for.

Cheers

Mark

FEELING JUICY

2011-06-12T20:55:00.000-07:00

FEELING JUICY

I think one of the biggest issues we face in today's times when it comes to food and nutrition is that there are so many choices and so many different messages being 'fired' at us from food manufacturers, it's often hard to know if you really are making the best choice for your health and your waistline.

One of the biggest misconceptions is that fruit juices are good for us and because they are made from fruit (the label says 100% fruit, so you would think so!) we can have lots.

Now it's not that fruit juices are 'unhealthy' as such, but they are definitely not all equal and they are highly concentrated in calories, so not something that should be consumed without taking into consideration the extra calories they are adding to your daily diet.

Australian Nutrition Guidelines recommend we eat 2 serves of fresh fruit every day and drink only 125ml of fruit juice, if any . Because of the amount of sugar and kilojoules in juice not much different in fact to soft drinks. So if your giving your kids juice instead of soft drinks think again

Healthy Kids and the Dietitian’s Association of Australia recommend water to be the first drink of choice with one small glass (125mls) of fruit juice daily being an appropriate serve size for everyone, including children. May be try a bit of diet cordial if needed to get them on water.

Fresh fruit is low in energy (kilojoules). But we all know how little juice comes out when you squeeze it. You need to use several pieces of fruit to get a small cup. So drinking fruit juice or the energy from the fruit is equal to eating a big quanity of fruit.

The vitamin C in fruit makes the juice highly acidic, and together with all those concentrated natural sugars can lead to tooth erosion and decay as well as weight gain. By eating whole fruit, you not only get the juice, but all the goodness from the flesh, including the fibre, which helps to maintain a healthy digestive system and control appetites.

Sugar, whether natural or not, provides little else other than instant energy. And if you cant use that energy guess where it goes. The nutritional benefits associated with natural sugars come from other parts of the foods they are found in – like the protein and calcium in dairy foods and the antioxidants and fibre in the flesh of the

fruit.

Natural sugars are extracted from fruit to sweeten processed foods like muesli bars, biscuits and frozen deserts. Fruit sugars used like this as marked as ‘fruit juice concentrates’ on product labels and under Australian Food Law, are not classified as being ‘added sugars’.so watch this when your reading food labels!

These days there are so many fruit products ranging from fruit-based drinks to 99% fruit juices.

Manufacturing processes to turn juice into these forms can remove some of the nutrients it would naturally contain. In its freshly squeezed form, vitamins found in juice are sensitive to heat and time meaning that the longer the juice sits un-refrigerated, the fewer vitamins it will contain.

To maintain the quality of juice and extend its shelf life, manufacturers use a variety of processes that effect the nutritional value. So it isn’t uncommon to see fortified juice products - where vitamins and minerals are added back into the juice. Lots better to eat the fresh fruit and get all the vitamins and nutrients that way.
A manufacturing process used to extend the life of juice is called “deionization”.
It works by stripping away the colours and flavours to make a clear product that lasts longer. Different flavours and colours are then added back into the juice to produce the product doesn’t sound that grate. When they make the product this way its closer to a soft drink then fresh juice.
Manufacturers don’t have to declare the juice has undergone deionization so remember the more processed the product appears, the greater the chance it has undergone the process.

FEELING BLOATED

2011-05-30T05:16:00.000-07:00

FEELING BLOATED

I have had a few clients lately who have said there feeling bloated, you often here people say that so what can you do about bloating?

A wheat-free diet is when you cut out all products that are made from wheat and wheat flour (eg. Bread); it is not the same as a gluten-free diet. Wheat-free diets only require that you cut out wheat products, however gluten-free diets mean that you cut out all wheat, oats, barley and rye, because these foods contain gluten.

The benefit of cutting wheat out of your diet is that it can have a huge impact on your weight and the way you feel. The reason for this is that wheat often has a number of problems associated with it. The biggest problem is that because wheat is in so many products we tend to eat way too much of it; and when we eat too much of a particular food we are in danger of developing a food intolerance. That’s why wheat and dairy are the most common triggers for food intolerances.

I use to suffer from bad ear infections; every 3 months with out fail I would develop one. For years I went to specialist tried all kinds of cures Then I started dieting for competition and cut out wheat and dairy, For the first time in 3 years I didn’t develop an ear infection

Eating a particular food too often can cause the digestive enzymes to be overwhelmed and therefore that particular food is not digested properly. This happens most commonly with foods that are not particularly easy to digest, which is the category of foods that wheat and dairy fall in to.

So, how does cutting out wheat help you to lose weight? Well, when we eat a food that we have become intolerant to, such as wheat, it causes bloating and water retention and makes us appear overweight. So when we cut out that food the bloating and water retention go down.

Another reason is that eating foods we are intolerant to affects our ability to digest foods properly and poor digestion causes constipation (which means we are not getting rid of waste products). When this happens, the toxin levels in our body rise and the liver stores these toxins in our fat cells. As the toxin levels continue to rise, extra fat cells are created and maintained to assist with storage of toxins.

So, when we cut out the food we are intolerant to, our toxin levels fall and are no longer needed to be stored in the fat cells.

You have to remember that Stone Age man didn't eat wheat. It was introduced only 10,000 years ago with the cultivation of crops. Which is relatively recent compared to the diet of millions of years ago, which our bodies are better adapted to - nuts, berries, fruits. We overdose on wheat and end up eating it for breakfast, lunch and dinner - toast, sandwiches, and pizza. It's too much.

Here are a few tips if you would like to try cutting back wheat

Step 1

Write up a wheat-free meal plan for one week. Include proteins, fresh fruits and vegetables. The less processed food the better. Processed food can contain hidden wheat. Do not include breads or pasta in your meals.

Step 2

Make a shopping list based on your meal plans. Divide the list into sections, such as meats and fruits.

Step 3

Go shopping and read the labels of any processed foods. Reading labels on food allows you to see any products that contain wheat. Look through the ingredients on each label, and put anything with wheat back on the shelf.

Step 4

Tell the server at the restaurant, that you want to avoid wheat. This will make the chef aware of the problem. The restaurant crew can advise you on the best choices to avoid wheat.

Be aware wheat does contain many vitamins so make sure your getting enough of these.

At Flexit we take a holistic approach to your health that is we like to design a health plan based on your personnel needs. Try our 14 day free trial the only thing you have to lose is a little weight maybe

Cheers

Mark bishop

ASCA COACH

WANT MORE ENERGY

2011-05-16T03:47:00.000-07:00

`WANT MORE ENERGY’

Seems to be a shortage of energy in a lot of peoples lives, I have had a few mums in lately looking tired.

I can always tell dark under the eyes, dull skin and hair, overweight from not eating properly, no spark.

What needs to be done to recapture that spark and look of vitality?

Well when some one comes to me looking to recapture vitality it comes back to there personal situation, I will look at life style factors. Things like nutrition that’s a general term and includes things like spacing of meals correct calorie intake macro nutrients like fats ,carbs and protein ,that’s right I find a lot of people don’t have enough good fats in there diet, other factors include stress levels, sleep ,exercise, hydration, are there medical issues history of low iron etc? Or drug interactions,

I have to take a very holistic approach with this so if there is no obvious reason I will take the person back to a healthy base line that is, correct nutrition, correct calories ,hydration.

I may help the client find healthier ways to release stress, we may do stretching to relax the body it all depends on whets needed, any way I work it through step by step until we can get that persons energy and vitality back.

The really unfortunate thing when talking about energy and vitality is that a lot of people don’t realise its lacking.

That is they have gotten so used to feeling crappy they think it’s normal.

Its most apparent with our eating programs I will put some one on Ultralite for 5 weeks take off 10kg balance there blood sugars get them eating correctly add some good fats in and they literally recapture there youth, ladies in particular by week 3 are just glowing ,The biggest comment I HAVNT FELT LIKE THIS SINCE I WAS 20.

You don’t have to live a life with out vitality you just have to choose not to and act

Try this check list

Grade each question 1 to 5, 5 being the most, best 1 being the least, worse

1. Wake up with a positive ‘can do’ attitude most days. _ _ _ _ _

2. I sleep soundly and awaken feeling refreshed and ready to go. _ _ _ _ _

3. My level of energy is ample and balanced throughout the day. _ _ _ _ _

4. I am able to do daily activities and sustain energy without the use of coffee, caffeine, or other stimulants. _ _ _ _ _

5. I feel well most days–have infrequent colds/flu and show no evidence of degenerative/autoimmune conditions. _ _ _ _ _

6. I easily manage life’s daily stresses without significant nervous tension or upsets. I feel joy and happiness daily and feel positive most of the time. _ _ _ _ _

7. I digest food easily without a decline in energy after meals or gastric upset. No bloating or gas. I easily eliminate daily. _ _ _ _ _

8. I exercise on a regular basis–2-5 times a week, including at least 20 minutes of aerobic activity. _ _ _ _ _

9. When I exercise or do physical work, I recover quickly with no soreness or stiffness. _ _ _ _ _

10. I am free of discomfort from old injuries. _ _ _ _ _

11. I am free of food and environmental allergies/sensitivities. _ _ _ _ _

12. I am free of recurring discomforts:–i.e. headaches, stomach aches, constipation, neck/back, joint pain, skin rashes, etc. _ _ _ _ _

13. I am at a comfortable body weight/size/body composition. _ _ _ _ _

14. I am free from the need to use tobacco, alcohol, sugar or particular foods on a regular basis. (i.e. have no substance addictions) _ _ _ _ _

15. For women:My monthly menstrual cycle is regular and uneventful i.e., without PMS/ discomfort. _ _ _ _ _

16. I take _____ pharmaceutical drugs on a regular basis

If you scored less then 4 you need to examine those points, if you scored less then 4 on more then 4 questions then come and see me or drop me an email at flexitgym@aapt.net.au chances are your life is being affected.

Cheers

Mark bishop

Parents ignoring that our kids are getting fatter

2011-05-02T05:14:00.000-07:00

Parents ignoring that our kids are getting fatter

This is an extract from the medical journal of

Australia

I was reading last week

“

The last ten years has seen a hundred per cent increase in obesity levels among pre-schoolers, and many parents appear not to be recognising the signs which can be indicative of health problems later in life. In a study of parental attitudes to childhood obesity, 324 mothers of four year olds were interviewed.

Dr Michele Campbell, who led a research team at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute in Melbourne, reported that only a quarter of mothers of overweight or obese children (as defined by Body Mass Index) actually rated them as such, and 70 per cent of these mothers thought that their children weighed about the same as their classmates.

Only 17 per cent of all mothers interviewed were concerned about their children facing future overweight or obesity problems. Dr Campbell said that the findings, which mirror those reported in other westernised nations, indicate that the ramifications of overweight and obesity are not being absorbed by Australian parents, who appear not to notice their child’s expanding girth as being out of the ordinary due to the prevalence of overweight kids in society.

Parents who do recognise the seriousness of the issue have to address it carefully, encouraging healthy eating whilst avoiding making their children overly weight and image conscious. Children need to follow a good eating, and exercising example set by parents in the home; it’s no good for parents who lead an unhealthy or sedentary lifestyle to tell their kids to do as they say and not as they do. Some children will grow out of their ‘puppy fat’, but without adopting a more active lifestyle and a healthier eating regime, they could be setting themselves up for a future blighted by health problems.”

And guess what folks buying the kids a wii fit is not going to do it.

I’ve noticed a trend at Flex it over the last few years, Baby boomers are taking there health seriously how ever the upcoming generation doesn’t.

We as a community and you as parents need to help get the kids back into healthy habits if it’s not done while there young then it may not happen for them until a major health problem wakes them up in later life.

Setting a healthy example for kids is important. If they see you being active, they may be more likely to be active themselves.

We have a lot of families coming in lately on family memberships; we get the parents started then organize the younger members with a trainer and get them started on a suitable exercise program.

Or try the kids club

4pm - 5pm Fridays - Flex It is running Kids Club this is an exercise class for 5-12 years olds. Bring your kids along for a fun session. A healthy snack & drink will be provided after class, they will love it!!

This class is available to members and non members just call us on 69211110 and we will get your kids started, never know you may want to jump in and do a bit of exercise while you’re waiting for the kids, we also have our meet tray draw thanks to Kooringal butchery on Friday nights.

You could be a double winner improve your health and get meet for the week.

The great thing about the classes is it shows the kids that exercising is fun and gets them into the health club and used to it at an early age.

If you want to do it at home then here are 10 easy exercises to do with the kids at home.

1. Running in place. But don’t over do it!
2. Another great exercise to do with your kids is toe touches.
3. Jumping jacks.

4. Sit ups
.
5. Push-ups
6. Buy some jump ropes.
7. Another choice is to take a walk or a bike ride around the park.
8. You can incorporate some activities like: Tennis, Basketball, and Swimming.
9. Nothing can be better than playing a quick game of dodge ball.
10. This one, your children will love you for.
Head to oasis for some fun.
Flex it is a Family friendly club so lets us help you to help your family
Take care
Mark

THE EMOTIONAL EATER

2011-04-18T04:28:00.000-07:00

THE EMOTIONAL EATER

Working with hundreds of people over the years with weight issues it has become apparent the number 1 problem for people in losing weight is emotional eating.

People don’t eat lots of unhealthy foods because there hungry it’s because they feel good doing it for awhile.

Ever find yourself sitting on the couch eating something and not remembering when or why you ate it in the first place.

Welcome to the world of emotional eating.

Emotional eating can pass in a half an hour or can last days or years, it can take over your life, and those that have this problem no exactly what I mean and how little control they can have over it.

Ignored feelings are one of the main culprits of over eating we have a hard day at the office or the kids have been sick all day so we knock down 3 slices of cold pizza or a bowl of chocolate ice cream.

Sometimes you know why your emotional eating, had an argument with the spouse.

Sometimes you don’t, you just feel pent up frustrated need an outlet so food is it.

Recognise it?

You are going to have to find a way of dealing with your emotions.

Handle each problem of the day as they come up don’t save them inside until you have a big melt down into a sea of chocolate.

Lack of self-soothing skills is one of the main causes of emotional eating. A lot of the clients I work with are too hard on them selves if we beat other people up the way we beat our selves up we would get 10 years in Junee. One of the reasons we’ve turned to food for comfort is because we don’t know how to soothe our selves in other ways.

Part of becoming a mature person means developing skills to sooth your emotions that are healthy and build you up (not build you out).

One of the reasons we get stuck in emotional eating is because we've no idea how to sooth and comfort ourselves. Many people go their whole lives never knowing that they are responsible for comforting themselves emotionally (without food).

Getting weight off due to emotional eating is hard to do because emotional eating is above the neck.

So find some one to help. At flex it we take a whole body approach MIND, .BODY, SOUL.

We will start by breaking the emotional eating habit via controlling addictive eating and high serotonin/insulin foods; over time this gives you back control and energy and helps you to feel good longer. This leads to weight loss and confidence, we then teach you to exercise properly to release feel good chemicals into your system and to release stress held in the body and muscles. From here you learn ways to deal with emotions and stress and to find other outlets then food to deal with them.

Put it all together and we can turn it around in 5 to 10 weeks.

Scott krywulyczan author on this subject gives us some hints

· Get your trigger foods out of the house

· Do physical activity come see me

· Deep breathing and relaxation exercises

· Keep your goal handy

· Talk to a friend

· Surround your self with positive reinforcers like pictures and people

· Keep a journal that includes your best personal accomplishments.

· Track your eating habits like why and when you eat food.

Do like I do and go buy a new motor bike, wait a minute that might be mid life crisis different subject

The good news is emotional eating can be beaten we do it all the time here with clients and easier then you might think.

The point is get some one to help you with it.

If you would like a confidential meeting with me on this give me a call at Flexit gym 0269211110 or email me flexitgym@aapt.net.au

All the best for Easter

Don’t forget we have the giant Easter egg smash on at 10 am Easter Saturday bring the kids in for free chocolate everyone’s welcome you don’t have to be a member for this one.

A bit of chocolate at Easter is OK

Cheers

Mark

Owner Flexit gym

A.S.C.A strength and conditioning coach

THE HERO MENTALITY

2011-04-04T04:23:00.000-07:00

THE HERO MENTALITY

We all want to look like the people we admire, be it that skinny girl in the corner with the great butt, or the guys in the magazines with 25 inch arms.

So the big conclusion is if I do what they do then it will work the same for me.

Let’s follow the latest routine in the magazines because that’s what the pros do, that’s how she got that tiny waist!

Wow lets train like john there he always looks fantastic he trains 20 hours a week so lets do that.

Well sorry to burst your bubble folks “I seem to be doing a bit of that lately” john over there was blessed with great genetics and it really doesn’t matter how john trains because he will always look good even if he trains in a not effective way, Jane with the small waist and tight buns always will have tight buns and small waist even if she doesn’t do much training, great genetics.

As a coach I find the problem here is that a lot of these gifted people don’t train effectively because they don’t have to, that’s not saying they don’t train hard in fact they usually can train so hard that it would be certain overtraining for the rest of us mere mortals with average genetics.

When I work with some one who is genetically elite (and I am coaching a couple at the moment) and apply the correct training systems to them, to see how they adapt and reach there genetic potential is truly amazing.

So the biggest guy in the gym or the fittest looking girl might not be the best people to copy a program from.

Where’s that leave us then?

Well looking for the correct principles to help us train properly so we are getting results.

Here are the training secrets I use to help THE GENETICALY AVERAGE

TRAINING SECRETS FOR SIZE AND STRENGTH GAINS

You must get stronger to get bigger if you are not adding weight to the bar across the year your not getting bigger
training body parts less then twice a week will not give you optimal gains I prefer 3 time with lower intensity on the third, ,save once a week body part training for pros and the genetically elite
When in doubt do LESS volume not more, you don’t need tons of sets to promote hypertrophy, the stuff written in magazines to the contrary is rubbish.
Generally basic compound exercises are best, Isolation exercises have there place
If you think you can gain muscle without eating enough food or calories you’re wrong. You can’t magically make muscle out of nothing, you need calories and protein to grow .don’t complain your not hungry, eat or stay skinny.
Most people not getting results don’t train the correct routines and don’t eat enough
Eat whole foods with heaps of vegies every day
Proteins have different uses casein for dieting and bed time, isolate around training time.
The equation is this:
Hard Work + Consistency + Time = Results

WEIGHT LOSS SECRETS

You can’t magically lose weight unless you eat less or burn more calories with activity.
Don’t complain about how much you hate dieting or exercise. You can either change your diet and activity patterns, or you can stay over weight. Those are your two options,.
All weight loss plans revolve around eating less or increasing activity even if they say they don’t.
Its difficult to do by your self so contact a professional to help you, just pick the right one

Now onto something completely different you are all invited as my special guest of course toFLEX-IT'S "FREE FUN DAY”

SUNDAY APRIL 17TH

9am-1pm

Craft in the creche, Easter egg Hunt,

Hat Parade, Raffle and Sausage Sizzle!

FREE CLASSES 9.30 am Step

10.30 am Tummy, Bum and Thighs

11.30 am Cardio Boxing

12.30 pm Mystery class

For information and CLASS BOOKINGS ph 69 21 1110

Raffle and all donations going to the 'Japanese Relief Appeal'

If you haven’t been in to see us before then grab the kids and friends and come on in love to meet you face to face

Any questions just drop me am email

flexitgym@aapt.net.au

Cheers

Mark bishop

Owner flexit gym

A.S.C.A strength and conditioning coach

Amino acids and hypertrophy

2011-03-23T01:08:00.000-07:00

I am dieting a person at the moment for an upcoming contest,we do a simple urine test each week to tell what fat burning is happening and what state there body is in.

when you diet hard it tends to put your body into a catabolic state that is burns some muscle off,you tend to be in ketosis more so on a low carb diet like i am useing with this competitor.

To slow up muscle wastage we added in a muscleteck product called prototype 216 an amino acid blend.

The results were impressive within a week the urine test indicated that prototype 216 had booted the competitor out of ketosis and into an anabolic state actually putting muscle on while dieting.

This brings me to the conclusion that if this product did that to a person in a catabolic state then it should be extremely effective in causing hypertrophy to a person in a more anabolic situation.

stayed tuned i will let you know the results

Ladies what about your Butt and Legs?

2011-03-21T03:22:00.000-07:00

Ladies what about your Butt and Legs?

Fat on the butt and legs wouldn’t it be nice to be able to pop a pill and make that go away.

I have prepared a lot of women for various figure competitions over the years and been to a lot of competitions.

One of the things that all ways stood out for me , when you went to a female figure contest all the girls were always in great shape in the upper body I mean really lean, However there lower body legs and butt were still soft.

In fact some girls I would see from comp to comp and as they got leaner in the upper body they seemed too get softer in the legs and butt.

I would have the same problem with the girls I was coaching, it was always legs and butt that were the problem, even if I got them extremely lean in the upper body there bottom half could still be soft.

Why was this happening?

If you take a fat cell from a mans butt and from a woman’s butt for all intents and purposes they are the same.

The difference is where men and women store that fat,

Women’s bodies may prefer to shuttle calories into lower body fat after a meal, on top of possibly redistributing fat from upper to lower body fat. Yet, they can’t be moved out as quickly because the woman’s hard wiring is set up to keep it there.

Upper body gets leaner lower body gets fatter.

So the challenge is to get the fat cells to release the fat and not to pick it up again.

Why is it then that it’s so hard to get these fat cells to release?

The answer to that one is in this story, a friend of mine who is an Australian champion in figure competitions went and got thermal imaging done on different parts of her body. Among other things what this showed was red for where her body was warm going darker where her body was cold, what colour was her butt?? Black totally cold and this is a very fit girl, the reason it was black is because that area had very little blood flow.

This creates two problems first the blood borne hormones cant get to that area and second poor blood flow makes it harder to get mobilised fat away from the cell and burnt in the body.

Insulin levels also seem to have some effect on how well these lower body cells release there fat by acting on lipolysis the hydrolysis of fats.

So what you ask?

You just want to get that fat off your butt.

Ok, well for the person that is overweight a good eating plan with sensible exercise will work well.

What we are talking about here is some one who is fit and exercises regularly has a good diet is not overweight how ever they still cannot tighten up there butt and legs.

The process I use for leaning this kind of person up was developed by a gentleman by the name of Lyle McDonald a respected author and fat loss consultant.

This exercise routine was developed by Lyle to overcome the problems we have been talking about to move fat off the butt and legs.

The routine I am about to out line is quite full on and should be only done under a qualified trainer’s supervision as with all strenuous exercise consult your doctor first.

You will break up your cardio into 2 separate sessions. The first session will be high intensity interval cardio for 10 minutes. The purpose of this first session is to manipulate the adrenaline/ noradrenalin levels to mobilize the fat out of your fat cells. You then take a 5 minute rest after the first session.

Next you do 45 minutes of low intensity cardio. Afterwards you wait one hour before having a protein only meal. Then 2 or 3 hours later you can go back to normal diet, with carbs and fat included in the meals.

The reason why Lyle McDonald says it has to be done this way is because the high intensity portion gets the fat out of the cells, but there is a reduced burning effect at the muscle. It is then that you do the low intensity to finally be able to burn the mobilized fat in the muscle.

I have modified this program over the years with added supplementation and additions to get more fat burning happening.

I also use a special eating plan with it that works a treat.

When I am supervising any one on this program I carefully monitor there ability to recover as overtraining is a real possibility with this.

If you want more information on this drop me an email at

Flexitgym@aapt.net.au

Congratulations to all those that started our Olympic lifting course every one is picking it up well.

Cheers

Mark bishop

A.S.C.A strength and conditioning coach

FLEXIT GYM

What’s the go with abdominal fat and getting a 6 pack?

2011-03-07T02:07:00.000-08:00

What’s the go with abdominal fat and getting a 6 pack?

How do I bust that beer belly?

I can’t get my mid section to look good!

I want a six pack!

I walked out to the core training room earlier in the week and Tony was there, Tonys fairly fit aged about 39.

He looked like he had been training hard, I asked him what he was doing enthusiastically he said he had just knocked over 300 sit ups, good effort by any bodys standards how ever the question popped into my mind why in the world would you even want to do 300 sit ups unless its for some kind of personal challenge? So I asked him.

He said he trains his abs like this 3 times a week but no 6 pack, that was all he wanted to look tight around the mid section.

It happens to me a lot some one will want to tighten up there mid section so asks for a heap of gut busting exercises.

Well people it’s a myth no amount of direct training on the stomach will give you a 6 pack, This includes all the hyped up TV gismos that claim they will turn you into Arnold Schwarzenegger or Elle Macpherson in 5 weeks (sorry if I burst any ones bubble)

The reason being, training the muscle underneath the fat does not remove the fat in that area of the body.

The body likes to store fat based on your genetics the stomach on men and hips butt and thighs on ladies.

Those areas are where you have more fat cells for storage. That’s why lipo suction sometimes doesn’t work well, you suck all the fat cells out of one area and the body will have to store the fat in cells some where else, that some where else might be more undesirable then the first place, who wants 5 kg of fat hanging off

there knees.

OK what then?

We have to use that dirty 4 letter word, DIET that is we have to create a calorie deficit you use more calories then you put in your mouth.

Then your fat stores will start reducing.

If you are a male, abdominal fat is probably the last fat that will disappear from your body. First your body will remove fat from your face arms and legs, then it will remove fat from your upper torso, your chest, upper thighs and butt, and lastly it will use the fat stored in your abdomen..

This means if you are really serious about reducing body fat and you want to get rid of that abdominal fat, you're going to have to take a whole-body approach. You're going to have to get used to the idea that abdominal fat is probably going to be the last fat to go. This isn't what you wanted to hear, probably, but it's the truth.

For women, this means the last place you're likely to lose the fat is on the hips and butt. This is something you know if you've ever tried to lose body fat if you've made some progress but couldn't seem to get rid of that last bit of so called "stubborn" body fat.

The whole body approach, well folks it’s like this

1 eating plan

2 resistance training plan

3 cardio plan

4 supplement plan

That’s how it’s done works for both guys and girls, there’s no silver bullet, there’s no TV gizmo, there is a few short cuts that I know of that can help, you still have to do the work.

Depending on the person again genetics and age, with this type of approach I can tone up a female or male from an overweight situation in 5 to 10 weeks.

If you’re a fit male or female that’s not over weight I can give you a 6 pack in 5 weeks.

Providing your prepared to commit and do the work and no 300 sit ups.

Ladies next column I am going to let you in on my special techniques I use for preparing girls for figure competitions aimed at leaning up your butt and legs.

Have a great week and if you would like to talk to me about any thing in the column give me a call at flexit 69211110 or email flexitgym@aapt.net.au

Cheers

Mark

Owner Flexit gym

A.S.C.A sports and conditioning coach

Don't be an ostrich

2011-02-21T17:37:00.000-08:00

Don’t be an ostrich

You know if you need help to live a long and healthy life, you don’t need some one like me preaching about the benefits of going to the gym, then why havn’t you done something about it.

Our family has had a hard last 6 months with one parent having a triple bypass and one passing away.

The fact is when our parents were growing up there wasn’t a lot known about exercise, there is now.

Exercise science has grown in leaps and bounds and you cant miss it, The benefits of exercise in helping to prevent scary illnesses and having a quality of life with out a lot of medical intervention are well known, its spruiked on TV ,radio, papers, by doctos, health workers etc.

Gyms and health clubs have changed a lot as well, at flex it we use the latest exercise science to guess what? Help people in there middle age and up have quality of life and try and avoid medical issues.

So why aren’t you here? Time, Money, Scared, Embarrassed I have heard them all the fact is excuses melt away and don’t mean anything when your on the operating table, its to late to say I should have. Our parents didn’t have the benefit of the knowledge we have now so use it.

I am not trying to scare any one hear the point I am trying to make is that if in your heart you know you need help to lead a better longer more healthy life then get your butt in here because excuses don’t count on something as important as your life.

Here are a few tips for quality of life

· Don’t smoke, says it all

· Wear sun block in the sun even if your dark skinned it may be me but the sun seems to be getting stronger these days

· Drink lots of water ,I try to empty a 2 litre cordial bottle each day, water is the best fluid to flush out toxins from your system, you may be looking for the toilet to start with but that will settle in a week

· Avoid simple carbohydrates they raise insulin levels, insulin is a storage hormone and can promote body fat, its also been associated with higher risk of breast cancer in menopausal women

· Use flax or fish oil this increases the good fats

· Try green tea lots of antioxidants a billion Chinese cant be wrong, it has been reported to help with weight loss try 4 cups a day

· Try eating dark chocolate instead of milk, lots of antioxidants, don’t eat the whole block

· 5 a day fruit and veg, we normally don’t eat enough

· Have close relationships so you can confide in people, you have heard the saying “get it off your chest” its true, makes you feel good.

· Reduce stress try 10 minutes of meditation, listen to relaxing music ,or read

· Try not to be afraid the worst stress comes from the inside. I have seen people sit there and worry about being worried, be aware of what you’re thinking.

· Keep safe look both ways before crossing the road some times I wonder how we make it to 30 with the silly stuff we do growing up, now is not the time to take silly risks, get the air conditioner man to climb on the roof to put the cover on for winter. simple stuff

· Have a yearly check up don’t be an ostrich

· Sleep well, develop a sleep schedule

· Look after your teeth and gums, your mouth can effect your heart

· Come and talk to us at flex it and we will put it all together for you don’t stick your head in the sand don’t be an ostrich

I really hope to see you at flexit soon.

If you would like a free copy of our report the truth about weight loss just CLICK THE LINK

http://www.flexitgym.com.au/Flexit_Gym/14_day_trial_2.html

flexitgym@aapt.net.au

Cheers

Mark

IS YOUR MEDICEINE MAKING YOU FAT?

2011-02-07T02:16:00.000-08:00

IS YOUR MEDICEINE MAKING YOU FAT?

It’s hard enough to keep weight under control any time, try doing it when you’re on anti depressants.

Not that much is known about why anti depressants put weight on you.

The point is anti depressants can be life changing for the person that needs them and being afraid of weight gain is no reason not to use them.

So let’s look at avoiding weight gain while using medication

It seems to be the higher the dose of anti depressants the more weight gain, Talk to your doctor about your concerns and try to stay on the minimum dose for you.

People tend to eat more while depressed any way, so keep your fridge full of healthy snacks so you don’t go for the chocolate all the time.

Some medications act as a diuretic this will cause you to hold more fluid so drink at least 2 litres of water a day.

Add healthy fats into your eating such as fatty fish, walnuts, etc. Omega three supplements can also be taken. Omega three can work as a natural antidepressant and can also help to stabilize blood sugar levels...

Regardless of the cause of weight gain, the tried and true method of weight loss remains the same - - burn more calories than you take in. Eat sensibly, with a good balance of foods, focusing in on a diet rich in fruit and vegetables, lean proteins, and complex carbohydrates such as brown rice. In addition to eating healthy foods, get your body moving with some form of exercise.

When I am working with some one to control weight gain due to medication I will start with food.

Depending if that person wants to control weight or get it off will depend on the program we start with.

If you want to lose kgs I will stabilise your blood sugars and control your food intake to a point where you will lose fat, I will look at your fitness and design an exercise program to suit you.

To control weight I will teach you how to eat nice meals with out feeling deprived and work on your fitness and wellbeing.

Remember exercise helps you to feel good and increases your self esteem so come and see me to get started there’s nothing to be afraid off.

Congrats to Courtney Libby and there mum

All started ultra lite our weight loss program last week and already have off 10 kg between them.

Great way to do it as a family

Well done girls.

I may be biased but this is the easiest and most effective program for weight loss I know of and I have seen a few, no shakes real food.

Coming up

26 Feb pancake morning pop in for a train and breaky

Watch out for our weight loss fund raiser

Our wine and cheese tasting night is next month

Enquire now about our run in March to the Melbourne fitness expo and pro show

Every one is welcome to our activities you don’t need to be a member

Email me for a copy of our free report “the truth about weight loss” at

flexitgym@aapt.net.au OR CLICK THE LINK

Have a great rest of the week

Cheers

Mark

RIPPED IN 5 WEEKS

2011-01-31T01:41:00.000-08:00

The challenge was to come up with a program that will Rip up a normal fit person in 5 weeks.
We experimented around over a few months in the end we came up with a plan that we can test and measure that uses real food not tuna and rice cakes.
we settled on a ketogenic program combined with a one of cutting routine in the gym.
We used it on Mark edis of synergy fitness
it worked great see for your self follow the link
cheers
Mark
http://www.keepandshare.com/doc/2561419/untitled-pdf-january-31-2011-8-08-pm-222k?da=y

THE SECRET OF YOUTH

2011-01-23T21:16:00.000-08:00

Is exercise the fountain of youth? Probably not but it certainly stops an old person moving into your body at any age.

John trains at flexit 4 times a week; He is in his 60s and can still squat more than the guys 40 years his junior.

The resistance training keeps him strong and resistant to injury and the cardio he does keeps his fitness up.

Barb comes in twice a week, Barb in her 70s, does cardio and a light resistance circuit this keeps her mobile and in the garden.

Susan wanted to look and feel younger, she had the baby about 12 months ago and things had changed.

She had put on 10 kg; she was a bit unfit, feeling tired and not feeling good about herself.

We put her in our transformation program in 5 weeks we took off those 10 kg, brought her fitness up, fixed her eating up, cut down the caffeine.

We added in some healthy oils into her eating, got rid of sugar poisons out of her system and she just glowed.

Her words “I haven’t looked like this or felt so good since my 20s”.

Within weeks of having a good program in place you can see significant improvement in fitness, strength, and mobility no matter what your age.

Often I hear people speak about age related diseases, such as heart disease, osteoporosis, high blood pressure, hip fractures etc as a part of getting older that we just have to accept and will one day inevitably happen to all of us...this does not have to be the case! The second stage of life with kids and family can be a pleasure not a time of feeling like it’s hard to cope or run down

The more you move your body with proper exercise the more your body will respond by making sure you are able to cope with what you are asking of your body in life.

Exercise increases energy and fights Fatigue

Exercise can help increase your energy level and fight off feelings of fatigue. Any increase in physical activity or exercise level can help you feel more energetic.

This can be as simple as a walk after dinner.

Exercise and Immunity

Exercise helps boost the effectiveness of your immune system. This can help your body fight off minor infections and illnesses.

Do some exercise to help avoid colds this winter

Exercise helps mental fitness

Exercise is an important part of mental fitness and brain aging. Exercise stimulates a variety of parts of the brain. Science has shown that a good exercise regime helps prevent dementia

Exercise makes better sex

Exercise will improve your sex life. The more you exercise, the less your chance for sexual problems and the greater your sexual pleasure and performance.

Hmm I think that speaks for itself.

Exercise and improveing your mood

Exercise can improve your mood and regulate your emotions. When you exercise, your body releases endorphins, adrenaline, serotonin and dopamine. You also feel good about yourself when you exercise.

Improves sleep

Improve the quality of your sleep. Researchers have found that morning exercise is best for improving sleep quality.

No matter what your age we can turn back the clock for you with a well designed program.

For your body transformation give me a call or email me and I will give you a FREE 14 day trial.

Or follow the link

for our FREE report

THE TRUTH ABOUT WEIGHT LOSS

http://www.flexitgym.com.au/Flexit_Gym/14_day_trial_2.html

flexitgym@aapt.net.au

Cheers

Mark

GET IT OFF FOR THE NEW YEAR

2011-01-10T00:37:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone had a great Christmas and new year

We had a week in

Fiji

, how much damage can you do in a week you might ask?

Plenty about 5kg to be exact so my new year’s resolution get it off and be more regular with my training.

A New Year resolution is a commitment that an individual makes to a lifestyle change that is generally interpreted as advantageous. The name comes from the fact that these commitments normally go into effect on New Year's Day and remain until the goal has been achieved, although many resolutions go unachieved & are broken fairly shortly after they are set.

Don't let that happen to you..!

I am going to help you change your life this year; all you have to do is be brave enough to contact me.

2 resolutions I am going to help you with the first one, Get that weight off.

I have lost count of the number of people we have helped to lose weight and change there life around other then to say we have lost over 1000kg of fat off of our clients last year. Our goal is to double that this year.

The second one Get healthy fit and feel good.

The hardest thing to do here is actually pick up the phone and call me, hundreds have done it before you and there’s nothing to be scared of, all I will do is invite you in to meet me and I will discuss your goals and show you how to achieve them.

Don’t kid your self you can do it all by your self most people start and drop off quickly by them selves, when you use a professional you get results quick and this changes your prospective and motivates you to continue, and you never know you just might actually enjoy it.

And guess what it doesn’t cost anything to talk to me so pick up the phone and call me on 69211110 or email me flexitgym@aapt.net.au.

I had a tricky client come in just before Christmas, Melinda is quite fit and does a lot of running ,thing is she runs 5 times a week and is lean in her upper body but is still holding fat on her butt and legs and a bit around the stomach.

With this amount of running you would think she would look like a greyhound so what’s the problem.

The problem is with that amount of cardio she has run off her condition that is her lean muscle. So what we did was add in a strength circuit and cut her cardio back a bit this had the effect of Changing her fat burning capacity from a 2-stroke lawnmower into a V8 engine!

Muscle is responsible for burning fat - so the more muscle you have the more fat you will burn. Research reveals that adding 1.4kg of muscle increases your resting metabolism by 7% and your daily calorie requirements by 15%. At rest, a kg of muscle requires 77 calories per day for tissue maintenance, and during exercise the amount of energy muscle burns increases even more. So if you replace muscle through a sensible strength training program you will use more calories all day long, thereby reducing fat gain.

However, this also works in reverse; from the age of 20 if you do not do regular strength training you will lose approximately 250g of muscle per year - which means as you get older your fat burning capacity will turn from a V8 engine into a 2-stroke lawnmower!

So out of your entire week, which consists of 10,080 minutes, surely you can find at least 25 minutes to strength train when it means you are going to lead a much happier, healthier, leaner and longer life!.

I also have some Free gifts for you just by requesting our special report finally…The TRUTH About How To Lose Weight!

$183 in Gifts That Can Supercharge Your Fitness and Weight Loss Are Yours FREE!

There’s no obligation, nothing to buy, no teeny-tiny print…the gifts are FREE!

Just call or email me with your details requesting the report and I will send you the report and free gifts.

And remember give me a call to get started.

Cheers

Mark

WE KICKED A FEW GOALS

2010-12-19T21:25:00.000-08:00

We kicked a few goals

Christmas time is always a time I tend to look back and see what things have happened through out the year.

This year has been a big year for us and our members and friends

Our members have achieved some fantastic results this year, One of the biggest success stories is ultra lite together our members over the last 6 months have lost over 1000 kg of fat.

It’s been fantastic to watch these people turn there life around, its not just the fat loss it’s the feeling of being energised again, feeling healthy leads to feeling happy.

It’s the best part of being a trainer when you can make such a difference to some ones life.

Our Australian institute of personal training campuses have been well supported, the quality of our students in wagga is exceptionally high and a lot have gone on to find employment in the industry inside and outside the Riverina.

I want to thank my team at Flex it I can confidently say and backed up by our members we have the best trainers in wagga.Deb a much appreciated year running the crèche.

This year we have fully renovated the Club, Put in all new equipment got flooded and did it all again, a very big year. I have to thank my wife Karen for all her time and help during this process. Thanks to all our members for there loyalty and support you are the backbone of the club.

The fitness spot has joined us at flex it, the fitness spots is waggas first children’s gym so there’s no excuses come to train at flex it and pop the kids into the fitness spot.

I hope you have enjoyed reading my column and hopefully learned something helpful.

We have some big surprises for 2011 and I look forward to continuing the column next year

Here are a few tips for After Christmas

1. Lose weight with water.
Water is essential for everybody - it is also the key to losing weight. If you haven't been drinking enough water, your body has developed a pattern of storing water. This water retention equals extra unwanted weight.

By drinking more water, you are not only flushing out toxins, you are also teaching your body that it no longer needs to store water. Drink at least 8 glasses a day..

2. Soup up your weight loss program.
A simple dietary change will have you losing kilos: eat a bowl of soup at least once a day. Nutritious, low-salt soups will nourish you as they flush waste from your body. People who eat a serving of soup daily lose more weight than those who eat the same amount of calories but don't eat soup. Go for homemade soup whenever possible, as canned soups are loaded with salt and chemicals.

3. Eat early to keep weight off.
The human body follows a circadian rhythm, which means that the same foods eaten at breakfast and lunch are processed differently than when eaten at dinner. Studies show that when you eat your daily protein and fat at breakfast you tend to lose weight and have more energy; however, eating the same things at dinner tend to increase tendencies toward weight gain. I suggest that you eat your last meal of the day by 7 p.m.

4. Eat smaller meals, more frequently.
Follow an eating schedule with five little meals every day. Eating steadily through the day keeps you from becoming hungry and overeating at your next meal.

5. Adopt a balanced approach to your diet.
Most of the fad diet programs out there nowadays are extreme in a few recommended foods, or else deprive the body of food altogether. This works in opposition to our metabolism and the results usually don't last, producing a yoyo effect that depresses your metabolic function - not to mention your self-esteem. .

6. Walk off the weight.
The No. 1 cause of weight gain is inactivity. Physical activity is the key to speeding up your metabolism and burning excess calories. The best way to be physically active is to use your legs! Walk as often and as long as you can. See us at Flexit for a proper exercise program

For our FREE REPORT “The truth about weight loss” go to this link and request it for a down load http://www.flexitgym.com.au/Flexit_Gym/14_day_trial_2.html

Or email me at flexitgym@aapt.net.au

Have a wonderful Christmas and see you next year

DECEMBER NEWS LETTER

2010-12-15T00:12:00.000-08:00

http://www.flexitgym.com.au/Flexit_Gym/Press_Room.html

HOW DO GYMS KNOW HOW TO TRAIN ME

2010-12-08T23:07:00.000-08:00

How do gyms know how to train me?

Good Question, for some one wanting to join our gym and get a bit fitter or lose some weight it’s fairly straight forward, we do a health screen, fitness evaluation, lifestyle habits, and your goals.

Health screen is fairly self explanatory, Fitness evaluation helps us decide where to start you, Life style habits gives us an idea how many times a week you can train from 1day a week up, if it doesn’t fit in with your lifestyle you will drop off .Your Goals are what you want to achieve, at Flex it we are careful to set you up for success not disappointment.

When your just starting out you will find you will get some very good results in the first 3 months of being at the gym as your body and mind adjust to the new stimulus.

But what about the advanced athlete? be it a footy player or female playing netball or sprinter, bike rider and all the other different kinds of sport.

I usually find these type of Athletes in a gym doing a weights program similar to every one else seeing how much they can lift or running on a treadmill for fitness. What I am getting at is, Dale is a good example brought in to town to play Footy for one of the clubs. Dale wanted to hit the weights and get into it, most fitness clubs would let him go for it but lets think about this for a minute.

Dale weighs around a solid 90kg low body fat can bench press 200 pound (sorry I still use pound for weight training) will his footy game benefit from him getting stronger? I doubt it.

When we have an Athlete like Dale come to us for a sports specific programme the first thing that must be done is an evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of the athlete otherwise you cannot put a correct programe together.

So we apply a series of tests to the Athlete that are specific to that persons sport. So for Footy we would test

· Muscular endurance

· Muscular power

· Agility

· Co ordination

· Flexibility

· Core stability

For each of these areas we have a specific set of activities where we score the Athlete from 1 to 5.

This is then plotted

Dale is strong in Muscular power, Agility, co-ordination. But quite lacking in flexibility, core stability and Muscular endurance. So how are we going to improve his game? You guessed it train in these areas. The red line on a plot indicates the average for the team so in team sports you can benchmark your player’s strengths in relation to the team. We would then work out his periodisation that’s another whole article.

Talking of quality trainers Flexit would like to welcome Jenny Garrett to the team Jens been in the industry since 1980.

Jen has competed in physique and figure competitions for 10 years competition teaches a trainer how to get results and believe me Jen knows how to shape your body.

Jens mantra is to change a person’s life for ever. She believes that every person has the right to feel good about them selves.Jen says the satisfaction she gets from helping a person achieve is why she truly loves what she does. Good on you Jen!

Try Jens tummy bums and thighs fit ball classes you will love it.

If you need help getting results with your training contact us here at flex it and I am sure we can get you on the right track.

LOSE FAT AND FEEL GREAT

2010-12-03T02:08:00.000-08:00

Lose Fat and feel great

2 years ago I started looking for a weight loss program I was prepared to put in our gym.

My criteria was

· a program that was not shake based

· that was easy to follow

· That gave consistent quick results every time

· that did not cannibalise muscle

· That had a strong follow up program to make sure weight didn’t go back on\

I came across shake based programs that a lot of people would rebound off and put weight back on, I looked at calorie controlled diets these were a pain because you had to count calories and were generally too hard to keep. I looked at programs that supplied meals they would work but were generally expensive and didn’t teach the client any thing about eating so weight would go on when the meals stopped.

It looked like I could not find anything suitable.

During a visit to Brisbane middle of last year I tried out a well known gym chain that informed me they had just implemented a new weight loss program into there gym.

Not only in Brisbane but they brought the rights to it in every capital city in Australia.

I thought to myself if they were prepared to spend that amount of money to own this program it might be worth a look.

A week later I was talking to Malcolm the managing director of ultra lite now Malcolm is a man who absolutely believes in his product.

I have been coaching athletes in diet programs for 15 years and have used most diets myself at one time or another so I know a bit about how a diet will work and this one impressed the hell out of me .It is simple, allows you to eat great food eg bacon and eggs for breaky, and the follow up maintenance program makes sure you learn how to keep the weight off, most of all it educates you to what you can and can’t eat while still being able to eat comfortably. A week later we were the proud owners of ultra lite for the Riverina.

So now to testing we organised our first excited guinea pigs.

The results are in, each week is total kilos and cm’s lost

Name	Week 1kg	Week 1 cm	Week 2 kg	Week2 Cm	Week3 Kg	Week3 Cm	Week4 Kg	Week4 Cm	Week 5 kg	Week5 Cm
Sue	3.1	16.5	4.2	31	5.7	39.5	5.7	48.5	6.2	54.7
Scott	5.3	33.5	8.5	48	10.3	55.5	13.4	71.5	15	76.5
Beryl	4.9	28	6	38.5	7.5	55.5	8.5	65.5	9.4	72.5
Paul	4.5	26	6.3	33	8.1	39.5	9.3	44.5	10.8	55.8
Linda	3.8	21.5	5.2	31.5	5.8	34.5	7.1	38.5	Lost enough

Scott went on to lose over 30 kg, beryl is in her 80s, and all kept the weight off, Scott and beryl did no exercise at all.

All these results are real and you can talk to these people at flex it gym.

You don’t have to be a member of flex it to do ultra lite just give us a call on 69211110 to talk to an ultra lite consultant.

If you would like more information go to www.ultralite.com.au or email me at flexitgym.net.au with your details and I will send you an information pack.

EXERCISE THE BLACK DOG

2010-12-01T01:41:00.000-08:00

Exercise the black dog

We have been doing a lot of work with people who have depression lately, and weight gain due to medication.

One in 5 women and one in 8 men will experience depression at some point in there lives.

Depressed people exercise about half as much as non depressed people this puts them into a higher risk area for other health problems.

The exercise cycle of those suffering depression looks like this

SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE

DEPRESSION

Having a sedentary lifestyle can lead to feelings of unhappiness and depression, when your depressed you don’t feel like doing anything which leads to a sedentary lifestyle this circle needs to be broken.

The way to help do that is to add in an exercise regime. One research study compared the effects of exercise and drug therapy in treating depression in older people. The 156 depressed men and women were divided into three groups. Over 16 weeks, one group took antidepressants; the second group undertook an aerobic exercise program and the third group used both medications and exercise. Selected results include:

The participants in all three groups improved.
The participants taking antidepressants improved the fastest.
68.8 per cent of participants in the combination group were no longer classified as clinically depressed after treatment.
60.4 per cent of participants in the exercise group were no longer classified as clinically depressed after treatment.
65.5 per cent in the medication group were no longer classified as clinically depressed after treatment.

I’m not talking about turning into a gym junkie here I’m SAYING if you can start a gradual exercise program it may make you feel better and avoid some of the health problems associated with a sedentary lifestyle.

Start small- get up in the morning it’s a great time of year in wagga and walk to the shops

Make it fun- do something you like throw the ball with the dog, exercise doesn’t have to be a burden.

Move – exercise does not have to be in a set format or time; just get out in the garden.

Find an exercise friend- on those days when you just can’t get started a friend will help motivate you

Do it now- when your feeling depressed its easy to put things off.

Reward yourself- you’re worth it, after your walk go to a coffee shop for breakfast but make it healthy.

Do it daily- exercise can be done any time, walk up the stairs, don’t sit stand, and walk to work.

Sunshine- get out in the out doors wagga has some beautiful walking trails around town.

See us- come to flex it and we will get you started and help you to stay motivated there’s nothing to fear, who knows you may meet some new people and even change your life around.

Go easy- don’t be judgemental on your self, it may be difficult to start and there is no time frame, fitness doesn’t happen overnight how ever it will happen.

Where to get help

Your doctor
Your local community health centre
Lifeline Tel. 13 11 14
Kids Helpline Tel. 1800 55 1800
Find a GP near you who specialises in mental health issues through the beyondblue website
beyondblue Info Line Tel. 1300 22 4636
SANE Mental Health Information Line Tel. 1800 18 SANE (7263), weekdays 9am to 5pm
Mental Health Advice Line Tel. 1300 280 737

On another note congrats to Kylie who just finished our 10 week Ultra lite weight loss program 14.2 kg off and 67.5 cm and looks great.Kylie feels so good she is going to continue for another month Go girl

If you are interested in getting results like Kylie have a look at www.ultralite.com.au or give me a call at flex it.

Get Results in your Training

2010-11-29T23:55:00.001-08:00

Get results in your training

I see it time again men and women training extremely hard giving it there all, going to gyms month after month training to the limit and never looking any different.

They will hang in there for a couple of years then disappear due to lack of motivation and disappointment that they didn’t get the strength and body changes they wanted.

This begs a very straight forward question, if you trained your heart out for 12 months and did not get any tangible benefits why would you keep doing the same thing?

Yet people in gyms do they will train for years with out changing there body shape or gaining strength.im talking here about people trai ning for a goal not people training for general health

Ok then what’s the problem?

In my experience it lies mostly in the types of training routines that they are doing.

And there mostly doing the old 3 sets per body part by 10 reps on a 4 or 5 day split.

What’s wrong with this you may ask? These types of programs originated in the 70s and 80s and granted a lot of early trainers did well on them and you can do well on them for a short while until you hit a plateu, if you have exceptional genetics you can grow on this type of routine, lets face it most of us don’t have the genetics of Arnold scwatsnegger.

So what type of training works for the natural trainer with average genetics? The answer periodisation routines.

Power lifters and Olympic lifters have been using them for years; in fact that was the reason the Russian power lifters dominated the Olympics in the 70s.

Periodisation is training done in cycles, in each cycle training intensity is increased starting with high reps and light weight and gradually increasing in distinct periods to heavy weights and low reps.

The style used for building muscle size and low body fat as compared to pure strength training for power lifters is different and has been adapted to suit training for size.

At flex it we specialise in periodisation for peak performance.

Stewart was talking to me about how he had been training for 12 months and nothing much was happening, Stewart’s body was ok nothing stand out but he wanted to stand out. The first thing we did was have a look at his training program; sure enough it was the old 3 x 10 5 day split.

So we gave him a 4 day routine with a macro cycle of 4 weeks of 20 rep works and a micro cycle that varied the intensity of the routine across the week. This would then lead into to 2 more 4 week cycles for a macro cycle of 12 weeks for this plan.

The results 2 inches on his shoulders an inch on his chest and an inch on his arms which had not grown in years.

If you have been training for serious performance be it body building or sport and your not getting results look at periodisation training

At flex it we are about getting you results.

If you would like a free copy of a periodasion routine then email me at flexitgym@aapt.net.au

THREE MONTHS TO SAVE YOUR LIFE

2010-11-29T03:05:00.000-08:00

THREE MONTHS TO SAVE YOUR LIFE

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Last week I got that call that all sons and daughters hate, dad and mum had gone to the gold coast with the caravan as they do every year with the rest of the grey nomads.

2 months into there holidays dad was feeling a bit off colour so went to the doctor 2 days later he was in hospital having a triple bypass on his heart.

Talking to the heart surgeon he was telling me how common this operation was in people aged 60 to 80.

My wife’s father went in for a triple last year.

The time to help prevent heart problems and all sorts of other health issues is before you develop them and need intervention.

If you are a

· Smoker

· Have a cholesterol problem

· Are carrying excess fat particularly abdominal fat

· Don’t exercise

· High blood pressure

· Diabetes

· Stressed

If you have more than 2 of these risk factors than do something about it.

It does not make since not to, every one thinks it wont happen to them.

At flex it we have made it easy for you, we have put together a 3 month lifestyle programme.

We will prepare your health strategy based on your needs it will include

· A fully supervised exercise programme

· Nutrition guide lines

· Stress reduction

· Weight loss guide lines

Dr Maxwell Maltz said it takes 21 days to form a habit and that’s what were doing here forming a few good lifestyle habits that over the years could save your life.

At flex it were not about show were about getting you results and we specialise in working with normal people who are trying to get a bit fitter. there is no need to feel intimidated at all as our gym is filled with people just like you so don’t risk it give me a call on 69211110 for a confidential chat about changing your lifestyle.

On another matter for any one interested in our fabulous ultra lite weight loss system who had trouble contacting me on email it is now fixed.

I just finished with Kevin. Kevin is a 18 year old male at 106kg he needed to get some weight off, we put him on a 5 week ultra lite program, because the food is all real food he was able to manage it even though he is a fussy eater .He finished the program at 94 kg that’s a loss of 12 kg and 47.5 cm in 5 weeks we just finished 3 weeks of maintenance and stabilised him at 94,7kg best of all he has learnt how to eat well done kev.

We have a ladies night on Tuesday 12 Oct between 5pm and 7pm any one can come with the latest sports cloths on display nibbles weight loss tips and lots more.

Well done to all our lake to lagoon goers it was a lovely day for it.

And don’t forget our member’s draws on Friday nights from 5 pm with fantastic meat trays supplied by Kooringal butchery.

If you want any information on what is in the column just email me at flexitgym@aapt.net.au
Cheers
Mark

SANTA'S FAT YOU DONT HAVE TO BE

2010-11-29T02:57:00.000-08:00

Santa’s fat you don’t have to be

I was at the market place the other day and noticed the shops have already got Christmas stuff out, and then it’s not really that far away till Christmas.

So I thought this week I might write about avoiding the bulge over Christmas.

Controlling your weight for Christmas starts now, I am not going to write about controlling you’re eating and drinking over the Christmas period that is, the week of Christmas because most people wont.

How ever you noticed I said the week of Christmas, the week of Christmas is for sensible indulgence you need to have a plan in place of what you are going to do leading up to this week.

So pick up a pen and start your strategy it should include the following 5 points.

1. limit alcohol now- mid week drinking is a good way to make sure you keep the bulge, limit drinking to the weekend and don’t make up for lost time through the week.

2. Eat well- this is a no brainier get rid of processed food and eat fresh. fresh meat, fresh vegtables.limit carbs increase the amount of veg on your plate

3. Plan- if you have lunch at work bring a fresh lunch and avoid the hot chips. Bring a few healthy snacks with you so you don’t have those sweet bickies at morning tea

4. exercise- it’s a great time of year in wagga ,get out and go for a walk each day, better yet come to Flex it and see me for a pre Christmas fitness plan .

5. Don’t fill the fridge- don’t start letting Christmas treats in to the house until the last possible moment or guess what? You will eat them.

6. Start now- now is the time to start your strategy for Christmas don’t put it off act now so you can keep it off.

Its interesting that one in four adults in the UK are trying to lose weight "most of the time".

But why is this the case? I mean, if 'dieting' worked then you would simply go on a diet, lose your unwanted weight and never need to go on a diet again. End of diet industry, end of obesity epidemic, end of a whole range of weight related diseases!

Unfortunately, anyone who has ever been on a diet will know that it just isn't that simple. The biggest reason, and one which most people are not aware of, is that low-calorie restricted diets are set up in a way that will generally make you fail.

Low calorie will lead to a slow metabolism so that when you do eat again after dieting it wacks weight back on again quicker then ever.

When you can’t eat the foods you like. You want them more this leads to closet eating.

This is the reason Ultra lite our weight loss program works so well, Julie was telling me yesterday after losing 7 kg how it was the best program she had ever come across and how great she felt she’s still got 2 weeks to go before maintenance. Feeling great while dieting there’s one for the books.

We have put over 90 people through Ultra lite and the thing I like most about it apart from the weight loss is how good these people feel

· Energised

· Glowing

· Happy

· New lease on life.

These are the terms friends have used to describe them, it’s fantastic.

Ultra lite is not low calorie ,and you get to eat nice things a couple of reasons why it works.

If you would like help with an eating plan leading up to Christmas, or information on ultra lite don’t hesitate to contact me.

Cheers

Mark

flexit@aapt.net.au