Private Gyms in Reading, Pangbourne & Mortimer Mobile Personal Trainer: Reading & Berkshire
Exercising can become boring over time, this is a leading reason many people quit, inevitably resulting in a decline in their health & self esteem…
Experience and supporting studies have shown that working out in a group is not only more fun but more effective as people work harder when they are among their peers…
Boot Camps & Classes are a great way of meeting new people and sharing a fun & varied workout, therefore increasing the longevity of your results….
2 Kettlebells & A Stop Watch:
You don’t need to spend hours in the gym to get results…try this alternative workout for your legs…4 minutes, 3 exercise, 8 reps each, as many rounds as possible (AMRAP)
Lunges are 1 of your 5 key movement patterns and a great way to develop your quads & hips, providing support to your knees, hips & ankles….
To get the most out of them and prevent injury it’s essential that they are done correctly… We’ve got a quick demo for you to help you smash your lunges every time….
Build Strength & Size:
With Pyramids…
This basic but super effective system fatigues muscles over multiple rep ranges, resulting in greater muscle fibre recruitment…
Try this ‘Descending Pyramid’ Leg Routine for a challenge…
Next week we’ll share an ‘Ascending Pyramid’ routine…
Good Luck & Enjoy…
Fats, Facts & The British Diet
–> First: ignore the horror stories, you need fat in your diet!!!
However, it is not as simple as that…We require specific types of fats and in lower amounts than most of us consume…below are some useful facts:
– Fat = 9kcal/Gram whereas Carbs & Protein = 4kcal/g, Fat is energy dense!!
– Saturated & Trans Fats have no health benefits & contribute to high levels of bad cholesterol
– Excessive fat intake is linked to: obesity, diabetes, heart disease, strokes & cancers
– UK average = 12.7% of our energy comes from saturated fat which is 1.7% higher than recommended & 35% of our total energy consumed is from Fats
– UK average is close to its recommendation for Omega 6 but far from it’s Omega 3 needs
Why We Need (some) Fats
Fats provide us with essential fatty acids which the body cannot produce itself. These are needed to support a variety of functions:
– absorb fat soluble vitamins: A, D & E
– support healthy cholesterol balance
– sources of Omega 3&6 needed to support: brain function, blood pressure regulation & many more
– a source of energy
Types of Fat
It is important to distinguish between the types of fat as there is a considerable difference in requirements and the effect on our health.
Unsaturated
Commonly referred to as good fats, unsaturated fats provide us with all of the essential fatty acids required to perform vital bodily functions. These can be further broken down into 2 categories:
Monounsaturated:
Polyunsaturated:
Saturated Fats:
Commonly referred to as ‘Bad Fats’, they offer no health benefits and can contribute to high cholesterol and a range of health risks.
Sources of Unsaturated Fat:
– Cake, Pastry, Biscuits & Chocolate
– Processed Meat eg. burgers & sausages
– Butter, Cheese, Ghee, Suet, Palm Oil & Lard
– Fatty Meats
Trans Fats:
These are also considered as bad, like Saturated Fat they increase Bad Cholesterol in the body, provide high amounts of calories but no health benefits.
– Found naturally in low levels in some foods
– Also formed from processing vegetable oils from liquids to solids, known as hydrogenation. These are commonly used in processed foods: cakes, biscuits, pastries & Margarine
Tips To Take Away:
– Reduce Saturated & Trans Fat intake, aim for majority of your fats to be unsaturated
– Consume 2-3 portions of Oily Fish/Week (omega 3)
– Grill Meet allowing fat to drain away
– Cook in Rapeseed Oil (minimum amount)
– Engage in regular pulse raising exercise
– Read the labels before you buy
References:
McArdle, W., Katch, F., & Katch, V. (2010) Exercise Physiology, 7th Edition: Nutrition, Energy & Human Performance. Lipincott, Williams & Wilkins. Baltimore
https://www.nutrition.org.uk/nutritionscience/nutrients-food-and-ingredients/fat.html?limit=1
https://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pages/Fat.aspx
This Miso soup tastes great and takes no time at all to make…its full of veg & flavour
Serves: 2
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Ingredients:
2 Chicken breasts (skinless)
45g miso paste
160g Stir fry veg pack (bean sprouts, carrots, cabbage, red onion)
700ml hot chicken stock
Spring onions
small piece of ginger
Rice noodles x2 nests
½ table spoon fish sauce
one garlic clove, crushed
Cooking Instructions:
Bring a small pan of water to the boil. Slice the spring onions and chicken into very thin strips ~5mm wide.
Fry the spring onions for 2 mins in a drop of hot oil. Add the ginger and garlic and fry for another min.
Stir the Miso paste into the onions and garlic. Add the stir fry vegetables and stir so the vegetables are covered by miso paste. Fry for 2 mins or until the vegetables have cooked down slightly.
Add in the stock and heat until it starts to simmer
At the same time, add chicken to the soup and add the noodles into the boiling water. The chicken is sliced so thin that it cooks in just a few mins. Add the fish sauce.
Once your chicken is white, check it is cooked through.
Once the chicken is cooked, drain the noodles and stir into the sauce.
Serve & Enjoy…
This simple recipe is a low fat, high fibre dish that requires minimal effort but tastes great.
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 30-40 minutes
Serves: 2
Ingredients:
– 2 sea bass fillets
– 1 red onion
– half a yellow pepper
– half a red pepper
– half a courgette
– handful of cherry tomatoes
– handful of mushrooms
– black pepper
– herbs of your choice
– paprika
– rapeseed oil
– 2 medium sweet potatoes
Cooking Instructions:
Serves 2, prep 5-10 minutes, cooking time 30 minutes
Ingredients:
– 2 skinless chicken breasts
– handful of shallots
– 1 red pepper
– 1 green pepper
– Handful of Cherry Tomatoes
– 1 Broccoli
– 3 Cloves Garlic
– Black Pepper
– Rosemary & Thyme
– 200g Baby Potatoes – Skin On
Cooking Instructions:
1. Start by part boiling the potatoes with the skin on in unsalted water, 10 minutes at a light boil should be enough
2. Whilst the potatoes cook heat a deep baking dish with a light coating of oil in the oven, 175 degrees for a fan oven
3. Peel your shallots and chop all veg into medium sized chunks or to suite your taste
4. Butterfly your chicken to allow a quicker cooking time
5. Very Lightly coat some foil in butter to prevent sticking, place the chicken in the foil and coat with pepper and chopped Thyme – season to taste
6. Once the potatoes start to soften a little drain them and spread in the hot oil, be careful as the oil may spit
7. Add the veg & garlic to the potatoes and season with Rosemary and Pepper
8. Add to the oven
9. 5 minutes after adding the veg & potatoes to the oven place the chicken in on a separate tray
10. Boil a small pan of water and prepare some Broccoli
11. You now have some time to clean up, wash up or make a drink
12. Check the oven regularly to ensure that the veg tray and chicken are cooking at the same speed
13. 5 minutes before it is ready and the broccoli and allow to boil
14. If you want to add a gravy be sure to use the hot water from the broccoli for added nutrients
15 Once all is ready serve and enjoy
Serves 2, Prep 10 Minutes, Cooking Time 10 Minutes
Ingredients
– 2 Salmon Fillets
– A selection of vegetables you find in your fridge, or a packet of stir fry veg
– 2 tbsp Teriyaki sauce
– 2 tbsp soy sauce
– 1 tsp sesame oil
– 1 tsp fish sauce
– Sesame seeds
– 1 large clove of garlic
– 1/2 tsp of ginger paste or 1cm cube of ginger
– 1 noodle nest
– Fresh coriander
Place the salmon in an oven proof dish and brush with half of the teriyaki sauce
Mix the crushed garlic and ginger. Baste half of this over your salmon
Leave the salmon to marinade while you prep your vegetables, or longer if you want
Prepare a pan of water & heat the grill
Heat the sesame oil in a large pan. When the oil is hot, add the onion and fry until slightly soft
Then place your salmon under the grill. Keep an eye on it as ours only took 10mins to cook
Half way through cooking add the rest of the teriyaki sauce to stop the salmon from drying out
Meanwhile, continue to prepare your stir fry vegetables. Once your onions have started to soften, add the rest of the garlic and ginger. Keep stirring while this fries for 1 min
Add the rest of your vegetables with the soy sauce and fish sauce. Once you have stirred them in add your noodles according to the instructions on the packet.
Once your noodles have cooked, drain them and add to the vegetables. Mix everything together. Stir in some chopped coriander and sesame seeds
Serve the Salmon on a bed of the noodles & veg and Enjoy!
HIIT Alert!!!
Add these Burpee-Tuck-Jumps to your next routine to burn some serious calories & torch fat…
Try: 40 seconds work & 20 rest for 5 sets as part of your workout…Come At Me 2018!!!
Tom's Health & Fitness 