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Email info@futurestart.co.uk |
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Fitness Personality - Which Shape Are You?
There are five distinct fitness personality types.
Squares
Squares are the most reliable, stable and predictable of the five personality types. They like to have a plan for nearly everything in their lives and they thrive on routine. A potential pitfall for squares is doing the same exercise routine for years and thus not seeing the results they desire.
Rectangles
Rectangle types are a bit more flexible than Squares but they still like order and routine. They love groups and they perform best with social interaction. A potential pitfall for rectangles is exercising alone, so rectangles should take group fitness classes.
Triangles
Triangles are the most competitive and driven of the five personality types. They are task-orientated and they maintain detailed workout records so they can monitor their progress. Why not work out with an equally competitive partner or train for a specific event that has an end goal.
Circles
Circles are the social butterflies of the fitness world - and the most emotionally driven of the five types. A potential pitfall for circles is socialising instead of exercising.
Squiggles
Squiggles possess the most outgoing, least structured personality type. They are the complete opposite of squares and hate routine. Squiggles must derive pleasure from whatever activity they're doing or they may quit. A potential pitfall for Squiggles is getting bored, so they should try a varied routine that includes lots of new activities.
Your exercise routine should be varied regularly to avoid falling into any of the pitfalls that your fitness personality type dictates.
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Enjoy your Five a Day
The antioxidants, phytochemicals, fibre, vitamins and minerals found in fruit and vegetables are essential to good health. Here are a few suggestions to up your intake.
1. Beautiful Breakfast
Chop up some fruit to fill at least half a bowl. Choose 2 or 3 from kiwifruit, plum, pear, nectarine, peach, apricot, melon, berries (all sorts), grapes, pineapple etc.
Dollop on top 3-4 tablespoons of yogurt or some skimmed milk. Have some wholegrain cereal as well.
2. Sexy Salads
Salads can be so much more exciting and tasty than a bit of lettuce and a tomato, so get creative and go for variety. Choose from fresh lettuce, tomato, cucumber, salad onions, chives, mushrooms, apple, carrot, corn, beetroot, bean sprouts, celery, asparagus, steamed broccoli, green beans, peas etc.
To add some excitement and taste choose from: boiled egg, tuna (numerous flavours are available), chicken, tofu, feta cheese, parmesan cheese shavings, olives, capers, avocado, anchovies, pine nuts, sunflower or pumpkin seeds (either raw or lightly toasted in a pan).
Add fresh herbs and a drizzle of cold pressed extra olive virgin oil or balsamic vinegar.
3. Nourishing Nibbles
When you get in from work nibbles can be a downfall. So forget the crisps and cut up a selection of vegetables: Carrots, celery, mushroom, cauliflower, red/green/orange pepper, courgettes, beans, baby corn, mange tout and radishes are all good options.
Give yourself a couple of tablespoons of a low calorie type of dip: Salsa, tahini, tsatsiki and hummus are all fine; low fat sour cream and sweet chilli sauce are also tasty.
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Speedwork Basics
Speedwork is a challenging way to train, and can cause injuries if you're not careful. When you start running, your cardiovascular fitness and muscles develop very quickly, and it's easy to feel invincible. But connective tissue can take much longer to catch up, so the challenge of speedwork, with its explosive starts and fast turns, can cause injuries.
Make sure you're ready by developing a good level of base fitness first. Three months or so of regular training helps - a 30-minute session, three times a week is a good start. Don't worry if you don't feel 'fast' right now - just run your speedwork sessions faster than your normal pace.
Remember these 10 tips when you start adding the fast stuff to your running programme:
1. Graduate from basic training
If you’re a novice runner, you need at least three to four months of building up before starting speedwork. Meaning? You should be comfortable running steadily for 30 minutes three to four times a week.
2. Scout out the right course
Avoid traffic and other hazards. Also, shun fast downhill running – it looks easy, but it’s actually tough on the muscles and can quickly lead to injuries.
3. Consider the surface
Grass and dirt trails are nice, but a smooth surface is even more important. Tree roots, pavement cracks and potholes can be dangerous. Synthetic tracks – smooth and springy – are often your best bet.
4. Warm up and stretch
Always begin with 10-15 minutes of easy running before picking up the pace. Combine that with stretching for optimum results.
5. Don’t start too fast
Beginners usually err on the speedy side of speedwork. Hold it steady, and don’t run so fast that your breathing and heart rate go crazy.
6. Focus on form
Speedwork improves your system’s biomechanics, so think about form when you run fast. Visualise yourself running lightly, smoothly and efficiently.
7. Find the fun
Faster running is a new kind of effort, but it doesn’t have to be grim. Reduce stress by playing speed games and just simply enjoying the pace.
8. Rest the day after
If you’re used to running the same pace day after day, you’ll need to work at developing true rest days. Slow right down, cut back on distance or skip running altogether on the day after a speed session.
9. Start with five
That’s a good number of repetitions to begin with for most speedwork sessions. And one session a week is wise at first. After your body adjusts, add a second session.
10. Be careful when you race
A little speedwork can instil a false sense of overall fitness. Be cautious about your ability to maintain a fast tempo. Learn to run at a pace that you can hold for the entire race.
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Good Stretching Techniques
If you've been running well and your muscles feel fine, stretching might seem like a waste of good running time. But scheduling in some stretching could slash your chance of getting injured, help you recover from existing injuries and could even boost your muscles' performance on the track.
Why?
Stretching helps prevent sports injuries by increasing your range of movement and reducing the tension in your muscles.
Every muscle in the body has an opposing one that works against it - quads and hamstrings, for example. Each of these muscles provides essential resistance to the other, and if one becomes stronger or more flexible the imbalance could result in injury. Hamstring tears, a common running injury, are caused by strong quads pulling against weak, inflexible hamstrings.
Increasing your range of movement means an increase in the distance your limbs can travel before they incur damage - so your muscles work harder for you and your running.
When?
You've probably heard about the risks of stretching cold muscles, and might avoid stretching before sessions. But it's actually best to stretch both before and after sessions, with stretching sessions that achieve different things.
After warming up with a brisk walk or jog, pop in a short stretching routine before you crack on with your main training session. Taking time to stretch (gently) at this point will help prevent injury. Start by stretching to 50-60 per cent of your range of movement for 10-15 seconds, and increase this slowly as your flexibility increases.
When you've finished your session and cooled down, don't just stop. A few minutes' stretching will reap huge benefits, preventing tight muscles, reducing the symptoms of Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) and helping your muscles recover by flushing out waste and circulating fresh blood. This means you can get going again quicker, and with less risk of causing strains to tired muscles.
Make sure you put stretching at the heart of your routine, and pencil it in on a regular basis when you're designing training schedules.
Types of stretching
There are two reasons to stretch - for maintenance of muscles, and to develop muscles - and two chief ways of stretching: static and dynamic.
Static
Static stretches are performed without movement. Simply pick a position, hold the stretch for a period of time and then slowly relax out of it. For example, a static calf stretch is achieved by sitting down and touching your toes with your leg straight out in front of you. Make sure you're stable and relax into and out of the stretch - wobbling and jerky movements can cause injury.
Passive stretches are very similar, but use a partner or piece of apparatus to stretch the muscles further. For example, stretching the hamstrings by lying down with your leg in the air, and a partner pushing against that leg. Passive stretches achieve a greater range of movement are great for rehab. However, the bigger force and longer stretch increases the risk of injury from stretching this way - so pick your partner with care!
Dynamic
Dynamic stretching uses controlled bouncing or swinging to stretch the muscles. Stretching the hamstrings and hip flexors by standing shoulder width apart and swinging one leg backwards and forwards is a dynamic stretch. Using a stretch to replicate the actions of a sport, or 'muscle sequencing', comes in especially handy for faster running and sprinting. If you're trying out a dynamic stretch, make sure maintain control of the movement, and keep it slow to avoid injury.
How to stretch safely
Before you get stuck in, take a few moments to try a few gentle stretches to assess your flexibility. You don't want to dive in over-enthusiastically and cause injuries.
Stretch safely with these commandments:
1.If a muscle group doesn't feel 100 per cent, avoid stretching it. If it's recently strained, only stretch it very gently.
2.Warm up - increasing the temperature of your muscles makes them more supple and pliable so you'll get the most out of your stretches. It also signals your body to supply your muscles with plenty of oxygen and nutrients.
3.Stretch each muscle's opposite number to avoid inbalances in strength and flexibility - a recipe for injury.
4.Stretch for the right purpose at the right time - before exercise to prevent injury; afterwards to aid recovery.
5.Stretch gently and slowly to relax muscles and avoid strains and tears caused by fast, jerky movements.
6.Stretch only to the point of tension - you might 'feel the burn', but do not put yourself through pain.
7.Breathe easy. Lots of people accidentally hold their breath, causing muscles to tense and making stretching harder. Breathing steadily relaxes your muscles and supplies them with oxygen.
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CORE POWER (30 minutes)
Do these exercises slowly, favouring form over repetitions or time.
Warm-up: Run for 10 minutes; do four 30-second strides during the last five minutes.
Plank & Side-Plank With Twist: From a press-up position, drop to rest on your forearms, keeping your legs and back straight and your stomach pulled in (see picture below). Hold for 30 seconds. Transition into a side plank, placing your top hand behind your head. Keeping abs tight and hips lifted off the ground, bring your top elbow toward the ground. Do five repetitions on each side, then repeat the abs sequence.
Run for three minutes. Start slowly; build to a rate of perceived exertion (RPE) of eight (on a 10-point scale where one is very easy, 10 is racing), slow back down for the last 30 seconds.
Hanging Abdominal Curl Hang from a pull-up bar or handy branch, bend your knees and use your abdominals, not momentum, to lift your legs. To make the move harder, keep your legs straight. Do two sets of 8 to 10.
Run Same as first running segment.
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Quadruped Back Extension Start on all fours. Extend your left arm and right leg, parallel to the floor. Keep your back and neck straight, stomach pulled in, and extend your arm and leg. Hold for 15 to 30 seconds, then change sides. Do two sets with a 10- to 20-second rest between.
Run the first running segment, then finish with five minutes of easy running.
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LOWER-BODY BLAST (45 mins)
Find a moderately steep hill (6-8 per cent gradient) for this session.
Warm-up Run easy for five minutes. On a flat surface, do five of the following gently: walking lunge, single-leg squat (each leg). Finish with two minutes of easy running.
Bounding Start in a slight squat. Blast off one foot uphill, making your steps wide. Start with 30 second efforts; build to 60. Do this twice with a one-minute jog downhill between repeats for recovery.
Uphill Travelling Lunge An exaggerated walk. Step into a lunge, find your balance, then bring your back leg forward into a lunge without touching the ground. Continue for 60 seconds. Shortening your lunge length can help you balance and build power when going uphill. Jog downhill backward. This develops balance and takes the pressure off your knees. Do this twice with a one-minute recovery jog in between sets.
Hill Repeats Run uphill at a strong but not all-out pace for one minute. Jog easily for one minute. Repeat.
Sumo Squat Stand with your feet together, your right side facing a hill. Take a large step uphill and lower into a modified squat (see picture right). Press down through your left arch, then quickly bring your left foot to meet your right. Continue moving uphill in this way for 60 seconds; run downhill for recovery. Repeat the exercise with the other leg leading.
Quadruped Back Extension Start on all fours. Extend your left arm and right leg, parallel to the floor. Keep your back and neck straight, stomach pulled in, and extend your arm and leg. Hold for 15 to 30 seconds, then change sides. Do two sets with a 10- to 20-second rest between.
Repeat the hill exercise sequence (minus the warm-up), then run easy for five to 10 minutes.
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Busting the Gym Myths
Here are six commonly asked questions and their answers:
Q. Diet is more important than exercise for weight loss. True or false?
A. False. Diet and exercise are equally important.
Q. With a good strength training programme it is possible to turn fat into muscle. True or false?
A. False. Fat and muscle are different things. What you can do is burn fat and tone muscle.
Q. Swimming is good for strengthening bones. True or false?
A. False. Swimming is a non-weight bearing exercise which means that it won't help strengthen bones. But it will strengthen your heart and lungs.
Q. Obesity is one of the primary causes of Type 2 diabetes. True or false?
A. True. The incidence of Type 2 diabetes is rising exponentially and obesity is probably the primary driver of this.
Q. Exercising the core is important for back strength. True or false?
A. True. Core strength has been recognised over the past few years to be critical to the functionality of the low back.
Q. Once you have a programme you like it's best to stick to it? True or false?
A. False. If you stick to the same programme (at the same intensity) you will plateau. Variety is the key to progress.
Exercising the Lower Abdominals
When most of us think about working the abdominals, it's usually the upper abs that we are referring to. But the lower abdominals are equally important, particularly for spinal stability and low back strength.
If you want to know where your lower abdominals are, try activating them by pulling your belly button inwards towards your spine.
Low Intensity
The lower abdominal muscles are designed to work at low intensities for long periods of time and that's the way you should exercise them. Because lower abdominal exercises can be difficult to perform correctly, other muscles such as hip flexors often get recruited to help. This may allow you to do more repetitions but those repetitions will largely be to no avail. Correct technique is important with all exercise and doubly so with the lower abs. Here are a couple of exercises to try:
Belly button
Lie on your front on the floor or kneel on all fours. Pull your belly button towards your spine. Start by doing this for five sets of ten seconds and gradually increase the time as you feel more comfortable. Remember to breathe.
Flat back
Lie on your back on the floor and practice flattening the arch in your lower back against the floor by contracting your lower abdominals. Three sets of 10 second contractions, gradually increasing the time (as opposed to the sets) as you gain strength in this area, is the way to go.
Legs lowered
Lay on your back with you knees bent so that your lower leg is parallel to the floor. Now slowly lower one leg (keeping it bent) until your toes touch the floor. Return to the starting position and then work the other leg. Three sets of ten repetitions on each leg is more than enough for most people to feel their lower abdominals working.
The Plank
This is a great exercise for the mid-section in general - core stability, low back, upper abs and lower abs. Begin by lying prone on the floor with your elbows and forearms on the ground and your shoulders above your elbows. Now lift your body off the ground and switch on your lower abdominal muscles. Hold this position for as long as you can maintain good form with a nice straight back. Gradually increase the hold time as you increase your strength.
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