For Weight Loss What’s The Best Type of Cardiovascular Exercise?

For Weight Loss What’s The Best Type of Cardiovascular Exercise?

This is a question I am asked on many occasions, ‘should I do long steady state runs or bike rides or short high intensity bouts’

Well the answer is pretty simple.

Take a look at a marathon runner and you’ll see very little in the way of a shapely muscular physique i.e. Paula Radcliff she’s pretty much straight up and down with little or no curves.

Why?

Well marathon runners like Paula Radcliff do not require any additional muscle bulk to carry over such long distances this would impair there performance.

Take a look at a sprinter or middle distance runner say 800m and you’ll normally see a completely different physique, well toned with varying sizes of muscle bulk.

So to answer the question ‘For Weight Loss What’s the best type of cardiovascular exercise?

They both work, a better question is what shape would you like?

If you’d like the relatively non-athletic shape of a marathon runner, do long bouts of cardiovascular training i.e. cycling at a low intensity level for 50 minutes plus and do very little in the way of weight training

If you’d prefer a more athletic shape of a sprinter or middle distance runner, do short bouts of high intensity cardiovascular training (know as interval training) and use weights for resistance training.

Now before any of you ladies reading this are thinking ‘I don’t want great big muscles’ don’t worry the type of training we recommend will not have you looking like a male body builder with a square jawed female head.

Probably the most exciting thing about training more like a sprinter or middle distance runner is that you’ll quickly increase your metabolism, which means you’ll be burning more calories at rest and during your exercise bouts BONUS! I’d say.

So to quickly summarise to achieve the body shape you want train like those that have the shape you want and match it with good nutrition.

www.coachmeslim-trim.co.uk

Weight Loss: Two Things That Kill Weight Loss Success & An Educational Video??

Weight Loss: Two Things That Kill Weight Loss Success & An Educational Video??

A Weak Mind

A Weak Physiological State

The second one I will deal with in more detail in a future blog, but here’s a simple tip start eating breakfast.

A Weak Mind

When starting out on a weight loss campaign most people start with either the gym / exercise mainly men or diet mainly women.

So what’s the problem with that? Aren’t these good starting points?

NO!

Why? Because the chances are that this will not be their first ever attempt at weight loss, for some it will be their 3rd, 5th, 8th LOST COUNT! They've being trying for so long

And here’s the common denominator for probably 90% of these people they never consider how to build upon the thing, which has got them started again. What is it that has made them take that step into what can be a very painful physical and mental experience of trying to lose weight?

If you’re serious about losing weight and even more serious about keeping it off you must build and develop your mindset because without this you are doomed to failure.

Two quick things you can do to help you on your way.

Click on this link to a You Tube video (I know it's Hollywood but see if you understand the message) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vB59PkB0eQ (6 minutes)

Take my 7 Day FREE online Introductory Weight Loss Course at www.coachmeslim-trim.co.uk

Weight Loss: 'Should I Invest In A Gym or You!'

That was the question posed to me at a recent business networking event.

For those not familiar with attending networking events here’s the normal format to start an event off.

Quick introduction by the chairperson, followed by each person standing and giving a 60 second presentation about his or her profession.

So my turn came up I stood and introduced myself as a ‘Weight Loss Performance Coach’

…. Silence, ….a cough & choke on fried sausage, ….a splutter into a coffee cup , ….a chuckle of guilt and a..please excuse me a moment. Don’t worry I get use to this and it always makes me smile as I know the one’s responding in this way need it more than anybody else and at some point they may realise it as well.

Anyway as I spoke about a recent success of mine a 55-year-old man losing just over 2 stone after only 15 sessions I could see one rather large gentleman looking intently at me. Now he was either pretty hacked off with what I was saying or had some level of interest. I was pleased it was the latter.

We sat and spoke for 10 minutes well actually I asked some questions and listened. This was his first question: ‘Should I Invest In A Gym Membership or You!

Well I admired his frankness. Here’s pretty much how the conversation went

Me: ‘What time do you go to work?’

Him: ‘ I leave home at about 7am’

Me: ‘What time do you get home?’

Him: ‘About 7pm’

Me: ‘What’s your family situation?’

Him: ‘I have a wife and a young child 18 months’

Me: ‘How do you think your wife will feel if you get home at 7pm and then go off to the gym for an hour or so three to four times per week?’ (That by the way represents a good use of a gym memberships)

Him: ‘hum I see what you mean?’ (I hadn’t actually recommended anything at this point, but he could see what I meant, interesting don’t you think)

To cut a long story short I suggested that he considered setting up at home gym as he had the space. After reviewing an article I sent him on ‘How To Set Up Your Own Home Gym’ he said Erak I would like to use your services.

Well for those that now me I don’t make it that easy for clients to work with me, they need to first of all prove to me that they are really ready to make some changes. So I directed him to my website to complete my FREE online consultation form.

Now here’s the interesting thing at the time of writing the first draft he had yet to complete the FREE online consultation form. So here was a man about to invest £65 pounds each month on a gym membership (£780 for a year) that hadn’t really taken his family situation into consideration or his time restraints. Come on if you can’t even fill out an online questionnaire that takes only a few minutes what chance would he have had of using his gym memberships ZERO! So by my reckoning I probably saved him about £780. How many of you have spent this and more over the years on gym memberships or slimming clubs etc only to find yourself back to square one? Now don’t get me wrong I am not getting at this fellow after all he had the guts to at least speak to me about what is a very personal matter so I take my hat off to him for that.


So what’s my point?

Don’t be a sheep! & Don’t Kid Yourself!

Every day gym memberships are being cancelled and diets are being shelved why because people act like sheep and follow what the ‘MASSES’ are doing, guess what the ‘MASSES’ have no idea. Or worse still some people repeat what they’ve done in the past expecting a different result (Isn’t this classed as some form of MADNESS?)

If your serious about weight loss and improving your fitness levels, go back to the questions I asked this man or ask similar questions, which fit your situation. Your honest answers will give you a very good starting point.

Then get some advice from somebody that not only knows what they’re talking about but has helped others achieve it and walks the talk themselves. An overweight nutritionalist or slimming club leader lacks I think any real credibility.

It often makes make smile and sigh when I see somebody that is prepared to spend hundreds even thousands of pounds on sorting out their car, but resent or would never think about getting some professional advice about how to take care of their most precious possession themselves their bodies, because without it where do you think you’d be? Sadly many people are happy to cart around an aching, overweight and tried body and whinge when they’re laid up with back pain or need to start taking medication for diabetes or high blood pressure.

At this point you may be thinking well here comes the sell, well if your interested in working with me or one of the other coaches then we would be delighted to hear from you. You can however simply download my FREE ’16 Tips For Maximum Weight Lose & Increased Fitness In Minimum by visiting: http://www.coachmeslim-trim.co.ukBy following through using these simple tips consistently you will literally transform your body. How do I know this? Because this are the same tips I use when coaching and training clients.

For comments and feedback are welcome regarding this article

Do Weight Loss & Fitness Books Leave You Confused & De-motivated?

Do Weight Loss & Fitness Books Leave You Confused & De-motivated?

Dear Reader,

I hope your enjoying the Easter holidays, just back in from walking around the park and watching my son trying to learn how to skate board a little painful!

Whilst out and about my wife decided she needed something from Boots so we took a walk into the city centre.

She went off to Boots while I took a quick nosey around the Waterstone’s bookshop. As you can image I feel naturally drawn towards the health and well-being section after all it’s my profession.

As I looked around the various health book shelves it just reminded me of how utterly confusing getting fit and losing weight can actually be especially for the beginner / novice.

I must have easily seen 30 book titles on dieting and where not talking about thin paper backs some of these where as thick as your Yellow Pages. Then you have the exercise section not quite as many books here but still a fair old selection. And of course the self-help personal motivation section, which rivals the dieting, section.

Now how is it that with all of this information available not to mention the TV, radio, Internet and all the glossy magazines, plus the emergence of the various health and fitness clubs that we still have a ‘National Obesity’ epidemic if you believe the government reports?

And what about the pressure being placed on the poor little children with all of these programs to help reduce and prevent childhood obesity (I will save this topic for another time, but come on aren’t parents responsible?)

Anyway back to weight loss & fitness, look you could easily spend a lot of time reading about nutrition, exercise and various mindsets techniques as many people do, but guess what until you’re coached on how to find your own personalised solution, you’ll be like the masses that continually buy these books in the hope that they’ll find the ‘Magic Bullet’

On the way back to the park a man caught my eye and made me think yes he’s got it right. There was a chap I guess mid to late 60’s cycling through the city on a bike that must have been at least 30 years old. He was wearing normal clothes and a hat. And it just made me think about how often we are seduced into buying new gadgets like lighter bikes, with more gears, fancier colours etc to supposedly help to improve performance and keep us fit blah, blah, Here was a man who look pretty trim doing the basics with a basic piece of equipment. I guess what I am saying is we can all be seduced into thinking ‘yes’ this is the latest, best diet or piece of exercise equipment because Celebrity X said so REALLY!

Here’s the thing I have been involved in health and fitness now for over 22 years and in that time here are some of the simple things I have seen fit people in their 40’s 60’ 80+ regularly follow:

1. They keep their thoughts and environment positive, almost acting like a self-navigating compass.

2. They spend as much time as possible around positive people, this may help to keep their life battery charged and full of energy

3. They drink plenty of water, I guess they’ve figure heck if my body is made up of 80 – 90% of the stuff naturally why not keep it that way

4. They take some regular exercise walking, swimming, cycling, dancing something, maybe they realise their bodies are for moving and enjoying and not just for carting around with aches and pains almost like an inconvenience


5. They always have many of their life goals linked to good health. This probably helps to keep them motivated naturally. Plus age never seems to be a reason not to do something rather more like a reason to do something!

Just in case you where thinking these people sound awfully boring, well no more boring I guess than listening to somebody whine about aching joints, aching back being overweight, having no energy and not feeling great about themselves.

You can spend a lot of time reading some really interesting books on health and fitness a lot of time. Alternatively you can learn a few simple principles put them into practice and watch your new healthier more energetic life unfold the choice really is yours.

Why not take my FREE 7 day online weight loss course and see what difference it could make to your life! Just click here! Alternatively download my FREE 16 tips for weight loss and maximum fitness in minimum time just click to get started As ever I welcome any feedback or comments

Weight Loss Client Interview

Why not listen to some of the challenges and beliefs that Fiona over came in order to reduce her weight from 13 stone 10lbs to 11 stone 10lbs

just click here to listen to her weight loss story: http://coachmeslim-trim.co.uk/downloads/fiona.wma

The Not-So-Secret 'Secret' of Weight Loss Success

The Not-So-Secret ‘Secret’ of Weight Loss Success
By Erak Simsson, Your Weight Loss Performance Coach

‘It doesn’t matter how many success ingredients you have unless you mix them right and in the right sequence’

Let me explain

Most people will have had some degree of weight loss success, losing 1 stone maybe even 4 or 5 stones, some people may have lost 10 – 20 stones over a number of years yo yoing up and down, sound familiar to anyone?

You could probably stop any person in the high street and ask them what’s the secret of weight loss success and you would hear answers like; ‘eat less and take more exercise’ ‘give up the wine and cheese’ ‘join the gym’ ‘stop finishing off my children’s meals and take a little more exercise’

You see most people have a pretty good idea about what to do when it comes to achieving weight loss, but very few know how to successfully keep it off, would you agree?

I was recently speaking with a lady who was describing to me her weight loss history over the past 15 years and she had lost a total of 12 stone in that period of time. Her efforts had included a slimming club (twice), gym membership (cancelled); self help books and just simply cutting back on food. But guess what we where speaking because she was back to square one, over-weight, unhappy and feeling pretty frustrated about the whole ‘weight loss thing’, sound familiar to anyone?

Well back to my opening statement ‘It doesn’t matter how many success ingredients you have unless you mix them right and in the right sequence’

Let me try and fully explain my opening statement.

If I said to you in order to lose weight you need to decide upon a goal that will motivate you, eat more healthy foods and take some regular exercise (after yawing and waking up again because this is so boring because you already know this stuff) you would I suspect say yes I completely agree that is exactly what I need to do.

Let me give you some specific examples of how having the right ingredients for weight loss doesn’t necessarily guarantee success.

Eating A Healthy Diet
Great you’re eating a healthy diet (low to medium GI food, Omega 3 Fat from fish), but still not eating breakfast or having regular healthy snacks. So on the face of it you’re doing really well, but you’re going to struggle to maintain long-term weight loss success when you regularly skip breakfast or do not eat healthy snacks between main meals. I know I know some of you will be reading this thinking ‘you want me to eat more food’ no not more food but more often there is a big difference especially when it comes to maintaining weight loss.

Mindset
In my opinion this is where it all starts. This is such a big area I cannot do it really justice in this short article, but here is one of the things that people often do to help create a positive mindset. Decide upon a goal, one that inspires, motivates or simply gets you to take action. Good stuff, but what about all of the saboteurs that take regular pleasure in trying to wreck your weight loss attempts, what about the hecklers that dent and lower your self-esteem. Mindset is much more than simply having a goal like losing weight for a wedding, this is simply an event that will come and pass. How many brides & grooms do you know that slimmed down for their big day and when you see them now they are back to their pre-wedding size?

Exercise
I will use the gym as an example, I know that not everybody reading this likes the gym, but I will relate it back to those that workout from home.

Here’s what I regularly see, overweight people in the gym going for it big time on the treadmill, rowing machines, step machine or bumping and grinding in the aerobics class. Great on the face of it they are taking some exercise burning up a few calories fantastic. But guess what whilst I hate to say it they are focusing too much on the wrong thing. Likewise those of you who take regular walks either with your dog or simply as part of your daily exercise regime, your focus is often too much on the wrong thing. What do you mean Erak?

Well think of it this way regarding exercise like, walking, jogging, step machines, rowing machines, aerobics classes etc they focus on burning calories in that moment and yes it does help to improve your fitness level (important), it helps to strengthen your heart (also very important), but guess what it does little to help improve your metabolic rate, the rate at which you are able to burn calories up when not taking exercise. Just think If you where able to increase the rate at which you burn calories up 24 hours a day would that be worth focusing on a little more? But so few people do

So to summarise: you can have what appears to be the right ingredients for losing weight and keeping it off; healthy eating (Low GI food), mindset (goals) and taking regular exercise (walking, rowing machine etc), but still not find long-term success.

Think of it like baking a cake, it’s not enough to have the right ingredients to make an edible cake you need the right quantities, mixed in at the right time, cooked at the right temperature for the right period of time then you can make a cake. It’s the same with weight loss and keeping it off you need the right ingredients, the right amount of focus on each for the right amount of time, then you will at last have the body size and shape plus all the energy you want.


Final Thoughts

For those of you about to consider embarking upon yet another weight loss plan, stop and think, if the plan doesn’t start off with improving and protecting your mindset and is yet another eat this, do this exercise or repeat these positive statements 12 times per day type of programme seriously re-consider. Why? Because until you help to create your own personalised weight loss, healthy plan it will always be somebody’s else’s and at some point you will either become bored with it if it’s a diet programme or not be able to find the time for it if it’s a particular exercise regime. When you have a part in creating it you own it, you believe it and it’s the only way you’ll ever achieve and enjoy long-term weight loss and good health success I have yet to be proven wrong in over 23 years!


Any comments or feedback regarding this article are welcome.

Yours In Good Health
Erak Simsson, Weight Loss Coach
PS: Are You Interested In A ‘Weight Loss Coaching Weekends’ please visit: www.coachmeslim-trim.co.uk and click on services or contact us directly on: 01980 595 502