Beebleblog

For this post I have handed the writing baton over to my lovely wife, Nicky. Whilst I do consider myself an expert (very modest of you – Beeble) in all things fitness related I feel that Nicky has slightly more experience in this department than myself, enjoy – Hugo

OK ladies, you have the high performance trainers suitable for your workout (whether it be cross trainers or running trainers), you have your sexy sporty flattering Lycra trousers and a good quality sports’ top, gym membership paid for or the tennis court booked and your favourite “kick ass” music on the ipod – you are ready to go……..NO! Wait….what about your sports’ bra? You have put all this effort into everything else to help you achieve your goals and that’s great, but it won’t look so good if one of your most important assets are hanging down by your knees giving you a bad back. A slight exaggeration however gravity is not your “breast” friend and if you don’t invest in a good sports’ bra you will be losing the lifelong battle with gravity.

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I don’t know how many of you are familiar with dumbbells and weights being thrown around by people in the gym: bashing them on the floor and slamming them together. It’s a way to prove to everyone how much weight they are lifting, a way to release anger and quite obviously to me it’s a way to show everyone that they are just not strong enough to control the weights correctly.

My Opinion

I believe that if you can’t control the weight properly when returning them to the floor then you have picked a weight that is far too heavy for you. I do agree that, for example, the dumbbell chest press is a much stronger movement than say the bicep curl and so you will choose a heavier weight for some exercises than others and therefore it will be difficult to place the weights down carefully after completing your chest press burn out. However if you are that strong on your chest and that weak on your arms then there is a strength imbalance between the muscle groups or a co-ordination imbalance, either of which means that you could be heading for an injury.

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Cholesterol is a fat called “lipid” which plays a vital part in allowing the body to function properly. It insulates our nerve fibres, is an essential part of our hormones and it also helps the body to produce bile salts.

It is processed in the liver from the fatty foods that we eat, it forms the outer layer of every cell in the body and molecules called lipoproteins carry the cholesterol in the blood . There are 2 main types of lipoproteins: LDL and HDL. LDL (Low Density Lipoprotien) is the bad artery clogging cholesterol; HDL (High Density Lipoprotien) is the “good cholesterol” that help to carry fatty acids and cholesterol away from the arteries straight to the liver.

The risks of high Cholesterol

If your LDL cholesterol levels are too high it can cause narrowing of your arteries, heart attacks and strokes. In high concentrations when cholesterol is released from the liver into the intestines for re-absorbtion it can cause gallstones.

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It is good to know your body type to help you focus on the right training and create realistic goals. Some people are born with genetics that make them naturally larger than others so they have to work harder if their goal is to lose weight. Some people are naturally skinny (to the frustration and envy of others – Beeble) and so have no problem with weight but will have more difficulty in gaining muscle and body tone. Below we describe the 3 main body types to help you understand yourself better, help set yourself attainable goals and plan your program to be more specific to the results you desire.

There are 3 main body types, and these body types play an important part in deciding how to design your program to get you the right results and how much change you should be able to expect.

Ectomorphs

There is no firm scientific proof to indicate that there is a correct time to change your workout, but 6 to 8 weeks as a guideline is a good starting point.

The most important thing is to listen to your body and change when your strength developments or performances are not increasing to the same level as before, or that you do not find it as hard as you used to. It may be because you are simply bored and are ready for new goals and challenges to spice it up and give you the drive to continue.

Why should I change my workout?

The main reason to regularly change is as follows: if you do the same workout for long periods of time you will hit a plateau and will not receive the same benefits as before. You will be simply maintaining what you have already achieved and even in some cases you will start to lose some of your strength and fitness - those important goals that you have worked so hard at.

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