Best Status Updates

I love reading status updates, I like hearing the gossip, what people are up to and there’s loads of useful knowledge sharing that goes on, especially in the health and fitness world. Some updates have the profound ability to lift your spirits. I came across a Personal Trainer in Melbourne who posts some of the best updates on Facebook. Every day he puts up quotes either motivational, inspiring, uplifting or just funny. I asked him if I could share some of my favourites in a Fitter London blog and he agreed.

His name is Anthony Goldsmith (anthony@performants.com.au) you should add him as a friend as I promise his quotes can change your mood for the entire day!






‎”Just like to say most of my quotes are either by myself or unknown. I do not wish to take credit for any. But, if i can make an impact on somebodies life by a simple quote...it makes me happy. I try my best to put up the most powerful quotes to make a difference in people’s life.....after all, I am a personal trainer....isn’t this one of our roles anyway?”
Anthony Goldsmith







Wise Words

Failure is like fertilizer, it may stink, but it’s necessary for proper growth

People too weak to follow their own dreams, will always find a way to discourage yours.

If you want something you have never had, you must be willing to do something you have never done.

Never give up on something that you can't go a day without thinking about.

Won’t power is better than Will power.

Before you talk, listen. Before you react, think. Before you spend, earn. Before you criticize, wait. Before you quit, try.

You can't make the same mistake twice. The second time you make it, it's no longer a mistake. It's a choice.

Dear Past, thanks for all the lessons. Dear Future, I'm ready.

Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success


Motivational

I've learned that millions of people can believe in you, and yet none of it matters if you don't believe in yourself.

When you feel like giving up, remember why you held on for so long in the first place.

If someone is strong enough to bring you down, show them you're strong enough to get back up.


Feel Good

You want to know who’s got the most amazing and best smile ever? Read the first word again.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Treat everyone with politeness, even those who are rude to you, not because they are not nice, but because YOU are nice.

Your character is more important than your reputation or your wealth. Take good care of it.


Diet and Fitness

A diet is the penalty we pay for exceeding the feed limit.

If you don't watch your figure, no one else will either.

If pubs don’t serve to drunk people, how come Mcdonalds serve fat people?

A man asks a trainer in the gym: "I want to impress that beautiful girl, which machine can I use?" Trainer replies: "Use the ATM"


My Personal Favourites

Bad news: Time flies. Good news: You’re the pilot.

Life always offers you another chance. Its called tomorrow.

Anyone can make you smile...but only certain people can make you happy

Plantain 'Cakes'

I got this recipe idea on Friday while I was in the changing room at the gym :) The TV chef used potatoes and I thought, "This would definitely work with plantain".

And of course... it did :)

FYI: I'm Nigerian and I love plantain :)

Ingredients
2 eggs
2 plantains
1 red bell pepper
Quarter of an onion
2 small tins of mackerel (fresh fish is ideal but I had none at home)
I used no seasoning because plantains are naturally sweet.

Plantain 'Cakes'

1. Cut the plantains into three pieces each (leaving the skin on). Add to a pot and add enough to cover the plantain halfway (max). Boil on medium to high heat for 15-20 mins.
2. Chop the 1/4 onion into small pieces, same goes for the bell pepper.
3. Remove plantain from pot and peel. Add the pieces to a big mixing bowl.
4. Break an egg into the bowl, add the chopped onion and pepper. Mix contents with a wooden spoon, the result should be very thick.
5. Take a handful of the mix and roll into a ball, then into a square/cube shape. continue till done with the mix. (I made 3 large 'cakes')
6. Add a teaspoon of olive oil to a pan and fry the onions in the pan. When brown, toss them out.
7. Add the cakes to the pan and pan fry on low to medium heat. the cube shape comes in handy because you are able to turn it on all six sides. It took a total of 10 minutes to cook.
8. Fry the egg and serve with a cake (as seen in the pictures).

Serving suggestions:

• I served mine with an egg (runny, which I like and which is how the potato cakes were served on TV)
• Serve with Quick Stew (Recipe: HERE)

Alternatives:

• I'm going to try baking it in the oven next time :)
• Use vegetables of your choice, I'm going to try spinach next.
• You can use sweet potato, butternut squash, etc.
• I also made a butternut squash version which I rolled into small balls and oven-baked on medium heat for 15 minutes. Again, I boiled the squash before mixing with other ingredients:

Health – The Holy Grail? My recipe for success.

So after noticing for the last couples of weeks I am managing to use 20kg + kettlebells on most drills. I have bags of energy, am sleeping like a baby and am feeling amazing!

Those of you not into fitness can look away now and I apologise in advance if I begin to sound too evangelical.

You may have read Matt’s and Keris’ weekly emails constantly banging on about the importance of DIET, exercise, REST - repeat repeat ad nauseum…. and either let it go over your head and switch off or thought
‘yeah yeah Matt and Keris already look amazing – its their business to sell this lifestyle – they have an agenda (even though they don’t) they just love what they do and have a mission to spread the word (told you this might get evangelical) and they just happen to look the part.'

(Reading this back I can hear them saying ‘we don’t just LOOK the part it takes WORK!' :0))

Well I’m telling you now I’m just your average very late 30 something – (ok 42) who has an interest in health, food and fitness, who has discovered a certain formula or recipe and I am really starting to reap the benefits. I’m going to share my thoughts with you…

There is a definite recipe for my delicious results cake…and here it is.

DIET
Yes I have done the Paleo or at least a version of it. Stop rolling your eyes…I know that it is certainly not for everybody and there is a definite split amongst friends. Those who are on it, like it or can live with it. Or the other half that haven’t done it, hate it. I’m am NOT saying get on it, it’s your choice. Find your own recipe for success.

Diet basic summary – follow these guidelines. I’m not telling you exactly what to eat.

Protein Shake, Protein breakfast mid morning with salad veggies of choice. Lean meat and salad for lunch. Lean meat and veggies for dinner. Snack – nuts, fruits, berries etc – SIMPLES!


HAVE A CHEAT MEAL/DAY
It depends on your goals. If you need to have a drink then do so – but make it worth it. A large glass of good red wine is far better than a few pints of lager. Good quality chocolate is fine. Just don’t ignore your overall consumption over a week. Too much and you will reduce any gains you are making.

Most importantly DON’T beat yourself up over having a little bit of what you fancy occasionally so you don’t feel deprived.

Check out http://www.cucinaceri.wordpress.com/ there are some great simple healthy meal ideas on here.


EXERCISE
I am now working out 4-5 times a week. I squeeze most of this in before going to the office. It works for me so I can also have a life. This may sound a lot but it is the level of commitment I have chosen. It breaks down into 2 PT sessions with Matt and 2-3 classes with Fitter London (http://www.fitterlondon.co.uk/). Mix it up guys. You are less likely to get bored.


SUPPORT
I have built up a great support network of like minded people – some of those attend the classes and some that don’t. One thing they all have in common is that they have a positive outlook, are interested, enthusiastic, motivational, open minded and all love their food!



REST
I cannot stress the importance of this part of the recipe enough. GET YOUR REST DAYS. You must rest to come back stronger! I know it’s hard to stop when you’re on a roll.
Believe me I have failed so many times because I have gotten carried away because I have felt great, strong and full of beans. Only to overtrain or strain a muscle which has not had time to fully recover.


THE CAKE
Follow the simple recipe steps above and you will feel amazing, fitter, rested, stronger!


Decide for yourself what your achievable goals are. You know I’m not getting any younger and having a 6 pack at this point in my life is not exactly achievable but if this recipe gets me any nearer then that’s an added benefit.


You might be thinking that all this is not exactly news, it’s not exactly the holy grail is it? – I agree but the point is you have to discover all this for yourself.

I have and I am lucky to have had my eureka moment!

Performance is your guide

Let your performance be your guide: part 1:

In this first part, I will outline the general direction this blog is taking, then comes the second part where I will give you an insight into the training, rest and diet structure I have been following that have simply got me stronger, faster and leaner than ever before. Hope you enjoy the read and I'm sure it will help you in some way.

Now I know diet plays a huge role in performance and results but I won't be covering that here, that's a whole different blog.

Mens health, mens fitness, Women's fitness plus plenty of other glossy fitness mags and websites will forever be telling you the best way to get bigger, stronger, lose body fat and get bikini fit in weeks.........however, this is all well and good as advice is always appreciated. But here's the thing, how do they REALLY know what is best for you?

The answer is, they don't. They don't have a clue. Infact, the content in these magazines is very generic information and it has been derived from many different sources from around the world.

One week an 'expert' In America will tell you low weight and high reps is the best way to build your arms then a 'guru' from Australia will tell you the complete opposite. Confused right?

Now I am not saying that you should not read these magazines, however I am saying 'DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU READ'. Consider trial and error, monitor your performance and your bodies response.

The expert from Amercia may have trained 50 olympic gold medal athletes and the Guru from Australia may have 30 professional football players under his belt. BUT, do you think these coaches train each one of those athletes in exactly the same way? No.

Let's cut to the chase, YOUR PERFORMANCE IS YOUR GUIDE TO WHAT WORKS FOR YOU.

You want to bulk up, you have been following a workout plan and nutrition guide from a leading fitness mag. 6 weeks down the line you see no visible difference and your strength has increased ever so slightly. Did that program work for you? No.

You want to increase your 1 rep max on your deadlift. Your training 6 times a week as advised by some big fella at your local gym who uses up every available weight plate for his deadlift set, he must know what he is talking about surely? After a couple of weeks your energy levels are low, your poundages are decreasing. Did that structure work for you? No.

Your goal is to reduce abdominal fat whilst increasing you upper body strength. A few weeks in you have added kilos to your lifts, have high energy levels and are happy with the visible reduction in your body fat. Ah ha, I think your on to something.

My goal from the off as a skinny teenager was to get big, strong and fast. I spent years following advice in magazines, online info and tips from the big units at the gym. The only problem was, all the information was conflicting. However, I figured I had to do something and I guess work things out for myself.

I have done the whole lot when it comes to training routines. Body split, full body, intervals, endurance work, training everyday to training only 2 -3 times a week. All of which have given me a far greater indication of not only what works for me mentally but also what produced optimal performance, enjoyment and of course results.

I am 'THE ETERNAL STUDENT' and im always open to new training structures and protocols. Although whichever routine I am following, I will pay close attention to my performance. Is it improving? Am I getting better? Do I feel better? These are questions I am constantly asking myself (not out load, as folk would think I was mental).

My Primal Journey

I’ve been passionate about getting an amazing body pretty much since I saw Daniel Craig in Casino Royale. I know it’s pretty cheesy but sometimes we can draw inspiration from the most unusual things.

Since then I’d subscribed to Men’s Health for a while, tried various “muscle building workouts”, trained at a white collar boxing gym, wasted countless amounts of money on supplements that promised the earth but delivered little and read everything that I thought was possible about my diet.

The result? A broken nose, love handles, a chubby belly and no muscle definition!

Role Models

I decided to enlist the help of Keris Marsden and Matt Whitmore, the nutrition and fitness Jedi’s of Fitter London.

I needed experts “who had been there and done it” to help me overcome my major stumbling block... big muscles, or lack of! Keris told me to keep a diary for 2 weeks and here is a sample of what I ate:

6:00 Alpen with All Bran topped with walnuts, Yeo Valley strawberry yoghurt, whole milk, cup of tea (with whole milk).

8:00 Post-workout shake (2 scoops of whey protein with fine oats).

10:45 Banana.

11:00 Coffee (with whole milk).

2:00 Tinned tuna mixed with olive oil, olives, orange pepper, tomato, basil, mushroom, watercress, rocket, spinach in 2 Food Doctor bagels.

14:00 Almond & yoghurt Eat Natural Bar.

16:30 Protein Shake.

18:30 Satsuma.

19:10 Salmon, Greek salad, roasted new potatoes, 250ml fresh orange.

Not bad as standard nutrition advice goes but this wasn’t giving me my desired results. My diet was the same every day and lacked variety. Keris explained that she would use the “BioSignature Modulation method” to help me achieve my goals. The what?! It all sounded very complicated but I had an open mind.

BioSignature Modulation

Keris explained that the world-renowned strength coach Charles Poliquin developed BioSignature Modulation in the last 20 years. His theory is that a persons hormonal profile is indicated by where they store body fat and by modulating hormones through exercise, nutrition and supplementation I could decrease body fat from specific areas. I’d kind of resigned myself to a life of skinny arms and a chubby belly so this was music to my ears.

The Process

Keris took a 12 site skin fold body fat test and analysed the results. These were quite shocking for me. My body fat was 23.7% and the priority sites on my body were the “Umbilical” and “Suprailiac” areas. What did all of this mean?! Well my love handles and chubby belly were an indication of poor blood sugar management, too many carbs and a stressful lifestyle.

I knew where this came from. I’ve always eaten heavy sugary breakfasts such as porridge with honey or muesli. Plus I loved dairy and eating bread (whole wheat of course). Oh and 12 hours a day in the office with unpredictable hours wasn’t helping.

The Paleo Solution

Keris explained that I needed to get my body fat down to 10% to build up muscle definition. Losing weight to build muscle went against everything that I had read BUT the previous way of doing things had not worked.

I was prescribed a basic supplement cycle to start balancing my blood sugar levels and get my diet as clean as possible. The diet was “Paleo” and I had to follow a strict version of it for two weeks.

Paleo is based on a primal or hunter/gatherer lifestyle. Our ancestors did not eat vegetables that were sprayed with chemicals or life stock that was pumped with growth hormones and fed with crap. As Poliquin says, “if it’s not green, or you can’t kill it with a spear, then don’t eat it.”

The rules given to me were:
1. All the non starchy vegetables you can eat.
2. All the lean meat (organic), fish and seafood (wild, not farmed) you can eat.
3. No refined carbohydrates/cereals.
4. No processed food: cereal, crisps, chocolate, biscuits, cakes, etc.
5. No dairy products.
6. No legumes (including peanuts)
7. 2 – 3 litres of water per day.
8. 8-9 hours sleep each night.

I also had to cut out caffeine. This was going to be tough. Caffeine, sugar and carbs are the staple diet for most office jobs!

However these strict rules were vital in making a difference to the effectiveness of the supplements and lean my body down. It would also ensure that I absorbed the maximum nutrients from my food and not waste energy processing grains and dairy like before (which were heavy on the digestive system).

Train Like a Caveman

The exercise regime prescribed by Matt would be intense, short and varied. A bit like how our ancestors used to train when they were hunting for food or escaping from lions and bears.

Train With Me

I’ll be making more posts about my “primal journey” and record how well I keep to the diet, supplements and exercise. I’m writing these posts because I like the idea of having accountability towards Matt, Keris and my Fitter London peers.



I don’t know how long the journey will take, but I’m aiming to torch my belly and love handles within 4 weeks. After that, serious muscle building and getting an amazing body is on the agenda.

In the next post...

I will report on my first two weeks of living like a caveman, let you in on the killer exercise regime prescribed by Matt and reveal my all important measurements after two weeks of eating Paleo.

To Supplement or Not To Supplement – That is the Question!

The role of supplements in body composition and overall health is a subject much debated between personal trainers and health professionals. Personally, I see a role for supplements on certain occasions for certain people and here’s why:

Before attending Charles Poliquin’s BioSignature I didn’t really invest much in supplementation at all, the odd protein bar & 1000mg of Vitamin C if I had a cold was about as far I got. Since Biosignature I have also attended seminars on nutrition and supplementation by Pete Williams; an experienced Functional Medicine Practioner, Laurent Bannock; a top Performance Nutritionist, Mike Mahler; Strength Coach and Naturopathic Lectures at CNM.

When I returned from BioSignature I confess to thinking all the answers lay in supplementation. Flaxseed and Fenugreek seeds were going to get me the skinny legs I’d always dreamed off. However, it’s not quite that simple, nutrition is a vital part of any one person’s wellbeing but it’s only one part. Clients are like puzzles and actually helping people on a journey to optimal health involves piecing together a complete picture of their lifestyle and that includes everything from their relationship with their other half to what they had for dinner last night, both can determine your state of mind and therefore both impact upon physical health.

I use supplements with clients as a means of solving health issues caused by stressful lifestyles and a poor understanding of good nutrition.

Follow Your Gut

Without doubt the most important thing to establish overall is good digestive health, which is often disrupted by modern day living. The absorption and assimilation of food is imperative for good nutritional status. Poliquin, Williams, Bannock, Mahler and every lecture I have ever attended all reiterate the importance of gut health, so vastly ignored by many people. Imagine filling a car with premium petrol yet having a leak in the petrol tank, at some point a red light will flash up and you’ll come grinding to a halt.

Testing your stomach acid is the first step and something I confess to overlooking at times, but the minute I get back on stomach acid (HCL) supplementation I feel better. I’m a total stress head, a Type A personality that never switches off, every waking moment I recount my list of things to do and then add another ten things. Stress depletes stomach acid and it’s pretty much downhill from there so good gut health and its necessary supplements are first on my list with clients.

Fitter Food

Obviously getting people to clean up their diet is also a huge priority. Dare I mention Paleo without sparking a huge debate??! All I simply ask is that people eat as naturally as they can to see what works for them. Whether you prefer Paleo, Zone, Mediterranean…. these all involve largely removing processed foods and without doubt have the biggest impact on blood sugar management. They have given me the best results with clients in terms of body fat reduction, increased lean muscle mass, consistent energy levels, improving sleep patterns and cognitive health. The challenge is finding a sustainable model that balances the right amount of carbs, fat, protein and includes cheat days that allow people to enjoy their favourite foods without damaging their waistline, it’s trial and error but with the right commitment you get there in the end.

The need for further supplementation once the diet is clean is entirely down to the individual’s ability to eat a rainbow every day. I totally understand why this is tough and requires some forward planning. People often rely too heavily on the protein side of the diet ("I think I've eaten too many nuts") and neglect the vegetables and fruits. Everyone is busy these days, we eat on the go, we eat in offices, on trains, etc. and you can’t just shovel down handfuls of spinach and tuck into steamed kale. In such cases I recommend green drinks and juicing to increase vegetable intake as much as possible. I set my clients tasks each week, one client told me increasing her gym sessions to four times a week was much easier than increasing her vegetable intake by 3 servings a day!

Zinc and Magnesium

The other supplements I usually recommend are Zinc and Magnesium. The benefits and roles of these two minerals are too huge to list here but most people are deficient in both. It has been suggested that this is a result of the over farming of soil which has left foods lacking the mineral content of previous years. Also food now has usually travelled thousands of miles before it hits your plate which plays a big factor in its vitamin and mineral content. So unless the majority of your diet is local, organic food which is pretty much impossible in London, chances are you may need a course of these. It’s easy to test for these using a Zinc test and by looking for physical manifestations of deficiencies.

Magnesium is also really important especially if you train intensely (as all Fitter Londoners do!) due to its lead role in muscle recovery and body composition. Topical application is really good and can be in the form of Epsom salts baths, magnesium spray oil or topical magnesium cream.

Omega 3’s

The jury is out with regard to the anti-inflammatory benefits of taking fish oils but I have definitely witnessed cognitive benefits from consumption of pure grade fish oils, especially in stressed out clients, which inevitably leads to overall improvements in health and fat loss. Generally most people consume larger amounts of Omega 6, especially if they eat out often and so I recommend Omega 3’s to balance ratio of the two. I also encourage clients to eat more sources of Omega 3’s including ground flaxseed and wild fish.

Whatever you do NEVER buy from high street retailers, these are not filtered for heavy metals such as mercury and generally rancid by the time you consume them which will do you much more harm than good.

Multi Vitamins

I have asked several experts about these….what strength? One a day? What brand? Generally I wouldn’t touch high street brands but there are several brands I would recommend and I certainly take one as an insurance for good health. Living in a city is pretty toxic and you can’t always guarantee you’ll hit your optimal vitamin and mineral intake so it’s a good safety measure.

Post Workout

I’ve listened to various arguments for and against this vital “window of opportunity” and whether it was invented by supplement companies (makes sense eh?) But having explored the research and tested going with and without myself I do think it’s important to refuel and feed your muscles within 15-40 minutes for optimal recovery. Whether its food, bars or shakes, a mixture of protein and depending upon body fat levels some high GI carbohydrates. I personally prefer shakes for convenience and fast absorption and I’ve played around with whey, brown rice and hemp. It’s totally individual, the most accurate guide to what works for you is performance, recovery and how much wind you have!

Other stuff…

There’s lots more you can do, trust me I’ve looked into adaptogenic herbs; ginseng, ashwagandha, liquorice and in some cases I truly believe professionally prescribed use of these maybe necessary but if you are going to continue stressing about the tube delays, how fat or skinny your legs are and the latest events on Facebook you’re probably just wasting your time and money. Ten minutes of deep breathing, 30 minutes of daylight and a decent night’s sleep could be just as effective.

Fitter London are now offering Nutrition MOT’s which includes an analysis of digestive health, zinc status testing and mineral/toxicity testing. Call 07971263265 for more details.