Blog 7! What is HIIT! Get rid of that body fat!

Hi guys,

Hope you are all well and you are enjoying your fitness and seeing some results. Easter has been and gone and it's most likely that all your chocolates have been eaten. So look no further, there is no better time than to start thinking about that summer body.

I got thinking yesterday whilst I was playing some football and walking back from the gym in the sunshine about my holiday to spain in July. This got me determined to get that summer body back. The work starts today and I'm going to introduce you to just the trick to shed that body fat and say hello to that summer body.

Firstly I have to say you need to make sure you are eating the right foods and drinking the right stuff otherwise no matter how much of this workout you do you are unlikely to see quick or any results. I suggest cutting down on bad carbs such as oven chips and white rice/potato. Make a change and try some wholewheat pasta or sweet potato great alternatives and they can be really tasty. Also make sure you drink plenty of water and try to cut down on fizzy drinks etc..

Enough about food time for the workout. This workout is simple and you will feel shattered afterwards. I promise you however, you will see results extremely fast as long as you have a good diet. The other great thing about this workout is unlike long cardio sessions it fits a busy schedule and it doesn't burn off muscle like a long 5/10k run would.

The workout is called a HIIT and it's similar to interval training. There is lots of different variations across the web about what the workout includes but they are all fairly similar. This is the one I usually do. Basically chose your equipment either Bike, Rowing machine, Treadmill, Stretch of road or something as simple as a skipping rope. Give yourself a warm-up of between 5-10mins just so you don't pull anything and then you are ready to start the HITT.

All you have to do is go all out for 30 seconds and then rest for 10 and then do this again until you have done 10 rounds. Yes it's as simple as that. For example if I am on a rowing machine, I will set it to a good difficultly level and then row as hard and fast as I possibly can for 30 seconds and then straight away rest for 10 and then go for another 30 seconds. 30 seconds and a 10 second rest is one round. After your 10 sets you'll be done. I can guarantee when you first start doing this you will struggle to do the 10 but make sure you do all the sets even if your 30 seconds all out get slower because of fatigue.

If you get to the stage that you are finding it too easy, either add a set or two or higher the resistance if using a resistance machine or the incline on a treadmill.

One thing I love about this workout is that it's short and simple and you get results fast within 1-2 weeks. It's also great to do abs workouts regularly and you will start to see your abs in no time.

On average I would suggest doing a HITT 4 or 5 times a week along with your usual workout routines.

If you want more information on HITT workouts or any variations search it on the web and you'll find loads of results and I will also put a useful link below.

Click me: http://www.menshealth.co.uk/fitness/cardio-exercise/what-is-HIIT

Good luck and enjoy it. As always let me know how you get on and your results.

I'll be back soon with more, thanks for reading!

Alex :D

Blog 6! The best lunches for a busy schedule!

Hi guys,

Hope you are all well and your gym sessions are going well. Easter weekend is coming up so indulge in some chocolate and treat yourself but don't go crazy because you'll regret it.

I thought it was about time I focused on food for a change and I found a great article on Men's Health that I want to share with you all. If you have a busy working life and you are unable to eat lunch in the comfort of your own home it can be difficult to find things to eat that are healthy and beneficial workout wise. As you probably know nutrition is a major part of any workout plan, especially for abs.

I know from my own lifestyle finding things to eat at lunchtime can often be difficult and it's tempting to pick something up that's quick such as a Subway or a Greggs. Of course you could make your own lunch and take it with you, like a salad or some pasta but often we either forget to make it the night before or run out of time in the morning. So this article gives you the best high-street lunches in Britain and there are some great tasty choices. You may think it's all going to be healthy and dull but it really is quite interesting. It gives the best outlets for certain goals such as: extra energy and muscle building lunches. A great perk is that Nando's is included and if you know me at all, I am a crazy fan of this restaurant and eat there regularly.

So have a read and think twice on your lunch hour from now on.....

READ ME: http://www.menshealth.co.uk/food-nutrition/what-to-eat/britains-best-high-street-lunch

Enjoy and as always more soon

Cya,

Alex :D

Blog 5! Drop Sets - The way to bigger arms!

Hi guys,

Hope you are well and enjoying my new fitness blog! I have had a week off the gym as i've been busy and tomorrow I am getting back into it by smashing a drop set workout. It gives you a real pump by rushing blood to your muscles. If ever I have longer than 5-6 days off the gym, the first workout I do when I get back is a drop set workout. If you don't know what a drop set is or you have never tried them, my challenge to you this week is to try some drop sets out.

Basically a drop set is when you use the heaviest weight on your first set of an exercise, something you would use for 6-8 repetitions and then you perform reps to failure with this rep. For your second set you drop 10 to 20 percent of the weight from your first set and do the same again. Then for you next set you do the same again. However I do a slightly different variation. Instead of doing sets to failure, I only do my last set to failure. I only do 3-4 sets and this is an example of what I do. When I do dumbbell bicep curls I do 14KG for 8 reps, 8KG for 12 reps, 6KG for 8 reps and then i'm pretty much dying so for a final blow out with 4-6kg for as many reps as I can. IT'S PAINFUL. Try this example out with weights to suit you and let me know how you get on by tweeting me: @alexblakemore1 or commenting below this post.

It's important that you warm up before you do drop sets because it shocks your muscles and pumps blood to them, so you could risk injury unless you warm up properly. You can warm up by either doing light weights or a short 5-10 jog just to get you ready for this intense workout.

This workout is also great if you have little time in your day as it tires your muscles quickly making it difficult to much else. If you want some variations on drop sets then I am putting a link to an article below which gives a range of ways and exercises all using the same technique of a drop set.

Click me: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/dropsets.htm

So that's drop sets, have a go and let me know how you get on and as always have fun and enjoy the time you spend in the gym. I'll be back soon with more.

Cya, 

Alex :D