My top 5 exercises you must be performing.

Hi all. Mark here again for this week's blog installation. 

I hope everyone is looking forward to the Easter break.  Alltone Fitness Studio will be closed over the easter break and will re open on Tues 29th March.  BNG Boot Camp and group fitness will not be running over Easter and will recommence indoors at Watsonia Primary School, 240 Nell Street, Watsonia on Tues 5th April. Happy Easter!

This week I will be sharing with you my top 5 exercises and explaining the benefits and why you should be performing them in your exercise programs. Most of you that know me well, won't be surprised to find out that all 5 exercises are full body movements. 
What are full body exercises I hear you ask? Well let me explain. Compound exercises (full body movements) also known as multi jointed exercises, burn more fat, use multiple muscle groups and build the most strength and muscle. Examples of compound exercises are push ups, squats, chin ups, medicine ball slams and burpees just to name a few. Some compound exercises can be difficult to learn while some may be more effective than others. In this blog I will explain why my top 5 full body exercises will give you maximum results in the shortest amount of time. 

5 Burpees ( Insert evil laugh here )

Used by fitness boot camp instructors and personal trainers world wide, burpees are one of those full body exercises most people love to hate. This high intensity exercise will give you a entire full body workout in just minutes. A high level of focus and intensity is required to be able to push through a set of 15-20 repetitions. Here's how to perform a burpee. 

From a standing position, squat down, put your hands on the ground, kick your legs out behind you, do a push-up (optional), then kick the legs back up into a squat position, stand and jump as you swing your arms overhead. If you’re an advanced exerciser or want to add even more “oomph” to this exercise, you can wear a weighted vest as you do your burpees. Good luck! 

4 Medicine Ball Slams 

Not only is this exercise fantastic at building upper body, core and leg strength, it is also fantastic for stress relief. Best of all though, it is quite easy to perform. 

To do a medicine ball slam, you simply get a medicine ball (those big heavy balls you can often find in the corner of the gym), raise it overhead, then swing your arms down as you release the ball and slam it into the ground as hard as possible. Keep your spine in a neutral position thorough the entire move, abs are tight and slight bend in your knees as you slam the ball into the ground.

3. Push Ups 

Push-ups are one of the oldest and most basic of exercises for a simple reason. They work! The exercise positions all the muscles in our upper body and builds optimal strength in the forearms, shoulders and chest. Performed correctly, you will also target your core and glute muscles. 

To do a pushup get into a high plank position. Screw your hands firmly into the ground directly under shoulders. Keep you abs and glutes tight throughout the movement. Lower your body by bending your elbows back on a 45 degree angle and keep your forearms vertical. Keep your back flat and eyes focused about three feet in front of you to keep a neutral neck—until your chest grazes the floor. Push back up

2. Barbell Squats 

It is one of the most primitive movements known to man and without doubt one of the best exercises for lower body muscular and strength development. Barbell squats will increase your core strength. This is because through the entire movement your core muscles need to work hard to keep your body upright and support your lower back. 

Begin with the barbell supported on top of the traps. The chest should be up and the head facing forward. Adopt a hip to shoulder width stance with the feet turned out as needed. Keep your abs and glutes tight.  Descend by flexing at the knees and hips while pushing your hamstrings back. Keep the knees tracking in line with your feet and avoid them tracking too far forward over the toes. The goal is to keep the torso as upright as possible. Continue all the way down, keeping the weight on the front of the heel. At the moment the upper legs contact the lower legs reverse the motion, driving the weight upward.

1. Deadlift to Overhead Press

The premise of the deadlift-to-overhead press is fairly straightforward: you pick a heavy object off the ground and lift it overhead. The object can be a dumbbell, barbell, kettlebell, medicine ball or sandbag. However, the following people who display poor mobility/stability, are inexperienced or have lingering injuries should seek advice on properly performing this exercise before attempting it.

When youpick the object off the ground, which is called a deadlift, you’ll need to have good form: looking forward with your knees bent, butt out, and back straight. You then stand by extending your hip forward, as you stand or after you are in a standing position, hoist the weight overhead – using your hip and leg muscles to assist your upper body with driving the weight up.

What you need to know about your pelvic floor...

Hi all, Mark here again from Alltone Fitness personal training studio and BNG Boot Camp Greensborough.

Did you know that a large number of exercises can negatively affect your pelvic floor, and some of these can actually harm these muscles? This can lead into bladder or bowel control problems. This is very common amongst men and women however most people are too embarrassed to talk about it or believe as we age that it is normal. Well it's not, and fixing this problem could be as easy as strengthening your pelvic floor. Women on average suffer more than men, with one in three who have ever had a baby experiencing urinary incontinence. Over half the people with bladder problems don't seek help from a health care professional.

The pelvic floor muscles form the base of the group of core muscles known as the core. The pelvic floor work with these deep core and lower back muscles along with the diaphragm, to stabilise and support the spine as they maintain pressure within the abdomen. The pelvic floor muscles support the bladder and bowel in men, and the bladder, bowel and uterus in women.

People who are more at risk of pelvic floor problems are, pregnant women, women who have had a baby, women who are going through or gone through menopause. For men, any surgery undergone for prostate cancer can make them more at risk. Other factors that put people at risk include those with a history of lower
back pain, an injury to the pelvic region, suffer regular constipation, being overweight or regular heavy lifting. Individuals with pelvic floor problems can experience the following symptoms, leaking urine when they exercise, constantly needing to go to the toilet. finding it difficult to empty their bladder or bowel, pain in their pelvic area and accidently losing control of their bowel.

Safe cardio and resistance exercises for the pelvic floor.

Certain exercises place greater stress on the pelvic floor and should be avoided. There are a number of safe exercises which can be performed and are considered safe without placing excessive downward pressure on the pelvic floor.

Safe cardio exercises:
Walking, swimming, upright bike, cross trainer, low intensity water aerobics, low impact exercise classes.

Cardio exercises to avoid:
Running, jumping, star jumps, skipping, boxing, high impact exercise classes, sports that involve stop start running or sudden direction changes.

Safe resistance exercises:
Seated exercises like rows and shoulder press. Bicep curls and knee extensions. Dumbbell exercises on a swiss ball, partial swiss ball squats, glute bridge, cable flys, leg curls, incline wall pushups.

Resistance exercises to avoid:
Sit ups, crunches, leg raises, deep lunges, deep squats, jump squats, lifting heavy weights, lat pull down with heavy weights, leg press with heavy weights, deadlifts and any exercise where there is downward pressure on the pelvic floor.

How to train your pelvic floor. 
A method of training your pelvic floor muscles is to relax the muscles of the thighs, glutes and abs, then squeeze the muscle of your front passage like you are stopping the flow of urine. Now squeeze in the muscle around your back passage as if you are trying to stop passing wind. You should now feel the muscle in between your front and back passage lift up towards your pelvis. Become familiar with the feeling of those muscles activating before relaxing and letting go. This exercise is best performed sitting on the edge of a chair slightly leaning forward at the hips. It can also be performed standing or lying down. Aim to perform 3 sets of 8 repetitions.

If this is a problem for you please feel free to reach out as we can help construct an exercise program to help strengthen your pelvic floor. At Alltone Fitness we offer personal training in the Greensborough, Bundoora, Mill Park and Watsonia area. We also run boot camps and group fitness at the most affordable prices in Greensborough.

6 Ways To Help You Keep Your New Years Resolutions

At some point we have all made new year's resolutions and broken them. We often set unrealistic goals or pressure on ourselves to eat healthier, losing weight, become fitter, stress less and the list goes on and on. Is it that we place time restraints on these goals that we failure? Or is it just becuase we actually don't take the time to think about what it actually is that we want out of life? It is important to remember that one minor set back is not a total write off.
Why not make this year's resolutions stick.
Here are my top 6 ways to help you keep on track.

1. BE REALISTIC

Don't set a goal that is unrealistic or you cannot keep. For example, telling yourself  you are never going to eat your favorite food again is setting you up for failure. Try changing your goal to - I will only eat my favorite food once per month.

2. PLAN AHEAD

People who plan their resolutions on New Year Eve or mid way through January are more likely not stick to their goals. Don't plan your resolutions on new year's eve after a few drinks. Planning ahead is crucial and gives you time to reflect back on your year while thinking about the direction you would like to take in the year to come.

3. OUTLINE YOUR ACTION PLAN

Being realistic means knowing that their will be temptations to skip that boot camp class or cancel your personal training session. Have a action plan in place for those times you feel like giving up. Call a friend for motivation, practise positive thinking, or simply tell yourself the negative effects this will have on your goals.

4. TRACK YOUR PROGRESS

Keep track at each small success milestone. Whether its through weight loss, being able to run that extra distance, lifting more weight in the gym. Tracking your progress is a sure way to keep you motivated and successful in conquering your resolutions.

5. DON'T BE TOO HARD ON YOURSELF.

Tell yourself the occasional slip up is not the end of the world. Obsessing over slipping up will do no good for achieving your goals. This is where some positive self talk can do wonders. Create a mantra that is short and sharp like " I CAN DO THIS " ONE SLIP UP IS NOT THE END OF THE WORLD" I WILL GET BACK ON TRACK"

6. SEEK HELP FROM A PROFESSIONAL

If losing weight or becoming fitter is your goal, then join a outdoor group personal training session, gym, or book in with a personal trainer. Having the guidance of a fitness professional who will push you that little further can mean the difference between success or failure.

HERE'S TO A FIT AND HEALTHY 2016! HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Back to Basics Chapter 2 - ENERGY SYSTEMS

Hi all

Mark here from Alltone Fitness and BNG Boot Camp Reservoir. With Summer literally around the corner, now is the perfect time to try group personal training bundoora or our personal training mill park. Your first session is only $5 with no contracts or membership fee's. If group fitness bundoora is more for you then try out our heart pumping boot camp northern suburbs for only $2, hurry as spots are limited.

Chapter 2 of our back to basics blog series covers the energy systems of the human body. All human activity from running to sleeping requires energy. The food we eat provides us with the fuel we need to carry out daily activities we participate in. Fats, carbs and proteins are broken down in the body and converted into energy. The breakdown of food to produce energy can occur under two conditions. ANAEROBIC: Without sufficient oxygen present or  AEROBIC: With sufficient oxygen present.

Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) is the basic unit of energy in the body. ATP is energy which has been created in the muscle cell and is the fuel for muscular contractions. As ATP is constantly being used, it needs to continually be produced and resynthesised.There are only limited amounts of ATP stored in muscles, once this store is used up other energy systems must produce ATP. This is acheived via three main energy systems which brings us to the next energy system ready to help out.

Adenosine Triphosphate - Creatine Phosphate (ATP-CP)
Named afetr the two energy molecules involved in the system - ATP-CP. Creatine Phosphate is stored in muscles in small amounts, its role is to provide energy for ATP resynthesis in muscle cells when there isn't enough time to break down fuels such as glucose. There is no oxygen required in this system so it doesn't require a complex series of reactions. This is an important energy sysytem for exercises or sports which involve explosive and high intensity movements such as sprinting and pure strength training. This energy system is only available in short periods of time, usually around 0-10 seconds of max effort. Once this all out effort is to continue for more than 10 seconds then an additional source of energy must be found. This takes  us to the next energy system.

Lactic Acid System.
After creatine phosphate runs out and energy is still required to continue at high intensity, ATP can be supplied via the breakdown of carbs being glucose. This process is called anaerobic glycolysis, this is the breakdown of glycogen to glucose and produces lactic acid as a by product. All the cabs we consume are broken down to glucose, this glucose can be stored in the muscle cells and the liver in the form of glycogen. The lactic acid system energy system can sustain the anaerobic generation of ATP FOR 45-60 seconds at around 90% intensity. If a person is wanting to continue exercising beyond this point they can do so with use of the aerobic energy system.

Aerobic Energy System
This an extremely important energy system because we use it for everyday living. It is the system we use for everyday activities like walking.  Its called the aerobic system as it produces energy in the presence of oxygen. As the duration of exercise increases the muscles use more amounts of oxygen and produce carbon dioxide and water as by products. The breakdown of glucose in the presence of oxygen is called aerobic glycolysis The complete aerobic breakdown of 1 glucose molecule is able to produce a total of 36 ATP molecules.

 So next time your in the gym and feel the fatigue set in, remember that your body is going through a complex process while drawing upon different energy systems in order for you to keep working hard.

I hope you found this informative and useful

Mark - Alltone Fitness www.alltonefitness.com.au

WAYS TO BOOST YOUR METABOLISM

Hi all, 

I hope this week see's everyone doing well and finally enjoying this fantastic Spring weather. Life has been pretty hectic for myself with personal training and boot camp running at near capacity. We have also commenced running Hatha Yoga Classes, 

We still have some spots left for boot camp mill park and some availability for personal training mill park. You can head to www.alltonefitness.com.au/booking and book your $5 personal training trial session or $2 boot camp trial with no obligation afterwards.  

If yoga is more your thing then we now run 3 Yoga Classes per week in Watsonia. Yoga is great for improving flexibility, increasing core and muscular strength, and most importantly reconnecting body and mind! You can book your no obligation trial yoga class for only $2! Head to www.yogicjourney.com.au for more details.

This week's article comes form the health.com. website and is about ways in boosting your metabolism. As we age our metabolism slow's down which can cause health implications like weight gain and lack of energy. The good news there are ways to help boost your metabolism which can reduce these health risk's. Hope you enjoy! 

Ways to boost your Metabolism! 

From Health magazine

Here's welcome news: You may have inherited your slow-mo metabolism, but you’re not stuck with it. New research shows you can trick your body into burning calories more efficiently, especially if you hit the gym. By strength-training just a couple of times a week, for example, you’ll reverse 50% of the seemingly inevitable metabolism slow-down that comes with age, says Gary Hunter, PhD, a professor of human studies at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. So take control of your metabolism by making these boosters part of your routine—and (finally) stop sweating every cookie

Kick it up a notch

The next time you run, swim, or even walk, ramp up the intensity for 30-second intervals, returning to your normal speed afterward. Using this strategy will help you consume more oxygen and make your cell powerhouses, the mitochondria, work harder to burn energy, explains Mark Hyman, MD, an integrative and functional medicine specialist in private practice in Lenox, Massachusetts, and author of Ultrametabolism: The Simple Plan for Automatic Weight Loss. "You increase the number of mitochondria and how efficiently they burn throughout the day," heexplains.This way, you can exercise for less time than it takes to plod along at the same pace and still get great results.

Here's how to do it: Exercise for 5 minutes at 3.5 mph. Increase your speed to 4 mph for 60 seconds. Then go back down to 3.5 mph for 90 seconds. Repeat the entire sequence 5 times, twice a week. (To get a more challenging workout, increase the incline or your pace.

Get your omega-3's

Why does eating lots of fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids (salmon, herring, and tuna) help amp up metabolism? Omega-3s balance blood sugar and reduce inflammation, helping to regulate metabolism. They may also reduce resistance to the hormone leptin, which researchers have linked to how fast fat is burned. A study inObesity Research found rats that ingested large doses of fish oil while exercising lost weight. Take omega-3 fatty acid supplements; Hyman recommends 1,000 to 2,000 milligrams per day. Hate the fishy after-burp? Try flaxseed oil, walnuts, or eggs fortified with omega-3s. Or check out supplements (by brands such asNordic Naturals) that have no fishy taste

Make some muscle

Not only does muscle weigh more than fat, but it uses more energy, too. The average woman in her 30s who strength-trains 30 to 40 minutes twice a week for four months will increase her resting metabolism by 100 calories a day. That means you're resetting your thermostat to keep running at that rate even on the days when you don't make it to the gym, Hunter explains

Enjoy the afterburn

Exercise is a gift to yourself that keeps on giving. In a phenomenon known as excess postexercise oxygen consumption (EPOC), your body can take hours to recover from a robust workout (one intense enough that you can't hold a conversation) and return to its previous resting metabolic rate. The windfall: Your body is actually burning more calories than it normally would—even after you've finished exercising. There’s a catch, though. The better shape you're in, the less benefit you'll get, because your fit body replenishes its energy stores efficiently. You can improve your burn by increasing how often or how hard you work out (think intervals), suggests Walt Thompson, PhD, professor of kinesiology and health and nutrition at Georgia State University.

Trim the trans fat

You’ve heard they're bad for you. But trans fats also slow down your body's ability to burn fat. "They have an altered shape and make your biochemistry run funny," Hyman says, explaining that trans fat binds to fat and liver cells and slows metabolism. Eating trans fat can also lead to insulin resistance and inflammation, both of which cripple metabolism and can cause weight gain

Think protein

Your body digests protein more slowly than fat or carbs, so you feel full longer (this is especially true when you have it for breakfast). Plus, it may also give your metabolism a bump. In a process called thermogenesis, your body uses about 10% of its calorie intake for digestion. So, because it takes longer to burn protein than carbs or fat, your body expends more energy absorbing the nutrients in a high-protein diet. Another bonus: One recent study from Purdue University found that diets higher in protein may help preserve lean body mass, which is the best fat-burner of all.