Advanced Powerplate Training

Had a great day yesterday at Powerplate International's training centre in London where I completed the Level 2 Advanced trainer qualification.

If anyone feels that acceleration training is 'not proper training' they should try performing plyometric exercises on the powerplate. We took part in a 5 minute plyometric session which was more challenging than many 30 minute plus advanced training sessions that I've done in the past.

Vibration training is extremely effective for improving sports performance. If it wasn't it wouldn't be used so widely by premiership football teams, including Chelsea, Man Utd and Newcastle, PGA golfers and many elite level athletes and gymnasts. In fact, a number of machines have been ordered for use at the Beijing Olympics.

Knowing how to use vibration training effectively is the key. It can be used to 'pre-activate' muscles before conventional training, though it must be done for the right time and intensity. It can be used effectively with conventional training in supersets to improve strength gains and can also be used after training for faster recovery.

I have been able to achieve some fantastic results working with my personal training clients using Powerplate at the Galtres Fitness Centre in Easingwold and at a studio in Fulford, York and look forward to introducing more and more clients to the benefits of Powerplate training in the future.

"Improving health by creating positive attitudes towards fitness"

Nike Free Trainers - Review

I've been using Nike Free running shoes for over a year now and have found them pretty impressive. Nike Free provides a sort of running barefoot feel. They can help to strengthen lower limb muscles, particularly the stabiliser muscles that can be neglected when using more supportive shoes.

Certainly need to follow Nike's advice and get used to wearing them round the house and then build up the distance in them gradually. Having said that, I found that within the first month I was able use them to run my usual 'easy' run along the river through Huntington into Earswick and back through Haxby (about 6 miles). As a personal trainer, I wear trainers all day long and find Nike Frees a lot more comfortable to wear than any other trainers. (I used to change between martial art shoes and running shoes).

The only downside has been the first pair I had split around the heel within the first couple of months which was dissapointing to say the least. They are still useable though and now get used for wet weather runs. My second pair of Nike Free's have been excellent and have had no problems despite almost daily use for the last 6 months.

Obesity - All in the genes?

Listened to the news this morning to hear of yet another study proving that genetics are to blame for soaring obesity rates! There's a nice linear link between increased car usage, reduction in activity levels and the rise in obesity, but no, it's all to do with genetics. Could someone explain to me how an increasing number of people are being born with this 'fat gene'? Do people with this gene get more sex than the rest of us or are they less careful? The study was carried out for Cancer Research UK and one of the researchers, Professor Jane Wardle of University College London has been quoted saying "it is wrong to place all the blame for a child's excessive weight gain on the parents - it is more likely to be due to the child's genetic susceptibility".

Rubbish! It is a parents responsibility to ensure that their child has a healthy diet and spends time being active. I really struggle to see what the usefulness is of research like this. Yes genetics do play a role in the ability to store fat, but surely this means that the parents of a child susceptible to storing fat easily, need to be even more responsible for ensuring they eat healthily and do plenty of exercise.

No mention of chemical exposure in the study. Organochlorines (widely used as pesticides and have previously been used as growth promoters in animals because of their ability to fatten animals quicker and with less feed) can effect people with certain genetics more than others, but no testing for organochlorine levels was carried out in the research.

If someone has an increased genetic risk of heart disease, charities like the British Heart Foundation educate people of the importance of reducing other risk factors by being physically active and having a healthy diet, etc.

So why can't cancer charities spend some of their multi million pound research budgets doing something useful and accept that there is a link between lifestyle/environmental factors and cancers.

I'm only aware of one cancer charity in the UK - www.cancerpreventionsociety.org that is aimed at reducing the incidence of cancer through lifestyle changes rather than research into some 'miracle cure' and they receive only a tiny fraction of the funding received by other charities. I know which charity will be receiving my donations.

Exercise is fun

According to a survey conducted by Edinburgh Leisure, 74% of repsondents exercise for enjoyment and to de-stress rather than to loose weight, and over 99% agreed that exercise makes them feel happy.

I couldn't agree more. Many new exercisers that fail to stick to their new regime set themselves performance goals, such as to loose weight or to 'get fitter' without giving any thought to enjoying the process. It's only by enjoying exercise and reaping the benefits of increased energy levels, reduced stress and improved mood and self esteem that exercise becomes a lifelong habit rather than a chore.

"Improving health by creating positive attitudes towards fitness"

Children and Exercise

Been doing some work today with a gym based childrens exercise program at the Galtres Fitness Centre in Easingwold. As a personal trainer, I'm used to helping clients set goals and devising them detailed exercise programs to help them reach their goals.

Was like a breath of fresh air to see people exercising just for the fun of it. No complex programs. Just doing the activities they enjoyed doing. If they were bored of rowing after 5 minutes they'd move on and do something else. They didn't feel they had to do a set time at a set pace. They just enjoyed what they were doing, or tried something different.

Working with adults, it is often necessary to devise programs to take account of muscle imbalances and health conditions but in many cases if they had carried on being active through into adulthood they wouldn't have these problems in the first place.

So what stops people being more active as they get older? Certainly lack of time, lack of facilities and cost play a part, but a large part of the problem is us adults taking the fun out of exercise. Competitive sport is extremely beneficial for lots of reasons but there's an even bigger need to make sure everyone enjoys exercise in one form or another and is able to take part as often as they want.

"Improving health by creating positive attitudes towards fitness"

FAQ's: Does vibration training work or is it a gimmick?

If anyone's not heard of vibration training, you basically perform exercises on a vibrating platform. There's lots of hype at the moment about 'a full workout in 10 minutes' and coverage in glossy magazines showing celebrities using them. It's easy to see why people might think it's a gimmick. Is it too good to be true?

The principle behind vibration training is extremely sound. force = mass x acceleration. To improve strength of the muscles a force needs to be applied. Traditional weight training involves using weight (mass) to overload the muscle. Vibration training instead uses acceleration caused by the high speed movement to apply an increased force.

If used correctly, vibration training is very effective. I use Powerplate at a weight loss clinic in Fulford, York where clients are generally looking for weight loss and toning. In this case, the main advantage comes down to time. Resistance training is hugely beneficial for weight loss. By increasing lean muscle tissue you increase your metabolic rate and burn more calories even when you aren't doing anything. Many people who wouldn't be prepared to spend three hours a week in the gym will do a couple of 20 minute sessions on Powerplate each week and can acheive better results in a fraction of the time.

I also use Powerplate in rehab work with clients with postural problems as well as osteoarthritis, osteoporosis and Parkinsons and have seen some fantastic results. Loads of scientific studies also showing this method of training to be hugley beneficial.

Vibration training really comes in to it's own when combined with other methods of training. It's fantastic for correcting faulty movement patterns (the sort of thing that will lead to injury and pain if not corrected) before progressing to more complex movements. Also great as part of a warm up and cool down. Can even be used to reduce cellulite by increasing blood flow and helping get rid of toxins.

A number of gyms are starting to install these machines without providing adequate trainging for their staff on how to use them. Used incorrectly you will be dissapointed with the machines and consider them overhyped and useless. Used correctly, the results are exceptional. I definately think vibration training is here to stay.

"Improving health by creating positive attitudes towards fitness"