4 Steps to Fix Your Squat

Excellent post on the king of all exercises – the squat! Perfect tips on not only how to fix your squat, but how to fix your posture and strengthen your core and entire body basically. Excellent starting point for beginners!

BONVEC STRENGTH

Squats are hands down my favorite exercise. They bring the full package – they can make you strong, huge AND athletic. They’re the exercise equivalent of the perfect woman – smart, funny AND beautiful.

The problem is, squats are rarely beautiful. In fact, if you walk into the average gym, nine of out 10 squats are gonna be downright ugly. And ugly squats can be dangerous if you load them up heavy enough for long enough.

Bad form is also a big reason why people stray away from squats. They’re afraid of getting hurt or they hate the general discomfort associated with squats. And this fear is standing between them and some tremendous strength and physique gains.

So how can we be sure that we’re squatting correctly? If you don’t have a good coach to teach you how to squat, it can be hard to know for sure. And even if…

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Egg Dilemas – white or whole, raw or cooked?

Who here eats their egg yolks and who tosses ’em? Who eats raw and who cooks ’em? Why?

 

Did you know that whole eggs actually LOWER your cholesterol?

 

Yeah sure they’re full of cholesterol but dietary cholesterol is different to blood cholesterol. Just because you EAT cholesterol does not mean that you will increase your blood cholesterol levels. Same as just because you eat fat, you will not automatically become fat! Or if you eat protein you will not, all of a sudden, sprout muscles. It depends on the entire diet as well as how much work you put in for you to get muscley, not on how much protein you eat.

 

Egg yolks are packed full of essential nutrients such as Vitamin A, D, E, and K to name a few as well as the fact that only about a third of the fat in the yolk is saturated. Don’t freak out, you actually need a small amount of sat fat per day. But more importantly, this means that the other two thirds are HEALTHY fats, the kind that works to lower your cholesterol! 

 

Obviously it all depends on the diet and lifestyle surrounding your yolk-eating. If you rarely exercise and you’re eating those whole eggs alongside 2L of coca cola and some greesey fry up fron the chippy then yeah, the eggs yolks will add to amount of overall fat that you’re ingesting and will have an adverse effect. But it is the same with everything!

 

Some people will remove the yolk simply to stay within their prescribed calorie or macronutrient levels as if you’ve already eaten all but 20 calories for your meals today, then have an egg white only as this is around 16cals whereas a whole egg is around 80 calories. Or if you’ve already met your fat intake requirements for the day then you would remove the yolk.

 

BONUS POINT: eat your eggs cooked if possible. I don’t say this for fear of getting ill or that I can’t stand the taste of raw eggs – actually quite like ’em. I say this because the protein in raw eggs is only about 40% biologically available compared to over 80% in cooked eggs. This means that your body is only capable of absorbing and utilising 40% of the protein that you ingest from a raw egg. So stop wasting eggs – eat the yolks and eat ’em cooked!

 

What’s your favourite way to eat eggs?

Supplementation

Morrrning everybody!

 

Been getting some questions about supplementation so I thought I’d share my opinion on ’em.

 

There are so many bits ‘n pieces out there promising awesome fat loss here and extreme muscle gain there – it can get really confusing and frustrating.

 

I mean, is it absolutely ESSENTIAL that you spend half your wages on supplements? Is it really gunna bust you through that plateau? If you sprinkle protein powder like fairy dust, are muscles just gunna *POOF* appear?!

 

… Even if you were to be a complete moron and use steroids for example, your muscles don’t just appear and inflate themselves.. you still have to eat correctly and bust your ass in the gym!

 

Supplements are for that exact purpose – to SUPPLEMENT. They aren’t magic pills that will achieve all your dreams for you. It comes down to the simple equation of exercise and nutrition. And eating healthy is expensive enough without spending £40 on 2 week’s worth of pills.

 

Some supplements are pretty useful though, it has to be said, and they can give you that extra boost if you start to plateau. So how about you set out a plan and stick to it 100% for at least 4 weeks. Then, if you feel It’s necessary you could try adding the supp into your nutrition plan while sticking to your plan 100%.

 

I advise asking someone who 1. Knows what they’re talking about (everyone seems to be an “expert” these days) and 2. Doesn’t have an agenda (too many PTs try to push products onto you becuase they’re getting a commission! Beware!)

 

In my opinion there are 4 supps that I would personally find a lot of use out of:

 

1. Whey protein – excellent for post-workout nutrition as it’s fast-digesting and gets protein straight into your muscles (with the aid of an insulin spike from some simple carbs, eg, banana). Food sources = eggs, chicken, fish, milk, nuts/seeds.

 

2. Casein protein – excellent for snacks especially if you know you’re not going to get another meal for a long period of time as it is slow-digesting protein. So, an hour or so before bed would be the best time to have it as it will drip-feed your muscles through the night, which is the crucial time where the muscles are made (they’re not made in the gym – they’re torn in it). Food sources of casein are cottage cheese, natural yoghurt, milk etc.

 

3. Amino Acids – probably my favourite supp – during intense exercise, your body needs to keep itself fed in order to perform; once you’ve used up any fuel from food, it will go to the easiest form of fuel, which is muscle protein – your body will basically start to eat itself. Aminos will form a protective layer around your muscles and give you that extra oomph. The more muscle mass that you can protect and retain, the faster your metabolism and the easier it therefore is to lose weight/burn fat. Drink pre/during/post workout. Food sources are proteins mentioned above.

 

4. Creatine – one of the best and most popular supps on the market for increasing size and strength. There are many different forms but Monohydrate appears to be best. Creatine is actually synthesized in the body but supplementing a little extra has been proven to vastly increase size and performance. Food sources include steaks and red meats especially.

 

These are supps that I personally think are effective and I’m not advising you to spend your hard earned cash on them. Everyone’s bodies are also different and some supps may not be ok for some people, it needs to be assessed on an individual level.

 

Tag a friend who spends ridiculous amounts on supps 😉

 

Like my facebook page and spread the word 🙂

 

– Rachel.

Ballymoney, NI, serious CHD risk

Ballymoney, NI, is 2nd place in the entirety of the UK for deaths linked to Coronary Heart disease ( CHD );  second only to Tameside in Greater Manchester. 

If this isn’t a wake-up call, I don’t know what is.

There are 129 deaths per 100,000 in BBallymoney thatare linked to CHD as opposed to 39 per 100k in LONDON!

Norn Iron Fitness is going to be bringing fitness to the surrounding towns of Ballymoney soon – tag your friends, especially those from the little towns, villages and communities surrounding Ballymoney so that they can keep up to date with developments.

 

Does anyone on here know how to reduce CHD risk..? Comment below so we can discuss preventions 🙂

Like me on Facebook!

 

– No Fads. Just Fitness. 

– Rachel. 

Man lost 37lbs on McDonald’s diet!

Science teacher loses almost 40 pounds on ‘McDonald’s diet’

 

This proves that you don’t need to torture yourself with regimented, and quite frankly ridiculous, fad diets.  So long as you monitor your macronutrients and your calorie intake,  and you eat natural healthy nutritious foods that  you ENJOY.  That’s the winning formula.

 

Obviously it’s probably not the best advice to go on a Micky D’s diet, this is merely an experiment to show that you could eat any faddy diet under the sun, no matter how unhealthy it is, and as long as you eat less cals than you burn while ensuring correct intakes of carbs, proteins and fats then you will lose WEIGHT. That’s a cert.  There is no guarantee of FAT loss though, or health or fitness improvements.

 

How to eat:

1. Figure out your BMR

2. Decide the goal – fat loss, weight loss, muscle gain, sports improvements etc

3. Decide from using 1&2 how much deficit or surplus to eat

4. Choose foods that you enjoy that are also clean, nutrient-dense, natural, wholesome food

5. Ensure to balance your macros – there is ZERO sense in eating zero carb or zero fat diets – your body needs a certain amount of each just to function correctly.

6. Select some decently healthy cheats – ie I love bacon – it may not be thee best thing for me to eat but it stops me going to the chippy instead!

7. Stick to it. Whatever you do. This is thee most important thing.  2 weeks in, you think there’s no difference – there is. Just stick to it. This is a process, a long, slow, painful process. 

 

Need any tips or guidance on the above or anything else? Comment/PM me.

 

LIKE ME ON FACEBOOK, THE COMMUNITY IS GROWING! 🙂 wwww.facebook.com/nornironfitness

 

– Rachel. 

Resolutions Weakening?

How’s those Resolutions coming along?

 

We’re all in the same boat, I’ve been on a bit of a slippery slope myself the past week and I’m willing to bet a lot of people’s resolves are weakening.. maybe you’ve already given in and are waiting for January 2015.

 

Pick yourself up TODAY. Right NOW. Have some porridge for breakfast, or, hey it’s Sunday – cook up a GRILL (not a fry) with brown bread, grilled bacon, poached eggs etc..

 

Sure, it’s not front cover of healthy magazines but if you’re struggling, this is the start of getting back on course… It’s natural food with good sources of protein, fats and complex carbs.

 

If you eat in moderation, you’ll be happier and healthier in the long run because you’ll stick to your plan a lot easier than forcing yourself to drink egg whites and eat spinach for breakfast 7 days a week.

 

Let’s finish this week happy and start next week motivated!

 

Need any help, comment or PM as always 🙂

Like my Facebook page guys http://www.facebook.com/nornironfitness 

– Rachel.

I Fell For All The Fads

I hold my hands up. I bought into all the fad diets not so long ago. I found a new one, a new One True Way to get the body I wanted… I failed at that… but it’s ok… I found a new one… and so on.

I preached to people about my superior new diet(s) until they told me to shut up already, and then I preached some more. One week, fat was the enemy, then it was sugar, milk, fruit… the list goes on.

I wasted years, a heck of a lot of money, and I damaged my body severely. And I never got that superior body that my superior diet promised me.

Stop reading the new diet book, the 6 weeks 6 pack program in the daily newspaper… start listening to your body – it is the best nutrition expert you’ll ever know.

It’s not rocket science, most people know deep down what the healthiest thing to eat is, just listen to your body. There are lots of things that the majority of the population aren’t aware of however, and that’s where I want to help fill in the gaps.

Some general rules, elaborated upon:
1. Eat approximately 6 meals per day – this is a guideline, sometimes I find it easier to eat 8, even 10 meals per day as I PERSONALLY can’t eat too much in one sitting and need to space it out.

2. Eat clean – if it needs a tv advert, you should probably eat it less often.

3. Eat protein – this will help you protect/build your lean muscle mass and increase your metabolism.

4. Eat carbs – fat burns in a carb fire – you can’t train as hard as you need to if you restrict your carbs. It also helps to push protein into the muscle.

5. Eat fats (mostly mono and polyunsaturated) – they help you absorb protein correctly, they also help LOWER cholesterol and stabilise blood pressure.

4. Decide whether you actually NEED to lose WEIGHT – there are plenty of girls out there with “the perfect body” weighing in at 170lbs!! Weight is nothing. Focus on your fitness levels and body fat etc.

5. Discover your somatype (ecto/endo/mesomorph) as this will have an impact on the macronutrient balance that you need (carbs, proteins, fats) and the effect of your hormones.

6. Discover your BMR – how much you burn in 24 hours without moving a muscle – mine is 1,394 cals… without moving!! If you undereat by too much you will a. Send your body into starvation mode so it will hold on to all the fat it can, and b. Give up due to insanity!

7. Exercise about 5 times per week for 30 mins each time.

8. Don’t rely on steady-state cardio! – a. It’s gunna get boring, and b. It sends your body catabolic (eats its own muscle and saves the fat) as opposed to anabolic (vice versa).

9. Consistency – set a goal, set out a clear path to it, STICK TO IT – stop pinching your hips and looking in the mirror after one set of 15 crunches! I’ve been there, I know you’re doing it!

10. Ensure that you ENJOY your LIFESTYLE, this is not a DIET. This is a slow and steady process; change only a small amount of things at a time until it becomes second nature. You have a life to live – live it! Love it!

Need ANY help on any of the above, comment below or PM me 🙂

Like me on facebook –  http://www.facebook.com/nornironfitness

– No Fads. Just Fitness.
– Rachel.

Mind-Blowing Stress Levels

This whole business launching lark is really wearing away at me mentally and emotionally.  My stress levels are through the roof and I can’t seem to settle myself. Ever. I’m constantly thinking and worrying about what to do next and what I should be doing now.

 

I was supposed to be at the gym a couple hours ago to hit legs but I’m just sitting here trying to get insurance sorted and get in touch with people about hall hire etc.  My mind feels like a ticking bomb.

 

This is the point now where I need to de-stress cuz I’m gunna get nothing done in this state now anyway.  But it’s hard to just go do something else when I have so much to do here.

 

Ok. If I don’t go hit the gym, I’m gunna be annoyed that I didn’t, which will just add to my stress I’m gunna hit those weights so hard, with all the built-up stress and anxiety and I’m gunna feel awesome for it.

 

Take a few moments,  just stop, YES YOU CAN, just stop.  Get on your trackies and your trainers and just go do something,  go run, jump, lift,  whatever.. for like 20-30 minutes. Come back, and tell me how much better you feel. No one ever regretted working out once they’d done it. Go release those happy hormones!

 

– Rachel. 

MYTH BUSTER – Weight Lifting Makes Women Big & Bulky

5 Reasons that this is liiieeeesssss:

1. Unless you have a secret, steady supply of testosterone then this is physiologically impossible. FACT. 

2. Muscle does not weigh more than fat, 1lb is 1lb; but 1lb of muscle is about half the SIZE of 1lb of fat. 

3. The more muscle mass you have, the faster your metabolism, i.e you will burn more calories and fat per minute by your body simply functioning. This means that you can eat more 😉

4. Weight lifting can add some variety to your same-old-same-old cardio training. There is SO much you can do with so many different types of weight lifting equipment. 

5. Weight lifting can have awesome mental benefits for women especially, as it makes you feel strong, independent, and awesome!

If you need any tips for fast, easy and effective workouts, gimmie a shout 🙂

Like me on facebook http://www.facebook.com/nornironfitness

Keep it up!

– Rachel. 

Exercise Is Medicine.

It is estimated that at least 1.9 million premature deaths per year are linked to physical inactivity. 

The percentage of illnesses that can be prevented, cured or at least treated by correct nutrition and exercise is in the high 90s. 

Get active, enjoy it, blow off some steam, feel great, look great. 

Need any tips on how to fit exercise and nutrition into a busy schedule, comment or message me. 

Like me on facebook for daily updates and fitness tips http://www.facebook.com/nornironfitness

No Fads. Just Fitness. 

– Rachel.