There are lots of people in the fitness industry who like to flood social media with outlandish ‘quotes’ and ‘scientific evidence’ that ‘proves’ the most outrageous and varying statements imaginable. The truth is…much of it is rubbish. But how do we separate the good information from the bad? It is becoming increasingly difficult to separate good…
Exercise, diet and sex…want to live forever?
The residents in Acciaroli, Italy, live for a long time. The average age for a woman in this picturesque, idillic southern Italian town is an astonishing 92. This is much older than the average Italian and much much older than the average westerner. But why do people here live so long? A recent study claims to have…
What is a warm-up?
When I was a rower in Cambridge I was astonished at the way we ‘warmed up’. Basically the first four people in the boat (of eight) complete their warm up drills while the other four in the boat sit there with oars out to balance the boat. The same then happens with the back four people while the…
A brief history of the foam roller
What’s the point of the cylindrical tube on the gym floor? And why do the people using such an innocent looking piece of equipment grimace so much? Read on to find out where the idea of the foam roller came from and whether there is any science to support the benefits its converts proclaim. The foam…
5 reasons why it’s OK to look silly in the gym
So, you’ve just spoken to one of the fitness trainers in the gym, and they’ve put together a personal training programme for you to follow on your own, but you feel like you’re going to look totally ridiculous doing some of those new moves. If you’re feeling anxious about going backwards on the cross trainer, doing walking lunges or carrying a weight bag above your head around the room, or lifting a weight smaller than a kitten when you’re a 100kg guy, then have a look at these 5 reasons why it’s ok to do things a little differently!
When what looks like the summit is really base camp – BodyAttack 93 and beyond
Before I went to New Zealand, as the winner of Les Mills’ inaugural ‘The One’ contest, I felt like I was on cloud nine! A week after I got home I’d passed selection to join the Les Mills UK Team as a Rookie Presenter. Far from feeling like I was at the top of the mountain I realised that really I’d only made it to base camp. The views are exceptional, but there’s a totally new, challenging and inspiring adventure ahead, with the pressure and intensity, once you reach this altitude, at a whole new level.
The Caffeine Conundrum: What Happens When We Mix Caffeine With Fitness?
Caffeine has been recognised for hundreds of years for its ability to enhance performance and is commonly used by amateur and professional athletes today (professional athletes can use a certain amount of caffeine until it is deemed as doping – it’s the equivalent of about 8 cups of brewed coffee). But does it really increase…
What is tennis elbow?
It is likely that we have all heard about someone who has a condition called tennis elbow. But what is it? What causes it and how can it be treated? Read my latest Watchfit article here
Becoming ‘The One’ – and why I didn’t want to blog about it – Part 2
‘If you can dream—and not make dreams your master; If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim; If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster And treat those two impostors just the same…….and you’ll be a man, my son’ Rudyard Kipling This is the second part of a two part post. If you missed part one, here’s…
Becoming ‘The One’ – and why I didn’t want to blog about it – Part 1
So this was it….possibly the biggest competition for instructors that Les Mills have ever had – ‘The One‘. The chance to teach in front of 1000s of people, win a Reebok contract and win a trip to New Zealand to star in a masterclass filming DVD – big deal indeed for anybody in the Les…
Blood Doping – What is it and what does it do?
Blood doping has been all over the sporting news over the past few years, especially since Lance Armstrong’s fall from grace and the growing body of historical evidence of blood doping in elite cycling. But what is blood doping? What does it do and what are the side effects? Read part 1 and part 2…
2015 Review – and why Arnie and Mark Twain are similar…
This post is part personal reflection on my own year and part musing on the perils of New Year’s Resolutions. Thanks for being here to start 2016 with me and do let me know your thoughts. January 1st 2016, a day when half the country is hungover and the other half has already packed into gyms…
