I was going to write an article on de-hydration this week but changed my mind after I got involved in a discussion last weekend about the differences between weight loss and fat loss.

Is there a difference I hear you say?

It is extremely important that I clarify the difference between weight loss and fat loss and believe it or not there is a big difference.

I remember reading the article below some time ago and I think it pretty much summarize it all:

“I mean sheesh, anyone can lose weight, all you have to do is eat birdseed and arugula with a side of grapes”…now I know what you are thinking…Arugula what? Yes I wasn’t sure either so … I googled it…it is just a type of salad! It’s green.

Now ….STOP!!! I bet it already crossed your mind to add the following to your shopping list:

-Birdseeds
-Arugula
-Grapes

I am not going to be able to stop you if that is what you decide to do but take some time to read what follows before you make that decision.

My advice to you is that take your time and be patient, far too often I see too many people wanting amazing results with very little effort on their part, so again…be patient!

If you want to be successful in your fat-loss journey don’t be in a rush, allow yourself to relax, allow your body to adapt to the changes and accept your new healthy and balanced regime, it takes time your, body need to trust you and the food you are consuming.

You need to be looking at creating a small negative energy balance (300-500 calories MAX), which is something you’ll be able to stick to long-term, rather than the ever- so popular crash dieting strategies sold to us by so called weight loss experts on TV and in all those magazines.

These magic potions and diets aren’t realistic. A 900Kcal per day diet isn’t realistic; the liquid diets are not realistic either!

Why Crash Dieting Doesn’t Work

Crash dieting is unlikely to work long-term for various reasons:

First of all the motivation for rapid weight loss is short-term because it centres on a quick-fix mentality. This invariably leads to the nightmare roller coaster ride of emotions that the yoyo dieters or “crash dieter” often falls into… determination to diet, rapid weight loss, weight-loss plateau, loss of determination, return to old habits, depression, rapid weight gain, depression, guilt, new determination to diet, rapid weight loss and so it goes on…Its extremely frustrating to go through all this and it creates an ENOURMOUS amount of stress for the body which is completely UNNECESSARY.

After all, do you want to be in shape only temporary? Of course not and to sustain this new you there has to be a lifestyle change. Stop looking for these shortcuts that don’t exist!

A little bit of maths…there are 3,500Kcal in a pound of fat…(yes that’s right! )…which mean to lose ONE POUND of FAT you have to burn 3,500Kcal. This explains why fat loss requires time and patients’.

Now, our body cannot only fuel on fat,..It will always be a ratio of fat and carbohydrate (that’s why carbohydrate are so important to fuel your workouts)…and the ratio depends on the type of workouts activity you do.

Now let’s look at water loss or weight loss:

When losing weight its inevitable that water will make up some of the weight loss. No matter how we lose weight or how long the weight loss takes, everyone will lose water.

This is determined by:

1. Which exercise is selected

2. The diet (Nutrition) – for example, a too low carbohydrate diet may increase water loss

3. Calorie intake – lowering calorie intake too much will cause more water loss

4. Body composition of the person – the amount of protein and carbohydrate stores before new diet

The water weight loss comes from a net loss of protein and carbohydrates especially during the first few weeks of a reduction in calories.

On reducing calories the body needs to rely more on energy within the body and thus breaks down protein and carbohydrate for metabolism.

When these nutrients are metabolised (used for energy) water is released.
Fat stores do supply a little of the energy but, at first a good proportion comes from protein and the limited stores of carbohydrates within the cells.

For fat loss the trick is to reduce losing water weight as much as possible so the body is forced to burn more body fat stores.

Here come the tips:

1. Consume small portions of high quality protein at each meal
2. Reduce food intake gradually and count calories (where are the calories coming from?)
3. Do NOT starve yourself or go on a crash diet!
4. Train for strength so to increase muscle (The amount of lean muss we have will determine how fast our metabolism is)
5. Lose weight slowly no more than 2 pounds per week…PATIENCE IS KEY

And that is all the tips from me today…until next time…

Enjoy your workouts!

Gym Love

Ilaria

The quick and short answer to this question is YES…You are your own worst enemy but on the flip side you are also your very own best kept secret.

I was doing my rounds at my health club a few weeks ago and broke into a conversation with a polite middle aged man who looked a little lost and unsettled.  I introduced myself to him and got chatting away…This gentleman has decided to get back into the gym after having spent 10 years sitting on the sidelines doing NOTHING!

He did not play badminton once a week, he did not go for walks, he didn’t go swimming, he didn’t play 5 a side football….he was very upfront about it and said he has done NOTHING!

Wow…was my reaction…I have never met anyone that has claimed that they have done nothing…I always hear “I play badminton once a week, a play squash, I play 5 a side football once a week, I swim every now and then…..”

I was yet to hear, “I have done nothing in 10 years”…

I drilled a little deeper as to why!…and this is what I was told!  “I got married and then came my little boy and I was taking care of him, then I had a little girl….and they are a right handful and then this happened and then that happened…and I found I never had the time”

My first question was, ”What has changed?”…He is still married, he still has a boy and girl, he is still working!…”So what has changed?”… 

He didn’t have an answer and was struggling to find one…I had to tell him what had changed…It was simple, his mindset had shifted and is what caused this sudden change, I say sudden because he has gone from 10 years of no activity to joining a gym and now trying to lead an active lifestyle.

All the reasons above were just excuses for not exercising; he had convinced himself so well that he was too busy that he did not exercise for 10 YEARS!

Maintaining Your Motivation & Mindset

I knew straight away I had to help this new member become settled into a routine and make sure that no one, especially him, disturbs his new found mindset.

I instantly asked him if he had a training partner and suggested he gets one and fast because he never.  By having a training partner not only does it add instant value to the social aspect of exercising it creates another reason for having to continue exercising…you don’t want let your partner down!

If there is a day he does not feel like training but his training partner decides to go to the gym, it is more likely that he will make the effort of going, guilt is the only reason for going, but the object is met!

Once going to the gym becomes a regular habit and please bear in mind this habit can take only a few weeks to form it can be the difference between sustaining a very healthy lifestyle for you and your family or another 10 years of inactivity and poor health.

A week later I revisited this newly formed health fanatic and was happy to hear that he managed to convince his friend who has also not trained for 10 years to join and start leading a healthier lifestyle!  His gym visits increased from twice a week with no training partner to 4 times per week WITH a training partner!

Now that does not sound like a big jump, but in fitness years that’s brilliant, he is now doubling his activity resulting in twice the amount of calories being burnt in a week, his muscle tone, strength and endurance will increase at a much faster rate and best of all he will start seeing mental and physical results allot sooner!

Did you notice something?

There was something that my new member had said to me about his friend that had just joined.  He also hasn’t exercised for 10 years!  As I met more often with these two I also learned that they work together, that they always had a beer after work together, they both supported the same football team and were season ticket holders TOGETHER!

Whether you want to believe it or not, you will do what those closest to you do!  They were both happy not to exercise for 10 years and were both happy to eat, drink and go to sporting events together but none of them mentioned exercising together!

But somewhere along the lines one friend’s mindset had shifted and changed for whatever reason, it could be health reasons, to prolong life, for family etc…

But that shift in his mindset also infected and positively impacted the mindset of his close friend.  What was his friends motivation?…there wasn’t one there…he has decided to take part in exercise because his friend for his own his personal reasons had decided to. 

Imagine what these two can achieve if they now decided to start looking closely at their eating and drinking patterns, what impact will this have on their families if they also change their mindset and focus on health and fitness?

The possibilities are endless and the point I am trying to make is only YOU can restrict yourself from everything and anything and you also have the power to influence those closest to you to also change their mindset.

So stop pointing the fingers at scenario’s that you have made to be true for not exercising and start pointing those fingers back at Yourself…as for “You are Your Own Worst Enemy”…but as you now know, that doesn’t have to be true…

Recovering from a Heart Attack

If you are recovering from heart attack or know of some that is, then it is important to ensure all professional guidelines are followed and that exercise becomes a regular habit once your GP/Doctor has declared you fit to do so.

Exercise

Exercise is part of the recovery process and should be treated as seriously as the medication and nutritional advice that has been prescribed to you.

When an individual has suffered a heart attack there is unfortunately some permanent damage that the heart muscle sustains as a result, so it is important when exercising that you start of slowly and stay within the guidelines that have been set for you. 

Exercise should be limited and your activities should or will consist of the following:

- Walking
- Stretching
- Very Light Resistance Exercise (Not in all cases)

The above list may seem very little but you have to protect your heart in the early stages and only expose it to as much stimulation as your GP/Doctor will allow you to do. 

Your hospital may also run exercise classes for you to attend, ensure you attend every visit as these classes will help determine the correct level of intensity you need to be working at and your heart can handle.

As you start exercising independantly and on a more frequent basis, you can with the authority of your GP/Doctor start building up the intensity of your workout routines.

Exercise will not only strengthen your heart but will also help you to lose weight thus reducing pressure on your heart, it will assist in lowering your blood pressure and also help reduce cholesterol levels.

(always consult your Dr or GP prior to starting ANY new physical activity)

Nutrition

As part of the recovery process you will have received a list of foods that should be consumed to help you while you are on the road to recovery.  Do not take this list lightly, ensure that you are following any meal plans prescribed to you and are consuming foods from the list only to help promote good eating habits.

There will also be a list of foods and possibly drink that you need to stop consuming as they can hinder the recovery process and get you back to your previous eating patterns which you need to avoid at all costs.

Preventing Another Heart Attack

After suffering a heart attack it is vital to ensure that you are not putting on weight as this can cause more stress and unecessary pressure on the heart.

It is just as important that you do not NOT suffer another attack to prevent further damage to your heart.  The list below shows you what precautions you can take to prevent another attack:

- Becoming Overweight
- Not Exercising
- Smoking
- Reducing and keeping your cholesterol down
- Reducing your blood pressure

The information is purely for guidance and SHOULD NOT be a used as a solution and or a replacement for any program that has been prescribed to you by your GP or Doctor.

Deepak Bhangu
Head of Operations
Musclemadness

Understanding Protein

The Importance of Protein

Protein is a part of every cell in your body; it is the most important nutrient as no other nutrient plays as many different roles in keeping you alive and healthy.

I cannot stress enough on the Importance of Protein in so many different areas…for the growth and repair of your muscles, bones, skin, tendons, ligaments, hair, eyes and other tissues is proven since a very long time.

Without it, you would not be able to produce the enzymes and hormones and antibodies you need for metabolism, digestion and other important processes such as healing…in fact did you know that when you have an infection, you should eat more protein because it helps create the antibodies your immune system needs to fight disease!

If you are injured, you may need more, as well, to help your blood clot and make repairs.

Protein & Diet

Even from this brief introduction you can see just how important protein is and it should now be obvious that our diets should contain high levels of protein, considering its very important role within the body.

However, this may not reflect what you have been told before.  In fact as you may be aware, government recommendation for protein intake per day is equal to 0.75g per kg of body weight.

For example if you are a female of 60kg in weight then your protein intake would be as followed:

60 x 0.75 = 45g of Protein per day

You should be able to work out yourself by now that this is highly inadequate considering the role that protein plays within the body!

In fact to be more realistic a 60Kg woman would need at least double that figure!

Obviously we are all individuals and there is not a “One rule for all”, but to recommend a minimum level for an average person (not an athlete) wanting to maintain muscle tissue and prevent catabolism (tissue breakdown), a more realistic level would range around 1.5g per kg of body weight per day.

Protein Summary

So as you can see Protein isn’t only for athletes and especially isn’t only for muscle building…Protein is for EVERYTHING! To summarise:

• Anti bodies which consist of protein are essential in helping our bodies fight and resist diseases
• You use up protein in everyday living just to keep your body running smoothly
• Everyday we lose protein in the form of hair, skin and nails
• Protein is supplied to the body to help heal and repair injuries
• For growing children protein is needed for growth of the entire body
• If you have an operation protein is needed to help build your body back to fitness

Gym Love

Ilaria Petrucci

Is it really a “Secret Weight Loss Formula” Day 4

Good morning, it is day 4 since I started this herbal tea weight loss diet and I am now starting to feel a big difference in my weight.

I was 13 stones and 6lbs when I started and I am now 13 stones and 2lb! 

Now remember weight loss is NOT a goal of mine, it’s actually weight gain so at the moment I am upset at having lost weight but am suprised at the speed I have lost 4lbs!

What I do have consider is I have also been continuing my training regime as normal, so there is a chance that my training combined with this herbal tea is a good fusion.

So when I do give you the ingredients on day 7 I am hoping you will do EXACTLY as I have been, exercising and taking the herbal weight loss tea every evening before you go to bed!…After all, it seems to be working!

I am still feeling very positive, alert, stomach feels brilliant and I am still feeling nice and light on my feet.

The total amount of money I have spent on this herbal tea is £2.35 and looking at the ingredients from both packages, this will be lasting me at least another month! 

More updates tomorrow…

Deepak Bhangu
Head of Operations
Musclemadness

When is the best time of day to do your aerobic exercise?

I am going to answer a question that I get asked allot…recently one of my good friends asked me the same question so I decided to write up an article about it and hopefully shed some light on this matter.

The answer to “When is the best time to do your aerobic exercise” is…ANYTIME!

The most important thing is that you do some form of cardio.  Any type of continuous cardiovascular exercise, such as walking, jogging, stair climbing, or cycling, sustained for at least 30 minutes, will reduce body fat no matter when you do it!

However, if you want to maximise the benefits from every minute you invest in your workouts, then you should get up early and do your cardio before you eat your first meal.

There are some major advantages to exercising early in the morning on an empty stomach…

When you wake up first thing in the morning, before you eat your levels of muscle and liver glycogen (stored carbohydrate) are very low.  If you had your dinner at 7 pm and you wake up at 7am, that’s 12 hours without food.

During this 12-hour overnight fast, your levels of glycogen slowly decline to provide glucose for various bodily functions that go on even while you sleep.  As a result, you wake up in the morning with depleted glycogen and lower blood sugar – the optimum environment for burning fat instead of carbohydrate

So how does this actually work?

Carbohydrate (glycogen) is your body’s primary and preferred source of energy, when your primary fuel source is in short supply, this forces your body to tap into its secondary or reserve energy source; body fat.

If you do cardio immediately after eating a meal, you’ll still burn fat, but you’ll burn less of it because you’ll be burning off the carbohydrates you ate first.

We NEVER burn 100% fat during ANY activity…it is always going to be a combination of fat and carbohydrate for fuel, but depending on WHEN you exercise, and HOW, you can burn a greater proportion of fat relative to carbohydrate.

When you do your cardiovascular exercises in the morning, not only do you burn the fat during the session, but the fat burning process lasts for hours after the workout session.

Interval Training (HIIT)

This happens especially with speed intervals training (the beloved HIIT Training you MUST have heard about!) workouts as it boost metabolism naturally.  However be careful not to do speed intervals training for too long or too often as it could be counterproductive to your goal as if your Nutrition is not Optimum (not enough complex carbohydrate to fuel your workout) there is also a greater risk of muscle breakdown (we cannot burn 100% fat remember? Therefore if there isn’t enough glycogen available the body will break down muscle. FACT.)…or as I call it…Muscle Suicide.

So…MIX IT UP…longer low intensity sessions and few short high intensity to give your body the kick it needs!

If you exercise in the evening you still burn the fat during the workout but as soon as you go to sleep at night, your metabolism slows down rapidly – it is significantly lower than during any other time of the day, so you would not benefit from an evening workout as much as the morning.

The other reason why you should do your fat burning exercise in the morning is getting it out of the way early and carries with you that feeling of accomplishment all day long!

Promote that endorphins release in the body as they create a natural “high” Endorphins not only improve your mood and release stress but also relieve pain.

Now wouldn’t that be a great start to the day…

And also let’s face it…when you put off any task you consider unpleasant, it hangs over you all day long, leaving you with a feeling of guilt, stress and incompleteness and you are more likely to “blow off” an evening workout if you are tired from a long day at work! (mental tiredness or physical)

The second best time to do it would be immediately after weight training.  Lifting weights depletes muscle glycogen and has a similar effect as morning cardio on an empty stomach (please note you DO NOT want to go for a hard weights session without some carbohydrate in your system).

I know what you are thinking….” I am not a morning person”  Well I think you should ask yourself “when have you decided that?”…You decide you are not a morning person and guess what?…Now you won’t be as that is what you have been telling yourself!

I can sleep in too like you wouldn’t believe…But I get up anyway because I know the effort is worth the results.

With my goal that I am clearly focused on, I’m committed to my morning cardio and training without fail.

Make a commitment to yourself to do it for just 21 days.  Once those 21 days are up you will already be feeling so much better and before you know it, early morning cardio will your new habit; you’ll be leaner, your metabolism will be faster and you’ll feel fantastic all day long! :0) Sounds awesome to me!

Now are you a morning person?…I’ll leave that for you to decide.

Gym Love
Ilaria Petrucci

How Much Exercise Do I Really Need To Do?

Do not over estimate how much you have to exercise to become fit and to remain fit…

Did you know that taking part in just 30 minutes of cardio exercise per day is a great way to kick start your new health regime?…didn’t think so!….well you can…

And did you know that once you are in a consistent routine of cardio training you can add body resistance exercises to your newly found routine to maintain muscle tone…Not having access to a gym or weights at home is no longer an issue!

And did you know that all this should only last you 45 minutes in total…so why not get in to the habit of starting with 30 minutes as soon as you get home from work and AVOID SITTING ON THE SOFA or going into the KITCHEN for a quick BITE as soon as you get out of your work clothes!….Instead get on that bike or get the skipping rope out or even put on those trainers and go for a run around the block…Avoid sitting down and tricking yourself into believing you will get up in 10 minutes and do something! 

Jump the BIGGEST Hurdle (TIME)

Jump the biggest hurdle used by millions of people worldwide EVERY DAY for not exercising (I DON’T HAVE THE TIME)…separate yourself from the crowd and be an individual…get on that horse you are constantly falling off from and GET FIT!….

Don’t make the mistake of trying too hard or rushing

Remember there is NO RUSH to become fit and healthy…health and fitness should not be treated as a seasonal chore…health and fitness is for life so lets start off slowly and pick up the pace gradually.

By rushing and pushing yourself too hard too soon will only result in your muscles becoming too sore and you having a good few days of serious muscle soreness.

Your muscles will build stamina, endurance and tolerance to exercise over a period of time with consistent exercise…so DON’T over do it! 

Conclusion

There is no excuse for not exercising unless you are restricted due to medicinal reasons or for reasons that are out of your control…and NO…time is not one of them!

Deepak Bhangu
Head of Operations & Personal Trainer 
Musclemadness

Ilaria Petrucci 

N.A.B.B.A (National Amateur Bodybuilders Association) Certified Personal Trainer

Nutritional Expert:
British Complimentary Medicine Association & Complimentary Medical Association Advanced Diploma in Optimum Nutrition

Introduction

Fitness and healthy living has always been Ilaria’s passion, however she wasn’t always in the shape she is in today.

After gaining weight during her first years of college, Ilaria realized that she needed to make a change. Looking for a quick fix like many, Ilaria jumped from one diet to another experiencing the frustration on “not getting there” or even worst…getting there quickly…and going back to the old weight three times quicker! Only with more frustration and a lower metabolism that she started with in the first place! Eventually Ilaria came to a hard realization… in order to become healthier and achieve the “tone” body she always wanted… there was no magic pill or magic quick fix diet that was going to do this “for her”…

“The first step I had to take was to make a CHOICE. There is very powerful “magic” that happens when you make a CHOICE TO CHANGE. The magic is that once you take that the decision of what you want…it is already done! It is just a matter of allowing yourself the time for people to see it too.

It is about being WILLING TO CHANGE, leaving the  past behind and whatever it is that is holding you back and DECIDE to move on. And LOVE yourself just the way you are RIGHT NOW.”

Quoting one of her favourite speakers, Will Smith, she continues “Do not EVER let anyone tell you, you can’t do something. You have a dream, you got to PROTECT IT. You want something? GO GET IT. Period”.

I believe our thoughts create our future and that we really do become what we think we are…

My passion for Fitness and for People continues, and in my journey and I want to help as many people as possible to achieve their goals, whatever that might be.

I believe in educating my Clients through the correct Training techniques and the correct Nutrition for them to be able to design their own healthy lifestyle according to their own individual needs and preferences.

You will never hear me talking about “diets”…it is about Nutrition, this is what your body needs.

The only diet that works is the mental diet – dieting from negative thoughts

Final Word

Ilaria Petrucci is a top Personal Trainer, Fitness Model and Nutritionist who has changed peoples lives up and down the country with her seminars, boot camps, personal training and nutritional support.

Ilaria has a very tough approach to her training and has adopted a very unique style when it comes to personal training…the end result being some very happy clients!

We are very proud to have Ilaria as part of Team Muscle and know her expertise in nutrition and fitness will help you our members in the quest for a healthier lifestyle.

Deepak Bhangu
Head of Operations

I have been exercising for a few weeks and can’t see any changes…am I wasting my time?…

So you have been training for a couple of weeks now and you can’t see any physical results at the moment…does that mean you are wasting your time?

The answer is NO….

When you start a new health and fitness regime the first thing you have to remember is for at least the first 4-6 weeks the only thing you will really notice is the feel good factor. 

When I say the feel good factor I am talking about you noticing the changes within yourself, you may feel more active, you may have more energy, you may even be more productive at work, there maybe a slight bounce in your step…these are what I call feel good factors.

The physical changes come after the feel good factors, so it is important not to give up because you can’t seem any physical changes at the moment.

“I have been exercising for a month and my weight has gone up…”

This is a very common question, especially amongst the ladies.  Allow me to school you all on body fat percentages and muscle mass. 

When anyone, male or female incorporates weight training as part of their fitness regime you will all be doing one thing and that is making your muscles heavier, this is NOT a bad thing, its positive.

Whilst exercising you will also be reducing your body far percentage ( Body fat does not weigh as much as muscle).

So we have two things happening at the same time, your muscle mass goes up and your body fat percentage goes down!…So really there will not be a great deal of weight loss being shown on the scales.

But there is a way you can check what I am saying and see for yourself. 

At your local gym there should be someone that can check your body fat percentage and also be able to tell you your body’s fat weight in kilos using a body weight instrument or scales. 

Make a note of these two figures then take your weight using standard scales and again make a note of this figure.

In a months time go through the same procedure and again write down the results.  You are now in a position to compare the results and verify if what I am saying is indeed correct.

Your body fat percentage should have gone down (provided you have a consistent exercise routine and diet) and there is a chance that your overall weight may not have gone down too much or even have gone up!

So avoid looking at the overall weight and automatically associate it with fat!

Remember a standard set if scales does not separate muscle mass and body fat, it takes into account everything, muscle, fat, bones, organs etc….

Deepak Bhangu
Personal Trainer

This is WHY you should STRETCH between sets

Stretching between sets can actually make you increase the amount of weight you are lifting!

Holding a stretch for up to 30 seconds can help boost the blood flow to the muscles and warms them up, increasing their elasticity by up to 18%.

Because flexible muscles can stretch further as well as use store more energy efficiently, it also increases the amount you are able to lift/push, giving you 30% more power at 60% of your max!