Monday, 27 March 2017

Train less for more!

Eh? I hear you ask, what is this nonsense?


How can you get more change in your body from doing less training?

Imagine fitting your usual hour of training into half an hour, you might need to adjust the weights a little or your pace on the treadmill or bike but yes you can achieve amazing results training for less time but at a higher intensity. This is hard at first and challenging if you haven’t trained this way before.

The After Burn Effect basically means that your metabolism remains elevated for longer, that you continue to use calories at a higher rate for longer after a HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) type training session than you from a standard endurance or strength session.


High Intensity Interval Training


Basically you work hard for short periods of time with shorter rest intervals or active rest in some cases. It can be a shock to the system, a thorough warm up is essential and a good active cool down to flush the lactate out of your muscles too!  


Perseverance and determination will get you through and once you see the results that can be achieved you will be convinced that this is the way to train!


HIIT has been around for awhile in various different guises and is now a major player in the fitness industry as a way to train.


There are many fitness, lifestyle and health related reasons for including HIIT in your training regime. Listed below are just some of the benefits of HIIT

  • Time efficient - approximately half an hour or so training
  • Strength and cardiovascular gains
  • Boosts metabolism
  • Increases insulin sensitivity
  • Reduces age related arterial stiffness
  • Reduces risk of metabolic disease such as diabetes and arteriosclerosis
  • Burns more calories during and after training
  • After Burn


An increased metabolism for longer after training

HIIT has so many peripheral benefits too; it’s not about how heavy a weight you can lift but how much work you can achieve with a moderate weight. The emphasis is on whole body training so there is no pressure to stick to training certain body parts on set days etc. The variety of different workouts also means that you can adapt your training easily if you are travelling for work or pleasure and the local gym doesn’t have all your usual training equipment in it. You could even do bodyweight only workouts on the beach!



Challenge, Adaptation, Change, Progress


The variety of exercises available and the constant change in the workout structure keeps the body guessing as to what is coming next, this challenge will ensure that the adaptation to training process is always working thus limiting staleness, overtraining and driving progress.


Now this is all great if you know how to structure your workouts, choose what exercises to use and in what order to use them?


There are loads of great apps and groups available to help with this and one such is the Get Coached HIIT Works programme. This is a closed FaceBook group that gives you access to free programmes, coaching videos and the chance to get directly in touch with a coach (me) to ask any questions as well as reach out to the Pages training community for feedback, input and programme shares.


To find out more about the Get Coached HIIT Works programme please get in touch with me on tsilvester@getcoached.net or leave your email at www.getcoached.net/the-hiit-works to unleash your inner athlete and be a better you!

Thanks for reading and I hope this has inspired you to try a HIIT workout or two!

Sunday, 12 March 2017

It's a two way thing!


The ability to communicate (eloquently in some cases) is what separates us from the animals. It is something we learn but it is also something that is innate.


Communication is essential if there is to be understanding, and it’s definitely a two way thing.
What I mean by this is that sometimes one just needs to shut up and listen! This applies more to us coaches than the athletes or clients we work with, in fact it can be tough getting them to talk at all sometimes!

It's a two way thing!


Learning to listen, I mean really listen to what is being said can be a real challenge for some and is very easy for others. I have been told I am a good listener, I certainly like to think I am. I am not sure if this is because I am hard of hearing and from a young age have had to concentrate on what people are saying or if I do actually just pay more attention to what is being said? Whichever one it is it certainly has helped me to understand what my athlete’s and client’s needs are and to use their input and feedback to help them achieve their targets and goals.

Learn to listen!


Getting people to talk, asking the right questions and knowing when to stay silent can really help in getting a better understanding of our clients and athletes. These are basic skills that any coach should have no matter their field of expertise. If we are to do our best for our athletes then we have to be able to listen to what they need, or sometimes ask the right questions so that they are clear on what they need which may not be the same as what they want. It is down to the coach to identify, to draw out from their client what it is they need to improve, goals, targets etc.


Likewise, our clients and athletes must be able to ask us questions, challenge us and demand a high standard of expertise and knowledge from us in helping them achieve their goals and targets.

Ask questions, search for answers!


I know this is a fairly basic article and I am sure there are many, many articles and blogs out there with far more content and detail on communication. However, the point I am making here is a simple one. Talk, listen, ask questions, search for answers, it is all about communicating with each other. As I said, it’s a two way thing!


Thanks for reading this far, I hope this helps and that you’ll communicate more.
Visit www.getcoached.net and leave your email to receive updates right into your inbox.