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.

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Spice up your cv workouts!

I recently asked a client of mine if they had any questions on their training and the discussion came round to cv workouts and how to make them less boring! And that is what my next blog should be on I thought, how to make cv workouts less boring. I'll need a better title though, just to spice it up a little!

Get more done in less time!

Cardiovascular work, endurance work, whatever you want to call it is traditionally thought of as steady state work, one pace. On the treadmill or cross trainer for half an hour or so at the same speed. Lots of cv equipment has interval or hill programmes included which are great and certainly help to make the training more varied and it's this type of variation that I want to talk more about.

Do your cv workouts feel like this?

There is more and more evidence showing that HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) or Tabata type training is not only good for international athletes but for the regular gym user as well. The health and fitness benefits are many and varied and we will be covering them later in this article.

L. Véronique Billat used interval training of varying interval lengths to train high level middle distance track athletes and has shown significant improvements in endurance and speed as well as specific physiological adaptations beyond just cardiovascular improvements. The links below are citations for two of her published works on this.

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s004210050029

http://link.springer.com/article/10.2165/00007256-200131010-00002

Her studies also showed that this training also worked with untrained individuals as well.

Dr Izumi Tabata of Tabata training also looked at the training effects of short recovery interval training bouts, see the link below.

https://breakingmuscle.com/learn/the-tabata-revolution-explained-what-why-and-how-to-tabata

This study looked at the benefits of short maximum effort intervals with very short rest intervals. This became known as Tabata rounds, 20 seconds of work with 10 seconds rest for 8 efforts equalling a 4 minute round.

Tabata and Billat’s work were originally geared towards running but have both been used with body weight and weighted exercises to great effect.

This type of training has been shown to reduce body fat, increase muscle mass, increase strength and endurance, help to reduce the risks of heart disease and diabetes, high blood pressure and can increase elasticity in major arteries which can stiffen with age.

So how do I use this to make my cv workouts less boring I hear you ask?

Below is listed several workouts that should ease your boredom a little.

The first three are based on Billat’s timings and should be completed at 85% to 95% effort with active recovery at approximately  40% to 50% effort.

The last three session times are based on Tabata’s work where each bout is near maximal effort whilst recovery is minimal effort.

Work Time	Active Recovery	Effort Repetitions	No. of rounds
2 minutes	1 minute		5 to 10 rounds
4 minutes	2 minutes		3 to 5 rounds
5 minutes	3 minutes		2 to 5 rounds
20 seconds	10 seconds	8 efforts	3 to 5 rounds
40 seconds	20 seconds	4 efforts	3 to 5 rounds
30 seconds	30 seconds	4 efforts	3 to 5 rounds

These are only some of the many variations available and should be enough for most of you to be getting on with for a while.

Best advice is to continue to include some steady state recovery training in your programme approximately once every 10 to 14 days.

To find out more about HIIT Training and how it can help you please get in touch here on by email at 

tsilvester@getcoached.net 

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy the workouts.

Conversations

I'll start This blog by saying I'm a little older than the average personal trainer.

This blog is for PT’s, clients and gym users alike, the reason I have written this is because it seems as if the art of conversation is becoming a thing of the past. However, once started most people enjoy a chat and I wanted to highlight the importance of talking as a way to communicate effectively to ensure that clients get the most from their gym programmes and PT’s; and that PT’s can provide the best service possible to their clients.

Now that's out of the way you'll hopefully get a better perspective on where I'm going with this?

A large part of a PT’s job is talking to people, introducing ourselves, selling, coaching or just having a chat in passing. From these conversations we find out our clients (or potential clients) wants, needs, likes and dislikes. Apart from finding out some interesting things it seems that people of a certain generation (my age and older) seem to share some common thoughts on training, training goals and what we motivates us.

"Just keep talking"

Obviously the most common discussions PT’s have with their clients and other gym members is about training, health and nutrition. I have found that more recently these discussions seem to centre around being able to maintain a level of fitness, keep a healthy weight and a good degree of mobility, rather than having a big bench press or deadlift.

One of my clients was telling me recently how pleased they were at being able to sit cross legged for the first time since they were a teenager, she is now over 60 and can also squat to parallel! This is a great achievement for someone who had low back pain and limited hip mobility.

Maintaining good posture is another regular discussion point and I have two clients of similar in age to myself who are following a programme set out to address certain postural challenges. They see having a good posture as more important than having good biceps! Our lifestyles, jobs, recreational and sporting endeavours can all impact our posture in one way or another. Following an appropriate set of exercises can go a long way to correcting most postural challenges and muscular imbalances.

"Discussion, engagement, learning"

These discussions are all about engagement with clients, learning about them, showing interest and building relationships professionally and openly. As a client or gym user you should question your PT or gym instructor and PT’s should just talk to everybody!

In order to write and deliver the best programmes for our clients we must first find out what they want and what they need. This could be two separate things, so a little of what’s wanted in a programme can help to motivate them to do what’s needed!

A couple of gym members said to me a few months back that I'm the only PT at our gym that actually talks to the members. Now whilst I do talk to more than just my own clients I know that I am not the only one talking at our club. Sometimes I just chat, sometimes I offer a little advice or maybe I'll coach them on a particular exercise.

However, PT’s aren't the only ones talking. Clients talk to clients, club members talk to club members and they all talk about us PT’s for good and bad!

"Everybody talks!"

So it's important to have conversations so that you not only get to know your clients and club members, but they get to know us too. It is far easier for a gym member or client to come and ask a question to a familiar face.

I hope this resonates with you or has motivated you to talk a little? As usual thanks for reading and I hope you continue to follow my ramblings! If you have any questions or suggestions please get in touch via my Facebook Page Get Coached (@getcoached.net) or via email at tsilvester@getcoached.net

How To Get Fit Lifting Weights

Trends in training are always on the move, and HIIT training seems to be the current “in thing” with the likes of Grit from Les Mills, CrossFit and Metafit really making it a mainstream phenomenon!

However, in my opinion this is just a rehash of good old fashioned circuit training boxed up and marketed effectively. Old school as they say, works.

The move away from the traditional sets and reps formula to a more target or goal oriented format has shown to be successful. HIIT training can increase muscle mass and improve fitness as well as help adherence to training.

For most people fitness usually means increased stamina, better endurance and is usually associated with cardiovascular (cv) exercise, which some see as boring and time consuming. CV exercise is also used as a fat burner; the more time spent doing cv the more calories burnt. HIIT training can burn more calories during and after a workout than traditional cv exercise over a similar programme length.

Traditional cv workouts can be spiced up by following a HIIT style format that will be more time efficient for most, and less boring overall. The heart health benefits of including HIIT training as part of your workouts have also proven to be more than just beneficial. This can include helping to reduce blood pressure towards optimal levels, to increase arterial elasticity, and to increase cardiovascular and cardiorespiratory health.

Imagine then, how easy HIIT training is to market and sell with all the following attributes:

• Boosts metabolism during exercise
• Metabolism remains elevated long after exercise stops
• Burns calories at a higher rate than traditional cv exercise
• Increases aerobic and anaerobic fitness
• Can increase muscle strength and size
• Efficient way to exercise (less time training)
• Variety of exercises and equipment available
• Excellent health benefits

Training efficiently, getting the most from every workout and more are all reasons to follow a HIIT style training programme. There are also some very specific benefits to this training method.

Getting older leads to a progressive increase in arterial stiffness, especially in large (central) arteries, which is accelerated by high blood pressure.

Moreover, young healthy individuals with a family history of hypertension can have increased arterial stiffness before any increase in blood  pressure is seen.

Although regular aerobic exercise appears to reduce age-associated arterial stiffness continuous moderate-intensity training interventions have failed to show any benefit for individuals with high blood pressure.

However, there is some evidence to show that HIIT training can reduce arterial stiffness in people with high blood pressure.

Always check with your doctor before starting a HIIT training schedule even if you don't have any symptoms of high blood pressure.

For more information on HIIT training workouts and exercises please get in touch by email tsilvester@getcoached.net or Facebook @getcoached.net or register your email address at www.getcoached.net for your free HIIT workout sheet.

Facebook Community Project

I NEED YOUR HELP!

A “YES” OR “NO” IS NEEDED!

Get Coached is looking to start up a closed community group to provide daily HIIT workouts, health, fitness,training and nutritional advice.

It will be aimed at those who enjoy Crossfit, Metafit, Grit, Insanity, circuits and boot camps but can't or don't want to stick to a fixed schedule or workout plan.

If you are looking for somewhere that will provide you with more than just a workout then this is for you!

If you want to be part of a motivated training community where you can ask for and share information on workouts, nutrition, training plans and general health then this is for you!

You will get;

Daily workouts (HIITS)
High quality posts and articles
Regular blogs
Health, fitness, training and nutritional support
Motivational posts
Challenges and competitions
Free give aways and prizes

A Personal Training (PT) session costs approximately £30, a one off online programme £10, ongoing Online PT can cost £50 per month and more.
Magazine subscriptions can be £2 to £5 per month without interaction and for a single publication.

You will get daily programmes, blogs, articles and motivational posts.
Q & A’s on all things health, fitness, training and nutrition with Get Coached and the rest of the community.

Did I mention excellent workouts on a daily basis!

All this for only £5 a month!

Please comment “yes” if this is something you would be interested in or contact me for more information by PM me via my Facebook page @getcoached.net or email tsilvester@getcoached.net

Posture Perfect?

How many times have we been told either as children or even now to sit up or stand up straight? More times than I can remember anyway and I consider myself to have reasonably good posture.

However, posture is not just about a straight back, and finishing schools are not as common or as accessible as they once were.

But they are needed now more than ever as we are a growing population, in height almost as much as in girth. Our increasing girth is more talked about due to the health complications associated with obesity. Whilst increases in population height are slowing our increasingly sedentary lifestyle is developing a back pain that is becoming chronic.

Walk tall, head up and shoulders back!

It must be said though that our lifestyles, jobs and obsession with social media and smart devices is challenging our posture more and more. How many of you have a smart something or tablet/pad? Even laptops are a challenge by their very nature, enticing us to sit in “comfortable” chairs and slouch whilst working or browsing. If our increasing height as a population is thrown into the mix then this is a recipe for back and neck pain, kyphosis and dysfunctional shoulders.

Slouching in itself is not a bad thing if done occasionally and for a reasonably short period of time, like when watching a film on tv for example. However, a poorly set up workstation or a bad driving position will be an occupational injury in the making. Some professions are really struggling with this, I work with a few police officers and those that are regularly in a car with their protective armour and utility belts often finish their shifts with sore backs, necks and shoulders which for some has lead to a postural change for the worse.

It is possible to correct this change in posture but it takes time, effort and consistency. The ability to get back into a good posture or body position after driving or slouching or even spending a few hours on the smart thing is the neat trick, whether immediately or after corrective exercises. Longer term postural changes will be more deep seated and will require time, patience and adherence to a specific programme to correct. If your joint range of motion is compromised or your muscle or skeletal systems are damaged or dysfunctional then it will take longer and will need input from a professional.

Low back pain, a kyphotic or lordotic posture or a slouch are all terms we have probably heard of and most people have certainly experienced non injury related back pain before.

So why is posture important?

Having good posture or being able to maintain a good body position whilst sitting, standing, walking or lifting weights is essential for optimal movement and functionality. Too rounded or slouched an upper back and we struggle to raise our hands directly overhead. Excessive flexion or extension of the lower back could indicate a weak core and/or tight musculature around the hips, lower back and hamstrings which could limit or comprise the hips and lower back during squat type movements.

Back pain is often an indicator of issues elsewhere rather than being the issue itself. Maintaining a strong core and following a comprehensive stretching programme will certainly help to reduce low back pain and keep good posture. Corrective exercises and a balanced strength training programme will further help to maintain and improve posture.

Don't reverse the evolutionary process, stand up straight and walk tall. Some of the best postures are seen on strength and power athletes, dancers and gymnasts. Being active and working your muscles through an appropriate range of motion will bring many health benefits, and not just postural.

If you are not sure how to plan out and build your gym programme to maintain or correct any postural dysfunctions then speak to your gym instructor, personal trainer or coach. Better still, give me a shout via email on tsilvester@getcoached.net on my FB page @getcoached.net or leave your email and a brief note at www.getcoached.net and receive a little freebie gift.

Determination, Direction and Doing the Right Thing

Hard work, determination, never giving up and staying motivated are all admirable traits that are essential for success in any endeavour.

However, they are more or less meaningless without direction.

Direction is “A general aim or purpose” or “The management or guidance of someone or something” as defined by the Oxford English Dictionary.

It doesn't’ matter what pursuit you are chasing down, what goal you're striving to meet or what outcome you desire; if your drive and determination don't have direction, a rudder to steer them the right way then you are directionless.

So how is this relevant to the Health & Fitness Industry I hear you ask?

Totally relevant for everyone involved at every level!

Whether you only do classes or cv, weight training or circuits, you still need to know where you want to get to. Some like to start with a goal in mind and work back from there to a starting point. Others set a more open goal, more of an outline idea but put detail in the journey getting there.

You need to go in the right direction to get to your goal!

The goal could be to lose a certain amount of weight, gain muscle or strength, to look a certain way, maybe improve your overall fitness or even to run a marathon! As long as you have a goal no matter how vague, you will have direction. Your goal may evolve as you progress towards it, your journey may take a different path from that which you originally planned.

But that's ok, as your journey should be one of discovery. In pursuing your goal you should also be learning about yourself, challenging yourself physically and mentally, learning new training methods and how they can change your body; adjusting your nutrition and seeing how that impacts your training and your body.

Learn, adjust, grow and develop!

From this you may review your original plans and decide upon a new goal. I have trained many people who had not done much weight training before, given them some basic strength exercises, seen them respond well to the training and actually enjoy it and then ask for more! Their goal of getting fit, strong, healthy or whatever hadn't changed but the way they trained has massively and for the better too as they are now reaping the rewards from a broader range of training stimulus.

From a coach's perspective an athlete or client with a clear goal is in general far more motivated to train than one without a real idea of why they are training. Now I am not talking about someone who doesn't know how to achieve their goal, or doesn't know what is possible through training. These people just need some guidance to help them understand what they want for themselves, how to train to get their goal. This is our job as coaches and trainers, to clarify and teach our clients and athletes about the journey and help them to achieve their goals.

I hope this has helped in some way and that you have enjoyed the read? Please don't hesitate to get in touch with questions, feedback or suggestions.

tsilvester@getcoached.net

Facebook @getcoached.net

www.getcoached.net