AlphaFit Magazine Issue 4

ONLINE n MOBILE n TABLET

www.alphafitmagazine.co.uk

ISSUE 4JULY

2012

The ulTimaTeblow ouTCompound exerCises and supersets that will fill your t-shirts in no time

Swim when you’re winningPerfect gadgets to helP you Pull off those master strokes

What’s the

beef?five reasons why minced beef should be an essential Part of your diet

Latest gadgets

Libido

Boosters

FestivalSurvival

there’s still time to get the best beach bodyHey Mr SandMan – Goodbye fat, hello muscle

FREE!TAKE MEHOME!

unusualolympic FacTs10

The uk’s FasTesT growing FiTness magazine

Contents21-06-12

www.alphafitmagazine.co.uk 3

06 Warm upFootball fun – separate your Minge from your Proverbs

07 Numbers gameGet ready for the Olympics with these facts and figures

12 GroomingMan manicures and pricey v budget products

16 What’s the beef Boost your body with our

minced beef recipes 18 Fashion

Summer styles

22 WinningNutrition tips that should be set in stone!

26 Slimmer summerTailor your diet to perfect that classic beach body

32 Lunchtime workoutUse press-ups to give yourself a full body makeover

34 Work issueTake a stand against back ache and obesity

38 Big body blowoutCompound lifts for the serious power lifters

44 Slumming it in styleSurvival tips for the festivals

46 RelationshipsSpice up your love life with tips from our lifestyle expert

48 IntroductionComplement your run with our choice of podcasts, plus the history of heavyweights

49 Dai GreeneTeam GB’s Olympic hope is excited about his London 2012 prospects and takes us through his training regime

54 GadgetsCheck out the latest gizmos to enhance your workout

58 Water wingsDevelop your swimming technique and strength with this handy gear

62 Back to the futureEver wish you could stop everything and start again? Six of the fitness industry’s top guns tell us what advice they’d give their younger impressionable selves

66 Off the recordThe best tweets from the fitness family

With so much sport upon us this summer,

it’s hard to find time to squeeze in your own exer-cise endeavours. How many of you swapped your usual post-work regime for a spot on the couch to watch the football during the Euro-pean Championship? It doesn’t get any easier with 24/7 coverage of the Olympic Games, but

thankfully help is at hand. We’ve got a lunchtime workout that will help you utilise your lunch hour and free your evenings for the serious business of watch-ing the experts at work. And if you’re inspired by what you see during the London Games, you might enjoy our exclusive interview with Dai Greene (page 49). You’ll get an idea of the dedica-

tion needed to improve as the Olympic hurdler reveals his training and dietary tips. There’s more where that came from in the next issue, but with a bit of luck, after following our tips this month, you’ll be in great shape to wear this summer’s hottest items (page 18).

Nick Judd, Editor [email protected]

What’s in store for this month

Getting you through your day p 24

WORK RIGHT

Diversions

Editor’s letter

Set off the right way p 10

START RIGHT

Make the most of what’s left p 42

LIVE RIGHT 18

32

54

49

58

16

Opening

warm ups

6 www.alphafitmagazine.co.uk

The serious business of the Euros in Poland and Ukraine saw a number of players impress in the opening stages. Here are five players who can give themselves a gold star...

What’s in a name?Ah, the European Championship. The perfect chance for men across the land to down tools at work and enjoy some of the dafter monikers on offer. Euro ‘96 saw Kuntz taking on Seaman, of course, while the highlight for many at Euro 2004 in light of England’s quarter-final exit was Quim’s inclusion in the Portugal squad. Sadly, this year’s selection offered nothing more than the giggle-inducing Andrei Arshavin, so to make up for it we asked @daftnames to scour the world for the funniest names in football history. Sadly, the much-publicised Aas Bandeet is an internet myth...

Ma

rkd

e M

an

10

Belgian defender who did what it says on the tin!

Da

ng

er

Fou

rpen

ce

1

Zimbabwian defender who’d be a bargain in the current climate

3KingOsanga

Nigerian forward currently playing for Sochaux in France

Ma

rioTu

rdo

4

Argentine striker without a club. Worth purchasing for shirt sales, no?

5WaldoPonce

Chilean defender and best-named player at the 2010 World Cup

6RalfMinge

Former German footballer now coach of the U20s.

7BongoChrist

Who cares?!

8RoyProverbs

Former Gillingham and Coventry City player who’s just turned 80.

Jea

n-J

acq

ues

M

isse

-Mis

se

9

A rather unfortunate name for the former Cameroon striker.

Andriy yArmolenkoAndriy Shevchenko stole the headlines in game one, but

left-footed winger Yarmolenko’s performances won’t have dampened suggestions of a big move from Dinamo Kyiv.

AlAn dzAgoevThree goals in Russia’s opening two games saw football fans all over the continent Googling the CSKA Moscow midfielder’s name. Could his fine form inspire a move?

Andres iniestAThe Spaniard is synonymous with tiki-taka and there are

few superlatives left to describe his finesse, but his range of passing and movement was a masterclass. Again.

ChristiAn mAggioThe Napoli right-back starred for Italy against Spain and his

performance outshone compatriot Daniel de Rossi, who was imperious despite playing out of position in defence.

mArio gomezThe Bundesliga’s record signing when he joined Bayern Munich from Stuttgart in 2009, Gomez was prolific with three goals as

Germany won their opening two games in Group B.

Nor

tei

Nor

tey

2

Current Chelsea youngster. Here’s hoping he makesthe breakthrough!


Opening

46

RINGS OFDESTInyYou might not have heard about it, but the Olympic Games kicks off this month. To whet your appetite here is London 2012 in numbers. Casually throw these nuggets into conversation and sound intelligent, thanks us later.

26 sports will take place

during the Olympics, 20 in the

Paralympic Games. The hottest

ticket of the lot? Synchronised

Swimming. We suggest your swot

up on your Cranes and Flamingos!3 Three really is the

magic number, for

it’s the number of

times London has

hosted the Games

(1908 and 1948).

80 The percentage of athletes

who are expected to be

staying within 20 minutes

of their events. 97 per cent

of athletes will be within

30 minutes of their events.70 The number of sheep Danny Boyle

is using in the opening

ceremony.

802 The number of medals up for

grabs in both the

Olympic (302) and Paralympic

Games (500).

14,700The number of competitors in total, that’s 10,500 Olympians and 4,200 Paralympians.

700,000200,000 staff members will work during the Games while officials are expecting 500,000 visitors a day. There will be 350,000 foreign visitors per day. Will there be enough loo roll?

20,000The number of worldwide press and media that will be in attendance. That will amount to a lot of Tweets!

2,000 The number of newts who have been relocated from the Olympic Park area to the Waterworks Nature Reserve.

3,600 The Olympic village will be converted into 3,600 apartments.


Opening

warm ups

GRENADEDeCLare war On faT!Summer is upon us, which means we’re all looking for that fat-burning edge. Yet if you’re training hard, eating well and not seeing the desired results then consider adding Grenade to your programme. The UK’s best-selling fatburner and the world’s fastest-growing weight loss brand, Grenade uses a combination of research-proven ingredients to help increase thermogenesis, boost metabolic rate and control appetite. It delivers explosive energy without causing the ‘jitters’, so it’s perfect to take before workouts. In fact, ingredients have been proven to increase exercise performance and it can last up to 30% longer than comparable products, as you only need a maximum of four capsules per day. Grenades’ effectiveness is trusted by professional athletes, fitness enthusiasts, military personnel and Special Forces worldwide. If it’s good enough for them...

For more information on Grenade go to www.grenadefatburner.com or join up on facebook: (facebook.com/GrenadeFatBurner)

ON T

HE C

OVER

Fat burners and all those affected by cramp rejoice, for our cover mount is here to help! ZERO by name but not in nature, this month’s free gift is a tab that produces a refreshing sports drink with no calories while boasting electrolytes and magnesium perfect for hydration, fat burning and cramp management. Research from the men in white suits found that drinking ZERO instead of other carbohydrate sports drinks could see you burn up to 41 per cent more fat. It’s

easy to use, too, just drop the tab (the easy-break tab means you can control

drink strength) into a reusable sports bottle and watch it dissolve. The end result is suitable for a wide range of sports activities including football,

rugby, biking, martial arts, motor racing, running, triathlon, swimming,

hiking, aerobics and racquet sports. With minimal packaging, it’s also

environmentally friendly, too.Everybody’s happy!

Be smart and shake!

Here at AlphaFit we love a 2-for-1 offer. Which is why we love Smartshake, a shaker bottle with two built-in compartments that allows you to store several servings of nutritional supplements – protein, creatine, vitamins, capsules, pre- and post workout products – as well as your keys or gym card. Genius. The advanced anti-leak technology is useful while a concave hexagon strainer attempts to eliminate those annoying powder lumps. Under a tenner, too. What’s not to like?http://www.smartshake.co.uk/

HigH 5s!


GROOMInGFASHIOnnuTRTIOn START RIGHTSet off the right way

FIvE REASONS WHY A CUP OF COFFEE IS A GREAT WAY TO START THE DAYCoffee’s energising effects are supposed to have originated in Ethiopia and for many of us a strong cup is the only way to start to the day. But is it good for you? Here’s five reasons why it is...

Try a coffee

before working out. It can improve short-term physical

performance, particularly during

endurance exercise.

Caffeine is a well-known

stimulant and promotes alertness and attention.

Reports also suggest a cuppa can increase information

processing and short-term recall. Regular coffee drinkers have

shown in tests to perform better when it comes to reaction

time, incidental verbal memory and visuospatial

reasoning.

A range of studies suggest coffee can act like Batfink’s

shields of steel, cutting the risk of type II diabetes

and your chances of getting colon cancer, reducing the

chance of getting Parkinson’s Disease and protecting against Alzheimer’s and

Dementia.

It’s rich in

antioxidants. Boasting such goodies as chlorogenic acid and

melanoidins, antioxidants help prevent the process that causes damage to cells and contributes

to ageing.

According to a meta-

analysis study published in the

American Journal of Epidemiology, coffee

consumption has been associated with a slight

reduction in the risk of stroke.


Grooming

lab series bb Tinted moisturiser spF35Lab Series’ latest skin saviour is effectively a 10–in–1 product and well worth the money. Not only does it keep skin hydrated, it also reduces that oily shine, evens out skin tone, disguises the signs of fatigue while packing a decent sunscreen, among other things.£32 for 50ml from labseries.co.uk.

roja Dove Vetiver extraitAround five times more expensive than your average bottle of eau de toilette, this fantastically masculine and earthy fragrance – from world-renowned perfumer Roja Dove – is made from the finest ingredients and is as long-lasting as fragrance gets. You’ll still smell it on your skin 24 hours later. Besides, who wants to smell like every other guy in the street?£225 for 50ml from harrods.com

clarisonic classicOn the face of it this nifty handheld gadget is merely a motorised brush. Yet it’s also a brilliant skin polisher that takes cleaning to a whole new level, using sonic technology to give skin a deep clean, exfoliating it and lifting ingrown hairs. Could you do the same with a £3 face scrub? Probably, but it wouldn’t be nearly as thorough. Or as much fun!£155 from clarisonic.co.uk

Are premium skincare products really worth the money? Or can you getgreat grooming at supermarketprices? David Lee takes a look...

Premium –or prime rip-off?

Pricey, but worth it


START RIGHT

It’s one of modern man’s biggest questions: are expensive, premium grooming products really worth the money? Or do £4 shaving creams manage the same job for a fraction of the price? Those of a cynical

nature will argue premium price tags represent style over substance, products which are simply the result of fancy packaging, designer names and exorbitant advertising budgets. They’d have a point, to an extent.

Yet there’s another side to the argument. Many premium products are priced because of their premium ingredients and technology. The Lab Series MAX-LS anti-ageing range, for example, took years to develop and uses technology based around sirtuins - the body’s own longevity genes.“It’s the first time we have used sirtuin-inspired research in a product specifically for men and uses technology that helps keep skin looking younger, longer,” says Richard

Sawyer, international education director for Lab Series Skincare for Men. It’s also technology that doesn’t come cheap. What you pay for when you buy the £41 Max-LS Overnight Renewal Serum is the men in white coats who toil for hours in laboratories to formulate it.

Other products may seem expensive on the face of it, but once you discover their multi-functional properties they could become worth the additional expenditure. Others – particularly niche fragrances – are simply more expensive because fewer of them are available, making them more exclusive. So, here are a few premium products worth their weight in gold and, just to prove we’re not snobs about skin care, a few brilliant bargain buys, too.

4711Created in the 18th century, fragrances don’t come more old school than this superbly fresh blend of citrus fruits and herbs. Don’t be fooled by the price – it’s a timeless classic and perfect for work or after the gym.£11.49 for 50ml eau de cologne from boots.com

bulldog original mosturiserFast becoming British men’s favourite mass-market skincare brand, Bulldog produce high-quality, performance-driven products with an ethical edge. This superb daily moisturiser, for example, is worth buying for what it doesn’t have – parabens, synthetic fragrance, artificial colours and other assorted chemical nasties – as much as for what it does, which uncludes skin-saving vitamins, green tea, algae and eight essential oils.£6.99 for 100ml from meetthebulldog.com.

sudocrem antiseptic healing creamIt might deal with nappy rash, but this inexpensive little wonder cream is the perfect all-rounder. Great for treating eczema and acne as well as calming sunburned skin, it is also good for getting rid of rough skin caused by manual work or weightlifting. And since it helps heal small surface wounds you can also apply it to razor cuts. Xbox fans will also be delighted to learn it’s a recognised treatment for pressure sores.£2.69 for 125g from boots.com.

budget, but brilliant


Grooming

Alpha Fit’s grooming expert David Lee lends a helping hand and discovers why a manicure is a man’s best friend

MOST OF US don’t give our hands a second thought and yet, along with our faces, they’re the one major part of our body constantly on display. And whether you’re on a date or in a business meeting you can bet

they’ll be scrutinised by the people you meet. Which is why a manicure – probably the simplest and quickest of all male grooming treatments and a great one for newbies – is one worth investing in.

“People often say that women judge a man on his shoes, but they are just as likely (if not more) likely to judge him by the state of the hands,” says Radhika Khandke, spa manager at the Intercontinental Hotel in London’s Park Lane – a place where manicures are automatically built-in to many of their men’s treatments. “It is also a confidence thing, “she scontinues, “as hands are the body part that we can see on ourselves at all times. If they look good we fell good. Certainly, if you’ve got a first date, a big presentation or important business meeting, well-manicured hands can be a big help.” Moreover, since most manicures involve a hand massage they can be great de-stressors too.

Facts on your fingersfancy trying a manicure? Here’s a handy list of everything you need to know...

when: Manicures are sound investments any time of year, but they’re especially good for big occasions such as when you’re getting married (do remember that your fingers will be on display in the pics for years to come). They’re also a good idea if you work out a lot or do a lot of manual work where hands take a real battering.

• where: Most beauty salons, spas, hotels and grooming emporiums now offer manicures for men, sometimes as stand alone treatments but often as part of treatment packages.

• what it involves: The main focus is on improving the look of your nails, so they’ll be trimmed and filed while cuticles will be pushed back. A good manicurist will work on your hands as well as your nails. “For men the key to a good manicure is removing dead skin, moisturising it and buffing nails to remove any ridges so they have a subtle sheen,” says Khandke. “The ultimate objective is to make hands look fresher and ultimately younger.” Don’t worry: the therapist won’t paint your mails. Well, not unless you ask anyway.

• How long: Usually about 30 – 45mins, so you can easily fit one into your lunchbreak.

• How much: varies. Expect to pay upwards of £25 for an express manicure. Luxury ones are longer and more expensive.

• Clothes off? Don’t worry, no paper pants required!

MANicure anyone?

START RIGHT


Merkurnapper leather

manicure setEvery man should have a manicure

set. This one, with five precision-made essentials, including a nail file and cuticle tool, is a brilliant investment. Keep nails

neat using the nail scissors (clippers can cause tiny cracks) and always cut

them squarely across the top. Then use the file to smooth the edges.

£59.50 from nivenandjoshua.com

L’OccitaneOne MinuteHand Scrub

Specially formulated for hands, this scrub is great for removing dry,

rough skin and for improving the penetration of any hand cream

you apply afterwards.

£13 fromuk.loccitane.com

Clarins Men Active Hand Care

Given that men’s hands are susceptible to damage, such as calluses from working

out and dry cuticles at the nail, this intensive hand cream is a lifesaver. It’s quickly absorbed

and non-oily too. Simply apply twice a day, wring hands together and ensure every part, including the

nails, are covered. If you’re worried about getting age spots use a hand cream like Clinique’s new Even Better

Dark Spot Correcting Hand Cream SPF15, which reduces pigmentation and protects against

further sun damage. This was launched initially exclusively at Harrods, but should

be nationwide by the end of June.

Clarins Men active Hand Care, £14 from clarins.co.uk

Your good hand kitWant to give yourself a DIY manicure? Then kit yourself out with these helpful hand heroes...


EasyDinners

It may have a tarnished reputation thanks to cheap food, but minced beef is not without its nutritional qualities, as David Stache shows

MINCED BEEF is like the less attractive and less loved brother. We still like it but it’s not our favourite and we’d never show it

off! Yet while lean cuts of steak are nutritionally superior when it comes to fat loss and muscle gain, that doesn’t mean you can’t still make very tasty and healthy meals using minced beef. When buying, however, it is worth spending that little bit extra and opting for lean minced beef over the cheaper own brand alternatives. Ideally, grass-fed beef would be used for its superior quality, so perhaps try athleat (www.athleat.co.uk) for good quality and tasty lean minced beef.

So what are the benefits of lean minced beef aside from the versatile nature? Firstly, minced beef is usually made from the grounding of less choice cuts of beef, so as said opt for the leaner options for the maximal benefits. These include:

FatThe leaner the cut, the higher the protein, which is what we’re looking for. The fat content is saturated fat, and despite many scaremongering claims of how it will kill you, like everything in moderate amounts in the diet it is fine and actually beneficial. When opting for grass fed beef you will get the healthy Omega 3 fats, too.

zincSo many people are deficient in zinc and yet it is important not just for health but for performance in the gym too, including a more efficient release of the hormones testosterone, growth hormone and IGF-1 - all key for muscle and strength development.

ironThe iron content from meat has always been widely known, and a deficiency in iron is not as common in men as it is in women, but it is still worth remembering that iron digested as part of food is more easily absorbable.

seleniumThis mineral acts as an antioxidant and has health benefits such as increasing sperm production and preventing the hardening of arteries.

Conjugated linoleic Acid (ClA)This is a great reason to increase your consumption of minced beef, as CLA has been shown to aid in decreasing body fat.

So overall there’s no reason to exclude lean minced beef from your diet. If anything, due to its benefits and versatility, no matter what your goals you should increase it. Just be careful what you’re eating it with: loading it with pasta and sugary sauces in a lasagne is not the healthiest nor is eating poor quality lean mince with bread and ketchup. So, throughout the magazine are some more interesting recipes for you totry out...

Make it aMinceDay

Fashion

classicMake it a

summerCome rain or shine, fine knit scarves, sharp polos and city shorts are the order of the day this summer


Look 1Nicole Farhi plum polo knit, £145; Paul Smith shorts, £85, Nicole Farhi scarf, £85


START RIGHT

Look 2Paul Smith jeans T-shirt, £60; Burberry Brit jacket, £400; Nicole Farhi navy trousers, £100

Look 3Paul Smith jeans T-shirt, as before; Nicole Farhi shades, £85


Fashion

Look 4Nicole Farhi khaki polo shirt, £85; Nicole Farhi navy trousers, as before

Look 5Luke wears: Nicole Farhi blue short-sleeved shirt, £105; polo ralph lauren chinos, £115-£170; shoes, model’s own Stacey wears: Vivienne Westwood jacket, £435 and skirt, £205; Joseph white T-shirt, £75; YSL silver heels, £565

START RIGHTLook 6Luke wears: Nicole Farhi indigo shirt, £110, Polo Ralph Lauren chinos, as before, shoes, model’s own Stacey wears: Amanda Wakeley hammered silk dress, £450; YSL pewter heels, £565


Shot on location at Harvey Nichols Leeds Photography: Vivienne Edge, Vivienne Edge Photography Models: Luke Cannon and Stacey Mottram, courtesy of Shameless Promotions Ltd Hair styling (Stacey): Lee Nunn at Sassoon Leeds Make-up(Stacey): Clarissa Wong at Shu Uemura, Harvey Nichols Styling: Ali Schofield All prices correct at time of going to print

look 7Polo Ralph Lauren blue stripe knit, £87


nutrition

WINNeR!MAKE YOURSELF A

There is nothing particularly different about the kind of nutrition you need to become a super athlete. It’s just a case of having the willpower and following David Stache’s four golden rules

I AM OFTEN ASKED what are the differences between the diets I prepare for elite athlete clients and those of the average gym

user wanting to perform or look better. The truth is, the same foods work for both - there are no secret foods that elite athletes are eating, nor are there any supplements they have access to that your average gym user can’t get themselves. However there are differences between elite and non-elite athletes I see all too often when it comes to nutrition. Here’s how...


START RIGHT

1. Consistency is the key

2. Understand how food works

3. Plan, plan, plan

4. Don’t forget about micronutrients

There’s nothing radical here. No secret formulas. The four corners of ‘winning’ are behaviours elite athletes adhere to, and that is the only thing setting them apart from the average gym user in terms of their diet.

So what does it take to be the best? Well, apart from genetics, dedication and great skill, the importance of nutrition is not to be underestimated. If you’re not planning your diet then you can’t expect to reach your pinnacle or see where you could improve. This is integral to constant progress. So, why not try and implement the above key differences for three months? You’ll be surprised how much progress you can make...

follow David on Twitter @totalbd or on his website www.totalbodydevelopment.co.uk.

Consistency – or lack of – is

without doubt the greatest difference and the

biggest issue when it comes to diet. Eating consistently well brings results – that is without question.

Sticking to a diet requires willpower, so when it brings results that help

individuals earn a living, the willpower struggle diminishes.

If your salary depended on eating the right foods and sticking

to a diet, you would.

Either the athlete or

their nutritionist they work with will have a good

understanding of why they are eating specific foods, why their meal timings are set out as they are and

what the implications are of straying from the plan. You don’t have to have a qualification in nutrition, but a basic

understanding of what foods are needed – and when – will improve

your performance. [Keeping up with Alpha Fit should be a good way to start if you’re

not sure – Ed].

Lack of planning:

After consistency this is the biggest issue I see when

results don’t come quick enough. If you don’t take the time to plan

your foods you will stray from your diet. As good friend Chris Evers - one

of the most committed gym members I have - commented: “The engagement

with food and the time and effort you need to put in has to increase

if you’re to be the best you can be.” To really be the best you

have to live the life in the kitchen, too.

I see young guys

using protein powders or creatine and a pre-workout

formulas but completely ignoring micronutrients either in their diet or from other supplements. At the very least you

should use a multivitamin. Other micronutrients such as zinc and vitamin D are excellent for both body composition and sports performance, yet these are often ignored. Contrast this with the

elite and they will, at the very least, be covering all bases either through food or supplementation. I recently ran my own mini-research in to zinc deficiency of 37 males who bought a tub of protein. Some 28 were deficient in zinc, yet

only four bought zinc supplements. Begs the question: why did they bother

with the supplements?


WORK WORKOuTS DInnER WORK RIGHTGetting you through your day

CiTY SLaCker?

You can achieve a lot in 30 minutes, like watching an episode of Entourage, having a power nap or conquering your all-time best on Temple Run.

You can also use this time frame to utilise your lunch hour and get in shape with a concise workout. Particularly handy for those who find working out before or after the 9-5 grind too tiring, lunchtime sessions not only get you away from the desk and give you more free time outside of work, it also helps prevent the nodding dog slump of the afternoon. You’ll feel energised and better equipped to deal with the rigours of the afternoon. Regular lunchtime workouts lead to a reduction in stress. You’ll feel calmer, more confident and refocused. You don’t need to overdo it, it’s unrealistic to think you’ll manage it every day, but short bursts of cardio and/or weight work are beneficial and can be complemented by longer sessions at the weekend. If you still need convincing, consider that you don’t get paid to sit at your desk in your lunch hour. So leave those sport websites behind, stick it to The Man and get in shape! Just be sure to take your shower stuff.

No spray no pay!


nutrition

Still time for a summer

You’ve been making progress in the gym, yet you still think you’re not quite ready to brave it all for the beach. So what do you do now? Is there still time to shift the fat for summer? David Stache gives his advice

I always say the easiest, and by far the best, way to look in great condition is to eat healthy, take your time dieting, plan ahead and be realistic about what you can achieve.

But I know that would be in an ideal world. I also know that all these new faddy diets you see being advertised – and which you certainly want to avoid – are around for a reason. We live in a fast-paced world with many distractions and often don’t realise just how many obstacles are in our way when it comes to dieting.

So if you have got to late June and are worrying about looking good on the beach for your summer holiday, is it possible to make a difference in such a short time?

Well yes, I believe it is possible, but it very much depends on where you’re starting from.

Usually, the biggest differences in physique change are made at polar opposites – by people who are either very overweight or those coming into very low body fat.

I’ve included pictures of a client of mine and what he achieved in four weeks of working with me

It has to be said that he had already been dieting for eight weeks, and was striving for that cover model look. You have to say, he got pretty close.

The issue with dieting, however, is that everyone is different. We all have different lifestyles and different foods that we prefer. Different diets also work for different people because of how they fit in with their lifestyle and current feeding habits. Extreme or crash dieting rarely works because for nearly everyone it is so far detached

from what they are used to that the short-term success is followed by reverting to the old habits and adding the weight back on. So to make a quick impact, which will have at least some lasting effects, you need to make sure what you do is manageable and easy enough to stick to.

Of course, you probably already know this. As an AlphaFit reader, I’m assuming you have already at least been watching what you eat – if not actually dieting, that you know a little bit about food and training and that you have remained in a calorie deficit for a while. If that sounds like you, you might well ask what the best approach for you to take is in the final few weeks?

Again, I would say that even a short diet needs to be tailored for specific requirements, but I know that’s not what you want to read, so here I have included my five core elements you need for when you are setting yourself a diet for quick and good results.

As long as you already know what your macronutrient breakdown is, with these rules you should make headway in the last few weeks and watch as the fat loss ramps up another few notches again. As ever, all you need is a huge dose of willpower to get in great summer shape, but soon you’ll peeling off your shirt on the beach.

beforeafter


START RIGHT

1 Time your carbs and only eat them when you will use them. This means keeping carbs for breakfast and around training

(pre and post-workout). At all other times you should eat lean proteins and healthy fats as well

as large helpings of green vegetables.

2 Don’t cut out the macronutrients. Just view them as functional and eat them for their intended purpose. Carbs serve a purpose in

the diet and that’s for fuel, which you need for intense workouts as well as recovery. Fats are also needed for energy, and protein kept high will keep you fuller and also repair your muscles after workouts.

3 Lower your carbs on low output days. You simply cannot train every day when dieting – it is detrimental and recovery becomes harder. So

as your energy requirements on non-training days are lower, you should lower the amount of carbs you consume from starchy sources. You don’t need to eliminate them altogether. I would suggest eating some at breakfast and some at lunch and then cutting them out in favour of healthy fat and green fibrous vegetables such as

broccoli, spinach, kale and green beans.

4 Throw in a fasting day or period. These are a great tool to add to your diet regime. Going on a fast day increases growth hormone

levels, decreases insulin levels, improves insulin sensitivity and increases catecholamines,

which increase your resting energy expenditure. I find that usually 16 hours of

fasting is manageable. Eight of these can be while you sleep, and then you only

need to have four each side of bed.

5 Eating variety is also key. Try and be creative in the kitchen. It helps

keep the diet interesting and provides a wide variety of

micronutrients to the diet.

RULesfor a quick fix


EasyDinners - Make it a Mince Day

ItalianMeatloaf

This first recipe is packed with micronutrients and serves as a great alternative to the usual burger or meatballs.

• 700g 92% lean ground beef

• 200ml fat-free tomato-basil pasta sauce, divided

• 100g italian-seasoned breadcrumbs

• 100g preshredded fresh Parmesan cheese

• 100g finely chopped onion

• Handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley

• 1tsp garlic powder

• ½ tsp dried basil

• ½ tsp dried oregano

• ½ tsp salt

• ¼ tsp black pepper

• 2 large egg whites

• Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine beef, half the pasta sauce and remaining ingredients except cooking spray in a large bowl. Shape beef mixture into a 20cm loaf on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Brush remaining pasta sauce over top of meat loaf. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a thermometer registers 160°. Let it stand for ten minutes. Cut loaf into 12 slices.

Per serving: 308 calories, 31 g protein, 7 g carbs, 12 g fat,2g fibre, 2g sugar, 280 mg sodium

inGreDienTS

inSTrUCTiOnS

nUTriTiOnaL infO



Cheap & EasySwedish Beef Patties

I first had this when visiting friends. I had no idea what to expect when I saw it being made up but as a healthy, filling meal it hit the spot. This recipe is also ideal for making multiple weekly servings.

inGreDienTS

inSTrUCTiOnS

nUTriTiOnaL infO

• 2 cold boiled potatoes

• 500g lean ground (minced) beef

• 3 tbsp water

• 2 tbsp butter or margarine

• 2 large onions, sliced

• Salt and white pepperMash the potatoes and mix with the ground beef. Add salt, pepper and water. Work the meat mixture until smooth and shape into patties. Heat the butter in a frying pan. Add the onions and cook over moderate heat until golden brown. Transfer the onions to a platter and keep it hot. Melt the remaining butter in the skillet and cook the patties over moderate heat untill brown on both sides and cooked thoughout. Serve patties with a sautéed onions and vegetables of your choice.

Per serving: 300 calories,16g protein, 20g carbs, 16.9g fat.

Only 300 Calories!

LuNchtimE woRkout

I AM A HUGE FAN of bodyweight training and feel it is hugely underrated and somewhat overlooked by those who prefer fancy machines and dumbbells. Don’t get me wrong, free weights are awesome, but

the old school press-up is not to be brushed off just yet. Here are four simple yet highly effective things to add to your upper body routine that will have you looking at the press-up in a whole new light:

1) Create full body tensionYou see it everywhere: hips sagging, back arching and heads bouncing all over the place. Not cool. When doing a press up it is important to create tension throughout the whole body in order to get maximum benefit. I like to call the press-up a dynamic plank, as it’s essential you tuck the pelvis forward, squeeze the glutes for dear life and tense those abs as if Jackie Chan is about to kick you in the stomach. Remember the hips should never drop below the shoulders.

2) Slow downFar too many people are in a hurry when doing a press-up. Those who claim to be able to knock out 50 are not doing them properly. In fact I would say that if you can manage more than 15 comfortably then you are probably not doing them right. Try taking five seconds on the negative phase of the movement (the way down) and then press up as quickly as you can. Yes, doing it like this is tough.

3) Use your full rangeI want to see chest to floor press-ups – that’s what I mean by full range. If you can’t hit this range then either perform them with your knees on the floor or place your hands on a step box or bench to reduce the percentage of bodyweight you are lifting. Gradually reduce the angle until you can perform a full-range press-up.

4) Change your hand position and body angleThere are so many variations you can use to mix up your press-ups. Try taking your hands nice and wide to hit the chest more, or bring the hands and elbows nice and close to the body to utilise the triceps. Another great way to mix things up is to place your feet on an elevated surface to hit the upper chest and shoulders. There are also handstand press-ups, but you’re better off mastering the regular ones first.


Rules to follow for the perfect press-up:•Regardless of your width of grip, I prefer to keep

my hands in line with my chest to ensure tension remains on my chest and triceps and not too much on my shoulders.

•At the top of the position, again regardless of your variation, make sure your hips are either in line or above your shoulders but never below - just like a plank.

• Fully engage your abs and glutes by tilting your pelvis forward and tensing your abs nice and hard. Squeeze your glutes as solidly as possible.

•Your legs must be fully extended, with tense glutes.

•You now have the perfect starting position. Now, still keeping the full body tension you have created, imagine you are grabbing the floor (this engages the forearms more) and using your lats to pull the floor towards your chest.

•Get your chest as close to the floor as possible. Ideally you want there to be a light touch at the bottom with a brief pause, but for now go as low as you can comfortably go.

Matt whitmore is part of a duo who run fitter London, a series of classes and events that aims to bring innovation and excitement back into personal training and group exercise. for more information go to www.fitterlondon.co.uk.


It may be routine, but the simple press-up can give you a full body workout if you do it properly, says

Matt whitmore

press-upPimP yoUR

The press-up workoutTry this press-up variation workout and see how you get on. It will take you less than 20 minutes and will be an incredibly testing upper body workout that targets your chest, shoulders, triceps and, if done properly, your abs and glutes, too.

1) Incline press-ups: do 4 sets of 8-10 reps, taking 4-5 seconds on the negative movement. Rest for one minute.

2) Close-grip press-ups: do 4 sets of 8-10 reps, taking 4-5 seconds on the negative movement. Rest for one minute.

3) Regular press-ups: do 4 sets of 8-10 reps, taking 4-5 seconds on the negative movement. Then rest for one minute. The first couple of sets may feel comfortable, but during the last two it really kicks in. Make sure on the negative movement that you are working to a count of five, and not a fast five.

Remember, a full range is essential - if these are done correctly you will feel it everywhere. In fact, through doing this workout we have taken a commonly known chest and arm exercise and turned it into a full body movement.

Regular Grip

Narrow Grip

Hand grip

variationsreGULar GriP: Just wider than

shoulder width.CLOSe GriP: hands completely

together to nipple width.wiDe GriP: anything wider

than shoulder width.


WorkIssues

Stand

THINK OF YOUR CHAIR at the office. Think of how nice it is to sink into and lean back. Think of the sense of authority those arm rests give you.

Now think of this. Sitting like that – whether you are just waiting for the phone to ring, punching a keyboard or scrolling down on your computer screen – is not natural. It was never what evolution had in mind for your backbone. Yet it seems everyone is taking life sitting down.That could explain why a Nielsen study discovered more than half of all adults suffer with back pain. It’s no coin-cidence that 60 per cent of the UK suffers from obesity. Whether you operate a truck or a mouse, we’re now seated for unprecedented periods of time. That minimises our calorie burn and places our spines in crippling positions.But there is a way to fix it: stand up while you work...

sTanDing oVaTionNo, it’s not as daft as it sounds. It takes a little more effort to become a stand-up guy, but it’s worth it if you consider it could well help you side step the reaper. Research in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that, regardless of the amount of exercise blokes did, those who sat for less than six hours a day also celebrated the most birthdays. What’s more, you’ll burn around 50 extra calories each hour if you alternate between sitting and standing – so if you stood for four hours a day, you’d burn an extra 200 calories. Over the course of a 365-day round trip of the sun, this deficit would make you 10kg lighter.

“The enzymes in blood vessels of muscles that are responsible for ‘fat burning’ are shut off within hours of not standing,” says Marc Hamilton, an associate professor of biomedical sciences at the University of Missouri, Columbia. So, if you’re having trouble getting a six-pack, the time spent on your behind could be the reason.

Don’T be a benchwarmerThink of your glutes, too. They top many women’s ‘most-wanted’ lists and they’re also your most valuable fat-burning and sports performance assets. “Unfortunately the most prevalent weaknesses in recreational athletes are their glutes,” says Ben Coles, a physiotherapist with a master’s degree in sports therapy. “This is because we’re sat on them all day long, reducing their blood flow so your body almost forgets how to switch them on. They’re your biggest muscles and impact the performance of your entire body.” So if you’re booting a ball, hiking a trail or surfing in Cornwall you’ll perform better with glutes, core muscles and legs that aren’t sat on all day.

Take acTion nowDon’t worry. We’re not suggesting you spend all day standing up and bellowing down the phone with your head crooked to hold the handset like those office show-offs. A simple sit-stand desk will do. “People who use sit-stand desks not only have less discomfort but also report being more productive at work while relieving RSI and back pain,” says Matt Baker, an ergonomist and corporate seating specialist. So if you’re bogged down with back pain at work then get a doctor’s note about your condition and present that to your HR department to get them to buy you one. When you’ve been training hard and eating right and still not getting ripped, then being upright at the grind will stop your IBM from controlling your BMI. It should also help you stand up against the mother of all fat loss plateaus, and get memorably lean.

The digital age is stamping its authority on our DNA

with obesity and backache. Fortunately, says fitness advisor

ray klerck, there are ways to stand against the machines

to take aLearn


WORK RIGHTgeT sTanDing whaTeVer The cosTHere’s our choice of furniture to get you started...

BLOwOUTSingle leg sit stand desk. £345 from www.alux.co.uk.

BUDGETBkorjudden bar table (£69) and Hendriksdal bar stool £56) from Ikea.

Every hour spent sitting at your desk equals:•11% increased risk

of death •18% increased risk of

cardiovascular disease•9% increased risk of

dying of cancersource: Circulation

Famouspeople who

sTooD up To work

•Thomas Jefferson•Winston Churchill•Ernest Hemingway•Donald Rumsfeld



Fat Burning Burger

inGreDienTS

inSTrUCTiOnS

nUTriTiOnaL infO

• 400g lean mince, divided into two patties

• 4 large romaine lettuce leaves, ribs removed

• 2 fried eggs

• 50g mature cheddar cheese, grated

• 2 slices grilled red onion

• ketchup

• Dijon mustard

Take the meat out of the fridge an hour before cooking. Bringing it closer to room temperature will help the burger to cook more evenly. Rub it with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Use high heat when you cook it - If you don’t hear the sizzle when it hits the grill, it’s just not hot enough. Be sure you cook it for three to four minutes on each side and (if you must) only add cheese at the end. Let it rest for three or four minutes before eating so the juices redistribute themselves through the meat. Lay two Romaine leaves together so they overlap slightly, and place a patty in the center. Top with a fried egg, cheese, onion, and condiments, and fold the lettuce over the burger as if making a burrito.

Per serving: 366 calories, 15.8g fat, 49.2g protein, 3.1g carbs, 0.3g fibre, 316.2mg cholesterol, 445.6mg sodium

A favourite on my low carb days, I get the burger fix - just without the nutritionally poor bread.


FuLL BoDYBLowout

- Perform 8-10 reps of the following supersets. Exercise A immediately followed by exercise B.- Rest for 45-60 seconds between supersets.- Perform four sets of each superset (one warm up set and three working sets).

1a) Bench press- Lying on a bench, start with the bar directly above your chest with a thumb over grip. You want to ensure you have full control of the bar.- Squeeze the bar nice and tight to stimulate the fibres in the forearms and shoulders.- Using your lats, imagine you are pulling the bar towards your chest while bringing the shoulder blades together and presenting the chest to the bar.- Bring the bar down to around the middle of the chest. Make contact with the chest to ensure a full range of movement and maximal results.

b) Deadlifts- A favourite exercise that works everything when executed properly. Start with your feet just wider than hip-width apart and your toes pointing straight ahead.- Standing with the bar up against the shins, grip the bar just outside the width of your stance. - Keep your bum down so your hamstrings are around 45 degrees from the floor, present the chest up and retract the shoulders back and squeeze the lats nice and tight.- Take a deep breath in to the stomach and brace the midsection to support the lower back. - Power through the heels to drive the bar up. The shoulders should be pulling backwards as the hips are driving forward. If one fires before the other then unnecessary stress will be placed on the lower back. Exhale powerfully as you lift.- The glutes and hamstrings should power the hip drive. Ensure the bar remains nice and close to the body to keep the power drive central. The bar should raise in a straight line from start to finish. At the top of the movement keep tension on the abs, fully extend the knees and brace you abs as if someone was waiting to punch you in the stomach.


2a) Dumbbell shoulder press- Do these standing. Lift the dumbbells to your shoulders with palms facing forward.- Get a strong foundation by taking a hip-width stance, squeeze the glutes and brace the midsection.- Squeeze the dumbbells nice and tight, take a deep breath and exhale explosively as you power the dumbbells overhead, fully extending the elbows.- Return to the start position with control and repeat.

b) Wide grip bent over rows- Using a deadlift technique, lift the bar with a hip-width stance and a grip wider than shoulder width.- Bend over at the hips until your torso is a 45-degree angle to the floor.- Keeping tension in the midsection again to support the lower back, retract your shoulder blades and engage your lats. Avoid letting your shoulders move forward.- Bring the chest to the bar, drive the elbows up while squeezing the lats. Keep going until the bar touches around the middle of the abdominal area.

C ompound lifts are exercises that involve multiple joint movements and muscle recruitment within the same exercise. They stimulate the body’s large muscle groups such as the chest, back and legs. Deadlifts, bench press and squats are a great example of this. The following workout has been designed to target all the body’s major muscles groups and in doing so will send your metabolism through the roof, give your testosterone levels a

deserved boost and build some serious strength and size. Supersets are also beneficial. This is where you perform two exercises, one after the other, with no rest (you rest after the second exercise). Supersets are a great way to make the most of your gym time by stimulating your body’s natural growth hormone production, saving time, increasing intensity and again giving your testosterone levels a surge in the right direction. All of which means you’ll be burning fat like a furnace and feeling great. The following workout can easily be completed in your lunch hour. However, the crucial part is being strict with your rest periods (60 seconds max), this is where most people waste time and lose intensity.


Control the negative phase of the movement. This eliminates momentum and stimulates the muscle fibres more effectively. For example, on the bench press, you would press the bar up as quick as possible (positive) but on the way down (negative) you will stay controlled. I like doing a four-five second count for best results. Another tip is to not bounce the reps at the start point of the

movement. To recruit maximum muscle fibres we are looking to remove momentum to keep greater tension on the muscle, which will lead to greater growth potential. Last but not least, most movements will benefit from engaging the glutes and the abs. It creates great full body tension and will really look after your lower back. Trust me.Give it a go.

tRAiNER’s tip:

3a) Goblet squat- Take the kettlebell or dumbbell in your preferred grip. For a kettlebell I prefer the handle facing down. With dumbbells, I grip so the plates are in each hand.- Move your feet shoulder-width apart and angle the toes slightly outwards.- Maintaining a straight back, take the bum towards the floor aiming to get as low as possible whilst keeping the back straight. Use the weight in front as a counter balance and you will be able to remain more upright.- Keep the heels on the floor throughout the whole movement, keep the shoulders pulled back by engaging the lats to keep the weight close to the body.- Drive through the heals explosively whilst pulling the upper body back into the starting position. Squeeze the glutes as hard as you can.

b) Single arm dumbbell row- Place the knee and hand on the same side on a bench until your back is parallel to the floor.- Take a dumbbell in the other hand and let it hang straight. Keeping a straight back and your elbow close to the body, drive the elbow up and back aiming to move the hand towards the lower abs.- Really squeeze the lat at the top of the movement, don’t let the bicep dominate the movement. And repeat.


4a) Dumbbell floor press- This is a great exercise to complement your pressing movements. Take two dumbbells and lay on your back on the floor. I bend my legs to 90 degrees with my feet flat on the floor, but you don’t have to.- Place your elbows out to your side with your triceps resting on the floor and your elbows bent to 90 degrees.- Squeezing the dumbbells tight, power the dumbbells over your chest. Fully extend the elbows.- When you return to the bottom position, do so with control as you don’t want to injure yourself. Also, pause briefly at the bottom to eliminate momentum. This will help you enjoy benefits during the bench press in no time.

b) Hammer curls

- Take a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing inwards. Maintain a hip-width stance and get a solid foundation by squeezing the glutes and bracing the abs.- Keeping the shoulders pulled back and, squeezing the dumbbells, drive your hands up to take the top of the dumbbell towards the front of your shoulders. Try not to let the elbows come forward too much.- Slowly return to the start position and repeat.


HEALTHFRIEnDSLOVELIFE

LIVE RIGHTMake the most of what’s left

SPiCe UP YOUr fOOD anD YOUr LiBiDO

Hot chillies: taste good, rubbish when you rub your eyes after having chopped them, right? Well, yes, but it turns out our stir-fry essentials can also be beneficial when it comes to making sexy time. Hot chillies boast Capsaicin, a useful chemical that not only increases circulation and pumps blood but also stimulates nerve endings in you and your partner’s vital organs. You’ll be more turned on than the Christmas lights in Blackpool in December.


Health

Excess without the baggageIt’s party and festival time, which is great –until the morning after. Follow Karen Laing’s tips and you can live it large and live to tell the tale


LIVE RIGHTSUMMER. Season of barbeques,

balmy all-nighters and festival fun and frolics. But when the antics

are over and the sun rises on a bleary head and a bad case of death breath, the guilt sets in. So just how do you recover from party excesses? Should you submit to a greasy fry up, run it off in the gym or just pinch your partner’s concealer?

As a fit bloke you can get away with a lot, but the triple party threat of alcohol, sleep deprivation and a poor diet can wreak havoc with the otherwise body beautiful.

HEAvY BEvvIESWe’re so accustomed to social drinking that we can easily forget alcohol is a drug. It is in fact “a powerful, addictive, central nervous system depressant,” according to the American Council for Drug Education (www.acde.org). It affects our response times and stress levels, so post-intoxication is definitely not the time to shift heavy weights or push yourself in the gym. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), as we recover from an overdose, our nervous system begins to react more rapidly. You might feel strangely alert but this is your body’s nervous system recovering and going into hyper-drive.

PUNISHMENTThe standard guidelines provided by Drink Aware (www.drinkaware.co.uk) reveal our bodies take one hour to recover from one unit of alcohol. Drink more than this, mix it with dehydration, sleep deprivation and partying and it can be hard to know how long it takes to recover. Weight, metabolism, body composition and genes can all affect our rate of recovery, so it’s vital to listen to your own body.

THE MORNING AFTEREven if you have slept, alcohol and partying disrupt your natural sleep cycle, making you groggy and grumpy. Aside from the immediate reductions in performance and alertness, sleep deprivation can also affect your appetite. The 2004 Wisconsin Sleep Cohort Study found that sleep-

deprived participants had lower levels of the hormone leptin (the hormone that makes you feel full) and higher levels of the hungry hormone, ghrelin. If you’ve ever had a case of all-day munchies after a particularly sleepless night, that’s ghrelin talking. Ghrelin can also make you crave high-calorie foods - hence the desire for fry ups and sugar. Experts agree that drinking a lot of water, sticking to protein-rich foods and essential fats, like those found in olive oil, salmon and avocados can curb ghrelin cravings.

KEEP DRINKING –WATER, THAT ISAll night drinking and dancing will leave your body more parched than Death valley, especially in the summer when you naturally need more water. Your muscles are 70 per cent water, and your body needs water to process alcohol in the bloodstream. So your first recovery aid is plenty of the wet stuff.Don’t forget that dehydration can also affect both your physical and mental performance. According to Chris Jones, Nuffield Health’s professional head of physiology, a two per cent loss in hydration equates to a 20 per cent reduction in exercise performance. So don’t expect to get a big gym session in after an all-night party.

A MAGIC BREWA 2011 Harvard study claimed that the best cure for a hangover was caffeine and an aspirin. The medical research found that the anti-inflammatory properties of caffeine and aspirin worked against the bi-product of alcohol, chemical acetate. This reduces inflammation, easing the pounding headache associated with hangovers. Caffeine is also a well known pick-me-up if you are tired, although if you’re dehydrated it’s best

to accompany caffeinateddrinks with plenty of water to maintain your hydration levels.

EGGING YOU ONMilton Crawford, author of The Hungover Cookbook, says it’s all about listening to your body. “There’s a reason we all crave eggs and tomatoes,” he says. Eggs are a great source of protein and contain the chemical cysteine, which can help mop up post-drinking session toxins.

GET THE GREENS INIf you’ve been partying hard, it’s possible your diet hasn’t been your standard “my body is a temple” fare. Alcohol also depletes essential vitamins, so eating lots of dark green vegetables and colourful fruits is going to help bolster your system. And if you can’t stomach food, then a fortified sports drink or fizzy vitamin tablet could pep you up.

THE FIZZ CUREIf you can stomach it, pop a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda in a glass of tap water. Sodium bicarbonate is alkalising, which will help to neutralise some of the acids in your stomach as well as refreshing you and that lovely death breath.

IT TAKES TWOTwo days of excessive drinking is all it takes to start damaging brain cells, according to a 2002 study from the University of North Carolina. The study, published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, found that damage occurs when blood alcohol levels reach high levels, such as ten alcoholic drinks in one drinking session.


Relationships

SPARKLEP u t t h e

Moving your relationship out of the doldrums doesn’t have to be difficult. Simply follow lifestyle journalist Sabi Phagura’s top tips to get you shipshape once more

BACK


LIVE RIGHTDo you recall when you first

started dating? Remember how you used to go that extra

mile to impress your other half? When nagging was an alien trait to her but now seems a constant fixture, with conversations revolving around issues such as whether the toilet seat is up or down and if the lid is on the toothpaste?

Well, now it’s time to get your relationship back on track and inject a little more oomph into it. You don’t necessarily have to pull out all the stops the way you did back then, but regular efforts to show your partner that you appreciate her will do wonders for improving your relationship with your loved one.

What’s more, it could lead to a better sex life, less nagging and ultimately, a more peaceful time. And who doesn’t want an easy life? Here are five ways to make your relationship better. Eyes down...

Compliment herIf you’re not sure where to start, a good place is by handing your partner regular compliments. Tell her she looks hot or thank her for her organisational skills if she’s planned a night out or weekend away for you both. By doing this, she’ll feel appreciated and not like she’s being taken for granted. And when we compliment someone, it’s very hard for them to pick faults at you. This equals less nagging and means that you can probably go and watch footie with your mates without too much hassle in the long run.

But remember – only pay the compliment if you mean it. It won’t look good if you later take what you have complimented for granted. Like ignoring her when she gets a round.

Help around the houseYou’ve come home from work, had dinner, and you can’t wait to get her upstairs in the bedroom to have some good old fun to alleviate the stresses of the day.

But all she can think of is getting on with the household chores which have piled up.

Offer to help out around the house when you can so it frees

you both to have some quality down time together.

It’ll mean the work gets done in half the time and there will be no excuses for her not to want to please you.

She’ll be grateful that you’ve helped her out and will want to return the pleasure. After all, as the saying goes, no man was ever murdered by his partner while he was doing the dishes!

Concentrate on the presentThe ability of your relationship to weather the tough times has a lot to do with your mutual availability in the here and now.

Unfortunately over time, many couples move further apart from each other, meaning that when a rough patch hits, their relationship suffers.

To build a rock-solid relationship, start by acknowledging rather than ignoring the ordinary moments in your relationship.

If your partner wants to share something she’s reading, take a minute to listen even if you only offer a grunt in response.

This may sound strange but if you accumulate enough of the little things, when you really need your partner, you’ll find she’s there for you. And you might even start to find women’s magazines interesting…

Find common goalsCouples who share their dreams and goals have longer lasting and more satisfying relationships.

If you feel you’ve been out of sync recently with your partner on this front, discuss your philosophy of life with each other.

Look for anything that’s common between the two of you and talk about ways to work toward that aspiration you both have.

For example, if you have both let go of yourselves a bit of late,

joining a gym may be the way forward.

What’s more, you’re getting a workout and getting healthy at the same time, too.

Generally, doing things together will bring you both closer together mentally and physically and this is

one sure way to initiate some action in the bedroom.

Commit, already (And no, it has nothing to do with putting on a wedding ring!)Commitment is the glue thatkeeps a relationship together and yet most people haven’t a clue what the word means.

They think in terms of a marriage licence or sexual fidelity but real commitment goes beyond what goes on behind closed doors and

wedding bands.Commitment really means that you

consider your partner in all matters – particularly how your actions may affect your partner and

the relationship.This doesn’t mean your personal

decisions are secondary.Instead it means you make every

effort to consider the impact of your actions and treat the relationship and your partner with fairness and respect.

various studies have shown that commitment is the key to a long-term happier, and stable, life.

JOINT MEMBERSHIP

Mr A. Fit

JOINT MEMBERSHIP

Mrs A. Fit

Great IdeasGEAR, TOYS &

DiversionsKit, caboodle, inspiration and brain food for the active man

Where we go back to see how our ancestors did it...

Working out through history: PART 4

weiGHT TraininG

Even before barbells and dumbbells were invented, man was intent on lifting objects to showcase their physical abilities. In Ancient Greece, story has it that a wrestler named Milo of Cruton used to train by carrying a newborn baby calf every day until it was fully grown. Ancient Greek sculptures depict other men lifting heavy stones while another early device was the Indian club, bowling-pin shaped wooden clubs of various shapes and sizes. That might sound a bit like juggling, but they were used in a similar fashion to kettlebells.

It’s no secret that working out and exercising can be easier when you’ve got repetitive beats or favourite tunes driving you on. But what to play? AlphaFit’s very own Daniel Bond reveals his top selection of podcasts he uses. Try them for yourself and let us know how you get on, or send us your suggestions for winning podcasts.

Top 3 podcasts for exercise


1. DefeCTeD in THe HOUSe – “Soulful uplifting house, perfect for long runs.”

2. annie MaC’S MiniMix – “Down right dirty and perfect for weights.”

3. JUDGe JULeS PreSenTS – “Trance has been myguilty pleasure for as long as I can remember, really gets you going.”

TRAININGDiversions


hurdlerhear it from the

As he warms up for the Olympic Games, Great Britain hurdler Dai Greene tells Peter Baber he’s fully focused and in peak condition

MOST PEOPLE BUILDING UP a serious fitness regime inevitably talk about certain hurdles they face and need to overcome. For Dai Greene, however,

hurdles come naturally. very naturally.

It was in 2010 that the Welshman (born in Llanelli) burst onto the international athletics scene as a champion 400m hurdler. He stormed to victory to win gold in the Commonwealth Games that year and later won gold in the Continental Cup. Continuing his run of success, he won gold at the European Championship in Barcelona and completed a perfect year by winning the World Athletics Championship in Daegu, South Korea, where he overtook a strong field in the final 100m. Such an incredible year wasn’t a flash in the pan, however. Dai won his first medal at the 2005 European Athletics Junior Championship, topped the European rankings in 2009 and now he remains one of Britain’s best hopes of a medal at the London 2012.

Given such expectations, however, how does he train, and build himself up for the main event? “My training varies a lot depending on the time of year,” he tells Alpha Fit. “My winter training is pretty brutal and is both high in intensity and volume, but as we approach competition, especially the Olympics, my coach Malcolm Arnold and nutrition partners Myprotein.com will reduce the volume and raise the intensity to replicate conditions of competition day.”

One particular development since the start of this year has been more of a focus on building up the arms, not something you would immediately associate with a hurdler. Dai thinks otherwise. “It is to make sure my upper body is stronger and therefore more stable when going over the hurdles,” he admits, “especially during the latter stages of a race when you can become fatigued and maybe start to lose technique. I have also become 5kg heavier since I won in Daegu, so again this is just to make sure I am a more powerful athlete come London 2012.”

TRAININGDiversions


Overall, in the last few months he says the volume of training has reduce but the intensity has increased. “I have shorter, more intense sessions,” he reveals.

But don’t go thinking this means a certain amount of slacking off in preparation for London this summer. In contrast, Dai and his trainer have planned the build up to the Games and, as you’d expect, it’s extremely busy. By the time you read this he will have already competed in all the European Diamond League competitions so far and will be preparing for the next installment at the Stade de France on 6 July. “Then of course, the UK Olympic trials take place at Alexander Stadium, Birmingham on 22 and 24 June. Then I want to do the London Grand Prix at Crystal Palace on 13-14 July. I might even throw in a few more races, too.”

Is this schedule too much, too risky? Absolutely not, says Dai. “It is such an important part of training to make sure I am ‘race fit’ come London,” he says.

In fact, it is competing in more minor competitions like these that will help him genuinely believe that he has given 100 per cent in training and in competitions, therefore leaving him “in the best condition to compete for gold”.

That knowledge, he says, is the most important ingredient in psyching himself up for the main event.

“I’lI take a lot of confidence from that,” he says, “since I believe that I am the strongest 400m hurdler in the world thanks to my difficult training regime”.

The Olympics’ location, he says, also helps. “London will put on the best possible show, from the top right through to the bottom,” he says, “and it’s important to embrace the whole vibe that’s going to be hitting us. I certainly will – that’s what’s motivating me going into the Games.”

Fortunately, he has a very supporting better half and family around him. “I’m very lucky because my girlfriend Sian is an athlete as well,” he says, “so she understands the demands of my training. Also, my family have been amazing throughout my career and so supportive of everything I do.”

So, is there currently any time off in the world of Dai Greene? “Yes!” he exclaims. “I still enjoy watching films, hanging out with friends or taking my new dog for a walk,” he says.

There’ll certainly be more time for that, and thinking about the future, when the Olympics and the hurdling are over. Not yet, though. “I honestly don’t allow myself to think that far ahead,” he says. “I’m 100 per cent focused on the Olympics at the moment and I really don’t think about anything else.”

When he does, no doubt the future will be another hurdle to be effortlessly skimmed.

the super Dai-et

Dai reveals that his eating habits change throughout the season: “I will eat a lot more during the winter training to ensure I have the calories I need to survive a sessionwith Malcolm”.

“Generally, though, I don’t really count calories

because as a result of my training I’m naturally around 7% body fat, it doesn’t really change from this,” he adds. Lucky him. Here is an average day’s diet:

Breakfast: 2 x slices of toast with peanut butter

and a cup of tea

Pre-training snack: energel and isotonic drink

from myprotein.com.

Post-training snack: protein shake, with creatine, glutamine and beta alanine. “I’ve been with Myprotein.com for three years now,”

he says, “and we’ve developed a supplement routine that is so specific to me and my training. They know exactly what I need and use and so we change up my supplements depending on the stage of the season I’m at.”

Lunch: Chicken tagine and rice or lasagne

Snack: Digestive biscuits

Dinner: Cheese and tomato bagel

Supper: Leftover pasta or lasagne


“I’m in the best

condition to compete

for gold”

TRAININGDiversions


MondayMorning – Strength conditioning • 3 x 6 power cleans• 3 x 6 squats• 3 x hand snatch • 3 x 6 bench press Afternoon – Core fitness and med ball work.

“This involves some pretty brutal sit-ups, planks

and weighted leg raises combined with some throws

with the medicine ball and jumps for explosive

plyometric power,” admits Dai.

Tuesday Morning – Running• 9 x 300m (40-42 seconds per rep) • Three-minute recovery between bouts

WednesdayMorning – weight lifting and running

• Power clean, squats, hand snatch, bench press

all for reps of 5,4,3,2 and 1 and going up in

weight each time - 85kg, 90kg, 95kg, etc

• 24 x 200m uphill sprints

ThursdayMorning – running and hurdling• 350m run to hurdle 10 x 2 with full recovery.

“This is such an important session for me since it

gives me a good indication of what sort of condition

I’m in leading up to the Games,” he says. “If I can

run under 43 seconds to do ten hurdles then that

gives me a sub-48 second clock and I guess that’s

the gold standard, the highest standard you can

get to. It is very hard to run that in training, but if

I can run close to that then I know I’m in seriously

good shape.”

Friday Morning – running • Fartlek on and off grass and track – 1 minute

hard pace, one minute off, for 40 minutes.

“This is really just to train my aerobic fitness as

well as my anaerobic system because the 400m

hurdles is a bit of both, so it’s so important to train

the two,” he says. “You can’t be anaerobically fit

and not aerobically. Equally, though, you can’t be

aerobically fit without any speed.”

SaturdayRest“An equally important day,” he says. “I just like to

relax, hang out with friends or maybe take my dog

for a walk. It’s so important to give your body the

chance to recover and rest.”

Sunday Morning – running • 350m, 30 second rest then 150m x 6.

“Again, the 350m is such an important distance

for me to see what sort of shape I am in running

into the tenth hurdle,” he says. “Then the 150m

will really get me to work on my speed.”

Not all eyes at this Olympics will be on the men, of course. A good

many eyes will be on the women, too. Particularly, perhaps, at the Horseguards Parade, where the beach volleyball event will be held. The prospect of seeing scantily-clad athletes in the centre of London has seen volleyball tickets among hottest to handle. “I am aware of the image that beach volleyball has,” says Denise Johns, one half of Britain’s top-ranked beach volleyball pair, “but that’s really just something the media like to pick up on.”

Dai’s wintertraining

Perhaps not altogether surprisingly, but don’t be fooled into thinking there is no real sport involved here.

Johns should know. Together with her partner Lucy Boulton, they managed a bronze medal in the trial event last year, beating a Chinese team in the process.

And to get to such a point has taken the 33 year old six years of training, which in the off-season involves 28 hours of hard graft a week. That’s ten hours of practice sessions, three weights regimes and two cardio workouts – and that’s not even including the warm-ups they have to do before and after each match. No wonder, then, she was forced to give up a promising career in architecture to concentrate full-time on the sport.

Very far from

Lucy (left) & Denise (right)

Bounce, balance and balls... expert Matt Risley’s collection of monthly essentials include some aimed at your inner core

GADGETSDiversions


withings blood pressure monitorFreddie Mercury and David Bowie were on to something when they recorded ‘Under Pressure’. Getting older, work, beer and bacon sandwiches all take their toll, so it’s a good idea to track your blood pressure. Withings’ Blood Pressure Monitor is the simplest and most modern way of doing so - with an armband hooked up to your iOS device, you’re given detailed BPM, systolic, and diastolic measurements that are tracked and recorded in a simple, attractive graph.£119 from www.withings.com

coach’s eye appThe hardest part of teaching yourself a new technique – or learning how to correct a long-established bad habit – is finding an expert to show you what you’re doing wrong and knowing what to change to improve. Luckily, the Coach’s Eye app does all that for you. You can film yourself perfecting your golf swing, football strike or judo punch and rematch it frame-by-frame and in slow-motion. You can then add freehand sketches and audio narration for those all-important technique tips.£2.99 from www.coachseye.com (or through iTunes).

Trampit Jump shoesGo, go gadget feet! You can put a spring in your step (sorry) and get the Inspector Gadget bounce we’ve all longed for with these jump shoes. Yet there’s more to the springy footwear than just a novelty factor, for they also help improve your balance, strengthen running muscles and boost endurance. Fundamentally, though, these kangaroo shoes are fun and will make you feel like a kid again!£99 from www.firefox.com


nike+ FuelbandIt looks sexy, it acts sexy - heck, even the advert turned us

on (tasked with a corporate budget, the two creatives in charge simply upped sticks and travelled as far around the world as they could get on a YouTube viral-tastic adventure). Nike’s Fuelband is another life/activity tracking

wristband capable of recording steps taken, calories burned and more. And because it has Nike’s creative minds behind it the Fuelband not only integrates with a specially-designed app and Fuel website, it also boasts wireless syncing

and a snazzy LED-informative design. Nike’s most robust effort yet.£160 from www.nike.com

canterbury mercury compressionOnce the preserve of the kinky-minded, skin-tight lycra is now all but mandatory for those wanting to break the sound barrier as easily as personal records. Canterbury’s Mercury Compression technology uses graded compression in key zones to aid blood circulation, which removes lactic acid quicker and allows you to exercise harder for longer. The kit is made of a breathable fabric, too, maintaining your body temperature and making your exercise routine both comfier and more effective.£35.99 from www.canterbury.com

hination hilightFor everyone who loves the outdoors, the HiNation HiLight could quite literally save the day. Whether you’re a hiker, biker, boater or kayaker, this portable illuminator is an uber-light, portable, and splash proof LED solar lantern that straps onto your backpack, and charges USB and micro USB devices. Ten hours of sunlight equates to 20 hours of charge time, meaning you can always revive your phone/gadget whenever and wherever you need.£160 from www.hination.com

GADGETSDiversionsbalance ball chairStuck in the office and bored of butt-clenches? Then try Gaiam’s Balance Ball Chair. It’s a bizarre but oddly ingenious device that you will soon discover is the ultimate gym/desk combo. It can strengthen core muscles and is even adaptable enough to incorporate yoga moves. Who knew sitting down could be so healthy?£50 from www.gaiam.com

ViprLast month, AF was tasked with ‘transforming the body’ in a mere three weeks. The key to success was daily abuse from the ViPR - a Gladiator Q-Tip gone supersize, and super gruelling. Essentially little more than a heavy rubber tube, it stands for Vitality, Performance and Reconditioning - and through a series of versatile and endlessly varied lunges, lifts, tilts, reaches, squats, flips and combat moves, it ensures you’ll be left as knackered as you are toned.£137 fromm www.fitproshop.com


medisana TargetscaleFit or not, it’s rare to find anyone who actively enjoys hopping on the scales. That is, until now! The Medisana TargetScale brings the weighing process into the 21st century with a swish, glowing disc that instantly records the weight, BMI, body fat and water, muscle and bone mass of up to four users. The free VitaDock app allows you to set goals and assess weight changes on the go, while the glowing rings indicate how well you’re doing in relation to your targets. £129.99 from www.firefox.com

London | Doncaster | Leeds | Birmingham | Manchester | Newcastle | Liverpool | Nottingham | Cardiff

Professional Teeth Whitening and Aesthetics are a Nationwide company

Make your regular visit to the adult lanes something more rewarding with these handy and helpful swimming training devices, says Mark Durnford

GEARDiversions


WANT TO GET BETTER at swimming? You might have

thought it was just a case of ploughing through more and more lengths, but you’d be wrong.

As with many sports, there are actually quite a few gadgets and gizmos that promise to revolutionise your technique, power output and efficiency. Here’s our pick of them…

hand paddlesDesigned to improve your front crawl stroke, these paddles increase the surface area of your hands which in turn increases the amount of strength you need to power each stroke.

They’re a good way of bringing power training into swimming. They also ensure you enter the water and pull through using the correct technique. If you slice your hands in from the side when entering the water, for example, the paddle will most likely hitch and come off. And if you don’t catch the water appropriately in the first phase of your underwater pull, thepaddle can easily slip through the water, emphasisingthis inefficiency.

You should be wary,

however, of overuse, as that can increase the chance of shoulder injury, particularly if you don’t increase the amount of time you spend training at the same time. Over time, you may also end up relying on them for power and momentum, and that can make it challenging to revert back to using hands only.Vortex evolution Hand Paddle, £13 from arenaswimwearstore.co.uk

Forearm FulcrumAny amateur swimmer wanting to master a perfect front crawl needs to practice their catch and pull technique, each time their arm goes in the water. The Forearm Fulcrum helps you improve this motion by locking the forearm and wrist into the most effective position. It forces you to keep your elbow high, which in turn engages your lats, generating greater strength and power in the pull. Repeating the correct technique often enough helps improve your muscle “memory” too. The Forearm Fulcrum can also be used to improve your breaststroke and butterfly strokes.€16 from www.finiseurope.com

Getalong

Swimmingly


Swimmingly

FinsUsing fins (remember it’s fins, not flippers) will help increase your ankle flexibility and overall kick power output. It will also make your glutes and hip flexors work harder and develop quicker. But to avoid becoming dependent on them, you should probably only use fins when you are doing a legs-only swimming drill. Wearing fins too often can cause discomfort in the ankles and could encourage you to adopt a deeper scuba diver-type kick in the crawl, as opposed to the shallower flutter kick you should be developing. Fins can also be used for butterfly and backstroke kick drills.Z2 Gold Zoomer, €25.04 www.finiseurope.com

Drag shortsAs their name suggests, drag suits and shorts have pockets which catch water as you gain momentum. This creates a parachute drag effect, which makes you swim considerably harder than normal. You could, it has to be said, achieve a similar result by wearing board shorts, but purpose-made drag shorts will be more reliable. Again, remember that as you’re asking more from your stroke, to reduce the risk of shoulder injury you should gradually increase the distance you cover using these drag shorts. And obviously also remember that this kind of swimwear – whether drag shorts or board shorts – is never going to be a serious option on race day. Light, close fitting costumes are needed on those occasions.finis Ultimate Drag Suit, £27.99 from www.proswimwear.co.uk

GEARDiversions


kick boards and pull buoysAn essential part of any swimming training kit, kick boards and pull buoys often come as two separate pieces, although the Speedo Elite combines elements of both into one product, making it easier to transport.

Kick boards allow you to isolate the leg kick only for propulsion through the water, which in turn encourages greater efficiency and endurance within the kick itself. Placing the board between your legs and holding it there with your thighs close together will make it act as a pull buoy, isolating the arms, and requiring them to work without the usual assistance of the legs. For some swimmers, the pull buoy can also give some hips an essential lift, reducing any drag effect of low hips. If this applies to you, make sure you don’t become too dependant on using it.Speedo elite Pullkick, £11.99 fromwww.proswimwear.co.uk

In reality, swimmers should only use these devices alongside receiving proper training and feedback from a knowledgeable and experienced coach. You are unlikely to improve by just using these devices by themselves; stroke technique is paramount and should be refined before starting power training.

for more tips from Mark, visit www.createfit.com

1. Straight arm pull down: a great functional exercise for swimmers, as it engages the lats and encourages a strong ‘catch’ phase of the pull. Use a straight bar and don’t grip too tight.

2. Medicine ball jump squats: an explosive exercise that uses the fast-twitch muscle fibres throughout the glutes, quads and hamstrings, giving you every opportunity to develop a strong leg kick and a great push off from the pool wall.

3. Swiss Ball plank: core strength is a key factor in efficient swimming. Any core stability exercises will benefit your stroke immensely, but the plank will give you this using the functional position adopted in most strokes.

4. Narrow grip seated row: use either a machine or barbell. A narrow grip will ensure a greater focus on your biceps, along with the rhomboids and posterior deltoids – all the muscle groups that are used and needed in swimming.

5. Cable machine wood chop with lunge: an excellent all-round swimming exercise that uses your upper body, core and lower body and improves stability and co-ordination.

Top 5 exercises forswimmers

special oFFer

To make it a really swimming summer, the nice people at Arena Swimwear Store are offering AlphaFit readers a ten per cent discount on any product

bought on the site between now and 30 September. To claim your discount, just go to www.arenaswimwearstore.co.uk, and quote

reference “alphajuly” at the checkout.

WEEKENDDiversions


Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Imagine the results if you knew then what you know now. If you had the chance to make like Marty McFly, what exercise advice would you impart to your younger self? Ray Klerck asked the industry’s top guys and this is what they said...

close encounters ofthe recovering kindNick Grantham is the former strength and conditioning advisor to the English Institute of Sport. He now heads up Smart Fitness and is the chief advisor to the Football Association and the British Olympic Association (www.nickgrantham.com).

“I ‘d tell myself to focus more on recovery techniques because they’re often more important than training itself,” admits Grantham. Use it: Recuperating after a workout is when you do your ‘invisible training’. Here are Grantham’s recovery rules:

1. Use your phone or laptop to record and stick to a recovery strategy.

2. First, focus on the most important stuff then add tweaks. Make sure your nutrition and sleep are optimised before you start adding elements that only make incremental differences to your recovery process, such as compression clothing.

3. Use new techniques. Just like an exercise routine, your body gets used to recovery strategies quickly, so mix it up.

4. Keep a training diary. This acts as an early warning system that tells you when to take a rest week.

5. Recovery is a 24-hour game, not just 30 minutes after training. Eat right for the rest of the day and you’ll progress quicker.

Nick Grantham

RecoveryStrategy


Pro-teen wolfMatt Lovell is a sports nutritionist to a number of Olympians and the England Rugby Team (www.sportsnutrionvlog.com).

“I’d tell myself to eat more protein because I never used to eat enough,” says Lovell. “I trained like mad man, but didn’t add muscle because after exercise I’d scoff things like pitta bread with tomatoes.”Use it: “The most powerful thing you can do to put lean muscle on the front foot is drink a protein and carbs shake before and after your workouts,” says Lovell. Research in the Journal of Applied Physiology found this positively alters your hormonal and metabolic responses to exercise, making it easier to build muscle and burn fat and hit your goals faster than Dizzee Rascal spits lyrics.

stoP the Max Madness of being a road warriorNick Tumminello is one of the world’s top strength and performance coaches to NFL players and professional fighters (nicktumminello.com).

“I’d refuse to let myself do as much road running. I’d cut up my Air Max’s if I had the opportunity,” says Tumminello. Use it: Running can have a place in just about everyone’s routine, but it doesn’t improve sports performance and isn’t the best way to burn fat.“Road work is tough on your joints and joggers usually suffer from a running injury every six months,” says Tumminello. “If you want to burn fat or train for sports you’re better off using short spurts of exercise, such as hitting a boxing bag or doing interval training where you sprint for ten seconds then walk for 30 seconds to recover.”

Nicholas Gill

Matt Lovell

Mark Tumminello

once uPon a tiMeDr Nicholas Gill is the head strength and conditioning coach to the All Blacks.

“I’d tell myself and the people I train to spend less time in the gym, although it would be tough because that strategy worked for some back in the 1970s, but most people don’t realise at the time that their heroes were pharmaceutically assisted,” says Gill. Use it: Science has found that to build muscle,

a quick game is a good game. Studies in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that weight training for longer than an hour fails to bump up your muscle-building hormones, such as testosterone. Long-winded muscle building sessions are actually exercises in futility, so try to finish your workout in 50 minutes. Good news if you’re short on time, better news if you’re hell bent on getting tighter sleeves.

50

BACK IN TIME

WEEKENDDiversions


full Metal JacketMark Bellamy is a sports trainer, sports psychologist and the inventor of the sports training device Powerbags.

“I’d tell myself to stop training one to two body parts in each workout because I now know there are far better and faster ways to build muscle and burn fat,” says Bellamy. Use it: As much as you’d like to isolate your body into neat little muscle groups, it doesn’t respond well to segregation. In fact, you’ll achieve far quicker results if you train your physique as a single unit. The ‘labcoats’ at the University of Alabama found that full-body regimes gave on average 2.27kgs greater muscle gain per month than sessions that focused on lone muscle groups. “Work every muscle in your body in every workout using multi-jointed exercises such as clean and jerks, squats and deadlifts,” says Bellamy.

the big sleePBrad Morris is the strength and power coach to the Sydney Roosters and former UFC heavyweight fighter.

“I would give myself an indestructible alarm clock and get out of bed earlier to do my cardio exercise rather than wait until later in the day to do it,” says Morris. Use it: Before the invention of the snooze button, men who couldn’t get up to do their training paid the price with bigger guts. “That’s because your body temperature is lower in the morning,” says Morris, quoting research in in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness. “This means you’ll be able to exercise longer before your rising core body temperature makes you tired.”

Mark Bellamy

A modern history of the major events in fitness

Brad Morris

400 BC: Hippocrates chips in his two centsThe Greek physician famously said: “If we could give every individual the right amount of nourishment and exercise, not too little and not too much, we would have found the safest way to health.” Eureka.

1880: Calisthenics surges in popularityThe first group exercise classes used bodyweight as resistance. Corsets and top hats prove incompatible with the common burpee.

1926: Pilates becomes famousJoseph Pilates started his first studio. A study in the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies found that doing one or two bouts a week will improve your mood, sleep quality and lower back strength.

1936: Jack LaLanne coins personal trainingHe was the original fitness fanatic who taught resistance training and cardio workouts at the world’s first health studio.

1950s: Steve reeves hits the screensThe public first sees a physique built up with the use of weight training. This multiple Mr Universe winner goes on to own the sand and sandals genre.

1968: The Beatles make yoga coolAfter their trip to India they renounce drugs and start to look after themselves with yoga – and grow those awful beards.

1983: Jane fondajumps on your tellyShe mainstreamed aerobics into millions of homes. All this bouncing about in the lounge caused an untold number of broken lamps and fitter leg-warmed bodies.

1990s: exercise fads take holdInfomercials fuelled thigh master fads, then gyms jumped on board with step aerobics, boxercise, jazzercise, ab crunchers and Tae Bo. The public scrambled for the next big thing, but soon retire after realising there’s no substitute for hard work.



inGreDienTS

inSTrUCTiOnS

nUTriTiOnaL infO

• 400g lean ground beef

• 300ml beef stock (low sodium)

• 200ml water

• 100g carrots, sliced

• 100g celery, sliced

• 200g broccoli florets

A quick, easy and very filling soup with a great profile of vegetables to boost your micronutrients for the day

Brown the beef in a frying pan over medium heat. In a pot, boil the beef stock and water. Once boiling, add carrots, celery and snow peas and cook for two-three minutes. Add the broccoli, bean sprouts and ground beef. Cook for another one-two minutes. Stir the garlic and pasta and simmer over low heat for eight minutes.

Per serving: 559.5 calories, 74.7g protein, 17.5g fat (of which 7.7g is saturated), 20.8g carbs, 2.8g fibre, 210.8mg cholesterol, 228.7mg sodium.

Quick & EasyBeef Noodle Soup


Closing

Let the Games begin!

Get fit the Olympic way!

Train like champions - top tips from the Premier League

Alcohol: the truth!

Stay fresh this summer

NExT MONTH IN

AlphaFit Aug 2012,out at all

good gyms on 19th July

Don’t forget to keep up with AlphaFit yourself on Twitter @AlphaFitTweet

More wise and not so wise tweets from

the sporting and fitness fraternity

Lee, Matt Risley, Ali Schofield, David Stache Design: Adrian Mirfakhrai (adrian@ alphafitmagazine.co.uk)Sales director: Susan Hedges ([email protected]) 0113 245 1168Advertising executive: Rob Watterson ([email protected]) 0113 245 1168Publisher: Target Eye Publishing LtdDirector: Daniel BondDirector: Faris Fisher

Contact address: AlphaFit, 9 East Parade, LEEDS, LS1 2AJ Tel: 0113 245 1168

Send all editorial enquiries to [email protected] is published in the UK by Target Eye Publishing Ltd. Copyright ©2012. All rights reserved. While every endeavour has been made to maintain accuracy in the magazine, AlphaFit can take no responsibility for errors. All opinions expressed are the opinions of the writer expressing them, where stated.

Editor: Nick Judd ([email protected])Sub editor: Will Hughes ([email protected])Fitness editor: David Stache ([email protected])Contributors: Peter Baber, Karen Laing, Tori Leckie, David

QUOTE THEM ON THAT!

“Having a 5-a-side tonight with my mates. If any scouts fancy popping down to assess my form they are welcome!”Michael Owen will try anything to get a new club for next season

“Don’t ever look back. Something might be gaining on you.”former world champ amir khan tries his hand at some homespun philosophy

“It doesn’t matter if you win by an inch or a mile, winning is winning.”Springbok winger Bryan Habana only quotes from the best, ie Vin Diesel in The fast and the furious!

“If that Chinese club pay Didier Drogba €450k-per-week he will be worth more than Greece!”Perhaps, Lord Sugar, the

ivorian striker can lend the stricken country a few bob?

“My caddie hit it closer than me at 17 today... meant that I had to carry the golf bag on that hole! Definitely better being a player!”US Open winner rory Mcilroy isn’t planning on giving up on the day job anytime soon

“Yesterday I rode the Nice Ironman 180km bike loop! Don’t know how you’re suppose to run a Marathon after that!! Scenic though!”McLaren f1 star Jenson Button doesn’t fancy stepping out of his car just yet

“Might have a few Pimms today....small matter of a

gym session before I start chopping up the cucumber!”ex-england captain Michael Vaughan fancies skipping the workout for another type of session!

“Germans losing a penalty shoot out? I’m pretty sure that is one of the signs of the apocalypse. Barricade your doors!”england’s spin king Graeme Swann can’t believe Chelsea won the Champions League final

“For those who occasionally complain about workout/training tweets. FYI, I’m sitting on my ass drinking an ice cold beer.”Seven-time Tour de france winner Lance armstrong decides to put his feet up for once!

AlphaFit Magazine Issue 4

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Transcript of AlphaFit Magazine Issue 4