Animate-Body Composition & Performance Specialists

***Cardio is KING for fat loss***
Not so much!!!
Cardio has long been considered the best form of exercise for fat loss and to this day many trainers incorporate a LOT of steady state cardio into their clients training programs.
... The reality is, cardio isn't the best type of training for fat loss.
That's not to say cardio doesn't have it's benefits or that it won't contribute to weight loss. It's just not necessarily optimal. Other types of exercise are either as good or better whilst providing other key benefits i.e weight lifting not only torches calories, it also preserves muscle mass during a weight loss campaign.
Commercial gyms are packed with cardiovascular machines. Endless rows of treadmills and cross trainers and during peak hours these machines are jam packed.
Personally, it blows my mind that anyone would go through all the effort to get to the gym and then spend an hour on a treadmill.
But hey....each to there own! I always say....If it works for you then CRACK ON!!!
One of the biggest arguments against steady state cardio is the effect (or rather lack of effect) it has on metabolism.
For example, HIIT creates an excess post exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) meaning calories are burned way after exercise has ceased and you're still getting all the cardiovascular benefits not to mentions that HIIT training can be done in way less time and still yield the same results as steady state cardio.
As already briefly mentioned weight training has a tremendous effect on weight loss. Similar to HIIT it also creates an EPOC forcing your body to work hard post training to achieve homeostasis (regular or normal state). It also very importantly helps to preserve muscle mass whilst eating in a calories deficit. Many people believe that during a diet phase your body only burns fat. NOPE NOPE NOPE. Unfortunately your body will use both muscle and fat as a fuel source if it's not getting the required caloric intake for it's energy expenditure. This mean you want to preserve as MUCH existing muscle tissue as you can. That you'll look leaner as your body fat reduces and your RMR/BMR (Resting metabolic rate) will stay higher. That basically means..the more muscle mass you preserve the more calories your body will burn.
Don't be afraid to try out new workouts types of exercise!!!
I've got new HIIT workouts that will be uploaded all this week. You can do them from anywhere :)
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClloNQvK mGnC-bPv3FY7Uiw
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***Do you need a Fitbit?***
The simple answer to this question is no you don't.
There were plenty of fit people around before Fitbits were invented.
... However, they can be hugely motivating. Anything that helps motivate you to train or get more exercise in general is a good thing!
I always recommend to my fat loss clients to try and increase their daily step count which will lead to a higher calorie burn. Having a some kind of fitness tracker which counts your steps can really help to achieve those extra steps. That tangible figure it motivating.
My only jibe is people who accept the readings as gospel. Especially the calorie burn figure. Be careful to accept that this figure isn't necessarily going to be all that accurate so don't rely on it 100% . It's a probable figure.
I don't personally own a fitness tracker and I'm doing just fine. They're not the be all and end all to getting fit. So don't panic if you leave yours at home for a day or forget to put it on during your workout.
If it helps to motivate you to push that little bit harder and get those extra steps into your day then GREAT. Just remember it won't do the hard work for you!
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Learn more about this incredibly effective training which is so often overlooked.

***Get your protein in***
Whether your goal is muscle gain or fat loss having a high protein diet is going to be beneficial.
Protein is one of the 3 macro nutrients, the other 2 being carbs and fats and whilst all 3 play important roles in our diet it's protein that should be concentrated on the most.
... Protein is mainly for growth and repair within our body. When we exercise are muscles suffer from micro trauma and break down a bit. It's protein that goes in and repairs worked muscles. As we age our bodies naturally lose muscle mass. Having a protein rich diet will help preserve muscle tissue as we age. It's not just for young guns in the gym!
When it comes to fat loss we know we need to be in a caloric deficit in order to lose weight. That means we are burning more calories than we are consuming. One of the issues with this is that your body is a catabolic state and will use some of it's current muscle mass as a fuel source. A high protein diet is going to be beneficial in preserving muscle mass whilst you diet. That means even after losing weight you'll still retain muscle mass and look healthy and lean.
Protein also has a very high thermic effect meaning it a lot of calories are required to digest it which will help control your caloric intake.
Ideally you should be getting around 1.5-2.0 grams of protein per kilo of body weight. You can easily track your intake using myfitnesspal.
Log your current typical day and see how much protein you're currently consuming. Then up it if required and experience the benefits of a high protein diet :)
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***How well are you sleeping?***
Sleep is the forgotten component of fitness!!!
If you're reading this then realllllly take it on board and absorb this gold dust information and advice.
... Sleep, or lack of it, is going to hinder your fitness gains A LOT.
Ever heard the saying "sleep when your dead"? What a load of SH1T!!!
Instead you should get healthy, natural and enough sleep on a daily basis to help ensure a productive and happy lifestyle.
Human adults should be getting 7-9 hours of sleep per night but many of us are getting far less. Studies have found that getting even 2 hours less sleep than required can have a detrimental impact on basic decision making, concentration, performance and both long and short term memory.
Lack of sleep will severely detract from you fitness gains. It will lead to more cortisol being produced which is a stress hormone that creates cravings for "comfort foods'. It will also lead to less leptin being produced which helps with satiety. This means you'll feel less satisfied after eating and will be far more likely to eat more food. This is further compounded by an increase in the production of ghrelin which is an appetite inducing hormone. Lack of sleep will make you tired and make it less likely you'll have enough energy and motivation for the gym.
Considering all these factors, you'd be crazy to skip on sleep!!! Turn Netflix off and try getting your head down a little earlier each night to increase not only your fitness gains but your general well being.
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CAN YOU BURN CALORIES OUTSIDE OF DELIBERATE EXERCISE???
http://mmaexposed.co.uk/exercise-outside- of-the-gym

***Get prepped for the new week***
Weekends are a time for relaxing and indulging. Yes some people manage to fit some exercise into their weekend but that's not everyone's cup of tea.
Personally I haven't done any exercise this weekend and I feel great. I've eaten fast food and drank a lot of beer.
... It's fine though...I ate well last week and have already made steps to ensure I'm doing some positive things in the week ahead.
Preparation is KEY in ensuring you stay on top of the your health and fitness and stay on track to achieving your goals. It doesn't have to be much. I've been out and bought some fruit and nuts which I'll include in my breakfast tomorrow morning.For me, doing something positive first thing helps me stay motivated throughout the day.
Make some plans right now to help you have a positive Monday and start to the week. you could try:
-Drinking a glass of water as soon as you get up -going for a 10 minute run -Do a 10 minute HIIT workout a home (There are some on this feed) -Eat something healthy for breakfast -Swap a bowl of sugary cereal out for some fresh oats
It doesn't have to be huge, just something positive :)
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Animate class happens rain or shine!!! 45 minute functional HIIT workouts on Clapham Common

***What are the scales actually good for?***
The scales are a total bunch of shit in regards to measuring weight loss!!!
I feel better for putting that so bluntly. But seriously...they are utter crap!
... Since when does a numerical measurement mean anything anyway? The reality is, we all want to look and feel better when we look at our selves in pictures, in the mirror and when we put our clothes on. Am right or am I right!!! I'm RIGHT!!!
Unless you're a professional fighter trying to make a specific weight don't worry about what the scales are saying.
What's even more crazy is the amount of people who are weighing themselves multiple times a week and getting demotivated at the figure being displayed!!! LOLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!
Here's a fact that isn't always easy to hear.....fat loss takes time and dedication and I don't say that lightly. Unfortunately we are impulsive creatures and want results right now.
That expectation is your first hurdle and you've already tripped up. Not a good start.
It's the ugly truth that SOO many fitness professionals won't admit because it's counter intuitive to making money. It's not what clients want to hear.
However,,, it is the truth.
If you're serious about a fitter, leaner and healthier lifestyle then you need to except the reality that it's going to require consistent effort on your part and above all...PATIENCE.
Chuck those shitty scales out the window and use that free time to implement a small but positive change into your lifestyle that's going help with your journey.
Some suggestions:
-Go to bed 30 minutes earlier -Increase your water consumption -Take the stairs at work instead of the lift -Get of the tube, bus or park further away and walk a little further -Do an Animate HIIT workout from the youtube channel (Some are only 10 mins) https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClloNQvK mGnC-bPv3FY7Uiw
DOWN WITH SCALES!!!
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Animate class tonight at 18:30-19:15. 45 mins of functional HIIT on Clapham Common. Look forward to seeing everyone there :)

***What's the best exercise?*** ***What's the best diet?*** ***What's best for fat loss?***
Everyday fitness pro's are presented with these types of question. The simple answer is...it really depends on the individual.
... If there really was a universal best methodology for health and fitness you wouldn't need to ask what it is.
The problem is there are so many differing ways to approach exercise and diet and what works better for one person may not work so well for another.
Don't waste your time looking for the best way to do something, instead try to find out what works best for YOU.
Just because Penelope next door lost 5 lbs doing the 5/2 diet (eating normally for 5 days and restricting calories for 2 days) it doesn't mean it will work for you. You might find it easier monitoring you calorie intake for the whole 7 days. (I know I'd rather do it that way) 2 days with severely restricted calories sounds awful to me!!! But hey...it works for some people and that's fine!
Just because your PT has a 6 pack, their way of doing it might not work for you. Nothing annoys me more that PT's pushing their own programs onto their clients!
Stop looking for "the best" way and start looking for what works best for YOU!!!
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***How many calories should you be consuming for weight loss?***
This might be the question I get asked the most when it comes to weight management and to be fair it's a good question. There IS an amount of calories that you should be consuming to ensure fat loss. However it's important to understand that this amount will fluctuate on a day to day basis and that a certain amount of trial and error is needed.
The amount of calories you burn per day is know at your maintenance... or TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) and it's this figure you really need to know before you start to implement your calorie deficit, that is, eating fewer calories that you are burning which will in turn lead to fat loss.
MAINTENANCE or TDEE = BMR+NEAT+TEF+EAT
-BMR (Basel metabolic rate) = the amount of calories you need to simply live. Cell reproduction, blood circulation etc etc. All the biological functions your body does.
-NEAT (non exercise activity thermogenesis) = any movement you do outside of deliberate exercise. Things like getting out of bed, walking to your car, going up and down the stairs etc etc.
-TEF (thermic effect of feeding) = Digestion! Digesting food requires calories. Protein requires the most amount of calories to be digested.
-EAT (Exercise activity thermogenesis) = Any deliberate exercise you do. Hitting the gym, spin class, HIIT class etc etc.
These 4 components make up your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) or the amount of calories you burn per day.
Head over to IIFYM.com and use their calculator to work out your TDEE. Now you can have a benchmark figure to work with in order to implement your calorie deficit.
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***MACROS IN A NUTSHELL***
Macronutrients or "macros" can be categorised as either protein, carbs or fats. Each of these 3 macros yield calories and it's calories that are used by our body for energy. it's important to know that:
1 gram of protein yields 4 calories ... 1 gram of protein yields 4 calories 1 gram of fat yields 9 calories
All of the 3 macronutrients play an important part in our everyday health and fitness. Protein is primarily for repair and growth, carbs are used as energy and fats are used for hormone production and regulation. Calories are often demonised as the reason for people being over weight and whilst it's true that over eating calories will result in weight gain it's also important to remember calories our vital for our survival. WE NEED THEM. We just need to control them :) Check out the video series "Fundamental for fat loss" on this feed to learn more!
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Fat Loss Fundamentals part 3- Muscle/Fat ratios. In part 3 Ollie explains why cutting your caloric intake to much will not yield the fat loss results you're looking for!

***Creating Habits***
In order to achieve long term results in regards to health and fitness, whether it be fat loss, muscle gain or general health improvements we need to incorporate achievable goals.
It's incredible how many people try to totally overhaul their diet or training regime. If you currently eat 1 portion of fruit and veg a day it's going to be hard to start eating 7 portions. Similarly, if you haven't been to the gym or done much fitness for the past few months... it's crazy to try and hit the gym 5 times in a week.
Using this all or nothing approach is likely going to set you up for failure.
Instead, try to make small changes that are easily achievable. It doesn't matter how small these changes are....It's going to be one thing you are doing better than you did before!
For me personally, I've always struggled with food. I have a terrible relationship with food. I hate and can't cook to save my life. I understand that nutrition plays a big part in leading a healthy lifestyle so I work hard to implement small changes and create habits to improve my diet. A small example....I boil 7 eggs every week and eat 1 a day to help hit my protein target. It takes 10 mins to boil them. Super easy. It's an achievable goal and because I achieve it week on week I feel motivated by it. I have reached my target and I feed off that accomplishment.
Have a think about small changes you can make to your everyday life and start to implement them. Stop trying to overhaul your entire routine and dietary habits every Monday morning!
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Fat loss fundamentals part 2- TDEE! This video shows you how to work out your total daily energy expenditure or the amount of calories you burn per day. From this figure you can implement your calorie deficit and start losing weight!!!

Looking forward to the first official Animate class this evening 18:30-19:15. Only £5 :)