Macneilage Fitness

SKIP THE CRUNCHES FOR FAT LOSS...
As we head through March and Spring, it's starting to get warmer, longer days and Summer is not far ahead.
The quick diets and detoxes will be coming out the box and a million crunches and sit ups will ensue...STOP.
... Focusing on training your abs or core is wise, most of us are weak in this area and strengthening it will help with many postural issues and tightness people experience.
However crunches and sit ups are not the answer. There is more to training your core than crunches and sit ups.
If you are looking to lose fat, especially if it's more than a couple of kgs, then focusing on FULLBODY MOVEMENTS, HEALTHY EATING and DAILY MOVEMENT will help.
Doing a load of crunches and drinking "healthy juice diets" will give you a sore back and diarrhoea....
http://macneilfitness.com/20…/…/21/ro ck-hard-abs-for-summer/
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TRY THE FOLLOWING DRILLS BEFORE SQUATTING...
The four drills are:
The Wall Squat... The Goblet Squat The Bar Squat The Pole Squat
THE WALL SQUAT
A nice simple drill, this exercise involves you facing a wall and squatting with only your hands touching the wall.
Stand a foot's WIDTH away from the wall in a shoulder width stance, stretch your arms out above your head and place them against the wall. Sit your hips back into a full squat with hands in constant contact with the wall but no other body parts touching the wall. Drive your knees out while squatting and keep your chest up to avoid touching the wall.
ADVANCED: Keep moving closer to the wall until you can perform the movement with toes touching the wall.
READ MORE: https://macneilfitness.com/2018/11/09/reh ab-your-squat-2/
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If you enjoy cardio that's fine, but if you want to lose fat rather than "weight" then weight training will offer more benefits and variety.
Sure you may experience “weight loss” when starting a cardio routine, but around 25% of this will be muscle loss. So you may end up 2 stone lighter but how much fat have you actually lost?
Weight loss through weight training will be almost all fat. You may even build some muscle while losing the fat, ending up the same weight but dress... sizes/waist sizes smaller. And for every pound of muscle you gain, you can expect to burn extra calories, all without moving a single one of those muscles. A massive reason to lift weights!
I feel that a lot of people jump on the cardio equipment because it’s easy to use and once on there they can stay on until they are ready to leave. A gym can be intimidating and if you’re not sure what you’re doing then trying to copy others can be embarrassing and dangerous.
If you're worried about getting started give me a shout and il help you out.
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WEIGHT TRAINING FOR FAT LOSS...
Lifting weights will help you to develop and maintain a healthy body composition more easily than cardiovascular exercise. If you balance this with eating good foods then you are on a path to a healthier body.
If you want to lose fat rather than "weight" then weight training will offer more benefits and variety.

IT'S INTERNATIONAL BOOK DAY....
Have you read any books yet this year?
Reading is an underrated form of relaxation that gives so much for the time we put into it.
... Doesn't matter if it's a story to enjoy or a topic to learn from, you'll always take something away from a good book.
For today I'm nominating my favourite book of 2018, Outcasts of time by Ian Mortimer.
A sad and brilliant story looking through a man's journey with great historical detail. A journey through time with a man out of time trying to save his soul.
"The man who has no knowledge of the past has no wisdom"
What books have grasped your thought and attention over the past year?
Check out my blog on my top 5 of the past 6 months:
www.macneilfitness.com
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INVASION OF THE SANTAS....
Santa 🎅🏻 has to get ready for a night of peak performance too guys!

DO YOU HAVE VALUES?
If so then it’s good to know what they are!
Not only that but it’s good to know if those you train with work with etc share those values?
... Are you trying to achieve a goal but feel like you can never quite get there?
Maybe something as simple as looking at your values and if those around you share them could help....
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BE CONSIDERATE AND HELP OTHERS.......

TO GET RESULTS YOU NEED TO TURN UP......

MY FAVOURITE AREA OF THE GYM AT THE MOMENT....

WHEN IT COMES TO MACHINES THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE.......

THE BENCH PRESS…
The pinacle in every training programme, you can sum this lift up in one day MONDAY!
So what makes this such an attractive exercise and how useful is it?
... Well, the bench press is an upper body strength training exercise and consists of pressing a weight upwards from a supine position (lying down facing up). You use a fair few muscles, the pectoralis major, anterior deltoids, serratus anterior, coracobrachialis, scapulae fixers, trapezii, and the triceps (Chest, arms, shoulders). Most people will either use a barbell or dumbbell for this lift.
It’s great to have a big bench. if you want to be big then you need to be big all over and therefore this is or a variation will be vital. However……
Is there any benefit to benching double your bodyweight or more when your shoulders are rounded forward and you have zero shoulder flexibility?
Does it help to bench big to the detriment of you core, legs or back?
The front of our bodies always tend to get more focus (becasue we can see them!)
Remember and keep the body balanced!
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MORE SPACES AVAILABLE FROM JANUARY 14th.......
Message me now to discuss starting and secure your space!

COMPOUND EXERCISES....
The 3 most popular compound exercises you should have heard of, The DEADLIFT, The SQUAT and The BENCH PRESS.
If you are beginning to train (within the first few years) then compounds should be your bread and butter. There is plenty of time to focus on different angles and exercises to hit specific smaller groups, get the shape, peak, or whatever else you’re looking for.
... If you can’t perform well in the big lifts then you will always be held back from progress.
This does not mean that you have to push, pull or hoist massively heavy loads. What it does mean is that you should be able to perform them correctly, safely and gain the biggest bang in terms of growth, strength and performance.
START AT THE BEGINNING AND WORK YOUR WAY UP
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WHY RUN WHEN YOU CAN'T WALK......
It's the time of year when many people are thinking of getting back to some training.
Building from the foundations may seem like a cliche, but if you really want to proceed and make progress then you will have to start at the beginning and build from there.
... DONT jump back in to your max weights from months or even years back. Start small and get a routine back in place. Work within your ability and train so you can keep up the routine. Now a great start is bodyweight training. Many will scoff, but is there a point trying to do a barbell back squat when you can’t perform a squat correctly without weight?
Sounds like common sense but so many people miss this stage out!
If you can’t do push ups then bench press probably isn’t something to dive into either, fact. It may be something to help build strength, but if you can’t control your bodyweight then that’s a good challenge right there and will ensure your tendons, ligaments and stabilising muscles all get the chance to grow stronger before you start pushing the weight.
REMEMBER YOU WANT TO KEEP TRAINING CONSISTENT.
Getting injured after 5 weeks and taking another 3 months off is only going to mean further weight gain, strength loss and a abd relationship with training!
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WHAT PROGRAMME TO FOLLOW.....
An effective lifting program need not be complicated. All you need are a few basic concepts.
Much like a DIET, the best programme to follow is the one that you can stick to. All very well wanting to train 3 hours a day twice a day for the next 6 weeks, but is that going to help you or break you? Can you still keep a happy balance between home life and training? Will you get enough recovery? How does it make you feel?
... Start simple, this is where nearly everyone should be in programming. Big fancy programmes on magazines and online are usually money making shit. They may get results but this is usually because you've paid and therefore stick to it for 2-3 months, do this with any balanced programme and you should see results.If not then chances are you aren't working hard enough and spend too much time talking or on your phone.
PROGRAMME SHOULD LOOK LIKE:
WARMING UP: Ensure you have the ability to move freely, and include foam rolling, focused stretching and joint mobility along with some steady state cardio for around 5 minutes.
CORE: strengthen your trunk with planks, roll outs, leg raises and farmers walks. No more crunches.
PULLING MOVEMENTS: variations of chin-ups, rows and deadlifts.
SQUATS: Doesn't have to be barbell variation,can be body weight, trx or any variation that suits your body and level.
PUSHING MOVEMENTS: variations of push ups, overhead presses, lunges and squats.
It may all seem simple, but that’s the way to should be. It's not sexy but it is effective and it will get you results so KEEP IT SIMPLE!
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