Conditioning- Preparation

Hey All,

Its been a full on last couple of months, I have been prepping and conditioning my body to complete a half marathon 21km. I decided 3 months ago that I would like to achieve this goal. 

Iv never really liked jogging. When I was a amateur kick boxer, I use to do as little jogging as a I possible could, I do regret that now, as the jogging surely would of made me a better fighter. Iv always had a natural weight of 93kg, and when I use to even do a 1km jog, my body disliked it and I use to be like " na jogging is not for me". Last year a friend said to me "Max im doing a 10km race in Sydney, would you like to come with me, I do like a challenge, so I said yes sign me up. The day came and I pumped out the 10km run non stop. 

When I finished the race, I felt my knees and ankles were a bit sore, I had slight shin splints and when I ran, I felt uncoordinated, I didn't have a good jogging stride. That night I thought about the race experience and I really liked it.

As weeks and months went on, I started including jogging once a week to my training regime. I still felt I needed improvement. I started doing research on specific types of exercises I could do to help me improve. Each week I started to include the specific training methods to my programming (weight sessions).

 I then set out and and decided to complete a half marathon 21km in Canberra .

Each week I would jog a certain amount of km's to slowly build up to run 15km non stop. I knew from there,  once I hit 15km, I would be able to complete the remaining 6km based on determination. Each week leading up to the race, my jogging sessions were all conditioning, time on my feet, letting the body progress and adapt to my jogging. Pain, discomfort, niggles were all felt leading up to the race.

One jogging session I hit 13.4km and realised I hadnt had a drink of water and it was about 35 degrees, I hit a wall and felt like I was going to collapse. My mind wanted to go but my body was shutting down. The next week I knew I had to up the km's and set out to complete 14km. I had no experience on jogging, and nutrition needed when jogging. I spoke to a friend that works with me, I told her my experience of hitting a wall. She has completed marathons in the past and was experienced with her knowlegede of jogging.

She told me about the importance of electrolytes, sport gels, before, after and whilst jogging. I got home that day and started doing research, on marathon runners, there nutrition and there intake whilst running. A Lightbulb flashed in my mind, I was conditioning myself right physically, but my nutrition was far from being optimal. So off I went,  bought all needed for my runs, upped my carb intake on specific days, got my nutrition right.

The day come and I set out to do my 14 km, on board with me had electrolyctes and sport gels, and had a good week of consuming specific calories and macro's.Let me tell you, the jog was still tough, but my energy levels were the best I had felt whilst jogging. Every other jog, yes I felt good but there were times were I was so flat, that I could barley walk after the jog.

Point is, preparing and conditioning the body, training, nutrition, stretching, research, trial and error is very important to ensure you get to your goal with nil issues.

I happy to say I did complete the half marathon 21km in 2hours 18min. 

Max 

Healthy lifestyle-Habit

Hey All,

I get asked this question a lot, " Max, what is the fastest way to burn fat". My answer- you have to put in the work. I do wish a had a magic weight loss pill.

The journey to fat loss should be looked upon as, excited, fun, rewarding, you are about to embark on a new you. Yes there will be some challenges, yes you may feel a bit uncomfortable at the start, but the gains are so rewarding-self accomplishment. 

What I mean when I say " you have to put in the work", I don't mean, its a merciless agony of pain, 5am training sessions, and eating raw vegetables, which I have nothing against living, training and eating that way haha, but there are way easier ways to burn the fat.

Truth is, weight loss should not be looked upon as a quick fix, to define my statement more.I see many that " want 10kg gone in there first week", and when the individual experiences, that it is unrealistic to achieve that goal, and also maintain, the unhealthy rapid weight loss that was achieved, in such a short amount of time. People tend to give up, get more upset and confused about the whole process of losing weight and being fit.

I have seen some fat loss fads out there promises unrealistic goals. Weight loss should be set as a long term goal, yes you still need to set small goals along the way, and accomplish them. Small goals are important as well, but as a whole, its a long term goal.

You want to be able to maintain your fat loss for life. And if you do fall off the wagon, and may have a miss hap. Due to your fat loss being set as a long and short term goal, you would have developed such a strong daily habit of knowing what to eat, exercising, connecting with your body more,  that your body will be on auto pilot. Say you had a blow out, and ate some bad foods or missed a training session, your body will be like" What is going on here, I don't feel right'  your body is now so use to training and eating right, that you will have no choice to follow suit with what your body is telling you, and that is to continue living the healthy lifestyle.

This is the key to living a healthy lifestyle, make the training, nutrition, rest, make these principles such a HABIT in your life, that it becomes a part of living. And don't forgot to have some fun with your training as well.

Max

How many days a week should I do weight training?

Its Wednesday, your in the gym, you go to lift but are just to sore, you feel a bit flat, your like "what is going on"..

This weeks blog, I will be giving a insight on my experience with weights training. Over the last 13 years of lifting weights, I have experienced the highs and lows, witnessed muscle growth, packed on size, increased strength, density of muscle, more definition and just feeling on top of the world. There were also the lows, injuries, lost of strength, not progressing, burnt out, joints/tendons soreness.

I look back now and think "wow", what the frek was I doing 10 years ago.Blasting out 10 sets of bicep curls with incorrect form, and then doing them again the next day lol. Followed by a post work out meal, that was pizza with extras. I don't regret the experience, just wish I took the time out to listen more to trainers in the field.Done research, worked with a coach, followed programs, mixed it up, tried new methods, reading up more on nutrition/training. This strategy didn't go on for too long. I soon started to focus more on correct technique, more reading on training/nutrition, tried new training methods, implemented different type of programs. From there I started to produce a more optimal body. Im still learning more on training everyday, but now with a lot more experience up my belt.My training sessions are highly effective and im always seeing results.

Point is, "how many times a week should you do weights training? " depends on your GOAL wether small or big,( set a training goal) determines how many days a week you should lift. REST-NUTRITION-RECOVERY don't forget them words, if you would like to see growth and your performance shoot through the roof. I use to spend hours in the weights room, even though I loved it, I could of achieved a better built body a lot sooner.Implementing different training methods, knowing nutrition.Pretty much if I took the time to focus on the whole, instead of just winging it, and letting my training feel like a merry go round. 

I learnt a lot from countless hours in the gym, its got my training to where it is today. I don't regret it, BUT you can't buy time, so TRAINSMART!, focus on your training goals, and learn as much as you can about training. Training is and should be part of ones lifestyle for life, for all that are destined, love to hit the gym and stay active, we will be training till we leave this world( and I want that to be the entire worlds population) so train smart, train hard, train wise, know your stuff and progress through!!

Max 

Listen to your Body!

"My hamstrings are so tight, my feet start cramping when I jog", stuff it,will be fine, il push through!!

Having the motivation to push through pain barriers is great, I love that push, the adrenaline.One has to be aware of whether, pushing through the muscle pain, may be damaging to the body.Im a believer in training efficiently and progressing on, via the natural path way within our body.

Neuromuscular adaption happens when you condition the body with training and exercise. Once the adaption takes place, the body starts to develop, progresses on to be more optimal, and achieve better performance. Over two decades ago, when I first started lifting weights, (back then there was no google, no youtube just the local library and magazines).I had no idea on rest, recovery, nutrition or what order I should be training different muscles (eg a spilt program).

All the years of first hand experience, training in the gym, all the trials and errors I experienced, I have become more tuned in to my body. Knowing how to time my workouts, the right type of nutrition, rest, recovery and flexibility needed to condition the body, to perform at its best and keep training for life, without set backs.

Im still learning more on the body daily, now that I'm in my 30s, I train more smarter than before. When I was prepping up for a Kickboxing fight, I pushed my body beyond breaking point with intense long sessions, 6 days a week (going through that hardcore training, the discipline and prepping up for a fight, was a great experience).I use to get bumps on my shins from going to hard out with sparring sessions, and post fight matches. I would then continue to kick the heavy bag despite the pain, as mentally I wanted to be more tolerate to pain. In kickboxing, your shins, knees and feet may clash with your oponents bones when striking or blocking. One of the training goals was to be more conditioned than your opponent. I look back now and have learnt many lessons from going hard out with my training.

One lesson I learnt was to listen to your body, without sufficient nutrition, REST,RECOVERY and STRETCHING, your body may potentially shut down, causing the body to not perform at its best, increase the risk of injury, go backwards with your training or see no gains. Everyones body is different from each other, but you can condition your body to be at the same level as many athletes or beyond.

Best way to start training smart, is to know your body more, be more tuned in when working out, evaluate your methods on training, set goals and reach them, read up on training methods, nutrition, flexibility, programming. Utilising some of these options, you will gain knowledge that will be with you for life, reduce the risk of injury and prevent a burnout.

I have witnessed many individuals set a training goal but never complete it, I can't talk I have done this myself back in the day. Then complain why they still look the same, no matter how long it takes you to reach your realistic training goal, just complete it no matter what, the benefits are great both physically and mentally.

Go hard, train smart and enjoy your training!

Max

Sitting Too Much In The Office?

Helpful stretching exercises to minimise tension in your body while sitting at your desk! 

I acknowledged Julie Nowlin for her great article, on effective stretches for office workers. Her article is attached on the link below.