The answer to the question “How hard should I train?” depends on personal goals. Whether the goal is for Muscular Strength, Hypertrophy or Muscular Endurance. Read more…
Following agreeing to an interview for MoneyWise Magazine and photoshoot. PruHealth also ask me to appear on their website alongside some juicy quotes from the interview and some photos from quite possibly the sunniest day in the year, I’m not thinking, I’m squinting!
Testimonial for Pruhealth
Advertising campaign for PruHealth
Fortunately I can monitor my body fat and changes in muscle size and definition quite visually. I take a number of supplements at the moment so after seeing an offer on an online supplement suppliers website I thought I’d give them a try.
CLA is said to promote lean muscle mass, ease weight control and reduce the deposit of fat to fat cells.
I trialled this during the winter holiday season to be honest I was undertaking a little less aerobic exercise and eating a little more than usual. My general feeling was that there was a positive effect to my fat levels while taking CLA. Not through any scientific measurement, just by monitoring where my stomach creases and to what extent. Of I had to guess any effect on muscle change I would say that muscle became leaner and more define and volume reduced.
This month I will be trialling PHD Lean Degree for cutting.
Here is the next in the series of dads circuit class exercises – The Tricep Extension a broken down into some step by step easy to follow instructions and some great visuals 
I have had many different experiences of gyms in my time. Often the staff, the users and the equipment are the main factors for you enjoying and keeping up your visits. Since Nuffield Health acquired Cannons Gyms to become Nuffield Health and Wellbeing it was more than just a facelift and a new logo. Many might be aware that I am keen on incentive schemes benefitting from PruHealths rewards for a while now.
What if however the incentive is your health. Im just showing off because for my age I scored off the scale but Nuffield now run an MOT health check. On your second check up, if there is an improvement in your health the are incentives of value on offer, a free month, PT session or day passes for friends. But, lets face it! Who has known their resting heart rate, VO2 max or blood glucose level since their high school science lessons? I know I havent. Its good to know this stuff and its free.
Incentives aside, you will feel better about yourself and less paranoid about all the brainwash you read in the magazines knowing that you are fit and healthy. And if youre not you can identify where your sticking points are. If you earn that freebie, discard the savings and opt for the personal trainer session. There is nothing more beneficial to your training than knowledge and improved technique, more often than not the fastest way to gain this is talking to and being critiqued by an expert. We all develop poor and lazy form sometimes and this wastes hours in the gym.
Nuffield are so committed to your health they have relaxed their contracts for 2012 so if that new years resolution doesnt stick then just quit!
We have put together the first in a series of exercise demonstrations to support my fathers circuit classes at Huncote and Enderby leisure centre. The first is the Renegade Row, learn which muscle groups this exercise involves, correct technique and how to progress this exercise both in the circuit class and in the gym. All made pretty easy to visualize with some cracking exersize demonstrations.
Visit http://rogerwardhealthandfitness.wordpress.com/2012/01/10/the-renegade-row/
This holiday break we got together to shoot some photos for dads weekly circuit classes. The intention being to improve the classes as individuals would be able to see clear demonstrations at each station. Father will also be producing a breakdown of each exercise on his blog.
We popped up to Huncote Leisure center in Leicester and used their gym. The process was a little rushed but with a bit of prep, Luke Ward on camera, Roger Ward directing the positioning of the exercises and myself fitness modeling it all went very well. Here’s a sample, for more details visit www.rogerwardhealthandfitness.wordpress.com
Thanks
Yesterday the family pulled together to help dad (Roger Ward) marshal his first organized run around rural Glen Parva. The run started at Glenhills memorial hall and lead off across the fields at the back of Glen Parva making use of some great running locations along the great central way and popular dog walking tracks by the canal. It was a figure of 8 course over 3 km with a water station at the interchange for a water break on the outbound and inbound route.
That evening we decided to introduce dad to the online world and set him up with a blog to tell you all about his events, classes and health tips.
Visit Roger Ward health and fitness here to find out more and see the route from the run.
Some of you are aware that this summer I trained to enter the MensHealth cover competition, following this while training for the Maximuscle bulk up challenge I tore my groin landing a jump in the splitz while windsurfing. I was out of action for a while and put on some body fat. To get my abs back and also to test the app I decided to follow the Mens Fitness Abs of Steel workout available on the iTunes App store.
Summary
It works! my abs are solid as a rock (steel) and the App is well worth the money for a number of reasons which I will go into more detail below.
I have learnt are lot about my training in following this workout. Fundamentally it has reinforced the need to continually change, increase and improve. In contrast I have also discovered that one workout is not the exact fit for all, all bodies, metabolisms and eating habits differ and we all need to take this into account when writing our training programs.
The full body exercises included at the beginning session was a real refreshing change to my usual specific muscle group exercises and for me whos goals are not to get massive but more ripped. I feel more balanced after 6 weeks due to the fact that I have worked more supporting muscles and possibly muscles that would usually be overlooked. When undertaking the core exercises you are pumped and get the most out of every movement if you put the effort in.
From my perspective, although the full body exercise fire up the metabolism and provide plenty of fat burn this would be beneficial to those with more to lose but for me the one aerobic a week just wasnt enough. I feel the best addition to my routine to reveal the abs would have been adding a bike, 30 mins Random with the heart rate elevated for a good 20 mins.
Conclusion
The original test was to see if these magazine workout are really worth following. My conclusion is that a lot of effort has clearly been out into constructing them. Take them, your knowledge, your PTs advice and adapt to suite your needs. You know how your body reacts, how much you cheat your diet your recovery etc.
The added benefit of this type of app is the video aspect. You can see the technique performed in far more detail. Although, on some exercises, dead lifts being one, get someone to critique your form at an early stage. Its easy to develop bad form and this could be damaging.
Overall 4 stars, well worth the money!
As pomised,
Follow my progress on Twitter @glennmward and just ignore all the digital marketing stuff!
The Challenge
The First Day
The First Week
The Second Week
Also check out my fitness column on the Boardseeker magazine website
“Loose the love handles!”
“Loose the Hunch”
4th week down so 2 3rds through, wood to stone as they call it. On to stone to steel otherwise known as week 4 and 5.
I’d say if I had to give an overview at this stage it is working for me. If I was brutal and everyones bodies are different I personally think more aerobic would help with the fat burn. I have significantly cut out sugars and fats so in the past this has helped. I am however giving every session my all and working up a sweat which I have to say when slip into a routine I stop doing after a while.
The main reason I say its working is mainly due to a change in shape in fat below the belly button, for the first time in a while an indent is appearing drawing a centerline down the torso. With the growth in muscle size at an equal rate to the reduction in fat I anticipate seeing some more dramatic results soon but where I chose to take a daily photo doesnt do the routine justice so I have opted for a cheesy tenser in front of the mirror #sorry
Follow my progress on Twitter @glennmward and just ignore all the digital marketing stuff!
The Challenge
The First Day
The First Week
The Second Week
Also check out my fitness column on the Boardseeker magazine website
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