Sunday, December 02, 2007









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Thursday, November 22, 2007

4yr old gives $2 to MOvember!!

You may or may not know that it is MOvember month in NZ and Aussie!

What is MOvember?
MO replaces No for MOvember! Mo = Moustache! So for 4wks of the year you grow a MO!

Why?
Movember is about raising the awareness of Health issues (Prostate Cancer) in Men!
Did you know that men live 4yrs less then females and we also access Health Services 30-40% less then females!!

So I'm doing my bit by growing a MO and raising awareness and $$ for Prostate Cancer. I'm paying it forward to the time me having to get a check up!

Plus I'm communicating with my EGO so when the time comes and check up is required (for any health issue that may arise) I won't allow myself to take the road of, "Their ain't nothing wrong with me, I'm sweet as. Just harden up!!" Like so many of our fellow EGO men!

After talking with my son Kayleb, "what's that dad on your face and why....?" After explaining to him about MOvember, I asked if he would donate some of his pocket money he gets for doing this chores!

He agreed, and has given the money we would normally put in his piggy bank to the cause!
So help me raise awareness of the "harden up bro" mentality for our fellow men and spread the word, that a 4yr old gave some of his pocket money!

500 people donate $10 that's 5k and I've reached 1 of my goals :-)

I raised almost $2,500 for Child cancer in 6days 2yrs ago so I really don't see why I couldn't achieve 5k!!

Remember $10 x 500 people will hit the mark! Click here to not let Kayleb be the only one to give!

I PROMISE you if you give with an open heart, you will get double your return! It may not be in $$ but I PROMISE you, you will get a return far greater then $10 can ever buy!!

Did you know, MO's make you stronger? They sure do ;-)

Told you, 30kg Bicep Hammer Curl. ;-)

Yeah right!!
Kayleb showing his photo skills of my MO!

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Food is Fuel!!

I just finished recording what I ate for 9days, I assessed 7 of them from Monday to Sunday! I learn t allot more then I thought I would about "myself" by recording my food. I haven't done this for a long time, however clients where asking me what I ate.

Plus my partner is amazed how I can throw food down my gob!!! So I thought "what the hell, why not after all, I get all my clients to record their food consumption! :-)

My results for 7days was 88% adherence to the nutrition programme (ideal is 90%) click here to read 7 Rules of fatloss to see what I was following.

What I learn't in greater depth by recording:
  • NO preparation = NON adherence
  • Confirms my belief of, I LOVE food :-)
  • Food bill goes up!
  • Preparation, Preparation, Preparation
  • Pre-made meals rule!!
On the Sunday I had 4 NON compliant meals, I ate 5-7 times per day, I had fish oil with every meal.

Spida's typical day of eating:
  • 5:30am: Protein Smoothie (Frozen berries, banana, orange, plain yogurt, Vitamineral Green, Whey protein 2 scoops, flaxseed oil, milk)
  • 7:30-9am: Chicken Salad (home made cooked roast chicken shredded it in with raw veggies = Cauliflower, brocalli, spinich, carrots, silver beat, avacado, any veggie that I brought, no limits on it)
  • 11-11:30am: Protein Bar/Mix (home made, was actually more like a porridge = Wheat flake rolled oats, mixed nuts, whey protein, cranberries, honey, maltexo and water mixed. I added too much water so it didn't set like a bar)
  • 1-2pm: Chicken Salad
  • 4-5pm: Protein Mix/Bar
  • 7-8pm: Chicken Salad or cook something else with carbs if I trained
  • 9:30-10:30pm yogurt with almonds, raisins with 1 scoop of protein powder
Other meals: Home made Fruit salad (apple, orange, banana) in plain yogurt with 1-2scoops of protein powder on it. Quick and easy and yummy!!

Supplements:
  • Fish Oil with most meals
  • Anti Oxidant
  • Zinc double strength at 9:30pm often with Ashwagandha.
Training:
  • Resistance Training 1 x Upper body, 1x Legs, 1x arms
  • BJJ 2x in that week
  • Mediation 5x per week
I don't count calories because I find that by following the 7 Rules of fatloss their is NO need to count calories because it's taken care of itself through good habits!!

Food is a form of fuel, so get over the fact you don't like ..... often I don't like raw veggies however I've taught myself to enjoy them! I ate once because of "emotions" I was grumpy and hungry I brought some chocolate and paid the price as I got a headache from the sugar rush!!

Nutrition is a mindset, just like training, achieving a goal! You CAN'T be normal and do normal things with your mates if they aren't on the same page, it's not that they don't care it's that you are looking to progress/achieve something you don't have!

Wednesday, November 07, 2007

MOvember is here...

Movember - Sponsor Me
MOvember is here and I'm on a mission to raise over $2000 for Prostate Cancer Foundation!

In order for me to achieve this, I need you to make a donation by clicking on the pictures then once you have kindly donated your moolah please forward this page on to everyone else in your address book!

Spam them I don't care, like I said I'm on a mish to raise OVER $2000 and to make this happen I need your help! I can only "reach" so many people and that's what friends are for right to help?!! :-)

Remember all proceeds go to Prostate Cancer Foundation and MO's are back in fashion, well for a month anyway?!

Like my MO? Can't say I do but hey what the hell, don't judge me before you know me :-)
Here's a couple of facts about Prostate Cancer in NZ!!
  • Every year in New Zealand 2,656 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer and about 600 die of the disease, making prostate cancer the second largest cause of male cancer deaths, after lung cancer.
  • The average life expectancy of a man in New Zealand is 4 years less than a woman.

All donations are made directly to the Prostate Cancer Foundation of New Zealand who will use the funds to create awareness, increase support networks for those men who suffer from prostate cancer, fund research and scholarship programs.

Me and most people reading this post (before you share it with your list) will be to young to "think" about prostate cancer so think of it as Paying it forward!

Friday, November 02, 2007

7 Rules of FAT loss!

Here's the 7 Rules of FAT loss, nothing but TRUTH behind losing fat without any "extras" added on.
  1. Do Compound Exercises in a Interval fashion that doesn't allow full recovery for your resistance training 3x per week! Time invested 60mins x 3 = 3hrs
  2. Do 20min Interval cardio training 2x per week that doesn't allow full recovery followed by 20mins power walk/jog/run. Time invested =40mins x 2 = 1hr 20mins
  3. Eat every 2.5hrs from time you wake
  4. Eat Protein with every meal
  5. Eat veggies with every meal (learn to love the green veggies)
  6. Consume starchy carbs ONLY after training i.e. potatoes, bread, pasta, rice
  7. Do this 90% of the time every day for 4wks
You have the foundations of what to do, how will you complicate to make it unattainable?
Knowing and doing are NOT the same so make a choice and make it happen!

Monday, October 08, 2007

Another 4yrs.....


To be honest I'm not surprised we lost or I should say HOW we lost, I just never thought it would be against France in a 1/4 final!!

I thought we "may" lose in the semi or final but France proved me right (the buggers) in the earliest exit of a All Black team!

The All Blacks are the BEST team in the world PRE and POST world cup but when the tournament to name the best team in the world arrives we don't have what it takes.

Unfortunately in my opinion we don't have the mindset to "close" out a game when it matters, we have some of the best individual players in the world, however we don't have the maturity to play at a level above anybody else when it matters as we have had in the past!

If we compare the 1987 world cup winning team to 2007 team, individually our 07 team you could argue that they would dominate the 87 team, however as a team of "collective heads" the 87 world cup team had a "mindset/maturity" to play above all other factors on the field!

When it mattered most the 1987-1989 team would "shut" out any team to not allow them to play their game and regardless of the ref that particular All Black era would rise above any "ref "or "circumstance" to not allow those factors to play a major role in the game!!

Some "food for thought"
  • NZ supporters stop bloody blaming "things/circumstances/ref/coaches. What happen to taking responsibility?
  • The nation wants coaches blood! Why are we not questioning a new captain, like we have demanded every other world cup loss?
  • When the All Blacks Lose, did you know the domestic violence goes UP in this country?
I don't have the answers to HOW to change the mindset/maturity thing, all I know the 1987 world cup team had a maturity/mindset that set them apart from any team in the world.

  • Maybe our All Blacks are to young in the skills of life to have the mindset/maturity to close out any team that enters their path?
  • Maybe the rest of the world is just catching up?
  • Maybe we need to NOT live our dreams of the nation on the boyz that where the All Black jersey?
  • Maybe we cotton them up to much because of the nations "expectations"?
  • Maybe we as a nation should be the role models of our children and not the All Black jersey?
Maybe, maybe, maybe....

All I know is, unfortunately I was bloody right (in my opinion)! Anyway Go South Africa or France and take a chill pill NZ it is just a game after all and the All Blacks are human!

Wednesday, October 03, 2007

The Attractor Factor


I brought the Attractor Factor in August of 07 by the end of September I had read it 2x and I can see my self reading it again!

Joe Vitale is a contributor to The Secret DVD, in this book he has written as his 5 steps for Creating Wealth (or anything else) from the Inside Out.

Anything that works on the inside out model is something that I'm "interested" in, so if you are of the mindset everything you have is a reflection of what is inside of you in thoughts, emotions, beliefs etc.. then this book is for you!!

Remember it does not matter if your goal is bodyfat, it works from the inside out!! What would be 1 tip from this book be worth to you if you put it into action?

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Grip Experts E Book


My good friend Zach Even-Esh has put together a monster of a E-Book on Grip training!! He's manged to put together some true professionals for this project!!

I'm very fortunate to be one of the professionals that's featured in the E-Book which I'll give you a taste of my article right now

Old School Grip for the Modern Day Warrior!

Developing an iron clad grip that our ancestors had.

When you shake the hand of someone who has done physical labour all their life you get to “feel” their raw grip strength, as a result of feeling their strength a little voice comes from the inside about how they could rip your head off with their thump and index finger!!

So the question remains how can I develop an old school grip that scares the sh#t out of the new age man!

Well, besides telling you to go work in the farm or the steal factory to develop your grip strength we can never underestimate the power of living off the land!

The modern day grip is weak due to many factors like having things made easier for us to ensure we can lift things properly without it being ‘awkward’!

Awkward my friend is the essence of true Functional Grip Strength! Let me show you how I do Grip Strength!

Firstly I believe in simplicity, from simplicity or foundations as I call them we can build what ever you dream. Without it we have something that may look good but would break if taken to the limits or put under stress!

When I’m thinking about grip strength I put it into 2 categories;

1) Functional Grip Strength


2) Functional Lactate Grip Strength

I put them into these 2 categories because that’s what is used 90% of the time in real life and when dealing with combat fighters!


Functional Grip Strength:

This is where we will take an exercise like a chin up using a bar and throw a towel over it, now it’s become functional to life or combat sports. You may be able to do 10 chin-ups with the bar but find you can only do 6 because of your grip! Therefore your grip is the limiting factor in your ability to do chin-ups.

If you are able to match your chin up strength with your grip strength then you have created relative strength that you know won’t fail you in times when it’s needed!


Functional Lactate Grip Strength:

This is the ability to work at long periods of time before your forearms feel like pop eye’s forearms due to your inability to process lactate in the muscles that you are putting under stress (forearms)

Now all of this may sound pretty simple to you which is great. Let me enlighten you to some of the secrets we use to train our grip strength and lactate tolerance with athletes of life and athletes of the fighting arena!

To read the rest of the article purchase the E-Book and all it's cool bonuses here

p.s. I have to be honest with you, I just listen to JC Santana's interview yesterday and that in itself is worth getting the E-Book, JC again is breaking grounds with his work on Grip training!! I learn't more in that interview about grip training then I ever have!!

Sunday, August 12, 2007

The Power of Now


It took me about 8months to read this book, it's DEEP!! If you read from a intellectual mind only you will only get about 30% of what the book is about!! If you read while being in the conscious presence of "NOW", what you will reap is far greater then just intellectual knowledge!!

The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle is an excellent deep book that I'm wrapped I "toughed" it out and became more conscious throughout the book! Thanks Jason Suttie for lending it to me!

Maybe the book wasn't "tough" at all, maybe I just wasn't ready/conscious enough when I started reading it in early January? Yeah I agree with that! :-)

Tuesday, July 31, 2007

How will WE think in 20+ yrs?....



Stole this clip from Alwyn Cosgrove's blog How will you (we) "think" in 20+yrs time from how we do today?

Funny thing is, we still put all our TRUST and believe in GP's/Dr's today!! Why is it that 99% of GP's just prescribe drugs and from a visual point of view they aren't the most "healthiest" person in the room?

Many reasons, however just maybe we'll see that in 20+yrs time :-)

Monday, July 16, 2007

A Fighters Heart Story...



"Having a fighters heart, having gameness, is about knowing yourself and not being afraid of losing. You become a better version of yourself. Nobility is a by-product of that attitude, just like love is a by-product of aggression"
Sam Sheridan's Book "A Fighters Heart"

Check out the Fighters Heart in this girl!!

I heard a great story about a netball coach who read my newsletters and when she was coaching her U16 Netball team that played in the South Island Under 17 tournament she told them about what I do and who I train and what a Fighters Heart means!!

When the girls heard the story, the next day they decided while playing netball, that when they needed to "dig" a little deeper they had a call "Fighters Heart"!!

The girls were yelling out to each other "Fighters Heart, Fighters Heart"!

These girls utilized the characters of "Fighters Heart" and made the finals of a Under 17 tournament when they where a Under 16 team! Their coach Donna said the difference in them and other teams was "Belief" in themselves and to have a Fighters Heart against the odds!

The girls unfortunately lost in the final on the score board, but one in the hearts of those that watched them play, they went to heights that they had never been too before! Donna the coach is still getting text's from the girls about how much they have "enjoyed the tournament" and how she has given them "greater belief" about themselves OUTSIDE of netball!!

She's also received comments from parents saying,
"What did you say to those girls, their playing better then I've ever seen them"!
"They have matured so much"!


How COOL is that, those girls are the REAL winners in my eyes, NO first prize can give you a "Fighters Heart", what their coach Donna taught them is MORE then winning it's about giving your all for more then YOURSELF and don't be afraid of believing in yourself!!

Next time you find your back against the wall or you come 2nd, ask yourself, what did I become in the process? A "ego" looking for something external or did you discover another part of yourself that you can call a "Fighters Heart"!!

Thanks Donna for taking the "Real" meaning of my work and putting it into Action with the next generation of athletes in LIFE and SPORT!

Monday, June 25, 2007

A Fighters Heart


I've just finished reading Sam Sheridan's "A Fighters Heart"! Highly recommend reading it, I found it very educational and enlightening to the some of the "truths" behind why humans fight! It took him 6yrs to create the book and it will take you only 3wks to read, that means you get 6yrs of his life in just 3-4wks!!

If you love combat then get this book not for learning of combat skills but to learn more about A Fighters Heart!

Monday, June 11, 2007

Give the kids a choice, NOT!



In NZ at the mo it has just been decided by the government that pies, chips, fizzy drinks be taken off the list for school tuck shops! This has been met with some people saying we need more education, kids need choices, black market for food etc....

My opinion which you may or may not agree with and I know my 'way' is always a bit more "staunch" as I'm considered by society that are fighting fat as a fitness freak! Yeah like I don't have bad days :-)

Kids are fat and it's factual! So let's keep it real to those facts! Kids eat more then they burn and there's 101+ reasons why!

Will taking the option of junk food away from school cafeteira's really work? My belief is NO it won't but I don't believe that we should put pies back on the shelfs either!

Education is the key? We have been doing that for the last year 10yrs with an increase in obesity far greater then the messages that are getting out! Should we stop educating? Hell NO!!

Give the kids the "freedom" to make the choice for themselves? Yeah right, I'm sorry this won't work either. I'm a 29yr old disciplined male with more education then the kids and I still don't make "ideal" choices, and I have discipline!!! Adults who have lesser knowledge in health and fitness don't make better choices for themselves for what ever reason so hell the hell do you expect a kid to make a better choice for their health!!??

The answer? FAMILY, FAMILY, FAMILY! The biggest influence you can have on making better choices as a "kid" is what your parents did or didn't do! I do believe that taking out the junk food is a better option. From taking junk food away as a option, now if a kid wants junk they can and will get it from somewhere else more then likely before school! At least the school can be proactive in their position of "we WON'T help them towards obesity at this school"!!

Get rid of the junk food in all tuck shops at EVERY school and keep providing education around "health"! I firmly believe that if you want anything in life you dedicate yourself to achieving it. You don't have a "try" attitude you have a "I will" and now I "have" attitude! Therefore until you have the knowledge, discipline to put these things back in your life then you get rid of any temptation to minimize creating a "trying" attitude!

If your kid is fat, then make the changes all the way for the family you included! Don't create 1/2 measures it's all or nothing! When your included in the changes it changes things as a parent doesn't it!? That's why parents that kill their kids through obesity should go to fat camp to learn that there's more ways then love through food!

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

Fish Oils burn Fat!

There is more and more research of the importance of Omega 3's (Good fats) towards your health! Did you know it can also aid in decreasing body fat and increasing Lean Body Mass?!!

Fat is a 'taboo' word in the fitness/nutrition word but anyone who understands nutrition will know that Omega 3 is a Fat that we NEED or we DIE!

Did you know that the brain is 62% FAT?! That's right it's Omega 3 so if the thing that determines who/how/what you are is fat don't you think it's GREAT thing to consume :-)

5 Reasons Why should you take a good Quality Fish Oil for health?
  1. Decrease depression
    University
    of California
    's Johnsson Cancer Center, Los Angeles, CA health.com
  1. Increase serotonin levels i.e. your happiness

    Andrew Stoll M.D.1999 Archives of General Psychiatry

  2. Decrease heart attacks

    Bigger,J. Thomas and El-Sherif, Tarek. Polyunsaturated fatty acids and cardiovascular events: a fish tale. Circulation, Vol.103, February 6, 2001, pp623-25 (editorial). Oilofpisces.com

  3. Decrease morning stiffness

    Darlington, L Gail and Stone, Trevor W. Antioxidants and fatty acids in the amelioration of rheumatoid arthritis and related disorders. British Journal of Nutrition, Vol. 85, March 2001, pp.251-69. Oilofpisces.com

  4. Populations that have a high intake of fish oils lower incidence of inflammatory diseases such as asthma!

    Dry J. and Vincent D. Effect of a Fish oil diet on asthma: results of a 1-year double bind study. Int Arch Allerguy Appl Immurol, Vol.95, 1991,pp.156-57. Oilofpisces.com

5 Reasons fish oils for your Body Composition by Charles Poliquin & Dr Mark Houston MD
  1. Fish oils turn on the lipolytic genes (fat burning genes)

  2. Fish oils turn off the lipogenic genes (fat storage genes)

  3. Preferential utilization for energy production once stored in t

  4. Adipocytes.Reduced inflammation from physical training.

  5. Fish oils are a great stress fighter. Supplementation with n-3 fatty acids inhibits the adrenal activation of steroids, aldosterone, epinephrine and norepinephrine (catecholamines) elicited by a mental stress, apparently through effects exerted at the level of the central nervous system. Therefore, for the same amount of stress, one will produce fewer stress hormones if consuming fish oils on a regular basis.

Flaxseed oil or Fish Oil?
Without getting all 'geeky' on you, basically flaxseed oil goes through 4 stages before the body can utilize it and then there is research upon how much you can actually use anyway once it's in a place to be used by the body. Whether you can use it or not is person specific i.e. diabetes, ethnicity, alchol consumption etc...

Please don't mistaken that for Flaxseed is not valuable because it is, however fish oil will ensure you get to utilize all of the EPA/DHA consumed without any debate about if you can utilize it or not!

How much do you take?
I have only seen "Results" from taking 9-15grams per day towards lean body mass, pain relief from the stress of training/life, mood, sugar cravings (however I will be getting my hands on research of quantity in the future).

Also to note that the QUALITY of the fish oil at this consumption or any consumption is VITAL!!! Consumer mag has just done some tests on who/what companies in NZ are living the 'truth' behind what they say on the bottles for quality and quantity!

Nordic Naturals is by far the best company who do fish oils and I'm fortunate enough to be a supplier of theirs! If their was a better company that made fish oils and supplied NZ, without a doubt I would supply their product!!

Start today taking a GREAT QUALITY fish oil I don't care if it's 1 capsule the most important thing is you start by taking 1 step! Most health shops supply Nordic Naturals it's a higher price then other brands, but you pay for what you get and it's quality GUARANTEED!

Tuesday, May 08, 2007

Lift Strong?


Alwyn Cosgrove put together this project with the help of many friends!! I've got my copy and it's jam packed with info, Alwyn's Cancer Diaries was both inspirational, sad, happy, educational, funny among many other emotions that are hard to put words too.

If you are a Strength person then I highly recommend in supporting Alwyn in his quest for generating 100K! 3wks after it's release WE had made $40,000!

Support the cause by clicking here to ensure you get some of the best info from the TOP strength coaches and support Leukemia & Lymphoma Society!!

Thanks Alwyn for putting together a awesome project so others like you can tell their story of survival against cancer!

Tuesday, April 03, 2007

If you are a Fitness Professional and don't know who Alwyn Cosgrove is, then let me enlighten you!

At the moment Alwyn is at the top of his game within the fitness profession he is not only 1 of the BEST for getting fatloss results but 1 of the best in taking the industry to "New Heights" in professionalism!

And I'm very Grateful that he has taken the time to give an 'insight' into him and what, how he does what he does, Alwyn style :-) !

Spida: Alwyn, I had the privilege of meeting you in person at Ryan Lee's First ever boot camp in 2005, where you presented on Programme Design and using a touch of everything that works rather then 1 size fits all training modality for everyone! Could you give the readers a little about what you do, who you are and how you attain client's goals of fatloss.

AC: Basically I consider myself a problem solver. People come to me with aesthetic, fitness or performance based problems. I develop training programs that solve those problems.

For example – if someone isn't getting leaner – I try to find out why – it might be something simple like a dietary change – but often it's something more complex.

Spida: I have to admit Alwyn when I herd you speak at the boot camp, I was thinking in my head. Is there any other way but to use a "Hybrid" or "Multi disciplinary" approach to attaining one's goals! Is this the mindset of American trainers to have a hammer as there only tool for achieving one's goals or is my perception wrong?

AC: I don't think it's an American trait – I see it from trainers worldwide. Trainers seem to want to "belong" to a philosophy or "Camp". I never understood that – I always took the Jeet Kune Do approach to training – use whatever tool is necessary or helpful

Spida: Alwyn, you are known for saying out loud that Aerobics and or Aerobic forms of exercise are not "ideal" for fatloss! It's a scratched record for you and me, however for those that still don't get it, could you enlighten everyone as to why it's not the best way to achieve fatloss for 90% of the population that exercise.

AC: Fat loss is dependent upon creating a caloric deficit – ensuring that the deficit isn't closed from lean tissue (ie you lose FAT – not muscle) – and looking to elevate the metabolism. 75% or so, of all the calories you burn come from your metabolism – regardless of what activities you do.

So – increase metabolism – make sure you work the muscular system so that the body has a concern for muscle and wants to keep it.

Aerobic training doesn't do that. It doesn't maintain or promote muscle mass, it doesn't elevate metabolism and it really doesn't burn that many calories.

Spida: Alwyn in my eyes you are 1 of the leading guys in the industry for getting the right message out there for fatloss and creating new boundaries for fitness professionals. Who is it that you turn to for mentorship/support both professional and personally?

AC: Everyone. Seriously- Chris Mohr, Craig Ballantyne, Mike Boyle, Gray Cook, Ryan Lee, Robb Rogers, Nick Grantham, Robert Dos Remedios, Jason Ferruggia, Chad Waterbury, my wife Rachel. I'm missing people out but I have a support team that most people can only dream of.

Spida: You are editing a product at the moment where all proceeds go to cancer, would you tell us please what you are doing, why you are doing it and WHEN can we get our hands on it!!

AC: It will be available at www.liftSTRONG.com hopefully by the middle of next month. It' a big project so it's taking longer than I thought.

Spida: Where can people go to for fatloss products. If fitness professionals are looking for better programme design they can go to http://www.professionalfitnesscoach.com/!

AC: Trainers should check out www.realworldfatloss.com/professionalresources.html
And trainees – go to www.afterburntraining.com

Thanks Spida!

AC

Monday, March 19, 2007

Rachel's 8wk Journey of Fatloss & Fun!

What can be achieved in 8wks? Well Rachel's agreed to share her journey! Stay tuned for weekly updates of the good, the bad ;-) & the results!

Profile:
Name: Rachael
Age: 32
Occupation: Medical Herbalist
Measurements: Dress size: 14 - 16

First Impressions:I feel that it is the right time for me to take on the next challenge of my health and fitness journey, I love where I am at now and I am excited to see where this path can take my body and mind. I am open to change and co-creating a more healthier and slender me, along with my goal to maintain my gorgeous feminine curves.

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Something is better then Nothing, right?!

Last week the local paper (The Press) has been running a life style series. They covered food, fizzy drinks, take aways, exercise and the effects on kiwi's from a health and $$ perspective!

If we cover just exercise only today, they put a lot of emphasis on WALKING and Something is better then NOTHING!

I sent in my thoughts around "walking" vs resistance training in terms of results towards fatloss and health! I didn't get published :-)

Doesn't mean I'm not going to enlighten you about the REALITY of walking vs resistance training!

The saying "Something is Better then Nothing" is just a justification you give yourself to make you FEEL better without actually committing to your health!!

Strikes a cord doesn't it?! Just to put those that are about to send me hate mail at rest with what I mean!

- If you are struggling to walk to your letterbox and collect the mail due to lack of oxygen from your lungs to your heart, brain & muscles, then guess what. SOMETHING IS BETTER THEN NOTHING!

However 80% of the population doesn't fall into the above therefore don't belong to the "something is better then nothing" mentality! After all, we all know people that turn up to work everyday but only work 2hrs of it! 2hrs is better then nothing right? Wrong get rid of them they are a rotten apple looking to manifest more rotten apples!

Walking does not provide the BEST results for fatloss, anaerobic training does and there is 'science' now to justify it.

Excess post-exercise consumption (EPOC) is the calories burned post exercise!

The EPOC effect is greatest soon after the exercise is completed and decays to a lesser level over time. One Experiment, specifically designed to test if the effect existed for more than 16 hours, conducted tests for 48 hours after the conclusion of the exercise and found measurable effect existed up to the 38 hour post-exercise measurement. (Shuenke 2002)

The study goes on to say that aerobic training may burn more calories during but very little after a high intensity anaerobic session! So let me ask you, what's more important the hour you workout and burn X amount of calories or the other 23hrs left in the day that you will burn X amount of calories?!

So to everyone who read the press and thought they were doing something "good" for themselves, think again! If fatloss is your goal then ensure you are doing more then walking or running aerobically!

Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Reflections of Touch World Cup 2007!

So many people have asked How Leana and the NZ team got on in results and performance at the world cup in South Africa. Well here it is!! If you missed the first interview click on the title Awesome Leana which is on the right side and you will get the first part of the interview!

Leana Hoani Feb 2007- Reflections
NZ Woman’s touch Captain
World Cup South Africa 2007 Silver Medalist.

EHP: Welcome back Leana after your world cup in South Africa, tell the readers the result of the NZ woman’s team?
We played 10 games in total. A round robin, quarter final, semi final then final.
Beat Singapore 18-0
Beat England 9-0
Beat Wales 16-0
Beat South Africa 15-0
Lost Australia 3-6
Beat Scotland 20-1
Beat Japan 15-3
(quarterfinal) Beat Wales 22-0
(semifinal) Beat England 11-0
(final)Lost Australia 3-9

EHP: Okay now they know the result let’s talk about the journey. Reflecting back over the 6wks prior to world cup and now 4wks later, how did you feel you performed, what did you notice about your performances on the world stage compared to other performances for NZ?
This is very hard to explain but to get to the point, although I was totally gutted and disappointed at the end of our final, I was very proud of the work I had done beforehand in my training and the changes I made to my personal life. I did take my time to get into full stride at the start of the tournament, however as explained to Spida I felt due to the easy nature of those early games, I was only really doing what was required at the time and conserving energy for the tougher games.

This was the first time I had been involved in a New Zealand team and tournament where I had no injuries and no pains in my knee. I was recovering quicker than most (which in the conditions over there, was pretty good). I was much calmer and was making better decisions on the field because I was fitter and could still think fast even in the 40th minute. I have always been an intense person on the field and demanding at times, which by some of the younger players is quite intimidating. However since being with Spida I have found other more calmer ways of talking and encouraging my teammates.

Even now that I am back from the tournament, my knee is still strong and I’m off to the Nationals in a week.

EHP: Describe playing in the South African heat, you told me it was 42degres!
Never having been in that sort of heat before, let alone playing in it, was an experience. The heat affected not only your body, but your mind as well. There would be times where you thought you just couldn’t escape it. On the day of the final, yes it was a recorded 42 degrees. Next time I think we could have been smarter (like the aussies) they actually had cooling vests under their tops and in their subbox…..We had good old towels soaked in cold water….he he

EHP: How did your body and mind hold up in such extreme conditions? So the treadmill sessions (among other “challenging” protocols) were worth it :-)
I considered myself the fittest I had ever been going into the world cup thanks to those bloody treadmill sessions. Those treadmill intervals was what kept popping into my mind during the hard times in a game where I felt physically drained. I told Spida it was like running hard out on a treadmill while in a sauna. It was extreme!

But I also kept thinking ‘man I have done a lot of work to get to where I am, and I know others in the team hadn’t, so how the hell were they feeling’?. I think in the end that is what pushed me to keep going in the games, because I knew I was one of the fittest out there and I needed to step up when others obviously couldn’t.

EHP: Now that you have come out the other end and had time to reflect, what has been some of the memories you have from such a great experience with the whole world cup? Again apart from the finals result, it was the best tour I had ever been a part of. The team was extremely young with an age range of 16 to 26, and I have nothing but great memories of all of them.

We got to be a part of a World Cup and the whole atmosphere that entails, from meeting different people from different nations, to joining in on impromptu songs from the island teams and welsh…

We visited Table mountain which our whole team found to be a very spiritual place. I will never forget the night we got presented our playing gear. It was very emotional and special, and something not everyone gets the chance to experience.

I of course won’t forget those times I was bent over with my head in the rubbish bin after those treadmill sessions, funny now but definitely not at the time…he he.

It was something I actually had been working towards for 4 years and had trained specifically for, for the last year. So that was an experience in itself.

EHP: You stayed on after the world cup what was some of the highlights/experiences you had post world cup for your holiday?
So grateful that I could participate at the world cup especially because it was held in Stellenbosch, South Africa. My husband and I took the opportunity to stay longer after the tournament and visited some amazing places.

We traveled to Johannesburg and the Kruger National Park where we camped for 3 days and took part in a safari. What an awesome experience, to be that close to those animals in their natural environment. Meet some amazing people along the way from different countries. We got to try some of the game for dinner one night. ‘Impala’ which is like a springbok type deer.

We also traveled to Zambia where we visited Mukuni village. This was by far the highlight of my trip. Mukuni, was a small tribal village with mud huts and the very bare of necessities. One water tap for 120 people, mud huts, and poverty was what meet us.

I was very teary while I was there as I got to see first hand everything that you see on television but don’t think applies to you so don’t always notice. These children were so poor that I felt so bad carrying around my bottle of water because it’s so precious to them.

We ended up giving the kids our bottle; they guzzled the water then filled it up with sand and started kicking it around like a soccer ball. That one day spent with those kids changed something in me, and how I want to approach certain areas in my life.

Anyway they appreciated the time we spent with them and we traded a few items we had, with some crafts they had made.

We got to visit the Victoria falls and cruise the Zambezi river. We also crossed the border and went into Zimbabwe to participate in a lion encounter. For 2 hours we got to walk and play with 16month old cubs (although they looked as big as adult lions).

We then flew back to JoBurg and on to Singapore for a few days of being in the city. Visted Sentosa island and did some shopping before coming home.

Really it was great to get away with my husband and devote time to him and be alone together for a change. He had allowed me to give everything to my training, especially my time, and it was a chance for us both to refocus now on new goals and dreams for the year ahead.

EHP: Thanks Leana for taking the time to give the readers an insight into the mind of someone representing NZ in a sport that you DON’T get paid to do!! Any last thoughts you would like to share….

I really just want people to know that YES I was upset after the loss (and shed a few tears) but I also felt satisfaction and pride at the way I performed and the commitment and drive I showed towards my training. I love playing Touch, it is my passion and I didn’t think that I could go on after this world cup, however I’ve recharged myself and have set new goals for the coming years of continuing to play for my country.

Spida has definitely made a difference to my beliefs around training and nutrition, but also helped with my personal development outside of my sport. From now on I will be going straight to him for whatever I need in terms of fitness so that I continue to train smarter and more efficiently.

Thanks Spida, and we will keep in TOUCH….

Enjoy the nationals in 2wks time and I’m sure you will do your best to make it 3 MVP’s in 3yrs!

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

No excuses!

Found a great read for every person who's needing a bit of 'giddy up' in their life! This little man is just what I love, no such thing as CAN'T in this boy! Yes, that's him boxing with 1 arm!!

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=2188598

You don't have to be an athlete in the ring, but you are a athlete in life 24/7!!

Monday, February 19, 2007

What's your ACTUAL Potential?

My son Kayleb lifting 24kg Kettlebell on the 12th of Jan 07 2wks before his 4th birthday at a massive bodyweight of 19kg!!

REALIZING OUR POTENTIAL--ELIMINATING BOUNDARIES
In theory we may recognize that our potential is unlimited. But in actuality, we have subconsciously set definite limits that confine our lives. While we may sometimes fantasize about having great accomplishments, or exciting adventures, we 'know' in our heart of heart that these are just dreams, and in fact beyond our reach. So they remain just unfulfilled dreams. We may have experienced brief times of awareness and excitement when we expanded and operated beyond these limits, but we didn't sustain the state.
Paragraph from
"No thy Self"! Sent to me from one of my best bro's Jay Harrison who was runner up in Personal Trainer of the Year in 2006 for New Zealand!!

What boundaries have you created around you for you not to have what is rightfully your's? Nelson Mandela said it in his speech "
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?"

Right now you have a boundary around you that limits what you can and won't do?! What is it that's limiting you from greater happiness?

Someone may have created that boundary around you as early on as a child or you may have had misfortune placed upon you, however as a ADULT reading this you have a choice!

A choice to stay in the boundaries that you are CHOOSING to live in or go to a place that you may not know anything about except that is what you believe to bring greater happiness!!

Do what you NEED to do to make it happen, if you are unable to "see" yourself accomplishing your goal then visualize it or do anything to create the "feelings" of someone who WILL succeed in their goal!!

Today's the Day, you can make a difference for YOU! If you lose the "feeling" of a successful you then go back to what makes you feel like a success!

Kayleb lifted more then his bodyweight, why not you? What ever you goal(s) are ensure that you 100% think and belief with feeling you will attain it!

You like me are a living product of what we think and believe about our selfs, man up and take ownership of that and that you have the CHOICE to change it!

Don't tell me you CAN'T tell yourself with believe you WILL, if you believe in the WILL you WILL find a way HOW!! If the HOW does not show, you are not having enough belief that you WILL attain what it is you want!!

Wednesday, January 31, 2007

You can stick your V02


You can Stick your VO2!

What do I mean?

I’ve been doing a series of presentations at the moment and one of the 3 things I’ve been discussing is Cardio Training i.e. Aerobic Training!

You know, where you pound the pavement 4-6x per week for 40 to 60mins for health, fitness, fatloss etc…

I’m sorry but you can stick that kind of training!

Why?

1) Who’s got 4-6hrs to train per week?

2) You work on your aerobic system only! What about resistance training or your anaerobic fitness?

3) It’s a very inefficient way to burn calories!

4) Slow and steady is boring!

Let me define exactly what I mean! If you are currently doing NOTHING except watching the idiot box then I don’t care what you do just MOVE! In fact stop reading and start moving this email is not for you!

If you are exercising as if it’s a habit then let me enlighten you to be more productive in your exercise habit!

Aerobic training is one of the most long winded ways to get results! If you do events such as marathons and Triathlon’s then stop reading because you need some time in the saddle i.e. clock up the miles baby!! However the 99% of us that are not competitive in those events need not to clock up the miles!

Here’s an easy e.g. without getting all science and geeky on ya! Although the principles I present here are all backed up by the latest research :-)

My nana drives her car around her home town sticking to the speed limit she burns 20ltrs of fuel in a week!

A boy racer (someone who speeds everywhere) burns 40ltrs of fuel in a week when traveling the same distance as my nana in the same car!

Why? The boy racer speeding around town all the time uses more fuel, right?!

Well the human body is no different; if you run and then walk you will burn more calories in less time then just running at an economical state! This is what we call interval training.

So rather then run for 40-60mins do interval training for 20mins but be a boy racer run or power walk as fast as you can then walk, triple the time you ran or power walked before you repeat this process! You will ramp up your metabolism to create a fuel burning machine and in less time!

Plus you will burn calories after you have finished because you are still trying to recover!

Yes, you will have "cardio withdrawals" from doing less, however we are talking greater results of fat loss and fitness! When you improve your anaerobic threshold you improve your aerobic fitness as a by product of trying to recover or cleanse the body of lactate!

Therefore you kill 2 birds with 1 stone and you have just become more efficient in your training!

Enjoy the benefits of interval training :-)

p.s. None of my fighters do Aerobic training because if you know your stuff you can work everything (strength, fitness, flexiability, power etc..) in 1 session so they never have to run again, unless they get "cardio withdrawals"!

p.p.s The above is "relevant" to everyone i.e. if you have a bike/rowing machine/skipping rope then use that instead of running, if you are unable to run due to X then power walk. Don't tell me you CAN'T because it's all relevant to the individual! And there's no such a word in the England language! :-)

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

A New Beginning!



If you are combat person then you need to Check out the DVD set of Jason "Psycho" Suttie!

How would you like to be part of one of NZ's best K1 fighters first ever training session with me?

Ever wondered what it would take to reach the top?

What would you do if you have very limited gym equipment but still are elite?

Would you like to be stronger, fitter and more powerful then your opponent and do it with just bodyweight, strength bands, medicine ball and Swiss ball?

I've had trainers tell me it CAN'T be done, these DVD's are proof I've done it!!

In this 2 DVD set I will give the exact routine that I did with Jason on his first ever session with me! You will be live watching him sweet, bugger it up and love it!

http://www.ehpfitness.com/newbeginning.htm

Monday, January 08, 2007

Awesome Leana!!


Leana Hoani is the captain of the NZ woman's team looking to bring home gold in the world cup in South Africa this month! It has been a great Privilege training Leana as she has showed a warrior spirit in training and a ability to grow and nurture herself outside of the world of Touch!

Thank you Leana for an open mind and willingness to train all aspects of your life and not just the sporting one, to be a more complete person and a more complete athlete!!

EHP: Leana give a brief outline of your sporting achievements in touch or other sports?
Here are my most recent Touch achievements;
Have played representative Touch for 12 years for Thames Valley, Nelson Bays, Southland and Canterbury.
1998 – 1st New Zealand Team. U19 Womens Team (Captain)
2000 – 2001 New Zealand U21 Womens Team (Captain) 2nd at Youth World Cup
2002 – 2003 New Zealand Open Womens Squad for World Cup (never made final team)
2004 – New Zealand Open Womens Team (Co-Captain) Tour to Queensland
2005 – New Zealand Open Womens Team (Vice Captain) All Nations Tournament
2006 – New Zealand Open Womens World Cup Team (Captain)
National Womens Open Champs 2004, 2005, 2006 with Canterbury
Womens Open MVP (Most Valuable Player) 2006
National Touch Series Womens MVP 2005 & 2006

EHP: What has been the highlight to playing touch for NZ so far and who are your major competitors for the world cup?
My highlight so far while playing for New Zealand was in 2005 in Christchurch. We competed in the 1st ever All Nations Tournament and although we did not win, we came back hard against Australia in the Final to get to a drop off. In the previous round robin game Australia had beaten us by 5. It was also special because it was in front of my family and friends.

EHP: You have been training with me 6wks out to the leaving for the world cup, what has been the greatest benefits since training with me?
Wow where do I start.
Firstly physically – I never know what each session will hold, everytime is different and more challenging.
My upper body has got stronger and more defined. My lower half is definitely stronger and from having no power in my glutes and hammies to actually feeling some muscle there is awesome.

My knee which has always been a problem since its surgery, has not played up once, and I know that’s due to the strength work I’m doing on its surrounding muscles. Overall I feel physically stronger and Faster.
Mentally – I had no idea that I would change mindset and way of thinking so much in 6 weeks. Spida got me to keep a journal of which daily I had to write down 1 thing I was grateful for and 1 thing I wanted but to word it in the past tense. It has helped me hugely in balancing out my chaotic life, when all I have been worried about in the past has selfishly been me and my goal of winning world cup. In balancing my life I have only made more positive steps to my gold medal.

I have thrived on not only our training sessions but my conversations with Spida afterwards. We can sometimes talk for another half an hour after a session and it always leaves me with a positive energy when I leave. So much so that I notice myself talking with my family and friends about not only how much stronger my body is getting but how much stronger my mind and way of thinking is getting.

EHP: How do you think the above has impacted on your performance as a touch player?

Physically – I feel more powerful which equates to more speed. My role generally in the team is as a scooper, and I feel that my initial standing start and take off has got quicker. I have done a lot of work on my rotation and hip movement which only serves to help my evasion skills and quicker directional changes.

When we train Spida tried to replicate what times frames I do in a game of Touch. So we would train for 2min on then rest and so on. It has helped with my recovery time and my ability to still think and communicate even when I’m tired.

Mentally – I’m more confident in myself which I’m sure portrays in my own game. I’m more positive and effective in my communication with my team mates. I am much better and practicing my visualization.

EHP: What has been the hardest (most challenging) part since coming on board? Training, eating, recovery, diary etc….

Firstly the hardest thing was to actually decide to do it. I was nervous that I wouldn’t be able to handle what Spida gave me, but now although I still get extremely sore and tired I LOVE the feeling it gives me and I have surprised myself.
(I won’t lie though, those killer treadmill sessions although only 2mins, makes me sick in the stomach every time….he he)

Eating has been challenging, purely because since training I have noticed how hungry I am all the time. It was a challenge to change my breakfast to meat and nuts, but now it’s the norm and I love it. Due to the time of year being Christmas and New Year obviously there were a few times I wasn’t happy with my consumption of food either.

EHP: From the above, are you training less or more since you started with me?

I would say I’m having around about the same amount of sessions, however my sessions have become a higher quality. Spida has done for me in 6 weeks what I have been trying to do for myself for the last 5 years of my elite touch career. I have always trained hard and I get by easy enough, but Spida came along at the right time for me, when I really needed to raise the bar in my training.

EHP: Does your body look any different in the 6wks we have trained? Do you feel you have less bodyfat, increase muscle etc… even though that was never a priority?!

Definitely changes! I’m not sure on body fat yet but will find out I guess. I feel the happiest I have felt in ages with ME and where I’m at physically and mentally. I think and feel that I have more muscle and am more defined in some areas.

DATE

28/11/06

@2pm

8 Jan 07 @ 8am

Scale Weight

69.5 (shoes off)

68kg (shoes off)

Body Fat {mm}

140mm

123.5

SKINFOLDS



Chin

7mm

4mm

Check

11

9.5

Pec

6

7

Tricep

11

9

Subscapular

9.5

9

Mid axillary

7.5

6

Supa iliac

12.5

11.5

Umbilical

22

19

Knee

10.5

9.5

Medial Calf

8.5

8

Quads

16.5

16

Hamstrings

18

15

CIRCUMFERENCE



Mid Arm

27cm

28.5cm

Chest

91.5

90.2

Waist

77

76

Hips (under belly button)

79

78

Gluts

99.5

98

Thigh (under butt)

60.5

61.5

Calf

38.5

38

EHP: What advice would you give to someone looking to aspire to play for NZ touch?
Obviously Touch is not a professional sport so in order to get anywhere for starters you have to have a passion for it.
I have loved this game since I was 10 years old. I have had a lot of knock backs in my build up to this point and my honest advice is to not rest on your talent. In the game of Touch there are a lot of talented young people who have cool steps or big moves, but to play for NZ and not just be in the team but be the one that sets the standard you have to put your heart and sole into your training, so by the time you get to that one important game its not hard its FUN