Saturday 31 December 2011

Happy 2012 from Toughen Up


We will open the book

Its pages are blank.
We are going to put words on them ourselves.
The book is called “Opportunity” and its first chapter is New Year’s Day.


Wishing you health, happiness and the fulfilment of your dreams in 2012
Toughen UP

Friday 30 December 2011

Food for thought



Can diet stop brain shrinkage?


A diet rich in vitamins and fish may protect the brain from ageing while junk food has the opposite effect, research suggests.

Elderly people with high blood levels of vitamins and omega 3 fatty acids had less brain shrinkage and better mental performance, a Neurology study found.

Trans fats found in fast foods were linked to lower scores in tests and more shrinkage typical of Alzheimer's.

A UK medical charity has called for more work into diet and dementia risk.

The best current advice is to eat a balanced diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables, not smoke, take regular exercise and keep blood pressure and cholesterol in check, said Alzheimer's Research UK.

"There is a clear need for conclusive evidence about the effect of diet on our risk of Alzheimer's, which can only come from large-scale, long-term studies”
Dr Simon Ridley

Alzheimer's Research UK
The research looked at nutrients in blood, rather than relying on questionnaires to assess a person's diet.

US experts analysed blood samples from 104 healthy people with an average age of 87 who had few known risk factors for Alzheimer's.

They found those who had more vitamin B, C, D and E in their blood performed better in tests of memory and thinking skills. People with high levels of omega 3 fatty acids - found mainly in fish - also had high scores. The poorest scores were found in people who had more trans fats in their blood.

Trans fats are common in processed foods, including cakes, biscuits and fried foods.

The researchers, from Oregon Health and Science University, Portland; Portland VA Medical Center; and Oregon State University, Corvallis, then carried out brain scans on 42 of the participants.

They found individuals with high levels of vitamins and omega 3 in their blood were more likely to have a large brain volume; while those with high levels of trans fat had a smaller total brain volume.

Study author Gene Bowman of Oregon Health and Science University said: "These results need to be confirmed, but obviously it is very exciting to think that people could potentially stop their brains from shrinking and keep them sharp by adjusting their diet."

Friday 23 December 2011

Performance bracelets




Do they help or hinder?


We've all seen the ads and infomercials for the rubber bracelets that contain some type of metal or "negative ions" claiming to improve balance or increase performance among athletes. Regardless of whether you believe the positive hype or not, people who sport these "super" bracelets are being advised not to wear them due to radioactive contamination.

According to a health and science report from The Jerusalem Post , The Health Ministry and the Environmental Protection Ministry issued the warning after radiological and analytic labs found the bracelets to contain the radioactive material thorium 232, which produces a level of uranium that is higher than what's permitted by international standards.

In a statement by the ministry issued to the Post, wearers of the bracelet should stop "until there is proof that they do not contain radioactive contamination."

Thorium had been previously used as an alloying material and light source for things such as gas mantles, but due to radioactivity concerns, use of the material has become much more uncommon.

Sunday 11 December 2011

Suspension Training




Why Suspension Training?
Traditional weight training often only works one muscle at a time which is contradictory to the normal coordinated muscle effort used to complete most activities. Focusing on only one muscle at a time is more likely to lead to overuse injuries and muscular imbalances, as well as potentially limit strength and movement gains.
Suspension Training allows for the use of multiple planes of motion and works multiple muscles and joints simultaneously.

Everyone can benefit from Suspension Training. Because you can effortlessly control the resistance and level of difficulty by simply shifting the position of your body, the Suspension system is perfect for gentle rehabilitation, hardcore athletic training, and everything in between as you can adjust the load yourself.
Suspension Training also allows for complete ranges of motion while training which allows for a more functional workout routine.

Tornado or Cyclone Ball


Medice Ball +
The tornado ball is a medicine ball on a rope, and as the name suggests will give you devastating rotational power.
The tornado ball is a medicine ball with a rope running through the middle, and ranges from 2-5 kgs. It is an innovative and versatile piece of modern training equipment, and can be used for functional resistance training or caveman-style anaerobic conditioning.
They are excellent for:

-Rhythmical stabilization drills, such as figure of 8 swings
-Explosive rebounding exercises against a wall, such as explosive reverse woodchops
-Explosive floor core training, such as kneeling V Slams
-Dynamic integrated training, such as standing lunge and slam

Bulgarian Bag



How to use
The bag can be used as a free weight in various simple and dynamic movements like pushing, spinning, swinging and rotating, and added to one's body weight to perform jumps, squats, push-ups, pull-ups and power crunches.

Advantages
The Bulgarian Bag strengthens and increases the muscular endurance of the grip, wrists, arms, shoulders, back, legs, and rotational muscles.[13] It also aids in building core musculature, coordination, and improving overall shoulder and joint mobility. Because of its shape, material and construction, Bulgarian Bag can be used to develop quickness and agility in ways which solid iron weights and circuit machines cannot.

Aerobic effectAfter cardiovascular exercise or weight training, the body continues to need oxygen at a higher rate than before the exercise began. High intensity bouts of exercise with the Bulgarian Bag increase metabolic rates higher than traditional weight training and cardiovascular activity because the exercise includes both weight training and fast dynamic movement.

Kettlebells



The kettlebell or girya
Is a cast-iron weight (resembling a cannonball with a handle) used to perform ballistic exercises that combine cardiovascular, strength and flexibility training.
Sizes may range from 4 pounds (1.8 kg) to 175 pounds (79 kg). The term Pood is often used to refer to measurements of weight.

Unlike traditional dumbbells, the kettlebell's center of mass is extended beyond the hand, similar to Indian clubs or ishi sashi.
This facilitates ballistic and swinging movements. By their nature, typical kettlebell exercises build strength and endurance, particularly in the lower back, legs, and shoulders, and increase grip strength.

The basic movements, such as the swing, snatch, and the clean and jerk, engage the entire body at once, and in a way that mimics real world activities such as shoveling or farm work.

The movements used in kettlebell exercise can be dangerous to those who have back or shoulder problems, or a weak core.

Variants of the kettlebell include bags filled with sand or steel shot, water, or which take a variable number of plates.[6] They also have a center of mass extended beyond the hand and allow for swing movements and release moves with added safety and added grip, wrist, arm and core strengthening due to the shifting fill material.

Thursday 8 December 2011

Thanks to all our customers


A Thank You to all our class participants during 2011

As a reward for your sweat and tears during the past year
(some of you - almost 2 years!)

All customers attending classes between:
 December 12th & December 17th

will recieve a Loyalty Reward which entitles you to up to 5 free classes during:
 December 19th to December 24th.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas
and a Happy and Healthy 2012

Toughen Up


Monday 5 December 2011

FAQ: Muscle Weight Gain





The Definitive Guide to Building Muscle


The biggest muscle building mistake you can make is doing routines from muscle magazines. Most of those guys don't train naturally, are genetically gifted and never started training that way. Doing their routines won't make you build muscle fast.
The average person needs a different approach. One that builds muscle fast and prevents physical & mental overtraining from doing too much, too soon.


1. Get Stronger. More strength is more muscle. Get into strength training. Weight training is great because it allows you to start light and add weight endlessly. Body-weight exercises work too, start with an empty bar and learn proper technique. Add weight each workout to keep pushing your body out of comfort zone.

2. Use Free Weights. You can lift the heaviest weights using barbells. More weight is more stress, thus more muscle. Dumbbells are great for assistance exercises, but not for your main lifts. Stay away from machines.
Machines force you into fixed, unnatural movement patterns which can cause injuries. Whilst free weights replicate natural motions. Free weights force you to control and balance the weight. This builds more muscle than machines as they balance the weight for you.
Strength built on machines doesn't transfer to free weights or real life. No machine balances the weight for you in everyday life.

You can do hundreds of exercises with just 1 barbell. Saves a lot of money and space, especially if you want to build a home gym.

3. Do Compound Exercises. Isolation exercises are ok once you've built base strength & muscle mass. But if you're starting to build muscle, exercises that hit several muscles at the same time are better.

Try these great compound exercises:
Pull-ups, Chin-ups & Barbell Rows
Bench Press, Overhead Press, Dips
Squats & Deadlifts

4. Train Your Legs. Squats work your whole body, they're the most important exercise. You'll look totally different once you can Squat 300lbs. That's a free weight Squat with hips coming lower than knees.

All your muscles tense when doing Squats & Deadlifts. They work your body as 1 piece and let you lift heavy weights. Don't lose time with Biceps Curls. When you can Squat & Deadlift heavy weights, you'll have bigger arms.

5. Do Full Body Workouts. Don't do those muscle magazine workouts. Body part splits with isolation exercises is fine once you've built a strong foundation.

6 Proper Recovery. Pro athletes workout 5-6 times per week. But they didn't start that way. They added workouts as they got stronger & bigger. You'll overtrain if you jump into their routines. As a beginner you need more recovery.


Rest. Muscles grow when you rest, not when you workout. Start with 3 full body workouts per week and focus on intensity, not gym time.

Sleep. Growth hormone releases when you sleep, building muscle. Aim for 8 hours sleep. Nap post workout if your lifestyle allows.

Drink Water. Avoids dehydration and helps muscle recovery. Drink 2 cups water with each meal, and sip water during your workout.

Eat. "Eat like a horse. Sleep like a baby. Grow like a weed". Your training is useless if you don't eat enough calories for recovery.

7. Eat Whole Foods. You'll achieve a lower body fat %, so the muscles you've built show better and the vitamin & mineral content helps recovery. Stop eating food coming from a box. Eat whole foods 90% of the time.

Proteins. Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, milk, ...

Carbs. Brown rice, oats, whole grain pasta, quinoa, ...

Veggies. Spinach, broccoli, tomato, salad, carrot, ...

Fruits. Banana, orange, apple, pineapple, peers, ...

Fats. Olive oil, fish oil, real butter, nuts, flax seeds, ...



8. Eat More. Training is more important than diet for muscle building. But you do need to give your body the food it needs for optimal recovery. Most guys don't eat enough, you got to eat more to build muscle.

Eat Breakfast. Get calories from the first hour.
Eat Post Workout. Get proteins and carbs post workout to help muscle recovery and replenish your energy stores.

Eat Every 3 Hours. 6 meals/day. Gives your muscles a steady intake of protein, speeds up muscle repair & recovery, boosts your metabolism.

Eat Body Weight in lbs x 18kcal. You need at least your body-weight in lbs x 18kcal to maintain weight.

Eat Calorie Dense Foods. 100g raw spinach is 25kcals. But 100g raw rice is 380kcals. Eat pasta, oats, olive oil, mixed nuts, etc.

10. Get Protein. Proteins have the highest thermic effect. You need 1g protein per pound of body-weight daily to build & maintain muscle. That’s 160g of daily protein if you weigh 160lbs/72kg. Eat whole proteins with each meal.

Red Meat. Ground round, steaks, deer, buffalo, …

Poultry. Chicken breast, whole chicken, turkey, duck, …

Fish. Tuna, salmon, sardines, mackerel, …

Eggs. Eat the yolk, it's full of vitamins.

Dairy. Milk, cottage cheese, quark cheese, yogurt, whey, …

If you weigh 160lbs: 1 can of tuna at lunch, 300g cheese as snack, 300g meat at dinner and 500ml milk through the day gets you 160g protein.

Persist. Get stronger, track progress and persist until you've built the muscles you want. You'll see the biggest change in physique after following this method for a couple of months.