Basic fitness session/week 1

Hey, to start this off we need to get some basic fitness going! When I train with my friends in my group this generally starts at the beginning of winter with long runs and minute interval training! However we are generally still fit from the previous year so I am going to post a session that should last around half an hour and will help you build a base to start on where you can progress over the coming weeks! I have been doing this session with a few of the girls I live with out here and they have all come on very well, we timed a loop of a track near us that is around 5km long and each person has managed to improve their best time considerably in just a few weeks!

You may like to plan a route of around the same distance, that you can remember and use as a platform to measure improvement! This is helpful because you can see your progression and improvement which pushes you to continue working hard as you can see your results on the clock!

The session starts with a 5 minute easy jog to warm up, with some basic stretches if desired! If its cold, take care to ensure you feel loose and warmed up even if it means jogging more or combining the jogging with movements such as push ups or what ever you feel you need!

If the following seems too easy for your current fitness level then step up the intervals but keep the rest period the same!

For their first few sessions I got the girls to run the intervals at around 60-70% of their maximum effort and to stride walk the rests!

The session goes as follows:

Warm up, as above
6x30seconds with 30 recovery
6x60seconds with 60 recovery
6x30seconds with 15 recovery
3x30seconds with 30 recovery
5 minutes jog to cool off
Basic stretching

Run     Recover  (seconds)
30         30
30         30
30         30
30         30
30         30
30         30
60         60
60         60
60         60
60         60
60         60
60         60
30         15
30         15
30         15
30         15
30         15
30         15
60         60
60         60
60         60
30         30
30         30
30         30

This may not seem a lot of work on paper as the total time it should take to complete will be around 30 minutes! Ensure that you work hard but not too hard that you don't complete the session. However if you are really struggling take note of where you get to in the session and aim to beat it next time out!
Take note of your heart rate at the end before your cool down, a good range for this session to show your working at the right kind of level would be around 150-170BPM. An easy way to calculate this if you don't have a monitor is to count your heart beats in your neck with your fore finger and middle finger for 15 seconds, them multiply by 4 and you have your BPM!

Remember this should be fun, it may hurt a little but most of that will be in your head! Although if you feel injured in anyway do not attempt to run on and complete the session, you have to read the signs your body gives you so you don't get hurt!

I suggest doing this session 2 days over the next week, on 2 other days I suggest a 30 minute jog, swim or row on a rowing machine, just to ease into training! Also if you fancy doing the times 5km loop, feel free on one of the other days! So just 4 days fairly light training this week!

I will be posting a stretching routine with a video, a few basic core routines and some basic circuits over the following weeks! I will then incorporate weights and some more intense training for those who feel ready to take on the challenge!

Have fun and please comment if this has helped!

Rich.
    

Equipment!

Hey, Im going to post a list of equipment that will be needed or may be helpful to complete sessions posted on here! The first item that is very helpful with many different programs is a stopwatch! They are good for use with interval training and core workouts! The next item is a good pair of running shoes, they should be in good condition, with grip and support as a fair amount of the workouts I post will be circuit or running/walking based! Next is space, for some of the workouts a gym will be required for bars, wall bars, and small dumbbells! However most can be adapted to be completed at home if you don't have access to any of this equipment! Recently I have been using a heart rate monitor made by Polar, I have never really got into using them before now but have found it useful because I'm able to measure the intensity I'm working at and therefore adjust my work rate to suit the Beats Per Minute range I am aiming for! Heart rate monitors are often not cheap, mine was around 100 British pounds. I bought it for my girlfriend however we now share it if training at different times so its kind of half the price! You can pick up basic models though for around 40-50 pounds!

I will be writing separate programs for home and gym use as well as running ones that can be done pretty much any where either on grass, road or running track if you are lucky enough to have access to one!

I may also write a more advanced core strength program if requested including exercises and drills for Planche, Flag, Handstand and other moves that are a lot harder! I am working on these at the moment so will have an idea of how long it takes to learn and get good at them. They look cool and are impressive, although they do have benefits other than just to show off to your friends!

I hope this helps and I can't wait to get started!

GET FIT WITH RICH

HELLO, as you can see from my profile my name is Richard. Im 23, living in Montreal, Canada and have lots of spare time on my hands where I intend on helping anyone who is interested in getting fit get fit!!

I HATE and I mean HATE spending hours and hours in the gym doing long sloggy cardio sessions as I know a lot of people do! So quite simply I don't! I believe you can achieve a good body and level of fitness from giving only 45minutes to 1 hour per day and being sensible with the types and amounts of food you eat! I know that it is possible to maintain a body fat level of around or below 10% where abs are visible from only an hour a day!

I know this from experience as I have spent the past 5 or so years training alongside a full time job and social life and managed to compete to a good level in UK athletics! Injury however seems to keep setting me back but this is all part of the sport, some people manage to never get injured and some people do no matter the precautions they take to prevent injuries!

I aim to provide updates and sessions on this blog that can be followed and changed to suit you and your lifestyle to help to improve your own fitness! I believe that everyone who is able bodied and has a bit of determination and will to persist can achieve good results, whether it be to drop fat, tone up, gain muscle or just improve their flexibility.

This brings me on to another subject that many people including myself neglect and that is indeed FLEXIBILITY!! How many people do you know who complain about being stiff and having sore backs?? I know it goes on because I used to always complain of a sore back! I have realised how important stretching is and how much of a difference it can make to everyday life! I now stretch every day for around 30minutes mainly while watching films or chatting to my girlfriend while she is checking emails or whatever! It is something that can be done where ever and takes little effort to do but I promise makes a huge difference! Before I started stretching properly everyday and not just when I trained it hurt to tie my shoe laces in the morning, now I have no pain and can place my hands flat on the floor with ease and even further where before this was impossible!

So basically in summary I want to use my time to aid anyone who wants help, please follow my blog, feel free to leave feedback, goals, questions and comments, my email is provided on my profile!

I will leave this for one week before I begin to post sessions, and I want to include stories and photos of yours and my own progress so please use my email address from my profile!

Thanks and I hope to see you here soon!

POSTS WILL COMMENCE TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7TH, 2012