FIT PHIL TRAINING

SUE'S EPIC WINTER CHALLENGE - THE GRAND CANYON RIM TO RIM .... HER PERSONAL STORY.

2020-02-03T04:51:00.000-08:00

So just over 5 years since I first ran the Grand Canyon rim to rim I returned at the age of 65 to attempt to do it in the depths of winter but this time down and up the south side as the North rim is closed due to snow. It is shorter at 26 kilometres this way but still the same descent from 7000 feet to the river. At 7am it was still dark and -5c with ice and snow on the upper reaches of the trail plus a wind chill factor that made it feel about -10c. I had not trained in this kind of weather so the
challenge in itself would be a whole new experience however there was one even bigger difference in that my wife Sue was coming with me! She only started trail running 3 months ago and now I was throwing her into one of the toughest challenges in the harshest of conditions.This all may sound a little crazy but I had trained Sue myself and we had concentrated not only on running but also on her strength and conditioning as this is what would carry her through physically when or if things got difficult.

We had decided many months ago that if she didn't feel right on the day then she wouldn't do it as it was just too risky. The plan was that I would then just go it alone and meet her later.... well, that was the plan.
When we arrived the day before and she saw the snow and ice she immiediately said 'NO WAY!'

At this point I thought it might be interesting to let Sue, who is a complete novice, give you her thoughts on this great challenge.

SUE'S STORY
As we were planning our trip to the States, I asked Phil if he was intending on running the
Grand Canyon again and he replied ‘no not this time.’ So I mentioned that maybe we could
walk down the trail a bit together as I’d never ventured off the rim all the times we’d been
in the past. He shrugged his shoulders and said ‘Sure, we can do that, how far down do you
want to go?’ ‘Indian Gardens looks lovely looking down from the top’ I muted not realising
that this was my first mistake. His expression changed as he told me quite seriously that 'it’s a long
way down even though it doesn’t look it'... and that I would have to get alot fitter to do it. 'In fact if you plan on going that far you may as well go down to the river and back up again but I need to start training you straight away!' I started backtracking rapidly to just maybe going down half an hour or so but I could see his brain had kicked into gear and there was no going back.

My normal weekly exercise pattern was 2 yoga stretch classes, one ball class and a 4k run plus a few walks but nothing too strenuous. Suddenly I was being dragged out in the morning for 5k runs along the canal and then later 12k runs in the Andalusian mountains (trail running being the new norm). On top of this were tempo runs (Don't ask but they are horrible) and sprints along the beach walkway followed by hill sprints, all on top of my normal routine. Protein and veg became the order of 3 meals a day plus carbs on training days plus added vitamins and green drinks. I must have been mad but this went on for the 3 months before we left for America. I was still non-committal about the challenge but Phil was taking it all very seriously.
I was adamant that if I decided not to do it or just to go down a little way he could continue on his own. He blithely ignored me and delighted in buying me new trail shoes, a water pack & poles whilst I stood there bored to death in the store just wanting to get to the perfume department.

As we boarded our flight to the States we were loaded up with enough gels, almond bars,
salt capsules you name it, to climb Everest along with antiseptic wipes and gels for the
plane. Immediately Phil got busy wiping the whole of the chairs, TV screens and tray tables
to avoid any germs (which is totally impossible on board a 737 Dreamliner). He had taken full
responsibility for this and I was just floating along beside him. Apparently you are 23 times more likely to catch a cold on a plane, 'Olympic athletes do it and so are we' he exclaimed with that serious look again. What had I let myself in for?
We arrived at the Canyon the day before we intended to attempt the impossible for me
and the first sight we saw was snow and ice! I retreated rapidly as I hate walking on ice but undeterred he dragged me along to some people who were just coming out of the trail. They were wearing these spikey things on their shoes and Phil persuaded them to let me try them.
Miraculously I could walk easily without slipping, so off we went to the Grand Canyon shop to purchase 2 pairs.
The day dawned and I still wasn’t bothered, worried or anything as he was just taking control. Firstly he vaselined my feet, (again, dont ask) and then we dressed in all the gear stuffed with protein bars, gels, water, plasters, newskin, recovery blanket, torches and whistle. I could go on but when he started counting the calories and working out my sweat rate I thought it better just to switch off until he said with a very serious look on his face:- 'People die in this place, if you don't respect it you can get into serious trouble'.....which was just what I wanted to hear as we left the hotel!
Arriving at the the rim it was freezing cold, dark and a little foreboding but at 7:40 am just as the light appeared we began. The snow lit up the Canyon in all its magnificence and the first couple of miles were suprisingly easy as the ice filled in all the holes and fallen rocks so it was quite smooth and the views were breathtaking. We reached the first rest house (2k), no problem, then took off our spikes a little while later as the snow had disappeared. This brought new problems as the ‘steps’ down were very steep with lots of rocks meaning we had to navigate around them all. We reached the second rest house (4k) and was excited to see Indian Gardens below which from the top looked like a nice calm grassy plateau. How wrong could I be? The divets were getting deeper as we went further into the Canyon, these jarred my back and put pressure on my weaker left leg from an old back injury from 12 years ago.

My knee started aching as we reachede Indian Gardens where there is a water tap, a few tents and the odd tree, not quite what I had imagined. didn’t stop for long and at this point Phil asked did I want to go any further as we’d been much slower than he’d anticipated due to my leg pain and fear of the divets. It was then that he told me the next part called ‘Devil’s corkscrew ‘was very steep and difficult. I looked around and thought to myself that I’d come this far and was very unlikely to do it again, so I just had to go for it or I would have been disappointed, he said 'Cool' and off we went. Devil’s corkscrew was as hard as its name, scary to look down and it went on forever. By now the pain was all the way up and down my leg but I just ignored it and carried on down to the river even though it was killing me to put my foot down on anything except flat ground, which was obviously nowhere to be found.

Finally after about 3 hours we got to the river, I know Phil would have got here in less than half the time but he stayed with me throughout the day as he'd promised to do. It was breathtaking, stunning, beautiful and worth every painful step and I was surprised at how fast it was travelling and how cold and salty it was.
Phil gave me some ibuprofen which he said he would normally never do but it was neccessary and a godsend at that moment. Looking back up at the Canyon, it really was awe-inspiring to see the power of nature at its most beautiful but most dangerous. It made me feel so humble yet grateful to be part of it at that moment. However there was no time to dwell on that as the enormity of the ascent back out was so real and with my bad leg we had to get going.
Phil had split the ascent, (which is apparently what ultra runners do) into 6 quadrants to help with my mental endurance, so Devil’s corkscrew was the first (and the worst!).
I used my poles to help take the pressure of my bad leg but it was less painful than coming down. I kept saying it was my knee and he seemed to get a bit worried but when he pressed and prodded it he realised it was actually my quad muscles and explained with a smile on his face 'Its only your quads, thats a relief I thought it was something serious'.
Next came the second quadrant up to Indian Gardens then another and another until the last two very steep quadrants up to the second then the first resthouse. By now I was on autopilot and following my 6-breath yoga routine to manage both the ever growing pain and the elevation gain as we ascended. Phil kept making me take all the provisions he had brought to keep up my energy levels and really monitored my movements encouraging me to move quicker where it was easier. I can’t say my responses to him were at all pleasant as I insisted I was doing my best but I knew he wanted us to get up before it went dark.

Then we hit the mud! This was awful as where the snow had melted it was just a gooey mess, slippy and very hard to manoeuvre around unless you tried to keep your feet as close to the edges as possible. By now I just wanted to get to the top and just totally focussed on my poles and feet not letting my mind wander in any way, especially to the now excruciating pain down my leg. Eventually we came back to the snow near the top which was much easier to cross with the spikes and I could finally see the summit. At this point we met a young girl, quite fit, about 27, who was really struggling and had taken 12 hours just to come up from the river which was half the distance we had already covered. We gave her some gels, electrolytes and salt capsules and she seemed to perk up as we told her she was nearly there. Later Phil started to mumble on about what happens when you don't prepare properly. The Rangers warn you not to go there and back in a day, which we were doing but she apparently had stayed the night at the camp at the bottom and was still struggling. 'Bloody stupid' said Phil (or something like that).
On average 17 people die every year in the Canyon with over 400 recorded evacuations due to injury etc by helicopter per year, so he had a point.

By now I was exhausted but 9 1/2hrs after entering the Canyon, we finally made it. Phil had gone on a few minutes before me and rounded up a load of tourists to cheer me out and of course I just burst into tears!
To this day nearly 2 weeks later, I still can’t believe I actually managed it and then recovered well. The next day I had no pain whatsoever and I slept like a baby. When I look at the pictures and videos it just feels like a blur.
Maybe it was just an incredible dream after all……
...................................
Anyway, back to me:- I have to say I was very impressed with Sue's attitude the whole day as she didn't complain or moan at all. At the beginning and in the half light she just 'lets go' and off we went. Personally I loved running in the snow and ofcourse in the winter you don't have the heat problem.
This was quite a different challenge for me as I just felt responsible for Sue the whole time whereas normally I'm just thinking about myself. (If you know what I mean). Her recovery was excellent which was due to all her strength and conditioning training. People often forget that in challenges like this recovery has to be managed just as much as the preparation.
I think many people will be suprised about what Sue achieved and at the age of 64 and having never done anything like this before but I always felt she could do it because her attitude during training was always enthusiastic. She stuck to the schedule religiously and never once gave any excuses.
After 30 years of marriage I will admit that I was suprised at her mental endurance but she told someone later that it was much easier having a baby!.....Now as a man that sounds like a complete nightmare.

Sue has now joined a unique band of people. A Ranger told me this year that ony 1% of visitors ever leave the rim and of these only 1% get to the river, and of these very few go there and back in a day.
I think the takeaway from all this is that it is important not to limit yourself in life. If you keep yourself fit and healthy then you are capable of much more than you can possibly imagine.

Phil Jeremy Personal Training: DOES MY BUM LOOK BIG IN THIS?. ...

2019-12-02T07:14:00.001-08:00

Phil Jeremy Personal Training: DOES MY BUM LOOK BIG IN THIS?. ...: If you have to ask the question then you aleady know the answer or you should do. I can hear the comments now;- fatist, sexist, misog...

Phil Jeremy Personal Training: DOES MY BUM LOOK BIG IN THIS?. ...

2019-12-02T07:13:00.001-08:00

DOES MY BUM LOOK BIG IN THIS?. ...

2019-12-02T05:51:00.001-08:00

If you have to ask the question then you aleady know the answer or you should do. I can hear the comments now;- fatist, sexist, misogynist, judgemental,uncaring, unkind, unsympathetic, bully, inconsiderate, blah,blah,blah.

When are the army of obese/overweight people finally going to wake up and smell the reality. A friend of mine called me from the UK because he had just been for lunch in a busy restaurant and virtually everyone was fat, he normally doesn't notice these things but was clearly shocked. He was left wondering how we got into this state of affairs. The current published statistics which are readily available paint an extremely worrying situation. I have referenced two reports below and the statistics are alarming and the cost to the health authorities is outrageous. 10% of the budget of the NHS in the UK is spent on treating obesity and the projections moving forward are far worse.
Just ponder that for a moment, that means for people who are ill or infirm through no fault of their own will be denied treatment because 10% of the population ate too many pizzas.

What clearly isn't helping is the normalising of obesity. I have been shown pictures of really fat girls on Instagram with millions of followers banging on about how they love their bodies. Good luck to you honey because a whole truckload of health problems are heading your way. Let me state for the umpteenth time that to be fat and healthy is a myth, it is simply not true so stop kidding yourself. You will be a burden to your family and the state in years to come and I suspect they will already have all sorts of health issues that they are choosing to ignore. I've heard it all, 'Its my special hormones', 'I can't eat this or that'.., 'I'm big boned'. Some of these people who are big boned are so huge they must have had dinosaurs for ancestors.
The problem now is that obesity is being normalised and because of all the # me too stuff you are not allowed to criticise or say anything. I look at the fat women on Facebook or Instagram and all the comments are 'You look gorgeous'... 'you are so beautifiul'...'Fabulous'....'Wow you look amazing'..etc etc and always these comments are from women not men.
Beware of women complimenting you on how great you look when you clearly look like a giant cream cake.🍰

Irina and daughters Alex and Lara

'Does my bum look big in this? Is this actually a serious question? I have never met a slim, healthy, fit women with a good figure ask me if her bum looks big. A friend of mine who has worked in the retail industry all her life told me that the thing she most looked forward to in retirement was not hearing every day some woman saying 'does my bum look big in this?' Instead of blaming the dress how about sorting out your figure. And what of the men? At least when a guy with a belly hanging down to his knees posts on Facebook his friends don't say he looks great, they usually crack a joke about it... however they dont say; 'time to look in the mirror pal' because now we all have to be kind,nice and touchy feely, yet meanwhile the health problems mount up and nobody says anything.
The food companies behaviour is nothing short of criminal as they seek to hide or lie about all the bad stuff in their products and yet some things are obvious when it comes to health eating. It is really difficult to make foods such as spinach, blueberries, salmon or broccoli unhealthy whereas its very easy to make low fat yogurt sound healthy when it isn't. Then again if you eat a donut what exactly do you think you are eating and whose fault is that? Nick Mitchell a well known trainer recently said that losing weight and being fit is nothing to do with discipline, it is to do with self respect and I agree. I train and eat a well balanced diet because I respect myself and I care about how I treat my body which carries me through life in the best way possible. I am grateful and do not take it for granted.

The obesity epidemic has exploded over the past 15 years and this normalisation is just plain crazy. I honestly dont know where it will end but it won't be pretty. I have spent the summer training and advising on diet and with great success but the people I see have decided to do something about their health issues and I am there to help, advise and encourage. It's very rewarding because at least I'm doing something, however small, to stem this tide of poor health. Of course some clients have particular injuries or serious health issues but even they have improved immeasurably over the past few months. I have also trained clients who are already fit and healthy but again they don't take it for granted, they are consistent in their lifestyle choices, they train a minimum of 3 times a week, eat well balanced nutritional food, drink lots of water, sleep 6/8 hours and so on.

Sisters, Saskia and Patricia

As I have said a hundred times it's not rocket science, if people would just start to introduce a few healthy choices then they would see a difference and this will then motivate them to go further as they begin to look and feel better about themselves.
No doubt I will be accused again of being unkind when I criticise but I believe that pussy footing around the issue is madness. Last week PHE published a report that 40% of school leavers will be obese by 2025 and 20% of 4-5 year olds are already obese. Does this not alarm the parents? They are commiting their children to a lifetime of poor health, don't they care? I just dont get it. Surely parents should be setting the example by feeding their children a healthy diet and demonstrating to them the benefits of exercise from an early age, not slobbing about on the sofa drinking coke and munching a burger and fries.

Jane,Gerry and daughters

I'm afraid today has been a rant but that's because I'm angry. A succesful gym owner told me last week that we are in the business of primary health care. I never thought about it that way before but it's true as the next step is doctors, medicines and hospital. One should be trying to prevent that by taking charge of your own health today and not leaving it up to the medical proffession tomorrow.
Please stay healthy, you owe it to yourself and to your children.... don't just buy a bigger pair of pants.

References.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6257099/

https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN03336/SN03336.pdf#targetText=The%20National%20Child%20Measurement%20Programme,being%20obese%20and%2014.2%25%20overweight.

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2019-06-04T06:55:00.000-07:00

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VIRGIN TERRITORY.....TIME TO STEP OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT ZONE.

2019-05-02T07:25:00.000-07:00

Firstly I must point out that today's blog has nothing to do with the vestal virgins of ancient Rome, fascinating though that maybe, no, today I am concerned about how so many people stick to their tried and tested routines be it yoga, tennis, running, swimming, cycling or gym workouts and never change what they do. They do the same thing nearly every time and though the consistency of any fitness routine is paramount it is the variety of effort within the routine that will give you the most benefits. I have talked before of 'bang for your buck' or more eloquently, 'minimum effective dose' exercise routines, yet for many people who are trying to get fit or lose weight they sadly assume that what they do a few times a week will be enough.... and then are surprised to learn that it doesn't work. They will then go on to make sweeping assumptions that the reason is due to hormonal imbalances or the wrong kind of genes... or it's not in their DNA make up.... whatever that means.

If you make any positive change to your routine be it in
what you eat or in how much or in the type or intensity of your exercise routine then you will see a difference. You have to step outside your comfort zone, you have to extend your horizons...

A man's reach must always extend beyond his grasp.

I remember about 25 years ago running virtually the same route month after month, I was fit but I never lost weight or got quicker or increased my muscle mass. I assumed, as many people did at the time, that this was the way to train, much like years ago the standard nutrition for football players and marathon runners was pasta. I too went along with this believing that by stuffing my face with pasta the night before a big run would do the trick, I'am afraid its not quite that simple.
Often I see overweight people jogging along the road and its great that they are trying to do
something about their health however after a few months their weight loss will decrease and sadly they may become demotivated and give up. This is a normal pattern and is often associated with poor diet, which is always the real culprit of their obesity. The point though is that they have been brainwashed into believing that jogging will cure their obesity. It won't and never does.

Remember exercise will keep you fit and healthy but it is only a small part of the weight/fat loss equation. It is your diet that is the key....always.

It all depends on your goal. If you wish to run a marathon then its common sense to train for it by running frequently. If you want lose weight or cut fat then you must train and eat accordingly. Likewise if your goal is to improve your figure or acquire a lean muscular physique then eating and exercising has to be even more targeted and specific.There are many varied factors and all will require a different training and nutrition protocol. One size does not fit all.
Very often people are slightly motivated to do one of the above or would like to lose weight but I find that often they are not prepared to make the changes necessary. The older I get the more I notice that very few people are prepared to make the sacrifices that are needed. They just can't be bothered. Its far easier to sit in front of the TV and have a glass of wine and a bag of crisps! These days I refuse to train anyone who has not already made a decision to step up and sort themselves out. Its no point me pushing and motivating them if they do not have the will to carry it through.
The reason is simple because if it is not a 'must' for them and its just a vague hope or a nice idea then they will not succeed and no amount of motivation from me will alter this. I would not waste money on a personal trainer if you have not made a decision to follow through with your health goal until you succeed.

Any change you wish to make in your health and fitness will involve stepping outside your daily routine and current comfort zone. I believe in making dynamic positive changes, some people such as Precision Nutrition (PN) preach small steps and though I understand this method I rarely use it. They are a great organisation and have excellent results and although I agree with many of many of their nutritional guidelines I tend to go for big lifestyle changes and total immersion in your new health goal. You see much faster results and psychologically that motivates them and me into pursuing the person they want to become.You could be someone new to training or an experienced athlete, either way you have to shake outthose bad habits, we all have them. I prefer to recognise them and deal with it on a multilevel approach. Specific nutrition and targeted training methods are what a Personal Trainer should be giving you otherwise its just maintenance. Now there is nothing wrong with maintenance if you are already at a high level of fitness and health but to be truthful we all can improve and do better.

Consistency is the first step but after that I prefer to break new ground and
move into more virgin territory. Its remarkable what changes the body and mind will make when you test yourself in a new area. People love feeling healthy when before they were not. Personally I like to change things all the time. One day I'll do a 10 k trail run and another day a hard 50 minute strength session. The variety is hugely stimulating.
For example:-
The other week I did 20 minute high intensity session of 500 varied body weight reps and the next day an easy jog along the river. Then I did nothing for 2 days and then my son, Alexander, suggested a routine of just press ups and flys. Very simple but tough. We did 9 press ups rested for 20 seconds then 1, then 8, then 2, then 7, then 3, then 6 etc and continued all the way down to zero and then reversed back up to 10.
Basically 200 press ups followed by 5 sets of 10 flys. We were just hitting the chest and back..... I had DOMS for about 5 days but I still did a 5k tempo run on the 7th day.

This might seem excessive but the total time training for that week was around 2.5 hours which is less than 2% of the hours in a week, hardly excessive but as you can see it's extremely varied and the body is constantly shocked into having to make adaptations. This will keep you fit lean and well conditioned which is my personal goal however this is still only a small part of the equation because it is my diet that will have the greatest effect. If I go eat a pizza after each session or have half a bottle of wine then I might as well not bother. You need to vary your nutrition with a variety of healthy foods, this takes a little planning so you must shop with the next 3 days in mind as you want fresh vegetables/salad with every meal with good sources of protein and some nuts, seeds and slow release carbs. If you don't eat this way then your health goal is going to be far more difficult to achieve and take an awful lot longer.

Virgin territory in Andalucia.

If you wake up every day with the same body composition and fitness despite doing 'regular exercise' its because you are not doing what I have just outlined, it has nothing to do with your genes or whether you are big boned ..... or even if you're descended from a line of hippo's!
Its time me to step up and break out of your ineffective routine and get serious.

Speaking of virgin territory and comfort zones, a few weeks ago I took off into the Andalusian hills in southern Spain, it was a tough rocky trail in the middle of nowhere and after running into a family of wild boar, a bit nerve racking but a few a few hours later I felt tired but exhilarated.
If you can become passionate about health and fitness then the rewards are never ending.

Phil Jeremy Personal Training: VIRGIN TERRITORY.....TIME TO STEP OUTSIDE YOUR COM...

2019-05-02T07:17:00.001-07:00

Phil Jeremy Personal Training: VIRGIN TERRITORY.....TIME TO STEP OUTSIDE YOUR COM...: Firstly I must point out that today's blog has nothing to do with the vestal virgins of ancient Rome, fascinating though that maybe, no...

Phil Jeremy Personal Training: SPRING CLEAN ..... THE TOP 5 STEPS TO A NEW BODY.

2019-01-31T03:57:00.001-08:00

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Phil Jeremy Personal Training: FAT OR FIT ... IT'S YOUR CHOICE.

2019-01-29T03:40:00.001-08:00

Phil Jeremy Personal Training: FAT OR FIT ... IT'S YOUR CHOICE.: Yes you do have a choice and it's your decision. A fellow health professional was telling me a story the other day of a 43 year old wom...

FAT OR FIT ... IT'S YOUR CHOICE.

2019-01-25T08:47:00.001-08:00

Yes you do have a choice and it's your decision. A fellow health professional was telling me a story the other day of a 43 year old woman whose Doctor had recommended a very expensive diet expert who had given her a specialized nutrition plan, all very complicated and involved, so much so that she didn't even look at it.
When asked by my friend what her normal day was, it consisted of fruit, yogurt, cereal/ bread/croissant or waffle and juice for breakfast. She would go out to a café for soup and some salad at lunchtime plus 1 small glass of wine, a mid afternoon snack, then a late evening dinner of protein /veg with potatoes/rice/pasta ... and maybe 2 or 3 glasses of wine plus a naughty desert a few times a week. I'm sure she was probably having a few more 'naughty things' that she didn't tell us about as well. She did no exercise save for the occasional 15 minute walk now and again. She was 38% Body Fat but felt she was about 25% and didn't consider herself to be much overweight and in fact she thought she ate quite well. (Everybody says that). The idea that you can be fat and healthy is a clinically proven myth, so get over it.
This is a classic case, so let's break it down.

Firstly this woman is clinically obese and is ripe for some serious health issues in the years to come.
Secondly for someone this fat her diet is very poor, actually to be honest its atrocious.

BREAKFAST
You may think her breakfast is okay but as ever the devil is in the detail. She is consuming mostly sugar and bad fats. All fruit is sugar, her yogurt was the usual fruit flavoured sugar loaded supposedly healthy type.
It should have been full fat Greek yogurt and half a small pot at that with perhaps few blueberries, 1/3 banana and then protein powder. No croissants bread waffles or juice. (Its all sugar, sugar, sugar!)
And no special high fibre Alpen/granola/ healthy cereal either, its all crap.
What she actually needs to do is switch to protein and vegetables and no juice and a very small amount of fruit, if any. She should always have a Green drink, fish oil, probiotics and vitamins and a small handful of nuts and seeds. It amazes me why hardly anyone has green drinks for breakfast, I just can't fathom it. All fit, healthy and lean people consume some form of Green drink with ingredients such as wheatgrass/ barley grass/ spirulina/ chlorophyll/ seaweed/ kelp/ enzymes/ bacterial cultures/ spinach/ ginger/ turmeric. You can buy it or make your own. I do both, it takes seconds and you are flooding your body with healthy nutrients the moment you wake up. The difference between this and a waffle/croissant is so obvious it beggars belief.

IT'S YOUR CHOICE FOR BREAKFAST ... but remember there are consequences.

If you want to try intermittent fasting and skip breakfast there can be benefits but you need to know how to do this the right way but at this stage she needs to keep it simple. If you consume protein/vegetables you will feel fuller and avoid the mid morning crash from all that sugar you had for breakfast. I have found that for most people changing there current breakfast routine is the fastest way to healthy fat loss.

LUNCH
Get rid of the soup for lunch and instead have chicken/fish/meat with a lot, and I mean a lot, of salad or vegetables, no sauces. I am always amazed how many restaurants provide you with so little salad or vegetables. I was in a fairly decent café the other day and the waiter said they had no vegetables when I asked for them, as in NONE. Utterly bizarre and in the UK and the USA they smother the salad with some type of crap dressing. I always have to ask to have it separate. In other words the simple healthy ways of preparing and presenting food are being avoided, I just don't get it.

The amount of people who have soup for lunch and are overweight is incredible, you would have thought by now that they had figured out that there must be a problem.

Let me be clear, there are ways of preparing nutritious soup properly but most people don't know how to do it and besides it's much better to consume healthy protein and crunchy fibrous vegetables.

As for one glass of wine please don't get me started. By the time she tots up that plus the evening glass or 2 or 3 she's probably consuming at least 25 glasses of wine a week! That's ALOT of sugar which is going to turn to fat. She needs to start drinking 2+ litres of water a day.
Stop drinking alcohol for a month and see how you feel. I promise you will notice a difference.

DINNER
The first issue is she eats it late but at least she had protein for dinner but then spoilt it with a ton of carbs. Before someone jumps in here, I know carbs are not all bad but at 40% body fat they are! She has to cut her body fat first and then she can reintroduce some 'good' carbs (e.g. Quinoa, Sweet potatoes, Brown rice, Oats), perhaps in a few weeks time.
I suspect the naughty desert was more than once a week and was probably not just a little naughty but positively pornographic.

I ran the Grand Canyon from rim to rim for over 8 hours and consumed very few carbs before, during or after the run, I didn't need them because I have enough stored fat for energy; and I was 9% Body fat ... and so if I don't need them to do a run like that then why does she need them sitting around doing nothing? I eat quality carbs about 3-4 times per week for dinner or lunch and that's it.

If you eat carbs for breakfast, lunch and dinner then you are on massive overload, the fact you see everyone else doing it doesn't make it right, they are probably enormous too.
She needs to start exercising for a minimum of 3/4 hours a week, say 30 mins per day, starting with walking and then moving on to a planned exercise regime that will metabolically disturb her body into losing fat, 20 minutes of high intensity a day 2/3 times per week plus a strength and conditioning routine twice a week would be a sensible goal to aim for.
If she did this then within a week she would start losing fat and in a healthy nutritionally balanced way ... and she can eat more than she is doing now so will not feel hungry at all because she will be eating the right food.
If she ate like this and had decent training advice she'd look like a million dollars in a few months. How do I know? because I've done this with client after client and it always works, every time.
It really isn't complicated, you don't need a specialist dietician you just need to change the basics of your routine to the correct way to eat and exercise. I've also found that when someone starts to live a healthier lifestyle and they see the positive results then they want to keep it going and improve on it even more, so it has a processional positive effect. There mood and sense of well being is enhanced, they have more energy and want this new lifestyle to be permanent.
Remember every person I see thinks that their health problems are unique and therefore more complicated but I'm afraid in most cases that's a load of garbage plain and simple.

Get off your 'special diet', throw away all your useless pills and overprescribed medicines and get your body back into a state of harmonious natural balance by eating properly and exercising effectively.
Its your choice, just decide and do it.

If you have any questions or seek further advice then please email me at phil@modelplan.co.uk

Phil Jeremy Personal Training: FIRE AND RAIN - ALL WEATHER TRAINING.

2018-08-06T09:57:00.001-07:00

Phil Jeremy Personal Training: FIRE AND RAIN - ALL WEATHER TRAINING.: At present I am in the serious summer heat of the South of France and all I hear is people going around saying, 'It's far too...

FIRE AND RAIN - ALL WEATHER TRAINING.

2018-08-06T09:56:00.000-07:00

At present I am in the serious summer heat of the South of France and all I hear is people going around saying, 'It's far too hot to train in this heat', perversely I would hear the exact same opposite statement in Yorkshire in the cold winter. I guess for the great unfit, overweight and lazy it is never the right time... ces't la vie.
   Training in poor weather be it freezing cold or boiling hot needs some thought. I have run up mountains in horrendous weather but there was a reason and that was to train in conditions I may find myself in a race. I have always adapted training both for myself and my clients to their ability, their goals and also to where I am and the conditions that exist at the time. I see no glory or benefit in doing press ups in a puddle, KB swings in horizontal rain or deadlifts in a snowdrift, athletes don't do it so why should you.
Of course there are many exercises that you can do in bad weather but you have to use a degree of common sense. You can run in all weathers in fact running in the rain is exhilarating and it keeps you cool. One of my clients, Mike, reminded me of a tip that I gave him awhile back which was if you wear a cap when running in the rain you hardly notice it all and I still believe that to be true. Sprinting on an all weather running track is also a great exercise in very cold or wet weather but personally I wouldn't dream of lifting weights outside in the rain, it's too easy to slip or have bad form and injure yourself, it's just plain stupid. If you have some cover or shelter from the elements then fine but otherwise its meaningless. I read comments that somebody was lifting heavy weights in a torrential hail storm with thunder and lightning all around and what a legend or bad ass they are. What do you want... a cookie? Its bullshit. I'm afraid the word 'legend' is grossly overused, Alexander the Great is a legend, so let's put this into perspective.

If you want to walk the dog, go for a brisk hike or a short jog then fine but if you want to train effectively to achieve a long term goal then you must target the right muscle groups in the right way and in the right conditions in order to elicit the maximum response.

   Training in very hot weather is tricky. There can be benefits such as doing a 'heat run' but again this is a targeted exercise for the reasons of adaptation, the same would apply to cycling. Elite cyclists train in hot weather (as well as altitude) as this will cause the body to produce more red blood cells and you can gain significant improvements in your VO2 max.Studies have found that, in addition to an increased rate of perspiration, training in the heat can increase an athlete’s blood plasma volume (which leads to better cardiovascular fitness), reduce overall core temperature, reduce blood lactate, increase skeletal muscle force, and, counterintuitively, make a person train better in cold temperatures. In fact, heat acclimation may actually be more beneficial than altitude training in eliciting positive physiological adaptations, says Santiago Lorenzo, a professor of physiology at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine and a former decathlete at the University of Oregon.
Sprinting can be helpful but if it's too hot then your performance will suffer so they will need to be short sharp sessions such as 12-15 second OTM (on the minute) hill sprints.
  If you are not used to doing anything as extreme as this, I would advise having a medical check up beforehand.
Swimming is obvious in hot weather as long as your not just lying on your back doing impressions of a sea lion or floating on some giant inflatable rubber duck. I would particularly recommend pool sprinting, it's a surprisingly demanding yet effective form of training with no impact stress.  If you like training outside, as I do, then weight training is fine if you are in the shade but again common sense should prevail, keep the sessions short. Tempo running in hot weather should be kept to about 70% - 80% of your max heart rate as it is extremely demanding …. then again I know many of my clients think that Tempo running should be avoided altogether!

     It's all based around the risk /reward ratio, what is going to be the most effective and hopefully enjoyable training that you can do that will engender the greatest benefits?

This year we had heavy winter snowfalls in Europe so running in the snow was an option if you have the right cleats, in fact on a
brisk morning it's exhilarating. The air temperature keeps you cool and you can just go out and enjoy yourself in raw nature, I love it. I did quite a few of these extreme cold weather runs this year however on one occasion I ran in the wet, over very rocky terrain but with the wrong trainers on and I slipped, cut my head open and needed stitches. It was stupid and lazy of me and I should no better but hey, shit happens.
    Now across the globe we have had record summer temperatures so again you have to adapt your training accordingly. I look upon these changes as an opportunity to vary my training schedule and so provide a different stimulus therefore improving your fitness, strength and overall conditioning.
There are exceptions of course. In many countries this year there have been raging fires due to the dry conditions. I would have thought common sense would tell you not to train near a wildfire but apparently some people like the risk, a bit like Tornado chasers. The US Environmental Protection Agency actually issues warnings and advice, as do other countries. Remember if the fire doesn't get you, the smoke will and if that doesn't, the heat will, so forget about it. The general advice is that you need to be at least 10 miles away. And even after a fire you should be careful, don’t trust a dust mask to protect you as in addition to fine particles, wildfire smoke also contains a mixture of gases, including toxic carbon monoxide that the masks don't filter out. So you might think you look cool like Bane in Batman but actually you look like a weirdo.

High humidity is another issue that can cause difficulties
The risk of overheating, heat exhaustion or Hyponatremia is obviously higher during humid workouts because the body is working harder to cool off in the saturated air. The more humid it is, the more water there is in the air, and thus the evaporation of sweat is more difficult. Today I ran in 83% Humidity which is very high, it was tough but I had an interesting result. My time over a course which I have run for over 10 years was the fastest ever! My average time is 58 minutes and yet today I did it in 46 minutes despite the heat.
  This was not an isolated case as just over a week ago the same thing happened. The predicted weather was to be over 30c (90f) and I had scheduled to do a 20k trail run in the hills near where I live so accordingly I got up early in the cool of the morning. It got super hot towards the end but the majority of the run was in shade. I normally go through .75 of a litre per hour but took extra due to the heat, when I got back I found that I had drunk 1.25 litres per hour. I also consumed 1/2 litre of neutral pH balance sports drink plus 2 x S-Caps (salt). In more extreme weather you have to be diligent both in your preparation and execution. The surprising thing in these challenging conditions is that I took 8 minutes off my fastest time on this route too. There are many examples of athletes setting record times in extreme conditions so one must not automatically presume that your performance will suffer.

   In my case there is no doubt that these personal best times of late are as a result of my strength and metabolic conditioning workouts, not more running. I have completely redesigned my metabolic training by utilising all three energy pathways in a variety of ways, such as intensity, heart rate % of VO2 max, rep range, TUT and rest periods as well as sprints, tempo and short threshold runs. I have been consistently alternating the workouts to try and increase my lactate threshold and it appears to be bearing fruit, even in this weather.

   It is for these reasons that I never once think of the weather conditions as a convenient excuse not to do it but more as an opportunity. My clients know this and so we can have fun playing around with the different options. Sometimes I will present them with a choice of training options on a given day and let them decide; although the comments I get seem to be along the lines of, 'What sort of choice is that?.... to which my reply is usually 'Stop moaning'. As you can see, not only am I an extremely understanding trainer but also a hell of a nice guy. 😊😊
     Even in the South of France in the summer I see people jogging along the road with no hat or water. It's either ignorance or stupidity as I would have thought by now most people will have heard of dehydration. Then again in the Grand Canyon there are countless signs warning you not to venture down without the proper clothing, footwear, hats, water etc and yet you see literally hundreds of people doing exactly the opposite … go figure.
   One final point, if you do exercise outside at home in warm weather have a thought for your neighbours. I train with great intensity, panting, grunting and breathing heavily and apparently on more than one occasion some of the neighbours, from quite a distance away, have been in their gardens and been disturbed by what they thought was some sort of Adult film audition!

I digress, the main point is that the world climate is not always predictable but if you think, do a little planning and adapt the exercise accordingly then there is no excuse not to train be it sun, snow, fire or rain.

Phil Jeremy Personal Training: INTENSE FAT BURNING

2018-07-13T02:50:00.001-07:00

Phil Jeremy Personal Training: INTENSE FAT BURNING: Apologies for my lack of blogging over the past few months but as some of you know I have been in France and back into full time training. ...

INTENSE FAT BURNING

2018-07-13T02:49:00.000-07:00

Apologies for my lack of blogging over the past few months but as some of you know I have been in France and back into full time training.
Recently my son, after a rather intense workout, asked me if I train all my clients the way we had just done. My reply was 'absolutely' … and his response was, 'I 'am surprised you have any clients at all!'
   As he is super fit and 8% Body fat I thought some further analysis and discussion was necessary.
He strength trains twice a week and practises Brazilian jujitsu three times a week and yet he thought the workout was 'brutal'.
His main point was that though this type of training will torch body fat and increase muscle growth, what you eat afterwards becomes extremely important.
He is of course correct which leads me to the whole argument about nutrition … again.
Over the past few months I have had some outstanding results with my clients fat loss. This is for many people the main goal, muscle growth being the other side of the equation.
Could this type of workout effect that?
The answer is yes, in two ways, good and not so good.
With an intense fat burning workout you are using mainly the glycogen stored in your body and any carbs you might eat prior to the workout. It is often misconstrued that if you eat protein and no carbs after the workout then you will keep burning fat, which is true, but there is a 'but'.
For muscle growth you also need carbs, they are not the enemy as so many people believe.

If you have used the glycogen stored in your muscles during the workout then your muscles will not grow.

For protein synthesis to take place you need carbs as well. This is extremely important and must not be overlooked.
My fat burning workouts are without doubt intense, be it weights, HIITs or sprinting. If you don't give 100% then its not going to burn fat.
Of course there is another way to burn fat which involves long slow distance running but again lets be clear how this works. A 30 minute jog or walk is not a workout, it might be enjoyable, energising, good for the heart, life affirming and bring you closer to nature, God and the Universe but it ain't going to burn any fat.
If you want to burn fat in running then you must either do Sprints (where you burn stored glycogen) or run a long way or for a long time because fat is then the main fuel source once your glycogen has run out but, hear I go again with another 'but'.
   Running a long way is extreme and therefore is in itself, intense. You will burn fat but the difference is you will not build muscle, in fact over time you will lose muscle unless you eat a good balance of nutrient dense food.
   So long slow distance running has its place as long as you know what you are doing and how to fuel correctly, unfortunately most people don't.
Short fat burning workouts, if you eat carbs and protein after, will cut fat and increase muscle growth at the same time, which is why it is a win win for most people.
    I get angry when I see so many overweight people jogging along for 20 minutes then complaining that they are not losing weight. Its not rocket science but it is scientific .
I did a workout this morning with two super fit clients who gave 100% and I copy it below. This is High intensity fat burning and this is what is required to cut fat, its that simple. If you fuel correctly afterwards then its easy. A workout similar to this twice a week with either one (or two}strength sessions plus a running workout or a mixture of all 4 in varied ways each week and that's it.
    If you have not run for a long time and you jog 3 times a week, in the first 6 weeks you will lose some fat after but that your body has adapted so you lose very little.
By alternating the types of workout I have described below every week you will achieve your goal much faster. A simple rule for nutrition is eat mostly protein and vegetables for all meals with some slow carbs such as rice or quinoa on workout days and only in the meal after your workout. No alcohol. Try this for 3 weeks and see the results for yourself..... I challenge you.
This is how you burn fat fast. There are millions of books written plus videos and TV programmes about exercise and diet and yet what I have just told you is all you need to know.... Now do it!
     INTENSE FAT BURNER
   Do A1 to A4 then repeat 3 times before moving on to B
      ( Choose a weight where the last 2 reps are hard. You need Dumbbells - DB and possibly a Barbell - BB for the Military press )

Grouping	Exercise SHORT 20 sec rest !!	Sets	Rest
A1	DB/BB Military Press	3 x 12 reps	20 sec
_A2	DB Prisoner squats	3 x30 reps	20 sec
A3	DB Renegade rows with push up	3 x 10 reps	20 sec
A4 ________________	Tuck jumps (Knees high) ___________________________	3 x 15 reps ___________	30 secs at end of A4 ________
B1	Burpee scissors (Press up /4 scissors/Jump)	3 x 10 reps	20 sec
B2	Sumo squat to Bicep curl	3x12 reps	20 sec
B3	Jump lunges	3x 25 reps	20 sec
B4 ___________	Bench Dips _______________________	3 x 25 reps ___________	30 sec at end of round ________
	REST 30 secs only after each round and repeat
FINISHER	Hill Sprints	4 x 12 secs	20 sec rest

Phil Jeremy Personal Training: SPRING CLEAN ..... THE TOP 5 STEPS TO A NEW BODY.

2018-03-23T08:30:00.001-07:00

SPRING CLEAN ..... THE TOP 5 STEPS TO A NEW BODY.

2018-03-23T05:42:00.000-07:00

Now I'm not about to discuss how busy I am cleaning windows, vacuuming the carpets and polishing my kettlebells ! Though having just got back from some pretty intense training in Spain my sports equipment was certainly in need of a bit of touch up ... so to speak.
It seems to have been a pretty cold winter across the globe and as a result people usually eat more and exercise less. I know they often have a go and try a bit in January but this ends up being a false start and they fall back into the old unfit and unhealthy ways. The weather is depressing and so is the waist measurement.
If this is you or even if you need to kick-start your health then now is the time. The animals are coming out of hibernation and so should you. Soon you won't be able to hide that new roll of fat under your coat as Spring is here....and then Summer, which means less clothes and God forbid, you may have to bare some flesh !
Maybe you have been persevering through the winter doing press ups in puddles and running in the rain but now you are beginning to feel a little demotivated, no matter, at least you tried but now its time to re-group and reset your health and fitness for the year ahead.
As some of you are aware I scaled back many of my personal training commitments last year. I used this time to broaden my understanding of training and nutrition through further qualifications, education and research....as well as through my own trial and error of new techniques and methods.
I am presently writing an e-book in which I explain the theory and practice of a new easy, effective training and nutrition protocol. It's called:- The Triple Lock Method © which I will be previewing at a later date in these blogs.
For now though let us get back to your spring clean ... because I know you are bursting to get started.
TOP 5 STEPS TO A NEW BODY

1 Stop what you are doing.

This is obvious. If you overweight or have recently put on weight, feel sluggish, have had winter colds and flu, can't sleep, your skin feels terrible, digestive issues, have low energy ... or no energy then clearly whatever it is your doing is not working, so stop.
Please don't tell me that you eat really healthy because actually you don't. This may sound harsh but it's the truth. People who eat healthy have lean, fit bodies, they don't get colds in the winter, don't feel sluggish, they have quality sleep and lots of vitality. This also applies to exercise, it may be the wrong type or too stressful or just plain ineffective. Poor nutrition and lousy exercise choices lead to an acid environment in the body, your cortisol rises and the rest of your hormones become unbalanced, inflammation abounds. In this environment internally your body resembles a swamp. This is where germs and bacteria thrive. We have to get this swamp cleared out and moving, so the next step is:-

MY FRIDGE

2 Reduce the acid foods... then alkalize the body.
So acid foods would be Sugar, sugar, sugar and sugar ... for starters. All processed food and sodas, alcohol and cereals. Remember if it doesn't decay when left out then its bad. Good food decays, bad food doesn't. Please remember even honey is sugar, no matter how natural orange juice may be its still an enormous amount of sugar. Reduce these foods and replace with alkaline foods such as a wide variety of vegetables, unsweetened full fat yoghurt, herbs, spices, beans and lentils, quinoa, oats and especially green drinks as well as healthy fats such as olive oil, coconut oil avocados, nuts and seeds. Eat high quality proteins like organic meat, eggs and fish that will provide the largest nutrient and protein content per calorie. Try to avoid or reduce stress as this creates acid in the body, take up yoga, Pilates, have a massage, meditate, go for a long walk in nature, quieten the mind. Increase your vitamin D, Zinc, Magnesium and Vitamin B levels with supplements. Take a quality probiotic and drink a minimum of 2 litres of water a day

3 Meal planning and Carb reduction.
Plan your meals 3 days in advance, you should know what you are eating and when. Buy the healthy food choices in advance so that is all you have in the house. Throw out the crap. Last month I went to a clients house and emptied half the kitchen cupboards into the trash. She actually had something called a Carb Cupboard! It was literally piled up with pasta, cereals, crisps, biscuits, sweets and chocolates. If all you have in your cupboard and fridge is healthy alkalizing foods then that is what you will eat. Nearly everyone will have a need to reduce carbs at first if they want to cut fat but later on you can begin to recycle healthy carbs back into your diet to help promote muscle synthesis... don't ask, just trust me. Now that you have the healthy food, plan your meals. You should know today what you are having for breakfast, lunch and dinner tomorrow and approximately what time.
You have complete control of what goes into your gut, no one ate anything by accident. If you eat lots of pies you'll soon end up looking like one.

4 Take the miracle pill called exercise.
The long term benefits are well documented but what about short term. There are fat burning exercises that you can do, the most effective being sprints, its quick and has a huge fat burning effect called EPOC but you knew that anyway, I hope. Long slow jogging will only work for people who have not exercised for a very long time. After 3 months there is no fat burning effect and none at all with regular joggers... and as for walking the dog, well, no comment. It has to be high intensity. Whether its lifting weights, running, cycling or even Brazilian jujitsu, it has to be done with full commitment, intensity and purpose. Vary your exercise regime so the body never knows what's coming next. Fat but fit is a well documented myth, if you are overweight your risk of heart disease sky rockets. Exercise will strengthen your heart, increase your range of motion, slow down the effects of ageing, cut fat and give a hormonal cascade of other benefits. Lift weights, start small and build slowly, increase the weight and vary the tempo with short rests to burn fat, promote muscle growth and promote those fat burning hormones. Get moving!

5 Programme your body to make fitness and health a habit.
This is the key element to a new fit and healthy body, it must become a habit that you don't think about or question. I'm sure you don't procrastinate about brushing your teeth, getting dressed, checking your emails, its a habit you just do it. The way to a healthy fit and lean body is the same. I exercise a minimum of 3 times per week, it requires no thought, its a habit. My protein/vegetable breakfast is a habit. Drinking a green drink and taking my vitamins etc every morning is a habit, it never changes, I don't stop and think about it. I have a client who programmes me into his week. I turn up the same time every other day and off we go. He is a very successful and able person but he can be distracted and procrastinate like anybody else but he knows I'll be there, its a habit, it requires little or no mental energy, its easy. So how do we create a habit? You have to be consistent. Choose your training or exercise regime and begin. Commit to 30 days of, for example, every other day. Don't think just do it. Even if its a short session. Some people like the same time every day, I'm a bit weird I like to vary my training and the times I train, it keeps me fresh and interested. The consistency and habit is in the regular act of doing but the fun for me is shocking my body with a variety of exercise routines. Its extremely effective and simple.
There are many ways to achieve the body, health and fitness you desire but the basics always remain the same. Don't complicate things, keep it simple, begin the nutritious eating your body craves and exercise with purpose and enthusiasm. You only have one body to get you through this life, respect it, its your responsibility, nobody else's.
If you start today on these 5 steps then I promise you a new body awaits.

I mentioned the Triple Lock Method © earlier.
I have now created a brand new Triple Lock Personal Training Program © and will be coaching my clients on elements of this effective system in the coming months. For those of you in the South of France I will be back in May. A bientôt !
Contact me at:- info@philjeremypersonaltraining.com

Phil Jeremy Personal Training: GOD'S OWN COUNTRY

2018-02-06T08:50:00.001-08:00

Phil Jeremy Personal Training: GOD'S OWN COUNTRY: Me doing my Simba impression on Brimham Rocks Although the phrase has been linked in various degrees to several places around the worl...

GOD'S OWN COUNTRY

2018-01-29T10:08:00.000-08:00

Although the phrase has been linked in various degrees to several places around the world it is most closely associated, especially in Britain, with the county of Yorkshire.
As some of you know I have returned here after many years of living in the Mediterranean . I was
born and brought up in Yorkshire to the age of 14 and nearly 50 years later I have come back to my roots. Why? is the constant refrain as I have a reputation of loving blue skies and sunshine.
The answer is not easy and definitely not simple but as this is a fitness and health blog lets just say I felt it was something I was drawn to do.
I had little idea what to expect as the decision was taken very quickly, all I knew was that I needed a dose of gritty realism, history and perspective.... and that's certainly what I got, in bucket loads.
Yorkshire people do not suffer fools, they don't take or give any bullshit, it's a simple quite ruthless and very direct philosophy and you hear it every single day. This has a real wake up feel to it, you either get it or you are history. Many places in the world have their own distinct characteristics, Californians are laid back, Italians are fun loving, the French are miserable, (joke but you know what I mean), New Yorkers are savvy, Serbians are hard, the Germans are efficient, Scousers (from Liverpool) are funny, in fact they are so funny that if you can't give as good as you get then you better be quiet, Russians are tough,(actually its hard to give a definite characteristic but I wouldn't mess with them.).... I could go on but you get the picture. I know these are generalizations but very often they are true.

So my character was shaped in my formative years by this incredible attitude of 'stop moaning and get on with it'. There are no excuses in Yorkshire, Nike could have stolen their catchphrase, 'Just do it' because they're aren't interested in any weak behaviour, period .This attitude is coupled with astonishing openness, kindness and friendliness which makes for a rare cocktail that is hugely disarming. I have never lived in a place where everyone works so hard and yet nobody complains.

My 92 year old neighbour was waiting for a bus the other day in a bitterly cold hurricane when she shouted out to me with a huge smile on her face ... 'Good morning, bit windy today isn't it'.. I offered her a lift and she said no thanks the bus will be here soon.... and that just sums it up... no fuss.

One winter my local builder, Scott, was hiking up Helvelyn in the lake district in 2 foot snow drifts and -7 degrees. On the way down, the Mountain rescue team were coming back up the other way with all their specialist gear as there was a huge rescue emergency. They shouted at him 'What the hell are you doing up here in this weather?... his reply was priceless, 'Just taking dog for a walk', he didn't make excuses and saw no reason to because that's exactly what he was doing, the extreme weather was irrelevant to him, in fact he once told me that 'there was no such thing as bad weather just inappropriate clothing'. Brilliant isn't it? This attitude breeds hugely capable people and they are the type of person you really do want around in a crisis. Yorkshire has a history of producing extremely successful people in many areas of life and you can see why when you live here.

So why is it called God's own country... the answer is simple, just look out the window. Everywhere is stunningly beautiful and dramatic, it has a calm nurturing effect on the soul. You just stand there in awe of nature in all its forms, even when cold or stormy it still takes your breath away.
And yet when it comes to health and fitness there is a strange paradox.

Yorkshire people are tough; they hike, walk, cycle, play a myriad of sports and are what you would consider fit and strong but a great many are not healthy. They are overweight even obese and many of these people work super hard and exercise with vigour, passion and commitment and in in all weathers... so what's the problem?
You only have to live here for 5 minutes to know because the answer is in their diet... its atrocious.
Pies, pastries and cakes are sold everywhere. I have witnessed big tough burly builders and craftsmen who are super strong consuming two meat and potato pies and a can of Coca-Cola for breakfast. Then they smoke at least a packet of cigarettes and more pies for lunch plus beers and soda's.... and this is just the women!....(ha ha only joking).

Pizza aisle in Supermarket

The healthy aisle

Nevertheless you get the picture. Some of these guys are 30 years old but look about 50 and they don't care. To be fair this is mostly in the country but even in the towns the women are generally obese and because its the norm nobody seems to notice or be particularly bothered. Every coffee shop its cakes, waffles, pasties and ice cream and yet they are all out there working hard. A local doctor told me today that 99% of his clients under 70 years of age are overweight or obese!
Its an odd conundrum but I think I've worked it out. Essentially people over the age of about 70 are very healthy due to the diet they have had all their lives, which was always local farm produce, water, milk ,eggs, meat, vegetables with very little pesticides or additives and naturally organic. They breathe clean air have a healthy way of life and keep active every day.
People under this age have a poor diet, smoking is very common and although they work hard it makes very little difference to their overall health. I know the health services in Britain, America and Europe are creaking with a lack of funding but also the responsibility lies with the general public who are not taking responsibility for their own health.
You know who you are. I always ask the doctors for a copy the results of my blood tests, urine, heart, scans, etc. They always look astonished because apparently not a single patient asks for these.. ever! No personal responsibility.

All the attention to health is after you've been diagnosed with a problem not on prevention by living a better lifestyle.

Alcoholism is another issue that seems to run through nearly all ages and classes though statistics show that its worse during middle age. The illnesses, dementia, diabetes and deaths that it causes are well documented but nobody seems to care, either that or they feel helpless and just don't know what to do.
The lady in the local supermarket told me last week that the whole shop was watching me do a HIIT in the car park. Apparently they all said 'I wish I could do that'...I replied 'but you can', she just stood there, laughed and said 'have a lovely day'. I left the shop not knowing what to think...or do... still, they're lovely people and very happy, so what could I say?
Later on I went for a life affirming 8k run around a most beautiful local lake, it was just glorious, I do wish more people could appreciate the joy of fitness, they really are missing out.

On a separate note, today we completed purchasing some of Yorkshire's most hallowed ground. After many months of protracted negotiation, I finally became the proud owner of 3 acres of Brimham Rocks. 95% is owned by the National Trust and 5% by yours truly. I used to play here in my youth with my sisters and friends, it is a wondrous, almost mystical place. Many people I know talk of the happy times they spent there, I regard it as a privilege to be the guardian of just a tiny part of Gods own country.

Brimham Rocks at sunset

Phil Jeremy Personal Training: EAT, SLEEP, TRAIN .....REPEAT.

2017-10-26T05:51:00.002-07:00

Phil Jeremy Personal Training: EAT, SLEEP, TRAIN .....REPEAT.: Having spent some time in the UK of late I am struck on a daily basis of the general poor health that exists in the community at large. So...

EAT, SLEEP, TRAIN .....REPEAT.

2017-10-26T05:51:00.000-07:00

Having spent some time in the UK of late I am struck on a daily basis of the general poor health that exists in the community at large. So much so that the other day I came home excitedly to tell Sue that I had just seen a fit and healthy person in the street.... in fact I stared at this woman like I was some kind of weirdo.
That's how rare it is and I am not exaggerating; obesity and poor health are off the charts, it is truly an epidemic. However be that as it may today's blog is not about that, I won't criticise or judge as I have given enough advice over the years of what to do to improve your health... if you don't get it by now then sadly, you probably never will.
No, today I am looking to the positive and to those who have decided to improve their health, fitness and overall lifestyle. What is it that you need to do to get the best results within an effective and doable timescale.
There is an old saying that to look like an athlete you have to eat, sleep and train like one but what does this mean and how can a normal person with a job, family or other commitments achieve this.
Is it possible?
Well the answer is obvious to those that have done it. They have achieved their goal not with some special talent or ability but with simple, effective habits that they practice everyday.
Some people seem to think that you need to have a Spartan existence with no fun or perks but of course this is not the case as most maintain a normal life, they go out for dinner, they work, they raise a family... they even drink... shock, horror!
Every person is unique with their own strengths and weaknesses, they may be a good runner, swimmer, footballer, tennis player or golfer, maybe they practice yoga or even Brazilian jujitsu! Or, they may carry some debilitating injury or are overweight to begin with or just not used to or even hate exercise. Maybe they feel they are too old too change or they have no spare time or their lives are full of stress.None of this matters as the rules to improve your health are the same for everyone, so let's begin.

EAT..... TO LOSE WEIGHT, CUT FAT AND BUILD MUSCLE.

Breakfast

It all begins with what you eat. If you don't get this bit right then the other two won't make much difference. The critical point to understand is that most people eat badly but they all think they eat well. This makes it very difficult at first as you have to change your beliefs and understanding of what food and nutrition actually is. Food may give pleasure to your senses but its primary role is to fuel the body, to maintain or improve the health of the organism i.e. you.

Lunch

When you start thinking of it like this you begin to make some changes as you know that everything that you consume will either have a positive or negative effect. Now I am not going to list all the foods that you should eat here but if you adjust your diet even in a small way to consuming more protein, vegetables, fruit and healthy fats and less processed and poor carbohydrate foods and fizzy (soda) drinks then you will see a marked difference. Eventually you will learn what works and what doesn't depending on your goals. Personally I consume 3 meals a day, all with vegetables (including breakfast) and I will only have healthy carbs such as rice or sweet potatoes 3 to 4 times a week and usually on training days,.... no pastries, waffles, pies, pancakes, pizzas, coke, milky coffees or rich sauces. This will maintain my weight and keep me lean. I drink virtually no alcohol and usually just water. I supplement with green drinks, vitamins, probiotics and fish oil every day no matter what I eat but I am human and enjoy a few biscuits or chocolate with a cup of tea and maybe a croissant now and again. I can do this with no effect on my body fat because I am already at the fat % that I want to be, therefore maintenance is easy however to get there you have to be a bit more disciplined.
Everyone I know who eats like this looks great. Here are the basics that you need to stick too:-

Dinner

1 Protein breakfast (This is vital and will give you the best body composition in the quickest time).
2 Protein, salad and/or vegetables, seeds, nuts etc with every meal. (Including breakfast).
3 At least 2.5 litres of water a day. (No Sodas and preferably no alcohol to begin with)
4 No bread, potatoes, pasta or rice for the first 2 weeks (and then only 2-3 times per week.)
5 No cereals or health bars... its all sugar.
6 Very little dairy which is a product of the mammary gland of mammals. (Basically, it refers to milk and anything made from milk, like cheese, butter and yogurt).
7 No extra sugar.. (this does not just mean the sugar in your coffee, it means the sugar in all processed foods. If it comes in a packet, a box or a tin then its full of sugar whatever the label says. If the food you eat doesn't rot when left out, then its crap.
8 A small amount of fruit is okay but fruit is sugar too so be careful... and stop drinking orange juice,its got nearly the same amount of sugar as a coke.
9 NO pastries,cakes, waffles, donuts, pizzas, fries, pancakes, syrup, pies .... obviously!
10 Eat a lot of good healthy food, don't diet... all my clients will tell you that I insist that they have at least three good meals a day.

SLEEP...... TO REJUVINATE AND REPAIR.

This also includes rest in general both for the mind and body. If you train a lot then recovery is essential and 6-8 hours sleep a night is critical or more specifically REM sleep.A sleep cycle lasts about 90 minutes and during that time we move through five stages of sleep. The first four stages make up our non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, and the fifth stage is when rapid eye movement (REM) sleep occurs which is the deepest and the last stage of sleep with vivid dreams and high brain activity, you will hope to get about 4 to 5 REM sleeps a night.
But what is actually going on? Basically our bodies all require long periods of DEEP sleep in order to restore and rejuvenate, to grow muscle, repair tissue, and synthesize hormones. REM sleep repairs the mind and consolidates the information you have learnt during the day helping your memory. To do this it forms neural connections and replenishes it’s supply of neurotransmitters which also emit the feel good chemicals, dopamine and serotonin that boost your mood during the day,
I also believe in a third benefit which concerns the subconscious during sleep. I like to think of this as a place where the body, spirit and mind combine to process decisions and problems that exist in our lives. The answers may reveal themselves to the conscious mind via what we would term intuition or a 'feeling' of what the right path is, these problems and challenges have been 'worked out' during sleep.
Some of these benefits can be achieved through resting, such as a power nap of 20 minutes or merely lying in the sun or on your favourite sofa. There are great benefits to sometimes just switching off from the world. I always take a complete rest from training as at least 3 days a week i.e. every other day. Obviously if you are in some form of athletic event then this situation may have to be altered accordingly but I have always found that the best successes have always come after a period of sustained rest. Its quite hard to make athletes rest but its importance is vital if you wish to achieve your goals.

TRAIN.......TO ENERGISE AND ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS.

Most people who don't exercise think that people who do are a bit obsessed. This is partially true but as I have said many times before; Is it better to be obsessed about keeping fit and healthy or is it better to be obsessed about getting drunk, smoking or partying till dawn? Its your choice, you decide.
I prefer to use the term training rather than exercising, this is because training always feels more purposeful and goal orientated whereas exercise to me is walking the dog. Exercise is a physical activity done for its own sake. Training is a physical activity performed for the purpose of satisfying a long-term performance goal, and is therefore about the process instead of the workouts themselves.
Not that it matters in real terms because doing squats, push ups, running, swimming or even playing golf is all exercise (well probably not playing golf especially if you use a buggy).
So how do athletes train, what is the common denominator ? Well the answer is easy, they all do it with great intensity, simple as that and this is precisely what you must do if you want to succeed in an event , improve your body shape, gain muscle or lose fat.
I find that many people do not do this, they are on the phone in the gym, they do not push themselves enough and go all out. They cycle, swim or run at a leisurely pace. They lift very light weights or they chat whilst doing sprints!... something I find inconceivable but I have seen it. If you are not going at it with full power or intensity then the benefits are limited. Anyone who has ever trained with me will tell you that we go all out. It just doesn't have the benefits if you don't and remember it doesn't have to take long. Many of my workouts will last only 30 minutes which with a rest day is only 30 minutes training over 2 days, that's just over 1% of my time ...and people say they don't have time to exercise!!

If you see me during and after any training session I am shattered. so whether its sprinting, lifting weights, swimming, cycling or whatever, then you should 'feel it' afterwards and know that your body has been challenged.
Two examples of this was when I was fortunate to attend a Manchester United training session. You would have thought it was a Cup final, tackles flying in, precise passing, speed, aggression and exhausted players at the end of it. The second example was when training an experienced athlete. After one session he was literally collapsing on the track, unable to move, the blood had drained from his face and he was unable to speak... and it was only one of four training sessions that week. His goal was to get below 7% body fat... and after several weeks of training and strict nutrition he did.
The point is he was already super fit but to achieve his goal it was just as hard for him as it is for someone who is overweight and wants to make a positive change.... it takes effort and full commitment.
You have to have a set goal in mind and write it down, be it weight, losing inches off your waist, hips or arms, building muscle or even a charity run. This is where personal trainers are of benefit because they can specifically design a program to help you target and achieve your goals and they make sure you train with intensity .... and that you do it consistently.
The time to take action is now ...... Buckle up!

Phil Jeremy Personal Training: 'FAT BASTARD'

2017-07-18T07:53:00.001-07:00

Phil Jeremy Personal Training: 'FAT BASTARD': I'm sure we all know 'Fat Baarstard' from the Austin Powers movies, if you don't then look him up on You Tube. After ponder...

'FAT BASTARD'

2017-07-18T07:51:00.002-07:00

I'm sure we all know 'Fat Baarstard' from the Austin Powers movies, if you don't then look him up on You Tube. After pondering about the size of people's bums and waistlines that I witness on a daily basis I started wondering if they want to be obese; some secret, innate and comforting desire to be all fat, warm and cuddly. Like the old comedy sketch where people are going around shouting with pride, 'Look at me I'm enormous!'... Maybe and if you are one of those then good luck to you. I'm often told that being fat isn't important it's the spiritual beauty inside that counts. Well absolutely, I agree and again if you are contented and at one with yourself, God and the Universe then don't read anymore of this blog.
My whole website, blogs and daily life are aimed at those who are perhaps not happy with their obesity or maybe those who are fit and healthy but just want to tweak it a bit more ... or most likely those that lie somewhere in between.
   I preach a mantra which is fairly consistent, what surprises me is how many people just don't know or understand the basics of good nutrition and effective exercise. Either they follow the latest Gwyneth Paltrow obsession of grilled, poached aubergines with manuka honey, beetroot and Kangaroos testicles ...or some training guru weaned by Himalayan mountain goats with the all new singing and dancing 10 ways to do sit-ups whilst boiling an egg and sipping on strained guava hearts.
   The reality is that healthy nutrition and exercise where one can lose weight, cut fat and build muscle for a strong fit body is so simple it's ridiculous and yet the question remains, why are nearly 70% of the western worlds population 'fat bastards'?
   One could argue that 'it's complicated and not that simple' or 'I'm insulin sensitive.. or resistant' or 'I've tried every diet and nothing works' or my personal favourite 'Well Phil you see when it comes to exercise I'm a non-responder'. Laugh out loud, what utter bollocks!
Just because a doctor on telly tells you that some people don't respond to exercise, why on earth do you think he means you, especially when you are the only one taking up two seats on an aeroplane.
And whilst I'm at it let me nail this lie once and for all, 'everyone responds to exercise', test after test will show this, the point is different people respond in different ways. The latest experiments have shown something that those in the industry have known for a long time which is that different forms of exercise are more effective for the different body types.
   I have trained so many clients, with a range from the fattest middle aged woman, to the slim girl with a big bum, to super fit triathletes, to the guy with skinny hips and a big fat belly. All improve, lose fat and get fitter and leaner in the right areas. I pointed out to one guy who was very fit and in good shape apart from the fact he had a belly on him that he had to lose it as storing fat on your stomach is the most dangerous place. He didn't think he had a problem however when I pointed out that the fat on his belly alone was the weight of the 24k Dumbbell he was holding with two hands it got his attention.

Pizzas in the deli section??

  I guess I'm in pretty good shape but I can still improve my fitness. In the last few months I have lost nearly 6 kilos, most of it fat and some muscle. Its called 'cutting'.... now I will work on building muscle thereby increasing my weight slightly but in the right areas so as to become more lean and toned. Yesterday someone asked me how I did this when I was already looking fit and lean. The simple answer is correct nutrition, no dieting. Its always what you eat.
I have been in the UK this month and one morning I watched people queuing outside a bakery called Greg's for pasties, pizzas, bread, waffles and pastries and it was 8am! Every single person was enormous and looked old, poorly and undernourished. It was very sad, I wanted to say something but I would have probably got mugged, trampled to death or worse still, sat on.
In fact obesity appears to be completely out of control in the UK, probably as bad as the US. The culprit and causes maybe many and varied but in my opinion its all about Sugar. Not the sugar you put in your coffee but more the sugar in everything else, often hidden by the food producers and called  exotic names, like maltose, sucrose, fructrose corn syrup, barley malt, honey (even the trendy expensive manuka honey is still sugar so you have been warned). Apparently there are 61 different names for sugar in food so don't be fooled. Remember the body converts sugar to glucose no matter where it comes from, be it a healthy strawberry or a Mars bar and if you have too much glucose in your system then it gets stored as fat... and voila, obesity.
    Exercise will make no difference so stop kidding yourself: Exercise will keep you fit, strong and healthy but unless its specific or extreme it will not help you lose weight. Its 90% what you eat, please, please remember this.

Jane and Kim with the healthy breakfast

I see little point in employing a personal trainer who doesn't discuss nutrition, its a bit like playing a game of tennis without a racket... or in my case, balls. Also different people need to concentrate on different areas to achieve their goal but you need to see the whole picture.
I have been having coffee in a local café and they sell pancakes, waffles, ice cream and chocolate cake for breakfast! I asked the lovely owner, Jane, what would happen if she sold them my breakfast of protein and salad/vegetables etc.... her reply was that she would be out of business in a month ... and then politely asked me to leave the café as I was a bad influence, (only joking).
The stats every day come out with more and more depressing health service costs that are caused by overweight people, and yet everyone just carries on in blissful ignorance with the constant refrain of 'they don't mean me' .... unfortunately they do. Its a bit like being stuck in a traffic jam and blaming the traffic ... you are the traffic!
Some days I literally do not see one normal, fit and healthy person, everyone is fat or grossly overweight. so much so that it has become normalised in parts of the country as everyone looks the same so no one feels out of place. In fact healthy people look like freaks and this is not an exaggeration. It is so easy to cure this epidemic, stop eating what you know you shouldn't and start eating what you know you should. Forget the endless diets with stupid names, sensible nutrition isn't sexy its common sense, the clue is in the word sense.
Make a decision and change your life. If you don't have time for a healthy lifestyle then you'll soon be making time for illness.

Phil Jeremy Personal Training: VIVA ESPANA !

2017-03-15T08:02:00.001-07:00

Phil Jeremy Personal Training: VIVA ESPANA !: As some of you know I have been spending a few months of the winter in southern Spain to recharge my batteries. Having lived in the south ...

VIVA ESPANA !

2017-03-15T08:01:00.000-07:00

As some of you know I have been spending a few months of the winter in southern Spain to recharge my batteries. Having lived in the south of France for such a long time we felt that a change of environment and lifestyle would be a positive thing. Different stimuli are always healthy and besides you never know until you try. I love the French way of life, the sense of history, food, friends and family, the weather etc and its hard to drag yourself away from a life that is comfortable to something unknown but that was the decision and so off we went.
Due to work commitments we had to spend a brief period in the UK before leaving, this was a huge shock to the system. Sue quite enjoys spending time in Britain but I was a basket case. I know I will get criticised for my views on this but I just don't get two things about the UK; Firstly the rampant consumerism and secondly the weather. I could not walk down the high street of Richmond upon Thames without being hit by a tsunami of shoppers with bags and bags of crap that they do not need and that will hang unworn, slowly rotting in a cupboard somewhere being eaten by moths. Then there is the eating.... What is it with the western world? People are walking along seemingly unable to exist until they have shoved some unwanted pastry down their necks or consumed a special soda, energy drink or a bucket of milky coffee with a 1000 calories in it. Its obscene and it was everywhere and Richmond is a wealthy sophisticated area so you can't blame it on a lack of education.
Why do fat people eat shit then buy an expensive dress to cover up their belly's to make them feel good. Or buy a watch or jewellery that they think will make them feel or look attractive when the reality is it makes them look like an oversized jerk. Then, to add insult to injury, they do all this in the pouring rain and freezing cold whilst breathing in toxic air from the never ending traffic... its madness. Now I'm not saying they are not nice people all doing their best in their own way but sometimes you've got to step back, look at yourself and say 'enough'. People need to get a grip, obesity levels are off the charts in the UK, USA and many other countries and yet nobody seems to care. There are consequences to this lifestyle and believe me they are not pretty.

I felt suffocated and had to escape to the park to run and breathe some clean air, some space and some calm but this too had to be timed to perfection in order to get a parking space and because it was so dark they shut the gates at 3pm! On many occasions it would take 45 minutes to drive 3 miles just to get to the park entrance. As for the weekend it was like Grand Central station or Oxford street during the Christmas sales.
Now the flip side is that I have some great friends there who are fun, dynamic, loving and nutty plus I saw my son Alexander a lot so it was worth it. .. but 4 weeks was all I could cope with.

So the time was right to head of to Spain for some much needed Vitamin D. Spain is very different to France (and the UK obviously), for a start they don't get up in the morning, its quite bizarre. Apparently the effect and damage to their economy is immense but they don't care, its hilarious. They are so laid back they are nearly horizontal.
I do not speak Spanish but its a beautiful language to listen to. My Spanish consists of ... 'café con leche' ... 'por favor'.... 'dos' ... 'asta la vista'.... and 'hola'. Some would argue its not too far removed from my French but I digress. The coffee in Spain is utterly unique, they only serve one type wherever you go and its always fantastic and always €1.50. Starbucks should send some spies down here to learn how it's made, I just don't know how they do it. Many of you have been to Spain I know but the coffee thing gets me every time.
This part of the country is also famed for the crime which is odd because when you live here its just like anywhere else. Many French and British expats look down their noses at the Costa del Sol because of this and the 'type of people who visit'. Yes its not as pretty as France but its still a beautiful area and the people are warm, friendly and welcoming. The main thing of course is the weather, it is much hotter here in the winter than France. I have sat outside nearly everyday for breakfast and lunch and usually every evening. This helps lift the spirit, well it does for me anyway.

The gym I go to is also laid back, nobody seems to care whether you are a member or not, they just smile and wave you in. Its owned by a guy called Hilario, which means 'happy' and he always is...how brilliant.... and named after one of Seven dwarfs, his wife is probably called Snow White or should I say 'Nieve Blanco'. I must admit that some of the Russian guys in there are so big they make me look like a skinny wimp. I've decided that as President Putin has a massive house near here then they must be his private security guards ... or perhaps something a little more unsavoury, either way I won't mess with them. I nod and give it my best hello...pronounced 'pree-vyeht'...The only other bit of Russian I know is 'dasvidaniya' which means goodbye. I learnt that from the movie 'Ice station Zebra'.... yep its pathetic I know but who cares, I'll probably be fluent by the end of the week.
We eat exceptionally well as many of Europe's vegetables are grown near here so the quality is excellent and my fridge is positively bursting with vitality. I have tried to vary my training much more than normal, with running, weights, cycling and swimming and I think this, along with our excellent diet, has proven to be very effective.
Finding a new routine and settling in to a different lifestyle is often fraught with mishaps but pushing out your envelope and speaking to different people has its challenges especially if you are like me and don't normally speak to anyone. I mean apart from my Russian acquaintances I don't bump into anyone I know so that's sort of odd.
My café is the excellent 'All in One', the food here is unbelievably delicious. There are 3 different waitresses, one is from Yorkshire, Georgia who greets me with 'Would you like a coffee?' pronounced 'coffeh', ' then the cockney girl who shouts 'hello darlin'...and then the Spanish waitress, Elena, who says 'Café con leche? The bizarre thing is the two Brits give me a coffee in about 30 seconds whereas Elena takes about 20 minutes, its hilarious. Elena is so surgically well endowed that when she brings the coffee you can see her coming before she walks out the door.
You can park anywhere nobody gives a damn, well apart from one place near the beach in San Pedro where you pay a man a euro but nobody knows why... or even who he is, you just do.
For some reason whenever I give my passport or ID to anyone they always call me Mr Phillips... pronounced 'Meester Feelips'. When I tell them its Mr Jeremy they say 'Yes, thank you Meester Feelips'. So I guess that's my name in Spain from now on.
They build the most beautiful houses and apartments, the only problem is there are too many of them but its all a compromise... and every Brit seems to be a real estate agent.

So what of the future? I miss training with my clients in France but the break from routine is a good
thing and it gives me time to learn and study whilst developing new training techniques that I can inflict on my clients in the future.
Until then its off to the beautiful mountains around La Concha or Mr Happy's gym.
Although my readership is by far the highest in the USA and Europe, at the last count I also had over 6000 readers in Russia, not sure how they translate my humour in downtown Moscow but I guess it works, so in honour of them and my Spetznaz Russian friends at the gym I bid you 'Dasvidaniya'.

Phil Jeremy Personal Training: THE POWER OF ADDICTION

2016-10-31T08:37:00.001-07:00

Phil Jeremy Personal Training: THE POWER OF ADDICTION: When one thinks of a drug addict one tends to assume some coked up smack head, alcoholic, smoker or gambler. This in most cases would be t...