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Mark Hayward Personal Training, Exeter, Devon
Lose weight, get fit with Mark Hayward Personal Training, Exeter
http://www.markhaywardpt.com/about-us.htmlPersonal trainer, Exeter, Devon
http://www.markhaywardpt.com/about-us.htmlPersonal trainer, Exeter, Devon
Tuesday, 21 July 2015
Mark Hayward Personal Trainer, Exeter, Devon, weight loss Exeter, fitness, health, wellbeing, core strengthening, cardiac rehab, stroke rehab Crediton, Tiverton, Cullompton, Exmouth, Dawlish, Teignmouth, Honiton, Sidmouth, Dartmoor, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire - Mark Hayward Personal Trainer, Exeter, Devon | Weight Loss Exeter | Diet | Pilates | Cardiac Rehab | Physiotherapy | Pre and Post Natal | Fat Loss | Bodybuilding | Health and Fitness | Supplementation | Exeter-South and Mid Devon | Aylesbury, Bucks
Wednesday, 10 June 2015
Boosting your metabolism for weight loss
To boost your metabolism safely you will need to look at three areas:
1. Exercise
2. Lifestyle
3. Diet
In this first part we will look at the role of muscle tone in keeping lean.
Exercise is a major factor in boosting your metabolism and burning off extra calories.
Unless you naturally have an extremely fast metabolism, where you can eat thousands of calories a day without putting on weight, you are in the same group as the rest of us who need to take action to get that metabolic burning!
Cardiovascular exercise is an important component of boosting your metabolism. Increasing your heart rate, blood circulation, body temperature, and oxygen intake/carbon dioxide exchange, will all lead your body into a catabolic state whereby it is breaking down fat and converting it into energy.
So what's the deal with muscle and metabolism?
It is because a pound of muscle burns more calories than a pound of fat. So the more muscle you have, the more calories you'll burn. Even when sleeping you’ll simply burn extra calories, because muscle requires more energy to maintain.
It will only last as long as you exercise though.When you stop working out your metabolism will return to it's previous sluggish state and the fat will return home at the slightest opportunity.
Catabolism will cause weight loss.
If your body need more energy to function each day then it will break down more cells to obtain this energy. In the process you will need more calories and lose weight.
I always include weights in a weight loss programme for my clients whether it be body weight dumbells or resistance bands this combined with cardiovascular exercise burns fat faster than anything else!
A full body workout 3 days a week moving quickly in a circuit fashion from one exercise to another produces best results.
Do both high (20-30) and low reps (6-10). Each set should be hard. Vary the weight according to the number of reps- heavy (6), light (20).
In part 2 I will look at the effect of interval training on fat loss and boosting your metabolism.
Mark Hayward Personal Training, Exeter, Devon
About us
Friday, 29 May 2015
Thursday, 14 May 2015
Stay positive
"Worrying too much about the past is called depression. Worrying too much about the future is called anxiety."
That's what can happen when you cheat on your diet. You are hard on yourself about the fact that you cheated on your diet and you worry too much about the bad effects it could have on you in the future.
At the end of the day, what is done is done. The one thing you can do is be your best, disciplined self from this moment forward.
Worrying too much about it often brings out a "What the hell?" attitude and you then continue further downward path--you do not want to go this route- n fact this is the key to dieting success; continuing despite a perceived set back
At the same time, unhappiness is something you can use to motivate yourself to get back on track immediately--and stay stay.
You have to work out how your mind works best.
If I make any mistake I regret in my life, I immediately look at what my overall mission and ultimate goal is. Usually when I do something that doesn't fit with my overall mission, it is because I lost sight momentarily of what I ultimately wanted to accomplish.
Make the rules and stick to them. Just think of it a tool for reaching your ultimate goal. If you say no alcohol on a week day then that is what you have to do to get there. It is really no big deal.
Same as if you are jogging or lifting weights. Most balanced people don't really like doing these sort types of activities day after day BUT they are neccessary for what they want to achieve- so when you ARE doing them or saying NO to krispy kreme doughnut just visualise how good you are going to look in the future and that it will all be worth it. And it will be I can assure you.
Those are just some mental and emotional strategies you might try.
As far as dieting and and exercise strategies to compensate for cheating on your diet (like eating less food later in the day or extra cardiovascular training), I do NOT recommend these!
Why?
Because they really are not effective solutions as far as your long term plans are concerned.
More importantly, you do not want to "trick" yourself into believing that the temporary weakness you had is actually "no big deal" that can be compensated for later on.
That is the first step toward the relentless, subconscious process of a person lowering their fitness standards--and have no clue later on why they aren't achieving their goals.
Mark Hayward Personal Trainer, Exeter, Devon
Mark Hayward Personal Trainer, Exeter, Devon
Friday, 1 May 2015
Do we really need need vitamin supplements?
First of all we all need vitamins, they are essential to life. They are a small group of substances that are needed in tiny amounts for the body to function correctly. Most of them cannot be made by the body and have to come from our diet.
However some people think that by megadosing on vitamins they don’t have to bother watching what they eat. They mistakenly think- junk food + vitamin pills = good health.
Others try their best to follow government health advice on recommended daily amounts. They realise they may fall short of the RDA and take vitamins as an insurance policy against this.
In laboratory studies vitamins C and E have a powerful mopping up effect on 'free radicals' that are linked to many medical conditions such as cancer and heart disease.
However many studies have shown that vitamins from supplements do not act on the body in the same way as vitamins from foods.
Are the pills the same thing?
As an example apples are a rich source of vitamin C, which fortifies the immune system. However when researchers at Cornell University in New York compared the effects of apples and vitamin C tablets, the results were not what was expected.
The apples contained many other naturally occurring chemicals as well vitamin C, such as antioxidants called flavanoids and polyphenols that may offer protection against cancer.
In short this means that eating a small apple (100g) gave an antioxidant effect the same as taking 1500mg of vitamin C (which is a lot in one go!).
One of the studys authors, Professor Chong Yong Lee, said: 'Some of the chemicals we found in apples are known to be anti-allergenic, some are anti-carcinogenic, anti-inflammatory and anti-viral. Now I have a reason to say an apple a day keeps the doctor away.'
A 2004 Cochrane review of studies found there was insufficient evidence that a 2000mg vitamin C supplement prevented colds in the general population. Worse still a US Women's Health Study found a link between vitamin C supplements and a greater risk of hardening arteries in some people with diabetes.
A balanced healthy diet works best
Calcium is essential for those in their teens or early 20s to protect against osteoporosis (bone thinning) when they get older.
Supplements will not make up for a lack of calcium when you're young.
Supplements will not make up for a lack of calcium when you're young.
Dietitians, nutritionists and other experts are all now accept that apart from small groups of people with special medical conditions, vitamins or food supplements are not necessary. We can get everything we need by eating a balanced diet.
As I have said many times if you want to be healthy and lose weight increase your fruit and vegetable consumption! Eat your five portions a day.
When they are needed
The elderly may need to take supplements if the following apply
- problems eating due to loss of appetite
- dental difficulties
- problems with swallowing or digestion
- being housebound.
The following groups of people may need to take vitamin supplements.
- Women who are planning to get pregnant or have just become pregnant should take a daily supplement of 400mcg folic acid.
- Those who see little of the sun and are housebound may need vitamin D.
- Vegans who never eat meat or dairy products may need to take vitamin B12.
- People who are malnourished- they may have been ill, or have difficulty eating or swallowing for medical reasons. It can include people who have been restricting their food in order to lose weight. Dieters should think of eating more fruit and vegetables to avoid any vitamin deficiencies.
- People who are doing intense training for sport.
Dangers
Megadosing vitamins can also have have toxic effects.More is not always better.
This is especially true of fat-soluble vitamins that will be stored in the liver, such as vitamin A. They may eventually reach toxic levels and cause liver damage.
Mark Hayward Personal Training, Exeter, Devon
Mark Hayward Personal Training, Exeter, Devon
Tuesday, 21 April 2015
Fat loss scams
Long term Fat Loss Occurs Only One Way
Slow and steady weight loss with proper exercise and nutrition is the best way to lose fat and keep it off; while keeping healthy and maintaining a stable metabolism stable so you don't rebound and regain the fat you have lost.
There is a reason so many diets and exercise programs fail- designed for the short term. These bogus fat loss programmes rip people off big time and unfortunately very little weight is lost after the first week and is usually regained; the body's metabolism can be negatively effected.
Each time weight is lost and regain the body may become more and more resistant to reaching your ideal weight. Following an incorrect workout program and poor nutrition habits may make it near impossible to get the body you want
Fat Loss is Best Achieved with a Slow, Systematic Approach
There are no safe and legal miracle fat loss products. The tried and proven best weight loss method involves resistance training, cardiovascular exercise, healthy nutrition- but forget about dietary supplements.
Yes you can lose weight quickly- the types who follow this route tend to be self destructive- they want hard workouts- sometimes to the point where they are sick even! Sure it works for a couple of weeks but they always and I mean ALWAYS end up burnt out and sick.
As I mentioned above, fat loss supplements you can buy over the counter are worthless and rip you off. Believe me I have worked for supplement companies and this stuff has no scientific back up whatsoever; it is based on "might be's" you really should spend your money on good food instead.MHPT
Sunday, 22 March 2015
Underestimating calories
This is one of the biggest problems when it comes to weight loss. In fact I often ask clients to eat 250 calories less than is optimum as I know from their progress they are underestimating by that amount.
Here's an example of how widespread this is. Researchers at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center asked a group of dietitians and a group of non-dietitians to estimate their calorie intake for seven days.
After the week was up they found the diet doctors had a better idea of their daily consumption than the non-dietitians, yet they still underestimated the calories they consumed by approximately 10%
Research has shown that no matter how good we think we are at estimating calorie intake, most of us get it wrong- some more than others! It is not uncommon to underestimate by 25% to 40% when on a weight loss plan- no wonder it seems so hard to lose weight!
It also seems that the more extra weight an individual carries, the more likely he or she is to underestimate their calories.
There are several reasons for this:
1. We often forget what we eat, especially things eaten between meals or when busy doing something, like driving or watching television.
2. Even more a a problem is getting the portion sizes wrong. They are more likely to be bigger than we think unfortunately.
3. We often don't count drinks — juices, tea/coffee with milk and soft drinks all have calories.
4. If mentioned this one many time before- alcohol. This creates its own forgetfulness because you are more likely to forget what you’ve eaten while you were drinking as having a block well a block on feeling full!
The solution.
Here's an example of how widespread this is. Researchers at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center asked a group of dietitians and a group of non-dietitians to estimate their calorie intake for seven days.
After the week was up they found the diet doctors had a better idea of their daily consumption than the non-dietitians, yet they still underestimated the calories they consumed by approximately 10%
Widespread under-reporting
If medical professionals underestimate the calories in their diet, think how hard it is for your average or first time dieter.Research has shown that no matter how good we think we are at estimating calorie intake, most of us get it wrong- some more than others! It is not uncommon to underestimate by 25% to 40% when on a weight loss plan- no wonder it seems so hard to lose weight!
It also seems that the more extra weight an individual carries, the more likely he or she is to underestimate their calories.
There are several reasons for this:
1. We often forget what we eat, especially things eaten between meals or when busy doing something, like driving or watching television.
2. Even more a a problem is getting the portion sizes wrong. They are more likely to be bigger than we think unfortunately.
3. We often don't count drinks — juices, tea/coffee with milk and soft drinks all have calories.
4. If mentioned this one many time before- alcohol. This creates its own forgetfulness because you are more likely to forget what you’ve eaten while you were drinking as having a block well a block on feeling full!
The solution.
1. Write down everything, every day. This includes alcohol, other drinks (lattes, fruit juice) and snacks. Be strict here, write it in a diary- portion sizes calories, everything. Add up your weekly calories and divide by seven to get your current daily amount. If your eating over 1500 for a woman and 2000 for a man for had abetter be working out very hard or you simply will be spinning your wheels.
Just 25 calories a day equal 36,500 calories a year- more than 10kg.
2. Weigh and measure all your food and drinks. It seems like a nuisance at first but you will soon be able to eyeball food and work out the calories in your head. Use smaller and darker plates so your servings look bigger and add plenty of vegetables to fill you up.
Start your food diary today, be strict with weighing and measuring, count everything- if you hit your target calories of just under 1500 for a woman and 2000 for a man and are still not losing weight see your doctor or change your scales asap!Mark Hayward Personal Training, Exeter, Devon
Tuesday, 10 March 2015
Visualise for success
The mind is a very powerful tool. Using visualization techniques helps you use its tremendous potential. Using these methods properly can help you more easily stick to your diet and exercise regime -- which will ultimately lead to significant weight loss. Using visualization techniques will get your mind ready to do everything possible to achieve your goals.
Visualize yourself having a smaller waist before your jogging session or your bat wings gone when you are chomping down a salad.
See yourself working hard and ENJOYING the workout- play that awesome workout in your mind over and over again.
Remember- everyone and I mean EVERYONE can reach their desired weight if they work hard enough!
Mark Hayward Personal Training
Visualize yourself having a smaller waist before your jogging session or your bat wings gone when you are chomping down a salad.
See yourself working hard and ENJOYING the workout- play that awesome workout in your mind over and over again.
Remember- everyone and I mean EVERYONE can reach their desired weight if they work hard enough!
Mark Hayward Personal Training
Monday, 2 March 2015
Turn a negative into a positive
Recognising that you are about to experience something that you may not have planned or hoped for is crucial to handling a situation. If you go into denial about what is happening, you will not learn from the experience and will most likely have a hard time overcoming the event.
By identifying what is going on, you will be able to objectively think of a plan of action on how you will solve the situation.
For example, lets say on your summer break you gained more weight than you had anticipated. If you refuse to accept this as a fact, you would most likely just dwell on it with a box of chocolates trying to make yourself feel better.
Definitely not a solution to the problem.
On the other hand, if you accepted that you indulged a little too much and decided now was a great time to get started on the exercise program you've been thinking about, you will find a renewed sense of energy towards your workout, as you know have a goal ahead of you.
By looking at the positive side of the situation, this weight gain will have prompted you to take up the exercise program that will have a whole host of other great benefits for your health other than weight loss- improved fitness.
Mark Hayward Personal Training | Exeter, Devon
By identifying what is going on, you will be able to objectively think of a plan of action on how you will solve the situation.
For example, lets say on your summer break you gained more weight than you had anticipated. If you refuse to accept this as a fact, you would most likely just dwell on it with a box of chocolates trying to make yourself feel better.
Definitely not a solution to the problem.
On the other hand, if you accepted that you indulged a little too much and decided now was a great time to get started on the exercise program you've been thinking about, you will find a renewed sense of energy towards your workout, as you know have a goal ahead of you.
By looking at the positive side of the situation, this weight gain will have prompted you to take up the exercise program that will have a whole host of other great benefits for your health other than weight loss- improved fitness.
Mark Hayward Personal Training | Exeter, Devon
Thursday, 19 February 2015
Don't abandon your dreams
You could say that a cruise ship carries peoples dreams. Dreams of exotic ports, beautiful scenery and topical climates.
But have you stopped to think about the ship that carries your dreams? What I am getting at is you being the captain of your own ship of dreams. Whether that may be your fitness goals, career goals, relationship goals or financial goal- you are the captain of the ship as though to speak.
We don't start off at the helm of the biggest ship in the fleet, it is usually a small boat that contains our small dreams and goals.
The goal could be to go on a diet and to become more aware of what you eat, to feel healthier. Once you have cast off, your boat is now ready to take you on your path to better health and fitness.
You can enjoy and be motivated by your achievements such as eating healthier and watching the things you eat.
To keep your progress going you will face the challenge of committing yourself to working out. You've decided to take your boat- your body- out of the port, out of the comfort zone and follow an exercise programme designed for you.
As you experience the success with your exercise routine you wish you had done it years ago. It really is never too late to start! You look and feel better and people are noticing.
You reach the point where you wonder if you can finally make the total commitment to the health and fitness lifestyle that always seemed just out of your reach. That could be getting back to the weight you were 10 years ago or toning up your stomach, thighs and arms.
Now you are the captain of a bigger ship you realise it will take more time and effort to reach your bigger goals.
Big goals and commitments aren't usually the quickest to achieve, but they are worth the effort it takes to get there. And you will most likely want support- your crew- to help you on your journey.
This could be friends, family, work colleagues, whoever you feel most comfortable with to help support you.
You have always had the big dreams, its just you didn't realise you had it in you to achieve them until you began to take charge of your life. You now know that success is going to be a big part of your life.
Having a support network will help you reach the new heights much faster. You even want to share your success with them and help them do the same.
Then something strange happens. Some of your crew, the ones you thought would be there for you whatever begin to abandon ship.
Unfortunately many people do not realise what it is to have a dream and be committed to something, let alone how to go about it. For most getting in shape is something other people do. They just don't realise the huge benefits to be found in being fit and healthy and looking good.
Fortunately you do. And are now finding that out for yourself. It can seem lonely when you think no one is behind you anymore. This is the hardest part and what separates the winners from the losers. You don't quit.
You say to yourself "It doesn't matter anymore what others think or say, I want this to happen in my life- and it will!" So you set out and guide your ship to its final destination. You arrive and reap all the awards. It's what you thought it would be and much more!
As you reach your destination, you notice something. It's your crew. All those who said you couldn't do it, tried to sabotage your efforts or even said you looked better when you were bigger. All those who abandoned ship. They are here and want to celebrate with you!
Only you know that you would not get to where you are without a powerful self belief and the realisation it is YOUR life and only YOU can do it. No more excuses!
It may not have been easy sailing your ship but you were never for one moment going to abandon it!
Mark Hayward Personal Training, Exeter, Devon
But have you stopped to think about the ship that carries your dreams? What I am getting at is you being the captain of your own ship of dreams. Whether that may be your fitness goals, career goals, relationship goals or financial goal- you are the captain of the ship as though to speak.
We don't start off at the helm of the biggest ship in the fleet, it is usually a small boat that contains our small dreams and goals.
The goal could be to go on a diet and to become more aware of what you eat, to feel healthier. Once you have cast off, your boat is now ready to take you on your path to better health and fitness.
You can enjoy and be motivated by your achievements such as eating healthier and watching the things you eat.
To keep your progress going you will face the challenge of committing yourself to working out. You've decided to take your boat- your body- out of the port, out of the comfort zone and follow an exercise programme designed for you.
As you experience the success with your exercise routine you wish you had done it years ago. It really is never too late to start! You look and feel better and people are noticing.
You reach the point where you wonder if you can finally make the total commitment to the health and fitness lifestyle that always seemed just out of your reach. That could be getting back to the weight you were 10 years ago or toning up your stomach, thighs and arms.
Now you are the captain of a bigger ship you realise it will take more time and effort to reach your bigger goals.
Big goals and commitments aren't usually the quickest to achieve, but they are worth the effort it takes to get there. And you will most likely want support- your crew- to help you on your journey.
This could be friends, family, work colleagues, whoever you feel most comfortable with to help support you.
You have always had the big dreams, its just you didn't realise you had it in you to achieve them until you began to take charge of your life. You now know that success is going to be a big part of your life.
Having a support network will help you reach the new heights much faster. You even want to share your success with them and help them do the same.
Then something strange happens. Some of your crew, the ones you thought would be there for you whatever begin to abandon ship.
Unfortunately many people do not realise what it is to have a dream and be committed to something, let alone how to go about it. For most getting in shape is something other people do. They just don't realise the huge benefits to be found in being fit and healthy and looking good.
Fortunately you do. And are now finding that out for yourself. It can seem lonely when you think no one is behind you anymore. This is the hardest part and what separates the winners from the losers. You don't quit.
You say to yourself "It doesn't matter anymore what others think or say, I want this to happen in my life- and it will!" So you set out and guide your ship to its final destination. You arrive and reap all the awards. It's what you thought it would be and much more!
As you reach your destination, you notice something. It's your crew. All those who said you couldn't do it, tried to sabotage your efforts or even said you looked better when you were bigger. All those who abandoned ship. They are here and want to celebrate with you!
Only you know that you would not get to where you are without a powerful self belief and the realisation it is YOUR life and only YOU can do it. No more excuses!
It may not have been easy sailing your ship but you were never for one moment going to abandon it!
Mark Hayward Personal Training, Exeter, Devon
Thursday, 12 February 2015
Be positive!
How many people do you come into contact with everyday who have a negative attitude about things in general? When I worked at a gym I saw these attitudes everyday. I'm sure that even if you do not encounter these people on a daily basis you will know the type.
Some people seem to chose the worst outcome for a situation and then dwell on it. You don't dare ask them how they are as they will tell you and it is rarely good. They moan about their job, relationships, money yet do nothing about it. You can bet if you didn't see them for a few years, then dropped by, they would still be in the same situation and not have a good word to say. They truly are life's losers.
Some people seem to chose the worst outcome for a situation and then dwell on it. You don't dare ask them how they are as they will tell you and it is rarely good. They moan about their job, relationships, money yet do nothing about it. You can bet if you didn't see them for a few years, then dropped by, they would still be in the same situation and not have a good word to say. They truly are life's losers.
One thing I believe strongly in is self fulfilling prophecies. Talk about failure and you will fail.
This doesn't mean you have to be bouncing around with a permanent smile (the people who do this have far more serious underlying problems), just look at the good in a situation, make those who you encounter feel positive about themselves- they don't want to hear you talk about your woes and worst thing of all blame them on someone else.
www.markhaywardpt.com
Happy Clients!
Thursday, 29 January 2015
Look at the positive!
How many people do you come into contact with everyday who have a negative attitude about things in general? When I worked at a gym I saw these attitudes everyday. I'm sure that even if you do not encounter these people on a daily basis you will know the type.
Some people seem to chose the worst outcome for a situation and then dwell on it. You don't dare ask them how they are as they will tell you and it is rarely good. They moan about their job, relationships, money yet do nothing about it. You can bet if you didn't see them for a few years, then dropped by, they would still be in the same situation and not have a good word to say. They truly are life's losers.
Some people seem to chose the worst outcome for a situation and then dwell on it. You don't dare ask them how they are as they will tell you and it is rarely good. They moan about their job, relationships, money yet do nothing about it. You can bet if you didn't see them for a few years, then dropped by, they would still be in the same situation and not have a good word to say. They truly are life's losers.
One thing I believe strongly in is self fulfilling prophecies. Talk about failure and you will fail.
This doesn't mean you have to be bouncing around with a permanent smile (the people who do this have far more serious underlying problems), just look at the good in a situation, make those who you encounter feel positive about themselves- they don't want to hear you talk about your woes and worst thing of all blame them on someone else.
www.markhaywardpt.com
Happy Clients!
Tuesday, 20 January 2015
Learn from dieting mistakes
Dieting is extremely hard. Going week after week without cakes can be tough. It requires exceptional mental strength and endurance to see it through. Sometimes you will give in. You binge on pizza, ice cream, etc. And after you do this, you feel bad!
You are very disappointed in yourself.
Don't despair, everyone gives in sometimes- use it as an opportunity to become more motivated than ever to stick to your diet.
Was it really worth giving in and feeling so bad? Most people do this once and give up. Why not be one of the few who don't? It is easy to do and the true hidden secret to losing weight. This blip has only made, stronger, stronger than before.
Despite cheating on your diet and taking a step back, you have taken two steps forward and jump-started your determination.
Mark Hayward Personal Training, Exeter, Devon
About us
Despite cheating on your diet and taking a step back, you have taken two steps forward and jump-started your determination.
Mark Hayward Personal Training, Exeter, Devon
About us
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