Ohhhh.

What a fancy name.

However, this is a simple but tough interval fitness program.

The premise of descending recovery works like this.

You will perform a set of sprints on the bike or cardio equipment of your choice. 

Between each sprint you will take an active rest. 

Each week, this rest period will decrease by 15 seconds.

This doesn't sound like much, but in the world of sprint interval training, this can mean the difference between legs burning and legs feeling like they are going to fall off.

Why is this workout method so effective?

Most people go to the gym and do random workouts each week. There is little structure and no measure of improvement.

This workout ensures that you are improving your fitness and recovery ability each week because the rest between the sprints shortens each week making it tougher on the legs and the lungs.

By Week 4, your rest period will be 45 seconds less between each sprint than it was during week 1.

You can be confident in the knowledge that you are making great strides with your fitness.

See the video below for the description of the workout.

The Warm Up.

• Warm up with 5 mins of easy paced activity on the cardio equipment of your choice.
• From minute 5-7, perform 2-3 x 15 second interval sprints at about 85% of your best pace.
• Start your intervals from minute 7.

The Workout.

• Perform a 30 second sprint and recover for the allotted rest period.
• Repeat 5 more times.
• Keep the number of sprints identical each week.

The Cooldown.

• Cool down with 3-5 minutes of easy paced activity to ensure the body's temperature comes back to normal.

Because the sprints are only 30 seconds, you must sprint at your maximum ability. You should not be able to talk.

If you are unfit and out of shape, I would perform the sprints at around 60-80% of your max effort until your fitness improves.

Let me know how the workout goes.

Here Are Four Ways I Can Help You Get Fit And Lose Weight And Actually Keep it Off.

1. Here is our youtube channel which has over 100 videos including 55 workouts and other educational videos.

2. We now offer ONLINE 1-1 Personal Coaching. 

Train with me from anywhere in the world at any time. I now offer fully bespoke 1-1 personal training via our TRUECOACH online platform.

Check it out here

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Small Group Coaching.

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This week's workout is a Home fitness and fat loss workout.

It is a circuit style workout where you perform each exercise back to back.

Each exercise is performed for 40 seconds. You then take 20 secs rest  after each exercise and keep going until you have completed the 5 exercises.

You then take a rest for 60-120 seconds depending on your fitness level and repeat the circuit.

Perform 3-5 rounds of the circuit.

It is fast, effective and can be tailored to any fitness level.

The video below shows you the beginner and advanced versions of each exercise. Choose what is suitable for you.

To warm up I suggest doing each exercise at an easy pace for 30 secs each. Then go into your workout.

Good luck and let me know if you enjoyed the workout.

Here Are Four Ways I Can Help You Get Fit And Lose Weight And Actually Keep it Off.

1. Here is our youtube channel which has over 100 videos including 55 workouts and other educational videos.

2. We now offer ONLINE 1-1 Personal Coaching. 

Train with me from anywhere in the world at any time. I now offer fully bespoke 1-1 personal training via our TRUECOACH online platform.

Check it out here

3. Check out our small group coaching sessions (max 4-10 people)

Small Group Coaching.

4. 1-1 Personal Training at our Studio in North Sydney.

Our top level service. In-depth personalised training programs, nutrition coaching and weekly sessions at our boutique studio in North Sydney.​

Check out our Personal Training Options here:

Here Are Four Ways I Can Help You Get Fit And Lose Weight And Actually Keep it Off.

1. Here is our youtube channel which has over 100 videos including 55 workouts and other educational videos.

2. We now offer ONLINE 1-1 Personal Coaching. 

Train with me from anywhere in the world at any time. I now offer fully bespoke 1-1 personal training via our TRUECOACH online platform.

Check it out here

3. Check out our small group coaching sessions (max 4-10 people)

Small Group Coaching.

4. 1-1 Personal Training at our Studio in North Sydney.

Our top level service. In-depth personalised training programs, nutrition coaching and weekly sessions at our boutique studio in North Sydney.​

Check out our Personal Training Options here:

 Are you someone who exercises a lot every week but the weight is just not changing and even worse, is it gaining?
 
This is a situation that happens more often than you think.
 
Years ago, TIME magazine ran an article that said Exercise was pretty useless for weight loss.
 
You will hear people shout it from the rooftops.
 
Research does indeed show that exercise, ALONE, as a weight loss intervention is pretty futile for weight loss.
 
However, let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater.
 
It's not the actual exercise itself that is useless, something else is happening subconsciously, that we don't really notice, that makes us lose a little weight or even worse, makes us gain weight.
 
 
What is really happening is something called EXERCISE COMPENSATION.
 
Ohhh, what fancy words say you.
 
Well, it's just a fancy way of saying that when individuals such as your good self take up exercise to lose weight, the weight loss is almost always less than what you expect it to be.
 
It is very frustrating for all parties involved.
 
Compensation in the weight loss world is where total daily energy burned is ‘compensated’ by less activity or eating more throughout the day, meaning the energy deficit over time become less and less, and in some instances, individuals actually eat more than they burn in exercise, actually gaining fat mass!
 
Let me give you a simple analogy.
 
Old Johnny boy here decides to buy a fancy classic car. This car sits in the garage and only gets out on special occasions and I get to wear my brown leather gloves, my aviators and my white cashmere jumper casually flipped over my pink polo shirt - I digress.
 
The car doesn't get driven a lot so it doesn't need to be topped up with fuel.
 
John here decides he wants to take it out more regularly so he drives it a bit more to keep it running smoothly. John now needs more petrol for the car because the car is guzzling more fuel (a bit like you going from a couch potato office worker to a regular gym goer - you exercise more, you burn more fuel therefore you need more top ups).
 
John fills it up but he knows exactly how much fuel is going in and going out therefore the petrol doesn't overflow and destroy his beautiful leather gloves.
 
It's a little bit different when it comes to the human body and our psychology.
 
A recent study has attempted to identify mechanisms for the phenomenon termed “exercise weight compensation” in response to exercise in overweight and obese participants.
 Nearly 200 women and men were randomly assigned to receive 3 treatments over 24 wk:

1. A no-exercise control group.
2. 8 kcal · kg body weight–1 · wk–1 supervised exercise (8 KKW), or
3. 20 kcal · kg body weight–1 · wk–1 supervised exercise (20 KKW).

Participants compensated by increasing energy intake (an average of 90.7 kcal/d in the 8-KKW group and 123.6 kcal/d in the 20-KKW group).

They ate more when they exercised more and the numbers differed depending on the starting weight of the individual.

We don't even realise we are doing it and it is vastly easier to out-eat the calories burned through exercise than to burn off the calories from eating.

Results:

The results of the study as presented suggest that the focus of a weight-loss intervention should be on reducing energy intake rather than solely on exercise-induced energy expenditure.

Meaning, YOU  can exercise until you are blue in the face but if you don't get a handle on your food, you will get less results than you expect and this can lead to drop outs and a loss of motivation to exercise.

My personal take is that you should use exercise for a positive benefit. Think of of it as doing something positive for your body. You are strengthening your bones, building your muscle so you can run, lift, climb and partake in every day activities. You are improving the flow of your blood and the ability of your body to use energy. It is so good for mental health and can relieve stress and help you sleep better.

Exercise is not a chore or a punishment for eating excess calories. It is something to be enjoyed and practised regularly.

Have a SPIFFINGLY good day and let me know how this EMAIL radically changed your life today.
John ' king of the road' Donaghey.

Here Are Four Ways I Can Help You Get Fit And Lose Weight And Actually Keep it Off.

1. Here is our youtube channel which has over 100 videos including 55 workouts and other educational videos.

2. We now offer ONLINE 1-1 Personal Coaching. 

Train with me from anywhere in the world at any time. I now offer fully bespoke 1-1 personal training via our TRUECOACH online platform.

Check it out here

3. Check out our small group coaching sessions (max 4-10 people)

Small Group Coaching.

4. 1-1 Personal Training at our Studio in North Sydney.

Our top level service. In-depth personalised training programs, nutrition coaching and weekly sessions at our boutique studio in North Sydney.​

Check out our Personal Training Options here:

Here Are Four Ways I Can Help You Get Fit And Lose Weight And Actually Keep it Off.

1. Here is our youtube channel which has over 100 videos including 55 workouts and other educational videos.

2. We now offer ONLINE 1-1 Personal Coaching. 

Train with me from anywhere in the world at any time. I now offer fully bespoke 1-1 personal training via our TRUECOACH online platform.

Check it out here

3. Check out our small group coaching sessions (max 4-10 people)

Small Group Coaching.

4. 1-1 Personal Training at our Studio in North Sydney.

Our top level service. In-depth personalised training programs, nutrition coaching and weekly sessions at our boutique studio in North Sydney.​

Check out our Personal Training Options here:

This is a question that comes up a lot.

In fact, the fitness industry often swings in favour of one of these methods of training but what does the science say.

According to Dr Martin Gibala and Professor Stu Phillips of McMasters University, the science suggests the answer is both.  The best thing for your health to ensure that you live a long and healthy life is to regularly perform both strength and cardio training.

They go to say that in one March 2018 study researchers used UK data on about 80,000 unique participants.

Regular people who researchers followed for years to track their health, their cardio and strength fitness, 
whether they died and if so, how? 

Now as you might expect, higher cardio-respiratory fitness was associated with a smaller risk of dying from either all-cause death or cardiovascular disease or cancer. 

The more in shape you were, the longer you live basically. 

Something similar happened to people the stronger they were. 

The strongest people tended to also be the ones least likely to die from all-causes. But the people who were least likely to die from all-causes as well as cardiovascular disease were the ones that were both in shape and strong. 

The point is that strength and cardio fitness both were important. 

The same results have been replicated time and time again in different sorts of studies 
called randomized controlled trials. 

For example, a 2012 Australian study put several groups of overweight and obese people through 12 weeks of training.  One group did all cardio, one did all strength training and the third group did a combination. 

The combined group saw greater benefits for weight loss, fat loss and cardio-respiratory fitness. 

Another Australian study found that combining strength training with aerobic training featured something of a multiplier effect in populations with coronary heart disease. 

Essentially, the finding was, cardio will make you fit and strength training will make you strong and both cardio and straight training together will make you even more fit and strong than either alone. 

Now you might read this and think, "Well John, I am super busy so how do I include both in my routine?"

That is a great question and I will share some tips about how to do this in my next blog.

References.

1. March 2018 study used UK data on about 80,000 unique participants https://academic.oup.com/aje/article/187/5/1102/4582884

Here Are Four Ways I Can Help You Get Fit And Lose Weight And Actually Keep it Off.

1. Here is our youtube channel which has over 100 videos including 55 workouts and other educational videos.

2. We now offer ONLINE 1-1 Personal Coaching. 

Train with me from anywhere in the world at any time. I now offer fully bespoke 1-1 personal training via our TRUECOACH online platform.

Check it out here

3. Check out our small group coaching sessions (max 4-10 people)

Small Group Coaching.

4. 1-1 Personal Training at our Studio in North Sydney.

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Check out our Personal Training Options here:

This weeks workout is a home bodyweight strength workout for muscle toning.

It is a simple program with 6 exercises divided into 3 pairs.

Perform each pair of exercises for the number of sets prescribed in the video below.

You can make this program harder by adding a backpack full of books to add extra weight to your body or you can add repetitions to each set of exercises.

It is tough to do back exercises without any equipment at home so the choices are limited.

I would encourage you to purchase a suspension trainer or set of resistance bands for future workouts.

You can warm up by performing each exercise for 10 repetitions for the upper and lower body exercises and for 15-20 secs each for the core exercises.

See the video below for the exercises and the program.

​Enjoy the workout.

Here Are Four Ways I Can Help You Get Fit And Lose Weight And Actually Keep it Off.


1. Here is our youtube channel which has over 100 videos including 55 workouts and other educational videos.

2. We now offer ONLINE 1-1 Personal Coaching. 

Train with me from anywhere in the world at any time. I now offer fully bespoke 1-1 personal training via our TRUECOACH online platform.

Check it out here

3. Check out our small group coaching sessions (max 4-10 people)

Small Group Coaching.

4. 1-1 Personal Training at our Studio in North Sydney.

Our top level service. In-depth personalised training programs, nutrition coaching and weekly sessions at our boutique studio in North Sydney.​

Check out our Personal Training Options here:

This is a great question I received from a reader.

​
Without delving too much into the science of training and nutrition, here is the quick summary.


1. Toning up is all about reducing your extra layer of body fat to reveal the toned muscle underneath. Think of a sculptor chiseling away at a marble block to reveal a beautiful statue underneath.


2. You need to use a combination of diet, weight training (super important) and cardio to get this result. It can be done without cardio but I like to include both types of exercise for overall health.


3. The typical approach to toning up is to do tonnes of cardio and diet, with weights being done if people have a spare 30 minutes. The optimal approach would be to optimise your weight training over cardio.


I would aim for a minimum of two full body weight training sessions per week but would prefer 3 to get better results.


4. In order to lose fat and keep your muscle it is imperative to eat less calories than your body needs and to keep your protein intake high. I don't mean astronomical levels of protein. For our clients we like to use 1-2 palm sized portions of protein per meal. This is great because you are all different sizes and this can be individualized to the size of your own hand.


Protein is essential to keep muscle protein synthesis happening which is the natural rebuilding process of your lean muscle tissue in your body.


In fact, some people have actually gained a little bit of muscle while being eating 1000 less calories per day and the main reason they could do this was because they did weights 3-4 times per week and upped their protein intake.


https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/01/160127132741.htm


We need the calorie deficit because we want to lose the excess body fat. Also, by eating less you will not be able to add size to your body, you will keep your lean muscle, make it harder and firmer because you are constantly doing weights and you will look smaller and fitter and more toned.


5. So, here is how a weekly schedule could look like.

• Monday - Total Body Weights Program 
• Tuesday - Cardio (spin class, boxing class, running swimming)
• Weds - Total Body Weights Program
• Thursday - Cardio (spin class, boxing class, running swimming)
• Fri - Total Body Weights Program

 
That's too much for me John, I can only train three times per week.
 
Cool, simply knock off the cardio, keep the weights, eat in a calorie deficit and keep your protein high. Add in 5,000-10,000 steps per day to increase your energy output and reduce stress and you will still get great results.
 
What If I can only train twice per week?
 
You can do it, but the results will take a hell of a lot longer to get and you will have to progressively train harder in those two sessions.
 In summary.


1. Eat in a calorie deficit and keep your protein intake higher than normal (eat 1-2 palm sizes of protein at every meal).


2. Prioritise weight training over cardio and aim for at least 2-3 sessions per week.


3. Constantly aim to progress your training so that you are lifting more or moving faster every month.


Does this make sense?


If you are stuck for programs, here is a great example of a weight training program for fat loss and muscle toning. 

Let me know if you have any questions about toning up without getting big muscles.

​Here Are Four Ways I Can Help You Get Fit And Lose Weight And Actually Keep it Off.


1. Here is our youtube channel which has over 100 videos including 55 workouts and other educational videos.


2. We now offer ONLINE 1-1 Personal Coaching. 


Train with me from anywhere in the world at any time. I now offer fully bespoke 1-1 personal training via our TRUECOACH online platform.


Check it out here


3. Check out our small group coaching sessions (max 4-10 people)


Small Group Coaching.


4. 1-1 Personal Training at our Studio in North Sydney.


Our top level service. In-depth personalised training programs, nutrition coaching and weekly sessions at our boutique studio in North Sydney.


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This week we have a superset workout designed to save time, burn fat and increase your lean, fit looking muscle.

Some of our small group clients and many of my PT clients would have tried this workout and it is tough but very good for results.

What are Supersets?

SUPERSETS
Supersets is a training method where you pair two exercises together and perform them back to back.

Typically this is performed with a muscle group that opposes the action of another (think biceps and triceps, quads and hamstrings, back and chest) but can be performed with the same muscle group.

This works to improve the overall time efficiency of a training program.
How to Perform Supersets (see the video below also).
Choose two exercises in the same or varied muscle groups (for this example we will use the same muscle groups) and perform one after the other in an alternating fashion with an appropriate rest period between sets.
E.g., 
A1) Dumbell Chest Press: 8-10 Reps x 3 Sets; rest 10 Secs.
A2) Push Ups: Max Reps x 3 Sets: Rest 90-120 Secs.

So, you would perform A1, transition to A2 and then rest for 90-120 seconds and repeat 2 more times. Then you would move on to the next exercises.

The Warm Up:

• Perform one set of 10 repetitions for each pair of exercises prior to starting each exercise.
• This is a short warm up as this is not a very heavy lifting session so you can do this specific warm up and be ready to go.

The Workout:

• See the notes above on how to perform a Superset.

The Cooldown:

• Stretch or walk for 3-5 minutes.

How to progress this workout.

As with all weights workouts I like the rule of "two". If you can perform your exercise for 2 more reps with the existing weight, it is time to increase the weight.

For the push ups and the swiss ball leg curls, you can add 1-2 reps each week.

Change the workout after 6-10 workouts but keep going for up to 12-16 workouts if you keep making progress.

Enjoy the workout and the video will help with all the exercise demonstrations.

Here Are Four Ways I Can Help You Get Fit And Lose Weight And Actually Keep it Off.

1. Here is our youtube channel which has over 100 videos including 55 workouts and other educational videos.

2. We now offer ONLINE 1-1 Personal Coaching. 

Train with me from anywhere in the world at any time. I now offer fully bespoke 1-1 personal training via our TRUECOACH online platform.

Check it out here

3. Check out our small group coaching sessions (max 4-10 people)

Small Group Coaching.

4. 1-1 Personal Training at our Studio in North Sydney.

Our top level service. In-depth personalised training programs, nutrition coaching and weekly sessions at our boutique studio in North Sydney.​

Check out our Personal Training Options here: