I don't know about you but I find it tough to sit on one piece of cardio equipment in the gym. It can get tedious, very quickly.

If you are  outdoors you can take in the view, take over people during your run or bike ride and maybe even enjoy the simple pleasure of an ocean swim.

When it comes to the gym , boredom can kick in quickly.

Here is one type of workout that will move fast but also keep you motivated every week as you have a time to beat.

This workout can provide the following results when performed regularly:

• Lower resting heart rate.
• Lower blood pressure.
• Improved cardio fitness and better stamina.
• Increased fat burning leading to weight loss.
• Makes every day activities that bit easier when you get fitter.
• Makes you pant less when you climb a flight of stairs.

Check it out and give it a go. Let me know  how you got on.

The Indoor Cardio Challenge Workout.

1. Pick 3 pieces of indoor cardio equipment.

2. Pick a short distance for each.

3. Perform your best effort on each and record your time.

4. Repeat for one more round.

5. Try and beat your times on weeks 2, 3 and 4.

6. Change program after week 4.

7. Example workout could be:

• 1000m Row - take no rest.
• 50 Cals assault bike. No rest.
• 5km bike ride at level 3-5. No rest.
• Repeat.

8. If you are unfit and feeling out of shape, just do one round.

9. This workout is designed to show quick improvements in fitness as the weeks progress.

You’ll be motivated as you see your recovery get better and your times get faster.

This will help overcome the boredom of just random cardio in the gym.

Give it a go and I promise you’ll be sweating.

Feel free to share if it helps.

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 January and it is the time for New Years Resolutions and positive healthy change.

If you are raring to go and change for the bette, here are some thoughts as to why it is a fantastic idea to have a Personal Trainer.

1. Overwhelm.

Apart from the obvious benefit of a trainer providing you some motivation and delivering faster results, a trainer can provide professional advice about your exercise.

When you first join a gym or get back into a fitness program you are going to need to think about exercise selection, the reps you do, the amount of sets you do, your form, the amount of rest you have, your frequency of training and how to structure a week of training.

This is so overwhelming for people going to a gym and they will come up with barriers that prevent them from training. It requires so much thinking so people will say - " I don't know what I am doing".

"Will I look silly?".

"I don't even know if what I am doing will get the results I want".

If you don't want a trainer, that's fine. 

But you are going to have to start learning what kind of exercises illicit the results you are after.

You need to know how many of them you need to do, how heavy they need to be, how many days per week you are going to have to exercise because these all add up.

Reps, sets, training volume, weekly structure, rest periods and training frequency etc, all add up and play a crucial role in getting your results.

If you are unsure of this, book in a few sessions with a trainer so they can figure this stuff out for you.

Let the decision making process go to someone who does this as their job 6-7 days per week, multiple hours per day and has done it for years.

It is the trainers job to know how all this stuff works together.

It is easier for you to go to the gym and just do the DOING and not the THINKING and the DOING.

Thinking and doing is hard. Doing is easy once you know how.

2. Nutrition.

When you start with training, you already have all these decisions to make about exercise. Now you have to layer your nutrition decisions on top of that.

If you want to lose weight or tone up, nutrition is going to be a big factor with this goal.

Nutrition decisions may involve what diet you want to try. The way you approach diet will be very important.

What portions are you going to have?

How many meals?

What kinds of foods and when to eat them?

What about busy periods or periods when you go off the diet?

How do I take in less calories without getting hungry?

The way you approach your diet is going to affect how long you stick with it and what results you are going to get.

Every single diet will plateau and you will need to adjust things.

You will need to know what to adjust and when to adjust it.

Why have you plateau'd.

When it comes to getting lasting results, there are a huge amount of decisions to be made when it comes to training and nutrition.

A good trainer will be able to shortcut all of the decision making processes for you when it comes to nutrition and training so that you can focus on the BIG STUFF.

Most people don't think of all the stuff outside of the training and nutrition.

3. The Big Stuff.

Being the new kid in a gym is stressful. You may be terrified of being the new, unfit person at the gym.

Work is stressful.

Looking after kids is stressful.

Sleep is important also. Who makes good decisions when they are tired?

When you are overly tired and stressed, you make poor decisions and the whole thing perpetuates into this negative spiral of not achieving what you want to achieve.

Outside of this, how much are you moving throughout the day?

What are you doing to increase your energy and mood throughout the day.

WALKING more and sitting less is absolutely fundamental to achieve a healthy lifestyle.

If you can get more steps during the day, it is amazing for your health.

4. Your Support Network.

It is really hard to change and be healthy when you are fighting against your household, your friendship groups, your work colleagues.

Opinions plant seeds.

People will tell you that you don't need to lose weight, you are healthy enough already, you are muscular enough already, you are slim enough already, you are BEAUTIFUL the way you are.

When you have this on your back, and then you have to make all these nutrition and training decisions, it is no wonder people get to FEBRUARY and think "FUCK THIS".

So, what I want you to really focus on is, are you setting yourself up to get the maximum amount of results with the fewest possible decisions that you need to make, that you are responsible for, that you need to adjust, that you need to track, because the fewer decisions you need to make in the first important 6 weeks will have an astonishing impact on the results that you will achieve this year.

These things are completely essential to know.

You need to make sure that your training and your nutrition lifts you up and the more important decisions that you have to make about this, for yourself, the harder it is going to be to deliver upon the early results that you desperately want to see.

This is why, when you join a gym early and start a diet, and you are fighting against your personal network as it were, you will get despondent, question your results, throw the baby out with the baby water and then make really daft decisions that includes incredibly low calorie diets, magic potion pills, detoxes etc.

Set yourself up to win.

Make as few decisions as you can to get the results you want and the fastest and easiest ways to do this is to get support and help from a Personal Trainer.

I really believe that and that I why I do this for a career.

If that trainer has a brilliant client base, like I have, then the support is already there and you are joining a group of like minded people who are ready to change, just like you on your journey.

Support and encouragement is a really big win for anyone wanting to change.

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

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 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: