adelaide personal training

PLASTIC FREE JULY: DAY 1

Day One:

How about not using plastic bin liners?

personal trainer adelaide movement rehab

These awesome bins come with a recycle and non-recycle compartment with separate bin bucket which can be lifted out of the bin and carried to the outside garbage bin, emptied and put back each time.
Recycling right means minimising what goes into your garbage bin. If food waste is kept separately in a small bench-top food scraps bin then your waste bin should stay relatively clean (and relatively empty), eliminating the need for a plastic bin bag.

NO. 3 OF OUR TOP 4 AB EXERCISES: STIR THE POT OR A FITBALL PLANK REGRESSION

Want to train your ABS in an efficient, functional way?

As mentioned in the previous Sit-up posts, you all know (unlike most personal trainers), I am no fan of traditional sit-ups. So here is the third of 4 alternatives that will hit your abs hard and give you that burn that you probably desire. As well as increase the function of your core area if done correctly.

No. 3 in our top 4 ab exercises

3. STIR THE POT:
This is a killer exercise for your abs and core! 
Find a fitball, assume the plank position with a wide stance at the feet to begin with as this will be more manageable at first. Elbows on the ball but aim them to be just underneath the shoulders and about shoulder width apart.
SQUEEZE your gluts, PUSH your elbows into the ball to lift your body away from it. Make sure your butt isn't sticking in the air or lagging towards the ground (think good plank position).

If this is challenging enough then just start with a plank hold and work your way up to achieving 60seconds. Once this is manageable only then attempt the STIR THE POT.

Now you are ready to begin...whilst maintaining as close to zero movement through your torso as possible, gently make small circles with your elbows. Aim for around 6-8reps one way and then repeat the other way. You can then build on the reps as you get stronger or go for time instead. 

This is a great exercise for training your abdominal region to stabilise your pelvis and lower back. If you find your pelvis is rotating with this exercise and you are struggling to control it then maybe go back to the pallof press for a while as it may be a sign that your obliques are not in good working order.

Give it a go and let me know what you think.


LEARN HOW TO TRAIN SMART!

JOIN US AND TRAIN ONLINE USING OUR VERSATILE APP!

YOU WILL LEARN THE FUNDAMENTALS OF MOVEMENT AND HOW TO EXERCISE SMART.

PROGRAMS THOUGHTFULLY PUT TOGETHER BY A PHYSIOTHERAPIST QUALIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER.

GETTING YOU ON THE ROAD TO FITNESS SAFELY AND EFFECTIVELY!

NO. 2 OF OUR TOP 4 AB EXERCISES: FITBALL ROLLOUT OR TRX ROLLOUT

Fitball and TRX rollout exercise. A great way to functionally train your abs and improve core stability!

Want to train your ABS in an efficient, functional way?

As mentioned in the previous Sit-up post, you all know (unlike most personal trainers), I am no fan of traditional sit-ups. So here is the second of 4 alternatives that will hit your abs hard and give you that burn that you probably desire. As well as increase the function of your core area if done correctly.

No. 2 in our top 4 ab exercises

2. ROLLOUTS:

A great way to train your abdominals and work on core stability.

Using either a fitball or a TRX, kneel down, if using a fitball then place your hands on the ball about a foot or two in front of you. If using a TRX then grip the TRX about hip level. Slowly reach out (either rolling the ball out or letting the TRX push forward) whilst locking out your hips (you should feel your gluts & abs engage) so your knees; hips; shoulders are in a straight line. 
Only go as far as you can without feeling any discomfort in your back, if you do, then back off a bit. Don't think you have to rollout all the way, start small and progress. You should be feeling it in your abdominal region. 
Roll out and then back again for 1 rep, see how you go with the reps to determine where to start...don't push it at first though, only do what is comfortable and build on that. I'd suggest holding a good breath on the way out and breathing out as you come back to the start position.

Give it a go! :-)


LEARN HOW TO TRAIN SMART!

JOIN US AND TRAIN ONLINE USING OUR VERSATILE APP!

YOU WILL LEARN THE FUNDAMENTALS OF MOVEMENT AND HOW TO EXERCISE SMART.

PROGRAMS THOUGHTFULLY PUT TOGETHER BY A PHYSIOTHERAPIST QUALIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER.

GETTING YOU ON THE ROAD TO FITNESS SAFELY AND EFFECTIVELY!

1 OF OUR TOP 4 AB EXERCISES: PALLOF PRESS

A great exercise for oblique function!

As promised from our previous post, here is the first of four of our top abdominal exercises that won't harm your lower back.

Want to train your ABS in an efficient, functional way?

As mentioned in the previous Sit-up post, you all know (unlike most personal trainers), I am no fan of traditional sit-ups. So here is the first of 4 alternatives that will hit your abs hard and give you that burn that you probably desire. As well as increase the function of your core area if done correctly.

1. PALLOF PRESS:

This is a killer exercise for the OBLIQUES! 

Kneel down side on to either a light powerband or a cable (I would start with 10kg and go from there, this is harder than it looks!). You only need a small amount of tension if using the Powerband. Keep your hips locked out and hold the cable/powerband level with the bottom of your sternum. As you breathe out, extend the arms and lockout the elbows. The band/cable will want to pull you across to the attachment, the aim is to not let it, make sure you don't hold your breath or flex the hips, if you do then back off the band a bit or lower the weight.

Once this is manageable then try hold the arms out for a count of 5 seconds whilst still breathing.


LEARN HOW TO TRAIN SMART!

JOIN US AND TRAIN ONLINE USING OUR VERSATILE APP!

YOU WILL LEARN THE FUNDAMENTALS OF MOVEMENT AND HOW TO EXERCISE SMART.

PROGRAMS THOUGHTFULLY PUT TOGETHER BY A PHYSIOTHERAPIST QUALIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER.

GETTING YOU ON THE ROAD TO FITNESS SAFELY AND EFFECTIVELY!

PROGRESS AT THE STUDIO

A change is as good as a rest they say...

Well, we decided to change up the moov space this week to free up a lot more room in the gym and open it up a bit. Our Hatha Yoga Classes now have a better area to work with and there is a lot more floorspace available for things like crawling; animal flow; farmers carry's; walking lunges etc.

Check out some of our progress pics below...

So there it is...plenty of functional space to be utilised. See you at the Studio!

DON'T STOP MOOVING...

Our bodies were designed for movement. The more we don't move, the more we suffer and become sick.

Find ways in your day to encourage movement, whether it be on a small scale or a larger scale.

If you work from home, try and find different positions to work in, don't just sit all day and don't just stand all day.

- Spend a few minutes down on the floor in different positions with a laptop or book raised on a stool.

- Find a way to raise your work up on something that can encourage you to stand for a while whilst you work.

- Spend some of the day sitting on a fitball and moving your pelvis gently forwards and back/side to side/around in circles.

- Spend some time down on one knee in a hip flexor stretch; switch legs after 10minutes then spend some time down on both knees with hips open.

hip flexor stretch work in half kneeling
 

- If you have to make some phone calls during the day why not go for a walk whilst you are making them.

Challenge your body and your brain throughout the day to encourage a healthy lifestyle.

Go for long walks in nature when you have time after work or on the weekends. Breathe in fresh air and appreciate the beauty of the planet we live on. Leave your mobile phone at home and be in the present moment. 

Let's encourage healthy habits for ourselves and our children. Seek movement on a daily basis...

 

YOU ARE HOW YOU MOVE...

Here's a glimpse of an hour of work in a dynamic work space, sped up to a few minutes. For more information on transitioning to a standing and dynamic work space, read "Don't Just Sit There" by Katy Bowman.

Move often...

Here is a lady who lives by the laws of movement. There is an array of useful information on her website about how to encourage movement in the home; at work; and with the family.

With all the hype about sitting being bad for you and standing desks now being all the craze I have always been a promoter of moving often, standing all day is as bad for you as sitting all day is. However, if you choose to adopt different postures throughout your work day and add in some useful stretches/movements scattered around, then you are certainly on the right movement road.

Your body craves movement. Don't lose what you started out with. Rather maintain and gain as much movement as you can over your life.

Katy Bowman's website is certainly worth a look, even if just to get one good tip that you carry over into your own life.

 

PREVENT PAIN OR INJURY BY KNOWING HOW TO MOVE WELL

Don't be this guy...Don't repeat poor movement habits in the gym. Get assessed and trained in good movement habits to avoid injury and stiffness occurring.

gluten free green tea biscuits

These are super awesome for impressing guests! I re-used the tags from the teabags I had ground.

These are super awesome for impressing guests! I re-used the tags from the teabags I had ground.

Yummy, healthy & gluten free!

Of course fussing over shaping is optional!
I tweaked a couple things: omitted oat flour; xantham gum & matcha powder and used organic wholemeal stoneground flour & just ground up green tea leaves in a pestle and mortar instead. Of course that renders them no longer gluten free (due to flour) but that is up to you...used all organic ingredients and found I only needed 100g of dark choc not 250g ;-).
Try 'em...won't disappoint!

Ingredients:

– 380g gluten-free oat flour (I used organic wholemeal stoneground flour)
– 70g almond meal
– 0.5 tsp salt
– 2.25 tsp xanthan gum (I did not use)
– 15g matcha green-tea powder (I used ground green tea leaves)
– 150g olive oil
– 150g honey
– 1 tsp vanilla extract
– 2 egg yolks
– 250g dark chocolate 70%+, vegan (I used 100g and found it was enough)

Directions:
1. in a large bowl, combine the oat flour, almond meal, salt, xanthan gum & matcha powder. Use a wire whisk to distribute the ingredients together evenly & set aside.
2. in a separate bowl, combine the oil, honey, vanilla & egg yolks. Whisk until it’s combined.
3. add the wet ingredients to the dry & fold together. Refrigerate the dough for an hour.
4. line a work surface with baking parchment & roll the dough out to 1/4inch thick. Cut into squares (or the shapes of tea bags if you’re feeling creative, don’t forget the hole at the top if you do though). Due to a lack of gluten, the dough is a little more delicate than your traditional shortbread dough. I found pushing a spatula underneath the cookie to lift & transfer it to the baking sheet worked best. Alternatively, the shaped can be cut directly on the parchment & then the surrounding dough can be removed. Once baked they are no longer delicate.
5. preheat the oven to 150°C & bake for 25-30 minutes or until starting to turn a little golden. Remove from the oven & after five minutes, transfer to a wire rack to cool.
6. Whilst cooling, melt the chocolate in a heat proof bowl either in a double-boiler or the microwave. Once the cookies are cool & the chocolate is melted, dip half way into chocolate, lightly shake off the excess & then transfer to a parchment sheet to allow the chocolate to harden.

Thanks to @whateversleft for the inspiration and recipe!

 

Download our FREE sweet treats Recipe Ebook below...

This great little information packed ebook not only contains a wide variety of 12 different recipes, but also has a stack of information on the truth behind fats; how we need to form good food habits for our kids and the 10 essential ingredients you need to keep in your cupboard to always have a healthy treat option available to you.