Nutrition - Tips.

Here are 5 quick Nutrition Tips that I am trying out at the moment, and have added to my normal day-to-day program.

Steak or a Turkey Burger for breakfast. I always have a couple of eggs in the morning, normally hard-boiled, so if needs be I can eat on the run. However I have recently tried to get a really good source of protein in, during the morning, and have found 2 sirloin steaks, cut up into small bit size pieces with the fat removed, cooked in coconut oil with some cayenne pepper on goes down really well. I normally go with 4 -5 piece of broccoli as well to get my early hit of greens in.

-       The missis has been trying Turkey burgers in the morning and been raving about them. They are also another great source of protein and can be cooked and flavored easily. Check her blog out for ideas and recipes http://francescasfitkitchen.blogspot.co.nz/

4-liter bottle of water every day. – I always find if very hard to keep track on what I drink through out the day, and seem to get dehydrated very quickly. It doesn’t matter how well I hydrate the night before I always wake up desperate for some water. If I don’t get hydrated I feel terrible all day. So I decided to buy a 4-liter bottle of water which I re-fill and use every day with tap water. Its give me a good idea of how much I am drinking.

Glutamine and BCAA- I have been just started adding these to my protein shakes morning and night. I know a lot companies put these product in their shakes, but I found that I was neglecting them quite a lot. When they are both so key to muscle building and recovery you need to have them in there.

Tuna omelets – I always struggle in the snack department, as we have long training days here at the Highlanders so getting food on board can be tricky. I hate just opening a tin of tuna and eating it raw, so have started making afternoon omelets. You cut up some garlic (2 cloves), a red chili and put on a low heat with some coconut oil. Add the tuna, cook until lightly brown then throw in either 4 egg whites, or 4 whole eggs whatever you like or the nutritional value you need. You can then add peas, spinach to get some greens in there. You can of course use almost anything in your omelet, but they are quick and easy.

-       2 cloves garlic

-       1 red chili

-       4/5 eggs or whites

-       1 large tin of tuna

-       Coconut oil

-       Spinach

Green veg with everything- for every meal and snack I have been trying to add good fresh green veg to my meals. Broccoli, spinach, different types of beans and peas etc. I don’t think we get a enough good veg in our diets, and since doing so I have noticed my skin looking better, and I haven’t really been run down. When you go shopping try and over buy and get a good mix of different things. You can get a good hit of carbs from vegetables as well.

Try these and let me know how you get on.

Training - Bicep and Triceps

Split Body Parts – Biceps and Triceps

Following on from my theme of split body parts here are a couple of tricep and Bicep sessions that you might want to use. Again this can be done as a one off session to get a good pump, or part of a longer program to build some size. Check out the previous section on split body parts for a more in depth description. Try to always keep strict form and 1,2,3 tempo.

Session Biceps.

1) Under handgrip chins 3 x 6 –12 reps

2) Z bar curls 4 x 8- 12 reps

3) Hammer curls 3 x 8-12 reps

4) Straight bar barbell curls 3x 8 – 12 reps

5) Concentration curls 3 x 10 reps

Session Triceps

1) Dips 4 x 8-12 reps

2) Skull crushers 3 x 8 -12

3) Rope pulldown 3 x 8-12

4) Narrow hand placement press ups. 3 x 10

Make sure after a session like this you get your post workout nutrition right and into your body within 30minutes. Ideally you want to eat some high protein and carbohydrates. Chicken breasts, turkey, tuna are all good. Sweet potato, yams, etc.

If you cant get to food, or it's no practical then you can trying using some supplements. There are loads of different ones out there and it can be quite tricky. I try to use Maximuscle products, as they have a large simple range, that is all drug tested. 

For those starting out try these simple ones. PROMAX which is a great protien source, or something like RECOVERMAX.  CYCLONE Is great for size building and gaining weight.

You can go a bit more advanced or complicated with stand alone supplements.With things like BCAAS or Branch Chain Amino Acids.

Training - Abdominal session

Abs for Ladies and Gents.

This is a session that can be bolted onto the end of your existing training program or be fitted in as a stand-alone session. If you are going to do the former, then you might need to cut down some of the reps etc and exercises, to focus on your key work ons.

Abdominal workouts are tricky to master. There are arguments for focusing heavily on them as a specific area, or if you are doing a lot of full body conditioning, cross fit, heavy lifting and eating well then you will naturally hit that area, as the abdominal muscles tie everything together. I find that doing them from time to time after sessions or on lighter days is good, but generally I do a lot of full body training, they are always working and don’t need too much extra attention. Whatever you think try below.

Have a good warm up either on a bike, treadmill or something dynamic in the gym. Getting the whole body ready is essential.

Then start with some Planks - do these 2 times through.

 Side planks- body perfectly in line, resting on your elbow. Hold for 30 seconds on one side and change to the other.

Front planks- glutes switched on, body in line with a flat back. Resting on your elbows and head in neutral. Hold for 45 seconds.

Performing the following in order with minimal rest, 3 complete times through.

Hanging knee raises- try to use elbow harness’s or if you don’t have them, then hold on to a chin up bar in either an over hand grip or under hand. Whatever is most comfortable. Perform 20 of these, making sure you don’t rock and get full extension and retraction.

Full body crunches. - Lay on your back with your body flat on the floor and your hands above your head. Draw your knees up to your chest and your arms come up and over to the outside of your feet. Then you go back to laying flat without your legs or arms touching the floor. Repeat this 20 times.

Lying side twists- lay on the floor, knees bent up with feet flat on the floor and back flat. You then rotate from side to side taking the hand of the side your are leaning to, under the gap of your bent up knees, trying to reach through to the other side, you then lean the other way. You do this dynamically for 20 reps.

Lean backs- feet flat on the floor (you can lock them under something, or if you are good enough you can perform without them being held) you are hunched up to start with your chest against your knees. Then you slowly lean back as far as you can without your feet coming off the floor, or your back bending too much.  The aim is not to all the way down, but to feel maximum tension on the abs and then use this to pull yourself back up again. This is a tough one, don't expect a lot of range to start with. 20 reps of this.

Sprinter crunches- lie flat on the floor legs out straight, have your hand on the side of your temples. As you draw a leg up, knee bent you rotate the opposite elbow and try and touch the leg, you then move to the other side. This is done as fast as you can. 20 reps of this.

Then lay on the floor in pain, wondering what you were thinking. Then get a recovery shake on board and shower up.

Enjoy