Vol.19 No.1 £3.99

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MOTIVATIONMake exercise a habit

YES, YOU CAN

New YearNew Goals

p18

WOMENS FITNESSSolutions for your problem areas

MUSCLEGAIN Get a biggerchest p52

MACHINESv FREE

WEIGHTSWhich

is best?

THUMP! Boxing workout fromDown Under

LOOK GOOD FEEL GOOD

22FAT-LOSSTIPS THATWORK

WIN a complete

Asics Runningor Gym outfit

p47

TEST OFTHE BESTGym Shoes

TreadmillsExercise Bikes

X-TrainersRowers

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TRIATHLONBeginner’s Guide

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Reason for Goal SettingThe primary reason to set goals, in any areaof your life, is that it provides a focus for youraction and for your efforts. You can directyour attention, your efforts, and your energyin such a manner that it helps take you closertowards what you want. It’s like a goal postthat gives you something to aim for.

By have clearly defined goals withmilestone signposts along the way, you canmonitor your progress and assess whetheryou are going in the direction you want tobe going. Have you deviated off-course andneed to do something to get back on track?

It is easy to get side-tracked with otherthings in life because ... well, life happens.However, with clearly defined goals andmilestones along the way, you can takestock to see whether you are on, or off,

track to achieve what you want to achieve. When you set a goal for yourself, part of

the process is to clarify what that goal is foryou. By clarifying and defining the outcomeyou want to achieve, you are defining whatyou need to do to be successful. It is yourdefinition of success, rather than anyoneelse’s definition. Having your own definitionof success is a powerful thing to boost yourconfidence and self-esteem because youcompare yourself with you, and not againstanyone else.

Goal setting is also beneficial to you as it’san opportunity for you to set priorities in yourlife. Looking at the big picture of everythingyou have in your life, and everything youwant to do, you then decide which goals willtake precedence over another. One way toconsider what your priorities are to look atthe end result, when you have achieved eachgoal, consider what difference it will make toyour life when you’ve achieved that goal.How will having achieved this goal benefitother areas of your life? Considering thesequestions, you can then determine which hasthe most significant impact and which onesyou will make a priority to do.

Goal setting can of course be done atany time of the year, however, traditionally,at the beginning of the new year, we setnew goals for ourselves. New year is like afresh start with things, a clean slate inwhich you can write your future out.

Knowing that setting goals is beneficialto you, to your confidence and to yoursuccess, how can you set goals andguarantee success?

How to set goalsMany of you have heard about settingSMART goals. Goals that are specific,measurable, achievable, realistic andtimely. So, knowing what you want is onestep in the process. Write out your goal isimportant and a powerful part of theprocess. So, write out your ultimate goal asif you already have achieved it. Whatspecifically have you achieved?

The next step is to make a plan. Adifferent way to set your goals is to use the‘backward planning’ approach. Begin withthe end in mind, as if you have alreadyachieved your goal, and then workbackward. What steps did you take (andwhen) and what milestone goalposts didyou achieve to get you where you are now.

When you finish, you will have a plan asto what to do, starting today, to achievethat goal. Although this plan looks thesame as if you were to start planning fromtoday forward, it is very different.

From the end-result perspective, youmay identify different and moremilestones achievements and steps alongthe way. The saying goes that with hind-sight, we have 20/20 vision. So, why not

MIND

Even with the best of intentions

and having high levels of

enthusiasm and motivation, for

some people, that does not last for

long and as January slides into

February, the activity and attention

on those goals slide as well.

Midgie Thompson will outline

the positive reasons to set goals

particularly at this time of year, as

well as how to guarantee success!

New Year,New GoalsWell, it’s that time of year where traditions are all around us. We have theholiday season of family gatherings, parties and indulging in sometimesexcessive amounts of food and drink.

It is also traditionally the time of year where people reflect on where theyhave been and where they are going. It’s a time of year where we get firedup with enthusiasm to get going for the new year. It’s new beginnings, newhabits, new routines and new goals.

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20 Ultra-FIT

use this 20/20 vision for the goals in yourlife to help you achieve more success.

Guarantee successOnce you have a plan in place, now it’s upto you to take regular and consistentaction. Success does not happen just bychance. It takes time, effort and consistentaction to ensure your stay on track andkeep on moving forward.

To guarantee success, here are afew tips to help you along the way.■ Set goals that motivate you.

Know the reasons WHY you are

going after a goal and the

difference it will make to your life

when you achieve that goal.

■ Set SMART performance goals,

rather than outcome goals. Focus

on those things that you can

control and let go of those things

where you have no control.

■ Use language carefully ensuring

your goal is positively stated of

what you will do, rather than

what you would like to do.

■ Make a plan and let everyone who

needs to know about it, know

about it and ask for their support.

■ Stick to the plan by having

regular monitoring of progress so

you do not allow yourself to get

to far off track.

Another thing you can do to guaranteesuccess is to get a friend or family member tohold you accountable. You say you are goingto do certain things, well then ask them toregularly check whether you’ve done them ornot. Being held accountable for your actionsis a very powerful mechanism to keep ongoing, to keep on track and to keep takingaction regularly towards your goals.

On a final noteWe all start off the new year with newthoughts of things we want to achieve,we’re motivated to get going and startnew routines, to go after new goals andhave new beginnings.

Yet, many of us falter along the waybecause we may experience someunexpected things or become distractedwith other priorities.

By using the backward planningmethod, you get a different perspectiveand may highlight things you might nothave thought of otherwise.

Once you have your plan, you still need totake regular and consistent action. Toguarantee success, it is important to set goalsthat motivate you … making sure that it issomething you want to do for yourself, ratherthan doing it for someone else. Knowing thereasons WHY and knowing the difference itwill make in your life is important.

Also, being held accountable for youractions is a powerful mechanism to keepyou going and keep you taking regular andconsistent steps towards your goals. So,ask someone to hold you accountable.

You can achieve anything you set youmind to, all you need to do is make a planand then stick to the plan. Even withminor deviations, you can still stay ontrack and move continually forward untilyou reach your goal. UF

NEXT ISSUE: Creating motivational

magnets that draw you forward

towards your goals.

About the authorMidgie Thompson of Bright FuturesCoaching is a Mental Performance andLifestyle Coach. She works withpassionate and energetic individuals tohelp them develop the mental skills andstrategies to be the best they can be whilemaintaining a healthy balance in theirsporting, professional and personal lives.She is also a recreational marathoner.

MIND

Key Points *Be Clear on the outcome you wantOutlining specifically what you want to achieve will help you focus your efforts towardsachieving it.

*Use the backward planning methodImagine you have already achieved your goal and as you look back, see what step youtook to get you there.

*Hold yourself accountable to someone elseSeek support from someone to hold you accountable to do the things you say you aregoing to do.

We all start off thenew year with newthoughts of things

we want toachieve, we’re

motivated to getgoing and start

new routines, to goafter new goals

and have newbeginnings

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22 Ultra-FIT

WOMEN’S FITNESS

Without a doubt, this is the time of year that has the vast majority of uspromising to be healthier and better to our bodies. Winter blues, too muchsocializing and too much Christmas nosh has us reaching for our gym bagswith renewed vigor!

Now, being a smart Ultra Fit reader, you will want to maximize yourtraining effect in the minimum time, so we have come up with four differentgym plans to make sure you do just that…

Gym’llfix it

By Caroline Sandry

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Ultra-FIT 23

This is a general plan for anynewcomers to exercise, orfor those of you who have

taken a break from your trainingfor a long time.

The gym is a great place to work everypart of your body, whilst learning

techniques and tips. Most gyms now havea lot of information available, and postersshowing different muscle groups used andso on. Take time to use these tools, andalso check out what the ‘fit bodies’ aredoing – you might learn from them!

Always warm up. Start out on thetreadmill as this is easy to use and willbuild your confidence as you familiarizeyourself.

As a general beginner guide to workingout at the gym, I am focusing on a wellrounded programme which should befollowed 2 to 3 times per week, andupdated at 6 weekly intervals.

* The session1 Warm up for 5 minutes on the treadmill

at an easy pace2 Raise the incline 2 levels and increase

your speed to a brisk pace for 8minutes

3 Cross trainer – work out at acomfortable, moderate pace for 8minutes, using upper and lower bodyeffectively. Focus on your posture -keep your abs drawn in and yourspine tall

4 Stationery Bike – pedal at a moderatelevel for 8 minutes with a resistancethat is easy enough for you to stay inyour seat, but challenging enough towork your quads (large muscles at thefront of the thigh) and raise your heartrate. Ensure the seat is the correctheight – so your legs are almoststraight but never locked in the downposition. You should keep your backstraight and your shoulders back anddown, eyes forward. Try to keep yourhips and upper body still in the seatand drive the pedals with your legs.After 8 minutes, decrease the effort,cooling down for 2 minutes.

5 Move to the free weights area, andselect a reasonable weight (I start mostbeginners on 3 or 4 kg dumbbell) youshould aim to be tiring the muscle bythe end of the set. Once your muscleshave adapted to this exercise you canstart to up the resistance and increasethe challenge.

■ Chest press – 1 set 10 3-4kg

■ Squat – 1 set 12 reps

(or use leg press machine)

■ Shoulder press – 1 set 10 3-4kg

■ Lunge – 10 on each leg

■ Triceps extension –

1 set 10 reps 3-4kg

■ Abdominal crunches – 1 set 12 reps

■ Oblique crunches – 8 on each side

After two weeks, build up to 2 sets of 10 –12 repetitions, and once this feels veryachievable, increase the resistance.

Spend at least 5 minutes stretching all themajor muscle groups of the body.

This plan is for those of you whodo train regularly, but havetaken a short break (two

weeks or so) over the festive periodand who have eaten far too muchand ended up with a few extra kiloshanging over your waistband!

Some women can easily put on a stonein just a few weeks if they over indulgeand lay off the exercise, but the good newsis as that if you are already fit, and you getback to training hard – you can shift theexcess very quickly.

* The CardioAs you have a good base level of fitness,we are going to go for some intervaltraining here which can be performedoutside running, or on the treadmill/ roweror stationery bike – Minimum per week - 1 Interval session – 30 minute interval

session – warm up 5 minutes, 4 x 5minutes intervals (effort level very hard)with 2 minute recovery intervals inbetween (effort level easy to moderate)and cool down for 5 minutes

2 Your regular CV training – 45minutes steady state aerobic sessionthat you are comfortable and familiarwith, for example run, bike, crosstrainer, swim or aerobics class.

3 Make a change – if you usually run,then cycle or row. Try to make thissession different from the norm and workat a medium to high intensity for 40- 60minutes. You could try a circuit session(check out the circuit below in plan 3) or anew class. Trying a new activitychallenges the body in a new way andwill bring better results than doingsomething familiar and comfortable.

WOMEN’S FITNESS

Plan 1 -Starting out...

Plan 2 -Eradicatemince pie belly!

Trying a new activitychallenges the bodyin a new way andwill bring betterresults than doingsomething familiarand comfortable

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MOTIVATION

ExerciseHabit

Getting the

30 Ultra-FIT

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Ultra-FIT 31

The word habit is an interesting one.Biting your nails is a habit, and so is smoking.For most people they’re reflexive, unbendingbehaviours that can be very difficult to break.Can you get to that point with your exerciseroutine? Possibly – but would this be ahealthy habit? I don’t think so. Possessingthe unconscious compulsion to exercise, withno ability to control its scale, wouldn’timprove the quality of your life, even if itimproved your bench press. To maintain thejoy of exercise, we need to create a desire towork out, whilst keeping a sense ofperspective: to allow for time off, for life tohappen outside the gym. So forget aboutpursuing your personal best with a zeal that

destroys everything in its path (i.e. the rest ofyour life). Instead, aim to create a sense offocus, regularity and purpose that motivatesyou in the direction of the gym instead ofyour couch; to run past the pub, not into it.

Recruit your unconsciousPeople come to see me for help withmotivation because their conscious desireisn’t enough; knowing you should bedoing something, even something you likedoing, doesn’t always get the job done. Ifyou want to establish a regular pattern ofexercise, you need to recruit theunconscious, and this process needs to beapproached in a certain way. From theperspective of the unconscious, allbehaviour has a purpose: it’s intended totake us toward reward, or drive us awayfrom pain or danger. To accomplish this,chemicals we experience as feelings getdumped into our system to guide ouractions – things like serotonin forrewarding experiences (the warm fuzzies),and adrenalin for the run/fight stuff. Thetrouble is, we can like the feeling of both;that’s why it’s possible for the exercisehabit to become like smoking cigarettes:our brains can get confused and end upseeking more of the bad stuff. You end upaddicted to the pain of exercise and notthe pleasure it brings, without being ableto tell the difference. Until something inyour body breaks down…

Training your brainSo, how do we get the brain trained

to release the warm fuzzies in

response to exercise?

Try using a technique from NeuroLinguistic Programming (NLP) calledanchoring, a process in which you associatesomething with a trigger; it’s used in

advertising all the time. We can utilise thistechnique by linking the feeling ofsatisfaction, or motivation, or enthusiasm, (orall three) to a stimulus. The stimulus can beanything, but smell works particularly wellbecause it goes straight to the emotion-processing part of the brain, i.e. you can’tchoose not to respond to it, it’s automatic.One way of doing this is to pick a smell youlike that you can carry with you, on a hankieor a wrist band. Every time you feelmotivated, take a moment to savour thatfeeling strongly, and then take a few deepbreaths of your chosen smell. After doingthis a few times, breathing in the smell willautomatically bring back the feeling of

motivation. Top athletes use this regularly tohelp them enter the peak performance zone.After a while, by ‘firing’ the anchor wheneveryou contemplate a training session, thefeeling of motivation transfers to the thoughtof going training. What you’ve succeeded indoing is tuning the brain’s pleasure principleinto associating your workout with apleasurable feeling. As we naturally do moreof what we like, the urge to exercisebecomes a healthy habit – but firmly withinyour control.

Focus on the rewardSomething else that can help you get pastthe moment when the direction you take –the sofa or the gym – is hanging in thebalance, is a simple visualisation exercise.Without even realising it, when you catchyourself fighting over what to do, your mindis flicking between the choices to decidewhich one brings the most reward. Betweenslogging it out in the gym after a hard dayat work or reclining in front of the telly witha can of lager - you can guess which one islikely to win. The trick is to focus on twoimages that represent your conflict, butinstead of seeing yourself running along theroad, or sweating in a bodypump class,focus on the moment after the session,when you’re walking away feeling pleasedyou made the effort and, (if you’re like me),superior to every other person who’s behindthe windows I pass by on the way home,watching the X Factor and eating Kettlecrisps. Focus on the reward of the exercise,not the struggle of it; go beyond it in yourimagination, not into it. And I don’t meanfleetingly. If you’re struggling with yourdesire to be lazy, close your eyes and spenda few minutes visualising that rewardmoment, look for where in your body youfeel that sense of satisfaction. The more you

MOTIVATION

CognitivehypnotherapistTrevor Silvester

explains how to useyour unconscious todevelop the exercisehabit – and how tocontrol it once youhave it

To maintain the joy of exercise, we need tocreate a desire to work out, whilst keepinga sense of perspective: to allow for time off,for life to happen outside the gym

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34 Ultra-FIT

WEIGHT WATCH

YES,

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Ultra-FIT 35

If you always do what you’vealways done, you’ll always get whatyou’ve always got – it’s time to changeyour mind set and secure your ownunderstanding of what motivates you,finding those triggers that lead to apositive life change. We’re all unique,there’s no right and there’s no wrong – itsall about your journey of self discovery,new experiences, the path you choose andchoices you make.

If low self esteem and social pressuresto eat have brought you down in the past,caused you to put on weight or you justfind it hard to say “NO” it doesn’t matter.You’re free to make up a whole new set ofrules for dealing with situations in thefuture. Your circumstances might notchange, the people around you might notchange. But you can change! Over thenext 9 issues we’ll be looking at ways inwhich you can beat social pressures, breakbad habits, be positive and get the verybest out of yourself.

The Ultimate Anti-health plan for 2009What if someone told you that for 2009

you had to follow the ultimate health

plan for 2009? By this we mean:

■ Slow down your metabolism bystopping exercise

■ Go crazy and get addicted to sugar –eating sugar rich foods whenever andwherever you can

■ Eat more calories than you need – themore high calorie and fat filled foodsyou can cram into your day the better

■ Ignore your bodies natural instincts –

eat when your not hungry and eat pastthe point of hunger

You may well be laughing out loud atthese but you may also be thinking thatyou do one of more of these on a regularbasis. But don’t worry it’s not your fault!

Obviously we can simply blame thesupermarkets and their endless buy oneget one free offers, restaurants for puttingtoo much salt and sugar in their foods,advertising for the constant messages oftemptation and even your parents formaking you eat everything on your plate!

WEIGHT WATCH

I CAN - CHANGEWeight loss guru and life coach Pete Cohen and fitness professionalSusan Cass have joined our team to address the issues surroundingweight loss – over the next 12 months they will be providing you witheveryday practical solutions including breaking bad habits, stayingmotivated, improving your confidence, removing fears, managing yourtime and taking responsibility for your actions.

We’re all unique, there’s no right and there’sno wrong – its all about your journey of selfdiscovery, new experiences, the path youchoose and choices you make

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38 Ultra-FIT

NUTRITION

fat-losstips thatwork22

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Ultra-FIT 39

When it comes to losing weight,those who exercise regularly have ahead start. Whether you wish tolose a few pounds or have a biggergoal, exercise provides a healthyway to burn off extra calories. Theproblem is that even if you workout daily, it is hard to lose weightthrough exercise alone. Studieshave shown that the secret tosuccessful weight loss is regularexercise together with a healthyand careful calorie intake. Followthe following tips and watch thoseunwanted pounds drop off.

1Eat several, smaller mealsEating smaller meals morefrequently not only reduces the

chances of fat storage but also helps yourecognise when you really are hungry.Spreading your meals more evenlythrough the day, as four to six smallmeals rather than two or three big ones,helps avoid blood sugar highs and lowsand the resulting insulin surges. Insulinis a powerful anabolic hormone thatdrives glucose from the bloodstream intomuscle cells and – when there’s toomuch glucose – into your fat cells. Youraim should be to keep your blood glucoseand insulin levels stable, so your bodycan manage them more easily. Eatregular snacks of fruit, nuts or seeds to give you slow-release energythroughout the day.

2Limit your food choicesResearch carried out at TuftsUniversity in Massachusetts,United States, found that when

people are presented with a wider varietyof foods they eat considerably more. Also,when eating a single food, the individual’seating rate slows down, he or she issatiated more quickly and, therefore, he orshe will eat less. The pleasure of eating afood increases up to the third or fourthbite then drops off. If you have lots of

different foods on your plate you prolongthe sensory pleasure, which stops youfeeling full. The message here is tosimplify your diet: place fewer types offood on your plate.

3Practice portion controlIt may sound obvious but largerportions make you eat more.Researchers at Cornell University,

New York, found that people ate 33 percent more food when given a large portioneven when they disliked the food. Tryputting smaller portions of foods with ahigh-energy density (such as meat, cheeseand pizza) on your plate and largerportions of low-energy density foods suchas vegetables on your plate.

4Don’t ban your favourite foodsIncluding your favourite foods inmoderation will make your weight

loss plan easier to stick to, if notpleasurable. If you know that you can eat alittle of your favourite indulgence everyday, you’ll stop thinking of it as a forbiddenfood and then won’t want to binge on it.So go ahead and include chocolate or icecream in your nutrition plan but make sureit’s only a little.

5Don’t skip breakfastStarting the day with a healthy,filling breakfast dramaticallyincreases your chances of eating

healthily throughout the day. It alsoprovides your body with fuel and kick-starts your metabolism, so you have therest of the day to burn up those calories.The carbohydrates you eat at breakfastwill be used to fuel your daily activitiesand workouts, instead of being stored asbody fat (as they are if eaten in theevening). If you don’t eat breakfast, youare more likely to snack during themorning and overeat at lunch. Studieshave shown that dieters who ate a high-fibre breakfast lost more weight than theirbreakfast-skipping counterparts andconsumed 100–150 fewer calories forbreakfast and lunch.

6Start with saladAccording to a 2004 study atPennsylvania State University,United States, eating a large

portion of low-energy density foods, suchas salad or fruit, as a starter can cut thenumber of calories eaten during the mainmeal by 12 per cent. The fibre and water inthe salad/ fruit takes the edge off theappetite, causing you to eat less of thehigher calorie foods. (Take care not to addtoo much salad dressing.).

7Sleep moreSleeping an extra hour or so mayhelp you lose weight, according toa study published in the journal

Sleep in 2004. The study found that thosewho slept nine hours or more had, onaverage, a significantly lower body massindex than those who slept five hours orless. This is because lack of sleep boostslevels of the hormone ghrelin, which makesyou feel hungry, while lowering levels of thehormone leptin, which makes you feel full.This hormonal imbalance sends a signal tothe brain that more food is needed when, infact, enough has been eaten. Research atthe University of Chicago, United States,also shows that sleeping for four hours orless increases levels of another hormone,cortisol, which makes you feel hungry inthe evening rather than sleepy.

8Fill up with soupStarting your meal with a bowl ofchunky soup can cut your calorieintake by 20 per cent, according to

a study by the University of Pennsylvania,United States. The idea is that fibre in soupfills you up so you’ll eat less of the higher-calorie foods that follow. Avoid creamysoups, though: stick to vegetable varieties.

9Switch off the TVDon’t eat in front of the televisionnor while you are working orreading – you are less likely to

notice what you’re eating. Studies haveshown that the distraction of TV postponesthe point at which people stop eating, withTV watchers eating approximately 12–15 percent more than those who do not eat in frontof the television. In addition, people whowatch TV for more than four hours a dayconsume one-third more calories becausethey have more opportunity to nibble andless opportunity to exercise. Another studyfound that those who eat with family orfriends consume up to 70 per cent more onaverage than those who eat alone. Socialcompany, it seems, overrides satiety.

10Distinguishbetween hungerand appetiteUnfortunately, it is easy

to confuse hunger and appetite.Appetite is produced.by external

NUTRITION

The only proven way to lose weight is to eatfewer calories than your body uses as fuel for youractivities. The idea is to find a diet and lifestylethat you can comfortably live with, rather thanattempt to lose weight periodically with diets thatare hard to maintain. Anita Bean explains….

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44 Ultra-FIT

As a trainer, I have seen firsthand how a new and suitable pair oftrainers can affect performance andpain. Many people give up trying to rundue to pain and discomfort in theirknees or legs, not realising that simplywearing the correct footwear couldtransform their experience. My firstpoint of call with new clients isfootwear – particularly if running, andwhilst they may initially be opposed tospending more money (after all – theyhave a pair of trainers that they havebeen wearing for ages!) they soonunderstand that it is a very smallinvestment compared to the return.

Asics have a fantastic new flagshipstore in central London, which isdedicated to helping people be theirbest in sport and I went along to havemy feet checked out and my gaitanalysed.

Asics stands for ‘sound mind, sound body’ anexpression you may already be familiar with.But how about ‘sound feet, sound body’?

Your feet are the foundation of your body, yourcontact with the earth, and the beginning andend of every step. Yet many people neglect theirfeet, wearing old or unsuitable footwear forsport, not realising that this can not only affectperformance, but the health of your knees, hipsand pelvis. Caroline Sandry went to the Asicsflagship store to find out more…

FEATURE

best footForward

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Your lower legs are videoed while you runand then the information is again playedback and compared to a set of ‘normal’parameters

Ultra-FIT 45

The experience I was met at the store by Danka Malicka,who as well as being an Asicsrepresentative is a PE teacher and has aMasters in Biomechanics and is incrediblyknowledgeable. She started out by givingme a manual assessment of my stance andasking questions about my training andmy joint health. She immediately noticedthat I was self-correcting a naturalimbalance in my body – my years oftraining have taught me to adjust myposture so that I squat and move correctly– instead of allowing my left foot and kneeto drop in as they would so love to do! Iam naturally knock-knee’d (lovely!) andalthough I can correct this in standing anddeliberate exercise such as squatting,Danka was interested to see what wouldhappen when walking and running.

The next step is the laser machine. Yourstand on a glass bottomed machine with

your foot and lower leg encased indarkness and keep very still while fourlasers and eight cameras collectinformation and measurements. Whenboth feet have been scanned, the data is e-mailed to Japan headquarters in Tokyowhere it is analysed and results are sentstraight back – the whole process takingless than ten minutes.

The data is not only useful for thecustomer to see, it is also valuable tocollect information for comparative studies– it has been shown that the majority ofright handed people have a longer left foot(78% of people) and a slightly wider rightforefoot. This is because when you arestarting to walk, your brain picks up whichis the most comfortable side of the body(the right if you are right handed) andapplies more pressure as it is easier tobalance. This extra pressure spreads thesmall bones of the forefoot making itslightly wider, whilst the left foot wouldtypically grow slightly longer as there isless pressure applied to through it.

The data and results including a full 3dimage are displayed on screen, and printedoff for the customer to keep. The image of

your foot is compared on screen to a set of‘normal’ measurements (there are 43marker positions and calculating points)and it is easy to see any obvious deviationsin the Achilles heel, and the pressure pointson the sole of the foot. This data gives thetechnician information to start working on aprescription for your shoes. Danka noticedthat my left foot was very rigid (which inreal terms will feel like my foot is veryflexible) and would probably benefit from astable trainer which has a different heelstructure and slows the movement throughthe forefoot and thereby slowing themovement through the lower leg making itless vulnerable to injury.

The data collected to this point is usedto prescribe a shoe, which you then get totest on the treadmill. This is a crucial partof the test, as your lower legs are videoedwhile you run and then the information isagain played back and compared to a setof ‘normal’ parameters. I found thisfascinating as the film is slowed rightdown so that you can see exactly what ishappening throughout each foot strike. Istarted out wearing a neutral shoe andproved to be a bit of an oddity (nothing

FEATURE

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The Workout

The chest is probably the muscle group that guys inparticular spend most time training. I remember at the gym I usedto work at we used to have “Friday Bar Club” that consisted prettymuch solely of a testosterone filled mammoth session on thebench press to pump us up before hitting bars of a different sort.The reason why the chest receives so much attention is that it’sthe most visible major muscle group when you look in the mirrorand, in most cases, responds quickly to training giving noticeableand highly motivating results. It’s far too easy to get carried awaythough and become obsessed with training the chest to the

detriment of other muscle groups. Neglect the antagonistic“pulling” muscles of the back and you’ll rapidly develop thehunched rounded shoulder posture of a bench press junkie. Notonly does this look awful but can quickly result in muscularimbalances and can even lead to injury. Try to balance everyspecific chest session with one for the back or, within oneworkout, perform an equal number of sets on each.

In this workout we use a combination of tried and testedmovements to hit the whole chest and variations in sets, reps andtempo to shock the muscles out of any plateau they might be in.

52 Ultra-FIT

Over the next nine issues Fitness Express will take you through a series ofworkouts each designed to target a specific area of your body. Each workout isa session in its own right but, as the series goes on, it’ll build into an invaluableexercise resource from which you can construct your own programmes. In thisfirst instalment we target the pecs in a Super Hero Chest workout.

FITNESS EXPRESS

5-10 minutes CV warm-up. Thecross trainer is really good for this asyou do 30 second blasts reallyemphasising the “push” of the handles toget your chest firing.

1) Press-ups X10-20 reps X3 sets (30seconds recovery). Preparing the chestfor the work to come. Concentrate onperfect form and stop 3-4 reps before failure.

2) Bench Press X10 reps, X12 reps,X15 reps (90 seconds recovery).Start with your ten-rep max. For thesecond set drop 2-5kgs and go for 12reps and then drop another 2-5kgs for15 reps on the last set.

3) Single arm “Boxer Press” X10 reps,X12 reps, X15 reps. Work in the samemanner as the bench press by dropping theweight as the reps go up through the threesets. Work on a slow lower and an explosivepunch. One arm rests while the other works.

4) Incline Dumbbell Press (X10reps, X12 reps, X15 reps) and MedBall Throw X10 reps X3 sets (60

seconds recovery) complex set.Again dropping the weight for the pressthrough the sets. After each set on thepress go straight into the med ball throwand then take your rest.

5) Dumbbell Flyes varied tempoX10 reps X3 sets (60 secondsrecovery). First set work on a 2 downand 1 up tempo count. Drop the weightby 1-2kgs per hand for the second setbut work 4 down, pause for 2 in thedown position and then 1 up. For thefinal set, drop the weight again and thistime work 6 down, pause for 4 in thedown position and then 1 up.

6) Press-ups X1 set to failure. Backwhere we started and simply squeeze asmany out as possible. Once you’vemaxed out on the full movement dropthe knees and go to failure on 3/4’s.

ChestSuperhero

Instructional Photos: Ultra-Fit Images/Grant Pritchard www.grantpritchard.co.uk

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FITNESS EXPRESS

Press-UpsTo really hit the chest you need to makesure that your hands are slightly wider

than shoulder width in the start position. Tryto keep a straight line all the way through your bodyand avoid dropping the head or sagging in lower backarea. Holding this position lower your chest towardsthe floor aiming to get at least a ninety-degree bend inyour arms. Ideally, your chest should come to withinone fits height of the floor. Pause momentarily at thebottom before driving back up by straightening yourarms but avoiding locking the elbows. The 3/4’smovement is exactly the same apart from your kneesare on the floor. It is better to perform 3/4 press-upsthrough the full range of movement than poorlyexecuted full ones.

Bench PressThe king of chest movements thatno pec session can be without.Working with a spotter lie on yourback on a flat bench with your feet up on thebench. Grasp the bar with your hands slightlywider than shoulder width, palms facing forwardand elbows bent. Your elbows, shoulders andwrists should stay in the same plane during themovement. Press the bar straight up bystraightening, but not hyper-extending yourarms. Breathe out as you raise the bar. The barshould travel in slight backwards arc finishingabove your chin. Breathe in as you lower the barreaching a bottom position just beyond a ninetydegree bend at the elbows. Do not lower all theway to, or bounce the bar off, your chest. If youdon’t have a spotter use a chest press machine.If using a chest press machine ensure the heightis correctly adjusted so that the handles arelevel with your chest. Make sure you workthrough a complete range of motion bending thearms just beyond ninety degrees.

Single Arm/Boxer Press

A great movement that let’s youwork your chest musculature right throughits full range of movement. Lying on abench, hold a dumbbell in one hand. Shiftyour body over a bit so that the sideholding the dumbbell is slightly off thebench and the edge of the bench followsyour spine. Use the hand on the other sideto brace the position if necessary. Lowerthe dumbbell until it is level and parallel toyour chest (palm facing side of body).Press up explosively and, as you do so,twist the dumbbell to return to moretraditional palm facing feet alignment.

The Technique

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FEATURE

THUMPBOXING CLEVER

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I love boxing for fitness, and so domany of my clients – both male and female.It gives an amazing all over body workout,whilst letting off steam and releasing pentup frustration. But, I have never feltqualified enough in spite of attendingseveral courses over my decade ofpersonal training, and felt a bit fraudulentas I held my pads up! I have seen guysboxing – it looks awesome, but I never feltthat I was simulating anything even closeto it. Until I got ‘THUMPed’ that is!

The background THUMP training systems was developedin 2001 by Christian Marchegiani.

As a young man, and an immigrant livingin Australia, life was far from easy, andChristian found himself in numerousscrapes. Things came to head after sometrouble with the law, who offered him thechoice between jail, and boxing school.Christian took boxing school, and so beganhis amazing journey. Looking for a fresh starthe headed out to New York and worked withthe YMCA who impressed him with thequality of their training and knowledge. Onreturning to Australia, he decided to use thisexperience, and so THUMP evolved as aboxing gym above a garage in Christian’shometown. Disappointingly though,although the gym was popular enough, itwas not a profitable business and eventuallythe point came when the club accountanttold Christian he had no money to pay therent, and that he needed to make somedecisions. However, instead of this being thebeginning of the end, a chance phone callturned Christian’s life around: a gym inNorthern Australia was looking for a trainerto run a boxing training course, andChristian’s name was one of the first thatappeared in his search. His accountant tookthe phone call, and told Christian that shethought she had a way for him to pay therent! So he drove the 9 hours north with nopresenting experience, manuals or indeedexpectations and turned his life around! The

course was a storming success, andChristian knew that this was the birth ofsomething special and that THUMP wouldbecome an internationally recognizedleading name in Boxing for Fitness training.

THUMP today has four certificationcourses for instructors, employs numerousstaff, is licensed in gyms – including theFitness First chain throughout Australia

and New Zealand and Christian and histeam are very excited to bring THUMPover to the UK!

I was met at the train station by NeilHenshaw – owner of Helio gyms inBlackpool whose background is in fitnesswith a passion for boxing. He told me -

“I’ve always loved boxing and reallywanted to find a way to bring it into afitness training environment. I did a bigsearch looking for something different thatwould cover boxing and fitness, and I cameacross THUMP in Australia. I contactedChristian who was really positive aboutbringing the system over here, and I havebeen really impressed by every aspect ofTHUMP. The response has been tremendous– on the first instructor course we ran, awomen who has been in the business foryears said it was the best course she hadever been on! It is really exciting beinginvolved in the project, and watching itevolve, and we hope next year that it will bein gyms across the country. Christian andhis team are coming over to present the

FEATURE

‘THUMP’ is an excitingnew Boxing for Fitnesstraining system comingto the UK from Australia.Caroline Sandry

packed her gloves andhit the road to see if‘THUMP’ really packeda punch!

Caroline with Christian Marchegiani

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PEAK FITNESS

* Resistance

Weight Machines – Weight machinesuse variable resistance, changing resistancethroughout the range of motion. Toaccomplish this, weight machines havegeometrically-shaped cams integrated witha pulley system that change the length ofthe lever arm of the external weight (theperpendicular distance from the weight tothe machine’s axis of rotation). The camsare shaped such that, at weaker jointpositions, the lever arm of the external

weight is shorter, making it easier for you tolift the weight. At stronger joint positions,the lever arm of the external weight islonger, making it more difficult to lift theweight. Manipulating the lever armsthrough which the external weight isapplied allows weight machines to placemore stress on the muscles at the angles atwhich they are capable of producinggreater forces. However, given thedifferences between the length of people’slimbs and their ability to produce force atdifferent joint angles, not all machinesmay be able to match their resistance to

your strength.

Weight MachinesFree Weights

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vs.Have you ever been intimidated by all the dumbbells, barbells, andmachines that put you in awkward positions best reserved for thebedroom? You’re not alone. If you have never lifted weights before, it canbe daunting. And with all the different types of equipment and exercises,how do you know which to use for the best results? Both machines andfree weights have their advantages and disadvantages. So which type ofequipment is better? Here’s the tale of the tape:

By Dr. Jason R. Karp, Ph.D.

Free Weights:Bench Press

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PEAK FITNESS

Free Weights – With free weights, theresistance on the muscle remains constantthroughout the joint’s range of motion.When you lift a five-pound dumbbell, it isfive pounds at all parts of the lift—beginning, middle, and end. Since thereare points in your joints’ ranges of motionat which your muscles are stronger andpoints at which they are weaker, and theamount of weight you can lift is limited bythe weakest point, free weights only serveas a strong enough training stimulus forthose weaker joint positions.

Advantage: Weight Machines

* Movement Specificity

Weight Machines – Most weightmachines allow only single-joint exerciseswith movement occurring in a singleplane. Since weight machines guide yourmovement, they do not recruit musclesother than those specifically targeted bythe machine. This apparent lack offreedom does confer one advantage—weight machines allow you to isolatespecific muscles or parts of muscles,which is valuable if you want to shape aspecific body part.

Free Weights – Movements using freeweights occur in three dimensions. Theadded task of balancing free weights inthe three-dimensional plane recruitsother ancillary muscles. However, thegreater instability of free weights mayrequire the need for a spotter, whichwould not be necessary when usingweight machines. In contrast to weightmachines, free weights allow you toperform multi-joint exercises andtherefore more closely mimic theactivities of daily life and other specificactivities for which you may want totrain. Multi-joint movements also confergreater neural benefits in terms ofacquiring specific skills. While multi-joint, free-weight exercises require ahigher level of skill and may take sometime to learn, this slight disadvantage ismore than compensated for by the gainsin movement specificity.

Advantage: Free Weights

* Strength Gains

Weight Machines – Since theassessment of strength requires the use ofeither weight machines or free weights,the outcome of any experiment comparingthe two types of weight training will likelyfavor the type of training that uses thesame type of equipment as the strengthmeasurement. Studies testing strength(one-rep max) using equipment or a typeof exercise different from that used intraining have found similar gains in

66 Ultra-FIT

WeightMachine:Leg PressMachine

Free Weights:Barbell Squat

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68 Ultra-FIT

Buying an item of home gym kitcan seem like a really good idea. It’llprovide a convenient alternative when youhaven’t got time to go to the gym, allowyou to squeeze in a few extra workoutsinto your busy schedule and give yourtraining a real boost. In reality however,after an initial period of enthusiasm, youstart using the kit less and less, it becomesa chore rather than a pleasure and it endsup either consigned to the garage or as avery expensive clothes dryer. This doesn’thave to be the case though and, with someforethought, it is possible to buy a piece ofhome gym kit that you will use and won’tjust become an E-bay “item”.

The first factors to consider are locationand environment. One of the reasons you goto the gym to train is that it provides aconducive atmosphere, but too many peoplebuy a piece of home gym kit and stick it in acluttered back bedroom or a dingy garage. Ifyour surroundings don’t inspire you, you’reunlikely to want to train in them. If you’reoutlaying a considerable amount of moneyon a piece of kit put it somewhere decent.With this in mind, the appearance of theequipment is really important and must fitin with the space you’re putting it in. Whatmight work in a contemporary urban

apartment is going to look totally out ofplace in somewhere with a more period feel.Look for a light and airy location, that youcan control the temperature of and does notmake you feel cramped. A friend of minewas looking to put a treadmill in anoutbuilding and, although there was justenough head clearance, you would have feltdecidedly cramped and it definitely wouldhave impacted on workout enjoyment. Onceyou’ve found a suitable location then thinkabout adding a fan and whether you’ll beable to set-up and see a TV screen or atleast a stereo. Also, spare a thought for yourneighbours and check that the noise levelsof your kit won’t disturb them.

Next, think about the item of kit you’remost likely to want to use. Everyone hastheir preferences and, if you enjoy doingsomething you’re more likely to do it on aregular basis. If you already run outside,there is very little point in getting treadmill.Similarly, if you hate using the exercisebike at the gym there’s no reason whyyou’ll suddenly be inspired to use one athome. Another stumbling block is that yourhome kit doesn’t live up to its commercialcounterpart at the gym. Treadmills andcross trainers often fall foul of this and,unless you’re willing to part with a lot of

cash, is something to bear in mind.Finally, think of the type of workouts

you’re going to do at home. Many peoplechoose to do their long steady work athome but this sort of training tends tohighlight any little niggles you might haveabout your kit or its location. The gymenvironment with its air-con, commercialquality kit and cardio-theatre is often a lotbetter for this type of training but, in myopinion, the great outdoors is best. You’refar better off doing short 20-30 minuteshigher intensity workouts such as intervalsets at home where the session is brokenup and isn’t just a monotonous slog. Also,mix the workouts up and don’t just do thesame thing every session.

In this article I’ve looked at threetreadmills, three bikes, three cross-trainersand three rowers. For each type of kit I’vetaken an example from the lower, middleand top end of the market to see just whatyou get for your money and how muchyou need to spend to get a good qualitypiece of kit. I haven’t trawled the verybottom end of the market though becauseI know that, when it comes to fitnessequipment, cheap does mean nasty. Thelowest priced pieces of equipmentrepresent the very minimum I’d spend onthat particular piece of kit.

Before getting on with the reviews, aquick word about warranties. Especiallywith large mechanical items such astreadmills and cross-trainers look for a fullparts and labour warranty covering at least12 months but preferably lasting 3-5 years.Avoid like the plague “return to base”schemes as not only are you likely to getstung for transporting an 150kg piece of kitboth ways but you’ll also be without yourequipment for a large chunk of time.

Buying home gym kit can be a real minefield.Nik Cook looks at three rowers, three treadmills,three bikes and three cross trainers that spanthe price range and sees just what you get foryour money.

GEAR TEST

Test ofthe Best

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GEAR TEST

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TreadmillsI always play devil’sadvocate when people askme about getting a treadmillfor home use and, more oftenthan not, convince them thatit’s not such a great idea. Toget a decent one I wouldn’tspend less than a grand,they’re big and heavy, needa lot of space so as not tofeel cramped and what’swrong with runningoutside? However, if you dohave the space, the moneyand really can’t deal withthe British winter or runningwithout MTV then here arethree to think about.

LifeFitness T5-5www.lifefitness.comAt just under £3000 this was the most expensive piece of kit on test andoccupies the top end of home gym kit although you’d have to spendanother 1-2K to get into commercial models. The first thingthat strikes you is the quality of the build giving the feel of acommercial piece of kit that wouldn’t look out of place in ahealth club. The downside of this build quality is that it looks and is massiveand would completely dominate all but the largest rooms. Appearance wise, atreadmill is never going to be pretty and the T5-5 looks ok but decidedlyfunctional. LifeFitness have tried to jazz things up a bit with coloured clearplastic trim to the bottle holders but I felt this looked a bit cheap and dated.The controls and display were clear and intuitive and a full range of pre-setprogrammes were available. Once running the motor was quietand even at full incline there was no feeling ofinstability. The deck felt supportiveand well sprung but without beingover cushioned or spongey.Although not sure about it when I first goton I really liked the additional handlebar controlsand found them to be in exactly the right place foradjustments while running.

Bowflex 5 Serieswww.bowflex.comWith a price drop of almost £1600 a difference in quality was to be expectedbut it wasn’t as big as I’d initially thought. OK, the build quality isn’t asbombproof but it’s not at all bad. The slightly “space-age” design might not beto everyone’s tastes but its far from offensive. The controls and set-up took abit of getting use to but, once up and running, out of the three treadmills ontest the feel of the deck on the Bowflex was the one I liked best. Ramping upthe speed and the incline it felt stable and the noise level was perfectlyacceptable. All of the usual training programmes were available and it hasthe ability to fold-up for easier storage. The only thing that really niggled mewas the amount of console space and the ugly appearance of the integratedfan. It might have been acceptable if it’d actually cooled me but, even on itsmaximum setting, it had no noticeable affect. Without it, the console could

have been a lot sleeker and the treadmill possibly even better value for money.

Horizon Paragon 408www.horizonfitness.comAnother big price drop to below my usual £1000 threshold for a decent treadmill. I liked the styling of themachine and far from looking £450 cheaper than the Bowflex I preferred its more conventionalappearance. Getting onto it, the console was clear, easy to operate and includedeight pre-set programmes. Other pluses were the handle speed/incline controlsand that it could be folded for storage. Starting it up though and the differencein price became apparent. It was far from shaky but did feel more flimsy thanthe other two machines on test. There was also an odd high-pitched whine thatsounded like a rubbing belt but this may have just been a fault of that particularmachine. Increasing the speed and the gradient the feeling of flimsiness wascompounded and the bed felt too spongy for my liking.

Treadmill conclusionI still wouldn’t put a treadmill at the top of my home kit list butthere is no doubt you do now get more for your money. For theoccasional user the Horizon would be perfectly adequate andshows that considerable advances have been made at the lowerend of the market. Unless you’re a super keen runner (but thenwouldn’t you be running outdoors?), have a big budget and a lot ofspace then the LifeFitness is just too big and too pricey. TheBowflex, if you can live with the styling, represents excellent valuefor money and offers the added advantage of being folding.

£2895

£1299

£849

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78 Ultra-FIT

With a plethora of rich food onoffer, social engagements and familycommitments the festive period can oftenleave you out of shape and low onmotivation. Lots of people try to remedythis by starting a “New Year, New Me” typeapproach overhauling their entire life andsetting long lists of resolutions. Such drasticchanges are rarely sustainable and once theNew Year zeal has worn off are oftencompletely forgotten. The keys to makingpermanent lifestyle changes are to berealistic about them and to take one thingat a time. Many people tend to have an allor nothing mentality and so, making a goalof going to the gym every day is simplycounterproductive as, if they miss onesession, they usually end up binning itcompletely. Far better is to aim for 2-3 visitsper week and to see anything extra as abonus. Concentrate your efforts onchanging one aspect of your life and routineand only move onto another area once thefirst has become a permanent habit. For

example if exercise is your priority, get intoa regular routine with that before movingon to tackling your diet. Also, take thepressure off yourself a bit by not making it aNew Year’s resolution. Aim to get into a 2-4times per week exercise habit using theworkout below and one pure aerobicsession for the first six weeks of the yearand then, once the habit is ingrained,you’ve made a dent into your waistline andupped your fitness, re-assess and fine tuneyour goals and training. Not only is this farmore easy to get your head around keepingsomething up for 6 as opposed to 52 weeksbut, from a conditioning point of view,breaking your training into blocks andshifting the focus keeps your body guessingand keeps getting you results.

The routine described below is designedaround simple familiar movements thatwill work through all of your body’s majormuscle groups. Rather than doingrepetitive sets of the same movement avariety are used to keep interest high and

to keep you moving. We work rightthrough the rep range to tax all aspects ofmuscular fitness and use alternating upperand lower body movements to minimisethe need for rest time and to keep a highoverall cardiovascular effect. Finally, shortsharp cardio blasts are dispersed throughthe workout to kick your heart rate upeven higher and maximise the calorieburn. You should be aiming to completethe workout 2-3 times per week, allowing48 hours between sessions.

For your additional cardiovascularsession the focus is long and steady tobuild base stamina and improve fatburning ability. You can run, use any pieceof CV equipment or a combination tomake up the time. The key is though tokeep the pace steady and at a level ofintensity where you’d be able to maintaina conversation. Aim to work for 40 minutesin the first week and add ten minutes eachweek so, by the sixth week, the sessionwill last 90 minutes. UF

SIX-WEEK WORKOUTS

The WorkoutWarm-up. 10 minutes Cross Trainer. First 5minutes at medium pace and resistance.Second five minutes keep resistancemedium but alternate 30 seconds easypace with 30 seconds sprinting.

1) Dumbbell Press ..............x10 reps2) Dumbbell Squat ............x15 reps3) Press-ups............................x15-204) Jump Squat ............................x155) Standing Dumbbell

Overhead Press ......................x106) Leg Extension ........................x15

CV 1. Rowing machine. 4x250m (1minute recovery). Work hard but try and

pace efforts so performance does notdrop significantly.

7) Lat Pull Down ................x10 reps8) Dumbbell Lunge ....x10 (each leg)9) Bent Over Row ......................x1510) High Bench Dumbbell

Step-ups ................x10 (each leg)11) Upright Row ........................x1512) Hamstring Curl ....................x15

CV 2. Exercise Bike. 5 minutes0-1 medium resistance ..........80-90 rpm1-2 medium resistance ............100 rpm2-3 medium resistance ..........80-90 rpm

3-4 high resistance (out of saddle) ................50-70 rpm

4-5 high resistance (seated) ......50-70 rpm

13) Plank ....................30-60 seconds14) Ball Crunch ..........................x2015) Back Extensions ..................x20Repeat 13-15 x2

CV 3. Treadmill 5 minutes. With thetreadmill at a 1% elevation Start at a paceyou find fast and then drop the pace by1kph each minute so that by the lastminute you should be at an easy jog.

Stretch

Too many mince pies and not enough time at the gym? Nik Cook shows you ado-it-all workout to melt away the Xmas pounds and kick start your New Year.

Fat BusterNew Year

Instructional Photos: Ultra-Fit Images/Grant Pritchard www.grantpritchard.co.uk

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SIX-WEEK WORKOUTS

The Technique

Dumbbell PressLying on a bench, grasp one dumbbell in each hand, with palms facing forwards, elbowsbent, dumbbells just to the side of your shoulders. Your elbows and shoulders should be ina straight line. Press the dumbbells straight up by straightening, but not hyperextendingyour arms at the elbow. The dumbbells should travel in a diagonal line so that when yourarms are straight the ends of the dumbbells have come together. Focus on squeezing yourpectorals at the top of the movement.

DumbbellSquatStand with feet shoulder widthapart and holding a dumbbell ineach hand. Squat by bendingyour knees and sending yourbuttocks back as if sitting downonto a chair. Keep your weightback on your heels and try notto let your knees go in front ofyour toes. Ensure you keep yourhead up and maintain a flatback. Lower until your thighs areparallel to the floor and thenreturn to the start position bystraightening your legs butavoiding locking your knees.

Press-UpStandard press-up movement with hands shoulder width apart. Make sure you maintain a strong core throughout the movement and don’tcheat on depth. If necessary, complete the reps in good form by dropping your knees and going into a 3/4 movement.

Warm-up Cross Trainer

1

2

3

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SHOE TEST

GymShoes

Gone are the days where your only gym choice regardlessof the workout you planned was an unresponsive, heavy,for-the-gym-only shoe.

By Andy Barber

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SHOE TEST

The Shoes

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Nowadays a large number ofus planning our training sessions have verydifferent requirements. That means whilestrength and stability are as important asever we’re also looking for cushioned, flexiblefootwear that feels at home both on thestepper as well as on the treadmill for anhour as well as able to tackle multidirectional activities such as circuit training.With this in mind, breathable, light andsupportive are also categories you really needto consider when making your selection.

But if getting the most out of yourtraining session is what concerns youuppermost then a basic all-rounder shoe isnot the only piece of kit you need to thinkabout. They will do the job, to a very goodlevel, for most workouts but lighter studiobased workouts such as Pilates or dancereally need a much more light andresponsive shoe that mimics barefootflexibility while providing some support

and cushioning that modern feet require!Key brands have recognised that and areconstantly researching footwear thatenables you to build strength in your feet.

There are other shoes out there that alsogive you a close to barefoot feeling forexercise. It sounds like marketing talk, butthere are shoes that exist that simply bywearing them you can you’re your feetbecome stronger and more mobile. Yourfeet are probably more important than youthink as they deal with huge amounts offorce and changes of direction in manyforms of exercise and even if you are stood

lifting weights it is your feet providing theplatform. Of course you can’t just wear theshoes, you also have to do the training...but you knew that!

Finally don’t forget the classic heaviercross training shoe we have come to love.These are now no longer as heavy andthey too have a role to play in those multidirectional type activities we mentioned atthe start such as circuit training. For thistype of exercise you’re looking for comfort,support and upper strength in the shoe.Classics have much to offer in thisdepartment, so fill your kit bag wisely!

ASICS Gel TreadmillThis is a running shoe that has been designedspecifically for treadmill use. Empirical evidenceshows that on a treadmill your feet land slightlydifferently (possibly due to your perception thatyou are in a more confined area) and yourbiomechanics are also different as the belt drivesitself backwards rather than you pushing offforwards in the same way as with outdoorrunning. This shoe takes that into account in theway the cushioning and support are set up. While

supportive it ‘s really best to restrict its use to justthe treadmill and to restrict the mileage you run in

these shoes to no more than about 10 in any one go. Fortreadmill running it really is a comfortable and even has neat

features such as added ventilation as heat build up can be greater ona treadmill due to friction.

ASICS Gel 100A long-standing favourite for gym-goers, this shoe copes withmultidirectional forces during training, offering stability during weightsessions and cushioning and flexibility for cardio workouts. Goodstability for multiple cross-lateral activities and plenty of cushioning ifyou are getting into higher impact training. While it is certainly not anout and out running shoe you are fine doing some running init. The traction from the outsole opens up the possibility ofsome outside use, but could mean you find there is a bittoo much ‘bite’ to it if you are constantly twisting andturning on a surface that already offers good traction.

£80

£50

Nowadays a large number of us planningour training sessions have very differentrequirements

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To spectators, the sport of triathlonmight seem more than a little odd:seemingly sane people swim in chilly lakesclad only in neoprene before cycling andrunning around in lycra. How could such asport be addictive and why would anyonewant to put themselves through it timeand again? Strange as it may seem,thousands of people leap at the chancewith participation numbers rising rapidlyand the UK’s biggest events selling outwithin days. So what’s the big attraction?

Fun and friendlyTriathlon is one of the most inclusivesports around and much of its popularitylies in the fact it’s all about your ownpersonal challenge. Although everyonebegins at the start line together, mostevents are focused on having fun,achieving your own goals and savouringthe sense of satisfaction which comes

There’s nothing like festive excess to drive scoresof people to gyms nationwide as the New Yearkicks in. But it’s no secret that after the initial surgeof enthusiasm, gym memberships soon plummetcome February, so why not use the New Year to getinto a sport that’s so addictive you’ll never want toquit? Emma-Kate Lidbury introduces you totriathlon, the country’s fastest growing sport...

NEWYEAR,NEWSPORT

TRIATHLON

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from crossing the finish line. Although itcan be as competitive as you wish tomake it, most people are racingthemselves or the clock, which makes for agreat atmosphere at events and a terrificcamaraderie among participants.

Open to allPeople taking part in triathlons are allabilities and ages, in fact, it’s notuncommon to see pensionersparticipating. You could be someone whoused to play a lot of sport and want to finda new challenge, especially if you havepreviously grown bored of training for asingle sport or if you’ve suffered withinjuries. This is far less likely to happenwith triathlon as you have three verydifferent disciplines to focus upon whichplace different demands on your body.Alternatively, you might be trying to lead ahealthier lifestyle and lose weight – in

which case, keep reading because trainingfor triathlon will be easier than you thinkand brings huge health and fitnessbenefits. Regardless of your background ormotivation, the triathlon world willwelcome you.

How it worksA triathlon begins with participantsassembling in the water (a swimmingpool or lake/river) and gets under waywith the swim. The clock keeps tickingthroughout both transitions (the first,from swim to bike, is known as T1, while

the second, from bike to run, is known asT2) until competitors cross the linehaving completed all three sports back toback. The order always remains the same– swim, bike, run – but the distances onoffer are as different as the people whodo them.

Going the distanceOne of the most famous is the much-talked about Ironman, which involves a2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ridefollowed by a marathon. While somepeople have been known to undertake thismammoth physical test as their firsttriathlon, it is not recommended and is farmore advisable to ease yourself into thesport gently.

The standard distance (or Olympicdistance) event involves a 1500m swim, a40km bike and a 10km run. Novices canattempt an Olympic as their first triathlon,but it is more common to see first timersopting for supersprints or sprints which,depending on the race organiser, will involvea swim of 400-750m, a 15-20km bike and a3-5km run. One of the most popular races isthe Eton Supersprint, held at Dorney Lake, inMay (see www.humanrace.co.uk formore details). The 400m swim takes place inthe rowing lake while the 20km bike and5km run are set on traffic-free roads aroundthe water.

Training for an event of this distancecan be slotted into a busy daily routinewithout making huge sacrifices to otheraspects of your life and you will soonnotice the physical and psychologicalbenefits. Working towards such a tangible

TRIATHLON

Getting Started For the newcomers among you, thereare some key pieces of kit andequipment you will need in order to trainfor and complete a triathlon. Here’s adiscipline-by-discipline guide:

SWIMSwimsuit, hat and goggles.If you plan to do an open water race,you will need a wetsuit, which can behired for a season or bought.

BIKEA bike – it doesn’t need to be state-of-the-art for your first race. A mountainbike is plenty good enough if you don’thave a road bike. The bike’s fit/set-upand the amount of cycling you do aheadof the race are more important than thesteed you ride (see separate boxout onbike set-up).Bike helmet – you won’t be able torace without one and it is far safer totrain in a helmet.Cycling shorts – these have paddingwhich will make bike rides much morecomfortable. Women’s specific cyclingshorts are also available and highlyrecommended for optimum comfort and fit.

RUNRunning shoes – go to a good runningstore and seek professional advice onwhich shoes are best for your runningstyle. Try plenty of different brands untilyou find the pair that is right for you.Heart rate monitor – using a heartrate monitor will allow you to know justhow hard your body is working andyou’ll be able to see whether yourtraining is working. There are someexpensive, complex heart rate monitorson the market. Don’t overcomplicatethings – all you need is a monitor thatdisplays a continuous heart rate.Trisuit – although not absolutelyessential, a trisuit is an all-in-one lycrasuit which can be worn for all threedisciplines throughout a triathlon sosaves time and hassle in transition.

The order alwaysremains the same –swim, bike, run –but the distances onoffer are as differentas the people whodo them

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