Fitness Matrix

“Are spinning classes as effective for losing weight and burning calories as cycling outside?”  Yes, because most people will work harder during a spinning class than they will cycling outdoors, as they are encouraged and motivated by the instructor, but also by the music and the other members of the class.  During a spinning class, people will be exercising for the entire class, frequently adjusting the resistance to simulate hills and sprints, which stimulates the brain and the body’s innate awareness, shaking-up the body as much as possible and not allowing it to settle into an exercising routine.

It is unlikely that cycling outdoors for exercise, will be as safe and as effective at losing weight and burning calories, as a spinning class.

For more information about spinning, follow this link:  http://www.fitnessmatrix.co.uk/spinning-classes/

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Ingredients

• 500g Blueberries (try to buy local produce or grown in Britian)
• 200g/8oz Billington’s natural molasses sugar
• 200ml/7 fl oz water

For the base

• 250g/9 oz Porridge Oats
• 6 oz butter melted

For the filling

• 300ml of double cream
• 100g/4 oz of Billington’s natural molasses sugar
• 500g of full fat cream cheese
• Zest 1 lemon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method

1. Put the blueberries into a pan with the sugar and water.  Heat slowly to dissolve the sugar, then simmer for 7-8 minutes.  Strain through a sieve into a bowl, pressing the blueberries into the sieve to extract as much juice as possible.  Leave to cool.
2. Line a 20cm springform cake tin with greaseproof paper.  Melt the butter in a pan and mix with the porridge oats.  Make sure mixture is not too dry, if it is add more melted butter.  Pack into the cake tin to make the base, firming with the back of a spoon.
3. Whip the cream and sugar together until fairly stiff.  In another bowl, beat the cream cheese to soften, then fold in the cream with the lemon zest and vanilla extract.  Lightly fold through the berry syrup to create a rippled effect.  Spoon the mix onto the biscuit base, then place in the fridge for 2-3 hours until firm.
4. You may want to keep a few blueberries and a little syrup aside to decorate the cheesecake once cooled.
5. Run a hot knife around the edge of the cheesecake, then release the side of the tin and slide the cheesecake onto a board.  Cut into slices and serve each one with a generous helping of double cream.

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In an article in the November issue of Womens Fitness, they state that celebrity cookbooks may be damaging to our health, according to a new report by the ‘Fat Panel’.

The study revealed that the saturated fat content of many dishes from celebrity chefs’ recipes, contained more than 100 per cent
of the guideline daily amount of saturated fat in a single serving (30g for men and 20g for women).  Sian Porter registered dietitian on the fat
panel, says “having a celebrity chef treat is one thing, but eating these dishes regularly could bump up your saturated fat intake considerably”.

Yes it could and it should!  Your body wants good saturated fat, as it is its primary source of fuel, supplying sustained energy and acting as a protector, because it provides the immune system with the fuel it needs to become strong, resulting in the body being more equipped to fight-off infection.  Good saturated fat is also vitally important for the body to properly metabolise all other nutrients and receive the best from the food ingested.

I realise that this is contrary to popular belief and that you may be thinking that saturated fat will be detrimental to your health, but this couldn’t be further from the truth.  The human animal has historically lived on good saturated fat for hundreds of years, but in the last century, we have been brain-washed by the media and the power of advertising, to believe that foods that are ‘low-fat’, ‘light’ and ‘healthy option’ are good for us, but this is not the case.  Some of the products that provide good saturated fat are; whole milk, butter, cheese, double cream, free range eggs, lard, beef dripping, goose and duck fat, which are natural products and benefit from not being tampered by humans.

For more information on good saturated fat, follow this link:  http://www.fitnessmatrix.co.uk/2009/04/good-saturated-fat-the-past-is-the-future/

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If you are training to build muscle mass (hypertrophy), immediately after your training session, there is a 15 minute window when your body is at it’s most receptive to nutrition.  The best way to maximise your training, is to ensure that you eat a meal that is high in protein within this 15 minute window, to give your muscles the best possible opportunity to repair quicker, then become bigger and stronger.  Don’t fall into the trap of taking protein shakes or supplements, because not only are these full of artificial ingredients that your body doesn’t need or want, but they only increase the fluid (sarcoplasm) between the muscle and the skin, rather than build the muscle.  This provides a cosmetic result instead of a physical result, defeating the aim of the training.

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Preparation Time 30 minutes

Cooking Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 Chicken Breasts
• Butter
• 3 Shallotts
• 4 Garlic Cloves
• 5cm/2 inch piece fresh ginger
• 2 tsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 4 tbsp tomato puree
• 50 ml yeo valley natural yoghurt
• 150ml double cream
• 4 heaped tbsp of ground almonds

To serve: Brown basmati rice

Method

1. Cut the chicken breasts into pieces.  Heat the butter in a large pan.  Add the chicken, onions and garlic, fry until the chicken is cooked.  Once cooked add the ginger, chilli powder, turmeric, coriander and cumin and fry for a further minute.
2. Stir in the tomato puree, ground almonds and allow to simmer for 5 minutes, then turn down the heat.
3. Add the yoghurt, double cream and mix well, then allow to warm through.

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Before I had my first personal training session at Fitness Matrix, I would go to the gym, not really understanding the programmes or settings on the machines, do my routine 10 mins on each piece of equipment, believing that I was working hard and doing the same as everyone else.  I would look at the free standing weights with horror, not knowing what to do.  For all my effort, I did not notice any real difference in my weight or muscle definition.

I then had my first PT session at Fitness Matrix.  When I walked into the brightly lit training room, I immediately felt motivated, but surprised that the usual gym equipment was not there.  Henry talked to me about my goals, what I wanted to achieve, then he took my blood pressure, pulse and weight.  He designed an individual training programme, built around my needs, strengths and weaknesses.

My first warm-up at Fitness Matrix had me sweating more that I did after one hour at the gym and there was not one piece of equipment used.  It really surprised me how doing dynamic stretching exercises raised my heart rate and got me sweating.

My sessions at Fitness Matrix have taught me how to use free weights, the bosu and the stability ball, in addition to varied exercises that require no equipment.  I much prefer one-to-one personal training, as it gives me the motivation I need, as well as the guidance on doing the exercises properly, avoiding injury.  I still attend my local gym, however, Henry has taught me how to use the machines correctly ie: interval training on the treadmill and a hill programme on the stationary bike.  The other advantages of using the services at Fitness Matrix is the massage and nutrition: if an injury occurs, Henry can attend to it immediately and I can continue training; the nutritional advice that Henry has given me, has had a positive impact on my overal health and sleep.  In total, I have lost just under 2 stone in weight in a few months.

If I was still a mouse on a wheel, doing the same routine at the gym, I would not be looking and feeling the way I do.

Christie, Gateshead.

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Most people that keep-fit, don’t realise that there are 4 muscles in a muscle group: Agonist, Antagonist, Synergist and Fixator.  The Agonist is the main muscle being used; the Antagonist is the muscle opposite the Agonist; while the Synergist and Fixator are the 2 smaller muscles, that are activated when the Agonist and Antagonist require stabilising.  The Synergist and Fixator are often neglected, because most people use the fixed weights machines in gyms, which immediately render the Synergist and Fixator obsolete.  To enlist all 4 of the muscles and maximise your workout, it is best to use free weights, stability balls and medicine balls.  While the fitness Instructors employed in gyms have a basic knowledge of training programmes, to ensure that you train correctly and safely, maintaining good posture and using the correct technique, you should enlist the help of a Personal Trainer.

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If you are taking part in the Great North Run, you need to have pre and post-race sports massages.  The health benefits of massage are widely known, but people that exercise or take part in sports rarely get a sports massage.

A pre-race sports massage will cleanse and detox the muscles, giving them an ‘oil change’, while simultaneously invigorating the muscles by introducing fresh, oxygenated blood into the area, producing increased circulation.  It will also increase flexibility and strength, in addition to attending to any existing muscle weaknesses.  This gets the muscles fired-up and in optimum condition, preparing them in the best way possible for the race ahead, reducing the risk of injury and giving you a greater chance of crossing the line or getting a better time.

A post-race sports massage will also cleanse and detox the muscles, but is aimed at relaxing the muscles, reducing the risk of cramp and DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness), while at the same time introducing fresh, oxygenated blood into the area, to maintain good circulation.  It will also accelerate recovery, attending to any strains sustained during the race by maintaining the length of the muscle fibres and subsequently, muscle flexibility.

For those of you that exercise regularly, I would recommend having a sports massage at least monthly, to keep your muscles in optimum condition and prevent strains or injuries from happening, rather than attending to them afterwards.

For those of you that are looking for a course of pre and post-event sports massages, I would recommend once-a-week, no less than four weeks prior to an event and then twice in the week following an event.

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I was watching Countryfile (23 August 2009) and the item on red meat particularly concerned me.  While the argument for us to eat less red meat because of the global effects of the methane gas emitted by cows is valid,  shouldn’t the farmers be looking at what they are feeding the cows, that causes them to produce so much methane?  Afterall, whatever is emitted, is the result of what is ingested.  It was good to see that they are researching different types of grass that may alleviate the problem.

Alot of animals are fed antibiotics throughout their life, to prevent them from contracting diseases, which is not good for them and has a detrimental effect on the quality of the meat.  Do you want to be eating meat that is dosed-up on drugs?  I know that I don’t, which is why I buy all my meat directly from my local farm and the taste is so superior to any meat that I previously bought in the supermarket.    My main concern was the item ‘linking’ red meat to an adverse effect on our health.  We are animals that are meant to live of the land and red meat is a staple of our existence.  Red meat is full of natural goodness and provides our bodies with more of the fundamental vitamins it needs, compared with white meat.

When Countryfile’s chosen member of the public for this item received the results of his medical and discovered that his cholesterol was high, they only mentioned LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein), the bad cholesterol and not HDL (High Density Lipoprotein) the good cholesterol.  If his HDL is high, then that is good, as this is used by the body as a protector.  If his LDL is high, then that is not good, but it doesn’t mean that his high consumption of red meat is the cause.  Red meat is not the problem, it is how it is cooked that is the cause of high bad cholesterol.  Most people cook with one of the many oils that are available on the market today, but don’t realise that the oils turn to ‘trans fats’ (bad fats) when heated at high temperatures, which is one of the main causes of high bad cholesterol.  If people were to cook with a natural fat, such as butter or lard, they would be increasing their level fo HDL (the protector), as these products do not turn into bad fats, because they maintain their natural composite.  So, at the end of the report, when the guy was eating his meal in the pub that consisted of fish, chips and vegetables; while the chips and fish are nutritionally good, it’s not what he is eating, but how it is cooked.

Let’s not make red meat a scapegoat for the failing health of the public, when there are so many other factors to consider.

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Here are some little snippets of advice to help you train better and feel better afterwards:-

1. Always complete a dynamic warm-up before exercising.
2. Ensure you have a pre-training snack about 1-2hrs before, to give your body some fuel to exercise.
3. Always conduct a warm-down stretch routine, to reduce the risk of DOMS.
4. Make your own sports drink and consume before, during and after training, to maximise performance.
5. Have  a post-training rest, to give your body the earliest opportunity to repair.  It will thank you for it!

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