I seem to get asked at least once a week which books I would recommend for training, fat loss, nutrition, goal setting etc etc…
I do read lots of this stuff, in fact I tend to be reading non stop… strange I never used to be like that…
Anyway, I have created a page on the GetFit.lu website with all my recommended books and where you can get them from. I have added Amazon links or retailer links so you can get all these products shipped to your door in double quick time.
Summer holidays are a great time to catch up with some interesting reading, pick one or two that you can pack in your suitcase…
http://www.getfit.lu/book-recommendations.html
Tim
PS. You’ll see some other links to the left hand side of this page, which will take you to some of our most trusted resources and partners, make sure you try these too!
Unconsciously Getting Fat
20.06.08This might seem really obvious to you, but to me this is such an important aspect of weight management.
I was chatting to my wife this afternoon and we were discussing the meal we had last night. We try to make an effort to have at least one night during the week where we go and treat ourselves to a meal for two at a nice restaurant. We don’t necessarily worry about the type of food we eat, or that we might have a glass of wine or beer with the meal and we will have a dessert too.
The meal we had was a Chateau Briand shared between the two of us, a fine piece of meat, vegetables and all the trimmings. It tasted fantastic, was loaded with calories and we probably ate too much of it. However I think the most important part of it was we “Planned to fail”!
My wife then told me about something that happened this morning in the office, someone came round with cream cakes, with chocolate and all sorts of stuff like that, without hesitation she ate the cake without any conscious thought of what it would do to her. The cake probably didn’t have as many calories as the nice dinner last night but was more likely to be many times more damaging. Why? This time she just “failed” it was not planned.
How many times today have you just eaten something just because it was there, you ate it with no regard for the consequences, it was a completely subconscious action?
The secret to succeeding with nutritional habits to support your fat loss goals is in the planning! Knowing exactly when you will fail, plan to fail then make sure every other feeding opportunity is thoroughly planned.
Not to say I am perfect, I do still have situations were I fall victim to eating completely unconsciously but so long as the majority of my meals are planned I stay on track with eating better.
Obvious maybe? Try a little planning yourself this week!
ForestFit July
19.06.08ForestFit June was a sell out, 20 folk are currently being trained 3 times a week by GetFit.lu
Here is what some of them are saying:
“Today’s session was great, I can already feel my body - I think the next thing I’ll be doing today is going through my drawers trying to find that muscle cream 
“
“Although enjoying just everything, Forest (left) is also my favourite. Am always a bit scared of everything other than the Playground LOL, but Forest (left) gets my adrenaline (and challenging myself to get out of my comfort zone ) “
“This morning was fun, it doesn’t seems as hard when there are games and races involved although its still a good workout My arms will be sore tomorrow though! “
“I can feel myself getting stronger each week and with that comes an increased confidence to keep pushing myself, resulting in increased satisfaction, so all in all a win-win situation. While I am by no means the fastest/strongest person in the group, I still feel like each time I have pushed myself further than what I thought myself capable of - I have never once gone home thinking “that was easy”. Which goes to show how well you have designed these workouts, since there are obviously different levels of competence within a group that have to be taken into account.”
July is now open for registration over at http://www.forestfit.com
Reserve your place today!
Tim
ForestFit
PS. We are not doing an August group, so this is your last chance before we break for the Summer!
Are You A Fair Weather Trainer?
29.05.08So much for doing ForestFit regardless of the weather…
Sadly this morning we had no choice but to cancel the workout because of the thunder and lightening. Certainly the right decision despite the fact it cleared about 15 minutes later, and it was actually quite pleasant!
So like any “crazy” individual I set out into the Forest by myself to catch a quick intervals session.
Splashing through the deep pools of water, mud splattering up the back of my legs, dodging the heavy, low and very wet branches, leaping from one side of the trail to the other to avoid the slippery roots and rocks. Charging up the hill using every ounce of energy to get to the top, refusing to be defeated by gravity and that awkward, uneven slope. As I walked back down the hill I started thinking about those poor souls stuck in the gym…
Pounding away at their treadmill, in their pristine white training shoes and colour coordinated workout attire. The only thing to dodge is the choice of music and the mindless crap on the tv screens. The pre-programmed, laser sharp accuracy of the angle of slope on the treadmill, knowing to the meter the distance you have traveled, the exact number of calories burnt and how much longer you have to stay on that thing to really start burning fat!
Who was enjoying the act of losing body fat more?
I wonder ;o)
Tim Goodwin
www.getfit.lu
www.forestfit.com
ForestFit June @ 09:30
28.05.08Joining forestfit is now really a no-brainer.
We are in the last week of ForestFit May, and all but two participants have re-joined plus we have almost filled the 07:00 group, when I last checked we had only two places available.
The 09:30 group still has a number of places available, but we are hopeful of filling this group too!
Just think, by 10:30 every Tuesday and Thursday you’ll have had your healthy breakfast, got the kids to school AND finished a fun and rewarding, fat burning workout. On Saturday’s we’ll start a little earlier giving you the rest of the weekend to do all the things your weekends are filled with.
Get over to www.forestfit.com to register today.
Tim Goodwin
One of my ForestFit clients was asking me the other day why even though she had trained for a marathon, she had not lost any weight, or more importantly not seen any significant change in shape. This throws up a whole discussion on the effectiveness of aerobic type workouts, and what your overall goal is. Once again I’ll try not to bore you with the science of this but hope to clarify what happens to the body when you are training for an endurance event like a marathon.
Your body is more clever than you, it does everything in its power to survive despite its owners best efforts :o)
If you starve yourself, your body does everything to economize, holding on to all energy, and breaking down all substances that use fuel too much.
When you run a little your body burns fuel of which you have a limited amount.
If you run for a long time your body will burn all its immediately available fuel as well as some of the stuff that is reserve.
If you keep eating into your reserves your body will start to go into that economy mode as if you where starving yourself, breaking down substance that uses fuel(muscle), and start trying to store more of the fuel that goes into your reserves(fat).
Prolonged training of this nature over a period of 6 months, whilst great for burning calories whilst doing the training, causes massive damage to your metabolism, breaking down all that muscle, thats why elite marathon runners are all skin and bones and really low levels of muscle mass.
As a side thought, it is very common to see retired elite marathon runners, cyclists etc pile on huge amounts body fat when they stop their doing the huge number of kilometers training each week.
For the ordinary guy and gal on the street training for a marathon may be a great goal, and something that I am happy that people do. BUT, and this is a BIG BUT! Unless you are training to go and do the Olympic marathon, I would certainly advise you to do other styles of training that promote fat loss and boost your metabolism, otherwise you will be disappointed.
I did promise something exciting and new, experience GetFit.lu in the open air with our new outdoor training concept.
Go to www.forestfit.com for further details and how to secure your limited availability place, only 20 places available in total!
PS. The FREE video is not working yet, I am getting round to that tomorrow.
Luxembourg Bootcamps are coming
21.04.08Vibration training through history
11.04.08So you think all these fancy new Vibration Plate, power plate type machines are all the latest thing
These vibrating things have been around for a while, maybe you can spot your grandmother in the picture? I like that they are being served tea and all smiling like any good infomercial model, the tea may taste better and the models get better cosmetic surgery BUT the machines today are still equally INeffective for fat loss!
What I am confused by is the caps on their heads. I suppose they must be made of rubber to sweat away all that tea!
The raft of celebrity endorsments for the vibration plate machines just goes to show how people can be bought for putting their name to things, what is more scary is the thought that not so famous “scientists” and fitness “professionals” can also be bought to endorse these things too.
If you can’t trust the celebrities (ha ha), scientists or fitness professionals :o( who can you trust to give you sound advice on the most effective methods for fat loss… hmmmmm
I have a new article posted to the website:
Diets don’t work!
To some, who have tried every diet there is, this will not come as a surprise. The word “diet” gives the impression of various calorie restricted, low fat, low carb, low something or other!!! However the actual word “diet” is used incorrectly in many situations, we all have a “diet”, it is the food we choose to eat regardless of whether it is good or bad. The phrase “going on a diet” is wrong because we already have a diet.
Anyway now I have destroyed the title and first line of this article, let me explain why we should become nutritionally “responsible” instead of “going on a diet”
Because of the bad press that diets get, when you decide to start a new diet plan, you immediately feel the stress of cutting out the products you love…
For the rest of Forget diets, become nutritionally responsible click here
