onePT Rochdale is now an official HYROX Partner Gym!
Proud to be supporting Muhammad Ali.
Written by MartinLeeney on . Posted in Blog
[siteorigin_widget class="SiteOrigin_Panels_Widgets_Image"][/siteorigin_widget]
Proud to be supporting Muhammad Ali (First Boxer with Type 1 Diabetes to be granted a Pro Licence) in his journey to making history.
Proud to be supporting Muhammad Ali (First Boxer with Type 1 Diabetes to be granted a Pro Licence) in his journey to making history.
Ali has been carrying out his Strength & Conditioning training with Dr Neil Fell PhD here at onePT since October, 2022
We can't wait to see the result of all his hard work – best of luck with your fight tomorrow night - Saturday 18th March, 2023 at the Eventum Olympia in Liverpool.
It is a privilege for Ali to share his journey with us.
In movement, health & wellbeing
All at Team onePT
[siteorigin_widget class="SiteOrigin_Panels_Widget_Call_To_Action"][/siteorigin_widget]
How much nutritional information should I get from my Personal Trainer?
Written by Neil on . Posted in Blog
[siteorigin_widget class="SiteOrigin_Panels_Widgets_Image"][/siteorigin_widget]
How much nutritional information should I get from my Personal Trainer
As we have said in a previous blog, at the start of the year, 'everyone' will be starting that 'diet!'
As summer fast approaches, again, 'everyone' will be starting that 'diet!'
But how much and what type of nutritional information should you get from a Personal Trainer?
During my career - one of the biggest topics / debates that always crops up is with regard to how much and what type of nutritional information a client should receive from a Personal Trainer, Coach or Fitness Professional.
Across social media, magazines and in every gym - everyone has an opinion about what is the latest / best diet, what is the latest superfood or best supplement.
Equally, probably one of the first questions a client may ask their Trainer is ... "Are you going to or can you give me a diet?".
Now first things first, at onePT we don't believe there is one best diet (Keto, Paleo, Caveman, 5:2, Intermittent Fasting etc etc) - all dietary protocols have their pros and cons - what works for one person, may not work best for another. Also a diet that has worked best for someone in the past won't necessary be what works best moving forwards.
For us the word diet, means restrictive - not just in terms of calories, but also in terms of what foods you may actually eat. For us, diets per se are not a long-term solution. We want to educate members about the pillars or foundations of good nutrition and provide them with strategies to improve their eating habits - adopting a flexible and also an intuitive eating approach.
We talk about the 3Ts of Good Nutrition: -
Timing
Type of food
Total amount of food
So for example we look at what foods to eat before exercise to fuel performance, we look at what foods to eat after exercise to fuel recovery. We provide the education and support around what to do in the 23 hours a person is not in the gym to achieve their goals.
We educate members about the benefits of protein - how much and when to consume, healthy fats (is there such a thing - yes, there is), and what are the best sources of carbohydrates - we don't have to be carb phobic!
We offer members recipes and talk about food / meal prep so members can plan and prepare for their busy lifestyles.
We present nutritional information in an easy accessible, down-to-earth way that makes sense to clients — that engages them rather than send them to sleep. It is about getting the basics right - we have an expression here at onePT - Bull **** baffles brains - and we aim to keep things simple. What is the point of recommending to someone to go and eat this superfood or supplement if the rest of the diet isn't that great to say the least - we aim to start with the basics, help to make small but agreeable changes (i.e. changes that the member is happy to do), and help members build a healthy relationship with food and their nutrition.
For me personally, Personal Trainers (if not appropriately qualified*) should NOT be prescribing diets - especially when they start with the words, "Well, this has worked for me".
Personal Trainers should be offering guidance and recommendations that are truly evidence based - sharing information to support performance, health and wellbeing goals.
*The only people who should be prescribing individual diets and especially to people with particular medication conditions are Registered Dieticians or Registered Nutritionists with the appropriate qualifications - they are also most importantly indemnified (insured) to provide this level of advice to people with the likes of diabetes, or other conditions such as IBS, Crohn's Disease, Arthritis or if a person has allergies or intolerances. For me - this is not a grey area.
So to bring this 'rant' to a conclusion, we are very lucky here at onePT that as part of our relationship with the company who provides our Blood and Lifestyle Assessments**, the blood results and nutritional information are reviewed by a Registered Dietician (and Medical Doctor for the higher levels of blood assessments) and a full report is provided with recommendations and further guidance - all easily accessible in a web based platform or on an App on your phone. Equally, our members, once they have received their results and report, they can book a FREE health call with the Registered Dietician to go through the information and ask any further questions. They can then take all this information back to work with their assigned Personal Trainer to develop their overall nutritional performance plan.
**Extra costs apply depending on the type of blood & lifestyle assessment chosen
Here is some feedback on this service from one of our members.
“The support I was given by the Registered Dietician following my blood assessment was excellent and invaluable. I have many allergies, some quite rare. The Dietician took time to understand my needs. Their approach was empathetic and person centred. They took down information relating to my medical condition/allergies and came back to me within a few days with suggested meal plans which have been really helpful in helping me to maintain a balanced diet and be successful in my weight loss journey. I would highly recommend them.”
So if you would like to some further information with regard to how we can help change your life for the better, then you can book a Complimentary PT Session by following the link below.
https://www.onept.co.uk/complimentary-pt-session/
In movement, health & wellbeing
Neil
Dr Neil Fell PhD
[siteorigin_widget class="SiteOrigin_Panels_Widget_Call_To_Action"][/siteorigin_widget]
When is the best time to train?
Written by Neil on . Posted in Blog
[siteorigin_widget class="SiteOrigin_Panels_Widgets_Image"][/siteorigin_widget]
When is the best time of day to eat carbs?
When is the best time of day to train?
A question we are often asked here at onePT - when is the best time of day to train?
As a bit of background, I first wrote this post during the Euros 2020 (actually played in 2021 because of the Pandemic).
The post started with …
“As a large percentage of the UK will be glued to their TVs watching England play Germany this evening - Come on, England! - with a kick off-time of 5 pm, last night France played Switzerland which kicked off at 8 pm, then went into extra time and then finally finished with Switzerland winning on penalties at around 11 pm! (We have also had games in the Euros kicking off mid-afternoon). Often in elite sport - players / athletes find it hard to come down after an evening game when hormones such as adrenaline are still flying around …”
So back to the present, everyone has an opinion on the best time of day to train. The science - both the theory and research evidence - shows it very much depends on the individual, their goals and also the type of exercise they are doing.
For example, some research has found that exercise in a fasted state (before breakfast) leads to a small increase in the amount of fat being burned. That's because blood sugar, insulin and glycogen levels are all lower than normal after an overnight fast. Therefore, it is sometimes recommended for a person to complete some lower intensity endurance based exercise (30-40 min) before breakfast to help burn body fat. A further boost to fat burning may be achieved by drinking an espresso or coffee without milk before your workout as caffeine can stimulate lipolysis – the body’s fat burning process. Please look out for a further blog on whether early morning (fasted) fat burning workouts do really work (and therefore are they essential?)
It is also important to consider the body’s blood sugar levels are a little bit low after an eight hour sleep, therefore you might feel a little light headed if you try to overdo it. Equally for longer endurance based sessions (> 60 min) or higher intensity sessions including strength training sessions before breakfast there is the potential for the body to use muscle as an energy store and therefore you may be breaking down the tissue you are looking to improve which is counter-productive. Remember the total amount of calories we burn in a day is directly proportional to the amount of lean muscle we have. If you are looking to complete a strength training session in the morning, it is important to pre-fuel in the right way as detailed above – a combination of carbohydrate and protein. A good trainer will help you with the right choices and timings for you.
Going back to the first point above, when is the best time to perform a strength workout – there are many theories based around when the body’s muscle building hormone testosterone is at its highest (i.e. should we train in the morning?) or when the testosterone response to exercise is at its greatest (i.e. should we train in the afternoon / evening?); or when the body’s stress hormone, cortisol is at its lowest (again should we train in the morning?) or when the cortisol response to exercise is at its lowest (again should we train in the evening?
ARGGGHHHH – I don’t know about you but this is confusing!!!
So how do we sort this out – generally speaking most people are weakest in the morning and strongest in the late afternoon / early evening. This coincides with the body’s circadian rhythm or 24 hour body clock when the body’s temperature is naturally at its highest.
This would potentially indicate you should strength train or perform HIIT (High Intensity Interval Sessions) in the late afternoon / early evening, when your body’s perceived exertion to a given exercise session is also less - i.e. you would expect to find the same session easier in an afternoon when compared to the morning.
But does finding a strength exercise session easier in the afternoon mean this will result in better strength gains or better gains in muscle growth?
Not necessarily so!! A study conducted by a leading Sports Science University in Finland found only a small (less than 1%) difference in muscle growth in muscles of the thigh when comparing a group that trained in the morning to a group that trained in the evening!
So if you are still awake by now (of if I have helped you fall in to a very deep sleep at least I have helped in one respect!) - what does this all mean?
What time of day should I train?!!
It is important to remember training is a personal thing, and as I found in my own PhD Thesis there were very large differences between individual responses and adaptations to strength training programmes.
Therefore in terms of choosing the right workout schedule for you, there is probably no best single time that works for all people all of the time. Remember some people are more alert in the morning and some people who are more alert in the evening – therefore it is important that your schedule and nutritional plan works for you.
Just remember the principals about pre-fuel and refuel.
Yes recent research evidence confirms the benefits of early morning fasted fat burning exercise - but is a one-off session going to make a difference - NO.
The key word is consistency –
Consistent training - a combination of strength workouts, conditioning type sessions (including HIIT at an appropriate level for the individual, some Moderate Intensity Conditioning sessions), and perhaps some early morning fasted cardio sessions as well as some daily activity such as walking
Consistent nutrition - getting the basics right, good quality protein choices, plenty of veg, some healthy fats and some good whole grain carb choices when required to fuel performance
Consistent recovery - 7-9 hours on a regular basis but it is imperative that the quality of sleep is there as well. As per the start of this post, we do need to be careful when training intensely late at night - as we can leave the body overstimulated and therefore we may find it difficult to get to sleep / have good quality of sleep and we end up feeling more tired as a result.
Thank you for reading this post and pleasant dreams!
If you would like to find out more about how we can perhaps help you achieve your health & fitness goals, then please book a Complimentary PT Session by following the link below: -
https://www.onept.co.uk/complimentary-pt-session/
In movement, health & wellbeing
Neil
Dr Neil Fell PhD
Co-Founder onePT
[siteorigin_widget class="SiteOrigin_Panels_Widget_Call_To_Action"][/siteorigin_widget]
When is the best time of day to eat carbs?
Written by MartinLeeney on . Posted in Blog
[siteorigin_widget class="SiteOrigin_Panels_Widgets_Image"][/siteorigin_widget]
When is the best time of day to eat carbs?
Diet trends that reduce carbohydrate consumption—such as Keto, Paleo and Caveman etc —have made us extra cautious of carbohydrate intake; and equally it is often portrayed in the fitness media that in order to become shredded we need to go on a low carb diet!
This is simply not the case.
Carbohydrates are our primary energy source and a vital part of any training programme. It is important that the majority of our carbohydrates should come from whole foods that haven’t undergone any processing, including grains, starchy vegetables, legumes, and whole fruit. We should be limiting (but do not have to eliminate altogether) processed forms of carbs, which have been stripped of all fibre and nutrients, i.e. reducing white bread, pasta, rice, and sugary cereals.
Equally over the years, it has often been promoted that we should focus more on when we consume carbs.
We have heard the expressions: -
Don’t eat carbs after 7 or to lose weight you need to do a Carb Curfew
But where has the evidence come from; and why is it that so often carbs are given such a bashing to make us so fearful of eating them?
We often see images of a banana or other carbohydrate rich food on Instagram with the heading
6.50 pm 90 calories
7.10 pm 90 calories
That is the carbohydrate food does not suddenly triple in calories just because the clock turns 7 pm!
Years ago, a certain study on shift work showed the workers tended to put on weight at night, even though they consumed the same number of calories as when they worked during the day. It was concluded that people’s metabolism slowed down at night, and therefore people should consume more of their calorie intake earlier in the day and hence the following was often promoted …
Breakfast like a King
Lunch like a Queen
Supper like a Pauper
But what wasn’t readily detailed was how active the workers were during the night compared to the day … anecdotally people do not tend to be as active when working night shifts.
Interestingly there is some new research indicating that the body is likely to be more efficient at burning carbohydrates in the morning and fat in the evening [Reference below].
However there is also increasingly good evidence highlighting that by consuming wholegrain carbohydrates in the evening helps promote the release of the hormones that help us sleep at night … and sleep / good recovery is probably one of the most important factors in helping us to lose weight / achieve our goals as it helps keep our hunger hormones at bay as well as promoting the release of Growth Hormone to help our body repair and become stronger and leaner.
Confusing isn’t it – so should I or can I eat carbs in the evening?!
For weight loss or more specifically fat loss, we recommend it is best to optimise your carbohydrate consumption around your training routine.
What do we mean by this?
What we mean is to have the majority of your carbs (and in particular starch carbohydrates) pre and post workout, then the meal furthest away from your training session is protein rich but with none or reduced starch carbs. This ensures we have enough energy for the training session and can promote recovery post workout but we also help keep our overall calorie intake for the day in check to ensure we are in a calorie deficit. Ultimately unless we are in a calorie deficit we are not going to lose fat weight whatever type of carbohydrate intake strategy we use.
As we say here at onePT it is important to pre-fuel to optimise your performance and to re-fuel to optimise your recovery.
So: -
If training in the morning – then it is good to include some carbs and protein, e.g. slice of wholemeal toast and peanut butter (fruit and yoghurt if very early), or if completing a mid-morning session, then some protein porridge with fruit or poached eggs on toast. Post – training, then again a carbohydrate and protein based meal, e.g. chicken or fish with wholegrain rice or pasta with veg and salad. The evening meal, the furthest away from training could then be a tuna or salmon salad.
If training in an evening, then lunch could be sweet potato with turkey chilli with a mid-afternoon snack to top up our energy levels, then post training, chicken or fish with some new potatoes or a small portion of rice and pasta with veg. We only need between 25 to 50 g of carbs post training to start the re-fuelling process. For those training in an evening, breakfast – the meal furthest away from training - can then be something like a high-protein omelette or protein rich smoothie.
It is important to remember that if we do not eat any carbs within the first 2 hours after training – particularly an intense session - then it can take up to 7 days to fully replenish our energy levels. The enzymes which are responsible for helping to replace our energy stores are most active in the first hour post exercise, drop slightly in the second hour, and then really taper off after 2 hours.
So what is the take home message I hear you cry: -
Remember – carbohydrates are not the enemy – it is more often the case we simply eat too much of them.
Base your carbohydrate consumption around your training sessions – the meal furthest away from training is protein rich – but lower in carbohydrates
If eating carbohydrates in the evening, make sure they are wholegrain choices and limit your intake of refined / processed carbohydrates at this time.
Again, this post may have really confused people, so if anyone would like to discuss in more detail, please do not hesitate to give me a shout by emailing [email protected].
[siteorigin_widget class="SiteOrigin_Panels_Widget_Call_To_Action"][/siteorigin_widget]
What are the benefits of having a Personal Trainer?
Written by MartinLeeney on . Posted in Blog
[siteorigin_widget class="SiteOrigin_Panels_Widgets_Image"][/siteorigin_widget]
Start thinking about that new exercise regimen and / or starting THAT DIET!
With the greatest of intentions to start that new exercise regimen in the New Year, is more than likely becoming a much closer reality.
But for the thousands of you planning to kick-off with a bang in January by joining a traditional gym, does not always mean that you will achieve your goals.
Unfortunately studies show that 55% of traditional gym goers do not know what they are doing with many just copying other people.
Equally, 80% of people who join a traditional gym in January will leave within 5 months, and interestingly 50% of the members who give up a gym membership in the 1st year, will do so in the first 3 months – why?; because their exercise programme was too hard and was not matched to their ability or goals.
Also, one of the main reasons people do not achieve their goals is because they are stuck in a rut doing the same thing. Going to the same class, training at the same level or performing the same exercise at the same weight for long periods of time (e.g. several months) can result in a person’s health or fitness gains starting to plateau and even diminish.
This is precisely why onePT support and guide each member through each step of our very comprehensive member journey; starting with the initial Health & Movement Assessment to the monthly inclusive Personal Training sessions with many members taking up additional PT packages, to then staying connected with their PT even when the member is away from the gym through our Apps and technology.
Perhaps most importantly, our members are assigned to the Personal Trainer who is best matched to the person's training experience, goals and critically - personality.
And by having a Personal Trainer provides you with some amazing benefits ..
Coaching - having someone on hand to ensure you perform each exercise with the correct form; ensure you finish that last rep or finish the last few seconds and not give up too easily, or to review how you are feeling and on certain days realise that you may need to take your foot off the gas!
Extra motivation - here at onePT you have unlimited gym access - but having regular sessions with your PT can enhance your motivation to carry on with your workout regimen. During the PT sessions you will also get chance to discuss other aspects relating to your health & fitness goals - such as some of the nutritional and lifestyle changes you are trying to make
Accountability - when you exercise on your own, it is easy to skip sessions or fall off the wagon completely. By working with a Personal Trainer will help keep you accountable, making it more likely that you will stick with your training programme
Variety - our PTs will teach you a variety of exercise methods which can keep you from getting bored and this will also mean your fitness levels will continue to progress
Efficiency - your Personal Trainer, especially in the environment provided at onePT, will be able to make the most out of your workout time, which increases the efficiency of your workout. This is especially beneficial when you have a limited time to exercise
So, if you would like to find out more about how we can help change your life for the better, please drop us a message or simply book a Complimentary PT Session by following the link below.
[siteorigin_widget class="SiteOrigin_Panels_Widget_Call_To_Action"][/siteorigin_widget]
The HYROX Gym Tour is coming to onePT on Friday 21st January!!
Written by MartinLeeney on . Posted in Blog, Features
[siteorigin_widget class="SiteOrigin_Panels_Widgets_Image"][/siteorigin_widget]
The HYROX Gym Tour is coming to onePT on Friday 21st January!!
Do you fancy something a little bit different ...
The HYROX Gym Tour is coming to onePT on Friday 21st January!!
So, what should you expect ...
A functional workout which is accessible to all fitness levels!
We are excited to be hosting this event next Friday which will take place in the onePT gym between 6 pm and 8 pm.
Everyone is welcome and please feel free to bring a guest ....
So what will the workout include ...
1000 m row or ski erg
followed by
50 Burpees - members can choose the degree of difficulty
100 lunges - 50 per leg
5 laps of the gym - Kettlebell carry (16 kg - females, 24 kg males)
followed by a pyramid (5, 10, 15, 10, 5) of
Plate snatches
Plate thrusters
Hand-release press ups (different options are available)
followed by
1000 m row or ski erg
There will be teams of 4 - ideally 2 male and 2 female per team - we will allocate participants into appropriate groups, with each team setting off in waves every 8 minutes.
As we have 2 rowers and 2 ski ergs, people can decide which one they would like to perform first, either at the beginning or at the end of the workout!
40 places are available on a first come first serve basis ...
You can register for the event, by following the link below and clicking on REGISTER HERE, then choosing the onePT event.
https://uk.hyrox.com/event/hyrox-uk-gym-tour-
The discount code to waive the £10 entry fee is OnePT100
There will be prizes and sponsor give aways on the night together with sample smoothies and tasty treats!
Please note the event is open to all - the exercises can be modified to include as many people as possible!
And remember, please feel free to bring along / register a guest who you think might to come and try what onePT has to offer!
[siteorigin_widget class="SiteOrigin_Panels_Widget_Call_To_Action"][/siteorigin_widget]