Working as a fitness exercise trainer in Barcelona, I am often asked the same type of questions. In my blog I will try to answer some of these questions. Today I talk about losing weight without losing performance.
Many athletes and fitness participants wish to lose weight, either for health or performance reasons.
However, rapid weight loss can have serious health consequences leading to a reduction in performance.
Since 95% of dieters fail to maintain their weight loss within a five-year period, lifestyle management is the key to long-term weight management. Two methods that should not be entertained are crash dieting and dehydration.
It has been proven that rapid weight loss results in diminished aerobic capacity. Fat is more fattening calorie for calorie than carbohydrate. This is supported by a number of well-controlled studies. It is the over- consumption of fat, rather than carbohydrate or protein, that results in body fat gain. To lose body fat, you simply have to expand more energy (calories) than you consume.
Research has shown that a combination of diet and activity is more likely to result in long-term success than diet or exercise alone. There are no miracle solutions or short cuts. The objectives of a healthy diet and exercise programme are to:
Expand more energy than you consume
Maintain (or increase) lean tissue
Gradually reduce body fat percentage
Avoid a significant reduction in resting metabolic rate (this is the number of calories your body burns if you did nothing all day).
Obtain energy requirements from a high percentage of carbohydrate (60%) and a low percentage of fat (15-20%)
Achieve an optimal intake of vitamins and minerals
The key to successful fat loss is to cut your calories mostly from fat and to reduce carbohydrates by only a modest amount. If you reduce carbohydrate intake below the daily average requirement, glycogen stores become depleted which results in lean tissue loss, so is not a good idea.
Keys points for permanent fat loss are:
Set realistic goals, and write them down.
Monitor body composition changes by measuring chest, waist, hips, arms and legs, and obtain skin-fold thickness measurements by using callipers.
Aim to lose no more than 0.5 kg each week.
Keep a food diary. Most people eat far more than they realise or admit to.
Trim the saturated fat by using less butter, deep-fried foods, fatty meats, pastry, cakes, biscuits and chocolate.
Chris pays all the profits made from this BLOG to his charity partners. More details can be found by clicking on www.chrishuntwellness.com and selecting the “charity partners” tab.
Today you will learn what horses have to do with Group X. My blog today is really just an excuse to use a picture from the Eric Prydz video Call On Me which certainly got a few more men to go to the gym.
But I digress. Back to the horses. In 1913 an experiment was carried out by a French engineer called Maximilian Ringelmann on the performance of horses (please bear with me, this is going somewhere relevant to fitness I promise). He discovered that the power of two animals pulling a coach did not equal twice the power of a single horse. This surprised him so he extended his study to humans pulling a rope, and found that on average if two people were pulling together, each invested only 93% of their individual strength, when three pulled it was 85%, and when eight people pulled it was just 49%.
This is what science calls the Social Loafing Effect. Basically, when individual performance is not directly visible, it blends into the group effort. Whilst quite rational (why invest all your energy when only half will do?) it is a form of unconscious cheating. It doesn’t only apply to physical exertion but also mental exertion in meetings. If we are not directly accountable for our actions, we slack off.
Now you can see where Ringelmann’s horses are taking us. In a group exercise environment, the scientific evidence is that a large percentage (perhaps the majority) of people will not work as hard as they would if they were being trained on a one-to-one basis. At the extreme, I have seen people in the group sessions I watch at conventions taking the opportunity to stop and rest when the teacher is not watching them, only to launch back into the activity as soon as they are seen. But even the people who appear to be working might not be applying maximum effort.
So then why is group exercise so prevalent and so championed by certain commercial brands? There’s no doubt that people behave differently in groups than when alone, otherwise there would be no groups. The sense of belonging that all of us humans require no doubt makes some people exercise with others when they would not exercise alone. Also of course the cost of personal training is a major and understandable issue for many (the argument here is that a lot of money spent effectively is better than spending smaller amounts of money ineffectively).
There are the obvious benefits of PT including individual attention, goal-setting/controlled progression and programs tailored for body type/injury etc. So my question is today is what is your opinion about PT versus Group training? Is it as simple as personal accountability? What is your experience of the progress of clients in different training environments?
Oh, and one last point I’d like to make. I heard the claims from certain group exercise companies that they can “prove” that people who use their methods get better results. To these claims I say the two words “false causality”. Let me explain. Take the claim “Fact: Women who use ABC brand of shampoo every day have stronger hair”. This may have been scientifically proven, but such a statement means very little. It certainly does not prove that ABC shampoo makes your hair stronger. In fact it could be the other way around. Maybe women with strong hair tend to use ABC perhaps because it says on the bottle “especially for people with strong hair”. So when you read that ABC fitness system is proven to make people fitter, you now know to think again. Correlation is not causality. If we look closer then sometimes what is presented as the cause turns out to be the effect and vice versa.
Chris pays all the profits made from this BLOG to his charity partners. More details can be found by clicking on www.chrishuntwellness.com and selecting the “charity partners” tab.
There is a wonderful culture in Barcelona for exercising outside, and I love it. I had only really seen regular exercise classes outside on the TV, as in the UK it is difficult to do more than the odd class in the fresh air.
But here the weather allows outdoor exercising most of the year, and the locals make the most of this and the great venues here in the City. Both group exercise sessions and personal training sessions are very popular. Why join a gym?
I have Pilates and fitness classes on the beach and in the parks under the name Healthy Beach Barcelona. There is lots of room for Pilates and sheltered places from the hot sun. For fitness exercise in Barcelona, there is lots of urban architecture that is perfect to hang a TRX from or use for many different exercises.
For me, laying on a Pilates mat and looking up to the sky above is much nicer than looking at a ceiling! And to run and exercise in fresh air is just nicer than an air conditioned studio any day.
I am now running Pilates and fitness exercise group sessions and personal training sessions on the beach and in the park in Barcelona everyday of the week. You can find out more by clicking on www.healthybeachbarcelona.com.
You can train with me the traditional way inside in your home if you prefer. Everything is possible!
Chris pays 50% of any money made from this BLOG to his charity partners. More details can be found by clicking on www.chrishuntwellness.com and selecting the “charity partners” tab.
Barcelona is a multi-cultural City blessed with many things which makes it very popular as a place to live and a place to visit.
When I arrived in Barcelona from London, the first thing that I did was to establish my own Chris Hunt Pilates group Pilates and functional training sessions and also Pilates and functional training personal training sessions. There is a culture in Barcelona of being outside as much as possible, so it is wonderful for me to be able to teach inside, but to also offer classes and training on the terrace, in the park and on the beach. I have always wanted to have regular exercise sessions on the beach, and Barceloneta, Barcelona’s main beach is just perfect for that.
My article today is not only about Pilates in Barcelona and Spain, but also about my experience of qualifications and experience, and the relevance of these things.
Pilates in Spain is still developing, and in my experience does not yet have the regulation and certification that I have seen in the UK and some other European countries such as Germany. For this reason it is very important to make sure when you visit a health club, Pilates studio or Pilates teacher in Barcelona that the person who will be teaching you has appropriate certification, and also appropriate experience.
In the UK, the days of weekend Pilates certifications are thankfully long gone. Certification is regulated to ensure that the necessary standards are adhered to. This is a vital starting point for anyone who wishes to pursue a career as a Pilates teacher, and a professional qualification is something that any member of public should look for in any teacher who they think about training with. During one of my visits to Madrid some years ago, I met a Pilates teacher who proudly told me that the extent of her qualifications were the four Pilates books she had at home!
A common comment to me here in Barcelona that worries me is that I have been told by several people that Pilates is not an interesting or worthwhile system. No surprises, it usually turns out that they had one or two sessions with a poorly trained teacher and are judging the whole system on that brief experience.
Experience is an interesting component of overall knowledge. I have 20 years experience, but as with many fields of knowledge, to me it’s not enough to say “I have 20 years experience of Pilates”. That could mean 20 years of doing Pilates wrong. It could mean that in 20 years I have not travelled to experience any different or new ways of teaching. It could mean that for 20 years I have been doing the same things. It does not also give any indication as to the type of experience either. For example my 20 years includes group sessions, personal training, matwork, equipment, Pilates for rehabilitation, Pilates for athletes and Pilates for children etc.
Again in my experience (I can of course only talk from my own experience and I fully appreciate that other people will have different experiences) even when some Pilates bodies insist on their students completing sometime many hours participation in Pilates classes, this still does not guarantee a major benefit because often there is no control over exactly whose sessions are being attended.
Whilst I would usually (but not always) say that having experience is better than not having any experience, when I travel around the world to teach my system of Pilates, Pilates EVO, what I look for in a potential Pilates EVO teacher is yes how long they have been doing Pilates, but what I find in many cases more relevant is what they have been doing for the past few years. Often what they were doing 5, 10 or 15 years ago is now of little real benefit to their teaching today. It is also interesting to me that on occasions meeting a newly qualified teacher can be better than someone who has many years of teaching and thinks they know it all. None of us know it all, and if you ever meet anyone who says they do, smile politely, shake their hand and walk away quickly because whatever experience that will follow will not be a good one, trust me.
And let’s return to the question of qualifications. I am sure that we all know someone who has every qualification going, but is incapable of getting that knowledge across to clients in an interesting and stimulating way. So clients soon get bored and stop their training, or move to a different teacher.
It is about balance and common sense. Yes, it is essential that a teacher has a recognised qualification to show they have the basic knowledge of Pilates and anatomy. But this is only the start of the story. I like to work with teachers who have tried several different schools of Pilates, and who have travelled to experience how different Pilates can be in different countries. I also like teachers who have experience of different types of clients, and importantly who have an open mind to new medical and scientific discoveries.
Perhaps the most important thing I look for in potential Pilates EVO teachers is where they teach from; their heart or their bank balance (when I am speaking at conventions, at this point I double pat my heart, and then double pat my back pocket). We all need to make a living and pay the bills, but if this the only motivating factor in what someone does, whether it is Pilates, any form of teaching, or any job for that matter, then after a while (usually a very short while) it is clear to everyone that their heart is not in what they are doing. And if your heart is not in it, if it is not your passion, then you will never be able to be the best you can be.
I created Pilates Carnival with one simple aim: to promote and assist with the training of Pilates teachers… all over the world.
My passion
Pilates Carnival does this by providing free places to training courses, conventions and workshops, and by organising Pilates Carnival Conventions for teachers and experienced Pilates followers from all over the world no matter which school of Pilates they come from.
Pilates Carnival Conventions
The purpose of the conventions are to teach, learn, socialise, break down barriers. Share our passion and ideas. There is a full program of classes, workshops and seminars, and lots of socialising. The conventions are totally different to other conventions, with fresh new presenters, fresh new ideas, and working with a children’s charity as a partner, all profits are donated to the charity. Now that is a breath of fresh air? Pilates Carnival is not about egos, and there are no boundaries and no limits to what we can learn together.
Pilates Carnival Barcelona April 2014
The next convention is in Barcelona on 25, 26 and 27 April 2014. The charity partner is Fundació Pere Tarrés. This is a wonderful organisation which is doing amazing work with children of all ages.
If you want to get involved you can join the Carnival community by clicking on our Facebook Page and learn whilst giving at the same time. Or please spread the word by sharing this post with as many people as you can. What better way to make a real difference to you and to others who really need our help?
Chris pays all profits made from this BLOG to his charity partners. More details can be found by clicking on www.chrishuntwellness.com and selecting the “charity partners” tab.
Escape the rat race. Is it possible? 5.45 am and I’m woken up by the piercing “Beep Beep” of my alarm jarring through my brain. I tried bird-song and babbling brooks but nothing changed the fact that it was 5.45 am and I had to get up, get ready, then go fight for a seat on the train to the City. I knew exactly (to the nearest centimetre) where to stand on the platform so a door would stop right in front of me, but the train was usually full already so my military precision was usually pointless.
After this wonderful journey into the centre London listening to other people’s “tinny” music leaking from inadequate headphones and enjoying their wet umbrella’s slowly dampening my trousers and my spirits at the same time, I would spend the day working in my role as Claims Manager for a large insurance company. I really enjoyed my work but felt constrained by the out-dated philosophies and attitudes I saw everyday. Lunchtime was an oasis that I’d spend in the gym. Sound familiar? I am sure this is a daily routine shared by many.
That was then… But this is now. I am a Senior Business Consultant and I also specialise in wellness, presenting Pilates and functional training all around the world. I am my own boss in everything I do, and I really feel that I am making a positive difference to people’s lives, and I am living in the place that from when a was a small boy I dreamed of living.
Pilates EVO Education Ukraine
“I would of course love to pursue my dream as a/an ………….. (insert dream job here) but I could not possible do it because (delete as applicable) I’m too old / of the mortgage / of the children / I’m not good at learning new things / I can’t do my own accounts / I have no marketing experience / any other excuse you can think of.” Other people keep the thought in their head that “I could give up this life I do not enjoy but when the time is right”. Of course the time is never right, but they get some comfort believing that they could if only… They are the same people who say they could give up smoking, they could give up over eating, they could start exercising, they could learn Spanish but surprise surprise, it never happens. There is always an excuse not to.
I lost my father a few years later, and that along with some other events gave me the final push to achieve my life-long dream and move to Barcelona. Another big challenge, another “out of comfort zone” experience. But as they say, that’s when we grow the most.
So how can we go from a life of “coulds” to actually taking action? It makes sense to have a gradual change, maybe pursing your new career in your spare time first, so you have the financial security of still earning money and also save some money. This does mean working long hours, but what better motivation than to know that one day you will have the career change you have always dreamed about. It’s not a compromise to start part time, it’s just sensible. As long as you have a plan, an end game, and you stick to it. Don’t end up doing two jobs forever!
It’s essential to have a plan. When I say that to people, they say “Aha, but you are Buddhist and you always say about living in the Now and not in the future” as if they have found a vital flaw in my philosophy. But I politely point out that with no plan, we have no direction. Planning per se is not a bad thing to do, but there are rules. One golden rule of planning is that plans change! So be prepared for that. It’s like driving on a long journey at night. We know our final destination (otherwise we would drive around aimlessly) and we have a map so we know where we are going and how we will get there, but at any one time we can only see 100 metres ahead of us. Maybe our route will change because of unforeseen problems, but we will be flexible and we will arrive at our destination. You do not need to be able to see your destination to get there. Enjoy the journey, one step at a time, but always knowing that you will get to where you want to be.
Pilates EVO Hamburg Educations
But you must be careful about your new career. Your business should be a means rather than an end, a vehicle to enrich your life rather than one that drains the life you have. The worst thing you can do is start working for yourself and end up working so hard and stressing so much that you hate your job! It’s such a common mistake, people see the romantic notion of being their own boss, but after the initial euphoria, they realise that they are working harder and longer than they were before. At least working for someone else they could leave work, go home and relax. But now their job is with them every waking hour, they live it. And the dream turns into a nightmare because instead of having a boss for your job, your job has become your boss! And it’s no fun. In fact it’s less fun than your old job working for someone else. You can’t take holidays because the work won’t get done. You can’t be ill, you can hardly stop to think. Your social life is nonexistent, yet you carry on thinking that your hard work will pay off one day. Maybe it will, but more often it won’t, and many people end up giving up and getting a “normal” job again. The important point here is that no matter what you thought before, your business should not be your life. Your business should serve your life, and not the other way around.
Pilates EVO Masterclass at Pilates Carnival Krakow
There’s a saying that great businesses are not built by extraordinary people but by ordinary people doing extraordinary things. So how can an ordinary person do extraordinary things? By having a system and a plan. Again it’s the “p” word. Have a plan and stick to it! Things will change, but always know where you are aiming to get and how you will get there. Do not be afraid to ask for help. Friends and parents will help of you ask. They will see the changes you are trying to make and if they are really on your side then they will help. And of course, make sure you have the support of your partner. It sounds so obvious and yet I know many people who think they can make such a big decision on their own. You must expect hard times and up and downs. It’s normal and natural. Remember the old cliché, we grow the most when we are out of our comfort zone. I can confirm from experience that this is so true! So much so that I try to stay out of my comfort zone as often as possible.
I could continue writing for pages and pages about Business Plans, marketing, SMART targets, feasibility studies, SWOT analysis/matrix etc etc, but that is not the point of this article. The point is to show you there is another way. You can change your life. You control and create your own Universe, you really do. You always have a choice. Always. Every journey begins with the first step. But it will never begin unless you take that step. I’m not special. If I can do it then so can you.
Pilates EVO Education Moscow
6.00 am and I’m woken up by my alarm. I still get up early and I work very hard, but now it’s very different, it’s my choice. Maybe I will go for a run on the beach or an early morning swim before I start work and before the rest of the world wakes up. That’s the difference now. Choice and control. And it’s a great difference. I still regularly go into The City and I deal with my old contacts, but now it’s for my own company so it’s on my terms. It feels a very different place.
The moral of my story in 11 words? It’s not too late, you have the rest of your life. And if there is any way I can help, then please just ask.
