What not to say to a bodybuilder: 10 days out

So, I’m now 10 days away from my first bodybuilding comp. I’m tired. I’ve been training hard for a long time, and dieting for quite a while. I’m not sleeping well due to nerves and general insomniac tendencies. And I’ve still got a business to run, so there’s all that to stay on top of (and do a good job of!) too. These past few weeks, my diet has got even stricter, and I’m cutting carbs. Ever had “low-carb brain”? If you have, you’ll know how I’m feeling. If you haven’t, get a load of this true story from yesterday:

Scene: the local Co-op.
I am picking up a few bits because we’ve got this voucher for £16 and, even if you spend just 1p of it, you get the rest back in cash. I haven’t spent the full £16, and I know this.

The woman on the till puts my stuff through and I bag it up. “That will be £12.40,” she says. I root through my bag for my wallet, pushing the £16 voucher aside. “I’m so sorry!” I blurt, “I left my wallet at home, it’s only a 10 minute walk, I’ll be back.”

I walk home – having walked to the Co-op already – pick up my wallet, and walk back to the shop again, where I… pay using the voucher which I was well-aware I had all along. WTF?

Oh well, call the walking extra cardio.

Do you have a bodybuilder in your life?
Tread a little carefully if they’re going through the latter stages of contest prep. Low carbs, lack of sleep, fatigue, soreness and nerves are not a great combination. Please accept my apologies on behalf of us all.

Here’s a handy, print-out-and-keep list of “things not to say to a bodybuilder in the last couple of weeks of contest prep”. I shan’t say which are from experience and which are from my imagination…

1) “You look thin!” (Why you shouldn’t say this: we don’t want to look thin. A better choice of word would be “lean” or, if you want to go all-out “ripped”.)

2) “Why are you doing this to yourself?” (Why you shouldn’t say this: because… just because. It sounds disapproving. We don’t see it as doing anything negative to ourselves. Even the idea of “doing” something “to” ourselves insinuates damage, punishment, enduring something bad. If we saw it that way, we probably wouldn’t be doing it. We are, after all, in possession of common sense.)

3) “You’re a bodybuilder? OMG, I won’t get on the wrong side of you,then!” (Why you shouldn’t say this: because it’s dumb and offensive. We’re strong, not aggressive. And, quite frankly, we probably wouldn’t have enough energy to punch/slap/whatever you think we’ll do to you anyway. Since when does bodybuilding mean fighting?)

4) “Oh yummy my pizza is here” (Why you shouldn’t say this: because I love pizza and I’d like to eat one. You could however follow this with “It’s a super supreme with extra cheese, stuffed crust and salami.” That would be fine.)

5) “You don’t look like a bodybuilder!” (Why you shouldn’t say this: because I do, actually. You just have a misconception of what bodybuilders look like. And I’m wearing neither my gym kit nor my bikini, so how do you expect to tell anyway?)

6) “I ate that chopped up, portioned out chicken from those tupperwares in the fridge.” (Why you shouldn’t say this: we have meticulously cooked and portioned-up that chicken to make meal planning easier over the next couple of days, particularly if we have to travel or spend a lot of time out of the house. There is no need for you to eat it. You could have eaten whatever you wanted.)

7) “Please do this very complicated mental arithmetic right now.” (Why you shouldn’t say this: just…no. There are no words to convey how exhausting this even sounds.)

8 ) “What is that you’re eating?” (Why you shouldn’t say this: because it’s annoying. It’s chicken/tuna/an egg white omelette/raw veg – OK? I know you probably only mean it out of genuine curiosity but this is the only food we get to eat (til next time) and we just want to eat it in peace. You may not mean to criticise it, but some people do, and we just can’t be doing with explaining why we’re eating this. Sorry.)

9) “…can I have a bit?” (Why you shouldn’t say this: whilst it would show that you’re not repulsed by our choice of food, which is nice, this is still not a great idea. Why? See above – this is the only food we get for this meal, we’ve probably thought about it for ages, and we’ve certainly prepared and portioned it out carefully. You can not have any of it. Don’t you know what that would do to our macros? )

Please know that (most of) this is completely tongue-in-cheek and (most of) these are from my imagination. I don’t want anyone thinking my husband thoughtlessly eats my meals, or my friends annoy me by asking what I’m eating in disapproving tones. There… that helps you work out which ones people have actually said to me over the past few weeks…

What annoying things have people said to you whilst you’re preparing for a sporting event? How did you react? Can you believe that I walked 3×10 minutes to the Co-op only to use a voucher I had on me the whole time?

What not to say to a bodybuilder: 10 days out is a post from The Fit Writer blog.

Nicola Joyce – the Fit Writer – is a freelance copywriter and journalist who writes for the sport and fitness industry. Her main website is here.

How to get your triathlon wetsuit on…and off

In my capacity as an age-grouper triathlete and triathlon feature-writer, I’m often asked the best, easiest and quickest way to get a triathlon wetsuit on and off. When someone asked me the question on Twitter today, I thought – why not write a quick “how-to” blog post. The open-water training venues are opening up very soon and the first triathlons of the season won’t be far behind. And I daresay this glorious sunshine will tempt a few of you into the open-water. But it’s a bit chilly to go without a wetsuit just yet (don’t be fooled by the air temperature!) And why swim without a wetsuit when the event you’re training for dictates you wear one?

So, here they are: my top tips for getting that skin-tight triathlon wetsuit on – and then off again!

Getting your wetsuit on

Remember a couple of things: firstly, no prizes for being the fastest person to put their suit on. Secondly: yes, it really should feel that tight (it will loosen off a little once you’re in the water, which is all that matters).

The clock doesn’t start ticking til the starter sets you off on the swim. So you can take as long as you like. Leave yourself plenty of time and find a cool spot (it’s amazing how hot and sweaty you get struggling into a wetsuit). Take your secret weapon (thank you to my triathlon pro and super-speedy swimmer pal Richard Stannard for this tip):

Yes, the common carrier bag. Put the carrier bag on one foot, like a sock. Slide that foot into the suit (the leghole, obvs). Take the bag/sock off, repeat on the other side. You should now have the suit on both legs, up to about the knees.

Pull it up. The zip should be at the back. You now need to make sure the groinal area of the suit (I know groinal’s not a word, but how I wish it were) is right up into your groin. Do this by inching the suit up, from below the knees if necessary, in tiny steps. Don’t yank and pull at it – therein lies a future of rips and tears to your suit. Use the pads of your fingers to pinch a bit of suit, and pull it up a few inches…and repeat all over the legs until the groin is in the right place.

Now check there are no rucks or folds behind your knees. This+swimming=ouch.

OK now check the time. Is your wave nearly ready to go? If so, proceed to the next step. If not, leave things here for a while. You really don’t want to be walking round for ages completely zipped up into your wetsuit on a hot day.

Put one arm and then the other into the suit (different arm holes). Then repeat the process you went through with the legs, but with the arms, making sure the suit fits right into your armpits. This is really important. So, inch the neoprene up in tiny bits from the wrists until it fits properly. Get someone to help you if necessary, don’t feel shy to ask, after all you need to keep your strength for the triathlon and it can be exhausting getting a wetsuit on!

Once your arms and legs are in and your groin and armpits are aligned with the relevant bits of the wetsuit, it’s time to zip up. Again, don’t do this if you have a long wait for your swim, it’s just not worth getting overheated.

Ask someone to help you zip the suit up (you may need to breathe out and draw your shoulders together right back behind you). They’ll need to press the velcro flap down over the top of the zip. Get them to hand you the end of your zip leash (if that’s what it’s called?) so you’re confident you can find it on swim exit.

Now just a couple of things to do to really check your suit is fitted snugly. Bend forward at the waist and grab any spare neoprene around your stomach. Yes, it really is neoprene and no I will not believe it is your belly. You are a triathlete! You have trained!

Ease any spare neoprene up, over the boobs (if you’re a lady…) and onto your upper chest/shoulder area. This is really the only area where you want any ‘spare’ neoprene. Can you grab a fistful of neoprene in that dent in front of your shoulder/under your collarbone? That’s OK. Can you grab a fistful of neoprene anywhere else? This is not so OK.

Check again for folds and creases in your elbows and behind your knees – get rid of them.

You’re ready to go (assuming you have your hat and goggles on). Enjoy.

Getting the wetsuit off

OK so you’re out of the swim. Time really does count now so it pays to practise getting your wetsuit off as fast as you can. What makes that super-tight wetsuit come off quickly? The layer of water inside. So act quickly before the water drains out. Here’s the drill.

Stand up out of the water, pop your goggles on top of your head, and start to run/walk towards transition. Immediately, reach behind you for your zipper leash and pull.

As you run/walk along, take one arm and then the other out until the suit is flapping around your waist.

Get to your bike and roll the suit down to your knees. Then lift one leg and the other until you can pull one foot free. Use that foot to stand on the other leg of the wetsuit, so you can pull the other foot free.

You’re done!

If you struggle with this technique, experience dizziness after the swim (me too) or feel a bit flustered, there’s no shame at all in just sitting down by your bike and pulling your suit off whilst you sit on the ground.

Hope that helps!

Do you have any tips or personal experiences to add? Please do!

Edited to add: My friend Dick (yes, really) has alerted me to the fact that “groinal” is, in fact, a word. Thanks, Dick!

How to get your triathlon wetsuit on…and off is a post from The Fit Writer blog.

Busy weekend (part 1: IFBB Grand Prix)

Last weekend was a busy one! I’m going to split this blog post into two, actually. Part one covers my Saturday: I headed into London to the Excel Centre (driving from Berkshire to the Excel Centre….both the DLR and Jubilee lines were down!) where the IFBB Grand Prix was being held for the first time.

I was there primarily to meet an Editor (hi John!) but thought it would be a great opportunity to nosy round the expo, grab some free samples and immerse myself in the world of bodybuilding. I’m still so new to it, everything’s an eye-opener.

It was a fun day! Here are some photos which I thought might amuse, entertain and inform.

I met Jamie Eason, US fitness model and competitor who was on the bodybuilding.com stand. She was absolutely lovely, so sweet and seemed genuinely happy to talk to everyone who wanted a photo with her (and there were hundreds!) She asked me about my comp and gave me some sweet advice. Nice lady!

Here are a few huge chaps

This is Robby Anchant, top UK amateur bodybuilding competitor and all round nice guy. I asked him for a photo just cos he was a huge guy who happened to be walking past and I thought it would be funny for the blog. We ended up having a right giggle. I suggested we “get our guns out” and he told me he’d rather we didn’t as he was afraid I’d show him up. “My arms aren’t really my strong point,” he said. LOL! Here’s the photo we ended up with:

But I quite like this one too because of my face?!

The IFBB Grand Prix didn’t just concern bodybuilding: there was also strongman (which has always fascinated me!), MMA (no photos, but I saw Dane Bowers next to the cage – I assume he was commentating rather than fighting?!) and BMX/stunt riding.

I didn’t stay around for the actual show, which is a shame as I would have loved to watch. I must see a show before my own show dates roll around – I know I’d learn so much from watching pros and seasoned amateurs up on stage.

Oh, and here’s my stash of freebies – minus the four of five sachets and packets of stuff I’ve already consumed. Yum! Tee hee!

Stay tuned for part 2 – on the way home from the Excel, I picked up my friend and coach Kat Millar who came to stay for..er…just under 24 hours (we’re busy ladies!) and we packed two training sessions in during that time. Photos and training updates to come!

Were you at the IFBB Grand Prix? Did I say hello to you?

BodPod and fitness industry talk

On Monday, I was up in London. My day started with a BodPod assessment – the good folk at Ki Performance on Margaret Street heard about my contest prep and invited me along to have a body composition analysis in the BodPod (thank you, guys!)

Have you heard of the BodPod? It’s generally recognised to be one of the most accurate ways of analysing body composition (fat % and lean %), short of having a DEXA scan (or an autopsy!) I’m a bit of a numbers geek, and in the midst of a body recomposition challenge, so I jumped at the chance of having my mass analysed by BodPod.

Here’s the blurb (there’s plenty more – including published research – on the website if you’re interested):

The BodPod uses densitometry to assess body density. It measures body mass and divides this figure by body volume to calculate body density. Body volume is measured using air displacement plethysmography; a technique that uses changes in air pressure to work out the volume of an object.

Based on population specific equations, the BodPod system then calculates the percentage of fat and lean mass for the individual.

In addition to the general volume calculation, the BodPod system also adjusts the volume measurements to take into account the slight differences in air pressure where the air is in close proximity to the skin and is therefore warmer than the air around it.

BodPod is suitable for nearly everyone. It’s a really easy test to administer and doesn’t require the subject to do anything difficult. The BodPod chamber also accommodates a wide range of body shapes so really obese individuals can be tested with ease.

You need to be BodPodded in a fasted state. So I couldn’t eat from 10pm Sunday night until after my test – the horror! I also had to minimise liquids and just had a couple of sips of water that morning. I packed plenty of food in my bag to devour ASAP after the test! You have to wear minimal clothing and what you do wear has to be thin and tight – a swimsuit is ideal (I have a few of those ) You also need to don a simply beautiful swimcap type hat (not pictured!) Here is me in the pod

And fooling around before my test.

Anna Holder, BodPod’s Senior Performance Manager, weighed me and explained the test before shutting me in the pod and setting the thing going. I felt a little bit like I was going into space, enclosed in a futuristic capsule, sitting on a little seat with a series of lit-up buttons in front of me. A few seconds later, the door opened but it wasn’t ET’s face peering in at me, just Anna. “Two more tests to go,” she said (BodPod runs three tests, each about 30 seconds long). All I had to do was sit there, try not to move, and breathe normally. There were a series of pops and hisses as pressurised air was pumped in around me, but it was all completely painless.

Off I went to get changed and I was just stuffing my breakfast in my mouth (not the first time I’ve been in a sports changing room eating food from a tupperware, and I’m sure it won’t be the last) when Anna knocked on the door. “Erm, I’m really sorry but can I run the test again?” she asked. “The reading seems very low and I think I might have put your data in wrong.” Poor Anna looked so concerned that I told her the results of other recent body composition tests (bio impedence and hand-held unit) and she relaxed a bit and said they were along the same lines as the BodPod‘s readings.

So we did the test again and I returned to the changing room to finish my tupperware breakfast, before joining Anna in the meeting room where she asked me a few more questions and promised to get my results to me ASAP.

From there, I jumped on the tube to head up to Premier Training in Finsbury Park where the FIA (Fitness Industry Association) were hosting their monthly Communications Forum. I’d been asked to attend as a guest speaker and talk on the topic of “how to engage with freelance fitness journalists and bloggers”. I think my talk went down well! It was great to meet so many people involved in the marketing, PR and development of various sport and fitness brands. Would anyone like me to post the notes from my talk? If so, I will do. Basically though it covered:

- my background and who I’ve written for
- my niche and my personal approach to sport and fitness
- what’s the process behind a magazine commission? (pitched/commissioned)
- who does a freelance journalist work with? (Editors, PRs, marketeers, owners and entrepreneurs)
- how can you make the most of freelance journalists? (a few dos and don’ts)
- the importance of relationships
- what makes a good press release?
- what kind of news interests us?
- what do we need from PRs/marketeers?
- how to find a journalist or commission

On my train home, Anna’s email came through with my BodPod results – 12.2% body fat. I find that hard to believe but I suppose it’s always difficult to assess yourself objectively, and I guess that’s the point of having a BodPod test done!

Monday was a full and busy day but a really rewarding one. Now I’m playing catch-up after a day out of the office. Thank you to Ki Performance for the BodPod test and to the FIA for inviting me to speak at the Comms Forum.

Have you had a BodPod assessment or any other kind of body composition reading?

Do you have any questions about how to make the maximise contact with freelance journalists, copywriters or bloggers?

BodPod and fitness industry talk is a post from The Fit Writer blog.

Giving it a tri

I hope you’ve had a nice weekend. I had lots of family over today, including my Auntie Rose, who has decided to take up triathlon. Now, it’s terribly rude to talk about a lady’s age but, if I tell you that I’m 33, you can probably work out for yourself that my Auntie is not quite a teenager. So I think it is fantastic that she is training for her first triathlon.

Auntie Rose and my little sister 20+ years ago yesterday – sorry both of you, ha ha!

Auntie Rose is no couch potato – she’s a good swimmer and plays tennis (very well, I’m told) regularly. But triathlon is quite a challenge for anyone.

Before lunch, she picked a few products from my cardboard boxes of items I’ve kit tested for magazines (PRs, if you want them back, please just ask – Auntie Rose has only borrowed them). And, over lunch, she picked my brains about the mysteries of brick sessions, transitions, race belts and lock laces.

I’m thrilled to be able to help her out and can’t wait to cheer her on in her first race. And I’m delighted to have someone else sporty in the family!

I’ve asked her if she’ll do a few guests posts on this blog as her training progresses. If there’s any part of the learning curve you’d like her to write about, please let me know.

Did you take up a particular sport later on in life? Would you ever consider doing a triathlon?

I’ve got an exciting day lined up tomorrow with one big bit of kit to test and a talk to give at an industry event. I also owe you a blog post about fitness kit I’ve tested this week – some interesting stuff! I’ll blog again soon…

Giving it a tri is a post from The Fit Writer blog.

10,000 kettlebell swings

Phew! Made it It was close for a minute, and I’m aching now, but I managed my 10,000 kettlebell swing challenge in December – with a few days to spare Let the festivities begin!

I’d already done 7750 swings last time I posted. Somehow, in amongst the Christmas drinks, meals out, shopping, food prep and present wrapping (and snow-shovelling), I’ve swung that bell 2250 more times.

Let me break it down for you:

20th December: 150 as part of gym warm up
21st December: 850 at home, 100 later as gym warm up
22nd December: 800 at home (really aching by this point)
23rd December: 200 (callouses and blisters…)
Which left me with just 150 to do…..which I duly did (using my heaviest kettlebell, just to end on a strong note) this morning:
24th December: 150 (aaaaand breathe)

10,000!

Merry Christmas from The Fit Writer

10,000 kettlebell swings is a post from The Fit Writer blog

Kettlebell challenge: will I make it?

Gosh, there’s a lot to do before Christmas isn’t there? Finishing up at work, shopping, planning, present-wrapping and kettlebelling.

You know I have my priorities straight.

So, we left off with me having done 5,500 swings of my 10,000 kettlebell swing challenge. The deadline is Christmas Day.

Amusing as our guests may find it, I really don’t fancy this kind of scenario:

nor this

and especially not this.

(Note to self: this much kettlebelling can make a person look really tired, evidently…)

So I’ve been swinging my bells (sounds kind of festive?) every opportunity I get. Bearing in mind I’m currently lifting some pretty heavy weights in the gym, this has been a challenging goal. My muscles have sometimes tried to persuade me to give it up, but I’m nearly there:

14th December: 500 at home
15th December: 100 as part of my gym warm-up
16th December: 300 at home, 100 later on as my gym warm-up
17th December: 150 as part of my gym session
18th December: 150 as part of my gym session
19th December: 200 as part of my gym session, then 750 at home later (yes…a mild sense of panic setting in!)

Total=7750 (I think? Maths never my strong point)

So, 2250 with 5 days to go. Hm.

Are you kettlebelling with me? How are you getting on?

By the way - just a quick funny - blogging does make me laugh sometimes. Here are some of the search terms people have put into Google (other search engines are available) and then ended up at my blog. I genuinely can not fathom how some of these pointed to my blog. Hope they give you a giggle:

- speedo dads
- train routs from camberley to bournemouth
- good dog, bad husband
- black and white devils hand
- guy taking ice bath
- hairy torso
- images of giants with serpentine legs
- open girdle
- weather report 1971
- chafing groin swimming
- pictures of ice cream van at dorney lake
- is it common to be so hungrty three days after running a half marathon
- words with ow that fit with happens in water (…what?!)
- elderly people on a picnic

Kettlebell challenge: will I make it? is a post from The Fit Writer blog.

The Fit Writer meets Matt Roberts (The Workout Mix 2011 review)

Do you train with music? When I just ran (and swam), before I was a member of a gym (imagine!), I used to be sniffy about training with earphones in. “But what about the beautiful sounds of nature?” I’d ask. “Why not lose yourself in the silence?”

Nuts to that. I can listen to nature when I’m walking the dog. Nowadays, the only training I do without music is cycling and swimming, both for rather obvious safety reasons (although I have reviewed a number of waterproof MP3s for triathlon magazines, but the old-school swimmer in me still thinks swimming to music is a bit…radical )

It’s a sad day for me when my iPod runs out of charge partway through a gym session or a run. Whether I’m listening to podcasts (great for long, steady runs) or the warblings of Beyonce and co, I find that having something to listen to really does motivate me to keep going or to try harder.

Which is why I was happy to go along to the press launch of a new CD. Now before you think “what’s going to be great about this?”, bear with me. First of all, this CD (well it’s three CDs actually) is far more than just music. It’s a really good deal and I’d probably buy it if I hadn’t been given a promo copy (thank you, Leila). Secondly, it’s been done very cleverly, with folk like you and me in mind. Let me tell you about it.

The Workout Mix 2011 is 3 CDs of current music (original artists) mixed to give you 45-60 minute playlists which gradually ramp up the BPM to suit your workout – building, peaking and then giving you time to bring the pace down. There’s a bonus feature in the shape of a downloadable 30 minute training session from “PT to the stars” Matt Roberts, and you also get a free Fitness First gym pass and access to a training plan. It’s a great package, I think, and will be very reasonably priced. Two of the CDs are for cardio workouts and the third is for strength work or endurance sessions. I’ve been listening to them for the past couple of weeks and really really like them.

I met up with Matt Roberts, the personal trainer who was involved in the creation of the CDs and the bonus extras. We chatted about training, music and motivation.

The Fit Writer: Why do you think music helps so many people with training and mental performance?
Matt Roberts: I think it’s an instinctive thing; we move in time to the cadence and rhythm of music. Without realising it, music can help you speed up. On the other hand, some music can flatten your performance and decrease your motivation. So choose your tunes wisely! It goes right back to music being used in gym classes, but it works for running and solo gym workouts in just the same way. The music builds until it reaches an overload point where it helps you push harder, go faster. With these CDs I’ve made sure the tunes build up really naturally, then peak, then decrease gently. They’re between 45-60 minutes, ideal for most workouts, and there’s stuff in there too for interval training (see the website).

TFW: How does the bonus feature – you motivating the listener during their session – work?
MR: I’ve done a voiceover which motivates you, keeps you going and pushes you a little, whilst giving you useful tips. It’s essentially like having me there doing some PT except I’m just in your ear! I’ve taken everything I’ve learned about what motivates PT clients and put them here: we know that clients work harder with me (or whoever their PT is) talking to them and working alongside them. The idea is that it will give you a lift and bring something to your session which you might struggle to find if you were going it alone. It takes what I do with my own clients and puts it onto a download for anyone to access.

TFW: You’re from a sprinting background, aren’t you? How do you manage to fit in your own training these days? What sort of thing do you like doing?
MR: I always make time to train – partly because I have to (I couldn’t be a PT and not train myself) and partly because I absolutely love it and really miss it when I don’t do it. I feel much more energised when I train. I work from 6am to 8pm most days and am really busy, but I just make time for my own training. I try to get a session in at least 4 days per week, and I make sure I work really hard during that time.

TFW: And what’s on your playlist?
MR: All sorts! I have a very eclectic mix. Kings of Leon, Coldplay, Black Eyed Peas, David Guetta… I make lots of playlists, particularly for running. And, yes, I do use the CDs myself! The music is all really current and it’s a fun mix.

TFW: I blogged about fitness trends recently. What do you think will be big in 2011?
MR: The TRX and other suspension trainers are brilliant and will continue to be a hot bit of kit next year I think. They’re suitable for anyone and can be put to so many diverse uses: home, the gym, hotel rooms – you don’t need much space. You can use them to get a really decent full body workout in and they’re a brilliant fallback if you are pushed for time/space/kit. I also think everyone should have a good HRM with GPS: it gives great feedback and is a good motivational tool. There are a lot of apps out there which I think will be huge once they’re perfected. None are quite there yet but I think apps in general will be the biggest thing in the industry in the near future.

TFW: It’s really cold today. I hate being cold. How do you get around training outside when it’s snowing and icy? Or is it tough luck?
MR: (laughs) There’s always something you can do, regardless of temperature and weather, and that’s what I tell my clients. It’s important to do cardio outside if you’re training for a specific event which demands that kind of training. But, of course it’s OK to head inside and replace that session with something else. A gym gives you that flexibility. And you know what? If you can’t get outside to run, don’t worry about it. Just relax, enjoy an extra bit of rest, or come up with some other way to move. Your fitness isn’t going anywhere in just a couple of days. Having said that, I used the recent snow to give my clients some really challenging sessions. Doing drills in the snow certainly shakes things up! So I’d say, if possible, adapt and get on with it. Get the correct kit and clothing and off you go. I bet you’ll be glad you went once you get out of the door.

Thanks for your time and advice, Matt. It was nice to meet you.

Tell me about your MP3. What’s your favourite playlist? Which podcasts do you listen to? Does a really funny song ever come on whilst you’re in the middle of a workout (This happens to me loads, I swear I don’t even put those songs on there in the first place…)

The Fit Writer meets Matt Roberts (The Workout Mix 2011 review) is a post from The Fit Writer blog.

Fitness trends for 2011

It’s a great time of year for setting goals and thinking about shaking up your fitness routine. I’ve got a big change and an exciting goal up my sleeve which a few of you already know about. The rest of you will know just as soon as I have a firm date to attach to the goal!

What are your 2011 fitness and sport goals? Are you aiming for an event, wanting to try a new sport, or setting yourself more private and personal goals?

I blogged here about Leisure Industry Week earlier in the year, where I sat in on the FIA (Fitness Industry Association) keynote, which was packed with thought-provoking ideas and updates about the direction in which the industry is heading.

This month, I asked those in the know to tell me what they thought would be fresh and exciting in 2011. Here’s what they had to say:

Nigel Wallace, Director of Training at Lifetime, a national training provider in the fitness industry thinks: “Traditional gyms will evolve with a shift towards niche facilities that target specific demographic groups. The gym will be a hub of fitness and advice rather than a prescriptive home for ‘this is what you need to do…’

“The future of the fitness industry is behaviour change management. iPhone apps allow, and will further develop, exercise routines to extend beyond the typical hour-long face to face sessions. For example, when a client goes on holiday, their PT can contact them, motivate them and update their training programme via the apps.”

Ben Jones, Teaching and Curriculum Manager at Lifetime (and a nutrition specialist) adds: “There is going to be a trend towards genetically modified foods. We already have the technology to add artificial vitamins and minerals to food. Crops will be made with higher protein quantities/fewer calories, There will need for increased education around obesity – better regulation and signposting.”

Rob Beale, Group Health and Fitness Manager at David Lloyd Leisure says: “2011 is going be even better with new classes starting and more of a focus on children’s fitness, as we all work together to improve the health of the nation and get people active. Improving children’s fitness has never been more important with childhood obesity increasing at an alarming rate. Health and fitness operators will look to provide better facilities for children and look to educate them and their parents better.

“Triathlon is Britain’s fastest growing sport and we predict an increase in triathlon based activities. Triathlon clubs will be run in all David Lloyd clubs.

“Indoor group cycling will be transformed by the introduction of a new class – Adidas Zone Cycling, inspired by Sir Chris Hoy and Victoria Pendleton. Exclusively at David Lloyd Leisure, this class will take you on a journey around The Velodrome and get your heart pumping.

“We also predict that more health clubs will affiliate themselves with injury specialists and sports medicine professionals to offer members an extra service and help members to make the most of their time at the gym.”

I’ve got my eye firmly on nutrition at the moment. Dr Nina Bailey, a nutrition scientist, thinks EPA will be big news. “An omega-3 fatty acid generally associated with fish oils, it’s emerging as a natural product that, when taken in high enough doses (1-2g/daily), can have a profound positive effect on mood. Being hailed as ‘mother nature’s antidepressant’, regular intake of ethyl-EPA supplements may be the answer, not only to keeping Winter blues at bay, but also providing clarity through its brain boosting powers, to help us focus on achieving our January goals.”

I think kettlebells will continue to be a strong trend for 2011 – and you know all about my love of the ‘bells!

You’ve already had my review of the Gravity Training System, and I do think that total body training will be popular in 2011. What’s not to love? It saves time, hits the entire body, provides cardio and strength. Gravity classes like the one I did use your own bodyweight and a variable incline to deliver muscular endurance, cardio endurance, strength, agility and flexibility. If you’ve got a Nuffield Health Club near you, lucky you – give a class a go (search gyms here).

There are also some great new fitness DVDs coming out which I’m going to be reviewing soon, so stay tuned for those (I’m taking a stack of them away with me to wintry Wales for New Year).

Music and its effect on training and performance is an area I’m really interested in. Who doesn’t love a brand-new playlist on the MP3? There’s a new CD aimed at runners and gym-goers which I’d like to tell you about. I’m going to blog about it in more detail soon but, for now, I’ll just mention that The Workout Mix 2011 is a great package (ideal for a pressie actually) – not only do you get 3 CDs of (bang up-to-date, original artist!) music mixes but you also get free passes to Fitness First, access to the website with bonus features and training tips, and a bonus 30 minute training session led by Personal Trainer Matt Roberts. The CDs are cleverly done with each mix of music ramping up in BPM tempo over a 60-minute period to keep you motivated and pushing through your training session.

What do you think? Are there any bits of kit, new classes or forms of technology which you see shaping your workouts in 2011? Let me know; I’d love to hear about them.

10,000 kettlebell challenge: nearly there!

(This pic obviously has nothing to do with me, I just liked it)

Getting there with the 10,000 swing kettlebell challenge! I do love kettlebells and like the fact that setting challenges like this one reminds me how great they are.

With so much else to choose from (gym, classes, cardio outside), I can go weeks without picking up my ‘bells. I shouldn’t neglect them! They are ideal for Winter (I am of the view that – as a channel swimmer – I’ve spent enough of my life being unbearably cold. So nowadays I refuse to be any colder than I have to, and that extends to running or cycling outside when it’s sub-zero). They deliver a fantastic full-body/cardio/resistance workout within a very short space of time. And then can be done in a small space.

So, how am I getting on? When I left off, I was at 4,100. Since then I’ve done:

6th Dec: 50 swings at the gym as part of my warm up
7th Dec: 350 swings at home (done as sets of 50s with upper body exercises between) then 500 swings at home at the other end of the day (done as 50s and 75s, with lower body stuff between)
8th Dec: 50 at gym as part of warm up
9th Dec: 50 at gym as part of warm up
12th Dec: 100 at gym, 300 at home

So that brings me to 5500 with 11 days to go. I’m aiming for 800 today as my cardio session. How about you?

Are you joining me on this challenge? Please let me know in the comments, I’d love to hear from you. My ladies Jo and Viv, how are you getting on?

PS Sorry for lack of pics but there’s a limit to how exciting I can make pictures of kettlebells!