by Dan Johnston | Oct 23, 2014 | Workouts and Exercises
Calisthenic athletes know how to utilise this in order to achieve strength which gives them solid core muscles, upper ad lower body strength to perform movements such as these (see video)
For me, creating strong muscles and training those muscles for endurance is far more beneficial than muscle size – not to mention much less expensive for my food bill! Seriously, could you stomach kg’s of egg whites, chicken breasts and tuna everyday??? It’s just not realistic to be able to keep up with that diet and still enjoy life (in my opinion). Increasing your protein intake is important of course, but not so much that it’s burning a hole through your wallet. Plus there are so many foods which are highly nutritious, full of protein, delicious, and add variety and colour to your plate. I’m a huge fan of leafy greens, fruit and colourful vegetables, and I enjoy them most in their natural raw state. Simple dishes like chicken breast, kale, spinach and red pepper, lemon and blackpepper salad, maybe with a few nuts and seeds, even some cinnamon to give a little sweetness (i love cinnamon!) – for me, that’s what I go for.
Here’s an interesting fact on one of the worlds most successful Calisthenics athletes – he’s a vegan! So where does he get the protein from to fuel his recovery? Find out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQ9sfVsBbS8
What’s your opinion? Got some great diet or training tips you want to share? Got a question? If you’re reading this then GET INVOLVED and I’ll post it out in our newsletter next week!
by Dan Johnston | Oct 16, 2014 | Supplements
Some of you may agree or disagree (especially as so many are getting Cold’s and man flu’s atm) but I avoid things like multivits and certain protein powders. It’s not that these do not serve a purpose, it’s just that I want to keep my body free from ingredients such as (taken from a leading brand of multivit):
Dicalcium phosphate,microcrystalline cellulose, calcium carbonate dc, coral calcium, calcium ascorbate 97%, vit e powder, saw palmetto extract(45% fatty acids), magnesium oxide dc, choline bitartrate, stearic acid, calcium pantothenate, korean ginseng 10:1 extract 20% ginsenosides, potassium chloride, magnesium oxide dc, magnesium stearate, silicon dioxide, hpmc clear coating, nicotinamide, alpha lipoic acid, royal jelly extract, citrus biflavonoids (35% hesperidin), l seleno methionine prep(0.5% selenium), kelp powder, ginkgo biloba 50:1 extract (24% ginkgoflavoglycosides, 6% terpene lactones), zinc oxide, thiamine hcl, pyridoxine hcl, beta carotene 20%, manganese sulphate, riboflavin, nettle leaf 4:1 extract, grape seed 50:1 extract(95% polyphenols), inositol, bromelain 1200gdu/gm, lipase 10,000 units/gm, papain 2000 usp/gm, borax, copper sulphate anhydrous, amylase 50,000 skb/gm, co enzyme q 10, vit d2, lutein 20% prep(40% esters), chromium chloride, vit k 5% prep, sodium molybdate, folic acid, d biotin, methylcobalamin.
Free from artificial colours & preservatives, yeast, gluten, starch &lactose. No added salt (sodium chloride) or sugar. (well thank goodness! I was worried about the added salt and sugar for a minute there…)
Many of these “ingredients” are used to speed up production by acting as a lubricant for the machines that produce them (hence why multivits are both cheap and expensive). Many of those ingredients are also types of glues or tableting agents (also known as caking agents, or Fillers), which help the tablet to bind together. Many of them are also minerals that have been synthesised or extracted in a lab. I’m not saying multivits and supplement powders serve no purpose but I am saying that if I had the choice between a great diet or an ok diet with added pills, then I would go for the greens!
You can get everything you need from great food and a little creativity. Check out a few of the raw vegan recipes on my facebook page to see the type of recipes I’m talking about and give them a try (much more than juices and smoothies!).
If you need extra protein, then check out companies who are raw vegan friendly (Sun Warrior, Pulsin) as they will not have Fillers or chemical glues in their products. If you find you have trouble digesting multivits and powders then you may be reacting to the agents in them. That’s how it was for me so I switched to more natural clean products and enriched my diet with more whole foods. I can say I feel 10x better for it and have never looked back.
Anyway, rant over. If you have any questions about exercise, health, or nutrition then just ask and I’ll write a response in my weekly newsletter. Email me dan.johnston@wordpress-688444-2272368.cloudwaysapps.com or drop me a message on Facebook.
by Dan Johnston | Oct 8, 2014 | Workouts and Exercises
My kitchen floor isn’t carpeted so it has a slippery floor – an ideal surface for bodyweight exercise!
Here’s what I do:
1. I take a large tea towel and fold it in half.
2. I get on my knees, put the folded towel down in front of me, and place both hands on the towel
3. I start pushing the towel forward with my arms straight out in front of me, keeping my knees in the same place and lean forward
4. I go as far forward as I can without letting my body touch the floor (trying to go as flat as possible)
5. I then use all my strength to slide the towel back towards my body whilst maintaining straight arms.
6. I then repeat until I cannot do anymore!
This is an intense move, but anyone can do it! Just start small, only going as far forward as you can and keep practicing that, whilst trying to push further forward each time. You’ll get to the point where you can go completely flat (and not letting your body touch the floor) sooner than you think.
If you’re not sure how this works then ask me after the class on Saturday and I’ll happily show you. If your kitchen floor has carpet then you can still do this move. You just need something that slides across the carpet (oven tray?).
Give it a try and let me know how you get on.
