IF YOU BELIEVE THAT PUMPING IRON WILL TURN YOU INTO A FEMALE RAMBO, THEN THINK AGAIN — WELL-PLANNED WEIGHT TRAINING CAN HAVE MANY BENEFITS FOR WOMEN One of the biggest myths in fitness is that you should perform all-aerobic training for fat loss.  Women tend to have the perception that you should avoid weight training because upon lifting a dumbbell, you will become big and bulky. This belief has been reinforced over the years by…

Increasing levels in obesity have seen an expanding number of fitness crazes enter the health industry.  Since the fall of the Eastern Bloc, a number of training methods have been unearthed from behind the iron curtain. One such craze that entered the fitness industry is the kettlebell revolution. Formerly used by Russian strongmen and wrestlers known as a Girevoy, it is similar in appearance to a large metal football with a handle. Kettlebells come in…

THE START OF A NEW YEAR IS A GREAT EXCUSE TO GET A NEW HEALTH REGIME UNDER WAY. BUT DON’T WORRY IF YOU BROKE YOUR RESOLUTIONS SOON AFTER JANUARY 1 — PICK YOUR OWN DAY TO START A PLAN OF ACTION. The new year has begun and you may be one of the population who started the year with a splitting hangover. You woke up and everywhere you looked, people were talking about new year’s…

IF YOU REALLY WANT TO NAIL YOUR FITNESS GOALS THIS YEAR, THEN IT’S TIME TO GET PERSONAL. FOLLOW THESE TIPS TO BE SURE TO LAND THE RIGHT PERSONAL TRAINER FOR YOU… Operation mayhem is underway, as the month of January has seen gyms flooded with new members wearing the best training gear money can buy.  You may be one of them, and the buzz and excitement in gyms is hard to ignore as members embark…

GETTING IN SHAPE DOESN’T HAVE TO BE EXPENSIVE — THINK OF IT AS BUYING A HEALTHIER Since the turn of the year, newspapers have been filling their pages with articles on why you shouldn’t join a gym in January.  Out-of-shape journalists with very limited health knowledge tell us we should sacrifice gym membership to save on our money as we feel the pinch of the Celtic Tiger’s downturn. The solution they offer is to walk…

GOING EASY ON THE MINCE PIES AND STAYING IN SHAPE OVER CHRISTMAS SEASON CAN BE A CHALLENGE. BUT OUR STRAIGHT-TALKING COACH DAMIEN SHOWS US HOW TO STAY IN FAB FESTIVE SHAPE The countdown to Christmas and the New Year has begun. With so many activities to occupy your time, you may start to forget about one very important aspect of your life: your health.  The excuse of “I don’t have time”, or “I need to…

HAVING KEPT UP GOOD EXERCISE AND NUTRITION HABITS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, DON’T LET THEM GO TO WASTE NOW. HERE’S HOW TO ENJOY YOUR CHRISTMAS PARTY WITHOUT FALLING OFF THE WAGON The day is getting nearer, the venue has been selected, the outfit is nearly ready to make its debut, and the crowd awaits your entrance. No, it’s not your wedding day, but your Christmas party.  Your friends are planning to skip lunch on the day…

STAYING FIT OVER THE FESTIVE SEASON WILL BE A CHALLENGE, BUT IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE A CHORE. BY GETTING OTHERS INVOLVED AND FOLLOWING THESE STEPS, YOU’LL HAVE A REAL SPRING IN YOUR STEP COME THE NEW YEAR Christmas is only one week away. The last few days in the office are upon you and the holidays are about to begin. December has no doubt been spent wining and dining and it’s probably starting to…

WHEN IT COMES TO AVOIDING EXERCISE, THERE ARE ALWAYS PLENTY OF EXCUSES. BUT A TRAINING PARTNER CAN HELP MOTIVATE YOU TO REACH YOUR GOALS, EVEN ON GLOOMY DAYS WHEN YOU’D RATHER BE IN BED… The gym can be a lonely place when you have set out to achieve a goal. Its walls have witnessed many souls with a lack of motivation and an ability to make excuses as to why they can’t work hard enough…

As a society, we are all becoming increasingly aware of our diets – but often it is not for the right reasons. As size zero creeps on to high street rails, it is our image and not our health that is influencing our diet decisions. Health is seen as a more long-term issue, and for many a healthy diet translates into losing weight. But, while being a healthy weight is important, are we ignoring the…