WHAT THE MIND CAN PERCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT CAN ACHIEVE SAY THE PSYCHOLOGISTS — WHICH INCLUDES HELPING YOU TRANSFORM YOUR BODY During an initial interview with a potential client, I ask them to tell me what their goals and expectations are. Often they’ll say: “I don’t want to be big and muscled, and I don’t want to be too gaunt.” To which I reply: “Don’t worry, you will remain exactly the way you are, as…

THE HONOURABLE AMATEUR WHO COMPETES ONLY FOR PRIDE AND A PAT ON THE BACK IS A RARE BREED IN THE MODERN WORLD OF PROFESSIONAL SPORT. HOW LONG CAN TOP PLAYERS CONTINUE TO WORK DAY JOBS AND REPRESENT IRELAND AT THE SAME TIME? The International rules series in Australia has opened up a can of worms of whether Irelands GAA players should retain their amateur status. Ireland’s part-time athletes and full-time bank officials and postmen compete…

PARENTS, AND EVEN SOME EXPERTS, FREQUENTLY QUESTION THE WISDOM OF YOUNG TEENAGERS USING WEIGHT-TRAINING AS PART OF THEIR FITNESS REGIME, BUT WITH PROPER GUIDANCE IT CAN CERTAINLY BE BENEFICIAL, AND EVEN GUARD AGAINST INJURY For most schoolchildren, the academic year began two months ago, but for some it actually began back in summer. The Junior and Senior Cups preoccupy the minds of rugby boys, while other boys dream about cup or championship success and it…

MANY PEOPLE SEEM TO THINK THAT SPINNING CLASSES ARE THE ANSWER TO SHEDDING FAT IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE LEAN LEGS, BUT IT DOESN’T ACTUALLY WORK. YOU’D BE FAR BETTER ADVISED TO USE HIGH-RESISTANCE INTERVAL TRAINING TO TONE THOSE PINS The celebrities that adorn the glossy pages of fashion magazines are adored not only for the fictional characters they play but also for their extensive wardrobes. From the clothes horses on Desperate Housewives to Carrie Bradshaw…

STAYING FIT AND BEING HEALTHY IS ALL ABOUT EFFECTIVE TIME MANAGEMENT AND — AS WITH EVERY OTHER AREA OF YOUR LIFE — YOU WILL REAP WHAT YOU SOW IN YOUR Being fit for life is a tough challenge — especially now, it seems. As the TV and newspapers continue to focus on negative stories about banks, stock exchanges or the housing market, these uncertainties will add to the stress in most people’s lives. Financial challenges…

WHILE ALL ANIMALS HAVE A ‘FIGHT OR FLIGHT’ RESPONSE TO DANGER, WE HUMANS STRUGGLE TO TURN IT OFF. THESE PROLONGED BOUTS OF EMOTIONAL DISTURBANCES RESULT IN ULCERS, EXHAUSTION AND OTHER FACTORS THAT SEVERELY DAMAGE OUR HEALTH A lot has changed in the last 100 or so years. Back in the 1900s, pneumonia, tuberculosis and influenza were killing more people than any world war. Medical improvements have curtailed the spread of these illnesses — nowadays the…

As a new school term begins, young children are seen entering the school grounds with their new schoolbooks and uniforms. Parent’s start to become emotional as the umbilical chord is cut a bit more as little Johnny starts to interact with new boys and girls. The teachers greet the children but underneath must be secretly noticing that with each generation of children passing through the doors that they are getting bigger. Junior infants wearing first…

THIS SEPTEMBER, CHANGE THE WAY YOU TRAIN. GO BACK TO THE GYM AND GET YOURSELF A PERSONAL TRAINER TO GUIDE YOUR WEIGHT LOSS IN THE MOST EFFICIENT WAY POSSIBLE September at last — now that the kids are finally back at school, you think you’ll have so much free time on your hands. As you search through the cupboards for your child’s school bag, you catch a glimpse of another bag covered in dust. As…

MICHAEL PHELPS’S BEIJING SUCCESS IS, IN PART, DOWN TO HIS 12,000 CALORIE DIET. HERE’S HOW YOU, TOO, CAN MAINTAIN, AND LOSE, WEIGHT In the aftermath of the Olympics, we are left to reflect on the dramatic performance of some of the world’s greatest athletes. Usain Bolt improved on his previous world-best performance to remain the fastest man on the planet while many Irish athletes are going back to the drawing board. One in particular who…