Jeans Challenge Success Story

April 5, 2013 by ·

Below is the success story of Jeans Challenge finisher MB detailing her eight week journey to improved sleep, skin, health, overall health and physique.  Hat’s off to her for eight weeks of dedication, consistency, hard training and nutritional compliance.  We’ll worth it given her results.

“I have lost 6kg of fat and have put on a 1kg of muscle. Thank-you to the cracking team at W10 for helping me drop 2 sizes and get back into my favourite jeans.”

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Here’s MB’s story in her own words:

“Through-out last year, I tried a variety of different exercises – I ran, I danced, I posed, I even found myself eyeball-to-eyeball with an over-zealous MMA devotee on the odd occasion.  All of this and my jeans were still sitting rather snug to say the least.  Then came along December holiday of complete over-indulgence and those jeans could no longer get over my hips.  It was time to take action.

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After spending some time online, I settled on two places which looked like they may be able to help and I mailed both to make an enquiry. From the one I got a page-long response of complex options and marketing bumph. From W10 I got a friendly response inviting me in for a chat.  After meeting Adam to discuss my goals, diet, exercise and sleeping habits (I never replied to the former), I signed up for the 8 week jeans challenge.  It was obvious that the guys at W10 know their stuff.  They are super knowledgeable about fitness and in particular nutrition.

Having never done any strength training before I was a little apprehensive at first. However, the programme was simple to follow: two weekly PT sessions and two metabolic sessions a week.  Okay fine I thought, but the sessions themselves were really tough, probably amongst the toughest thing that I have done before, but what I loved about the training sessions is that you are in and out of there in under an hour, half an hour for the metabolic sessions. No sweating away for hours at a time.  During the sessions, Rob, JC and Adam are all so helpful and attentive, correcting my posture where I go wrong and kicking my butt where I need the odd bit of encouragement. The vibe at the gym is also great.  Plenty of buoyant banter and pumping tunes to keep you moving.

Probably the biggest surprise for me was my diet. When I signed-up I was quite shocked to hear that I was generally under-caloried.  This turned out to be the reason why by late afternoon I was on the scavenge for biscuits and chocolate and at night I sustained a cereal post-dinner breakfast habit. So I had to learn to eat more… and eat more I did!  I have a really busy working day and don’t have a lot of time to eat, nor do complex food preparation, but Adam designed a nutritional programme that was easy to follow.  My new diet (lifestyle!) is delicious and very fulfilling and I no longer get any sweet or chocolate cravings, which was another big surprise for me. Also, there were quite a few girls at the office, who came over to admire my healthy lunches.

I completed a food diary and had weekly weigh-ins, which really helped to keep me motivated, especially since I saw my fat levels come down steadily each week.  And don’t think you can get away with ‘forgetting’ to submit your food diary for weekly scrutiny and advice.  There were a couple times when Adam politely reminded me that he hadn’t received mine and was waiting to see it!

If you are looking for sympathy and lenience towards your need for a packet of the nation’s favourite chocolate-ensconced tea time treat, then this is not the place for you.  But if you looking for real results, then look no further than W10. I heartily recommend them, which says a lot from a girl who is hard to impress.  The guys are probably reticent to admit it, but they also run a beauty salon out of W10… me having received quite a few compliments about how great my skin looks!  I am also sleeping much better (I have always been blighted with sleeping issues) and really seeing the benefits from a regular, post-work routine.

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I have lost 6kg of fat (not weight, actual fat!) and have put on a 1kg of muscle.  Thank-you to the cracking good team at W10 for helping me drop 2 sizes and get back into my favourite jeans.”

Our next Jean Challenge start date is 15th April 2013.  Click here for more information>>

 

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7 Reasons Women Should Strength Train

February 18, 2013 by ·

Article by W10 trainer Rob Coles.  Check out Rob’s blog here>>

One thing we know is that maintaining adequate levels of muscle mass is one of the best ways to keep body fat at bay, particularly as we age. We also know that resistance training is the best way to build and maintain muscle. Yet despite this, far more women opt for a piece of cardio equipment (which we should point out, does the opposite!) instead of hitting the weight room.

So to encourage females who might be hesitant to do so, here are 7 reasons why women should strength train with weights:

You Will Get Stronger

Increasing your strength seems to be somewhat under valued amongst women, but by improving your strength levels you are essentially improving the size of your horsepower. This will make everyday life a little easier with daily tasks and routine exercise far less taxing and less likely to cause injury.

You Will Have Less Body Fat

Yes, you read that one correctly!  Strength training, unlike running and other slow cardio, builds muscle, and muscle burns more calories burned per day (increased basal metabolic rate). For each pound of muscle you gain your body will burn an additional 35-50 calories each day. Studies by Wayne Wescott, PHD, found that the average women who strength trains two to three time a week for two months will gain nearly 2 pounds of muscle and shed 3.5pounds of fat. We’ll leave you to do the math!

You Will Have Better Posture

A balanced strength training program will develop good structural balance, meaning that your muscles will be much better coordinated and balanced, which will result in much better correct posture.

You Will Reduce Your Risk Of Injury, Back Pain And Arthritis

A strength training program will not only make you stronger, it will also address any structural imbalances you may have as well as improving and maintaining mobility and flexibility.  By improving the strength of not only your muscles but also your connective tissues you will improve joint stability and help prevent injury.

You Will Decrease Your Risk Of Osteoporosis

Strength training can increase bone mineral density as well as enhance bone re-modeling. This, when combined with a balanced nutritional programme, can massively reduce the risk of osteoporosis; a very important consideration for females as they age.

You Will Get Sick Less

Strength training improves gene activity and your natural antioxidant network, leaving your immune system ready to tackle any viruses you may be exposed to.

You Will Be More Awesome

By combining all the points above you will not only look a hell of a lot better but you will feel better too! Both of which, in my opinion, will make you a far better (happier!) human being.

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Remember, don’t chase weight loss, chase fat loss.

Stay healthy and embrace those weights!

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What’s the best rep range for toning?

November 15, 2012 by ·

I’ve long lost count of the number of times I’ve been asked the ‘best’ rep range for a certain goal.  “Are light weights, high reps best for toning?’ or “will low reps, heavy weights bulk me up?” etc.  The truth is this that there is no such thing as the best rep range for anything.  It depends on the person their starting point, their structural profile, their end goal, and many others factors.  Anyone who tells you different is just trying to sell you a particular programme or system.

It’s not about one given rep range, rest period, type of exercise or six week fat loss system, it’s about planning and progression.  This is something that those who are in the know in the fitness industry call periodization.  Periodization refers to phases that a training programme moves through and is something that is essential when programming for anyone.

It’s important to recognize that any programme will work for six weeks. But one given programme or one method of training is very unlikely to lead to long-term success and continued results.  To make long term meaningful gains you have move forward progressively. There is no magic bullet, there is only what works for that person at that time, and that is entirely influenced by what has gone before and what is coming after.  And most people need to play the long game.

Let me explain.

Everyone who comes into our gym for example has an evaluation before they start training.  This sometimes irks the impatient folk who just want to get stuck in, but it is essential in helping us to determine your baseline in terms of mobility, stability, strength, nutrition, and ‘invisible’ factors such as sleep, stress, motivation, and so on.  We are then well placed to design a personal training programme that will get the desired results.

Now let’s assume for a minute that higher reps, lower weight, shorter rest period training is good for fat burning.  So, being that most of the people who come to us do so for the purposes of fat loss it makes sense that this would be where we start right?  Not quite.  In actual fact, we actually steer most people away from this type of fast moving metabolic style of training.  Why? Because this type of training is only effective when done from a strong and stable base – something that many people (especially women) do not present with initially.  Sure you’ll shift some fat in the first couple of weeks but it won’t work long term and it’s very likely to lead to plateaus and/or injury (we used to see it our gym and we still see it all of the time now with other gyms and personal trainers).

So where do we start?

Firstly we work to balance the body where needed.  Amongst other things we make sure that posture is correct (no, it doesn’t have to be perfect), that the shoulders are stable, the hips are doing what they should be and the abdominals are firing.  We also clean up the diet thus improving gut health and reducing inflammation, both of which will increase energy levels and allow us to get better results from training.  At this stage we might use moderate repetitions, typically in the 8-15 range – a range that’s going to help us simultaneously build muscle and gain strength.  Here we’d typically keep rest periods long enough that you can maintain the weight and complete each exercise in good form.

Next we might add some more focused strength training into the mix where we’d introduce some lower repetitions to allow us to focus on gaining strength (yes, women need to be strong also!).  Here we might introduce repetitions as low as 4-6 where we’re using weights that are heavier and challenging in that range.   Our goal here is to increase strength, not raise the heart rate, so rest periods here might be longer again.

A quick note for females:  Lifting heavy will not make you bulky – not if you keep the total volume of weights lifted low*.  There are guys all over the land going out of their way to add muscle to their miserable pigeon chests and failing miserably.  It would be a terrible evolutionary injustice if females could just wander into the gym, pick up a pair of 3kg dumbbells, and add muscle.  It just doesn’t work like that!

*In strength training we typically increase the number of sets as we decrease the number of reps. For example we might do 2 (sets) x 15 (reps), 3 x 10, 4 x 6, 5 x 5 and so on.   When we train females we might decrease the reps but NOT significantly increase the number of sets.  This ensures that we get the desired strength gains but create insufficient stimulus (volume) for muscle growth.  Hence, doing these heavy weights won’t make you bulky.

Following some structural balance and corrective work and a period of strength training we might then look to add in some metabolic resistance or circuit style training.  At this point we have a solid base from which to push, pull, squat, lunge, bend, sprint, jump and so on and we can use a decent amount of resistance under fatigue.  Here we would use higher reps or perhaps go for time rather than reps and minimal rest – with the goal here being to get the heart rate up and metabolically disturb the system as much as possible.  Which equals rapid fat loss.

Yes, the whole process might take longer than the ‘workout for ten minutes for super-duper abs’ but now we’re talking sustainable, injury free, fat burning and muscular development that leads to serious increases in fitness and a lean physique, with little risk of exercise induced injury.  Exactly what most people are after.

All because we have taken the time to build a solid foundation of stability and strength upon which we can work.

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W10 Food Pyramid – 10 Steps to Success

June 27, 2012 by ·

Our W10 Food Pyramid is now available for download in a new nutrition section on our website (download it here).  This pyramid is the framework around which we eat at W10 and the basis upon which we offer nutritional advice to our members.

We think it’s a pretty solid nutritional model.  It’s simple, easy to understand and applicable to all but the most extreme of creatures (bodybuilders, man-orexics and so on).  It is important to recognise that it is NOT intended to be a ‘diet’, it’s a set of principles or guidelines which people should adopt and adapt according to their personal requirements.  The ‘green list’ foods are our staple foods, the ‘black list’ are our ‘eat in moderation’ choices and the red list includes all of the foods we would suggest that you steer clear of for the most part.  Pretty straight forward we think you’ll agree.

As with all things the key lies with the interpretation and implementation of these guidelines or principles.  There is still (as there should be) a huge requirement for ownership on the part of every individual who decides to use the pyramid as a template.  We’re not selling the latest fly-by-night, one-size-fits-all, diet farce, this is simply how we should eat – we just need to modify it to suits us individually.  Perhaps above all else, we need to apply common sense.

W10 Food Pyramid  + Individual Requirements + Common Sense = A Results Based Nutritional Programme.

Just because nuts are in the green section for example, doesn’t mean that eating 300g of cashews for dinner is a good idea (whilst we don’t advocate calorie counting for most people, calories do count, and that’s nearly 18oo of them right there, just from nuts).  Similarly, half a kilo of oven roasted chipped sweet potatoes – also on the green list – isn’t going to help (most) people morph from the wrong side of chunky to cover model either. Common sense right?  Right.

You need to consider YOUR goals, YOUR body type, YOUR likes and dislikes (to a non-sabotaging extent), and you need to eat according to YOUR requirements.

“The W10 Food Pyramid will provide the framework and underlying principles, but you need to ascertain what foods, and combinations of, work for you.”  Me.

The trouble is most of us simply don’t know what ‘works for me’ looks like anymore.  It’s not that we don’t have any common sense (clears his throat), it’s all just gotten very confusing.  And the thing is, the more we read, research and try and work it out, the more confusing it becomes (there’s a lot of charlatans talking some serious BS out there) .

Authors note: If you’re serious about getting good advice and getting in shape, I strongly recommend that you stop reading most glossy magazines, especially those targeting females.  What worked for supermodel X (who endorsed the product) probably won’t work for you and more than likely won’t work for her long term either (watch this space for future endorsements) – I strongly recommend that you don’t just copy it.

But thankfully confusion need not reign.  It need not be that complicated and getting it right is probably much easier than most of us think.  At a basic level it’s quite simple.  In fact, use the W10 Food Pyramid following these ten pointers alongside it and you’ll probably be well on the road to optimal health and physical appearance.

1. Eat protein for breakfast.

There’s is good reason(s) why you keep hearing this.  Primarily it’s about detoxification and immune system function (it’s estimated that the first 30-60g of protein we consume daily are used for these purposes), not necessarily muscles.  It’s also startlingly obvious to me that people who eat breakfast make better food choices throughout the rest of day.

No excuses, do yourself a favour and just get this one ticked off.

2. Stick mainly to the green foods list.

80% or more of your food choices should come from the green list of foods.  There’s good reason why they’re at the base of the pyramid and two thirds or more of the way up.  Embrace the green, get lean.

3. Quinoa and wild rice are the best black list choices.

Many people don’t digest grains and legumes well (bloating, wind, etc) and my personal opinion is that, on the whole, these are best excluded by most.  After a period of elimination, the first (and often only) black list foods that I suggest people introduce back into their diet are quinoa and wild rice.

4. Exclude the foods on the red list completely except one MEAL per week where you can eat whatever you want.

Physiologically speaking re-feeds or ‘cheat meals’ are not really necessary initially, but psychologically speaking they’re a must, but only after an initial period of elimination.  I don’t give direction here, eat the foods you like, but understand that the fatter you are the less indulgent you should be/will get away with.

People stay on track better during the rest of the week once they’ve had their ‘release’ and moreover most people find that after having excluded wheat, diary, gluten and processed foods for a couple of weeks the reintroduction of these foods is enough to give them the stomach upset of all stomach upsets.  Many don’t repeat the same meal.

The jump in calories once per week is actually helpful in accelerating fat loss.

5. Don’t snack

I’m increasingly becoming the ‘anti-snack’.  My experience is that people don’t make good snack choices and are far better off getting all they need nutritionally at meal times.  Intuitively this seems a more sensible approach also – if you need to snack you probably didn’t get your previous meal(s) right.

6. Eat three or four times per day (see above)

All things being equal I think we should eat intuitively.  The issue with intuitive eating is that most of us have terrible intuition when it comes to feeding ourselves.  We’re out of sync and it’s hard to make solid choices when you’re not in sync.

You can argue with me all day long about not having breakfast, but initially it’s a very good idea.  Eat again at lunch, for a third time mid-afternoon (you know, when you get the 3-4pm lull…..) and for the last time at dinner.  A typical schedule might be 7am, 11am, 4pm and 7pm.  Less than three meals doesn’t work for most people and more than four is often totally impractical.

7. No training, no carbs

Carb cycling has become the latest fitness industry buzzword with every Tom, Richard (more likely) and Harry getting regular gym-Jane to count her carbs and eat fluctuating amounts daily.  Deary deary me – no-carb, low carb, slow carb, carb cycle, what next?  Look, we could get into the minutiae here and confuse the b’jesus out of people, but with no good reason.  The premise is simple and is certainly not a new one: allow yourself some more carbs when you train hard.  And you should eat most of said carbs in the meal you have AFTER training (referred to as the window of opportunity).

So the days you DON’T train, you stick to Category A vegetables, concentrated protein sources and natural fats and oils – eg Chicken and vegetables stir-fired in coconut oil.  The days the you train (hard) allow yourself some more carbs AFTER you’ve worked out, including Category B vegetables and/or some wild rice or quinoa (remember also that when you increase your carbs, you should reduce the fats) – eg salmon fillet with broccoli and sweet potato.  Note: If you’re trying to add mass or are already reasonably lean, you might eat another higher carb meal later in the same day also.

8. Limit fruit

Yes, fruit is ‘good’ for you, but you can definitely have too much of a good thing.  For me it’s pretty simple, the more you train (exercise), the more fruit you need/should eat.

9. Drink water & organic coffee and herbal teas

That’s it.  The exception – after a period of elimination – might be a glass or two of red wine a couple or few times per week (the only issue with wine is the yeast content).

10. Keep a food diary

Tedious, inconvenient and socially compromising granted, but essential.  If you don’t know what works for you, you’ll become increasingly frustrated reading countless blogs like this one.

Also, it’s not for me, I’m old-skool, I like paper – it means I can check to see if it’s been kept in real time rather than retrospectively! – but there’s plenty of good apps these days that make it less of a hassle.

Bear in mind there are times when almost any food will be appropriate for a given person at that given time.  But these pointers in conjunction with our W10 Food Pyramid might well be all the guidance some people need.  Give them a go consistently and see how you get on.

 

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The LighterLife side of Life

May 30, 2012 by ·

On Monday night this week we did something that we would previously have vowed never to do when we collaborated with LighterLife to do a workshop for the male members of our local branch.

Now for those who don’t know what LighterLife is about you can find details on their website www.lighterlife.com.  In a nutshell (apologies to LighterLife if I do not describe the program in it fullest), they help people lose weight quickly through radical through nutritional intervention.  Their brand is huge and they have thousands of people following their programs globally.

On Monday morning we posted our proposed involvement on our Twitter feed and within an hour I had three personal email messages asking me what the <insert profanity> I was doing.  Here’s an excerpt from one of these:

 “The words Lighterlife fill me with dread, take me back to times of horrible mental anguish.   If anyone is doing a sole source program, I’d be amazed if they could manage exercise, and introducing exercise at the end of a regime, when weight is lost, but also skin is hanging off you and muscle has been eaten away is just the hardest way round to approach the issue”.

Now I can vouch for the fact that the person who sent me this is not some neurotic lunatic looking for an excuse to be melodramatic; she was genuinely concerned, presumably because she did not want people to go through what she and some of her friends have been through.  (If I wasn’t already aware, I was certain that we were dipping our toes into some pretty dicey water as far as some people were concerned!)

Our involvement came about after the local LighterLife counselor contact me to do a workshop for them.  (Yes, they contacted us, so credit where it is undoubtedly due).  One of our members had been through their program and had said nice things about us.

We’re respected gym with (I perceive) a reputation for giving good advice and influencing people to get healthier, stronger and fitter.  But despite our attempts to persuade our member otherwise, she signed up to the LighterLife program a few months ago.  And her journey has persuaded us that rather than just ruck up and posture indignantly, we can (and should) actually work with and help people in a similar position.

We managed to persuade our member not to do the ‘LighterLife Total’ (shakes and a snack bar only) program, convincing her that the ‘Lite’ program would work for her (two shakes, one snack bar, and one meal) – which it did.  She was determined to do it come what may, so that was a result for us.  Along the way we also helped her with some supplementation (additional amino acids etcetera) that would allow her continue with her personalised resistance (strength training) program and would go some way to ensuring that she maintained her lean mass – which it also did.

Note: Most diets that elicit substantial weight loss actually strip you of metabolically and structurally essential lean tissue and do not so much for actual fat loss.  Yes you’ll lose some fat, but you’ll lose a greater proportion of lean mass.  Not good news, especially when you go back to advisable long term eating habits (did anyone say rebound weight gain?)

Our member is no longer doing LighterLife.  She has lost the weight that she wanted to lose.  She has maintained her lean mass (almost all of it).  She trains three times per week consistently.  Her eating habits are pretty good.  She’s stronger.  She’s leaner.  And she’s happier.  And at the time of writing (five months after finishing the program) there has been no rebound weight gain.  All in all, I’d say it has worked.

All things being equal I’d rather people didn’t do the program and followed our W10 Food Pyramid, but thats not going to happen – they’re going to do it.  And whilst we don’t necessarily agree with the LighterLife approach and our approach is in not similar, I do accept that we share a common goal – which is to help people get healthier, lose weight and overall live a better quality of life. I’ve now also seen first hand that we can help people through the program ensuring that they get the outcome they want, without compromising themselves further down the line.  In other words, we can work with them to make sure that they keep the weight off and they never have to go through the program again (something LighterLife say is important to them also).

Yes, it would be easier for us to sit here and criticise LighterLife and their approach (as I have previously done), but that’s not going to help anyone.  What they do gets people the outcome they want and therefore people are going to do it, regardless of what I or anyone else thinks and advises.  The answer is not for us to distance ourselves from it but rather recognize that its going to happen and work with people to ensure the best possible outcome.  So that’s what we’re doing.

Note: Before the cynics amongst you pipe up and shout about the potential commercial benefits, we haven’t been paid (nor do we intend to ask for) a penny!

Our first workshop (a nutrition and exercise Q&A/open forum) with the male group was very well received and we’ve now been asked back to do two more for the female groups in the next week or so.  I’ve also had two personal email messages from attendees asking follow up questions – all good.

In bigger picture terms, if it helps people through the program, it works for LighterLife.  If it helps people chose a less radical program and/or avoid the rebound weight gain, it works for us (and them).  And if it gets people both the short and long term outcome they want, then it works for them.

Let’s see how things progress.

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Get Enough Sleep to Get Lean For Summer

May 16, 2012 by ·

Guest post by Charles Poliquin on the importance of sleep and how it can help you lose (or gain!) body fat:

“Get enough sleep to lose weight for summer—you’ll improve cardiovascular health too!

Getting adequate rest every night is one of the simplest and most dramatic ways to improve body composition quickly. If you make one change to get lean for summer, make it a habit to get at least 8 hours of sleep every night by establishing a consistent sleep schedule.

I guarantee that with adequate rest you will improve body composition and just feel all around better.”

Click here to read the full article>>

 

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Is Your Face Cream making You Fat?

May 11, 2012 by ·

About half of our members of W10 Performance are women, most of whom are on a quest to lose body fat, increase muscle tone, have more energy and feel fitter.

They come to us fully expecting to address exercise, nutrition and hydration, but they are less prepared when we get into some more involved areas and further down the line suggest that their choice of cosmetics might, or is likely to be, influencing how much and where they lose their fat from.

Well, sorry ladies, it’s true, your favourite cream may be contributing to your frustrating lack of fat loss.  It stands true for men also, but men generally use fewer products and are much easier to convince when it comes to switching…. most of the time.

Now before I go on, I should highlight a couple of things (if for no other reason than to cover my derrière)

  1. I’m no expert in this area and I urge you to treat anything that I have to say on the subject with a healthy dose of scepticism. And,
  2. I have no ties with the EWG and I am not or cannot vouch for the efficacy of their research.

It’s a fact that most modern cosmetics are riddled with a host of dubious synthetic ingredients, which would horrify us if we realised that we were essentially ‘eating’ them through our skin. Chemicals are getting into our bloodstream from all angles: Creams and lotions through the skin, sprays and powders inhaled, lipsticks eaten, eye make up absorbed through the eyes (now that’s some thought) and so on. We’re being bombarded with toxic chemicals and in most women’s cases via several products that they use every day.

Yes, there are some regulations in place, but it might be fair to say that they are not as tight as they could be. For example, some ingredients that are banned, can actually be included if the manufacturers can make a strong enough case that they cannot ‘reasonably’ be removed.  Let’s just say that cosmetics represent big business (I saw five billion quoted somewhere) and wherever there are sunscreen covered limbs in the sea, sharks will come to feed.

The implications of this are wide ranging, and personally I’m convinced very relevant for long-term health.  And I think we’re talking severe hormonal disruption that is having a significant impact of many people’s lives.

BUT, if we’re talking fat loss, and as a Biosignature Practitoner I use Charles Poliquin’s Biosignature Modulation as a reference, excess chemicals or toxins means we’re talking accumulated fat around the hips and thighs.

CP puts forward that where you store your fat is an indication of your hormonal profile, and that when you know this, you can use certain interventions to effectively spot reduce – or lose fat from a particular place.  In other words, you can target the troublesome fat on your thighs by doing certain things.

Aside: The jury is out in some camps about the validity of the system, but I like it.  I don’t use it exclusively but I think there’s plenty of principles put forward that make a lot of sense – and more importantly, work in practice.

Given what I currently think I know my own conclusions are these:

  1. We Londoners are toxic people (from a purely physiological perspective that is!)
  2. Chemical toxins are most readily stored in lower body fat – hence why we very rarely measure a pair of lean legs when caliper testing people first time around
  3. We can reduce lower body fat by reducing our toxic load
  4. Cosmetics are seriously implicated when it comes to toxicity
  5. If we limit our exposure to toxins from cosmetics we’ll take a significant step to reducing fat on our thighs

To try and make my point about how many chemicals we’re being exposed to in the name of vanity I’ve used an article in this weekends Sunday Times (Style Magazine) which listed the current most popular cosmetic products as voted for by the readers.  This is particularly useful because we know that this means that these products are amongst the best sellers and ones being used by many of us every day.

The article listed each product by category and I’ve taken the liberty of running five of the ‘best rated’ products through the Environmental Working Group’s database - http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/company.php?comp_id=3604 - a database which looks at all of these products, lists their ingredients, and highlights their potential risks.  It then goes on to give the product a rating from zero to ten – 0-3 being low risk, 4-6 being moderate concern and 7-10 being the most concerning.

Personally, I don’t use many cosmetics, but where I would/do I would try and use products that were rated zero, and I certainly wouldn’t use anything rated above a three.

You’ll see that none of the products score in the low concern range, with the lowest product rated at four. 

Best Skincare Brand

Brand: Clinique

Product: Dramatically Different moisturizing Lotion

Rating: 5

http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/product/265570/Clinique_dramatically_different_mositurizing_lotion/

It lists high concerns for endocrine (hormonal) disruption, organ system toxicity and irritation to skin, eyes or lungs.  Moderate concerns fare listed for biochemical or cellular level changes.

Best Body Product

Brand: Palmers Cocoa Butter Lotion

Product: Body Gloss Lotion

Rating: 8

http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/search.php?query=palmers+cocoa+butter+lotion

There are several Palmers Cocoa Butter products listed with lowest one getting a rating of five.  The Body Gloss Lotion scores highest with a rating of 8.  This showed a low to moderate risk of cancer, a high risk of developmental and reproductive toxicity and a moderate to high level of allergies and immunotoxicity.  Listed under other high concerns are endocrine (hormonal) disruption, irritation to the skin, eyes or lunges and biochemical or cellular level changes.  There were moderate concerns listed also for neurotoxicity and organ system toxicity.

Best Eye Cream

Brand: Nivea Visage

Product: Nivea Visage Q10 Anti Wrinkle Refreshing Eye Roll On – Not listed.

Substitute: Nivea Visage Q10 Anti Wrinkle Reducer Crème

Rating: 4

http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/product/231454/Nivea_Visage_Q10_Advanced_Wrinkle_Reducer_Eye_Creme%2C_SPF_4/

The cream version was listed and scored four overall, with moderate concerns for developmental and reproductive toxicity and allergies and immunotoxicity.  Other high concerns listed for neurotoxicity, organ system toxicity, and irritation to the skin, eyes or lungs. Moderate concerns for biochemical or cellular level changes.

Best Womens Classic Fragrance

Brand: Chanel

Product: Chanel No 5

Rating: 7

http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/product/130609/Chanel_No_5_Eau_De_Toilette/

High concerns were listed for allergies and immunotoxicity.  Other high concerns were highlighted for endocrine (hormonal disruption) and biochemical or cellular level changes.  Moderate concerns for neurotoxicity and other system toxicity.

Best Luxury Buy – Over £50

Brand: Clarins

Products:  Clarins Super Restorative Decollete and Neck Concentrate  - Not listed

Substitute: Clarins upper Restorative Total Eye Concentrate

Rating: 5

http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/product/58447/Clarins_Super_Restorative_Total_Eye_Concentrate/

Moderate risk listed for developmental and reproductive toxicity and moderate to high risk of allergies and immunotoxicity.

So whats the take home point I’m trying to get across?

I’m suggesting that our cosmetic products are contributing to our sub-optimal health and are potentially making us or keeping us fat by overloading us with chemical toxins.  I’m also suggesting that this can manifest itself as fat stored around the thighs.

And what am I suggesting as a course of action?

I‘m suggesting that you check out what is actually in your cosmetic products and, best case, switch to products with a rating of zero.  Worst case, switch to products with a rating of three or under.

Am I suggesting that this will make everyone’s thighs supermodel-esque?

No.  But it combined with other things like eating organic foods, avoiding plastics, eliminating tap and bottled water, switching toxic household cleaning products, etc etc etc, it will certainly help.

How do your products stack up?

You might also find these top tips for picking safer products useful.

http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/top-tips-for-safer-products/

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May 2012 Jeans Challenge

April 2, 2012 by ·


The date for our next Jeans Challenge has been set for the 7th May 2012 and we’re getting excited.  We’re at nearly half capacity already and this is already shaping up to be the best one yet!

The schedule is as the previous two.  It works, why change it right?

You’re looking at total of four sessions per week for eight weeks, made up of two Personal Training sessions and two Small Group Metabolic Circuit sessions (or more if appropriate) each week.  Not any easy schedule granted, but one that is well worth the effort for those who can commit to it!

Nutrition is of course an integral part of the program again and we will be incorporating our 14-day Re-boot program and our new for this Jeans Challenge we’ll also be including our 14-day Amino Cleanse.  Nutrition is probably the toughest element of the program – we’d all rather be tucking into pasta and vino! – but everything will be laid out for you and you will be told exactly what to eat throughout – all you’ve got to do is stick to it!

This time around we’re also excited to be working with Lily Simpson from The Detox Kitchen who will be working with us to make life even easier by offering the exact foods you need delivered fresh, daily to your front door (samples menus etc coming soon).  You don’t have to think about it; just eat that days menu knowing that it’s exactly what you need to compliment your training and to get you the results you want!

Perhaps the most powerful thing about the Jeans Challenge is the support you’ll get throughout – you’ll never feel on your own. Throughout the eight weeks you’ll receive the support of the W10 Personal Trainers and you’ll get all the social support, encouragement and inspiration that comes with being part of a group of like minded women.  If you’ve got the motivation, you can’t fail!

We’ll do all of your initial assessments and measurements when you start out and we’ll keep you updated and motivated with regular re-assessments throughout your journey.  You’ll see results in the first week and you’ll be amazed at how quickly your body changes!

Click here for more information>>

As with previous Jeans Challenges numbers will be capped at fifteen.  Contact us now for more information and register your place with a 50% deposit.

 

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Spring Cleanse Your Body – Part 1

March 30, 2012 by ·

Spring is officially upon us and with it comes the perfect time to shake off any winter lethargy and perhaps the resultant additional pounds and spring cleanse your body!

Let’s start with the basics.

What is a ‘cleanse’?

By our definition, a cleanse is the act of both reducing the amount of toxins coming IN to the body whilst aiding or accelerating the processing and elimination of toxins OUT of the body.

In others words, cleansing helps us detoxify the existing CRAP (typically Chemicals, Refined sugars, Alcohol and Processed foods) out of our system whilst at the same time reducing the amount of CRAP that we put in that system in the first place!

At W10 Performance this process often begins with our W10 14-day Re-boot program.

What is the W10 14-day Re-boot?

The reality for people who are carrying a few extra pounds is that their blood sugar levels are out of whack and they have developed some degree of insulin resistance – disastrous for both health and aesthetics!

How has this come about?  Long story short, insulin rears its head in response to elevated blood sugar levels and insulin resistance occurs when insulin levels are elevated over a prolonged period of time, causing the body’s own sensitivity to insulin to be reduced.  This is a fat loss own goal and we need to reverse this, quickly.  Enter the 14-day Re-boot diet.

How does the 14-Day Re-boot work?

Our 14-day Re-boot program does exactly what it says on the tin; it ‘re-boots’ the system, specifically kick-starting fat loss.

In a nutshell, it works by removing processed foods and refined sugars that negatively affect insulin levels and balancing the diet with low GI foods which will help rebalance, or re-boot, our sensitivity to insulin.  This will help us tolerate sugars better and in turn help us shed some of that excess body fat.

So, we’re removing higher GI food – which eliminates all processed foods and refined sugars; we’re removing alcohol completely; and we’re placing the emphasis on clean water and organic produce – thus reducing many sources of chemicals and other unwanted nasties from the system.

Net effect?  Many major sources of CRAP removed from the system meaning a significantly healthier and more aesthetically pleasing you!

How do I do the 14-Day Re-boot?

It’s simple.  For fourteen days – and fourteen days only – you eat from the ‘green’ foods at the base of the W10 Food Pyramid, excluding all fruit and Category B vegetables.  No digressions, no cheat meals.  That’s it.  (We know, but it works!)

The only other guidelines we give are around protein quantity, supplements and fluids.

Protein recommendations are based an individuals lean mass and we encourage people to ensure that they get adequate amounts.  This is important for several reasons, most notably the preservation of lean mass and to aid liver detoxification.  A palm-sized serving with each meal is a decent guideline.

Supplements are not essential but will definitely help. If you choose to do nothing else, throw an organic greens drink into the mix (to help alkalize the system), some omega 3 fish oils (to help reduce inflammation), some fibre (to ‘clean out the pipes’), and a decent probiotic (to boost gut health).  A good quality multivitamin will also make you feel better.

Needless to say that plenty of clean water is essential – add lime to further alkalise.  No coffee would be ideal; one coffee per day is fine.  Herbal teas are in.  All else is out.

What can I expect from doing the 14-Day Re-boot?

Significant fat loss, increased energy levels, better looking skin, better sleep and radically improved mood are just a few of the things you’ll be experiencing by the end of the fourteen days.

Although it’s probably fair to say that for most people the first few days can be pretty tough going, the effort is worth it.  You’ll look, feel and function better – and you’ll find it easier to lose or maintain your weight in the long run.

Is the 14-Day Re-boot suitable for everyone?

It’s suitable for most people, although if you’re starting on the back foot you might want to build up to it meal by meal – something we do a lot with our new members at W10.

In other words, align your breakfast to the green list first – do that for a week or two.  Next, look at your lunch, align that to the green list – do that for a further two weeks.  Next, look at dinner, and so on.

Where can I find the W10 Food Pyramid?

You can find our downloadable W10 Food Pyramid on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/W10Performance and on our website homepage.  Please feel free to ask us any questions that you may have there also.

You’re set.

Happy spring cleansing!

In Part 2, we’ll look more closely at specific nutritional cleansing where we’ll introduce our 14-day W10 Amino Cleanse, a two week fat loss program designed to specifically boost liver function and help rejuvenate the digestive system, whilst simultaneously helping you shift fat like no other program we’ve seen!

Filed Under: Motivation · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

12 Reasons You’re Not Losing Fat

February 1, 2012 by ·

'Whole' grain or not, they're not going to help most people when it comes to losing body fat!

Have a read of the 12 Reasons You’re Not Losing Body Fat guest blog by Jason Ferruggia which we posted on our Facebook page.

It’s a really good overview of the common mistakes A LOT of people are making when it comes to fat loss.

We’ll worth a read…..

 

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