By PPT Trainer Simone O’Shea (BHSc).

You have a goal, and you have made the first step to achieving that goal by signing up to the 12 week shift. Even if you have a training age (the time frame in which you have been regularly exercising) of greater than 6 months, greater than 12 months or greater than 2 years, you may still have your ups and downs where your head gets the better of you and impedes training progress.

We are already prepared for the physical stress that the next 12 weeks will place on our body. We know what it’s like to wake up and experience pain with every movement from the training session the day before. But how do we prepare for adhering to training commitments and nutrition targets, logging daily exercise and food consumption, on top of our other everyday commitments; work, study, family etc. without becoming completely overwhelmed and either burning out or diving face first into a mortal sin cheese cake, in a moment of emotional turmoil?

I’ll tell you how. We remember that the next 12 weeks is not just about a shift in how you see yourself in the before and after photographs, but also a shift in how you see yourself. Hmm lets see know if I can make sense out of that last sentence for you.

The first thing you need is ‘self-efficiency’. Self-efficiency is a mechanism applied to over 100 studies related to exercise behaviour. But you don’t need to know the history of self-efficiency; all you need to know is what it means and how to apply it to your own exercise adherence (not giving up).

Self-efficiency expectancy: is having the belief and expectation about your own capabilities to reach a desired outcome by performing the necessary behaviours.

In this case, the necessary behaviours being, following the exercise and nutrition recommendations that you have received by PPT. The higher your self-efficiency, the more confident you are that you will obtain your goals (Buckworth & Dishman, 2002).

Self-efficiency is not only the strongest predictor of exercise behaviour (Sherwood & Jeffery, 2000), it is also a pre-curser to self-motivation and self-esteem. Self-Motivation is what will give you that drive to be ripe and ready for your next training session. Whether it be at 5am before the birds are up, or 5pm after a tedious day at work. Self-motivation comes from within you, so you can see how it relates to self-efficiency. The bonus for you guys is that you will also have the extrinsic motivation that comes from being accountable to the PPT, personal trainers. And if you are attending Personal Training sessions also, this will be a great contributor to motivation.

Self-esteem is a feeling of worth that you are capable to succeed (Daly, Sindone, Thompson, Handcock, Chang & Davidson, 2002). Hopefully, you all feel worthy of success. If not I recommend making a list of a few things that you like about yourself and that you know others like about you too. Stand before a mirror each day and repeat affirmation statements that include these positive attributes. Make yourself believe that you are worthy of success.

Fortunately another determining factor of success is social support, and there is not shortage of that at PPT. We also have the private Facebook group set up for 12 week shift participants, so you can achieve a sense of community and support every step of the way. Outside of PPT it is also important for you to have the support of other people in your environment. This includes work colleges, friends and family. You should also know that individuals who join a fitness program with their spouse report a higher rate of exercise adherence; so get your significant other moving with you (Sherwood & Jeffery, 2000).

My final piece of advice is to have a relapse prevention plan (Knapp, 1988). This will help you to identify and plan for high-risk situations. Meaning situations in which you may feel you have lost control over your exercise or eating behaviours. This may include: an alarm malfunction causing you to miss an early morning training session, having to stay back at work, being tempted by the dessert buffet at an event, finding yourself without time to prepare meals for the following day etc. Whatever the scenario, stay positive, identify these high-risk situations and plan your coping strategy (time management, delegate tasks to others etc.). And remember you can always ask for tips and advice from your Personal Trainer or the other participants on our private Facebook group.

In conclusion, I leave you with a brief and simple tool kit for success:

1. Self-efficiency: A belief you have the capability to achieve your goals.
2. Self-Motivation & Self-Esteem: Invoke the motivation and confidence you need to succeed.
3. Social Support: Surround yourself with positive people that will support your goals. Let actions and comments from sabotages roll off your back.
4. Relapse Prevention: Identify and plan for high-risk situations.

I personally have positive expectations of the outcomes from the 12 week shift, and if my article was successful, then the expected outcomes that you have of your-self over the next 12 weeks will be too. And you can ‘see’ yourself differently already.

(Bandura, 1998)

Reference:

Bandura, A. (1998). Health promotion from the perspective of Social Cognitive Theory. Psychology and Health, 13, 623-649.

Buckworth, J. & Dishman, R. K. (2002). Theories of behavior change. In Exercise psychology (pp. 211-223). Champaign , Ill.: Human Kinetics. Wilkins.

Daly, J., Sindone, A.P., Thompson, D.R., Hancock, K. Chang, E., & Davidson, P. (2002). Barriers to participation in and adherence to cardiac rehabilitation programs: A critical literature review. Progress in Cardiovascular Nursing, 17, 8-17.

Knapp, D.N. (1988). Behavioral management techniques and exercise promotion. In R.K. Dishman (Ed.), Exercise adherence: It’s impact on public health (pp.203-235). ChampaignIL: Human Kinetics

Sherwood, N. E., & Jeffery, R. W. (2000). The behavioural determinants of exercise: implications for physical activity interventions. Annual Review of Nutrition, 20, 21-44.

Over the past 12 Weeks, our Shift clients have slogged it out over countless workouts, tracked and monitored their daily food intake, and as a consequence, achieved some AMAZING RESULTS!

Total Weight Loss (12 Weeks) – 179 kilograms!

Total Fat Loss (16 collected DEXA Scans) – 73.8 kilograms!

Average client calorie intake at Week 12 – 2130 calories per day! 

‘Moderation is the Secret to Survival’ Manly Hall

The 12 Week Shift was designed to show people not only what it takes to go that extra mile in training and nutrition, but to teach them how to do it in a way that suits any lifestyle. We focused on teaching our clients how to survive during social situations, and allow them to eat the foods they enjoy without attaching the moniker of ‘bad foods’ or ‘junk’.
80-90% of their nutritional targets were encouraged through healthy, nutritious foods, with a 10% buffer to include the things they love!

We spent a great deal of time encouraging clients to eat enough food to fuel their workouts. Some clients came to us with dietary records of less than 1200 calories per day, and finished with intakes in the 2000’s!
This formula for guilt-free consistency combined with training HARD on a REGULAR BASIS, was our secret weapon to achieving results on the 12 Week Shift!

With incredible difficulty, we’ve been able to lock down our winners. Everyone that completed the shift, deserves a public congratulations, not just for the fat loss and muscle gain results, but for their effort to build new training and nutrition habits that will stay with them, as they move onto their next goal! We have MANY impressive before and after photos on their way, but first we need to shine the spot light on a select few.

So without further adieu, our 12 Week Shift Winners……

1st Place – Elizabeth Latham
(Trainer: Mark Jordan)

Congratulations Liz, you’re now the recipient of a $500 cash prize. You’ve earn’t it!

We couldn’t decide how to split these two, so we just decided to give them both the second place prize. 

Equal 2nd Place – Melissa Bleeks and Linda Mataffa
(Trainers: Sean O’Shea and Mark Jordan)

Congrats ladies! You both receive a FREE 6 Week Cycle to our next Large Group Strongman sessions.

And last but certainly not least, our 3rd Place Winner

Sharon Eaglen
(Trainer: Sean O’Shea)

Sharon has won a $100 Voucher to PPT services or merchandise.

And that’s just the start! We had a great time during the 12 Week Shift. Many more comparison shots to come.

Looking forward to bring you all 12 Week Shift 2.0, September 2015!

Blog Post by PPT Trainer – Mary Elasi

Hands up if you have ever stood staring at the shelves in the grocery stores, confused, unsure and just down right unsure of which product to pick up?

At a guess, it probably happens 80% of the time you visit a grocery store, and perhaps that is a conservative estimate. From our point of view, clients are asking us daily about what they should be eating, and looking for guidance on how they can make better choices.

“Shopping the peripherals” principle aside, there are a few rules of thumb that you can apply when shopping that might help you decide which product to pick up off the shelf. Let’s be totally honest, even the best and cleanest eaters out there occasionally need to pick up something in a packet. Life is busy, and we like convenience and ease. So golden rule aside, lets look at a few other principles that will help. Even if you only apply a few of these when you visit the store next, you will improve the items in your shopping trolley

1. Read the ingredients

Ever noticed at how many dips, spreads, crisp breads & yoghurts there are on the shelf? These are all easy and convenient items that you can comfortably eat on a healthy eating plan, but how do you choose which is best? Try to pick the item that has the best ingredients. This can often mean the shortest and easily identifiable products. Using dips as an example, we recently compared a few brands of tzatsiki, and while the nutrition panel was pretty much identical, one brand had 4 ingredients, the others had 7 plus, including soy solids and thickeners. All the extra fluff, not needed. It’s primary purpose in the food item is to make the product cheaper to produce.

2. Read the nutrition panel

True food is more than just numbers, we’ve already established we want good ingredients, but getting your energy in Vs energy out balance right is crucial. Our recent 12 week shift with 60 odd clients has further cemented that approach for us at PPT. Those who had the most success were the clients who were the most consistent in hitting these numbers. When looking at this panel and comparing products, always compare like for like, ie the 100g column. Each manufacturer might have slightly different serving sizes or you personally might like a little more or less than there suggested serving size. Individual yoghurt packs for example range from 125g serves through to 170g, and then you have the large tubs now available up to 2kg. From here if you know your numbers for your macro count, think how this will impact on your daily intake. If that one cracker, sprinkled with seeds, nuts etc takes your daily fat intake to 70%, is it worth it?

3. Less processed option where possible

Plenty of products go through multiple steps before they become shelf ready. Don’t buy the fruit juice or fruit bar, buy the whole fruit. Nuts, these don’t need the roasting, honey or salt, just stick to the raw almond or cashew. Grains are another big opportunity for improvement, try to buy wholegrain products (rice, breads, crackers) these generally will give you more bang for your buck nutritionally.

4. Don’t believe the packet

Put down that “high in protein bar” and have a read of the nutrition panel. Many have more fats and carbs than protein. There are plenty out there that fall into this category and we are not here to name and shame. Always have your smarts on and remember marketers are in the business of selling product, simple.

5. Love what you eat

If you don’t like what you eat, then you have a problem. Just because something is touted as a superfood, healthy or whatever, it doesn’t mean you will like it. Don’t overcomplicate your healthy lifestyle, identify the good foods you like to eat and eat them. Try something new, but your groceries don’t need to be out of the health food isle only, sometimes these products are just cleverly marketed items. There are lots of ways to make healthy food taste good, herbs and spices are always a great place to start.

In a nutshell (and by this we mean raw nuts, not coated in honey), know get to know what you are eating, read nutrition panels and ingredients and don’t fall for the clever marketing traps.

By PPT Personal Trainer, Katie Corrigan

We all know exercise is good for us.

Fat loss, fitness, strength, self-esteem and all that come with it.

Though we often are so focused on accomplishing that 120kg back squat and fitting into that size 10 dress from last summer; we easily forget the bigger picture. We’re all getting older, and will one day experience all that comes with it!

As part of my Diploma in Fitness, I was required to attend a nursing home once a week to assist with rehabilitation exercise programs.

During my 6 month stint, there are a couple of things I learnt:

1)   I would do everything in my power to delay my time in a facility like that.

2)   I was completely underappreciating my current health.

Just about every resident was on medication for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and type II diabetes.

Point 1: ‘I would do everything in my power to delay my time in a facility like that.’

All the residents were completely dependent on external care. The biggest motivator for them was trying to gain some sort of independence. If they can get stronger in a sit to stand, they could assist the care team and possibly be able to get out of bed on their own. How goals change huh!

I often asked the residents what they did at my age, and a lot of the time for the females it was “look after the home”. Exercise wasn’t a norm in the past, but I often wondered, what if they were at the gym doing their Tuesday night Modified Strongman, PT twice a week and of course, Saturday morning MSM? Would they be so dependent, therefore suffering depression because of this dependence on the ‘care team’?

There are certain diseases that unfortunately no matter how you look after yourself, (Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s etc.) may just get the better of you (which by the way, there is no studies that show exercise will induce these, I dare say as science progresses will show exercise as a preventative). But conditions like Type II diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol are completely avoidable/manageable with exercise!

Looks like independence won’t be an issue for this young lady for some time!

Point 2: ‘I was completely underappreciating my current health.’  

I was so focused on achieving a heavy back squat, a 4minute km run, (and if you’ve seen the goals board at PPT) a 60kg clean and jerk, I forgot to think about why! I want to be functionally fit and healthy.

Training is a privilege, I am grateful for all that my body does for me. I will repay it by working it hard, pushing it to it’s limits and getting that 120kg back squat. Exercising now, while fit, healthy and capable will repay me ten-fold in the future.

Though thinking about getting old is a tad depressing, it is a fact of life that unfortunately is unavoidable. The goals never stop………..they just change.

Oh, I forgot a third point of ‘what I learnt’. My favorite resident Violet (92 years young), when I asked, “Vi, what’s the secret?”  She replied with“ Wake up every morning and smile”.

We’re often misled as to what quantifies a quality squat.

You see countless individuals in a gym loading the bar with just enough weight to make the bar bend and performing their said number of reps and sets, moving from point A to B, this often being no real range at all, all the while grunting and straining with every ounce of strength they possess. The squat may look horribly painful, but hey it was impressive weight!

Or other gym frequenters drew into group classes performing countless repetitions for long durations until pain and exhaustion set in with limited to zero focus on depth or tempo. Using the same weight since they started the class 3 years ago.

So who will progress their squats, and why or how will they judge this improvement?

All jokes aside, it’s important to remember any form of exercise should be encouraged, and we all have to start somewhere. With a population encountering an increasing obesity epidemic, making any kind of attempt to train should be applauded! That being said, attempting to better oneself each and every time you set foot in the gym is a guaranteed way to experience progress!

The ability to squat and squat well does not just happen for everyone. For some it takes years and countless sessions practising and perfecting it. First, the individual must critique their technique through the keen eye of a good personal trainer, or ask a friend to film it then watch it back and criticize until perfect.

Once faults have been established it is important to then focus on strengthening them. Whether this occurs through a weakness or poor mobility it needs be addressed. Sometimes through simply adding small changes to your program, or in some cases, a step back to focus on and target a significant issue as you may not be ready to squat.

A mistake made by most trainees is assuming that big complicated movements are just a simple natural progression. Assuming that once you have been in the gym a few times, you are now qualified to perform these movements as well as give advice. You need to earn it!

Some common indicators of poor biomechanics/weaknesses when squatting are as follows:

• Hips sit back with whilst the torso is driven forward.
• Often a limitation affecting a lot of females is the knees collapsing in when descending or ascending.
• Limited forward movement at the ankle joint.
• Lower back tucks at bottom of the movement and back is rounded.

This is merely a few of a handful of biomechanical observations limiting squatting capabilities. Identifying issues like these is something that we often do during our initial structural balance assessments at PPT, and will often do as part of our new small group Modified Strongman sessions.

Proper depth in a front squat

So what can you do to improve your squat?? Firstly you can seek the aid of a quality personal trainer, or a few things you could try yourself.

Tip #1.

Before squatting achieve a basic level of strength and balance. In order to perform optimally, you require a sound level of structural balance. Try adding various types split squats and step-ups to your program before squatting.

Tip #2.

Squat with a full ROM (range of motion), hamstrings to calves.

If you are unable to perform a squat with a full ROM you need to identify why. Sometimes its as simple as slightly raising the heels with a weight plate and seeing if this improves your squat. If it does you need simply stretch your calves!

Tip #3.

Start small and slowly build.

Once you have mastered the ability to squat well does not mean you have mastered the ability to add 10kg to your squat every week! Record your results, plan your progression and make it slow and deliberate. Progression will happen naturally, but not if you sacrifice quality for quantity. This will lead to imbalances and weaknesses stalling your results and bringing you back to square one.

Good luck & Train hard

#NoBSJustResults

By Former PPT Personal Trainer, Mark Jordan

When should you use forced reps in training?

This is probably one of the most overused, overload methods we see in a gym. People training we’ll beyond the point of muscular failure by having their training partner or trainer ‘help’ them force out additional reps through the use of a spot.

Training this way might not only be making you look like a tool in the gym, it could be impeding on your overall results! Remember, when training with weights you should be focusing, and targeting the intended muscle groups. Once that muscle group has fatigued, advanced trainees will be able to push a little further while keeping that focus. But most people will not!

Here’s a practical guide to using forced reps over a 4 week program. Of course, this would depend on the training goal, client experience, and exercise choice. But it’s a start.

Week 1:

Train to technical failure. You will still need to fail, but your reps should look pretty solid. NO FORCED REPS!

Week 2:

Train to failure, with the last rep or two showing slight signs of technical breakdown. STILL NO FORCED REPS!

Week 3:

Train to failure, and have your partner help you push out 1 additional forced reps. Note: you should still be doing the work, they just assist through the sticking point.

Week 4:

Use the same approach as week 3 but add 1 more forced rep. Again, you should still be doing a huge majority of the work. They are just assisting through the tougher point of the lift.

Good luck.