A couple of weeks back I’d been at the ‘pick your own’ raspberry field just off the the ring road when I saw a lady broken down at the side of the road. I went over and enquired if everything was OK. And what I learned from the encounter taught me a valuable lesson about […]
This little circuit’s another good way to end a workout (you can find out more about workout ‘finishers’ here). For this I completed 10 repetitions of each exercise with minimal rest. then 8 reps of each, then 6, then 4, and finally 2 reps of each. Dropping 2 repetitions each time somehow makes it motivating […]
When I first moved to Leeds in 2003 my lifestyle was VERY different. My days started around 11am and routinely ended around 3 or 4 in the morning (I was into music, which meant either nights out or late nights playing around in the studio). As you can imagine I felt tired pretty much all […]
An intermediate progression on from the plank – essential for developing a firmer core! – Begin in a push up position with hands directly below shoulders – Walk your hands out, keeping your hips still – imagine you’ve got a glass of water on your back that you don’t want to spill – When you’ve […]
We know exercise can get a little samey. And we also know that music can help keep us going during a workout (or at least distract from the strain!). So this weekend we’re holding a test run for a new workout idea we’ve been working on. I’ve put together a varied workout for the session, […]
7 years ago I got a phone call that changed my life. I answered my phone, expecting the usual catch up with my mum. But ‘usual’ couldn’t be further from the truth. She broke the news that my dad was in hospital after suffering a stroke. He was only 54, so this was totally unexpected. […]
Doing the plank for firmer abs can get pretty boring. And once you can hold for a minute it means you’re ready for something a little more challenging to take your abs to the next level. So today’s exercise of the week is a challenging progression – the plank row! Level: Advanced Areas worked: Core, […]
Ok, Ok, we get it. We’re supposed to sit straight – especially when working for long periods. And we know that if we don’t, we can expect a whole load of aches and pains . The problem is it’s just more comfortable to slouch, at least in the short term. And when we’re engrossed in […]
At the gym we finish workouts with something called a ‘finisher’ (OK, so we ran out of creative names). Basically it’s an exercise or group of exercises that get the heart rate up, burn some calories and tend to be more fun and engaging than using cardio machines. If you’re up for mixing up your […]
Pain’s frustrating. At best it’s a minor niggle. But left unchecked it can put a stop to us staying in shape or playing the sport we love. When it comes to resolving pain I’m yet to find someone more knowledgeable (and more in demand!) than Dr Martyn B Speight. He’s a musculoskeletal & sports physician […]
