About the Author

Geoff Herridge, 50, has had thirty years’ experience in the fitness and health field. He has held a black belt and been an instructor in Tae Kwon Do and has conducted his own training programs in self-defence and fitness.

He has qualifications in strength training and fitness, and currently conducts strength-training classes. 

Also by Geoff Herridge, 6 Habits for Relationship Success – A Western Experience for a Modern Indian Society.

Introduction

‘I would like to get fitter as I find it difficult to climb stairs.’

‘I find it difficult to play with my kids as I tire too quickly or don’t have the energy in the first place.’

‘I lose weight but I then gain it very quickly again.’

‘I find that over the years I have lost a lot of strength.’

‘My posture is bad and I have started to get aching joints – I think I might be developing arthritis.’

The fitness and health industry suffers no shortage of good and not so good advice – the last ten years or so have seen particularly rich offerings of new diets and methods of improving our health.

Many of us have undertaken various different types of exercise programs over the years, all with varying degrees of success and levels of commitment. All programs emphasise different aspects of fitness, whether it be aerobic fitness such as stamina, endurance and speed, or strength training that may involve light weights, heavy weights, weight training to music or circuit classes. Couple this with diets and it is not surprising we become confused with what is the best and most efficient way to train or exercise to reach the level of fitness and health we desire.

Like future technology, which tries to stay simple, exercise needs to avoid the seduction of being too complicated or fancy. We also need to examine what has prevented us from moving to the next level of health and fitness; this applies equally to the beginner and the experienced. Through this we understand what we want to accomplish, how we want to achieve it and by when.

What I hope to achieve in this book is to introduce you to two simple concepts that will allow you to burn up energy efficiently, become stronger and improve your fitness. These two concepts are:

·         Build up muscle

·         Exercise these muscles

These two concepts are not new, however I undertake a program of exercise that emphasises the most efficient method of building up the required muscle and then exercising this muscle to burn the calories. Remember: the heart is also a muscle and will strengthen through appropriate exercise.

By exercising to fulfil these two principles, most of the above problems can be alleviated or reduced. Leaner body tissue means greater work can be undertaken for less effort, there is less toxic waste floating around the body through reduced fat and we can save ourselves a lot of time by exercising this lean tissue efficiently.

As we become fitter and healthier and learn and understand exercise principles, we are more self-reliant. I mean this in two ways:

·         We are less dependent on medical intervention to cure our ills resulting from an unhealthy disposition. We take preventative measures to ensure we are responsible for our health.

·         As our understanding of health and fitness increases, ownership of our own tailor-made program becomes possible and more desirable. In always looking for improvements and keeping abreast of new research and techniques, we can innovate so we do not become bored or stale. We reach a standard and then we want to improve on this – we keep moving the line forward as we step up.

This book will show you a method of maximising your muscle and fitness gains in the shortest time possible. I have included a discussion on the different energy systems, some thoughts on why we do or do not exercise, nutrition and injury prevention and rehabilitation. These latter aspects are also important. They require consideration and hopefully provide you with some background information to this exercise program. They should be considered as an integral part of our overall fitness and health regime and should not be neglected. I have presented the tools here for you to learn as much about your fitness options as possible. All facets of fitness and health have been integrated into one document and the method suggested throughout the book allows for your exercise preferences. This integration of the separate components (cardio, strength, nutrition and flexibility) into our exercise program is very important.

The program in this book also presents a structure to follow. The importance of this is we all struggle at times if we do not function or live in some kind of structure. I know my children appreciate (unconsciously) structure and boundaries in their lives. In our work environment, we are all conscious of what is expected of us. Policies and guidelines dictate our day-to-day activities and job descriptions and perhaps hours of work guide how and when to work. Having some form of routine also helps us get things done, as we develop habits based on this routine. The program I follow, with examples provided in this book, guides me on what to do and when to do it. I vary it, however, I do not need to regularly think about how to exercise or what I am going to do. I work broadly within the structure I have outlined. Using this structure along with some discipline and goals, we are on our way to better health and fitness.

I hope you will also become a more informed exercise practitioner, with a greater ability to manage your own health and well-being. Hopefully your perceptions of fitness and exercise can be shaken and stirred – I outline what could be done, while your focus is on what should be done.

Chapter 1 (part sample)
Setting the Scene

Introduction

People are enjoying greater longevity due to a number of factors including improved medical science. At present the approximate life expectancy in developed countries for females is 74 years and 71 years for males. However while the population can generally expect to live longer, a disturbing trend has emerged over the past ten to twenty years – increased obesity. If present trends are to be used as a yardstick, it has been estimated that by the year 2020 nearly everyone will be overweight. In fact, it is now ‘normal’ to be overweight, with approximately 67% of adult males and 55% of adult females in the developed world carrying excess weight to varying degrees.

Some of the more popular excuses for not exercising include fatigue, something else coming up, not being bothered or the weather being poor. A recent survey indicated that about 40% of people said the main barrier to achieving a healthy lifestyle was they did not know where to start or what to do.

One of the hardest things for people is to be able to stop and fix themselves. The above reasons for not pursuing a healthy lifestyle indicate it is not a priority for many. We check the water, oil and tyre pressure on our car and take preventative measures to make sure it keeps performing for us. We mow the lawn, weed and feed it and take pride in our garden’s appearance. It should be the same for us.

While many years of research have pointed to a number of possible solutions to obesity and general health problems, there is no evidence yet that modern medicine will provide the answer to a problem that is perhaps too complex for any single discipline. And the solutions to date do not appear very successful and therefore alternative ways of approaching the problem are required.

Every day there are new methods and new discoveries in science helping us to understand more the effects that different training methods, exercise and diets can have on us. In the past, the prescription was proper eating, enough rest and lots and lots of hard work. With more sophisticated measuring devices and equipment, the optimal training program draws upon a more holistic approach. A whole new range of training methods and techniques encompasses such areas as speed, power strength, endurance and agility development. Every conference or seminar on fitness and health I go to provides something different and promises better ways to train and exercise. Professional athletes and sportspeople train differently than they did 30 years ago. Their body shape has also changed, as research discovers more optimal sizes and shapes in which to compete, based on the nature of the event or competition. Notice the difference between the physiques of 100-metre runners of 50 years ago with those of today (leaving aside the issue of steroids). Golfers are taking more note of the need to be physically fit and strong.

This is natural and certainly not a phenomenon unique to exercise and health. New management techniques, new ways to construct houses and buildings, improvements to cars, new ways to measure global warming and predict changes over the next 50-100 years are forever changing the way we live now and the shape of the future for our children.

In looking at all this information, whether it be fitness and health or some of the other areas I mentioned above, people generally want to know the quickest, most effective or efficient and safest way to conduct their lives. With respect to exercise and health there is no one best exercise or training technique, as everyone has different goals, levels of discipline and other individual factors. We all enjoy different ways of becoming fit – some of us prefer to train in or around our home, others in a gym. Others can only become motivated when playing games in a team and some of us love running or walking and have not ridden a bike for years. In all, it is a complex discipline to gain a handle on and one reason that people find it difficult to decide what to do to become fit and maintain this fitness. It is also why it is even more difficult for health authorities to prescribe solutions to the growing obesity and health crises.

It is acknowledged that as we age most of us put on weight and our general physical appearance and often our health suffer. So over the years there can be some significant physical changes. This applies equally to women as to men. As people age, there is the inevitable loss of some vitality, energy and physical attractiveness. However, with an appropriate exercise regime and general healthy living there is no reason why the biological clock cannot be slowed down. Apart from financial concerns, people over 50 see the ageing process as a major issue in their lives. It’s never too late to start – it helps if we have the attitude we want to get better, not older. I have noticed that as I maintain my fitness level and body shape, there is a widening gap in physical profile and energy levels between me and my peers who do not participate in any activities. Age should not be a barrier, but rather an incentive to become fit and healthy.

If you have a body, you are an athlete

- Nike

Taking care of ourselves is one area where we all have the ability to undertake almost immediate improvements. They are tangible, can have a dramatic effect and do provide the incentive to continue along this path. If your lifestyle at this moment is a little routine, you are perhaps not at your best and you would like to somehow give things a shake, then some suggestions in this book could be a starting point for possible changes.

Making an effort to adopt a healthy lifestyle and taking pride in our appearance is one way to improving self-respect. Deep down we all desire to be physically attractive (for most people, first impressions of another are of their physical presence/appearance) and that is one reason many people are, or have been, on diets. How we perceive our bodies and health, whether we are comfortable with the way we look (and feel) is an individual issue, and I am not advocating fat is bad and thin is good. We all have different perceptions of what we consider attractive and healthy looking and, unfortunately, we often look towards celebrities and high profile people as a guide. We also have different ideas as to what level we want to achieve in fitness and health – some people are quite happy to stay where they are now, as long as they can carry out their day-to-day tasks and comfortably interact physically with their children. As a parent with three active teenage children, I can attest to the advantages of being physically fit.

However, I know many people who are self-conscious about being seen in a swimsuit, for example. Few people, particularly women, are happy about the way they look in the mirror. Generally, women see their bodies in terms of physical attractiveness, while men are more concerned with physical fitness and strength. Perhaps, unfortunately, body attractiveness is highly valued and has an important impact on many individuals’ physical self-worth and this self-worth can affect our self-respect. It can therefore have a very powerful effect on us. Chronological age often differs from perceived age. People 50 years and over generally see themselves as 10 to 15 years younger than what their driver’s licence tells them. I guess we all kid ourselves a bit, so while we may not look or feel particularly great, we often believe we are younger than our last birthday.

That said, it is important we avoid an unhealthy obsession with our body and appearance. We should be aware that the so-called ideal shape paraded before us on television and in magazines is unrealistic because we all vary in body shape, size and genetic make-up – it’s a paradox that the ‘healthy’ images we see are often the result of unhealthy and extreme living. And how many times have we seen the movie star or model looking great one week, pictured as anorexic or overweight the next and then advocating a fabulous diet that has helped them get back into shape. We therefore need to be careful what we take note of in the media.

Having a realistic appreciation of ourselves and following a healthy lifestyle can improve our self-confidence. More importantly, improving our health also increases our energy levels and generally helps us perform better in most physical tasks, assisting us in fighting illness and in the ageing process. With this increased vitality comes a greater feeling of being sensuous. It’s okay to feel sexy and sexual desire is often stronger when we are in good physical shape – and it certainly makes us feel more comfortable and confident within ourselves. So there are very good reasons, apart from vanity, for taking care of our bodies.

Having an understanding of both the physical and mental aspects of looking after ourselves is half the battle and puts us in good stead to progress.

Ageing

As we age, the following changes often occur to varying degrees:

·         Lean muscle tissue decreases – strength decreases resulting in posture and joint problems, reduced ability/capacity to undertake tasks.

·         Fat deposits increase – cardio vascular disease, diabetes and other lifestyle conditions increase.

·         Body shape changes result from the above, with males commonly depositing fat around the abdomen and females depositing around their hips.

·         Metabolism decreases – increase in fat build-up.

·         Aerobic capacity decreases – less inclination to exercise or maintain exercise.

·         Muscular/skeletal system wears down – mobility becomes affected, arthritis and other joint problems increase.

·         Flexibility decreases – stiffness and less mobility in the joints.

Not a pretty picture, but we all have to face it – how we deal with and manage it, is what counts. As we age and our fitness levels reduce so, in general, do our energy levels. Our skeletal system weakens and joints start to wear, yet for most of us our weight increases as we get older. This places additional stress on an already weakening structural system, so we are compounding the effect. The less muscle we have the less energy expenditure our bodies will experience and the less support our frame receives.

As we grow older, we lose approximately eight to 10cm of lower back and hip flexibility. Restriction in our movement becomes more pronounced and eventually our independence becomes increasingly less sure. In terms of our bone structure, there is a decrease in the calcium content of our bones, which deteriorate to the point that breakages become more common. The calcium that we lose from our bones can start as young as 30 years of age and for women this loss in calcium increases for approximately five years around menopause. We often see older people with deteriorating backs, which cause them to stoop.

As a result of the above, people move less and it takes a great effort to start and maintain a healthy lifestyle program. It is not surprising that as we age our metabolism reduces – it is easy to say old age is the culprit and while it is certainly a factor, we can help to preserve or improve our metabolic rate. Our lifestyle is often the main reason. In terms of maximum oxygen intake, muscle strength and flexibility, a very well preserved, fit and strong 65-year-old person can out-perform an unfit 25 year old. We should therefore be concentrating on our biological age rather than our chronological age, so our good health is preserved until a very old age. Some research has shown activity levels in middle age will be a good indicator of the level of dependency in the later years. Exercise should be seen as one of the highest priorities for a weight management and anti-ageing program. We can help stave off old age to the extent that it is not impossible to reduce our biological age by as much as 20 years. So for an 80 year old to feel like a healthy 60 year old is a great and realistic achievement.

Strength usually peaks around 25 years of age, levels out at 40 years of age and then shows a decline. Most of the changes are experienced in the legs before the arms, due to the loss of mobility. This loss of strength influences everyday living and little things such as carrying groceries become a major restriction on lifestyle. I commenced the weight training and exercise program outlined in this book about nine years ago (at age 40). It took me only six to eight weeks to add an additional muscle mass of between five to eight kilos. While I had been undertaking some weight training before that time, the program was not particularly effective in terms of time and results. So it is possible for anyone commencing this strength-training program to replace, in a very short time, any muscle lost over the years. It is an important point to remember and one I hope you find exciting and inspiring.

While restoring lost muscle, strength training can also protect us against a large range of chronic diseases, ailments and conditions that become more common as we age.

The Reasons

There have been many theories and studies undertaken to explain why, with advances in science and increased availability and knowledge of appropriate nutrition and the benefits of exercise, the population is continuing to gain weight. In fact, most people are generally eating less fat than their parents due in part to better food labelling and education. One major cause would appear to be that people are less mobile than the previous generation. This can partly be explained by the gradual introduction of labour-saving devices such as remote control gadgets and email and the greater use of televisions and computers as a source of ‘recreation’ and entertainment. In particular, young people today have fallen under the spell of the latter, with an alarming increase in obesity levels of young people. People are moving less!

Further, the additional workload being expected of people and the general hectic lifestyle being led by many has meant exercise has taken a back seat. Most people become overweight because they are following a certain lifestyle. Unlike people who exercise and eat well, those who are unfit and overweight may sit behind a desk, eat a big lunch and then come home and sit in front of the television or computer.

Unfortunately, our genes can also play a part in making us susceptible to weight gain. Some people, particularly the morbidly obese, may have genes that predispose them to a weight problem no matter what environment they are in. Our bodies can be kept efficiently at a particular fat level – what is called the ‘set point’. If someone loses weight, that person’s body will usually go through a metabolic change. This means their energy expenditure may drop to a lower level than it is used to and the body slows down to counteract the weight they have lost. Therefore, they may have a constant battle keeping off the weight they successfully lost during their diet. Therefore dieting alone may not be enough if a person is prone to a reduction in their energy expenditure. Exercise to boost our metabolic rate is one answer to keep energy expenditure at a reasonable constant level, or as a means to increase it. However, even regular exercise may not be sufficient to counteract this drop in metabolism if the exercise is not vigorous enough.

The Consequences

The general population is living longer but it is also falling prey to illnesses (such as diabetes and heart disease) and conditions (arthritis and other joint complaints) in increasing numbers. The population therefore has longer to live with these conditions, affecting lifestyle and lifestyle choice. The national health bill for an increasing number of aged people who are also not particularly healthy is staggering and will only get worse as the ageing population increases and fitness levels fall. Most countries are faced with an increasingly stretched public health and hospital system resulting in delays in surgery. The opportunities for many of us to receive corrective treatment are not as easy as they were twenty years ago. There are therefore plenty of reasons reminding us of the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.

As our bodies grow bigger, the fat cells increase in size. Science has shown that these fat cells become like an endocrine organ that secretes chemicals and hormones. These hormones are required to assist in balancing the body’s energy. However when these fat cells secrete larger than normal amounts they can start to affect the body’s organs. Some signalling compounds made by fat cells include, for example, the insulin message. Fat moving into the bloodstream can dampen the insulin message, meaning that the body must make up the difference by producing more insulin – we can become overly sensitive to insulin and Type 2 Diabetes may develop. Other problems can occur when the fat cells produce proteins causing inflammation. The effect on the body of fat cells is still being studied and there may be more surprises coming out of this research. In a nutshell, it appears there are some unpleasant and previously unknown implications for having an overabundance of fat cells in the body. It is not as simple as providing a trigger for cardio vascular disease – that is only part of the picture.

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