This year One80 trainers and clients have decided to work together on their end of year charity drive. The clients are sponsoring the trainers per kilometer they run. All funds raised are going to Heavens Nest Children’s Home in Ottery.

Heaven’s Nest cares for children who have been legally declared in need of care. They provide emergency care for children in Cape Town who have been neglected, abused or abandoned including HIV positive children and children with AIDS. The children stay in the home for as long as it takes for them to be re-integrated with their families, or to find foster or adoptive parents. The home depends entirely on donations to provide these services to children in need.

The home is run by Elenor Bester who not only provides excellent care and love for these children but also keeps well documented records of all funds and donations that come into the home and where they are spent for all those who are looking for a good cause with open door and book policies then Heaven’s Nest if the charity you are looking for. They are open to all donations not only funding but clothes, blankets, groceries etc.

Candice Hammond of One80 has been involved with the home for over 5 years and anyone wanting more information or wanting to get involved with them can chat to her directly.

If you would like to sponsor a trainer then please contact Candice on 021 421 4617 or 083 302 3588 alternatively email Candice@one80.co.za

So I’m sure a few of you have been intrigued by the hash tags #thinby30 or #road2elite. This blog serves to clear up any confusion and to shed some first-hand feedback of the ‘journey’ thus far. I have always backed my ability to transform and bring out peoples innate abilities, but would I be able to make Keri Miller the A-list celebrity that her vibrant personality so obviously commanded… or further still would I be able to unleash the J-Lo within, waiting to burst out into song from a Miss Stacey Norman?! The proof is in the pudding – well in this case, the lack there of! I will be keeping you up to date with the THIN BY THIRTY journey and you can be the judge!

Before any program it is essential to set your desired goals. These have to be SMART (specific, measureable, attainable, reward-based and time frame). It is also essential to understand that a fitness program or regime is not a 4 or 12 week cycle, but rather a lifestyle choice. That is why I always accompany the assessment feedback with a Motivation for Continued Progression  article. After much laughter and a few ‘eeeks’ – Keri and Stacey’s goals were set in stone (only to be changed when I surpass their initial wishes). Flat stomach – tick, Stop smoking – tick, Goal weight – tick, Look like J-Lo…. Does better count???  

Here is a month 1 recap from Keri Miller

My name is Keri Miller, since I can remember I’ve struggled with my weight. It seems that my last 29 years have been filled with yo-yo diets, exercise fads and recently, spanx!

Women are prone to body issues, and I’m not exempt from this rule. In September this year I came to the realisation that I was going to be 30 in April. And I have gone through my youth, thus far, unhappy with my weight and uncomfortable in my clothes.

I had had enough. I roped in my friend, Stacey, and together we began our fitness challenge.

I have called my challenge: “ THIN BY 30”. This is my story… so far

It’s been 4 whole weeks since I first stepped into 180 Training. And in just 4 weeks, I have literally seen my life and body change.

I met Chris Seymour, and the dreaded kettlebell in the beginning of October this year. I sat down with Chris and before I knew it we were in a back room, I was on a scale, and he had callipers pinching my tummy fat. I wanted to die. Here’s this 8 packed machine of a man, literally playing with my fat. I was told that my body fat percentage was 34.87!! I was horrified. Surely not! Had I let myself go this much? Without a glance of judgment, or a negative word,  Chris took me back onto the gym floor and I had my first gym session there and then.

This is where I met the dreaded kettlebell, which I now refer to as the kettleb*tch. (But I’ll keep it clean for the purpose of this piece).  That was day 1.

On day 2 of my Thin By 30 adventure, I woke up more sore than I have ever been, ever! “How is it even possible?”, I thought to myself. I only did 30mins of gym yesterday. Two thoughts crossed my mind 1)How was I going to manage this? Was it going to be another fad I would quit after a week? And 2) wow, this guy is good! 30 mins and he hit all my muscle groups. Impressive.

I pushed myself, getting myself to the gym as often as I could. Once there, training was actually a pleasure, surprisingly. I started to love the group classes, k-blitz (kettlebells) and core-rectional (core training) became my Tuesday regular. Every other day I would train with Chris and he has this cool way of getting you to push yourself harder than you thought possible, 5 squats became 15, 2 push ups became 20, and the kettlebell was sworn at a little less each day.

In my second week, I stumbled upon the boxing class, and have found my new love. I can honestly say I have never enjoyed exercise as much as I do when I get to throw punches at the same man who makes me squat while holding a kettlebell. By now I think I can see a difference in my clothes but I don’t want to get my hopes up.

Week three arrives faster than I thought it would have, I haven’t missed a day and so far, so good. By the third week I can already feel my fitness levels have increased and as much as I’m not actually on a diet, I see how my eating has changed. My body is craving good foods and LOTS of water. I’m still too scared to go near a scale.

Week 4 arrives. I’m so nervous this week, it’s my first assessment on Friday. I know I’ve been training hard but it is hard enough? More than anything, I want this to be a new way of life for me, not a fad. I have never been in a gym environment in the past that was this positive and enjoyable. And I can promise you this much, I HAVE NEVER BEEN ONE WHO LIKED TO GO TO GYM. In fact, I could use the word, despise, when referring to most forms of exercise.

Assessment Friday finally arrived, and my nerves are just going off the wall. Chris has called me into the room to get my ‘fat’ assessed…. *holds breath*…

Keri, he says, Well Done.

you have lost…

7.71% BODY FAT!!!!!!

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah…. I’m so happy I don’t even know what to say. I cannot believe that THIS has happened in just 4 weeks.

This weekend was one of the best weekends I have had in a  very long time. I am so proud of myself. And so incredible thankful to Chris and his team. But we still have a long road ahead of us… another 4 weeks and it’ll be assessment Friday no 2.

Hold thumbs (and kettlebells) for me…

Stacey’s month 1 recap to follow!

It seems to be a very misunderstood fact that the body actually utilizes a series of connective tissues to perform everyday physical duties. Again I note the words, series and connective. The body isn’t designed to perform isolated exercise. Isolation of particular muscle groups is a fantastic way to increase hypertrophy (muscular growth) and strength in a particular region. The faults show however in isolated training systems where an uneven break up of load over a prolonged period of time can lead to imbalances within the network, resulting in injury.

Simply put, the body is designed to complete tasks using multiple joint movements and work across movement plans. For example, a leg extension, isolating the Quadriceps and knee joint to perform a bend to straighten action is not a movement that the body conducts on a day to day basis, it isolates the muscle in a way that is irregular and foreign to typical movement patterns, not to mention the added pressure of the load on the knee joint itself once the leg has been extended fully and God forbid, knee locked out.

The advantages of multi-planar movements are quite simple and straight forward especially when performed in a controlled and supervised environment.

Performing exercises designed and based upon progressions of basic human movement patterns. (Squat, Deadlift, push, pull, rotate, lunge) can significantly improve performance in day to day tasks and chores. Think about the last time you saw a machine based exercise that could assist someone to better climb in and out of their car, peculiar example, or extremely relevant?

Multi-planar movements simple and straight forward allow the body to utilize the connective systems that have been put in place for better functionality. Will it help you to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger? No. But how often do you see a fully functionally body builder that can run, jump, twist, dodge, skip, throw or tackle comfortably or at all.

Surely it should be desired to not only get into great shape and look good but to also be able to perform tasks at a higher more effective level.

Statistically full body multi-planar systems when used effectively can:

• Burn up to 10% more fat than isolated systems, even more so when utilizing HIIT (High intensity interval training)
• Boost testosterone and growth hormone levels while training.  (This is effective, since the body’s main hormone for hypertrophy is testosterone. Both testosterone and Somatotropic growth hormone are major contributors to the fat loss process)
• Less opportunity for imbalances to occur as multiple muscles are being utilized to move specific loads evenly
• Less opportunity for joint damage due to overloading
• Increased Core stability
• Improve cardiovascular responses during weights sessions, less requirement to split weights and cardio sessions.
• Perform everyday tasks at a higher level than before.
• It really is genuinely fun.  It’s easier to maintain concentration through a session when it is enjoyable and stimulating throughout.

When asked the question, “Do you include weight/resistance training in your training regime?” So many people have the same ridiculous answer, “No, I don’t want to bulk up!” To best understand the benefits of strength training, it is important to understand the science behind  the  process!

Strength training is exercise that uses resistance to strengthen and condition the musculoskeletal system. This in turn improves your muscle tone and muscle endurance. Now, before you attempt to push your car to work (or carry it), base conditioning is important to reduce the risk of injury and long term damage. We can improve our strength in various ways, but most common are: weightlifting and resistance training. These you will find are a lot safer than pushing/carrying your car to work (traffic is so hectic nowadays)!

Now that you better understand what strength training is, it is important to grasp the physiological benefits. Physiologically the benefits of consistent strength training include:

• An increase in Lean Muscle
• An increase in Muscle Tone
• An increase in Muscle Strength
• An increase in Tendon Strength
• An increase in Ligament Strength
• An increase in Bone Density and Strength
• Improved Physiological Health
• Increased Self Esteem and Confidence

So, we have established that Strength Training improves your physical appearance and performance. In essence the muscles use energy to produce movement, functioning as the engine of the body. The increased size in your lean muscle, new found strength and endurance will have a direct affect on improving daily function (work, sport and general activity). Another benefit of a good strength program is the effect on your body composition and overall appearance – this in turn has a direct influence on your self esteem and confidence. Learning NOT to use the scale (weight lost) as a measure of RESULTS and rather looking at the change in the body’s composition is essential! To explain using an example, I have taken one of my clients results over a 10 Month period (below). You will see that initially her weight actually increased, but her body fat and fat mass decreased.

Even though she picked up 0.2Kg’s (on the scale) during her first month of training, her body fat had decreased, her strength, muscle tone and metabolism had improved – giving her a leaner, fitter appearance. This is a clear indication that ‘weight on the scale’ is not an indication of TRUE RESULTS!

It is now clearly evident that a gain in lean muscle improves our physical appearance and performance. This being said, a loss in muscle (atrophy) can hamper your appearance and performance. Research indicates that people not engaged in a strength training regime – lose roughly 3kg’s of muscle per year after the age of 30! What makes matters worse is – for every 3kg’s of muscle lost, there is a direct reduction in your basal metabolic rate (BMR) of 0.5% per year! The reduction in our BMR means that our bodies are less efficient at using the food we consume for energy, it is thus stored as body fat.  BMR is the amount of energy that the body needs at rest to perform and maintain normal body functions. An increase in lean muscle will in turn increase your BMR (due to the high energy demands of your muscle), therefore you can condition your metabolism to speed up and work more efficiently even when you are at rest!

 Estimating your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)

• Age: years
• Height: cm
• Weight: kg

• Male = 66+(5xheight(cm)) + (13.7xweight(kg)) – (6.8xage(years))
• Female = 655+(1.7xheight(cm)) + (9.6xweight(kg)) – (4.7xage(years))

Note that an increase in lean muscle causes an increase in your metabolic rate. Conversely, a decrease in lean muscle will cause a decrease in your metabolic rate. Bearing this in mind – if you are interested in REDUCING YOUR BODY FAT, REDUCING THE RISK OF DISEASE, increasing physical performance and improving your physical appearance, you should engage in a strength training program to help condition your BMR! Don’t be fooled into thinking that cardiovascular exercise and diets are enough –  sure you will lose weight on the scale, some of which is fat, but most of which is unfortunately muscle! No need for me to reiterate the IMPORTANCE OF LEAN MUSCLE! For the most effective, time saving, intense cardiovascular and strength workout, I recommend KETTLEBELL training. This is a great way to improve overall condition, vaporize body fat and demand new strength.

The list of benefits associated with strength training are clearly evident, and who knows… after you have developed this new found strength, perhaps then you will be able to push the car to work!

There are various arguments that have arisen over the origin of the Kettlebell, with both the Scots and the Russians making a vocal claim to developing them. The most plausible reason for their existence is that they were used as counter weights to measure grain and other foods in the market.

During these times, it was thought that a test of ones strength was how heavy they could lift one of these predetermined weights (Kettlebells) above their heads. As famous lifters of the time started to use dumbbells for developing muscle as well as testing strength, the benefits of kettlebells got left behind!

In recent years the Russians have taken Kettlebell training and developed it into a highly technical and extremely demanding sport. Below I have listed 6 reasons why Kettlebell Training is ~ELITE!

1. It is a FULL BODY WORKOUT

The Kettlebell basics focus around 3 core lifts, namely: the swing, the snatch and the clean and press. What links all these drills together is that force the body to work as an integral unit. Power is generated through the legs, driven through the hips and expressed through the arms. Every muscle is brought into play, every muscle is made to work hard! A study in a university in Wisconsin in the USA showed that more calories were burnt during 1 minute of Kettlebells snatching than a minute of running (at a speed of 16km/h). Given the fact that you are activating all your muscles fibers during a kettlebell workout this makes perfect sense!

2. Train your FAST TWITCH muscle fiber

Traditional weight training routines focus on slow, controlled lifts. Missing are exercises that focus on explosive movements. Your muscle fibers can be divided into 2 types, namely: Red (Slow Twitch) muscle fibre and White (Fast Twitch) muscle fibre. Slow twitch fibers contract at a slower rate and would suit endurance athletes (marathon runners). Fast Twitch fibers obviously contract at a faster rate (responsible for speed and power). The kettlebell drills focus on training your fast twitch muscle fibers. This is a great way to increase your explosive (and general) strength without adding bulk muscle.

3. Hips don’t lie!

Your hips and legs are made up of some the strongest muscles in the body. While these muscles may not always seem useful when posing on Camps Bay beach, they are a extremely important and are a vital component for almost every sport. Kettlebell ballistic drills work the glutes, hip flexors, abdominal region and erector spinae hard and will translate into greatly improved athletic performance.

4. Get a Grip!

While they are different sub categories for grip strength, I will not elaborate and will rather touch on how kettlebells develop overall grip strength. A well designed Kettlebell should have a thick handle and ballistic pulling of a heavy kettlebell is a great way of developing grip strength – to better explain imagine the following:

Picture a 32kg Kettlebell held overhead. Imagine it in free fall and only your grip is stopping it from forming a big crater in your garden. Now imagine that same weight being explosively pulled upwards to get it overhead again. That should give you some idea of the grip demands of kettlebell training! Improved grip strength amongst other reasons will make holding onto your shopping a breeze!

5. Unparalleled Conditioning

Kettlebell sport training develops; strength, endurance and cardiovascular capacity equally and to extreme levels! Unlike standard gym routines with prescribed breakdown set and rep numbers, kettlebell sport specifies a fixed training period where the only 2 goals are to ‘reach the end’ and beat your ‘personal best!’ There is constant time under tension as the kettlebell cannot be released! Even ‘resting’ with the racked kettlebell requires exertion and one of the major benefits is, training your work capacity in spite of ever increasing fatigue. Another important note is that often when one trains the ytrain the muscles the can see (beach muscles) and often neglect other important muscles creating imbalances throughout the body and leading to eventual injury. Kettlebells drive an incredible amount of eccentric force through the posterior chain whilst working every muscle throughout the body.

6. Taking us back to our roots – PRIMAL

There is something primal about kettlebell training. Whether it be the oddly shaped heavy cannonball between your legs, or the invigorating workout received from these ancient tools, very few things get the senses sharpened, the blood flowing and the adrenaline pumping like a Kettlebell Workout! The sensation is unparalleled from ordinary mundane gym routines! Come learn to speak all of our official languages (or at least curse in them) – join us for the workout and unlock the ELITE within!

This is a topic so widely covered and documented in the US, but so poorly covered in South Africa. Perhaps it is because we are inherently more active than the general American population. Irrespective to this, there are millions of RANDS lost annually due to absenteeism and/or reduced productivity. The key component of health & wellness programs is physical fitness, which not only increases cardiovascular and muscle strength, but also drastically helps to decrease the instances of diseases and conditions and the related work issues caused by these problems. If companies were to punch in the numbers, they would realize that group physical fitness directly translates into a healthy productivity and in turn – fiscal fitness! This articles aim is to merely point out the benefits to both individual and corporation in setting up a CORPORATE FITNESS PROGRAM.

Decreased Absenteeism

Millions of work days are lost annually to something as simple as lower back pain! One80’s functional style of training continually involves the use of the core, thus strengthening and conditioning the lower back and reducing the risk of lower back pain. Another common reason for absenteeism is the common cold. One of the most prevalent feedbacks I get from my clients is the incredible increase they have in their immune system after they begin an exercise program, and thus the reduced amount of times they suffer from illnesses (translating into days off work).

Lower Health Care Costs

Businesses with wellness programs often see a reduction in health insurance and worker’s compensation premiums and claims. After Union Pacific Railroad (an American company) initiated its self-care initiative, it lowered employee health care costs more than 17 percent during its first five years. The 57,000-employee company estimated savings of $1.26 million (R8.44million) and a return on investment of $2.77 (R18.56million) for every dollar spent during the program’s first year. Lincoln Plating estimates its first-year ROI was $800,000 (R5.36million) in reduced worker’s compensation costs.

Increased Productivity

For starters, employees are unable to produce if they are not at work! Problems such as lower back pain, poor physical fitness and fatigue just add to low productivity. Lower productivity directly relates to profit margins. Imagine a rugby team with only 12 guys playing hard and the remaining 3 guys walking around the field – what do you think the outcome of that game will be?!

To enquire about our specially structured CORPOTATE FITNESS PROGRAMS, contact Candice on candice@one80.co.za. The question should not be, “Can I afford it?” It should be, “Can I afford not to?!”

Reference: www.livestrong.com

Several sources of information have different definitions and opinions about the true definition of “Dance”. An ‘un-named’ encyclopedia source says that in the world of dance; “Forms of dance vary from those who employ the whole body in free and open movement to those in which movement is restricted to certain parts of the body.” Dance is usually rhythmic, often with an element of repetition and forms of pattern in both space and time. Dance can be a simple expression of pleasure with the movement of the human body or as an art form of complex patterns and significant gestures.

The oxford dictionary argues that “dance is to move rhythmically to music, alone or with a partner or set; move in a lively way, to skip, bop up and down and or perform.”

From these two primary definitions we can deduce the following; Dance is the free or isolated movement of the human body, with the use of rhythmic patterns in both space and/ or time.

FUNCTIONS OF DANCE IN SOCIETY

#1: Communication- “The act of imparting information”[1]

When looking at the sensory disadvantaged e.g. deaf, blind and mute or physically disabled, society can make use of dance as a means of communication. When looking at Remix Dance Company (Situated in Rosebank, Cape Town), their techniques of movement give physically, mentally and sensory disabled dancers the opportunity to communicate through movement and dance.

#2: Culture and Ritual-“A ritual is an action event or ceremony which follows a fixed pattern of procedure and thus can be repeated”[2]
Dance as a ritual originated many years ago, inspired by the rhythmical patterns of the heart beating, breathing and animal sounds. But now dance can be seen being practiced at ceremonies of religious matters- weddings, funerals, rites of passage and traditions to do with the ‘happenings’ of heritage.

#3: Education-“To give intellectual or moral training”[3]

Numerous conferences and workshops are given in the form of dance where the subject matter is educational e.g. aids awareness and drug abuse campaigns.
In schools the subject of arts and culture deals with dance as a form of education and students are given assignments where they need to explore subject matters through the artistry dance.

#4 Political-“of or concerning the state or its government or public affairs generally’[4]

In Pre-democratic South Africa, ‘Africans’ used the dance form of the ‘toi-toi’ to express views on political action either for or against the unit of power in the government. Arguments say that ‘toi-toi’ is in fact not a form of dance but when looking at the previously stated definition of dance the ‘toi-toi can be seen as a form of dance because of its function and movement factors.

#5 Exercise and Health-“Training to sustain or to improve health”[5]

Dance is used as means of physical fitness to sustain and improve health. Dances Studios around South Africa allow all members of society to join dance classes for improved health and physical fitness for all walks of life. Dance is an excellent method of exercise as it trains the body both mentally and physically, while working the body in equilibrium with both strength and flexibility.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, no-one can state the true definition of dance as every human being has their own opinion and is entitled to state that opinion. My personal definition of dance is as previously stated; “Dance is the free or isolated movement of the human body, with the use of rhythmic patterns in both space and/ or time.”

I believe that in today’s modern society dance should be explored by as many members of our society as possible, as dance is beneficial in countless ways and the positive outcomes of dance are endless.

My advice to anyone reading this;
• If you’ve never tried dancing or participated in a dance class of any form, you have to try it! (No question about it!)
• If you have been to a dance class and didn’t enjoy it, try another form of dance, change the dance class environment and/or find a better teacher/ instructor that you can be more comfortable with.
• If you used to dance and don’t anymore… What are you doing reading this article? Get back to a dancing, you’ll feel the difference immediately!
• If you are currently dancing, just keep going! Love every minute of it and keep pushing yourself!

“LIFE WITHOUT DANCE IS LIKE LIFE WITHOUT FRIENDS.”
Fulfill your soul, body and mind…Just DANCE!!!

Brent and I gave a demo to the festive crowd. Here are some of the photo’s:

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For more information on our services or training with Diabetes, contact us on: elite@one80.co.za

So… 2010 is a distant memory, but not the Christmas Turkey and Gammon! Why, because it has added an inch of ‘reminder’ to your waist line! Is 2011 the year you are going to make the changes that will have a positive effect on the rest of your life? Or is this another year of ‘next month I’ll start?’ Just remember – procrastination is the thief of time!
The awesome thing about a new year is that it gives each and every one of us the opportunity to wipe the slate clean and start a fresh. The year ahead is a fresh canvas, an empty page for you to write your success! This article is equipped with all the tools for you to achieve and surpass your health and fitness goals.

Here are my 4 steps to becomming ELITE:

• Prioritize

Do not negotiate your training schedule. Don’t fit training into your life, fit your life around your training! Too often we put training off, by saying stuff like, “I’ll train at lunch!” only to find that an important meeting arises. We then say we will train after work only to find that we are too tired. These never ending series of excuses will not assist you in the transformation that you so desire! Let me ask you sport lovers – How many of you missed the World Cup Football final? It wouldn’t have crossed your mind to miss it! It was a priority! Now… change your mind set, prioritize your training!

Now I understand that not everybody loves exercise. The early stages of a new training program can be seriously tough –I know! However, I firmly believe that your stance will change once you are involved in a training regime where your sessions are regular, objectives are being met and your body starts to take on the form you desire. At this stage you begin to wonder how you would function without exercise. You feel incredible on completion of every session. You feel terrible if you go too long without exercise. Having said this, it does take a few months to actually lock in and start to experience these types of sensations. Most people drop out before they get to this point. For those that do stick it out – training becomes a pleasure and a lifestyle necessity!

•  Belief

• Look for friends, family or colleagues that have the body you desire. You may think they have ‘perfect bodies’, but believe me they would have struggled at some stage and have worked hard to achieve their goals. Confront these people and ask them how they overcame their challenges. If they can do it, so can you!
• Consistency is the key to success! Understand that this is a lifestyle not a fad! Would you like to lose weight for 2 months and then return to your starting position, or would you like to change the shape of your body, strip away body fat, achieve your goals and look great for the next 10 to 20 years?!
• Establish ‘Results Momentum’. Break your goals into smaller goals. Each success will give you confidence and self esteem to achieve further goals. This will lead to achieving your ultimate goals.
• Your initial effort that you display in your first few months will subside. Remember anything that is worth achieving is worth working for!

• Vision

• Visualize your desired fitness level. Think of all the things you have wanted to achieve in the physical realm, whether it be; a fun run, a 10km trail run, a marathon, a triathlon, a cycle race, a surf ski race or a scuba diving trip. Visualize yourself accomplishing your goals. Now imagine what your fitness levels would be and what your physique would look like if you were able to accomplish these goals! You can!
• Use affirmations and connect with them. This gives you the perception that you have achieved what you want to achieve. i.e. “I am getting stronger every day”, “I am ELITE”.

• Goal Setting

• This is the time to transfer your GOALS and DREAMS into REALITY!
• Write down a list of ALL your goals, dreams and aspirations. Now narrow them down to a list of 1 to 3 that are most important to you.
• Make your goals specific. Losing weight is not a goal, losing 3kg’s is!
• Your GOALS must be S.M.A.R.T. (e.g. I would like to train for and complete the 2 Oceans Half Marathon on the 23rd April 2011. The REWARD for completing this is a new watch.
• Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Reward-based, Time frame – establish a deadline for each goal.

Challenge yourself! One80 is running a special – you and a friend train for 3 months. The friend who achieves the best results gets 50% of their training fee back! That’s right – we reward you for your hard work! Call us now on +2721 421 4617 or email Candice on candice@one80.co.za for more information. Let 2011 be the year you become the best version of yourself!