Healthy Hacks

Well done to those who made it on the gloomy looking mornings! I have it on good authority that the rainfall was only occasional, though hard to predict as always. The yogis made the most of Benledi House and wasted no time getting started on their inversions. 

Let's get straight into two healthy hacks everyone can benefit from.

Crowding: This is a positive strategy emphasising the addition of more nutrient-dense foods like vegetables and fruit, instead of focusing on restrictions. Aim for variety and lots of colour. You'll be adding fibre which is filling and good for digestion; vitamins and minerals to function optimally; and more volume so you'll feel full without adding as many calories. This is a sustainable approach because nothing is off-limits, meaning less deprivation and room for all the times life calls for a bit of indulgence. There's no need to be hungry and a greater chance you'll feel successful and stick with it. The idea is to fill up on the "good", leaving less room for the things you might otherwise be trying to remove. Over time your taste preferences will shift, and making good choices will become ingrained. 

Cloaking: This is based on the knowledge that the combination of fiber-rich carbohydrates, lean protein, and heart-healthy fats promotes more stable glucose levels. By eating protein or fat with your carbs you can "cloak" them to prevent a spike in blood sugar. Fiber, protein, and fats work together to slow down the digestion of carbohydrates and delay their absorption into the bloodstream. 

Lastly, its not a hack exactly, but WATER. Good hydration is vital for physical strength and energy; mental concentration and focus; clearing out metabolic waste to promote better recovery; and to feel more satiated. Having a glass of water before meals can also reduce the volume of less healthy liquid options. Have water for thirst and good health, before adding something more pleasurable.

That's it! What changes will you make toward good health and longevity?

Andy would love to see you all in Balmain tomorrow! Jackets will be given out next week, and payment details will be sent to each person individually. 

Photos below as always. Stay warm (and dry) and have a great weekend!

Recipe Suggestion

Lamb Shank Soup

Based on the discussion above, a recipe seemed appropriate this week. This one ticks a lot of boxes. Tasty and comforting, quick and easy, adequate protein and scope to add lots of extra veggies. 

Food for Better Body Composition

This week marked the return of Benledi House for Wednesday morning yoga. I love that no matter where you train, Andy and Poppy make the most of the environment to vary the sessions for your benefit. It'll be great to see some headstands while you're indoors! 

It's hard to get past the beauty of the backdrop you are privileged to work with, as well as the variety of sights across both parks. Throw in supportive mates and a rotating roster of equipment, and hopefully the motivation required to get out of bed is less of a stretch. I think this was yesterday:

And Kathryn getting it done, rain, hail or shine:

As promised, we're going to take a more detailed look at the elements required to vary body composition, keeping in mind that this relates to the percentage of fat, bone and muscle in your body. Today's focus is food. 

Starting with bones, since we all want better bone density. This one is all about calcium and vitamin D, the latter being required for the former to be absorbed. The dairy lobby has done a fabulous job of educating us all about the calcium found in milk, yoghurt and cheese, but many non-dairy milks as well as bread and cereal are fortified with calcium these days. In addition, salmon, seeds, beans, lentils, almonds and leafy greens are all great sources. Vitamin D is a little harder to come by as we get into the winter months, though we are pretty lucky in Australia. Conveniently, many of the fortified foods mentioned above also have vitamin D added. You can boost this with salmon, mushrooms and egg yolk. 

Next lets consider muscle, since we hopefully all want more of that! A balanced diet is important here, including healthy fats and carbohydrates, but protein is king. It is essential for muscle recovery and repair. You'll get your best bang for buck with chicken, prawns, eggs, salmon, Greek yoghurt, beans, brown rice, sweet potato and nuts. Very few people eat enough protein without focusing on it. The goal is to have protein in every meal and every snack. If you're curious, the recommendation for muscle building is 1.4 - 2 grams of protein per day for each kilogram of body weight. So most likely more than 84 grams a day, through to possibly 175 grams. If you're serious about looking at your macros I'd recommend getting an app like myfitnesspal and tracking your food, even for just a few 'typical' days. It might tell you a lot about what changes you could make. 

Lastly we'll look at fat, since this one won't be for everyone. Consuming fewer calories than your body needs promotes fat loss by forcing your body to use stored fat for energy. To achieve this you must still consume enough protein to preserve muscle mass, providing the necessary amino acids for repair and maintenance. Sufficient protein can also protect your metabolic rate during a calorie deficit. Muscle tissue is metabolically active, meaning it burns calories even at rest. By retaining muscle mass through adequate protein intake, you can help prevent a significant drop in your metabolic rate. Protein is also filling and reduces hunger, making it easier to stick to a calorie deficit without feeling deprived. Ultimately, combining a calorie deficit with sufficient protein intake promotes fat loss while minimising muscle loss, leading to improved body composition.

Thanks to those who made it to the end of another long one! I'm sure you're sick of hearing about protein. I have plenty more to say about how to calculate your required caloric intake, the breakdown of macros, easier ways to be in a calorie deficit, and general strategies which might help, so we'll focus on this alone next week. 

Poppy will be in Balmain again tomorrow if you're up for a Saturday session. Below are the photos from the week. Stay warm and have a great weekend!

Exercise Review

Deadlift Variation - Straight Leg

This one is a request from Andy! Favoured for its recruitment of the posterior chain and opportunity to target the hamstrings, as the name suggests, this variation keeps the legs almost straight. This deadlift focuses on the legs more than the back. 

muscleandstrength.com have written a good step by step guide with tips, so I won't reinvent the wheel. It's worth noting the primary difference: the Romanian deadlift starts from the rack, or the top of the movement, while the SLD starts at the bottom. Plates can be used under the bar or under your feet to accommodate flexibility. Take a look!

Body Composition

Another public holiday under the belt! The King's Birthday will be next and then we'll be halfway through the year. That might be a daunting thought if you're not making progress toward your goals. Conversely you may feel like 2024 has already been epic. I hope it's the latter, but if not it's not too late! Break your goals down into small steps and schedule them. It doesn't sound exciting, but it's a great way to find yourself celebrating your wins by NYE. 

If you're looking for a reason to get out of bed, the sunrises are amazing at this time of year. Wednesday put on quite a show. What a beautiful way to start the day!  

Exercising for longevity and good health makes a lot of sense, but many also hope to change their body composition, perhaps to become leaner or stronger. Unfortunately there's no quick fix to make your abs pop out, and no amount of tricep dips will give you lovely toned arms. If you're already doing some strength training, it's likely you've started to build the muscles you'll need, but you also need to reduce the padding that hides them. The only way to actually SEE the muscle is to reduce the fat. 

There are many factors to consider when altering body composition, and many ways to go about it, but in broad terms:

1. Be in a calorie deficit while eating enough protein

2. Do both cardio and strength training

3. Prioritise rest, refueling and re-hydration

Strength training and sufficient protein in your diet will ensure you build the muscle it takes to achieve definition, but only so long as you also get enough rest. Eating enough protein will also help you feel full while being in a calorie deficit. The deficit and the cardio ensure your energy needs exceed your consumption, and the cardio helps to use up your fat stores. 

If you're showing up and giving it a go, but you aren't FEELING the changes to your strength and fitness, it's important to consider why. Perhaps you're lifting weights that are no longer heavy enough in relation to your increased strength, perhaps you're just going through the motions instead of exerting yourself and might need more rest, or perhaps your exercise frequency is insufficient to effect change. Exercising twice a week will always feel like work. Adding a third should feel more comfortable, but the magic is in the fourth. Change can be achieved with less, but it's harder to feel or see and therefore harder to stick with. In the long term its worth considering periodisation (which we'll look at in a future week), but if you're seeking change I'd strongly advocate for trying out a fourth session. Give it a month and see how you feel. When planning your week, don't forget to allow time for rest and recovery between heavy weight sessions. The muscle is built in between the work, but cardio is fine between heavy days.

In the next few weeks I'll look at the above ideas in more detail, but if you have something specific you'd like included, please don't hesitate to let me know!

Poppy will be in Balmain tomorrow and I'm sure she's got a great session lined up, for those who want to start the weekend out in the fresh air, with a welcome dose of endorphins. Enjoy this week's photos and have a fabulous weekend!

Exercise Review

Deadlifts

Another compound exercise engaging multiple muscle groups and joints simultaneously. Through recruitment of the entire posterior chain, deadlifts offer the potential to lift heavier weights, making them efficient for overall strength development. Deadlifts also mimic everyday lifting movements, improving functional strength and reducing injury risk. If that's not enough, they enhance posture, increase metabolism, and stimulate bone density. Incorporating deadlifts into your workout routine can provide numerous benefits for strength, muscle mass, and overall fitness.

Please look past the fact this video was made by the guys at Men's Health, because it's spot on and to the point. A nice clear demonstration of what you want your deadlifts to look like. Most importantly, lower your hips not your head, and don't overextend your lower back at the top. I like the image of a puppet with string from the top of the head. Elongate your spine so that you are standing up tall, don't thrust your hips forward. 

Lastly, you can probably lift a lot more than you think. Here's a quick look at a tiny woman lifting more than three times her body weight, just to balance the testosterone in the video below. It's not for all of us, but it's possible!