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You may have heard that fat should be avoided when trying to lose weight. However, eating fat itself does not necessarily cause you to immediately pile on weight.
Why do we gain weight? Losing weight relies on the balance of calories in (the food you eat) and calories out (the energy you burn through metabolism or exercise). A calorie is simply a unit of energy, and your body needs energy to be able to function. If your body doesn’t use all the energy you put in it, it will store the excess energy to be used later when you are in an energy or calorie deficit. Some excess calories are stored as glycogen in the muscle or liver, however once these are full you will store excess energy as fat. To put it simply, consuming more calories than you burn will cause you to gain weight, consuming less calories than you burn will cause you to lose weight. Energy is consumed in three main forms: carbohydrates, protein, or fat, with fat being the most calorie dense. Consuming 1 gram of fat is equal to 9 calories, while 1 gram of carbohydrate or protein only contains 4 calories. Eating lots of fat COULD make you fat, but only because you are consuming a large amount of calories. You would also likely gain weight if you ate the same number of calories in carbohydrates or protein, as you are in a calorie surplus. Why is fat important? Fat is an important macronutrient necessary for your body to function normally. Vitamins A, D, E, and K are all fat soluble, meaning you need to eat fat to help these vitamins absorb into the body. If an individual’s fat intake is too low, they will be deficient in these vitamins. Deficiency in these vitamins can lead to issues with eyesight, skin problems, and cognitive problems. Fat provides satiety, which is the feeling of being full. Lower fat foods may actually cause individuals to over eat as they do not feel full, leading them to consume more calories than they would have if they had eaten a food containing fats. Additionally, fat is an important ingredient in the production of oestrogen and other hormones. A lower than recommended intake can negatively impact the hormonal balance and cycle in women, leading to larger health issues. There’s bad fats and good fats? There are different kinds of fats, and some are better for you than others. Unsaturated fats, when eaten in moderation, can help lower cholesterol levels and improve heart health and are often described as ‘good fats’. An example of an unsaturated fat that you may know is omega-3 fatty acids, the kind that is commonly found in fatty fish and walnuts. Other examples of healthy fat sources include avocados, almonds, hazelnuts, and cashews. Saturated fats, often simply called ‘bad fats’, are foods which should be consumed sparingly as they can negatively impact heart health and cholesterol levels. These fats can be found in meat (particularly fatty cuts), deep fried foods, and palm oil among other sources. So will eating fat make me fat? In short, no. Eating in a calorie surplus is what causes you to gain fat. Fat is an important macronutrient that keeps your body healthy! You should aim to reduce your intake of saturated fats, and eat unsaturated fats in moderation to keep your body functioning well. The Four Stages of Skill Acquisition
Stage 1: Unconscious Incompetence Unconscious incompetence is the first stage of skill acquisition. At this point, the athlete doesn’t know that they aren’t capable of the skill, and also does not value the performance of the skill. For example, the athlete is unable to perform a muscle up, and does not see how it could be beneficial to their development as an athlete. One of the most important steps necessary to allow the athlete to move to stage 2 is to teach them the importance, relevance, or benefits of the skill. Until the athlete understands these, they will not dedicate the time and energy to improving their abilities in order to attain said skill. Stage 2: Conscious Incompetence During this stage, the athlete begins their skill acquisition journey. The athlete is a true beginner, understanding the relevance of the skill but they do not have the ability to perform the skill. Additionally, the athlete is interested in progressing further and developing the skill. For example, the athlete wants to learn how to do a muscle up but knows they currently do not possess the skills to do so, and in turn, they seek an experienced coach who can guide them in learning the muscle up. One of the ways individuals can progress to the next stage of skill acquisition is under the guidance of an experienced coach. Without this external guidance, the athlete will find it difficult to gain competence in the skill. Stage 3: Conscious Competence This stage of skill acquisition is when the athlete is midway through their journey. The athlete is beginning to learn the skill and is now able to perform it successfully. As the name of this stage implies, the athlete is very conscious of their actions within the skill and will be unsuccessful if they are not focused This stage is where practice is extremely necessary, especially conscious and focused practice. Through repetition, the athlete will be able to move to the fourth and final stage. Stage 4: Unconscious Competence The final stage of skill acquisition is where the skill has become somewhat automatic as if performing the skill is second nature. The athlete no longer has to think about how to perform the skill, they can simply execute it with less effort required. A benefit of this level of skill development is the athlete can now perform multiple tasks at the same time. This may involve performing a muscle up, and communicating with a team mate to let them know they should be prepared to start the next task. One feature of this level of development is that it also needs to be maintained. Frequent practice of the skill is necessary to ensure it remains second nature to the athlete, otherwise, they may slip back into earlier stages. warm up
A1 Complete 5 rounds of both A and B: Row x 250 Rest while your partner rows B1 Squat Therapy x 10reps B2 Calf Raise Hold x 60s Scale to calf raises x 15 if you cannot hold for 60s strength You have 15 min to complete the work, else move on! FRONT SQUAT Front rack and squat baby! 5 X 3 @ 3312 complete 5 reps on harop curls HAROP CURLS Hook feet under your partner or the stall bars and lower face to the ground maintaining a neutral spine Conditioning Complete 20min of: C1 Rotational Bridge x 10 (5 each side) C2 Duck Walk x 30m C3 Bear walk x 60m You must complete all 3 movements cool down Complete 2 rounds of: Couch Stretch x 30s Passive Pigeon x 30s Calf Raises x 20reps What are the benefits of foam rolling?
Foam rolling has recently increased in popularity within the athletic community, used as a method to aid in recovery as well as in preparation for a training session. It’s an inexpensive alternative to sports massage and can be used to sort out small niggles before they become big problems. But have you ever wondered what foam rolling actually does? How does it actually benefit your performance? Reduction of DOMS It is believed that foam rolling after a training session can help to reduce delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) experienced in the following days. Foam rolling helps to relieve one possible cause of DOMS, the inflammation and tightness in the connective tissue of the muscle. Massage by a foam roller can potentially promote improved blood flow to these areas as well as reduce tightness, thus attenuating potential pain. Indeed multiple studies have found that when compared to a control group, foam rolling reduced muscle pain and tenderness, with the benefits continuing as participants continued to foam roll daily for up to 48 hours post-exercise. To help reduce any DOMS you may feel from your exercise session, aim to roll out the main muscle groups you used. If you can, continue to roll out each day following your session to continue to feel the benefits! Effects on performance? Debatable! It’s also believed that foam rolling before an exercise session can help to improve performance. When performed before a training session, foam rolling does not provide any benefit over other similar exercise preparation methods for athletic performance. However, when performed after a training session as a method of recovery, the results are both positive and negative. It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly why this may be the case, but as foam rolling has been found to reduce the severity of DOMS the lower muscle pain levels may allow athletes to achieve greater performance. Another argument for the benefit of foam rolling on performance may actually stem from your ability to perform more sessions in a training week. As you experience less muscle pain and fatigue, you are more likely to attend the gym for another session, get another workout in, and therefore improve your performance. There isn’t a single argument for or against foam rolling to benefit performance. Its effect will depend on whether it is performed before or after a training session, having both short and long-term effects. To foam roll, or to not foam roll: that is the question… In summary, the benefits of foam rolling are clear. Foam rolling can be used as a method to improve your recovery and ensure you are able to perform at your best in your next training session. However, it does not appear to be superior to any other method when used as a warm-up and mobility technique. If you don’t already, try it out after your next training session and see if you can feel the benefits! ConditioningFriday, 21 September 2018
warm up RUN X 800M Run around the block as fast as possible. Sub 4 is good! strength Find your heaviest 2RM Deadlift in 15min DEADLIFT Deadlift the barbell from the ground to your hips. 1 X 2 : AHAP Conditioning TEAM SERIES - WORKOUT 1 Complete 7 min of Burpees This is to be done in an 'I Go- You Go' pattern where partner 1 does x no. of burpees and partner 2 follows. The total? score is the number completed by partner 2. cool down Complete hanging series as prescribed by the coach |
AuthorAnurag Gill is the Head Coach at HYDRA Movement in Moonee Ponds. Archives
June 2019
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