The importance of nutrition is imperative as the foundation of any successful fitness programme. The core of this foundation should be based around food. Just as certain compounds are necessary to build a solid foundation in a building, specific foods are necessary to build a solid nutritional foundation. In this text we will focus our attention on why certain foods that are considered healthy, actually may not aid in fat reduction.

Why Fruits Are Important!

With the advent of so many nutritional approaches to achieve the ideal look, numerous inquiries regarding the practice of omitting fruit, fruit juices or any of its derivatives from a diet have surfaced. Fruit is a healthy food, full of nutrients, high in fibre, vitamins, minerals, and low in fat and calories. It is a common practice for bodybuilders during pre-contest preparation to omit fruit from their diets, as it should be for anyone looking to minimize body fat. We will discuss the chemistry behind the efficacy of this practice.

Our bodies can only absorb monosaccharides (glucose, galactose, or fructose), the single units of sugars and starches. Once absorbed through the small intestines into the portal vein, and then circulated into the bloodstream through the liver as blood glucose, our bodies can put glucose to work in three ways.

The Three Ways Our Bodies Put Glucose To Work:

1. It can burn the glucose immediately for energy if blood glucose levels are not at a stable level of 20 grams blood borne glucose circulating per hour.
2. If it is not needed for energy immediately, then it is converted into glycogen in the liver or muscles. The liver has the capacity to store 100 grams of glycogen. The muscles have the capacity to store between 250-400 grams of glycogen, depending on muscle mass and physical condition. Liver glycogen supplies energy for the entire body. Muscle glycogen only supplies energy to muscles.
3. If the body has an excess of glucose, and all of the glycogen stores are full, the surplus glucose is converted to fat by the liver and stored as adipose tissue (bodyfat) around the body. If needed, fatty acids can be burned as fuel (BUT the fat cannot be converted back to glucose).

Now that we have outlined how our bodies use glucose, we will discuss why fruit (fructose or fruit sugar) is detrimental in an attempt to maximize fat loss. Since muscles have the specific purpose of contraction, they have a limited number of enzymes for glycogen synthesis. Muscle only has the necessary enzymes to convert glucose (and nothing else) into glycogen. The liver, however, is able to make glycogen from fructose, lactate, glycerol, alanine, and other three-carbon metabolites. Muscle glycogen, which is similar in structure to starch, is an amylopectin (branched chained polymer containing hundreds of glucose units). Unlike muscles, which can only supply energy to themselves through the stored 250-400 grams of glycogen, the liver is responsible for supplying energy to the entire body.

If You Have Fruit, Fruit Juice, Or Any Of Its Derivatives, The Following Conditions Occur:

Referring to the three ways the body uses glucose, assuming that blood glucose levels are adequate; the glucose will then be stored as glycogen. Muscle does not have the necessary enzymes to synthesize fructose into glycogen; therefore the liver converts this fructose into liver glycogen. It would only take three, 8-ounce glasses of orange juice to fully replenish liver glycogen stores. Since the liver is responsible for supplying energy to the entire body, once its stores are full, a rate limiting enzyme in glucose metabolism, which is responsible for signalling the body to store glucose as glycogen or convert it to fat (phosphofructokinase), signals the body that all stores are full. If the glycogen stores are signalled as full, then the third way our body uses excess glucose is to convert it to fatty acids and store as adipose tissue. In essence, fruit sugar is easily converted to fat.

Many may be asking why then is fruit low on the gylcemic index? If it does not cause a sudden release of insulin, then how could it ever be a poor food choice? Once the fructose (fruit sugar) enters the liver and liver glycogen is already full, then it cannot be used by the muscles for glycogen or energy production.

It is converted to fat and released back into the bloodstream to be stored as adipose tissue. The low glycemic response is based on the fact that fructose leaves the liver as fat, and fat does not raise insulin levels.

This is the biochemistry behind the recommendations to limit fruit in your diet. As mentioned, fruit is a very nutritious food full of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and low in calories and fat. If your goal is to exclusively to minimize bodyfat, then it is advisable that you consume more complex carbohydrates, which will go to replenishing muscle glycogen stores rather than fruit, which will only replenish liver glycogen stores, and is useless in muscle glycogen replenishment.

Karl Christie and Chris Ramshaw

References

1. Costill DL, Sherman WM, Fink WJ, Witten MW, and Miller JM. The role of dietary carbohydrates in muscle glycogen resynthesis after strenuous running. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 34: 1831-1836, 1981.

2. Shafrir E. Fructose/sucrose metabolism, its physiological and pathological implications. Sugars and Sweeteners, Kretchmer N and Hollenbeck CB, Eds. CRC Press, 1991pp. 63-98.

3. Herbert V, Subak-Sharpe GJ. Total Nutrition: The Only Guide You’ll Ever Need. St Martins Press, 1987 pp. 54-55.

Saviles Hall, Opposite the Royal Armouries Museum, Leeds

23 February 2012

Returning for a second successful year, The National Career Guidance Show North is the leading event for career professionals.

Free to visit, The National Careers Guidance Show gives visitors:

• Popular and relevant seminars all CPD certified by the Institute of Career Guidance
• Over 50 organisations offering the latest careers resources and information from a range of industries
• A chance to network and share best practice with colleagues from across the UK

Ideal for practitioners, advisers, teachers, managers, career guidance students and policy makers; working with young people and adults in all aspects of career guidance.

The National Career Guidance Show North will help visitors find the resources they need to provide a professional service for their clients and students. Organisations including sector skills councils, employers, training and education providers and examination boards will be there to meet visitors in a relaxed, informal environment.

You can find us on the day at Stand 30. If you want to find out more about The Training Room and a career in the fitness industry then what better opportunity to have a chat with us.

1. Always coach at 90-degree angles. You’ll never see everything you want to see from a 45-degree angle, so you’re better off directly in front of and/or to the side of the one performing the exercise.

2. Never cross your arms. This is the single-best way to say “Don’t talk to me; I’m in a bad mood.” The problem is that you might not even be in a bad mood, but that’s the way clients and athletes perceive it. “Open arms” equals “open to interaction.”

3. Don’t sit down. How athletic is this posture?

4. Find out whether clients/athletes like “demonstrate” or “describe.” Some people are visual learners; you need to show them what you are asking them to do. This is especially true among beginners, and those who don’t have strong athletic backgrounds (as well as those who are very forgetful).

5. Find different ways to demonstrate energy. Many up-and-coming coaches worry that they aren’t “Rah Rah” enough to be successful in this field. They seem to think that the only way to win people over is to be over-the-top excited all the time. The truth is, though, that the majority of the most successful people in the industry aren’t in-your-face yellers, non-stop clappers, or bouncing-off-the-wall coaches.

Health and fitness has always been a passion from a very early age. I used to run everywhere! I was always out playing sports and joined most of the school sports teams. As I grew older and wiser(?) I learned more about health and developed keen interests in all aspects of human performance, physiology, anatomy and the likes and, being keen to train, I learnt all I could to develop myself physically and I wanted to pass this knowledge to others who had a desire to learn and to become the best they can be. I love to feel healthy, look healthy and be healthy.

As I always trained in the gym environment I was keen to know more so all my studies have been tailored towards this subject area. I have a background in everything from fitness to strength & conditioning, sports injuries to nutrition to psychology and everything in-between. I continually expand my knowledge through courses, seminars and, being a bit of a bookworm, I love to read.

Being a Tutor to a group of individuals determined to make a good career within the fitness industry is both rewarding and challenging. Having ten+ years experience as a personal trainer the course allows me to pass on this knowledge, and it’s great to see how effective and confident the students are when leaving the course. If you’re determined to be the best The Training Room provides the best place to learn. It is an industry leader and that’s why I’m happy to be on board.

The facilities at the Newcastle Academy are great, it is an awesome club with a great range of fitness equipment. If an aspiring personal trainer is motivated to live and breathe the lifestyle of our home (the gym!) then the door is open….step on in, you won’t regret it.

I enjoy the Level 3 personal training aspect of the course as students begin to understand HOW to train someone effectively to help them reach their goals. This is where most of the interesting stuff happens! An intense 6-week steep learning curve that will be challenging yet extremely rewarding at the end. If you want to be the best, What are you waiting for?

Karl Christie

This lead me on to beginning my career as a personal trainer in which I have furthered my knowledge with a post graduate degree in Health and Social Care studying physiotherapy and I am currently studying for my MSc in Strength and Conditioning and Post Graduate Certificate in Education.  I am very much involved within the strength industry working with the Newcastle Falcons for a season and go on seminars around the topics of strength and nutrition.

Within the Newcastle Academy we disperse the misconceptions around training and nutrition and give you, the learners, the realistic approach to training and health enabling you to have the best experience and ability to become great personal trainers which can’t be found in universities or with any other training providers.

Welcome to The training Room (This is your future)

Best wishes

Chris Ramshaw

Talk Sport 2012 is the first ever careers fair dedicated to sport and related areas and is open to all.

Loughborough is the UK’s premier university for sport and has perhaps the best integrated sports development environment in the world.  The campus is home to some of the country’s leading coaches, sports scientists and support staff.  It also has the country’s largest concentration of high quality sports training facilities, equipment and support resources in the world.

Getting into the sports industry can be as tough as sport itself, even with an impressive CV and a degree from Loughborough University.  Talk Sport gives you the opportunity to gain information, advice and guidance on careers in sport and investigate work experience and employment opportunities at Loughborough and beyond.

We will be on hand on the day to talk you through the options available on our personal trainer courses. It will be a great opportunity to meet with us face to face and gain an insight into life as a personal trainer.

The course was excellent and allowed me to meet some great people. Another guy on the course, Aeron, like me, lived in St. Andrews so we ended up commuting in together. Aeron had always had his eye on becoming a personal trainer, and after time spent living abroad and travelling, decided it was time to make it happen.  I had a great time on the course and although I had to get up at 5am every morning for the 2 hour journey, I could wake up knowing I was going to enjoy my day. The content was in depth and well explained and, although my gym based knowledge was extensive before starting, I still learned a whole host of new information in every lesson. Our group got on incredibly well and it was sad to have to move on at the end!

One thing I hadn’t looked into was the chances of getting a job in my home town. St. Andrews is quite a small place and although there were two gyms, neither was looking for any staff. I was struggling to get interviews due to my location. Aeron had moved back to England at this point and was in a similar bind to me. 

He then messaged me one day, telling me that he had been given an interview for Fitness First, a company he knew I was very keen to work for, and said the guy was looking for English Speaking trainers to work for them…in Saudi Arabia! I immediately jumped on the news, asking him to give me the details of the manager so I could also try my luck and it seems my luck was in as I too was offered an interview. 

The guy was impressed with the number of qualifications we had and within a few days the e-mail came through. We had both been successful and would be starting work in the New Year at a brand new club in Saudi’s second largest city, Jeddah. It took a while for it to sink in. Our first job as trainers would be thousands of miles away in a country so completely different to our own. I have to be honest, I questioned how keen I was to take such a massive leap, but the opportunity was just too good to pass up.

When we got out there, these feelings soon evaporated. Jeddah is incredible. The culture has taken a bit of getting used to but the fact it is so different almost makes it better, more of an adventure. The gym is fully state of the art and an amazing place to work. We arrived before it opened so we have literally been here from the start, getting to learn the ups and downs of opening a business in a new city. This is Jeddah’s first branch, and only the second Fitness First in Saudi. We work with trainers from all over the world; India, Phillipines, Syria, Egypt, Saudi and the client base is just as diverse (although only men are allowed!). We are learning the language, the culture and getting vast amounts of fitness and life experience. We have already been told that there are management positions available if we work for them, and that we are welcome to put our name forward to be transferred to any branch around the world.

I never would have thought I would be working in Saudi Arabia when I was doing the course in rainy Edinburgh in November 2011! It goes to show that the possibilities in the fitness industry don’t stop at your local club.

Joe Parker

As an avid fan of the outdoors, I started mountain biking and kayaking, and found that it was a fun and easy way to keep fit as well as a chance to meet different people and face new and exciting challenges.  I was losing weight and toning up, but my diet was appalling and so I decided to learn more about nutrition and work on eating a healthy and balanced diet to compliment my new lifestyle.  I was soon seeing the physical differences, but  the biggest change was to my attitude, I felt happier within myself and once again was full of life and energy, I was the old me again.

In the spring of 2011, I had an amazing opportunity to be part of a TV documentary, where I was introduced to Rock Climbing.  Over a jam-packed weekend, I found out that not only was I not scared of heights; I had unearthed a passion that I never knew was there, and was challenged not only physically but mentally too. I instantly took to the rocks and the amazing scenery that came with it.  Climbing has become a big part of my outdoors obsession, and I have never looked back.

I also admitted to myself that I wasn’t happy in my working life and resolved to change things. I was working as an IT Training Manager, doing a degree in IT and working my way towards a really successful career. However, in June of last year I took voluntary redundancy and had a few months notice to decide what to do from there. I soon realised that sitting at a desk all day wishing I was outside was not for me, and that I should combine my love of the outdoors and keeping fit with a new and exciting career.

Becoming a qualified personal trainer was the next logical step. I was a bit worried as I really didn’t enjoy the gym but, on speaking with one of The Training Room advisors, I realised that there were lots of other options available to me once qualified. It was daunting taking the leap and completely changing career paths but I told myself “failure is not an option” and the rest, so to speak, is history. I had a great time on the course; I learnt a lot and built up a great relationship with the tutors who still help me out to this day.

Now a qualified Personal Trainer, I want to be able to help others along their personal health and fitness journey.  I continually strive for further knowledge and experience and ensure that my knowledge is up to date by attending continual professional development courses and workshops.

I’ve now set up my own business and my circuits and spinning classes are going really well. It’s early days but I’m confident that I’m going to make a success of it and, what’s more, I now have a job that I love.

Angela Corlett

I’ve been involved in martial arts for about 23 years and this has allowed me to gain and maintain a high level of fitness, something which I’m very proud of. People often guess that I’m in my late 20s but I’m actually 47 and my physique is definitely down to my commitment to training and martial arts. I’ve competed in the UK National Championships, British National Team and am also a qualified instructor.

I’ve recently stopped competing in martial arts as I feel that it’s a young man’s game and that I have done my time. That said, I continue to be really passionate about martial arts and still instruct. When I stopped competing I started going to a gym as I realised that I would need to do extra work to keep up my fitness levels. Lots of people would approach me in the gym and ask me if I was a Personal Trainer. It was really flattering because everyone wanted to work out with me. So I knew then that becoming a Personal Trainer was the next logical step for me but I didn’t think it was something that I could afford to do.

I initially did a college course in order to gain the qualifications I needed, thinking that it would be the most cost effective way to get where I wanted to be. I spent a year studying at college and gained my level 2 qualification. I then tried to get work in a local gym but was turned away as they only employed people who also had their level 3 qualification. I then realised that I needed to get my level 3 but didn’t know how to go about it because I couldn’t afford to spend another few years at college or pay the course fees up front.

I was over the moon when I saw the Training Room advert explaining the option to pay for the course by monthly instalments. Finally I saw there was a way in to the industry and I couldn’t have been happier. I got in touch with The Training Room straight away and shortly afterwards made the decision to sign up for the course.

In spite of the payment plan I still decided to carry on working during the course so that I could keep my head above water. I travelled from Reading to North West London every day after the course to work in the bakery. I knew it would be hard work but I told myself “it’s only 6 weeks; I have to get through this”.

The course itself was brilliant. I learnt more in the first 2 days on the course than I did in a whole year at college. The tutors were second to none and were a real inspiration whilst I was on the course. I seemed to find level 3 easier than level 2 but maybe that was because I was completely immersed by then, living and breathing personal training every day for 6 weeks.

Once I finished the course I applied back to the same gym that had turned me away previously and got the job. I initially worked 15 hours for free each week and on top of that did my Personal Trainer sessions and tried to build up my client base. Within 2 weeks I had 21 clients. I then also started doing paid work at the weekend as a fitness instructor. After that I set up an abs class, it involves no sit ups or crunches so really intrigues people, it’s become so popular that it’s always fully booked.

I was made duty manager of the gym I work for after being there for only 4 months and hope to become general manager in the near future. Eventually I plan to move to Malta and start up my own business over there. They have the second highest obesity in Europe after the UK so I plan to do my bit to change that, I think they are in need of my abs classes!

Winston Errol Levene

The sporting year is now well under way in anticipation of the Olympics this summer. Awards for sport made up 4% of the New Year’s Honours list, including knighthoods for individual contributions to 2012 Olympics and Paralympics. January also saw the first Winter Youth Olympic Games, held in Innsbruck, Austria. 70 countries participated in world-class sporting competition and cultural and educational activities. With over 110,000 spectators, the games exceeded expectations and established a solid foundation for future Youth Games. We’ve also seen some great matches at the Australian Open with World No. 1 Novak Djokovic of Serbia defending his Australian Open title last Sunday, recorded as the longest final in the tournament’s 107 year history.

It’s been great to see the New Year impetus in full swing and everyone with their goals for the year clear in their minds. The challenge now is for us all to keep the momentum going through the rest of the year. Gyms have been buzzing in January with people resolving to get fit so it’s our job to keep things that way. Our advice is to not give up, if you’ve achieved your initial goals raise the bar and keep going. It’s not a case of all or nothing, if you’ve not achieved all, don’t settle for nothing. It’s time to re-asses your goals, make sure their manageable and stay motivated.

We’ve got lots more exciting things planned in February. Keep an eye on our blog and social media pages for advice and tips from our tutors and success stories from our students and graduates. We’ve got more courses starting across the UK so it’s not too late to get involved and start a new career in the fitness industry. We’re also going to be attending more events in February so stay tuned for further information and don’t forget to come and visit us if you’re nearby.

Good luck everyone, stay motivated and let’s make this a February to remember.