It isn’t actually by choice, but more simply because I have lost it! This has given me no option but to train without a pulsating beat to push me through the pain barriers. However as it has been shown that listening to music could increase exercise endurance by 15%, have I been missing out in my training?

Having been approached by Three Accessories to test out the Jabra Rhythm Corded Stereo Headset, I set about putting music back into my training. I have brought you the results in this article, which summarises some of the key benefits of exercising with music.

Jabra Rhythm Corded Stereo Headset

First to the Jabra Rhythm Corded Stereo Headset. This headset is compatible with most mp3 players and mobile phones (including the iPhone).

The headphones are the in-ear style and this helps to really deliver the quality music sound to your ear without unwanted external sounds interfering.

When used with an Apple iPod I do agree that as Three Mobile suggest, they offer “exceptional stereo sound quality”. The bass is heavy and the headphones very comfortable, although how secure they are will no doubt vary with the shape of your ear due to the in-ear design.

Sometimes you will run to get away from the world but there may be time when you are on the move and need to stay connected. The stylish Jabra Rhythm Corded Stereo Headset is a good option – you can take calls handsfree and listen to music on the go. An integrated call handling key and microphone with wind noise reduction technology enable you to enjoy handsfree conversation.

How can music improve your exercise and training efforts?

A study published in the U.S. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology reported on a 20 year programme of work into the motivational qualities of music in sport and exercise. In summary – thirty participants exercised on a treadmill while listening to a selection of motivational music, from Queen to Madonna. They were asked to exercise strictly to the beat of the music. The findings were certainly in favour of music – the patterns showed that when carefully selected, music can enhance endurance by 15% and improve the ‘feel good factor’ when exercising.

Perhaps the best find for us all is that music can help you to feel more positive even when they are training at a very high intensity – close to physical exhaustion. This seems to be down to the ability of music to affect our body’s interpretation of the fatigue signals sent from the brain (i.e. we can push through those pain barriers which no longer feel quite so painful)

It’s no surprise then that such positive evidence from studies have been put straight into action in the running community – The Nike Run To The Beat half-marathon now takes place every year in London and has proved to be hugely popular with participants commenting that the scientifically-selected live music along the way helps to keep them going!

What type of music improves exercise?

 I think the jury is still out on this one – and surely we cannot be so specific as to say that only pop-rock from the 80s will do the trick. The common-sense approach seems to be that it’s all in the beat of the music, and matching it to stride length – take a look at this report on the BBC’s website (How music can aid athletic performance).

We all have our personal motivational favourites to listen to when we hit the road for a run – some of us love the Rocky soundtrack (‘Gonna fly now’), whilst others pick up the pace when a Kayne West tune comes on. So I don’t think a certain genre of music should be dictated but wise choices would be those with a higher tempo beat, or songs that you know mean a lot to you and are likely to tap into your emotions to give you a boost when exercising.

Final Thoughts

The science certainly suggests that music can be a worthwhile training aid and if it helps you feel happier about working out then that’s great – it could help us associate training with pleasure more so than pain and therefore keep you coming back for more.

It isn’t always possible to use music though – certain races wont permit it, or you may be in a high traffic area where drowning out vehicles could be dangerous. Ultimately it’s a matter of personal preference (in terms of the ‘with or without’ music debate and the choice of music), but certainly, opting for music when exercising is worth exploring if you don’t usually.

Can Music Improve Your Fitness Training? is a post from: LMD Fitness Thank you for subscribing to receive rule free fitness updates from LMD FITNESS

Further Reading:

1. The Benefits of Group Exercise to Smash Your Fitness Goals With Others
2. Training on an Empty Tank
3. Bruce Lee: Training Methods to Inspire Us All

 LMD Fitness has been selected to do a product review for Hale & Hearty of its Agave syrups. As well as having a catchy, cool name,  this company can offer a wide range of foods to suit those with special dietary needs be it wheat, dairy, gluten, or low GI diets!

I would argue that there is a lighter side to sweet food and there are healthy (or healthier) choices out there for us. This review also gives me the chance to explore those sweet options which can provide us with a healthy dose of vitamins, minerals and therapeutic benefits.

**I would say at the outset however that these can be quite calorific options – I therefore like to use them to supplement my training regime (i.e. when I’m in need of a dose of quick energy!).**

Hale & Hearty’s Agave Nectar Syrup

Hale & Hearty describe their Agave Syrups as a “healthier alternative to sugar, golden syrup, honey and artificial sweeteners.” It is a bold claim, so lets take a closer look…

Hale & Hearty’s Original Agave Syrup benefits from a lower glycacemic index (of 19-24) and 25% less calories than sugar. It could therefore be useful for people who are diabetic, have insulin resistance or are simply watching their carbohydrate or sugar intake.

H&H offer their Agave Syrup in 3 flavours – original, honey and maple. I have tried original and maple and can say that both are great. I love the taste of maple syrup and this is distinctly similar!

The low GI of this product helps release carbohydrates slowly and therefore avoids the dizzy rush of sugar highs which come from other processed sugary snacks. Agave’s sweetness comes mainly from a complex form of fructose called inulin and this helps to give it the low glycemic profile unlike fructose and other sweet compounds.

Other impressive benefits include the fact that it is organic, natural, vegetarian, vegan, kosher and gluten free!

As for the ingredients label – it’s clean stuff: Organic Agave and Organic Maple Flavour

What I like most about it is its ease of use and flexibility. So far, I have enjoyed it in my coffee, tea,  yoghurt, porridge and even savoury meals! The H&H packaging is easy and practical to use too – nobody likes the hassle of sticky lids on jars!

Having sampled the product, I can understand why it was a recent winner of Great Gold Taste.

Hale & Hearty was born out of one family’s necessity to deal with food allergies and special dietary requirements. With over 11 Great Taste Awards and several Free-From Food Awards under its belt in under 2 years, this company looks destined for food greatness! They have clearly shown us that ‘Free-From’ foods can taste great, if not better, than regular food.

**Bonus Review – H&H’s 5 grain pancake mix is something worth trying. With a high flax content, it can help build the ideal post-workout snack, packing in a whole range of Omegas! The mix makes pancakes that are perfect in consistency and when paired with Hale & Hearty’s Agave Syrup, well you’ve got a real tasty treat on your plate!

Blackstrap molasses

I wont go into this option too much here as I have written a more dedicated article about molasses before. There’s no doubting it though – this is one of my preferred options when I crave some sweetness. It can be bought cheaply in most health stores, ready to use. Essentially it is unrefined sugar cane. It retains a whole host of vitamins and minerals such as Iron, Calcium, Magnesium, B Vitamins, Vitamin E, Chromium, and other trace minerals.  A tea spoon of the stuff regularly features in my diet – whether it’s in my porridge or part of a home-made stew!

Stevia

Stevia is a herbaceous family of plant with hundreds of species. Pure Via have brought stevia ready to market in the UK. They use Reb A, a high purity extract of the Stevia plant which they claim delivers sweetness without all of the calories of sugar. In fact it is 100s of times sweeter than sugar!

With traditional aspartame sweeteners receiving negative press and being linked to cancer, stevia is offering a healthy alternative. It isn’t possible to consider stevia fully in this short time but studies have shown that it may cause insulin spikes but despite this it is thought that it may actually be an insulin sensitizer. In a similar way to tumeric, we don’t consume stevia to fuel our bodies but rather for the full flavour and the health benefits.

Manuka Honey

Now widely sold in health shops and supermarkets, Manuka Honey has become the go-to source when people suffer from a cold – it isn’t the cheapest cold medicine though. It actually comes from bees feeding on manuka, widely grown in New Zealand. It tastes quite floral and is marketed on the basis of its anti-bacterial properties and vitamin content.

It is less widely known that these factors vary a lot depending on the origin and processing of the honey. Studies suggest that only around 10% of manuka honey has this anti-bacterial quality! Not a great statistic for the food stores relying on people to cure their colds with manuka. Even if its medicinal properties may not be as strong as the label suggests, it does have a high vitamin content, is natural and tastes good.

So there you have it – some less guilty options which can bring you health benefits! I would still be selective and modest in using these ingredients but it is not always possible to satisfy your ‘sweet tooth’ with fresh fruit, in which case, I may turn to these ‘sweeteners’.

Life is Sweet with Hale & Hearty! Agave Syrup, Stevia and more… is a post from: LMD Fitness Thank you for subscribing to receive rule free fitness updates from LMD FITNESS

Further Reading:

1. Food: Body Fuel or a Life Joy?
2. Cider Vinegar and Blackstrap Molasses – Health Heroes!
3. Dairy Dilemma – Is Dairy Good For You?

As it’s the start of ‘blender season’, I’ve been experimenting with some Rule Free recipes, which pack a nutritional punch and contain some less conventional ingredients! Here’s 2 of my favourite smoothies so far, each serving a different purpose to supplement you’re training…and they don’t require you to go out and buy loads of weird or expensive ingredients. The lesson I have learnt is that there are no rules as to what you can and cannot add into a healthy smoothie!

Just throw in the ingredients and hit the button!John Kasawa / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The Cocoa Recovery

Whether you’re pumping iron down the gym, training for a marathon or coming home from the pool – The Cocoa Recovery is a thick milkshake that will provide you with varied sources of protein, essential amino acids, minerals (calcium, magnesium and zinc), anti-oxidants and flavanoids to kick-start your muscle repair process and help you recover ready for your next training session!

Add the following to 400ml of milk/water:

25g of grated organic dark chocolate (try 70% cocoa content or above)
1 banana (they contain 4 times as much protein as apples!!!)
2 heaped teaspoons of skimmed milk powder
2 tablespoons of natural peanut butter (try a brand like Whole Earth Organic)
Secret Ingredient: 2 portions of frozen spinach (it wont change the flavour but it will add a great dose of iron, calcium, iodine, phosphorus, folic acid and magnesium.

Optional Extra: So Good Soya’s chocolate milk – For a long time, I turned away soya as a protein option, believing it to be an unfavourable option for men. If you don’t mind its unique creamy taste, soya offers some excellent, readily digestible protein – this includes vegetable proteins which have the advantage that they cause less loss of calcium from the body.

The Inflammatory Aid

Heavy training loads on our body can result in ‘inflammation’. This is an undesirable side effect which can be limited through making the right nutritional choices. That’s why cherries feature in The Inflammatory Aid. Cherries are packed with anthocyanins (making them red in colour) – read more about them in my article, ‘Why should we eat cherries this Summer?‘.

4 ice cubes
1 small handful of frozen/fresh tart cherries
1 apple
1 pinch of powdered cinnamon (to help regulate blood sugar levels)
300 ml of natural coconut water (Amazing for hydration and detoxing)
Secret Ingredient: 1 whole cooked beetroot – soft so it blends easily and releases all of those vitamins, minerals and nitrates. It’s earthy flavour is not too overpowering but it’s health benefits certainly are – studies have shown that beetroot can really help endurance athletes to sustain their performance for longer! It’s beta-carotene makes it a super blood-builder by helping clear out free radicals and strengthening your immunity. Read more on beetroot (and blackberries here)

Optional Extra: 1 tea spoon of Blackstrap Molasses – this will add natural sweetness and plenty of vitamins.

I love hearing other people’s smoothie and juice recipe ideas, so please do share!

Super Smoothies (with a healthy twist) is a post from: LMD Fitness Thank you for subscribing to receive rule free fitness updates from LMD FITNESS

Further Reading:

1. Dairy Dilemma – Is Dairy Good For You?
2. Why Are Cherries Good For You?
3. My Top Five Healthy Snacks

It goes without saying that the following ideas and tips will need to be tailored to the type and distance of race you are competing in. Tactics for Running events are likely to differ to Triathlons and similarly your approach to a 5km race will be different from your approach for a marathon.

FreeDigitalPhotos – wandee007

The First Mile – How Fast To Go

How you set-off is really a matter of personal preference. You may be the hare or you may be the tortoise. Unlike the famous story, I know that both can result in a successful race.

So, to the Half Marathon and my most successful race to date…

I went out about 20% faster than my target pace. This would be race suicide for some people but I felt strong and had two serious runners out front to spur me on. Yes – it was probably the fastest mile of the 13 but I have read studies which show the same 5km runner finishes with a better time when they who go out fastest in the first km – I liked this claim and applied it to a half marathon, which worked for me!

Had I burnt out due to starting too fast, it would have been a different story. I was however overtaken at mile 10 by a runner who adopted more of the tortoise philosophy – a clear demonstration of both approaches working…

The best way for you to be sure of how fast to start your race is to try this out in a timed training session for a set distance. Go out 10-20% faster than your race pace for one session and at race pace in the other, trying to get the best overall time. See which yields the best time – you may be surprised!

Race Nutrition

Pages could be written about this topic alone but given its importance to a successful race, I want to cover some key points.

The most important thing to be said – whatever nutrition you are thinking of for your race, try it out in a training race environment. Not only is it important to try exactly the same nutrition but preferably replicate as many race conditions as you can, including time of day.

The Half Marathon – My race nutrition was….nothing! As Crazzzy as it may sound, I took on no fluid or food during the entire 13.2 mile race. This is not really advisable and only worked for me because I completed the race fairly quickly and got my pre-race nutrition correct. Just for an example, pre-race I made sure I was well hydrated and my energy levels were topped up (by eating my usual pre-race bowl of porridge with banana 3 hours before and drinking 500ml of water/sports drink up to 2 hours before the race).

Race nutrition is specific to the individual. Only you can decide. Of course loose rules can be put in place because we are all human. Dehydration will jeopardise your performance!

Setting Defined Goals

We enter races for a variety of reasons – charity, personal achievement, sacrifice…

These will always be great motivators but as I once read in a book by Sir Ranulph Fiennes, the great thing about races is that they immediately give your training (and maybe even life!) clarity and structure. Once you have entered, you have your defined goal! The race is the primary goal, time and speed of racing would be a sub-category of that goal and the reasons for entering would be your motivators.

It can be a very powerful (and tactical) tool to keep a brief list of your goal, sub-category goals and motivators any time you enter a race. That way you have a constant reminder and easy way of benchmarking your training. So your list may appear:

Goal: Run the London Marathon

Sub-goals: Complete race in under 4 hours / Maintain 7 minute per mile pace for this first 10 miles / Do not stop to walk

Motivations: Running for Charity X… In memory of…/ To improve weight loss and become fitter / To improve confidence

Races can go by like a flash but if you can recall your list during your race, you may be in for a mental boost!

During the Race

Decide before the race whether starting position is important to you and try to ask a marshall how crowded/narrow the start is likely to be. Personally, I have learnt to get myself close to the front because I aim to finish in the top 20% of runners and working my way through slower runners for the first few miles will slow me down! A massive race like the London Marathon of course makes this harder to do.

Once you have settled into your race, you may consider using other competitors as your own pace-makers. This can be very effective but also a bit dangerous. You need to remain controlled should they take you too far out of your comfort zone.

Good luck in any forthcoming event you may have and let me know if you have any great tips from personal experience!

Race Day Tactics and Tips is a post from: LMD Fitness Thank you for subscribing to receive rule free fitness updates from LMD FITNESS

Further Reading:

1. How to Carry out your Post-Event Analysis
2. 2010 Virgin London Marathon: “Yo Adrian – I did it!”
3. The 1 Month Taper Plan

“Gone out for a lunchtime run”

Image: Michal Marcol / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

1. The Cardio Commute

This is the most obvious and one of the most effective options on the list. I recently moved a few miles further away from work, which has forced me to look at my options for the daily commute.

Driving brings the stress of traffic, increasing petrol prices and not to mention, parking and public transport prices are always rising. So, to beat these problems, I am currently running the 5-mile commute to work around 6-7 times per week in total. To save overloading my legs and joints, I take the train when I feel I need the rest or the weather is awful.

The benefits of running/cycling to work are many including saving time, saving money, burning calories without noticing and boosting energy levels for the day!
What I particularly like about running to work is that it gives me time to think and the usual mental pitfalls of training are not there because you need to reach your destination (work!) on time. I appreciate that running to work is not an option for everyone but cycling often is, so exercising on your daily commute really can be a life changing choice! If the lack of changing facilities at work stops you from building up a sweat while commuting, there is surely some scope for you to walk further as part of your commute (e.g. parking further away from the station – yes time is pressure, but every little helps in the short, dark days of winter).

2. The TV warm down

Though I don’t like to admit it, many of my evenings are spent in front of the TV relaxing. They say our brain activity is as close to its levels of death when we watch TV as it ever will be while we are alive – that’s a sad thought but let’s face it, few of us are going to give up our addictive TV habits.

Given my increased running load (as above), stretching has become very important to help me avoid injury. It is easy to do some floor work whilst you watch TV. The stretches are best if they are gentle and held for longer periods of time given that sitting watching TV leaves the muscles cold and not very elastic – you have to ease them in. Again you are using up calories and doing something beneficial without really noticing the time pass by.

3. On your feet…and off them

We burn more calories when we are on our feet as our core muscles are permanently engaged to stabilise us – there is no solid chair to do all of the work. And so…it can be as simple as creating the need to get out of your chair more often during the day. Drink refills are an obvious choice – by only keeping a cup of water on your desk as oppose to a larger bottle, you will need more refills, which should mean leaving your seat more often. Further, topping up those fluid levels more regularly results in more toilet trips and more exercise when you would otherwise just be sat down.

Even when we are sat stationary, try to focus on tensing your abs a couple of times a day, by inhaling right to the pit of your stomach and slowly exhaling whilst pulling in your abs. Then there is the tensing of the glutes – classic stationary sculpting techniques just don’t do it too often or obviously or you may start to get some funny looks in your direction!

None of these ideas are complicated or hard to do but they really can increase our daily calorie consumption and help to keep a healthier mind. Before you know it, you can be increasing daily exercise levels without hitting the gym and feeling like your training. It is only a matter of habit.

Please do share any other ‘sneaky’ ways you have been increasing your daily exercise levels in 2012!

How to fit more exercise in to your day is a post from: LMD Fitness Thank you for subscribing to receive rule free fitness updates from LMD FITNESS

Further Reading:

1. How Should You Set Your Exercise O’Clock?
2. The Benefits of Group Exercise to Smash Your Fitness Goals With Others

BUT in keeping an open mind…

When given the opportunity by growing supplement company Bio-synergy, I decided to put my own beliefs to the test as besides dabbling in whey protein and creatine in the past, I have shunned supplements in favour of whole foods.

Bio-Synergy’s Fat Loss product: Thermogen

What is Thermogen?

One of the reasons I took on this trial is partly because Bio-Synergy’s credentials are impressive and the product is comprised of 100% natural ingredients. The company has been pioneering in the British health supplement market with a whole raft of industry awards to its name. It’s Skinny Water has been favoured by Hollywood stars for example.
Further, its products have been used by professional sports teams including the British & Irish Lions, Formula 1 teams and the Commonwealth Games. This is quite an impressive portfolio…

Thermogen’s listed ingredient are:

• Thermogen Proprietary Herbal Blend (450mg per pill) - Yerba Mate, Guarana Seed, Kola Nut
• Gelatin (Capsule Shell)
• Magnesium Stearate

Bio Synergy’s claim for its fat burning product is quite rightly qualified – ‘Used in conjunction with a fat burning regime they will help you achieve your goals more effectively than almost anything else you have tried.’

This is a qualification on the ‘Get Ripped’ claim. It is nice to see the company clearly state this on their marketing material for the product because lets face it the only way to get ripped in a healthy way is through exercise and the company is bringing this to the consumer’s attention.

The Proprietary Herbal Blend contains Yerba Mate. Yerba Mate is one of the holly family most widely cultivated from the forests of central South America (Brazil being the biggest producer).  I remember travelling that part of the world and seeing locals drinking this stuff from strange looking wooden cups! The key property we are interested in here is its acclaimed ability to prolong the effects of thermogenesis (fat burning).

Yerba Mate contains 196 chemicals! These include Vitamins A, C, and E, calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, and selenium and 11 polyphenols (powerful antioxidants). Of most interest if the chemical “mateine”. Like caffeine, mateine is a xanthine but it works in harmony with the central nervous system, calming the body and mind. Mate typically contains less than a third caffeine content compared to ground coffee.

Mate has been shown to increase energy, endurance and fat burning in humans. Research indicates the intake of yerba mate to be most effective at 500 to 1,500 mg daily two to three times evenly throughout the day. Clearly Mate is a key fat loss component in Bio-Synergy’s herbal blend. Moving back to Bio Synergy, one pack contains 120 tablets of 450mg content each, which makes one month’s supply if you take 3 per day. At £29.99 for this quantity it is not a cheap option but I think 1 pack could last over 1 month.

In my trial, as Bio Synergy recommend, I took the supplement before meals and/or exercise. Often this included, first thing in the morning before running.

Get Ripped! – Really?

Biosynergy claim their Thermogen supplement can get you noticeable results in 1 month! This (like many others) is a bold claim from a supplement provider.

As part of my Rule Free Fitness lifestyle, I like to stay lean, fit and healthy year round. This is easier and more sustainable that yo-yoing between being overweight and your target weight. It is therefore hard for me to remove any ‘stubborn’ fat given my relatively low body fat percentage already. Yet despite this I was actually shocked to reduce my body fat from 8.8% to 8.0%. This measurement was taken on an electronic weighing scale so there will obviously be a slight degree of inaccuracy but the result certainly does not suggest that supplementing with Thermogen has had no positive fat burning effect over the course of 1 month.

Given my already lean physique 0.8% fat loss is fairly significant and noticeable. Equally, given the lead up to Christmas, I have been tempted by less than perfect foods and my alcohol consumption has increased. Whilst my diet has not been as good as it could have been to promote fat loss, I have kept up my regular exercise as suggested by Bio Synergy to get the most from their supplement – as mentioned earlier this I believe is crucial to everyone’s fat loss goals. It is impossible to state that this fat loss was caused by Thermogen alone as I am not testing in laboratory conditions but I have not had any negative side effects.

There is an added psychological benefit when we supplement. Personally I found this with protein when trying to build muscle and now with Thermogen for fat loss. My workouts have been intense over the past month as after using the product my mind is asking my body to get the most from this fat loss opportunity. This is down to the individual but even if not convinced on the actual fat loss effects of such a product – the mental impact is something you can have control of and should not be underestimated.

Final words

I would suggest that research has shown Yerba Mate to be an effective natural fat loss aid. Bio Synergy have therefore sought to combine this with other natural ingredients to maximise the fat loss potential in its product Thermogen. Though not entirely conclusive in my eyes, if you have hit a fat loss plateau then Thermogen may certainly be worth a closer look but I would once again reiterate that exercise and diet are always going to be the foundations to successful fat loss.

Thermogen may not work for everyone as other components of your diet will need to be healthy but Bio-Synergy have rigorously tested their product and whilst it is not cheap, it may help you reach your fat loss goals more quickly. As with any supplement you should take care before using it and seek medical advice where necessary.

Should you supplement for Fat Loss? – Bio-Synergy Thermogen on Test is a post from: LMD Fitness Thank you for subscribing to receive rule free fitness updates from LMD FITNESS

Further Reading:

1. Cardio Fasting For Fat Loss
2. Sustainable Fat Loss and Fitness in the New Year
3. Energy Shots – Put some Voltz into your workouts!

I have previously written of the health benefits of coffee.

Despite any mixed emotions towards this addictive substance, my coffee passion continues! Coffee has been part of my diet (and used as a training aid) for a couple of years now and I feel qualified to make some general observations:

• The caffeine stimulant it provides can enhance the intensity of my training and performance. (Interestingly, news reports have just suggested that high caffeine coffee from the high street may be excessive for pregnant women!)
• Sticking to just 1-2 cups per day has not interrupted my sleep pattern (I do not drink coffee after 4pm normally though)
• I primarily stick to organic produce to avoid any negatives of fertilisers used in growth.
• There are so many varieties out there it is hard to find a favourite and you can be just as choosy as spending on fine wines!

Kopi is the Indian/Malay word for coffee. You may have heard it before from the name ‘Kopi Luwak’ (or civet coffee) – one of the world’s most expensive coffees in which coffee berries are consumed by a civet cat and passed through their digestive tract before the end product reaches your cup! Us humans go to great lengths to drink great coffee…clearly. Anyway, on to Kopi the coffee company.

What do you get from Kopi each month?

Kopi’s aim is to bring us single-estate coffees from around the world – something that every coffee connoisseur would want to experience.

This is done through a monthly mail-order service in which Kopi selects its ‘star’ bean of the month to provide to its customers. You can sign up for one, six or twelve months and choose either whole beans or preground coffee at around £7-9 per month.

It comes in a small box complete with information about exactly where your coffee of the month has come from and even some serving suggestions. For example, it is best not to pour boiling hot water over your coffee so as to scald it and affect the natural flavour – better to let your boiled water cool for a couple of minutes and then pour over the coffee!

Coffee straight to your door – hmm very tempting indeed. As with all quality food produce it is settling to hear the story behind the bean…
-A team of professional Kopi coffee gurus who are said know first hand the world’s best coffee regions and farmers seek out an exciting coffee prospect for the month. Kopi argues that these guys work at a level supermarket buyers just don’t! (i.e. you won’t find Kopi coffees in food aisles).
- The selected beans are ordered and it is on to the roasting. Roasting coffee is an art; the actual roasting takes just minutes and getting it wrong can ruin the entire order. Kopi uses a UK-based boutique roaster to get the best roasting service it can.
- The coffee is packaged up and sent to the Gourmet coffee lover to enjoy!

Kopi pays premium prices for premium coffee to premium growers

If you opt for Kopi coffee, then Kopi are confident that the producer is being looked after. I feel quite strongly that organic coffee is best for our health but the sustainable nature and reinvestment to the growers is important too. Kopi cannot promise fairtrade organic coffee every month but justifies this on the basis that:

1. Fairtrade only certifies co-operatives which excludes many superb growers and smaller farms who like to sell direct – high quality small family farms would therefore be excluded if only Fairtrade stamped ones were selected.
2. Fairtrade is tied to the commodity price to secure a minimum to the growers. The market price for a long time (18+ months as of October 2011) has been consistently well above the minimum price.
3. Kopi strives for a symbiotic relationship with the growers to create a sustainable business model for everyone involved.

Kopi coffee certainly tastes good and the packaging and presentation suggests quality and care. It may be a bit of a luxury in today’s tough economic conditions but one that could be justified for the serious coffee fan.

Gourmet Coffee – Grab a cup of Kopi is a post from: LMD Fitness Thank you for subscribing to receive rule free fitness updates from LMD FITNESS

Further Reading:

1. Should you Make Coffee your Companion?
2. Should you supplement for Fat Loss? – Bio-Synergy Thermogen on Test
3. Energy Shots – Put some Voltz into your workouts!

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net/Digitalart

The big picture – how to run efficiently

I once read a quote of a famous sprinter, who described sprinters like ducks – it is all controlled above the waist but from the waist down, it gets messy (like a ducks legs under water!). I suppose this is true in some respects as good, efficient runners commonly have a nice compact and controlled upper body when running.

It would be obvious to think that your running style will differ depending on the distance and speed you wish to run e.g. sprinters take long strides with big arm swings and long distance runners shorter ones. Interestingly though, studies have show that sprinters can gain speed through the same principles of efficiency as runners through a compact running style.

Our running technique is not normally something we think about – from a young age we just run as nature intended.

Technique Focal Points

You are likely to find gains if you look a bit more closely at the following when you run.

Arms – Compact is king when it comes to our arms. An efficient and coordinated arm motion that keeps your elbows bent at 90 degrees and does not take your arms down past your waist should be the aim. Concentrate on letting your arm movement flow from the shoulder.

Hands – This is definitely personal preference but I like to keep ‘soft hands’ with thumb and fingers touching but not fully clenched fists.

Head – I like to imagine that there is a ceiling not to far above my head when I run. This keeps you moving forward instead of bouncing up and down too much! Equally, if you move laterally quite a lot then imagine walls to either side of you to keep you running in a straight line.

Core stability – We all know that our running technique can fall apart when we are tired. A strong core will allow you to maintain good form for longer. It is core muscles that stabilise the pelvis to efficiently transmit our forward force and keep good efficiency. I like to lead with the chest to stop me from hunching over when I am tired and keep my shoulders relaxed. Improve your core strength with stability exercises such as the plank.

High Cadence – When you look at the Brownlee brothers in triathlon or Haile Selassie, these guys run with high cadence – that is a quick foot turnover (e.g. 180 foots strikes per minute). It is not easy to do right away and will take more energy but over time, it minimises the stress on the joints from running and can speed you up! You can put intervals into your runs where your focus on running with high cadence for a short stretch, say 3 minutes. Gradually build up this time until it becomes your natural style.

Mid-foot strike – I have covered the barefoot running movement already but our foot strike is a key element to running technique. Some of the best endurance runners are still heel strikers and it is not easy to change your natural style. From a pure efficiency viewpoint though, heel striking can act as a brake whereas striking mid-foot (i.e. foot landing under your centre of gravity) does not impeded your momentum. Adapting to a mid-foot or even fore-foot running style takes time because it relies upon different leg muscles which may be underdeveloped, so this move should only be made gradually.

Remember – any energy that is spent not helping to propel you forward is wasted energy!

Working on Technique During Runs

The off-season is the ideal time to incorporate some running technique work into your training. However – the above is quite a long list so you can only focus on one element at a time. It is effective to focus on one technique element for a few minutes, for example, asking yourself are my arms moving efficiently or wasting energy? The aim is to make your natural running habits the most efficient ones!

That said – exceptions (such as Paula Radcliff) show that we all have unique styles of running which must above all be dictated by what is comfortable.

How to improve running technique is a post from: LMD Fitness Thank you for subscribing to receive rule free fitness updates from LMD FITNESS

Further Reading:

1. Barefoot Running: Bonkers or Brilliant?
2. How to Stop Blisters? RunBreeze Could Help You!
3. 2010 Virgin London Marathon Training – PART I: Is It Good For You?

I have written about the general health benefits of natural coconut water from young coconuts for LMD Fitness already.

As a quick recap – we should all get some coconut water in us because:

• It is known to be antiviral, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and high in antioxidants making it a great detox aid. In fact it has been used in medicine as an intravenous fluid (i.e. can be put straight into the human blood stream!)

• Bursting with vitamins, minerals and other nutrients, it is nature’s energy drink. With less sugar compared to most sports drinks, and  more Potassium, Calcium, and Chloride, it is usually a better choice to rehydrate, and boost energy levels.

Coconut Water ‘from concentrate’

Seeing the words ‘from concentrate’ on a product normally makes us think in a negative way – perhaps assuming that it would be nutritionally inferior to a pure product. With Zico’s coconut water however, there is good reason for making it from concentrate. They have opted to ship only concentrated product so that it can be made and packaged domestically. ‘From concentrate’ usually only involves adding back in the water which was originally removed and should not negatively impact the nutritional content.

ZICO on Test

Zico source young coconuts from Latin America, Indonesia and Asia and each of these combines to form unique flavoured coconut water. This option has been taken to allow for a lower caloric content than coconuts purely sourced from Brazil and a more rounded balance of electrolytes. Like apples, different types of coconut have a different nutritional make up. Let’s have a closer look at that nutrition then:

• 569mg potassium – far more than your banana!
• 5 essential electrolytes: sodium, magnesium, calcium, potassium and phosphorus – these are essential to replenish during and after tough physical activity.
• Low acidity (pH5) – Less dental damage than other sugary, acidic sports drinks perhaps…
• Zero fat, cholesterol and added sugar.

On test Zico performed well. The taste of the original flavour that I had was fairly neutral and easy to drink. It was neither too sweet or too bitter. I drank half a bottle beforetriathlon swimming training and half a bottle after. No cramps to report during a tough swim and perhaps that is down to the wonderful potassium content of this healthy drink.

Zico also comes with other natural flavour varieties: Mango, Passion Fruit Chocolate, Pineapple, Lima Citron, and Pomberry. The flavour is added by natural flavour essences, so no worries there!

ZICO – the company

So I did some digging and found that real life athletes are behind the idea of ZICO. This is a positive thing because I think a product always carries more weight if its creator is the same type of person as the intended target audience. This is especially true when it comes to nutrition. Our body is the engine we need to fuel so we only want to put the decent stuff inside us. I figure that if these guys at Zico drink this stuff to fuel their active lifestyle then they must believe in their product.

Just as impressive is the ‘Zico Team’ which consists of lots of high profile endurance athletes who gladly drink Zico to fuel their demanding training schedules. The ultimate running man, Dean Karnazes is one of these people!

The Zico plastic bottle is convenient but you may question its green credentials. I have actually found that it has a smaller carbon footprint than their tetra pack alternative and is recyclable too. It fits easily in the hand and has not been a hindrance to carry while running.

Clearly these guys care about their coconut water and take pride in sourcing the best young coconuts for us.

You can buy your Zico online at Amazon and GNC and at Zico’s store

Health Benefits of Coconut Water – Zico Style is a post from: LMD Fitness Thank you for subscribing to receive rule free fitness updates from LMD FITNESS

Further Reading:

1. Why Is Coconut Water Good For You?
2. Swig From a SIGG: Should I Drink From an Aluminium Bottle Instead of a Plastic Bottle?
3. Cider Vinegar and Blackstrap Molasses – Health Heroes!