You: new and improved
WAISTLINE
The resolution. . . Give up on sit-ups
If you need to do something about the family-size string of sausages wrapped around your midriff, there are two vital things to consider: building up your abdominal muscles and shedding the layer of lard covering them. There are two key components to this, says specialist personal trainer Jamie Sawyer.
Fat burning
“The fastest, most efficient way to burn the fat is with ‘tabata sprints’ – a form of interval training conceived by Japanese scientists,” says Sawyer.
“Sprint for 20 seconds, jog for 10 seconds and then repeat for a period of four minutes. The shift in energy systems keeps your body guessing, while this format has been proven to release more growth hormone to help with muscle building. Do the whole thing three times with three-minute rest periods in-between.”
Abs building
“The best way to sculpt your abs isn’t with traditional sit-ups,” says Sawyer, “it’s actually by using a squatting action. You can use more weight so you can work the muscles to their maximum potential.”
To do that, grip a 20-kilogram Olympic bar with an over-hand grip and bend your legs, ensuring you keep your back straight. Push up with your quads, lifting the bar up towards your chest in one fluid motion. “Your abs will be maxed out working to keep your spine in line,” says Sawyer. Then use the momentum generated by your legs to press the bar above your head. Lower the weight back to the ground, again keeping your back as straight as possible and your abdominal muscles tight. That’s one repetition.
Perform five sets of five repetitions in a smooth, controlled motion – you should be purple by the fifth rep and your breathing anything but smooth and controlled.
LUNGS
The resolution . . . Finally ditch the cigarettes
If you have lived for the past 12 months under a cloud of fetid cigarette smoke then it’s definitely time to give your lungs a permanent breather. Gillian Riley, the author of How to Stop Smoking and Stay Stopped for Good, has some top tips for ditching the evil weed.
“Possibly the worst reason to quit is because someone is nagging you,” says Riley. “The best reason is because you like the idea of being free from smoking and you no longer want to be chained to the addiction.” So, identify the personal benefits you hope to gain from quitting smoking and write them down. Then, when the urge strikes, have a look at the list and make a positive choice to continue to enjoy, for example, saving money, appreciating foods, waking up brighter and more alert, no coughing, no brutal hangovers following a couple of after-work drinks and more energy throughout the day.
“You can regard unsatisfied urges to smoke as the trade-off – the price you are willing to pay in order to gain that improved quality of life,” says Riley. You can add “not huddling in a draughty doorway in the rain just to shorten your days on earth” to the list, if you like.
SLEEP
The resolution . . . Drink Scotch more often
To turn your wish list for the year into a reality, you’ll need plenty of energy, and that means a good night’s sleep.
Sleep specialist Dr Neil Stanley has the secret to sure-fire slumber. “You need to create a ‘wind-down’ routine and then try to stick to it every night,” he says. “Just like you have a warm-up in the gym, a period of relaxation before you go to bed is vital to proper sleep and it needs to be more than switching off the computer, taking a pee and brushing your teeth.
“Don’t worry about not having coffee after a meal, or avoiding alcohol. Anything that helps you power down can be an important part of getting ready for bed, so having a glass of single-malt is actually better than not.”
Please note: this does not mean you can sink half a bottle of Scotland’s finest export every night “to take the edge off”.
ARMS
The resolution . . .Prepare to fail
Jealous of the guy with the guns at your gym? Get over it: leave muscle envy in 2010 and groom a pair of arm-rockets for yourself. Personal trainer Matt Roberts tells you how to get howitzers. “Train these two exercises to failure and you will overload the muscles, breaking them down to the point where they repair themselves as big as you want.”
Step one “Isolate the muscle with a basic movement. An EZ-bar biceps curl using a support under the elbows is best. Choose a weight that lets you do 12 reps at a push.
Step two “Without resting, follow this up with some slow-paced overhand chin-ups. Focus on form and keeping your speed per rep to about three seconds. You need to be able to do 10-12 reps, so use a seated rowing machine if the going’s too tough. Rest for two minutes and repeat for three sets of each.”
And don’t worry about not being able to raise your hands to wash your hair afterwards. No pain, no gain, and all that.
INVESTMENT
The resolution . . . Don’t throw away your wealth
Investing in the stockmarket is now a popular pastime – but it could be a hugely expensive one. “The truth is that thanks to the internet revolution, the market is inundated with unsophisticated gamblers, not investors, people sucked in by the marketing promises for aggressive financial products,” says Patersons Securities stockbroker Marcus Padley, the author of stockmarket newsletter Marcus Today (marcustoday.com.au). “And with these products but a few clicks away, the stockmarket start line is now flooded with people with their pants down, borrowing money and buying derivatives in structures that an experienced investor would reject.”
The stockmarket is for investors – people without debt and in search of a return on their cash. “If that’s not you then do yourself a favour in 2011 – walk out of the casino. The best investment you can make this year is to focus on something that builds assets, not risks income. Something like yourself, your career.”
If that focus on your career pays off, your best investment is reducing any debt, says Padley. “If you still have a mortgage, paying down debt will give you a guaranteed seven per cent post-tax, risk-free return on cash, not just for a year but for life. That’s where the clever money goes.”
And if you don’t have any debt and do have cash to invest, the stockbroker has this final bit of advice: “Your first goal for 2011 is this . . . don’t lose it!”
With that in mind, the services of a professional financial planner will likely prove more reliable than the barman at your local’s tip to “put it all into pork futures, mate”. The website of the Financial Planning Association of Australia (goodadvice.com.au) lists planners who meets its code of ethics.
Marcus Padley’s views do not necessarily reflect the views of Patersons.
