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FITNESS GENERAL
My Weight Loss Story
I gave birth to my first daughter in September 2017, it was the most incredible thing I had ever done, and I was beyond delighted that I had a beautiful healthy little baby girl! Despite starting my pregnancy off by eating healthily and trying to incorporate exercise...
Do you find “The Plank” too easy? Try these two tougher versions
Most of us are familiar with the core exercise known as The Plank. For those who aren’t, it involves holding a position that is very similar to a push-up except that your elbows are on the floor.
For the exercise novice it can be a relatively challenging position to maintain (once it is performed correctly, but more on that later), however many trainees will find that they are able to last for a couple of minutes or even longer.
Why exercise is keeping us sane
I tend to think of my friends as being in one of two categories: “Training” or “Other”. My social circle consists of people I know through work or sport (which for me, is essentially the same thing). Then there are the friends who I have met in other ways; friends...
5 Common Exercise Myths
I’m going to be honest here and admit that even before I had finished writing the below article I knew it was probably going to be one of a series. There are so many widely-held beliefs about exercise that are totally incorrect, it was difficult to decide which ones to choose for this piece!
The Kettlebell Swing works 80% of your muscles; but are you doing them right???
The Kettlebell swing is one of the most popular exercises ever. It is also one of the most misunderstood. It works 80% of your muscles. The most important, and most basic element of this exercise, the movement pattern itself, is often completely overlooked. So, let's...
The forgotten aspect of training..Mobility”
How many of us live our daily lives with stiffness, aches and pains? Do you have stiffness in certain areas and avoid exercising because of this? Mobility for me is very important and I didn’t realise this until my late twenties. I had played impact sports for years...
Targeting the Abs
Ever wonder how people gain abs? Or feel that sometimes you are doing endless crunches with zero results? A lot of people think by completing 500 crunches they will have a ‘6 pack’ in no time. Here we will discuss why this is wrong and how to correct it. The core...
No time to exercise? No problem. These compound movements guarantee a killer workout
We don’t blame you if you believe the only way to get into shape is by exercising no less than two hours a day. That might work for some people, but there are more efficient ways to make the most out of your training time. These compound movements will help you...
6 Tips for Keeping Your Fitness Routine During the Holidays
With the extensive preparations for food, decor, and family, it can be easy to lose sight of your fitness routine. But that doesn’t mean you should abandon fitness entirely! After all, champions never lose sight of the end goal. Here are a few tips from us to you as a...
4 Fitness fads you should scrap from your routine
Does losing 5 kilograms of fat in a 1-week workout plan sound appealing to you? You are not alone. Fitness fads constantly come and go and the key to picking a programme that works is to bone up on proven facts so you can avoid potentially harmful advice. Here are...
Cooldown movements and stretches are essential post-run activities
Do you often feel exhausted rather than energised after a run? Have you experienced muscle soreness or stiffness that takes days to recover from? That could be a result of skipping cooldown activities and stretches. Make time for cooldown activities and stretches We...
Why your fitness has plateaued and what to do about it
We hear it all the time from our Dublin customers: “When I first started working out I noticed huge improvements in strength and speed in a short period of time. But now my progress is flatlining. What am I doing wrong?” Our response is almost always the same: “There...
The benefits of bodyweight exercises
When it comes to exercising, getting in shape and losing weight, there is a common misconception that one of two options alone is enough: pumping iron or cardio. “How much do you bench press?” and “How fast can you run a 5k?” The truth is, an ideal exercise plan...
How diabetics can manage their condition with specialised workout plans
Diabetes is the most common metabolic illness in the world and approximately 9.6% of the Irish population are afflicted by this disease. Most of those affected have Type 2 Diabetes, which is primarily attributed to being overweight. With this disease, your body’s...
6 Common myths about running debunked
Running is one of the most popular forms of exercise. It doesn’t require much equipment, it’s easy to pick up (everyone knows how to run) and a great excuse to get some fresh air. But with popularity comes misinformation. There’s a lot of hearsay floating around the...
What is core strength and why is it so important?
“Swimsuit season” may mean a little something different in the Dublin area, but that doesn’t mean you can’t work on your six pack. Despite popular belief, your “core” and your abs aren’t quite the same thing. It’s more complex than that, but understanding how to...
The benefits of aerobic vs anaerobic exercises
When it comes to fitness, there are two main categories of exercises: aerobic and anaerobic. The main difference lies in the way your body consumes oxygen while you’re working out and whether it needs to draw energy from other sources. This can have a huge effect on...
How to realign your body to reduce pain
Sitting on your office chair for hours, driving long distances, lifting heavy objects and even the way you sleep can negatively affect your posture. This doesn’t just result in a slouch or the occasional shoulder ache either. Having bad posture can lead to very...
How middle-aged men can naturally boost testosterone levels to put on muscle
Both sexes have testosterone in their bodies, but everyone knows men have much, much more. However, as men age their testosterone levels decline, sometimes when they’re as young as 25-30 years old. Side effects vary greatly and include hair loss, decreased muscle...
Reaching optimal fitness and nutrition through DNA testing!
DNA testing can tell you how to eat, train and achieve maximum health. At BodyScene we are always looking at different ways to motivate our clients to reach their training and nutrition goals.
Fight for your fitness!
Why exercise with your significant other
Many people exercise alone. A quick look around at the gym will verify this as you notice solo runners on the treadmill and muscly dudes moving across the free weight floor. The truth is a lot of us don’t consider bringing a friend to the gym. But why not? And why not...
Treadmill running or outdoor running?
As a runner you’re going to find yourself at a crossroad. Should you work up a sweat outside or do you pay your local gym a visit and run on their treadmill for 30 minutes? This is a question that many runners face and while some may think that both are exactly the...
Why you should exercise in a class
I tend to think of myself as a one-man wolf pack. But when my sister brought Doug home, I knew he was one of my own. And my wolf pack... it grew by one... And six months ago, when Doug introduced me to you guys, I thought, ‘Wait a second, could it be?’ And now I know...
Best time to work out: morning or evening?
Are you a morning person or an evening person? When it comes to working out, people have different preferences. While some would not mind waking up at five in the morning to start exercising, some would much rather sleep in and just train after work. For those people...
How to run farther
Having trouble running your first 5K or 10K? Ever wonder how some runners can keep running as if they weren’t getting tired? For beginners, long distance running can be an intimidating and exhausting challenge but the trick isn’t to jump straight into long runs, but...
Stretch away the joint pains
Joint pain and discomfort are unpleasant to say the least. If left untreated, it could possibly develop into arthritis that could be extremely debilitating. Failing to properly care for your joints and maintain them jeopardizes them for a lifetime. So what kind of...
How to shorten your exercise routine
8 common blunders made at the gym
Losing weight doesn’t mean more exercise
When it’s wise to avoid exercise
How not to embarrass yourself during pilates
Ditch the treadmill and do these activities
How to Step Up Your Abs Routine
How to squeeze in exercise at the office
Stay active in the cold weather
Less talked about reasons to exercise
How to stick to your fitness resolutions
How to avoid joint injuries during exercise
Outdoor winter workout tips
How to combine shopping and exercise
How exercise makes you happier
The benefits of walking and how to do more of it
6 Exercises for a Stronger Core
Your core consists of the muscles that stabilize the spine and hips, and includes all the muscles of the abdomen, back, glutes and upper legs. A strong core helps protect the entire midsection, and enhances both mobility and stability, which, in turn, improves...
DIET AND NUTRITION
Visceral Fat: The Impact on your health and how to reduce the risks
Visceral fat is a type of body fat that’s stored within the abdominal cavity. It’s located near several vital organs, including the liver, stomach, and intestines. It can also build up in the arteries. It’s often referred to as active fat because it can activate the many health problems associated with it from diabetes, heart disease, insulin resistance and neurological disorders.
Are You Addicted To Food!?
Food addiction is a real addiction, unlike drugs and alcohol abuse it is not seen as near as a problem of alcohol or drugs but left untreated can result in mental, emotional, and physical health issues which can affect the quality of your life, your health and your...
Two very different examples of 2,500 calories (how processed foods are almost always higher in calories)
The idea for today’s blog comes directly from a conversation I had with someone earlier this week, when I was trying to illustrate how huge a difference there can be in the energy content of different types of foods.
Quick, Simple Tips for Fat-Busting Meals
January is over and with it, a lot of new year’s resolutions. But hopefully you are still committed to eating healthy, nutritious food and if so, here are some helpful hints that can keep you on the right track with food that will do wonders for your waistline... *...
Why you’re not losing bodyfat – Our 5 mins read!
This five-minute read will help explain what might be holding us back from seeing those long-forgotten abs!
There is a difference between losing weight, and losing bodyfat. A lot of the time the numbers on the scale don’t reflect how we think we should look, and that is usually down to how much bodyfat we are carrying for our weight.
Nutrition 101; The Uncomplicated Truth.
Nutrition is big business. A multi-million (billion?) euro industry worldwide has sprung up over the last two decades, and while some of it it is certainly valid, there are an awful lot of people whose job it is to make something that is actually very simple sound...
Supplements: Do they work?
I was in two minds whether to choose the subject of food supplements as a topic for this blog post, if I’m being honest. The reason being that the vast majority of recreational trainees (people who are not competitive athletes, basically) would probably benefit far,...
How can I stop overeating??!
The main reason we overeat is due to emotional eating. Other factors can include lack of education on the right foods to eat and unconscious eating. So, let’s get back to basics and look at why we overeat. What is emotional eating/hunger? Emotional eating is when we...
I don’t have time to be healthy!
Time. Or to be more precise; the lack of it. It’s probably the most common reason people give for not exercising or eating better. Is it a valid reason? Let’s see... First of all, there’s the idea that people are somehow busier nowadays than they used to be. This is...
The one simple thing that all successful diets have in common
Everywhere we turn, we are bombarded with information whether we look for it or not. The internet age has utterly changed how we live; most of us have immediate access to the sum total of human knowledge with the click of a button. The collective knowledge of our entire civilisation is literally at our fingertips.
MEN'S FITNESS
How middle-aged men can naturally boost testosterone levels to put on muscle
Both sexes have testosterone in their bodies, but everyone knows men have much, much more. However, as men age their testosterone levels decline, sometimes when they’re as young as 25-30 years old. Side effects vary greatly and include hair loss, decreased muscle...
WOMEN'S FITNESS
BioSignature: Are hormones the key to targeting belly fat?
Forget month-long rigorous diets and daily gym sessions -- what if the key to losing your belly fat could be a whole lot simpler? “Biosignature,” a theory made popular by renowned Canadian strength coach Charles Poliquin, insists that the key to reducing belly fat is...
Get stronger with bodyweight training!
More women have taken to strength training and building muscle to help them quickly lose fat and get a toned body. But what if you don’t want to go to the gym or if a membership is a little out of your budget? Fortunately, there are plenty of strength training...
7 reasons to start a running routine
Spring is here, and that means there’s no better time to add running to your exercise routine. While there are a lot of women out there who hate the mere thought of running, we know there are plenty of others on the fence about it. So if you’re teetering, don’t...
Muscle soreness and working out
Doubling as a badge of honor, soreness is physical proof that you really pushed yourself and got out of bed for a workout. It might be normal for newbies to experience soreness after their first trip to the gym but for veterans that swear by the "no pain, no gain"...
Electrolytes: necessity or accessory?
Exercises for menopausal women
It’s Valentine’s Day, so keep your heart healthy
Be happy with a healthy body
5 strength machines every women should use
How exercise benefits your whole body
Wearable technology for the ladies
6 helpful tips to lose belly fat
Stress-free mornings for busy parents
Barbell basics for women
5 ways to tone up with dumbbells
Work off that sweet cherry (or any other) pie
How to become a better runner
How much exercise do you need?
Best exercises for your body shape
CHILDREN'S FITNESS
Should our kids be in the gym?
The subject of young people training is one of the most controversial topics of its kind out there. Maybe the most controversial. When children are involved, opinions on any issue are naturally a little more keenly-felt and this one is defininitely no exception. It’s...
PERSONAL TRAINING
A quick, simple way to get more out of your cardio training
Very often, the biggest factor determining someone’s performance in activities like running, rowing, or cycling is actually how strong or weak that person is.
This is often cause for surprise, as most people probably wouldn’t make much of a connection between “strength” and their cardiovascular “fitness”.
Training with BodyScene to hiking Machu Picchu, a client’s tale
Travelling to Machu Picchu and hiking the Inca Trail was on our “bucket list” for a long time. When our daughter suggested we should do it before we couldn’t (!) we booked it and then started working on making sure we were ready and able. Valerie designed a training...
The benefits of working with a personal trainer/nutritionist combo
For many, getting in shape is never easy, especially when you’re just starting out. There are many reasons to this, whether it’s not being able to muster up the motivation to make it to to your workout, not knowing where to start, or not seeing any results after...
MOTIVATION
Create your own personalised HIIT programme in 10 minutes
Interval training (aka HIIT) has been around for a long time and is a popular and effective use of our time in the gym. The idea behind it is that rather than spending a long time working at a lower intensity (like a long-distance run), the trainee would be doing...
You Must Have This to Lead a Great Life
Self-esteem is characterised by how you feel about yourself in general. When we have low self- esteem it can limit us from living a great life. With low self-esteem we accept low standards in our relationships, our jobs and our life in general. We may suffer from...
Avoiding the “New Year” mistakes
Like almost everyone else right now, you are probably still a little bloated from Quality Street (especially the nice purple ones of which there are never enough, you know the ones) and turkey sandwiches. You’re probably craving any vegetable that isn’t a brussel...
5 ways to maximise your exercise!
We all like to think that we are getting the most out of our efforts- and this is probably as true in relation to physical activity and exercise as to any other aspect of our lives...perhaps even more so. Unfortunately, it can be easy to fall into the trap of working...
What is stress and what you can do to manage it
Stress, if harnessed properly, can be of great assistance, but if you lose control, the effects of stress can easily become your worst enemy. Stress is known to affect all systems in the human body by influencing a large array of functions through its effect on...
STRENGTH TRAINING
4 best exercises to shape your booty!
They are often called “The PowerHouse Of The Body”. They are also the bodypart that many trainers say they are asked about the most. Glutes (the muscles of your bum, basically) are important to different people for different reasons; performance, and aesthetics....
Recovery Series: What causes sore muscles after training… and how you can make it better.
There is a very particular kind of soreness associated with exercise that is probably familiar to most people reading this. It is not the kind of pain that indicates an injury – it is a deep ache that, at its most extreme, can reduce the hardiest of trainees to a hobbling, groaning mess!
The benefits of bodyweight exercises
When it comes to exercising, getting in shape and losing weight, there is a common misconception that one of two options alone is enough: pumping iron or cardio. “How much do you bench press?” and “How fast can you run a 5k?” The truth is, an ideal exercise plan...
What is core strength and why is it so important?
“Swimsuit season” may mean a little something different in the Dublin area, but that doesn’t mean you can’t work on your six pack. Despite popular belief, your “core” and your abs aren’t quite the same thing. It’s more complex than that, but understanding how to...
The effect of weight training on your overall health
There is a popular belief when it comes to working out that cardio is for burning fat while weight training is for building muscle. While this is true to some extent, it’s definitely not definitive and doesn’t mean you should avoid weight training because you’re...
CARDIO
Create your own personalised HIIT programme in 10 minutes
Interval training (aka HIIT) has been around for a long time and is a popular and effective use of our time in the gym. The idea behind it is that rather than spending a long time working at a lower intensity (like a long-distance run), the trainee would be doing...
A quick, simple way to get more out of your cardio training
Very often, the biggest factor determining someone’s performance in activities like running, rowing, or cycling is actually how strong or weak that person is.
This is often cause for surprise, as most people probably wouldn’t make much of a connection between “strength” and their cardiovascular “fitness”.
The benefits of aerobic vs anaerobic exercises
When it comes to fitness, there are two main categories of exercises: aerobic and anaerobic. The main difference lies in the way your body consumes oxygen while you’re working out and whether it needs to draw energy from other sources. This can have a huge effect on...
GYM WORKOUTS
How to change your mindset and be motivated to workout
To change your life and have that fit body once for all you must master your mind and change your thinking. All of us at some point will find it hard to stay motivated and do a workout so, in what ways can we change our thinking and have a winner’s mindset at all...
The benefits of aerobic vs anaerobic exercises
When it comes to fitness, there are two main categories of exercises: aerobic and anaerobic. The main difference lies in the way your body consumes oxygen while you’re working out and whether it needs to draw energy from other sources. This can have a huge effect on...
THERAPY
Why lack of sleep might be killing you
For some reason, how long (or how well) someone sleeps is often one of the last factors to be considered when we are thinking about ways to improve our health.
It shouldn’t be.
Why avoiding exercise might be the worst thing for your back pain
The latest research is now telling us that 70-80% of people in the western world will experience lower back pain at some point in their lives. The chances are, if you are reading this, you’ve probably had it yourself. Maybe you have it now! As a coach, it is the...
Recovery Series: Do Ice Baths work?
In recent years, methods such as cold-water immersion/cryotherapy have become extremely popular as a way of maximising recovery after training intensely, picking up a soft-tissue injury, or exercising in high volumes. But do they actually give the desired results, and how do they work?
“Does your back hurt when you perform the plank? This is probably why…”
My typical working week brings me into contact with a large range of individuals: people rehabbing injuries, recreational trainees looking to get in better all-round shape, competitive athletes...the whole spectrum. But, perhaps surprisingly, one specific thing...
How diabetics can manage their condition with specialised workout plans
Diabetes is the most common metabolic illness in the world and approximately 9.6% of the Irish population are afflicted by this disease. Most of those affected have Type 2 Diabetes, which is primarily attributed to being overweight. With this disease, your body’s...
What is neuromuscular therapy and how does it relieve pain?
Muscle pain can be extremely annoying in your daily life, especially when it gets in the way of getting proper sleep, being active, or just walking around comfortably. There are many ways you can alleviate these pains, ranging from yoga to medicinal ointments, but one...