If at your initial consultation your personal trainer tells you you’re obese, they’re not trying to make you feel bad. They’re using a specific medical term, ‘obesity’, to talk with you about your weight. Simply put, the word “obesity” means too much body fat. It’s usually based on your body mass index (BMI).
Body Mass Index (BMI) is a measurement of a person’s weight with respect to his or her height. It is more of an indicator than a direct measurement of a person’s total body fat. BMI, more often than not, correlates with total body fat. This means that as the BMI score increases, so does a person’s total body fat.
The World Health Organisation (WHO), defines an adult who has a BMI between 25 and 29.9 as overweight – an adult who has a BMI of 30 or higher is considered obese – a BMI below 18.5 is considered underweight, and between 18.5 to 24.9 a healthy weight .
How does being obese affect my health?
Obesity can help explain some conditions you may have, such as:
High blood pressure
Heart disease and stroke
Type 2 diabetes
High cholesterol
Joint problems caused by extra weight
Trouble breathing, including sleep apnea (you briefly stop breathing while you’re asleep)
Gallstones
Modest changes go a long way!
The great news is that you can take simple steps to lose extra weight. Losing even a little weight can make a big difference to your health, how you feel and your personal well-being. You really don’t have to lose a lot of weight to start seeing and feeling the health benefits.
Begin with a weight loss goal of 500 grams to 1000 grams a week. Overweight adults or obese adults should try to lose 5% to 10% of their current weight over 6 months, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of America.
If you’re ready to get started with a weight loss program, ask your personal trainer to help you set personal goals and refer you to other professionals who can give you medical advice if necessary and help you reach your goals safely. For example, a Registered Dietitian can help you with meal planning and a Chiropractor can address your muscloskeletal issues affecting your training performance and general quality of life.
You’ll want to go for steady progress over time, and to make lifestyle changes that work for you for the long run. That way you can start losing weight and feel better.
Tiger Athletic is a modern, private, appointment only gym in Sandton, Johannesburg. We use a rigorous, results-focused methodology we are passionate about helping you be the healthiest version of yourself, so you can lead a more fulfilling personal and professional life.
Our sessions are strictly 1 on 1 just you and your trainer. There is nobody else in the gym and all equipment used is sanitized at the end of each session for the safety of all our clients.
30 days to stronger, firmer and leaner abs? Challenge yourself by joining Tiger Athletic head trainer Aubrey in our 30-Day Tiger Abs Challenge to build a stronger core and leaner abs.
Localized weight gain solely in your midsection may be the result of specific lifestyle choices. The two S’s, stress and sugar play a significant role in the size of your midsection. Fat around the middle is, in fact, unhealthier than being overweight, can increase your risk of Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, and even cancer, especially breast cancer.
Our modern lifestyle of sitting all day in traffic and at
work often leaves us feeling (and looking) fat, tired and with backpain.
Achieving a leaner more functional torso goes a long way to easing the back
pain and feeling amazing again. Along with the workout calendar at the end of
this article and as a Tiger Athletic first, every few days we’ll post a no
equipment, 10-minute core and abs workout video you can follow along pretty
much anywhere.
Join our 30 day Tiger Abs Challenge starting Saturday, February 01, 2020, by following the workout calendar at the bottom of this article and engaging with your personal trainer Aubrey and our close-knit fitness community on the Tiger Athletic Challenge Group on Facebook. and we’ll get you a leaner, stronger, tighter midsection and to that elusive 2-minute plank benchmark. Even if just getting to a 20 second plank seems an insurmountable obstacle at present, we’ll get you there with a lot of planking practice and targeted core exercises to improve core strength for men and women alike.
We’re starting on Saturday, January 01, 2020, however, you can start the challenge at any time you feel you need professional help to improve your core strength and the aesthetic look of your abs. At the end of this article, we’ve created the 30-day Tiger abs calendar with a training program for you to follow every day of the challenge.
You’ll do four different ab exercises on most days, the plank
(of course), the boat pose, Jack Knives (Aubrey’s personal favourite) and cross
crunches for a set time or number of reps. For example, on the first day,
you’ll do a 20-second plank, 20-second Boat pose, 20 Jack Knives and 20 Cross
Crunches. For the Jack Knives and Cross Crunches, the set number applies on the
left side as it does on the right, i.e. 20 reps mean 20 left hand to right leg
and vice versa.
On some days our head trainer Aubrey will demonstrate a 10
minute ab workout video to add to your training routine and on every seventh
day, you’ll have an active rest day to focus on a low intensity workout like setting
a new personal best on your 10 000 Step A Day Challenge, yoga or swimming.
How To Join The Challenge
Join our Tiger Athletic Challenge Group on Facebook to get daily encouragement and motivation, as well as answers to any questions about the challenge you may have.
Share the challenge calendar below with your friends on Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter. You can also print it out and keep it somewhere you’ll see it every day or save it to your phone so it’s always handy.
Follow along with the challenge each day and share your progress in the Tiger Athletic Challenge Group . We’re rooting for you!
30 Day Solid Abs Challenge Calendar
1
20 Sec Plank 20 Sec Boat 20 Jack Knives 20 Cross Crunches (10 Each Way)
2
25 Sec Plank 25 Sec Boat 24 Jack Knives 24 Cross Crunches (12 Each Way)
3
Tiger Athletic Dynamic Abs 10-minute Video
4
30 Sec Plank 30 Sec Boat 28 Jack Knives 28 Cross Crunches (14 Each Way)
5
35 Sec Plank 35 Sec Boat 32 Jack Knives 32 Cross Crunches (16 Each Way)
6
40 Sec Plank 40 Sec Boat 36 Jack Knives 36 Cross Crunches (18 Each Way)
7
Rest Day
8
45 Sec Plank 45 Sec Boat 40 Jack Knives 40 Cross Crunches (20 Each Way)
9
50 Sec Plank 50 Sec Boat 44 Jack Knives 44 Cross Crunches (22 Each Way)
10
Tiger Athletic Dynamic Abs 10-minute Video
11
50 Sec Plank 50 Sec Boat 48 Jack Knives 48 Cross Crunches (24 Each Way)
12
55 Sec Plank 55 Sec Boat 48 Jack Knives 48 Cross Crunches (28 Each Way)
13
Tiger Athletic 10 Minute Tabata Video
14
Rest Day
15
60 Sec Plank 60 Sec Boat 52 Jack Knives 52 Cross Crunches (26 Each Way)
16
65 Sec Plank 65 Sec Boat 56 Jack Knives 56 Cross Crunches (28 Each Way)
17
Tiger Athletic Dynamic Abs 10-minute Video
18
70 Sec Plank 70 Sec Boat 60 Jack Knives 60 Cross Crunches (30 Each Way)
19
80 Sec Plank 80 Sec Boat 64 Jack Knives 64 Cross Crunches (32 Each Way)
20
Tiger Athletic 10 Minute Tabata Video
21
Rest Day
22
90 Sec Plank 90 Sec Boat 68 Jack Knives 68 Cross Crunches (34 Each Way)
23
100 Sec Plank 100 Sec Boat 72 Jack Knives 72 Cross Crunches (36 Each Way)
24
Tiger Athletic Dynamic Abs 10-minute Video
25
105 Sec Plank 105 Sec Boat 76 Jack Knives 76 Cross Crunches (38 Each Way)
26
110 Sec Plank 110 Sec Boat 80 Jack Knives 80 Cross Crunches (40 Each Way)
27
Tiger Athletic Dynamic Abs 10-minute Video
28
Rest Day
29
115 Sec Plank 115 Sec Boat 84 Jack Knives 84 Cross Crunches (42 Each Way)
30
120 Sec Plank 120 Sec Boat 88 Jack Knives 88 Cross Crunches (44 Each Way)
Tiger Athletic is a modern, private, appointment only gym with a personal trainer for each session. Revolutionize your present workout regime or find a new way to sweat with us. Book a trial session, let’s chat about your health.
We all have an image in our hearts and minds of what our best body looks like… If only I could afford the best trainer, gym or nutrition advice. Well, guess what? You can stop dreaming, because you can. Tiger Athletic now offers an authentic workout experience for those who want to learn how to achieve that vision with Street Workout, simply the best boot camp group workout there is. Work with Tiger himself and achieve results from a world class fighter and coach who understands the science and art of fitness.
Join our close-knit fitness community and get the best
fitness instruction, nutritional counselling and motivational training packed
with fun, energizing outdoor workouts in Sandton’s most secure and stunning
office park. No worrying about personal safety or the safety of your car and
belongings while you sweat.
Our mission is to inspire and motivate you to get to your
best fitness, by training for 1-hour Monday to Friday in the morning or evening
or both! Evening sessions run Monday to Friday from 17:20 to 18:20hrs and are
full body workouts that constantly evolve so you keep developing and don’t get
bored. Morning workouts are run on Tuesday and Thursday from 6 am to 7 am with
Tuesdays focusing on core and upper body and Thursday focusing on core and
lower body.
Each bootcamp starts at the beginning of each month and runs
for the duration of that month – you will feel like a champion through our
best-in-class group fitness experience at only R400 per month for as many
morning or evening sessions as you can attend in any given month.
We have no joining or cancellation fees and you can train on a month to month basis with pay as you go. Sessions are always motivational, safe, different and fun! Whether you are a beginner, an enthusiastic weekend warrior or a competitive professional, we will make you look and feel like the best version of yourself.
All you need to bring is a mat, small weights (2 or 3kg), a water bottle and wear comfortable, layered clothing. If you don’t have these, you can always order these and bottled water from Tiger Athletic when you register to work out.
Register by the 28th of each month and you and your partner
or your bestie can come along for the first month’s camp!
Tiger Athletic is a modern, private, appointment only gym
with personal trainers for every session. Revolutionize your present workout
regime or find a new way to sweat with us. We have you and your pocket covered
to tone and shape your body to new levels of excellence.
There is no time like the present especially when it comes to gaining control over your health and lifestyle after an indulgant festive holiday. We’d like to make your fitness goals a reality in 2019. Become a new client and book 10 fitness sessions for January in December and get up to a 50% cash back to spend as you please!
Tiger Athletic is a private, appointment only strength and conditioning gym in the heart of Sandton. We offer a modern approach to fitness using exercise and nutrition programs based on your health assessment and goals.
We use our personal trainer and modern, state-of-the-art equipment, to provide you with a structured, action-oriented exercise and nutrition solution, improving fitness and appearance, reducing health risks and promoting healthy behavior through extraordinary 50 minute workouts that are simple, efficient and effective.
Our entire approach is designed around you as an individual, your unique physique, capabilities and goals. We assess, motivate, educate and coach you towards your personal goals in a professional and supportive environment.
Our assessment procedure and expert medical network ensure that you are looked after in the best possible way. Ensuring health first and lots of fun while you work towards your dream aesthetic.
Together changes everything. Let’s chat about your health?
Fact: we love our sugar and sugary treats. Arb fact: Former US President Ronald Reagan had to have jellybeans on his desk always. Vending machines and even till points almost everywhere feed our cravings for sweets. With South African sales of sugar filled drinks and other sweets soaring and the highest percentage of fat children and adolescents on the planet, we as a nation are addicted to sugar in all its glorious forms.
While sugar is not literally addicting, (scientists long ago proved that people are born with a preference for sweets), this innate desire does not disappear as we grow older. Some people find it impossible to leave the dinner table without dessert; others can’t fathom a day without chocolate. Many women blame hormonal surges for the sweets cravings they get around the same time each month.
Sugar and other sweeteners add calories with few other nutrients and have no doubt helped contribute to our current epidemic of obesity. True, sugar is not alone in promoting obesity, a lack of exercise and excessive calories from poor nutrition habits also contribute.
Sugar has been blamed for everything from diabetes, tooth decay, obesity, and heart disease to disruptive behaviour in the classroom. But sugar by itself will not cause any of these conditions, except for cavities.
A comprehensive review of scientific research, published in the journal Nutrition Research in 1997, showed that sugar is not a direct cause of heart disease, diabetes, obesity, or hyperactivity. A more recent government report concurs that sugar is not by itself linked to any of those conditions. However, too many calories, in any form, can contribute to obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
Changes in our behaviour are often attributed to changes in our blood sugar levels. When you consume a meal made up of simple, refined carbohydrates – like a doughnut or a soft drink – the result is a spike in blood sugar. Your body responds to this spike by secreting large amounts of insulin to normalize your blood sugar level. In response to the insulin, your blood sugar level drops quickly, leaving you with a feeling of sluggishness and irritability. When your blood sugar gets too low, hunger reappears, and the roller-coaster ride resumes, that is, if your next meal is also mostly simple carbohydrates. These are the carbohydrates that the latest diet books denounce, not the healthy, fibrous carbohydrates that come from whole fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
At Tiger Athletic, your personal trainer will help you choose these healthy carbohydrates or give you nutritional advice that adds protein or fat to your meal, so your blood sugar will rise and fall more normally without the negative side effects.
When we say we have a sugar addiction, we may mean anything from a mild desire to intense cravings for sweet foods and drinks. Some people go so far as to equate the effects of sugar to a drug, saying it calms them and helps them deal with stress. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Guide Pyramid recommends we limit added sugars in our diet to 12 teaspoons per day, as far back as 2001, the average American ate and drank the equivalent of 31 teaspoons of sugar daily, however, even with these scary numbers, South African children still managed to overtake American kids as the fattest on the planet! We are failing the next generation!
Sugar finds its way into virtually every kind of processed food, from tomato sauce to soups and, especially, soft drinks. One 330ml can of your favourite soft drink contains approximately 10 teaspoons of sugar. As if that is not bad enough, some data suggest that we consume an average of 155 litres of soft drink per person annually. That’s a lot of sugar – and extra calories!
Sugars have 4 calories per gram, or 15 calories per teaspoon. If you want to shave calories, it’s a good idea to limit added sugar in your diet. Sounds simple enough, but what about those hard-to-ignore cravings? Here’s the trick: Gradually decreasing the amount of sugar you eat, and how often you eat it, will help you reduce your desire for sugars while lowering your caloric intake. Old habits are hard to break but our personal trainer will guide you into making small and gradual changes in your eating style will help you break free from your sugar addiction.
Many people, newly diagnosed with diabetes find that after they start eating fewer sweets, foods like fresh fruit taste sweeter and can satisfy their cravings for sweets. Remember, moderation is the key. If you can control the quantity, you will be able to enjoy sweets on occasion.
Here are some tips to help you break the sugar habit:
Book an assessment with a personal trainer at Tiger Athletic and get professional help.
Read the label on all processed foods. Check the amount of sugars and choose products with the least sugar per serving.
Become familiar with sugar terminology. Recognize that all of these are sweeteners: corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, sucrose, dextrose, honey, molasses, turbinado, and brown sugar.
Keep up with your journal, and use the notes section to document your mood, setting, and activity whenever you feel the urge to eat sweets. Review your notes and look for patterns or triggers that you can alter to help control your sugar intake.
Select one behaviour to change each week. Try satisfying your sweet tooth with a snack-sized chocolate bar instead of a full-sized one. Next week, trade in a soft drink for sparkling water with a splash of fruit juice.
Satisfy your desire for sweets with the natural sweetness of whole fruits or no-sugar-added juices.
Buy unsweetened food and beverages and add small amounts of sweeteners if you need them. Enjoy whole-grain cereal with one teaspoon of sugar instead of presweetened cereals, which contain much more sugar per serving.
Try using less sugar in your coffee or tea. Gradually decrease the amount you use to let your taste buds adapt.
Don’t substitute artificial sweeteners for sugar; this will do little to alter your desire for sweets. Moderate amounts of artificial sweeteners are not unhealthy, but they won’t help you retrain your taste buds.
Abstinence makes the heart grow fonder — and it also intensifies cravings. Allow yourself small portions of sweets on occasion. Try to satisfy your cravings with a piece of sugarless gum. If you totally deny yourself, it will be hard to think about anything else. On the other hand, if you know you are allowed one small treat per day, you will savour every bite.
Quench your thirst with flavoured waters that are calorie-free. Jazz up plain or sparkling water with fresh mint, a slice of lemon, lime, or orange, or a splash of fruit juice.
If you’re a sugar “addict,” kicking the habit will do your body good. Doctors newest nutritional recommendations suggest a balanced diet, low in fat, with a reduced sugar intake, along with regular exercise, as the best way to lose weight and keep it off.
Your Tiger Athletic Weight Loss Program of exercise and good nutritional advice supports these recommendations. It is designed to promote a weight loss of ½ to 1 kilogram per week and to encourage the eating of healthy foods while weaning you from excessive sugar. So, book a trial session, sign up, stick with the plan, follow our tips, and find out just how sweet better health can be!
Tiger Athletic Fitness & Conditioning is a modern, private, appointment only gym in the heart of Sandton. Our personal trainer is a fitness professional who uses a personalised approach to assess, motivate, educate and coach clients regards their health and fitness needs.
Together changes everything. Let’s get you healthy!
SOURCES: Nutrition Research, 1997; vol 17(9). Family Economics and Nutrition Review, Jan. 10, 2002. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, May 1998. Food Review, Winter 2002; vol 25(3). USDA Economic Research Service. USDA Economic Research Service, 1990-1997 Food Consumption Data, April 1999. Clinician Reviews, 2001; vol 13(11). WebMD
Tiger Athletic Fitness & Conditioning offers Personal Training Programs endowed with benefits and results that dieting and supplementation alone just can’t deliver, boosting metabolism, toning and sculpting your muscles, turning your body into a fat blasting furnace through hard work and dedication hand in hand with ‘smart nutrition’. We do not sell weight loss, we offer a pragmatic health first approach that screens, identifies and mitigates for risk factors and symptoms of chronic cardiovascular, pulmonary, metabolic and orthopaedic diseases to optimise safety during exercise testing and participation.
We define our scope of practice in the personal training profession by characterizing our personal trainers as health and fitness professionals who use an individualised approach to assess, motivate, educate and train clients regarding their health and fitness needs. We design safe and effective exercise programs and provide the guidance to help clients achieve their personal goals. In addition, they respond appropriately in emergency situations. Recognizing their area of expertise, our personal trainers refer clients to other health care professionals when appropriate.
“We train the hardest”, we adhere to the highest standard of preparticipation health appraisal screening. The value of our initial client interview is the first step in the client consultation, to obtain and share essential information with the program delivery process. The ‘initial interview’, is a scheduled appointment intended as a mutual sharing of information intended outcomes of assessing client – trainer compatibility, discussing goals and discussing a client – trainer agreement.
The purpose of the preparticipation health appraisal process is to identify known diseases and positive risk factors associated with coronary artery disease, assess lifestyle factors that may require special considerations, and identify individuals who may require medical referral before starting an exercise program.
The client consultation and health appraisal process is our competitive advantage and is directly in line with the scope of practice of the certified personal trainer, to assess, motivate, educate and refer when necessary. For us to develop custom programs of exercise that will safely and effectively meet your individual objectives, the personal trainer needs to gather pertinent information and documentation that will be used to assess health status, evaluate potential for risk, and refer for medical clearance when necessary.
Tiger Athletic Fitness & Conditioning is as appointment only, strength & conditioning gym offering custom, personal trainer led fitness solutions in a modern, private facility in the heart of Sandton. Your preparticipation health screening and goals are the foundation and corner stone of the efficient, effective 50-minute workouts your personal trainer custom designs for you.
Tiger Athletic is led by a primary mission to teach and develop physical literacy. Calisthenics, is a smart, scientific approach to weight loss, strength gain and living a more active, fulfilling life. Through this series of resources, you can get in touch with your unique physique in the privacy of your home or when travelling you can exercise in the privacy of your accommodation without the aid of equipment, a trainer or expensive supplements and begin to understand that you too can get healthy using just your body, the physical environment and a little imagination.
The word calisthenics comes from the ancient Greek words kálos (κάλλος), which means “beauty”, and sthénos (σθένος), meaning “strength”. It is the art of using one’s body weight and qualities of inertia to develop one’s physique. A longstanding urban legend has claimed that the exercise was named after one of its earliest promotors, the Greek historian Callisthenes.
Calisthenics are exercises consisting of a variety of gross motor movements; often rhythmical and generally without equipment or apparatus (body-weight training), intended to increase physical strength, physical fitness, and flexibility, through movements such as pulling or pushing oneself up, bending, jumping, or swinging, using only one’s body weight for resistance; usually conducted in concert with stretches. When performed dynamically and with variation, calisthenics provide muscular and aerobic conditioning, in addition to improving psychomotor skills such as balance, agility and coordination.
Sports teams and military units often perform leader-directed group calisthenics as a form of synchronized physical training (often including a customized “call and response” routine) to increase group cohesion and discipline. Calisthenics are also popular as a component of physical education in junior and senior schools the world over.
Body weight exercises are strength training exercises that do not require any apparatus; the individual’s own weight provides the resistance for the movement. Movements such as the push-up, the pull-up, and the sit-up are some of the most common body weight exercises.
Advantages
Body weight exercises are the ideal for individuals interested in fitness but do not have access to or interest in using equipment. While some exercises may require some type of equipment, most of body weight exercises require none. For those exercises that do require equipment, common items found in the household are usually sufficient (such as a bath towel for towel curls), or substitutes can usually be improvised (for example, using a horizontal tree branch to perform pull ups). Body weight exercises benefit all age groups.
Most body weight exercises can be progressed or regressed, this progression/regression strategy allows people of all levels of fitness to participate. Some basic methods to increase or decrease the difficulty of a body weight exercise, without adding extra weight, are: changing the amount of leverage in an exercise (such as elevating the feet for a standard push-up, or performing the push-up with knees on the ground), performing the exercise on an unstable platform (such as performing push-ups on a basketball), modifying the range of motion in an exercise (such as squatting to a 45 degree angle rather than a 90 degree angle), incorporating unilateral movements as opposed to bilateral movements (such as performing a one-armed push-up), and adding isometric pauses during the exercise (such as holding for a few seconds at the bottom of a push-up). Gymnasts make extensive use of isometrics by doing much of their training with straight arms (such as iron crosses, levers, and planches). When compared to weight lifting, body weight exercises often require much more flexibility and balance.
Body weight exercises have a far lower risk of injury compared to using free weights and machines due to the absence of an external load that places strain on the muscles and joints. The lower risk of injury is only provided that the athlete/trainee is progressing through the correct progressions and not immediately skipping to strenuous movements that can place undue and possibly harmful stress on ligaments, tendons, and other tissues. Although falling on the head, chest, buttocks, and falling backwards can occur, these are far less harmful injuries than dropping a weight on a body part or having a joint extended beyond its natural range of motion due to a weight being used incorrectly.
Body weight exercises also give the advantage of having minimal bulking and cutting requirements that are normally utilised in free weight and machines training. This is due to bulking bringing extra fat that decreases the performance of body weight exercises, thus body weight exercises not only remove the need for a bulking or cutting phase, but it can help a person retain a low body fat percentage all year round.
Body weight exercises also work several muscle groups at once, due to the lack of isolation and the need of a large majority of muscles to perform a movement properly. For example, in a push up, the body must form a rigid straight line, and the elbow joint must move from a straight angle to the smallest angle possible, and thus the core muscles, chest muscles, triceps, and legs are all involved in ensuring proper, strict form.
Disadvantages
Body weight exercises use the individual’s own weight to provide the resistance for the movement, hence the weight being lifted is never greater than the weight of one’s own body. This can make it difficult to achieve a level of intensity that is near the individual’s one rep maximum, which is desirable for strength training.
Body weight exercises can be increased in intensity by including additional weights (such as wearing a weighted vest or holding a barbell, Kettle Bell, sand bell or plate during a sit up), but this deviates from the general premise that body weight exercises rely solely on the weight of the individual to provide resistance. However, difficulty can be added by changing the leverage, which places more emphasis on specific limbs and muscles, e.g. a one-legged squat works a leg far stronger than a two-legged squat, which not only requires strength but progressing to a one-legged squat builds strength along the way. The same can be seen with one arm pushups, pull ups, and many other exercises. Difficulty can also be added by increasing volume, adding explosiveness to the movements, or slowing down the movement to increase time under tension.
Classes of Exercises
Body weight exercises are generally grouped into four rough classes:
Push, which requires the individual to use pushing movements to direct the body against gravity;
Pull, which requires the practitioner to use pulling to direct the body;
Core, which involves contracting movements of the abdominal and back muscles; and
Legs/Glutes, which involve movements of the legs and glutes to direct the individual’s body against gravity.
Tiger Athletic personal trainers are health and fitness professionals who use an individualised approach to assess, motivate, educate and train you. Our rigorous pre-participation health appraisal screening process ensures that we design and deliver comprehensive exercise programs that safely and effectively meet your goals.
Start your own Tiger Athletic fitness program by booking your initial interview. This is a scheduled appointment intended as a mutual sharing of information with the expected outcomes of assessing client – trainer compatability, discussing goals and developing a a client – trainer agreement.
We stand by the quality of our work. We have no joining or cancellation fees. We let the quality of our assessments, fitness programs, coaching and results be the only reason you keep coming back for more.
Transforming your body from fat to fit, or unhealthy to healthy, and to start feeling great about your health and looks, you need a smart combination of nutrition and exercise. Like you need the air you breathe in order to live, your body needs physical exercise to help control your weight, reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome, strengthen your bones and muscles and to improve your mental health and mood so you have a better quality of life.
Tiger Athletic Personal Training offers benefits and results that dieting and supplements alone just can’t give you. The exercise component of our programs boosts your metabolism and turns your body into a fat blasting furnace, while the benefits of our ‘smart nutrition’ go beyond weight. Good nutrition can help reduce the risk of some diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, stroke, some cancers, and osteoporosis. Our programs build muscle in the places you want and improves body shape to give you a firm, toned body, which when coupled with smart nutrition safely speeds up the weight loss and strength gain.
Our programs consist of strength & conditioning, healthy eating and portion control – eating the right food in the right quantities at the right times with a weekly weight loss target of half to one and a half kilograms. We keep track of your progress with monthly body fat percentage and girth measurements to show progress and motivate performance.
Tiger Athletic workout plans are largely based on your health assessment and goals, with a lot of variety and progressively harder sessions. Why? Not just to make you stronger and more fit, but to make sure you keep burning fat and toning muscle. When you do a workout over and over again, it eventually gets easier, which means your body doesn’t have to work as hard and therefore burns fewer calories. Our motto is “We train the hardest”, therefore each week the workouts evolve to a higher intensity, keeping your body interested and guessing by never doing the same workout twice.
Tiger Athletic Fitness & Conditioning is a modern, appointment only, strength & conditioning gym offering custom, personal trainer led fitness solutions. Our workouts are based on your health screening and goals. This initial process is instrumental in screening participants for risk factors and symptoms of chronic cardiovascular, pulmonary, metabolic and orthopedic diseases in order to optimise safety and benefit during exercise testing and participation.
Your personal trainer is a health and fitness professional who uses an individualised approach to assess, motivate, educate and train you regards your health and fitness needs. Our rigorous pre-participation health appraisal screening process ensures that we design and deliver comprehensive exercise programs that safely and effectively meet your individual fitness and health objectives.
You can start your own Tiger Athletic fitness program by booking your initial interview. This is a scheduled appointment intended as a mutual sharing of information with the expected outcomes of assessing client – trainer compatability, discussing goals and developing a a client – trainer agreement.
We stand by the quality of our work. We have no joining or cancellation fees. We let the quality of our assessments, fitness programs, coaching and results be the only reason you keep coming back for more.
Life is full of stressful challenges, long hours, real issues and high stakes that can negatively impact your health and pocket. We offer simple and effective strength & conditioning programs and nutritional advice that enable your body to work beyond office hours, meet deadlines, handle pressure and look and feel good while doing it.
Our fitness programs are based on your current health and goals, improving fitness, aesthetic appearance, stress levels, cognition and mental toughness. Programs that are pre-emptive because they are based on screening for risk factors associated with cardiovascular, orthopedic, metabolic and pulmonary disorders before they happen rather than waiting for a ‘wake-up call’ to force you improve your health and lifestyle.
We create a culture of wellness and awareness in our clients by tailoring programs that encourage action and conversation about health and wellness through various workouts and resources on healthy eating and physical recreation. Tiger Athletic also offers 30 minute lunch-and-learn programs on topics such as “Controlling Your Cravings”, “Making Your Home A Slimmer Place”, “Finding The Hidden Sugar In Your Diet”, “Heart Healthy Habits”, Smoking Cessation, and “How To Safely Start An Exercise Program”.
With the combination of consultation, health appraisal and wearable technology, we offer the opportunity to put health and wellness information to practical use in improving lives. At our private Sandton gym we track important measures such stress symptoms, body fat percentage and girth measurements so we can offer tailor made exercise solutions.
We offer simple, efficient and effective 50 minute workouts in a private, appointment only setting, so we can safely and effectively tackle lifestyle risks associated with obesity and sedentary lifestyle, reducing rates of illness, injury and absenteeism, improving personal well being, productivity and quality of life.
Your digestive tract contains about 1,000 species of bacteria. Why should you care? It turns out that having a healthy balance of those bugs can help you lose weight and bust cravings for fattening foods. Consider this: Right now, as you’re sitting there, there’s a battle raging in your belly. Some 1,000 species of bacteria are duking it out, trying to establish dominance.
Why should you care? Because whether the good bacteria in your gut or the bad triumph doesn’t just decide how well you digest your dinner, respond to allergens and fend off diseases, it also helps determine how much weight you’re likely to gain or lose.
Simply put, if you get the microbiome, that collection of bacteria inside you healthy, you will lose weight. It’s less about eating a certain percentage of carbohydrates, protein and fat than about correcting the overgrowth of unhealthy bacteria, which is making you crave the wrong foods, triggering inflammation.
A flurry of ground-breaking findings is helping to connect the dots about how our gut bacteria may shape our shape. In a study in the British Journal of Nutrition, obese women who took a probiotic supplement (of the bacteria Lactobacillus rhamnosus) lost twice as much weight and fat over about six months and were better at keeping it off as those who took a placebo. Probiotics may have helped by controlling the women’s appetites, which seem to have waned as their microbiomes changed.
Unhealthy gut bacteria also produce food cravings: A study published in BioEssays suggests that some microbes may drive us to eat doughnuts or another tempting treat. These gut bugs send chemical messages to the brain that sway our appetite and mood, perhaps making us feel anxious until we gobble a square of dark chocolate or a T-bone steak.
Fortunately, we can begin to take control by feeding our microbiome the right foods. “I tell my patients, ‘The bacteria follow the food,'” says gastroenterologist Robynne Chutkan, MD, founder of the Digestive Center for Women in Chevy Chase, Md., and author of Gutbliss. “What we eat dictates the kind of bacteria we grow in our gut garden.”
This is big news: There are trillions of microbes in your belly that will, if you feed them well, help you fight flab and win.
Get Your Two P’s – Basically, it all begins with probiotics and prebiotics, components of food believed to play an important role in improving gut health. Probiotics are a type of good bacteria, like the ones that already reside in your gut. Ingesting these organism’s aids digestion and helps change and repopulate intestinal bacteria to balance what doctors refer to as “gut flora.” Prebiotics are plant-fibre compounds, also found in food, that pass undigested through the upper part of the gastrointestinal tract and help stimulate the growth of good bacteria. When pre- and probiotics are combined, they become an intestinal power couple.
Fermented foods deliver probiotics directly to the gut. A cup of yogurt a day? It’s a nice start. Look for products that say, “live and active cultures” on the label, and be careful when it comes to fruit-infused flavours: Some are loaded with sugar, which can feed bad bugs, so be sure to check the ingredients and aim for fewer than 15 grams per serving. For even more probiotics, try Greek yogurt or kefir, a tangy dairy drink that’s packed with good bugs.
A 2011 Harvard study found that yogurt was more strongly linked to weight loss than any other health food. In fact, people who ate an extra serving a day lost nearly half a kilogram every four years.Research shows that foods that are high in fibre help promote the growth of friendly bacteria. Case in point: In a University of Illinois study, people who ate high-fibre snack bars experienced a growth of anti-inflammatory bacteria in their bellies.
What you don’t eat is every bit as crucial as what you do add to your diet. Keep your gut flora fit by cutting back on these offenders.
Refined carbs – Fatty and sugary foods not only tend to lack fibre, which is ideal food for the microbiome, but can also cause bad bacteria to thrive. And let’s face it: If you’re pounding that bag of potato chips, chances are you’re not munching on celery sticks, blueberries and other gut-friendly eats.
Animal protein – A diet heavy in fat and protein (such as meat and cheese) feeds a type of bacterium, Bilophilia, that has been linked to inflammation. Lawrence David, PhD, assistant professor at Duke University’s Institute for Genome Sciences and Policy, saw the levels of this bacteria shoot up in study participants scarfing ribs and brisket, but not in those eating squash and lentils. Dr. Kellman suggests limiting red meat to once a week. It’s smart for your heart and hips!
Tiger Athletic is a private, appointment only strength & conditioning gym in the heart of Sandton. We offer tailor made, goal oriented fitness programs based on an individualised approach to health and fitness assessment, motivation and goal setting, coaching science and client education.
Your personal trainer Aubrey, is a Coaching Science graduate and holds a 6th degree black belt in Karate with 25 years experience as a high performance athlete and coach. He designs safe and effective exercise programs and provides the guidance to help clients achieve their personal goals through one on one’ or small group training.
How fast your body burns calories is dependent on many things, among them; genetics, your sex, and your age. Resistance training is the best thing you can do to reverse the inevitable age-related slowdown. If you have signed up for a Tiger Athletic Strength & Conditioning Program, then you’re already heading in the right direction!
Whey protein increases calorie burn and fat utilization, helps the body maintain muscle, and triggers the brain to feel full, protein has a thermogenic effect, meaning it makes your body produce more heat and, in turn, burn more calories, but whey may be the most effective non-animal protein. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition revealed that fat oxidation and the thermic effect was greater with whey than with soy or casein.
Drinking two glasses of water before every meal helped dieters lose an average of 7 kilograms (2.2kilograms more than the non-water drinkers) over three months in a study presented at the American Chemical Society’s annual conference. Taking quick hydration breaks throughout the day also boosts your metabolic machinery and research shows staying properly hydrated keeps you feeling energized.
When your annoyed co-worker tells you you’re bouncing your leg, perhaps you can explain that you’re just doing some non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT)—the expert term for fidgeting. Research shows that NEAT may help you burn an additional 350 calories a day. Small bursts of activity, like running upstairs, pacing while you’re on the phone, or shifting around in your seat all count. It adds up quickly, so take advantage of any chance to move more throughout your day.
Caffeine’s ability to speed up the central nervous system makes it a powerful metabolism booster; coffee beans provide antioxidants and real health value. Provided your cup is not laden with cream and syrup, coffee can be a great way to give you energy as well as some antioxidants. Coffee has been shown to improve energy levels during exercise, especially endurance activity, and help people work harder longer, which therefore burns more calories. Drinking coffee after a workout can also be beneficial. Consuming caffeine after exercise increased muscle glycogen by 66% in endurance athletes, enabling them to more quickly replenish energy stores used through exercise, according to a study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology.
If you drink three cups of coffee a day, consider swapping in green tea for one of them. In addition to giving you the metabolism-boosting caffeine jolt you crave, green tea is a rich source of antioxidants called catechins. And, in a study published in the Journal of Clinical Nutrition, drinking green tea combined with a total of three hours of moderate exercise a week reduced abdominal fat in subjects over a three-month period. Unsweetened, brewed green tea was shown to increase calorie burn by about 100 calories per day brew your own and avoid added sugar or artificial sweeteners.
Probiotics, the healthy bacteria found in yogurt, pickles, and other fermented foods like sauerkraut, may help you lose weight, if you’re a woman, shows a new study published in the British Journal of Nutrition. Overweight men and women followed a 12-week weight loss diet; half of the volunteers also took a probiotic pill every day. Women in the probiotic group lost more weight than those in the placebo group and continued to lose weight during the 12-week maintenance period afterward (the probiotic didn’t make any difference for men). Consuming probiotics in food form has other waist-friendly benefits: Yogurt, like other full-fat dairy, also has a fatty acid called conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) that studies show can improve fat burning. Avoid fruit-on-the-bottom varieties, which can have as much sugar as a candy bar.
Taking a quick break to look at funny cat videos on YouTube or take a Buzzfeed quiz doesn’t just feel good, you’re also burning calories in the process. A study from the International Journal of Obesity showed a 10 to 20% increase in energy expenditure (calories burned) and heart rate during genuine laughter. This translated to an increase of 10 to 40 calories burned within 10 to 15 minutes of laughter.
When you want to add flavour to your food, reach for hot sauce or chilli powder. Chilli peppers contain the chemical capsaicin. The capsaicin in the chili peppers has a thermogenic effect, causing the body to burn up to an additional 90 calories immediately following a meal. One study shows capsaicin activates brown fat, which increases calorie burning.
Eating a small mid-afternoon meal will prevent over eating at dinner time and it will also keep your metabolism stoked. Eating small meals raises your metabolism every time you eat. The key is to include a lean protein and complex carb each time, not processed or junk food. A few no-effort options: cottage cheese and fruit, peanut butter and an apple, or Greek yogurt with berries.
Having a salad for lunch or dinner fills you up with belly-flattening fibre and nutrients, and adding one more ingredient will really stoke your metabolism: salmon. You already learned the metabolism-boosting effects of protein, but with salmon you’ll also get a dose of omega-3 fatty acids. In a study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, supplementing diets with fish oil for six weeks increased lean muscle and decreased fat. Other studies have shown similar effects. Scientists speculate this reaction may be due to fish oil’s ability to reduce levels of fat-storage enzymes in the body.
Do you really need to stay seated while you listen in on a conference call or wait on hold with the internet company? This super-easy tweak nearly doubles the number of calories your body will burn. A 68 kilogram person, for example, burns 72 calories an hour sitting and 129 calories an hour standing. Walking around an office slowly increases the burn to 143 calories an hour. You recruit more muscle fibres and must use your postural muscles to stabilize yourself, which burns more calories. Make it a habit to stand and walk around each time the phone rings and get up out of your chair at least once every hour.
Pick organic produce. Pesticides found on conventionally grown produce, called “obesogens,” are blamed for slowing metabolism and predisposing some people to gain weight. One of the biggest hidden causes of weight loss resistance is toxicity. Buy organic whenever possible and choose the cleanest, highest-quality cuts of meat.
Take one bite at a time. Wolfing down your food makes it more likely you’ll eat more, says a study published by the American Dietetic Association. Another study found even among women who didn’t diet, reducing stress and practicing mindfulness can prevent fat gain. It takes about 20 minutes before a hormone called cholecystokinin (CCK) tells your brain to stop eating. When you engulf a burger and fries, you don’t give CCK enough time to relay the message to your brain, and you eat too much, speed eating also raises fat-storing insulin levels. Just as important as eating the right diet is slowing down and becoming mindful when you eat.
Exposure to the type of blue light emitted by smartphones, computers, and tablets immediately before and after dinner increased hunger and impacted glucose metabolism in people who participated in a small North-western University study. The study authors aren’t sure of the reasons for the link, and say more research is needed—but even if the link between blue light and appetite doesn’t hold up in later studies, other research shows that limiting mealtime distractions helps control portions.
Tiger Athletic is a private, appointment only strength & conditioning gym in the heart of Sandton. We offer tailor made, goal oriented fitness programs based on an individualised approach to health and fitness assessment, motivation and goal setting, coaching science and client education.
Your personal trainer Aubrey, is a Coaching Science graduate and holds a 6th degree black belt in Karate with 25 years experience as a high performance athlete and coach. He designs safe and effective exercise programs and provides the guidance to help clients achieve their personal goals through one on one’ or small group training.
Preadolescent refers to a period before the development of secondary sex characteristics (e.g. pubic hair and reproductive organs) and corresponds roughly to the ages 6-11 in girls and 6-13 in boys.
Preadolescent youth should be encouraged to participate regularly in physical activities that promote cardiorespiratory and musculoskeletal health. Regular physical activity can improve aerobic fitness, muscle strength, bone mineral density, motor performance skills, body skills and psychosocial well-being.
Childhood obesity and overweight figures continue to increase and the physical activity levels of most preadolescent boys and girls are down. The percentage of overweight boys and girls has more than doubled during the past two decades, and many children who are overweight have one or more cardiovascular disease risk factors. Daily participation in physical activity/education classes continues to decline with the average child/teenager spending 3-4 hours per day using electronic media) e.g. television, gaming or computer).
The negative health consequences of childhood obesity and physical inactivity include hypertension and the appearance of atherosclerosis and type 2 “adult-onset” diabetes in children and teenagers. Since positive and negative behaviours established at a young age appear to track into adulthood, it is likely that inactive children will become inactive adults. The key is to value physical activity and help children develop healthy habits and behaviour patterns that persist into childhood.
At Tiger Athletic we model and support participation in developmentally appropriate fitness activities that are fun and supported by cultural norms, which have a powerful influence on a child’s health and activity habits. We offer well organised personal training sessions that give boys and girls the opportunity to experience the mere enjoyment of physical activity which will have long lasting effects on their health and well-being.
Our programs realise that youth have different compared to adults, hence adult exercise guidelines and training philosophies are not imposed on children. We provide developmentally appropriate physical activity programs for preadolescents that demonstrate our understanding of age specific needs and concerns.
While the absolute level of activity required to achieve and maintain fitness in youth has not been determined, the Children’s Lifetime Physical Activity (C-LPAM) is a child specific model that addresses the amount of physical activity necessary to produce health benefits associated with reduced morbidity and mortality. This model highlights the minimum activity recommendations and optimal functioning standards for children and is thus the backbone of all Tiger Athletic youth fitness programs.
With our qualified instruction, enthusiastic leadership, and adherence to safety issues, children can safely enhance their fundamental movement abilities and be better prepared for successful and enjoyable participation in recreational activities and sport.
Tiger Athletic is a private, appointment only strength & conditioning gym in the heart of Sandton. We offer tailor made, goal oriented fitness programs based on an individualised approach to health and fitness assessment, motivation and goal setting, coaching science and client education.
You can start your journey to a healthier family by booking an initial consultation below. This first step, is a vital screening mechanism, instrumental in appraising health status and developing comprehensive programs of exercise to safely and effectively meet your goals.
You can cut up to 200 calories per day by slashing your ‘hidden’ sugar intake. You’re likely eating sugar throughout the day without even realizing it, sugar is added to foods that don’t even taste sweet, like breads, condiments and sauces. Most of us are taking more than double the recommended amount of added sugar per day despite ‘watching’ what we eat.
You’ll quickly realize just how often sugar is added to foods when you look for it on ingredients lists. Even things that you don’t think are sweet, like tomato sauce, crackers, condiments, and salad dressings can be packed with sugar. Ingredients are listed in order of how much exists in the product. If it’s in the top three ingredients, it’s high.
When you read food labels, you need to look for more than just the word “sugar.” Sugar hides under several aliases, including high fructose corn syrup, dried cane syrup, invert sugar, molasses, sucrose (or any word ending in “-ose”), brown rice syrup, honey, and maple syrup. These can be listed separately on ingredients lists, so many foods, even seemingly healthy ones like yogurt and cereal, may contain three or four different types of sweetener. If several sugars appear on the label, it’s an indication that the food is less healthy than you may think.
Buy foods labelled “no added sugar” or “unsweetened.” You’ll find unsweetened versions of these common foods in most grocery stories: non-dairy milk like almond and soy, nut butters (look for those made with only nuts and salt), applesauce, oatmeal, and canned fruit (they should be packed in juice—not syrup).
Going cold turkey on sugar isn’t realistic for most people, cut back slowly. If you normally put two sachets of sugar in your coffee, for instance, try one for a week, then half, and finally add only a splash of milk. For your yogurt, mix half a serving of sweetened yogurt with half a serving of plain, and eventually move on to adding natural sweetness with fresh fruit.
Unhealthy carbs loaded with sugar can cause blood sugar to rise rapidly (and dive just as quickly, leaving you hungry again). To minimize this rapid rise and fall, pair protein, healthy fats, and fibre with your meal, all of which can slow down the release of blood sugar in your body and keep you full for longer. (At breakfast, that means adding almonds to your usual oatmeal or pairing eggs with your morning toast, and for your midday snack, a slice of turkey/chicken breast or cheese along with your apple.)
Fats are a key player because they help keep you fuller for longer, thus helping to decrease your desire for sugar. Focus on fats like avocados, nuts, seeds, and heart-healthy oils like olive oil, walnut oil, and coconut oil.
When you’re reducing your sugar intake, you may be tempted to switch to artificial sugars for your sweet fix. But resist reaching for the diet soda, sugar-free candy, and packets of fake sugar in your latte. When you eat something sweet, your body expects calories and nutrition, but artificial sugars don’t give your body those things, that may be why fake sugars are associated with weight gain, not loss, according to a 2010 review in the Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine.
Using vanilla bean and vanilla extract, spices, and citrus zests to add sweetness to foods without having to use sugar and for zero calories. Order an unsweetened latte and add flavour with cocoa or vanilla powder. Skip flavoured oatmeal and add a sweet kick with cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. One bonus for sprinkling on the cinnamon: according to a meta-analysis in the Journal of Medicinal Food, the spice has been shown to naturally regulate blood sugar, which helps control your appetite.
Avoiding soda is a good idea, but that’s not the only sugar-packed drink out there. Even drinks that are considered healthy can contain more sugar than you’re supposed to have in an entire day. Case in point: “enhanced” waters (eight teaspoons per bottle), bottled iced teas (more than nine teaspoons per bottle), energy drinks (almost seven teaspoons per can), bottled coffee drinks (eight teaspoons per bottle), and store-bought smoothies (more than a dozen teaspoons—for a small).
You can still indulge in an occasional sweet treat after you resolve to slash sugar. The idea is to avoid wasting your daily sugar quota on non-dessert foods like cereals, ketchup, and bread. To avoid overdoing it, set specific rules about when you may enjoy dessert: only after dinner on the weekends or at restaurants as a special treat.
At first, cutting down on sugar can feel like an impossible task. Eventually, though, your taste buds will adjust. Super-sweet foods like ice cream and candy will start to taste too sweet. When you could have a whole slice of cake before, now a couple bites will be enough. You’ll notice the natural sweetness in fruits and vegetables and they’ll taste better, too.
An individualised approach to assessment and health appraisal, motivation, coaching science and fitness education for our clients focused on their health and fitness goals is our passion at Tiger Athletic.
Booking a Trial Workout is your first step towards achieving your fitness & weight goals through our innovative assessments, health appraisal, custom strength and conditioning programs, world class studio and qualified personal trainer. Let’s chat about your health.
“Low fat,” “fat free,” or “reduced fat,” while these labels are fine for dairy products like milk, you shouldn’t automatically assume other types of foods are any better for your diet than the full-fat versions as more sugar, salt, and additives are added to make them taste good. The result is foods that are lower in fat, sure, but contain more sugar and more calories.
Many low-fat, reduced fat, and fat-free foods give you more than you bargained for: A recent UK study found that 10% of diet foods contain the same or more calories than the regular stuff, and that 40% had more sugar. When companies remove fat, they must use more sugar, salt, and additives to make the food taste better. Plus, research shows that a “low-fat” nutrition label leads all consumers, especially those who are overweight, to overeat.
Rindless bacon with the fat trimmed is lower in fat and calories than regular bacon—but not by much. One popular brand “fatless” bacon contains 35 calories and 3 grams of fat per serving, while center cut bacon (the leanest type of pork bacon) has 60 calories and 3.5 grams of fat. Both are processed meat products that are high in sodium and nitrites, which are linked to heart problems. The slimmer option: Either type of bacon can be a part of a healthy diet—as long as you enjoy it just once in a while, and in small portions. Use it more as a garnish than a main event by sprinkling crumbled strips over Brussels sprouts or atop a veggie-filled salad.
Low-fat bakery items like muffins and pastries aren’t any better for you than the full-fat varieties. A packaged low-fat blueberry muffin from one popular brand, for instance, packs 280 calories—that’s less than the regular muffin with 370 calories. But the low-fat one has more sugar (36 versus 29 grams), and just like the regular version, contains high fructose corn syrup. Another example: a reduced-fat blueberry muffin from a fast food chain contains 170 milligrams more sodium compared to the full-fat one. If you love baked goods, enjoy them on occasion. More often, do your own low-fat baking at home with clever ingredient swaps, like fruit purees or yogurt for some of the oil. You can also usually reduce the sugar in any recipe by one-third without changing the taste.
You should eat salad, but noshing on a fat-free salad coated with fat-free dressing will leave you super hungry in an hour. Food manufacturers add sugar or artificial sweetener to fat-free salad dressings to make them taste good, which can lead to blood sugar spikes that drive appetite. Another bonus of fat: it helps your body absorb beta-carotene and lycopene (both powerful antioxidants found in tomatoes, carrots, and red peppers), bottled dressings contain a laundry list of additives and preservatives. Your salad should have some fat in it, be it from full-fat salad dressing (make your own dressing at home with balsamic vinegar and oil), nuts, or seeds. Or you could slice some avocado on top of your greens: avocados are especially good for helping your body absorb the nutrients from your salad.
Two tablespoons of regular peanut butter contain 210 calories. The same amount of the reduced fat version? About 200 calories. When companies reduce fat, they add more sugar like corn syrup and additives to improve the taste and texture. Buy the real-deal full-fat peanut butter, choose one that has just two ingredients listed: peanuts and salt. Since peanut butter is calorie dense, it’s easy to overeat. Stick with a two-tablespoon serving.
You can buy egg substitutes in cartons in the refrigerated section of the grocery store, and they’re often used in omelettes at hotel buffets. They’re made from egg whites, stabilizers like guaran and colourings to give them that egg-y feel and taste for fewer calories and no fat. The problem is, the yolk—which has five grams of fat—is where all the good stuff is. The yolk contains choline, an essential nutrient that helps make a neurotransmitter involved in muscle function and memory, as well as immune-boosting vitamins A and D. Unless you have heart problems and your doctor has instructed you to limit your egg intake, eat the whole thing. In recent years, conventional wisdom on eggs has shifted from total avoidance too good to eat. Yes, they contain cholesterol, but a 2013 study in BMJ found that eating one egg a day didn’t increase risk for heart disease or stroke in healthy people.
Low-fat potato chips – one serving is 140 calories; the regular chips have 160 calories (and less sodium). The risk is thinking the reduced fat version is a healthier chip alternative and eating more than you would have otherwise. In fact, a Cornell study shows that we serve ourselves 25% more when foods are labelled low-fat compared to those without the label. Same goes for other popular low-fat salty snacks like pretzels (they’re just refined flour with a whole lot of salt), baked veggie straws (they contain very little actual veggies), and rice cakes, which are mostly air and carbs. Get your salty snack fix with roasted chickpeas or roasted edamame, which are packed with protein, or kale chips, which give you a huge dose of vitamin A, vitamin C, and antioxidants along with that satisfying crunch.
Oats and dried fruit sound healthy, most types of granola—”low fat” or not—sneak in sugar with names like brown rice syrup and evaporated cane juice. In fact, a serving of granola (just half to two-thirds of a cup) can have 17 grams of sugar. The super sweet start to your day will leave you with a blood sugar crash that has you reaching for snacks long before lunch. Top plain Greek yogurt—which contains up to 20 grams of satiating protein per serving—with a few tablespoons of whole grain cereal, nuts, and seeds.
Low-fat ice cream or frozen yogurt. It’s not that there’s anything wrong with fro-yo, but it’s easy to trick yourself into thinking that you can eat a large portion and pile it high with high-calorie candies. Frozen yogurt contains 17 grams of sugar per half-cup serving—same as ice cream. Have an infrequent (not daily) half-cup portion of something that you truly enjoy, even if it’s more decadent.
Fat-free yogurt often contains artificial color, added flavours and stabilizers, and more sugar to make it more palatable and eye-pleasing. What’s more, your body also needs some fat to absorb the vitamin D, and the added fat helps keep you satisfied. Depending on your calorie budget, opt for low-, reduced-, or even full-fat yogurt. A 2013 study found that eating high fat dairy was associated with having less body fat and lower odds obesity without increasing heart disease risk. If you do have fat-free yogurt, be sure to include some form of healthy fat with it, like almonds or pistachios.
Tiger Athletic Fitness & Conditioning motivates, assesses, trains and educates clients in a private, appointment only, personal trainer led facility providing an extraordinary simple, efficient and effective 50-minute workout in the heart of Sandton!
Certain foods have a thermogenic effect, you literally burn calories as you chew. Other have nutrients and compounds that crank up your metabolism. Stoke your metabolic fire by eating more of these foods, while cutting out unhealthy snacks and empty calories.
Whole grains – Your body burns twice as many calories breaking down whole foods (especially those rich in fibre such as oatmeal and brown rice) than processed foods.
Lean meats – Protein has a high thermogenic effect: You burn about 30% of the calories the food contains during digestion (so a 300-calorie chicken breast requires about 90 calories to break it down).
Low-fat dairy products – Rich in calcium and vitamin D, these helps preserve and build muscle mass—essential for maintaining a robust metabolism.
Green tea – Drinking four cups of green tea a day helped people shed more than three kilograms in eight weeks, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reports. Credit EGCG, a compound in the brew that temporarily speeds metabolism after sipping it. To up your intake, keep a jug of iced tea in the fridge.
Lentils – One cup packs 35% of your daily iron needs—good news, since up to 20% of us are iron- deficient. When you lack a nutrient, your metabolism slows because the body’s not getting what it needs to work efficiently.
Hot peppers – Capsaicin, the compound that gives chili peppers their kick, heats up your body, which makes you melt additional calories. You can get it by eating raw, cooked, dried, or powdered peppers. Add as much cayenne or hot sauce as possible to soups, eggs, and meats.
We are passionate about helping you be the healthiest you can be through custom fitness and nutrition solutions based on health and fitness appraisal, motivation, coaching science, education and your goals.
The average woman in her 30s who strength-trains two times a week for 30 to 40 minutes will burn an extra 100 calories a day within four months. In other words, the more muscle you build, the more calories your body burns.
When it comes to working out and getting healthy, there are many different important components – such as strength and conditioning. To achieve your fitness goals, you need to have a strong core. Therefore, strength and conditioning is important and a critical addition to any fitness routine. Over the years experts have highlighted the importance of strength training in everyone
Lifting Weights = More Muscle More Muscle = Increased Metabolism Increased Metabolism = Weightloss
One of the top benefits of strength and conditioning is that it will help protect you from preventable injuries by strengthening tendons and ligaments and eliminate any muscle imbalances, which are some of the main causes of injury.
A strength and conditioning program can help prevent osteoporosis, which is one of the most common ailments athletes and women suffer from later in life. Integrating regular weight bearing exercise and strengthening, will strengthen your bones, which will in turn result in a strong musculoskeletal system. Strong bones mean that you will be able to lift, move, and perform a wide range of recreational activities with ease and safety.
A strength and conditioning program will help train your muscles, allowing you to lift and hold your body upright in a much safer manner. You may appear taller and more confident, as opposed to hunched over and weak.
Endorphins are released during a strength and conditioning session, providing you with the opportunity to burn calories at a faster rate, while strengthening and toning your muscles at the same time. As you are burning calories and those endorphins are flowing, your mood is elevated and you can deal with stressful scenarios much easier.
Increased Fitness – Strength and conditioning works to make your body stronger, providing you with the skills you need to create a more effective workout overall. When your core is strong, you will be able to transfer energy to the rest of the muscles, resulting in more powerful muscle contractions and quicker repetitions.
Increased Metabolism – Strength and conditioning increases your metabolism, helping you lose weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle. By creating stronger muscles through strength and conditioning, you will burn more calories and keep the unwanted weight off.
Our studio is equipped with state-of-the-art american plate loaded strength machines, assault air bike and boxing/kickboxing equipment. Our programs are designed using the results of your assessment and health appraisal, coaching science and challenging circuits, to provide an extraordinary workout that is simple, efficient and effective in 45 minutes. All this in the heart of Sandton!
Blasting calories doesn’t mean you must spend countless hours in the gym. Boxing is a super-fast, super easy workout, perfect for days you are feeling too overwhelmed to workout. A typical boxing workout involves a variety of elements that help you burn calories as you work toward losing weight. The aerobic nature of many of boxing’s exercises leads to a high calorie burn without a significant shock to your joints.
Boxing is really taking off around the globe. The idea of bulky arms, monster muscles and nose bleeds is wrong. Boxing is a brilliant way of sculpting and toning and that hulk-like muscle mass you’re worried about is just a figment of your imagination.
We are a modern, private, appointment only strength & conditioning gym in Sandton offering smart, tailored 50 minute workouts based on your health assessment and fitness goals using modern tools and sport science to achieve your goals safely and effectively.
Whether you’re pounding a punch bag or skipping your heart out, boxing training is something everyone should try at least once. On top of toning your muscles, boxing has a load more benefits that make it a brilliant all-round exercise choice for all fitness goals.
While we all exercise to look physically fit, the real benefit of exercise is to keep us healthier for longer. The main way of doing this is to keep that heart strong for as long as possible, boxing is a great workout for doing just that. A good boxing workout makes you breathe heavily and increases the rate at which your heart pumps blood around your body. Increased heart beat strengthens your heart’s muscles and lowers your chances of developing cardiovascular complications such as heart attacks and strokes.
Exercising effectively takes more than just jumping on a treadmill and hoping for the best. If you want to get the most out of your body then you need to work it the right way through a variety of different forms of exercise and keeping your heart rate at the right level. If it’s overall fitness you’re after, you need to get your head around both aerobic and anaerobic exercise present in boxing. Boxing is estimated to be 70-80% anaerobic and 20-30% aerobic. A boxing workout helps maintain the heart rate at 75%-85% regular heartbeat which is the recommended range if you are exercising. What does that mean? Well it all comes down to oxygen. Aerobic exercise is low energy exercise that can be done for extended periods of time – think yoga, swimming and running, because aerobic exercise is relatively gentle, your body is able maintain a reasonable amount of oxygen which is then carried to your muscles to use as fuel; giving them the energy they need to sustain the effort of whatever exercise it is you’re doing. This type of exercise is good for burning fat and improving cardiovascular health. Anaerobic exercise is any short, intense exercise like HIIT and uses up oxygen fast. This means lactic acid is produced and your body will not be able to sustain its energy levels for long. This type of exercise increases your endurance, muscle mass, metabolism and your ability to withstand fatigue. Being able to build up your body’s tolerance to anaerobic exercise means that you will increase the maximum amount of oxygen you use during exercise (your VO2) and have a higher threshold before lactic acid is produced – therefore making you fitter!
Boxing is such a high intensity workout that it burns through a LOT of calories. An hour of boxing burns around 350-500 calories depending on your weight and the intensity of the workout. An advanced female boxer on a high intensity boxing workout can burn more 500 calories an hour.
Boxing training sessions involve every muscle in the body, especially the core, shoulders, abs and obliques. A good boxing workout tones your legs, arms, chest, shoulders, back and helps you build a strong core – pretty much everything.
You get a massive endorphin release in the body from hitting a heavy bag or doing pad work with a partner, those chemicals give you a massive feeling of well-being. Boxing training will give you a huge sense of self confidence.
A trial workout is a pragmatic first step when you decide to move beyond “thinking” of taking better care of yourself and seeking the help of a qualified professional to help you achieve your goals. Tiger Athletic offers innovative health and fitness programs that begin with a tailored health appraisal to help you set realistic, time-based goals then working with a personal trainer through a custom fitness and lifestyle program in our modern, private, appointment only strength and conditioning gym.
Your health and fitness assessment allow our strength & conditioning coach to have information about your body and aspirations to design personalised, safe and effective workout programs for you and to provide you with the necessary guidance to achieve your fitness goals.
Tiger Athletic Fitness & Conditioning is equipped with state-of-the-art plate loaded resistance equipment, assault air bike and boxing equipment. Each session comprises a challenging strength-based circuit, an extraordinary 50-minute workout that is simple, efficient and effective.
Our personalised approach serves as an oasis in the heat the Sandton bustle, a place to recharge and reconnect with yourself. A private space you can retreat to for a hard workout, a coffee and a shower.
Tiger Athletic is a private, appointment only strength & conditioning gym in the heart of Sandton. We offer tailor made, goal oriented fitness programs based on an individualised approach to health and fitness assessment, motivation and goal setting, coaching science and client education.
Your personal trainer Aubrey, is a Coaching Science graduate and holds a 6th degree black belt in Karate with 25 years experience as a high performance athlete and coach. He designs safe and effective exercise programs and provides the guidance to help clients achieve their personal goals through one on one’ or small group training.
We use state-of-the-art plate loaded equipment and free weight circuits, high intensity interval cardio training, calisthenics and boxing to provide an extraordinary workout that is simple, efficient and effective in 45 minutes.
Our facilities include a private shower and change room, premium coffee and refreshments as well as audio and visual entertainment so you can pop in, workout and return to your everyday grind refreshed and refocused in under an hour.
Step 1 is the Lifestyle Consultation & Health Appraisal. A vital screening mechanism, instrumental in appraising health status and developing comprehensive programs of exercise to safely and effectively meet client objectives.
Step 2 is the Fitness Assessment Selection and Administration.Your current level of fitness and skills is assessed to provide a basis for developing goals and effective exercise programs as well as in identifying potential areas of injury and starting points regards intensity and volumes of exercise.
Step 3 is the Custom Goal & Program Development. Information from the physical assessment in conjunction with personal information gathered in the consultation and health appraisal is used to plan a time efficient, goal specific program, reasonable in length, frequency, intensity and complexity so that the client is more likely to continue adhering to the program while having fun!
Finally, Book Your Appointments. Tiger Athletic operates on an appointment only basis to ensure the highest possible quality in service delivery and personalised attention at all times.
Tiger Athletic is a private, appointment only strength & conditioning gym in the heart of Sandton. We offer tailor made, goal oriented fitness programs based on an individualised approach to health and fitness assessment, motivation and goal setting, coaching science and client education.
We use state-of-the-art plate loaded equipment and free weight circuits, high intensity interval cardio training, calisthenics and boxing to provide an extraordinary workout that is simple, efficient and effective in 50 minutes.
Our facilities include a private shower and change room, premium coffee and refreshments as well as audio and visual entertainment so you can pop in, workout and return to your everyday grind refreshed and refocused in under an hour.
Your personal trainer Aubrey, is a Coaching Science graduate and holds a 6th degree black belt in Karate with 25 years experience as a high performance athlete and coach. He designs safe and effective exercise programs and provides the guidance to help clients achieve their personal goals through one on one’ or small group training.
You can start your journey to a healthier self by booking an initial consultation below. This first step, is a vital screening mechanism, instrumental in appraising health status and developing comprehensive programs of exercise to safely and effectively meet your individual objectives.
Tiger Athletic 
You must be logged in to post a comment.