Benefits Of Back Training

You can’t readily see your back in the mirror however, NEVER skip back in your workouts. A sculpted back always looks however back exercises have a deeper impact, too, as a strong back keeps your posture pristine and facilitates a healthy spine.

Most folk love to work the ‘show’ muscles’. These “mirror” muscles are the ones you flex in your reflection to prove you’re looking good, usually, your chest, biceps, fronts of the shoulders, quads and abs. No part of your physique is more important than the other. You to develop your back muscles, particularly the latissimus dorsi, rhomboids and traps to provide symmetry between the front and back of your body. Whatever your end goal or vision for your physique, back training is critical.

Exercises that are often used to build the superficial muscles of the back are:

1. Lat Pulldowns
2. Rows
3. Pull-ups
4. Pull-overs
5. Rear Flys

Neglecting the muscles that you can’t see front on in the mirror, particularly your back muscles, has negative structural consequences for your body. A weak back doesn’t have the musculature to prevent rounded shoulders, causing upper back, neck and shoulder pain, also reflecting in poor posture that says weak, timid or lazy.

Lower back pain is however a result of weak muscles of the middle and lower back. You develop support for the spine and pelvis another pain/injury prone area by strengthening the deeper muscles of the back, particularly the erector spinae, multifidus and quadratus lumborum, making running your park run, pressing a weight for developing the rest of your body, moving furniture, carrying groceries or twisting to pick up a toddler or pet, easy injury and pain free tasks

These functional back exercises address these stabilizing muscles:

1. Back extension
2. Plank holds
3. Bird dogs
4. Cobra lifts

Muscular balance is developed by working the muscles of the back in conjunction with the muscles of the front of your body, apart from making you a fully functional human being you are less likely to develop muscle/strength imbalances that increase the likelihood of injury while performing primal functions, i.e. hinging, squatting, lunging, bending and twisting.

For example, while working hard at crunching exercises to develop the aesthetics, function and strength of your abdominal muscles, you set yourself up for lower back pain if you fail to do a commensurate amount of work on your back muscles. The muscles of your abs become tight and strong because of too many crunches, and pull on your low back, causing pain and possible injury to the discs.

Tiger Athletic Fitness & Conditioning is a private, appointment only strength & conditioning gym in the heart of Sandton. Our personal trainers are health and fitness professionals who use an individualised approach to assess, motivate, educate and train clients. We design safe, effective, fun exercise solutions for the individual who is accustomed to personalised attention and a modern approach.

Your initial interview’ or first session, is to assess client – trainer compatibility, discuss goals and a client – trainer agreement. This includes the preparticipation health appraisal, essentially a questioneer to identify known diseases and “red flag” positive risk factors associated with heart disease, assess lifestyle factors that may require special considerations, and identify individuals who may require medical referral before starting an exercise program.

Tiger Athletic’s health first approach helps you reach your goals safely and effectively through health and fitness assessment, personalised coaching, modern resistance and cardio equipment, calisthenics and boxing to provide a pragmatic, extraordinary 50-minute workout that is simple, efficient and effective.

Together changes everything. Let’s workout.

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Abdominal Strength & Endurance

Abdominal strength and endurance means much more than carving out your six pack, it means your body is more functional in your daily life, improved sports performance and better physical health. Your abs are part of your core, which includes your pelvic muscles, hips and the muscles that support the spine. Strong, able abs contribute to a healthy core, forming a powerful axis for your whole body.

If your abs are weak, it forces the back muscles to work harder to support your middle, your abdominals act as an anchor for muscles of the mid and lower back. Abdominal strength improves the endurance of the muscles of your back slowing down your rate of fatigue leaving you less vulnerable to strain or injury. Weak abdominals cause your tummy to protrude too far forward and altering your center of gravity, especially when you are overweight, stressing your back and resulting in lower back pain.

Strong abdominals support good posture by helping prop up your spine so it feels more natural to stand tall with your arms and legs in alignment conversely when the abdominals are weak, we slouch because we will be lacking the musculature to support proper alignment. With proper posture, you will look taller, leaner and feel more confident, lessening wear and tear on your spine and avoiding complications such as disc herniation.Primal actions, such as bending down to wash yourself in the shower or to pat your pet can be downright dangerous when you have a weak abdomen. Twisting in the car to reverse, lifting your laptop and even getting up and down out of a chair when your significant other enters the room requires the strength of your core. Injuries often occur during these mundane activities when your back has to bear more than its fair share of the work to complete such tasks.

Strong abdominal muscles fascilitate the stability for action that requires you to twist and rotate whether to catch a ball, swim, jump or run, skills that are sometimes the difference between victory and defeat while also providing the necessary support during recovery and healing from injury.

Abdominal strength and endurance means that you have the added physical capacity  to outwork competition. Abdominal endurance helps you minimize wasteful movement from your arms, legs and hips, keeping you efficient and performing optimally when te competition is beginning to fatigue.

Balance is an everyday skill in ordinary life, whether you’re walking on an uneven surface, riding on a bumpy road or catching yourself when you trip, miss a step or slip. Strong abdominals help you avoid that fall that could potentially be a disastrous accident that fractures your hip or loses you key seconds in a timed activity.

Tiger Athletic is a modern, private, appointment only gym in the heart of Sandton. We use a personalised approach to assess, motivate, coach and educate you regards your health and fitness. Our personal trainer designs custom workout programs for you so that you can live life to the fullest.

Abdominal Strength & Endurance is a specialist everyday class we offer. Book your complimetary session, lets trim that waist and tummy!

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Tiger Athletic. An Introduction.

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.

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Types Of Stretching

Tiger Athletic Fitness & Conditioning is a private, appointment only strength & conditioning gym in the heart of Sandton offering tailor made, goal-oriented fitness programs. This is the third of three resources, a modest attempt to address some of the frequently asked questions about stretching and flexibility. Here we look at different types of stretching.

Just as there are different types of flexibility, there are also different types of stretching. Stretches are either dynamic (meaning they involve motion) or static (meaning they involve no motion). Dynamic stretches affect dynamic flexibility and static stretches affect static flexibility (and dynamic flexibility to some degree).

The different types of stretching are:

• Ballistic stretching – Uses, the momentum of a moving body or a limb to force it beyond its normal range of motion. This is stretching, or “warming up”, by bouncing into (or out of) a stretched position, using the stretched muscles as a spring which pulls you out of the stretched position. (E.g. bouncing down repeatedly to touch your toes.) This type of stretching is not considered useful and can lead to injury. It does not allow your muscles to adjust to, and relax in, the stretched position. It may instead cause them to tighten up by repeatedly activating the stretch reflex.
• Dynamic stretching – Moving parts of your body and gradually increasing reach, speed of movement, or both. Dynamic stretching consists of controlled leg and arm swings that take you to the limits of your range of motion in a controlled fashion. In dynamic stretches, there are no bounces or “jerky” movements. An example of dynamic stretching would be slow, controlled leg swings, arm swings, or torso twists.

Dynamic stretching improves dynamic flexibility and is quite useful as part of your warm-up for an active or aerobic workout (such as Karate, MMA, Football or Rugby).

Dynamic stretching exercises should be performed in sets of 8-12 repetitions:

Tired muscles are less elastic, which causes a decrease in the amplitude of your movements. Do only the number of repetitions that you can do without decreasing your range of motion. More repetitions will only set the nervous regulation of the muscles’ length at the level of these less than best repetitions and may cause you to lose some of your flexibility. What you repeat more times or with a greater effort will leave a deeper trace in your kinaesthetic memory. After reaching the maximal range of motion in a joint in any direction of movement, you should not do many more repetitions of this movement in a given workout. Even if you can maintain a maximal range of motion over many repetitions, you will set an unnecessarily solid memory of the range of these movements. You will then have to overcome these memories in order to make further progress.

• Active stretching – Also referred to as, static-active stretching. An active stretch is one where you assume a position and then hold it there with no assistance other than using the strength of your agonist muscles for example, bringing your leg up high and then holding it there without anything other than your leg muscles themselves to keep the leg in that extended position. The tension of the agonists in an active stretch helps to relax the muscles being stretched (the antagonists) by reciprocal inhibition.

Active stretching increases active flexibility and strengthens the agonistic muscles. Active stretches are usually quite difficult to hold and maintain for more than 10 seconds and rarely need to be held any longer than 15 seconds.

Many of the movements (or stretches) found in various forms of yoga are active stretches.

• Passive (or relaxed) stretching – Referred to as relaxed stretching or static-passive stretching. A passive stretch is one where you assume a position and hold it with some other part of your body, or with the assistance of a partner or some other apparatus. For example, bringing your leg up high and then holding it there with your hand. The splits are an example of a passive stretch in this case the floor is the “apparatus”.

Slow, relaxed stretching is useful in relieving spasms in muscles that are healing after an injury. Obviously, you should check with your doctor first to see if it is okay to attempt to stretch the injured muscles.

Relaxed stretching is also very good for “cooling down” after a workout and helps reduce post-workout muscle fatigue, and soreness.

• Static stretching – Many people use the term “passive stretching” and “static stretching” interchangeably. However, there are several people who make a distinction between the two.

Static stretching involves holding a position. That is, you stretch to the farthest point and hold the stretch.

Passive stretching is a technique in which you are relaxed and make no contribution to the range of motion. Instead, an external force is created by an outside agent, either manually or mechanically.

Notice that the definition of passive stretching given in the previous section encompasses both above definitions. Throughout this document, when the term static stretching, or passive stretching is used, its intended meaning is the definition of passive stretching as described in the previous section. You should be aware of these alternative meanings, however, when looking at other references on stretching.

• Isometric stretching – A type of static stretching which involves the resistance of muscle groups through isometric contractions (tensing) of the stretched muscles). The use of isometric stretching is one of the fastest ways to develop increased static-passive flexibility and is much more effective than either passive stretching or active stretching alone. Isometric stretches also help to develop strength in the “tensed” muscles (which helps to develop static-active flexibility) and seems to decrease the amount of pain usually associated with stretching.

The most common ways to provide the needed resistance for an isometric stretch are to apply resistance manually to one’s own limbs, to have a partner apply the resistance, or to use an apparatus such as a wall or the floor to provide resistance.

Isometric stretching is not recommended for children and adolescents whose bones are still growing. These people are usually already flexible enough that the strong stretches produced by the isometric contraction have a much higher risk of damaging tendons and connective tissue. Precede any isometric stretch of a muscle with dynamic strength training for the muscle to be stretched. A full session of isometric stretching makes a lot of demands on the muscles being stretched and should not be performed more than once per day for a given group of muscles, ideally, no more than once every 36 hours.

The proper way to perform an isometric stretch is as follows:

• Assume the position of a passive stretch for the desired muscle.
• Tense the stretched muscle for 7-15 seconds (resisting against some force that will not move, like the floor or a partner).
• Finally, relax the muscle for at least 20 seconds.

Some people seem to recommend holding the isometric contraction for longer than 15 seconds; research has shown that this is not necessary. So, you might as well make your stretching routine less time consuming.

How Isometric Stretching Works

Recall, there is no such thing as a partially contracted muscle fibre: when a muscle is contracted, some of the fibres contract and some remain at rest (more fibres are recruited as the load on the muscle increases). Similarly, when a muscle is stretched, some of the fibres are elongated and some remain at rest. During an isometric contraction, some of the resting fibres are being pulled upon from both ends by the muscles that are contracting. The result is that some of those resting fibres stretch.

Normally, the fibres that stretch during an isometric contraction are not very significant. The true effectiveness of the isometric contraction occurs when a muscle that is already in a stretched position is subjected to an isometric contraction. In this case, some of the muscle fibres are already stretched before the contraction and if held long enough the initial passive stretch overcomes the stretch reflex and triggers the lengthening reaction inhibiting the stretched fibres from contracting.

At this point: When isometrically contracted, some of the resting fibres would contract, many of the resting fibres would stretch, and many of the already stretched fibres, which are being prevented from contracting by the inverse myotatic reflex [the lengthening reaction], would stretch even more. When the isometric contraction was relaxed, and the contracting fibres returned to their resting length, the stretched fibres would retain their ability to stretch beyond their normal limit. I.e. The whole muscle would be able to stretch beyond its initial maximum, and you would have increased flexibility.

The reason that the stretched fibres develop and retain the ability to stretch beyond their normal limit during an isometric stretch has to do with the muscle spindles: The signal which tells the muscle to contract voluntarily, also tells the muscle spindle’s (intrafusal) muscle fibres to shorten, increasing sensitivity of the stretch reflex. This mechanism normally maintains the sensitivity of the muscle spindle as the muscle shortens during contraction. This allows the muscle spindles to habituate to an even further-lengthened position.

• Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) – PNF stretching is currently the fastest and most effective way known to increase static-passive flexibility. It is not really a type of stretching but is a technique of combining passive stretching and isometric stretching to achieve maximum static flexibility. The term PNF stretching is itself a misnomer. PNF was initially developed as a method of rehabilitating stroke victims. PNF refers to any of several post-isometric relaxation stretching techniques in which a muscle group is passively stretched, then contracts isometrically against resistance while in the stretched position, and then is passively stretched again through the resulting increased range of motion. PNF stretching usually employs the use of a partner to provide resistance against the isometric contraction and then later to passively take the joint through its increased range of motion. It may be performed, however, without a partner, although it is usually more effective with a partner’s assistance.

Most PNF stretching techniques employ isometric agonist contraction/relaxation where the stretched muscles are contracted isometrically and then relaxed. Some PNF techniques also employ isometric antagonist contraction where the antagonists of the stretched muscles are contracted. In all cases, it is important to note that the stretched muscle should be rested (and relaxed) for at least 20 seconds before performing another PNF technique. The most common PNF stretching techniques are:

• The hold-relax – This technique is also called the contract-relax. After assuming an initial passive stretch, the muscle being stretched is isometrically contracted for 7-15 seconds, after which the muscle is briefly relaxed for 2-3 seconds, and then immediately subjected to a passive stretch which stretches the muscle even further than the initial passive stretch. This final passive stretch is held for 10-15 seconds. The muscle is then relaxed for 20 seconds before performing another PNF technique.
• The hold-relax-contract – This technique is also called the contract-relax-contract, and the contract-relax-antagonist-contract (or CRAC). It involves performing two isometric contractions: first of the agonists, then, of the antagonists. The first part is like the hold-relax where, after assuming an initial passive stretch, the stretched muscle is isometrically contracted for 7-15 seconds. Then the muscle is relaxed while its antagonist immediately performs an isometric contraction that is held for 7-15 seconds. The muscles are then relaxed for 20 seconds before performing another PNF technique.
• The hold-relax-swing – This technique (and a similar technique called the hold-relax-bounce) involves the use of dynamic or ballistic stretches in conjunction with static and isometric stretches. It is very risky and is successfully used only by the most advanced of athletes that have managed to achieve a high level of control over their muscle stretch reflex). It is like the hold-relax technique except that a dynamic or ballistic stretch is employed in place of the final passive stretch.

Notice that in the hold-relax-contract, there is no final passive stretch. It is replaced by the antagonist-contraction which, via reciprocal inhibition serves to relax and further stretch the muscle that was subjected to the initial passive stretch. Because there is no final passive stretch, this PNF technique is considered one of the safest PNF techniques to perform as it is less likely to result in torn muscle tissue. Some people like to make the technique even more intense by adding the final passive stretch after the second isometric contraction. Although this can result in greater flexibility gains, it also increases the likelihood of injury.

Even more risky are dynamic and ballistic PNF stretching techniques like the hold-relax-swing, and the hold-relax-bounce. If you are not a professional athlete, you probably have no business attempting either of these techniques as the probability of injury is great). Even professionals should not attempt these techniques without the guidance of a professional coach or training advisor. These two techniques have the greatest potential for rapid flexibility gains, but only when performed by people who have a sufficiently high level of control of the stretch reflex in the muscles that are being stretched.

Like isometric stretching PNF stretching is also not recommended for children and people whose bones are still growing (for the same reasons. Also, like isometric stretching, PNF stretching helps strengthen the muscles that are contracted and therefore is good for increasing active flexibility as well as passive flexibility. Furthermore, as with isometric stretching, PNF stretching is very strenuous and should be performed for a given muscle group no more than once per day (ideally, no more than once per 36-hour period).

The initial recommended procedure for PNF stretching is to perform the desired PNF technique 3-5 times for a given muscle group, resting 20 seconds between each repetition. However, a 1987 study whose results suggest that performing 3-5 repetitions of a PNF technique for a given muscle group is not necessarily any more effective than performing the technique only once. As a result, to decrease the amount of time taken up by your stretching routine, without decreasing its effectiveness), perform only one PNF technique per muscle group stretched in a given stretching session.

How PNF Stretching Works

During an isometric stretch, when the muscle performing the isometric contraction is relaxed, it retains its ability to stretch beyond its initial maximum length. PNF takes immediate advantage of this increased range of motion by immediately subjecting the contracted muscle to a passive stretch.

The isometric contraction of the stretched muscle accomplishes several things:

• It helps to train the stretch receptors of the muscle spindle to immediately accommodate a greater muscle length.
• The intense muscle contraction, and the fact that it is maintained for a period, serves to fatigue many of the fast-twitch fibres of the contracting muscles. This makes it harder for the fatigued muscle fibres to contract in resistance to a subsequent stretch.
• The tension generated by the contraction activates the Golgi tendon which inhibits contraction of the muscle via the lengthening reaction. Voluntary contraction during a stretch increases tension on the muscle, activating the Golgi tendon organs more than the stretch alone. So, when the voluntary contraction is stopped, the muscle is even more inhibited from contracting against a subsequent stretch.

PNF stretching techniques take advantage of the sudden “vulnerability” of the muscle and its increased range of motion by using the period immediately following the isometric contraction to train the stretch receptors to get used to this new, increased, range of muscle length. This is what the final passive (or in some cases, dynamic) stretch accomplishes.

Benefits of Stretching

Stretching can do more than just increase flexibility. Benefits of stretching include:

• Enhanced physical fitness.
• Enhanced ability to learn and perform skilled movements.
• Increased mental and physical relaxation.
• Enhanced development of body awareness.
• Reduced risk of injury to joints, muscles, and tendons.
• Reduced muscular soreness.
• Reduced muscular tension.
• Increased suppleness due to stimulation of the production of chemicals which lubricate connective tissues.
• Reduced severity of painful menstruation (dysmenorrhea) in females.

Unfortunately, even those who stretch do not always stretch properly and hence do not reap some or all these benefits. Some of the most common mistakes made when stretching:

• improper warm-up
• inadequate rest between workouts
• overstretching
• performing the wrong exercises
• performing exercises in the wrong (or sub-optimal) sequence

Tiger Athletic Fitness & Conditioning uses personal training to assess, motivate, educate and train you in a private, modern appointment only strength and conditioning in the heart of Sandton. 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.

Together changes everything. Let’s workout!

Acknowledgement.

1. Sport Stretch, by Michael J. Alter.
2. Stretching Scientifically, by Tom
3. SynerStretch for Total Body Flexibility, from Health for Life.
4. The Health for Life Training Advisor, also from Health for Life.
5. Mobility Training for the Martial Arts, by Tony Gummerson.
6. Bradford D. Appleton.

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Calisthenics. Core Exercises.

Calisthenics is a smart, scientific approach to weight loss, strength gain and living a more active, fulfilling life. This is the fourth resource in our series on calisthenics, designed so you can work out in the privacy of your home or on location when travelling and can’t attend your sessions with your Tiger Athletic personal trainer without the aid of equipment, a trainer or 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.

Core exercises primarily involve dynamic and static contraction of the back and abdominal muscles, also aiding with improved balance and overall stability.

Crunch

Start in a supine position on the ground. The shoulders are curled towards the pelvis while the lower back remains flat against the floor. The focus is placed on contracting the abdominal muscles.

Variation

• The Crunch It Up places the feet under a stationary object such as a low bed or couch. The arms are crossed over the stomach and the knees bent. Using the abdominal muscles, the torso is brought up just until the arms touch the thighs. The torso is then lowered to the starting position.
• The V-Ups starts in a supine position with arms straight out on the ground and parallel to the body. The body is bent at the hips, the torso is raised off the ground and the legs brought to the chest with knees bent. The legs and torso are then lowered until they are just a few inches off the ground, but not touching it.
• The Side-V starts on the ground, lying on one side of the body, with the arm closest to the ground stretched out perpendicular to the body. The other arm is bent, and the hand placed behind the head. The torso is raised and the legs, kept straight, are raised until the legs form a 90-degree angle with the torso. The legs and torso are then lowered until they are just a few inches off the ground, but not touching it.
• The Jack-Knife starts on the ground, legs stretched out straight and the arms on the ground extended straight up over the head. The chest and legs are simultaneously brought up until the hands touch the feet. The legs and torso are then lowered until they are just a few inches off the ground, but not touching it.
• The Bicycle starts on the ground, the hands behind the head. The knee is pulled in toward the chest while the upper body curls up to touch the opposite elbow to the knee. The leg is then straightened, and the exercise performed on the other side. The legs should be suspended off the ground during the exercise.

Muscle Groups

• Abdominals

Hyperextension

Start in a prone position on the ground with the arms straight out in front of the body. The arms, legs and upper chest are lifted off the ground, and then slowly lowered back to the ground. This exercise is also known as “Superman’s”.

Variation

• The Thumbs-Up starts in the same position, forms two fists with the thumbs pointed straight up, then lifts the head, shoulders and chest off the ground as high as possible.
• The Swimmers raises and lowers the opposite leg and arm and alternates sides.
• The Pillow Humpers places a towel under the hips and the feet under a stationary object like a low bed or couch. The hands are placed behind the head and the torso is raised off the ground as far as possible.

Muscle Groups

• Lower back
• Erector spinae

Planche

Start on the ground in a prone position, with the hands at the side of the body by the hips, palm down. The body is held straight while the arms push the body off the floor until the arms are straight. The entire weight of the individual is balanced on the arms. The body is then lowered to the ground.

Muscle Groups

• Full Body

Plank

Place the toes and the forearms on the ground, with the elbows underneath the shoulders and the arm bent at a 90-degree angle. This position is maintained for as long as possible.

Variation

• Front Plank
• Side Plank
• Reverse Plank
• Static Push Up – simply holds the starting position of a Classic Push Up to failure.
• S&M Push Ups – builds on the Static Push Up variant, but opposite legs and arms are lifted from the ground. The position is held to failure before switching sides.

Muscle Groups

• Core
• Abdominals
• Back
• Shoulders

Russian Twist

Start by sitting upright on the ground, with arms crossed and knees bent. The feet are lifted off the ground while the torso is twisted so the left elbow can touch the right knee, then twisted in the opposite direction so the right elbow can touch the left knee. The movement is repeated if possible.

Muscle Groups

• Abdominals
• Intercostal
• Obliques

Standing Knee Raises

Start by standing upright, with arms raised out in front of the body. The left knee is brought up as high as possible, held up for a few moments, then lowered to the ground. The right knee is then raised as high as possible, held, then lowered to the ground.

Muscle Groups

• Abdominals

Leg Raises

Start in a supine position on the floor, palms on the floor under the lower back or buttocks. The legs are slowly raised to a 45-degree angle with the ground, then slowly lowered to the ground.

The exercise can be increased in difficulty by raising the legs to a 90-degree angle, and not allowing the legs to return fully to the floor between repetitions.

Variation

• Flutter Kicks – raise both legs off the ground by several inches, then alternates lifting each leg to the 45-degree position and returning it to its starting position.
• Hello Darlings – raise both legs off the ground by several inches, then opens and closes the legs with a horizontal movement.
• The Hanging Leg Lift – tart by hanging from a horizontal bar by their hands. The knees are brought slowly up to the chest and then returned to the starting position. The difficulty can be increased by keeping the legs straight as they are raised as high as possible.

Muscle Groups

• Abdominals
• Hip flexors 

Beach Scissors

Begins by lying on the side, one hand propping up the head, both legs kept straight. The upper leg is raised as high as possible, held in the air for a moment, then lowered to the starting position. The difficulty may be increased by propping up the body on one elbow.

Muscle Groups

• Hip flexors
• Obliques

Hip Ups

Begins by lying on the ground, propped up on one elbow, hip and feet touching the ground. The hips are then raised until the body is in a straight line. The hips are then lowered to the starting position.

Muscle Groups

• Obliques
• Intercostal

Supine Windshield Wipers

Begin by lying on the ground in a supine position, legs raised in the air at 90 degrees, arms stretched out the sides. The legs are then lowered to the right side by rotating the hips, then brought back to the starting position. The legs are then lowered to the left side, then returned to the starting position.

Variation

• Half Windshield Wipers
• Full Windshield Wipers

Muscle Groups

• Abdominals
• Obliques
• Intercostal

Yes, No, Maybes

Begin in a supine position on a raised surface, with the head and neck extending off the edge. The head is then moved up and down in a “yes” fashion. The head is then turned from side to side in a “no” fashion. Finally, the head is moved from side to side, bringing each ear to the nearest shoulder in a “maybe” fashion. The exercise may also be performed in a prone position, with the hands placed on the back of the head to provide extra resistance.

Muscle Groups

• Neck

Tiger Athletic Fitness & Conditioning uses personal training to assess, motivate, educate and train you in a private, modern appointment only strength and conditioning in the heart of Sandton. 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.

Together changes everything. Let’s work out!

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Calisthenics. Pull Exercises.

Calisthenics is a smart, scientific approach to weight loss, strength gain and living a more active, fulfilling life. This is the third resource in our series on calisthenics, designed so you can workout in privacy of your home or on location when travelling and can’t attend your sessions with your Tiger Athletic personal trainer without the aid of equipment, a trainer or supplements and begin to understand that you too can get healthy using just your body, the physical environment and a little imagination.

Pull body weight exercises use a resistive or static pulling motion to work various muscle groups.

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.

Human Flag

Start by grabbing a vertical object such as a pole or tree trunk, with both hands palms pronated. The body is then lifted into a horizontal position using the abdominal muscles, with the arms remaining as straight as possible.

Muscle Groups

• Abdominals (mainly obliques)
• Shoulders
• Triceps (this is for the pushing down by the lower arm)
• Biceps (this is done by the pulling of the upper arm)

Muscle up

Starts with an aggressive standard Pull Up with an overhand grip to chest level, at which point the wrists are rotated forward to permit the elbows and arms to swing above the bar. The arms then push the body up until the arms are straight and the waist is at the level of the bar. The motion is then reversed so the body can be lowered back to the starting position. The transition between the high pull up and the low dip is the most difficult part and emphasizes the trapezius.

Muscle Groups

• Deltoids
• Trapezius
• Erector spinae
• Latissimus dorsi
• Biceps
• Brachialis

Pull Up

The body weight Pull Up is another common indicator of an individual’s general fitness level.

Start by hanging from a bar with the arms extended and the palms facing away from the exerciser. The body is then pulled up using the arms until the elbows are bent and the head is higher than the hands. If the hands are moved closer, more emphasis is placed on the biceps and elbow flexors.

Muscle Groups

• Deltoids
• Trapezius
• Erector spinae
• Latissimus dorsi
• Biceps
• Brachialis
• Abdominals

Let Me Ins

Start by facing the outer edge of an open door that has a standard doorknob set. The feet are placed on either side of the door and the door pressed between the feet, the heels directly below the doorknob. The individual then leans back until the arms are straight and bends the knees, so a 90-degree angle is formed between the thighs and back. The body is then pulled toward the door until the chest touches the edge of the door. The thighs and back should remain locked into a 90-degree angle throughout the exercise. The body is then lowered to the starting point.

The exercise can be performed with either a side grip or over-handed grip, which places emphasis on the extensors on the outside of the forearm, or an under-handed grip, which shifts the focus to the flexors on the inside of the forearms.

The difficulty can be modified by moving the feet; moving them forward increases the difficulty while moving the feet back decreases the difficulty. The exercise can also be performed with unilateral movements (one-handed) to increase the difficulty.

Variation

• Towel Grip Let Me In
• One-Handed Let Me In

Muscle Groups

• Latissimus dorsi
• Biceps
• Forearms
• Deltoids

Let Me Ups

Start by lying on the ground in the supine position, and grasps a bar mounted at arm’s length above the chest. The arms are bent to pull the body up to the bar, while the body remains as straight as possible from the ankles to the shoulders. The body is then lowered until the arms are straight.

The exercise may be made less difficult by moving the feet closer to the bar and bending the knees. The exercise may be increased in difficulty by raising the feet onto a raised surface. Performing the exercise with an overhand grip focuses on the extensors on the outside of the forearm, while an underhand grip changes the focus to the flexors on the inside of the forearm.

Muscle Groups

• Latissimus dorsi
• Biceps
• Forearms
• Deltoids

Towel Curls

Start in a standing position with the back against a wall. The ends of a bath-sized towel are grasped in each hand, and the towel is looped under the foot of one leg. The towel is pulled upwards with the arms, the elbows locked against the side of the body, while pushing down with the foot to provide resistance. The arms are then lowered slowly as the foot continues to provide resistance until the arms are at the starting position.

The difficulty of the exercise may be modified by providing varying resistance with the foot; the exercise may be made even more difficult by performing it with one hand.

Variation

The Ledge Curl uses a fixed ledge between waist and chest height to provide resistance. The hands are balled into fists and placed under the ledge. Then bend over slowly while pressing up against the bottom of the ledge, then returns slowly to the starting position, maintaining the same level of resistance along the way.

The Isometric Curl uses one hand placed on the wrist of the other hand to provide resistance to the curling motion; the curling arm does not move in this case but instead benefits from the isometric tension of the exercise.

Muscle Groups

• Biceps
• Forearms

The Claw

Begin by placing the arms in front of the body, open and close the hands and fingers as tightly and as quickly as possible. This exercise is usually performed for many repetitions.

Muscle Groups

• Hands
• Forearms

Tiger Athletic Fitness & Conditioning uses personal training to assess, motivate, educate and train you in a private, modern appointment only strength and conditioning in the heart of Sandton. 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.

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Calisthenics. Push Exercises.

Calisthenics is a smart, scientific approach to weight loss, strength gain and living a more active, fulfilling life. This is the second resource in our series on calisthenics, designed so you can workout in privacy of your home or on location when travelling and can’t attend your sessions with your Tiger Athletic personal trainer without the aid of equipment, a trainer or 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.

Push body weight exercises use a resistive or static pushing motion to work various muscle groups. Most push exercises focus on the pectoral, shoulder, and triceps muscles, but other muscle groups such as the abdominal and back muscles are leveraged to maintain good form during the push exercise.

Bridge

Begin in a sit-up position with the hands positioned by the ears, palms down, fingers facing the legs. Push up with the arms and the back muscles until the body resembles a lowercase ‘n’. The spine must be convex and the limbs straight.

Variation

• Inverse Push Ups. Difficulty can be increased by entering the bridge from a standing position and bending backwards in a controlled manner into the bridge.

Muscle Groups

• Triceps
• Trapezius
• Deltoids
• Glutes
• Lower back

4-Count Bodybuilder

From a standing position, drop to a squat with hands on floor (count 1), thrusts the legs back to a push up position (count 2), returns the legs to the squat position (count 3) and then returns to standing position (count 4).

Variation

• The Burpee replaces count 4 with a plyometric squat. Jump before returning to the standing starting position.
• The military 8-Count Bodybuilder adds a full push up after count 2 (count 3 and 4) and opens and closes the legs while in push-up position (count 5 and 6).

Muscle Groups

• Legs
• Abdominals
• Shoulders

Dips

Begin with the hands placed on two solid surfaces at or around waist height. The knees are then bent to raise the feet from the ground, and the body is lowered as far as possible using the arms, then raised again.

Muscle Groups

• Triceps
• Pectorals

Seated Dip

Begin with their feet on the floor, legs out straight, and hands placed on a supporting level surface between knee and waist height. Start with straight arms with the shoulders above the hands, the body is lowered until the arms are bent at a 90-degree angle. The body is then raised to the starting position. Difficulty may be decreased by moving the feet closer to the body. Difficulty may be increased by raising the feet onto a stable surface.

Variation

• The Hanging Dip or Parallel Dip requires an apparatus such as a dip bar or two parallel bars (or substitutes such as tree branches or two tables) and the legs are fully raised off the ground, with the individual’s body weight supported by the arms alone.

Muscle Groups

• Triceps
• Chest

L-sit

Sit with the body in an L-position, the upper body perpendicular to the ground and the legs out straight and parallel to the ground. The hands are placed beside the glutes. The hands and arms then push the entire body, including the legs, upwards off the ground with the legs remaining parallel to the ground. This exercise taxes the muscles through isometric tension.

Variation

• The V-Sit variation increases the difficulty by holding the legs higher, angled away from the ground, so the individual’s body forms a ‘V’ shape.

Muscle Groups

• Obliques
• Rectus Abdominis
• Triceps
• Quadriceps
• Pectorals

Lunge

Stand on flat surface, step forward with one leg and bend down until the front knee is bent at a 90-degree angle. The back-knee bends to almost touch the ground. The front knee should not extend past the front toes to maintain good form. Return to the starting position by pushing back with the front leg and stepping back so both feet are together.

Variation

• Back Lunge is performed from the same position, however, step back with the leg until the front knee is bent at a 90-degree angle and the back knee is almost touching the ground.
• Iron Mikes, start out in the bottom position of the lunge, perform a plyometric jump and switch leg positions so the landing position is opposite to the starting position.
• Walking Lunges do not return the front leg to the starting position, step forward with the back leg to place the feet together.

Muscle Groups

• Thigh
• Buttocks
• Hamstrings

Side Lunges

Start with the feet positioned slightly apart and take a wide step to the side with the left foot, toes pointing slightly outward. As the left foot contacts, the ground, shift your weight to the left so most of your body weight is supported by the left leg. Lower the hips and slide the hips back until the left thigh is parallel with the ground. The back and the head are kept straight throughout the movement. Hold the position for a moment, then raise the body by pushing up with the left leg and move the feet together again. The exercise is then repeated on the right side.

Variation

Difficulty may be increased by performing the Wide Side Lunge variant; start with the feet in a wide stance instead of together, keep the feet in the wide stance throughout the exercise and omit the intermediate step of moving the feet together between repetitions.

Muscle Groups

• Quadriceps
• Glutes
• Hip flexors
• Hamstrings

Bear Walk

Place the hands and the feet on the ground, with the head facing the ground, proceed to crawl around for a set distance/time by striding with the arms and legs.

Muscle Groups

• Shoulders
• Chest
• Triceps
• Trapezius
• Core

Rocking Chairs

Begin in a fully extended plank or push-up position. The body is then pushed slowly forward about six to ten inches, while the arms are kept straight. The body is then returned to the starting position.

Variation

• Rocking Chair Press – Increase difficulty by bending the arms and lowering the body until it is close to the floor. The body is then slowly pushed forward and returned to the starting position. The difficulty may be further increased by extending the arms between sets to perform a push-up.

Muscle Groups

• Pectorals
• Triceps
• Deltoids
• Core

Shove Offs

Begin by standing in front of an elevated surface with a ledge that will bear the weight your weight. The body is tilted forward with the hands and arms extended and the back and legs held straight. The body can continue to fall forward, and the individual catches their weight on the elevated surface with their hands in a palm-down position and arms bent. The arms are then forcefully extended to push the body back to the upright position. The waist is not bent at any time during the exercise.

Variation

Increase difficulty by selecting a lower surface which decreases the leverage of the arms and moves the centre of gravity forwards towards the hands.

Muscle Groups

• Pectorals
• Shoulders
• Triceps

Mountain Climbers

Begin in a push-up position, with the body in a straight line and elbows locked. The left knee is brought to the chest and the left foot placed on the ground, with the right leg remaining outstretched. Then perform a small hop and switch the position of the feet so that the right knee is brought to the chest, the right foot placed on the ground and the left leg is extended behind the body. The exercise is then repeated, most commonly at a fast pace for a defined length of time.

Muscle Groups

• Shoulders
• Abdominals
• Core

Pec Crawl

Begin in a push-up position on a smooth surface. The body is propelled forward using only the arms which are never bent beyond 90 degrees. The feet are dragged behind you, the body held in a straight line. This exercise is best performed on a smooth floor while wearing socks or with a folder towel placed under the feet.

Muscle Groups

• Deltoids
• Core
• Pectorals
• Triceps

Dive Bomber

The feet are placed on the ground just a few inches apart, with the legs held straight. Bend over at the waist and place your hands on the ground a few feet in front of the toes, forming an inverted ‘V’ with the body, the hips forming the vertex of the ‘V’. Swing your chest and shoulders down in an arc, between the hands, so the chest nearly touches the ground. The head and shoulders are curved up in an arc as high as possible, until the back is fully arched, the head is facing forward, and the pelvis is only a few inches off the ground. The motion is then reversed, the chest and shoulders moving through the hands, close to the ground, with the arms pushing the body back to the starting point. The arms should end up straight and in line with the back.

Variation

• The Half Dive Bomber stops the movement at the point the chest is between the hands and then reverses the movement to return to the starting position.
• The Hindu Dand returns directly to the starting position without bending the arms or arcing the chest and shoulders back through the hands.
• Decrease difficulty by moving the feet further apart, or by elevating the hands on a stable surface. The difficulty can be increased by placing only a single leg on the ground at a time.

Muscle Groups

• Pectorals
• Triceps
• Deltoids
• Core

Pec Flies

Starts by lying face down on a smooth, hard floor. The legs are placed out straight with the toes on the floor, and the arms out to the sides. Two small towels are placed under the palms. With the arms and body kept straight, the palms are slid together in a controlled manner until the hands are under the shoulders. The hands are then slowly slid apart until the chest is barely touching the floor.

Muscle Groups

• Pectorals
• Core
• Shoulders

Side Triceps Extension

Start by lying down on your right side, body in a straight line. The right hand is placed on the left shoulder, and the left hand is placed palm down on the ground, under the right shoulder, fingers pointing towards the head. The left arm pushes the upper body off the ground until the arm is straight, bending at the waist to keep the lower body on the ground. The body is then lowered to the starting position. The exercise is repeated on the left side to work the right triceps.

Muscle Groups

• Triceps
• Obliques

Crab Walk

Start by sitting on the ground with the knees bent. Both feet and both palms are placed on the floor. The body is lifted off the floor and you walk like a crab, both forward and backward.

Muscle Groups

• Triceps
• Core

Hip Raiser

Sit on the ground in an L-position with the back perpendicular to the ground and legs out straight. The palms are placed on the ground beside the hips. The soles of the feet are placed on the ground and the pelvis is lifted off the floor until the knees are bent at a 90-degree angle and the body is straight from the head to the knees, with the face pointed straight up. The position is held for a moment and then the body is returned to the starting position.

Muscle Groups

• Triceps
• Shoulders
• Glutes
• Hamstrings

Air Plunges

Begin by lying down on the ground flat on the back, with the arms placed palm-down on the ground. The legs are lifted until they are straight in the air, perpendicular to the ground. The arms are used to push the hips off the ground as high as possible, keeping the legs perpendicular to the ground. The hips are then lowered slowly to the starting position. Lie flat on the back, arms to the side, palms on the ground.

Variation

Increase difficulty by holding the hips in the top position for a few seconds before they are lowered to the ground.

Muscle Groups

• Triceps
• Lower abdominals

Surface Triceps Extensions

Begin by grasping a stable, waist-level surface such as a couch, railing, table or a horizontal bar. The surface is grasped with an overhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart. The feet are placed back slightly further than a standard push up position. The body is kept straight, while the arms are bent, and the body lowered until the head is below the hands. The body is then raised by pushing up with the arms until the arms are locked out straight. The elbows should be kept pointed straight down throughout the movement.

Variation

Decrease difficulty by grasping a higher surface to move the centre of gravity closer to the body.

Muscle Groups

• Triceps
• Core

Arm Rotations

Begin by standing and placing the arms straight out and perpendicular with the body. The hands and arms are moved in circles, first forward, then backward, for a selected number of rotations.

Variation

The targeted muscle groups of this exercise can be modified by repositioning the arm and body: making circles with the arms pointed out straight in front of the individual moves the focus to the front deltoids, while bending over and moving the arms up and down instead of in circles emphasizes the rear deltoids.

Muscle Groups

• Shoulders

The Roof Is on Fire

Begin in a push up position and performs a single push up. Then the individual will kneel and raise their hands in the air four times as if they are performing an unweighted overhead press. The individual then performs two push ups, then kneels and performs eight unweighted overhead presses. The individual will continue to ladder up in this manner, with the count of unweighted overhead presses equalling four times the number of pushups. When muscle failure is reached, the individual then ladders down with a decreasing number of push ups and a corresponding number of unweighted overhead presses.

Muscle Groups

• Shoulders
• Triceps
• Pectorals

Tiger Athletic Fitness & Conditioning uses personal training to assess, motivate, educate and train you in a private, modern appointment only strength and conditioning in the heart of Sandton. 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.

Together changes everything. Let’s workout!

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Calisthenics. An Introduction.

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.

Together changes everything. Let’s workout!

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Tiger Athletic. Advanced Strength & Conditioning.

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.

Together changes everything. Let’s workout!

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Lift

Men who are after getting bigger and stronger are no longer the rulers of the free weight section in the gym. Science has shone the light on how women also benefit from lifting weights as resistance training establishes itself as the training type with the greatest long term effect on metabolic rate…number one for burning fat and toning your body!

Weight lifting increases the strength of connective tissue, muscles and tendons. This leads to improved motor performance. Research in motor control of aging humans has been centered around determining how motor performance is influenced by age, and around efforts to unravel the mechanisms that contribute to declines in motor performance. Changes are often characterized by slower and more variable movements, specifically slower initiation of movement, slower movement durations, declines in coordination of movement, reduced force production, coactivation of antagonist muscles during movement, and increased variability of movements (i.e., movements become inconsistent or varied from one use to the next). Specific examples of tasks that are linked to dimensions of motor control include goal-directed movements such as pointing, reaching and grasping, and aiming.

Lifting weights improves your ability to perform activities of daily living by boosting physical work capacity, enabling you to work harder and longer, promoting fat-free body mass while decreasing sarcopenia, that is when the lean muscle mass decreases with age. If we don’t add strength training to our routine, not only will we lose muscle mass with age but also lose strength and gain fat. Having more muscle than fat tones your body and give you the lean, firm physique you have always wanted.

Lifting weights is a low impact activity, so you are at lower risk for injuries. It is less stressful on your knees and joints than running hence is one of the best ways to control loss of bone mass. Just as your muscles adapt to the stress of weightlifting by becoming bigger and stronger, your bones also adapt. When your bones perceive or receive stress on them, their response is to deposit more bone making them stronger.

As your body increases its muscle mass, it will work harder to maintain that muscle over fat ratio, this means that you will burn more calories throughout the day, therefore the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn at rest.

Our weightlifting programs strengthen the muscles of your core, resulting in better posture and balance through strengthening muscles that support your spine, and other little muscles apart from the main muscle groups. This lessens physical discomfort or back pain and reverses some of the damage caused by sitting all day. Also those muscles help keep you upright and take care of everyday tasks such as balancing on one foot when walking, picking up the kids or stopping yourself from falling.

Commiting to a weightlifting program everyday or every other day goes a long way towards improving your discipline, acquiring perseverance that will help you achieve your health and fitness goals.

Lifting also helps regulate blood sugar lowering the risk of developing lifestyle illnesses born out of our increasingly sedentary lifestyles such as hyperlipidaemia and diabetes. As you  lose body fat, lifting weights greatly reduces your chances for becoming obese. The constant loaded movement when you lift weights stimulates rapid blood flow, as heart rate goes up you maintain a healthier heart lowering risks for developing cardiovascular diseases as you get older.

Research shows that not only can weight lifting improve your body composition and give you a toned appearance, but it can also improve your overall health and make you a happier person. Giving you confidence in yourself that will put you in a better mood generally or help you fight depression.

Our strength and conditioning 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 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 and injury, improving personal well being, productivity and quality of life.

Let’s chat about your health!

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Do More. Be 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.

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Need A New Personal Trainer?

Tiger Athletic Fitness & Conditioning is a private, appointment only strength & conditioning gym in the heart of Sandton. Our personal trainers are health and fitness professionals who use an individualised approach to assess, motivate, educate and train clients. We design safe, effective, fun exercise solutions for the individual who is accustomed to personalised attention and a modern approach.

“We train the hardest”, through modern resistance tools and science we deliver efficient, effective, pragmatic exercise programs. Your initial interview’ or first session, is to assess client – trainer compatibility, discuss goals and a client – trainer agreement. This includes the preparticipation health appraisal, essentially a questioneer to identify known diseases and “red flag” positive risk factors associated with heart disease, assess lifestyle factors that may require special considerations, and identify individuals who may require medical referral before starting an exercise program.

Tiger Athletic’s health first approach helps you reach your goals safely and effectively through health and fitness assessment, personalised coaching, modern resistance and cardio equipment, calisthenics and boxing to provide a pragmatic, extraordinary 50-minute workout that is simple, efficient and effective.

We tailor healthy living solutions using a unique personal wellness and goal-oriented approach to improve your fitness and health through positive lifestyle changes such as eating better, managing stress, losing excess weight and improving overall physical health and aesthetic appearance.

Together changes everything. Let’s workout.

 

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Your Body. Your Rules.

Tiger Athletic offers custom fitness solutions based on your health assessment and goals in our private, modern, appointment only strength and conditioning gym in Sandton. We offer a structured, action-oriented exercise and nutrition programs to improve fitness and aesthetic appearance, reduce health risks and promote healthy behavior through extraordinary 45 minute workouts that are simple, efficient and effective.

In South Africa at least 62% of the population is overweight, raising the risk of morbidity from hypertension; hyperlipidemia; type 2 diabetes; coronary heart disease (CHD); stroke; gallbladder disease; osteoarthritis; sleep apnea and respiratory problems; and endometrial, breast, prostate and colon cancers. Obesity and being overweight is the second leading cause of preventable deaths globally. Let’s get you healthy.

All sessions in our state-of-the-art strength and conditioning gym are personal trainer led. We have a private shower and change room,  premium coffee, tea and cold refreshments are available as well as audio and visual entertainment in a de-stress area. 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.

Physical exercise is the most effective way of actively preventing and fighting diseases which are associated with a sedentary lifestyle, bad eating habits, stress and an ageing population. Across the globe annually, millions of people die each year because of physical inactivity.

Start your journey to a healthier self, by booking an initial consultation below.

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Crank Up Your Metabolism

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.

Let’s chat about your health.

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Attitudinal Assessment

Your personality plays a large role in your ability to lose weight and keep it off. The attitudinal assessment is not an assessment of physical condition, it is  a gauge of attitude, outlook and perspective, key drivers of attaining your goals of a leaner, stronger more functional self.

For each question, rate yourself on a scale of 1-4. The first part of each question, is an assessment of where you stand right now, the most motivated and driven athletes would likely have at least seven ratings of “4” and not a single rating below “3”.

For me (your coach), clients with three or more questions with a “1” rating, will need extra assistance to develop S.M.A.R.T goals and may require frequent rewards, discussion and evaluation.

What would you consider your present attitude towards exercise?

• I can’t stand the thought of it.
• I’ll do it because I know I should, but I don’t enjoy it.
• I don’t mind exercise, and I know it is beneficial
• I am motivated to exercise

How would you like to feel about exercise, if you could change your feelings?

Describe why and any specifics of how you would like to change your feelings about exercise and how those feelings might bring about positive change in your life:

 What would you consider your present attitude toward goal achievement?

• I feel that whatever happens, happens, and I’ll roll with the punches
• I set goals and believe it adds clarity and gives me some control over my outcome
• I write down my goals and believe it is a very valuable exercise in determining my future performance and achievement
• I have written goals and I review them often. I believe I have the power to achieve anything I desire and know that setting goals is a vital part of achievement

How would you like to feel about goal achievement, if you could change your feelings?

Describe why and any specifics of how you would like to change your feelings about goal achievement and how those feelings might bring about positive change in your life:

 How important to you are the concepts of health and well-being?

• I don’t need to put any effort into bettering my health
• I make certain I devote some time and effort into bettering my physical body.
• I am committed to maintaining and working to improve my health and physical well-being.
• My health and well-being are the foundation of all that i achieve, and they must remain my top priorities.

How would you like to feel about the concepts of health and well-being, if you could change your feelings?

Describe why and any specifics of how you would like to change your feelings about the concepts of health and well-being and how those feelings might bring about positive change in.

 How strong and driving is your desire for improvement?

• I’m satisfied about the way things are. Striving for improvement might leave me frustrated and disappointed.
• I’d like to improve but I don’t know that it’s worth all the work involved.
• I love feeling as if I’ve battered myself and am open to any suggestions for improvement.
• I’m driven to excel and am committed to striving for consistent and ongoing improvement.

How strong and driven would you like to feel about improvement?

Describe why and any specifics of how you would like to change your feelings about improvement and how those feelings might bring about positive change in your life:

 How do you feel about yourself and your abilities (Self-Esteem)?

• I am not comfortable with the way I look, feel, or perform in most situations.
• I would love to change many things about myself although I’m proud of who I am.
• I’m very good at the things I must do, take pride in many of my achievements, and am quite able to handle myself in most situations.
• I have great strength, ability and pride.

How would you like to feel about yourself and your abilities, if you could change your feelings?

Describe why and any specifics of how you would like to change your feelings about yourself and your abilities and how those feelings might bring about positive change in your life:

 How do you feel about your present physical condition in terms of the way you look?

• I would like to completely change my body.
• There are many things in my reflection in the mirror that I’m not comfortable with.
• For the most part I look OK, and I can look good in the right clothing, but I do feel uncomfortable with a few things about my physical appearance.
• I am proud of my body and am comfortable in any manner of dress in appropriate situations.

How would you like to feel about the way you look, if you could change your feelings?

Describe why and any specifics of how you would like to change your feelings about the way you look and how those feelings might bring about positive change in your life:

How do you feel about your present physical conditions in terms of overall health?

• I wish I felt healthy.
• I feel healthy for my age compared to most people I meet.
• I maintain a high level of health.
• I am extremely healthy.

How would you like to feel about yourself and your abilities, if you could change your feelings?

Describe why and any specifics of how you would like to change your feelings about yourself and your abilities and how those feelings might bring about positive change in your life:

 How do you feel about your physical condition in terms of your performance in any chosen physical fields of endeavour (Sports, Training, Etc.)?

• I feel as if I’m in very poor condition and am uncomfortable when faced with a physical challenge.
• I am not comfortable with my performance abilities; however, I am comfortable training to improve.
• I feel very good about my ability to perform physically although I would like to improve.
• I have exceptional physical abilities and enjoy being called upon to display them.

How would you like to feel about your performance, if you could change your feelings?

Describe why and any specifics of how you would like to change your feelings about your performance and how those feelings might bring about positive change in your life:

 How strongly do you believe that you can improve your body?

• I believe most of my physical shortcomings are genetic, and most efforts to change would be a waste of time.
• I’ve seen many people change their bodies for the better and i’m sure with enough effort I can see some improvements.
• I strongly believe the proper combination of exercise and nutrition can bring about some improvement.
• I know without question that with the proper combination of exercise and nutrition I can bring about dramatic changes in my body.

How would you like to feel about your ability to improve your body, if you could change your feelings?

Describe why and any specifics of how you would like to change your feelings about your ability to improve your body and how those feelings might bring about positive change in your life:

 When you begin a program or set a goal, how likely are you to follow through to its fruition?

• I’ve never been good at following things through to the end.
• With the right motivation and some evidence of results I think I might stick to a program.
• I have the patience and ability to commit to a program and will give it a chance to assess its value.
• Once I set a goal there’s no stopping me.

How would you like to feel about following through on goals, if you could change your feelings?

Describe why and any specifics of how you would like to change your feelings about following through on goals and how those feelings might bring about positive change in your life:

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Cut Out “Low Fat Foods”

“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!

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Fat Burning Foods

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.

Let’s chat about your health

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High Protein Breakfasts

Hunger is one of the biggest obstacles to any weight-loss plan, a protein-packed breakfast slows digestion and keeps blood sugar steady, meaning you’ll feel more satisfied and energized for the rest of the day. Eggs are an easy way to get this belly-flattening nutrient in your morning meal. Eggs and veggies in the morning are a delicious way to jumpstart your metabolism and fuel your whole day.

Cheesy Cast-Iron Skillet Scrambled Eggs

Cheese and eggs taste great together and may help combat osteoporosis. The reason: calcium in cheese is more easily absorbed into the body with the addition of vitamin D-rich eggs.
 This recipe calls for fresh goat cheese and a few chives snipped on top. Have it ready in under 15 minutes! 

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 small red onion, finely diced

1 jalapeño, cut into thin rounds, seeds included

12 large eggs, lightly beaten

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

120g goat cheese, crumbled

2 tablespoons finely chopped chives 

Preparation

In a large cast-iron skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and jalapeño and cook until soft (5–7 minutes). Stir in eggs, salt, and pepper, and cook, stirring, until soft curds form (about 3 minutes).

Remove skillet from heat and mix in the goat cheese and chives. Serve immediately with whole-grain toast or English muffin, if desired.

Frittata with Ricotta and Mixed Greens

Next time you have guests over wow them with this. Protein, healthy fats, and greens make this delicious, low-calorie frittata as healthy as it is delicious. Dark, leafy greens like kale, Swiss chard, or mustard greens are about 30 calories a serving and among the healthiest foods you can put on your plate, with loads of vitamins A, C, and K, plus fibre. Don’t skimp on the fresh herbs called for in this recipe; they deliver a healthy dose of antioxidants along with flavour. 

Ingredients

1 third cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 medium red onion, finely diced

Pinch of red pepper flakes

500g chopped mixed greens (such as kale, Swiss chard, or mustard greens)

10 large eggs

2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

½ teaspoon salt, divided

½ plus ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar

225g part-skim ricotta

1 cup fresh basil leaves

¾ cup fresh parsley leaves

¼ cup fresh mint leaves

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon pine nuts 

Preparation

15 minutes; Cook: 40 minutes; Total time: 55 minutes. This recipe gets extra flavour from fresh pesto, so you won’t want to skimp on the basil.

Makes 8 servings. Serving size: 1 wedge frittata with 1 ½ tablespoons pesto

Nutritional Information

Calories per serving: 280

Fat per serving: 22g

Saturated fat per serving: 5.4g

Monounsaturated fat per serving: 12.3g

Polyunsaturated fat per serving: 3.1g

Protein per serving: 14g

Carbohydrate per serving: 8g

Fibre per serving: 2g

Cholesterol per serving: 242mg

Iron per serving: 3mg

Sodium per serving: 347mg

Calcium per serving: 209mg

Scrambled Eggs with Chilies

These spicy eggs are like sunshine on a plate. They cook up in 4 minutes, pack nearly 20 grams of protein and a measly 6 grams of carbs, and the hot chillies are natural fat-burners and mood boosters. This recipe calls for using two large eggs plus egg whites, but you can swap that ratio if you are watching your saturated fat and cholesterol.

Ingredients

2 large eggs, plus 1 large egg white

Pinch of kosher salt and fresh pepper

Cooking spray

1 small jalapeño, seeded and minced

6 cherry tomatoes, halved

1 scallion, thinly sliced

Prep Time: 5 min

Cook Time: 4 min

The bigger the real burn, the bigger the fat burn when it comes to chilies. Go as fiery as you can stand. Makes 1 serving

Nutritional Information

Calories per serving: 194

Fat per serving: 11.2g

Saturated fat per serving: 3.4g

Monounsaturated fat per serving: 4.7g

Polyunsaturated fat per serving: 2.2g

Protein per serving:17g

Carbohydrate per serving: 6g

Fibre per serving: 1g

Cholesterol per serving: 372mg

Iron per serving: 2mg

Sodium per serving:        319mg

Calcium per serving:       77mg

Bacon and Jalapeno Egg Sandwich

This crispy, meaty breakfast sandwich was inspired by the classic McMuffin, but it’s so much better for you! This version calls for organic eggs, a whole-grain English muffin, reduced-fat cheese, and a metabolism-boosting jalapeno pepper. Low-fat, high-protein bacon makes it hearty enough to keep you full and satisfied all day. 

Ingredients

1-piece bacon

1 whole-grain English muffin, split

Cooking spray

1 large organic egg

10g reduced-fat cheddar

Pepper

½ small jalapeño, thinly sliced

2 thin slices red onion

1 thick slice tomato

4-5 sprigs fresh cilantro

Preparation

Warm a skillet over medium heat. Cook the bacon until crisp. Set aside.

Place muffin, cut-side down, in skillet. Press to toast (2 minutes). Set aside.

Coat skillet with cooking spray. Cook egg about 30 seconds. Sprinkle with pepper and cheese. Cook until set. Transfer egg to muffin half. Top with the bacon, jalapeño, onion, tomato, cilantro, and second muffin half.

This healthy breakfast egg sandwich, featuring bacon and jalapeño peppers, is a tasty and nutritious way to fuel up in the morning Build a better-than-ever egg sandwich using organic eggs, a whole-grain English muffin, reduced-fat cheese, and a few other exciting extras like jalapeno that will give your metabolism a spicy boost. Makes 1 sandwich.

Nutritional Information

Calories per serving: 313

Fat per serving: 11g

Saturated fat per serving: 2.9g

Monounsaturated fat per serving: 3.7g

Polyunsaturated fat per serving: 1.9g

Protein per serving: 21g

Carbohydrate per serving: 35g

Fibre per serving: 7g

Cholesterol per serving: 215mg

Iron per serving: 3mg

Sodium per serving: 565mg

Calcium per serving: 277mg

Braised Kale Frittata

Instead of your usual omelette, try this antioxidant-packed baked frittata that uses kale and tomatoes. This delicious recipe is a good source of iron as well as protein, with only 7 grams of carbs. 

Ingredients

6 large eggs

4 large egg whites

¾ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

20g Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons chopped oregano

Cooking spray

2 cups

¾ cup chopped cherry tomatoes

Prep Time: 12 min

Cook Time: 30 min

Makes: 4 servings

Nutritional Information

Calories per serving: 204

Fat per serving: 12.6g

Saturated fat per serving: 3.6g

Monounsaturated fat per serving: 6g

Polyunsaturated fat per serving: 2.1g

Protein per serving: 16g

Carbohydrate per serving: 7g

Fibre per serving: 2g

Cholesterol per serving: 283mg

Iron per serving: 3mg

Sodium per serving: 511mg

Calcium per serving: 155mg

Mini Smoked-Salmon Frittatas

Possibly the healthiest and most delicious brunch recipe ever created, these mini frittatas pack 17 grams of protein each, almost no carbs, and loads of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, thanks to the smoked salmon. They cook up in less than 30 minutes, so why not make them this weekend?

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

¼ cup diced onion

½ teaspoon salt

Pinch of pepper

120g smoked salmon, diced

6 large eggs

8 large egg whites

1 tablespoon half-and-half

3 tablespoons 1% milk

90g less-fat cream cheese, cubed

2 tablespoons scallions, thinly sliced, for garnish

Preparation

Preheat oven to 160°. Heat oil in a non-stick skillet. Sauté onion 2–3 minutes or until soft; add salt, pepper, and salmon. Remove from stove top; let cool.

Combine the next 4 ingredients (through milk) in a bowl. Stir in the cream cheese. Lightly coat 6 (225g) ramekins with cooking spray. Add 2 tablespoons of salmon mixture to each ramekin. Pour ¾ cup egg mixture into each ramekin.

Place ramekins on baking sheet; bake 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Garnish, if desired.

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 30 min

A perfect brunch dish, these smoked salmon frittatas are as impressive as they are tasty. Bake and serve in mini ramekins with a side of fresh fruit and juice. Makes 6 servings.

Nutritional Information

Calories per serving: 179

Fat per serving: 11g

Saturated fat per serving: 4g

Monounsaturated fat per serving: 5g

Polyunsaturated fat per serving: 1g

Protein per serving: 17g

Carbohydrate per serving: 3g

Fibre per serving: 0.0g

Cholesterol per serving: 226mg

Iron per serving: 1mg

Sodium per serving: 665mg

Calcium per serving: 63mg

Sun-Dried Tomato, Goat Cheese, and Fresh Basil Frittata

Savour the Mediterranean flavours of this veggie-filled frittata, packed with protein, antioxidants, and calcium. For a lower-cholesterol version, use egg substitute and fat-free cheese. 

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup minced onion

4 large eggs

2 egg whites

¼ teaspoon pepper

90g sun-dried tomatoes, packed without oil

¼ cup goat cheese

¼ cup basil chiffonade

Preparation

Sauté vegetables. Preheat the oven to broil. Use a well-seasoned, iron skillet or a non-stick skillet with a heatproof handle. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in the skillet over medium-high heat, and add 1 cup minced onion. Cook until the onion is translucent, about 3 minutes.

Add the egg mixture to pan. Whisk together 4 large eggs and 2 egg whites, and season with ¼ teaspoon pepper. Pour the egg mixture over the onions, patting down any lumps with a wooden spoon. Scatter 3 ounces sun-dried tomatoes, packed without oil evenly over the pan surface.

Add cheese and put in broiler. Distribute ¼ cup goat cheese over the top of the frittata, then place the skillet under the broiler for 2 minutes, until the frittata rises slightly and becomes light and settled. Remove from broiler and top with ¼ cup basil chiffonade. (Stack basil, then roll the stack, and slice it into feathery, 1/4-inch pieces.)

Plate and serve. To remove the frittata from the iron skillet, place a large plate over the top of the pan, invert the frittata onto the plate, and cut it into wedges. With a non-stick skillet, slide the frittata onto a serving plate, then cut into wedges.

Prep Time: 7 min

Cook Time: 8 min

This Sun-Dried Tomato, Goat Cheese, and Fresh Basil Frittata is a quick and easy breakfast or brunch dish that your entire family will love. Plus, it’s a healthy meal option and ready in less than 20 minutes. Makes 6 servings

Nutritional Information

Calories per serving: 146

Fat per serving: 8g

Saturated fat per serving: 3g

Monounsaturated fat per serving: 3g

Polyunsaturated fat per serving: 1g

Protein per serving: 9g

Carbohydrate per serving: 11g

Fibre per serving: 2g

Cholesterol per serving: 145mg

Iron per serving: 2mg

Sodium per serving: 398mg

Calcium per serving: 55mg

Asparagus with Poached Eggs and Parmesan

Poached eggs, asparagus, and Parmesan make this the ultimate brunch recipe, but it’s light enough to enjoy any time. Asparagus, a seasonal spring veggie, is full of vitamin K and folic acid, which keeps your cardiovascular system healthy. Plus, with 18 grams of protein, you’ll have plenty of energy for the rest of the day.

Ingredients

8 large eggs

1 teaspoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon salt, divided

2 bunches asparagus spears, trimmed (about 40)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove, chopped

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh parsley

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

4 tablespoons coarsely grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 10 min

Try this dish for breakfast or brunch. It features a simple poached egg served over asparagus spears cooked in a lemon-butter sauce. Makes 4 servings.

Nutritional Information

Calories per serving: 256

Fat per serving: 18g

Saturated fat per serving: 6g

Monounsaturated fat per serving: 7g

Polyunsaturated fat per serving: 2g

Protein per serving: 18g

Carbohydrate per serving: 8g

Fibre per serving: 3g

Cholesterol per serving: 435mg

Iron per serving: 3mg

Sodium per serving: 518mg

Calcium per serving: 147mg

Crostini with Spinach, Poached Egg, and Creamy Mustard Sauce

Low heat is the key to making perfect poached eggs, and low-fat sour cream and mustard transforms rich Hollandaise sauce into a flavourful, low-fat version. Tip: Use whole grain bread for the crostini to kick up the fibre. 

Ingredients

¼ cup reduced-fat sour cream

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon finely chopped chives

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 teaspoons water

4 (1.5cm thick) slices crusty whole-grain bread, toasted

2 cups baby spinach

1 teaspoon white vinegar

4 large eggs

Preparation

Stir together sour cream and next 5 ingredients (through pepper) in a small bowl with water. Place 1 slice toast on each of 4 serving plates and top each with spinach.

In a large saucepan, bring 6cm of water to a simmer; add vinegar. Working one at a time, crack eggs into a cup and gently slip into water. Simmer 2-3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, place a poached egg on top of spinach. Spoon about 1 TBSP sauce over each crostino before serving.

Prep Time: 5 min

Cook Time: 8 min

Low heat is the key to perfect poaching and silken eggs in this one-dish meal of Crostini with Spinach, Poached Egg, and Creamy Mustard Sauce. Try this protein powerhouse a different way. Makes 4 servings (serving size: 1 slice bread, 1 egg, 1/2 cup spinach, 1 tbsp. sauce)

Nutritional Information

Calories per serving: 215

Fat per serving: 8.2g

Saturated fat per serving: 3g

Monounsaturated fat per serving: 2.6g

Polyunsaturated fat per serving: 1.8g

Protein per serving: 13g

Carbohydrate per serving: 22g

Fibre per serving: 4g

Cholesterol per serving: 191mg

Iron per serving: 2mg

Sodium per serving: 490mg

Calcium per serving: 104mg

Spinach and Egg Breakfast Wrap with Avocado and Parmesan Cheese

This wrap packs 22 grams of protein as well as heart-healthy monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), which can help you lose belly fat. Avocados also pack high amounts of potassium, magnesium, folate, protein, and vitamins B6, E, and K. Add to that fibre and cholesterol-lowering plant sterols. 

Ingredients

Non-stick cooking spray

150g baby spinach, chopped

4 eggs

4 egg whites

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

110g Parmesan cheese

1 avocado, sliced

4 whole-wheat tortillas

Hot sauce 

Preparation

Spray a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.

Add spinach and cook, stirring, until wilted, 2 minutes.

Whisk together eggs and egg whites in a small bowl. Add eggs to skillet and cook, stirring, until cooked through, 3–4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Place ¼ of egg mixture in the center of each tortilla, and sprinkle with 30g cheese.

Top with 4 slices avocado and fold, burrito-style.  Slice in half and serve.

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 5 min

4 servings (serving size: 1 wrap)

Nutritional Information

Calories per serving: 366

Fat per serving: 2g

Saturated fat per serving: 8g

Monounsaturated fat per serving: 7g

Polyunsaturated fat per serving: 2g

Cholesterol per serving: 242mg

Protein per serving: 22g

Carbohydrate per serving: 30g

Sugars per serving: 1g

Fibre per serving: 7g

Sodium per serving: 666mg

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.

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Portion Control

To lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you consume, which inevitably means one thing: portion control. But you’re not necessarily doomed to a growling stomach until you reach your goal. Here are a couple of easy ways to cut portions, trim calories, and lose fat without counting the minutes until your next meal.

Start with a glass of H2O – Drink a big glass of water before you eat, filling your belly with water will naturally make you less likely to overeat. Plus, some symptoms of dehydration may be what’s causing your rumbling belly, so sipping some water before you eat may eliminate your “hunger” altogether.

Wear form-fitting clothes – Wearing an outfit with a waistband or perhaps a jacket with buttons can serve as a tool to prompt you to slow down and assess how you feel during your meal. As your clothing begins to feel a little snugger, it may keep you from going back for seconds.

Veggie fillers – Bulking up your meals with veggies is one easy way to cut calories while filling you up fast. Spinach, for example, can be used as a sandwich-topper or can add fibre and nutrients to pasta and stir-fries. Other ideas to eat more veggies: swap in mushrooms for half the ground meat in most recipes, make oatmeal more filling with diced apples, and use a whole-wheat pita in place of bread so you can stuff it with more veggies.

The color of your plate may influence how much you eat, according to a 2012 Cornell University study. The researchers discovered that when a plate and the food on it had a low color-contrast, like pasta with Alfredo sauce on a white plate, people at a buffet served themselves 22% more than when there was a higher color-contrast, like pasta with red sauce on a white plate or pasta with Alfredo sauce on a red plate. The study conclusions suggest that if you want to eat less, select plates that have a color-contrast to the food you’re eating for dinner. Or if you want to eat more healthy foods, like a bigger salad, eat greens from a large green plate or bowl!

Make carbs the topper instead of the base – Rethink the way you use grains and starches. Take a breakfast parfait, for instance: instead of starting with a granola base, fill your cup with yogurt and then sprinkle just a tiny amount of granola on top for the crunch you crave. Making a stir-fry? Load up your plate with veggies and a serving of lean protein, then add a quarter cup of brown rice.

Dim the lights and listen to relaxing music to set the tone for a more leisurely meal. Taking your time while eating increases enjoyment and decreases portions. Chew slowly, put down your fork between bites, and sip water to make your meal last longer.

Work for your food – Munch on foods that require shelling, peeling, or individual unwrapping. Oranges, edamame, and pistachios in their shells are healthy options.

Don’t eat from the bag or box – When you sit down with a bag of chips, do you really know how many you’re eating? Researchers from Cornell University sought to answer this question in a study and found that people ate 50% more chips when they were given no visual cues as to how large a portion should be. So, if you buy a bag of pretzels or tin of nuts that contains 10 servings, divide the contents of the container into 10 smaller baggies ahead of time.

Before you dive into your entrée, have some soup. Though it may seem counterintuitive to add more to your meal, research shows that starting a meal with soup may help you reduce your overall calorie intake. In a 2007 study, people who ate soup before their lunch entrée reduced their total calorie intake by 20%. Your best bet: a broth-based soup, preferably with veggies to help you feel full from the natural fibre.

At Tiger Athletic, we are passionate about helping you be the healthiest version of yourself, so you can lead a more fulfilling personal and professional life.. We use an individualised approach to assessment and health appraisal, motivation, coaching science and education to design programs of exercise that are safe, simple, effective and fun!

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Calorie Burn

Exercise is essential to maintaining weight and improving overall health, but with our busy schedules, it’s tough to fit in fitness. Sometimes coming to the gym feels like an impossible ask! To help you not skip out on weight loss and fitness goals altogether, here are a couple of easy ways to fit fitness into your everyday life.

• Speed walk your errands – Instead of eating lunch work, lace up your sneakers and do your daily errands on foot during lunch break. Use your to-do list to map out a walking route, grab your wallet and iPod, and head outside for an hour of heart-pumping activity. Even if you need to drive to a mall first, cruise around on foot checking items off your list. Get your errands and workout out of the way!
• Play in the park – Instead of meeting friends for Happy Hour after work on Friday or vegging on the couch over the weekend, head to the park for a couple of hours of play. Bring a Rugby ball for a bit of touch, a football for a little kick about or the kids and the dogs! Incorporate some activity into your social life—and avoid those couch potato calories!
• Stand and flex – When waiting in line at the grocery store or bank (or anywhere), flex my abs/glutes for 10 seconds and repeat 10 times. It helps make the time pass, it’s a quick and easy way to work your core/glutes without anyone noticing.
• Go the long way – Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Park further away from your building so you get a little extra walking. If you ride the bus to work, get off a stop before your office and walk the extra distance.
• Email and call less – Instead of calling or emailing a co-worker, get up from your desk and walk over to chat with them. You will get a lot more accomplished in a quick in-person meeting, and burn a few calories walking to their desk. It might not seem like a lot of activity, but all those small steps can equal big gains when they’re done consistently!
• Ditch the shopping cart – If you have a small shopping list, ditch the cart and use two reusable bags to carry groceries. Throw a bag over each shoulder and walk around the grocery store collecting items. Carrying two heavy bags is a great workout, and, at the same time, I get my grocery shopping done for the week.
• Wake Up! Give Me 50! – Before you shower in the morning, do 50 crunches and push-ups. It takes only five minutes and it sets the tone for the day.
• Add 15 minutes to Fido’s walk – Walk your dog before/after work. On the days when it’ll be tough to fit in a workout, add an extra 15 minutes and power walking or run those extra steps.
• Weekend Warrior – Fit in a workout on the weekend, but not when your household tasks take over most of your free time. Instead of missing out on a workout, wash the car by hand rather than taking it to the car wash, mow the lawn.

At Tiger Athletic, we are passionate about helping you be the healthiest version of yourself, so you can lead a more fulfilling personal and professional life, in your home with your loved ones and in your profession maximising your earning ability from your passion. We use an individualise approach to assess, motivate, coach and educate our clients regards their wellness needs and goals.

Let’s Chat About Your Health.

 

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