The post Float Tank Trance appeared first on Anna Warwick.

Signs You Are Overtraining

So how much exercise is too much? “Overtraining would be training every single day and smashing yourself to the ground every single time,” says Gabi. It could also mean regularly doing more than one training session a day.
After pushing your cardiovascular and muscular systems to the max during a hard training session, your body needs rest time to repair and regenerate. You need to allow your systems to recuperate so they are strong enough to cope with another hit.

10 Warning Signs You Could be Overtraining:

1. You’re exhausted
2. Prolonged muscle soreness and heaviness
3. You keep getting sick
4. Low energy
5. Unintentional weight loss
6. Irritability
7. Lack of sleep
8. Higher resting heart rate
9. Lack of motivation to exercise
10. You’ve hit a training plateau

How to Prevent Overtraining

When you start a training program, you need a plan that is sustainable and helps you achieve your fitness goals gradually. You need to pace yourself, so you’re not doing too little or too much.
With the right amount of training and the right amount of sleep and downtime, you will get a positive response to your exercise regime. But without sufficient rest, the body can’t regenerate. Continuing to put stress on the body without downtime will lead to burnout, and a vicious cycle of exhaustion.
“You get the best results with recovery time. When you don’t sleep, push your body too hard and don’t have enough nutrients, it’s like flogging a dead horse,” says 12WBT co-founder and fitness expert Amelia Philips.
“You’re going to be really tired and sore after a big session, especially if you’re a beginner, but there’s a difference between good exhaustion and over exertion. If you’re training smart you’re knackered but not crushed and run down,” says Gabi.

Where to Start

For those who are new to exercise, Gabi suggests you train as prescribed by 12WBT Exercise Plans –  for no more than five or six days a week. “You only need to train for 45 mins in an hour followed by a warm down. It’s not good for your body to just stop cold, so this winding down period should be a central part of your training session and not an afterthought” she says.
It’s also recommended that you alternate the focus of your workout, so you give your cardiovascular and muscular systems adequate time to recover and adapt. For example, 12WBT Exercise Plans alternate the focus of workouts so you don’t do two days of intensive cardio focused sessions in a row.
“If you’re doing an all-out cardio blast, you’re deliberately pushing your cardiovascular system to its edge so that the next time you push out, the edge is further away. But you can’t do that every training session,” says Gabi. “Work a different system and get a different kind of hurt by working your strength and toning.”
Listen to your body and find your own level.”Everybody’s edge is different and how far you push also depends on what your training goal is. So when you’re first learning about your body, seek professional advice”; recommends Gabi.
This article first appeared on 12wbt.com.au

The post Balance over Burnout: Are you Overtraining? appeared first on Anna Warwick.

In her own words, here’s what’s in Mish’s gym bag:

My gym membership card – An obvious one!
My weight training gloves – I’ve always got them ready to go for my next weight training session.
A gym towel – Sometimes it’s super clean, sometimes it might not be but I do try to refresh it regularly.
My boxing gloves – If I know I’ve got a boxing session the next day I pop them in straight away. I’ll also put my wraps in so my boxing’s a little bit more comfortable.
My water bottle – I carry a metal one as it’s non-toxic.  I’ll fill it up the night before and pop it in my gym bag so it’s good to go.
Deodorant – One of the best tips I can give you. It’s always important to have this in your bag!
My best tip – my mini Dettol hand cleaner. Sometimes I go for a coffee with my girlfriends straight after my gym workout and if you’ve been touching and handling all the weights in the gym, it’s just really convenient.
My training folder with my training journal – I’ll print out all of my workouts, pop them into the plastic sleeves and take it straight to the gym. Using your smartphone or iPad works just as well for some.
Face wipes – If you’re training and then going grocery shopping or for coffee with your mates, you might want to wipe your face down. I know it might sound a bit OTT for your gym bag, but it can come in quite handy and be really good for skin care as well.
Hairbands – They come in handy as well. I’m sure the guys out there don’t need to know about that one, but it’s good for the girls!
So there it is, pack it the night before and you have the convenience wherever you go.

Starting from Scratch?

So you’re new to the gym but ready to get serious about your workouts? That gym bag is going to get a pretty good workout too. The 12WBT team have put together a checklist of basic equipment to get you started:
A backpack – A light backpack with straps is the best way to distribute the weight of your gear as you carry it.
Good quality training shoes – Before  you say your old shoes are fine, read our blog post on why it’s so important to choose the right running shoes. Well-fitting, absorbent socks are important too.
A training outfit – Choose light, stretchy, hard-wearing and easily washable fabrics as they’ll be on high rotation if you’re working up a sweat. Michelle Bridge’s range of One Active sports gear is affordable and available at Big W.
Chest support – Girls will need a really good sports bra with breathable panels. Get a proper fitting, and pick one with straps that can connect to cross over for those super bouncy workouts.
Spare undies – If you’re not going straight home, you’ll appreciate them.
A sleeveless vest – Great for cooler weather as it keeps your core warm.
Cap and sunscreen – Essential if you’re training outside.
Heart rate monitor – A heart rate monitor is important if you want to keep track of calories burned and your fitness levels. Check out our story on how to choose a heart rate monitor and use it correctly
A great playlist – A workout is so much more fun with tunes! Load your phone or iPod up with great tracks and create a running playlist for inspiration. And get some good headphones that won’t fall out of your ears or off your head.
Tracker – If you’re starting a new lifestyle of more walking and less driving, why not grab a tracker to count your steps.
Chafing gel – If you’re suffering from rubbing, apply chafing gel to the bits that rub and you’ll feel much better.
Happy shopping and happy training!
This article first appeared on 12WBT

The post What’s in Michelle Bridges’ Gym Bag? appeared first on Anna Warwick.

The big blue

Andre’s love of the sea is infectious: “the thing I love most about ocean swimming is that feeling of being connected to something so natural and powerful. There’s nothing but fresh air and salt water, and plenty of time to let all the worries of the world disappear as you watch the fish swim by beneath you with the sun on your back.”
Andre brings this empathy with the sea into his teaching, so his students learn to respect and admire the ocean. “That’s when you really start to understand it and become one with it” he says.

Stroke of Genius

Swimming is an amazing all-round body exercise, Andre explains, but perhaps the greatest benefit is that it’s non weight-baring, so if you’re injured or overweight you can enjoy all the fitness benefits without the stress on your body. “Swimming works your shoulders, arms, core, back and legs…” he says, “in fact, not many muscles don’t get a workout!”
Freestyle is the stroke of choice for most ocean swimmers as it’s the fastest stroke, according to Andre, but side stroke and breaststroke are great for survival swimming when tiredness kicks in, and swimmers should have one of these strokes mastered above all others if they’re taking to the ocean.
“I’ve become a huge proponent of breaststroke in ocean swim events and when cruising in the ocean socially, because your head is above the water which means you can actually see all the amazing natural environment around you” he says.

Practise paddle

If you want to start ocean swimming, the first step is to train twice a week, says Andre; “the hard work done in the pool pays off in the ocean, especially when it comes to swimming in big surf.”
If you’re not confident to swim laps in the pool, Andre’s advice is to see a swim coach and get your stroke analysed and tweaked ready for training.

Make a plan

“You need to follow a swimming program that will ensure you’re getting the right mix of technique, endurance and strength/sprint training as well as making sure you’re increasing your km’s each week,” Andre says.
“When training for an ocean swim in the pool it’s important to replicate at least some of the conditions you’ll experience in the ocean. Ocean swimming, especially through the wave zone, requires you to be able to swim hard for short distances and dive under the water holding your breath, so mix in short sprints with a short recovery time to mimic this,” he recommends.

Increase your fitness

Whether you like a group exercise class, boot camp or a run along the coast, try to get in at least 45mins a day of exercise to increase your general fitness, Andre suggests. “You should also ensure you’re strengthening your core, which plays a large part in your stability and will help you when diving under waves,” he says.

Surf sense

When you’re ready to hit the ocean you need to first understand how the ocean works and gain the knowledge to swim with it, rather than against it, Andre explains. Take a surf class or talk to a lifesaver, if you don’t already know how to read the ocean currents.
Surf  Techniques:
• Conducting a basic beach risk assessment
• Reading the ocean and open water
• Gaging wind, waves and rip currents
• Wading and dolphin-diving
• Efficient negotiation out and in through the surf zone
• Open water swimming techniques
• Forward and rear sighting
And the best way to gain this knowledge? “You’ll simply need to spend more time in the ocean” says Andre.

Where to start?

1. Pick a Goal Ocean Swim Event.
“It’s easier to stick to your training plan when you have a goal to aim for and a friend to share the good times. Choose an event with your training buddy, train for it by encouraging each other and then celebrate your success together” says Andre.
2. Buy all New Gear
“Get yourself into a new swimsuit, wrap on a new pair of goggles (I recommend Vorgee Fuze Missiles from Rebel Sport or other swimwear stockists) and look and feel fantastic as you train and participate in your early season swims” Andre recommends.
This article first appeared on 12wbt.com

The post Train for an Ocean Swim appeared first on Anna Warwick.

For The Love Of It

“Now I love it again!” says Susie; “I love the calmness of the pool, the feeling of being in the water, and I love the zone and rhythm you get into while training. Swimming provides some uninterrupted thinking time, which is sometimes hard to find in our busy lives.”
Susie is also a fan of the discipline that swimming training can bring to your life. “As a young person it taught me a lot and shaped the way I approach various aspects of my life, although I didn’t realise it at the time!” she says.

A Low Impact Workout

Swimming training has many health benefits, says Susie, both physical and mental. As swimming is non weight baring, it’s also the perfect low impact workout to get you back in the swim after a lower body injury. “After my knee operation, I swam with a pull buoy to keep my legs afloat while I worked on cardio and upper body,” she says.

Mix It Up

So, what’s a typical training session for Susie? “If you want to improve your fitness, it’s important to not just plod away doing the same speed and distance every time” she explains.
“When I hit the pool I aim for approximately three kilometers per session, but I vary my distances, sets, speed, drills and so on. One session might focus on sprints and short distances, the next might be a long, slow swim.”

Different Strokes

Sets of laps in different strokes – such as freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke, side stroke, and butterfly – will work your muscle groups differently and add variety to your workout, says Susie.
“I personally stick more to freestyle and backstroke, as breaststroke is no longer good for my reconstructed knee,” says Susie. “Butterfly would be considered by many as the most intense stroke, however if you watch a great butterfly swimmer you will notice they have fantastic rhythm, and move through the water without much resistance using their power at the right moments for an effective stroke.”

Perfect The Plunge

As with all training styles, getting your technique right is the first step. “Definitely head to some adult swimming lessons if you need some stroke correction,” Susie says; “you need to feel safe and confident in the water to relax and enjoy your swimming experience.”
If you’re injured or just need to gain fitness, Susie suggests hitting an aqua aerobics class first. “From there you can start swimming in some shallow water,” she says.
And if you’re an absolute beginner, don’t be shy. “There is nothing to stop you learning at any age,” says Susie, “I know someone who started lessons and learnt to swim at 70!”

Susie Set to Race Again

“I think now that I’ve found my love of swimming again I will always swim” Susie says. In fact, in typical 12WBT trainer style, she’s thinking of competing; “I’ve been considering hitting the Masters Swimming competitions and ocean swims for some new goals over the next 12 months, plus some triathlons,” she says. “I recently participated in the Triathlon Pink fundraising event for breast cancer charities and loved it!”
Swimming strength runs in the family, it seems – “My mum is also an inspiration when it comes to swimming” says Susie, ‘at 69 years of age she still trains almost every day, and swims competitively in both the pool and ocean swims and continues to win medals! She is amazing.”

Susie’s 2.5km Summer Swim Workout

Feeling inspired? Hit the pool and mix it up with this medium to advanced workout from Susie: “With the following example, give yourself ten seconds of rest within the sets. Choose your speed and times based on your level” she recommends.
• 300m warm up: easy freestyle (300m)
• 8 x 25m: any stroke, getting faster (200m)
• 6 x 50m: any stroke, fairly fast (300m)
• 3 x 100m: freestyle, fast (300m)
• 100m easy: any style (100m)
• 4 x 100m medley (25m each stroke) (400m)
• 200m easy: any style (200m)
• 4 x 50m kicking (200m)
• 4 x 50m pulling (paddles & pull buoy) (200m)
• 300m swim down: any style, slower (300m)
• Total = 2.5kms

Ocean Swimming

Are you feeling swim fit and hankering to head for the open sea? Hit the waves this summer with tips from Ocean Fit’s Andre Slade: TRAIN FOR AN OCEAN SWIM.
This article first appeared on 12wbt.com

The post Make a Splash and Get Swim Fit appeared first on Anna Warwick.