ianmellis

Pulp Fiction: 5 Fitness Myths Never Explained Properly

Welcome to a number of themed articles based on popular media comments and preconceptions that continually are circulated in the popular press. The fitness and nutrition industry is a wacky world where science and opinion are blurred. This means that opinion often leads fact when there is no relevant science or data. What IContinue reading “Pulp Fiction: 5 Fitness Myths Never Explained Properly”

Exercise of the Month: Glute Bridge

This post sees the start of a new feature for my blog detailing some of the reasoning behind the use of certain exercises. There is a lot more that goes in to certain training programmes beyond run, squat, bench press etc. These posts detail why we use certain exercises. The glute bridge is sometimes calledContinue reading “Exercise of the Month: Glute Bridge”

The Tabata Lie

Tabata training is an example of how science has been used to skew a training protocol in to a weight loss regime- even though they are not related. Tabatas are based upon a study where the participants performed a programme of high intensity/ low volume training peaking out at 170% of their VO2 Max. TheContinue reading “The Tabata Lie”

Fixing the Flaws: Part 1

It doesn’t really matter if you are an elite level athlete or a beginner. There are always going to be areas in your fitness that you need to work on. You are not Mr or Mrs Perfect….. Sorry…. Be it whole body strength, the transfer of your physicality in the weight room to your sport orContinue reading “Fixing the Flaws: Part 1”

Diet Review: The Dukan Diet

So far I have been quite reserved in my writings on certain types of diet. But as all superheroes have the nemesis all personal trainers I guess have an industry pet hate. Now the reasons for this hatred are not jealousy- I understand that marketing is involved to sell things. When someone though is in a positionContinue reading “Diet Review: The Dukan Diet”

Diet Review: Low Fat Diets

Low fat diets are as much part of the dieting landscape as bad behaviour is to premiership footballers. That is that there is a perception that fat is bad and consuming a diet low in fat is good. But is that true? Low fat diets really are a product of the 1980’s- a bit likeContinue reading “Diet Review: Low Fat Diets”

Diet Review: The Alkaline Diet

This is the start of a review of a number of mainstream and celebrity based diets. The fitness and nutrition industry is awash with various plans backed with flaky science. In this series I am considering the positives and negatives of each of these plans. Not only do diets now promise weight loss. They alsoContinue reading “Diet Review: The Alkaline Diet”

Shock Training…

Methods to stimulate the body to attain a higher performance level in training are regarded as an effective way of lifting functional performance. The principal of gradual progressive loading over a period of time sometimes needs a little bit of a kick to enhance strength and progress. Indeed when performance hits a plateau it isContinue reading “Shock Training…”