Client Spotlight - Janine Kingston

Finally! We have now got everything in order for you all to see our amazing athletes, clients, patients and everyday battlers that bring their ‘A’ games every week to Atlas Performance. Our first Client Of The Month is a true inspiration and a testament to the working women out there. She works in by far the most demanding corporate office in the state and still makes time for her training, food and her partner (oh, and wee little dog too!).

Janine (with her routine) has been able to sit at 12% body fat and under all year round. She does so by keeping things simple, enjoyable and to the point. The only ‘cardio’ she does (and she hates that dirty word more than us) is no longer than 20 minutes. EVER! She is lifting weights and keeping the intensity up.

On a person note, there is nothing better then seeing a woman lifting the iron with the biggest and the strongest out there. She loves the time she gives herself and does so with a smile on her face (and some sweat on the brow!).  

Tell us a little bit about yourself Janine? 

Hi, my name is Janine and I live in Perth, Western Australia. I am the least sporty person I know, however, I have always been passionate about food, health, well-being and longevity. I have a background in food and nutrition and together with my enviable collection of recipe books, I love to create healthy and delicious food for my family and friends.  When I'm not working, getting fit or cooking,  I like to potter around in my home studio to create beautiful and functional textile art.  

How long have you been training with Atlas Performance?

Since August 2011

What was your first thought before jumping on board?

I was impressed by Sean’s enthusiasm and approach to helping his clients getting leaner and stronger, which includes addressing not just exercise and diet but also overall lifestyle.

To be honest, I knew it was going to be challenging but I was excited about the possibilities.

What kind of things have you been doing in your training?

My training is focused on 3-4 strength-training sessions per week, with interval training as an addition and or for conditioning. Typically, Sean structures the weights program to alternate between months (or weeks) of high intensity (low reps, long rest times), and high volume (higher reps, often lower rest times).

In addition, I incorporate 2 sessions of boxing per week.

Can you give us a glimpse into what your nutrition looks like throughout the day?

I don’t follow a particular eating plan however I do support the following clean eating principles

-       Try to eat 6 meals a day;

-       Start the day with a meat and nut breakfast (Yes - even at 5am in the morning)

-       Eat foods in their most natural state i.e avoid foods that comes from a packet / box / contains ingredients I don’t recognize / has an unnaturally long shelf life;

-       Avoid foods containing gluten and sugar, including natural sugar; and

-       Eat protein with every meal and loads of greens;

-       Limit treats to 1-2 times a week; and

-       Drink loads of water

What this looks like in practice:

Meal 1 – Small portion of smoked salmon, 5-6 walnuts (pre training)

Meal 2 – Organic Whey Protein Shake (immediately post training)

Meal 3 – Celery/ Carrot Sticks and Nut Butter

Meal 4 – Chicken and Salad with Avocado

Meal 5 – Natural Yoghurt, ½ cup Blueberries and Pepita Seeds

Meal 6 - Baked Fish, Steamed Vegetables, Small portion of sweet potato

What are some hurdles that you face each day with your nutrition?

Trying to balance the demands of work and life with eating regularly and in sufficient quantities.

My commitment to my supplementation protocol could be better.

What obstacles have you dealt with in getting to the shape you are at now?

The biggest obstacle for me has been around getting enough rest and sleep which is compromising muscle repair and the production of growth hormone.

Also, maintaining a sense of balance and being realistic about what I can achieve given all the other demands in my life is a constant challenge.

What are some tips that you could give others that are looking to both increase their health and to lose body fat?

-       Accept that you are human and some days will be harder than others but follow through on small commitments, for example, the commitment to exercise every morning for at least 10 minutes.

-       Create and stick to a routine, invest in a trainer or get a training partner.

-       Be organized – pre-prepare healthy and clean foods rather than buying processed food.

-       Eat dark chocolate and drink red wine – organic if possible (and no not the whole bottle or slab)!

-       Have a scheduled treat meal once or twice a week to shock your metabolism into overdrive, but also prevents sending your brain into ‘deprivation territory’ which invariable results in a binge.

-       Focus on weight lifting (3-4) and some INTERVAL cardio as an addition.

-       Give yourself a break now and then. It’s counter-productive to train week in and week out.

-       Measure and record as you go – getting lean is about facing the facts and being accountable not fantasizing about how you’re going.

-       Make a point of surrounding yourself with inspiring, informative, and uplifting people and books. I am inspired by reading about other’s success stories - surprising that they share and have overcome similar challenges.  

-       Be committed, but don’t be a dull bore – have a life outside of work, eating and training. Stress can keep you holding fat.

-       We are all unique. What works for me may not work for you. Be your own scientist – try lots of different diet and exercise programs and work out what works the best for you in terms of overall health and fitness.

What is the most enjoyable part of your training?

The challenges and anticipation of starting a new program. It’s daunting at the start but the more you do it the stronger you become and the better you feel physically and mentally.  

Any final words you want to leave us with?

Be clear about your goals are and what you are prepared to do in order to achieve them. Very few things in life that was ever worth doing was easy. Getting healthy and fit is no different -  it will require commitment, dedication, perseverance and sacrifice. However, get real with yourself  – either you’re prepared to do what it takes, or you’re not. Either you want to get healthy and feel amazing, or you just love your certain elements of your lifestyle too much to give it up! Either way is fine but just be honest about it and own it.

“Where is your mountain and are you climbing it?”  

The Meat and Nut Breakfast - A Recipe For Success

When people ask me for the best single dietary tip for optimal leanness, energy and sustained mental focus, I invariably tell them to try the rotating meat and nuts breakfast. Clients ranging from NHL & NFL stars to corporate executives rave about the increased mental acuity and focused energy they derive from this food combination. The meat allows for a slow and steady rise in blood sugar. The nuts provide a great source of healthy smart fats that allows the blood sugar to remain stable for an extended period of time. 


To keep reading and to find out how to do it, you can click here and find out why the meat and nut breakfast is used by some of the most renowned strength coaches, personal trainers and elite athletes around the world. 

Feel Stuck? What’s The Missing Link?

Something that gets asked in my consults with my clients and patients is why has my body halted in progress? 

There are a couple of reasons for this and I will try and explain most of them for you but you must remember that your body, well, is you! The work you are doing with your body is causing it to adapt and to alter. Evolution has caused us to change SLIGHTLY at most. Your own personal transformation program is going to have some huge results if used properly but it will halt like every other program. It will do this to you from here on in.

The really cool thing (that most people would rather not accept) is that this is a good thing! Halting progress is a great sign. Here are a few reasons why they’re what you are looking for.

·      Plateaus in progress area good sign that you have either gone as far as your can go with that particular program before it needs to be modified OR the program was shit to begin with. Odds on, if you have invested time, money and effort in finding a great coach and have seen some great gains up to your plateau, it is not the latter

·      Progress is something that is done is small increments. Progress (in the gym and in the kitchen) always follows the law of diminishing returns. You will see some amazing gains in strength and body composition early on and then they will dwindle. This is how it works and how you know you are on to a winner. The smart coaches and programmers are the ones that know when to tweak things here and there for optimal results (and gains).

·      When I write programs, I have an idea in mind of when the next program should be implemented. Many articles, coaches and experts claim that the body adapts within a 4-7 week period. I agree. From the elite athletes I train to the housewives that see me ALL adapt within that period.

·      Tip: always make sure you focus on the program at hand. Your coach will be on their A-game and have your program ready to roll by the time you plateau from that program and will transition you to the next.

·      Finally – make sure you take some time off to recover. After particular programs for specific clients, I often advise them to NOT come to the gym and to eat, sleep and rest for a week. I get some crazy looks from people and other coaches wanting to know why I would (a) give up a weeks worth of wages and tell a client to rest and (b) they can rest on the weekend and don’t need a full week. The truth is that if you train all the time without a decent rest break then you are going to see your body getting sore, growing aches and pains as well as little progress. The investment and (for lack of a better word) risk I take in telling clients to ‘go-away’ for a week sees them kick start their gains back to what it was like when they first picked up a dumbbell.

I hope this clears a few things up and paints a clearer picture of some of the reasons of why we do what we do. We (and I speak for a lot of my fellow coaches) see and meet a lot of people with some out of control goals that may or may not be attainable. It is our job to outline what is possible and what’s not. Hitting speed bumps in your training and nutrition is part of the game and I hope it makes sense that you WILL have these and that you NEED to hit these if you want to progress.

You Gotta Love Leg Training!

If you ask anyone that knows me, I love training legs! I really think that they separate the good from the bad (and the ugly). The movements that you do for your legs (often) develop more than just the lower body itself. You recruit more lower back strength and stability as well as grip strength, explosion, balance and posture doing movements like squats, deadlifts, lunges etc. I could go on and on about the benefits of legs training but many great coaches before have already filled in the blanks. I will simply stick to the nuts and bolts so that you can get cracking with hitting up ‘dose legs!

I often see a lot of people focus in on the upper body and simply overuse their chest and their arms. Don’t get me wrong, I am a fan of hitting up those body parts too but there comes a point when you simply forget about the lower body when you are always wearing pants to the gym.

If you are chasing an athletic physique, you need to be strong and balanced all over. If you simply want to lose some body fat then you would be mad to not incorporate legs into your program. The ‘pins’ are some of the largest muscles in the body. They need and burn a lot of calories when performing simple movements like a squat or a deadlift. 

A few people in the industry who I respect greatly have posted some great articles on leg training and they can be seen here. Another one refers to a good friend of mine and fellow coach out of Sydney. He is definitely worth a look as he is a pretty smart cookie. Here is his article.

There are a number of training styles that I subscribe to and have seen work effectively and I will tie them into this little workout. This little training day has elements of a mentor of mine, Charles Poliquin, and is based on his framework for a type of tri-set training. If you are a PICP coach or you’re currently training with one, then I reckon you have a fair idea of what I am talking about.

Our athletes will use variations of this type of training as do many of our other clients. I am a big fan of using barbells and dumbbells but I am also a fan of getting people to think about the movement that they are doing. TRX Suspension Trainers are a great tool to partner with the dumbbells and kettlebells

Anyhoo! Here is the workout and will will endeavor to film this and pair it up. 

A1) BB Back Squat - 6-8 Reps, 3-4 Sets, 40x1 Tempo, 10s Rest

A2) Single Leg TRX Lunge - 10-12 Reps, 3-4 Sets, 3010 Tempo, 10s Rest

A3) 45 Degree Leg Press - 15 Reps, 3-4 Sets, 2010 Tempo, 75s Rest

This is the point where you take some BCAA’s and get ready for the next section!

B1) Lying Hamstring Curl - 6-8 Reps, 3-4 Sets, 5110 Tempo, 10s Rest

B2) BB Romainian Deadlift - 10-12 Reps, 3-4 Sets, 4011 Tempo, 10s Rest

B3) Supine TRX Hamstring Runners - 15 Reps (Each Leg), 3-4 Sets, 2010 Tempo, 75s Rest

If you're wanting more of these workouts then simply email us at info@atlasperformance.com.au.

We Call This.... The Pink Fantastic!

My assistant has been lovely enough to submit this one. A great little treat that's healthy and refreshing. It's one of those really yummy drinks that can really make a summer afternoon. 

Ingredients:

- 1 frozen banana

- 5 frozen blackberries

- 1 tablespoon of organic peanut butter 

- 2 tablespoons of organic, natural yoghurt

- 2 tablespoons of full cream

- ground cinnamon

Blend the ingredients together in a blender but dont completely liquify it - leave some lumps!

Pour mix into a glass and sprinkle cinnamon on top and a berry. Enjoy with a spoon and a friend!

Peanut Butter Blast

This is a super little recipe that was passed on to me from a amazing client and a wonderful friend (Thanks Fran!). 


I have seen lots of variations of this type of snack and I have been eager to try them all. Here is another variation that I have found to be not only super yummy but also easy to make. It's is a super post workout snack and a snack that you can have during the day to keep you from eating the junk food in the dispenser. 


There are heaps of different variations but here is the one we use and the one we are going to be issuing in our client programming. 


Ingredients:
2 cups of organic crunchy peanut butter
1 scoop of chocolate or vanilla whey protein isolate
1 cup of gluten free rice puffs (can find these in your local health food store)
1/8 to 1/4 cup of honey


Directions:
Heat up the peanut butter until it slightly melted (not runny). Stir in honey and protein powder. Once mixed, add in organic rice puffs.

Form into balls and then place in fridge to harden overnight. Note that if you prefer harder/softer peanut butter balls, you can adjust the volumes of the ingredients until your desired texture is reached. Sprinkle some coconut on top to finish.

Setting Goals Is Not As Simple As You Think

I have been lucky enough to have been able to practice in this industry for about 7 years now. I have seen a few things that have produced amazing results time and time again like BioSignature, functional medicine, Paleolithic eating patterns, Trigenics, ART practices and many more. However the one thing that has stuck out the most is the need for effective goal setting.

Now, before you start thinking this is all wanky, hear me out. Learning how to set goals properly has raised my income and my company’s worth and revenue to heights I never thought of. It all started with a few points that I will give you here. For trainers and clients alike, learning this stuff see’s you to bigger and better gains in all areas of your training. Here are my top 3 tips for effective goal setting.

Always tie your goals to an emotion

This is number one for a reason. If you look at a used car salesmen, they always sell a car on how it feels, looks and what you are going to appear to others while you drive it. People aren't going to give a shit about how much you paid for it but they will care if you look cooler then them.

The same goes for getting into shape, getting strong or increasing your level of fitness. You need to think about how sexy you are going to look and FEEL in that dress or how confident and awesome you are going to look and FEEL while walking to the beach with your shirt off. These (yes!) are appearances based but also have a lot to do with confidence. If you feel good about something... you will do it. Right? Right!

Take Home Point- Think about how you are going to feel in the dress, shirt, at the beach, on stage in front of hundreds and people and think about the rush that goes with it. I promise you, it is all worth it!

Deadlines, Deadlines, DEADLINES!!!

Ok, simple but important. If you don’t have an end date, you gots nothing! The reason why bodybuilders, elite athletes and other sportsmen and women do so well in the goal setting department is because they have an end date. They have a time and place where they need to be at and also have to be in the best physical and mental condition. Women who come and see me for wedding preparations kick serious ass because they think about the dress they are going to be in and also the date of the ceremony. 

The athletes we train have a specific date in mind and we work backwards from that date. We work out what we need to do and how long it will take us. In the exercise science world it is called periodization and is a CRUCIAL part of getting an athlete to become strong and successful. The planning is just as important as the stuff you do. 

Take Home Point- Give yourself a deadline and make sure that you stick to it. How  much of a douche bag would you feel if you bust your gut to get in shape just to give up at the end? Try using I statements in your goal setting for example : “I WILL hit my ideal body fat percentage by 30th June 2012”

Who is keeping you accountable?

This one is a biggy for everyone. Out of the thousands of people I have met in this industry, I could tell you how many people who could perform amazing training programs and get in the best shape and physical conditioning of their lives as there are fingers on my hands. Not many if any! Being gifted with amazing mental toughness is something that is as rare as hen’s teeth. It does exist and is amazing when you get to see it.

The best way to make sure you achieve your goals is make sure you have someone along for the ride either doing with you or training you. Human nature dictates that you will never let someone else down but you will let down yourself. You don't have the balls to let down your buddy by not heading into the gym to work out but you would stay in bed for an early morning squat session by yourself. .admit it!

I am lucky to have a few great training partners who know that we ARE NOT friends while we train and they are to treat me as such. They are some of the strongest and leanest people I know and they are a walking testimonial to their determination (partly because I am their coach also!). Find people you trust to never you down and promise them you will do the same. 

Take Home Point- Find someone who will keep you on the straight and narrow. Personally, I have found that paying someone you look up to be this person is far better then your best friend. If you are paying for a service you are more likely to stick to it and follow through on what you have promised. If you don’t, you will be both out of pocket while still looking and feeling shit-house. Get your act together, find a stellar coach with a great track record and make it happen.