FITNESS Top ten training tips

PUSH YOURSELF Push-ups are among the most effective exercises in any training routine.

Ten training tips to get to the top of your game


Personal Trainer
Paul O'Brien

Are you looking to gain that extra edge with your exercise programme? Want a little more power on the field? Looking to rev up your metabolism and turn your body into a fat-burning machine? All of the above? In this article I’m sharing ten of my top tips to help you explode your fitness. I’ve used all of these personally and can testify to the game-changing nature of these pointers.

1. Start interval training
Quite simply, interval training knocks the socks off long, slow cardio routines. During intervals, you are pairing short, high-intensity bursts of exercise with slower recovery periods.
The extra demands placed on the muscular and cardio systems means 20 minutes of interval training can burn as much energy as 60 minutes of slow cardio. It’s also great to increase speed for field sports.

2. Lift and run
A Japanese study showed that a group who ran after performing a strength training session burned almost twice as many calories during the run as those who had not weight-trained beforehand.
Enough said.

3. Log it
Recording your daily workouts is a proven strategy to help keep you motivated and ensure exercise adherence. My clients who have done this have stayed with exercise and have said it helped them create a positive habit.


WEIGH IT UP ‘Explode’ through the up phase in weight training for a leaner physique.

4. Explode
When weight-training, concentrate on ‘exploding’ through the concentric (up) phase of each exercise. This relates to the push, jump and pull parts components of exercises. Doing so will help recruit more Type 2 fast-twitch muscle fibres, promoting a leaner physique and training your body to burn more fat as fuel.

5. Ditch the machines
Incorporating free weights into your weight-training routine will place much higher demand on your muscles. Machine weights take a lot of the workload off your body as the machine itself acts as a stabiliser for the exercise, rather than your own muscles. Most machine weights also limit your range of motion. As they are fixed weights, they are also unsuitable for tall or short users generally.

6. Chocolate booster
This is a nice one. The key to post-workout recovery is to take the proper mix of nutrients on board within 20 minutes of your workout. Chocolate milk has a great balance of nutrients to help you reduce muscle soreness, repair muscle tissue and shorten recovery periods. Seriously!

7. Cue the core
The core muscles are not just your abdominals but an entire brace of muscles that surround your torso.
A strong core is essential to provide stability, increased mobility, generate power and protect the lower back.
Fire up your core muscles before each exercise by pulling your navel back towards your spinal column.

8. It’s complex
Your body’s muscles are interconnected and work best when worked in compound, complex moves that mirror the everyday function of the muscle groups. Including exercises like squats, pull-ups, dead-lifts and lunges into your routine will promote a fitter, more functional body.

9. Push it
I love push-ups. Quite simply, they are one of the best, most effective exercises you can do. There are endless variations to keep you interested. If they are not currently included in your workout, start doing so.

10. Chill
If you are training hard, incorporate an easy week into your routine every four weeks. Simply cut back your training volume by about 50 per cent and use the extra time to relax and recharge. Research shows this method is effective in avoiding injury, increasing focus and maximising strength gains. When you get back to full training, start at 80 per cent of the volume of the last full training week.

Paul O’Brien is a personal trainer and life coach based in Westport.