Yoga for Dummies Video

Yoga and mental health

Yoga is an ancient disciple that originated in India thousands of years ago. Although yoga is increasingly gaining popularity as an alternative form of exercise, what is still not as well known is the tremendous impact that yoga can have on your mental health. Here is a great article about how yoga and mental health are related.

Medical science is coming to realize what the ancient mystics knew all along: mental and physical health is closely entwined. If you are not physically fit, it will affect your state of mind. Conversely, if you are mentally or emotionally disturbed, it will have a direct bearing on your physical well being.

Yoga is so effective in ensuring your health and well being because it does not separate the physical from the mental. Yoga targets not just your physical body, but also your mind. How does yoga manage to achieve this unification to ensure perfect all round health?

Yoga exercises are not traditionally performed at a particular pace, or against a certain resistance, or to maintain a certain respiratory or heart rate. In fact, the pace of yoga varies for every individual. You are supposed to use your mind to re-connect with your body, and then allow your body and mind to dictate the pace of your yoga workout.

All yoga exercises also follow specific breathing patterns in tandem with the physical exercises. This forces your mind to actively concentrate on what the body is doing and thereby promotes mental health.

Before commencing any yoga posture, you are expected to close your eyes, breathe deeply, and restore your mental equilibrium.

The physical exercises are followed by meditation techniques. These meditation techniques are also accompanied by various breathing techniques. They allow you to shut out the outside world and re-connect with yourself at a very deep level.

Workout of the day

20 MINS YOGA

Getting ready: (2-3 minutes)Sit in a cross-legged position, close your eyes, focus attention on the breath - breath in through your nose and out through the mouth and gradually deepen the breath and elongate your spine

Warm ups: (3-5 minutes) Slow knee circles, Circle the hips, circle the torso, Circle your outstretched arms forward and backwards x 3, Shake your hands, wrists, elbows, Swing arms to the right and left x 3, Rotate your head left and right and then drop your chin towards your chest x 3

Asanas: (15 minutes)

Mountain
Practiced as a starting position for standing poses, in between standing poses, or by itself to improve posture.

Big toe pose
This pose gently lengthens and strengthens even stubbornly tight hamstrings

Modified cobra
This posture promotes flexibility in the spine and encourages the chest to

Downward dog
One of the most widely recognized yoga poses... an all-over, rejuvenating stretch.

Upward dog
Upward-Facing Dog will challenge you to lift and open your chest.

Puppy
A cross between Child's Pose and Downward Facing Dog. This pose lengthens the spine and calms the mind.

Child
Balasana is a restful pose that can be sequenced between more challenging

Six movements of the spine
Modern yogis agree that Viparita Karani may have the power to cure
A classic restorative posture. Can be modified for any level of hip and groin resistance

Relaxation Lie flat on your back, hands at your side, palms up, eyes closed

Spaghetti Bolognese v1

Ingredients:

• olive oil
• 4 rashers of smoked streaky bacon, chopped
• 1 large onions, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 500g lean minced beef
• large glass of red wine
• 400g can chopped tomatoes
• 100g mushrooms
• 1 bay leaves
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper
• handful of fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces
• 350g dried spaghetti
• lots of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, to serve
  

Method:

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the bacon until golden.
• Add the onions and garlic, frying until softened.
• Add the minced beef. Fry it until it has browned, breaking down any chunks of meat with a wooden spoon.
• Pour in the wine and boil until it has reduced in volume by about a third.
• Reduce the temperature and stir in the tomatoes, mushrooms, bay leaves, oregano, thyme and balsamic vinegar.
• Season well with salt and pepper.
• Cover with a lid and simmer for 1-1½ hours.
• At the end of the cooking time, stir in the basil and add any extra seasoning if necessary.
• Cook pasta according to instructions, combine and serve with Parmesan.

Workout of the day

Rest day

Farfalle wuth courgette

Ingredients:

• 500g courgette cut in 1/2-inch pieces
• olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and squashed
• salt and pepper
• 2 t fresh oregano leaves, chopped
• 500g farfalle
• 1/4 cup Parmesan

Method:

• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté courgette till cooked through and nicely browned
• Sprinkle with oregano and toss.
• Add salt to taste.
• Remove courgette, placing in a bowl, heat the rest of the olive oil.
• Brown he garlic and add to the courgette.
• Meanwhile cook the pasta according to the instructions.When done, drain lightly reserving some of the cooking liquid.
• Add pasta to courgette in large pan and toss well.
• Serve with Parmesan.

Mojito

Ingredients:

• 4.0 cl white rum
• 3.0 cl Fresh lime juice
• 3 sprigs of mint
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• soda water

Method:

• Muddle mint sprigs with sugar and lime juice.
• Add rum and top with soda water.
• Garnish with sprig of mint leaves and serve with a straw.

Workout of the day

It's a rest day

Language

The yellow minute before the wind walks

Isolation

If you want to end your isolation, you must be honest about what you want at a core level and decide to go after it.

Injustice

"He who is not angry when there is just cause for anger is immoral. Why? Because anger looks to the good of justice. And if you can live amid injustice without anger, you are immoral as well as unjust." - Aquinas

Workout of the day

• Heavy DB snatch from the floor 4 x 5 reps each hand
• lateral jumps over flat bench 4 x 10
• pull ups 4 x 5
• handstand push ups 4 x 5

Stretching:

• Stretch 1 – Shoulder & Chest - This can be performed kneeling or standing. Clasp hands behind back and straighten arms. Raise hands as high as possible and bend forward from the waist and hold.
• Stretch 2 – Arm Across Chest - Place one arm straight across chest. place hand on elbow and pull arm towards chest and hold. Repeat with other arm.
• Stretch 3 – Triceps Stretch - Place one hand behind back with elbow in air. Place other hand on elbow and gently pull towards head. Hold and repeat with other arm.
• Stretch 4 – Glute Stretch - Sitting on floor with right leg bent, place right foot over left leg. Place left arm over right leg so elbow can be used to push right knee. Hold and repeat for other side.
• Stretch 5 – Adductor Stretch - Stand with feet as wide apart as is comfortable. Shift weight to one side as knee bends. Reach towards extended foot and hold. Repeat for other side.
• Stretch 6 – Single Leg Hamstring - Place leg out straight and bend the other so your foot is flat into your thigh. Bend forward from the waist keeping your back flat. Hold and repeat with the other leg.
• Stretch 7 – Standing Quadriceps - Standing on one leg grab the bottom of one leg (just above ankle). Pull heel into buttocks and push the hips out. Your thigh should be perpendicular to the ground. Hold and repeat with the other leg.
• Stretch 8 – Standing Calf - Place feet in front of each other about 18 inches apart. Keep back leg straight and heel on the floor. Push against a wall to increase the stretch. Hold and repeat with other leg.

Chicken Marsala

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup of flour
• Salt and pepper
• 4 chicken breasts
• olive oil
• cup of dry Marsala wine
• ½ cup of chicken stock
• ½ lemon. Squeeze the lemon juice
• ½ cup of white sliced mushrooms
• fresh chopped parsley

Method:

• Season the flour with salt, pepper and a little parsley. Lightly coat the chicken breast with seasoned flour.
• Heat the olive oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Place the chicken breast in the pan and brown on both sides then remove from the pan and set aside.
• Add the dry Marsala wine to the pan and gently bring to boil removing the alcohol.
• Add the chicken stock, lemon juice and stir in the mushrooms. Lower the heat and cook for about 10 minutes reducing the marsala sauce.
• Return the browned chicken breast to the pan spooning over the sauce. Cook for about 5 minutes on each side until cooked.

Gooseberry Fool

Ingredients:

• 500g of gooseberries.
• 25g of butter.
• Sugar, to taste.
• ½ pint of double cream

Method:

• Top and tail the gooseberries, rinse and drain them, then put them in a pan with the butter.
• Soften the berries over a low heat for about 5 minutes. Once they are soft, mash them lightly with the back of a spoon.Season with sugar, to taste.
• Whip the cream until firm and fold it in to the gooseberries.
• Chill before serving.

Workout of the day

Complete as many curcuits in 15 minutes of:

• 10 double Kettlebell clean & press
• 10 pullups
• 30 kbell swings
• 30 Bw squats

Developmental Stretching

Developmental Stretching is performed at the end of your exercise session.

Developmental Stretches focus on increasing the muscle length or muscle flexibility. These stretches are held for an initial 6 to 10 seconds and then the stretch should be taken a bit further for another 20 to 30 seconds.

Developmental stretches are an excellent way of increasing your flexibility, usually performed after the main exercise session they are designed to improve your range of movement.

Developmental stretching isn't all about reaching new levels of flexibility and shouldn't be considered a specialist area of stretching. Anyone that has an incorrect posture or muscle cramp should look at using developmental stretches.

The key developmental stretch in my opinion is for the hamstrings which are a weak are for most people. I would suggest the following:

Lie on your back with the shoulders hips and head in contact with the ground. Straighten both legs, pull one leg towards the chest and ensure it remains straight. Hold above the knee and relax the ankle. Repeat on other side

Banana Muffins

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 large ripe bananas, mashed
• 2 cups flour (all-purpose)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method:

• Preheat oven to 200c.
• Beat together butter and sugar at medium speed of mixer or by hand, until light and fluffy.
• Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well each time.
• Add bananas and beat until smooth.
• In a separate bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
• Alternate stirring in part of the flour mixture and part of the milk into the egg mixture until all is added and mixture is just moistened. Do not overmix. Batter will not look completely smooth.
• Stir in nuts and vanilla.
• Grease 12 standard size muffin tins or use paper cupcake cups.
• Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling 2/3 full.
• Bake 15-18 minutes until lightly golden. Cool muffin pan slightly before turning out the muffins. Cool muffins on a rack a bit more.

Workout of the day

Rest day

Pasta with bacon and avocado

Ingredients:

• 200 g pasta
• 25 unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 200 g bacon
• 125 ml port
• sea salt, black pepper
• lemon juice
• 2 avocados

Method:

• Cook pasta as per instructions
• Heat the butter and olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat and sauté the bacon until crisp and golden. Remove to a bowl.
• Add the port and some seasoning t the pan, and simmer to reduce it by half, scraping up all the sticky bits on the bottom.
• Add a squeeze of lemon juice to the pan juices.
• Quarter the avocados, removing the stone. Peel off the skin and slice the flesh into thin segments.
• Gently toss them in a bowl with a squeeze of lemon and a little salt.
• Drain the pasta, add it to the frying pan, toss with the juices, then transfer it to a large shallow bowl or plate. Toss in the bacon and the avocado. Taste to check the seasoning and serve.

Lemon & Avocado pasta

Ingredients:

• lemon juice
• olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• Salt
• garlic, crushed
• parsley
• 500g mushrooms, sliced
• 1 avocado, sliced
• Pasta of your choice

Method:

• Cook pasta in accordance with the instructions
• Blend lemon juice, oil, paprika, salt, garlic and parsley.
• Lightly fry the mushrooms in a little oil
• Toss lemon juice blend with mushrooms and avocado.
• Toss mixture with pasta. Serve

Workout of the day

Very good session this one:

Peach Cobbler

Ingredients:

• 6 peeled sliced peaches
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 8 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
• 1 1/2 cups milk

Method:

• Preheat oven to 180c
• Combine the peaches, 1 cup sugar, and water in a saucepan and mix well. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• Put the butter in a baking dish and place in oven to melt.
• Mix remaining 1 cup sugar, flour, and milk slowly to prevent clumping.
• Pour mixture over melted butter. Do not stir.
• Spoon fruit on top, gently pouring in syrup.
• Batter will rise to top during baking. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes.

Workout of the day

Run 3 miles

Fettuccine with Cream, Bacon and Peas

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 cups cream
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 6 ounces bacon, cut into slivers
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• salt freshly ground black pepper to taste
• fettuccine pasta

Method:

• Cook bacon until goldern in olive oil and set aside.
• In a large frying pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add cream and bring to a boil.
• Cook 2 to 3 minutes over medium heat to reduce and thicken slightly.
• Add peas and bacon and cook an additional 1 to 2 minutes.
• Remove from heat and stir in 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.
• Meanwhile, cook fettuccine according to package directions; drain well and add to sauce mixture. Toss to combine and serve immediately.

Workout of the day

• Deadlift: Build up to 2 heavy sets in the 2 - 5 rep range
• Handstand Push Ups 4 x max reps
• Pull Ups 4 x max reps
• Walking sandbag Lunge (place sandbag on your back) 1 set x 150m
• kettlebell Swings 4 x 30 seconds
• Hanging Leg Raises (Knees to Elbows) 4 x 5 reps
• Dumbbell Hex Holds 4 x 5 - 10 seconds (place a hex dumbbell on the floor, end up. Place your palm on the top of the hex head and spread your fingers apart and squeeze your fingers into the sides.)

Product review - The Gymboss

I bought the Gymboss having read someone else's blog saying that they used it for Interval Training.

As this is how I often train, I thought I would break my usual Luddite tendencies and invest my cash in an e-bay purchase.

When first out of the packet I tested it by setting up up a simple kettlebell workout of:

1 minute of KB swings followed immediately by 30 seconds of skipping for as long as I could keep going.

The Gymboss proved perfect for me measuring both time intervals at once and telling me me when it was time to change by an alarm and vibration... and depending on what you want to do, the Gymboss can go from two seconds to 99 minute time intervals!

It also helped me track my rounds telling me after my legs had gone how many rounds I had completed in the 22mins I had kept going for... it can be a plain stopwatch if that’s what you need.

All in all, the gym boss has helped me take the guesswork out of my training.

It doesn’t let you off the hook–that thing is going to beep whether you like it or not.

If you need to keep track of your time, this is the perfect way and well worth the £12 I paid for it.

Over the hills and far away

and on the subject of the army, my favourite army song:

Here's forty shillings on the drum
for those who volunteer to come
To 'list and fight the foe today -
Over the hills and far away

O'er the hills and o'er the main,
Through Flanders Portugal and Spain
King George commands and we obey -
Over the hills and far away

When duty calls me I must go,
to stand and face another foe
But part of me will always stray -
Over the Hills and far away

O'er the hills and o'er the main,
Through Flanders Portugal and Spain
King George commands and we obey -
Over the hills and far away.

If I should fall to rise no more,
as many comrades did before
Then ask the fifes and drums to play -
Over the hills and far away

O'er the hills and o'er the main,
Through Flanders Portugal and Spain
King George commands and we obey -
Over the hills and far away

Then fall in lads behind the drum.
With colours blazing like the sun
Along the road to come what may -
Over the hills and far away

O'er the hills and o'er the main,
Through Flanders Portugal and Spain
King George commands and we obey -
Over the hills and far away

(This song was featured in "Sharpe" and can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Fy3tSim3to )

This is still sung today, although the words are sometimes updated to whatever campaign is going on at the time.

20 Minutes to Tidy

Get you house army smart in 20 minutes a day.


Set your timer and ... GO!

Start a Load of Laundry

Sort your laundry into whites, colours, towels, bedding etc and get the first load on.
(If you don't have a washing machine, sort and bag for your next trip to the laundrette.)

Tip: Spray stain remover on the clothes needing extra attention first. While it's working, move on to another chore so you don't have to wait.

Straighten Up the Family Room

Arrange the magazines and books. Dust with socks on your hands.

Pick Up the Toys

If you have children get them to pick up their toys as fast as they can by claiming its a game. Hold a contest to see who can put away the most toys. No losers in this game. Choose a prize everyone can enjoy when time's up.

Tip: Baskets and bins make toy pick up easier and more fun for children.

Make the Beds

Start with your own bed. You deserve a made bed to crawl into at the end of the day.
Pull the top sheet and comforter back in place. Straighten up the pillows. Older children can make their own beds to help save time.

Tip: Wrinkle-resistant sheets make your bedroom look cleaner than crumpled up sheets.

Vacuum Daily

Vacuum high-traffic areas every day.

Alternate vacuum days between the kitchen and bathroom.

On kitchen days: Start with the area around the table, sink and dishwasher where crumbs accumulate the most.

On bathroom days: Move the bathmats and vacuum the floor. Vacuum the bathmats before putting them back in the bathroom.

Wipe Down the Kitchen

Use a disinfectant wipe to clean the counters, fixtures and sink. Don't forget to wipe the refrigerator handles. Take a quick swipe inside the microwave with a damp cloth.

Tip: If you have a lot of work top space, only clean the counter areas where you prepared your food for the day.

Disinfect the Bathroom

Clean all bathroom fixtures with a disinfectant wipe. Wipe the bathroom counters

Tip: Add an automatic toilet bowl cleaner to keep the inside of the toilet clean for 2-3 months.

Load the Dishwasher

Put the day's dirty dishes into the dishwasher. Start the dishwasher at the end of the night.

Tip: Use downtime while you're cooking to put the dishes away.

Freshen Up Your House

Use air freshener throughout your house. Spray fabric refresher on your furniture, especially those areas where children or animals hang out.

Tip: Open windows on a sunny day to remove odors with fresh air.

Time's up! You just got army tidy in 20 minutes.

Rice and Black Bean Casserole

Ingredients:

• 70 g rice
• 250 ml vegetable broth
• olive oil
• diced onion
• 2 x courgette thinly sliced
• 2 cooked skinless boneless chicken breast halves, chopped
• 50 g sliced mushrooms
• cumin
• salt
• ground pepper
• 1 can black beans, drained
• 1 can diced green chill peppers, drained
• 50 g grated carrots
• 500 g grated cheese

Method:

• Mix the rice and vegetable broth in a pot, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until rice is tender.
• Preheat oven to 180c. Lightly grease a large casserole dish.
• Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, and cook the onion until tender. Mix in the corgette, chicken, and mushrooms. Season with cumin, salt, and ground pepper. Cook and stir until corgette is lightly browned and chicken is heated through.
• In large bowl, mix the cooked rice, onion, courgette, chicken, mushrooms, beans, chiles, carrots, and 1/2 the cheese.
• Transfer to the prepared casserole dish, and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
• Cover casserole loosely with foil, and bake 30 minutes in the oven. Uncover, and continue baking 10 minutes, or until bubbly and lightly browned.

Workout of the day

• 3 min skipping
• 3 x 1 min swings
• 4 rounds of 5 pull ups, 10 press ups, 15 hindu squats
• 5 x 5 each arm snatches with 18 kg dumbbell

Grasshopper

Ingredients:

• 1 cup chocolate wafer cookie crumbs
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• cup of marshmallow creme
• 2 tablespoons creme de menthe
• 2 tablespoons creme de cacao
• green food coloring
• 1 cup whipping cream

Method:

• Reserve about 1 tablespoon of cookie crumbs for the topping; toss remaining crumbs with melted butter.
• Press crumbs in bottom of an 8-inch square baking pan.
• In a small bowl, combine marshmallow, liqueurs, and food coloring, whip until light and fluffy.
• Whip the cream in another bowl; fold into the marshmallow mixture.
• Spoon over cookie crumb crust; sprinkle reserved crumbs over the top.
• Freeze for about 8 hours.
• Cut grasshopper dessert in squares.

Workout of the day

Using dumbbells:

• 1 x clean and press x 5 reps on alternate arms with 30 sec rest between sets for 10 mins
• 1 hand swing x 50 each side

Eating Guidelines for Exercisers- Nibble or Gorge?

Nutrition experts have pondered for a many number of years on the effects of meal timing and frequency on factors like blood glucose, blood lipids (fats), tooth decay, obesity, energy levels, mental and sports performance.

The knowledge and understanding in this area is somewhat confusing, largely because of the various ways in which researchers have reported the effects of food and fluid intakes. It has been noted that dietary surveys conducted by Nutritionists and Personal Trainers with their clients are fraught with errors. The biggest issue relating to the accuracy of these surveys is that people tend to under-report intakes, particularly when they want to appear to eat "better" than they actually do.

Regardless of the technique used to monitor and report on eating patterns, most experts will agree that the frequency and timing of food ingestion has a profound effect on a variety of physical (physiological) and mental (psychological) factors including short-term effects on blood glucose and blood lipid concentrations.

It is recommended that exercisers should consume food more frequently, typically 6-10 small meals per day; such frequencies will keep the metabolic flames “burning high” and compliment any exercise programme, regardless of its goal. For those exercising with weight management motives, this is most definitely the superior approach as keeping the metabolic rate high throughout the day is central to any weight loss programme. When moderate amounts of food are ingested regularly, there is a “thermic effect” which results in a greater energy expenditure; this could be likened to adding more wood to a fire. When too much wood is added, the flames are suffocated and less energy is released from the fire.

It would therefore appear practical to adopt a pattern of "grazing" small- to moderate-size meals and snacks more frequently throughout the day, rather than risk the lethargy and discomfort of gorging on a few very large meals. Clearly the exerciser must be able to fit these recommendations into their daily schedule or they will have little impact or effect. Like any behavioural change, careful planning and negotiation between the client and Nutritionist or Personal Trainer will be necessary.

The timing of carbohydrate intake before, during and after exercise is also important, especially when exercise is performed over a prolonged period of time.

Fuelling up before exercise is important to ensure sufficient energy is available however exercisers should avoid sugar or other carbohydrates in the hour before exercise. Ingesting carbohydrates during this period will provoke an insulin spike, which in turn will lower blood glucose levels. When exercise commences and more insulin is released, blood glucose will be lowered to a level that is detrimental to ones exercise performance (hypoglycaemia).

Consuming carbohydrates during exercise is also an important strategy for exercisers or those training for endurance events. Endurance exercisers and athletes are recommended to consume sufficient carbohydrate early in exercise rather than waiting for the onset of fatigue. Early intake is also crucial to the recovery process because an immediate intake of carbohydrate will enhance the restoration of muscle glycogen (glucose storage in the liver and muscle); this will clearly be an important consideration when preparing for the next training session.

The bottom line is that the traditional "3 square meals" a day benchmark that most people strive for is detrimental to the exerciser’s performance and the realisation of their goals. Research has proven time and time again that eating more frequently does not increase the risk of obesity or affect the nutritional value of one’s diets when the meals are sensible and balanced.

It should however be acknowledged that it is incredibly difficult to get people to change the way they eat for a variety of social, emotional, physiological, cultural, and practical needs. Despite preaching the extensive benefits of “healthy eating”, human beings appear to be creatures of habit who resist dramatic and long-term changes. Thus, the best approach to adopt when encouraging any lifestyle change is small changes introduced over a longer period of time.

Al Pacino's Inspirational Speech

Lamb curry

Ingredents:

• 2 lamb shanks, 2 lamb shoulders steaks
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 3-5 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp curry powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 lemon sliced (with rind)
• 2 peeled and chopped apples
• 1/2 cup of raisins
• 1 cup of chicken stock
• 8 small red potatoes, quartered
• Chutney, yogurt, rice

Method:

• Preheat oven to 180c. On stovetop, brown the meat in a little bit of olive oil in an oven-safe pan. Remove meat from pan.
• Add olive oil to pan, add curry powder, cook gently for a minute or two. Add onions and garlic and cook 5 minutes. Return meat to pan.
• Add sliced lemon, apples, raisins, chicken broth, salt and pepper. Put pan, covered, in oven and cook for 3 hours. In the last 45 minutes, remove from oven and put in potatoes. Return to oven.
• Serve with chutney and yogurt over rice.

Workout of the day

It's another rest day - enjoy!

Stilton and Pineapple Toasties

Ingredients:

• Stilton
• Pineapple
• White bread
• Butter

Method:

• Butter the outside of the bread
• Arrange Stilton and pineapple on bread. (try and get the cheese in the middle of the bread otherwise it all will pour out)
• Put in Breville toastie machine for about 3-4 mins or until golden
• Enjoy!

With thanks to Ril B!

Workout of the day

Reluctantly, its a rest day

Beer Can Chicken

Ingredients:

• 1 Small Chicken
• 2 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
• 1/4 Teaspoon Saffron
• 1 1/4 Teaspoons Sugar
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons Garlic Salt
• 1/4 Teaspoon Dried Ground Sage
• 1/2 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
• Salt and Pepper
• Teaspoon Paprika
• Teaspoon Dry Mustard Powder
• Olive Oil
• Quarter Can Of Beer

Method:

• Preheat over to 180c
• In a mixing bowl add the dry spice ingredients, drizzle olive oil over chicken.
• Apply about 2 tablespoons spice to the outer part of the chicken. Sprinkle the remaining in the cavity of the chicken. Set aside.
• Pour the beer into the chicken cavity and cook covered for 1.5 hours.
• Carefully remove the chicken and rest for 5 minutes.

Workout of the day

5 mins skipping

As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes of:

• 5 pullups
• 10 pushups
• 15 squats

Apple Pie

Ingredients:

For the pastry:

• 255g plain flour
• pinch of salt
• 140g butter
• 6 tsp cold water

For the filling:

• 3 large Bramley cooking apples, chopped, stewed and cooled
• sugar, to taste
• caster sugar, to serve
  

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 180c.
• Sieve the flour and salt into a bowl.
• Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
• Add the cold water to the flour mixture. Using a knife, mix the water into the flour, using your hand to firm up the mixture. The pastry should be of an even colour and suitable consistency for rolling.
• Divide the pastry into two halves. Take one half and roll it out so that it is big enough to cover an 20cm plate. Trim the edges with a knife using the edge of the plate as your guide.
• Cover the pastry with the stewed apples and sprinkle with sugar to taste.
• Roll out the other half of the pastry. Moisten the edge of the bottom layer of pastry and place the second piece on top.
• Press down on the pastry edges, making sure that they are properly sealed. Trim off any excess pastry with a knife in a downward motion, again using the plate as your guide.
• Flute the edges with a pinching action using your fingers and thumb.
• Prick the surface of the pastry lightly before placing the pie in the oven. Cook for 20-30 minutes.
• When the pie is cooked it should move slightly on the plate when gently shaken.
• Slide on to a serving plate, dust with caster sugar and serve.

Workout of the day

Kettlebell workout for 30 min:

• 2 handed swings 1 min
  rest 30 sec
  front squat (left) 30 sec
  front squat (right) 30 sec
  rest 30 sec
  windmill (left) 1 min
  windmill (right) 1 min
  2 handed swings (waist hi) 30 sec
  2 handed swings (head hi) 30 sec
  swing (left) 30 sec
  swing (right) 30 sec
  rest 1 min
  military press (left) 30 sec
  military press (right) 30 sec
  rest 30 sec
  jumping jacks 1 min
  pushups 30 sec
  rest 1 min
  2 handed swings 1 min
  2 handed swings (full ext) 1 min
  rest 1 min
  1 arm row (8 each side) 1 min
  rest 30 sec
  1 arm row (4 each side) 30 sec
  rest 30 sec
  pullovers 45 sec
  floor press (left) 30 sec
  floor press (right) 30 sec
  floor press (left) 30 sec
  floor press (right) 30 sec
  pullovers 30 sec
  rest 1 min
  1 arm row (8 each side) 1 min
  rest 30 sec
  1 arm row (4 each side) 30 sec
  rest 30 sec
  jumping jacks 1 min
  rest 1 min
  snatch (left) 30 sec
  snatch (right) 30 sec
  snatch (left) 1 min
  snatch (right) 1 min
  snatch (left) 30 sec
  snatch (right) 30 sec

You can download this here: http://www.liftkettlebells.com/Workouts/Easy-Kettlebell-Workout.aspx

The benefits of flexibility

Flexibility training is perhaps the most undervalued component of conditioning. While recent and ongoing debate questions its role in injury prevention, athletes can still gain much from a stretching regime.

From a volleyball spike to a rugby drop kick, flexibility of the body’s muscles and joints play an integral part in many athletic movements.

In general terms, flexibility has been defined as the range of motion about a joint and its surrounding muscles during a passive movement. Passive in this context simple means no active muscle involvement is required to hold the stretch. Instead gravity or a partner provides the force for the stretch

Types of Flexibility and Stretching

• Dynamic flexibility -- the ability to perform dynamic movements within the full range of motion in the joint. Common examples include twisting from side to side or kicking an imaginary ball. Dynamic flexibility is generally more sport-specific than other forms of mobility.
• Static Active flexibility -- this refers to the ability to stretch an antagonist muscle using only the tension in the agonist muscle. An example is holding one leg out in front of you as high as possible. The hamstring (antagonist) is being stretched while the quadriceps and hip flexors (agonists) are holding the leg up.
• Static Passive flexibility -- the ability to hold a stretch using body weight or some other external force. Using the example above, holding your leg out in font of you and resting it on a chair. The quadriceps are not required to hold the extended position.

A flexibility training program can be made up of different types of stretching:

• Dynamic stretching
• Ballistic stretching
• Static Active stretching
• Static Passive stretching
• Isometric stretching
• PNF stretching

The Benefits of Flexibility Training

By increasing this joint range of motion, performance may be enhanced and the risk of injury reduced. The rationale for this is that a limb can move further before an injury occurs.
Tight neck muscles for example, may restrict how far you can turn your head. If, during a tackle, your head is forced beyond this range of movement it places strain on the neck muscles and tendons.

Ironically, static stretching just prior an event may actually be detrimental to performance and offer no protection from injury. The emphasis is on "may" however, as a closer examination of the scientific literature shows that effects are often minimal and by no means conclusive.

Muscle tightness, which has been associated with an increased risk of muscle tears, can be reduced before training or competing with dynamic stretching. For this reason many coaches now favor dynamic stretches over static stretches as part of the warm up.

Competitive sport can have quite an unbalancing effect on the body. Take racket sports for example. The same arm is used to hit thousands of shots over and over again. One side of the body is placed under different types and levels of stress compared to the other. The same is true for sports like football where one kicking foot usually predominates. A flexibility training program can help to correct these disparities preventing chronic, over-use injury.

Of course, a more flexible athlete is a more mobile athlete. It allows enhanced movement around the court or field with greater ease and dexterity. Some other benefits may include an increase in body awareness and a promotion of relaxation in the muscle groups stretched - both of which may have positive implications for skill acquisition and performance.

Which type of flexibility training is best?

It depends on the sport and the athlete's outcomes - something which will be examined more closely in the articles below. As a general rule, dynamic stretches are used as part of a warm up and static stretches or PNF flexibility training is used for increasing range of motion.

Workout of the day

Very easy stretching day. Do some mobility exercises first, then repeat circuit below x3, holding each stretch for 30 secs:

• Stretch 1 – Shoulder & Chest This can be performed kneeling or standing. Clasp hands behind back and straighten arms. Raise hands as high as possible and bend forward from the waist and hold.
• Stretch 2 – Arm Across Chest Place one arm straight across chest. place hand on elbow and pull arm towards chest and hold. Repeat with other arm.
• Stretch 3 – Triceps Stretch Place one hand behind back with elbow in air. Place other hand on elbow and gently pull towards head. Hold and repeat with other arm.
• Stretch 4 – Glute Stretch Sitting on floor with right leg bent, place right foot over left leg. Place left arm over right leg so elbow can be used to push right knee. Hold and repeat for other side.
• Stretch 5 – Adductor Stretch Stand with feet as wide apart as is comfortable. Shift weight to one side as knee bends. Reach towards extended foot and hold. Repeat for other side.
• Stretch 6 – Single Leg Hamstring Place leg out straight and bend the other so your foot is flat into your thigh. Bend forward from the waist keeping your back flat. Hold and repeat with the other leg.
• Stretch 7 – Standing Quadriceps Standing on one leg grab the bottom of one leg (just above ankle). Pull heel into buttocks and push the hips out. Your thigh should be perpendicular to the ground. Hold and repeat with the other leg.
• Stretch 8 – Standing Calf Place feet in front of each other about 18 inches apart. Keep back leg straight and heel on the floor. Push against a wall to increase the stretch. Hold and repeat with other leg.

PT Standards

Rights - The fitness professional will promote participation in exercise, whilst respecting an individual’s dignity and right of self-determination. In so doing, they will demonstrate equality and respect for all

Relationships - The fitness professional will seek to develop a relationship with their clients based on mutual trust, honesty, respect and openness. In so doing the professional must inform the client of their qualifications, avoid inappropriate behaviour, promote the welfare of their client and take action if child welfare is in doubt.

Personal responsibilities – The fitness professional must demonstrate conduct that is fair and honest. They must project an image of health, not smoke or drink alcohol before or whilst instructing, they must not promote practices to speed up fitness improvements that could, in the longer term, have a negative impact on the client. They should take care to undertake only that work for which they are qualified, have appropriate insurance and consider the safety of all participants in so far as they have control of a situation, at all times.

Professional standards – The fitness professional should continually look to improve their knowledge, understanding and qualifications, promote safe and effective practice and welcome peer evaluation of their work.

Slow-cooked Chunky Chops with Beans and Chorizo

Ingredients:

• 4 Lean thick pork chops10ml
• olive oil
• 2 Cloves garlic, crushed
• 50g Chorizo sausage, thinly sliced
• 300ml pork stock
• 400g can Butter beans, drained and rinsed
• 400g can Baked beans
• 45ml tomato purée
• parsley, roughly chopped

Method:

• preheat oven to 180°C
• in a large heatproof casserole pot heat oil and brown chops on all sides for 3-4 minutes.
• add garlic and Chorizo sausage and allow the oil to coat chops and garlic. Add stock, butter beans, baked beans and tomato purée.
• mix well, cover and cook in a preheated oven for 1½-1¾ hours or until meat is tender. Serve.

Chocolate French Toast

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 185ml milk
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• salt
• butter
• 8 slices white bread
• 100g chocolate, chopped

Method:

• Whisk together the eggs, milk, sugar and salt in a flat dish.
• Heat the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat.
• Dip two slices of the bread into the egg mixture, turning them over until they are completely coated.
• Put them in the frying pan and sprinkle each one with a quarter of the chopped chocolate.
• Soak another two slices of bread in the egg mixture and put on top of the chocolate bread in the pan to make sandwiches. Press lightly with a spatula to seal the edges.
• Cook for 3 minutes each side or until golden brown.
• Remove from the pan and serve immediately.

Functional fitness

To be truly fit, it is important to develop explosive muscle that will endure and work under resistance and not just develop a good looking muscle.

This type of training is not “bodybuilding” designed to get you “ripped”.

Yes, you will get stronger and more muscular. Your body will also get leaner. But the primary purpose of your conditioning training program is the development of functional fitness.

This means strength, endurance and flexibility development.

Most bodybuilders do not have functional, athletic muscles.

Muscles are made up of fibres. Each muscle works by contracting its individual fibres; this shortens the muscle and moves the joint on which it acts. Muscles are made up of two types of fibre known as fast and slow twitch fibres. The faster twitch fibres you have the better your ability for explosive bursts of activity, the slower twitch fibres you have the better your capacity for endurance exercise.

There is no way of telling which type predominates without removing muscle tissue. (Biopsy) Developing a functional muscle will include training with resistance i.e. against an opponent fighting back and isometric resistance training which is the best way to build strength and develop stamina, increase your fitness levels taking your endurance levels to new heights.

Resistance/conditioning exercises are for people who are healthy. They can be done by men and women. Children can do them too as well as people in their 40’s, 50’s and over as long as their health is good and they have no orthopedic problems.

Beginner s should start with very light resistance and will progressively add more resistance over time . The duration of a training session is an average of 30-60 minutes long. The training is divided so that the training session commences with some warm-up and stretching exercises together with conditioning exercises such as “Hindu Squats”, “Hindu Push-ups” and Bridges. Warming up and cooling down should be an integral part of all fitness training routines. A few minutes of skipping is highly recommended.

Use an exercise routine to warm up your joints. Joints are vulnerable because muscles, tendons and ligaments attach there. Along with the slow warm-up movements, add movements that will ease and lubricate the joints into action. Cold muscles are much more likely to be injured, to warm up use the swing through, body twists, body circles, etc which put the big muscle groups through a variety of motions.

The following are the types of cardio training you will expose your body to during your fitness routine:

1. Aerobic/Cardio Training The purpose of aerobic/cardio training is to improve the efficiency of the oxygen delivery system and the efficiency with which the muscles produce energy. The benefits gained from aerobic/cardio training are enormous and include weight loss, increased life expectancy and an enhanced feeling of well-being. To improve your level of aerobic/cardio fitness you should gradually exercise for longer periods of time and maintain a steady increase in the intensity of exercise. (Progressive Resistance) The best way to make exercise more intense is to cover a given distance over shorter periods of time or to “handicap” yourself by wearing wrist or ankle weights while you perform the exercise.
2. Anaerobic Exertion This exercise is of high intensity and usually brief duration, as in sprinting. It tends to foster mere muscle development.
3. Isometric Exertion Muscles are made to work against a static resistance so that they expend energy but do not produce movement. An example is pressing your hands palm-to-palm. This builds up muscle strength.
4. Isotonic Exertion Working muscles in a particular part of the body contract at varying speeds against a constant resistance. Lifting weights and sit-ups are both examples of this.
5. Isokinetic Exertion Exercise in which muscles contract at constant speed against varying degrees of resistance.

The time required to achieve functional fitness depends on the amount of training time you put in every week. You need to be committed to improving your health and to stick to the schedule.

As your condition improves, you need to push yourself harder, not less. The more you put into your training, the more benefits you will receive.

Many people often astonishingly say that they want to first get fit before they start training, then you’ll be waiting forever. The main thing is that you BEGIN.

Workout of the day

Three rounds for time of:

• Row 500 meters
• 21 Burpees
• Run 400 meters

Oatmeal, flaxseed, blueberries & almonds.

A perfect breakfast!

Steel-cut oatmeal is probably the healthier choice, but if you are in a hurry, the instant kind will do fine (it doesn’t have as much fiber, but the other ingredients make up for that).

After microwaving the oatmeal, add ground flaxseed, frozen blueberries, sliced almonds. You can add a little cinnamon and honey for taste.

Very tasty!

Aubergine bake

Ingredients:

• 2 aubergines
• olive oil
• 175 g Mozzarella
• 1 egg
• 225 g can tomatoes
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon tomato puree
• 1 tablespoon salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large tomato, sliced

Method:

• Cut the aubergines into 5 mm (1/4 inch) slices and put them in a colander in layers, sprinkling salt between each layer. Cover with a plate and place a heavy weight on top. Leave for about 1 hour to draw out the bitter juices, then rinse the slices under cold running water and pat dry on absorbent paper.
• Heat the oven to 180°C
• Grease a shallow baking dish.
• Pour enough of the oil into a large frying-pan to cover the base. Heat the oil, put a layer of aubergine slices in the pan and fry for 3-4 minutes on each side, turning once, until golden brown on both sides. Remove from the pan and drain on absorbent paper. Continue in the same way until all the aubergine slices are browned.
• Place layers of aubergines and cheese alternately in prepared dish, finishing with a layer of cheese on top.
• Put the egg, canned tomatoes, onion, tomato puree and water in a blender and blend until smooth. Season with a little salt and pepper, then pour over the aubergines and the cheese. Arrange the tomato slices on top.
• Bake, uncovered, for 25 minutes, until heated through and bubbling. Serve straight from the dish.

Workout of the day

• 50 squats
• 25 pushups
• 25 knees to chest
• 25 pushups
• 50 side lunges
• 25 pushups
• 50 walking lunges
• 25 pushups

Workout of the day

It's a rest day

Simple bacon pasta

Ingredients:

• 125g Penne
• cream cheese
• bacon (3 rashers, smoked)
• mushroom
• courgette
• pesto (from a jar is fine, otherwise, see yesterday).
• olive oil

Method:

• Cook the pasta according to instructions.
• Saute bacon, courgette and mushrooms.
• Add cream cheese to the bacon and vegetables and stir until melted, add pesto.
• Stir into cooked pasta.

Proper pesto

Ingredients:

• 25 basil leaves
• 4 table spoons olive oil
• 4 table spoons of Parmesan cheese
• 2 table spoons pine pines
• salt

Method:

• put the basil leaves in a bowl pestle and mortar (I never remember which bit is which!) add a little salt and start to grind.
• When ground finely, add the Parmesan and pine nuts and a little oil. Grind again.
• Add oil to achieve desired consistency and keep on grinding.

Workout of the day

7.5 km run - post time

Workout of the day

It's a sandbag day (40kg):

• 5 sets x 3 clean and press
• 4 sets x 6 front squat
• 4 sets x 6 snatch
• 4 sets x 12 bent over rows
• shoulder carry, 2 x 2 mins

Chicken curry v1

Ingredients:

• 500g fresh chicken, chopped into bite size pieces
• olive oil
• one large onion, finely sliced
• 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 3 red chillies, seeds removed and finely chopped
• 1 inch of ginger, finely chopped
• 400g chopped tomatoes
• 1tbs tomato puree
• handful leaf coriander
• 1tsp cumin powder
• 1tsp coriander powder
• 1tsp turmeric
• 1tsp garam masalla
• 1tsp of your favourite curry powder
• salt

Method:

• Fry the onions over a medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add the chillies, ginger and garlic and continue frying gently for five minutes.
• Add the spices (except the coriander)and salt and cook on the lowest heat for another five minutes.
• Add the tomato puree and tomatoes and bring to a boil.
• Then reduce the heat and let it all bubble away for 10 minutes. If it looks too thick add some stock or water to the mix.
• Add the chicken and continue to cook for half and hour.Ensure the chicken is thoroughly cooked through before serving.
• Serve sprinkled with fresh coriander

Leek and Tomato Casserole

Ingredients:

• 500g leaks
• 250g tomatoes
• Salt and pepper
• 1 lemon
• 2 garlic cloves
• olive oil

Method:

• Preheat the oven 180°C
• Slice the leeks. Wash thoroughly. Put half of them into an ovenproof dish.
• Slice the tomatoes and put them in a layer over the leeks, sprinkling with salt, pepper, the juice of ½ lemon, 2 crushed garlic cloves and a little olive oil.
• Put the remaining leeks on the top of the tomatoes. Sprinkle with the juice of ½ lemon, salt and pepper and a little more olive oil.
• Cover and bake for 30 minutes until the leeks are just tender.

Workout of the day

very good fun this one:

For 20 mins, do as many rounds as possible of:

• 10 wall ball with 7.5kg ball
• 10 crunches
• 10 back extensions

The PT Fitness creed

A man should be content with what he has but never with what he is.

Proper baked potatos

Ingredients:

• 2 fat, floury potatoes (maris piper, king edward or marfona are all good bakers)
• olive oil
• flaked sea salt

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 200C.
• Wash the potatoes well, dry them and prick several times with a fork. Pour some olive oil into your hands and rub over the potatoes, then scatter over some sea salt which should stick to the oil. Place directly on the shelf in the oven and bake for a good 1¼-1½ hours, depending on the size of the potato.
• When cooked, the potato should be golden and crispy on the outside and give a little when squeezed.
• Serve split open with lots of salted butter.

Workout of the day

It's a rest day

The tale of the 47 Ronin

The true story of the 47 ronin (masterless samurai) of the province of Harima is probably the best-known story of the valor and ideals (the Code of Bushido) of Japan's famous samurai warriors.

The tale begins in 1701, a time of relative peace during the Tokugawa Shogunate. The Shogun Tsunayoshi lived and ruled from Edo, while the Emperor, who had little political power, lived in Kyoto. To show respect to the Emperor, Tsunayoshi sent gifts and envoys to Kyoto for the New Year's celebrations, and in return, the Emperor sent his own envoys to Edo in March. To receive the Imperial envoys, Tsunayoshi appointed two young daimyos (feudal provincial lords), Naganori Asano-Takuminokami, The Lord of the Castle of Ako in Harima Province, and Munehare Date, Lord of Sendai to act as hosts during the forthcoming visit of a member of the Imperial Court in Kyoto. Because the daimyos were inexperienced in entertaining high born guests, the Shogun appointed an elderly high official named Yoshinaka Kira-Kozukenosuke to assist them.

Kira, whom history describes as greedy and conceited, became very angry with Lord Asano for not presenting him with expensive gifts (to show appreciation, respect, etc.) and instead of helping Lord Asano became very abusive and insulting towards him. Kira, determined to get even, used every opportunity to publicly humiliate Asano. After two months of abuse, Asano's tolerance was gone.

On March 14, unable to take the insults from Kira anymore, Lord Asano drew his sword (itself a capital offense when done inside Edo Castle) and struck Kira wounding him slightly. For his offense, The Shogun Tsunayoshi ordered Lord Asano to immediately commit seppuku (ritual suicide). Kira, on the other hand, received no punishment; in fact, he became an object of sympathy and was allowed to continue his official duties.

The Shogun's failure to have Kira share in the responsibility angered the followers of Asano,who felt that Kira's improper actions were ignored and Asano's punishment too harsh.
By law, when a samurai lord committed seppuku, his castle was confiscated by the Shogun, his family was disinherited, and his 321 samurai retainers were ordered to disband, thus becoming ronin or masterless warriors. Asano's samurai were unsure of how to act in the wake of this disaster. Some thought they should refuse to turn over the castle to the Shogun, some thought they should plot revenge and kill Kira, and others thought they should respect the law and surrender peacefully.

Oishi Kuranosuke, Asano's Chief Councilor, listened to the varying opinions and finally decided on a plan. He would petition the Shogun to reestablish the House of Asano with Lord Asano's younger brother, Daigaku, as it's head. If that failed the samurai of Lord Asano would refuse to turn over the castle and defend it to the death.

In the next few days, as the Shogun's agents were on the road enroute to the Ako, all of the Asano samurai which were opposed to the petition deserted the castle, leaving only 60 loyal samurai behind. Before the shogun's men could reach the castle, Daigaku Asano sent a letter to Oishi, asking him to obey the orders of the Shogun and hand the castle over.

Oishi and the 59 other samurai accepted Daigaku's request as binding on them as the word of Lord Asano himself, but before they quit the castle they made plans to avenge their Lord Asano's disgrace by killing Kira, whose un-samurai like character had brought their lord and house to such a tragic end. Only this would restore Asano's rightful honor.

The men split up to conceal their plans from Kira, who naturally suspected that Asano's retainers would try to get revenge against him. Oishi went to Yamashina, a suburb of Kyoto, where he earned a reputation as a drunken gambler, a ruse that successfully deceived the Shogun's police and Kira's many spies.

The Shogun, still concerned that the affair might not be ended, ordered the arrest of Daigaku Asano and sentenced him to confinement in the main villa of the Asano family, thus ending any remaining hope that the House of Asano might be reestablished.

For nearly two years they waited, disguised as merchants, street vendors and even drunks to get information on Kira and to be close to him should an opportunity arise to storm Kira's mansion. Finally, Kira and his allies finally relaxed their suspicions of Oishi and his men.
At a secret meeting, Oishi and the other 59 ronin decided that the time had come to move against Kira. But Oishi would allow only 46 of the men to participate with him in the attempt. He sent the other 13 back home to their families.

One by one Oishi and his men infiltrated Edo, and on a snowy winter night of December 14, 1702 the 47 ronin attacked the mansion of Kira while he was having a tea party. The 47 ronin divided into two bands and stormed the mansion from the front and rear gates. In the great battle that followed, the 47 ronin entered into battle against Kira's 61 armed guards. At the end of the 1 1/2 hour battle, Asano's ronin had either subdued or killed all of Kira's men without any losses of their own.

After a thorough search, Kira was found hiding in an outhouse. The ronin brought Kira to the courtyard and offered him the same chance their Lord Asano was given to honorably commit seppuku. Kira could not commit seppuku, so the ronin beheaded him. Then, to symbolize the completion of their mission, the 47 returned to Asano's grave at Sengaku-ji Temple and set Kira's head before it, thus declaring their Lord's honor redeemed.

Prepared to die for their deed, Oishi sent two delegates to the Magistrate of Edo, informing him of what had been done and telling the official that they would be waiting at the Sengaku-ji Temple, awaiting orders from the Shogun.

The Shogun Tsunayoshi, instead of being angry, was deeply impressed with the loyalty demonstrated by the 47 ronin. This made Tsunayoshi decision all the more difficult. Although clearly sympathetic to their heroic act, he was nonetheless faced with a dilemma. Should he spare the 47 ronin in recognition of their great display of bushido and their defense of their Lord Asano's honor, or should they be punished according to the law. If he overlooked their crime for sentimental reasons would that belittle their honor and weaken the samurai code? After 47 days of deliberation, Tsunayoshi ordered that Oishi and 45 of his men were to execute themselves not as criminals but as honored warriors. The youngest of the ronin, who had been sent to Ako with the news of Kira's death was spared from the sentence.

On February 4, 1703, the 46 ronin were divided into four groups and handed over to four different daimyo, who were ordered to supervise and witness their deaths. Oishi and the other 45 ronin all committed seppuku simultaneously, dignifying themselves in their valiant sacrifice. Upon their deaths, the 46 ronin were buried side by side next to their master at Sengaku-ji Temple.

Today, the memory of the 47 ronin is celebrated in a play called Chusingura which moves the audience to tears and excitement as it develops the theme of the magnificent sacrifice of the 47 ronin. Additionally, each year thousands of Japanese visit the gravesite of the 46 ronin at Sengaku-ji Temple to pay homage to the honor and loyalty of the 47 ronin and their dedication to the code of bushido.

How to Make A Perfect Espresso

• Start with very good coffee - I prefer pre ground
• Pack the filter with coffee grounds and fix it back into the machine. Make sure that the grounds are packed by pressing down on them with the back of a spoon.
• Be sure to fill the machine with water to boil for the needed pressure.
• Set your timer. A perfect espresso falls within the range of 18 to 23 seconds. Anything under or over that time will not taste good.
• Turn the machine on
• Notice that a perfect shot not only falls within the above time, but has a perfect division of three layers. The bottom will be the darkest, the middle lighter , and the top layer will be creme.
• Drink

Workout of the day

Sandbag Deadlift 5-5-5-5-5 reps with 50kg

Savoury rice

Ingredients:

• Olive oil
• One onion, chopped finely
• One clove of garlic, chopped finely
• Half a cup of sliced beans
• Half a cup of peas
• One red pepper deseeded and chopped finely
• Half a cup of sweet corn
• One chicken stock cube
• Salt and pepper
• 750 ml boiling water
• 400 g long grain rice

Method:

• Heat the oil and add the onion. Cook until soft before adding the vegetables and garlic.
• Cook for three minutes before adding the rice, stock cube and the boiling water.
• Simmer until the rice is cooked checking that the water does not boil away and the ingredients do not stick to the bottom of the pan. Serve immediately

Workout of the day

Exercise No 1

Stand in your doorway as if you are about ready to walk through the open door. Place your hands at your sides, hanging loosely, and palms facing outwards towards the door. Widen your arms from the shoulders, until the hands rest on either side of the door frame, and simply then whilst holding that position, try to walk through the open door by taking one step forward, and then feeling, and holding the stretch that will result. Hold it comfortably for 10 to 15 seconds, and longer if you are still comfortable, but for no more than about 30 seconds.

You should feel this movement stretching your shoulders, and all around that area.

Exercise No 2

Stand in the same starting position again, and raise both hands upwards, until your elbows are just around the height of your shoulders, or maybe just a little lower. Again your palms face outwards, your hand and arm position should be like that of a policeman stopping traffic, but you have both arms in this position now. And then you place the whole forearm, and the palms of your hands against the vertical door jambs, from your fingertips to your elbows.

And again you take a step forward through the door, and so feel the resulting stretch.

You can step forward with one foot only, and then alternate to the other foot stepping forwards, or you can take a step forward so that both feet are slightly past the door frame, and moving into the next room. Just try what is most comfortable for you, considering your balance, and fitness levels right now.

An alternative is just to leave your feet in place, and to just to lean forward from the original starting position into the stretch.

You should feel this stretch again starting in your shoulders, but also across the whole front area of your chest.

Exercise No 3

For this movement, start in the same beginning position and cross your arms across your chest, so that they cross at the elbows in the middle of your chest. Place both palms of your hands against the door jambs, and again try the basic movement of simply leaning forward, or stepping into the stretch.

This is a really good, and effective stretch for the tops of your arms moving to, and including both of your shoulders.

Exercise No 4

Finally from the starting initial position then, raise both your arms above your head resting the palms against the top horizontal portion of the door frame, and stretch as you lean, or try to walk forward through the door once again. For the shorter person, perhaps put a couple of phone books down on the floor first, to stand on while performing this movement.

This exercise will stretch your whole upper body, including your arms, and especially the side muscles of your torso, known as the Latissimus Dorsi muscles.

Exercise No 5

Now stand in the initial position again, still facing the open doorway. We are going to stretch one side at a time now.

Raise one arm, the arm that is on the same side where the actual door is. Reach behind you, and place the arm, or palm against the door jamb, that is on the opposite side to the actual door. To clarify this door stretch, it is done by holding the inside part of the door frame, with your arm reaching behind your back, and then twisting, and circling your body around, towards the side held, to produce the stretch.

Whilst standing still, you simply twist your whole body, and produce a pulling away from the arm by wrapping it tightly around your body, so that the now held arm will stretch that whole side of your body, especially your shoulder.

Hard to describe in words, but give it a go please.

All stretching must be a movement away from a normal position to create a new position of renewal, and growth to that muscle.

This is a particularly good stretch for your shoulder blades area. With a little thought now go through the door, turn around the other way, and you will find that you can repeat the movement now, with your other arm.

You will feel this one, trust me on that, or please just try it yourself right now.

You can repeat this same exercise, by using the arm closest to the door. This time just raise your arm, so that it is straight out to your side, at a height somewhere between your waist, and your shoulder. You are standing now sideways to the door, or you can perform this movement while facing completely outwards, and with the door directly behind you. So this time face away from the door, with the door frame, behind you now.

Simply placing your hand against the side of the door frame, hold it there in position, as you stretch by twisting, or turning your body from your waist, away from your arm, so that the movement stretches your shoulder, and your whole arm very nicely now.

And you will get a differing stretch, depending on the initial height of your arm, or hand position to start with. You just have to make sure that you are facing away from the door this time, and to twist or circle, your body around, and away from your arm.

Finally now to move to a complete stretch, all within the one exercise movement. Go into your kitchen now, and walk to your kitchen bench. It should be about waist high for this exercise. Of course you can also use any bench, or table for this exercise, as long it is of the right height.

The Red Dress

I have never seen this film, but this is a clever scene:

Goats cheese omlettee

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• handful chives , chopped
• 1 tsp olive oil
• few slices chorizo
• pinch chilli
• 1 slice goat's cheese crumbled

Method:

• Beat the eggs in a bowl, then stir in the chives and season.
• Heat the oil in a frying pan, then fry the chorizo and chilli for 3 mins. Tip into a bowl and mix with the cheese.
• Put the pan back on the heat, pour in the eggs and cook for 1 min, swirling the eggs with a fork a few times as they start to set.
• Spoon the cheese mix over one half of the omelette, , then flip the other side over the filling.
• Leave for 30 secs more until the cheese starts to melt at the edges. Serve straightaway.

Workout of the day

Visited the excellent CrossFit Manchester gym today and did:

• Back squats 10 sets x 3 reps max at 80kg
• 850m run

3 sets of:

• 15 push ups
• 10 hanging knees to elbows
• 5 hang dumbell cleans

CrossFit Manchester can be found at: http://www.crossfitmanchester.com/

Workout of the day

For 5 sets of 5 reps

• Power Snatch with 40kg sandbag
• Front Squat with 40kg sandbag
• One arm Clean and Press with 20kg dumbell
• Farmer Walk with 2 x 20kg dumbells

Hearty Tuscan Grill

Fill wholegrain bread with leftover grilled vegetables — I would include bell peppers, aubergine, courgette, tomatoes, onions and celery. Drizzle with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and fresh herbs.

Workout of the day

40-30-20 reps of:

• double unders (To perform a double under, jump up a bit higher than usual while swinging a skipping rope twice under your feet)
• pushups
• pullups

Nutty chicken curry

Ingredients:

• 1 large red chilli , deseeded
• ½ a finger-length piece fresh root ginger , roughly chopped
• 1 fat garlic clove
• small bunch coriander , stalks roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• 4 skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
• 5 tbsp peanut butter
• 150ml chicken stock
• 200g tub Greek yogurt

Method:

• Finely slice a quarter of the chilli, then put the rest in a food processor with the ginger, garlic, coriander stalks and one-third of the leaves. Whizz to a rough paste with a splash of water if needed.
• Heat the oil in a frying pan, then quickly brown the chicken chunks for 1 min.
• Stir in the paste for another min, then add the peanut butter, stock and yogurt.
• When the sauce is gently bubbling, cook for 10 mins until the chicken is just cooked through and sauce thickened.
• Stir in most of the remaining coriander, then scatter the rest on top with the chilli.
• Eat with rice or mashed sweet potato.

Baked salmon with dill sauce

Ingredients:

• 675g salmon
• 1 tbsp dill, chopped
• 5 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 tsp dried tarragon
• 1 lemon
• splash of wine
• black pepper
• butter for brushing
  

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 180c
• Place the salmon onto double foil, brushed with butter. Sprinkle over the dried tarragon, lemon juice, splash of wine and lots of pepper.
• Brush with butter, scrunch the foil together loosely and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
• Serve the salmon with the mayonnaise mixed with chopped dill, fresh salad and new potatoes
  

Workout of the day

Take the day off, it's a rest day

Workout of the day

50 mile bike ride

Coffee sented french toast

Ingredients:

• 4 peaches, blanched, skins removed
• 125g caster sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3 eggs
• 125ml single cream
• 100ml strong espresso coffee
• 4 slices white bread, hand-cut
• 50g butter
• 1 vanilla pod, split lengthways
• 250ml natural Greek yogurt
• handful toasted almonds

Method:

• Preheat the grill to high. Heat a saucepan of water until boiling - take the pan off the heat, plunge the peaches into water and leave on side for 15-20 seconds. Using a sharp knife, peel away the skin and halve the fruit, removing the stones.
• Place the peaches, cut side up, on a baking tray. Sprinkle with sugar and dust lightly with cinnamon. Cook under the grill until glazed.
• Combine the eggs, cream and expresso. Dip each of the bread slices in this mixture.
• Heat the butter in a large frying pan, and fry each bread slice separately until crisp - about 5 minutes. Flip the bread slices over half-way through cooking.
• Scrape the vanilla seeds from the pod with a sharp knife, and combine with the yogurt. Set aside, until ready to use.
• Place the bread in the centre of a plate and top with the glazed peaches and a dollop of vanilla yogurt. Finish with a scattering of toasted almonds or hazelnuts.

Workout of the day

Snatch ladder with 50kg sandbag

building:

2 through 10 and back to 2

Haddock Brunch

Ingredients

• 85g smoked haddock
• 300ml milk
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 red onion, diced
• 50ml white wine
• 55ml white wine vinegar
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• butter
• 50g spinach

Method

• Place the haddock in a small pan, along with the milk, garlic and thyme.
• Simmer the fish in the milk for about 5-7 minutes, or until poached.
• Place the onion in a small pan, along with the wine and vinegar.
• Bring the liquid to the boil. Remove the fish from the poaching liquid.
• Melt the butter in a small pan and add the spinach.
• Stir the spinach until wilted. Place the spinach on a plate.
• Flake the fish and arrange it on top of the spinach.
• Remove the onions from the wine and vinegar and season.
• Scatter the onions on top of the fish and serve.

To my wife

Meeting you was fate, becoming your friend was a choice, but falling in love with you I had no control over.