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Posts Tagged ‘Review’

Review:How to Eat Move and Be Healthy by Paul Chek

Friday, January 14th, 2011

How to Eat Move and be Healthy by Paul Chek is a truely revolutionary book, I bought a copy about a year ago and I must have read it over 4 times so far.It is getting a big dog eared now, but each time I read it I uncover more knowladge and make more improvements in my health.

For those of you who have not heard much about the man that is Paul Chek, he is a physical therapist (Physiotherapist) from the US. He really has bridged the knowladge gap between the traditional personal trainer, physiotherapists and holistic practitioners. He has been helping to up the knowladge base of personal trainers and holistic therapists across the world via his certification program and has been at the forefront of getting people to look at the body in a more holistic manner. Rather than concentrating on the various different component parts.

The book itself is is aimed at the general public, but there is alot of knowladge in their that would be of great beneifit to industry professionals such as personal trainers. The book is split into 4 sections, coving Introduction, Nutrition, Physical Activity and Stress/Sleep.  The book is laid out in a very effective manner allowing you to read it cover to cover or dip in and out.  The great use of mind maps at the start of each chapter are also a great tool when you wish to recap on an issue but not re-read the whole chapter.  The books is written in a friendly and easy to read manner, with just the right balance between scientific bachground and practical advice.

The nutrition section of How to Eat Move and be Healthy is based on Metabolic Typing and the idea of individualized nutrition, this is backed up by the idea that you are what you eat.  This can be put simply in terms of if you put rubbish into your body that is precisly what you will get out.

The physical activity section covers various types of function exercise, it is far from the traditional weight lifting book.  It covers exercises that will improve your ability to live your life doing the tasks that you need to do!  The book also covers a range of exercises designed to improve the flow of energy in the body and improve health, these work great as a good morning workout.

The book also includes a number of questionaires that can be filled out by the reader, self marked, and then used to tailor some of the advoce given in the book.  This is a great starting point for anyone who is at the start of a journy to imporve thier levels of health and wellbeing.

How to Eat Move and Be Healthy includes some great topics that are not often seen in a book of this type.  Paul Chek approaches the subjects of stress and sleep, which are vital to health and weight control, but are often overlook by personal trainers and clients.  This book explains these complex subjects and also helps the reader to understand how these factors impact overall health.

This book is a must for anyone who is comitted to improving thier personal levels of helath and wellbeing. I have reccommended this book to clients, friends and family members and all of them who have followed my advice and read it , then gone on to follow Pauls advice from the book have found it extremely powerful stuff.  The book really is a one stop shop and blueprint of how to live  happy, healthy, long life.

If you have not got a copy yet, here is a link to Amazon (you will not be disappointed)!

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Martial Arts Planet Review

Thursday, October 21st, 2010

Hi All,

Just thought I would write a little bit about a great forum call Martial Arts Planet. Any of your out there who know me, know I am into my Martial Arts, over the past few years I have participated in a number of forums but none have met the levels of knowledge and information as a Martial Arts Planet.

Martial Arts Planet covers every martial art you could think of, with very active forum pages for each art. It also has a great fitness section that covers a wide variety of training methods. The great thing about MAP is the fact that it feels like a community, there is no ego, tall tales, basically rubbish, the community has managed to grow around a core of key people who truly instil the true meaning of martial arts in the forum as a whole.

If you are into Martial Arts or Fitness this is the place to be.

Check it out and let me know what you think, I am under my usual name Tom@Foresight, so say hi!

TOM

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Review: EastWest Healing Radio

Thursday, October 7th, 2010

Hi All,

Just been listening to East West Healing’s Blogtalk Radio station, must say that I am very impressed. Don’t think I am surprised as for a while now I have been following Josh Rubins You Tube channel, and his knowledge and advice in the areas of health, fitness, nutrition and wellbeing are second to none.  This man has an immense amount of knowledge and is a skilled holistic health practitioner.

For those of you who do not know Josh, one thing you can do is have a look at my interview with him, but to put it in brief. He is a Holistic Wellbeing Practitioner based in California, he is a Chek Level 4 practitioner, HLC 3, Member of the Chek Institute Facility, and Certified Metabolic Typing Advisor. Josh has a long history in helping those that traditional medicine has turned its back on or not been able to cure. He looks at the human body, mind and soul as one and uses a wide range of functional diagnostic techniques to look under the hood of what is really going on.

The radio station itself is not a new concept with many other practitioners having shows and podcasts, what is unique about Josh and the team at East West is their ability to take relatively complex subjects and explain them in a way that a layman could understand.  This then allows you to absorb and take action on the information that he puts across to you.  This theme has been seen throughout his You Tube videos and is carried on in his Blog Talk Radio shows.

His shows have covered a wide range of subjects, these have recently included hollistic living, over coming addictions, back care, the importance of hydration and much more. Besides the content itself Josh has managed to get some very high profile guests onto his show, these have included people such as Paul Chek, Dr Jamie Kazer, John McMullin, and many more.  This show is definitely one that will grow and develop at a rate of knots.

These shows are not to be missed so do tune in, get them on your iPod and start increasing your knowledge. If you are a new listener make sure you look up the blog talk radio page so you will be able to listen into the back catalogue of shows.

Great stuff guys and I am looking forward to hearing much more form you.

TOM

Personal Training Manchester

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Underground Welness Radio Review

Thursday, August 19th, 2010

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Just when I thought that Sean Croxton and his range of information services could not get any better, he just did it! Recently Sean has added a radio station to his wide range of free on-line information services, this has made Underground Wellness the one stop shop for all things wellbeing, and especially nutrition related.

For those of you who have been living in a cave for the past few years Sean is a Personal Trainer, lifestyle and nutritional coach based in San Diego, USA. Having an academic background in Kinesiology and studying at California State University, and having worked as a certified personal trainer for a number of years (NSCA, ACE and NASM). He has worked with a wide range of clients helping them to improve their levels of health and wellbeing. For a number of years he has also been educating the masses via his YouTube.com channel, which mainly focuses on alternative nutrition.
The radio station has had some great program so far featuring leaders of the wellbeing industry such as

The programs have has a wide diversity of topics covering general wellbeing, personal training, nutrition. Lifestyle and health. Previous shows have feature such greats as Bill Wolcott, Todd Durkin, Marti Oakley, Antonio Valladares, and many more.

One of my personal favourite shows was with the great Bill Wolcott, of metabolic typing fame. This interview is a true master piece from Bill and Sean. The show gives the listener a load of information on what is metabolic typing, the theory and practice of this very effective and common sense diet.

The channel itself allows you to listen to the shows live (sign up to the Underground Wellness newsletter for schedule) the great thing about this is you not only get the information is always hot off the press but you can call in using a land line or Skype and ask any questions you may have, or for clarification of any points. The shows are really well scheduled and put together by Sean, giving them a fun but informative feel.

If you miss the show you can always download it and listen to it at your leisure, makes great gym or in car listening! So you have no excuses for missing the opportunity to listen to the highly entertaining and informative Sean and gain a rare insight into what some very inspirational and educational guests may have to say!

Why not tune into the next show and see what you think for yourself, or go back over the fast expanding archive of old shows! Believe me you will not regret using your time in this way. From beginner to wellbeing to pro athlete to personal trainer, everyone will learn from every show!

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Natural Food Finder Review

Thursday, August 5th, 2010

We all have those rare moments when we come across a site that really changes your life, it does not happen oftern but last week I had that pleaseure.  The site I am talking about is Natural Food Finder, this is a UK based listings site that helps shoppers look for the very best orgainc products out there on the market.

The man behind this site is no stranger to me, he is called Ben Pratt and has a long history working to improve the levels of nutrition with in the UK.  HE has had a long association with and is a Chaper Leader for the Western A.Price Foundation.  To find out more look out for an interview with Ben in a couple of weeks.

Lets get down to the site itself, it is split into four main sections.  Each of which we have detailed below:-

Food Finder- This is a great service that lists various brands of organic and wholefood produce.  This can be a great shopping tool, each category has products split into Avoid, AVerage, Good and Best, to allow the user to make informed choices about the nutritional value of what they are buying.  I have found that this site works well on any web enabled mobile phone, making it a great shopping companion.

The Food Finder is much more that just a list, it is packe full of information on all the different types of food that it covers.  The only way that we are going to make better nutritional choices in our lives is through education, the more we know about what we eat and how it acts within our bodies the better choices we can make.  This site provides just the right amount of knowedge, nt too deep to overface the average consumer, but detailed enough so you understand the facts.

Blog – The site also has a very well read blog, the blog covers all areas of food, nutrition and wellbeing.

Shop -The Natural Food FInder shop is the place to buy som eof the best suppliments in the UK.  IF you would like suppliments that work to improve you health and happiness then this is the place to start your search.

Help Centre – The help centre is an awsome idea, it is a place where site visitors can get loads of information on health, nutrition and wellbeing.  This section has articles, an avoid list, and a very useful foroum.  If you have a question this is the place to head first!

Overall the site is very well organised, packed full of great information, and most importantly updated on a regular information.  This site has definately made it into my most used bookmarks list!

If you are into your health, wellbeing and overall happiness then this is a site to look at, and not onlythat bookmark and use!

Well done Ben and the team at Natural Food Finder!

TOM

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PTontheNet Review

Wednesday, October 7th, 2009

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At last the new and improved PTontheNet.com website has been launched, having been a user of the site for the past three years or so I have been very happy with the high standard of content that the site has always carried. However I have been long awaiting some more interactive features, and these are finally here!!

In this short review I am going to look at some of the new features and also some of the old, and detail what makes PTontheNet.com the number one resource for personal trainers, therapists or anyone who is involved in the fitness industry across the world.

The new site has a slick new look, that is much more user friendly. The site is easy to navigate with different sections clearly labelled and information is easy to find. With three core section headings being used, Prepare, Learn, and Research. The site also has a much more planned feel than the old one, that seemed to have grown beyond it’s original structure.

The site still has a strong ethos of learning, and self improvement and the research section shows this. With the articles that it carries always being of high quality and packed full of applicable information, that can be of daily use to a personal trainer. PTontheNet have many of the industry leaders on their list of active authors, with greats such as Paul Chek, JC Santana, Gray Cook, Alwyn Cosgrove, Gary Gray, to name just a few. Regular updates of new articles each month keep the site fresh and alive, to add to the existing thousands already on line. The authors also make available short Q+A style articles on current hot topics, audio clinics and symposiums. All in all making depth and quality of content offered by PTontheNet second to none.

The learn section of the site allows users to complete free CEC’s or CPD’s (for all those here in the UK note that these attract REP’s points), that are challenging but allow you to develop a range of useful and most importantly applicable skills. The section also has links to high quality learning opportunities with some of the worlds leading trainers and training providers, and best of all you get a PTontheNet discount with most of them.

The Prepare section can be very useful to the novice right through to the advanced trainer. This part of the site hosts the PTontheNet’s very detailed and vast exercise and flexibility library. Each exercise is described, with safety issues and personal trainer ques, and is accompanied by a video of it’s performance. This section also includes some very useful pre-designed programs for a number of sports and client goals, this is great if you are looking for something quick to hand out to a client. The site also has the ability for you to select the exercises on-line and create a program for yourself or your clients.

The new community section has a blog and a forum which is one of the additions that I have been long awaiting. It is a great feature that allows personal trainers from across the world to interact and discuss current issues within our industry. As the forum is quiet new we will have to wait and see how effectively it is used as a resource, but I am sure with the ethos of PTontheNet, it will be inundated within a matter of weeks.

Overall, the site has done that rare thing and made the best, better. The re-structure of the site has taken PTontheNet into the future, and from an appreciative personal trainer I hope it goes from strength to strength!

Tom Godwin is a Personal Trainer working in Manchester, he has been working in the fitness industry for the last 10+ years. He is also the Managing Director of Foresight Fitness Services and Foresight Personal Training. Tom has been a member of PTontheNet for the past 4 years.

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Padbox Review

Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009

Some of the personal training team here at Foresight have recently done the Padbox Course.  Boxing classes designed for fitness are now becoming very popular, with a wide range fo people.  If you use it as a stress reliver, a good bit of exercise or even to learn how to look after yourself a bit.  STytems like PAdbox, Boxercise and OutBox are on the rise, all are great but by far the best oen i have seen so far has been Pad Box!

The course was designed by Ian Burbedge, an ex armature boxer and Andrew Scott, a sports scientist. The course offers personal trainers the chance to learn actual boxing skills and apply them to a fitness setting. The course covered areas of footwork, technique, combinations, pad work, show boxing and much more.

My experience in martial arts set me up with what I thought was the basics of how to use focus mitts, but the pad box course gave me a great deal more skills. The trainer were great, very supportive and encouraging. Above all they seemed to understand that we were not looking to become pro boxers and was looking at the skills from a fitness perspective, but gave us a great deal of information in a very short period of time. Well done!

The course as a whole was one of the best practical based courses i have done, and many of my clients should enjoy the new combos, and skills that the course has enabled me to pass on to them. Myself and the rest of the Foresight team who have done the course really rate it and can’t wait for further modules to be added to this initial offering.

Cheers for some great training!

TOM

PS.  Look out for our interview next week with Pad Box creator Ian Burbedge!

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Anatomy for Beginners Review – Dr Gunther Von Hagens

Wednesday, September 16th, 2009

I have always been a fan of the work of Dr Gunther Von Hagens, ever since I went to see his controversial body world exhibition at the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester. Despite the various arguments for and against the body worlds exhibition and his work in general, I do feel that the when bodies have been donated for a given task, that of dissection and the individuals knew what their bodies would be used for. This kind of work has popularised the field of anatomy and physiology and brought it to the public in an entertaining, but most importantly educational manner.

At the exhibition I purchased the DVD of Anatomy for Beginners, as a personal trainer I have more than a passing interest in how the body works and how the various components (organs, muscles, bones) work together to make the fascinating human body. The Anatomy for Beginners DVD itself is very well put together and mirrors the series that was first aired in early 2005. Which at the time was ground breaking and caused much debate as to weather it should be aired on public TV or not.

The series follows a general theme where a dissection takes place to outline the various theories behind a given topic, in this series topics include movement, circulation, digestion and reproduction. Live models are also used to illustrate the points that Dr Hagnes is trying to get across.

If you have an interest in the working of your body, and you have a strong stomach, this is a must see. The program is educational and takes a very complex subject matter and gets it across to a lay audience in a very comprehensive way.

The video is well worth a watch weather you are a budding anatomist, doctor or just have an interest in the human body.

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