Function of Protein

Protein is found all over the human body and every cell contains protein. Skin, organs, muscles and glands all contain protein.

In order for your body to repair cells the food you eat needs to contain some amount of protein. Even during childhood it is important to help with growth and development.

Sources of Protein

We can get protein from things like fish, eggs, meat, and milk; you can also get protein from plant sources like beans and nut butters. In order to get the required amount of protein that your body needs you do not need to eat any animal products but it does make it a little bit more difficult to get your required daily amount of protein that your body requires.

Amino acids which make up protein can be put into three groups:

• Conditional
• Non-essential
• Essential

Below is a list of conditional amino acids which are not normally essential apart from when you are stressed or ill:

• Cysteine
• Ornithine
• Proline
• Serine
• Tyrosine
• Arginine
• Glycine
• Glutamine

Below is a list of non-essential amino acids these can be made by the body during the normal breakdown of proteins:

• Alanine
• Asparagine
• Aspartic acid
• Glutamic acid

The last group are essential amino acids which must be consumed with food or from a protein formula which is normally taken as a drink or protein bar:

• Isoleucine
• Leucine
• Lycine
• Phenylalanine
• Threonine
• Tryptophan
• Valine
• Histidine
• Methionine

Some other sources of protein are:

• Turkey and chicken without the skin Methionine
• Lean pork or beef, try things like, tenderloin or top sirloin (cut away the fat)
• Fish or even try shellfish
• Black beans, lentils, split peas
• Dairy products that are low in fat
• Seeds, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, almonds

Final words:

I personally find that it is easier for me to get in a good amount of protein from taking supplements which makes it more convenient and less time consuming. As a personal trainer I have a busy schedule and often work during normal meal times so it is much easier to grab a protein bar or shake while on the move.

I also have clients that use supplements as they also find it much easier and it is better to have a protein bar rather than having a biscuit or bar of chocolate.

I often see so many people losing weight but they still have all the wobbly bits that they have been trying so hard to lose. In these cases they have lost weight but not the excess fat that they wanted to lose. What people get caught up in is losing weight rather than looking at losing fat.

Answer this question:

If you were 5Lbs heavier than your desired weight but looked great, were toned and had no wobbly bits would it matter what the scales said?

Too many people end up being a fat skinny person! They have got to the weight they wanted to be but have not achieved the look that they thought they would get from being that weight.

I have proven this to hundreds of satisfied clients over the years.

If you are interested in getting in shape and want a personal trainer in Glasgow then give me a call!

Before paying for kettlebell training make sure your instructor is Qualified.

Ask yourself this….

• Would you consider doing a shark dive with someone who is solely trained in scuba-diving, but who has NO previous experience diving with sharks?

• Would you let your GP conduct open heart surgery just because they have a medical degree? NO! This would be both unacceptable and irresponsible!

• Would you pay a driving instructor to teach you how to drive an articulated lorry if they were only qualified to teach you how to drive a car?

So why pay a Personal Trainer to teach you kettlebells if they aren`t qualified?  I hope you have answered you wouldn`t.

What you should do

Ask your trainer if they are certified and could you see their certification!

• Don`t be afraid to ask, if they are certified they will be very happy that you have asked them as they will have spent time and money on their education.
• Don`t let them away with saying they don`t need certified, or Kettlebells are just another form of weight training! This is what I hear unqualified trainers saying but this couldn`t be further from the truth. 

Below are some of the top people in the fitness industry and even though they are leaders in their field they still have went and got certified to teach kettlebells:

Doug Nepodal
Andrea DuCane
Brett Jones
Mark Reifkind
Delaine Ross
Dr. Mark Cheng
David Whitley
Betsy Collie
Dan John
Jeff O’Connor
Karen Smith
Geoff Neupert

Some Closing thoughts

Russian Kettlebell training (aka Girevoy Sport) is a great way to train and is not only fun but under the proper instruction you will see and feel the results they can give you fast! 

Kettlebell training is not weight training that’s done with funny-shaped weights.

Exercises used in Kettlebell training DON`T translate into traditional weight-training exercises but yet allot of unqualified trainers try and use a Kettlebell to do a traditional gym dumbbell exercise: An example would be, they grab a Kettlebell and, try to perform a biceps curl! Or, even worse still, they will take a dumbbell or a free weight and try to simulate a Kettlebell movement such as the snatch! Ouch! This would be the same as trying to play football with a golf ball or using a squash racket to play tennis!

Training with Kettlebells is very different to working with dumbbells and free weights: It functional, dynamic and very effective Kettlebells will get you into peak physical condition, and FAST! It is up to you, however, as the client, to make sure that your Kettlebell instructor is (really) qualified! 

I hope this article gives you a better idea of the difference between Kettlebell training and traditional weight training, and gives you some things to ask and look out for when looking for a Qualified Kettlebell instructor. There are many good instructors out there so don`t settle for second best.

Your in Training

Paul Harvey

Personal Trainer Glasgow

Personal Trainer Glasgow – Easy weight loss plan!

I am going to talk about one of the biggest things I deal with as a Personal Trainer in Glasgow, “Weight Loss”.
If you are looking for an easy weight loss plan and you want the Fat to drop off without any effort, then unless you are seriously ill “which you don`t want” weight loss might not be that easy and lady luck does play a role in how easy you can lose weight. Most of us have seen people that can eat anything they want and still stay slim, and I even have some clients that fit this bill “Lucky them”.

For most people who are overweight losing the extra pounds can be extremely difficult.  WHY?

There are probably hundreds of reasons (sorry I meant to say EXCUSES!) and I have heard them all before, but we won`t go into that in this article.

If you want to lose some weight, here are a few things you should consider.

1.       Ask yourself how much do you want to lose weight? Is it worth sacrificing some of   your favourite foods/alcohol that is not so healthy?

2.       Are you prepared to put in some extra effort?

3.       Will you start/ increase your exercise levels?

4.       Do you have your weight loss goals written down? People who write them down are more likely to be successful.

5.       If you have tried to lose weight in the past why did it not work?

6.       Can you write down a healthy eating plan for 1 week? Try this right now if you want! If you can`t then you need some education regarding what foods are good and how to plan them into your daily meals.

7.        If you have a food plan you are going to follow, are you going to be able to stick to it for the rest of your life? If not, then your weight will probably go back up.

As a Personal Trainer in Glasgow I understand just how daunting a task it can be to shed those unwanted pounds and I will now give you a few tips to help you on your journey to a healthier happier you.

1.       Exercise on an empty stomach if possible, this can help you burn up to 300% more fat.

2.       Instead of doing long slow cardio sessions make them more intense and do interval training I.e. 40 seconds fast 20 seconds recovery, adjust times to suit you fitness level.

3.       Include some form of weight training into your session as this will also boost your metabolism (burn more calories) for up to 48hrs after you finish your workout.

4.       Set yourself some fitness goals and monitor your progress

5.       Keep a food diary.

6.       If you have a bad day don`t let that slip into a bad week get right back on track the next day.

There is hundreds of other tips I will be sharing in later articles as well as some Rapid Fat Loss workout videos which are coming soon which will really get your body burning fat. I hope this article can help you in some way to get that healthier lifestyle, reduce weight, look great and live longer.

Yours in training

Paul Harvey

For anybody that has not yet attended then contact me and come along. Some of the results that members have seen from attending my bootcamp are:

> 4 inch reduction in waist in first 3 weeks!  Well done RI! Keep it up…
> Amazing improvements in Stamina and fitness levels!
> More toned and clothes getting looser!  Great work all!
I will be uploading a couple of videos in the next week to give anyone who has not attended an idea of just what Designer Body Bootcamps session are all about.

Yours in training

Paul Harvey

Glasgow Personal Trainer