Hoyles Fitness

Cranking Up

Starting last year, my girlfriend Rachel and I decided to undertake a physical challenge for charity – last year was the Three Peaks challenge. We could raise money by other means, but a physical challenge is infinitely more appealing than a sponsored event involving no real physical effort. It is also an opportunity to [...]

Cranking Up

Upstream medicine

I was recently invited to a think-tank of forward-thinking exercise professionals (before you think it, I was surprised to get an invite too!) and one of the topics on discussion was ‘upstream medicine’. The term upstream medicine refers to the use of diet, exercise and a general healthy existence as a means to avoid preventable lifestyle [...]

Upstream medicine

Whey Protein

Whey protein is protein that is isolated from whey, a by-product of cheese manufactured from cow’s milk. Whey protein typically comes in three major forms: concentrate, isolate and hydrolysate. Concentrates contain a low level of fat and cholesterol but generally have higher levels of bioactive compounds, and carbohydrates in the form of lactose they are 29%-89% [...]

Whey Protein

Weight Training

Weight training simply refers to training with weights. These can include Free Weights, Weight Machines at your gym, or even just your Body Weight in exercises such as Push-ups. There are many different ways you can train with weights, including High Intensity Training, Super Slow, High Volume Training, and German Volume Training Weight Training

Weight Training

Weight Machines

Weights machines are resistance-exercise stations with a fixed action. Most weights machines have one or two uses, but there are others that have a variety of attachments and handles that allow the user to perform a multiple exercises. As with any piece of equipment, there are pros and cons. Some argue a forced range of movement [...]

Weight Machines

Water Intake

Water intake is the amount of non-diuretic fluid we take in during the day. Water intake has to be monitored in order to make sure we take in the right amount. During periods of intense sweating, we need more water to replace fluids lost. It is possible to over-hydrate though. In long distance endurance events, some [...]

Water Intake

Warm-Up

A warm up is a short period of exercise (usually cardiovascular in nature) that is performed before exercise. It is designed to gently prepare the muscles, joints, nerves and cardiovascular system for the more strenuous activity that awaits them. Warm-ups are usually tailored to the activity about to be performed, for example a gymnast would [...]

Warm-Up

Vo2 Max

Vo2 max is the ability of the body to transport and utilize oxygen during exercise. Generally speaking, the higher a person’s vo2 max, the better their cardiovascular fitness is going to be. Sometimes, Vo2 max is referred to as aerobic capacity. Usually Vo2 max is expressed as millilitres of oxygen per kilogram of bodyweight per minute [...]

Vo2 Max

Ventricle

The ventricles are the larger chambers of the heart. They have a thick muscular wall as they are designed to pump blood out of the heart. The right ventricle pumps the blood to the lungs to be filled with oxygen. Once the blood returns to the heart it is passed via the left atrium into the [...]

Ventricle

Veins

The veins are the blood vessels that are responsible for carrying the de-oxygenated blood back to the heart. This blood is then pumped back to the lungs to be re-stocked with oxygen. Veins tend to be smaller than the arteries as they are not as muscular and the blood they contain is smaller in volume as [...]

Veins