The Post Lockdown Agony Aunt Session
Post Lockdown and we’re all crossing our fingers there won’t be another. Getting back to training or keeping a new found fitness regime on the tracks…? Have a read of the below queries that came in to me on the Dermot & Dave Show on TodayFM this morning.
As we were on air there were more and more coming in so if your’s isn’t here keep en ear, or an eye out and we’ll get it answered on air or via and addition to this article.
I’m always available to go into more detail, just drop me a mail or DM and i’ll get back to you asap.
So, here we go… into the minds of the public!!!
Hi everyone. Please don't read my name out if you're asking Ronan this question as I'd be getting into trouble. I'm worried sick about my 17 year old son. He's always been really sporty-played GAA for school and for the local team and is in great shape. Last year, he joined our local gym and started going a few times a week...which was great. He was doing bits at home during lockdown but has since gone back to the gym and the other day I found that he's using a number of different supplements. I don't understand which ones are good and which ones are bad...I know it's a minefield but does Ronan know what I should be looking out for or what would be warning signs? - *Brigid
You just hit the nail on the head there with the term ‘minefield’. For someone who isn’t in the know on a regular basis nutritional and training supplementation can be a pretty daunting area. Even for a very very large percentage of the people who train and supplement.
Supplements are used predominantly in the recovery and repair phase the body goes through post-training.
BCAA’s - Branch Chain Amino Acids, L-Glutamine, Creatine and Protein are the main ones that people are looking for in their supplements. All are naturally occurring within the body or are taken in through a healthy diet.
Having a more concentrated dose in the body, post training, will help increase recovery, repair and ultimately result in a more effective ‘machine’ for the next training session / match day etc…
However, supplements should only be used if justified with training. There’s no point in taking in a protein shake or using creatine when just going for a walk. There’s enough in the body or taken in through your meals to deal with the R&R requirements post walk. If anything it would put undue stress on the kidneys as it has to filter out the additional supplements not actually required.
So, to answer the concern above. In 99.9% of cases the supplements your son is taking are generally legal, legitimate and already occurring within the body. Only a small percentage of cases would be where there is unregulated use of a non-regulated substance i.e; testosterone supplements (these aren’t available over the counter). If you’re unsure as to what a supplement is then give it a Google and you’ll generally have your mind set at ease.
One massive positive from the above query is that he doesn’t seem to be hiding his supplements. If they’re not exactly legal then there would be doubts as to whether they would be declared as easily and therefore kept out of sight.
*not actually her name, I’m just messing!
What’s the optimum way to gain quick results? Is it training twice a day??
That’s a very broad question. If I was to answer it in an equally broad manner I would say ‘No.’ but that’s with an asterisk beside it.
When we train we put our body through a pretty tough time and therefore it needs a recovery period. Whether it’s some pavement pounding, swimming or resistance training the body needs to recover and replenish, post session.
Generally speaking, if a session is tough enough, you can benefit from a good 16-24 hours worth of recovery.
There’s little way to get ‘quick results’ that last. It requires focus, dedication and repetition. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.
However, if you do train, train hard, with focus and have a set plan to follow. Make sure each session counts and then spend the time off-training to recover and replenish properly.
Hey lads (and Ronan!). I'm in pretty good shape, and mostly happy with how I'm looking at the moment. I walk 5 times a week and the diet is mostly under control...bar maybe the odd takeaway. But, I cannot shift my stomach. It's getting me down and I find myself wearing clothes to hide it which makes me look bigger than I am in turn...what can I do to shift it?
You wear your lifestyle around your waist. Best advice I can give to someone in your position is to keep a food diary. This means writing down every little thing you eat and drink and the time at which you do it. The more specific you are with your recordings the better the feedback you’ll be Abel to get from a nutrition consultation.
In order to burn body fat the body needs to be in a calorie deficit. Simply put you need to require more calories than you’re eating. The body then goes to the fat stores around scattered around your frame and uses that to make up the difference.
Unfortunately there’s no way to spot reduce body fat (reduce fat from a specific area) and in this case crunches will target your abdominal muscles and increase your metabolic rate, heart rate etc.. but won’t necessarily result in a shift of belly fat.
Love this image… had to share!
Hi Dermot & Dave, question re. fitness. I am 43 yrs of age, slim (I go walking) but have always had weight around my stomach. I want to start trying to manage this as I know holding weight around this specific area is not good. I am quite lazy but want to start going to the gym. Would treadmill and cycling help ? Thank you, Sarah
Hi Sarah,
Treadmill and Cycling is a good way to increase the heart rate and therefore burn more calories. however, an even more effective method is to get the body working as a whole via resistance work.
What I would suggest would be to slowly incorporate more resistance based exercises (pushing, pulling, lifting, twisting, bending) that will tax the body as a whole and therefore result in better results in a shorter period of time.
Take a look at classes available in your gym and the ones focused on resistance and intervals would be a good place to start. Your trainer would then be able to start you at the right level and you can build form there.
D&D-can you ask Ronan what the craic is with protein? Do I need it? Should I be taking it and if so how? I'm a 35 year old who attends bootcamp four times a week with some weights etc...
So, the best way to think of protein is basically a chicken breast in powder form.
When we train we subject our muscles to micro tears. It’s all perfectly normal wear and tear. These micro tears are then repaired using predominantly protein.
Protein is one of the building blocks that your body needs to continuously repair and build muscle. By taking a protein shake post-workout (provided the workout was strenuous enough o warrant it) you’re giving your body a good whack of protein so it can start into the repair work asap and so give you the best chance at recovering fully for the next session.
If the bootcamp is strenuous enough and you’re feeling tired and heavy limbed afterwards then i’d suggest a shake to help with recovery.
Just be aware; there’s loads of types of shakes out there and they’re all classed as ‘protein shakes’. There’s ones with high levels of carbohydrates, different forms of proteins (pea, milk, beef etc…), extra supplements such as L-Glutamins, creatine etc…. I’d suggest talking-to the person you buy yours from whether it’s in person on via email. Tell them what you’re looking to sue your shake for and what type of training you’re doing. They’ll then be able to set you along he right path. If that fails drop me a line and i’ll point you in the right direction.
Ronan! Help! I've signed up for a charity cycle that's over 160km...I am not a cyclist. How do I go about training?
Pedal. Keep pedalling.
Sorry, but for an endurance sport such as cycling then the time in the saddle is very important. You can do all the supplementary work you like, such as core, upper thoracic strengthening, glute and hamstring work but ultimately you have to get your hours on the saddle.
Think of the couch to 5km format. Try to apply similar to your cycling. A little bit each time and play around with the tempo.
Oh, and lots of rash cream!
What's Ronan's take on rowing? Was thinking of buying a machine for home?
Rowing is awesome! It’s a great cardio workout and it also requires a lot more of the body’s muscles to propel you. Basically speaking, when you row, every muscle in the body bar the chest is worked. Everything from your calves right up to the base of your neck and you quads and abs are worked.
One thing I would say, however, is if you’re getting in to rowing then invest some time in your technique.
Posture is really important. You have to ensure your shoulder blades are pulled back and engaged at all times. You drive through the legs aggressively, then followed by a strong contraction from your abs to continue the sequence and then a short and aggressive pull from the lats to finish off the stroke.
Explain resistance training to me like I'm a child...I hear it all the time and I don't know what it means.
Resistance training is basically any form of training that requires the muscles of the body to work against any external source of resistance.
Think about a push up. Your resistance comes in the form of your own bodyweight as you push your self away from the floor.
Same for a pull up as you pull your bodyweight towards the bar.
Now think about a squat when holding a weight on your back. The resistance comes in the form of the weight on your back along with your own bodyweight as you push yourself away from the floor to an upright position again.
There’s many formats for the application for resistance training, each giving different results i.e; heavy weights at low repetitions will increase your muscle strength while lighter weights at high reps will ensure your cardio system is taxed while the muscles endurance is increased.
Hi Dermot and Dave for the fitness expert and it's probably an issue not highlighted for women who've had a hysterectomy or caesarian section what is the best exercises to deal with the nerve damage caused by this operation which leaves the dreaded mummy pouch Rachel
Hi Rachel,
The best way to deal with post-op issues like this is to encourage blood flow to the area. It can sometimes be a slow process but if you stick with it, regularly, then it will pay off.
Focus on ab work such as the ‘Dead Bug’ the ‘Hollow Hold’ the ‘Beast Hold’ and the ‘Plank’ and all its variations. This will ensure you’re stimulating the transverse abs and as such getting he blood flowing into them. Slowly you will start to see an improvement in the area.
It wil take time, however.
What’s your opinion on Testosterone Replacement Treatment for men in their 40s? Lot of talk about it online
Now this is a controversial subject.
To start, testosterone is the main anabolic steroid, in the male body, that is responsible for increased bone and muscle mass alongside hair growth, prostate and testes development.
Low testosterone levels may result in odd swings, lethargy and muscle loss.
When it’s low doctors will usually prescribe a lifestyle change focusing on Diest and exercise. This is proven to increase levels of testosterone and therefore negate the need for them to intervene medically.
If, however, the issue is bigger than the above then the doctor may consider short term testosterone replacement treatment. There are risks, however, with this such as an increased chance of a stroke, blood clots, development of ‘man boobs’ and even acne.
The controversy arises where people see the ‘muscle growth’ part of the definition and decide that if there’s an increase of testosterone in their system then they’ll see a quicker and better increase in muscle size. A quick fix, if you will.
However, all of this is short lived once the cycle of increased testosterone is stopped. This then results in a continued dependancy.
Now, getting back to the legitimate case where a doctor decides to prescribe a course of replacement treatment. These are controlled and closely monitored dosages aimed at supporting and supplementing the natural levels of testosterone in the body. The treatment usually lasts for 3-6 months and after that a break is generally taken.
In my opinion, listen to your doc. I’m not a doctor. Wish I was… not intelligent enough. We pay them money because we value their opinion and expertise otherwise we wouldn’t visit them, right? Let’s listen to them.
I’ve lost a load of weight in the past few months (2 stone in 8 weeks)…but my skin is really saggy…what can I do to tone up the skin?
2 stone in 8 weeks…. let me do the maths here for a second on this one… 2 stone is roughly 12.5kg.
so, 12.5kg divided into 8 weeks is 1.5kg a week. Wow! That’s some serious body fat loss going on right there!
Usually when i’m asked what the safest and most effective amount to lose on a weekly basis whereby it can be kept off, longterm, I respond with something in the region of “between 0.3 to 0.5kg”. So based on the above that’s about 3 times more. Now, if you’re managing to keep it off, well done! Hats off to you.
To answer your question, there’s ways to increase the elasticity in the skin to a degree but in some more extreme cases some cosmetic surgery may be required.
Focus on resistance training as part of your daily/weekly routine. Cardio is great to shift those kilos but resistance training is amazing at increasing blood flow to those hard to reach areas and stimulates blood flow and ultimately repair / tension. Squats, lunges, press and row are all your friends. You don’t have to go heavy you just have to go at it with full range of movement and enough resistance that it’s a challenge.