Fitbit Fitness trackers P1

Welcome to 5.14 fitness, 

Hi everybody. It was addressed in the last post how and why their has been a lack of posts. I apologise for it myself!

So, in this post I will shortly talk about my interest in the Fitbit ftiness trackers. Fitbbit is a company who sell fitness bands ( like smart watches ) products that are for tracking and viewing your fitness. Fitbit currently sell 4 products, I believe ,  and they all range in price. 

The first tracker, the Fitbit flex, is about £35 I think, and it has the most basic features of the 4 due to this price. However, it is still a nifty device and the features are Ideal for somebody who wants to keep track of their exercise and sleep. The trackers can pick up on how many steps you have walked, for how long, at what time etc... The tracker keeps a basic, yet accurate, recording on what you do in the day. It will log if you go out for a run, and the band will allow you to see how you did and how to improve.

I believe that the watch pairs to your device ( phone etc) and from there you can view your data 

The band also tracks your sleep and can wake you up without making a noise, which is very handy.

The band looks stylish and sleek, as you can see on the right. 

The next trackers, the Fitbit charge, is about £60. This tracker has the same features as the flex, however it has a few new things. First of all, it has a display on it which tells the time and gives data whilst you are on the go. It can track calories burned , active minutes steps climbed and many more. It has caller ID so links with your phone just like a smart watch. It is more accurate than the flex and also has a extremely long battery life.

Both these products come in a variety of colours, and they both look really nice to have on your wrist. They are cheap and stylish, and perfect if you are somebody who exercises regularly and wants to track your fitness.

Next post I will talk about the other two products, one of which is the tracker I think is the best and the one I am most likely to buy. 

Thanks for reading, please like and subscribe!

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Sorry + current ab workout

Welcome to 5.14 fitness,

I apologise for no posts of late, but unfortunately due to circumstances this will be a repeating issue over the next year, with myself and will both occupied with school work and exams. 

However I thought I would do a very quick post on my current workout:

For abdominals 5 sets of 

25 reps crunches 

25 reps left/right side crunches

25 reps right/left some crunches

25 reps bicycle reverse crunches 

25 reps Russian twists 

25 reps jackknives

25 reps leg raises 

1 min held leg raise 6 inches from floor 

Thanks for reading, please visit again and check out other posts, if you have any questions or post requests do not hesitate to contact us, remember to plus one everything, comment and follow- work hard and peace!

Jason 

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How can Training be Adapted to Suit a Hockey Player- Requested Post

Welcome to 5.14 Fitness,


This is a question I have been asked so I thought I would produce the answer in the form a post, apologies for lack of posts, I think its been around two weeks since the last one and that's simply because we have just got back to school and trying to sort out our personal lives. Sorry not sorry!


How can training be adapted to suit a hockey player?


In hockey, for a player to improve their fitness they have a wide variety of training methods to choose from in order to improve different aspects of their game. The most important areas in hockey are cardiovascular fitness ( to be able to keep running across the pitch and use a variety of different muscles throughout the game without getting tired)  and muscular strength, which is used to generate speed when chasing after the ball and power when so the keeper is unable to save the shot.

Interval training is intense work (in the case sprints) followed by a rest within the session to allow for recovery, before working again. This can be adapted to suit a hockey player to work for longer with shorter rest times as this is a more game like scenario and will improve cardiovascular fitness- so performers can work to their highest level for the full duration of the match. However this method of training, with more work time and more rest time can improve speed and power, this in hockey so they can chase after the ball and get to it before the opponent does.

Continuous training is running/working at a steady pace over a long distance or period of time without any breaks or rests.  This type of training is used by those trying to improve cardiovascular fitness and muscular endurance as it is a form of aerobic training (where you exercise for long amounts of time and need to breathe); it will help with aerobic sport, in this case hockey, as it is a sport that cannot be performed in one breathe and goes on for a long amount of time. Therefore having good cardiovascular fitness and muscular endurance is key is key, so this type of training will help the performer keep working and not getting too tired.

Fartlek training is a form of training where you work continuously but vary the pace of work at different stages to allow for rest. So you could jog a certain distance, run at 50% of your maximum speed, and then run at 75% and then sprint before walking again and restarting the process every certain distance. This could help improve cardiovascular fitness, speed and power; it also has the practical implication that in hockey you do not always stay at the same speed and that you vary your pace depending on different requirements during the match. So you may sprint forward whilst you are attacking and then jog back into position once the attack is over.

Circuit training is a variety of different activities, performed at stations, that are selected to increase the performer’s fitness. This can be adapted for a hockey player by choosing activities that will help the performer in the game. For example they may start off doing shuttle runs to improve speed and cardiovascular fitness/muscular (as this helps the performer when they dribble with the ball and can keep fulfilling their role the entire match); have a short rest then do push ups to increase strength and power (for when they shoot) after the next break they will do another activity focusing on the power/speed like squat, this process will then continue with the performer picking activities that will improve the skills/areas of fitness most needed  for hockey: cardiovascular fitness, muscular endurance, muscular strength, power, balance and agility. After each activity has been performed a circuit is complete, they then have a longer rest before completing the circuit again and this process happens 2/3 times with each circuit consisting of around 8 activities.

Weight training is a form of interval training using weights to create a resistance for the muscles to work against. This type can be adapted to hockey by using low reps and heavy weights to increase power by targeting arms, so the performer can hit the ball harder helping them pass harder without getting it intercepted or shoot harder and make it more difficult for the keeper to save it so they are more likely to score. But also lots of reps with light weights can increase cardiovascular fitness/muscular endurance which is needed to keep working the entire match, so that they have more energy than the opposition helping them become more successful.  

Cross training is a form of training that uses two or more different types of training in order to improve different areas of the performer’s fitness. A hockey player might use both fartlek training, to improve cardiovascular fitness/ muscular endurance so they can work out their best for longer, but the performer may also use weight training to improve strength/power their shot power which will allow them to hit the ball harder when shooting, this is a form of cross training that is suitable to hockey as it improves two areas that necessary to the sport.

Thanks for reading, please visit again and check out other posts, if you have any questions or post requests do not hesitate to contact us, remember to plus one everything, comment and follow- work hard and peace!

Jason

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My Start To Jogging/Running Week 2

Welcome to 5.14 fitness,

As you can see from my previous posts, I had decided to go running four times a week whilst I am on my six week holiday. The reason for this was to have an exercise which I could maintain and fit into my schedule as it gets jumbled around and becomes hectic due to the holiday. I wanted to do something that makes you feel good and helps as I will be eating more and being active less. Running was what I decided on doing, and I have done exactly that.

So, after my first week of running I went on holiday for a week. During this week, I decided to do no running or training at all. I know this is bad, but the reason behind it was that I wanted to enjoy my holiday. I knew doing training would only make my time for relaxing not relaxing and would make me unhappy. I didn't want to have the weight of having to workout on my mind, so that I could fully enjoy every precious minute of holiday. Also, I had not stopped training for more than 3 days for a year prior to this holiday, so thought I had earned 7 days off.

Anyway, when I came back from holiday I felt very bad physically  as I had eaten a ton of unhealthy food on holiday. I was eating double my usual intake and so afterwards I was quite worried as I had been so unhealthy. Therefore, I decided to amp up the running for a week to make up for the excess food and little exercise. I ran immediately the day after and surprisingly, felt very good whilst doing it. I ran 5k and actually rarely had to stop. I managed to pace myself more and could keep on going for big distances. At some points it felt as though I could carry on running forever, however I stopped for my body's sake. 

The rest of the week was very good, and I did see improvements in a short distance of time. I varied the routes so that it was not as boring, however I still did not enjoy it.
I will be honest, I hoped to enjoy the runs more. Beforehand, I hoped running would be something I enjoyed, as I have still yet to find a individual form of exercise that I like doing. With running, It is ok once I am doing it ;however, the morning and night before a jog I don't like the feeling of knowing I have to get up and run ( if that makes sense ). Hopefully, that will surpass and I will carry on. The weeks following have all been good, and I have never faltered on a run. I have got lost sometimes however!!

Overall, Running has been a very good from of exercise and it has felt very good to complete runs and feel professional. It has improved my fitness levels and I hope I will carry on doing it. I recommend trying it out as all you need is the great outdoors( or a treadmill). Get strava on your phone and you will be good to go and track your results.

Thank for reading, please subscribe and like (we will like and subscribe back) . Thanks again and peace! 

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My start to Jogging/Running - Week 1

Welcome to 5.14 fitness, 

As you can see from my last post, I had decided to go running four times a week whilst I am on my six week holiday. The reason for this was to have an exercise which I could maintain and fit into my schedule as it gets jumbled around and becomes hectic due to the holiday. I wanted to do something that makes you feel good and helps as I will be eating more and being active less. Running was what I decided on doing, and I have done exactly that.

My first run, about three weeks ago, gave me a  good start to running. I ran 3.4 miles ( a little over 5k ) and did it on a route which I made on Strava . This allowed me to not worry about the route I was taking and just focus on the running. I ran a lot faster than I thought I would, which is probably thanks to Insanity. I went uphill quite a bit which I admit was a bit of a mistake, but overall I did quite well. 

The benefits I felt on this first run were pretty good. First of all, when I got back I felt very happy and good , due to how hard I had worked an what I had done. It made me feel more confident about myself and , most of all, allowed me to enjoy my day more. I also managed to see more of where I live. There are places which I ran through that I had never been before, and it was cool to discover these new areas. It was also good to post my results on Strava, so that others can see it. It was good to compare my results to other people and more notably, my pro cousin. 

The time for my first run was not brilliant, and the worst of all my runs by a long shot. This was probably because I took at easy, as on your first run you should not push yourself to hard. It is important to ease yourself into these things sometimes. I didn't experience any injuries and although it wasn't enjoyable, the run was definitely beneficial.
Over the course of the next week, I ran 4 more times and Improved greatly each time. This was because I pushed myself more and paced myself better. I took slightly different routes every time to make the run more interesting. 

My last run that week was a 5k run, and I performed very well in it. I completed 5k in 21 minutes, which gave me an average pace of 7:08 minutes a mile. For a beginner, I found this was very good and gave me a boost in confidence for more upcoming runs. I also had a 200ft elevation gain, which made things a lot harder of course. 

Add me on Strava - Will Henry Roberts

Next post I will talk about my second and third weeks and more about results etc..
Sorry about lack of posts, it has been poor I admit but I will try to post regularly on a Friday or Saturday now.

Thank for reading, please subscribe and like (we will like and subscribe back) . Thanks again and peace! 
    

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New workout day 1 analysis

Welcome to 5.14 Fitness,

Is post will go over the day 1 of 14 day workout I am completing whilst I am on holiday in Turkey, there are 3 days worth of exercise that will be repeated over and in a cycle. So on the fourth day of the two weeks I will be performing day 1 routine again.

Also remember that if you are trying this workout yourself remember it is designed for my ability and towards my goals. My goals are trying to improve my cardio vascular fitness in order to get ready for the football season but also to gain some in the legs and upper body as well as definition and strength in the core. 

I run for 20 minutes as a pulse raising activity and a sort of warm up for the rest of my routine to get my blood flow increasing and muscles warmed up. I also start off slower and gradually get faster until I sprint for the last minute also as a form of warming up but also to vary my speed and to make my body work a little harder and push my self further I order to give it my full efforts. This routine is also used by the England national football team, so if it's good enough for them it's good enough for me!

The majority of the workout is then using the free weights targeting my upper body in particular my arms. I work through a variety of different weights and reps in order to warm up and gradually work up but also to get a balanced workout so it improves many areas not just one, ie bulk as well as definition. I also work in a pyramid styled way of training to warm up and cool down so there is less chance of me pulling a muscle of getting injured.

To finish off I always like to bench a little bit to work on arms and chest and also a bit on the core, I only  bcnh light weights to try to tone the areas not to build tones of muscle mass, this is often a high intensity exercise and brings a nice close to the workout. I keep to working in reps of 10 and then doing 3 sets and working up in woe that's as I said previously I like to warm up and use different weights and to get different results. I like to bench as is the fastest way to get result in the targeted areas as your body is working hard to control the movement of the weights but also keep it stable so it works the muscles a little harder than cables and targets a wider range of muscles. It is also one that I always find gets me really motivated and pumped and it also comes with a few bragging rights.

So this is why I have chosen the actovitoes I do in the first day of the workout more posts in the series to follow, pleas come again, like, follow, plus one, thanks for reading - work hard and peace!

Jason

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My routine ( 1 year of blogging )

Welcome to 5.14 Fitness,

I know this post has been a long time coming but you ha to understand one thing, we are bad bloggers. We never upload pictures, post frequently or even stick to what we say. Yet still you keep coming back and listen to what we have to say and give us this amazing feedback and or this we are ever so greatful. I has also been a year since I started this blog and we have smashed all targets I had set for this site and despite the stats falling in the last few months, due to our poor efforts we have had a very successful year and there will be a Then and Now post to follow. 

This post will be my gym routine that I am following for the course of two weeks whilst I am in Turkey (there is 3 days worth of routines that are repeated throughout the course of the programme):

Day 1:

Tredmill- 0:10 mins, 10 hz/ speed setting

Tredmill- 10:13 mins, 10.5 hz/ speed setting

Tredmill- 13:16 mins, 11 hz/ speed setting

Tredmill- 16:19 mins, 12 hz/ speed setting

Tredmill- 19:20 mins, 15hz/ speed setting

Bicep curl- 12 reps, 3 sets, 5 kg 

Free weight shoulder press- 12 reps, 3 sets, 10 kg 

Single weight tricep curl- 12 reps, 3 sets, 5 kg

Bicep curl- 7 reps, 3 sets, 10 kg

Free weight shoulder press- 10 reps, 3 sets, 12 kg 

Single weight tricep curl- 7 reps, 3 sets, 10 kg

Bicep curl- 5 reps, 3 sets, 12 kg 

Free weight shoulder press- 5 reps, 3 sets, 14 kg 

Single weight tricep curl- 5 reps, 3 sets, 12 kg

Bicep curl- 7 reps, 3 sets, 10 kg 

Free weight shoulder press- 7 reps, 3 sets, 12 kg 

Single weight tricep curl- 7 reps, 3 sets, 10 kg

Bicep curl- 12 reps, 3 sets, 5 kg 

Free weight shoulder press- 12 reps, 3 sets, 10 kg 

Single weight tricep curl- 12 reps, 3 sets, 5 kg

Bench- 10 reps, 3 sets, 20 kg

Bench- 10 reps, 3 sets, 30 kg

Bench- 10 reps, 3 sets, 40 kg

Bench- 10 reps, 3 sets, 20 kg

Weighted crunches with incline- 25 reps, 3 sets, 0 kg

Weighted crunches with incline- 12 reps, 3 sets, 5 kg

Weighted crunches with incline- 12 reps, 3 sets, 7.5 kg

Weighted crunches with incline- 12 reps, 3 sets, 10 kg

Weighted crunches with incline- 25 reps, 3 sets, 0 kg

Day 1 analysis and day 2 to follow in the next few days 

Thanks for reading, this is my actual work out, as you probably know after a year of saying it please come again, follow, plus on everything- work hard and peace!

Jason

Ps to finish off the post and to mark a year or the site I added a cheeky pic of how I looked  when I first started blogging

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