Ed Brown Functional Fitness

I have been very busy.

ebff — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 06:30:51 +0000

It was about time I opened my own place.

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Nutrition. What to eat before and after training. Part 1

ebff — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 14:26:38 +0000

This subject is vast and may take some time to cover. If you think you are going to get some magical combination of super foods that will turn you into a super freak over night, then think again. This blog is here to give you the basics about nutrition, along with some reference material so you can make your own informed decision.

There is a lot of ground to cover but I will try my best to keep it as simple as possible. The best place to start is at the beginning – why, what and how we need food, and how we use it.

Ok so we need food to survive. It gives us the ability to function. It fuels our locomotion and aids the growth and repair of our bodies.

The old cliche you are what you eat rings true. Food is the building block of life. To help understand exactly how and why this is so, lets have a quick look at the basic organisation of life.

Very simply: chemical builds cells, cell builds tissue, tissues builds organs, organ builds system and systems build the human body.

For example: Protein – Actin – Muscle Fibers – Muscles – Muscular System – The Human Body.

This idea of organisation also applies to our skeletal system, nervous system, digestive system, circulatory system, lymphatic system, endocrine system and our reproductive system.

The quality of the food we eat has a huge effect on the human body. Both structure and function can be hindered with poor quality foods.

Nutrients Groups
Lets still try and keep this simple, but provide all the relevant information. We can break our food down to 5 nutrients under 2 sub headings.Macronutrients
•Carbohydrates (CHO)
•Protein
•Fats

Micronutrients
•Vitamins
•Minerals

Macronutrients are used within the human body for structure, function and fuel. Micronutrients also aid structure but have properties that aid the release of energy from macronutrients.

1 gram of CHO = 4 cals
1 gram of Protein = 4 cals
1 gram of Fat = 9 cals
1 gram of Alcohol = 7 cals

So let’s take a look at macronutrients, what they do and how we utilise them.

Carbohydrates

(CHO) is digested in the body in a variety of ways. Ultimately it is directed to the liver, muscles, or used as a fuel. Some glucose may enter adipose tissue, this is where it will be converted into fat.

All carbohydrates are made of a molecule called saccharides. They fall into 3 sub headings.

• Simple CHO aka Sugar
• Complex CHO aka Starch
• NSP (Non starch polysaccharides) aka Fibre

Protein

In brief, protein provides 3 functions
• Structural : Forming the framework of components in the body
• Homeostatic : Maintaining balance within the human body regulating chemical responses.
• Fuel : Not the main source of energy, but when required can be converted to ATP (adenosine triphosphate)

Lipids (Fats and Oils)

At room temperature liquids are oils and solids are fat. They are an essential component to the human diet and have a vast number of roles within the human body:

• They form all cell membranes
• They are responsible for the structure of the CNS (central nervous system)
• Synthesise hormones and reproduction
• Regulate enzymes
• Protect internal organs
• A fuel source for oxidative energy system
• Uptake of Calcium for bone formation

I have tried to keep this first blog as simple as possible, but equally give you all the relevant information and understanding of what does what.

In my next blog I will talk about energy system demands, eating organic, nutrition pre and post training and supplementation.

I have to say trying to keep it simple isn’t easy.

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Gone missing….

ebff — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 16:00:31 +0000

I just looked at my website and noticed that I haven’t blogged or video blogged in a few months. As you all know I am not the best at writing. I usually post videos. I seem to have been a little preoccupied.

“Where has he been?”, you may be asking yourselves. I have been training is where I have been. Very hard learning new skill and polishing old ones. “Where, Why, How?” I hear you heckle.

At a new gym in Clapham North where I am on of the resident trainer, but also a student. Hmm, am I being a little too cryptic.

Ok here goes. Some time ago on an Olympic lifting cert and then on a Bulgarian bag cert I meet a young man called Jack Henegan. Whilst we were having our asses handed to us by Navy seal Steve Nave Jack mentioned that he was planning to open a CrossFit Gym. I just nodded and said, “That’s cool”, at the time no actually knowing exactly what CrossFit was. He even invited me down to a gym down in Sussex. I am sad to say that I never got round to getting my lazy ass down CrossFit Infinity by Jack and I remanded in contact via email. Some months later Jack informed me that he planned to open a gym and would I be interested in helping find a venue and would I be interested in coaching. Anyway to cut a long story short Jack opened In2crossfit Clapham in June 2011 and me being me wanted to know what all the fuss was about. The world seems to have gone CrossFit crazy. The best way to find out what it was all about was to get involved.

What is CrossFit you may be asking yourselves well here goes let see if I can give you a definitive definition. CrossFit is the principal strength and conditioning program for many police academies and tactical operations teams, military special operations units, champion martial artists, and hundreds of other elite and professional athletes worldwide.

So there you go I have been CrossFitting. That’s right I said it. I have joined the cult and I have to say that I have enjoyed it some what. For numerous reasons. To be honest a lot of the training methodologies and modalities within CrossFit are very similar to how I have trained myself and my clients for the past few years. Olympic lifting, power lifting, kettlebell training, intervals, metabolic condition, Tabata etc etc. There has also been lots of skill sets that I haven’t even looked at one of which is Gymnastics (muscle ups, kipping pull ups, handstand press ups).

I think the thing for me that I like the most about it is that all the work outs are quantifiable. Whether it be for time or for the number of reps/volume of work done. Not such a big deal if one is working out with ones self.

However at CrossFit the WOD (work out of the day) will be done by several people at the same time (8 people per coach is the official ratio). This for me is what makes it especially fun. It brings a competitive edge to working out. This is not to say that everyone must use the same weights and train for the same amount of time or all be able to do a muscle up. Work outs can also be scaled to suit the ability of the participant.

What a great way to bring functional fitness to the main stream. I don’t think that was the original intent of those that created CrossFit, but this seems to be the course that it has run. I shall be embarking on my CrossFit level 1 certification this coming weekend. I promise to come back and give you a more informed blog after the weekend. I also promise not to be a stranger and keep you post on my movements. I just wanted you all to know that I am safe and well. In the mean time have a look at one of the CrossFit work out. Fight gone bad 3×5 minute rounds of Wall balls, 35kg sumo deadlift high pull, box jump(20″), 35kg push press, and Rowing (counting calories).

CrossFit Level 1

Ok so I didn’t learn anything new to be honest on the anatomy and physiology side of things. I did learn a few new way to teach gymnastics move and the snatch. I got a huge dose of CrossFit methodology. I finally get why so many people love it. Some may call it a cult but I would call it community spirit. It’s infectious. The camaraderie was mind blowing. At first everyone seemed to stay in peer groups. After team FRAN (4 members per team meter run 400m, 250 thrusters @40kg , run 400m, 250 pull ups, run 400m) everyone
started to gel. The lecture were broken down to movements, methodology and nutrition. The follow subject were split across the 2 days.

*What is CrossFit
*What is fitness
*Press
*Squat
*Deadlift
*GHD
*Nutrition
*Technique v Intensity
*Programing

In conclusion all my questions about CrossFit have been answered. Any program of fitness that reaches the masses and get a wide social demographic together training is fine by me. Not just any training mind, good old fashioned functional training. CrossFit haven’t reinvented the wheel they have just re branded it making it appealing to all even me.

Ebff signing out!

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220 Kg

ebff — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 17:34:26 +0000

So I finally got there filmed this over a month or so ago. Reached my first target of lifting 2.5 x bw

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Deadlift 3

ebff — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 07:41:34 +0000

It’s getting there. Very close to 2.5 x bw. We are currently at 2.35 x bw with 210kg. So back to the dungeon with my 5×5. Good old fashioned power lifting.

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I didn’t win this one but I didn’t give up.

ebff — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 07:47:29 +0000

In fact it seems that I got more energetic toward the end of the fight. I made a few mistakes, but from watching this video I know what I need to do to improve my game. My physical conditioning is pretty much spot on. I am plenty strong enough, very fast and seem to move pretty well. That’s not say that these areas can’t and won’t be improve. I think my biggest problem on the day was mental. Delroy is a very tough opponent so my mind needed to be sharp and focus.

I was a little bit too concerned about the fact that I had left my belt at home and that I had borrowed one. This took me out of my zone. Also not having a corner threw me somewhat. I am not making excuses I am just highlighting the fact that the mind is a very powerful tool and when training or fighting you need to make sure you are in the right frame of mind to maximise your potential.

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TUFF THURSDAY 2

ebff — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 08:31:39 +0000

So it’s been just over a month since we started TUFF TUESDAYS and TUFF THURSDAY at Bjj School. The idea was to give the Bjj school squad a bit of an extra edge and not to take anything away from there skill set. Bjj school has some of the most skillful fighters I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. So what if we made them stronger and faster with lots more gas in the tank. Two fighter can be as skillful as one another, but it is my opinion that you can beat your opponent if you have the ability to out work other fighters and have mental toughness. Both these attributes come with working hard in the gym as well as in the do jo.

It’s fair to say that the Bjj calender is pretty random we have a few regular tournaments but fighter don’t generally know when they will be competing. So using a liner approach to program design is probably not the best. Having spoken to other strength and conditioning guys ( Johnathan Lewis, Andy Marshall, Cj Swaby, Martin Rooney) and reading several books ( Mel Siff -Supertraining, Ross Enamait-Full Throttle Conditioning and Martin Rooney-Ultimate Warrior workouts) I decided to adopt the Conjugate Sequence System.

Conjugate Sequence System.

In the training of highly qualified athletes it always becomes necessary to raise the developmental level of any of the basic qualities of the motor systems which may be limiting improvement of the specific motor abilities. A logical solution would appear to be the introduction of a particular means capable of eliminating this insufficiency. However, this measure, which displays a very low probability of transferring specific motor abilities to the given sporting activity, is not very affective. If a specially sequenced system know as the conjugate sequence system is regularly used in training, then the likelihood that such situations will arise will be minimised and the situation will rapidly improve. (Verkhoshansky 1978)

more to follow…………

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Stars Gym

ebff — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 22:07:58 +0000

I am very proud to be one of the Stars team have a look here to see what it’s all about.

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TUFF THURSDAY

ebff — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 07:25:33 +0000

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It seems I made the highlights

ebff — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 20:21:01 +0000

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