The Functional Trainer

So why do people want to improve their skills? Why do marathon runners continue despite pain? In other words what motivates people? We look at what motivation is, how it works, and how to improve it through goal setting and self- efficacy

• Motivation
• Goal setting
• self efficacy
• self confidence

In sports psychology there are a number of approaches in efforts to help people continue participation in sports activities or why they withdraw. In this podcast we talk about the use of imagery and self talk as great tools to help maintaining participation and improving performance.

We talk about why they are important

And how we can use them in strategies to improve our performance in sport.

The pressure of competition can pep up and improve an individual's performance or damage it. We can experience apprehension, sweating palms or worry about how we will perform. If we can find out why this happens, then we should be able to improve performance.

We will look at 3 main areas that affect performance:

• Arousal
• Anxiety
• Stress

My 11 guides to self-help improvement, listen to my podcast to discover some self-help advice I've learned over the years from many books.

I've condenced these books in to 11 simple ideas on how to improve and help your self-help welbeing.

Discover techniques and thought process on how to motivate yourself for your sport, you maybe an athlete or coach but you need to train the mind as much as your body to reach your goals.

In my podcast i have detailed several ways in which you can achieve motivation.

Normalized Power is a great way to see how hard you have worked for a particular cycle ride, NP provide the information you need to discover the right intesity regarding your training.

In this podcast we talk about what Normalized Power is.

And how to use Normalized Power to gain the most benefits

While meat and fish are usually the go-to ingredients for a protein fix, more and more people are switching to meat free diets or introducing meat free recipes into their meal plans, so it’s important that your nutritional diet plans can meet your your fitness demands. 

Listen to my 9 Go To protein sources to discover how to customize your meal to boost your protein without having bland meals

These are just a handful of suggestions, other options are available just make your choice.

So don’t be mistaken in thinking that a vegetarian diet lacks the protein needed for your diet, there are plenty of veggie options packed with protein and in many cases, offering a healthier alternative to meat.

It's time to wake up and smell the Coffee

Caffeine is one of the most heavily researched and beneficial ergogenic aids available. Discover more...

The Science

The American Alliance for Health stated that there are three ways that caffeine may provide ergogenic effects. 

How much caffeine should we drink?

What is the suggest ammount of caffeine per kilo of body mass for  better performance? we tell you.

Speed and Power in Long Term Exercise

There have been few studies conducted to evaluate the effects caffeine has on speed or endurance event.

Muscle energy

If you have 66% more fuel for the next day's training or competition wouldn't that interest you.

Discover all this and more, listen now

More podcasts at www.apachebrave.co.uk

References

1. ANTONIO, J. (2004) Caffeine: The Forgotten Ergogenic Aid. Strength and Conditioning Journal, 26 (6), p. 50-51
2. APPLEGATE, E. & GRIVETTI, L. (1997) Search for the competitive edge: A History of dietary fads and supplements. The Journal of Nutrition: 1996 ASNS Symposium Proceedings , 127 (5), p. 869-873
3. BEAVEN, C. et al. (2008) Dose Effect of Caffeine on Testosterone and Cortisol Responses to Resistance Exercise. International Journal of Sport Nutrition & Exercise Metabolism, 18 (2), p. 131-141
4. Caffeine Aids Athlete Recovery (2008) Australasian Science 1 Sep. 2008: ProQuest Education Journals. ProQuest. Karl E. Mundt Library, Madison, SD. 29 Jan. 2009 http://www.proquest.com/
5. CLARK, N. (2005) Caffeine and Performance. Palaestra 1 Oct. 2005: 46. Research Library. ProQuest. Karl E. Mundt Library, Madison
6. GRAHAM, T. (2001) Caffeine and Exercise: Metabolism, Endurance and Performance. Sports Medicine 31 (11), p. 785-807.
7. JENKINSON, D. & HARBERT, A. (2008). Supplements and Sports. American Family Physician , 78 (9), p. 1039-1046.
8. McNAUGHTON, L. et al. (2008). The effects of caffeine ingestion on time trial cycling performance. Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness , 48 (3), p. 320-325.
9. POWERS, M. (2004) "Safety, Efficacy, and Legal Issues Related to DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS", Strategies , 18 (1), p. 30-34.
10. SINCLAIR, C. & GEIGER, J. (2000) Caffeine use in sports: A pharmacological review. Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness , 40 (1), p. 71-79.
11. WALLACE, S. (2006) A Comparison of Caffeinated Drinks [Photograph] [WWW] Available from: http://biolife.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/caffeinated-drink-comparison.jpg [Accessed December 4,2009]

 There has been a huge increase in interest in cycling over recent years as more people become aware of the health and fitness benefits’ cycling achieves, as well as its advantages as a fast and economical means of transport. There has also been a rise in studio cycling and has been identified as one of the most popular group exercise formats in clubs worldwide. 

We look at several different areas to help improve your cycling, such as:

• Cadence
• Gearing
• Power
• Technique

The benefits of outdoor and indoor cycling, how they differ and what you can gain from each session or training.

We take a look into the nutrition science behind nutritional recovery, giving you practical advice that you can apply to your own riding.

The three R’s

When it comes to post-exercise nutrition, you may have heard of the three ‘R’s of recovery:

Refueling, Repair, and Rehydration

Refueling for Cyclist looks at different situation about what you've done, what you have next and when you are next riding, all these things are important to refueling