How to be in shape for summer ... fast!

As summer soon approaches, I get asked a lot of questions about how to be in the best shape for the beach season. Here are my three favourite tips for a stunning look:

 Drink 500ml of mineral water with a pinch lemon and pink salt when you wake up

Make sure you do this before you drink anything else that day, like coffee or fruit juice. Most people are dehydrated and don't even know it until they feel tired, lethargic or even when they get a headache from lack of water. Start the day by hydrating your body and adding a bit of flavour from lemon, which also is alkalising. Then add a good pinch of high mineral salt, which is proven by many studies to be beneficial for your health. This will instantly make you feel invigorated. Most of my clients have a very busy life and don't have time to sit down and have their breakfast before they go to work. Some of them don't feel hungry at all in the morning, but they all agreed that after drinking water after they got up, they felt more energised. Try drinking water and going for a workout or a run in the morning, it does wonders for your body. 

Do cardio in the morning

Go for a run as soon as you get out of bed, while you are still fasting. Why is cardio in fasting mode so good? Going without eating for a period of time, like during sleep – shifts the body toward burning fat for fuel. 

Why? Liver glycogen and blood sugar are lower after fasting, so the body is forced to burn fat for fuel in a fasted state.

Tap into fat stores without eating away any muscle, don't go for sprints or high intensity training, rather find a pace not so fast, not too slow and persevere for no longer than 30 minutes. 

This will massively decrease your fat percentage. Drink half litre of water, as previously mentioned, If you're still scared of losing muscle, add amino acids or a spoon of glutamine to your water pre cardio and go!

Blast your body fat off with HIIT workouts

High Intensity Interval Training or working out at 80-90 per cent of your maximum heart rate is the fastest way to burn fat and increase muscle size without looking too bulky. If you don't have a heart monitor and are unsure whether you've trained at your maximum heart rate, try an intensity where you begin to fight against your psychological motivation to stop, this is when your heart rate is extremely high. Maintain that heart rate for as long as possible, around 45-180 seconds, then rest for 120 seconds. Alternatively, break it down into short bursts of 20 seconds flat-out, with 30-second "rest" periods. Work at 70-80 percent of your full capacity until you've accumulated three minutes total at your maximum, which should take seven and a half minutes.

The “Tabata protocol” — 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off — has become one of the most common methods of doing HIIT and it tops my list of favourite HIIT workout. 

Try this:

A1 - 20secs of fast sprints alternated with 10 seconds of relaxed recovery walking, for a total of 8 intervals, or 4 minutes.

A2 - 20secs of kettle bell swings with 100m sprints for a total of 8 intervals 45-180seconds 120seconds rests.

These three fat-loss strategies are simple to follow and all you need to get in a better shape fast. Understanding how to apply this will get you your abs faster than ever.

Where does customer loyalty come from?

Being a city worker for the last 8 years, I always aim to find a place where I can; 

• Eat healthy 
• Taste delicious food
• Fit my macronutrient distribution with wholesome meals 
• Reasonably priced 
• Great customer service

Sounds like mission impossible sometimes. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve tried all of the ‘healthy’ places in the city, but there is always something missing from the above.

I have recently found a hidden gem inside the beautiful Leandenhall Market, a restaurant devoted to offering quality food and service to everyone who visit their establishment. 

Go there at lunch time and you will understand what I’m talking about. The queue sometimes goes out of the door, but don’t be discouraged, the service is efficiently fast, and the best thing of all is the excellence of the service by the  staff from the cashiers to the people at the food bar. 

The busy lifestyle of the city worker can sometimes be robotic and emotionless, however when greeted by a genuine happy smile from the staff at We Grill, I soon realise that the simple things in life are what make a big difference in feeling appreciated. Isn’t it lovely when the staff knows you by your name and even remember your favourite dish?   

Overlooked by the attentive eyes of the owner, Tarek, part of the experience for me is seeing him amicably chatting with his customers, making us feel welcome at every moment. 

You talk to Tarek for few minutes and you will soon be inspired by his passion for delivering good healthy food, setting a unique standard of quality food and customer service all at fair price. 

Tarek, a former investment banker has created the first of a future chain of casual, healthy eating restaurants in the heart of the City Of London directed towards the busy professional looking to keep up with a balanced diet. 

The restaurant serves grilled meat and veg on skewers marinated in 'secret spices', along with homemade soups and fresh salads. We Grill offers only the freshest produce with full traceability from the farm to the plate.

He says: “The idea for We Grill started years ago when I worked at a couple of investment banks in the city. I’d always had a passion for great food and healthy living, but couldn’t find anywhere that served what I wanted to eat.”

It’s no wonder why you bump into so many personal trainers at we grill, put it this way, if your trainer eats there, surely you should too. 

Say Hi for me when you are there and you might get a generous deal from Tarek. Mention that you heard about them when you read ‘HUGO MARTINI’ blog and you will be looked after at the till. 

Go check it out for yourself. My favourite dishes are the cajun chicken skewer served on top of a salad bed, with a portion of red rice and quinoa and another portion of broccoli and couscous. 

A mindful mantra

A Mindful Mantra was sent to me by my life coach Tom Fritz. It helped me go through the loss of my mother last month and understand better our sensations, emotions and intentions.

If you are going through challenges, try read this in a quiet place in silence or after your meditation.

‘This Too’

When life presents us with the unpleasant and the unwanted there is a strong tendency of the mind to resist what is happening. 

Resistance to pain, though, just creates more suffering. It’s futile. So here we are in this extremely stressful situation. That’s very unpleasant. Feelings of fear, grief and loss naturally arise, and if I let them come and go without suppression, that is healthy and natural.

But if I begin to get into mental resistance patterns like ‘why is this happening to me?’ or ‘it’s not fair’ or ‘this shouldn’t be happening’ or ‘I want this to stop/ change/ go my way’ then I start fighting with reality. I start fighting with the present moment – and that, I know, is completely futile and just creates more layers of suffering. 

I will also lose touch with myself and the present moment if I get into resistance.

But the tendency to resist is strong when there is a lot of unpleasantness. 

That’s why I have been using my mantra that I always use in difficult times ‘This too.’

‘This too’ is my abbreviation for saying ‘I accept unconditionally the unfolding of this present moment in whatever form it takes – this too is allowed and accepted.’

‘This too’ reminds me to soften my resistance. 

It reminds me to stay grounded in presence (as best I can) and connects me to background of ease and peace even in the middle of this pain. 

I often repeat it mentally, sometimes out loud.

Body Weight HIIT Workout for beginners

Happy New Year!

Let's take full advantage of the motivational state of mind we have at the start of January. Gyms are usually packed in this time of the year. If you signed up to a gym, but going to the weight room feels like going to a battlefield, you can't touch the machines because there are a bunch of guys waiting around to use it before you or you just don't know how to use some of the fancy equipment your gym provides you with, try this super simple and easy to use workout. 

It can be done three times a week and it will help you burn the excess fat gained at Christmas. 

The Workout

This high-intensity interval training (HIIT) session will blast calories, boost your cardio capacity, work your core muscles, challenge both upper and lower body and train your coordination and balance. Perform two sets of the routine below, executing the exercises at 70% of your maximum effort (you should be totally out of breath for at least a minute), rest around 45 seconds between each exercise and a 1-minute recovery between each set. Do this workout two or three times per week. Perform 5 sets per workout, that will take around 30-45 mins to complete the workout.

A1. 2-minute Run then progress into 10x 45 seconds sprints 45 seconds walking in between the sprints.

Start off slowly and gradually increase your pace until breathing becomes difficult and you are only able to speak a few words at a time (working at approximately 70 percent of your max effort). You can use a treadmill at the gym or go hardcore and train in the park at the winter.

B1. Burpees

Stand with feet hip-width apart, arms at sides. Squat, placing hands flat on floor under shoulders, and then jump or step feet back into plank position. Immediately jump (or step) feet back up to hands, and jump straight up from squat position, extending arms overhead. Do 10 to 15 reps.

Click HERE for image.

3. Single-Leg Romanian Deadlifts

Stand with feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent, arms at sides. Lift right foot a few inches off floor, balancing on your left leg. Keeping back flat and abs engaged, hinge forward from your hips, sending right leg (and hips) behind you, reaching hands toward floor. Lower as far as possible while maintaining a flat back, and then squeeze glutes as you return to standing. Do 10 to 15 reps; switch sides and repeat.

Click HERE for image.

4. Squat Chops

Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, arms extended overhead, palms facing each other, keeping shoulders down. Squat as you rotate torso to left and diagonally lower hands to beside left knee. As you return to standing, rotate torso, lifting hands diagonally over right shoulder. Do 10 reps; switch sides and repeat.

Click HERE for the image. 

5. Jump Squats

Stand with feet slightly more than shoulder-width apart. Start the movement by pushing the knees outward and drop your hips into a comfortable seating position keeping all the weight of your body placed on your heels and the arch of your foot. Keeping a back flat and abs engaged all the way down and think about a powerful movement on the way up into a jump, imagining you are pushing the ground away from your feet. Lower as far as possible (while maintaining a flat back), then reverse into an upward position until you are tall and upright reverse to return to start. Do 10-15 reps

Click HERE for image.

To simplify:

A1- 45 seconds Sprints x10 45s rest XXXX 

B1- Burpees 3x10-15 45s rest 2010 

B2- Single Leg Romanian Deadlift 3x10-15 each leg 45s rest 2010 

B3- Squat Chops 3x10-15 each side 45s rest 2010 

B4- Jump Squats 3x10-15 45s rest 2010 

Adjust into your level of fitness, use the tempo 2010, 2 meaning the way down (eccentric phase) 0 no pause at the top 1 meaning the way up (concentric phase) and 0 no pause at the bottom. The more focus and overall control particularly of the eccentric phase, the more gains you will achieve.  

Level up to your expectations and start doing them! 

The Ultimate Guide To Successfully Achieve All Your New Years Resolutions

It is that time of the year again, most of us finally have time to think of the year ahead and set daring goals for ourselves. It is time to think about our lives and what we wish to change for the future. The time off from our daily routines like working long days in a job that doesn't fulfil us but pays the bills is the reason we take this time to reflect. Unfortunately, this is done only in December for few of us, but in reality it should consist of a daily habit. 

Instead of following fad diets and quickly lifestyle changes I want you to focus on learning to live a better life overall.  You hear people say knowledge is power, but I say ‘applied knowledge is power’. 

Here is your ultimate guide to learning a better life and help achieve your goals in 2016:

DIET

Number one on the list, diet is what perhaps 99% of us want to change for the new year. With so many diet books, gurus, Instagramers and websites out there, the message can become confusing and hard to get. Learning a bit more about what actually happens to you when you eat, perhaps is the key to know more about your unique physiology and what works only for you. 

When training clients, the first thing I do is to eliminate foods commonly known to affect our gut. Dairy, soya and gluten, are the first three things out of the diet. 

Another successful strategy is to make sure clients eat 3 meals a day, it sounds silly by most people go on the whole day with only two or even one meal a day! And they wonder why they’re so stressed at work? Top that with the 6 or 7 coffees a day and the pressure of a highly stressful job, the only defence mechanism your body have is to shut down the immune system, slow down the metabolism and release a lot of stress hormones. These hormones are translated into bad mood, anger, lack of focus, bickering and gossiping to name a few bad results that come from a poor diet and from not feeding your body properly. 

This year try to go and do a blood lab work to see if your body is developing any intolerance or allergy to a particular food. You truly are what you eat, and the correlation to how you behave and the food you eat is constantly being proven by science. There is a number of really good books such as Clean Gut by Alejandro Junger or Gut by Giulia Ender that explain this better if you want to learn more.

Vitamin infusions are another thing I have been doing for the last two years and I recommend if you’re not too sure about supplementation or the right dosage you’re meant to have for vitamin and minerals. I used to spend a lot of my money buying supplements and sometimes I would forget to take them, having an administrated session of intravenous supplementation is the next level when it comes to supplements.

Another new thing to do this year is a colonic irrigation. You would be surprise about the amount of crap that stays in your large intestine that can only be removed by doing a colonic. You will see your mood improve instantly and your energy levels sky rocket few minutes after the treatment. It will also give you a different prospect about what to put inside your body. I always go to the Energy Clinic in Harley Street for blood tests, infusions Colonic irrigation.  

MONEY

Start saving. If you save 10% of an average £40k salary a year, in 5 years you will have £20k. You can do a lot of things with £20k; buy the mortgage from a property or to start your own business. Most people live their lives drifting without long term goals, living life for the weekends, once you’re in this whole it’s hard to get out of it. Don’t be a drifter, drifters allow the world to write the stories of their lives. 

People that complain and that are never fulfilled often are the ones who have the urge to go out on the weekend and waste their wages. ‘I need to have fun!’ I hear that every so often, or ‘my friends wanted to see me’ these are the two stories you keep telling yourself to convince that what you’re doing is right or to justify when you’re sulking because you don’t have money left for the rest of the month. 

Saving 10% of your salary and investing the money you’d be spending going out on your health are two of the best advices you can apply for the next year. 

RELATIONSHIPS

Spend more time learning about yourself before you trying to find your soulmate. This digital generation is slowly losing touch with reality. If you’re a guy, going old school and chivalry will differentiate yourself from the rest, If you’re a girl, being independent is awesome, so is allowing the man to take care of you sometimes. 

Online dating is rising like never before, although is a perfect tool for busy professionals, I see many people using these apps for the wrong reasons, guys looking for quick one night stands, and girls on the lookout for a free dinner. 

I recently read this awesome article at Greatist by Ellen McCarthy, a journalist from the Washington Post, who interviewed over 200 happy couples, something to consider reading if you’re trying to find your great one.

BODY

Don’t strive for perfection, but seek progress instead. Balance is key to a fulfilling life. Letting yourself go to the point that you cannot stare at yourself in the mirror isn’t going to make you happy. In the other hand, becoming an clean eating extremist can make you look obnoxious and egotistic. Life is about connecting with friends, having a good time and that includes eating ‘dirty’ sometimes.  If you can’t have a burger or a pizza with a friend scared that it will wipe out your six pack the next day you may have a sociopath behaviour that needs to be addressed, if you look too much in the mirror in the gym and take too many selfies of your body are all sings of a sociopath dysfunction.  

MIND

Learn to meditate. I can’t tell you how powerful it is to start the day with 10 minutes of mindfulness meditation. I highly recommend you to download the fantastic app Headpsace, it is your gym membership for the mind like Andy Puddicombe the creator of Headspace says. 

Regulating your sleeping pattern is another one on the list for a better 2016. This is old news but sleeping can massively affect not only your physical state but your productivity at work. There are so many benefits that I could write an entire post about sleeping, but your aim for the next year is to control your sleeping pattern as in, wake up at the same time everyday and go to sleep at the same at the same time every night. This will help your body to function at a better level alone. 

SOUL

I heard once that ‘from those whom much is given, much is expected’. The most unhappy people I came across in life are the ones who lack generosity, compassion and gratitude. The more you give, the more you receive. The value of contribution you have in your community is what matters the most. The best way to fulfil a sense of void in life is by helping with what you can to others. Joining a charity, doing volunteering work, donating blood or helping others by sharing your expertise is grandiose. It will fill your heart with compassion. Being generous is not necessarily giving your money away, but is about contributing for a better world.

I hope this 2016 to be your best year yet. Have a prosperous one.