Overheads & Wetting the Bed
When doing redirects, for a new site –
sometimes, when you crawl the old/current site you will find a few rogue URLs that start with http: not https: and don’t end with a backslash.
If you’re doing a find and replace job, to create the destination URLs, this can mess with your final URLs.
Search “http:” to ensure, that if applicable, all the final URLs use the correct http protocol
Then use the formula below, to check the all end with a backslash
=IF(RIGHT(A1,1)=”/”,TRUE,FALSE)
I’ve been working in my latest role for just over 3 months, and training at the gym there most days, but never actually got around to creating an exercise programme;
So – in an attempt to be more organised, here’s what I shall endeavour to follow for the next 6 weeks –
2-4-2 tempo = pause for 2 seconds at the bottom, take 4 seconds to press/lift the weight, then pause for 2 seconds at the top.
Monday – Legs & Back
Rowing Machine – 1000m
Bulgarian Split Squats x 2 sets of 2-4-2 tempo reps to failure
Seated Row – Core warm up – Sit away from the supporting frame to engage core and use super light weight
Seated Row x 2 sets
Seated Rear Delt Fly with 1 rep, 1/2 rep protocol x 2 sets
Lunges x 2 sets
Tuesday – Chest
Cross trainer – 1 min warm up then 4 minute Tabata Interval
Chest Press x 2 sets
Dumbbell Chest Press x 2 sets – 2-4-2 tempo
Cable Punches x 2 sets of 10 reps on each side
Modified Fly x 2 sets of max reps
Wednesday – Back
Rowing Machine – 1000m
Lat Pull down – 2 sets of 6-8 reps
Negative Reps – Machine Row
One arm Row – 2-4-2 Tempo
Angled One Arm Cable Shrugs x 2 sets
Thursday – Shoulders
Cross Trainer – 5 minutes
Single Arm Shoulder Press 2 sets of 8-12 reps
Single Arm Shoulder Press 1 set of eccentric reps
Shrugs / Upright row – 2 sets of 10-12 reps
Hindu Press ups x 1 set of max reps
Friday – Stability Ball Workout
Core Ball Workout
Press ups x 2 sets
Reverse Hyperextensions x 2 sets
One arm row x 2 sets
Hamstring curls x 2 sets
Pikes x 2 sets
Plank x 2 sets
Martial Arts Techniques to drill in between sets
Guard framing
Double leg ‘rotation’ to finish takedown
Chest to Chest Guard Sweep
Wizzer Throw to Ankle pick
Wrist control to ankle pick – pull back on right arm and then ankle pick right foot/ankle
Front Kicks
Side Kicks
I asked for advice before we had our first baby, and you just get the usual doom and gloom answers such as
“Don’t expect any sleep”
“When you’re sick, that’s the start of your night”
Cheers, nothing useful at all.
When you get a girlfriend, everyone mythers you to get married,
Then when you’re married, everyone mythers you about having kids,
And then when you do have one on the way, everyone harps on about how terrible child birth is and how you’ll never have a lie in again or a full night’s sleep and how awful and hard life will be from now on.
It’s not all bad; in fact, it’s life changing and amazing – you just have to be pretty selfless to enjoy it. And sleep, you do need to make sure you get some sleep whenever possible.
2 other things of note, the NHS staff in the maternity ward were amazing, I was pleasantly surprised at their enthusiasm;
And the 2 healthcare visitors I know personally were extremely helpful – it was one of my friends that suggested our baby might have a tongue tie (this was missed by our designated healthcare visitor – easily done).
I’ll go into this at a later date, but you don’t need a gym or loads of time to have an effective workout.
Tabata intervals and bodyweight exercises are all you need and you can do them at home.
For example
1 Tabata Interval of squats
Followed by 1 set of maximum press ups
is enough to maintain fitness and muscle mass, and even improve markers of fitness and health depending on baseline levels.
Tabata Intervals involve 8 intervals of exercise, for 20 seconds.
Each 20 second interval is separated by 10 seconds rest.
Doing just 8 minutes a week of this type of exercise is proven to be beneficial in terms of blood lipid and glucose levels.
Fitness may not be a priority in the next year or two, but make sure you try and maintain a level of physical activity, or your health and wellbeing can deteriorate fast
This is something I’ve been looking at getting into for a while…
The attraction with online personal training is initially, that there’s very little barrier to action/entry.
You can still be sat on the sofa with a pizza, and sign up for online personal training sessions. You’ve not spent or committed to a great deal, so it’s very easy to get started. Unlike going into and signing up to a gym, which can be very scary.
Once you’re signed up, you in theory should have access to;
Although having a personal training, that’s actually there with you real time has many added benefits – for example he/she can correct poor technique in real time; having an online personal trainer is certainly much more beneficial than having no help at all and entering into a fitness programme with no direction or structure.
A lot of the benefit is that they do all the admin-work for you.
You probably know you need to make a programme, set goals and assess your diet, but realistically, not many people know where to start exactly or don’t have the time to do it all.
I certainly think that video analysis of technique is currently under utilised too. This could be extremely beneficial, especially with the trend to squat and deadlift heavy, good technique is imperative.
Some quick pointers to remember about exercise if you are contemplating getting fit:
I’m not a huge fan of travelling abroad. I’m not scared of flying, but I don’t like all the sitting down and the cramped conditions, with the air-conditioning being the real icing on the cake.
I went on a yoga retreat as part of my honeymoon in 2014. I got there feeling pretty lethargic and had my usual issues with back, neck and shoulder aches and stiffness. After a week of yoga and good food, I felt pretty energised and, well, flexible by the time that we left. A 2 hour taxi drive and a 4 hour flight later, I felt fairly rotten and lethargic again by the time we got back.
Now that we have a little-one, budget is also a big consideration when booking holidays, as well as the length and comfort of the commute. With this in mind, here is a shortlist of places for us to visit in the next few years…
Cheddar in Somerset is famous for its gorge, the Cheddar Man and of course, Cheddar Cheese.
Things to do in Cheddar include visiting the Cheddar Caves & Gorge, the Original Cheddar Cheese Company and walking or cycling the Strawberry Line and visiting the Cheddar Man at the Museum of Prehistory.
As you’d expect really, there are also a variety of walks that you can do around the gorge:
If you stay in Cheddar Woods Resort & Spa, there’s also a wide range of activities that you can do…
Cheddar Woods is almost definitely the best place to stay in Cheddar for families, and many of the lodges are also pet-friendly, so you can take your dog (or cat, rabbit, not sure about chickens or lizards).
With outdoor, private hot tubs in some of the premier lodges, a luxury spa, gym, pool and restaurant; there’s quite a lot to keep the family entertained whilst on site.
The lodges provide a lot more space than you would normally get in a hotel or a B & B:
If you are looking for a hotel, then as you’d expect, TripAdvisor is probably the best place to do some research.
If you’re on a tight budget, The Oakhouse Hotel has good reviews and is very competitively priced.
The Lake District was declared a National Park in 1951 and according to Lonely Planet – it is by far the UK’s most popular national park. If you like the great outdoors, then the Lake District is a great destination for you, and your family (assuming their outdoorsy types too).
The Lake District has inspired many great writers & poets, including William Wordsworth and Beatrix Potter. A great testimony to the inspiring landscape that possesses many therapeutic benefits. If you’re feeling stressed out, like a lot of us are, spending time in nature has been proven to treat everything from mild depression to ADHD.
With more parks, forests and lakes that you can shake a proverbial stick at, the Lakes has lots on offer. A walk around Derwentwater is always a winner – with some amazingly beautiful and relaxing scenery. Keswick’s local lake is 10 minutes walk from the town-centre.
Other Lake District walks include:
Day trips on offer in the Lake District include:
It’s difficult to say exactly, with so many difference options available. The Lake District is fairly well known for wild camping, although that’s not exactly ideal for families and larger groups of people. The best place to get some ideas is on the Lake District website.
Places of note to stay in the Lake District include:
That’s just 2 places to visit in the UK. North Wales is also listed in the Lonely Planet’s best regions to visit.
North Wales is brilliant, if you like walking, hiking, cycling, camping and general ‘in nature’ stuff – which I do. I’ll cover that area in a future post!
Security threats are not just about tangible properties like your house or car, as there are also security threats online. In fact, there are several of them and they can attack your WordPress blogsite if you do not have the proper protection.
Your blogsite is considered as your home in the digital world. It contains everything that allows you to run a successful blog, which is needed to ensure that you keep your followers interested and entice more to read your posts. A security breach on your site could ruin its content and this could lead the entire blogsite to its downfall.
This is something that you do not want to happen, especially if you are using it for your business. You must secure your WordPress blog from these potential threats, just as you would keep your most valuable properties secured. You can do this by gaining awareness on the security risks that could put your blogsite in jeopardy. If you know the risks that you might be facing, you can plan ahead so they can be prevented and you wouldn’t have to deal with them.
We prepared an infographic that lists some of the most usual security attacks on WordPress sites that bloggers like you might face.
Get the list from our illustration below:
Surprised with the threats that might put your WordPress at risk? Learn more about how to secure your blogsite and other blogging tips at http://www.startbloggingonline.com/.
Place Y or N next to each virtue to see if you can improve etc.
It’s a great way to try not to be a bellend every day
Download the spreadsheet here:
You will see some noticeable changes in a month or two
There is a downloadable form to fill in at the end, so don’t worry if this article gets a bit confusing!
This is a good starting point – what do you want to achieve?
Be specific, for example, you might write down
“I want to lose 2 inches from my waist, by December 20th, 2016”
Make all goals “SMARTER”
Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time bound, Evaluate, and Re-Do
Evaluate your goals once a month, tweak them if necessary but always make a note of why you’ve had to change them.
Have 1 or 2 “Target Goals” – these relate to the end result, e.g. having a 32 inch waist by December 20th.
The Target Goals are the “What”.
Have 3 “Process Goals” – these are the “How”
So you want a 32 inch waist – how will you achieve this?
3 Process goals might include:
1. Eliminate sugar from my diet completely
2. Go for a walk every day
3. Go to boxercise class every Wednesday
Finally, to keep motivated, write down why you want to achieve your goals.
For example, you may want to improve your health for the benefit of your family.
List all the potential hurdles, barriers & pitfalls; then list the solutions.
For example, your hurdles might include:
People offering you unhealthy food –
Solution – Say “no thanks” in a highly assertive manner
People not being supportive / making fun of your diet
Solution – Laugh and just see it as a bit of banter. If necessary explain that you are doing it for the benefit of yourself and your family and that their support would be appreciated.
Hurdles are things that will almost certainly happen, and you will have to jump or fail.
Barriers, you can sidestep these completely.
For example a barrier might be having unhealthy food in the house.
Solution – give it to charity.
Pitfalls are obvious things you shouldn’t do.
For example – Buying unhealthy food.
Solution – Make a healthy shopping list
Unfortunately, deciding that you’re going to get fit, and leaving it at that, often fails.
You need a plan, with specific rules set out.
As outlined above, write down your goals and process goals.
These should form the foundation for your plan.
Write down what you need to succeed.
Everything essential – e.g. a chosen form of exercise, a set of diet guidelines, gym kit etc.
Get as organised as possible
Use a spreadsheet if you have to – write down a healthy main meal for each evening & plan what exercise you will do each week.
Leave an area to write comments and feedback for yourself.
How will you eat healthy? Get this organised.
Will you prepare batches and freeze food for each day of the week?
Will you cook fresh each day?
Will you prepare your own lunch?
Write down, and then answer these questions:
Do you think you have everything you need to succeed?
If not, what else do you require?
Do you think this plan will work?
If so, what is it that you like about the diet and exercise programme you have been given?
If not, what are you concerned about?
Are you convinced that this plan is worth your while? – Is getting in shape worth the effort and commitment?
Accept Responsibility
This is your programme. Not your trainer’s programme. You must take ownership of the programme and be happy with it.
Is there anything you would like to know more about, or anything you would change before taking ownership? If so, write these down, research the answers or ask a professional
Finally, write down a positive affirmation or mantra that you will use whenever doubt starts to creep into your mind.
This could be something as simple as
“You can do this and it is worth it”
No, I’m not trying to sell you online personal training (not yet, but maybe down the road I will); you can get great support and information (although take it all with a pinch of pink salt), from Facebook groups and online forums.
Some websites and forums to have a look at:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/
http://www.muscletalk.co.uk/Bodybuilding-Routines-Training-Techniques-f17.aspx
https://www.facebook.com/groups/526231430864965/
Just beware of the groups and meatheads that share lion memes and selfies all the time. They won’t really help too much.
Download a pre-exercise questionnaire here
Contact me if you do need any additional help (I changed my mind, ask me about online fitness training!).
You could also have a read of my free book and have a look at this infographic for some nutrition basics:
Not really.
Short, intense workouts can be just as effective.
In fact, many fitness professionals advocate workouts 30 minutes or less.
You can take this a step further –
Doing 4 minutes of exercise, twice a week, can improve markers of health & fitness significantly.
You can make drastic improvements in terms of health, fitness and body composition, with just 10 minutes of exercise per day.
The difficult part, is staying disciplined with your diet.
Not true, in fact the trend at the moment, is functional, bodyweight exercise.
I personally like to use a door frame chin up bar, and some resistance bands – costing in total about £50.
These are not essential however, you can certainly make a start without them.
Well, yea, kinda – you need lots of steroids, IGF-1 and HGH to look like the guys in the magazines and adverts.
That’s not me being cynical – ask any weightlifting veteran.
I’m not anti-supplements, but you need to ignore 90% of the claims and marketing jargon. e.g. “peptide bonded” and “micellar” even “anabolic” are often used to imply something that people assume is beyond their understanding.
In case you are wondering:
Peptide Bonds – “…proteins are chains of amino acids held together by peptide bonds, as is the backbone of PNA.”
https://www.sciencedaily.com/terms/peptide_bond.htm
Micellar (a term often used to sell “Micellar Casein” protein powder”)
All casein protein is ‘micellar’, it means it basically clumps together in a ball, releasing amino acids/nitrogen, bit by bit until the ball dissolves
https://www.uoguelph.ca/foodscience/book-page/structure-casein-micelle
I wouldn’t recommend any supplements to begin with.
If you are looking to build muscle, there is plenty of research around creatine, and whey protein too. I’d recommend, researching and perhaps including these in your diet, after 2 months of weight training.
Whole foods are generally largely superior. In fact, I would recommend a hemp smoothie instead of protein powder, but I’ve found that people just want to take supplements. So, if you do, research whey protein and creatine. But make sure 90% of your food, is actually food!
How much protein you need is an aggressively debated topic, which I’m not going to touch with yours (or with a bargepole).
It’s fantastic living in the moment; but I only seem to manage to do it when playing or competing in sport – when in ‘flow state‘.
In practical terms, it is very tricky to be 100% mindful at home, and especially in work…but I think it can be done.
You just need to be very organised; if you know everything you need to get done is ‘in a system’ that you adhere to everyday, then you can relax, or at least focus 100% on the task in hand.
If you don’t have a ‘system’, then you’re constantly worrying about whether or not you’ve missed something…
I’ve made an attempt to do this recently, here are some tips on both Mindfulness & organisation:
Meditate – focus on your breathing, and keep bringing the focus back, as the mind wanders (which it will).
If you can’t meditate for any reason, just be mindful whenever possible. For example; when typing, focus on the feeling of the keys when you touch them.
