About This Site. This site is the website of motivational speaker Craig
Harper. A constantly updated, one-stop
information, inspiration, education and motivation
station. Unlike many similar sites, it is a totally
free resource for anyone who is serious about moving
from mediocre to amazing in any area of their
personal or professional life. With hundreds of
articles covering a wide range of subject matter,
great interviews with cool people and inspirational
video posts, there's more than enough brain-food to
keep you busy for hours. Okay, days!!
Enjoy.
Click play above
to
see one of Craig's weekly segments on national
television. (9AM with Kim & David - Network Ten)
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Life Coach
Melbourne - Craig Harper
If
you are interested in maximizing your potential,
stepping out of that 'holding pattern' and being
privately coached by Craig click here.
Business Coach Melbourne -
Craig Harper
If you're a personal trainer, gym owner or studio owner
who is interested in growing your business and/or your
career, then mentoring with Craig could be a valuable
part of your overall success strategy and professional
development journey.
Biological Age Testing
- Craig Harper
In a recent test, Jan Frazer, who has a chronological age (the
number of years she's been on the planet) of 67 did a biological
age test which showed she has the body of a 37 year old female.
Pretty Impressive! How old is your body! Find out here.
Nutrition Melbourne -
Craig Harper
Many nutritional
experts are confusing people with jargon and pseudo-science.
Craig's HPN Service provides remote access to Craig's Director
of Nutrition to cut through the dietary confusion and
contradiction.
Public Speaking Melbourne - Craig Harper If you've ever
thought about becoming a professional speaker or
improving your public speaking then you can be privately
coached here.
Fattitude
- Craig Harper
While many books focus on food,
Craig Harper teaches that creating life-long change is more about the
dieter, than the actual diet. This book is perfect for people who have a
history of 'almost' getting in shape.
DVD
or CD - Renovate Your Body - Craig Harper In this entertaining presentation, Craig discusses the
notion of Renovating Your Body - once and for all. Many of us have a curious
ability to be able to get in shape for events (weddings, parties, reunions
and birthdays), if only we'd get in shape for life.
Craig Harper is a leading
motivational speaker
and educator. He is a highly
sought-after corporate coach and is considered to be
a leader and pioneer in the areas of personal and
professional development. Working with hundreds of
teams, companies and a wide variety of organisations
on numerous continents over the last twenty years
has given Craig a unique insight into, and
understanding of, human performance and all its
variables. Craig has an ability to educate, inspire,
challenge and make people laugh all at the same
time!
Yesterday we considered the fact that we are fast becoming a society of statues. A curious species who seem to have our collective asses permanently attached to a chair. Or preferably, a couch. We discovered that within a few years many of us will have identical movement patterns and daily activity levels to that of the Oak tree. Yep, it appears that many of us have become fat (seated) spectators in the game of life. Heavy sigh.
Fat sigh.
Moving towards a Solution So as I'm an Exercise Scientist and Personal Development Bloke, I thought it might be timely and appropriate for me to throw out one simple suggestion which might be a practical and realistic strategy to offset a little of that collective inactivity. A simple way to burn a bunch more cals, lose some weight and fat, improve our health, increase our fitness and get us in a better place emotionally and psychologically without even having to leave our lounge room (although we could do it anywhere). No use talking about problems unless we're serious about finding a solution. Otherwise we're just complaining.
Keeping it Simple
Note that what I am about to outline is not a global answer to obesity (of course) or a one-program-fits-all solution for the fat asses of the world. No, it's my way of showing how simple and effective exercising for weight-loss can be when we find a way, rather than find an excuse. While the moaning masses might be problem-focused, you and I are gonna be solution-focused. So there.
The following example is exactly that; an example of how practical and uncomplicated we can make the process of increasing our daily energy expenditure.
Some Interesting Facts:
1. The average Aussie watches about three hours of television per day - mostly in the evening. The figures are similar in the U.K. and actually a little higher in the States (according to the research I have).
2. Every hour of commercial prime-time television is programmed with about fifteen minutes of advertisements. Forty five minutes of show, fifteen minutes of ads - with the ads typically being broken up into five three(ish) minutes blocks.
3. An individual who regularly watches TV from 7.30pm - 10.30pm (for example) will be subjected to approximately forty five minutes of mind-numbing, ass-expanding ads every night.
The Suggestion
Use those three minute blocks to change your body and life.
A Question
What would happen over the course of a year if our average TV watcher got off the couch and did some simple, easy-to-do step-ups (stepping up and down on a box, step, platform) every time the ads were on? The answer is quite staggering.
Some Hypotheticals
The following hypothetical scenarios are based on the assumption that the only change in the subject's lifestyle (diet, incidental and occupational activity) is the inclusion of the fifteen three-minute bouts of stepping. The step height would be either eight or twelve inches (20 or 30cm). The estimated annual weight loss was calculated by dividing the total calories expended for the year (via stepping) by 3,500. See yesterdays article for clarification on the significance of the 3,500 figure.
Example 1. Weight of subject: 150 lbs (68 kgs)
Daily stepping commitment: 15 x 3 mins
Additional energy expended per day (8 inch box): 460 cals
Additional energy expended per day (12 inch box): 552 cals
Additional energy expended per year (8 inch box): 167,900 cals
Additional energy expended per year (12 inch box): 201,480 cals
Potential weight loss for the year (8 inch box):48 lbs (21.8 kgs) Potential weight loss for the year (12 inch box):57.6 lbs (26.1 kgs)
Example 2.
Weight of subject: 200 lbs (90.7 kgs)
Daily stepping commitment: 15 x 3 mins
Additional energy expended per day (8 inch box): 614 cals
Additional energy expended per day (12 inch box): 737 cals
Additional energy expended per year (8 inch box): 224,110 cals
Additional energy expended per year (12 inch box): 269,005 cals
Potential weight loss for the year (8 inch box):64 lbs (29 kgs)
Potential weight loss for the year (12 inch box):76.9 lbs (34.9 kgs)
Example 3. Weight of subject: 250 lbs (113.4 kgs)
Daily stepping commitment: 15 x 3 mins
Additional energy expended per day (8 inch box): 767 cals
Additional energy expended per day (12 inch box): 921 cals
Additional energy expended per year (8 inch box): 279,995 cals
Additional energy expended per year (12 inch box): 336,165 cals
Potential weight loss for the year (8 inch box):80 lbs (36.3 kgs) Potential weight loss for the year (12 inch box):96 lbs (43.5 kgs)
Wow! Freaky huh? Now, of course I'm not suggesting that we would, should or could (well, I guess we could if we really wanted to) step for forty five minutes every day for the next year, but what I am suggesting is that when we remove the emotion and the bullshit excuses, increasing our daily energy expenditure (thereby losing weight and fat) really ain't that complex. Unless of course we find a way to make it so. And no, what I've written above is not (in any way) intended to be a personal exercise prescription for any individual.
Who said disclaimer?
Some Final Thoughts
Naturally the heavier you are the more energy you will expend (cals you will burn) per unit of time, so simply adjust the numbers up or down by using the above weights and figures as a guide. Of course you could replace the step-ups with a number of alternatives and use your three minute intervals any way you choose. Activities such as stair walking, skipping, treadmill and stationary bike could all be viable options. There are a few other variables which will have some impact on precisely on how much energy you expend over your three minutes (like technique and intensity) but overall, the above figures will give you a good idea of what's possible.
I chose the old-fashioned step-up because it's cost effective, practical, convenient, requires no equipment (okay a box), no skill and is suitable for most fitness levels. It's also pretty handy at targeting the ass, hips and legs - per chance you should know somebody whose lower body is in need of some attention!
Okay, now I'd like you to do a little something for me. I would like your feedback on what type of articles you prefer me to write (health, fitness, motivational, creative, philosophical, thought-provoking, ass-kicking, humorous) and why. I know there will be a varied response to this one question but I would like to know why my readers come here, what type of content the majority prefer and how I can do what I do better. At the moment I am in the process of assessing how I do things here on the site - what needs to change, what should stay the same and what I should do differently to create a better product and to be more effective as a writer and educator.
If (for example) ninety five percent of you tell me that you don't want me writing health/fitness articles, then that's something I would take notice of and address. Any specific, relevant and constructive feedback on this matter would be welcomed.
However... I probably won't be changing my periodically-offensive, grammatically incorrect, conversational writing style any time soon. Sorry. No I'm not. Just click on the comment thingy and let me know what you think.
Thanks for your help.
As usual, love your thoughts and feedback on the above article too.
DVD
- Renovate Your Body - Craig Harper
In this entertaining presentation, Craig discusses the
notion of Renovating Your Body - once and for all. (Also
available on CD).
Fattitude
- Craig Harper
While many books focus on food,
Craig Harper teaches that creating life long change is more about the
dieter than the actual diet.
Food for thought
- Craig Harper
In this book, Craig Harper
walks the reader through his 21 rules to Permanent Weight Loss.
So you've decided you want to get in shape (again)
- Craig Harper
Imagine a pocket-sized fitness book that takes just twenty minutes to
read. Craig Harper addresses the REAL getting-in-shape issues.
