About Colin Ayliffe

Colin Ayliffe, BSc, is the founder of Coconut Fitness. An online coaching service that trains clients from all over the world. He has spent over a decade in the personal training industry working in London, Dubai, Bermuda, Thailand and now Cheshire, England. Colin would love it if you joined him on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram and YouTube. Get involved.

Why Reps and Sets Matter

Mar

Why do reps and sets matter? The general misconception in weight lifting is that 8 reps will make you big, 10 reps will keep you strong and anything above 15 will tone you up.

Why Women Need To Lift Weights

Jan

‘I don’t want to bulk up’ is one of the most common statements I hear when introducing female clients to resistance training but there are many reasons why women need to lift weights. Just the thought of a dumbbell seems to conjure up images of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Olympian power lifters when explaining the benefits… [Keep Reading]

How to Flatten your Mummy Tummy

Jan

Many new mothers complain about their ‘mummy tummy’. When working with mothers, whether they gave birth six months ago or six years ago, they frequently tell me how many crunches they do and how many hours they spend on the cardio machines but can never seem to flatten that midriff. A ‘mummy tummy’ or its… [Keep Reading]

The Science behind the Swiss Ball

Dec

Swiss balls are those big inflatable plastic balls that you probably have used or seen in the gym environment. Also known as stability balls or gym balls, Swiss Ball training has become a huge training accessory in the fitness industry over the last decade. The abdominal crunch seems to be the main exercise that is… [Keep Reading]

The Basics of Breathing

Nov

Most people are breathing wrong. Our respiration is the most important system in the human body but commonly the most over looked function when it comes to health and exercise. Far too many people simply do not understand the mechanics of breathing. Essentially, breathing is the intake of oxygen and release of carbon dioxide and… [Keep Reading]

How To Have Perfect Posture

Jul

Improving posture should be the cornerstone of every workout program. This is why I give all my clients a postural assessment before they embark on any personal training programme. Every time I mention about posture during a consultation, clients will suddenly sit bolt upright and pull their shoulders back. You are probably doing this right… [Keep Reading]

Do you suffer from muscle knots?

Jun

If you do then look no further than the almighty (and slightly neglected foam roller). The foam roller is a roll of hard foam that can be found in most gyms and rehabilitative settings. You may have noticed them lying around but never really known why or how we should use them. They’re are a great tool… [Keep Reading]

Do you need to stretch?

Jun

To stretch or not to stretch, that is the question. There still remains so much confusion and controversy over whether we should be stretching prior exercise or not. So what’s the science behind it? Some people believe that we should be stretching our muscles before we hit the gym whilst others are adamant that stretching will… [Keep Reading]

The Wonders of a Warm Up

Jun

Let’s admit it. Most of us do not warm up and if we do, it is not done properly. We usually skip the warm up as we either don’t have the time or do not fully appreciate the value of this component of our workout. Cool down periods are just a rarity. Five minutes on a treadmill… [Keep Reading]

Choose An Olympic Mindset

Aug

We’ve been spoilt with 16 days of athletic accomplishments at the very highest level during the 2016 Olympics in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. More than half the world watched the Games at some point, bringing countries together and turning Olympians into true legends. From a completely, unashamed, biased viewpoint, Great Britain did exceptionally well. It was… [Keep Reading]