I recently went out to LA to interview some of the world's fastest humans, Allyson Felix, Tyson Gay and Jeremy Warriner for example. They were doing their speedy stuff for adidas, promoting new shoes and apparel, designed to boost performance. I'll be writing more about this in Ultra-FIT, Peak Performance and Athletics Weekly over the next few months.
But to whet your appetite here's something I learned from double world 200m champion Allyson Felix:
If you could run against anyone from history who would it be?
"Oh, hmm, thats a good question, (thinks). they would all beat me, but it would have been really cool to have run against Flo-Jo and Valerie Brisco-Hooks. Yeah, I think I would probably be watching them as I ran!"

And from Jeremy Wariner (twice 400m world champion and Beijing Olympic silver medalist and relay gold medalist, he fancies (if he could have) racing his occasional advisor Michael Johnson:
"Time wise we're running similar times, but he has run more 43's than me. Yeah, he has the world record, but I'm right there on his heels. I think it would have been a good race to watch. (laughing he then added), Yeah, he might get out a little faster than me, but it might be the first time that you see him get walked down."

John and Jeremy Wariner

Although it might appear that the rowing machine and the treadmill are the hardest exercise machines in the gym, this really is not the case. It all boils down to the amount of effort you put into a particular CV mode of exercise, your familiarity with it and with the rower in particular technique. If you put the same amount of effort into cycling as rowing, you will obviously be working at a comparable level of effort. Yes, there may be a higher calorie burn on the rower and whilst running (indoors or out) because of the additional muscle that is involved in these exercise forms and because of the load-bearing requirement of running, but in reality it is you, your fitness level and level of effort that will determine the difficulty of the workout, not the machine

Master technique
Following on from the above  you must ensure whatever your level of fitness that you perform your CV (and resistance exercises) with optimum technique. Failure do so could compromise the effectiveness of your workouts and at worse lead to injury. If you're unsure about how to use a piece of kit or perform an exercise ask a personal trainer or gym instructor

If you've been watching TV recently you'll have probably seen a raft of programmes looking at obesity. One programme on the BBC considered why slim people stay slim, whilst Channel 4 had (previously obese) Gok Wan empathising with obese young people and looking at further reasons for weight gain and how to lose it. Both programmes, (but especially the former) although entertaining and factual seemed to over complicate the issues involved. If you do the maths in 99% of cases weight gain is simply a product of overeating and under exercising. Yes, there could be fat genes and yes a few people will have hormonal problems, but for most of us losing weight is really simple. Control calories in against calories out and follow a healthy balanced diet. If we are all, as one of the programmes indicated, predetermined to be overweight, then why weren't more people 50 years ago. Obesity levels were so much lower then because people exercised more (as part of their daily lives, if not at the gym) and consumed less food.

That elusive six pack will be more attainable if you add rotational moves to your ab training as well as linear ones. Try the side plank with rotation. Lie on your side and lift your body into the air  keeping a straight line between the top of your head, your hips, and ankles. Hold this position by supporting your weight through lower upper arm/elbow and your feet. Lift your other arm up so that it is at right angles to the ground and then sweep it down and under your body. Rotate your torso as you do this. Reach through and then pull the hand back to the starting position to complete 1 rep. Do 3 x 10 on both sides

I've had a busy start to the New Year travelling up and down the country for various fitness and sports reasons .... it has been fun if tiring. Before I enlighten you - since when did the trains tilt and get to Manchester in just over 2 hours that's fast - last time I went it took ages but then steam was coming out of the engine. Steam was certainly prevalent as sweat evaporating from the players' bodies as I watched the Sales Sharks rugby team train on Tuesday and spoke to Jason White, their star player and Scotland captain, care of EAS supplements. Jason filled me on the life of a rugby professional and the full story will appear in next month's issue of Ultra-FIT. Also chatted to their conditioning guys - learnt some interesting things, such as combining weight training with scrum practice (pre-loading the muscles to fire up more power in the scrum).

Then I was back to London to interview two Gladiators  Jenny Pacey aka Enigma and Wayne Gordon aka Doom, do they want to be the 'Jordan and Peter Andre' or 'Posh Spice and Becks' of the fitness world? Again the article will appear in Ultra-FIT. Chatting to Jenny and Wayne was quite a laugh. And on Friday grabbing my trolley bag (!) for the last time in the week and feeling so tired, like I'd run the gauntlet (Gladiators game) facing both Enigma and Doom, I headed to London's 'most exclusive health and fitness club' at Chelsea FC  The Chelsea Club (www.thechelseaclub.com). I was very impressed with both the facilities and the knowledge of the staff. Mr Ambramovich has certainly invested his money wisely there - perhaps more so than on the pitch. I'll say to no more on than - other than perhaps that the professional footballers could learn from their professional rugby playing counterparts in terms of application and attitude..

Picture of Jason White