How intimidating is the gym to you?
I'll always remember the 1st time I walked into a gym. It was the early 90s and it was a spit and sawdust type place in West Croydon. What stood out for me was how HUGE everyone looked! Plus how everyone seemed to know what they were doing, AND they all seemed to be lifting weights the size of small houses! I look back at that now because this month (as we all know!) will have the largest annual influx of new faces into gyms worldwide!😱 I decided to wait until a few weeks into the NEW YEAR NEW ME phase before dropping MY 10 GYM COMMANDMENTS on y'all! (Huge Notorious BIG reference right there!) Those who know know! 😉
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When I set off on my goal to drop from 120kg (260lbs), one of the main things I had to deal with is constant comments from so called friends and family. Some of my favourites are..
![]() So here's the thing with a commercial gym, if you're new to it, it's one of the most intimidating places to try and get started in. Most decent gyms will offer you an induction, if you're unsure of what you need to do to achieve your goals, this might be a good place to start. Ask to speak to a Personal Trainer or Fitness Instructor. Another option however is trying out classes or group exercise. ![]() Why Group Exercise? When I first decided to start training properly (as in planned weekly programs and tracking progress), I found it easier to commit to the process by training with a training partner. We met and went for a run before the gym opened and then trained in the gym afterwards. We grew into a group of 3 a few months later. Our routine was 2 days of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and 3 days of Resistance Training (Weigh Training) 1 Lower and 2 Upper body sessions Eventually, the group grew to 17 (yes, SEVENTEEN!) It was made up of a group of folks aged from their teens through to their 60's, male and female. Most of us have since become longterm friends and still keep in touch. The point I'm getting to is, more than 50% of that group would not have continued to train IF they did not have that group continually pushing them on. We set up a text group, and the chat on this group was not just effective in keeping everyone in touch with each other, but it also served as a way to keep everyone motivated, and on track. All of a sudden, people started packing their gym bags the night before, leaving it by the front door, eliminating the excuse of not being ready in the morning. Next, we started turning up 10 minutes before the gym opened, meeting in the car park to strategise, and get pumped up before starting the workout! We became very efficient with our time, maximised every minute, and always walked out of that studio feeling great every time! It's fair to say we became more than an exercise group, we became a community of friends! I see this in classes I have taught in the past and in ones I teach now. There are people in these classes who would probably NOT have come into the gym that day, but because they know they'd be letting the group down if they don't make it in, they make that extra effort to show up and give their all! Getting yourself fitter and healthier starts with making sacrifices. You have to be selfish and forgot certain things you currently do to get the results you want. Also, be prepared to have to deal with some friends and family being resistant to this as well as ridiculing you as they don't want you to change because your changes will be changing their worlds as well. Not everyone will be supportive or understand your journey.
That's ok though, because it's YOUR journey not theirs. So get in touch today, so we can get started on your journey! Have a good week. 👊🏾 An ideal way to achieve and sustain fat loss.
These might seem like very difficult steps to follow or adhere to, but here's the thing, what's your alternative? The reality is not looking after yourself now, not eating healthy or exercising only ends one way, and it's not a good one! So here we go. ![]() Let's start with some home truths.... I'm not perfect, not even close! Nor is my journey the perfect way to get fit. However, I did it. I also managed to put some body fat back on, but hey listen, I'm nowhere near as unfit as I was 10 years ago! My personal battle will forever be to NEVER, EVER have to buy 42 inch waist trousers again. NEVER have to by XXL T-Shirts again, NEVER tip the scales at 120kg (264lbs) again. This is a guest post from my longest standing client Darshna Kshatri. If you're looking for some inspiration before starting your own fat loss journey, I suggest you read this!
Take it away Darshna! 😊 Trust me, I'm not one to get all preachy and pass judgment on others and there views, but...
The first question to ask yourself is how active are you on a daily/weekly basis? Unless you're already tracking this somehow, whatever you come up with will be a guesstimate and won't help you reach the goals you're striving for. This is an example of an average days activity for me, tracked by Fitbit
First off, it’s been a while since my last blog so apologies!
I’ve had discussions with people in the past who say they eat healthy, but can’t seem to lose weight. In some cases, they have no idea of how much they eat and how much they actually need to eat to lose or maintain their weight. The simple science behind weight loss is this – If you burn more calories than you eat you will lose weight. In other words, you need to be in a calorie deficit to achieve weight loss. For example, if you burn 3,500 calories per week or 500 calories per day less than you eat you will lose a pound of fat per week. However, unless you know your current calorie intake and activity levels, how will you know if/when you’re consuming less and moving more? To get a clearer picture of all this you need to be able to measure/track both Nutrition and Activity. Part 1 of this blog will cover Nutrition. ![]() So I've been at this PT lark for a while now and trained all kinds of people….young, old, male, female so on and so on. There is however one thing that has made the whole process of me going from being an office dwelling desk jockey to a fully-fledged fitness professional justified...Getting people results! Helping people achieve their goal is just the best feeling. So You're A Personal Trainer Now Huh?!
Can you sense the sneer in that question? Well it's there trust me! It's in there for real! That snarky judgemental tone I get from certain friends and family when I tell them what I now do. As you can tell from the rather humorous image above, everyone has a different view of what a Personal Trainer (PT) is these days! So much so that each and every client and personal trainer you ask would probably give you a completely different explanation of what they expect or provide as a personal trainer. So to coin a phrase from back in the day....Let me break it down for ya! ![]() This topic might sound like a very simple one to most, but believe you me, if it was that easy, everyone who ever decided to lose weight, lower their body fat percentage or get healthy would do so in no time and with minimum effort! However, as we all know, the reality is something completely different. One thing I've learnt over the years is that a lot of people struggle to eat right. By this I mean, they struggle to figure out what version of a particular food is the healthiest or cleanest one.
What doesn't help is the mountain of misinformation, and false advertising out there that further complicates matters! Now I'm not saying I'm about to put an end to all that, but what I'll do is give you some bits of advice and information to help the decision making process a whole lot easier! I want one of these....GET ME ONE OF THESE NOW!! Yup!!
That's a genuine and regular request I get from prospective clients, and I'm sure most Personal Trainers get it as well! With Summer more or less upon us, there will be more and more people trying to achieve that dream summer body, which always invariably includes...you guessed it wanting washboard abs! So let's have a closer look at the reality behind the process. ![]() Nice cold glass of the good stuff? Don't mind if I do! Been a while since my last blog! Apologies, but I've been busy trying to get the world fit, one client at a time! Haha! Anyhooo..... Water Let's start with the basics. Water makes up more than 60% of our body, which means it needs to be constantly replenished by ensuring we consume....you guessed it, more water. NOT fizzy drinks, NOT ''fat-free'', ''sugar-free'' or ''diet'' versions of fizzy drinks and NOT alcohol. Just good old fashioned water. ![]() Most of us have been there at some point in our lives…. We decide we want to lose weight, and set a target of X amount of pounds or kilos. Most will think - ‘well there’s nothing wrong with that!’ There is however a slight flaw to this way of thinking when you’re looking to set and achieve your fitness goals. You should NOT get bogged down with losing weight, and continually weighing yourself! Instead, focus on reducing body fat and getting healthy. There’s a distinct difference between trying to lose weight and trying to lose fat. To start off, I’d like to clarify that I am reviewing two different shoes here, and I’m doing so from having used them myself over the last 2 years.
When I started intensifying my training regime about 2010, I decided to ensure I was using the correct kit, equipment and footwear for what I was about to embark on. At the time, I owned a couple of gym shoes - a pair for Adidas squash shoes, and a pair of Saucony ones for every day gym use as well as road running. I soon realised that neither of the above shoes would be ideal for High Intensity Plyometric sessions, which was what I had found out would be the best way for me to achieve my goals at the time. Let’s talk about fat in this the third instalment of the Food Glorious Food (FGF) blogs.
Fat is another of the three main macronutrient food groups (Carbs and Protein being the other 2); it therefore also serves a very important role in the preparation of our day-to-day nutrition. Despite the fact that some might immediately look at ‘Fat’ as a negative in terms of nutrition, the right sort of Fat is needed for a healthy and balanced diet. It is only when too much, too little or the wrong kind of fat is consumed that it can then become detrimental to health, and lead to ailments such as coronary heart disease. Let’s have a closer look at Fats categorisation to get a better understanding of what kinds of fats we need, and the kinds we need to avoid. A few years ago, I met and became good friends with Oke Ememe. His journey is not dissimilar to mine in that he lost a lot of body fat by changing his lifestyle completely. He did however go one better by competing successfully in the NPA (Natural Physique Association) Body-building championships in 2013.
In this piece, he gives us an insight into his fitness and nutrition regime in the build up to his competition. It's a very interesting read, and I hope you enjoy it. I know, I know! It’s been so long since I covered FGF Part one, that a lot of you are probably thinking, ‘‘what was Part one then?’’ To answer that, please click on the image above.
Anyway… Here’s the thing about protein, it comes in so many shapes, sizes and guises that there are enough options available! Whether you’re vegetarians, pescetarian and so on! As it’s one of the 3macro-nutrient food groups that we all need for every day sustenance, its importance cannot be overlooked at all! Firstly, let’s start by having a look at what protein actually is.... For quite a few years now, High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT for short) has become more and more prevalent in the fitness industry.
To simplify, the term refers to short periods of high intensity exercise. It can be performed as a session on its own, or as part of a workout routine. The session/routine will also include short or active rest periods. Active rest period referring to periods of rest during which you remain mobilised (for example slow jogs or skips) The point is a HIIT workout can be anything you want it to be, as long as you stick to the principle of short rest in between performing exercises. ![]() Happy New Year all! Below is a guest post from a Dave Brockway of Before 2 After to help with your nutrition goals as you start the new year afresh. As much as I believe that you need to have started your journey towards a new you before January 1st, and not attach importance to one particular date on the calendar, this piece will definitely help you gain a better understanding of the nutritional side of things. Over to you Dave! Things That Will Make Fat Loss Fail In The New Year : You Cut Your Calories Too Low |
AuthorHi, Lou here, I'll be sharing my thoughts and insights via my blog regularly, so please stay tuned! CategoriesArchives
January 2020
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