Uncategorized – Page 4 – Never Give Up PT

Becoming Process Focussed, Not Outcome Focussed

I want to share with you the difference between a Process Focussed attitude and an Outcome Focussed attitude. Because when you can give yourself a little tap on the shoulder and remind yourself of the process then the outcome will eventually happen. I promise.

It All Needs A Process

I am so, so good at this in the gym with myself and my clients. I focus entirely on the process. That is my job. It’s what I am trained and disciplined in. But outside of the gym I have goals that I want now…right this second! And in frustration of not being able to get them right now means that the process gets crumpled up and torn like a handy pocket road map that has been stomped on during my tantrums. Had I kept a level head, the road map would still be intact and it would be easier to follow. The tap on the shoulder from myself, a professional, a partner or a friend can work wonders in working out the process for anything. A career move, a life skill, family life and health and fitness goals. It all needs a process.

Sometimes we just see a 10k run, a dress size, a one rep max or a weight loss target. The finer details of how we are getting there is the real key.

In football, the skill isn’t knowing that you need to score more goals than the opposition, it is how you’re going to do it. You can give any sporting example of this and it remains the same. The process needs to be the focus. The outcome harbours great rewards, but without the process you won’t get there.

Frustrations Of The Outcome Focus

So I’m not getting on my high horse here and telling you that I do everything perfectly and you need to step up. You might be able to help me find my process in other aspects of life with your skills. But I’m here to talk about fitness goals. And I’ve been prompted to give it a mention because the gym is full of outcome focussed people. They press, lift, run and jump without any attention to their process. They just want the results. And this can lead to frustration and in many cases injury.

And when you figure out a process for one thing, other parts of your life can begin to take shape too. Have you ever experienced getting a promotion in your career and found that your relationships in your private life improved? You have followed a process and met deadlines, hit targets, gave your colleagues morale boosts or took them under your wing and you got rewarded in your promotion. This made you feel good in other aspects of your life too.

It’s the same in your fitness goals. Once you begin a process in your fitness goals then you begin to focus on your day to day tasks that make up the little wins. And it’s not just about doing this in a gym. Imagine going for a walk with a friend or a partner away from the daily grind. Here you can discuss your ambitions, your feelings or put the world to rights. You feel great and you’ve managed a few thousand steps as well. Make this a regular exercise and you have started the process for your mental and physical health.

Becoming process focussed takes away the big issue that seems, at times, unobtainable…the outcome. To grow muscle you can’t just lift heavy stuff a lot. To lose weight healthily you can’t just eat less. To get a job promotion you can’t just turn up to an interview. To make a relationship work you can’t just add them as a Facebook friend. You need to work hard at a process that works to get the things that you want.

Small Victories Are Important

Focussing on the outcome will keep us bitter and when we have no way of getting there we give up. In my Coaching App it’s exactly what I do for hundreds of people. I’m the tap on the shoulder that reminds them of the process and enables people to reach their goals without even realising. That’s because they have enjoyed a journey that took them way beyond the anxieties of ‘ needing to lose a couple of stone’. They did that, but also found that they were in control of their life much more than when they had no direction. It became a foundation for their success. Focus and celebrate the small victories. It’s those that become the big ones.

Thank you for reading my article. If you need further advice on where to begin with your fitness process then do get in touch. I might be able to help.

Take Your Protein Pills And Put Your Gym Kit On

I’m not sure that had David Bowie brought out a song about taking protein and going to the gym, it would have catapulted his career to the great heights that it did. An astronaut traveling into space might have been a bit catchier. And who am I to argue with the Goblin King?!

I do, however, feel that I have the better insight into navigating us through this wretched Labyrinth of the fitness world. I’ll stick to that instead of trying to write a chart topping song.

The Research

What we currently know is that an active adult consuming 2000 calories per day will need 10% – 35% of their calories to be protein, or 50-175 grams. If you are training most days I would aim at the high end of that guide.

The Reason

Protein could be the defining difference between hitting your goals or them being forever eluding you. For weight/fat loss, protein adds satiety which keeps you full for longer. For muscle gain, it provides the amino acids to repair and rebuild.

The Good Protein Sources

Protein needs to be of good quality. I often joke as I’m eating pizza that is has protein in it. But I know that the processed cheese that lathers the top of my very tasty treat is not the quality my body needs. Instead I need to choose…

* lean meat- beef, lamb, veil and pork

* poultry- chicken, turkey

* seafood- fish, crab, prawns, mussels

* Eggs

* dairy- milk, Greek yoghurt, cottage cheese

* nuts and seeds- almonds, walnuts, cashew, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds

* Legumes and beans- lentils, chickpeas, tofu

* Protein drinks and bars

Every mealtime is an opportunity to get good nutrition and protein into your body. A poor nutritional meal is an opportunity missed. Most of the above can be sourced relatively cheap and can be added as a snack or incorporated into most nutritious meals.

I have often said that in my previous articles that I’m not reinventing the wheel when it comes to Personal Training. The majority of us don’t need meal planners written out for them. It is just common sense armed with the research available to me, but it means that we must get the basics right, and if we do, the journey won’t feel like you’re lost in a labyrinth. Instead you’ll be dancing in the street.

David Bowie on the set of his 1985 classic The Labrynth

My Own Rep 420 Journey

I rarely create a programme plan for my trainees that I wouldn’t attempt myself. Despite following my own programme religiously for a number of years (with two years off for Covid restrictions) I decided to begin the Rep 420 Challenge.

I’m currently in a slight calorie deficit hypertrophy phase of my own programme, so the Rep 420 isn’t a million miles away from that. Changing it up slightly is always exciting and rewarding both mentally and physically. For me, something new to attempt in the gym gives me that funny zippy feeling in the belly. The adrenalin keeps me going back for more.

How The Rep 420 Works

* The 420 reps is one workout which takes around one hour.

* It is a full body workout using just free weight (dumbbells, barbell and kettlebells).

* Rest periods are short and most rounds are completed as supersets.

* There are 7 exercises which will be performed over 6 sets in total. The end result is a huge amount of reps and a kick ass workout!

But that’s just one day! A second 420 reps is performed on another day plus at least one isolation workout (I plan 2/3 isolation sessions on top of two 420 workouts) per week.

The high reps will contribute to muscle adaptation, sarcoplasmic and myofibrilic hypertrophy and a firm nod towards fat burn as long as I stay within my calorie deficit.

I have a few trainees currently trialling a 420 workout with a view of launching this programme next month. Contact me for details if you’d like to trial it. I always appreciate the feedback.

Thanks for reading!

shay.pt@hotmail.com

The Smith Machine Donkey Kick

A little introduction to the Smith machine…

The Smith machine is becoming more and more popular due to its versatility. And yet when LA gym owner Jack LaLanne first rigged a sliding bar in his gym back in the 50’s I don’t think that the piece of kit was necessarily designed to be versatile. Even when it was modified by a trainer called Rudi Smith to what we now know as the Smith machine I doubt that it was ever supposed to be anything but a squat and press machine.

As a squat and press machine the jury is still out. Unless you are also performing free weight squats the Smith is a poor alternative according to a recent report stating that free weight squats activated muscle 43% more than with a Smith.

“So why big up the Smith machine if it’s no good, Shay?!”

Well it’s a great bit of kit if you are going to Smith squat as well as free weight squat. But on top of that, for the past 70 years trainers and gym goers have been coming up with some very clever ideas to isolate their muscles to further enhance their hypertrophy and ‘toning’. After all, squats are one of the best compounds that you can perform but without the finishing touches then we might not always get the shape that we desire.

Enter the Smith Donkey Kick!

I would consider the Donkey Kick to be up there with the very best of glute isolation techniques, especially on a Smith. Remember I’ve talked about the need for progression in our workouts? Well eventually you will need a new way to stimulate your gluteals past your usual body weight kicks. If you’re a man reading this you might not think that Smith Donkey kicks apply to you. Wrong! Just because you don’t see other men perform them doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. A recent survey by Gentleman’s Journal showed that 62% of females find a good ass attractive. And if you’re like me and you’re already taken and you don’t feel the need to peacock anymore then a good ass can be satisfying for your own self esteem too. We all turn in the mirror to give our own ass a good squeeze right?!….Or is that just me? Ok…. Moving on!

The vast majority of Smith Donkey kickers are female, that’s true. And if you were to ask any of them to give up one aspect of their training they wouldn’t choose the SDK. It has become an essential part of booty isolation because of the results that they get from performing it. But they also do the tough free weight squats and deadlifts too, so don’t think you can kick your way out of doing the heavy stuff too.

The BOTTOM Line

The fact is that our muscles need as much stimulus as possible to produce new lean muscle that can make us look and feel great in a pair of jeans, dress or shirt. But not just that. It enhances performance for our sport, general fitness goals and in every day life. An independent 80 year old who can still walk, stand from a seated position and climb out of a bath tub will more than likely have a history in participating in a sport, performing compound movements and working on muscle development as a younger person.

So seeing as I enjoy a quote from the great philosophers of our time, as Ice Cube once said…”You can do it. Put your back in to it. Put your ass in to it.”

Thank you for reading! Please check out my other articles on gym life, family life and nutrition on my site.

Breaking The Magician’s Code

That’s Magic!

As a kid I used to love watching magic shows. From Paul Daniels producing a rabbit from a hat to David Blaine’s street performances of him levitating and having the crowd of onlookers agog at his seemingly supernatural abilities.

After a while though, perhaps around the time I realized that Santa wasn’t real, the magic wasn’t real for me anymore. I much preferred knowing the how and why of a magician’s trickery than becoming submerged in the mystery of it. I had seen people ‘magically’ being sawn in half a thousand times and even entire buildings disappear, but I just wanted to know how it was done.

Back in the 90’s a masked magician turned up on our screens called Val Valentino. The show was called Breaking The Magician’s Code where he would perform the trick and then explain how it was done. This didn’t go down well with traditional magicians who were in the Magician’s Circle, where you take the secrets of magic to your grave. Valentino was seen among his peers as a magician who had betrayed his community.

Valentino justified his actions by saying that he “wanted to get people talking again about the magical arts” as he began to recognize the impact that technology and the internet would have in the profession and “magicians were becoming complacent”. Maybe he did change the world of magic. Pulling a rabbit out if a hat became old skool. Along came the likes of Blaine and Derren Brown to revamp the art.

Keeping The Audience Interested

I’ll be totally honest. My profession needs a kick up the arse too. I hear so much about different methods, techniques and formulas from Coaches and Personal Trainers and I have my own methods that I introduce to my clients too. I’m not disrespecting anybody’s work here. But it’s time that we were honest with the public. Whatever plan, method or technique a PT wishes to use and endorse it is not reinventing the wheel. They have not just come up with the newest ‘fat burning plan that will change the world’. What they have done is come up with a catchy title and a workout that keeps you active, a programme that keeps you interested. and a mindset that empowers your nutritional choices.

A trainer’s method should include…

* A plan that works for YOU and YOUR lifestyle. Not a copy and paste.

* Achievable goals. This can include a new Personal best in how far you have walked/run or it could be a certain weight lifted. It could also be goals to hit a certain macro target this week. Achieving this will create a better chance of hitting your big goals.

* Regular check ins and discussion opportunities. You should be able to talk to your trainer whenever you need to.

There are many good trainers that are providing this service, but it doesn’t matter if they call their programme…

* 60 day fat shred

* 16 week couch to 5k

* 6 week summer body

* The little Black Dress

* 40 day toner

Or the latest method that I have recently created…

* Rep 420 Challenge

They should all have the same theme. It should encourage more movement in a fun and engaging way which promotes mindful eating and a healthy lifestyle. There is no secret formula that a coach has invented. They have simply created a method that they feel will inspire their client to stick to it. Because a method that nobody wants to stick to is not going to work. No tricks. No magic or mystery. Just a method that keeps the audience interested.

My Rep 420 Challenge is a method of creating full body workouts for busy people in a fun and achievable way. It allows the trainee to hit every muscle group without the tedious task of completing a ‘leg day’ or a ‘chest day’. How many gym visits do you need to hit every individual muscle group? I work in a gym. I usually have the time. But the regular person wanting to tone up a little and lose a few pounds doesn’t. I understand that.

The Final Act

But I haven’t waved a magic wand and made the Statue Of Liberty disappear by creating it. I simply engaged the audience and gave them a direction on what to focus on. They become as committed to the final act as I do not through any art of deception or hocus pocus, but by providing simple answers to their questions.

Telling someone to move a bit more and eat a bit less to lose weight is not the greatest advice. But providing a sustainable structure to build into their lifestyle is. That’s where the real magic happens.

It Must Be The Banana

It must be the banana that made me put on weight, It couldn’t possibly be that beer or the other eleven in the crate.

I’ll cut out all fruit and see how I go, It must be my daily banana, you never know.

It must be the water that causes my bloat, it couldn’t be the crisps that I shoved down my throat.

I’ll cut down on my water drinking, it must be the culprit, that’s what I’m thinking.

It must be the lean muscle that has added a few pounds, I’ll quit my boxing coach and drop the ten rounds.

I don’t want to look too bulky and strong, I’ll go back to old habits where my lifestyle was wrong.

It must be the workouts that cause my neck cricks, it can’t be the laying for hours watching Netflix.

I’ll cancel my trainer and all of their encouraging ways, there’s a new series to sit down to with Ricky Gervais.

It must be the banana that made me put on weight, and the hundreds of other foods the media make me hate.

Yes, it must be the banana.

Is A Behind The Neck Shoulder Press Safe To Perform?

Over the past few years I have started to hear reports that the behind-the-neck shoulder press is dangerous and is best to sack it off from your workout. In this article I will give you the pros and cons of this technique and delve into the reasons why this movement is increasingly becoming a dinosaur.

Ok, so first here’s my story and my background on the BNSP…

The Wheely Bin?!

This used to be a staple move for me to perform some 20 years ago as I felt that it completed my shoulder workout. Later I will explain why. I knew that the range in which I was exposing my rotator cuffs was putting them under extra stress, yet I continued to perform them with good results (no apparent injury with trapezius and rear delt hypertrophy).

But I did sustain an injury about 10 years ago which had nothing to do with any exercise in the gym. During my weekly task of putting the wheely bin out at home I grabbed the handle to pull it down the garden path. The wheely bin was obviously heavier than I had anticipated and as I pulled the handle the bin stayed in place. I heard a tear come from my rotator cuff. My fault of course as I hadn’t made a full assessment of the load I wanted to move. It was late, I was tired and my Homer Simpson pyjamas weren’t the height of fashion for the neighbors to see. I wanted the job done quickly. Doh!

Take Injury Rehab Seriously

Fortunately, I knew how to repair such an injury as I have lots of experience in doing so. I continued to train, but I left out any techniques that could damage it further. That included the BNSP. In fact anything that involved lifting above the head was dealt with extreme care. The amount of injuries that I see from gym goers that don’t heal or get worse is saddening. Injury rehabilitation is a skill that too many people aren’t prepared to pay for. I don’t enjoy having to pay for a car mechanic when my car is knackered, but I appreciate and enjoy the benefits of doing so.

There’s no denying that a BNSP is very beneficial in hitting the rear delts like no other press. And to train muscle groups equally without creating an imbalance then it should remain a useful technique to perform. However, consider using a lighter barbell or even using a Smith machine to keep your movement flush.

The Smith machine could provide an alternative way of performing a free weight BNSP

The Bottom Line…

Any exercise can cause injury if it is performed incorrectly. And sometimes you get unlucky. Injury occured even with impeccable form. There are instances where I would not prescribe a BNSP to my clients but I know their abilities and past injuries so, although I am a PT, I am not your PT. So if you have poor shoulder mobility it is likely that this is not an exercise that you should be doing without support and advice from a professional who knows you.

Thanks for reading! If you enjoy my content take a look on my home page for gym advice and motivation.

Shay.

Where’s Mi Cheese?

Cheese is grate, but this is just for the kids dinner.

Allow me to introduce myself.

My name is Shay. I’m a Personal Trainer from Scarborough, UK, who does a really crap Wallace And Gromit impression. My wife, Lou, is from Wensleydale and after hearing just about the whole world shout “Where’s mi cheese Gromit?!” Every time she says where she is from, she can confirm that mine is one of the worst.

Hmmmm. Cheese though. It’s nice.

And in the past few weeks I have limited my cheese eating for the sake of a recent calorie cut. Around May each year I begin to make slight adjustments to my diet and I take my calorie consumption into a deficit. But notice how I say ‘limited’ my cheese consumption. I have reduced the amount that I eat each week so that I am no longer eating stilton and crackers every night.

It also means that instead of drinking the Off License dry I will stick to a few gin and tonics on a weekend.

And if an occasion crops up where others are eating and drinking in celebration then I might partake in a (large) slither of cheese and a (goldfish bowl size) glass of Rioja. This Daddy won’t be hungry or thirsty on Father’s Day!

I will be fairly strict, however, in my day to day nutrition to stick to my deficit. But I won’t be banning anything. I’m not out to punish myself. I don’t want it to make me unhappy. I like food. I like training. I like results. Those three work well together if they are managed sensibly. So there has to be compromises if I want these results and stay happy.

To create my deficit I am not particularly changing my lifestyle in any major way. Sure, I need to change certain habits for it to work. I need to remain mindful of my goals. And most importantly, I must stay focussed on why I want these goals. It’s not just for the aesthetics.

Negative habits can escalate. Before you know it you’ve drunk alcohol ever night this week. The jeans or dress stays in the wardrobe for another year. You won’t be fitting into that anytime soon. It’s depressing. Out comes the huge slab of Cheddar and a pack of Jacobs crackers for comfort again. And then a bar of chocolate to sweeten the palate. The habit grows stronger.

I’m 43 now. I don’t want to be a knackered old dad who can hardly run up and down the park playing Tig with my kids. I don’t want my dad to have to bury me. I don’t want to leave Lou to bring up two kids on her own while she tries to answer their questions of why daddy died.

“He drank every night, didn’t exercise properly and ate crap every day kids.” Isn’t what I want my kids to hear.

“He was hit by a bus”. Sounds much cooler if I’ve really got to leave this mortal realm before full time.

Creating these targets and goals throughout the year keeps me on my toes. It brings me back down to earth. I’ll eat what I like, but I’ll spread the love a little thinner for a while rather than binging on it day after day.

So if you hear me asking “Where’s mi cheese?” In a really bad Wallace voice, then ignore me. Lou does.

Ask to join my app if you would like to try the Balanced Plate Challenge with me and my trainees!

The Cable Machine Appreciation Society

Does anyone remember when they were a kid and they’d find a lonely exercise bike in the corner of their parents spare room? Dust would gather on the bits that wasn’t used to hang the clothes on to dry.

Perhaps you have felt a bit nostalgic and got yourself an exercise bike too. And just like mum and dads it dries clothes really well.

I remember my parents having a rowing machine too but its awkward frame didn’t lend itself to being much of a clothes dryer. Although I do recall that it made a good battle ground for my He-Man and Skeletor action figures.

There are lots of home gym equipment that seem to get tossed to one side or used for something completely different. Our 4kg kettlebell makes for a fantastic door stopper. A couple of dumbbells in the garden are great footy posts for the kids and the battle rope in the garage seems to provide perfect chewing material for the mice.

Yet if anyone said to me that their Cable Machine multi gym was left unused I would gasp in horror. It is almost perfect and this is my case for it to be one of your go-to pieces of kit whether it be at home or in the gym…

It is versatile. There isn’t one muscle group that cannot be trained on a cable machine. If it has all of its attachments then a full workout can be done on it.

It is non-linear. Don’t be fooled by the ‘machine’ in its title. The cables provide a non-linea movement unlike its weight machine buddies. Non-linea movement can heal old injuries and avoid new ones, it allows better mind to muscle connection as you have to think about the movement much more and it keeps your core engaged.

More time under tension. There is no resting position on a cable. Think of performing cable flyes. At the top of the concentric movement, the cable wants to pull your arms back which means that your muscles are continuously engaged as you apply force against it. Don’t fib now! You’ve found a resting point using dumbbells right?!

A great way to finish a workout. Ok, despite my appeals for an appreciation of the cable machine, free weights are still the king of resistance training. But if free weights are Super Mario, then the cables are a very respectable Luigi. And you can burn out on free weights. Your muscles need a selection of different stimulus to grown lean and strong. So when you think that your muscle can’t perform another rep with a free weight, replicate the movement on the cable and rep out until exhaustion.

I hope I’ve put forward a good case for the cable multi gym machine. Thanks for reading!

Question…What’s your favourite piece of equipment that deserves a shout out?!

When Is The Best Time To Have A Protein Shake?

Me holding up an empty bottle for the purpose of this article.

Protein shakes are extremely popular amongst gym goers and athletes. They are one of the few supplements that have been tried and tested to actually do what it says on the tin. However, without a proper training regime in place and a nutritional diet to support the protein shake then you aren’t going to see the benefits.

So, assuming that your training is on point and you have a reasonably good diet which hit your daily macros and calorie goals, when should you take a protein shake?

Firstly, it is important to describe the two most popular types of protein. This might help you decide which one it is that you purchase.

Whey Protein

Whey is a dairy based protein with all the essential amino acids which is quickly absorbed by the body. This would be perfect for drinking straight after a workout as it begins to help the healing process from your hard work. Because it works quickly (your body can break it down within 20 minutes of drinking it) whey is useful if you are still on the go even after your workout.

Casein Protein

Casein is also dairy based with all the essential amino acids but is slowly absorbed by the body. This would be ideal for drinking in the evening as it sets to work during the night which prevents muscle loss, especially in older people. Due to its ‘slow release’, casein can also help with those late night snacky feelings just before you go to bed.

Both of these proteins are very effective in muscle gain, weight loss, strength gain and endurance. But it is important to note that for weight loss you must still be in a calorie deficit, even after taking a protein shake. 300 calories is still 300 calories, even if it is protein. Check out the range of low calorie protein shakes that are available.

The Last Word…

The most sensible advise on when to take a protein shake would be whenever you get the opportunity. Don’t stress over it if you haven’t got one at hand straight after a workout. Studies show that the ‘metabolic window’ isn’t necessarily just 15 minutes after training we were once led to believe but the term ‘Golden Hour’ is now referred to as the optimum time for the body to absorb the most nutrients after training. So we don’t all have to make a mad dash to our lockers as soon as we finish our workout!

And if you really want to show off, drink whey after a workout and casein just before bed!