body confident – Page 9 – Never Give Up PT

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.

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!

Use Your Toolkit

If you’re a handy person who is good around the house at fixing things and doing a few home improvements then you probably have a tool kit. Your kit will provide you with lots of tools to get a specific job done.

American soldiers in World War 2 had their own little handy tool which became very useful during their time away on duty. The Offiziersmesser, or Swiss Army Knife as they called it, had scissors, saw blade, assortment of screwdrivers, bottle and can openers attached to a spearpoint blade.

When you enter the gym you open your very own handy tool box. Every piece of equipment is a tool to provide you with the ability to reach your goal.

Or at home, if you have invested in equipment for your home workouts, you can have a good selection of tools in which to achieve your fitness objectives.

Even in the outdoors you can use different gradients and an assortment of training methods to meet targets.

And you carry a great tool around with you all day. Body weight exercise is an excellent way to stay active.

And yet in a recent survey (yougov) in the UK it was found that 37% of adults do not even meet at least one hour of physical activity a week. The Department Of Health And Human Services in the US reported that only 22% of adults complete 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week. Interestingly in Europe, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany and Austria are the most physically active with half of their adult population engaging in the recommended amount of exercise according to WHO.

We have all of these tools but not enough people willing to use them. The top 5 reasons that I am given on why they don’t exercise are…

1. “I did but got bored and gave up.”

Solution…An exercise routine should not be boring. If it is then change it immediately. Join a different fitness class, change your goals to more achievable ones, find out more about the variety of equipment and never be aftaid to enter the free weight area of a gym.

2. “It is too expensive.”

Solution…walking, running, bodyweight home workouts are free. My fitness app is free on entry with regular workout ideas. There are budget gyms in most major towns and cities and equipment can be sourced on selling sites.

3. “I don’t have the time.”

Solution…If you work at the right intensity a 20 minute workout can be done daily to good effect. It doesn’t need a journey to and from the gym and an elaborate routine. Just small tweaks in your lifestyle should be able to accommodate some sort of physical activity each day.

4. “I don’t know what to do”.

Solution…Ask a friend who goes to the gym, plays a sport or enjoys running and walking if you could go along too. Also, a good PT will show you what to do and will add accountability.

5. “I’m injured.”

Solution…You can still exercise with an injury. In fact, gentle physical activity can help the healing process. Just find out from a professional what the best activities for your injury would be.

You have a box with lots of different tools to help you improve your physical and mental health. You just need to open it up.

https://www.trainerize.me/profile/nevergiveup2/?planGUI

Knowledge Is Power

When I first started training I wasn’t interested in the finer details such as my diet, muscle groups, recovery and time under tension. I just wanted to get into the gym, throw some weights around and get out. I spent years of my 20’s doing this.

I had some positive results, of course. I kept myself ‘in shape’ and my mental health began to improve. But I also had lots of time out due to injuries and disillusionment. There were something missing. Through ignorance and perhaps the arrogance of youth I didn’t think that I needed to know how to perform in the gym.

It’s like wanting to bake a cake without knowing its ingredients or baking times. You can call it a cake. It comes out of the oven resembling something of a cake. But had you followed a recipe and understood the procedure if could have been so much better.

I never followed a recipe until my PT friend started training with me. He was perplexed at how disorganized my method was. My first mistake was that I couldn’t give him a logical answer on my goals. I wanted size and strength, but I also wanted definition and to lose some belly fat. I would lift heavy not just because I thought that I would get laughed at by my gym peers if I didn’t, but because I thought that this would give me bigger looking muscle.

I gave him an idea of my daily calorie consumption which was generally at a deficit due to me wanting to lose the belly fat.

“But you’re confusing your body.” My friend said. “You ask it to grow in the gym but don’t provide it with the right amount of calories, protein or nutrients to do so outside of the gym.”

This was a lightbulb moment. Immediately I dropped the weight that I was trying to lift. My form improved in the first week. I remained at a slight calorie deficit but increased my protein intake. He explained different training splits such as push/pull and upper/lower. He described the periodization process and how I can achieve muscle hypertrophy, strength, power and be confident in maintaining a 16-18% body fat.

This would take time. I began to appreciate all of this would take time. But because my time away from the gym had reduced due to ego injuries and a lack of knowledge I progressed well. It wasn’t just about how I felt or looked anymore. I wanted to know what muscle performed which function rather than keep my focus on aesthetics. As I became more experienced in my routine and worked through each period of my programme I became fitter. I moved better in my everyday life. I ran faster. I jumped higher. I slept better. I focussed on tasks at work easier. I wanted to learn even more. I realized that knowledge was power. My life was improving and, without even noticing, my physique was too.

You don’t have to be an expert, but you should acquire knowledge from those who know not just gym form and techniques, but who also know you. After all, the ripped dude on his YouTube channel sounds like he knows what he is talking about, but he doesn’t know you, your needs, your goals, your likes or dislikes.

When you start learning the basics you’ll find that it’s a piece of cake.

Pomp And Circumstance

If you can remember Brie Vandercamp from the US drama Desperate Housewives, you would get the idea of what my wife is like in the lead up to an event. Whether it be one of our boys birthday parties, Christmas day or as it was on this occasion the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee street party, Lou will spend hours in the kitchen baking and making the day really special for everyone.

Lou and Jonas at the Jubilee street party

Our boys get involved in the baking too, but on the whole, they have to put up with Lou stressing in the kitchen and me running about trying to be sous chef. Our two boys, aged just 8 and 5, are very patient with us!

They understand pomp. I hate pomp and I hope that our kids do when they grow up too, but they understand that it is something that grown ups do sometimes. We entertain guests. We show off our freshly baked buns. We take a neighbour to see our newly fitted kitchen. We invite friends round to watch the footy on the 60 inch state of the art TV on Sky. Us grown ups love it.

For some it’s a case of showing off a skill at something and being able to showcase it to our friends. Or perhaps it’s splashing the cash to appear affluent or doing well in life. For others it might be the regalia of dressing up and enjoying the limelight.

At some stage, our boys have seen this from us as parents and from others around them. Yet, although the event is important at the time (after all who wants an over baked bun) it is nothing but pomp and circumstance. It means nothing.

I’m not interested in my eldests new footy skill or spelling results. I’m not bothered about when my youngest first ties his shoelaces or his table manners.

As I tucked my youngest into bed tonight I whispered ‘Thank you. Thank you for being you.” I don’t care what anybody else thinks he is good at or not good at, I just love the person that he is. He should know this. He should love himself. He should love himself for being himself. I know I do.

So far, I have two boys that believe in God, love the UK royalty and what they stand for and want Aston Villa and Barcelona to win everything. I don’t have the same views. But I will facilitate their own beliefs, views and wishes without my own prejudices. I am not always right in what I believe in, but it’s right for me. The same goes for them. They still believe in Santa. If they still believe in Santa when they’re 30 then I’ll be jealous because they haven’t become a sinical old git like me.

I have been accused before of shunning the Union Jack flag. I don’t wave it with patriotic pride. But I wouldn’t wave any countries flag with pride. I’m proud of being an Earthling. I just think that flags and anthems can be a barrier to being a better Earthling. So today, as much as I appreciate that I am privileged to live in a relatively safe country, celebrating an institution I consider outdated was out of my comfort zone. But I did it because my family wanted to be a part of a celebration that was important to them.

I will teach my boys right from wrong. But I want them to make their own minds up on so much about what life will ask of them on their own. They will make mistakes but the biggest mistake they could make is being afraid of making one at all. Make decisions. Make choices. Make bad ones. Make good ones. But son, make one and learn from it.

They’ll get caught up in the pomp and circumstance of life as they get older. They’ll want a bigger Christmas tree than the Bennetts from number 39 one day. They’ll strive for 5 bedrooms rather than 4 when they’re a home owner. They’ll want to show off their first ever car to a partner. They’ll want adoration from somebody else.

I just hope that they realise that getting someone else’s approval shouldn’t be what makes them happy in life. Their happiness depends on their own perception of themselves, not what others allow them to believe.

5 Minutes

We aren’t going to go through life faultless. If I could give my younger self any advice it would be this. We make mistakes, but the biggest mistake of all would be not to use that lesson and improve on what we have learned from it.

I missed so many opportunities to learn.

Being guided by experience shouldn’t be a case of dwelling on your past though. Looking back for too long can give you neck ache. And although looking to the future can be helpful, trying to plan your next 10 years can often be a hindrance too.

Sometimes, just knowing what you are going to do in the next 5 minutes is enough. A positive 5 minutes can lead to another positive 5 minutes, and so on.

Just seeing the end game doesn’t allow us to create a strategy on how to get there. The next 5 minutes is your pawn. The right moves along the way allow us to make check mate.

No matter who you believe to be your enemy aren’t really the ones holding you back. You are your own opponent. You are the only person who is capable of defeating yourself.

And yet within just 5 minutes you can draw on your experiences to create a better, clearer outlook. Not perfect. Never perfect. But clearer.

You don’t have to be perfect. Trying to be perfect is boring. Actually being perfect, well, I’ve never ever known such a thing. But that sounds pretty boring too.

We need these imperfections to challenge us and grow as we experience the many different aspects of life that will undoubtedly provide moments of difficulty.

So, your next 5 minutes can be a positive experience or a negative experience.

It’s your move.

10,000 Kicks

It’s coming up to 50 years since the release of the Bruce Lee movie Enter The Dragon. It was one of my all time favourite films growing up. I’d watch it many times with my dad and it sparks good memories when I watch it now to this day. Bruce Lee was a hero of mine growing up. His quotes resonated with me too. These are some of my favourites…

“I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times”

This can be used as an analogy for many different circumstances in our lives. In fitness, I see this as the biggest stumbling block to people’s goals. We try to be good at everything, but in doing so, we often end up being good at nothing. We give up as we see failure as a conclusion rather than a pathway. We chop and change our routines until our bodies are confused about what we are asking it to do.

“Defeat is a state of mind. No-one is ever defeated until defeat has been accepted as reality.”

If you have found what activities that you enjoy then stick to it. Practice 10,000 times and more. Do you think that every one of your kicks will be perfect? Do you think that by quitting you will reach your goals? Practicing is hard. Quitting is hard. Choose your hard.

Keep practicing your kick and you will sometimes fail. Stop practicing your kick and you have always failed.

Your last kick is neither your best kick nor your worst kick. It just provides a platform for your next kick. Practice dealing with the good efforts and the failures. Both will see you hit your goals in time.

“It is like a finger pointing away to the moon. Don’t concentrate on the finger or you will miss all that heavenly glory.”

I have talked about your ‘why’ previously. Your why is what gets you out of bed each day and enables you to focus. Your why is the moon. Your ultimate goal. The finger merely provides an instant direction. From there you just have to focus on your goal and be certain of your path towards it. Focus on the finger for too long and you lose your goal. It is just a finger. The moon cannot be observed anymore.

Don’t forget the focus on your why.