personal trainer – Page 10 – Never Give Up PT

False Choice

The term ‘false choice’ is used to describe a situation where we believe that we only have two options to get the answer.

Examples of this include…

Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

If you want to protect the environment, you must want the economy to crash.

If you support Utd, you must hate City.

If you are proud of your nation, you must be xenophobic towards all other countries.

You like horror movies? So you don’t like comedies?

Marmite. You either love it or hate it.

All of the above gives us very little option. It is an either/or dilemma. Which is not very helpful.

And it is not very helpful when it comes to fitness goals. We often restrict ourselves to two categories. Our pigeon holes are…

A. I don’t go to the gym therefore it doesn’t matter what I eat so much because I haven’t got any time to make fitness goals.

B. I often workout therefore I restrict my diet to look and feel my best in order to reach my goals.

These two extremities are unhelpful when it comes to planning your health, wellbeing, nutrition and quality of life. It doesn’t have to be down to choosing between two options.

As much as lots of people begin their exercise routines in September and start a particular diet in time for looking their best for Christmas parties, there are more people that decide on leaving it until January when they will make it a New Year’s Resolution. Yet both options often lead to disappointment.

The September starter will find that they have hit the gym hard, restricted their calories too much and still run out of time to reach their (usually) unachievable goal.

The January starter finds it even harder. They procrastinated back in September for a reason and it’s because they don’t like exercise or they have never been shown any exercise or food that they like to sustain it. So they decide to leave it until after the summer. Then decide to wait until January where they can make a New Year’s Resolution. The cycle continues.

So what if I told you that there were multiple choices? Options that were all shades of grey and not just a black or white view. A consistent, sensible lifestyle approach that didn’t leave you with anxiety about your body and your health.

You don’t need a program that you would expect to see from an Olympian. You don’t need to spend hours each week in the gym. In fact, for most fitness goals you don’t even need a gym. And you never have to quit your favourite snacks.

When you enter a false choice scenario, it is easy to reach a dead end. The all or nothing method can leave us unfulfilled, demoralised and either ends up in quitting or never getting started.

The chicken and the egg question is a prime example of a puzzle that only becomes a puzzle because of how the question is posed. Whilst both options are correct, the only way of explaining the conclusion to this is by exploring the grey areas. This is because the original question is poorly delivered.

We ask ourselves poorly delivered questions all the time. Would I prefer the chocolate cake or the spinach smoothie tonight? If this was my only choice, then the chocolate cake would win every time. But again, if you were to explore the possibilities you would find that a small portion of chocolate cake would be great and you can have the smoothie too!

Should you begin an exercise routine for weight loss or not? Once again, this question is poor. If you find yourself motivated in that specific moment, you might answer yes. Tomorrow, you might feel differently.

To get your answers, first you need to discover why you should exercise more and why choosing nutritional meals is important to you.

My answer is easy. I don’t want my kids to have to bury me when they’re just young men and if I do live to be a ripe old age I want to be as independent as possible. I want a certain quality of life. So yes, I do want to exercise and I do want to choose healthier options.

However, I don’t want this to dictate my life. I enjoy not moving too. I enjoy laying on the sofa watching four episodes of Better Call Saul back to back with a glass of wine. But I can rest easy knowing that I walked the kids to school instead of driving, or I took the stairs instead of the elevator, or I went to the gym or… whatever I did, I moved. I had an active day and I made sure that I had nutritional meals.

I’m not training to run a marathon or for a bodybuilding competition. The only event I’m training for is in the event of old age I can get in and out of a chair, that I can play football with my grandkids, that I can get to the toilet in time. That doesn’t require me to hammer the gym for two hours a day.

Your false choices will kill your goals if you let them. If you look closer, you have many options to choose from. You just need to start answering them honestly.

I’m An Athlete…My Doctor Told Me So

A few weeks ago I wrote an article on a doctor’s appointment that I had made. This was my first visit to see a doctor in over 3 years. With a dash of procrastination and a good sprinkling of Covid lockdowns I had created a recipe of anxiety and paranoia regarding going to see my GP.

I was prompted in making this long overdue appointment because I had noticed a few aches and pains in my abdomen that seemed new. I had to do it.

Anyway, yesterday I saw my doctor who prodded and poked, asked me lots of questions and took readings. He surmised that my discomfort was probably musculoskeletal pain which was down to my job and the work I do in the gym.

Now, DOMS (delayed onset of muscle soreness) is a pain like no other. I know this pain and I can confidently identify this in my clients. But musculoskeletal pain such as sprains, strains or tendon and ligament damage due to overuse and over stretching (or under use) are pretty common too. The doctor booked me in for blood tests just to be safe but he was quite satisfied with what he’d heard and seen for it to be nothing more than musculoskeletal pain that will heal over time.

With the self diagnosis and Dr Google keeping me awake at night, I was happy with his verdict. It was much better than what I’d imagined in my irrational mind.

But there was something else he said that, well, quite frankly I wanted the very words framing and hanging on my sitting room wall. He called me an athlete.

Yes. As he listened to my heart beat he referred to me as an athlete.

Images of Jessica Ennis hurdling to Olympic gold came to mind. Mark Spitz swimming towards breaking another record. Mo Salah sprinting through the opposition defence to score a goal. And then me. I’m not a record breaker or an Olympian and I’m not a Golden Boot winner in the Premier League. But I am an athlete. The good news is that, if you exercise regularly, you might well be an athlete too.

The doctor went on to say that due to my exercise routine I have shallower breathing because my heart is pumping oxygen to my working muscles. To cope with this demand, my breathing increases to remove carbon dioxide from my body. And depending on the intensity of my training, breathing can become shallower but with an increase in my breathing long after the exercise routine.

This regularly puts my body in the ‘fat burning zone’ due to the work I am expecting my body to do for its recovery.

Ok. I jest when I put myself into the same category of professionals and those who dedicate their lives to their sport. They live and breathe it. What they eat, their sleep patterns and the years and years of practice. They get sponsored and paid to do it too! As a PT I’m dedicated alright, but I’m also an average gym goer who has a life outside of the gym.

But isn’t it amazing what the average gym goer can achieve with the right routines and intensity? We can be athletes too. We can achieve goals by knowing what our bodies are capable of and fine tuning it to do what we ask of it.

A lot of what an athlete must do is what we need to do too, of course. We need to be mindful of what we eat. We need regular sleep. And we simply just need to turn up even if we don’t fancy it sometimes. Yes, even on a cold and windy night in Stoke. We can’t pretend to be athletes. We need to play the part and become one. And even at 43 I am one. My doctor told me so.

Three Square Meals

A question I get asked lots of times is whether we actually need three square meals or not. And then the convo often goes into what those meals should consist of for weight loss.

There is no one set answer to this question, of course. There never is! And that can be frustrating when you have goals set around your weight and your eating habits. You want answers. You need help.

Before writing, I researched a number of respectable websites that gave advice on meals and mealtimes and they all had different approaches based on some study or other. They all have good intentions and they’re all correct in their own ways, but they all admit the same things in their summary…it all depends on each individual.

Hire A Professional

So I would always advise you to talk to a professional about your goals as a first stop. A good nutritionist or personal trainer will want to know your lifestyle and habits. From there they can work with you in your weight goals. But beware of quacks. A charlatan will write you a meal plan without getting to know you. Basically, it’s a copy and paste job. They’ll do the same meal plan for every poor sod that comes to them for help. And the alarm bells should start ringing if their idea of a meal plan is written on a piece of A4. It’s not professional and it might as well be scribbled on the back of a fag packet. Same with a workout program.

Why Three Square Meals?

Now, I haven’t got the studies of the University of Ohio or Murcia, but I do have ten years of successfully guiding people to healthier eating habits behind me. And I have found that the three square meals a day tradition isn’t necessarily the best way. Indeed, the very term ‘square meal’ has had etymologists in a frenzy for years. Some argue that it derives from nautical origins of sailors using square plates, filling their plate with wholesome food to give them energy such as stews. But others would argue that it comes from American mining of the 18th century, which means something that was made with exact right angles was properly constructed. Fair and square. Proper, honest and straightforward. A square meal.

But I would argue that our eating habits have changed over the centuries. This term to describe our eating habits is from a time where food wasn’t as abundant. Communities were poor where food rationing would have been usual practice and limiting meal portions on sea voyages would have been sensible. We don’t have these same issues now. Food is cheap, accessible, flown from far and wide to our plate, farmed, tinned and packaged for longevity. Food is brought to our attention through advertising on screens and billboards, newspapers and the internet. So we don’t need to know when to eat our three square meals anymore. It’s a stress that we can take out of the emotions of our eating. If we miss a meal, food is never too far away before we get another opportunity.

Let’s take breakfast time, for example. This was promoted as the most important meal of the day. A promotion led by none other than Mr Kelloggs in the 19th century. He happened to have just invented a breakfast cereal. So, is breakfast the most important meal of the day? And if so, is cereal the best choice of meal?

In my opinion, the answer is no and no. If you are not hungry, then why would breakfast, or any meal, be of any benefit at that time? And Bananas, yoghurt, eggs, nuts, seeds, smoothies are all better breakfast choices than cereal anyway. Eating something high in protein will keep you fuller for longer instead of getting those elevenses hunger pangs. This is what you need to keep in mind in whatever meal you prepare at any time of day. Do you have sufficient protein on your plate to keep you full?

Take Back Control

Our lifestyle of today doesn’t reflect what was expected of us in a time gone by. Our shift patterns have changed, more of us work now rather than expecting mum to stay at home with the kids and we work for longer hours and for longer into our older age than before. We shouldn’t feel obliged to stick to an eating pattern that is outdated in modern day living. But because we do feel obliged to eat at certain times we become anxious around our eating habits. And this anxiety leads to poor choices.

And WHAT we eat is far more important than when we eat it.

Choosing snacks or meals when you are anxious rarely turns out well. We look for comfort. Food anxieties are one of the biggest problems when it comes to weight management. We rarely feel in control of our mealtimes or our meal choices.

For example, our employer will set our break and lunch times. We are often restricted in time and where we eat. Many work based cafeterias will have vending machines with poor nutritional value options and if we work on an industrial site a burger van will park outside and waft it’s greasy burgers right into your work place vents. Even the gym where I train has a vending machine offering chocolate and crisps on the way out. If you pop to the supermarket for your lunch you are met with meal deals that are, quite frankly, pitiful.

To help yourself in taking control of your situation you need to plan and prepare. Plan your meals in advance. Batch cook soups, sauces, chilli, lasagne, stews and cottage pie. Request a microwave in your staff room if you haven’t currently got one. If you prefer sandwiches then prepare them the night before and buy items like yoghurt and fruit to accompany a packed lunch. Make a fruit and veg smoothie and decant it into a large sports bottle to keep drinking throughout the day.

There are ways in which you can take back control and cut out the anxiety of what your next meal will be. To succeed, knowing what your next meal will be through planning will create a positive mindset.

And the great thing about planning is that you no longer need to worry about three square meals. In fact you could eat five nutritious smaller meals that fit with your calorie goals and find that you are on the right track both physically and emotionally.

Society shouldn’t tell you how to eat. You should. Take back control and own it.

Overcoming A Training Plateau: Introducing The Mechanical Deload

I’m currently around 6 weeks away from beginning a new program. One which will see me add weight to the bar for shorter reps. Oh, and I’ll be eating in a slight calorie surplus again. Yesssss!

I’ve been keeping the reps high and the weights at around 50% of my 1 rep max since the ending of March which is a good time to be in a slight caloric deficit. This ensures that I look trim in my summer clothes without feeling heavy or bulky.

However, as winter kicks in I want some extra fat to keep me warm and, let’s face it, there’s no need to be going outside in shorts and a T in the UK winter so this is my usual ‘bulk’ season. It’s where I work on my strength and conditioning, put on a bit more size but expect that size to hit my belly too!

But this is still a few weeks away and, to be honest, repping out the low weights has become a little tedious. My body isn’t feeling the challenge and my mind is thinking about my pesto pasta for dinner during lat raises. I sense a plateau.

There are a number of ways to beat a plateau. The worst one is to quit your program and go straight into your next one or, even worse, quitting training altogether! And I have seen plateaus have this effect before. A trainee can become disillusioned by their progress stalling. They become bored. They give up.

Yet switching a program because of a plateau is also a form of giving up. To get the results you want, the process must be followed and completed. This will test your muscle, your mind and your attitude towards your goals. It’s character building. It’s satisfying. It works, as long as you know how.

Enter the mechanical deload.

There are several variations to a mechanical deload, but my current method to beat my plateau is to complete a triset (3 exercises in one set) or a quadraset (4 exercises in one set) which use the same muscle groups for each exercise. Here’s a step by step guide…

1. Choose a muscle group you would like to train.

2. Choose three exercises that use the same muscle group but which have varying levels of difficulty.

3. Choose a moderate weight for each exercise.

4. Begin with the most difficult exercise and rep for 12-15. Then go straight into the easier exercise for 12-15 and finish on the easiest for 12-15.

5. Then reflect on how you thought it would be fairly straightforward but seeing as you’re shaking like a shitting dog and have another 4 sets to go, you know this will break your plateau!

Today I incorporated a chest mechanical deload into a full body workout. Here’s what I did…

Barbell bench press 50% 1rm, 10 reps

Dumbbell bench press 50% 1rm, 10 reps

Smith press 45° bench 50% 1rm, 10 reps

Press up, 10 reps

And because a push workout is great for working the triceps I also added kickbacks, 10 reps, 5 sets in total.

Now, we know that DOMS (delayed onset of muscle soreness) doesn’t necessarily mean muscle gain or a superior workout, but my pecs and triceps are satisfyingly throbbing. Something that I haven’t experienced for around ten days. My plateau, due to experiencing a new kind of stress but remaining within my set task of high reps at moderate weight, seems to have disappeared. I can now utilise this routine for my back, shoulders, legs and arms for the remainder of my program.

A tweak in your program can help you overcome a plateau. Maybe that tweak is a mechanical deload for yourself when you need it.

A Little Reminder To Anyone Who Needs To Know This Today

There are certain industries that require us to dislike who we are, how we look, what we fear and dislike each other by being judgemental.

Working in the fitness industry I know only too well the secrets and the subliminal messages that advertisers and the media put together to make us feel inadequate.

I’m determined to break the mould with how I approach your health and your wellbeing.

Start now. Right now. With giving yourself a great big hug and telling yourself how amazing you are. Wanting change isn’t a bad thing, but you’ve got this in your own time with the right support around you.

Then tell somebody how fantastic they look. Comment on their hair, their clothes, compliment somebody at work for doing a great job, and don’t feel silly about making someone’s day in the gym by telling them how well they’re doing with their goals.

Empower others, but make sure you’re empowering yourself too.

AMRAP

Have you ever heard of the training term ‘AMRAP’?

It is an acronym for the phrase ‘as many rounds as possible.’

Let me explain. AMRAP is a technique which enables the trainee to rep as many times in a set time frame. This could be typically done as a circuit, for example, and there are no rules to what equipment to use, how long or how many exercises.

This technique allows those who find themselves short on time to still manage a quick workout. Even 5 minutes can get the blood pumping and body weight is absolutely fine. In fact, the break for adverts during Coranation Street can see you rack up over 100 reps.

My point here is that I will never accept that you don’t have the time to exercise. Perhaps you didn’t know it or you just couldn’t be bothered and work, kids, cooking meals, feeling tired or clearing out the guinea pig hutch took all of your time up.

But AMRAP has news for you. You DO have time to train. Let’s use my example of Coranation Street as an example…

Coranation Street is an hour long. It has four ad breaks lasting 3 minutes. Imagine completing an AMRAP every break? So your task would be to work continuously for three minutes each time. In just one episode you have 12 intense minutes of exercise.

Coranation Street is on three times a week. That’s 36 minutes of time you didn’t know that you had to exercise. 36 minutes doesn’t seem like a lot but I observe people who are in the gym for one hour but only actually exercise for half of that time. If my estimation of a 100 reps each ad break is accurate, that’s almost a 1000 reps a week.

No amount of time is pointless as long as you do it right. There are many ways to complete an AMRAP. Squats during the kettle boiling, press ups during the Countdown clock or Burpees waiting for a bus. Whatever floats your boat!

Just make sure you float it somehow.

I Became The Lion

Something changed when I stopped listening to the generic body building and weight loss sites and I reassessed my own fitness goals. I took charge of what I had to do. This led me to becoming a PT and helping others. I became in control. I became the lion. And I teach others to be the lion too.

It is said that “until the lion learns how to write, every story will praise the hunter.”

I used to follow a narrative led by muscle magazines, gym bro websites, diet books and all of the other mediums that generate billions of dollars from selling their latest trend.

For most of my adult life going to the gym was about ‘lift big or go home’. That’s what I was told. I had to eat chicken and broccoli every day. It’s what the experts told me. I got it so wrong.

I beat myself up daily just to try and lift heavier than some guy who I didn’t even know.

But then I discovered a better way. I could still get results and train without causing injury and anxiety. I realised my ‘why’. And I didn’t find it on YouTube.

Sure, I wanted to be happy and confident with my body but I needed to know how to love myself in the present moment and not just focus on loving what I wanted to be. I began to imagine the future me. What would the future me thank the present me for? I started to do my homework. To save my physical and mental health it became so important to me that I acquired so much knowledge on the matter that I qualified as a PT and successfully made a business out of helping others pretty quickly.

I became the lion. And this lion learnt how to write his own narrative.

I now recognise that training is how I have energy for my kids. It is what keeps me focussed in my marriage and in my work commitments. It is giving me a chance to have a better quality of life. I like myself at last.

I don’t punish myself for not making it to the gym every day. If I can’t get there then a walk with my family is a great way to exercise and surround myself in nature with the people I love.

I don’t regret eating something that is ‘bad for me’ because I enjoyed it at the time and I can have an occasional snack. I enjoy life without living in fear of ‘losing muscle’ or gaining weight. I am free of fads and confusing information.

I am free.

Dig The Well

Just a short message for you today for us to have a little think about our health and wellbeing.

First of all it is important to note that beginning a fitness journey is never too late. Also, finding happiness and peace in your life can be discovered at any age. But searching for it is important and necessary. Very rarely will something fall at your feet.

I’ll use my profession as an example. Just in the space of a few weeks of attending a wedding, a few BBQ’s and kids events with my two boys, as soon as somebody knows that I’m a Personal Trainer I often get comments such as ‘I could do with losing a few pounds’ as they tap on their belly. Or on a couple of occasions I’ve had people say ‘I need to start going to the gym again’.

Of course, you might think that is my cue to sell them PT sessions or a fitness program. And I have often replied ‘well, you know where I am!’ But a social event is not the appropriate place to sell my services. A PT can clear a room when they start handing out business cards.

We often complain about our physique or our mindset without doing anything about it. I meet some acquaintances who I see very irregularly who complain every time about their weight or their injuries every time i see them. And, yes, there have been times where I have offered to help. I’m still waiting for their reply.

And yet with each day, week and year we age. With age comes more challenges in regards to our health. If we don’t feel ready for the battle today, how will we cope with tomorrow?

My clients understand that I’m not going to get them a quick fix. They will progress with me on the journey that it should be. This will help them in later life. I don’t promise a longer life, but I can give a pretty confident argument for living a better quality of life by making simple adjustments to their lifestyle.

Two reasons right here on why I need to keep working for a healthy future.

As the Chinese proverb goes…

Dig the well before you are thirsty.

Be prepared for the future by putting in the work today. Happiness, peace, health and wellbeing can all be discovered with the right course of action.

And that action, however small or subtle, should begin today.

Alternative Therapies

What do you think about the term ‘alternative therapy’?

So often during conversations about certain therapy that might be useful to a person’s physical or mental health it gets passed off as ‘hippie dippy’ (which is what crystal healing was called by a friend of mine). Other descriptions made to reference alternative therapies are bizaar, ridiculous and weird.

Perhaps some are. We live in an era where multi media can help sell any fad to any group of people or demographics and I have no doubt that many alternative therapies have been hijacked by the billion dollar business of the health and fitness industry. Indeed, if a celebrity brings out a book on maggot debridement therapy alarm bells start ringing to me.

However, many helpful treatments classed as alternative therapies are things that are much older than conventional treatments. Yoga, for example, is traced back to Northern India some 5,000 years ago. Meditation is an ancient practice from 5000 BCE. The Chinese medical text Con-Fu of the Toa-Tse dates back to 1800 BC detailing the application of massage techniques for therapy. Crystal healing, thought to be ‘hippy dippy’ by a friend of mine, was first used 6000 years ago by the ancient Sumerians of Mesopotomia.

Conventional treatment cannot be ignored either, of course. I’m a science man myself. I like the research, experimentation and the practical study of our world. Without it I wouldn’t be able to be a Personal Trainer. I don’t just stumble across a number of movements and hope that they work for a client. I follow the evidence in what WILL work for whatever my client wishes to achieve.

But it is also important to be open minded and question things. And I question everything. I question why our health services are so quick to dispense anti depressants to us. According to the OECD Health Statistics, the USA and the UK have some of the highest numbers when it comes to their citizens taking anti depressants compared to other nations.

The pharmaceuticals industry is worth 1.42 trillion US dollars (statists.com). The antidepressant industry alone is worth 28.6 billion dollars. So I question why our health services would ever want to promote any type of alternative therapy when they earn so much from us popping pills.

And yet I still can’t discredit medicine. It is a fantastic invention that saves lives or can make lives easier to live. Choosing between conventional treatment or alternative therapy is the issue for me. It shouldn’t be a case of either/or.

Personally my last resort has always been turning to conventional medication. In my early 20’s I was prescribed antidepressants. I held the prescription in my hand as I stood outside the pharmacy, wondering if there was an alternative. Down the road to the pharmacy was a gym. I joined that instead.

But the gym didn’t completely cure my anxieties. They’re still there and, as I have discovered, it is just a part of my personality. The gym just helps me to think whilst producing endorphins, which happens to be the body’s very own natural happy drug. There’s me and science again! Any type of movement can produce it. Just do the movement that you enjoy and you’ll get your very own supply of endorphins!

I have never met a person who has not benefited from yoga. And I don’t mean the sort offered by most multi national gyms. You want fixing not breaking. I mean proper yoga taught by a yoga instructor in a yoga studio. I’ve never heard anybody feel worse from a massage treatment performed by my wife. Most people feel that, with consistent treatment, their body and mind feels much more relaxed. And I’ve never encountered a poor meditation. Sitting in silence with your own thoughts and feelings for a short time each day should be a priority to anybody, whatever ailments we have. What’s so weird about that?!

Alternative therapy should always be considered in our quest for peace, happiness, health and fitness. As much as modern day medicine is extremely important, grounding ourselves and opening up our therapeutic experiences in our lives should always be considered.

And if somebody scoffs at you for buying a yoga mat, invite them to do The Crow and enjoy the entertainment.

Change The Formula

We’ve all heard of the expression ‘Stuck in a rut’. Typically I see this with workouts that gym goers perform day after day.

‘Shay, I’m just not seeing any more progress’. This is regularly said to me. In some cases, I have people tell me that not only do they stop seeing progress, but they see regression.

This isn’t new or something that is confined to our fitness. We get stuck in a rut in life too. Our jobs can be like Groundhog Day. Our social life gets tedious. Yes, listening to John in the Nag’s Head complain about VAR for the third time this week gets boring. And our relationships can lose their spark.

Change is not a bad thing. It doesn’t need a whole reinvention of yourself. But it does need a bit of thought on how you can adapt to today’s you.

Last year’s you might have got excited about a 5k run, but today’s you doesn’t.

Your job might have challenged you when you started it 5 years ago, but today’s you isn’t.

Going to the pub at the end of your shift was a way of unwinding ten years ago, but today’s you doesn’t.

And your partner used to love watching a Steven Segal boxset on an evening with you when you first got together, but be careful, they might have changed.

Change the formula.

You’re not stuck. You’re just committed to certain patterns of behaviour because they helped you in the past. Now, these behaviours have become more harmful than helpful. The reason why you can’t move forward is because you keep applying an old formula to a new level in your life. Change the formula for a different result. Love and respect the person that got you here, but have the same love and respect for the future you too.

Thank you for reading my article. Speak soon!