Make a Plan “A” and a Plan “B”... and a Plan “C”

 

Sometimes life doesn’t run smoothly and things come up. But you can’t throw in the towel as soon as the first hiccup or bit of adversity appears.

The same goes for keeping your exercise and nutrition on track.

 

I frequently hear “I’m away with work for a few days so can’t train.” Or “We ate out so my food went to pot.”

But why? Sure, these scenarios are from ideal but they shouldn’t be enough to go completely off-piste. You need a plan “A”, a “B” and a “C”.

 

TRAINING

Plan A – Go to the gym and do your regular hour long session after work                 

You have a meeting after work...

Plan B – You get up at 6am and do a session before work

You live to far from the gym or you’re involved in the morning school and wake up routine

Plan C – You go for a run at work during your lunch break or you run when you get home or do a bodyweight workout once you’re home

 

EATING:

Plan A – You prep your food the night before

You were out late and didn’t have time

Plan B – You get up 30 mins early and cook your food in the morning

You’re staying away for the evening

Plan C – You eat out and make a conscious effort to eat well. You amend your orders to remove parts such as chips in exchange for additional vegetables

 

SNACKING:

Plan A – You prepare all of your snacks for the next day at home

You weren’t staying at home

Plan B – You have protein bars in your car or stored in your desk

You’ve run out of protein bars

Plan C – You visit a proper supermarket (not a corner shop) and purchase real, fresh food on your way to work

 

As you can see: Plan A is the ideal and probably most convenient. Plan C is often inconvenient and may require some hard work or self control but... being healthy often does require these things.

 

If it was easy there would be no obesity and only washboard abs all over the place.

Remember to follow me on www.Twitter.com/MichaelD_PT

“You’ve gota live though haven’t you?..”

Recently when discussing lifestyle adjustments for a leaner physique and less hung-over, more memory filled lifestyle I suggested going to the pub less and was me with “Yeah, but you’ve gota live haven’t you?”

Where to start?...

I’ve had this, or words to this effect as a reaction many times when giving lifestyle advice and it always confuses me.

ME: “Stop eating McDonalds every lunchtime.”

THEM: “You’ve gota live though haven’t you?..”

If your definition of living life is food from McDonalds then I suggest you aim a little higher.

I set out at the start of 2017 to make a healthier year with higher quality memories. Not necessarily doing more, but more than likely doing less and investing more time and money into these things. I decided that rather than mindlessly having a few drinks with friends at the weekend on a regular basis I would try to drink alcohol once per month (ideally 1 day, if not 1 full weekend) for a pre-organised event or occasion.

I went through my calendar and marked off some events that I knew about in advance. The first weekend of the rugby 6 nations – February event. The final weekend of the rugby 6 nations – March sorted. Birthday weekend – May sorted. By April I had booked a summer holiday and also a rugby tour had come my way – I soon had nearly every month organised.

This was great for me as I was able to focus my training for set blocks of time with an end goal in mind. It also meant that I wasn’t going out wasting money at pubs on my local highstreet which made the bigger, more memorable events financially viable.

Don’t get me wrong – I wasn’t cooped up ignoring the world for weeks on end. I still saw friends, I still went places with my girlfriend and I still did things with my family; I just didn’t blow my money at the local boozer.

This gave me 2 things:

1. More money to do better stuff
2. More energy to be more productive with my gym work and everyday life

So who’s living more? Productive me with something fun and memorable planned for every month of the year? Or Mr McDonalds lunch break and his inevitable gain in body fat and lack of energy which came with it?

I’m not doing this to pat myself on the back and say “Aren’t I great – Aren’t you useless!” I just find peoples definitions of “living” very odd!

Rather than allowing yourself junk food and alcohol which you term “living”, it may be possible, with a little planning and self-control to actually “live” more and make more memories and do more AND be healthier! Imagine that!?...

PS: I did the “drinking once a month” for 6 months, then went on holiday and drank every day. I’ve since kept to once or twice per month but still keeping the fun events and memory makers going.

Don’t forget to follow me on www.Twitter.com/MichaelD_PT



How to Make the Most of Your Personal Trainer

Investing in guidance from a personal trainer can be a very sensible thing to do. However for some, the cost may be off putting. Whether you’re already training with a personal trainer or you’re unsure how you’d get the most value from a sessions these tips should be helpful:

1) Get there early and run through a warm up routine – If you can arrive 10 minutes prior to the session and warm up this is ideal. Then, you can hit the ground running and fly straight into the session. If you’re unsure exactly what to then your trainer can you some useful drills to include. If you waste 10-15 mins of each session warming up with your trainer then over the course of a year you’ve missed out on 12 hours of productive time with your PT.

2) Get a good night sleep prior to sessions – The saying goes: “an hour before midnight is worth 2 hours after midnight.” This is so true! To improve your quality of sleep, check make sure you have a sleep routine that you start as early as possible. Basic things include avoiding a TV, phone or illuminated screen before bed, try to brush your teeth as early as possible and pack your bag the night before.

3) Don’t drink alcohol the night before sessions.. AT ALL! Even a small amount of alcohol can have a significant impact on sleep, food choices and energy so if you want to make the most of your session with a trainer then you need to go completely without alcohol during the 24 hours before training.

4) Listen and try to absorb/learn – Use the sessions as lessons. Try to absorb as much information as you can. If you don’t understand what your trainer is telling you then let them know and ask them to explain it in a different way. It’s important that you learn over time and feel more confident in your own knowledge and abilities week-on-week.

5) Stay active between sessions – An hour in the gym with me will do you good; but it’s important to stay active throughout the week. Major activities such as gym sessions, sport and group exercise classes should be part of your weekly routine. However, smaller efforts such as taking the stairs every day, walking in your lunch break and walking instead of driving short distances will all add up to make a significant impact no matter what your goal. Activity is key.

6) Foam roll after a session – The foam roller is a great way to improve recovery and aid performance. It’s important to make this part of your routine and mobilise major muscle groups and joints that have been worked during the session. Once you understand the fundamentals of this you can probably do this in your own time before and after sessions.

7) Ask your PT for session plans  - Guidance from your trainer shouldn’t be limited to an hour at a time within the gym. As your trainer for specific, tailored programs to follow in your on time in order to compliment the 1-2-1 sessions.

8) Give feedback – It’s important that you’re not only making progress but that you understand what we’re doing and (hopefully) enjoy it too in some part. Tell your PT if sessions are too hard, too easy, causing you pain or you just hated them. They may not change everything but they should at least listen.

9) Leave your lack of enthusiasm at the door – We all have good days and bad days and part of the trainers job is to listen and develop a relationship with you so they’re open to hearing about your life outside of the gym. However, once you’ve made the effort take yourself to the gym, you might as well make the most of it. It’s only an hour after all!

10) Be honest – Its essential that you’re honest with your trainer! In fact, this should probably be the 1^st point. Honest about what you’re doing outside of the session, what you’re eating in your own time, how difficult sessions are, what you can and can’t do, how you’re feeling, if you’re ill, your mood, any injuries all of it! Tell them everything! 

Don’t forget to follow me on www.Twitter.com/MichaelD_PT www.Twitter.co/MichaelD_PT

Thing you (probably) DO need to focus on

This is a follow up to last months blog. It’s a handy 5 pointer for things you should focus on if you want to make progress on your fitness journey.

1) i) Consistency with training

The two biggest short falls when it comes to making progress in the gym is consistency with food (see point ii) and consistency with exercise. Too many people are in too much of a rush to see results and when it doesn’t happen in 6 or 8 weeks (or less) then they pack it all in. Either this or people dip in an out: “I’ve been to the gym every day this week!” (having not been to the gym for 3 weeks previously).

1. Consistency with eating
   Just as above, if you want to make significant improvements to your physique and life then significant, consistent changes are needed. If you’ve eaten well all day, you haven’t “earned” a pudding. Stick at the healthy eating, be consistent and manage all areas. For example improve portion control and protein intake rather than solely focusing on “going without”.
    
   2) General Activity Levels
   An hour in the gym is great, but it probably won’t out-do 23 sedentary, unhealthy hours. Try to incorporate activity in your day whenever possible. This doesn’t men high intensity workouts; you don’t even need to wear gym gear most of the time. Walk more, play more, take the stairs more, get out of the chair more and just move round more!
    
   3) Tracking Progress
   Having an ideal in mind and then looking at yourself and feeling a million miles from it can be down heartening and make you want to give up. But if you’re tracking progress then you can feel confident that you’re moving in the right direction and what you’re doing is working. Remember to track progress in a variety of ways in order to be sure that you’re improving. Body fat measurements, tape measures and gym tests (cardio fitness and strength checks) can all be useful yard sticks to make sure you’re moving in the right direction.
    
   4) The 6 major movement patterns
   Rather than spending endless hours on bicep curls and for big arms of glute bridges for a round bum make sure you learn to move correctly and effectively through the 6 major movements. Be sure you know how to push, pull, squat, hinge, lunge and rotate effectively. Understand their uses, variations , progressions and regressions and incorporate all of them as part of your weekly exercise schedule.
    
   5) Recovery
   I’m not suggesting that you should do an hours gym session and then spend the rest of the day sleeping and sitting on the sofa for recovery. Instead make sure that you stretch regularly and learn to foam roll effectively. This will help with recovery, robustness, injury prevention and mobility. Do it regularly and make it part of your gym sessions. Don’t wait until this are broken and then fix them. Think prevention – not cure!
    
   Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter (@MichaelD_PT)  
    

Things you (probably) DON’T need to focus on

When it comes to the fitness industry it can be hard to know where to get your information from. Who’s giving you some good, intelligent information and who’s just a random egg from Geordie Shore trying to make some extra coin?

 

Unless you’ve been exercising regularly and consistently for lets say... 5 years or more, here are some things that you probably don’t need to be focusing on.

 

1. Supplements:
   Supplements are exactly that, they are a “supplement” to things that are lacking in your diet. They are not a miracle cure, quick fix or replacement for hard work and consistency. If you’ve been training regularly and for a prolonged period AND you have everything in place from next months blog: “Things you (probably) DO need to focus on” then go for it, do some research. Some of the may (MAY) help, many won’t. You’re now entering a whole new minefield of confusion and contradiction.
    
2. Isolation:
   While you may think your number one concern is bigger arms or a rounder behind, in reality you’ll get a lot more bang for your buck avoiding isolation movements and doing larger, multi joint, multi muscle movements. This will ultimately burn more calories and lead to a much improved, balanced physique.
    
3. The Clock
   Unless you’re “peaking” for an on stage body building show then you shouldn’t be in a rush. Fitness is a never ending journey. Sure, we’ve all upped our efforts a bit in the run up to a big day (weddings, holidays etc) but generally don’t rush! Consistency will bring results. Track your results and compare every 2-3 months for an accurate measure of progress. Stick at it and don’t overload yourself with pressure to get what you want immediately.
    
4. Professional Models and Athletes
   Due to social media and online information it’s easier than ever to see multiple pictures and videos of professional athletes, their bodies, their achievements and their life which is MUCH better than yours right? Remember 3 things: 1) These people are professional and it’s their job to look and be that good. Aiming to  replicate this is likely to be unrealistic. 2) They weren’t ALWAYS in this condition. They had a starting point to at one point and they used consistency to get where they are now. Be consistent and you too can move in the right direction. 3) Lighting, filters, makeup, photoshop and specific poses are likely to have made these pictures look even more impressive – THIS IS NOT REAL LIFE!
    
5. All The Gear
   You may be tempted to buy some Olympic lifting shoes, weights belt, chalk, expensive trining clothing etc etc. Don’t! Just make sure you visit the gym regularly (say 3-4 times per week) for at least 2 years, follow the points in next months blog and you’ll make some changes. Buying stuff won’t make any changes other than lowering your bank balance.
    
   Don’t forget – read next months blog on “Things you (probably) DO need” http://michaeldarren.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/thing-you-probably-do-need-to-focus-on.html and...
   Follow me on Twitter (@MichaelD_PT)  

One Limb at a Time

I regularly include training a single side of the body at a time in my own training and my clients training too. But why?..

1. It often adds an element of balance to your training and increases the level of skill necessary
2. It often teaches you anti-rotational strength (keeping your body straight and even when the body is not under even load)
3. It allows you to uncover and address any strength imbalances between the left and right side of your body

So how should you do this? Here are a few of my favourites to include:  

Single Dumbell Chest Press (Option: On Swiss Ball)

Single dumbbell Shoulder press

Single dumbbell Three Point Row

Single Hand Seated Cable Row

Single Leg, Leg Press

Single Leg Dumbell Stiff Leg Deadlifts / Romanian Deadlifts / RDLs

TRX Pistol squats

Cable Wood Chops

REMEBER: Don’t perform any of these exercises if you’re unsure of how to perform them safely.  If you’re confident with these exercises then I’d recommend including these as part of your weekly training program.

Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter (@MichaelD_PT

Bad Gym Plans

When it comes to health and exercise there are plenty of people with plenty of bad plans. Here are some and some alternative, better plans...

 

“I need to get back into the gym after some time off - I’m going to go to the gym every day from now on”

If you’ve had some time away from the gym or you’re starting out for the first time then aiming to exercise every day isn’t a good idea. You won’t allow yourself enough rest time so you’ll inevitably feel sore all of the time and end up resenting it. Also, it’s likely to be too much of a shift from your usual schedule for you to manage every day so you’ll end up missing some of the sessions and so you’re instantly setting yourself up to fail.

 

Better Idea: Start out with something reasonable; twice a week is a good starting point. Then, when you’ve managed this every week for 3-4 weeks add in an additional session every 2-3 weeks until you finish with a sustainable routine that fits in with the rest of your lifestyle.

 

“I need to lose weight so I’m going to run and get rid of it all”

Purely cardio work may have some weight loss effect but after a while it can become slow or impossible to lose weight via just traditional cardiovascular work. Often some of the lost weight on the scales is a combination of lost body fat and lost muscle mass which in turn, slows your metabolic rate. Over time your body becomes less efficient at burning calories and in turn, weight loss will plateaux.

 

Better Idea: When it comes to being healthier and improving your physique it’s unwise to put all of your eggs in one basket. In general you need to be fitter, stronger, more mobile and robust so your weekly schedule should be made up of a combination of strength work, cardiovascular work and some stability, mobility and stretching work.

 

“I’m going to get fitter before I join the gym/group exercise / start personal training.”

You’ve become unfit. The purpose of exercising or training with a trainer is to help you get more fit. If you haven’t managed to get yourself fitter in the past few years what makes you think that you’re going to suddenly do it now?

 

Better Idea: Join the gym and, if you need guidance on relevant and suitable exercise for someone of your ability then get an educated trainer to steer you in the right direction.

 

“I’m going to go on a juice diet.”

Why are people surprised that they do nothing but drink a few small juices every day for a week or two and then they lose weight!?.. You could drink 3 McDonalds milkshakes each day and eat nothing else and lose weight!? You do NOT need to go on a juice diet! Ever!

 

Better Idea: Don’t start anything that isn’t sustainable. Amend your diet bit by bit to include ground rules and guidelines for eating that you can apply whether you’re eating at home or eating out and you can maintain year-round.

 

“I’ve got a really good plan to follow from a magazine”

There are lots of programmes and pieces of training information available. It can be hard to sift through the junk and find a) the good quality suggestions and b) the ones that are suitable to you at your stage of training. Then, if you’re not very experienced with exercise then there’s also a big risk that you may be performing the exercises incorrectly and unsafely. You may also be buying into a lie. If you want to look like a super hero then don’t believe that they did some planks, bodyweight squats and pull ups and looked like an absolute tank. Don’t believe too that there wasn’t a decent amount of growth hormone supplementing involved too.

 

Better Idea: Seek some guidance. There are some great free resources available but you can’t always be sure that they’re suitable for you and designed with your goals in mind. Don’t aim for a “6 week body” approach; find something with longevity that will steadily and regularly offer you

Where There’s a Will There’s a Way - Training With Injuries

Recently I’ve picked up on one or two awkward injuries that have in some ways interrupted my training.

I don’t want any trophies and you can hold the applause but... it didn’t stop me from training. 

While I never want to encourage people to train when injured and worsen the issue, I DO think it’s important to:

1. Learn to listen to your body.. PROPERLY!
2. Be flexible and work around issues 

I always say to my clients: “If you only trained on the days when you feel full of energy, you’ve slept well, eaten well and have no aches and pains then you’d probably exercise about 5 or 10 times a year.”

It would be naive of me to encourage people to “just get on with it” or “ignore the pain.” Far from it. Acknowledge the pain and figure out a way to stay active while resting the injured body part.

When it comes to exercise and making regular progress consistency is king. If you take regular breaks from training because things “aren’t quite right” then you’ll constantly be taking one step forwards and one step back again.

Rules:

1. Listen to your body but BE HONEST! Don’t look for the first excuse to skip a session.
2. If a joint hurts – stop! 
3. If you’re injured – that’s not the end! Find a way to work around it. Use alternative equipment, try using cable machines, incorporate more cardio work, get creative!
4. Focus on other areas: cardio, mobility, isolation work. Just keep active!
5. Be patient! Don’t rush recovery! I’ve tried it before and regretted it every time!

Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter(@MichaelD_PT)

What motivates you to exercise? Why do you go to the gym?

I've recently returned from a relaxing holiday in Thailand. The hotel was fairly remote and not particularly near to anything.


When the issue of "exercising on holiday" came up myself and my girlfriend had very different feelings about it (I won't go into it!).


It made me begin to think: "What motivates people?"


Over the years I've had an array of clients each with differing needs, experience, abilities and levels of self-motivation. By training an array of people I've developed skills in identifying different characteristics to help me keep people engaged with their sessions and help to motivate them.


But you can't always have someone guiding you through every step; so, it's important for you to understand what motivates you so that you can tap in to this and develop a decent and sustainable gym routine and workout intensity.


"I feel good afterwards"
This is me (mostly). Myself and the majority of people I train are aware of their body, emotions and energy enough to acknowledge the positive impact that exercise has on these areas of their lives. If you can tap into this emotion it can be a real help on those days when you miserable or tired or feeling uninspired.
If you don't know what I'm talking about then take time to consider the difference in your energy levels and mood on days when you do and don't exercise. How you feel before and after a session.


"I enjoy it"
Some people really enjoy themselves DURING their gym sessions. They like to feel challenged, they like to learn new skills and they see the gym as a playground. Don't worry if this isn't you; these people are a minority.


"I've always been active"
Some people can't manage being inactive. Don't get me wrong, I like to be a sofa slob some days as much as the next person but, if I'm still for a long period I get the fidgets. For this group of people it doesn't even need to always be structured exercise in order to satisfy their needs; just moving around and not sitting can be enough.


"I like the way it makes me look"
These people can remember their "before" stage and like the results that their efforts have created. If you fall into this bracket then it's essential that you don't allow progress to stall as your motivation will begin to waiver.


"I'll get fat" / "I'll get small"
This fear is probably the most useful trait to have. If you're genuinely worried about the impact of NOT exercising then, you'll probably develop a very consistent exercise regime. Just be sure that you're spending your time wisely and not over-doing it for your body. Many people with this mindset won't have the education to get the results they desire so they'll just do loads of exercise; some suitable for their goals, some less so. Train smarter - not harder!


"I do it because I have to"
If going to the gym is like community service to you then you have a long and testing relationship with exercise ahead. You need to find your passion and find something to float your boat. There will be something, you just need to look hard enough. Maybe it's a style of training (strength training, circuit training, Olympic lifting), or group exercise style (bootcamps, spinning, boxing), maybe a new sport or maybe some new equipment that you've not done much with (kettlebells, clubbells, TRX).
If you still can't find your addiction then try this article:
http://michaeldarren.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/exercise-is-addictive-find-your.html


"I train with one goal in mind"
Some people can only train with specific goals and challenges in mind. Perhaps it's something they can measure in the gym: a bigger deadlift, a quicker 10k run, mastering skipping. Perhaps it's with their physique: dropping body fat percentage, fitting into old clothes. Perhaps it's lifestyle based: being able to play football with their children. Perhaps it's a fitness challenge: running a marathon, finishing a "Tough Mudder" event. This is a great way to stay engaged as your can alter your goals and training at regular intervals. Just be sure that you always have the next challenge in mind as these people are very susceptible to a moral crash once the events are finished. With that down goes the training, up goes the poor food, down goes the happiness and feelings about themselves as up goes the weight.


"I have an event coming up"
This is predominantly a scenario as the summer months approach or perhaps a wedding. Any time that you're going to be on show basically. The problem for this set of people is that more often than not, there will only be one summer holiday per year, one time that you're forced to wear less clothing and reveal your body in front of others, one short period where you're made aware of just how unhappy you are with your physique. So what do you do the rest of the year? Rather than putting stress on yourself 4 weeks before holiday, try to starve yourself and ultimately, end up stressed, anxious and unhappy with your appearance on holiday, why not "stay ready"? Remember the last time that you felt those horrible feelings of being conscious of your body. Next time you think about not training with intensity or not training at all call back these emotions.


What now?..
Whatever your motivation, it's important to acknowledge it and understand how to tap into it in your times of need.

Don't forget to follow me on Twitter (@MichaelD_PT)

You will NEVER look how you want to look

I’m not one to be a detractor from people trying to better themselves; if you’re going to work hard, eat well and be honest with yourself about the effort that you’re going to put in then that’s great!

However, for the other 95% of gym users, it’s important to realise “You will NEVER look how you want to look.”

Here are some reasons why:

Miss-sold perceptions of how much work is necessary
If you take a glance at the magazine rack at your nearest shop you won’t need to look far before you see promises of a “6 week body” or “simple plan”. In reality there is NO “simple” route and NO way you can look like the person on the cover in 6 weeks (unless you are already in very good shape). Being healthy and getting the body you desire is a long-term plan that requires consistency and commitment for months on end... not a few weeks!


Miss-sold perceptions of what actually went on
Most leading health and fitness magazines have at some stage featured a plan claiming “This is how (insert celebrity) got into shape.” However, there are some things that have been overlooked: 1) There is often insufficient information on the nutrition required for these results. 2) The trainer involved is unlikely to offer all of their methods and techniques they used for free. Instead, this is probably an example of one workout that they used (or, in many cases, just a random workout), 3) This is the job of the celebrity. They were able to focus their entire day on exercise, proper rest and nutrition. You probably have a full time job to contend with so it’s unlikely you can put in the same level of effort, 4) There was probably some supplements involved. Some legal and often some illegal. That’s the truth.


You don't train hard enough
In reality, the physique that you have in mind takes a LOT of hard work. Training with a purpose and a relevant plank and intensity is something that a lot of people overlook. Chatting to people while you train, using your phone at regular intervals, watching TV or entering the gym without a clear and distinct session plan are all guaranteed to leave you not achieving the results you want.


You don't eat well enough
The quality of your training is only half of the battle. The other side is your nutrition. It’s essential to invest in your nutrition and focus on planning your meals and snacks. I often tell clients: “When it comes to nutrition - Common sense doesn’t always apply”. You may think that you’re “eating well”, however your efforts may be misguided. It’s always best to seek professional nutrition guidance and take away all of the guess work. Some of the food you need to focus on may be more expensive but look at it as an investment. Remember: Eating well isn’t expensive. Eating bad food is cheap!


You're not consistent enough
This is where you need to be honest. If you’ve ever “tried” something, did you just “try”? Or, did you give it your full effort? Did you stick to your eating plan 100%? Did you never miss a single gym session? Did you ever have a good week then a bad week? Or, a good day then a bad day? This is not to say that you can NEVER have a treat or enjoy yourself but... you don’t instantly have treats and things you shouldn’t. If you’re seriously trying to lose body fat and you’re more than 14lbs away from your ideal weight then for now, you should minimise “cheat meals”; especially if they keep on appearing time after time. Don’t have the logic “I worked hard at the gym today so I can have this pudding.” That kind of habit building will get you nowhere.


You're not applying enough time to your goals
Again, you’ve been fooled by the sales of these “6 week plans”. Give your body time to adjust to your changing lifestyle. If you’ve suddenly reduced your calories and/or increased the amount of exercise you’re doing then your body will take some time to understand this and establish a routine. If you’re consistent with the amount of calories you consume and the amount of exercise you do then your body will be able to regulate calorie use and hormone levels in order to help you gradually improve body composition. If you don’t apply yourself for at least 3 months then this won’t happen and you won’t see any changes and yet again, you’ll pack it in.


It doesn't actually matter enough to you
Here’s the one that accounts to about 95% of people. Either A) You’re not in terrible shape so you “wouldn’t mind losing a few pounds”, or “Wouldn’t mind getting a bit leaner” but if it doesn’t happen then you’re not that bothered. Or, B) You like the idea of being in better shape, but not as much as you like the idea of drinking alcohol regularly, eating take away food, not sleeping enough, eating high levels of sugar and not prepping your food. Basically, it all sounds like too much hard work.




REMEMBER:
This is not meant to be a negative, moaning blog putting you down and making you feel useless. Instead, it’s designed for you to take a closer, more honest look at your behaviour and realise why you aren’t in the shape you want to be in. If you’re happy with that, that’s fine. If not, then perhaps now you can look at address these behaviours.




Don't forget to follow me on Twitter (@MichaelD_PT) and  YouTube

"I haven't eaten ketchup all year..." - Breaking Habitual Eating Habits

Since January 1st 2016 I haven't eaten any ketchup.


What a great achievement! Well not really. I've had other condiments on some occasions such as brown sauce and mayonnaise.


So what's the point?
Well, I wanted to see if I could make conscious decisions and replace habitual eating with conscious eating.


To put it into perspective, I was not exactly a ketchup addict. But, it did find its way onto eggs occasionally in the morning when they seemed a bit dry and onto some dinner plates too. It was becoming unconscious and I wanted to see what I could do about it.


What about you?
Many people will eat or drink certain things at certain times just because "that's what I've always done."


But what if these things are benefiting them? In fact, what if these small things are regularly steering them away from their goals.


What do you do unconsciously? Biscuits with your daily cup of tea? Sugars in your tea? Pudding after dinner? Alcohol after work?


What should you do next?
Try to remove these habitual things that are taking you further from your goals for 3 weeks or more. Know that you're not going to go without them forever.
Then, as you choose to, gradually re-introduce some of the things on a less frequent occasion.


Building these conscious habits with your eating can be a great way to increase your awareness of the foods you consume and in doing so, strike up a much more beneficial balance between "good" and "bad".


If you're not sure where to start then perhaps write a food diary and look through it after a week to find recurring detractors that keep reappearing such as foods that are high in sugar.

Don't forget to follow me on Twitter (@MichaelD_PT)

Ways to Structure a Short Session

Often people will say things like:

"I don't want to spend hours on end in the gym."

"I can only put aside a short amount of time for the gym." (perhaps a lunch break for example)

"When I get in the gym, I don't know how to best spend my time."

"I only have a short time to exercise so I end up just doing the same things that I already know."

"I only had 30 minutes so I just went for a run."

Or perhaps a combination of these things.

So what if you have these, or a combination of these problems? Well, I'm here to help you.

Below is a list of just some of the ways that you can structure a quick gym session in order to make the most of your time and get a short, yet effective workout.

First Things First...

Write it down BEFORE you get to the gym! You already have a limited amount of time so don't waste gym time walking around, thinking what you'd like to do. Take time to structure a session before hand, enter with a plan and follow it.

Now try these:

Timed Circuit Training

The most straight forward and traditional method of all. Simply set your self a few exercises (probably 5-8) and perform them for an allocated length of time. Use an interval timer to do time the exercise time and also your pre-allotted rest time. Don't cheat yourself and take extra rest; when the buzzer goes, you go.

One of the great things about this is you know exactly how long you'll need to exercise for; ideal when you're on a tight schedule. Two things to be aware of when planning your circuit 1) Logistics: Make sure the equipment and area you need to use at the gym is positioned near each other or able to be moved near each other. 2) Popularity: Don't design a circuit that has you using a mixture of equipment that's likely to be used as you move from one area to the next. Better still, use some bodyweight exercises then you'll always be able to include them and shuffle the order on the go should someone jump on to your equipment and muck up the circuit.

An easy example would be: 30 secs work, 30 secs rest x 5 laps (25 mins total)

A1) Press Ups

A2) Kettlebell swings

A3) Kettlebell Goblet Squats

A4) TRX Rows

A5) Jumping Lunges / Switch Lunges

Progressions: Reduce rest time, add more exercises, add more laps.

Combine Cardio and Resistance Work

This is one of my favourite ways to get your heart rate elevated and use your gym time wisely. Pick a cardio exercise and a resistance exercise that, given the layout of your gym, can be done with relative ease (either near to the cardio equipment to ensure you can keep an eye on it while you do the resistance work, or on a piece of cardio equipment (like a treadmill) which there are plenty of in your gym so you're happy to walk away from to perform the resistance exercise.

A session structure might look like this:

A1) 1 min high incline treadmill jog

A2) Pull ups to failure

5 rounds

B2) 200m Row

B2) 15 x Kettlebell Swings

5 rounds

C1) 30 Sec Bike Sprint

C2) 10 x Dumbell Curl and Push Press

5 rounds

Or Perhaps you'd prefer to stick with one piece of cardio equipment that you're more familiar with so something like:

A1) 5 x Burpees

A2) 5 x Medicine Ball Slams

A3) 5 x Double Kettlebell Clean and Press

A4) 30 Second Hill Run

Or, from a psychological point you might like to shorten your cardio effort as you go. Therefore knowing that after the first set, the cardio part gets shorter and shorter.

For example:

10 dumbbell thrusters, row 500m, 10 dumbbell thrusters, row 400m, 10 dumbbell thrusters, row 300m, 10 dumbbell thrusters, row 200m, 10 dumbbell thrusters, row 100m.

Beware: This might take a little bit of playing around with to get the correct difficulty level to match your abilities. Try not to completely fatigue similar muscle groups in both the cardio and the resistance work. For example: Don't pair high repetitions of walking lunges with hill running.

Ascending Ladders or Pyramids

Using "Ascending Ladders" is a challenging way to gradually improve your fitness as your progressively increase the volume of work that you're able to perform.

If you're doing it for the first time, pick 4 or 5 exercises (again, pick things that can be done relatively closely to one another) and do 2 repetitions of each exercise for the first lap, then on the second lap (without any rest) perform 4 repetitions of each, then on lap 3 do 6 reps, lap 4 do 8 reps of each and on your 5th and final lap you perform 10 reps of each. Try to do the entire 5 laps as quickly as possible without resting. It starts easy but creeps up on you.

An example could be:

A1) Kettlebell Swings

A2) Press Ups

A3) Jump Squats

A4) Plank with a hip drop (each side)

A5) Burpees

Progressions: Increase the number of exercises, go higher ie: up to 6 laps (12 reps) or 7 laps (14 reps) etc, use larger increments such as 3,6,9,12,15 reps for example.

Alternatively, perform a Pyramid and do 2,4,6,8,10 reps, then immediately 10,8,6,4,2 reps. Sometimes however the final lap of 2 reps might feel like an anti-climax so I you're feeling particularly motivated you might try another lap of 10 reps just as a final blow out... maybe!

On the Minute / Every Minute On The Minute (EMOM)

This is another great way to ensure that your session doesn't over-run. Simply set your interval timer to sound each minute. When the timer goes perform your pre-decided exercise for the number of pre-decided repetitions.

Remember: You will need rest times so make sure that the exercise doesn't use up the entire minute. Ideally work somewhere between 30-50 seconds.

An example workout could be:

A1) 15 x kettlebell swings

A2) 10 x Incline Dumbell Chest Press

A3) 15 x Lat Pull Downs

A4) 45 secs Bike sprint

x 5 rounds = 20 minutes exactly.

Progressions: Add more repetitions/ cut your rest time, Include more cardio vascular work, add more exercises, include something heavy like 3 x heavy deadlifts/push presses/ farmers walks etc.

You Go - I Go

I like this as a format for partner workouts as it keeps you working at a decent tempo and you push one another to keep working. You also get varied amounts of rest so you don't adapt to the timing protocols which you can do sometimes when you use the same interval variations week after week.

With a partner, select your exercises and select a high volume of repetitions. Then go about completing the target reps by taking it in turn.

A workout might be:

50 x Burpees (1 each, until you complete 50. 25 each total)

3000m row (sat on two rowing machines, row 100m, then the partner rows 100m while you rest, repeat until you have each rowed 1,500m)

220 kettlebell swings (partner A does 20 swings, partner B does 20 swings, then A, then B and so on... 6 sets each).

40 Barbell Push Presses (1 rep each, pass the bar back and forth between each other without putting it down)

Safety First: Don't be a hero! If, part way through you notice between you that one person is struggling and they are at risk of losing good form, then you may agree mid-workout that one of you will do more eg: 2-3 reps to the other persons 1.

Note: You can do this wih two people of unequal strength/fitness if you're smart about it by selecting exercises that you can set up two of and using different weights such as 2 different kettlebells or barbells side by side. This means that men and women may also use this structure to train with one another.

Tabata Intervals

This is just simply an interval variation that was designed orginially in conjunction with the Chinese Olympic cycling team. The design is 20 secs work, 10 secs rest x 8.

You can, if you wish, use it with one traditional cardio vascular exercise (such as cycling or running), a single resistance resistance exercise such as a lat pull down 8 times, a single bodyweight exercise such as burpees or a mixture of up to 8 exercises.

An example workout using the tabata protocol (20 secs work, 10 secs rest x 8)

A) Tabata Press Ups

B) Tabata Leg Press

C) Tabata Lat Pull Down

D) Tabata Walking Lunges

E) Tabata Kettlebell Swings

F) Tabata Plank

Progressions: It's actually harder to use fewer exercises; ideally just one.

Beware: Try not to use anything too technical or towards your maximum load unless you're very experienced. If it's your first time try it with a simple exercise such as press ups, lunges or a plank.

But wait...

Not all "quick sessions" need to be focused on getting you soaked in sweat and that alone. There are some that can be much more strength focused.

For instance?..

"Cluster Training"

I first heard this concept from Joe De Franco. It's a very straight forward way to utilise just one bit of gym equipment, in a relatively short time in order to focus on strength training.

How does it work? Take a single complex exercise that you're able to perform with a heavy load (ideally a barbell squat variation, deadlifts, bench press, cleans, snatch, push press or jerk). Warm up thoroughly then load the bar with your 5 rep max. Perform just a single repetition. Then start your stop watch. Allow yourself 20 seconds rest and perform another single rep. As you begin to fatigue allow a slightly longer rest period of between 20-40 secs.

Continue this until you have performed 15-20 repetitions.

The idea being that rather than performing 4x5 reps where some of the repetitions aren't as good as the others you'll perform 15-20 single reps so that you can focus on each one in order to make them as good as possible. It should also get your heart rate up by the end. 20 quality, heavy reps and a little bit of cardio work.

Look out: Don't be surprised that as you perform (roughly) reps 1-5 the reps feel very manageable. 6-9 (roughly) they then feel gradually more difficult. Then around 10-13 suddenly some reps may feel easy as your CNS really begins to fire. Then 13 onwards (roughly) the reps gradually begin to get tougher. Keep this in mind when you're gradually increasing your rest periods.

Barbell Complex or Kettlebell Complex

A babrbell complex or a kettlebell complex is a number of exercises performed with the same barbell or kettlebell continuously moving from one exercise to the next without resting the weight down.

Beware: Some exercises are easier than other so the weight might not be suitable for all exercises. One way around this is to vary the repetitions ie: more reps on the stronger movements such as the kettlebell comlex below.

Barbell complex example:

A1) 6 x bent over rows

A2) 6 x hang cleans

A3) 6 x front squats

A4) 6 x push press

Kettlbell complex

A1) 12 x kettlebell swings

A2) 10 x kettlebell goblet squats

A3) 8 x kettlebell push press

A4) 5 x kettlebell snatches

Low Rep Circuits

Put together a circuit using larger, heavier movements for fewer repetitions. An example circuit could be:

A1) 3-5 Deadlifts

A2) 3-5 Bench Press

A3) 3-5 Back Squats

A4) 3-5 weighted Pull Ups

Allow 15-30 secs between sets. Complete 5 full rounds.

Safety First: Be honest with yourself; or better still, work with someone that knows the correct techniques involved in the exercises you're performing. If you form begins to suffer drastically then stop.

Don't attempt this style of workout if you're not experienced in the gym.

Structure is key: Beware not to overload one body part. Make sure you vary the body parts being used in when deciding the order of exercises.

In Summary...

There's loads you can do in the gym if you're restricted for time. There's nothing wrong as such with "just going for a run" but... this shouldn't be your only idea when time is short. not now you have all of these ideas to try anyway...

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