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Category: Goal Setting

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Investing in the right coach

Personal training can be a life-changing experience. The right coach can help you achieve your fitness goals and improve your overall health and well-being. However, finding the right coach can be a daunting task, especially with so many options available. While it may be tempting to look for a cheap deal, it is important to remember that quality comes with a price. In this article, we will discuss the importance of hiring the right coach and why it’s important not to look for a cheap deal when hiring a personal trainer.

 

First and foremost, it’s important to understand that not all personal trainers are created equal. Some may have more experience, more knowledge, and better credentials than others. When you’re looking for a personal trainer near you, it’s important to do your research and find someone who is qualified and has a good track record. This may require a bit of effort, but it’s worth it in the long run.

 

One of the main reasons why hiring the right coach is so important is that they can help you achieve your goals more quickly and efficiently. A good coach will have the knowledge and expertise to perform all the correct screening and assessments before hand to give him the data to design a bespoke fitness plan that is tailored to your specific needs and goals. They can also provide you with guidance and support along the way, helping you to stay motivated and on track.

 

Another benefit of hiring the right coach is that they can help you avoid injury. Not all exercises suit all individuals this is why it’s so important that you trust in the process and allow your coach to perform the assessments required so he can pick up and discrepancies you may have in certain ranges of motion so he can program accordingly. A lot or times personal trainers use the similar programs for all of their clients and don’t have an adequate screening procedures to determine what access to certain ranges of motions their client has. This can easily be identified by well educated coaches when observing programs performed on the gym floor.

 

Personal training involves a certain degree of risk, especially if you’re not familiar with proper form and technique. A good coach will not only teach you the right way to exercise but will also monitor your form to ensure that you’re doing each exercise correctly. At times coaches only qualify progressions of load a highly experienced coach will quantify quality of movement before increasing loads. This can help you avoid injury and stay safe while working out.

 

It’s also important to remember that personal training is an investment in your health and well-being. While it may be tempting to look for a cheap deal, it’s important to remember that you get what you pay for. Hiring a qualified and experienced personal trainer may cost more upfront, but it can save you money in the long run by helping you avoid injury and achieve your goals more quickly.

At our private personal training facility, we understand the importance of hiring the right coach. That’s why we only employ highly qualified and experienced personal trainers who are committed to helping our clients achieve their goals. Our personal trainers have a proven track record of success and can provide you with the guidance and support you need to succeed.

In addition to the physical benefits of personal training, there are also psychological benefits that come with having a personal trainer. One of the main psychological benefits is accountability. When you have a personal trainer, you have someone who is holding you accountable for your progress. This can be a powerful motivator, as it helps you stay on track and stay committed to your goals. A personal trainer that can help you navigate through the psychological barriers that every client will encounter on their path to achieving their goals.

 

Having a personal trainer can also help you build confidence and self-esteem. Working with a trainer who is supportive and encouraging can help you feel better about yourself and your abilities. As you achieve your goals and make progress, you’ll start to feel more confident in your ability to take on new challenges and push yourself even further. Our coaches understand that beginning a training program in a gym environment can be intimidating for most people, within our private facility is put to ease by the trust or the capabilities of our coaches that we will progress you according to your ability and not based on beasting our clients because it’s the cool thing to do. Programs are progressive and we do our due diligence before hand to make sure you will starting at the right place with your program.

 

Another important psychological aspect of personal training is the relationship between the trainer and the client. A good personal trainer will take the time to get to know you and understand your goals, needs, preferences as to what makes you tick. This relationship can be a powerful source of motivation and support, as your trainer will be there to help you through the tough times and celebrate your successes with you.

 

In conclusion, hiring the right coach is essential for achieving your fitness goals and improving your overall health and well-being. While it may be tempting to look for a cheap deal, it’s important to remember that quality comes with a price. When you’re looking for a personal trainer near you, do your research and find someone who is qualified and has a good track record. Investing in a good coach is cheaper in the long run to investing in a bad coach as you can never get lost time back.

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Why am I not losing weight?

Losing weight is a common goal for many people, but it can also be a frustrating and challenging journey. If you’ve been working hard to shed pounds and haven’t seen the results you desire, it could be due to several reasons. Here are some of the most common reasons why you may not be losing weight and what you can do about it.

Habits: Your daily habits play a significant role in your weight loss journey. Poor eating habits, such as skipping meals, snacking, overeating, and eating high calorie low nutrient foods, can sabotage your efforts. You need to establish healthy habits, such as consuming you planned meals, staying hydrated, and getting adequate sleep, to support your weight loss goals. A personal trainer can help you navigate through the process of replacing bad habits with good habits to keep you on track.

Nutrition Adherence: To lose weight, you need to create a calorie deficit, which means consuming fewer calories than your body burns. To do this, it’s essential to be consistent with your eating habits and make sure you’re eating nutritious foods that support weight loss. Fad diets and restrictive eating plans are not sustainable, and it’s crucial to have a balanced, healthy diet that includes a variety of foods. If you are staying on track all week and on the weekends you are going off plan it is likely you have un done all your hard work throughout the week. If you are socialising on weekends, it is important that you plan and prepare ahead using a method called calorie banking or selecting lower calorie options on the menu so that you can stay within the constraints of your deficit. A good personal trainer can guide you through the process when you eventually hit dates in your diary when social events take place. This doesn’t mean that you cannot have a good time it just means that a level of planning and mindfulness needs to be addressed so that you don’t spiral out of control and undo the weekly deficit that you have kept consistent.

Inconsistency with Exercise: Exercise is an essential component of weight loss. It helps to burn calories and build muscle, which can increase your metabolism. But, if you’re inconsistent with your exercise routine, it can be difficult to see results. To get the most out of your workouts, aim for consistency, gradually increasing the intensity and duration of your exercises over time. Often times exercises can act as your deficit however when consumption of the same amount of calories is present and your missing your scheduled training sessions then it would be a good idea to consume less calories on these days so you can stay within maintenance or within a slight deficit.

Not Putting Your Health as a Priority: Losing weight is a journey, and it requires commitment and dedication. If you’re not putting your health as a priority, it can be challenging to stick to your weight loss plan. Make a commitment to yourself to prioritise your health, and establish habits and routines that support your weight loss goals. Individuals place socialising or fashion as a priority and place their health at the bottom, health should be at the top investing in a personal trainer or a gym membership should prioritise those expensive nights out over the weekend and those funky Balenciaga trainers.

Stress and Hormonal Imbalance: Stress and hormonal imbalances can also contribute to weight gain or difficulty losing weight. Chronic stress can lead to overeating and a sedentary lifestyle, while hormonal imbalances can affect your metabolism and disrupt your weight loss efforts. If you’re struggling with stress or hormonal imbalances, a personal trainer can help you with these factors addressing your responses to certain situations and creating habits to try to reduce stress like improving sleep hygiene reducing alcohol and substance abuse. Seeking professional help is a valuable tool to help you to combat stress and understanding the psychological aspects behind your responses to stressors.

In conclusion, losing weight is not just about following a diet and exercise routine. It requires a holistic approach that includes healthy habits, consistency, and a commitment to your health. If you’re not seeing the results you desire, reassess your approach and make changes as needed. Remember, weight loss is a journey, and progress may not happen overnight. Be patient, stay focused, and celebrate your progress along the way.

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Meal Prepping Tips

 

Meal prepping is a great way to stay on track with your diet and ensure that you have healthy, nutritious food on hand throughout the week. Here are some tips for getting started:

 

Plan ahead: Before going grocery shopping, sit down and plan out your meals for the next few days. This will help you avoid impulse buying and ensure that you have all the ingredients you need on hand. Consider your schedule for the upcoming week and plan your meals accordingly. For example, if you know you’ll be busy on certain days, plan for easy-to-make meals or leftovers on those days.

Choose nutrient-dense foods: Focus on foods that are high in nutrients and low in calories. Proteins such as lean meats, fish, eggs and beans, Whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and healthy fats such as nuts, seeds, and avocados are all great options. Avoid processed foods, sugary drinks and snacks, and fried foods as much as possible.

Prep in bulk: Cooking in bulk can save you time and money. Choose recipes that can be easily scaled up or that have ingredients that can be used in multiple meals. For example, you can cook a large batch of rice, potatoes or quinoa, and use it for multiple meals throughout the week.

Keep it simple: Meal prepping doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming. Simple dishes like lean mince, grilled chicken or fish with a side of steamed vegetables, or a large salad with various toppings, can be just as nutritious and satisfying as more complex recipes.

Get organized: Invest in some good quality storage containers and label them with the date and contents. This will help you keep track of what you have and when it needs to be eaten. It’s also helpful to have a designated area in your fridge for your prepped meals, so you can easily grab them when you’re on the go.

 Add variety: Don’t feel like you have to eat the same thing every day. Mix and match your meals and try to change them up every week. This will help you avoid getting bored with your food and make it easier to stick to your diet. This will also give you a diverse amount of nutrients.

Enjoy: Remember to enjoy your meal and savour the flavours. Eating healthy should be a pleasure, not a punishment. Take the time to sit down and enjoy your prepped meals, and don’t feel guilty if you indulge in a treat every once in a while so long as you plan for it.

Herbs and spices: stock up on herbs and spices so you can add diverse flavours to your food. A lot of individuals perceive meal prepping to be boring bland add some flavour to your food by adding herbs or spices.

Keep track of your progress: Keep track of your meals and how you feel after eating them. This will help you identify what works for you and what doesn’t, and make adjustments as needed.

I am not a skilled cook? No one is born with the skills on how to cook, we all have to start somewhere, so start today and try one recipe at a time and build on it. Practice makes perfect don’t make excuses and build barriers for yourself, change your mindset in the information age today we have 1000s of recipes at our finger tips.

By following these tips, you’ll be well on your way to meal prepping like a pro and staying on track with your diet. Remember to be patient with yourself and to not get discouraged if you slip up. Meal prepping is a process, and it takes time to develop the habit. We will be posting some meal prep friendly recipes throughout the coming weeks to help you all along the way.

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10 Important Habits for Weight Loss.

Weight loss requires a combination of several habits:

 

  1. Eating a balanced diet that is low in calories enough to place you in a slight deficit and high in nutrient-dense foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and adequate amounts of proteins.
  2. Engage in regular bouts of physical activity, such as cardio and strength training, to burn calories and build/preserve muscle mass.
  3. A consistent monitoring of portion sizes and keeping track of the number of calories consumed each day. Don’t try to guess, use scales for an amount of time that it takes for you to know how to estimate your portion sizes but alway refer back to your scale weight when in doubt.
  4. Drinking enough water to stay hydrated and avoid overeating. Set hydration targets throughout the day to help you stay on track. Keep a water bottle with you at arms length at all times.
  5. Managing stress levels through techniques such as yoga, meditation, mindfulness or deep breathing. Anything that can put your body in a parasympathetic state of deep rest.
  6. Getting enough sleep each night, as lack of sleep can affect hormones that regulate appetite. Your quality of sleep is also important, have a sleep routine and stick with it consistently, this discipline will change your life.
  7. Avoiding processed foods, sugary drinks, and excessive alcohol consumption.
  8. Following a consistent eating schedule and avoid too much snacking. If you need to snack eat fruits or protein sources.
  9. Finding a form of physical activity that you enjoy and making it a part of your daily routine. This will help you stay consistent.
  10. Seeking support from friends and family, or a professional personal trainer, to help you stay on track and achieve your weight loss goals.

 

Weight loss is not a one-size-fits-all process and it’s important to consult a professional coach who can guide you and mentor you through a weight loss program with the right strategy for you. There is no quick fix, achieving health and weight loss is a journey that will have many hurdles stick to the plan and get through the tough bits and you will reap the rewards in the long run.

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How Much Does Muscle Growth Differ Between Lifters?

Reference to the Study:

Hubal et. al. (2005). Variability in Muscle Size and Strength Gain After Unilateral Resistance Training. MED SPORTS EXERC.

 

 

Details of the Study:

 

  • 585 untrained adults performed the same arm training routine for 12 weeks.

 

  • Most lifters experienced around a 10-20% increase in cross-sectional area, but there was extreme responses on either end of the spectrum.

 

  • A small number of individuals experienced no detectable muscle growth (with some even seeing losses in muscle size).

 

  • On the other hand, a small number of individuals saw increases in biceps cross-sectional area of greater than 50%.

 

  • As with most biological traits, the response to resistance training generally follows a bell-curve relationship. This means that most people see an ‘average’ muscle growth response, but a small percentage of people experience extremely more/less growth than average.

 

 

Applications to training:

 

  • This study supports the idea of the importance of an individualised plan in order to optimise muscle growth in each person.

 

  • Furthermore, it is unavoidable that some people will find it significantly easier to add muscle more than others, rendering comparison between peers futile. If you want to progress, then track your progression against yourself.

 

  • Ultimately having a personal coach who has the skills to guide you on how to execute your exercises correctly to get the most out of each exercise will put you in the best position to see results with your hypertrophy goals from your training in the gym.
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The Energy Systems: ATP-PC System

When we exercise, our bodies require energy to cause our muscles to contract, resulting in movement, cardiac muscle to contract more frequently and powerfully to increase blood flow and smooth muscle, such as the muscles in our respiratory system, to increase the amount of oxygen we take into our bodies. Energy can otherwise be called Adenosine Triphosphate (1 molecule of adenosine and three molecules of phosphate) or ATP for short. The body has 3 systems that it can create ATP from and, although we always use all 3 simultaneously, there will always be one system that is much more predominant than the others, based upon the activity and environment you’re in. This article will go more in-depth about the ATP-PC system or Alactic System and also how you can focus you’re training to improve its efficiency to further benefit your performance in the gym.

 

The ATP/PC system derives its name simply because it recycles the small storage of our bodies ATP and PC (Phosphocreatine) to produce ATP for exercise. Firstly, ATP is broken into ADP (Adenosine Diphosphate which is 1 Molecule of Adenosine and two molecules of phosphate). This action releases the energy required for our muscles to contract. Phosphocreatine is then broken down into creatine and a molecule of phosphate by an enzyme called creatine kinase. The energy released from this reaction is then used to join the phosphate group to ADP to create ATP which can then be broken down to create more energy for muscular contraction. Therefore, the limiting factor for this energy system is our body’s stores of phosphocreatine (or just creatine, which will be touched on later in the article.

 

As our bodies only have small stores of ATP and PC, this energy system can only be used for 10 seconds of exercise before we primarily use either to lactic acid energy system or the aerobic energy system, which will be looked at in the coming articles. However, despite its short duration, a huge positive of this energy system is that doesn’t produce performance debilitating by-products like lactic acid. Once used up, it takes approximately 3 minutes to replenish our body’s stores of ATP and PC, in order for the ATP/PC system to be the predominant system used in the next 10 second bout of exercise.

 

If we apply this to training in the gym, strength training, power training (less than 6 reps per set) and sprint training (10 second bouts or shorter) will primarily use this energy system. Therefore, if you are looking to improve on your strength, power and/or sprint performance, then it’s important to remember the principle of the 3-minute rest in order to be providing the stimulus to the ATP/PC system and therefore bring about the desired outcome of becoming stronger, faster or more powerful. Inadequate rest or prolonging the duration of repetitions will place stress onto the lactic acid energy system. The negative of doing so, is that this does not have the same benefit when it comes to all out efforts of 10 seconds or less, which is of particular concern for people partaking in sports where performance in these areas is key.

 

Although our stores of PC are very small, there is ways to increase them slightly. We can do this by supplementing our diet with creatine. This is because creatine has the ability to increase our muscle’s stores of PC and thereby prolonging the amount of time we can utilise the ATP/PC system before the lactic acid energy system becomes to primary energy system. The benefit to this is that you can place the training stimulus onto the ATP/PC system for an extra couple of reps/ few seconds per set which, over time, results in greater adaptations, and therefore performance, in strength and power.

 

Also, creatine is the most well researched supplement in the world and, unlike some supplements, it has been found to have no negative side effects. The recommended dosage for creatine is 5g per day which is relatively cheap as you can purchase 250g for approximately £15-£20. However, as it is a loading supplement, it is important to consume every day so that the quantity of creatine in the muscles can build up in order for you to see the benefits, unlike caffeine, whereby you take a dosage 1 hour prior to training and feel the effects for the next few hours.

 

I hope this has explained how you can improve the accuracy of your training and supplementation when you wish to focus on improving your strength, speed or power performance and overall bring about better results.

 

 

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Adherence – WHATS YOUR WHY?

Dedication vs Motivation

 

Adherence to any program or plan is the number 1 factor that will determine success to reach a particular goal or failure where you quit prior to achieving it or even getting close to it.

 

Don’t make excuses find solutions!

 

In any pursuit of getting to a certain goal consistency is king, if you are not consistently putting in the effort for the most amount of the time you will be taking 1 step forward and 3 steps back rather than the opposite.

 

Motivation will fail you, when emotions get in the way when your not in a good mood, your stressed sad, overwhelmed. Motivation will seize you’ll quit or have a day off that turns into a weeks to a month off.

 

Dedication is something that you will do regardless of your circumstances, regardless if your stressed, tired, overwhelmed and regardless if your not in a good emotional state. You’ll always find a way regardless of the situation.

 

If your just motivated you will find any little excuse to stop yourself from doing the things that you need to do. When we are dedicated we will find a solution you’ll adapt to get what you need get done to progress.

 

That’s why it’s important to identify your Why, your why is an emotional thing which can change and progress or can remain the same through the course of your journey.

 

It’s really important that we really think about this and put some focus into it as we can use it to remain dedicated when things will get in the way of our progress and progression and having that awareness as we navigate through our journey on how it may change or progress.

 

Be attached to your why, write it down put it on your notes in your phone and review it periodically. When your making excuses to yourself read it out 10 times and you will see how your focus /mindset will change.

 

We have to set our self’s up for success we are living in a more stressful environment at present and each individuals allostatic load is much higher which means we are required to acknowledge all of these things that may happen along the way over the course of the month and year and say to yourself your reactions to these stimuli that may raise your emotions will be X or Y. For example I will not drink a bottle of wine when X happens at work. I will do a workout and do 10 mins of deep breathing and meditation, or I will book myself a massage so I can release the tension from my body. Often times it’s not the stimulus but our reaction to the stimulus how we perceive it and react to it.

 

Let’s look at examples of what someone’s WHY may look like?

 

  • I want to be fit and healthy for when I have children.
  • I want to be able to keep up with my Grandchildren.
  • want to be a good role model to my children so they can see me focusing on good habits toward my health eating good foods and exercising regularly.
  • I want to be mobile and active when I reach and elderly age.
  • I like to look good for my husband/wife/partner and myself.
  • I want to look good for my clients so they believe in what I advise them to do (as a coach you are your own business card).
  • I like feel good cognitively which by creating healthier lifestyle habits allows me to feel this way. (exercises has a positive impact on mental health).
  • I want to be healthy enough to continue to do the hobbies/sports I love.

 

Make note of yours, focus and review it regularly, use it as your fuel to keep your dedicated on becoming the healthiest and strongest version of yourself.

 

A good physique, health and vitality is created by consistent habits that will require a consistent dedicated approach. As coaches and personal trainers we help individuals navigate through this process and keep you accountable to your WHY!

 

 

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The Importance of Sleep for your goals

 

On average, in the UK, men get 6.17 hours of sleep per night, whilst females get 6.04 hours per night. This falls short of the 7 hours recommended for your average adult. This falls even further short of the recommended amount for someone in regular training, whereby the general rule of thumb is 7 hours + as many hours as you trained for that day. For example, if you trained for 1 hour, then it would be recommended that you sleep for 8 hours (7 hours + 1 hour of training). This article will look into the key factors effecting your training outcomes and how sleep will influence each one.

 

When we isolate training from nutrition and focus only on getting the most out of the session when we step into the gym, we want to be feeling our best. However, a lack of sleep can drastically effect this. Concentration and motivation towards goals have been shown to significantly reduce in response to low levels of sleep. Whereas, anxiety and irritability have been shown to increase. When these factors are put into play in our daily lives, it will automatically make us enjoy training a lot less and not train at the same level as we potentially could do. Also, for most of the general population who are not fitness enthusiasts, this will be enough to make their attendance to the gym drop by large amounts which will then have the knock-on effect of preventing the gym from becoming a habit whereby attendance becomes second nature. That way, even when they do eventually catch up on sleep, they have to work hard again to try and make it become a habit. Training also increases muscle protein synthesis, the act of building new proteins (the building blocks of muscle tissue). However, lack of sleep actually blunts this response, resulting in less muscle being built each session. This links closely to nutrition which we will move onto now.

 

Nutrition provides the body will the fuel to execute training efficiently, as well as the nutrients needed to recover and grow. Adequate protein intake is required to stimulate muscle protein synthesis and as mentioned above, lack of sleep blunts this response, instantly making your diet not as optimal as it could be. Next, a lack of sleep has been shown to trigger increased levels of ghrelin and decrease levels of leptin which leads to increased levels hunger and appetite. This is going to make it much more difficult for anyone looking to consistently eat within a caloric deficit each day to lose weight. However, when paired with the lack of interest towards goals, this can also be an issue for people looking to eat within a moderate calorie surplus to gain muscle. This is because if motivation towards goals are low, then this can result in more low-quality foods being eaten, leading to them feeling sluggish and potentially overeating if the foods they choose to eat are hyper-palatable, high calorie foods.

 

Overall, a lack of sleep can have both direct and indirect negative influences on the results you achieve when trying to change your body composition. Therefore, it should be a priority to achieve adequate sleep if you are serious about making significant changes to your health and fitness.

 

If you are struggling to get the right amount of sleep, it is worth looking at your sleep hygiene. Sleep hygiene is the term used to describe environmental and behaviour practices used to enhance sleep quality and duration. There are a few factors that contribute to this. Firstly, if your lifestyle allows, a regular sleeping pattern will help your body maintain a healthy circadian rhythm (sleep/wake cycle) so your body will know when it’s time to sleep. Similarly, it can help to create a routine before bed to aid with this. However, this should not include any screen time, as screens decrease melatonin levels, the hormone which helps us to fall asleep. Therefore, consider relaxing activities which do not include a screen such as having a bath and reading. Next, we want to eliminate the effects of drugs that negative impact sleep. The two common drugs being used are alcohol and caffeine. The half-life of caffeine is approximately 5 hours. Therefore, if you consume a large energy drink (approximately 160mg of caffeine) at 5pm, there will still be 80mg of caffeine in your system at 10pm. Therefore, it’s important to consume your caffeine early in the day, a general rule is no later than 8 hours prior to bed but even earlier would be better. With alcohol, often people believe it helps sleep as they can fall to sleep more easily after consumption. However, it effects sleep quality, therefore limiting consumption to weekends will prevent evening glasses of wine from impacting your sleep in the week.

 

If this does not work, I would recommend seeing a specialist whereby they would analyse your individual case and work out the best method of treatment, potentially recommending certain supplements such as magnesium. Overall, I hope this article has helped inform you of the importance of sleep and how you should prioritise it, in order to aid you in reaching your health and fitness goals.

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Load vs Rep Progression

 

 

Reference:

Plotkin et. al. (2022) Progressive Overload Without Progressing the Load? The Effects of Load or Repetition Progression on Muscular Adaptations. PERJ.

 

Details of the Study:

 

  • Trainees performed the same lower-body workout 2x per week for 8 weeks, taking all sets to failure.

 

  • One group lifted within the 8-12 rep range and attempted to increase the load over time, still sticking to this rep range.

 

  • The other group also lifted within the 8-12 rep range initially. However they aimed to perform more reps overtime whilst maintaining the same load.

 

Results:

 

  • It was found that both groups saw increases in muscle thickness of all muscles measured, with no notable trends favouring either condition.

 

  • Furthermore, changes in lean mass of the legs were similar between groups.

 

  • This supports the main know drivers of hypertrophy are mechanical tension and metabolic stress are both great for hypertrophy.

 

Real World Application:

  • This study suggests that progression via load or reps results in similar outcomes, as long as the set is taken to failure. Therefore, if muscle growth is the aim then proximity to failure should be prioritized.

 

  • Once you know you can train to failure successfully and it comes the decision to either up the weight or increase reps. Exercise execution is vital for all lifts and movements it would be useful to hire a personal trainer to coach you on exercise execution.

 

  • A useful strategy would be to perform your compound more mid range movements with the progression of load and your isolation movements towards the shortened and lengthened ranges of the muscle towards higher rep ranges.
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Why you may not maintain adherence towards the gym.

Exercise has never been more accessible than it is today. In terms of weight training, most areas in the UK have several gyms for every budget, ranging from £20 per month commercial gyms, right up to country clubs that charge several hundreds of pounds per month. Regarding outdoor sports, there’s plenty of clubs and cycle routes out in public and running solo will always be completely free. Furthermore, exercise from home became massively popular during the COVID 19 Pandemic, with the use of Peloton Bikes, as well as free home-based circuit training on YouTube becoming increasingly popular.

 

Despite this high amount of accessibility, only 6 percent of UK males and 4 percent of females meet the Department of Health’s recommended levels for activity. Why might this be the case? Giving exercise a go in the first place is not so much of an issue. Hence the massive boom in gym memberships every January, as well as the huge purchase of home gym equipment in the pandemic. The main issue is with adherence to these changes to one’s lifestyle. The ability to adhere to a training programme will differ between individuals. However, I have chosen some very common factors which, when stuck to, will make it significantly easier to stick to a training programme.

 

Firstly, there’s enjoyment of the exercise itself. Choosing a form of exercise that you actually enjoy (or in some people’s case, find more tolerable than others), is crucial. Whether it be exercise, food, a hobby, a relationship or a job, if you do not enjoy it then you are not going to stick to it for long. One caveat is that your chosen exercise must align with your goals. For instance, if you want to put on muscle but only love running, then this will not work, you will need to be resistance training regularly. However, there is plenty of flexibility within this: you can choose high vs low reps, the addition of drop-sets, super-sets, rest-pause sets, giant sets etc. So, you can tailor your sessions around your own preferences.

 

 

Next, having high quality goals is key. We can follow the acronym SMARTER to create a high-quality goal. S stands for specific. For instance, we would change the goal ‘I want to be able to run faster’ to ‘I want to improve my 5k PB’. This way, we know to focus the training on 5k performance and not just a general running programme. M stands for measurable. This goal has already partly been made measurable by adding in 5k. However, we can make it even more measurable by saying ‘I want to improve my 5k PB from 25:30, to 23 minutes’. A stands for achievable and R stands for realistic. Having an overwhelming goal can be very disheartening. Wanting to improve your 5k PB from 25 minutes to 23 minutes is very realistic. However, wanting to improve it from 25 minutes to 14 minutes will be near impossible for the majority of people. T stands for Time Bound. You need to set an end date on this goal to help create urgency. An example being, I want to improve my 5k PB from 25 minutes to 23:30 in 3 months is a realistic, time bound goal for a relative novice. E stands for Evaluate. Your goal needs to be frequently evaluated, to see if your training needs to be adjusted part way through, in order to increase your chances of actually achieving the goal. R stands for recognise. You need to recognise the little wins along your way to your end goal and appreciate how far you have come on your journey. If your goal satisfies all these conditions, it should provide a clear and motivating target to aim for.

 

Finally, we need to look at the social aspect of training. Often in life we associate our enjoyment towards an activity closely with the relationships attached to it. For instance, plenty of people enjoy drinking in pubs, however how much they enjoy this activity is hugely dependant on the relationship they have with the people they go with and exercise is no different. If you find yourself unable to adhere to an exercise programme, choose a training partner who you enjoy spending time with. Furthermore, having a training partner gives the added bonus of accountability. If you have a time set to meet someone at the gym, this makes it a lot more likely to happen as opposed to you planning to go alone and then not really feeling like it when the time comes around.

 

Alternatively, you can kill several birds with one stone and hire a good quality personal trainer. This will not only create a positive social aspect to training once a strong relationship is built, they will also help you create effective SMARTER targets and work closely with you to formulate a training programme which aligns with your goals, involving sessions that you actually enjoy performing.

 

Overall, I hope this article has helped identify some key elements for you to focus on when embarking on changing your lifestyle for the better.