Applied Effort

I have been training people for 10 years now and since day one the type of person who I have enjoyed training the most has never changed.

The level of fitness, experience or competency has never really phased me much. I have never had a preference of training men over women or vice versa. I don’t mind training someone for a sport specific goal or a goal of improved general fitness.

What has excited me the most since day one is the person that turns up to every session prepared to work hard.

I come from a sporting background and what I realised early on was that I was not a naturally gifted athlete. There were guys much better than me from the outset however over time I realised I could outwork them.

I believe this is where my passion came from to work with people who are prepared to do the work.

Wherever you are right now, whether you are a beginner just getting the hang of a new exercise program or someone that has been training for years do, yourself a favour and turn up to train.

This means when the time comes, put your head down and apply yourself 100% to the task at hand.

In my experience this helps not only to achieve great results in fitness but there are a number of other benefits.

Mental – when you commit fully to a task like training there is no room for thoughts about the bills, work, kids and life in general. While that sounds a little harsh I believe it’s a crucial break.

Endorphin release – you will feel good after any form of exercise however if you give everything you’ve got the rush of endorphins that follows will have you walking tall all day.

Sleep – wearing yourself out at training is like a natural tranquilliser, train hard and sleep even harder!

Test it for yourself – at your next session apply your best effort and notice the difference. Aim to then apply that same best effort at every training session from then on!!

Counter Productive Input

We live in an age where input is all around us and it’s instant.

Social media, advertising, marketing strategies, the list goes on and on.

In the days of the newspaper and radio we needed to seek out this input however we now have more input than we could consume in a lifetime in our pocket. 

As a result it is now easier than ever before to be exposed to input that is counterproductive and could potentially derail us from our goals and desires.

This could happen in all areas of life however lets specifically discuss health and fitness.

Facebook and Instagram started as a social platform however they have rapidly developed into a market place for a multitude of businesses and this is particularly true of the fitness industry.

If you become interested in health and fitness you may choose to start following some fitness identities online.

 The social media algorithms built into all platforms identify that you are searching fitness related topics and then commence sending content your way. This is great and very helpful when you are on track and motivated however what happens on a day when you get out of bed feeling ‘fat’ and ‘negative’ – by the way this happens to everyone at some point in time!

In this instance your news feed can quickly become your enemy. All of a sudden you don’t want to see the butt of a size 6 model or the pecs and abs of a male physique competitor.

Very quickly positive input can become negative depending on your state of mind and level of internal stability.

So what do we do about it.

1)      Be aware – input can be positive or negative simply by the way we feel and the experiences we are exposed to. This change can be instant!    

2)      You are in control – if what’s in your news feed no longer fits with your mindset, change it. Don’t allow external input to change or negatively affect your internal dialogue!

3)      It’s a business – understand that your favourite fitness model is bearing all as part of their business; this is what pays their bills. If your lively hood depended on great photos of you in a swimsuit you would only post great pictures too!

In short take any input you can in order to build determination, motivation and courage to do what must be done. However understand that when you change so must your input in order to keep you on track and moving towards your goals!

Building a Physique

When we talk about making a transformation from where you are to where you would like to be, what we are really talking about is building a physique.

Physique is a dirty word for many people, women in particular associate the word with body building. Body building is essentially what you are doing however each time to step into the gym. Although your goal may not be to look like Arnold your goal should be to build a physique.

When it comes to building a physique the key is consistency! If you are truly looking to build the body that you have always wanted you need to become a student of the process. Learn continually and work with consistency long term.

Recently I spoke with a client that is taking a 6 month break from weight training and increasing her cardio to fill the void. Her goal is to lose body fat to expose more muscle mass and ultimately have a more muscular physique. I couldn’t talk her out of it – her mind was made. The idea is crazy!

Think of building your physique like building a wall from mud bricks;  

You build a wall one brick at a time, if you cheat and leave brick out it’s noticeable. There is no cheating and there is no quick fix. There are ways to build a wall more efficiently however it takes as long as it takes!

If ever you decide to stop building your wall the environment goes to work undoing your efforts to date. Wind stress the bonds, rain washes away the mud and the sun creates cracks. Over time the work is lost.

This is your body – this is your physique – are you building it or are you loosing it?

Sceptics Are Healthiest

• Multi vitamins are essential.

• There’s no difference between synthetic and natural supplements.

• 3 minutes each day is all you need.

• Weight training will make me bulky.

• A calorie deficit equals weight loss.

• Low fat is the answer.

The list of health and fitness related claims is endless and we all know them, have seen them and may have been guilty of being fooled by them.

It’s not hard to see why when we take a closer look.

First and foremost, it’s essential to understand that behind every product or claim there is a business and the goal of that business is to create revenue. While a health and fitness product uses the guise that its first priority is ‘you’, make no mistake the key driving force is that of any other commercial enterprise, profit generation.

Now that we understand this we can begin to look at things a little more subjectively.

Why would a fitness product spruik that their idea or product requires only 3 minutes each day or a low fat diet is key.

The answer is that ‘we’ the general public have essentially told big business through our spending and consumption habits what we want and how it needs to be delivered to us. Using the two above listed examples let’s look closer;

3 minutes each day appeals to our desire to have it all instantly. It allows us to continue life without change. It allows for the ‘cake and eat it too’ mentality.

‘Low fat is key’, means that we can have food that is nutritionally poor that tastes great. It means we can tell our family and friends we are on a diet that just happens to be tasty and easy to follow. It means that we need to make that bear minimal in changes to our usual routine to ‘fit the guidelines’.

Consider this – if it sounds too good to be true, it is! Without making a change how can you expect change to occur?

We understand these concepts when they are broken down and considered for their simplicity however when they are wrapped up in fancy marketing and advertised directly to us, the truth is harder to define.

When it comes to your health and fitness you owe it to yourself to look a little closer. You owe it to yourself to ask questions and demand reasonable answers.

When it comes to your health and fitness be willing to make changes in order to improve and grow; after all our health and fitness is all we have!