Personal Training Blog

If your looking to maintain a healthy weight, then you need to look at your habits. Your habits are those small things you do every day that accumulate over time. That's why we want to introduce positive and healthy habits into our daily life. These can become automatic through repetition, and can help us become a healthier version of ourselves. Here's three habits that you can start to implement that will have a long lasting and positive effect on you and your health!
 
1. Increase your NEAT
NEAT (non exercise activity thermogenesis) refers to the energy we expend that is not sleeping, sports related exercise or eating. It can range from the energy expended through doing house chores, walking, doing the laundry and going shopping. If you want to maintain or improve the weight your at, then don't neglect this key habit.
 
2. Lift weights
Through regular resistance training, your muscle mass is preserved and your metabolic rate will stay stable or even improve. This is an important habit to start implementing into your busy schedule. All that's required is 45 minutes of your time, two to three times per week. The benefits will amaze you!
 
3. Stay hydrated 
Drinking water regularly is helpful for weight maintenance for a few reasons.
It promotes and helps give a feeling of fullness and may help you keep your calorie intake in check if you drink a glass or two before meals. In a recent study, those who drank water before eating a meal had a 13% reduction in calorie intake, compared to participants who didn’t drink water.
 
Diets can be restrictive and challenging for many, which often leads to frustration and weight gain.
 
However, the good news is that there are plenty of simple changes you can make. The key is to adopt new habits that are easy to stick with and will help you maintain or lose your weight in the long term.
 
It is possible for weight maintenance to be effortless if you simply adopt a few key habits, rather than going on and off weight loss diets. 

Small group training sessions are similar to normal fitness classes. With just a few people taking part, this allows your personal trainer to give each individual personal attention and motivation to help them reach their fitness goals. It's been said that there is strength in numbers. This is particularly true when it comes to small group personal training. From increased focus and fun, to more motivation and discipline, here's three key benefits to working out alongside a partner or two.
 
1. A sense of camaraderie and fun
It provides a great opportunity to meet other like minded people who also want to get fit. The group dynamic creates a sense of support and encouragement between the class participants.
 
2. Motivation
Working out on your own is great, but the added motivation that comes from a group setting is dynamic and challenging. Nobody wants to be the weak link in a group. This psychological phenomenon, called the Köhler effect, means that people who train together get more results. You'll want to do your best to not only keep up with the other people, but to set an example to them too.
 
3. Affordable and sustainable
Group personal training is more affordable than regular individual personal training, and is more supportive than larger gym group classes. The emphasis and attention is focused on the individual through challenging and encouraging them to continually improve and work towards their goals.  

As we enter 2022, you may be considering taking up the services of a good personal trainer. Whether your looking to lose weight, reduce body fat or just get stronger and healthier, then working with a PT could be just what your needing. Remember that when you invest in yourself and your health, you can never lose. With that in mind, here's ten key reasons why you should probably get a reputable and experienced personal trainer on side.
 
1. They challenge you session by session 
2. They bolster your confidence and are a source of constant support 
3. They maximise your time to get optimum results 
4. They care about you and your well being 
5. They keep you accountable 
6. They make sure your technique is safe and correct 
7. They are experts in their field and can offer a wealth of knowledge and information 
8. They are flexible and can accommodate to your busy schedule 
9. They offer variety when it comes to your workouts and they keep things as fresh as possible 
10. They will work around any niggles and injuries you may have 
 
These are just a few of the many reasons why you probably should consider getting a  personal trainer! Whether you have an upcoming wedding you want to get in shape for, or whether it's to set a great example for your family, or even if you need some 'me' time to decompress, you won't regret the investment in yourself and your health! 

The festive season can be a challenging time to get in exercise and maintain your diet. You can easily go overboard at Christmas with the amount of parties, dinners and family events taking place. With that in mind, here's a few ways to limit the impact this festive season and feel good about yourself as a result.
 
1. Give yourself permission 
You CAN eat or drink what you want, but be mindful of overdoing it, especially the alcohol. You can still enjoy yourself and have one or two of your favourite drinks or treats! Combine this with regular outdoor walks and you'll feel much more balanced over the hectic festive period. 
 
2. Don't people please 
This is an important one. Simply put, just do you. If you don't want to drink then don't drink. Stick to your plan and remember that everybody else may not be training regularly or they may not have the same mindset that you may have, and that's ok. At the end of the day, it's best to please yourself than try to meet others expectations of what it is to enjoy Christmas. 
 
3. Get your steps in
This is another key element of navigating the festive season. Go for morning walks, especially around Christmas and New Year's. It will give you peace of mind and confidence in knowing that you've done something positive for yourself!
 
4. Forget the guilt 
In reality, what you eat around the festive season matters a lot less than what you eat or drink the rest of the year. Give yourself a break if things don't go to plan and don't be hard on yourself! There's always the new year to start fresh and get back on track.

Christmas is a time to be enjoyed, whether it be with family or friends. With that in mind, how do we enjoy the season without going completely off track? After all, the New Year is just around the corner. The new year provides a chance to make major inroads on your health and fitness goals and create better habits that will help you achieve the results you want. Here's a few tips to help you navigate December and enter 2022 feeling refreshed and motivated, instead of the exact opposite! 
 
1. Train in December 
This is a key way to keep on track with your training regime. At the end of the day, December is just another month. It may have a different feel to it, but it's no reason to take your foot off the gas. If you really are serious about getting fit and healthy you should aim to train the same in December as other months. Of course, enjoy the few days around Christmas and the New year but don't treat it as a total blowout either. 
 
2. Have a plan 
It can be tempted to drink loads and eat loads. The key thing to realise is that you can enjoy the festive period while still maintaining your fitness level. It just takes a bit of planning and preparation in advance. Go for the non alcoholic prosecco or beer, it tastes the same. Put a limit on the amount of times you put your hand into the boxes of chocolates doing the rounds. Get your Christmas morning walk or run in, and Stephens day too. Simply put, it's all about being smart. Relax and enjoy yourself, but keep the bigger picture in mind. 
 
3. Rest & recover. Enjoy the festive break 
You have worked hard all year, and there have been a lot of challenges and things to deal with. It’s time to relax and enjoy yourself without feeling guilty. Enjoy the time with family and friends. Try and rest more and sleep more – rest and recovery is so important to our health and well being.
 
To summarise - decide to enjoy this festive season, you deserve it! Just remember, next year is coming around the corner. Give yourself the best possible headstart you can through a balanced and healthy end of year and you'll be raring to go come January! 

Your weight is just one aspect or interpretation of what it means to be healthy. It's important not to obsess over the scale and instead focus on all the other key indicators of improved health and progress both in and outside of the gym. Here's four signs of progress that mean more than the number on the scale.
 
1. You are stronger and in better shape
This is a big sign that your hard work in the gym is paying off. You feel better in your clothes and can complete everyday tasks with greater ease. There's also less pain on a day to day basis, not to mention your looking and feeling better both inside and out!
 
2. Your body composition will have changed
If your someone who exercises regularly, and especially if some form of strength training is involved, you may notice the scale number plateau or even increase. In this instance it would be beneficial to look at body fat and muscle mass percentage rather than getting down about the scale numbers. You can measure these figures either through a smart scale or through the use of body calipers. 
 
3. Your mental health is improving 
Greater energy, improved focus and improved self esteem are the intangible markers of improved health. However, improvements in these areas are just as  important as the numbers and worth celebrating!
 
4. Exercise is part of your life 
This is a crucial step to lasting consistency and long term results. You've found an activity in exercise that you love doing, that benefits not only you but everyone you come into contact with. It's good to see exercise as an investment in your future, one that will pay off if you apply yourself consistently and diligently to the process, not the number on the scale. 

Motivation is a funny thing. Of course, it’s high at the start, when you’re just starting out training or getting into a new nutrition plan. However, this feeling can often disappear after a few weeks or a few months. Even the most dedicated of athletes or gym goers can ‘fall off the wagon’ and not feel like doing their workouts. When this happens, the last thing you want to do is to give up. Your workouts just may need to be made more challenging or exciting. Your nutrition plan may need tweaking, or you may just need a week off or a holiday to recharge. There are three tried and tested ways to ensure that you continue to show up even when you’re not feeling like it. 
 
1. Change it up 
They say change is good, and when it comes to training and nutrition this is certainly true. The key is to keep your workouts as varied and challenging as possible as often as possible, while building on the fundamentals. The body is an incredible machine, and it adapts to change very quickly, which is why you need to keep it guessing. You can up your weights, try a new form of training or switch up your meals and training schedule. Whatever it is, try to mix it up every so often so as to keep your enthusiasm and energy high!
 
2. Measure regularly
What gets measured gets managed. This means that if you’re not measuring your progress, your essentially guessing! That’s why it’s important to do regular body fat, weight, and general strength measurements to indicate where you’ve come from, where your currently at and where you want to go. With the help of your personal trainer or coach, make sure you’re regularly measuring your progress. This is a sure-fire way to ensure your motivation stays at a good level, even in those low points. You can even measure your resting heart rate, track your sleep quality, your body measurements and also the intangible markers such as mood, confidence, wellbeing, and quality of life. 
 
3. Make it fun 
This is the most important and determining factor in staying on track. You see, we get bored easily. Keeping things fun in the gym and the kitchen makes things a lot easier and doable in the long term. Take up a new sport or hobby, try a new finisher in the gym or even schedule two nights a week to cook a healthy meal with your kids or partner. Variety is the name of the game here, and it can really go along way to ensuring you stay the course and achieve your goals long term!

Warming up before a workout is crucial. A typical warm up can take anywhere between five and ten minutes and should focus on dynamic stretching, mobility and core exercises. Here’s three key reasons why you should always do a warmup before your gym session. 
 
1.You’ll reduce your risk of injury 
The last thing anyone wants is an injury. Injury prevention is one of the main functions of a solid warm up. With that in mind, make sure you do a few stretches and exercises with the guidance of a personal trainer before your workout. A good warmup will go along way to making sure you stay injury free. 
 
2.They help you mentally prepare 
We’ve all been there, rushing to the gym to make our 6am or 6pm workout. You arrive and your flustered, so don’t make it worse by jumping straight into your already challenging workout! Take your time. The warm up really helps to signal the start of your workout. It’s about easing in to a workout, increasing the intensity at a steady pace while not feeling overwhelmed. Use your warm up to think about what your about to do, and why you’re doing it too. This will ensure that both your mind and body will be in sync, and ready to deliver a great session!
 
3.They help to get our muscles and body ready
A good warm up will help raise your body temperature, which is extremely important when it comes to the more strenuous and demanding lifts in your workout. Without a proper warmup, you will be coming in cold, literally. We want to be warm when we workout, allowing our muscles to contract and relax more easily. This will ensure that you are able to complete your session with minimum risk of injury and also perform optimally. 
 
The benefits of a good warm up are clear and they will certainly help you achieve your goals in the gym. Once you’ve warmed up, both physically and mentally, you’ll be ready to tackle even the most demanding of workouts!

In our fast paced society its becoming more and more important to look after both our physical and mental health. We need to look after ourselves, and there is no better way than through regular exercise. The link between regular activity and good mental health has been well documented in recent times. Here's four key ways that regular training and exercise can help you feel your best!
 
1. Better physical health means better mental health. Improving your health and longevity with exercise can save you a great deal of hassle in the short run by strengthening your immunity to colds and the flu and the long run by helping you stay healthier longer, and enjoy life more because of it.
 
2. Exercise improves confidence. Simply put, exercise can help you lose weight, tone up, and maintain a healthy glow and smile. The benefits of exercises are endless, but improving your confidence and self worth has to be near the top of that list. You may also start to feel an upturn in your mood as you train more frequently and with more consistency. 
 
3. Exercise can be a source of social support. We are social creatures by nature. and the benefits of having a strong support network cannot be understated. Physical activities can be social activities as well, whether it be a chat with your personal trainer or making friends with fellow gym goers. So whether you join an exercise class or you join the local running or football club, exercising with others can give you that double dose of stress relief and sense of connection. 
 
4. Your quality of life improves. Exercise has been proven to improve the lives of those who engage in it, from a physical, mental and emotional standpoint. It's a positive feedback loop that constantly reinforces itself through feelings of self confidence, achievement, self worth and a sense of connection. You will start to see your life improve in many ways once you commit to regular exercise.