I find myself sat with a mentor giving a perfectly rational explanation for why I didn’t do the thing I was unposed to do:
“I couldn’t do that because of x, y, z…”
She paused just long enough to make me consider what I’d said before looking me dead in the eye and enquiring:
“Couldn’t or wouldn’t?”
Cue more dead air that I was happy to fill.
“No, you see I can’t do the thing because…..”
She interjects.
I drink a lot of coffee.
There’s a Starbucks 10mins from the gym and I work in various coffee shops (I’m writing this in ‘Eat17’) in town.
I pay anywhere from £2-3 a coffee.
I easily ‘drink out’ seven times a week.
£14-21 / week.
£56-84 / month.
Fucking hell that’s a wake-up call for me reading that in black and white!
I spend more on coffee than most people do on a gym membership.
Membership at KORU (where I PT) Gym = £35/month.
Coffee is an inexpensive, highly available product that provides an immediate buzz.
Gym membership is a perceived luxury that on its own guarantees nothing. It requires substantial work on your part to make it worthwhile.
Coffee is instant, short-term gratification.
Gym membership is a long-term investment in your health.
I’m not here to bash coffee. I’m here to tell you that for £25-40/month a gym membership is an absolute bargain.
It has the potential to be one of the best investments you ever make.
I love coffee.
I love living a healthy life more.
…..they know how much you care.”
Theodore Roosevelt
This is Personal Training in a nutshell.
I presented a nutrition seminar a few months back and was asked about my qualifications.
My surprised response:
“That’s 5”
5 GCSEs?
No, that’s a total of 5 times in the last 10 years I’ve been asked about my education background.
If you’re reading this as a current or aspiring PT it doesn’t mean education isn’t important. You simply have to realise your client probably doesn’t care, and that’s ok.
If you’re reading this as a CLIENT of a PT do they:
Continue reading “#17 – “People don’t care how much you know until…..”
I’m not going to lecture you on the benefits of points 1-4.
If you’re vehemently against eating vegetables and exercise I don’t know what to tell you…..best of luck at life.
Focus on point 5 – how to achieve any kind of consistency.
Here are a few basic recommendations that’ll help.
How to consistently drink 2 litres of water daily
Continue reading “#16 – Healthy habits you KNOW are good for you…..but STILL DON’T DO”
Watching my beloved Arsenal lose 3-2 at Chelsea was unpleasant.
In the heat of the moment, I’m an irrational, hyperbolic, noisy, incoherent mess…..
……I’m a football fan.
80% of what I rant and rave about during the 90mins should probably be disregarded.
But what about the 20%?
There’s an observation I made during the game that I’m happy to stand by 48rs later.
Continue reading “#15 – Stuck in the same old narrative – the curse of Glenn Hoddle”
I received a great question from Michael Gilmore in the EMLE Facebook forum the other day:
“The harsh reality that whatever your weight you have to eat less to lose it. Why is it so difficult to get this simple message across in your experience?”
It’s a fair point and one I find myself coming back to repeatedly.
That already gives you a clue the answer to the question is considerably more complex than the energy balance equation itself.
I don’t believe there’s one sole reason people struggle with the concept of ‘calories in vs calories out’, I think it’s it’s multifaceted.
Disclaimer: below are a collection of my thoughts and ideas, not definitive absolutes. Continue reading “#14 – If weight loss is simple, why don’t people ‘get it’?”
If you’ve never heard Henry Rollins speak you’re missing out. A guy with a fascinating backstory and obscene work ethic.
The Rockstar (Black Flag frontman), public speaker, radio presenter, author, adventurer, has led by anyone’s definition of a ‘full life’.
No stranger to the public eye, Henry performs for an expectant crowd on a weekly basis.
Not exactly the type of person you’d associate with social anxiety. Continue reading “#13 – Something Henry Rollins and I have in common (FYI it’s Social Anxiety)”
The ‘calories in vs calories out’ rule of thumb is a solid one – especially if you’re trying to lose weight and/or gain muscle.
Eat less than you expend; you lose weight.
Eat more than you expend; you gain weight.
Calories are made up of macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates and fat).
Each constituent macronutrient is digested and processed with differing levels of efficiency. Continue reading “#12 – Not all calories are created equal”
Do you suffer from recurring niggles?
If the answer is yes give this a read.
I’m going to group injuries into 3 categories:
A freak accident you can do very little about e.g. you’re minding your own business when a disgruntled goat decides to smash into your shins. That’s extremely unlucky as well as unlikely.
When it comes to poor form, it’s on you.
Recommendation #1 – Hire a trainer to go through the basic movement patterns
Continue reading “#11 – 5 Recommendations for the “I’m always injured” individual”