Marked Results

Need to lose the ‘Dad Bod’

I know I did.

I’m here to tell you now it can be done, you will need to work and yes it takes time.

The best advice I can give looking back now is enjoy the process, make the little wins count! But also don’t focus too much on the set backs, learn from them and move on forward!

Losing weight is a simple process. Burn more calories than you put into your body. But as we all know what is simple isn’t always easy. Life can be busy, temptations aplenty.

This is where I made my best decision, I hired a coach to keep me accountable, but also to help me with solutions to my weaknesses.

A good coach is far more than a trainer who gives you plans. They are there to give you the steps to follow and give to bespoke advice to help you when things get tricky.

If losing the dad bod was as simple as spending hours on the treadmill we would never have the problem! It’s about increasing muscle mass to build our confidence and help us with fat loss too!

It’s about learning to manage social events to make sure we have a life yet don’t ruin our progress in return.

I’ve been through all this and had some great success, along with many a set back too. I’m here to help you in your path to losing the dad bod and building your confidence step by step!

Weekly Review.

This week’s review shows a key feature to your success! Consistency!

This week has all been about me ticking the boxes I need to! I’ve been in the gym I’ve not hit PBs but I’ve been there I have done the work to the best of my ability, it’s not all smashing the personal bests some weeks it’s about grinding it out and just getting the work done.

When it’s come to nutrition I’ve kept it on plan and again relatively simple and on plan. When I did eat out that was healthy too even though not on my food plan.

1. The gym. Find one you are comfortable with and get to know the machines and layout.

2. Eating out can be fun and still healthy! Chickpeas, fish and fondant potato. So tasty and packed with protein!

3. Progress week by week keeping consistent leads to gains in your goals!

Think about this with your Training and Nutrition. Make sure we are building small habits that move us forward. Make excellence a habit is a massive ask!
But, making sure all the small changes we make push us in the right direction? That’s a large easier task!

EUROS? No Problem!

Just because the Football is on the TV and England are on doesn’t mean you need to hamper your progress and ruin your nutrition!

With a little planning you can enjoy the match and still hit those goals in the gym!

Here’s my top tips!

1. Use your relaxed meal for the big match nights. Especially if they normally mean a takeaway or in this current weather a BBQ!

2. If like I used to do England games was synonymous with beers and the pub, there are other ways. You can offer to drive your mates and enjoy the 0% beers for the night. You are still out socially and can enjoy a 0% beer without the hangover and still be back in the gym the day after!

3. Think about your motivation and goals! Is the night on beer worth the after effects and the loss of the day after? Especially when with forward planning you can do both and keep your goals well on track!

For me now I love watching the game but cringe as I remember what I was like. I love it now watching it at home or in a bar without the alcohol I actually remember more about it!

Want more tips on training and nutrition without sacrificing your social life? Send me a message or comment below!

Weekly Review

First week post holiday. Getting back into the UK especially after a 31 hour coach trip has been hard.

Definitely missing the sun and holiday lifestyle.
I have noticed this week my food cravings have returned but are fair different. Not craving junk! Just big cravings for fresh fruit and fish! Both of which I enjoyed in large quantities in Spain.

My training has eased it’s way back to normal, I took Tuesday as a rest day post the coach. I went to the gym and just foam rolled and stretched! The difference between pre gym and post gym was immense! Loved it!

Then on it was back to normal sessions I just made sure to have 1 rep in reserve to ease back into training.

Massive motivation post holiday and determined to push on now both in my own training but also in helping other achieve their goals!

Picture this week is my relaxed meal at the end of the week. Trip to my local Italian for a freshly made pizza. May sure use your relaxed meals to the best you can. I look forward to mine and love planning them!

What’s been your biggest win this week?

What does holiday mean to you?

For years The Holiday for me was a chance to ‘unwind’ to enjoy myself.

Having just returned from my Holiday I can say the same applies, but and it is a big but. The how I have done that has changed massively for the better!

Does your holiday consist of drinking all day around the pool. Then food then maybe some entertainment in the evening and more drinks?

Mine used to!

Now picture the holiday I’ve just returned from. I love every minute as I normally would.

This time though I played football with the kids, I exercised in the mediterranean sea, I woke up every morning refreshed and energetic.

I still had a beer but because I wasn’t drinking all the time I thoroughly enjoyed each beer and the social side of that!

This holiday for me this time was a real eye opener to how to relax and enjoy the sun.

Are you looking to get into shape for your holiday? Or are you wanting to change your habits to achieve your fitness and lifestyle goals? If so drop me a message!

Weekly Review.

Been a great week finally holiday time. The weekly review is a day late due to fun and games and an extra 6 hours on the coach!

1. Holiday doesn’t mean eat s**t! A great and healthy breakfast with some outstanding views!

2. Great times enjoyed rest and relaxation, spent with friends and family. But also a good chance to keep up the movement and get some cardio in, all be it in much nicer surroundings than normal!

3. A healthy dose of Vitamin D plus sea swims to keep me moving. This holiday was much needed and a great unwind. There is something about the sea that just relaxes me!

4. Great times and great people made this a truly awesome time!

Back to normal now and start planning the next one. Wins for me was enjoying the holiday while still being active and enjoying good healthy foods sensibly!

Weekly Review

What a great week! Ending with me on my holiday Waking up in glorious España!

The week started a busy week. Fitting in my training around planning and shopping for the holiday plus the kids getting more and more excited made for a mad house!

All my training completed, no extra sessions pushed in, there is no need!

Nutrition for the week was on point the travel to Spain being on a coach made for 30 hours of relaxed eating enforced and no point worrying about!

Waking up today in Spain was stunning and the food over here is fantastic! So cheap to eat well and enjoy quality food!

This coming week is for a relax and recharge! Keep tuned for my stories seeing what I get up to!

The more I work with different people the more you realise how true this statement is!

Talent is cool, but remember this. Hard work beat talent when talent doesn’t work hard.

Your motivation and your attitude are yours to control. Keep your attitude positive and focused and your motivation high by setting achievable goals and pushing for them!

Weekly Review

This has been one busy old week! Final few bits getting sorted for the holiday, training has been great, though hard work to effectively plan!

Plus we managed to get out in our Caravan for a weekend!

The image I’ve put up this week is one of my youngest son and his case ready for our holidays.

This holiday is going to be so much fun being more active and not drinking anywhere near as much as I did.

Most of all though I feel ready and excited for the holiday, and not as in the past for the drinking. Does that make sense?

My next weekly review will come from Spain!

Biggest win? Many! But fitting in my training while really busy and not turning to a beer when getting stressed! They are this weeks wins. But now more than wins they are good habits!

This comes back to overthinking. It never being the right time to start.

There will always be obstacles and doubt, but if doubt wins you will never start and you will never have the chance to succeed!

Do you have a plan?

One of the biggest stalling blocks to progress in is not having a plan, not knowing what progress is.

You want to increase your muscle mass? Or you want to lose body fat ready for the summer? But you are not recording your progress, so how do you know what works?

One of the biggest issues is training and no doubt training hard but not recording the lifts you do or the cardio you are doing.

Because if it’s not recorded your next session is guess work or relying on your memory.

If you workout is recorded you can push for that extra rep or you can increase the weight you lift without the risk of guessing wrong and putting too much on!

There are many good and easy ways to record workouts. Many coaches now have their own app to record workouts. If you are not with a coach you can download a general workout tracker or even use a small book (that was my personal favourite for a long time!)

But please track your workouts in order to help you see real progress.

Weekly review.

Not long till my holidays!

That’s been my favourite saying all week as I count down the days.

My training is really going well and that is definitely helped with my increased motivation for the holidays. It must be because I’ve even started to enjoy the cardio! 😂

Got both my daughters training with me on Saturdays now and that is a real eye opener - the enthusiasm and the energy and excitement they bring is so rewarding and refreshing. This is one of my biggest wins of the year!

Now to the image for today! This flashed up on my Facebook as a memory from a few years back and just showed me how far my mindset has advanced! I posted that image as I was looking forward to my holiday! (As I am now!) but then I associated the holiday with alcohol and Sun and alcohol!

Looking to this years holiday and my mind is all about the sun and the activities I can do with the family and friends!

I am not saying I won’t have a drink on holiday, but I won’t consume anything like I use to in a day over the entire week!

Plus I know I’ll love every second of the holiday!

Mega win!

We are all guilty of this. We look forward to an event or we focus on the end result. We need to slow this down and enjoy the process.

If you are training to get that beach body for your holiday don’t focus just on the end result. Enjoy the training. You are more likely to get better end results that way!

Weekly Review

So, this week’s been a long week and a Uk Bank Holiday weekend too.

My weekly review has jumped a day later this week as I wanted to see out the Bank holiday before posting.

It’s been crazy busy and I must admit I’ve found a couple of the days where I was due to train tough to move myself and tough to get motivated!

It happens to us all. But I want to tell you in this weekly review how I get around that dip when it happens.

For me it’s all about picking something to link the training to in order to add to the incentive. So this week Friday was a long day and I knew Saturdays session would be a tough one. So as many of you know I train with my Maddie my youngest daughter on a Saturday there was my first motivation can’t let Maddie down by not going. But to add to it I invited my eldest daughter too! Her first time in the gym! Now I couldn’t not go! And plus having both daughters there I wanted it to be a good session!

Boy was it hard work to get up and get moving but that added motivation helped and made it an amazing session!

Best of all it was some great family time too!

What is your motivation to start, or to keep going?
Remember If you need accountability to add to your motivation give me a DM and I will help you succeed!

What Gym Should I use?

Many beginners ask a lot and concentrate on which gyms are the ‘best’.

I’ve been thinking about this as well, what makes a gym the best?

Is it? The equipment? The PTs? The facilities like the steam room?

For me though I think as a beginner wanting to start, this question is a lot simpler than you may think.

The gym for a beginner needs fairly basic machines most have these. The steam room, sauna etc or other fancy add ons are not needed. Nice maybe but not needed.

What is needed is that you as a person are comfortable training in the atmosphere the gym and the people in the gym create. You need to be comfortable and feel safe and supported. That way you are likely to want to go back.

I have trained in quite a few gyms and the ones I get the best results in are the ones that make it a place I want to be in. Where you feel safe training and people make you welcome.

Weekly Review

Holidays are getting closer.

Kids are all in school.

Weather is slowly and I mean slowly getting warmer.

In many a year past I would be chasing my holiday body now and wondering how I am going to lose the extra weight. Wondering why it’s not moving.

This year though I am actually happy with myself. I can see myself winning my battle. That’s because I am consistently hitting the gym and my nutrition is on point. Most of all for me though I have sliced the drink right off.

So this week sees another drop in weight for me. Another progress picture I’m happy with and I am really starting to feel happy!

Training this week was good. I can see I am starting to lose some of my lifting numbers as the food I am taking in reduces, but that was always going to happen, importantly though I am still training on plan and loving it!

Me and my wife managed a lovely night out at The Cartford Inn with this being my relaxed meal.

Also this week I was proud of Maddie my daughter who again trained with me on Saturday morning and is not really starting to see her numbers increase as she trains more. We both love this time together training!

What are your wins this week?

4 Weeks Until Holiday!

The biggest mistakes I see from people wanting that holiday body!

1. Leaving it to a month before!
If you want to get the best results safely it’s best to prepare slowly. Do things right and lay good foundations by rushing last month before you can injure yourself and ruin those holiday plans!

2. Too much cardio, not enough fuel!
‘I don’t fit into my holiday clothes!’ they moan. So off they go cardio, cardio and more cardio. But as they do they are in too much of a calorie deficit and end up losing muscle and looking ‘skinny fat’
Time your training right and lift weights as well as cardio. But importantly look after your nutrition and keep your calorie deficit manageable and one that will preserve as much muscle as possible.

3. Training for holiday without a plan!
‘I’ve got a holiday and I want to be ripped!’ That’s a common one! But it isn’t a plan or a realistic goal for many! Be realistic and use your time wisely to get the best results possible.

My advice would be to start early and be consistent achieving your goals is key. Not looking at other people and comparing yourself to them. If you trained hard and are proud of your results don’t then compare yourself to others be proud of yourself!

Want help to get ready for your holiday? Want to feel more confident in your swimwear or without your shirt on? Send me a DM and let’s get started!

This one here is so simple and one that needs to be read and understood by a growing generation that chase instant gratification.
That instant gratification is a social media created lie.

Fear is a topic I’ve discussed a few times in my posts. Fear is natural it’s kept our species alive for millennia.

But we are programmed to fear the unknown. But the reasons for that fear now don’t exist as we once had.

The unknown now is where are successes could be found.

Learning to overcome our fears is the start of our success!

Common Beginner Mistakes

Quite often as a coach you see the same mistakes being made as people start their fitness journey.

1. All or nothing approach - you see this so often around New Year, people dive head long into it. No takeaways, no alcohol, gym 5 days a week. All these changes all at once. It’s too much and is not maintainable.

Any good coach will advocate small sustainable steps that build good habits. Habits stack and compound- this is a much more sustainable manageable approach!

2. Supplements before proper nutrition - this is a big one. Week one in the gym and a ton of money spent on supplements. But the overall nutrition has not been looked at or planned.

Supplements are as their name suggests a supplement to a proper food. When starting your fitness journey there are very few supplements you need to consider - whey protein being the one I suggest for ease after training.

I see so many buying fat burners on day 1 they are not needed at that point. Supplement them in when initial progress slows and nutrition is on point.

3. Ego lifting - Ok this is more of a man issue but is still present with female clients too. Lifting heavier to get quicker results or to look better around other gym goers.

The problem here is that once a weight is too heavy the first thing to go is proper form - with that goes a lot of the muscular benefits and the risk of injury increases.

Lifting a weight in your capabilities with good form and at a slower tempo will have much better results.

Do zero alcohol beers count?

I was away watching my football club Preston North End last week. A lad in in 30s who I know came over to me as I was in a bar pre game and said ‘Thought you’d given up the beers?’.

I was enjoying a zero alcohol beer with some friends. Now, I am a massive fan of the Zero alcohol beers, I use them occasionally when I am out with friends normally for an away football game or an evening out with mates. I can enjoy 1 or 2 of these without the negative feeling of alcohol, so I don’t end up feeling lethargic or anything else.

But the lad said ‘why drink them it’s just beer with out the fun’

I briefly explained the vast difference in calories and also as he pointed out I rarely drink now.

So, let’s have a look at this - for me Zero alcohol beer - allows me to enjoy certain social events without drinking, also keeps me on plan nutritionally and no ill effects of the alcohol so I am fresh to tackle the day after and back to it!

So to me they are a valuable tool in your social arsenal. Now i’m not saying drink them every time you are out, I would normally look at the sugar free drinks eg Coke Zero for a drink when out, but they are definitely something to keep in mind.

To all those making changes and getting fitter, healthier and losing the beers it’s small changes and consistency that wins. Need any advice or tips on what works for me? Send me a DM

This is similar to the overnight success quote.
Remember in nutrition and fitness the formula for success is simple, but what is simple isn’t always easy!

There is always the hard work to be done to get the results!

To do the work you need dedicate time!

Does this image look familiar?

Cooking tea, a healthy nutrient dense tea, you are on form, yet while you are cooking you are sipping away at a glass of wine.

Why? It’s something I used to do, or another favourite was anything I cook that had wine as an ingredient meant I’d have a wine with it so as to not waste the bottle.

It’s these drinks we never really count or think about.

But really, cutting them out would you really miss them? Do they really matter to you? Any alcohol is empty calories - it provides you nothing.

I have realised so much about alcohol and its effects on mental health and physical health not to mention your training results- this knowledge funny enough was picked up the less I drank.

The drinks we don’t think about really add up and the extra calories add up. Be careful.

Do I still have a drink? Yes, sometimes not often and not a lot. But If I choose to have a drink I am enjoying the occasion and everything. I wouldn’t consider cooking a meal as an occasion! Well not anymore!

Next time you are cooking. Think about this.

You can have any meal you want!

You are targeting losing body fat. You know the basics you need a calorie deficit, but let’s be fair you also need that little break and bit of freedom each week to recharge and keep you going on plan, right?

All my clients and myself included get a relaxed meal each week. To enjoy.

That could be anything you want, to replace one of your normal meals on plan.

The question is how to you best use it?

So many people new to these plans, and the idea of having a relaxed meal treat it as a binge, and go straight for a takeaway and eat as much as they can.

I give my clients another approach, make your relaxed meal count. Enjoy it as an occasion!

I use my relaxed meal for date night with my wife or a family meal with the wife and kids so we can have a great night and I get dessert with the kids.

I enjoy these meals so much more than stuffing a huge takeout down my neck purely because I used to think I needed it.

That leads me on to the picture for this post, that’s me out with my wife about to tuck into a massive burger that many say doesn’t fit on any fat loss program!

It does belong and it works! This meal was my relaxed meal in great company and thoroughly enjoyed! I left that meal thoroughly satisfied and relaxed, but most of all with no cravings and ready to crack on in the gym in the morning!

You have one relaxed meal… post in the comments what you’d have and how you’d enjoy it!

So this physique update is a Dad favour!

My son says ‘So dad, you’re a coach, that means you’ll help me out with a plan? Right?

I can’t say no to him and love helping people get results. So challenge accepted!

He wanted to lose body fat tone up and then add muscle and strength.

But, as he put it he has a ‘dodgy knee’ which I was aware of through his previous sporting background and his love for running had left him due to the pains in his knee.

So I worked on a plan for him to use in the gym at uni based on lifting weights avoiding any unnecessary stress on the knee.

I made certain his cardio was low impact!

Nutrition was a case of making small changes to portion size and supplying simple changes that saved calories and kept his food tasty and with minimal prep!

Soon I was happy he was training and his nutrition was heading the right way.

Major wins here as I got to see my son back enjoying the gym! He was also training pain free!

No way are we at the end of the transformation! But we are 12 weeks into the process and 5kg down from 76kg to 71kg, and have visible results we are both happy with.

He is already seeing an increase in strength noted in his lifting. With more work and the same commitment the results will continue to improve!

Is your fitness or Nutrition effecting your work?

We’ve all heard of the work/Life balance which is important, but there is a health/work balance too.

By this I mean your habits in nutrition and training can directly impact your productivity and motivation levels.

If we are eating well and looking after our bodies our mental health is naturally boosted.

Training is a fantastic way to de-stress and it improves focus and releases endorphins which will naturally relieve stress and improve mood.

I also find nutrition and habits around alcohol will have a big effect on rest and recovery, especially sleep. I found out as I stopped drinking alcohol my sleep was much better and I was waking feeling more energised and far less sluggish.

If you are struggling for motivation it may well be you need to look at your health habits.

Our work/life balance and general health has a lot to do with our daily habits. Think about these and try and implement small sustainable changes.

If what I am saying here resonates get in touch and let’s look at how I can help.

Weekly Review.

A fun week of training, capped off with a bank holiday weekend!

This week has shown yet again that you cannot take scale weight as the sole driver of progress!
I have put in weight this week! Yet my progress pictures look better overall and my waist measurement is down. So progress made!

My nutrition has been good this week, then on to the bank holiday weekend I enjoyed an easter egg as did everyone in the house!
Is that a bad thing? NO! If you starve yourself of everything you enjoy and tell yourself you can do it you will ultimately send yourself crazy and slip up more.

There are always times of the year that throw up more temptations than others. It is all about control and moderation, I enjoyed the egg and over the bank holiday I also enjoyed a takeaway.

Both these events were planned and have led to my weight increasing, BUT I am ok with this I knew I would of been in a small calorie excess for one or two days but not enough to put on a pound of body fat which is what my weight has gone up. Most of my weight increase is likely to be water retention.

Point of my week, good bank holiday enjoyed in moderation and focus has not slipped. Now onto another awesome week full of activities with the children and plenty of training, more than normal with my daughter too!

How’s your week been?