Holderness Health

When making decisions about improving your health and fitness, it's important to ask, "Will this action get me closer to my goal or not?" This question can help maintain focus and avoid distractions. It's easy to get caught up with new trends or methods, but aligning actions with specitic goals will keep steady progress.

Many think progress requires constantly adding new exercises, diet changes or coaching approach. But, real progress often comes from refining and improving existing behaviours and habits. By focusing on what's already being done and making small adjustments, performance and results can be improved without overwhelming or unnecessary changes.

Instead of looking for new things to incorporate into a routine, shift focus to what can be eliminated or improved. This could mean stopping habits that don't align with your goals, reducing unnecessary amounts of exercise, removing excessive intake of junk or putting the phone down 30 minutes earlier before bed. Simplifying the approach can lead to more sustainable and effective results.

Evaluate Current Routine: Take a close look at existing training, dietary and lifestyle habits. Identify which ones are working well and which ones are not contributing to goals.

Make Gradual Improvements: Instead of overhauling your entire routine, make small, manageable changes. For example, if trying to eat better, start by swapping out that extra packet of snacks for a different option each week.

Stop Unproductive Behaviours: Notice any habits or actions that are not getting results and consider removing them. For example, if a particular weekend behaviour is slowing or preventing results, replace it with a different activity.

Set Clear Goals: Ask yourself, what success looks like to you. Make sure these goals are specific,
measurable, realistic and relevant - this is where an experienced coach can be beneficial.

By focusing on improving current habits rather than constantly seeking new solutions, a more effective approach to your goals can potentially be maintained.

Do you Major in the Minors? 🤔

Nutrition🍴- Focusing on minute details like meal timing, specific nutrient ratios and ingredient obsession can take away from basic nutrition fundamentals. The priority should be on overall nutritional balance rather than the perfection of individual meals.

Training 🏋🏻‍♂️- Obsessing over the specifics of workout routines, such as exact sets and reps, equipment types or specific exercises. More importantly getting in regular, progressive physical activity suited to your goals with adequate rest and recovery.

Supplements 💊 - Taking heaps of supplements while neglecting your food intake can be a waste of time and money. Use supplements to support, not replace, your nutrition or hard work.

Recovery methods 🛌 - Using and relying on numerous recovery tools and methods (eg foam rollers, massage guns, ice baths, massages, manual therapy etc) without ensuring adequate sleep, enough protein intake, and quality nutrition. If these fundamentals are not met, then you are likely wasting your time and money.

Overall Health 🧠 - Getting caught up in the latest health trends or strictly tracking every health metric can get in the way of the importance of basic health focuses like enough sleep, managing stress effectively, and enjoying your dietary and exercise approach are going to have more of an impact than any gadget or trend

Key Takeaway 💡- Focus on basic fundamentals like a balanced diet, consistent exercise, good rest, stress management and enough fluids. Once these foundations are set, minor adjustments may be worth the focus.

It’s the consistent actions and habits that get the results.

Why Dieting Efforts Often Fail 🤔

📊 Studies & research: Did you know that 50-70% of people regain lost weight within a year, and up to 95% within 2-3 years? This is often due to unsustainable, extreme, or unenjoyable diets, leading to “yo-yo dieting.”

*PMID:21677272
*PMID:12119984
*PMID:23859104

🔄 Weight Cycling: Regaining more weight than lost is common, making future weight loss even harder.

Slide 3: 🧬 Metabolic Adaptation & Hormonal Changes: Cutting calories can slow metabolism and alter hunger hormones, making weight loss more challenging.

🚫 Poor Adherence & Unsustainable Methods: Many diets fail because they are too restrictive or extreme, leading to inconsistency.

🌐 Lifestyle & Individual Factors: Personal commitments, social events, and emotional eating often lead to diet failures.

💡 How to Improve Your Dieting Outcome:
- Avoid extreme calorie deficits.
- Resistance training (build muscle).
- Take breaks from dieting.
- Focus on sustainable habits.
- Monitor and adjust your plan.
- Address psychological factors.
- Set realistic goals & expectations.

🎯 Focus on Long-Term Weight Loss Goals: Sustainable habits and actions are key to not just losing weight but keeping it off. Pick a diet you can stick to long term — what it takes to get you there is likely what's going to be needed to keep you there.

🔥 CLIENT PROGRESS 🔥

Amazing progress of client (Megan) who was still 13 weeks out from her show but had to stop due to an injury while she was overseas.

For Megan, bodybuilding isn’t just about the end goal. She thrives on the process, the daily discipline, and the love of moving her body. Competing in bodybuilding is another way to challenge herself and push her limits

Bodybuilding prep is such a mental game. Some people do it to win, while others, like Megan, do it for personal growth and the journey.

Bodybuilding isn’t for most people. If you don’t enjoy the constant repetitive daily and sometimes boring habits or if you’re someone who wants quick results, then this lifestyle probably isn’t for you. It takes time, patience, and a lot of love for the process🏋️‍♀️💯

ICN QLD

CONSISTENCY > PERFECTION

Consistency is key to progress in health and fitness. A lot of people think being consistent means being perfect every day, but that mindset can cause a lot of stress and negative feelings. Life is unpredictable, and not every day will go as planned. What matters is showing up and doing your best with what you have.

Instead of aiming for perfection, focus on maintaining a flexible routine. Listen to your body, adapt your workouts based on how you feel, and aim for balanced nutrition without stressing over occasional indulgences. Prioritise your mental health and enjoy the journey.

Remember, it’s the small, consistent actions that lead to big results over time. So, keep showing up, do your best, and celebrate your progress, no matter how small.

FYI: incase you didn’t know 👆🏼 thanks

Just focusing on proteins, carbs, and fats isn’t enough. If you ignore vitamins and minerals, you could end up with deficiencies and long-term health issues.

Our bodies mechanisms and systems require multiple nutrients to function, so a deficiency in one can cause a chain reaction leading to deficiencies in other micronutrients and affect other areas of our body.

For athletes, not getting enough of these will likely decrease your performance, recovery, fat loss and muscle growth.

Simply prescribing macros isn’t enough.

Client is currently 17 and 19 weeks out from her first bodybuilding shows! 🔥

Her offseason has been tremendous! Even though we worked around a torn meniscus, Jess never let it affect her focus and discipline and remained super consistent with her nutrition and training and made some impressive gains! She focused on what was with in her control and kept going 👏🏻

Her knee is doing much better and she’s a few weeks into prep! Looking forward to seeing the end result 🔥💪🏻

The results you are looking for is in the actions and hard work you are avoiding 🤷🏻‍♂️

If you’re looking for a secret pill to achieving your fitness and nutrition goals —there isn’t one. The truth and advice might not be as exciting as you hoped, but it’s effective and it works.

The fitness industry is saturated with people trying to sell you supplements, revolutionary diets, trendy workouts and the next secret formula. Unfortunately these are just marketing tactics and empty promises, and not viable health solutions.

The real ‘secret’ in fitness, nutrition and health is consistency in four key areas:

Balanced nutrition approach (emphasis on micronutrients)

Regular exercise (anything you enjoy, but resistance training has MANY benefits)

Adequate Sleep (so underrated, but so damn important!)

Stress management (rarely ever thought of as something to address)

It’s easy to get caught up in the nuances and think that minor adjustments will get you the results. However, the foundation of real and lasting results lies in your daily habits and routines. The key is to maintain a consistent approach to these four fundamentals.

Instead of chasing the next big thing in diet or fitness trends, focus on what has been proven to work!

The bottom line: Start with the basic fundamentals and stay consistent 🫱🏻‍🫲🏼

Flash back ➡️ 2 days out from season A 2023 🔥

This off season hasn’t exactly gone to plan as we have spent some time rehabbing an injury and refining some movement patterns with a few exercises (tall man problems). However, there was a solid 9-10 months of hypertrophy focus before this and holding a leaner body composition at 105kg then previous offseason and strength has significantly increased in all areas.

Just started a mini cut 2 weeks ago and then straight back into more strength and hypertrophy.

Feedback from the last show was to be bigger so that what we are doing! Still deciding when the next show will be but he will be bringing a bigger, leaner and better physique to the stage! Looking forward to when that happens 💪🏻😆

Yes, it’s true - some adults are being advised to eat the same, or less calories than an active 5 year old needs 🫠

Why does this matter? First, it’s insane that those advising this, actually believe it’s ok, and they are doing nothing wrong (get educated). Also, it’s dangerous! This kind of intake will more than likely lead to nutrient deficiencies and health issues.

With the state of social media these days bombarding fad diets, the fear mongering around food and the down right idiotic nutrition advice it’s no wonder people have a distorted perception around food. Most people would be surprised to learn how much they can actually eat without compromising their fitness goals or health.

Depriving your body of essential nutrients is not a diet plan - it’s a disaster waiting to happen 🤦🏻‍♂️

Could I ever look like this again? Absolutely, if I committed to the same habits, actions and rigorous protocols I followed back then.

Would I want to look like this again? Occasionally, the idea seems appealing, mostly when I’m scrolling through social media or watching/reminded of bodybuilding. But, that thought quickly fades.

Would I aim for this physique again? No way! Those days are behind me, and while I admire and remember the feeling and the dedication it takes, I’ve chosen a different path now. The sacrifices required no longer seem worth it to me, and the rewards no longer outweigh the risks. I have an enormous passion for helping and educating my clients, and since stepping back from bodybuilding, furthering my education and skills, I have become a much better coach for it.

I work with clients from all areas of life but the majority are general population and there is a common issue I continue to encounter with these clients.

Social media lacks transparency about the extreme measures and genetic factors, which can create a false reality for the general population, who may not understand the difficultly (if not impossibility) of these standards. Do not let social media make you feel like your goals are lesser than anyone else’s. The physiques often idolised represent less than 0.5% of the population, as they are athletes who have elite genetics, a life dedicated to the sport, and more than likely, using performance enhancing drugs. Setting enormous expectations based on these standards is not only unrealistic, but it’s also unhealthy.

Be kind to yourself. Focus on what’s best for your body and well being, and align your goals with what’s achievable for you, not just what’s trending online 🫱🏻‍🫲🏼

🌟 Thrilled to share a glimpse of our recent collaboration with 🌟

and I had the incredible opportunity to speak to a group of young group about the role that nutrition and exercise plays in improving both physical and mental health. Our presentation focused on how these elements can significantly improve all areas of life.

is a not-for-profit organisation, assisting families, young people and other community members to re-engage with education and employment.

🍏💪 We dove into the science of how balanced diets and regular activity improves brain function, mood, and overall well-being, educating them with knowledge and practical tips to make informed lifestyle choices.

🔥 Sian and I are both extremely passionate about all areas of health, mental health and educating others. Thanks to Worklinks for this opportunity and to everyone who joined us.

Training with pain doesn’t always mean you need to stop exercising. By understanding the difference between hurt and harm and carefully leaning into pain can actually be effective for injury recovery. Complete avoidance of any activity that causes pain can sometimes do more harm than good. Understanding the fine line between pain that is common when rehabilitating an injury and pain that might cause potential injury is key to improving performance and outcome without causing long-term damage.

First, understanding there is a difference between pain that just hurts and pain that actually harms. “Hurt” means discomfort that is usually temporary and often a normal part of injury rehabilitation. On the other hand, “harm” could mean actual damage or injury to the body’s tissues that could lead to long-term damage if ignored.

A simple pain scale tool can be used to help identify whether you should trading through the pain. Keeping in mind everyone’s pain tolerance is different and should be considered. It is also important to consider the stage of the injury.

1-3 (Mild Pain): This level of pain is just noticeable but not limiting. It’s often considered a normal aspect of training, usually safe to continue your workout

4-6 (Moderate Pain): This range is likely manageable but a sign to continue with caution. At this stage, it’s important to focus on maintaining proper form and technique.

7-10 (High Pain): Pain in this range is often persistent and limits movement, and recommend to modify the movement or stop if required.

This is just a general guide, and any concerns about injuries or persistent pain should be addressed by a professional.

Do you Major in the Minors? 🤔

Nutrition🍴- Focusing on minute details like meal timing or specific nutrient ratios can take away from basic fundamentals like eating a varied, balanced diet and paying attention to hunger cues. The priority should be on overall nutritional balance rather than the perfection of individual meals.

Training 🏋🏻‍♂️- Obsessing over the specifics of workout routines, such as exact sets and reps, equipment types or specific exercises, can miss the mark. More importantly getting in regular, progressive physical activity suited to your goals and allowing for adequate rest and recovery.

Overall Health 🧠 - Getting caught up in the latest health trends or strictly tracking every health metric can get in the way of the importance of basic health practices like enough sleep, managing stress effectively, and enjoying your dietary and exercise approach are going to have more of an impact than any gadget or trend

Key Takeaway 💡- Focus on basic fundamentals like a balanced diet, consistent exercise, good rest, stress management and enough fluids. Once these foundations are set, minor adjustments may be worth the focus.

It’s the consistent actions and habits that get the results.

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I believe the most important attribute of any coach is that they want to help the person or people they are coaching to improve AND learn - have the clients best interest at heart, always!

A good coach doesn’t just provide the resources, tools and systems necessary to achieve desired goals but also honours and supports the process of learning.

This requires a lot more experience and passion than just an impressive physique and a few photo shoots 💁🏻‍♂️

When you’re seeking a coach, do your research and ask the questions 🫱🏻‍🫲🏼

16 weeks into fat loss phase.

Back to a maintenance while at uni due to a shift in priorities with limited time. Which means no tracking of food and 2-3 training sessions per week for 4-6 weeks.

110kg - 103kg = 0.45kg loss each week.

My bodybuilding days are over and my only rule for myself now is that I will no longer implement any restrictive dietary approaches or extreme training protocols.

One of many things I have learnt from is the meaning of the term “Least Mode” 🫡🫱🏻‍🫲🏼

Welcoming new coach & practitioner to Holderness Health The Holistic Health Counsellor 🫱🏻‍🫲🏼

If you continuously find yourself in the all or nothing cycle, yo-yo dieting, and self sabotaging every time you hop on the scales then listen up!

The fitness industry is often blurred with health and they are not always one and the same.

It’s for this reason that we introduce Coach Sîan!

As well as being my wife, Sian is a qualified nutritionist, counsellor and eating psychology coach along with qualified fitness trainer. With extensive experience and knowledge with emotional eating, self sabotage and body image, Sian can help you find peace AND optimal health with her renewed ALIGN nutrition and training program!

This is a program Sian began in 2021 but after not running it for 3 years she’s given it a facelift, updated content AND added training into it.

She’s also providing FREE group coaching for all ALIGN and Holderness Health clients every single week!

If you need some support to find the balance of health, without entering the all or nothing cycle all over again, then message us now!

Will this action get me closer to my goal or not?”

What if a simple internal question could realign your actions with your values and goals 💁🏻‍♂️

Now this was a comp to remember! 😝 22 competitor line up and an absolute battle between Mr Glutes (red) and me (green) at the end. Blurred vision and barely able to hold my weight through the rounds of posing towards the end 🫠

This was the longest pose off comparison I have done or actually seen in an amateur show myself. However, such a good show and had a blast 💥

Walked away with 🥇🏆 QLD champ, a great experience and awesome memories 🫱🏻‍🫲🏼

My bodybuilding chapter has been closed for years but I will forever be grateful for the lessons, experience and influence it has had on my life 💪🏻

First weight cut together with for his next first on the 2nd of March 🥊

First photo: 80kg (9th Jan)
Second photo: 75kg (15th Feb)

Fight weight: 74kg

This body composition difference is impressive, however this is just a side effect of the process for fighters (not all fighters physiques).

The aim is not to get lean, but to make weight while maintaining performance, recovery and mental clarity by mitigating fatigue factors.

The goal was to not need Blake to cut water or any drastic measures in the final days. When you dehydrate yourself you not only lose water but also electrolytes. And it’s not as simple as drinking some water to rehydrate yourself and the timeframe depends on the severity of the water cut, the individuals physiology and the rehydration methods used.

It can take days to restore cellular hydration and electrolyte balance and while the body is in a dehydrated state it can negatively affect many physiological processes; our bodies thermoregulation, digestive health (absorption of nutrients), kidney function, blood volume & circulation and cognitive function.

Not ideal for someone requiring peak physical and mental performance.

18 days out and well ahead of schedule!
Looking forward to seeing Blake dominate in the ring 🥊 An absolute weapon!

Trained by

For anyone who might be keen to come watch live, tickets are available. And it will be live streamed as well.

Qualifications and experience will go a long way when working with a coach, however the personality, values and worth ethic of the client will determine the level of success more.

Some people are simply are not ready to change or ready to do the work that’s required to achieve a particular goal. This can be due to low desire, focus & motivation, lack of discipline or unrealistic goals.

Some people second guess everything a coach tells them and often do what they think is best regardless, making the process harder and less effective. In the end they end up doing worse simply because they were unable to trust their coach and let the process unfold. It’s not that these people don’t need a coach they simply won’t find success from working with one until they are ready to let go of their own ego and trust the process.

Hiring a coach doesn’t guarantee success, however it does give you a better chance than doing it alone 🤝

During the first few weeks of losing weight, a quick drop can be normal - this is exciting and very motivating. This is because when you are in a calorie deficit, the body needs energy and gets it by releasing stores of glycogen - When glycogen is used for energy, it releases water, resulting in weight loss that’s mostly water.

This initial drop in weight often gives people a false sense of what the entire fat loss journey will consist of. Yes, progress usually slows down for most people and you get stuck in that “hard” phase - this bit sucks! You’re doing everything right and progress isn’t being made. This is when we often lose motivation, old habits creep back in and we give up.

The body thrives off consistency, it’s that simple. If you’re consistently in a calorie deficit, you will consistently drop body weight. This is why it’s important that the method you are following is realistic, non restrictive and fits your lifestyle. This will ensure best possible chance of success with long term sustainability.

When progress slows down, stop seeking motivation and remain adherent to the plan. The most effective form of motivation is progress itself.

Consistency is key for progress and motivation 😎

Struggling with consistency and routine? DM me.

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Started a slow and steady lean down phase 8 weeks ago.

Theres no weight, time or body fat percentage goal set. I will just continue until I feel it’s requiring more effort than I’m willing to commit to. Then just remain on new maintenance calories.

I don’t do this for any competitive reasons or desires to get extremely lean anymore. I simply just feel better, healthier and training feels better.

And because of this, there’s no need for any extreme or restrictive approaches. It’s just required more discipline and making better choices with my habits and behaviours consistently, each and every day 👏🏻

‘People do not decide their futures, they decide their habits, and their habits decide their future’

🚩

Megan/ came to me saying “I want to work with you but I’m going to be enjoying Christmas and a 2 week holiday in Japan during this prep, how do we make this work?” 😂

I will admit, not my usual approach to a prep that I would do with a client but we have made it work.

Megan has no need to prove anything to anyone - just pure love and enjoyment for the process. Winning her shows isn’t the driving force behind why she chooses to compete. She focuses on keeping it fun and not let bodybuilding take the drivers seat in her life.

Bodybuilding is a hobby to her, not a lifestyle. I respect this, a lot! And I think a lot of competitors could learn a lot from this outlook.

Embracing the entire journey to the stage with a smile and nothing but enjoyment and love for the process 👏🏻

15-18 weeks out here.
Masters, novice & opens (maybe).

Small and seemingly insignificant changes in the moment, when consistently actioned over the years, will build and transform into significant results.

You get what you repeat 🔁

Not only is adherence and sustainability important for achieving results during any phase or goal, it’s also an accurate indicator of how well you maintain those results in the long run.

The actions and habits that get you there, will be the same actions and habits required to keep you there…

Ask yourself, can I do this long term or forever…

Over complicated, restrictive and extreme approaches will never be sustainable! 👎