I know what you are thinking. Here we go again someone else banging on about how abs are made in the kitchen or its 80% nutrition and 20% exercise. Blah, blah, blah! Well I'm not even gonna mention nutrition and changing eating habits in this blog. Why? Because most people who are starting out on a health and fitness kick are usually not ready for that. They might think they are but they are not! And that's why it doesn't take them long to fall off the wagon, leaving all their efforts nul and void and maybe even getting a bit fatter in the process. So for me, the 3 things we talk about in this piece are the foundations of good health and nailing these 3 things before you start changing your eating habits will make you far more successful at doing so on a long term basis. 

1. Training Consistency

People often want to make changes to their bodies and do 1 of 2 things with their training. They go off too fast, try to train every single day thinking that more is better. When you are just starting out, this is not the case. As we have previously mentioned a loads of other videos and articles is that 3-5 sessions per week is the optimimum training volume to allow you to make improvements in muscle mass and cardiovascular health. 

DO NOT TRAIN FOR FAT LOSS OR TO BURN CALORIES!!! This is not what your workouts are for. You  are in the gym to do 3 things. 

• Boost your mood - Regular training will make you happier. I guarantee it! 

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• Build lean muscle - If you want to reduce body fat and build lean muscle, you must do weight training. If you are over 40, weight training is the single best form of exercise you can do bar nothing. Not running, not yoga, not pilates. Weight training is the Mother f***ing Fountain Of Youth! You want to move better, age slower, feel and look younger? THEN LIFT HEAVY SHIT! Do it consistently and often.

 

• Improve your health health - The actual energy burn you get from cardio training is a very, very low percentage of your overall daily calorie burn. So focus your cardio around building stamina and improving health. 

TIP!!!!! If you are just starting out, timetable in 2-3 workouts per week for the first 3-4 weeks, After week 4, try to consistently hit 3-4 sessions per week. Once your body is feeling fitter and more conditioned then 4-5 training sessions per week will give you the best possible restults. Always timetable in 2 rest days for muscle groeth/repair and bgeneral recovery. 

CONSISTENCY OVER TIME IS THE KEY TAKEAWAY HERE!!! MAKE YOUR HEALTH A PRIORITY AND UNLESS YOU ARE SEVERELY ILL, LAME OR DYING, THERE IS ZERO EXCUSE FOR NOT TRAINING A MINIMUM OF 2-3 DAYS PER WEEK

3. Recovery...

... Or in this instance, SLEEP! Sleep is the single best recovery tool we posses. It is also the single best thing we can do to help keep us in a good mood. Let's face  it. Everyone turns into a big cranky pants when they are tired don't they? And when you get tired mid afternoon because of a shit nights sleep, it's biscuits, crisps and sweets from the vending machine we turn to isn't it? 

So study after study, after study has shown us that in order to function optimally as adults we need somewhere between 7-9hrs of sleep per night and that is the target we should be aiming for. If we are training hard on a consistent basis then up to 10hrs of sleep is optimal. So let's really strive for that minimum bench mark of 7hrs to get all the benefits which include:

• Improved brain function, helping you stay in control of your decisions
• Better recovery both for your muscles and your brain
• Reduces your want to snack and eat sugar which in turn helps you regulate blood sugar and stops you getting Hangry
• Improved mood
• Improves muscle repair and growth, meaning you will get more out of your training
• Improves enrgy levels. Again, meaning you will get more out of your training. 

So there we have it. If you have tried to diet or stick to exercise before, chances are nobody told you or you didn't focus on this stuff. So next time you want to make real changes to your body and lifestyle, don't rush head long into another fad diet or try to survive on 500Kcals per day. Take your time, build up your training slowly and build consistency, start drinking water to stay hydrated and focus on getting a good night's sleep. If you can do this, dieting for weight loss or increased muscle mass becomes a million times easier. 

This is our brand new online coaching program that we are launching with our clients to help them get off to a great start on their health and fitness journeys. Its a fully coached 3 week program where we help you build consistent habits that will allow you to:

• Get in the gym more consistently and build momentum in your training
• Gradually increase your hydration levels to help you stay hydrated so you feel fuller and have more energy
• Get a better night's sleep

All in all, this program is designed to help you feel mentally and physically better. So when you are ready to make changes to your diet and nutrition, you will be in the best possible place to ensure these changes stick. Because staying consistent over a long period is the only way to be successful when it comes to improving your health and body composition. 

In this article we will be looking a bit more closely at our 1:1 and small group coaching programs. Weighing up the pros and cons of each and helping you decide which is right for you. Let's start with our 1:1 Personal Training Options first. 

1:1 Personal Training

So our 1:1 Coaching (personal training) options are built entirely around you, your goals and the information we obtain from your individual assessment. The programs can be tailored to help you achieve anything you need to. All our 1:1 Coaching Packages include full nutrition support and daily habit coaching to ensure you are optimally fuelling yourself to get the most out of your training sessions. 

You will benefit more from 1:1 coaching if you:

• Have a very specific training goal. You might be training specifically for a run or a specific endurance event, a combat sport, body building or any other specific sport. This is where we can build you a specific program to target the demands of you sport and track improvements in your fitness and performance. 
• You might have a current injury that means we would need to do some specific rehab work in order to get you back to being pain free
• You might have a very low starting point and low in confidence. Here 1:1 training will help you build a solid foundation and we will be able to improve your fitness, strength and movement capabilities at your own pace. 
• Work shifts and are unable to attend the gym at regular time slots each week. Our 1:1 sessions are a bit more flexible, you can change the appointment days/times each week and we can set you up with a specific program that you can do in-between sessions at your convenience. 
• If you feel you would benefit more from having your coaches undivided attention and simply prefer that to being in a group. 

Small Group Coaching

Our Small Group Coaching Programs are designed specifically to turn you into a well rounded athlete, giving you a good balance between strength, power, endurance and flexibility. We use tried and tested strength and conditioning principles to help you enhance and maintain all aspects of your health and fitness. We vary the focus of our training sessions every week to ensure you are able to focus on both strength and power and erobic conditioning every week. 

Both our Evening Club and our Morning Club Small Group Programs include full nutrition and habit coaching support and guidance, just like we provide to our 1:1 coaching clients. 

You will benefit more from our Small Group Coaching Program if you: 

• If your overall goal is to improve general fitness and overall health
• If you want to make general changes to your body composition (to look fitter and leaner by reducing body fat and increasing muscle mass)
• If you feel like you would enjoy and thrive in a team environment (friendly competition, banter and camaraderie
  
• Cannot afford to attend more than 1 personal training session per week
• If you struggle to motivate yourself to get into the gym and complete your program by yourself 
• If you can commit 45 mins per day 3-5 days per week to imporving your health
• If you would like to make fitness your new sport

How much does each one cost?

Our 1:1 personal training sessions start at £30 for you first 4 sessions then they are proced at £35 per session thereafter. This does include individual program design and nutrition coaching as standard (minimum attendance is one session per week)

Monthly Cost- £140 (1 session per week) rising to £420 (3 sessions per week)

Our Small Group Program starts at £10 for a 1 week trial (training only) then rises to a standard cost of £95 per month, which includes up to 5 small group coaching sessions per week plus full nutrition and habit coaching support. 

Which do we as coaches beleive is the best option for someone who's goal is weight loss and general health and fitness?

The group program is designed specifically to cross the bridge between 1:1 personal training and group fitness classes. In all honesty, once you achieve a reasonable level of competence in basic movments like the squat, lunge, press up and overhead press, we can train you just as effectively in a group environment as we can 1:1. We track your performance in a variety of strength and endurance workouts to help you see how you are progressing and we provide the exact same habit coaching and nutrition coaching as we do to our 1:1 PT clients. 

So unless you have very specific training needs like we outlined earlier in the article. IN terms of bang for your buck, the group programs are a no brainer!

Check out the video below to see a sample of our brand new Suction Theapt Treatment. Just like cupping our brand new suction therapy has a variety of wonderous benefits that just seem too good to be true. 
​Check out the video below to learn more...