Losing fat isn’t the hard part, it’s keeping it off that’s the struggle.

Temptation is around every corner and people are very quick to remind you that ‘life is for living’.

Although is it not odd that what people consider living to be the way of greed & gluttony?

Why can’t the opposite take the forefront whereby we champion daily movement, celebrate cooking nutritious meals and embrace in group gatherings with plenty of music and play?

I’ve noticed in my short and blinkered life thus far that we’re quick to take the easy route.

Human nature is one of survival and if we can do that will less effort we will, it just makes good sense.

But in a modern existence whereby we have a choice of how much fat-mass we do or don’t have there’s a few things to know.

• Change can’t be permanent if it’s not permanent.
• Nothing changes if nothing changes.
• Old fruitless choices don’t result in growing new outcomes.

Obvious as that sounds it makes the transition quite tough for people.

Many don’t want to give certain aspects of their life away, they want to hold on to them, which is fair enough.

But understand in doing that you’ll be made to pay a price for doing so.

That might be carrying 10lbs more body fat (weight) than you’d like, but that’s the price you’ll be asked to pay.

So when you make a choice be willing to pay any price asked.

Say you lost the fat you wanted by walking 30,000 steps a day (about 13 miles).

If you can sustain this as a habit then great, that’s the price you pay for the outcome you want.

But if you can’t and only find yourself being able to hit 15,000 steps daily you’ll need to make an adjustment to how many calories you consume.

This doesn’t necessarily mean eating less from a food volume standpoint, but it does mean the foods you do eat will need to come to a lower overall today daily kcal value.

So I’d ask you to take a moment and assess what it is you really want from your fitness journey.

Is it just to lose fat for a holiday, wedding or event and you don’t really care about putting it back on post?

If so then jump on a 60-90day fix, follow it to the letter because that’ll work (because they always do provided you apply yourself).

But if you’re looking for something a little more permanent then you need to sit down and revaluate what you CAN live without.

Say you currently drink a bottle of wine a night or have 3-4 beers a night (very common).

This rocks up the kcal massively, given wine is about 700kcal per bottle and 3 beers is roughly the same.

Do that most days with a little extra on weekends, you know, because you’ve had a hard week and need to wind down….

You’ll soon find yourself tipping the scales towards the side of heart disease and open the gates towards illness.

I’d rather not see this happen to you.

And reducing the amount you drink will have a massive impact on your health and body fat.

But you’ve got to be willing to change and sustain it without relapsing every week.

In the end it all starts and also ends with you.

To lose weight is easy, but to keep it off requires the acceptance that you need to change at a core level.

Once you accept that you’ll find life becomes a whole lot easier.

3 EMOM variations you’ll love

The idea of working for time appeals to a lot of people.

I’m not going to sell you on the benefits today, just give you the good stuff and variations that you can use straight away.

Ladders

The easiest set up is as follows:
Min 1 = 1 reps
Min 2 = 2 reps
Min 3 = 3 reps
Min 4 = 4 reps
Min 5 = 5 reps
Min 6 = back to 1 reps

You can get in a lot of good volume in a very short space of time with decent loads.

My suggestion would be a 6-8RM

Waves

Similar to ladders but with different rep set ups.

The set up is as follows:
Min 1 = 3 reps
Min 2 = 5 reps
Min 3 = 7 reps
Min 4 = 3 reps
Min 5 = 5 reps
Min 6 = 7 reps

A lot more potential for higher volumes, but you may need to adjust the loads accordingly after playing with this set up.

You can also use 2/4/6, 5/7/9 or any combination of reps you’d feel best suited to your goal.

Randomised

To many that sounds weird, but it’s actually very interesting to play with.

Say you’re going for a 20min block, you can set it up a couple of different ways.

First is to have reps that correlate to the minutes, like this ‘min 1 = 1rep, min 17 = 17reps’.

Meaning you might get a set up like similar:
Min 1 = 7 reps
Min 2 = 11 reps
Min 3 = 4 reps
Min 4 = 16 reps
Min 5 = 6 reps
Min 6 = 13 reps

The structure is based off of the reps aligning with the time meaning volume can be set, so 1-10min gives 55reps, 1-20 give 210reps.

Then you’ve just got random reps each min that looks something alone these lines:
Min 1 = 3 reps
Min 2 = 6 reps
Min 3 = 6 reps
Min 4 = 9 repsMin 5 = 5 reps
Min 6 = 7 reps

Meaning no structured volume like the above, so volume can be lower or higher overall (plus with varied intensity).

With the above you can also utilise super-sets (agonist, antagonist, upper/lower) or tri-sets.

Give the above a go and you’ll find your training time is reduced but your results increase.

Enjoy,
Ross

Mirror Talk

Kids glued to screens.

Parents glued to screen.

Ironically, I too am glued to a screen writing this.

So would justify it by saying that I’m sat alone etc, but in the end I’m still one of those caught be the digital snare.

It makes me wonder what this generation of kids will turn out like because they’re fatter than ever, at their most sedentary and hooked on the dopamine fuelled instant gratification they get with literally no effort.

The days of ‘earning’ what you wanted and the deep satisfaction that came with it are fading in to a mere memory.

Soon they’ll not even be that.

What’s worse is to speak of these fact of life will have me burned at the stake like a witch.

People will become offended, say I need more empathy, more compassion and understanding but not once will they listen or hear where my message is coming from.

Here’s a thought for you.

When was the last time you looked inward and assessed what YOU are doing that is contributing to your problems?

Generally speaking we are the main problem in our own life.

This doesn’t mean we can’t make mistakes, quite the opposite.

In fact making them is essential to what we are and it’s ability to experience life.

The hard part is learning from those mistakes and applying the lessons, or rather this key lesson – change starts from within.

I say this from the heart because there’s little more else left.

But this will fall on deaf ears, so instead I’ve got something for you to try.

Sit in front of a mirror and stare into your own eyes.

First, set yourself a clear intent and something you want as a result of this.

Find a place where you can be by yourself free from distraction and try it for 15min.

Focus on your breath, don’t force thoughts, just allow them to come as they please and embrace the feelings that are attached to them.

You’ll be surprised at what will speak to you if you’re willing to be silent and allow it to happen.

Enjoy,
Ross

Eating on the clock

Meal timing, is it important 

The short answer is – it depends 

Although back in the day this pearl of wisdom was common:

“Breakfast like a king; lunch like a prince; dinner like a pauper.”

Essentially getting people to have an uneven distribution of calories across the day that met their needs, although it’s not bad advice. 

Beyond the standard answer and the old rules of thumb, there’s a general answer for this question that hinges on one factor (or it used to). 

What are you training for?

Typically those with a goal that is performance related tend to find eating multiple smaller meals around training to be better from a comfort standpoint. 

Anyone that has a health focused desire can eat in whatever way is most convenient for them provided they get in all of their required calories and nutrients 

But….

There’s more. 

Digging a little deeper into the topic that is Chrononutrition there’s a lot of questions to ask.

The tracked data is still a bit sparse.

But it shows those who do give more care & thought to their meal timings may gain more benefit over the long run. 

It’d require one to know their Circadian Rhythms – the physical, behavioural, and mental changes that follow a 24-hour cycle.

Think a full map of everything your body does at what time

Meaning they’d be able to understand how their body is processing a specific macronutrient at specific times etc 

There’s been anecdotal notions of the following:

AM – Best for eating higher fat and protein 
PM – Best for eating higher carbs and protein 

Obviously there’s more nuance to this, but it’s not a bad guide. 

As we wake up our cortisol is high (that’s how we wake up) and dumping a lot of carbs in our system may result in increases in the production of melatonin (the hormone that helps us sleep) which isn’t that useful.

Whereas higher fat/protein in the AM allows for the production of dopamine, acetylcholine and other elements that aid in focus/cognition.

But in saying that, typically people more more insulin sensitive in the AM meaning a high carb start to the day migh tbe a good idea 

This is where all the info (anecdotal, researched etc) starts to contradict itself and why the main way forwards is individual trial & error.

The issue arises in the fact that it can take a good few months to gather enough personal info to allow a conclusion to be reached. 

And even then it’d leave questions regarding life stress at the time, travel, work, sleep patterns, training loads and much more. 

This is where the notion that someone has become used to eating a high suger breakfast then they may have become psychologically dependent on that as opposed to physiologically – worth pondering.

This leads down the route is questioning our mental habits. 

Do we eat what/when we eat because we NEED it or because that’s what we’re used to and it’s routine 

I honestly can’t say, all I can offer is how I’ve seen people respond on a case by case basis. 

The key factor was their mindset and those that had ideas in their head about ‘how’ they ought to eat always struggled with change and ended up self sabotaging (despite warning).

It’s easy for us to dig a whole and firmly sit in it in this modern world of too much info and the desire to be right 

So I’d say this is how we could move forwards.

Eating as you do, with the timings that best suit 

This is the question to ask yourself:

How do you feel, perform & look?

I’d be curious to get your perspective on meal timings.

Is this something that matters deeply to you and you set your meals by the clock to follow, or are you like myself and just eat out of hunger (and not habit)?

Please do share your thoughts below.

Don’t Be The Cheapest PT Around

The curse of the discounted price👻 & what to do instead🧠

How many times haver you given price discounts in the hope of securing a sale?

Going on the fact that most of us are just regular humans, I’d say the answer is probably this – “Yea, a few (many) times.”

Over the years I’ve noticed this is a poor choice to make.

While it can secure short term business🤑

It creates long term hassle because of these reasons:

• The clients don’t value your service/product
• The clients want ALL the best effort ALL the time while paying you in scraps
• The clients are often a royal pain in the ass
• The clients have a low lifetime value
• It’s not worth the hassle of dealing with people that are too focused on saving every penny possible (because they’re cheap)

I’ve often advised people to utilise this avenue 🤓

Don’t lower your price. Simply offer more to increase the perceived value of what you’re offering.

Many will not agree, and that’s okay.

These are the ilk that use the – throw enough at the wall – angle.

Now this angle works, but it’s just a lot of churn and effort that needs constant attention, plus the typical client that buys products in this realm are of low quality.

Now there’s a few questions that crop up regarding ‘offer more’.

• How do you know what extra bits to add to increase value?
• What if you give them too much?
• Why is this a better option?

The first point is easy to address 👍

If people ask for your prices and once you’ve told them they say the classic – “That’s too expensive.” or they can’t afford it etc, then want to haggle you can take this approach.

“What makes you say this price is too expensive? Is there anything you think is missing?”

Essentially you’re trying to understand WHY they think it’s too much, and WHAT they want added to make the FEEL like they’ve gotten a fair or even better, a favourable deal.

Another option when they ask for price is to ask them – “What price do you want to pay?”

Or something along the lines of directly asking what their budget is and when they tell you then you can ask them what they EXPECT to receive for what they’re prepared to pay.

Then with that info you can tell them they get all of that and also tell them of all the extra bits they get as apart of your service too😇

I think in sales this is called ‘value stacking’ but I may be wrong on that.

But using these options will show you if someone is serious because if they are they will bite your hand off as they’re getting a favourable deal, but if they don’t…

Then they might just be wasting your time because they’re not emotionally ready to invest money yet.

We can’t force people to be ready.

And not amount of sales charm will help either as to pull at their emotional triggers and driving factors will usually end up in ‘buyers remorse’ and they will just not stay the course.

👆while not true for all, it is highly relevant for the majority.

Don’t force people, but don’t just let them go.

Give them a little nudge but you’ll be able to feel if they’re ready or not in your gut – if you know how to listen to it.

So what happens if you give them too much value?

Honestly this is really hard to do, although I’ve seen a few people end up stretched thin on occasion so it can happen.

Usually they offer too much of their time.

By all means offer your time but manage it well🤓

Say you want to offer more nutritional guidance, while you can do this 1-2-1 for all the people, it’d be far more cost effective to run a couple of Zoom’s a week for say 60min for large group Q/A on one day and a Presentation on the other.

These can be recorded and uploaded to a private FB group for those that couldn’t attend to watch them 🥰

In the end you’ll find people want to be offered a lot, but just because it’s there that doesn’t mean they will ever use it.

They simply want to chance to use it, even if they don’t 😂

And last – Why is this better than discounts?

For starters YOU will be more motivated to deliver a good service.

Secondly, you won’t feel like you’re being taken for a ride and working all the hours for nothing decent in return.

Too many take the approach of being a starving artist ☠️

Don’t do it to yourself.

You’re better off holding out for higher quality folk willing to pay a little more for something that holds a lot of value than those just looking for the cheapest option 🤓

Have a bit of faith in this process because it pays off in the end.

Enjoy,
Ross

Could you also be guilty of this curse?

Over the last 10 years or so I’ve made quite the colossal mistake.

Due to teaching more and more I found myself reciting this – “Your clients don’t know what you know, they’re at square one”

Essentially aiming to install the message to newer PT’s that what they find easy and common knowledge their clients won’t.

There was a problem though…

I forgot this also applied to newer PT’s that I interacted with.

In the early days the awareness of this was still present, but as time passed I fell into a trap.

The curse of knowledge it can be called.

Or perhaps better put as the curse of assumption because I became very short with people that didn’t ‘know’ something I felt they ought to know.

Truly the sign my ego had taken over the steering where while my true self was asleep at the wheel.

The problem is that now the two are so close there’s a lot of effort required to separate the two, but that’s my issue.

You’ll find this post is more of a warning to those on the path of fitness and teaching.

Don’t allow yourself to forget that while it might be the 10,000th time you’ve said the same thing, it might be the first time the person stood before you has ever heard it so don’t speak down to them or become frustrated they don’t ‘get it’.

If you feel yourself getting pissy then understand that’s a you problem.

When this feeling does take hold, take a moment and ask yourself this – “When did I first learn this?”

It’ll stop and have you think for a moment allowing your head and heart to realign.

Chances are what your’e getting frustrated over is something you’ve known for 3,4 or possibly 20 years.

In some cases you first learned of something before some of your clients could even walk yet, so be patient.

Don’t fall prey to the curse of knowledge, or worse the curse of assumption.

But if you do then don’t flog yourself for it because like your clients you’re only human.

Everyone trips, stumbles and falls because no journey is free of lessons like these.

Once you’ve become aware though it’s up to you to make the choice to actively change.

Keep this in mind and try to hold yourself accountable where you can, and get help from others to do it too.

Enjoy,
Ross

It’s human nature not to listen

I’ve been in the wonderful world of fitness for quite some time now.

There’s one truth that repeatedly shows itself.

People don’t listen.

The amount of times I’ve found myself repeating what is common sense only to have it ignored.

Each time it lead to me ‘giving’ a little and going with the desired flow of the other person regarding how they wanted to train or set up their nutrition.

This was a mistake.

I ought to have been firmer but I wasn’t.

It took some time but I decided to delve into myself to understand this habit loop I was in.

Stemming from the idea that to allow people room to move, learn and grow while coming to their own conclusions.

That was my first thought, but it was not the truth.

So I went a little further.

Next came the notion that it was to find the best way to improve their adherence.

Once again this is more BS.

Because in the end there is only this truth – I wanted them to listen to me and unless I said what they wanted they didn’t listen.

Sitting on this realisation it was also clear that I’m not just a good as I could be as a coach because of giving in to people for the sake of them seeing a little happier and contented with the process.

This doesn’t mean to be devoid of compassion.

But it does mean I needed to realign with my own self.

What was valued.

It was quite ironic to sit and realise how often my own gut intuition was ignored.

Essentially not listening to what it had to say which, and more often than not it’s correct.

Although ‘gut feeling’ can be mimicked by our minds I’ve found, which was quite interesting.

Now for those of you that struggle to listen, I know why that is.

You think you know better, but you don’t.

This is a truth you won’t want to acknowledge because I’ve fallen into that water myself (a lot).

Which begs the question…

Why don’t you want to listen?

What is it about the potential of being wrong that is so scary to you, although I’m sure that’d be called ‘projection’ by the more modern crowds these days.

Might be, but humour me.

Take some time to think of all your failures regarding fitness & nutrition.

How many of them came because you didn’t really listen?

Please do leave your answers below because I’m curious to know if it’s just me that has a habit of not listening.

Enjoy,
Ross

The Mind Mouth Connection 2.0 – Reliving The Past

Laying blame at the door of someone or something else is common.

Especially when it comes to food.

The larger majority of people have a very precarious mentality towards eating.

Usually there will be some kind of link to a ‘past event’ that sends someone towards the chocolate or snacks.

Having an understanding of where this stems from can be useful, but it’s not everything.

The initial event itself isn’t always as important as acknowledging that there is a feeling that has become linked to a food related response.

For example.

You might have been bullied at school which sent you towards chocolate brownies because that’s what your mum would give you to help you feel better from both an emotional and physiological standpoint.

But over time this habit can lead you to gaining excessive body fat.

You can call it a coping mechanism.

We’ve all got them.

Some use exercise as theirs, which doesn’t mean the gym it might mean going for a walk, yoga, climbing’s swimming etc.
Others will head towards reading, writing or something completely isolated for their respite.

There’s not Right or Wrong way to cope with something, we just find familiar ways/means that make us feel safe.

Delving a little deeper.

Some call them trigger responses, but regardless of the name what is basically happening is people have an emotional reaction (often fear based) and then head for whatever makes them feel safe, secure and possibly supporting too.

A useful activity for anyone that has a self confessed issue with food is as follows:

The next time you run to the fridge or dial up über eats, stop for a second and establish how you FEEL in that moment.

I mean really assess this because I’d be willing to put money on the notion that it’s related to fear and can be linked to a time you felt unsafe, as mentioned above.

Next you’ll want to ask yourself this – How does the food make me feel?
And you may also want to ask yourself – What does the food I’m going for give me emotionally?

Technically the same question just in a slightly different way.

Understanding what emotion is driving your eating habits can be very useful for breaking those patterns and creating new ones.

I’m not saying it’ll be a quick fix, or even that it’ll be pleasant or easy.

But it will be worth it because once you can acknowledge this the path to a better way will be revealed.

Knowing is key to growth.

Also remember that whatever you feel in a moment is your body & mind reliving something from the past.

Accepting that whatever was isn’t physically happening, just mentally now will help you.

We create that past event in our subconscious because of a familiar feeling and thus relive it.

As such whatever our solution was at that time we will gravitate towards again, please know this isn’t the way.

Knowing will set you free and allow you to choose something better.

If this sounds familiar to you then please do reach out because I’ll happily listen to you.

Don’t let yourself keep repeating what was.

Become free, that’s a far better choice.

Enjoy,
Ross