How Tracking Enhances Speed Improvement:

Progressive overload is a fundamental principle in strength training and fitness that involves gradually increasing the demands placed on the body to continually make progress. Whether you're a seasoned athlete or just starting your fitness journey, understanding and implementing progressive overload can significantly enhance your results.

What is Progressive Overload?

Progressive overload refers to the gradual increase in stress placed on the body during exercise over time. This can be achieved by manipulating factors such as weight, reps, sets, intensity, or frequency of training sessions. By consistently challenging your muscles in this way, you stimulate growth and adaptation, leading to increased strength, muscle mass, and overall fitness.

How to Implement Progressive Overload:

1. Track Your Progress: Keep detailed records of your workouts, including weights lifted, reps completed, and any other relevant metrics. This will help you identify areas for improvement and track your progress over time.
2. Gradually Increase Intensity: To apply progressive overload, incrementally increase the resistance, volume, or intensity of your workouts. This can be done by adding weight, increasing reps, or shortening rest periods.
3. Listen to Your Body: It's essential to push yourself while also listening to your body's signals. Avoid overtraining and prioritize proper form to prevent injuries.
4. Periodize Your Training: Incorporate cycles of varying intensity and volume to prevent plateaus and keep your body adapting to new challenges.

Who Can Benefit from Progressive Overload?

Progressive overload is beneficial for individuals of all fitness levels, from beginners to advanced athletes. By customizing the intensity and progression of workouts, anyone can optimize their fitness gains and continue to see improvements in strength, endurance, and overall performance.

The Importance of Progressive Overload:

Progressive overload is the cornerstone of effective training programs and is essential for achieving long-term fitness goals. By consistently challenging your body and pushing beyond your limits in a controlled manner, you can unlock your full potential and make significant strides towards a stronger, healthier physique.

You can book a FREE consultation call with the Physique Academy here.

Huge congrats to coach Marius who competed in the NPC Weekend Flex, in Italy for the Men's Physique Open Class and won 3rd.

"Very competitive just like the last one but I had one goal in mind, gonna give my best shot and I felt a lot more confident from my previous one as 90% of the negative thoughts and questions they were already answered. I took the flight 3 days prior and found myself in Italy with 2h of sleep, with a few very busy days ahead and then The show day.

I was started to get nervous, anxious and the lack of sleep has definitely had an impact playing tricks and contemplating with my mind if I should still do it or not. I knew this is not me, I had a goal. The contract I signed with myself was already in place and there was nothing stopping me.

One night before the show, I had a good sleep, maybe 5-6h and that has changed everything! Woke up euphoric, energised and ready to hit the stage. The whole day it's been a blessing and I felt great!

Team member Daniel recently completed his first ever 70.3 distance triathlon, smashing his goal time of 6hrs with an incredible 5hr 18min finish. Having completed this distance for the first time he wanted to share some tips for some those wanting to take on their own triathlon challenge. The Ironman event took place in in the heart of Bolton Town centre where the crowd support is like nowhere else in the world!

"The experience was incredible for me, it's my biggest sporting achievement to date. The race was also a huge learning curve and being my first 70.3 I wanted to share some tips and advice for anyone else who wants to give it a go. I am no professional athlete or podium contester, I am an amateur so my advice is completely personal and just some helpful tips for first timers " - Daniel

Featured Articles - Blog

Dan Bentham Iron Man

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Dan Bentham Iron Man

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Dan Bentham Iron Man

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1. Preparation is everything! Dedicate your time to getting the miles in and create a consistent plan. Monitor your preferred performance statistic. My goal was to complete it in under 6hrs so I practiced pacing in swim, bike and run.
2. Get used to open water swimming. I can't express how important this is! I entered a standard distance triathlon 4 weeks before the Iron Man and experienced a sense of panic in the water. You need to get used to the atmosphere of being in open water, the current, the open space, the mindset of being in a large space with less than 5ft of vision in front of you.
3. Nutrition and fuel. You need to fuel throughout this race to keep your energy levels high. I used Naked bars, High 5 Carb Powder (finishing two bottles on the race) and High 5 gels for the run. Get your body used to these supplements and gels in the run up to the event, you don't want a dodgy stomach half way through. Also keep your food consistent in the week up to the race, you don't want to change or add anything new into your diet. The day before, carb up morning-midday so you can digest this with a good amount of time before the race begins.
4. Train with a group. Luckily I competed with 2 friends which helped my training. Holding each other accountable, sharing tips, motivating each other and getting advice is a huge help. I also work with the Physique Academy who are an incredible support group and want to push you to succeed so my advice is train with a group or get a coach who can help you with your plan.
5. Enjoy every second of it! It's painful, it's long, it's humbling but it's an incredible day! I can honestly say I loved every second, even when my legs were cramping and I was constantly counting down the miles, I loved it! The atmosphere and adrenaline gives you that extra push so use it! Looking back and seeing the photos and receiving the messages of congrats just wants you to go for more. So sign up, train and embrace the results!

If Dan has inspired you to change your lifestyle, book a FREE consultation call with the Physique Academy and let’s get started.

You can find all the information about our Armstrong Foundation by hitting this link: Armstrong Foundation

To support our mission to provide our Armstrong Foundation 'Let's Talk' service to the public, bring awareness to mental health and break the stigma around the topic, our team, along with clients, will embark on the iconic Yorkshire three peaks challenge on the 18th of May.

Yet another client and coach activity bringing our community from around the UK together.
Our aim is to raise donations for the 'Let's Talk' therapy program, aiming to make mental health support more accessible to the male public. By contributing, you are helping us extend our mission of promoting mental well-being for all.

You can find all the information about our Armstrong Foundation by hitting this link: Armstrong Foundation

A HUGE congratulations to client Andrew who recently completed the Goggin's challenge accomplishing "what I think will be the toughest physical test that I have ever done" running 4 miles, every 4 hours for 48 hours!

Andrew has chosen the Armstrong Foundation as one of his chosen causes to raise money in order to enhance the mission is to help save lives through fitness, nutrition, healthy habits, positive mindset, self development and form a brotherhood. To date the Armstrong Foundation therapists have conducted 248 support sessions for both client and coaches

What made you want to do the challenge?

I wanted to push myself to my physical and mental limits. I am knowingly throwing myself right into the deep end through uncharted territory, way beyond my comfort zone. Being able to raise money and spread awareness to causes close to me also provides further accountability and motivation while helping others.

Why is the foundation one of your charities?

The discussion around mental health thankfully is becoming more and more open. However, there is still progress to be made around men’s mental health. If I can raise awareness and support to help other men feel comfortable to talk without the fear of stigmatisation, that would be fantastic.

How have you trained for this?

I wouldn’t consider myself a natural runner, but I started out with small, manageable distances, with a focus on solid pace and strengthening my legs. As the weeks passed, the distances increased with the focus shifting towards time on my feet rather than a faster pace. This was while continuing with my weight training throughout the week. Thankfully
I’ve had Harry to give me guidance and track my performance to make sure I’m making the best possible progress. The key here is consistency. Just keep turning up. I never thought I’d be in a position to say that I’m a keen runner, but by going through this experience, you might see me run a marathon sometime in the future. You never know!

What Is Hypertrophy?

Muscle hypertrophy refers to an increase in the size of a muscle. This is attributed to an increase in the cross-sectional area of a muscle or number of myofibrils within a muscle fibre. There are two types of muscle fibre; type I (slow twitch) and type II (fast twitch) - muscle hypertrophy can occur in both.

The Benefits Of Muscle Hypertrophy

Although muscular strength is not the only factor contributing to muscular hypertrophy and muscle hypertrophy is not the only factor contributing to muscular strength, there is a strong correlation between the two. In essence, generally, greater muscle mass creates greater potential for maximal strength development. In addition to increased potential strength, increased muscle mass and resistance training positively impact body composition. This is due to the positive influence of muscle and resistance training in addressing factors affecting energy expenditure.

Resting metabolic rate increases as a result of increased muscle mass due to a greater proportion of the body being comprised of metabolically active muscle tissue. Fat-free mass accounts for approximately 65-70% of an individual’s fasting metabolic rate. Resistance training is a form of physical activity, which results in energy expenditure whilst stimulating muscle growth - not only during exercise but in the 24-48 hours following activity. The outcome is improved body composition due to a reduction in body fat and an increase in muscle mass (without taking into consideration calorie consumption). Body composition is measured as percentage of fat-free mass to fat mass. An individual’s percent body fat can be decreased (improved) by inducing hypertrophy.

Inducing Muscle Hypertrophy

There are three primary factors that induce muscular hypertrophy…

What Is Fitness Testing?

A healthy lifestyle will look different for different people and highly individual. There is often a question about what is considered “healthy,” making this a difficult topic and widely contested.

There is sometimes a belief that extreme discipline is the foundation to having a healthy lifestyle.

There is sometimes a belief that complete freedom is the foundation to having a healthy lifestyle.

Most frequently, a healthy lifestyle will fall somewhere between extreme discipline and complete freedom.

Congratulations to our Champion who took 1st place in the GPO Battle Of The Midlands bodybuilding competition in Light Heavyweight Class! 

What was the body building competition and what prize did you win?

20th August 2023 - no accolades as such, but I did get a nice trophy.

Why did you decide to compete?

I like to challenge myself, bodybuilding for me is the embodiment of the ultimate test both mentally and physically, there are zero minutes off, every meal, every step, every workout has purpose and is one step closer towards the goal.

How did it feel being on stage and taking the trophy?

It felt great to be up there again with the fellow athletes and be able to put my best foot forward. It has definitely spurred the motivation to get up there again soon and chase the IFBB pro card for 2024.

What is fitness testing?

The world of supplements is an absolute minefield of pills and powders that are nothing more than a waste of time and money. However, hidden within this industry are a number of supplements, backed up by extensive research, that have been shown time and again to improve both health and training performance. The supplement industry and marketing around certain supplements can lead to money being wasted on supplements that are ineffective or lack the effectiveness that is claimed.

There are a number of research backed supplements that are effective and can be utilised to aid performance in both training and competition. It is important to research specific supplements and how they may assist each individual and their outcomes..

The following blog contains a breakdown of the most evidence-based supplements currently available - what they do, when to take them and the dosage required. This will enable each individual to make an informed decision about which, if any supplements may be of benefit or performance enhancing.

It is important to consider that all supplements, regardless of how effective research has shown them to be, can only ever ‘supplement’ a diet and training program. Supplements will never replace hard, intense training or adherence to a prescribed nutrition protocol.

What is fitness testing?

Fitness testing is a method to identify an individual's fitness level using a number of specific assessments. Fitness tests may be sport specific or more general to identify an individual's competence within a number of components of fitness

There are multiple different fitness tests that can be done to test a range of different components of fitness…

• Strength
• Power
• Capacity
• Endurance

Fitness tests can be expensive laboratory or equipment intensive tests or simple inexpensive field based tests. It is important that no matter which tests are utilised, they are kept consistent, allowing participants to identify their baseline and use the same method to evaluate progress.

There are a number of reasons to test fitness. Ultimately fitness testing comes down to establishing an individual's ability at that moment in time, identifying strengths, highlighting weaknesses and providing information to help build a program to improve from that point onwards. Fitness testing can also help evaluate how effective current training is or has been by analysing progress and identifying an individual's ranking against other individuals or athletes.

What is fitness?

Habits generally account for about 40% of an individual's behaviour. In order to make progress in health, happiness and general life, an understanding of how to build new habits and the functioning of current habits is essential.

A simple strategy can be adopted to build and sustain new and successful habits…

1. Start with an incredibly small habit.

“Make it so easy you can't say no”

Most people are under the illusion that there is a requirement for significant motivation and willpower to build and sustain new habits.

What is fitness?

‘What is fitness?’ - a question commonly asked within the fitness industry, but one which is often answered subjectively or inexplicitly. At Physique Academy, our training processes are constantly being improved to support the training and progress of the fitness of each individual, making it important to give an objective definition of fitness.

Physique Academy measures fitness as the average of 4 attributes: strength, power, capacity, and endurance. This is objective and measurable. It is what our fitness testing is based upon and allows us to test each component individually to calculate the overall fitness of an individual, offering them insight into which areas they might need to improve, and providing objective measurements to progress upon. This definition can further be deconstructed by individually defining each attribute.

• Strength = the ability to generate maximum force.
• Power = the ability to generate maximum work in the shortest time period.
• Capacity = the ability to maintain high work output over a prolonged time period.
• Endurance = the ability to maintain high work output sustainably.

Energy Systems

The body adapts to different situations in life by producing energy in three different ways to most effectively meet the demands. Fitness is our body's ability to meet the demands of life. This is why three of the fitness attributes are closely tied to the three main energy systems.

• The Anaerobic Alactic (ATP-CP) Energy System is required for high intensity and short durations. This system utilises your body’s CP (creatine phosphate) stores to generate huge amounts of energy for short durations. This is the dominant system tested when performing the power attribute of fitness.
• The Anaerobic Lactic (Glycolytic) Energy System is required for short to medium intensity situations lasting from 10 seconds to a max of approximately 90 seconds. This system utilises glucose that comes from carbohydrates to generate energy and is the preferred energy source for high intensity exercise. This is the dominant system tested when performing the capacity attribute of fitness.
• The Aerobic Energy System is required for low intensity and long duration situations. The aerobic system requires oxygen and is what is used for day-to-day activities. Any activity over a minute in duration will begin to utilise the aerobic energy system, it will become more dominant the longer the activity. This system is tested when performing the endurance attribute of fitness.

There are two opposing mindsets which can be adopted in our approach to life;

• A growth mindset
• A fixed mindset.

The significant differences between a growth mindset and fixed mindset can be highlighted in a simple table:

Electrolytes are minerals dissolved in water or other bodily fluids that carry an electric charge. They include sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium and phosphate. Electrolytes are essential for the basic cellular functioning of the human body.

Sodium

Sodium is essential for the proper functioning of the human body. Sodium plays important roles in the body…

• Maintaining cellular homeostasis
• Maintaining extracellular fluid volume
• Regulating blood pressure
• Controlling overall electrolyte balance

An individual's general sodium serum levels should fall  between 135 to 145 mmol/L. Hyponatremia occurs when an individual's sodium levels fall below 135 mmol/L and is a condition whereby the balance of water is in excess of the balance of salt in the body. The result of hyponatremia may be symptoms such as headaches, confusion, nausea, delirium, muscle cramps, seizure, coma, and/or death. Hypernatremia occurs when an individual’s sodium levels rise above 145 mmol/L and is a condition whereby the balance of water is in deficit of the balance of salt in the body. The result of hypernatremia may be symptoms such as severe thirst, rapid breathing, sleeping difficulty, restlessness, muscle twitching, seizures, coma, and/or death.

General recommendations for sodium consumption is less than 2,300mg per day. There are a number of simple ways that an individual may be able to decrease the sodium levels, such as eating more vegetables, avoiding highly processed foods, finding ‘low sodium’ or ‘no added salt’ substitutes and replacing salt with low sodium seasoning. On the other hand, if an individual has low sodium levels, they may want to gradually add more salt to their diet.

Progressive overload simply means doing more over time. This can mean more weight over time, more reps over time, or more sets over time. There are many other ways to progressively overload the body which will be highlighted within this blog.

Although progressive overload is straightforward, simply telling someone to add 10 more kg or do two more reps with the same weight is not sustainable. There is a huge gap in fitness ability from person to person. If you are just starting training, you are likely to see huge gains in the first few months of adherence to a training program, however, as you start plateauing or reaching peak performance, the protocol becomes more complex. Therefore, it is impossible to offer a blanket prescription for progressive overload. There are 10 guidelines which can be followed in order to maximise your results from progressive overload

1. Progressive overload starts with perfect form

• When starting a specific movement, it is important to move the weight with perfect technique.
• The weight you can lift with perfect form is the weight that you should start with and look to build upon over time.
• If your form deteriorates, this indicates that you are not strong enough to lift the weight.
• Progress weights slowly over time to build strength and muscle whilst avoiding injury

2. Progressive overload methods vary with training experience

• Methods to progressively overload will be different based on training age, gender and other individual differences.
• Beginners may be required to progressively overload by learning to perform an exercise correctly and improving form gradually over time.

There are many ways to improve your mental health, physical health, and performance. There are five things we all should strive to do every 24 hours, and they form the basis of mental health, physical health and performance. The implementation of these five elements every 24 hours we place ourselves in the best possible position to thrive and overcome any challenges….

01 Sleep

• Mental health: Lack of sleep has been linked to an increased risk of developing depression, anxiety, and other mental health disorders. It can also lead to irritability, mood swings, and difficulty with cognitive tasks such as decision-making and problem-solving.
• Physical health: During sleep, the body repairs and restores tissues, muscles, and organs. Lack of sleep has been linked to an increased risk of developing chronic conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. It can also weaken the immune system, making individuals more susceptible to illness and infections.
• Memory and learning: Sleep plays a vital role in consolidating memories and processing new information, which is important for learning and retaining new information.
• Athletic performance: Lack of sleep can lead to decreased endurance, slower reaction times, and reduced accuracy, all of which can negatively impact athletic performance.
• Mood and stress: Getting enough sleep is important for regulating mood and reducing stress. Sleep deprivation can lead to increased levels of stress and anxiety, making it harder for individuals to cope with daily stressors.

To promote good sleep, it's recommended that adults get between 7-9 hours of sleep per night. Establishing good sleep habits such as going to bed and waking up at consistent times, avoiding electronics before bed, and creating a comfortable sleep environment can help promote better sleep and improve overall health and well-being.

02 Sunlight

• Vitamin D: Sunlight is the primary source of vitamin D, which is crucial for healthy bones, teeth, and muscles. It also helps regulate the immune system, reduce inflammation, and improve mood.
• Mental health: Exposure to sunlight has been shown to boost mood and reduce symptoms of depression. This is thought to be due to the release of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that regulates mood.
• Sleep: Sunlight exposure helps regulate our circadian rhythm, which influences our sleep patterns. This can lead to better sleep quality and reduced insomnia.

It's essential to note that too much exposure to sunlight can be harmful to our health, increasing the risk of skin cancer and premature ageing. It's best to aim for moderate sunlight exposure, particularly in the morning or late afternoon when the sun's rays are less intense. Additionally, wearing protective clothing and using sunscreen is crucial when spending time outdoors.

03 Movement

• Physical health: Regular movement, such as walking, jogging, or strength training, can help maintain a healthy weight, improve cardiovascular health, build muscle and bone strength, and reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease.
• Mental health: Movement has been shown to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, improve mood, and boost cognitive function. It can also increase self-esteem, reduce stress, and improve sleep quality.
• Brain health: Movement can promote neuroplasticity, which is the brain's ability to form and reorganise connections between neurons. This can lead to improved cognitive function and a reduced risk of age-related cognitive decline.

It's essential to note that movement doesn't have to be intense or time-consuming to be beneficial. Even small amounts of movement throughout the day, such as taking short walks or doing household chores, can be beneficial. The key is to find movement that you enjoy and can incorporate into your daily routine. Additionally, it's important to consult with a healthcare provider before starting a new exercise program, particularly if you have a chronic health condition or injury.

By incorporating regular movement into our daily lives, we can enjoy improved physical health, better mental well-being, and a better quality of life

Caffeine is a naturally occurring stimulant that belongs to a class of compounds known as xanthines. It can be found in a number of natural products, but also produced synthetically.

Caffeine works by blocking the action of a neurotransmitter called adenosine, which is responsible for promoting sleep and suppressing arousal. By blocking the action of adenosine, caffeine can increase alertness, reduce fatigue, and improve cognitive performance.

Caffeine is classified as a psychoactive drug because it affects the central nervous system, and it has both positive and negative effects on the body depending on the dose and individual tolerance. At low to moderate doses, caffeine can have beneficial effects such as improved cognitive function, increased endurance, and enhanced mood. However, at high doses, caffeine can cause negative side effects such as anxiety and insomnia.

Caffeine is widely consumed and has a number of performance benefits.

1. Spare muscle glycogen. Caffeine helps the body utilise fat as a fuel source instead of relying on glycogen stores. Caffeine increases fat oxidation and decreases muscle glycogen breakdown by increasing the breakdown of fatty acids, which are then used as a fuel source during exercise. This leads to reduced reliance on glycogen stores, sparing them for later use. In addition, caffeine Improves insulin sensitivity which can help the body use glucose more efficiently and spare muscle glycogen. Overall, through sparing muscle glycogen, caffeine can be particularly beneficial for endurance athletes who need to maintain their glycogen stores over long periods of exercise.

2. Increase muscle activation. Caffeine has been shown to increase muscle activation during exercise, particularly in high-intensity and strength training activities. This effect occurs as an effect of caffeine whereby it…

• Increases central nervous system stimulation resulting in an increase in muscle activation and improved performance.
• Decreases perceived exertion allowing individuals to push harder and activate their muscles to a greater degree.
• Enhances motor unit recruitment leading to more muscle fibers being activated during exercise.
• Improves muscle contractility causing muscles to contract more efficiently and with greater force.

3. Increase alertness and improve decision making. Caffeine has a number of beneficial cognitive functions which may have a positive impact on performance.

• Blocks adenosine receptors: Adenosine is a chemical in the brain that is associated with sleep and relaxation. Caffeine blocks adenosine receptors, which can increase alertness and reduce feelings of fatigue.
• Increases dopamine levels: Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is associated with feelings of pleasure and reward, and it can improve motivation and decision making.
• Improves cognitive function; including attention, reaction time, and memory.
• Enhances mood: Increasing levels of neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine can help individuals feel more positive and motivated.

4. Improve endurance. The impact of caffeine on endurance is significant and has been identified through the following mechanisms…

• Increases fat oxidation
• Reduces perceived exertion
• Enhances muscle activation
• Improves respiratory function
• Increases pain threshold

5. Reduce the rating of perceived exertion (RPE). This means that individuals feel like they are exerting less effort even when they are performing at the same intensity. Rate of perceived exertion is a subjective measure of how hard someone feels like they are working during exercise or physical activity. RPE is typically measured on a scale of 0 to 10, with 0 indicating no effort at all and 10 indicating maximum effort. Caffeine reduces RPE as it blocks adenosine receptors, enhances pain tolerance and enhances motor unit recruitment. The overall effect is an athlete may be able to push harder for a longer period of time within training and competition.

Overall, there are a huge number of benefits from the consumption of caffeine in order to enhance performance. However, it's worth noting that the effects of caffeine can vary depending on the individual and the amount consumed. Excessive consumption of caffeine can also have negative effects, such as insomnia, and increased heart rate. It's important to consume caffeine in moderation and to be aware of your individual tolerance levels. The recommended dose varies by body weight, but it’s typically about 200–400 mg, taken 30–60 minutes before a workout.

Creatine is a naturally occurring compound that is found in small amounts in red meat and fish. It is also produced by the human body in the liver, kidneys, and pancreas. Creatine is involved in energy production and is particularly important for high-intensity, short-duration activities such as weightlifting and sprinting.

Many athletes and bodybuilders take creatine supplements to improve their performance and increase muscle mass. Creatine supplements are available in various forms, including powders, capsules, and drinks. These supplements are generally safe and effective when taken in appropriate doses.

It is important to note that creatine supplementation is not necessary for most people, as the body can produce enough creatine on its own. However, some athletes and bodybuilders may benefit from creatine supplementation, particularly if they are engaged in high-intensity training or have difficulty consuming enough creatine-rich foods in their diet. It is recommended to consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new supplement regimen.

Creatine supplementation has been shown to provide several benefits, including:

1. Increased muscle mass: Creatine supplementation can help increase muscle mass, particularly when combined with resistance training. It does this by increasing water content in muscle cells, leading to improved muscle volume.
2. Improved athletic performance: Creatine supplementation has been shown to improve performance in high-intensity, short-duration activities such as weightlifting, sprinting, and jumping.
3. Increased strength: Creatine supplementation has been shown to improve strength and power in athletes, allowing them to lift heavier weights and perform at a higher level.
4. Faster muscle recovery: Creatine supplementation can help improve muscle recovery following exercise, allowing athletes to train more frequently and recover more quickly.
5. Improved brain function: Creatine supplementation may also have cognitive benefits, such as improving memory and attention, especially in vegetarians or vegans who have lower baseline creatine levels.

It is important to note that not everyone will experience these benefits to the same extent, and individual responses may vary. Additionally, creatine supplementation should be used in combination with a healthy diet and exercise program, and under the guidance of a healthcare professional.

Regular training has a number of cognitive benefits:

• Improvements in memory and learning
• Reductions in stress and anxiety
• Improvements in creativity, focus and attention
• Reduction in the rate of cognitive decline
• Improvements in sleep

Engaging in a physical pursuit such as fitness training has been linked to a range of cognitive benefits, which can have significant implications for overall physical and mental health and functioning. One key cognitive benefit of exercise is its ability to enhance memory and learning. Exercise has been shown to increase the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein that promotes the growth and survival of neurons. This can lead to improvements in learning and memory function, as well as greater neuroplasticity.

In addition to its effects on memory and learning, exercise has also been linked to reductions in stress and anxiety. Regular physical activity has been shown to decrease levels of the stress hormone cortisol and increase the production of endorphins, which can improve mood and reduce symptoms of anxiety. This can have a positive impact on cognitive function, as chronic stress and anxiety can impair memory, attention, and executive function. In addition, stress and anxiety often act as a catalyst to unhealthy eating behaviours and lifestyle choices. Any reduction in stress may lead to a healthier and more capable body.

Another cognitive benefit of exercise is its ability to enhance creativity, focus and attention. Exercise can improve blood flow to the brain, which can increase the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to brain cells. Additionally, exercise has been shown to increase the production of neurotransmitters like dopamine and norepinephrine, which are involved in regulating attention and arousal. This can result in improvements in creativity, focus, attention, and cognitive performance.

Moreover, regular exercise has been shown to help prevent or slow cognitive decline in older adults. Exercise has been found to improve cognitive function, particularly in areas related to memory and executive function. This can have important implications for maintaining independence and quality of life as we age.

Finally, exercise has also been linked to improvements in sleep quality. Regular physical activity can improve sleep duration, quality, and efficiency, which can have a positive impact on cognitive function. Sleep plays a crucial role in memory consolidation, and getting enough restful sleep is essential for optimal cognitive functioning. In addition, sleep is vital for restoration of body tissues and recovery. Getting sufficient, high-quality sleep will enhance an individual's performance in everyday life and training.

Regular training has a number of cognitive benefits:

It is a common question in fitness whether it is better to train for hypertrophy or strength.

The answer generally depends on the specific fitness goals of everyone, or how the training will enhance their performance within their chosen physical pursuit and lifestyle.

To break this down very simply…

• If you want to grow the size of your muscle, you should train for hypertrophy.
• If you want to pick up heavier weights and produce more force, you should train for strength.

However, training for these two different goals is not mutually exclusive as there is some overlap between the two methodologies. There are a number of differences and similarities between the two goals and training required to achieve them.

Hypertrophy Training

Hypertrophy is short for muscular hypertrophy and is the act of growing a muscle through exercise. Generally, hypertrophy describes training to build muscle mass. Individuals typically use this type of training to grow their muscles for aesthetic purposes. However, increasing muscle size is a prerequisite for strength training as it provides a solid base for developing maximal strength.

What Is Smart Goal Setting?

Smart goal setting is a process of creating specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound goals. The acronym SMART stands for:

• Specific: A goal should be clear and well-defined. It should answer the questions of who, what, where, when, why, and how.
• Measurable: A goal should be quantifiable, and there should be a way to measure progress towards achieving it. It helps to define specific metrics to track.
• Achievable: A goal should be realistic and attainable. It should be challenging enough to motivate you but not so difficult that it's impossible to achieve.
• Realistic: A goal should be aligned with your overall objectives and mission. It should be important to you and realistic and take into consideration your life or work.
• Time-bound: A goal should have a deadline or timeframe for completion. It helps to create a sense of urgency and accountability.

By following the SMART goal-setting process, you can increase your chances of achieving your goals by breaking them down into manageable and actionable steps. Additionally, you can regularly evaluate and adjust your progress towards your goal.

Why Is It Important To Set Fitness Goals?

Setting fitness goals is not just important, but it is critical to achieving and maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle. Without setting specific goals, individuals may find themselves unsure of what they want to achieve, leading to a lack of focus and motivation. Furthermore, the goals need to be challenging and realistic, providing individuals with a sense of accomplishment when they reach milestones towards their overall objective.

One of the significant benefits of setting fitness goals is the increased accountability and responsibility it places on individuals. Having a specific target to work towards means individuals must take responsibility for their actions and make conscious choices to prioritize exercise and healthy habits. As a result, they are more likely to make healthier choices and remain committed to their fitness regimen over time.

Measuring progress towards fitness goals provides a sense of accomplishment and encourages individuals to stay on track. However, tracking progress is not limited to just achieving the end goal. By setting smaller, achievable milestones along the way, individuals can celebrate each accomplishment and stay motivated to continue working towards their ultimate objective.

It's common to complicate exercise with new and complex protocols claiming to provide fast results. However, the basics of exercise are often overlooked. Mastering the six functional movement patterns is crucial for improving everyday function and reducing the risk of injury.

What Are The Functional Movement Patterns?

The functional movement patterns are the foundation of exercise, as they compose all our daily movements. They include the squat, lunge, hinge, core, push, and pull. These movements are essential for developing new neural pathways that become more efficient with practice.

Each movement pattern plays a significant role in everyday life and training them regularly can improve your ability to perform daily tasks.

The Foundation Of Exercise

Utilising the fundamental movement patterns is very important within a training regime.  Each time your body coordinates the muscles to perform one of these movement patterns, you’re in the process of developing new neural pathways. The more you perform the movements, the more ingrained and efficient the pathways become, and the more benefits you receive from them.

SQUAT - The squat is a fundamental movement pattern that involves flexing the hips and knees together, which lowers the center of gravity. This movement engages several key muscle groups, including the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, adductors, and core. By training the squat, you can improve your overall strength and mobility, as well as your ability to perform everyday tasks like getting up from a seated position with greater ease and stability.

Water plays a crucial role in various physiological and metabolic processes within the human body. As the main constituent of body fluids, water is vital for maintaining the balance of electrolytes and ensuring the proper functioning of cells, tissues, and organs. The human body relies on water for a wide range of functions, including thermoregulation, digestion, nutrient transportation, joint lubrication, brain function, and waste removal.

In summary, water carries out the following roles within the body…

• Hydration: Water is necessary to keep the body hydrated. It makes up around 60% of the body's weight, and is essential for the proper functioning of cells, tissues, and organs.
• Temperature regulation: The body uses water to regulate its temperature through sweating and other cooling mechanisms.
• Nutrient transportation: Water is necessary to transport nutrients to the cells of the body. It also helps to remove waste products from the body.
• Joint lubrication: Water helps to lubricate the joints and prevent friction between bones, which can cause pain and inflammation.
• Digestion: Water is necessary for digestion and absorption of food. It helps to break down food and move it through the digestive system.
• Brain function: Water is important for brain function and helps to maintain mental clarity and focus.

These roles can be explained in more detail as follows…

Water serves as a coolant for the body during physical activity or when exposed to hot environments. Through sweating, the body loses heat, and water helps to regulate body temperature by facilitating the evaporation of sweat. This mechanism is essential for preventing heat exhaustion, heatstroke, and other heat-related illnesses.

In addition to regulating body temperature, water plays a critical role in digestion by aiding in the breakdown of food and the absorption of nutrients. Water also helps to move waste products through the digestive system and prevent constipation. Moreover, water is essential for the lubrication of joints, which helps to reduce friction and prevent joint pain.

Behaviour And Lifestyle

The foundation of the Pyramid of Priorities is behaviour and lifestyle. Building a nutrition plan upon shaky behaviour and lifestyle factors is unlikely to be successful. The most efficient, optimal nutrition program is destined to fail if it is not paired with a personalised approach that is based on good habits, lifestyle choices and behaviours. When producing a nutrition plan, it is important for individuals to consider how their lifestyle will be complemented by the protocols they are looking to adopt and how they should adapt their behaviours to make the plan sustainable and guarantee the results they desire.

Energy Balance

The next level on the pyramid is energy balance or caloric intake/expenditure. In terms of nutrition, calories refer to the energy that the body derives from food and drinks consumed. Different types of food contain different amounts of calories, with fats being the most calorie-dense at 9 calories per gram, followed by carbohydrates and protein at 4 calories per gram. The number of calories a person needs can vary depending on factors such as their age, sex, weight, height, and level of physical activity. Caloric intake and expenditure is the governor of weight loss, weight maintenance or weight gain.

• Calorie Deficit: Calorie Consumption < Calorie Expenditure
• Calorie Maintenance: Calorie Consumption = Calorie Expenditure
• Calorie Surplus; Calorie Consumption > Calorie Expenditure

Macronutrients

The next level of the pyramid includes macronutrients. Macronutrients are the three main types of nutrients that provide energy and make up the bulk of our diet: carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.

• Carbohydrates are the body's primary source of energy and include sugars, starches, and fibre.
• Proteins are important for growth, repair, and maintenance of tissues in the body. They are made up of amino acids.
• Fats are essential for many functions in the body, such as providing energy, insulating, and protecting organs, and helping to absorb certain vitamins.

Each of these macronutrients provides a different number of calories per gram. The amount of each macronutrient a person needs can vary depending on factors such as their age, sex, weight, height, and level of physical activity. A balanced diet typically includes a mix of all three macronutrients.

Micronutrients

The next level of the pyramid is micronutrients. Micronutrients are nutrients that the body requires in small amounts for proper growth, development, and functioning. Micronutrients include vitamins, minerals, and trace elements.

In fitness, there is an ongoing debate over discipline and motivation. 

The concept of motivation is often disregarded and sometimes claimed to be inexistent, whilst discipline is deemed to be an invaluable skill, acquired through immense sacrifice. 

There is some truth in this, however, at Physique Academy we see both discipline and motivation to coexist with valuable characteristics.

• Motivation is what gets you going. It gives you energy and direction. Motivation is an inner force that can come and go based on internal and external drivers.

• Discipline is what keeps you going. It is doing what you need to do to reach your goals even when you don’t feel like it. Discipline can be developed through practice.

The Principles of Training

The principles of training act as a guide to the training process regardless of an athlete's age, background, or goals. They can be used to guide an athlete when considering whether a training program is appropriate and should be utilised to optimise the training process.

Specificity

Training should be specific to individuals and their goals. To be specific within training requires athletes to train the energy system which requires development and the capabilities needed to execute the task being trained for. Before applying this principle, it is important to test the components of fitness which are important to the attribute to identify strengths and weaknesses.

The outcome of applying specificity within performance-based training is it objectively facilitates development within specific components of fitness leading to a higher level of performance overall fitness.

Overload

Stress is required to progress and improve fitness. Overload will cause long-term adaptations, enabling the body to become more efficient and cope with higher demands of training.

The terms calories, proteins, carbohydrates, and fats have become frequently referenced in regard to performance nutrition within the fitness industry. It is important to understand the fundamentals of nutrition before becoming concerned with the complexities.

Calories

A calorie is defined as:

‘The energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water by 1 °C.’

TRAINING: THE IMPORTANCE OF TRAINING

Training results in a huge number of benefits. Training utilises a variety of functional movements; setting you up to lift heavier, move faster and go for longer, as well as decreasing your chance of injury. Your ability to move influences all aspects of your lifestyle, from the way you look and feel to how you perform.

There are many reasons to train. Some people care mostly about aesthetics, or how they look: they want to lose fat, gain muscle, and improve body composition. Other people train to get stronger, faster, or better at their sport and will prioritise performance. Another reason to train is for enjoyment or to live a healthier life. No matter the reason, fitness training will set you up to look and feel your best whilst potentially improving your health, strength, and performance.

AESTHETICS

Many people strive to improve their physique. They desire to develop their bodies to suit their aesthetic goals. This often requires training to build a bigger and stronger physique and can be done through a bodybuilding approach.

Bodybuilding involves developing your body through resistance training. In a similar way to an artist creating a sculpture using shaping techniques, a bodybuilder applies resistance to sculpt certain areas of their body to change their appearance.

THE PHILOSOPHY

Our mission at Physique Academy is to provide you with the physical and mental tools, to overcome the setbacks and obstacles that life throws at you. This will allow you to discover what true greatness and potential lives within you.

The core philosophy of Physique Academy is to strive to help people become fitter and healthier both mentally and physically. Overall Physique Academy is focussed on helping you to become the best version of yourself; building better habits, discipline, and drive to overcome all obstacles in life. The best version of you will not only enable you to live the best life possible but will also allow you to provide the best life to the people around you.

Physique Academy was built on the foundations of mental health and physical health. There is huge importance in thinking positively, performing well, and looking good. Interior confidence is of equal importance to exterior confidence. Health requires a healthy body and a healthy mind. Therefore, at Physique Academy we see the importance of pursuing your greatest physical and mental ability.

Physique Academy prioritises creating a holistic approach to fitness - focussing on three key pillars: training, nutrition, and mindset. Together we seek to work hard to better ourselves internally and externally whilst helping others around us to make the world a better place.

Trail running has been an integral part of my hybrid training routine. I ramp up the trail running around this time of year because I prefer the harsher conditions and the self-satisfaction of fighting the elements. I aim to get one 8-10mile trail run in every week. I personally run in a group, it pushes each and every one who attends to be there every week. Support systems come in all forms, and we started this group after identifying an element of fitness we wanted to try, and we loved it. Two years later and the Saturday morning trail runs are still going strong. It just shows what happens when you challenge yourself to trying something new.

The new terrain, tough climbs, beautiful views, and fast descents push a new type of running that adds a further element to my hybrid approach of training. If you want to start trail running here are my 5 tips to get started.

1. Wear the right footwear

You will experience all types of terrain on the trails, the footwear you need is completely different to road running. Tough, sturdy, and extra grip will help you through those muddy and slippy miles.

2. Take it easy on the climbs

These come steep and fast, and you don't want to gas out. Take your time, there will be a descent on the other side to catch your breath but control your breathing on the uphill, take into consideration the size of your strides and keep your focus on the top.

Not enough time in your day to spend an hour at the gym?

Looking for a short but effective workout that is going to push your body to its limits?

In this video George takes you through a 16-minute EMOM (Every Minute On the Minute) workout, which is great for conditioning. He has chosen four different exercises to be completed over four rounds in the time frame set. Each exercise needs to be completed within a minute, and the remainder of time in that minute is then used as a rest period.

EMOM is an intense form of HIIT that gets your heart pumping and body working at maximum effort with limited rest time.

Benefits of an EMOM workout include:

• A powerful workout in a short amount of time
• High calorie burner
• A productive structure
• Controlled rest period
• Builds up your muscle and strength endurance

Workout

• 1 Min – Wall balls 16 @ 9KG
• 2 Min – Rower 16 calories
• 3 Min – DB snatch 16 @ 22.5KG
• 4 Min – Thrusters BB 10 @ 50 KG
• Complete four times

I almost killed Mike Thurston - The HARDCORE Workout for You and Your Training Partner

"I like to train with someone who is more insane than me." said Mike Thurston, dripping with sweat and looking like he needed CPR.

We got together when I was in Ibiza, to train in disgusting 31 degrees celsius heat and filmed our workout for my latest YouTube video.

This is a perfect partner workout made much easier with support. You split the reps between you both so make sure you don't lose count!

Mike said this put more strain on his body than his usual weightlifting workouts and for good reason - it is HARDCORE.

Are you looking for an effective way to sustain your health goals?

Then meal prepping is for you.

What is meal prepping?

Meal prepping is the process of planning and preparing your food ahead of time.

Meal prepping doesn’t have to seem overwhelming and is made simple once you gain an understanding of what you are doing. It is a great way to stay on track, build physique and maximise performance. Other benefits include; saving you time, helping you to purchase only the necessary food you need (saving you money and minimising food waste) and assisting you to eat healthier.

Think you haven't got time to cook healthy food that's going to help you lose fat, build muscle and feel amazing?

Let George show you how to prep 3000 calories of delicious food for a whole day in under 20 minutes.

Let George show you how to;

• get a whopping 200g+ of protein into your daily diet
• stop eating "boring as sh*t food" (as George says)how to not get bored by what you eat
• his top tips for steak
• what he eats for performance
• and also laugh along as he forgets what a spatula is called! (He wouldn't - make it on Masterchef, put it that way!)

But I hate meal prepping - it takes ages!

Meal prepping doesn’t have to seem overwhelming and is made simple once you gain an understanding of what you are doing. It is a great way to stay on track, build physique and maximise performance. Other benefits include;

• saving you time
• keeping you organised
• helping you to purchase only the necessary food you need (saving you - money and minimising food waste)
• reducing decision fatigue so you don't have to rely on motivation assisting you to eat healthier

Of course you can treat yourself - let us show you how!

At Physique Academy we work on an 80/20 approach with nutrition which means 80% whole foods, 20% processed or a bit of a treat. We are not too strict with our meal plans because it is all about balance and being sustainable. This is proven to be beneficial through the results that our clients achieve.

Are you feeling tired and fatigued after a busy week of training, work, or just general everyday life stuff?

Have you not got much time to go to the gym but still want to get a workout in?

Here’s a 30-minute quick body weight workout to do, ideal for conditioning. This Cindy workout – with burpees and running added – can be done from any location, saving you that travel time to and from the gym.

What is a Cindy workout?

This consists of 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups and 15 squats to be completed for as many rounds as possible (AMRAP) in a 20-minute time frame.

In this workout that George is talking through, he is going to push you that extra mile and add in some burpees and a short run to each round, taking the time frame up to 30 minutes.

Have you heard of the Glycemic Index (GI)?

It’s often cited in the media as an essential tool for picking carbohydrate sources and managing blood sugar.

You’ve likely seen that cereal box with LOW GI stamped on it like a badge of honour.

But what is it, and is it worth paying attention to?

While it can sound like a complicated term, simply put, the Glycemic Index is a value given to measure how fast a specific food increases blood sugar (glucose) levels.

Foods are categorised as low, medium or high glycemic, on a scale between 0-100. The lower the number, the slower your blood sugar will rise after eating it.

This week's weekly workout is taken from my recent YouTube video with Bodybuilder Joe Ballinger.

CLICK TO WACTH THE VIDEO 

I put him through his paces with a Crossfit-style landmine workout.

It's simple but very effective and amazing for the core. Anyone can do it, all you need is a barbell and weights. Ideally a barbell in an anchor point but if you can wedge it into the ground safely, that works too.

Inspired by my latest YouTube video, this is the way I like to train to take you from bodybuilding style, hypertrophy building muscle and strength then into conditioning.

With this pull workout, we're aiming to build muscle and sculpt the body, be functional but be jacked.

You can watch this workout in full on the YouTube link at the end of this email.

Pull Workout

T-Bar Row

• 2 x sets of 10 reps
• 1 x drop set of 30 reps
• On the drop set, lower the weight every 10 reps

Iso Single Arm Machine Row

• 2 x sets of 10 reps (each arm)
• 1 x set 30 drop set (each arm)
• On the drop set, lower the weight every 10 reps

Double Arm Machine Row

• 2 x sets of 10 reps
• 1 x drop set of 30 reps
• On the drop set, lower the weight every 10 reps

Pronated Dumbbell Rear Row

• Aiming for the rear delts
• 2 x sets of 15 reps
• 1 x dropset of 30 reps
• On the drop set, lower the weight every 15 reps

Alternative Dumbbell Curls

• 1 x set of 10 reps (each arm)
• 1 x set of 15 reps (each arm)
• 1 x set of 20 reps (each arm)

Spider Curls

• Using an EZ bar
• 2 x sets of 15 reps
• 1 x dropset of 30 reps
• On the drop set, lower the weight every 15 reps

Take a look at the workout in action with bodybuilder Joe Ballinger in my latest YouTube video.

Sore neck and back? Is your chest workout to blame?

When clients sign up to customised 1:1 online coaching with Physique Academy, we get them to fill out their initial medical screening and health questionnaires.

One thing comes up more and more and more;

• Neck ache
• Back ache
• Shoulder pain

This isn't an age thing either. We are seeing it in guys younger and younger. Even those who have been working out for years can't escape this problem.

As coaches, when we get our clients to complete their initial check-in and send us over those all-important starting photos, we are focusing a lot on your posture.

You already know how important protein is for muscle growth and recovery.

You likely consume it with every meal, and theres a good chance you have a cupboard full of protein supplements to ensure you hit your daily requirements.

But what about protein timing, does it matter? Is it more important to have protein pre or post workout?

Today we’re going to dive into the research, explore the importance of protein timing, and see what you should do for best results.

Are you still trapped in isolation exercise training cycles?

Hitting one “muscle group” at a time. Chasing muscular destruction from every possible angle, each and every week.

Training ultimately comes down to a series of choices, and the type of exercises you choose to focus on consistently will be reflected in your body composition and athletic capabilities.

How do you view the human body, simply as a collection of muscle groups that need to be hit separately? Or, as an integrated unit that should be trained and strengthened through full-body movements?

Dehydration is a drag on human performance.

You’ve likely felt this yourself. Increased fatigue, lower motivation, and a reduced exercise capacity to name a few.

Surprisingly, these effects occur at as little as 2% total bodyweight dehydration(1).

According to the lay press, 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. A shocking statistic if you think about it, the result being, hundreds of millions of humans that are underperforming physically.

You’re probably aware of the importance of protein when it comes to body composition, muscle mass and optimal health.

And for a good reason, after all, it’s the foundation of the muscle tissue we work so hard to acquire and maintain.

It’s likely you’ve even taken steps to increase the amount of protein you consume. Protein shakes anyone?

What’s less understood is how much protein is optimal for building muscle, burning fat and improving recovery, and how this might vary based on your goals.

Caffeine, glorious caffeine.

Known for its mind and body stimulating effects, caffeine is the most widely consumed drug globally.

You might even be caffeinated as you read this.

Caffeine is found in many plants' leaves, seeds, and fruits, including tea leaves, cocoa beans, and coffee beans.

You already know that yoga can improve flexibility and strength, in fact, many people are surprised after their first class at just how physically demanding it can be.

But beyond the demanding poses and modern advertising of what’s become almost a fashionable endeavour, yoga is an ancient practice that’s been around for thousands of years, and it’s not for no reason. 

While Instagram reels would have you believe it’s all about extreme flexibility, there are a host of other reasons you might want to consider adding a yoga class or two into your weekly regime.

Keep reading if you want to discover some benefits of yoga that you may, and may not have considered.

Strength - the quality or state of being physically strong.

As a new trainee pursuing an improved physique, strength gains are a fortunate byproduct.

But as the beginner gains curve begins to flatern, without specific intention, many athletes find their strength plateaus.

Perhaps you got into training for aesthetics, but as your obsession builds, you’re looking for a more performance orientated pursuit.

Want to train specifically for strength?

Today we’re going to discuss a fundamental principle of strength training, and how you can integrate it into your routine.

Testosterone is a hormone most men have heard of. After all, isn’t it THE hormone that makes a man, a man?

Because of its well-known links to muscle mass and sex drive, testosterone drives a lot of worry in men.

As you might expect, the internet is aware of this and is littered with potential ways to increase testosterone, often using photos of enhanced athletes in perfect lighting to lead you down a sales funnel to the latest supplement.

While some supplements can help, there are much more powerful and reliable ways to increase testosterone levels (T levels) naturally.

Have you ever woken up late for work and accidentally skipped breakfast?

Turns out you’ve also practised intermittent fasting (IF).

In fact, you are intermittently fast every day whether you realise it or not.

Let’s say you finish eating your dinner at 8 pm and aren’t eating breakfast until 8 am, guess what, you’ve just fasted for 12 hours.

While calories, macros and meal plans focus on WHAT you should eat, intermittent fasting is the practice of WHEN you should eat.

Do you ever find yourself at the end of your training session and think to yourself, damn, I should probably stretch but… nah.

Perhaps your body often feels tight and stiff, but you ain’t no yogi, you want to be jacked, strong and ripped, you wouldn’t be seen dead in the stretching zone.

But if you’ve ever experienced a serious injury, you'll remember that dealing with that can be a long and frustrating process.

If you want to minimise the chance of that happening as much as you can, this is your reminder. Today we’re going to highlight the benefits of stretching for injury prevention, and discover what kind of practice you might want to include in your routine.

So why is it important?

T-minus what seems like a lifetime until our precious gyms re-open. There’s light at the end of the tunnel for fitness fanatics, and that light shines down on the 12th April.

With just under a month until we can walk into our beloved gyms, this is the perfect time to congratulate our clients, and those yet to join Physique Academy, who have tackled lockdown head on and improve their fitness lifestyle. Those who have adapting their training programmes, completing home workouts and embracing the great outdoors for their cardio.

Unfortunately, lockdown has been the cause of many people who once loved training, neglect their fitness routines after the novelty of the Strava app wore off and the lack of access to gym equipment deterred any training motivation.

As the re-opening of gyms draws closer, we know there will be hundreds of thousands of gym goers eager to get straight back to where they left off. We love the determination, but this will do more damage than good. Here are some tips on returning to the gym after lockdown.

1. Take it easy

With a long break from the gym, your body has adapted to the reduced physical stress on your muscles, nerves and connective tissues. This means going straight into your 1 rep max after a prolonged time away from the gym is likely to cause injury and will increase your time away from the gym. For your first couple of sessions, bring back some of the intensity, reduce the weight from what you used to be able to lift and focus on your form.

There are two different types of people. Those who act on their goals and strive towards what they want to achieve, they learn from their mistakes and take failure in their stride by understanding that failure is inevitable but look at this as a steppingstone on the road to success. There are also those who consider themselves as a victim, their constantly have a negative outlook on every aspect of what is happening around them, everything seems to be going wrong and they believe they have been dealt the wrong cards in life. Not only do they impact themselves through this way of thinking, but it can ultimately impact those around them to fall into this type of mindset.

Tackling Failure

When someone slips up or divert ‘off track’, do not consider this as failure. In fitness, it is not failure if you have gained a little bit of weight, it’s all about learning and using this as an experience because with fitness one weekend can be detrimental to someone’s fat loss results especially if you have a large appetite and enjoy your food. You could ruin time dedicated sticking to your training and nutrition plan but the moment you go off track is the pinnacle moment of whether you question yourself; are you going to act and get back into your routine? Or are you going to play what we call ‘the victim game’?

We see this multiple times. This is the moment when you step back and you think to yourself “what are we going to do here?”. A lot of the time, the victim game wins, especially if you have tried multiple training and nutrition programmes and have not seen the results you aim to achieve. It can be a constant battle with your goals, and it can be frustrating to keep fighting to achieve what you want to achieve. This isn’t just related to fitness, there are going to be things in life that will throw you off that track completely, but this is where you challenge your inner victim and come out stronger.

When training with Physique Academy, we can guarantee that there are going to be situations and barriers you are going to have to overcome but we nurture and enhance the positive mindset for you to wave goodbye to the ‘victim game’, the self-blame and negative thinking. We know that external factors have a factor on your fitness. Whether this is work, financial, family or friend related, these can lead to a downward spiral preventing you from staying on track with your training and nutrition. It’s vital that we work together to stop factors sabotaging your progress and continue to keep going, as this will not only continue to push you towards your goals, we guarantee this will help overturn any negative thinking you have with an alternative and fresh outlook at these external factors.
Do not worry if you have gone off track, or you have slipped up. This is not failure. Failure is letting this minor setback influence your future self and being unable to get back on that progress path you have worked so hard to get to. It has a lot to do with your emotions and how you deal with them and everyone has different ways of doing this. It may just take a minute for you to sit down, and simply tell yourself that you have slipped up and this is just temporary, or you talk to us here at Physique Academy and get the best advice on how to turn things around. We learn, overcome and adapt to these small hits, but we avoid playing the victim with positive headspace and realising what the real goals are.

If you have diverted away from your fitness goals and want to change your lifestyle and mindset then book a free consultation call with us here.

Sleep is vital to sports performance. There are numerous studies and countless professionals, some of whom are considered the best in their respected fields, that support the enhancement of physical and mental attributes associated with sleep.

Weight Control

Studies have shown that deprivation of sleep has a positive correlation with cravings calorie-dense, high fat foods. Those who gain the correct amount of sleep will find it much easier to make healthier nutritional choices as the hunger for junk food is much less than individuals who don’t. Getting yourself into a fixed sleep routine with enhance this even further as you will be consistently getting the ideal amount of sleep to curve those cravings.

Motivation

Lack of sleep is known to effect mood and emotional health. Motivation is key to anyone’s fitness journey. It’s a main source of positive mindset that pushes you to keep going to achieve your fitness goals and reduced sleep can ultimately impact this.

Recovery

Sleep facilitates the production of human growth hormones which repair damages muscles. A consistent sleeping regime in lined with a training schedule will allow for optimal performance and recovery. A full night’s sleep allows your body to recover from specific work-outs, maximising your preparedness for the following days session and reduces and potential injury problems.

Stamina

Waking up with heaps of energy is positively correlated with a good night’s sleep. This will enable to you take on your training schedule with peak energy levels. A lack of sleep will decrease your stamina and will negatively impact your training, in some cases rejecting any training at all. Increasing your stamina levels by being well rested will impact your fitness goals.

HIIT training stands for High-Intensity Interval Training. This form of training consists of a combination of short bursts of a verity of exercises, usually paired to target all areas of the body with limited rest periods. Pushing your body to go harder in a shorter period of time has a multitude of benefits compared to your conventional training session or a steady state workout.

Improve Fitness

HIIT is a form of cardiovascular training and implementing a HIIT workout into your training regime will improve your fitness and stamina levels.

Burn More Fat

The result of training at high intensity in a shorter period of time challenges your body to work harder. Burning fat requires oxygen and the more oxygen you intake, which is increased with a HIIT workout, the more fat your body burns. This form of training also impacts the recovering and repairing of fatigued muscles, resulting in burning more body fat and calories post workout than you would from a steady state workout. Pushing your body’s repair cycle means you will burn fat for 24-48 hours after interval training.

Retain Muscle

Studies have shown that in the 24 hours after a HIIT workout, the body produces more human growth hormone than a steady state workout, encouraging your body to build and reserve muscle mass whilst targeting the removal of fat.

Fit for all

HIIT workouts can be adapted to all kinds of fitness levels. This can be done by reducing the number of exercises within the workout or extending the rest period to allow for optimal performance. HIIT workouts are also extremely versatile compared to your standard training session. You can change and modify these types of workouts to remain motivated as you are ultimately not getting bored of a repetitive routine. 

Cutting back your calories can be detrimental to your fat loss results. We get it, you want to get fast results and achieve your results in the quickest time possible. A lot of the time, it’s really difficult to sustain a calorie intake that is pushing you both physically and mentally because when you cut back your calories your energy levels will decreased leaving you feeling lethargic, drained, fatigued, ‘hangry’ and will see an ugly side to yourself then when you were on a healthy and rigid diet tailored to your body. We’ve all been there; hunger can stir up emotions like anger and agitation. When you are on a fat loss journey and you cut your calories back too much too soon, these are the emotions you will feel frequently on a daily basis and is not sustainable.

These diets are not enjoyable and will end up hindering your quality of life for yourself and others around you. When you are trying to speed the process up too much and cut corners it never works. It’s rare that we see people go on a very strict low-calorie diet, get amazing results and then sustain it. Usually, the case is people cut back too much to speed up this process as a quick fix to look good but don’t consider the physical and mental implications. Essentially you cut back your calories and are left with no energy to train to your full capacity, you don’t enjoy the food included in your diet, you ruin relationships within your support system because of your mood and you are more likely to fall into an unhealthy regime. So, unless you are willing to completely suffer then you want to think about the long game and enjoy the process of training, eating the foods you enjoy and getting better results because of this.

This is journey for a reason. Take your time and trust the process and most of all enjoy bettering yourself, your lifestyle and your mindset. There is no such thing as a successful quick fix, it’s all about adopting those healthy habits and implementing a routine to allow you to enjoy the journey and relish in the results without suffering.

At Physique Academy, we guide every client on their diet and training to ensure they get optimum results whilst enjoying every second of the journey. We supply the tools every step of the way on the right time to alter specific parts of their training, whether this be cutting calories, adding certain food groups, increasing training to benefit each individual.

Book a FREE consultation call with us and let’s kick start your routine.

At Physique Academy, we constantly push our clients to implement, perfect and continue a specific routine. An effective routine result in consistency, and consistency effectively gets results. We promote a sustainable routine not only for the physical and fitness benefits, but in many ways building the foundations of a specific routine can enhance other areas of your life.

As humans, we are creatures of habit and good habits in the form of a well-structured and organized routine promote health and wellbeing. A routine can be applied to all areas of your life; the time you wake up, making your bed, morning steps, ensuring you eat breakfast, training and eating at certain times, going to bed. All these elements carried out each day, every day will form your routine and when you factor a routine into your training and nutrition, this is where we see the best results.

Training and nutrition aside, as we mentioned earlier a well-structured and organised routine promotes both health and wellness:

Improved Stress Levels

A daily routine has the ability to eliminate stress levels and can lead to better mental health. Having no routine can cause anxiety, leaving people feeling they can’t get things done because of the lack of organisation.

Better Health

Becoming more organised through the help of a routine will ultimately lead to better health. Routines will enable you to free up more time ensuring you don’t miss that meal, you don’t skip that training session and you don’t slip into unhealthy habits. Healthy diets and training require advanced planning, by having no routine you are not planning ahead which can force last minute unhealthy nutrition decisions and lack of training.

Contrary to the title of this blog, no morning steps are not a miracle, but there are plenty of reasons both physically and mentally why you should boost yourself up and get active first thing in the morning with a step routine. Getting to the gym first thing in the morning for some may be impossible to due opening hours, commute, working hours and family commitments, but morning steps are the perfect alternative to maintaining your fitness and hold some fantastic health benefits.

Routine

Morning steps are a perfect way to kick start your daily routine. We’ve touched on the topic of why implementing a fitness routine is vital for success.

Boost Your Energy

Getting outdoors for your morning steps has proven to be a natural energy booster when compared to indoor walking. A study showed that adults who walked for 20 minutes outdoors experiences more vitality and energy than those who walked indoors.

Improve Mental Clarity

A morning walk has the ability to improve cognitive processing, meaning you can think more clearly and creatively throughout the day.

Mood Enhancer

Completing exercise as your first task of the day will certainly lift your mood. As previously mentioned, morning steps can improve mental clarity, this can also reduce stress levels and anxiety towards daily jobs. Walking has proven to help release endorphins and serotonin, especially in an outdoor environment. These are your body’s natural mood and self-esteem enhancers.

Meal timings and frequency, are they important? So, in terms of timings, the most important timings for your meals we would say (if you’re training that is) is pre and post workout. The reason why that is you need to fuel your body to allow for optimum performance. Using carbohydrates before your training will give your body the energy to train at maximum capacity. Therefore, pre workout is extremely important for meal timing as is post workout to replenish your muscles.

In regards to meal frequencies, this is all dependant on your goal, a discussion and plan that we here at Physique Academy will specifically plan for your body, training plan and your objectives. If you’re aiming to build muscle, 4/5 meals will be much more beneficial than a few small meals a day or one enormous amount of protein meal per day. You’re going to be getting the best results by eating more frequently in a 24hr time period. Let’s say you’re every 2 to 3 hours, your body will constantly be getting those protein hits and this will build more muscle, enhance strength and improve performance. Your body will be in that state of growth and recovery instead of not having the effective amount of amino acids to build the muscle because you won’t have been fuelling your body with the correct amount of nutrients at the most effective times.

To keep it simple, if you’re trying to build muscle and maintain this muscle then 4/5 protein hits per day is going the be the most effective. If building muscle isn’t your goal, then get in touch with us here at Physique Academy for a FREE consultation call and let’s discuss.

After being knocked back from various football academies around the UK, George turned his attention to fitness as the age of 14. Gaining advice on both nutrition and training from a local Bodybuilding gym, George started competing at 17 years old and won the Mr United Kingdom under 18s in his first bodybuilding show in 2013. After which he went on to win 9 shows in just 2 years of competing. After taking a step back from competing, George found his passion for helping others achieve their fitness goals by sharing the expert advice he gained throughout his own journey. Coaching clients at all levels became his main goal and thus, Physique Academy was born.

When did you begin your fitness journey?

At 14 years old, I started weight training in my garage. My brother Harry and I worked out with limited weights; a bench press, rusty dumb bells, a few kettle bells and an EZ curl bar. We then joined the local gym in the space of a year as we needed more equipment, but I will always thank that garage gym for opening my eyes to fitness and fuelling my passion for it.

What is your greatest achievement in fitness?

I have two achievements I consider my greatest. Firstly, winning MR UK Body Building show at just 17 years old. Secondly, this is an unconventional achievement but overcoming a 4-year battle of injuries. Not only did this time period away from training to my full capacity took its tole on where I wanted to be physically, but also pushed my mental capability to the max. Fitness is my passion and injuries hindered this, but I managed to put my focus in helping others and getting back on track.

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How has investing in a fitness journey helped you in other areas of your life?

It has helped to build discipline, structure, relief stress, good habits and developed my mindset to push through difficult situations. These are they key elements I push on our clients, adopting a structured fitness routine will 100% help you in other areas of your life.

Let’s face it, going through your fitness journey as an individual can be a challenge. Going through the process alone will test your levels of dedication some days and there is nothing wrong with relying on support to keep you on track. In fact, we encourage it!

Identifying those around you who support your fitness goals, promote a positive mindset, and have similar interests and goals can improve your dedication and focus to achieving the lifestyle you aim for. We call this your ‘support system’ and choosing those to include can enhance and improve your fitness goals. Take a moment and think about friends and family, who are those who will encourage you to stay on the right path? Who are those who will congratulate you on your achievements? Who are those who will join you on your journey? These are the people you want to surround yourself with during this process.

This system usually includes friends and family but reaching outside your inner circle to groups who share the same interests and goals as yourself, can offer an extra level of support and can open new avenues of achieving your goals.

Immersing yourself with the right support system has both phycological and physical benefits. The physical benefits show in your results as the positive support system keeps you on your fitness journey, which in time will show physically. Also, choosing individuals who share fitness interests can help with the actual activity of training. You no longer have to go to the gym, run, cycle, walk (or whatever your training method) alone as you have your support system there to train with. As we mentioned, reaching out to other groups can introduce you to alternative training methods that can keep training from getting repetitive and keeps you motivated.

The psychological effect of having the right support system is vital to upholding a positive mindset. Your mindset is your greatest asset and surrounding yourself with people who encourage a positive outlook will influence your dedication. The social aspect of having a support system is also great for your mindset. Discussing training regimes, nutrition, exercising with those who share the same goals and interests will improve your focus and will allow yourself to enjoy the process more than going it alone.

We have covered how balancing calories in, and calories out is essential to weight maintenance. To lose weight, we must enter a calorie deficit and consume less calories than you output. Our bodies burn calories naturally because we burn calories when we use energy, predominantly through movement.

When we associate movement with weight sustainability or weight loss, it’s a common perception that a gruelling HIIT class is the only way to burn these calories and this can lead to people turning away from a changing their lifestyle because they feel the only way to lose fat is through this method. Yes, a HIIT class will burn more calories in a shorter amount of time, but there are small changes to your lifestyle that can contribute to your fitness goals.

This is where NEAT comes into play. NEAT stands for Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis – this relates to all the physical activity you do throughout the day that wouldn’t be considered as conventional exercise. Implementing some changes to your lifestyle can therefore increases NEAT as a simple way to lose weight.

Activities related to NEAT include:

• Cleaning
• Walking
• Cooking
• Household Chores
• Gardening
• Grocery Shopping
• Commuting

When it comes to fitness, Social Media plays a huge part in shaping perceptions on how people should look, how they should train, what they should eat and even what they should wear to the gym. It’s a highly influential platform that has both negative and positive attributes and it’s important for those who are either wanting to start or are currently on a fitness journey, to use this tool effectively.

We recently discussed how choosing the right support system is essential to successfully achieving a healthier lifestyle and mindset, and this is the same model you should assign to your social media. Utilise the easy access platform to positively support your goals by choosing the right people to engage with.

Comparison can be detrimental to your progress. As social media can be such a good platform to inspire and motivate you, it can also destroy self-confidence and impact your progress. This aspect comes into reflection when you identify accounts to follow to inspire you. Let’s be serious here, those influencers that showcase incredible genetics and physiques have that have taken years of extreme training to achieve. No promoted 4 week ‘ab blast’ course can get you those results, contrary to what their paid ad comment may say. We are in no way throwing offense at these types of accounts, their physiques are aspirational and their dedication to achieving those results are nothing but admirable. But if you compare those level of results to your own journey, this can impact your self-confidence and may deter your progress by perceiving your achievements negatively. By all means, use these accounts as part of your support system if you control the level of comparison you align with your own goals. This method can be applied to all areas of your life; family, financially, career and socially.

Identify those accounts who have similar interests, fitness goals and are on a similar journey to yourself and engage with them. As part of the Physique Academy programme, we promote both physical and mental changes to your lifestyle. Follow accounts that promote a healthier lifestyle and positive mindset.

It’s important to realise that as you are subject to influencers on these platforms, but you also have the power to influence. Show your support to those on the same journey as you, share your progress and educate those with the knowledge you have gained throughout your journey. Look back to when you firs started your journey, did you have others support you through social media? If you did, how effective was that on your confidence and motivation to get to the next level. If not, then be that person for someone else and promote that support message.

It finally feels like summer has arrived. With the temperature rising, sun shining and longer evenings, it’s the perfect opportunity to introduce some outdoor training into your routine and reap the body and mind benefits of adapting your training to the seasons.

Change of Scenery

The gym can become a repetitive atmosphere. Feeling like you have hit a wall with the same routine (if not constructed properly) can hinder fitness goals by effectively stopping people from going to the gym. Taking some of your training outdoors can refresh your routine and keep your mindset focused as you challenge yourself to something new.

Improve Mood

Studies have shown that endorphins are produced just 5 minutes after outdoor exercise and therefore holds the ability to improve a person’s mood.

Vitamin Intake

Sunlight is the best source of Vitamin D, which is essential for our body’s to absorb calcium. According to the National Osteoporosis Society recommendations, we should try to get at least 10 minutes of sun exposure to bare skin once or twice a day.

Cost-Effective

A weight-free (unless you have some at home) HIIT workout in an outdoor space, whether this be in your garden, the park, or any other public space is free. You don’t need to pay a monthly subscription to workout from a public space.

Here at Physique Academy, we adapt our training programmes to fulfil the fitness objectives of each individual on our team. Not every objective is about losing weight, it can be to improve overall fitness, gain strength and a common goal we help achieve is to build muscle.

Don’t be deceived, building muscle is a tough journey. It requires an entirely new outlook on training, nutrition and mindset. It’s not as simple as racking up the weights to the max and shoving down heaps of protein shakes post-training. You’ll need a carefully constructed plan to put your body into the ideal condition to build muscle.

Here are some tips for how to build muscle:

Calories

Being in a calorie surplus is vital for building muscle. These extra calories provide your body with the necessary fuel to boost muscle size and strength while weight training.

Training

Lift heavy and use progressive overload. This means gradually increasing the weight, frequency, or number of repetitions in your training routine. It’s also important to change up your training to keep it fresh. Building muscle requires time in the gym and repetitive training regimes can deter motivation. You want to love this process so refreshing your routine, training with a partner or following one of our training routines will help push your focus.

We have touched base on the importance of routine and how it can benefit all areas of lifestyle, fitness, business, family and mindset. Yes, daily routine is vital but for some it can be hard to completely stick to as external factors can interrupt a structured calendar. With that being said, we turn our attention to morning routine and how successfully hitting certain targets that fit your lifestyle and benefit your fitness goals will keep you on track.

If you beat the morning, you will win the day... To be less philosophical, if you complete small morning tasks you will set yourself up for a more productive day. For your fitness objectives you may want to get your steps/run/workout completed first thing in the morning due to your busy lifestyle restricting your ability to exercise in the evening. Not only this, successful sportsman and studies have praised the AM exercise for being more productive throughout the day. “I love working out first thing in the morning, it creates a natural boost of energy for the day unlike no other and keeps my mind focused”. – George Armstrong Physique Academy Coach & Founder

Fitness aside, small tasks such as waking up that little bit earlier to stretch, make breakfast, listen to a podcast, even making your bed will set yourself up for the day. Once you have identified those tasks you want to achieve each morning, create your routine as this will keep you focused and motivated.

This morning routine will benefit your mindset. You’ve certainly heard of the phrase, “getting out of the wrong side of the bed”. Well, we can confirm this is a thing. Getting up late with no structure to the most important part of the day will set you up falling into a slump later in the day because your mindset is not focused on the task at hand and is still one-step behind. Achieving small, what will in good time become sub-conscious tasks, will kickstart your focus for the rest of the day.

Feeling focused throughout the day will allow you to be productive and keep your mindset positive. Yes, you have started the day to the best of your ability, now what challenge awaits you. You can end up having a shitty day, but you can always remind yourself you’ve had a successful morning by completing your routine.

No matter what stage you are in the fitness world, it’s important to know that failure is unfortunately inevitable. Those at their top of their game will tell you that there will be certain times where they have failed but they have learnt from these failures, which is why they are where they are. Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again (not from the very start as this could be at certain stages of a plan for different people), but this time more intelligently. It’s important not to feel threatened by failure because when it hits you, you’ll find it harder to overcome when in fact, it needs to be approached with a positive mindset and turned into an advantaged. At Physique Academy, we equip you with all the knowledge you need to overcome failure by taking you through the below steps. 

Acceptance

This tends to be the hardest step in overcoming failure. The process of looking in the mirror and taking responsibility for your mistake. Yes, you have failed and it’s time to accept that you have taken a step back in your progress. However, you have successfully accepted that you have failed and can now improve. Failures will differ from person to person and will be perceived on different scales, but any activity that have hindered your fitness goals is a failure. Another reason that accepting failure is important is because if you do not accept that you have failed, then failures will not be identified. If you can’t identify a failure, then these issues will reoccur and become bad habits.

Acknowledge

Now that you have accepted you have failed, it’s now time to acknowledge where you have failed. A failure can easily be pinned down to one stimulus that has influenced your failure. This can be a myriad of influencers; an “are you coming out this weekend” text, not sticking to your routine, having a ‘cheat meal/day/week’ that isn’t included in your plan and one we can relate to… NOT CHECKING IN WITH YOUR COACHES. These influencers can be both external and internal. We get it, all your mates are out at the weekend eating and drinking and you feel like you’re missing out, so you jump on the band wagon. Why? Is the fear of missing out on a pissed-up night, spending more money than sense, getting head banging hangover the next day more important than changing your lifestyle? Remember, you do not have to miss out, just take things into consideration and moderation when these situations occur and consult in your coach when doing so. Internal factors such as loss of motivation, dedication and drive can influence failure. Remember, this process is time consuming and won’t happen over-night. Stick to the plan and the results will come. The reason why we have mentioned these external and internal factors are because these are the situations you must acknowledge once you have accepted failure.

Educate

The third step in overcoming is learning from your mistakes. Coming to terms with failing is a learning curve and you must overcome failures to better yourself by educating yourself on how to improve. In some cases, failure is inevitable but teaching yourself to overcome failure separates successful people from those who fall into the victim mindset and are unable to learn from their mistakes. Once you have accepted and acknowledged failure say to yourself, “yes, I have failed. Yes, I know exactly where I failed and now, I am going to teach myself how to ensure this doesn’t happen again and how I can now overcome this failure”.

Action

Congratulations, you have accepted, acknowledged, and educated yourself on failure by avoiding the victim mindset, ready to overcome your failure. Now it’s time to take action. Replace those negative external and factors with positive influencers, consult in your coach and agree on an action plan to get yourself back on track, successfully overcome failure by learning from your mistakes and come out stronger feeling more motivated than ever to achieve your goals.

At Physique Academy, our clients come first. We apply our combined years of experience in training and nutrition to push our clients to be the best version of themselves. We are more than just trainers, we are there every step of the way as a guide, support system, a training partner, a nutritionist and much more. We aim to provide the most personal program on offer and will show the same level of dedication to clients as we do ourselves.

Recently, our online coach and founder George Armstrong joined up with one of our clients during his holiday in Ibiza to introduce himself in person and joined forces for a full body workout.

Want to take your training to the next level? Whether you are wanting to make a start on a fitness journey or enhance your current training program with expert advice, book a FREE consultation call with our team and let’s get started.

Binge eating is consuming a large amount of food in a short period of time which can be detrimental to your fitness goals. We often see binge eating occur when those who want to go through a weight loss change try dieting without knowledge and guidance. Cutting food down without the understanding of how to do this effectively will inevitably lead to binge eating (most likely junk food) due to a lack of understanding how to correctly curb cravings, mentally fatiguing from completely cutting our certain food groups and underperforming in the gym are just a number of ways that will lead to binge eating because nutrition has not been fully assessed and assigned properly.

Below are 5 ways that will help you from binge eating

1. Don’t skip meals

There are no excuses to skipping meals. Time and time again we hear the excuses such as “ahh I didn’t have time to make breakfast”. But why didn’t you? Skipping this will ultimately lead to feeling hungrier later and can cause you to binge. Creating structure with meal preps and dedicating time within a routine will enable you to consume your meals at optimal times for performance and fitness goals.

2. Rigid Dieting

Don’t thin of it as a “diet”. If you do, you are limiting yourself to foods. Change your food rules about and it won't be classed as dieting. Ps. What the fuck is a sin? We are not counting sins here, this will change your mindset on diet all together as no food is a sin unless you are not counteracting it with action.

3. Mood

You are eating because you are bored, mad, dehydrated… not hungry. Not controlling your diet properly will alter your mood which will lead to binge eating We have all heard of the term ‘hangry’ right? This is because you have restricted your food incorrectly and you now feel the need to binge eat. With proper guidance with a tailored plan you won’t feel the need to go crazy on the cupboards at home.

4. Don’t restrict too much

You have put yourself on a diet and you have restricted the foods you love because you think these will diminish your progress. For those who have not been put on an expert training and nutrition programme you won’t know that you can still enjoy the food you love to an extent that won’t hinder your achievements. If you jump in at the deep end and restrict your diet completely, it’s highly likely you will fail and binge eat because you haven’t restricted properly

Sleep is one of the most important factors to all areas of health. Implementing an effective sleep routine will benefit you both physically by allocating efficient rest periods, and mentally by resetting your cognitive processes with enough time to function to its max. The term sleep hygiene is about promoting a good night’s sleep and creating the most successful sleep cycle possible. 

We are going to highlight incremental factors that need to be acknowledged and actioned in order to benefit from the miracle of sleep.

Routine

Creating a sleep routine encourages a repeating circadian rhythm, also known as body clock. Therefore, getting up and going to bed at the same time will become a natural response, and you can tailor your cycle so you can arise earlier to start your routine.

Put Down the Phone 

Blue and violet light from your devices and unnatural light in the evening suppresses melatonin production. So relentlessly scrolling through Instagram minutes before you want to go to sleep will hinder your sleep. Try dimming the lights, avoid using your phone an hour before going to bed, you can even look at getting some blue block glasses. Spending time away from your phone before bed will positively improve your quality of sleep. 

Protein 

Tryptophan is present in most protein-based foods or dietary proteins. This is converted into serotonin, which is further converted into melatonin. These are sleep hormones and therefore having a protein rich diet will increase the level of output and improve sleep. 

Implemented a training and nutrition program into your lifestyle needs to be at the top of your priority list if you a serious about achieving your goals. It requires full levels of commitment and dedication to become the best version of yourself. However, there are several factors that can prove challenging for some to stay on track by negatively effecting the progress they have made and hinder the progress they are yet to make.

The fear of missing out, AKA FOMO, is a term allocated to those who are unable to miss out on events/activities because they are worried they will miss out on something. It can happen to the best of us, your mates are going on a night out ready for a ‘big one’ and you feel you are unable to join because you have dedicated yourself to the cause. There are two ways to look at this. The first way to tackle the dreaded FOMO is to basically ask yourself, am I really missing out one something that won’t happen again in the future? Is it really worth ruining the progress you have made so far with a binge night that will cause you to eat junk food for the next two days, impacting your sleep schedule and preventing you from hitting the gym as hard as possible because the hangover is still catching up on you. The second way to conquer FOMO is by being completely honest with your coach ahead of time, so they can tailor your training programme so you can enjoy a night out with your mates. Unfortunately, getting wasted is not advised but everything in moderation is the way forward when it comes to this. Physique Academy coached will amend your program ahead of time so you can enjoy these life events. What people misconceive about these programs is that you can’t enjoy social events because you’re tied down to a strict diet. Well, that’s bullshit. You need to enjoy the process which is why our coaches have the knowledge and experience to include enjoyable foods and allow you to attend events without hindering your progress.

When it comes to prioritising progress, it’s more a mind over matter situation You must be able to put your mind to the test when a challenge presents itself and prioritise your fitness goals. We have covered just one challenge in the blog but there are a number of challenged that arise; a few days off from training, binge eating, not being honest with your coach, missing a check-in and more. We take a no nonsense approach and you must also when it comes to this journey.

You’ve been dieting for a few days, maybe even a few weeks. You’ve felt pretty good so far, but hunger has finally reared its ugly head. Every second thought in your brain is about food. It’s taking all your willpower to stick to your diet, but you can’t take much more of this. You’re feeling ready to give up, ready to hit the fridge… but you’re positive that eating too much food will put you right back where you started.

But this isn’t really the case. What if you could eat even more food and still lose body fat?

Let’s talk about food volume: a way to eat like a pig, feel satisfied and still nail your calorie goals. A classic visual demonstration of this is to think broccoli vs peanut butter on a plate. Two tablespoons of peanut butter (I’m sure we can agree, pretty easy to consume) comes in at 188 calories. To get the same amount from broccoli you would need to eat 550g.

While both can be considered healthy foods, we know that fat loss primarily occurs when you are in a caloric deficit1. Studies support this, showing that a higher food volume increases satiety and reduces food consumption at subsequent meals, even if the overall energy content is exactly the same2. What this means is that the higher the VOLUME is of the foods you eat, the fuller you’re going to feel. The less hunger you’re going to have. The fewer cravings you will suffer from.

In a practical sense, that means filling your plate with foods that take up a lot of room but don’t have a particularly high caloric load. Think fresh vegetables, leaner proteins, cauliflower rice over normal rice, berries over mangos, water over OJ. You get the idea.

So, next time you’re sat there feeling hungry, try loading up your plate with a higher volume of lower-calorie foods and eat your fill.  

References
PMC, E., 2021. Europe PMC. [online] Europepmc.org. Available at: <http://europepmc.org/abstract/MED/29736164> [Accessed 30 September 2021].
Strasser, B., Spreitzer, A. and Haber, P., 2021. Fat Loss Depends on Energy Deficit Only, Independently of the Method for Weight Loss.

Online coach Harry Armstrong shares the secret to running fast is to actually run SLOW. 

Running slow or in zone 1/2/3 actually builds up your aerobic capacity and body’s ability to also use FAT as an energy source instead of just using glycogen. This allows you to use both energy stores at the same time which will help you run for longer.

• Zone 1: 50 to 60 percent of maximum heart rate.
• Zone 2: 60 to 70 percent of maximum heart rate.
• Zone 3: 70 to 80 percent of maximum heart rate.
• Zone 4: 80 to 90 percent of maximum heart rate.
• Zone 5: 90 to 100 percent of maximum heart rate.

To quickly workout your max heart rate, minus your age from 220 (this is just a guide so won’t be very accurate, but it gives you an idea)

While the main thing is to ensure you’re not creeping into the anaerobic HR zone 4, it can be good to vary the pacing of your aerobic runs. On the day following a hard aerobic session, for example, staying in Zones 1–2 will support recovery. Other days, if you’re feeling good, Zone 3 running is going to bring solid benefits.

Creeping into low Zone 4 is not where you want to be – best to save those anaerobic efforts for the really tough workouts where you’ll be firmly in Zone 4 and maybe Zone 5 for short periods.

It’s mid-afternoon, that unmistakable urge to drink has hit you.

It’s once again been hours since you last drank any water, you’re downing the entire glass to make up for it.

You’ve heard that water is beneficial, heck, you’d be dead in 3 days without it. But prioritising water consumption in the same way you do diet and exercise doesn’t seem to resonate in quite the same way.

But what if you could simply drink your way to more energy, focus and physical performance?

It turns out you can.

The benefits of proper hydration are massively underestimated. Perhaps that’s why a whopping 75% of the population are estimated to be chronically dehydrated.

Are you someone that is always looking to push their performance to the next level?

Your diet is pretty damn good, you train hard, and now you’re considering supplementation to get to that next level in the gym.

Supplementation can be mind boggling. Everyone and their dog want to sell you the latest and greatest product, promising huge results from a single pill that has little to no evidence backing it up.

But there’s one supplement out there that breaks the mould. You’ve likely heard of it too. It's one of the most popular and well researched supplements (5) on the planet for muscle building, cognition, and endurance.

I am of course talking about creatine.

Motivation and Discipline. Two words that mean completely different things but are used interchangeably, especially in the health and fitness world.

This is a problem.

Why?

Because it drives people to think and act incorrectly when it comes to achieving long term results.

They’re both important, but today we’re going to discuss how prioritising them in a different will help you reach and keep your goals.

Do you ever weigh yourself in the morning and find yourself feeling demotivated by the result?

You know that bodyweight tracking can be an important measure of progress, but this apparent daily coin-flip on your motivation is not serving your mental state.

It’s left you second-guessing the work you’ve put in. That one big meal you had last night shouldn’t have undone the progress you’ve made in the past month, right?

These bodyweight fluctuations are actually totally normal. In fact, your weight can easily vary by 2-5kg on any given day. But how?

Let’s explore why fluctuations happen, take back control and discover how we can utilise daily weight tracking more effectively, without flipping tables.

This program is not easy, and it’s not meant to be easy.

Bettering yourself, developing, changing, improving, is one of the hardest things to do. So do not expect this program to not challenge you. There is going to be obstacles, there’s going to be setbacks, there’s going to be limiting beliefs, insecurities, that are all going to come up. All that shit is going to come up.

There are people who might not have your best interests at heart, they might secretly want you to fail, loved ones, family, friends. Don’t expect people to have your back. You’re on this mission on your own and you got to push hard and develop your mind, your body to become a different breed, a different level. Embrace the struggle.

There are going to be days when you’re going to feel like shit, there are going to be days when you’re not going to want to do it, you’re not going to want to get out of bed. You’re going to want to resist, but you know what that does? That only sets you back, because long term, if you resist and you don’t embrace the pain and the struggle, it’s going to set you back and later down the line you’re going to be even more unhappy with where you’re at. So, getting started, getting stuck in, embracing it. It is the only way. You have got to suffer to get to the other side. People pussy foot around it, acting like it’s going to be easy, but bettering yourself isn’t. So, let’s get to work.

It’s arrived… that time of year when every time you look out the window it’s dark, wet and cold. Christmas is coming and motivation is at its lowest point to keep striving towards your fitness goals.

It’s clear to see individuals showing minimal effort to continue the progress they have currently made and for some reason it’s correlated to the winter season. The countdown to Christmas is where your mental strength comes into action and your determination and levels of commitment are seriously put to the test. Proving to yourself and pushing through what seems to be the hardest time of the year for fitness is an achievement in itself and why put all the progress you have made in jeopardy for the case of bad weather or the Christmas holidays. If you’re reading this and you are telling yourself you don’t eat more crap in December than any other time of year, then you’re lying. But why is this not a motivation to increase your training, improve your nutrition and get the proper guidance to enjoy the Christmas day meal without hindering progress or feeling guilty about enjoying the well-deserved turkey?

We get it though, it’s a miserable time of year and is difficult to continue the regime you have just recently mastered. So, here’s some tips from our online coaches on how to stary motivated during winter:

Embrace the Cold

Those steps aren’t going to count themselves! Get up, wrap up and get out. It’s what warm clothing is made for. You’ve all heard of cold shower therapy right, the basic concept that a cold shock in the morning will increase productivity and stimulate yourself to a better start of the day. Well, this is pretty much the same concept. It’s been proven that morning activity enhances both physical and mental stimulants for the day, mix that with a brisk cold day to increase that shock therapy and you’re on your way to a productive day. We’ve found that a number of our clients actually prefer getting their cardio activity in with cold weather, they feel more satisfied when having to battle not only their stamina, but the environmental elements of inter weather.

Home Workouts

Didn’t the nation become obsessed with working out from home when we couldn’t leave them? So, what’s the difference now? If you’re lacking the defrost the car, prepare for a cold journey to the gym, then let’s revert to our home workouts.

Depending on the time of day, you’ve either had a long day at work already, or you’re about to.
 
Your energy levels are feeling critically underwhelming. The Lambo needs fuel.
 
You know you should get that workout in, you even know what you’re supposed to be training. But often, it’s a lack of energy rather than the lack of a plan that prevents you from getting to the gym.
 
Pre-workout supplementation might be the answer to getting that extra boost you need to get moving.
 
However, there’s a ton of supplements out there with a bunch of different ingredients. Today, we’re going to look at the most effective pre-workout ingredients that you should be looking out for.
 
Caffeine - naturally found in coffee and tea, it has been found to stimulate the brain, increasing alertness and reducing fatigue. It has also been shown to increase power output and muscular endurance at a dose of 3-6mg/kg of body weight(1).
 
Citrulline malate - while citrulline is an amino acid found in the body, supplementation increases those levels and has been shown to increase blood flow to muscle tissues, providing them with additional oxygen and nutrients that increase work capacity. One study found that athletes could perform a whopping 53% more repetitions on the bench press after citrulline malate supplementation when compared with a placebo(2). Dose 8g
 
Beta-alanine - another amino acid that fights fatigue in the body. A study on Judo athletes found that supplementation increased the number of sets and reps and reduced lactic acid buildup(3). Another found performance to be increased on sets lasting between 1 and 4 minutes(4). Dose 4-6g
 
Creatine - the god of strength and power supplementation. See our previous post on creatine for more of the juicy details. Dose 5g

Many pre-made supplements include these ingredients, but often not at scientifically proven doses. My recommendation would be to make your own pre-workout cocktail and experiment to find the dosing that works best for your body.  Or at the very least pick a pre-made supplement that is dosed effectively. 
 
So, next time you’re feeling low on energy and need a boost, try pre-workout supplementation.
 
Remember, don’t use it as a crutch replacement for good routine and discipline, but do use it as a powerful aid when you need it.

References

de Andrade Kratz, C., de Salles Painelli, V., de Andrade Nemezio, K., da Silva, R., Franchini, E., Zagatto, A., Gualano, B. and Artioli, G., 2017. Beta-alanine supplementation enhances judo-related performance in highly-trained athletes. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 20(4), pp.403-408.
Del Coso, J., Salinero, J., González-Millán, C., Abián-Vicén, J. and Pérez-González, B., 2012. Dose response effects of a caffeine-containing energy drink on muscle performance: a repeated measures design. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 9(1).
Hobson, R., Saunders, B., Ball, G., Harris, R. and Sale, C., 2012. Effects of β-alanine supplementation on exercise performance: a meta-analysis. Amino Acids, 43(1), pp.25-37.
Pérez-Guisado, J. and Jakeman, P., 2010. Citrulline Malate Enhances Athletic Anaerobic Performance and Relieves Muscle Soreness. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 24(5), pp.1215-1222.

You have got to think about this long term. You do not want to bounce back and put the weight back on. That is why when we take on a client, we want to work with them and make sure that they do not gain the weight back. The more times you gain that weight back, it knocks your confidence massively. You don’t have the mental fortitude to carry on getting back up after you’ve burnt yourself out by rushing the process. It just shoots you back.

At the end of a cut when you have lost the weight, no matter how long it takes, it takes as long as it takes. We will not take clients on who are not committed to the mission of being the best you and going all the way. If you, do it and you don’t go all the way, you can easily end up back to where you were. You know this. You know someone or have seen friends who have lost loads of weight and six months or a year down the line they have gained it back.

It is difficult. I still find it difficult to keep weight off, I’m battling all the time. Do not expect that battle to end. You actually don’t want that fear of gaining the weight back to leave you because if you didn’t have that you would probably slip back into your old ways. I’ve had clients who have literally felt like they were stuck and were never going to lose the weight and it has been a big burden on their life for twenty years. So, we want to make sure that the habits are broken to the point that you will not go back. You do not want that feeling of anxiety of going back to go because you care about the long-term gain of sustaining it.

Sustainability is key. We will get insane results; we want everyone to get fast results, but we have got to do it right. We have got to make sure we’ve got the plans in place so you can sustain it. From cardio to workouts to calories, we will put together the best strategy for you to sustain your results for the long term. That is the goal. None of this bull shit, quick fix. None of that. It’s about getting you where you need to be and then staying there. You know how good you feel when you are looking after yourself, eating well, feeling confident and high energy, fitting nicely in your clothes, not binge eating. When you have got that in place, and you’ve got all the different components together life is so much better.

You’ve been on your health and fitness journey a while now and you’re likely reaching a solid understanding of the types of foods you should eat to look after your body.

You understand macros - how much protein, carbs and fat you need to reach your physique goals, and even have an understanding of which foods contain what.

What’s less explored, are the foods you should be eating to look after your brain.

I’m sure we can all agree, this year has been a particularly strange one. With a number of accumulating stresses, it’s more important than ever to look after the man behind the curtain.

Do you want to be smarter and improve memory and focus? More resilient to stress?

You already know there are a ton of reasons to get fit. Improved energy, strength, athleticism, mood, confidence, heath, longevity… the list goes on.
 
No doubt at least one of these reasons got you off your ass and into the gym.
 
But a big driver for a lot of people, which they won’t always admit, is to become more attractive to the opposite sex (or same sex, whatever your preference). 
 
While attraction is multi-faceted (meaning there’s much more to it than just what you look like), whether we like to admit it or not, this biological hardwiring is still an undeniable part of the attraction equation.
 
Today, we’re going to look at what the scientific data says on the subject, so you can stack the odds of this particular attraction metric in your favour.
 
As we’ve evolved, mate selection has been a key part of our survival in ancestral times. This is why certain qualities have become more attractive than others.
 
For women, a man’s formidity (ability to fight and protect) was an essential part of her own survival strategy. Upper body strength, therefore, is a crucial visual que that demonstrates a man’s ability in these areas. 
 
While protection is not as important for women in the modern era as it once was, the evolutionary preferences still exist in our monkey minds.
 
According to the latest research by a group of Australian scientists, there are three physical attributes that women find more attractive in men. Strength, height and leanness(1).
 
Using pictures of men’s physiques, it was possible to almost perfectly predict how attractive a man was based on these 3 attributes(1).
 
But surprisingly, looking strong was far more important than height or leanness, making up for over 70% of male bodily attractiveness(1).
 
For men, it’s more about the perceived fertility of a women being attractive for successful child bearing(2).
 
One study found that visual ques of a lower waist > hip ratio (narrower waist and wider hips / booty) represented sexual maturity and adequate key reproductive resources(2).
 
For both men and women, these qualities can all be enhanced as a by-product of consistent dedication to training program and diet. 
 
While there are many more reasons why you might find someone attractive, the physical aspects are undeniable factors in the scientific literature.

That’s great news for you action takers out there - wanting to be more attractive is a perfectly legitimate reason to get after it! Let’s go!

References

Lassek, W. and Gaulin, S., 2019. Evidence supporting nubility and reproductive value as the key to human female physical attractiveness. Evolution and Human Behavior, 40(5), pp.408-419.
Sell, A., Lukazsweski, A. and Townsley, M., 2017. Cues of upper body strength account for most of the variance in men's bodily attractiveness. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 284(1869), p.20171819.

The main thing I want to get across to you is that you are not sacrificing anything by turning down a night out because you want to get to your goals. In society not drinking makes you look boring or feel like the odd one out, people look at you funny. If you are not eating shit when everyone else is, or not having a takeaway and eating what’s on the plan, within your calorie target. People will try and drag you down and make comments. It’s difficult, especially when all your mates or family are not into fitness. But you have got to see it as your happiness long term, and if you can’t make those adjustments and be disciplined with it, you are not going to get to your goal. If you can’t go out and have one or two drinks and eat well then maybe going out is not the best thing for you at the moment. Maybe staying in and working your ass off and getting in shape and feeling good about yourself might be the best thing to do.

But if you’re going out and spiraling out of control, eating like crap and drinking way too much you’re not going to get anywhere. This program is not for you then because there are other people who really want to do it. You’ve got to make those adjustments and compromise, but it is not a sacrifice. If your friends and family are saying you are boring and telling you to live at a little, that is just for weak minded people who want to pull you down. Do not listen to them.

If you have a goal and mission, turn it down. Don’t do it to yourself because you will feel shit about yourself long term. You are paying for this. You’ve got a coach and they want to help you achieve the best results and hold you accountable. If you are not ready to commit you aren’t ready to commit. Do not for one second think you are sacrificing anything by turning down a night out. Giving into instant gratification to be happy in the moment and make those around you happy by having that drink or junk food, that moment is going to be nowhere near as good as six months to a year’s time, you feeling so good about yourself. When you can look at yourself in the mirror and feel happy for once, in the clothes you wear and what you see. Knowing that you did this. And those negative people around you will be jealous because you achieved it and they know they never could.

Do you ever get into bed, knowing you’re up for work in 8 hours and find your mind is still racing?

You know how important sleep is, you even feel exhausted, yet there’s no way you’re falling asleep any time soon.

Problem is, while your body might feel ready to sleep, your brain hasn’t received the signals that it’s time to rest.

Humans are a dineral species, which means we wake with daylight and sleep at night. In the modern world, this pattern easily gets disrupted. Artificial lighting, smart devices and endless Netflix entertainment are all contributors.

But coffee exists, why should you be bothered about a lack of sleep?

Consistently under sleeping even by just two hours has been shown to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, memory loss, high blood pressure, anxiety, diabetes, weight gain, irritability and slowed reaction times… the list goes on(2,3).

On the contrary, a good nights sleep boosts your immune system, cognition, mood, exercise performance, testosterone production and sex drive(4).

The National Sleep Foundation advise that healthy adults need 7-9 hours of sleep every night. While this varies slightly between individuals, I’m afraid that Brad from the office who only needs 4 hours is full of it(1).

So what can we do to maximise our chances of a good nights rest?

A bedtime routine is one of the most effective ways to signal to your body and mind that it’s time to sleep. Just like a morning routine, it sets you up for what’s to come next.

Starting 2 hours before you want to go to bed (you could set an alarm for this), you could focus on…

Dimming the lights, use night mode on devices or use blue light blocking glasses (with the red lenses). It’s the blue light spectrum that is responsible for stimulating your brain(5).

Journal - jot down your wins or gratitude’s for the day. You could also write down anything that’s on your mind. Getting thoughts onto paper and out of your mind will help you wind down.

Eat light - try to finish eating at least 2 hours before you go to sleep.

Stop using devices, especially in bed - social media or working late will keep you stimulated. Try reading or listening to audio instead, fiction is my recommendation for sleep. Think of it as putting your brain into story mode instead of problem-solving mode.

And probably the most important - having a consistent wake up / bedtime. This will help regulate your sleep / wake cycle and help you fall asleep when the time comes.

Good sleep is vital for all around optimal health. Hopefully these tips will help you get the rest you need. Let us know in the comments what has worked best for you!

References

Foundation, S., 2021. How Much Sleep Do We Really Need? | Sleep Foundation. [online] Sleepfoundation.org. Available at: <https://www.sleepfoundation.org/how-sleep-works/how-much-sleep-do-we-really-need#:~:text=National%20Sleep%20Foundation%20guidelines1,to%208%20hours%20per%20night.> [Accessed 10 December 2021].
Luyster, F., Strollo, P., Zee, P. and Walsh, J., 2012. Sleep: A Health Imperative. Sleep, 35(6), pp.727-734.
Luyster, F., Strollo, P., Zee, P. and Walsh, J., 2012. Sleep: A Health Imperative. Sleep, 35(6), pp.727-734.
Shechter, A., Kim, E., St-Onge, M. and Westwood, A., 2018. Blocking nocturnal blue light for insomnia: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 96, pp.196-202.
Worley, S., 2021. The Extraordinary Importance of Sleep: The Detrimental Effects of Inadequate Sleep on Health and Public Safety Drive an Explosion of Sleep Research. [online] PubMed Central (PMC). Available at: <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6281147/> [Accessed 10 December 2021].

I want to talk to guys about change. Don’t be afraid of being the person that you have become because you have worked hard on your body and your mind. You’ve changed your habits and you need to own that. You’re a different person, more confident, you look different, you feel different and you’re hanging around new people and places. Sometimes people will judge you and say things that upset you. They will try and manipulate you.

You have got be true to who you are. Making a change and a commitment to that change is difficult, I get it. I am forever changing who I am as a person and I always get judged by other people, but it doesn’t bother me because I am on a mission to help people. I know my heart is in a good place and I really do care for people. So when people say negative things to me, I’m not bothered. I’ve got confidence and thick skin and a lot of people don’t.

Someone might say something to you that really upsets you and it might question who you are as a person and what you have achieved. You might want to slowly crawl back to that person because this person who you are now, might rustle a few feathers and shine light on other people’s insecurities. You have done an amazing thing and truly changed your life, physically and mentally. People around you who have been trying all this time haven’t done it and your growth is going to threaten them. You’ve done it, you’re the one whose risen up and smashed your goals and achieved what you set out to.

Don’t be afraid of owning your success. You have worked hard and earned it. You’ve built that confidence, smashed your training and nutrition and lost that weight. You need to embrace the different person you have become. Hang about with different people, go to different places.

Don’t accept average and don’t let people get you down. If people are trying to get you down, tell them straight and stand up for yourself.

Wearables are everywhere in consumer technology right now. Whoop, Oura, Apple Watch, Fitbit and Garmin just to name a few brands.

You’ve likely seen a bunch of these products advertised, perhaps even considered investing your hard earned cash.

But do they help? Are they worth your money?

Perhaps… let’s start by understanding exactly what they do and are trying to achieve.

A wearable is usually a hardware device (watch, ring, wristband, etc) that links to an app-based interface, providing you with a selection of data metrics that the device can track.

That data might be steps, heart rate, distance ran, calories burned, sleep duration, etc

“Superfood” is a term that gets thrown around a lot in the fitness industry, but nutritionally speaking there is really no such thing.

This term has been adopted as a common marketing phrase, typically to sell products. While some foods are particularly nutrient dense, there is no one “superfood” that serves to be the holy grail of health and disease prevention for every single human being on this planet.

However, there is a food group that provides extremely high quantities of digestible nutrients in a relatively small portion size. These foods and their benefits are often overlooked when it comes to nutritional recommendations, but that’s changing.

In addition, many of these nutrients are essential for optimal performance and hard to come buy from other sources.

If nature packaged and sold a powerhouse multi-vitamin, this would be it.

When it comes to setting goals, it’s common for people to stop cut their journey short because they are unable to achieve them. It’s a frequent issue; people have that spur of motivation to get fitter and healthier, which is fantastic, and we promote this attitude, but are then quickly put off because of their inability to hit their desired goals which inevitably causes them to give up completely. There are numerous reasons as to why people fall off their plan and one of them is not correctly setting their goals when starting their journey which unfortunately is setting them up for failure. Here are some top tips on setting goals:

Set Milestones

One of the biggest setbacks on a fitness journey is not achieving your goal when you wanted to. You have reached for the stars and implemented ONE final goal to achieve. But what exactly is this achieving? You have set your sights on one objective, ignoring all the little things you have completed throughout. This will help you embrace the chance you haven’t hit your final target, but you have achieved so many wins along the way, and then it’s easier to say to yourself, “ok we keep going until I get there” instead of, “I didn’t do it so I will give up”. What we are trying to convey here is to set yourself milestones along the path to your final goal. Milestones such as getting into a routine, hitting a new PB, trying something new, implementing a healthy nutrition plan, achieving weekly weight loss targets instead of one final target, the list goes on. Implementing smaller goals will enhance the cognitive function of success which will have a positive effect on both your mind and body.

Be Realistic

Come on, it’s time to be realistic. Setting outrageous goals is inspiring but also near enough impossible to achieve. As we mentioned above, setting that one final goal is motivational but also detrimental to your mindset as you will be setting yourself up to failure by setting an unrealistic goal. Yes, we love the enthusiasm but it’s also an uneducated and could also be a damaging aspect to your training.

Timeframe

Things take time, understand that certain goals will take longer than others. Trust the process and you will get there but understand that certain goals will require certain timeframes. Understand this timeframe and work towards it. “I want to run a marathon in less than 2 weeks” – this is an unrealistic timeframe for someone for example who has yet successfully ran a 5K. Become familiar with what training is needed to attain certain physical abilities and outcomes and align it with the correct timeframe.

Work Together

Find someone who is also on the sam path as you. It will enhance the level of dedication and sustainability when pairing up to achieve something together. Find a support system with the same finish line achievement and work off each other to achieve that goal.

Have you ever been sat in a sauna, sweating through every pore, wondering how long it is until you can get out?

Did you ever think to yourself, I’ve heard this is good for me, but why?

Today, we’re going to explore why spending your precious time in the sauna could be of interest.

The benefits of sauna use are often underestimated. People will cite relaxation or sweating out toxins as the main reasons to use one, but this is only scratching the surface.

What about improving cardiovascular health? Lowering blood pressure? Building muscle?

The mindset shift from being a negative person is hard. I have been one of the most negative people you would ever meet, you might not think that now but it’s because I’ve worked relentlessly on my mindset to get where I am now. It has taken a lot of work, consistency and being disciplined with it to get where I am now. Listening to you guys, the trainers, about the situation that you’ve been through, the mindset you have and the things you say, it touches home a lot. I know because I have been there myself. Feeling like the world was against me, that I was the only one going through anything in life.

It is the victim’s mentality. This mentality isn’t going to help you, isn’t going to serve you or benefit you in way. We need to flip the switch. When you are complaining, moaning, blaming other people and not taking complete ownership of where you are at currently, right now, that isn’t going to help. You have to take complete ownership of the situation you are in and own it, and then take one step in front of the other and accomplish what you need to accomplish.

You’ve got structure, you’ve got a set plan. Tick every single box daily. Make sure you hit those boxes every single day and it will compound over a long period of time and then you will move and shift. Not just your mindset, body, health, energy, but you are going to walk, talk and act completely different. This program is not just about changing your body shape, you know that. It is so much more.

Seeing you guys happier, getting promotions at work, or taking that step in meeting new people and building new relationships and owning every single part of where you are at is amazing to see. We are not going to bull shit here, we are going to tell you the truth. If you need to sort your shit out, sort your shit out because no one is going to do it for you. No one is going to come to save you but yourself. Even though you might be feeling like shit and having a bad day, try and see the bad situations as a way to grow and learn instead of just being so negative and depressed about everything you are going through.

Today I want to talk about mindset. For me, mindset is everything. It is something you have to work on consistently, always pushing further and trying to reach that next level. There is always a next level. Building your mindset takes years. I started working on my mindset in different ways from being in school, in subtle ways like doing an extra rep or set each session. Picking the harder exercises or training for a few extra minutes when you really don’t want to do it.

Do you find it hard to take a rest day?

You’ve been to the gym 5 days in a row, your body is aching and your nervous system is shot.

But you’ve built momentum and don’t want to stop. More action, more results, right?

While the training piece is undeniably essential to improve performance, it’s through rest and recovery that we reap the benefits of training.

Today, we’re going to examine this in more detail and understand why it’s so important.

Meditation is an ancient practice, steeped in Eastern cultural and religious history.

When you think of meditation, you might envisage a monk in orange robes working on his mindfulness game before a chanting session.

If that’s not what you’re doing this weekend, perhaps this kind of practice seems difficult to connect with and to see how it could be helpful.

But there’s a reason why meditation app’s and classes are blowing up in the West.

All of a sudden people are realising how beneficial the practice can be, something Buddhists have known for thousands of years.

If you’ve ever run out of hot water while showering, you’ve no doubt experienced the sudden shock to the system that cold water immersion brings.

You might find yourself gasping for breath as the cold water pierces every nerve in your body and get yourself out of the firing line as quickly as possible.

Yet a growing number of people are using cold water exposure as a tool to a tool to improve recovery, metabolic health, mental focus and even immune system health.

This is nothing revolutionary, cold exposure has been used as a therapeutic tool for millennia.

But more recent trends include ice baths, outdoor swims and daily cold showers, popularised by Wim Hoff in his book “The Wim Hoff Method”.

Have you ever considered the impact the people around you have on who YOU are?

Entrepreneur, motivational speaker, and author Jim Rohn once said, “You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with.”

Another popular expression of this idea is, “Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future”.

These statements suggest that our lives as an individual are heavily influenced by our relationships with others. When you think about it, it’s not really that surprising.

And we’re not just talking about what you do with your free time or where you go.

Your habits, the way you think, your confidence, your goals, and your motivations. While these might seem like this is all based on you, who you spend your time with impacts these significantly.

As a follower of this page, it’s likely you’re the kind of person that wants to grow and develop, becoming the best version of yourself. If the people around you are doing the same, that’s massive for motivation, strategy, and positive reinforcement.     

But what if they’re not? What if you have a couple of friends from your past that have no interest in growth. What if they put you down and hold you back? Are they the type of people that sit around and criticise others?

Perhaps their habits don’t align with yours. Did you know you are 61% more likely to smoke if your best friend smokes? Data has also shown that if your friend gets obese, you are 45% more likely to gain weight over the next 2 years(1,2).

While this isn’t the be all and end all for who you are, the influence others have over you is multifaceted and undeniable.

Your friends can make you powerful. Energised. Driven. Happy. Confident.

They can also make you more negative. Exhausted. Unhappy. Unhealthy. Insecure.

So think about it. Here’s some ideas to consider.

How are you spending your time, and who are you spending it with? Seek out people who inspire you and motivate you. Are these people living the life that you want to live?

Could you be spending less time with people that hold you back? Are these people living a life you don’t want?

Are you exposing yourself to other positive influences? That might be podcasts, reading or other forms of educational material.
Remember, it’s not only about the people you're friends with, but the information you are regularly exposed to.

So, take stock of your own life and consider the power relationships and a supportive environment have when allocating your time.

References
Christakis, N. and Fowler, J., 2007. The Spread of Obesity in a Large Social Network over 32 Years. New England Journal of Medicine, 357(4), pp.370-379.
Christakis, N. and Fowler, J., 2008. The Collective Dynamics of Smoking in a Large Social Network. New England Journal of Medicine, 358(21), pp.2249-2258.

Three potential scenarios:

You’ve just finished work, you want to exercise, but you’re feeling a little demotivated.

Perhaps you made it to the gym, but today, you’re struggling to finish your workout.

Or perhaps, you’re ready to smash a personal best but need some kind of performance enhancer to ensure you seal the deal.

Could music be the answer?

Are you getting the fat loss results that you want?

You’re probably aware that fat loss requires a caloric deficit. That’s less energy taken in than you expend each day, over a consistent period of time.

Simply put, for fat loss you need to eat less or move more.

If you’re eating right and training hard already, increasing your gym time or cutting calories further can be a daunting prospect.

Cutting back on food isn’t fun for you, or anyone around you for that matter (hangry, anyone?)

There was a time when fat was demonised in health and nutrition, cited to be the number one cause of all health problems.

Low fat this, low fat that, was promised to be the healthy option.

But the scientific literature has proved that to be incorrect, and diets like Atkins, keto and carnivore which promote higher consumptions of fat have been popularised.

Carbohydrates, or carbs, are the new public enemy number one. “No carbs before Marbs, no pizza before Ibiza”. Many people would have you believe that carbs make you fat, unhealthy and removing them is the holy grail of health decisions.

But do carbs really deserve the level of demonisation they’re receiving? We’re going to look at some of the myths and perceptions around carbs and discover if they’re really as bad as people think.

Do you ever find yourself wondering if the time of day you train is important?
 
Perhaps you know a guy whose full throttle at 7 am, getting strength PB’s before your day has even started.
 
But for others, they may find that surge of beast mode comes later in the day, with the morning being a consistent Grogg-Fest.
 
Should you be powering through to train at a different time for maximum gains? What does the scientific literature tell us?
 
Today, we’re going to look at AM vs PM training and how to figure out what's right for you.
 
Our daily rhythms are largely considered to be individually variable, with cognitive and physiological energy peaks occurring at different times throughout the day.
 
Are you a morning person? Or more of a night owl? It’s likely you can answer this question for yourself quickly.
 
While these are preferences, they don’t definite you entirely and can be trained through habit. More on that later.
 
One study found that regardless of preference (morning or night), athletic performance was the same between sessions, the reps and velocity were the same. What differed was the recorded motivation of the trainee and the perceived difficulty of the workout(1).
 
That's to say, the workout felt easier and the subjects' motivation to train was higher in their preferred time slot. This suggests why people feel stronger at their preferred time of day, and weaker otherwise.
 
Another study found that regular training at a specific time of day caused greater adaptations to occur from training at that time of day.  In other words, if you train in the mornings consistently, you will get better at training in the mornings. The same can be said for training at other times of the day(2).
 
This is great news for anyone that can only train at specific times of the day.
 
In a more practical sense, training in the morning offers some key benefits. You will no doubt have to get up earlier, which requires discipline for most people. Your training will also be done immediately, and not become a task that looms over you, later on, becoming the victim of a change of plan.
 
Training in the evening allows you to prioritise extra sleep in the morning, which is exceptionally important for cognitive and physical performance, among other things. You may also find evening sessions easier to stick to and find them more enjoyable if that’s your preference. Many people also find they have more time to dedicate to their sessions when done in the evening, I know that’s true for me.
 
But what’s best?
 
When you train is ultimately down to personal preference, there is no one-size-fits-all answer. The key takeaways from the science are, you get better at training at the time you train often. You will also find it easier to motivate yourself and train at a time that you prefer to train(1,2).
 
We know at Physique Academy that consistency is king, and long-term adherence to a fitness lifestyle is what will enable you to achieve lasting results. Pick a time that you like and stick to it as much as you can for the best results.
 
References
Blazer, H., Jordan, C., Pederson, J., Rogers, R., Williams, T., Marshall, M. and Ballmann, C., 2020. Effects of Time-of-Day Training Preference on Resistance-Exercise Performance. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 92(3), pp.492-499.
Chtourou, H. and Souissi, N., 2012. The Effect of Training at a Specific Time of Day. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 26(7), pp.1984-2005.

If you’re just starting on your weight loss journey and have decided to take it upon yourself to do a little bit of research, then we can guarantee you will have come across the term ‘Calorie Deficit’. To put it simply, a calorie deficit is the process of consuming less calories than your body burns over a period of time. The correlation of calories consumed and burned is directly linked to weight gain, weight maintenance and creating a calorie deficit enables weight loss.

In order to understand how many calories you burn a day, you can use the Harris-Benedict Formula which allows you to calculate how many calories you burn a day based on your age, weight and height. This is known as the basic metabolic rate (BMR) calculation:

• For men: 66 + (6.2 x weight) + (12.7 x height) – (6.76 x age)
• For women: 655.1 + (4.35 x weight) + (4.7 x height) – (4.7 x age)

The results of the BMR calculation are then used to multiply against the average daily activity of the person. Points are awarded based on how active a person is:

• 1.2 points for a person who does little to no exercise
• 1.37 points for a slightly active person who performs moderate exercise 3-5 days a week
• 1.55 points for a moderately active person who performs moderate exercise 3–5 days a wee
• 1.725 points for a very active person who exercises hard 6–7 days a week
• 1.9 points for an extra active person who either has a physically demanding job or has a particularly challenging exercise routine