Bullshit, Brawn and Business

So you started hitting the gym. You start going consistently. You start making progress and begin to see some changes. And then all of a sudden… They Stop! As frustrating as they are unfortunately plateaus in performance and rate of visual change are completely normal and happen to everyone at some point in time. Some people manage to break through the plateau however for others it becomes an unbreakable wall, which they ultimately succumb to. It would be easy for me to sit here and analyse why many people succumb when a plateau in performance hits but instead I am going to highlight the factors which helped me when I hit a performance plateau earlier this year. It was Mid-June, I was 11 months into my ‘bulking’ phase, which after a mini-cut (for 2 weeks) prior to a holiday in May I was quite happy with the way things had gone. I was clearly more muscular in appearance and stronger in terms of performance than when I had started the mass-bulking phase in the previous July....

Today I just want to drop a quick post on having realistic expectations about the adaptations that you can expect your body to make when you are training and dieting. Time and time again I speak to people who tell me that they're struggling because they're either a 'hardgainer' and can't build muscle or that they have a 'slow metabolism' and that they can't lose weight, usually after following or reading a programme set out by a media outlet such as 'Pack On 5kg of Muscle in 6 Weeks' or 'Lose A Stone in a Month'. Well I have news for you... YOU ARE NOT A HARDGAINER NOR DO YOU HAVE A SLOW METABOLISM! You simply aren't giving your body the time and consistency it needs to adapt. When I first started training I was as short-sighted as anyone when it came to my expectations regarding the rate at which I expected to change. I was under the impression that I could turn up to the gym, throw a few weights around, eat reasonably 'he...

So your holiday is 6 weeks away, you've had a sloppy winter and an event packed summer, you get out the shower, look in the mirror and realise you look like a sock full of custard. It's time for drastic action.  First port of call = The internet! Whack in "How to lose fat fast" OR "How to build muscle fast" and BANG up come the results.  Unfortunately 99% of these 'shortcuts' are BULLSHIT! And because I'm so generous I'm going to explain why these 'shortcuts' are BS and explain how to actually get into the condition you want! Myth 1 - Fat Burners - Yes, they do have some benefits such as giving a caffeine boost and therefore mildly suppressing appetite. However, a good strong cup of coffee will also do this and it will save you £££'s. However, the effect of fat burners or coffee will be pretty much non existent if you aren't training 4+ times a week and in a calorie deficit. Myth 2 - Training With Your Hood Up ...