Bullshit, Brawn and Business

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...

Success in the gym, as with most things in life, comes down to mastering the basics. Once you've mastered the basics your more likely to see the results. With that in mind, here are a few exercise tips that nobody wants to believe, but everyone should follow. Take these ideas to heart and you'll reap major benefits. While most people waste time debating the endless stream of supplements, "new" workout programs and diet plans, all you really have to do is focus on these simple concepts and you'll see results. 1. You need to commit for the long term. Most people work out with a short-term goal in mind. I like looking at health in a different way. The goal is not to lose a stone in the next 12 weeks. The goal is to lose weight and improve your health for the rest of your life. The goal is not to bench press 100kg. The goal is to be the guy who never misses a workout. The goal is not to sacrifice everything to get your fastest time in next month...

Every diet, when implemented properly has some kind of restrictions, whether thats a restriction of certain foods or the amount of calories you can consume. With restriction come cravings, cravings for the things you can't have. Its human nature to want the things you can't have, but when it comes to diet most of us it seems just can't help ourselves. We're now moving into February and its been a month since you promised yourself that you would eat healthily but the reality of it is a Chinese take away has never sounded so tempting. The problem that I find with the majority of diets today is that they 'ban' certain things and it causes the big red button syndrome amongst people. What I mean by the big red button syndrome is that if somebody tells you don't press the button, the only thing you want to do is press that button. So when somebody tells you that you cannot eat chocolate, the only thing you want is chocolate. What a lot of dieticians and fitn...