It sounds so simple, eat less to lose more. That’s the formula for successful weight loss, right? More often than not, this is not the case.

At PPT, we make a point of helping each of our clients not only follow our dietary recommendations but give them an insight into why we do what we do. More often than not, when working with a client on their fat loss goals we find that adding calories to a diet will have a greater effect than reducing!

When looking to lose fat, don’t always go for the ‘less is more option’. Although you may find success initially in reducing your calorie intake, this is never the best long-term option. Studies show that after 4-5 days of energy deficit (either through diet, exercise or a combination of the two) your body makes the necessary changes to reduce metabolic rate. Although a fantastic survival system, this can be a nightmare for fat loss. Once this adjustment occurs, and your metabolic rate will drop,  and fat loss will slow down to a screeching halt. Add this up long term and you’ve successfully developed the metabolic rate of a sloth!

Think about it. All of your bodies systems run on the fuel that food provides us. You need a certain amount of calories to have optimal brain function, sight, heart rate, etc.  Optimal fat loss potential and 6 pack abs are a long way down the list of the essential systems of the body!

When working with PPT clients in this situation, we always PROGRESSIVELY assist them in working their metabolic rate back to a healthy level. It’s quite easy to calculate an individual’s metabolic rate. We always use DEXA scanning to calculate resting metabolic rate (RMR) as it the most accurate method available to PT’s, but there are many online calculators and other methods as well. But remember this important point; although you may work out your RMR, if you’re someone who has undereaten for long enough, you’ll need to bring calories up gradually. Jumping back too fast WILL lead to fat gain! Rule of thumb, the longer you’ve been under-eating, the slower you’ll need to add calories back in.

If done right, it’s extremely common to see people lose large amounts of fat while adding calories. A lot of the positive change occurs through the restoration of hormones like IGF-1 (which becomes suppressed after long-term energy deficit). These hormones basically regulate metabolism!

Here’s a look at what changes we have achieved for some clients by increasing their food!

The results speak for themselves! If you’re someone who’s been dieting for some time and feel like you’ve hit a plateau, don’t always think that adding extra training or further reducing your calories is the best method. You may be doing more damage than good!

To get in touch and discuss with our trainers your individual goals is easy. Simply send click here and supply your details to get a start to healthier eating and some great results.

 

I’ve been privileged enough to work with many clients in my time as a trainer, and even though I’d like to say that I’ve helped each and every one of them achieve their goals if I did I’d be lying!

Personal Training is very much a team effort between the client and the trainer. The trainer plays the role of a ‘coach’, giving their client the right information on what to do, then the client takes that information and puts it into practice. This should include the necessary exercise programming, dietary advice and any other information that will get the client to their result in the quickest and safest manner. But as the saying goes;

 “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink”

What you do with that information will be the biggest difference in getting the job done, or falling short in the results department.

Below are the 7 essential characteristics that I’ve observed from clients that successfully achieved their goals in training. These are definitely not all from one single client, or the be all end all list for success, but rather a compilation of observations from people that had what it takes to get it done in the gym!

#1 – THEY VIEW TRAINING AS A PART OF THEIR LIFE, NOT JUST A SHORT TERM FIX

Whether you’re looking for increased muscle, impressive fat loss, outstanding athletic development, or any worthwhile training goal, it takes a lot hard work and long-term commitment. Once you understand that you’re in this for the long haul, it’s easier to accept what needs to be done. Viewing exercise as a part of your lifestyle is a must do for long-term success.

Remember; Rome wasn’t built in a day!

A physique like Dana Linn Bailey’s would have taken years of hard work and commitment to achieve. 

#2 – THEY SEE THEIR TRAINER 2 TIMES PER WEEK OR MORE

Not to say that you HAVE to see a trainer at least twice per week to get the job done. We have many clients that come in weekly, or even monthly (some we don’t even see face to face but online!) and still achieve impressive results. It just means that the less you train with your trainer, the more you have to do by yourself. From experience, we just find that having two tough sessions, and two points of contact with your trainer weekly keeps our clients on track and moving forward!

#3 – FOOD, FOOD, AND MORE FOOD!

 If you eat like a ballerina, don’t expect to look like a bodybuilder/fitness model!

 As discussed in our blog “Are you eating enough to reach your fat loss goals?” eating sufficient calories is a must for any fat loss goal, but this also counts for those looking to increase muscle mass or athletic performance. Studies show those who are big eaters, and big expenders (eat and burn a lot) are always bigger, leaner and more likely to succeed in achieving their goals.

Having the taste buds to choose from a wide array of food choices is also very important. If you’re stuck eating the same two-veggie choices, and only eat chicken, you’ll struggle to stay to your plan long term. Experiment in the kitchen, and don’t tell your trainer “I don’t like it”, until you’ve given it a go!

#4 – CONTROLLED AGGRESSION!

Although a personality trait generally left for the men, a little bit of CONTROLLED AGGRESSION in the weight room can go a long way! Not to be confused with the typical commercial gym rat, training to get ‘shredded’ for an upcoming music festival, that you see aggressively throwing the 5kg dumbbells at the end their less than impressive set of bicep curls! What we’re talking about is the mother of three, AGGRESSIVELY ripping up a 110kg personal best deadlift, or the office professional AGGRESSIVELY punching out an extra 2 reps at the end of their giant set for chest.

Gritting your teeth, focusing and putting it all on the line in the weight room is what we mean! This comes easier to some, but once you’re taught how to use some controlled AGGRESSION in the gym, you’re training will definitely bump to another level!

How you should look in preparation for your training session!

 #5 – THEY ARE TRAINING FOR THEMSELVES AND NO ONE ELSE

Sitting down, working out and knowing what YOU want is a very important characteristic. So many people come to us because their partner wants them to. Until you make the conscious decision FOR YOURSELF to better your health you may struggle to find the motivation to keep going. Sit down with a trainer and set some goals (see the next point), that are WHAT YOU WANT, and for no one but YOURSELF.

#6 – THEY KNOW WHAT THEY WANT

Effective goal setting is something trainers should work through with their client. Clients who have clearly defined goals, with time frames, deadlines and purpose are always much more focused. Before you make the decision to work with a trainer, make sure you clearly know what you want, and when you want it! From there, you go get it!

#7 – THEY STILL HAVE A SOCIAL LIFE

A little obsession is a good thing. If you were not slightly obsessed, I’d question your commitment. That being said, you need to know how to enjoy a social life in the process. Remember, effective training should be a part of your lifestyle (point #1). A lifestyle of boiled chicken, greens and lonely nights away from family and friends will only get you so far.

As mentioned, this is not it! There are many traits and habits that take average the gym user to the elite! Identify your strengths, and work on your weakness to tap into that little extra.

At PPT, we pride ourselves on little things like this that take our clients to the next level. If you’ve ever thought of working with a Personal Trainer, email us at info@performance-pt.com.au for more information.

When I was working in a commercial gym, the most underutilised cardio machine was, the rower.

I personally, really enjoy the rower. So when commonly told by a client that they don’t enjoy using it, I always ask, “Why do the rower?” often the reply being “because it’s hard”!

Rowing is 70% lower body and 30% upper body. Isn’t that more than running? Now don’t get me wrong, I love to run too, but rowing is lower impact on the body and good for strength endurance, fitness and is a great challenge for anyone looking to step up their high-Intensity Interval or cardiovascular training.

THE TECHNIQUE:
There are 3 phases to a rowing ‘stroke’:

• The catch
• The drive
• The finish

As you can see below, the rower uses every muscle in the body. So now you understand why it’s hard!

One of the biggest mistakes people make is they ignore S/M (or strokes per minute) reading on the screen. You will see a lot of people go hell for leather on the rower and their SPM is up around 45-50- (this is far too high), and they fail around the 1-minute mark. A lot of energy can be wasted in high SPM, low power type stroke.

A good analogy I got when I started learning about rowing was:

“ There are two cyclists riding next to each other, one in a low gear so RPM (rotations per minute) is high, the other is in a medium to high gear and is holding a more steady RPM; both are travelling at the same speed”

To improve this, next time you row, try to slow the stroke rate and add a slight pause at the finish. It will allow for a much stronger ‘drive’, and help you to utilize the ‘back in’ as recovery.

Another common issue I lower back pain. This is commonly caused by:

• Too much flexion at the ‘catch’.
• Opening the body too early in the drive
• Slouching at the finish
• Possible flexibility and mobility issues

Your stroke should look much like a deadlift. If you were to be recorded and watched back on rewind, shouldn’t be able to tell the difference because the movement is the same. Knees bent till handles reach knees, open hips, pull hard, legs straight, hinge from hips till handle reaches knees, bend knees, repeat. This is what I think about the whole time I am on the rower. Slouching at the finish is also detrimental to form, don’t let knee’s come over toes at the finish and keep shoulders tight.

One last thing that can slow people down is the strap loosening on your feet. Two things:
o Set the foot holder so the strap sits right in the middle of your shoelaces.
o Point your toes on the drive. Majority of people end on their heels, with toes dorsiflexed (pointing towards shins), you want to plantar flex (point toes away) your feet and drive back hard, with heels lifted.

This is just a few points on rowing, I could write so much more, drag, distance & strength; but save that for next time.

Try your next HIIT session on the rower, and you never know, you may just find your new favourite cardio machine!

If there was one training goal that could turn a female client from a complaining, half-assed training, prissy ballerina: into a raging, bar bending, callous busting, hard training machine, it’s their wedding day!

Hard to believe it’s all for a day of glamour and beauty!

For this reason, one of my favourite clients to have trained is a woman getting ready for her wedding day.

As a PT, I’ve had the pleasure of training quite of few brides to be, and a few grooms as well. The fact that there is an end date to this special goal creates a sense of urgency and meaning that is very hard to replicate into any other training goal. The only problem with this is that people in this situation will source ANY information they can get their hands on in an effort to look their best. Now, this may not seem like a problem, but with the abundance of horrible advice and information you have at your fingertips, it’s very easy to get the wrong advice, waste precious time, and end up short on the day. Just pick up a trashy magazine in any news-agency, or Google search; ‘7 Day Slim-Down’, ’10 Minute Abs’, ‘Top 10 Celebrity Diets’ or ‘Beyoncé’s Booty Blasting Workout’ for a healthy serve of fitness garbage!

Get the right information from the start, set some realistic goals, and leave the trashy magazine advice to those looking for a quick fix (quick hint: there are none)!

Here’s our PPT Key Points for Smoking Hot Success:

You have the date, now you set the goals

Realistic expectations are important heading into your wedding day. Know where you’re at currently by accurately assessing your body composition. Then once you have all of that, you can begin to work out if your goals are realistic.

Setting key goals and achievements along the way will keep you motivated, on track, and moving towards that trip down the aisle!

Test and Assess

To accurately set goals, you’ll need to know where you’re at and address any potential roadblocks before they get in your way!

At PPT, we commonly use DEXA scanning to assess client progress. This will give you an extremely accurate assessment of your current fat mass, muscle mass and fat distribution (to name a few). On top of this, continuously monitoring your dietary intake, taking regular girth measurements and maybe even skin folds will help you keep track of your progress.

At the higher end of assessments, you can even look to laboratory testing! Testing things like fasting blood glucose, Vitamin D3, and a few others is a great way to potentially identify fat loss roadblocks like inflammation and insulin resistance from the start.

Ditch the Crappy Magazine Diets: Eat the right stuff for your goal

Now you won’t have to eat like a bodybuilder to get in the shape you’re after, but you will need a plan of attack. Here are a few essential boxes you must tick along the way.

• Eat enough protein but not too much: Protein is the building blocks of muscle tissue, a thermogenic food (you burn calories just by eating it), and by eating enough protein you should feel fuller for longer in between meals (and are less likely to snack). But like any food, eating too much can also be bad. Aim for around 1.4-1.6g per kg of body weight per day, or around 30% of your daily caloric intake.
• Monitor your calorie intake: Knowing how much you need to eat each day is an essential part of any fat loss plan. Just guessing what to eat could be setting you up for failure. To lose fat, you’ll need to be in a calorie deficit. Make sure you don’t go to low as this can also be a massive roadblock in your fat loss goals, and cause you to lose precious muscle in the process.
• Stick to Lower GI, whole carbohydrate sources: Sticking to low GI carbohydrates will help you control blood sugar and insulin spikes. Know that all carbohydrates were not created equal, and sticking to low GI sources is an essential step to looking great on your wedding day!

Sleep: A Weapon in the Fight for Fat Loss!

I was once given a great piece of advice from world-renowned strength coach Charles Poliquin. He said, “You’ll only ever be as lean as you are healthy”.

A big part of health improvement is a good quality, restorative sleep. There have been many studies that have even linked improved sleep alone to fat loss!

A less than optimal sleep will reduce your metabolic rate, reduce physical activity, increase calorie consumption via changes in your hunger and satiety hormones, and decrease your insulin sensitivity (making you less carb tolerant!).

Keep the late nights to a minimum, save your partying till the big day, and aim for a high-quality 8-9hrs of unbroken sleep per night!

Get Ready to Work Hard

One of the biggest misconceptions that most will make when embarking on ANY fat loss goal is how hard you’ll need to train to budge that fat. As mentioned above, most of our brides to be will be prepared to make that shift, but be warned beforehand, you’ll need bust your ass!

There are many schools of thought on what is THE BEST form of exercise or training for fat loss. Firstly, just getting up and moving is a start! Pair good nutritional planning with any form of exercise should create some change. But as we’re talking about change for the biggest day of your life, at PPT, we like to take the planned approach.

Using a structured periodized training plan in which your trainer knows what you’ll be doing day 1, all the way up to your wedding day works for us here! Using a mix of strength training, high intensity interval training, and even some aerobic work, we plan for success with our clients, with some killer workouts along the way.

To get an idea what one of our strength sessions may look and feel like (dependent on the client’s experience and fitness levels), try this high volume strength circuit next time you’re in the gym:

A1. Full Barbell Back Squat – 8-10 reps – Rest 30sec then;

A2. Medium Grip Chin Up (can be swapped for lat pulldowns) – 10-12 reps – Rest 30sec, then;

A3. Flat DB press – 12-15R – Rest 30sec, then;

A4. Full DB Squat (heels elevated slightly) – 18-20R – Rest 2mins, and then repeat another 3 times. For the full effect, be sure you use weights in which you fatigue within the 10-12 rep range. Going too light will NOT give you the results you’re after!

As you can see, getting ready for your wedding day is not as simple as joining the gym, walking on the treadmill, and following store-bought diet advice.

Attacking your goal from a smartly planned, multi-pronged approach will always be your best bet for success!

Remember, you’re only going to do this once (hopefully), don’t leave regrets and look like a smoking hot bride on your big day.

For more information on getting ready for your wedding day, be sure to contact PPT at admin@performance-pt.com.au to discuss our personal and group personal training options.