A little more about me...

A warm welcome to my new base! Where the hard work starts and results are achieved! We have recently relocated to the wonderful SPT Fitness ( http://sptfitness.com ) in Southend. Ideally located just off the A127 it is easily accessible from all directions and has private parking just outside. The gym is one of the friendliest gyms I have ever set foot in, priding themselves on the family style atmosphere where everyone is welcome and encouraged. SPT Fitness boasts great equipment, a fantastic well kitted out studio, and outside space. There is also a physio, sports rehab and two sunbeds all on site. What more could we want?! I know the gym can be an intimidating environment, which is why SPT Fitness is so great. With the welcoming staff, and friendly environment, even the less seasoned gym goer can learn the ropes here, without feeling nervous. If you would like to take a look around or book a trial session to test out the equipment and services we offer, drop me a message and we can get this arranged :) #inpursuitofdreams

Staying motivated is hard…there are no two ways about it! Sometimes just getting to the gym is harder than the actual workout itself! But with a few simple tips you can keep that motivation high and continue to smash your goals. Train With a Friend Having a training buddy can help in a number of ways. Firstly, you are accountable to each other, and therefore less likely to let each other down and therefore actually get to the gym! You can push each other in the gym, come up with new ideas to keep your workouts interesting and spot each other when it comes to that last hard rep. Wins all round! Have a Goal If you have a goal in mind, it is much easier to keep motivated and have something you are consciously working towards. Whilst its important to remember where you are headed, also, never forget where you started- be proud of your achievements no matter how big or small. Ideally, goals should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Results Oriented, and Time Bound . Great goals could be to run a 5km in less than 30minutes within the next 3 months, or to hit a 100kg deadlift by July 31st. Whatever goal you choose, work smartly towards it and get ready for the satisfaction when you hit it! Enjoy Your Training! Do you hate running? Or does the thought of a spin class make you wince? Whatever your chosen training is, you should try to enjoy it! Sometimes thinking outside the box is the way forwards, or trying something you had never considered before. Have you ever tried boxing? Or weight lifting? How about cross fit? If you don’t feel motivated to lace those trainers up and get to the gym, perhaps its time to mix it up and try something new? Have Workout Kit You Love This one seems silly, but hear me out! When you head to the gym, you want to feel confident and know that when you are training hard you still look good, so don't under estimate the impact of some good kit and some funky new clothes. Your new togs don’t have to be super expensive, the high street do some great ranges now, alongside tried and tested brands such as Nike and Under Armour. Whatever you choose ‘look good - feel good ’ applies just as much inside the gym as it does outside. Get a Personal Trainer Similarly to training with a friend, if you know you have a scheduled session with a trainer booked in, you are far less likely to miss it - and you never know, you might even start to enjoy it! Add to that the new ideas and knowledge your trainer can bring to the table, you will hopefully see your progress soaring - and once you do the motivation to keep going grows all the time! How do YOU stay motivated? I’d love to know. Or if you need help with your motivation, drop me a message, and I can help. Varied, fun and challenging workouts, to get you working in the pursuit of your dreams. #inpursuitofdreams

In a society which values instant outcomes, changing your body composition can be a frustrating and slow process. We all want results fast, be that fat loss or muscle gain, and looking for that quick fix is common - but the fact of the matter is that the best results come with time, consistency and effort. We have all done it - started our diet or new exercise plan on a Monday morning, full of positivity, and then when you don’t see a huge change within the first days or weeks, we lose faith in the process and find ourselves falling straight back into old habits. So how can we break this cycle? Small changes can lead to huge results, and without having to put your life on hold to achieve them. Yes of course, if you press the pause button and spend hours in the gym every day like the movie stars do for a role, you can get amazing results fast - but is that sustainable? What happens when life catches up with you and you cannot maintain those hours every day? Instead, by implementing small changes to your daily routine, and without sacrificing every other aspect of your life, you can get results whilst continuing to live! Take fat loss for example - 99.9% of people do not need a super low calorie diet in order to drop fat. Instead, changing your nutrition to include a small deficit of calories, still allowing room for nights out and treats for example, means you are far more likely to yield everlasting results, as these habits become sustainable over the long term. Remember, a loss of just half a pound a week is 2 stone over a year - and is more than achievable with just small changes to your lifestyle. Fitness wise, whilst some enjoy hitting the gym every day, many people will start like this for a week or two before the initial rush wears off and takes with it the inclination to attend at all. Instead, forming a positive routine of 3 sessions a week for example, that can be maintained over a longer period of time will produce far better results. Not to mention, finding something you enjoy doing, so that exercise isn’t such a chore! It is tempting to throw ourselves into something new whole heartedly - and thats a great thing! But recognising that changing your body is as much of a mind game as it is about the food and exercise is a huge first step. Being prepared to make small long term changes to your lifestyle as opposed to ‘jumping head first’ into the latest greatest fad diet or class will ultimately allow your mind time to keep up with your body, and the changes you will see over the weeks and months will be nothing short of amazing! If you want to find out a bit more about how I can help you make these sustainable changes that will lead to fantastic results, feel free to drop me a message and lets have a chat. x

1 - To Lose Weight You Must Eat Less Than 1200 Calories. No! There is no hard fast rule for how many calories you need to eat to lose weight. Ideally, for consistent sustainable fat loss, you want to be losing around 1lb per week...this is, roughly, being in a calorie deficit by around 500kcals per day, or 3500kcals per week. So in order to work out how many calories you should be eating, we need to work out your unique calories needed vs calories burned, then create a small deficit. By eating very low calorie, you open yourself up to many more problems such as slowing of your metabolism, illness, fatigue and muscle loss. 2 - To Lose Weight You Must Run. No! Cardio training is brilliant for your heart, but spending hours on a treadmill or cross trainer is not the only (or necessarily the best) way to lose weight. There are many other options, including weight lifting, that will burn calories just as well, if not better. So if running isn't your thing, fear not- it's not necessary for fat loss! 3 - Fat makes you fat. No! Fat does not make you fat! Excess calories makes you gain weight - and as fat has 9kcals per gram (as opposed to 4kcals for carbohydrates and protein), you get a lot less food for your calories when eating high fat food. However, fat is needed for good health and well being - so don't fear the fat! 4 - Weight Training Will Make You Bulkier, not Smaller. No! No! And again, No! Weight training will not make you look bulky, not without a very specific set of conditions, including an excess of food and specific training, over a number of years. Weight training can help gain that toned and svelte look that many desire - so don't fear the weight room! 5 - No Carbs Before Marbs... No! And we can add to this, no carbs after 6pm. Also rubbish. The reason people lose weight on these plans is that they drop their calories by default - that is all. Carbohydrates are an essential part of our diet and not to be feared - they give us energy for the day and for our workouts, and when from sources such as vegetables, a whole host of micro-nutrients too. Go easy on those refined carbs, but don't fear carbohydrates as a whole! If you have any questions on this, or want to know the best ways to lose those extra few pounds, don't hesitate to get in touch. x