The Best Fitness Advice That I Have Ever Had
Today’s blog will focus on 2 simple pieces of advice that completely transformed my health and fitness goals for the better.
The first bit of advice I received was before I became a Personal Trainer.
Back in 2006 I was attempting to combine a physical labour based summer job with playing rugby and weight training. My goal at that time was to increase my muscle mass however I was struggling to see physical results. The only positive changes I saw were small with regards to my cardio fitness levels for rugby. Apart from that I saw little physical changes and always
exhausted.
After a while I decided to act and spoke to the gym manager of the gym I trained at. He arranged a full physical and lifestyle assessment for me. I recorded an activity and food diary, which I thought at the time was fine. My mindset up to that point was that as long as I lifted heavy then I would increase my muscle size, I didn’t take into account the important of correct nutrition to combine along exercise.
After the having my lifestyle and schedule analysed the
findings were:
– I was not eating enough daily calories
– My protein levels were too low to assist muscle recovery
and growth
– I was over training
On the positive side I had healthy hydration and body fat levels however I was now aware of the importance of where my barriers to success lay. As soon as I started to make changes I saw quick results not only in my performance on the rugby field but also with my muscle size and confidence!
The second bit of advice I received was actually during my earlier years as a Personal Trainer back in 2012. I signed up for an Olympic Lifting weekend course, and seeing that the bulk of the course was practical I couldn’t wait to get going with it. At that time I was still playing rugby and predominantly doing body building style training. My focus on flexibility was fairly small however I always used to lightly stretch before exercise.
Well….that weekend was an eye opener. My lack of flexibility was shown up as I struggled through the weekend to complete the lifts on the course and to the point I was actually in pain by the end of the weekend.
This was all down to my poor mobility both in my upper and lower limbs. The course instructor made a point of talking to me to explain the importance of flexibility especially for these lifts!
I immediately acted on his advice and I stretched regularly in addition to starting to use a foam roller more often. The results I saw were incredible. My power and speed noticeably increased on the rugby field, my bench press, squat and deadlift numbers shot through the roof and I was able to perform Olympic lifts pain free. You can see proof of this by clicking on the below YouTube link
showing
actual video footage from the course and then my improvements later on in the year.
CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO
CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO
Feel free to comment below with any helpful health and fitness based advice you have received.