Training Personally

There follows a quick, snappy, notes on my basic training/nutrition/lifestyle chat I give to new Personal Training clients. I’ve never watched Operation Transformation, but loads of people seem to be asking me about it. I never watch reality shows or whatever it’s masquerading as.

Nutrition
1. Good news, you’re probaby already 50% of the way there, and you only need to get to around 80% to be pretty good.
2. Initially, eat 3 or 4 regular meals tht are approximately 30% protein, 30% carbs, and 30% Greens. The remaining 10% is a mystery. I don’t know why I don’t say 33%. You know what I mean though. I mean 1/3
3. Once you’re used to eating regular meals, we’ll start looking at what’s in them, and tapering the % of macro nutrients to suit your goals. But don’t ask me about Quinoa and protein requirements if you’re eating Coco Pops and fish fingers.
4. Unless you’re a bodybuilder,are baking a cake, or really, really anal, don’t bother with a kitchen scales. Being “accurate enough” is, well, accurate enough.
5. Dispense with the word “Diet”. Call it what you want. I like to call it eating.
6. 1 supplement for now- a reasonable quality, reasonably priced, multi vitamin.

Training
1. Setting a goal is a good idea, but it should never be a target of a specific weight. Weight is a pretty meaningless number unless you are over 25% bodyfat.
2. Weights don’t make women look bulky and manly, but bad training with weights won’t get you results either. Don’t squat and deadlift just because your boyfriend likes pictures of girls who do on the internet. Women are different, not much, but enough to warrant different training programmes.
3. Master the squat, bench, and deadlift, but don’t expect to look like an athlete when you train like a powerlifter. Know where they fit in the grand scale.
4. Cardio can be high intensity, but don’t underestimate the effect of regular, low intensity work.
5. Almost everything works to some extent as long as you stick to it.
6. Don’t overthink your training sessions. Show up, train enthusiastically, do as you’re told, smile, go home.

Lifestyle
1. Move more generally. That drive is actually a walk.
2. Go to bed earlier. No, earlier than that.
3. Drink more water. People have been telling you this for years and you still don’t do it. Why don’t you do it? Get on with it.
4. Change one thing at a time. Once it’s a habit, change another small thing. Changes should be relatively effortless.
5. Booze isn’t evil, but remember that it forms a part of your nutrition. It doesn’t exist in a phantom, calorie free zone.
6. Coaching is about 2 people. You’re paying me, so get your money’s worth.
7. I only work with people who conform to my standards of work rate and enthusiasm. Let’s agree that we’re going to be happy to do this.

At the moment I have, let me count now, 3 personal training clients. That’s it. I will never have more than 5. I just don’t have the time to train more than that, and I made up my mind a long time ago that I would only work with a few people in this capacity, it not being my main job.