Finally!

If you have followed my blog from the early days you will know my fitness journey began in 2015. I was 6 stone (38kg) over what is classed as my ideal weight and therefore morbidly obese. In September of that year I set about correcting the rot. Its not been easy and there have been many highs and lows along the way. Even as I type this I am around a stone and a half over where I would like to be but I am, mentally, much happier with where I am.

In 2017 I was getting a lot of questions on Social Media about how I had lost the weight and changed my lifestyle. I was entering Obstacle races, 5 and 10ks and basically living a different life. I didn’t feel qualified to answer these questions so I took on a level 2 fitness instructor course. I qualified that year but really didn’t use it.

Over the next few years I suffered a few injuries, struggled with my mental health and ended up in counselling. This led my to seek out some life coaching and this eventually led me to Paul Mort and his Unstoppable and Mansformation courses. I have stated previously that I cannot recommend this man highly enough for his content and straightforward approach to coaching and I would urge you all, at the very least, to read his book, Paul Mort Will Save Your life, available on Audible. What else are you going to spend this month’s credit on?

From this course came the realisation that what I really wanted to do with my life was help others. Late in 2022 I signed onto a Origym Level 3 Personal Trainer course. I got off to a good start but, again, life got in the way and the 12 months I had given myself to complete the course turned in to 18. I was speaking to my partner about needing to get cracking on the course again when, a few days later, I saw the advert for my local Puregym that stated they were looking for a level 2 who was working toward a level 3 to work as a gym instructor. This is where that whole manifesting what you want comes into play again. If I hadn’t started the level 3, or had already finished it, I wouldn’t have been suitable. I am now a firm believer that life gives you opportunities, you just have to take them.

My contract was for 3 months and was due to end on the 31/12/2024. I was on track to have completed the course until I hit a major hold up with the final module. I got the first attempt completely wrong by overthinking it, with the way the online system works, it was two weeks until I found out, so a second submission went in. This was closer but still not enough. Another two weeks went by and I was starting to worry. I am so grateful to my gym manager who secured me an extension to my contract so I could continue working until the end of January. With much head scratching and some help from my colleagues at the gym, the third submission was successful and I could move on to the physiology and Anatomy exams which I passed with flying colours. So, that was that. I was at 96% course completion with just the Practical assessment left to do.

On the 27th of January this year I drove to Anytime Fitness in Birmingham where I met with four other students, 2 taking their level 3 like me and 1 taking his level 3. Our Assessor, Danny, paired us up to role Play Trainer and client and we would be assessed on how well we demonstrated the skills for the required level and on the safety and knowledge of the various exercises we were to demonstrate. I was paired with Leon who was taking his level two and he went first.

It was the third time I had played the client as I did it for my Daughter at level two and three. Leon did a great job of explaining aerobic curve and the exercises I was to perform and, despite his obvious nervousness, handled the exercise well. I am happy to report he passed.

The other two went next and we were not permitted to watch but the Trainer also passed in that session. Then it was my turn. Danny asked me to start with Intervals which I did on the Upright Bike. I took Leon through an explanation of the bikes function, told him the training aim and what I expected and that I would control the intervals. Next I was given Matrix and chose to do these with Bicep curls. From here Danny choose Tri-sets. This was tricking but I used Chest press, inclined Chest Press and Flat Flys. The only downside here was I demonstrated the chest press on the plate loaded machine and only one side had a plate on it. I corrected it before the client got on though. From there I was given Eccentrics. really easy with the Cable Tricep pulldown I selected. The final exercise, and the one that tripped me up, was Forced Reps. To be honest, the online videos I watched didn’t make it totally clear what the difference between forced reps and negatives was and this is one of the downsides to a purely online course. I feel a workshop would be better for comprehending the differences. I selected the Leg extension and explained to Leon that I would be assisting from the point of concentric failure so he could get the remaining sets. Unfortunately Danny said I gave a little too much assistance so it looked like negatives. Thankfully it was only raised as a comment and wasn’t enough to fail me. The final exercise I was given was a free choice of core exercise and I went with Plank. The object of the test here was to have a progression or regression ready to go for the second set and Danny went with Progression. I chose Plank get-ups moving Leon from plank to a press-up position one arm at a time then back down again. Danny then asked me to finish the session, which I did and he tole me I had passed with just the Forced reps as a comment.

And so, There you have it. The journey to be come a PT has come to an end. I am now fully qualified. I will transition at my gym from GI to PT as soon as the documentation comes through and now the hard work of building a business begins.

It has been an emotional journey and I am deeply grateful for the people who have helped me along the way. I am now doing the one thing I have always wanted to do, empower people to live healthier, happier lives and this is only possible because of the people who have helped me. Thank you.

A New Start.

Hello WordPress my old friend.

It’s certainly been a while and a lot has changed. I now live in a new city, I have a new partner and, two weeks ago, I walked out on a regular paycheque. Wow, right? I mean, super conservative, living in fear of not knowing where the next £ is coming from. Doesn’t sound like me does it? More on the job later but first I want to take the time to be grateful I am still here to make this journey.

last night I found out an old drinking buddy had passed away. I must admit to having lost contact with the guy over the years but he was always laughing and joking, ready for a laugh. However, the information I have is that the guy drank himself to death. I should be the last person to do this but the platitudes automatically flood out, “what a shock”, “he seemed so happy”, well of course he did because, just like me, he forced himself to conform to “normality”. Unlike me he seems to have chosen not to get help. For him the world must have been a cold, unfriendly place and he found comfort in alcohol.

Tempus Fugit, Momento Mori, Time flies, remember death.

Basically the above is a call to arms. Life is short, enjoy it while you can. I am sure my more literary friends will find fault in my translation of the meaning but you get the point. And so, that fateful day two weeks ago, I got up out of my desk chair, collected my things and walked out of the door. How did I know that I was doing the right thing? I didn’t, I mean I had a super supportive partner, I had supreme faith in my abilities and I knew that the balance in my fuck bank was 0 (see the subtle art of not giving a fuck, Mark Manson) but there is always that nagging doubt. “I have already invested so much time”, “it gets worse before it gets better”, “They need me” all of these are fallacy and the journey I have been undertaking has finally made me realise that. If, after I have made all these changes in my life, I was to remain in a job that was destroying my soul, wouldn’t that be a betrayal? So, I left. I made some calls and within 24 hours I had had 2 job offers.

The point of this isn’t to brag. I simply ask that you take a look at your life. It is a balancing act. Are you happy? If not, are you at least excepting of the balance your life has struck? If the answer to both of these is no then it is not sustainable. Remember, a wise person (I forget who) once said, “your salary is basically the lowest price your employer could get away with for your time”

And back to those fallacies.

I have read many self improvement books over the last few years, each different but each similar. A few days ago I was introduced to The Art Of Thinking Clearly written by Rolf Dobelli, by @pippajmatthews. It seems to distill the teachings of the other books into 3-4 pages for each fallacy and makes them simple to understand.

Wish I had this years ago

1. The Sunk Cost Fallacy. This one is a doozy. “I have already invested so much time/ money/ love” etc. Well wise up. Whatever you have invested is gone. The only thing that matters now is return on investment. You spend £200 pounds on outdoor concert tickets however on the big night it’s blowing a Gale and the worse storm in history is on you. Now if you follow the fallacy to its logical conclusion you would stump up the taxi fare, go and get soaked and have a miserable time when the sensible thing to do would be to write off the night and stay warm and dry without throwing good money after bad.
2. The it’ll get worse before it gets better fallacy. We’ve all been there, the board comes in, makes sweeping changes, puts in a new manager. The new manager then addresses the staff, …. Mistakes of the former management…… working on improvements…….. these things take time…… etc. If things do, miraculously, improve the new manager is a hero but if they don’t then it is met with cries of, a little more time is required…… downturn in the market…… very competitive market. Want to guess which of these outcomes is more prolific?
3. The over confidence effect. “They need me” no, they don’t! It is very rare that someone cannot be found to fill your role. We all have the preconception that we are above average, above average drivers, husbands, workers, lovers. If we are all above average the average is wrong, right?

Once you learn to accept the above, the decision to walk out of a bad situation becomes easier. Whilst still not easy, it becomes clear that the only person who will suffer by you staying is you. I would encourage you to read the books mentioned above as well as Not A Life Coach by James Smith. They might just change your life for the better.

My Brush With Covid-19

I have to preface this by saying I am not a healthcare professional. In fact, its optimistic to say I am an interested passer-by. With that in mind please take this as anecdotal and realise that everyone’s response to Covid is different.

On Saturday 23rd of January I got the text I had been dreading. Some one I work with closely had gone down with Covid and I had been identified as having been in contact with him by Track and Trace. As such I should isolate for 10 days. At this point I felt fine, was sure I hadn’t caught it and was feeling frustrated because I knew it was coming up to month end and I had a lot to do at work. As there was only two people in my department we had effectively closed it down.

On Sunday I woke with a cough. Not much of one. if fact I only coughed a handful of times all day. However, as the day wore on, I started to feel really fatigued. I still didn’t really feel ill, just super tired.

On Monday the feelings continued. Still not really much of a cough but I decided to go for the test. I booked it at the local testing centre, the overflow Carpark for the Ricoh Arena, where there was someone to administer the test for me. It wasn’t as bad as I had heard and, for me, the worse bit was having the oversized earbud stuffed up my nose.

At 03.05 on Tuesday Morning I had the result. “You have tested Positive for covid. This means you likely had the virus when you were tested and must now self isolate”. Well, damn! Tuesday I slept a fair part of the day, again with minimal coughing. Where was this crippling virus I had heard so much about. The one we had all been in fear of for over 12 months. To me it was nothing worse than a mild cold.

And then my Wife and son caught it.

The results couldn’t have been much different. My wife has so far spent 8 days in bed and had to have an ambulance because her breathing became so laboured on Saturday. My son has been coughing non stop. Neither of them could eat and have had little energy to do anything.

So what was different. How did I have such a mild reaction to the same virus that later infected my family?

I train most days and have good cardiovascular health. my wife and son do not. I take Vitamin D daily. Again my wife and son do not. While I have no empirical evidence to say this is the definitive answer a lot of articles I have read do state that Vitamin D has been shown to boost the immune system and, up here in the northern latitudes, we do not get any Vitamin D from the sun from mid Autumn through to late spring. Our bodies cannot produce it and there are only certain foods that can provide it (Mushrooms for one). Vitamin D helps boost moods and this is the reason I take it. I fall victim to SAD every winter so take it to keep that at bay.

Of course, having a good level of fitness in you breathing apparatus is always a good starting point in battling a virus that restricts your lung function and I am grateful that my lung function is still strong from my running days. I genuinely believe that the combination of healthy lungs and Vitamin D is what has saved me from the worst effects of Covid. Vitamin D supplements are not expensive and, for anyone living in regions of low levels of winter sun, I believe it should be an essential aid to well being.

If I am right you could bolster your immune system for very little cost. I think it is worth a try.

Nothing here should prevent you following your local government’s advice. Stay safe!

Gut Health: What is it and why should I care?

Its long been known that your mood can affect your gut. Get nervous and your stomach starts churning for example. However, its becoming increasingly clear that the traffic flow along the Vagus Nerve is a two way street.

The gut holds approximately 2 kg of bacteria. This bacteria forms a symbiotic relationship with us, helping to digest the food we ingest. If this bacteria gets out of balance, or we eat too much of a food that is toxic to it the ecosystem crashes. It is believed that this is the reason behind Irritable Bowel Syndrome among other ailments. Its also been shown to be connected to low mood, the cardiovascular system and metabolic health.

Of the 400 species so far identified, the majority live in the lower bowel with a fewer number in the upper bowel and stomach. They are responsible for fibre digestion and can synthesise certain vitamins such as Folate and Biotin and help to absorb Vitamin K. Without a healthy gut we could not function for very long.

The Bath Tub Analogy

Photo by Burst on Pexels.com

Imagine your body is a bath tub. The tap is the toxins entering your body. The drain is your liver and kidneys processing these toxins. Under normal conditions the flow in and out is balanced and there are no problems.

When we increase the flow the drain struggles to clear and eventually the bath will over flow.

So, how do these symptoms manifest? Below is a slide detailing some of the ways in which a high level of toxins can affect the human body.

What can we do to address these issues? Well, firstly be mindful what you are putting in your body in the first place. We did not evolve to eat a lot of processed foods. Secondly we can look after the bacteria that share our body.

Probiotic and Prebiotic, what is the difference.

Prebiotic, literally before life, are the nutrients that the healthy bacteria need to flourish. Probiotics contain the living bacteria. I would seem to make sense to take both together in what is called Synbiotics.

So there you have it. With out a healthy gut we run into all sorts of problems. For the small cost of eating clean and feeding the gut we can avoid all these issues and live a healthy, happy life.

A Penny For Them

I remember sitting in class on the first day of Secondary School. I guess that would be Year 7 in modern parlance. We were given an exercise book and the task of completing a daily diary. Well, I am sure you can imagine the reaction of a surly group of 11 year olds, strutting their stuff at “Big” School.

I don’t think I even made one entry. I have seen the point in a diary. Sure write an appointment down somewhere but why write down what I have done? I mean, I was there, I knew what I did.

This was my feeling for many years and, as I entered adulthood, it seemed unlikely that I would ever need to change my mind. And then came my first breakdown.

As I have posted previously, my first councillor was next to useless but I do remember her suggesting I write down my thoughts. Skip forward a few years and I started reading self development books. Robin Sharma, author of The Monk series of books as well as The 5 A.M. Club, constantly extolls the use of a journal.

Again though, I filed it away as interesting then never acted on it. Until my second breakdown.

This time the councillors were far better and they suggest the diary be kept to record the positive things that happened to you rather than a list of things you had done. In this way, on bad days you could look back and see life isn’t all bad. In my desperation to get well I was willing to try anything. I started off just jotting down bullet points in an old notebook but I found the more I wrote the better I felt. Just the physical act of writing with a real pen and paper in this digital age felt good and, soon, my thoughts started to flow out.

For me, my journaling has become more than a diary. It has become a conversation with myself. It allows me to order my thoughts, reflect on my day, plan what is to come and lets me see how I was at that particular instant. I don’t think I will ever find a replacement for pen and paper but there are plenty of digital journals available both free and paid for if that floats your boat. Will it work for everyone? I cannot possibly say but it has to be worth a try.