Therefore, the fitness concepts for the month of May are brought to you by the letters M for May and V for Verging on Summer.

M is for May

M is also for Motivation - I mentioned it last time under Accountability, but if you still haven’t read the article I wrote on Emotivation, then make sure you do (You can read it here). But if you did kick start your summer beach body and abs transformation in April, then this month will probably be the most difficult from a motivational point of view. You may be feeling the effects of training harder or missing your comfort foods, but summer remains quite distant and you may feel you either won’t make it or find a reason to justify going off the boil. Remind yourself of your initial motivation, think about how you will feel when you achieve your goal versus how you will feel about falling off the wagon if you don’t. Last month you should have Emotiviated, now Re-motivate.

M is also for Metabolism - I seem to spend a lot of time criticizing faddy workouts and gimmicky sales and marketing. The one that has got on my nerves the most recently has been metabolic training. And yes, I’ve already gone off on that one, you can read that article here. That’s not because I don’t believe you should be training to lift your metabolism or maximize your metabolic output, but rather that there is no magic workout that maximizes your resting metabolic rate more than any other. And these ‘metabolic workout’ classes are generally designed to make you feel like you’ve worked hard so that mentally you believe you’ve achieved something special rather than actually training for optimal fat burning. But on the course to a Summer Beach Body, it is time to accelerate past the foundations laid in April. Hopefully you have worked on your basic strength to allow for improved performance from your tendons and ligaments. So now would be the time to start changing things up and trying to amp up your workouts. It still shouldn’t be full pelt and strength and power should remain at the core, but you are into this process now and there has to be progression. So start to think more about amping up your metabolic rate with slightly higher intensity in your training. Though that should still be through power and heavy resistance training not prancing about to music under the preconception that you are training like a Spartan – because you’re not.

M is also for Move it - Yes, up the ante. Work in Complexes, sprint training, heavy prowler & sled work. And most of all, when you lift a barbell or dumbbell, lift it like you mean it. Move it fast – Accelerate that weight with an intensity that shows your motivation remains strong. It’s less about what you are lifting and more about how you lift it. The higher the acceleration the higher the force produced and the more muscle fibers recruited. By moving a heavy object fast you are going to hit your high threshold motor units and the metabolic effect is much greater. Again, no dancing around hoping you are going to jiggle that fat off. Power the changes and make your body more efficient and powerful at the same time. For more on this have a read at this article on Rep Focus.

M is also for Modeling & Magazine - Having something to focus on and motivate you is of primary importance. And what could be more motivating that knowing you have a modeling shoot coming up for a magazine cover? Well, at the time of writing this we have a competition open to win around 4 months of intensive training, coaching and nutritional advice to get someone in to cover model physique. So if you are interested, then act quickly as we will be closing the doors soon. You can read more about it here. But even if you can’t get involved in this competition, having a target of that magnitude can do wonders for your focus and motivation levels. So book yourself a photo shoot (and pay for it in advance for a set date and tell the photographer not to give you a refund if you don’t show); promise your friends you will post a swimwear photo of yourself on Facebook on a set date; enter a physique competition; enter a 10k charity run. Whatever you do, do something to force you to stay on track and your results and focus will be much greater.

M is also for MUST - Yes, April was the cut off point for most to get a good run at a Summer Beach Body and seriously toned or ripped abs in a methodical and optimal way. But it is still going to be possible to do something dramatic and of quality before beach time hits. But you MUST start now. No more procrastinating and saying you’ll start next week. Take action and take it today otherwise you are going to put yourself in the same category as Most people and what Most people do is end up disappointed or frustrated. So don’t be Most people, be better and start prioritizing YOU.

Do the Maths | Make Your Choice | Move Your Ass

V is for Verging on Summer

V is also for Vitamins – As you start to reduce your calorie intake and up your energy expenditure, the quality of your nutritional intake becomes ever more critical. Your body needs a certain level of nutritional intake in the form of vitamins and minerals, along with essential fatty acids and essential amino acids, in order to function optimally. If you short change your internal system with these, your system will cease to function at its fullest potential negatively affecting your workouts and your energy expenditure throughout the day. Your metabolism will slow and the whole process will become a grind. So ensure that nutritional quality comes at the highest priority with a wide range of vitamins and minerals. To be on the safe side, a good quality multi-vitamin may help cover the bases. Though this is not a substitute to a good quality diet, just a supplementary backup.

V is also for Vegetables – With the above in mind, where are you going to get all these vitamins and minerals from? Vegetables! Yes there are other sources, but a wide range of veggies in your diet will not only ensure you are hitting your nutritional targets, but you can pretty much treat most veggies as free food. So if you are hungry, snack on some veggies. Top choice would be cruciferous vegetables. So Spinach, Kale, Broccoli, Sprouts, Cabbage, Cauliflower etc. But mix in with that a variety of colours and textures. One of my personal favorites for snacking on is tender stem broccoli. It’s much easier to snack on raw than regular broccoli and has a sweeter taste. But the back up and usual favorite for snacking is raw carrots. But just mix it up and make it plentiful.

V is also for Visualize – If there is one way to push for what you want it is to visualize. See your ultimate goal in your head, feel it, taste it, imagine it as if it is real and feel how good it feels. Apply the same thing to your training. Before you perform any movement, see yourself do it in your head. Feel it. Encompass it. And then do it – strong. You shouldn’t have to think about it any more, just go for it and do it as you just saw it in your head. Most people are led by what they see, so see what you want, then be what you see.

V is also for Velocity – If April was all about setting the foundations through strength, May is all about Power and Velocity. Strength remains an important factor and if you haven’t set the foundations by working on your strength, your power and speed are going to suffer and the attempt to increase either are more likely to result in an injury. But assuming you have set the groundwork, then it’s time to put that strength to use. Depending on your training goals, whether they be sports specific or simply aesthetic, you are looking for more Va Va Voom from your training now. So hill runs, prowler pushes or sled drags have additional acceleration and power, barbell lifts done with more explosivity (without severely dropping the weight) and your focus must be more intense as your reactions need to become sharper to make these improvements.

V is also for V-Shape – Well isn’t that what the beach body is all about? For men the desire is usually much more pronounced, with wide flaring lats, a strong chest, big arms and a tiny waist. For women the desire for that sweeping V is often less severe rather looking for more feminine curves, but still the tiny waist so it still requires a taper which is essentially a V. That shape is usually more evident from behind than the front, so stop focusing on only the mirror muscles (Chest and Biceps) and give your back some love and attention. Work on your pulls – Vertical & Horizontal, High and Low, Pronated Grip, Supanated grip, Neutral Grip and every other variation. Just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean it isn’t important. In fact because you can’t see it, creating that mind muscle connection may be even more difficult so the emphasis is more important.

And while we are at it, the V doesn’t mean stop at your waist, your legs are just as important as your upper body. Guys walking along the beach with a huge upper body and skinny legs just look ridiculous. If you are going to plant foundations, do it with your physique too and work on a great set of wheels.

So there we have it kids - Make May Marvelous. These are just a few little notes to take through the month of May and keep you focused. They are not the be all and end all, but more talking points or cue points to consider. Take these points to heart and you will head in to Summer brimming with confidence and proud of your achievements.

Now Make it happen! – VAMOS!

So what are your thoughts?

Have we missed any? Post them below.

Did you make your April Abdominal Start? Let us know.

And don’t forget to ‘like’ ‘tweet’ & ‘share’ the article and help build this community and improve the content and feedback

The Original Post is Located Here May’s Alphabet of Fitness and Fat Loss

Yes, you read that right!

You can WIN Free Training & Coaching achieve Cover Model Condition Plus the Opportunity to appear on the Cover of a Quality Fitness, Lifestyle & Modelling Magazine.

All you have to do it go to the App on our Facebook page and follow the instructions.

 Click Here and follow the Instructions to Enter

If you are not on Facebook, just set up a profile. You don’t ever need to use it again, just use it to enter and then you can delete it after the competition.

But that’s it! It’s very simple.

You will be asked to post a comment stating why you should be considered. It doesn’t have to be anything deep or detailed, we simply want to see that you are motivated and will be committed to the process as we don’t want people dropping out half way through.

The shoot itself is a great motivator though and will keep you accountable to your training and focused on pushing for the deadline. So even if you don’t make the cover, you will be in amazing shape.

There will be several winners taking part in the training process (probably around 3 with a couple of alternates getting a slightly lower level of training in case of any drop outs) and the magazine editor will have the final say in who makes the cover, but it is likely that all winners, if they choose to, will be featured in the magazine itself.

If you don’t want to be featured in the magazine, but like the idea of the training process, then we will be opening spaces up for that too. And even if you can’t make it in to train with us, you can still follow the training protocols and get involved in other ways. (More details on these elements will be posted once the finalists have been selected).

And even if you have no intention in taking part, it will still be worth liking the Facebook page either for updates on other events and advice or just to stay up to date with the competition and competitors as they progress to their Photo Shoot Physiques.

So head over to the Facebook page and hit like.

 Click Here and follow the Instructions to Enter

And if you could like and share this article to spread the word, we’d appreciate it (and so might one of your friends if they end up as one of our Cover Model Physique Competition Winners as a result of your heads up).

Also, feel free to leave your comments or questions in the box below.

What do you think of the competition as a motivator?

Do you think things like this help people stay focused and achieve better results?

We want to know, so comment below.

The Original Post is Located Here Win Celebrity Level Training and a Cover Model Shoot

One of my clients sent me a link to an article today regarding the dieting efforts of a well respected columnist, Jenni Murray, in the Mail Online.

(Thanks Tracey)

I read through it trying to control my blood pressure as I read an article that essentially epitomized the general media take on dieting, weight loss and the solutions to obesity.

You can read the article here.

I was so annoyed, this time I decided to contact them and give my views. So rather than try to write about it again, here is a copy of the message I sent them:

“I’m writing regarding the Jenni Murray article ‘The shame! I lost 5st on the Dukan Diet – but I’ve put it ALL back on’.

I’m a Trainer, Fitness Coach & Owner of Dynamic Core Studios Gym. I got into this profession, after working as an Architect, in order to make a difference!

I saw too many people around me miserable because they were constantly fighting their body shape.

But articles like Jenni’s make my work so hard.

You have a huge circulation & as such a huge influence & responsibility to the public. So giving them bad advice after bad advice is not helping.

Yes, it may help sell papers (or at least fill content) but it’s making things worse.

I could have told you on day one that Jenni would put the weight she lost on the Dukan diet back on in a year and I will predict that the same will happen with Weight Watchers inside 18months.

This constant Yo-yo dieting & jumping from one gimmicky easy solution to the next is going to make her next attempt even harder.

One comment below the online article made a good point – if you go ‘on’ a diet, that suggests you are going to go ‘off’ it at some point.

It’s a mindset. It’s a belief that there is something wrong with you in the first place that you have to do something drastic to get a drastic improvement, when in fact just a change in eating behavior one step at a time would sort the nutrition element of a healthy lifestyle out for good.

But that’s only part of it. Regardless of the sensationalism over people like Jodie Marsh, it’s important that everyone has some kind of resistance training in their life. If you have a manual job you may get the stimulation there, but most people are too sedentary & hitting stupid gimmicky crazes like Vibro classes, Curves or Zumba is the exercise equivalent of the Dukan Diet or Weight Watchers.

If you want to exercise (and you should) then do it properly. Lift weights! I’m not saying that’s all you have to do, but it should be part of it.

Women get scared they will get bulky, but they won’t! You don’t get to look like Jodie Marsh over night or without additional influences. If you could most men would just do that ‘magic’ weight lifting routine & they have more of a hormonal make-up to allow that to happen.

Women should lift weights if for nothing other than Osteoporosis being more prevalent in women. By not giving your skeletal structure a reason to stay strong then it will waste over time & the bones become brittle.

Cosmetically, women tend to want to look ‘toned’. But that ‘tone’ is from muscle. Just because it isn’t bulky doesn’t mean it’s any less muscle.

I’ve produced an article on this if you care to read it – The Best Way to Tone Up

Media hype and sensationalism, in my view, causes more problems for the obesity issue than anything else. It gives lazy, false hopes & everyone jumps on & follows the piper because it’s easier than doing the what they should. Cut out addictions.

 …as long as I eat only one piece of wholemeal bread and a small amount of the hummus

Jenni Murray

If someone was addicted to heroin would it be OK just to have one hit or a small amount?

It’s the wrong mindset. It is an addiction, but it’s worse than most because it is a socially accepted addiction and it is not for one drug it is for many (chocolate, bread, crisps etc).

I’m very passionate about this & such articles essentially demonizing last years gimmick (the Dukan) to sensationalize another one (Weight Watchers) may well give another article for next year when it switches again, but all it’s doing is confusing & hurting the population as a whole.

I wish Jenni well, but as with most in her situation, until she changes her mindset & stops searching for quick, easy fixes, her cyclical weight issues will continue.

If you have read this far, thank you for your time.

Regards,

Mark”

They limit message sizes, so this is a very edited and abridged version of the original which is why it may read a little choppy. But the point is clear.

Newspapers are there as a public service – to report the news. This is not news it is sensationalism and whilst it may well ring true with many of their readers, Jenni Murray clearly has a loyal readership, so this is little more than an endorsement for Weight Watchers. The same as she endorsed the Dukan diet a year ago. And her readers no doubt followed her advice on the Dukan diet and although having the same regrets she now has, will no doubt follow her again through the Weight Watchers cycle of doom.

So whilst these articles may appear to be there as an aid or to be helpful to the readership, they have pretty much the opposite effect.

Why are we getting advice published from someone who has had a lifetime of failed diet cycles? Why is someone who has no experience or background in health, fitness or nutrition giving health, fitness and nutritional advice?

And when will people stop looking for quick and easy fixes and realize that it is a false economy to do so as you simply end up in an endless loop of diets that get you NOWHERE FAST!

The article even has the cheek to use a caption stating

“No quick fixes: Our columnist has learnt it’s better to lose weight gradually through portion control and regular exercise like dog-walking”

Yet she has clearly learned nothing of the sort. Weight Watchers is a ‘quick fix’ it’s a fix because counting up points in an attempt to then do the maths that allows you to eat the food choices you are addicted to is the easy choice. It is easier to say I want this, so I can have it if I don’t have that, is a quicker fix than trying to re-program your thinking to a healthier way of eating. It’s easier than preparing healthy meals. It’s easier than going ‘cold turkey’.

It also removes accountability. It’s not her fault, it’s the diet (when it fails to work).

So my call to the media is, stop looking for quick fixes, stop looking for soundbites, stop looking for things that look good in print and on paper, but have poor long term effects. Stick to your job, advertise the news and leave the ‘fixing’ to the experts who have the interests of those involved at heart rather than the sales figures of a paper or a whacky ‘quick fix’ product to sell!

The article is entitled “The Shame of Jenni Murray” and that part is so right, it is a shame that she continually puts herself through these gimmicky cycles in the hope of finding ‘the one’ and it is to her shame that she is posting this ‘advice’ in her highly publicized column.

What are your views?

Do you feel there is merit in these articles?

Do you feel Jenni should be pronouncing to the world the route she has chosen (especially before she has seen the long term results of her recent ‘route’)?

Do you just ignore these articles?

Or do you get annoyed when you see them appear?

Share your views & let us know in the box below.

The Original Post is Located Here The Shame of Jenni Murray, the Mail and the Media

If not go check it out.

But excuses continue to be prevalent and affect not only fitness progression and physique transformations, but they are so ingrained in modern society that it is worth taking a step back and breaking some of them down to ensure you catch yourself the next time you start spitting them out.

These are nothing new. You will have heard them a million times and I guarantee you have used or continue to use some of them (I know I have). But by going through the list below, hopefully you will be able to see them more clearly and filter through the B.S. the next time you feel yourself using one of them.

I don’t have time - Really? This has to be one of the most commonly used excuses, especially for not going to the gym or doing any training. Do you watch TV? No matter how little time you spend in front of the TV, that is time you are not achieving anything and if you genuinely want to make a difference you’ll prioritize your time more and get it done. It’s fine to take time to relax when you need it. Just don’t complain that you are not getting anywhere. You either want it or you don’t and if you really want to achieve something you’ll have to make the odd sacrifice. So non beneficial activities, no matter how enjoyable, should be given a lower level of priority. You will make time for things you really want to do, so if you don’t have time to do something you probably don’t want it enough.

I can’t afford it - You can’t afford to exercise? Drop to the floor and power out some press ups, stand back up and bust out some squats. Grab a travel bag and fill it with clothes, grab the handles and sling it over your shoulders to add weight. If money is genuinely an issue, there is always something you can do, it is not an excuse to do nothing.

It’s too expensive - This is similar to the I can’t afford it excuse, but more associated with joining a gym, hiring a Personal Trainer, buying a fitness book or piece of equipment. If you think these are going to help you improve your physique and fitness levels and those improvements are important to you, then you can probably cover the expense. Going back to the TV, do you have sports channels? Movie channels? Do you go out on a Friday night? Do you buy junk food? I’ll say it again, change requires sacrifice. There is always a cost to anything worth having, whether that cost be in time, discipline, sweat and discomfort, inconvenience or money, there is always a cost. Paying for something with cash is usually a way of making one of the other payments easier. Working with an expert will usually save you time and wasted effort in getting your results. So again, if these are your priorities, review the things that you spend money on and remove or limit those that do not help you achieve your priorities. A huge percentage of the population will happily spend £100+ on a regular Friday night out, but those same people would be reluctant to pay the same for a week of sessions with a trainer or even paying less than that for a full month of a gym membership.

I want… – Everybody wants something, but the difference between those who continue to want and those who get is action. Mostly this gets used by those who want others to do the work for them. If you want something stop talking about it and go do something about it.

Errrrbody wanna be a bodybuilder….But don’t nobody want to lift heavy aaaazzz weights!
Ronnie Coleman, former Mr. Olympia champion

I’ll need to… This is just more talk. If you need to do something, do it, don’t waste time talking about it. This is a really easy trap to fall into and I’m as guilty as anyone. But catch yourself saying it and do something proactive about it. “I’ll need to get back to the gym” is not helping anyone, it is just a way of justifying that you haven’t yet to others and making them aware that you know you should have made it there already. So don’t say you’ll need to… just get it done.

I need… You don’t need anything other than Oxygen, heat and water. Everything else is optional. But if you feel so strongly about something that you want it enough to be prefixing it with the fact that you ‘need’ it then, get moving and do something about it or stop kidding yourself. “I need to lose 10lbs” – No you WANT to lose 10lbs, so make that want something more emotionally motivating, figure out why you want to lose the 10lbs. Then start turning it into positive action “I am going to get that figure, by this time, this is why, therefore, this is how I will feel when I achieve it and this is how I’m going to do it…”

I should… This is just another way of saying “I haven’t yet”, what you should do is of no concern, what you are doing is. So if you ‘should’ be doing something, then do it.

I’ll do it when… If it was that important you’d do it now. The chances are, if you are waiting for something to happen before you act, it will either never happen or you will find something else to wait for when it does. So rather than sitting on your ass waiting for something to happen, go and make it happen. “I’ll join a gym when we get this project finished at work” – There will be another project on after this one or it’ll be something else. Your health is important, prioritize it, stop putting it off. You are either going to join a gym or you’re not. If you are, do it now!

I’ve got too much on at work. – First off READ THIS ARTICLE then ask yourself, why do you work? If you don’t have your health, what will happen to your work? Seriously, work is important, but it should not be taking over your life. Work to live, don’t live to work. No one is forcing you to work those extra hours. You may say, it’s implied or it is expected of you, but in the end, you decide what you do with your life. If that’s your choice, then great, but don’t complain when you look and feel awful as a result.

I hate doing that – This is usually a good indicator of it being something you should be doing. Usually this phrase could be easily changed to ‘I’m not very good at that’ and you don’t like doing it for that reason. Have a look at this article on ‘turning hate on it’s head’, then the next time you catch yourself saying you hate doing something, do it anyway and keep doing it until you love doing it. Then decide if you ‘should’ do it or not.

I have to do (this), before I can do (that) – This is a tricky one as some things are progressive and should be done sequentially. But those things are related and one is the foundation of the other. For example, you may want to work on your basic strength before you start to work on the minutia of muscle shaping. But if the end goal is a physical shape, then that is what you are working towards and you have begun by working on the strength aspect. However, I have to buy the right shoes and shorts before I start training or I have to lose 10lbs before I join a gym (Seriously! I can’t believe how often that still gets used) are just excuses to put something off you don’t feel confident about. You want to achieve, get going and ditch this excuse.

I’m such a loser - This one really irks me. It’s one that seems even more poignant these days since ‘The Biggest Loser’ hit our screens. You are not a loser regardless of the circumstances. If you fail at something, pick yourself up and either learn from it and do better next time or strive to improve. Either way, you are where you are, accept that and move forward. And if you are moving forward and improving you are far from a loser, you are an inspiration and should be proud of yourself. The only opinion of you that truly matters is yours, so be proud of who you are and continually strive to be better.

I’m a failure – As with the ‘I’m such a loser’ comment above, you do not fail unless you choose to. You only fail if you give up. If you get it wrong, you learn, if you don’t manage a lift, a time or a task of any kind, you work out how to improve and continue to move towards it. The only way you can fail is if you stop trying. So if you are a failure you are so by choice. Choose not to be.

I don’t have the right equipment – This is the same as ‘I need to do this before I can do that’. You do not need any equipment to start. If you want to do a workout, you have body weight exercises, you can fill a bag with clothes and lift that as a weight. Maybe the thing you want to do is become a great cyclist, but you need a bike to start? But you could work on your general fitness levels, your leg power, strengthening your tendons and ligaments, improving your lung capacity and chances are you know someone with a bike you could borrow until you can get your own. You can always do something regardless of the equipment at your disposal. And this is where the cost of a gym membership shows its value. You get the use of thousands of pounds worth of equipment for a fee that is usually no more than a couple of pounds per day. So if you want the right equipment, get to a good gym.

My gym is so busy I can’t get a proper workout – Then change gyms. Seriously, you pay a membership in order to be able to workout, if you genuinely can’t workout properly, then you are paying for nothing. If there is one gym in an area, there are likely to be hundreds more in the vicinity. Have a look at this article on ‘Why your Gym Sucks’ before making your decision on a new facility. But in short, your criteria should not be based on which one is closest, which one is cheapest or which one has the fanciest cafe. You go to a gym to train, so make sure you can train to a level that will get you what you want from it.

I don’t feel motivated - Then you don’t want it enough. Find something you do want. Find your true Emotiviation and this excuse should never be an issue.

I just had a little… - This excuse only ever comes up when it is something you know you shouldn’t have had ‘a little’ of. Who are you trying to justify it to? Mostly this comes up because you want someone else to tell you it’s OK. That ‘everything in moderation’ is fine. Well either you believe that or you don’t. If you believe it, there should be no need to say anything. If you don’t, then remind yourself of that the next time you reach for that ‘half slice of cake’ or that ‘just one glass of wine’ and stop justifying with this excuse.

I’m too old – You are not too old until you are dead. Michelangelo designed St. Peter’s Cupola when he was 83. Benjamin Franklin was past 80 when he helped draft the constitution. And if you think these are not fitness related, so have no bearing, Fauja Singh took up running at the age of 80 and completed his most recent marathon at the age of 100. And Ernestine Shepherd is a 74 year old bodybuilder who considers herself in the best shape of her life. So if you are using your age as an excuse you may want to re-think that.

That won’t work for me – Have you tried it or are you basing that on a feeling or something you’ve read? If you are looking beyond what you are doing, then clearly what you are currently doing isn’t working as you’d like, so if you look for advice and advice is given, take it, try it and then decide if it works for you or not.

I don’t know what to do – Something! You can tweak as you go, but for now, just do something. And then, if you want to know more, post a question on our Facebook page and you will get an answer either on the Facebook page, here or on our YouTube Channel (whichever is most appropriate).

I don’t know where to start - As above – Just Start!

I’ve tried everything - Yeah right! Trust me, you have not tried everything. If you had tried everything you would have found the thing that works. Most often people that have tried ‘everything’ have either tried every gimmick and quick fix option, but are unwilling to do anything tried and proven because it is too hard. Or they have tried lots of things for a short time and then given up before they have a chance to show any kind of result.

What’s the point? You tell me? What was your reason for wanting to do something in the first place? This one generally gets reeled out when the going gets tough or after a week of hard effort with no visible results. If you are willing to give up that easily, then you didn’t really want it in the first place. The point is whatever you make it. Is there any point in giving up? Is there a reason you wanted to achieve what you set out to achieve? If so, that’s the point. Don’t give up.

I’ll never… - Yup, you are probably right. If you resign yourself to defeat you will make it so. This doesn’t mean you can’t, just you have chosen not to.

I’ll start next week. - Why? What’s so special about next week. Why not tomorrow? Why not today? Every day you put something off is just another day behind you are that needs to be caught up.

I’ve got an injury – If you’ve got the energy and facility to voice that, chances are you have the ability to do something. It may not be what you intended or planned to do, but that’s no reason to do nothing. If your injury in in your lower body, do an upper body workout, if it’s in your arm, work your legs. Even if your entire body is in a cast and you can only move your forearms, you could still be doing wrist curls and working on your grip strength. If you planned to do something, then do something! Read this for more.

<<< Sorry, you’ll have to repeat that excuse again, I couldn’t hear you over the sound of this guy being awesome!

I don’t have good genetics. - Then work harder. Some people are born genetically gifted and others are born with poor genetics. That’s the hand you are dealt, but what you do with it is up to you. If you have poor genetics and you want to get in great shape, that doesn’t mean you can’t do it, it just means you might have to work 3 times harder or be 3 times stricter than the genetically gifted guy. Your genetics are just a factor, but should never be an excuse to give up or fail to achieve.

I’m too tired - Again, this is a tricky one as genuine fatigue could be a valid reason for holding back. (See this article on Rest & Recovery) But often this one could be substituted with ‘I can’t be bothered’ and there is a big difference. So if you have set the time aside to do something active, like training, then give it a go. Don’t go in and try for a PB on your Squat or Load up for a heavy Olympic Lift, but go in and start light and explosive and find out whether you are genuinely run down or just being lazy.

I’m too stressed - This can fall into the same category as being too tired. Work stress, family stress, relationship stress or lack of sleep, which is a stress on your nervous system, can indeed have a heavy detrimental effect on your training and should not be pushed through just because. But the answer is the same as being too tired – start light, be explosive, listen to your body for feedback. Everyone gets stressed from time to time, but if it is happening frequently, then you have to deal with that. Either get rid of the cause or learn to manage it better.

But… But what? This is one I’m very guilty of and have to keep an eye out for. That word creates doubt and doubt halts action. No ifs, buts or maybes – No Excuses!

I’m too self conscious – Making improvements is all about getting out of your comfort zone. Whether it is pushing yourself further with your training or just pushing yourself to do something you don’t find easy or comfortable. If you are self conscious, all the more reason to be working on improving. Other people don’t care so much about what you look like but rather what you are doing. Make your actions speak for you and just know you are making improvements and being your Best Self and if anyone has an issue with that, that’s their problem, not yours.

I have to put my family first – This one sounds like a hard one to argue with. Of course your family has to take priority for the most part, but similarly, you will be a priority to them. Your health should be important to them and without that you may be either useless to them or, in severe cases, a burden. But even if we are simply talking physical appearance or fitness levels which are correlated to health anyway, but how you feel about yourself is a factor in your overall wellness and if it is important to you, then explaining that to your family should result in their support. Perhaps not in all cases, but if your family is not willing to support you when your reasoning is putting them first, then that’s an issue that is beyond the scope of this article.

I don’t want to get bulky – Then Don’t! But that’s no reason not to lift heavy weights. No one ever got bulky over night. It takes months to add any noticeable size from muscle and years to add a mass that could be considered bulky. This excuse is usually one that women use because they are worried they will turn into masculine looking bodybuilders. But that just doesn’t happen naturally to women as they don’t have enough testosterone (naturally) and even if they did, it takes men a severe amount of work to add significant levels of muscle and the ones that are busting their asses in an attempt to do that would find it pretty insulting to hear you say you don’t want to lift heavy for this reason. If it was that easy they wouldn’t be working so hard in the gym and piling up their plates at meal time day in day out in an attempt to add 5lbs of muscle over the course of a year. So put down that excuse and pick up that heavy ass weight!

You have to have some enjoyment – This often gets thrown out on the back of advice of how harmful a certain food type (or drink) is for physique or fitness development. If you have to eat crap or drink to enjoy yourself then I’d suggest there are more issues with your life that need to be looked at. Food is a fuel. It doesn’t have to be bland, but if a food or a drink is necessary for your happiness then that is more of a psychological issue. Especially if you are claiming that the change you are looking for from your training and diet is important to you. You need to work out what your priority is, how important the change is to you, what your Emotivation is for your change and if you are then still reaming this one off, then you may have dependency issues that you are not quite willing to admit.

I’ll work it off at the gym later - This falls into a similar category to the excuse above. You may work of the equivalent calories, but the nutritional and hormonal issues associated from eating badly can not be undone by a workout. You can’t out train a bad diet. So if you choose to eat crap, go for it, but don’t use going to the gym later as reasoning for it.

I’ll never look like that – Probably not, especially if this is your start point. But you don’t have to look like someone else. What you can do is look the best you possibly can for you. And once you start down that path you will probably find your idolized physique is no longer on your radar. Or if it is, that you are able to get much closer to it than you first thought. Use others as inspiration not as an excuse to quit.

It’s too far – If it’s important to your goals then it’s not too far, you are just too lazy to make the journey or the goal is not important enough to you. Either way, stop spouting this excuse. If the best gym or trainer for you to reach your goals is 20 miles away, but there is a gym or trainer 5mins up the road that is not as good, do you choose the close one or the one that will work? If it’s the former, then you are wasting your time and your money with a false economy. I find this funny that the same people who won’t travel an additional 10mins to use a gym that is clearly better for them, will then book concert tickets at £100+ and then travel 300miles for a 90min show or sit in front of the TV for 3hrs per night feeding their face with pizza, crisps and chocolate, when that time could have been used making some amazing progress that would benefit every aspect of their lives.

My friend said… – If you listen to everyone you’ll just end up a confused mess. Everyone is an armchair expert. There is a school of thought that you can only follow one master. To an extent that is true. If you have committed to one Coach or Adviser and then go looking for other pieces of advice, then you haven’t put enough faith in that person and the relationship will never work. But there is also the Bruce Lee approach of – take in everything, discard what doesn’t work, keep the rest. Both approaches make sense and it really depends on how in tune with your own development or how analytical you are. But there are many ways to success and if your ‘friend’ is telling you what you are doing is wrong or you should be doing it differently, in most cases you are doing something and they are not, so just keep to your plan and make your own decisions, don’t get distracted.

I’m happy as I am – If that is true then that’s fantastic. But then why has this even come up? Either it is because you are not actually happy as you are and are trying to convince yourself you are because you can’t be bothered doing anything about it, or others are seeing potential in you that you have not seen in yourself, but you can’t be bothered in putting in the effort to realize that potential. I’d love it if everyone were truly happy with themselves, but if they truly were, then this phrase would never see the light of day.

You don’t know what it’s like – Maybe I don’t, but what difference does that make? Everyone thinks their situation (when it’s bad) is worse than anyone else has ever experienced. Chances are the people you think ‘don’t know what it’s like’ know exactly what it’s like, have been there, but they have just dealt with it without making a huge drama of it. This is most commonly used as a get out clause to make someone else ‘allow’ you to quit or fail. Understand it is just an excuse and whatever the situation, it is what it is and you just need to deal with it to the best of your ability regardless of what anyone else thinks.

It’s not my fault – Yes it is! Do something about it. Even if something is down to someone else, it is what it is, you can’t control it or do anything about it, so deal with what you can control. Your progress is down to you, no one and nothing else.

So there you have it! 40 Excuses to watch out for and look to eliminate from your life in order to make some real progression with your physical and fitness developments. They will also apply to other aspects of your life no doubt, so read and re-read.

And let us know which ones you use regularly in the comments section below. It’s like any other issue – if you admit you have a problem, that’s the first step to banishing it.

Are there any that I’ve missed? Again comment below.

Remember, this is about community and sharing for the benefit of all, so be sure to get involved. (or are you going to make an excuse for not doing that too?).

And don’t forget to ‘like’ ‘tweet’ & ‘share’ the article and help build this community and improve the content and feedback.

The Original Post is Located Here 40 Excuses that are Holding You Back

Ignore what it says on the poster, that May 4th date is the American release date. But for once, the UK get the priority viewing, with the full Avengers line-up due to hit our screens on April 26th. So if you are reading this from the U.S.A. then A is for ‘Another Week!’.

OK, this is a health and fitness site, so what on earth is a movie release doing taking up space here?

Well first of all, the fact that this film is finally upon us is ‘friggin awesome!’ and is something I personally have been champing at the bit for since Sam Jackson appeared at the end credits of Iron Man 4 years ago.

But, as well as that, there is also the hype that has surrounded the physiques of some of the actors involved to consider.

The transformations of Chris Hemsworth from Captain Kirk’s dad, to Thor was absolutely staggering. And Chris Evans may have been pretty ripped already, but the additional mass he added for the roll of Captain America was of a level that most mere mortals could only dream of.

If you have been reading the Blog over at Dynamic Core Solutions for a while, you will have seen my ‘rant’ on Gimmicky workouts and marketing bandwagons such as the Thor or the Captain America Workouts.

If you missed it, check it out here.

And whilst the results are seriously impressive, the fact that both Hemsworth and Evans have both been quoted as saying their physiques are down to severe work in the gym and a diet of Chicken and Broccoli smarts of hyped up, media based B.S.

First off, the sheer size these guys added in such a short time frame (5-7 months) from training and that diet alone would be virtually impossible. And to add such size and remain so ripped in the process without the use of other ‘vitamins’ seems implausible.

However, I am not one to label just because someone has been successful. And I’m more than willing to keep an open mind to the idea that the process these guys used was a natural one. But if that is the case, then a diet of Chicken and Broccoli alone is not going to cut it.

The advantage Hollywood stars have, other than being able to work with nutrition specialists and their own dedicated Personal Trainers, is the body sculpting they do between roles is part of their job. And it is a full time job. So to simplify it to a single workout for the sake of selling a magazine is something I find a little insulting.

As I have said before, there is no one magic workout that is getting these guys in such fantastic shape. They are simply training hard and training smart (most likely down to their trainers and coaches). But they are able to workout full time. So in essence they could be training 2, 3 or 4 times per day and to do that and be able to fuel the recovery required, there has to be more to their diet than Chicken and Broccoli. So if it’s not some other kind of ‘stimulant’ then there has to be a Glycogen source in there somewhere (i.e. Carbs).

Another thing to keep in mind is that Chris Evans has admitted that he was doing press ups between takes to stay as pumped as possible. That, combined with lighting and visual effects will all be used to ensure that what you see on screen is his physique reflected in the absolute best condition rather than the norm.

I’m not taking anything away from these guys. What they achieved and the effort they have put in is huge. The point I’m trying to make is that, regardless of what the magazines are telling you in order to sell that month’s edition, the average Joe working a 9-5 job, looking after a family and fitting the gym in around their life and daily commitments is not going to be able to follow a basic workout, eat nothing but Chicken and Broccoli and get the results these guys did in the same time frame (unless you are massively genetically gifted, in which case, go thank your parents not the workout).

What they have shown is that amazing changes are possible and that you are not stuck with the size and shape you currently have. And regardless of the route they took, these changes are possible to achieve naturally. But it may take more time than they had and it will certainly take a more measured approach than following a workout put together to sell a magazine just because the Actor involved has agreed to pose for the cover.

And just in case you are wondering – if your target is to look like the Green Guy, I think you might find his route to that shape is a probably a little beyond natural methods. Either that or he is green through a really MAJOR intake of broccoli!

Thing is, it’s a movie, it’s a form of entertainment and the one thing you can get from it is a huge surge of Testosterone and adrenaline. And if you walk out of the movie inspired to go hit the gym, more power to it.

From my point of view though, this is simply going to be one Kick Ass movie and one I can’t wait to see.

So roll on April 26th and if you are in the area and heading to the cinema to see this, I’ll see you there.

Bring it!

So what do you think?

Are you looking forward to this movie, or do you think it has been over-hyped?

Which has been your favorite Avenger Build Up Movie so far?

And do you believe those physiques were build on Chicken and Broccoli alone?

Let us know with your Post Below.

And don’t forget to ‘like’ ‘tweet’ & ‘share’ the article and help build this community and improve the content and feedback.

The Original Post is Located Here A is also for Avengers Assemble

The fitness concepts for the month of April are brought to you by the letters A for April and S for Spring.

A is for April

A is also for Abs – If you really want to rock that 6 pack or flatten your tummy cover model style in time for hitting the beach this summer, then you must start thinking about it now. April is the cut off point for starting a steady summer beach body physique. If you don’t start now, you are going to have to either settle for poorer results than you hoped for or you will have to do a panic rush job, where either you will do more long term damage than good or you will have to settle for poorer results than you hoped for. Want a 6 pack for summer, now is the time to start working it.

A is also for Anaerobic – As the weather starts to turn for the better (in the Northern Hemisphere anyway) then suddenly the joggers start to fill the streets. Whilst there is nothing wrong with going out for a jog for health reasons or as an addition to your fat burning programme. At this point in the proceedings, coming out of winter and starting the countdown to the beachwear, for most you are still at a point where your carb intake and therefore glycogen stores are topped up. If you really want to be starting that fat burning process with a bang, then anaerobic workouts should be at the heart of your workouts. That means lifting weights, high intensity workouts and if you are going to run – sprints, hills, stairs etc. these are your friends. You have consumed energy in the form of carbs, so use it. Aerobic activity has it’s place, but it should not be a priority in a fat loss programme at this stage.

A is also for Accountability – Starting now, set your goals and stick to them. Don’t chop and change your programme and don’t change your goals. Get focused and decide what you want to achieve and believe it! (See this Article I wrote for FionaOutdoors for more on this). Then make yourself accountable. However you do this, make it stick. Tell your friends what you ARE going to achieve. Promise to post photos of the results on Facebook or Photobucket etc on a set date. Arrange a photoshoot and pay for it in advance. Whatever you can do to promote accountability. At Dynamic Core Studios, we have a booking policy because we believe you should treat appointments for your health and physique with the same (or more) priority you give to meetings at work, dental appointments and appointments with a beautician. It promotes accountability and accountability promotes results.

A is also for Atrophy - If you over do it too soon, try to lose too much fat too quickly or focus on aerobic exercises, such as long jogs, as apposed to anaerobic (see above) then the chances are you will force your body to give up muscle. For some that means losing the extra muscle size you have worked all winter on, for others, it means losing any chance of that hard, toned look you are seeking. You may get smaller, but it’s still going to wobble. That’s because, skinny doesn’t automatically mean lean, it can simply mean skinny fat. Don’t fall into that trap.

A is also for Appetite – Often as we come out of the hibernation zone and cold comfort eating of the winter months, if you are truly dedicated to your fat loss exploits, you will find it easier to cut calories from your diet. However, it is all too common for this to be taken far too far too quickly. Yes a calorie deficit is required, but too much too soon can cause stagnation later on, either though your body’s reaction to starvation, your systems adaptation (which could be another thing A is for) or Atrophy (see above). So don’t let your appetite, or lack there of, control your intake. Be sensible and take a measured approach to your diet.

A is also for Anabolic - No we are not talking unnatural enhancements here. Believe it or not it is possible to stimulate muscle growth and development without the use of stimulants and un-natural substances. But creating an anabolic environment is crucial for successful fat loss. Firstly you have to give your muscles a reason to hang around (see atrophy) but also the release of Growth Hormone is the most effective fat loss process achieved by the body. An anabolic environment is therefore also a fat burning environment if your nutritional intake is correct. So lift weights, work anaerobically, keep your stress levels in check along with your sleep patterns (see below).

S is for Spring

S is also for Strength – Strength is the foundation of every physical enhancement activity. There are no exercises, sports or physical activities where strength is not of huge importance. In order to give your all to a workout or a discipline you must have strong tendons, strong ligaments, strength in stability and as such a strong core. In order to periodize your development for an optimal summer physique, you should look to lay the foundations correctly by focusing on strength training at this stage. Improved Strength brings more speed, improved power, higher metabolic rate, improved endurance and so potential for higher volume training and increased workload. Always keep fat loss and nutritional balance at the fore of your thought process, but lay the foundations to the development over the next 3 or 4 months with an initial focus on strength training.

S is also for Stress - As far as improving your physique goes, stress is probably the number one killer. Too much stress can seriously inhibit any potential improvements from your training or nutritional efforts. Take the time to relax and remember, without your health you have nothing. So if something is causing you stress, whether it be work or other people, either cut those elements out of your life, limit them or learn to deal with them. Because if you don’t control them, they will control you and that is not a life worth living. Put your health and your development first and everything else will improve with it.

S is also for Sleep - Lack of sleep is simply another form of stress. I touched on this in my article on Rest and Recovery, but it is important and worth repeating. Lack of quality sleep is probably the most common form of negative stress and as such, the biggest inhibitor of physical improvements and can be the biggest

S is also for Shredded – If you are thinking I’m over doing things by saying April is the time you need to start for that summer body in July/ August, then it may depend on your view of a summer body. Yes it is possible to make a noticeable change in a few weeks and perhaps that’s a path you have been down in the past, or seen in others. But if you really want to ‘peak’ for the summer and get in the best shape possible, then that is not something that can be achieved with a few weeks of eating well and training hard. It takes planning and serious commitment over a much longer time period. If you really want to be ultra toned with a cover model physique or ultra shredded, then you need to be starting now.

S is for Serious

S is also for Serious – You either want to achieve something or you don’t. If you ‘kinda’ do then you don’t really want it. If hitting the pub or the clubs every week or that couple of glasses of wine ‘just to wind down’, the two for Tuesday’s Pizza or the Saturday shopping lunch just can’t be turned down, then you haven’t fully committed to the idea and you are just ‘wishing’ or ‘wanting’ but you are not doing. It’s time to get serious. In the grand scheme of things, you are looking at around 12-16 weeks of being focused. I’m not saying you have to be 100% perfect, not at this stage anyway. But the treats and cheats should be the exception rather than the norm. If you are treating yourself 3 or 4 times a week, then that’s not a treat, it’s just what you do. Don’t kid yourself, don’t cheat yourself, make a plan and stick to it. Depending on how old you are, 12-16 weeks is a drop in the ocean compared to your life so far. So decide on your priorities, work on your Emotivation and Get Serious.

S is also for Start – The only way you are going to achieve anything is to take that first step. You can continue to wait for the perfect time or work on getting all the details of a perfect programme. You can continue to try every gimmick or fad that appears on the shopping channel or the fitness channel or always decide to start ‘next week’ when you have had time to prepare a shopping list and get all your food ready. But if you start down that road, before you know it, you will have 3 weeks left until your beach holiday or the day where you are joining your friends for a barbeque and you will look back and wonder why you didn’t do something about your summer body sooner. Or, you could start now and tweak as you go along. If you start and get it wrong, you might not get it perfect right away and your results may not be 100% optimal, but if you fail to start you can be 100% sure your results won’t be perfect and you will get nowhere. So stop putting it off and get started. No Excuses & No Regrets!

So there we have it boys and girls. These are short simple points to keep in mind for the month of April. We will take a closer look at some of these elements in future articles, but for now, just remember, time flies and the work you do now will determine the results you get in a few months. Lay proper foundations now and the results will be fantastic. Fail to start now and you will be playing catch up for the rest of the year.

But what do you think?

Are you getting on board? If so, you could make yourself more accountable by posting it below.

And what have I missed? Do you have any ‘A’ or ‘S’ tips of your own?

If so, then post it below!

And don’t forget to ‘like’ ‘tweet’ & ‘share’ the article and help build this community and improve the content and feedback.

The Original Post is Located Here April’s Alphabet of Fitness and Fat Loss

How long should your rest between sets and workouts?

This is a question that was recently raised by John, one of our Dynamic Members at the Studios.

The default advice for rest and recovery between workouts would be one full day off. Often this is accompanied by the advice of 3 days rest for each muscle group worked.

But as with most variables when it comes to training, it is never as black and white as many people make out.

The amount of rest required is dependent on a number of factors, including, but not limited to:

• Your Primary Training Goal
• Your Genetic Makeup
• Your Current Fitness Level
• Your Training Intensity
• Stresses outwith your training
• How Much Sleep you are getting
• Your Nutritional Intake

Any one or combination of these factors can significantly impact your recovery requirements.

But one thing is true above all others – rest periods are about recovery. So for the optimal results you should be training as much as you can optimally recover from and as frequently as that recovery will allow.

So the higher your training intensity, the greater your rest and recovery requirements.

From there it is clear that training and recovery can each be manipulated to match the requirements of the other.

For example, if you are only able to train twice per week due to other commitments, then you should look to train to a level that is going to require around 3 days of recovery.

However, if you are able to train every day, or even more frequently, then you cannot train to the same level as you would in the twice per week scenario or you would burn out. But that is not to say you can’t train every day or even several times per day. In fact, if you have the time, I’d generally recommend that approach.

What is most important in this scenario is the stress on your CNS (Central Nervous System). The CNS is hardest hit through heavy eccentric loads. Which essentially means when you have to control the downward motion of a weight (resisting gravity) you are inflicting greater stress. Big compound movements like squats & deadlifts have a huge impact on your CNS.

However, the more supported you are or the lower the eccentric load, the less you will stress your CNS.

Therefore standing doing free weight training with heavy loads have a high stress factor.

Sitting or lying on a bench (supported) has a lower stress factor.

Using cables will lower the level again.

Right down to exercises where the eccentric load is minimal or nullified, such as loaded stair climbs (so long as you don’t then walk back down them with the load), box jumps, prowler or sled work.

Also, the time you train for will have an influence. If you have a 60min workout, but only do 20mins of it in the morning, do you really think you then can’t go and re-fuel and come back a few hours later to do the next 20mins and then repeat?

In fact, because you haven’t drained your tank fully, due to the way that your hormones react, you can return exponentially quicker and therefore, coupled with refueling between, can end up getting MORE out of that same 60min workout by splitting it than you would if it was just one all out session.

If you think about it, that is only logical. By the time you reach the second session, you are coming in fresh and fueled, so you can give more effort and focus to the exercises in that portion of the workout than you would if you were already drained from the first section.

This idea has been developed further by many of the top American Sports teams. Where the idea of resting before a big game was always the accepted rule, now most of the major hockey and football teams have discovered that, by doing a less CNS intensive training session the day before a big game or event, the athlete’s performance improved significantly on game day. And far from draining them, it seems to charge their nervous system.

This is something I have found to be true. How many of you have taken a Sunday as a rest day, only to hit the gym on Monday feeling lethargic and sluggish? Yet if you train two days in a row, on day two you are up for the challenge.

Muscle soreness is a different issue here and can be covered in a separate article, but from a pure energy or focus point of view, staying active means staying sharp, whereas taking a rest day often means getting out of the groove and having to build your energy and focus back up.

The ideal solution, therefore, is to learn to listen to your body’s feedback. If you know you can train regularly and you feel your energy levels drop during a session, stop and move on to something less draining. Similarly, if you come to your next session and don’t feel fully recovered, do something less draining (this is where the prowler is such a fantastic tool).

The prowler is such a versatile tool, hard hitting without the drain on your CNS

On the flip side, if the thing you are trying to improve is your ability to recover, then obviously you have to push yourself beyond your comfort zone. Though even then, that doesn’t mean you must have a rest day. You will simply not be able to go balls to the wall every day and will need to take ‘active recovery’ days. Again, prowler or plyometric work, low loads, high power, low eccentric stress.

To sum up:

Rest periods between sets are determined more by the goal of that workout (short rests to develop your ability to recover, longer rests to ensure you can give your all for the next set and get the most out of the set for gains in strength or physique).

Rest periods between workouts are determined by how long your CNS will require to optimally recover.

It is also worth remembering that stress applied to your nervous system is not limited to training. Stress is stress regardless of where it comes from. Stress from a workout has beneficial qualities, but if you are already stressed from work, lack of sleep, financial strain etc. That will affect your recovery and is another reason why it is crucial to listen to the feedback your body gives you and adjust your workouts and lifestyle accordingly.

That’s a whole other can of worms, but in it’s rawest form, these are negative stresses and you would do well to limit them wherever possible. Don’t let them get a hold of you or no amount of training is going to over come their negative effects.

Improper nutrition is also a stress. But again, too much for the scope of this article.

For now though, the next time someone tells you that you can’t train every day or 2-3 times per day, send them here. Or point them to an Olympic Powerlifter – those guys train 3-4 times per day every day. Most of us don’t have that luxury, but it certainly dispels the myth that you ‘can’t’ train so frequently. Or even talk to someone who has a manual labor job or a Farmer. Those guys are constantly lifting and working. They don’t have every second day off, yet, if their diet is in check, their physiques don’t suffer.

The people that stay with that claim are either trying to sell you on a programme or they are too lazy to train more often and simply justifying why.

Train hard, Train often and listen to your body for feedback rather than your ‘friends’.

Hopefully that answers the question, but what do you think? Does this make sense to you? Does it fly in the face of the information you believed in until now?

What are your views on rest periods and how they should be applied?

Comment below and share your opinions.

And if there are any parts of this article that you would like clarified or to discuss further, again, comment below.

And remember, if you have a question or topic you would like covered in a future article, head over to our Facebook Page and post it there (Remember to ‘like’ the page if you haven’t already) and we will look to cover your question in a future post here on The Core.

In the meantime, go train hard, recover optimally and then train some more.

The Original Post is Located Here Rest and Recovery

This is the area that we hope will become the central hub of our online fitness community.

We are looking to take an almost magazine style approach to ‘The Core’ which we hope will make it engaging for everyone, however, it will have the advantage of allowing the readers to become interactive by commenting below each of the posts.

And we encourage you to do just that.

However, unlike a magazine, we will also have the advantage of being able to link outwith this site to information we think may be of interest to our community as well as adding multimedia and video content.

And with our YouTube Channel primed and ready for launch, we hope to do just that (be sure to go and subscribe to our channel).

However, what we are really hoping this area will be used more for is general Q&A.

Any members of our training facility can ask us questions in house and anyone in our Facebook network can post their questions on our Facebook Page (and if you haven’t ‘liked’ that page yet I urge you to do so). Or questions relevant to or expanding on any posts here can be asked directly on the article page itself.

Then there is also the ability to post directly to the YouTube channel or through Twitter.

Though, for simplicity, we would ask you to utilize the Facebook Page or In House route if it is a fresh question.

Obviously if we can answer in a few words, we will simply do so on the original thread or directly, face to face, in the gym. But if it is something we feel would benefit from a fuller explanation or may be of benefit to a wider audience, we will post the answers directly here on ‘The Core’.

As you may know, we already have an article based Blog on our sister site ‘Dynamic Core Solutions‘ and we will continue to run that to cover broad, wide reaching and in-depth topics and articles. Whereas here we will look to take a more relaxed approach and keep things a little more informal.

So if there is something you want to ask, discuss or would just like to see our views, opinions or theories on, whether it be exercise, diet & nutrition or fitness related, then head over to our Dynamic Core Studios Facebook Page, hit ‘like’ and start posting.

We will be sure to read every single post and do all we can to ensure each one gets a response, an article or a video response.

If you have any thoughts on how you’d like to see this section develop though, then please post below.

What do you want to see happen here? Are there any other things not mentioned you think we should look to include?

Comment below and let us know.

The Original Post is Located Here Welcome to The Core

When we opened the facility we put out this discount offer for Dynamic Members. However, we have decided not to limit this to the first 10 members and will continue to offer the discount for all new Dynamic Members.

Therefore, anyone signing up to our full Dynamic Membership package will receive either 7.5% off their monthly subscription fee for the first year or their membership. Or, should you decide to take the plunge and pay for your entire year in advance, to thank you for your commitment to the club, we will give you £114 off the cost.

Remember, the Dynamic Membership entitles you to priority booking over all other membership types, you get more votes when it comes to buying new equipment, you get bigger discounts on in house products (such as supplements) and it is the most cost effective way to train if you intend to train regularly.

However, we are all about results and training quality, not about cramming the gym full of members, so this membership option is limited.

We will keep the discounted level for as long as we can, but it could go back up at any time. However, the ceiling on membership numbers is set and we will not be going above that, so once all the Dynamic Memberships have been taken out, we will not be offering any more until either someone leaves or we expand the training area to allow more room for people to train.

This membership option is not for those who train when it suits them, 3 or 4 times per month. It is not for someone who trains a couple of times per week in order to allow them to binge eat and go off the rails over the weekend.

This membership package is for those who are set on making a difference and are willing to commit to it. Who want to spend serious training time in the gym and is looking for a high quality training environment in which to do that.

We have limited this package because results are our primary focus. If you are truly ready to make a change and commit to a result, this is for you. If you want to have a big impact on the future of the gym, this is for you. If you are looking for the biggest gains in fat loss, muscle toning, hypertrophy, physical improvement or simply improved fitness, then this is for you.

So take advantage of this offer while it is there. Come and join the No 1 gym in the West of Scotland for focused results based training and make that change today.

If you want to know more or find out if our facility is for you, book in for a tour:

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The Original Post is Located Here Save on your Dynamic Membership

By this time of the year, most people have already let their resolutions slide. The reasons for that and how to combat it, I’ll expand on that in a more complete article later, but for now, we want to encourage you to get your training back on track and start pushing to make the most of 2012.

Therefore, to ensure your Fitness & Physique improvements remain on track, we are offering a 28% discount on the cost of all PAYG sessions throughout the month of February.

So not only will you be losing pounds of fat with the best equipment and set up for the best results possible, you will be saving pounds doing it.

If you are not currently a member and want to come down and check out the facility, book in for a quick tour.

Book In For a Tour

Alternatively, give us a call and arrange a time to come down.

So don’t waste the chance to use our premium facility for less. And remember, if you train with a friend or two, you split the cost of the session between you.

Don’t wait until March and then April before panicking that Summer is almost here and you are going to do some crazy diet for 2 weeks to get you to a ‘beach figure’. Do it in a way that is going to last this time. Make a change that you can be proud of and maintain for the rest of your life.

Join our community and achieve your potential.

The first step to any improvement is to take action, so make a commitment right now and head down to train with the best for 28% less.

Once you have started and begin to realize the changes you are capable of, you will wonder why you never did it before. And if you are simply getting back into it, you will need only remind yourself once what you left behind.

But if you are currently a member and coming down to train regularly anyway, well, just consider this a thank you and an incentive to keep going towards achieving some incredible results.

We want everyone who comes through our doors to achieve better results than they ever have before, so this is our way of trying to boost those results further.

So take advantage while it’s there.

Remember, we have no long term tie ins, so if you only want to train for the month, you can. Or you can use our free ‘Solutions‘ membership option and if you don’t train it doesn’t cost you anything.

So there’s no excuse not to at least give it a go.

If you want results, we will deliver.

Book In For a Tour

As a few new members joined in the last few days of February, we decided to extend this offer until the end of March in order to ensure they were able to benefit from it. But that means you can too, by coming down and using the gym at these discounted rates right up until the end of March.

The sooner you start using this discount the more benefit you will get from it before the price goes back up. So come on down today and see what you are missing in the Best Gym Glasgow, Clydebank and the West of Scotland has to offer if real results are your goal.

The Original Post is Located Here 28% Off all Training Sessions