For years I hit a plateau with my training, never progressing or getting the results I wanted. Listening to the advise and guidance of Paul he has taken me to the next level with my training, and I now look and feel better than I ever have before.

The scale is perhaps the most feared piece of equipment in the gym (with the possible exception of the the Assault Bike!!). Everybody dreads stepping on the scale, as if they are about to drop into the abyss.

So here's my take on scale weight, why it can be a useful measurement tool, and why you have to exercise some caution when using it.

"A frequent pattern is that if weight goes down, that means it's time for celebration. Bring on the cake. But if weight goes up, it's time to reduce food intake even more and add an extra hour of exercise to the gym. As you'll see below, these types of short- term changes are relatively meaningless overall" (McDonald, 2018)

I have posted far less about myself over recent months. The reason being, well why would anyone want to read about my training? I mean, that's your job right?

But I thought a little harder and on closer inspection, I'm not any different from any of my clients. For example, I have long working hours. I have the same time pressures to try and fit in my training, prepare my food, and get adequate sleep. I have social occasions to attend, and temptations to try and resist! I have family and friends that I have to balance.

So, I guess my point is, rather than seeing myself as somehow different or separate from my clients, we are all in the same boat. 

Getting enough sleep is absolutely critical, not just for health and well being, but also to ensure optimal results from a body composition perspective.

"Although correlation research is not conclusive, there appears to be a persistent relationship between less sleep time and greater fat mass. This association persists after controlling for the most predictable potential confounding agents"

So how can you go about optimising your sleep? Here is my guide to sleep....

So, we understand that energy balance is the key to weight loss. If that last sentence makes no sense then please read the THIS article first.

With that understood, it is easy to understand why the number of calories we consume on both a short- and long-term basis is absolutely crucial to losing weight.

By far the easiest way to ensure you are consuming the right number of calories is to track your calorie intake (at least for a period of time). However, many people struggle to do this. So, what can you do if you struggle to track your calorie intake but you want to ensure you don't over-consume on calories? Read on to find out....

Overconsumption of calories is a problem. A big problem. From expanding waistlines to a burgeoning health crisis, the global obesity epidemic is wreaking havoc on our health systems. So just why are we consuming so many calories? 

The fact is we are all mindless eaters. Each of us makes more then 200 nearly subconscious food choices every day.

Here are 4 major reasons why you might be consuming more than you think...

New Year is here! Silly season is over. And if you are like most others, you have some unwanted fat to shed. Here is a quick guide to supercharge your fat loss efforts this January: -

You see a lot of transformations online. Heck I love posting some of the amazing transformations my clients have achieved - see here. However, what I would like to emphasise here is that, behind the improvement in body shape, is a myriad of other changes that, for me, outweigh the physical changes one undergoes.

So this post has largely been contributed by my clients, who often tell me about how much other aspects of their lives have improved since changing their body. Enjoy!

Holiday's are a glorious thing. They allow you to rest, recuperate and recharge. Stress levels are lowered, we get more sleep, we eat good food. However, on returning from holiday after a week (or two, or three) off, the gym can seem like a traumatising proposition. It's akin to returning back to school after the summer break. Everything feels odd and not particularly pleasant. 

So, having taken some time off, what is the best approach to take with regard to the training you should do? Should you just carry on with the program you were doing pre-holiday? Should you jump straight into a new program? 

With Christmas upon us and the New Year not far away, it's time for some reflection on the year that was. I want to share some of my lessons learnt, some of my hopes for 2018 and some of my top resources in the world of health and fitness.

I would wholeheartedly recommend Paul to anyone trying to achieve any
training/nutrition goals - he walks the talk and is in great shape
year round himself. His approach to training and nutrition is
sustainable and the way he treats his clients is what makes someone
like me loyal to the Physique Wise brand

With summer finally here (at least for us Southern Hemisphere folk) and Christmas fast approaching, a hot topic in health and fitness circles is alcohol. But can we enjoy a drink and not totally screw up our diet? And just how damaging is alcohol to our health? 
 

Following my review of obesity last week, this week I want to provide an overview of a review carried out by Mushinsky (2017) who sought to discover whether there was a link between ultra-processed foods (UPF) and obesity.

"I started training with Paul over 12 months ago with a goal to improve my overall body strength, in particular upper body, to help with my weekend warrior activities such as obstacle racing (and keeping the kids entertained!!)....