Hello Readers

After my last 2 posts of distilled wisdom I thought that this week I’d best bash out something shiny and new for you all Having pondering exactly what shiny and new stuff to share for a couple of days I received a lengthy text from one of my personal training clients – hence forth referred to as MC – thoughtfully suggesting that I might like to devote this post to answering her query so I’m going to do just that

Attentive readers will note that while answering a client’s query in a post is completely new and shiny the wisdom contained in this post isn’t

The Query

To put things into context for you MC had a great start to the year, hitting the gym regularly (sometimes up to 5 times a week) and paying careful attention to nutrition, particularly monitoring comfort eating. Needless to say MC made great progress on this regime Things have changed recently as MC now has professional exams approaching and with less time available for working out has cut back to 2 sessions a week for the duration of the exams.

Here’s what’s bothering MC “although I am not so badly comfort eating….I still find that I’m picking up the wrong things and making the wrong choices…any thoughts on will power? Plus any comments on how to continue motivating myself”

I’d normally just talk through this with a client so it’s quite interesting to be sitting here on my own typing it

Habits

We are creatures of habit

Remember this fantastic quote from John Beradi?

“Habits are more powerful than momentary desire. Habits are more powerful than information. Habits are more powerful than guilt. And only a concerted, conscious effort to override habits will lead to success.”

Earlier in the year MC was fully focused on training and nutrition – a conscious and concerted effort was being made. With MC’s conscious and concerted efforts now primarily focused on those pesky exams old habits are now reasserting themselves. It’s all perfectly normal and understandable

Clearly there is an internal conflict but it’s simply a manifestation of the war between the habits The old habit says “Exams bad buy comfort food” and the new one says “Eat nutrient dense foods you’ll have more energy and better mental focus for studying and be slimmer and sexier.” Which one is loudest depends on where we are placing our conscious and concerted efforts

There are a number of practical strategies to help the situation – my favourite is to write a shopping list Do it when your conscious and concerted efforts are focused on the right choices, get into the habit of only buying off the list and simply don’t buy anything else

I’m in the habit of never buying certain foods – HobNobs for example Very occasionally I ‘fancy’ a HobNob so much that I actually buy a packet, which I then eat rather swiftly but trust me if I bought them every week and just put them in the cupboard I’d ‘fancy’ them a lot more

Hobnobs

It’s worth noting here that the longer you maintain a new habit the more ingrained it becomes so you can relax your conscious and concerted efforts without relapsing Then you can go change another habit, just for fun

Language

Look closely at the language MC uses – “I still find that I’m picking up the wrong things and making the wrong choices.”

The use of the phrase ‘still find’ suggests to me a possible lack of responsibility for your own actions At what point in the process does one ‘just find’ you’ve made the wrong choice? Is it when you’re unpacking the shopping –“Oh no I’ve bought Ben & Jerry’s again” or not until you serve dinner – “Damn I’ve made chips again” or not until late at night when the doorbell rings and you ‘just find’ you’ve ordered pizza again Some of you may think I’m being a bit picky here but I’m not This is in fact so important that I once wrote a whole post about it I’ve written about taking responsibility before too .

The reason for the poor choices may be habitual but it’s still YOUR choice Take responsibility for it

Willpower

I’d say MC has plenty of willpower

MC is studying – a lot – still working out twice a week (previously MC quits completely when exams roll around) and despite a few bad choices hasn’t fallen back into old eating habits either. That takes willpower, quite a lot of it It’s just spread over more areas than earlier in the year thus the slight step back in the comfort eating department

It’s important to mention that we all slip back from time to time. It’s normal. It’s okay. What is not okay is indulging yourself emotionally by ‘feeling bad’ about it or any other such nonsense – just think different thoughts When the initial wave of silly thoughts has subsided simply logically assess the situation and move on Not convinced you can control your own thoughts? Go read this Simple, though not easy, obviously What to do? Persist :).

Motivation

Again; I’d say MC is motivated. Studying, training, still being aware of nutritional choices – if there was no motivation none of this would be happening

That said, sometimes we all feel a little flat. Even me Remember this?

“This week’s post finds me fighting hard against the desire to hibernate for a wee while Not quite a full on slumber until summer, more of a snuggle up cosy on the sofa for a few days with a warm blanket, a hot chocolate and a lot of DVD’s affair Alas I’ve got a blog to write, followed by Shoulders and Triceps and personal training clients to attend to so any hibernating is going to have to wait until the weekend ”

When I feel like this I take responsibility and either get on with it or indulge myself. I usually just get on with it but that’s just my choice, it’s not the ‘right’ one, just the one well I chose

Gratuitous Kai Greene side chest shot

Conclusion

Everything is completely fine MC is doing really well and with time it’ll just get easier. MC knows where I am if more support is needed but for now that’s all I have to say on the subject I’m going to go and look for some amusing pictures to go with this now – you can hit the ‘Like’ button on the left please

“Don’t take life too seriously… no one gets out alive anyway”
– from a bathroom wall at King Street Station, Seattle, WA

“I awoke, tired but not sleepy – aaaagggghhh!!! – at 5am. Buggar”

From “Changes “

“So what’s changing? Well lots, including the content of this post apparently”

“I’m not going to be fooled into thinking mine is anything less than wonderful by a lack of sleep and a bout of grumpiness”

I love this pic

From “Tired Grumpy Ramblings“

do I need a reason?

“People spend too much time finding other people to blame, too much energy finding excuses for not being what they are capable of being, and not enough energy putting themselves on the line, growing out of the past, and getting on with their lives.” Kai Greene

“Start becoming an expert on you ”

“At this point NOTHING ELSE IS RELEVANT. In case that wasn’t clear enough I’ll state it again – NOTHING ELSE IS RELEVANT”

From “It’s All About You – And It’s All Free “

“As it’s me and I’m very intense I’ve reviewed my entire life but you don’t have to go that far”

“Mike reminded me, again , that the most important single factor is to have fun and enjoy your training”

“I’m very intense. I’m focused. I’m driven. All the time And that’s not ultimately a good thing. Recharging my batteries by relaxing and resting will increase my overall productivity and raise the quality of my work too. I know this and I try my best to relax and rest, but I even do that intensely I have a sleep log so I can intensely monitor I’m getting enough sleep. I intensely plan what time I’m going to bed I wake up frequently in the night with my head buzzing with the next day’s activities For me chilling out is really quite challenging”

“working until my ‘Go To Bed’ alarm sounds Yes I really do have one Would you believe that my GTB alarm was quite innovative at the time and a major step forward from not going to bed until I dropped off exhausted at the laptop a couple of times”

“I’ll admit that Legs isn’t fun in the traditional ‘go to pub or buy a pizza and a DVD’ sense but trust me, it is fun”

“I know that today’s title may come as a shock to some of you; indeed it’s still slightly surprising to me but I think it’s best to be honest about these things”

From “I’m Not Perfect – Yet “

“the failure of last year’s Xmas tree lights. Imagine my dismay when I arrived home last Saturday , unreasonably excited, with my tree only to find my decoration plans derailed”

“It’s the first time I’ve ever decorated the tree and I’m very proud of myself”

I'm still proud of this

From “The further adventures of Matt and Kyle ) aka 3 Gyms and 4 sets of Xmas tree lights )“

“It occurs to me at this point that regular readers may note the rather shocking lack of smilies in the above announcement. Trust me; I’m happy I’m very happy”

From “More Changes for 2012 – Physique and Performance )“

“I’ve always used multiple gyms. I’m a bit of a gym slut”

“We stopped at this point to visit Snax Cafe, a traditional greasy spoon, an Edinburgh institution and one of our favourite places ”
From ‘6 Gyms and a Snax Cafe Breakfast’

“After Legs I don’t do any cardio, I just lay down for a while”

From “New Years Resolutions Anyone“

“This is where I thoughtfully tell you what I’m going to ramble about this week. It’s a win/win for you as it’ll either create a bubbling undercurrent of anticipatory excitement in you, which is always fun , or enable you to save time by reading no further if you’re not interested”

“I’m also sneaking in a bit of personal development by breaking a personal habit of never returning to a restaurant if the last experience wasn’t perfect as I’ve decided this is foolish and extreme”

“I think this is my first cliff-hanger ending How exciting is that?”

From “Relaxation – Walking The Walk“

“This week’s post finds me fighting hard against the desire to hibernate for a wee while Not quite a full on slumber until summer, more of a snuggle up cosy on the sofa for a few days with a warm blanket, a hot chocolate and a lot of DVD’s affair”

“You may well be experiencing some form of anti-climatic comedown at this point. I’d apologise but I’m not actually sorry; I mean what were you actually expecting?”

“As John has written so eloquently on the practical steps of self experimentation and I can’t think of a thrilling way to improve on it for you I’m going to suggest you download his book and read it This will also be a great practical first step in taking responsibility”

From “The Ultimate Secret – Take Responsibility “

“probably anyway as I’m never quite sure where these posts are going these days, they’ve developed a life of their own.”

“I actually think that most people are deluded about a lot more than just their food intake but that’s another matter”

“33-50% of calories came from protein shakes, every single day The word I’d use here isn’t ‘supplementing’, it’s ‘lazy’”

From “You’re Deluded – Probably “

“Incidentally I’m very pleased with how my blog is evolving, my posts are weaving together so satisfyingly, what with sister posts and accidental trilogies that it puts me in mind of a piece of Celtic knot work I’ve found a nice picture for you in case you’ve no idea what I’m on about here”

“This is a craft beer wonderland I just looked online for the exact location and found that their own description is a little more poetic than mine – ‘glimmering craft beer oasis in the heart of the city’s historic old town’ but it was penned by a professional”

From “Food Glorious Food“

“Kilo has just arrived (it’s 11.00am and I’m writing in a non-linear fashion again) and she is such a bundle of splendid snuffling loveliness that I’m dedicating it to her instead“

“Fortified by a splendid second breakfast from Snax Cafe, hand delivered by the lovely Amy”

“perhaps controversially, I think Summer is over-rated”

“In 40 days, which wasn’t intentional in case you’re wondering ;o) , I’ve lost 11bs of body fat and gained 1.5lb of muscle which I’m quite happy with, especially as I only did 3 cardio sessions”

From “Now Is Not The End “

“nutrition plans should always be a starting point for further experimentation. Not rigid, immutable guidelines.

Of course, if you’re new to all this, you need some guidelines to work from. To put you on the right track. But after that, your best bet is to adopt the adventurous attitude of a physiological pioneer. To boldly experiment and tweak until you find what works for you.”
John Berardi

From “Matt’s Wisdom, Well Mostly part 2 “

Well there you go folks, my finest moments, so far, again As ever do all the FB and social networking stuff Requests for future blog topics would be most welcome – go on, ask me for my thoughts on anything, keep me on my toes

Until next time, keep smiling

“in a truly impressive fashion I’ve also linked back to other mentions of these important pieces of information to create an amazing supercharged domino effect of wisdom for you all ”

While reading back over my old posts I also found a few bits that I was especially pleased about/amused by So pleased/amused in fact that I’m devoting this week’s post to these wisest/most amusing/strangest moments, as chosen by me You’ll notice that some of these are actually quotes but I like them so much I’m quoting them again

New readers can now be amazed by the great stuff they missed, old ones can revisit their best loved (well my best loved really) moments To really up the density of wisdom I’ve even thrown in a few new bits too

“Simple, not easy”

From ‘HTGEWYWI2012’

“I make no apology for my excessive use of smilies – happiness is a most under practiced art”

From ‘Hello And Welcome To The All New And Very Shiny LazenbyPT Blog’

“I’m not so passionate about intervals that I actually miss them”

Me doing intervals

From ‘The Kai Greene Tribute Workout aka My Workout ’

“I must confess that I have on occasion lost my sense of humour about the whole thing and indulged in bouts of grumpiness, bemoaning my advancing years and subsequently poorer recovery abilities”

“…the Birthday Photo Shoot WILL take place, though obviously it won’t be on my birthday In a shockingly wise and mature move I’m not even setting a date at this point! I’m simply going to train wisely and sensibly, avoiding any further outbreaks of daftness, and allow my body to guide me, rather than forcing the issue and risking further breakages”

From ‘It’s All About Me’

“This week’s post is the first part of my voluminous treatise on static stretching, a post so vast that it has evolved into an epic LOTR style trilogy”

From ‘ The Wonders Of Static Stretching Part One’

“This book does not claim that you “create your own reality” in the sense of total (but mysteriously unconscious) psycho kinesis. If a car hits you and puts you in the hospital, I do not believe this is because you “really wanted” to be hit by a car, or that you “needed” to be hit by a car, as two popular New Age bromides have it.

The theory of transactional psychology, which is the source of my favourite models and metaphors, merely says that, once you have been hit by a car, the meaning of the experience depends entirely on you and the results depend partly on you (and partly on your doctors). If it is medically possible for you to live — and sometimes even if the doctors think it is medically impossible — you ultimately decide whether to get out of the hospital in a hurry or to lie around suffering and complaining.”

Robert Anton Wilson ‘Cosmic Trigger’

Albert Einstein - Click to enlarge

“I’ve had quite an action packed week so far, with no signs as yet of middle age affecting my energy levels My Mum visited me; in 48 hours we visited two castles, ate out seven times and I gained 8lbs”

“Apparently this week’s post is going to be about language and using words with exactitude but I wasn’t aware of that until I was half way through so I’m actually adding this at the end after the title and the definitions; my blogging is evolving and I’m not even writing in a linear fashion anymore”

“I attach tremendous importance to the exact meaning of words Why? For a number of reasons; I’m going to use the words of others far more verbally dextrous and precise in their use of words than myself here as they have already stated exactly what I wish to convey”

“An astounding measure of human perception and creation of reality is composed of the weaving and manipulation of the abstract symbolism of words.”

“Despite this overwhelming and universal importance of words to the creation and ordering of reality, the majority of humans misuse these potentially sorcerous tools with exasperating inexactitude, creating realities for themselves that are profoundly disordered and chaotic, because they literally don’t know what they’re saying.”

I agree entirely with the two statements above. They are worthy of in depth study and analysis, as is the following quotation -

“If language is not used rightly, then what is said is not what is meant. If what is said is not what is meant, then that which ought to be done is left undone.” – Confucius

Or to put it another way; if you are not able to state exactly what you want you will not be able to get it. Furthermore if is easier to state exactly what you want if you use words “in a conscious and deliberate manner, rather than unthinkingly appropriating terms out of convenience or mental lethargy.”

“I endeavour to use words exceptionally carefully at all times; my reality is very thoughtfully constructed”

From – ‘Exactitude – A Trip To The Heart Of LazenbyPT’

“so I’ve been reviewing my, well to be honest, entire life, but I do have intensity issues”

From –  ‘Review Time – More Of The Same ’

“This morning I am tired, so tired that it warrants the inclusion of the first ever unhappy face on my blog Just typing that has made me laugh though, so things can’t be that bad”

“I awoke today way ahead of schedule at the rather early hour of 1.00am and despite my best efforts I’m still awake now – it’s currently 6.30am. This generally happens to me once or twice a week and while it’s not life threatening it is annoying, especially when it’s Legs day Why the smile? Because at the end of the day I choose to find it amusing I could be really grumpy about it – part of me would actually like to be – but doing that won’t mystically refresh and rejuvenate me so what’s the point? I did allow myself a small outburst as I lay on the sofa wrapped in my snuggly blanket trying unsuccessfully to fall back asleep but even then it disintegrated into laughter”

“If you’re happy with your current state of mind that’s great, but if you’re not – change it Instead of trying to change the world, change how you perceive it, it’s much simpler and for once it’s easier too”

From – ‘Mind Is Everything – Food For Thought ’

“the nutritional ‘Golden Triangle’ of M&S Simply Food, Burger King and Cafe Nero”

“She even eats soup, which I’m still somewhat suspicious of, although I’m comfortable with this as I like to retain a few carefully contrived prejudices”

From ‘TCBTNP’

“Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.”
Henry Ford

From ‘Matt’s Wisdom, well mostly ’

I’m leaving it there for now but there’s more I was apparently so pleased with myself that I’ve compiled so many best bits I’m going to have to make this a two-parter

Do all the usual FB/social media stuff now please Comments and requests for future Blog Posts are welcome as ever, especially if you ask for posts on particular topics

wise (wahyz)
adjective
1.  having the power of discerning and judging properly as to what is true or right;

true (troo)
adjective
1. being in accordance with the actual state or conditions; conforming to reality or fact
2. real; genuine; authentic

real (reel)
adjective
1. true; not merely ostensible, nominal, or apparent
2. existing or occurring as fact; actual rather than imaginary, ideal, or fictitious
3. being an actual thing; having objective existence; not imaginary
4. being actually such; not merely so-called
5. genuine; not counterfeit, artificial, or imitation; authentic

Yo Readers – say this in a Rocky-style voice for maximum effect

I am currently observing a ‘write when inspired’ regime for these posts and as I’m buzzing today about my new training block, Steak and Los Argentinos restaurants and the potential wonders of the Canon Gait pub I’m putting fingers to keyboard

This post has also been given some added impetus this morning by this post from Jad on my FB wall

Such a fine post warrants a little extra I think so I’m going to insert some special comments especially for Jad These are designed to draw his attention to areas that I think may be of particular benefit to him I’ve pulled out all the stops here by going through all my past posts and linked back to previous mentions of these important pieces of information to create an amazing supercharged domino effect of wisdom

My Shiny New Training Block

Let’s start with my new training block I’ve been training 4 days a week for a little over 4 months now, I’m 25lb heavier and I’m tired I have consulted with Mike, as ever, and I shall be returning to 3 day a week training for as long as it takes me to feel refreshed, revitalised and fully synched with my lovely new muscle– I predict about 8 weeks Then I’ll rinse and repeat Who’s Mike? Read this post and all will be revealed

Jad Wisdom Note the importance of having a training program and also an overall plan here. Check these posts for further information and act on them how to get exactly what you want in 2012 & how to get exactly what you want in 2012 – making a plan

I’ll be hitting Chest, Shoulders and Back on Monday and Friday and Legs and Arms on Wednesday. Reps will stay in the 12-20 range but the exact exercises and sets will vary workout to workout. The goal is to pretty much get the biggest pump I can as quickly as I can then go home

Warm Ups, Cool Downs, Stretching

I still do all this, I’m just not going to go over it all again here Take responsibility and read these previous posts if you need a recap –
basic workout structure, the wonders of static stretching parts 1, 2 and 3, the kai greene tribute workout aka my workout and new years resolutions anyone?

Sets listed below are ‘working’ sets and don’t include warm ups which vary, though as you’ve just read those links you already know that

Jad Wisdom Note the importance of warming up, cooling down and stretching here Actually don’t just note it – do it

For those of you who are interested in such things here’s a sample of my new 3 day a week workout

Day One – Shoulders, Chest and Back

This is actually my exact, well nearly , Steve Reeves inspired workout of 26/03/12

• Flat Flyes 3 or 4 – I forget exactly how many sets I did – sets of 20 reps
• Cable Crossovers 2 x 20
• Incline Barbell Press 3 x 20, 15, 12
• Pulley Front Raise 2 x 20
• Seated Military Press 3 x 20, 15, 12, 20
• Single Arm Dumbell Side Laterals 2 x 15
• Barbell Shrugs 2 x 15
• Pulldowns Behind The Neck 3 x 20
• Medium Grip Pulley Rows 2 x 20, 15
• Reverse Grip Bent Over Barbell Row 2 x 15. 12
• Hammer Pulldowns 1 x 15

Day Two – Legs and Arms

Jad Wisdom Note the presence of legs as well as arms in the program
here

I have it in mind to do something like this

• Seated Calf Raise 5 x 20
• Calf Raises on the Hack Squat Machine 5 x 20
• Leg Extensions 3 x 15 – 25
• Stiff Leg Deadlifts 3 x 12 – 20
• Tricep Pushdowns 3 x 12 – 20
• Single DB Tricep Ext 3 x 12 – 20

I’ll do another exercise for Triceps if I need it and then 2 or 3 exercises for Biceps, probably including Hammer Curls. I also fancy doing some Reverse Curls too but this could all change on the day

Day Three – Back, Shoulders and Chest

I’m going to start with Back and pretty much reverse Mondays workout, tweaking exercises as required

Jad Wisdom You must know exactly why you are doing every exercise in your program and you should meditate on this during your workout. Every moment of your workout should be focused and ritualised. Every movement should be under mental scrutiny and you must ensure that you are milking everything from every single rep of every single set. Each workout is precious; you can never do them again so accept nothing less than your best at all times, mentally and physically

Well that’s quite enough wisdom for one post I’ll probably ramble about Steak, Los Argentinos and The Canon Gait next time but I’ve also got a post of my finest moments nearly finished too so you might be getting that one While I remember to mention it though I’d just like you to know that you can get BrewDog Punk IPA on draft at Tuechter’s Landing on The Shore

Now do all that FB stuff Jad, get the link to this shared on your wall and get me loads of likes for this post (the button on the left on this page) from all your friends please

verb (used without object)
1. to continue steadfastly or firmly in some state, purpose, course of action, or the like, especially in spite of opposition, remonstrance, etc.
2. to last or endure tenaciously

This one is for Mike and Glenn, you’re both brilliant and I love you to bits

Hello Again Readers

This post started out as a follow up to last week’s and, inadvertently also looked like becoming a sister post to one I wrote a little while ago entitled ‘Relaxation – Walking The Walk’ but it’s taken me so long to write it that I’ve lost a bit of momentum now so I’m not exactly sure how this will turn out It’s also now a follow up to the week before last week’s, as it’s now two weeks since I last posted anything

Incidentally I’m very pleased with how my blog is evolving, my posts are weaving together so satisfyingly, what with sister posts and accidental trilogies that it puts me in mind of a piece of Celtic knot work I’ve found a nice picture for you in case you’ve no idea what I’m on about here

It’s Sunday afternoon now and I’ve taken myself out to The Roseleaf This is still my favourite pub in Edinburgh – I know I’ve mentioned this before but it’s so great it’s well worthy of repetition If you haven’t visited it you most definitely should You should also eat here as the food is consistently marvellous I’ve just ordered one of today’s specials – Breakfast Pie How good does that sound? I’m enjoying a bottle of BrewDog Punk IPA while I await it’s arrival If you like very hoppy IPA, which I obviously do then this is an excellent choice of beverage

On a related note I’d also recommend visiting the BrewDog pub on the Cowgate This is a craft beer wonderland I just looked online for the exact location and found that their own description is a little more poetic than mine – ‘glimmering craft beer oasis in the heart of the city’s historic old town’ but it was penned by a professional The Punk IPA is available on draft here and it’s even better than from a bottle

Athleat Free Range Chicken Breast

While I’m talking of food I would also strongly recommend Athleat. This is a more traditional recommendation for the blog of a personal trainer as this splendid company supply first rate meat with athletes in mind. Having performed extensive taste tests I can now personally recommend the free range chicken breasts, the grass fed mince beef and the grass fed fillet steak I shall be living on this stuff for the foreseeable future

Athleat Grass Fed Beef Fillet Steak

Back at The Roseleaf I’ve just ordered a second bottle of IPA and chosen a dessert I’ve gone for ‘Bonnie Banoffee’ which is ‘a super chilled banoffee and ricotta cheese cake with a hobnob base, layers of banana, toffee and cream served with hot butterscotch sauce’ I’ll try to control my excitement when it arrives and take a picture for you I was going to do this with my Breakfast Pie but my delight overwhelmed me and I ate it It was lovely

They’ve run out of ‘Bonnie Banoffee but undeterred from my quest to eat a lot today I’ve ordered a ‘Nutella Fella’ instead. This is a ‘Gooey, sticky dark chocolate and toasted hazelnut sponge with steamy milk choccy sauce, Scottish vanilla icecream and crunchy caramelised hazelnuts’. Sounds good, looks good – I got the pic – and tastes great

Nutella Fella

While this post has admittedly deviated somewhat from my original plan in keeping with the evolving tapestry of my posts – how poetic is that? – it’s entirely appropriate How so? Well I’m still resculpting my physique. Today is my last heavy eating day of my current building block. I’ve hit a steady 205lb, peaking at 208.8lb last weekend and it’s time to drop my calories back to a more manageable level for the next 8 – 12 weeks now. I’m going to settle down to a comfortable 3500 on training days and 3000 on off days now

This project is taking longer than I’d originally planned but I’m loving the journey so I’m not concerned I’m having the time of my life, seriously How many of you can say that? If you can’t then find something that matters, something that delights you, that challenges you, something that’s worth dying for – then persist

On this note I’m going to drink my 4th bottle of IPA and go to Tesco for pizza and ice cream – persistence remember, persistence

verb (used without object)

1. to continue steadfastly or firmly in some state, purpose, course of action, or the like, especially in spite of opposition, remonstrance, etc.

2. to last or endure tenaciously

“Never give in — never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.” – Winston Churchill

Speech given at Harrow School, Harrow, England, October 29, 1941. Quoted in Churchill by Himself (2008), ed. Langworth, PublicAffairs, 2008, p. 23 ISBN 1586486381

Greetings Dear Readers

I’m back Last week’s post was derailed due to apathy and the rather poor lack of support shown to my request for comments last post  the combination of which left me somewhat uninspired and lacking in blog writing motivation After the fantastic opening salvo above , courtesy of Mr Churchill, you’ll doubtless not be surprised to hear that I’ve now made a full recovery

So this week you get to hear about what is, imho, the single most important quality you need to succeed (aka have fun) in life – persistence

I heard a story many years ago about a tribe of Native Americans that has stayed with me ever since. I don’t recollect the original source but you can find it online in a number of forms. To save you the trouble of Googling it I’ll share it with you here

“It was a time of drought, a time of despair.

Across the land the tribes were suffering and they turned to their medicine men for guidance. They instructed the tribes to perform the ritual of the rain dance, to appease the spirits and bring forth the rains. And so they danced, sometimes for hours, sometimes for days but to no avail.

Hope was raised once more as word came of a tribe who never failed to make it rain and finally a decision was made to track down the by now legendary tribe and ask for their aid.

After many days of travel they found the tribe and upon meeting with the chief they asked “What is the secret of your success? How is it that you never fail to make it rain?”

The chief smiled and replied “There is no secret. We simply dance until it rains.”

So there you have it. As Winston so wisely says never, never, never, never give in You may need to pause and refuel, to alter your course due to unforeseen obstacles or occurrences, but whatever happens never, never, never, never quit Stay the course, hold the line and you will succeed Just remember to enjoy the journey

Click to enlarge

It’s late on Saturday evening now and I’ve got an early start tomorrow – Chest and Biceps beckon – so I’m going to sign off for now. Next week, for those of you who find stories of Native Americans a bit inaccessible and to give me something to write about I’ll share with you how I’ve incorporated this week’s wisdom into my own life Be excited, but first hit the ‘Like’ button on the left please

1. to mislead the mind

Greetings Readers

This week I’m going to do something completely new and share with you all the results of a nutritional consultation that I did recently – probably anyway as I’m never quite sure where these posts are going these days, they’ve developed a life of their own. Indeed it has just occurred to me that today’s post could be seen as the second part of a trilogy, with this being the first part and this being the third. I’m writing trilogies without realising and not even in chronological order, how relaxed is that?

Attention Regular Readers

If you’ve been reading, and more importantly following , the assorted recommendations I’ve been sharing with you over the last few months (in part one and three that I just mentioned above) this post will be quite redundant. If you haven’t then I recommend you read on

Client Assessment Time

You all no doubt already know that I’m a personal trainer in Edinburgh – I can generally be found at The Scotsman Spa but I’ve been known to make the odd home visit too If you didn’t know this you do now As part of their initial assessment all of my clients fill in a lifestyle questionnaire – well not quite all, some just get a comprehensive grilling from me This not only provides me with essential information but is usually very enlightening for the client too as it forces them to focus honestly on their exact food intake in a manner that most of them are quite unaccustomed to. Why is this enlightening? Because most of us are deluded about our food intake I actually think that most people are deluded about a lot more than just their food intake but that’s another matter Think this doesn’t apply to you? Don’t be too certain, it’s quite possible that you’re deluded too

The Delusion

I take client confidentiality pretty seriously so we’re going to refer to the client as TC I was really tempted to call TC ‘it’ but I thought that might be a little too extreme

TC isn’t a beginner. TC trains hard and regularly and has a good body – shapely with well-developed muscles. TC came to me for a nutritional consult specifically aimed at lowering body fat and increasing muscular definition. The conversation went something like this –

Me – “So what is your diet like at the moment?”

TC – “Pretty good, though it could be better.”

Me – “What are you eating then?”

TC  - “A lot I have to eat a lot of food to maintain my weight, I mean a lot of food, probably 5000 calories a day. I eat lots of carbs, mainly rice, plenty of protein, mainly chicken and tuna and I have a couple of protein shakes every day too.”

Me – “Sounds pretty good to me.”

TC “Well I do eat a fair bit of junk on top of that. Crisps, biscuits, burgers, wine gums, whatever I fancy really.”

Me “Okay, well the first thing to do is to record exactly what you eat for the next week. Be totally honest. This will give us a baseline to work from.”

TC “Ok, will do.”

The Reality

TC went away and did exactly what I’d asked and a week later I sat down and went over their food intake. What I found was quite different from what TC had led me to expect. I wasn’t that surprised though, TC isn’t alone when it comes to being delusional

Firstly TC was only eating around 3000 calories a day. That’s not a lot of food by any means. Even I eat more than this and I’m by no means a big eater

Secondly TC’s carb intake was under 300g a day, around 33% of the daily calories. Again this isn’t a lot by any means, certainly not given TC’s comments.

TC’s protein was a little light at 210g, 27% of daily calorific intake, but not by much.

TC’s fat was too high at 130g, 37% of daily calorific intake.

Not only where TC’s macro’s a surprise to them but the composition of the diet was a little off too. 33-50% of calories came from protein shakes, every single day The word I’d use here isn’t ‘supplementing’, it’s ‘lazy’ Protein shakes are great. They are convenient, portable and a great addition but the mainstay of your diet should be real food

TC’s junk intake wasn’t as high as I’d expected – a few pizzas and chips but no crisps, biscuits or wine gums. This is common occurrence too; simply knowing that everything has to be written down causes a change in dietary habits.

TC was surprised. I wasn’t I’m used to it by now But the reason I’m sharing it is that if it can happen to TC, who is an experienced trainee, it can happen to you So go re-read part one and three and dispel your delusions First do all the social networking stuff though please

If enough of you (at least 10) are interested, which means commenting below I’ll go through TC’s new nutritional program next week. If not I’ll ramble on about whatever else takes my fancy

re·spon·si·ble (ri-spon-suh-buhl)
adjective

1. answerable or accountable, as for something within one’s power, control, or management
2. involving accountability or responsibility
4. capable of rational thought or action

synchronicity  (sink-ro-nis-iti)

noun

an apparently meaningful coincidence in time of two or more similar or identical events that are causally unrelated.

Greetings once more Dear Readers

This week’s post finds me fighting hard against the desire to hibernate for a wee while Not quite a full on slumber until summer, more of a snuggle up cosy on the sofa for a few days with a warm blanket, a hot chocolate and a lot of DVD’s affair Alas I’ve got a blog to write, followed by Shoulders and Triceps and personal training clients to attend to so any hibernating is going to have to wait until the weekend

The Ultimate Secret

I left you all last week with promises of revealing “the ultimate secret” This is the only single thing that you absolutely have to become an expert in to ensure success in your health and fitness endeavours” so without further ado here it is –

“You”

You may well be experiencing some form of anti-climatic comedown at this point. I’d apologise but I’m not actually sorry; I mean what were you actually expecting? It’s also happens to be true .

You need to take personal responsibility Experiment Try things, discover what works for you and once you’ve found something that works, stick with it, passionately, consistently and relentlessly

Want to know if low-carb dieting will work for you? Try it and find out Will you build more muscle if you increase your protein intake? Try it and find out

An exercise in self experimentation

In a wonderful case of synchronicity Tom Robertson (fellow PT here at The Scotsman) posted this link on his FB last Monday.

At the bottom of this fine article is another link to something even better ‘Experiments With Intermittent Fasting’. It’s a book written by John Beradi PHD of Precision Nutrition and, unsurprisingly given the title, details 6 months of self experimentation (in this case with Intermittent Fasting but it’s the underlying principles that are so pertinent here). It’s a brilliant example of someone doing exactly what I’ve just recommended above. It goes into great detail and is a really well-balanced, well-written piece of work that I’d be proud to have penned, well typed, myself

As John has written so eloquently on the practical steps of self experimentation and I can’t think of a thrilling way to improve on it for you I’m going to suggest you download his book and read it This will also be a great practical first step in taking responsibility

Having read the whole thing – any of you who are too lazy to do this haven’t really grasped the idea of taking responsibility yet – return to page 53 (64 on Adobe Reader) and start reading again from Self Experimentation : Try this at home! Continue reading to the bottom of page 62 (69 on Adobe Reader) and then ‘Like’ this post and ‘Share’ it on your FB page and ‘Tweet’ about it Go on it only takes a few seconds

Now read those vital pages, yes again so you can be sure you’ve truly grasped the principles necessary to set you on your way to becoming an expert in the only thing that really matters – you Your next and final step is to implement them. If any of you actually do this please let me know how you get on, I’ll be very interested to hear about it

Hello Again Readers

It’s Friday afternoon – I’ve not settled into a new regular Blog writing time yet – and I’m once more relaxing in the luxurious splendour of the reception at The Scotsman Spa If you’ve never been here then I implore you to do so, it’s lovely I am happy to report that I’m still relaxed, though it’s taking a little adjusting to I have to say

Preview Paragraphs

This is where I thoughtfully tell you what I’m going to ramble about this week. It’s a win/win for you as it’ll either create a bubbling undercurrent of anticipatory excitement in you, which is always fun , or enable you to save time by reading no further if you’re not interested

So what do I have in store for you this week? I’m going to report on my progress, both in the gym and in the new arenas of leisure and recreation that I mentioned last week. I’m enjoying this public accountability thing Then, time permitting, as I’ve got personal training clients soon, I’m going to tell you the ultimate secret This is the only single thing that you absolutely have to become an expert in to ensure success in your health and fitness endeavours If I run out of time you’ll just be getting another teaser and I’ll tell you about it next week

Me

I thought after my announcement last week – “I’m going to build on this progress and gradually extend my relaxed new mindset into the new arenas of leisure and recreation” that I’d best get on it post haste, so I have

After the success of her last visit my Mum is visiting me again this weekend and I’ve planned a most pleasant and relaxing schedule of events for us We’re booked in at The Grainstore on Saturday evening. I’m excited about this as I’m going to wear my photo shoot kilt with my fine new Panama Jack boots, thank you for your support Mogwai , for the first time and I’m also sneaking in a bit of personal development by breaking a personal habit of never returning to a restaurant if the last experience wasn’t perfect as I’ve decided this is foolish and extreme The food has been great there on my previous visits too so I’ve decided not to allow one incidence of slow service to prevent me enjoying it once more

Linlithgow Palace

We’re at The Roseleaf again on Sunday evening I love it here and it’s is without doubt my favourite place to eat in Edinburgh It’s charming, friendly and quirky with a great atmosphere, great food and great service at a shockingly reasonable price Highly recommended

In between I’ve pencilled in trips to the newly refurbished National Portrait Gallery, two castles (Blackness and Linlithgow Palace) and a couple of fine breakfasts, probably at Urban Angel and Kilimanjaro coffee, though we might give the Red Squirrel a try

My favourite Caravaggio so far - Judith Beheading Holofernes

On a slightly more dramatic note I’ve started to plan a rather major project that I’ve had in mind for some time – to see every work of my favourite artist Caravaggio I’m consulting a number of sources to ascertain the exact extent of the project and already a rather exciting series of trips is starting to take shape. I’ll be spending a fair amount of time in Italy, returning to the USA and taking in lots of other locations across the rest of the world including Madrid, Berlin and Dublin. I’m very excited and am delighted to report that I am managing to keep my natural inclination to intensity in check, having decided that learning Italian in order to consult the original sources myself is taking things a little too far for the time being That’s not to say I won’t do it, just that it’s not essential

The National Portrait Gallery - not sure who the girl is though

I’ve have already seen a number of his works but I’m going to see these again anyway

More Me

Things are continuing to go very well in the gym, both personally and professionally I’ve said it before but for a personal trainer Edinburgh is a brilliant location and The Scotsman Spa is a perfect example of exactly why this is the case It’s simply brilliant I love it here, my clients love it too so everyone is happy

My own training with Robbie is still going well too as FB regulars will know It’s fantastic having a training partner and I love our workouts I’m weighing around 195lb in reasonable condition and anticipate dropping to around 185lb over the next few weeks as I’m currently ‘priming’ again – slightly reducing intensity and tightening up my condition in order to create a window of opportunity to build some more muscle

I’m still following this workout but Mike tweaked my Chest workout a little so it now looks like this -

• Flat Flyes 4 x 8 – 25
• Cable Crossovers (any height/angle) 2 x 25 – 50
• Incline Smith Machine Press 2 x 12 – 25 , 2 x 4 – 8
• Decline Smith Machine Press 2 x 12 – 25, 2 x 4 – 8

I’ve dropped an exercise from the Back Workout too so it now looks like this –

• Lat Pulldowns 3/5 x 12 – 25 (warm up exercise)
• Pulley Rows 3 x 8 – 25 (usually do around 15)
• Dumbell Rows 3 x 8 – 25 (usually do around 10)
• Reverse Grip Bent Over Rows 3 x 8 – 25 (usually do around
• Hammer Pulldowns 3 x 8 – 25 (usually do around 12)

Everything else is the same

The Ultimate Secret

A quick time check tells me that you’re going to have to wait for this I think this is my first cliff-hanger ending How exciting is that?

Now do all manner of social media loveliness please ‘Like’ this, ‘Share’ it on your wall so all your friends can read it and ‘Tweet’ about it excitedly to. Simply cut and paste this into your Status and Tweet boxes

‘Read this, it’s brilliant http://lazenbypt.com/relaxation-walking-the-walk’

Thank you very muchly

Relax

relax- (ri-laks)
verb (used with object)
3. to slacken or abate, as effort, attention etc.
5. to release or bring relief from the effects of tension, anxiety, etc
verb (used without object)
8. to reduce or stop work, effort, application, etc., especially for the sake of rest or recreation

This post is being brought to you from the tranquil splendour of the lounge at The Scotsman Spa and is without doubt my most relaxed and chilled post so far It’s Sunday evening and I’m sitting here drinking a coffee in a most civilised and agreeable fashion It’s been over two weeks since my action packed first post of the year and it’s been the most relaxing two weeks I’ve had in years

The Lounge

One of the great side effects of blogging is that it makes you accountable Publicly state that you’re going to do something and you have to do it I’ve therefore been striving to adopt a calmer and more relaxed mindset exactly as I outlined in my “I’m Not Perfect …Yet” post I’ve made great progress, so much so that I think I’m currently more relaxed than I’ve ever been in my life

I’ve been following my own advice and going to bed with a book Amazingly it works – I’ve been sleeping better than I have in years I still wake up rather randomly, currently 5am is a popular time, but as the saying goes, Rome wasn’t built in a day

Batman Arkham City

I’ve been chilling out and having fun too – outside of the gym – and I can wholeheartedly recommend Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City on the Xbox 360 and Sherlock on the BBC

I’ve not just been lounging around either I’ve been personal training at The Scotsman Spa now for two weeks and things are going great I’m happy, my clients are happy and everyone at The Scotsman Spa – Charlie the Spa manager, the in house PT’s Rowan, Dean, Caroline and Lucy and the receptionists Mel, Collette and Jenny, has been amazing Nothing has been too much trouble and I’d like to publically say ‘Thanks’ to you all Your kindness and professionalism is hugely appreciated

Sherlock

My workouts with Robbie are still going great and I’m excited before each workout We start the week tomorrow with Chest and Biceps and I’ve got a daft grin on my face just thinking about it now

Work is also progressing well on Physique and Performance :) Overall I’m thoroughly enjoying my new improved relaxed attitude

So where do I go from here? I’m going to build on this progress and gradually extend my relaxed new mindset into the new arenas of leisure and recreation, areas that have been somewhat neglected of late as I’ve been working rather intensely Watch this space throughout the year, as now I’ve publically committed I’m going to have to do it

If you want to take advantage of the accountability that public declarations of intent bring yourself stick ‘em in the comments section below

Time for all the social networking requests ‘Like’, ‘Share’ and ‘Tweet’ please