An easy start to the week with just one client in the evening and the rest of the day finalising my plans going forwards, web overhaul, marketing plans and integration of my book, behaviour change methods with exercise and nutrition. It is slow-ish progress but then life ain’t a race so I will take my time with it.
I had a couple of emails off guys asking for training plans. They said they have been inconsistent with exercise and just need a plan to get on track….absolute rubbish!! ….I love exercise science and fitness plans but do not kid yourself in thinking the lack of a formal plan is the reason you have been inconsistent in following your exercise routine. The first step for them to take is to get consistent and then worry about the plan of action.
Do not get me wrong, what you actually do in your training sessions is important of course, but it only becomes important when you are consistent. If inconsistent then even the best plan in the world will become redundant. So the question is, even with a super plan off me what will change???
Now, if you start getting results I can understand that you will be more motivated to become consistent with your training. But a fitness plan without nutrition is leaving it in the laps of the gods about whether you will get results (losing fat or gaining muscle). So if it is unlikely your body will change then getting a nice shiny plan off me is pretty much useless. I told them both as much and that doing a plan on its own is wasting their money. It is wiser for them to go away and find a way to enjoy exercise before focusing on a rigid plan of action.
I was looking at my year in review (blog post to come) the other day. In May 2012 I started recording all my exercise sessions and as many days of eating as possible that was totally annoying to do or would have been inaccurate (e.g. I couldn’t weigh the food at home). In the end I measured about 50% what i ate – 183 days worth.
The exercise elements was revealing, in the end of year count i had notched up 367 exercise sessions, which is one a day of course. I had about 80 off days during the year so actual training session / day was about 1.5 sessions a day. That is consistency. As mentioned in previous blogs i spread my sessions around sprint training, aerobic training and weights I am fairly good in all three areas but not special in any of them. I am now specialising on developing my body over the other two so will see how this affects results.
Either way, when you have knocked out 367 sessions in a year you know that a fitness plan is going to be maximised to the best of its ability.
How many sessions did you do over the last year?
If it is more than 150 then you really need to be on a tailored fitness programme aimed at maximising your efforts. If it is less than a 100 you need to work on getting consistent with your fitness. Consistency breeds performance!
Monday –
Food wise, I decided today to have a body fat stripping day as my eating was poor on the weekend with a few meals out as my mum was in town. This means come tomorrow I should be back as I was on Friday. This is the nature of balancing good verses bad eating. What is interesting to feel was how much worse I was in the breathing exercises today post a couple of days poorer eating. People underestimate the affects food has on their entire system.
Diet – Protein – 171g, Carbs – 191g, fat – 75g, calories – 2123 , % P: 32 C : 36% F: 32%
Exercise – chest – 24 sets, abs
Weight – 73.8, Body fat – Didnt take*(43mm on last measurement)
Supplements – None
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*This is my own 10 point self measurement system, it does not correlate to body fat scores. At a guess 40mm – 7.5%, 50mm – 9.5%, 60mm – 11%, 70mm – 12.5%. I do not take it everyday if looking to gain muscle or maintain as it puts me off wanting to eat more. If on fat loss phase i take it daily.
** All reference to people, their goals, their jobs and even when i met them are completely distorted from the actual person/event I am talking about…this keeps their privacy but they are based on real people with real stories.
London Nutritionist- For Nutritionist Consultations in London please contact me. I am available across London.
Ben Wilson – London Nutritionist
