It’s coming to that time of the year again.

“I want to lose weight”

“I want to lose my belly after Christmas / in the New Year”

“I AM going to lose weight this time!”

“January IT IS!”

Being a personal trainer in hull that has helped many people lose weight  I tend to get quite a bit of attention when people hear about what I do .

Often the conversation goes a long the lines of this:

“So you’re a trainer eh? So….how do I get rid of this?” (Points or grabs hip/waist/belly)

I then have a few options.

a)       Spend 10-15 minutes going through various foods and training scenarios – only to find that there is ‘no way’ that said person could give up this food or that time, or train so many days a week.

Or lift heavy things.

Or drink water on its own.

Or ___(insert your own strategy)___ .

b)       Get onto another topic – because hey! I’m not at work! 😉

‘b)’ tends to be more popular these days!  Truth be told, I do usually give a bit of good info – but honestly, nothing get’s done until someone steps through my door READY TO TAKE ACTION .

Anyway, while I may only have 2 options,  if you want to lose weight (fat in particular)…….YOU in fact, have MANY OPTIONS!!

1. Do it on your own.

This is hard.  You maybe have a gym membership or you have some home equipment.

Either way, you need to get yourself motivated to do the work, and with no one else doing it with you (or even making sure you stay on track) – It can be so much nicer to just sack it off

 Cam’s top tip: If you go this route – try and get a training partner.

1, They will be ready to train and make you turn up (you wouldn’t believe how hard it is to turn up!)

and

2, They will push you to train harder .  These benefits will help them also – its WIN WIN!  This just ONE of the options we have at YOUR NEXT LEVEL FITNESS(opens in Facebook)… and is simple…you train together, maybe use similar exercises and reps, but change some things if they do not suit you. 

So one of you might do step ups, one of you might squat to a bench if you have sore knees.  One of you might use more weight on the dumbell press.

Either way, you all train in a nice place, and it’s win win!

If you’re at a gym, the main drawback is that it can cost more money….. say 10 years at a gym from £30-£50 per month is £3600-£6000 over 10 years.  Home equipment will just cost you the outlay of equipment.

If you want a home set-up I would recommend resistance like a barbell and some other stuff if you want it.

Using resistance is the easiest – if not the only way to shape your body. Now, it doesn’t matter too much if you use barbells, dumbells, sandbags, kettlebells, or bales of hay!

Whatever the tool – you need it to be hard for your body to change to adapt to the workload.

If you are serious and can afford to spend upwards of a few hundred quid , I recommend a power rack,

a bench,

and a basic barbell set of about 100-200kg depending on your goals. (150kg will provide enough for 99% of men – 100kg for 99% of women )

However, If you don’t want tons of weights lying around – there is a set-up that you may be interested in. Enter Suspension Training

TRX is the main brand about – but its quite expensive.

You can do press ups variations, pull up variation, work your abs, you name it.

You can check it out further by CLICKING HERE

TRX isn’t the only suspension trainer on the market:

We actually have the Jungle Gym XT system…….pretty similar…..

RIP 60 looks cheaper – but I have not seen it in person to judge against the TRX and Jungle Gym XT quality-wise.  

Find out about the rip 60 trainer by CLICKING HERE

BANDS

I find Bands such a valuable tool to train at home!

Here are the bands we recommend :

Both purple and red bands are great for pull aparts, I would recommend the purple ones for 90% of people .(click to buy)

The drawback of home equipment?

It often doesn’t get used  – apart from to hang clothes up on!

Other options…..

1. Do it on your own – with an in-home DVD like Insanity,   Jillian Michaels Shred  or P90X  !  (Click to have a look)

You get to play along with your favourite presenter doing things from bodyweight exercises to shimmying at zumba!

Pro: Cheaper than a gym membership

Don’t have to wait for your partner to be there if they sack it off

Can provide good motivation at the especially at the start

Cons: 1 routine will only last 6-8 weeks……..unless it has built-in progressions and regressions like all good programs should have

You don’t know if you are actually doing the exercise correctly!

You will know the words of the presenter off by heart “Now go for the BURRRN!! (Coming up to 3 mins in…) “Yeeeeah That’s it!” (Like he can see you?!)

You can turn the DVD off  if you want to sack it off – NO ONE will even know! (even if you tell your child to keep it quiet too!)

 And Zumba?  Although any movement is good as so many people sit all day……You would need to do a lot of hours of zumba in a week if you want my opinion (Unless your food is sound). Seen as though aerobic exercise is not as time efficient for fat loss than higher intensity exercise – You had better do it a lot!

Plus, if you’re a man – you may not want to be seen doing a zumba class (CLICK to Watch in YOUTUBE)

The ‘cardio’ I prefer are some sort of sprint (bodyweight or resisted) or for most people the Concept 2 Rower is a great tool to have.

In fact, one client of ours called Juliet did weights with us…..and used the Concept 2 Rower as her cardio training when not with us….And she did pretty well! 😉

You can read all about Juliets journey using the rower ….and  weights…and food…..and mindset BY CLICKING HERE!

We also have another cardio tool at Your Next Level Fitness

The Assault Bike! (We have 3 rowers and 3 Assault bikes)

You could always just use this ‘ere tinternet’ and find various articles about losing weight –

sites like:

http://www.weightlossresources.co.uk/

www.biggestloserclub.co.uk/

JillianMichaels.com

The thing with reading all these website and not starting something is that you don’t take action!

One site will say count calories – another will say don’t bother.

One will say lift weights, one will say to run.

One may say eat maple syrup and cayenne pepper drinks all day and some people may actually do it!  (Oh dear)

Mmmmnnnnnnnn! I feel satisfied already!!!!!

There’s even calorie counters like www.nutritiondata.com  and www.fitday.com if you so wish.

The problem with calorie counting is that it’s not an exact science, as your body deals with chemicals – not just heat.  (Measuring the heat given off by burning foods is how we know roughly how many calories are in them) 

For more on this read The Calorie Conundrum  (You need to be a member, by joining for free HERE -> http://www.yournextlevelfitness.co.uk/?page_id=3065

If you want my opinion on calories on one sentence =  Calories do matter for weight gain/loss………..however the type of food is more important, and 95% of the time I don’t have client count calories because that time (A LOT OF TIME) could be better spent exercising and preparing meals.

After all – if calories were all that mattered – then weight watchers would be all we would need.

And that leads us perfectly on to slimming groups!

3 You could join a weight loss group.

http://www.weightwatchers.co.uk/index.aspx

www.Slimmingworld.com

Weight watchers and slimming world appear to be the main slimming groups (I am aware there are many more)

The good thing about these groups (and why they are successful) is that if you change your food habits for the better – really good things can happen.  Just check out some of the success stories HERE )

All these didn’t just exercise, they changed their nutritional habits.

Simply being in a group and trying to change your habits is a lot easier than going it alone. You can see where others are going wrong – and they can help you too. Often it’s not that the slimming group has thr right information – just that the social and accountability involved makes the difference.

It’s important to note these drawbacks of weight watchers (click)

4.Train with others at a gym in a class

This gets around the problem of not having a friend to train with or make sure you actually turn up. Other like-minded people will train in a class with you……it could be a spin class, a boxing class, a bodypump class………there are many to choose from!

Pros: You turn up because others do

• You may evcen make a few extra friends to hang out with outside of training
• Pushes you harder
• You can get a lot iof work inside an hour with an instructor not letting you slack

Cons:

• Often you have to go along at the ability level of the rest of the class
• Even when there are progressions to make it harder – usually the amount of weight on the bar is the easiest to change – and most studios don’t have enough plates.

Our classes use plenty of weights so that this is not a limiting factor.

Classes usually do too much aerobic work. Yes, you get a sweat on as you are nearly constantly moving – but your body soon adapts (maybe 6-8 weeks) and then your body will hardly change unless you make it SIGNIFICANTLY harder.

Technique  – while this is better than on your own unsupervised – often in a class of 20 people it will be really hard to correct – especially in a lot of classes where the instructor takes part.

There is a lot more to classes in gyms – and I thouroughly recommend you read ARE YOU A CLASS JUNKIE (only available when you are a member here = http://www.yournextlevelfitness.co.uk/?page_id=3065) which outlines the good and bad so you can see for yourself

5. You can hire a personal trainer. I’ll try not to be too biased!

The biggest downside of hiring a personal trainer is the cost. £20,30,40,50+ per hour is a lot of money – and when I first started out I thought it was unusually high.

However (!), Now that I am wiser, more knowledgeable, and better looking (my wife may argue differently) – I really see the value……ESPECIALLY in the first few sessions.

Why the first few sessions?

a)       You learn HOW to lift properly.

I wish I had even known about personal trainers when I was 16 – I would have invested a few months pocket money for 1 hour of solid advice no problem. (Reason being I spent tons of time doing bench presses, shoulder presses and curls in my bedroom and shed………… with my weights from ARGOS  .

I did, I’m pleased to add, do a lot of squats and lunges off the old WEIDER posters that came with the weights!!

I would say that the weight training on my legs is what helped make me such a fast football player. Beside, no guy wants chicken legs do they????

b)       You learn what the best foods are to eat to build muscle and lose body fat.  What can I say? This is priceless.

c)       You’re more likely to stay injury free (because you are lifting properly)

d)       If the trainer is really good – you’ll learn how to program your own sessions. Yes they may not be perfect as you re not under the direct supervision of a trainer, but they will be better than 90-99% of the other people in the gym randomly lifting and spinning their wheels……or watching TV!!!

e)       You get support in future

f)        You get the accountability factor 

“If I can get to bootcamp – I can get through the session!” Is what I remember hearing a few times last summer.  If you book in with someone – you are less likely to cancel than if it was just you saying to yourself “I’ll train tomorrow morning.”

If you need to find a Personal Trainer in Hull – check us out first.

Also, Do they do nutrition? Food is a MASSIVE part of the fat loss equation – and if you have someone who ‘just trains’ – they might not be the on for you.  Oh, you may want to see their insurance if you are really unsure.

If looking elsewhere – I HIGHLY RECOMMEND reading this post = 5 Quick Ways for Successful Personal Trainer Shopping

Also, check if they do personal training as a small group (I do!) as this can bring down costs and you can sometimes prefer it to one on one training!

6. Do a Bootcamp

Bootcamps are everywhere these days. On the plus side – they can be fun, effective and are cheaper than personal training sessions.

However, like all things – There is a downside!

Depending on the bootcamp – there are a number of things to consider.

What’s the goal of the program?

Is it safe?

What about injuries?

Ability levels and modifications!

The goal?

Some programs are ‘fitness’ programs and will focus on aerobic exercise. Great for aerobic fitness, not so time-efficient for fat loss. It has been documented that aerobics are not that great for fat loss when you factor in the calorie burn post workout. Things like interval training would do better – given the amount of time you invest. (That’s not to say that aerobic exercise is ‘bad’…….just that it’s not the best use of your ……..say……3 hours a week you have available to train. )

That said – if you don’t like to train shorter and harder – then you have to do the exercise that you will stick with!

Is it safe?

If you’ve read my work on my website before – you will know that I am not a supporter of running if quite overweight.

This is where you have to be a bit wary of  some classes as it can be as easy as you, yourself starting up a bootcamp of your own!!!!

“Hey! I’m in a field, and let’s start a weight loss class where we run laps and then we might do some press ups here and there –  thanks for the money!

If overweight, running is a lot of stress on your joints. Also, if doing press ups (a chest exercise – front of the body) and nothing for the back  – pulling exercises – you are causing an imbalance at the shoulder joint (which can then affect posture….and lead to back pain and more).

Some can be all pain and no gain!

Click this link to read an interesting article regarding some bootcamps.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1309646/Why-Army-style-fitness-workouts-pain-gain.html

There is definitely a place for these types of bootcamp – and a certain type of person. They can be fun, challenging and for some, a really good idea.

I just think they are not for everyone – especially if you are a few stone overweight.

What about injuries? Ability levels and modifications!

As addressed – running while overweight may cause problems – if not now, then most certainly later on in life. How do you make it doable without the pain?

The pushing and pulling – make sure there is some pulling going on! And not the Friday night kind!

Some people will struggle with some exercises – is there a way to make it doable? Also, is there a way to challenge the more advanced participants?

7. Go online with a Coach.

There are many around, and each will be better at some things than others.

I myself don’t prepare people for bodybuilding  – I mainly help people look and feel better while coping with the usual stresses – work / family / social outings…..the stuff I deal with!

If you are interested in our online coaching, and can commit to 15-20mins per day , then go here:

8. Do A Bootcamp  at Your Next Level Fitness!

When I started up yournextlevelfitness.co.uk – I knew I wanted to teach groups after my days teaching BODYPUMP and SPINNING.(CLICK HERE to find out why I stopped)

Anyway, I started HULL’S FIRST BOOTCAMP back in 2009 – and I learned gradually how to design and manage large groups effectively.  We started out with a handful in the summer – and became smaller in the winter!

The weather was poor here – check this vid out…..hard work! (CLICK ON THE PIC BELOW)

Upon moving to Hessle rugby club –  Bootcamps moved with me.

We are different to most bootcamps as we:

Don’t do long distance running.

We use equipment so that you pull things aswell as push  – not just press ups! (So makes for healthier shoulders)

We have a small community that is full of great people….including me as bad Santa!

Over the years we have had some massive transformations including

Tony Losing about 8 stone (He is now under 20stone and lost nearly 10 stone!) 

Juliet lost half her body weight…..became more confident…stronger….and a top rower!!!! 

Lorna has been with us for many years….and went from zero press ups to 20+, doing 3 chin ups, benching and squating a lot more….changing her shape – click to read more!

Kendra and her Mum losing weight together (click for full story)

Andrea lost about 7 stone (and more importantly changed her body, her confidence and her life) in less than a year! (Click for full diary!!) 

Vicky lost several dress sizes and has a new love for fitness! (Click for full story!)

Food and drink lover Darren blasted his gut with a laser like approach! 

Debbie went all out and feels great! Click to read!

There are many more too  – and you can be one of them! The most successful often invest in a 1-on-1 to go through nutrition and they stick to the plan 🙂

We simply encourage you to do your best – while we provide the food tips, training sessions – and a supportive community.  I feel like we use the best bits from all the options laid out above – and we try to strengthen the weaker points.

I hope you enjoyed this post – and that you realise that you DO have quite a few options 🙂