🗣 MONDAY MOTIVATION - Shout to my client Karina Donaldson . Karina came to me 8 weeks ago wanting to get into shape for her holiday. Fast forward 8 weeks she has lost 14lbs and 22 inches of overall body fat. 😃 Your dedication over the past 8 weeks has been incredible and you look amazing !! ☀️ Enjoy your holiday hunzo. You deserve it after everything you have put in these past 8 weeks.

Another incredibly proud week watching my amazing clients go from strength to strength. 💪🏽 When you put a plan in place and your clients give you there all , good things are going happen. 😃 I'm fully booked up until for the remainder of July but if you'd like to train with me and join the ever growing #tbmpt text , call or email me....📱 "Don't wish for it. Work for it" Phone/Text : 0857680350 Email : tbmpt23@gmail.com

🔥Transformation Thursday 🗣 Shoutout to my client Sean Picard who has just competed his 6 weeks personal training course with me today. 😃 Seeing this young man transform over the past 6 weeks has been a joy to watch. Most teenagers use their summer holidays to stay in bed late , slob around the house and eat crappy foods. Sean decided to take this summer to improve himself and get himself ready for his rugby preseason camp in France 🇫🇷 Sean was very much a beginner when we started but what he lacked in knowledge in the gym and nutrition he made up with hard work and determination 💪🏽 In just 6 weeks Sean lost 10.2kgs and a whopping 36.5 inches of over all body fat !!! 😃💪🏽 Enjoy your summer holiday tomorrow buddy you've certainly earned your break. ☀️ #TBMPT

🔥Transformation Tuesday🔥 Massive shoutout to my client Tom Hajzjak who has just completed his 8 week transformation with me. 🗣 8 weeks of consistency and dedication to his personalised plan and Tom has absolutely smashed it !!!! 💪🏽 Not only have we leaned Tom out but with the right plan set out for him we have added some quality lean muscle and as you can see for yourself he looks fantastic. 😃 I genuinely couldn't have asked Tom for anymore in and out of the gym. As your PT I'm so proud of the results that you have achieved and boy did you work your ass off to get them !!! 🤣💪🏽

3 Reasons Why Your Fat Loss Has Stalled 1) You’re underestimating your calorie intake If your weight loss has stalled, it means you are no longer in a calorie deficit. Often this is because our self-reported calorie intake is much higher than we think it is. Studies have shown that we’re really bad at estimating the calories we consume. Obese individuals have been known to underestimate their intake by 50% and even dieticians have been known to under-report by around 200 kcal. If you’re not tracking your food intake, it would be wise to jump onto MyFitnessPal and log your intake for a few days, chances are, it will be much higher than you expect. If you are tracking your food already, conduct an “audit” where you will have several days of being extremely throughout and weigh-out your foods to make sure you’re logging everything accurately. 2) Your NEAT has slumped NEAT stands for Non-Exercise Activity Thermogensis. In simple terms it is the calories you burn through movement that isn’t specifically exercise. Walking up the stairs, crossing the road, waiting in a line is all NEAT. NEAT contributes to a very large percentage of the calories you burn and studies show that when you diet, NEAT drops. To rectify this, try and be more active and move around a little more – park the car further from work, always use the stairs, take a longer walk back to the office from a lunch break are all some ideas that will help boost your calorie expenditure without requiring more hours down the gym. 3) Your weekend binge is ruining your progress It’s not uncommon for people to include a ‘cheat meal’ when their dieting. I don’t like the term and I don’t think your diet should be so extreme and unpleasant that you need a ‘cheat meal to compensate for your boring foods during the week. Anyway, the problem with these ‘cheat meals’ is that people often binge and consume a gross excess of calories which eradicates their calorie deficit that they’ve achieved during the week. Instead of taking a ‘cheat meal’, try and be more flexible with your diet during the week and consider include a strategic refeed where you elevate your calories, predominantly from carbohydrates either at the weekend or on your hardest training day. Have a great Wednesday everyone 😃

Saturday Shout to my client @faithmeara_x . 🗣 Faith has just finished her 8 week transformation and I couldn't be more proud of her. 😊 In just 8 short weeks Faith has lost 15lbs and 41 inches of overall body fat !!! 💪🏽 During her 8 week transformation Faith's strength and fitness levels have gone through the roof !! This couldn't have be achieved without her being so consistent and following her personalised plan to a tee & as her PT I couldn't be more proud her. Awesome job Faith 😉 #TBMPT #PersonalTraining #Transformation #NoExcuses #irishfitfam #irishmua #fitfam #lean #summerbody #gym #weights #shesquats #fitness #personaltrainer #barrymurphypt #glutes #abs #mua

So, your motivated...? I don't care how motivated you are. If your approach to diet and training sucks your results will suck, period! The health and fitness industry is one of the most information dense yet knowledge starved areas you could think of. I hate to see so many people tied down to misleading beliefs that have no solid evidence to back them up. It's not your fault! Maybe its because what everyone else is doing it or you've read it in a fitness magazine or had it engrained by the drill Sargent at the last summer fat loss camp. Trust me there is nothing worse than busting your balls eating clean and training dirty to get nowhere. I see it happening all the time, heck I was even guilty of being entrapped by dogma until I opened my eyes and ears... Suffering unnecessarily is horrible! Where do I start, here are a few common culprits... Exercise The idea of training as often as you can (sometimes people do it out of boredom) in conjunction with beasting yourself as hard as possible every time you train is not a sustainable nor enjoyable way to train. There is a time and place for high frequency training and going ultra hard. However, it must be planned and most importantly respected especially when looking to maximize your recovery. Remember proper recovery allows you to train even harder, in turn giving you better stimulus to drive your body composition and performance goals to the next level. Without it your setting yourself up for Injury and a severely taxed central nervous system (don't go there). The problem is exacerbated even more when ones nutritional intake is poor. The Scales If you're trying to reshape your body by adding muscle to key places, then mirrors, pictures, skin folds/girths, and coaches are far better than weighing scales for measuring your progress. You're trying to build muscle, not lose it. Diet Fear of carbs is the most popular one. Maybe you've been told to avoid carbs altogether, or even better have none after 6pm etc all in the fear that you will get fat. Stop there, and read this five times, excess caloires causes fat gain. Carbs are not evil, in fact they can be your best friend when it comes to fuelling better performance which in turn can serve to create better stimulus and increased exercise thermogenisis (the amount of calories burned during training). They also serve a number of key roles in offsetting negative adaptations to ones metabolism when calories are restricted. Why do you think re-feeds where invented! Take Home Realise motivation goes far beyond showing the world how strong, fit and dedicated you are. It should also be channelled into being smart, learning to back down, take time of to recharge your brain cells and also open your eyes and ears to new knowledge that contradicts your existing beliefs and fears.

Top tips for females to achieve a better body shape 1) You must focus a part of your workouts at getting strong. 2) Your goal isn’t to become super strong, but you should be progressing the loads that you use. 3)You can’t start low calorie You leave yourself with nowhere to go. More training and low calorie diets will ruin your shape. 4) Muscle retention should be a key goal This means a 60 / 40 split in favour of training with weights. 5) Cardio will often have to be used as a tool to get you lean. There aren’t many women who won’t require some level of cardio or metabolic training to help them take their conditioning to the next level. 6) Don’t get obsessed by weight (use visuals too) Weight isn’t a key indicator of your shape changing. In the early days weight can stay very level while fat is dropping off and you’re building lean muscle tissue. 7) There will always be a limit to how many calories you can handle. Pushing calories up in the early days supports a healthy metabolism. However there will come a limit. Don’t keep pushing at the expense of gaining body fat. 8) Going lower calorie (to get leaner) for a short period of time isn’t a huge issue This is providing you have come down from a good starting place. It’s also essential that you slowly build your calories back up afterwards. 9)For females supplements become essential when you’re dieting down. When calories are lower, nutrients are in less supple. Increasing B vitamins, broad spectrum multi vitamin and pro biotics are hugely beneficial. 10) Finish some of your workouts with some form of metabolic work. Especially when you’re not in a dieting phase, keeping some form of metabolic work helps to keep body composition in check. Adding low rest strength training or intervals works very well ( 2 – 3 sessions per week) 11) To look the best you need to be healthy If digestion is poor, sleep is poor, stress is high, these are key indicators that you might not be ready to diet. Don’t start a diet if red flags are waving at you. 12) Females can recover from workouts a lot quicker therefore training muscles more frequently is key. Hamstrings, shoulders and glutes are very often trained up to 3 times per week. Barry😃

I wrote this very detailed post two years ago today. As the fitness industry grows, it seems my post is needed even more today than it was back then! Have a read and let me know what you think. 😉 Before I begin I must write that not in any way am I knocking any particular type of dietary plan/coach…just offering understandable nutritional guidance to the every day gym goers amongst us. It seems ever common that the term “macro-nutrients” is being the new buzz word in the fitness and health industries…and yes I am in agreement that all dietary protocols come from a fundamentally basic estimated macro nutrient calculation as it gives us nutritional professionals a “starting point”. For elite athletes, those with medical problems or those that choose to compete in bodybuilding/fitness contests, these calculations can be made more specific and are indeed a vital part of optimising performance, health and reaching a desired goal. However my issue are these individuals that should be sticking religiously to their macro-nutrient requirements are in the minority; the majority of healthy recreational athletes where food is not the most important aspect of daily life need more logical guidance than to stick to “150g protein, 180g carbohydrates and 50g fat.“ I have read a few blogs detailing how individuals should calculate their own requirements for example, ‘using the Harris – Benedict Equation adding x for physical activity, subtracting y for fat loss and finding out how many of these calories should be provided by carbohydrate by removing your fat and protein requirements, dividing by 4, swimming across the Liffey, doing 64 burpees, taking your left shoe off and seeing how far you can throw it…😂(maybe not); but my point being that this equation method is in my professional opinion not the optimal way to educate the public into improving their dietary habits. Most of my novice exercisers, pt clients and even some pro athletes could not tell me the four macro-nutrient types on our first consultation, so if a member of the public were to read a blog trying to tell them the correct way to construct a dietary plan is to perform numerous calculations I suspect they would be utterly confused. This method is too multifaceted, there are too many margins for error and for an individual with limited nutritional knowledge for them to calculate their macro-nutrient requirements then construct a practical dietary plan would be hugely time consuming and hard work, possibly decreasing motivation as proper nutrition then seems like a huge effort. As surprising as it may seem to us fitness professionals – the entire world does not know the protein, fat and carbohydrate content of 80% of the local supermarket. Take my mam for example, a highly educated woman with a healthy body, when questioned how much protein there was in a 200g chicken breast she responded “ 198g, leaving a couple of grams for a little bit of fat”. Now, we talk about food and nutrition a lot, it isn’t that she doesn’t listen to me nor that I don’t assist her dietary knowledge but it is simply the fact like the majority of the world – since when would knowing the amount of protein in a chicken breast be a crucial piece of information that she stores in the front of her brain when she has one million other more important bits of information to process? (Like my birthday) 😜 So what good is it giving macronutrient requirements to individuals that do not have the time/understanding/priority to utilise them appropriately. Ironically some blogs I have read trying to inform the public how to work out the foods they should be eating, do not mention food at all. Just numbers. Knowledge is useless without the ability to apply it. Now a lot of coaches recommend phone apps to track food intake and therefore keep an eye on “macros” on a daily basis. Again there may be a very select few individuals that I may advise this too; however the majority of people I don’t feel should be using this daily. It means weighing everything consumed, it means feeling uncontrolled if we can’t track our food intake, it means ignoring hunger and satiety signals. Since when did an app on our phone know more about what we should be eating that our own bodies? Rarely. So why my issue with unethical blogs informing the public how to work out specific macro-nutrient requirements? It is simple….humans do not eat macros …. Humans eat FOOD !! So here is a logical, quick guide to help a recreational exerciser plan their weekly diet. (Note this is written for a healthy individual with no non-communicable diseases) Glossary: Nutrients: nutritious components of food which an individual can utilise in order to survive and grow. Macronutrients: Provide the bulk of the energy an individual needs for their metabolism to function. There are four macronutrients 1) Carbohydrates, 2) Fat, 3) Protein, 4) Alcohol 1. Remove processed foods: Processing a food can result in two main issues, firstly something artificial may be added to improve shelf-life/taste/appearance or/and nutrients may be removed during the processing procedure. Choosing foods that have either grown in the ground (vegetables, potatoes), in trees (fruit) or have once had a face (poultry, fish, meat) means that as long as they are not cooked excessively they will be nutrient rich, helping to prevent vitamin and mineral deficiencies. 2. Eat when you are physically hungry, stop when you satisfied: Overeating is such a battle mainly because individuals are not tuned into their bodies. Sensitivity to stomach hunger is often lost to other causes of food consumption such as emotions or schedules. When feelings of tiredness, weakness, lack of concentration or irritability occur it is a sign the body needs refuelling. Stomach rumbling is a sign of true hunger. When satisfaction occurs the brain informs the stomach, feelings of calmness should occur as well as feeling energised and more alert. If these signals are ignored and overeating occurs it is likely to bring on feelings of sluggishness and stomach discomfort. Intuitive eating may take a while to develop but listening to the body is so important !! 3. Choose highest quality produce whenever possible: Free range eggs, grass fed beef and wild salmon are all good examples of quality food. This food is less processed and has more vitamins and minerals and higher quality macronutrients. Although this food may be more expensive trying to choose better quality produce will pay off for long term health purposes. 4. Aim to eat three main meals daily plus have snacks available if hunger kicks in: Going back to basics of eating breakfast on rising, lunch and dinner is a good way to begin to get regular intake of nutrients. Timing these meals evenly will help the body fuel it’s activities, for example 7am, 1pm and 7pm. Having a variety of nutritious snacks available for in between meals or after workouts will ensure blood sugar does not dip too low. Good snack options include; small handful of natural nuts, natural or Greek yoghurt (big fan of Total Greek Yogurt)😉, vegetable sticks with a couple of tablespoons of organic hummus, a single piece of fruit,natural beef jerky, half a cup of fish, poultry or meat wrapped in lettuce, apple/cucumber slices with almond butter. A glass of milk will work well after training. Generally those individuals that weigh more will require more or larger snacks. 5. Include one cup of vegetables with every meal: Vegetables, especially cruciferous (mainly the green ones!) are vital in a healthy diet, they contain fibre, antioxidants and plenty of vitamins and minerals. Good choices include asparagus, broccoli, mushrooms, cauliflower, green beans, spinach, kale, courgette and many more. Including them at breakfast time can be tricky from some, this can be easily done by adding spinach and mushrooms to an omelette or if all else fails consume a greens powder (super greens) drink alongside breakfast. 6. Include one cup of poultry, meat, fish or meat alternative with every meal: Poultry and fish such as chicken, turkey, prawns or cod are lean protein sources as they mainly consist of protein, meats such as beef and lamb as well as the brown meats of poultry and oily fish such as salmon or sardines are fattier protein sources. Attempting to rotate both lean and fatty meats will provide the body with a good mixture of proteins and fats. If trying to control weight then stick with just one meal including fatty protein daily. A good example could include a salmon fillet at breakfast, a chicken breast at lunch and a haddock fillet at dinner. Dairy products should also be included as these not only provide protein but also calcium. Including meat, fish or poultry as a snack is a filling and nutritious option, for example a tin of tuna with a handful of green beans. 7. Include half a cup – one cup of potatoes, basmati rice or oats with one to three meals daily: Starchy carbohydrates are important to manipulate according to goals, if body fat reduction is the goal, choosing to keep starchy carbohydrates to around workouts and choosing the smaller end of the suggested serving size is the best idea. Peas, carrots and sweetcorn also provide the body with a great slow release energy so can be included in this group. 8. Include oily fish three-five times per week: Oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines and fresh tuna contain an essential fatty acid called omega-3, this helps improve the body’s sensitivity to storage hormone insulin and reduce inflammation, both of which can improve body fat loss. Including at least three oily fish fillets a week can support reducing inflammation in the body. 9. Include red meat two-three times per week: Red meat includes beef, lamb and duck and is high in iron, B vitamins, zinc and selenium. Iron deficiency anaemia is a common condition in the Western world causing symptoms such as fatigue, pallor and increased susceptibility to illness. Including red meat in the diet two-three times per week can benefit overall health and well-being. 10. Cook in coconut oil: Coconut oil is formed of medium chained fatty acids which are different than other regularly fatty acids consumed in the diet. Its health benefits include increased satiety and decreased risk of infection. It also has a higher smoke point than olive oils meaning that it can be cooked at a higher temperature without turning into health threatening trans fats. So what does that look like practically? Breakfast: Tomato and spinach omelette and half a cup of oats made to porridge with almond milk and a handful of berries Snack: Greek yoghurt with a small handful of nuts Lunch: Chicken and avocado salad with half a cup of basmati rice Post workout: 1 glass of milk and a banana Dinner: Steak with asparagus and half a cup of new potatoes

Personal Training. So , you've woken up this morning and said it's time to get a personal trainer. For any trainer/coach to help you get the results that you're looking for you must be willing to change. Over the years I've trained 100's of clients and helped many achieve truly life changing transformations! The clients that have gone that extra mile, they're the people that have really wanted it. In order for Me to help You...You must be willing to help yourself !! Signing up with any worthwhile personal trainer is going be a pretty big expense , so unless you've just hit the lotto or you're lucky enough to be loaded with cash you must dedicate yourself 100% and listen to your trainer/coach. It's all about changing your lifestyle! So my first question to you before you comit to a personal training program is "Are you are willing to make big lifestyle changes?" If the answer is yes I will work with you to guarentee you'll achieve the results you are looking for. 100% honesty. 100% accountability. 100% dedication. Then your life will change.

With summer upon us , it's time to get serious about your training & I have just the training plan for you! ☀️👙 My 8 week Summer Challenge is by far my busiest challenge of the year and we've seen some amazing results over the past few years. 💪🏽 8 Week Challenge Includes ⭐️ 3pt session per week ⭐️ Your own personalised meal plan ⭐️ Full Macro Breakdown ⭐️ Your own personalised training program ⭐️ At home cardio & core workout plans ⭐️ Weekly consultations ⭐️ Biweekly measurement and body fat analysis For all other details please comment below 📧 tbmpt23@gmail.com 📱0857680350 Like, share & tag anyone who you think might be interested. Barry 😃

Fancy a healthy ice pop?? ☀️ Why don't you make yourself some BCAA ice pops?? 😃 I have the apple flavour but you can use any flavour you like. 😋