How to not do a sh*t lateral raise... Stand with the dumbbells by your side or to your front with your shoulders pinned back. Without any swinging, lift the dumbbells to your side with a slight bend at the elbow, continue to go up until you arms are parallel to the floor and then pause for a second. Lower the dumbbells back down slowly whilst maintaining constant tension.

My Top 10 Healthy Snacks https://expertpt.co.uk/news/top-10-healthy-snack

Why you’re not losing fat! Now, this post is not for everyone, this post is for those of you who feel like you have tried everything and have never fully understood why. You no longer need to keep stressing over this, as it will without doubt be one of these three issues: 1- Shit or no Nutrition Plan (eating/drinking too much) 2- Shit or no Training Plan (training with no structure and training like a fairy) 3- Medical Condition Once you have ruled out number three with a trip to the GP, you can be quite sure that it’s number 1 or 2, or likely a mixture of the two. This might feel like some harsh truths, but the amount of people who have started working me with the illusion that they have tried everything, is simply unbelievable. I know far too many people who are struggling and getting frustrated that they’re not losing fat, but have no idea how many calories they’re consuming each day, this is like complaining that the recipe you followed tastes like crap, yet you didn’t actually follow the instructions. Let’s step into the shoes of someone who has “tried everything”, they don’t drink much, they train 4 times per week and hardly eat at all. This is usually what this persons week looks like: - They don’t eat much…yet each evening they have a dessert containing upwards of 500 calories. - They train four times per week…yet they don’t follow a plan, so they don’t train at all, they workout 4 times a week, trust me there is a difference. - They don’t drink much…yet this weekend they did get drunk because it was their best friends birthday, actually the weekend before they celebrated a christening…..you can see where I’m going with this. Let’s say your evening treat adds up to 300 calories, you have that 5 days a week, it ends up being 1,500 calories, now let’s factor in the the 4 Jaeger Bombs on the weekend (632 calories)….. I love Jaeger Bombs…and then the 4 pints (720 calories). Ohhh, let’s not forget the Big Mac meal you had as a “1 off treat” (1,120 calories). Maybe this is an exaggeration….maybe not, but you can see how easily a week can escalate, due to these little extras we have added an extra 3,972 calories to our week! A big issue I find is that people who eat like this think it’s normal, they think that they have just been dealt a slow metabolism hand. “All my friends are stick thin and they eat the same as me”, how do you know the eating habits off all your friends? Yes, they might go out every weekend the same as you, but they are a lot more active in the week as they don’t have an office job, or they only have an evening treat on a Friday, yet you have one everyday. People will see a snap shot of someones life and think it’s their normality. Let’s take me for example, I eat out most days on the weekend, and I’ll likely treat myself to the odd Costa panini and maybe the odd chocolate in the week. However, I train 4 times a week…. I mean properly train, I drink a ton of water, I’m very active through the days, most months I don’t drink any alcohol, my regular meals and my calorie intake are inline with my goals. So, this is not me saying that you should completely eliminate all these treats, because as you can see, I don’t! What I am saying is that you need to me a bit more self aware of what you’re doing through the week and how that will affect your body composition. You need to take control of your body and mind set and not let anything hold you back from what you’re aiming to achieve!

Slowly but surely I'm improving on my olympic lifts! Technique could be better as I need to power through my hips a bit more effectively and own that triple extension, then transition under the bar quicker and smoother......safe to say I've got a lot to work on! Over the next couple of weeks/months you'll see my technique improving and those weights going up.

The Perfect Bicep Curl!

30 Minute Full Body Workout Short, Sharp and VERY EFFECTIVE! Trap Bar Deadlifts - 10 Reps x 4 Sets Military Press - 10 Reps x 4 Sets Fronts Squats - 12 Reps x 3 Sets Pull Ups - 12 Reps x 3 Sets Rowing - 30 Seconds On/30 Seconds Rest x 6 Enjoy!

The RDL (Romanian Deadlift) is a compound hinge movement focusing on the hamstrings (back of legs), specifically the eccentric (way down) part of the exercise where we are trying to achieve maximum stretch through the hamstrings. The starting position is holding the bar at hip level with a pronated grip. Your shoulders should be pinned back, your back neutral and your knees slightly bent. Once you have a strong starting position, you’ll be ready to start the movement. Lower the bar by pushing your bottom back as far as you can. Keep the bar as close to your body as possible (it should slide down your legs) and keep your shoulders pinned back. You’ll know when you’re doing it correctly as you’ll feel an incredible stretch in the hamstrings. Once you’ve reached full stretch (generally just below the knee), you can then start to bring the weight back up by driving your hips forward and locking out at the hip joint to achieve full squeeze of the glutes. Make sure your back stays straight through the full range of motion. Key Coaching Points: - Shoulder blades pinned back - Slight bend in the knees - Push your bottom out/push to the sky - Keep the bar close to your body

"Andy, what's a quick, healthy, high protein snack I can have?" Good questions! I've got a mate who knows a guy who can help you with this, his names boiled egg......eat boiled eggs! This sounds simple, but having 2-3 of these prepped for the day will massively help prevent hunger, which lead to sugar cravings, and they're obviously great for increasing protein intake. They will massively stink out the office though, so make sure you sit next to someone who already smells...just joking.....not joking, it's a good idea, that way nobody will suspect you or your little egg friend.

95% of gym users......😂

Low-Fat vs Low-Carbohydrate.........I honestly love it when a study like this is released! [The DIETFITS Randomised Clinical Trial] This study is particularly interesting due to its large group of participants, a staggering 12 month duration and the careful dietary monitoring. Also, it was partially funded by NuSI, an organisation co-founded by low-carb advocates. They randomly assigned 609 participants to either a healthy low-fat diet or a healthy low-carb diet for 12 months. During those 12 months, everyone was instructed to attend 22 dietary counselling sessions with a dietitian. While no calories targets were given, both groups were instructed to consume high-quality whole foods and drinks. They were told to maximise intake of vegetables and minimise intake of added sugars, refined flours and and trans fats, also to focus on whole foods that were minimally processed, nutrient dense, and prepared at home when possible. The researchers looked to see if genotype or insulin production could predict weight loss on either a low-fat or a low-carb diet. Other health outcomes measured were weight change, body fat (DXA), cholesterol, blood pressure and fasting glucose. Main findings were... - No significant weight-loss differences were observed between the low-fat and low-carb groups! - Neither genetics nor insulin production could predict weight-loss success on either diet! - There were also no significant differences between groups for most other health markers tested! Yes....triple shock! The DIETFITS study replicates the results of numerous other studies, showing that when calorie intake and protein intake are consistent the amount of carbs or fat doesn't matter too much. Summary There will always be diet trends, people will always say "I have the diet for you!!" but.......in the end......it comes down to having a diet that you can stick with! Also, one that is abundant with whole and nutrient dense foods whilst rich in protein.

This is how I feel when I drop my calories.....