Glf_fitness

Why is it that living a healthy lifestyle is only done by a small percentage of people? And if you’re eating well or going to the gym, others think you’re crazy and obessed.

▪️According to the UK fitness report 2023/24, only 16% of people in the UK are members of a gym. And we all know the number of people who actually use their membership will be less than that!!
Whilst you can run, do sports and other activities outside of the gym to be active and stay fit, we know weight resistance training is vital for your long term health to build and maintain muscle mass as we age.
▪️The UK government study in 2023 showed that in 2021/22 63.8% people were overweight or living with obesity. Two thirds of the population!!! In a world where you can get literally whatever fast food you want delivered to your door in 15 minutes and unhealthy foods are quick, cheap and easily accessible, as a population, we have let our diets and nutrition fall to pieces.
▪️In 2022 the Heath Survey for England showed 58% of adults drank up to 14 units each week, this is six pints or 10 small glasses of wine. Alcohol has a negative affect on so many health markers and studies have shown this for years.

My question is, why don’t you love and respect your body enough to look after it? You only get one body and it has to carry you for a lifetime. So start looking after it. Nourish it by eating better and actually giving it the right fuel. Be active and build muscle mass so you’re fit and strong when you get old. Because the benefits will be monumental. You’re not being extreme, obsessive or weird, you’re investing in your future and taking care of yourself.

One life and one body.
How are you going to look after yours?

Excuses. Are you guilty of making them?
I don’t have enough time….
I don’t feel like it….
I’m too tired….
I’m too busy….
I’ve got to look after my family/friends….
Now I’m not saying that these things aren’t going to run through your head or that life doesn’t get kinda hectic. But ask yourself. Are they genuine reasons or just excuses? And even if the narrative exists, how much are you letting yourself get away with?
Deconstruct your day and I guarantee there is time to meal prep for the week ahead, to get that extra 30 minute walk in, to get into the gym for your sessions.
This is also where discipline comes in. Because no-one is going to do it for you. You’re a grown up. And yes that comes with grown up responsibilites such as work, children and families. But you absolutely have to look after yourself as well or you’re putting your physical and mental health at risk.
So yes, that decision today may be hard, but future you will be better off. And you have to keep making that decision, day after day and year after year. Because you’re looking after yourself for the rest of your life.

End of my Bulking Phase

Six months of bulking is complete. Starting in November at 66.5kg and finishing at the end of April at 71.70kg. 5kg increase.

It’s the first time I’ve done a significant calorie increase in order to build muscle mass. My training and strength has improved. I have had to adapt my training to work on imbalances and weaknesses in certain areas. I’m really please with how much back has become more symmetrical and I’ve loved training upper body consistently.

You can see in the photos that I have lost alot of definition, I’ve gained body fat around my waist. I have found it hard. Which sounds crazy, eating as much food as I want essentially, but I constantly felt full, bloated, sluggish and I turned into a sleepy gal. Also clothes not fitting the same and just not feeling my best.

BUT eating in a surplus is necessary in order to build muscle mass. It can be achieved as a newcomer in the gym. But as you progress, a deficit just isn’t enough. You also need to be able to switch on and push yourself hard in your gym sessions. The extra reps, control of your movements, utilising tempo and making sure you get everything out of your session that you can.

I’m really looking forward to stripping back body fat again to see what my physique looks like. I’m planning on being in a deficit for 8-12 weeks and ultimately see how my body responds. My scale weight might not get back to where it was before but I’ll still be lean. And this is why, you need to be ok with seeing the number on the scale increase.

I bet you’re stressing about the couple of days this week where your calorie target went out the window. Or that you miss a few workouts this month. And did that step count fall by the wayside when work got really busy?

Hold up for a second…. Did you make better food choices on the other days and hit your target? Are you getting yourself into the gym more than you ever have and when you never thought you could do it? Have you increased your step count on average overall?

Chances are you’re doing all the right things and making the improvements you need to feel better in yourself and be healthier. That’s why it’s so important to remember that the little wins and small steps are what add up to the big results over time.

This is a change you’re making for the rest of your life. Imagine what all those little things add up to after six months, a year, five years.

You’re doing great. So don’t stop.

✨PHYSIQUE UPDATE✨

Current weight- 68.10kg.

I have been in this bulk/gaining phase for nearly 4 months now. Slowly increasing my cals to 3500 a day and protein at 170g.
I’ve only put on about 1.5kg, weight still fluctuates daily but has been in the high 67s-68kg more consistently in the last couple of weeks.
Fat gain is inevitable with a surplus of calories. But it’s still a difficult thing to overcome in my mind. I have also struggled with eating this amount of calories! Sounds great on paper, but to actually eat relatively “clean” is hard. So I’m making the opposite swaps I’d advise people to do when they’re in a deficit. I’m having fattier cuts of meat, full fat yoghurt, cheese and nuts are brought in to provide me with more calories but not more volume.
You can see from the photos comparing November to now, I’m losing muscle definition and generally I’m starting to feel a little uncomfortable. But we’re pushing on because there is more needed with my training. I’ve had to adapt my programme to work on some imbalances within my physique, whilst also trying to progress muscle growth on my legs and glutes. Even though I’ve been weight training for 4 years nearly, I am still figuring out what works for me with a hypertrophy rep range and moving away from strength based rep ranges for now. All under the watchful eye of

DISCIPLINE

The magic word. This is the word and the subsequent action that comes into play when motivation has dropped off. And that will happen, not everyone is motivated to tick all the boxes every day.
Do your workouts.
Get your steps.
Hit your calories and protein.
Drink 2L water.
Get enough sleep.

On top of the rest of what life throws at you. So when motivation has left the building. What do you have to do?
BE DISCIPLINED.
There’s no shortcuts. No fast track. No quick fixes. And if you’re lacking in progress it’s because the boxes are not being ticked.
You’re letting yourself slide, making excuses, relying on motivation alone and thinkinh it comes easy. When it never does.
So be focused. Be disciplined.