• Mental clarity
• Mindset
• Mood
• Well being
• Prevents weight gain during the festive period
  

Today I just wanted to share a few strategies with you to help keep you focused and motivated on your goals during the winter:

Focus on pain – 90% of us are motivated away from pain. Sometimes it’s good to take advantage of this. So let me ask you a question. What are the implications if you don’t continue with exercise and healthy eating during the Winter? How will you look and feel come Spring time? It’s not nice to think about, but the answer to this question can be a powerful motivator.

Set a small “Winter” goal – Sure, you’ve probably got a big goal you’re working towards, but to bridge the gap why not set a small goal to work on during the winter. It could be related to your big picture goal or something completely unrelated. Bonus tip – Tracking progress towards this goal can be very motivational. Make sure you’re tracking your progress on a weekly and monthly basis.

Tweak your modes of exercise – I know many of you reading this enjoying incorporating running and cycling and other outdoor modes of exercise into your weekly routine, but when the cold, wet weather sets in it’s all to easy to out these type of activities on the back burner. Consider exploring some alternative modes of exercise that are more viable when it’s wet and cold out. For example a gym or home based resistance workout.

Use online coaching – The online coaching platform with ABC fit is a great way to eliminate the guess work around your goals. This is a truly custom and guided process to keep you motivated, accountable and seeing results. You’ll get access to a specialist app, Aaron – your own coach, personalised workout plans and tasty meals plans to follow. To learn more about joining head back to the ABC fit homepage and fill out the enquiry form you’re greeted with.

The post Top Strategies to Maximise Motivation During Winter appeared first on ABC FIT.

“What home gym kit would you recommend I invest it?”

Now in my opinion home gym kit should tick the boxes of a few criteria. First of all it should be affordable. Many of you reading this will see home gym kit as a temporary solution. Almost as a backup. But affordable doesn’t mean it has to be crap. Still look for top quality brands. If you need help with this get in touch and I’ll be more than happy to help. Home gym kit should also be portable and easily stored away especially if space is limited in your home. On a final note it should also be a bit of kit that opens up hundreds of options for you. It should add variety and spice to your workouts.

Without further ado here is my top six pieces of home gym kit.

TRX/suspension Trainer – The TRX (or any other similar type suspension trainers) are superb for utilising your own body as resistance. They’re portable, affordable and can be hung up inside and out.

Resistance Bands – Resistance bands are a great, affordable option for home use. They come in a variety of options and resistance strength levels. They really help to open up different options for different muscle groups.

Dumbbells – Again relatively affordable and quite small so they can be stored away when not in use. Many companies now make adjustable dumbbells that have a variety of loads to choose from. However if you only wanted to buy a single pair don’t waste your money on tiny little 1-2kg. Invest in something a little heavier and more worth your while. The sweet spot for an average female is 6-8kg. The sweet spot for an average Male is 12-14kg.

Adjustable Bench – Prioritise a pair of dumbbells, but if you’ve got them and are still wanting more a bench will really start to open up hundreds more options for you. Just keep in mind they can be quite expensive and you need to find somewhere to store it.

Skipping Rope – Very affordable and very very portable. Skipping is a great cardio workout that can torch through calories. There is a technique involved, but this is all part of the challenge of learning.

Bodyweight – Yep that’s right! Sometimes the best bit of kit is no kit at all. There’s so many challenging, effective exercises that can be done with just bodyweight. Definitely not to be over looked.

The post Top 6 Pieces Of Home Gym Equipment appeared first on ABC FIT.

This is a phrase that’s getting thrown around quite a lot recently. And after the recent enforced lockdown and Coronavirus pandemic, it’s easy to see why.

Like many other jobs, personal trainers (including me) went about their day as normal one day, only to have it all put on hold the next. Just like that. No warning.

Forgetting the trainers for a minute and shifting our focus to the clients, this left many people frustrated that they couldn’t see their trainers and continue making progress towards their goals. With months of hard work and progress on the line, it really was time for online coaching to shine.

So is 1-1 personal training really going the same way Black Cabs did when Uber came to town? Is it going the same way the dinosaurs did?

Let’s find out today and take a look at just some of the key benefits that online coaching offers over 1-1 (Side note: sure 1-1 based offerings can offer some of the same, but remember the point is that all of these can be offered remotely, from any geographical location in the world. And with more people limiting their contact with people it could be a wise step forward):

Accountability 
Accountability created by daily, weekly or monthly check-ins are the wheels that keep the success train steaming ahead. Online coaching platforms make it very easy and viable to check in with clients as often or a little as you need.

Workout Planning And Progression 
Having expert direction in terms of how to train safely, how to progress and how to avoid plateaus is priceless. How many times have you got to the gym and not had a clue what to do? This normally ends up in a sub-par workout – not ideal for world class results.

Meal Planning 
Do you know how many calories you should be eating? Do you know how much protein, carbs or fats you need for your goals? Do you have a selection of meals you can eat every day that fit within this numbers and meals that you actually love to eat? Believe me when I say this is the answer to achieving your goals. A brilliant online coaching programme will come with all of the above.

Education 
A good online coaching programme continues to provide educational material to clients to help them understand more about the science behind their goals and to support their ongoing journeys.SO lets round this all up.

What do I think?

Do I think 1-1 personal training I dead? I’d say – No 1-1 personal training isn’t dead. Replacing that “in person” coaching experience can’t be substituted. There’s something about having that in person experience that really adds a quality feel and creates accountability and motivation.

But with that said, the events of the last 6 months have really created a huge gap in the market for online personal training and virtual products that will help individuals create accountability and achieve their goals. Clients want to know that they can continue working towards their goals regardless of what challenges come their way – whether its lockdown, gym closures or social distancing.

Maybe this sounds like you? If you want to learn more about achieving your fat loss goals through online coaching with ABC fit click here.

The post 1-1 Personal Training Dead? appeared first on ABC FIT.

The Challenge
Just like many other businesses during the enforced lockdown, Olive Communications were forced to shut their office and continue delivering exceptional consumer service whilst employees worked from home. Overcoming this challenge as a business is one thing, but it left the organisations employees vulnerable. These vulnerabilities include reduced daily energy output, weight gain, declining fitness levels and lowered mental wellbeing. This in turn leads to a decline in work performance and leaves employees prone to becoming sick and injured – Not ideal for any businesses overall success and productivity. 

The Solution
Olive Communications came onboard as a corporate client during March of 2020, just as the UK went into lockdown. A total of 39 employees enrolled for the online health & fitness coaching programme provided by ABC fit. The primary objective for anyone enrolled in the programme was to develop a bespoke plan that is measurable and holds the individual accountable. All employees on board were provided with bespoke nutrition and workout plans along with round the clock support and educational lessons to watch on the ABC fit smartphone app to help further solidify change and good habit making.

Empowering The Workforce
The last 3 months have resulted in some superb transformations from the employees on board. Of the 39 onboard 20 were looking to lose fat. The total fat lost amongst these 20 individuals was 143lbs in 3 months. Some of the top performers included a loss of 13.4lbs, 13.2lbs and 7.5lbs. The graph below shows how the combined total of bodyweight consistently dropped during the course of the 3 months period. These stats were correct at the time of publishing this, but it continues to drop as the weeks move on.

Other goals that some of the employees were working towards included muscles gain, fitness and overall wellbeing. One individual gained an incredible 12lbs of muscle and is now much more confident in himself and feeling happier in his own skin.

The Benefits
Improving the health, wellbeing and body composition of your workforce is great, but do you know what makes it even better? These improvements flow directly back in to benefits for the organisation. For example:

Improved Work Performance

• Improving the body and health does wonders for our mental well-being, self esteem and confidence and mental performance.

• Employees show up to work differently. They feel confident in delivering that sales pitch to a room of prospects, they’re happy to manage that client complaint – they want to do well!

• This in turn could lead to more revenue for the business.

Reduced Staff Sickness

• In the UK employees take an average of 6.9 days of sick leave per year. Times this figure by your total workforce and this could be a problem. 

• Healthier, fitter employees means less time off work due to sickness, pains and general poor health.

• This means the business can function as best as possible 365 days of the year with minimal disruptions.

Staff Retention 

• Average employee turnover rate is as high as 18% per year.

• Online coaching is seen as in investment into the employees success. If they love the company they work for and get excited about all the company benefits, they’ll be more likely to stay on. 

• This could save thousands in searching for new employees, and instead have that cash reinvested into the current employees training and development.

Perhaps one of the most interesting improvements Olive Communications have noticed is how their Employee Net Promotor Score (eNPS) has considerably improved since the start of this year (Shown above). eNPS is a measure of how likely employees are to recommend your company as a place to work. The graph below clearly demonstrates how Olive Communications’ eNPS has improved. The metric with the most movement was “Wellness” which is up 1.2pts.

If you’re a business (or individual on behalf of a business) and wish to learn more information about you and your team working with ABC fit and providing an online health & fitness coaching service to your employees, send an enquiry here.

“Thank you Aaron. I’m really grateful for the coaching and motivation you have provided and the incredible results we have seen over the last few months. I’m incredibly proud of how our team at Olive Communications have responded to the lockdown challenge whilst circumstances have given us back life’s most valuable commodity – time. Thanks to you and ABC fit many of our team have used this situation to improve health, fitness and wellbeing at a time when being in better health will be really important. We have made significant achievements as a team and individually and our collective fitness is high up on the list of goals.” 

Martin Flick
Chief Executive Officer at Olive Communications

“It’s been a pleasure for me to be able to work with and coach such a high energy, motivated team. They have shown high engagement and made major strides in improving their health, fitness, nutrition and wellbeing in just 12 weeks. They have collectively lost more than 100lbs of body fat and are all coming out of lockdown in much better shape than before. Well done Team Olive!”

Aaron Breckell
Creator & Coach at ABC fit

The post Coaching A Workforce: Olive Communications Case Study appeared first on ABC FIT.

 But it’s not business as usual.

Just like gyms have had to adapt to the coronavirus pandemic, you too are also going to have to adapt in order to get the best out of your workout. Today I wanted to discuss my top fat loss methods for a post-lockdown gym environment.

Let’s take a quick look at a rough outline that gyms are adhering to right now. For a start there’s going to be some sort of social distancing measures in place. Members will also be asked to clean down equipment before and after use. Numbers in the gym may be limited and you may even have to book a time slot for a workout which will give you roughly an hour to get in and out.

From where I’m standing your gym workouts right now should maximise kcal burn and adhere to these three important criteria.

– Help you maintain social distance.

– Minimise the time spent cleaning/maximise the time spent training.

– Keep things short and sweet – 60 mins max.

Below are three fat loss methods that I’ve been using with my clients to help them maximise their time in the gym, keep them safe and ensure they continue to see incredible results:

Barbell Complexes

A barbell complex is a simple yet very effective training technique for burning lots of calories in a short amount of time. The best thing about them is you only need one bit of a kit – a barbell! This means you’ll only have to spend time cleaning down one piece of kit. So what is a complex? It’s basically a circuit using one bit of kit. You perform all exercises back to back without putting that bit of kit down. After a good warm-up here’s a great intermediate barbell complex for fat loss.

8 barbell rows / 8 barbell front squats / 8 barbell push presses / 8 barbell good mornings.

Remember perform all back to back without putting the bar down. Select a weight that strikes a happy medium for all exercises. After one round is complete rest for 60 seconds and repeat for a total of 4-5 rounds.

Same Kit Supersets

This fat loss training method is very similar to barbell complexes however you only do two exercises back to back. It works well on many pieces of equipment but here’s an example using a light set of dumbbells.

1A: Dumbbell standing side raises
1B: Dumbbell standing shoulder press

Timed-Set Circuits

A timed set circuit is the grandaddy of all fat loss training methods. All you need is five exercises and 20 minutes of time. Again you won’t need much equipment and you can gather all your kit into your own little space so you won’t be running around the gym breaking social distance rules left right and centre. Instead of giving you a workout, I’ll give you a formula so you can create your own circuit.

1A: Full body cardio movement (example: burpee)
1B: Lower body movement (example: goblet squat)
1C: Upper body pushing movement (example: dumbbell push press)
1D: Upper body pulling movement (example: dumbbell row)
1E: Core movement (example: plank)

You can mix the work/rest time up to suit your abilities, but a great place to start is 30 seconds on/30 seconds off for four rounds.

To close this post off, I just want to remind you that I’m here to help. If you need help to lose some fat, let’s chat. Drop me an enquiry for online coaching here and I’ll be in touch.

The post My Top Fat Loss Methods For A Post-Lockdown Gym Environment appeared first on ABC FIT.

One of the first questions that went through my mind was obviously – how and where am I going to exercise and workout? With no gym am I going to waste away and lose all my hard earned lean muscle mass I’ve spent the last 5+ years building?

So here we are 3 months on – I haven’t set foot in a gym and guess what happened?

Absolutely nothing!

Thats right – Nothing.

If anything I’d argue I’m in better shape now than before lockdown. I know one thing for certain and that’s that my body feels healthier. I’m more mobile and a few niggles I had have since cleared up. The only thing I would say is that I’ve probably lost some strength, which is inevitable considering I haven’t lifted heavier loads over the last few months. I no doubt predict this will come back quickly when gyms do reopen.

At the start of lockdown I made a decision that I didn’t want to see this whole situation as a setback, but rather an opportunity. I took this attitude in my own training as well as with my online clients progress. After all – Coronavirus had already screwed up a lot for us, our health and fitness didn’t need to be another thing on the list. In a quick summary, here’s how I did it:

Exercise
Like many, I didn’t rush out to buy lots of gym equipment at the start of lockdown. I was lucky enough to have a few bits lying around from my teenage years before I was even a member of a gym. This includes a set of 8kg dumbbells, a 20kg barbell, a 12kg kettlebell and a TRX. I utilised all these bits of equipment and integrated them in with lots of bodyweight movements. I did on average just 3 workouts a week making sure I worked each muscle group.

Nutrition
I made sure my hydration was on point. Aiming for 2-3L per day and even more if it was a day I trained on. My food intake was high protein, moderate carbs and fats and I actually dropped a meal out. I normally eat 4 meals plus 2-3 snacks. However because I knew I wasn’t going to be as active during lockdown I went to 3 meals and 2-3 snacks. This kept my overall calories down to match my energy expenditure needs.

Recovery
I’ve spent lots of time working on mobility over the last 3 months. So lots of stretching and foam rolling each evening. I’ve also nailed my sleep by consistently getting 9 hours per night. As a result my body feels much healthier and less injury prone.

All in all, all of the practises above have managed to sustain my hard work and set my up to hit the ground for when gyms to re open again. Remember guys if you feel like you could do with some help with your training (in the home or gym) or diet intake for optimal results drop me an enquiry here. Let’s chat and see what the best action plan is to get you moving forward.

The post I Didn’t Go To The Gym For 3 Months And This Happened appeared first on ABC FIT.

Anyone else feel like this?

Turns out I was wrong, especially when you take into account the strategies below which I’m going to run you through today.

Bodyweight exercises can be great way to continue progressing, building muscle and burning fat. The only thing you will struggle to do is build maximal strength. However, with bodyweight exercises the least you’ll do is prevent your body from losing all strength. Making the process of returning to your strength training a lot easier.

Without further ado, here’s 3 strategies you can use to make your bodyweight exercises harder.

Exercise selection/Hand and feet placement 
It goes without saying, changing exercises is a great way of progressing or regressing movements. For example, a one leg squat is going to be harder than a standard two leg squat. Another thing you can think about is adjusting your hand and feet position on various exercises. As a general rule – as feet come close together (in a squat or plank etc.) it becomes harder, the wider they are the easier. With hands somewhere in the middle is easiest, whereas the two extremes of wider or closer become challenging in their own right.

Exercise tempo
This is my favourite variable to progress exercises. This simply refers to the speed at which you perform an exercise. Obviously the slower you go the more tension you create in the working muscles and thus the harder is becomes. For example try 10 reps of bodyweight squats performed as fast as you can. Now do 10 going 3 seconds down and 3 seconds up! Feel the difference? You can even include short holds between the positive and negative portion of reps too. 

Rest period reduction
Shortening the time you take to rest between exercises is a great way to keep your heart rate up and burn more calories. It also means you’ll get your workout done in a shorter amount of time. Win win!

The post 3 Ways To Make Bodyweight Exercises Harder appeared first on ABC FIT.

I know, I get it. You’re probably in the mindset of “What’s the point?”. We’re in lockdown, you can’t get to the gym, chances are pretty high your summer holiday will be cancelled too.

Well I’m here to tell you, now is your chance.

You shouldn’t look at this whole situation as a setback.

It’s an opportunity.

An opportunity to burn fat, gain muscle, improve your health, sky rocket your wellbeing. Whatever it is, now is your opportunity.

You don’t need a fancy gym, you just need some direction and motivation to do the right thing and grasp this opportunity by the horns. Face to face contact with a trainer is not on the cards right now, this is where online personal training comes into its own. Here’s just a few of the benefits you’ll get with online personal training with ABC fit.

Personalised workout plan

Can you have an effective workout in your living room with little to no equipment? Hell yeah! You just need to be shown the exercises, training strategies and progressive principles that make it so. All of my online clients have been sent programmes suitable for the equipment they have available which has allowed them to continue dropping pounds each week, building muscle and generally just feeling awesome.

Meal plan

It’s no secret what you eat makes up a huge part of the results you get. Thanks to my online software I can programme your calories, macros and select meals according to literally everything! From time to cook, budget for food, likes and dislikes. In other words I can help you navigate through the minefield that is nutrition during the Coronavirus outbreak.

Motivation

If you’re struggling with motivation right now, you’re not the only one. Being in lockdown, nothing to look forward to etc. I can understand motivation isn’t going to be at an all time high. That’s why I’m here. Working with clients 1-1 online means we can work together to find out what sparks motivation in you and how we can keep it alive.

Accountability 

Who’s holding you accountable to the behaviours you know you should be doing if you want massive success, a better body, improved wellbeing or all of the above? As your online trainer, that’s my job. Once per week I check-in with my online clients via my app. This is our chance to catch up and address any concerns that may come about. I also get my clients to input there stats once per week so I can keep an eye on their progress.

How does this all sound? If you want to learn more, drop me an enquiry here and I’ll be in touch.

The post Why Now Is The Perfect Time To Start Online Personal Training appeared first on ABC FIT.

Whilst working from home provides us with a fantastic opportunity to continue earning money, keep businesses afloat and keep the economy turning in some tiny way, it does come hand in hand with some issues that could negatively impact our health and fitness aspirations.

Conducting my personal training business 100% online (which is new for me) has given me a good idea of how everyone else is feeling and reacting whilst working from home too. In this article I wanted to discuss my negative findings and more importantly some potential solutions you can think about that will counteract them.

I eat out of boredom
Not out of boredom that my job is boring – far from actually! I love being able to help and support my clients through this, but more that I’m at home the kitchen is just a short walk from my office, grabbing snacks becomes all too easy! Over time this could accumulate to create a calorie surplus meaning fat gain. Not ideal!

Solutions: Stock up on healthier snacks, plan and prep meals. Sip water between meals (This strategy can help you to feel full meaning less likely to snack).

I reminisce
I often find myself drifting throughout the day and reminiscing about good times I’ve had in the past. I remember just a few short months ago I was in London watching one of my favourite bands perform, I remember how the food tastes at my favourite restaurant, I think about doing social things with friends. All of these seem like a distant memory right now. It’s depressing to think about how things have changed and this is probably not good for our mental health to think like this.

Solutions: Think forward. What have you got to look forward to when all this blows over?

I overwork
Without having a physical space to go to work, work time and pleasure time seems to blur into one. Any one else feel like this? If you’re like me and love what you do, it’s very easy for work to become the only thing you do at home. Early starts, late nights and all day-ers become the norm. 

Solutions: Plan your diary each day with high and low priority tasks. Schedule in breaks. Be ruthless with your play time and work time.

I am sedentary
The laptop lifestyle has many benefits, overall daily movement isn’t one of them. It’s easy to be be able to stay sitting on your butt working for hours on end without even standing. This isn’t good for our total energy output, muscles, joints and mental health. 

Solutions: Aim for 10k steps per day. Go for a walk over lunch. Take calls whilst standing. Stretch out the hip flexors and chest daily to counter act sitting and it’s effects on posture.

The post Working From Home – A Few Personal Observations appeared first on ABC FIT.

I couldn’t think of a better word to open this article. I’m sure it’s how everyone is feeling right now.

It’s mad how something so small, like coronavirus, can cause such a big mess. I’m sure many of you are concerned about how this big mess is going to affect your progress towards you goals right?

Let’s face it – coronavirus has already screwed up enough of our plans, let’s not let it screw up our fitness results too. From this article I want you to go away feeling motivated and positive that some good can come of all of this if we work smart and have courage.

Practise good hygiene and social distancing 
We need to slow the spread of the virus down. You also need to try and avoid contracting it yourself. If you get it, it’ll will put you out of action completely which isn’t ideal. Practising good hygiene is our first port of call. Wash your hands regularly. If you can’t wash them hand sanitiser is also ok. If you’re in the gym make sure you wash machines down before and after use with antibacterial spray provided. Try and stay away from big groups for now too by social distancing. Space yourself at least 2m away.

Adjust energy intake to energy demands
A very large handful of you will be working from home over the coming weeks (maybe months – who knows?) This means your daily energy output is going to be much less than what it would be if you’re commuting to an office and walking around etc. This means you’re going to need to adjust your energy intake accordingly. If you continue eating the same amount you usually eat, or more out of boredom, you’ll end up gaining weight. Keep this in mind and become mindful around your food intake.

Continue training at home or outside
As of writing this many gyms are still open, but day by day company’s are announcing they will be closing due to coronavirus. Some for a few days for a deep clean, some for the foreseeable future. If you’re like me – you love the gym. You love the equipment and atmosphere contained within the four walls. If they all have to close, we’re going to need to adapt and work around this to continue training. Bodyweight workouts at home are a great shout. Runs outside another good choice. If you’ve got a small selection of equipment great, let’s put it to use. If you’ve got a stair case, great – you can have a great cardio workout with a set of steps. Heavy objects around the house can also be used as a form of resistance. Think outside the box.

Seize this opportunity 
Seize this opportunity to set new goals and work on different aspects of your health and wellbeing. If your goal was to deadlift 200kg and you’re now gym-less with no equipment at home, to continue working towards that goal would be a foolish idea. Perhaps look at something else. For example, always wanted to lose a few pounds? Now is your time. Personally if we all do get isolated at home I really want to work on my bodyweight to strength ratio and my mobility, particularly around my hips. Start thinking about this now. Get excited about working on something new.

Stay safe. Stay healthy.

The post Coronavirus And Your Goals – What You Need To Know appeared first on ABC FIT.