Week 8, Day 1 of my 12 Week Transformation

Goal Setting - The Revolution Way

I’m now at the half way point of my 12 week transformation, and my results so far are in. My weight when I started was 89.2kg, and now it is 85.2kg so that’s 4kg lost (or in old money, 9 pounds). My body fat started at 17.7% and is now down to 14%, and I’ve lost exactly 2 inches from my waist. I’m bang on target to hit my goal of under 10% body fat and feeling highly motivated to train and eat right.

This brings me nicely on to what I really wanted to talk about in this blog post. Since Revolution opened in 2005, our company has helped thousands of people transform their bodies and achieve their goals. But why do some people totally transform their bodies whilst other people, who have all the same access to dietary advice and training plans, cannot?

Firstly, you simply have to stop making excuses. It does sound a little harsh, but it’s true. “I’m really busy”, “I work crazy hours”, “I’ve got 3 young kids”, “I’ve got a bad back”, “I haven’t got time to cook”. Believe me, over the 10 years I’ve been a personal trainer, I’ve heard them all. And if I’m honest, I’ve said at least 2 of the above myself.

Secondly, I think the reason some people who have been unable to change their bodies physically has been due to their inability to control their emotions. There is nothing wrong with enjoying a beer or a chocolate bar, but the problem comes when we find ourselves having these things when we don’t really want them. I can say from personal experience that before I started my 12 week transformation, I found myself eating high sugar snacks every night. This is a classic example of our emotions taking over our logical thoughts. We know that what we are eating is bad for us, and we don’t even want the food we are putting into our bodies, yet we still eat it.

The answer lies in our ability to set goals in a way that provides us with clarity and purpose. When we set a goal which excites us and we know exactly what we want to achieve, we stop making excuses and more importantly we get the power of our emotions working for us rather than against us.

I could write pages and pages on how to set goals, but instead I’m going to give you a fast-track lesson on how to set goals the Revolution way.

1. Know exactly what you want to achieve and over what time frame. Remember that the more clarity you have, the more likely you are to achieve your goal.

2. Why do you want to achieve your goal? The ‘why’ is the emotional pull, so don’t underestimate its power. Be really honest with yourself.

3. Asses your progress by taking a waist measurement or weighing yourself every 3-4 weeks (or any other evaluation which is applicable to your goals).

4. Visualise what you want to achieve, and if you’re someone who is not good at visualisation, then simply find a picture of someone you want to look like and put it on your fridge.

I thought I'd finish this blog post with some 'before and after' photos of a couple of a Revolution clients, Sarah and Moshe, who achieved amazing results by following the Revolution system of goal setting, training and nutrition.


Cheers,

Rob
Revolution

Week 7, Day 1 of my 12 Week Transformation

Food for the week

As I approach the half-way point of my 12 week transformation, I’d like to share some more nutritional advice. In fact what I thought I’d do today is show you a photo of exactly what I bought from the supermarket yesterday, and pick out a few selected items of the foods and explain their health benefits.

Eggs – contain 6 grams of protein each and contain all 9 essential amino acids.

Butter – naturally high in vitamin A, it also helps with the absorption of other vitamins, specifically D,E & K.

Pumpkin seeds – high in zinc (particularly important for male fertility) as well as loaded with protein.

Almonds – high in protein and quality monounsaturated fat, which helps to lower blood pressure.

Brazil nuts – contain the mineral Selenium which boosts the immune system and is vital for the production of testosterone.

Chicken – contains approximately 30 grams of protein per breast.

Blueberries – high in vitamin C and antioxidants.

Bananas – really high in potassium, which helps to regulate blood pressure.

Sweet potato – my own personal favourite vegetable. It’s as slow releasing in terms of energy as oats, and is packed full of fibre and vitamins.

Avocado – contains monounsaturated fats that help lower the cholesterol, and has high levels of fibre so you feel fuller for longer.

Broccoli – packed with vitamin C, which aids with iron absorption. Also high in fibre, which can help to reduce cholesterol.

The other foods in the photo are: natural yoghurt, Yakult, carrots, bok choy, peppers, porridge, tomatoes, brown rice, cod, cottage cheese, lemon, spinach and mushrooms.

I now feel totally in control of what I am eating and when. I will talk about the health benefits of some of the other foods in the photo later this week.

Cheers,

Rob
Revolution

Week 6, Day 3 of my 12 Week Transformation

After a week’s holiday at Centre Parcs with the family, I’m now back and feeling great about the next stage of my 12 week transformation.

While I was away I didn’t put a single pound of weight on, which I have to say with plenty of temptation around wasn’t easy. I reminded myself of my goals and that’s how I was able to say no to the ice creams, beers and pancakes (apart from on Sunday of course!). That’s the thing I’ve said previously, will-power is not some magic formula blessed to a few. Anyone, and I mean anyone , can have incredible will-power and achieve amazing results if they have a goal which excites them and a clear plan of action.

Before I talk more about my next phase if training I’d like to show you a video of one of the exercises I recorded during the conditioning phase. It’s called a jockey row, and it’s a fantastic exercise to relieve tightness in the lower back and improve posture.



Second 4 weeks of training - hypertrophy (improved muscle tone)
The training phase changes at this point to give the body a new stimulus. This training phase is called hypertrophy, which means using resistance based exercises to increase the body’s lean muscle and also to increase muscular tone.

For women worried about ‘bulking up’ during this phase, there really isn’t any need as the building block of muscle is testosterone and 99% of women won’t produce enough testosterone to build significant muscle. You can read more about this in the article written by Rebecca Maslin in Revolution’s July newsletter.

By adding lean quality muscle to the body, the basal metabolic rate is increased. This is the rate at which you burn calories at rest. For every pound of muscle you have, you burn 16 calories at rest per hour. For every pound of fat you have, you only burn 2 calories at rest per hour.

What the above really means is that by lifting weights and eating right, you will inevitably reduce body fat whilst also shaping and sculpting the body. Although cardiovascular exercise should obviously be a key part of any training schedule, weight training should always play an important part too. And as I have already emphasised, this is for both men and women.

I can’t finish this post holiday blog without the mention of a few classic moments with my parents. As I explained in my last post, my parents follow their own set of nutritional rules, which aren’t entirely in line with the ones I am following during this 12 week transformation. The day after we arrived, I asked my Mum if she had brought any green tea bags. She replied with “no, but I can make you a latte if you like?” Another gem was when I told my dad I was off the beers, to which he replied “Alright. I’ll just pour you a whiskey then.”

Cheers,

Rob
Revolution

Week 4, Day 5 of my 12 Week Transformation

As I come to the end of my first 4 weeks of training, I'm posting up a video that shows me performing a cross lunge. It's a great exercise when done properly to work the muscles of the glutes. When you get the glutes firing it can have the effect of easing lower back pain and also to tone those buttocks - and let's be honest, who wouldn't want that!



Yesterday, Giuseppe and I recorded 2 more exercises which I wanted to post up today, but I'm off on holiday to the exoctic location of Centre Parcs and my wife says we need to leave now! So I'll post those two videos when I return in 1 week.

I'm also faced with the challange of eating well whilst on holiday, which is made all the more difficult as I'm not only going on holiday with my wife and daughter, but also my parents. And my parents follow some of their own nutritional rules:

1) you can't go longer than 12 minutes without putting the kettle on

2) always clear your plate, as there are children starving in the world

3) a salad should always include bread, cheese and colslaw

4) an 'alcohol free day' means only have 1 bottle of wine (and maybe one or two beers)

5) and lastly, a full English breakfast is the best way to start the day!

I'll let you know how I get on.


Cheers,

Rob

Revolution

Week 4, Day 4 of my 12 Week Transformation

The Conditioning Phase of Training

So as I near the end of the first 4 weeks of my 12 week transformation, as promised I am going to review the training I've been doing. A couple of blog posts ago I broke down the 12 weeks of training into 3 different training phases. I'm going to start by explaining the first phase of training which is called conditioning.

Conditioning (core strength and flexibility) - what does it mean? And what are the benefits to me?

The majority of clients come to us when they haven't exercised regularly for a long time, or they have been exercising but are suffering from lower back pain, knee pain, shoulder pain, neck pain or any other similar condition, whether mild or worse. You don’t have to be Albert Einstein to work out that the last thing you need if you are someone who falls into one of the above categories is to push your body really hard and exacerbate the existing problem.

During the first 4 weeks of training, we design a conditioning exercise programme specific to your body’s needs. It could include squatting and lunge movements performed to fire on the glutes (posh word for buttocks) and hamstrings, and to take pressure off your back. It could include rotational movements to free up your thoracic spine to alleviate mid-back stiffness and possibly hip flexor stretches to immediately ease lower back pain.

What I have mentioned above is really just the start. The purpose of the conditioning phase is to get your body moving how it was designed to, and not only take away old injuries but also to prevent your body breaking down as the training intensity increases through the 12 weeks. The benefits then obviously become clear - if your body is moving pain-free and the correct muscles are working when required, then your chances of achieving your goal are greatly increased.

My business partner, Giuseppe, has been training me through my conditioning phase and he has given me a programme which has left me feeling great. My lower back niggle has gone, my glutes are firing on while I’m running, squatting and lunging and my posture has improved. Within the next couple of days, I will post some videos of some of the exercises that Giuseppe has had me doing during the conditioning phase. I’m now ready for my next phase of training!

I almost wrote a blog post without talking about nutrition at all, but in the end I just couldn’t resist it. During the first 4 weeks of training, some people think their bodies won’t change if they don’t flog themselves until they are sick. This is not true! What you eat is so important. I’ve lost half a stone in 3 weeks by eating clean natural foods for 6 days of the week, and 1 day a week of eating whatever I want. If you’re thinking it’s easier for me as I’m a trainer, well I’m sorry I’m not buying it.

Remember the rules:

1. Remind yourself of your goal and make sure achieving that goal is exciting to you

2. Plan, plan, plan your meals

3. Always read Rob’s blog


Cheers,
Rob
Revolution

Week 3, Day 7 of my 12 Week Transformation

So the results of my first measurements are in, and I'm delighted with my progress so far. My starting weight was 88.9kg and my weight is now 85.7kg, which means I've lost just over 3kg - or in old money, half a stone.

I've lost 1 and a half inches from my waist and reduced my body fat from 17.7% down to 15.1%. It's also great to know that I've managed to lose weight but maintain and build muscle, as proven by my bicep measurement going up from 14 and 3 quarter inches to 15 inches and my chest measurement staying the same.

This has all happened in less than 3 weeks, and so I'm well on my way to my 12 week target of a weight of 82.7kg and body fat of under 10%.

Today was supposed to have been my cheat day where I get to eat whatever I want, but my wife and I were invited to a barbecue with friends yesterday and after about 30 seconds of resisting the crisps and dips on the table, I decided to switch my cheat day from Sunday to Saturday. I can safely say it was the right decision, as I wolfed down burgers, sausages and garlic bread. However, the crowning moment was when two 2 chocolate and cream desserts were brought out, and it's fair to say I didn't hold back. It can only be described as insanity on a plate.




When I first spoke about having a cheat day where you can eat whatever you want and still totally transform your body, it was all theory, but now my results prove that it works. Having said that, 6 days of having not much more than fish, chicken and veg can be tough so that's the time to keep your goal at the forefront of your mind. That's certainly what I'll be doing!

Week 3, Day 3 of my 12 week transformation

Don't make a Moussaka out of a molehill!

I said that my next post was going to be on the training I'm undertaking during my 12 week transformation, but at the studio clients keep asking me about nutrition. so with that in mind I'm going to do one more nutrition post before writing about the training.

Today I ate the following;

6am - 2 brazil nuts, 2 almonds and a yakult yogurt drink

7am - americano with a dash of milk

8am - half a banana, before a fast 6k run with the nut case that is Tim Wise

10.20am - porridge made with water, squeeze of honey and chopped banana

12 noon - black coffee

2.20pm - grilled chicken breast from Albanian cafe (almost certainly not organic chicken), rice and salad

4.30pm - half a banana (for some reason I couldn't stop eating bananas today)

7.30pm - home-made lamb Moussaka, made by my wife's fair hand, with carrots and broccoli

9.30pm - 10 squares of Green & Blacks dark chocolate

The point I made with my headline is to reiterate the point I've made previously. I like eating good, wholesome food and I'm not prepared to give it up for anyone, but I am prepared to eat well 80% of the time. There are times when you will need to say 'no' and make sacrifices, but the results will be worth it!

I'm taking my measurements on Friday, so will give full results then but I know from weighing myself earlier today that I've lost approximately half a stone. And I'll be perfectly honest, it's a lot harder to lose weight and reduce body fat when you're starting from a relatively low base.

If you've read the blog and have a question or comment, please leave one and also if you have any healthy recipes then we'd love you to share.

Cheers

Rob
Revolution

Week 3, Day 1 of My 12 Week Transformation.

I've spoken a lot about nutrition, so I wanted to take the chance to talk a little more about the training undertaken during Revolution's 12 week transformation programme:

First 4 weeks of training – conditioning (flexibility and core strength)
In the first 4 weeks of training, we focus on full body compound movements and flexibility training to enable the body to go through the required range of movement. We teach the body to squat, rotate, push, pull and twist. These movements have an immediate effect on changing the shape and composition of the body.

Second 4 weeks of training - hypertrophy (improved muscle tone)
The training phase changes at this point to give the body a new stimulus. This training phase is called hypertrophy, which means using resistance based exercises to increase the body’s lean muscle and also to increase muscular tone.

By adding lean quality muscle to the body, the basal metabolic rate is increased. This is the rate at which you burn calories at rest. For every pound of muscle you have, you burn 16 calories at rest per hour. For every pound of fat you have, you only burn 2 calories at rest per hour.

Third 4 weeks of training – circuit training
This training phase is where we ramp up the intensity, get the heart rate high and reduce rest periods. After 8 weeks of training, our clients will be ready for this and the body responds by burning fat fast! A lot of our clients are also put through boxing training at this stage, which not only allows them to take out life’s stresses with various punching and footwork drills, it’s also one of the most fun ways to get fit.

Today I was taken through a conditioning training session by my business partner Giuseppe, and it really was a fantastic session. Later this week I'm going to run through the exercises Giuseppe selected, and more importantly why he chose those particular exercises.

Cheers
Rob

Revolution in Men's Fitness Magazine

Revolution appears in the Sports Supplements section of September's edition of Men's Fitness, on page 106.


Here is the text from the article:

Q. Are supplements ever a good alternative to a proper meal?

A. 'Supplements and meal-replacement products, such as protein shakes and bars, can be a quick, easy and convenient way to take on quality nutrition - especially around training - when you don't have time to cook or prepare a proper meal,' says Rob Grim, director of Revolution Personal Training Studios (revolution-pts.com). 'Many products are also designed to be easily absorbed and used by your body, rather than sitting in your stomach awaiting digestion. However, these products are meant only to supplement your daily diet. Whole foods should form the basis of what you eat for optimal health.'

Week 2, day 3 of my 12 week transformation

I'm well into week 2 of my 12 week transformation and I'm feeling great. I've had several clients talk to me this week about conflicting information that they hear about nutrition.

Firstly, it's worth noting that adherence to a nutrition plan is the most important thing. My goal hasn't been to make my eating perfect, but to vastly improve upon how I was eating prior to starting my 12 week transformation. I once had a meeting with a well respected and highly qualified nutritionist, and she gave me food plans which included squeezing fresh pomegranate juice over salads and making vegetable juices and other incredibly healthy things. The problem is, I was never going to actually do any of what was in her plan - it made me think, if I'm a personal trainer and I'm not going to do it, then how is a busy working mum or a business person who works 15 -16 hour days going to implement what she was suggesting?!

So with that in mind, I would suggest that you keep it simple:

1. avoid biscuits, cakes, high calorie carbonated drinks, sweets etc

2. avoid white bread and white pasta

3. eat quality (complex) carbs such as brown rice and sweet potato

4. regularly eat fresh friut and vegetables, as well as beans and pulses

5. eat organic (where possible) lean quality proteins such as chicken and fish

6. include 'good fats' in your diet, such as avocados and nuts (a quick word on nuts - one portion is 2 brazil nuts or 4 hazelnuts, not 6 or 7 handfulls), sunflower seeds, natural yogurt etc

I mentioned on my last blog that with the Revolution 12 week transformation, on the 7th day each week we can eat whatever we want. I often hear trainers and nutritionalists say 'when you stop eating cakes and treats and drinking beer, after a while you won't want it anymore'. Well, I'm going to let you into a little secret here - they are bullshitters! No amount of green veg, salmon and postive thinking is going to stop me wanting to eat a caramel slice and drink a latte!

So, have whatever you really fancy on that 7th day. Just make sure that come day 1 of the next week, you are ready to get back to the healthy eating.

As I finish this blog on nutrition, I can hear my brother and business partner John saying three words: PLAN, PLAN, PLAN. To clarify what he means - on Sunday each week, write down and plan (and more importantly, go out and buy) the food you're going to eat over the next week!

Rob,
Revolution