Keri McKibbin Personal Training

Okay, we are here right in the middle of the week and hows everything going?

There are just two scenarios, you have either had a belter of a workout on monday, been a little stiff on tuesday and feeling pretty good about yourself today!

Or

You dodged monday’s workout because you didnt really feel like it and before you knew it, you had a nap on the bed and eastenders was on!! Okay, i understand life is tough sometimes!

The great news is though that its still only wednesday and you can still have a great 3 days and it will only be friday!!

Isn’t this really a funny time of year for most of you? When your friends and family may be on holiday, and the inspiration to get into great shape may have been given up on for another year, yes yet another year?!!

Do you think its a healthier idea to think about your training in a more general way?

Should it always be about losing the extra pounds? Shouldnt it also be about having the confidence to now that you’e doing your very best for your health, ALL of the time!! These are the real endess benefits!

Isn’t it time to end these cycles you put yourself on every year?

You know the ones, have christmas when you put on weight and lose fitness, then start some kind of regime and lose a few pounds or even a stone! Then give it all up by valentines day?!

Then say you’re going to get into shape for summer again, and then it somehow goes pear-shape again and you lose motivation and spend most of the summer enjoying yourself based on too much food and drink.

Then its likely to be medicore progress until christmas again, then we tend to start all over again!!!

Is this a familiar pattern or am i talking rubbish again?!!

This is no attack on anyone, its just that ive seen so many similar scenarios, and the good news is that im always here to help, and believe it or not i can be very sympathetic!!

So agaain, hows your wednesday going? Is it going to plan and you’re on top of the world, or do you think theres the slightest chance of you getting going right now and STILL managing to have a great week?!!!

Its dry and its sunny,lets make i happen and its never too late!!

Tuesday should be going very well indeed for you. The weather is a little bit warm and close, but its perfect as you are already pretty much warmed up.

So did you take my advice and not have a lazy Monday?

Those of you who had a good workout on Monday will naturally feel better for the big energy workout and feel more optimistic about the week ahead and your life in general. Your self esteem will be higher because you know you’re doing everything you possibly can to look better and healthier, and self-confidence will be climbing pretty well too, if its not then you need to distance yourself more from negative people.

Everyone I know and everyone who I’ve read about who’s successful ALWAYS includes a workout in their day, and are very knowledgeable about all the benefits it brings.

Isn’t this week all about not making the same old excuses about not being able to get going again, all about wondering where your youthful body has gone, and isn’t this week designed to get you out of all this negative thinking once and for all?

What would happen if you decided from this day onwards to include exercise and healthy eating in your life just like you do cleaning your teeth, or having a bath/shower. I want to know why it isn’t part of your life yet? Surely you know the benefits by now, and the lack of ANY negatives of leading a healthier lifestyle?!!!

Yes, you can still go out for a drink every weekend as long as you don’t collapse each time and do a workout of any kind the next morning, fresh air though is always amazing at getting over hangovers!!

This blog is not some freak show for fitness fanatics who have never drunk alcohol or ate badly in their lives, those people DO NOT EXIST!!

Its all about helping each other and im here every day at the end of my day to help you, so ask away on any issues that concern you.

THIS is the best time of year to exercise, so are you going to reach your potential again or not?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

One of the best ways to get going in the last week of july is to train with someone who gets you up to your best levels.

For example, tonight I had someone on holiday I train, so I ended up with someone with a similar fitness level on the weights, and it ended up my best session for a long, long time.

The amazing situation is not only have I had a great workout, I feel totally energised about the week ahead, and my ambitions already seem higher for my four days left in my working week.

You compare this to me simply going home and lazing in front of the television for an hour, the same feeling of energy wouldn’t have been achieved.

If I called in the petrol station for wine, crisps and chocolate, would I really have had an amazing start to the week or not? I think you know the answer to that!!

So following on from yesterday, have you managed to get fired up about your week or are you throwing in the towel?

Are you doom and gloom or are you bullish about your body and your abilities again?

Here’s a thought about things too. Have you noticed how easy it is to be negative about life, your workouts, the economy, the future everything?!!! Its EASY TO DO THAT!!

The people who deserve the greatest rewards are the ones who have hope, the people who tend to want to do things, the people who throw caution to the wind when most people won’t even try. These are the people who deserve to be in great shape, to have great success in their lives and to create a better, healthier life.

This is the time to do it, not tomorrow or next week, there really isn’t time because if you are indeed fired up from reading this, please ACT on it and don’t hang around because im convinced each and every one of you can turn your lives around.

Most people wonder what might have been, give it go right now, get active and you won’t end up like those who always talk a good game!

Let me know how you get on!

Its more than a little concerning that some of you are giving up the ghost for summer?

The even stranger thing is that many of you have more talent than most and its criminal you’re not getting the best out of yourselves!

Debbie kicked her programme off last week, and whilst her workout could be considered light compared to her normal standard, it was exactly the right thing to do to start off gently again.

Starting off, a new beginning, moving again, believing in yourself again, finding your feet again, starting something big, kicking off things with momentum, etc are all ways to describe what you’re doing when you really DECIDE to go on that journey that culminates in you being in very good shape.

So the whole idea of writing off this week, sunday 25th July to Saturday 31st july is absolutely CRAZY. I know countless people who would love the chance most of you to train, to get outdoors and make a splash approaching the great, fantastic and warm month of august!!!!

So the question is are you going to waste your talents or are you going to join the ranks of people who change their lives EVERY DAY. Literally right now, there are lots and lots of people making changes in their lives, from getting fitter and healthier, to giving up on their dreams and not bothering about their fitness or health.

What’s your choice, are you going to have a big week and you can be proud of yourself by the 31st july, or are you going to take the easy wait out and follow all your favourite TV programmes, after all, they are REALLY important!!

Let me know how you get on and lets get out of your summer slumber!!

The little things always add up to the big thing so its time to fix your health once and for all.

You may have changed your diet considerably for years and that has been a very good effort.

The final step is the little things, the sauces, the salad cream, the mayo, in other words the condiments.

We are talking about the stuff you have in the kitchen which i wouldnt consider eating, if you want to be at your best that is.

Now that i am without those products in my life, i dont wheeze, i dont cough and splutter so much, i dont have any shortness of breath.

This is exactly what happens when i put these items in my life, and im deadly serious, perhaps i just “got used” to them, in a bad way! Now im very glad they are out of my life, never a truer statement made!!

 I have seen countless people go through massive changes in their lives, and the key element has always been changing your way of thinking and for some its either massively changed or changing slightly for some even. After changing the fundamentals in your diet, the little do things DO matter and im so convinced im going to really bag on about it!!

This is the statement you need to think about

“IS WHAT IM ABOUT TO EAT/DRINK ALL NATURAL AND IS IT GOING TO DO ME ANY GOOD?”

If you can honestly answer this as YES 80% or more of the time, then you’re going to be in fantastic shape full stop!!!

This means you can still have your moderate amount of wine, and moderate amount of anything, just that the majority of the stuff you have has to be natural and of good nutritional value.

So the little things will do you no end of good and it will take you 2-4 weeks to get used to it. The results with the cholesterol, blood pressure, resting heart rate, circulation and everything will be tremendous!

lets go over it again, no mayo, no margarine, no butter, no salt, have i gone on too far already? Yes, butter and margarine, these are NEEDLESS calories. Flora is a huge multi-national brand, but it is full or rubbish!! They say its better for you than butter or other maragrine, but what if you didnt eat ANY of them!!

Try it out and let mow know the staggering results you will achieve!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please try it out, you can do it and save you lots of calories every day, no excuses, come on lets do it and take yourself to another level!!!

Have a great weekend and let me know how you get on?

Keri

So whats your attitude to training around holiday times? This is of course relevant this time of year and can make the difference to your progress and especially your mindset.

You are probably one of two types of people.

You cant wait to get away and not do any training.

Or

You take your trainers with you on every holiday and without fail, you always slip a couple of workouts in.

The mindset to take your trainers away with you is very powerful for your forward momentum, and demonstrates how important being in shape is for you.

On the other hand, if its your only holiday and you have been flat out training all year long, its good to have a break from your training and indeed, you are likely to come back fresher and enthused about the challenges ahead of you for the rest of the year.

So you have to balance which one works for you, and time your breaks to suit your schedule.

If you attitude is the first one, you’re glad to get away from your training because you’re really not into it anyway, then you will be likely to heavily over-indulge every day on holiday. Have you noticed when you come back, you promise to start back training but it somehow gets “put off” for the slightest of excuses!

This is when your mindset gets damaged and even when you do get your first workouts in, your eating is going to be all over the place and you really struggle to get back into proper eating again. In fact, the sugary and fatty foods you consume on holiday never really go away and getting back to eating to complement great health and fitness never really gets going.

The best attitude to have (in my opinion) is to enjoy your holiday, be laid back but try and do some activity, whatever it may be. You will NEVER keep your normal schedule up and who would expect you to do that that anyway?!!!!!

Doing something will work for you big time and give you a slight incentive to eat fresher foods and not the rubbish that’s going to make you feel lousy anyway. Of course you’re going to feel amazing if you eat as you do at home but you’re on holiday, so enjoy yourself.

What im saying is its all about balance, and you don’t need to trash yourself just because you’re on holiday, it should be fun but nothing wrong with putting some good food in there too, along with something active every couple of days.

This keeps you in shape and gives you momentum to start early when you return from holidays.

Don’t let 7-14 days of holidays turn into 6-8 weeks of lousy progress, we’ve all been there so lets make it happen this year!!

How many of you are hovering 10 pounds to a stone above your best and can’t seem to do anything about it?

Here’s my guess on why.

Are you just showing up for workouts going through the motions maybe?

Have you forgotten how good it feel likes to be at your best?

Have you lost your confidence in your physical ability? Are those hills you used to go up suddenly “off limits”?

Is it easier now to be a little bit overweight, maybe the effort of being at your best now is “too much”?

The great news is that we all go through such situations and we all need to snap out of this thinking as soon as posible.

That initial uncomfortable period of finally getting your best “head on” only lasts around a week, after that you wll have regained the desire needed to get those extra pounds off.

I’m talking about getting back up those hills, getting back on the bike maybe, being more active full stop.

This will then lead to better and better performances. For instance, you may get back to doing sprints up hills but how much effort are you REALLY putting in to them. Is it simply a matter of gettiing to 6 0r 8 0r even 10 sprints, but not worrying how fast you are going?

Once you get back to worrying about your performance and really wanting to get 100% out of yourself again, this is when those extra 10 pounds to a stone will come off. Your body will recognise the big efforts again, and adjust itself accordingly. Lower body fat will have to happen, more toned muscles will have to happen, better lung capacity will have to happen, a stronger more efficient heart ready for anything will happen once again!

You will start to feel alive again and realise that getting back to your best wasn’t mission impossible after all!

A dry 3 days coming up believe it or not so lets make the most of it!!!

There are many parallel’s between your training and your place of work. I train many employer’s as well as employee’s, so i see both sides of the fence, and here’s what i see.

When we train, we are at some stage going to get tired, sick or sore, or all three and there are times we either pick ourselves up or just lie down on the floor. We know though that withing 5-10 minutes of doing our workout, we will feel automatically better once we get going and remember why we train in the first place.

Work is like that sometimes. When you are faced with a side of the job you’d rather not work on, you need to show the same perseverence as your training, and complete the task no matter what.

The same with time keeping. An employer doesnt want someone who drinks every night and has hardly any sleep, this is likely to lead to being highly unproductive in work. Most employer’s i know would like their staff to come to work with lots of energy and on time. If you’re in a workout programme of any kind, you will know how important it is to stick to a schedule and show up on time for your workouts, perhaps meeting a training partner that you never want to leave down. Being punctual is a good trait, especially when someone pays you to do it!!

Impatience is good sometimes too, how many of you who suddenly get into a health and fitness programme start getting impatient at being slow in your job, or those around you being slow? The fitter you get, usually the more ambitious you become and you want to achieve much more. You will take less time over the same job and this will lead to an increase in your desire for promotion etc.

How many people do you know who always moan at their job, part of the reason is usually they find their day a struggle and therefore hate their job, this is mainly down to them being unfit, overweight and lacking the health and energy to do their job with the pride it deserves. Am i right or talking rubbish?

The facts are usually the fitter, healthier employees tend to be better for the company involved, less sick leave, more productivity and generally happier workforce.

This statement is wrong on so many levels its not true, but lets set the record straight once and for all!

In most gyms, you only see women near the CV machines, the bike, stepper and treadmill mainly, and never seeing them pushing any kind of weight.

First of all, if they don’t start lifting weights, they will NEVER reshape their bodies effectively. If you just do aerobic exercise, you may be likely to get smaller but the shape you want will never happen.

Your metabolism won’t be raised as much either, if you do aerobic work your metabolism will be raised for around 12 hours, if you do some weights and aerobic work, your metabolism will be raised for 36 hours, huge difference right there and a great reason to include resistance training in your workouts.

Women in recent studies have been found to be twice as likely to suffer from depression.

It has been found that intense weight training or intense resistance exercise has been found to get rid of many of the symptons associated with depression. The same results were not found by doing aerobic work alone. This can be a massive change and uplift to anyone’s mindset and is very recommended.

All women i have trained hard with weights always look more feminine, and never bulky. You get toned with resistance work and not “bulked out” like so many people say, that only happens if you consume huge amounts of food daily as well as illegal steroids, which leads into a whole new world of negatives.

Don’t forget the bone strengthening benefits of resistance training, in these days of osteoporosis and osteoarthritis, there has never been a better time to do your resistance work, any doctor will tell you that. I have seen some serious results first-hand so i know it works in a big way!

You will get an enormous amount out of resistance training, and do wonders for your appearance as well as your mindset. When you get used to lifting weights, you will become more confident and it will feel very good to be thata much stronger and much more toned.

In short weight training and resistance work will benefit you in every single way, so lets get on with your workouts and incorporate resistance at least twice a week!

This is the time to get out there every day and make a huge change to the way you look and feel.

For example, those of you who don’t like an audience when you train, there are far more opportunities now than in the autumn/winter.

I saw a lady who perhaps had 3-4 stone to lose power walking in the woods in the country park, and she seemed to having a great time. Perhaps, she wouldnt have done this if she had to walk on the main roads in the winter? This is a regular event for her now, and she seems to love her weekend walks, if she carries this on until the end of september, she should achieve some incredible results.

If you do a map search of the UK from above, you will see that there is more green areas in this area than nearly anywhere. For example, when you watch the opening credits of Eastenders, you will see the map of the east end of london, and there are VERY FEW areas of green on the map, so we should feel lucky to enjoy the surrounding area.

The wet week (like this week)  is no excuse either, it may actually be an advantage.

When its wet and rainy, there tends to be less people out and about so this gives you even more opportunity to do your workouts without too many people around. When its sunny and hot, there tends to be stacks of people around, therefore making it off-putting for many. Also, when its wet, its usually a lot cooler, allowing for better performances and generally making the whole experience a lot more enjoyable.

Summer is a great time to practice and get good at whatever you want to do. The swimming pool is usually quiter so you have more opportunity to become a better swimmer.

There are more daylight hours in the summer so the excuses you may use in the winter won’t apply here. The summer hours are long but slowly getting shorter as of now, so its time to get out there and get a firm foundation before winter is upon us again!

The habits/foundations you lay this summer will make all the difference when you’re trying to get through the cold wet winters.

Lets get out and do something, not only to feel better but to shape your future!