Keri McKibbin Personal Training

So we have done a week of day by day emotions and what played out, or at least what was likely to play out in your week.

So what happened? Did you have an ideal week or did you throw in towel early?

Has the weekend started early already or perhaps it never ended at all for you?

Living the lifestyle you want is entirely up to you, are most of you are grown adults able to make responsible decisions in your life. It shouldnt really have anything to do with me on what you do in your life, how many workouts you put in during the week, what your shopping basket is like, and how guilty you feel by not exercising in the first place?

I am here to help though as many people i train or have trained use the site from time to time, and thats what its all about, helping other people simple as that, no money involved and no catches!!

If you have had a good week already, then you deserve something special the weekend, or a treat or two you don’t really do anymore in the week, good for you, you deserve it!!

You will find on your treat days, you’re probably living your life like most people live every day or their life. Most people accept the fact that they will never re-discover their lost youth and powers of being able to be as active as they liked. They really believe those days are behind them, and those of you who have transformed your life, will know they are talking rubbish as ambition has left their lives. Sometimes temporary, sometimes forever unfortunately.

So im taking it lots of people have had a good week, congratulations on it and you’re in a perfect position now to inspire others, so do someone a good turn and tell them they can really turn their lives around just like you!

Here’s a set of conditions which may be hanging around with you this Thursday, and causing you not to have as great a week/month as you’re really capable of.

1. You may not have had your Monday blast, as I suggested on Monday, increasing the chances of you not having the week you’d like to have.
2. You may have carried on your weekend treats into Monday and Tuesday, therefore not exactly developing the drive and energy to train hard or not even train at all.
3. You may be worried about your job or business, with all the government cuts coming, I hear of a lot of pessimism again and it is very worrying for a lot of people.
4. You may have emotional strife, worries on a personal level that make it hard to get workouts done and certainly not big performances.
5. Your shopping list may not have been done last week, instead you are relying on bits and bobs from the local shop, petrol station and the odd takeaway, after all it seems a lot easier doesn’t it?
6. Your sleep is terrible, its unsettled and you wake up shattered, leaving no energy and your irritability is at an all time high!
7. You may have a glass of wine every night, that turns into a bottle sometimes? Number one way to destroy your training for the week and put extra body fat on!
8. You hang out with friends who make fun of exercise, who ridicule exercise and give you pearls of wisdom such as the famous “one life you have, its too short to exercise”! This is one of my “favourites”!
9. You have turned into a story teller, you tell your kids and maybe grandkids that you were really in shape “once upon a time”, but that was in the past and those days are “behind you now”. This is getting pitiful isn’t it?
10.  You have lost all self-belief and self-confidence and reached the bottom of a big deep rut, nothing can help it seems and life is now one big day to day struggle! Desperation is good, it will mean to you that you are finally desperate to change it all around, as life is unbearable surely being that much overweight, inactive and depressed? The ONLY way is up surely?

EVERY SINGLE ONE of these reasons why you’re not performing well is helped TO A GREAT DEGREE by exercising and eating a whole lot better, this is an absolute fact and the big question is, like every day this week, are you going to actually do it or is life going to be one big feel sorry for yourself exercise?

I don’t say this to pick on anyone, but im saying that I know the truth and the all natural remedy for your lack of energy, lack of optimum health and lack of real attitude to conquer all TEN of those scenario’s.

The big question is are you going to do it right now or not? It all starts again with the first step and im right behind you so lets do it!!

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.