you can do it – Page 11 – Keri McKibbin Personal Training

February 1, 2017

Wednesday, 1st February

Most often forget the value of showing up and improving. The facts are that if you just show up regularly, your body will respond by giving you a little bit more every time. Often after years of inactivity, your body yearns to get more active and feel better again.

Your body adapts to exercise very well, and naturally accommodates the new demands put on it. You may feel you are initially struggling, but that will soon pass if you start off sensibly.

If you are beginner or not that experienced in exercise, jumping into a programme that is already flat out or trying to copy others way above you in fitness levels is a massive mistake.

You need to be cautious, start off at your own pace and work at your own ability levels, and everyone is different.

Going too fast too soon can lead to feeling overwhelmed, feeling sick and the chances of getting injured go dramatically up. It’s inevitable that individuals will feel like quitting even before they achieve any momentum on their fitness journey.

Don’t always think of the the way you will look after exercise, just as important is the way you feel, the positive feelings that will come through your body and exercise will help make you think life in a completely different way.

This is why committing yourself to showing up three times a week will make all the difference. Don’t put pressure on yourself, join a programme that you can engage with mentally as well as physically, and allow your body to slowly accommodate the big positive changes that will eventually come into your life in all ways.

January 31, 2017

Tuesday, 31st January

Like you may have done, a long time ago i believed that some “Wonder” machine would be the answer to all our prayers to get into shape. “This would be it this time”, this machine would do “this and that”, this really new machine “was the business”!!

Machines i found out always left “gaps” in my fitness that could never be solved.

Machines i discovered were “ok” but never solved everything, and i still had multiple weaknesses, i had just become good on machines and nothing else.

Your body is the best machine you will EVER have, and you will have enormous benefits from it that never stop!

You can see that with our workouts, there is a huge amount of exercises where your body is relied upon. Multiple movements are tough with your body but ultimately will transform yourself.

We love free weights, we love bodyweight exercises, and we love extremely tough high intensity cardio, THIS is where it’s at.

To be honest, it would be easier to put you all on machines and give no supervision, but this would be disastrous for your progress and development.

I would rather throw everything at you in training terms, and leave no stone unturned, than settle for just the “easiest option”.

All pro athletes do huge amounts of workouts this way and we want the best for you, even if it’s tough to implement and get through, but you will be the long term winner from all of it!!

January 20, 2017

Friday, 20th January

Is it a bind to try and stay active and stay on top of things when everything else seems to running out of control?

First of all, if you see it as a non-stop challenge that’s tough to keep up, you are looking at it perhaps in the wrong way.

We are very proud obviously of our record of physical transformations, but that you DO NOT see is the improvements of the MIND and WELLBEING that goes on each and every day with us.

Most people tell me quietly about how their regular visit to the gym is THEIR time, the time to recharge mentally as well as physically. “Cleaning house” in your mind is just as important as keeping your mind fit and active.

To relieve stress and to be in a peaceful, positive and supportive environment is a complete contrast to everyday life these days, and we realise the value of this.

Mental health is a subject nobody wants to talk about it, or somehow a taboo but affects a great deal of people, and certainly a high percentage of people i have met and trained over the years, and exercise can be a life-changing way of dealing with the non-stop pressures of life.

So seeing exercise as a non-stop “treadmill” that is hard to stay on is the wrong approach. See exercise as something you GET TO do, rather than something you have to do. You have great opportunities every day.

See exercise as the ultimate stress reliever, the ultimate arena to stay calm and throw all those daily negatives out of your mind as soon as they threaten to come in and stay.

Inner peace, the power to relax, the ability to control the stress coming your way is something we all want to achieve every day, and it all starts with exercise and the environment you choose.

January 18, 2017

Wednesday, 18th January

Thank you Sharon!

You need to be consistent at what you do if you want success, that applies to anything in life.

The temptation to give up when things get a little harder can be overwhelming for some, but we gain faith in our efforts when we are able to see first hand, individuals in our community, and in our gym who go through transformations in every area of their lives when they stick at it no matter what.

Let’s take the story of Sharon Griffiths from Kidwelly, who hasn’t missed a week’s training in a year and a half. Bets were made that she wouldn’t last a week.

She gathered confidence through every small milestone along the way.

Walking through the door was the hardest she said first time.

Making 3 sessions a week was her first milestone. Not being so stiff the morning after was another. Then feeling good from exercise was a major milestone that kept her wanting to carry on, if you feel good doing something, then you are very likely to want to do it.

Once she felt she could stick to coming 3 times a week, her performances got better and she developed some confidence to push herself to achieve more.

Her photos compared to when she first started started changing radically, and she was happy knowing she was doing it the right way. Her skin tone was healthier and had a glow, and she started feeling guilty if she missed her exercise.

The next stage was attempting our outside runs. From a slow start when she walked much of the session, she soon was running the whole way and raised her performance levels to exceptional. A friend of her’s told me this morning that she was in tears the first time she ran it all the way, the culmination of not only a physical effort but a deeply emotional effort and experience too, the girl nobody thought would last was in the process of becoming a champion.

All of this was due to her sticking at it, never allowing excuses into her life even though she has a very busy family life and career that always brought it’s daily pressures and stress.

She is also a major part of Coach Dan Smith’s successful classes at the gym and outside, and to be honest, is one of the first people i introduce new members to so she can relay her inspirational story, so that an absolute beginner can relate to someone who has battled through from being inactive, to someone who is a major part of the gym, who ALWAYS performs at the highest level now and what that takes both physically and mentally.

We salute you Sharon, Diloch yn Fawr! Thanks for everything.

January 2, 2017

Monday, January 2nd

Most New Year resolutions never last past Valentines day, some last just days.

It takes a change in mindset, and choosing a path to create long lasting change for both your body and mind.

If you have hit rock bottom, that’s sometimes the best place to be because you are really ready to change, and immerse yourself into a healthy lifestyle.

You need a plan that challenges yourself and takes you to the next level continuously. Most people try to do it their own way, but lack direction after a couple of weeks on how to keep improving, despite endless information out there that only confuses people more.

You must know by now that doing a little treadmill and bike occasionally doesn’t create real change for your body, even worse signing a contract to a gym where nobody ever helps you, and hopes you never show up.

You need to accept there is a better way and that includes making training to get stronger the foundation of what you do. This will change your body shape above anything else.

Set realistic expectations, aim to be the best you can be, don’t worry what you were like when you are 18 or 21, being a great version of yourself at 50 is going to be an exciting challenge, and entirely within your capability, and there’s every chance you will look better than ever.

Eat real food, “powder” as meals is not only unsustainable and dangerous, it’s downright miserable and you know it. Be creative with your meals and don’t buy rubbish into your house into the first place.

Occasional treats are great but that’s no reason to bring multipack versions of anything into your home, constantly leading you into temptation. You WILL eat junk if it’s there.

Strive to get just a little bit better every week, choose healthy habits 80% of the time and a rewarding healthy lifestyle will stick if you keep giving it a chance.