The Intentional PT

 Hey guys, I hope everyone has had a great week!  This week I thought we'd dive into something else that I get asked a lot and that is whether or not I track my calories, and if I do, how do I do it?  I want to start this off by saying that my way of doing things is by no means the "right" way or the only way of doing it and to be honest, the "perfect" way of doing this doesn't exist.  Something you will hear me say a lot is that it's not a one-size-fits-all and that's because basically nothing is. We're all so different, from our thoughts and opinions to even our anatomy. So in essence, what works for one person might not work for someone else.  Having said that, hearing about what other people do or have tried before can be a great tool for figuring out the right fit for you so hopefully some of you may find my method helpful in some way!  ___________________________________________________________________________________ So to answer the first...

 Hey team, I've briefly touched on supplement use on my Instagram from time to time and to anyone who knows me, you'll probably know that I am very pro-supplement but only if you use them properly. Being super honest and blunt here, I don't have time for any of those meal replacement shakes or supplements that make ridiculous claims to do with weight loss or health conditions. Half of that stuff is full of crap and just there to make money - real food is far more beneficial in weight loss journeys than any meal replacement shake could ever be and serious health conditions should be managed by a qualified medical professional, not some skinny blonde on Instagram.  What I do love though are supplements that actually add nutritional value and provide you with quality, nourishing ingredients. If used right and alongside an already full and balanced diet, they can be amazingly helpful.  So what supplements do I take? I have 4 staple products that I use daily and couldn't spe...

Hey guys, I had actually planned to put a post up talking about some nutrition-related topics today but I keep seeing this certain topic on Instagram and it's honestly been driving me nuts and I feel like it is actually a really important thing to try and stamp out I've been seeing a lot of people who work in the fitness industry or promote fitness topics talk about motivation being out and discipline being in...  And yes I get it, they're saying that motivation dwindles but discipline is what keeps you on track long-term But I'd love to know if any of them have actually googled the definition of discipline?  "the practice of training people to obey rules or follow a code of behaviour, using punishment to correct disobedience"  And honestly, I think this speaks to one of the biggest problems in the fitness industry and that is the idea that if you skip a workout or eat a pizza you're failing or less than, or some bullsh*t like that  In case you can't t...

 Hey guys Following on from last week's post where I talked about some of the ways I stay "motivated", I thought it would be a good time to chat about one of my key tools - rest.   I know this probably sounds simple and obvious right?  Well, not really. Rest is often the most neglected aspect of a training routine. Not only have I seen this in others but it's something I've definitely done before in the past and I felt the consequences hard.  And rest is not as simple as just taking a day off from the gym or exercise. No. One thing I have learned during my time in this industry is that rest and recovery are multi-factorial and an optimal recovery process is not a passive one.  So I'm going to touch on a few really common things that I see people doing which isn't helpful for their body's recovery.  1. Training every day  This is a common one. And I want to clarify that being active every day isn't a bad thing but the problem is if you are training...