HARRY LEATHERS TRANSFORMATION UPDATE!

Harry Leathers Natural Physique Transformation.

This is just a quick update on Harry and his body transformation. Even with the Cover-19 lockdown Harry has still been working hard at transforming his body. He has a few weights at home and has been training five times a week and keeping to his healthy eating plan.

Every week he has been sending me updates with regards to his training, eating and weight. Well his last weigh in he weighed in at 15st 9lbs! This is from a starting weight of 21st 2lbs. He has been incredible and although we are still working on fat loss we are now upping his calories slightly as his weight has started to drop off even faster. Harry is very happy with that!

Keeping Fit And Healthy During Covid-19.

HOME TRAINING WITH NO GYM EQUIPMENT!

Here is a home set up of my clients that they are using while on lockdown. But what if you haven’t even the basics?

With gyms being shut during the pandemic it is important to keep on top of our health and fitness. If, like me, you are very gym based with your own training then it’s time to change your mindset to mixing up your training as we will have none to very little gym equipment at home. I have virtually none myself part from a physio band which offers very little resistance!

So our training will have to be very much circuit based using our bodyweight and what we have around the house. A few examples are bent over rows using a sports bag that you can fill with heavy books, I myself use a portable oil filled radiator! As the weight isn’t what we are used to then slow down the reps really going for the contraction at the top of the movement working on that mind to muscle connection. The same bag can be used for squats, holding the bag on your chest.

Here is an example workout I am using with a client at the moment -

First a simple ab circuit -

Each exercise to be performed for 45 seconds with 20 seconds rest in between exercises. After a circuit have 1 minute rest then repeat the ab circuit. I use the GymBoss app on my phone for a timer so you can set it so it bleeps at the start of the exercise and finish.

AB CIRCUIT

Plank - 45secs

20 seconds rest

Russian Twist - 45 seconds

20 seconds rest

Crunches - 45 seconds

1 minute rest and then repeat for a total of 3-4 circuits.

WHOLE BODY CIRCUIT - 45 seconds on, 25 seconds rest. 1 minute between circuits.

Squats holding a sports bag by the chest or use a kettlebell if you have one.

Press Ups

Alternate Lunge

Bent Over Sports Bag Row

Glute Bridge with the sports bag on your lap

Single Arm Lateral Raise using a backpack with a couple of books in.

This is a nice simple whole body workout that we can all do at home even with a tiny bit of space.

If you have a garden you can use it for sprint intervals or walking lunges to the end and back.

Also take this time to learn some yoga, working on your flexibility. I’m no expert on yoga at all but YouTube has some great yoga channels. Two channels that I use are Boho Beautiful (the backdrops are nice and relaxing!) and also Yoga With Adriene. There are plenty of others of course.

While we are at home keep on top of your nutrition, don’t use it as an excuse to eat crap. Reduce calories slightly and keep food healthy and nutritious to support your immune system.

Most important, stay safe, stay indoors and listen to the rules we are given, they are there for a reason!

Peter

HARRY LEATHERS WEIGHT LOSS TRANSFORMATION UPDATE 15 WEEKS IN!

Harry Leathers Body Transformation Update

Harrys amazing and continuing weight loss journey.

Harry is now well into his transformation (see previous Harry blog ). There was a little pause in progress over the holiday period due to Christmas, New Year and his 19th birthday but I can forgive him for that as this transformation isn’t about being brutal with diet and training, it’s about a healthy lifestyle change. His progress has been amazing though!

He is 38lbs/17.3kg down in weight and his waist is down 8 inches/20.3 cm and he is feeling good! He has needed to buy some new clothes as his work trousers and shirts are starting to be slightly baggy! He is still feeling good though, he says his energy levels are a lot higher now, feels a lot fitter and loves that people are noticing his changes. I’m really proud of Harry and am really looking forward to continuing his journey with him at Muscle Limit Gym.

Harry training hard at Muscle Limit Gym!

Want a summer body? It's best to start now!

I quite often receive messages from people that have a goal to get that summer beach body so they can feel confident in their swimming costume . Quite often too I am contacted about a month before the planned holiday or in some cases less time than that. This is nowhere near enough time to transform and drastic weight loss diets are definitely not recommended.

When is the best time to start? The best time is now! A sensible nutrition and exercise plan will result in a gradual and healthy weight loss, dropping bodyfat to show off that new confident you. With a gradual weight loss and a sensible progressive exercise plan that new body, that new confidence will stay with you rather than a rapid post drastic diet weight gain.

The summer will come around really quick so lets do it :-).

Peter

HARRY LEATHERS TRANSFORMATION PROGRESS 5 WEEKS IN!

Big Changes After Only 5 Weeks!

18 year old Harry Leathers came to me to help him with his fat loss and bodybuilding goals. I’ve known Harry for a while now and he is super passionate about bodybuilding, especially more the old school so I knew he would do well.

Only 5 weeks into his training at Muscle Limit Gym Harry has made some amazing progress! I wouldn’t normally post progress pictures quite this early but i’m so chuffed at how well Harry has done I couldn’t resist. Harry is using resistance training 4 days per week using an upper body/lower body split and is combining the weights with cycling. Harry would commute to work by train but has swapped the train for his bike and now rides to work as much as possible. This has really helped him drop the lbs but also gain plenty of pounds in his pocket as commuting to work on his bike saves him £400 a month! Who said keeping fit costs a lot of money?

We still have a way to go but I have 100% faith in Harry as he is a hard worker and has that passion to succeed.

THE BENEFITS OF RESISTENCE TRAINING FOR OVER 40'S

OVER 40 AND NOT LIFTING WEIGHTS?

Being 47 myself I tend to talk to a lot of people over 40 about exercise. A trend I see is how many over 40’s stop or don’t perform resistance training. The reasons being '‘I don’t want to build muscle as i’m too old now'‘, ‘‘I just do cardio as I just want to burn fat these days’’ amongst many other reasons.

Are these people right? Of course they’re not and lets see the reasons why these women and men are making a big mistake leaving resistance training out of their exercise routines.

AGE RELATED LOSS OF MUSCLE AND STRENGTH

As we start to plough through our forties we can lose approximately 1 to 2 % of muscle mass every year and this can speed up as we get older, this is called sarcopenia. It doesn’t have to be like that! Remember that saying if you don’t use it you lose it? Well if you are pretty inactive you will lose muscle mass.

What is the solution? Resistance training of course! An increase in your muscle mass will help build your metabolic rate too, resulting in a leaner body. Muscle is metabolically active so more calories are used throughout the day. Two to three resistance workouts a week will not only maintain muscle mass it will increase it. You can build an awesome body in your forties, fifties and beyond! It’s not too late even if you have never trained before.

BONE DENSITY DECREASES AS WE AGE INCREASING THE RISK OF OSTEOPOROSIS

As we age our bone density decreases and we have a higher risk of osteoporosis. This can result in fractures as we start to get into old age. We all hear of ageing family members having a fall and fracturing a hip etc. It’s more common in women but still affects a large percentage of men too. Guess what? Yep, resistance training can slow down bone loss and in some cases increase the strength of your bones! Two to three weight sessions a week and you’ll have bones as strong a s steel..well a lot stronger than before anyway. Take a look at my client Karen, in her 50’s she has been training with weights for a few years now and she is fit, healthy and strong!

IMPROVED BODY IMAGE

As we age we tend to suffer from the middle age spread. We are less active, we eat and drink more and we put on weight. We can start to feel bad about ourselves because we don’t look like how we used to when we were younger, our confidence goes so we eat some more and drink some more for comfort. It doesn’t have to be like that at all! What can help? Weight training again! You can do all the cardio you want it won’t change the shape of your body at all apart from becoming a smaller version of what you was before. That isn’t knocking cardio at all as it is important but weight training sessions will change the shape of your body by adding muscle in the right places. A great strength training plan with a great nutrition plan can dramatically improve your body and how you see yourself, improving mental health.

My client Dave Ridgewell part way through his transformation. He’s 56 years young.

INCREASED MOBILITY AND FUNCTIONALITY

As we age we do tend to ‘seize up’. Resistance training will increase the mobility in your joints making you much more functional in your day to day life.

So what are you waiting for all you over 40’s, get to the gym and start training! If you haven’t got the confidence to go to the gym on your own then please get in touch and enquire about personal training!

Peter

FITNESS TRAINING FOR THE EQUINE WORLD

'Should I Fitness Train For Equine Sports?’

I have been Personally Training rising Dressage star Sofie Butchart for a few months now and she has really benefitted from the extra fitness, strength and overall well being that results from the training. She is winning competitions and is more determined than ever.

I know my bodybuilding career is ever so slightly different from equine sports but the drive and mental focus needed to win transfers over to all sports! We work on visualisation techniques and a winning attitude as well as the fitness etc.

I’ll hand over to Sofie and she can tell you in her own words how she transformed herself to rise in the world of Dressage. I did not ask her to write anything for me, this was done off her own back!

‘ Within the equine world it is hard to find the time to be healthy and look after your body correctly. Although in order to perform our best to contribute to our equines overall performance, we should look after ourselves like we do our horses!

Previously I literally lived on fast food, carbs and anything with sugar in to give me a boost of energy on a busy day. I had an extremely inconsistent diet with massive gaps between meals, then times of binge eating. I managed although my concentration levels, energy levels and my overall health were pretty awful! I was ill a lot, I would get injured very easily and feel run down the majority of the time.

I knew things had to change to not only become a better rider but also a fitter and healthier person! That’s when I met Peter Chown, former Natural Mr Universe and Heavyweight World bodybuilding champion who is also a well respected personal trainer and nutritional advisor.

With Peters help and guidance I have transformed from being McDonalds favourite customer to now managing to consistently eat the right foods to fuel my body and being healthy. I also train at the gym with Peter 3 to 4 times a week and under his watchful eye I am stronger and fitter and also i’m loving seeing the visual changes. I feel great!

During my training sessions with Peter we do some cardio but mostly weight training to help strengthen my whole body for my riding. We have recently progressed to training lower body and upper body both twice a week. I have felt a huge difference within my riding performance as well as feeling so much better in myself.

Beforehand I had ‘strength’ in my riding muscles but I was extremely weak in other areas making me prone to injuries, form hernias to having major surgery on my shoulders due to reoccurring dislocations.

Peter is always on the end of the phone for me whenever I have any questions regarding my nutrition plan and training.

Originally I thought eating healthy was just salad and boring foods, it isn’t, I now really enjoy my meals A LOT!! I cant lie, when I first started my nutrition plan I felt awful, my body wasn’t used to healthy food, I craved Dominos pizza so much! But I stuck to it and now I look back at how I used to eat and it makes me feel sick! I wouldn’t feed my horses an inconsistent and unbalanced diet and expect them to perform at their best, although I was doing it to myself.

I also have acupuncture and visit an osteopath every 2-3 weeks to keep any twinges at bay and help my bodys energy and my mind. My horses are very sensitive and their performance changes drastically if I am not ‘on form’ so it’s important for their sake I keep myself in the best shape I can mentally and physically.

I hope this has given you and idea to my personal training structure, how I look after myself in order to perform at my best and also how anyone can turn their lifestyle around with guidance and support, not just in the equine world but anyone! ‘

Michelle Bossing MS!

Natural Physique member Michelle this past weekend attended a paralympic trial for the British paracycling team. Michelle was picked due to her success in an earlier trial. She was diagnosed with MS (multiple sclerosis) 6 years ago and after getting over the initial shock she fought back.

Her big goal was to make the paralympic cycling team due to being a keen cyclist. We worked hard together on resistance training, bike work and also her nutrition and supplementation while listening closely to her body due to her body not recovering the same as someone without a condition.

The big weekend came and she worked hard at the trial but unfortunately she couldn’t be classified. The reason being, in the assessors own words, ‘you are too strong, too fit and have rehabbed yourself so well that we can’t classify you!’ . We were gutted in a way at first as it seemed the dream was over and we done “too well” but the most important thing is health. MS is very unpredictable, you never know what is around the corner. But with exercise, good nutrition and a very positive attitude it can be fought and held back.

So, whatever your goal, whether you have a condition, disability or are as healthy as can be, just go for it. Don’t let the dream go.

So congratulations to Michelle for working hard and getting that trial in the first place and Bossing MS! The dream isn’t over.

Peter

OLD SCHOOL QUAD BLAST! - SISSY SQUATS

NOT FOR THE FAINT HEARTED

The Sissy Squat doesn't sound like a tough exercise does it?  Ok, its not quite as tough as a back squat, but it is tough, do not let the name fool you.  It's named after a Greek mythical king called Sisyphus who was made to push a big rock up a hill only for it to roll back down again for eternity, as punishment for being a not very nice person.  He ended up with big legs funnily enough.

This exercise is a great quad exercise for men and women to add to your leg training, or if you train at home and haven't got much equipment, then this will hit the quads hard.  It isolates your quads really well as the hamstrings and glutes are mostly eliminated from the exercise.  

It's also a great exercise to superset with a compound leg exercise like the squat or leg press, this will have your quads on fire!  

To add size, shape and awesomeness to your legs then this is it, demonstrated by my buddy, of Diversity fame, former client and now owner of his own PT business Bodybox, Terry Smith -

-Stand Upright, feet shoulder width apart.

-Lean back until your body forms a straight line your neck to knees, supporting yourself by holding on to a piece of equipment.

- You can use just bodyweight or when you are stronger then hold a weight place across your chest.

- Descend as far down as you can to work through the full range

-Drive back up through the quads to the starting position. 

Give it a go and let me know how you get on!

Peter Chown

Age Is But A Number

I'm Too Old To Do That!

As we get older we do like to make excuses to not do things, I know, I've tried a few of them!  But age is just a number, ok as we age we do get a few aches and pains, Im now 45 and I definitely have a few of them due to my intense training for my sport, but that shouldn't stop us from doing things.  I hear many excuses about being too old to exercise, too old to eat healthy,  too old for this, too old for that, but it really hasn't  got to be like that.  

Over 40 and think you've missed the boat?  

Being over 40 doesn't mean it's too late to be the best you've ever been.  It's a great time to start a healthy exercise routine and start eating healthy.  Being over 40 isn't old  

Over 50? Why not look better than you've ever been! 

Take my client Karen here, she started exercising at 40, she has been training with me since 2007.  She's now 55, an inspiration to anyone over 50,  it goes to show with a healthy and fit outlook you can be just as active as you were in your younger days.