While doing some research on this week's newsletter, I came across the Peloton Controversy in the States. There was an uproar over their Christmas ad, that you can check out through the link below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pShKu2icEYw

I had originally wanted to talk about Christmas gifts from a health & fitness perspective and expand on the blog below:

http://www.coachseanc.com/blog/2019/11/28/christmasblack-friday-gift-ideas

But I wanted to address this. One of the issues with the ad (besides the sexism) is that a husband bought the wife the peloton bike because he thinks that she needs to work out when, looking at her, she is definitely not overweight.

This is where I have a huge problem. Being in the gym or taking up any form of exercise should not be determined whether someone else thinks you need it for appearance. If you want to work out because you want to lose a few pounds, great! Go for it and try to better yourself for you.

But that's far from the only health benefit to training. You cannot judge a person's fitness levels by their size. Although BMI would tell you that Usain Bolt is barely in the normal range while pretty much all rugby players and bodybuilders like Arnold Schwarzenegger would be obese. Is The Rock obese? Despite being a better metric than the scales, the BMI chart is still a poor form of metric for healthy bodyweights.

But besides all that, when we train we feel better. Do I feel better when I'm going through a great run of training sessions and consistent with my diet 80% of the time? Yes! I feel great when I'm leaner. But I also have more energy. I am more mentally alert. A lot of my ideas come from jogging on the road or in the gym. I truly feel it is a form of stress relief and meditation.

It is also the cheapest form of medicine. So when people start giving out about ads like this because they think it implies that the person is exercising due to weight and that she should be accepted for who she is, it shows a poor understanding of the many reasons why someone would want to take up a fitness regime!

It is so much more about overall health and fitness. And regardless of starting weight, it can be "life-changing".

www.CoachSeanC.com

Head shaving and Christmas decorations have one common thing in problem that's been giving me an awful head this past week.

But with the exception of that rant, it's straight into some practical health and fitness advice from the 6th minute of the podcast where we talk about:

- Why you shouldn't go cold turkey (pun most definitely intended and disgusted with myself that I did not use it on the podcast) on your fitness before Christmas

- How a negative mindset and Mr Miyagi lead to a terrible outcome... and how I just had to own that outcome.

- Tha Coach Sean Advent Christmas Challenge (as well as my two Christmas gym programmes available through http://eepurl.com/ckeVyL)

- Just what the hell "adaptive thermogenesis" is and why you should have more protein which is not bad for you if you have healthy kidneys.

To get the Advent Christmas Challenge, go to my Facebook Page:

https://www.facebook.com/CoachSeanC/

or subscribe to my YouTube Channel:

www.Youtube.com/CoachSeán

And get the weekly newsletter, as well as my two Christmas 3 week min challenge programmes here: http://eepurl.com/ckeVyL

Brought to you once again from the Coach Sean Fitness Studio Quarter, in this episode, we are tackling some of the most common fitness myths (and my inability to pronounce my "th").

After we summerise some of the topics below that have been mention in previous episodes, we then talk about different types of squats, when to take protein, protein supplements, are deadlifts bad for you back, running or walking, and free weights vs machines.

I have a feeling there may be some answers in this one that will surprise you. Here are all the topics from this week's episode and, the end? Well, sorry about that!

- “Sweat is fat crying”

- Target areas for burning fat

- Stretching before your workout

- "No Pain No Gain"

- Pain after a workout means that you had a great workout

- Lifting heavy means you will bulk up

- Cardio is the best method for reducing body fat

__________________________

- Anabolic window, Healthy “Protein” bars and whether shakes make you fat/bulky.

- “Knees should not go over the toes with a squat” vs "Ass to Grass" Squats

- Cardio or weights first?

- Workouts when you're sick

- Running vs walking: which one is better and what burns more calories? (this answer might surprise you!)

- Are Deadlifts and Barbell Squats bad for your back (Well, I don't do them... BUT!)

- Fitness alone will help you lose weight?

- Free weights vs machines: which is better?

www.CoachSeanC.com

"I'm really sore, I had a class workout yesterday?!" Not necessarily. A lot of people judge their workout by how sore they are, or how much they have sweated in the session. It's a terrible metric for a great workout.

In this episode, I talk about what you should be judging and how every workout is not going to be a great workout along with what to do about that.

I also talk about the importance of sleep and why it affected my Monday workout.

And at the conclusion of this Podcast, I talk about the myth of the 1000kcal workouts. More details from that can be found in my blog below which is an excerpt of my weekly blog (that you can subscribe to for free by clicking here: http://eepurl.com/ckeVyL)

http://www.coachseanc.com/blog/1000kcalworkouts

If you are enjoying these podcasts, please leave a 5-star review and help spread the word on the podcast. And any suggestions are more than welcome. DM me on Instagram: Coach_SeanC

#LetsGoGetEmAgain

Moments after witnessing my beloved 49ers lose their first game of the season, I recorded this podcast talking about one of my pet peeves in the fitness industry: 'Toning'.

There is no such thing as toning. In this episode, I explain what is really going on and how good marketing is stopping some of you from getting great results!

I also talk about overeating and my top 7 tips to help you avoid it along with some of the mistakes and pitfalls that I have made and how I have learned from them

If you enjoyed this show, please share it with friends to help get the word out there on this podcast. Leave a 5-star review on iTunes and #LetsGoGetEmAgain

www.CoachSeanC.com

In this episode, I talk about the 'One Thing' you should do to set goals right now to achieve your health and fitness goals along with why tactics such as multi-tasking are a mistake. I talk about my own goals and how I fit smaller goals around them as we are heading into the last few months of 2019.

Plus a tactic I have been using lately for great fat burning results and quicker workouts (I said quicker, not easier!)

In what may surprise A LOT of people that have followed me in the past I give my true thoughts on what I think about Burpees and how to use them in your training.

I almost talk about the last goal I have set myself for 2019, that most of you can do but it scares me s***less! I'm sure some of you can guess it!

And if you are interested in Personal Training and in the Lucan area, my Christmas 6 Week Transformation Challenge starts this Monday, 11th of November. Check out the link below for all the details:

www.CoachSeanC.com/xmaschallenge

Straight from the Coach Seán Fitness Studios... my kitchen next to a blow-up Skeleton ice casket, I go into how and why nerves affected me so much before the Dublin City Marathon last Sunday. I talk about my mindset before this event as well why this felt like the easiest of the three I have done, despite feeling I was more fit for last year's event. And not to make the Podcast all about me, the second half of the podcast is talking about Intermittent Fasting. There is a lot of different types of fasting and time-restricted eating. I talk about some of the ones that can work along with others that I would stay well clear of!

With the 40 anniversary of the Dublin City Marathon this Sunday, I thought I would give my top 10 tips for the event, mostly speaking from personal experience and the mistakes I have made in the past. A smart person learns from their mistakes. A wise person learns from the mistakes of others. So be a wise person and listen to this week's episode!

We're all looking for the "best" exercise and diet plan to follow to get results fast.

Newsflash: 'There is no such thing as the best exercise'. There are exercises that are better than others. But to determine if they are indeed 'better', it depends on your own goals and fitness levels.

I sometimes forget this myself as I explain when trying to do a long run before this week's podcast. We can lose sight of our goals easily when we compare ourselves to others. In this episode, we find out how that can happen very easy to help you avoid it.

#LetsGoGetEmAgain

In this lempsip fuelled episode, I hope to provide some value to you guys with my thoughts on:

- When to use a foam roller and what does the science say behind it

- The biggest mistake I made when it came to stretching (a lot of people still do this!)

- Rest periods between sets, why it changes during a workout

- The Importance of Sleep and how a lack of sleep can lead to ruined relationships... it segues better in the episode!

A short one for you guys, on the third time of trying. Apologies if the sound seems really low. I had already recorded this episode but I couldn't hack my breathing due to my long run taking place in the rain on Saturday!

Hope you guys find something interesting in this one

#LetsGoGetEmAgain