Episode #40 required a special guest and I somehow managed to get Plymouth Argyle legend David Norris to come on the podcast and talk about his transition from professional football to a personal trainer. I dropped him a message on Instagram after following him for the past year In hope of him having a bit of extra time to spare with the current lockdown happening.

As a big football fan myself this was fascinating to listen to how he managed his fitness, nutrition and other lifestyle factors whilst playing professionally but also find out what things he needed to dial in and change when he reached closer to the end of his career.

He also shared some really helpful tips and tricks he is using to help his clients who include, professional footballers, boxers as well as the general population on how to stay on track particularly during these current times.

Enjoy the show and go and check him out
@davidnorrispt

Also, don't forget to check out my online fitness community offering all the support, guidance and accountability of a personal trainer for a fraction of the cost.
@movementwins
www.movement-wins.com

Regardless of the current situation, having more time at home has definitely been nice at times.

More time to focus on building good daily habits like cooking, cleaning, stretching and exercising has been a game-changer but having the extra time to open the fridge 127 times a day is not helping with my personal nutrition demands. Not even kidding about the 127 times either!

I am sure I am not the only one who is finding this and I wanted to get Georgina back on the show to dig into why we might be doing it. If we can understand why we crave junk food and eat when we are bored as opposed to when we are hungry, perhaps we can use some tools to unlock our inner motivation and stop snacking and overindulging.

Georgina is the perfect person to lead us down this path and in this episode she gives us some real honest and actionable advice that has worked for not only her clients but also herself and family as well.

Enjoy the show and check out Georgina
@theinsideworks

I honestly learnt so much myself in this podcast with Keith and I am almost certain you will too. What was great about this chat was not just the level of detail he went into in regards to pain and the pathology both physical and mental but also the practical examples and tips he was able to share.

Having pain and being injured is actually very different and Keith explained the key factors to consider when dealing with pain for both the short and long term.

As I have mentioned in the previous shows I have suffered from a pretty serious long term hip injury so I definitely took some great points from this topic and I strongly encourage you to listen to this, particularly if you have any long term niggling injuries like a sore back, impinged shoulder or dodgy knee.

The initial thought is to go and get treatment and manipulation on the injured area but Keith gives an overall view of what other things you can do to get pain free again which was backed up with scientific research and references.

Be sure to go and check him and his programs out on Instagram

keitho_strength_rehab_ptc

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Having been someone that has never really struggled with sleep, at least in my adult years, the thought of not being able to sleep isn't something I have ever thought much about. 

However from knowing people (my wife being one of them) who do struggle to sleep I can see how it becomes a real burden and strain on daily life and activities. Sleep isn't a problem until it becomes a problem and often by that time it is not that easy to change certain habits or behaviours.

Claudine who is a paediatric sleep consultant came on the show to share easy and actionable ways to help with sleep and sleep quality as well as tell us more on the importance of sleep and the side effects of lack of it.

I think it is well known how important sleep is for almost all functions of our lives whether it's for recovery, improve mood, help curb cravings or simply to feel more energised, but it was great to hear practical examples form Claudine on things to consider and more important, things to avoid when building good sleep habits.

I encourage you to listen to this episode even if you are like me and don't struggle with sleep as you may have detrimental habits you are doing now that can be adjusted before it's too late.

Check out Claudine and her page
@sweetdreamsbabysleep

If you are not following Perfiit training on Instagram already then now is as good of a time as ever. This is Kori's second time on the show and as I mentioned in the first episode his training structure, exercise selection and functional movement patterns he uses for himself and his clients are awesome. Every time I see his story I come away with another new exercise to try, that is built on a good mechanic and fundamental principles not just 'another' exercise.

I wanted to get Kori's scope on the current climate around bodyweight and home training during the lockdown and whether we can really get good quality sessions at home with limited or no equipment. Is this a time to maintain or are we still able to progress?

Have a listen and make sure you check out Kori's page here
@Perfiit_training

Now, this episode is up there with one of my favourites so far! The reason I liked it so much is because of how much I learnt and how much knowledge I gained from it personally. Ross is not just working with his own personal clients, he is also spending a huge amount of time coaching other coaches and is very popular in the fitness education world which goes to show the level he is at.

If you are sick of hearing and already fully about energy balance (calories in vs calories out) for fat loss and want to find out what the next level is to increase your fat loss gains then this is a must-listen.

Ross is an expert in the health and fitness industry and someone that I have a lot of respect for because of the level of detail he is willing to go to but also because he walks the walk! This will not be the last time I have Ross on the show as I know he can go into even more detail and give us more of his secrets.

Enjoy the show and go and check him out.

@coachrossgilmour

You will not be motivated to exercise 100% of the time (even champions have dips in motivation) which is why it is super important to set up your surroundings to keep you accountable. You should be exercising regularly almost every day, I know it, and you certainly know it but for many, this habit seems impossible to keep consistent.

One of the best ways to keep yourself accountable is to find a community of like-minded individuals who can provide the support you need even when times are tough. There are so many independent gyms, classes and programs that offer the community you might be looking for, it's just a case of getting out of your comfort zone and finding one for yourself.

Base 3, in my opinion, has one of the best communities and training facilities around so I spoke to Craig about how his members have responded since the gyms shut down due to COVID 19 and how he continues to impact their lives through an online coaching platform.

Check out
@base3dxb
@craigharrimandxb

I'm sure with the current situation and the quarantine time around COVID 19 you are probably missing the gym and your regular exercise routine more than ever. 

I won't try to sugar coat it, working out at home sucks compared to going to a gym or class with your friend's gym buddies. Exercising is so much more than just getting a sweat on, it's about being part of a community of like-minded individuals all dedicating time to improve their mental, physical and social health. 

Anyway, we have to adapt and overcome in these uncertain times and just because we have other barriers to overcome now like equipment, facilities and motivation we do have time on our side. At the end of the day, there is plenty of exercises you can do at home and form what I have seen the fitness industry is going above and beyond to provide workout content for all levels.

I invited Rob back on the show to discuss how he is structuring his days around family and work to make sure he gets his daily exercise in. As a coach, he understands the importance of goal setting and accountability and Rob has set some pretty tough challenges for himself to give him both of those. I will let him tell you more about them so listen up...

Check him out 

@fit_dad_project

Enjoy the show and stay safe 

This episode seems very appropriate at a time when our regular health and fitness routines have been put out of line and we are having to adjust and overcome barriers to make sure we progress or more importantly maintain our health. 

Gyms, parks and other fitness facilities are closed in the UAE and across many parts of the globe because of Covid 19, but does that mean we should sit back and relax? I think you already know the answer to that, but in this episode, I wanted to lay out some important points to consider whilst keeping up an exercise routine. 

I am loving all the home workouts and exercise tips on offer form all the gyms and trainers who are unable to work. The barrier to exercise is certainly not knowing what to do! However just remember, the best workout you can do is the one you actually do!

Stay safe

In this episode, I chatted to Kori who is the founder and master trainer of Perfiit Training in Dubai. I have been following his content for the past few months now and his training method and exercise selection is awesome, so I had to reach out to him and chat more.

We shared our thoughts and ideas around the benefits of strength training and other areas of fitness versus the most common type of training which is cardio or high-intensity style.

Both are very important and have their place in a well-rounded program, however, because of the lack of knowledge or support around other styles of training, majority of people tend to do too much cardiovascular training in the search of instant results rather than looking at the long term benefits of other training.

Kori breaks down some of the misconceptions of different styles of training and gives us some useful ways of incorporating other training methodologies to improve overall health and fitness.

You can check him out on Instagram
@perfiit_training