Tag: body composition

18
Jan
2022

BMI, weight loss, body fat and persevering…

In the fitness industry, one of the most common complaints or queries we get when somebody has recently started on a new diet and exercise plan is… why has my weight loss stopped/slowed down? People often start off in pursuit of weight loss full of enthusiasm and commonly see the numbers drop drastically on the scales for a few weeks, spurring them on to expect this will continue. However, over time despite still trying just as hard to exercise and eat well, the numbers on the scales become too stubborn to budge. Sometimes people may even notice clothes feeling looser and other desirable changes, yet the scales register no weight loss. Why does this happen and what does it mean? This blog aims to explain why weight loss doesn’t necessarily equal fat loss and why there is far more to it than a number on the scales.

6
Oct
2021

Healthy lifestyle changes – Tracking progress without using the scales

Whilst weight loss is undoubtedly one of the most common health and fitness goals, it is sometimes wrongly viewed as the key determinant of progress when trying to improve our exercise and nutrition habits. One of the most common questions personal trainers gets asked by people who have recently embarked on a new plan is ‘why haven’t I lost much weight?’ There are many possible reasons for this, including the fact that we all lose weight at different rates, you may be building muscle and you could be getting weighed at different times of the day or week and/or using different scales. These are just a few explanations, but the majority (if not all) of the personal trainers I know would urge their clients to explore other ways of measuring progress rather than the often soul-destroying focus of chasing a certain number on the scales. Embarking on a new healthy living plan should leave you feeling energised, proud and encouraged. If the scale is having the opposite effect, consider giving it a break for a while and focusing on other ways of measuring progress such as those below…

5
Apr
2021

Benefits of Resistance Training -Is it for me?

Gone are the days when the weights area in the gym was reserved for experienced weight-lifters or people looking to ‘bulk up’ and gain masses of muscle and size. The past few years have seen a huge growth in interest in resistance and strength training for a wide variety of people. It really is true that whatever your ‘why’ for training, there will be benefits to be had in incorporating some resistance work. Read on to find out some common effects of resistance training (most of which are good!) 🙂

22
Feb
2021

What is fitness and how do we achieve it? Total fitness – home training.

Some of the most common questions that personal trainers and fitness professionals get asked include ‘What exercise is best?’ and ‘How often should I exercise?’ The answer to both of these questions are highly individual and depend on many factors including your individual goals for training, your current fitness levels and other lifestyle factors such as age and medical conditions. There are, however, a number of ‘components of fitness’ that we should be aiming to include in our training programmes and there are guidelines as to how often adults should be including activities that work on each component. With many of us building our own fitness schedules and routines at home for now, this blog aims to give you some guidelines and ideas for what to include and how often.