My 12 Month Fitness Journey (by Emma)

MY 12 MONTH JOURNEY
By Emma Oxley

If you had told me a year ago that I would be doing MMA now, I would have laughed in your face.  But here I am.

When I started training with Matt I didn’t know what to expect and, in all honesty, I felt I wasn’t ready.  It seemed like a momentous task ahead.  I was self-conscious and completely unhappy in my own skin after years of comfort eating.  I had suffered a lot of trauma in the family (3 bereavements in a matter of months) and my head was in a bad place.

So what motivated me?  My brother had booked his wedding and asked me to be his ‘best (wo)man’ and I didn’t want to let him down.  Family is important to me so they gave me my motivation.  I searched online for private PT sessions so that I wouldn’t have to train in front of anyone else and I found Matt.

When I started I expected to fail … I wanted to do well but I just figured that if I could stick it out for a few months then I could quit as I had done many times before.  I just needed to look a bit better for the wedding so I wasn’t an embarrassment to my family.

That’s how I felt, an embarrassment.  On top of my weight, I suffer with hypothyroidism which means I have a very slow metabolism, hyper mobility which means I am more susceptible to joint injuries PLUS I have had previous fractures (foot and neck) which have caused me further mobility issues.  My quest to look better seemed impossible to achieve.

As I got ready to go to my first session I put on a pair of leggings and a sports bra then stood in front of the mirror and took some photos … then I cried and almost cancelled my session.

I gave my face a wash, put on my t-shirt and left the house.  I walked into Matt’s gym and felt out of breath after just the warm up but I kept a brave face on to hide what was going on inside …. Matt passed me a pair of boxing gloves and told me to put them on and I struggled to hide the look of utter shock from my face.

Panic set in as Matt held up the pads and gave me clear instructions what to do, I just expected to be bad at it.  Once I started I actually did well and, perhaps more importantly, it was fun.  When I finished the session I was quietly confident for the first time in a long time.

In the second session everything ramped up a notch.  It was HARD work but I was encouraged by Matt every step of the way, he seemed to know my ability more than I knew my own.  By the end of the session I was laid on the floor in what would affectionately come to be known as the post-workout starfish position.  I couldn’t wait for the next session.  Could this be that I was finally enjoying exercise?!  Surely not.

Not even 3 months later (training 2-3 times a week) and I felt I still had a long way to go.  My friends and family told me I had lost so much weight but I thought they were just being nice.  THEN I took some pictures.  I was shocked.  The difference was HUGE.  In the mirror all I saw was the same fat person, I didn’t see the change.  But that was not the person in these pictures.  I was actually starting to look (and feel) good!


A few months later I lost my job. I was unemployed for a period of 4 months but I had to keep training.

It kept me sane (my family knew how important training was to me and paid for me to have a session a week to keep me going).

During this time I was feeling down.  Matt was not only my trainer but a therapist and a friend too!  He would ask me every session how my week had been and listened while I just got it all out, verbally and physically (by striking the pads).  This is a time that I can look back on and say I am really proud of myself because, no matter what happened, I just kept going.

I’ve struggled with injuries (tennis elbow) yet Matt has worked the sessions around this and stopped me from doing certain exercises that would aggravate my injury.  I have had a few ‘Veruca Salt’ spoiled brat moments where I wanted to just hit the pads hard but Matt knows his stuff and I could not argue with his expertise … I hate to admit it but he is ALWAYS right.

I am now a year down the line and Matt and I have just celebrated our 1 year training anniversary in the best way we know how, with some burpees, striking and roundhouse kicks!  It’s amazing how when you find something you love to do, you start to actually NEED it.

I started a new job a few months ago and I work away from Monday to Friday.  To bridge the gap I have also been to a few sessions at an MMA training school near my workplace.  I went despite being the only woman!  Matt looked at the training schools available in the area and helped me narrow down which ones would be most beneficial for me.

I can say in all honesty that there is NO judgement from Matt.  If you want to do classes or training elsewhere he actively encourages it.  He genuinely wants you to be the best you can be.  I now find myself e-mailing him about all sorts of random classes I want to try!  Next one?... Kung Fu!

The biggest change has been my attitude towards myself.  Matt has such a positive training style, is NEVER critical and that has, in turn, made me a more positive person too.  He will always give advice on diet and nutrition and doesn’t berate you when you ‘fall off the wagon’ with your eating habits.

I now find myself actively trying to encourage others to give martial arts a go hoping it will be as beneficial for them as it has been for me and I have got that attitude from an AMAZING trainer.

Am I where I want to be?  No way.  But as I keep setting myself new goals there’s no way I will stop!  Now I train for ME, not for anyone else.  Plus, bumping into other clients as you start/leave your sessions, I’ve made some great new friends!

I know I’m not the best at writing things like this, I’m certainly not the next Enid Blyton, but I’ve laid bare some of the struggles I have faced for all to read and if this helps one person then it is worth it.  Try the sessions, do your best and don’t cancel … I promise you won’t regret it!

Following the Dream - One Year In

I'm getting to the point when I'm starting to see the reminders on Facebook of me taking my first steps towards starting my business. It took a series of events for me to even consider what I'm now doing, but in retrospect it was one of the best decisions of my life.

It started out in my third year of university, a friend of mine wanted to start training Muay Thai. We loved it. We picked up more martial arts classes where we could, it got to the point we were training different martial arts 4 or 5 times a week. I had trained some martial arts previously but I'd always dropped off. The major factor was probably that friends could no longer come to training with me and I lacked the confidence to go alone.

The same thing happened this time. To be fair to him, we were training a lot, and he had a girlfriend. The training/life balance is a factor I consider very important. If the scales tip too much in one direction the other can suffer. The difference for me this time was that my confidence was better, I was working with good coaches that kept me motivated and I was researching (and seeing the results) if dieting. I made an incredible weight loss that year. So much so, that when I mentioned my training/dieting to one of my lecturers he said; "oh that's good, I didn't want to mention anything in case you were ill", which I'll take as a compliment.

Through my goal for weight loss I found a real passion for martial arts. I trained as many styles as I could with the best coaches I could find. I came along quickly and developed an interesting mix of styles. When you see techniques from different arts, taught in different ways you see the reasons, benefits and mechanics around it. I think that's an important aspect of coaching, recognising the benefits of different arts and using what works best for you, or for your clients. The same can be said for other training methods. When I was on this 'weight loss journey' I built a small home gym in my parents garage. Similarly to the martial arts training I played about with different techniques, attended various fitness classes with good coaches and practised different training styles. I had previously attained my L2 Fitness Instructor Certificate to aid my own training, so I knew the basics about fitness training.

My studies were research based so I was expecting to get a job as a writer of some description. Go in to some post-grad job and work in an office for the rest of my life. I took some time out after my masters to go live (and work) in New Zealand. I spent six months there, it built my confidence again. I worked my first 'real' full time job,  I started training in competitive martial arts at an MMA gym and took my first two full contact fights.

When I came home I was determined to get a job quickly. I applied for all sorts of jobs, all over the country. I didn't have much luck. I had a light bulb moment when I was applying for a social media manager for a curtains and blinds company. You had to right a short essay on why you would fit the post. I was writing about my love for curtains and blinds when I thought to myself, 'I don't love curtains and blinds'. I re-wrote my cv to fit my fitness portfolio and started hammering out the cvs to local gyms, councils, anyone who had an email address.

I was invited to an interview for Tees Active, the first part was a practical, I had to take someone through a workout. I went to set off for my interview and my car wouldn't start. I'd left the lights on overnight and the battery was drained. I tried to bump start it pushing it up and down my street but couldn't get it running. I called my friend for a lift and made it there in time (just). I smashed the interview, I found that they are much easier if it's something you actually love doing. I was invited back to a sit-down interview and offered a 0-hour contract position.

I worked at Tees Active while I did my Personal Training L3 Certificate. I didn't take clients at their gyms but I took clients in my free time, coaching fitness and martial arts. At work they didn't really understand my drive. I wasn't there to work sales but I went above and beyond for the members. I loved the gyms and the members, but I had a real issue with the Managers. I used to think to myself, I wonder how much better this place could be if the people at the top actually had passion for this. Rather than just grinding out the sales.

After leaving Tees Active I started preparations for my own business. I was really nervous about it. I invested the money I had saved (which wasn't much) and started putting things in motion. My girlfriend had started working in Xercise 4 Less in Darlington so I went over to see it. I thought it might work well as I was training (and occasionally teaching) in Darlington. I reserved a position to PT out of there, on a self employed basis. I then looked for some advice and was recommended to visit 5 Lamps to get business advice and the helped fund me for some kit.

I had developed my home gym and it was a lot smarter than it had been years previously. I thought that I might run sessions there too, as well as over Darlington. My clients started trickling in, slowly at first. This was understandable, they want to be able to see what you can do, they want to know that you're good. My confidence wasn't great at first, I hadn't really dealt with paying clients, I was encountering different problems and had to find the solutions.

I was living on the bare minimum, investing every penny into the business. I worked hard, it was intense and 24/7. I found it very hard to switch off, and I still do. When I wasn't working I was researching, marketing and (still) training. For the first 6 months I was working with under 10 clients. Then I started getting results, I started getting recommended. I've seen some amazing changes in people, not just physically. Confidence change is the most noticeable. Both physical, and mental changes take some time. It's the most rewarding part of this business. I've seen my client base grow to over 30 active clients.

I feel that my relative success, so far, has come down to the fact that it's my passion. My clients see it. I keep my sessions fun (when possible) and try to make everyone laugh all the way through (it's great for the abs). I'm glad I suffered through the difficult times, the long hours and tight budget. It's allowed me to grow as a professional, a business and as a person. Now my biggest worry is going on holiday for a week, need to keep my guys motivated while I'm gone!

Positive Thinking, Positive Results

I don't want this to sound like your usual 'self help' article. I just want to share a few tips on making a positive impact on your lifestyle. Believing in yourself, your goals and your ability can make the real difference. When I first started my own fitness journey I didn't believe dramatic change was really attainable. When I started to see results I started to get compliments on social media and in person. People noticed the difference in me. That helped me through the harder times, when dieting was hard and training was gruelling.

In one of my classes, several years ago now, a fellow student came up to me and complimented my social media posts. He said that it 'inspired him', that's a hell of a motivator. To think that the positive influence you have on your own life can spread to others. One of the things that has motivated me to write this piece is that one of my clients recently had a positive influence on her friend. A short conversation regarding diet has led to her friend losing some weight. Her friend attributed it to my client's positive messages.

Complimenting someone's progress is a small step to give someone that extra boost. But it's not the only way that a positive mindset can help progress. To me, the most contributing factor is that you're not doing something you hate. I'll use weight loss as an example because there's a lot of people out there, just waiting to lose weight. But they are mentally preparing to take on a diet, or exercise, that they hate. That's the main barrier right there. Do something fun, do something you enjoy. Eat healthy but do it in your own way.

I'll look at exercise first. As a Personal Trainer I spend a lot of time developing training methods that I find most effective for my clients. Everyone is different so it's not a 'one size fits all' process. You have to take into account what the clients like, what keeps them motivated and the quickest way to their goal and that's before you look at any physical aspects. I usually use a lot of martial arts training, specifically pad work. Most of my clients really enjoy this part of the session. Enjoyment is key. If running on a treadmill isn't working for you, try a class, a sport, find something that you can enjoy while you burn those calories.

The next aspect is dieting. There's lots of ways to lose weight while dieting. As long as you create a calorific deficit you will reduce your body-fat. If you hate a diet, you are much less likely to stick to it. One of the reasons I bash low cab diets so much (even though I know they are effective) is because they are often unsustainable. Or at least they should be! Check out flexible dieting as it allows you to still fit in foods you like but promotes balancing it and calculating mathematically your recommended calorific intake. You're more likely to stick to a diet if it consists of foods that you enjoy.

Before I started training clients I knew that rapid weight loss and lifestyle improvement was possible. Now I know that all it takes is a positive, goal driven attitude. I've seen such massive improvements in many of my clients already, perhaps more than they can see. Not just in their weight, but their fitness, stills and even their confidence.

Positivity breeds positivity. If you're looking to improve your lifestyle then look for ways to do it which you can enjoy. It's not torture, it's a lifestyle change. Find something you enjoy doing, find a healthy eating programme that you can enjoy and feel more positive!

Why do YOU Need a Personal Trainer?

You don’t.

Don’t let me talk myself out of a job here. I’m just saying that there’s enough information out there to complete your goals on your own. If you do some research and gain a little experience then you can achieve your goals without the help of anyone. Personal Trainer or no Personal Trainer, it’s going to be you putting in the work. It’s going to be you controlling your diet and it’s going to be you sweating it out.

I’ve only ever had one personal training session. When I first started using the gym I was given two free PT sessions. I had 40 mins with a PT who stood there, disinterested while I struggled with a very basic workout. It wasn’t planned, it wasn’t geared towards my goals. To their credit they did explain why we were doing what, dropping some knowledge bombs on me which I absorbed like a sponge. But in the end I was so put off that I didn’t redeem my other session.

One thing I did get from that session was Motivation. It’s one of the most important things a PT can offer. I put my all into that session because someone else was telling me what to do. You have an appointment at a certain time, you are going there, and you are going to train. A good PT will push you to your limits, without risking your health. If you’ve had a hard day at work and head to the gym, you may be tempted to put less effort in or cut your session short. A PT will make sure that you are working hard every session. That you stay motivated and geared towards your goals. Motivation doesn’t just cover the physical aspect. I spend most days reading up on training methods and experimenting with new methods. Maybe I was lucky. When I started training, I was at University, I had the time to put in my research and attend lots of fitness classes. That isn’t a luxury that everyone has.

The next point I’ll cover is Preparation. Diet is easy, you plan your meals based around your BMR (Base Metabolic Rate) with your activity level factored in. You then calculate your required calorie intake then plan a serious of meals that gives you an appropriate deficit for the results you are after (for weight loss). That system is a little complicated for me, so I break down the calories into macros (Macronutrients). Then you plan your workouts, this will stop you slacking off. Depending on your goals this differs massively from person to person. A few pointers would be to hit everywhere so as to avoid muscle imbalances, check posture, and pick appropriate weights, appropriate exercises and plan around your life. With fitness programmes and diet plans you may reach a plateau. To keep the momentum I’d look at mixing it up every 4-6 weeks (at least). A good PT will help you with this as there’s a lot of conflicting information on the internet, especially about diet. I have tried to explain, in detail, about diet and training in some of my other blog posts, so take a look!

Efficiency, for me, is the primary purpose of a PT.  It’s not about getting you to your target. You can do that alone if you have the motivation. It’s about getting to your target quickly. A well-structured diet plan and fitness programme will help you achieve your goals without the complications. As I will keep reiterating in this blog. I did this largely myself. I trained in some good classes with some good coaches and some friends who shared my passion for training. I learnt what I could from every one of them. There’s lots of styles and they all work (in their own way). I always look for the quickest way. People don’t want to forever chase their goals. They want to achieve them and move onto the next one. When I first started out I trained with a gym partner who was very keen on biology, so he often talked about the science behind certain things. It was very interesting but I lacked the motivation to do my own research. He progressed much faster than me, due to better diet and more logical training. I therefore took a L2 Gym Instructor course. To supplement my own training. I lifted weights (on and off) for 7 years without seeing much difference. I enjoyed it but I’d phase in and out as my lack of progress made my motivation flag. At university I studied History. Does this help with my current occupation? You’re damn right it does. The most important skill you learn is separating fact from fiction. I’m very quick at researching and I am very good at it. Even so, I’ve hit so many speed bumps on my own journey. So much so, that I count experience as one of my main assets now.

The last point I’ll go over is Separating Fact from Fiction. Globally, fitness is an $80 billion industry. That’s just from health clubs, now you have access to much more, internet coaches, brands, supplements, classes, juices, smoothies, diet prep, cookbooks, the list goes on. Everyone is trying to sell you something. Even this blog. I’m hoping you look at it and think, ‘actually, that sounds like a lot of work, this guy knows what he’s talking about…’.  At the same time, I’m only in this industry because of the positive impact it had on my own life. If you can do it on your own, then get to it and show everyone what you can do. If you want to run questions by me, drop me a message, I’d be happy to help. 

When I joined a certain chain of discount gyms (which I won’t name) we were given a ‘free business seminar worth £400!!!’. I turned up, excited to learn how I was going to grow my business. But they lost me within the first hour. The guy leading the session said,
“raise your hand if you’re in this industry to help people”. We all raised our hands. He then said, “raise your hand if you’re in this industry for the money”. Nobody moved.
“Wrong” he told us.
“It’s about making money”. Now this didn’t sit right with me. I left the course at the lunchtime interval (I think I want £200 back). This is the problem with the fitness industry. There is so much money in it that everyone is trying to make their piece. For many, it's not about passion, it's about sales. There is so much access to information that it leads to disinformation. Your PT, if they’re good, will sift through all the rubbish to find what will really produce results.

Which brings us back full circle. A PT will give you the motivation. A good PT will lend you their motivation. They will make your journey as quick and efficient as possible. They will offer you the advice you need. They will do their best to make your journey as quick and painless as possible. And (dare I say it) they might even make it fun. I’ve met a lot of good PTs along the way, all great in their own ways. I now consider myself among them. A good PT.

But you don’t need a PT.

Or do you? 

New Year, New Me – Sticking to Your New Years Resolution

New Year, New Me – Sticking to Your New Years Resolution

The fitness industry expects it. Two months of excessively busy gyms, fitness classes and a sharp increase in sales of fitness equipment and diet books. For most it’s a process repeatedly yearly, they start well then fall off the wagon or lose interest. Every year there are some success stories, the New Year worked as the catalyst for them to finally reach their fitness goals, to start living a healthier lifestyle.

I think it’s great that people have that reason to go out and make a positive change. That they can use this time of year as inspiration to go out and try something that is out of their comfort zone. So I’m going to identify some ways that can help you to stick with it, to not become sickened with salads and long runs in the rain.

The first step is to Clearly Identify Your Goals. Write it down, there’s no negotiating with it, there’s no explaining your way out of it. You find your goal and you reach it. Weight loss is the usual one, so I’ll use it as an example. I should clarify that improved fitness isn’t about losing weight, it’s about reducing body fat. The scales are a good (and easy) way to measure initial progress, but further progress should be identified by body fat % reduction. Having your goal as, ‘I want to lose weight’, is not clear enough. Your goals should be S.M.A.R.T (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time Based).  This applies to everything in life, if you want to achieve something then you set small goals that help you/show progress towards your ultimate goal. Applying S.M.A.R.T to the goal, ‘I want to lose weight’ would look like:

Specific: I want to lose weight

Measurable: I want to lose 1 stone

Achievable/Agreed Upon: is it possible for you to lose 1 stone? /If you’re working with a coach do they think it is achievable?

Realistic: Is it realistic for you to be able to lose 1 stone?

Time based: 2 months (My diet plans are usually designed for clients to safely lose 3lbs/week)

This sets out the planning for a short-term goal. I get my clients to identify a short, medium and long term goal. I believe it’s essential for them to write down what they want to achieve. It helps to keep them focused on the goal. Once we’ve achieved one, we move on to the next, or you may identify another goal in the meantime.

Once we’ve identified our goals, it’s time to Plan How We Are Going to Achieve Them. It’s important we pick something that is going to help us on our way, but also something that we enjoy (or like the look of). If you don’t like running, don’t run. Don’t think that losing weight is about doing things you don’t like doing. There’s something out there for everyone. Joining the gym and going to use a treadmill 6 times a week (probably) won’t get you closer to your goals. Look at the internet for inspiration but don’t waste your money on fad fitness things. Check out home training videos, gym videos, look for classes you might like. There’s many, many classes out there. Most fitness classes are based around the concept of interval training, which is the best form of exercise for weight loss. Most classes have pictures, videos and info online. Have a good look and see if it’s something you might like. Talk to the instructors, ask questions and try it out! If you don’t like it, try something else!

Research, train smart not hard(well maybe smart and hard). I once told a potential employer that I was a lazy fitness enthusiast. I said that it meant I always look for the most efficient ways to achieve anything. That being said, when you love doing something, nothing is hard work. Everything you need to know about diet and fitness is online. In fact, there’s too much. You will find disinformation. There’s a simple way to avoid falling into the wrong methods. If you read an article, consider who wrote it and why. If it goes against, what you know to be true, then consider it false. This is the most important part: If it says something that you want to be true, but you know it isn’t, then ignore it. If anyone tells you, you can eat 600g of chocolate a day, as long as you’re drinking a ‘juice based product’, it’s probably BS.

Everything in Moderation, don’t kill yourself off. Train at least 3 times a week, at most 6. But build it up gradually. Ease yourself into it. If you want to see results, I wouldn’t train less than 3 times a week. If you jump right in at 6, then you’re likely to get some sort of injury. Adapt your diet, keep the foods you like but make it healthier. I love cheese, I still eat lots of cheese. It’s about balance, I’ve written several articles about weight loss. Check them out, they’ll tell you what you need to know. Don’t just trade your cereal and take away for 6 salads a day. Adapt your lifestyle. You’re more likely to stick to it if it doesn’t completely sicken you. Also, have a day off each week and eat whatever you want. If you fall off your diet, don’t give up completely, stay as close as you can to it.

Monitor Progress take photos, jump on the scales twice a week. Make sure you’re on track to meet your goals. If you are not, get back to the research stage and tweak your training and diet. Get on the scales even if you know you’re not going to like what they say. Pay attention to your fitness levels, they should improve quickly with regular exercise.

Keep it Fresh to keep constant improvement you have to keep changing it up. When I write programmes I tell clients to stick to them for 3 weeks, diet and training. Once you’ve done a solid 3 weeks, we should see enough progress to mix it up. Your body adapts to certain movements over time and expends less calories in performing them. Keep it guessing, keep it working hard.

I’m in the fitness industry because it’s my passion. I’m not a salesman cashing in.

If you require any help or advice then feel free to contact me at contact@MattRichPT.com.

Or visit www.MattRichPT.com

Also check out my other articles! 

Be Like Water - A Philosophy of Martial Arts

I still consider myself relatively new to martial arts. I started, as many do, with karate when I was a child. It wasn't until I was 19 that I took up Muay Thai. After a spell of injury I started to take things more seriously. When I was 22 I started training in multiple disciplines, to work on my fitness and, because martial arts fascinated me. That was 6 years ago. Since then I have trained in many gyms around the word, picking up multiple disciplines and testing myself in some competitive events.

I found that some schools were more accepting than others. I've trained with some great coaches, but I never really understood the mindset of those who thought their discipline was superior to others. In my experience, most disciplines overlap. Modern disciplines borrow from the traditional, adapted for practical use. New training equipment has made some methods appear, to me, outdated.  Traditional martial arts still have their place, there's a reason some of them have been around for so long. One of the main selling points of traditional martial arts for me is, it's a glimpse into history. Martial arts is part of being human, the ability to fight and defend ones-self has long been an integral part of life, through the ages. It's evolution is as important as its source.

Modern martial arts are developed for the modern lifestyle. They are designed to be practical, easy to use. They are developed around modern thought, modern weapons and to work against multiple disciplines. Weapons like staffs, swords and nunchaku fighting has become a less imminent threat, whereas most traditional disciplines don't cover firearms etc. Modern martial arts can often be underdeveloped. They are simplified to make them easier and quicker to pick up. To develop them further requires looking into their origin.

Sporting martial arts have also changed the way in which martial arts develop. Introducing competition and a rule-set take out some weapons. I'll use boxing as an example. Boxing is a great sport, and most other full contact sports borrow from it heavily. However, a professional boxer taking part in mixed martial arts is usually a disaster. You can't box off of your back (with any real significance). As a method of self defence, boxing isn't great. Most street fights end up in a grapple, As both parties try to avoid getting hit. That being said, boxing is a tool used in most full contact sports. Generating power with your hands is, in itself, an art-form. It's also a really tough sport, you get hit in the head lots!

Mixed martial arts has helped to develop martial arts exponentially. It brings together multiple disciplines and has helped the evolution of martial arts. It shows which martial arts work well, and which don't, under (one of) the most realistic sporting rule sets. It brings together fighters from various disciplines and shows how the styles work against each other. It also emphasises the importance of grappling arts. In the early stages of the UFC most disciplines were rendered useless against Brazilian Ju Jitsu.  As a martial artist I often get asked if I train in MMA, which technically I do and technically I don't. I don't (usually) train in the sporting aspects of it, though I do train in multiple disciplines.

The reason I train where I do, and teach where I do is because I train with somebody with a similar philosophy to me. Neil Walton of Pro Defence (where I train and teach) is a master of multiple disciplines. He's always exploring different methods, and inventing training methods. I have learnt a lot off him and I apply this, not only to martial arts, but to fitness training in general. With his background, Neil looks at the reality aspect of martial arts. From warning signs, defusing a situation, legality and escaping, to body mechanics, nerve points, and the science behind martial arts.

We all have different strengths, weaknesses, likes and dislikes. There is a martial art to suit everyone. A well rounded martial artist should have good grasp on both the traditional, and the modern. Once you have developed an understanding of your art, you should look at expanding your knowledge. There's more to martial arts than fighting, you can learn important aspects of movement, body mechanics, balance and discipline. Arts, especially modern ones, should look to constantly develop with new techniques to avoid becoming stagnant or obsolete.

Weight Loss. Trick or Treat?.... Trick

It's a little late for a Halloween-themed article. But, that's when I thought it up so I'm just going to run with it.

With my clients I find myself regularly saying that we are using a certain exercise (or series of exercises) to 'trick' the body. The same thing happens when I talk about diet, there's little 'tricks' you can use to confuse your body, make it do what you want it to do. In the fitness industry this is usually to 'lose weight and tone up'.

This is quite easily achievable with a little knowledge of nutrition. That's why there's always so many fad diets about. These companies use one of the tricks and re-brand it to make some quick cash. The problem is, it is unsustainable. They are usually bad for you if you stick with them. You also don't learn anything by using them so you're at the mercy of the next fad diet to achieve your goals.

The problem now isn't that there isn't enough information online. I've spend days reading up on things. The problem is that there is too much information, and too much misinformation.

If you're keen on trying out a new diet then, when reading up on it, just think of the following points:

• Is it healthy? Low carb diets are the main one I'm targeting here. Low carb diets are effective, but they can effect things like mood, energy levels and injuries. Which leads to the next point. 
• Is it sustainable? Again, low carb will be my example, it will work perfectly at first, but if used for a long period of time any deviation from the diet and your body will try to replenish its fat stores quickly. 
• Is it cost effective? Dieting on a budget is possible, you don't need to buy Weight Watcher meals or anything like that, just be aware of what you're putting into your body.
• Can I do it? A diet has to be suited to you. When looking for the most effective dieting methods for myself, I've tried lots of different ways, I look at the information, see if it complies with what I know to be true about nutrition and design a plan around that for myself, based on my likes, access and budget.

Tricking your body is the quickest way to see results but it's not always sustainable. In this, as in everything fitness, we must find balance. Borrowing from the tricks that we find, mixing it in with a balanced and healthy diet. Making sure we find what works best for ourselves. 

The same goes for training. There's an ever increasing number of interval-based classes. Things like insanity, metafit, boxercise, circuits etc. They all borrow from the same school of High Intensity Interval Training (H.I.I.T). There was a time when I would have said that, if you want to lose weight, do 6 HIIT sessions a week and eat low carbs. Now I understand things a little better I'd suggest that was a bad idea. 

HIIT tricks your body into thinking it's working harder than it is (even though it's working pretty hard), you get your heart rate right up with high intensity exercises with short rests in between. Metafit claims to work for several hours after you complete it and I believe that completely. It certainly makes you sweat for some time after. For weight loss I'd recommend HIIT sessions twice a week and endurance cardio as well. This way you introduce balance into your training.

Just to conclude, to make quick changes to your body composition, tricking is the way to go. But, you must balance it with a healthier lifestyle. When reading things on the internet or when taking advice off of somebody, just question weather it complies with your understanding of health and fitness.

If you ever require any advice then please get in touch with me. Advice is free. I'd rather everybody achieve their fitness goals safely, and in good health.

www.MattRichPT.com