Lessons from the Lean

As a personal trainer in Dublin, I was only remarking there at the weekend that our leanest clients are actually the strongest and have got there through just bloody minded persistence and consistency of effort.
Most of them train at 7am having got up a lot earlier to train three times a week. They trains and consumes a ‘clean diet’. Around the holidays it was the same faces in the gym training away because it was ‘Monday’. It will be the same for all Bank Holidays. The others…away or in the scratcher or finding an excuse for a rest.
So what is their ‘her secret’? What is separates her from the masses of women who struggle with ‘the bingo wings’ or ‘dinner lady arms?’
There are much deeper issues and lessons at play here and ones that can help you strive for greater achievements.
Take for instance the issue of consistency. No matter what, our successful members train three times a week. They make time. They find time. For them 7am in the morning is the only time they can make. So be it. If the a wife with 2 young kids can do it. So can you.
Then there is the issue of public accountability. Do you think that the pressure of your friends watching your every move or missing you in the gym or on a walk is enough motivation to get you hit the gym rather than pulling your duvet over your eyes? Or what about the tin of biscuits that is regularly visited by your hands? Time to make yourself accountable to more than just yourself!
Accountability is a hugely successful tool in fat loss. It makes celebrities work their backsides off to drop baby weight, help extras from Eastenders make fitness DVDs.
Making this work for you however is simple enough. Tell people about your plans. Tell your friends, family and co-workers. Tell them specifically about your plans.
I had an assessment this week with a female client and she rightly pointed out that the Irish are ‘negative’ in their comments.
She was dead right. I stated that the best way to respond to this would be to feed off this. Let it drive you to greater achievements (as a side note – she did awesome with a 10lb loss achieved with a steely determination to prove her group wrong).
When making yourself accountable step out of your comfort zone. Stick your neck out. Why not set up a weight loss blog on the Internet? It has driven some individuals to amazing losses in weight. Why? Because suddenly you are making yourself accountable to a global community.
Take home point –find your social support group / individual and check in with them frequently.
Then there is the issue of the nature of their training. Most women did not get arms like that lifting the pink dumbbells for 2 sets of 30 repetitions or poodle on the cross trainer for 60 minutes counting the calorie dial.
To create a toned physique you need to step up to the heav(ier) forms of weight training. Swap the plastic dumbbells for chin ups, press ups, squats and Deadlifts and be prepared to lift heavy!
If you couple this with a clean diet rich in vegetables, fish, water and good fats you will literally watch your fat disappear to reveal toned slender muscles.
I was in the gym the other morning watching as some poor trainer was lambasted with comments such as
“If walk at this speed then how many calories have I burned off” and “If I put this incline up, will I burn more calories”
In other words ‘have I worked off last night’s dessert yet?’
Stop concerning about the petty details. Get in the gym, remain consistent with your behaviours and your results will follow. 80% of the battle though is just showing up. If you can do this then you will find what you are looking for.
The secret of the lean? None really. They just turn up. Every day.
John Lark is owner of Sphere Fitness based in Maynooth. Download your free health pack over at spherefitness.ie