Must-read tips from our favourite PTs

Fire up your workout with these must-read tips from our favourite PTs

Personal trainers are useful people to have in your life if you want to smash your fitness goals. They can help you get fitter quicker by showing you the right exercises to do to help get you in tip-top shape, and they keep your workouts fresh and exciting to make sure you actually want to get your workout gear on.

Check out these must-read tips from our favourite PTs…

Chris Walton, director of personal training at Embody Fitness

Workout with intent

There is no point going to the gym three times a week and exercising in your comfort zone. The body will only adapt and change if it is given a strong enough stimulus. You must give the body a reason to change, which means pushing it so it’s at least a bit uncomfortable.

Don’t give up

Usually people give up because they are lacking results, so I would say you probably need to change what you are doing. Go and see someone who can help you put together a structured eating and training plan. It is much easier to continue when you are getting results and if you continue to improve, you won’t want to stop.

Visit embodyfitness.co.uk

Russ Harris, senior personal trainer at Six3Nine

Try strength training

Strength training can increase how confident you feel, improve your mood and provide you with those all-important endorphins. Strength training and weight training in general can improve various health markers and provide a useful tool to help you lose weight by stimulating muscle tissue and your central nervous system.

Measure improvements

Collecting some data can be a useful tool in order to measure improvement. This can take the form of food diaries, body composition analysis and videos/pictures of posture, movement and current body composition.

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Andrew Hedley, personal trainer at Speedflex

Keep training fresh

But… if things get really boring and you don’t know what to try, it’s vital to focus on your diet while you figure things out. Try to maintain an appropriate daily calorie intake. This will help keep your body well-nourished while you find a new challenge.

Have an inspiration

Layne Norton has to be my biggest inspiration for his consistently unbiased views and open mindedness. That and I have a twin brother I can’t stand losing to!

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Emily Cole, personal coach at Virgin Active

Use compound movements

The deadlift is such a great compound movement, meaning it works more muscles simultaneously than any other movement. It is a functional movement that targets major muscles in your posterior chain, which are responsible for correct posture and core strength. And if you are looking to work on that booty, don’t skip your deadlifts!

Make fitness a habit

Make it part of your routine and do exercise that makes you feel good and that you enjoy. Remember you will always feel better once you begin your workout and after you have trained. There is no better feeling than being fit and strong.

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Kevin Foster-Wiltshire, online personal trainer and founder of Gymcube.com

Try online training

It’s convenient and there is a wider variety of workouts to choose from. You don’t have to stick with one trainer or class and you can complete the workout in the comfort of your own home on a day and time that suits you best. It makes exercise possible for everyone, on a schedule that fits your needs.

Limit your workouts

Try to limit your workouts to 30-40 minutes and keep them at a high intensity. The tendency of many people who want to get fit is to spend as much time as possible working out. The truth is you can achieve all the same benefits, if not more, in a short but high intensity session.

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