Blog

<p>Hi,</p><p>that headline sounds like I’ve created some secret tool. No, I have not, not yet at least ;)</p><p><em>Why and how do injuries happen?</em></p><p>1 - accident<br>2 - you’re pushing your body past what it can handle right now. This is a classic “How come my knee hurts after a 5km run? I’m fit and I can do much more.” Let me ask you - When did you run last time? When did your knees last time have to handle 5000 small impacts?<br>3 - random but not so random. These are those random niggles that pop up out of nowhere. Seemingly random but sometimes looking back you can see it was just an accumulation of small things. Like hurting your back by standing up from the sofa is probably an accumulation of sitting in a bad posture that’s compressing the spine in a certain way the spine doesn’t like it. Then standing up or bending over seems like a thing that did it, but in reality, it was building up over time.</p><p>Injuries are annoying, and frustrating and can have a really debilitating effect. I’ve had a fair share of them in my life.</p><p>Let me be very honest with you. I’m one of those people who tend to injure themselves quite often.&nbsp;</p><p>How is that possible?</p><p>Sometimes it’s the sacrifice I make to live a life I want to live.<br>Sometimes is just being reckless, ha-ha! (Paulina would say it’s definitely the latter)</p><p>I live a very active lifestyle. I play ice hockey, work out, hike, run, cycle, swim…and I love it!</p><p>When you play hard, injuries happen. High reward = high risk. Some injuries can be prevented, and some completely eliminated. But eventually, some will happen even when you’ve done everything you could.</p><p>We’re not here just to talk about myself. I want to share with you my formula and what helps me to work through, around, and prevent injuries.</p><figure id="figure-d9mnh5ps8m8e93e39"><img id="d9mnh5ps8m8e93e39" src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/3by92pgmp1arK4zfBJlszApTz9Z98m8czUEylprpyCQCXGjCrsSnXjFOYNkiKWHp.png" alt="" title="" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 rounded-sm md:rounded-md lg:rounded-lg" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/3by92pgmp1arK4zfBJlszApTz9Z98m8czUEylprpyCQCXGjCrsSnXjFOYNkiKWHp.png" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><p><strong>1. Mindset</strong></p><p>Mindset is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it helps to work through injuries much quicker because you’re always looking on the bright side. But on the other side, it can be destructive as you can stop paying attention to niggles or small injuries that can lead to bigger ones.&nbsp;</p><p>My mindset is strong! I’ve dealt with injuries since I was a young competitive athlete, and they just became a part of my life. I believe if you’re not used to them, they can be super frustrating, but having a growth and positive mindset means that no matter what injury you get (you’ll eventually get some), you can work through and around it. And it won’t stop you in your journey.</p><p><strong>2. Strength training and having a good amount of muscle mass</strong></p><p>Life is just so much better with muscles. Sounds funny? I mean it! Having strength and muscle not only gives you the ability to do cool things and live an interesting life full of experiences. It also allows you to recover quicker because your muscles are like protective armour for your body. A strong core will protect your lower back. Strong quads and hamstrings will protect your knees. A strong upper back will protect your shoulders…you get the point.</p><p><strong>3. Mobility</strong></p><p>Mobility vs. Stretching. Mobility is the ability to actively move through a range of motion while stretching involves deliberately lengthening a muscle. Meaning that you can touch your toes without someone pushing you down. When our bodies lack mobility in certain areas, they’ll always try to make it up elsewhere. For example, when your hips are tight from sitting down too much, your lower back will take up the slack when you trying to move in the gym or outside in life and eventually it’ll get hurt because it is not designed to take on so much strain.</p><p>At the bottom of this email is a mobility session you can start doing daily and feel your body moving so much better having less aches and pains.</p><p><strong>4. Take a step back but don’t stop.</strong></p><p>When I get injured, the first thing that crosses my mind is: “What else can I do instead?”. Let’s take the example of lower back pain. You’ve injured your back and it’s annoying and painful in movements. You cannot back squat, deadlift or do sit-ups. Step 1 - to do here is to identify which movements hurt, take a break from those for a few weeks and then reintroduce them slowly. Step 2 - figure out which positions/movements don’t hurt and how you can adjust the exercises to suit you. For example, instead of doing bend-over barbell rows do chest-supported dumbbell rows. Instead of doing a back squat do a rear foot elevated split squat. Step 3 - Keep working around your injury. You’ll feel better mentally and possibly even recover quicker physically too.</p><p>Reflecting back to my last year I dealt with some injuries. I’m grateful to be putting the 4 above in practice because without them I would miss some of the amazing experiences and memories I collected last year.</p><p>Surfing in Nicaragua.<br>Open water swimming in the cold lakes of Snowdonia.<br>Road cycling in the English countryside.<br>Ice hockey love forever.<br>Triathlon, because every now and then we all need a challenge.</p><p>Live strong, live fully,<br>Coach Brani.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><br><strong>Workout of the day:</strong></p><p><strong>Feel good - move well</strong></p><p>As promised today’s workout of the day is going to be a MOBILITY routine that you can do at home and doesn’t take you an hour of your time. Focus is on all major joints in your body, mobilise and stretch them allowing you to move freely and prevent any aches or pains. I recommend doing this 2-3x a week in addition to your strength training.</p><p>Mobility routine:<br>10x cat-cow<br>10x kneeling thoracic rotation on each side<br>10x kneeling scapular push-up<br>30-sec deep squat groin stretch<br>20x 90/90 hip switch<br>10x prone snow angels<br>10x cossack squat (5 per side as deep as possible)<br>30-sec side lying thoracic twist stretch on each side<br>10x lying pelvic tilt<br>20x alternating lying leg raise<br></p>

Brani’s injury prevention formula

<p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: calc(16px * var(--body-fontSize, 1)); font-style: var(--body-fontStyle, normal); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;" data-mce-style="font-family: inherit; font-size: calc(16px * var(--body-fontSize, 1)); font-style: var(--body-fontStyle, normal); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;">Happy International Pancake Day!</span><br></p><p>Sunny morning and pancakes? Yes please!</p><p>I'm lucky to work from home on Tuesday mornings so I could cook my own protein pancakes. They were delicious! Canadian style ;)&nbsp;</p><p>If you want to try my recipe, check it out <a data-mce-href="https://sweetpeasandsaffron.com/protein-pancakes/" href="https://sweetpeasandsaffron.com/protein-pancakes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HERE</a>.<br>&nbsp;<br></p><figure id="figure-25vka5bt9dm7uo4oei"><img id="25vka5bt9dm7uo4oei" src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/a9ehrV72Dka25XxoILFk5L89jEGLi1R421MGUdwK801j4ymTqRPPmcpHvH2yTVfo.jpg" alt="" title="" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 rounded-sm md:rounded-md lg:rounded-lg" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/a9ehrV72Dka25XxoILFk5L89jEGLi1R421MGUdwK801j4ymTqRPPmcpHvH2yTVfo.jpg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><p><br>To the topic now.</p><p>I get it - life is busy. Between work, family, and everything else, finding time to work out can feel impossible. But here’s the good news: you don’t need to spend hours in the gym to see real progress.</p><p>The truth is that there are things you cannot control completely and you'll have to be patient. Fitness journey is a winding road with a lot of obstacles.</p><p>But there are a few things that you can apply to make sure you're doing the best you can.</p><p>The Secret? Training Smarter, Not Longer.</p><p>Most people think more time equals better results, but the truth is, intensity and consistency matter more than duration.3 Ways to Maximize Your Workouts:</p><p>1️⃣ Focus on Compound Movements – Squats, deadlifts, and push-ups work multiple muscle groups, burning more calories and help you build functional strength in less time.<br>2️⃣ Increase Workout Density – Instead of resting for long periods, try supersets or circuit training to keep moving and maximize efficiency.<br>3️⃣ Use Progressive Overload – Gradually increase weights, reps, or intensity to keep challenging your body.</p><p>Consistency beats perfection every time, so even if you only have 20-30 minutes, make it count. Need help structuring your workouts? Find a workout example below, or reply to this email to learn more about working with me online.</p><p>Train hard and train smart,<br>Brani.<br>&nbsp;<br>Workout of the day:</p><p>30 minute dumbbell full body conditioning</p><p>This is a great workout when you either want to do something really hardcore, or only have a limited time and need to get it done quickly. You'll need a set of 2 dumbbells, mat, and towel because you're about to sweat! The goal of the workout is to perform as many rounds of exercises below as you can in 30 minutes nonstop. Only rest if you really need to. Let's go!</p><p>10 <a data-mce-href="https://youtu.be/tXv-rEa5xn8?si=Cig1o228OLrK0axl" href="https://youtu.be/tXv-rEa5xn8?si=Cig1o228OLrK0axl">floor press</a><br>10 bend over row<br>10 front squat<br>20 plank with twist<br></p>

Faster results in less time (kinda)

<p>Welcome to our revamped and ready gym! We are thrilled to announce some exciting new changes that will take your fitness journey to the next level. From upgraded equipment to enhanced amenities, we have been working hard to create an even better experience for our members.</p><p>**Here are some of the key improvements you can look forward to:**</p><h3>New Fitness Equipment</h3><p>We have invested in the new fitness equipment to help you achieve your goals more efficiently. Whether you are into strength training, cardio, or functional fitness, we have everything you need to push your limits and see results.</p><p>Tried and tested by us first. As you can see below, we practice what we preach.</p><p>*update 1/4/23: we have just got a new sturdy adjustable bench, yay!</p><figure id="figure-27cm8sdmqkluh7hy45" class=""><img id="27cm8sdmqkluh7hy45" src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/2df20AlJJYRvxb2kn6of4AyzFWN7fx4O7mH7fj8vDdP23UxE7fdUhdKVYGC1HtI1.jpg" alt="gym equipment" title="gym equipment" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 rounded-sm md:rounded-md lg:rounded-lg" style="aspect-ratio: 1/1; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="1:1" data-caption="" data-positionx="null" data-positiony="null" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/2df20AlJJYRvxb2kn6of4AyzFWN7fx4O7mH7fj8vDdP23UxE7fdUhdKVYGC1HtI1.jpg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 1/1; object-position: center center;"></figure><figure id="figure-kma15qze2rluh81x4f"><iframe id="kma15qze2rluh81x4f" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WSbQLfxWAFU" class="w-full bg-gray-100 rounded-sm md:rounded-md lg:rounded-lg" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9;" allowfullscreen="" data-url="https://youtu.be/WSbQLfxWAFU" data-corners="default" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WSbQLfxWAFU" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9;"></iframe></figure><figure id="figure-5mgnstomxoluh7i12o"><img id="5mgnstomxoluh7i12o" src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/2b14TieRquJTulw8neYPazclxbw8MsYuJKcLFS1eYNKP2SEK2Ub440YLu5VNa7gK.jpg" alt="recovery area" title="recovery area" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 rounded-sm md:rounded-md lg:rounded-lg" style="aspect-ratio: 1/1; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="1:1" data-caption="" data-positionx="null" data-positiony="null" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/2b14TieRquJTulw8neYPazclxbw8MsYuJKcLFS1eYNKP2SEK2Ub440YLu5VNa7gK.jpg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 1/1; object-position: center center;"></figure><figure id="figure-b7qc10c42luh7x00e" class=""><img id="b7qc10c42luh7x00e" src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/1c4jZhB55vpyg300MmDunj8k1DrtPwCkG3ux8fN4BxsdzVpImlQKnGvcfrkvQuWX.jpg" alt="man holding black barbell" title="man holding black barbell" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 rounded-sm md:rounded-md lg:rounded-lg" style="aspect-ratio: 1/1; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="1:1" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/1c4jZhB55vpyg300MmDunj8k1DrtPwCkG3ux8fN4BxsdzVpImlQKnGvcfrkvQuWX.jpg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 1/1; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Personal training services</h3><p><br>If you are looking for personalized guidance and support on your fitness journey, we are here to help. We will create a customized workout plan tailored to your goals and help you to stay on track.</p><p>Contact us and let's meet for a chat about how we can help you achieve your goals.</p><p><br></p>

Revamped and Ready: Exciting New Changes at Our Gym

man in white crew neck t-shirt and black shorts sitting on floor

<p><strong>“I want to be that old man who can go to the gym and outwork most of the youngsters, uncommon within common.”</strong></p><table class="mcnTextBlock mce-item-table" border="0" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody class="mcnTextBlockOuter"><tr><td class="mcnTextBlockInner" valign="top"><table class="mcnTextContentContainer mce-item-table" border="0" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="left"><tbody><tr><td class="mcnTextContent" valign="top">That’s just one of the answers to where do I see myself in 30 years.<br><br>In 30 years I’ll be 61 year old. Some might say an old man, but I want to that friend/parent/uncle who leads by example. Who can run, who can pick up heavy things of the floor, who can join his nieces and nephews when playing the park. I also want to be able to put my lugagge up to storage on the plane by myself or go for a decent hike without having to think about if I actually make it.<br><br>For most of us, these are abilities that are so common and normal for us that we don’t even think about it. Well, I do. I’ve been struggling from bad back pain since I was 17 years old and it got pretty bad recently. I couldn’t exercise, couldn’t sleep properly, and my girlfriend said something that stuck in my head. She said: “I want a healthy boyfriend.” And she’s got the point.&nbsp;<br><br>How can I be the best partner I can be if I’m physically unable to move or constantly in pain? Just imaging it made me feel terrible. That’s something I’m very scared of and I’ll do whatever I can to avoid it.&nbsp;<br><br><strong>Where do you see yourself in 30 years?</strong><br><br>Can you get off the floor with one hand only? Probably yes, with a little struggle. Imagine you’ll have to do it when you 60, 70 or 80 years old. Most of the people at that age cannot do a lot of “normal” things we can do now. In fact, I work with so many people that I’ve seen people lacking some of these abilities in their 30’s and 40’s. And that’s the age when you either stay on the top of your health and fitness oryou are likely to lose it very quickly.&nbsp;<br><br>I don’t wish to scare you, or judge. In fact, I want to help. Help as many people as I can. Because I believe that everyone wants to live a good, happy and healthy life.&nbsp;<br><br>Longevity is defined as the capacity to survive past the average age of death (De Benedictis and Francheschi, 2006).<br><br>Well, that just sounds very mediocre. I believe that longevity isn’t just living a disability free life. But rather thriving, enjoying and experiencing the life at its best no matter the age. Imagine living untill 95 years old. Would you rather live independently or be dependent on your children or a carer? I’d not want to do that to my children, be that burden.&nbsp;<br><br>Life happens, accidents happen and thinkgs always don’t workout as we plan it to. But there’s a lot we can do right now to prepare for the life later.<br><br>It may sounds silly to think you have to exercise now to see difference in 30 years, but if you don’t, you’ll think about me then and it might be too late.<br><br>So, let’s go to what you actually can do, from exercise perspective, that will have direct and proven impact to improve your longevity and thrive in later stages of your life.<br><br><strong>1. Strength</strong><br><br>This may be the most intimidating one, especiallg for people who accustomed to strength training. Strength basically means utilizing muscle to generate force. If you’re interesting in living long life and playing with your grandkids some day, then muscle mass should be priority. Never in a human history of human civilisation has a 90 year old said: “wish I had less muscle”. There’s many strategies and way to do this depending on where you at with your current streength. My recommendation is basic strength training 3x a week focusing on compound movements like squats, lunges, hinges, pushing, pulling and carrying heavy objects.<br><br><strong>2. Stability</strong><br><br>Stability is actually a cornerstone upon which your strength, your aerobis, and your anaerobic performance relies. It is important to have a good stability in order to develop other pillars. I think about stability as core training as it’s easier for people to think about it that way. Core training doesn’t just involve working on your abs. It’s about creating a strong and functioning core (mid section of your body) because without it everything else falls apart. Your posture, your ability to stand up, your ability to pick up thins relies on your core. It’s like a clutch in the car. It allows your to change to the next gear when you need to, otherwise you’ll not be able to move. Partly, the core training is involved in strength training but the older we get the more we need to invest time to work on it specifically. My recommendation is to train this daily or as often as possible. This could involve breathing exercises, pelvic floor exercises, planks, side planks, birdogs, pallof press, supermans, single arm carries and more.<br><br><strong>3. Aerobic/zone 2 training</strong><br><br>If you’re into running, cycling or swimming, you’re probably familiar with zone 2. Zone 2 is defined as the highest metabolic output/work that you can sustain while keeping your lactate below 2 milimole per later. In simple way, this means ability to produce energy without getting that muscle burn. It’s a type of exercise that we call “cardio”. Long and slow, when you go for a run with a mate and you can talk without being too much out of breath for the whole time. Heart rate wise this is somewhere between 60-70% of your max heart rate. If you’re not sure what that is, try this calculation: (180-age)-10, for example for me that’s: (180-30)=150-10=140. If you’re not fit or haven’t done a lot of training you want to deduct another 5. Of you’re absolute beginner you want to deduct another extra 5. Working in zone 2 also helps with fat loss but you’ll need to spend around 2-4 hours a week there spread throughout the week between 3-4 sessions.<br><br><strong>4. Anaerobic/zone 5</strong><br><br>High intensity zone. You don’t need to spend not nearly as much time working in this zone as in zone 2, you don’t want to neglect it completely. It may come at a cost down the road. The truth is that people these days spend too much time in zone 5 by doing too much high intensity workouts and too little time in zone 2. Thing about this as an escalator being broken and you have to heavy bags of groceries and you need to get it up to 3rd floor. I recommend 1-2 session a week, for example 3 minutes of easy running, cycling or stairmaster, followed by 1 minute of hard near to maximum work. Repeat for 20-30 minutes.<br><br>To sum it up. What should you aim to do weekly?<br><br>1. 3-5 bouts of strength training<br>2. 4 bouts of zone 2<br>3. 2 bouts of zone 5<br>4. Stability is sprinkled into pretty much every day with maybe one day longer, more dedicated 60 minute around stability<br><br>To finish off this long article, I ask you to ask yourself:<br><br><strong>What do you want to be able to do in 30 years from now?</strong><br><br>Have a &nbsp;ice rest of your week,<br>Brani.<br><br>&nbsp;</td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table class="mcnDividerBlock mce-item-table" border="0" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody class="mcnDividerBlockOuter"><tr><td class="mcnDividerBlockInner"><table class="mcnDividerContent mce-item-table" border="0" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody><tr><td><br></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table class="mcnTextBlock mce-item-table" border="0" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody class="mcnTextBlockOuter"><tr><td class="mcnTextBlockInner" valign="top"><table class="mcnTextContentContainer mce-item-table" border="0" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="left"><tbody><tr><td class="mcnTextContent" valign="top"><u><strong>Workout of the day:</strong></u><br><br>Givr this workout a go. Those 4 minutes should feel pretty nasty. You need to work close to your maximum in order to get the benefits o zone 5 training. Being a little out of breath won’t cut it here, sorry not sorry. I like to use stationary bike for this type of training.&nbsp;<br><br><strong>Zone 5</strong><br><br>4 sets<br>4 minutes fast run, cycle or tabata (either burpees, mt. Climbers, kettlebell swings or wall balls)<br>4 minutes rest</td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table class="mcnDividerBlock mce-item-table" border="0" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody class="mcnDividerBlockOuter"><tr><td class="mcnDividerBlockInner"><table class="mcnDividerContent mce-item-table" border="0" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody><tr><td><br></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table class="mcnBoxedTextBlock mce-item-table" border="0" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody class="mcnBoxedTextBlockOuter"><tr><td class="mcnBoxedTextBlockInner" valign="top"><table class="mcnBoxedTextContentContainer mce-item-table" border="0" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="left"><tbody><tr><td><table class="mcnTextContentContainer mce-item-table" border="0" width="100%" cellspacing="0" data-mce-selected="1"><tbody><tr><td class="mcnTextContent" valign="top"><h3>Happy to help.</h3><p>Do not hesitate to reach out to me with your questions or suggestions.</p></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table>

"I want to be the fittest grandad"

<table border="0" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="mce-item-table"><tbody><tr><td id="templateHeader" align="center" valign="top" data-template-container=""><table class="templateContainer mce-item-table" border="0" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tbody><tr><td class="headerContainer" valign="top"><table class="mcnBoxedTextBlock mce-item-table" border="0" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody class="mcnBoxedTextBlockOuter"><tr><td class="mcnBoxedTextBlockInner" valign="top"><table class="mcnBoxedTextContentContainer mce-item-table" border="0" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="left"><tbody><tr><td><table class="mcnTextContentContainer mce-item-table" border="0" width="100%" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td class="mcnTextContent" valign="top"><strong>Being patient in this age is really difficult!</strong></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td id="templateBody" align="center" valign="top" data-template-container=""><table class="templateContainer mce-item-table" border="0" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tbody><tr><td class="bodyContainer" valign="top"><table class="mcnTextBlock mce-item-table" border="0" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody class="mcnTextBlockOuter"><tr><td class="mcnTextBlockInner" valign="top"><table class="mcnTextContentContainer mce-item-table" border="0" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="left"><tbody><tr><td class="mcnTextContent" valign="top">I guess we can all notice how these days we’re wired to get everything we want instantly, especially if you live in London.&nbsp;<br><br>Amazon delivers same day.&nbsp;<br>Food delivery is on your door step in no time.<br><br>I’m not surprised that when people come to me asking for help to achieve their goals, their patience is low and expectations are high. It’s a miss match that needs to be dealt with right away.&nbsp;<br><br>These are some of my best strategies that help me when I feel impatient:<br><br><strong>1. Zoom out</strong><br><br>People overestimate what they can do in 12 weeks and underestimate what they can achieve in 12 months. You can look like a new person in 12 months of being consistent. You’ll also see good changes in 12 weeks, but don’t expect anything huge.<br><br><strong>2. Set performance goals</strong><br><br>Get your first push up. Your first chin up. Deadlift your own bodyweight. Then double it. Having performance goals keeps training interesting, rewarding and keeps you consistent.<br><br><strong>3. Set weekly goals</strong><br><br>Set an average step count goal. Can you hit 7-10k steps a day? Or can you hit protein target 6 days out of 7? Or do at least 3 of your 4 workouts this week. Write down what a successful week looks like for you, then go get it!<br><br><strong>4. Reward yourself</strong><br><br>If you’ve been at least 80% consistent over the last month, reward yourself. We’re driven by positive reinforcement. Have a day of spa, buy a new gadget or book a trip. (Avoid using food as a reward if you’re working on relationship with food)<br><br><strong>5. Find a hobby</strong><br><br>If you’re always looking up fat loss and fitness info, of course you’re going to get impatient. Once you have the habits in place to get you your long-term goals, find something else to occupy your time.<br><br>These are all general and you can adopt to yourself. I use them too. For example:<br><br>1. I set myself performance goals rather than aesthetics. If I train for an event, good aesthetics are usually just a side effect of having fun with training.<br>2. I do treat myself with food. For example I only have takeaways on Friday after a 4 days of being on the top of my meals and workouts.<br>3. I play ball hockey. I spend literally all my days in the gym, it’s easy to fall into trap of comparing yourself to others or chasing goals that are not really yours. Hockey takes me back to my youth where I used to train a lot but a sole focus was to have fun, perform better and enjoy a good game with my friends.<br><br>Is there any other strategy that works for you? I’d like to hear about it ;)<br>&nbsp;</td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table class="mcnDividerBlock mce-item-table" border="0" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody class="mcnDividerBlockOuter"><tr><td class="mcnDividerBlockInner"><table class="mcnDividerContent mce-item-table" border="0" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody><tr><td><br></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table class="mcnTextBlock mce-item-table" border="0" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody class="mcnTextBlockOuter"><tr><td class="mcnTextBlockInner" valign="top"><table class="mcnTextContentContainer mce-item-table" border="0" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="left" data-mce-selected="1"><tbody><tr><td class="mcnTextContent" valign="top"><strong>Workout of the day:</strong><br><br>Here’s a advanced upper body workout that should take 60-70 minutes including a decent warm up. It’s a push day with focus on horizontal plane (pushing in front of you rather than above you). If your goal is to build a better chest, shoulder and improve upper body strength, give it a go.<br><br><strong><u>Strength</u>:</strong><br>5x5<br>Bench press (80% percent of your 1RM)<br>-rest 3 min<br><br><u><strong>Accessories</strong></u>:<br>3x10<br>Incline dumbbell bench press<br>Incline dumbbell chest supported row<br>-rest 2 min<br><br><u><strong>Finisher</strong></u>:<br>EMOM 12<br>Min 1 - 30 sec skierg<br>Min 2 - 10 plank walk ups<br>Min 3 - 20 half V-ups</td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table>

5 tips to help you be patient in your fitness journey

woman in black tank top and black shorts sitting on floor

<table border="0" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="mce-item-table"><tbody><tr><td id="templateHeader" align="center" valign="top" data-template-container=""><table class="templateContainer mce-item-table" border="0" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tbody><tr><td class="headerContainer" valign="top"><table class="mcnBoxedTextBlock mce-item-table" border="0" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody class="mcnBoxedTextBlockOuter"><tr><td class="mcnBoxedTextBlockInner" valign="top"><table class="mcnBoxedTextContentContainer mce-item-table" border="0" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="left"><tbody><tr><td><table class="mcnTextContentContainer mce-item-table" border="0" width="100%" cellspacing="0" data-mce-selected="1"><tbody><tr><td class="mcnTextContent" valign="top">Work meeting run over.<br>School teacher called to pick up your kid.<br>Snoozed in the morning and only can train 30-45 min on lunch break.<br><br>I hear you. Sometimes, it doesn’t matter how hard you want it, or how good you plan it. Life happens.<br><br>One thing that I find work the best in this situation is to plan for it. Plan for things to not work out. When planning a new gym routine, you’re most likely to think about the best case scenario. I had a consultation yesterday with new prospect client and we talked about this. I asked her: “In best case scenario, how often and how much do you see yourself training in a week?”. She answered as most do, 3-4 times. Knowing already she’s a mum, spouse and senior at her job, I knew this is ambitious. We then did a little PRIORITY GAME (more about this in next episode), to find put how that fits in her lifestyle.<br><br>After that, I asked her: “Imagine worst case scenario. Your day where a meeting gets pushed or you miss a morning tube and you have to squeeze in your workout elsewhere. When and how much time would you have?”. She needed to think a little and I asked her to rather underestimate than overestimate. She said she can find 30 minutes on her lunch break. Awesome!<br><br>So, now we have the bst and the worst case scenario and when life happens she will know exactly what to do. She won’t freak out, she won’t skip it, she won’t wing it, becuase we planned for it.<br><br>Now, let’s get into a specific strategies we can use in this case. We have 30 minutes and it needs to be a good workout.<br><br><strong>Here are my 3 best strategies:</strong><br><br>PS: each startegy takes in account 5-10 min short dynamic warm up. Something like 3 sets of 10 squats, 10 world’s greatest stretch and 30 sec plank.<br><br><strong>1. Supersets</strong><br><br>Perform 2-3 UPPER-LOWER supersets. Combining 2 exercises together can save you time and keep the intensity higher. I personally love upper-lower supersets and they are a regular part of my own workouts. Some of my favourite supersets are:<br><br>3x10 Goblet squat<br>3x10 Dumbbell bench press<br><br>3x20 Dumbbell walking lunges<br>3x10 Half kneeling dumbbell press each arm<br><br>3x10 Kettlebell deadlift<br>3x30-60 sec Plank<br><br>No rest between exercises and rest 2 minutes between sets. Give it a go.<br><br><strong>2. AMRAPs</strong><br><br>AMRAP stands for As Many Rounds/Repetitions As Possible. Maybe you’re familiar with this and how hard it is. If not, I dare you to try. There short, medium long and long AMRAPS too. For our 30 minute workout I’d choose 1x20 minute AMRAP or 2x7 minute AMRAP.<br><br>AMRAP 20 minute:<br>15 box jump (regress for bodyweight squat)<br>12 dumbbell push press (regress to push up with hands on bench)<br>9 V-ups (regress to lying leg raise)<br>-goal is to choose a pace you can hold 20 minutes nonstop. You also want to be pushing hard not failing!<br><br>2x7 minute AMRAP:<br><br>1st 7 minutes:<br>7 V-ups<br>7 push ups<br><br>Rest 3 min<br><br>2nd 7 minutes:<br>7 kettlebell swings<br>7 burpees<br><br><strong>3. EMOM</strong><br><br>EMOM stands for Every Minute On (the) Minute. It’s great way to be able to build in heavier lifts in shorter time. Goal is to choose a movement that you complete in a minute with 15-30 sec left to rest. One of my favourite 20 minutes EMOM is:<br><br>Min 1 - 5 walkout with push up<br>Min 2 - 10 goblet squat (heavy!)<br>Min 3 - 15 dual dumbbell bend over row<br>Min 4 - 20 Govblet reverse lunge<br>Min 5 - 40-60 sec plank<br>-repeat 4 times&nbsp;<br><br>Save this email and the next time you’re in position where you only have 30 minutes and you’re thinking of skipping that day’s workout, you’ll know exactly what&nbsp;to do.<br><br>Have a great week,<br>Coach Brani.</td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table>

Blog

Brani’s injury prevention formula

Faster results in less time (kinda)

Revamped and Ready: Exciting New Changes at Our Gym

"I want to be the fittest grandad"

5 tips to help you be patient in your fitness journey

How to do the most efficient workout in short time?