From Gym to Brain: The Emerging Benefits of Creatine
Creatine hit the news this weekend : BBC News and Creatine. Creatine has long been known and used as a supplement in the fitness world, prized for its ability to improve strength, power, and muscle recovery. But recent headlines suggest that its benefits may extend further — into mental performance, mood, and overall well-being. In […]
Read moreWeighing In on Weigh-Ins: How Often Should You Step on the Scales?
Step on the scales in the morning, and you’re up a kilo. Step on again after a workout, and you’re down the same amount. Sound familiar? For many clients (and let’s be honest, for many PTs too), the scale can feel like a rollercoaster — sometimes helpful, sometimes confusing, and sometimes emotionally draining. Today, I […]
Read moreMood Boosting Foods
As personal trainers we often talk about how we exercise is great for boosting mood, once you start exercising those endorphins flow and you feel happier and energised. However, we often neglect how good the food we eat can impact our mood, so we’re going to take some time today to look at mood boosting […]
Read moreBoost Your Strength: How to Use Advanced Training Techniques
If you’ve been training for a while, you might find your workouts feeling less challenging or your progress slowing down. That’s where advanced training techniques can take your fitness to the next level. Techniques like drop sets, eccentric reps, and pyramids challenge your muscles in unique ways, sparking new growth and strength improvements. Here’s a […]
Read moreFueling Recovery: How to Match Your Post-Workout Nutrition to Your Workout
Different types of workouts place varying demands on the body. Meal adjustments, such as your post-workout nutrition, are essential to support recovery, replenish energy stores, and promote muscle repair. As such, it is possible to tailor a nutritional strategy so that you can meet those specific needs. For example, endurance workouts typically require a higher […]
Read moreTailoring Your Fitness Routine: The Power of Adaptation, Modification, and Alternatives
Applying the concepts of adaptation, modification, and alternative exercises to your own workout routine can significantly enhance your fitness journey by ensuring that your workouts are both effective and sustainable. Here’s how you can incorporate each: 1. Adaptation in Your Workout As you progress in your fitness journey, your body will naturally adapt to the […]
Read moreBreakfast baked apples
This recipe is one of my favourite go-to’s now. It’s so delicious. It’s taken from a “moon-time” recipe book which focuses on balancing female hormones through her menstrual cycle. But don’t let that put you men off. I serve my breakfast baked apples with my homemade kefir but you could try a high protein yogurt […]
Read morePeriodisation for Fitness: Not Just for Athletes, but for Your Holiday Goals Too!
When people hear the term “periodisation,” they often think of athletes meticulously planning their training for competitions or races. However, periodisation isn’t just for elite sports—it’s a powerful tool that can help anyone achieve their fitness goals, including getting in shape for that upcoming holiday. By understanding and applying the principles of periodisation, you can […]
Read moreA Personal Trainers Training Story
Kate recently shared a social post on what our personal trainers goals are here at Motive8 North. This got me thinking a bit about my goals, why and what I train and my fitness journey. Unlike the rest of the team, who seemed to be working towards a competition, one of my main goals is […]
Read moreBicep Curls in the Squat Rack – Some Alternatives!
If you Google “curls in the squat rack”, some of the memes which are returned are hilarious. The argument goes that the squat rack is a specialised piece of equipment predominantly used for big compound lifts like squats and rack pulls; whereas dumbbell curls can be done anywhere else in the gym – so don’t […]
Read morePersonal Training Client Journey – Alice Rodwell
Some of you may have read our social post a couple of months ago about Alice. Alice has shown commitment to achieving her goals but also the story I’d like to tell here is about how it’s important to recognise that goals can change, which is why it’s important to continually re-assess your goals and […]
Read moreSustainable Weight Loss
Our personal training clients work with us for many reasons Whilst weight loss isn’t the primary motivation for some people, it can still often feature high on the agenda as a reason to work with a personal trainer. During a client’s consultation we will often hear about how new clients have lost weight in the […]
Read moreNavigating Nutrition: Ultra-Processed Foods and Your Health
Our predictions of fitness trends for 2024 included a focus on ultra-processed food and your health. And we were right! These energy dense, low nutrient, additive filled, convenient and reasonably cheap foods; are widely available and may already form part of your diet without you even properly realising it. But surely everything is ok in […]
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