CHAPTER 01:INTRODUCTION .....1 CHAPTER 02: SMALL GROUP TRAINING .....3 CHAPTER 03: EVERYDAY ATHLETE PROGRAMME .....5 So, Whatis The Everyday Athlete program? .....5 How is each session designed? .....6 What sort of exercises willI be doing? .....7 CHAPTER 04:INTRODUCING THE MONTHLY CHALLENGE SYSTEM AND “THE LEADERBOARD” .....8 My monthly challenge system: .....8 The leaderboard: .....8 CHAPTER 05: EATING HABITS .....9 CHAPTER 06:The everyday athlete Weight loss DO’s and DON’Ts checklist .....12 Do’S .....12 DON’T’s .....14

Welcome to the Everyday Athlete Programme… I remember in my first every job as a personal trainer/Fitness instructor i raised eyebrows amongst clients when I suggested they move from 1-1 training to semiprivate and small groups. Some didn’t like the idea of it, and almost every client replied with “But isn’t 1-on-1 personal training always better?”. So, let me explain thoughts on small group training For someone with an injury or a very sport-specific goal, for sure, 1-on-1 PT will provide the best results in the shortest amount of time. However, when we’re honest with ourselves, 95% of us are looking to improve our general fitness and see the changes that makes to our physique along the way. For us, it’s nearly always better to train with other people. As long as we’re sticking with the fundamentals of training, training with others offers more benefits than 1-on-1 training alone… It’s very easy for personal trainers to over-complicate things for clients, spending (and often billing!) hours writing incredibly detailed programmes which on the surface may seem like they address your goals, but often leave fundamentals such as mobility or the different energy systems untouched. There aren’t many of us who need to

This is my Everyday Athlete big 7 1. Camaraderie 2. Adherence 3. FriendlyCompetition 4. Motivation 5. PersonalAttention 6. SupportandAdvice 7. Accountability Training in a small personal group helps drive results. Having a bad day? Your workout partner is there to help and motivate you through it. The aim of Everyday Athletes is to build a fitness community where everyone motivates and supports each other throughout. have programs as complicated as elite athletes, despite what we’re told by fitness professionals. While private 1- on-1 personal training definitely has its place, semi-private and small group training has enormous benefits which shouldn’t be overlooked.

Small Group Training is NOT a bootcamp Bootcamps can be a useful tool or fitness, however they do increase the likelihood of overtraining and affecting the bodies’ ability to recover from constant exercise. Add to that the eventual fitness plateaus the increased chance of injuries will be inevitable. Additionally, it’s almost impossible for an instructor to fix any issues with technique when there is 30 people all exercising at once.

The ability to achieve a short-term result doesn’t mean it’s successful long term. Having worked in multiple gyms across Dundee, bootcamps were almost always the most popular class choice for members. This is because intense workouts conjunction with a dietary deficit almost ensure immediate results provided members were consistent with diet. The issue is always sustainability. What happens when you need to cut down the classes and revert back to your normal diet? 90% of the time the weight goes back on and you find yourself at square one again. Rinse and repeat. Small group training is NOT group fitness. If you’re searching for sustainable results, variety is needed in your training programme, the programming of bootcamps is at the complete opposite end of the spectrum, as they are required to be repetitive and easily memorized workout. This creates not only a situation where the participants will adapt to the stimulus but also creates a severely increased chance of injury because the repetitive movements are performed with limited changes in difficulty progression, planes of movement, or sensory environment. “I’ve lost weight at bootcamps before, aren’t they better?”

SO, WHAT IS THE EVERYDAY ATHLETE PROGRAMME? The Everyday Athlete Programme is as a systematic, periodized program designed for small groups of 2-3 people covering all aspects of exercise designed to get results with the majority of clients the majority of the time, in spite of the presence of multiple skill sets and goals. Clients will go through various stages where the emphasis will be on aspects such as: Strength, stabilization, core work and conditioning (cardio). Again, this scheduling can be flexible depending the goal of your group. It certainly isn’t a huge issue changing every 3½ weeks or every 5 weeks instead of monthly. This is the benefit of having your own trainer as opposed to turning up to a class of 30. I set up the model to change every 4 to 8 weeks for two reasons: 1.This timescale seems to be when clients that train consistently hit a plateau, both mentally and physically. This observation, admittedly, is rather subjective, but does seem to be supported in our experience. 2.I have my clients on either a three-month program or a 12-month program where we set short term achievable

goals to reach. Additionally, i like to know in the event a client is only with me for three months, they will get more or less the same amount of focus and intensity. Your programme will be unique to you and allow for YOUR group’s progression towards a goal. These progressions will accommodate clients with varying levels of physical conditioning. But the end goal is simple: Get sustainable results and keep you fit and healthy. Your session structure will follow basic but proven principles. The structure below is how most programs are designed, with small variations depending on the particular goal of that group Warm-up / Mobility work Main lift Secondary Lifts Accessory exercises Finisher Good warmups and mobility are generally ignored in favor of a quick run or even worse cases removed completely and classes are sent straight into squats, lunges, runs, or walk outs. Mobility work will become a standard part of your an exercise routine, it not only makes you a less likely to injure yourself it improves recovery and helps to keep you from getting the dreaded “DOMs” HOW IS EACH SESSION DESIGNED?

WHAT SORT OF EXERCISES WILL I BE DOING? A more important question is: What will I learn? You will learn to: Squat, hinge, deadlift, pull up, push sleds, flip tyres and jump. The progression of almost all my clients is to get them barbell competent so they can walk into any gym without worrying if they have any machines. No resistance machines. No boring rep ranges whilst the instructor stands about on their phone You will learn to get comfortable being uncomfortable.

THE LEADERBOARD: MY MONTHLY CHALLENGE SYSTEM: An optional extra for those who like to push themselves that extra mile. Get to the top by attending your small grouped PT session, attending my classes and more importantly, being active outside of sessions. The way of making habitual changes that will last long after you leave the program. The goal is to make health a sustainable habit, so you’ll reap the benefits long after. Every month in our private Facebook group I will be posting a monthly challenge for ALL of my Everyday Athletes. This could be hitting 15k steps every day, running/cycling 26.4 miles over the course of a month, or even posting the best post-exercise selfie.

What will I be eating? A personal goal I have for each every one of my clients is to make them more resilient humans. And resilience is best served with good food. Becoming stronger and fitter requires good nutrition strategies to avoid lethargy and fatigue. Every client will receive a meal book containing a variety of recipes to pick from, a meal planner and shopping list. The programme requires you are prepared, but I always try and include easy to make alternatives for those days when things just aren’t going your way.

I’m not a believer in starving my clients for good Facebook and Instagram photos. The best diet I can give anyone is the one they are most likely to adhere too, and typical shredding diets are typically simplistic and repetitive and unsustainable. Additionally, i wish to educate all clients so that once you leave the programme, nutritional programming isn’t difficult for you. You should be able to identify which foods you should be including in your diet every day and how to prepare them so as they are enjoyable. Nutrition isn’t something you fix every few months, It should be consistent, enjoyable and sustainable to avoid the “yoyo” effect. The goal of this programme is simple: Get sustainable results.

The Everyday Athlete programme results driven and like any other exercise programme adherence is key. The only way to truly elicit change in yourself is to push yourself outside of your comfort zone and accept that at times it will be uncomfortable. This is not always easy, there may be times when you question going back to your previous routine, but below is some of the feedback from those who have been training with me in small groups from 6 months to almost 2 years: All recipes come with a full macro nutrient outline. These will be low cal, high protein meals and I can personally guarantee that they are packed full of flavour. Finally…

Ready to tackle those extra pounds? Start with a plan. The more you prepare for your weight loss journey, the more successful you’ll likely be. Follow these “dos” and “don’ts” to get started. DO’S KEEP A FOOD DIARY DRINK PLENTY OF WATER WATCH YOUR PORTION SIZE EAT SOME FAT People often underestimate how much they eat in a day. Write down what you eat and when you eat it to account for all meals, snacks, drinks, and desserts. Drink at least 6 glasses per day to stay hydrated, feel full, and increase the rate at which you burn calories. Eat less at mealtime or try eating smaller meals throughout the day. Fruits and vegetables should fill half your plate, with grains and protein on the other half. Healthy fats, like Omega3 and Omega-6, help you burn body fat while maintaining muscle. They’ll make you feel fuller and may reduce your absorption of carbohydrates.

EAT FIBRE MAKE A MEAL PLAN SCRAP JUNK FOOD FOR HEALTHY FOOD SLEEP BETTER Swap potato chips for popcorn and bacon burgers for grilled salmon. Fill your plate with veggies, whole grains, and lean meats to increase your metabolism and stabilise your blood pressure. Create a menu of healthy foods for the week. Take it with you when you shop, and only purchase items on the list so you stick to it. Keep your gut healthy and burn more belly fat with plenty of fibre. Find it in almonds, flaxseed, and veggies. A good 7 – 8 hours of sleep helps regulate your appetite hormones, so you recognize when you’re full. Lack of sleep can decrease your metabolism. EXERCISE Regular physical exercise is imperative for weight loss success. It burns calories and increases lean body mass to rev up your metabolism. ADD VARIETY Find a wide range of healthy recipes and foods to try. Sticking with the same few foods can get boring and may drive you to make unhealthy choices.

DON’T’S DEPRIVE YOURSELF EXPECT A QUICK FIX STARVE YOURSELF FOCUS ONLY ON CALORIES SKIP BREAKFAST EAT WHEN YOU’RE NOT HUNGRY Losing weight and keeping it off requires a lifestyle change. That takes time and Deprivation leads to craving-induced binge eating, which can damage your metabolism. Remember the rule of moderation. You need to eat to lose weight. When you don’t, your metabolism slows down and your body starts to preserve energy in the form of sugars, fats, and glucose—the very things you’re trying to burn. Check in with yourself before you reach for a snack. Are you really hungry, or are you just bored, tired, frustrated, or anxious? Start to understand emotional eating. Cutting calories is important to weight loss, but so is eating healthy. Make sure you eat Eating breakfast fills you up and gets your metabolism going, so you won’t be hungry later in the day. It is the most important meal of the day.

These calorie-dense foods have little nutritional value and may end up making you feel hungrier. Choose fruits, veggies, and whole grains instead. commitment. Ease into a plan and allow yourself some “free” meals or snacks of your choice to keep you motivated. Alcoholic drinks are high in calories, reduce nutrient absorption, and can slow down metabolism. Limit your daily and weekly intake. Get rid of sweets, chips, ice cream, and anything else in your fridge and cupboard so you don’t eat it just because it’s there. enough complex carbohydrates and protein to generate energy and build muscle. Losing weight with a friend or group can be hugely supportive, as long as you don’t make it a competition. Judge your progress over time, not compared to another. DRINK TOO MUCH ALCOHOL EAT SUGAR, REFINED CARBOHYDRATES, AND PROCESSED FOOD GIVE IN TO TEMPTATION COMPARE YOURSELF WITH OTHERS