Hello from GMHQ (Gym Medic HQ)!
It’s been a while unfortunately due to the minor hurdle of nights…yeah okay…I moan about it a bit…a lot… so you’ve probably heard! It’s so strange getting back to the normal sleeping pattern, but this time actually it’s been really easy, so long may it last.
Today I joined a new gym and on my tour the guy said, ‘So where do you see yourself in 6 months at your current gym?’. My answer ‘If I stayed at my current gym I would be in the shame shape in 6 months and that’s not where I want to be. I want to make progress!’.
This was my main motivation for changing gyms. I wanted something bigger, better, and more inspiring, and that’s what I got with the David Lloyd I visited today!
Another pearl of wisdom he shared on my tour was ‘We all know abs are made in the kitchen‘. I find this the most difficult part of ‘making gains’, especially with long tricky shifts like nights, it’s hard to eat well. Statement like this and others such as 70% Diet, 30% Exercise, flood the internet. If you search there LOTS of links and photos with quotes like ‘You can spend your life in the gym, but if you don’t eat clean there’s no point’.
You give us the claims – But where is the research guys!?
Diet
The basic premise of weight loss is, if you are in a calorie deficit you lose weight and in calorie excess you will put on weight. Most diet’s key aim is for a calorie deficit, therefore weight loss can be achieved . Exercise certainly can help with burning off extra calories, but alone might not enable weight loss unless a deficit is achieved.
So here is a classic example of conundrum. Technically if you ate rubbish, but burnt it all off and more, you would lose weight…BUT… it’s not very healthy! From a health point of view, for the everyday person, it’s important to eat a balanced diet. You can find out more about this @ NHS choices online.
Exercise
The benefits of exercise are numerous and include: building muscle, increasing your aerobic capacity, mental fitness and increasing your bone density. But by building muscle you may actually PUT ON weight as ‘muscle weighs more than fat‘. Another conundrum. One might weigh more, but fit into a smaller clothes size?!
This all seems confusing right? Isn’t there a simple formula to make me look fabulous!?
NO. Unfortunately not! It all depends on you, your genetics, what body shape you are aiming for, and how able you are to exercise. It is however very important to be mindful of what you eat if you are trying to lose weight, as for many it’s the reason for their lack of weight loss. I know for myself I need to be more mindful and ensure that even when busy, I meal prep! So if for you having a 70/30 view of diet/exercise works, then go for it. Anything that can motivate and make a tough but rewarding journey easier is good by me.
If you are embarking on a weight loss, weight gain or muscle gaining journey, remember your kind friends in the gym. Lots of them are trained PTs, have sports science degrees and can really help you with any personal fitness/diet challenges you are facing!
Loosing weight may just be about being in a calorie deficit.
BUT REMEMBER: Looking and feeling good incorporates a tricky balance of diet, exercise, and mental wellness!
Over and Out
THE GYM MEDIC aka. Dr. Bailey.
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