Love it or not, there are some inescapable truths about trainng. 

Working out, in conjunction with healthy eating, will change your body shape, help you move better, strengthen your connective tissue, help you get that toned look and burn fat.

Trying to get in shape without training is like swimming with your boots on. You’ll struggle to move.

Even if you don’t enjoy it while you are doing it, working out will make you feel good afterwards. When you feel pleased with yourself, this tops up your willpower battery which means you’re more likely to make good food choices. I believe the key to getting in better shape and staying that way lies in learning to value your body for the amazing instrument that it is. When you start to see what you are capable of and get hungry for more fitness, more strength, better technique your shape will change as a result of that physical improvement. When you take pride in your body this way, you won’t want to treat it as a dustbin any more.

FEELGOOD FACTOR: No-one ever regrets a workout, least of all my client Pandy

Every time you train, you leave the gym stronger, fitter and potentially leaner than when you arrived. There’s something else too. Being stronger in the gym makes you more confident and capable in the outside world too.

Three times a week is the minimum amount you should be training. Schedule your sessions. Put them in your diary and stick to them. This is a very important part of your journey and you can’t really change your body without this.

TRAINING: Not always easy but always worth it!

When you show up to a workout, the minimum I expect is the maximum you can give me. The harder you work in those 45 minutes, the more calories you burn in recovery, provided everything else is right. This is called Excessive Post Oxygen Consumption or EPOC, to give it its proper title. Work your butt off in the gym, pick the heaviest weights you can lift, take the harder options where possible, and you’ll still be burning calories when you’re back home on the couch.

Be safe, be sensible, progress at your own pace but never, ever be in your comfort zone in your workouts.