Monthly Archives: February 2016

16 Week Personal Training Testimonial

This…

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is a 12 Kg bag of dog food and until 1st November 2015 I had been lugging it with me everywhere I went: on the train to London every day, across Waterloo Bridge twice a day every day, up to bed with me every night – even to the loo and back in the middle of the night!!

“Why would you do that?” I hear you ask – well any sensible person wouldn’t and despite what some may say I am quite sensible! But that is effectively what my body had been doing for the months (maybe years) until I started PT and eating ‘clean’ under the guidance of Ross Young.

I’ve done PT before, I’ve joined gyms, I’ve done spin classes before but this is the first time I have combined PT with nutritional guidance and the results are amazing! Less than 4 months later I’m no longer carting that wretched bag of dog food everywhere I go. No longer do I feel knackered climbing stairs, no longer is my medium frame skeleton groaning under that additional weight.

12 Kgs and 14 inches have been shed from my small build 5’8″ skeleton. Key to this has been combining the nutritional advice with the exercise under Ross’s guidance: the recipe book is simple even easy and it just needs a bit more planning on the shopping list. All of the meals we have had have been tasty and filling – give it the 20 mins or so after eating for the tummy to tell the brain and the craving for more soon dissipates and leaves you feeling you have had a proper “clean”meal.

For us, Ross has helped us make a lifestyle shift – not as radical as a change – but a significant shift towards a more thoughtful approach to eating better and cleaner foods – foods that are tasty, abundant in portion, filling but leave you wanting more and looking forward to the next meal with no need for snacks in between

Combine this with the ability to do PT sessions in the comfort of your own home with your partner (or maybe a friend) on cold winter nights using fairly rudimental gym equipment and the weight is coming off at an average of 1.5 lbs and 0.7″ per week – my partner is similar 1.25 lbs and 1″ per week lost over the last 16 weeks!

16 weeks!! That’s all it’s taken! And even that includes both our birthdays, Christmas and New Year!! Last weekend I threw out the 36″ trousers (I’m now 33″ and soon will fit into 32” – something not achieved for nearly 10 years!) and My girlfriend threw out the size 14s – now comfortably getting into size 10 clothes.

The next 16 weeks is likely to see the rate of weight loss slow slightly however we are confident the inches will come down as the remaining fat slowly becomes leaner and more muscular through the PT as our fitness improves.

We went with Ross because we wanted something different, something better – we wanted results and we have them in abundance. It’s taught me that if you want to see almost instant results you have to combine PT with nutritional advice – not just a faddy diet – proper nutritional advice; be strict, be determined and be positive and you will get the results you want.

Ross provides the advice, the tools, the enthusiasm, the guidance and support and without that I would still be lugging that bag of dog food everywhere I go and My girlfriend would have an 8 Kg kettle bell in her hand bag – go on ladies try it – why on earth would you want to carry that everywhere? Next stop is for My girlfriend to use the dog food bag analogy and me to consider what carrying two 8 kg kettle bells around with me was like! We’ll let you know how we get on – should be around end of April!

Until April….

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Alexandra’s 20 Week Testimonial

My Testimonial – From the Heart

After 23 years of struggling with my size and hating the way I look. Joining diet clubs, doing the 5:2 diet, the  Cambridge diet and Rosemary Connely. Attending Step, body pump, Legs Bums and tums classes and joining and leaving gyms continually. I found myself bigger than I’d ever been, more miserable with less energy and no motivation.

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It was at this time my life changed. After a routine operation I found myself struggling to survive Septercemia, having an emergency Colostomy bag fitted (which saved my life) and then being told I have Ovarian Cancer.

After the treatment and starting to feel better, I’d lost 3 stone meaning I was at my ideal weight…how ironic I thought. The doctors and specialist were saying, eat what you fancy, chemotherapy can make you feel quite sick so I thought, Ok that sounds good so for the next 18 months I did just that.

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Yes, you guessed it, I found myself well and bigger than before my illness. It was then that LYFN found me while i was looking at Facebook. A 28 day challenge? What’s it all about? How can this work? It all sounds so good so what’s the catch?

Eventually I spoke to Ross Young. He was really empathetic and totally listened to me making me believe I could really do this. One of the last things he said was ‘I promise you, by the end of the 28 days you will cancel your gym membership and never look back…what can I say, he was right!

This was the  beginning of my journey. I booked onto the Early Risers boot camp sessions 3 times a week and committed to changing my nutrition for the duration of the 28 days.

I won’t lie, I was very sceptical and anxious. The exercise sessions really pushed me hard but they left me feeling amazing. The food I was cooking all tasted lovely and I didn’t find myself craving sugar or eating  secretly. I was learning about my body, foods that actually feed it and how to enjoy clean eating. It was an education which I was beginning to love.

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Two weeks into the challenge I could feel my jeans becoming a little more comfy. My bras were cutting in less and I had loads of energy. People at work were paying me compliments and my family were seeing the difference.

Ross was always there to answer any concerns and questions. He was always positive and happy to give his time to support me every step of the way.

I’ve always snacked on chocolate, eaten a takeaway on the weekends and celebrated everything with food. Now, I make healthier choices, I still have treats but they are clean.I still meet for lunch with friends and family and had a lovely Christmas.

My self confidence is so much better and I no longer hate what I see in the mirror. I did cancel my gym membership after the 28 days and I’ve never looked back.

Its now five months later. I am 20.5 inches smaller than I was and I feel fantastic. My skin looks good, I have loads of energy and I feel very proud of how far I have come. I’ve gone down nearly 2 sizes and wear skirts and more fitted clothes again.

This is the best decision I have made for years and I can’t ever imagine not being part of the LYFN family.

I am 50 years old this year and I feel better than I did in my thirties!  I can’t say enough what an amazing difference Ross has made to my life and I do honestly believe I would be in a very dark place if hadn’t taken the risk and trusted in Ross and his promise.

I will always recommend LYFN to everyone who asks me what I’ve been doing to look so healthy and well. I’m on the road to success. My confidence is back and I look to the future in a positive way so… Thanks Ross and Live Young Fitness and Nutrition for all your hard work, effort and for believing in me…and to all the females out there…there is no catch 😀

(Below are my before photos on the left and my 20 week pic’s on the right)

 

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The Gym is cheaper!

I have had a busy week of consultations

With all of our services we have an application process which involves a person filling in an application form which asks some questions in regards to previous exercise experience, the goals they are looking to achieve and also how committed they are moving forward.

You see, everyone wants a Personal Trainer right?

Everyone wants results like our clients achieve, right?

Well, it all comes don to action and investment at the end of the day. Its as simple as that.

Now,  appreciate we all have budgets

However, the reason we have this application process is to sort the action takers from the time wasters.

You see, over the last week alone i have had 16 application forms for our group training and personal training.

Of the 16 i only managed to get hold of 5 to book free phone consultations in and of those 5 only 3 picked up the phone.

This is not unusual and once again comes back to taking action.

Now, its not uncommon for the first question on the consultation to be price, we all have a budget after all.

However, this week i was presented with a barrier that crops up every now and then once i run through the details and price of our package

THE GYM IS CHEAPER!

Yes it is and to be fair its not a very good comparison for price

After all, Ferrari make cars and so do Ford however there is a huge difference in price

What separates the price?

The functions you get on the cars and also the reliability and not forgetting the difference in service (and a whole lot of other things)

Now, gym memberships range from £16.99 at pure gym through to £74.99 at Virgin Active (prices may vary)

Our Memberships start from £59 a month for group training

So yes, we are dearer than the cheapest gym but cheaper than the most expensive gym memberships around

Now hear is where the problem is

No one asks what they are getting in the membership first, just the price

Here is the difference

The gym provides a facility for you to train and a class timetable that you probably get unlimited access too which sounds very appealing.
Well the average person is not using there gym membership because they feel intimidated by the environment (this has been fed back from our clients)

A gym will automatically lock you into a 12 month contract

You probably only go to 3-4 classes a week

You get no help at all with exercise or nutrition in your membership and will be charged extra for this if you need help (Personal Training / Meal Plans etc)

You are not guaranteed any results, just a facility to train at and need to provide your own motivation

Some gyms even have temptations at them to take you off track in the form of vending machines and coffee shops! Come on admit it, you have a work out followed by a cake and coffee and a natter.

Now, don’t get me wrong, if the gym works for you and you getting very good results for your investment that’s fine. You probably should not even be reading this blog post.

However, we look to work with people that have tried the gym and didn’t like it. People that are fed up with not seeing results and wasting there time. People that are genuinely lost and need some expert advice and guidance on how to achieve their goals.

Its a completely different mindset!

Our best value and most popular product is our Female Only Group Training

We provide upto 4 group workout sessions each week (10 on the timetable to choose from) across Broadstone and Wimborne.
We provide nutrition help to achieve the goal you are looking to achieve (if we cant help you achieve the goal we will not take you on as a client)
Nutrition guidelines are all tailored to you, they are not a blanket format that is strict, it can be tailored around food intolerances and allergies etc
We build a community amongst clients in our private client support group. This is an online area for clients to get to know each other, share recipes, pictures of their food and for everyone to get involved.
We have an online membership site which is a private client education area. It covers exercise, nutrition, recipes, videos, webinars and much much more. This is updated each month so is always providing more value.
Education is important so you can maintain results moving forward. We are not a quick fix, we are all about long lasting results.
We provide a hard copy 90 recipe eat clean cookbook to all clients, yep thats right, its your to keep and is FREE!
We keep you accountable by asking you to check in weekly with measurements, weight and feedback o whats working for you and what’s not, all of this is done online from the comfort of your own home.
If you miss 2 sessions in a row we text you to see whats up.

Most of all we provide a results based service. You are not paying for a facility to come and train and be ignored. You are investing in a program that will help you improve yourself moving forward and help you take the steps needed to achieving your results.

We provide coaching at every session and away from sessions so there is always someone to speak to for no extra cost, its all included!

We also have a 100% money back guarantee on losing at least 1 dress size in the first 28 days, that’s how confident we are in our systems!

I have never heard of a gym offering that?

Our Female only group training investment is less than a takeaway each week, and lets face it, we are coaching you to not have those!

Even better, we offer a free 7 day trial! (when did the gym ever do that!)

On top of that

We offer Personal Training – This is where clients can be trained in their own home or from a private non intimidating studio we have access to in Corfe Mullen. No one judging you or watching you work out and you are coached through a training session safely and to your ability with a reuslt in mind.

You are paying for the environment, you are paying for the expertise to show you how to work out effectively for your goals and you are paying for results!

Personal Training is a larger investment than our group training as we are spending personal time with you on a 1-2-1 basis however we do offer the chance to bring the price down by training with a partner or friend in the same hour.

Personal Training packages also include all of the nutrition, support and membership site access our female only group training offers and also the money back guarantee.

 

As i have said above, i fully appreciate that people have budgets but the mindset of price comparison needs to change.

Is price just an excuse for not committing to results?

Can you make an investment cheaper than a takeaway each week that will improve your energy, your confidence, help you lose weight, tone up and also make new friends in a very supportive environment?

Is it results you are after or just a facility to train in that you don’t enjoy and is very intimidating?

Are you just watching a gym direct debit go out of your bank account each month and are not using it yet are getting yourself down about your current weight and energy levels?

Its easy from the outside to believe we all offer the same thing. Health and Fitness is a huge area after all but please be open to asking the right questions from the outset

Remember, its not how much, its what am i getting from your membership compared to the results i want to see

 

If you would like a free 20 minute phone consultation to discuss your current situation, please feel free to email me at ross@liveyoungbootcamp.co.uk

Ross

 

Hannah’s 11 week testimonial

I started my transition with LYFN as a last ditch attempt to loose the extra weight I have carried for some years. I tried the different diet fads and quick fixes but the weight never stayed off!

Last year I was asked to be a bridesmaid at my brothers wedding this May, and realising that there will be a professional photographer and photos taken at all angles I decided that I did not want to look back and regret how I looked and felt on that day. I hate having my photo taken at the best of times but I knew that these photos will be shown to so many people and be around for years to come. With that thought in my head I decided to sign up to the 28 day challenge, with a push in the right direction from a friend who had already completed it.

Within 28 days I could already see big changes in the way I felt and looked so I signed up. I am now 12 weeks in, and have 12 weeks left until the wedding…so far I have lost 16 inches!

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won’t lie and say it’s been easy, changing habits of a lifetime and keeping motivated has been hard but with the support of Ross and the LYFN ladies I am well on my way to being where I want to be. If anyone had told me that I would be happy getting up at 5.45 three mornings a week I would have laughed, my friends and family still can’t believe I’m doing it, but I love boot camp! I love walking away feeling like I’ve pushed myself and I don’t even mind my muscles aching. For a year I had a gym membership and I can probably count on my hands the amount of times I used it. Ross puts a lot of thought into every session and makes it varied to keep us all motivated and coming back for more!

I also never thought I’d cope without my favourite unhealthy foods as I thought my diet would need to be restricted, but you know what I don’t miss anything because the food tastes so good and there’s so many recipes to choose from. I used to snack on unhealthy food a lot particularly in the evenings, but I can honestly say this is no longer an issue. It’s not to say I don’t have the occasional treat, but it’s all in moderation and there are ‘clean’ treats to enjoy. One of the things I love about clean eating is that it doesn’t stop you from having dinner with friends or going out in the evening but it teaches you to make healthier choices from the options you have. I feel so much better in myself from eating the way I have been, a massive change from before LYFN.

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There have been so many occasions that I have been proud of myself for making the right choices, it might sound silly but this is my hardest struggle. Popping into a coffee shop for lunch with friends I would always have a cake and drink, last week I went in and had a tap water and i didn’t feel I was missing out. Of course I could have chosen something else which was more exciting than a tap water but why?! These last few weeks have taught me that I can enjoy my food and fill myself up without needing to eat junk food….and it’s saved me money!

Whether it is for a short term goal or a longer transition I would absolutely recommend LYFN as the only option, it isn’t just diet and exercise, for me it has been a lifestyle change and one that I will never regret! I will never try the ‘quick fixes’ again, from now on I will loose the weight and then maintain it by eating clean.

Thank you Ross and Live Young Fitness and Nutrition!

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To book your free 7 day trial with us at our Female Only Group Training and Nutrition Program, click the link below

https://www.liveyoungbootcamp.co.uk/female-group-training/

Struggles

I just want to start by saying how hard it is to write this and how much i have gone forwards and backwards as to whether to send this out but hey, here goes!

I am in a weird place

A place where im questioning a lot of what im doing and dwelling on a few things

I think its a perfect time for me to talk about struggles

When you help others a lot its very rare that you put yourself first and ignore your own struggles.

I do this a lot!

Its something i promised myself in my New Years Resolutions that i wouldn’t do and surprise surprise i have already failed at it!

2 Years ago i suffered my first ever attack of Anxiety. I was into my second year of being self employed and the main bread winner in my family and had taken a lot on trying to learn a new trade and supporting my wife and 2 children and hit a point where i had a huge drop in business.

I became very scared and stressed and became one of these shouty dads.

I literally took it all out on my wife and Kids and it was unfair.

So, i took myself off to the doctors and explained to him how i was feeling, im not going to lie, this was a very hard thing to do.

He passed me on a phone number of a counsellor and off i went.

A whole week later i decided to ring this number and agreed in my head that i didn’t want to continue how i was. I had also considered quitting my self employed job which i was very good at but could not see an end to the stress.

It turned out after having a questionnaire over the phone that i was in fact suffering from anxiety.

The anxiety was being fuelled by the drop in business and the thought of not being able to provide for my family and also not having enough time away from work.

Fast forward to last August where i had been in business for 3 years and the Anxiety hit again and this time it was much worse.

The worse part this time was i had a very successful business and i started to freeze. I was waking up with work to do and couldn’t do it, i didnt want to and i started letting a lot of people down.

I started shouting a lot again and i was a nightmare to be around. I had a game face which i was putting on at sessions and deep down i was truly unhappy.
My relationship with my wife was effected in a big way  and my kids were unfairly shouted at a lot.

Why am i sharing this?

Well, we all have our struggles and sometimes it does us good to get them out in the open.

Over the past week i have also started feeling the anxiety creeping in and have once again made phone calls to speak to a counsellor.

Being self employed in a job where you deal with other people’s emotions and place a lot of pressure on yourself to deliver can be a lonely place.

When we keep these things inside they build up and keep building until we self destruct, usually through poor eating, get shouty or just start generally being an arsehole like me!

I had an email last week from someone who does not know me who is on my email list, the email was from a post i wrote trying to help people and it said

“It must be great being so perfect”

Now i know we shouldn’t always listen to other people’s views on us however its hard and im sure we would agree we all try to be accepted and like being accepted!

Well, im not perfect, i have my own demons like everyone else, in fact, i probably hide them more than everyone else because im always putting everyone else first.

I like to write blog posts like this that can maybe helps others see that i have been through things like this and can help by lending an ear.

Everything i have written to do with nutrition is a combined effort of courses i have been on, ongoing education and also from my own weight loss journey that i still battle with on a daily basis.

Experience is the best educator and sometimes we all need to admit that we are not perfect and that we all need help.

I provide expertise in exercise and nutrition coaching and provide a supportive environment for all clients to share their own experiences and we all learn from them.

We don’t judge, we accept that we are all human fighting our own battles and we accept that we all need some support every now and then.

The question is

Do you have struggles daily/weekly? Do you self sabotage and are you actually aware of it and have you sought help?

Investing some time into a councillor for my anxiety has been the best thing i have ever done because i can talk to someone who knows what im going through.

Investing in a PT for my own training has also been invaluable as i dont need to worry about writing my own training program, i simply book the session into my diary and turn up!

My struggles are not something i want to pressurise my wife/family with.

Take some time to sit down today and think of your struggles and write them down, it will help you get started on the path to facing them head on rather than putting up with them and making yourself feel worse.

If you don’t have any struggles, lets be honest you are either very lucky or you are lying to yourself

 

Ross