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Matt

Too Busy for Exercise and Looking good Naked: Who is the Hench Nerd?

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We All Want to Be Looking Good Naked Let’s face it, whether we admit it or not, everyone wants to look good naked. You might be feeling too busy with work, family life, and everything in between to even think about fitting exercise into your day. But the truth is, looking good naked doesn’t require endless hours in the gym or living on nothing but salad. What This Blog Is About (And How It Will Help You Look Good Naked) This blog is all about simplifying fat loss, fitness, and muscle building so you can reach your goals without endless workouts or falling for the latest fitness fad. I’ve been through the same struggles, believing 12 hours a week in the gym would magically reveal a six-pack (spoiler alert: it didn’t). If you’re ready to cut through the nonsense, you’ll find practical advice here to help you get fit, strong, and, yes, look good naked – all without turning your life upside down. Your Health and Fitness Goals I’m Matt. I work in the corporate world and have spent over 20 years navigating the balancing act between career, family, and staying in shape. As a dad of three, I know that time for fitness is scarce. But here’s the thing: you can look good naked with minimal time investment. I’ve spent years fine-tuning my approach, and I want to show you how to get results without feeling like you need to live in the gym. And trust me, no one’s asking you to eat nothing but boiled chicken and broccoli either. Should You Subscribe to This Fitness Website? You’ve got thousands of fitness blogs out there, so why should you stick around? Because this content is built for busy people—men who have families, careers, and little patience for over-complicated workout routines. My approach is simple: focus on what works, cut the fluff, and get you looking good naked, no matter your starting point. If you’re a bloke over 40 looking for practical, no-nonsense advice, this is the place for you. I’m not here to sell you magic potions or the latest fitness craze. It’s about making fitness achievable—even if you’re starting from scratch. My Early Fitness Years: From Bullworker to Barbell I grew up playing football, boxing, and rugby, but by the time I hit 12, I realised I wasn’t about to be the next Ian Rush or Will Carling. My physique could best be described as “pudgy.” That’s when I found my first fitness gadget—the Bullworker. It was an ancient piece of kit I dug out of a cupboard, and I was determined to turn myself into the next action hero. Let’s just say the Bullworker didn’t quite do the trick, but it did spark a lifelong passion for fitness. Fast forward to 16, I’d swapped the Bullworker for dumbbells, and my garage became my own personal gym. I even had the Rocky soundtrack to accompany my workouts. My parents probably thought there was something dodgy going on in the garage with all the heavy breathing. My Fat Loss Failures By the time I hit 28, I was prepping for my first beach holiday with my (now wife) and wanted to get ripped. I put in six days a week at the gym, with cardio sessions that could rival a marathon runner. And guess what? I didn’t look any better for it. The truth is, I was overcomplicating fat loss. I thought I could out-train a bad diet, and I learned the hard way that this is the fast track to disappointment.  As you can see, I’m certainly no Jabba the Hutt, but do these results reflect the three months and twelve hours a week I dedicated to exercise? I assure you, I’m sucking in my gut and giving my bicep a subtle flex.  Upon receiving the holiday photos back from Boots (yes, still in the pre-digital era), I couldn’t help but feel a bit disheartened. Despite my knowledge of health and fitness, I couldn’t seem to get in shape for a simple holiday.  I subsequently embarked on a long journey of research, test and learn and attempted seemingly every diet on the planet. I became lost within a sea of ‘paralysis via analysis’  If I took action, it was only until I found the new and greatest solution. Sound familiar? Overcomplicating Fat Loss The fitness industry thrives on making everything seem more complicated than it is. Fancy terms, magic supplements, and overly restrictive diets only serve to confuse you. Here’s the reality: fat loss is simple, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. If you want to look good naked, the basics are clear. Exercise builds muscle, and your diet reveals it. You don’t need to live in the gym or starve yourself, but you do need a plan that works around your life—not the other way around. Fat Loss Success Fat Loss Success: Finally Cracking the Code In my early 30s, life got busier—career, kids, the whole lot. But I finally cracked the code for staying in shape without letting fitness dominate my life. Now, I train just three days a week, sometimes less, and have maintained a lean body without missing out on the foods I love. It’s about balance. You don’t need to be perfect to get results—you just need to be consistent with the right approach.  Maintaining a Lean Body Now, let’s fast forward to some recent pictures from the past year and a decade later.   Fast forward to now, and at 42, I’m still in decent shape. My routine isn’t extreme, but it’s enough to keep me lean and strong. I eat what I want (within reason), and I’m not married to the gym. For a busy dad, I’ve found the balance that works. The Fitness Industry Confusion The fitness industry thrives on confusion, and social media influencers are only adding fuel to the fire. One minute you’re told to eat six times a day, the next you’re doing intermittent fasting. The … Read more

What Is Fitness To You? Understanding The General Adaptation Response

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A strong middle-aged man in his 40s lifting weights in a gym, representing the concepts of what is fitness and the general adaptation response, showcasing determination and progression.”

This brief article aims to explore the true meaning of fitness and take you through what is fitness and what the heck an adaptation response is. You’ll learn what fitness really is, how to get fitter, and that you’re only a set number of adaptations away from your goals. Grasping the general adaptation response meaning and fully executing it will ensure you progress well on your fitness journey.  Fitness Confusion: Breaking Down Misconceptions Ah, exercise and fitness—it’s equally as confusing as diet and nutrition. Here’s an article to assist your diet and fat loss understanding/application:An Easy Diet That Works and 10 Guaranteed Fat Loss Tips. The internet is surrounded by a plethora of questions: The plethora of information you’ll find on the internet and social media platforms is vast, downright confusing, and inclines you to quit before you start. You’ll often watch uploads with young fitness influencers who assume you have all the time in the world. Or at the other end of the spectrum, the influencer who preys on your lack of time and assures you of a movie star body in 25 seconds a week if you’ll just part with 3 grand for a 2-page cookie-cutter programme. Can someone out there give you a simple guide to getting fit in line with your goals? Do you know what is fitness? To get fitter? What does that even mean? What is Fitness? Official Definition and Beyond You’ll find various interpretations of what is fitness online. Typically, it refers to a state of health, well-being, and the ability to perform aspects of sports, occupations, and daily activities. Physical fitness is generally achieved through proper nutrition, moderate-to-vigorous physical exercise, sufficient rest, and recovery. But let’s scrap the official definitions for a second… What is Fitness to You? The answer to what is fitness will vary between us, and so it should. Let me ask you some questions—think hard about your answers: The answers you give will be deeply personal to you. What Is Fitness To Me? For some of you, fitness will mean being more mobile and walking a little further without feeling breathless. For others, it will mean competing in an ultra-endurance event next year. We’re all unique, at different life junctions, and our definition of what is fitness and our goals aren’t always static—and that’s just fine. If you look online, you’ll find around 300 definitions for the word fitness. I prefer to define it as “being able to do more the next time you attempt it, in line with your goals.” How to Get Fitter: The Importance of the General Adaptation Response Whether your goal is to perform the splits, run a 5k, enter a physique show, walk around the block, or run an ultra-marathon, all these endeavours have one thing in common: How to get fitter is successfully achieving a general adaptation response within your chosen exercise. Your body is an amazing machine and loves comfort. To become upgraded, you must force a stress response and condition it to get stronger. Being interested in your survival (it generally doesn’t want to die or experience discomfort again), your body will adapt and ensure that it doesn’t register the same level of discomfort you’ve recently put it through. Therefore, to get fitter, you must up the stakes each time you workout and trigger an adaptation response.  Remember jean Luc Picard‘s old nemesis The Borg? Or Darwin from the 2011 Men first class movie (that character was butchered)? Your body isn’t too dissimilar. If you place enough stress upon it, it will adapt, thus getting you fitter.  Practical Examples of the General Adaptation Response The true meaning of fitness is simply an adaptation response to the demands you’ve placed on your body, in conjunction with what’s personal to you. The difference between where you are now and where you want to be is simply a number of general adaptation responses to get there. Whether you are about to lace up for your first-ever run or increase your distance from marathon to ultra-distance, you must adapt. Putting it simply, “getting fitter in your chosen endeavour is to put your body through what it hasn’t been through before.” Achieving Effective Adaptation Responses to Get Fitter You must stress and force your body to work harder than it did last time. Whether your goal is to walk a mile, run an ultra-marathon, or enter a bodybuilding competition, if you’re not demanding an adaptation response from your body, you’ll see very little reward for your efforts. How many times have you been to a gym and seen people working harder scrolling through social media than exercising? I constantly see people repeat the same workout/intensity over and over again.They may be in the gym for an hour, but actual exercise time is around 10 minutes. These same people question why they’re not achieving the expected results and quit. The truth is, they haven’t pushed their body to adapt to the new demand. A constant frustration of mine is asking how many sets are remaining after the user has spent 20 minutes on the leg press putting in minimal effort, and a 5-minute social media rest between sets… they should ban mobiles in gyms. Depending on what part of your fitness journey you’re at, your intensity limit may be slight discomfort or all-out level 10. What matters (to quote one of the better influencers, Gregg Doucette – more on him below) is “training harder than you did last time.” Or to coin my own phrase, “be better than yesterday.” You must train hard and with purpose, in line with your current fitness levels and capacity. Before venturing deeper into this blogging journey, I can’t over emphasise this point. Truly digesting this prior to getting into the meaty stuff is imperative. Expert Tips to Drive Your Fitness Progress Renowned fitness expert Gregg Doucette (mentioned above) emphasises progressive overload, noting that “If you’re not making the effort to train harder each time, you’re stalling your progress.” Likewise, … Read more

10 Fat Loss Tips: the best Way To Lose body Fat

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A fit and determined man in his 40s stands confidently in a gym environment, symbolising strength, focus, and motivation. The setting is visually appealing, reflecting a man over 40 working towards his fat loss goals.

You’ll get exactly what’s promised in the title: 10 fat loss tips, each contributing to the best way to lose body fat. The best part? No snake oil rubbish—just simple, proven strategies backed by science. Why Are We Still Asking for the Best Way to Lose Body Fat? You’d think that eating less to reduce body fat would be easy to understand, right? Well, it’s not. So, why is dieting confusing, and why are people still searching for the best way to lose body fat? Achieving an optimal body fat level is crucial for overall health. I’m not talking about the modern-day Instagram definition of unsustainably ripped, where someone is a protein shake away from collapsing. Instead, we’re aiming for healthy levels of body fat (10-18% for men and 20-30% for women). Many fitness influencers are within the top 5% of the gene pool (though not always). Standard fat loss tips apply to them—they often look impressive regardless of diet. Stop comparing yourself to them. Can you achieve the body of your favourite Instagram influencer? Short of becoming them, no. Navigating Today’s Snake Oil World The overwhelming amount of contradictory information on fat loss can be dizzying. This morning, I glanced at social media and encountered a flood of messages, each offering a different approach to fat loss. Some dismiss the importance of calories, while others advocate extreme diets. Amidst this noise, it’s vital to establish sustainable strategies, emphasising the importance of consistency for long-term progress. There are some great fitness influencers out there (perhaps a topic for another day), but for every decent one, there are ten others hiding their steroid/fat loss pill addictions, bulimia, or health issues. The problem is, you only see the highlight reel—much like reading about Superman’s adventures while missing his mundane life as Clark Kent. Today’s Society and Fat Loss Tips Confusion The abundance of information and easy access to calorie-dense foods have contributed to a widespread health crisis, benefiting businesses along the way. Believe it or not, humans weren’t designed to have such convenient access to chocolate bars! Imagine this: if everyone were handed easy fat loss tips, how many companies would lose business? Would a shady mechanic rip off someone who’s savvy in auto repair? The same applies here. While certain approaches may be superior for health and fat loss (a topic for another day), overthinking can become your worst enemy. Be honest—how many diets have you tried in recent years? Do you have any long-term success to show for your efforts? Why is this? The Best Way to Lose Body Fat Has Never Changed Fat accumulation is the body’s way of storing energy for lean times. However, we were never meant to carry excess body fat long-term. Losing fat occurred naturally in the past. According to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, “fat storage is a survival mechanism that has evolved over millennia, allowing humans to survive periods of food scarcity” (Dr. Sarah Hall). Losing body fat is about giving your body the opportunity to use those stored energy reserves. To achieve this, you must monitor your calorie deficit to ensure it aligns with your fat loss goals. This remains the only guaranteed way to lose body fat. A meta-analysis of weight loss interventions confirms that “a sustained calorie deficit is essential for fat loss, irrespective of the dietary approach taken” (Smith et al., 2021). Every diet plan out there, whether it masks the truth or not, is simply a method of ensuring you eat less. It’s often repackaged and sold in various forms, but the principle remains the same. 10 Guaranteed Fat Loss Tips 1. Track Your Calories What gets measured gets done! You need to be aware of what you’re consuming. Use tools like MyFitnessPal to track calories (no need for the premium version). Prioritise tracking your calories because it’s key to success. According to research published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, “self-monitoring calorie intake significantly increases awareness of eating habits and supports fat loss by helping individuals make better food choices” (Burke et al., 2011). It’s also been shown to reduce the common tendency to underestimate portion sizes. 2. Easy Calorie Calculation To calculate your maintenance calories, multiply your current bodyweight in pounds by 15. For instance, if you weigh 180 lbs, that’s 180 x 15 = 2,700 calories per day. This assumes you’re relatively active (walking 5,000+ steps daily or doing regular workouts). If in doubt, multiply by 14 instead. 3. Fat Loss Calorie Calculation To lose fat, multiply your goal bodyweight in pounds by 13 (if you’re active) or 11 (if you’re sedentary). For example, if your goal is 170 lbs, multiply that by 13 = 2,210 calories. This ensures you eat fewer calories than your body needs, forcing it to burn stored body fat. 4. Prioritise Protein Eat 1 gram of protein per pound of your goal bodyweight per day. This preserves muscle and ensures most of the weight you lose is fat, not muscle. Studies from the International Journal of Obesity have shown that “higher protein intake not only supports muscle retention during calorie restriction but also increases fat loss” (Pasiakos et al., 2015). Protein has a higher thermic effect than fats and carbohydrates, meaning your body uses more energy to digest and metabolise it. As we age, protein becomes even more crucial for preserving lean muscle mass. 5. Split Fat and Carbs Equally How you split carbs and fats is entirely up to you. Don’t get caught up in demonising either macronutrient. Focusing on tracking calories and protein will get you 90% of the way to your fat loss goals. 6. Don’t Use a Fitness Tracker for Calorie Burn While fitness trackers can be useful, don’t rely on them for calorie burn estimates. Also, don’t eat back the calories they claim you’ve burned. Aim for 5,000-10,000 steps a day to improve general fitness. Beyond structured workouts, it’s important to increase Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT). “NEAT … Read more

Hitting Protein Goals: the Best Protein Hack

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A fit man in his 40s preparing a high-protein meal in a modern kitchen, featuring grilled chicken, eggs, and protein powder. This image highlights the importance of hitting protein goals, showcasing the best protein hack for maintaining muscle mass and overall health in men over 40.”

You’ll find it easier than ever hitting your protein goals with the best protein hack I’ve picked up over the years.  Learn how to calculate your protein intake. You’ll also acquire a greater knowledge of protein’s critical importance to overall health in addition to knowledge on foods high in protein. You’ll never fail to hit your protein intake again. Struggling Hitting Protein Goals? If you’re struggling to hit your protein intake, you’re not alone. My Hitting Protein Goals Struggles I’d previously struggle to hit my daily protein target on countless occasions, until I found the ultimate protein hack and weaponised it when required. More on this below. I’d generally be consistent when I planned my meals and used my fitness pal religiously. Hitting my calorie goal was never an issue, falling short of easily hitting protein goals was the major crux. The following scenarios threw me: I needed to find a solution for days and evenings of this nature and would struggle to hit my protein intake. Protein Burns More Fat By ensuring you prioritise protein, you will literally burn more fat. What on earth do I mean? Your body uses calories to digest food. This is known as the thermic effect of food (TEF). To remind you (check out my other articles), carbohydrate contains 4 calories per gram, fat 9 calories per gram and protein 4 calories per gram.  Protein is metabolically expensive and has a high thermic effect. Factoring in a higher TEF, research seems to indicate that proteins real calorie per gram number is more like 3. This could mean that you’re not only staying fuller for longer, but literally burning slightly more calories by hitting your daily protein goal. Protein burns more fat and going higher in protein when in a deficit will likely result in more fat loss.  The importance of Hitting Protein Goals Before I reveal the best protein hack, we need to understand the importance of protein. Regardless of age or gender, more protein should be on everyone’s to do list. The importance of protein cannot be understated. In addition to the increased TEF benefits above, other reasons to ensure adequate protein benefits (I bet you didn’t know some of these): 1. Protein is the most satiating macronutrient Not only does protein burn more fat, it keeps you fuller for longer and will be a major contributor mitigating any excess calorie intake. 2. Protein is required for muscle mass, strength and preserving muscle during a fat loss phase. 3. Protein is good for your bones, particularly as you age. People who eat more protein tend to maintain better bone mass and have a much lower risk of developing osteoporosis and fractures. Mature ladies, this is of particular importance to you, as following the menopause, protein can mitigate your raised osteoporosis risk.  4. Protein lowers your blood pressure 5. Protein helps to keep weight off. Studies have proven this. One study found that overweight women who ate 30% of their calories from protein lost 11lbs (5kg) in 12 weeks, without intentionally restricting their calories.  Another study put 120 people on a calorie restricted diet for 12 months at different macronutrient ratios. The higher protein group lost 53% more fat than the normal protein group, eating the same number of calories. how cool is that? 6. A higher protein diet can speed up injury repair. this makes perfect sense as it forms the main building blocks of your tissues and organs.  There is clearly every reason in desiring to easily hit your protein intake. A higher protein intake is paramount for us. Calculating Daily Protein Need Calculating your daily protein need is simple and based upon your current goals. If you’re maintaining your weight or looking to gain muscle, you need a minimum of 0.8 grams per lb (if you measure in kilos like me, a lb is a kilo x 2.2) of bodyweight. As a working example, at 75kg I’d be looking to maintain, so 165lbs x 0.8 is 132 grams per day of protein.  If you’re looking to lose fat, you’ll want to keep your protein slightly higher. This is to ensure you’ve the best fighting chance of losing fat vs muscle (protein is muscle sparing).  The recommendation is to eat a gram of protein per goal bodyweight in lbs. Unless you’ve got more than 20lbs to lose, I’d err on the side of caution and eat 1 gram per lb of current bodyweight. That additional thermic effect can’t hurt eh? No need to go overkill with protein and by following the above advice, you’ll get all that’s required. This will assist with diet adherence, as you can split fat and carbs as you see fit. Again, check out my other articles for more in depth explanations (I will paste links here when published).  Foods High In Protein Regardless of being a meat eater, vegetarian of vegan, there’s plenty of foods out there to assist you in ensuring you hit your daily protein goal. I will reiterate my previous article comments, use my fitness pal – what gets measured gets done. The below list isn’t exhaustive, but has most good sources of protein covered off and will ensure you prioritise protein. Complete protein Foods High in Protein Incomplete Protein Foods to Combine Stick with the above foods and you’ll find it fairly easy to hit your protein goals. Daily Protein Intake Example As I’ve explained on numerous occasions, meal frequency is irrelevant when it comes to fat loss. The same is true for protein intake. Years ago there was a myth in existence that the body could only absorb 30 grams of protein at one sitting. This is totally false and providing your following a higher protein diet throughout the day regardless of frequency, it’s enough.  Ensuring you’re hitting your protein goal requires some planning. Putting things into context 130 grams of protein per day is the equivalent of the two daily protein examples below. Or  The above examples aren’t your total  food for the day, but … Read more

10 Weeks To Weight Loss Mastery And Losing Body Fat

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A fit man in his early 40s standing confidently at a mountain peak during sunrise, symbolising achievement and progress in a 10-week weight loss mastery journey. The image captures determination and success in losing body fat, appealing to men over 40

Follow this guide, and I promise you’ll gain weight loss mastery and the success of losing body fat with a focus on sustainable fat loss, regardless of your age, experience, or gender. You’ll still get to eat the foods you love? Sound too good to be true? Do read on. Is this 10 Week Guide to Weight Loss Mastery and Losing Body Fat for You? No matter what your age, whether you’re a busy professional, a run-off-your-feet parent, or just plain busy, it’s not easy to commit to a program for losing body fat without the misconception of it being an arduous and challenging journey. This article will be applicable to you if: Why a 10-Week Guide to Weight Loss Mastery and Losing Body Fat? Why 10 weeks? Get to this duration, and congratulations—you’ve formed a habit! Any weight loss mastery endeavour isn’t going to be 100% a walk in the park. You must find the most enjoyable way of eating for the duration, or you’ll quit. Building habits over 10 weeks promotes sustainable fat loss, making it easier to keep the weight off long after the plan ends My losing body fat struggle I’ve frequently pulled over at a motorway service station with the intention of buying a black coffee and sparkling water. Mysteriously, I find myself leaving the premises armed with two Krispy Kreme doughnuts, a Caramel Macchiato, and a packet of jelly babies. Instead of cutting my losses, this one visit often exacerbated into a full weekend blowout. Over time, I’ve developed mechanisms to mitigate my Krispy Kreme gluttony. Let me state for the record, I’d be in a huge glass house with a breeze block if I claimed diet perfection. I’ve certainly taken the “eat what I want” mentality to the extreme, and my own fat loss struggle is very real. Weight loss Mastery It’s incredibly easy to overcomplicate a plan of action and ensure it’s impossible to achieve. Most people possess an all-or-nothing mentality when it comes to diet and exercise, constantly searching for easy fat loss. I suffer from the same condition—it’s called being human. Don’t give yourself a hard time. Your body is hardwired to store fat to utilise for a rainy day (think of it as a savings account). It’s convinced you still reside in a mud hut and are about to enter a period of famine. Stored body fat during a famine has saved our species countless times. Our ancestors never had to pose the question, “Can I eat what I want?” Thoroughly digest and absorb this 10-week guide to weight loss mastery and losing body fat. I’ve deliberately kept it short and not overly technical, in order for you to grasp how simple easy fat loss really is. You’ll never have to search for another diet miracle. Application of this guide is what stands between you, success, and forming a lifelong habit. Mastering fat loss requires process simplification. You must empty your cup, understand that the body is designed to store fat, and it’s oblivious to that KFC around the corner. Your body is convinced it’s protecting you in the event of a short-term famine. Restrictive Fat Loss Diets A quick word on restrictive fat loss diets and why they stand between you and weight loss mastery. If I ask you not to think of pink elephants, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Losing fat requires some form of restriction. That restriction is there to balance out your overindulgence of calories, which have spilled over into stored body fat. However, overly restrictive fat loss diets, which require you to never cheat, eat minimal amounts, and eliminate full food groups, will only lead to one destination—failure. Willpower and motivation are finite. When the tank is full, it’s doable. The moment this tank starts to empty (and it always does), you’re left with an unsustainable and miserable plan for losing body fat. Good, Not Perfect Fat Loss How often have you found yourself launching into the latest weight loss mastery and exercise fad, only to find the only thing you’ve lost is the money spent on it? How frequently have you googled infinite fat loss questions? The fact that you’re still searching should tell you that your approach hasn’t been working. There are two applicable statements that resonate: When I started my career, I was lucky to be surrounded by incredibly intelligent people compared to me (it doesn’t take much—my 11-year-old son is nearly beating me at chess, and I’ve given up helping him with maths a long time ago). Perfection is The Enemy Of Good One of the most important pieces of advice I’ve received was from my previous CEO: You can strive for perfection, and anything short of it will feel like failure in your eyes. But the issue with perfection is that it’s rarely achieved and can stagnate progress. Whether it’s launching a perfectly prepared business plan or following this 10-week guide for weight loss mastery, chasing perfection will bring you less success than if you’d aimed for “good” and embraced the inevitable mistakes along the way. Good allows for mistakes to be made while progress is achieved (whether the goal is more profit, less body fat, or increased fitness). I promise you this: commit to some “good” goals that don’t require perfection. Welcome mistakes as a necessary part of the process, and you’ll notice your results accelerate. Fat Loss Motivation It’s well researched that habit formation takes time—typically between 66 and 90 days to become ingrained, according to a study published in The European Journal of Social Psychology. This means the 10-week duration of this fat loss guide is particularly effective for ensuring your new habits become second nature. This is precisely why I named this the 10-week guide to weight loss mastery and not 9 or 11 weeks. Habit-building generally becomes easier as time goes by, with the occasional hurdle, and the new habit eventually becomes second nature. One of the most misunderstood words … Read more

How to Perform HIIT No equipment home cardio Workouts

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A fit, muscular man in his 40s performing a HIIT no-equipment workout, showcasing home cardio workouts with intense focus and determination.

It’s entirely possible to get ripped at home. You’ll need nothing more than your body and a little space. HIIT no-equipment home cardio workouts can be as gentle or as intense as you’d like them to be. I manage to maintain excellent fitness with no equipment needed for an effective home workout. This article is for you if: I hope it brings a little nostalgia in addition to adding value to you. COVID-19 changed Everything There are a few pivotal moments in life when we clearly remember where we were. If I asked where you were during the 9/11 terror attacks, you’d probably recall it vividly. I was stacking bananas for a major retailer at the time! Here’s a version with even shorter sentences: Another key moment many will remember: “Where were you during the lockdown announcement?” I was at the gym on 23.03.2020. Boris Johnson’s televised conference had just started. I asked the instructor if I could finish my last set of dips. Then I left, dazed and confused. My plans no longer included the gym. This moment forced many, myself included, to reconsider how we could stay fit at home. HIIT no-equipment home cardio workouts became an essential part of my routine, proving that getting ripped at home is not only possible but highly effective. Lost Without A Gym There I was, aged 38, and I’d never taken more than a two-week all-inclusive holiday away from the gym. The meme above perfectly summarises my face as I drove past, gazing longingly. It was a toss-up between using that, or a photo of 1970s Bruce Banner (or David, in the TV series) walking to the lonely man theme. Stallone’s pain felt closer to my own. The national applause for health and key workers was very moving. But the other side of humanity appeared: the opportunity to make a quick buck during a shortage. I could live with the price hikes on hand sanitiser and toilet roll. But dumbbells? Usually around £20 and now worth more than an Apple product. How on earth was I going to stay fit at home? My COVID weight gain The simple answer to the question of staying fit during lockdown was a resounding, “I wasn’t.” Well, not for around six weeks. My gym habit had been swiftly replaced by a newfound love of beer, junk food, and, more worryingly, I was a proud participant in ‘Neck and Nominate.’ Remember that? If you don’t, you’d be forgiven for eliminating this short-lived fad from your memory. I’ve always maintained (for 10 years at least) around half a stone (3-4 kg) and a few percent body fat fluctuations throughout the year. I weighed myself around once a month pre-COVID, as I was fairly consistent in my habits. After stepping on the scales at the end of April 2020, I’d put on a good stone and a half, and let’s just note that my body fat percentage started with a 2. Far Beyond My Fighting Weight A good fighting weight for me at 5 foot 10 (177.8 cm) is around 80 kilos (176 lbs) at around 13% body fat. Sometimes a little lower during the summer or higher in the winter, but that’s my yearly average. I’d never become so out of shape so quickly before. Then again, I hadn’t really been in the habit of ‘necking’ pints of lager for social media entertainment… It was a funny old time. I could tidy up my diet (which is the main component of fat loss). Exercise has always been a huge motivator for me, driving great body composition changes. It would be many months before I could get back to a gym, and gym workouts were all I’d known for a very long time up until that point. My journey into HIIT no-equipment home cardio workouts Home cardio workouts without equipment were never part of my life (I’m a product of the pants and vest primary school P.E. era, so perhaps some emotional scarring deterred me from anything home cardio related). The last time I’d really worked out at home was when I was 14, armed with barbells and dumbbells in my garage. Now, I was a 38-year-old man with a fully occupied three-bedroom house and no space to work out. The conservatory was now my home office and was the perfect venue to host my home HIIT workouts. HIIT (high-intensity interval training) was usually my time-efficient go-to in the gym following a strength workout. I knew this to be an efficient method of rapidly increasing fitness in minimal time (the trade-off being increased intensity). The heart rate shoots up, gets to a semi-recovered state, and off you go again. There was no reason why this HIIT no-equipment home workout wouldn’t work with the two necessities I could bring to the table—my body and a little space to use it. I’d already taken action to reduce my calories and increase steps in line with my 10-week fat loss plan. I was now adding in three official home HIIT workouts per week and severely limiting my Neck and Nominate participation. Research shows that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) can improve aerobic capacity by 10% to 15% after just a few weeks of training. A study published in the Journal of Physiology found that people doing HIIT burned 25-30% more calories compared to other forms of exercise, despite shorter workout times My get ripped at home workout I’ve viewed some random home workout articles online, and after sampling multiple weird exercises, I thought I’d stick with the basics. I started with the following workout, resting 30 seconds between exercises (you’ll find exercise demo uploads later on): I’d neglected my fitness for six weeks or so. Luckily I still had a strong base to work upon and started the workout with all the vigorous enthusiasm my false sense of confidence could muster. I intended to repeat the above workout three times. I barely lasted one rotation and was a pool of sweat … Read more

Female weight loss and why you can’t get rid of cellulite

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In covering female weight loss and why you can’t get rid of cellulite, I’d like to explore real fat loss truths and why you are constantly comparing yourself to a lie and what to do about it. In this blog post I’d like to cater for my female audience via a combination of common questions, myth busting and facts.  I’d like to plea to every female out there – stop this madness! Smoke, mirrors and why you can’t get rid of cellulite In today’s modern world of instant gratification and smoke and mirrors, it’s easier than ever to be drawn into a climate that profits on keeping you confused, disillusioned and inclined to prematurely give up your diet and exercise journey. Only once you’ve parted with some cash, of course. The system then relies on you rinsing and repeating.  The female form is an incredible work of art. This is true whether you’re at your goal body weight or have many lbs/kilos to lose. You can’t get rid of cellulite nor should you want to! Speaking as a man, if I had to go through the monthly hormonal disruptions, child birth process and general challenges women of all ages encounter, I’d not last very long.  The first revelation you need to take to understand is that life isn’t too dissimilar to what Morpheus once told Neo, “You’re were born a slave, Neo. Like everyone else you were born into bondage. Into a prison that you cannot taste, see or touch. A prison for your mind”.  Today’s world leaves a bad taste in my mouth The above photo and statement all seems a tad dramatic doesn’t it? Well, hear me out a little. I believe the 90’s was our pinnacle as a species. Just enough technology for comfort and to keep in touch with loved ones via a landline, but our lives were still dominated by in-person social interaction and a grounded sense of knowing someone, warts and all.  Here’s a sneak reveal regarding why you can’t get rid of cellulite. It’s a made up problematic condition. It’s the equivalent of me making up a fabricated problem of men having arm pit hair. Does the above still seem too far fetched? Are you jealous of a lie? Today’s technology has created a false and virtual world. You’re now comparing yourself and your aspirations to the unobtainable. How many times have you looked at someone else’s life on social media and wondered how they got the funds to afford that? How is your friend from school 20 years ago always blissfully happy? Why can’t your house look that tidy? Why does she have it all together? Why don’t I have that car? She’s thinner than me, My holiday was worse than hers. The list is endless.  You’re viewing a world with extreme limits. Those limits are placed upon you by the poster. You’re not going to see the eye watering credit card debt, their children’s tantrums, the husband engaging in the affair, the tears and the general life difficulties experienced by all of us. You’re watching fabricated highlights of someone else’s life. I will ask again, does The Matrix Movie now seem a million miles away? Why should there be much variance when it comes to diet and exercise? ● How many times have you googled how do I get a celebrity body? ● How often are you looking on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Youtube etc for weight loss, diet and exercise tips? ● How often do you watch famous influencers and follow them for weight loss  tips, because you want to look exactly like them and follow their incorrect advice to a tee? ● How many different radical diet and exercise programs have you followed over the years? ● How to get rid of cellulite? ● The best female weight loss course? You may be in luck, here’s a link to my fat loss course. A 10 week fat loss course, can I eat what I want? ● How many various weird and wonderful exercise contraptions/supplements have you purchased over the years? Do you still use them? Little do you know you can get in exceptional shape with nothing but you’re body and space- best home cardio workouts for all levels and ages ● Perhaps the most important consideration of them all…. If you’ve had access to many social media influencers for years, why are you still interested in female weight loss? The answer is over complication of a simple subject. Be wary of female weight loss smoke and mirrors The above photo is well worthy of a click into link and read. The lies, deception and lengths people will go to fool you is astounding. Why are they participating in this behaviour? Many fortunes have been spent on reaching for the impossible. Before I continue, I’m not tarring all celebrities and influencers with the same brush. There are some great people out there who can also advise on female weight loss. It’s becoming increasingly hard to differentiate between the good, bad and downright morally ugly. You must learn discernment. If something appears too good to be true, it usually is. It’s as relevant of a saying today as it was in years gone by, perhaps even more so. ● Most famous influencers develop a following because people aspire to look like them. You can’t, this person has different genetics to you. Remember those people you went to school/previously worked with? The type of people who were drop dead gorgeous with little effort and could eat anything and get away with it? They seemed to be genetically gifted with very little weight gain and would achieve weight loss by cutting out a meal just the once. The chances are you’re following an extreme example, a person who’s already climbed to the top of the tree against other genetically gifted people and won out. ● Too much weight loss will often result in a woman’s period ceasing. Why? Your body doesn’t want to reproduce when … Read more

Muscle and Strength Building Mistakes That Delayed me Getting Ripped

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A commercial Gym showing a variety of weight training equipment. It's to show within an article the many muscle and strength building mistakes made that delay people getting ripped

If I had a pound for the volume of muscle and strength-building mistakes I’ve made over the years that delayed me getting ripped, I’d have been retired at 22. You’re going to learn from a 42-year-old who’s wasted years in the gym. My muscle-building mistakes that delayed me getting lean and ripped are considerable. If you fully digest and apply these learnings, you’ll get the body you want considerably quicker than I did. Countless Hours of Muscle and Strength Mistakes That Delayed Getting Ripped Hindsight is a wonderful thing. How many times have you wished you could go back and make a different decision? Entire books and films have been created dreaming of this very notion. In fact, if this genre is up your street, read Replay by Ken Grimwood. You can thank me later. Like many people across the world, I wasted hours spinning my wheels at this fitness game, making many muscle and strength mistakes. I was constantly Googling how to look like my favourite celebrity (mostly Stallone), get chiselled, and get ripped to the bone. On multiple occasions, I was convinced I had found the perfect programme to get me the lean and ripped body I wanted. I wish I could say this phase lasted briefly. It lasted many years, and I made numerous muscle and strength mistakes that delayed me getting ripped and strong. Avoiding Strength Building Mistakes: A Chat with My 17-Year-Old Self Indulge my fantasy: 42-year-old me has managed to get my hands on the DeLorean from Back to the Future, travelled back to 1999, and met my 17-year-old counterpart. I’ve managed to intercept him walking to the local gym, ready for a 3-hour chest-only workout. My gym of ‘99 was conveniently equipped with a run-down cafeteria, and I’ve managed to convince my young self I’m his long-lost cousin, Dwayne Johnson. I mention that I’ve nothing but his best gym gains interests at heart and want to see him getting lean, strong, and ripped. So there I am, sitting opposite my younger self, him with a rip-off state-of-the-art ‘Cell Tech’ express delivery creatine shake (one of many supplements he swears by), and me with a triple vodka. How best to open dialogue with the cocky-looking, wrinkle-free youth in front of me? How Muscle and Strength is Built, Not Through Stupid Programmes Stop following stupid muscle-building programmes and pick one or two good, reputable sources for hardgainers like you. In this iron game, if muscle and strength were rewarded with marathon training sessions, intensity, and a do-or-die attitude, there’d be no need for Marvel’s Hulk CGI. I’d have fit the bill nicely. Muscle and strength building is simple (but hard work). Unfortunately, for those of us with a large work ethic and the enthusiasm of a teenage boy in a Hooters restaurant, this comes as bad news. Those constant hours working out in excess of what’s required quite literally waste hours in the gym, and a large chunk of my muscle-building mistakes came from this act alone. What Is Muscle and Strength Building? Muscle building, or hypertrophy, occurs when you stress your muscles through resistance training, causing microscopic damage to muscle fibres. During the repair process, the body increases the size and strength of these fibres to adapt to the stress. This adaptation is facilitated by adequate protein/calorie intake, sufficient rest, and progressive overload – gradually increasing the intensity of your workouts over time. So, consistently challenging your muscles, providing them with proper nutrition and rest, is key to building muscle and strength. Progressive Overload for Muscle and Strength Gains Research supports the idea that progressive overload is crucial for sustained muscle growth. Studies like those by Brad Schoenfeld, one of the leading experts in hypertrophy, show that gradually increasing weights or resistance over time is one of the most effective ways to elicit muscle growth. Without this, muscles adapt to the current stress and fail to grow further. After digesting the above, we can simplify: Muscle Growth Mistakes and Recovery Limits Some additional muscle-building nuances to take note of are as follows: If your intensity is lower, you need to put in more volume. You can’t have your cake and eat it. That said, there’s no need for a 3-hour chest session… ever. Muscle Recovery Techniques for Building Muscle and Strength Recovery is just as important as the workout itself. Neglecting recovery can lead to muscle-building mistakes, overtraining, and a stall in strength gains. Here are some recovery techniques you can implement: Following the Routines of the Genetically Elite: A Strength Building Error I’d ask 1999 Matt, now he knows the above facts, why he’s following Mr Olympia bodybuilding workouts or the latest celebrity 3-hour-a-day workout. These workouts are for genetically elite individuals or actors with all the time in the world. 95% of this demographic is also drug-assisted. This changes the game and dramatically speeds up muscle growth and recovery. For the average person, these workouts do nothing more than drive you to the ground, wreck your immune system, and deplete your body of its primary muscle-building hormone – testosterone. I would have laboured my point by giving young Matt a copy of one of the best drug-free hard-gaining bodybuilding books out there: Beyond Brawn by Stuart McRobert. It’s a fantastic book and was purchasable in 1999. There wouldn’t be a Grey’s Sports Almanac (those of you familiar with Back to the Future Part 2) paradox in sight! Tracking Progress in Muscle and Strength Building:A Critical Mistake For the last 10 years, I’ve used Apple Notes to track my gym progress. I generally weight train 3 days a week and rarely change my programme. Too busy to work out? I’m working on a great article that covers my life and fitting in workouts. I will attach the link here once completed. I rest the same amount of time between sets and exercises (thanks to my fitness watch), and record my weight lifted, sets, and reps. It’s nothing sophisticated (some apps are advanced … Read more

How to get the Swimmers Body Male: 8 Uncomfortable Fitness Myths

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A high-quality image of a fit man with a well-defined, athletic build, dressed in swimwear and standing by the edge of the sea with the sunset behind him.. The man should appear confident and embody the characteristics of someone who has achieved their fitness goals

In this article, you will not only learn how to get the swimmers body male, but you’ll also understand why our perception of achieving a physique like our favourite celebrity or sports star might be unrealistic. I’m sure this won’t be the last time I write a post covering fitness myths debunked. Let’s jump straight into 8 fitness myths busted and why you won’t get the body of a swimmer… probably. 1. A Muscle Must Be Hit from Multiple Angles and Exercises to Look Ripped and Developed Years were wasted in my teens and twenties by not grasping this fundamental. I should have been focusing on strength over a handful of movements. You may have seen advice recommending you train 5 different exercises for chest (or another body part) to achieve a certain look. It’s 100% false and wasted effort. Genetics dictates your muscle insertions and how strong you’ll get. The only fundamental within your power is making a muscle larger and stronger. If you want larger muscles, you need a handful of effective exercises to strengthen your muscles. I witness many teens (and adults in fairness) starting their fitness journey by spending an hour on arms and eight different exercises. It’s not needed and counterproductive. Unfortunately, it’s one of those fitness myths that’s ageless (well, since the steroid era of bodybuilding was introduced). Following your favourite bodybuilder’s workout isn’t going to give you their results just like How to get the swimmers body male isn’t as simple as it seems… 2. High Rep Ranges and Plenty of Cardio for a Toned and Sculpted Look You can make a muscle bigger or smaller. A toned and sculpted look is simply being lean enough to look toned. Reduce your body fat and you’ll seem slimmer and more toned. Train a muscle bigger/stronger, and it will be revealed once you’ve reduced your body fat. No amount of rep ranges will give a toned and sculpted look. 3. I’ve Earned My Treat for Exercising Diet produces fat loss and exercise gives you strengthened muscles, more endurance, or greater flexibility/balance. The amount of calories you burn from a moderate 45-minute cardio session is less than a chocolate bar. This also includes the energy your body naturally would have expended at rest, by keeping you alive. Exercise offers so many fantastic health benefits; fat loss isn’t one of them. When I’m changing following a workout, I hear this one perpetually, “That’s worked off the curry and beer”. It really hasn’t and as far as fitness myths busting goes, this one is a toughie to overcome. 4. Targeting Certain Body Parts for Fat Loss This one also never dies. Again, you can strengthen/enlarge a muscle. Where the body pulls fat off is entirely genetic. You can’t dictate the outcome anymore than I can erase the latest 6 Marvel films out of existence. Spending 45 minutes in a bums and tums class isn’t going to magically melt fat off those areas. It will strengthen the bum and tum, but diet via a calorie deficit dictates the fat loss/toning impression. 5. Ab Exercises Will Give Me a Toned/Six Pack Midsection No, strengthening your abdominal muscles (often well worked during a good strength training workout without the need for direct work) and dieting the fat off is the solution. Trying to show abs at too high body fat levels is the equivalent of attempting to see through a solid wall. 6. You Need a Set Number of Days/Hours for Exercise You really don’t. More isn’t always better when it comes to exercise. I’m not stating that you’ll never have to put in the hours (you’re not going to be able to run a marathon training for 15 mins a week), but generally speaking, if you want to lose fat (and finally understand it’s all diet) and strengthen your muscles, you’d be surprised at how little time you’ll need. Where most people become unstuck is by not splitting the diet and exercise components up. It’s common practice to believe that exercise aids in fat loss (as above). Lose this notion and you’ll be amazed at what can be achieved in just 2 x 30 mins a week, at home with no equipment. I workout for around 3 and a half hours a week. It’s quality vs quantity. 7. Women Should Train No Differently to Men “I don’t want to get too bulky” is a phrase often used by the fairer sex. I wish this statement would go to the deepest pits of hell and never resurface, and it’s one of those fitness myths busted many times over. Men and women aren’t different. Hormonal differences will dictate that unless genetically gifted (or cursed depending on your outlook) a woman will never get too bulky. What women really mean is they would like to reveal some muscle tone (without being overcooked) whilst being leaner. This endeavour all boils down to losing fat (diet) and getting stronger (strength training). There are a few disputes that continually wage in my household:1. Too much clutter around2. Washing the dishes and assuming the cutlery will wash itself3. Keeping the toilet seat up No dispute leaves me lacking energy more than my wife failing to grasp this fact – she’s not going to be the next The Rock if she goes a little heavier in the gym. She’s convinced that after 3 heavy weight training sessions, a bodybuilding career will come calling. Tell that to the countless men who are trying to get bigger every day with little success (and they have the benefit of muscle-building naturally higher levels of testosterone in their body). How to Get the Swimmers Body Male – Why It’s Unlikely This is another tricky one where on the surface seems most logical, but when you delve deeper (we need to), all isn’t as logic would dictate. Certainly, this is one of the more challenging fitness myths to bust because it seems to be based on logical common sense.. This isn’t only … Read more

Do you need a fitness wearable? smart watch vs fitness tracker

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Fitness wearables are hot property and the division of opinion surrounding the  smart watch vs fitness tracker debate isn’t converging anytime in the near future. This post is a detailed introduction into the world of fitness wearables. Do you need a fitness wearable? At this articles conclusion, you’ll be armed with information to assist you making an informed decision whether one of the many fitness wearables on offer is on your shopping or present list. If so, the article will elaborate on key differences between seemingly similar devices. This is destined to be a lengthy post. It’s imperative you obtain a thorough introduction to these devices and obtain value from my post. That’s always my goal, value in exchange for your precious time.  At this posts conclusion, you will be leaning towards one direction within the smart watch vs fitness tracker debate. We will cover pro’s and cons, features, who the major players are, what are the differences between them and even stop for a fitness ring and Whoop brief detour.. Do you need a fitness wearable?  No. Thanks for reading Chat soon,  Matt I jest of course, but you clearly don’t need one. Prior to being unleashed into the market, human’s thrived and surprisingly succeeded in hitting their health and fitness goals without a fitness wearable, smart watch or fitness tracker married to their body part of choice.  Contents As always, you can find a list of contents below and they’re easily locatable within the article. I’d recommend a thorough initial read through and following this feel free to skip to your chosen parts Fitness Wearable Rage Fitness Wearable Market Size Do I own a Fitness Wearable?  Do you need a fitness wearable? General Fitness Wearable Overview Fitness Wearable metrics Tracked Types of Fitness Wearables Fitness Rings  What About Whoop Bands Smart Watch vs Fitness Tracker Basics All About Smart Watches All About Fitness trackers Do you need a fitness wearable?  Further Fitness Wearable information What fitness wearable do I wear? Conclusion and closing thoughts Fitness Wearable Rage Nowadays, if an individual usually equips a fitness wearable, forgets to put it on and exercises with a bare wrist (thus not tracking the workout), Armageddon worse case, best case a Tsunami will occur. The wearer will undergo a guaranteed tantrum and I’d avoid like the plague for a few hours.  It’s an identical situation if God forbid the battery dies during a workout. The workout is immediately over and tears are sure to follow. This type of person doesn’t only need a fitness wearable, if a choice was made between forgetting to take a child on holiday or the fitness wearable, let’s just establish that with certainty, the child would be googling Kevin Mcallister for survival tips. Fitness Wearable market Size The global fitness wearable market has seen remarkable growth over the past decade, driven by increasing consumer awareness of health and fitness.  As of 2023, the market size was valued at approximately $36 billion, with projections suggesting it could exceed $60 billion by 2027.  This growth is supported by advancements in technology, the rising popularity of smartwatches, fitness trackers, and health monitoring devices. Major players like Apple, Fitbit, and Garmin continue to innovate, offering more accurate tracking and additional health features. The market’s expansion is also supported by a growing emphasis on preventive healthcare and the integration of wearables with healthcare services. To read  on fitness advancements with integrated technology and AI in Fitness – click here Do I own a fitness wearable?  The short answer is, yes I do. I’ll leave you in anticipation for the slightly elongated answer at the articles conclusion. The reason being, you’ll own a greater understanding of my smart watch vs fitness tracker choice, following an education and reasoning throughout this article.  I certainly don’t need a fitness wearable, but have become rather attached to mine. Albeit to date, I’ve not suffered from a fitness wearable tantrum. This may change in the near future and I afflicted with a full blown wearable rage virus. Do you need a fitness wearable?  Your needs are unique. Therefore I can’t answer the question for you. I will endeavour to list the pro’s and cons allowing you to consider and make an informed decision. Before we dive into the smart watch vs fitness tracker war, let’s cover the all round metrics that all decent fitness wearables (regardless of smart watch vs fitness tracker) should be able to track.  General Fitness Wearable overview We’ll commence by looking at fitness wearables and stay away from differentiating between smart watches and fitness trackers. Below covers off what both devices should track, regardless of whether you’ve gone down the fitness tracker or smart watch route. Further into the article, we’ll cover specific smart watch and fitness tracker capabilities and differences. Fitness Wearable Metrics Tracked Basic Fitness Tracking Capabilities Heart rate tracking during rest and exercise. Alerts for high/low heart rate readings Sleep tracking Pulse ox Contactless payments  Connected GPS (running, walking, cycling etc GPS tracking) where the device piggy backs off your phone Activity minutes Phone call/messaging notifications on your device Counting steps Calories burned (although I’d never use this metric as gospel on any device – see my fat loss articles) Advanced Fitness Tracking Capabilities Depending on the price of the fitness tracker/smart watch you purchase, it could come loaded with the below capabilities.  Recovery metrics Built in GPS Fully fledged smart capabilities ( read only or replying to messages and taking phone calls) Running dynamics Built in altimeter (records height/floors climbed) VO2 max and endurance scores Training metrics (cost dictates how fully loaded) Stress level tracking Respiration levels Built in ECG (electrocardiogram) HRV data (heart rate variability) Female cycle tracking Downloading and storing music on some models The above list isn’t exhaustive, but is the bulk of what you’ll find on most mainstream devices these days. If you’ve spotted a device you’re interested in, further functionality research should be a given.  We will now look into general pro’s and cons of fitness wearables, in order to answer if you need … Read more