1. What do you consider to be the three most important aspects of achieving the body you want?
• Mindset. This, to me, is the most important part of achieving optimal body composition, or the body of your dreams. Every physical action, whether it’s reaching for a donut or going for a workout even though you’ve had the worst day begins with some sort of thought process or intention in the mind. Whatever goes on in your mind determines your motivation, dedication, will, focus, drive, and eventually, how close you get to your goal.
The power of having the right mindset and being able to manage your thoughts is, unfortunately, one of the most undervalued and ignored aspects personal development and growth. Having the right mindset doesn’t just help at the gym, but in all aspects of life, including your career, relationships, happiness, community, health and more.
For anyone who’s interested here are some of my favourite books on the subject:
Mindset by Carol S. Dweck
Perhaps one of my favourites and a great book to get started with on the mindset journey.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
This book focuses more on success in business and life, but delves heavily into mindset.
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
If you’re more into novels then this is a great read that follows the journey of a boy’s single-minded focus and dedication to fulfil his dream.
• Nutrition. Without proper nutrition it will be near impossible to achieve the body you want… unless you are blessed with spectacular genes, in which case you are the exception, not the rule. Unfortunately, for most, the subject of nutrition is more complicated than rocket surgery, which is arguably more complicated than rocket science. It’s no surprise that this is the case given the fact that there’s a new fad diet each week.
If you want to achieve optimal body composition it’s important to find what works best for you on a long term basis. Understanding that fact that people are different and have different dietary needs will go a long way in achieving your goals.
• Weight training. When it comes to shaping the body you want, of course you’ll need to hit the gym. It doesn’t matter if you’re a male wanting to pack on muscle or a female who’s after that toned look, lifting weights is part of the process. In fact, lifting weights will achieve the look you’re after much faster and more effectively than hopping on a treadmill and going for a mindless run for an hour.
2. What’s your favourite exercise and why?
Squats. Squats are one of the best and biggest bang-for-buck exercises you can do at the gym. Not only do they give you great legs and butt, but they also recruit a large number of muscles, which is great for burning fat. From a physiological perspective squats are also a great exercise for elevating human growth hormone and testosterone levels, again promoting a leaner physique.
3. What do you love about your role as an ASP coach?
As someone who has struggled in the past with how my body looked I understand what it can be like to be frustrated with my body, especially after many attempts of going to the gym and changing my nutrition. This frustration is very common in many people and being able to turn this frustration around is one of the most satisfying parts of my role. When clients see results you can often see their mood, happiness and sense of self-image shift towards a more positive place; this, for me, is extremely rewarding.
4. What’s your favourite quote?
One of my favourite quotes is a mindset quote:
“Life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it.” – Charles Swindoll
To me this is a great reminder that everything that happens in our physical reality is a matter of perception, and how you choose to perceive that reality and react to that reality is a matter of choice. To any situation, you can either choose to react negatively and unproductively (which only makes the situation worse), or positively and productively (to help find a more positive outcome).
