You should be moving your body everyday and getting nutrients. I cannot stress this enough. Especially when getting started. Consistency is what will get you results.

For the most part it is supposed to be both challenging and enjoyable. We’ve all been at the beginning. So you can trust that there is always a community that understands and will support you.

You will easily find nutrients by eating a variety of vegetables (in type and colour). The moment you get enough nutrients you significantly reduce a lot of the common problem people have, like cravings, large appetite, fatigue, hormonal imbalances, mild health challenges.

Eat protein and fuel your body with healthy complex carbohydrates (examples include but are not limited to, whole grains, beans, brown rice, oatmeal) because otherwise you will eat A LOT of sugar.

Above all, don’t make it complicated. Stop looking for the “magic solution” that will get you there. It’s literally right in front of you.

The harsh reality is, if you can’t take my word for it you are in for a long journey. I’ve trained many clients over the years, many group fitness classes and established a fitness balance for myself. I’ve studied fitness. I’ve literally made it my business to know how you get can results.

You don’t need any to get started. You can use your body weight to achieve every goal. Once you start to progress, you can look at getting resistance bands, steps and dumbbells for your home or join a local gym. The type of equipment you might need as you start to get more specific is dependant on; what you enjoy, what your goals are and what you can afford.

I have four pieces of advice for you.

One is to find someone who you can talk to about your journey and make yourself accountable to. Often all we need is someone we trust and feel comfortable enough to talk to without feeling like they are telling us what to do or how to solve our problems.

Two is to fake it until you make it. Act confident and no one will question you. There is no magic pill. You have to decide how badly you want to make a change. Start small and progress from there. Above all, remember that everyone starts somewhere (or has already started someone). There is always a community of people who will be able to relate to you. You just have to find them.

Three is to educate yourself (and be willing to do so). You can do this both for free if you want the long route or pay for services for the shorter route. No matter who you learn from, make sure you select someone who you know is educated in the field in which they are offering knowledge and services for. This is really important.

Four is to act positively. There is something positive in EVERY situation (I truly believe that). I write down every morning; 3 things I am grateful for, 3 things that would make the day great and 3 affirmations.

More importantly though, just start moving everyday. Each time you move focus on the task at hand. This is actually proven to be more affective then thinking about the end goal.

Lastly on a side note, I recommend that you check out this video. It’s not my own, it is a great resource to help us understand confidence (so that we can improve it): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Tk82hEHNnY&t=171s

If you are just getting started, honestly moving your body in whatever way you like. Walking every day is an excellent beginner starting point. If you do that everyday for 30 minutes I guarantee you, you will notice a difference. And I never guarantee unless I am sure.

You might however be someone who is already comfortable exercising and wants to make better use of their time training. The rules are different for everyone depending on your goals. Generally, for passionate thing-doers I recommend a combination of HIIT training, LISS training and strength training.

I always encourage my clients to be intuitive to what your body needs. You can only do this with some knowledge though. If you are tired then opt for a session that is reduced intensity but still gets the blood pumping. Fatigue can negatively affect progress and increase risk of injury.

But the goal is to get the blood pumping intense or not, everyday.

Move your body everyday. And don’t settle for anything less.

NOTE: Science has shown that someone who completes 30 minutes of exercise a day but is sedentary for the rest is at just as much risk of health diseases as someone who is not active at all. So I recommend you get up on your feet often throughout the day.

I personally “train” everyday. I usually complete about 2 – 3 strength session, 1 – 3 HIIT / cardio sessions and my rest days involve walking, adventure mode, stretching or intuitively knowing that for my rest day I will be getting up on my feet at least every hour if I can. This is usually 1 – 2 days of the week depending on my lifestyle and schedule at that time.

Looking at training over a whole year, I go through different seasons of training as should you. Depending on:

• Lifestyle changes such as; types of activities and adventures I am doing outside seasonally.
• Stages of training such as; muscle building, cardiovascular focus, maintenance, flexibility & mobility.
• Personal circumstances such as; high stress situations or what I may or may not have access to equipment wise.

There are different ways to lift weights that will affect whether you build muscle mass or build lean muscle which is great for endurance (and passionate thing-doers). Various set and rep formats will create micro-tears in the muscle differently and this therefore changes how the body repairs the muscle.

As a general guide, if you are looking for lean muscle (or muscle endurance for sports) 2-3 sets by 12-20 reps is great. If you are hoping to build strength and muscle mass then 4-6 sets by 4-8 reps.

If you want to lose fat, you want to build muscle (whether it is endurance or strength). Muscle helps burn fat. Always.

*The world of repetitions and sets is a lot more complicated and scientific then that, however it is a great guide to get started today.

I cannot make this decision for you. I can give you the facts. You can get the same results in the gym as you can out of the gym.

At home you would likely need to – over time – invest in some basic equipment and you usually need some more self discipline.

Some people are more comfortable under their own roof. Some people love to be social and get out of the house and in a gym surround by other people. You need to decide for yourself.

Whatever you choose, commit to it.

Check out this post: http://www.wondrous.com.au/find-workout-motivation/. You can learn to set realistic goals, break them down into significantly smaller goals. Practice daily gratitude. And, challenge yourself in small doses regularly.

Goals regularly “fail” for a number of reasons. Setting realistic goals is both extremely important and crucial to your success. Changing the way you think about health and fitness will get you on a long term sustainable lifestyle that you are proud of. Learn both here: http://www.wondrous.com.au/set-fitness-goals/.

Check out this post: http://www.wondrous.com.au/measure-your-progress/.

There are some points in this post that will both surprise you and rock your world: http://www.wondrous.com.au/muscle-soreness/.

There are some points in this post that will both surprise you and rock your world: http://www.wondrous.com.au/muscle-soreness/.

It is about learning how to maximise your training session, your types of training and recovery time so you can get results fast and spend more time doing the things you love. It is definitely possible to both over train and experience burn out.

Set really clear and well defined goals, have a flexible plan, track your progress, be consistent, enjoy and be proud of the way you use your body and stick with the plan.

Be intuitive and know when to adjust the plan. It’s about creating a program that is really well thought out. Every session should have a really clear purpose and fit nicely into you training for the rest of the week.

Be willing to learn and find tools and resources that you want to learn from. There is a lot of noise out there. This is the hardest part. Trust your gut.

Check out this post: http://www.wondrous.com.au/use-your-fitbit-to-train-smarter/

Check out this post: http://www.wondrous.com.au/nike-training-club/

Check out this post: http://www.wondrous.com.au/functional-fitness-training/

Check out this post: http://www.wondrous.com.au/you-should-stretch/.

Check out this post: http://www.wondrous.com.au/benefits-of-aqua-aerobics/.

Both. And if you do both in one session, weights always comes first. Always.

Also, see what you like. You can improve your muscle strength from bodyweight only training too. The possibilities are endless. Balance and consistency are key.

Welcome to what I like to call, the RPE scale. Your new best friend.

I highly recommend you sign up to my email list and read this provided ebook resource: How To Use RPE & Heart Rate Training Zones Properly

You need to know how you define results. I seriously recommend that you record and track your measurement bi-monthly.

Depending on your goals and consistency, you can start to notice changes within a week or two. However, I recommend reviewing every two months for your state of mind and also to allow enough time to see if what you are doing is working or not.

A month (absolute minimum) gives you a much more statistically reliable measure as to how your body responds to certain things. Anything less then that you can’t truly say it didn’t work because you have not given it enough time.

 This question is almost impossible to answer without knowing your exact situation. I really encourage you to get really honest about what you are doing.

I can almost guarantee you, if you looked at it properly over a month you will discover you did not move everyday and you didn’t eat 3 – 5 cups of veggies a day.

I also think you’ll find that you had some bad days, and tried to over compensate the days following. Then you got extremely overwhelmed at how difficult it feels because you spent 3 days overcompensating.

Write down every single day, what you ate and how you trained. Worry less about immediate results and trust that they will come with consistency.

Or seek help, get a personal trainer or someone on board to help you assess.

As a personal trainer, when someone asks me this question. The first thing I do is sit down and look at what they are doing. Almost always, they are not being honest with themselves, lack consistency and want to see results yesterday.

The biggest misconception is that many think they need to do abdominal only exercises to get a 6 pack.

The common problem with not being able to see your abs is the body fat “covering” them. Do full body strength sessions and lose body fat to get abs.

I recommend you check out the goal setting post above though. Look a little deeper into the reason why you might want to see your abs, it will either help you get there with a lot of hard work and dedication. Or make you realise that getting abs aren’t actually that important to you. Either way, it’s worth doing.

This is the ultimate resource in terms of eating: http://www.precisionnutrition.com/all-about-body-type-eating

Don’t calorie count. Because you don’t have to. I’ve seen adherence significantly drop and it can put most people in a very unhealthy and negative mindset. We know energy balance determines body weight (calories in vs calories out). There are MANY variables that make this confusing and shaded; perceived input vs output, genetics, physiology, metabolism, sleep, stress, hormonal factors, medications, health issues.

The above method from precision nutrition works. It will help you lose weight, build muscle, it’s practical, it allows you to look at your food and what you eat in a positive way. It works because it fuels your body and your health.

Check out this post (infographic included): http://www.precisionnutrition.com/workout-nutrition-infographic

 Ah, that old chestnut.

Purely because you get stronger so you work harder. A workout that is easier won’t get you results. Remember though, LISS training is often just what the doctor ordered if you are in need or a rest day or are particularly tired and stressed.

Diet is a terrible word because it suggest that you need a short term change to get results and then you can go back to what you were doing. So my answer to that is: none. And if you are looking for a 12 week quick fix. Nothing about what’s on this website and what I provide as a trainer will be a good fit for you.

There are only a few of us trainers out there who don’t want you to diet and we get results. You need to learn how to eat the right nutrients and micronutrients for your body, health and mind. I guarantee the results will come when you fuel your body right.

You don’t need to diet. You need to make changes that will work long term lifestyle and create habits that work for you. I can honestly say I live a happy, body confident life and I love the foods that I eat (and drink).

Currently, science tells us that you can’t target fat loss.

How everyone gains fat and where individuals store fat (and lose fat) is different. I do recommend you include toning exercises, for that area, into your program to ensure you feel strong and tight in those areas if it is a concern of yours.

Eat right, move everyday and focus on strength exercises. The weight will start to come off if you trust the process and you will feel more fit, toned and body confident.

 I really wanted to include this question because competitive people are often their own worst critic.

On your journey through health and fitness it is particularly important for you to acknowledge your own personal small wins. 

Stop focusing on and comparing yourself to what everyone else is doing and achieving.

I have to make a conscious effort to do this regularly, it works and allows me to stick with program and never give up.

Stop comparing yourself to everyone else.

Seriously, you know that quote “don’t compare your chapter one to someone else’s final chapter”?

The best tool I have for you, is to take time every day at the beginning of the day to write down three things you are grateful for. Most people won’t do this. I promise if you make a commitment to try, you will notice a difference.