“But I train three times a week…”
I’ve heard that plenty of times over the years.
Usually from someone who’s recently started with us and, to be fair, is doing exactly what we’ve asked in the gym.
They turn up.
They train hard.
Monday. Wednesday. Friday.
Three sessions done.
Then they get on the scales at the weekend.
Nothing.
Or worse, it’s gone up.
And understandably they’re thinking:
“What’s the bloody point?”
“Do I need to eat less?”
“Should I be training more?”
Normally, the three sessions aren’t the problem.
They’re one of the best things you’re doing.
Three full-body strength sessions a week will help you get stronger, build and keep muscle and change your shape.
But three 45-minute sessions can’t do all the heavy lifting if the rest of your week is pulling the other way.
Think about leaving the house in the morning.
Phone. Wallet or purse. Keys. Shoes. Coat.
Forget your car keys and the rest being spot on doesn’t help much.
They all need to work together.
Fitness is much the same.
You can absolutely smash your three Transformation HQ sessions and still have a week that doesn’t really support what you’re trying to achieve.
Train hard at 7am.
Drive to work.
Sit at a desk until lunch.
Eat at your desk.
Sit all afternoon.
Drive home.
Tea.
Sofa.
Bed.
You haven’t done anything terrible.
You just haven’t moved much.
Do that most days and your three gym sessions have got a lot of work to do.
So if your progress has slowed, don’t immediately start cutting more food or trying to cram another workout into your week.
Check the boring stuff first.
Start with your steps.
We want an average of around 8,000–10,000 a day.
Average being the important word.
You don’t need to pace around the kitchen at 10pm because your watch says 9,846.
Look at the week.
If you’re only getting 4,000–5,000 most days, find an extra 2,000 first.
A ten-minute walk at lunch.
Walk while you’re on the phone.
Park at the far end of the car park.
Take the stairs.
Get out for 15 minutes after tea.
Walk the dog a bit further.
Nothing heroic.
Just move more often.
Then look at your food.
Three decent meals a day.
Get a proper serving of protein into each one.
Eggs or Greek yoghurt at breakfast.
Chicken, tuna, lean meat, fish or something similar at lunch and tea.
And watch the bits you don’t really count.
Two biscuits at work.
A packet of crisps while making tea.
Picking at the kids’ leftovers.
A couple of bits of cheese every time you open the fridge.
None of those foods are banned.
But “I eat pretty well” can still include a fair bit of food you’ve completely forgotten about by the end of the day.
Water is even simpler.
Aim for 2–3 litres.
Keep a bottle near you and get through it during the day rather than realising at 8pm you’ve basically survived on coffee.
Then there’s sleep.
Aim for 7–9 hours when you can.
If you’re regularly getting five or six, don’t just shrug and say, “I’m rubbish at sleeping.”
Look at what you’re actually doing at night.
Could you go to bed 30 minutes earlier?
Are you scrolling your phone when you’re knackered anyway?
Could Netflix survive without you for one episode?
Probably.
There’s another one worth watching when you’re trying to lose body fat.
As you eat less, you can start moving less without realising.
You’re a bit more tired.
So you sit down more.
Take the car.
Put that job off.
Spend another half-hour on the sofa.
That’s why keeping an eye on your steps is useful.
Sometimes the answer isn’t another workout or another food cut.
You simply need to get off your arse a bit more.
And you don’t need to nail all of this every day.
You’ll go out for meals.
Work will go mental.
You’ll sleep badly.
You’ll have days when your steps are rubbish.
Fine.
Look at what you do most of the time.
And if your results have stalled, don’t try to fix six things on Monday morning.
Be honest and find the weakest bit.
Training three times but averaging 4,000 steps?
Sort your steps.
Steps are good but you’re constantly picking between meals?
Sort your food.
Food is decent but you’re going to bed at midnight and getting up at 5:30?
Start there.
The complete package isn’t complicated.
Three strength sessions.
8,000–10,000 steps.
Three high-protein meals.
Less mindless snacking.
2–3 litres of water.
7–9 hours sleep.
You don’t need another clever workout.
You probably don’t need another diet.
Get those basics working together consistently first.
Because knowing what to do has never really been the hard bit.
Actually doing it week after week is.
-Ryan
P.S
If you’re reading all this thinking, “I know what I should be doing, I just struggle to put it all together” that’s exactly what our 6 Week Meltdown is for.
We break the food, steps, habits and accountability down into simple weekly modules, alongside three coached full-body strength sessions each week.
Basically, we help you get the complete package working together so you can lose body fat, feel fitter and stronger, and actually see the difference for the effort you’re putting in.
Hit the Find Out More button below and your local Head Coach will send you some information and let you know if we’ve got any spaces left on our next intake.
Find Out More 👋