Hey ,
I mentioned the other day that I’m going to use the next two weeks when my two sons are away to get in the best possible shape I can in that time frame.
All the info about my little experiment will be going out to a separate list, so this isn’t really about the experiment as such.
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Note: If you’d like to hear about what I’m doing and how the experiment goes, then click here to be kept informed
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I’ve had a number of people email back and basically ask why, if I’d been training hard, had I gone slightly backwards over the last few years.
Well, these are things I’ll cover in more depth with the emails to the above list, but I thought you guys might like a brief summary of the things that haven’t been optimal for me and have negated my training efforts.
1. Stress: I’m not naturally a stressey person, but over the last two years I have separated from (and am now divorcing) the mother of my two sons and have set up a new business which hasn’t always been easy.
Stress can cause elevation of a hormone called Cortisol which can put the body in more a ‘fat storage’ mode.
Check our article on ‘Systems for dealing with stress‘.
2: Sleep: Two young children of my own and my girlfriend’s 3 and a half year old coupled with regular 6.15 starts has definitely meant I have optimal levels of sleep over the last few years.
Lack of sleep is also a big causer of elevated cortisol levels.
Anything you can do to improve your sleep (removing TV, LEDs, etc from your room, blackout blinds, going to bed earlier, etc) will definitely help improve your body composition.
3: Not eating 100% clean: I eat pretty well, but the last few years have seen my diet slip a little compared to what is has been.
4: Alcohol: For various factors my alcohol consumption has steadily increased over the last few years. I have however recently read a very interesting book about why we drink which has made me question a lot of my (and society in general’s) thought processes about drinking.
Consequently, I now no longer drink alcohol. But this is a relatively recent adjustment.
I’ll be writing a bit more about this in a future article.
5: Supplementation: I’ve become a bit slack with my supplements over the last few years.
That’ll be changing big time on Monday.
If any of you guys think we don’t need supplements, check this article out: myrise.co.uk/members/do-we-need-supplements
So, in a nutshell, these are some of the main reasons I have gone a little backwards.
You may find some of these apply to you.
If so, there’s a few little things you can do to make changes in these areas.
Much love,
Jon “Slightly apprehensive about the workout routine i’ve devised” Hall
P.S.Last time I’ll mention it (promise) – If you’d like to hear about what I’m doing and how the experiment goes, then click here to be kept informed
