Fitness Simplified with Anthony Trebble Training #08

Honestly, not since the first edition have I felt this inspired about what to write. So much so I have had to leave stuff out and save it for next time! Things are getting busy with ATT, the move to Complete Fitness in two weeks, the festival picking up pace and the new Rep By Rep clothing range having already sold more than expected. Exciting times ahead and I look forward to sharing it with you all.

Are you getting enough protein?

Everything you see in the shops now is high protein and for good reason, the science is clear in that protein is our most important macro nutrient particularly when it comes to the gym. Although be careful because some “high protein” products may only have an extra 1g of protein but an extra £2 on the cost makes it not worth it.

So, let’s start at the beginning with a bit of the science (Don’t worry you won’t need a degree to understand, if I can anyone can!). Why is getting protein so important in reaching your goals? Throughout the day and when we are training we are breaking down proteins in the muscle so in order to grow muscle we need to ensure that we are in a protein surplus rather than a deficit. If you imagine you have 10 lego blocks stacked and every day you take 2 blocks off and put 1 back on, eventually you will end up breaking it down completely but if you add 3 blocks that pile will grow. Well this is how muscle building works.

Now the question you want the answer to, how much do you need? The government recommendation is 0.8g per kg of bodyweight however this is extremely low and is being largely petitioned against by health professionals. Unfortunately with all things government, money wins, and the cost of changing the marketing on RDA (recommended daily allowance) would run in to the millions so hey ho let’s leave it as it is.

The science shows that you should be looking to get between 1.6g – 2.2g of protein per kg of bodyweight and where on this range would depend on your exercise levels. Exercising 2-3 times per week and you’ll be find at that lower end but anything more and you’ll want to start increasing this.

Counting calories may not be for everyone but I would recommend that if you are unsure if you’re getting enough try tracking but purely focusing on your protein levels.

Now a quick bit of myth busting before I finish with this, you may have heard that your body can only take 20-30g per meal and this is simply not true. In fact if you wanted to eat all your protein in one meal your body would still absorb this all so don’t worry you do not have to eat 10 meals a day – heres a great article explaining the study released in December 2023 regarding this - https://www.trailrunnermag.com/nutrition/a-new-study-challenges-conventional-wisdom-on-protein-consumption/

Underrated exercise

You know when you eat something you’ve not had in ages and you love it and can’t remember why you stopped eating it?

Well this is how I feel about this exercise, I love it and don’t know why I stopped doing it. Super simple exercise that gives great return.

Now when I say return I am not talking muscle growth here, there are ways to manipulate this exercise to promote building muscle, my main focus with this exercise is long term functionality.

The humble exercise I am talking about?

The step up…

Grab a box, hold some weights by your side and alternate the lead foot you’re stepping up with.

A huge reason why I train is to be mobile for later on in life, to still be able to do things myself and part of that will be walking upstairs so if I can build strong muscles in this movement it is going to help me then I need to be doing it more often than not.

The added bonus of if I focus on standing straight and engaging my core it will enormously work towards improved posture.

I’d usually do these towards then end of a session on their own or as part of a mini circuit with a timer. I’m just able to count to 8 let alone

What is important when selecting what exercise to do?

So you’re 8 newsletters in and you’re thinking I kind of know what to do when planning my sessions, you know to hit the main 6 movements (squat, hip hinge, vertical push/pull & horizontal push/pull), you know how you can split your sessions but you’re not sure what exercise to do, well I’m going to tell you what is important when choosing your exercises:

1. Enjoyment – exercise is to be enjoyed so do the things you enjoy and most likely this means you’ll train with intensity you need to get results rather than half arsing an exercise just because an Instagram reel told you it would shed fat in 1 minute.

2. Safety/competency – Are you actually able to do an exercise safely and competently. Simple right, but you look round gyms and you’ve got people slinging weights round that clearly are not ready to do certain exercises. Being humble enough to say you’re not able to do an exercise isn’t weak or giving up. I would never do barbell snatches on my own because I do not have the competency levels to do so and that’s fine

3. Does it fit your goal – if your goal is to build muscle, an exercise like kettlebell swings are not going to the best thing because there is not enough time under tension however if your goal is conditioning then it could be a great option. Review your goal and build exercises that will help you reach it.

The Norwich Fitness Festival

If you follow us on social media you would have seen a few announcements of what to expect, our nutrition panel, a live podcast and Bobby Harrison from Hustle being involved are all things we are really excited to have on the day!

And yesterday these dulcet tones hit the airwaves which you can listen to below to hear more about what to expect on the day

Personal Training

With just 2 weeks until I start complete I am now actively taking new people to come join team ATT and as always my 4 week trial for just £100 is in place for those unsure if PT is for them. If you are someone who is just feeling a bit lost in their fitness journey or when you step in the gym you don’t know what to do I want to help you become confident, fitter and happier.

If you are interested in catching up for a chat to see if we’d be a good fit email me at [email protected]