All your fitness questions answered by the personal trainer of kiek
He promised me a new body in twelve weeks, as long as I also went for it one hundred percent. The people who have known me longer know by now: the rest is history. I've been training with Steve for almost two years and those two clothing sizes I lost haven't come back. Time for a chat with the man behind Book Your Trainer. And it's his birthday today too!
Steve, first of all, happy B-day! From December 15, the gyms are closed. And suddenly spring is just around the corner. Help. How can we stay motivated to work out these days? Do you have a golden tip?
‘Maybe a disappointing answer, Kiek, but there is no golden tip or miracle cure that works for everyone to get motivated and stay that way. The switch to really go for it often starts with intrinsic motivation, which no one else can ignite for you but yourself. As a personal trainer, I actually only come into play when people are already motivated to work towards a healthier ‘me’.’
Ah yes, fair enough. But what would you say to your inner coach to all the people who gained weight during the corona period and now think: hmm, I used to feel better in my skin?
‘First of all: don't be too hard on yourself. I often hear around me that people gained weight during the lockdown in the second wave. That's actually not so strange in a tumultuous time like this. But if your jeans that fit in December no longer fit now and you want to do something about it, making a plan is step 1. There needs to be a specific plan and a clear goal that you can visualize.’
And how do you visualize that goal?
‘By not comparing yourself to others (very important), but rather to yourself when you felt better in your skin. For example, find an old photo where you are glowing and go back to that moment. What was that moment like? Why were you so happy then? Do you allow yourself to feel that way again? Would you want to seek help for this? From there, you can see what steps you want to take to get back there.’
Nice answer. And to put it more bluntly: which exercises @home are the most effective for rock-hard abs?
‘Many people think: if I just do a hundred sit-ups a day, I'll definitely get those hard abs, and that's true. But you only see that when your body fat percentage decreases, which you achieve by eating healthier. I would look for exercises that engage multiple muscles together, keeping your core activated. Think of a squat, a lunge step, or a deadlift for your lower body. For your upper body, a push, a pull, or a twist movement.’
Huh, but those aren't all ab exercises?
‘That's right. Once you are at a lower body fat percentage and you want to train for a six-pack, then you can start doing specific ab exercises that show a cosmetic result. For that, I would personally focus more on compound movements: the six movements I just mentioned.’
And let's say, round J.Lo butt. Is that achievable for everyone? Or is it really a matter of body type? Before we promise ourselves false results that are not achievable at all...
‘Your butt is a muscle. It can be trained at any time, so you can somewhat influence it. But your body type is your body type. J.Lo has a certain figure as well. That's why I always tell clients to look at their own body type, and within that body type, we work specifically, allowing you to get the best results.’
Additionally, you always say to me: keep in mind what kind of life you have.
‘That's right, I say that to all our clients. A fitness model you follow on Instagram who has time every day to spend hours in the gym and take photos versus a mother of three with a busy job, that's not fair to yourself. I think you need to stay true to yourself.’
True story. Oh, finally, you're not going to tell me you're the type who doesn't eat cake on their birthday, right?
‘What do you think, Kiek? It has to be fun, right? Besides: if you exercise a lot and eat healthy otherwise, cheat days with apple pie and brownies are just part of it.’
The personal trainer who – thank god – also has cheat days; I find this a delightful wisdom to end with. If you also want a sporty kick in the butt, or are curious about the twelve-week package I did to lose weight, check here Steve's Insta account or take a look at his website.
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