Finney Fitness, not for the faint hearted

Still desperately trying and failing to get into fighting fit shape Jess and I decided to take drastic action and sought out the toughest of trainers, Nick Finney. Nick is a no nonsense, tough love personal trainer who trains the Made in Chelsea girls amongst other local celebrities, surely he could whip Jess and I into shape? The session started badly with Nick asking if I had run from Edinburgh when I turned up sweating and panting from my 15 minute jog to meet him, evidently this was not going to be an easy ride.

                                                 

We found a private corner of Eel Brooke Common to keep embarrassment to a minimum and Nick asked us about our usual routines and diet (wine, food, copious amounts of choccie and occasionally running for the 22 pretty much covered it). However, not deterred by our lack of physical prowess Nick told us that with a couple of sessions a week we could dramatically transform our physiques from the squishy end of the spectrum to svelte.
                                                         
It wasn’t long before we were lunging, sprinting, dipping and squatting, a routine that mixes cardio with resistance and apparently burns those calories like no other. Our heart rates were kept high and our bums burning throughout the routine which we repeated twice for each exercise. We couldn’t help but think that surely Caggie and Milly must get as puffed out as we did but sadly Nick did nothing to reassure us and went as far as to describe as ‘old grannies’! Our female powers of persuasion didn’t prove fruitful and Nick was not prepared to give us an easy ride, this was training at its best!

                                                
For those seeking a more social experience Nick runs regular group classes where you can squat alongside his array of glamorous clients. Despite my protests and moaning throughout the session I could barely walk or sit down the next day and was amazed at how such an easy and simple routine could have such an impact- it’s obviously the Nick Finney effect! Nick has considerable experience in the business and so we asked him for some top tips to keeping trim and exercising for maximum effect- good luck!


Top Tip 1: Don’t Panic
Don't obsessively weigh yourself daily; it is not productive, and tends to lead to skipping meals. Research shows skipping meals actually leads to a higher total daily calorie intake as we unwittingly 'stockpile'. We also have small fluctuations in the body's fluid levels day to day. Therefore it is not necessarily a true fat loss measure so try checking once a week or fortnightly instead.


Top Tip 2: Healthy Eating not Starving
A great first step in a weight loss, or indeed an improved well-being journey, is to begin eating healthy options but not to be overly concerned initially with portion size. If you only choose a mix and match menu based on the following options; it will be difficult to put on weight, and indeed it will begin to drop off.
Protein base: chicken, turkey, beef, tuna, salmon, prawns
Complex carbs: sweet potato, oatmeal, basmati rice, brown rice
Snacks/meal sides: any fruit, any veg

Eat any of the above, in any combination you like for two weeks and see how great you feel.

Top Tip 3: Great Workout Schedule:

Monday: 30mins lower body weights, 30mins cardio
Tuesday: 60mins cardio
Wednesday: 30mins upper body weights, 30mins cardio
Thursday: 60mins cardio
Friday: rest
Saturday: rest
Sunday: rest

This allows you to hit all the muscles in the body with weights and resistance training creating a long lasting calorie burn, and a nice toned appearance. For the 3hours of cardio; think of it as exactly that. Do not get bogged down in terms of heart rate or which form to choose. Do whatever you fancy at whatever rate your comfortable with so long as it adds up to 3 hours a week. Rowing, running, walking, swimming, x-trainer are all good forms of cardio.

@finneyfitness
www.nickfinney.co.uk