It probably falls within the 1.6g – 2.2g per KG bodyweight range daily but isn’t where it should be at the upper end of that range. That’s how you should be looking at these ranges if you don’t eat animal products, you should be aiming for the higher number.

My bodyweight is around 82kg at the time of writing this. That means I need 131g (1.6 x 82) – 180g (2.2 x 82) protein daily. 

As someone who doesn’t eat animal products, I should be shooting for the upper end, 180g daily, and it wouldn’t hurt to get some extra protein to cover protein quality issues. Let’s round up to a nice and even 200g a day.

Well, going back to my original point, I’m eating much less than this on most days.

Expense is a possible reason. I mean it’s not cheap to keep pounding meat alternatives and soya products in order to get 40g protein per meal. Another reason is always limiting myself to 1 protein shake a day, I’m unsure why I did this, but I digress.

The tofu pieces I really enjoy eating cost £2.50 a box and serve up 28g protein. I only usually eat half a box at a time to go with my chol and daal (rice and lentils).

Quorn vegan pieces or strips cost £2.50 a pack (280g) and serve up around 40g protein. These are excellent for curries, wraps and stir frys!

Seitan, lentils and even soya milk are more cost effective ways of getting protein in however there is a protein quality issue with the first two mentioned. With lentils you’re also dealing with lots of calories in order to get 30g protein. 

This is where protein powders come in. Whether you’re vegetarian and consume whey protein or whether you’re vegan and consume plant based powder/blends you’ll be looking at paying around 40-60p per 30g protein hit.

There’s not just the fact that it’s super cost effective. It’s a high quality protein which is super cost effective. Protein powders are also the most calorie efficient way of getting protein in.

Over the last 4 or 5 years I’ve been closer to the idea of whole foods providing micronutritients and protein, and my protein intake had taken a knock because of it, if I reflect honestly. I thought I didn’t need shakes, and that I was doing fine with foods.

The reality is that it’s an easy addition to meals, it’s a cheap way of getting 30g protein and it’s high quality protein for muscle building (high in leucine).

Also if consuming a few more shakes a day will consistently get me in the 180-200g range daily, I’ll see much more gains.

You will see more gains too, if you ensure your protein intake is within the range it needs to be. Don’t forget you can use protein shakes as a cost effective and high quality way to get there.

The post A Case for Protein Shakes appeared first on Azad Singh Fitness.

It feels like the second we get a gym membership we forget about the humble pushup. I started off my whole fitness journey with home workout and doing pushups until I crashed nose first into the floor with failure. As soon as I joined a gym it goodbye to the exercise that got me there.

I switched it for the bench press and added a chest press machine, flys, pec dec and more to my chest building arsenal.

This was a mistake.

I’m now convinced the pushup, especially when we go weighted is a great accessory for the bench press. There’s a few reasons for this including natural movement of the scapula, being shoulder friendly and mimicking the same muscles used in the bench press because of the same flat angle.

Well, what about for those not interested in improving their bench press?

• The pushup can be done absolutely anywhere, just get down!
  
  
• It’s a great core exercise too, everything from top to toe needs to be tight and braced in order to maintain a straight position.
  
  
• It’s a fantastic chest, shoulder and tricep builder (let’s not forget these are the T-shirt muscles).
  
  
• It has amazing scalability for complete beginners who are overweight to elite bodyweight strength athletes.
  
  
• There are so many pushup variations you’ll never get bored in a lifetime!
  
  

Pushups ranked in order of difficulty (starting with easier and getting harder)

Wall pushups

Incline pushups

Knee pushups

Pushups

Decline pushups

Clap pushups

One arm pushups

Weighted pushups

Can’t manage normal pushups just yet? Scale back to knee pushups, still can’t do them? Scale back as necessary. If you can do knee pushups work on them until you’re comfortable and can do normal pushups.

Likewise, if normal pushups are so easy you’re not getting a training effect on them scale up to find a challenging variation.

There’s not a single person on this planet that can’t be challenged by some variation of the pushup.

Although this post has been heavily focused on the pushups, the ideas also extend out to other bodyweight exercises. For example the air squat (which everyone should be able to do), the pullup (which should never leave your back routine), the plank (another brilliant scalable exercise). 

Bodyweight exercises can be a part of anyone’s routine regardless of how advanced one gets. Don’t be fooled by their simplicity.

The post Don’t Forget Bodyweight Exercises appeared first on Azad Singh Fitness.

This is something I actually picked up from my personal trainer course when I got certified and it is something that has only recently been reviewed in some solid research. 

The research actually shows this range is much larger than previously thought. We can actually do anywhere from 3 reps all the way up to 30 reps for hypertrophy (muscle-building) providing volume is equal and the sets are close to failure. In simple terms you can do very low reps (with a really heavy load) or very high reps of 30 or so (with a much lighter load) and still get similar results. Strength gains will not be the same, we’re just talking about hypertrophy here.

To sum up there really isn’t a hypertrophy rep range per se. Gains can be achieved through a wide variety of reps and loads. So you can go heavy if you enjoy that (and want strength gains) or keep it light if you wish to, but the best benefits probably come from mixing rep ranges. Just ensure technique and muscle tension is on point across all rep ranges and intensities. 

No difference between high repetitions and low repetitions – https://www.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/japplphysiol.00154.2016 

No difference between varied and constant loading – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27042999 

2) I need to consume my protein shake within 30 mins post-workout

I used to run home, literally! I mean it makes sense, kickstart the recovery process by taking a protein shake with some urgency after a session. In reality though it’s almost meaningless. It’s worth mentioning the only case where some urgency is warranted is if you’ve trained fasted. If not, don’t worry about it. You have time to get home, shower, and you can just eat a meal. 

It is more important to focus on a calorie and protein target for the day depending on your goals. So as long as the protein target is broken up into 3 or 4 chunks across the day, you’ll probably max out your gains. Whether one of these comes directly post-workout or not is irrelevant. Don’t stress it.

Another thing worth mentioning is research has shown pre-exercise protein shakes (even less than a serving) can keep muscle amino acid levels elevated for 2 hours post-workout.

Your window of opportunity is a lot bigger and more flexible than you probably thought.

Far from definitive – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3577439/ 

3) I shouldn’t eat roti 

Yes, I’ve been there myself too. At one stage I would skip roti, daal, a side salad, and cottage cheese for a weight gainer shake. Silly really. Especially the terrible weight gainers I used to buy.

I even used to make pasta to go with my tuna bhurji as a carb source as opposed to roti, despite it being from the same source and having the same nutrition.

There really is no reason to skip eating roti as part of your diet on your fitness journeys. In fact there are some benefits. Let me get into them:

• A good source of fiber, manganese and selenium.
• Low in cholesterol and saturated fat (if you skip the butter)
• It’s usually made at home daily (if you’re South Asian)
• The process of dieting becomes easier if you can sit with family and have a traditional meal every night 
• The versatility of macros that can be achieved is great 

If you want to read more into roti and incorporating it into your fitness lifestyles you can here.

I want to close by saying the world of fitness and nutrition is vast and I truly love to learn. I like to think I’m taking in some information every single day whether listening to a podcast during workouts, reading articles for research, or flicking through the books I have. 

I keep absolutely every plan I’ve designed and all of my own training logs since day 1 too. It’s only when I scroll back into my old documents from the beginning of the decade that I realise just how much my own knowledge has advanced. That’s what inspired this post. 

It was a word document of my own diet, filled with meat, 260g protein a day (bro mode) and a pointer at the top encouraging myself to eat every 2-3 hours for ‘metabolism’. 

Call it a transformation post of my knowledge in the field.

The post 3 Dumb Things I Believed at the Beginning of the Decade appeared first on Azad Singh Fitness.

Wow since I’ve been working with Azad I have never felt better. I have lost up to 60 pounds (27kg) since I joined up with him and have increased my strength tenfold. Azad has been really patient with me and very informative about diet and exercise. I would recommend him to anyone who wants to recreate themselves into something better.

Manvir is a vegetarian who has struggled with weight loss in the past, despite being highly active with martial arts. We focused on resistance training, with a primary intention of improving technique and mobility. This not only had a great carryover to martial arts which was noticed by his coach but meant great strength gains in the gym. Manvir has hit a 230kg + deadlift during his cut! Manvir lost an incredible 20kg over the course of 3 phases (6 months) and is currently on a diet break because of studies.

/ Lovepreet Singh

Azad’s guidance has been extremely useful. My workout plan was tailored to my goals and my long term plans. We’ve been working hard towards more muscle mass and strength with mini cuts in between too. Azad has always been able to point me in the right direction and is very clear with instructions. The workouts can be tough and tiring but the results become visible after a few weeks.

Lovepreet has been killing all of the goals we’ve set. The picture above represents around 3 phases (6 months) of muscle building, whilst actually getting leaner. Lovepreet gained size over the upper body and arms whilst losing inches off the waist. In that time span strength and movement also improved massively and as Lovepreet is local we were able to work on technique on the squat and deadlift on a session in the gym.

/ Gurdeep Sidhu

I took a 6 month break from weight training due to being bored. It just wasn’t stimulating me as it used to and I just didnt feel motivated by it anymore. I needed something fresh to help get me back into training, something more functional with a good veg diet as I was transitioning to being vegetarian!

Azad was just the man for the job! I have begun training more mindfully and enjoying my sessions again. I have made more gains in the mindset sense. One aim was to be able to do push ups and it was one that I hit within just a few weeks of starting! I did 10 proper reps! Azad has so much knowledge on how the body moves and making adjustments to help you get the most out of your workouts! Thank you for the wonderful conversations, training and veg recipes!

Gurdeep is someone who has previously competed in a figure competition, she’s done incredibly well but found herself in a training slump. She needed variety, new challenges and guidance on vegetarian nutrition as someone who previously had a very typical bodybuilding style diet. Our goal was simple, to keep bodyweight the same, transition to vegetarian and to get stronger whilst moving better. I set simple challenges like achieving push-ups and being able to do an overhead squat which she was super motivated to achieve. Her weight was pretty much stationary (only a 0.7kg loss) but she lost 1.5 inches from the waist and gained half an inch across the hips and thighs. We were both super happy with muscle being built in the right areas! She also hit a PB of 10 pushups just weeks in.

/ Jay Raval

I found the plan designed by Azad to be very informative and detailed, the recipe ideas were great, I was able to follow them with ease. Overall it was well rounded program. The fitness tips were really good I have incorporated many of them on a daily basis. One thing I am trying to get used to is keeping a track of the weights I lift as I am not used to doing this but will keep trying.

Jay is a student from Australia who had little free time because of part time work too. After our consultation it was pretty clear we needed small tweaks to exercise and nutrition which would have a big impact. Jay was able to meet protein needs as a vegetarian and still enjoy his favourite Indian dishes too, something his family were really happy with. Jay was able to drastically reduce his body fat percentage whilst making great progress in the gym on his lifts just by focusing on the basics and getting stronger weekly.

/ Gopal Takhar

Just would like to thank you for your nutrition guidance and training plans. It was the first time I have dieted down as a Vegan and I’m happy with my results achieving approximately 8% body fat. I now know what to do when wanting to achieve a lean look or developing muscle mass on a vegan diet.

Gopal, 40, annually gets in shape for summer as a personal challenge. He was interested in turning Vegan and has previous experiences of losing muscle and strength during his efforts even on a high protein meat based diet. He came to me at 18% body fat and we cut down to 8% with an emphasis on maintaining muscle and actually building up his weak points (mainly legs). He was delighted with how he felt and his strength and has been vegan since!

/ Preeti Kang

From the moment I talked to Azad, I knew he was a person that would help change my life for the better. I have been challenged and pushed by him, and he has taught me a great deal. He makes working out fun and inspires me to reach new goals. I have been very impressed by his passion to help clients, his knowledge and his ability to connect with his clients. Now I can’t even afford losing him!

Preeti was on a weight loss journey for a while before approaching me but was struggling with her protein intake as a vegetarian and needed an intro into resistance training. Over the last 6 months we have been able to get comfortable with lifting, have conquered push-ups and learnt how to squat and deadlift safely. Preeti has done all of this whilst continuing to get leaner and enjoying Indian foods. She is also eating more, something she was scared to do initially. Her relationship with food has improved massively.

/ Harmit Kalsi

My initial consultation was extremely useful. I was given workout and nutrition guidance which was easy to understand. Azad was clear with why I wasn’t achieving my training goals and was open to any questions I had. It was good to know that I can enjoy my food while achieving the desired results.

Upon receiving my plans, I feel more energetic right away and I have been going up with weights I lift every week for each of the exercises. I can feel my strength going up and can definitely see more size coming. Overall with more core exercises I feel alot stronger and definitely enjoying doing these.

Harmit approached me wanting to gain muscle size and strength but wasn’t looking after some of the basics like eating enough, getting adequate rest and training fundamentals like progressive overload. Once I designed a structured routine and helped with technique results were visible weekly. Harmit, despite eating a lot more than before (and enjoying it), didn’t gain much body fat at all and was really pleased with the progress.

/ Jasdeep Narang

Mentorship & guidance is underrated. If you come in with an I know it all attitude, you can see results but rest assured your ROI is not being maximized. It’s been amazing having Azad’s guidance and mentorship available throughout this whole process. Currently I’m at the strongest I’ve ever been and I’m totally fired up!

Jasdeep has been a pleasure to work with. He is very attentive to detail and always up for the next challenge. He is currently around 12kg in bodyweight down with a loss of 5 inches off the waist too! Not only are these numbers impressive but his strength gains have been epic too. He has been racking up PB (personal best) after PB.

/ Rajinder Singh

As a track and field athlete I was struggling with diet and strength training. Since working with Azad my performance has dramatically increased. I appreciate the amount of attention He paid to me with my training plan and for the tips given to me to be a better athlete. I have had great results and I look forward to continued work with Azad.

Rajinder was somebody transitioning from long distance running into sprinting. He required a strength based routine with full guidance as he was a complete beginner. From the comfort of his own home gym we have increased muscle mass, got him leaner and improved his running times significantly!

/ Varun

I have seen improvements in size, strength and one rep maxes. I’m also able to do pull-ups now which I’m super pumped about.

/ Taryam Boyd

Everything has been going great and I owe a massive amount of it to you. You sent me a DM saying you hoped I was in a better place and it really stayed with me, helped me get a handle on myself and kickstarted my journey. This is the progress I’ve made since late last year and I still refer to your guidance and advice. Still a little bit away from that six pack, but not far!

Taryam was someone who struggled with consistency in the gym. This led to many failed attempts to get lean. Taryam is a vegan so we worked closely on nutrition. Understanding how to eat in a deficit but be flexible played a big role in his ability to be consistent and to find something he could adhere to.

/ Samandeep Singh

Samandeep and I have been working together for over 2 years. In that time we have been focused on muscle building mainly through the use of his own bodyweight (calisthenics). His goals are more more performance based. He has been competing in spartan races, other endurance events and hiking around the world too! It has been incredible to see him go from doing no pull-ups to now double digits!

/ Mani Hayre

4 months in and 13kg lighter! I’ve always found it difficult to lose fat. Azad is an amazing personal trainer and is passionate about what he does. Azad hasn’t let me down, delighted with my results so far – highly recommended service.

Mani is one of the most dedicated guys I’ve ever worked with. After giving up competitive martial arts he got out of shape and wanted to get fit again. Through a calorie deficit with high protein, we focused in the gym on explosive movements targeted at strength building and fat loss. He continued to lose 0.5kg – 1kg fat per week for months on end!

More recently he’s gone meat free and focused on strength building. His deadlift one rep max has gone from 200kg to 250kg now!

The post Client Results appeared first on Azad Singh Fitness.

Unfortunately I was told she isn’t doing the resistance training anymore. She didn’t seem to be enjoying exercise because she didn’t feel comfortable and didn’t really get attached to the weights like I or someone else who loves it can, and it really got me thinking.

I’m all for people finding what works for them but more importantly what they enjoy (because resistance can and does work for anyone). I was told she is going to start swimming regularly and she will see how that goes for her.

Despite being disappointed, ultimately any activity is better than no activity. For some people its bhangra, for some its yoga, football, badminton, zumba, crossfit, MMA, boxing, rock climbing etc. The list goes on and on, the ways to keep active make up an endless list and really any movement is always better than no movement.

But what got me thinking was how difficult it is to make people enjoy something. Impossible is the word I’m looking for. Just because I love deadlifts, lifting heavy and improving my weekly strength and ironing out muscle imbalances really doesn’t mean someone else I’m working with will enjoy those things too.

I try my best not to be a zealot. Meaning preaching that my way is superior and it’s my way over every other way. But in all honesty it’s really hard not to do that when it comes to resistance training. Keep in mind there are many ways to use resistance and you certainly don’t need to copy my workouts to get the benefits I’m talking about.

I’m all for getting in any activity you can possibly get in through sports, activities, events etc but ultimately if you wish to experience a stronger, healthier, leaner and pain free existence then resistance training is for you…besides cardio doesn’t build muscle. Plus depending on what you’re doing you’ll probably be more injury prone than when doing resistance training.

The graph above isn’t supposed to be accurate to any scale however is indicative of the injury risk per 1000 hours of exposure to that sport or activity. As you can see weight/resistance training is fairly safe in the scheme of things. Even more-so than cricket! Running may have surprised you but actually presents a big injury risk.

It’s also important to remember it’s strength training, not stretching which helps people to recover from and prevent future injuries.

Here is a list of benefits of resistance training. Hopefully after reading this you’ll want to get your chachi and your gvaand on the weights.

1. You’ll look better naked
2. You’ll look better in your clothes
3. You’ll be able to complete day to day tasks with ease
4. You’ll have an easier time lifting things
5. You’ll have less knee and back pain
6. You’ll be delaying the ageing process
7. You’ll be able to lift your kids and grandkids with ease
8. You’ll manage your weight better
9. You’ll strengthen your bones and joints
10. You’ll improve your posture
11. You’ll improve your self esteem
12. You’ll decrease chances of diabetes, depression, obesity, osteoperosis and heart disease
13. You’ll improve your body image
14. You’ll improve your mood and wellbeing
15. You’ll improve cognitive function
16. You won’t look maara too

The post Why I Always Recommend Weight Training appeared first on Azad Singh Fitness.

I am coming up to 10 years of lifting this December and have lots of content planned for you all via this blog and on YouTube – just a side note. But as this 10 year mark draws closer, it has meant a serious lack of motivation to lift, and I’ve never experienced anything like this before.

This isn’t a case of getting bored two weeks into lifting or losing motivation as soon as winter arrives. I’ve been consistent for 10 years with no issues. I understand the long game and have lots of love for lifting. Lifting has given me an identity after all. I also understand motivation is just what gets you started. It’s habits and discipline which keeps you going.

It’s just that which is the issue. I’ve been disciplined with my training for so long, that now I’m not (and missing many sessions), I can’t seem to get back ‘on it’. I’ve spiraled out of routine and do a sporadic session here and there without satisfaction.

It was December of 2008 I first joined a gym. It was Harry Mitchells Leisure Centre, here in Smethwick. My goal was to increase muscle mass and strength and that goal remains to this day. It’s just that this goal alone doesn’t give me the same fire as it used to. I don’t know if it’s the slow gains that come after nearly a decade of lifting (which you have to work super hard for) or just the monotony of my morning sessions and routine.

I’ve done what I always do when in a pickle and gone to google baba for some answers. I didn’t find much advice for people classified as intermediate/advanced lifters (lifting for more than 5 years). All blog posts and advice tended to be for beginners and changing things up.

Part of me thinks just to take some time off. It won’t hurt, the gym isn’t going anywhere after all, but my motivation and drive may return. The other part of me is curious and adamant to get to the bottom of this. I have a few theories:

My first theory is that I need to re-define my goals and change-up my routine accordingly

I’ve seen a lot of Napoleon Hill’s videos, one of the legendary motivational speakers. One of the things he suggests is writing down all your goals and aspirations on paper and reading them daily to keep them fresh in your mind and your efforts targeted. I think this is important for the gym too.

It’s important to have goals to move towards when training, especially long-term. Otherwise once you’ve lost the weight or done the 120kg bench press things get very monotonous very quickly. Whether it’s to keep you sane, to continually gain muscle and strength, the health benefits etc. it’s important to always move towards a goal.

Right now my main aims in the gym are to move better on the Olympic lifts (technical goal which keeps me mobile and light) as well as to get stronger on the 5 lifts. They are the bench press, squat, deadlift, clean and jerk and snatch. I have specific numbers I wish to reach short-term and life goals too.

Seeing this on paper daily can help you to think your efforts have a direction.

My second theory is that I need to try new things

Years ago I created a routine for myself and 3 friends. It was a cycle routine where the reps and exercises would change weekly, we made great gains. On the 4th week we did something called a shock week. It was a week where you would come in to the gym and then decide what to do, it was usually something very random and was very fun because it was spontaneous.

I have recently showed more interest into yoga, weightlifting and wrestling and enjoy them. Still keeping me active, strong and mobile but completely different to a few hours in the gym working on muscle mass.

The hope with both of the above is that my efforts are focused. Focusing on 5 lifts, as well as getting started with wrestling 3 times a week and doing yoga once a week with the occasional swim and sauna session can get overwhelming very quickly. Balance is the key and finding the routine that will work for me to be consistent with everything I do.

I’m quite excited about planning this. Most likely I’ll be dropping resistance training right back to 2 or 3 sessions per week, something which I’ve never done before.

My third theory is that I’m a little lost without weekly gains

For the last 3 or 4 years I’ve really placed more of an emphasis on strength and trying to increase it effectively. As a result each week I’ve seen great gains. I kinda have a hack here, I try new things all the time so always feel great with the PB’s (personal bests). But even with the things that are consistent, the squats, the deadlifts and all of the other compound lifts I’ve gained strength almost weekly for a long time.

This changed around June of this year. All of a sudden my volume wasn’t working, the hacks and technique improvements on my bench press which saw my numbers shoot up eventually halted, and I haven’t really hit any big lifts PB’s since. Just like people search for pills and supplements for a certain low effort result, I’ve been looking to different training techniques and programs to hop onto to get the gains going again. It hasn’t happened.

I don’t think this is anything serious, probably just a realisation that I’m no longer getting beginner gains with strength training. A realisation that I don’t want to hear, but still a reality.

For now I’m just taking a break, training as and when I feel like it (once or twice a week). I’m pretty sure it’s normal to go through these phases of not being driven at all towards something I’m passionate about. I’m just a little taken back by what’s happening because it’s not happened before, working out has always been something I’ve woken up for and looked forward to.

I can’t wait until that fire comes back, because not working out is a great way to feel low and stay in that feeling.

The post I’m Going Through a Training Slump appeared first on Azad Singh Fitness.

The guy who can’t gain any weight.

The guy who can’t lose any weight.

What to takeaway

The post Common Conversations I have appeared first on Azad Singh Fitness.

The beauty of doing so today is that everything can be looked into with a quick google search and there’s plenty of research available on exercise, fitness and nutrition.

This is really what to lookout for, proof. Each and every one of the myths I will debunk in writing below or in my latest YouTube video (also below) will be based on the research.

Let’s get straight to it…

1) Soya consumption will increase my estrogen and lower my testosterone

2) Eating carbs after 6 makes you fat

3) The ideal rep range for building muscle is 8-12

The post Common Fitness Myths Debunked appeared first on Azad Singh Fitness.

This is usually something I say once clients ring me concerned about not moving on scale weight on this weeks weigh in. I encourage them, explain the possibilities and the fact there’s much more to look at. Hopefully they leave the call worry free, but I do realise it can be frustrating.

The same thing happens to me.

My goal is to increase my muscle mass and strength and I’m always looking for scale weight to be trending upwards and increasing. Recently I had a cold (mixed in with hay fever and aching joints) and ended up losing some weight (80kg down to 77.2kg). Something that used to really annoy me.

Note: This also usually happens when I’m away on holiday, especially in India. Perhaps it’s the weather and the increased activity or even the reduced calorie intake through not having access to the same foods I eat here, but I always end up losing up to 4kg.

It hit me, this is how clients feel when the hard data they’re supposed to be tracking (weight) isn’t showing them progress.

But there’s so much more to it then that. In my case for example I ate less through loss of appetite for those few days while I wasn’t feeling too good, plus probably didn’t drink enough water. My weight would and did just normalise with a few days back to my normal routine (and normal food and water intake). The same thing happens after being away on holiday, a few weeks back into the gym and normal eating routine is all it takes to be back to normal.

In the case of clients not seeing the weight moving down, is that really a bad thing?

Well we certainly don’t want to be at a wall for more than 4 weeks. That would mean efforts need to be adjusted. But one week or two of what seems a halt in progress isn’t really anything to worry about.

Everything from the amount of food you eat (in weight), how much water you drink, how much you sweat, pee and excrete can all make a difference to the number on the scale. These factors and more can mean daily fluctuations.

Scale weight is one tool out of many tools to track progress.

You can and should also monitor measurements (like waist, neck and hips), progress pictures, your day to day energy, how you feel, your strength in the gym which will all likely be improving.

People can get somewhat attached to the numbers on a scale, but there are many other factors which are arguably more important. Waist measurements for example to let you know about your fat loss. Or strength in the gym to let you know if your routine is effective.

Sometimes I’ll come off calls with clients who feel better, leaner and healthier who are still bothered by the scale not shifting in which case I’ll tell them one of two things.

To stop measuring weight on the scale and focus on other areas. Especially like how they’re feeling.

Or

To measure scale weight every single day so we can calculate a weekly average and actually prove its trending downwards.

This second option is a fantastic tool I incorporate to help people get over the mental challenge of stepping on a scale. It’s almost built up in the mind like a test or a huge event for some! Once they begin to see the daily fluctuations because of some of the reasons mentioned above, they realise it was really nothing to be worried about. I find it helps their understanding massively.

You can also check out a short video I made on this very topic.

To conclude I just want to say that whether you’re trying to get lean or add mass you do want your weight to be moving in the right direction. It’s completely reasonable to expect  0.5% – 1% bodyweight change per week however there are other factors which are important too like how you’re feeling. You may be losing a lot of weight per week but feeling dreadful, that is not ideal.

Take care of some other forms of measuring progress, ensure that you feel good and your measurements and strength are improving. Give your weight on a scale a little less importance, especially if it’s demotivating or discouraging you to step on it every week.

The post The Number On The Scale Isn’t Everything appeared first on Azad Singh Fitness.

Unfortunately there’s still a huge stigma around eating roti whilst being on a fitness journey.

‘you can’t eat roti because it’s all carbs’

‘I had double butter chicken (or daal makhani) instead and left the rotiya because, you know… carbs’

‘I had 2 wholemeal slices of toast with sabji today instead of rotiya because, you know…they’re better right’?

These are all things I’ve heard!

So let’s break a few things down…

A single roti contains around 120 calories, 20g carbs and 3g protein (or thereabouts depending on the size). The reason why it’s silly to skip over 2 chapatis and actually double your portions of butter chicken or daal makhani (heavily buttered lentil curry) is because you’ll most likely end up eating more calories than if you just had a normal portion alongside 2 chapatis.

I know that I’ve personally seen people say no to roti and then proceed to eat entire mixed grills to themselves because of the protein, ignoring the fact they’re over-consuming calories.

For those of you trying to achieve fat loss remaining in a calorie deficit is the number one priority. I also feel as a secondary point that a single portion of the chosen daal or sabji alongside 2 chapatis is more filling than doubling up the portion of the daal or sabji alone. This could just be me and is totally anecdotal. But Punjabis usually say ‘svaad ni aunda’ and ‘gall ni bandi’ until roti has been eaten. Loosely translated meaning there isn’t satisfaction and filling until you eat roti.

The key point I’m trying to make is roti isn’t evil. Skipping over them and doubling up portions of  your chosen daal or sabji (or meat dish) could mean more calories so be mindful of that.

Another point I think is important…

Dietary adherence. Two words that are very common in diet research but uncommon in the fitness circles and social media, despite it being the number one reason people fail to lose weight and actually keep that weight off (stay lean).

It essentially means your ability to stick to a diet or regimented way.

Why is adherence important? Because if you can’t stick to something, like a diet, you probably won’t get any lasting results as it isn’t sustainable for the longer term. This is probably the reason so many people who lose weight end up gaining it back. A good example is telling people to eat tofu, rice and broccoli 3 times a day (a really restricted approach). If you’re motivated, you may do it for a few days. If you’re highly motivated you may do it for a week or even more but ultimately this approach will get sickening, you won’t be able to adhere, because, well it’s boring and silly and therefore it won’t be successful (short or long-term).

There are many reasons why an approach may have low adherence. Perhaps it isn’t satisfying, doesn’t taste good, or doesn’t allow you foods you enjoy or maybe it takes too long to prepare. These are just some examples.

So let’s bring it back to roti. There is a link between adherence and roti.

If roti is made at home daily, which it is in my house at least, it’s far easier for me to consume them and make them work in my nutrition rather than not to eat them and cook my own meal. Convenience is a factor we should consider too and it’s highly convenient to have one meal of the day handled just because it’s prepared daily at home by default.

It also tends to be a family meal which again, because it’s daily, makes you more likely to stick to it long-term equaling more success.

These are really the only two points I wanted to make. Be mindful of your calories with or without the roti (but know roti can easily fit into a calorie restricted approach), and also think of adherence. You’re probably setting yourself up to be more adherent and successful by including roti just because it’s made at home daily saving you time and prep.

Plus daal!

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