Beginners Guide to Getting Ripped

A quick update from behind the scenes…

When I first set up this page, it was all about one thing: helping people get leaner and stronger.

Over the last few years, though, my work – and my life – have shifted. I’ve seen how many people feel they “fail” at fitness not because they’re weak or lazy, but because the whole system is built around the wrong starting point.

So I’m shifting the way I coach and where I put my energy.

– DCSfit is becoming a more structured coaching space, built around a framework I’ve been developing called Equilibritecture, which takes people step by step from the basics (sleep, food, movement, stress) towards identity and self-belief.
– I’m also launching a new charity project, Designs on Yourself, focused on helping neurodivergent adults and others who’ve never felt at home in traditional fitness environments to rebuild confidence and health in calmer, safer spaces.

This page isn’t disappearing – it’s evolving.

Over time, this will become more of a hub for:

– deeper posts about the rebuild process
– updates from DCSfit and Designs on Yourself
– and, eventually, longer-form content (video, podcast, etc.) for people who want more than “before and after” photos.

If you originally followed this page because you wanted to change your body, and any of this speaks to where you are now, I’d love you to stay connected:

👉 Follow DCSfit for more on the new coaching direction
👉 Follow Designs on Yourself - SCIO to see the charity project as it grows

Thank you for being here, even while things have been quiet. The work is finally moving again

One of the healthiest things you can do is laugh - it decreases stress and lowers cortisol (which ultimately helps improve weight loss, muscle building and general well-being).

With that in mind, I have to recommend this show. I saw it during its initial run, and I'm heading to see it again at the Pavillion.

It's hilariously funny, the script seems to get tweaked and adapted to current events for up to the minute humour and there is a very poignant message that will hit you in the feels too.

What more could you ask for?

Highly recommended!

Today, in the UK, it is the shortest day of the year.

Any glimmer of sunshine must have been extremely fleeting (it almost feels like a full day of night).

☀️ Daylight, both mentally and chemically, gives us a boost. So to be deprived of it is not doing us any favours.

This is one of the reasons Christmas is situated at this time of the year. As a celebration to lift our spirits in the darkest days. 🥳

And given the past couple of years, that has rarely been more poignant. (So please, regardless of your views of the festival or the day, take the time to care, be cared about and focus on joy and happiness wherever possible).

One thing that rarely gets thought about though is Vitamin D.

🙅 Limit the sunshine - limit the vitamin D supplies.

Given the benefits to mood and depression; the positive effects on the immune system (again, never been more important); the boost to calcium absorption (improving bone density and repair) and fairly recent links to improved fat loss, it’s a Vitamin worth ensuring you are topped up with. ⠀
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Whilst it can be obtained through food sources, levels tend to be quite low. However, it’s certainly worth ensuring you get as much as possible this way. ⠀
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Aim to include the following:⠀
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🔸 Fatty fish (Tuna, Salmon, Mackerel etc)⠀
🔸 Egg Yolks⠀
🔸 Beef Liver⠀
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You can also look at dairy products, such as cheese, orange juice & some cereals. However, these may be a hindrance to your body composition improvement goals (ie fat loss or building muscle) and should be included sparingly. ⠀
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But the fact remains that a top-up is something worth considering and supplementing this particular vitamin may be worth considering. ⠀
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My preference is to use the spray version, as it is generally absorbed through the skin (when coming from the sun) anyway. But that is hypothetical on my part, so consider any high-quality brand.

Bring a little sunshine wherever possible at this time of year, through joy and consideration of others.

But don't forget the chemical side of things and look after your health & well-being.