Frances Bavin Fitness

Somewhere along the way we've started treating perfectly normal human features as problems that need fixing.

I'm all for looking after yourself. I enjoy training, eating well and even a bit of skincare. But I think there's a difference between self-care and constantly being told there's something else to worry about.

Hip dips. Cellulite. Wrinkles. "Runner's waist". Glass skin...

Some things are just bodies being bodies.

Life's too short to spend it chasing every new trend. I'd rather focus on being strong, healthy and capable.

Which one would you happily add to the list?

ONLINE COACHING IS NOT THE SAME AS FACE TO FACE PT

Although I do include a lot of the coaching aspects with my face to face clients, it really does naturally work in a different way. With face to face clients they get a lot of work around the edges and we do still sit down every few months for a deep dive into progress with micro reviews every session but week by week we meet up at the same time and I am holding them accountable for coming to the gym and meeting with me.

For those who have a bit of experience either in the gym or using weights at home, online can be really fun. I never used to really get it because the onus is on you a bit more to do your workouts rather than turning up to be told what to do. But that's actually part of it - working on your discipline, owning it, not depending on someone else to make you do it - but you still have that support, guidance and basically someone in your corner who IS watching from afar and keeping you accountable.

What I love about online coaching is the regular check ins, answering the (sometimes tricky) questions on the feedback form that make you really question your excuses and making it a little bit harder to hide from your own bu****it. But also making you really look at the positives and giving yourself the pat on the back you deserve when you have stuck to your targets.

So in a nutshell, online coaching isn't a cheaper version of personal training or a watered-down alternative. It's a different type of coaching. Less about me standing beside you counting reps, and more about helping you build the habits, confidence and consistency to keep going even when nobody is watching.

Because at some point, whether you've worked with a coach or not, the goal is the same - to become the sort of person who looks after themselves because that's just what they do.

And if I can help someone reach that point, then I've done my job.

I am working today, but making the most of the first bit of sun we've seen in ages!!

Sharing these messages that just came in from my 60 year old client who is not long back from a long, adventurous holiday with lots of wonderful food! There's more to the work we do than just focusing on weight but it's usually a big part of the initial reason someone may come to see me in the first place.

I think her comment on slide 3 is what makes me happiest... Acknowledging her hard work and results but also looking forward to doing more! This is life not just a quick fix. Well done, you know who you are!! 🙂

You do not need a complicated app or a nutrition degree to know your numbers.

Here's the 2-minute version I use with clients:

1️⃣ Weight (kg) × 31 = your rough maintenance calories
2️⃣ Fat loss? Take off 300–500. Building muscle? Stay put or add a little.
3️⃣ Protein = weight (kg) × 2 in grams (or ×1.6 if that feels a stretch)
4️⃣ Keep fats above ~50g, let carbs fill the rest
5️⃣ Bonus one: 20–30g of fibre a day — the most underrated number of the lot

Before you change anything, give it 2–3 weeks of tracking so you can see where you are at already.

These are guidelines, a good starting point, not necessarily your forever numbers.

Main workout (3-4 rounds):

Bodyweight Squats × 10-15
Push-ups × as many good-quality reps as you can manage (leave 1-2 in the tank)
Glute Bridges × 15
Reverse Lunges × 10 each leg
Side Plank March × 10 each side
Superman × 10 (of all three moves)

A very simple little workout to try on holiday. Start with the Walk Out + World's Greatest Stretch warm-up, then complete 3-4 rounds of the main workout.

Next time you do it, try adding 1-2 reps to each exercise or an extra round.

Modify where needed. I mention a few options in the videos, but you could also do push-ups against a bench or wall, or add a backpack or suitcase if you want a little more resistance.

Save this for your next trip!

And this applies to face to face as well as online.