Blue Light Coaching

Stores must hate me…

At least once per week on check in’s one of my clients laughs and tell me how they’ve had to go back to stores to get more smaller work clothes.

In some places I’ve learned they actually have a points system for new uniform.

So some of them are just having to wear tighter belts because they have no points left 😂.

But sadly they are a small minority of emergency service workers.

For most, the months pass by and the uniform gets tighter and tighter.

And yet they don’t need help.

For less than you spend on your weekly takeaway you could work me.

With guaranteed results as long as you hold up your end of the bargain.

If you are currently unhappy with your situation and the solution is staring your right in the face but you don’t take action…you fully deserve to remain unhappy.

There’s no magic button.

No one is going to roll into your life and fix it for you.

It’s on you.

Happy Monday 🫡

For those working…stay safe out there.

Fortunately for you I do…

Getting shift workers like you into the best shape of your life is actually my full time job.

It’s what puts food on my table…and trust me there’s a lot of food to get down at the minute.

I’m also pretty fu***ng great at what I do.

And extremely humble.

But on a serious note, I fully understand what you go through on a daily basis.

I’ve actually been there and done it…with 7 years experience as a cop working a load of different shift patterns.

I know this time of year you’re probably looking to get started with your weight loss and muscle building journey in January.

And there’s a lot of coaches to chose from.

So ask yourself…do they have any idea what you have to deal with on a daily basis at work.

Do they understand the stresses and strains of your job and the impacts it has on social events, relationships or even just getting your rest day cancelled at short notice to work some s**tty football match.

And ask yourself…is there any proof that they can actually do what they say they do.

I know there’s another couple of coaches out there who “specialise in shift workers”…but there’s no evidence of that and all they seem to do is moan about the fu***ng job.

It’s like a kitchen fitter moaning about s**tty kitchens…but they’ve never actually fitted or fixed one themselves.

AKA…not a kitchen fitter.

Plus I just hate moaners.

I’m not waiting until January to take on new clients…my doors are currently open.

So all you have to to is drop me a message, we can get on the phone for a chat and if we’re a good fit to work together…you can place a small deposit and secure your spot for January.

Relax and enjoy the next few weeks before you get started knowing you’ve made a great investment that’ll pay off for years to come.

I’ll speak to you soon 📲.

For those working, stay safe and remember your thermals.

Nearly three weeks off the gym and guess what?...

My physique still looks the exact same.

So the next time you get your rest days canceled and before you know it you've worked 12 days in a row and only managed the gym once or twice...it won't make that much of a difference (if any).

As long as you're consistently decent in the long run and make most of your sessions and hit your food targets on a regular basis you'll be grand.

Sometimes even if I was having really busy weeks I would hit my calories and my protein target and aim for 2 sessions.

You're not going to add a s**t load of muscle in a couple weeks and you're certainly not going to lose a s**t load of muscle by missing a couple of sessions.

Remember you are playing the long game.

Don't push the f**k it button when things get tough.

Adapt your training to suit (you should be planning the weeks in advance).

And keep your nutrition simple.

Calories and protein.

And stay safe out there.

Trying to build muscle working shifts?...

Here's a few things you're probably doing wrong :-

❌ Zero structure to your training. You jump from plan to plan expecting to get results and changing things up again when you don't.

❌ Falling into the supplement trap. (All the gear and nae idea). You don't need an intra workout blend, BCAA's or anything else for that matter outside of protein and creatine.

❌ Your diet is s**t. You probably haven't consistently hit your protein target for more than two or three days in a row...if that.

❌ You think you eat loads but can't add muscle...you can and you're not eating enough.

❌ You're jumping from a failed gaining phase to a failed weight loss phase with no direction or progress.

Here's what did over the last 4-5 months.

✅ Got a coach who actually knows wtf he is doing and has worked shifts.

✅ Focussed on getting stronger in the gym and increasing volume near on each and every week.

✅ We bring food up when needed, if weight stalls or strength sticks in the gym...we add food.

✅ Understanding he can still go for a night out or weekend away and miss the odd session or fully tracked day of eating.

✅ Bought new clothes because all of his old stuff is too small 😂!

So what should yo do?

Eat more food and focus on progressive overload.

If you have any questions or just want to make progress once and for all and stop wasting your time...drop me a message and we can discuss your goals.

For those working, stay safe out there.

“I didn’t feel happy in my body”…

Before Steph reached out to me she…

❌ Was punishing herself with cardio after nights out to try and lose weight.

❌ Was too nervous to go to the gym as she had no idea where to start.

❌ Doing random YouTube workouts.

❌ No idea where to begin with training and nutrition.

“ I reached out to James Daniel Coaching after recommendations from friends.

Since then I’ve gained so much knowledge about the gym and training, and gained so much self confidence.

I’ve always had clear attainable goals and direction.

The changes in my body are huge, but it’s the changes in mindset that are unbelievable.

I now workout because it makes me feel great and it’s become and entire lifestyle change”.

I couldn’t have said it any better 😂.

If you’re ready to start making changes just like and remove the guess work…drop me a message.

For those working…stay safe out there.

Picture the scene...

You wake up a couple of months from now, feeling extra energetic then ever before.

Looking in the mirror and being pleasantly surprised at what you see looking back.

You pop your work trousers on, the button fastens in a flash without you even having to force it.

You get to the office and stick the rest of your kit on.

You have to tighten your utility belt as it's becoming just a little too loose.

You head out in the car feeling confident and comfortable, there's no bits being pinched.

You say no to a morning roll because you're finally starting to see progress.

The way you speak to people has changed.

The way you carry yourself has changed.

The way you talk to yourself has changed because you finally see what you are capable of.

You get home from work and cook a nice meal before heading to the gym and getting the last of your steps in.

You feel even better when you return home to do any final chores and get a shower and head to bed.

Your social events are picking up on rest days because you can now wear whatever you want.

You're going out and having fun not constantly worrying what other people are thinking of your outfit or your "bits" that you don't like.

The things you once found difficult, turning down rolls and cakes, getting to the gym or even having the energy to get out for a walk after work...they are all the things you now look forward to doing.

Motivation is no longer needed when you enjoy what you're doing because you know what the end result looks like.

You start to enjoy the small tasks and daily challenges because you're starting to feel the physical changes that you've wanted for so long.

Or you can wake up a year from now still feeling uncomfortable.

But remember you choose your discomfort and you choose your excuses.

For those working stay safe out there.

I've been to the gym once in the last two weeks...

It's certainly not ideal nor is it something I would recommend...being ill is extremely boring.

But will it have a negative impact on my physique long term?

Absolutely not.

It's what you do well most of the time that matters.

So the next time you get shafted at work dealing with some s**t no one actually cares about but there's "boxes to tick", meaning you get held on for 4 hours, smash a Big Mac and miss the gym....

It doesn't really matter long term if you've went over your calorie target on the odd occasion.

The people who will tell you it does matter have most likely never put any of their "knowledge" into practice.

If someone read a book on playing the guitar do you think they could teach you how to play the guitar as well as a guitar teacher who actually played the guitar?

Of course not.

Unfortunately I was blessed with pretty s**t genetics when it came to building muscle.

I've now been training consistently for over 15 years.

I've missed hundreds of gym sessions (9 in the last two weeks to be exact) and eaten a s**t load of McDonald's in that time.

So give yourself a break.

And for those working this weekend...stay safe out there.

I was still in the Police in both of these pictures...

One the left during a gaining phase and on the right during a weight loss phase.

Both very successful all whilst working shifts funnily enough 🤔!

And yet the amount of posts and videos I've seen by other coaches who go on about shift work as if it's the worst thing that could happen to a person.

"Well you work night shifts sometimes so you'll just be fat forever and kiss your dreams of building muscle goodbye"

It's bulls**t.

And as much as I'm against posting loads of selfies...I like to lead by example and prove my point.

The same coaches who forget about you when you turn up to your PT session first thing in the morning before a back shift.

Or sit and talk to you during the one hour slot you paid £50 for about chicken and rice for 45 minutes.

These are just a couple of examples I've heard this week 😂!

If these are the people you're working with or listening to...this is probably a sign you need to move on.

I don't even care if it's me, but if you want results once and for all...get a coach who has walked the walked whilst actually working shifts and has a list of client results (who also work shifts) as long as your arm.

So the next time they tell you you're not losing weight or getting results because you're sleep patterns out of whack or because you had a kebab with your shift at the weekend...tell them to get f**ked.

For those working...stay safe out there.

How Kenny lost 60 lbs...

We actually hit the 200lb mark but our lowest average was 203.

Weight loss can be difficult and it can be even more difficult going it alone in a job with long hours.

Kenny went from :-

❌ Low motivation

❌ Always feeling tired

❌ Struggling to balance shift work and home life

❌ Lack of structure around eating on shift

❌ When he did eat it was the wrong sorts of things and too much of them

Kenny decided it was time to make a change and reached out to me in December of last year ready to make that change and live a healthier lifestyle.

He has now :-

✅ Dropped 60 lbs of body fat.

✅ He’s aware of his eating habits on shift and how to manage social events.

✅ Motivation and energy levels have increased massively.

✅ He’s now hitting the gym and going for a run most days.

✅ He has balance and can still eat his favourite foods on occasion whilst continuing to make progress.

Reaching out and asking for help can be difficult.

If you’re feeling low on motivation that will 9 times out of 10 increase massively when you can guarantee the work you are putting in will pay off in the long run.

Again thanks to for allowing me to showcase his results.

It’s great to see what can be achieved in a short space of time.

If you’re sick and tired of being sick and tired drop me a message and we can discuss your goals.

For those working...stay safe out there.

How Kenny lost 47 lbs...

Weight loss can be difficult and it can be even more difficult going it alone in a job with long hours.

Kenny went from :-

❌ Low motivation

❌ Always feeling tired

❌ Struggling to balance work and home life

❌ Lack of structure around eating

❌ When he did eat it was the wrong sorts of things and too much of them

Kenny decided it was time to make a change and reached out to me in December ready to make that change and live a healthier lifestyle.

He has now :-

✅ Dropped 47 lbs of body fat (and will continue to drop more).

✅ He’s aware of his eating habits.

✅ Motivation and energy levels have increased massively.

✅ He’s now hitting the gym or going for a run most days.

✅ He now has balance and can still eat his favourite foods on occasion whilst continuing to make progress

Reaching out and asking for help can be difficult.

If you’re feeling low on motivation that will 9 times out of ten increase massively when you can guarantee the work you are putting in will pay off in the long run.

Buzzing to see what this one can achieve over the next few months and super proud of what he has achieved so far!

Again thanks to for allowing me to showcase his results.

It’s great to see what can be achieved in a short space of time.

If you’re sick and tired of being sick and tired drop me a message and we can discuss your goals.

For those working...stay safe out there.

I've missed over 400 gym sessions...

So over the last 8 years I've probably missed at least one session every week or two.

The job, family life, social life and a host of other things that got in the way.

There's even been a few weeks where I've just been a bit s**t at tracking foods and missed sessions because I couldn't be arsed.

But I have hands down been consistently decent...which is all that actually matters.

I have no intention of stepping on stage, I don't want to jump on the hot sauce and get my IFBB pro card...I do it because I enjoy it.

It makes me feel good.

And all I have to do to grow, make progress and build my physique the way I want to build it, is to be consistently decent.

It's what you do consistently well over the long run that actually matters.

That's why most people never achieve their goals, instead of just committing to something they look for short cuts, easy options, the next quick fix.

I don't care if you've got a holiday coming up, a wedding, a stag do....anything.

These are all just excuses.

If you're ready to push the excuses to one side and make amazing progress over the next few months, drop me a message and we can discuss your goals.

Until next time.

Stay safe out there troops.

“I need someone who understands my job”…

Is what .d said to me on our initial phone call before we started working together.

“I found you on Instagram and the main thing that drew me in was that you were an ex cop”.

Now this isn’t me saying all other PT’s are useless…I personally know a lot of great coaches.

But are they suited to work with you?

If the toughest decision they have to make is what colour of shorts to wear…they probably have no idea what is is that you go through at work on a daily basis.

From dealing with high stress incidents that drain the energy from your body, missing your dinner breaks, getting held on for hours and having rest days cancelled for major public events.

It can feel like there’s just no time to focus on any form of self improvement…I’ve been there!

It’s more than possible if done properly in a way that you enjoy.

It’s no coincidence that most of my clients have worked with other coaches at some point, never got anywhere, worked with me and smashed it.

You need someone who gets it.

Someone who knows when to push and when to pull back on those difficult weeks.

If you’re ready to make a change and want to work with a coach who cares about his clients more than posting pictures of his abs with a motivational quote attached drop me a message.

For those working this weekend stay safe out there.

And as always watch our for the scumbags.