Rupert Drew

When I hear fellow trainers say things like sugar is toxic, or act like all you need to do is cut out sugar if you want to be healthy and lose weight, it really gets me thinking about how much influence that narrative still has. Not just on the general public, but on professionals who are supposed to know better.

Because we know it’s not just one singular thing.

We know this. We’ve studied this. We’ve monitored this.

And I think a lot of the time it’s because it’s easier to blame one thing. It’s easier to simplify the problem and point the finger at that. But we’ve been doing that for years, and people still keep running into the same issue, because the issue was never just the one thing they were blaming in the first place.

It was the myriad of other things.

S**t sleep.
Low movement.
Sitting on your arse all day.
Poor planning.
Lack of nutritional knowledge.
Your food environment.
Your beliefs around food.
The way you look at yourself.
The way you grew up around food.
The things people said to you.
Using food for comfort because it soothed some of the negative feelings you were going through.

It’s all sorts of reasons that end up driving a calorie surplus, and that calorie surplus is what drives weight gain.

And of course, if we’re stuck around the same weight for a long time and finding it difficult to lose, then yes, we’re not in a calorie deficit. But that’s still a simplified way of looking at it.

The more useful question is: what is driving that maintenance or that surplus in the first place?

What behaviours are driving it?
And what is influencing those behaviours?

That’s the bit we should be looking at.

Not sugar per se.

Sugar can be one part of it.
But it is not the sole reason why people struggle to lose weight.

Hey you, new to training? You don’t need a lot to get started. You need less confusion.

That’s where I’d start.

Not 14 different exercises.

Just enough structure and repetition to learn and feel confident.

Just enough progression to see proof that your body can move and get stronger.

That’s the process:

Clarity = make the gym feel less confusing
Proof = build confidence through actual progress
Expansion = add more once the foundations are solid

That’s how people go from
“I’ve no idea what I’m doing”
to
“I actually feel confident in here now.”

If you want help with that, send me a message. I’ve got coaching spaces available

I’m here if you need a pep talk

Don’t forget to save this

A question I get a lot:

“How do I know I’m exercising properly?”

Good question. Because tired isn’t the same as effective.

A good set usually has four signs:

It gets properly hard.
The reps slow down by themselves.
It still looks like the exercise.
The muscle you’re training is doing the work.

Do more of it.

Do less if you’re burning the candle from both ends

Don’t forget to save this

Memes to catch your attention, and hopefully inspire you to go and lift some heavy weight god damn it

MOVE WITHOUT LIMITS

This is my first ever workshop and you’re invited

GymNation, London Bridge
26th October, 1pm - 2:30pm
£5 charitable donation

It’s a 90 minute session about breaking the myth that stiffness and decline are “just part of aging.”

-You’ll learn how to build strength and flexibility together

-You’ll walk away moving freer, stronger, and more confident in your body

-And you’ll see proof that your body can adapt at any age.

Limited spots available

Reserve your spot now via the link in my bio