Playstrong Physio & Personal Training

Weekly Update - Holiday Mode

It’s been a tough week for the old body composition.

Not really a surprise though. I haven’t been paying much attention to nutrition and, apart from one session today, I haven’t really been training either.

The last while has been pretty intense on the body, so I was well overdue a proper rest.

I’ve probably spent about 95% of this holiday either sitting or lying down… which might explain why my back is still a bit sore. 😂

After last week’s weigh-in, I was exactly where I expected to be and right on track. Since then, I haven’t stepped on the scales once.

And I’ll keep it that way until I get home.

Some people think you should still be trying to stay on top of everything while you’re away. I don’t.

From my perspective, you work hard all year. Your holiday is your time to switch off and enjoy it however you want.

Two weeks is only about 2% of the year. In the grand scheme of things, it’s really not that much.

For me, this rest has been earned.

When you’ve been pushing yourself for weeks, switching off can be just as valuable as another training session if you use it properly.

So no weekly weight.
No daily weight.

I’m happy enough with how the photos are looking, and that’s enough for me this week.

I’ll be back into a bit more training over the next few days, but everything else stays the same.

That’s it from me for tonight 👊

Week in progress.

Probably one of my favourite weeks so far.

Don’t get me wrong, I love working.
And I love training.

But having a break from both has been exactly what I needed.

On Tuesday I flew out to sunny Spain.

Since then it’s been a mix of relaxing, eating good food, and having a few drinks.

To be fair, Ireland’s weather has been class lately…

But this still wins.

Maybe it’s the sea air.
Maybe it’s the pool.
Or maybe it’s just the extra food and drinks.

Whatever it is, I’ve been enjoying every minute.

Reset the mind, slow things down, and just enjoy where you are.

On to next week 🕺

We’re often told that once you hit your 40s, you lose muscle, gain fat and start slowing down.

On average, that’s true.

So how come I’m carrying more muscle today than I was seven months ago at the exact same body weight?

It wasn’t motivation.
It wasn’t a secret workout.

It was having a structured, periodised plan and sticking to it.

The photo on the left was taken after my photoshoot in January.

The photo on the right was taken this week.

Same body weight.

But my chest is fuller.
My shoulders are rounder.
My back is bigger.
My arms have more size.

From January to June, I focused on building muscle with a small calorie surplus, progressive overload, good recovery and enough protein.

Then I finished with a fat loss phase.

Every phase had a purpose.

That’s the biggest lesson I’ve learned.

For years I worked hard, but I was always dieting, stopping and starting. I never gave my body enough time to actually build muscle.

Working hard isn’t enough.

You need the right plan, the right phase and enough patience to let it work.

My strength has improved.

I’m lifting more weight.

I’m back playing senior football instead of over-35s.

People still tell me,

“You’re too old for that.”

Or,

“You’re obsessed with weighing your food.”

But what if this is what I enjoy?

This is what frustrates me about social media.

Everyone wants the 8-week transformation.

Yes, you can make great progress in 8 weeks.

But if you want to build an athletic body that lasts, you need to think in years, not weeks.

These photos aren’t the result of one perfect program.

They’re the result of making the right decisions, over and over again, for seven months.

Go back through my page and you’ll see every phase documented.

Nothing happened overnight.

That’s how I got s**t done. 👊

Performance Cut – The End

A shorter check-in this time around as I last updated on Friday.

Today I went on holidays, so it’s time to wrap this phase up. I’m happy with how I finished the diet.

I compare it to finishing training by scoring a goal. You walk away feeling positive, knowing you’ve ended on a high.

Physique-wise, as you can see from the photos, why id be happy with where I’m at. I’m not in photoshoot shape yet, but that wasn’t the goal. I’ve made good progress and I’m pleased with the result.

The last three days have been busy, with double training sessions on most days and at the same time juggling work.

Interestingly, even after 12 hour shift last night, my energy really came back. It feels like I’ve finally got over that horrible hump where everything feels like an effort.

After three days of training in a row, I actually feel like I have more energy now. Whether that’s down to the carb cycling over the weekend or something else, I don’t really mind—I’ll take it.

Week 8 numbers:

* Weight: 61.65 kg (down 0.05 kg from last week)
* Weekly average: 62.1 kg (down from 62.4 kg)

Overall, I’ve lost 4.05 kg over this 8-week cut—an average of 0.51 kg per week—while maintaining my performance in the gym and on the football pitch.

Now it’s time for a holiday, a bit of recovery, and then I’ll be back ready for the next phase.

Over and out 🫡

Week in Progress

Another week in the tin.

Who would’ve thought we’d get an Irish summer like this? Long may it continue.

It’s been a busy one.

Work’s been flat out, plenty of gym sessions, and football is well and truly back. I’m also getting ready for the next phase at work, which I’m looking forward to.

Today wrapped up 7 days in a row of training.

* 5 gym sessions
* 3 astro sessions
* 2 high-intensity 90-minute sessions
* 1 pre-season team session

You’d think I’d be wrecked… but weirdly, I actually feel like I’ve got more energy. Funny how that works.

Rounded the week off with a bbq first, watched the World Cup final with the lads. If I’m honest, it was a complete shambles. The quality was poor from start to finish.

Monday finished with a 7am-7pm shift, and then I had Astro after with the MNF lads, good game we won obviously, so that’s me done for the week.

Time to switch off, get some sleep, and go again bright and early tomorrow.