The Stalls Gym

Three useful tips for those of you who are on a weight loss mission this New Year.

This post goes for all weight loss methods whether you’re doing intermittent fasting, keto, calorie counting, 5:2, etc.

1. When you lose weight it isn’t just fat that you’re losing. Your muscles can, and will be, broken down to be used for energy to make up for the lower amount of energy your diet is providing. To help maintain muscle you should do some form of resistance training (lifting weights) like we do in our small group personal training in Sheffield and ensure your diet contains a moderate amount of protein (1.2g protein per kg bodyweight - 60g for a 50kg person)

2. Your energy levels will drop and you will move around less which means you won’t be burning as many calories unless you make a conscious effort to move around more. Step counting is one way to ensure your activity levels aren’t dropping.

3. Be aware that reducing calories may also mean reducing how many micronutrients (vitamins & minerals) you’re consuming so making sure you’re including plenty of naturally colourful foods (fruit & veg).

Keep this in the back of your mind if you’re dieting.

Our current timetable - See Picture 2
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Whilst our small group personal training timetable stays fairly similar it does change based on our members’ preferred times to train
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This means that if you’re interested in joining our small group personal training, groups of up to 4 people per session, and this timetable doesn’t quite suit you then please don’t hesitate to get in touch and tell us what would work better for you.
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This is especially true as you get older!
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I remember speaking to someone who said they’d cancelled their gym membership because they felt their walking & gardening was enough. That’s when they started feeling achy, stiff & weak and it was only when they rejoined that they started feeling great again
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Even if you’re someone who hasn’t exercised before, imagine not feeling those aches & pains that remind you daily that you’re getting old
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I know that exercising doesn’t appeal to everyone but those 2-3hrs per week can make the rest of your week feel so much better.
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If you’re getting older & are thinking you need to start something for your health longevity but don’t know where to begin please get in touch because we can help you in our small group personal training sessions. Start to feel younger again
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Everyone has their reasons for training but all our members come to either stay or feel more UNSTOPPABLE
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I’d agree with Kris when she says she’s “hard as nails” and wants to stay that way
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She runs her own coaching business, she’s a mum, and she manages to fit training sessions in around the rest of her life. She tends to come along to the early morning (6.15am) small group personal training because that’s what works for her & always works hard
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If you want to start lifting weights & getting fitter to help feel like nothing can get in your way all alongside other like-minded women you can give a go with our 30-day trial (link in bio for more info & to enquire)
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Well done 👏 you’ve got through pregnancy & birth! Now what?
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In terms of exercise here’s some pointers:
• Don’t overdo it - weeks 0-2 pelvic floor exercises, pelvic tilts & some short walks are plenty (extend this to 0-4 weeks if C-section or significant tearing)
• Weeks 2-6 gradually build towards bodyweight exercises such as hip bridges & squats (+ pelvic floor exercises). You can increase how much walking you do & weeks 5-6 include some LOW IMPACT cardio, eg biking/crosstrainer
• Weeks 6-8 (this is when you can come & join our small group personal training) - increase low impact exercise (quantity/intensity) & you can introduce additional weights to your training, eg 16kg kettlebell deadlifts, 8kg kettlebell goblet squats, etc.
• week 8-12 - depending on wound healing swimming can be introduced & a gradual build up of weights lifted during resistance training
• week 12+ - if running is your thing it is now you can introduce a gradual introduction to this & other impact activities
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Remember that this is just a guide & that it may take you longer than the timeframes outlined above depending on your situation. There are lots of things to consider such as slow wound healing, diastasis recti, & pelvic floor dysfunction among other things
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Listen to your body & reach out if you feel you need any advice. We can help!
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Isn’t is cool how we’re all different…
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…it means we all feel happiest and most comfortable at differing points on a sliding scale
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I’m saying this because setting yourself a goal, such as body weight or fitness level, should consider how your lifestyle and happiness is impacted
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If you want to be really lean then that’s going to mean you’re going to have to say “no” to a load of foods you love, you’re likely going to have to be less social, you’re going to have to force yourself to be active when you’re feeling tired. Being really slim is achievable but what’s the cost? If you’ve got a weight loss goal there no reason why you can’t move the goalposts if you realise it’s making you miserable.
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You might feel less comfortable with your weight but it may be more important to you that you eat great food & socialise with mates. You might feel best exercising daily, eating well and getting a great night’s sleep and everything else is irrelevant.
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Don’t forget your happiness & sanity when working towards a goal, especially if it’s a long term goal.
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On a slightly more selfish note, if you aren’t happy with your weight, fitness & lack of body confidence then our Small Group Personal Training can help and we offer a 30-day trial which you can join by contacting us through our website.
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Are you someone who throws everything out of the window as soon as one aspect of health & fitness isn’t up to your expectations?
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Here’s a few examples:
You missed a workout, which led to poorer diet choices & negatively affected your sleep leading to repeating that cycle because you were tired
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You had a bad night’s sleep due to a late night, which meant you weren’t up for your usual gym session & craved those higher calorie, less nutritious food choices
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You had a high calorie fast food option, felt guilty, continued making poorer food choices & decided to skip your workout
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I’d like you to look at your health & fitness as three categories: exercise, diet & sleep (you can add other categories, such as mood, into the mix). If one of these doesn’t meet your expectations you can make sure that the other areas aren’t affected, eg skipped a workout but still managed to eat well & get to bed at a regular time allowing sufficient sleep for the next day. You’ll get better at this the more you practice it.
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Another thing to think is to not allow it to happen twice in a row, eg you missed a workout, make sure you’re not missing the next one, or, you had a grab and go Gregg’s sausage roll three pack instead of the salad you’d prepared, make sure to have a nutritious dinner rather than a Domino’s.
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And stop telling yourself & others that you’re an “all-or-nothing person” because it’ll make it more likely that you become one. It’s only damaging to YOUR aspirations.
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Everyone who joins our gym starts with a 30-day trial of our Small Group Personal Training
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Swipe to see what to expect with the group training
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You can sign up via our website

This is for all of you out there comparing yourself to others
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We’ve all had those thoughts… “What are they doing to look like that or perform like that” in the hope that if you do what they do you’ll look exactly like them or that you’ll be able to do whatever else it is you think they are doing “better” than you.
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It doesn’t work like that. Everyone is different & everyone responds differently to different lifestyle choices. If everyone responded the same way then life would be boring.
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For this reason, don’t compare yourself to others.
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If you want to change something (weight, sports performance, energy levels, etc) then you will have to change things in your life. But don’t compare! Don’t think “She eats more than me, how come I don’t look as slim as her?” Or “She doesn’t do any exercise, how come I’m struggling to breathe on this hike & she’s breezing it?” As annoying as it sounds, you might need to work harder than someone else to get the same results.
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Likewise, don’t think someone is lazy because they’re struggling at something you have never struggled with. They might have to put more effort in to achieve what you can.
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The takeaway - if you want to improve something in your life you may have to put more effort in than others so just do what you need to do to make the changes you want to make. Look for help if you need it. At The Stalls Gym we help people feel fitter, stronger & leaner so if that’s something you want to achieve you can get in touch. We offer a 30-day trial of our Small Group Personal Training.
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Variety is key to encourage you to keep going
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In terms of exercise, it’s good to make your exercise sessions varied to keep you interested. Whilst it’s a good idea to repeat certain movements, such as squats, there are so many variations of that movement it’s easy to avoid getting bored. See the images of how you can perform two workouts using the same movements only switching up the exercises.
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In terms of diet, it has been shown that eating a meal with lots of variety is more likely to result in overeating. Think about a hotel buffet! There’s always space for that slice of cake next to that pile of seafood paella on your plate…just me!!! Less variety of food means you’re more likely to eat less which is beneficial for weight loss/maintenance.
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If you’re bored of doing the same thing over & over again we offer small group personal training where every session is different so that each time you come along you get excited about what’s in store for you. We also offer nutrition help.
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We offer a 30-day trial of our small group personal training which you can apply for by visiting our website (www.thestallssheffield.com)
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Sometimes you don’t have the motivation to get any exercise in so you need a non-negotiable to get your ass in gear
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A non-negotiable is something that you can’t get out of even when you just don’t feel like it
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It could be something as little as “I’m going to put my gym clothes on first thing every Monday morning”
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Or it could be “As soon as I finish work on a Tuesday & Thursday I’m going to drive to the gym & spend an hour lifting weights”
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Come up with a non-negotiable to hold you accountable & stick to it. If it isn’t working then you need to change it
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Our Small Group Personal Training sessions help boost your motivation & we hold you accountable making it easier for you to get the exercise in that you deserve
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You can apply for our 30-day trial by visiting our website (www.thestallssheffield.com)
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No matter how much weight you’re putting on your back it’d be a good idea to add squats into your week
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Think about all those times you perform some version of a squat each day:
- getting onto & off the loo
- sitting to & standing from a chair
- picking things off the floor
- using the stairs
- getting down to kid level
- all the rest…
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Aside from the benefits of exercise in general, squatting will help:
- leg & bum strength (bones, tendons, ligaments as well as muscles)
- help prevent falls
- allow you to lift heavier things eg kids
- help prevent aches, pains & injury
- make day-to-day tasks easier
- help keep you flexible
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Adding weight would be ideal but you can start with bodyweight or even assisted squats.
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If you have no idea how to squat properly then I’ll happily help.
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Squats are one of the many movements in our Small Group Personal Training sessions & we offer a 30-day trial which you can enquire about on our website (www.thestallssheffield.com)
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