Matt Collins Coaching

A small change that makes Bulgarians a hell of a lot more productive.

Using the rack for support removes a lot of the unnecessary stability demand, allowing me to focus on what I’m actually trying to do: load the target muscle and produce as much output as possible.

Less energy spent trying to balance. Give them a go and let me know how you get on

Prep is hard enough without making it harder than it needs to be.

The position you start prep from matters.

If you’ve pushed body fat too high during a building phase, trying to force everything off within a 16–20 week prep can mean more fatigue, worse training performance, having to push the deficit far harder than you ideally would and potentially not hitting the mark on the day

Sometimes the best move is to diet before the diet.

Run a pre-prep fat loss phase, bring body fat back down, take a diet break to reduce fatigue and get training performance back in a good place, then start prep from a position where you can actually focus on bringing your best physique.

If you’re looking at competing or doing a photoshoot next year, don’t just think about when prep starts.

Think about the position you need to be in when it does.

If you’re planning a show or photoshoot in 2027 and want help mapping out the phases between where you are now and being ready on the day, drop me a message with “PREP” and we can have a chat about coaching.

If leg extensions are giving you knee discomfort, check your setup before blaming the movement.

When you sit down, make sure your hip and knee are in line and your kneecap is pointing straight up, rather than allowing your knee to fall out to the side.

A small adjustment that can improve how the movement feels and how effectively you load the quads.

How do I manage my holidays? It’s pretty simple.

I’ll usually have 3 high-protein, lower-carb meals earlier in the day. I don’t spend all day snacking on crap, then I’ll have an off-plan meal most nights and eat whatever I actually fancy.

I train. Not because I’m trying to “burn off” what I’ve eaten, but because I genuinely enjoy training. It’s part of my holiday. I’ll book a hotel with a decent gym or find one close by.

My step count is usually through the roof anyway as a by-product of being out exploring.

I still fill in my daily habit tracker, just like I would at home.

And that’s literally it.

I’m not tracking every calorie. I’m not taking Tupperware around Malta. I’m not avoiding meals out with my wife. And I’m definitely not spending the holiday worrying about my physique.

The important part is that I don’t really have to consciously think about “managing” the holiday anymore.

These are just behaviours I’ve repeated for long enough that they’re part of what I do.

And that’s ultimately where I want my clients to get to.

Getting in shape is one thing.

Building the habits and structure that mean you can go on holiday, enjoy yourself, come home and carry on without feeling like you need to start all over again is another.

That’s what makes the results actually sustainable.