Type 1 Diabetic, Personal Trainer, Richie C answers your most pressing questions about fitness
---------
Training intensity is important when working out to reach your goal. How do you achieve and maintain your training intensity?
As someone who has his own physique goals, I always aim to create as much stimulus as I can recover from within a single session. For myself, that involves working to failure/close to failure on all my exercises, with enough volume that I can recover from and at the same time make incremental progressions every single session across the board. However, having a lifestyle that balances a sufficient calorie intake that aligns with my goals, sufficient sleep as well as stress management, are all essential factors that play a role in my ability to maintain that same intensity every time I set foot into my own training. As a type 1 diabetic, I have the extra consideration of maintaining healthy blood glucose levels via my medication, exercise, diet as well as supplements in order for me to physically function well.
How do I find what drives me to exercise?
As a personal trainer, a lot of times it is my job to pull clients back into their “why”. That intrinsic motivation is what keeps people going, and is usually the strongest reason for them to stay on track. As a type 1 diabetic of 12 years, my “why” has always been to constantly challenge and improve myself physically and mentally, and to not allow any self-imposed limitations hold me back. Keeping health a priority has always been paramount to me, and I now use my case to hopefully inspire my clients and many more to continue on the path of fitness. Having an environment that encourages this is so much more helpful than many think, and I’m blessed to be working under TSquared Lab, which boasts a comprehensive ecosystem that takes care of multiple areas of fitness for our clients, such as Health, Personal Training, as well as Nutrition.
How can I enjoy my favourite foods while still achieving my fitness goals?
Moderation is ultimately the key in balancing your own mental well-being while achieving your own fitness goals. Adherence will lead you to achieving the most success to your goals, and if having 1 or 2 off plan meals with your favourite foods at the end of the week allows you to stick to the plan for the rest of the week and work harder, then that might work well for you! When those off-plan meals become more frequent though…. That might hold you back from making actual progress. Being able to make smarter choices or modifications to your favourite foods to make them more aligned to your goals will also allow you to enjoy them without making such a huge dent in terms of progress. Small changes like having sauces on the side, requesting for less oil, or picking leaner cuts of meat can go a long way!
I can’t seem to stick to diets. How can I eat better to achieve my fitness goals?
Sometimes, it’s important to take things one step at a time. At Tsquared Lab, we create holistic plans for our clients that ensure they are able to stick to their plans. If you make a drastic change to your diet, you might be able to follow it for a while before it starts to take a toll and the cravings kick in. However, making small incremental changes and building up these habits over time will allow for more longevity and sustainability to your goals.
