matt - The Energy Coach

What To Expect From a Personal Training Session

Posted on March 28, 2022March 28, 2022 by matt

What To Expect From a Personal Training Session

For me, a good personal training session should be as unique as the client. Going back 15 years when the health and wellbeing industry was beginning to really pick up, a cookie-cutter approach to personal training would be classed as the norm. Today the fitness industry is massive and only growing and it seems that everyone wants to be a coach or personal trainer, so the standards have risen quite dramatically. Although having said that you will still find lazy, uninspiring trainers all over the UK, often they won’t last in the job more than a few months and only the best have a fulfilling career from it.

For me, a personal training session is more than just exercise and that’s why I like to call them coaching sessions. I have one, sometimes two hours, each week with someone to help them as much as possible and making them sweat hard for that hour when in-between personal training sessions they’re eating and lifestyle habits suck is not a good way to spend the time. And so in my coaching sessions we might exercise, we might stretch, I might do some sports massage, we might set goals, we might reflect on success and failures and plan for the week ahead, we might even just talk rubbish for an hour!

Coaching sessions with me last anywhere between 30-60 minutes as sometimes you don’t need 60 minutes to have a great session that accomplished everything you set out to achieve. Would you be happier if you got the same great haircut but in less time? Exactly. Providing my client has left their session feeling it was the best, most productive time spent on their goals and needs, it was a success.

I gauge what the most productive things to do with our time together by asking a question. After greeting a client, the first thing I ask is “what would you like to get out of today’s session with me?” And we do just that. Sometimes I will ask to offer my opinion and make some suggestions that I feel would best suit their needs and so the session might be made up of both the wants but also the needs of the client.

I think it is vital to start a session with a blank canvas, no preconceived perceptions, or judgements whatsoever. Approaching the session like I’ve never met the person before and know nothing about them. Because what I’ve learned in the last 15 years is that people’s wants change from day-to-day.

We end the session with a couple of powerful questions; “what was your biggest lesson or take home from today’s session?” which is a great question to help my client leave with the key point of the session firmly in the forefront of their mind and secondly “if we were to do it again what would we do differently?” Only by asking this question will I know how to make their session even better next time.

Matt Jordan – the Energy Coach

The Nutritional Fundamentals

Posted on March 28, 2022March 28, 2022 by matt

The Nutritional Fundamentals

These 5 rules should form the basis for any healthy eating programme. It’s what I recommend for my clients and it works. It’s not rocket science but healthy eating for optimal health and body composition shouldn’t have to be!

Eat Slowly – Check in with hunger; sit down, relax and take your time. 15-20 minutes to eat a meal.
Stop when you’re 80% full

Eat Protein With Every Meal – Aim to eat 1 palm-sized portion if you’re a girl or 2 if you’re a guy at every meal.
Protein dense foods include; meat, fish, eggs, protein powder supplements (whey or plant), greek yoghurt or cottage cheese

Eat Veggies With Every Meal – Aim to eat at least 1 fist-sized portion with every meal

Save Starchy Carbs For After A Workout – The meal following a workout should have a fist-sized portion of starchy carbs (rice, oats, pasta, breads etc). At all other times exclude the starchy carbs and double up on your veggies

Eat Healthy Fats – Aim to include a portion of healthy fats with every meal from sources such as nuts, seeds, oily fish, olives, avocado. A portion size should be about 2 fingers

Matt Jordan – the Energy Coach

How to set yourself up the for day in the best possible way

Posted on March 28, 2022 by matt

How to set yourself up the for day in the best possible way

As a busy parent, I know how hard it is to find the time. We never seem to have enough of it to spend a little on ourselves. It’s eaten up by unplanned circumstances, kids, work, family, essential living…

What I’ve come to realise, particularly over the past 4 years since I’ve been working more on self-care, is how greatly that impacts how I feel, how I behave and how I cope with life. Looking after ourselves a little better has a massive impact with how we interact with others, so taking a little time each day is a selfless act and can improve our relationships with others (not just ourselves).

How do you find time when literally every minute of the day is eaten up?

You wake up 5 minutes earlier and you don’t procrastinate in bed.

A morning routine that sets us up to face the day in the best possible way.

My morning routine looks like this, bear in mind that I’m not suggesting starting this from the outset as long-term habits begin with small manageable steps.

5am get up
Super greens drink
15 mins stretch
20 mins breathing exercises
10 mins meditation
Breakfast and filling in the day planner
20 mins reading
Cold shower
High five in the mirror
6:45am begin work

No scrolling
No news
No emails

It’s a lot, but I didn’t start with that. It’s grown and built up over 4 years. It sets me up in THE BEST possible way for the day, I’m in a great headspace so I’m less reactive, calmer, clearer, happier.

As the mornings are getting lighter and spring is beginning to appear it’s a perfect time to start a new habit and rise 5 minutes earlier. I suggest just picking ONE thing you’d like to do in your 5 minutes.

What would you like to do to make you feel better for the day?

Stretch, quick exercise routine, drink a pint of water, meditate, read a book, sit in silence and enjoy the moment perhaps?

Trust me, when you feel HOW GOOD just 5 minutes makes, it’ll encourage you to find a little more time.

If you LOVE your bed a little too much and hate getting up, try Mel Robins trick. Count back from 5! 5-4-3-2-1. It stops the procrastination (Mel has a great book on the power of this trick)

The WORST thing you can do is check your phone first thing. Stop that right away. Does it put you in a good frame of mind?? I bet it does the exact opposite!

Now go set your alarm and get up just FIVE minutes early tomorrow and do something for YOU.

Self-Care is a Self-less Act.

Matt Jordan – the Energy Coach

P.S. If you’d like some help planning your day and making sure you’re held accountable for your plan, give me a shout. I help individuals on a private basis with my enthusiasm, belief and positivity to turn their routines on their head!