When was the last time you put yourself first? In the hustle and bustle of daily life, it’s easy to forget the importance of self-investment. We’re often so focused on our responsibilities and commitments to others that we neglect the most critical asset we possess – ourselves.

Investing in yourself isn’t a selfish act; it’s a fundamental step towards personal growth and fulfilment. Here’s why making yourself a priority should be at the top of your to-do list:

The road to improving your health will inevitably cross the path of nutrition and diet. Anyone who wants to improve how they look, move and feel will need to improve this aspect of their life.

Being honest, anyone who values their health in any form should at least take a look at their body composition and diet on a regular basis.

I very rarely say things in absolutes, but educating yourself and improving the way you eat is paramount to being healthy.

This blog post is a combination of two podcasts I done around nutrition, so if you’d prefer to hear my Limerick accent then read my Limerick tone, that is another way of digesting these nutritional nuggets.

These ideas are based on the RTB nutritional pyramid.

Now that we have covered the fundamentals of effective nutrition i.e. calorie balance and macronutrients, lets move into more practicality.

And in particular we are going to zone in on fat loss as I know this is the dominat issue with most people that attend our gym.

But first, just to ensure we are clear on how fat loss occurs.

Fat loss happens because of thermodynamics.

It happens because a calorie deficit is created within the body.

We expend more calories than we consume, and over a period of time we start to lose body fat.

It's a straightforward enough concept, but tricky to achieve.

Hence why fat loss and even obesity is becoming an increasing problem in Ireland and many other countries.

The science is somewhat simple but the application is not as easy to achieve.

Raise The Bar was born of the idea to improve the health, happiness and strength of our members. That sounds nice, but I’m sure other gyms and coaches preach something similar. This article is going to give you an overview of how we program our group training programs and deliver the best results around. Our group training program involves all members working off the same program (different to our semi-private program). Exercises are often adapted but for the most part, everyone works off the same hymn sheet.

Nobody wants to get injured. But nobody wants to let possible gains behind also. Its a fine line between pushing the get most out of your session and over doing it and ending up on the physio’s table. Here are some simple tips that can help you thrive in your training but also stay resilient.

Protein is an essential nutrient that plays a crucial role in building and repairing tissues, producing hormones, enzymes, and other molecules, and supporting a strong immune system. Here are some healthy protein-rich foods you can include in your diet:

As January fast approaches the stereotypical sprint to the gym begins (excuse the pun).

At Raise the Bar, we normally don’t see that frantic rush in January. We want people to join who to make a long-lasting positive change to their health. That’s not something you jump to. You must think long and hard about a change like that.

It takes hard work

It takes changing life-long habits

It takes a financial investment

It takes your heart rate getting a little higher normal

But the reward is beautiful

Imagine progressing month on month

Imagine being comfortable walking into Waterford’s best gym

Imagine seeing yourself move and look better than ever before

Imagine coming home to your family and setting the example to be healthy

It’s all possible, the foundation group is where the journey begins.

If you commit fully, the pot of gold awaits you.

Gyms are daunting, we get it.

No matter how much of a pep talk you give yourself, it’s still damn hard.

Going from a hesitant beginner to a fully devoted healthy person is a huge transition.

One that will change your life for the better. So it is worth investing time and energy in to the process.

Improved fitness, diet and confidence are just some of what you can expect once you commit to becoming healthier.

People slip off the motivation bandwagon frequently.

“I’m motivated now for my sister’s wedding”

“I’m back being motivated after the festival at the weekend”

“I lost motivation after holidays”

If this sounds like you, keep reading.

Top athletes are not more motivated than you are. They have figured out the system to success, whether they know it or not!

They have a coach, they set targets and track the metrics, they stick at it long enough to see the results come to fruition and they have a supportive network of team mates throughout.

The same applies to the fittest guy/girl at your local gym. The hack to motivation is not a one-word type answer, a number of steps are needed and we have narrowed these down to 6 simple steps that will allow you to reach a motivated level and stay maintain it long term.

One of the main areas we work on our members to cut body fat is …….

Replacing unnecessary amounts of carbohydrates and increasing protein intake

Too many people consume copious amounts of carbs and not enough protein. The old saying by famous strength Charles Polliquin to “earn your carbs” is one that pops to mind here.

Thursday the 9th of June was a memorable day at Raise The Bar as we were crowned Waterford’s best gym for 2022 by WLR FM and localheroes.ie in Kilmacthomas, Co. Waterford. It was a brilliant evening and thanks to everyone who organised the event, the food was amazing by the way!

Creating a healthy breakfast is up there with one of the biggest challenges we have seen as personal trainers / fitness coaches when dealing with someone who wants to lose weight, or more accurately lose body fat.

Incorporating exercise into your lifestyle is essential to creating a happy and healthy life. Exercise does not need to be complicated or overly difficult. If you want to be leaner, stronger and happier, you need simplicity and consistency., but here are some tips that may help.

We are lucky to be blessed with multiple modalities of exercise in today’s age. From Zumba to weightlifting, running to crossfit, and everything in between there is no shortage of options for those that want to improve their health.

From the minute you walk into the gym to your first working set, there is ample opportunity to improve.

Feeling de-motivated right now? Feeling like every day is Armageddon day? You’re not alone.