Sam Crawford 29/04/2019 Sam Crawford 29/04/2019

The life changing power of ice baths

I love ice baths.

I'd happily marry one if I could, such is the feelgood factor they bestow upon me.

The fear can be crippling just before you dip your hairy wee toe in, but after 5 minutes when you get out, you enter into some mad state of euphoria, trust me on this one.

Let's give you a quick history lesson, run through the benefits then tell you how to do it.

And yes, I am teaching you how to take a bath...

Ice baths

Let’s talk a little bit about Ice baths shall we?

It’s as simple as it sounds, just get a bath that is ice cold. You can fill a tub entirely with ice if you’re crazy, you can fill it half with cold water and half with ice or you can just use the ice cold water.

I’ll be straight with you, I’ve just been using the ice cold water and that is more than enough to shrink your gonads inside your body.

Sometimes I’ll pop a bag of ice in with me but to reap the benefits, I’d wager the cold water does the trick.

Do you want a quick history lesson? No?!

Doesn’t matter, still gonna give you one.

Cold water immersion has been around since the dawn of time itself, with loads of different civilisations giving it a go - the Romans, Ancient Egyptians and more recently - sort of, the Victorians.

In The Victorian era, cold water therapy was prescribed for just about any ailment you could think of, be it hysteria (whatever that meant) or the flu.

People rated it.

And so they should have.

Cold Water therapy has come full circle and is now back in fashion thankfully, with Paula Radcliffe (famous for being a world class marathon runner, infamous for taking a poo at the side of the road during one of her races) attributing her 2002 Olympic gold to cold therapy - barmy.

What are the benefits?

The list is basically infinite when it comes to the benefits of taking ice baths. It offers even more than my trusty favourite, the cold shower.

Euphoria & Natural energy

This is without doubt my favourite byproduct of an ice bath. You get a sense of euphoria that’s extremely hard to match.

When you step outta da tub, you feel like you’re floating 3 inches off the ground - it really is heavenly.

Do some Wim Hof breathingbeforehand and you’ve got quite the potent 1-2 combo for a drug-free morning high.

Let’s call it; Wake and Lake (lake is the only water-based word I could think of to replace bake - maybe it’ll catch on, who knows - #WakeAndLake).

Reduce stress, depression and anxiety

This is such a key benefit to consistent ice baths. They can actually help to alleviate symptoms of all 3 of these potent mental illnesses.

I can become riddled with stress really easily and I have no idea why but I find it can be kept well managed when I am taking cold showers and ice baths regularly.

This is due to the fact that when you plunge yourself deep into cold water, you cant think about anything else but breathing and the sensation on your body.

You become instantly present and it feels good. Your mind becomes empty and that immediate lift you get really gives some mental clarity to your day, trust me.

I like to do an ice bath in the morning, do a workout, go in the sauna, steam room then the plunge pool (if your gym has these - make use of them!), have a cold shower, meditate and do some Wim Hof breathing. This will all usually be done by about 2pm, meaning the rest of the day I can relax with a quiet mind.

I’m well aware that this sounds like some optimal guru parody but all of those activities have been clinically proven to alleviate stress, depression and anxiety and I know for a fact that doing them keeps all 3 at bay for me.

It is especially important in today’s climate that you take care of your noggin as well as your physical state, so doing a combination of physical activities like the ones I have outlined above is a double edged sword in terms of its efficacy at improving both the mind and body.

Mental willpower

Stepping into an ice cold bath every single day builds major mental fortitude. The willpower to force yourself out of your comfort zone every day will have a positive effect on your overall willpower.

I am notoriously terrible with my self-control and willpower but about 3 weeks after I started regularly doing cold immersion I noticed I was snacking less on garbage and I had managed to stick consistently to my 5am wake ups.

I think it’s a case of not wanting to waste your day now that you’ve done something so difficult if you get what I mean?

Say for instance, you take a big fat ice bath in the morning, do a bit of meditation and Wim Hof breathing - you don’t then want to break the chain by having a snickers for breakfast or drinking so much Guinness that you poo your pants.

Feel me?

How to do it

Ideally, you’d want to do this in the morning or if you’re at home, when you hit the afternoon slump around 2-3pm. I tend to do it in the morning as I wake up around 5am and need something severe straight away to wake me from my zombie-like state.

Fill the bath up so that when you get in and lie down, only your head will be poking out. This way, your full body is getting hit with that cold ass h2o.

I tend to put my feet in first (like anyone was going to dive into their bath head first...) and just stand there and take 5 deep breaths to brace myself for the onslaught of feels about to come my way - I highly recommend this step.

Then lower yourself in and sit in the water for another 15 deep breaths. This acclimatises the majority of your body to the cold.

Once you’ve taken your 15 breaths, it’s time to lower yourself down into the lying position. This takes major stones - it’s okay if you wuss out the first few times. But if you feel like going the full 9 yards, dump yourself back and let the water flow over you.

You’ll feel like screaming - do so if you wish. After a few sharp inhalations, you’ll actually get used to it and the water won’t even feel that cold at all.

You may also get some numbness but that’s all part of the fun - obviously if you start to feel too weird, get out. I won’t be held responsible for you drowning in a tub full of your own filth you animal.

Anyway, take another 30 breaths and then dunk your head under briefly before getting out. This will give you a final shock and if you weren’t already awake before that, you certainly will be after it.

Get yourself out of the tub and get dried. You’ll feel instantly better. Literally as soon as you stand up out of that water you’ll feel like a new person.

Take a look in the mirror and more than likely, your skin will be pink as anything and it’ll feel tight - in a strangely rather good way.

Put your clothes on, feel on top of the world and get out there to smash whatever goals you may have.

That sounded a bit GaryVee didn’t it lol.

The sentiment still stands though. An ice bath will set you up for success in whatever you do, I don’t care if anyone disagrees with me they’re all wrong and stink because they didn’t take a bath.

Be sure to follow me on socials to keep up with the daily goings on of The Man Blueprint. You can also sign up for my inner circle using the newsletter form above. Just drop your email in there and it’s job done. Completely free and completely brilliant. Whilst you’re here, have a little browse of some other article you might like below too. You won’t regret it.

Floatation Therapy Side Effects and Benefits

I’m always one for trying new and innovative health trends. I have written extensively on just about every single one of them, from Intermittent fasting to cold showers and saunas, I’ve covered it all – hell, I’ve even got a book on them! But what about Floating?

I’ll be honest, floating has never really been on my radar until the past 6 months or so, when I was walking through Liverpool and stumbled across an intriguing little blue sign that stuck with me for a while – Float Planet.

What is floating? Will it take me to another planet? Am I going to try this? All these questions were flying through my mind as I walked past.

Luckily, I got my answers.

WHAT IS FLOATING?

Let’s kick it off with defining floating, what on Earth is it?

Also known as Floatation Therapy, floating simply means exactly what you thought – lying back in water and staying like that for a while.

It goes deeper though, believe me.

Starting out in the 1950’s as ‘sensory deprivation’ (which you’ve probably heard of), floatation therapy was shown to help myriad ailments, which led to it becoming commercial soon after.

It involves placing yourself in a tank or pod which has about 10 inches of water in it along with about 500lbs of epsom salt and is heated to precisely body temperature. You then lay there, weightless and reap the rewards.

Easy.

WHO ARE FLOAT PLANET?

Now we’ve got our heads around floating, who exactly are Float Planet?

They are a floatation therapy centre based in Liverpool city centre – the best place in the world.

Their mission is to create a fully immersive environment that helps lower stress, recover more quickly and live a bloody lovely life in general.

Float Planet’s environment is absolutely perfect for all of this. Kitted out with the best relaxing gear money can buy, I felt immediately at home as soon as I set foot in there – but more on this a bit later.

Does Floatation Therapy Work? Floatation Therapy Benefits

There are loads of things to shout about when it comes to floatation but I’ve condensed them down to 5 for now so I don’t blow your mind too much.

DECREASES STRESS, ANXIETY & DEPRESSION

I am the biggest stress-head ever although I don’t often show it. Tiny things stress me out so much and I know countless people like this. I also know that a huge percentage of the population suffer from anxiety and depression.

Studies have shown that floating can actually alleviate symptoms of all three of these.

Sign me up. There have also been people who have experienced reduced blood pressure, muscle tension, and additional health benefits after a float session in a float tank.

IMPROVES SPORTS PERFORMANCE

Float planet get dozens of athletes through their doors – front full top-flight football teams to champion boxers, athletes can’t get enough of it.

There’s a reason for this – floating can help to boost athletic capabilities, shown in case studies with Olympic medalists and human guinea pigs alike.

It could be down to the relaxation benefits of floating or potentially the minerals of the epsom salt – probably a mixture.

MAKES YOU CREATIVE

Spending so much time alone with my thoughts was such a surreal experience but one thing I did notice was just how much more creative my mind became without constant stimulation.

I found myself coming at problems from different angles, thinking up new things to do with the blog and different avenues to explore in terms of building my business #empire.

I forgot most of these afterwards because I’m an idiot but the thoughts were still there.

RELIEVES PAIN

If you read my blog, I will assume you’re into your physical activity. A lot of us who enjoy getting active put our bodies under a lot of stress. Couple that with all the mental stress we are exposed to on the daily and you’re looking at a recipe for burnout.

Floating helps to increase blood flow all around the body, which helps to provide tissue, organs and bones with much needed oxygenated good stuff.

Floatation Therapy Side Effects and Benefits

This can help alleviate stress around the body and can even rid you of chronic pain all together. Another reason to get to floatation therapy in an isolation tank or sensory deprivation tank.

IMPROVES SLEEP

A direct consequence of spending time in floatation tanks is relaxation. A relaxed body is a body in sync with its natural clock, hence those who float well, sleep well.

Loads of studies back this up too, with some showing immediate benefits straight after just a single, hour-long float. It is quite easy to reach a deep meditative state in float therapy flotation tanks without adverse effects.

MY EXPERIENCE WITH FLOATING

Forgive me, as this is going to be quite a long section, but I just feel like I have to get it all down so you can really imagine what this place is like. There are so many floatation therapy side effects and floatation therapy benefits for you to know about.

So…

As soon as I walked in, I was greeted and shown a load of floating tips on an iPad just to get me in the mood.

I was then taken downstairs to where the magic happens. After a quick tour of the vanity room, toilets and the like, I was shown to my personal floatation room.

Here, I was given the full breakdown of what was to come. Basically, you quickly shower before you enter the pod. Wipe your face dry as you don’t want to be itching it in the salt water (there is a spray bottle in there if this happens though), put your ear pods in so that water doesn’t get in (it also helps keep any external noise out – though the tank does this 99% of the time), cover any cuts with petroleum jelly and then slide on in.

And yes, go in starkers if you want the full experience. There’s a table and wall hooks for all your stuff so don’t worry.

I was surprised by the sheer power of the water when I got in. I was expecting to sink down and have my fat arse skidding along the bottom, but the water lifted me up and kept me there – it was like some form of black magic. Initially, I was a bit intimidated by it but once I let myself go it was an unbelievable feeling of freedom.

If I was to recommend a ‘strategy’ on floating for your first time, I’d say use the float halo provided for the first half of it. The halo is just a support for your neck – I felt it was good to help me ease in. Then just experiment with different positions. I tried elongating my whole body, doing some strange star shape, resting my hands on my chest, etc.

Just keep varying it ’til you find a good’n.

But let’s get back to the float.

So you climb in, there’s an inviting blue hue in the tank which you can either keep on or switch off for the full experience. You can then close the lid if you wish or leave it open if you aren’t up for it – the room will go dark anyway.

What are the benefits of floatation therapy?

Once it goes pitch black it’s game on. Music will start playing for the first 10 minutes to ease you into your float. It will also play again for the final 5 to ease you out. I loved this little touch as it really helped me zone in and out of my float.

About halfway through it really hits you that it’s just you and your thoughts with literally nothing else going on. This is going to sound really weird, but I felt like I was inside a mixture of the following; Heaven, deep space & the womb. Strange but at the same time, brilliant.

You really feel like it’s just you inside a void of infinite nothingness and it was such a welcome break from my monkey mind.

Afterwards, I realised that was the longest I’ve spent alone with my thoughts since I was about 8 years old and it couldn’t be more refreshing.

Harking back to my womb comparison, when the lights come on, you open the tank up and climb out, it feels like you’re being reborn.

Serious symbolism going on there but if you try it you’ll see what I mean. You feel like you’ve been in there forever and for just a moment simultaneously. Seeing light again is almost euphoric – I can see why some people cry (not me though because I’m such a manly man obviously!!).

Then it was time for a shower. Float Planet have got loads of nice toiletries to get you feeling like a high class member of society in no time. Once you’re dried and ready, you can hit the vanity room up if you wish. This is the start of the deep relaxation process that the guys have put in place post-float.

Once you’re done there, it is recommended that you chill out in the Float Planet relaxation room. This is a great place to meditate on your experience and just reacclimatise before you hit the big bad world again.

You can sit in alarmingly comfortable chairs, put your feet up and watch the world go by with a pot of their special brew tea and a book. I did some work on the blog during my down time and 2 hours went by in the blink of an eye!

VERDICT

So, would I recommend Float Planet? And floatation therapy as a whole?

Obviously. This blog has given you the complete run-through of floatation therapy side effects and floatation therapy benefits.

In my humble opinion, my floating experience was one of them most surreal, unbelievable experiences of my relatively short existence.

Apparently, it only gets better with each float too, so if your head is blown by your first session, chances are, it’s going to implode even further if you go again.

Floating is legit. Get yourself down to a floatation tank.

If you’re willing to go deep within yourself and reap some major benefits, get involved.

You can keep up with Float Planet on their site, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Completely free and completely brilliant. Whilst you’re here, have a little browse of some other article you might like below too. You won’t regret it.

The Bachelor's guide to healthy eating

Do men really need basic cooking/meal prep guides anymore? Is this Bachelor’s guide to healthy eating even NECESSARY?

Well, yes – sort of.

Long gone are the days when a squire’s wench would rustle up a stew and some mead for her breadwinner at the end of a working day.

And thank bloody God. Crippling sexism aside for a sec – what a bunch of man babies that dynamic created! Men who couldn’t cook their own meals, resorting to beans and marmalade with a side of skittles if their other halves weren’t available/didn’t exist.

Thankfully, us blokes are far more adept in the kitchen now, but that doesn’t mean we all have hours and hours of free time to rustle up healthy meals on the reg. Sure, you could do meal prep for the week on a Sunday night but who wants to do that?

This guide will show you the ultimate Bachelor diet. No cooking required – ever.

Yeaaaaaah boiiiiii you heard that right – NO COOKING.

Let’s get into it. This is The Bachelor’ Guide to Healthy Eating.

WHO THIS GUIDE IS FOR

I’ve gone for the title, ‘Bachelor’s guide to healthy eating’ because of the tired stereotype that single guys just eat takeaways and can’t cook for themselves.

I love stereotypes.

But this guide is for basically everyone who lives in the 21st century. We are so deprived of our own time that eating healthily is one of hardest things we are faced with.

Whose average day of eating looks like this?

Cereal/Toast/Nothing
Latte from starbucks
Soup/Meal Deal
Chocolate bar
Microwave dinner
Late night snack aka 3 bags of crisps

I bet at least half of you reading this probably have a diet similar to this. Obviously it is your fault but it’s also kinda not. Our lives are so hectic that eating well goes to the bottom of the priority pile and we opt for the easiest and *tastiest* grub that we can throw down the hatch and forget about.

Except eventually, we can’t just forget about it. Poor eating habits are going to put you in an early grave. I know there’s going to be exceptions to this; “My nan eats nothing but doughnuts and worms and she’s 125!” – good for her. The facts are still there though, eating garbage puts a strain on your bod and the older you get, the harder it’s going to hit you.

That’s not to say you can’t treat yourself every day, I often scoff sweets, chocolate, ice cream and whatever I can get my grubby mitts on, but for the most part, my diet is decent – which is what you should aim for.

Think 80/20 people.

Wouldn’t it be good though, if the food you ate was healthy, quick AND a treat in and of itself on account of its god damn tastiness?

That’s where THE BACHELOR’S GUIDE TO HEALTHY EATING comes into its own. I love this title, pretty proud of myself for that one.

WHAT’S SO GOOD ABOUT IT?

A meal plan that is healthy and requires precisely zero cooking sounds a little bit too good to be true, are there any other benefits? Yes there are.

Here’s a few to whet your appetite – pun intended.

PRICE

For £40 ($52), you can get a full week’s worth of food. If you did a bit of bargain shopping you could probably get it way cheaper too.

This works out so much cheaper than constantly eating out, saving you time and making you feel better in the long run. A meal deal every now and again won’t kill you though.

HEALTHY

It’s healthy! You’ll be getting lots of lean protein, healthy fats and a good mix of fast and slow releasing carbs throughout the day. Pair that with a plethora of fruits and veggies and you’ve got yourself a perfect diet.

EASY

The main selling point of this Bachelor diet is that it is so bloody easy. No cooking. Does it get any better? No sir it does not.

TASTY

It may look a bit simplistic on paper, but once you’ve tried the recipes below, you’ll realise just how tasty stripped back meals can be. The fact that they’re tasty paired with them being so satiating means that it’ll be a long time until you’re bored of them and you’ll be able to stay on track with ease.

SAVE TIME

With the lack of cooking and low prep times, this diet is going to save you so much time it’s almost laughable. When I’m meal prepping on a certain diet plan, I’ll probably spend 1-3 hours prepping and cooking per day.

With this diet, you’ll be hard done by if you spend more than half an hour prepping, it really is a life saver.

THE BACHELOR’S GUIDE TO HEALTHY EATING

So let’s recap.

I’ve shamed you about your dietary choices and lauded my eating superiority over your malnourished, impoverished heads, I’ve told you that there is a solution and we’ve been through the benefits of the diet.

Now wouldn’t it be lovely if I actually told you what the diet was?

It’s simple.

Just eat more fruit and veg.

There we go!

Hope all that reading was worth it guys.

I’m just pulling ya leg, got you though didn’t I? I’ll outline the diet below. It’s basically exactly what I’m currently following at the moment and it’s giving me great results. It is high in protein, fruit, veg, etc and it’s way healthier and cheaper than your current diet plan – that I can guarantee.

Anyway, enough fannying about, here it is.

MEAL 1

150g Skyr

1 apple

1 banana

30g dates

PREP

Cut up apple, banana and dates.
Put them, along with the yoghurt in a bowl.
Look at yourself in the mirror, perplexed as to how eating healthily can be so goddamn easy.

MEAL 2

100g oats

40g protein powder

150g berries

Milk

PREP

Put it all into a bowl and mix.
Quick note – I use almond milk and chocolate peanut butter vegan protein powder just to try and reduce my dairy intake a bit. Could be a good shout for those who are sensitive to teet produce to make the switch.

MEAL 3

1 tin of tuna

250g microwave mexican rice

60g smoky shredded beetroot

1/2 avocado

30g salad cream

PREP

Microwave rice for a minute.
Add in tuna, avocado, beetroot and sauce.
Microwave for another 1:30 minutes.
Quick note – mexican rice and smoky shredded beetroot are quite vital to the taste of this meal. If you can, try to find these in your local supermarket.

MEAL 4

240g pre-cooked chicken slices

150g bag of salad

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Salt & Pepper

PREP

Put everything into a bowl.
Mix it up.

SNACKS (OPTIONAL)

Protein bar
Peanut butter
Chocolate bar
Basically anything snack sized that will stop your hunger for a bit.
Quick note – Frozen watermelon balls are great for snacking. Obviously it’s only really feasible when at home though.

CALORIES & MACROS

Here is the breakdown of calories, macros, etc before snacks are accounted for. Obviously feel free to add more snacks, more ingredients, less ingredients, whatever – to fit your calorie goals.

Calories: 2,203kcal

Protein: 156g

Carbs: 248g

Fat: 55g

What a great diet this truly is. Thank you me for being such a genius.

Single tasking will change your life: Here's how

In a world obsessed with multitasking and juggling a million things at once in the name of productivity, is single tasking really a viable option?

In short – yes.

Single tasking has been proven time and time again to be the best way to get stuff done. #SlowLiving anyone?

This article will arm you with the right knowledge and tools to make single tasking work for you. It’s easy when you know how.

WHAT IS SINGLE TASKING?

Single tasking, believe it or not, is the act of focusing your entire attention on one single task. It is the polar opposite of multitasking and truth be told, it is a far superior method of productivity.

Single tasking will help you to get stuff done. Period.

WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME?

There’s a whole load of good stuff in it for you as it turns out. I’m lazy, so here’s the top 3. These are the only benefits you need to be fair so don’t hate on me. Cheers.

GENUINE PRODUCTIVITY

When you block out all distractions and focus your energy on one single task, you allow yourself to produce your very best work without flitting between tasks.

Apparently we can only work for 40-ish seconds before we’re distracted, that is absolute madness. Can you believe that stat? I couldn’t either until I actually thought about it.

Picture the scene, you’re sat at your desk…

“Ooo an email!”

“Oh hello colleague that has come over for a random chat”

“Ah let me just have a quick look at the weather…and a bit of news…oh my lord Gemma Collins did what?”

And so the cycle continues. Once you’re able to single task, these distractions cease to exist. They go away and never come back to haunt you again…for the most part.

LESS STRESS

Because you’re actually getting work done and blocking out unimportant tasks, you become a stress free buddha. Well maybe not that zen but because you have prioritised work and aren’t trying to split your time between so many tasks, you become safe in the knowledge that you’re attacking the most important thing and other (less important) tasks will get their turn later.

This absolute organisational #goals is what makes single tasking such a stress-free experience.

BETTER SOLUTIONS TO HARDER PROBLEMS

When you multitask, your mind is spread so thinly that you can’t concentrate on one problem at a time. You’re constantly trying to process about 10 consecutive problems whilst attempting (terribly) to find solutions that are more than likely, rather subpar.

When you single task, your entire mind is focused on the problem at hand. You can give all of your attention to finding the best solution and your head isn’t battered with needless stresses.

This clarity has helped me develop and write up a faeces-tonne of articles over the past couple of years. Simply taking a bit of time to meditate on an issue can be such an effective way to improve the quality of your work exponentially.

HOW TO SINGLE TASK EFFECTIVELY

You’ve been armed with all the juicy benefits, now it’s time to find out how you can actually implement single tasking into your life.

GET A SCHEDULE

This is the easiest thing you can do to single task.

Set yourself time blocks throughout the day. These blocks should be split into things you want to accomplish. For instance, I do 30 minutes of physical activity in the morning, followed by 2 hours of writing, then an hour to do emails and Instagram posts, comments, etc., then it’s lunch, THEN I’ll block off some more time for writing again, freelance work and so on.

Try to block at least 4 hours of pure single tasking throughout your day. Outside of this can be anything you god damn please but during those 4 hours you should do nothing but focus on the task at hand.

I guarantee you that you’ll get more done in those 4 hours than multitaskers will get done in 4 days. They look and feel busy but they’re not really, they’re just spinning their wheels in multiple directions.

Single tasking gets stuff done, multitasking just gives the illusion that you’re getting stuff done. Make your choice.

PUT THAT PHONE AWAY & BLOCK THOSE PESKY EMAILS

We all know that phones are the devil incarnate but to what extent to they affect our productivity?

Well if you have you have your phone in the room with you, it creates an effect which I can’t for the life of me remember the name of BUT it gives you an almost twitch-like reflex to go and grab it to check for notifications.

The dopamine hit you get from these notifications is what keeps us coming back to our pocket-sized enslavers so the best thing you can do is put your phone wayyyy out of reach.

I work from home so I just pop the phone in another room and check it every hour or two for calls and messages. You can try and push it up to 5 hours eventually and see how you cope – it gets a whole lot easier over time.

Once you’ve navigated this hurdle, your single tasking becomes a breeze. Add to that an extension for your web browser and you’ve got a potent combo. I use Blocksite to block emails, football news sites, social media and my biggest and most embarrassing addiction – Miniclip 8-Ball pool…don’t click that link, you might get sucked in too.

Putting these little barriers in the way of these productivity drainers is such an effective method. The amount of times I’ve mindlessly typed those sites in my browser for a little break after an ENTIRE 3 minutes of writing is unfathomable. Thankfully, this extension gives me a telling off and I realise that it’s work time, not mindless scrolling time.

This is your most important step so DO IT PLZ.

GUARD YOUR TIME

I’ve talked about this before but you have to be ruthless with your time. Your team want a meeting for a ‘catchup and chat’? Bugger off. Same goes for needless coffee lunches with people you don’t really need to see.

If someone asks you to help them out with some work that doesn’t involve you and you don’t have the time, DON’T DO IT. The quicker you stop trying to people please by taking on too many tasks, the quicker your head will stop being full of thoughts of killing your boss and butchering 87% of your co-workers.

Put an auto-reply on your email that tells people you only check it once per day. If they need you urgently they can call your work phone (a phone with no apps, simply for urgent calls), if it not then it can wait. I learnt that trick from the main man Tim Ferriss – click on his lovely name to find loads more ‘life hacks’.

Single tasking. It’s easier than you think.

Once you stop trying to do everything (sub-optimally) at once and focus all your energy into one area of development, you’ll see the best results in terms of productivity – and life in general – that you could possibly wish for.

Western nutrient deficiency: Can we fix it?

We’ve all heard of the standard Western diet haven’t we? It’s basically a better way of saying “worst diet in the world”. Now with that in mind, I think we need to address Western nutrient deficiency.

Being the worst diet in the world is obviously going to throw up some negative effects, chiefly nutrient deficiency in basically 100% of its followers.

This article aims to educate you on what exactly nutrient deficiency is, why it’s so important and why the Western diet is such a big bloody bugger when it comes to it.

Oh – and how you can fix it lol.

NUTRIENT DEFICIENCY

Our bodies require a host of vitamins and minerals to simply live day-to-day. They need a whole lot more if they are to flourish and perform at the highest level possible.

Nutrient deficiency basically comes about because we are either not giving our body enough food (thus not enough nutrients) or our body has trouble absorbing nutrients, which is a topic for a whole other article.

WESTERN NUTRIENT DEFICIENCY

How many times have you heard Standard Western Diet, Standard American Diet or Western Pattern Diet? My guess is a lot – usually accompanied by ’cause of X, Y or Z disease’.

They are all the same thing, but just under different names, don’t be fooled into thinking they’re any different.

Anyway, Western nutrient deficiency is a different kettle of fish to your standard nutrient deficiencies brought about by lack of available foods or poor food selection.

You see, we literally have access to any food we want in the West. We are the luckiest humans to have ever existed and yet we choose to stuff our bodies full of garbage. I’m not here to preach though, I’ve been guilty of that late night Ben & Jerry’s splurge – 3 times a week – for the past year.

But I am here to enlighten my fellow shite-eaters. We can improve ourselves – and it all starts with addressing our deficiencies.

Western nutrient deficiencies come about not because we aren’t eating sufficient calories, but because the quality of those calories is equivalent to stuffing a deep fried pile of cow pat in our mouths.

Highly refined, processed food is killing us. It may be tasty (so, so tasty) but it’s depriving our hot sexy bods of what they really need – nutrients.

WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT?

So, what exactly can we do about this lack of nutrient(s) in our diets then?

FOOD

Let’s keep this one simple. If you want to address nutrient deficiency then your food intake is the biggest thing you need to address. Here’s a simple list of food-related things you can do;

Cut out overly-processed foods (ice cream, sweets, ready meals, etc).
Add in more fruits and veggies (packs of frozen veg are really easy to throw in with meals).
Cook at least one meal a day.
Prep your meals in advance.

That was easy wasn’t it? It really is as simple as that. Just add in more quality and subtract more processed stuff.

DRINK

This is another easy one. You want to be drinking only water, coffee or tea – mostly water. Smoothies and juices are okay in moderation but I tend to avoid them nowadays unless it’s right before or after a workout.

Anyway, here’s a quick list to make your life a whole lot easier.

Cut out sugary drinks (Coke, Pepsi, Red Bull, etc).
Limit caffeine (Coffee & tea).
Drink at least 2 litres of water a day.

Literally those 3 things will help you immeasurably in your quest to become a less nutrient deficient zombie so make sure you do ’em!

LIFESTYLE

Your lifestyle is such an important factor too, those who lead sedentary lifestyles and are alway indoors tend to get sick more often and develop nutrient deficiencies on the reg.

Here’s another lovely list.

Get 10,000+ steps every day.
Get out in the fresh air for at least an hour per day.
Get at least 30 minutes of exercise a day (weights, running, walking, sports – anything…)
Sleep at the very least, 7 hour per day. 8 or 9 is optimal.
Try to de-stress (meditation is your best option).

Those lifestyle factors will help you so much when trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle and bust those deficiencies. They’re all pretty easy to do too so it shouldn’t take long to implement these habits.

SUPPLEMENTS

Now, the supplements.

As we all know, the clue is in the name…supplements should be there to supplement your diet. But let’s be honest, none of us are these perfect machines that can eat the perfect diet day in day out are we.

That is why a good old multivitamin is perfect for the majority of people.

Most multis however, are a load of excrement. They are packed with fillers and subpar dosages, leading to basically no results.

There is one brand that I swear by when it comes to multivitamins though and that is Vitabiotics. Their Wellman range is off the charts effective and always gives me loads of energy. It’s also packed with nutrients that help to fight deficiencies, fatigue and basically anything else that’s related to vitamins and minerals.

They sent me over some of their Wellman Max again but this time, I’ve paired it with their Neurozan brain multivitamin, Ultra Ginkgo & Ginseng and their Wellman energy tablets for the ultimate nutrient boost.

Obviously you don’t have to go as ham as I have but if you really want to boost your performance both physically and mentally then this is the way to go.

Using adaptogenic herbs such as Ginkgo and Ginseng can be very beneficial for nutrient retention and energy levels and is something I’ve actually talked about in great depth in my book – link here if you fancy a gander.

Anyway, if your food, drink and lifestyle factors are all dialled in and you want to take things up a notch then invest in some top quality multivitamins. It won’t break the bank but it may just give you the boost you’re after. You can check out the entire wellman range here.

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO FIX?

This is kinda complex but I’ll make it as simple as poss for you.

Depending on how bad your deficiency was and how solid your new approach is, you’re looking at something between 2-12 weeks.

If you completely overhaul your diet, take the best supplements money can buy and cut out 90% of the processed garbage you were consuming beforehand, you’re likely going to be looking at closer to a fortnight but if you want to take a less drastic approach and focus on improving one thing at a time then you’re gonna be closer to 12 weeks.

*This is how happy you can be if you sort your nutrient deficiencies. Foliage is not optional…*

Simple that wasn’t it?

But remember, this change is for life, so 10 weeks difference in the grand scheme of things isn’t a big deal. If you find it easier to do it in bite sized chunks then you do you – you’ll get there eventually and you will have formed a strong, healthy habit that’ll help you live a long, long time.

The Low Information Diet: It'll change your life

The Low Information Diet is going to be the best god damn diet you’ve ever been on. They key difference? You won’t be restricting calories – just unnecessary information.

You can still be a fat porker on this diet – if you wish.

What I’m about to say may be a bit controversial: I couldn’t give a rat’s arse about what goes on in the world.

I really tried, I read and read about all the atrocities going on around the world, but then I sat there after reading all this negative stuff and thought to myself, “does any of this affect me? And can I actually do anything about it?”. The answer to both was obviously no.

I can’t stop wars in foreign countries, I can’t stop celebrities overdosing on drugs and I certainly can’t stop tax dodging corporations from swindling billions from the countries they reside in.

So why concern myself with any of this? And why should you? There is literally no reason.

If something is really important, you will hear about it. You don’t have to concern yourself with worrying about stuff that is so far out of your control it’s almost laughable.

WHAT IS THE LOW INFORMATION DIET?

Listen, a low information diet doesn’t mean you need to stop reading and stop improving yourself with new techniques, viewpoints, etc – that would completely fly in the face of everything this site stands for.

What it does mean is that you need to be selective about what you take in. Never give up your #thirst for knowledge – it’s what keeps our minds young and healthy, just consume better info. Don’t let yourself get carried away with negative or downright wrong information.

Let’s use fitness as an example. If you learn a new workout technique or are on a new program, don’t continue to research other programs.

Stay with this one for 12 weeks and give it a chance. Don’t overload your brain with more useless fluff that makes you second guess everything you do. If you do this you’ll get nowhere.

Give information you learn a chance, observe it and learn from it. Don’t just cram more and more into your cranium until you forget all the gems and retain all the BS.

Basically, once you know what works, stick with it. If it ever stops working, do a bit of research and fix the situation.

WHERE YOU CAN IMPLEMENT A LOW INFORMATION DIET

There are so many aspects of your life where you can implement a low information diet. Here are a few to get you started, young warrior. If you can’t bear to streamline all of these areas at once then just try one out. I found tuning out the news was easiest first…

YOUR HEALTH

One key area where I have neglected the low information diet in the past is with regards to my health. Once I learn one new diet or workout program, I continue to research until I find the new one and I skip over to that after a few weeks without really giving the previous one a full test.

This creates yo-yo diet and exercise habits and isn’t particularly beneficial for getting together any sort of routine in your life.

Research deeply into a topic, find what you think you will be able to stick to and what has proven results and just stick with it for 3 months. Then you can consume some more information if needed. If not, why waste valuable space in that brain of yours by cramming useless fluff in there?

The 3 resources I recommend if you want to get a balanced view of both diet and exercise are:

The Bulking Blueprint by Sam Crawford (aka ya boi)

The 4 Hour Body by Tim Ferriss

Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe

YOUR JOB

Have you ever noticed in the working world how there are meetings for just about every conceivable thing? Why? Because people like to feel busy, even if they aren’t.

Feeling busy and productive appeals to people’s superiority complex and makes them feel like they’re smashing their goals when in actual fact, they’re just talking about meaningless garbage that could have been summarised in a 60 second email.

Start declining meetings and start requesting the post-meeting notes instead. Use that lovely phrase; “I’m too busy” as your get out of jail free card and instead, work on actually getting your work done.

If you hate your job, this becomes even easier. Save up enough money (usually 6-12 months wages) so that you could quit at any time. This gives you the inner confidence to be yourself and stop pandering to snobs and control freaks and take back control of your time and agenda.

This is exactly what I did in my last job. I had a bad few weeks and handed in my notice. Sometimes it is these mini-breaking points that force us to take action and guide us to our vocations.

THE NEWS

This seems to be the one that proponents of the low information diet recommended above all else and I have to agree. Positive news simply doesn’t sell as well as negative news – that’s a fact.

This means whatever you watch on the news is going to be some form of terrible event and lots of what you see on social media (Twitter, mostly) will be people complaining about their lives or attempting to drag others down by calling them one of the following buzzwords: Toxic, problematic or cancelled. Maybe even all three at once.

Anyway, you get the idea, limit your consumption of these and you’ll lead a much happier existence.

Here’s a few examples of how I implemented a low information diet. I asked myself a simple question, got the answer and moved on:

Question: Is eating animal products bad for health and the planet?

Answer: Yes – to some degree.

Solution: Lowered my animal product intake.

Q: What social media platforms do I enjoy?

A: Instagram.

S: Get rid of all other platforms and focus on Instagram.

Q: Do I enjoy my job?

A: Absolutely not.

S: Save up enough money (over the period of 3 years) to quit and work on what I actually enjoy.

These are just a few examples but you get the gist. Ask yourself a question, find your answer and implement a solution. Easy.

Why would you need to know more about the subject? Why watch hours of people debating on Youtube and TV and make yourself angry and frustrated? Why learn more things that confuse your process and hinder your growth. There are no good reasons.

It is not your duty to stay informed. As I’ve said before, if something is so important and life altering, someone will tell you. If not, then it clearly doesn’t concern you and you shouldn’t waste your life worrying about it.

HOW TO CREATE A LOW INFORMATION LIFESTYLE

Let’s explore how you can best implement the low information diet into your life with just a few simple steps.

SAY NO

You should guard your time with brutal efficiency. If someone wants to meet to talk about something with zero substance or that doesn’t interest you, just tell them no.

If they ask why, just say ‘I don’t want to’. People will learn to respect your time and value your yeses much more.

The quicker you stop trying to please everyone, the quicker they will start trying to please you.

BLOCK NEWS SITES

Just bloody block news sites already. Stop reading horror stories about babies falling down lift shafts in Primark. Who wants to read about morbid tragedies like that anyway?

The news is 9/10 always negative because people love to waste time reading negative articles. Eliminate this and stop getting your kicks from other people’s misfortune. You may not even realise you are guilty of this but the chances are – you are.

Just block them and watch your baseline wellbeing shoot up.

BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF

Ask yourself, do you really care about what you’re reading about or are you just wasting time? If the answer is no, then stop reading, take a few deep breaths to get back in the zone and do something that makes you happy instead. Easier said than done but with practice, this becomes habit.

ATTACK IS THE BEST FORM OF DEFENCE

Go on the attack!

Don’t leave yourself at the mercy of circumstance.

Get rid of your TV from your room, stop buying gossip mags, stop buying the paper.

None of this stuff really affects you. At the end of the day, we’re all just specks of dust floating on a rock in an infinite void. Don’t make this miniscule amount of time you have such a negative experience. Take matters into your own hands and go on the attack.

A low information diet is going to revolutionise your life – if you let it. Try it out for 2 weeks and see how much better you feel.

Old school muscle: The Dumbbell Pullover

The dumbbell pullover – where do we start with this one?

1911 sounds like a good place. This was the year that pullovers were first introduced into the world by a bloke called Alan Calvert – a bit of a fitness buff at the time.

Shortly after their introduction, the dumbbell pullover took the fitness world by storm. It was used as the main upper body movement in many fitness programs of the time.

Have you ever heard of the infamous ‘squats and milk‘ workout routine? This would have lifters drink a gallon of milk every single day whilst performing 20 rep ‘breathing’ squats in their workouts (not at the same time).

Well, the dumbbell pullover was actually the other main movement that has since been taken out of the name – although it does still feature in the program itself.

This is because the pullover was so highly regarded as a full upper body movement that works in perfect unison with the squat. That’s some pedigree for an obscure exercise that has been cast aside by the gym rats of new isn’t it?

THE DUMBBELL PULLOVER

We’ve talked about the history of the lift but let’s get into the nitty gritty – the mechanics. Knowing about the mechanics behind the lift is key to understanding how to target certain areas and why different ways are better for different situations.

The pullover allows for the chest to placed in an optimal position and the stretch that you get from it affects the muscles in the same way that flyes do but with the added bonus of being able to load heavier weight for more reps.

At the bottom of the move, the stretch places a huge emphasis on the lats too, although once you lift the dumbbell past your head, this effect is lessened to some degree. It does still offer huge benefits for building a back like a barn door though as we will discuss a bit further down.

THE GREAT DEBATE

There is a debate that rages amongst the dumbbell pullover community. Well it’s less of a community and more just a few fellas arguing online about muscle activation.

But anyway…

Is it a chest or a lat movement? Well, it’s both. It just depends how you perform it. With that in mind, let’s break down how best to perform a dumbbell pullover for each.

Starting with the chest – this is a bit easier as the pullover does lend itself more towards chest activation. Having the dumbbell behind/above the body and bringing it to the front of the body is naturally a chest-dominant move. This is why so many old-school bodybuilders such as Arnold Schwarzenegger and Reg Park credit the dumbbell pullover for their amazing chest development.

All you have to do is really squeeze the pecs throughout the full movement as this is one of those exercises that actually requires that mind muscle connection. I hate saying that but it’s true. This will help to really empty the tank and isolate your pecs nicely.

Now for the lats. This is a little bit tougher but it’s not rocket science – you can still do it easily enough.

I’ll be honest with you, when I perform pullovers, I actually feel it more in my lats. This could be because I tend to hold the stretch at the bottom of the movement for about 2 seconds. As this is where the lats are most dominant, it could mean that I am getting a stronger mind muscle connection there. God I hate saying that so much.

All you have to do to really feel this in the lats is to get that stretch. Hold the bottom position for 2-3 seconds and focus on the contraction in your lats. Then, try to pull with your elbows like you would for rows – this allows for a clear focus on the back and will help burn the lats out nicely.

THE BENEFITS

The dumbbell pullover comes with so many benefits. It can be used at the begining or end of a workout, it can be a chest or a back exercise, it can be done low reps or high reps – it’s such a multi-faceted move.

Anyway, I’ve listed a few of these unique benefits below to whet your appetite.

The upper body squat

The dip is often touted as the upper body squat and with good reason – it basically is. However, I’d argue that the dumbbell pullover may just pip it to the post.

Just like squats working the lower body, pullovers work every last bit of the upper body. They work the chest, the back, the shoulders and to some degree – even the arms.

There’s a reason that this exercise was held in such high regard by thousands of bodybuilders from the golden era. The only reason it has fallen out of fashion is because so many people are simply afraid of hard work and are lacking the mobility to perform it due to their sedentary lifestyles.

Basically, you should build your mobility up and throw the dumbbell pullover into your routine, because otherwise, you’re missing out on some of the best upper body development you can possibly achieve.

The chest angle

This is a biggie.

With standard flyes, it’s quite hard to go heavy. In fact, I’d wager that it’s virtually impossible to go heavy. This is where the dumbbell pullover excels.

Obviously you don’t have to go heavy and it is more about getting a great stretch, but pullovers really allow you to load the stretch on your pecs so much more than flyes.

It is quite a unique stimulus for the chest as it is so used to pressing heavy loads usually as well as sometimes being placed under some stretch but never very heavy.

By adding this volume to your chest at such an alien angle, the pecs are forced to hypertrophy – which is always a good thing.

The lat angle

Weirdly, the dumbbell pullover is actually the only way to isolate your lats. It takes out a lot of the assistance work of all the other back muscles, forearms and even the biceps.

This is what makes it such a great pre-exhaustion exercise as it allows you to get the direct work in before doing heavier compound lifts where your other back muscles and biceps will share the load – taking emphasis off the lats.

AS FOR RIB CAGE EXPANSION…

The big selling point for dumbbell pullovers back in the day was that they expanded the rib cage. So, is this actually true?

No.

Obviously not you idiot. There’s no way to grow bone.

That was quite harsh wasn’t it? I shouldn’t have snapped on you like that – it won’t happen again I promise.

Anyway, like I say, dumbbell pullovers are no good for expanding the rib cage – nor is any exercise ever. However, they are fantastic for increasing all of the musculature around the ribs, which is what gives that look to the physiques of those who use them religiously.

So the answer really should be – no, they don’t expand the rib cage per se but they do cause hypertrophy in all of the areas surrounding the rib cage. So I guess the old timers were kind of right.

HOW TO DO IT

It’s a very simple move – when done correctly.

Lie down on a bench like you would for a bench press. Some people advocate lying across the bench but I think that’s a sub-par way of doing it. If you do want to do it that way obviously that’s okay but your hips may be robbing you of optimal muscle activation.

Once you’re lying down, bring a dumbbell up above your head with straight arms. Your palms should be facing up supporting the dumbbell and you should have a decent grip. Then you want to lower the dumbbell as far down as you can behind your head whilst keeping your arms as straight as possible (some bend is okay).

Once you’re at the bottom position, hold the stretch for a second or two – this is what will really give the lats a great workout. Then pull back up to the starting position, arms straight. The second portion will start as lat dominant and progress to chest dominant, meaning you’ll get a killer pump in your full upper body.

If that explanation hasn’t got through to you, just take a quick look at the video below.

WARNINGS

A lot of people hear ‘dumbbell pullover’ and say ‘what’s that?’ – the rest of the people that hear it will reply ‘nah mate, that’ll scupper your shoulders, I’m not doing it’.

Well they’re wrong – but sort of right. If you try pullovers without having adequate shoulder mobility then you’re asking for problems – as is the same with any other exercise.

All this means is that you have to test how well your shoulders can cope with the stress of being stretched. A simple test is to do a set of overhead press, rest, and then do a set of pullups.

If you can do a set of each with complete range of motion (and I mean complete – no cheating), then you have adequate shoulder mobility and should be able to perform the dumbbell pullover with ease.

If you can’t, then you should look at some shoulder mobility routines online and try again in a month or so. After a few goes, if you just can’t perform the exercise without discomfort then unfortunately, it may just not be for you.

HOW TO IMPLEMENT PULLOVERS CORRECTLY

There’s more than one way to skin a cat. The dumbbell pullover can be slotted perfectly into any routine but I’m going to give you three examples.

I do full body workouts three times per week – if you do this too, I’d recommend throwing them in at the end of each workout supersetted with dead hangs to get the ultimate stretch.

You can also use them as a pre-exhaustion exercise – I find this works particularly well before doing pullups as it really helps with lat activation.

But for those of you who split your workouts into, pushes, pulls, uppers, lowers and whatever else, here’s a few suggestions:

Push workout

Bench press – 3 x 5

Overhead press – 3 x 8

Dips – 3 x 10

Skullcrushers – 3 x 10

Dumbbell pullover – 3 x 15

Pull workout

Deadlift – 3 x 5

Dumbbell pullover – 3 x 15

Pullups – 3 x 8

Barbell rows – 3 x 10

Barbell curl – 3 x 10

Upper body workout

Bench press – 3 x 8

Pullups – 3 x 8

Dumbbell pullover – 2 x 15

Dips – 3 x 10

Barbell rows – 3 x 10

Dumbbell pullover – 2 x 15

The dumbbell pullover is easily one of the greatest upper body builders ever and should be treated as such by far more people than it is currently.

Throw these into your workouts once or twice a week and watch your chest and lats respond in an unbelievable manner. You’ll thank yourself and more importantly – me, in the long run.

Why practicing gratitude will change your life

Practicing gratitude will change your life – but you already sort of knew that didn’t you?

Everyone has this inkling in the back of their heads that being thankful for your fantastic life probably holds some sort of key to increasing your baseline happiness.

Yet we don’t every really practice it do we? We take basically every single thing in our lives for granted. Our food (how easily accessible it is, the amazing nutrition it provides and the fantastic taste), our water (same as food), our warm homes, balanced climate (for the most part), freedom to do what we want, amenities, clothes, transport, our ability to see, hear, touch, taste, smell and even just having all of our bloody limbs.

There are countless things to be thankful for every single day – the fact that you woke up today is an absolute privilege that we just brush off as normal. We never take the time to actually think about how blessed we are from the moment we wake up, til the moment we hit the sack.

WHAT IS GRATITUDE?

There has never been a better time in history to be a human being and we need to start being a lot more aware of that fact. Imagine how people from the past – even just the 1800’s – would react to today’s world. Clean water, sustainable cures for diseases, electricity in every home, working sewage systems, the list goes on.

Their heads would absolutely explode. Anyway, even all of that isn’t the point really; gratitude boils down to being intrinsically grateful. This means you are thankful and content with you. You are thankful for your own hard work, what is has brought to you and your life in general.

You created all of this and that deserves gratitude to yourself. Happiness comes when you are truly grateful and content in the present moment. None of this “I’ll be happy when I get this” or “I could be happy if I had only done that“. It doesn’t work like that.

Practicing gratitude simply means, give thanks to yourself first and your environment after. But always be thankful for both, no matter what the situation is.

Think back to a time when your current life was your dream life. This is one I find always gets people out of their blinkered pursuit of the future and helps them to realise that they are living a life that was once only a dream to them.

Remember when you were a kid and you wanted to drive a car, be super strong like your dad or basically do any sort of adult activity ever? Well guess what? You are living your childhood dream! You just don’t realise because you see your life every day. As the famous quote from C. S. Lewis says; “Isn’t it funny how day by day nothing changes, but when you look back everything is different?”.

You just need to look back a bit more to realise how unbelievably far you’ve come – just don’t dwell there otherwise you’ll never come back to the present.

Think of gratitude as a bit of modern day stoicism.

BENEFITS OF PRACTICING GRATITUDE

The benefits of practicing gratitude stretch far beyond the five listed below but these will certainly be enough to get you on your way.

Remember, there is nothing more inevtiable than the passing of time. If something bad happens, just remember that a week, month, year will pass and you’ll forget all about it. If something isn’t going to bother you in a year, why should it bother you now?

Practicing gratitude will help you to stop sweating the small stuff and look at the bigger picture. Sometimes, zooming out to see our situation from a different perspective is just what we need.

Anyway…

STRONGER RELATIONSHIPS

Practicing gratitude on the daily will help you develop a deep appreciation for your friends and family. You will want to spend more time present with them and will want to make the most of their company while you still can.

Gratitude will teach you this lesson before it’s too late and honing these feelings of gratitude can help strengthen bonds, it makes you a better listener, a more attentive partner and an all round good egg.

CALMS YOU DOWN

This is kind of linked to what I said above about the passing of time and zooming out on a situation. Being grateful in every situation no matter what it may be, will help you to stay calm in even the most intense, stressful times.

Practicing gratitude isn’t just about being thankful for the great stuff going on in your life. It is also about being thankful for the hardship – the tests that you have to endure throughout life to make you a better human being.

Framing these perceived negatives into positive situations creates many more positive outcomes and will serve you well throughout your life. For more advice on framing negatives as positives, look into Jocko Willink’s ‘good’ mindset.

YOU LOVE YOURSELF

When you start being thankful for your gifts and realise just how lucky and brilliant you are, you will come to love yourself, your abilities and every little thing you wouldn’t notice before.

You will want to take care of yourself and have far more self-respect. I find that this usually leads to greater pride, with people taking action on their fitness goals, career aspirations or simply just treating themselves a little bit.

I know it’s a bit cringey but self-love is a real winner and if you can master the art of loving yourself then it will lead to so many great changes in your life.

OVERALL POSITIVITY

This is definitely my favourite benefit that I noticed since starting practicing gratitude. Your overall positivity will soar. How can it not, when you are saying thank you for pretty much every single thing in your life?

I, and many others, have found that this overall increase in positivity attracts lots of great people to you. This doesn’t mean in a romantic way – but when you are putting so much positivity out into the world, you tend to have that reciprocated by others who share the same beliefs as you.

You become magnetic in a sense – people want to spend more time with you because you’re far more interesting and fun to be around. You are the sum of the 6 people you spend most of your time with. Practicing gratitude and increasing your positivity ensures that those 6 are the right kind of people – people that are going to propel you to achieve your goals.

BETTER SLEEP & ENERGY

This is something I noticed almost instantly when I started practicing gratitude. Your sleep quality and thus energy levels, will absolutely skyrocket.

When you start making gratitude part of your daily routine, you will experience a hell of a lot less ‘mental chatter’ at night – that stuff that keeps you awake for hours.

This is because you won’t be stressing nearly as much as you were before. You’re not rushing through life with blinkers on, always thinking about the next thing, you’re simply grateful for how good things are and this will genuinely help you to catch some top notch shut eye.

GRATITUDE STARTER PACK

Some of this advice may seem like really cliche bollocks BUT they do hold value. How often do we eschew the fundamental cliche advice in order to try far more complex solutions just because they’re different?

Basically all the time isn’t it? The basic, cliche advice is pretty much always spot on – a balanced diet, 45 minutes of exercise a day, fresh air, meditation, whatever it is, it’s pretty much always right. So trust me on this one. If you actually do these things, you’ll set yourself up for success, no doubt about it.

GRATITUDE JOURNAL

A journal is how I started on the road to practicing gratitude consistently. It’s not any special type of journal, any old book will do. But every morning and night, write down 3 things you’re grateful for at that exact point.

It can be literally anything you want!

I will often put down things that have manifested themselves as a result of my hard work to encourage more of the same, I also often put down things such as a strong, supportive ‘inner circle’, my privileges, my missus, even if I hit a PR in the gym that day – anything goes.

This creates such a positive mindset and helps you to realise just how much you’ve got going for you in your life. Try the journal first and then make your way onto the next few points when you feel ready. You’ll be practicing gratitude consistently no time.

SPEND TIME WITH YOUR FAMILY & FRIENDS

The biggest cliche of them all!

We all claim we spend time with the fam and friends but how much time do we really spend with them? My guess is not very much.

When we get together with our mates in particular, we will all sit round and gawp at our phones, messaging others and tweeting about how much of a great time we’re having, instead of actually being present with our buds.

Then our families…we’re running out of time to spend with them. We know this deep down but ignore it. Guess what? There’s going to come a point where your entire family is dead. A wee bit morbid but it’s true.

Make time to do things with your parents (if they haven’t popped their clogs yet), siblings, cousins, whatever – I know you can’t choose your family but you can sure as hell spend more quality time with them.

If you’re lucky enough to still have grandparents, go and see them, listen to them and actually get to know them. These people have lived through wars, lived through so many decades and have countless stories and advice to give, yet we just see them as lovely old cuddly people. They’re so much more, so dedicate a little bit of time to them and be grateful for their mere existence. And if they’re already 6 feet under, ask your parents about them, they probably led lives that were a million times more interesting than you or I.

SAY THANK YOU

This can be in the conventional sense of saying thank you whenever someone does anything for you but I also find simply saying thank you when I wake up and then about 50 more times in the morning creates a really positive outlook on the day.

If you don’t fancy saying thank you a load of times, simply say it when you wake up and say it when you hop out of bed. Being thankful for waking up and having another day to live is about as basic as it gets, but isn’t that the best thing to be thankful for?

And if you can’t even do that, you must say thank you to anyone who does anything for you. Someone lets you cross the road? Thank you. Someone gives you some directions? Thank you. Someone mugs you and leaves you for dead? Why THANK YOU. In all seriousness though, even if you can’t be thankful to yourself, making someone feel valued by thanking them and acknowledging them could make their day – spread the positive vibes dudes and dudettes.

MENTAL CHECKS

Once I started doing mental checks, my mind was low-key blown into a million tiny pieces.

Every time you do something, try and note whether you take it for granted because you do it every day. I started noticing every time I walked on a soft carpet, put a heater on, used a bloody slow cooker, got on a cross country train, used the map on my phone, walked down the street without being mauled by a tiger – the list was endless.

Once you realise basically your entire existence is made up of thousands of tiny daily miracles that people have spent hundreds of years slaving away for, you will become truly grateful for your life – something which we have all lost touch with.

It’s time to reclaim our lust for life people!

Practicing gratitude will be by far and away the best habit you pick up in 2019. You will become infinitely more aware of your privilege in life and you will undoubtedly be a more happy, well rounded person.

I know these promises sound a bit too good to be true, but they simply aren’t. Implement constant gratitude into your life and be grateful for everything in it – the rest will take care of itself.

Why I quit Twitter: And why you should too

Have you ever gone to quit Twitter, only to open the app back up 2 minutes later, scroll for 15 minutes looking at nothing in particular then forget all about your grand plans?

God knows I have.

But have you ever wondered whether your instincts about Twitter (and most social media for that matter) were right? Is Twitter melting your brain? Well that’s what I’m here for. I’ve been off Twitter for almost 60 days now and I’ve never felt better. My business is flourishing without it, I have more time to focus on what really matters and I feel fantastic.

It feels like quitting an addiction (and the freedom of not mindlessly scrolling while you take a deuce is one of the greatest reliefs of all time).

THE PROBLEM WITH TWITTER

Social media can be used for so much good, but in reality, it really, really isn’t. Twitter especially is rife with issues and has caused so much trouble for even the most casual of users. I’m not going to write a big essay on this because let’s be honest, that’d bore the bloody socks off you, but…

I am going to present you with a lovely little list of the problems (we all love a good list don’t we?) I encountered on Twitter and that I know most others will too, then we’ll move on from there.

KEEPING UP WITH THE JONESES

This is the absolute biggest problem with the whole of social media but I found it quite prevalent on Twitter more so than any other platform.

It is a different type of keeping up with the Joneses on Twitter though. You’re not comparing yourself to pictures of people – in fact, you’re not comparing yourself at all really – you’re just trying to fit in.

There is so much pressure on Twitter to conform to the opinions of others. If your opinion is even slightly different to anyone else you are instantly branded as ‘Toxic’ or ‘Cancelled’. I didn’t suffer this ill fate but I got so fed up of seeing people tear others down so regularly that I felt like I just had to get off the platform.

Like most people, I’m not one for regimented conformity – so this form of keeping up with the Joneses really rubbed me up the wrong way. That’s the tea sis. Cancelled.

ANXIETY

Twitter can be a huge source of anxiety in the modern world. How mad is that? Something that didn’t even exist a decade or so ago, becoming one of the biggest sources of anxiety in today’s society.

The constant need to conform and the barrage of absolute bollocks that gets fed to us in 140 characters every second is giving us the worst anxiety epidemic the world has known. More so than during the either of the world wars.

A caveat – anxiety is much more well researched and acknowledged in modern times, but I would wager it is still higher than it was during those periods.

DEPRESSION

Closely linked with anxiety, depression is another mental illness that can be caused, or at least exacerbated by Twitter. Depression statistics over the past 15 years make for grim viewing – it also conveniently coincides with the rise in social media popularity.

This may be linked to the FOMO that Twitter brings. Being connected 100% of the time leads us to compulsively check our feeds every minute just in case we see something funny to retweet or we see our friends tweeting about something we simply can’t miss out on.

If we do see our friends tweeting about something cool they’re doing or god forbid – tweeting other people (gasp), we tend to feel down and jealous, which can lead to anxiety & depressive symptoms at the least and full bouts of the two at worst.

GENUINE HUMAN CONNECTION

Listen, we’re not living in Minority Report. We’re not part of the matrix or shagging robots (for the most part) and we’re still based firmly in the real world. BUT, we are heading that way – we’re losing our grip on reality and a large group of us would probably rather live in a digital world.

You see it everywhere – people meet their friends and they all sit around together on their phones, talking to other people and posting tweets about what they’re doing and how much they’re enjoying it instead of actually doing so.

We lose that sense of genuine human connection – instead opting for the allure of our screens, which is harming our ability to actually communicate and form meaningful, lasting friendships in person.

LACK OF ATTENTION SPAN

This may well be a symptom of the times we live in but our attention spans have regressed at an alarming rate. It is said that our attention only lasts about 40 seconds on average nowadays. How crazy is that? You can only do meaningful work for about 40 seconds before you are distracted by something like a notification or simply just the urge to tweet or scroll your phone.

The use of 140 characters has dumbed us down somewhat in terms of what we are willing to consume. Why read a full post about a meaningful topic when you could just read a few tweets in a thread? That’s the thought process of so many of us nowadays and I believe it’s partly down to Twitter.

SLEEP DISRUPTION

Blue light. This is the culprit for those 3am social media binges. The ability to refresh and refresh for hours straight, seeing new tweets constantly is addictive. We lose all sense of time and get sucked into this vortex.

Blue light will disrupt your sleep by itself but the combined with the addictive nature of Twitter, you will find yourself sacrificing hours of quality sleep to try and think up just one more tweet. This constant need for a few more retweets will keep the gears in your head spinning for hours, which is why you find it so hard to get off to sleep when the last thing you did was look at your phone.

If you want to improve your sleep, spend less time on your phone at night and have boundless energy starting tomorrow then check out my essential night time routine.

GUILT

We will often feel guilty about how much time we spend in Twitter, leading us to feel terrible for a while, before we go an another hour long binge and repeat the process.

We also tend to feel varying amounts of regret over our tweets with the majority of us feeling embarrassed or ashamed of something we tweeted – even if it was just a few days ago. This causes another onslaught of guilt and lowers your wellbeing just a little bit further.

In more severe cases, tweets can pose a serious threat to people’s careers. Twitter has been around for a long time now, meaning there have been a lot of past tweets racked up by celebrities everywhere.

These tweets have been responsible for tarnishing and sometimes completely ruining the careers of countless stars such as Brother Nature, Justine Sacco & Gwyneth Paltrow. The tweets from these people were stupid by the way, but it just goes to highlight how Twitter can go from 0-100 real quick.

TROLL BREEDING GROUND

This is huge. Although I never really got ‘trolled’, a lot of people have received abuse, death threats and worse through Twitter. It’s also a place where you’ll get sucked into needless arguments and ‘debates’ over things you don’t even care about.

I remember I got into an argument with someone because they tweeted a flippant remark about bloggers. Who cares? It didn’t make me feel better – in fact, it made me feel angry and stressed, and for what? Absolutely nowt – it’s a platform for nonsense debate and fierce arguments over faux-concerned people.

OUR OWN THOUGHTS

It’s gone quite unnoticed but we hate spending time alone with our thoughts – if even for a few seconds. Think about when someone goes the toilet on a date, what do you do? You check your phone for updates so you don’t have to sit there doing nothing.

We are afraid of our thoughts. Boredom scares us. It’s a shame really – we don’t even know what it’s like to just be anymore. That’s not in some spiritual way either – your grandparents and even your parents for the most part, didn’t have Twitter – they were just present and spent a lot of time with their thoughts, inadvertently getting familiar and comfortable with their own mind.

I believe this is why there are such higher rates of anxiety and depression in the present day – we hate our own minds and when we have to spend time thinking, with no stimulation, we don’t know what to do and it frightens us.

I recently read a book called Hyperfocus which has a large section on spending time alone with your thoughts and no distractions. It shows you how to be comfortable with your mind and enable your creative spark. It changed my life – you should give it a go.

OVERALL NEGATIVITY

I quit Twitter because basically – it’s boring. So many people just go on there to moan. At least on a platform like Instagram, people are striving for better, they want the best shots and creatives are constantly looking to perfect their craft.

Whereas on Twitter, people just like to complain to brands that their top is a bit too small or that their train is late. It’s just meaningless musings from people who find solace in bashing everything but themselves.

If you want to avoid the majority of negativity in your life at the moment then you should quit Twitter. You will feel an almost instant burst of positivity – promise.

SIDENOTE

A quick sidenote. I know these issues can probably be applied to both Facebook and Instagram too. The thing is though, why are you still on Facebook anyway?

And in terms of Instagram, I genuinely don’t believe it’s that bad. People can’t retweet nonsense onto your timeline and the whole environment is far more geared towards positivity, with much less emphasis on promoting people who moan and bitch about everything.

But if you really want to go full hippie then feel free to bin off all your social media and get that #RealLife experience.

I’M A PROFESSIONAL WHO USES TWITTER FOR BUSINESS, WHAT ABOUT ME?

This is sort of a solid argument, as I can see where business owners are coming from here. But I am a full time blogger and Twitter is supposedly a blogger’s best friend, is it not?

You see, if something is really getting you down, it really isn’t worth the hassle of keeping up with. If you’re feeling the negative effects of Twitter (or any social media for that matter) then maybe it’s just best to take a hiatus.

In the grand scheme of things, it simply doesn’t matter.

WHY IT DOESN’T MATTER

So why doesn’t it matter? Well if we zoom out to the biggest picture possible, we’re a microscopic speck of dust floating on a rock in an infinite blank space, but let’s not zoom out that far – I don’t want to give anyone an existential meltdown.

Let’s take a look a bit closer to home. What do you value more, your happiness or your social media score? Some people don’t realise that it might be this question that they have to ask themselves. You, and only you, can make that decision, but actually addressing the issue head on might be the nudge in the right direction you need.

It also doesn’t matter because Twitter really isn’t the place for businesses to flourish anyway. Twitter is the platform that customers go on to vent frustration. Very rarely will you have customers tweeting praise at you – they do that on other platforms, if at all. It’s like a public complaints mailbox.

That’s why you see so many disastrous PR fails on Twitter. One wrong word and people will jump on you for absolutely nothing. I’ve jumped at brands before too so I can’t preach, but in terms of creating a strong business, I really don’t think Twitter is the way to go.

BETTER PLATFORMS

There are so many better platforms for brands to be on nowadays that are far better suited to businesses. Facebook is still sort of relevant for the average business but Instagram and on-site content marketing will become your new best friends when it comes to growth.

On Instagram, if you post daily and interact with lots of people, you’ll be able to build your brand pretty quickly – especially if you invest in ad campaigns too.

Then there’s on-site content marketing. If you’re not creating quality content for a blog on your site then you’re missing out on potentially thousands of leads. Great content will drive lots and lots of unique visitors to your business, so make this one of your priorities. I guarantee you it’ll more effective – and fulfilling than Twitter.

WHAT ABOUT KEEPING IN TOUCH WITH FRIENDS?

At the end of the day, their lives don’t really matter – yours does. You need to start living your own life for you and not for the adulation of your friends and random people online.

Once you get this into your head, you will start to realise how great life can be without flaunting it to everyone twice per hour. You can still keep in touch with friends – you’ve got a phone haven’t you?

Why not actually ask them what they’ve been up to and talk about instead of seeing their tweet about climbing Everest and replying ‘well done – maybe I’ll come along next time lol’. When you quit Twitter it will bring you closer to your friends and the connection will be far more real than a few likes and retweets every so often.

DOES IT HAVE TO BE FOREVER?

Nope. You won’t have to quit Twitter til you’re dying breath.

You can try taking a day off every week or a week off every month – whatever you feel comfortable with. You could try a full month and then see how you feel. I’ll go more into depth below about exactly what you can do when you’re looking to quit Twitter – even if it’s not permanent.

THE SOLUTION

So what is the solution? It’s all well and good preaching on my ‘QUIT TWITTER!!!’ soap box, but if I don’t provide you with the secret sauce then it’s all in vain. So, let’s get into the meat of it.

DEACTIVATE

Here’s the secret if you want to quit Twitter – you quit Twitter. Whaaaaaat?!?!?! I know it may be revolutionary but quitting Twitter really is the best way to quit Twitter. Who would have thought it?

I’m only semi-joking here too. It’s like the proverbial cliche – ripping the (American accent) band aid off. Just get it over with and deactivate straight away. No need for a big dramatic post trying to notify people of your noble quest. Just get off and tell anyone who you’re close to via text or carrier pigeon.

RIDE THE WAVE

The first week is by far and away going to be the hardest. You’re going to instinctively go in your pocket every couple of minutes. You’re going to scroll across your homescreen to try and find the app and you’re going to search for Twitter on your desktop. This is because over the years, you’ve built up a terrible habit – a twitch if you will. You have come to rely on this little app on your phone for stimulation and pleasure.

But you’ve just gotta ride that wave. You’ve got to see out this adjustment period of about a week or so. Once you get past this initial hurdle, it’s plain sailing. You will stop going for your phone every few minutes, you’ll stop looking for Twitter and you’ll stop thinking constantly about if a situation you’re in would make for a decent tweet.

You will come to realise that you don’t need this little bluebird anymore and that you have so much more free time and energy without it. You may even stop thinking in binary metrics of likes and retweets – shock horror.

REASSESS

After taking 30 days off Twitter, you can now reassess whether or not you need it in your life. Have you suffered any of the drastic consequences you thought you would? Do you really need to log back in?

If the answer is no to both of these, why not quit Twitter for good? If you think this is too big of a step, you can always log back in, make the world aware of your presence again and limit yourself to one or two scrolling sessions per day with notifications turned off.

Better yet, delete the app off your phone and force yourself to use Twitter only on your desktop – this is an effective way of limiting your consumption going forward.

BENEFITS OF TAKING SOME TIME OFF

Now for the juicy stuff.

You’re going to experience a looooot of benefits when you quit Twitter. It may also help to take on board the tips about reducing all social media consumption too. But anyway, let’s be havin ya!

YOU BECOME PRESENT

I have noticed this one the most. Instead of pulling out my phone every few minutes to check my feed and if I’ve missed someone’s tweet, I will barely go on it at all. Often if I’m meeting someone, I’ll keep my phone off completely so I can give them my full attention. After a while this gets a lot easier and you’ll find yourself enjoying the present far more.

INCREASES IN HAPPINESS

This is pretty much guaranteed. Once you block all the negativity and bad news that Twitter feeds you with constantly, you will feel yourself being more happy and more concerned with living your own life and not dwelling on someone else’s sadness.

I know that might seem a bit cold but you have to concentrate on increasing your own happiness before you try to increase everyone else’s. They always tell you to put your own oxygen mask on before assisting others in the event of a plane crash – this is no less true with happiness and life in general.

MORE TIME

I was averaging about 3 hours of screen time a day which probably isn’t even that bad compared to the general population. But that is still AWFUL. 3 hours per day spent gorming at a screen? That works out to almost an entire day per week lost to social media.

Twitter is the main culprit for this as it constantly feeds you new news stories, insights into people’s lives and just about anything else you can think of that would consume your time. By taking the decision to quit Twitter, you will be saving yourself so much of your finite time.

You can use this time to spend with your friends and family, work on a passion project, learn a new skill, whatever it may be – it has to be better than aimlessly scrolling through a screen hasn’t it?

YOU ARE MORE CREATIVE

Since you will be cutting down screen time (mine’s at about 30-40 minutes a day now), you will be spending a lot more time without this unnatural, novel stimuli and more time alone with your thoughts to be more creative.

Have you ever noticed how most kids are so bloody happy? Do you not think that has something to do with the fact they don’t have phones yet? They can spend their days socialising, learning and being creative. They don’t have the choice to go on their phones so they use their minds all the time.

Why can’t use adults be like that? I’m not stupid – I know that real life comes with stresses, bills, etc but why can’t we strive to just exist a bit more simply? Spend less time on our phone, socialise a bit more (in person) or learn a new skill – these can easily be done if you quit Twitter.

If you quit Twitter, it may just be the catalyst for change that you’ve been after – I know it certainly was for me. Keep your mind young, use your brain more and you will become much more creative and above all – happy.

NO MORE FOMO

There will be no more fear of missing out. You will stop spending your time refreshing friends’ feeds to see if they’ve posted updates or the day after to see if they upload any funny stories about the night.

You won’t care – at least you won’t after the first couple of weeks. Life will go on, the next night will roll around and you’ll want to go to that one because you want to experience it for real – not vicariously through their social feeds.

It’s a win win win win win situation. I can’t think of a single person that loses when you quit Twitter. Except for @Jack.

CAN TWITTER BE A FORCE FOR GOOD?

In short, yes it can.

However, it is pretty hard for Twitter to be a force for good over a prolonged period of time. Twitter was absolutely amazing for me for about 12 months. It allowed me to connect with lots of amazing people in blogging who helped me along the way and have genuinely become friends.

We all now follow each other on Instagram though, so I’m not missing out on any friendships. The only difference now is that the whole space I move in is far more positive and conversations are more meaningful.

If you can follow about 50 people, Twitter will probably be okay for the most part but let’s be honest – apart from your Grandma, who follows just 50 people? It’s impossible.

No matter how pure your intentions, your following count will always end up snowballing and you’ll find yourself getting angry at political threads and annoying trolls. The stress of Twitter really isn’t worth it – not for me anyway.

The official whistle-stop Bergen travel guide

Before we kick things off, let me just say a massive thank you to both Visit Bergen and Visit Norway for making this trip possible – you’re all a gang of Bobby Dazzlers.

Anyway – what a brilliant bloody city! Bergen was without a doubt, one of my favourite holidays to date.

It was very cold and sometimes rather wet, but these usually adverse conditions added to Bergen’s charm.

That might seem a bit odd to hear but trust me on this, this place is nothing like anywhere you’ve been before.

BERGEN: A BRIEF HISTORY

Bergen once was a vitally important seaport and to this day, there are still remnants of this rich history – the most impressive of which being the wooden buildings of Bryggen, which is actually a Unesco world heritage site.

It is known as the gateway to the ‘fjords’ and ‘Norway’s second city’, due to it being surrounded by seven hills, seven fjords and also being Norway’s second biggest city. Creative nicknames aren’t they?

Fast forward to the present day and Bergen still clings to its heritage and there is a real sense of pride floating round this place. Their port is still Norway’s busiest and they have expanded their international business to lots of industries like subsea technology, higher education and tourism (handy for yours truly).

GETTING THERE

Getting to Bergen is pretty easy. Most big cities fly directly there, but if they don’t, usually it’s only one quick change.

I changed at Stavangar on the way there and Inverness on the way back. In total it was about 3 hours flight time each way, not bad in my book.

Most airports offer places to chill out and plug your laptop in so you can crack on with some work or watch some Game of Thrones as you wait. I did a bit of blog work and had a read of a book and my travel was over in a flash.

Once you arrive at Bergen’s snazzy airport, you can either get the Flybussen or the Light rail into the city centre (or to any of the stops before that if you’re staying a bit outside the centre). Compared to Norway’s rather expensive costs on everything, the public transport is actually really cheap. It cost the equivalent of about £3 to get the rail into town.

From there, you can simply walk to wherever you need to go – everything is close enough together that there os virtually no need for Ubers or taxis.

WHERE TO STAY

We stayed in the Clarion Collection Havnekontoret, one of the swankiest gaffs in Norway and let me tell you – it did not disappoint.

Upon walking in, you are greeted with a little welcome kit, a ‘guest of honour’ card for the city and a naughty little view of the Bergen Harbour. I genuinely had a serious case of imposter syndrome here, it was too good to be true!

My favourite part of the hotel (simply because I’m a fat glutton) was that there was complimentary breakfast, lunch and dinner. The meals were different each night and were Scandinavian themed – it was unbelievable. So much so that we didn’t even eat out once.

There was a gym in the basement too, complete with weights, cardio equipment and a sauna! This would be ideal for those coming on a bit of a longer stay but as we were only there for the weekend, I didn’t need to use it.

The hotel was located pretty much smack-bang in the centre of Bergen. We were right next to the tram stop, we had the harbour right in front of us and Bryggen to the side. Everything in Bergen is pretty close together but the Clarion just makes things a million times easier.

One thing that I’ve never seen in a hotel before was a viewing tower. If you ask for a special key from reception, you can climb a big spiral staircase to one of the most unique hotel experiences out there. This viewing tower offers stunning views of the rolling hills, mountains, harbour and basically the entirety of Bergen.

I’m a big fan of the details, which is why the Clarion gets a 10/10 from me. They excelled here. When you walk into your room, there’s a little welcome hamper, bath robs, sliders, rituals toiletries – the works basically. Never has the saying “you get what you pay for” been more true.

The hotel was absolutely unbelievable. If you’re considering coming to Bergen, this should be the only place you book. The location, transport links, rooms, views, gym, food – the list goes on, this place is all you need.

THINGS TO DO

Despite having a small town feel, Bergen is one of Norway’s largest cities and thus, there is so much to see and do during your stay.

Here’s my top picks.

BRYGGEN

This was the first thing we did upon arrival and it didn’t disappoint. The first thing you think of when you think of Bergen is this.

The quaint little buildings, the wooden sidewalk – it’s amazing. It was literally like being in some sort of movie – can’t recommend this one enough.

FLØYEN / FLØIBANEN

I’ve grouped these together as they’re basically the same. Fløyen is the huge mountain of Bergen that offers ridiculous views for miles and miles. There’s also lots to do up at the top too.

You can either walk to the top or get the Fløibanen, which is the tram-thing that takes you up through to the top of Fløyen. This is an experience in itself and offers loads of cool photo opps and is great for those who don’t fancy the walk up to the top.

You can also get it back down if you don’t fancy the descent either. You can walk up and down via a path however if you fancy it – it should take about an hour each way.

MUSEUMS

One thing that Bergen does exceptionally well is museums. There are museums for basically everything. I’m not sure of the exact figure but the number of museums was definitely in double figures.

We went to the KODE museum which was brilliant. They had loads of different exhibitions on which were really interesting - not to mention #aesthetic.

Markets

Bergen has a famous fish market that is definitely worth a walk through even if you’re not hungry. But that wasn’t the market I went for.

The christmas markets were in full swing as it was the beginning of December and they were absolutely fantastic. Loads of different stalls selling all sorts of Christmas-related wares were vying for out attention and hard earned dosh.

We managed to avoid actually buying anything somehow but the hundreds of scoff options and festive tat on offer tested our willpower to the maximum.

The next couple of things are definitely worth a look if you have the time. Unfortunately we didn’t but they are very highly rated:

Fjord cruise

The world’s largest gingerbread town

Food & Drink

We didn’t actually go out for food or drink once during our weekend in Bergen.

Of course, there were coffee and pastry trips but in terms of actual meals out, we kept that to the hotel as it was just too nice to pass up.

There are loads of options for cool bars and restaurants still but we figured it would just be best to save ourselves £150+ per night and go with the free, lovely food of the Clarion.

You should however, definitely go and sample their local delights. We went to a cafe called BarBarista which was completely different to the norm.

With mad ornaments, dolls, bits and bobs hanging from the ceiling and walls, it was hard not to get lost in its unique magic. I had a chilli chocolate latte concoction which was unreal. I was tempted to go back for another but the £8 price tag made me think twice about being a glutton again.

There are tons of these unique, quirky little experiences dotted round Bergen. Half the fun of the whole experiences is just getting lost in the side streets and coming across amazing places like this.

The rest

So, the rest.

If we hadn’t have only brought hand luggage, we may may have ended up coming back with a lot more than we went with.

Bergen is full of brilliant shops that cater to all manner of interests but mostly their fashion and homeware stuff. This gear is off-the-charts cool and really lives up to the ‘Nordic style’ stereotype - in a good way.

The people are really friendly too, with basically everyone being able to speak brilliant English. This however, was the holiday that tipped me over the edge and made me want to take up a foreign language. I just found it baffling how basically 100% of a population could speak two languages fluently - I felt like a FRAUD.

Thus, 2019 is the year I get my act together - I may even learn Norwegian!

Getting about

Everything is walking distance. There’s no need for cabs or Ubers really as you can get everywhere in 20 minutes max walking.

I mean, you could moonwalk around if you wanted but that’s the only other transport option you’d need.

Bergen. What a brilliant city. Completely unlike anything else I’ve ever experienced. If you’re looking for somewhere that will blow your mind every few minutes, this is the place for you.

If you just want to go and drink beer, shout at people and trash your hotel, maybe you should stick to Zante.

Become bulletproof: The ultimate 5-step full body warm up

We all know we should warm up, but let's be honest - we don't.I know I'm definitely guilty of having good intentions but just not following through on them whatsoever. My idea of a warm up just a few months ago was doing a few lighter sets of my first exercise. Read on to find out how my recommendations have changed.

We all know we should warm up, but let’s be honest – we don’t.

I know I’m definitely guilty of having good intentions but just not following through on them whatsoever. My idea of a warm up just a few months ago was doing a few lighter sets of my first exercise.

And to be honest, that’s not actually too bad. The best warm ups are those that have you doing more work in less time. This basically means, if you’re spending too much time warming up then it will actually detract from your performance and could even be priming you for injuries. You want to be as effective as you can in as little time as you can.

Enter, the 5-step full body warm up.

This is quick and efficient. It warms the entire body up, meaning blood will be circulating throughout all your muscles – perfect for keeping your joints safe and your performance at its peak.

But most importantly, it can be done in less than 5 minutes, which is ideal for consistency. What’s the point in having the best, most intricate warm up routine if you only do it once a month? By having such a quick & simple routine, you’ll be far more consistent, meaning you’ll see the benefits in and outside of the gym.

THE FULL BODY WARM UP: EQUIPMENT LIST

This isn’t an extensive list by any means, but there are a few items you will need. These will be some of the best fitness investments you will ever make, as they’re going to save you from pain and injury time and time again.

All in all, they’ll probably set you back £20 ($30).

Foam roller
Golf/Lacrosse Ball
Light resistance band

HIP FOAM ROLL

This is the perfect exercise for loosening tight hips – a problem that can really hinder leg exercises and predispose you to injury. Moving the roller to the front and back of the legs will also help to prime the quads and hamstrings.

Areas worked:

Hips
IT band
Hamstrings
Quadriceps
Glutes

How to do it:

Underhand pull aparts

These are great for hitting the rear delts and rotator cuffs - two areas that can be damaged easily if over stressed without proper preparation. It also gives the biceps & triceps a little stretch which is beneficial for all your pushing & pulling exercises.

Areas worked:

Rear delts
Rotator cuffs
Traps
Biceps
Triceps

How to do it:

Cobra stretch

Perfect for working the lower back and helping to warm up the core. This will give you improved stability and strength throughout all your lifts and really helps to prime the glutes and hamstrings too.

Areas worked:

Lower back
Upper back
Shoulders
Hamstrings
Glutes

How to do it:

Chest roll

Tight pecs can be the cause of so many underlying issues that lead to injury and prevent maximal power output. The main culprit here is rounded shoulders. By stretching your chest, not only do you injury proof it for your pressing movements but you also improve your overall health by fixing postural imbalances.

Areas worked:

Upper chest
Lower chest
Front delts

How to do it:

Wall slides

These are a bugger. They work the shoulders through a very tough range of motion but the reward to effort ratio here is bang on. Performing these will improve your posture in next to no time and have all of your exercises progressing like crazy.

Areas worked:

Rear delts
Rotator cuffs
Traps
Front delts
Medial delts

How to do it:

That’s it. Quick, easy, effective. Once you’ve done that circuit, start your first exercise with 50% of your 1 rep max for 5 reps, then 60% for 3 and finally, 70% for 1. This will be the cherry on top, ‘greasing the groove’ if you will.

This will allow you to optimise your power output whilst keeping you free from injury in the long run.

You can thank me when you’re 85 and still doing cartwheels.

If you enjoy this sort of stuff then you can follow my dedicated personal training page here. You can also pick up my free bulking blueprint ebook here. AND, if you want a tailored 4-week wellbeing plan courtesy of yours truly, you can pick that up here.

The ultimate guide to a plant based diet

In a world where ‘diet’ has become something of a dirty word, how do we sift through all the bull excretion and find what actually works? I’m here today to tell you that the only diet proven to work for virtually any person on Earth is *drum roll* a plant based diet.

I can hear droves of keto keepers, paleo people and low-carb loonies shouting at their screens right now – and that’s okay. I’m not here to bash on these diets. They may well have their benefits in some populations but they do not work for a large majority of people long term – which is vital.

The plant based diet is the only diet with genuine research showing potential reversal of disease and long term reduction in basically all ailments ever. Yet people do not want to try it. But, why? I ask myself this all the time.

There are so many reasons, mostly misconceptions about what the diet entails, how hard it is to maintain (it isn’t) and scepticism about building muscle and keeping fit. These are all myths perpetuated by industries and individuals whose livelihood is directly opposed to the plant based movement.

I want to get this out of the way first and foremost before diving in – I am not a vegan. I will repeat that. I am NOT a vegan. I eat like your run-of-the-mill vegan the majority of the time but nothing is off the table if I want it. This is what plant based means to me and what it should mean to most of us if we want to reap the benefits of this diet in the long run.

WHAT A PLANT BASED DIET IS

I’ll be straight up with you, a plant based diet can be a bit of a minefield when it comes to it’s true definition, but I’m going to keep it simple and opt with ‘a diet that is based mostly on plants’ (not solely on plants). A plant based diet can be a vegan diet if you want it to, but my point is that it doesn’t have to be if you don’t want it to and that’s the beauty of it – it can be tailored to fit anyone & everyone.

I know there may be a lot of vegans getting their pants in a twist over this statement, saying that only a truly vegan diet can be classed as plant based. Not true guys. Just because you don’t eat animal products doesn’t mean you’re automatically plant based.

And let me pose this question to those who are staunch vegans. What is better – a person who eats animal products all the time, or a person who consumes animal products once or twice a month?

Unless someone is in the plant based movement for purely ethical reasons, there is no need to completely shun a bit of chicken, some cheese or a wee glass of milk every now and again. The point is to reduce it as much as possible and load up on the good stuff, aka, plants.

Once you begin to realise how good you feel when you haven’t got animal fats and proteins clogging up your system though, you’ll barely ever want to eat ’em. Trust me!

Just so we’re clear – a plant based diet, for the sake of this guide, is a diet that is mostly plants (85-100%), that’s all there is to it.

WHAT A PLANT BASED DIET ISN’T

There are a lot of misconceptions floating about surrounding what a plant based diet is and isn’t. A plant based diet doesn’t automatically mean vegan, it isn’t a ‘clean eating’ movement and it isn’t a form of orthorexia. You also don’t have to shove kale in your ears and sacrifice sweetcorn to the plant gods.

Some people associate being plant based with the vegan diet, which they can then associate with orthorexia. The blogger ‘The Balanced Blonde‘ wrote a book called ‘Breaking Vegan’ which details her struggles on the topic. This put a lot of people off veganism and thus – a plant based diet.

The simple fact of the matter is though, this woman had orthorexia and unfortunately, a lot of people mistake this eating disorder as an inherent fault of the diet itself, which couldn’t be further from the truth.

This is the simple beauty of the plant based diet though – nothing is actually off the table. It is just a gradual movement away from animal products (to a level you can maintain) and a gradual increase to a more plant-filled way of eating.

The plants are your base. As long as you are eating a generous serving of various ones each day, you can have some junk food now and again.

It is not the dreaded clean eating movement, which can be another trigger for orthorexia. It is a flexible diet that will work for almost 100% of people.

Just so we’re clear, the clean eating movement nor the vegan diet are inherently bad whatsoever, they both have amazing benefits. However, some people with deep lying conditions may feel slightly more triggered on them over the conventional diet, such as The Balanced Blonde.

This is why I believe a plant based diet is the way to go. It loosens restrictions and means you don’t feel as backed into a corner with your food choices (even though there are plenty of vegan options available nowadays).

MY VEGAN STORY

I’ll keep this one brief because nobody really cares, but maybe a quick backstory on me might *connect* us and help you get more from the guide.

I went vegan when I was 19 and stayed as vehement a vegan as you’ll ever find for about 18 months or so. I wouldn’t wear animal products, wouldn’t use any sort of product with a smidgen of animal traces in it, I didn’t eat my beloved Haribo Tangfastics and I even had a pair of vegan Dr Martens! I still own them too, they’re the best boots ever – shoutout to the doc.

But I felt like I was missing out, so when I was 21, I opted to go back to the dark side. It started with just a slither of bratwurst sausage, but then things got messy. At the time I was loving it, shovelling carcasses down my throat left, right and centre, but after, I felt awful. Everyone knows about the meat sweats, right? And everyone knows how lethargic you feel after a big, meat-heavy meal.

Well, I felt like that all the time. Eventually I felt so lethargic and lacking any sort of energy, I decided it was time to ditch it again. But this time, there was one key difference – I was plant based, not vegan. This meant I would never feel like I was missing out and the knowledge that I could eat animal products *if I wanted* meant that I found the diet easier and less stressful than before. It is also the reason I am still plant based now and have barely touched an animal product since.

WHY I STOPPED LABELLING IT

During my research into plant based diets, I came across so many variants that made me laugh. There are things such as ovo-vegetarians (those who eggs but not meat), pollo-vegetarians (those who eat chicken but no other meat) and the dreaded semi-vegetarian.

Why are we so desperate to label every little bit of our life? You’re not pollo-vegetarian, you just eat chicken and veg. You’re not a semi-vegetarian, you just sometimes eat animal products! It is human nature to want to find meaning and belonging, but trying to use your dietary preference as a personality trait really isn’t the way to do it.

Once I stopped labelling myself as a vegan I felt instantly freer. There was no pressure to conform to the dietary standard and I felt like I was making even better choices as a result. This didn’t mean I was scoffing animal products left right and centre (I barely do) but knowing I could took a weight off my shoulders.

As soon as you tell someone you’re a vegan or a ‘pollo-vegetarian’, you are opened up to scrutiny and you feel like your every move is hawked over meticulously by every man and his dog. This pressure not only from external sources – but from yourself – to conform to this way of life can be hugely off-putting for anyone getting into the vegan/plant based movement.

This is why ditching the label will be the best thing you do. By just getting on with your diet, you – and only you, can concentrate on what’s truly important – your health and wellbeing.

Michael Pollan put it best when he said ‘Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.’ The simplest and most effective dietary advice for all of us to follow if we want to live a life of health and longevity.

So, take the label off, enjoy the bliss of eating your newly found plant based diet and live a stress free life. Just don’t start telling everyone you’re plant based (like I’m doing with this article…).

WHY YOU SHOULD SWITCH: THE BIG 3

You know what a plant based diet is and isn’t, you know a little background on me, but why should you switch? Here’s your 3 main reasons.

HEALTH

First and foremost is your health. You can’t enjoy anything in life if you aren’t healthy, not truly anyway. And you damn well can’t consider the other two reasons if your diet has killed you.

Within the first week or so, the switch may be difficult but you will soon find yourself with bags of energy, a clearer mind and just feeling great at all times. I even managed to give up coffee after the first two weeks of getting on the plant based diet.

ENVIRONMENT

As we are all aware, the meat and dairy industry are terrible for not just our health, but our environment too. By easing off on our animal product consumption, we can go some way to helping our planet heal.

There’s no point in discussing what food to eat if the Earth has turned into a toxic wasteland is there? Your life goal should be to take care of your body and your planet – they’re the only two places you have to live in.

ETHICS

Finally – and this may be the reason why a lot of people choose a plant based lifestyle – is ethics. Consuming less animal products means less animal suffering as a whole. The source of people’s food can really weigh on their conscience, so if you are of this school of thought, a plant based diet is definitely the way to go.

If you are dead set against animal suffering, the plant based diet can also act as a good way to ease yourself into the vegan lifestyle in the long run.

These will all be discussed in much more detail in the ‘Benefits’ section below, just in case you thought I was skimming over the holy trifecta a bit.

THE UNDENIABLE TRUTH OF PLANT BASED DIETS

Let’s talk about the undeniable truth of the plant based diet for just a second before we get into the full list of benefits. It is just healthier. Period. No other diet in existence can boast the reversal of disease, the droves of success stories or the hard scientific proof.

A plant based diet is a superior diet and that’s just not up for debate. Providing you eat the right foods while on a plant based diet and don’t fall into a junk food trap, you will feel absolutely amazing until your dying breath – which will probably be when you’re about 257 (lentils are powerful stuff).

BENEFITS OF A PLANT BASED DIET

Now let’s get into the good stuff. Everyone wants to know ‘what’s in it for me?’. Well pretty much everything is in it for you. By making the switch to a plant based diet, you open yourself up to an almost endless list of benefits.

Since the list is about as long as time itself, I’m going to list my favourites. These aren’t all woo-woo claims either folks, this is all backed up by science. Good old science.

LOWERED RISK OF HEART DISEASE

This is the biggie. Heart disease is one of the biggest killers in the Western world and it really needn’t be. Those on a plant based diet have a significantly lower risk of all forms of heart disease, which begs the question – why wouldn’t you eat this way?

LOWERED CANCER RISK

The second biggest benefit of a plant based diet is the lowered risk of all forms of cancer, especially colon cancer. This has a lot to do with the lowered intake of red meat and its associated carcinogens – which have been shown to actually cause cancer by the World Health Organisation.

INCREASED BLOOD FLOW

Blood flow is such an important factor of health in general. It allows nutrients to be shuttled to muscles and helps you feel great at all times. It is also extremely beneficial to the heart and also for the fellas – their erections.

Erectile dysfunction can be an early indicator of heart disease as both are closely linked to blood flow. What’s good for one is good for both – you can thank me later.

REVERSAL OF DIABETES

A diet that can genuinely reverse disease? Damn bloody right.

Although it may not be able to reverse all cases of diabetes, a plant based diet has been shown to be an extremely effective way of managing diabetes and there are countless stories of people even coming off their medications completely. It really is unbelievable that all diabetes sufferers aren’t eating more plants.

IMPROVED MOOD

Plant based people are happier – according to science.

I can vouch for this though – being plant based gives me so much energy (see below) and makes me feel great all day every day. I know this seems like some sort of JML advert but it does genuinely perk you up and has definitely given me a rosier outlook on life.

ABUNDANT ENERGY

This is probably one of the most obvious ones but when you start packing your gob full of nutrient rich plants, you come to have boundless energy.

I can almost guarantee after a big meat or dairy heavy meal, you feel stuffed and lethargic, then that cycle carries on again and again, every day until you simply don’t have any energy to do anything without some form of external input (coffee, tea, energy drinks, etc). No wonder the majority of people have a crippling caffeine addiction by the time they’re 21!

By taking back control of your energy levels, you can break free of that reliance on caffeine and become free to savour and enjoy your coffees without depending on them. I used to drink 2-3 a day just to keep me functioning, now I drink 2-3 a week and that’s only when I get less than 5 hours of sleep or if I just fancy the taste of one.

That’s not some form of weird caffeinated humblebrag by the way, it’s just showcasing how a simple change in your diet can give you boundless, healthy and sustainable energy.

WEIGHT MANAGEMENT

This one might be a selling point for a lot of folks. Weight & BMI being the two most coveted improvements. Plant based diet followers are on average, much lighter than those on the Western diet.

I don’t really believe your weight matters too much and don’t personally have a scale at home for this reason. Weight can be distorted by bone and muscle mass so don’t take guidelines too seriously.

But plant based people also hold less fat than those on the Western diet which is the important factor. Being fat is asking for disease, illness and an early death. If you can trim the fat even slightly, you’re on the right track.

BETTER BREATH

This is a bit of a vanity thing but still, bad breath ain’t no joke.

Those who eat meat have a higher chance of bad breath due to the animal protein getting stuck in your teeth and attracting bacteria. By eating a more plant based diet you can avoid this almost completely. You can also floss after each meal to be super careful not to have pungent breath.

LOWERED OSTEOPOROSIS RISK

Considering that the plant based diet is supposedly devoid of calcium, it may come as a surprise that those on this diet have a lowered risk of developing osteoporosis and bone fractures.

Research is now emerging showing that cow’s milk may actually increase the risk of breaks and fractures, contrary to what the dairy industry would have you believe. Countless studies have now shown than the highest consumers of dairy products have the highest rates of osteoporosis, bone breaks and fractures!

This could be down to the protein/calcium balance being thrown out of whack by dairy products which have a higher protein/calcium ratio than that of other plant foods.

LESS SECOND HAND HORMONE & ANTIBIOTICS CONSUMPTION

This is more potent now than ever. Our animals are pumped full of steroids to make them bigger and loaded with antibiotics to stop them getting sick. They’re also pumped with a whole lot of other nasties that end up in their bodies when they are killed.

All of these horrible hormones and medications are of course then in our meat, dairy and eggs which is why illness rates are skyrocketing and we have become so resistant to a lot of older treatments.

The only thing you have to worry about on a plant based diet is pesticides which are sometimes sprayed on crops to ward off insects and animals. These can simply be washed off during a good old rinse of your veg.

HOW TO MAKE THE SWITCH TO A PLANT BASED DIET

You don’t just have to jump into a plant based diet head first. You can ease yourself in if you think that is a better way for you to stick to it long term and acclimatise to less animal products.

The tips listed below are designed to take out the hardest parts of the plant based lifestyle with relative ease. They will also help bridge the gap between plant based and animal foods, meaning you’ll barely realise that anything has changed at all.

ADD MORE PLANTS IN

First and foremost, just add some god damn plants in! All you have to do is have your normal meals, but just add in one or two fistfuls of veg. Some broccoli, spinach, mushrooms, peppers, asparagus, WHATEVER – just pack the plate with veg.

Your meals should never be based around the meat on the plate anyway. It should be packed with vegetables, grains, starches, etc then the meat should compliment it. However, as a culture we’ve let ourselves go and that serving of meat has skyrocketed so it is the main part of the meal.

We need to take control back. Pack your plate with the good stuff and try to half the meat serving if possible after a couple of weeks.

MILK ALTERNATIVES

This is an extremely easy one to implement. If you’re having cereal, a cup of tea or coffee, just add in some coconut, almond or soy milk instead of cow’s milk. These plant based milks actually taste really good, they’re creamy and each has a unique taste which can sex up your usuals a bit.

It’s also stupidly easy to do as you won’t particularly taste a difference and you’re getting rid of one of the worst offenders when it comes to animal products in the diet.

MEAT FREE MONDAYS

Now we’re stepping it up.

Trying meat free Mondays can give you a real taste of what the plant based diet is all about. It allows you to feel some of the benefits of culling the animal consumption even just after one day.

You’ll probably sleep better, have more energy the day after, won’t be as constipated (so I’ve heard…) and a load of other great benefits that you can feel almost instantly.

It also gives you a chance to experiment with a day’s worth of meat free recipes and it can really open your eyes to the possibilities out there – showing you that meals don’t have to be based around meat in order to taste great.

TRY MEAT REPLACEMENTS

Once you’ve graduated from meat free Mondays, you can start looking into meat replacements long term if you still have those fleshy cravings.

Meat replacements nowadays are brilliant, they’re not like the cardboard gear from back in the day. Linda McCartney has an amazing range of plant based meat alternatives (think sausages, burgers, PIES…) that I’m sure will help even the staunchest carnivore to ease off on the meat.

RESEARCH TASTY RECIPES

The final tip may just be the most important – research some tasty recipes! If you are constantly eating bland foods, you’re more than likely going to cave and go for a McDonald’s after about 4 days.

But, if you have lots of amazing recipes to choose from, you keep everything fresh and you can really explore the amazing plant based dishes that are available to you.

I have listed a few from my favourite plant based chef – the minimalist baker, below. Her site is an fantastic resource for anyone looking for quick but tasty (and very healthy) plant based foods.

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT TO FOCUS ON WHOLE FOODS

You could eat fries, chips and smoke some doobies and still call yourself plant based but that completely defeats the object of the plant based diet. This is why you should be focusing on a whole foods approach. And if doobies are a staple of your diet… maybe ditch them too and give CBD oil a go instead.

By focusing on whole foods, you reap the full benefits of a plant based diet. You allow yourself to take on the bevy of nutrients that fruit, veggies, whole grains, nuts & legumes can offer (along with a smidgen of organic animal bits if you really fancy it).

As humans, we are always focused on loss. We always zone in on what we don’t have instead of what we can add. This is no different to our diet. We always focus in on what we are taking out of our diet (gluten free, dairy free, grain free, meat free, additive free, sugar free, etc) when in fact, we should be focusing on adding quality nutrition and making that a mainstay first and foremost.

The whole point of a plant based diet is not to restrict you, it is to open you up to a world of abundance and culinary possibilities. By adding in a wide variety of colourful, healthy & tasty whole foods, you will naturally move away from stuffing your face with processed junk as you simply won’t crave it.

You will start to crave the taste and the energy that whole foods give you, which is the whole point of the diet. You have to want to eat this way. If you feel like you are trapped in this way of eating then you’re eventually going to binge and fall off the wagon for good. I know this because I’ve been there.

And that’s why the focus is on abundance and what we can add in, not what we are taking out, limiting or restricting. Focus on getting those whole foods in and naturally, the junk will fall by the wayside.

THE ESSENTIAL NUTRIENTS OF A PLANT BASED DIETS

People like to think it’s incredibly hard to get certain nutrients on a plant based diet and use this as an excuse not to try it for themselves or do any sort of research into the topic whatsoever.

In reality, it’s far easier to get these nutrients on a plant based diet than a standard diet. Maybe this is because plant based people are more aware of their dietary intake than most standard dieters but in any case – it is still extremely easy if you know how.

Luckily I do know how – and you will too in a moment. I’ve listed the main offenders that people like to reference when bashing on the plant based way. I’ve also listed exactly how you can get these essential nutrients so you don’t have to worry, my plant consuming apprentice.

PROTEIN

This is a myth that just needs to die. Protein is exceptionally easy to come by on a plant based diet.

For starters, you simply don’t need as much protein as you are led to believe by big supplement companies. I weigh around 155lbs and take in about 125g of protein a day. Some say 0.8-1g of protein per lb of bodyweight is optimal but I would say even 0.6g per lb is sufficient for muscle growth. Add to that the high levels of carbs that the plant based diet includes and your athletic performance will be on another level.

My favourite sources of protein are tofu, oats, kidney beans, chickpeas, oats, lentils and quinoa. If I’m running a tad low for the day I’ll throw in a scoop of protein powder for a boost.

B12

Just supplement with this. If you still sometimes eat meat, this won’t be an issue (most likely – although meat eaters can be b12 deficient). If not though, a supplement costs next to nothing and taking a pill once or twice a week will give you your quota.

To be fair, you won’t even need a supplement if you drink fortified milk or eat fortified cereals (or if you ate grass like the cows who give you b12).

ZINC

Zinc is responsible for healthy hair, nails and sleep, amongst lots of other things. Being deficient is no joke, which is why even though the recommended daily dose is pretty low, I still supplement to get more than triple that, as this can have lots of benefits, mainly just increases in testosterone though.

That said, there are still lots of plant based foods that offer loads of zinc. These are kidney beans, black beans, chickpeas, peanut butter, cacao powder, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds and oats.

IRON

This really baffles me. Apart from red meat, every other main source of iron is plant based. However strange it may seem, people still love trying to bring it up as a reason to not go plant based.

They’re wrong – obviously. The best sources of iron are spinach, lentils, tofu, quinoa, oats, tempeh, pumpkin seeds – the list goes on…and on…and on.

If you’re really in a pickle, you could just cook your foods in a cast iron skillet which transfers some of its iron content to the foods you are cooking. Just how safe this is though I don’t know – although I still use it anyway because of the #aesthetics.

CALCIUM

Some people – in fact, most people, believe that you can only get milk from calcium. ‘Gotta drink from a cow’s teet to make my bones grow strong!!!’ Not true. Calcium comes from loads of much healthier sources such as tofu, broccoli, fortified milks and cereals, bok choy and oats.

Some of those probably came as a surprise to you and I must admit, they did to me at first too. But these foods are full of nutrients so it makes sense that a wee bit of calcium had to be in there somewhere too.

Ignore the constant onslaught of advertising from the dairy industry and open your eyes to the fact that there are plant based alternatives to everything.

OMEGA 3

It’s not just fish and oils that have omegas in them. My favourite sources of omega 3 in particular are hemp seeds, flaxseed and chia seed. These three pack a huge omega punch and are a convenient, tasty way to get them into your diet.

I throw flaxseed and chia into my oats in the morning and the hemp seeds go in an afternoon smoothie – easy.

IODINE

Since our bodies cannot produce iodine internally, it is essential that we consume enough of it through our diet, which is where scaremongers come in. They will have you believe that a plant based diet simply cannot meet these needs when in fact, it can with ease and it does so by using some of the healthiest foods known to man.

These are potatoes, prunes, strawberries, kelp and cranberries. These are all super easy to work into recipes and are the perfect way to get a huge dose of iodine to keep your body in top condition.

VITAMIN D

The thing with Vitamin D is that it is extremely hard to come by through diet alone. Eggs have a tiny bit in them but the best food source is actually plant based – mushrooms!

Regardless, just get outdoors in the sun if you can. If you can’t, take a Vitamin D3 (D3 is the most powerful form of vitamin D) supplement.

WHY THIS VERSION OF A PLANT BASED DIET IS FOR EVERYONE

The plant based diet is the optimal diet for health, there’s no two ways about it. The beauty of this diet is that it pleases the masses, in part due to the deep levels of customisation you can enjoy on it.

Vegans can have no animal products in their plant based diet if they want. Vegetarians can have some animal products in their plant based diet if they want. Meat eaters can have a tad more animal products in their plant based diet if they want.

It is this level of tailoring that can allow anyone, no matter their dietary preferences, to create a plan that is fun, easy to stick to and most importantly – effective.

The only requirements are that you cut down the animal products to <15% of your total caloric intake and ramp up them fruits and veggies.

A caveat though – I do recommend consuming as little animal produce as possible if you want the best results. I always find that I feel less ‘clogged up’ when I’m running on that clean, lean, veggie energy.

WHY THIS VERSION MIGHT ANNOY SOME

I know I’ve probably ticked off a lot of people with this article, but at the end of the day, it is for the greater good. Just because I advocate not labelling yourself a vegan/vegetarian doesn’t mean I don’t advocate eating that way.

My diet now is almost what you would class as vegan with the exception of a bit of honey. The only difference is that I know I’m not restricted and if I wanted to eat a cheese butty, I could.

This is what is going to help me – and countless others, stay on the diet long term. This is a million times better than going gung-ho for 12 months then crashing and burning like I did. The whole point of the plant based diet is that people will eventually not even want to eat animal products for the most part because they enjoy eating the plant based way so much. This will lead to huge decreases in overall animal consumption, which is what true vegans and vegetarians want, right?

All I’m saying is don’t bash the plant based way. Encourage those around you to join in and to take their health into their own hands by eating the way humans were meant to.

THE CHINA STUDY

An entire section dedicated to just one study? Believe it or not, yes. The China study has been at the heart of fierce debate between vegans and non vegans ever since it was published in 2005. There has even been books that have tried to disprove it, but despite this, I believe the results – kind of.

The China study is the perfect support for a plant based diet. Since it didn’t exclusively look at vegans, this may well be the best study of its kind that represents a plant based way of living in the real world.

It looked at a 20 year study called the China-Cornell-Oxford project which was conducted predominantly in rural china and observed the relationship between animal product intake and chronic disease (cancers, heart disease, etc).

At the end of the 20 years, they concluded that a diet that was heavy in animal products was also more likely to cause chronic disease in participants – results which were corroborated by multiple other studies at the time.

So, what can we take from the China study? Well, considering by the end of the study, they had over 8,000 statistically significant associations between diet, lifestyle and disease – my guess is quite a lot.

But let’s keep it simple – smash the plants. Now backed up by a wealth of research, a plant based diet was shown to prevent and reverse chronic disease, slow or stop the growth of cancer cells, improve rates of obesity, diabetes and bone disease, amongst others.

The China study really taught us the importance of nutrition for keeping the human body in peak condition. It has also showed us that carbs really are NOT the enemy. As long as those carbs are from whole foods, plant based sources of course.

WHAT DOES THE RESEARCH SAY?

After reading through the China study, it led me down somewhat of a research rabbit hole. If you are into your scientific proof as much as me, you’ll love this section.

If you don’t like your research and would rather just mindlessly scroll through success stories then skip this section you lazy dosser.

Be warned if you do skip though – you’ll be missing out on some extremely interesting work by scientific frontrunners.

COUCH POTATO VEGANS VS WESTERN DIET RUNNERS

This is kind of a novel study but it’s bloody profound, that’s for sure. As plant based people are usually much more slender than their Western diet counterparts, it has been argued that results showing less arterial plaque in the planties is down to this and not the diet itself.

So this study set out to put this to bed once and for all – by measuring sedentary vegans against runners who ate a traditional Western diet. These weren’t just any runners either. These were people who ran an average of 48 miles per week. For the past 21 years.

The results were unbelievable – the vegans had lower thickness in their carotid arteries. Considering the fact these people worked out once a week or not at all, this is crazy. And it just goes to show the true power of the plant based diet and what a diet very low in animal products can do for your overall health.

SAVE LIVES, SAVE MONEY & SAVE THE EARTH

There was a study published by Oxford University that compared the three dietary approaches and what effect these would have on the world by 2050 if everybody implemented them.

Within these effect parameters were mortality, environmental health and economy. Greenhouse gases were included too but for the sake of ease, we’ll just lump that in with the environment.

They compared three eating patterns: a Western diet, vegetarian diet and a vegan diet.

While the findings may have to be taken with a pinch of salt, they predicted that the more plant based the diet, the better it was for all three parameters. By 2050, they predicted a 10% decrease in all cause mortality, saving 8.1 million lives per year, along with over a trillion dollars saved on health costs and a 70% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

SWAP OUT YOUR ANIMAL PROTEIN FOR PLANT PROTEIN

This study looked into how different types of protein affected artery calcification scores. This basically means they measured how animal and plant protein correlated with levels of clogged arteries.

What they found was actually quite astonishing. Out of the 4,500 people in the study, those who consumed a higher ratio of plant based protein were almost 60% less likely to have plaque in the arteries.

This meant that those with the higher plant protein intake had a far lower risk of heart disease when compared to the animal protein participants. Definitely something to bear in mind when putting together a meal plan in the future.

SUCCESS STORIES

Whilst there are thousands upon thousands of plant based success stories, I thought I’d compile a mini list of high profile names that may shock you. Some of these people have made incredible journeys on their plant based diets and I’ll leave some links for you to check them out more below.

BRIAN TURNER

One of my favourite plant based athletes, Brian Turner, initially got into this way of eating because of his severe acne. Believe it or not, being plant based helped Brian’s skin clear up massively and he now barely suffers with any acne whatsoever.

What is most astonishing about Brian though is that he is also a bodybuilder! He fuels his strength and muscle training on a wholly plant based diet – something which so many people think cannot be done.

He is not alone though, there are so many other plant based bodybuilders out there doing amazing things with their physiques such as Derek Simnett, Jon Venus, Torre Washington, Dom Thompson & Nimai Delgado.

RICH ROLL

Rich is an extremely interesting guy – he has a wildly popular podcast, he is one of the fittest men on earth and he has built himself a hugely successful wellbeing empire.

But what’s funny is that this wasn’t the case until relatively recently. Rich Roll used to be a lawyer who found himself wrapped up in a drugs and alcohol addiction which led him down a dark path involving falling out with colleagues, landing himself in jails and eventually, into rehab.

It was only after discovering the plant based way of living (the day after his 40th birthday) that he found his love of fitness again. Fast forward a decade or so and this formerly overweight, drug addicted, alcoholic has now competed in ultra-marathons, ironman triathlons and just about anything else batshit crazy.

He is an absolute machine and has shown no signs of slowing down. Just a little taster of what a plant based diet can do for you.

VENUS WILLIAMS

We had to have some female representation in here! Venus Williams went plant based to battle her autoimmune disease and it ended up being the best decision she ever made.

After deciding to fuel her game with mostly plants, Venus has said she feels amazing every day on her plan. She has won 4 gold olympic medals and 7 grand slams. Not too shabby for someone fuelled by a few bits of broccoli and a smidgen of tofu is it?

Her main meals consist of greens, smoothies, tofu and the occasional bit of chicken or egg whites. It just goes to show that even the most elite athletes, athletes at the very top of their field, can sustain and improve their performance by making the switch to a plant based diet.

There are just too many plant based miracles to list here but there is an absolute library of them over on the Forks over Knives website. There are stories of people losing hundreds of pounds, beating heart attacks, reversing blindness and lung failure. It is absolutely astonishing what can be accomplished just by changing your dietary intake.

Have a read through a few of these and if they don’t convince you to go plant based, you may just be impossible to sway.

BEST FOODS TO EAT FOR OPTIMAL WELLBEING

Just cutting down on your animal product consumption is going to do wonders for your health but there are definitely some foods that will help you along the way to improving your health even further.

I’ve listed a few below and why they’re so good for you.

MUSHROOMS

My favourite on this list by a mile. I absolutely love mushrooms, but I know they can be a tad marmite with some people. If you do like your shrooms though, you’re in for a treat when it comes to benefits.

They are packed with B vitamins, vitamin D and selenium. Along with this, they have medicinal qualities. They can help fight against tumours and may even help to fight neurological disorders such as Alzheimers.

BERRIES

Is there anything berries can’t do? I bet if you ate enough berries, you’d develop superpowers – although that’s just a theory, science hasn’t quite caught up yet.

But what science has told us so far is that berries can increase good HDL cholesterol, lower blood pressure, increase blood flow, increase energy and for the women – they may even help to preserve bone density during and after menopause.

POMEGRANATES

My favourite food to consume for taste and performance. Pomegranate seeds taste so damn good in smoothies, yoghurts, oatmeal, whatever AND they help boost my performance whenever I need it.

This is because this sweet treat is one of the greatest foods for increasing blood flow along with watermelon. This helps to boost cardiovascular function and can help with erectile strength. Thank you sweet pomegranate.

BROCCOLI

Hopefully you’ve stopped having childhood nightmares of a big stick of broccoli chasing you down the street now and you’re finally ready to give this children’s arch nemesis a go.

I never understood why kids (and a lot of baby-like adults) don’t like broccoli. When it’s cooked, it’s tender, tasty and incredibly good for you. With a bit of salt on too it tastes unbelievable. So why do we eschew it?

Because of a weird stigma hangover from childhood! Because it’s a textbook joke, a lot of people never grow out of that phase and are missing out on one of the greatest superfoods about.

Broccoli is packed with nutrients and is particularly effective for men looking to flush oestrogen out of their system. It helps to lower the amount of this hormone in the body, meaning there is more free testosterone floating around to be used for making you feel bloody wonderful.

For both males and females though, broccoli is amazing for digestion, producing new cells in the body and for lowering bad cholesterol.

QUINOA

Quinoa is stupidly nutritious – almost comically so. It is so full of of nutrition goodness that you’d be stupid not to get it in you every day.

People who are worried about consuming grains and gluten – don’t worry. Quinoa is a seed technically and is gluten free. It is a great source of animal-free protein, carbs and fibre too.

In terms of micronutrient content, it is packed with iron, zinc, magnesium, potassium, folate, phosphorous, quercetin and B vitamins.

See, I told you it was stupidly nutritious. This is definitely one health trend that’s here to stay.

TOFU

Tofu is made in the same way cheese is (using soya milk instead of cow’s milk). It therefore, has all the benefits of soya milk, but with none of the downsides of cow’s milk (cancer, etc).

It is the perfect main ingredient to big, cooked dinners and can act as a meaty central player to base your dish around. The fact that tofu takes on the flavours of everything around it makes it such a versatile ingredient too.

It can be fried, grilled, baked, scrambled – you name it, tofu can do it. This is what makes it such an indispensable weapon of the plant based diet.

Not only is it perfect as a meat substitute in all dishes, it is a genuine health food in its own right. Absolutely packed with protein, all 9 amino acids, iron, magnesium, calcium, zinc & vitamin B1 – this bean curd should be a staple in your diet.

For women – the fact that tofu may reduce your risk of or even help reverse breast cancer too is reason alone to include this one in your diet.

OATS

I eat oats every single morning. There’s a reason why they’re a staple in millions of people’s lives – they’re tasty and amazing for your health.

A simple bowl of oats can be loaded with lots of other tasty, healthy foods such as bananas, berries, chia seeds, flaxseed, almond milk, nuts and honey to make it the ultimate bowl of wellbeing.

However, on their own as a standalone health food, oats are the GOAT. Maybe we should start calling them GOATS lmao. Anyway, oats are gluten free (whuuuut), they are packed with vitamins and minerals such as manganese, iron and folate and they are cheap. This makes them the perfect way to start your day.

My recommendation for the optimal plant based morning would be to wake up, go through your morning routine, intermittent fast for the first few hours of the day, then break the fast with a bowl of GOATS, filled up with the other health foods listed above. This won’t spike your blood sugar too much and will give you balanced energy throughout the day without the need for external stimulants like coffee or Red Bull.

BANANAS

If there’s one food that’s associated with the plant based diet, it has to be the humble nay nay.

Packed full of potassium, these little babies are amazing for an energy boost, helping cramped muscles, aiding athletic performance and even protecting your heart.

They are sweet and can be used in virtually any dish. Add them, along with a few dates, into a smoothie for the ultimate sweet treat that has no downside. They also help with digestion which is fantastic when you are eating large, wholesome meals.

BELL PEPPERS

Eat ’em raw, fry ’em, steam ’em, bake ’em – the bell pepper is a versatile little bugger. They are tasty and surprisingly dense in nutrients. They also have 200% of your daily recommended intake of vitamin C – take that, oranges.

They are also full of B vitamins, folate and antioxidants – all fantastic nutrients for those looking to improve overall health and performance. They are excellent at aiding recovery and they add a lovely dimension to any sort of meal. Maybe just don’t put them in your oats, yeah?

SPINACH

Popeye’s favourite – and with good reason. Spinach is packed with so many vitamins such as Iron, Vitamins A, C & K1, fibre.

It can have profound effects on eye health, cancer prevention and just about anything else you can shake a stick at. It can be eaten raw or cooked and has a great taste. Throw a couple of handfuls in with every cooked meal. It will wilt down so you barely notice it but will give you amazing benefits.

AVOID (MOST OF THE TIME)

Now for some of the foods you should avoid most of the time. I’m not saying eradicate them, but just beware that continuing to consume these foods at the level us humans do, will lead to disease, obesity and early death – probably.

OILS

Yes, even olive oil. Oils are tasty and great for cooking but apart from avocado and coconut oil, their nutrient profiles are severely unbalanced.

With the exception of the two mentioned above, oils have a rather low smoking point, which means cooking with them releases cancer causing carcinogens – not the most fun alliteration to read…

Their omega ratios are out of whack too, with far higher levels of 6 than 3, which may cause heart problems further down the line. If you’re going to cook or drizzle oils, then use coconut or avocado. Better yet, use shallow frying with water instead of oil as this is just as effective, but far healthier.

EGGS

I do believe eggs are pretty healthy to be honest – their yolks are packed with vitamins and powerful hormone precursors but I can’t look past the fact that they are packed with fat and cholesterol.

Now, some may argue that dietary cholesterol doesn’t affect overall cholesterol levels – I certainly have in the past, but is it really a risk you need to take? If it does, then eggs are certainly the biggest offender out of any food type.

If you really are desperate for some eggs though, limit yourself to a few free range, organic ones per week. This reduces the carbon footprint, the animal suffering and potentially, your health risk.

CHEESE

Everyone’s favourite comfort food. Pizza? Cheese on it. Bit of toast? Cheese on it. Seeing your newborn baby for the first time? Let’s put some cheese on it.

It tastes phenomenal but what it does to your arteries isn’t quite up to that same level. Cheese is a good source of calcium but so are many other plant based foods. Weigh this up against the huge saturated fat content, the amount of sodium and exogenous hormones in your average block of the good stuff and the disadvantages are starting to heavily outweigh the benefits.

If you really need that cheese fix, try out some plant based cheeses. You’ll be surprised at just how good they are. Remember, we’re living in the 21st century, progress has been made.

MEAT

We all know it deep down, meat just ain’t that good for us. It may taste divine but the dead animals we have come to rely on for our culinary pleasure are killing us.

After the world health organisation brought to light their research outlining how red meat in particular, was a direct cause of cancer – it seemed like meat’s days were over.

And they pretty much are. I believe that we should see meat as a luxury, not something that we rely on every day for the bulk of our calories. Listen, I know it’s a great source of protein and does pack some great nutrients but if cigarettes packed the same sort of punch, would you start smoking 50 a day? I doubt it.

You can get your protein from far healthier, sustainable sources that won’t put you in an early grave.

BREAD

God damn I love bread. But it just isn’t that good for me – so I limit it.

Sounds easy doesn’t it. That’s because it is! How about this: just don’t buy a loaf in your weekly shop. There is the answer to how to eat less bread.

Unfortunately, the bread that most of us consume is full of additives, salt and god knows what else. It’s also got the evil gluten demon floating about in its nutrient makeup. This is responsible for all the bloating and water retention that comes with regular bread intake.

If you pay a bit more, or make it yourself, bread can actually be pretty good though. If you do make it yourself then go ahead and have it every day! But as for the mass produced stuff – steer well clear.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Here are some of the most common questions that are posed to anyone embarking on a plant based diet and are even more prominent if you go completely animal-free (I have had every single one of these questions).

In most cases, I find people are just genuinely interested and actually want to be educated. If they don’t ask though, don’t bring any of these up because it bores people and can actually put them off trying out a plant based diet for themselves.

These FAQ’s may well answer some of your burning questions too. If you do have any other questions though, feel free to comment at the end of the article and I will get back to everyone.

Q: I’VE HEARD THE PLANT BASED DIET IS TOO EXPENSIVE?

A: Absolute nonsense. Unless you’re buying some mad marketing ploys like special coconut milk that’s in a solid gold glass, then the plant based diet is absolutely dirt cheap.

Next time you do the weekly shop, take a look inside your basket and see what the most expensive items are. With the exception of your weekly condom and wine haul, my guess is it’ll be the meat, followed by some form of dairy product (cheese and yoghurt can get rather expensive).

Then take a look at whatever fruit and veg you’ve got in there. Potatoes are cheaper than cheap, apples are practically free and bananas cost 45 times less than an hour’s wage. It’s plainly obvious that going plant based is in fact going to be easier on your pursestrings than a traditional western diet.

Q: ISN’T IT BORING?

A: Not in the slightest. A plant based diet will open you up to so many new recipes and ways of thinking about food. Your palette will no longer be numbed by massive plates of meat and cheese covered in salt and sauce.

You’ll learn new food combos, new cooking techniques, ingenuitive ways of repurposing food and you’ll also get to grips with how to properly flavour and season food – not just lather it in tomato sauce or mayonnaise.

I found after going plant based, I started to cook a lot more different meals, I started to enjoy my cooking again and often made it a social activity instead of just plain old ‘meal prep’ to get me by for the day.

Q: IS SOY SAFE?

A: Ah the plant based staple.

Where the soy/man boobs-esque argument came from is anyone’s guess, but one thing’s for sure – it’s not true. Tofu (the main thing people think of when it comes to soy) is simply the curd of the soybean and is extremely beneficial.

Soy has been a mainstay in Asian diets for thousands of years and believe or not, Asians have the highest average testosterone levels of all continents across the globe. This thoroughly debunks the ‘soy boy’ emasculated male myth that people tend to lean on when criticising plat based folks.

But what about the women? No doubt you’ve heard someone talk about soy causing breast cancer at some point? Well in fact, the opposite is true. Soy has protective benefits against breast cancer. It also protects against prostate cancer and heart disease whilst reducing the risk of cancer recurring in those who have had it previously.

Q: I HEARD ABOUT THIS GUY WHO LOST SO MUCH WEIGHT ON A PLANT BASED DIET THAT HE DIED!!!

A: Weight loss on a plant based diet is almost inevitable. But this weight will be fat weight, trust me. If you keep your calories as high as previously with sufficient protein, you will still drop fat weight even though you are consuming the same calories.

Why this is, I’m not quite sure but I believe it might be to do with getting rid of the hormone and antibiotic filled animal produce and switching to a cleaner way of eating that agrees with your body more. This will reduce your bloating, may cause you to lose some water weight and will help flush your body of animal-carried toxins.

These can be the reason that your body hangs on to extra fat around your belly and hips as fat has preventative properties against toxins in the body. Getting rid of them will help your body shrink these stores as not as much is needed. Sounds a bit pseudoscience-y I know but the last part is definitely verifiable in mainstream science.

A caveat now though. When you make the switch from an animal product heavy diet to a diet rich in plants, you will naturally eat less calories.

Whilst you may be eating the same volume of food, the overall caloric value of these foods will be far lower. 100g of beef and 100g of spinach most certainly do not contain the same amount of calories…

With this in mind, make sure you do your research before setting up your meal plan. You need to be getting enough calories and enough protein. Fats and carbs will look after themselves.

Use an app like Myfitnesspal to help get your calories and protein in check so you don’t become one of those idiots who claims that a plant based diet doesn’t work because they thought a lick of a cucumber and a cube of tempeh would sustain them in the long term.

Q: WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR PROTEIN FROM?

A: Everywhere! However, the main sources are lentils, tofu, chickpeas & kidney beans. There are also lots of secondary and tertiary sources of protein such as oats, sweet potatoes, peanut butter, spinach & protein powders.

If you can get 100g+ of protein in your plant based diet then you are winning. People think this is some impossible task but it really, really isn’t. If it was that hard, you wouldn’t have so many plant based bodybuilders building huge physiques and blowing their animal based competitors out of the water.

Basically, everything adds up. There is an issue that naysayers bring up regularly which is complete protein (a protein made up of all 9 essential amino acids). This is sort of important but in reality, as long as your protein sources are varied throughout the day, you will get the full range of amino acids that your body needs. Don’t sweat it.

Q: WILL I NEED TO INJECT MYSELF WITH NUTRIENTS THAT I’M MISSING OUT ON?

Short answer: No.

Long answer: Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.

But you might have to take some supplements just to protect yourself and fill in any sort of nutritional gaps that may arise.

If your diet is well balanced in terms of your food coming from different, whole food sources, then this shouldn’t be a problem at all. If you are super concerned though, get yourself a b12 supplement or even a multivitamin and then go from there.

Q: MY NEIGHBOUR SAID CARBS WERE EVIL?

Your neighbour hasn’t got a bloody clue then! Carbs are essential for life. Your body’s primary fuel source is Glucose, aka, carbs. Limiting carbs makes you feel absolutely horrible, which is why low carb diets never work long term and are only used in athletes when they are trying to deplete themselves of water quickly.

Some people who love the Ketogenic diet will be screaming at their screens shouting all sorts of obscenities at me but in reality, the keto diet is a fad and always will be a fad. When you look into any sort of supporting research for its long term health benefits, the majority of it is flawed.

Go plant based and save yourself the hassle.

Q: BUT, B12?

This is the big one that anyone who criticises the plant based diet brings up. However, it’s the most easily refuted claim out there. B12 can be taken as a little pill or it can be obtained in fresh water (sort of) and fortified milks.

It’s as easy as that and it simply cannot be used as a way to criticise a diet that has cured and even reversed disease, granted higher quality of life to thousands and reduces harm to animals and the environment.

Don’t stress is what I’m trying to say. The whole b12 thing has been blown so far out of proportion that no one even knows what it does or why it’s important anymore. They just know plant based folks DEFINITELY CAN’T GET IT!!! Although that’s a flat out lie so hey ho.

Q: BACON THO?

A: Yeah you’ve got me there, bacon tho is an irrefutable weakness in a plant based diet.

Oh wait, no it’s not.

At the end of the day, if you have a craving for bacon, have some bacon. But once it’s dehydrated you from all the salt in it and has made you feel stuffed and lethargic, you’ll soon learn that it’s not really the fuel that your body needs.

Listen, I’m not saying you can’t have some of that sweet, sweet bacon – you can, but you’ll feel so much better if you looked for alternatives. If you can find a new, plant based comfort food, you will feel so much better. I sometimes go for the meat replacements or even go a bit sweeter and go for a few peanut butter bagels.

POPULAR RECIPES

Here are some of the most popular and easy to make plant-based dishes out there. I’ll leave some recipe links beneath them too so you can get started on your plant based meals without any effort at all. It’s basically all done for you, all you have to do is cook the god damn thing!

I’ll also include the cooking times of each one so you know which ones you want to invest your clicks in.

BURRITO BOWL

30 minutes

Scrambled Tofu Breakfast Burrito (30 minutes!)

PAD THAI

30 minutes

Noodle-Free Pad Thai (30 Minutes!)

OVERNIGHT OATS

5 minutes

Peanut Butter Overnight Oats (5 Ingredients!)

HOMEMADE VEGGIE BURGER

30 minutes

Easy Grillable Veggie Burgers

BUDDHA BOWL

30 minutes

Sweet Potato Chickpea Buddha Bowl

CREAMY GARLIC PASTA

30 minutes

Creamy Vegan Garlic Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes

FALAFELS

1 hour

Baked Quinoa Black Bean Falafel

TIPS TO SUPERCHARGE YOUR PLANT BASED DIET

These are just a few little tips that will help you feel even better on your plant based journey. I use the below tips to have energy all day and very rarely ever have the need for a coffee, despite waking up at 5am every morning.

I know that all sounds a bit too good to be true but trust me on this one, these tips, plus a plant based diet, will help you develop the lust for life of a young Iggy Pop.

MACA & ASHWAGANDHA

This potent little combo is something I would recommend to anyone.

Let’s start with Maca. Maca is technically a cruciferous vegetable, but is consumed in ground powder form. Some people aren’t sold on Maca’s effectiveness but one thing is for sure – I am.

Maca can boost brain function, energy, stamina, sex drive and potentially even fertility. I must say, after about a week of using Maca I felt the benefits big time. It may well be a placebo but I am certain it’s not. Given that it’s also cheap as chips, you’d be mad not to give it a shot.

Now ashwagandha. This second herb is my favourite. It can also be consumed in ground powder form or taken in extract form (known as KSM-66). Ashwagandha is an adaptogen, which means it helps your body manage stress effectively.

This can be great for men looking to increase testosterone and anyone in general looking to manage stress, anxiety & cortisol naturally.

It can also boost muscular performance, stamina and reduce inflammation in the body which are all things that a plant based diet will help with too, making the introduction of these two herbs into your life one of the best decisions you’ll ever make.

A word of warning though – pregnant & breastfeeding women should give it a miss, just as a precaution.

HERBS AND SPICES IN GENERAL

You should be looking into herbs and spices in general as they are fantastic for you – not to mention they taste absolutely fantastic. Things like turmeric, cumin and oregano will all add a massive kick to meals, but they will give you lots of other health benefits too.

Turmeric especially is fantastic for reducing inflammation in the body, increasing the antioxidant capacity of the body and also lowering the risk of brain diseases. Just be sure to have it with some black pepper as pepper helps turmeric to be absorbed into the blood. Without black pepper, it isn’t absorbed very well at all by the body so bear this in mind.

SMOOTHIES

Without doubt the best way to funnel mounds of nutrients into your body quickly and efficiently, the humble smoothie is the plant based warrior’s secret weapon.

You can throw a whole host of fruits and veggies into a blender and make it taste amazing with a bit of flavouring from protein powder, etc. I usually load up a smoothie with minimum, 3 pieces of fruit, some from of veggie, some herbs and a scoop of protein to get as many nutrients as possible, as easily as possible.

If you’re stuck for ideas, do a bit of research on Google you lazy bugger.

SUPPLEMENTS

Currently, I don’t use too many supplements as my diet includes a pretty wide variety of plant based foods that meet my nutrient quota for the day.

But if you want somewhere to start, here’s what I’m using:

Zinc

15mg, 3 times a week

Almond milk enriched with calcium & B12

150ml, daily

Vitamin D3

10,000iu’s, daily

And that’s it! Of course I use the herbs I mentioned above but I wouldn’t class them as a supplement as I throw them in my smoothies. Using these three has helped eliminate any sort of deficiency I may have.

To be quite honest, you’d probably have far more deficiencies on a normal Western diet so covering these bases doesn’t stress me out at all. I would definitely recommend enriched almond/coconut milk as an alternative to conventional milk to anyone. It basically acts as a supplement with the added nutrients, it tastes great, doesn’t cause any lactose stress and doesn’t contain cancer causing IGF-1.

HOW TO START YOUR PLANT BASED DIET TODAY

Don’t wait until the new year or a new week to start your plant based diet. I find that starting afresh never seems to work for me. If I start say, on a random day, it makes the activity feel normal and I am far less likely to quit after the initial buzz has worn off.

Making something feel like the norm straight off the bat is the best way to keep on with a habit. However, if you feel like you need a fresh start to get motivated for something, then I get that too.

But all I’m saying is don’t make a big deal out of it. You’re not doing some super crazy diet, you’re just beginning to eat like a human should – waking up, if you will.

You can start today by filling your plate with less meat and more veg, eating an extra piece of fruit or even just having a coffee with no milk in. These baby steps on your first day can help ease yourself in for the bigger change further down the line.

GUARANTEEING LONGEVITY

We now find ourselves at the end, my plant based warrior. Are you ready to take the plunge and start running on broccoli florets and kale stems?

I hope you are.

Now we just need to guarantee longevity. All you need to do is to NOT LABEL this diet. Don’t go round telling people you are plant based, just eat a ton of fresh food and enjoy your life.

If you feel like you’re getting cravings for some sweet, sweet animal produce then that’s fine. It’s normal and you can totally go and have something. Just make sure it’s what you really want and then don’t beat yourself up after it. That is the whole point of the diet, it’s long term and there are going to be cravings. As long as you keep them cravings satisfied and less than 15% of your total calories then I don’t see a problem, do you?

If you have gotten this far down then I’d just like to say thank you for reading one of the longest articles I’ve ever written and thank you for hopefully viewing this topic with an open mind.

How To Stay Fit On Vacation Bodybuilding: It's easier than you think

We all love a good bit of travel every now and again don’t we? But what about keeping fit whilst travelling? This blog is going to answer “how to stay fit on vacation bodybuilding” based upon my experience.

A lot of people tend to stress over this, often giving up all together on trying to keep up any sort of fitness regime whilst on their travels. If you’re bodybuilding, it can feel like you need to stay on top of all of your workouts and stay 100% fit while on vacation.

How many times have you heard people say they have come home about 10 pounds heavier after their trip?

It doesn’t have to be like this though. With a few simple tweaks, you can stay as fit as ever whilst on your holidays.

Are you ready for your key to keeping fit whilst travelling and bodybuilding?

WHAT MAKES ME AN EXPERT?

In short – nothing other than years of experience bodybuilding and travelling.

I’m not claiming to be an expert but I am telling you what works for me and I know it will work for you too. I do travel a lot and hold a qualification in personal training if that is any sort of qualifying criteria for those concerned about certificates and credentials though…

#1 PRIOR RESEARCH

This is the biggie if you’re dead set on getting a full weighted workout in whilst away. There’s nothing wrong with going to the gym abroad (I’ve done it a few times this year) but you just need to do a bit of research before you head out.

Get an idea of what sort of gyms are near your hotel/apartment/whatever, look at some reviews on google and see if they have any images online or even better, their own site.

Then find out if they offer day passes, week passes and anything in between. This can get expensive so just beware. This is why I recommend sticking to the protocol below for keeping fit whilst travelling.

how to stay fit on vacation bodybuilding

#2 EQUIPMENT

There are varying levels of equipment you can take on holiday with you to get the perfect workout. In reality, you have 3 options: Nothing, a pull up bar or my preferred option – a pull up bar and some gymnast rings.

You may be thinking that it’s impossible to take these with you, but you’re wrong. I take these with me in my hand luggage. A pull up bar can be a tiny tube that extends and you can pick them up for about £15 ($25). Then some rings will only set you back another few quid and they take up virtually no room.

The bang for your buck with these two is absolutely immeasurable as it allows you to do what I believe to be the best two upper body exercises about – the pull up and the dip. These should be your keeping fit whilst travelling bread and butter no matter where you go.

how to stay healthy on vacation bodybuilding

I recently just invested in one of the coolest pull up bars on the market – the Flexr. It folds to fit in your travel bag/suitcase and you can hang your olympic rings off it to perform dips, incline pushups, L-sits and anything else you can think of.

It did set me back about $85 (it’s from the USA) but it’ll be worth it in the long run as just a week’s membership at some gym I went to in Barcelona cost €50 alone. Think of the savings god damn it.

However, if this isn’t your cup of tea, just go for your standard doorway pull up bar which, like I said before, ain’t gonna cost you the Earth.

One tip for your rings, if you choose to use ’em, is to invest in wooden ones. They are more durable, easier on the hands and simply a lot cooler than plastic ones. Just my two cents.

SHOP: THE TRAVEL COLLECTION

#3 KEEPING FIT WHILST TRAVELLING AS A BODYBUILDER: THE WORKOUTS

We’ll go in the three stages depending on what equipment you have at your disposal. This can all be done in your hotel room, saving you time, money and stress.

Do the workouts on days you would normally work out (duh). They will be fully body workouts though so if you’re used to working one muscle every day, just do these workouts every 48 hours to give your body a chance to rest.

I haven’t gone too big into leg work as you’re more than likely going to be doing a helluva lot of walking and nothing ruins a holiday quite like leg DOMS.

No equipment

100 decline pushups – How to do them
100 doorway rows – How to do them
20 second plank – How to do it

Do as many pushups as you can, then take a 10 second break and do as many doorway rows as you can, take a 10 second break and finish by doing a 20 second plank.

Repeat until you hit 100 reps for both pushups and rows. Don’t stress if you’re better at pushups or rows, just get 100 done and really feel the contraction of the muscle.

We’re working out with no equipment here so there’s no need to worry, just get it done and feel great as you take your cold shower afterwards.

Pull up bar

3 sets of 10 pullups – How to do them
3 sets of 15 pushups – How to do them
3 sets of 30 second plank – How to do it
2 sets of 10 chin ups – How to do them
2 sets of 15 diamond pushups – How to do them

If possible, try and wear a backpack with random things in it to add extra weight to your exercises. This will make the moves far more challenging and will build/maintain more muscle. Obviously if you can only do the prescribed reps with bodyweight then that is fine too – whatever challenges you is perfect.

Perform the pull ups and pushups as a super set and do the same with the chin ups and pushups, taking 90 seconds rest after completing a set. By working opposing muscles back to back, it allows us to work more muscle in less time, resulting in greater gains and a better hormonal boost.

Pull up bar and rings

3 sets of pull ups – How to do them
3 sets of ring dips – How to do them
3 sets of 45 second plank – How to do it
2 sets of 15 ring push ups – How to do them
2 sets of 15 Australian rows – How to do them
2 sets of 10 ring curls – How to do them
2 sets of 10 ring extensions – How to them

This is pretty much my personal workout even when I’m at home. The rings add such a great element to a workout and force you to work out in a way you never thought you would, incorporating skill and balance into the muscle building equation.

Make sure to perform each new exercises set as a superset with the exception of the plank. So you would have 3 supersets: pull ups and dips is A, push ups and rows is B and curls and extensions is C. Be sure to take a 90 second rest between each set.

What’s so effective about this workout is that it hits each of the big movement patterns for the upper body. We have horizontal push and pull (pushups and rows) and we have vertical push and pull (dips and pull ups). We also move the arm through flexion and extension which is essential if you really want to eek out as much growth as possible.

There’s also some ab/core work in there for good measure to break things up a bit. You can add weight to your plank via a backpack to really test your might. This will help to stop the exercise getting boring too.

For some context, I only do this workout twice a week and it takes about half an hour to complete. Any more and it may start to get a little overkill, especially if you’re in holiday. Twice is enough in my opinion and you should spend the rest of your time enjoying your life.

#4 HOW TO STAY FIT WHILE TRAVELLING FOR WORK - DIET

The easiest thing you can do is bring some rations with you if your airline allows it. Bring some tinned sardines, some epic bars, protein bites, packs of rice or whatever dried goods you fancy eating.

These will make things a lot easier and straight forward if you’re worried about poor food selections when travelling abroad. This is probably the easiest diet hack and a key element of keeping fit whilst travelling.

If you don’t fancy packing your bags with foodie bits, you can implement my favourite eating hack – intermittent fasting. Click the link to find out everything about IF but basically, you skip breakfast and consume all your food for the day in an 8 hour window – fasting for the other 16 hours.

This helps to curb cravings and overconsumption of food whilst still allowing you to enjoy the local delicacies within that timeframe. We all know that filling, healthy meals can help you lose weight, make it easier staying healthy and are all round great for health and fitness - so avoid just eating fast food and protein powder.

how to not get fat while travelling or on vacation

I also recommend aiming for a nice balance of protein and fats with minimal carbs for breakfast as this keeps the insulin spike down when you break the fast. If you do consume carbs just make sure that fats are accompanying them (think avocado on toast with some OJ).

The ideal meal would be salmon, a couple of eggs cooked in coconut oil and half an avocado but anything that follows that basic rule is ideal for fuelling a day with no crash.

As I am considering heading back to a vegan diet I will give a vegan example too! Try sourdough bread with peanut butter, chia seeds and some blueberries. Blueberries are quite low in carbs and sugar and PB is surprisingly high in protein – bonus.

IS THIS ACTUALLY EFFECTIVE?

Damn right it is!

At any level, these workouts will at worst, keep you fit on your travels. At best, they will add muscle or burn fat depending on your diet and they may just revolutionise the way you train. By freeing yourself of the ball and chain that is the gym, you become free to live life again.

I’m not saying that the gym isn’t great – it is. If I hadn’t discovered the gym back when I was 15 then I would have never become who I am today. But sometimes, it can get a bit stressful trying to keep up with a regime, especially if you don’t work out at home and you have various other commitments.

Being able to get these sort of quick, effective, minimalist workouts in is perfect for anyone looking to pack on muscle and lose fat without having to spend their life in a gym. I always say that fitness should add to your life, not take away from it and these routines will help you do just that for the long run, they’re not just for keeping fit whilst travelling!

SHOP: THE TRAVEL COLLECTION

GOLDEN NUGGETS

No, this tasty childhood cereal is not the hidden key to untold gains. But I can give you some tips that may help you along the way.

The 30/60 rule

Keeping fit whilst travelling needn’t be the minefield that people would have you believe it to be. The 30/60 rule is something which we can all apply.

For every 30 minutes we spend sat down, get up and walk around or stretch for 60 seconds. 2 minutes every hour isn’t too much of a commitment is it? Just stand up and get the blood flowing round again. Even though you’ll be doing a lot of walking on your travels, I guarantee you’ll spend a lot of time sat down so just remember this little tip for when you start cramping up after being sat at the all you can eat buffet for 5 hours.

Always take the stairs

This may seem like a ball ache and truth be told – it is. However, taking the stairs whenever you get the opportunity is one of the best ways to increase your total calorie burn for the day. It’s also one of the most effective cardio workouts you can do, for literally no cost.

If you’re looking for the cheapest and most convenient way of keeping fit whilst travelling – you’ve got it here. Even if you didn’t do the workouts outlined above, just taking the stairs at any chance you get will allow you to stay uber-fit and keep your body fat in check almost without trying.

Fitness isn't just about bodyweight exercises, weight loss, hotel gyms or resistance bands - it's about finding actional things to improve your fitness when answering How To Stay Fit On Vacation Bodybuilding.

Mindset

I know there is a lot of talk about keeping fit whilst travelling in this article, but one crucial component to travelling is to set your mind to relaxation mode.

You want to return home refreshed, not burnt out – like so many people do after a trip abroad. I know it’s easier said than done but make sure you try not to stress over the little things and don’t ‘let yourself go’ if that makes sense.

Look at your holiday as a time to recharge your batteries and come home with a whole lot more get up and go about you. That will keep you fit as a fiddle and stop you feeling lethargic and guilty for your indulgences.

The novelty factor

This could be a lot of people’s favourite way of keeping fit whilst travelling. The novelty factor allows us to do a lot of exercise without even realising it’s exercise.

In Thailand? Try a Muay Thai lesson. Spain? Flamenco dancing. Gone all the way to New Zealand? Why not try some rugby? These may be extreme examples and may not exactly be to your tastes but you get the idea.

Using local activities that are genuine cultural experiences at the same time can be one of the best and most fun ways to stay in shape whilst still experiencing your travels to their fullest.

You see – keeping fit whilst travelling is wayyyy easier than you think. I used to stress about finding a gym with a squat rack, walking too much as it might burn muscle and strength or even missing a workout all together.

Now however, I do two weights workouts a week along with some sprints and this can be done anywhere, making working out on the fly easier than ever.

If you can prize yourself a way from the gym-dependent mindset that so many of us fall into, you may just unlock your most fruitful period of gains.

Either way, it’s something to think about.

A look back at the 2018 Northern blog awards

A couple of weeks back, I got to attend the second annual Northern blog awards. Believe it or not, this blog was actually on the shortlist for one of the categories…

Since I enjoyed the night so much and since it was the popping of my red carpet cherry, I thought I’d do a little write up on the whole occasion.

WHAT ARE THE NORTHERN BLOG AWARDS?

The Northern blog awards were put together by Holly Nicol (@Hollygoeslightly) back in 2016 and they’re aimed at celebrating blogging talent from up North.

Northern bloggers tend to miss out on a lot of the bigger opportunities/events as most of it goes on in London, meaning those up here don’t really get the chance to attend the swanky gaffs held further afield.

WHAT WAS I UP FOR?

The Man Blueprint (I mean the site – I don’t identify as ‘the man blueprint’, this isn’t a weird third person thing) was up for best male blog of the year.

The category was full of some great blogging blokes so it was quite the honour to be rubbing shoulders with these fine fellas.

It was also great to see a couple of ‘em in the flesh on the night itself.

THE DAY

I made Lucy come with me for the day because I didn’t want to be the loner swigging wine from the bottle and shouting obscenities at the winners. For this reason there is going to be a lot of ‘we’ and ‘us’ in the article. I haven’t got multiple personalities just so we’re clear.

BREAKING OUT

We made our way to Manchester early in the morning. I had no idea how easy it was to get there from Liverpool – we got there on the train in about 40 minutes.

Once we were off the train however, it was business time. Breakout Manchester had been kind enough to offer us a go in one of their breakout rooms.

For those of you unfamiliar with Breakout rooms - you have to find clues and solve riddles in order to find the code to break out of a locked room within an hour.

Breakout do it best and we’re absolutely obsessed with ‘em. You can pick from a load of different rooms with interesting stories behind them and varying difficulties.

We put up a valiant effort in this one but failed to actually break out. As you can tell from the picture below, I took the defeat extremely well and didn’t take it out on anyone at all.

This was our fourth go of a breakout room and we’ve got another booked in a week’s time. If you want in on the action you can book a room here.

MANCHESTER

After we failed to break out, there was a few hours to kill before we got to stuff our faces with fine dining grub.

This meant exploring all the designer stores and pretending we were covert millionaires who could afford to buy out each floor of Selfridges.

In all seriousness though, Manchester is a fantastic city to explore and is basically like Liverpool on steroids. Being a scouser though, I can’t exactly say Manchester is better can I?

FILLING UP

Phwoaaaaaar. What a gaff Grafene is!

We were treated to a 6 course tasting menu by these guys and all I can say is - bloody hell.

Grafene put a unique twist on traditional British dining, bringing the taste of the country to the big smoke.

We had dishes such as rendered duck leg, burnt ends of brisket and chocolate, cherry & marigold. Every dish was like eating a nicely portioned bit of heaven, the service was amazing and the whole vibe of the place was as boujie as you’ll find.

The guys at Grafene offer this ‘grafets’ menu along with a few other tasting menus made up of 5 or 7 dishes, vintage champagnes, cocktails and tours. You can dine a la carte too if you’re into your norm activities.

If this tickles your pickle you can book yourself into Grafene here.

Basecamp

For those of you who live under a rock - Air BnB is the new kid on the block that’s giving the hotel business a run for its money.

For about 50 quid, we got to stay in a swanky high rise apartment that overlooked the whole of Manchester. No need for check in desks, over zealous bellboys or dodgy cleaners.

Just meet the hosts, grab the keys and Bob’s yer uncle.

Can’t fault it whatsoever and the location was perfect. Often, going through Air BnB is far cheaper than a hotel room too, which is ideal if you’re looking to make your money stretch as far as possible.

If you’re after some sweet little BnB deals head over here.

The night

Now we’re getting into the nitty gritty. Kicking off the night at the apartment, we had to get ourselves dolled up for the big stage. This involved mostly watching Liverpool playing Chelsea on a livestream for me then jumping into my outfit for the evening. Which reminds me…

Suiting up

My suit for the Northern blog awards was provided by the good folks over at Marc Wallace. These fellas specialise in bespoke tailored suits and they sorted me out with an absolute barnstormer.

The jacket and trousers fitted like a dream and the materials, design, etc was on another level to any other suit I’ve worn before. I'm a huge fan of grey suits and the check pattern was a winner.

I must add, I’m not exactly a suit connoisseur but I can tell if one is decent or not. Well, at least I pretend to.

The lining was a little bit racy (a slew of naked female playing cards) but it was an effective, albeit, weird conversation starter - as long as I gave people forewarning of what I was about to show 'em.

Overall though, my Marc Wallace suit was perfect for my first awards evening and I can’t thank them enough. You can check out their designs here.

Shoes

I wasn’t going to rock up in my suit and socks was I?

Undandy were kind enough to send me over two pairs of their handmade shoes to pick from for the night. I was faced with the tough decision between the brown oxfords or the black monks.

After an intense decision making process, I opted for the monks - which was definitely the right decision (or so I tell myself).

I met the guys and gals from Undandy when I travelled to Lisbon a couple of months ago and they told me a bit about their company. All of their shoes can be customised online and then they are handmade in an old school workshop right there in Lisbon - all to your specification.

You can also pick pre-made options too. Think of it as Nike ID for grown ups.

If you fancy picking up some bits from one of the best bespoke shoe makers in the world - head over to the Undandy website.

The Venue

The Venue for the Northern blog awards was the Midland hotel. And what a place to have it! I felt like I was bloody royalty swanning in pretending I had an ounce of talent.

The fact there was even a red carpet made the whole thing feel a little bit surreal. Unfortunately there were no paparazzi snapping ugly candids of me but we can’t have it all can we.

The Event

Now, the main event! I’ll be honest, I had absolutely no idea what to expect from the Northern blog awards.

I’d never been to something like this before as you may have guessed from the fact I keep going on about it, so I was sort of expecting a big old chinwag where people ate canapés and looked down their noses at you but I was pleasantly surprised.

Everyone was there to make conversation, meet new people and generally just be very sound. We got a free glass of champagne on arrival (and a few more when they had some left at the end) and it only got better from there.

One thing that took me by surprise was the effort that the sponsors had gone to. There were giant teacups filled with chocolate and popcorn, GIF makers (if that makes sense), photo booths and even a bloody bed. There was a load more too but I didn't get round to that as I was too focused on securing free chocolate all night.

Then there was the three course meal with a load of free booze. Can't say fairer than that can you? Luckily most of the table were on the white wine so I managed to keep most of the red to myself which really took my opinion of the Northern blog awards to a whole other level.

It was also great to see so many hard working winners take to the stage - some of whom had been at the blogging game for almost a decade! It was rather motivating seeing how their hard work had paid off so well for them. Seeing how passionate they were about what they do was a real eye opener, too.

Did I win?

Unfortunately ya boi didn’t bring home the bacon. It was a deserved win by Alexander Ward who is a Manchester based photographer and blogger with a fantastic site.

All this has give me a little bit of a kick up the backside in terms of work ethic though. Seeing all these brilliant people giving speeches has motivated me to get up there next year. Even if it’s just drunkenly storming the stage, but still - motivation is motivation.

However, at the end, there was a little afterparty which was brilliant. There was a fantastic live band belting out all the classics and we had a boogie to celebrate me being a big fat loser.

Best Pillows For Side Sleepers UK: Leesa

Here we go again! This is my second collaboration with Leesa Sleep, who have been kind enough to sort yours truly out with their new sheet and pillow set. This is one of the best pillows for side sleepers in the UK.

If you’re interested in my last post on the Leesa mattress, you can have a quick read of that before carrying on. If not, I won’t hold it against you – promise.

Best Pillows For Side Sleepers uk: Leesa

WHO ARE LEESA? Best Pillows For Side Sleepers UK

Leesa are one of the world’s leading mattress specialists. If you were to have a read through their reviews on trust pilot you’d think people were paid to say what they’re saying.

Everyone loves Leesa. If you’re interested in getting knee deep in some reviews that aren’t mine, you can check them out here.

I’ve said it before but Leesa are the good guys of the corporate world. They donate one mattress for every ten they sell, they plant one tree for each mattress they sell and they donate a huge portion of their time to supporting local and national organisations.

If Leesa was a person I’d buy them a pint (or a vodka red bull, whatever floats their boat).

SHOP: THE LEESA RANGE

THE LEESA SHEET SET

Let’s start with the sheet set because this is exciting stuff. How sad is it that I’m getting excited about bed sheets?

Anyway, whatever.

Leesa have teamed up with THIRD. who are a company that produce luxury linen from the finest cotton money can buy.

The sheet set has a ‘sateen weave’ which apparently makes it softer to the touch after each wash.

As I’m sure you’re aware, sheets usually get a bit rough and bobbly with each wash so the fact that these get better with age is a massive bonus and it means your sheets will last you a whole lot longer. I can’t say this enough – you get what you pay for.

As long as you’re not soiling yourself nightly then these sheets are gonna last you a helluva long time.

MY EXPERIENCE

I’m not going to pretend I usually sleep on sandpaper – my usual sheets are pretty sweet, but they’re not specialist sheets.

Leesa and THIRD. have engineered the holy grail of sheets here and the difference in comfort was night and day (was that a pun?). On that first night I was out like a light, much like my first night on their mattress.

After another week or so of testing, it just got comfier and comfier. Obviously it is tailor made for the Leesa mattress (although it fits all other mattresses) so it fits like a glove and gives the best possible conditions for shuteye.

This was the perfect storm for helping me to get my fabled 8 hours. This is especially important for me, as someone who sleeps on their side, I need a pillow that fits my personal preference, has the right firmness levels and keeps my spine aligned.

I know it’s not exactly a huge selling point but THIRD. also threw in a wee care package with a few bits to aid my sleep quest. Some teabags, sleep spray and even a cheeky link to their wind down playlist on Spotify.

THE LEESA PILLOW

Apparently, the Leesa Pillow took years of development along with hundreds of prototypes just to get it out in the public eye.

That’s a lot of man hours for a pillow, but that's why it's one of the Best Pillows For Side Sleepers UK.

With that in mind, it would be fair to say that this pillow should be blowing its competitors out of the water. And that’s basically what it does – but I’ll get into that further down.

This pillow is made with the same technology that NASA use. Although it’s probably wise not to make the mistake I did and try to make a rocket out of it. Apparently that’s not feasible.

Back to the NASA tech anyway. The Leesa pillow uses an airflow system in the memory foam layer that helps one side of the pillow to stay cool – aiding in your quest for the best sleep of your life. Good gear if you ask me.

MY EXPERIENCE

I can’t think of a funny comparison for what putting my head on this pillow for the first time felt like. But rest assured, it felt rather pleasant. Maybe my first motorboat?

Paired with the sheets, the pillow worked wonders for collecting Zzz’s. Then pair THAT with the mattress and you’re basically guaranteed to wake up feeling born again.

After a couple of weeks I had noticed that my sleep was a lot more consistent. Not that I’m a bad sleeper anyway but I feel like this pillow was the cherry on top. Now, I’m not saying the Leesa pillow is magic – it could have been a placebo effect – but bloody hell it was good.

After digging even further into the tech behind the pillow itself, I found out why it was so perfect for my big fat head. It has a memory foam centre and is topped with premium microfibres, meaning it keeps your head and neck in perfect alignment all night no matter what position you sleep in.

I've always looked for the right supportive pillow/medium firm pillow that not only allows me to stay in the right sleep position, but is also machine washable and anti allergy. I've found the one.

FANCY IT? Best Pillows For Side Sleepers UK

Yet again, the Leesa team have smashed it out the park. On top of one of the best mattresses in the world, they’re producing cooling pillows and magic bed sheets.

I’m a guy who prioritises sleep over most things – and with good reason. By upgrading my sleeping gear I have been able to optimise my sleep & overall wellbeing, which is something I can’t recommend enough.

If you want to get started on your sleep improvement journey, you can get £100 off your purchase with the code ‘IMTHEMANBLUEPRINT01‘.

SHOP: THE LEESA RANGE

Completely free and completely brilliant. Whilst you’re here, have a little browse of some other article you might like below too. You won’t regret it.

Why waking up at 5AM will change your life overnight

“5am? Surely not!” I hear you cry.

Oh, I’m sure.

By the end of this article I will have almost definitely swayed your opinion on 5am starts from “impossible pseudo-science” to “quite possible pseudo-science that is backed up by science”.

Now a quick bit of backstory – I started waking up at 5am a few months back, around the time I went started investing a lot more time into the blog. I watched a video of some bloke who looked like Frodo telling me how it had improved his life in just 1 week.

And Frodo had a point, the 5am club really started to appeal to me. I did some more digging and found that one of the guys I really admire – Jocko Willink, advocates getting up super early too (4:30am) which gave this early rise malarky some clout.

Being a relatively early riser anyway (7:30 – 8:30 most days) I figured that it wouldn’t be too hard to do. Even knowing that it was stupidly early and expecting it to be a drag for the first few days I found it much easier than expected.

Obviously there’s always going to be an adjustment period but I tell you what – this is powerful stuff. Here’s why you should join the 5am club.

5AM: BENEFITS

This will be a relatively short list in comparison to how many benefits there actually are. There are countless stories of the most successful people in the world singing the praises of early starts and hundreds of benefits so you’ll be able to find more online if you so desire but here are the ones that are really going to change your life.

WORK CAPACITY

This is the biggest one for me and probably will be for you too. There’s no need to go on your phone at 5am, or 6am, or even 7am. No one else is doing what you’re doing. They’re all asleep. Who are you going to talk to? What are you going to scroll through? No one’s awake!

This means that you have no distractions. Keep your phone off and it will help you to be as productive as you’ve ever been. Those who keep their phones with them when doing a task have been shown to take up to 3 times as long as someone who is solely focused on the task.

I found that statistic absolute mind blowing. In fact, I thought it was stupid, but then I caught myself doing a blog post and checking my phone every minute for notifications and realised just how spot on it was.

If you’re thinking “pfft, I can work AND go on my phone”, I challenge you to do that same work with your phone put away and I guarantee you’ll do it at least twice as fast.

CARRYOVER EFFECTS

Getting up early can have carryover effects into so many different areas of your life. Just building the discipline to get up at 5am is a beneficial trait. If you can have this discipline from the very start of the day then you will feel better equipped to carry this discipline on throughout the day when making other decisions and performing tasks, be that at work or wherever else.

HEADSTART

The headstart element of being an early riser is one of the biggest kicks I get from it – the smugness levels are off the scale. No one else is getting up and at it for at least another 2 hours. You have all this time to perfect your craft, learn something new or whatever the hell you want to do before anyone else even brushes their teeth.

You’ve had time to wake up, hydrate, fuel yourself and really start hitting your stride by lunch time whereas other people are only really getting going by 11am and then they have their lunch time slump, so in actual fact you’re probably being about 10 times more effective than them. You will also be able to start calling these people ‘normies’ on 5am Reddit subthreads.

For me, I have found this headstart to be invaluable. One big thing that I have noticed has given me a sly competitive edge is that I can do my emails really early. If you time them right, yours can be the first email that brands, clients, etc see in their inbox.

This may seem like a small thing but being the first person they deal with before they get time to become miffed at lots of other things in their day is a huge boost. You’re basically catching them on a good day, every day.

CALM

There’s literally no noise. I live on top of a hill so I can’t vouch for the city centre but I’ll bet no one else is awake apart from a few night club goers who still haven’t given up the sauce. It’s calming & it helps you get in the right headspace for productivity due to the absence of constant distraction.

I have never felt peace and quiet like when I started getting up at 5am and leaving my phone in my room. You become fully immersed in a task and I can only describe it as a state of flow. I’m not trying to be some sort of online Bruce Lee calmness master but the stillness of the early morning is something to be savoured in a world so full of noise.

YOUR OWN PACE

There’s also no rush to be anywhere when you’re up so early. For the majority of people, you will start work at 9am. This may mean rolling out of bed at 8:15 running round getting dressed, doing your teeth (if you have time – you dirty scoundrel) and stumbling out the door with a piece of toast hanging out your mouth. The mindset you leave your house in is not going to be great – your mind will probably look like a monkey playing symbols over and over (visual representation).

By giving yourself another 3 hours, you can take life at your own pace. You have all the time in the world to get ready, have a god damn groom if you so please and even have some breakfast if that’s what you’re in to.

If you want to de-stress even further, you could leave for work a bit earlier and miss the crowds of early morning masses. Basically, getting up at 5am is going to open up a whole world of options for you.

NO DECISION FATIGUE

5am is the best time to make your big decisions. Decision fatigue is something I have talked quite a lot about and is something I firmly believe in. It’s the theory that we only have a finite amount of good decisions we can make in a day. After that, we start to make poorer and poorer ones (late night snacks anyone?).

That’s why I recommend using your stores up early on the big decisions. This is also known as eating the frog. If you make your biggest decisions at the beginning of the day, everything after that will pale in comparison, making your day progressively easier, every day.

This is key to consistency and as we all know, consistency over time is what will inevitably determine success. The best way to conserve your decisions is to automate your days as much as possible. This is why you’ll see a lot of successful people wearing the same clothes every day (Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs, Spongebob…).

This is because they don’t want to waste time and energy thinking about what they need to wear that day, they want to use that energy to make the big boy decisions that really matter. My way of doing this without having to dress like beige personified is to simply pick your outfit the night before – easy.

I also fast for the first 6 hours after I wake up. In this time I’ll do a workout and do as much blog work as I can. This means I don’t have to think about food and I don’t have to think about when I’m going to work out that day – I just do it automatically.

What this does is free lots of time and mental energy for my actual work on the blog and means I can write droves of bollocks like this article you’re currently knee deep in. This is something that a lot of you will be able to implement quite easily, but for that extra bit of insurance, I’m about to show you exactly how you can.

HOW I DO IT AND WHY YOU SHOULD TOO

You’ve got the why – and it’s a convincing set of whys is it not? Now all you need is the how. This is the hard part, but if you implement all of these tips that I’m going to give you then you’ll have your life changed overnight.

THE NIGHT BEFORE

I recommend this to all my personal training clients – get a night time routine and get that phone off! Screens release blue light, which stops the secretion of melatonin – meaning you’re going to find it really hard to get to sleep and when you do, it’s going to be of a much worse quality than if you hadn’t gone straight from the screen to the pillow.

I recommend first of all, to switch your phone off at least 30 minutes before you go to bed, ideally an hour. I’d then go a step further and get yourself a pair of blue light blocking glasses. I got a pair for £25 off Amazon and they’ve been fantastic for my sleep quality. Put them on around 7pm and it’ll help your body continue to secrete melatonin and aid in getting quality sleep.

If you want to go a step further, place your phone out of your room for the night and turn it off. This will stop you from being tempted to go on it through the night or in the morning when you’re trying to get things done.

SET GOALS

You should have your goals laid out, ready for you to attack the day straight away in the morning. Without any set goals you lose focus and feel unmotivated. By having them laid out from the off, you don’t have to waste time thinking what you want to achieve and instead, you can just go out and achieve it.

I bought a whiteboard to write my goals down on so I don’t have to go on my phone in the mornings or when I’m setting the goals at night just before bed. This means I can focus solely on the goals and avoid distractions. A whiteboard costs about £10 and will be a fantastic investment for your self-improvement journey.

JUST DO IT

Sometimes you’ve just got to suck it up.

This is basic advice and could be misconstrued as cliche but I promise you it’s not. I’ve had those mornings where I just couldn’t get out of bed (so I thought) but you realise that once you stand up to go and switch your alarm off – you really are already up and out of bed.

All you’ve got to do is make yourself stand there for about 30 seconds. You’re not going to fall back asleep standing up are you? This is a bit of tough self-love. You’ll thank yourself in the long run because the amount of times I had tried to get up at 5am and then just snoozed my alarm and climbed back into bed is criminal.

I had been trying it off and on for years before I just realised all I had to do was put my alarm at the end of my bed, stand up in the morning and simply ‘just do it’. If you want, you could set up a poster of Shia Labeouf at the end of your bed to remind you each morning to get up and get after it.

GET A MANUAL ALARM CLOCK

This was such a biggie for me. When you have your phone as your alarm clock, what do you do? I bet you pick it up, switch the alarm clock off and then scroll through all your notifications for about 10 minutes, if not longer. You then proceed to roll out of bed feeling horrible because you’ve just exposed yourself to a bright, blue light-laden screen so soon after waking up and the day’s off to a fat stinker.

How do I know that?

Because that’s what I used to do! We all do it – apps are optimised for grabbing your attention and keeping you there. It’s horrible but that’s how they make their money.

If you want to take your attention and early morning productivity back into your own hands then you should invest in a manual alarm clock. You’ll have seen mine on my Instagram stories no doubt. That cost me about £15 and was one of the best investments I’ve made this year.

GET A ROUTINE

Having a morning routine is the key to getting yourself out of bed and awake as quickly and efficiently as possible. By having a certain routine you do every morning, it lets your body know that it has to start doing the same thing at the same time every day.

This means that if you’re always waking up and doing a certain routine, your body will start to release hormones that will help you to wake up at the same time every day. This is why people who work for the postal service that have got up at 5am their entire working life have a hard time not waking up that early when they retire – their bodies are finely tuned to get them up early naturally.

You can find my morning routine recommendations here. I also recommend doing a few sets of dead hangs to stretch out the body after a full night of being laid still along with some outdoor box breathing.

Being out in the fresh air and doing light exercise stimulates the body and helps you to adjust to the early wake ups initially. It also helps to regulate the early morning cortisol spike which is ideal for many health reasons such as hormonal balance & appetite regulation.

THE COFFEE SANDWICH

This is a lovely name I conjured up for a very standard method – however, the results it gives you are brilliant.

Basically, when you wake up, do your routine and whatever you do when you wake up. THEN, have a pint of water. After this, make yourself a strong cup of the black stuff and sip on that to get a nice wee buzz. Once you’ve had that and you’re feeling good about the world, have another pint of water.

This process takes me about half an hour as I’ll take my time whilst I crack on with work. It’s a great way to get into a productive mindset whilst gamifying your hydration so it’s not as much of a chore.

Being hydrated is a key element of being productive. It also helps to get you into an alert and productive mindset as soon as possible when you wake up.

HAVE A SCHEDULE

You should have a schedule of things you want to get done before your day starts. If you don’t have anything planned then what’s the point? Just getting up at 5am isn’t going to change your life – you have to fill the time with things you want to get done. If you don’t have anything set out then your body will just go back into rest mode because there’s no need to be awake.

I suggest dedicating this time to something you want to get really good at – I mean really good at. This way, you can frame your 5am time as mastering your craft.

This could be an hour of dedicated reading around a topic that interests you, it could be painting, writing, working out, researching – it could even be gaming! Whatever it is that you really want to get good at, you should dedicate these golden hours to making it happen.

Personally, I like to try and get a blog post done. This post is actually currently being written in my 5am hours. I started at 05:30 and finished at 08:00. When you’re in a state of flow without your phone to distract you, you’ll be astonished at the sort of workload you can get through.

REDEFINE YOURSELF

“Ooo I’m a night owl look at me I sit up on my phone in bed until 3am because I come alive at night!”. No you don’t. You stay awake at night because you lay in bed on your phone for hours scrolling social media.

I’ll be honest with you now, no one ever got anything great done when they were sleep deprived at night, bleary eyed, watching another greatest premier league goals montage on their phone.

You need to redefine yourself. If you keep telling yourself you’re a night owl then you’ll believe it and you’ll never get up. You need to tell yourself the truth – that it’s a pile of garbage and that you have the power to change your habits & change your life.

*One thing to note*

I know the 5am club simply can’t be for everyone. People have kids or commitments that prevent them from getting into this sort of routine but if you can, maybe just try one day a week and you’ll see some massive benefits.

If you do have the time to start getting up at 5am then make it your biggest priority, you’ll thank yourself in the long run.

Living it up at the Goodlife Experience

What more can I say about the Goodlife Experience that hasn't already been said? The Goodlife Experience comes with thousands of top notch reviews from people all over the world and with good reason - this was one of the best experiences of my life.

What more can I say about the Goodlife Experience that hasn’t already been said?

The Goodlife Experience comes with thousands of top notch reviews from people all over the world and with good reason – this was one of the best experiences of my life.

The guys at the Goodlife Experience sent my girlfriend and I a pair of tickets over to see this festival in all of its weird, wonderful glory.

Before we get into that though, let’s see what the it actually offers.

CAMPING

Let’s start with the festival bread and butter shall we. There was loads of room for camping here, accompanied by showers, *eerily clean* toilets and even unlimited drinking water refills which were all quite novel for a festival.

Then there were the glamping tents. Bloody hell these were nice! Apparently they’re kitted out with all sorts inside, I even saw a picture of one with a full double bed in – not a bad way to spend your weekend in a field.

I must confess though, I didn’t camp this year as I live nearby-ish, but after seeing how great the Goodlife Experience camping was, I’ll definitely be doing it next year.

MUSIC

Your standard festival foundations these.

A festival without music would be like me without this blog – unloved and terrible.

Some cracking acts were playing this year with the likes of Trevor Nelson, Greg Wilson and even Ben Fogle getting in on the act. Obviously good old Fogez wasn’t serenading us with melodies but he was a very interesting fella all the same.

The DJ’s that were on were absolutely top notch as well, it was such a surreal experience going from Ben Fogle chewing your ear off, into folk music then into dance music, but it was something which just felt right – the Goodlife Experience makes this sort of stuff the norm somehow.

TALKS

Along with the next item on the list, this was my joint favourite thing at the whole of the Goodlife Experience. I’m not usually one for going to listen to someone talk for an hour but all of these talks really struck a chord.

Dare I say…changed my life???

There were so many interesting ladies and gents talking about their life experiences and how we could all apply them to our lives. There was Gordon Reid talking about his world cup beer mats, Mark Shayler telling us why in business (and in life I suppose…) – kind is the new cool and Alice Guy retelling her story of going a year without plastic.

These were all amazing people with amazing stories but they also offered such a great insight into how we can all live a better life. There was also a guy called Michael Townsend Williams who talked about the importance of breathing and who taught us some level 9000 yogi breathing bits.

I tend to joke around when it comes to stuff like this but I do actually try to take it seriously and have been using his breathing technique since.

A great nugget of info he hit us with was to breathe through your nose via your stomach. Don’t breathe from the chest and always breathe out for longer than you breathe in.

By implementing those simple little tips, I have already become calmer, more productive and had improved sleep. Nice one Mickey.

AXE THROWING

So here’s my other joint favourite. The god damn axe throwing. Is there any better way to pretend you’re a manly man of the wilderness than lashing an axe at a tree stump? Didn’t think so.

I mean, anyone older than 12 could participate but it still felt cool, okay? OKAY? It was a great bit of fun for anyone, be them man, woman or whatever in between – Lucy was even better at it than me! No bruised ego though, promise.

ARCHERY

I’d done archery before when I was 10 at some weird school trip so I don’t mean to be cocky but I was basically a professional.

This really came to light when I was missing the target with each attempt. The consummate archery professional.

In all seriousness though, the archery was a close second to axe throwing in the fun-ness stakes. The only downside being the much larger queue.

TREE CLIMBING, FIRE WALKING… LAKE SWIMMING?

These were the activities I was desperate to do but didn’t get a chance to for one reason or another.

Turns out the tree climbing was just for kids. Obviously that wasn’t going to stop me but I was restrained by my concerned girlfriend who didn’t want me wrestling 8 year olds to get to the top of the tree first.

Apparently you had to book the fire walking in advance which I had no clue about and for the lake swimming, I just didn’t fancy donning the wetsuit. These are a must for next year though as they looked so bloody fun.

LOCAL CRAFT

One thing that really stood out to me was the sheer amount of local craft on display. The Goodlife Experience really champions independent businesses and gave them a great platform to get their wares in front of a hugely receptive audience – myself included. I couldn’t help but buy a t-shirt on my first day.

But it wasn’t just clothing, there were blacksmiths, artists, explorers and anyone else interesting plonked in the market tents offering some of the coolest, most unique products you’re likely to find.

We even got invited up to a lavender farm. Don’t think you’d get that at any other festival, do you?

BOOKS

There were books EVERYWHERE at the Goodlife Experience. There were vans selling books out of their pop up, there were book merchants set up in the markets and there was even a book club where the only requirement to take a book was that you read it and pass it on to a friend.

This is all a bit Utopian this isn’t it?

CAMPFIRE COOKING SESSIONS

I fancy myself as a cook I’m not gonna lie. I have come quite far from the microwaved bacon and beans connoisseur that I once was and am proud of that fact.

BUT, some of these actual cooks completely blew me away – from ‘seasonality & sustainability’ to crab masterclasses and dumpling workshops, the wannabe foodie in me was going berserk.

Anyone who knows me in real life knows how much of a food slut I am, so this was my idea of Valhalla.

FOOD

Speaking of which – there was definitely a lot more variety when it comes to food at the Goodlife Experience than other festivals I’ve been to in the past.

With loads of vegan options, freshly baked pizzas and Persian curries on the go all weekend I can’t complain whatsoever. I even got the pleasure of sampling the best burger in Wales which did not disappoint.

Curry, burgers and pizza. What’s not to like?

FOR YOUR PLEASURE

No this wasn’t hundreds of condom masterclasses.

This was mostly booze based but isn’t that all you need? There was an ale house, cocktail shack, boujie coffee trucks, vintage shops and even tai chi lessons.

Again, my peasant brain was absolutely mangled by the sheer magnitude of choice on offer but we managed to box so many things off in just a few days and the whole experience left us both feeling like we’d ascended to a higher plane of existence.

CONCLUDING THE GOODLIFE EXPERIENCE

Obviously my favourite aspect of the whole thing was the axe throwing, but I bloody loved everything else we went to. Usually I’ll give a fully balanced review of things I try, often finding negatives and constructive criticisms but this place was just on a whole other level.

Cannot fault it whatsoever.

Every festival I’ve been to has basically just been listening to music and drinking 9 crates of strongbow dark fruits – the Goodlife Experience changed that.

I felt like I had stepped through the void and into adulthood. This is what mature, axe wielding me wants to do with his life and there isn’t a single ounce of shame in that.

And that’s that. As far as three day benders go, this was most definitely near the top of the pile.

You can get your Goodlife Experience tickets for next year here. You can also follow the guys year round on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter.

The official whistle-stop Lisbon travel guide

Lisbon. What a city.

I was lucky enough to be flown out there by Visit Lisboa who kindly sorted me out with flights, accommodation and some recommendations on how best to spend my time.

I’m happy that they did sort me out with those recommendations otherwise I would have just lay on a random beach for the entire time.

But yeah – a big thanks to the folks over at Visit Lisboa for hooking me fully up – I can’t express enough gratitude for their hospitality.

So…

I spent four days in the Portuguese capital and could have happily spent another four. There was so much to do, see, eat & drink that it was just impossible to get tired of the place.

This is gonna be a long one fellas, so strap in and get the snacks.

LISBON: A BRIEF HISTORY

Lisbon is one of the oldest cities in the world, dating back about 300,000 years – far older than most other capitals like Paris, London and even Rome.

Since its inception, the ‘enchanting port’ has enjoyed a hugely successful time as a propserous trading city. This is where a lot of Lisbon’s initial wealth came from.

However, in 1755 a huge earthquake destroyed most of the city, meaning that it had to be rebuilt for centuries, with some unfinished restorations still standing to this day.

Much like Liverpool (the best city of all time), Lisbon has managed to keep a hold of its character and so much of its rich history – despite being nearly destroyed almost three centuries ago.

Fast forward to the modern day and Lisbon has now carved a reputation as the place to be. There’s so so much on offer here, it is a wonder that it hasn’t been a hotspot for culture vultures for longer.

WHY LISBON IS PERFECT FOR THE MODERN GENTLEMAN

Other than the gorgeous weather, picturesque scenery, friendly people, a strong culture and unlimited adventure – Lisbon actually has a lot of other traits that lend themselves perfectly to the modern gentleman.

LOCAL CRAFTSMANSHIP

Portugal is known for its handcrafted leather goods, especially shoes – essential for any aspiring gent. There are workshops, tailors and good old fashioned menswear stores everywhere in Lisbon, making this the ideal city for a gentleman to pick up some bespoke pieces.

I visited the office of one of Lisbon’s newest and most impressive men’s shoes and accessories makers – Undandy. These guys have taken custom footwear to the next level and being based in Lisbon meant that I had the opportunity to go and check them out in person.

They agreed to hook me up with a couple of pairs of custom shoes along with some accessories which was absolutely ideal. The kindness of the Portuguese really knows no bounds and it clearly stretches to the menswear market!

LUXURY RESTAURANTS

This was a real kicker – although there are no shortage of wonderful local, traditional restauarants, there is also a huge concentration of high-end restaurants here too.

If you’re big into your fine dining then Lisbon is the place to be – there are some amazing restaurants offering menus that are completely different to anything on offer in England – or anywhere else for that matter. With that being said – I did just opt for a burger when I had the chance…

HOSPITALITY

This is sort of linked to the local craftsmanship point above but the hospitality of the people here is absolutely overwhelming. Everyone is unbelievably laid back and the whole place has a real Amsterdam vibe about it, except it’s about 100 times more beautiful.

This is also a huge plus for gents who happen to be digital nomads or entrepreneurs – there are a bevvy of co-working spaces for those looking to make connections, be productive and work in a friendly, positive environment.

INSPIRATION

Finally – and this one is kind of linked to the co-working aspect of the above point – you may find a hefty serving of inspiration as you traverse the Lisbon hills.

There’s just something about the views that kind of put you in a meditative state. It could be when you’re at the peak of Alfama, on top of the Rua Augusta arch or looking out from several parts of the Sao Jorge castle, but there’s serious mental clarity to be had by Lisbon’s breathtaking vantage points.

I found myself looking over the city and just running through lots of ideas in my head – a few of them being what on Earth to write in this article, but it proved to be an extremely inspiring experience that I think a lot of us gents can benefit from.

TRAVEL ESSENTIALS

BACKUP CHARGER

This saved my bacon a lot whilst out and about. Using your phone for pictures, navigation, texts and whatever really drains the battery – quickly.

So, having a back up was crucial for me. I was constantly doing work on my phone through the day so by the time 5pm rolled around i was on about 10%. This is where I had my back up charger, which offered another 20% to see me through to the end of the day which was vital for booking ubers, taking sexy pics of food and finding my way round.

I decided to get a Qi charger as it’s super cool, fits in your pocket and if you already have your own phone case – is a much better alternative than a full charger case.

TRIPOD W/ REMOTE SHUTTER

This is a bit novel but could be a good shout for those who love the perfect photo. If you’re travelling on your own and want to get those ideal shots, get one of these, grow some hairs on your chest and just set it up in the middle of wherever you want to get your pics.

The remote is ideal as well as it means you don’t have to set a timer and can take as many pictures as you want whilst not having to go back and forth to the camera.

And for couples/friends/whatever, set this up if you want a picture of you that isn’t a selfie. You can pick tripods up for like £10 and a remote for half that so it’s not exactly a Spielberg-esque layout.

BAG

I’m a bit embarrassed to admit this but i completely forgot to bring a backpack or any sort of bag other than a big holdall that had all my stuff in.

This meant i was stuffing everything in my pockets and just carrying stuff which was less than ideal.

Get yourself a backpack or a bum bag and put all your essentials in and you’ll thank yourself over the course of your travels.

HEADPHONES

These are ideal when you’re travelling, especially if you were travelling alone like I was. You can really zone out or concentrate on a task you’re doing whilst travelling.

You can even throw ’em on when you’re walking round the city – I did a few times. Listening to a podcast, having a coffee and just looking out on the pure beauty of the city was one of the most blissful experiences of my life – I may have even started to levitate a few feet off the ground…

PRE-FLIGHT

The pre-flight ritual is a sacred art. Every person’s ritual is different but this is mine – it’s just a guide but it might give you a few ideas going into your next trip.

CHECKLIST

The checklist is obviously the most important part of the pre-flight ritual – do this before you set foot out the door.

Have you got your passport? Undies? Whatever electronics, adaptors, etc you need? Just list everything you need the night before and do a thorough check before you leave your house to make sure the build up is as stress-free and fun as possible – with no worries of forgotten bits in the back of your mind.

PAMPER

This trip was the first time I’ve done this but I’ll be doing it again every damn time now. Get yourself a wee pamper fellas. Those cosmetics counters that you give no second thought to offer loads of male-specific treatments for travelling blokes.

I got an eye rejuvenating treatment from Estee Lauder which was ideal considering I spend about 90% of my waking hours staring at a screen. I felt was walking round with gleaming eyes (like this) and felt like I had just had a cosmetic epiphany.

MEAL

Maybe not one for flyers with a dicky stomach but having a decent meal before take-off is a must for me. If you’ve got time, have a nice little sit down, chow down on some stodgy scran and just relax.

This will stop you freaking out on the plane (maybe), stop you going for overpriced plastic food on the plane and maybe even send you off to sleep for the duration of the flight if you want it to.

Plus, airport food is decent – no two ways about it.

GUM

This is a bit of a novel one but I suffer really badly with popping ears during take-off and landing and chewing 2 sticks of gum has really helped limit the pain somewhat.

Some people recommend sucking on a sweet (which may work for you) but the chewing aspect seems to help massively and has stopped me looking like a huge man-baby almost crying with pain on every flight.

GETTING THERE

FLY

You can fly straight to Lisbon from virtually any airport in the UK, I went from Manchester which is always a treat. Even though I’m from Liverpool I have to admit that our airport is a steaming pile of excretion compared to what Manchester are offering.

Flights are relatively cheap. They start at about £40 when you’re off peak AF, but mine were roughly about £300. This included priority boarding and a bit of egg and cress on the plane though so who am I to argue?

ONCE YOU’RE THERE

Once you’re outside the airport you’ve got a few of options. You can get either of the Aerobus shuttle buses that will take you to virtually any stop in Lisbon centre within an hour. Or you can get a taxi/uber straight to where you’re staying.

It’s about 4 euros for the bus and for me, it was about 8 euros for an Uber. If you’re travelling in a group you may as well just opt for the uber and save yourself time and money. It’s definitely worth getting an uber over a local taxi as these are notorious for trying to rip tourists off.

WHERE TO STAY

One thing that Lisbon certainly doesn’t lack is hotels – there’s all sorts to choose from, from palace grounds to youth hostels.

THE DOUBLETREE

But what sort of luxury blogger would I be if i didn’t go for a swanky little pad? With this in mind, I stayed at the Doubletree by Hilton – one of Lisbon’s sexiest hotels.

LOCATION

The Doubletree is right by Avenida da Liberdade – which is the strip full of all the high-end stores you could think of. This is a nice little way to let off some retail steam before getting into the meat of your trip.

It’s also got fantastic transport links, with 2 metro stations and a few bus stops about a 3 minute walk around the corner. Even though this place has ideal transport links, I decided to get an Uber basically every day because I’m lazy – more on this in the next section.

ROOMS

By far and away the coolest room I’d stayed in, my room in the doubletree was like something you’d see on an episode of cribs.

With all sorts of cool features (my fav being the electric blinds), I was in my element and kind of wish I’d had more time to spend just chilling in there. But let’s be honest, when you’re in Lisbon, you’re gonna want to do a fair bit of exploring…

BREAKFAST

If the Doubletree excelled with their rooms, then the breakfast took it to a whole other level. I’ve never known a breakfast banquet to be so lit.

They had vats of bacon, hash browns and even a make your own waffle stand. I couldn’t believe it. Each morning I’d sit there with a coffee and an orange juice, collect my thoughts and then wolf at least 6 plates of grub, it was just that good.

The pictures don’t do it justice as I was too concerned with wolfing as many calories as possible in as short a time as possible.

THE GYM

Small and no barbells but I managed to actually get 2 decent workouts in during my stay here. It’s more of a ‘fitness suite’ than a full gym but you can get a lot done with some dumbbells, a bench and your imagination.

There’s also some cardio equipment in here but if you’re going to be exploring Lisbon, then trust me, you won’t need any additional cardio.

THE BAR

There’s a lovely bar and outdoors area in the Doubletree which is ideal for chilling if you don’t want to stay in your room all night.

I only realised this on my last night but came down to do some work, managing to get a decent amount done in the relaxed setting.

Even if you’re not there for a booze up, it’s a nice place to relax after a full day of #activities and #exploration if you don’t fancy going to up to bed straight away.

GETTING ABOUT

Lisbon is quite big so getting around may take you on various modes of transport – here’s the best ways to get around.

WALKING

This is pretty obvious and is how I spent the majority of my time travelling. Walking is the cheapest (obviously) and best way to explore the city. It allows you to get lost in the side streets, see places that are unaccessible by public transport and cars and it’s pretty good for you apparently!

A word of warning though, Lisbon is without a doubt, the hilliest city I’ve ever visited. You’ll be absolutely pooped from a day of exploring the Portuguese capital so keep a few protein bars and red bulls with you…

METRO & BUS

Ah public transport – the second cheapest and most cheerful way to get around a city. Once you get a handle of the Lisbon public transport system I’m sure it’d be easy to navigate but I didn’t have time for this. I didn’t want to wait 30 minutes for a bus and didn’t want to have to stop off every 2 minutes to drop off and pick people up.

I did try the bus once and ended up going the wrong way, meaning I took an hour off my day. With this in mind, I just opted to leave the buses and trains but I’m sure they’d work for you if you took the time to get to grips with it. It’s also free if you have a Lisbon card which bares thinking about.

UBER

Let me get this one out there, I’m not sponsored by Uber. But, they offer the perfect solution to getting around a city of Lisbon’s size for a decent price.

From the Doubletree to the various areas of Lisbon was about 5 euros which is a steal, especially if you’re sharing with someone else.

I’d recommend taking all your medium length trips in an Uber as it is far quicker and better priced than the public transport system. If you’re going further afield then maybe take the train and if it’s shorter then just walk – simple.

TRAM

Not really too practical but the tram is a cool experience so I’d recommend trying it at least once. This one is free with a Lisbon card too.

THE AREAS

There are four main areas to Lisbon – Baixa, Alfama, Belem and Bairro Alto. Or at least these are the four that I visited. I know there’s a lot more than four areas in total to Lisbon but for ease of reading, let’s say there’s four.

Anyway, here is the breakdown for each area and what exactly you should do in them. I’d recommend spending at least a day in each place, maybe mixing Bairro Alto in with another area as there isn’t too much to do there in the day time.

BAIXA

PRACA DO COMERICO

This is a very picturesque square right in the heart of everything in Baixa. It is right by Rua Augusta, the museums, the waterfront and everything else you can think of.

It is also full of great places to grab a bite to eat which is handy given its position in the middle of all things.

It’s also just pretty to look at, which made for a few very lovely instagram shots for yours truly.

RUA AUGUSTA

Rua Augusta is a really cool street that stretches for what seems to be an eternity. It houses lots of souvenir shops, local craft shops, museums, restaurants, clothing shops and everything else you could possibly think of.

One thing that stood out was the street performers which were fun to have a laugh at. But, you could spend hours checking out everything this street has to offer so make sure you schedule it into your itinerary or you’ll easily lose track of time!

At the end, just before you enter the Praca de Comerico, you will come to the Rua Augusta arch. It’s a couple of euros to enter but if you choose to head up to the top you get a brilliant view of the square and the waterfront.

You could just get some lovely shots of it from the front like I did though and you’d be fine…

WATERFRONT

Just off the main square is the waterfront. This gives you amazing views across the sea and really shows off the awe-inspiring landscape of Lisbon perfectly.

You don’t have to sit in awe for too long but just taking a little bit of time to sit back and revel in the sheer beauty of this place was fantastic.

SANTA JUSTA LIFT

This is literally just a lift that sits in some side street BUT it is very cool to look at and you can actually go up to the top of it.

I wouldn’t recommend going up to the top as the queues are absolutely ridiculous and there are better views of the city elsewhere. It is very cool to look at though and if you were to go to the top you would get a very cool view. Maybe just go super early and beat the crowds.

ROSSIO SQUARE

Another one of Lisbon’s fantastic squares, this is home to fountains, amazing architecture, nice shops and the fantastic Rossio station.

Rossio station, whilst being one of the sexiest stations you’ve ever seen, is the best link to basically every area of Lisbon, including Cascais and Sintra – discussed later.

ALFAMA

VIEWPOINT

Let’s start off with the best element of Alfama in my humble opinion. This viewpoint is called Miradouro de Santa Luzia and offers an absolutely perfect, uninterrupted view of Lisbon. Start your day here and work your way down to the bottom of Alfama.

The only way is up from here. Technically it’s down but you get what I mean.

GET LOST

I inadvertently did this after visiting the Alfama viewpoint but then continued to do it throughout the rest of the trip.

Getting lost is the funnest way to explore a city and find some things that aren’t listed on Tripadvisor. It’s a lot easier nowadays to get out of a pickle if you get truly lost with the invention of google maps so the whole situation is all fun and no stress – promise.

28 TRAM

Briefly touched on above, the tram is definitely something you should try at least once but it isn’t exactly the most practical mode of transport.

It is rickety and old but that is the charm of the tram. Take in everything about it for as long ass you can before you have to hop off at your stop. You probably won’t get on again!

It usually gets really packed so make sure you jump on nice and early.

ST. GEORGE’S CASTLE

This is by far and away the best thing you can do in Lisbon. I absolutely loved exploring the grounds of the castle. You can get a breathtaking view of the whole city as soon as you walk in and it just gets better from there on in.

You can grab a snack and a drink and sit in carved out tables and chairs whilst looking over the vast Lisbon landscape, you can climb the turrets of the tower and see where knights of old would keep guard, you can take guided tours of a crypt and so so much more.

THE CATHEDRAL

The cathedral is a place of sheer beauty and I actually forgot about it until the last day. It was the very last stop before I headed back to the airport – and thankfully it didn’t disappoint.

You head in and are immediately greeted with huge ceilings, detailed artwork and some major religious feels. I am by no means a religious person but even just going to see the craftsmanship on display was worth it. So, even if you aren’t religious I’d definitely still recommend the trip.

NATIONAL PANTHEON

This was a bit of a wildcard as I just kind of stumbled upon it as I was busy getting lost in the flea market (mentioned below).

I had no idea what it was and still don’t really know too much about it other than its religious roots but this building is one of the most beautiful in Lisbon and offers a roof-top view of the waterfront.

It was actually one of my favourite activities of the trip and I’d fully recommend giving it a go. Like most things in this article, it’s free with a Lisbon card too.

FLEA MARKET

This is right round the corner from the national pantheon and is apparently Europe’s largest flea market.

Whilst the stuff on offer isn’t exactly cutting edge merch, you can soak up the fantastic atmosphere and maybe pick up a unique souvenir or two on your way through.

BELEM

TOWER

Belem was definitely my favourite area of Lisbon and I’d recommend spending at least one full day here. And you should definitely be starting things off with a trip to Belem Tower.

Get there early because the queue for this is stupidly long but if you don’t want to go in you can always admire it from outside and explore the grounds around it.

MONASTERY

Another big old queue for this one (about 40-60 mins) but it is oh so worth it. The Jeronimos Monastery blew me away with its amazing grounds. It is also full of little rooms that contain lots of history about the place which is excellent for you Time Team aficionados.

This is also free with the Lisbon card.

CENTRO CULTURAL DE BELÉM

The cultural centre of Belem is a very odd building. It merges so many different aspects into one; High security meeting halls, opera halls, exhibition centres and conference hosting.

But it’s the arty side that attracted me – their exhibitions were really interesting and the fact that they’re constantly updating them means you could easily go back and be able to exoplore the place all over again.

It’s also completely free to walk round and is smack bang in the middle of basically everything, making it absolutely bloody ideal.

PADRÃO DOS DESCOBRIMENTOS

This monument is positioned right on the edge of the river Tagus and celebrates the Portugese age of exploration – a theme that seemed quite prominent throughout Lisbon.

Up close, it is spectacular – the figures of the (what I presume to be) explorers are so detailed and imposing, it really took me aback a bit.

You can actually go inside the monument too which is cool but I didn’t have time to be waiting in another queue so decided to just ogle outside instead.

PASTEL DE NATA

Potentially the highlight of the trip – these puppies were on some next level business.

Make sure you go to Pasteis de Belem for your authentic ones as this is the place that has the *secret recipe* for perfect nata.

I can only describe the taste as a pancake mixture inside of some crunchy pastry. If that doesn’t tickle your pickle then you might want to get your head checked.

Try these. Then try some more.

COACH MUSEUM

The coach museum is kind of on the edge of main Belem and is definitely one of the more unique museums I’ve been to.

It has the largest collection of coaches in the world apparently and I’m not talking National Express here – these badboys are fit for royalty.

They’re actually quite imposing and very impressive – another one that’s free with a Lisbon card so it’s definitely worth a look.

LX FACTORY

These next two places are just a little bit outside of main Belem. I took a 5 euro Uber out here for reference.

Once you get here, you are greeted with the coolest place you’re ever likely to find. LX Factory is a refurbished strip of old factory buildings that has now become THE one stop shop for Lisbon’s boujiest boutiques, restaurants and everything in between.

PILAR 7

Pilar 7 is right next to LX factory so you could do this before you head off for a meal. If you did it after your meal and don’t like heights, you may just throw it back up.

This place offers a jaw dropping view of Lisbon (and of the ground below) via the transparent viewing platform on the top floor.

Once you get over the jelly legs, this is one experience not to be missed.

BAIRRO ALTO

DRINK, THEN DRINK SOME MORE

I thought I’d get this one out there first as this is what Bairro Alto is primarily famed for. The thing is, I went out there on my own so didn’t really fancy drinking on my lonesome – meaning I can’t really give a reliable verdict on this.

Apparently it’s rather good though…

CHURCH OF SAO ROQUE

Potentially one of the blingiest churches I’ve ever seen – the church of Sao Roque was a treat for the eyes.

Like most things in Lisbon, it really took your breath away to see the unbelievable artwork and craftsmanship that humans can create – especially when you consider that all this stuff was built hundreds and hundreds of years ago.

CARMO CONVENT

You’ll hear a lot about the infamous Lisbon earthquake while you’re here and nothing quite displays the effects of that earthquake better than the carmo convent.

This convent-turned-museum has no roof and is left unfinished to preserve the state that the earthquake left it in all those years ago.

What that creates is one of the most interesting buildings in Lisbon that is unique to anything else I came across during my stay.

It’s only a few euros to get in and is well worth the outlay.

MNAC

The national museum of contemporary art is over a century old and houses mostly art from the 18 & 1900’s.

It’s definitely an interesting stop on your way through the city and it’s free to enter with a Lisbon card.

It’ll also make you feel a lot more cultured than you actually are, which is always a big plus.

SAO PEDRO DE ALCANTARA VIEWPOINT

The Alcantara viewpoint is potentially the best view you can get of the full city and it’s easy to see why.

It’s right round the corner from the church and right next to a tram stop so you can have one of the most tourist-y hours of your life here.

PRINCIPE REAL

This area used to be the main gay quarter in Lisbon, but now, along with that, it has built a strong reputation as a high-end shopping district for those with rather deep pockets.

If you’re after some new luxurious garms then definitely consider giving Principe real a little visit.

WHAT TO WEAR

Lisbon is officially the sunniest city in Europe, receiving the most hours of sun per year compared to any other city across the continent – beating out the Greek capital, Athens.

When I went it was pretty grey and cloudy as you can probably see in the pictures, but it was still absolutely boiling.

This means that you’re not really going to need a pair of jeans when you’re heading out there. Here’s a breakdown of everything I took out there on my travels:

3 x t-shirts
2 x polo shirts
1 x lightweight trousers
4 x pairs of shorts/swim trunks
7 x pairs of socks and underwear
1 x pair of brogues
1 x pair of slides
1 x gym kit

As you can see, it wasn’t exactly an extensive list but it gives you some options on how smart you want to play your outfit for the day. I found the slides were great for travelling in and doubled up as my gym shoes.

FOOD & DRINK

There’s so much to eat and drink in Lisbon. They’re famed for their seafood and custard tarts, so you should really try and cram as much of that into your system as possible.

But, in terms of restaurants I tried a few and they did not disappoint. Here’s my recommendations.

OTTO

This was the first of the bunch and I kind of just stumbled in as I was exploring on the first night. Located just opposite the time out market, this place is a bit of a more laid back experience than the madness of the market.

They specialise in latin influence food (mostly Italian) and delivered the goods with a veal and polenta dish. I followed this up with a chocolate log of some sort and it blew my head off.

I’d never tasted anything like it and that really set the bar pretty god damn high for the rest of the grub for the trip.

100 MANEIRAS

The next night, I went to 100 maneiras. This place was, for want of a better word, the dog’s bollocks. They offer a weird and wonderful selection of foods but being the Brit abroad I am, I opted for the burger.

This was branded the best burger in town however and it delivered on that promise and then some. This burger was unbelievable and I genuinely don’t think I’ve ever had a better one.

It’s hard to think of new and exciting words to describe the act of eating a fantastic burger so I won’t. Let me just tell you that it was unbelievable.

CENTRAL DE AVENDIDA

This was the last meal of the holiday and it lived up the hype. I realised I hadn’t even had any fish since I had been in Lisbon, so I decided it was time to test the waters (lol).

This was a tapas gaff so I opted for some tuna along with a load of other stuff which was all a bit different from my usual.

You can see in the pictures just how good this stuff looked. Thankfully, the taste more than lived up to the aesthetics.

Central de avendida is also located in the LX factory which is without a doubt, the boujiest area in Lisbon. Head here if you’re after one of the coolest days (that will probably spill into night) of your life.

I also realise I have used the word ‘boujiest’ twice. Forgive me.

HONORABLE MENTIONS/NON-ESSENTIALS

SINTRA

I wanted to do a full day here but didn’t get a chance as I only had 3 to play around with. You should definitely go if you get the chance as Sintra looks picturesque, but if you’re pressed for time – do the main areas listed above.

CASCAIS

Another one that you should really dedicated a full day to, which makes it hard to visit if you have limited time on your trip.

Cascais is the main area if you’re looking for perfect beaches and seafront seafood, but again – it’s not exactly essential if you’re on a tight schedule.

I have it on good authority that the trip is definitely worth it if you do get the chance though so maybe you should book an extra day or two on to the trip to go and explore the wonders of Cascais.

CHRIST THE KING

Looks cool and has high trip advisor ratings but it really isn’t essential. Like all the things on this list, if you have the time then do it but if you don’t fancy the long trip to get up close and personal with Christ then you can just gaze from afar at the big fella and call it a day.

BOAT TOUR

Whilst they are popular, they are pretty time consuming. In my opinion, this time could be better spent going through side streets, flea markets, museums and beaches but that’s just me.

If you fancy seeing Lisbon from a completely different perspective though, take a few hours out of your day to chill on a boat tour and soak up the rays.

TUK-TUKS

They actually have solid Tripadvisor reviews but I’d recommend swerving the tuk-tuks off if you can. The locals hate them and you can do the exploration by foot for much cheaper whilst getting a far more authentic experience.

Just my two cents.

How about that for a comprehensive, rip-roaring ride through Lisbon? If that hasn’t convinced you that Lisbon is the absolute go-to gaff of the year then something is seriously wrong with you.

This place is what dreams are made of – visit Lisbon.

The official whistle-stop Amsterdam travel guide

As you may have seen on my Instagram, I went to Amsterdam a few months ago. This is actually the second time I’ve been and I’d go again in a heartbeat. There’s so much to do there that you could feasibly do it about 10 times, then 10 more.

This time round, I got fewer ‘activities’ done because I didn’t go with my girlfriend, meaning there was roughly zero organisation to the trip.

We did however, still get some bits done amongst all the aimless wandering. I know a lot of you are probably like me in that sense so I thought I’d put together a quick 48-hour guide for those who want a fleeting & relatively cheap, yet enjoyable experience in the dutch capital.

This one will be a lot less regimented than my last Amsterdam trip so sit back and RELAX GOD DAMN IT.

GET A PICTURE ON (OR IN) THE ‘I AMSTERDAM’ SIGN

If you go to Amsterdam and don’t pose with this sign, did you even go?! This has to be the first stop you make. If you don’t then the holiday is null and we can’t be mates. It’s located just outside of Schiphol airport so you’ve got no excuses.

Bonus points if you can fit all the letters in the picture. I just settled for squeezing inside the ‘D’ (is that a weird euphemism?) which is basically the same thing.

GET A WORKOUT IN

There’s nothing like a bit of back breaking labour to relax you on your jollies. We did a saucy push workout at The Athletic Club in Leidseplein. It was a bit steep at 20 euros for a day pass but they threw in a free bottle of water and a protein smoothie so it wasn’t that bad.

To be honest, this was one of the highlights of the trip for me, getting a juicy little pump and parading round the city centre was a transcendental experience. Could have been the 87 espressos coursing through my veins though, but still.

Actually, on the subject of espressos…

DRINK YOUR WEIGHT IN THE GOOD STUFF

Coffee is everywhere in Amsterdam. The smell of coffee is almost as frequent as that of the Devil’s lettuce.

There’s a reason for this – everyone in Amsterdam bloody loves coffee. It’s cheap and it tastes amazing. If you like your americanos though, you’ll be in for a bit of a shock – every time you ask for a black coffee you’ll just be given an espresso.

It doesn’t really matter, it still tastes brilliant and gives you that kick up the anus that you so desire. In the end I was almost converted to the espresso way of life, although I am glad I didn’t fully convert as I was spending an alarming portion of my money on shot after shot.

SOAK UP THE ARCHITECTURE

It’s free and it’s breathtaking, Amsterdam is famed for its architecture and with good reason. Coming from Liverpool I have grown up appreciating the beauty of historic buildings and Amsterdam has them in spades.

Walking round any part of Amsterdam, all you have to do is look up and you are greeted with some of the sexiest architecture you ever did see.

You could feasibly spend hours just walking round, hunting for buildings to oggle – and that wouldn’t even be a waste of time, if you’re a boring git like me.

DO THE HEINEKEN EXPERIENCE

This was the highlight of my first trip and it was the highlight for the second too. The Heineken Experience is a self-guided tour of the Heineken museum and it’s got everything you could think of.

You can see how it’s made, the history of the beer, all the weird little bits of trivia, old adverts, pint making masterclasses, champions league stuff, rugby simulators, interactive videos and even places to play FIFA, which is where we spent most of our time.

Oh, and you get three free beers.

There’s far more to it than that and at 18 euros it’s worth every penny.

If you want to do Amsterdam on the cheap and want the most from your experience in just 48 hours then give these a shot.

There are obviously other things you can do like the bikes (which are way too scary with all them psychopaths whizzing round), the food (which ain’t that great, except for the dessert-based stuff) and the red light district (for you seedy buggers) but they won’t really add that much to your experience for the time they take and the money you pay.

Weighted Pushups: The best exercise you're not doing.

How did I realise weighted pushups were such a fantastic movement?

Well, as I work out in the comfort of my own home, I often have time to try out different exercises that may look a bit weird to the average gym goer. I try to find more efficient ways to do old school exercises as you really can’t beat the basics.

BUT, you can always put a fresh spin on these basics. Weighed pushups aren’t exactly new but a lot of people just don’t know how to properly perform it. With that in mind, let’s crack on with it.

Here’s your guide to weighted pushups: The best exercise you’re not doing.

WHAT ARE WEIGHTED PUSHUPS?

The standard pushup is an amazing exercise that builds a huge chest, shoulders and triceps. It also works the core as it is used to stabilise the body throughout the movement.

The only problem with regular pushups is that once you can do them with ease, adding more reps simply won’t build muscle. You want to be staying in the 6-12 rep range ideally for the best muscle building results.

This is where weighted pushups come in. Doing these by having someone load weight plates on your upper back is one way to do it, but frankly, it’s uncomfortable, unsafe and can only be done with a training partner to load and unload the weights.

HOW TO DO THEM

Invest in a dipping belt and load the weight that way. This allows for virtually unlimited overloading of the exercise (which is key to muscle growth).

To allow the dip belt to be effective, you need some clearance from the ground. To achieve this, set a barbell up at around knee height and bench a body’s length away. This will be your platform.

The position of the load is also important, loading the weights around the mid to lower back allows the pushup to play to its strength – the fact that the scapula isn’t fixed against an object such as in the bench press.

This allows for reduced inflammation around the target muscles and is what makes this unique move so beneficial.

ADDING THEM TO YOUR WORKOUT

And here’s a sample workout to include weighted pushups in:

Bench Press: 3 sets of 8 reps

Weighted Dips: 3 sets of 10 reps

Cable Laterals: 3 sets of 12 reps

Weighted Pushups: 3 sets of 12 reps

Cable Flyes: 3 sets of 15 reps

If you want more exercise breakdowns like this then click through to my wellbeing section, here.

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