The best exercise to do at the gym if you don't like exercising at the gym.

Also an update on the experiment.

Hey there, hi there, ho there!

This greeting is from the wonderful Cassie Roma who writes

Fries With That

which is a collection of musings and poetry and other nice things. Go and have a look. I think you’ll like it.

Remember the experiment? Let me update you.

So far I have not brought myself to try on the shape wear scuba gear stuff. I might do it later tonight, but honestly out of all the things I sign myself up for in the name of science, this is the thing I really can’t be arsed doing.

I have been using the toxic fat melting powder that is Happy Mammoth, however, aside from a terrible headache on day one, it has done precisely nothing. Are we surprised? Not even a little bit. In fact the only reason I’m still persisting with it, is because it is a nice vanilla flavour that I like in my smoothies.

If anything magically happens over the next few weeks, I’ll be sure to update you but I’m not holding my breath. The lesson here is that if you are on the fence about buying a supplement that is promising the world on a silver platter to you, know that the reviews are likely paid for, and that a supplement will probably not change your life. We need to find joy in other places rather than in things we cannot change with solutions that don’t work anyway. You’ll be ok. I’ve got you.

The thing I wanted to talk to you about today was exercise.

Whether you walk, or dance, or play sport, or go to the gym - the specifics doesn’t matter, we know moving our body is good for us - I don’t think anyone is disputing that. But if I had to pick two exercises to do, that would be the most beneficial for me as I age, it would be walking, and deadlifts.

Walking is the single most underrated exercise you can do. It is free, easily available, uses pretty much every muscle group and every joint. And most importantly it is scaleable. You can walk a long way, or to the end of your driveway, and all of it is beneficial. Yes, you read that right. ALL of it, no matter the distance, is good for you.

And if you tend to go to a gym, the single best exercise you can do there is a deadlift. Whether you use a 20kg bar, weighted or not, or a set of dumbbells, the action of a deadlift uses all the muscles and joints. There’s obviously hundreds of other equipment types to use at the gym, and you’re free to use whatever you like. But for easily overwhelmed people (like myself) knowing I can do one exercise for six sets, increasing or decreasing the weight, and then go home, is music to my ears.

Fitspo people, don’t fight me on this. You know I’m right. Deadlifts are the main character and for people who are not in the gym every day for two hours, not training for a specific sport or activity, are perhaps just regular people looking to get stronger and a bit fitter, deadlifts and walking will see you right.

Even though I no longer work on the gym floor, I am ALWAYS happy to help people with a programme if deadlifting isn’t your thing. Comment below and then maybe your question might help someone else, or if you’re a wee bit shy, that’s totally cool, reply to this email and I’ll be glad to help.

This is me lifting with my gorgeous pal in the background. Quite an old image as my arms now have beautiful tattoos on them, also thanks to my gorgeous pal in the background.

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Thanks for reading this newsy. I really appreciate the time you give to me for this and I hope you get some value from it. If you have any questions you can reply directly to this email or if you’ve landed here from a link, email lou@sweatypals.nz. You can also follow me on Twitter here, and instagram here.

Please remember while I am a qualified fitness trainer, nutrition is an interest of mine, I am not a registered dietitian or nutritionist, and information shared here is through my own lived experience, personal study or a peer reviewed study I have nerded out on reading and sharing with you.

Lou xx