Welcome To The Blog Of Chris Rogers, Bath Personal Trainer and Fat Loss Expert

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Posted on January 1, 2010 by Chris Rogers

Hello & Welcome to my Bath personal Training Blog.

I am Chris Rogers, Bath personal trainer and Bath fat loss expert. Please feel free to checkout the most recent blog posts on the right hand side on Bath fat loss, weight loss, fitness and nutrition. Make sure you check out my Bath personal training and Bath Bootcamps page (menu tabs above).

To gain access to offers, newsletters and recieve your free copy of my secret 10 rules to fat loss nutrition send me your name and email adress via the box on the right hand side. Don’t worry. I hate spam as much as you, I will only ever send you great content and never share your details with anyone.

I hope you enjoy personaltrainerbath.com and have a great day!

Committed to your success,

Chris

Chris Rogers

Bath Personal Trainer

Chris Rogers Bath Personal Training provides Bath based fitness, expert personal trainers and Bath Bootcamp to the beautiful City of Bath. Bath is a world heritage site in the west of England with a population over 84,000 people. Bath is situated 87 miles west of London.

9 Tips To Getting The Body Of Your Dreams | Bath personal trainer Chris Rogers

Posted on February 2, 2012 by Chris Rogers

If you feel unfit, unhappy with how you look, sick of how you feel but really want to change then this article might just be for you.

Last year I took on the challenge of totally transforming my body and mind following back surgery and rehab. I felt exactly the same as you do now but decided I wasn’t going to feel like that any longer.

Now I am still on this transformation journey, but I think what I have learnt so far will really help you get started.

The points below deal with helping you find your real, truthful, underlying reasons for wanting to change and how you can powerfully harness those thoughts and feelings to finally smash through your goals and get the body of your dreams or whatever you want. These points will help you achieve in all areas of your life.

Goal setting that works.

Set a goal that really, really means something to you. Wanting to ‘lose a few pounds’ or ‘tone up’ is NEVER going to motivate you to stay on track. Find the real reason why you want to change. This may take a little time and some soul searching. But knowing the why is KEY to getting where you want to go.
Once you know the why think about how you will look, feel and act when you finally get to where you want to be and never forget how good that feels. What will change? Will you be more confident? More outgoing? Will you have better relationship with loved ones, friends and families? What would you do differently? Make sure you right this down to help you really see your new self. Visualise this new person in your head every day before bed, in the morning, before a workout and every time you feel doubt. They say seeing is believing but feeling is too.
When you know theanswers to the first 2 points, you need to set a goal that actually SCARES you. Now I don’t mean like a ghost or a bad dream! I mean that it needs to be BIG. Something that actually scares you into action. You may have been told in the past to make your goals realistic? But I think that only sets you up for never really reaching your full potential. Aim high, achieve high. Give yourself an absolute mountain to climb and relentlessly attack until you reach that goal. It might be an event, a photo shoot, a contest etc…something that scares you into action and helps you become the person you want to be. Make it scare you into staying on track.
Now you have your goal in mind and you are also a little scared about what lies ahead make sure you have a deadline to achieve it. There are no second chances and the date cannot be pushed back… Once you have set the time frame you can move on to the next phase.
Get your family and friends to support you… they will be the people you will look to for support when the voices in your head want you to deviate and eat those Krispy Kream Donuts.
Ditch the negative energy vampires and non-believers. You absolutely can achieve anything you set your mind to. If you come across some one who knocks what you are trying to achieve, use it as fuel for your fire.
So… by his point you should have a goal that really means something to you, a goal that actually scares you a little, the social support and a deadline it is time to get a plan. You are trying to achieve something that as yet you haven’t quite managed. It is probably a very good time to ask for some help! As you all have probably heard before the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over yet expecting a different result. This is where you need to invest an expert. Someone who has either achieved what you want to do personally or has helped countless others do the same.
When you have the plan it is a case of knowing that every workout, every exercise, every rep, every hour you sleep, every glass of water, every meal and every bite will take you one step closer to your goal. It is that simple. Take one day at a time and focus on just the NEXT thing. Make the next thing move you closer to your goal… and then the next and then the next. Create the habits, believe you will smash your goal and the rest will take care of itself.
Remember that life will throw a curve ball in from time to time. There will be times when things don’t go your way and you may take one or two steps back. But just tell yourself that it’s OK… it is as much about the journey and the learning/growing process as it is about the end result. When this happens acknowledge it, learn from it and move on.

To summarise what you need here is a little cheat sheet.

Find your G spot! The real reasons why you want to change
Decide where you want to be at the end, what you want to look like and who you want to be.
Visualise your new self daily
Set a goal that actually scares you! Aim big and you will achieve big.
Set a deadline and stick to it.
Create a support network through friends and family.
Either ditch the negative people or use them as fuel for your fire
Get expert help.
Focus on the journey and not just the end result. Everything you do will move you closer to or further away from your goal.
Remember that you will fail from time to time but the important thing is how you react afterward. Refocus on your goal, the reasons why and how being the new you will make you feel and I’m pretty sure you will be back on track.

Let me know what you thought in the comments below and if you would like grab a copy of my goal setting work book shoot me over a quick email at personaltrainerbathatlive.co.uk

Remember you absolutely do have the power to change!

Chris

Bath personal trainer & Fat Loss Expert

http://personaltrainerbath.com

http://bathkettlebellbootcamp.com

What is YOUR biggest fat loss or fitness question?

Posted on January 5, 2012 by Chris Rogers

Hi Guys,

To help you get to your New Year health & fitness goals I want to help you as much as I can and that goes for everyone, not just the coaching clients I have and my bootcampers….

So think about your biggest fat loss, fitness or nutrition question and let me know what it is in the comments below this post.

It can be anthing you like related to health & fitness, you might need help with your program, your nutrition, a specific exercise or you might be training for an event.

But make the question relate to your current New Year fitness goals… I really want to help you achieve them.

This is a great chance to get some expert advice… So time to grab the bull by the horns and get writing!

Just leave it in the comment box below and be sure to check back here soon for your answer. I’ll only be looking for questions until 6pm Friday 6th, so get writing!

Happy New Year!

Chris

Chris Rogers Bath Personal Training & Bootcamps

Bathkettlebellbootcamp.com - January camps almost fully booked!

My 13 Week Body (& Mind) Transformation By Bath personal Trainer Chris Rogers

Posted on December 19, 2011 by Chris Rogers

After injuring my back badly in June 2009, subsequent back surgery/rehab in 2010/11 I was left weak, skinny (but at the same time fat) and in serious need of getting back into shape.

13 weeks before my 30th birthday i decided enough was enough. The below pictures are exactly 92 days apart and the pictures on the right were taken on Tuesday 6th December 2011.

In January I am going to blog about my transformation and discuss the lifestyle, thee nutrition and the training I undertook to get these results, but for now, below are the pictures for you to see below.

I went from a 37.5 inch waist to a 32 inch waist.

I started at 83.1kg and finished at 75.9kg

I feel like a completely difference person, stronger in every way and I want to help you do the same. You totally have the power to change WHATEVER your age or circumstance.

Look out for the blog posts coming in early January.

Have a great Christmas & New Year!

Chris

P.S – Bath Kettlebell Bootcamp starts January 9th and Fit Chicks Bath starts January 10th, I will email you after Christmas with more details

www.personaltrainerbath.com

Week 8 of 13: Transformation Progress – Can you help me?

Posted on November 25, 2011 by Chris Rogers

***Grab your place on our pre-Christmas fat loss camps by clicking HERE now for the AM camp OR HERE now for the PM camp!***

Hey Guys,

Since the beginning of September I have been going through my own transformation. You see after 2 years of not being able to train properly because of a back injury and subsequent surgery and rehab (You can read about that here), I was really our of shape.

This coupled with my 30th birthday fast approaching was enough motivation for me to get my act together and get back into great shape.

The goal for the 13 weeks (the time I had left before I hit 30 years young!) was to get healthy, get strong(er) and get lean… lean enough to have visible Abs.

As of writing this I have 14 more days to go and I am almost there… almost!

On the 6th December I will share with you the full transformation, but for now let me give you a sneak peek of a back shot taken 8 weeks apart. The picture on the right was taken almost 4 weeks ago so results wise I’m looking even leaner and more muscular, but I want to save the recent pics for the finish in a couple of weeks!

The reason I am sharing this with you is that I want to be held accountable over the next 14 days by YOU… now I know you have seen these pictures and my goal I have even more motivation to push through the last couple of weeks.

Wish me good luck!

Chris

Bath personal Trainer & Fat loss Expert

Digestion, You are NOT what you eat, you are what you absorb. Take this short test now!

Posted on July 28, 2011 by Chris Rogers

Hi Guys,

If you have been following along recently I have been posting a series of short questionnaires regarding health and nutrition from Paul Chek’s book ‘How to eat, move and be healthy’. Our August bootcampers and all bootcamps going forward will be doing these tests and I thought it would be interesting if I shared them with you

The following questionnaire talks about digestion. We have all heard the old saying ‘You are what you eat’. Well that isn’t strictly true. You see if you cannot digest it, you cannot absorb it. Therefore digestion is critical when it comes to overall health and wellness.

Take this short test now and let me know how you got on in the comments below (If you would like to do this by hand you can download it Digestion Test

Digestion – It is not what you eat that counts, it is what you absorb that counts – Circle the answer that best applies to you

How often do you experience abdominal bloating? Never or very rarely (0) 1-2 times a week (3) 3 times a week (5) 4 plus times a week (10)

Score _____

Do you frequently have loose stools or diarrhea? No (0) Once a week (1) 3 or more times a week (5)

Score _____

How often do you experience constipation or stools that are compact or hard to pass? Never or very rarely (0) 1-2 times a week (3) 3 or more times a week (15)

Score _____

Do you find that you often burp after a meal? Yes (3) No(0)

Score _____

Do you frequently have gas? Yes (3) No (0)

Score _____

Do you crave certain foods such as bread, chocolate, certain fruit and meat if you have not eaten then in a day or two? Yes (5) No (0)

Score____

How often do you have a poor appetite or feel worse after eating? Never or very rarely (0) 1-2 times a week (3) 3 times a week (5) 4 plus times a week (10)

Score _____

Do you have an excessive appetite and/or sweet cravings? Yes (5) No (0)

Score _____

Do you have frequently (more than twice a week) experience abdominal pain, cramps or general abdominal discomfort? Yes (20) No (0)

Score _____

How often do you have indigestion, heart burn or an upset stomach? Never or very rarely (0) 1-2 times a week (3) 3 times a week (5) 4 plus times a week (10)

Score _____

How often do you get a headache after eating? Never or very rarely (0) 1-2 times a week (3) 3 or more times a week (5)

Score _____

Total score: _________

How did you do?

Score 19 or less – Low priority, you are doing well J

Score between 39 & 20 – Moderate priority, room for improvement!

Score between 40 & 81 – High priority, time to take action!

Let me know how you got on in the comments below

Chris

http://bathkettlebellbootcamp.com

Is stress making you fat? Take this quick test & find out now!

Posted on July 27, 2011 by Chris Rogers

Hey Guys,

This is the second short questionnaire in a series of quick tests I am posting this week for you from the book ‘How to eat, move and be healthy’ by Paul Chek. You can check out the one I posted yesterday here.

Those that are joining us on our August bootcamps which start next week will be going through all of these plus more but I wanted to share these with everyone as I think they are very valuable.

This short test will show you how stress is potentially damaging your health but also your fat loss efforts.

Does stress slow down or even promote fat loss?? Take the test below, add up your score and let me know how you get on in the comments below

(If you prefer to do this by hand print out the word.doc here How stressed are you questionnaire)

How stressed are you? Circle the answer that best applies to you

Do you eat more or less when stressed than when not stressed? More (10) Less (0)

Score ____

Do you worry over job, income or money problems? Yes (10) No (0)

Score ____

Are any of your relationships causing you stress? Yes (10) No (0)

Score ____

Do you often feel anxious? Yes (10) No (0)

Score ____

Do you often get upset when things go wrong? Yes (5) No (0)

Score ____

Do you lash out at others? Yes (5) No (0)

Score ____

Do you feel your sex drive is lower than normal? Yes (5) No (0)

Score ____

Do you feel isolated or lonely? Yes (3) No (0)

Score ____

Do you feel stressed due to lack of intimacy in one or more relationships? Yes (5) No (0)

Score ____

Have you had reduced contact with friends (feeling antisocial) or an increase in contact because you feel you need to vent your frustrations or stresses to others? Yes (3) No (0)

Score ____

Do you take any form of medication prescribed by a Doctor directly or indirectly related to stress in your life or for psychological disorder? Yes (15) No (0)

Score ____

Do you commonly lose more than two days of work a year due to illness? Yes (5) No (0)

Score ____

Total Score ______

How did you do?

Score 19 or less – Low priority, you are doing well J

Score between 39 & 20 – Moderate priority, room for improvement!

Score between 40 & 81 – High priority, time to take action!

How did you do? Let me know in the comments below

I’ll post another short questionnaire tomorrow,

Chris

http://personaltrainerbath.com

http://bathkettlebellbootcamp.com

How healthy is your diet? Take this short test now!

Posted on July 26, 2011 by Chris Rogers

Hey Guys,

I’ve been re-reading a great book recently called ‘How to Eat, Move & Be Healthy’ (by Paul Chek) which has this really cool, short questionnaire in it that thought would be really useful for you to go through. It is something that all of August bootcampers will be doing at the beginning of next week.

You will be able to find out just how healthy your diet really is and it only takes a few minutes…

In fact I am going to share a few more ‘tests’ with you over the coming days but for now lets stick with nutrition. When you have finished let me know your total score and find out how you did by looking at the scale at the end of the questionnaire. If you would rather print it out and do it by hand download the word file here – You Are What You Eat Questionnaire

If not then just crack on with the questions below. Please let me know how you did in the comment section below and feel free to share this with your friends and colleagues

You Are What You Eat Questionnaire – Circle the answer that best applies to you.

Do you shop for food less frequently than every four days? Yes (1) No (0)
Do you eat more packaged or canned fruits and vegetables verses frozen or fresh? Yes (3) No (0)
Do you eat more cooked vegetables than raw? Yes (3) No (0)
Do you eat vegetables with fewer than two meals daily? Yes (5) No(0)
Do you buy more non-organic vegetables than organic vegetables? (Yes (5) No (0)
How often do you use a microwave? Never or very rarely (0) 1-2 times a week (2) 3-4 times a week (5) 4 or more times a week (10)
Do you eat white bread more often than whole grain breads? (5) No (0)
Do you eat quick cook grains such as microwave rice’s, Quaker oats, instant oats more often than slow cooked, organic whole grains? Yes (5) No (0)
How often do you consume pasteurized, homogenized milk or cheeses? Never or rarely (0) 1-2 times a week (1) 3 times a week (3) 3 or more times a week (5)
How often do you eat non-organic yogurts? Never or rarely (0) 1-2 times a week (1) 3 times a week (3) 3 or more times a week (5)
Do you eat typical store bought eggs from cage raised chickens (as opposed to free range chickens)? Yes (5) No (0)
Do you eat non-organic red meat more than once every 4 days? Yes (3) No (0)
Do you commonly eat meats (beef, chicken turkey) from sources other than a free range and or organic hormone free source? Yes (3) No (0)
Do you eat canned fish more frequently than fresh fish? Yes (3) No (0)
How often do you use store bought salad dressings and sauces? Never or rarely (0) Once a week (1) Twice per week (2) 2 or more times a week (3)
How often do you use products containing hydrogenated oils (Fast food, baked goods, cakes pies, some instant soups and noodles… this is not an exhaustive list!)? Never or rarely (0) 1-2 times a week (1) 3 times a week (3) 3 or more times a week (5)
Do you eat nuts or seeds that are roasted or salted? Yes (1) No (0)
How often do you use white table sugar as a sweetener? Never or rarely (0) Once a week (1) 2-3 times a week (5) 3 plus times a week (10)
How often do you use artificial sweeteners such as Sweet-n-low, NutraSweet Never or rarely (0) Once a week (1) 2-3 times a week (5) 3 plus times a week (10)
Do you use standard white table salt including the low sodium varieties? Yes (5) No (0)
Do you eat microwave meals or high processed foods more than three times a week? Yes (5) No (0)
How often do you eat from fast food restaurants like McDonalds, KFC, Burger king etc? Never or rarely (0) 1-2 times a week (2) 3 times a week (5) 3 or more times a week (10)
How often do you eat snacks from vending machines? Never or rarely (0) 1-2 times a week (2) 3 times a week (5) 3 or more times a week (10)
Do you drink tap water? Yes (10) No (0)
How often do you eat any form or store bought dessert such as ice cream, cookies, donuts, cakes or pastries? Never or rarely (0), Once a week (1) 2-3 times a week (3) 3 or more times a week (5)

Total score:

How did you do?

Score 29 or less – Low priority, you are doing well

Score between 49 & 30 – Moderate priority, room for improvement!

Score between 50 & 130 – High priority, time to take action!

I’ll email another one for you try tomorrow

Thanks

Chris

http://personaltrainerbath.com

http://bathkettlebellbootcamp.com

Healthy Buttered Chicken Recipe | Bath personal trainer Chris Rogers

Posted on June 14, 2011 by Chris Rogers

Hey Guys,

It has been a while since I last blogged so I thought it was about time I got writing again.

Last week while looking for a healthy Indian recipe that would SUPPORT rather than hinder fat loss I came across a promising recipe for Buttered Chicken.

I know this dish is not supposed to be spicy but you can add as much or as little spice as you like. So those of you that ‘don’t do Indian food’ please read on, as I would be willing to bet that you would like it

Now for those of you that are thinking buttered chicken is really high in fat you are totally right. But healthy fats (especially from the sources in the ingredients below) will not hinder your fat loss progress in the correct amounts. Combine this dish with a healthy eating regimen and you will be on to a winner

Ingredients (serves 2-4)

Ideally all the ingredients should be organic where possible.

2 x 2 tbsp of grass-fed butter (Yeo Valley Organic Butter is a good call here and don’t be afraid to add more)
About 800g chicken cut in chunks;
2 tsp garam masala;
2 tsp paprika;
2 tsp ground coriander;
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger;
1/4 tsp chili and/or curry powder (adjust to taste, this is the spice that you add more/less of depending upon how hot you like it)
1 cinnamon stick;
6 bruised cardamon pods;
1 jar of tomato puree;
Half a can of coconut milk;
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice;
Sea salt & pepper to season.
A selection of fresh or frozen veggies to stir fry for a side dish (i.e. – Spinach, pak choi, carrots, tomatoes, courgettes, green beans, peppers,cashew nuts). I use coconut oil for the stir fry but if you don’t have that to hand butter or olive oil are your next best options.

Technique

Heat a pan, add the first 2 tbsp of butter and stir-fry the chicken chunks. You can cook them in 2 batches if your pan is too small.
Remove the chicken from the pan.
Put the second 2 tbsp of butter and slowly heat the spices for a minute or two until you can smell the aroma.
Put the chicken back in the pan and stir so you mix in all the spices with the chicken.
At this point, add the tomatoes and simmer for about 10 minutes. Stir from time to time and be careful not to burn.
With 5-10 minutes left on the clock stur fry your veggies so that they are ready at the same time.
Add the coconut milk and lemon juice and let it simmer for another 5 minutes.
Enjoy without guilt! Garnish with fresh herbs and a stick of cinnamon for extra fanciness points!

A note on herbs & spices (and playing around with recipes!)

The best way to always be prepared for recipes that rely heavily on spices like buttered chicken is to buy a good assortment of spice all at once. It will seem to cost you a arm and a leg, but it should last almost forever and you’ll never be angry because the recipe calls for that one special spice you happen not to have.

Don’t be scared also to play with it and change the spices used and their quantities. Cooking shouldn’t rigid and you should always make place for experimentation and tweaks.

Let me know how it goes!
Chris

http://personaltrainerbath.com

P.S – Don’t worry if your effort does not turn out the same colour as the above picture, mine was a little darker because I added extra curry powder.

Can you drink and still lose Fat? Bath personal trainer Chris Rogers

Posted on April 28, 2011 by Chris Rogers

Alcohol is a massive part of British culture. It is also one of biggest stumbling blocks for alot of my clients when they are trying to get decent results from their training. The question below comes up time and time again.

‘Can I still lose fat and have a drink?’

Well it depends on what you are trying to achieve really. I’ve had clients who have lost multiple stones who have just ‘cut back’ on the weekly alcohol consumption. But then I had clients who have not been able to really get any meaningful results without cutting it out altogether for a period of time.

You also need to think about your goal. If you are just trying to drop a little bit of body fat and be a bit healthier then the odd drink probably won’t hurt. But if you are trying to get into the best shape of your life, or transform your body and reverse the habits that got you into this unhealthy state in the first place then the drink has to go, for a while at least.

There are exceptions to the rules of course. If age is on your side and your genetics have been kind you might just be able to get away with those weekly (or more) big nights out without any weight gain (for now at least!). However it’s an unavoidable fact that excess alcohol consumption is unhealthy, will slow weight loss if not reverse it. It is a drug after all.

What do I recommend if you are really trying to progress with your training & goals?

If you are just starting out and still have a fair way to go until you reach your goal I recommend at least 28 days of NO alcohol. This would obviously be alongside a nutrition plan that complements what you are training for. After this period you could probably have a drink once a week, but big nights out will most certainly take you backwards rather than forwards when it comes to fat loss.

I think the key here is how important your goal is to you compared to how much you are willing to do (or give up). You see to get your body to somewhere it hasn’t been (at all or for a fair few years) there has to be some changes. Exercising is taking a great step forward but without looking at your diet and lifestyle (which actually got you to how you look and feel right now) results will not be great, small at best.

So with all that said here are my guidelines so that when you drink (as I know we are all human and sometimes the voices in our heads get the better of us), you can minimise the damage to your goals.

Keep it to once a week if you are near or at your target goal. If you are starting out on your journey shoot for 28 days without. Remember your lifestyle has to change if you want to create the right environment for your body to change.
On the day you are going to drink, consume as little fat and starchy carbohydrate as possible. Stick to protein sources like chicken and green veg. I’m afraid chips and curry sauce are out!
Alternate alcoholic drinks with sparkling water. The bubbles slow you down more than still water would.
Don’t make stupid food choices the next day, get right back on track with eating proper food and keep it low carb.
Stick to low sugar drinks, wine or spirits are best. If you’re having mixers make them sugar free.
Don’t take this as a green light to drink as much as you like.

Summary

Alcohol WILL slow down your fat loss efforts. To what degree will depend upon the person.

My recommendations on alcohol if training for weight/fat loss

28 days no alcohol, then once per week as per the 6 points above.

I hope you have enjoyed this post, any questions or comments feel free to post below.

Thanks

Chris Rogers

Bath personal trainer

Bath Kettlebell Bootcamp Motivational Clips To Get You Motivated, Focused & Fired Up For Bootcamp!

Posted on March 22, 2011 by Chris Rogers

Hi Guys,

Here a some motivational clips for Bath Kettlebell Bootcamp recruits and anyone else who wants to get motivated, focused, fired up for training. These clips might not be your cup of tea but they certainly get me focused and motivated for a rewarding workout!

This first one really puts our own goals into perspective… amazing!