How Did You Get Started In Health And Fitness?
Ohh good question, let me smash my journey out in dot points.
1. Went to America – made some epic fat gains.
2. Got home – no clothes fit and it was summer. #yikes
3. Did what every chick does to lose weight – Hit the cardio hard, like x2 hours a day hard.
4. Fell head over heels in love with the jesus of group fitness ‘Les Mills’. Become and instructor for BodyComat, BodyPump and GRIT.
5. Went a little LesMills loco and taught 9-15 classes a week, every week till I was so injured I walked like an 80 year old after a hip replacement.
6. Decided I wanted to know more about fitness & work with clients 1 on 1 – so I became a personal trainer, which I am still doing today ☺
You Run An Amazing Blog (melvfitnessblog) What Made You Start This & What Are Your Plans For It?
Well thank you fine sir! ill be totally honest here, the blog was born out of laziness. I was getting lots of common questions from clients & I wanted a way that I could write down my responses and then just point them towards the blog for answers. It has also been a great avenue to document my experiments with eating- I’ve done the whole ‘clean eating must find my abs’ thing & then become a ‘Paleo wanker’ who wouldn’t go out for dinner for fear of vegetable oils or carbs….and now I have shifted to a more long term sustainable approach with IIFYM. I hope to continue the blog by documenting my experiences and sharing my insights to common misconceptions in the fitness industry.
What Are Some Of The Most Common Questions You Get Asked & How Do You Respond?
Most of my common questions have been turned into blog posts, but I share some with short answers below.
Do I eat carbs after dinner? Yes
Should I do cardio or weights first? Depends on your goals
Should I do fasted cardio? Depends on your goals..
Should I try crossfit? Depends on your goals..
Which fitness class is the best? The one you enjoy the most.
Should I do protein shakes? If you cant be bothered eating more protein then yeah, you can drink it.
Will lifting weights make me bulky? Only if you gain fat too.
Does sugar make you fat? Not directly or instantly.
What Is Your Workout Routine?
Hummm… this really depends. I happy with my current physique and are working on building muscle and mobility, rather than aesthetics. I don’t have the desire to do any fitness modelling and don’t fancy people following me on Instagram so they can creep over my semi nude selfys- so I am just working on being fit, strong and healthy. So I really listen to my body and do things I enjoy.
But just cause someone might need this, ill give you what I did last week.
Monday: Heavy weights session using a ViPR and Sandbells, I did a 30 minute workout HIIT style with 1 minute on 30 seconds off.
Tuesday: 1.5 hour Hit of Tennis
Wednesday: Adult Gymnastics (2 hour class)
Thursday: Netball game
Friday: Recovery session, mobility work.
Saturday: HIIT class with a friend.
Sunday: Full body movement session with a focus on plyometric (as I want to be able to jump epically high)
What Is Your Diet Like? What Supplements Do You Use?
My current macros are sitting around 1600. 120g of protein, 170g carbs and 50g fats. What I eat will vary from day to day & my aim is to come close to hitting those numbers. I am not too fussed at the moment as I am currently working on muscle gains and maintenance. Closer to summer ill play with my macros to lean out a little. I don’t have any specific meal timings- I eat when I am hungry.
You Created An Incredible 15 Minute “Transformation” Picture That Went Viral Last Year. Basically Showing How Deceptive Some Of Then Can Be. Could You Talk Us Through What You Did & Why You Did This?
Sure, the idea behind the image came from being bombarded by before and after photos on my instagram. I would look at them and think ‘4 weeks?’ NO WAY! Then id look at the pic & realise the person was standing differently & the lighting was different and they looked happier in the after. So Id have a crack at trying to replicate those type of images. And that infamous photo was born. After that I wrote a blog post to share my experience with trying to get a six pack & emphasised the hidden truths behind transformation pictures.
https://melvfitness.squarespace.com/melvfitnessblog/2013/08/transformation-or-few-simple-tweeks.html
You Are A Believer In The Diet Philosophy IIFYM. Could You Tell Us About This & The Benefits You See In This Style Of Dieting?
YESSSS.. IIFYM, here to save you from all those dieting misconceptions.
Basically I started researching IIFYM when I was in my Paleo phase, I had gained 6kg in about a month after getting really lean so I was desperately trying to find some answers because cutting out all sugar (I didn’t even eat fruit!!), dairy, wheat and fun from my diet wasn’t helping me lean out at all. IIFYM really saved me from that ‘good food, bad food’ mentality, and explained to me what I needed to do in order to lean out- prior to that I couldn’t explain why my horrible clean eating diet had made me drop weight (in my head it was because I wasn’t eating sugar or anything fun anymore) So IIFYM really gave me the ‘science’ behind the fat loss which really made sense to me. It has allowed me to continue to eat the foods I enjoy whilst reaching my physique goals.
At the time there wasn’t really a comprehensive document to download or use to explain IIFYM & I was pretty confused as to how to figure out my numbers and implement it into my life. I then working with a bodybuilding coach to guide me through it and together we nutted out the ins and outs of how it works and I put together my E-book in a really simple and easy to understand document to help others who would like to use the method.
How Do You Handle Set Backs & Bad Days? Bulk hugs and a good sleep.
Give Your Best 3 Health Tips That People Can Implement Right Now:
1. Listen to your body. Eat when hungry, workout when you feel good.
2. Manage your stress.
3. Become a boss at sleeping.
Where Does Your Motivation Come From?
A small garden gnome called Hillary… But seriously, I hate being sick (and have been pretty sick in the past) So It is my mission to look after my body so I am never sick. That is what truly motivates me.
For More Of Mel V Please Check Out Her:
Website: melvfitness.com.au
Blog: https://melvfitness.squarespace.com/melvfitnessblog/
IIFYM Ebook Purchase: http://payhip.com/b/2Afm
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melvfitness
Instagram: @melvfitness