You can do sit ups until the cows come home but it's not going to get rid of your belly fat
It's a myth that I thought had finally been busted
But someone asked me the other week if doing more sit ups would get rid of the belly they hated
And I get the logic
If you exercise the area then you would lose body fat from there
But alas that's not quite how it works
If you want to get rid of your belly you need to lose body fat in general
Which comes down to eating less calories than your body needs
Not doing 50 million sit ups a day
So what actually helps?
A calorie deficit, some resistance training to hold onto muscle while you lose fat and enough consistency to stick at it long enough to see it through
Sit ups aren't pointless though
They're great for building core strength
Just don't expect them to shift the fat sitting on top of it
Save this post for the next time someone tells you that the best way to get rid of belly fat is by training your belly so you remember they're talking s**tđŠ
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24/08/2026
A few more I could have used but didn't want you scrolling for daysđ
Any I missed?
**t
21/08/2026
Jade was doing everything herself.
She knew how to train, knew how to perform the exercises, but was constantly second guessing whether what she was doing was actually going to work.
Jumping from one random online plan to the next.
Always doubting herselfâŚ
âItâs just mentally tiringâ
đđźHer words not mine.
She reached out wanting something built specifically for her so she could just get on with it without the noise in her head.
So thatâs what we did.
And 12 weeks later sheâs 7.2kg down, getting stronger & sheâs starting to figure out her own nutrition when life throws a curve ball.
But honestly the bit that got me most was this message she sent me recently.
âKnowing I have you in my corner that I can message at any time about training, nutrition, supplements, mindset, progress is comforting and gives me a sense of confidence in doing what Iâm doing. Also I can message you something completely random and you donât judge me, youâll normally have a laugh or throw me a shovel to dig myself further down a rabbit hole, like your just as weird as meâŚ
Thatâs a good thing btwđâ
Results and feeling like that at the same time, thatâs the goal, thatâs all I want reallyâŚ
Proud of her!
Am I really that weird?đ¤
DM me the word âWeirdoâ to find out more about what we do at ProjectUđđť
20/08/2026
You don't need a better programme, you need a bedtime
Following on from Tuesdayâs post, hereâs 3 tips to actually improve your sleepâŚ
1 - Parent yourself
Set a bedtime and actually stick to it, the same way you would do with a kid
Yes staying up to watch one more episode sounds like a great idea but this is the lack of structure that leaves you wondering why youâre tired all the time
2 - Give yourself a chance to wind down properly
Turn off your screens (yes that includes your phone) at least 30 minutes before bed
Do something you find relaxing like reading, stretching, meditating, whatever you find helps switch off your brain
3 - Have a consistent wake up time
Yes even on weekends
It doesnât have to be exactly the same but waking up at a similar time every day helps your body clock and keeps a solid sleep routine
Save this for when youâre trying to sort out your sleep
I donât think this gets talked about or even thought about enoughâŚ
The speed you lift matters just as much as the weight you're lifting.
Most people pick up a weight & just go through the motions.
Up, down, next rep, rushing to the end.
But there are actually 4 parts to every single rep.
And playing with the tempo of each one changes everything.
Slower on the way down builds more tension in the muscle.
Pausing at the bottom removes momentum and forces the muscle to actually work.
A controlled lift up keeps the muscle under load throughout.
A brief pause at the top before the next rep stops you rushing.
Benefits?
Better form without having to think about it as much.
Less chance of injury because you're not just throwing weight around.
More muscle built because the muscle is actually doing the work rather than momentum doing it for you.
People are so quick to chase heavier weights.
Sometimes you just need to slow s**t down & embrace the challenge.
Save this if it's something you've never thought about before
**t
This is what support actually looks like at ProjectU
1-2-1 support from the coaches
But it doesnât stop there
Everyone else in the gym is supporting you too
Whether itâs to cheer you on during a tough set
To celebrate with you when you hit a PB
To have a laugh with you and lighten the mood
Or give you a wee bosie when you need it
This is the kind of support that not only helps you achieve your goals
�But helps you enjoy the process along the way
18/08/2026
Nobody talks about the thing that affects your results more than your programme does
Sleep
It affects your training and nutrition more than you probably realise
Which is why it's something we support clients with, not just exercise and food
Have a bad night's sleep?
Training feels heavier & everything feels harder than it should for the same weight you lifted last week
Food choices get harder too
Low energy tends to mean reaching for whatever's easiest, not what actually fuels you
Your energy for literally anything else that day drops as well, not just training
If a client's had a shocking night's sleep (which happens, weâre all only human) we'll adapt the session
We might drop the intensity or switch to something less demanding
Progress isn't lost by adjusting to how someone actually feels that day
The point: it's not weakness or lack of discipline when a bad night wrecks your session, itâs just how the body works
Save this for the next time a bad night's sleep makes you want to skip your session
Have you ever got up early morning & battled hunger to burn more fat?
Iâve been there, done itâŚ
Wish I hadnât but information & hindsight is a wonderful thingđ
When I was younger I was told fasted cardio was the secret to burning fat faster.
Turns out whoever told me that was talking s**te.
Yes your body uses more fat as fuel when you train fasted.
But it compensates over the rest of the day.
Total fat burned? The same.
Research published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition found no significant difference in fat loss between fasted and fed cardio when total calories were matched.
You may ask what the f**k does that mean?âŚ
Basically, It doesnât matter whether you eat before cardio or not.
What matters is your overall calorie deficit over time.
Not what time you had your breakfast.
If you enjoy training fasted, cool, crack on.
But if youâve been setting a 5am alarm on an empty stomach thinking itâs giving you an edge.
Itâs not.
Have your breakfast.
Do your cardio whenever suits you.
And stop making things harder than they need to be.
Feel free to save this so you donât forget it & so you can show it to the daft c**t trying to tell you fasted is better, send them my wayđ
**t
Strength training won't make you bulky
Here's what it actually doesâŚ
âĄď¸ Reduces your risk of falls and injuries, particularly as you get older
Itâs maybe not something youâre thinking about now but trust me youâll wish you thought of it sooner when youâre older
âĄď¸ Makes daily life so much easier
Things you maybe donât even think of like carrying the shopping, picking up the kids or grandkids
âĄď¸ Maintains bone density as you age
This is really important especially if youâre post-menopausal and osteoporosis is a risk
The point of this post is that there is a difference between getting strong and getting jacked like a bodybuilder
It takes years, more calories & protein than youâre likely taking in and potentially even some injectable help in some cases to get the amount of muscle youâre scared of getting
Falls, shopping bags, bone density, none of that happens by accident
It comes from getting stronger now
Save this post for next time you panic about getting bulky when you lift weights
17/08/2026
For the longest time Monday to Friday was just survival for me.
Up at 4:20am.
Work had the priority all day.
Stop for lunch then straight back at it.
Finish evening sessions around 6:30, 7pm, phone on charge in the kitchen, I have a strict rule, no work after that which is fine...
But by then I've got maybe an hour or less before I need to start winding down for bed.
I struggle to switch off at night so I have to protect that routine or my sleep falls apart & I struggle to function the next day.
Which has meant for the longest time I had nothing outside of work/business.
If I ever did something for myself mid week I felt guilty for not working.
All of this meant I just kept chasing the weekend.
Except by the time the weekend arrived I was mentally done.
Saturday morning sessions, then admin, sometimes I can be finished by 12pm, sometimes not until 4 or 5pm depending on client reviews etc
Which leaves me Sunday.
1 day to recharge before it started again.
When I was in London in July I was sitting in the spa at the hotel & was reflecting on things.
And I realised I was becoming unhappy.
Not with the business.
Not with the clients.
With the fact I have spent all these years working hard to build a business & life I want for myself but I wasn't actually allowing myself to live it.
So when I got home I changed something...
2 days during the week I still work, morning sessions, a bit of admin, but I have a cut off & then take a chunk of the day and do whatever I want based on how I feel & want.
Not work related.
Slow day with the dogs.
A wee drive somewhere & explore.
Cinema.
Gardening.
Whatever...
It doesn't matter the thing is I don't force it, just whatever I actually feel like doing.
I've done it since getting back from London and the difference is night and day.
More creative with work. New ideas actually coming to me rather than having to force them.
More present with clients, friends, the people I care about.
And honestly just happier.
Turns out you can be ambitious and actually live your life at the same time.
Took me longer than it should have to figure that out.
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