Former The Biggest Loser UK contestant Paddy Cunningham is my “Fitspiration of the Week” this week. Here’s what he had to say.
1. What is your fitness routine like?
I had been focusing moreso on strength training, I have a huge love/hate relationship with deadlifts in particular !! However, I am now changing slightly to more HIIT based workouts to add in some variety and to mix things up. Keep your body guessing & keep your body working hard for your results !
2: What started your love of fitness?
I started to get into fitness about 4 or 5 years ago following me being a contestant on The Biggest Loser UK TV show which aired in the UK & Ireland – it was an utterly crazy experience but one that totally changed my mind & body. Oh… and as for loving fitness… I don’t know if I love fitness, the amount of giving out I do lol – but what I do love, is the results. Results takes effort, but its totally worth it.
3: What’s your typical daily diet?
Morning time, I usually vary between porridge with some fruit or something like eggs & smoked bacon, some snacks throughout the day lately some fruit or greens drinks. Lunch & dinner can be very similar – I’m a huge fan of chicken so it usually features a couple times a day – love chicken salad, chicken & pasta, or of course an epic fillet steak just cannot be beaten !! I do enjoy some treats too though but shhh don’t tell anyone !
4: What’s your favourite EAT CLEAN food?
My new favourite are egg muffins ! These are so simply to make and super high in protein and full of goodness. You make up your mixture as though making an omelette, but then you pop them in a muffin tin and pop it in the over at 190 for about 20 mins – as they are baked the taste is epic. I love using smoked ham & rocket in mine.
5: As a Personal Trainer what are your top three tips and tricks?
1 – Accept it will be tough. People can love the “idea” of the results they can achieve without properly thinking about the effort it takes. Be realistic set proper – long term goals. Don’t focus on quick fixes – they never ever work (trust me I know, I’ve tried them all!!.)
2 – Do workouts you enjoy. Especially if you are someone who is looking to shed some weight. Don’t get too caught up with all the science & technicalities of workouts at the start. Find some activities that simply get your body moving – some of my favourites were Boxing, Spinning and simply walking which is totally underestimated by so many!
3 – Never Ever Give Up, Ever. There will be bad days, good days, bad weeks, good weeks etc – you simply can’t let yourself get into a negative mindset. Say you have a bad month because of work, or home or whatever reason – write it off, learn from what the triggers might have been but dust yourself down and start again. Remember, this isn’t a race. When you are planning what it is you want to achieve factor in things like weddings, birthday, holidays etc so that these are included. Also, consistency is key. Theres no point doing your plan one week, then leaving it for two weeks then half doing it week 4 – you have to be consistent as thats ultimately what will get you results.
Follow Paddy on Twitter and Instagram for more fitness and food tips and ideas.