Ben Phillips at TA1 Performance Coaching

09/11/2025

Unlock Your Potential at TA1 Performance Coaching.

Taunton’s Best Equipped Private Training Studio is right on your doorstep.

Train in a safe, exclusive environment with elite coaching, world class equipment, and a training experience shaped entirely around you.

Whether you’re committing to a body transformation, improving strength, rebuilding confidence and movement with rehabilitation, or striving for sports performance, TA1 provides the expertise and the environment to make it happen.

If you’re ready for real results 🏆

TA1 Performance Coaching is waiting.

07/11/2025

Control the Controllable’s 👊🏼

Following on from a conversation with one of my brilliant 2Kilo Club members this morning, here is an apt topic I thought I’d elaborate on and share with you all.

As we move closer to the festive season (which seems to get earlier and earlier), the invitations have already started rolling in work parties, family gatherings, nights out with friends etc.

It’s the time of year when your calendar fills up faster than your step count… and with that comes more meals you can’t fully control.

But here’s the key:

✅ This is not the time to stress.

✅ It is the time to tighten up on what is within your control.

You don’t need perfection to keep progressing. BUT You most definitely need strategy!

Why This Matters

Trying to micromanage every restaurant meal, buffet table or festive snack platter is a fast track to frustration. The environment is different, the food is richer, and the choices are fewer.

But the meals before and between those events?
Is where your power is.

How to Stay in Control (AND Still Enjoy Yourselves )

1️⃣ Dial in the meals you can control

Your breakfast, your lunch, your snacks, and the days without social events, these are your anchors. Prioritise lean proteins, high volume veg, hydration, and structure.

2️⃣ Bank calories strategically

If you know you’ve got a big meal out in the evening, reduce calories earlier in the day.

– Push breakfast back
– Keep meals lighter
– Increase protein + fibre
– Save carbs/fats for the evening

This gives you flexibility without derailing your progress.

3️⃣ Avoid the “all or nothing” trap

A single higher calorie meal is not the enemy.
The “well I’ve blown it, might as well keep going…” spiral is.

Precision on the controllables gives you room for enjoyment on the uncontrollables.

4️⃣ Remember: consistency beats perfection

December doesn’t require a diet shutdown… it requires smarter navigation. And you’re absolutely capable of that.

Final Thought 💭

This season is meant to be enjoyed, but enjoyment doesn’t have to mean abandoning your goals.

Focus on the meals where you have full control, stay intentional with the ones you don’t, and you’ll finish the year proud of how you handled it.

Control the controllables. Enjoy the rest. Keep moving forward.

Want support with this?

If you want a coach who’ll guide you through the festive season with structure, flexibility, accountability, and a plan that actually works in real life, I can help.

Whether your goal is fat loss, strength, confidence, or simply staying on track through a busy month and far beyond.

02/11/2025

HRT and Weight: The Real Story Behind Those Extra Pounds

My 2Kilo Club members are ending the year in style with one final push through November before we take our foot off the gas slightly over Christmas and enjoy the party season and all it has to offer, guilt free. 💃🏻

A question that came up in the group this week is one I imagine will resonate with many women, so I thought I’d share my reply.

“Is my HRT making me gain weight?”

If you’re on Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) and have noticed the scale creeping up, you’re not alone.

The answer, in most cases, is probably not though.

HRT, whether estrogen alone or combined with progesterone, is designed to ease menopausal symptoms and support your long term health.

While hormones do influence metabolism and fat storage, research shows that any weight gain directly caused by HRT is usually very modest, often just a few pounds, and sometimes only temporary, largely due to fluid retention.

It’s also completely normal for your body to go through a short adjustment period when starting HRT.

Some women notice a small increase of a few kilograms early on as the body rebalances in its new hormonal environment. This usually settles once hormone levels stabilize and your metabolism finds a new equilibrium, your body’s natural homeostasis.

And progesterone? It’s rarely a significant culprit.

So, why might the scale still move up?

The truth is that age, lifestyle, and natural hormonal changes after menopause play a much bigger role than HRT itself.

As we age, metabolism naturally slows, muscle mass can decline, and energy needs decrease, factors that quietly add up over time.

Here’s what you can control:

• Nutrition: Focus on whole foods, balanced meals, and consistent portion sizes.

• Movement: Strength training and daily activity preserve muscle, boost metabolism, and help your body use energy efficiently.

• Lifestyle: Sleep, stress management, and hydration are just as important as exercise and diet.

Bottom line:

HRT is rarely to blame for noticeable weight gain. Instead of seeing it as an obstacle, treat it as a tool for health while focusing on the habits that truly move the needle.

Because in the end, small, consistent actions beat blaming “hormones” every time.

And that’s exactly what my 2Kilo Club members are proving as we wrap up the year strong.

26/10/2025

Dark nights. Bright goals. ⚡
The season’s changing and so can you.
Join Benny’s Bootcamp today and level up your strength, stamina, and mindset 🔥

26/10/2025

🍽️ Eat More to Lose Fat? Here’s How the Math Actually Works

Sounds backwards, right? “Eat more and lose fat” feels like clickbait from the land of false promises.

But this one actually checks out, not because of hacks or magic foods, but because of how your body really works.

Here’s the truth: most diets don’t fail because you’re lazy. They fail because they’re too hard to stick to! ( I see you nodding in agreement).

The Weekday Warrior Trap

You’ve been there. ✅

Monday to Friday you’re an absolute saint small portions, endless willpower, caffeine holding your personality together. 😇

Then Saturday hits. Hunger. Cravings. Social plans. “I deserve it.” Suddenly that perfect weekday deficit turns into weekend maintenance (or even a surplus). 😈

You didn’t mess up. YOUR PLAN DID!

Flip the Script

Instead of starving yourself Monday to Friday, what if you actually ate enough? Raise calories slightly during the week, enough to fuel workouts, calm hunger, and keep your energy up.

What happens next is interesting…

>You move more without forcing it.
>You train better.
>You’re not raiding the kitchen at 10 pm.

And your weekly calorie balance finally lands where it needs to be, in a real, steady deficit. Voila ✨

That’s the “eat more, lose fat” magic word:

*ADHERENCE*

Why It Works

When you diet too hard, your body quietly fights back:

>Fewer calories burned from digestion (TEF).
>Lower movement and fidgeting (NEAT).
>Workouts get weaker.

So YES, calories in vs. out still rules.

BUT “calories out” shrinks when you under fuel. Eat smarter, and you keep that side of the equation higher.

The Real World Fix

Here’s how to make it work:

>Audit your week,not just weekdays.
>Nudge calories up until you can perform, move, and stay consistent.
>Train 2–3 times weekly and keep steps high.
>Aim for repeatable, not miserable.

When you fuel like a human instead of dieting like a robot, progress becomes predictable and you don’t need to “start again” every Monday.

You don’t have to suffer to get results.

You just need a plan your body (and brain) can actually follow.

Ready to stop starting over every Monday? I help busy people build plans that actually fit their lives, no extremes, no endless restriction.

If you’re done guessing and want a plan that works with your body, not against it, let’s chat.

24/10/2025

💥 What a week! 💥

A massive shout out to everyone who showed up and brought the energy, the sessions have been absolutely buzzing! ⚡️

From my group classes to my 121 PT and online clients, you’ve all pushed your limits, stayed consistent, and continued to align with the best version of yourselves.

Watching your progress each week is exactly why I love what I do. ❤️

If you’re ready to be part of this energy and start showing up for yourself, drop me a message, let’s get you moving. 💪🔥

22/10/2025

💪 Smart Post Workout Fuel 💥

One of the most common questions I’m asked is “what I eat?, to be honest it’s fairly irrelevant to many, as my goals and requirements are different from yours…

But anyways here’s the why for wherefore for anyone interested….

Recovery starts on your plate!

Consuming rapidly absorbed, nutrient dense foods after exercise replenishes glycogen stores, restores fluid and electrolyte balance, and provides essential amino acids that accelerate muscle repair and adaptation.

Here’s typically what I will reach for after training:

🍍 Pineapple

Packed with bromelain, a natural enzyme that helps break down proteins, reduce inflammation, and support smooth digestion. My calories are very high at the moment so gut health and digestion is a priority.

🍚 Rice

A fast digesting carb that replenishes glycogen stores quickly, giving your muscles the energy they need to recover.

🍗 Chicken

Lean and protein rich, loaded with essential amino acids key for muscle repair and growth.

🍌 Banana

Full of potassium to replace electrolytes lost in sweat and quick carbs to restore energy fast. Plus I LOVE it! ❤️

✅ The takeaway: Smart recovery is about fueling muscles, replenishing what you lose, and supporting digestion.

🔥 Want to take your nutrition to the next level? I offer personalised coaching to optimise your meals, recovery, and results.

DM me to start your journey!

20/10/2025

Why We Lose Power With Age and Why It Matters

1️⃣ What is “power”?

It’s strength × speed

the ability to move quickly and forcefully. Think standing up fast, climbing stairs, or catching yourself from a fall.

2️⃣ How much do we lose?

Starting around age 50, we lose 3–5% of muscle power per year, that’s 2–3 times faster than strength loss!

By 70, many have lost up to half their power. 😳

3️⃣ Why does it matter?

Muscle power keeps you:

💪 Mobile and independent
🧠 Quick to react and prevent falls
❤️ Strong, metabolically healthy, and aging well

👉 Power = longevity in motion.

Train it. Protect it. Keep moving fast.

Here are a few of my awesome small group PT clients putting this into action, going through their power prep as part of our new programme focused on building strength and speed! ⚡

Are you doing the same?

19/10/2025

19/10/2025

The scale doesn’t lie, it just needs context.
Fat loss is physics, not feelings. Track trends, not days. 📉