https://ta1performancecoaching.co.uk/REBOOTJAN24

Ben Phillips at TA1 Performance Coaching, Taunton Vale Sports Club, Gipsy Lane, Staplegrove, Taunton (2026)

28/12/2025

🎄 Christmas doesn’t change your body overnight. It simply reveals what winter has been doing quietly for months already - Part 2

When the Christmas holidays loosen structure, the answer isn’t to tighten it. 🔒 Because what protects progress isn’t discipline,

it’s connection. 🔗

Connection to your body, your daily pattens, your values, and the people who support you when routine fades. 🔑

People who maintain progress through Christmas don’t do it by restriction or missing out on the enjoyment 🚫.

They do it by keeping a few quiet rituals in place ⚓

*Not rules.
*Not perfection.
*Just awareness 👀

🧠 The role of awareness

In studies designed to prevent holiday weight gain, the most effective strategies had one thing in common:

feedback 📊

Simple practices like:

• Regular (not obsessive) self weighing ⚖️
• Occasional food tracking 📝
• Mindful eating check ins 🍽️

Will lead to better outcomes than those who disengaged entirely. (Cough, cough sounds like those with or without a coach to me 😜).

These tools weren’t used to enforce control 🚫
They worked because they made change visible early, when adjustments are small and stress free ✨

⚖️ Why self weighing works

Self weighing is one of the most consistently supported behaviours in long term weight maintenance research 📚

People who weigh themselves regularly tend to:

• Notice trends sooner 🔍
• Adjust calmly instead of reacting later 😌
• Avoid the “January reset” cycle 🔄

The benefit wasn’t control.
It was awareness 👀

📝 Food tracking without rigidity

Food logging shows a similar pattern and consistency matters more than precision 📈

Logging most days, not every day keeps awareness without becoming burdensome.

The goal isn’t accuracy ❌
It’s remembering what normal looks like 🧭

🎄 What long term maintainers do differently

People who’ve maintained weight loss over years approach Christmas with intention, not restraint 🌟

Common patterns include:

• Keeping some form of regular movement 🚶‍♂️
• Choosing which holiday foods truly matter 🍰
• Adjusting other meals when events are planned 📆
• Limiting constant exposure to tempting foods at home 🏠
• Emphasising “non food” traditions 🤍

What stands out isn’t avoidance.
It’s decisions made before the moment arrives.

✨ Enjoyment doesn’t require disengagement

Habits don’t need to disappear for Christmas to be enjoyable 🎁 And enjoyment doesn’t need to derail progress 💪

For those who value continuity, the goal isn’t to avoid change. It’s to stay present enough that December doesn’t feel disconnected from the rest of the year 🧩

A few simple anchors, movement, meals, check ins often do more than any rule ever could ⚓

Closing thought 💭

Christmas isn’t a test.
It’s a season ❄️

And seasons don’t require control, Just gentle awareness of what helps you feel grounded within them.

💌 If you want support creating your own winter rhythm that keeps you grounded, present, and progressing without guilt or restriction, I can help.

DM me to work together and make this time of year positive and productive. ✨

28/12/2025

Hip adduction isn’t “just another machine.”

It’s an opportunity to restore hip internal rotation, an area many people in my observations lack.

Hip internal rotation isn’t a muscle problem.
It’s a position problem!

When the femur lives forward, externally rotated, or uncentered in the socket, IR disappears.

The adductor machine, when used correctly can definitely help:

• Re centre the femoral head
• Restore access to hip internal rotation
• Improve pelvic stability and control
• Reduce compensations at the low back, knee, and hip
• Build strength in a position most people avoid

Coaching cues that matter:

• Sit tall, ribs stacked over pelvis
• Light posterior pelvic tilt (don’t arch)
• Slow control, pause at end range
• Breathe, exhale to own the position.

This isn’t about going stupid heavy.
It’s about owning range, not just training tissue.

If you’re missing hip IR, this machine might be exactly what you’ve been skipping.

My pleasure 💁🏻

27/12/2025

🎄Christmas Doesn’t Change Your Body Overnight, It Simply Reveals What Winter Has Been Doing Quietly For Months Already. ❄️

The days after Christmas often feel, well errrrrrhh heavier than the days before it 😅🍪

The celebrations are over. The routine has not returned. There is still food in the fridge 🥧, movement feels unstructured 🚶‍♂️, and the body carries a quiet reminder of a few days of excess 🍫.

For many, discomfort appears not because of what was eaten or drunk, but because normal rhythm has not reestablished itself yet ⏳.

It is also the moment when thoughts about getting back on track 🔄 or doing better in January ✨ begin to creep in.

Not everyone worries about habits over Christmas, and that is completely fine 👍. For many, the season is about rest 🛋️, connection 🤗, and enjoyment without tracking or adjusting.

But for others, this period brings a quiet unease 😬.Routines feel looser. Progress feels fragile 💔.

This is not about fear or control 🚫. It is about understanding what has already been happening and why Christmas simply makes it visible 🔦.

📊 The number most people never notice

Research shows adults consume an average of 86 extra calories per day during autumn and winter compared to spring 🍂❄️.

⚡️ Eighty six calories ⚡

It does not feel like indulgence. It does not register as overeating. On a single day it seems insignificant.

And that is why it matters 🧠.

This increase does not happen during Christmas week 🎅. It happens quietly every day for months 🗓️.

By the time Christmas arrives, the pattern is already in motion 🔄.

Christmas gets the blame, but the conditions start earlier Christmas is often blamed for winter weight gain ❌.

But by late December, most of the contributing factors are already in place:

• Daily movement gradually decreases 🏃‍♀️
• Incidental activity quietly disappears 🪑
• Time spent sitting increases ⏱️
• Food becomes more frequent, social, and accessible 🍕🍷

None of this feels like a problem in the moment. There is no single point where habits are lost.

Instead, structure softens slowly, paired with a small but consistent energy surplus ⚖️.

That is where the 86 calories live 🔑.

Christmas does not cause the change 🎄❌, it reveals it 👀. It does not suddenly undo progress 💪, it magnifies what has been quietly accumulating.

Routines are already looser 🌀
Movement is already less automatic 🏋️‍♂️
Meals are already less structured 🍽️

Christmas simply makes this visible 👓. That is why January can feel confronting 😬 even if Christmas itself did not feel excessive.

⏳ It is not indulgence, it is duration

86 calories does not matter in a day 🗓️.
It matters across twelve or more weeks 📈.

Seasonal weight gain rarely comes from one week of celebration 🎉. It comes from small reasonable shifts sustained long enough to leave a trace 🧩.

No loss of discipline ✅
No failure of willpower 🚫
Just time plus subtle change ⏱️

Christmas is a pause, not a problem 🌟

But it sits inside a longer season where structure naturally fades ❄️

Movement becomes optional 🏃‍♂️
Eating becomes opportunistic 🍩
Check-ins become less frequent 📉

Each change is minor. Together over time they explain the pattern observed year after year 🔄

💡 Awareness is the real opportunity

Christmas is not something to control or get through ❌

It is simply the moment many people notice 👀 what winter has been doing quietly 🌨️

And noticing does not require restriction 🚫
It just opens the door to keeping a few small anchors in place ⚓

Part two will explore how to stay connected to habits through the rest of winter without guilt 😌, rigidity ❌, or disruption 🧩 so you can start the new year feeling steady instead of feeling like you are starting all over… again.

25/12/2025

2025 Wrapped 🎅🏽🎁✨

24/12/2025

Merry Christmas and a moment to reflect

It’s been a truly incredible year. ✨

Before the holiday mayhem begins, I want to take a moment to thank you all and wish you a very Merry Christmas.

Helping my clients and witnessing the progress and positive changes in so many lives has made this year one of the most rewarding to date.

I’m often asked if I miss my life in professional sport. Hand on heart, I can honestly say that coaching and helping people improve their lives (even in small way), is far more fulfilling than anything I’ve done before.

Being part of your journeys is something I never take for granted. To my friends and clients, thank you for your trust, effort, and support throughout the year.

I wish you and your loved ones a happy, healthy, and well earned Christmas. Enjoy the downtime, the food, and the celebrations.

Here’s to an even stronger year ahead!

Merry Christmas 🎄💪

23/12/2025

Festive Frolics with my Bootcamp Crew 🎅🏽🎁

Come Join Us in 2026 ✨

21/12/2025

Member of the Month: Lucy ✨

Lucy needs no introduction. She’s been a valued member of our community for over four years and is someone everyone recognises and genuinely enjoys training alongside.

While it would be easy to focus on her remarkable fitness journey, maintaining strength and shape through three pregnancies, what truly sets Lucy apart is her consistency and commitment.

Rarely missing a training session over the past four years, Lucy demonstrates a level of dedication that continually inspires those around her.

Beyond her own achievements, she brings warmth and fun o every group session. Lucy takes the time to encourage others, offer support, and help less experienced members feel confident, comfortable, and included.

When asked what training means to her, Lucy shared:

“I love training at the gym because it’s my time to feel strong and recharged, helping me show up as the best version of myself for my three girls.”

This perfectly captures what sustainable fitness is really about. Lucy doesn’t train solely for aesthetics, she trains for energy, resilience, and confidence.

By prioritising her own strength and wellbeing, she’s investing not only in herself, but in her family too. It’s a reminder that taking time to train isn’t selfish; it’s essential!

When we feel strong and recharged, we’re better equipped to support those who depend on us and to lead by example every day.

Lucy, Thank you for showing that fitness is about both personal achievement and supporting others to reach their best.

20/12/2025

“Ben, what are the best supplements to take?”

It’s a question I get asked a lot and the answer usually disappoints people.

➡️ Supplements only amplify what’s already there ⬅️

They don’t repair poor sleep hygiene, missed meals, or turning up to training dehydrated and under fuelled. No pill, powder, or potion is going to outwork bad habits.

The appeal of supplements is obvious: they’re easy, they feel productive, and they promise a shortcut. But the reality is far less exciting. Simply mastering the basics consistent sleep, regular meals, adequate hydration, and sensible recovery, will deliver far more benefit than any supplement ever could.

This isn’t to say supplements are useless. When the foundations are solid, they can play a small supporting role. But they are exactly that: support, not the solution.

So when someone asks me about the best supplements, my real answer is this , dial in your habits first. Do that well, and you might not need supplements at all. Do it poorly, and no amount of them will save you.

The fundamentals aren’t glamorous, but they work. And unlike supplements, they’re non negotiable.

19/12/2025

Oestrogen, Muscle, and Longevity: Why Strength Training Matters More Than Ever for Women - Part 2

Why Jogging and High Intensity Endurance Training Can Backfire for Women in Midlife

One of the most common pieces of advice given to midlife women is also one of the most problematic:

“Just do more cardio.”

Jogging, body pump style workouts, and hybrid endurance events like Hyrox are often promoted as the solution for health and fitness.

But for many women experiencing declining oestrogen, these approaches can increase stress rather than improve health.

Oestrogen Decline Changes How the Body Handles Stress

As oestrogen levels fall, the body becomes more sensitive to physical and psychological stress. Recovery slows, connective tissue becomes less resilient, and the nervous system is less tolerant of repeated high intensity demands.

High volume cardio and endurance-based training:

*Elevate cortisol for prolonged periods
*Increase inflammatory load
*Contribute to muscle breakdown
*Impaired ability to recover.

This often leads to exhaustion, joint pain, stubborn fat gain, and recurring injuries, yet women are frequently encouraged to push harder instead?!

Inflammation and Muscle Loss

Chronic inflammation is not benign. Over time it:

• Accelerates muscle loss
• Impairs bone remodelling
• Disrupts sleep
• Increases injury risk

When muscle is lost, bone density follows. This creates a cycle of decline that no amount of cardio can fix.

Why Strength Training Is the Better Priority

Strength training provides the stimulus the midlife female body actually needs:

*Muscle preservation and growth
*Bone strengthening mechanical load
*Improved metabolic health
*Reduced injury risk

Unlike endurance, heavy training, properly structured strength work is adaptable, recoverable, and sustainable.

The Importance of Periodised Muscle Building

Random workouts and constant high intensity are not signs of progress.

Periodised training, where intensity, volume, and recovery are planned, allows the body to adapt without excessive inflammation. This approach supports long term consistency and respects the changing hormonal environment.

Final Thoughts

More is not better.
Harder is not always smarter.

For women in midlife and beyond, getting stronger, intentionally and progressively IS one of the most protective choices they can make.

Muscle is not just about fitness.
It is about longevity, resilience & independence.

If this resonates, it’s time to rethink how you train. Stop chasing exhaustion and start training for strength, recovery, and longevity.

Your body is not failing you, it’s asking for a different stimulus. Reach out and let me help in the New Year.

17/12/2025

Oestrogen, Muscle, and Longevity: Why Strength Training Matters More Than Ever for Women

For many women, midlife brings changes that feel sudden and unsettling: declining strength, slower recovery, joint discomfort, and increasing concern about bone health.

At the centre of these changes is oestrogen, a hormone that influences far more than reproduction alone. Understanding its role, and how muscle supports the body as oestrogen declines, is essential for long term health, independence, and longevity.

The Role of Oestrogen in Female Health

Oestrogen plays a critical role in:

• Bone density and bone remodelling
• Muscle repair and recovery
• Joint and connective tissue health
• Metabolic and insulin regulation
• Brain and cardiovascular health

As women move through perimenopause and menopause, oestrogen levels decline. This shift alters how the body responds to stress, exercise, and recovery. Without the right lifestyle strategies, physical decline can accelerate.

Oestrogen Decline and Bone Density

One of the most significant effects of reduced oestrogen is bone loss.

Oestrogen helps regulate the balance between bone breakdown and formation. When levels fall:

• Bone resorption increases
• Bone formation slows
• Fracture risk rises over time

But bones do not strengthen on their own.

Bone responds to load and load comes from muscle.

Muscle: The Foundation of Bone and Independence

Muscle is not simply for aesthetics, it is a metabolic and structural organ.

When muscle contracts against resistance, it sends a signal to bone tissue to maintain or increase density. Without this stimulus:

• Bones weaken
• Balance and stability decline
• Fall risk increases
• Recovery from injury slows

This is why walking and general activity, while beneficial, are not enough to protect skeletal health as we age.

Muscle as a Longevity Organ

Higher levels of muscle mass and strength are consistently associated with:

• Reduced all cause mortality
• Improved metabolic health
• Lower cardiovascular risk
• Greater independence later in life

After menopause, muscle loss accelerates unless it is deliberately addressed. This loss is not inevitable, but it does require intention.

Strength Training as a Health Strategy

As oestrogen declines, the body becomes less efficient at maintaining muscle and managing stress. Progressive resistance training helps replace many of the protective effects oestrogen once provided.

Done correctly, strength training:

• Preserves and builds muscle
• Supports bone density
• Improves joint stability
• Enhances resilience and recovery

This is not about extreme workouts. It is about consistent, intelligent loading over time.

Final Thoughts 💭

Ageing is inevitable. Decline is not.👊

Building muscle is one of the most powerful tools women have to protect their bones, metabolism, and independence as hormones change.

Strength is not optional; it is foundational!

If you found this article helpful and want to learn more in Part 2, tap the like button and join the conversation! ✌🏼

Ben Phillips at TA1 Performance Coaching

28/12/2025

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