James Yates : @Yatesy17 : A Scrapbook of Conditioning Workouts
October 05, 2018
A Scrapbook of Conditioning Workouts
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by James Yates - @Yatesy17
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Full interview below
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To purchase please head to... http://tinyurl.com/WorkoutScrapbook
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What exactly is ‘A Scrapbook of Conditioning Workouts’?
A scrapbook of conditioning workouts is exactly that, a scrapbook of workouts I wrote down and use myself. The workouts are all aimed and getting the body moving more, getting the heart pumping and a good sweat on.
Tell us a little about it and how we would use it?
It’s a move away from the traditional heavy lifting style of training and programmes that people have to stick rigidly to. It is a tool for people to be able to refer to when they want a workout, need a little inspiration, or have a spare 20 minutes that they want to utilise. The book is designed to work for you, and not you for the program.
All the workouts in there are templates. They are designed around short, intense bursts of exercise. But they are just that, a guideline. This means anyone can use it, as the workouts are all adaptable to ability and fitness levels.
How would I modify it to work for me?
I have then included at the bottom of each workout a way you can regress or progress the workout to make it match your level. For example, say 15 press ups is beyond your ability, you can pull that back to 10. Or, if press ups are too hard, it’s very easy to substitute in an exercise in its place, be it kneeling press ups or a different exercise like squats. The aim is to get the heart rate up and people moving more, literally anything can be substituted in, as long as you keep moving.
Where did the idea for the book come from?
I post a lot of my workouts on social media on my stories and feed. I noticed my following was growing and I was frequently getting more and more DM’s and emails about my style of training. It was hard to get back to everyone and answer all the questions they had but it was amazing knowing I was inspiring so many people to workout and challenge themselves. So, I decided to make a book that was accessible to everyone.
Why have you decided to do this now?
I have always been reluctant to give fitness advice as I’m not qualified, although I am now studying for my personal training qualification. However, because of who I have surrounded myself with, I feel my knowledge is of a level that I know what works for me. I decided a while back that I needed to lean down, and change the way I trained away from heavy lifting to more conditioning style workouts. The way I train is quite unique and I now feel the happiest I’ve ever been with both my fitness levels and how I look. I wanted to share my methods with others.
What are your personal philosophies towards health and fitness?
I love the feeling of pushing myself, I feel it’s great for the mind to be able to push through that comfort level to a place where it is uncomfortable and then kick on, knowing you are bettering yourself.
I also believe the mental benefits of exercise are hugely undervalued. The links between mental health and physical health show its evident that a physically healthy body is of great benefit for cognitive ability and mental health in the long run.
I have found whenever I have struggled with anything mentally like stress, that exercise really does help clear that. That sense of achievement, of challenge, of refocus can turn your mindset around very quickly.
The body is about 5 times stronger than your mind, so if you can convince your mind to not quit and push on, you’ll be amazed at what your body is capable of.
Can you give an example of a time you pushed yourself or challenged yourself?
I decided one morning I would run a marathon. Not an official one, but just get up and run 26.2 miles. So I did exactly that. I got no medal for finishing, but the rest of that week I felt almost invincible. When the pain started kicking in after 20 miles, I smiled to myself and started laughing as I knew I had a big challenge on my hands for the next hour or so. And once I got my mind around that, my body just didn’t give up.
How is the Scrapbook going to encourage and help others?
I hope it shows people that there is a different way to training, from mundane “you must follow this program to get results” programs. I want people to see that in an intense 20 minute workout where you use your whole body and get your heart rate going, you can get through more work and see fast rates.
What does the future look like for your fitness brand?
Short term, I just want to see as many people loving the book as possible. I have created a Facebook community, where if you purchase the book you gain access to this, and I’ll be setting challenges and competitions on there. But also use this platform to allow others to connect, encourage and challenge each other with the workouts.
I also have a little side project with two friends, who share the same goals as me but have 2 very unique approaches to fitness as well which I think will be very exciting.
Due to your modelling background, do you think people could view your ideas and level as unattainable or unrealistic?
It’s a compliment that people use me as a yardstick for their aims. My goals and aims are relevant to myself, my requirements for work. And I want everyone else’s to be personal to them. I don’t want comparisons between people, but for people to focus on being the best version of them possible, of them bettering themselves. That should be our common goal.
I want everyone to be happy with their fitness levels, with how they are challenging themselves, with how they feel. The aim should be progress. And that’s where comparisons can be damaging. Focus on your progression, and remember slow progress is still progress.
How do you plan on getting your Scrapbook to stand out from the rest, with the fitness industry currently blowing up the way it is?
I hope this move away from a rigid program to a personal tool you can use as a reference makes it easier for people to follow, use when it is needed and works for them. It is a tool designed around your needs, and not an instruction as to follow this. I hope it provides inspiration for people to move more and feel better.