Okay, let's talk about fitness influencers for a second and a couple of key takeaways that are important when you are seeing things online.
I saw a great post from a self proclaimed "former influencer" about the things she regretted from her days of posting about fitness online.
Her top two things were:
1. Posting ab workouts
2. Posting what she ate in a day
Here's why she regretted them.
She said she would post ab workouts because they would get by far the most views. And more views=more influence=more money.
She would show up at 4am to the gym so it was empty to film these.
She now feels bad because what she didn't disclose in her videos is that ab workouts won't give you visible abs.
Having a very low body fat percentage is what will give you visible abs and she had a very low body fat percentage.
Some of your best exercise for core strength and being able to see your abs once your body fat is low enough are actually exercises like squats, deadlifts, farmers carry, one arm rows and other single arm or single leg exercises. It takes a lot of core strength to be able to stabilize yourself during loaded exercises.
Takeaway.
Please don't do crunches thinking this is going to get you to see your abs. Abs are about fat loss and fat loss is going to happen through nutrition first along with exercise and other healthy habits.
Now, why is it bad that she posted what she ate in a day?
Well, she also wasn't disclosing something here too. While she posted a great day of eating, she did not post that she was doing several hours of cardio per day to maintain her low body fat percentage.
So she was burning a shit load of calories that would be far more than us average people would have time for or should even think about doing.
So while it was a good nutrition plan, if I ate the same things I wouldn't be as lean because I wouldn't be burning as many calories.
There is a lot more to influencers and how unethical their practices can be but I will leave it here because I think these two things are really important for you to understand when you see things online and aspire to look like someone else.
You are never seeing the full picture or the truth.
And you are pretty awesome just the way you are. You probably have some amazing fitness goals that you are working on.
Comparison is normal, but it's important to remember that there is only one you and there only ever will be. So you've got to just focus on your own journey that is making you feel awesome.
And most people need a lot of support in their journey. You don't have to do it alone. Ask for help from others when you need it. That's a good thing :)
Accountability Is Key
A friend emailed me 3 months ago and told me she was in a rut and going downhill quickly.
She was lacking motivation and needed some accountability.
So I did what any coach and friend would do and we got together for a quick chat and inbody assessment.
Honestly, there wasn't much to it. No special instructions, no tough Matt and no nutrition tips.
Just a check in every month to make sure things were good.
3 months later and she did another inbody.
Down 30 pounds and 9.7% body fat.
I have to admit I was a little shocked.
"Is that all it took" I asked?
"Yes", she replied. "I just needed to know you were watching".
This may seem simple, but it's a huge key to success.
Us humans are pretty good at dealing with the disappointment of letting ourselves down.
But when you gain some accountability from someone whose opinion you care about then it can help you take action, get the results and keep going.
After all, action leads to motivation and not the other way around.
So if you are struggling with your goals and you haven't shared what your goals are with anyone else yet, I suggest putting it out there to someone or many people.
It may be just the accountability you need.
And like many tips like this one, you can apply this to any of your life goals and not just fitness.
If you need help, don’t be shy asking. Your accountability partner is likely ready at this very moment.
Have a great day.
Matt
You Won't Know If You Can Unless You Try
Hey Ya'll
At the end of every 6 week program we do, everyone fills out a final survey.
Just like the surveys we send to our clients, it's a way to gain valuable feedback for our services.
But in this survey, I also ask what they learned about themselves in the last 6 weeks.
Because I also believe that reflection is an important part of the journey.
Here is one of my favourite replies so far....
That I can be consistent, and that I can find time for myself which makes me a happier and more energetic person.
A few things stick out to me here and make me feel very proud for this person.
The first thing is that you don't know if you can be consistent or not until you try.
Often, we don't start because we think we don't have time or we face certain obstacles.
Sometimes those are real obstacles but sometimes they are obstacles that can be overcome by just starting and figuring it out (maybe with some expert help).
When you do that, it can be easier to make time for yourself because you start seeing the benefits and how it carries over to every day life.
The last part is my favourite and it's something I see and hear every day at the gym.
Have you ever seen a meme or overheard someone say something like "I need to get my workout in before work or I will be a monster".
This may be a little extreme but it's true.
A benefit of regular exercise truly is that you are a happier and more energetic person.
This allows you to show up better in all areas of life from home life to family life.
Sure you may have fat loss or muscle gain goals.
Or you may have a variety of other physical goals.
You may not expect these other feelings to come, but they will with effort and consistency.
So I hope that gives you come motivation to do something for your health today.
And if you don't know where to start, try going for a walk or sending me a reply and asking for advice.
You have it in you.
Matt
Who To Trust For Advice
Hey Ya’ll
Have you ever taken advice from someone and either immediately regretted it, or regretted it later?
Maybe it was a friend, family member or coworker. Or maybe it was a friend of a friend who made a post online about the latest revolutionary fitness or “diet” program.
Here’s the thing about taking advice from others. There is a hierarchy that should be followed whenever possible. The problem is that we often make decisions with emotion instead of logic and we end up regretting it.
So it’s important to be a good consumer, do our research and take advice from the right people.
After all, you would go to the doctor when you are sick. You go to the dentist when your teeth hurt and you go to a mechanic when your car is broken.
So why are you taking health, nutrition and fitness advice or judgement from non experts?
From best to worst, here is the order of people you want to accept advice from.
Someone who has done it themselves and helped many others reach the goals you are after. An amazing example here is our coach at Evolve Amy Muench. She was once an Evolve client who lost 40 pounds. She then became one of the strongest women in Canada. She is now a coach helping clients lose fat and also become much stronger. So she’s achieved many goals herself and has coached others to reach their goals.
Someone who has helped many others reach the goals you are after.
Someone who has reached a similar goal to you. I place this one below #2 because usually if someone has reached a goal but isn’t coaching others than they may only know one way to reach this goal. This is great, but someone who has coached many others will have the experience of dealing with different obstacles and helping people achieve success that are coming from different circumstances.
Now this is pretty much the end of my list. If I have a goal in mind, I am trying to contact and get help from number 1 if possible. And if not possible then I will work my way down the list.
You’ll notice friends, family and coworkers are not on this list.
Your health is the most important thing you have. Without it, all of the other success in the world won’t matter.
So we have to stop taking advice from people who, quite frankly, have no idea what they are talking about.
That sounded a bit harsh but I have been at this for a very long time and it breaks my heart every time I see a client or a friend who is so hopeful about bad advice they got from someone who shouldn’t be giving that kind of advice.
For some extra help, here is some honest help.
Sometimes finding this advice can be expensive. If it’s too expensive, all is not lost.
In the age of social media, you have a lot of free options. If you have a question about your health and fitness goals, I would copy and paste it and email/message as many trusted experts as you can. Not all will answer, but at least one will give you a great response.
Or you can use Youtube for all that it’s worth. This is a little tougher since there are a lot of fads/scams on there but at least your sister in law selling the latest diet pills isn’t. You can find lots of fitness experts and nutrition experts who have years of experience, PhDs and thousands of testimonials on there. This is a great free source of information.
For Youtube, I like to follow only a couple of people so the messaging is consistent and easier to follow.
I truly hope this helps and you can email me for help any time at mathewevolve@gmail.com.
Chat soon.
Matt
Don't Give Up On Your Fitness This Summer
Hey Ya'll
I want to chat about keeping your goals on track over the summer.
I've been in business for almost 15 years and this is one of the biggest struggles our clients face.
We've all gone into summer with the best of intentions only to let our actions slide and end up feeling like we are starting over in September. We go hard in the spring on our goals and then summer hits and brings us back to where we were before.
Ask any gym owner when the busiest time is and they will tell you it's September and not January.
Now they key is that I want you to enjoy the summer to the absolute fullest in whatever way that means to you.
Sometimes you just need to realize that your summer routine can align with your goals, it's just going to be different than your winter routine.
Maybe you aren't getting to the gym as often, but you are outside in nature getting in away more steps than before.
Maybe you go from 4-5 gym workouts a week to 2-3 and some outdoor/at home workouts.
Maybe your weekend calories are much higher but you manage that but reducing calories through the week (always keeping in mind to increase protein/fruit/veggies when reducing calories).
But what it can't be is a fuck it attitude that "it's not worth it" to do less and you may as well enjoy the summer and get back to it in the fall.
Well it can be that attitude if the plan is to never truly reach your fitness related goals.
I know many people who actually get in better shape in the summer.
They reduce their Evolve time from 3-5x a week to 2-4x a week and their schedule of workouts is a little different but they are spending way more time swimming, doing long walks, hiking, bike riding, gardening and (insert any good weather outdoor activity).
I mean I don't know too many people who spend more time indoors and not moving as much in the summer.
Sure, there may be more patios and BBQs but that doesn't mean our goals have to suffer.
You just have to learn how to manage things over time and ditch the all or nothing mentality that has killed many of our goals over the years.
Plan and prep like you always do. Just know it's going to look a little different. And let your dream goals live on through the summer.
If you have any specific questions about your summer please let me know.
Have a great day.
Matt
Why you shouldn't quit your fitness goals in the summer
Hey Ya'll
I don't want to act prematurely here with warmer days ahead but I want to chat about keeping your goals on track over the summer.
I've been in business for almost 15 years and this is one of the biggest struggles our clients face.
We've all gone into summer with the best of intentions only to let our actions slide and end up feeling like we are starting over in September.
Ask any gym owner when the busiest time is and they will tell you it's September and not January.
Now they key is that I want you to enjoy the summer to the absolute fullest in whatever way that means to you. For me it’s a little more patios and beer but also a lot more time spent outside (I hate the cold).
Sometimes you just need to realize that your summer routine can align with your goals, it's just going to be different than your winter routine.
Maybe you aren't getting to the gym as often, but you are outside in nature getting in away more steps than before. You could be biking instead of doing spin classes or you could be doing outdoor workouts instead of boot camps some days.
Maybe you go from 4-5 at the gym workouts a week to 2-3 and some outdoor/at home workouts.
Maybe your weekend calories are much higher but you manage that but reducing calories through the week (always keeping in mind to increase protein/fruit/veggies when reducing calories).
But what it can't be is a fuck it attitude that "it's not worth it" to do less and you may as well enjoy the summer and get back to it in the fall.
Well it can be that attitude if the plan is to never truly reach your fitness related goals. Imagine not putting in the work 20% of the time and expecting progress?
I know many people who actually get in better shape in the summer.
They reduce their Evolve time from 3-5x a week to 2-4x a week and their schedule of workouts is a little different but they are spending way more time swimming, doing long walks, hiking, bike riding, gardening and (insert any good weather outdoor activity).
I mean I don't know too many people who spend more time indoors and not moving as much in the summer.
Sure, there may be more patios and BBQs but that doesn't mean our goals have to suffer.
You just have to learn how to manage things over time and ditch the all or nothing mentality that has killed many of our goals over the years.
Plan and prep like you always do. Just know it's going to look a little different. And let your dream goals live on through the summer.
If you have any specific questions about your summer please let me know. You can email me at mathewevolve@gmail.com anytime.
Have a great day.
Matt
A Big Ass Salad Revelation After 10 Years
I know it seems like trainers have it all together all the time, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. We are human just like you and mini eggs taste the same to us.
My personal nutrition journey is over 10 years in the making and it’s now all about the big ass salads. From here on out I will refer to them as BAS.
Here is a rough timeline of my nutrition habits and my overall progress to my health and fitness related goals.
-Ages 19-23 I had no idea what I was doing. I would buy a bunch of chicken and veggies and end up throwing a lot of it out after it went bad in the fridge. No meals planned meant I didn’t shop directly for what I needed and without that structure I just took the easy way out. I spent a lot of time working out, but also a lot of time at the Alehouse and Athens brunch (miss you chocolate chip pancakes). Fitness success at the time was pure vanity and I wasn’t seeing much progress there.
-At age 23 I went on my first flight ever. To Cancun of all places for spring break. I told myself I would use the coming months to get “shredded” but here I was 7 days out asking an old professor how to lose as much fat in 7 days as possible. Those 7 days were absolutely miserable with the plan he gave me and while I lose something like 8 pounds in 7 days, it was all back on 3 days into the vacation. Notably, he told me I would be iritable from the lack of calories. I didn’t believe him but he was right. I was hangry.
-Ages 24-30 I tried it all with lots of ups and downs. Keto, cheat your way thin, calorie counting, carb cycling, intermittent fasting, you name it. Each one pretty much went the same way. Initial success followed by falling off the wagon because the behaviors weren’t sustainable. I also was struggling a lot with binge eating. I would deprive myself all week to get to that glorious cheat day where I would pray no clients would see me at the grocery story. These programs/diets/fads got me nowhere fast and I was definitely suffering a little bit from binge eating. I would say my goals at this stage were mostly still vanity related and the diets were all leading into travels or summer time. Abs came and then left a lot quicker. During this time I heard lots of things from “friends” who said I didn’t look good enough to be a personal trainer and lots of comments like that from people I now realize only criticize others because they have given up on themselves (a blog for another day).
-Around the time I turned 30 I got certified with Precision Nutrition and everything changed. If you know PN, you know their approach is a habit based approach and they teach about coaching along with all of the information about food and nutrition. There are no good foods or bad foods with PN, just an approach for moderation on the less wholesome foods and a focus on more nutrient dense whole foods. So I put it into practice. My goal was to not count calories but to aim to eat 2 meals a day that had a lot of protein, fruits and/or veggies. Then I would fill in the rest with my favorite foods and the carbs/fats along within those meals.
-Age 30-38 (present day) have been the healthiest and best I have ever felt. Age probably plays a part in things too but I am no longer worried about taking my shirt off at the beach if I can’t see my abs and care less and less about what other people think. I never have any guilt around food and I am in it for the long term, not the short term results I used to desire. Sometimes I can see my abs and sometimes I can’t but my peaks and valleys are more like little hills these days. I am never too far off track and I find it very easy to get back on track when it goes a little sideways. I want to feel confident, I want to have energy, I want to sleep well, I want to be in a great moods, I want to be productive at work and I want to set a good example for others. If I miss a day or two of lots of protein, fruits and veggies I just get right back to it the next days.
Now I don’t always love talking about myself and my journey but this is something that I have also learned in my 30s. It’s important to be honest and transparent with others, and you never know who you may inspire on their journey by sharing yours. I also think it’s important to share my nutrition story because I see people get frustrated that they don’t “get it” 21 days in to a program because the world tells them that’s how long it takes to form a habit. It took this personal training 10+ years and a lot of trial and error so I don’t think there is any shame in taking time to learn a new skill or habit.
So what about the title? Big Ass Salad.
I will make a post about that another time but basically it’s not a salad. It’s any meal with a lot of protein, fruits and/or veggies. It’ll keep you full for a long time with a moderate amount of calories and lots of great nutrients to support your goals.
Evolve actually just started our own meal delivery partnership that brings Big Ass Salads (that are delicious) right to your door. You can see all the details and ordering here.
I’d love for you to reach out anytime if you need help. You do not have to be a member. You can comment here or send me a note to mathewevolve@gmail.com.
Have a great day.
Matt
The Basics Of Health & Fitness (And Life)
Hey Ya'll
If I only had one message that I could spread. Or if I had only one thing I could put in a fortune cookie for everyone to read. Or if I could someone how send you subliminal messages to train your subconscious while you sleep it would be this.
The basics work every single time.
Provided you are willing to be ruthlessly consistent over very long periods of time.
If I was feeling spicy and ever went into an angry rant I would tell people to "stop f-ing quitting because you think it's not working 2 weeks into your new plan"
But I am not feeling too spicy and I know it's hard to overcome that burning desire to get rapid results. And heck, it's all you see shoved in your face on social media and on magazine covers.
What you see in those places are the 0.01 percent of people who are blessed enough to hit on all cylinders, the genetically gifted and then you see the photoshop and lies people tell to get you to buy their stuff.
For the other 99.99 percent of us that aren't going to be featured on the cover of Women's World magazine (what I used to read as a kid because my mom bought it) it's all about the long journey and the basics.
It’s simple, but it ain’t easy.
Imagine if for the next 365 days in a row you:
-ate 5 servings of fruits and veggies
-did 45+ minutes of some sort of physical activity
-drank 2L of water
-ate 100g of protein
-ditched the screens 30 minutes before bed and closed your eyes in time to get 7+ hours of sleep (sorry parents)
-practiced gratitude or some sort of stress relief
It's hard to imagine because you've probably never done it.
The thing is you don't need to do 365 in a row. Shit will hit the fan.
But if you do this 90% of the time that means you have 36.5 days of leeway.
That's a lot of days for those of us with long term goals and who are willing to stick with the basics.
Remember that professionals at really anything are not out there learning tricks every day. They are doing the basics over and over and over.
And over again.
Tiger Woods doesn’t practice trick shots for 5 hours a day. He hits the same shots out of the bunker 1000 times, then moves on to 1000 putts. Day in and day out.
It works the same for our fitness goals. You don't need a fad diet or workout program.
You need to strength training, do some cardio you enjoy and stick to basic nutrition principles.
Over and over again.
Take some time and think about 3-5 things you could do every single day for a year that you are confident you can easily do.
Do you think if you did those things you would be feeling amazing?
Then let's do it.
Have a great day
Matt
PS. This applies to your career goals, your relationship goals and any other goals in your life. Think about it.
Evolve Black Dress Party 2017
Introduction to Evolve Fitness & Matt Benvie
Hey Ya’ll
This is 15 years in the making but I am finally starting a blog. In the blog I will be sharing the biggest lessons I have learned over the last 15 years that relate to living a happier and healthier life.
Some if it will be directly related to the things we think about for our fitness goals like working out and nutrition but a lot of it will be lessons that have become a lot more relevant than I ever thought as a small town guy who just thought all you needed to do is “work hard”.
Feel free to comment, ask questions and take as much as you want or need from the content. It’s here to be helpful and to spark more conversations and action toward being the happiest and healthiest versions of ourselves.
Now I do have a very long intro that I send out via email, but I am going to keep this one a little more short and to the point.
My name is Matt :). I also have a twin brother Mitch who is a co-owner of Evolve along with an older brother who has 4 kids including identical twin boys. So don’t marry either of us unless you want the chance of twins.
As of this writing, I am soon to be 37 so I grew up in the heart of the 90s in Hilden, Nova Scotia. For what we were interested in, it was the perfect place to grow up. We had flat streets for road hockey right out of our front door, we hand ponds that froze in the winter and were within walking or biking distance of the soccer and baseball fields. We loved sports and that’s all we wanted to do with some breaks to watch CMT and record all the country music videos on VCR (I wish I still had those).
Note: I am the biggest country music fan you are ever going to meet. 90s is my first love followed by Texas country and a mix of old and new.
Now let’s back it up a bit…..
For as long as I can remember, I knew for sure that I wanted to be a gym teacher and I wanted to coach sports. I wanted to be like my parents and I wanted to be like all of the amazing teachers and coaches I had over the years. They did so much for us and while I didn’t know it then, I know now that the only way to repay someone who gives so much is to just pay it forward to the next generation.
So off I went to take Human Kinetics at St. FX where I learned pretty fast that I would rather be playing basketball during the day than going to class. To make a very long story short, I spent 5 years in a 4 year degree, I met all of my best friends, I coached and volunteered more than I ever thought possible, I created a basketball league that is still going (the XBL) and I made some amazing connections that helped my start my career in the fitness industry. A big student loan and probably some of the worst grades you’ll ever see, but it was so worth it for the experience I gained in other ways.
The good news was that personal training was two difference academic courses at X so I took them both and realized that I could teach and coach in a different way. My 2nd to last summer in 2008 while working Sunday night to Friday morning night shifts at Home Hardware in Debert I spent every weekend in Halifax training some teen athletes I had met on Kijiji. Their family ended up becoming great friends and in 2009 they helped me get Evolve Fitness going.
But here is the thing. Evolve Fitness was a 1-1 personal training studio in downtown Halifax that I happened to walk by in the summer that year. I walked in looking for a job and with 0 dollars to my name and no business degree I was able to take over the business for the owner who was moving with his family to Australia. Special thanks to the LeGay family for helping me make that happen, I truly owe you forever.
Now if you want to hear my whole story, I don’t mind telling you. It’s a typical ups and downs story with many many lessons learned along the way. My first year in business I had revenue of $35,000 and my rent alone was $3000/month. You can imagine how it felt to have every rent check bounce for both where you lived and for your business with nowhere to turn for help. Some of you reading this are still clients from 15 years ago and didn’t know how much I was cringing inside when you forgot your check for your next set of sessions and I said it was okay when it really wasn’t.
Now here we are today almost 15 years later and while a lot has changed, everything is still the same. I still love coaching and teaching, it just happens in a different way than it did back then.
Here is a little timeline of the journey:
-September 1 2009 take over Evolve Fitness
-January 2012 Mitch moves home from Korea and starts working with me (funny side note that Victoria had been working part time with me before Mitch moved home)
-May 2013 we move and expand into a garage on Creighton Street and now start offering boot camps. Frank (from Bedford Evolve) becomes a client/friend and eventually starts teaching for us part time
-September 2014 Alan moves home from Newfoundland and starts working with us
-February 2018 Evolve Fitness Forever begins
-July 2018 we take a HUGE risk and move from 2400 square feet to 21,000 on Strawberry Hill. Mitch becomes a partner in the business as well.
-October 2018 we first say no, but then yes to opening a gym in Bedford in an amenity building with the commercial campus off Innovation Drive
-March 2020 we all know what happened. Maybe one day I will open up about this but I am not there yet. Unless you were in it as a small business owner or you know people who own small businesses you may never know the true impacts this had on our business and so many others.
-July 2022 we buy The Barn in Elmsdale and turn it into Evolve Elmsdale
-December 2022 we buy Revolution Fitness in Dartmouth and turn it into Evolve Dartmouth
-October 2023 we open Evolve Integrated Health in Halifax
-Writing this today we have a lot more in the works and have no plans to slow down.
I think it’s relevant to say that I started this journey with no real vision and I wasn’t really clear on my values. I just knew that I wanted to help people but I didn’t really know what that meant back then. It is now as clear as it gets. I want to help as many people as possible be the happiest and healthiest versions of themselves and I want to change the way Nova Scotians age and get healthy. Along the way we also want to ensure we are pillars in the community and that we give back and serve others to the best of our ability.
Now this is a blog about me but it’s really a blog about Mitch, our team, our clients and everyone reading this. When I was a 1-1 trainer I had a very clear max number of people I could help. Then Mitch came along and together we were able to double that. Now here we are many years later with the absolute BEST team and the best community around us who lift us up and inspire us to keep doing more. Without a great team you will always get stuck. And you need a team who shares you values and wants to help people just as much as you do.
And then the magic really is all of you. I hate sounding cliche but it’s simple math. When a new person walks into Evolve, they will see a handful of trainers (or less) and they will see a lot of clients. Their experience is going to be shaped more by their experience with you than it is with us. And you all have done such an amazing job making Evolve a safe, non intimidating and fun place to get healthy. I wake up feeling grateful for that every single day. So thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Now within that timeline I didn’t talk about the hard times, the times I was in over my head and the times that I felt so lost I didn’t know what to do. It’s too much to type for today. But these blog posts will talk about it in a different way because I will talk a lot about lessons learned in hopes that I can help others overcome the same obstacles I faced but much faster and easier.
I will say this right now though. Please ask for help. My only regrets from asking others for help is that I didn’t do it sooner because every time it was like the weight of the world off my shoulders. And I have gotten more help than you could ever imagine that helped me overcome some really big obstacles.
I used to not feel proud. I always thought I should be doing better or I could be doing more. I thought my obstacles and struggles shouldn’t have happened. Now I realize that this is all part of the journey and my personal story. I am proud. I have come a long way and I am going to continue to keep getting better. I know what my values are and the things that are most important to me and while I am not perfect, those values are at the forefront every day.
As it says on the walls in our Halifax location, “the best is yet to come”.
Thank you for making it this far. If you are a new friend, please say hi and reach out any time and if you are a current friend, thank you for being you. You are the best.
See you soon.
Matt
2009 Matt Benvie
2009 Matt & Mitch (visit from Korea)
Matt & Mitch