Winter Pride, LGBT Wins & How to Build Gym Discipline
Ep. 04

Winter Pride, LGBT Wins & How to Build Gym Discipline

Episode description

Join Alan and Derec in this episode of The Outlifting Lounge as they recap an unforgettable Winter Pride in Gran Canaria, share big wins for the LGBTQ+ community, and dive into practical strategies for building discipline in the gym.

From beach party costumes and the Vengaboys, to overcoming fitness barriers, this episode is packed with laughs, insights, and motivation. Perfect for anyone who loves Pride, fitness, and living authentically.

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Chapters:

00:00:00 - Intro & Episode Overview 00:00:28 - Winter Pride Week Recap 00:02:28 - Beach Party 00:04:25 - Drag Race Talk 00:06:45 - Storm Claudia & Vengaboys Pool Party 00:09:14 - Pride Parade: Love, Protest & Togetherness 00:14:14 - LGBTQ+ Wins: US Supreme Court Victory 00:15:31 - Jonathan Bailey 00:17:34 - Devil Wears Prada 2 00:19:32 - Fitness Section: Building Discipline & Motivation 00:22:01 - Practical Tips for Gym Success 00:27:50 - Free Gymtimidation eBook & Coaching Info 00:28:59 - Outro & How to Connect

Download transcript (.srt)
0:00

Hello and welcome to The Outlifting Lounge. This is the podcast about pride, fitness

0:04

and everything in between. I'm Alan. And I'm Derec. Thank you very much for

0:09

subscribing and if you haven't done so yet,  please hit that subscribe button to do it now.

0:14

So Alan, what are we going  to talk about today then?

0:16

Winter Pride in Gran Canaria. And what's been happening in the LGBT world.

0:21

And how to build motivation in the gym. Brilliant. Let's get started.

0:28

So Derec, how's your week been? It's been a bit of a mixed bag.

0:31

People can probably hear in my voice,  but I've been so congested all week.

0:36

I've had a head cold. It's been horrible. I've really struggled to sleep with it as well.

0:41

You know, when you can't, you just can't breathe  and then it keeps you awake and you're rolling

0:45

about and yeah, it's just been a bit miserable. But having said that, I have managed to still

0:51

hit the gym, still smashing it, still doing a  lot. I've probably been pushing it too hard,

0:55

which is delaying the recovery, but hey ho. Do you know what? We don't take our own advice.

1:01

See if we had a client like this, we'd be like,  why don't you take it easy for a few days?

1:04

But no, no, we're still doing what  our clients want to do, but it's fine.

1:09

It is what it is. It is what it is.

1:11

And what a week to be unwell during Winter Pride. I know. I'm actually raging about that.

1:17

Because we've maybe not done  as much as we would have done.

1:20

Yeah. We've maybe had some earlier nights

1:22

than we ordinarily would have had as well. And do you know what? I'm absolutely fine

1:26

with that because I'm getting too old for this  carry on. I am knackered. Absolutely knackered.

1:31

And we haven't even been out drinking. Like on Tuesday, we were obviously

1:35

at the beach party. We had like half of

1:37

a bottle of cava each and a vodka each. And that was it. That's all we've really

1:41

drank most of the week. So yeah.

1:44

Plus my dad's been here with my aunt as well. So we've been making sure that we're seeing them.

1:49

Plus we've been working as well. We've taken on a couple of clients,

1:52

which has been amazing. And the clients actually came from listening

1:56

to the podcast, which is brilliant. So it's been a bit full on.

2:00

It has. Yeah, it has. But it's been fun as well.

2:02

I mean, the beach party on Tuesday,  as always, was just the best fun.

2:06

Yeah, it was good. I know. I sound like I'm complaining.

2:09

I'm not complaining because  it's been a brilliant week.

2:11

I'm just old and tired. That's all it is.

2:16

I think I would prefer to say sensible. We're just a bit wiser and more sensible now.

2:21

And we pace ourselves a bit better. Vintage.

2:24

Vintage. Veterans.

2:28

But yeah, so we had the beach party on Tuesday. For anybody that didn't watch or listen to last

2:33

week's show, we talked about the beach party. We talked about costumes that we've worn.

2:36

It's a fancy dress beach party. And we did a little recap of some

2:42

of our costumes of yesteryear and gave  a preview of this year's, which was...

2:47

Mario and Luigi. No.

2:49

Sexy Mario and Luigi. I can't believe I forgot that.

2:52

I corrected you last week. Indeed, indeed.

2:54

So that was fun. And anybody that's

2:56

watching the video version of this, I'll put a  little reference photo up so people can see us

3:01

dressed up as the Italian plumbers. But we forgot our sparkly plungers.

3:05

I know. That's my fault. I forgot the sparkly plungers.

3:08

We were rushing about because Haggis our  dog wasn't well that morning as well.

3:11

So we had to go back and see my  dad to make sure he was okay.

3:14

So it was a little bit frantic,  but our costumes still looked good.

3:19

We saw other Mario and Luigis on the  beach, but maybe I'm a wee bit biased,

3:24

but I think ours were better. I think we might have pipped the

3:28

post on the Mario and Luigis. I prefered ours.

3:31

Although we had some dodgy tan lines  from the, because we had the braces.

3:36

Yes. Holding up the shorts and yeah,

3:39

I've still got the tan lines from the braces. I've still got tan lines from

3:42

quite a few years ago as well. Yes you do. In your nether regions.

3:46

From the denim jockstrap, from the year  that we dressed up as Woody from Toy Story.

3:50

Yes. It was quite cloudy that day and I  forgot to put some cream on my buttocks.

3:57

And I basically had a jockstrap tan line  for about two years and ever so slightly.

4:02

You can still see it. Just never goes away, like glitter.

4:06

Can confirm you can still see the tan lines. There's no photo for reference for that

4:10

unfortunately. Yeah. It's a real

4:13

shame that we forgot our plungers, but  the costume was good apart from that.

4:17

Although thankfully we weren't called  upon to fix any toilets that day, so...

4:22

I know. Thank goodness. That was a relief.

4:25

And after us talking about Bonnie Ann Clyde last  week, we actually met her on the beach with some

4:30

of the pals that you know from Belfast. Yeah. That was a bit random.

4:34

So we sat down to chat to a few guys that I  know from years ago in Belfast and it just

4:40

so happened that Bonnie Ann Clyde was with them. And so we got chatting to her for a little bit.

4:46

We dropped into conversation. Well, you dropped in the conversation

4:49

that we'd mentioned her in the podcast and  we were loving her work on Drag Race so far.

4:55

And yeah, she's always a lovely person. Always a delight to talk to.

4:59

Yeah, very down to earth, she's lovely. Yeah. Really, really nice.

5:02

And she asked us what the podcast was called. We told her it was called The Outlifting Lounge.

5:07

And she said, oh, I like a lounge. I like a chaise longue.

5:12

Do you know what? She's still talking about seats and furniture.

5:16

She is committed to the bit. I love it.

5:18

Aye. It was good. So quick.

5:20

I know. I know. I know. It was good talking to her actually.

5:22

Yeah, that was fun. That was very random.

5:26

So yeah, no, it was a good day all in all. We got chatting to a lot of people

5:30

on the beach that day. Made some new friends who

5:32

we will probably see next year and the  year after that and it just snowballs.

5:36

Yeah, it's brilliant walking around  and seeing everyone's costumes.

5:38

And the German guys, the big group that  we were talking about last week, they were

5:41

dressed as Care Bears this year, which was good. They're always very committed to the bit as well.

5:47

They are. It was a good day.

5:48

Can't believe it's done for another year. Yes.

5:50

We need to start planning next year's costumes. Although we had planned to go out that evening.

5:55

And after the beach, we were a bit tired. Once again, in our mid forties, we went for food

6:00

and then we came home and we were like, will we? Nah, let's just stay in.

6:06

The food was nice though. We went to a little Thai

6:08

restaurant, got some food and... Not dressed as Mario and Luigi

6:13

by the way, we got changed. We probably could have got away

6:16

with Mario and Luigi. It wasn't that busy.

6:18

We were in quite early. Aye.

6:20

But it was, I think it was very wise to stay  in because we were knackered on Wednesday.

6:25

Yes, yes. And I think that's

6:28

probably made my head cold worse. Just being out and about.

6:30

You know, when you're on the beach all day  and it's nice and hot and then later on,

6:34

you start feeling a bit chilly. Aye.

6:37

Yeah, that was me. That's an age thing.

6:43

Thanks. So then we had the big storm.

6:45

The big storm arrived Wednesday into Thursday. And that was storm Claudia.

6:52

I was about to say Claudia. Well, it's Claudia here,

6:54

but it's hitting the UK so it's Claudia there. Yeah, I pronounced it in Spanish there.

7:00

It did get cloudier as well. So that works too.

7:06

So yeah, that has then hit the UK. That hit the UK on Friday.

7:11

So they got the tail end of it. But I think we got it much worse because it hit

7:14

the Canary Islands first and it was torrential. If anyone has been following their friends,

7:20

or know anybody else that's here for Winter  Pride, they've probably seen the videos of like

7:24

people out dancing in the rain and swimming on the  floor in the Yumbo or on the ground in the Yumbo.

7:29

Because it was flooded, just mental. But yeah, so it cleared up.

7:34

The storm left as soon as it arrived  and it was perfect weather for Friday.

7:40

Yes. Back to normal service.

7:42

Scorchio! Yes.

7:43

Just in time for... The Vengaboys are coming and everybody's jumping.

7:49

Vengaboys, amazing as always. They are always a crowd pleaser.

7:53

And we met up with quite a few people as well. So Neil arrived on Friday.

7:57

I picked him up from the airport. Again, a long standing friend of mine

8:00

that I've known for years. Actually from when I lived

8:02

here the first time over 20 years ago. So it was really good catching up with him.

8:06

And Nick was there and Little G was there  with her new girlfriend, which was nice.

8:10

And she used to live here when  I lived here 20 years ago.

8:12

So it was a bit of a kind  of old Gran Canaria reunion.

8:15

So it was really good fun. It was a good day.

8:18

And I think as well, because  some of the Winter Pride

8:21

events had been cancelled because of the storm. So everybody getting back out again on the Friday

8:27

for the Vengaboys at this massive pool party. And it is, it's not like a regular pool party.

8:33

They're normally at the hotels, but this  one is at like, it's the beach club.

8:37

So it's just like big, massive pool. And it's all it does.

8:40

There's no hotel. It's actually an old water park.

8:42

So when I lived here before,  it used to be a water park.

8:46

But they've still got that  big main pool in it now.

8:49

And the Vengaboys as always. They're jumping.

8:54

Yes. Very, very good.

8:56

So again, we'll scatter the video  version of this with videos and

9:00

footage and photos and stuff as well. Just to highlight, to prove that we

9:04

were there and we didn't go to bed. I know we have good form for that.

9:08

That time we went to Sitges and we're  like, we're just going for a nap.

9:11

And then we'd wake up like the next day. Yeah.

9:14

And then the big day was Saturday  for the parade, which we always love.

9:20

It's just so much love and fun  and laughter and togetherness.

9:25

And, and again, that's a day where you  just get to speak to totally random people.

9:30

And then what happens is we normally  follow each other on Instagram.

9:32

And then you see them again  the next time that they're out.

9:35

And cause people actually, somebody spoke  to us on the beach on Tuesday and were like,

9:38

oh my God, you're the balloon guys. Cause we did the balloon thing years ago.

9:42

And he always remembers us as the balloon guys. It's so funny you should say that because this

9:46

week I've met so many people that have said,  oh, you're the balloon guys, or, oh, you're the

9:53

unicorns, or you're the Mario and Luigi. And it's like, people just remember you

9:57

from a certain costume that you were in  when you were talking to them one time.

10:01

And we've done that many costumes though,  for different pride events over the years

10:05

that you have to rack your brain. Sometimes they'll say to you,

10:07

oh, you were the such and such guys. And you're like, did I dress up as that?

10:10

I can't remember. It's really good

10:13

meeting though, old faces and new faces. And then I think obviously we've got the

10:20

pride walk, which is probably all the way up  Avenida de Tirajana, and then it hits the Yumbo.

10:25

And then the Yumbo is just packed  and it's an amazing atmosphere.

10:29

Do you know for me very much that pride  parade Saturday, moreso than anything,

10:34

is about togetherness. It's about a united

10:36

community coming together from all over. People come from so many different countries.

10:42

And especially at the minute, because we've spoken  about how there are forces that are trying to

10:46

divide the LGBT community on a daily basis. And when we come together like that, it just

10:54

proves that it's not working. It's not working.

10:57

We are one strong united community globally. We're going to stick together and we're

11:02

going to make sure that nothing divides us. You get that sense when you're out and about

11:07

because you talk to so many people. People are so friendly.

11:11

You meet so many people. It's just a really lovely atmosphere on the day.

11:15

And there's so many families  about as well, which is amazing.

11:18

And before the parade in the  Yumbo, they do like sign making.

11:21

So you always see people with the signs, you  know, like love is love and whatever it might be.

11:26

And you do feel like that togetherness,  like you're talking about.

11:29

And it's like we spoke about a couple of  weeks ago about pride being a protest.

11:33

Yeah, we're out and we're protesting  about it, but in a really positive way.

11:38

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, going out and having fun and being free

11:43

and being yourself is in itself a form of protest. Like we get dressed up in fancy dress costumes.

11:49

We're loud and proud. That in itself is a form of protest.

11:54

But also we have people marching with  signs, carrying really important messages.

12:00

In many years past as well, the parade has been  led by the trans kids and things like that.

12:07

They've got an association on the island. And it's brilliant because it draws focus

12:12

and awareness to specific issues  that are affecting our community.

12:16

And it's just they've got the perfect match. It's a brilliant, brilliant, brilliant day.

12:21

And also it's televised on Spanish TV as  well, which is just like absolutely amazing.

12:26

You know, they've always got the main channels  here because the media here is totally different

12:32

to the media in the UK in terms of LGBTQ, trans. It's so refreshing to see that.

12:39

And they really celebrate it when they're  showing it on the TV here as well.

12:43

Absolutely. I noticed that because there's

12:45

a programme called, I think I might be butchering  this, but I think it's called Tu Cara Me Suena.

12:52

So, your face is familiar, kind of thing. It's a bit like Stars in Their Eyes if

12:56

anybody is in the UK and remembers that. But it's celebrities come in and it's the

13:01

same celebrities every week. And they dress up like famous

13:07

singers and they then perform as them. Supremme De Luxe was a contestant,

13:13

the host of Drag Race España. And one week she had a guest in

13:17

that sang a duet with her. And it was Paca La Piraña,

13:20

who is a very prominent trans woman. And they give this speech, which was

13:27

phenomenal, about how important it is  to support trans rights in this moment.

13:31

And that is one of the biggest shows in Spain. It goes out on prime time.

13:36

And I just think you wouldn't  get that in the UK at the minute.

13:40

Absolutely not. They wouldn't allow it.

13:42

And yeah, so Spain is very different. Spain is different.

13:45

That used to be their slogan for a  while, actually, for the tourist board.

13:48

We are trying to get a job for  the tourist board, aren't we?

13:51

But yeah, you notice when you come here that  the media landscape, particularly around LGBT

13:57

issues and immigration, totally different from  what it would be in other Western countries,

14:04

such as the UK or perhaps the US. Yeah, definitely.

14:08

So a huge win at the parade on Saturday,  just feeling all that love and togetherness.

14:14

And also in the gay world, another  huge win with the US Supreme Court.

14:18

Yes. Do you know what?

14:20

There's not much good news comes  from the United States these days.

14:24

But yeah, that was a definite win. Aye.

14:26

So that was Kim Davis, who has for years and years  and years been trying to thwart same-sex marriage.

14:34

And she is now apparently, reportedly, lumped  with a massive legal bill because of this.

14:41

Karma's a b****. Karma is a b****.

14:44

She deserves it. She does.

14:46

Reportedly, it's 360,000 US dollars  that she now has to pay for this.

14:51

Good luck with that. And I loved Adele's clap

14:52

back during the week to her as well. She was like, you need to get a new

14:55

hobby now, Kim. That's very good.

15:01

That's very funny. Yeah, really, really, really good news.

15:02

We've got clients in America. So the landscape over there with everything

15:06

else that's happening, that was just another  worry that they were having to think about.

15:09

But thankfully, it's been  quashed, which is amazing.

15:13

Yes, and hopefully as well, gay, bi, lesbian  people in America can take that win and direct

15:22

their efforts now to protecting their trans  siblings, because that really is where the

15:27

fight is over there now. Absolutely.

15:28

So what other positive things  are happening in the gay world?

15:31

Yeah, not to sound too vacuous, but so we've moved  on from like Pride and Supreme Court victories.

15:38

And I want to just mention, did  you see the Jonathan Bailey...

15:43

Sexiest man alive. Yes, I did see that, yes.

15:46

I do sound really vacuous, don't I? You do.

15:50

Very well deserved, though, from  Jonathan Bailey, because he is very sexy.

15:53

Ach, he's alright. Wouldn't kick him out of bed for eating crisps.

15:59

No, definitely not. He is definitely the

16:01

man of the moment, because we've got Wicked  for Good is coming out next week, actually.

16:06

We're going to see. We're going to see it with Nick next week.

16:08

Yes, we're making a day of it as well,  which will be fun, up in Las Palmas.

16:12

That'll be fun. So yeah, he's doing

16:14

media rounds with Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande at the minute.

16:20

And I don't know if you saw the clip. Oh, I saw the clip, yeah.

16:24

I think every gay man alive has saw the clip. Oh, it's so funny.

16:28

He's so quick-witted. Aye.

16:30

So not only is he a pretty handsome gent,  but he's so funny and quick-witted as well.

16:33

Aye alright, why don't you just marry him? I would love to, but there's a couple of

16:37

things holding me back. You're already married.

16:40

Number one, I'm already married  and I can't commit bigamy.

16:42

And number two, I don't think he's  looking in my direction, so...

16:46

You never know. He might be at the beach party next year.

16:48

He could be one of our early  subscribers to the podcast, who knows?

16:51

But what we'll do, why don't we roll  the tape and we can show the clip.

16:56

RuPaul's Drag Race or Great British Bake Off? Well I love soggy bottoms so it's gotta be

17:02

RuPaul's Drag Race. That was so funny.

17:07

It was really good. Butdid you see, all

17:09

the gays are going nuts, going, is he a top? Oh my God, he's just confirmed he's a top.

17:14

No, he's just making a joke. They need to get him back

17:17

on Drag Race as a guest judge. 100% needs to happen next season.

17:22

Or celebrity Bake Off. He can show off his soggy bottom.

17:29

Yeah. I think I'd be tuning in for that.

17:32

Let's start a petition. Yeah.

17:34

Given that we were talking about Wicked for Good,  did you see the other breaking gay news from the

17:40

film world this week? No.

17:42

The teaser for Devil Wears Prada 2 dropped. Oh, yeah.

17:47

So this might be a bit controversial and I might  need to hand back my gay card, but yeah, whatever.

17:55

I know. Yeah, the first film was good and all the rest of

17:58

it and you quote it all the time, but I'm not, I'm  just like, oh great, yeah, I'll go and watch it,

18:02

but I'm not really that excited about it. So it's been really nice.

18:06

Oh my God, my ring won't come off. Ah, you can't take it off.

18:09

Take that off though. I was going to take the

18:12

ring off and go and run off with Jonathan  Bailey, but it's not going to happen now.

18:15

The ring won't come off. Ah, well.

18:17

That's the third reason why it's not  going to happen with Jonathan Bailey.

18:20

Damn. So I'm really looking forward to that.

18:23

I think I've watched Devil  Wears Prada over 20 times.

18:28

I love it. It's such a quotable film.

18:30

Yeah. I think I have seen it twice.

18:33

The reason I've watched it so many times is  because it used to be on ITV2 and I don't

18:38

know if it's still the same, but ITV2 in  the UK used to get the rights to broadcast

18:43

a film and then they would just broadcast  it all the time for like three months and

18:49

then they would switch to a different film. So that was your Sunday afternoon hangover film?

18:53

Bingo. That's exactly what it was.

18:55

It used to be when I was a lot  younger and I was maybe going

18:58

out more often and drinking more often. That was a perfect Sunday on the couch.

19:04

Before Grindr was a thing you'd  spend your Sunday afternoons on that.

19:07

Yeah. Full of popcorn, Devil Wears Prada and recuperate.

19:11

Yeah. Okay.

19:12

Fair enough. I'm very excited.

19:13

You're getting dragged to the cinema though. Ah no, it's fine.

19:15

Like I'll go and watch it. I'm just not like, oh my God, it's coming.

19:20

I don't know where that came from. Alan talking about coming?

19:26

Groundbreaking! Okay, moving on.

19:32

I think this is probably a good time  to then talk about some fitness stuff.

19:40

So we've now reached the fitness section  of the podcast, which I think is obviously

19:43

important considering we are fitness coaches. And I think you've seen something on Reddit that

19:48

you want to talk about. Yes.

19:50

So this is, I think this is something  that will resonate with people.

19:54

It certainly resonated with me. And so this is from r/beginnerfitness.

20:00

And the title is, how do you build the  discipline to start and stick with it?

20:06

So the Redditor has said, like many beginners  to getting fit, I am finding it very difficult

20:13

to even start exercising. Every night I get loads

20:17

of motivation to start tomorrow. Then morning comes and I can't even

20:21

get the effort to make lunch for the day. I know the easy answer is to just do it.

20:27

But when work has sucked all the effort you have,  it's dark by 6 p.m. and your brain is shutting

20:34

down, where does the discipline come from? So there are quite a few people being helpful

20:40

in here giving advice and things like that. Some helpful, some not so helpful.

20:48

But yeah, I think we've definitely  got some things to say about this, eh?

20:52

Yeah. And I think as well, like this is

20:54

obviously coming from a beginner's point of view. But if anyone has had a break from fitness,

21:00

getting back into it can be difficult and we  can probably say that's the same thing here.

21:04

We can apply what we're just about to talk  about to that situation, because sometimes

21:10

getting back to it is the mountain that you  need to overcome to keep going, you know?

21:14

Totally. And I

21:15

experienced that in the not too distant past. I spoke on, I think it was our first episode

21:20

about ADHD and how that had kind of taken  a slide and knocked me out of my routine.

21:27

So I find it difficult to build up that  routine again, especially with the gym.

21:32

Yeah. For a number of reasons, because I felt

21:34

like my fitness had taken a step back, I'd lost some muscle mass.

21:39

And it was just generally difficult going  back and feeling like I was starting,

21:43

not from scratch, but, you know, from  a lesser position than I had been in.

21:47

People expect the motivation to come first, and  then they'll do the thing that they need to do.

21:53

But actually the action  then creates the motivation.

21:56

And we speak to our clients about that as  well and it isn't just a case of just do it.

22:01

Yeah, you need to do the action to get  the motivation but there's ways and means

22:05

of doing that and there's things that  you can build in to your daily routine,

22:09

weekly routine that's going to help you do that. So one thing that I always say to clients is

22:15

think about the one thing that's going  to have the biggest impact on your week,

22:19

biggest positive impact on your week. So for you, if that's going to be

22:23

prepping a few days food, brilliant. If it's committing to a certain number

22:28

of workouts, that's the thing that you need to do. If it's something as simple as just getting your

22:33

gym bag ready the night before, because it  means you're not rushing about in the morning,

22:38

if that's going to have the biggest  positive impact, go for that.

22:41

I think people get overwhelmed with having to  think about everything but if you choose one

22:46

thing that's going to have that biggest impact,  then just focus on that for say a week or two.

22:51

Yeah, just to build on what you've  said, it is about removing barriers.

22:56

I think that's what it is  and that's what works for me.

22:59

So I'm going to use this morning as an example.

23:02

When we got up, we were going to  the gym really early this morning.

23:05

So we needed to be ready to just get  up and get out as quickly as possible.

23:11

So you had prepared overnight oats, they were  in the fridge and they were ready to eat.

23:16

All we needed to do was take the Tupperware out of  the fridge, grab a spoon and we were ready to go.

23:21

And that makes a huge difference. It makes a massive difference because

23:26

there are so few steps that you need to take. You can just plant yourself down, eat your

23:31

breakfast and then you're ready. And that's it.

23:34

Having your gym clothes out, your gym shoes  out, all of these things reduce the barriers.

23:40

And the quicker sometimes you can get out the  door, the less chance there is of you saying,

23:47

I'll just leave it to tomorrow  and then tomorrow never comes.

23:51

So it is about just reducing those barriers  and making it as simple as possible.

23:55

And overnight oats is such a good breakfast to  have, because actually when you're preparing it,

24:00

it can take five minutes to do it. Chuck in some oats, some milk.

24:04

So this is what we put in. So some milk, some oats,

24:07

some protein powder, we put in creatine  in there as well, just so we have it.

24:11

And then I put in some frozen fruit,  give it a shake, bung it in the fridge,

24:15

you know, it's super, super easy to do. So it is about removing those barriers.

24:20

I think as well, another simple way of  making yourself commit to something,

24:24

put it in your diary. So imagine it's like

24:27

a work meeting or you're meeting a friend,  something that's absolutely non-negotiable.

24:31

If you can block out that time and have it in  your diary, you're more likely to actually do it.

24:38

Cause you know what it's like,  it's like, well, I might go later.

24:40

Oh, actually, if I just push it back. But if it's in your diary and you've blocked

24:44

out the time, you're more likely to commit to it. And that's when the devil and angel comes on your

24:49

shoulder and you're like, oh, will I go, won't I  go, you know, but if it's there, it's blocked out,

24:53

then you're more likely to do it. Yeah.

24:55

So obviously the scenario that we spoke  about there was a morning situation.

24:59

That might not work for all people. Maybe they need to go to the gym

25:02

in the evening for whatever reason. And what I would say and what has worked

25:06

for me before is, don't go home. Do not go home.

25:10

If you have been in work all day and you need  to fit in the gym, go from work to the gym.

25:17

Or what I have done before as well,  depending on how flexible your employer is,

25:22

go to the gym at lunchtime. I used to love doing that.

25:26

So I would go into work a little bit earlier  so that I had some time to play with,

25:31

take a slightly longer lunch, go to the gym. It is amazing because it kind of energises

25:37

you for the second half of your day as well,  which is normally a bit of a slump after lunch.

25:41

So that's great too. Or you can just go to the gym straight after work.

25:46

If you go home first, especially at this  time of year in the Northern Hemisphere,

25:50

when it's dark early, chances are you're going to  sit on the sofa and it's going to be game over.

25:55

Yeah, yeah. And it'll be eight o'clock before you know it

25:57

and you'll just think, oh, there's no point now. And just to touch on that as well,

26:01

there's no perfect time to go to the  gym in terms of like your results.

26:05

The perfect time for you to go to  the gym is the time that you prefer.

26:08

Like for me, I'm a morning person. I want to get up, get my breakfast,

26:11

get to the gym and it's done. Whereas you're more of a kind of later during

26:15

the day person for the gym usually, aren't you? So like, don't be worrying that if you go morning,

26:21

lunchtime, evening, it's  going to impact your results.

26:24

I would say go when you've got the  most energy and when you're going to

26:27

enjoy it most and whatever that is for you. I think the reason I like going a little bit

26:32

later in the afternoon is because generally  our gym is a bit quieter at that time.

26:36

Now, I am an absolute chaos monkey, as you know. I am not somebody that likes certainty in my life.

26:42

I thrive on uncertainty quite often. But when it comes to the gym, I like certainty.

26:48

So I need to know what I'm  doing in the gym that day.

26:50

I need to have my workouts programmed and  planned and know exactly what machines

26:54

or what equipment I'm using. When I go to the gym and the

26:58

equipment is busy and I'm not able to get on  it and I need to do alternatives and things,

27:04

it throws me into a little bit of a tailspin. I know what I'm doing in the gym, so I'm able

27:09

to adapt, but I don't like it. So that works for me.

27:13

And there may be some people who feel the same. And that is a tip.

27:17

If that is you, going at a quieter time is better. What I said as well about planning your workouts,

27:25

it's really good if you know exactly  what you're doing, where you're doing it,

27:29

where the machines are and you know what  your plan is, that also makes it easier

27:34

as well because reducing that uncertainty  reduces feelings of overwhelm and anxiety.

27:41

And again, it's about bringing those  barriers down and getting rid of them

27:45

so that you're more likely to go to the gym. And we touch on quite a bit of that in our e-book.

27:50

Yes, we do indeed. And just on that, actually,

27:52

if anybody is watching or listening to this  and would like a free copy of our e-book,

27:57

Gymtimidation, just get in touch with us. You can drop us a DM on Instagram.

28:02

That's @outlift.ing You can drop an email to podcast@outlift.ing

28:09

And we'll arrange for that to  be sent over to you as well.

28:12

There's lots of really useful tips  in there if you are somebody that

28:16

suffers from a bit of gym anxiety,  intimidation or feelings of overwhelm,

28:20

which are preventing you from maybe  getting into the best routine that you can.

28:25

Yeah, we've actually given out hundreds of free  copies of the book and everybody that receives it,

28:29

loads of guys have messaged back to say  that they found it really, really useful.

28:32

So it's a good resource. And the thing is, it's free.

28:36

You download it and then it's yours to keep. Have we said enough then about discipline?

28:40

I think so. I think there's

28:41

quite a good few wee pointers in there. So if anybody's found that really useful,

28:44

drop us a message and let us know. Yeah, absolutely.

28:46

And likewise, if anybody has any tips that they  think that we haven't covered of things that have

28:51

worked for them, feel free to get in touch. Thank you very much for watching, listening,

28:59

subscribing to The Outlifting Lounge. It is just part of what we do.

29:03

Alan and I run Outlifting, which is a fitness,  nutrition, accountability, coaching service

29:09

for gay, bi and trans men who want to transform  their bodies by building unstoppable confidence.

29:16

If you think that that is something that you could  benefit from, please do feel free to get in touch.

29:22

We offer free video consultations so you  can meet with one of us, discuss your goals,

29:28

your barriers, what it is that you want to  achieve and see if our service is a good fit.

29:34

And then if you sign up, we'll create  a custom plan for you - fitness,

29:38

nutrition and accountability. And that includes weekly in-person video

29:43

check-ins with your coach and ongoing support  through the chat function in our app every week.

29:49

Thank you so much for listening. We love to hear feedback from you.

29:52

So if you've got any feedback or any comments  or any suggestions about topics that you want

29:57

us to cover in future episodes, you can get  in touch with us through DM on Instagram

30:02

@outlift.ing or via email podcast@outlift.ing We have got new episodes every Sunday,

30:12

so make sure you're subscribed  if you haven't already done so.

30:16

We're available on YouTube, on Apple Podcasts,

30:19

We hope you've really enjoyed it. But for now, over and Outlifting.

30:19

We hope you've really enjoyed it. But for now, over and Outlifting.