With the festive season around the corner, many people are dreaming about having a trim bikini body but fitness fanatic Ryan Weaver says there are no short cuts to slimming and, dreaming about it is not enough.
“Don’t have dreams, have goals. You can change your dreams but goals are measurable.”
Ryan, a Retreat resident, has worked for several years at a
well-known gym franchise. He started at the reception desk at the Green Point branch in 2015 where he was “inspired by the changes it was making in people’s lives”.
He decided he wanted to be a part of that transformation and applied for training in sales and business, to grow his career in the industry.
A trip to Berlin made him realise that city life suited him, so he applied to move to the Foreshore branch where he now works as a front-house manager.
“This city reminds me of New York, where everybody is doing their own thing and where all walks of life meet. You have the traders and homeless people and professionals all in one place. That inspires me.”
Fitness has always been an interest for Ryan, who said he has been doing flexes since the
age of 3. Oddly, the karate black belt’s other sports interest is chess.
“Karate taught me flexibility and discipline. Health is not just about bulking up.”
He said the festive season often gave people the false perception that it was okay to relax their health goals because the new year will be a fresh start.
“This time of year people see the trimmings and the festivities. It gets you into the mood of the silly season.
“There are New Year’s parties and the pretence of a new start but why not start right now?”
Fitness is a lifestyle, he says.
“Muscle memory takes about 24 months to kick in. If you see someone with a good physique, I can tell you, it took them years to get there.
“There are no short cuts. Fitness is a lifestyle and it takes commitment and discipline.”
Despite the gloomy news for those of us who were hoping to get rid of our winter paunches quickly, Ryan did have a few tips:
● First, get lots of sleep. “Sleep is the main form of recovery from exercise,” he said.
● Next, drink iced water. “The body can only absorb water at 37 degrees so you burn more calories drinking cold water because the body first has to warm it up,” Ryan explained.
● And lastly, eat healthy
foods. “80% of what you eat can be seen in what you look like.”